Top Note Mini Photo Album

I made this little photo album a few weeks ago but just now had the chance to post it. It also qualifies for the DCBD challenge #126 this week, to use your Big Shot:

I used the Top Note die and cut two pieces of cardboard from a package of DP, and four coordinating pieces of DP and glued them all together. Then I die cut some pieces of Confetti White for the inside pages. I decorated the front and punched a hole through all the pages and used two buttons threaded front & back (I'll show you later) and then added some photos to the album:

These photos are from a party my sister had for my nephew when he went to Montana to live/work for a big game lodge thingy (not sure what they call it). And being in Pennsylvania, that's a long, long way from home! So they really don't "fit" the title of the album (at least to my sister, they are not "Happy Days"!), but they were the most recent ones I had! Journaling can be done on the backs of the pages. Here are some pix of how it is fastened together:

More pages can be added just by untying the string. Thanks for looking today!

• Stamps: Happy Everything
• Paper: Urban Garden DP, Confetti White, Chocolate Chip
• Ink: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip
• Acc: Cropadile, Buttons Latte, Cordoroy Buttons, Top Note & Big Shot, Felt Fusion Two, Valet Ribbon, String

Color Throwdown #41

Well, after missing last week's throwdown, I was itching to play again!  However, Danielle's colors of Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red were a real challenge for me! 

So I went "breezing" through my folder of card favorites and came upon this one from Becky Carafa posted on Clean & Simple Stamping.  I don't usually case things exactly, but for this one, it was pretty darn close.  I needed some serious mojo help!  Thanks, Becky!  So here we go:

The image from Cute & Curly is stamped in Riding Hood Red, but I took some artistic license and used Real Red for the other embellishments.  I used my Big Shot to cut the red felt flower from the Flower Layers #3 die, and added a Felt Fusion Two flower on top; the brad is from Chloe's Closet.   The sentiment is from Flourishes' Sweet Violets--I actually cut apart the phrase that said "Hello Friend" and just used the "friend".  The great thing about clear stamps is that you can do that easily and it doesn't mess up a thing!   It fit so perfectly in that little oval!  To continue with the "friend" theme, I wheeled Friendly Words across the top panel in Certainly Celery.  I did round the corners for a little different effect.

 

 

So what can you come up with using this color combo?  We'd all love to see--maybe you'll be our Featured Stamper!  Post your creation on your blog or on an online gallery using the keyword "CTD41", then go over to the CTD blog and link it to Mr Linky (make sure you use the exact address of your post, not just your blog address!).  And remember, if you don't have these exact colors, use something close!  Now let's see what the other designers have created this week:

• Broni - Splashes of Watercolor
• Tammy - Stamp Happy
• Cathy - Crafty Thoughts
• Barbara - Paper Pursuits
• Danielle – Wild Dragonfly Designs

Ooooh, I almost forgot--our very own Barbara is still in the running for the MFT Idol!  You have to see what she has created for this week.  Absolutely incredible!  You can see her creations here, then vote here!  Woohoo!

Stacey's Jewelry Inspiration #35

Stacey always has a wonderful jewelry inspiration (which I don't always get to do), and this week's is no exception.  You can check it out here; the colors are Cameo Coral, Ballet Blue, Kiwi Kiss and Very Vanilla.  I had my Flower Layers #3 die out for another project, so just decided to go with that:

This card also used Fall to Layout #39 from the Clean and Simple Stamping blog:

This was an interesting mixture of colors!  I hope that this card will brighten someone's day!

 

 

• Stamps:  Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Green Thumb, PTI
• Paper:  Very Vanilla, Cameo Coral, Ballet Blue, Bella Rose DP
• Ink:  Ballet Blue, Cameo Coral
• Acc:  Scallop Edge Punch, Flower Layers #3 Die, Old Olive Twill, Bling from Mike's, Sponge Daubers, Dimensionals

Mojo Monday Sympathy

I needed TWO sympathy cards today; I made both very simple as I needed to get them in the mail asap.  The first one used the sketch from Mojo Monday:

I used designer papers from BG's Porcelain and Stella Ruby, and SU's Trendy Trees stamped on watercolor paper for my simple image.  I also used my new Deckle Edge Nestabilities, and the sentiment is from PTI:

 

 

Oops, I forgot the inside photo:

My second one uses my new Stylized Flowers CB folder, embossed on some DCWV textured paper with a white core, then sanded:

Sentiment, ribbon and punches are all from SU!  Thanks for visiting--if you need more details, shoot me an email! 

Spring Violets

A few weeks ago, I won some blog candy from the wonderfully talented Laura Frederickson.  I remember when I first started blogging, she was very helpful to me, and besides being very creative, she is just a very nice person!  She sent ME a lovely thank you card:

Isn't this pretty?  I love the little details.  One of the items I won was the gorgeous set from Flourishes titled "Sweet Violets".  I finally got a chance to play with it, and although this was a rather quick attempt, I thought it came out pretty well.  I began to use the few Copics I had, but ended up finishing it with my reinkers and my aquapainter, using a technique called Drunken Watercoloring!  Instead of using water in your aquapainter, you use alcohol; your reinkers then become sort of like Copics, and although it takes a little experimentation, the colors remain truer than using straight water.  So what do you think?

I popped up a violet and a leaf, and added some dew drops, mounting it on some Mellow Moss & Basic Black, then on an Almost Amethyst card stamped with CHF's Leaves Backgrounder. Since the design is fairly large, I didn't add a lot of extras--this was really just a practice piece!  I added a little violet on the inside as well:

I won another item, and I'll be making something with that in the next few days, so be on the lookout!  Have a great day!

Happy News

Lots of happiness today, as my daughter is out of the hospital and feeling much better.  Thanks to all who prayed for her and extended get-well wishes to her and my dad, who is still on the mend.  Without going into a lot of details, her main issue was migraines; in an effort to determine the source of the pain, she had a spinal tap and had some after-effects.  An epidural blood patch was needed to correct the problem--and it worked!  She is home and on the mend.  Again, thanks so much!

Let the Sun Shine!

I was finally able to stamp a little today and combined a couple of challenges.  My mojo is still in hiding a little, but hopefully by the weekend, it will be back!  I am amazed at how women under pressure can still create such beautiful things---it doesn't happen here!

Sharon's No Time To Stamp challenge was to Let The Sun Shine!  Great, cuz it's not shining here!!!  Her challenge was to use the color yellow on our cards.  There are many shades of yellow and I realized I don't have very many of them!

 

  My first card was for the Mojo Monday challenge,  and I took it pretty literally, as that stampin' mojo was missing:

 

 

Not much stamping; I wanted to highlight the pretty yellow, pink and blue patterns in the BG Lily Kate paper I was using, so instead of stamping, I just CB'd each piece.  Sentiment is from All Holidays and the flower is from Eastern Blooms.  Pearls were from K& Co--their stuff is really nice!  Now for some more "funky" stuff--a little less my style, but as I said, the mojo was MIA:

This uses the butterfly from Flight of the Butterfly, stamped on the opposite side of this yellow BG paper from K&Co called "Berry Sweet".  This just isn't doing anything for me, so that's all I'm saying about it!

 

 

 

 

This final one is just a scrap piece of Summer Sun I had in my paper file; I folded it in half, stamped some images and colored and doodled them in with my markers.  One leaf is popped up.  Images are from My Cute Stamps; sentiment is from Gina K's Whimsical Autumn.  Buttons from Walmart!!!  Thanks for visiting today!