Fall to Inspirations

Wow, I don't usually get to stamp or post on Saturdays---always a busy day, but DH worked today and I got my stamp room a little bit cleaned up, filling up the shelves he put up yesterday.   Clean and Simple Stamping  had two layouts to peruse:

and the Inspiration Challenge #83 on SCS today had some really cute rooms and bedding, so I decided to make two cards!  These are both 3x3 cards, which are fun, but challenging to get everything on there, sort of in miniature!  The first was inspired by this room:

This uses a new stamp set from the upcoming SU catalog called Circle Circus, as well as a new sentiment, Teeny Tiny Wishes.  The image was stamped in Versamark, then Sahara Sand, then clear embossed.  All the other elements were distressed with Sahara Sand ink as well.  Sentiment is stamped in Basic Gray.

The next one was inspired by this room and has a totally different feel:

There's not a lot of stamping on this!  Polka dots from PTI's Polka Dot Basics; sentiment from Trendy Trees.  Punched circles of Only Orange and a diecut stem form the flower, and I found some fun dotted orange ribbon in my stash!

Thanks for visiting today!  Oh, here are a couple before & after photos of my stamping area.....not anything fancy like some I have seen, but much better for me!

Big empty space on the wall...everything used to be on the table.

Now, two large, long shelves, with lighting underneath!  And still room for more stuff! (Sorry for the bad pix).

Ah, a semi-clean space!  My stamps are behind me....still working on that area!

You Are Unique

My DH decided in the midst of my rainy stamping day to go out to buy and put up the shelving I have been wanting in my craft room.   I am NOT complaining!  But it did cut into my stamping time as I had to clean everything off the 7' long table I use!  Plus I have a stamp club meeting tonight!  But I did have time to stamp one quick little one-layer summer card for the SCS challenge.  Just PRETEND that you don't see the little smudge in the sentiment!

I love this beach chair image from Lockhart, and my other go-to beachy set is Shore Thoughts by Lizzie Anne.  (Hey, it's on sale this week!)  I stamped the image in Stazon, then quick colored it in with SU markers.  I pulled out the large shell image from Shore Thoughts and stamped it also in Stazon on some polyshrink, used my pastels to color it in, and shrunk it down into a little charm.  Some wide Regal Rose grosgrain is the last embellishment, other than some DD for the sand!  It is POURING rain here, so this is the only sunshine I'll be getting today---except for that shiny new shelving!  Have a great day!

• Stamps:  Beach Chair, Lockhart; Shore Thoughts, LAD
• Paper:  WW
• Ink:  Stazon Black, Regal Rose
• Acc:  Markers, Polyshrink, Heat Tool, Pastels, Sanding block, SAMJ, DD glitter, string, 1/8" circle punch

Tart & Tangy Thursday

My fellow CTD team member Broni had a color challenge yesterday on the Rubbernecker blog, so I thought I would give it a shot.  The corresponding SU colors were Old Olive, Summer Sun and Pumpkin Pie, and since I am on a "fruit" roll (see my watermelon card here) in my cardmaking, I thought I would use Tart & Tangy for a sweet little card:

I used my new long rectangle Nestabilities to cut a scalloped card, added some Haiku paper and my citrus accents!  My yellow ribbon was not quite "summery" enough to match my corduroy brad, so I intensified it a bit by coloring it with my Summer Sun marker.

While I had the set out, I kept going with the fruit theme and made a spinner card with the apple image; this will be a sample for my upcoming club night:

See it spinning?  LOL!!!  And finally, I think this is the first time I've inked up this cherry!  I am using up my soon-to-be-retired In Color stuff:

AAACKKK!  Look at that big bow!!! Yikes!  Deep breath...I will have to hand-deliver this card as it will never fit into an envelope!!  Well, thanks for sharing with me today!

Color Throwdown #45

Welcome back to the Color Throwdown Challenge! Cathy has picked some bright, fun, funky colors for us to play with this week. If you don't have these exact colors, feel free to substitute! Post your card on your blog or an online gallery using the keyword CTD45. Go to the CTD blog and link it there via Mr. Linky--I heard he was fixed!!! If not, leave the link in the comment screen. And remember, you could be our Featured Stamper next week, so give it all ya got!

Looking at Green Galore & Pink Passion together, for some reason, made me think watermelons! So here we go:

Overall, I think it's cute, although I am not real crazy about the glitter--next time, I'll do that part differently! LOL! Anyway, I used various Nesties for the watermelon; Chocolate Chip marker to hand-draw the seeds; the pieces are all sponged around the edges for dimension. Bee is from My Cute Stamps and the sentiment is from Verve. Everything is up on dimensionals as well! Now let's see what the others have come up with:

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

Hope to see your creation real soon!

• Stamps: Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Petals & Stems, Verve; Little Forest Friends, My Cute Stamps
• Paper: WW, Green Galore, Pink Passion, Chocolate Chip, Bella Rose
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Green Galore, Pink Passion, Craft White
• Acc: Markers, Nesties, Daubers, Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Twill from TE, DD Glitter

Pleasant Sunshine

My first card is for the Mojo Monday Sketch #89 and Flourishes Timeless Tuesday, which was to frame your image.  I just loved the sample that Silke made, so I decided to try one myself.  I really struggled with the layout....nothing was really working for me today!

Plus, the whole image looks crooked to me---it is not, I even measured it, but the angle of the photo makes it look that way, I guess!  Anyway, both the sentiment and image are old SU sets, accented with Linen and Sanded background stamps, and antiqued with Antique Linen Distress ink. I watercolored the hive, which bled the image a little (stamped in Chocolate Chip) but added to the vintage look of the card.  A little border from Inque Boutique's Stitch Fun is stamped along the bottom.  Close to Cocoa ribbon and a button finish it off.  Paper is Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Watercolor and Just Perfect Flowers from MME.

Next, a CAS card for the CAS#17 Inspiration Challenge at SCS, which was beach stuff from Land's End.  I chose this towel for my inspiration:

This is a smaller card, and uses PTI's Scattered Showers set, stamped in Pumpkin Pie, Only Orange and Cameo Coral. I masked & sponged the "sand" in More Mustard, then daubed Versamark on top.  Heat & Stick powder was applied and heated, then Dazzling Diamonds poured on and heated again. 

Makes me want to run to the beach and put my toes in the sand!

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for a new Color Throwdown Challenge!  Have a great day!

Wacky Wild Card

I feel as if I have been away for a long time....not really, but it was a very busy weekend (again); my brother's stepdaughter got married and the reception was at his home, right behind mine, on our family's farm property.  It was beautiful--and emotional--but maybe I'll share about that later.  I have had this card partially completed, sitting on my desk, and I finally got enough energy to finish it.  I was really just sort of fooling around....not something I'd want to enter in a contest of any sort, but kooky enough to send to a friend whose birthday is coming up soon!

This is one of those cool folding cards; you can see how to make it on SCS here; and you can see it unfolded here:

Here are a couple other views:

It really is a very cool-looking card!  This birthday guy is so low-key, he'll need sunglasses for this thing!  No glitter, though....that would be a no-no for him!  The base is from some textured Pacific Point I discovered I hadn't used yet; added a mix and match of BG's Marrakesh and stamped some little birthday images from some inexpensive clear stamps in Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point and Tangerine Tango, punched them out and mounted them.  I am really annoyed with my SU punches--they are not punching cleanly, even after "sharpening" them on a soda can.  Grrr....any hints?

Thanks for looking!  Hopefully my mojo and energy will return!

Sprightly Little Flower

I love the little sentiment on this card...it is from an Inque Boutique set, and unfortunately they are no longer in business. A darn shame, too, their stamps were great! Anyway, this card fulfills a slew of challenges:

• WT220, to use buttons
• CC220, So Saffron, Bashful Blue and Pumpkin Pie
• Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch #19 and
• Sharon's ssnotime#89, to make a card with spring flowers!

Pretty straightforward; I probably would have put a sentiment on the front bottom panel, but left it off so I can add it as I need it. Thanks for visiting today!

• Stamps: Flutter By, Butterfly, Inque Boutique
• Paper: WW, Haiku, Parisian Summer, Hostess Prints Pack, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie
• Ink: Ballet Blue, Pumpkin Pie
• Acc: Birds & Blooms Die, Dew Drops, Gingham, Buttons, Walmart, Sponge Dauber, MS Eyelet Scallop Punch

Edited to add: Liza asked me where I used the Sponge Daubers....the flowers are two layers, one of Pumpkin Pie, the other Haiku. I sponged the edges of the PP flowers--hard to see in the photo! Thanks for asking, Liza!