Color Throwdown #4

 

Well, today is Wednesday, and two important things are happening:  I am leaving for convention, and it's another Color Throwdown Challenge, Week 4!!!  This week's hostess is  Cathy, and she has chosen Basic Black, Certainly Celery and Almost Amethyst as her color challenge.  I made two cards for this challenge; I had an idea, then nixed it and made something different.  I wasn't real happy with it, so went back to my original idea and was much happier.  So here is the "good" one:

I needed a thank you card, so I decided that's what I would make; all products are SU except for the Doodlebug Sugar-coated Brad!  I hand-stitched the Old Olive twill "stem"; the leaves are Certainly Celery Prints DP that I cut into leaf shapes, folded in half and put through my crimper.  The pot was cut from Almost Amethyst cardstock, stamped repeatedly with "thanks" from EFP and sponged on the edges.  I curled it a little to give it some shape and attached it with two fat Pop-up Glue Dots.  The flower & sentiment are from Enjoy Every Moment.  I used my Stamp-a-ma-Jig to place the words one of top of the other. 

• Stamps:  Enjoy Every Moment, Everyday Flexible Phrases
• Paper:  WW, BB, Cert Celery Prints DP, Porcelain Prints DP, Almost Amethyst
• Ink: Almost Amethyst, Stazon Black, Certainly Celery
• Acc:  Old Olive Twill, Glue Dots, Pop-Up Glue Dots, Crimper, SAMJ, Dauber, Needle & Thread, Dimensionals, Sugar-Coated Brads

And here is my other attempt.  Okay, but just not the look I was going for:

I was trying to do an "out-of-the-box" Christmas card.  The fun thing about this card is all the glitter, which is difficult to see.  The branch is stamped in Craft ink and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice EP; around the edges of the Certainly Celery cardstock is a line of DD glitter as well; and the Sugar-coated Brads are glittery too.  This is all from a retiring SU set called Peaceful Wishes...one I am very sad to see go!!!

Now, lets see what you can do!  You can check out what the other  Color Throwdown girls have done here:

• Broni - Splashes of Watercolor
• Kisa - Kisa's Paper Cuts
• Tammy - Stamp Happy
• Tracy - Durcan Designs
• Cathy - Crafty Thoughts

And since I am leaving for convention this afternoon, a reminder that I probably won't be posting anything until I return, unless someone in my room brings a laptop!!  Hold down the fort while we're gone!!!
LeAnne

A Happy Dance

One of the first emails I received today was a little woo-hoo from a fellow swapper that I had a card on Stampin' Up!'s Stamper's Showcase.  That is SU's version of a gallery where demos send in their samples & sometimes they get chosen to be displayed!  I hadn't ever posted it in case they did choose it, but it was a while back so I had forgotten about it.  Since I am busy getting ready for convention, this is a perfect time to show you the card!

This card uses the retiring In Color Soft Sky and All Through the Year set, as well as Simply Said for the sentiment.  The flowers are stamped on Kraft in White Craft ink; the centers are punched with the Anyhere Punch tool, and the stems were pierced with the punch, both found in the Tool Kit.  I finished it with a simple Soft Sky ribbon. 

Remember that tomorrow is Wednesday, the day of our Color Throwdown Challenge!  Since I will be leaving tomorrow afternoon for convention, I won't have any more postings after that until I return home on Sunday!  So be sure to stop back tomorrow to see what the CTD girls have come up with !  Have a great day!
LeAnne

MIA

I feel like I have been away for a long, long time!  I had a very busy weekend and lots of activities and appointments today, so I have not stamped a thing.  It is a special day for me, though, and I received several cards in the mail celebrating my day, so I thought I would show you a few!  These first two are from Wendy & Denise (weebestampin' and peanutbee--links are on the side):

Aren't they wonderful?  And there were some stamped images inside Denise's.  I should have photographed the insides as well, both are just as nice inside as out!  Thanks girls!

These two cards are from fellow NMBSers!  You can see that link at the side as well!  Thank you so much, Vicki & Lisa!  What a nice surprise to get these beauties in the mail!!!

This one is from Dana (Life Is Good).  This card is just stunning in all the detail; again, I should have photographed the inside (I'm tired!) so you'll have to take my word for it that it, too, is just as pretty inside as out.  I love the herb images she's used, along with the Canvas background & eyelets.  Right up my alley!  Thanks, Dana!

And these two cards are from a couple of my customers, Linda, Ginger, and Ginger's daughter Emily.  Linda used some sweet little images that are so precious; Ginger and Emily's card was actually a thank-you, and they used the faux diamond-dust technique that made those beautiful colors really shine. 

It was  a lovely birthday, even if I didn't get to stamp (yet!).  I had a surprise cake at a picnic last night & my daughter got me a beautiful necklace, a pair of shoes, a gorgeous violet, and a new computer mousepad.  John & I went out to dinner Friday, and took friends out on our sailboat Saturday, I got several other nice cards in the mail as well, so it was a really nice weekend.  Thanks to all of you!
LeAnne

Christmas Card Recipes

I was asked by PatsyB what stamps I used for my Christmas cards, and unfortunately I can't return emails through blogger, so I'll just add them here.  (I was rushed this morning!)

Noel Card:

• Stamps:  Many Merry Messages, Punch Pals, Snow Flurries (retiring)
• Paper:  WW, Hostess Prints DP
• Ink:  Real Red
• Acc:  Scallop Punch, 3/4" circle Punch, Dimensionals

Be Merry Tree Card:

• Stamps:  Warm Words, Snowflake Spot (retiring)
• Paper:  Naturals White, Gold Brushed, Handsome Hunter
• Ink:  Gold Encore, Handsome Hunter
• Acc:  Sponge Dauber, Star Punch, Gold Brads, 1/16" Punch, Gold Zig Painty (retiring), Word Window Punch
• The tree is stamped with the small snowflake from The Snowflake Spot; I read about this on SCS somewhere (sorry, I don't remember where) and I played around with the image until I came up with this design.  Stamp three at the bottom, close together; then two on top; then one.  Fill in with ink & dauber.  Add punched star on top and dot each snowflake with gold ink from Gold Painty.  Tree trunk is punchout from Word Window Punch, cut in half.

Sleigh Bells Card:

• Stamps: Sleigh Bells Ring
• Paper:  WW, Soft Sky, Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red
• Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Ruby Red
• Acc:  Stitched Ribbon, Glitter, Quickie Glue Pen

Let It Snow Card:

• Stamps:  Big on Christmas, Twinkle Wheel (retired)
• Paper:  Kraft, WW, Bravo Burgundy, Bordering Blue
• Ink:  Stavo, Craft White
• Acc:  Markers, Glitter, Glue Pen, Double Rectangle Punch, Taupe Taffeta ribbon
  

Thanks! :D

Christmas in July

We had my CIJ Stamp Camp last night--we had lots of fun!  Busy stampers, glitter flying in the air, punches punching!  As I read my challenges & emails this morning, I realized one of the cards fits three challenges:

• ssnotime45 by Sharon Johnson---stamp a Christmas card
• DTGD08Sharon again by Sharon Johnson (this is a SCS Dirty Girl challenge) to stamp simply
• DTGD08Lauren by Lauren Meader (again a DG challenge) to stamp something monochromatic

And here are the other three cards:

These were all fun, fairly simple cards--of course you can't see the glitter, the best part!

I have a busy day, so off I go! If anyone needs recipes, just let me know! Thanks for visiting!

Color Inspiration 17

Well, I had to laugh when I saw Kristina's Color Inspiration 17 because it was almost exactly the same combo I had for my first Color Throwdown Challenge.  She added Rose Red to hers to match the beautiful vintage dress she found.  Check it out:

I had a couple different ideas for this, but ran out of time, so went with my first sample using the hydrangea and sentiment from Inque Boutique's Fluttering By, Butterfly.  (Plus I have NO rose stamps!!)  I used Craft Rose Red and Craft Sage Shadow to stamp the main image, then filled in with Classic Regal Rose & Sage Shadow inks with an aquapainter.  I used the Craft ink because, once dry, it won't bleed.  The sage panel is stamped in Soft Sage with the Linen background stamp, and the white card base is stamped off with the flourish from Baroque Motifs, also in Sage Shadow.  I added an old piece of lace and pearl button from my stash for the "vintage" look of the dress.  How coincidental that my dresser scarf mimics the flourishes!!!  This looks rather vanilla in the photo, but it really is white!  Thanks for visiting!!

In A Pink Mood

It seems I am using a lot of pink lately! 

This card uses the same image that I used for Kristina's challenge last week, but the full image.  It is on shimmery white paper so it makes it quite easy to watercolor.  The Regal Rose background has been stamped with Tres Chic, scalloped, and I added a little border from Inque Boutique's Stitch Fun.  Can you tell I love that set???  I don't usually add a bow to my cards as I think it makes it too bulky, but I thought a big organdy bow would like nice here.  Black is not a color I would normally associate with a baby card, but it seemed to work!

  Here are a couple cards I made with some yummy SEI paper I got on my shopping trip a few weeks ago!  I also am using one of SU's new In Colors:   Pink Piroutte!!  I got a couple nice butterflies in the Inque Boutique set Fluttering By, Butterfly; this one is stamped in Chocolate Chip and daubered with Regal Rose; the sentiment is from Always.  I did do a little stamping on the side of the card with the stem from Fresh Cuts too.  I added some bling & glitter, and used the layout from CPS here.  I used both sides of the paper and since it is a fairly busy pattern, I didn't feel it needed much more in the way of embellishments.  I decorated the inside as well:

 

 

 

Thanks for this idea, Denise!  And thanks for visiting. 

I am going to try to post Kristina Werner's challenge today, which is almost the same colors as my first Color Throwdown Challenge!!!  But I am prepping for my Christmas Card Stamp Camp, so I don't know if I'll have time or not!!!