February 27, 2010

We've had so much snow lately that I've been thinking of this image for the last few days. I knew I wanted to use it to make a card for Wednesday's sketch challenge, but then I read the challenge for Winter Olympics VSN and I came up with this card.

The VSN challenge was to create a card using all white including our embellishments, but we were allowed to color our images.

I stamped my image and then colored it using my SU watercolor crayons and blender pen. I tried to keep my image mainly white with just a little bit of coloring.

My background is embossed using my Snowflakes and Swiss Dots embossing folders. I also used my snowflake border punch along the bottom of my white layer just below my stamped image.

Stamps: Snow Angels
Card Stock: White
Ink: Black Stazon
Supplies: Ribbon, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Snowflakes Embossing Folder
Technique: 2 Step Stampin, Dry Embossing

February 26, 2010

Winter is not over yet! My husband, my daughter, and I have all been busy shoveling snow today. We received a total of 26"of the fluffy white stuff.

This is the most snow that we've had in about 10 years. The piles at the end of my drive way are taller than my husband and I are. We are so sore from shoveling all of this snow and having to throw it so high onto the piles.


If you look closely in my first picture you can see my neighbor is shoveling his roof. My second picture is of my neighbor's mailbox; yep it's in there somewhere...LOL

And the best news is that our local weather forecasters are calling for another storm on Tuesday. I think I've seen enough snow this year!

February 25, 2010

Well, we are getting snowed in today and I thought today would be a good day to spend some time and upload some cards into my Splitcoast card gallery. You can find my Splitcoast card gallery here if anyone would like to see it. I only started blogging about 8 months ago so there are lots of cards in my gallery that I haven't posted here on my blog.

The three cards that I'm uploading today were made for the closing ceremonies for the spring CAS DT. We were to create sketch cards based on three cards that Jen (Miss Boo) chose from her gallery.

My first card was made based on this card from Jen's gallery.

I used my Because of You stamp set and as I was looking at this stamp set I noticed the small background stamp and I thought it would be great for making my own pattern paper.

I just stamped that image randomly onto my card stock and then I colored in the flowers and dots using my SU markers.

Then I stamped my flower image and again colored it using my SU markers. The last thing I did was to add my ribbon and stamp my sentiment, easy peasy.

Stamps: Because of You, Curvy Verses
Card Stock: White
Ink: Black Stazon
Supplies: Ribbon, SU Markers, Stamp-a-ma-jig

My second sketch card was based on this card from Jen's gallery.

This is another really easy card. I just colored my stamp using my SU markers and then I stamped my image onto my card stock.

For the flower border along the top part of my card I used the small tri-flower stamp and I only inked up the flower on the end of the stamp and I stamped it along the scalloped edge and I added a few dots in-between them.

In the bottom right corner I just stamped two butterflies. I was going to stamp and then cut them out, but I wanted my card to be quick and cutting out these butterflies was pretty intricate.

Stamps: Live Your Dream, It's Your Birthday
Card Stock: White, Regal Rose, Rose Red
Ink: Black Stazon, Regal Rose, Rose Red
Supplies: Ribbon, SU Markers, Scallop Border Punch

My last sketch card was based on this card from Jen's gallery. This card is called a topper card and this is the first topper card that I've ever made. The main part of my card measures 4" x 4" and I adjusted the topper part so that my finished card measures 4" x 5 1/2".

This was another easy card. I just stamped the boots, stems, and then the Easter Eggs. Next, I cut out my stamped image into a circle shape and then assembled my card.

Once my card was finished I decided to stamp and cut out a few Easter Eggs; I placed them just to the left side of my image.

Stamps: Flower Filled
Card Stock: White, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Pale Plum
Supplies: Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Crimper, Cuttlebug, D'Vine Swirls Embossing Folder, Scissors, Coluzzle, Scissors- for cutting out the Easter Eggs
Technique: 2 Step Stampin

I'd like to take a minute to say congratulations to the new Spring CAS DT! I'm looking forward to seeing what you ladies have in store for us. I'm a CAS addict you know....!

Thanks for stopping by!

February 24, 2010

This is what my back yard looked like when I woke up this morning. My husband said this was a blog worthy picture and he told me to grab my camera.

And I was listening to my local weather forecast on the news and it looks like we are in for a big storm tomorrow into Friday. School is cancelled already.

At first they were predicting around 6" of snow and now the Weather Channel says we could receive up to 2 feet!

The past few weeks I have been working on making a wedding thank you card for a friend of mine. She finally picked out a card that she likes and the card pictured here on the right is the one that she wants.

I used my Thought's & Prayers stamp set to stamp the flower image. I know it's hard to see in my photo, but I stamped the image once in Black ink and again in Barely Banana ink.

The upper portion of my background is embossed using my Swiss Dots embossing folder and the lower portion is embossed using my Floral Fantasy embossing folder.

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Great Greetings
Card Stock: White, Black, So Saffron
Ink: Black Stazon, So Saffron
Supplies: Ribbon, Cuttlebug, Floral Fantasy Embossing Folder, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Coluzzle, Corner Rounder Punch,
Technique: Dry Embossing, Shadow Stamping

Before she decided on this card I made a similar one with just a tad bit different layout. My remade card is posted below.

This card is almost the same as my card above, but there are a few differences.

I used a more narrow ribbon on this card. I moved the black strip up a bit and I made it a bit wider. I also punched the edge of the black strip using my SU scallop border punch. My yellow card stock is also a different color; this card has So Saffron card stock.

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Great Greetings
Card Stock: White, Black, Barely Banana
Ink: Black Stazon, Barely Banana
Supplies: Ribbon, Cuttlebug, Floral Fantasy Embossing Folder, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Coluzzle, Corner Rounder Punch, Scallop Border Punch
Technique: Dry Embossing, Shadow Stamping

I'd like to say a special thank you to my splitcoast friends who helped me design this second card.

Thanks for taking the time to visit it looks like I'll be busy shoveling snow for the next two days...UGH!

February 23, 2010

Here is my card for yesterday's technique lover's challenge. For this challenge we were to use our punches and die cuts to see what kind of scene/card that we could create.

Well, I have to admit I really spent some time with this card and trying to come up with the punches and how to use them. Everything on my card is made using punches except the Easter eggs.

I'll list the punches and what I used them for below:

2" Scalloped Marvy Circle Punch: bunny's body (2 of these)

Scalloped Oval: bunny ears, bunny feet (cut in half)

Large Oval: inside bunny ears

3/4" Circle punch: for the pink on the bunny's feet (cut in half)

1/2" Circle punch: bunny's nose

1/4" Circle punch: pink on bunny's nose, pink on feet, and eyes

Martha Stewart Picket Fence border punch: for white fence

Martha Stewart Cupcake Punch: for Easter basket (bottom part of the punch)

SU Scallop Circle Punch: used for sponging to make the clouds on my background

Before I started punching the bunny I ran some white card stock through my cuttlebug using the D'vine Swirls embossing folder. The grass was just a strip of card stock that I cut using my scissors and then I ran it through my crimper.

The Easter Eggs were stamped and then cut out. I used the small Easter Egg stamp from SU's Flower Filled stamp set. I sponged my background by using a punched scallop circle and sponging using Bashful Blue ink.

The bunny did have two front teeth and I used my 1/4" square punch for them, but I decided to take them off- it just looked like too much, but I wanted to mention that the bunny can have teeth as well.

Stamps: Flower Filled
Card Stock: White, Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Black
Ink: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Pale Plum, Bashful Blue
Supplies: Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Crimper, Cuttlebug, D'Vine Swirls Embossing Folder, Scissors, 2 way Glue Pen, Sponges, Punches- listed above
Technique: Dry Embossing, Punch Art, Sponging

February 22, 2010

Here's is my card for this week's CAS clean & simple challenge. This week's challenge is a makeover challenge, we were to pick one of our cards from our gallery and remake it. This is the card from my gallery that I decided to remake.

I used the same colors and I kept the same layout, but I decided to use my oval punch instead of my square punches. I also used a different stamp set, ribbon, and sentiment.

My background is embossed using my cuttlebug distressed stripes embossing folder. I decided not to layer the ovals on black card stock; instead I placed my ribbon behind them and I tied a knot in-between them.

I very rarely make any sympathy cards, so I thought I'd better start making some to have on hand. My sentiment is from SU's Thought's & Prayers stamp set (I stamped the words going across the bottom of my card).

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Thoughts & Prayers
Card Stock: White
Ink: Black Stazon
Supplies: Ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Cuttlebug, Distress Stripes Embossing Folder, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Technique: Dry Embossing

February 21, 2010

Today's card is for this month's challenge for the blog group that I belong to. The challenge is a color challenge and we were to create a card using the colors red and black and we were not to do any coloring on our cards. 

Well, I have to say that this really was a challenge for me! I find myself coloring on almost all of my cards, but this challenge made me think.

***I'm editing to add that the challenge blog I made this card for is no longer posted.  The blog was removed.

My card also fits Friday's Splitcoast limited supply challenge in which we were to create a card that uses ribbon and a border punch.

I used my SU markers to color my image and then I stamped it onto my card stock. I had to go over the stamp a few times using my markers in order to get a nicely colored image.  It helps if you stamp your image first and then cut it out.  This way you won't have to try and get it centered on your card stock.

I added a real red card stock layer behind my image and then I punched it using my EK Success Dotted Wave border punch. My sentiment and image are both from the same stamp set.

Thanks so much for looking! Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Stamps: Essence of Love
Card Stock: White, Black, Real Red
Ink: Black Stazon
Supplies: Ribbon, SU Markers, EK Success Dotted Wave Border Punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig

February 19, 2010

Here are two other cards that I was making as a sample thank you cards. I needed to use the colors black and so saffron. I used my Baroque Motifs and Sincere Salutations stamp sets on both of these cards.

On my first card I just stamped the swirly image in the lower left hand corner using black ink and then I added some saffron flowers in-between.

I stamped my sentiment in the upper right hand corner. This particular card is more like a note card. I was trying to design something simple and less bulky in order to keep postage down.


On my second card I again stamped the large swirly stamp in the lower left hand corner. Then I stamped a few so saffron flowers and my sentiment in the upper right hand corner.

This time I embossed my background using the cuttlebug folder Floral Fantasy. I decided to add two small ribbon tabs on the left side.

This card is similar to my first card, but this one has a few more layers and an embossed background. Both cards have a similar layout, which I love and I find myself using it quite often.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Sincere Salutations
Card Stock: White, Black, So Saffron
Ink: Black Stazon, So Saffron
Supplies: Ribbon, Floral Fantasy Embossing Folder, Cuttlebug, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Technique: Dry Embossing, 2 Step Stampin

February 17, 2010

I'm in the process of making some thank you cards for a friend of mine and this is one of the sample cards I made for her. She didn't end up choosing this card, but I wanted to share it with you anyway.

I stamped my image and colored it using my SU markers. It took a little while to color the image because I used so many different colors, but I really like the way it turned out.

The bottom half of my card is embossed using the Floral Fantasy cuttlebug folder. My sentiment is from SU's Warmest Regards and it's layered using my large oval and scalloped oval SU punches. I also used the Scallop border punch along the bottom of my strip of black card stock.

In the upper right corner of my stamped image I added a swirly clip and a small piece of black ribbon.

With in the next few days I'll post a few of the other cards that I made and which one she picks. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Sweet of You
Card Stock: White, Black, So Saffron
Ink: Black Stazon
Supplies: SU Markers, Floral Fantasy Embossing Folder, Cuttlebug, Large Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, Scalloped Border Punch, Swirly Clip, Ribbon
Technique: Dry Embossing

February 15, 2010

Hi everyone! Here's my card for this week's Clean & Simple challenge. The challenge this time was to create a card for spring. This was such a great challenge and now that Valentine's Day is over I'll start making some more spring and Easter cards. I actually have some images colored and ready to go, all I need to do now is assemble some cards.

I decided to use my Garden Whimsy stamp set for today's card. My neighbor's driveway is all lined up with tulips in the spring time so that was my inspiration for my card. I cut the flower stem away from the tulip stamp so that it is two different stamps rather than one. It makes for easier stamping.

This card was so quick and easy. I just stamped the stems and then I turned the stem stamp upside-down and then I stamped some more stems. Next, I stamped the tulips just over the stems. (My tulip and stem stamp are cut apart and they are two stamps instead of one- it makes for easier stamping).

Then I stamped a few more tulips and I cut them out and placed them over some of the lower stems. The ladybug was also stamped and cut out, but I drew in the antennas by hand. My butterfly was first stamped using the rock and roll technique and then I colored the antennas and body using my black SU marker.

I hope you like my spring card, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Garden Whimsy
Card Stock: White
Ink: Black Stazon, Only Orange, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, and Pale Plum
Supplies: SU Markers, SU Scissors for cutting the flowers and butterfly
Technique: 2 Step Stampin, Rock n' Roll

February 11, 2010

WOW! Did we ever get the snow yesterday! I spent a few hours shoveling and I've seen enough snow for this year, I'm so ready for spring! The piles of snow at the end of my driveway are as high as my mailbox. I'll have to post a picture tomorrow.

Today is my daughter's 15th birthday and I thought I would share her birthday card with you.
My daughter's favorite colors are pink and black and I decided to go with those colors. For most of the image I colored it using my SU markers. On the face, hands, and legs I didn't want the color quite as intense so I decided to used a wonder color crayon and blender pen using the color blush blossom.

I came across my crimper the other day and I wondered why I hardly ever use it so I decided to crimp my pretty in pink card stock. I used dimensionals beneath my stamped image and my ribbon is from Offray.

Have a wonderful day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Pastry Chef (non SU), Crazy for Cupcakes- for the sentiment
Card Stock: White, Pretty in Pink, Black
Ink: Black Stazon
Supplies: Ribbon, Crimper, SU Markers, Watercolor Crayon, Blender Pen, Dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Technique: Watercoloring

February 10, 2010

It's been snowing here all night and now it's starting to snow even faster this morning. All the schools are closed and the kids are home today. I'll be busy getting ready for my older daughter's birthday tomorrow. She wants homemade spaghetti and I want to make the noodles today.

I received this greeting card in the mail last week. It was from my grandmother and I really liked the card. After a few minutes I got to thinking that I could make a card just like it.

Often times I see a greeting card in the store and I think to myself 'hey I can make that card' and today I decided to give it a try.

My card was really easy to make. I just stamped my image and colored it using my SU Markers. I used my 2 way glue pen and dazzling diamonds dust to add some glitter on the flowers. (I know it's a bit hard to see in my picture).

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. I hope all have a wonderful day and now I'm off to take my son outside to play in the snow. I thought I'd better take him out now while the baby is sleeping.

Stamps: Love Ya Bunches
Card Stock: White, Cool Caribbean
Ink: Black Stazon
Supplies: Ribbon, 2 Way Glue Pen, DD Dust

February 9, 2010

We are expecting a snow storm tonight into tomorrow and my son's preschool Valentine's Day party was changed from Wednesday to today. As I was getting his stuff ready for his party I realized that I didn't make a card for his teachers. (For the kids I just purchase the character Valentines, but for the teachers I usually like make a card).

I wasn't quite sure what I was going to make. I just started stamping and then cutting out the heart images and my card sort of just came together. I could probably leave off the embossed background next time, but I'm happy with my results.




I took a picture of my cards with the stamps I used, sometimes I think it helps if you can see the actual stamps that were used.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!




Stamps: Loving Hearts, Love Ya, Hugs & Wishes
Card Stock: White, Black
Ink: Black Stazon, Real Red, Pixie Pink, Lavender Lace
Supplies: Ribbon, Cuttlebug, D'vine Swirls Embossing Folder, Scor-pal, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Scissors- for cutting hearts
Technique: Dry Embossing

February 8, 2010

I hope you all had a great weekend! It's Monday again and I haven't played along with the clean & simple challenges for a few weeks, so I wanted to be sure and play along today.

Today's challenge is an inspiration challenge. My picture below is the piece that I chose for my inspiration.

You know it's funny, I was organizing my stamps the other day and I came across this stamp set and thinking how I've never used it. So as soon as I saw today's challenge I remembered right away that I have a gumball stamp.

I have such a hard time using small images. It's hard for me use them without them getting lost on my card and I also had a hard time deciding which colors of card stock I wanted to use. I was worried that my card was getting too busy. I ended up using Tempting Turquoise and Real Red.


I stamped the gumball image and then colored it using my SU markers. Next I decided to create my own pattern paper and I was trying to mimic the gumballs. I used the eraser of new pencil and I stamped the eraser into all different color ink pads and then onto my cardstock. I wanted it to be colorful, but not too crazy looking.

Once I was finished with my pattern paper I sort of thought that the upper portion of my card needed something, but my card was busy enough, so I decided to add a few decorative score lines.

My sentiment is from SU's Crazy for Cupcakes and I think it goes perfectly with my gumballs.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day! I posted early today, so I have to get going and start my housework!

Stamps: A Little Love, Crazy for Cupcakes
Card Stock: White, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red
Ink: Black Stazon, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Yo-Yo Yellow, Green Galore, Pixie Pink, Lavender Lace
Supplies: Ribbon, Scor-pal, SU Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8", & 1 1/4", & 1" Circle Punches, SU Markers, New Pencil, Stamp-a-ma-jig

February 7, 2010

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. Hubby will be watching the super bowl today and I'm going to try and play catch up with my blog. I'm not much of a sports fan so I won't be watching the game today. My husband asked me who I would like to see win and I told him the Jets. Well, after my husband was finished laughing at me he explained that the Jets aren't playing in today's game....LOL Goes to show how much I follow sports!

I'll be back tomorrow with a new posting, but before I go I wanted to let you all know that I have listed all of my items for sale on eBay yesterday. If anyone is interested in taking a look, here are my auctions:

Scrapbooking Magazines
Stampin Up Standard Wheel Storage Cases- set of 2
Stampin Up Jumbo Wheel Storage Cases- set of 2
Lot of 22 SU Stampin Up Stamp Sets & Scissors
Lot of 20 Stampin Up Stamp Sets & Wheel Guide & More
90 + Yards of 1 2/2" Wide Offray Grosgrain Ribbon White & Burgundy

My husband also has some computer networking items for sale, if you click on 'see sellers other items' you will find our other listings. (I just thought I would mention this just in case anyone might be interested).

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a great day and enjoy the game!