ABC Challenges ~ Birthday Card Challenge

Hi everyone!  I had an awful cold and then I got better and now it's back again so I haven't been feeling well enough to post any cards last week.  I still have a cough that just won't go away, but everyday I'm getting better.  Hopefully I'll be posting more this week.

Today's card I made for this week's ABC blog challenge.  Since it's my birthday this week, and my husband's birthday, and my little girl's birthday, I thought it would be nice to have a birthday challenge.  So this week at ABC challenges we are making birthday cards.  You can create any birthday card you would like so come on over and enter your card, we'd love to visit your blog!
My card was fairly easy to make.  I stamped the birthday banner along the top using rich razzleberry ink and the banner didn't quite reach all the way to the end of the card stock so I simply used my rich razzleberry marker to draw in the rest of the banner.  I added the cut out balloon on top of where the stamped image ended to hide where I began to draw in the banner.

For my main balloon image, I stamped the balloon strings using rich razzleberry ink and then I stamped the image again, but the second time I colored it using my SU markers.  I wanted to balloons to be different colors and using markers is the easiest way to do that.  Then I stamped the balloons again using my markers and I cut them out and placed a dimensional under each to to pop them up.  I also stamped a few more balloons to add onto my card and then I took a small piece of twine to create a bow and I place the bows on a few of the balloons using a glue dot.

The technique I used on the balloons in my image is called spotlighting.  And if you're not sure what that technique is here is a tutorial I found on splitcoast stampers.  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great evening!

Stamps:  Patterned Party
Card Stock:  White, Rich Razzleberry, DSP- International Bazaar
Ink:  Rich Razzleberry
Supplies:  Twine, SU Markers, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Scissors- for cutting out balloons, dimensionals, Glue Dots
Technique:  Spotlighting

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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ABC Inspiration Challenge

Good morning!  It's Monday and time for another challenge over at ABC challenges.  This week is our very first inspiration challenge based on the photo below.  I love this photo; it's so pretty with the snow on the trees and the red cardinal.  There are so many possibilities with this inspiration photo so I hope you will take a few minutes and play along with us.  We'd love to visit your blogs!


I decided to create a Valentine's Day card with a touch of red.  My background is dry embossed using the Chevron and Perfect Polka Dots embossing folders.  Then I ran my white card base through my big shot using the Chevron folder and I only partly inserted it as to only emboss the bottom half.  Then I turned my card base around and embossed the top half using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. 

Once my embossing was complete I added two rows of dry embossing in the middle (between both embossed areas) using my simply score board.  I usually add the score lines to help define and separate embossed areas.  Then I added my red ribbon and place my card base onto my card.  In case you're wondering why I sometimes layer a white card base onto a white card, I usually do that because I don't like being able to see the ribbon from the inside and the double embossing is so much easier when you're working with a card front rather than the entire card.

Next, I cut out a scallop envelope using the scallop envelope die and I folded it and taped it together.  I left the top part of the envelope open so that I could stick some hearts partially inside it.  The envelope was placed on my card using dimensionals.

I began cutting out some red and white hearts using Hearts Embosslit and would you believe this is the first time I'm using this embosslit?  Yep, I never used it before, but I really like and I'm glad I ordered it!  Then I just began randomly placing the hearts on my envelope.  I have some layered and I used glue dots and dimensionals to adhere them.  Lastly, I stamped my valentine sentiment.  Here's a close up photo of the envelope with the hearts.



I hope you liked the card I made today!  I'm happy with the way all the hearts turned out.  The embosslit is so quick and easy to use since it embosses and cuts all at the same time.  *Here's a tip*- If you don't have this embosslit you could punch out some hearts and then embossing them using some embossing folders.  It's a little more work, but you'll get the same results.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!  I'm off to get my housework started!

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes
Card Stock:  White, Real Red
Ink:  Real Red
Supplies:  Ribbon, Big Shot, Chevron Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Fashionable Hearts Embosslit, Simply Scoring Tool, Scallop Envelope Die, Dimensionals, Glue Dots
Technique:  Dry Embossing

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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Two By Two Baby Cards


Good Morning!  I needed to make some baby cards.  I have to catch up on my stash of birthday and baby cards.  When I bought this stamp I thought it would make really cute baby cards and since I spent so much time coloring I tried to keep the rest of my card simple.

I stamped the image using black stazon ink and then I colored it using SU markers.  I added some twine and a clip with a piece of ribbon tied on it for my embellishments.

Stamps:  Two By Two
Card Stock:  So Saffron, White, Subtles- designer series paper stack for the baja breeze dsp
Ink:  Black Stazon
Supplies:  Ribbon, Twine, Swirl Clip, SU Markers, Dimensionals, Coluzzle- for cutting out circle of image


Here's another baby card I made using the same image.  Actually I almost always stamp 2 images when I am coloring them in case I make a mistake with one and it just so happens that my coloring went pretty well this time so I ended up with an extra image and I didn't want it to go to waste and so I decided to make another card.

This one is pretty simple as well.  I colored in the image using my SU markers and I colored this image a little differently.  The background on this card is dry embossed using the perfect polka dots embossing folder. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop on by.  I am feeling better and hopefully I'll be back to my normal stamping and blogging routine next week.  Have a great weekend!

Stamps:  Two By Two
Card Stock:  White, Cherry Cobbler, Subtles- designer series paper stack- for the so saffron dsp
Ink:  Black Stazon
Supplies:  Ribbon, SU Markers, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder
Technique:  Dry Embossing

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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ABC Challenges- Clean & Simple Cards

I haven't been posting in a few days.  I seem to have lost my mojo and my family and I have been sick.  I'm slowly starting to feel better and I wanted to make a card for this week's ABC blog challenge.  This week we are making Clean & Simple cards and as many of you know CAS cards are my very favorite.  There's still time to play along.


I colored the stamp using my SU markers and then I stamped the image onto my white card stock.  Once that was finished I simply added a few score lines (leaving some room in the middle for my ribbon) and then I added my ribbon.  Super quick and easy!

I hope you like my card!  Thanks for stopping by!  If any of you would be willing to help us spread the word about our ne challenge blog I would greatly appreciate!
Stamps:  You Are Loved
Card Stock:  White, Raspberry Ripple, Basic Gray
Ink:  None
Supplies:  SU Markers- Raspberry Ripple, Basic Gray, Gumball Green, Ribbon, Twine, Simply Scoring Tool
Technique:  Dry Embossing

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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Splitcoast Creative Crew Challenges

Hi everyone and Happy New Year to you all!  I have some exciting news to share with you.  I have been asked to be a member of the Creative Crew on Splitcoast Stampers.  Of course I was honored and more than happy to accept so for the next few months I will be posting cards that I make for those challenges.  Here is a link to the creative crew challenges.  Once you are on that page simply click on the month you would like to view.  These cards are for my January challenges.

The challenge I made this card for was for us to focus on the new designer series paper found in the spring catalog.  We were to choose our favorite DSP.  Well since I haven't placed my order for the spring catalog I had to improvise.  I decided to create my own dsp and my inspiration came from the new Sunshine & Sprinkles dsp in the spring catalog.  I created the polka dots using my ink pads and a pencil eraser.

My background was dry embossed using the perfect polka dots embossing folder and towards the bottom of my card I added three rows of paper piercing.  My melon mambo layer was scored using my simply score tool and then I folded it at each line and placed it onto my card using tombow glue.

My drink images were stamped and I stamped an extra of the daffodil delight glass and I cut it out and placed a dimensional underneath it to raise it up a bit and then I stamped the same stamp again using melon mambo ink and I cut out the liquid portion of the drink and I placed that on top of my image.

Lastly I added my ribbon, sentiment, button with twine, and some glittler on the drink images.  I hope you like my card; I really like how colorful it turned out.

Stamps:  Happy Hour
Card Stock:  White, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, Marina Mist, Old Olive, Basic Gray
Supplies:  Ribbon, Button, Twine, Simply Score Tool, Dimensionals, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Scissors, Word Window Punch, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2 Way Glue Pen, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Pencil
Technique:  Dry Embossing, Paper Piecing, Paper Piercing


The challenge for this card was to create an anniversary card since it's Stampin' Up's 25th anniversary.  We were also to use the sketch below.  I kept this card fairly simple and most of my time was spent stamping.  I first stamped the flower stem and then I stamped the flowers and once that was finished I stamped over my entire image panel using the En Francais background stamp and crumb cake ink.  My image panel was placed onto my card using dimensionals.

My background was dry embossed using my big shot and vintage wallpaper embossing folder and to complete my card I added my ribbon and some twine holding my happy anniversary sentiment which I punched out using my word window punch.
Stamps:  Field Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes, En Francais
Card Stock:  White, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi
Ink:  Rose Red, Wild Wasabi, Crumb Cake
Supplies:  Ribbon, Twine, Word Window Punch, Dimensionals, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder
Technique:  Dry Embossing, 2 Step Stampin'



This card was made for our SIP challenge.  We were to create a card using just stamps, inks and paper.  I also used ribbon, a button, and twine for my embellishment.  I stamped the heart image and cut them out using my scissors.  Then I stamped the red one again and cut out the bird and butterfly image and I placed it on my gray heart.  The gray heart also has dimensionals under it.  My sentiment layer was notched at the end using my scissors and that's about it for this card.  Hope you like it!

Stamps:  You Are Loved
Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Real Red, Basic Gray, DSP- Pawsitively Prints- retired
Ink:  Basic Gray, Real Red
Supplies:  Ribbon, Button, Twine, Scissors, Tombow Multi Glue, Dimensionals

I decided to make two cards for the SIP - stamps ink paper challenge.  On this card I did add some ribbon and twine.  I used the seamless tiers technique or sometimes referred to as triple stamping.  I posted a video awhile ago on how to create a card using this technique so if you'd like to see that video you will find it here.

Once I had my white card stock cut I simply began stamping my flower images.  I stamped randomly using baja blue ink and then in-between I added some stem/leaves using crumb cake ink.   Then I added my ribbon and twine tied onto the sentiment onto my first layer.  Then all I needed to do was to finish assembling my card and that's it, super easy!  My sentiment layer was a rectangle I cut using my paper trimmer.

Stamps:  Stippled Blossoms, Petite Pairs
Card Stock:  White, Crumb Cake
Ink:  Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake
Supplies:  Ribbon, Twine, Hole Punch for sentiment layer
Technique:  Triple Stamping, Seamless Tiers
 
Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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New Year Sparkle

Good Morning!  Since I just posted about the start up of my birthday club yesterday I thought it was only fitting that I post a birthday card today.  If you would like to join my birthday club you can read more about it here in yesterday's post.

I also made this card for this week's ABC blog challenge and the challenge this week is 'New Year Sparkle'.  We were to create any card using anything that sparkles and I decided to use rhinestone gems.  It's hard to see in my photo so I wanted to point out that my gems are just below my sentiment.

I first cut a die shape using the label collection framelit and then I stamped a flower and two small green stems in the lower right corner.  Then I stamped the sentiment using chocolate chip ink towards the left side.

The white card stock towards the bottom of my card was stamped using the same flower stamp as on my sentiment layer and the same baja blue ink.  The chocolate chip card stock was punched using the dotted scalloped ribbon border punch and then the background towards the top of my card was dry embossed using the square lattice embossing folder.

The only other embellishment I added was the twine.  I was trying to keep my card more flat for mailing.

I hope you'll stop on by our ABC challenge blog this week!  I wish you and  your family a wonderful Happy New Year!  Have a great rest of the day!

Stamps:  Stippled Blossoms, Petite Pairs
Card Stock:  White, Chocolate Chip, Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack
Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi- I stamped off with this ink and the leaf stamps
Supplies:  Label Collection Framelits, Big Shot, Twine, Rhinestone Gems, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Dotted Scalloped Ribbon Border Punch
Technique:  Dry Embossing

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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My Birthday Club


I've decided to start my very own birthday club!

Beginning Jan 1, 2013 I would like to create a birthday club for the members on my mailing list.  As a member of my birthday club you will receive:

- A handmade birthday card, made by me, for you.
- A special discount (only available through me) for your birthday.
- My monthly emails with Stampin' Up! news as well as any other SU updates and specials only offered to the members on my mailing list.

Would you like to join?  It's quick, easy, and simple.  All you need to do is to sign up for my newsletter by sending me an email and then simply ask to join my birthday club.  Please include the following information with your email-

Full Name-
Mailing address (optional if you would like to receive a handmade card in the mail)-

Birthday date (month and day is fine)-
Email address-

My birthday club is open to US residents only.  Thanks for your understanding.

My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your families!  I will be taking a short break from blogging and spending some more time with my children while they are home from school for their holiday/winter break.  In the mean time I will be busy working on some stamping projects!  See you in the New Year!

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My Last Twisted Tuesday Card

Good Morning!  Today is my last post for the Twisted Tuesday design team.  I have decided to step down and I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Melina and the other DT members for having me.  It was truly a pleasure and I had such a great time visiting new blogs and leaving comments for everyone!  Melina, I wish you the best with your Twisted Tuesday challenge blog! 

This week's Twisted Tuesday challenge needs be a tag or have a tag on it and the twist is to show something that makes you smile.  It can be a favorite stamp, embellishments, something crafty you received as a gift, etc.  Be sure to post what it is that makes you smile. 

What makes me smile...??  Well, I decided to use one of my very favorite stamp sets, Lovely As a Tree and I just love a fresh coat of snow and how pretty it makes everything look so I decided that my card needed to have lots of snow.  Now if we'd only get some snow here for Christmas!

I stamped the tree image onto my background and then again onto my tag.  I masked off the snowy areas so that they would remain white and I sponged my background using night of navy ink and I sponged heavier around the edges and lighter towards the center.

I made the tag by cutting a strip of card stock and inserting the top portion through my large tag punch and simply punched to top design.  My night of navy layer was cut 1/8" larger and since I don't have a tag punch that's 1/8" larger I simply trimmed the top design by hand.  Then I punched a hole at the top of my tag and I threaded some silver cording through and tied it off.  You could easily use ribbon here instead.

And what's a snowy card without any glitter, right?  So I decided to add lots of glitter!  I simply swiped my 2 way glue pen all over the snow and sprinkled dazzling diamonds all over....easy peasy!

Well, I'm off to bake some Christmas cookies!  Thank you so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!
Stamps:   Lovely As a Tree, Petite Pairs
Card Stock:  White, Night of Navy
Ink:  Brown Stazon, Night of Navy
Supplies:  Sponge, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2 Way Glue Pen, Hole Punch, Silver Cording, Large Tag Punch
Technique:  Spotlighting, Sponging, Masking

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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Christmas Crackers


Good morning!  Today's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown blog's challenge is our last challenge for the year.  It's also my last card as a member of their DT.  I would like to take a moment to say thank you so much for having me, it was a wonderful opportunity being on their DT and I had so much fun.  I love their challenges and I will continue to play along when I can.

Today's challenge is a theme challenge, 'Christmas Crackers'. Interpret this as you wish - images of crackers, hats, toys confetti etc - you can even do a joke card it's up to you.

It took me a little bit to think of what sort of card I wanted to create, but once I remembered I had the Stampin' Up! July 4th stamp set I knew exactly what to create.  It's almost like stamps in disguise....I never thought of using my July 4th stamp set for Christmas cards, but it worked!

I did lots of heat embossing on my card which is something I rarely do.  I used white craft ink and white embossing powder for the white fireworks and versamark ink and gold embossing powder for the gold fireworks.  It's hard to see on my card so I wanted to point out that I used the small splatter stamp from the SU stamp set Itty Bitty Backgrounds and using cherry clobber ink I have some splatter stamped all over my cherry cobbler card stock.  In-between the open areas of my images I added some gold and white dots using my white gel pen and gold dazzle marker.  Then I decided to add a few of the larger rhinestone gems, it' looks really neat in person.

Just below my stamped area I added 2 rows of dry embossing using my simply score tool and then just below that I placed some white ribbon.  My sentiment is also heat embossed using white craft ink and white embossing powder.

I hope you liked my Christmas Cracker card!  Thank you so much for stopping by and we hope you'll join us and play along with our last challenge for the year!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  July 4th, Curly Cute, Itty Bitty Backgrounds
Card Stock:  White, Cherry Cobbler
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, White Craft Ink, VersaMark
Supplies:  Ribbon, Simply Score Tool, Heat Gun, White Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, White Gel Pen, Gold Dazzle Marker, Rhinestone Gems
Technique:  Dry Embossing, Heat Embossing

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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Twisted Tuesday Multiples with Stitching



Good Morning!  I tried making more of a clean & simple card for the Twisted Tuesday challenge this week.  The challenge this week is to use multiples of something and the twist is to add some stitching.  The multiples can be images, buttons, ribbons, etc.  The stitching can be faux or real stitching.  Since I rarely pull out my sewing machine I decided to use faux stitching and my multiples are my images and brads.

I used the poinsettia stamp from the SU Christmas Blessing stamp set and I stamped the image three times in a row.  I colored them using my SU markers and then I added three gold brads in the center.

My faux stitching is on my gumball green layer which I then punched out using the scallop border punch.  My sentiment was stamped and punched and layered using oval punches.  I have dimensionals underneath my sentiment layer as well as behind my Raspberry Ripple layer.

Have a wonderful day!  I'm off to get caught up on some house work and finish up making some Christmas gifts!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Christmas Blessings, Petite Pairs
Card Stock:  White, Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple
Ink:  Black Stazon
Supplies:  Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Paper Piercing Tool, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, SU Markers, Gold Brads. Small Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Dimensionals
Technique:  Faux Stitching

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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Silver Embossed Tree

Good morning!  This week's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge is a color challenge and we are using the color:  black, white, and metallic of your choice.

I chose to use black, white, and silver.  I used the silver on embossing my tree image.  I stamped the image using versamark ink and then I poured silver embossing powder onto my image and I hit it with the heat gun.  The silver embossing is awesome when you want to create that 'wow' factor without all the work of coloring. 

I kept my card more on the clean & simple side, but I did dry emboss the background using my simply score board and diagonal plate.  For my embellishments I used some silver cording and on the tree image I added a few pearls in the center of the snowflakes.  My sentiment is also heat embossed and I placed it onto my card using dimensionals.

I hope you'll have some time to play along with us this week; this is such a fun color challenge!  Thanks for stopping by!  Make it a great day!

I also made my card for the following challenges-
Sisterhood of Crafters- embossing- I used heat embossing and dry embossing
Sweet Stampin' Christmas- anything goes
Dutch Dare Card Challenges- non traditional Christmas colors
Moving Along With the Times- Clean & Simple

Stamps:  Snow Swirled
Card Stock:  White, Black
Ink:  VersaMark
Supplies:  Silver Cording, Simply Scoring Tool, Diagonal Plate, Basic Pearls, Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Scallop Oval Punch, Embossing Buddy, dimensionals
Technique:   Heat Embossing, Dry Embossing

Contact me today if you would like to place an order or to be added onto my mailing list!
My email address- pebbles4@ptd.net
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