Good Morning!  What a challenging day this has proved to be already and it’s only slightly past 7am!  First, I slept like a rock last night (something I rarely do), so getting up was a task.  Getting my boys moving seemed to be just slightly easier until my 15 yr old came to me with a wrecked knee.   He hurt it in gym yesterday and didn’t tell anyone.   I’m always like “what test are you suppose to be taking today?”  LOL.. I just know my kids.. they will do/say whatever it takes to get a break.   That puts a bit of a kink in my plans for this morning, too… as now I’ll need to run him to the doc to make sure he hasn’t done any real damage.  Kids, gotta love them!

I got a look at Jen’s Limited Supply Challenge for this morning and went “Whaaaaaat?”  This was quite challenging, too.  Not so bad on the limitations, but which flower to pick! :)   If you’re like me, you have a zillion flower images.   I chose My Favorite Things’ Boho Blossoms.   I think I pulled colors from a card I’d seen on SCS… can’t remember, but the combo has been in my head for awhile, so I went with it.  I did limit my layers and kept the embellishments to a minimum.

This is also going to serve as this week’s sketch challenge!  It will be THSC6.

   As always, feel free to flip, adjust or whatever it takes.  There are no wrong cards!

Here’s the deets on mine:

Stamps:  My Favorite Things’ Boho Blossoms (www.mftstamps.com)

Colors: Basic Gray, Regal Rose, GP White

Ink: Regal Rose, Brilliance Graphite Black

Accessories: brads, ribbon, dimensionals, small scallop punch, word window punch, large oval punch

 Oh, on a final note, I had a personal challenge to do all the SCS challenges for the month of February… well, this is the final one!  I did it!   Sadly though, I will be taking a few days off from challenges starting early next week as I have a ton of design team stamping to do.  Good news is,  My Favorite Things’ March releases come out on the 5th, so there will be lots of time to stamp after that!

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  Ok, I’m feeling a little chatty tonight, so who knows where this will go. 

I, as some of you know, have been working diligently on my studio.  It is worse than I thought, initially, but we’re coming along pretty well.  It’s still a work in progress and I probably owe Marisa some cards by now…. if you’ll leave your address for me Marisa, I’ll get those right out! LOL. 

Well, I decided today I would give myself a little ‘motivational’ trip to JoAnn’s and AC Moore.  I am in desparate need of scalloped OVAL punches, but can’t find them locally.  Anywho, I ended up at AC Moore after striking out at JoAnn’s and found a really cool set of oval die cuts for the c’bug.  So, If I work my cards (hehe), I may not need those punches afterall!  Well, since I saved myself a ton of money on punches (the die cut was on sale for $5),  I decided to look at some of their stamps.  I’ve never liked their selection, but on the end of the isle was a display for Inkadinkadoo Clear Stamps.  *Geek*  I have always loved Inkadinkadoo.  I stood there and drooled.  The sets were on sale, too!  I chose the humorous birthday set.   With my die cuts and stamps in hand, I headed for the checkout… only to be sidelined when I saw their 12×12 paper on sale 3/$1.  Oops!  Ok, so I only bought 3 sheets…. but I might have to go back.. They have some gorgeous Cosmo Cricket papers (as I used here).

With all that said… I needed to make a birthday card.  Have you ever noticed that it seems like there are more birthdays all of the sudden? LOL.. maybe I’m just paying more attention! ha!   I’ve noticed that my friends are getting older, too… lol.  Not me, mind you, just my friends.. bwahahaha.

Here’s the deets for the Birthday Humor card:

Stamps: Humorous birthdays by Inkadinkadoo Clear Stamps

Colors:  Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow, Cosmo Cricket DP

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Brilliance Cocoa Bean, Copics, Tim Holtz’s Tea Bag distressing Ink

Accessories: brads, velvet ribbon, slit punch, circle punches, scallop punches, dimensionals, stipple brush

TFL!~ and have a blessed night!

   Today’s Ways to Use It Challenge is to use ‘music’ as an inspiration.  

Let me tell you, I am probably the least musical person alive.  I love to listen to music, but I can never remember words (yeah, I’m one that makes up my own) and I can’t carry a tune to save my soul.  

When I saw the challenge, however, I *KNEW* I had to use my new Allegro embossing folder.  I bought it to do cards for the musical people in my life (my whole family),  but for the life of me,  I couldn’t think of any stamps to go with it!   I searched my stash and found Mini Mates!  Right on!!  I was saved.  LOL.  

Feeling a little less than creative this morning, I went with a layout I’ve used before, with some minor (get it?!) changes.  And, since they are my favorite colors, I went with the ever gorgeous RED/BLACK/WHITE combo.   With all those decisions out of the way, this took me all of 15 minutes to make.  Me likes!

Here’s the deets:

Stamps: Mini Mates (SU!)

Ink: Real Red, white gel pen

Colors: Basic Black, Real Red, GP White

Accessories: Brads, ribbon, dimensionals, scallop punches, circle punches

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  Ok, you all asked for it, and I am ready to share my ‘easy peasy’ bow with you all.   Please pardon my less than professional pictures.  I needed a spare set of hands, so my son Levi did the picture taking for me.  He’s really good, but the camera is just old.

Step 1:

   Cut your base color ribbon long enough to go across your cardstock and around behind for attachment.   Lay it flat on your workspace.

Step 2:

   Cut 2 or more pieces of contrasting ribbon (I use about a 3″ strip) and lay it crosswise on your base ribbon.

Step 3:

  Tie your base ribbon around your contrasting ribbon.

Step 4:

  Pull ribbon tight and straighten.

Step 5:

   Trim ribbon edges to desired length

 Step 6:

   Attach ribbon to card!

This is my first time doing a tutorial.. please leave feedback!

Here’s the deets:

Stamps:  My Favorite Things’ Baby First

Colors: Regal Rose, Bliss Blue, Barely Banana, GP White

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, copics, white gel pen

Accessories: mini brads, ribbon, dimensionals, scissors

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  This morning’s Sketch Challenge on Splitcoaststampers is a great versatile little sketch.   I’ve used this (or similar) many times and really enjoy it.   I saw the sketch late last night and decided that I should sleep on it, instead of stamping the night away.  Good choice.. I actually got a good night sleep for once!! Yahoo!!

So, in the light of the morning, I went downstairs with the sketch in my head.   I stood in the middle of my studio and looked around.  I did get quite a bit of cleaning done yesterday, I’m happy to report, but it’s left me with a bit of stamper’s block.  Yes, you heard me right.  I had no clue where to go with this.   This is case in point that I work at my best in chaos.  

I finally decided to use “Farley” again.   I {heart} this stamp!!  I’ve only had it a few weeks and have made 3 cards with it already.  In fact, my son Levi asked me this morning why I was using it again.  I thought.. how curious of a question.  Can I only use a stamp once? LOL. 

Anywho, I made this for my hubby who is running the show on his current job.  He could use a bit of encouragement as he is now Top Dog!

Here’s the deets:

Stamps:  Farley by Whipper Snapper Designs (Anna Wight - Designer) and Starstruck (SU!)

Colors: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, Designer DP, GP White

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copics, white gel pen

Accessories: star brads, brown velvet ribbon, circle punches, scissors, swiss dots ef, dimensionals

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  Today’s Color Challenge, courtesy of Splitcoaststampers is Basic Black, River Rock, White.   Thanks, Emily!

I love these colors.  Let that be duly noted.  I did, however, have a heck of a time with them this morning.  I woke up way too early after a fitful night of sleep… saw the colors and headed to the studio.  If you read my last post, my studio is in much disarray.   I keep going to clean it, only to get sucked in by the stamping monster.   Well, this morning was the morning that It hit the fan.  I’ve lost my black velvet ribbon!   I spent more time searching for that ribbon than I did making this card.   I still didn’t find it.   I AM going to clean today… somebody hold me to that, ok?

I am not completely happy with what I did here.  I think it may be a bit too busy.  I just kept adding things, hoping it would turn out as I’d envisioned, but that just made things worse…. lol.   I’m not hating it, just wish I would have done things a little different.  Maybe, I’ll do another, maybe not.  Let’s see what the day brings

Here’s the deets on this:

Stamps:  True Friend and Make It Count (both SU!)

Colors: Basic Black, River Rock, Basic Gray, GP White, Apple Cider DP

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black,  River Rock

Accessories: Build a Brad, ribbon, dimensionals, scallop punch, circle punch, ticket corner punch, Perfectly Paisely embossing folder

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  Do you ever do this?…  I went down to my studio this evening to clean.  It was quite a mess.  I have an 8ft long desk and you could not see one square inch of it.  There were papers, ribbons, brads, ink pads… you name it, it was out on the desk.  I sat down in my chair and *sighed*.   Ok, I thought, If I clean just enough room to work, I’ll allow myself to stamp an image and color it before I finish cleaning.   So, I went to work putting things away.  While I was putting things away, I found this piece of orange ribbon.  I like orange.  I thought, what goes with orange?  Well, carrots, of course!   Then the search was on.  Did I have a carrot stamp?  Yes!  I do! LOL  I took the image out, stamped it and decided since I was trying to be good, I’d clean a little more while I was thinking of what to do with the image I’d stamped.   Not thirty seconds went by before I sat down again and started coloring.  Then it hit me.  I don’t have any DP or background stamps to go with my bunny/carrot image, so I’ll have to make some!  More stamping, more coloring.  The mess that I’d just cleaned was starting to pile up again…… hmmm..

So, to make a long story short.. I’m one step closer to having my Easter cards done, but no where near having my studio clean!

Here’s what I came up with.   The DP is made from the small carrot in this Hare for the Holidays set from My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com).  The Cool Caribbean layer is cuttlebugged only on one half.   The image was colored with copics, layered with dimensionals and voila… done.

Here are my deets:

Stamps:  My Favorite Things’ Hare for the Holidays

Colors: Only Orange, Green Galore, Cool Caribbean, GP White

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copics

Accessories: Orange ribbon, orange brads, dimensionals, cuttlebug EF

TFL!~ and have a great night!

  Good morning :)   Today’s Technique Lover’s Challenge is to use different pattern DPs in the same card.   Oh cool, I thought.  An easy peasey challenge.   Afterall, I have Dp… and lots of it.  I hoard the stuff!  

There’s only one problem with a challenge like this…. the choices!   I have too many of them.  Not just DP, but stamps, embellishments, etc.   I’m now sporting three drawers of ribbon.. three drawers! (these are BIG drawers, too!).   I have an entire drawer devoted just to brads.. another drawer of smaller DPs and a huge cabinet filled with other assorted goodies.   When am I ever going to use all this stuff? LOL.  Do you ever feel like that?   Silly thing is, I really need a trip to JoAnn’s.  Bahaha!!

So, I picked my Basic Grey 2 Scoops paper.   I have only used it a little bit and just love the colors.  So springy!   I had a tough time with the patterns though.   Still drawn back to what my mother would say.   I threw caution to the wind and used dots and swirls.   Yeah, that goes together… ?   You be the judge.

After I decided on colors, this came together really quickly.  Nothing too fancy here.  The PiP is embossed with the Swiss dots EF, the cupcake was stamped, colored and decorated with white sprinkles.. ala my white gel pen.   Since the image is so small, I matted it up with several layers and the rest is history!

Here are my deets:

Stamps:  Icing on the Cake by My Favorite Things’ (www.mftstamps.com)

Colors: Regal Rose, Barely Banana, Pretty In Pink, Wild Wasabi and Basic Grey 2 Scoops DP

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, copics, white gel pen

Accessories: yellow brads, ribbons, dimensionals, scallop punch, word window punch, several circle punches, swiss dots EF

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  Today’s Featured Stamper on Splitcoaststampers is non other than Mary Jo Albright!  Yay!  I happen to be on a design team (MFT) with Mary Jo and can tell you this is one sweet lady.   She has style, she has class and she’s an awesome stamper!  You can see her work in her SCS gallery here or her blog here.   Congrats, MJ..  you so deserve this!

For my card, I chose this beauty by MJ.   Here’s what I did.  I made this card a full 5 1/2 inch square.  I kept to her layout pretty much, only changing the brad placement and sentiment area slightly.  I eeeeeeked over her colors, so I kept kinda close to those, too.  I used the same Chocolate Chip base, added purely pomegranate as a layer and used my favorite Berry Bliss papers.   I changed the sentiment and the focal image. 

Here are the deets: 

Stamps:    One of a Kind,  Boho Backgrounds (SU!)

Colors:  Chocolate Chip, Purely Pomegranate, Regal Rose, Berry Bliss DP

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Purely Pomegranate, Regal Rose, Brilliance Graphite Black

Accessories: Brads, Build a Brad, Chocolate satin ribbon, Rose grosgrain, scallop punch, cirle punches, ticket corner punch, dimenisonals, Stipple brush

TFL!~ and have a blessed day!

  Good Morning… sorta.  Note the time…. 3am.   I sent my youngest two off to camp last night for the weekend.  I was so excited to be able to stamp at any hour I wanted… even 3am… even if it is just for a day :).   I’m a hopeless insomniac.

Anywho.. so at 1:30am I jumped on Splitcoasters to find out if the Inspiration Challenge had been posted.  Jackpot!  The inspiration piece… which you can see HERE….is a gorgeous ad from Country Living Magazine.  I squealed at the colors.  I adore blues and greens together.   No problem, I said to myself.  HA!  Famous last words.

I really wanted to title this “The card from Hell”, but decided not to at the last minute.   This baby took me over an hour to get even remotely close to right.   Several times, I tossed my paper in the air and put my head in my hands… but my muse wouldn’t let me quit.  You see, I started out with Cool Caribbean as my blue instead of he Bliss Blue.   I had it cuttlebugged in the birds & swirls folder.. put it with my other pieces and decided .. it was just wrong.   Too much blue..too much texture… back to the drawing board.   When I finally let go of my beloved Cool Caribbean,  I settled on the Bliss Blue.  It worked much better, but had to go sans the embossing as it was just too busy.  Then my image.  Oy!  I stamped it about 8 times before I got the one I liked.  I had some wild hair tell me to UTEE emboss it to make it shiney..  Not too happy with that effect, but it was done and I wasn’t going to make another change.   I also used a gorgeous piece of Memory Box DP that has swirls and birds and the perfect colors…. but somehow I managed to cover most of it up! LOL

With all the pieces in front of me, I resigned to the fact that it wasn’t my best work, but I was going with it anyway.  I carefully assembled the pieces and when I was done…. I decided I liked it afterall.   Thank God…. I’m so glad HE doesn’t let me do what I want most of the time … heehee.

So… here’s the deets:

Stamps:  Always (SU!) - bird, always circle and sentiment

Colors: Old Olive, Bliss Blue, GP White, Memory Box DP (a gift from Kim@ MFT…. thanks KIM!)

Ink:  Bliss Blue, Versamark, White Craft

Accessories: brads, ribbon, dimensionals, circle punches

TFL!~