fabulous darlin’ July 16, 2007

How cool is the Fabulous Flowers set?  Way cool!

This is my card I made for Beate’s weekend sketch challenge #10.  I spent the evening at my upline Deb’s house playing around with some of her new goods, and this is what I came up with for the challenge.

Stamps used were: Fabulous Flowers, Amazing to Zany, and So Swirly Jumbo wheel. 

Cardstock used:  Really Rust, Soft Sky, Close to Cocoa, and Very Vanilla.

Inks used:  Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Soft Sky, and Close to Cocoa.

Accessories used:  Hodgepodge Hardware-Pewter, Color Spritzer Tool, Dazzling Diamonds, Twill Tape, Glue Dots, 2-way Glue Pen, and sponge.

Card size: standard 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ Really Rust with Soft Sky mat 4″ x 5 1/4″ and Close to Cocoa mat 3 3/4″ x 5″.

Flowers were stamped on Very Vanilla, spritzed and sponged with Chocolate Chip, and finished with a touch of some Dazzling Diamonds to make a little “fabulous”.

Sentiment stamped directly on Twill Tape with Chocolate Chip ink.  Added a small tab to bottom left corner again with “fabulous” from Amazing to Zany stamped directly on the little Twill Tape tab I created.

Thanks for lookin’.

addresses needed July 15, 2007

NEEDED:  wowzer! winners to private email me (click on “email me”  box to right) your addresses:)

Wowzer 2,500 hits winner July 13, 2007

And the winner of my “Sweet Baby Gate Fold Card” featuring Zoofari stamp set is……….

 MODIFIED WOWZER…….

THAT’S RIGHT!!!  ALL 15 PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED ARE WINNERS!  LOOK AT IT AS YOUR LUCKY FRIDAY THE 13TH.   I will be making this card and sending it out to all 15 peeps who commented!

I work weekend night shifts, so I will get busy on these some time next week! 

Thanks for helping my site grow!!

Have a wonderful weekend 🙂

Wowzers!! July 11, 2007

I am approaching 2,500 in blog hits.  I know… That’s not much & just a small number compared to some I see…yikes ya’ll !!! 

To show my appreciation, I’m going to raffle off this “Sweet Baby Gate Fold Card” I made a couple weeks ago with the Zoofari set. 

Just leave a comment, your name, and ENTRY # ….that’s all!  And this beauty could be yours.

My 3 year old son will be my randon entry number “picker”.  Winner will be notified as soon as I reach 2,500.

Have a wonderful day!

simple swap-a-rama

Trying to get some swap cards completed.  This is what I came up with:

I used the monkey from Zoofari, and the sentiment is from Polka Dots & Paisley set.  I also used Linen BG stamp on the Certainly Celery piece of cardstock.  Cardstock used:  Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Groovy Guava, Purely Pomegranate, and Whisper White.  Inks used:  Chocolate Chip for watercoloring, sentiment, and sponged to edges, Stazon Jet Black, Stazon White sponged to edge of Chocolate Chip card base, Uniball White gel pen for faux-stitching. 

I picked this little guy because he is simple and I could still do some watercoloring.  I added the grass to this card (so this must be a fad I’m having right now…but it’s just so cute to me).  Added a simple flower to left side of sentiment made with spring bouquet flower punch and attached to card with a silver brad.   Scalloping around Circle created with 1/4″-circle punch (this is going to be the hold up for finishing the cards…don’t have the scallop circle punch yet). 

Card base:  4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″

Certainly Celery piece:  3 5/8″ x 3 5/8″

Purely Pomegranate piece:  1 1/2″ x 4 1/4″

Whisper White Circle:  3rd inner circle with Coluzzle Circle Cutting System.  Also used to create the Certainly Celery grass layered on top.

Here is my other swap card that I have in my SCS gallery: 

This is a pop-up stand-alone card.  I added dimension by having sentiment on front, cutie pirate in middle, and treasure chest in the background.  This card folds flat.  When Pirate middle tab is pulled, the sides slide down and forms a base.

Thanks for looking!

thanks!!! July 10, 2007

First, thanks soooo much for all the comments regarding my work.  I appreciate the replies.  It’s like free therapy … instantly uplifts and makes me happy to read responses.  I never thought I’d hear what I’m hearing about my work.  Bare with me here – my husband has been the person who gives my creations a thumbs up or down.  He has always been supportive and stays neutral with his constructive criticism.

I didn’t post today because I had to take a break to think of a swap card idea for convention.   I have been told to “keep it simple” when it comes to swaps.  I tend to go crazy with the details:) 

I already have approx 45 Ahoy, Matey Pop-Up cards (I couldn’t make any more of those) that you can view on my scs gallery.   I read posts about demos taking somewhere around 600 cards…..wow!  I can’t do those kind of numbers.  Maybe 200.

I will post what I come up with in the very near future. 

Again, thanks for all the kind words!  So cool.  I’m glowing.

fairy tale wishes July 9, 2007

I made this Joy Fold Card with the intent for it to tell a story (kinda).  Like a childs story where the prince charming is a frog and going to hop on by with some b-day wishes.

This card was made for Beate’s weekend sketch challenge #9.  You can see a full tutorial and card size details at her blog site.  

I found inspiration for this card from the new collection book.  Colors were taken right from the front cover.  I just love the grass on pg.77 ….so my style! 

I used Unfrogettable, Double-Line Doodles, and Polka Dots & Paisley stamp sets for this card;  Cardstock used:  Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Pumpkin Pie, and Shimmery White;  Inks used are same as cardstock plus Jet Black Stazon ink.  Edges are sponged with Chocolate Chip. 

Chipboard from On Board Blossoms & Basics covered with Pumpkin Pie cardstock and paper pierced each scallop.  Used 1-1/4″-circle punch for Blue Bayou beneath froggie.  Frog is stamped on Shimmery white and water colored Wild Wasabi with Aqua Painter.

Grass was made with patience!  There is a base piece approx 1″ x 3 1/4″ with many many close cuts (like in collection book).  I couldn’t resist scalloping the grass to add the the fairy tale.  I added a thin strip measuring 1/8″ x 3 1/4″ to top just to give more dimension.  I have the crown laying in the grass till it’s b-day wish time (inside of card). 

Buttons were used for flower centers.  I used very thin cardstock strips of Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, and Soft Sky for my button threads.

 

For inside, Frog has gone from sitting (on cover) to hopping with the crown now his head…not in the grass…sending b-day wishes.   Grass and flowers continued to inside. 

Again, see Beate’s blog for tutorial on Joy Fold Card dimensions.

Thanks for looking. 

tagged…..7 things on 7/7/07 July 7, 2007

Hummm…..I’ve been “tagged” by my friend Angie Tieman blogging over at Schwooo. 

Here are the details:

• I must post 7 random things about me
• Tag 7 other bloggers to do the same
• Post rules & the bloggers I tagged here
• Leave tagged bloggers comments on their site so they know they’ve been tagged.

So, here we go with the 7 things about me:

1. I’m the biggest worry-wart.  Always cautious keeping feet on the ground.  If it’s something that is out of my control (ie: roller coasters, airplanes, health, swimming in the ocean), I’ll worry.  Not the phobia type, but I’m always lecturing the kids to “be careful”.
2. I have another expensive hobby – gardening.  Love my flower beds.  I did compromise with my husband and have started growing some of the annuals from seeds.  Tip….just buy the flowers & shrubs before husband gets home from work, hurry up and plant them, hide evidence (empty containers, shovel, and receipts) and he probably won’t notice:)  If he does notice, it will probably be 2-3 weeks from the time they were planted..and at that time, you can just say, “those flowers, they’ve been there!” 
3. I love to cook and bake.  Just family schedules and lack of time interfers with this.  I love making the traditional big dinners with everyone at the table.  We go around the table and ask the kids, “how was your day?” and it really gets everyone chatting and interacting.
4. Okay, so in my “About” it states I have a family of 7.  I married my husband 5 years ago.   I have 2 children and 3 step.  Ages range from 3yrs to 17yrs.  Yep, it’s crazy at times, but it’s all good!  We are the Almost Brady Bunch minus one kid…..NO WAY!  No more.  BUT ALICE CAN STOP BY AND STAY AS LONG AS SHE WOULD LIKE.
5. I’m also a clean-freak.   Again, Alice you can come help me out here. 
6. I’m not a confrontational type of person.  I avoid arguments (well, you know…husband is not included in this – but that’s more of a discussing and confiding type of communication).  I always try to make everyone happy.
7. I get soooo upset when I see roadkill.  My kids laugh at me.  I just don’t like to see it.  And living in PA, the deer are all over the place.  I just saw a whole family of racoons today wiped out and told my husband and kids about it…..they laughed at me.   I don’t think I’ll ever become immune to seeing it. 

Here are the 7 peeps I tagged:  check out their blogs to learn more about these talented stampers!

from my inkpad to yours

Jen’s Stampin’ Spot

Susie’s Berkerblog

Teresa’s inkfully yours

Vera’s crops and cards

Angie’s quacking creations

Deb’s inky daze

already ready!! July 6, 2007

Here it is.  Like I mentioned, I like to create my mini scrapbooks before traveling.  I will be taking this to Denver with me.

I just love the colors.  Makes me feel young again like a little girl.  So fresh!  Love how the flowers flow across the cover and look realistic.

Stamp sets used are Doodle This, Rough Edges Alphabets, and Looks Like Spring.

I made this book out of chipboard.  Covered with Barely Banana cardstock.  Other cardstock colors are: Certainly Celery, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Close to Cocoa, and Confetti White.  I also used Certainly Celery Prints Designer Series Paper.  Scalloping made with 1/2″ circle punches and added soft subtles brads.  “C” (for convention) is from On Board Simon Lower covered and sanded. 

The tag was made with a tag punch and accented with chipboard heart and rhinestone brad.  Secured to cover with linen thread.  I added two buttons stacked on top of one another to the center of the flowers with linen thread.

I kind of tried to organize the days in sequence to our so-called itinerary.  The book has 24 pages total.  I can add more tags when I come back home.  Tags created with Round Tag punch.  Every other page has coordinating ribbons (celery, apricot, rose, light pink, and taupe grosgrain ribbon attached with soft subtles colored brads). 

For the stitching, I originally paper pierced and faux-stitched with a Close to Cocoa stampin’ write marker….didn’t like it.  I went over it with a white uniball gel pen, and let me tell ya, looks so real.

Book size & inside pages: 5 1/2″ x 7 7/8″

left side celery strip:  1 1/4″ x 5 1/2″

Circle: created with coluzzle cutting system

Will show inside pages when I return from convention and our journey through some states:)

traveling right…and light with a mini July 5, 2007

20 days to go till I jump on the plane and head on over to Denver, Colorado.  I hate to fly and start getting nervous around this time when flying is in the near future.  So, to distract me, I will be starting a mini scrapbook ahead of time to take with me on my travels.  I recommend this!  I have so many pics of past vacations laying around and haven’t starting  scrapbook pages for them. 

Last September, my husband and I took  a trip to Bermuda.  I made this mini scrapbook ahead of time to keep me motivated.   It was so nice to have this mini book…it fit in my purse and I took notes along the way of our journeys.  Came back to reality and had a partially finished book (only had to add pics).

I will be starting my mini scrapbook for my convention travels today.  We are flying into Denver from Baltimore.  After convention is over, we will hop in a Jeep and sightsee Colorado, Utah, and Arizona…and fly home out of Phoenix.  So excited cause I haven’t been to this part of the country. 

I will definitely post my mini scrapbook when completed.  It is going to be a challenge due to not having the “right stamp sets yet” to make this.

Book: 7 Gypsies.  It has mini manilla folders inside to hold tags/papers/receipts.