BC #162 -- Sharing Some New Stuff!

It's been way too long since I've posted and I'm so sorry! I actually had taken a number of photos of samples that I have on hand and from a recent swap with the intention of sharing sooner......but, I hadn't counted on being so tired after my knee surgery. You see I had a total knee replacement on July 13, just two and a half weeks ago. I'm coming along, but between therapies and being so tired, I've had little computer time....and this morning was the first time I had a chance to spend a bit of time in my stamp space to actually STAMP....and although I'm rusty and this is pretty simple, it's good to get my hands inky again!!

When I first received the new catalog last month, one of the first things on my list was this pretty, single stamp called Elizabeth (Item #117120 @ $9.95 in wood mount only). I thought it would make simple and easy thank you notes.....or just about any greeting will do! The challenge with this stamp, I think, will be to use it in a variety of ways. So, for this week's Challenge, which is to use Black & White with a splash of any color of our choice, I wanted to dress it up just a bit. Since it's a rather ornate stamp, the trick was to not overdo.

As you can see, I used the Square Scallop Die and my Big Shot for the top layer and stamped that lovely image in Basic Black ink, trying to center the saying, or empty oval. Then using a Blender Pen and a bit of ink off the lid, I colored in the florishes with a touch of Marina Mist ink.....I'm loving this color. Maybe I won't miss Brocade Blue so badly since this is a pretty good substitute! Although you cannot see it, the Basic Black layer was also put through the Big Shot along with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, a new favorite! Add in a bit of that wonderful, fun-to-work-with 1/8" Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon and a fun little white button from the Neutrals Collection (you get a TON of buttons in each collection!!) and here it is! (Hint: To thread the ribbon through the button holes, use one of those big needles from the now-retired Tool Kit.)

Thanks for stopping by today. It's good to be back and I promise to try to keep up as I recover.....since I'm mostly house-bound (can't drive for at least another month!), that shouldn't be difficult! Oh, and please join me as I try to catch up on what the others have been up to....you can see the list of participants here.

Bloggers' Challenge -- It's a Sketch

For our Challenge this week, our list Mom, and challenge queen, Lisa, gave us a sketch. Although it doesn't happen, often, as soon as I saw the sketch, I knew pretty much what I wanted to do! It just looked like the perfect layout for Herb Expressions, which was sitting idle and lonely on my shelf.

For the central portion of this sample, the stamp was colored in with markers and stamped repeatedly before re-inking again. I'm sorry that it looks a bit faded out on screen, but in real life, it's more vivid. Of course, I had to use some embossing folders....and I had a chance to use my brand-new, beautiful Vintage Wallpaper EF...I LOVE it! (Translation: You will see this often....and this is definitely something you are going to NEED!)

This sample is pretty true to the sketch, I just added in the saying with the Large Oval Punch. The ribbon used, is the wonderful, but now-retired, Kraft Taffeta, which is "tied" with a lavender round crystal brad from the Ice Collection.

Stamps: Herb Expression, Occasional Quotes

Inks: Perfect Plum

CS: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum

Misc: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper EF, Square Lattice EF, Large Oval Punch, Dimensionals, Perfect Plum & Certainly Celery Markers, Kraft Taffeta Ribbon*, Round Lavender Crystal Brad from the Ice Collection

*Retired

Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are from SU!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Just an FYI, I'll be on hiatus from these Challenges for a few weeks, but I have plenty of ideas to share with you in the meantime. So, please come back soon! Be sure to take some time to visit the many other creative ladies who participate in these Challenges. It's ALWAYS worth the visit!

Monday's Lunchtime Challenge #130

This week's sketch inspired me to use Tropical Party....you see, it's not really my style, but it seems to have ended up in my collection. I have to admit that I love it, but I'm finding it difficult to use! I've seen some of the most incredible cards with this set.....and although I managed to make this, I'm not so sure it measures up.....but it does fit MJ's sketch challenge, which you can see here.

Here in NJ, we're still feeling kind of tropical......we've been so hot and humid! So, I had to use the palm trees. (NO, we don't have them in NJ!) The olive layer and the pumpkin layer are both from the fun Island Oasis DSP pack that matches the set so beautifully. As you can see, I used markers for the trees and then masked for the sun. The remainder of the card should be self expanatory?

Stamps: Tropical Party, Trendy Trees (greeting)

Inks: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie (Sun)

CS: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Island Oasis DSP

Misc: Old Olive & Soft Suede Markers, Taupe Grosgrain (retired), Desginer Buttons/Sherbert Collection (retired), Linen Thread, Modern Label Punch, matching Mover & Shaker die, Big Shot, Dimensionals

Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are from SU!

Thanks for stopping by today....hope you enjoyed your visit. Just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to participate in MJ's sketch challenges for the next few weeks, as I recover from knee replacement surgery...it will be awhile before I can get downstairs to again to my stamp studio. BUT, I've got plenty in store for you, so please come back!

Bloggers' Challenge -- This is NOT Your Grandma's Quilt!

This first image was our inspiration for this week...this fun, bright, and kind of funky quilt. Isn't it adorable? Can't you just see this in a girl's room? So, I took the image kind of literally and made my own quilt! It's been awhile since I've made a quilt card.

This card....which, truthfully, I'm not sure I even like.....took me at least two hours to make....SO not my typical style! And I tried to use all current SU! colors and supplies.....I succeeded in that, everything is current!

This card sure is bright....since I tried to match the quilt colors to the current colors, this is what I came up with. Lots of texture, some stamping, lots of paper piecing.....and way more work than I care to repeat! Hmmm....maybe I should have stuck with that flower garden that I was originally going to make!

Stamps: Elements of Style, Tropical Party, Thank You Kindly

Inks: White Craft, Basic Gray, Melon Mambo (for coloring in flowers), Tempting Turquoise

CS: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery, Melon Mambo

Misc: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Finial Press Embossing Folder, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Scallop Rectangle Clearlit, Blender Pen, Dimensionals, White Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Black Marker
Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are currently available from SU!

Anyway, whatever you think (I'd love to see your comments!), thank you so much for stopping by and visiting! Please take some time to visit the other Bloggers to see what they have created this week!

My Go Diva Swap

A few posts ago, I showcased a card that was called my "almost swap card." Although it wasn't a card that I disliked, I wasn't in love with it...and this was to be a swap for a very special group of ladies....we are called the Go Divas! It's a pretty impressive group and each and every member makes the most amazing cards....I am so thrilled that I was asked to be a part of this fabulous group!

THIS card here, is what I submitted. I just LOVE the color combination...and hopefully, the ladies in the group who received this liked it as well. The theme was "new catalog items." So, this showcases, the new Friends Never Fade set, Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze inks, and Greenhouse Gala DSP....and of course, that wonderful Scallop Trim Punch, which is not exactly new, but is back!....oh!, and check out that cute ribbon...it's 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Marina Mist, one of the new colors in the SU! line. It blends very well with the Baja Breeze (it is a bit darker on my screen, but looks more coordinated in real life!).

Since I hadn't received my Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder in time to make this swap (I only just received it yesterday--YIPEE!--it was on backorder for a few weeks!) I used my very favorite, probably over-used, you-know-you-need-to-have-it, Square Lattice EF, which works perfectly, don't you think?!! The card is pretty straight forward with no special techniques, except for the paper piecing on the main stamped image. So, what do YOU think?

Stamps: Friends Never Fade

Inks: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze

CS: Crumb Cake (formerly known as Kraft), Whisper White, Baja Breeze

Misc: Greenhouse Gala DSP, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Scallop Trim Punch, Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

Please Note: ALL materials used to create this sample are available in the new 2010/2011 SU! Idea Book & Catalog.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll share the fabulously amazing card received in this swap soon...so, please come back and visit.

Simple Thanks

I'm into simple and white lately...and this was one of the first cards that started me on that trend! I used this for 2 classes last month and all the ladies loved it. And this idea is a take off on something I saw somewhere out there in computer land....so, although I've made it my own, it is not entirely mine.

This features the now retired, Very Thankful, the last Ronald McDonald stamp set from the just retired catalog.....I'm definitely going to keep this set around for awhile. It makes quick and easy cards. The image was stamped twice, first in Basic Black onto the Whisper White piece and then again on another Whisper White scrap in Mellon Mambo. As you can see, the Mellon Mambo pieces were punched out using my 1/2" round punch and layered over the Basic Black. Pretty sure you can figure out the rest of the construction of this card. I'm just loving the white on white layers!

Now, I have a bit of a confession to make....my two classes were kind of close together, just a few days apart. But, in between, I pulled out the stamp set to use for something else...and, well, you guessed it...it never went back into my class bag. Instead, I absent mindedly put it back on my shelf, so that when I arrived at the second class, it wasn't there! So, my sister (hostess) went through her stamps and pulled out this oldie, but goodie and we replaced the original image with this long-retired hostess set.....in fact, I don't even recall the name of this set! But it works well, but also goes to show that you can easily take a layout and substitute it with a stamp that you may already have...and that may have been the most important thing I showed them that evening! So, since I was using a different image, I decided to turn the card around for even more of a difference, (also forgot the corner rounder!)........so we ended up with two completely different stamp sets with two somewhat similar looks! Both are kinda fun, don't you think?!

Here's the info on the first card:

Stamps: Very Thankful*

Inks: Basic Black, Mellon Mambo

CS: Whisper White, Basic Black, Mellon Mambo

Misc: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder, 1/2" Round Punch, Mellon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain*, Scallop Edge Punch

*Retired

Please note: All materials used to create both of these cards are from SU!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Monday Lunchtime Post #129

It's so hot here, that it's too hot to do much outdoors. The temp is hovering around the 100 degree mark....WAY hot for New Jersey!! Since it's such a lazy day, I had time to spend time in my newly cleaned, just re-organized stamp room. It's SUCH a great feeling to walk in and see order, not chaos....AND I have almost the entire counter for stamping and preparing instead of the normal 1 foot square section that I have available because of all the piles of projects and stuff around! (Why is it that the rest of my house is typically neat and organized, but my craft area is so difficult to keep clean?!!)

So, I actually had time to work on MaryJo's weekly sketch on the day it was really due...not a day or two late (or like last week...6 days later)! One of my dearest girlfriends is going to celebrate her birthday next weekend.....we've been friends for so long, I almost can't remember not being friends! Now, thanks to MJ's sketch, I actually have my card ready to send out ON TIME!

The sketch this week was pretty easy; you can see it here. For my version, I used some retired Sweet Pea DSP and paper pieced the background in a zig-zag type pattern. What you cannot see, is that many of the dotted lines in the pattern were traced over with a Clear Spica Glitter Pen (non SU!)...it's very subtle and adds just a bit of sparkle. The DSP was layered onto Certainly Celery and then onto some Pink Pirouette. See those bottom scallops on the pink layer?....created with The Crafters' Companion....a birthday gift that I'm FINALLY christening! That cute birthday cake hasn't seen much action in quite awhile and it seemed like the perfect addition to this card. The image was colored in with some Copic markers (non SU!), and the icing was filled in with my 2-Way Glue Pen and some Dazzling Diamonds. Add in a touch of that luscious Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon tied with a bit of Linen Thread and a cute little button from the Button Latte collection (retired) and it was complete!

Don't forget to check out MJ's site to see who else is participating in this Sketch Challenge....it's always a diverse group that has amazing ideas! Thanks for stopping by today.

Stamps: Fast & Fun

Inks: Chocolate Chip

CS: Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip

Misc: Big Shot, Scallop Circle #2, Dimensionals, Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon, Linen Thread, Button Latte*, Sweet Pea DSP*, Crafters' Companion**, Copic Markers**, 1 3/4" Round Punch

*Retired

**Non SU!

Please note: ALL materials used to create this card are from SU!, except as noted.

Down to the Wire -- Monday Lunchtime Challenge #128

I know....I KNOW!! It's Sunday night and this card is so late, I am almost into the next Challenge! This sketch has been on my desktop all week.....truthfully, I wasn't inspired....BUT, I was determined!

Well, I spent the last two days tearing apart, cleaning and re-organizing my stamp room...and then I spotted this wonderful new DSP and was inspired to use it as my background. So I had the base, and the main section...but, I have to tell you, this just didn't come together easily! I walked away a few times, and finally managed to come up with what you see here. Hope you don't think it's too lame.

Now, it's time to check out the sketch that is due tomorrow! (Obviously, I'm going to be late!)

Stamps: Friends Never Fade, Occasional Quotes

Inks: Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso

CS: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red

Misc: Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso & Certainly Celery Markers; Large Oval Punch; Designer Punch; Scallop Trim Punch; Circle Cutter; Greenhouse Gala DSP, Riding Hood Red Taffeta*, Antique Brass Mini Brads, Paper Piercer, Template

*Retired

Please note: All materials used to create this sample are from SU!

Thanks for stopping by. Take a peak at MaryJo's sketch and all the samples here.

Bloggers' Challenge -- Celebrate

July 4th weekend is here...and for us Americans it means celebrating our patriotism. We all celebrate in a variety of ways, but don't you think a card is needed, too?!! And that's the theme of this week's challenge....Patriotic. And what's more patriotic than good ole' Uncle Sam?!!

Since I have NO stamps that fit this theme, a little creativity was in order....and I had seen this cute little guy circulating around the web, so I thought it would be perfect....after all, I have punches! To create this cute little guy, I used the Large Word Window Punch (it's been renamed to "large"...gotta wonder what SU has in store for us, huh?!!), Large Square 1 3/8" Round, 1/4" Round, Small Star, and Scallop Round. Assembling him was fun!

This card has a few retired items on it, but it also has two new items....Pacific Point is the background, or blue color...and the greeting was created using the new Perfect Punches stamp set, but I substituted the word inside.

Thanks for stopping by....enjoy your holiday weekend, but be safe! Oh, hope you'll take a bit of time to see what the others have done with this challenge.

Stamps: Perfect Punches, Matchbox Messages

Inks: Whisper White, Blush Blossom* (I lightly sponged on cheeks)

CS: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Real Red, YoYo Yellow*

Punches: Large Square, Large Word Window, Round Scallop, 1 3/8" Round, 1/4" Round*, Modern Label

Misc: Real Red Marker, Basic Black Marker, Dimensionals, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Stars EF (non SU), Big Shot

*Retired

Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are from SU!, except where noted.