Spectrum Bloggers' Challenge

Well, you know what they say, don't you? "When it rains, it pours!" Why is that? Why is it that when things happen, everything happens at once?!! It's been hectic....the carpenter has been here every night this past week; the painting contractor came in today; computer repairman came in to service some of the computers (mine is out for repair!), needed to wait for a delivery, I'm back to shuffling my kids around because one of their cars is out of commission and needs to be replaced, AND I started working a few mornings a week at the local jewelry store. (LOVE working there....who wouldn't when you are surrounded by so much BLING!) Anyway, all of that has contributed to creating and posting so late!

This week's Challenge was to create something using a Spectrum pad. These much neglected ink pads were once a favorite of mine, but I found that I was very out of practice using these pads. So, this creation this week is really, really simple.....a back to basics idea, but using new stamp sets, of course! This is a very simple card stamping with the rainbow pad in the most basic way.

Stamps: Priceless, In My Thoughts

Inks: Celebration Spectrum Pad, Brilliant Blue, Pink Passion

CS: Only Orange, Whisper White, Green Galore

Misc: Crystal Brad, 1/8" Punch, Dimensional, Only Orange Marker (dots on flower), Mega Oval Scallop Punch by Marvy

Well, that card was just a warm up, because then I pulled out my brand-new Autumn Fest, bought on special this month......when I first saw this set, I actually hated it! Ok, well maybe "hate" is too strong, but I truly didn't care for it. But then, at Convention, there were some really cool ideas created with this set. So, it made it to my "Wish List." AND THEN, for this month only, the set is on sale......and who can resist a sale?!! So, here we are! Autumn Fest is now sitting nice as can be on my stamp shelf!....it's time to take it out!

This idea is another simple idea, using the Versamark Resist Technique. The glossy CS was stamped with Versamark and then a brayer was used to add color.....and like magic, the versamark images resisted the ink. Stamped over top with Weathered and used it for a background. The Natural Ivory CS with the saying was distressed and the cut out leaf was slightly crumpled and set on Dimensionals. Around here the leaves are just beginning to turn....but this card has captured all the colors of Autumn!

Stamps: Autumn Fest, Weathered, Friendship Flowers
Inks: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Patch Spectrum Pad, Really Rust (cut out leaf), More Mustard
CS: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Natural Ivory, Glossy
Misc: Old Olive Wide Grosgrain, Cutter Kit (for distressing), Dimensionals, Ruby Red Marker (for accenting the cut out)

Ok!....so that's it for the Challenge this week. Thanks for stopping by! Now, you really need to go see what fabulous ideas the other bloggers have created! Have fun looking!!

Buckle it up!

Recently, I participated in a Holiday swap. The criteria was that each swap should be a step above the ordinary...something worthy of a class. It was great fun coming up with this idea. Although I don't believe that I actually copied anything directly, I'm not all too sure that this card is an original idea of mine, either! Probably more like a few ideas that I've seen around, and just combined them.

This is a Buckle Card....sometimes called a Latch Card and looks much more complicated than it really is. This card features 2 background stamps, a word set, Punch Pals, and of course, punches. Punch Pals, as was pointed out at Convention, is actually designed to use with many of the SU punches.....this makes the set loads of fun to use!

Check out this picture of the inside and you can kind of see how it was constructed......mystery solved!

Note that the snowman inside was embossed and then colored using markers for the details (hat band, holly, nose), and Pure Color Pencils.

Stamps: Punch Pals, Sanded Background, Dotted Background

Inks: Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke, Basic Black Craft

CS: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke (layer inside card)

Punches: Corner Rounder, Word Window, Key Tag, 1 3/8" Round, Scallop

Misc: Pure Colore Pencils, Certainly Celery, Only Orange, and Real Red Markers (coloring in the leaves and berries on the snowman hat), Clear Embossing Powder

Weekly Challenge -- Embossing

This week's Challenge was lots of fun! The most difficult part of the Challenge was coming up with the form of embossing I'd like to do...there are so many techniques and ways to emboss: dry embossing, heat embossing, Joseph's Coat, and on and on the list goes!

One of my favorite techniques is Faux Diamond Dust.....so, this card is so very simple with a really basic layout. Didn't want to busy it up and take away from the glittery focal point. All I did was stamp the various snowflakes from the fun new Snow Burst from the Holiday Mini. Then, using DTP, I applied Versamark over the entire piece of stamped CS and then embossed with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder. Even the tag was embossed, using basic embossing.

Stamps: Snow Burst, Season of Joy (saying)

Inks: Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White Craft

CS: Very Vanilla, Real Red, Old Olive

Misc: Key Tag Punch (for greeting), Old Olive Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Iridescent Ice EP

So, knowing that this last card was so very simple (but it looks so sparkly and festive in person!), I decided to share another embossed card with you. This one features Big on Christmas....such a festive and fun set!

The background of this card was dry embossed by using my Cuttlebug and an embossing folder. What the folder does, is push the paper into various impressions. So each snowflake is raised....very dimensional. After embossing, I lightly rubbed my Whisper White Craft Pad over the raised portions, giving them even more definition. The word "SNOW" was not embossed, but simply stamped......however, I used my Versamarker (Versamark Pen) to "color in" the inside of each letter, sprinkled with Heat & Stick and then Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. The snowman was stamped separately on a scrap in StazOn, colored in, covered with Versamark, then Heat & Stick and then the glitter. Finally, it was cut out and placed on a Dimensional directly over the original. Isn't it fun?!! And who doesn't like snowmen!!

Stamps: Big on Christmas

Inks: Brilliant Blue, Jet Black StazOn, Versamark, Whisper White Craft

CS: Whisper White, Real Red, Ballet Blue, Silver Metalllic

Markers (for coloring in the snowman): Basic Black, Real Red, Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, Only Orange

Misc: Versamarker, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Heat & Stick, Dimensional, Real Red Wide Grosgrain Ribbon

NOTE: Cuttlebug is not marketed by SU

Be sure to check out the other Bloggers who take part in the Challenges. They are all sure to have amazing creations to share!

Tagged!

This is kind of fun. So, when Stefanie tagged me to play a fun name game, so I was happy to play along.
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) -Boots Envoy
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Peanutbutter Chocolate (Hmmm! Not sure that one works!)
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) B-Don
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Blue Dog
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Mary Montclair
(I kinda like that one!)
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) - Donba
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Moss Chardonary
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Richard Stephen
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Eternity Butterfinger (Ewww! THAT sounds tacky!!)
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Grace Robert
So, I guess if you read through, you'll actually learn a bit more about me...and it was fun!

Ok, well, now I'm supposed to pass this on to 5 more bloggers....but I think I'll spare them!

Inspire Me Bloggers' Challenge

Sorry that this post is a bit late, but hopefully you visited some of the other Bloggers who participate in the Challenges. I can't wait to go and visit their sites to see what they have come up with this week....I never peak until I have posted my Challenge so that I cannot subconsciously "copy" or CASE their ideas. Bet their ideas are awsome...they always are!! (Links are in the side column.)

Well, guess where I found my inspiration this time? Yup! You guessed it....in my kitchen again! I went to throw this empty box of cereal in the recyling bin and the layout just jumped out at me. This was something I could work with! It really IS amazing that inspiration can come from anywhere!!!

This card is really not my regular style, but it's growing on me. Guess that's one of the really fun things about participating in these Challenges....they really take me to a creative place I've never been before! Although the card was inspired by the cereal box, I felt that I needed to re-arrange some of the elements of the card for better balance on this card.

A couple of details about this card.....the butterflies were stamped once directly onto the Whisper White CS circle and then again onto a scrap. Then I cut out the wings and glued the center directly over top of the original image. The top pair of butterfly wings can fold up to give them dimension, but was lost and flattened by the scanner. Oh, and Linen was stamped onto the Pixie Pink background in White Craft ink...but I don't think you can see that either. AND, I used a glitter pen to highlight the dots on the greeting and flower and wings of the butterflies.

Don't forget to look around your little corner of the world to see where you can find YOUR inspiration for your next project!

Stamps: Priceless, Linen

Inks: Basic Black, Pixie Pink, Whisper White Craft

CS: Whisper White, Pixie Pink, Basic Black, Certainly Celery

Misc: Coluzzel, Scallop Punch, Large Green Crystal Brad, Basic Black Marker (butterfly trail), Certainly Celery Marker (border around white circle...drawn freehand), White Gel Pen (dots on scallop), 1 3/8, 1 1/4, 1/8 Round Punches, Glitter Pen (non SU)

Back from Phillie!

Whew! It has been a whirlwind weekend! As I've mentioned previously, I left Thursday to attend the SU Regional on Friday. Then my hubby met me and we stayed overnight to do a little site seeing on Saturday. I only live about 1.5 hours from Phillie, but truthfully, I've only been there one other time! The historic district is just wonderful....a blend of new and old. I just love places like that! Walking down the cobblestone streets, you can almost hear the voices of the past.....these are the streets that Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington walked on.

My photography is not the best, but here's a few pictures I thought I'd share. Above is one of the clocks on Independence Hall. And to the left is a picture of the first post office, which is still operating today. Seems Ben Franklin was instrumental in building this, and part of the structure was his book bindery. Of course we saw the Liberty Bell (much smaller than expected!), passed by Betsey Ross' home, and toured the very first building that our government occupied.

We were able to see the sites by taking a tour....we decided to take a Duck Boat Tour. What fun! Many of our larger cities now offer these tours....we were in a big boat with wheels that also went into the water. Odd looking vehicles, these "boats" are from WWII. Our tour guide was really goofy and silly, but entertaining....the children on board really loved him! Here's a final picture of one of the "boats." Not the one we were in, one that came by as we were on our way back to land.

If you have the chance to visit Old Towne Philladelphia, you really should....it's an awsome place to see!

Inspired Bloggers' Challenge

If you remember my last posting with this theme (see post dated August 17), you'll remember that I had a bit of trouble becoming "inspired!" Well, the same is true this time around. I've only just found my inspiration piece, but don't really have time to create today. Need to go to work soon and then I'll be running off to Phillie for the SU Regional, but will work on this Challenge when I return. (You KNOW I just hate to miss the Challenges!!) In the meantime, why not check out the new cards that were added this past week.....and don't forget to check out what all the other participating Bloggers' have posted! They truly are an "inspiring" group! Please come back and visit soon!

Birthday Wishes

Next week is my sister, Pam's birthday. I didn't have much time for stamping, as I'm trying to pack and get ready to leave for the Philadelphia Regional shortly after work tomorrow.....and this really should go in the mail tomorrow so that it reaches her in time. Well, Fun & Fast Notes was still on my desk from my Regional Swaps (I know...need to clean up BEFORE I leave!!), and I just love this little birthday cake.....isn't it just the cutest?!! And you must already know that these colors are some of my favorites!!

The print on this card is a piece of left-over, now retired Dots & Dashes Bkgrd Paper. The birthday cake was stamped and and colored in with markers....the "icing" is actually Dazzling Diamonds! To get the round shape, I used the Coluzzel....also used the Coluzzel for the round Pumpkin Pie layer. The scallop circle is from a non-SU punch, the Marvy Giga Round Scallop punch.

This card WAS fun, and it was fast! Happy Birthday, Sis!

Stamps: Fast & Fun Notes

Inks: Jet Black StazOn

CS: Whisper White, Pixie Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Dots & Dashes Designer Paper

Markers: Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink

Misc: Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain (1/4"), 2-Way Glue, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, More Mustard Mini Brads, Paper Piercer

I'm Going to a Regional Seminar!

Every so often, SU offers something they call a "Regional Seminar." Well, for us demos here on the East Coast, they don't happen nearly often enough, and when they do, they are really quite difficult to get into as there is always limited space. BUT, I did manage.....and I'll be attending this Friday in Philadelphia. Can't wait...it's bound to be tons of fun!

Since this is a SU event, you know what that means, don't you?!! SWAPS!! I only managed to make a handful, as I have just been swamped.....life has been busy and crazy! This is what I came up with....the card features one of the new stamp sets I received at Convention, Fun & Fast Notes. It is kind of an updated, new and improved, Nice & Easy Notes (now retired)....a wonderful set that covers just about ANY occasion! This new set is loads of fun to play with! This is a fairly simple layout....check out the double background. (Print Pattern was stamped over top of Linen.) And, yes, I'm still making Christmas cards!.....I guess I really should come up with a Halloween or Thanksgiving card, right?!!

Stamps: Print Pattern, Linen, Fun & Fast Notes

Inks: Always Artichoke, Jet Black StazOn

CS: Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper

Misc: Watercolor Crayons, Aqua Brush, Always Artichoke Marker, Paper Piercer & Template, Gold Mini Brads

Bloggers' Challenge -- Septemer 7

This week's challenge was fun and so very much easier than the last few weeks! We were to copy the card design from Page 12 of the Holiday Mini catalog. The most difficult part was trying to decide if I wanted to stamp backgrounds or use background papers!! As you can see, I've decided to use the fabulous new Wintergreen Designer Paper...which is really re-colored from last year's Holiday Mini. Loved it last year, but like it even better now! Lots of greens in these papers: Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke. Now, without the help of the Designer Paper, I'm not sure I would have put together that combo, but it's fun and a bit different. Throw in some of the new crystal brads and my new favorite punch....the Scallop Punch (I still had it out from last week's Challenge!)....and it was a fast card to make. ...and, yes, I seem to be still in the Christmas spirit! (It's coming, you know!!)

Please take some time to visit some of the other Blogs listed to the left....a few new ones have been added. It's really so much fun to hop around and see how differently we all interpret a design!

Stamps: Canvas, Punch Pals, Party Punch (Hostess, Level 1)

Inks: Always Artichoke

CS: Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Punches: Scallop Punch, 1" Round, 1/2" Round, 1 1/4 " Round, 1 3/8" Round

Misc: Crystal Brads (Green, Round), Paper Piercer & Template, Wintergreen Designer Paper, Certainly Celery 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon