Hello Sunshine

And now for some summer fun. This week's Delightful Challenges challenge is the dog days of summer (summer or summer heat) and what says summer more than flip flops? The sketch is Our Daily Bread Designs #70 and was perfect for this little stamp to really shine. I also took on the Paper Variety tic-tac-toe challenge. The line I used was stitching (faux, hand or machine), make a card, and use pink. The flip flop stamp is a $1 stamp from Clear Dollar Stamps (just got it) and the sentiment is from Verve's "Celebrating You". I used one of the medium doilies from Floral Doily Motifs by spellbinders to create a sun around the sentiment.

Happy Anniversary to: Me!

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary. Boy does the time fly by! I saw this sketch by the Pixie Cottage (sketch and/or embossing) and loved it since they had hearts for the brads and I thought that was perfect for an anniversary card. But, alas the only heart brads I had were pink and just did not fit with a masculine card. I went all Verve-y on this one: the little bear and the sentiment inside are from "To the Moon" and "love" is from "Text Objects". The "Happy Anniversary" on the inside is from PTI's "Damask Designs" one of my all-time favorite stamp sets!

Hi, all! If you read my last post, you may think you are seeing the same card again, but it's different I promis. : ) I did use most of the same elements though, 'cause I thought they looked good together and gave kind of an edgy, hip vibe. This card is for my brother-in-law who lives in New York City (and thus is edgy and hip), and who also turned thirty today. Seems to be kind of a big milestone around here, so I wanted to make something really celebrating it. The sketch is from Skipping Stones Designs; I really loved the idea of bracketed numbers. The numbers were die cut using PTI's by the numbers dies and the brackets are from spellbinders' floral doily motifs which I just bought Thursday. I think I'm going to love it! The sentiment is also from PTI "Big Birthday Wishes" and the little flourishes inside the card are from their "Mat Stack 2" set.

I'm baaaaack

Hi, all. I have been missing for a while as summer seems to be an extremely busy time around here. But I was in need of a birthday card for my brother for this weekend, so I HAD to get some stuff out and play. This is my first successful attempt at an easel card and hey, I think I might like it. The challenge from Delightful Challenges this week was to use fancy folds; I think it qualifies. The sketch is from the Skipping Stones Designs challenge. Verve is running their Diva Dare for the next week or so and the dare is to use paper you have been hoarding and sentiments only (no images) to allow that paper to shine through. Now, I haven't been hoarding this paper, but I have had it for years and never used it. When I pulled it out, I realized it was perfect for the graphic look I had in mind for this card. Did you notice the picture at the top of the post? Well, it is the inspiration for the Paper Variety challenge this week. I picked up on the black and white with a pop of that lime green that shows up in one of the puzzle pieces under the book.

The numbers dies and the fabulous sentiment (Big Birhday Wishes)are both from PTI. I used two of the classic circles large dies from Spellbinders to create the frame behind the numbers.

Early thank you

I normally would NOT be making Christmas thank you cards this early, but since I had the papers all ready out on my desk (see my previous post for another card using them) and the challenge from Our Daily Bread Designs this week was to create a thank you card or gift, it was the perfect opportunity. I'm going to need them anyway, right? I am also using the sketch from this week's Clearly Inspired Challenge (sponsored by Clear Dollar Stamps). Papers are DCWV, the sentiment is a partial inking from Damask Designs by PTI and the tree is a single rubber stamp I've had forever. I used Labels 4 and 5 nesties and the lace ribbon, I just bought on clearance from Michaels being inspired by everyone that is using lace.

The Reason for the Season

Something a little different for me, a little bit of fruffiness with this gathered ribbon. It's good to break out of your comfort zone once in a while. : ) The sketch is Viva La Verve June week 3, and the card uses the Delightful Challenges "anything goes" theme, the Paper Variety's mixed alphas (use two or more different fonts) challenge, Christmas Stampin' All Year Long challenge to use black, white and ONE other color, and the Stampin' Sisters In Christ challenge to doodle on your project (I drew faux stitching around both red panels and a doodled line around the sentiment panel, also center lines on the flower petals).

Bookmarks

Something new I have never tried before: ribbon bookmarks--this week's Our Daily Bread Designs challenge. And I think I might be addicted, they are soooo cute! The first one is for my father for Father's Day (his favorite color is brown and I just so happened to have some nice brown grossgrain ribbon from SU!) I also tried the rock 'n roll technique for this week's Make It Monday challenge. The first side has one of the damask images from Damask Designs (PTI) and at the bottom, a sentiment from the same set. The second side has two stamps from World's Greatest by Verve and I stamped the date of Father's Day on the bottom portion. The numbers are from PTI's Fresh Alphabets set.

Since these were so fun, I made one for my Mom, too. She loves to sew and has one of these pincussions so the image from Clear Dollar stamps (part of a package to raise money for a woman named Katie) was perfect. I colored it with colored pencils, colored the pin stems with a silver pen and used black dimensional fabric paint on the pin heads. so fun! The sentiment is from the same Clear Dollar digital set and I added the stitching around the shape.

On the other side, I stamped a sentiment and image from Sweet n' Sassy stamps and added the year date on the bottome half.