CC176 Rockin Vanilla Skies

Hello! I only have a minute to post so I've got to be QUICK! Today is Color Challenge day on SCS. This is actually a pretty color combo that I would've NEVER put together! River Rock, Soft Sky, and Very Vanilla. You can't see well in the photo but the twill ribbon on the edges of the card (the frayed ends) are sewed on the card...to prevent the fraying from spreading. The rest of the card is pretty straightforward, right? I used my old favorite standby Happy Harmony (thats the name right? LOL! I hope so!) from SU and will most likely use this as a sympathy card that I need. Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I'll use PTI's papertray set to stamp With Sympathy across the flowers....if I get a chance to change it I will and will be sure to take a pic to show! LOL! Anyways, just wanted to let you all know that I will be MIA for a few days. I know that some of you worry when I'm not around!! (yea, that's you Lori!!! LOL!) So I'll be sure to check in as soon as I get back. TFL!

COCONUTTY!

First I have to say - you have to look close at this picture to see all that it has. Click on it. I almost didn't share this photo...but I spent so much time on this card that it would feel like a waste if I didn't post about it! So those of you who read my blog must know that I've got a "thing" for H&M Stamps! LOL! This is a sketch challenge that Heather (owner of H&M) posted on her blog on Saturday! The challenge is unique in that it was a color challenge (real red, only orange, yoyo yellow, so saffron) and a sketch challenge. You could do both or one or the other. I thought "I'm gonna knock some socks off and do both". So I started with a real red base and layered it with my new favorite dp, SU prints pack! I then took out some yoyo yellow and only orange paper (both of which I NEVER use). After a lot of fiddling around I scratched the color challenge! I just couldn't get the yellows to work. But I kept the orange, as you can see. My next layer is apricot appeal with some more of the SU prints pack dp layered on top! You can't see it well, but it is a paisley pattern. I sewed the two pieces together and then sewed the edges of the real red base. Yes, I'm totally addicted to sewing my cards now! They don't seem complete without it! ;) I sponged everything with real red. Cut two circles with my nesties and stamped the cute coconut drink from the It's Picnic Time set and colored it in using my blender pen. Ok, so I realize coconuts aren't orange! But I needed it to match! I then stamped the umbrella again and pieced it on top of the original image so it pops off the side of the circle. I stamped two sentiments in apricot appeal. The top one says "Freshly Squeezed" and the lower one says"Summer". You can't see them well at all in the photo but they look nice IRL. So then I had my card...and it looked so plain. So I stamped the strawberry image 3 times and colored them in with my blender pen (real red, only orange, old olive) . I then cut and paste them along the bottom. I still didn't like it so I added the red/white polka dot ribbon on top. I think the sketch is a great one...I just was off today! It didn't help that my phone would NOT stop ringing and my kids would NOT stop fighting! Argh! It's definitely been one of those CALGON days (are any of you old enough to know what I'm referring to there? LOL!) Oh well, I tried!! Now it's YOUR turn! Go over to Heather's Blog and take a look at the challenge! Leave me a link if you do it so I can see your fabulous creations! TFL!

Recipe:
Paper: SU! real red, only orange, apricot appeal, prints pack dp
Ink: Stazon timber brown, real red, only orange, apricot appeal, old olive
Stamps: H&M Its Picnic Time, PTI Shapes by Design
Accessories: Sakura stardust, sewing machine, MayArts ribbon, dimensionals

Life's A Picnic!

Hey everybody! Today is Featured Stamper day on SCS! And what a Featured Stamper it is! Susiestampalot over on SCS has an AMAZING gallery! I am truly humbled by her work! So I've seen this card of hers (the apron card) before and I put it into my favs way back when but never got around to making it. So today I just had to try! I obviously got the proportions wrong...its a funky looking apron...but you get the idea! LOL! I was especially excited to case this card b/c it gave me an excuse (like I need one!) to ink up my It's Picnic Time set from H&MStamps! I unfortunately made the apron before stamping my utensils and oven mitt! They are very small in comparison! Its like its an apron for a giant or something! Oh well - I tried!

The changes I made from Susie's card are the dp and stamp set. I tried to keep the same layout...but I'm thinking that her card didn't open? Mine opens.
The twill ribbon is from my gigundo roll of wide twill from MayArts. I used my SUPER paper & craft scissors from SU to cut it into 3 strips. The first strip I used as the apron tie/neck part (I stamped on this with palette noir). The second strip I cut done to use as the handle on the tag (just like susie did!). The 3rd strip is still laying on my desk!

If you look at the tag closeup you will see that I versamarked some shiskabobs on it. All stamps you see are from the same set (It's Picnic Time from H&M!). I tell ya, the possibilities are ENDLESS! Thats it from me now...have to post quickly! Got lots to do! TFL!

Recipe:
Paper: SU buckaroo blue, dp prints pack
Ink: Palette Noir, real red, versamark, sahara sand
Stamps: H&M It's Picnic Time
Accessories: Sakura stardust, blender pen, sewing machine, silver brads, twill ribbon, sponge

Happy Birthday Genevieve!

Happy Sunday everyone! Yesterday was Genevieve's First birthday (Beth and Todd's youngest)! HAPPY BIRTHDAY little girl! Man she is so stinkin' CUTE! This is the card I made for her. We had a great time up there yesterday...celebrated her birthday and saw Karen, Vickie and Bella in their summer camp play of the Wizard of Oz. Boy was I impressed! Really truly impressed!
So the card I made is for this week's sketch challenge on SCS. I posted it the other day on SCS but wanted to wait to put it here on my blog so Beth wouldn't see it! ;) The card base is SU blush blossom. The dp layers are all from K&Co except for the top layer (with the bear on it) which is SU very vanilla. I stamped the adorable, cuddly little bear from H&MStamps with close to cocoa ink on some of the pastel dp from the K&Co pack. Stamped his nose on very vanilla and pieced it onto the main image. Then cut him out and popped him up on dimensionals. The bear, from the set Cozy on Up is a new release from H&MStamps. Go check it out right now b/c this bear is seriously one of the cutest I have ever seen! The sentiment is from PTI's bitty baby set (another cutie set!) and is stamped in close to cocoa on very vanilla and cut out with my 1 3/8" SU circle punch. I then punched out a scalloped circle in blush blossom to hold the circle sentiment and popped that up on dimensionals as well. Since I'm all about sewing my cards lately I sewed a few panels and added some pink buttons from my stash. And that's pretty much it. Hope you like it! I happen to love it! LOL! One of the few right? TFL!

A Card of Firsts...

I just got my package of stamps from H&M Stamps yesterday and had a chance to play for a bit today!! One of the sets I ordered is this one. OMG I {{HEART}} this set. It's called Fun in the Sun. There are so many pieces to this set that the combinations are endless! DD LOVES the sand castle/bucket/shovel/starfish combo b/c it reminds her of the ocean, naturally! She saw the card and said "ooooo! Mommy! This is my favorite!" She loves making sand castles, although our sand castles don't come out like this one! LOL!
I can see myself using this on some scrapbook pages of the girls when we head to the outer banks again this summer - I can't wait! (Could use it on last years outer banks pics too...) But first I have to start scrapbooking! LOL! I always take photos with a layout in mind...but just haven't done it...yet! Maybe this set will motivate me! Who knows!
So I mentioned that this card is a card of firsts....let me explain! It is my first time using an H&M stamps stamp set (but definitely not my last!!), it is the first time I've used my sewing machine in a WHILE (had to read the instructions on how to change the thread b/c I haven't done that in about 4 years! LOL!), AND its the first time I've used my giant twill ribbon roll from MayArts! I honestly didn't think I would ever use this twill. So I'm so happy I was able to use it on this! I have these new scissors...Craft & Paper scissors from Stampin Up! OMG! It cuts through ribbon like buttah! Such a nice clean cut! I LOVE 'EM! (Maybe this post should be called...FEEL THE LOVE!) Anyways, I trimmed both top and bottom of the ribbon and pulled some threads out to give it a beachy, frayed look. I then used the strings I pulled to tie knots on the shovel and pail. The cardstock I used (dp and all) is from SU!'s Simply Scrappin' Out & About kit. HEY! It's my first time using paper from this pack! Another first! I sponged sahara sand (thought it was fitting...sand and all!) all over this puppy. And distressed all edges. I'm pleased with the way it turned out (although they always look better IRL). I'll be back soon (hopefully!) with some more from my new H&M stamps!!

Recipe:
Stamps: H&M Fun in the Sun
Paper: SU! Out & About, blue bayou
Ink: Stazon timber brown, SU chocolate chip, really rust, sahara sand
Accessories: aquapainter, twill mayarts ribbon, sewing machine
technique: paper piecing, watercolor

Feelin' Right at Home

Hi there! Here is a card that I made for my Aunt and Uncle as a thank you for letting us stay at their house while dh had his class in their neck of the woods. We all had such a great time (see post with photos of aquarium and beach!) and it was just so nice to visit with them. They gave up their room for us so we'd be comfortable, fed us**, and pretty much gave us (my girls) run of their house! ...like they had a choice!! LOL!

** When I say "fed us"...I mean FED US! My uncle is a chef and my aunt can cook and bake (brownies!!) too and WOWEE we had some good food! In particular this thing with green beans that I wish I was eating right now! YUM!

So now onto the card - This was actually more difficult than I thought it would be! I'm out of my comfort zone with the colors....picked the dp b/c I thought it would be something my aunt would like and then worked from there. The house was stamped on white, then on some so saffron-looking dp and then on chocolate chip. I cut out the saffron house and pasted it on top of the ww. Then I cut out the cc roof and pasted it on top of the saffron. I then screwed up the card so I had to cut out the entire house (all 3 layers) and paste it on the dp! LOL! The windows on this are bothering me....they need curtains or something. My aunt is ...well you know...I'm not sure what she does exactly! ;) She used to weave and have this big loom in her basement. Now she makes window treatments for clients. She's extremely good at what she does....very successful. So you can understand why I feel the windows in this house need decoration! LOL! Sorry aunt Terry! Ok, back to the card...I stamped the fence pieces on whisper white and cut them out and pasted them to the bottom of the dp to make it look like the house sits behind a fence. I used an exacto knife to cut the space between the porch railing and the house and then also added a slit on the side of the house for the ribbon to go through. I stamped the sentiment right on the dp and I wish now that I didn't b/c you can't see it very well. I'm not sure I am in love with the card....but I hope my aunt and uncle like it! And I hope you do too! I put a lot of time into it...too much...and there comes a time when you have to hang up the scissors, put away the stamps and mail it out! ;) I'm off now to play with some FUN FUN FUN H&M Stamps that I just received in the mail! YAY! Hope to be posting again soon!

Quick One!

Hey Folks! Happy Sunday! This is a QUICK post today....I made this card for this week's FS75, Stephanie.Hargis. What a great gallery and super nice chick! The card I case'd is HERE. The changes I made are paper, stamps, ribbon (width) and colors. Sounds like a lot of changes! But it's still a very similar card! This was super easy/fast to make....which always makes me happy!

TFL! I'll be back soon!

Recipe:
Paper: SU sahara sand
Ink: PTI aqua mist, sweet blush, Stazon timber brown
Stamps: PTI Shapes by Design
Accessories: xtra wide brown grosgrain ribbon, making memories brad(?)