Give a Welcome

Give a warm welcome to Vee Cassidy.  She is joining the my amazing Design Team.  I know you will enjoy seeing what she creates as she will begin this Sunday with the second week of "Zentangle". Below is a short bio about Vee.

Hello. My name is Vee and I live just outside Glasgow in Scotland, UK. I have two sons who are "grown and flown" so my current babies are two cats.

I have been crafting most of my life including sewing, crochet, knitting and various crafts but card making for about 5 years.

Apart from cards, I enjoy altered art / mixed media and am a big fan of recycling/upcycling in my makes. I like using distress techniques however my tastes are eclectic and I enjoy learning new things. In fact, I am currently learning parchment craft.

I'm Excited!

I am so very excited as I have been chosen to be on Gecko Galz Design Team.  I will begin my term in July and I really am looking forward to using many Gecko Galz images in projects.

New DT Member and Challenge #58

We are beginning a new challenge today, Challenge #58 "Gothic Cuties"  I think you will enjoy creating an entry for this challenge.  There are a number of possibilities for this theme.  You may use  a scary or a cute Gothic image.  It is being sponsored by Dilly Beans.

I also would like to welcome another new member of the Design Team.  She is Barbara Godden.  Below she has given a short bio to tell about herself.

Barbara Godden

My name is Barbara Godden I live in South Western Ontario, Canada. I am retired and busier than ever. In the summer I spend as much time as I can at our cottage at Turkey Point on Lake Erie with my husband of 52 years and our 15 year old black cat named Spook, she is not fond of the one hours ride in the car but once there really enjoys the change.

I love all styles of stamping, some I am better at than others. The medium I use most often is prismacolor pencils and odourless mineral spirits, I haven’t really tried copics yet. I might like them too much. 

I started out stamping with some things bought at a yard sale, markers, ink, stamps, embossing powder and books , I was “hooked” and then that fall I found a lady that had a home based store and have enjoyed classes ever since. It is amazing on how far the tools have evolved since starting my journey in card making. 

------------

Now for the first pieces of inspiration of the two new DT members, Meggymay and Barbara along with those of the other team members.

Barbara

Yvonne

 For my first project here at the Cheerful Stamp Pad I have made a small wall  hanging. I used a Stampotique image for this Goth cutie, she's dressed to impress and ready to party. The arch is die cut before embossing in a  brick folder, all the shading is distress inks.

Vicki

I thought this would make a cute sick card.  I should brighten someone's spirits.  I colored the Dilly Beans image with Copic markers and placed her on coordinating papers.  As an added touch I added an artificial flower.

Sharon

I love Dilly Beans images so it is always fun to create with them! Bakcground is Distress Inks and a Tim Holtz texture stamp. Dilly Beans "Little Monster & Bat" image has been coloured with Copic Markers, fussy cut & mounted onto the card. I stamped the letters "BOO!" for a bit of fun!

Petra

I just love the Dilly Bean images, they are so quirky and Cordillia is no exception! She just looks as if she is prepared for everything ... even if it is just getting one year older (LOL). I coloured the image with distress inks and layered it on a background of watercolour paper coloured with inks. Some little punched flowers, stamped text (PaperArtsy) and two little blings are the final touches.

Rene

My Gothic Cutie, supplied by our fabulous sponsor, Dilly Beans is the cute and a little creepy Ragdoll Ruby. I went a bit more cute than creepy with the colours I chose. Her face is green though, because of the lack of sun. We hope to see many cute Gothic inspired creations.

Jenn

Jenn has a couple of gothic cuties to share with you today, the first one uses Dilly Beans 376 - Martin.

Jenn

This next card uses one of Dilly Beans newer images, 533 - Nutmeg, and I paired her with some angel wings.

                                                                         Michele
Speaking of cuties, this "flower girl" from Dilly Beans is a real cutie. I colored her with pencils and set her on a background done with the "faux paint swatch" technique from Technique Junkies.  I added a few embellies to finish the card.

                                                                       -------------

I am very please to have Dilly Beans as my sponsor for this challenge.  Megan of Dilly Beans hay s created a wonderful array of big-eyed images.  Drop over to her site and check the digitals out.  You definitely will enjoy working with them.

Drunken Stampers Challenge #113

This is my first card for Drunken Stampers.  The theme is "Groundhog Day" or a "furrry animal".  Well, there are no groundhogs around my house (in or out) so I  used a furry rabbit who is not letting Groundhog Day concern him.  He seems more content with taking a nap in a warm bath.  Let the old groundhog see his shawdow.  He can handle six more weeks of winter!

He is a Stampabilities stamp, colored with Copic markers.  The background is various background stamps  (unknown).  His little comment is computer generated. 

If you have a chance, drop over to the Drunken Stampers blog and enter a groundhog or a furry animal in the challenge.  Below are the dates of the challenges.

New Design Team Post

I am so excited! I am a new member of Drunken Stampers Design Team.  I will also be posting information about their challenges here so you can drop over and enter.  I am looking forward to working with this group. 

The DT is broken down to two groups:  Midnight Margaritas sand Bahama Mamas.  I am on the Midnight Margaritas which is great as I seem to be on the computer at midnight every night. The groups will be alternating for the Saturday challenges.

A Fond Farewell and a Welcome Back

It is with regret that the Design Team is losing Jenn Borjeson as she has her plate full at the moment with posting to her own blog and being coordinator of the challenges of two other blogs.  We wish her well and I am sure you will see some more of her great creations on this site from time to time and on her own blog Wicked Wednesday.

At the same time we welcome back La Creatia (Krisha) Ogle.  She has been a member of the team before and I know you will love what she is going to create for the various challenges.  Welcome back.

Welcome My Newest DT Member

I would like to express a warm welcome to Tricia O'Bin as the newest member of my Design Team. Below she has offered a very short bio about herself, but I think her creations will speak for her as Tricia's work is outstanding and I feel honored to have her as my newest team member.

Tricia O'Bin

I have been stamping since I was young. In 2003, when my sister-in-law was pregnant with my nephew, she introduced me to scrapbooking and I was hooked. In 2009, I started stamping and making cards and now I am obsessed (I like to call it passionate). I have been married to a wonderful man since 1999 (together since 1991) and we have a wonderful teenage son and a yellow lab named Cooper.
--------

Tricia will start showing her creations with the next challenge which will begin midnight May 6. Please send Tricia warm greetings.

A Sad Goodbye

It is with sadness that I have to say a "goodbye" to Cindy Pointe.  She has been a great asset to the Cheerful Pad Design Team.   Below is a beautiful tile that Cindy created as her final post/ piece as part of my Design Team.  She gives a great tutorial on making the tile on her blog, The Creative Pointe. Drop by  her blog and check it out.

I wish you well Cindy in your future ventures and we all will miss you on this blog.

Cindy Pointe

"Faux Enamel Tile"

It's been a blast being one of Design Team members here on this blog. Unfortunately my time is so limited (I also work full time) that my own blog obligations and my desire to be outdoors (I live in the woods on a lake) this spring and summer means it's necessary for me to say "Goodbye". As my last project, I'm sharing this piece with you. It's done on a glazed white tile with embossing and alcohol inks. If you click over to my BLOG I have all the project details for you. Thanks again to Vicki for giving me the opportunity to share my creativity with all of you here.
--Cindy Pointe
The Creative Pointe
.

"

New Design Team Member

I am so pleased to announce that I am now a member of the CS Designs Stamps Design Team.  These are one of a kind digital stamps created by Chris Stern.  These digitals are very unique and are so much fun to use.  You should go to her site and see all the different digitals and visit her blog Art with No Boundaries to enter the challenges and to see the inspirations created by me and the other members of the team.

I am so excited to be a part of this group of ladies as they are all so talented.  Thank you Chris, for letting me be a part of this wonderful group.

My card portrays the season, The image is called Solitaire Mummified from CS Designs.  I really like my greeting. It is from the "Family" background paper.  It reads "nothing is scarier than family".   Coloring was done with Copic markers.

I cannot resist.  I thought I would send this card to my daughter who just recently moved to St. Louis as all my other children are still near by in the Nashville area.  She will get a laugh from it as it is SO true.

I am entering this at Shopping Our Stash and Gingersnap Creations' Horror Stories.

Challenge # 25 -"Let's Reuse"

This post will remain at the top during this challenge.  Please scroll down for more current posts.

This challenge is a little different. The Design Team wants you to pick something unusual and recycle it on a project. After the challenge ends, the Design Team will pick the most original recyclable. The winner will not be picked by random generator this time. So look around and see what you can find to recycle.

The Design Team below has given you some great ideas.  Go take a peak and then enter this fun challenge.

Vicki

I took a quick and easy approach to the "Let's Reuse" challenge.  Look a the white strip down the left side.  Can you tell what it is.  It is part of the wristband I had to wear at the hospital  the last time I had a spinal injection.  I cut it to the size I needed, trim the end to match the other end, and put shiny stone brads in every other hole. I used adhesive and attached to the card.   This made a neat embellishment to the card and got rid of the wristband.   Hopefully I won't collect any more wristbands anytime soon.  The sentiment is a CS Designs digital.

Barbara

I love recycle challenges. It's always so much fun to come up with something recycled and to see what others use to recycle. Today I made a wall hanging of a basket of flowers. What did I use to recycle--my favorite Coke Zero cans. All of the flowers and leaves were cut from the cans using a Spellbinders die. They were colored using alcohol inks. Brads were used for the centers and then covered using distress stickles. The board I used can almost claim to be recycled. I bought it decades ago when I was into tole painting. The whitish background was done by painting the section with gesso and stamping it with a basketweave background stamp. I did a light touch over with wild honey distress ink. The basket was die cut from a piece of wood paper. Let's see what recycling you can come up with.

Valerie

Hi everybody. Valerie here. I have made a simple tag from a piece of corrugated cardboard, some paper from an antique book, a piece of string, and a scrap of lace from an old tablecloth. The image is a vintage German scrap. I recycle a lot; first and foremost because I hate to waste things, and secondly it is just such fun to make something pretty from *waste*. Happy creating you all!

Petra
Paperbeads

Almost every day there is advertising material in the post. Normally this goes almost straight away into the recycle bin but sometimes the paper is quite nice because of its colour, texture or even the size. And definitely perfect in re-using it for some paper creations. Here I used an A3 soft furnishing brochure for creating some paper beads (first time ever!). I love the process of making them: cutting the paper in small but long triangles (just with a scissor to keep it simple), rolling the paper very tightly over an old knitting needle in more or less regular/irregular shapes. I love the way each bead turned out so differently. To give the beads some more stability and to smoothen the surface I varnished some of them with glossy accents and some with modge podge. And then .... they are ready to use (lol). I made a little charm with some left-over fabric, some little beads and and an old safety pin. Happy recycling! x

ClearScraps

ClearScraps has graciously consented to offer a package of acrylic coasters as the prize for the winner of this challenge.  They carry a wide range of acrylic pieces, such as frames, books, coasters, and miscellaneous shapes.  Click on their name above and visit their site.

More Wingy Things

Here are some additional wingy things to inspire you to join in the challenge this time.  You still have a week to enter. The winner is chosen by random generator so everyone has an equal chance whether you are a beginner or an advance crafter.. Don't forget that the winner is always notified and gets to have her entry in the "winner's spot" at the top of my sidebar for 2 weeks. 

Vicki

I started  to make a quick card when I realized that everyone else posting today had made a tag, but then I decided to go with my tag also.  That way you can see each of our personalities in our tags.  My tag uses two chickens from one of Moonlight Madness' dictionary sheets.  The backgound uses direct to paper distress, inking over a stencil and a small piece of embossed webbing.    A piece of red rafia acts as a ribbon in the hole.                                  
                                                  
Michele here:  I have three stamped tags to celebrate the things with wings challenge. All of the backgrounds are colored with Stamp Zia watercolor jewels. The party cat hat is from Lost Coast Designs. Fairies are unknown. All of the stamps for the winged princess girl tag are from a set by Clear Art Stam

Once you get going with things with wings you can't stop! You still have one week to play. I hope you'll join in!

Valerie

Valerie

I have made 2 more little wooden tags with wings, a house and a heart. They have been covered with some ancient book pages, gessoed, and then distressed with TH inks before being glazed with crackle accents. I have added some tiny German scrap figures, some of course, with wings and both tags have butterfly wings in addition.

There are so many ideas for making things with wings, it doesn't just have to be things born with them! Valerie-Jael

Newest Member

Valerie (above) is my newest team member so don't forget to give her a thunbs up and congratulate her.

Challenge #18 - Color My World

I will be a little late posting the challenge winner for "Little Girls with Curls" as I had so many entries. I want to at least look at all of them even though I may not make a comment. I am so pleased that so many artists are particiipating in my challenges.

This next challenge should be a great challenge. It is "Color My World". Here are some ideas, You may color your image, color your background, or airbrush your card; you may use markers, ink, chalk, paint, or pencils. The challenge is not limited to just these ideas. No particular brand is required for this challenge as we all have invested in different products. The only requirement is that your card or project is colorful and that you state what you used.

Here are some ideas from the design team.  If you look closely you will see each of us has a different way of emphasizing color.

Vicki

I decided to go with basically a monochromatic color scheme.  I chose a lavandar base card.  On top of that I used a light purple.  And on top of that I used a piece of dark colored cardstock on which I used the Technique Junkie technique embossed webbing.  This is a fun and extremely easily technique.  The hardest thing about it is finding a store that will carry the webbing paint. 

My featured image is a Magnolia stamp.  I colored her with Copic markers, the sponsor for this challenge.  A sheer piece of ribbon is added for my embellishment as I didn't want to overshadow the background paper.

Petra

It feels like going back to my childhood sitting with colouring books for hours, filling the pages with scribbles and ... colour! Little did I know about the colourful world of the Mandalas at the time. I adore these vibrant circles and their manifold patterns. My Mandala image is from one of the free colouring pages for children. I printed it twice, one slightly larger. The smaller circle is coloured with Copics and layered on the second slightly larger circle which I left uncoloured. The base is a plain white card and some embossed and inked Kraftcard (Tim Holtz texture folder and Distress ink Walnut Stain). The Mandala is mounted onto the base with foam pads. The finishing touches are some button twine, a stamped sentiment (Hero Arts) and a little gem.

Barbara

When I found out the theme for this challenge I immediately thought of my EarthArt International images and my Copics. The EarthArt International images represent the animal spirits and are inspired by nature. It's amazing to  examine the images because within the animal itself are so many other images from nature. If you look closely at the moose, you might see an owl, a butterfly, many leaves, a racoon, a leapard, flowers, snakes, raindrops and clouds, a lizard, a ladybug, and different animal skin patterns. It was so much fun to color the moose (with my Copics) because I kept discovering the different images. The background of my card was a piece of design paper. It was printed with pale leaves. I used my Copics to change the colors and used the blender to give them a more watercolored look. Using Versafine, I stamped a marble background stamp over the entire background. It is more like a watermark. I thought the sentiment from Stampscapes was perfect for both the challenge and the image. Now I can't wait to see what you share with us. 

Krisha

Sometimes you can stick Mr. Mojo in a box and close the lid, because things just fall into place by themselves! When Vicki sent me this challenge I already had this image colored and stored in my "ready to go images" (yes I have a stash of these, from times I just want to color and do nothing else LOL) So I did a few touch ups, trimmed him out and found this background paper, that I have had stashed for years and completed the card. I don't know who the image is from, he came through an image swap and I just love him. Wish I had the stamp!

Michele

There's nothing like coloring! One reason I fell in love with stamping was the way it reminds me of being with my coloring books as a little girl. Actually I still have coloring books! Sweet pea stamps offer a great basis for coloring fun. My stamp here is a Ching Chou Kuik design called Hummingbird. I colored it with colored pencils then cut it out and placed it on a background done with the antiqued glimmers technique from Technique Junkies. That background was adhered to some lovely shiny paper from The Paper Temptress. I finished it off with some flowers cut from a punch and I put some little shiny colorful dots in the flowers. I hope you have fun coloring!

When I think of "color" I personally think of Copic Markers. Copic Markers are Awesome.
Copic has everything you need; they offer a versatile selection and are designed to be the highest quality available. With markers in over 300 colors, ink pens, a marker compatible airbrush system, paper, and books – Copic has it all.

This company with wonderful alcohol-based markers is my sponsor for this colorful challenge.

Additional Inspiration for the "Be a Sport" Challenge

Here are some additonal creations done by my DT to give you inspiration for entering the challenge "Be a Sport"..

Barbara

This card came about because I needed a boy's birthday card. Since he is a good soccer player, I used this soccer ball. It's part of a Cuttlebug die and four embossing folder set. I bought it a few years ago since I just had to have it. This was the first time I used it. The ribbon at the bottom was a part of a ribbon grab bag. When I got it, I just knew I would never use the sports ribbon. I was so happy that I had it when I was making this card. Using green cardstock to represent the soccer field and a birthday sentiment, I had the perfect sports birthday card.

Krisha

"Leif Blower" is the CHAMP when it comes to keeping things neat and tidy. He is a great image from Dude Time Doodles. I colored him with pencil and mounted him on dark green cs and then onto a hand made green. Thanks Boni for sending me Leif, I enjoyed using him in this challenge.

Petra

Dude Time Doodles has a great range of real fun digi images. And Wayne Waves is no exception. He has great fun surfing the waves after I cut him out and coloured him with Copics and Koh-i-noors. Unfortunately he lost his amulet because of the wild ride (lol). The background paper is October Afternoon and an image from Graphics Design Travel Ephemera. The sentiment is printed, the little birds in the sky stamped with Elzybells stamps and ink.

Vicki

Here is another cute digital from Dude Time Doodles.  Skip the skateboarder makes the perfect birthday card for a teen.  He is grinning ear to ear because he is master of the board.   The image is on a mat using Double Bugging, a Technique Junkies technique.  The nice thing about using double bugging is that you can take two embossing folders and make an entirely different design.  In this case I used the stars and dotted swiss folders.

You have one week left to enter the "Be a Sport" challenge.  Let's see your take on this theme.

Another Winner and a New DT Member

 If you noticed earlier this week I posted the winner of "Anything But a Card" onto my sidebar at the top.  She is Davi Reid.  Congratulations Davi; who were chosen by my trusted random generator

New Design Team Member

I am so happy to annoucne that Petra Berendsen is the newest member of my team.  Please give her a warm welcome.

Below Petra tells us a little about herself:

Being a bit of a craft addict I immensely enjoy anything to do with crafting - especially papercrafting, crocheting and sewing. My creations range from ATCs and cards to full 3D projects whereby I always try to incorporate some stamping, paint and paper-piecing.

A Warm Welcome

Thanks to everyone who has been entering my challenges.  It is because of you, my followers and visitors, that I am adding to my Design Team.  Please give a warm welcome to Michele Storms as she is joining my group.  I know we will have a great time blogging together.  In case you are wondering who Michele is, her e-mail say Michele Jones.   Below is a little bio. about her.

Michele Storms

I’m excited to join the design team at the Cheerful StampPad. I started stamping “lite” long ago when I bought some stamps for a project my son was doing for school.  Slowly over the years I acquired stamps because they were so lovely to look at and play with though I wasn’t really creating anything much – just decorating envelopes and such. I subscribed to Rubber Stamp Madness but I was just a reader. About five years ago or so the urge to create became sufficiently strong that I decided to stop reading about stamping and really get busy doing it.

I started making my own cards and then I started acquiring ever more papers and stickers and all kinds of goodies and now I’ve got cabinets full of “stash” and can’t wait for those precious moments when I have extended time to pull out my tools and get to making art. Much time has passed since that first stamp. My son is now a junior in college.

I’ve been blogging for almost a year and this is my first DT gig.  I have a wonderful husband and through marriage a fabulous grown stepdaughter, son in law and a beautiful little granddaughter. I believe we all have wells of creativity within us and I’m grateful that stamping/cards/collage, etc. is one of the outlets I’ve found to express my own creativity. I hope I can share a few things I’ve learned with all of you as I continue on my own artful journey.

Additional Inspiration

Krisha, one of my team members, adds a couple of inspirational pics.

Krisha

Stamp from Rubber Stampede, w/ chalked accents, lace, postage stamps and rhinestone.

Krisha

My Grand-Aunt's wedding picture, with grunge flower and stamped ribbon. Stamps from PSX.

Krisha

My great-grandfather and his brothers. Stamped images are from Inkadinkado, background paper is from K&CO

Design Team

Recently I have had two Guest Designers, LaCretia Ogle (Krisha) and Barbara Washington.  Both of them have agreed to come aboard as Team Members. .  They will be posting anytime they feel in the mood and from now on they will help me choose the creation that best suits the challenges instead of  using the random generator. They will also be helping me pick themes for future challenges. Please welcome them in the comment section as I am resally pleased to have them working with me.

Below are designs for Thanksgiving by the  Design Team for The Cheerful Stamp Pad

Vicki

I chose a wild turkey inage for my Thanksgiving card.  The turkey image is by Inkadinkado and the greeting is by VAP Scrap.  The tan background area uses the chalk lines technique.   Inmages are colored with Copic markers.

Krisha

Barbara

It's exciting to be a part of this new Design Team. Here's a turkey card I created. Since Thanksgiving is coming upon us quickly, this handsome fella came by to wish you a Happy Harvest. All of the stamps used are from Kitchen Sink Stamps. I love how realistic the image looks. This look is created using the Kitchen Sink Stamp multi-step stamping system.