Inspired by Inspired by… Again!

Take a look at this beauty on the Inspired by… blog. While I have no clue how Sasya (yes, that’s Russian) created her beautiful background, I just had to figure out a way to emulate it.

What I did was stamp my image with VersaMark on a piece of Goldrush patterned paper from the Splendor paper packet, emboss it with clear embossing powder, and finally, sponge on some Cranberry ink. The result is a very interesting background that the photograph does not do justice. Ignore the shine from the embossing powder. Imagine the pattern of the paper coming through – subtly through the ink and with more definition from under the embossed areas. If I had not had the patterned paper, I would have used gold cardstock, which, I think, would worked just (or just about) as well.

The butterfly is a Cuttlebug die/embossing folder combo cut from Goldrush cardstock. I lightly inked its edges with Cranberry ink for a surprisingly pleasing effect. Not wanting to distract from the design, I stamped the small Happy Birthday sentiment directly onto the background. I love the way this little experiment turned out.

Oh, and if you take a look at Sasya’s blog, make note of these gorgeous spiral roses made from cotton pads. I love the glitter and how she added soft pink to the edges of her flowers. I’ll be casing the makeup department on my next trip to Wal-Mart to see if I can find what I believe to be makeup remover pads. Am I on the right trail?

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Goldrush, and Cocoa cardstock; Splendor Level 2 paper packet; VersaMark, Cranberry, and Cocoa ink pads; Clear embossing powder; Flourishes Birds in Vines and Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamp sets; Brown satin ribbon from Wal-Mart; KaiserKrafts pearl accents; Cuttlebug/w Butterfly Combo die and embossing folder; Round sponge.

Happy Hump Day! My day was kind of slow, albeit pleasant enough. Tonight, I’m doing the laundry that didn’t get done on the weekend and straightening up around the house. While housework isn’t very exciting, one can’t have fun every night. Tomorrow evening, we (Mom and I) are going to “Kiss Me, Kate.” Friday night, the boys are spending the night with us, so their Daddy and Sarah can have a night out. On Saturday, we have a wedding and reception to attend. As for Sunday, I haven’t got life planned that far out. LOL. Busy. It’s all good.

Enjoy the evening, and thanks for stopping by!

Will She or Won’t She?

Will the inspirer (I didn’t know that was a word, but Spell Check likes it) of this card realize she inspired me? Not to keep you in suspense, it was Sharli (from Sharli’s Place) again with this gorgeous card.

Yup, I changed it up a bit, using different papers, etc. What I really wanted to emulate was her beautiful coloring that so perfectly coordinates with the paper she used. And don’t you love her button treatment? I settled for a piece of coordinating cardstock, border-punched to correlate with the base of the plate. What you can’t see are the yellow Stickles I added to the flame and the dimensional sentiment, which was mounted with foam tape.

Thanks, Sharli! As much as I love this stamp set, I seem to need a little help. And, I know just what my “inspirer” will say, “That’s what friends are for!”

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Crystal Blue, Sweet Leaf, and Sorbet cardstock; Caboodle paper packet; Black, Crystal Blue, Sorbet, and Buttercup ink pads; Crystal Blue and Buttercup markers; Piece of Cake February Stamp of the Month and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Martha Stewart Embossed Zigzag Edger punch; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide, Mat, and brass circles stencil; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Dove blending pen; 3M foam mounting tape.

I hope you are having a great day! Footloose and fancy free shortly after 2 pm this afternoon, my day has been wonderful. And, I have a date this evening! Well… actually, it’s a husband who doesn’t feel like cooking. With that, I’d better skedaddle before he changes his mind. Enjoy your evening! Later …

Joy Forever

My card this evening was inkspired by this beautiful card on the Sunshine, Smiles & Stamps = Lovin’ Life blog. What really caught my eye was the color. I realized a while back, I don’t do grey. It’s not because I don’t like it. There is plenty of it in my closet. I’ve just never used it much for papercrafting, and when I have, I don’t think I’ve been particularly happy with the results.

Using some pretty flocked paper from DCWV’s La Crème matstack, I’m happy tonight, however.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Grey Flannel, and Black cardstock; DCWV La Crème Matstack; Grey Wool and Black ink pads; CTMH Butterfly Kiss, Joy Forever, and Promise of Spring (retired) stamp sets; Stampin’ Up Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edger punch; Sponge dauber.

No confusion this evening. I can officially say tomorrow is Friday. Having logged overtime every day so far this week, I can leave early if my work is done. Woo hoo!

Tonight, I’m going to clean up my corner and then spend the rest of the evening relaxing.  I hope you’re doing the same or something equally enjoyable. Thank you so much for stopping by! Later …

You Touch My Heart

I don’t know that I’ve ever been more determined to make a card than I was this evening. So much so, my wastebasket is full, and my corner looks like it was hit by a cyclone. It’s a sparkly mess, too, the result of opening my glitter stack upside down. Under normal circumstances, that would have been the last straw, but tonight, I persevered.

About my card, this isn’t what I had in mind, but after finally realizing I was incapable of producing anything original, I resorted to an attempt at copying someone else’s design. I while back I spied this gorgeous card on the Just Give Me Stamps blog. I changed up the colors and gave it a whirl.

You can’t really see the scoring between the rows of hearts. As for the big heart, it’s covered with glitter and much brighter than it appears in the photo. While it doesn’t have the flair of the original, I’m just pleased that I was able to come up anything at all. During my little break, I seem to have lost my mojo. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Cranberry cardstock; Cranberry ink pad; Verve Stamps Thankful Hearts stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Holiday Craft Buttons; Sparkles; Glitter Stack, Scor-Pal; Corner rounder.

Prior to my stamping adventures (better said misadventures), my day was relatively uneventful. The business world is pretty quiet between Christmas and New Years. I hope you had a wonderful day, and as always, thank you for taking the time to visit. It’s your kindness and support that keep me coming back and missing you when I’m not here! Later…

Inkspired

My January/February issue of Papercrafts magazine arrived today, inspiring me to make this card – fashioned after one by Dawn McVey, which appears on the cover and again on page 42. Dawn combined Berry Sorbet (from PTI) with PTI’s Pure Poppy for her striking card, while I stuck with white ink and trim for a softer look.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sorbet, and Stampin’ Up Kraft cardstock; White Daisy Pigment ink pad; Renaissance by Design Darling Damask and Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Basics stamp sets; White organdy ribbon; EK Success corner rounder.

Baby, it’s cold outside. Marv wanted to go out for supper but went to the fridge and found something to cook after I shot him my “Are you off your rocker?” look. Cold as it is – 6 below tonight and a high of 3 below tomorrow, it’s supposed to snow anyway. Actually, lots of snow, when it’s this cold, is good, because it serves as the insulation that keeps water mains and the like from freezing.

Tonight, I’m going to surf the Web for some Christmas gifts and clean up after the grandsons, one of whom spent the whole day with Grandpa. Maybe, if there’s time, I’ll pop back into my corner and see if I can’t come up with a little something to show you tomorrow night.

Hope your day was a good one, and as always, thanks for stopping by! Later…

Inkspired

You know? As much as I don’t like to miss a day of posting, I think I’ve finally figured out I can’t be everywhere all the time. Last night was my bowling night, and the little boys stayed with us. Thus, when I got home at 7, I opted to spend my time with them instead of rushing to create and post what very well might have been a sub-standard card. The good thing is I’m happier and feeling more creative tonight because of it.

This evening’s card was inspired by this very pretty card on Karla’s Life is Good blog.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Twilight cardstock; Grace Paper packet; Twilight, Cocoa, and Bamboo stamp pads; Close To My Heart Solo “E,” Renaissance by Design Darling Damask, and Waltzingmouse Stamps Blessed by You stamp sets; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Stampin’ Up Build-a-Brad; Sponge dauber; Sanding block.

One more day, and the weekend will arrive. Hooray! Marv left for the hunting camp today, so I’m on my own again for a few days. As much as I like having him around, it’s amazing how much I can accomplish when he’s not here. As for this evening, I’m going to make myself a bite to eat, take a nice relaxing bath, put on my favorite flannel pants and a T-shirt, and clean up my corner in preparation for some creative time in the coming days. Sounds good, doesn’t it? I hope you are having a great week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Second Post ... Don't Faint or Anything

I'll have to say Sharon on the No Time to Stamp? blog did a little more than inspire my card. She provided a step-by-step pictorial! A good thing, too. Now, if only I'd had some of that pretty black silk ribbon and bow-maker thing, my card might be as pretty as hers.

As it was I had to make a dash to Wal-Mart to find some ribbon that "might" do. I bought a couple of different ribbons, including this wired ribbon, which was relatively easy to work with and worked out OK. The card is for the couple whose wedding reception we are attending this evening. The only thought about the personalization is that I'm only assuming she is taking his last name. One never knows these days. I asked Miranda a few weeks ago, and she is - not that the switch from Nelson to Carlson is a biggie. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; Black ink pad; JustRite Damask Borders and Trompe Script Font stamps; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Kaiser Kraft pearl accents; Cuttlebug w/Textile 2A embossing folder; 3M foam mounting tape.

I suppose I'd better go get ready for tonight's festivities. Bjorn and Mathias' daycare provider was married earlier today in a private ceremony with the reception this evening. She's a nice gal who married a nice guy. She truly loves the little boys, too, which means a lot to their parents and Grandpa and me. As I'm still feeling a little punk, it's going to be a short evening for us. Granny needs her rest. With that, enjoy the evening! I'll catch you again tomorrow...

Scrapcrafting

Here's a quick card made with scraps that were laying on my desk. It was inspired by this card on the kwernerdesign blog. While I have to say I like Kristina's card better than mine, it was a good way to get rid of some scraps, is kinda cute, and, only after I photographed it did I realize I hadn't used a single stamp to make it. With no sentiment, either I'll add one to the inside or outside later, or I'll leave it and use it as a notecard.

Materials & Tools: Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; CTMH Petal and Sweet Leaf cardstock; DCWV The Green Stack; Hero Arts and CTMH paper flowers; Hero Arts pearl accents; Sweet Leaf Designer Ribbon Rounds; Button from my stash; Purple embroidery floss.

I made this card and started this post last night. And then... I crashed. Tonight, Bjorn and Mathias are staying with us, so I'm off to play games and read books until bedtime. How's your week going? I hope all is well. As always, thanks for stopping by! I'll talk to you again soon.

Time Out to Breathe

While I'm not certain if I have the time or simply took the time, I stole away to my corner for a few minutes. After all, all work and no play makes for a cantankerous mother of the groom. LOL.

About my card ... Although my mind is too cluttered for me to have any mojo of my own, I still have the ability to draw inspiration from others. My card was inspired by this card and this card on the No Time to Stamp? blog. Sharon's cards are beautiful, aren't they? As for explaining, I'm not sure there is much to say. I embossed the bottom background piece with my borrowed Scor-Pal and the smaller piece with a Cuttlebug folder. The sentiment is a JustRite stamp. I love those oval JustRite stamps but have yet to experience a weak moment and order 'em. I would do the LOL thing but am not certain my weak moments are all that funny. Know what I mean?

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; Black ink pad; JustRite 10 Designer Borders & Centers set; Black organdy ribbon; Kaiser Kraft pearl accents; Scor-Pal; Cuttlebug w/Leafy Branch embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

To tell you a little about my week, the wedding invitation adventure has been just that. First, the next time I design invitations (if ever), I will make 10 of them instead of one. Then, I might have an idea of how labor intensive they are. Secondly, the next time I need help, I will recruit some of my crafty friends. Dealing with a half dozen women who had never tied a square knot (and still can't) was more unnerving than trying to cope with a room full of eight-year-old Cub Scouts.

Miranda's recruits, however, were pretty good at placing the stamps on the envelopes until, that is, we ran out of envelopes. The printer either lost or ruined 75 envelopes. I have no way of knowing, because they won't own up to it and pretty much told me, "Tough luck." Customer service is obviously not this business' forte, and it will be a cold day in hell-o before they do any printing for me again. Finding 75 5x7-inch ivory envelopes with flaps quickly was part of the reason we went to Grand Forks on Friday. The search was looking pretty futile until I insisted we backtrack to JoAnne's "just to make sure." There, on clearance no less, were two sets of 50 ivory 5x7-inch cards and perfect, flapped envelopes. Had it not been for that stroke of luck I would have ended up paying overnight shipping for $10 worth of envelopes.

We also ran out of ribbon. My fault. Dumb me had figured out that I needed five 25-yard rolls, which mathematically, was correct and just enough. Why, oh why, though, at $1.97 a roll would I have not ordered an extra just to make sure? I reiterate, dumb on my part. Michael's saved the day on this one with me gathering up enough ribbon to redo a few of the ones that don't measure up to my standards - my project for this afternoon after I'm done talking about it.

We're going to finish these things today/this evening - as soon as the groom gets here. That will be one monkey - the most stressful one, I hope - off my back. Crazy, isn't it? So much commotion over something that, in a very short amount of time, won't make a bit of difference.

With that, I better grab my ATG gun and get back at it. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

One of a Kind ...

First, I need to tell you that my inspiration for tonight's card came from this post on the Jennifer McGuire Ink blog. While it doesn't have anything to do with my card, you need to watch that video. It features all kinds of tips for using Stickles, Liquid Pearls and other similar products. I love that blog. And I thought her owls were so cute, made with a Hero Arts stamp and patterned paper.

My owl was made with patterned paper, too, all cut freehand with the exception of the eyes which were cut with punches and the legs/feet, which were hand drawn. Actually, I cut the shapes from chipboard first and then covered them with the patterned paper. It was all an experiment that I deemed OK enough to glue to a Kraft card. What do you think? With no pattern, I guess he/she is a one of a kind owl. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; CTMH Honey and Crystal Blue cardstock; Chocolate and Desert Sand ink pads; Basic Grey Lilykate 6x6-inch paper pad; Retired CTMH Winter Cozy B&T paper; Chipboard; Cornish Heritage Farms U R A Hoot stamp set; Wiggle eyes from my stash; Black My Legacy Writer; Sponge Dauber; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat.

I'm late tonight. After discussing wedding plans, Dusty, Miranda, and I went out for a bite to eat. We got a lot done, made a lot of decisions. I'll tell you more as our plans unfold. For tonight, I'm going to head to bed. Between all the planning, a tough day at work, and just maybe, the one cocktail I had with dinner, I'm all tuckered out and ready to sleep. I hope your day was a good one. Hump day tomorrow already. Hope it's a good one, too. 'Til then, take care, friends! Later ...

Unusual ...

I'm really on a roll here. "Different" on Saturday. "Unusual" today.

OK. While making a connection will probably be a stretch of the imagination, my card was inspired by this beautiful card by Barb that she posted on her The Buzz blog. I fell in love with the background, which was created with a single background stamp (from Stampin' Up, I think). While it was Barb's first experience with a large background image, some of us "old-timers" are familiar with them (and I, for one, miss 'em!).

Anyway, what I attempted to do was imitate the look with a stamp from Close To My Heart's Adorable Backgrounds set. After I stamped the black words, I stamped over it, using the scrolly (not a word) in the set and Crystal Blue ink. Then, I used round sponges to add Crystal Blue and Sweet Leaf inks. I think I managed to create a look similar to the background of Barb's card.

I used my background piece to make a card based on this week's Mojo Monday sketch. Had I planned a little better, the butterfly that you can see on my second piece of "homemade" background paper would have been right side up. For that design, I stamped the butterflies and then used a direct-to-paper technique with my Sweet Leaf ink pad. When it came to the band, I didn't know quite what to do. I cut a piece of black, which was too much. I think the white (embossed using the Swiss Dots embossing folder) is right but might look better were it a quarter inch or so narrower. I also fully intended to use a butterfly as my accent, but the big one was too big, and the small one was too small, so I resorted to a couple of paper flowers. As for the ribbon, I think I made the right choice. I believe keeping the black matting narrow was a good idea, too. Thick black edges would have been overpowering. The use of the word "unusual"as my title (like "different") is indicative of the fact that I'm not quite sure about this card ... er, experimental card-making endeavor. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, and Black cardstock; Black, Crystal Blue, and Sweet Leaf ink pads; Close to My Heart Adorable Backgrounds and Butterfly Kiss stamp sets; Verve Stamps Beautiful stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Paper flowers from CTMH and Hero Arts; Acrylic disk from Michael's; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder; Round sponges.

A Mojo Monday sketch done on a Monday. How 'bout that? I had a crazy busy day. The whole week is going to be that way. Today, I learned I have a "company profile" due for a German publication due on Wednesday. I can pump out a profile in a couple of hours so it would be no big deal were it not for the fact that translation takes a week. OK. I thought about my situation. I had four years of high school German (like 40 years ago). I can, however, still read enough to get the gist of what's being discussed. Thus, I've decided that I can take last year's profile and update it with this year's information and rewrite it in German. When I pull this one off, I'll declare myself multi-lingual and demand a raise. LOL. That will go over big. Never a dull moment. Speaking of, the little guys will be spending Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights with us this week. Parade. Fair. Fun. Hooray!

Enough jabber. I'm off to my corner to clean up and just maybe start something new. I hope your week got off to a good start! Later...

Pretty Flower

The sketch for my card was inspired by this card on the Willow & Paisley blog. It provided the perfect opportunity to showcase one of the sweet crocheted flowers my friend Jeanne sent me.

As for the rest of the card, I used a square punch to cut three 1-1/4 inch squares. As luck would have it, they "fit" and required no trimming. That's faux stitching around the brown piece - uneven enough to look real. LOL. I used a sponge dauber with Bamboo ink to tone down my white "stitches." The center of my prettiest-ever crocheted flower is a Stampin' Up Build a Brad.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White cardstock; Basic Grey Bittersweet 6x6-inch paper pad; Cocoa and Bamboo ink pads; CTMH Say it in Style stamp set; Crocheted flower; Stampin' Up Build a Brad; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat; White gel pen; Sponge dauber.

How was your 4th of July? Mine was quiet and relatively productive. I've gotten tons of sleep in the past couple of days, too, going to bed early and taking afternoon naps. As for quiet, I've had about enough of it. I'm starting to miss my kids and most definitely, the little guys.

Today, I'm going to do some laundry and clean the refrigerator. Exciting, huh? Right now, I'm going to go hop in the shower. I hope yours is a wonderful day! And, as always, thanks for stopping by. Catch ya later with another card or two...

I Shouldn't Even Show You ...

... and wouldn't have had it not been for that little teaser last night. Now before you say, "What the heck is that?," I've got to tell you that up close and personal, it's a darned cute card. It simply will NOT photograph well, and it's not for lack of trying. Thirty-eight photos have been taken, using a variety of backgrounds and lighting conditions. I have given up.

Getting to the "story," my card was inspired by this cute card on the Lucy's Cards blog. Instead of using a ladybug stamp, I thought of some cute buttons I'd purchased at Wal-Mart a while back before they so rudely closed their fabric department.

This is where the interesting tools come into play. I attempted to cut off the shanks using the blue-handled tool thing show below. It snapped them right off, only not flush with the back of the button. They need to be flat. I grabbed a sanding block first. No go. A metal file was my next tool of choice. However, it was slow going, filing those little hard plastic ends. Then came the light bulb moment. Plastic melts! That's when I grabbed the "torch" (aka the Scripto lighter I use to light candles). Yup, plastic melts. It also gets very HOT, or so the thumb and pointer finger on my left hand found out when I attempted to hold the first one while torching it. The other two buttons were placed on the stone coaster, which handled the firing much better than my fingers.

Of course, I made a little noise over the burned flesh, which warranted the usual exchange: "What are you doing?" asked the man in the other room. "Never mind!" "Do you need help?" "NO!!" With my left hand in a bag of ice, I used my right hand to stamp the ladybug's antennae and the sentiment and then glued my now flat-backed ladybugs to my card with Liquid Glass. Crazy, huh?

Materials & Tools: Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; CTMH Summer Carnival B&T paper (retired); Black stamp pad; Papertrey Ink Ladybug Luck and Hero Arts Trees, Birds, and Sentiments stamp sets; 1-1/4-inch circle punch; Liquid Glass.

How was your day? Mine was ... crazy busy. My head is still spinning. We had dinner with Dustin and Miranda right after work. It was fun. With a lot of stuff going on right now, I'm glad we made the time. Still wound up from my workday, I'm going to go relax in the bathtub for a while before attempting to get some much needed sleep. Oh, and this is it for the wild card-making stories this week. LOL. I hope yours was a great day. Thanks for taking the time to visit me! Later ...

Inkspired

Tonight's card was inspired by this great card I saw recently on Jennifer Buck's The Buck Stamps Here blog. Doesn't the Flower Soft look pretty? Now that I've used it on a few cards, I'm finding myself really liking it and wishing I had more colors.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; White Daisy and Baby Pink textured cardstock; Black, Topiary, and Grey Flannel stamp pads; Penny Black Gossamer rubber stamp; Close To My Heart Happy Birthday set; May Arts ribbon; Black My Legacy Writer; Dove blending pen; 3M foam mounting tape.

How are you on this Tuesday that feels like a Monday? I had a crazy day that began at bedtime last night. At 3 a.m., I was still staring at the clock - thinking, I think, about the work I'd brought home that I hadn't done and fretting about the workday ahead. I finally fell asleep only to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5:15. By 7 a.m., I was at work where I pumped out an article due today for a magazine in the UK in record time. Additionally, I distributed two press releases, one of which was picked up by CNBC, a first, finalized at least four more press releases, wrote drafts for a couple more, caught up on my correspondence, and started another article, which is due on Thursday for another publication in the United Kingdom. On a roll, my plan was to work until 5. I didn't make it. Seven hours and 45 minutes into the day, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Eight hours was enough. By 4 p.m., I was at home and sound asleep on my futon. While I'm still tired, I think I'm good to go for a couple more hours. Falling asleep tonight shouldn't be a problem.

Changing the subject, Cameron called to report that Bjorn lost his first tooth tonight. That should make for a cute little smile. For now, I'm off to entertain myself for a couple of hours. I hope you had a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by!

Inkspired

Good evening, and Happy Friday! I hope that I can stay awake long enough to get through this post.

My card was inspired by this card on a fun blog I came across last night, Stamping Moments. What attracted me to Jenny's pretty card was what I considered an unusual, albeit very attractive, color combination. As is sometimes the case when I attempt to "lift" a card, I like the original (as in Jenny's card) better. Sometimes when I'm working with different stamps or papers, I'm just not capable of capturing the essence of the card that inspires me.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Olive, Moonstruck, and Cranberry cardstock; Moonstruck, Cranberry, and Olive ink pads; CTMH Butterfly Kiss and Air Mail (retired) stamp sets; Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp set; Pewter picture hangers; Olive chiffon ribbon; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Cuttlebug w/Floral Fantasy embossing folder; 3M foam mounting tape.

What an incredibly long day it was and so hard to get anything done, because there were so many people who weren't around - typical of a Friday prior to a long holiday weekend. I spent most of the morning exchanging emails with an editor in Germany regarding a story I'm working on. His name is Siegfried, and on the third or fourth exchange, he started signing off as "Sigi." I thought, "Ooh, we're getting intimate here." I got a kick out of it. With a six-hour time difference, my fun with him ended around noon when he said he was heading to the pub for a "bier."

We had dinner with Dusty and Miranda right after work, with most of the conversation centering around Senator Obama's speech last night and Senator McCain's stunning vice presidential pick. What a year for surprises, and while I thought the fun might be over, I'm thinking now that with Governor Palin in the mix, things might be interesting to the end. I've heard many say, and I'll have to agree, that this has been the most unusual political season of my lifetime. I'm sure I'll fall asleep tonight listening to the political pundits rehash the events of the last few days.

Speaking of sleep, a big meal always makes me tired, so I think I'll go lay down. What have you got planned for the weekend? I'm going to try to get a few things done on the domestic scene and otherwise, relax. Whatever you're doing, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!

Pastiche

A few weeks ago, it was music trivia. Tonight, it's the word of the week/month/year. While I've heard it and seen it in print, I don't think I've ever used it, making it new to me. "Pastiche" (pronounced pa-steesh) is defined as 1. a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources, or 2. an incongruous combination of materials, forms, motifs, etc., taken from different sources; hodgepodge.

Yup, I used stamps from several sets and a combination of inks and papers. A pastiche it is, and I don't know if the result is: 1. Out of the Box, 2. Over the Top, or 3. Butt Ugly. It is interesting, and it was inspired by this very cute card on the My Many Many Passions blog. Once again, I was intrigued by the color combination. I don't know what Stampin' Up colors Monica used, but I used Honey and Breeze, which are not colors I would have chosen without a little inkspiration.

There isn't much to explain. I stamped my flower image on the Honey cardstock with White Daisy Pigment ink, using my embossing tool to aid with the drying process. The heart were stamped on 1/2 inch circles cut with a punch. The camera really picked up on the white ink. It's not nearly as dominant in person, which means this card, like many others, looks better up close and personal. The angle of the shot also makes the card elements less straight than they actually are - not saying it's perfect or anything!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Honey, and Breeze cardstock; White Daisy Pigment ink pad; Black, Breeze, Sunny Yellow, Citrus Leaf, Watermelon, and Bubblegum ink pads; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms, Hero Arts Anytime Messages, and CTMH Made By Me stamp sets; Ribbon from Walmart; 1/2-inch circle punch.

The elevator was worked on again today, so my Internet service is hit and miss again tonight. The last couple of days have been busy and productive at work, which means the hours have flown by almost as fast as they do on the weekend. Other than that, there isn't much going on. As for getting my corner cleaned up last night, it didn't happen. I made this card instead, which means I'm going to mosey on over there again tonight to see what happens. Maybe I'll straighten up and maybe I won't . . . While I'm doing whatever it is I'm going to do, you have a nice evening. I'll catch you tomorrow!

And You Thought . . .

I was going to put this stamp set away for a day or two. Well, that I was before I saw this great card on the 2B Krafty blog. Isn't Janine's card pretty? I was intrigued by the color combination, a couple of colors I don't think I've ever put together before. Now that the card is done, however, I'm wondering if I might not have liked Buttercup with Outdoor Denim more than I like the Moonstruck/Buttercup combination. I guess that's a question I'll have to answer on another day.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Moonstruck, and Buttercup cardstock; Moonstruck ink pad; Treasure Life September SOTM; Hero Arts Art Flowers Spring Collection; Moonstruck Bigger Brads; White mini brads; Acrylic discs from Michael's; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Ovals set.

By the time the guys got home from the golf tournament last night, Bjorn and Mathias were both in bed. Thus, they are still here. I'm going to go hop in the shower, and then I think we should make a trip outside for a little fresh air and exploration. I have another card to post later. Until then, enjoy the day!

Credit Where Credit is Due

While I occasionally come up with something that I feel I can claim as my own, much of what I do is inspired in one way or another by someone else. I try really hard, too, to keep track of what I see and when I saw it so that I can credit the person that inspires me. Sometimes, however, I lose track, and although I do always try to find the original, there are only so many hours in a day. The crayon resist cards I featured recently are an example of "losing track." I knew I had seen cards using the resist technique and flowers in blue/green and pink/orange color combinations "somewhere," but for the life of me, I couldn't find them.

Tonight, while "catching up," I came across them again here on Kim's great Clearly Inspired blog. Although I have yet to watch the video tutorial (only because the speakers on my computer are not working properly), I'm sure it's as great as her other videos have been. Great, too, describes the clear cards she features in her post today. I encourage you to take a look. If I get so brave as to try them, I will clearly remember who inspired me!

To you Kim, I say thank you for the inkspiration. Enjoy the CTMH convention. I can't wait to see what you have to show us when you get back home!

Inkspired . . .

My card was inspired by this card on the Stamp Like Crazy blog. When I saw it, I thought "Hey, I have some red paper like that." This is the Martha Stewart paper I picked up the other day at Walmart, and it was the stitched pattern (in red, green, and brown) that made it a "gotta have." The other patterns are nice, too, and if I don't care for what's on one side, I like the pattern on the other side.

Other than that the fact that I reversed the colors and used a different sentiment and flowers, my card is shamelessly like Carol's. Why mess with perfection? I love her card. To add a little interest to the black piece, I ran it through my paper corrugater twice, first vertically and then horizontally, for kind of a waffle-weave affect. There are also four black mini brads, one in each corner, anchoring the black textured piece. They aren't showing up so well in the photograph. I think that covers it. If you have questions, ask me, and I'll try to answer them in my next post.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; Martha Stewart 12x12 Classic Woodland Paper Packet; Black ink pad; Verve Stamps Floral Whimsy stamp set; CTMH Just Blooms Summer Posies; Hero Arts Art Flowers Summer Collection; Black and Red mini brads; Black Bitty Brads; Fiskars paper corrugator; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

Today, was another killer Monday at work with small details sucking up so much of my time that I didn't have a chance to get to the big stuff. I wish I were an early bird instead of such a night owl. If I could get to work by 7 every morning, I could have a couple hours of time to get stuff done before the phone rings or much of anyone else is circulating. The worst of it is that even with a good night's sleep I don't function all that well in the morning. I never have. I'm more apt to get a streak of ambition at 10 p.m. than 10 a.m. That's enough discussion of one of what are many of my idiosyncrasies. I'm kind of under the impression that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, so I'll have to figure out how to function the way I am. I hope yours was a good day. As there were questions on my last post about the crayon resist technique, I'll be back tomorrow with a little "walk through." 'Til then, take care and thanks for stopping!

Inkspired

Hallalujah! It's Friday! I am so looking forward to what looks like is going to be a restful weekend. Marv's leaving in a bit to go work on the hunting cabin until Sunday, so it is going to be quiet, which is just what I need to get my bearings straight.

This card is one I might use for a club project Sunday night. It's simple but beautiful nonetheless. While I've seen several versions around the blogosphere, I saw it first here on the Flutter by atomicbutterfly blog.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy cardstock; Garden Green ink pad; Say it in Style May SOTM; Ribbon from Walmart; Gold mini brads; Cuttlebug with Birds & Swirls embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; Sponge dauber.

Although weather.com says it's only 75 degrees outside right now, it's got to be 85 in the den where my corner and computer are located. That means I'm either going to go hang out in the living room or maybe outside until it cools off a bit. Whether you've got plans or are joining me in a quiet weekend, I hope yours is a good one. Thanks for stopping!