Happy Little Stampers: October Sketch Challenge

Hi everyone! I hope you all checked into the blog hop for my buddy Kylie's new stamp company- "Happy Little Stampers". She has some awesome stamps in the first release and rumor has it there will be a second release coming up in the not to distant future.

Now onto the sketch challenge for October. You know I had to do something spooky! It's Halloween time! 

No stamping!! Yikes- I hope I don't get tossed out on the street for not using stamps!!??!! My Martha Stewart punch is the perfect focal point for this spooky card. I rarely pull out my punches these days, what with all the dies that are available. Punches are becoming old school.

I masked out the moon and sponged the background with a few distress inks and flicked some water to add texture.

My card has no sentiment on the front. I almost NEVER do this, but it just didn't need it. The scene says it all, dontcha think?

Please  join us at HLS for some amazing challenges and check out what everyone else did for the sketch challenge!

old school, retro, dated......

you decide. I'd like to think maybe retro. I used a variety of old stamps and ideas. I mean hasn't the butterfly with the gem bodies- isn't that so dated? But ya know what? I still like it. Its fun especially when aired with this old StampinUp set "flight of the butterfly".

It day after our first and last I hope major snow storm and I am wishin' for spring. the card inspiration at Tag You're... It made me feel all springy. 

So whether it is old school, retro or even dated, this tag made me happy, warm and giggly. Check out Tag You're... It and see how the DT and others were inspired.

Challenge Sunday

 Its Sunday and its challenge day. I was glad to see there are still some challenges that want Thanksgiving cards. I have a few left to make.

This card began with the idea of texture, which is what they want over at Just Add Ink. I got out some acetate which I haven't used for awhile. I stamped the leaves with StazOn ink and colored the opposite side with copics. I love the way they blended in a puddle fashion. Kinda like alcohol inks which makes sense since thats what copics are. I stamped and fussy cut the leaves to embellish the front of the card. I added the twine for extra texture and a few gems and there  ya have it!

Here is a view that allows you to peek inside the card.

 Look how cool those copics blended together!

I am entering this into Pals Paper Arts color challenge- OK once again maybe I am fudging it a bit.

AAA cards has this awesome photo inspiration- can ya see where I was going with the card and the photo?

The Paper Players has another Thanksgiving inspiration

Lastly CAS on Sunday wants you to use twine. I was trying to think of something really creative, but nothing would work but something traditional. But what the heck it is Thanksgiving- the penultimate traditional holiday!

So one card, five challenges! WOOO HOOO!!

Off to finish my paper on self-care- now that I have just practiced my own self-care!

Peace on Earth Online Card Class Homework

Please do not tell Dr. Ambrose that I have not been working on my final paper that is due in 2 weeks. I just can't get motivated when I would rather be doing my homework from the Holiday Online Card Class with Jennifer Maguire and Kristina Werner!

So, I gave myself permission to take this weekend off and play and I promise I will knuckle down next week. I watched a number of videos from class today. The funny thing was I really wanted to see how Laura Bassen made her winter wonderland scenic card, but it was Julie Ebersole's videos that stole the day for me.

My card today was combination of two cards she made and I really like the the subtle gold sparkle of the Delicata gold ink around the masked Martha Stewart dove punch. The saying is from the new brush stroke set from Papertrey Ink.

If you haven't taken any of the online card classes, you are really missing out on alot of fun and new techniques and ideas.

OK- gotta go more homework  to finish from class. Now I have to try that winter wonderland scene.

Technique time at Just Us Girls!

Hi everyone! We have had a week of rain. I am so ready for some sunshine. This weeks JUGS card makes me feel sunny! Sue V. is hosting a great technique challenge this week at Just Us Girls. She is asking us to do watercolor stamping. 

 I wanted to try something a bit different then distress ink on my stamps and spritzing it. I remembered Shari Carroll demonstrated a distress stamping technique on the Hero Arts website that was cool. I have included the video on how she does it.

 The first card I stamped the flowers on a separate panel and popped it up. The card below is one layer. I used bristol board for the card base. I discovered this card stock from taking the online watercolor class. I love how well watercolors work on it. They blend an mix with little warping. Kinda reminds me of working on tags.

Join us with your watercolor stamping creations over at Just Us Girls!

Vintage Christmas sketch

Boy, did I escape from my CAS look with this card! I went totally vintage- something I am not real good at. See this post for more of an explanation. It wasn't that hard though, these great vintage papers from Authentique made it easy. I worked my card around them.

Here is the challenge sketch from Just Us Girls that I was was working from. Fun huh?

I used a stamp from Picture show, they have these whimsical vintage images. I wish I could give you a link, but they never went the online route and only did stamp shows. Unfortunately the last convention i was at they weren't there. Makes me think they went out of business. 

I asked my at home art critic, Mr. George what he thought- immediately he said to busy. He is a real proponent of CAS and can not go outside of his critic beliefs.

My sweet girl Pinkie loved it though.

Please join us at JUGS and show me your take on this great sketch!

House of Cards Holiday Blog Hop

Welcome to the House of Cards term one blog hop using this photo inspiration. This is my first blog hop and I sure I hope I get it all OK. It has been so exciting being on the ground floor of this awesome new stamping challenge blog. I have been blown away not only by the art of my fellow designers but by all of you. My hat goes off to those that have entered in all of the styles.

I had fun with this photo inspiration and had variety of cards done but I just love this one. It features the washi tape stamps from Inspired by Stamping, who are one of our sponsors for this blog hop.

If you have come here from Daen'Ys blog then you are in the right spot. If you have stumble here and would like to participate, please hop over to House of Cards challenge blog to get started! Be sure to leave comments at each spot for a chance to win some fabulous prizes from our sponsors!

Thanks for stopping by! Please join in the fun of our hop and make your way over to Tara's blog for more inspiration!

Crossover card...

Last week's technique challenge at Just Us Girls really inspired me, especially after I saw all the cool cards everyone made! I had fun continuing to play with the technique and incorporated this weeks color challenge and last week's challenge. I love this week's color challenge- reds and browns- great holiday colors!

I had such fun with this technique that I made it with red, gold and white.

And I made it in kraft and turquoise.

Which one do you like? Please join us at Just Us Girls this week for this great color challenge!

Holiday Word Salad

This week's challenge at Just Us Girls is what I call "word salad", some others call it subway art. It involves using sayings as the central design of the card. It is a great way to use many sayings all in one card.

Check out Jennifer Maguire's blog posting on this technique.

I didn't add anything extra to my card, because I found the diversity of fonts, sayings and colors fun in  and of themselves. The technique isn't hard but I did have to plan a bit at first.

I laid out all the sayings I wanted to use on a block and stamped it off to test the design.

As you can see I did change it up a bit because some of the proportions just didn't work for me. I used a plethora of companies for this card. I am not going to tell you unless you specifically ask. I want to you to use what you have. i know all of you will have more then enough to make a great card!

Here it is done in shades of blues, works just as well huh?

I really can not wait to see what all of you come up with for this awesome and challenging challenge at JUGS this week.

Holiday Mojo

Last Thursday I spent the day putting my Halloween stamps away with a sad face. I quickly was smiling again though when I pulled my Christmas stamps out. 

I know it is scary everyone, but Christmas is just seven and a half weeks away! Time to get started on all of your holiday projects. 

The best way to get your holiday mojo going is by participating in today's sketch challenge over at Just Us Girls.

I have to admit it took me quite a bit of time to get the right size strips for my card. Once that was done, the rest was easy. I pulled out a set called Polar Bear from Frogs Whiskers Ink. The bear reminds me of the polar bear in the old coke commercials.

You all blew me away with the response from last weeks challenge. Lets keep up the momentum and please join us for today's sketch challenge.

A circle of daisies

Over the weekend, my buddy Patricia and I went for our major craft store crawl- Joannes, A.C. Moore and Michael's. i really only needed to get in essentials- adhesive, foam tape that kinda stuff- yeah right of course I bought more then that. But the pick of the weekend was this HA stamp from Michael's for 40% off!!

I was so visualizing all those pretty flowers in all different colors! But no- I had to jump right outside the box! Addicted to CAS was having a challenge using circles. All those pretty daisies trapped in circles, not free to sway in the summer breeze. It just isn't natural. :)

I stamped the individual flowers and using a circle punch, I punched them out. Using polka dot paper (loosely circles- well little tiny circles). I die cut three circles for my daisies to be placed in.

This pic shows the depth of the card. I am entering this at Make my Monday, where they are asking for CAS flower cards.

I am so glad to the sun out- The US Open is being hosted at Merion Golf Course this year and I am about 4 miles from it. Lots going on around here.

Flutterbys and Flowers

Sorry for the gap in my postings. As you know from my last post- over a week ago (!!!) I had a bear of a paper to write. I finally finished it last Thursday and can now spend some quality time in my studio.

My friend Judy, started a blog about 6 months ago JN Designs to promote her invitation business. Well she hasn't updated in quite awhile. When I was chiding her about it, she said maybe I am just not a blogger. I looked at her and thought what? Then I realized some people just aren't bloggers. In my opinion bloggers a bit narcissistic. We want people to look at our blogs, we want them to comment on our postings. It validates us. Judy is the most humble person I know. Unlike me it isn't all about her, so yeah she isn't a blogger. It is a shame though, because she has so much creativity to share. 

So back to todays card, yeah it is all about me and the two challenges I am entering my flutterby card in. I am entering this in this week's Fusion challenge and I fused the two challenges.

I am also entering this at the Addicted to CAS challenge featuring flowers. They also have a call out for  new design team members, I am gonna give that a whirl also. Here's hoping!

Thanks for indulging me everyone, because ultimately it is about me :) !

Enjoy your weekend!