Absolutely Adore You

It is a good thing 2012 is  a leap year  because I needed that extra day to get February's Sketch for You to Try completed. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?

I stamped the bunny from the Flutter By set (which is out of stock at the moment) onto Copics X-Press It, colored with Copics with a bit of paper piecing on the net and then cut out. I allowed the patterned paper to be my sentiment which is from the beautiful new My Mind's Eye Be Amazing 6x6 pad.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamp, Linen Thread, My Mind's Eye dp, Kaisercraft Jewels, PTI buttons, Martha Stewart punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics: C00, C1, C3, BG70, BG72

A short and sweet post today as there is a lot of things going on with us right now. I am squeezing in creative time here and there. 

First Christmas Card of 2012

I got the My Favorite Things Inspired by Christmas set rather late in the season and frankly I was so burned out on the whole Christmas card process that I just did not have the heart to make any more by the time it arrived. So I decided to save it for 2012, which is my first Christmas card of the year. I followed this week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club Sketch Challenge (MFTWSC60) for the layout although I did reverse it. The patterned paper is all Echo Park. I kept it as "unlumpy" as possible for mailing purposes.

Products: My Favorite Things stamp and Die-namics, Echo Park dp, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics: Skin-E000, E01, E11, R20; Beard/Hat trim-W00, E81; Santa Suit-R24, R46, R59; Shadows-BG0000

A Sunday Driveby:

• have you noticed that even Barbie has hair extensions now?
• not sure what happened to winter here but it doesn't bode well for a pleasant summer
• you know you are behind on Google reader when you are still reading Valentine related posts

Thank you for stopping by.

My sale page.

Skateboard Dude

Good morning. Today's card is for a challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges which is to use dots and stripes. I'm really trying to make an effort to join more challenges when I can and this is my first for this particular blog. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to join in on the fun, especially since some of my very favorite stampers are there.

Along with wanting to join more challenges, I have also been trying to use some of my stamps that have yet to see any ink. This Skateboard Dude by Stampavie was one of those. After coloring the image with Copics I cut it out. I attached it to the background piece with just a bit of glue along the right edges. When the glue dried, I then placed dimensional dots on the other side to make it appear to pop off the panel. I also did a extra frame around the edge with the double sided paper. The paper is all from the new Echo Park A Boy's Life.

Products: Stampavie stamp, Echo Park dp, Doodlebug buttons, My Favorite Things Die-namics, Copic Markers

Copics: Skin-E000, E01, E11; Hair-E30, E33, E35, E39, E29; Clothing-YR12, YR14, YR18, B93, B95, B97, W00, E81; Skateboard-YG01, YG13, YG17,C3, C5, C7

That's it for today. Thank you so much for dropping by!

Hoppy Easter {TCP Tuesday 198}

Today's project is for this week's TCP Tuesday challenge (TCPTUES198). Lori is our hostess this week with a color challenge of Mossy Green, Soft Pink and Aqua.

I stamped the Sugar, Sugar stamp wiping away the basket portion, colored and then cut out, cutting away any extraneous portion of the image not needed. I then placed the bunny into the Easter basket cut with the Eggs in a Basket CutUps. I assembled the main image panel and the background panel with the same patterned papers with the scalloped mat in between the two. I created the scene by positioning the basket in between blades of grass cut with the Grass CutUps and then adding a few more Easter eggs from patterned paper both in the basket and nestled in the grass. The sentiment was matted onto a diecut cut with the Sunflower Rosette. A bit of leftover rose seam binding and a button provided the finishing touch.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamp and CutUps, Seam Binding, My Mind's Eye dp, Doodlebug button, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics: E50, E51, E53, RV00, R81, R83, BG70, BG10, BG11

All the details for this TCP Tuesday challenge can be found on Alma’s blog. As always, there is potential for fame (Pick of the Litter) and/or fortune (Pick of the Week) and possibly even Swanky Stamper of the Month.

Sweet November February Review

The Sweet November review of the February release is going on over at the All That Scraps blog today and today's card is my contribution.

I actually made this card at the same time I created the release previews. I had colored up Pine twice because I just couldn't make up my mind which way I wanted to go. So I decided to just do both. If you remember from the previews, I featured Pine in a wintery theme. But I was also drawn to a more organic/woodsy theme and this is the resulting card. I used a 12x12 sheet from the October Afternoon Campfire collection as the background, just adding a strip of woodgrain paper from My Mind's Eye. I cut two leaves from more MME paper using the C.C. Designs Leaves Cutter so Pine would have a softer place to sit. The sentiment is from the fabulous C.C. Designs Be Happy Sentiment set by AmyR. Although I used some already distressed Basic Grey paper for the sentiment, I wanted a bit more so I used my Memento Rich Cocoa pad edges to create a few more lines. The banner at the top is a pre-made item from Little Yellow Bicycle which was sized for a 12x12 scrapbook layout but I just cut it and made a few adjustments for size of the card. I still have more pieces to use on future projects.

Products: Sweet November stamp, C.C. Designs Amy R sentiment stamp, C.C. Designs Cutters, October Afternoon dp, Little Yellow Bicycle banner, Copic Markers

Copics: Skin-E000, E00, E02; Hair-E50, E51, E53; Eyes/Pinecone Hat-E30, E33, E35, E39, E29; Clothing-YG91, YG93, YG95

Be sure to check out the All That Scraps blog for more inspiration using the February release stamps and dies.

My sale page.

Easter Tag {TCP Challenge 197 - Technique/Supply Challenge}

Today's project is for this week's TCP Tuesday challenge. Julie is our hostess this week and she has challenged us to create {A}nything {B)ut a {C}ard.

I decided to create an oversized tag which will accompany my granddaughter's to-be-purchased Easter gift this year. I made the tag using the decorative edge on the Gift Card Envie CutUps on the bottom and the notched sections at the top. The paper is some Little Yellow Bicycle from a couple of years back. I love that it looks so fresh and springlike. The centerpiece of the tag is the nest created with The Cat's Pajamas Rolled Nest CutUps and some felt. I rolled up very loosely so I could add some plastic eggs. I tried my best to find some pre-glittered miniature eggs at the big box craft store but they were all a little too big. I did find a small bag of plain speckled eggs in the right size so I covered them in glue and dipped them in various colors of glitter so they would look more like Easter. I think I got more glitter on me than on the eggs. I added some felt leaves cut with the dies included in the Nest CutUp set and a Webster's Pages butterfly stickpin.  I added some felt flowers using the Flower Button CutUps and rose seam binding ribbon. The ribbon at the top came from my stash - I thought the brown balanced out the brown nest. 

 

By the way, the basket you see in one of the photos was my son's when he was a little boy. We put it out every year for the Easter bunny to fill. Now my granddaughter uses it when she hunts for eggs at our house.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas CutUps, Seam Binding, Little Yellow Bicycle dp, PTI felt and button, Martha Stewart punch

All the details for this TCP Tuesday challenge can be found on Alma’s blog. As always, there is potential for fame (Pick of the Litter) and/or fortune (Pick of the Week) and possibly even Swanky Stamper of the Month.

 

Dropping By

Today's card is for a new sketch challenge site, iSpy Sketches (ISSC02). I stamped The Cat's Pajamas Away We Go image, using a combo of paper piecing and Copic coloring. I used the TCP Pennant die to create the banner piece. The rosettes were cut using the My Favorite Things Rolled Flower Die-namics. I repeated the 3 banner strips technique that I used on this card for the sentiment which is from the Oh Chute set. I'm still trying to create with my underused patterned paper pads, this time the My Mind's Eye Away We Go.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamp and CutUps, My Mind's Eye dp, My Favorite Things Die-namics, American Crafts ribbon, Copic Markers

Copics: E50, E51, E53, BG0000, BG70

That's it for today. Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Bloom {All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge}

Today's card is for the All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge. The theme is "fancy folds".

I used instructions from Splitcoast Stampers to create a "double dutch fold" card. It's super easy - just two pieces of paper and a bit of scoring for the card base. I inked up Sweet November Bloom for the main panel, coloring it with Copics and then cutting out. She's accompanied by flowers cut with My Favorite Things Die-namics and some leaves and a fence cut with C.C. Designs Cutters. I used pop dots underneath the fence for dimension and then placed the rolled roses in between the "fence posts" so I would not add more bulk to the card. The paper is from one of the newest My Mind's Eye 6x6 pads, On the Bright Side Two. 

I hope you can join in on the challenge. Please remember, that in order to be eligible to win, your project must include a stamp that is sold in the All That Scraps shop whether it is any of the wonderful in house designs or from the various other stamp companies that ATS carries. Be sure to check out the challenge blog for specific details on how to include your entry.

Products: Sweet November stamp, C.C. Designs Cutters, My Favorite Things Die-namics, My Minds Eye dp, Copic Markers
Copics: Skin-E000, E00, E11, R20; Hair-E07, E09, E19; Eyes-BG10, BG23, BG34; Clothing-BG70, BG72, BG75; Flower hat-W00, E81, G20, G82, G85


My sale page.
 

C.C. Designs February Review

A review of the February C.C. Designs release is going on over at the All That Scraps blog today and I am joining in on the fun.

I loved the overall woodland theme of the February release. However, I didn't really use this stamp for the theme when we previewed them initially. I decided to rectify that this time around. I paired up Woodland Lucy and the Woodland Daisy with the October Afternoon Farmhouse patterned paper pad. After coloring the images I attached them to a Side Step card  (instructions at Splitcoast Stampers). The sentiment stamped on a jewelry tag shape is from the new AmyR Be Happy Sentiment set which was also part of the February release. A couple of butterflies cut from the Butterfly Cutter dies set with pearls and a bit of twine finished things up.

Products: C.C. Designs stamps and Cutters, October Afternoon dp, Kaisercraft pearls, Quickutz die, Copic Markers

Copics: Skin-E000, E01, E11, R20; Hair-E50, E51, E53, E57; Clothing-Y21, Y23, Y26, W00, E81, W1, W2, W5, C3, C5, C7; Flower-YR20, YR23, Y35, YG91, YG93, E81, W00

Be sure to check out the All That Scraps blog for more inspiration using the January release stamps and dies.

My sale page.

Keep Your Goals in Mind

Good morning. Part of being on design teams is the fact that I always seem to be working on projects that I have to wait to show on my blog. That's why I often participate in challenges, so I at least am working on something I can share right away. Today's card is for my step-granddaughter who has a big soccer event next month. I followed the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch (MFTWSC58) for the layout. The stamp is Pure Innocence I Get a Kick Out of You which I stamped, masked and then stamped the soccer ball. I cut the image using the MFT Vertical Greetings Die-namics. The sentiment si from the same set and I layered it with cardstock and ribbon. The paper is a hodgepodge of Basic Grey, Echo Park and My Mind's Eye. I hope it doesn't look too Halloween-ish but black and orange are the team colors.

Products: My Favorite Things stamp and Die-namics, Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye and Echo Park dp, PTI button, American Crafts ribbon, Copic Markers

Copics: Skin-E000, E00, E11, R20; Hair-E53, E35, E37, E29; Clothing-N1, N5, N7, N9, YR12, YR16, YR18, W00, E81

Have a great week. I hope to see you back here tomorrow.

My sale page.

Sebastian's Card and a Sunday Drive By

Today's card is for a brave little boy named Sebastian who I found out about through various blogs. You can read about Sebastian's situation here and you can read about the card drive here. I probably had ten cards already made that I could have send to Sebastian but I decided he deserved a card specifically created just for him. 

I wanted the card to be fun and cheerful so I started out by stamping an image from The Cat's Pajamas Clownin' Around set onto Copics X-Press It cardstock. I cut it out with Spellbinders Nestabilities using the out of the box technique for the balloon portion. I generally followed this week's Mojo Monday sketch (MOJO227). I used a couple of The Cat's Pajamas CutUps, the Big Ticket die and the Circus Border die for some added interested. The paper is all from the Echo Park A Boy's Life 6x6 pad.

 

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamp and CutUps, Echo Park dp, Doodlebug buttons, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics: G40, G43, G46, Y21, Y23, Y35, BG0000, BG01, BG05, R11, R14, R17, YR04, C00

Just to be on the safe side, I am mailing my card to Sebastian's teacher rather than the hospital.

And a Sunday drive by:

• I am really struggling with anxiety these days - thank goodness I have crafts to help calm me
• the tax related pile is sitting on the kitchen table taunting me to do something with it. I've got it on ignore right now
• apparently I am majorly overdue a pedicure - my three year old granddaughter noticed my toenails the other day and said "oh, they bwoke". They are not but apparently a small chip of polish on each toe make them look that way
• winter has returned here after weeks of unseasonably warm weather

Have a good rest of the weekend.

My sale page.

TCP Tuesday 196 - Inspiration Challenge

Good morning. Today's card is for TCP Tuesday (TCPTUES196) which is a fun inspiration challenge from our hostess, Jen.

I loved the fun, primary colors in the inspiration. I've had this cute Echo Park paper from a couple of years ago and I thought the airplane paper would be fun paired up with the parachuting bunny from the Oh Chute set. I stamped the image as per usual, paper piecing the parachute, then cutting out the bunny and parachute into two pieces. I then stamped the parachute/lines portion of the image directly onto the patterned paper background to use as a pattern. I "sewed" the stamped lines with a needle and embroidery thread giving it a 3-D effect.The sentiment is from the same set and I stamped it onto a banner piece cut with the Easy Rosettes CutUps. I sewed bright buttons onto the diagonal panel with the same embroidery thread. The felt star came from my old scrapbook stash.

 

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamp and CutUps, Echo Park and My Mind's Eye dp, Doodlebug buttons, Copic Markers

Copics: E81, W00, Y11, Y13, Y15, B91, B97, B99

All the details for this TCP Tuesday challenge can be found on Alma’s blog. As always, there is potential for fame (Pick of the Litter) and/or fortune (Pick of the Week) and possibly even Swanky Stamper of the Month.

Shelter from the Storm (and a Sunday driveby)

Today's card is for this week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch challenge(MFTWSC57).  As I've mentioned on my blog several times lately I am in a use it or lose it mode. It's been almost a year since I've used this sweet stamp, MFT Friendship is Shelter. I'm not sure why as I love the imagery. This is for a friend going through some rough times right now. I mostly colored with Copics with just a bit of paper piecing on the umbrella and some Liquid Applique on the bunny tail. I placed some pop dots underneath the front part of the umbrella to give it some dimension. I diecut the flower from sheet music from an old hymnal using the MFT Loopy Bloom Die although I cut the loops before rolling it up. The paper is all from the October Afternoon Farmhouse collection. I love this pad so you may get sick of it before I'm through with it.

Products: My Favorite Things stamp and Die-namics, October Afternoon dp, Liquid Applique, Kaisercraft pearls, Sizzix die, Copic Markers

Copics: Skin-E000, E00, E11, R20; Hair-E50, E51, E53, E55; Clothing-Y21, Y23, Y35, W00, E81, W2, W5, W7, C3, C5, C7; Umbrella-W2, W5, W7; Bunny-W00, E81; Shadows-C00, C1

And a Sunday driveby:

• confession: my house still hasn't been returned to normal since Christmas. Yeah the decorations are put away but I haven't yet put back what I put away to make room for said decorations
• Blogger drives me crazy sometimes and I still haven't changed to the updated interface
• I've started back on my treadmill after a very long layoff. It ain't pretty
• it feels more like spring than winter around here
• I like football so I'm looking forward to the Super Bowl even though I don't really care about either team

My sale page.

TCP Tuesday 195 - Sketch

Good morning. Leigh is this week's TCP Tuesday (TCPTUES195) challenge hostess which as per usual is one of her always oh-so-interesting sketches.

I decided to use Love Stinks from the January release again. And face it, love does stink sometimes. Take Larry here with his practical gift for his sweetie while little Daryl-ette has given him her heart. But hey, at least his gift faux pas was mitigated somewhat by the fact that it was at least a pink fish! And maybe he is that really steady guy who doesn't do the sweeping romantic gestures, but shows his love by airing your tires when they are low.

After stamping the two images and a sentiment I cut out with Spellbinders Nestabilities with some out of the circle action. There wasn't much Copic coloring to do especially since I paper pieced the fish and the heart. To make the banner I used one of the pieces from the Circus Panels CutUps. I trimmed them down and then punched holes, stringing them together with Peppermint Divine Twine. Some TCP jewels and hearts left over from the Hearts Rosette CutUps provided the finishing touches.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamp and CutUps, Divine Twine, Echo Park dp, TPC jewels, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Copics:W00, E81, R81, R83, R22, R24, YR20, YR23, RV0000

All the details for this TCP Tuesday challenge can be found on Alma’s blog. As always, there is potential for fame (Pick of the Litter) and/or fortune (Pick of the Week) and possibly even Swanky Stamper of the Month.