Less is More 73...Paper Piecing

The challenge this week at Less is More is to make a clean and simple card using paper piecing...placing paper(colored, patterened...) over a stamped image for more interest.  Here's what I made...

 I used a stamp that I fell in love with when I went to the Stampotique site recently.  They have some very diverse  stamps, ...when I looked through their site, I found this tree(Tree Tile) that when I look at it...I just LOVE it!!!  The possibilities are endless...fall, spring, bright and happy colors...black and white...oh my...BUT I thought about it only with paper piecing...cause I really don't color!!  THEN...I found this sentiment at Stampotique too, that I thought went perfectly with my pretty tree!  A friend of my daughter's asked last night what the sentiment meant...hmmmm...I thought it would be obvious....but let me tell you what  it means to ME. Just like the trees, when the strong breezes or storms of life hit us, our roots have to be deep to weather the winds....and the cool thing is that as we weather the winds/storms, we become stronger for them...strong breeze makes strong trees...profound and deep.  Well...used three different greens and a dark brown for the trunk.  Used onyx liquid pearls to accent the dots of the leaves...

Layered on bazzill gray card.  Another wonderful challenge...thanks ladies!!!   Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Paint the Town

I had an idea running around in my head...let it run on paper....

I used a city scape die from My Favorite Things and the top part of a sentiment from Penny Black's Paint the Town(masked the bottom of the sentiment) that I stamped with Versamark and white embossed, along with the Bright Ranger Alcohol inks that I dotted on a pad and swiped several times over the scape...here's what the pad looked like...

Added a piece of Pumkin Pie grosgrain ribbon...fun!!   The card measure 4" x 6".

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays 58...PINK!!

What great ways everyone used vellum and acetate in last week's challenge...I learned so much and was really inspired by your entries!!  Congrats to the winners!!!  This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is celebrating National Pink Day which was on Saturday, June 23rd!...

The challenge is to make a clean and simple card using pink!!  Easy Peasy...right?!!

This week's sponsor is Ribbon Carousel...

...and they are offering a $20 shopping spree to the winner!!...so think pink and join in the fun...hey...pink IS FUN!!!  Here's what I made...

I used a couple sets from Papertrey Ink(Stitiches and Swirls and Beautiful Butterflies for the sentiment).  I stamped the flower image and sentiment with Versamark and white embossed on Soft Suede colored paper.  I used my Prismacolored Pencils and colored the flowers with 2 shades of pink(Magenta and Rose) the leaves in Limepeel...a very light shade of green which shows better IRL, but didn't want to use a green that took anything away from the attention to the pink.  I used Raspberry Fizz Papertrey  Ink ribbon and some dark pink rhinestones for the small flowers. Popped up and layered on bazzill card.   SUPER simple...but have to say...I LOVE coloring with these pencils, the colors are so bold, brilliant and intense...and the act of coloring is fun!!!  A note..... make sure that your colored pencils are always sharpened for boldest color AND to easily get into the small spaces of the image without sending the color on or over the lines.

Make sure to check out the super inspiration from the CAS-ual BLOG team  AND FACEBOOK team(you'll find me here:):)!!) and make sure to get your card into the CAS-ual Fridays challenge by 12noon on Thursday...I hope to see you there:)!!  Hope you have a great week!!!  Lisa

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #137

This week's challenge at The Play Date Cafe is to use the colors black, white and a splash of blue...here's  my card and the colors:

I used a die from Memory Box(Modern Landscape Border), a sentiment from Papertrey Ink(Daily Designs Sentiments), and although it's a little hard to see...a Hero Arts background stamps(Modern Lines) which I stamped with Versamark and clear embossed.  I layered the landscape and the house with a couple extra layers of cardstock to give the image dimension....LOVE these kind of challenges...Black, White and ANY COLOR is super fun!!...hope I get to make another this week...we'll see:)!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Engagement time!!

I am not really good with special occasions, but I just HAD to make a card for Leah.  Three years ago, Leah  (a young lady I've known since she was a baby...a month older than my Emma, almost 21) invited my daughter to a Stampin Up party.  Emma came home with 3 amazing cards she had made.  And although I had given up stamping and card making 5 or 6 years earlier and given everything away, I felt the passion reignite when I saw those cards!!  Every time Leah will come to the house, I have her pick a bunch of cards to take home...always telling her, "If it weren't for you, Leah, I wouldn't be having so much fun doing something that I love, and getting to know so many wonderful people through this craft!  I was at a party yesterday and saw Leah's mom and she told me that Leah was going to get engaged today(Leah didn't know it:)!)...but by the time this posts, Leah will be engaged, so I HAD HAD HAD to make Leah an engagement card, as they will be having a party for them tonight....

I will tell you...I had some inspiration for this card from a stamp as I was pondering what to do...

A Stampin Up stamp from 2002 Mini Mates.   I had some really shiny, glossy silver paper from Michael's and used my 1" and 3/4" punches and made the ring...a few of them and layered them.  I had some rhinestone hearts and   I used a die that is a stem for the flowers(pictured at the top of the die above), but ran it through with some of the silver paper , cut and made the little sparkles coming from the rhinestone heart...like the stamp(I tried markers and embossing...nothing looked as nice).  Used a Paper Smooches sentiment stamped in Melon Mambo for some bright, happy color!!

 Love you, Leah!!!

EDIT a day later***Leah DID say YES:)!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Quick and Simple Happy Birthday

Still haven't quite caught up with life...so challenges and such are not happening today...but here's another card I put together a while ago and have held on to thinking it was a bit too simple...but my daughter, who tends to be my card barometer, said she liked it and told me not to add anything to it...so here it is...

Used Papertrey Ink dies for the letters, Clear and simple dies for the hexagons and the dotted frames around them, and part of a Hero Arts sentiment(said 'birthday boy' before I cut it apart...only my second one that I've cut apart...but kind of liking doing it!!!).  I popped the hexagons up on 6 3/4" x 4" bazzill card.  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!!  Lisa

Less is More 72...Shine!!

The challenge this week at Less is More is to make a clean and simple card with shine!!  I opted to use some gems to give my card some shine...

I used some gems from Martha Stewart, a flower die from Papertrey Ink, and a sentiment from Stampotique. Die cut the flowers, added sentiment, popped up on Bazzill gray card and adhered the gems.  Tried the gems on white, black...and a bunch of colors in between, but decided the gems looked best against the gray.  Sometimes you need to try some card colors "on for size" before you  pick a color!  The ink is gray, as well.  I do think, though, that phographing gems or shiny cards is super tough...the colors on this card look so much sweeter IRL...but you get the idea with the photo:)!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays 57...Vellum

Another AMAZING turnout for last week's challenge...my eyes are still seeing spots(realized that's just what Michele said:)!!)...lol...congrats to the winners:)!!  This week at CAS-ual Fridays, the challenge is to make a clean and simple card using vellum or acetate...

This week's sponsor is one of our own Girl Fridays, Karolyn Loncon:)!! 

She is a designer for Paper Smooches!!...

and Karolyn is offering a collection of the stamp sets SHE has designed to the winner of this week's challenge !!! Wow... SIX Paper Smooches stamp sets to the winner!!!...and here's the list...

Houndstooth, Hip to be Square, Dapper, Geo-Graphic, Debonair, and Potpourri  

Be a part of the fun and have a chance to win these wonderful stamp sets...come on and show us your creativity:)!!!

I don't really work too much with vellum...but as I made a card for this challenge, I realized that I will be using it more often...it was great fun!!  I have 2 cards, the first is my card for the challenge...the second was actually the first one that I made for this challenge, but felt it wasn't clean and simple enough...but it IS vellum, so I'm gonna show it to you anyway:)!!

 I actually googled vases and found a picture of a Lenox vase on ebay that I copied and then made small, printed and then cut it out with a piece of vellum behind it.  I used Crumb Cake marker and colored the back side of the vase.  I then used a Memory Box flower die and made some vellum flowers.  I colored THEM with a Real Red marker and dotted with dark brown liquid pearls.  I used a sizzix die and die cut the stem from dark brown paper and using regular and vellum adhesive, adhered the vellum and stem to card.  Used a Paper Smooches sentiment.

 This was the first card I made.  I used a stamp from Hero Arts (Large Open Flower) and stamped flower on Vellum with versamark and white embossed. I used Clear and Simple hexagon dies and die cut different sizes from the stamped vellum flowers. I used Stampin Up markers, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Old Olive and colored the back side of the hexagons.  Here's the back side(What's GREAT about this way of coloring is that you don't have to be really neat OR too precise:):)!!)...

Here's the front side...

The pictures show a bit darker...but I layered the hexagons on white chipboard, which makes the colors intensify and show much bolder.  Layered on a Papertrey Ink textured card(Linen/Canvas Impression Plate). and added a Paper Smooches sentiment.  

Hope you will join in the fun...check with the blog for some wonderful inspiration and don't forget the daily inspiration that you can find on Facebook(you'll find ME there, too:)!!)Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

EDIT**  I had a couple questions about the adhesive I used:)...I used Scotch Vellum tape with the vase on the first one and used Glue Dots Vellum Adhesive sheets for the hexagons.  The hexagon dies are from Clear and Simple...thanks for asking...hope this helps:)!!

EDIT #2 I used the Sizzix die called Branch with Leaves.  I actually die cut 2 branches and then cut the leaves and some of the branches off the one and cut all the leaves and most of the branches off the second and adhered them together. Hope this helps:)!!

Less is More 71

Oh my goodness...13 minutes until the end of the challenge...nothing like last minute...here's my  card for Less is More's challenge 71...a one layer card with a flourish...

used a Hero arts sentiment, Papertrey Ink flower and flourish and drew a line around the card with a Spellbinders rectangle die. Cut around the flowers to pop up and give the one layer a little dimension.  Added  tiny green rhinestones to the flourish.   Will use this for the Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge, too this week:)!!...here's the sketch

  Whew...9 minutes and counting...gotta run!!!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

A Felt Filled Card...and a Couple Pics

It has been a CRAZY week...absolutely no time to create!!  It has been a blessing to have a van to transport my Noah in, but this week we will have had appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday and TWO on Thursday!!  I am hopeful that Friday and Saturday will be a bit more quiet...but for now...please enjoy a card made a while ago and a couple pics from my trip to Buffalo last week...it's all I've got:)!!

I was experimenting with some felt I purchased from Weir Dolls and Crafts and using some Papertrey Ink letter dies along with a Spellbinders scalloped circle and Memory Box leaf dies...made this card.  I layered the letters on chipboard, stitched the 4 folded scalloped circles together with a black button and used a piece of Stampin Up polka dotted paper to put it all on.  Love the colors this company has in wool felt!

Last week I flew to Buffalo to surprise my mom for her 80th birthday....for those of you not familiar with where I live...I found a map....the Blue line shows the distance between my mom and me...the top of the blue line is Buffalo, New York where my mom lives...the bottom of the blue line is Chesapeake Virginia is where I live.  The distance is about 700 miles.
I flew to Buffalo last Monday to surprise my mom...and boy was she surprised!!!  I flew there early in the morning and returned to Virginia at 9:30pm that same day.  Crazy whirlwind trip...but with my Noah, it's only the second time in 5 years I have been away from home that long:)!!    I got to have lunch with my mom and dad and two of my three sisters!!  Here's a couple pics:

Buffalo has the most AMAZING restaurants/ food...but it WAS my mom's day...she opted to go to Panera Bread...we have a gazillion of them in VA and we go there all the time...but my sister Rachel(the one in orange) suggested we go to a wonderful local doughnut shop, Paula's, after lunch...JACKPOT!!!  My mom took a picture of the three of us eating our chocolate frosted cream doughnuts...YUMMMMMMMMM!!!

This pic:  My baby sister Rebecca(11 years younger) , Rachel(10 1/2 months older...10 1/2 months older)...and me.  I love to tell everyone that...just smile thinking how adventurous my parents were:)!! It was a wonderful day of sweet memories...love you mom!!!!
Ok...hope to see you Friday or Saturday...or maybe both:):)!!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Butterfly Quote

Made this card with an "interesting" tool...

Has anyone ever ordered the two pack of Sizzix embossing folders and wondered what to do with these foam packaging pieces?...

 Well, I decided to use one of them to store my pins and needles...

But being one who RARELY throws out ANYTHING with potential, decided over a week ago, to ink one up with some white ink and stamp it on some kraft paper.  Had no idea what to do with the inked paper...but thought it looked kind of cool.  I added a quote from Stampotique and a stamped on and colored vellum  Papertrey Ink butterfly...layered on white bazzill card.

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays 56...Polka Dots

What a wonderful array of sparkly, shiny cards last week...congrats to all the winners:)!!  This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a clean and simple card using polka dots!

This week's challenge is sponsored by DeNami Design Rubber Stamps!

DeNami gave the Girl Fridays some of their wonderful rubber stamps to make cards with this week...and what beautiful inspiration the girls have made for your perusal:)!!  DeNami is also giving the winner of this week's challenge a $25 gift certificate to go on their own personal shopping spree...hope we get to see YOUR creation in the challenge:)!!

Here's what I made...

Both the image and sentiment are DeNami.  I paper pieced the parachute and chick...the parachute with Papertrey Ink polka dotted paper and the chick with Stampin Up summer sun and tangerine tango papers,  I used Papertrey Ink ribbon, as well.  Just wanted to show you the first card I made...another way to use the same sweet stamps plus some layered Memory Box cloud dies...

 ...Now it's your turn...would love to see what you can come up with using polka dots!!  Don't forget to check out not only the inspiration on the CAS-ual Fridays blog, but the daily inspiration from the Girl Fridays on Facebook(I'm there:)!!) ...thanks so much for visiting me today, hope you have a great week..Hugs to you!!  Lisa

Liquid Pearls...Fun!!

I LOVE challenges, but LOVE just as much to sometimes just make a card just for the fun of it...right?!!  Well, I got this fun stamp from Penny Black(Constellations) and some different colored Liquid Pearls and made a couple cards...oh my...the wonderful and endless possibilities...and super easy and quick...REALLY like that!! Here's what I made...

Stamped in Versamark and white embossed. Sentiment is Hero Arts(CL 307 Mini Messages) versamarked and white embossed as well.  Used Dark Chocolate, Hot Cocoa and White Opal Liquid Pearls.  Used my Bow Easy and some grosgrain dark brown ribbon.

This card used the same Penny Black and Hero Arts stamps...the colors of Liquid Pearls: Ocean Blue, Key Lime and Hydrangea. Before I dotted with the pearls, I ran the card through my Big Shot with my Papertrey Ink Linen/Canvas Impression plate. Because side opening card, decided to angle ribbon...like how it follows the lines of the flowers/sparlers/weeds/??....what fun!!!!!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

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Less is More 70...Red White and Blue...LATE!!

Never mind challenges this week...this week has been enough of one all by itself!!  I just got home from substitute teaching today, to make this card before the challenge at Less is More ended and I DIDN'T MAKE IT...and found an email from Chrissie and Mandi...BLOW ME AWAY...I was named the winner of the month at Less is More!!  Chrissie and Mandi...all I can really say is I'm honored beyond belief!!!  Can I tell you???  Less is More was the first challenge blog I found over a year ago when searching for something that would highlight clean and simple stamping.  I FELL IN LOVE with not only the challenges, but Chrissie and Mandi  who make  the wonderful challenges and beautiful inspiration, but also made me feel like I belonged and welcome from the very first challenge I entered(and many of the ladies are from the UK or Europe...so a girl from Virginia was a little different)...they are such amazing ladies!  Not only am I endeared to them, but to all the talented and super sweet artists who join in the weekly challenges!!  It is quite a community of clean and simple stampers...and one of my very favorite places to "hang out"!!
 The Red White and Blue challenge had me stumped until I came home today, and then by the time I pulled it together, the challenge was over...bummer...the time difference messed me up!!!    Here's what I made...

I used a sizzix die (Phrases -Happy) , My Favorite Things star die and part of an Inkadinkado sentiment(All Occasions).  I got the paper at Michael's(shiny red and shiny blue starred papers), layered on chipboard and stamped the sentiment in Real Red.  Rounded the bottom corners.  Thank you, again, Chrissie and Mandi...you made me feel so incredibly special!!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Silver Studded Birthday

Just a very quick post..went on whirlwind trip to surprise my mom for her 80th birthday yesterday...it was wonderful, but am tired and lacking much creativity today.  Made this one inspired by a card I saw on the Papyrus card site...

Stamped a Papertrey Ink sentiment (Birthday Basics) in versamark and silver embossed.  Used some silver and pink studs (Jolee's Pink Pyramid and Silver Studs) and the dots that came with them.  Colored one dot with yellow permanent marker for the candle flame.  Framed in shiny silver piece of thick cardstock and then on black card.  Here's a close up of the silver sentiment...

The size wound up being 4 1/2" x 5".

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa