Some More Squares

After I made my card for Runway Inspired Challenge...that didn't make it to Runway Inspired Challenge...I was liking the idea of making 3/4" squares...so I made another:

I used a vine stamp from A Muse and stamped it three times with versamark on Stampin up retired gray...the border is the current gray.  I clear embossed two and white embossed one(you can punch four 3/4"squares from one stamp...so clear needed one more than the white squares).  I cut with my cutting board, not punched, 3/4" chipboard squares...my punch couldn't do it.  Added Stampin Up sentiment(Warmest Regards),  and ribbon(don't know what's up with ribbon...I HARDLY EVER use ribbon...lately..A LOT:)!!).  I think gray and yellow look "fine" together:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Bordering Blue Birthday

I made a card today, for the Runway Inspired Challenge, but...and I don't think anyone has EVER done this but me, when I got the card done and compared it to the inspiration picture of the model's dress...well...my color was WAY OFF!!  Although I won't put this in the challenge, I thought I would show you the dress to show you how off I was:

  

I was attempting to make a card that mimicked the model's top with the squares down the middle of it.  I THOUGHT the top looked a little blue gray, and so my paper choice was retired textured Bordering Blue(never was too crazy about it for that reason...always looked a little grayish to me, but by itself   ok)...but thought...not too dark a blue with some gray.  Well..the inspiration dress is a very, very light gray blue and the bottom is more sky blue...I should have compared the picture to my paper before I began cardmaking...just goes to show you how off a memory can be!!  I decided to put it on my blog, anyway...and think of another card for the challenge.  Used Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Basics II and Birthday Basics(the sentiment stamped in Night of Navy).  Stamped with versamark and clear embossed one stamped panel...white embossed the other.  Used a 3/4" square punch and layered with chipboard...super easy, but I'm sure that thinking of another card for the challenge won't be:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

More Aqua!

I originally made two cards for Less is More's challenge 53 ...a color challenge to use AQUA.  I put one of the cards up earlier today, but then decided to tear the second card apart, use a couple things and ideas from it and give it a makeover.  Here's my card and then I'll tell you what I did:

The first card had the flowers on a panel layered on the card...looked kind of choppy.  This morning, I had the idea, as my hand drawn stems looked a little bare to add a picket fence.  Only thing is I only have the Martha Stewart picket fence punch...a pretty small fence.  I had the idea to see if I could EXTEND the fence, so here's what I did(takes a little practice, so try on scrap paper, first!).  I measured a 1 1/4" strip of white cardstock and used the same technique that I had used with some other MS border punches last year.  HERE, in this post, I show you how I use the border punches for a different look...well...it works with the fence punch, too!! It gave me just the length I needed for my garden of flowers.  The sentiment is Hero Arts, the flowers are Papertrey Ink(Beautiful Blooms) stamped in versamark on Pool Party paper and white embossed.  I hand drew the stems and added a leaf from some stamp set...not sure of which one just now.  Added stick on nailheads to flower's centers and used stick on dots for the flowers to the card.  I like it better than my first attempt:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Less is More...Aqua

Congratulations, Less is More...as you celebrate the first year of challenges!!  Less is More makes my heart happy....yes, IT ROCKS!!!
The challenge at Less is More this week  is a color challenge...to use Aqua.  Aqua...aqua...well, I knew it was blue...my birthstone is Aqua-marine...but with all the blue ink and paper I have, I couldn't decide which would be considered closest to Aqua.  So...I did what I always do when I don't know something...I google it!  On Wikipedia, it even showed a color strip of aqua...and the color it looked closest to , of my stash, was Stampin Up Pool Party.  The stamped color is much darker than the paper, but I made a card using a little of both:

Used stamps by Papertrey Ink(Stitches and Swirls and Birthday Basics)...stamped randomly then cut out a rectangle from my stamped paper, layered, added ribbon and popped up.  Gotta run...have to get to Sam's Club to get a tire repaired that's going flat!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Clean and Simple 176

Here's a card I made for Clean and Simple's  sketch 176  my card and the sketch:

 You can see, by my card, that I totally flipped the sketch sideways...it just "worked" that way for me.  I had taken a Hero Arts flower(Stitched Frame) and was trying my hand at coloring it(Sharpie Markers), when I decided to use it and 3 more like it for this sketch.  The only thing is...the flower is a little bigger than I probably should have used for the sketch...so turning it sideways was best for the sentiment.  I purchased this Happy Birthday stamp a couple years ago from a lovely company in Australia, Montarga...just LOVED the fact that it was vertical, but  really loved the script, as well.  Dotted the middles of the flowers with Enamel Accents(dotting in random places and letting the dots dry before dotting more, so they didn't run together)...here's a closer look:

Just gives it a little texture...and speaking of texture...used my same FAVORITE Papertrey texture plate(Linen/Canvas) for a little texture on the card, itself(Taken with Teal  paper wound up matching my sharpie colored flowers PERFECTLY).  The lighting is tough, today...a dark and rainy day here, so thought I would show you what it looks like a little closer up:

Framed in black and used EK Success border punch with white Enamel Accents for the frame. The card is 8" x 4"...Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays...The Red Carpet

This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays...challenge38...The Red Carpet is to make a card inspired by a movie. Can you tell which movie I chose?:

I chose Finding Nemo, for when I saw the challenge and thought what to do...what to do....and thought some more...I remembered that I had this sentiment.  It is something Dorey the fish says in the movie that has become a saying for my life and one I speak to others...JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!
I used Broken China distress ink and swiped it over white paper for the ocean color.  I embossed with folder, die cut with nestie and layered on chipboard.  Used the same little fish(it is Stampin Up, but I bought him on ebay by himself, so don't know what set he's from.  He had "Best Fishes" on his stamp, but cut out just the fish.) three times and cut out.  Colored with markers and added to die cut Papertrey Ink Larger than Life die cuts.  The sentiment is Unity/Ippity(Fishy Philosophy).
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Less is More 52...Some More

My Mom requested some get well and sympathy cards, recently, so I made another sympathy card for her and used  Less  is More's challenge 52. which is a sketch.  Here's my card and the sketch:

Used a stamp by Memory Box(Flowers and Vines)...I stamped it 3 times in Old Olive with a Stamp-a-ma-jig on Papertrey Ink's  Rustic White paper.  I sponged with crumb cake  while masked and drew vertical lines down either side with Old Olive marker.  Added a Hero Arts sentiment and ribbon.  Once again, as I have been doing so much of lately, I used my favorite texture/impression plate...Papertrey Ink's canvas/linen plate.
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Miss You

I made this with an idea  to make a card using  a stamp from a Hero Arts set(Kiss for the Sun) with 4 birds on a branch...minus one bird.

Masked the second bird...stamped and colored with Stampin Up markers and a sentiment from Papertrey Ink(Beyond Basic Borders)...and used a woodgrain texture plate from Papertrey Ink for the card.

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Graphic Birthdays!

Purchased this stamp(Hero Arts Starbursts) with my daisy stamp that I used almost a week ago...thought they "went" together when I was looking at them online...like a 2 step stamp gives an outline stamp and a filler stamp... after all, they are identical in their design, only one is a set of four flowers, the other starbursts!...I know, what WAS I thinking???  HEY..I just might try them together, yet!!  But, in any event, thought this stamp was cool!   Decided to use my Hero Arts Grid Pattern background...stamped in color box frosted white, and  decided to do something a little crazy and stamp with versamark  and white emboss ON TOP OF THE WHITE!!...I thought it looked cool!.  I decided to make it girl appropriate and then a "guy" one...

 The guy one is minus the ribbon ...

I edited this to add yet another version with the sentiment in the same place as the 1st one.

  And just in case you're thinking it, don't feel badly...my daughter thinks the starbursts look too much like flowers to be a "guy's" card...I just think they look graphic...it's all good:)!!!!

Gotta run...Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

A Valentine

Grabbed another stamp from my "pile" of stamps that  I couldn't take off my desk and put away until I made something with them....whew...and made this...

I masked and stamped this stamp from A Muse(Bursting Blooms) in real red and stazon black, clear embossing both times.  Added sentiment from Papertrey Ink(Daily Designs Sentiments).  I ran the blooms and card through the Big Shot with Papertrey Ink Texture Plate(Linen/Canvas)...it just HAD to have some texture...lol...and popped it up!  Added two rhinestones...but if giving to a guy(I'm sending this to my daughter to possibly give to her hubby)...could take them off and it would look just fine without...I just LOVE the sparkle!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Block Art Stamp

 I had taken some random stamps out of my drawers and could not remove them from my desk until I made something with them.  This was one in the "pile".

Stamped the image 3 times...one of those times for the frame, one for the cut outs, and one for the backdrop. The one for the frame needs to have enough paper on all four sides for making a sort of frame around a frame.  Susan Raihala has been a mentor to me when it comes to clean and simple.  I have gleaned some wonderful insight into the mechanics of clean and simple.  One of those things is proportion.  This stamp does not fit an A2 sized card, by itself...the wrong proportions.  I made the same measurements around the stamp's framed image and wanted the same measurement around my card's dimensions.  My card is 4" x 5 3/4"...will fit a business sized envelope. The stamp is from the Block Arts Collection made by Stampendous...the sentiment is Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics.  I used Mark It markers for the coloring...Great markers with bold colors...fun for stamps like these:)!!  Dotted the little dots of the flower with Diamond Glaze, although you can't really see the little shimmer in the photo...but a little added touch when there's not a whole lot going on with the card:)...  Hope you are all having a great weekend, thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Less is More 52

YEAH!!...it's been a whole year of Less is More challenges!!  I found this WONDERFUL challenge at week 14...and have been HOOKED ever since!!  I am grateful to Mandie and Chrissie for beginning this blog...love these ladies for their  artistry, GREAT challenges, encouraging words and that they have kept us, as participants on the straight and narrow of being clean and simple in our card making... Simply Less is More MEANS just what it says!!  Not always an easy part of their roles at times, I'm sure, but I so appreciate it!!!  I have met and come to know some really amazing ladies and artists through this blog, so grateful for the friendships I have made!!  If you're reading this and haven't yet, come join the fun!!
This week's challenge is a sketch.  I had been thinking about an out-of-the-box type card...here's my card and the sketch:

I used a couple flowers from a set from W Plus 9 Design Studio(Woodgrain Silhouettes Additions) and a sentiment from Hero Arts(Say It All).  Being that the flower stamps are clear stamps, I slightly bent them to curve and stamped them together in black. I didn't have any rectangular dies that fit the size of my card, so I cut the paper with my paper cutter to the bottom and top of each side's flower(ALMOST), and then hand cut the rest of the way.  Colored with Stampin Up markers (barely banana and daffodil delight).  Layered on black and slightly popped up.  Had a ribbon around the bottom of the stems, but decided that I would do without...only had thicker ribbon, and thinnner ones weren't the right colors...oh well...! The card is textured Barely Banana.  Love this sketch...may have another card by week's end!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

The Color of Joy

I had put my tin of Prismacolor pencils away last night...then decided to take them right back out this morning.  I purchased my pencils a couple years ago,  rather than invest in Copics(I don't have even one)...and used them with stumps and baby oil...pretty enough as I don't really do a lot of coloring.  After taking the Clean and Simple Card Making class, my prismas have taken on new meaning ...I am LOVING coloring with them...just coloring...no baby oil...no stumps...just coloring.  They are such amazing pencils with such rich color and wonderful quality...well...I'm having a little too much fun!!  After today's card...I will try to quiet my enthusiasm a bit and scatter my coloring to the occasional card, but for today...a little joy!!

  Have you ever made a card with the word "happy"..."peace"... or a word in your sentiment that emits or evokes a "feeling?  I stamped my flowers then found a sentiment that I thought fit my space perfectly...and wondered...what colors should I color my flowers...what is the color of  "joy"?  .I googled - "the color of joy" to find this site...pretty interesting..colors of  joy can be orange and/or yellow...so that's how I chose the colors for my flowers.  The rhinestones were an afterthought, but I thnk it looked just as nice without them.   Flowers and sentiment are Hero Arts.  Used my Papertrey Ink Linen/Canvas texture impression plate to give the card some texture...oh, loving THAT a bit too much, too:)!!!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Daisy Crazed!

Boy, did I have fun last night!!  I was part of the online Clean and Simple Card Making Class with Jennifer McGuire and friends and am trying to implement some of the things I learned.  I purchased a Hero Arts Daisies stamp with my class discount from Simon Says Stamp!(very cool place with the largest selection of Hero Arts I've ever seen!!...no...not a paid advertisement...just really like the site!)...and well...I just couldn't stop making cards!! The first card is actually the last one that I made, for after I looked at Susan's Simplicity site this morning and the One Layer Wednesday 76 challenge for the week of using white and gray and a pop of color...well...I had to make just one more!!  So I have a total of EIGHT...so if you're here because of the challenge, the first card is the challenge card:)!!....here goes:

 I stamped the stamp with versamark and white embossed.  One of the things that we were shown is using Prismacolor pencils to color on papers other than white.  I loved how rich and deep the colors were...not at all what I was expecting...used white and dark gray ...what fun!!  Used a sentiment from Hero Arts, and a white signo pen to outline the card.  I then took my favorite of all time Papertrey Ink texture plate(Linen/Canvas) and ran the card through my Big Shot for some texture on my gray card:

 Added yellow rhinestones as my pop of color.

 This second one was a result of using yellow paper on the inside of another of these cards...so I decided to try coloring on a so saffron card.  Used white and light green pencils and a sentiment from Paper Smooches. Papertrey texture plate, too!

 The third one, below, I cut out the top 3 flowers after coloring...for these I used Stampin Up markers for coloring... and popped them up on card.  Added Paper Smooches sentiment and colored with marker, as well.

This next kraft colored card I used Chocolate chip ink and colored with pencils.  Dotted with Enamel Accents, and hand drew my lines with chocolate chip marker.  Sentiment Paper Smooches, texture plate, again!

 The next one I colored with Stampin Up markers, again, and cut out the top three.  Rather than framing with lines, I just left is plain and added a little "fancier" sentiment.

The next kraft colored one I stamped with versamark and white embossed.  Colored with white and light green colored pencils.  I didn't dot the middles with stick on dots or Enamel accents, but just colored with turqoise colored pencil.  Paper Smooches sentiment and hand drawn border....and the texture plate:)

This next one was actually the very first one I made.  I colored and cut out all 4 flowers after coloring with Stampin Up markers(Barely Banana, Apricot Appeal)  and added a Hero Arts sentiment.  Added stick on dots in the middles.

 This is the final one...the only 2 layer one of the bunch!  I simply stamped  in black and colored with SU markers.   Added another Paper Smooches sentiment and black enamel accents for the middles.  I then took my Martha stewart scoreboard and scored along each side(the picture doesn't show well, but there IS a scored line along the bottom:)!)

I know it's alot...and I didn't get into alot of details.  I only will say, I took a picture of how I learned to line up your card to draw lines.  I have had a gridded cutting board for a while, but never used it except for cutting out an occasional flower with my exacto knife....no more.  I will be using this board to line up my work for more precise and accurate work!!  It's nothing fancy...but it does the trick!!

Used Eclipse tape and taped my card at exact markers and lined up my ruler from the line on one side of the card to the other and drew my line(these are 1/4" squares)...hope that makes sense...SOOOOOO EASY!!  Never again will I measure or guess...drawing lines this way is a BREEZE!!  Just a tip!!...  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

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Simply Black and White

I made  another card for CAS-ual Friday's challenge 36 this week, which is to use only black and white on your card...no other color allowed. I am also going to enter this card as a second card, in Less is More's challenge 51, Cut it Out,  which this week is to make a card with an aperture(window, hole...I didn't know what that word was until recently...yes, there...I admit it:)!!).   I opted to use a pretty  Hero Arts background stamp to make my card, and this is what I came up with:

I stamped (after using anti static bag) on my black paper with versamark...then white embossed.  Die cut the window with Papertrey Ink Mat die.  I put the black/white embossed piece on the card and stamped the sentiment, BEFORE popping up this panel.   The black paper was not top grade, heavy paper, so I cut a piece of chipboard and mounted it to give it real stability and "pop" as well...again...AFTER the sentiment(just a tip).   And here's a slightly angled view:

 The stamps are Hero Arts...the background Flower Dot Pattern, the sentiment Truly Appreciated.

Simply done.  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Color My World

Another rainy, cloudy day in VA...I  had this idea running around in my head when I saw a sketch in the latest Papercrafts magazine (Jan/Feb 2012) on page 24, by Kim Kesti...

Super simple...used Papertrey Ink flower die and sentiment(Happy Trails). Die cut out each flower, hand drew lines and dots with ruler...added polka dotted embossed paper behind each die cut and added stick on dot...rhinestones dotted on line of each color.  Popped up on white card...the colors made me happy on this dreary day:!!
Using this card for Less is More's challenge 51, Cut It Out...to make a card with an aperture(hole, window) and for the Runway Inspired challenge...the dress here:

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Little Ladybug #3

Well...I went from 3 layers, to 2 layers and this card is a one layer using my little ladybug stamp.  Sometimes just a little texture and just the right sentiment can be enough to "pull off" a little image.  Love how this sentiment curved just the same way as the grass...and ladybugs make plants "well" by eating the aphids...I know...too deep and too much thought...but that's how I roll:)!!

Sorry...the lighting not the best...it has been a rainy, dreary day...but I think it shows ok.  The sentiment is Hero Arts...used my Martha Stewart scoreboard and scored 1/4" from each side's end.  Colored with real red and old olive. Three down...three to go:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays...Black and White

In honor of Penguin Awareness Day, CAS-ual Fridays is making the challenge of the week to make a black and white card!  I LOVE black and white...so tho' this is one card, I'm pretty certain this will not be the last for this week's challenge...

Wanted to make it simple...punched a bunch of flowers with EK Success flower punch and glued about 4 or 5 on top of one another to give the flowers dimension.  Dotted with stick on dot and added Happy birthday from Hero Arts.  Rounded corners.  I lined the card with Bermuda Bay...THERE'S my color:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa