Mojo Monday Mother's Day

I made this card for Mojo Monday challenge 188...a square or round card using the sketch below or find the challenge  HERE:

I chose the square and decided to make a Mother's Day card (I'm going to send my mom a few this year:)!!).  I thought the set Because of You had wonderful sentiments, so decided to use that for my card.  I spied the stems in the set that looked like grape hyacinths...sweet flowers...so I used them behind my sentiment and decided then, that my card would have a purple flavor.  I used Stampin Up flower and border punches and embossing folder for the back panel.  Had a piece of Bazzill polka dotted embossed paper and some Enamel accents for the white dots.  A great sketch...thanks for taking a look:)!!

Things I used:
Stamps: Verve Because of You
Paper: Lavender Lace,  Concord crush, Bazzill polka dotted, bazzill white
Ink: wild wasabi, lavender lace, stazon black
Extras: Circle and scallop nesties, SU embossing folder, flower punches, and border punch, Enamel accents, white ribbon, black stick on dots, pop up dots

Casing Silke in Pink and Yellow

I made this card for Case Study Challenge 36, found HERE .

We were to case this beautiful card by Silke Ledlow:

I chose to keep the layout...did my out-of-the-box on the other side with a totally different set of images and colors(the colors are kinda "out there" for me...hmm:)!!).  I colored the flowers with Prismacolor pencils and used baby oil.  I popped up the layers, added ribbon , button, sentiment and pearls.

Things I used:

Stamps: Penny Black, Hero Arts(sentiment)

Paper: daffodil delight, Papertrey Ink white, scrap dp 

Ink: stazon black

Extras: Prismacolor pencils, baby oil, SU butterfly die, black wire, silver pearls, embossing folder,Papertrey ribbon and button

Thanks for looking, hope you Monday is marvelous!!

Crazy Daisies

Ever have an evolution card?  One that started out with an entirely different thought, for an entirely different challenge, and it "evolved" into something TOTALLY DIFFERENT?  This was THAT kind of card!!

I began with the thought of making a card for the Clean and Simple blog with a couple flowers made from a die I have.  I wound up scraping the original flowers, and going with another on the same die, but then scraping the challenge(for now) to use the couple flowers I made, made ANOTHER flower, and made a card for SCS's CAS116 challenge...to make a card using the artist's rule of 3 on your card.  It's funny how things go, sometimes:)!!  This is the die I used to make the flower:

I found the simple scalloped circle very intriguing...and thought....what if I cut in between the scallops and made a crazy daisy???  So that's what I did. I cut into the center of the circle...not too far and definitely not perfectly(no matter, the brad covers the imperfections)...just always look to the center when cutting, otherwise your cuts will go sideways a bit...well, mine did:)!!    I also used a die for the leaves made by QuicKutz that I purchased from Amazon.com some time ago when looking for leaves and vines.  The die is 12" long, but I use it to the length and sections that I want.  I ran it through once in yellow, and once in black and filled in the black vine with the yellow vine's leaves.  I added sentiment and a rhinestone to dot the "i" .

Things I used:

Stamps: Hero Arts Birthday Messages

Paper: Papertrey Ink white, black, daffodil delight

Ink: Stazon black

Extras: QuicKutz Leafy Vine Die, Provo Craft flower Die, Doodlebug chunky brads, clear embossing powder, yellow rhinestone

Sentimentally Framed Tulips

I made this card for the One Layer Wednesday challenge #50...to make a one layer card with an old stamp and make it a thank you card.  The challenge can be found HERE .

The basket of tulips is my old...very old stamp.  The date on this stamp is 1995...it's one of the few I kept after giving up stamping some 10 years ago.  I began anew a couple years ago, but STILL love this stamp...and was excited to be able to pull it out and ink it up again.  I colored it with SU markers, stamped and framed with sentiment.  I took pictures of how I framed it...just in case you were wondering(if you click on any of the pictures, it will give you a closer look:)!):

I used  a nestie and marked the corners with light pencil(to be erased later:)!):

I then took my sentiment stamp that I centered from top to bottom  ON A LINE of a gridded block, and lined the grid line the stamp was sitting on with each of the sets of corner lines.  It looked like this:

Did that all the way around, added rhinestones, scored lines at the bottom and added ribbon...I know...a bit heavy with the embellishments...but I thought they really "fit"...and weren't too heavy??!!:)!

 This is the first card I made...had it done, and then realized that the challenge was a Thank you card....so made another with a bit larger sentiment stamp.

Being this was my first one, I think it's a little "off",  I learned so many little things as I went... but it's ok.  Somewhere I read, recently said that  the flaws are what make our cards handmade...so a little "off" is ok.
Things I used:
Stamps: Annette Allen Watkins, Papertrey Ink Giga Guide Lines(thank you), Hero Arts Everyday Sayings(thinking of you)
Paper: Gina K Pure Luxury
Ink: Soft Suede, Early Espresso, real red, old olive
Extras: MS scoreboard, gingham ribbon, nestie, red rhinestones

Thanks so much for looking...hope your day is filled with inspiration:)!!

Casing Silke Ledlow

I made a card for Case Study Challenge 35, found HERE .The guest muse is Silke Ledlow and the card we were to case was this one:
                                                
Inspirations, ARE a challenge for me, as I guess I tend to see them and want to case them literally as I view them, instead of inspirationally...does that make sense?  Immediately, I was scouring my brain and stamp room to find hanging fruit!! But, had none...well a pear...but it wasn't red and was WAY too much work to make look right. As I was looking through my stamps, though(after spotting the pear), I found my PSX stamp that I purchased on ebay last year(I have always LOVED it:)!!)...and thought, big, red, gray(silver), green...THIS IS IT!!...so this is what I made:

I already had a few stamped images, so all I had to do was color and cut.  I used Prismacolor pencils and baby oil, two each color of red, green and silver/gray...I don't color often, but I must admit, it can be fun and very relaxing:)!!
I had a piece of gray designer paper, and red SU textured cardstock and added piercing to the top and bottom.  I used a sentiment from Verve and added ribbon and top of brad to bow.  Popped up both panels.  I thought to "add" more, but opted to keep it somewhat simple.
Things I used:
Stamps: PSX tulips, Verve
Paper: Textured real red, dp, PTI white
Ink: stazon black
Extras: Prismacolor Pencils, piercing tool,  ribbon, brad, pop up dots, black stick on dots

Thanks for looking, hope you have a wonderful day:)!!                                                                  

Clean and Simple Challenge

I just love the Clean and Simple Blog!!  I decided to try my hand at yet another card for this week's challenge:

Here's a picture of the sketch:

I decided to take the 2 darkest panels, and make them one piece...they ARE the same color in the picture:)!!  I used a piece of black paper, and embossed with stripes. I used a strip of daffodil delight and with versamark, stamped polka dots and embossed.  I used a flower stamp by stampendous, a label stamp by PTI, and a sentiment by Hero Arts.  I colored the dots on the flowers with daffodil delight marker and dotted with diamond glaze.  I decided that rather than add the embellishment to the right lower corner, I'd use a rhinestone on the "o" in  "hello" as my "button".  I popped up both the white and black panels as well as the sentiment...here's a different view:

Oh, I just LOVE these layouts:)!!!
Thing I used:
Stamps: Stampendous, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings, Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Basics and Label Basics
Paper: PTI white, black and Daffodil Delight
Ink: stazon black, daffodil delight
Extras: striped embossing folder, clear embossing powder, diamond glaze, yellow rhinestone, pop up dots

Thanks for looking, I hope you have a wonderful day:)!!

FTL136

I made this card for Clean and Simple's FTL136 sketch, found HERE .  

This is the sketch:



I haven't been to Mike's (Michael's) too much, of late, but had a coupon and a day to "flit" and bought this book of design paper.  I am not one who uses a lot of design paper, but every once in a while I do, and LOVE to have dp that I LOVE!  I thought, unlike a lot of design papers, this woud be GREAT for cards(the patterns were smaller and closer together),and... I LOVED the colors AND the designs!!!
This dp has embossed patterns...the black pages, so an angled look at this card and the dp...just in case you are visual, like me, and like to see:

So....the card was super simple...the only hard part, deciding on which papers.  The bermuda bay colored paper actually has circular designs on it...it's very faint, but not plain.  Natasha on Clean and Simple's Blog, had used a ribbon as one of the panels...it worked on my card...thanks for the inspiration:)!!  I used another new set from Papertrey Ink...a set of frames, to put the sentiment on.  I added a PTI button with a white stick on dot placed in the middle making it not look so much like a button.

Things I used:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Label Basics, Hero Arts(sentiment)
Paper: Black, SEI design paper
Extras: clear embossing powder, ribbon, button, pop up dots

Thanks for looking, have a great day:)!!

FTL135

I made this card...super late...for Clean and Simple's challenge#135 found HERE:

This was the sketch:

    
I used a new stamp I got from Papertrey Ink(thanks Mom:)!!) which stamps a gingham pattern and a flower from another PTI set.  The doily design is a die from PTI, as well.  It was a little tough figuring out how to make it work...the first couple times I used it, it didn't cut the paper too well.  I put an extra piece of packaging paper(really thick) behind the cutting part of the die, and it worked like a charm!  I struggled with the sentiment...tried a bunch, but settled on a simple "hello"...I thought it just fit:)!!  I know I may be in the minority...but I was sad when Taken with Teal was Taken Away...I LOVE teal!!  Oh well....I bought a bit before they stopped making it:)!!
Now, I'll be right in time for the next Clean and Simple sketch....YEAH!!
Things I used:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Background Basics: gingham and Beautiful Blooms, Stampendous Happy Messages
Ink: Taken with Teal, stazon black
Paper:  Taken with Teal, bazzill white
Extras: Papertrey Ink Doily Die, stick on glitter dot, pop up dots

Thanks for taking a look, hope you have a great day!!

OLW49

I have been out all day working in the yard...cleaning up and cleaning out my yard...whew...it has been A LOT of work!!! I made this card early this morning for One Layer Wednesday, this week hosted by Jennifer Styles, her blog and the challenge found HERE    The challenge this week is to make a one layer card with green and pink and a stamp that has never seen ink!  I hate to admit...I had a lot of choices:)!! 

This is a stamp from Gina K Designs( a set that included MANY stamps...but this one required coloring, and I  don't do a whole lot of that, so never used.).  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink, and also, has never been used.  I stamped the image and then the sentiment and THEN colored.  I colored a perfect image earlier, and then added another(but different) sentiment and it goofed... and all my work....gone.  So, I decided to stamp the image, then stamp the sentiment and if all goes well...then color!!  I have a little wooden frame I purchased at Mike's(Michael's) for 99cents that allows you to emboss leaving a rectangle untouched...the size was PERFECT...here's a picture:

So after I put the card in the embossing folder, I put the frame over the image and sentiment and embossed  with one less acrylic plate(I have a Big Shot).  I then took my Martha Stewart scoring board and scored a frame around the image and sentiment.  I goofed with putting the frame a little too close to the flower...but it will have to do:)!!  I added 2 rhinestones in the centers of the 2 open flowers and done!!
Things I used:
Stamps: Gina K Designs Enjoy the Sunshine, Papertrey Ink Asian Fusion
Paper: Bazzill white
Ink: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, stazon black
Extras: clear  embossing powder, pink rhinestones, sizzix embossing folder, wooden frame, MS scoring board
Thanks for taking a look...I hope you have a wonderful day:)!!

SC328

The sketch challenge today, at SCS is this:

This is what I made:

This is a close up on the diamond glazed middles.

I decided on a daisy bouquet by Gina K Designs and after stamping it, decided to try the  clean and simple look and style of Silke, once again(it's addictive:)!!). By that I mean the simple layering and the use of silver pearls that she is known for...but it DID just feel right with this stamp and this card.  This will be my mom's card for Mother's Day....she LOVES daisies!

I stamped the flowers, colored the stems and centers, and then used diamond glaze to put a shine in the middles of the daisies...rhinestones or pearls just don't have the right shapes, and this makes it a little fancier than just leaving the centers plain.  I added ribbon also from Gina K, and used a sentiment from Stampin Up's Teeny Tiny Wishes, here:

The small circle did not afford the opportunity for a large sentiment, so I masked each word, and stamped them vertical.  I started with the word "mother's" first, making sure it was kinda centered, and then stamped the other two...just a thought.

Used a piece of Bazzill embossed paper from Mikes, and a striped embossing folder for the yellow.

Things I used

Stamps: Gina K Designs Enjoy the Sunshine, Stampin Up Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: Papertrey Ink white, bazzill embossed green, daffodil delight

Ink: certainly celery, old olive, daffodil delight, stazon black

Extras: Circle and scalloped circle nesties, ribbon, silver pearls, clear embossing powder, SU border punch, Cuttlebug embossing folder, diamond glaze, pop up dots

Thanks for taking a look, I hope you have a wonderful day:)!!

Another Mojo Monday 185

Ever make a card that just ISN"T you??  I know there are many stampers who LOVE lots of "stuff" on their cards, and they do it beautifully... me...not so much.  I love to make a one layer card...I love to make multi layered cards...and everything in between.  But when I make a multi layered card...I like it most if it doesn't LOOK like it has alot of layers, or has a lot going on...I'm realizing that I really AM a clean and simple kinda stamper.  This is my second attempt at MojoMonday185...the first one I deleted...it wasn't "me" and had lots of stuff on it.  I made a card yesterday casing Silke Ledlow, and loved the layers but incredible simplicity and clean look her cards have, so I decided to make yet another MojoMonday185 card, but with her influence!  Here's what I made:

This is the first time I have pierced this much...before maybe a corner, but decided to take it all the way around the panel.  I added a border piece on the bottom and added silver pearls.  The rest is pretty simple...and with the butterfly...I had black 26 gauge wire and wound it around the body of the 2 butterflies and twisted it once at the top, and cut and sort of curled the antennae.  Now THIS is more me:):)!!  Just goes to show you that you CAN make a cleaner card, no matter how many elements or layers are in the sketch:)!!  Thanks Silke for the wonderful inspiration your cards bring to me:)!!!!
Things I used:
Stamps: Stampin Up For All  You Do, Stampendous(sentiment)
Paper:  Papertrey Ink White, Old olive,daffodil delight, barely banana, SU hostess designer paper
Ink: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, stazon black
Extras: SU border punch, olive ribbon, piercing tool, silver pearls, black wire, pretty in pink brads, pop up dots, nestie circle and lacey circle dies, SU butterfly die

Thanks for taking a look...I hope your day is filled with wonder!!

CSC34

This month at Case Study Challenge the featured stamper is Silke Ledlow!  I have greatly admired her work since I first saw her cards 2  years ago!! She has clean and simple lines and her cards are beautiful!!  I remember messaging her when I first joined Splitcoast Stampers about her silver pearls...no one uses them so wonderfully!!The featured card this week is this one:

I really didn't want to change anything...I wanted to totally case the card, but changed a few things and made this:

I changed the color, the border, the sentiment, and the embellishments, but I LOVED the images and layout...so I kept that all the same!  I LOVE how she doesn't have to frame each panel, pops it up, and it looks beautiful...sooooo cool!!

I used Papertrey butterfly dies, and then the stamps, colored with old SU markers and layered.  I used the SU border punch, and the black dots are Enamel Accents(I use them ALOT!).

I am looking forward to the rest of the month...but I doubt I'll veer too far from her work...it's my chance to have Silke's cards for my own:)!!

Thanks for looking, I hope you have a great weekend!!!

Things I used:

Stamps: Butterfly Dreams, Turning a New Leaf, Fiskars All Year Greetings

Paper: Papertrey White, textured Taken with Teal, SU design paper(Apricot Appeal)

Ink: Taken with Teal, Bermuda Bay, Apricot Appeal, Barely Banana, Stazon black

Extras:SU border punch and satin ribbon, Enamel Accents, silver pearls, PTI butterfly die, clear embossing powder

OLW48

I made this card for One Layer Wednesday Challenge 48...to make a one layer sympathy card using no flowers or trees.  The challenge is found HERE.  A sympathy card without flowers or trees IS a challenge.  I must admit, I looked at the gallery for inspiration...as I had none, and was inspired by the butterflies I saw.  Here's what I came up with:

I used one of my favorite butterfly stamps, from Gina K Designs, and inked the stamp with Sahara Sand.  I stamped the butterfly on scrap paper each time I stamped, to get a lighter image.  I then stamped the sentiment over the 3 butterflies with Early Espresso and embossed.  I added 3 scored lines on both sides, and that's it.  I thought that when I started this, it would take a long time...it only took minutes...fast and easy!!  Now, it's on to another challenge!!
Things I used:
Stamps:  Gina K Designs Enjoy the Sunshine, Paper Inspirations
Paper: Bazzill white
Ink: Sahara Sand, Early Espresso
Extras: Scor Buddy, clear embossing powder

Thanks for looking, have a great day!!

FS217

On SCS, Irene(DandI93) is the featured stamper of the week.  Irene has an amazing gallery, and I chose to case this  beautiful card:

I chose the same flowers, and layered on a piece of colored card stock, but wound up changing almost everything else:

I embossed the white paper, traced the oval and cut it out.   I suppose you could use a nestie to cut the hole, as well, but I embossed first, so I hand cut the oval:)!!  I used an oval nestie and a scalloped one a couple sizes bigger for the frame.  Stamped the flower and stems using a stamp a ma jig for positioning and used it for the sentiment, as well. I like the textured look of Bazzill paper, so I used the back side of a piece of bazzill white for the flowers, so the whites matched.  Attached the white panel of flowers directly to the blushing bride card, and popped up the embossed and framed piece.  

Thanks for looking...hope you have a fantastic day!!

Things I used:

Stamps: Stampin Up Close as a Memory and Warmest Regards

Paper: Bazzill white, blushing bride

Ink:  blushing bride, old olive

Extras: Petite oval and scalloped oval nesties, stamp a ma jig, SU embossing folder, pop up dots

CAS113

I made this card for SCS's CAS113 challenge...to use soft aqua, soft yellow and white:

I LOVE the clean and simple sketches...I have them laminated and go to them when I have a stamp in mind, and find a sketch to fit my stamp...WONDERFUL...I have and will use them ALOT!!!  I used sketch ftl43 found here(although not followed to the tee):

I stamped the flower from Unity Stamps twice in cool caribbean and once in so saffron. I cut them out and popped them up.  Made two strips of so saffron and one of cool caribbean using a polka dotted embossing folder on the blue.  LOVE these colors, too!
Things I used:
Stamps: Unity Now and Always, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings
Paper: cool caribbean, so saffron, bazzill white, and black
Ink: Stazon black
Extras: white vinyl brad, polka dot embossing folder, pop up dots

Thanks for looking, hope you have a great day!!

Hellen Keller Quote

This started out as an old Clean and Simple sketch...but it grew a little...a few extra layers and my line of hearts, but was going for ftl25:

 I am trying to pull out old stamps...well old is relative...this Helen Keller quote stamp is less than a year old...but I hate to admit it, I've NEVER used it.  I stamped a stamp from A Muse(I inked and stamped on white two times....each time stamping once lightly on a scrap piece of paper to get a lighter color on my card) with certainly celery and then stamped the quote over it with early espresso.  I found a piece of SU designer paper and embossed a piece of certainly celery with a heart embossing folder. I used this punch, below, to get the hearts, and glued them on with a glue stick.

Things I used:
Stamps: A Muse Beautiful Botanicals 2, Victorine Originals
Paper: certainly celery, white, bazzill java, SU designer paper
Ink: certainly celery, early espresso
Extras: sizzix embossing folder, Martha Stewart punch, scallop scissor(rounding corners)

Thanks for looking, have a great day!

Another FTL134

I made another card with this sketch from Clean and Simple...challenge 134:

I made this:

I used this die and punched 12 flowers using 1 1/2" squares, so didn't waste paper:

Popped up the flowers and added $1 rhinestones from Mike's, then popped up the black panel.  The sentiment is stamped in versamark and embossed with white embossing powder.

Things I used:
Paper: bazzill white and black
Ink:    versamark
Stamp: Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics
Extras: white embossing powder, Provo craft flower die, rhinestones, pop up dots

Thanks for looking, have a great day!!

IC278

I made a card for SCS Inspiration Challenge late last night.  I haven't played an inspiration challenge for a LONG time...Saturdays are a date day for my me and my hubby, so card making takes a back seat on Saturdays.  The inspiration site was Outer Banks Trading Group  and my inspiration piece was this lamp:

I loved the geometric look and the see through glass...thought this piece was so cool...and this is what I made:

I just had a thought to make a card with the same look...kind of.  I punched 3 different sized squares in pink paper and made the silver frames with the same punches and one larger nestie, positioned and punched the pink squares that were then attached to the white panel. I sponged a piece of vellum with baja breeze and attached it to the back of the white panel.  I popped up the panel and added the sentiment.  The sentiment actually is a  mistake...I put a sentiment on the panel in baja breeze, but it was too light, so the "hi!" is a cover up...but looks much better than the first, although I would have loved it to be flush.  I wanted the see-through look of the inspiration, so I've shown two other pictures that show the card with light shining...ok, this is a different card...but then...so am I...LOL!!
     
 I have so much to learn about this blogging...here's one showing the sun(a rare occurence here, lately:)!)

Things I used:
Stamps: Stampendous
Paper:  bazzill white, vellum, silver
Ink:  baja breeze, versamark
Extras:  sponge, 3/4", 1", 1 1/4" square punches, square nestie, pop up dots, silver embossing powder
Thanks for looking, hope you have a great weekend!

FTL134

This week's challenge at Clean and Simple is FTL134... the sketch found here:

This is the card I made for the challenge:

The sample on the Clean and Simple site are colorful and pretty...I was really in the mood to make a red,black and white(off white) card...my favorite!!

I LOVE this flower punch...used it on some scrap red paper that was already embossed. Added some off white stick on dots. Stamped a stampendous hello sentiment 3 times on a piece of speckled cream colored paper, and added a black dot with a pen in between them. Popped up the flowers, and popped up the panel. LOVE these challenges!!!!

Here's a view from the side:

Thanks for taking a look, hope your weekend is wonderful!

Things I used:

Stamps: Stampendous

Paper: red, speckled cream, black

Ink: stazon black

Extras: cream stick on dots, ek success flower punch, pop up dots, black pen