Inspiration from Nature

Hello, friends!  This week, the challenge #26, at Art Impressions, is to be inspired by nature.  After going through my AI stamps, I was drawn to this beautiful butterfly (I-2223). 

I started with a piece of glossy card stock, clear embossed some Queen Anne's Lace (Judith) on the edge.  I used Distress Inks in Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint, and Tea Dye, to create my background.  I buffed the flowers to get them white, and carefully colored the stems with Copic.  I stamped my butterfly in Memento, Tuxedo Black, and colored with Copics.  I added my sentiment (A Muse) directly to the scene.

My stamped panel was then matted with black and then placed on a base card of Pumpkin Spice PL card stock.  I created my own brad heads with a punch and Crystal Effects.

It is Friday!  Woo Hoo!  Hope you all have a fun weekend planned!

Baby Wipe Technique

Good Morning!  It was so great to finally get a little rain yesterday.  Never thought I would be so happy for a gloomy day.  It was a great day to watch stamping videos and get inspired.  I came across the baby wipe technique video at Splitcoast, and although I have done this over at Stamp TV before, it was only to create a plaid.  The Splitcoast version used silhouette stamps.  I just loved it.  It works great on glossy card stock!

I used SU! reinkers in Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, and Rich Razzleberry.  My first card is my very favorite.  It has a gingham card base, my stamped layer with tiny Prima's and pearls added, and a stitched dog, which is also from Prima, popped in the center.  The sentiment is from Heidi Grace Stamps.

I would like to enter this first card in:
Creative Card Crew Challenge:  Animal Antics

My Time To Craft #150:  Delightful Dogs

My second card has layers of card stock in pink and Rich Razzleberry.  I popped a few leaves and added tendrils out of cloth covered wire.  My sentiment is from Art Impressions.  This time I added the tiny Prima's and clear gem centers.

Here are the stamps and supplies I used.  My grape vine is from JRL Design and the butterfly is from Magenta  This is the kind of  project that makes you keep wanting to make more and more.  I hope you will give it a try.  Have a great day!

A Glimmer of Creativity!

     I had an urge to create something pretty, and this is what resulted.  There was this gorgeous scrap of Webster Pages dp laying on my desk, so I unrolled some crochet lace and gave it a go.  The card stocks used are Pure Luxury from Gina K. Designs.  That beautiful flower, is a Prima that I received for Mother's Day from my DD.  It came with the pretty button, but I added the floss bow and pearl, to match the other pearls I used. I guess they make this by burning the edges.  I just love it!  The leaves are cut from Spellbinders dies from their Foliage set.  The sentiment is from Making Memories, and my punched butterfly is from Martha.

     Sometimes it is just fun to play.  I have not found a challenge to squeeze this into.  I really appreciate my friends in blog land, and I thank you for taking time to stop by or leave a comment.  Have a Happy Monday!

Cat-a-tude!

This week the #25 challenge over that Art Impressions is to use stitching, whether it be faux or real.  My stitching came in the way of an area rug created from felt, sewing, and cut fringe.

I started with a base of Pure Luxury card stock, and a double sided scrap from my bin.  The Art Impression stamps used are H 697 Fat Cat, and T 1347 Living Room.  My sofa and chair are paper pieced.  I drew in a horizon line to form my room and dabbed in some Distress inks in Peeled Paint and Tea Dye.  The rest of my images were colored with Copics and a Sakura Gelly Roll pen was used to add a bit of sparkle.  The sentiment is computer generated.  Fat Cat was popped up and cranberry pearls were added.

Hope this horrible heat is over soon, and that we can all get back to normal activities.  Be safe out there!

House Mouse & Friends Blog Hop & Challenge #100 Celebration!

The House Mouse Challenge site is celebrating their 100th challenge, and the theme is "Buttons, Bows, and Bling".  How fun is that?  You must go check out their site and play along.  There is a blog hop and so many prizes!  Even some of the DT members have added extra prizes!  A fun time will be had by all.

We are just sweltering here in PA.  Most flowers are having a hard time looking perky, but I did notice the places with Sunflowers seemed to be doing well.  When I opened my HM drawer, this stamp called "Sunny Side Up" jumped out at me.  I colored it with Copics, cut it out and popped it on top of some designer paper from Frances Meyer, that I think gave us some dimension.  My sentiment is from the dollar bin at Michaels.  I added gingham ribbon and a bow topped with a green button w/gem. Down the side I did 2 rows of tiny bling in shades of amber.

Wow, that was such fun!  Please be sure to pass on this info to all of your House Mouse fans!

Panda-Monium

When Create with TLC gave away this adorable sentiment earlier in the week, it inspired me to rout through my unmounted stamps and make this card.  Seems like everyone in my circle of friends is having a busy, crazy summer. Thought the card would come in handy.

I started with a base of soft sand Pure Luxury card stock.  Used scraps of black and white PL for my layers, after printing out my sentiment.  I masked off the sentiment, and used brush markers on an Inkadinkado oriental stamp set called Asian Influences.  I used Tea Dye Distress ink on my edges and then sponged them again with Spanish Olive VersaMagic ink.  My panda is an unknown unmounted.  My accents are hemp twine, and MS butterfly, and a vintage bamboo button which I attached with a jump ring.  Not sure about that butterfly, so I might change it out. My inside sentiment is from Mail Expressions.  

Hope you weekend is perking along nicely!

Art Impressions Challenge #24

Good morning!  This week the Art Impressions Challenge is called Show Me The Bird!  After going through all of my stamps, not one A.I. bird was to be found.  I even tried bidding on one on Ebay, hoping to get it here before the deadline, but I lost.  I decided to do a card anyway, using some of my unmounted stamps.  I had a blast making this, and it will be for our best friend John, who had a stroke.  He was released from rehab yesterday and will begin out-patient therapy next week.  He is working so hard, and we are proud of him.

I started with a white base card, and started building layers.  My DP is from DCWV.  Coloring was done with Copics. My puffy clouds in the back are an Art Impression stamp.  The rooster and feed sack are from Rubberneckers Stamps.  The sun with clouds is an unknown.  My sentiment is from Mark's Finest.

Okay, I am off to work.  Please have a good day!

House Mouse & Friends Challenge #99 Make A Splash

I saw this challenge over at House Mouse & Friends, and decided to look through my stash of HM stamps to see which had water.  I found this HUGE stamp called Pool Party # 229 and dated 1998.  Since the challenge is called "Make A Splash", I thought I would give it a whirl. 

I really could not add many embellishments due to it's size, but I did my best.  My coloring was done with Copic markers.  I added Diamond Stickles to the water and bubbles for sparkle.  Ribbon was too wide, so I went with silver cording for my bow.  Some turquoise DewDrops finish it off.  I used kraft card stock with a turquoise dp.  My sentiment is from Clear Dollar.

That is it for now!  Have a crafty, inky day!

A Couple of Challenges

Hi everyone!  Finally got to do a little stamping today and wanted to get in my couple of challenges I have been doing weekly.  The first is my Art Impression Challenge #23, where we were asked to use something from our stash.

I started with ivory and added a layer of designer paper from DCWV.  It is from their Crafty Pad.  I used the Old Barn stamp (Q1228) from Art Impressions, and stamped it in Memento, Rich Cocoa.  I added a sentiment from Amuse, and sponged my edges while it was still in my Spellbinders die, from the Labels Seventeen set.  As accents, I added twine and an antique button that depicts a horse and rider, jumping over the same kind of fence as is in the stamped image.  That is my stash item.

 

My second card is for the Less Is More challenge week #23, where we needed to make a one layer card, and use something with legs.  How fun is that!  This week, I hope I left enough white space.  My stamps are from Gina K. Designs.  The set was created by Rupa Shevde, and is called Cute As A Bug.  I colored my images with OMS and colored pencils.  The ric rac stamp is not marked.  I also used this card for a weekly challenge over at Stamp TV, where we needed to make a kids birthday card.

It is sweltering hot at 98 degrees, and they are saying index of 105 tomorrow.  The grass is all dying and mowing has halted.  I fought off a virus last week, and I am finally starting to find some energy.  Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Less Is More

The Less Is More Challenge is a new one to me.  It is week 22, and it is a colour challenge called "Shades of Blue".

I used a white base card, printed out 3 assorted blue patterned digital papers from Piggy Scrap Design, cut pieces to size and began assembling.  I added 3 shell punches from my jumbo Paper Shaper punch.  My sentiment is from Create with TLC, and was punched out with an EK Success punch.  I inked the edges with VersaMagic ink in Night Sky.  That is it, short and sweet.  I am sure not use to this CAS look, but maybe that is what I need to get me kick started. 

Hope everyone is staying cool.  It is a real stinker here!  Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

Art Impressions Challenge #22 Distressing

Hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July!  The hubby is on vacation this week and we are tackling some big projects around this old house.  I wanted to make sure to get my Art Impressions card finished for this week, so I stole a little time to myself.  It is for Challenge #22, distressing.

My card started with a base of Kraft and my distressed designer papers are from My Mind's Eye.  To get the scissors to work better during distressing edges, I always spritz with a bit of water to dampen them.  The rest I did by tearing.  My Art Impressions stamps used are M1500 Country Window Front and Q1704 Scrappie Front.  I did not have a sentiment that would work for me here, so I had to go with a 1$ one from Michaels.  I used a white gel pen to highlight his eyes and collar after coloring everything with Copics.  My only embellishments are some green DewDrops.

Next, I would like to thank my dear friend Linda Payne, for awarding me this awesome badge.  Doesn't it look luscious?  Since she has awarded it to many of the people I would have, I am kind of at a loss here to come up with 8 people!  Here goes, my sweet blogging friends!

Sue

Patti J.

Colleen

Peggy

Janice

Carol

Wendy

Jill

Now I am suppose to tell you 7 things about myself.....hmmmmmm!

1.  I have never flown on a commercial plane.

2.  I was married before.

3.  I love to cook, but now I am not allowed to eat most of it.

4.  I miss my stamping buddy, Denise.  She promises to return after her wedding.

5.  It is very weird having my DH around in the evenings since he quit his PT job.

6.  I love antiques

7.  I am too nervous to try out for a DT.

Okay, that is it.  Ladies, please enjoy your badge!  Have a super day!

Keeping with the Theme!

Here is another project that I got into this morning!  This half dozen is to take to our best friend John this afternoon. After suffering a stroke on June 13th, he has done amazingly well.  We were told that his damage was as severe as that of Gabby Giffords, except no bullet.   He just got moved to rehab near us and we are so excited that he can begin his hard road to recovery.  Thank God, for we are truly blessed !  If you could please offer up a prayer for him, it would mean the world to me!  Again, let me wish you a Happy 4th!