papermonkey.org {make time for playtime}

Sneak Peek: In His Time

Hi & Hello!
Today's card took me about 5 minutes to make but looks quite elegant I think (hope). It was created for the SCS Color Challenge. Talk about throwing us for a loop today- we were to create a white card with only one layer. This is one layer for me, girls. Humph this was hard!

The beautiful butterfly used is a sneak peek of a new Sweet 'n Sassy Stamp set In His Time that is will be released on the 15th.

I stamped the main image onto 120 lb. Classic Solar White Neenah cardstock, then stamped the same image onto 80lb Classic Solar White Neenah cardstock. The 80lb cardstock is better to color Copics with as it doesn't soak up as much ink, and is easier to cut detailed butterflies with.

I left the base image uncolored as I think it makes a pretty statement that works well with the sentiment. I like the one pop of color.

The colored butterfly is attached to the base layer with a foam dot. I added Stickles in Waterfall and Crystal for some sparkle.

The Satin ribbon is by Stampin' Up!; the two copper crystals are by K&Co.

For another sneak peek of this gorgeous set you can check out the BasicGrey website (!) If you do not want to hunt the card it will be posted on my blog on the 15th along with the recipe  :)

Speaking of recipes, I have been typing away on my Lettuce Wraps post but it is a lengthy recipe. It takes a lot of chopping and doing this and that, but the results are so yummy it's worth it. Look for that as soon as I can get done typing it lol.

Happy creating! Thanks for stoppin' by!

A Krafty Happy Birthday!

Hi & hello, and a very big Happy Birthday to Johanna, the owner of Odd Bird Planet! I made this snazzy little card for her birthday and also for the Ways To Use It Challenge over at Splitcoast. The challenge today is an easy one: use Kraft paper on your card.

I colored Teresa's Frame with the Copics you see above, adding a halo of golden yellow for a glow effect around the letters. Fruit Punch Stickles was applied over the letters for sparkle; Mint Green Liquid Pearls was applied here and there around the frame. The frame is popped up on Dimensional Glue Dots.

The center sentiment and cupcake is the Happy Birthday JJ Mix stamp; I added some Ruby Red Liquid Pearls to the cherry for a fun pop of dimension.

I added some Bo Bunny Fruit Punch Dot patterned paper to the side of the card and underneath the Fiskar's Threading Water punched edge.

A few of the DT members have decided to throw a little blog party with birthday cards so check out my DT list in the sidebar to the right to see more Odd Bird Planet birthday cards.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Shake A Tail Feather & Manuels River Hiking Photos

Hi & Hello!
Today's card uses a Splitcoast Stampers Challenge Sketch and the newest Toodles & Binks image Puddleduck Pothington (doesn't the name just make you grin??). You get the sentiment and the image in a set.

I colored little duckie with the Copics you see above (forgetting to add Pale Sepia and Sepia that I used to color the reeds). The wire Copic holder in the background has been a godsend to me - love the easy access for my Sketch and Original sized markers, and it looks so sharp on my desk. It is available by special order from Diana at Magnolia-Licious.

The paper is by Sassafrass Lass (both sizes of Vintage Yummy Blossomed and Bazzill textured cardstocks). Lots of different Spellbinder's Dies helped with the cut work.

The pretty paper and fuzz flowers are Martha Stewart Daisy Glossary Dimensional Stickers.

Toodles & Binks is a new UK based stamp company started by a fellow crafting freak Kay Bolton. Kay will gladly accept PayPal and ship her unmounted red rubber anywhere in the world!

She is such a lovely lady and the rubber is great quality.

I wanted to leave you with some shots taken this past weekend. We went hiking along Manuels river.

The trail leads from these interesting flat rocks with cascading river water all the way to the beach and ocean. Tons of baby ducks and Sandpipers along the way.

They have lots of fossils in the area; it is quite common to find Trilobytes. I wanted to find one so badly but no luck - this time around :)

 It was so serene and beautiful. The doggies loved it.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Oh Hoppy Day

Hi and hello!
Happy Friday! Hope your weekend is off to a fantastic start. Thank you so much for your well wishes I am feeling much better :) Today's card was created for the SCS Limited Supplies challenge. The challenge seems like it was just made for me: create a circular card. I am so obsessed with shaped cards lately.

Today's card uses the Dahlia Nestabilities because I thought the shape kind of looks like a lily pad. Directions on how I create a folding card using the Nestabilities die cuts can be seen here. 

I stamped the super cute Sweet 'n Sassy set Pond Pals with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, then colored the frog and the dragonfly's wings with Copic Markers. Not sure if the picture picks it up, but I shaded the right side of the frog a darker green (New Leaf all over, then the darker Meadow Green).

 The dragonfly is cut out and attached with a dimensional foam dot. Sparkle was added with Waterfall Stickles glitter glue - this is one of my favorite colors, a sheer, holographic blue.  The green Dewdrops from the Water collection embellish the Bazzill cardstock.

Thanks so much for stoppin' by! It is so wonderful to know how many friends I have across the miles - bless you all :)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Warm Up With Some Tea For Two (SCS Label Maker Challenge)

Hi and hello~
Today's card was created for the Splitcoast Stampers Ways to Use It Challenge, which was to use labels on your card.  I have been hoarding this fabulous patterned paper, so the card should feel very special indeed that I decided to use my treasure on it :)

The teapot image, from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Warm Up set, was stamped twice onto white cardstock.  I love this set because it has stamps for coffee, tea and cocoa.

The base was die cut with a circle Nestabilities, while the top image was colored with the Copics you see above and cut out. I cut out the teacups as well and used differing heights of dimensionals to create my little scene.

I used BasicGrey's Marrakech patterned paper on a white card base for a clean yet colorful look. I think/hope the use of white counteracts the busy-ness of the paper. A few squares from the patterned paper were used to create a tablecloth for the teapot. 

Sale Alert: Marrakech is on sale at Embellish-Online.com; save another 20% when you use the saving code word GLITTER in the voucher box.

The Around the Block Label Maker was used to spell out Tea for Two; I cut up it and added it around my image. I think there may be a couple left on clearance at Embellish-Online.com too - last I checked those were 70% off.

The little white scallops along the sides is Doodlebug's Paper Frills trim.

If you are a Sweet 'n Sassy fan be sure to play in my Sketch Challenge to win a new Be Blessed Stamp Set! The deadline to enter your card is tomorrow. The sketch can be seen on this post. If you want to play and do not have a SnS stamp that is absolutely fine! The winner will be drawn randomly, all you need to do is follow the sketch and upload it to the SnS Gallery.

I will leave you with a picture of last night's dinner. I made General Tsao's Chicken at home.  It was the most amazing dinner, and quite authentic tasting, meaning it tasted just like the restaurants in California. Allan really raved over it.

What was nice is that the flavor comes from vinegar and orange rather than a lot of salt, which we need to keep an eye on. Kind of a sweet and sour flavor.

There are really no good Chinese places to eat at in Newfoundland, so this new found recipe is a treasure.

EDIT: I will post the recipe tomorrow :)

Well that's it for today. I am off to start dinner - any ideas?

Happy creating!

Foiled Butterfly Card

Just a super quick post as this was a super easy card that involved no stamping for a change. Quite a different card for me. It was created for today's Ways To Use It Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers. The challenge was to use foil on your project.

I took a scalloped Bazzill base card, added some Bazzill textured cardstock in a celery green color, then cut the green foil sheet to match. The butterfly is a Spellbinder's die cut using BasicGrey Porcelain patterned paper. The Laugh Out Loud chipboard piece by Colorbok is foiled as well. See the pattern connection even down to the Making Memories Noteworthy ribbon?  I tried to play up on the foil's pattern. I hope you like this scrappy card!

Have a happy and creative day :)

 

Magnolia Stamps Spring Bloom (LSC212 Challenge)

Hi and hello! This is my second post today - be sure to scroll down for my Cheddar Ale Soup & Ciabatta bread recipes if you need some culinary inspiration for the weekend. Today's card was created for the Splitcoast Stampers Limited Supplies Challenge, which was to make a card with a spring bloom or bulb on it. Tomorrow is the first day of spring and I am so excited! What a perfect challenge to get us in the mood for all the beautiful flowers and sunshine we shall soon have.

I chose a very clean, simple look that is a bit different than the layer upon layer style I usually do with Magnolia Stamps. This sweet little elf's name is Alva. She is a new line of Magnolia Stamps; Alva Sitting and Big Daisy are available at Magnolia-Licious.

I colored the image with the Copics you see above. I forgot to include the skin and hair markers this time around, but I always use the same (Baby Skin Pink, Skin White, Blush, Golden Yellow, Pale Sepia and Sepia). The mushrooms in the corner is a hint at a card you will see soon lol.

Yesterday I blended pinks and blues. I really loved the look of two different colors blended together, so went for yellow and pink today. Barium Yellow, which is very light, is a wonderful blender between the two colors. The resulting colors are so warm - I think it captures the bright, golden color of sunshine.

I am still learning to work with my new photo program and having a really hard time capturing the bright pop of colors I see on the card. I may have to break down and buy some of those Photoshop "actions" I see for sale.

I stamped the Big Daisy twice, colored both images, then cut my favorite to prop up with foam dots. Do you see how I cut into the petals, and adhered the top daisy higher than the base image? It makes for a 3D , fun look I think. One other thing I don't usually do is to wrap the ribbon around my image but I kind of like the result so you may see more of that.

I used Stampin' Up!'s Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom and Garden Green Textured Cardstocks on a base of white Bazzill Scallop Edge cardstock. The little butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch of BasicGrey Porcelain patterned paper. The alphabet stickers are Scenic Route's Happy Valley; the ribbon is by May Arts.

Thank you for stopping by, have a creative and wonderful weekend!

I'll Have a Blue Christmas (at Grandma's)

 

Hi everyone! Today's Limited Supplies Challengeover at SCS was to use at least 3/4 blue on your card, and only one non-paper embellishment. Luckily glitter and paper embellishments did not count, so I went to town with those and used some May Arts ribbon as my one embellishment. :) Lots of Martha Stewart Alpine and Arctic Snowflake punches covered with Stampin' Up! Dazzling Diamonds Ultra Fine Glitter here!

I thought this sweet little Magnolia Stamp Tilda With Hood  that is currently on sale at Magnolia-Licious would be perfect with this challenge as all the blue would make the red hood really pop.  So here she is on her way to grandmother's house with a basket of Poinsettia flowers thanks to the Magnolia background stamp. Lucky for Tilda that Magnolia does not make a wolf stamp to peek out from behind the trees :)

Tilda was colored with Copics and has Liquid Applique for hood trim and Crystal Effects on her boots.

 The sentiment is one stamp that was stamped twice, once in Stampin' Up! Pacific Point ink, and once in black with Memento Ink. What I love about the Copic markers is that they are so vibrant you can go right over the black ink and the colors still pop.

I punched out the sentiment stamp with  1 1/4 and 3/4 inch punches then put them on a 1 3/8 punch with a Stampin' Up! Cute and Curly punch. Yes I went punch happy! Finally, I colored the center part and added a bit of glitter.

 

While Tilda is having a blue Christmas, mine is going to be quite white. Snow and wind like crazy here today!  I can't even open our door without a pile of snow tumbling in! Allan had to chase our wreath down the neighborhood yesterday as the wind sent it for a spin.

Someone asked what the dogs have been up to - here it is.

Freeway likes to sleep in his bed snuggled in daddy's robe, while Rosie is downstairs on her bed. this is definitely snuggle weather!

Thanks for stoppin' by! Stay warm!

Good Friends Always Have The Best Candy...

Hi everyone! A super quick post today, because as usual I am behind on my Christmas prep! I LOVE today's sketch challengeover at Splitcoast. It was perfect for this primary colors children's card (or for children at heart). I wanted to keep it sweet and simple like the new Toodles & Binks stamp Matthieu & Arthur that is available over at Stamp Galaxy.  There is a big debate - is Arthur a fox or a squirrel? I guess it depends upon how you color him! I will leave it up to you to decide. Either way I think this image is perfect for a young boy - something that is really tough to find in stamps. Can you tell that the illustrator, Genevieve Godbout, works for Disney? These two look straight out of a cartoon - just love them.

I colored these cuties with Copic Markers, then cut the shape from Spellbinders Label Onedie cuts. The sentiment is by Papertrey. 

I used the Copic Colorless Blender on the jeans to give them a stonewashed look, and also on the lollipop to blends colors that really were not meant to blend lol.

To complete the sketch I used 5/8 Real Red grosgrain ribbon by Stampin' Up! that is adhered to Bazzill cardstock with Scor-Tape - the tape is double sided yet thin enough that you do not get tape marks showing through the ribbon. I like how the texture of the ribbon and the cardstocks work together.

One last little toot - a big thank you to Susanna Boyd over at CardoftheWeek.com for making my Holiday House Gift Card Holderthe tutorial of the week *bouncin' in my chair*!

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Little Diva in Training

 

New Toodles & Binks has arrived! Look at this cutie - supposedly a double for T&B owner Kay's daughter who is affectionately called Toodles. Here she is skating with her cat - so silly and gun it puts a big dorky grin on my face as I sit here alone typing to you. If my expression was captured on camera as I sit alone in my craft room sometimes you would laugh at me big time! Allan likes to imitate me doing just this - he says I stick my tongue out to the side when I emboss :(

Sooooo here we have Toodles & Binks Skate, one of the newest images available at Stamp Galaxy (and yes, they do ship internationally from the UK). I matched her little outfit to today's color challenge at Splitcoast Stampers, which was to use Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray and Not Quite Navy. Not my favorite color combo, but once I added a splash of pink with the Stampin' Up! Taffeta Ribbon and white sparkly snowflakes (Martha Stewart punch with Dazzling Diamonds glitter) it all fell into place for me. I cut the panels with Megabilities Mega Rectangles by Spellbinders. The white felt Poinsettia is by Hero Arts.

 After coloring the image with Copics you see above I added a topcoat of Shimmerz Paints, my new fave toy. I used Sky Blue, Iced Lavendar and Evergreen.They do not cover up your Copic shading but add a subtle glimmer that the camera doesn't always pick up - you have to see these in action in real life! Such sparkle. They are available at TheRubbercafe.com store. I added some Liquid Pearls to her scarf, necklace and purse chain too. All about the bling!

The sentiment on the outside of the card is from Melanie Muenchinger's Tee Talk stamp set (designed for Gina K Stamps). I just love the fun and unique words from the set. They were created for her Little Tees stamp set, but I use them for everything. I sponged a bit of pink around the sentiment. To really diva-fy the card I added crystals and pearls from K&Co. that are from Sweet 'n Sassy Shop. A whole pack of these babies are under $3 and self-adhesive.

 

Inside I put the Figures of 8 Quotation which is available separately at Stamp Galaxy.  The cardstock is sponged with Baja Breeze.

Connie, who won my HUGE giveaway yesterday, will be receiving these stampa as well as EVERY OTHER T&B stamp currently in production thanks to Kay! Woo hoo I am so excited for her as I dream of all the crafty goodness she will be getting :)

Will anyone be headed to CHA this January? I will be reporting at CHA for Craft Critique, then sneaking in a Copic Certification as well as a Prima Masters Class in Chino. If you are headed to any of these things let me know I would love to meet some blogging friends :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Pole to Pole

Hi everyone! We got sooo much snow yesterday and yet the sun still shined - you needed sunglasses to shield your eyes from snow blindness. Or you could just be like me and stay inside where it's warm! Edwin decided to go out and here he is, Edwin Skiing (on sale at Magnolia-Licious.com) and last seen heading toward the North Pole. I may have gone a bit overboard with the Liquid Applique - do you see it on his ski boots too? LOL!

I colored the background stamp, Winter Night Background, with Copic markers then added Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and Liquid Applique to the trees. I use a White Gel Pen to draw on where I want the ultra fine glitter - it works great as a fine tip glue pen and it dries failry clear. An Opaque White Inkssentials Pen by Ranger was used to highlight here and there.

Liquid Applique is also on the Merry Christmas Ticket and the North Pole Circle stamps - I kind of dripped it down the edges for a frosty look.

I also aponged around the edges with some Creamy Caramel ink, a light brown, for a vintage touch.

All of these stamps are from the Magnolia Winter and Holiday 2008 Collections.

Yesterday's color challenge at Splitcoast Stampers was right up my alley - I LOVE these colors together (Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze, White, Riding Hood Red and Taken With Teal)

For a bit of interest in the bare upper left corner I layered a clear plastic snowflake from Heidi Swapp with a Martha Stewart Alpine snowflake punch (I think? I confuse the Alpine and Arctic punches alll the time) shaped from Stampin' Up!'s Baja Breeze cardstock, and covered it with Frosted Lace Stickles Glitter Glue and a pale blue crystal from K & Co. (both under $3 and available at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps). 

I have been asked how I cut the slim little holes in the Magnolia Stamps - here, for example, between the leg and the ski pole. I cheat! I cut across the pole in the least obvious place that will give me access to cutting and snip snip, then adhere it back together - kind of like surgery lol! When the image goes on the card with pop dots no one is the wiser 'cept you and me now *wink*.

Thanks for stoppin' by! I will try to be back with a couple of gift card holders that I have been working on - if I can get then right. I also have a surprise in store for you - no peekin'!

Stay warm, friends!

VSN Cabaret Challenge: La Vie en Rose

 

When you kiss me, Heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom...

Edith Piaf was one of the premiere French Cabaret singers. La Vie en Rose, French for Life in Pink, was her signature song. My challenge (today at 2 pm EST) for the VSN Cabaret Theme Weekend was to make a pink floral card, with bonus points for a card that is both pink and uses a rose.

Card Details

I have to admit I got this Stampin' Up! Bella Blossoms stamp set and Bella Rose patterned paper with this challenge in mind. I adore this set and hope to teach a class around it soon.

I stamped the large rose three times onto cardstock graduating VersaMagic shades of green (Hint of Pesto, Tea Leaves and Key Lime), and pinks (Pink Petunia, Pixie Dust and Pink Grapefruit). To do this I used Dew Drops pads which are small and have a triangle end - the perfect shape to  apply ink to only a certain area with precision. I applied the lightest color all over then edged with the darker colors.

I cut the flower image into an oval shape with my Oval shape Nestabilities die cut - part of the flower was cut off due to the small size of the die cut.  I sponged the oval die cut with VersaMagic Pixie Pink - a perfect pigment ink match for Stampin' Up!'s  Pink Pirouette, which only comes in the classic version of the ink.

Finally I sponged on Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red and Rose Red on the edges. The slow drying, creamy chalk Ink allows the instant dry dye based Classic ink to blend so that you don't get the streaks you would if you only used Classic ink.

Next I took the second image and cut out the leaves and the flower, and the flower of the third image to layer onto the oval with pop up dots and glue dots using my Curve and Pop Method. Between adding the two layers I added a bit of Distress Crackle Paint in Worn Lipstick to the large petals to add a vintage, shabby chic touch.

My last step was to add some Stickles to the leaves and center of the flower, and a pink felt flourish from Fancy Pants Felt Shapes. I highly recommend these felt shapes - you get 4 sheets of 12x12 in pink, white, green and blue. TONS of shapes and the felt is very high quality. The red felt heart was from the dollar store. I used a Sizzlet die cut to cut textured Riding Hood Red Corner accents. The base of the card is textured Pink Pirouette. This card seems like it has so many steps but it only takes minutes. I created this card in about 40 minutes but a lot of it was thinking what to do, what to do.

To get you in the mood to create a pink floral card you can read the lyrics to La Vie en Rose in both French and English and also listen to La Vie en Rose sung by Edith herself here.

If you were unable to join us at VSN you can still play! You have until Sunday 10 PM EST to upload to the Splitcoast Gallery - please use keyword NOV08VSNI so that I can find your card and leave you some love, or you can play along at anytime just for yourself :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzy

VSN Weekend at SplitcoastStampers: Come to the Cabaret!

Its almost here! Tonight is VSN (Virtual Stamping Night) at Splitcoast Stampers, where women from all over the world will gather online to complete card making challenges, chat, laugh and share. Its a tradition, one big party, and YOU are invited!

The theme this time around is Come to The Cabaret. I will be a hostess and am so excited - we always have such a blast! My challenge will be Saturday November 15th at 2pm EST. While I can't tell you what my challenge will be, in the pic above is a sneak peek that may hint at whats to come. La la la not saying more. 

Here is a list of items you may need for the challenges.

Times:

Friday, November 14, 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM EST
Saturday, November 15 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM EST

You have 45 minutes to complete each challenge. Challenges to be uploaded by Sunday, November 16th, 10:00 PM EST.

See you there!

Suzy

Hot Cocoa With Marshmallows Card & Pink Fall (Splitcoast Challenge Cards)

   

Here is the card post I promised! It will be brief as I am still trying to fix my sidebar (thanks Typepad!). This card was for the Splitcoast Ways To Use It Challenge. We were challenged to make a card with just one word as the focus. I had colored this House Mouse Hot Cocoa Social a while ago with lots of Copic markers - layers and layers of ink.

  

I had tried to create a faux airbrush look and failed lol.I used a combination of grays, blues and yellows to create a glowing background with pink edging. The marshmallows are covered with puffy Liquid Applique.

I added red striping to the straw with my Copics then covered it and also the mug in Crystal Effects.

The image rests on top of a doily. I added a felt flower I cut using my Cuttlebug and some white satin ribbon with a little heart stickpin.

I had a neat idea for the words. If you have seen this before somewhere don't tell me lol! Ignorance is bliss :)

I used my Cricut to create the word sweet on some distressed white BasicGrey paper, then covered it with Liquid Applique and German Glass Glitter.

My hands were sooo itchy after using that dang stuff - always use rubber gloves when working with it  - yes it is tiny shards of glass!

This next card was created for today's Limited Supplies Challenge and was made super quick. The challenge was to use pink and leaves on a card. I stamped The Rubber Cafe Grape Leafin Stampin' Up!'s Pink Pirouette, Rose Red and Riding Hood Red inks, did a bit of sponging and cut them out. The leaves rest on a flourish from Rhonna Farrer's Flourishes V:1 set. The sentiment is by Papertrey. Easy as pie!

But not as easy as making homemade doggie biscuits which I am doing now lol...it is Freeway's first birthday and he is having a party :) Will post pics of that tomorrow.

Please note I had three posts today so scroll down for some recipes and a sale alert from Magnolia-licious. Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!

Suzy

Christmas Plaid ~ Something Old, Something New (Stampin' Up!)

 

Hi everyone! Oh so much to do today so this will be a quickie post. Splitcoast's Ways To Use it Challenge this week was to incorporate plaid into a card. I knew immediately what I wanted to do and it involved this retired Stampin' Up! Flannel Plaid background stamp. How could they retire it? I love it :(  I mixed the old with the new and used the Cute & Curly stamp set and punch,as well as the new in colors.

By blending inks and stamping with light pressure, I created a softer look for this card. I stamped the background stamp in Kiwi Kiss, then tapped it lightly into Baja Breeze, and finished up with a very light tap of Pacific Point on the edges of the stamp. I did the same thing for the Cute & Curly stamp but did not lighten pressure as I wanted the ink to appear solid and vibrant.

Iadded a strip of scrap plaid paper from the BasicGrey Boxer collection (it is even - I just took the picture from an odd angle and was lazy to take another pic), and some really cool knit trim from Making Memories that is a dead ringer for Baja Breeze.

The Prima Flowers are called Press 'N Petals and have a wonderful embossed waffle pattern that goes so well with the plaid. The green in the Christmas collection matches Kiwi Kiss perfectly.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzy

Supplies List

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Flannel Plaid & Cute & Curly

Paper: Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy  Whisper White Cardstocks;  BasicGrey Boxer Patterned Paper

Ink:Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Pacific Point

Accessories: Stampin' Up! Linen Thread, Culy Label Punch, Prima Press 'N Petals, Making Memories trim from the Passport collection; Foof-a-La blue button.

Guardian Angel - Whiff of Joy (SC197)

Meet Matthew the Guardian Angel, one of Whiff of Joy's new collection of stamps just out this past Monday. This is my first work for them as a Guest Designer. If you saw the gorgeous card on the Whiff of Joy banner ad on Splitcoast today, then you know I have some pretty big boots to fill. Those ladies are something! The stamps are awesome too: deeply etched, real red rubber. I was so impressed with the quality of these sweet, nostalgic stamps.

I thought today's sketch at Splitcoast would be perfect for this stamp. I made it a masculine card with BasicGrey Boxer papers and some fabric letters that I hit with my navy and green ink pads a few times. I colored Matthew with my Copic Markers.

For something a little different, I stamped the image twice so that I could have an extra angel wing, which I then shaped for a bit of 3D effect. The original image only has one wing. the dang glitter looks pink here, but it is green in person! It turns out to be holographic - arg.

This is a quick post as I am off to mail my designs to Johanna at Odd Bird Planet. I am a finalist for that Design Team, cross your fingers for me please! I had about 1 day to whip up the cards so I know how the contestants at Project Runway feel! I just kept thinking....make it work. I hope I did! I will show you my cards after the deadline.

See you tomorrow with another Whiff of Joy card to share. Thanks for stopping by!

Suzy

Supplies List

Stamps: Whiff of Joy Lying Matthew With Sentiment

Paper: BasicGrey Boxer; Select White by Papertrey; Stampin' Up! Blue Bayou, Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze Cardstock

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: American Crafts Fabric Thickers; Copic Markers; Stickles; Linen twine; vintage buttons

Nested Flowers ~ A Tutorial & A Worthy Cause (HUGE Prize Alerts) & Wal-Mart Steal of a Deal

Oh my goodness this makes THREE posts today. Well it IS World Cardmaking Day! Allan is taking such good care of me and making Stella Beer-Tomato-Old Cheddar-Tarragon soup. I don't know the name but that is what he has added. It smells so yummy. 

This post contains the tutorial I wrote for today's special Splitcoast Stampers Technique Lover's Challenge.  I hope you enjoy it and would love to see a picture if you make one! Onto the show, the tutorial follows my card details. There is also information below on how you can donate your cards to a few very worthy causes and possible win prizes worth hundreds of dollars.

Card Details

This card is all about texture and glitter!  I embossed the Scarlet Lime Flourish Frame, then added a Freaky sentiment rub-on from the Imaginisce Hallowhimsy collection. Who could you give a card to that says Freaky? LOL how about a girlfriend? This can just be a friendship card sent around this time of year - its fun and different!

After cutting the base of the card I spritzed Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Honeydew, an awesome green with a gold shimmer that unfortunately didn't show up in the photos.

Then I got to work on the Grungeboard flourish. Oh my, it was my first time working with Grungeboard. It is like a sponge and just soaked up my acrylic paint and made my orange paint turn white. So I added Stampin' Up Tangerine Tango in and it kept disappearing! I allowed it to dry and layered the orange ink on it like 6 times! The Grungboard feels like a cross between rubber and chipboard and has a nice harlequin pattern on it. After the ink dried I added Black Diamond, Orange Peel, and Eucalyptus Stickles with my finger.

Here is a close up of the nested flower - you can double click the picture to make it even larger. I used my Nestabilities Die Cuts to make circles, all 2.5 inch size, then hand trimmed them all. I didn't really need the die cut as it turned out that I liked the hand trimmed circles the best anyway. The imperfections make great texture.

The bottom circle is made with Making Memories Spellbound paper; next is orange vellum, this really tacky and wacky burned out velvet in a zebra pattern on mesh fabric, and green tulle embedded with glitter.

I distressed and shaped the paper, then sponged a bit of orange ink here and there.

I fastened the circles together with a Hallowhimsy Eye of Newt glitter brad from Imaginisce, but added Black Diamond, Orange Peel, and Eucalyptus Stickles with my finger. Notice the gathering? That is because I sealed the brad super tight. You can also shape/sew to gather even more. I cut a scrap of the green tulle into the shape of leaves and added that to the side.

Supplies List

Stamps: Scarlet Lime Flourish Frame from their Anniversary Kit

Paper: Select White by Papertrey; Stampin' Up! Kiwi Kiss & Tangerine Tango Textured Cardstock; Bazzill Textured Black Cardstock; Making Memories Spellbound Polka Dot Stripe paper; Orange Vellum

Ink: VersaMark; Stampin' Up! Tangerine Tango

Accessories:  Stampin' Up! Black Embossing Powder; Imaginisce Hallowhimsy Boos & Tattoos Rub-Ons (Freaky sentiment) and Eye of Newt glitter brads; Zebra Velvet Mesh and Green Glitter tulle fabrics; Heidi Swapp Distresser; Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Harlequin Elements Grungeboard; Stickles in Black Diamond and Orange Peel; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Honeydew; Making Memories Acrylic Paints; Paper Piercer, Zip Dry Glue; sponge.

Nested Flowers Tutorial

Happy World Card Making Day!  In honor of this special day, let us make the world a more beautiful place and plant flowers - on our cards! For today's special Technique Lover's Challenge we are going to make a card with hand made nested flowers.

I have long admired these in the store, but they can be expensive. Making your own is not only a great way to use scraps and save money, but it is also fun and easy.  If you are not sure how to make them, see below for my tutorial.

Supplies Needed

1. Paper or material for your flowers.

Anything you can cut, punch or die cut; scraps are fine.

Examples~

• patterned paper/cardstock/newspaper/sheet music
• ribbon
• lace
• fabric
• tulle
• mesh
• velvet
• felt

2. Five (or more)  circles cut with die cuts, punches, or scissors.

I like them hand cut the best - the imperfections and wrinkles look good!

Tip: I punch or die cut 5 of the largest circle with different materials, then hand trim them, making each one smaller and smaller. Size of circle used is up to you - I used a 2.5 inch circle as my largest.

Another way to do this is to just fold the fabric or ribbon in half then cut a half circle. This won't work with paper as you will crease it.

3. A paper piercer or hole punch and brad to attach the circles together.

4. Optional: Paper distresser.

Directions:
1. Cut your circles into five or more sizes, each one a bit smaller than the next. Distress them if you wish.

2. Layer the nested circles to make a flower. The largest will go on the bottom, the smallest on top.

3. Starting with the largest bottom circle, use your paper piercer to pierce a hole in the center. Put the next layer on top and paper pierce it; repeat until all layers have a hole in them and attach with brad. I like to attach it very tightly as that causes the layers to bunch up, shaping the flower.

4. Optional: Shape the flower by rolling edges, tearing, folding and wrinkling.

Design Ideas:

• Experiment with different shapes - squares, floral - whateva!
• Top the brad with a button
• Shape them for texture dimension
• Distress/fray the edges and sponge them with ink or acrylic paint for a shabby chic look
• Hand stitch them for a homey feel.
• Fold/gather some of the layers for a rippled look.

Your turn! Let's see your flowers!

Uploading Directions:
1. Upload your card to the SCS Gallery using keyword: WCMDTLC08
2. Upload by Monday October 6th at 11:00pm EST to be eligible for WCMD prizes from the SCS Member Companies.
3.HAVE FUN!

Please Support These Very Worthy Causes (Two With HUGE Prize Alerts)

Want to make today's cards mean even more? Korin, the owner of Sweet 'N Sassy stamps is collecting cards for her niece Janessa's birthday party on October 13th. Janessa is just turning two, but facing that birthday in the hospital due to leukemia. One lucky giver will receive a $100 gift certificate. Please see the details here on how to donate your cards, and also how to enter the drawing.

By the way, Korin also made the cutest stamp set to help pay for Janessa's medical expenses. $5 from each set sold will be donated to Janessa's family. When her cancer is in remission, the fund will go to another family suffering through the same thing. It can be found here and it is 20% off today for the Store's big WCMD Sale.

Cammie gives so much to SCS and to the stamping community. Her good friends recently lost their 13 month old daughter Anna due to a sudden, unexpected illness. I can't imagine anything more heart breaking. She wants to shower the bereaved parents with cards. Please see Cammie's blog here for how to send the family a card.

Finally, Gina K of Gina K Designs is hosting a card drive for our military overseas and having really big prizes for a few lucky ones who participate like a $250 shopping spree, a box of Copic markers, and more. All the details can be seen here.

 

Wal-Mart Steal of a Deal

Finally, RUN do not walk to Wal-Mart for this fab steal! I bought 1 pound of buttons for $2.27 Canadian, so in the US I bet they would be even cheaper!  They come in a bag, the jar is from the Dollar Store. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and textures. They are super light, so not good for clothing but perfect for cards! I bought them in the Sewing Section by the needles and thread racks. Each bag has different ones so I want to go back and get more LOL. Man, this is the best bargain I have found in a long while *happy-cheapy dance*

Whew. Okay that is all I can type for the day. Have a FANTASTIC weekend!

Hugs,

Suzy

World Card Making Day: An Invitation (Prize Alert!)

You are cordially invited to a Card Making Party!

Who: Splitcoast Stampers and their Member Companies

What: A full day of fun, challenges, and prizes.  Each challenge will have one winner randomly selected to win a prize (and those will be announced soon!). There will also be a chat thread created for this event; one random chatter selected from the posts on the chat thread will also win a prize.

When: Saturday October 4th from 11am  -11 pm EST. New challenges will be posted every two hours. Here is the schedule:

11:00 AM EST - Sketch Challenge - hosted by willosmama (AJ)
1:00 PM EST - Featured Stamper - hosted by jpmayo (Jimmi)
3:00 PM EST - Inspiration Challenge - hosted by TiffanyP (Tiffany)
5:00 PM EST - Ways to Use It - hosted by askagain (anjou)
7:00 PM  EST- Try a New Technique - hosted by Suzy_H (Suzy) << That's Me!
9:00 PM EST - Limited Supplies Challenge - hosted by NikiM (Niki)
11:00 PM EST - Color Combo - hosted by stigmom6 (Patti)

Where:  The Splitcoast Challenge Forum

Why: Because it is World Card Making Day, and because it is fun to get together as an online community and play with your virtual friends :) It will inspire you and you may try something you haven't before - and like it!

The Fine Print: It does not matter where you live, everyone is invited to play. Open to all SCS members, no extra registration is necessary. If you are not a member of SCS, go ahead and register for free! The only thing that we ask is that you make a NEW card for the challenges - do not use something you made before.

You will need to take pictures of your work to upload to the gallery using the appropriate challenge keywords (see each challenge for specifics).

All challenges must be uploaded by Monday, October 6th at 11:00 pm EST to be eligible for the drawings to win prizes from our generous Member Companies.

I am keeping the details of my project (Try a New Technique at 7PM EST) under wraps but I can tell you that it will be fun, easy and made with things you have laying around. Be there or be square!

Suzy

Mark Your Calendar & Good News

Saturday October 4 ~ World Card Making Day

Its a global party ~ and you're invited! World Card Making Day is next Saturday, October 4th and Splitcoaststampers will be celebrating with lots of challenges and giveaways for people that participate in them from very generous Member Companies.  I will be hosting the Technique Challenge for the celebration and hope you all can join in and play.

There will also be a chat thread to bond with your fellow stampers across the globe, and random chatters will be picked for giveaways too!

More details can be seen in the SCS Forum *here*.

Virtual Stamp Night  (VSN) ~ Come To The Cabaret!

I will also be a hostess for the next VSN on Splitcoaststampers. Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) is when we all get together online (preferably in our jammies) and stamp, chat, and laugh around a theme. The next theme is The Cabaret, where you can expect lots of fun challenges centered around food, drink, and music. The challenges are a great way to get the mojo flowing, and to bond with your fellow stampers.

There will be a warm up with mini challenges on Saturday October 25th, and VSN weekend will be Friday Night November 14th and Saturday November 15th (I will post times and more details later).

I can't say just yet what my challenge to you will be, but I do promise you that it is fun!  The Forum to watch for details is located on SCS right *here*. I hope to see you there!

Whiff of Joy

Oh my goodness. I can't believe how blessed and lucky I have been this past month. Just a couple of weeks ago I was so down from a string of repeated rejection. I received an email this morning that I will be a Guest Designer for Whiff of Joy along with Aija from Finland. The entries were all so wonderful I do not know how Katharina was able to narrow it down. This is a good lesson to learn - never give up. Thank you to everyone who wished me luck. Now if I can only transfer that luck into finding a job, then life will be perfect :)

Suzy

P.S. Did you notice the new Fall/Halloween banner? The baby monkey dressed as a ghost with his little treat bag cracks me up :) I hope it makes you smile too!

Edgy Yet Sweet-Tee with Gina K

I so love this Gina K Designs  Little Tees set designed by Melanie Muenchinger. There are SO many things you can do with this set - there are 37 pieces to it!  So many options. I decided to use it for today's Splitcoast Sketch Challenge. These challenges are a great inspiration - I find myself doing at least 3 or 4 challenges a week and really think (hope) they are improving my card making ability. They are FUN too! I love the whole group bonding/camaraderie thang. Long story short: I highly recommend them :)

Card details: If you're a "regular" at my blog you know I love to paper piece, which is when you stamp onto patterned paper, then cut the image out. These tee shirts are just made for that! First I stamped the long sleeve tee in Memento Angel Pink, then I stamped the short sleeve tee onto BasicGrey Two Scoops patterned paper and layered it over the long sleeve shirt with pop dots.

The sentiment is embossed onto the tee with Detail White embossing powder. I would SO wear this shirt - I love the retro vibe.

The top blue layer of patterned paper is embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder. Three kinds of May Arts ribbon, a turquoise heart stick pin, and a few buttons act as eye candy.

Just a heads up - I am having my whole blog redesigned. I saw the new banner and am SO excited! I hated how my old banner didn't fit. Hopefully very soon you will get to see the new look!

Thanks for stopping by :)  Happy & inspired wishes to you!

Suzy