Clean & Simple Stamping's FTL125

This card is based on this week's Clean & Simple FTL125.  Each of the patterned paper pieces is 1 1/8" x 2 3/4".  I love the A Muse petite gingham paper and thought it would be perfect for this type of card!  Isn't that snail just about the cutest thing ever??

He is paper pieced and colored with Copics and then has a fancy "snail trail" made from Stickles - I added a little rub-on border to the top of the gingham to balance out the black sentiment. 

Stamps and paper from A Muse.

Caleb recently tried to keep a slug as a pet again - after about 11 days we couldn't find the slug in the bug keeper one morning.  Apparently when we gave him (or her - who knows with these things) his lettuce the top wasn't put on tightly enough and he escaped.  We found lots of glittery trails on the table and the bar stool and finally found his little dried body across the room.  We decided today that Caleb needs to get a job at the Evansville Zoo when he is older since having a dog, fish, and lizard aren't enough animals for him!

PDCC66 - Splash of Lilac

Today's card is for the Play Date Cafe Challenge #66 - Splash of Lilac.  The patterned paper is Teresa Collins Damask, the smokey crystals are Prima and both are available at Hobby Lobby.  The center window is cut with a Nestabilities die -

 The rose in the inspiration pic made me grab my favorite SU! Mixed Bouquet stamps -

Claudine Hellmuth acrylic paint added my splash of purple - Do you like the sentiment?  It was made from two different A Muse stamps.  I didn't have that in mind when I was picking a sentiment but they happened to be close to each other in my printers drawer than I keep a lot of A Muse stamps in and I liked the fact that both stamps had that handwritten look to them.

I slopped the paint on the flower - might be too messy for some people but I am trying to be more "free" instead of being a perfectionist - makes for a cool look!  A touch of grey Copic markers adds some shading - I'm not sure how I feel about the bit of bling on the inside - seemed like a good idea at the time but looks disjointed when the card is open - I do, however, like how you can see all of the rose/leaves when it is open.

A bit of SU! taffeta ribbon finishes things up. 
Back in November when we were visiting family in Mississippi we picked up a couple of new CDs to listen to in the car - my husband and I were visiting memory lane when we both reached for REO Speedwagon.  The funny part is that our 9 year old thinks that CD is so cool and loves the guitar in it - asks me to play it everyday and rocks out in the backseat.  When he figures out how dorky that CD is he is not going to be happy with us!  hee hee

OLW38 - Let's Get Sketchy

This week's OLW challenge is based on the sketch below.  I dug out some old Fred Mullett stamps and coupled them with the big A Muse oval and a sentiment from the Papertrey Ink Tea for Two Additions set.

See the big A Muse solid stamp block?  That was used to make my seahorse face the other way on my card.  Ink up your seahorse and stamp it onto the solid rubber stamp - huff on the stamp to remoisten the ink (you know - the way that you huff on eyeglasses to clean them) and stamp on your paper - VOILA!  Your seahorse is facing the other way -

This is a rather tiny card- measures 4.25" x 3" - I was ready to try a new dimension and I thought that the smaller size suited the stamps more than a traditional sized invitation notecard.
We got a freaky snowstorm last night - got over 2" and the kids got school off today - I can't believe the number of snow days they've gotten this year!!

Ode to Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Apparently, I have been living under a rock or maybe in a cave or maybe under a rock in a cave since I hadn't heard of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer until recently.  She rocks!!  Her fabulous creations inspired me to buy some watercolors and try my hand at painting - - I think I did an AWESOME job if I say so myself!!  So very different than anything I've done before - so bright and colorful!

I assembled my goods - these stamps come from Impression Obsession and were purchased in Mt. Dora, FL more than three years ago - at the time I remember debating whether to buy the wood stamp that had all these elements connected or to buy the clear stamps.  Several times since then I'd wished that I had bought the wood mounted stamps until I finally got smart and realized that I could. . .

just stamp the elements and doodle them together with a Sharpie!!  Duh!  Wish I'd figured that out sooner.  In my first pic you see StazOn ink but the ink I ended up using was VersaFine Onyx Black by Tsukineko.  That is THE BEST ink - I LOVE IT!!!!  So crisp and black - easily cleaned off my stamps with water and according to the packaging "produces 5 times more impressions than other pigment ink pads".

Anyhoo - I attached my finished watercolor to my brand, spanking new Art Journal (made from a composition notebook) - yet another inspiration from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.  She is featuring Art Journal Every Day on her blog.  I've always been fascinated by art journals but the word "journal" scared me since I am intimidated by attempting to write stuff and then the word "art" is intimidating in and of itself!!  BUT I like to have fun and try new things so I'm gonna use this as a medium to do just that!  I even have my first page finished! 
THANKS for the inspiration, Julie!!

Tuesday Trigger - I'm So Pretty, Moxie Fab Metallics Challenge

This card is for two Moxie Fab Challenges!  First up is Tuesday Trigger - I'm So Pretty based on the picture below.  I would love that chair and pillow in my house!! 

The second challenge is the Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week: The Metallic Challenge.  The stamped image is a SU! rose from the Mixed Bouquet set - stamped closely together it really resembles the flowers on the pillow, eh?  I shimmered up the gray paper with Perfect Pearls spray and then stitched on a vellum sentiment (Papertrey Ink).  Finished up the whole card by placing the completed panel against a piece of A Muse White Shimmer Couture paper.  LOVE that paper - plus it comes in so many colors too!

OLW37 - Sentiments

This week's One Layer Wednesday Challenge from Susan Raihala's Simplicity blog is to use at least 2 different sentiment stamps and NO images on your one layer card.  Initially, I was stumped but then I decided that making one word red and then offsetting that with lots of sentiments stamped in white and a piece of red ribbon would make the

intended sentiment stand out but still leave a balanced card.  I had fun with my ruler and stamp positioner to get all these sentiments stamped in the right places but really this card went pretty quickly!  Ribbon and sentiments are from A Muse.  (How many times can I use the word "sentiment" in one blog post?)

The boys got school off today too - the roads are a frozen mess out there - at least in our neighborhood they are.  I haven't ventured out because I don't have to -

Snow Day!

Today was a snow day!  The day started out with no snow but by 9 it was falling at a good clip - We ended up with 4" of snow and school is already canceled for tomorrow.  Caleb had a blast outside and Connor went to work with Corey. 

Have you see page 59 of the new Stamp It! Techniques magazine - WHOO HOO - my tag made it in!  What you can't see is how shimmery, sparkly it is in real life with all the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. 

Stay warm!!

CAS102 - Watercolored Leaf Frond

Today's card is for this week's Splitcoaststamper's Clean & Simple 102 Challenge - It is a sketch challenge and I "loves me" a sketch challenge!  I picked up a couple new goodies at Hobby Lobby today -

Koi watercolors and Adirondack metallic paint daubers!  I watched a Julie Balzer live feed for Prima on Monday night and she made ATCs that were spectacular!  One thing that I loved is how she would stamp an image with metallic paint and then watercolor over it -

I added a spritz of Perfect Pearls mist if you look closely!  Stamps and patterned paper from A Muse - BTW, this is my "most favorite-ist" A Muse patterned paper - love the color, love the pattern!

GRAC100 - Red!

This post is to celebrate Glenda Wyatt's  Random Amusing Challenge's 100th Challenge!!  WHOO HOO, Glenda!!  Did you know that Glenda is one of the winners from the Paper Crafts World Card Making Day Contest?  Challenge #100 is to use RED on your card or project. Use as much or as little as you like. Incorporate it by using paper, ink, ribbon, embellishments, whatever you like! Check out Glenda's blog for the details and a pic of the BLOG CANDY (the best candy of all - so fun and no calories)!!  Glenda has lots of friends in the stamping world that are happy to celebrate her 100th challenge too - check them all out!
Allison Fillo http://stampinwhenican.blogspot.com/
Allison Miles http://allistamps.blogspot.com/
Beate Johns http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Belinda Chang Langner http://cadnileb.blogspot.com/
Carly Robertson http://carlyrobertson.typepad.com/
Cheiron Brandon http://www.cheironbrandon.typepad.com/
Chris Sather http://cattsscratchingpost.blogspot.com/
Dawn Stein http://www.lavendergiraffe.blogspot.com/
Donna Hitz http://www.frozenstamper.blogspot.com/
Elena Shacochis http://thestampingshac.blogspot.com/
Geeta Suggs http://www.craftyengineer.typepad.com/
Jenn Shurkus http://jennshurkus.typepad.com/creative_chick/
Jennie Moczan http://www.simplycaffeinated.typepad.com/
Jill Grace (& family) http://creativegrace.typepad.com/
Joan Jeffery http://www.j-jcreations.blogspot.com/
June Gibbons http://perfectlikeacurl.blogspot.com/
Kamila Younkman http://littlescrapsofheaven.typepad.com/
Krystie Lee Hersch http://www.cupcakemartini.com/
Meghan Fahey http://driventoink.com/
Michelle Clark http://www.sparkledesigns.typepad.com/
Michelle Mathey http://msmathey.blogspot.com/
Michelle Woerner http://stopandstamptheroses.blogspot.com/
Nance Lempinen-Leedy http://nanceleedy.blogspot.com/
Sherry Czarnecki http://littlestampsbiglife.blogspot.com/
Silke Ledlow http://silkeledlow.blogspot.com/
Teresa Kline http://www.enjoythevasunshine.blogspot.com/

Here is hoping that Glenda is having a beautiful day!!  (Sentiment and pearls by A Muse; butterflies by Making Memories; old book page is painted with Claudine Hellmuth paint;

Caleb's Rock Star!

Here is a creation that my son, Caleb (9 1/2) made this afternoon.  He's been a big fan of the Rock Star stamp for a long time now and when I told him how he could make a spotlight for him to sing in he was ready to make his own card.  When he was finished he looked at me, smiled and said, "Do you think that maybe you'd like to share this on your blog?"  Wouldn't you agree that Caleb's card rocks?!!
All paper, stamps and accessories are from A Muse.

FTL123 - Butterfly

Super quick post tonight - I should be in bed by now!!  This card is based on Clean and Simple blog's FTL123.  The butterfly is from Making Memories and has antennae made from tying a piece of copper cord.  Lots of Washi tape make the layers and the petite black gingham paper and sentiment are from A Muse.  Sweet dreams!

PDCC#64 OLW#36 - Barely There

One Layer Wednesday - The reins this week are held by Jennifer Styles, "The challenge this week is to make a card using a bare tree, or bare vegetation of some kind – that means no leaves, no needles, no buds, no flowers. You can use as many images/sentiments/colours as you like, but you must use one plant image that is “bare”.  You can't scare me with that challenge!!  I have the perfect stamp - Tree Tile from Rubber Soul.

This week's Play Date Cafe Challenge colors seemed perfect for a "winter-y" card. My backyard is still covered in snow but the boys headed back to school today after two days off. Neither of them complained because they don't want to go to school in June!

Doncha love it when it is SO COLD that the snow sparkles like glitter?  SO COLD that the hair in your nose freezes up?  I love it too - while gazing out the window holding a nice big mug of coffee!

Sentiment is from the Vintage A Muse Clear Stamp Set.

GS#69 - Happy Anniversary House

I am squeaking in just under the wire to play with the first Get Sketchy layout of 2011! Isn't it a fun sketch? This blog seems to have had a lot of really "clean" cards lately - today I was ready for a little more "fussy".

Although the stamping police would not come to the house and arrest me if I didn't use a house as the element on my card, the challenge of creating my own little casa had me intrigued.

Cutting your house base with two Nestabilities is easy-peasy (plus maybe I just wanted you to be a little jealous of my new FAB Martha Stewart punch not to mention that Basic Grey Curio paper pad!!)

The sentiment is spelled out with Cosmo Cricket clear stickers. Let me tell you that the normal tiny type stickers have a eensy bit of forgiveness with them if you want to move them a bit but the clear ones refuse to play fair! Be warned! Do you love my sparkly crystal smoke?! LOVE ZVA crystals!! Apparently, the chimney lives on the back of the house -
On another note - good news - the lizard ate two crickets today - his first since last week!

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger - Bright and Bold

Things have been busy around here - We got some snow and the boys got to stay home today - They are hoping to stay home tomorrow too but they go to city schools and those are always the last to cancel.  We shall see.  Today's card is for the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger - Bright Spot and uses the colors from the Moxie Fab Bright and Bold Challenge.  Layout is courtesy of Sketch #122 from the Clean & Simple blog.  Stamps and paper are from A Muse.

Bet you can't guess where I went yesterday?  Did you guess, "Take the lizard in for a consult with the only vet in the area that sees lizards?"  No - most people don't guess that.  For some unknown reason our baby Bearded Dragon has decided that he no longer fancies hunting crickets or eating greens.  He still looks good though and is active due to my vigilantly feeding him a slurry of pedialyte, chicken babyfood and calcium/vitamins through an eyedropper.  Any of you crafters have any lizard tips for me?  Good grief - the things we do for our children!

Moxie Fab - Gray is the New Black Challenge

Did you know that Gray is the new Black?  Well, Cath Edvalson (Moxie Fab Extraordinaire) says so and that is good enough for me!   I kept this card really simple - the patterned paper is Basic Grey (how appropriate, huh?), the cardstock Smokey Shadow from Papertrey Ink, the sentiment is from A Muse.  Texture and movement were added with Zva Pearls and a Tim Holtz Texture Fade folder.

My favorite element is the gray felt bird from Jenni Bowlin - I love her felt birds - Corey not so much.  Maybe I'll send this card to him, eh? 

OLW35 - Yellow

One Layer Wednesday time!!  This week's challenge (OLW35) is to make a one-layer card that has yellow!!  I wanted a pretty pale yellow to be my background for stamping but this is a one layer challenge so no cheating adding more paper!

To achieve that I decided to paint my background with a loose square of yellow/white Claudine Hellmuth paint - that paint is so easy to use and so, so very creamy.  So luscious that if you didn't know any better you might try to lick it.  In fact, I did know better but was still tempted to lick it!!

The Try a New Technique Challenge (TLC306) on SCS this week is to paint with Stickles.  That was just what my flower needed for a touch of bling.  The stamped images and twinkle stickers come from A Muse.  Of course, with a layered stamp it is important to use a stamp positioner to get things lined up "just right".

Yellow is just the thing to cheer things up on a cold winter day - Well, yellow with a nice, warm latte and a Double-stuffed Oreo (just trying to keep things real).

2010 Wrap up -

WOW - Last year just flew by, didn't it?  I had such a great time papercrafting in 2010 and look forward to trying new things in 2011.  Here are some of my favorite projects from the past year -