Thank you for all you do!

Happy Friday! 

I used the new DarkRoom Door Collage Typewriter Stamp to create a simple Thank you.

I have been hung up on blues and yellows/oranges lately. Probably just because they are out on my desk. :)  I stamped the image using the Ranger Archival Watering Can ink on white cardstock.  I then re-stamped the image using black ink. I cut out the typewriter and stamp and added hints of blue using watercolor pencils.  I then pop dotted them and attached them tot he main image. I added a touch of black StazOn ink to a couple of paper clips an stapled them tot he main image.  I used the Word Strips to add a thank you sentiment.  I then tore the edges of my main image and placed it on a painted background in blue.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Suzz

Graduation Time!

It's Graduation time!  That means time to create graduation cards.  We have a few graduating high school this year among the nieces and nephews and my middle daughter has a few friends graduating this year.

Here are just a few cards I created for all the graduations:

This box template was provided to me by Stamp Scrap N More my LSS.  They have classes and this is one of the templates/cards that Peggy is teaching.  If you are interested they are here online and you can purchase the template.  I added some stamping details using Stampendous stamps found here.

My next card was created using our local HS colors:

The adorable Stampendous House Mouse Designs stamp was the focal point colored with STAEDTLER Karat Aquarell Watercolor Pencils.

The last card was a template I saw out on pinterest and played around with to try to re-create.

A quick and easy card with a fun fold to give it a little extra punch.  Everyone loved their cards and it took me a lot less time to create a series of cards using fun templates.

Have a happy Thursday!

Suzz

Mother Nature

Are you feeling Artsy?   Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge  is to showcase an artsy stamp.

I started with the Wendy Vecchi flower which kicked off the whole idea behind my tag.

The flower had me thinking of Mother Nature and how she would be watching over her children.

I stamped the flower twice once in gray ink and second time in a lighter hue which gave the shadow effect.  I created a crown for Mother Nature made of petals from the flower.  I gave her a little beauty mark of a butterfly.

I shadowed with hints of blue, yellow, orange, and gray using watercolor pencils and waterbrush.

Products: Wendy Vecchi - The Beauty    Ranger Archival - Watering Can, Stampers Anonymous - Dreamers, Stampers Anonymous - Attics Treasure, Stampers Anonymous - Butterflies & Moths, Idea-Ology - Life Quotes Remnants Rub-ons , Versafine Toffee, 7 Gypsies Mini Ruler, Blue Pearls, Waterbrush, Clock Hands, Metal Charm, Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist - Blue, Yellow

Once again you have a chance to play along for a chance at a  Simon Says Stamp $50 Gift Voucher.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hopping with Imagine Crafts & Stampendous

Today is the final day of the blog hop between Stampendous and Imagine Craft!

I decided to continue on with the background I started earlier this week but created a tag.

I stamped the different mixed media stamps using the neon inks.  To make the images pop I stamped them using StazOn Jet Black ink and embossed them using Stampendous black embossing powder.

I then added a touch of hot pink color fragments and hot orange color fragments and a few sequins.

After all that mixed media I decided a clean and layered card was in order.

I stamped the image using StazOn black ink. I then painted the flower using the neon inks and a waterbrush.  I added a hint of shading with watercolor pencils.  I stamped the sentiment on vellum and attached it over the image.


Products: Stampendous - Studio NK - Grunge Cling,  Mixed Media Cling,  Mixed Media - Musical Motif,  Wild Roses,  Say it Today Clear Stamp Set,   Jumbo Cling Butterfly Trio, Live Creatively, Radiant Neon Inks, StazOn - Jet Black, Stampendous Black Embossing Powder, Neon Fragments - Stampendous

Remember to comment on as many posts as you can. You can comment until the end of Sunday, May 25, 2014. We'll draw three random blog posts from all the posts this week, then choose a winner from each post. You must have a US Mailing address to win, although we sure hope all of you will comment! You can find the Official Rules for all our contests HERE. We'll announce winners here on Monday or Tuesday next week, so be sure to check back with us. (or subscribe to our blog by email at the top of this page!) If you missed the earlier posts this week, it's not too late to comment on those. You can find them here: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY. Check out this inspiration today - remember to leave a comment!

Stampendous Blog

Imagine Crafts Blog

Kristine Reynolds

Darsie Bruno

Janelle Stollfus

Nancy Hawes

Jamie Martin

John Creighton Petersen

Krissy Fossmeyer

Tobi Crawford

Tenia Nelson

Wendy Price

Rhea Weigand

Lea Kimmel

Suzanne Czosek

  ***Blog Hop Hint - if you click on a link that takes you to a page saying something like, "Sorry this page cannot be found," just click on the header at the top of the blog (usually a picture, or the blog's name), and it will take you to that blog's most recent post. That post *should* be our hop. If not, you can probably scroll down a short way to find the hop post.

Thanks for hopping along!

Suzz

Bright & Happy Colors

Stampendous and Imagine Crafts are hopping this week!

We are showcasing the bright and bold neon colors.  This gave me a chance to create some fun and funky birthday cards that my kids can use for their friends birthdays.

First up I was playing with he pink and yellow inks:

I actually put this piece aside and restarted it and mixed up the stamps to create this card:

After getting a thumbs up from my teenager on this card I went back and finished the first one so I had two of them.  Both very much liked by my daughters.

I wanted to try a different idea that was running around in my head and I came up with my masculine version using neon colors:

My college aged son looked at both and said cards for girls and boys so I think it will fly for a teen boy.

For this card I wanted a black background but showcasing the neon colors so I used the neon inks on stamps and randomly stamped the entire surface.  After I finished I heat embossed the entire surface using clear embossing powder.

After that was complete I sponged black dye ink over the surface.  After I finished covering it in black ink I wiped off the excess black ink on the embossed areas.

Products: Stampendous - Studio NK - Grunge Cling,  Mixed Media Cling,  Studio NK - Mish Mesh, 
Mixed Media - Dress Form,  Grunge Birthday Stamp, Stack Art - Regal Bird Stamps,   Radiant Neon Inks, Memento - Black, Stampendous Clear Embossing Powder, Neon Fragments - Stampendous

Look at the fabulous prize packages up for grabs.



You can win 3 of the brand new Radiant Neon™ ink pads and 3 jars of our Color Fragments! We'll give away three prize packages (color is our choice) to U.S. Mailing addresses. You have until the end of Sunday, May 25 to comment on as many of the Design Team Blog Posts from this week as possible. Monday we'll draw three random blog posts and one comment from each of those posts will win a prize package! If you're just joining us, here are the links for MONDAY and TUESDAY's posts.

So let's get hoppin'!! Here are the designers with inspiration for you today, please go leave them some appreciation.

Stampendous Blog 

Imagine Crafts Blog

Allie Gower

Ellen Taylor

Rhea Weigand

Savannah O'Gwynn

Suzanne Czosek

Debbie Gaetz

***Blog Hop Hint - if you click on a link that takes you to a page saying something like, "Sorry this page cannot be found," just click on the header at the top of the blog (usually a picture, or the blog's name), and it will take you to that blog's most recent post. That post *should* be our hop. If not, you can probably scroll down a short way to find the hop post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Botannical Bliss

I asked May if we could celebrate May's flowers and the challenge this week at  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is botanical bliss. Pull out your flower stamps and join in the challenge this week!

I had fun with some new stencils and embossing paste!  I laid the stencil on white cardstock and put embossing paste onto the white cardstock.  I let that dry.  After it dried I added the sentiment in he top right corner.

I put the stencil back on and sponged the surface with purple dye ink to add a hint of color. 

I hen decided I wanted to add some dew drops on my background with a hint of sparkle.  I sprtized the surface with goosebumps and while it was wet I sprinkled the ultra fine crystal glitter over the surface. I was really pleased with how it turned out.  Click on the photo to see a close up of  the dew.

The butterflies were stamped on vellum using archival ink which I heated up to set the ink. I then cut them out. I sponged over the butterfly with Versamark. I then heat embossed with shimmery embossing powder.

For my second card I used the embossing paste and the same stencil

After I embossed the flowers. I let the embossing paste dry.  I then stamped a series of flowers. 

After I colored them with watercolor pencils.  I sponged blue on the embossing paste.  I tried to stamp a sentiment in the top right and it ended up crooked.  ARGH!  I decided I loved what I had already done so I decided to cut out the corner following the lines of the flowers.

After I cut this out I sponged the blue over the inside of the card.  I heat set the blue dye ink before I stamped the sentiment and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I stamped the bee and colored and cut it out.

Products: Penny Black - Promenade Stencil,  Impression Obsession - In a Garden. Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste,    Versamark Watermark Ink, Stampendous White Embossing Powder, Wendy  Vecchi The Beauty,    Ranger Distress Ink - Salty Ocean,  Memento - Sweet Plum,  Goose Bumps, Stampendous Butterflies,  Ranger Archival Ink - Potting Soil,  Clear Embossing Powder, 

Come play along with us  for an opportunity for a chance  to win a   Simon Says Stamp $50 Gift Voucher.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

"M" is for...

"M" is for Map!  The challenge this week at   Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is all about the letter "M". This week is May's birthday (Happy Birthday May!)  and you can use the letter "M" as your inspiration. 

My project started with the beautiful map from Impression Obsession.  I stamped it in a soft blue to create my background.

I stamped the map twice on a piece of cardstock using the new Ranger Archival Ink - Cornflower Blue.   I then repeated the stamping on a piece of tissue paper. which I mixed with a touch of gesso and blue spray and then applied to the bottom half of the map.

I distressed the edges with a distressing tool.  I sponged the edges with brown dye ink.
I then stamped the ship, sentiment, lighthouse using a gray ink.

I added screw brads on the corner.  I hot glued the shells to the front. I added a mix of sand in between the shells.   The background layer is painted white with acrylic paint and then I pulled the gray ink pad over the painted surface. I then inked up the edges of the chipboard with the gray ink.

Products:  Impression Obsession Map, PaperArtsy - Hot Pick 1202 - Lighthouse, Ranger Archival Inks - Watering Can, Black, Cornflower, Ranger Distress Inks - Vintage Photo, Tissue paper,   Gesso, Eyelet Outlet Screw Brad, Shells, Sand, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - verdigris, Darkroom Door - Sail Away,    Virtual Artistry - Lost and Found,

Come play along with us  for an opportunity for a chance  to win a   Simon Says Stamp $50 Gift Voucher.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Touch of Spring

Here is my touch of spring. Our weather can't quite seem to switch over to warm weather.  I created a tag Inspired by Tim's May tag which was a mix of scraps with fun embellishments.  I decided to create a tag using a mix of papers with stamped images, words and embellishments.

 I started with some new papers from Authentique as my base to create the soft background.  I then pulled out a variety of stamps to add to the different spaces.

The flowers were on the paper and I added color with my STAEDTLER Karat Aquarell watercolor pencils.

Products: Stampers Anonymous Tiny Things, Attic Treasures,  Tiny Words,  Curiosities,  Purely Random,   Darkroom Door Correspondence, STAEDTLER, Authentique, Ranger Archival Ink - Watering Can

 Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Family of Five

Happy Cinco De Mayo!    Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge  this week is about the number 5. Either use 5 products on your project or 5 of something (buttons, ribbon, etc).  The number five resonates for me because we are a family of 5. 

I decided to create 5 chipboard houses representing the family members.   Each one had me thinking through all my supplies to find bits and pieces that represents each of my family.  (I didn't include the puppies or the guinea pig as that took me away from my number 5!)

My cover was all about the home and was for my hubby as he is always working on some project around the house.  

The back side of my hubbies house is all about sports.  I took baseball images but he is a year round sports fan.  I actually met him playing volleyball.

My next house is for my youngest.  I mixed hers up a bit with a little bit of everything.

She was happy as long as it wasn't vintage. :)  She said the basketball was vintage.

On the flip side I picked out the friends and colored them because she is very social!

Next up is my son:

Another big sports fan and athletic

He played baseball since he was five with my hubby coaching for all those years.

Onto my middle girl who loves reading just like her mother:

I mixed images in to reflect her love of reading and learning.  She also spends a fair amount of time volunteering at church.

The last house is mine which reflects a few of my hobbies inking it up and gardening.

 This about sums it up:

 Thanks for sticking through all the photos:

Products:  Impression Obsession House Die, Darkroom Door - Create Art, Darkroom Door - Creativity Wordblock, Darkroom Door - Home, Darkroom Door - Music,  Darkroom Door - Enjoy the Game, Ranger Archival Inks - Magenta Hue, Black, Cornflower, Watering Can, Potting Soil, Ranger Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry, Stampendous Winged Cross, Artistic Outpost - Think and Wonder, Stampers Anonymous - Train, STAEDTLER - Karat Aquarell Watercolor Pencils, Stampendous Jumbo Cling - Lovely Garden, Tissue paper, Crystal Flourishes,  Idea-ology - Regal Adornment, Stampendous - Crushed Glass Glitter, Paper Artsy - Hot Pick 1101 - Owl, Stampers Anonymous - Tiny Things,  Graphics 45 - Good Ol Sport Stamp Set #1, Graphic 45 - Good Ol Sports Stamp Set #2. Stamping Bella - Friends, Hero Arts - Formula Fun, Hero Arts - Collage Friend,  Gesso Stampendous - Vintage Press, Stampendous - PenPattern Turtle, Graphic 45 Good Ol Sport - Paper, Artistic Outpost - Cracker Jack, Stampers Anonymous - Liner Ruler, Maya Road - Tiny Rulers, Maya Road Bing Chip - Motif, Eyelet Outlet Screw Brad, Basic Gray Wood Button

Come play along with us  for an opportunity for a chance  to win a   Simon Says Stamp $50 Gift Voucher.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Travellers

This card started as a journal page about Home. I was playing around with a sheet of an old ledger and liked the composition so I tore the page out and created a card.

The background was misted with a combination of glimmer mists and a white opaque mist.  I then stamped the images using black ink and masked the keyhole to place the family behind the image. 

I highlighted all the images with a touch of gold watercolor pencils. I then cut a little slit for me to hang my chain from on the key.  I added a few screw brads to the key hole.  A touch of tissue paper and done.

Products: Darkroom Door - Key hole, Key, Henry & Harriet, Welcome Home,  Glimmer Mists, Dylusions - White, STAEDTLER Karat Aquarell Watercolor Pencils, Tissue Tape, Screw Brads, Idea-Ology - Clip

Happy Saturday!

Suzz