Friend Strengthens

I was inspired by the Mojo Monday Sketch #319  and decided to pull out some pretty papers and create a quick card. Since I am thankful for good friends I also am adding this to the Gratitude challenge at My Minds Eye.

 

I cut all the pieces form the paper, distressed them and added a touch of white paint.  I stamped the beautiful Verses Rubber Stamps - Friend Strengthens using Versafine Orange ink onto the paper. 

For the flowers I cut them from the Paper and crinkled them to give them texture.  The paper is My Minds Eye - Tangerine. 

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Suzz

Fall Leaves

I am enjoying our Indian Summer with the weather hovering in the 80's and beautiful sunny days.  I can wait to see the fall leaves but I was inspired by the Mojo Moday Sketch #309 and the new Stampendous Leaves stamps.

In the Stampendous release there are some beautiful Jumbo Cling Leaves.  They are beautiful  there is a Trees and Leaves charms set with the same leaves and a Leaf Background stamp that coordinates. . 

I used a combination of each of these sets along with stamping the beautiful Tree Poem.  I stamped the Tree Poem using Versafine Toffee on tissue paper in the background. 

The leaves are stamped on an Alcohol Ink background using Versamark and the Aged Spice Embossing Enamel.

The sketch:

Have a fabulous Thursday!

Suzz

Vintage Valentine

Hello Thursday!  I am waiting anxiously for Friday and the weekend!  Today I am combining the beautiful valentine colors from the ColourQ Challenge #174 with the Mojo Monday Sketch #278 and the vintage images of PaperArtsy.

I don't know about you but I have a few Valentines I need to make and my brother has a Valentine's birthday. So I have to create a variety of valentine's cards.  The colors from the challenge mix the browns, red and pink hues together which is a good balance for a masculine valentine. 

I stamped the sweet boy image on the right half of the heart and added the stripes from another stamp to the other half. I punched out the heart and was going to stamp something else on it but thought it would be fun to continue with the stripes.

The background was an embossed scrap never used and decided to bring in some texture and color in the background.

Products: PaperArtsy - Hot Picks XTRA-01 - Backgrounds, PaperArtsy - Vintage Collection - ID02, 
PaperArtsy -  Mini 06, Spellbinders - Heart Dies, Fiskars Heart Punch

The sketch and colors:

Hope your day is wonderful!

Suzz

Masculine Birthday Card

We have two male birthdays in January for BIL's.  I struggle with the masculine cards.  I used the Mojo Monday Challenge #275 for my layout and pulled out the Bo Bunny Weekend Market Collection to jump start my card.

In looking at this card it should have taken me all about 10 minutes to create.... But really it took 2+ hours as the time to pick the coordinating papers, layout and playing with what to include and not include...  Sometimes the pattern paper is more difficult for me than stamping.

The sentiment is from (Verses Rubber Stamps) Happy Happy Happy.  The paper is Bo Bunny Market Place. I purposely limited the embellishments to only include the wooden clock  and gear.   Embellishments on masculine cards are not always appreciated by the recipient. :)


Have a lovely day! 
Suzz 

Soft Pastels

I had to whip up an anniversary card to be sent off today.  I pulled out the Mojo Monday Sketch # 263 and used the CR84FN65 colors to help jump start my card.

This card is for my SIL & her hubby.  They have been married just about as long as me and my hubby.  Their oldest daughter is at West Point.  I remember when she was born!  Time goes by so quickly.

I looked through my pattern paper for coordinating colors and found a beautiful pad of paper from My Mind's Eye - Follow Your Heart - Be Happy which had the perfect colors to match the CR84FN challenge.

I cut the paper to fit the layout added a touch of distressing and dye ink.

I added the beautiful sentiment from Verses Rubber Stamps - Bright Hopes Anniversary backed by the poem How Do I Love Thee. 

I also added a sneak peek of the brand new butterfly from Stampendous being released this week! (all next week the Stampendous DT will be sharing the new catalogue!)

The last detail was to take a gem flourish and to mute it with liquid pearls.  I didn't have a pearl flourish that coordinated with the colors I had.  I took the gem flourish and coated it with liquid pearls in a soft pink and it worked perfectly with the color scheme.

Hope your Saturday is spectacular! 

Suzz

21 Years

Friday is my  21st anniversary.  I decided to use the Mojo Monday Sketch 257 as my layout and create a card for my DH in celebration of our 21 years of marriage.

The papers are from My Minds Eye - The Sweetest Thing and Bo Bunny.  I only stamped two things on this card! :O  The I Love You which is from a cute Unity Love Bug set and the numbers from 7 Gypsies.

I think the colors may be a tad too pretty.  I think I might have to re-work the card a bit and use it for another purpose. :)  Hmm...

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Suzz

The People We Meet

I have been struggling to play along in the Mojo Monday 256 challenge. I loved the sketch and knew what s my focal point.  I created my banners which I really liked too and then spent a day and a half messing with the rest.

I hate when that happens.  I can't walk away usually. I set it aside and keep coming back thinking I can fix it or I will have some major breakthrough. :)   This time I settled. I added a few more things and felt a little better about it and I am going to call it a tie. I have another project that is calling me with a bunch of different ideas!

Here is the end result:

The sentiment is from the new Verses Rubber Stamps Cling sets - Along the Way.  The backgrounds are Hero Arts (Antique Map, Around the World).  The airplane is part of the Verses set.  The inks I used included: Ranger Archival Black, Ranger Distress Inks (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo).

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Happy Birthday

Yeah it's Thursday!  A really busy week again and I am so looking forward to the weekend. :) 

My card today is for the Mojo Monday Sketch #246 and for the Stampendous Monthly challenge of Summer.

I struggled a bit with the Mojo Monday sketch #246 but I think this CAS card works with the sketch:

I used the Stampendous Jumbo Cling Iris with a flourish from the Cherub Wishes set.   The lines are hand drawn and a touch of water with yellow dye ink.

The flower is colored with dye inks and waterbrush.  The flourish is stamped with the coordinating green dye ink.

The sketch:

Don't forget, the Stampendous summer challenge!  Simply make a summer themed project of some sort and add the direct link for your project on the Stampendous blog no later than Thursday, June 28 at 11:59 PM EST .   As an extra incentive for playing along, one lucky crafter (drawn at random) will receive this fabulous new Friendly Phrases Perfectly Clear stamp set.  As an even bigger incentive, if you use Stampendous products on your project, that entry will count twice, which increases your chances of winning!  Due to shipping restrictions, the winner must have a US address.  We hope you have a chance to play along with us (you an enter as many times as you'd like!) this month...

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Suzz

Walk in God's Beauty

Some days it is so much harder to create... :)  I think my Mojo is out running all those crazy errands that happen when the kids are home and off school in the summer.    I decided to use the sketch from Mojo Monday #245 to try to get my inspiration going.  I also used the ODBD Shining Light Challenge #111 : Something old, Something new, Something Borrowed, Something Blue...  My something old is the lace trim, the new is the bird (Straight from the package), Borrowed (Sketch) and blue (that is the cool peri which is a purple/blue tone).

I started with the sketch and cut all my pieces from white cardstock to see what the layout looked like in just cardstock. Next I pulled out my new Our Daily Bread Designs stamps to see what stamps I could combine to create the various pieces.

Our Daily Bread Designs Products:  Sing to the Lord, Brocade Background, Bird Borders & Corners, and Sentiment Collection.  Inks: Versafine Smokey Gray, Adirondack Cool Peri, Ranger Distress Inks - Vintage Photo

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Spring Thank You

I created this for the Mojo Monday Challenge using my sweet new Viola papers from Memory Box.

Products: Memory Box - Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Moonlight Butterfly, Viola Paper, Mercer Rose Background, Dogwood Wreath, Memento - Lilac, Ranger White Acrylic Paint, May Arts White Silk Ribbon, Watercolor Pencils.

Short and Sweet today. Need to get cracking on a birthday card. :)

Suzz

Mojo Monday Sketch #231

This week there are several challenges that have my mind turning... The Mojo Monday Sketch #231 along with the Ribbon Reel Challenge of Newsprint inspired me to create two card.

My first card started from newsprint pattern paper from the Bo Bunny pad of paper:

The newsprint paper led me to create a masculine card with a travel theme.  I used kraft glassine on the bottom half embossed with an embossing folder. I mixed in Artistic Outpost images from Route 66 and Diesel Punk to create my tags and banner.  I turned the layout into a pocket card with two tags.

After that I wanted to create a feminine card using the same idea of tags in a pocket:

I  also played along with the ColourQ #127 challenge this week for my colors. The velvet flower trim is a beautiful coral and came up a little dark in the photo. I used the Memory Box stamps for the background and the die is a Memory Box butterfly.  The verse is from Verses Rubber Stamps.

The sketch & color palette:

Have a wonderful day!

Suzz

Friends

I created a card today for the City Crafter Challenge which is to use two ribbons and nine words or more.  Perfect for Leap Day!  Happy Leap Day to everyone! Enjoy your extra day. :) I also used the sketch from Mojo Monday #230 as my design.

This card is inspired by the ever so talented Jacqueline and includes a beautiful wine label butterfly. Thank you Jacqueline for sharing wine labels with me.

The papers come from a prize I won from Snazzy's in playing in their first challenge. They are gorgeous papers and I also received some wonderful stamps. (Yet to be inked up and can't wait to use them!). The reason I was playing there was because of another friend Lesley (very talented) who is on their design team.

The card:

The verse from Verses Rubber Stamps - A Friend Strengthens - FS1134-A  is very appropriate. 

I used my much loved Hero Arts Hydrangeas and Butterflies to stamp over the paper.  The diamonds in the background is a new stencil from The Crafters Workshop that I bought to play with. I love the distressed effect and will be playing with it some more.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Mojo Monday Chick & Moxie Fab Valentine

Happy Wednesday!  I am having a crafty friend over today which means fun inky time.... I have two cards and two challenges in one post. :) 

This morning I finished my Mojo Monday card to share.  A super cute chick from Verve stamps.

I  used the Mojo Monday Sketch #227 and some lovely October Afternoon papers to create my background.  I stamped the chick and basket a few times to create layers on the ribbon and the chick.

Quick and easy card. It will go in my stash for one of my DD for Easter.

Here is the sketch:

My second share today is my DH valentine's card. I was inspired by the Moxie Fab World Cool Tools Challenge for around the house.

I created a card using sandpaper, wood veneer, and my inks. 

I started with the strip of unfinished wood veneer in light brown.  I applied layers of white acrylic paint, weathered wood dye ink smeared using sandpaper across the finish.  I repeated the process on the cardstock.  I sandpapered the surface of the cardstock and sponged on layers of the inks and paints. I typed up the sentiment on the computer an printed it out.  I sponged the edges to blend in.  I then dye cut the hearts from sandpaper pieces and flipped them back and forth to show the alternate sides.

A CAS card. My kids are so trained with my cards that when I asked my son what did he think he said it needs something more in the empty areas. LOL!  He knows my style well.  I decided since it was for my DH I would keep it CAS.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Love

I was playing around with my new Memory Box dies and decided to create an all white card.  The embellishments ended up having a hint of ivory in them.

The hardest part was getting a good picture. Luckily we had some sunshine today and I was able to go outside and catch a few rays. The layout is from the Mojo Monday sketch #224. 

The new Memory Box heart dies have beautiful coordinating stamps and also beautiful overlay dies. I paired up the Serafina Heart with the Cupid Heart.  I added to nested birds as my love birds. (These are from Poppy Stamps) and added the Love sentiment.  The rest is layered embossing pieces and some pearls and flowers and ribbon.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Suzz

B Mine

I rolled up three challenges into one: Mojo Monday Sketch #223, Simon Says Stamp and Show a Red Letter Day and City Crafters Challenge - Back to Black.

I started from the idea of the scarlet letter and used the red B in the B Mine to put together my card. 

All kinds of inspiration here... I was inspired by Linda's valentine card,  Tracy provided a beautiful card and the meaning behind red letter day. The back is black challenge is to use a silhouette and the pussy willows on the panel is my silhouette.


The stamps are from the Cornish Heritage Farms and the papers are from My Minds Eye.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Suzz

Mojo Monday #222 -

I saw the Mojo Monday sketch #222 and knew I wanted to play along.  I pulled out some beautiful 7Gypsies Conservatory papers and started layering. :) 

This card took way too long for such little stamping. :) I cut all the papers and kept messing around with what to use as my focal image.  The verse is from Verses Rubber Stamps called Love Continues to Grow - MA0320-E.  I pulled some Websters Pages Trim and created a background for this lovely little brooch.
The papers are all distressed with gold and brown inks.

The lovely sketch:

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Suzz

Subtle Textures

I have been working on a project all week that is keeping me pre-occupied and not getting much done. I hate when I get stuck in the midst of a project and can't let it go and it blocks all my creativity.  I decided last night to put it aside.  I used the same background paper to create a card for the Moxie Fab World Textured to Perfection and  Mojo Monday Sketch #211.

Details:
Old sheet music with a layer of white paint smeared and brown chalkboard glimmer mist spritzed across the front. A few drips and rings in the same chalkboard ink were added for more texture.
The bird is die cut from the sheet music with a stamped image of french post card.
The birdcage is die cut from white cardstock and stamped with the same postal card stamp.
The ribbon is white silk which was died with Antique Linen re-inker and spritzed with the same brown chalkboard ink.  The other paper used on the background is a textured cardstock sanded to show the embossing.

Here is the sketch:

and did you ever have one of those bad hair days.... 

My daughter wanted a picture of this hair-do on her barbie yesterday... Apparently she won the crazy hair contest. :)

Hope that gave you a smile...

Suzz

Cream and Black

The City Crafter Challenge this week is Cream and Black and the Mojo Monday had another fun sketch. I combined the two challenges together to create my card. 

I really struggled with this one for some reason. But finished it off and tried a new effect with the black glitter. 

I started with a few scraps (Yeah) the embossed panel and the die cuts were in my scraps from another project. I wanted a mostly cream card with touches of black but ended up using glimmer mist on my lace to turn it black.

The image was stamped using black ink and I wanted to add texture so I added a line of glue with Stampendous Ultra-Fine glitter around the edges.  I love how it looks like lace.

The rest was just layering and assembling.

Products: Stampendous - Ultra-fine Black glitter, Stampendous - Rose, Stampendous - Cherub, Hero Arts Antique Engravings

Here is the sketch:

Hope your day is going well!

Suzz

Manly Card

The Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge this week is to show men.  The layout of my card is from the sketch at Mojo Monday #208.

I decided to use the sketch like a grid card and try to put together 4 panels of manliness using Artistic Outpost stamps and 7 Gypsies paper.

The sets used include: Artistic Outpost - Steampunk, Huck Finn, Paris Exposition, and Loverly London. 
Lots of distressing with the sponge and Vintage Photo. Touches of watercolor pencils and stamped using Ranger Archival Black Ink. Finished off with a touch of white gel pen highlights.

It's Raining... It's Pouring..... More rain in the forecast for us today and tomorrow. 

Hope your day is seeing a little sunshine!

Suzz

Two Cards, Two Sketches and One Color Scheme

My inspiration for today's post was to use the warm colors from ColourQ challenge #99 with the sketches from PageMaps and Mojo Monday...   These two cards took me a really long time.... And lots of ripped paper and messing around.  I think my mojo is hiding and giving me a hard time. :)


The PageMaps layout:

Using the lovely Stella Rose from My Mind's Eye which works wonderfully with the colors this week at ColourQ.

and the Mojo Monday Sketch #205

Using the same papers and the wonderful Verses Rubber Stamps for my sentiment.

 Here are the sketches and color inspiration:

Hope you have big plans for the weekend.  We are planning on doing some housework and hanging out. Have a good one!

Suzz