Celebration

Mojo Monday is having a celebration. This week is their 300th post!  Julee always has inspiring sketches and I love to use the Mojo Monday sketches to help my design skills. I used the Mojo Monday sketch to help kick-start one of my many birthday cards needed for this month.

 My nephew loves wildlife and nature. I had Mr. Owl sitting on my desk and thought he might be okay for a masculine card.  I stamped him up on a glimmer misted glossy cardstock. The La Blanche stamps with the fine details work best with a Versafine ink on a glossy cardstock. I ended up actually heat setting the ink to get it to dry.  La Blanche also has some beautiful cardstock which works wonderfully with their stamps and distress inks.  I just can't keep my cardstock straight and it was easier to identify my glossy cardstock. :)

I glimmer misted coordinating pieces of regular cardstock in the background and ran them through the embossing folder. They received a sponging of colors and a tiny bit of stamping of script over the surface.  I stamped the Happy Birthday using black ink on a coordinating piece of scrap cardstock.

When I finished the design I realized my Owl needed a party hat.  Mr. Owl declined a party hat but said he was willing to wear a crown.  I obliged with a crown stamped on the same misted glossy cardstock.

Here is the wonderful sketch:

Hope your day is wonderful!

Suzz

Play Date Cafe Challenge #23

Welcome to another fun Play Date Cafe Challenge...

This week's colors come from Sarah Anderson


Light blue, Ivory and deep blue. I immediately thought of china. The beautiful china that has a lovely patina from years of use. That was my inspiration for my card.

I pulled out my Memory Box Antique Damask stamp and inked it up with Memento Summer Sky and then stamped it across the front of the card. I repeated with the Versafine Majestic Blue to give it a lovely shadowy effect.

The border is punched using a lovely large scallop from EK Success border punch.

The main image is stamped from Impression Obsession Rose Stem from Alesa Bakers Designs. I colored it using my watercolor pencils. I stamped this inside a lovely stamped image from Fiskars. The background is stamped using the Hero Arts artistic windows and the light blue dye ink. The die cut shape is from Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 8.

Take a peek at all the other design team members, you won't be disappointed.
Sarah Anderson
Stephanie Kraft
Ruby 2 Shoes
Savannah O'Gwynn
Mona Pendleton
Julie Ranae
Lisa Somerville

and our guest designer ...

Arielle H Gordon

Hope you get a chance to play along with us at the Play Date Cafe Challenge.

Suzz

New Memory Box stamps

I promised to share some of the new Memory Box stamps and here they are...

My idea was to create a pocket card...

Which I did but I ended up using the same image on the pocket insert as the inside so it really didn't need a pocket. :)

One of my favorite from the new stamps is the tree stamp.

The recipe is very simple. The only thing I did that required some pre-thought was to die cut the paper and lay them all together when I stamped the corners.

Products:

• Memory Box Gossamer
• Memroy Box - Tree of Life
• Memory Box - New beginnings
• Memory Box - Script Block
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Memento - Bamboo Leaves, Rich Cocoa, RoseBud
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels 2

Everyone have a lovely weekend!

Suzz

Impression Obsession Weekly Challenge - Shapes

This week the new Impression Obsession Challenge is to create a card that is shaped. The challenges are fun and the prize is a 25.00 gift certificate to IO. I already was selected once before and it was so much fun shopping for my stamps!

I wanted to create a flower. This sent me searching through my punches and dies to see which one might make a good petal. I decided to use my trusty Spellbinders Nestabilities Label 4 die.

This is how it looked when I was finished...

The laying flat view:

Recipe:

1. Cut 6 petals from white card stock of each size. The sizes started from the second to smallest die and up two more sizes.
2. Spray all the pieces with a lovely shimmery coat of Lemon Zest Glimmer Mist.
3. Lay the medium petals in the center of the largest petals and spray them with Tuscany Sun Glimmer Mist.
4. Spray the smallest petals with Tuscany Sun Glimmer Mist.
5. Stamp the largest and smallest petals with red pigment ink.
6. Stamp the middle petals with orange pigment ink.
7. Sponge the edges of the large petals with brown dye ink.
8. Spritz the white card stock for the bees with the Lemon Zest glimmer mist.
9. Stamp the bees using a black pigment ink.
10. Apply orange stickles to the bees and the button for the center of the flower.
11. Each petal was rolled onto a pencil first the long way and then in half.
12. Die Cut two circles for card base. 3 1/2".
13. Attach the largest petals on the bottom of the petal to the circle. Push the petal up in the middle and flat again at the end.
14. Repeat for all petals.
15. Attach button in the middle.
16. Cut out bees and pop dot onto card.

Products:

• Impression Obsession - 8129, A8128 Left & Right Bee Side
• Impression Obsession - F2051 Small Swirl Background
• Versafine - Crimson Red, Habenero
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels 4, Large Circles
• Button
• Embroidery Thread
• Ranger Stickles - Orange
• Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist - Lemon Zest, Tuscany Sun

The next project I am working on is a few cards for Jennifer McGuire's Cards for Kids Drive.

As always thank you for stopping by... It is greatly appreciated!

Suzz

Mojo Monday Challenge #121

I wanted to play along in the Mojo Monday sketch challenge because sketch challenges are the hardest for me and it is good to stretch your creativity. This also fits into the Hero Arts theme this month of friendship.

Here is the sketch:

Here is my card...

I think cards form their own personality. I start with an idea but have to follow the card's personality once it gets started. (Just like your children) This ended up being a masculine type of card and I wanted to add frills but couldn't make it work. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Friends Definition
• Hero Arts - Designblock - Tree
• Memory Box - Tree (Hearts)
• Versafine Vintage Sepia, Crimson Red
• The Stamp Barn - WOR 183 F
• Ranger Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Mustard, Faded Jeans, Shabby Shutters

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Love birds

Just playing around with some stamps from Memory Box.

The background is stamped in Antique Linen on Ivory cardstock to give a shadow effect. I sponged the edges with brown dye ink.

I added the little heart notes with the Just a Note sentiment using a red dye ink. The ribbon is this gorgeous ribbon I purchased at my LSS. The birds are colored using my watercolor pencils.

I have been working on lots of other projects that I can't share just yet...

Products:

• Memory Box - Alpha Background E996
• Memory Box - Love Birds E1173
• Memory Box - Just a Note - B864
• Memory Box - Heart Notes A1171
• Ranger Distress Inks - Antique Linen, Fire Brick Red
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Label 4

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Tag Tuesday # 33 - Polka dots and Stripes

Louise's challenge this week is polka dots and stripes... Sounds like so much fun doesn't it? Her tag is really cute and lives up to the fun description.


I had all intentions of creating a tag using bright colors and showing off my polka dots and stripes! But once you start creating you follow the project to where it wants to go...

I started with was an ivory tag. I stamped the stripes cling stamp from Hero Arts first using the toffee Versafine ink. I then stamped the dots cling stamp from Hero Arts over that with Versafine Vintage Sepia. I embossed the stamped images with clear embossing powder. Then I sprayed Tuscany Sun Glimmer Mist over the entire tag.

I decided to use the bird that was leftover from another project to nest on my tag. Which led me to this great definition stamp from Impression Obsession that gives the definition of nest. To get that to show up I stamped it on an acetate tag cut to the same shape as my original tag. I stamped using my StaZon brown ink.

The flourish for the stems on my flowers and the script on the flowers are from Hero Arts. The flowers are Prima and are also spritzed with the Tuscany Sun Glimmer Mist.

Have a fabulous Tuesday!

Suzz

Glimmery Butterflies

After my stamping fun on Saturday, I had to pull out the colors that Dawn used to create her butterfly garden. They were so gorgeous... I sprayed some Lemon Zest, Tuscany Sun and Mustard Seed Glimmer Mist to create this gorgeous background. I also used one of the masks from Tattered Angels which creates the lighter areas on the background.

The rest is just stamping overlays... I stamped the script (Hero Arts - Old Letter Writing) using Toffee which is a very similar color to the background.

I stamped the flourishes (Hero Arts Heart Flourish) and butterflies (Hero Arts - Antique Engravings) using a brown pigment ink. The sentiment in stamped in purple pigment ink.

I accented the beautiful butterflies with some brown and purple coloring with watercolor pencils.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Denim anyone?

As I was doing laundry a few days ago, I notice a big rip in my son's jeans. I know rips and tears are in on jeans but this one was in an inappropriate place. :)

I was going to through them out as I am not a sewing kind of gal.... But then I thought... Hmm... I need a fun project for me and my stamping buddies... What if I stamp on the denim?

Here it is.... Our project from yesterday using denim as the stamping surface...

I was really pleased because the die cut actually cut through the denim with the exception of the ends which it almost cut through. I think it would have but my boards are very warped for my CB and I think it prevented it from completely cutting out the denim. I handcut the ends.

Couple of things I tried and didn't work...

• Bleaching on this denim. (Too light of a surface to begin with and the stamps need to be less detailed.


• Coloring on denim. The copics do color but the color is different due to the blue tint in the background. This would require more play time and a bleached surface.


• Stamping on denim. Didn't give enough punch of color so I used embossing powder to make the color really pop.
  

Couple of things I tried and liked....

• Glimmer mist on denim. I really liked the effect. It added a glisten to the fabric. I then stamped in versamark on top and embossed with a white embossing powder and it looked fantastic.


• Ranger Puffy Embossing Powder - Fun effect added another layer of dimension. Need to play with colors to see which look the best. (Does not work for any really detailed images/sentiments)


• Die-cuts and the denim. I die-cut even a small piece.
  

Products:

• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Zing - Chestnut Embossing Powder
• Hero Arts - Silhouette Burst, Silhouette Spray
• Impression Obsession - Lofty Dreams
• Spellbinders - Nestabilities
• Rangers - Stickles - Pink

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Wings of Dreams

Just playing around with my new Hero Arts Designblock Silhouette Grass.

I had a labels 8 die cut shape from white cardstock sitting on my desk from another project and decided to create a background.

The background is created by smearing tattered rose on my craft mat and spritzing water on the ink until it beads. Then use your finger to mix up the ink into swirls on the craft mat. Drag your white card stock through it until completely covered. Let dry with something on it to keep it flat.
Stamp the grass using versamark. Stamp the sentiment and birds using a brown pigment ink. Heat emboss using a clear embossing powder.

Sponge over the bottom half of the card with brown dye ink and top half with Ranger Distress Ink Tattered Rose.

Sponge the edges with brown dye ink and around the tops of the grass to give them a shadow.

Tie some twine around attach a button and you are done. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Silhouette Grass
• Hero Arts - Old Letter Writing
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Inks - Tattered Rose
• B Line Design Cube - Birds
• Verses - QQ0841-3 Wings of your Dreams
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - labels 8

I forgot to mention my new header. I enjoyed pulling out some of my vintage goodies for my holiday header that I thought I would go rummaging again. The cards leaning up in the background actually have a price tag from Woolworth's on them with 30 cents! I loved Woolworth's when we were growing up, you could always get a great deal. The other set of cards says it is the property of the churches woman's club that my Great-Aunt belonged to. Don't know how my mother ended up with them but glad I have them. My favorite is that little dog and his rug. My mother loved that dog and he always had a spot of honor on her shelf in the kitchen.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Gift Card Holder

The Hero Arts Blog Challenge for this week and next is gift card holders. I decided to use up a labels 8 shape sitting on my desk to create the gift card holder and then attach it to a card.

The gift card sits in the labels 8 shape and I tied a ribbon around it to be the accent on the top and to allow them to pull it from the slot. This is what it looks like when the gift card is removed.

The background is created using two Hero Arts stamps. One is from a Christmas Borders Clear set and the other is a Poinsettia stamp. The leaves are stamped using Memento Bamboo Leaves and the flowers are stamped using Versafine Toffee.

The tag sentiment is Amuse and is inked up partially several time to make it fit my circle tag.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Lovely Pinks and Browns

The inspiration for this card is this new paper from Memory Box. I love the pinks and browns. They are so pretty together.

The birds in the nest are new from Memory Box as well. They are stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia and cut out. I colored them using my Prismacolor pencils and added a little accent from my gel pen.

Products:

• Memory Box - (6 x 6 Gossamer)
• Memory Box - D1315 Nesting Birds
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Vintage Lace & Button
• Twine
• Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen
• Spellbinders - Nestabilities Label 8
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Prismacolor Color Pencils

Hope it is warmer by you. We are in the teen's and it is really chilly outside.

Suzz

Last of the tags for now!

I didn't use up all my tags but did finish off a few more this evening. I also finished the second design for our family Christmas Card which I will share tomorrow.

The first tag was a little tag that I just got as part of a bundle of paper I purchased at my LSS. They hold a quarterly garage sale. This is the first time I went over to check it out. It was really fun. People sign up and pay to sell their stamps, supplies they want to purge. I went with a friend and we picked up some good deals. This was a tag intended for a wedding. I strategically placed my bow and flower to cover up the wedding bells printed on the tag.

Such a simple tag to create and so pretty. I can't wait to put it on a present.

The second tag was stamped with water and distress inks for the script in the background. The birds and poinsettias stamp from Hero Arts was stamped using Versafine Toffee. I added additional colors using my color pencils to give some shading and definition.
Products:

• Hero Arts - Birds and Poinsettia Designblock
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - Holiday Messages
• Watercolor Pencils
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutter, Broken China
• Versafine - Toffee
• Hero Arts - Lace Flower Cluster
• Pink Embossing Powder
• Versafine - Olympia Green

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Tag #2 and #3

Go check out Jenn's blog and see her blog candy! She is an awesome designer and if you haven't visited her blog you will enjoy the visit! All her work is gorgeous!

Two more tags started from one inked background... I used the broken china and shabby shutters ranger distress ink. I smeared them on individually added lots of spritzes of water and then used my finger to stir it up to make blobs of ink. Drag the tag or paper through the ink and do the same for the other color.




The second tag was created because of the first tag being truncated. :) As always while experimenting I made a mistake and ended up creating a short tag.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Stunning Snowflakes
• Hero Arts - Old Letter Writing
• EK Success - Snowflake Punch
• Hero Arts - Outline Bold Flourish
• Embossing Powder - Silver, Clear, White
• Uni-ball Signo White Gel Pen
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutter, Broken China
• Versafine - Deep Lagoon
• Buttons, Ribbon Unknown
• Recollections - Pearls
• Penny Black - All the Stars
• Hero Arts - Winter Tree
• Krylon Silver Metallic Pen
• Hero Arts - Clear Set (Merry Christmas)

I inked up lots of backgrounds so you probably are going to be seeing a bunch more inky projects in the next couple of days.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for leaving comments they are all very much treasured!

Suzz

A whirlwind of fun...

I have a couple of exciting things to share:

First... Finished this card last night after playing with my spellbinders die cut and some fun Memory Box stamps.

I had seen a gorgeous and I mean stunning card on Yvonne's blog here: http://yvonne-anabelle.blogspot.com/2009/11/serendipity-november-challenge.html. I have this stamp too and am re-inspired to use it for my Christmas cards. (Will share if and when they are created).

I used the same Fleur De Lis die cut and cut 12 from a Memory Box card which I had stamped with a Memory box flourish stamp in Stonewashed dye ink.

The flowers are Memory Box - Black Eyed Susan E422 stamped in versafine black onyx and colored using watercolor pencils. I used the same colors on the butterflies (memory box - periwinkle B1181)

I sponged the outer circle to give it the orange-yellow effect to match the butterflies and flowers.

Second exciting news:

Tim Holtz started his 12 days of tags today... So much inspiration in techniques all jammed into 12 days. Also he has wonderful prizes so go check that out. I think I am going to try to play along as it fits in with the HA blog challenge this week and Louise's tag Tuesday challenge too!

Third:
My card is posted on the Moxie Fab World as a Tuesday Trigger! and as a bonus I also won a pack of paper from another post on Cathy's blog.

So I am having a wonderful day.. I hope you are too!

Suzz

Golden Brown....

Anytime I hear the words golden brown I think of something delicious. I think that might have been part of my inspiration for this card. (All that good thanksgiving cooking.) Daria sent me this Hero Arts Antique Map Background stamp which I love! (Thank you Daria!) She did this as a lovely surprise for me... knowing that I had admired it. What a wonderful gift to find in the mailbox yesterday along with a lovely card.

I thought I was going to make a masculine card but the butterfly showed up and some flowers. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Map Background
• Hero Arts - Everyday Sayings
• Hero Arts - Dandelion
• Hero Arts - Heart Winged Butterfly
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Inks - Broken China, Brushed Corduroy, Shabby Shutters
• Nestabilities - Label 8
• Inkadinkado - Dream
• Impression Obsession - Inspire
• Krylon - Gold Pen
• Ranger Stickles
• Recollections - Pearls
• Twine, Vintage Book, Buttons

Well the house is clean and now we have all the Christmas boxes out to make a disaster which hopefully will be cleaned up before family stops by.

Have a lovely day!

Suzz

Tag Tuesday # 27

Louise's Challenge is to create a holiday tag with the colors red, green, gold-yellow.



I had a santa already stamped in a gold yellow color and decided to emulate that on the tag and build the tag around him.

The images are mostly from a Stampers Anonymous Letters To Santa set. The Ho Ho Ho is stamped from a set of letters from Stamp Craft.

Inks include: Versamark, Ranger Distress Ink Aged Mahogany, Versafine Toffee, Olive Green.

The edges are created using a Gold Krylon Short Cust Paint Pen.

I hope you are having a wonderful day...

Suzz

Everything but the kitchen sink...

I decided to rename this post after I started typing up the details... This card had so many different elements to it..

This is for the HA blog challenge this week which is to use trimmings.


It all started with a package of goodies I recieved on Saturday. Anna Karin was so thoughtful and sent me an envelope full of lovely things. These were my RAK from her challenge on Two Peas for Stamptoberfest. (Thanks Anna-Karin!)

The background squares are from a masterboard I created awhile ago and made color copies of so I would have it on hand and it worked so beautifully with my main image. They were created using distress inks and resist embossing. The stamp is Hero Arts - Old French writing.

Recipe:

1. Cut card base from white cardstock 11 x 5 1/2". Score and fold in half.
2. Stamp typewriter letters using green chalk ink all over the front of the card.
3. Sponge edges of card using brown dye ink.
4. Cut 4 squares 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" from white cardstock and sponge brown dye ink around the edges.
5. Cut Frame 4 1/8" x 4 1/8" from white cardstock and die cut shape from center.
6. Cut square 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" from white cardstock and sponge edges using orange chalk ink.
7. Cut square 4 1/8" x 4 1/8" from white cardstock and stamp typewriter letters using green chalk ink.
8. Ink up flower stamp with yellow, orange, red, green chalk inks and stamp in center of typewriter background.
9. Ink up leafy branches with yellow, orange and brown chalk inks and stamp around flower.
10. Use brown colored pencil to accent leaves and flower on all stamped images.
11. Stamp butterfly on masterboard paper with versamark and heat emboss with brown embossing powder. Cut out butterfly.
12. Stamp sentiment on white cardstock using brown pigment ink.
13. Stamp typewriter letters using yellow chalk ink over sentiment.
14. Cut rectangle to mount sentiment on and sponge with orange chalk ink.
15. Assemble all layers. :)

Products:

• Colorbox Chalk Inks
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - Artistic Butterflies
• Velvet Ribbon - (Thanks Anna-Karin)
• Great Impressions - Coneflower (Thanks Anna-Karin)
• Ranger Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Fire Brick, Mustard Seed
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Versamark
• Zing - Chestnut
• Stampers Anonymous - School Desk
• Penny Black - Golden Leaves
• Stickles - Brass, Orange
• Memento - Rich Cocoa

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Plums & Buttercream

Cathy over at Moxie Fab World issued a plum challenge.. Love plum colors... Don't have any. :)


Lucky for me, Jacqueline did her challenge first and used the gorgeous Basic Grey Wisteria papers on her card which reminded me that I have a few sheets of that lovely paper too.


So here is my plummy card:

Products:

• The Crafters Workshop - Orchid Template - (Love these)
• Hero Arts - S5135 Outline Flowers
• PaberBag Studios - PBS-038-C Beauty
• Versafine - Imperial Purple
• Versamark
• Basic Grey - Wisteria
• Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punch
• Pearls - Unknown
• Light Yellow Embossing Powder
• Ranger Stickles - Purple

Thanks for stopping by... Have a beautiful day...

Suzz

Simple Holiday Tag

Hero Arts challenge this week is simple and quick cards. I created this little tag as my simple card. Probably took me a little longer than 10 minutes. :)

I am hoping that as you look at this you see an old fashioned wooden sled. That was my intent. This was really easy to create. I basically took a rectangle and use a punched out circle to trace the top line of the sled and a punch to punch out the bottom. I then stamped, clear embossed and sponged. After that was done I cut it into thirds.

I created a few scraps to hold it togther on the back.

The wreath is a snowflake stamp stamped in green ink and cut with shaving off the ends of some of the snowflake to give it a wreath appearance.

Punched the tag, colored the bird and created a rope for my sled and done.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Flower Background
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Memento Rich Cocoa
• Hero Arts - Grand Snowflake
• Memory Box - merry christmas
• McGill Punch - Tags
• Twine
• Versafine - Crimson Red
• Copics
• Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Hero Arts - Holly Bird

Thanks for stopping by..

(Oh.. I colored my pearls with my copic to make my red berries!)

Suzz