SMILE!

Today I'd like to feature my daughter, Angeline Nicolette, as guest blogger.   She loves to stamp and color.   About a week ago she had created the cutest funky drawing on notebook paper.   All I could think of was how much I wished that image was on some better paper.  So I gave her some Strathmore Bristol smooth and cut it up into smaller pieces.   This smiley face is what she created on one of them.

I ran across today's "Way to Use It" challenge on SplitcoastStampers WT390.  The challenge is "Smile!"  The image of my daughter's artwork came to mind.   With her permission, I made a card out of it.

So I have to tell you the story of this smiley face.  Angeline used to draw the standard smiley face with a circle, two dots and a bit of a smile.   Well, I always had this wonky and somewhat demented looking smiley face with a big nose and lots of expression in the eyes.   She copied mine for  awhile and then it morphed into this awesome creation.   Everything is larger than life, which kind of describes Angeline's vivacious personality.

Here's a bit of a close up.   The construction is ueber simple.  I just added a mat of orange and popped it up a bit from the card base. I just couldn't add anything to the image itself.  It cracks me up just the way it is and I can't think of any embellishment that could even try to improve on my daughter's artwork.  

And best of all, here's a picture of the artist, Angeline Nicolette.   She's full of life and spunky as can be. If she only knew how crazy I am over her, well her and her brother.

Supply List:

Paper: Strathmore Bristol Smooth, Stampin' Up (Island Indigo)

Marers: Zig

Happiest Birthday Flowers

Without this week's ColourQ challenge, I never would have put this combination of colors together.  And for a while there last night, I didn't think it was going to happen.   But before the night was out, I had this card designed and most of it compiled.  I finished it up this evening.

I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch for the layout.  

Here's a close up of the elements that helps show all of the layers. I made my own DSP by stamping on white and then embossed it for texture.  I had to carefully line up the pattern and run the piece of paper through a second time to cover the entire 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 piece of white.   On top of the pennants, I added the label cut out by hand.  I really wish SU would have released that shape die in the size to work with that stamp.  It's just a tease knowing that SU has a die in that shape, but it's too small.  The flowers are stamped and layered using pop dots.  The bits of ribbon are added to mimic leaves for the flowers.  I managed to adhere the label down before I stamped a greeting onto it, so I improvised and added another pennant with a greeting.  I think I like it better this way anyhooo. 

And the inside of the card.  I stamped some more of the flowers and used some craps of the pattern paper from the Twitterpated DSP for another pennant. 

These are the two challenges I used as inspiration for this card. The first is the Mojo Monday sketch and the second is the ColourQ color combination challenge. 

  

Supply List

Stamps: SU Everything Elanor, SU Apothecary Art (for the greeting)

Paper: SU cardstock, SU DSP (Urban Oasis, Twitterpated, Welcome Neighbor)

Inks: Stampin' Up

Markers: Sakura Clear Star Sparkle Gelly Roll pen

Tools: SU embossing folder

Accents: SU Gumball Green stitched ribbon. 

Challenges: mojo256, cQc152

Birthday Winner

I love the ColourQ combination this week.   The turquoise and orange are just such a fun and vibrant combination. I was also determined to use the elephant in this fun new stamp set called You're Amazing from Stampin' Up.   My local demo, Chris Galbraith and I were talking about the elephant and the birthday hat.  So I just had to make use of him.   Here's the card I came up with.

I used my Copic markers to color the elephant.   I stamped the Winner tag back ground using one of the stamps in the stamp set and several masks.   The little tickets are stamped, punched and pop dotted out. 

Here you can see the dimension and all of the layers. 

Lastly, the inside of the card.   Most of the supplies used are Stampin' Up,

Here's the ColourQ inspiration for this week.  The only black I ended up using is the ink for the stamped image, but it's there.

I also used some guidance from this week's Retro Sketches challenge, though I deviated some.  I just needed more white in the card to balance it all out and reduced one of the strips. 

Supplies

Stamps: Stampin' Up (You're Amazing)

Inks/Color: Stampin' Up Inks (Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie), Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic Markers

Papers:  Stampin' Up cardstock and printed papers, Neenah cardstock for the elephant colored with Copic markers. 

Accessories: Stampin' Up ribbon, misc. brads,

Tools: Stampin' Up Embossing folder, Stampin' Up large scallop circle punch, circle cutter, EK Success tag punch,  EK Success border punch used on the inside of the card.

Challenges: rs25, cQc151

ColorQ Courtier

I'm tickled pink.  My submission for last week's ColorQ challenge was selected as one of the Courtiers.   Check out the winning card and all of the other great finalists.  Click HERE.

For my original blog post on this card, click HERE.

Friendly Monster Birthday

Here's my card using this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  I stamped and colored the little monster image some time ago using my Copic markers.   I can't color right now as my hand is still heeling from surgery, so it's a perfect time to put this little one to use.  Oh and I have to add that the colors are for my 8 year old daughter.   It's a bit busy for me, but she thinks it's wonderful.  :-)

Supplies
Stamps: Close to My Heart (Party Animal), Stampin Up (Vintage Labels)
Paper: Basic Grey (Lime Rickey), Stampin' Up card stock
Tools: Spellbinders, Stampin' Up punches, Fiskars border punch
Coloring: Copic Markers, Memento Ink, Stampin Up inks.

Black Bow Wishes

Two challenges provided the inspiration that created this card.   For the colors, I was inspired by this weeks Dynamic Duos challenge and for the layout, I used this week's Retro Sketch.  I started with the colors and pulled papers with black and/or River Rock.   I settled on the papers from Stampin Up's Neutral's Patterns Stack.   The prints use an image that is also part of Stampin' Up's Artistic Etchings stamp set.  Voila, I have my paper and stamp set.  Next is to assemble it all using the sketch.  

Additional supplies include SU Very Vanilla cardstock, SU black satin ribbon, and a SU antique brad.

 Inside of the card.

Color and sketch challenges used. 

Newly Wed Elegance

I don't have any cards in my stash for newly weds, well...now I have one.   I used last week's Retro Sketch #24 and last week's Dynamic Duos #15 as inspiration. I wasn't paying attention to the challenge cut off dates and missed the submission deadline, however, I enjoyed the inspiration nonetheless.   I don't get to do these challenges that often, so this is a treat.   Here's what I came up with.

The embossed layer is slightly smaller than the card base and popped up.   I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  I cut the pink medallion using my KNK Zing after tracing the image using Make the Cut.  I wasn't sure I'd like the medallion and may end up investing in the die after all.   The upper left corner is rounded using a Martha Stewart punch.  It has a bit of a larger radius than some of my other corner rounders.

The seam binding ribbon and antique brad are from Stampin Up.  The greeting is stamped in Certainly Celery Classic Die ink and using a stamp from Stampin' Up's Teeny Tiny Wishes set and then punched using SU's Word Window punch and layered on a punch out (SU Modern Label punch).   Add some pearl accents and SU dimensionals and the front of the card is complete.

Here's the inside of the card. 

And lastly, icons from the two challenges I used as inspiration. DD15 and RS24

Sailing the Seas (PPA141, PP108)

I was looking at some of the challenges that I've been wanting to do and managed to combine the Paper Players 108 and the Pals Paper Arts 141 sketch challenge.  I missed the cut off to enter the Paper Players challenge, but enjoyed the color combo none the less.

I added an envelope...

Here's the inside of the card

Here's the sketch and color challenge that provided inspiration.

Supply List: 
Stamps: SU - The Open Sea
Paper: SU - Nautical Expedition DSP, SU - Regals Patterns Stack, SU cardstock
Ink: SU
Accessories: Square Brads - Paper Studio, SU - Baker's Twine,
Tools: SU Pinking Hearts border punch

Hot Air Birthday (mojo254, cQc150)

Though I had surgery on my right hand, I;m working at becoming more adept using my left hand.  It's tricky, but I was determined to make a card last night.

The close up shows the dimension and layers.  I count 10 layers before it was all done. 

For the bit of yellow ribbon on the greeting, I didn't have that color, so I grabbed my Daffodil Delight marker and colored a piece of white ribbon.

The balloons were stamped by coloring on the stamp with SU markers and then stamping.

Here's the inside of the card,

This card was inspired by two challenges.

Supply List

Stamps: Stampin Up (You're Amazing and Afterthoughts)

Paper:  Stampin Up cardstock & printed paper (Big Top Birthday, 2010 In Color Pattern Stack)

Ink: Stampin Up

Markers: Stampin Up

Accessories: brads, Stampin Up baker's twine, Stampin' Up ribbon

Tools: Stampin Up square and scalloped square punches, Inside - EK Success border punch

Eclectic & Romantic

I just had surgery on my right hand this past Tuesday for carpal tunnel and trigger thumb, so I'm home recovering.  I'm getting more and more adept with my left hand, but not enough to do a lot of creating.  I do have pictures of cards and such from before I started my blog and now is as good a time as any to post some of those.


Here's a cardset I made using several Stampin Up stamp sets and My Mind's Eye printed papers.  The Stampin Up stamp sets are: Bliss, Artistic Etchings, Wanted, and Elements of Style.  Stampin Up Classic Inks are used for stamping and subtle shading on all of the cards.

The background printed paper is further embossed by stamping with Versa Mark ink and using clear embossing powder.  The SU Decorative Label punch was used on the greeting.  I used a Fiskars border punch on the bottom along with some scrunched up red seam binding.  The flower is from a mystery package that my aunt sent me.  She occasionally sends me boxes of things and I never know what's going to be inside.

The heart and scalloped border punches are from Martha Stewart.  Stampin Up's Curly Label punch is used for the greeting and SU's round scalloped punch is used for an accent piece.   Seam binding and some pearl accent finish up the card.

This card uses a border punch from Martha Stewart and some blue satin ribbon (unknown brand).

I used the same technique as on the first card to emboss the background.  Accents include a Prima flower, a pearl brad (probably from Paper Studio), and some seam binding.  The greeting is punched using SU's large oval and scalloped oval punches.

Album: Tropical Wedding

I was honored when some friends asked me to shoot their wedding.   I'm not a professional photographer, but sure do love to shoot and am lucky enough to get a few decent shots now and then.   This is my second wedding where I'm the official photographer, but I've paparazzi shot others of close friends and made them some albums.   My friends, Tim and Theresa, were kind enough to let me share their scans of the small gift album I made them on my blog.   Thank you Tim and Theresa.  I wish you all the best.  You're great for each other and it makes me happy to see you together.

The album size is 7x7 so 5x7 prints were perfect for quick pages that pop.  See the supply list at the end of this post for more product info.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Supplies & Tools: 
Printed Paper: Graphics 45 (Tropical Travelogue collection, and stripes from Communique collection)
Cardstock: Creative Memories
Stickers: Creative Memories ABC/123 stickers, Mrs. Grossman Design Lines
Tools: Border Punches (EK Success, Martha Stewart, Fiskars), KNK Zing electronic cutter, Make the Cut software.
Font: Saginaw (in cut files)
Accessories: Square Rhinestones, Pearls, Vellum Quotes (Creative Memories)
Album: Creative Memories 7x7 with black pages.