Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Some challenge cards

Hi everyone! I have a couple challenge cards to share with you today. First up, I combined today's SCS sketch challenge with Dawn's Raspberry Suite #17 -Aqua mist, Choc chip, Cream, Kraft and Pure poppy.
These are such fun colors and GUESS WHAT? They match Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly! I used some of the 6x6 mini deck paper and chipboard stickers for this card. What fun! Me likie the chipboard stickers!! The sentiment is from Verve's Ornamental Christmas set -lots to choose from and they all fit in the Word Window punch. Love that!

Next up is Amber's Viva La Verve September 5 challenge. Well, close to it anyway. Her sketch this week, had a twist of specialty paper. I used some handmade paper that one of my stamping friends gave me. It has gold embossed dots on it. Really thick and lucious!

I said "close" to it cause as you can see, I strayed from the sketch -I just couldn't get those circles to work!! You should see my craft space, circles of all sizes and colors all over it!! So I scrapped it, went with a larger image panel, and called it good!

I used the amazing swans from Swan Song and embossed them with gold EP. I "fluffed" out the feathers by curling them with my fingernail and gluing them down only at the bottom. Then I put Stardust Stickles on them. I used my Labels Eight nesties and traced the inside with my gold paint pen from Marvy -very cool!! I just love the pops of pink on this.

Here is a picture of the inside. I did the same tracing effect on my Label's Eight die, but it bled a bit, so I had to color the entire rim with my gold pen. It's a bit too thick for my taste, but still looks elegant.

Here is a detail pic of the swans.
Thanks for stopping by and don't forget that World Cardmaking Day is this Saturday, Oct 3rd. There is going to be lots of challenges, fun and games over at Splitcoast in the Challenges Forum. Verve is gonna be there and I hope to see you there too!

Card Deets (sketch card):
Stamps - Ornamental Christmas
Ink - Choc Chip
Paper - Kraft, Vintage Cream, Choc Chip, Jolly by Golly PP
Accessories - silver pearls, silver cord, rectangle nesties, Cosmo chipboard stickers, word window punch, score-pal

Card Deets (Viva La Verve card):
Stamps - Swan Song, Anniversary Birds for sentiment
Paper - White, pink pirouette, specialty handmade paper
Ink - VersaMark, Gold craft ink
Accessories - Gold pearls, Gold grosgrain, sweet blush double stitched ribbon, gold cord, gold EP, Labels Eight, stickles, Liquid Gold opaque paint marker (Marvy)

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Monday, September 28, 2009

Catching up with...

...VERVE!!!

Hi everyone! I have several cards to share today. Catching up on some Verve cards I have been making this month for the September release.

This card uses Happiness Found and the amazing Autumn Abundance pattern paper from PTI.
This card uses the Swan Song set, some amazing Bella Blvd pattern paper and last week's sketch from Crazy for Challenges.Here is another card using Swan Song. The pattern paper is from K&Co Que Sera Sera and what about that musical note charm? Woohoo! This card uses the Plain Jane 1 Chronicles 16:34. The amazing pattern paper is MME Tres Jolie.This card is for this week's Featured Stamper, NancyRuth and uses Starstruck.

This is a set of mini cards I made using Starstruck and You Rock.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!


P.S. during one of the many times deleting the blank lines created from uploading my cards, I deleted my signature -whatEVER Blogger! LOL!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Cupcake inspiration challenge #26

Hi everyone, it's Sunday and that means it's time for another FABULOUS Cupcake Inspiration challenge from Hope Stamps Eternal! Check out this week's gorgeous creation!
OK, my card isn't up to par with this inspiration photo, trust me it was in MY MIND- LOL!

I was inpired by the orange blooms and green in the leaves. I pulled in the green by using some Cosmo Cricket Earth Love 6x6 mini deck, the leaves strip of PP is from Early Bird. I wanted something pretty simple and chose 3 Zva felt flowers, from the Cozy mix. The amazing stamped frame is from PTI's new Vintage Labels set. I colored it in with some copics and then went over them with a clear Sakura glitter pen. I used Memory Box rhinestones in the centers and along the bottom.

The ribbon is PTI's Orange Zest twill and there are scored lines along the bottom and above the ribbon. That lovely delicate sentiment is from Verve's Enjoy set. Man, nobody does sentiments like Julee!!

Hummm, I might be too hard on myself, but I think this card is a bit bottom heavy. I ran out of time to tinker with it some more, but I thinking maybe some stamped flourishes? More scoring? Something?!!

Everyone is invited to play along in the challenge!! If you do, be sure to link your creation to Mr. Linky on the HSE blog. Every week, Rach highlighs the top 5!! Congrats to this week's Top Picks!!!

Now head on over to my fellow HSE Sweetie's cards and see how they rocked those cupcakes!!

Carolina - Carolina's Creative Pad
Rachel - Hope Stamps Eternal
Colleen - Glitter Ink
Bonnie - The Lucky Clucker (uploading late)
Tammy - Stamp Happy
Natalie - Dougnat Diaries
Jessica - Shamrocks and Seashells
Kelli - Yard Sale Kind of Luck

Card Deets:
Stamps - Enjoy (Verve), Vingage Labels (PTI)
Ink - Soft Suede (SU!)
Paper - Vintage Cream, Earth Love and Early Bird (both Cosmo Cricket)
Accessories - Felt flowers, green rhinestones, score-pal, Labels One nesties, orange zest twill ribbon

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Friday, September 25, 2009

Friday Friends with Flair

Hi Everyone, it's Friday and I have a Unity Friends with Flair card to share!! Angela has the master list of all the 50 designers participating in the FWF this week! Take a lookie at the Unity blog for the names/links of more Unity goodness.

My card uses my FAV image from June KOM, Perfect in Every Way -the lovely blossom branch. The sentiment is from my go-to Verve Circular Sayings set. The fun colorful DP is from Cosmo Cricket, Early Bird and the sketch I followed is from last week's Mojo sketch, #104. I loved it so much I saved it until I had a chance to use it. LOVE the circles and strips in this sketch!

My branch and blooms are colored with Copics and painted with Angel Wings Shimmerz. Some of my favorite silver pearls and silver cord add the finishing touches.

If you are here trying to follow the HSE Halloween blog hop, please scroll down to the post below to get your code letter and chance to comment for the Sweet Treats!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Card Deets:
Stamps - Perfect in Every Way, Circular Sayings
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy, Ocean Tides, Early Bird PP
Accessories - Circle and Blossom Nestabilities (Spellbinders), silver pearls, silver cord and copic markers

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

HSE Halloween blog hop!

Hi everyone and welcome to Hope Stamps Eternal HALLOWEEN BLOG HOP!

Along with seeing some fabulous Halloween creations from the HSE Sweeties, there is also a HIDDEN (well, semi-hidden) HSE Promo Code. To get the code, you follow the blog hop and collect the "hidden" letter from each blog. The letters will spell a word that will give you 25% of EVERYTHING in the Hope Stamps Eternal store!! That includes the Clearance and all the NEW products we just received! (Pre-Order items excluded.) Promo Code will need to be in All Caps and the sale will be Oct 24th - 27th!

AND, it wouldn't be a blog hop without some sweet treats right? So, one of the HSE Sweeties is also a Secret Sweet Treat Stop!! So, be sure to comment on all the blogs, we will choose a random winner from a random blog Sunday night at 8pm Pacific. If you came my way via Colleen, you are on the right track. If not, you can go back to Rachel's blog and start from the beginning.

My card uses the SPOOKY and totally fun Crow Gate image from Inkadinkado. I embossed it in black and then did some sponging to make the moon and the yellow highlighting. I almost never do this, but with this Halloween card I thought it would look cool. The DP is Basic Grey, Eerie. What FUN this paper is!! I used Beate's Weekend sketch #98 for the layout.

Oh and see all the BLING? I finally remembered to use my Zva Creative clear swirls! I removed the last rhinestone on the ends and replaced it with colored rhinestones from Zva's Crystal Dots. The sentiment is computer generated, I used the Matisse ITC font (comes standard with Word), and the purple cardstock is from Core'dinations. I sanded it a bit and the white showed thru -cool!!

Well, thanks for stopping by, now head on over to NATALIE's blog for some more spooky stuff and the next letter!!

Card Deets:
Stamps - Crow Gate (Inka), computer generated sentiment (Matisse ITC)
Ink - VersaMark, pumpkin pie, lovely lilac, black (all for sponging)
Paper - Black, white and Avacodo (all PTI), purple (Core'dinations), and pattern paper Eerie (Basic Grey)
Accessories - Crystal Dots Bright Series rhinestones and Symmetrical Flourishes-small (G) clear (both Zva Creative), rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Distress tool (Heidi Swapp), misc silver ribbon


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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Satin ribbon comparison

Hi everyone! If you are like me and OBSESSED with ribbon (yeah, I know you're out there!), I have a fun comparison for you. (I uploaded the pics in the "medium" size, so you can click on them and make them bigger.)

Like many of you, I have drifted to PaperTrey for their cardstock and ribbons (not because of the SU! thing that happened this month as I am not a demo). I started getting into PTI because they have great prices for a smaller sample. I NEVER go through 10-15 yards of ribbon before moving on to the next great color or pattern. AND buying 12 sheets of cardstock for $3 is a dream come true! You KNOW it is!! LOL!

Anyway, I have problem with PTI's satin ribbon... it's NOT double sided. I have a touch of the OCD and having one side of my bow showing the underside of the ribbon about drives me CRAZY! I have been known to fiddle with a bow for HOURS to get those little white dots on both sides AND the ends!

On to my comparison! Heidi's store, Pinkhedgehog Papercrafts has an amazing assortment of satin ribbon to die for (33 colors) and it's ALL double sided! AND it comes in 3 widths! AND it's even cheaper than PTI! Double, no triple woot!

She charges $1.50 for 5 yards of 5/8" and if you want to go all out and order 1 yard of each 33 colors, it is only $11.50! YUMMY!

So, while I was at Heidi's house the other day, I had her clip a small piece of every satin ribbon color she had cause I wanted to compare it to PaperTrey and SU's cardstock. Here is what I did:

I punched the PaperTrey cardstock with my star punch and punched SU cardstock with my butterfly. On the papers that don't have a good match, I put a ? mark by the title. But on many occasion there is a PERFECT match!


I also wanted to mention that it is so hard to photograph colors like this! I took my papers outside, in the sun and shade and finally settled on my craft desk with my Ott light shining on it. At least it gives you an idea.


AND Heidi's store is the go to place for Copic markers! Lots of inventory and great prices!

I hope this was helpful and thanks for stopping by!


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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Cupcake Inspiration challenge #25

Hi everyone, it's Sunday and that means it's time for another FABULOUS Cupcake Inspiration challenge from Hope Stamps Eternal! Check out this week's Orange-y goodness!
My card uses a Miss Anya image from The Greeting Farm, this one is Rain from the Rain, Snow, Shine set. I was inspired by the fall colors and leaves on the cupcakes and picked out some of PaperTrey's new Autumn Abundance DP. LOVE it -LOL!! She is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copic Markers. The amazing gold detailing on her trim and buttons is from an Opaque paint marker (from Marvy) called Liquid Gold -isn't it the neatest?!? The felt flowers are Zva Creative from the Cozy mix.

Lately, I have been going with silver pearl accents, but these colors just called for gold -thankfully Michael's makes BOTH! Oh yeah, I went there! The sentiment is computer generated, and is the standard Comic Sans font.

Here is a picture of the inside. I do something I almost never do, I covered a piece of chipboard! The DP I chose to cover it is the Summer Sunrise piece of PTI's Bitty Dots DP. I used a couple SU punches, some more gold cord and pearls for the detailing.

Everyone is invited to play along in the challenge!! If you do, be sure to link your creation to Mr. Linky on the HSE blog. Every week, Rach highlighs the top 5!! Congrats to this week's Top Picks!!!

If you upload to SCS or PCP, be sure to use keyword: CIC25.Now head on over to my fellow HSE Sweetie's cards and see how they rocked those cupcakes!!

Carolina - Carolina's Creative Pad
Rachel - Hope Stamps Eternal
Colleen - Glitter Ink
Bonnie -
The Lucky Clucker (has the week off)
Tammy - Stamp Happy
Natalie - Dougnat Diaries
Jessica - Shamrocks and Seashells
Kelli -
Yard Sale Kind of Luck

Card Deets:
Stamps - Rain, Snow, Shine
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper - White, Really Rust, Autumn Abundance and Bitty Dots PP
Accessories - Gold cord, Gold pearls (Micheal's Inc), Felt flowers -cozy mix (Zva Creative), Score-Pal, Copic markers, Liquid Gold opaque paint marker (Marvy), Scallop border, large oval and word window punches (all SU!), chipboard flower (Queen & Co.)
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Saturday, September 19, 2009

And the winner is...

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:35
Timestamp: 2009-09-19 18:34:37 UTC

As you all probably noticed, I was the holder of the hidden Unity Flair!! Woot! Per Random.org, commenter #35 is the winner!

"Expressions of a Creative Mind said...
WOW!! Just wow
September 18, 2009 11:22 AM "


Congrats Sara and contact Eryn at eryn@unitystampco.com with your address and she will send you your Blog Candy!

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Friday, September 18, 2009

Unity Friends with Flair

Hi Everyone, it's Friday and I have a Unity Friends with Flair card to share!! Angela has the master list of all the 50 designers participating in the FWF this week! Take a lookie at the Unity blog for the names/links of more Unity goodness.

This week, I used Tiny Giggle Grove and a sentiment from June KOM, Perfect in Every Way. AND I used the FTL #59 for the layout on this one. I needed a quick and easy card and this is definitely that! Well, except that I couldn't decide on my circle pieces ("branches") for the tree. I stamped those little circles about 25 times before I settled on the arrangement I have -LOL! BUT, in theory it was quick!!

Here is a close up pic so you can see the scored lines on the right of the panel.

Dont' forget, tonight is the Verve Release party!! I hope to see you there at 6pm Pacific! Lots of chatting, more peeks and prizes.

AND, Hope Stamps Eternal has the new Basic Grey 6x6 pad Releases: Eerie, Eskimo Kisses, and Indian Summer! All completely GORGEOUS! The new Bella Blvd goodies have arrived too: Camped Out, Plastino (my FAV) and Super Stud and in DA HOUSE!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back Sunday with this week's Cupcake Inspiration challenge!


Card Deets:
Stamps - Perfect in Every Way and Tiny Giggle Grove (both Unity Stamping Co)
Ink - Basic Black (SU!)
Paper - White (PTI), Pacific Point and Real Red DSP (both SU!)
Accessories - Silver Pearls (Michael's, Inc), 1/4" grosgrain (Offray), red ric-rac (Martha Stewarts), Score-Pal

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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

New PaperTrey goodies and a Verve sneaky

Hi everyone! I have a quick card to share. I just got some new PaperTrey goodies and HAD to bust them out!! I have been lovin' this In Bloom set for months and finally told myself to just BUY IT ALREADY! LOL!

My card uses the sketch from the new challenge blog, Crazy 4 Challenges. So, I get 1/2 way throught the card and seriously ran out of time. My days have been getting away from me, and I just had to stop. That ever happen to you? I was hoping to add some leaves and maybe do more with the image panel, but here it is!!

The delicious pattern paper is from KaiserScrapbook -Australia. Over there they can get paper and all sorts of goodies from Kaiser. Here we get the pearls and rhinestones, but thanks to my GF Kathy, I see there is a whole other world of Kaiser! LOL! The sentiment is from Verve's Enjoy set.
Wednesday starts the official sneak peeks of the Verve September release, but you can see a super duper sneaky now with my Color Challenge sample card. My colors are Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, with Mellow Moss as optional. I would love to have you all play along!
My card uses the new set called Harvest Blessings (which will be peeked on Friday). I hope you all have a chance to play. If you do, be sure to upload to SCS with the keyword SEP09C!

Thanks for stopping by!


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Monday, September 14, 2009

Some RAKs and Verve release week!

Hi everyone! I have some RAKs to share with you today. I am a horrible blogger when it comes to RAKs. Don't get me wrong, these lovely cards all have a wonderful place in my craft area for me to enjoy. It just takes me forEVAH to blog about them! LOL!

So, some of these RAKs date back to February! Here goes:

This lovely card comes from Laura (Scrapnextras)
This lovely card comes from Jodi (Stamping a Latte)
This lovely card comes from Jen (The Buck Stamps Here)
This lovely card comes from Bev (Bevithia)
This lovely card comes from Maria (Scraps by M)
This lovely card comes from Silke (My Life)This lovely card comes from Stacy (Twinshappy)
This lovely card and amazing stash of Australian goodies comes from Kathy (Inspired to Stamp)

AND today kicks off the Verve Release Week fun! The release is on Friday, and Julee is starting the week off with a great sketch for you! A few of the Diva's are hosting some challenges this week and we'd love for you to play along! You can find out all the details here!

I am hosting a Color Challenge!! Woohoo! Hey, I can't do a masculine card challenge EVERY time -LOL! The details of my challenge can be found here. Be sure to head to the Verve Blog for a recap and to find out who is the Guest Verve Diva this month! Wednesday the peeks will start!

Thanks for stopping by!

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