Stamp Happy

No party is complete...

...without pretty party hats, right?  So, for the My Favorite Things Guest Designer contest, I decided to create a party hat birthday card!  The winner of this contest gets to be the guest designer for the month of August, so all my fingers and toes are crossed for this one!  I hope it's good enough!

For the card, I just cut a regular A2 sized card, then angled off each side to form the triangle.  My thinking was this way it would still fit into an A2 envelope!  Bwahahahaha!  Yeah, this is going to fit in a regular envelope???  This ends up being one of those cards that you just hand-deliver, right?!  I cut a piece of Cupcake Basic Grey DP and covered the front.  Stamped the candles from You take the Cake in Adirondack ink, then colored them with my Copics.  The sentiment is stamped in Colorbox Scarlet pigment ink, then heat embossed with clear powder.

I made the pom-pom for the top of the hat, and the fringe around the bottom by crimping red cardstock then cutting it into tiny slivers with my table-top cutter.  Then I made a little pile of the strips and tied tightly around the middle with string.  (A red Copic marker was used on the string so the white didn't show!)  I left the top pom-pom nice and big, and after attaching the smaller ones for fringe using red-line tape, I trimmed all the ends so they looked a little "tighter."

I attached the two triangles with a small brad at the top so the card swivels open.  The pom-pom is attached over the brad with a medium glue dot.

I hope you like my card (and I hope the MFT people like it enough, too!)

Did everyone have a great 4th of July?  We had a really nice picnic with my Dad and my sister then came home and crashed.  I'm at work today, but unfortunately have been up since 4:00 a.m. with my daughter Kaylie who was busy being sick.  :(  She and hubby leave tomorrow for a mission trip to the Appalachian region in Kentucky so hopefully her yuckiness improves throughout the day.  She doesn't have much packing done, so guess what Mom will be doing after work today?

Have a great weekend!

Stamps:  You Take the Cake (My Favorite Things); Cardstock:  Watermelon, Squash (Bazzill), Confetti White (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Cupcake by Basic Grey); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Colorbox Scarlet pigment (Clearsnap) markers (Copic); Accessories:  clear embossing powder (Ranger), brad (Basic Grey), string (craft supply), crimper.

Stamp Simply #42 - Girlie-Girl!

Sharon's Stamp Simply challenge for today is to make your card totally girlie!  Well, what's more girlie than flowered ribbon, polka dots, scallops, bling and talking on the phone???  As a retailer, I actually had these new stamps from My Favorite Things on order last week, and so I knew early in the week that this set was going to have to be what I used for this challenge.  I'm really anxious to do some paper-piecing with that image, but for the sake of stamping simply, I refrained from it... this time!

Other than knowing what stamps I was going to use, I basically built the card around that flowered ribbon.  I've had it forever and figured today's challenge would be a good time to finally use it!

So, if you're not too busy today or over the weekend, join us and make a girlie-girl card!  Remember, if you upload to SCS please use the keywords ssnotime42 and regardless of where you upload online, please be sure to leave a comment with a link at Sharon's blog!

Samples for inspiration from the other team members can be found here...

Dee Jackson

Jennifer Buck

Becky Oehlers

Janine Orchard

Julie Koerber

I hope you have a wonderful, happy 4th of July!  We're off to meet my dad, sister and brother-in-law for a picnic!  Be safe and enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Call Me (My Favorite Things); Cardstock:  Tink Pink (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Bo Bunny); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Pink Passion (Stampin' Up!), markers (Copic); Accessories:  sugar-coated brads (Doodlebug), ribbon (Offray), scalloped square Nestabilities (Spellbinders), word window punch (Stampin' Up!).

Happy 4th!

Sorry everyone, I'm running a few hours behind today!  Too many plates being juggled over my head, I guess!  Hope you're having a great day!

Here is the Sketches! by Tamara card sketch for this week!  You can see more details about the challenge, and the cards from the other design team members here.

And here's my card...

Sorry to be brief today, but I have to keep running!

Stamps:  Playful Stars, Ready 4 Any Holiday (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Cardstock:  red, navy blue (Hollo's), cream (The Paper Cut), designer paper (Scenic Route); Ink:  Versamagic Night Sky (Tsukineko), Colorbox Chianti pigment (Clearsnap); Accessories:  twill ribbon (Creative Impressions), slot punch, distressing tool (Stampin' Up!) star brad (craft supply).

Happy Birthday, My Favorite Things!

I made this card tonight for the Page Plans/Card of the Week sketch challenge, and used my You Take the Cake stamps to help celebrate My Favorite Things' 2nd birthday!  I also heard that it's Kim, the My Favorite Things Lady's birthday this week, also!  (Something about being 29 for the 11th time, I think... I don't know but that's how old I am too!)  I believe there's a party going on at SCS tonight for the new releases from MFT, and their DT members have had some great teasers this week of cards using the new stamps.  Being a retailer though, I've already seen the new stamps and trust me, you'll love 'em!  MFT has sold very well for me at Toyrifix, so I intend to keep 'em in stock!  Everytime I get a new order of "Time for the Bubbly" I put out this bottle of lotion with the tag I made.... I sell out of that stamp set every time!

Anyhoo... enough babbling!  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  You Take the Cake (My Favorite Things); Cardstock:  Green Tea (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Paper Salon); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark (Tsukineko), markers (Copic); Accessories:  ribbon (American Crafts), scalloped square Nestabilities, long scalloped rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), orange brads (Making Memories), word window punch (Stampin' Up!).

Soak up the Sun

I made this card this evening for the sketch challenge in the My Favorite Things forum on SCS.  Cindy does such a great job of coming up with fun and outside-the-box sketches each week, and I had kinda' forgotten about them!  So I've managed to get them done this week and last... yeah!  The challenge can be found here if you'd like to try it out, too!

My bathing beauties are colored with Copic markers.  I'm so excited because I'm going to be introducing these awesome markers to my customers at Toyrifix later this month!  So you'll see me using them almost all the time in the next few weeks, so I feel as proficient as possible with them before I start trying to tell my customers how to use them!  YIKES!  I'm getting nervous!

Those cool flowers are Sheer Blossoms and Leaves from Creative Impressions.  I just love them... they're fun to use and they come in so many colors and styles like felt and mylar, too!

To my blog readers having trouble viewing pictures... this picture is another one that I didn't crop as much as usual.  Can you please let me know if this helps???

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Hit the Beach (My Favorite Things); Cardstock:  Green Tea (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Paper Salon); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger, Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark (Tsukineko), markers (Copic); Accessories:  sheer flowers (Creative Impresions), concave corner punch (EK Success), corner rounder (Stampin' Up!), ric rac (craft supply).

Mojo Monday #44

Here's my card for yesterday's Mojo Monday sketch challenge from Julee's blog.  I really love Julee's card, and how she used the rectangle Nestabilities to emboss the optional layer.  I decided I was going to try that too, until I got downstairs to my studio and remembered that I don't have any of the plain squares or rectangles!  LOL  So then I tried using my Scor-It to achieve a similar effect, but it just didn't look right to me.  So I used the pretty green houndstooth paper from my Basic Grey Sultry papers instead!  Hope you like it!

To those of you having problems viewing the pictures on my blog... I didn't crop this picture quite as closely as I usually do.  Please let me know if you can see the whole card now!  And also, remember you can always click on the picture for a full view.  I know that can be a pain sometimes, but it's an option if you need it.  I'm really not sure what else can be done otherwise.  I'm being told that it's more of an each individual monitor problem, and not anything that I can necessarily change.  Sorry!  :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Stamps:  Floral Whimsy, sentiment from Fluttering By (Verve Visual); Cardstock:  Leapfrog, Petunia (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Sultry by Basic Grey); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Pink Passion (Stampin' Up!), markers (Copic); Accessories:  circle punches, scalloped circle punch, photo corner punches (Stampin' Up!).

Pink Cat Monday

My apologies to Melissa and the other Pink Cat girls for being so behind today!  I had a short day at work, and have been busy all afternoon and evening with my family.  My husband and my daughter are going on an Appalachian Service Project mission trip next week, and we're busy getting them ready to go.  Here's my card for the Pink Cat Monday challenge which was a sketch issued by Valerie.  Be sure to check out the links in my sidebar to see what the other team members have come up with!  Also, if you'd like a chance to be the Pink Cat Guest Designer for August, check out all the details here!  And good luck!

I used my long scalloped rectangle Nestabililities again to create my scalloped border on the right side of the card!  That is such an awesome trick, and I've since discovered that credit for that idea goes to the ever-amazing Sharon Johnson!  See it here in her May I Suggest post from June 4th!

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy stamping!

Stamps:  Q.T. Hooty (Pink Cat Studio); Cardstock:  Green Tea (Bazzill), navy (Hollo's), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (American Crafts); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Versamagic Night Sky (Tsukineko), markers (Copic); Accessories:  long scalloped rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), ribbon (Taylored Expressions).

You're Something Special and Simply Sweet

I had a semi-productive day and got some stamping done that I'm quite pleased with, so without further ado I will share what I made with you!

This first card is for the color challenge this week at Cornish Heritage Farms.  I'm so glad that Julie posts reminders about these challenges on her blog because I always forget!  The colors specified in the challenge are actually Prism colors, of which I have none so I improvised with a combination of Bazzill and Stampin' Up! colors.  I used Kim Hughes' Nature Silhouette stamps, and a sheet of designer paper from the Basic Grey Sugared pack.  I was really worried that this card would turn out looking very "autumn" with these colors but I think I managed OK!  I even tried my hand (first time!) at coloring my dew drops with a Copic markers, so now I can make them match.  I also used one of Taylor's old Cupcake Challenge sketches for the layout on this card.

This next card is for the Card Positioning Systems sketch #71.  I am so in love with how this card turned out!  I basically built it around the idea to use a sentiment on the 3 small panels in the sketch.  I had been planning to use "Here's the Scoop" but decided to use the other 3-word phrase in that set instead.  I'll tell you, this lady sure has a bright living room, doesn't she?!

The CPS sketch this week is being sponsored by Rubbernecker, and if I would have remembered that, I would have tried to use my RN stamps, but I forgot.  (All the more reason to get the old computer up and running in my basement studio!)

Oh, I should mention that I flipped the sketch, too!  The small panels ended up covering up a lot of my stamped image, and flipping it allowed me to put the panels where there wasn't a whole lot else going on!  It's a fun (and challenging!) sketch!  Give it a try this week if you have time!

On a little side note... I had an email from a reader asking me why I don't show the entire card in my photos.  I'm a little puzzled by this question and am not sure what she's referring to as she has not yet responded to me.  However, I did have a friend mention that ever since I changed my blog layout last week, she can't see the entire picture of my cards, either.  So I'm just curious as to whether anyone else is having these problems?  I'm not sure what I can do to fix the problem... it sounds to me as if it's got something to do with how others have their monitors set.  I do know that I see everything fine on my end here at home and at work.  Please let me know if you're only seeing partial pictures, too!  I may be able to contact Typepad for a solution if it's a problem for others, too!  Thanks!

Tomorrow is Pink Cat Monday, so I'll have a card to show you later in the day also!  Happy stamping!

Something Special card - Stamps:  Nature Silhouettes (Kim Hughes collection for Cornish Heritage Farms); Cardstock:  Pickle (Bazzill), Soft Sky, Really Rust, Confetti White (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Sugared by Basic Grey); Inks:  Really Rust marker (Stampin' Up!), Dark Ochre marker (Tombow), Really Rust, Soft Sky dye ink (Stampin' Up!), Versamagic Spanish Olive, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko); Accessories:  dew drops (Robin's Nest), ribbon (Offray), slot punch (Stampin' Up!).

You're Simply Sweet card - Here's the Scoop (My Favorite Things); Cardstock:  Green Tea (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (My Mind's Eye); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic) Accessories:  ric-rac (Creative Impressions).

Birdie for you...

Here is my card for Jen's Sketch for you to Try!  I really loved the possibilities with this layout.  I originally wanted to use jumbo ric-rac for the strips but didn't have enough of the same color to use.  Then I cut strips and scalloped them with my corner rounder but still didn't like it because the scallops were so large, they got lost behind the main image.  Then I remembered the most awesome trick that I came across while blurfing this past week!  I used my new long rectangle Nestabilities, and cut out the biggest scalloped rectangle.  The just cut the strips from each side and trimmed the ends!  Perfect scallops and so much easier than all that lining up with the corner rounder!  For the life of me, I have no idea whose blog I saw that on (I have 148 in my Google reader, so hopefully it's understandable that I can't remember!)  I did leave a comment for the person about what a wonderful idea it was.  If you recognize this trick and remember who that was, please let me know so I can give proper credit and a link!

My tree branch is stamped and colored with Copic markers, and the bird was stamped on the opposite side of the flowered Bo Bunny designer paper and cut out.  I used my coordinating Bo Bunny brads and flowers for embellishments, too.

Many, many thanks to all of you who left me such kind comments yesterday regarding the "unsubscribe" thing.  Like I said, I've learned after several times to just not let it bother me, but I definitely wanted to say thank you to everyone who keeps reading my blog at the top of their list!

I've got the cutest project to share with you, if I (hopefully) get time to finish it up tomorrow!  Hope you're having a great weekend!

Stamps:  Pretty Birds, sentiment from The Landing Pad (Kim Hughes Collection for Cornish Heritage Farms), swirls (Autumn Leaves); Cardstock:  Blush, Lakeshore (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Organic by Bo Bunny); Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Versafine Onyx Black, Versamagic Aegean Blue (Tsukineko), markers (Copic); Accessories:  paper piercing tool (Darice), scalloped long rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), flowers and brads (Bo Bunny).

Thank you!

I just wanted to type up a quick note of thanks to all of you that subscribe to my blog, and to some recent new subscribers!  It seems like at least once a week, I get an email letting me know that someone unsubscribed, and it's always kind of a bummer.  It's disappointing, and always leaves me wondering if I did something wrong, or if they suddenly started hating what I create.  But it never fails.... for every unsusbscribe notice I get, I get at least one or two new ones!  So I've learned to let the ones who leave my blog go without too much concern and appreciate all of you that much more!  So.... THANKS!  You all make my day!