Freaky Card & Blog Candy's a-Comin'!!

This is the card I made for my most recent Control Freaks swap. We had to choose any new set out of the Fall/Winter Catalog. It was hard choosing, as there were SO many fun new things! I think this train is DA BOMB!! First thing I thought of was the "Polar Express" and I knew a Christmas card was in the works. I took this photo of the prototype card I made for the swap. Then, I changed my mind and used shimmery white cardstock instead of plain ol' Whisper White. It turned out pretty good with that, but it is not what you see in this picture. I forgot to take a new picture before I sent them out!

I wanted to make sure that you all will be coming back between Wednesday and Friday. I have a couple of "There She Goes" stamp sets that I am going to give away as blog candy!! Yahoo!!! If you come back and comment on my blog candy post (NOT this one, but the one you will see on Wednesday), you will be eligible to win one of the new sets. I will probably use the random number generator, as that seems to work the best. Hope to see you soon!

TTFN!

Stamps: Happiness is a Journey, Short & Sweet
Paper: Bordering Blue, Shimmery White (or Whisper White), Night of Navy
Ink: Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Silver Encore
Accessories: Snow Blossom punch, Word Window punch, silver cord

Kitchen Sink Crazy!!

Kitchen Sink Stamps has a monthly contest on their website that allows you the opportunity to win free stamps (and who doesn't like free??). I started entering last month, as there are a LOT of their stamp sets I would like to have, and getting them free is totally fun! I actually won last month in the "Fresh and Fun" design category (here's a link to my Fab Butterfly card). There are five categories in which you may enter: Fresh and Fun Design, Best Use of Color, Best Use of Sentiment, Thinking Outside the Box and Anything But a Card. I created two submissions this month. They will be posting the winners on their webste on October 1, so wish me luck (or just send some good kharma my way!).

This card works perfectly for my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (in fact, this puts me up to card #58 - see link on the sidebar). I entered it in the Best Use of Color category. These stamps are so great because the make the image seem almost 3-dimensional. Each image has between 3 and 5 layers, each layer being a different stamp that you stamp over the previous image. Definitely not for wimps!! This also fit into WT185 - to add a charm to your card. I have a bunch of charms, and seem to hoard them, like so many other things. I thought that this butterfly was just right for this card.

Stamps: 3-step butterflies AND 3-step hearts & roses by Kitchen Sink
Paper: Old Olive, Basic Black, Summer Sun, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango, Certainly Celery, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive
Accessories: microcheck gingham ribbon by Offray, curvy label punch, butterfly charm (unknown), dimensionals, paper distressing tool, Cuttlebug Leafy Branches ef

This was my second creation, which I submitted for Fresh and Fun Design. I had a heck of a time with the colors on this one, as I was trying to achieve a look created by JanTInk in this card. She graciously helped me out, as she is the Queen of Creativity and Color!! (Thanks, girlfriend!)

I also did a funky fold (and I TOTALLY love funky folds!!). I started with a piece of cardstock that was 10.5" x 5". You then score it at 1.25, 2.50, 4.25, 6.0. and 8.25. Fold it back and forth, like an accordion, to create peaks and valleys, and there you have it!!

I'll keep ya posted if I actually win anything!!

Stamps: 3-step sea shells by Kitchen Sink, 3-step hibiscus by Kitchen Sink (sentiments)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Close to Cocoa, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla
Ink: Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Almost Amethyst, Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, Creamy Caramel, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Classic Circle Nestabilities (large), wide oval punch, keytag punch, paper piercing tool/mat, dimensionals, Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles ef

Lovin' These Colors!!

I guess it's going to look like I am repeating myself!! I did this card for SC195, but used almost all the same colors I used on my previous card ('cept I added some Not Qutie Navy).. I think that the Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze look great together! And I guess I have decided that Pocket Silhouettes is one of my new favorite sets. I've seen so many great things done with it! Very versatile!!

I got a BUNCH of new Cuttlebug folders last month for my birthday, but I seem to be using Forest Branches and Leafy Branches the most. Love the "nature-y" feel to them!

How's THAT for a short post???

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Twill bg
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Baha Breeze, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Cuttlebug Forest Branches ef, chocolate chip single-stitched ribbon, Trio Flower punch, Earth Elements brads, Ice brad, paper piercing tool/mat

Simple Fun Butterfly

I was talking to one of my dear friends on the phone yesterday (hey-ya Kathy!), and put this card together while we were talking. It came together pretty quickly and I really like how it turned out. It was pretty quick and easy to throw together, too! I love the look of the Pocket Silhouettes stamp done with two different colors of ink. It kinda looks like a "field of flowers,' don'tcha think??

This puts me at card #57 in my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge, too! Movin' right along . . .

This was for CC185. I have to admit that I have been a little hesitant to use the Baja Breeze paper. It just hasn't been the first thing (or second or third, for that matter!) that I reach for! Not that I don't like it, mind you, but I find myself going for Bordering Blue first. I am find that the more I use it, though, the more I am liking it!!

Have a happy day! TTFN!

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
Paper: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa
Ink: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Large and small oval punches, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, Quickutz Butterfly die, Cuttlebug Leafy Branches embossing folder, dimensionals

White Out!!

I really enjoy it when it is my turn to be Challenge Hostess over on SCS. I get a little panicky for a bit trying to decide what to do that hasn't actually been done before. But once I figure out what to do, it's pretty fun putting the challenge together. Another thing that makes it great is that my daughter, Amelia, always helps me out by making a sample! (And, I have to admit, that she schooled me again! I think her card trumps any of the ones I did!)

Stamps: Live LIke You Mean It
Paper: Basic Black, Cool Caribbean, Whisper White
Ink: Cool Caribbean, Basic Black
Accessories: Cuttlebug Border - Just My Type, rhinestone sticker by Me & My Big Ideas, black/white polka dot organza (unknown)

The point of the challenge was to use white or vanilla as the predominant layer/color in the card that was made. I also put restrictions on images and sentiments . . . one of each, stamped only one time each. This card reflected the different looks you could get not only using vanilla instead of white, but also using the "rock and roll" technique on the image with two of your chosen colors.

Stamps: Autumn Leaf Prints
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive
Accessories: Large classic and scallop circle Nestabilties, Cuttlebug Forest Branches ef, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches, brown gingham ribbon by Offray

As far as color, I also put restrictions on that. White was the predominant layer; the second color had to be a neutral - black, brown or gray; and the third color could be the one of choice. That's it!! Even if they stamped line-art images, only the three colors they had chosen were allowed to be used. I LOVED what people were coming up with! Wowza!! I got TONS of inspiration from others!! Here is a link to the gallery on SCS. I learned a lot of new things and can't wait to try some of them out!! This is Amelia's card and she TOTALLY rocked the socks off of this challenge!!

Stamps: Fabulous Flowers, Elegant Greetings
Paper: Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Basic Gray
Ink: Certainly Celery, Basic Gray
Accessories: Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes ef, notched corner punch, celery satin ribbon (unknown)

I knew I was behind on my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge. I also KNEW that I couldn't get Amelia's great card out of my head. So, what's a mom to do???? CASE her daughter, of course!! (More details on the challenge can be found on the sidebar. Follow the link . . . I am now up to card #56!) I think I may just have to use this layout again. I think it turned out so wonderfully! I think my daughter is totally going to go places with her stampin'! I'm really proud of her!

Stamps: Butterfly Beauty by Unity Stamps, Paisley bg by SU
Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip craft
Accessories: 5/8" Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, tag corner punch, Cuttlebug Houndstooth ef

Halloween is More Like It!!

Okay, so the Christmas card the other day threw my head into a tailspin, so I had to come back to a card I could wrap my brain around a little better . . . Halloween!! This was for WT184 - to use a silhouetted image in your creation. A couple of years ago, JeanneS on SCS made the cutest witchy card with a darling moon and spider web treatment. It has been the source of much inspiration for me since then, so that is where the start of this card came from. Here is Jeanne's card:

Jeanne's Happy Fright Night

I brayered the background ala Zindorf (hey, Michelle!). I always have way more trouble with this than I probably should. You pick several shades of ink, then brayer them onto the white cardstock from lightest to darkest. I always end up with darn lines separating one color from the next. I think I did this baby about three times before I was satisfied with it.

I then wheeled the silhouette dudes with black craft ink (just rolled my wheel over the ink pad). Then I embossed with clear embossing powder. I next rolled the dudes again over the bottom edge of my moon, making sure to come pretty close to matching the image in approximately the same spot on the wheel that was on my card. I hope that makes sense. Embossed that, too. I then positioned over the image I had already rolled and embossed on the brayered background until the images lined up. Pretty funky, but it works.

The spider's web is just some black twine that I taped around the back then tied in assorted places with pieces here and there. I pretty much just piece these as I go, depending on where the image is and such. I LOVE Halloween, so this card was pretty fun for me!!

Stamps: Haunting jumbo wheel, Halloween Frights
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Barely Banana, So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Lovely Lilac, Night of Navy, Black craft
Accessories: black twine, dimensionals, clear embossing powder

Christmas Already???!!?? Sigh . . .

I am NOT advocating the early sale of twinkly Christmas lights, wrapping paper and lawn deer!! It just so happens that the color challenge on SCS last Tuesday - CC184 - inspired me to make a Christmas-y type of card. I just stared at my creation and thought, "What have I done??" Despite my disdain for merchants who haul out the fake electronic Santas WAAAYYYY too early, I do like how this card turned out. It was relatively quick and easy, so that can't be all bad, right???

Peaceful Wishes is one of my all-time favorite stamp sets! So much so, that I made our family Christmas card with it last year. It's almost kind of hard to make a BAD card with it! I love adding Stickles to the little berries to give them some extra dimension. And of course, what would I DO without my embossing folders?? They make any card that much better!!

Stamps: Peaceful Wishes
Paper: Always Artichoke, Riding Hood Red, Basic Gray, Going Gray, Whisper White
Ink: Always Artichoke, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots ef, Stickles, red rhinestone brad, silver cord

Here She Comes with THERE SHE GOES!

I am very, very, VERY excited to have been asked to be a member of the design team for the new stamp company, THERE SHE GOES! The founder of TSG, Jessica Knutsen, has created some WONDERFUL images that you will fall in love with!! I know I have!

She has a set of BUTTERFLIES!! (And y'all KNOW how I feel about THOSE!!!) I created this card for FS84 (Lazy Lizard - GO LIZ!) on SCS, AND it is card #55 in my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (all the info on that is on the sidebar to the right). This set is oh-so-fun and has a TON of possibilities!! Awesome!!

Stamps: Butterfly Happiness by There She Goes
Paper: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, More Mustard, Whisper White
Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip (craft and classic)
Accessories: Clear embossing powder, long rectangle Nestabiliites (classic and scallop), chocolate polka dot organza ribbon by May Arts

Fall is in the AIR!

Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year. I love the colors, the crispness in the air, and the beginning of the holiday season (I DO mean Halloween!). This card was created for last week's technique challenge on SCS. This is something I have never actually seen, let alone done, before! Great technique!

First, you will need some white Lumiere paint. I have had just such a bottle of paint, sitting in one of my drawers, UNOPENED for at least two years! YIKES! I was happy to be able to use it! You will also need some acetate and at least two colors of ink pad reinkers (aka bottles of ink!). Basically, you put a little bit of the Lumiere on a paper plate or paint pallette. Next, put a few drops of each color of ink, in their own little space, on the plate/palette as well. Then, dip a stipple paint brush into the paint, then into one of the reinkers. Proceed by daubing the paint all over the acetate piece, leaving some open spaces. Next, repeat the procedure using the second reinker, filling in all the empty spaces on the acetate. You CAN use more than two colors, if you wish! This is sooo lovely once it has dried. Being sure to use some patience, wait until the paint is COMPLETELY dry before you run the acetate through an embossing machine using an embossing folder or plate. VOILA! LOVE it!!

Stamps: Dotted Autumn
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard (behind the acetate), Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive
Accessories:White Lumiere paint, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, Cuttlebug Pumpkin Harvest ef and Maple Leaf combo ef, Offray brown checked gingham ribbon, hanging brad hardware (unknown), acetate

Avenues Street Fair

I was sooo busy last week getting ready for our neighborhood's annual street fair! My friend and I decided to do a booth. There was a LOT of work that went into it. I wish I could report that things went really, well. Alas, the crazy economy is getting to EVERYONE 'cause it was really slow! Let me rephrase that . . . the fair was absolutely PACKED with people all day long (it went from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It seems that the only vendors who were really making a killing were the food/drink people. Honestly, nobody seemed to be buying ANYTHING from anyone else, either! Just a lot of looky-loo's! Anyway, here are some of the projects we created. I hope you get some good inspiration from them!

These first two projects were, by far, my favorites. I was inspired to make these glass Halloween treat jars by a project that was shared at Stampin' Up Convention. They had taken one of the new Decor Elements (a spider) and put it on one of these jars. Since we were only allowed to preorder ONE of those spiders, I decided to make a design of my own! I used my trusty ol' Cricut and cut out a bunch of fun and spooky shapes from some black vinyl . . . a rickety old fence, a creepy tree, some bats, a moon and a tombstone. I learned a LOT about vinyl doing this project, but it was fun! Sold ONE of these . . . to one of my best friends, Tammy (thanks, girl!). I used the Paper Dolls Cricut cartridge to get all the spooky shapes.

Second, we were selling this family name frames. I LOVE 'em!! I think they make an AWESOME wedding gift. We only sold, yes - count 'em - FIVE!! (Two of those were to really good friends of mine, too!) The fonts I used were Base Camp and Opposites Attract. I bought enough frames to make 40 of these babies!! Sigh . . .


I was inspired to make these little Frankie treat bags by a project I saw on Splitcoast. Okay . . . let's just admit that I totally CASED these babies!! Thanks to Vicki (justcrazy) and her darling idea! (She was inspired by yet another project which she links on hers!) Here is a link to Vicki's bag:

Vicki's Frankie Bag

I filled 'em with little cinnamon bears. Yummy!! Only sold a few of these, too!

My friend, Cheryl, made these darling witchy-poo brooms filled with peanuts! Aren't they great?? She was inspired by a project she saw of Martha Stewart's (face it, friends, I am NOT posting a link to her broomstick bags . . . she absolutely does NOT need any credit from me to get rich!). Stampin' Up also has a photo of one of these on page 29 of the new catty. (I think Cheryl's are MUCH cuter!)

Cheryl also made the most DELICIOUS homemade BBQ sauce to complete this adorable little gift combo. She also found this idea in SU's new catty - page 131. We had little bread cubes out on the table so people could sample it. Every last stinkin' sample was scarfed up. Everyone RAVED about how delicious the sauce was (it really was!). We didn't sell a SINGLE one! Can you believe it???



And these little magnetic coaster clipboards for the fridge!! What's not to love about THESE?? They have a little pen that goes with them, too! These are just too cute for words! I think we only sold 4 or 5 of these as well! Darn!! (Cheryl made these, too!)


These are pretty self-explanatory. I covered a bunch of composition notebooks with some fun paper and wrapped the same paper around the ink barrel inside the pen (RSVP pens by Pentel work the best). We did sell about 8 of these . . . and I still have 22 left!! We marked the prices down on a bunch of items, too - this one included from $7 to $5 - but still didn't get people to bite. They LOVED looking at them! Go figure . . .

I made the little 8-card gift card sets with my new Big Shot scalloped envelope die. I thought they were so super cute! LOTS of people looked at these, too! Not many takers here, either . . .

I started making these chipboard paperclip bookmarks over a year ago. They are so much fun. Super easy, too! Cut a flower or shape out of chipboard using your own diecut machine (in this case, my Cuttlebug), then cut it again out of paper and embellish. They were then glued to either side of the giant paper clips (which you can find for about $1 at WalMart). Super cute. We sold maybe 2 or 3 of these.

I set out a binder full of cards I have made over the last year or two. (I do so many challenges on SCS, that I have a BUNCH of extras.) These were also very well received, but, again, I only sold 5. (It cracked me up when someone would come up to the book, flip through the pages, and make some sort of comment to their friend like, "Yeah, my sister makes cards!" then walk away!)

Last, but not least, are these little pumpkin jars filled with taffy. I was selling these for only $5 and two of them found new homes. That's it. TWO!! As you can see, some of them were more Halloween themed with spiders, and the others were a fall theme with leaves. I have a BUNCH of these babies left over, too (18, to be exact!!).

This is us at the end of the day with a table still nearly FULL of fun projects. The only consolation we took from the experience was that most of the other booths were in the same condition that we were. Seems that no one was really in a buying mood . . .

We are down, but not out! I have a few ideas up my sleeve as to how we are going to get these babies out the door. Not the least of which is offering them here on my blog. I am offering the Halloween jars and custom name frames for $30 each (that includes shipping!!). If you are interested, e-mail me at ronandwendy85@smartfella.com. We can do the whole Pay Pal/check/money order thing and get ya taken care of!

Butterfly Challenge #2 for YOU!

Most of you know about my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge, right? This card makes #54 in my quest to send two years' worth of uniquely different butterfly cards to my son (there will be 104 - one week at a time, of course!).

Anywho . . . I challenged you gals to play along last week and loved what you came up with!! This week, I will be picking a favorite or two and posting the pictures here on my blog next week!

I did this one in conjunction SC192. The challenge for you has a bit of a twist to it. What I want you to do is create a butterfly card where the card portion is NOT the same size as the card. Do ya notice how the part that you write in on my card is smaller than the rest of it?? That's what I want you to do! It can be square, oval, circle or shaped like anything you want. Then mount that smaller card on a standard A2 sized base. Does that make sense? I hope so! This could produce some really cool cards, so jump in and have fun!!

Stamps: Art of Life, Twill bg, Hero Arts Designer Butterflies
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Ruby Red, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Whisper White, Bashful Blue
Ink: Basic Black, Ruby Red, Bashful Blue, Old Olive
Accessories: Paper distressing tool, paper piercing tool/mat, dimensionals, Cuttlebug Forest Branches ef

Simple, Elegant, Easy & Check It Out!!

I was thrilled last week when I went to my local scrapbook store (aka Roberts) to do a little me-birthday shopping and found that they had nearly ALL of the new Cuttlebug folders IN STOCK@ Hooray!!! (I won't tell you how many I bought!!)

One of the things I knew I HAD to have was this combo diecut/embossing set. The diecuts don't do a lot for me (just a bunch of words), but this embossing folder is lovely! For LSC183 the challenge was to use "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." It didn't necessary have to be a wedding card, just had to have something from each of the four "something" elements. This whipped up in a hurry and came out so great.

I have been working like a busy bee since last week trying to prep for a neighborhood street fair that is this Saturday. My friend and I are doing a booth with a LOT of fun things for sale. Please wish me luck! I really hope I don't come home with a lot of extra Christmas presents for friends!! Haven't had much time to create anything else for here, but I WILL be showing you pix of what we made and how our booth looks, so stay tuned . . .

With everything else I have been doing this week, I forgot to remind y'all that THERE SHE GOES is officially open for business!! The stamp sets are so much fun, you are going to LOVE 'em!! Check it out:

There She Goes Stamps

Stamps: Wedding Day (Papertrey)
Paper: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Accessories: Cuttlebug Friends Forever ef, stylized silver hodgepodge hardware, clear rhinestone brad, shimmery silver organza ribbon, dimensionals, 1 1/4" circle, 1" circle and designer label punches

'Coons & Beans

Here's that stinkin' cute "Under the Stars" stamp set again. I had envisioned using the raccoon with the can of beans on a stick almost since the day I got his set. What I hadn't envisioned, however, was running amok with my toys . . . er, um . . . TOOLS! This turned out totally different that I had planned. I almost think I went a little overboard, but I still think this 'coon is the cutest!

The challenge - WT181 - was to drag out your good ol' colored pencils. Man, oh man, I haven't used those babies in, well, a 'COON'S AGE!! I used my SU watercolor pencils with a blender pen. I had forgotten how much fun I have with those! I also borrowed Amelia's sketch layout (SC190), except that i turned it into an A2 card instead of a square one. Then, of course, I HAD to use one of my new Cuttlebug folders (Happy Birthday to ME!!). I may use this image combo again and see if I can't limit myself from going overboard!!

Happy Labor Day!!

Stamps: Under the Stars, Simple Serif Alphabet, Inspired by Nature
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Bordering Blue, Creamy Caramel, Old Olive, Watercolor
Ink: Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip, assorted SU Watercolor pencils
Accessories: Large classic and scallop circle Nestabilities, double slot punch, designer label punch, large oval punch, Offray brown gingham ribbon, linen thread, Cuttlebug Leafy Branch and Forest Branches ef's, sponge, dimensionals, paper distressing tool