Friends and Springtime . . .

I am trying with all my might to stamp spring into staying!! I swear I never know WHAT season it is here! It was up in the upper 70's low 80's during the first of last week, and now we are lucky to get up into the 40's and 50's!! Sigh . . .

I did this card for yesterday's sketch challenge on SCS - SC226. And guess what??? Roxie (the challenge hostess) used a card I made back in February as the "sample" for the challenge! I was so excited when I saw that!! Then I knew, of course, that I HAD to make a card for the challenge, too!

I also think it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to make an ugly card with Pocket Silhouettes! I have so much fun creating with it every single time I pull it out! This card just makes me happy 'cause it gives me hope that Spring might actually be here to stay . . . for a minute . . .

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Polka Dog bg
Paper: Always Artichoke, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red, Always Artichoke, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Eyelet border punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, paper distressing tool, Eyelet texture plate, white taffeta ribbon, pop-up glue dots

Triple Play!!

This is what I call a "Card Run Amok!" I just kept going and going and going . . . not sure it turned out quite how I had planned, but I tied it into THREE different challenges!!

First of all, I did the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS last Sunday morning. FS116 - Wattle - aka Kathy! She has a LOVELY gallery and this is the card I cased:

Kathy's SFYTT Butterfly 40th

I wanted to keep the card A2-sized so that it would be cheaper to mail and take less room so I could send it to my son in Germany as card #88 in my own personal "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (there is a link and a slideshow on the sidebar to the right if you don't know WHAT I'm talking about). I think my son is going to LOVE the personalized aspect of this card!

And, last but not least, this fits Jaron Winder's very first blog challenge (way to go, Jaron!):

Color Combination Creative Challenge #1

I had meant to try to keep this all Stampin' Up products to go with Jaron's challenge, but I just couldn't help myself, and I have used up pretty much ALL my SU butterflies (since I am trying NOT to repeat the butterfly images I was using for my own challenge). So, there ya have it . . .

Now I wanna go stamp something 'cause my stamp room is really CLEAN and just waiting for me to mess it up!!

Stamps: Bella Toile, Flannel Plaid, Small Letter Set by JustRite, Pocket Silhouettes, Vintage Butterflies by Innovative Stamp Creations
Paper: Taken With Teal, Soft Sky, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Ink: Old Olive, Taken With Teal, Basic Black
Accessories: Spellbinders Standard Circle Nestabilities - Small and Large (S4-116 and S4-114) and Labels 3 (S4-189), 1 1/4" and 1" square punches, Fiskars Fluer-de-lys border punch, vanilla satin ribbon, sponge, pop-up glue dots

Rock Star

Aren't these colors the wildest??? The limited supply challenge on SCS last Friday (LSC217) was to pick a room in your house and use the colors from it on your creation.

Well, it wasn't until I was taking a photo of this card that I realized that I had NOT limited myself in any other way AT ALL (and we had been forewarned to limit our layers and embellishments, too!)! I just thought of the colors in my kitchen and went a little crazy from there. The walls in my kitchen are actually closer to So Saffron than they are to Summer Sun, but I didn't do a comparison until AFTER the card was made! My crown moulding and baseboard moulding is white (slightly off white, actually, but not quite vanilla!). Then, I have dishes, canisters, etc. that are red and white splatterware, as well as some stuff that is solid navy. I also have a bit of an Americana thing going on, so that was my inspiration for this card . . .

I kind of cased an old card I did over a year ago as far as layout and theme. This didn't turn out quite how I had planned, but I think it would be a good boy card.

Stamps: A Little Somethin', Polka Dot background, Classic Stars jumbo wheel
Paper: Real Red, Summer Sun, Night of Navy, Whisper White
Ink: Night of Navy, Real Red
Accessories: Large and small star punches, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, paper piercing tool/mat, striped red grosgrain ribbon, crystal ice brads, pop-up glue dots

Gentle Thoughts - Butterfly #87

I honestly CANNOT believe that this card makes "Follow the Butterflies" card #87 . . . I seriously cannot believe how quickly this journey has gone by!! (For details on this butterfly business, check out the link to the sidebar on the right.) In all actuality, we are going to be flying over to Germany on September 1st to hook up with my son, do some vacationing/sight seeing and bring him home!! I found a great deal on airline tickets last weekend and have already booked our flights . . . as well as turning in our passport applications . . . things are definitely moving right along!!

The challenge on SCS yesterday (WT215) was to use ONLY white cardstock, and I have to admit that this is something I have NEVER done! I've done mostly white cards, to be sure, but never one that was ALL white cardstock. I have to say that I LOVE how this turned out, and I think I will definitely be doing this again!

This old stamp set, Garden Collage, is a long-time favorite. The images are just lovely. I think it was a hostess set from several years back (or at least some sort of special, non-catalog-regular set). I'm glad I finally got to using it for my butterfly challenge.

Hope y'all have a terrific weekend. Looks like the sun will be shining and the birds will be singing here!! Hooray!! At last!!

Stamps: Garden Collage
Paper: Whisper White
Ink: Ranger Pitch Black Adirondack, Brocade Blue, various Copic Markers
Accessories: Spellbinders Small Deckled Rectangle (S4-201), Labels Three (S4-190), white organza ribbon, Cuttlebug Floral Screen and Swiss Dots embossing folders, pop-up glue dots, sponge

Love Ever After!

This is a stamp set I have been debating on getting for quite a while. I HATE it when I have a hard time deciding!! I finally decided to use the points I had earned for SAB (Sale A Bration) to get it! I had it inked up in NO time, that's for sure!!

I did this card for CC215 (Basic Gray, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette). I also used a tip I learned from my friend, Patty Bennett (HI and THANKS, girl!). If you take your horizontal slot punch you can use it to cut a little slit out of the fold of your card, thus allowing you to slide a piece of ribbon around the front of your card and through the slit. This works so that you can actually tie a ribbon around the front of your card when you don't have an extra layer to tuck it under. Make sense? Sometimes I feel like I am typing Japanese and translating it into Polish!! Sheesh!!

I don't have to go back to work again 'til next Monday (hooray!)! I really can't complain, as I usually only work 5-6 hours Monday and Wednesday, then every other Friday. My sister-in-law and I job share at our family's business doing office work, so it's not SO bad, 'cept she and her family went out of town over spring break so I have been flying solo for about a week and a half (nearly TWO)! Happy to have some days off, baby!

Stamps: Ever After, Sanded
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Basic Gray, Rose Red
Ink: Rose Red, Basic Gray, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue
Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware, paper piercing tool and mat, paper distressor, basic gray taffeta ribbon, horizontal slot punch, top note BIgz die

Blog Hoppin' with Pez-A-Doodle!!

How dang CUTE is THIS???? Lucky me!! I was asked by Marti over at Pez-A-Doodle to do a little guest designing in conjunction with her new stamp release! Suh-WEET!!! Check out her sneak peeks here:

Pez-A-Doodle Blog

I had SOOO much fun pulling out my Copic markers and coloring. I was having a childhood flashback coloring these adorable flowers and bumblebees from Marti's new garden set of stamps!! Wanna see more??? Be sure to check out the peeks on Taylor's blog here:

Musings of An Addict

AND on Sue's blog here:

In2Stampin

I love how Marti has combined such fun spring-y images with these adorable borders that you can build, mix and match for yourself (those bees just put me over the edge, baby!)!! There are other borders and cute little images, too! Be sure to check 'em ALL out!!

Thanks for lookin' and have a wonderful day, friends!!

Stamps: Pezzy's Garden (Polka Dot Pie) by Pez-A-Doodle
Paper: Brocade Blue, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Pitch Black Adirondack, Various Copic Markers
Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, black gingham ribbon, ticket corner punch

Choo Choo!

Trains are the BEST, aren't they? I love all those old black and white movies where they are traveling cross-country on a train . . . I have always dreamed of what fun it would be! And who WOULDN'T want to take a ride on the Hogwart's Express? Especially if you get to run into Harry Potter???? But I digress . . .

The challenge on SCS yesterday (WT214) was to incorporate a frame of ANY kind into your card/project. I knew IMMEDIATELY that I was gonna use this DARLING polka dot frame from Spellbinders. Isn't it just the CUTEST? This baby is going to get a LOT of use by me, that is for sure!! And again I used Kittie's multi-loop bow tutorial (see link on the post below). I'm loving it!

Speaking of Spellbinders . . . many of my friends are in Arizona right now at the 2009 Design Team Retreat . . . I am missing them more than I can say, but I am sure they are having a WONDERFUL time (HI FRIENDS!!). Keep your eyes posted in the next week or so . . . I am sure you will be hearing from them on their blogs about it!!

On a side note . . . be sure to keep those who lost their jobs at SU this week in your thoughts and prayers. What a tough week this has been. While you are at it . . . I guess we should just continue to pray for improvement in our economy over all . . . we could ALL use it! :)

Stamps: Choo Choo, Family Phrases
Paper: Brilliant Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White, Summer Sun
Ink: Real Red (craft and classic), Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun
Accessories: Spellbinders Polka Dot Frame (S5-216), Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, 1" and 3/4" circle punches, red grosgrain ribbon, pop-up glue dots

A Couple Challenge Cards . . .

I'm still floating around on Cloud 9 somewhere . . . and I have to say a HUGE THANKS for all the lovely comments from EVERYONE about my room! You are have NO idea how much I have appreciated them!!! I'm sure it while be QUITE a while before I come down!!

I did this card for SC224 AND as card #86 in my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge. (For those of you new around here, all the info about that is in a link on the right-hand side of my blog here, AND there is a slideshow of the cards I have done up to this point.)

I thought that this color combo was SO fresh and springy (even though it has been snowing here since yesterday . . . again!) And that fun bow!! There is a great tutorial on making these bows on my talented friend Kittie's blog (kittie747 on SCS). I've been tying bows similar to this for YEARS as I made TONS of them for my daughter's hair when she was little (and I sold TONS of 'em to friends and neighbors, too!)! Never THOUGHT to put 'em on a card 'til I saw Kittie's tutorial. Here's a link for y'all:

Kittie's Bow-Tying Tutorial

Stamps: Flourishes Butterfly Moments, Great Friend
Paper: Perfect Plum, Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss, Rockabilly dsp
Ink: Perfect Plum, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Accessories: Top Note Bigz Die, round tab punch, Cuttlebug tiny bubble embossing folder, polka dot organza ribbon, fire circle rhinestone brads, paper piercing tool and mat

And here is one more challenge card that I did on last Monday for the technique challenge - TLC216 - stamping on the inside of soda pop cans! What fun! The only problem I had with this is that I should have bent the can out in the opposite direction more before I stuck the rose down on my card. It kept trying to curl up, so I had to take it off and bend it back!! ZOINKS!

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Great Friend
Paper: Always Artichoke, Blush Blossom, Very Vanilla
Ink: Black Stazon, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Soda pop can, Matchbox Bigz Die, Manhattan Flower impressions folder, moss organza ribbon, dimensionals, sanding block, paper distressing tool, Crystal Ice Stickles, horizontal slot punch

I am ZE COOLEST!!!

I have had a little secret that I have been hiding under my hat for about SIX months!! For anyone who knows me, keeping a secret about something that I am MUI-MUI excited about is MUI-MUI hard!! But I did a pretty good job with this one!

About mid-September I got an e-mail from Kim Jackson at Stampin' Up (she works on the Stampin' Success magazine). She said she had been sent a link to my blog and wondered if they could feature my stamp room/stamp organization system in Stampin' Success! Was she KIDDING???!!! What??!!??? I immediately replied and said, "DUH!!" (Okay, well maybe not LITERALLY, but I very enthusiastically accepted!)



She and several of her SU buddies came to my house on October 9 and spent over 3 hours taking photos in my room. HOLY COW, BATMAN!! It was soooooo cool!! I actually DID spend a bunch of time the night before re-doing my cardstock files. They had actually been done the same way when I had first set my room up in the fall of 2006, but they were looking kind of dinged up, so I figured if they wanted to use them in any way, it would be good to have 'em cleaned up.




I'm glad I did, 'cause, as you can see, they DID use my cardstock drawer. I feel so honored to be featured on THREE STINKIN' PAGES!! I think I need to PINCH myself (again!!).

I am going to put my color coding system up here once again, because I have been asked by many to share it (and it's kind of hard to read what is in the article, even if you click on the picture!). I punch a 1/2" circle out of the following colors of cardstock, then run them through my Xyron to laminate/sticker 'em:

Outdoors/Nature = Pumpkin Pie
Flowers = Garden Green
Holidays = Real Red
Alphabet Sets = Pretty in Pink
Words/Sentiments = Orchid Opulence
Baby/Juvenile = Bashful Blue
Shapes = YoYo Yellow
Backgrounds/Borders = Green Galore
All Occasion = Taken With Teal

As far as subcategories (where I use a Sharpie and write a letter on the little colored dot) here is what I have:

H=Halloween
V=Valentine's Day
C=Christmas
Su=Summer
W=Winter
F=Fall
T=Tag - which just means any set that uses a tag or a punch (you could just as easily use a P)
4=A set that represents all four seasons
2=a set with a companion set (for example Loads of Love and Loads of Love Accessories) . . . take note, some sets could be a T2, meaning they can be used with a punch AND they have a companion set (such as Little Flowers/Big Flowers)
B=Birthday
G=Get Well
V=Vintage (think "Artifacts")
Wd=Wedding
Fd=Food
DC=sets designed to go with any of the new Sizzix diecuts (Matchbox Messages, for example)
*=Sentiment sets where the sentiment is in a "shape" or sorts (remember "Alphabet Soup" and "Alphabet Stew"?)

And, BTW, the small 1/4" white circle "dot" next to the 1/2" circle colored dot represents a current set. When something retires, I just peel the little white one off. Makes it really easy. I just add the little white one as I get new sets, that way it is really easy to keep track of.

I have been asked by several people how I store my punches and other supplies as well. I will take some photos later this week and share those with you, too!

A Challenge and Bunnies in a Basket!

I have a few things I would like to share this morning, so I guess I'll get right to it (and apologize for my long-windedness before I even start!!!!

First of all, this is the sample I made for the Limited Supply Challenge I hosted on SCS last Friday. I called this challenge "Triple Play" (something my SU upline, Shellee reminded me of when we were having lunch together the other day). Stampin' Up had something similar to this in their demo resources on their website several years back. It was one of the first things I learned when I started stamping with Shellee as a member of her stamp club. Here are the basic rules (I tweaked 'em a little bit):

1. Must have three layers of cardstock, although the base layer could be a "free" layer, so you can add three on top of that (this is not always as easy as it sounds!)

2. Must use three colors of ink and/or cardstock (with the "extra" being either white, black. chocolate or vanilla)

3. Must have three "focal points" . . . either three panels with stamped images in them, or something like this with a stamped panel, a ribbon embellishment and a sentiment. Whatever you do, limit yourself to THREE focal points.

Stamps: Trendy Trees
Paper: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Sweet Slumber dsp
Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Spellbinders Small and Large Mega Deckled Rectangles (S5-014 and S5-015), White Taffeta Ribbon, Word Window Punch, 1/2" circle punch

My darling daughter, Amelia made me this sample card. When she was done, I went to upload it and called out to her, "Hey, Amelia! How many colors did you use on your card?" (very sarcastically, I might add!) She had used FOUR, not THREE. Being that I was in charge of the challenge police on Friday, I let her slide and posted it for her anyway!!

Stamps: Choo Choo
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, YoYo Yellow, Real Red, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, YoYo Yellow, Orchid Opulence, Real Red
Accessories: White gel pen, purple buttons

And last, but certainly not LEAST, I made this cute basket and these adorable bunny peppermint patties Sunday morning to take to church to give to the young women I teach. They LOVED 'em!! I can't take credit for EITHER project though. I got the basket tutorial from Mary Jo Albright here:

Mary Jo's Woven Basket

And the punch bunnies from LeeAnn Greff here:

Leeann's Punch Bunny

Ain't they just the CUTEST EVER??

Stamps: All Holidays
Paper: Delicate Dots dsp, Whisper White, Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, Basic Black
Ink: white gel pen, black marker
Accessories: Large and small oval punches, scallop circle punch, eyelet border punch, 1/4" cirlce punch, 5-petal flower punch, scallop oval punch, grosgrain ribbon, buttons

Watercolor Garden

How on EARTH have I missed this set for my butterfly challenge? I sooooo TOTALLY thought I used this baby MONTHS ago!! To be honest, it is one of my all-time favorite SU sets ever. The images are all so lovely and it is so very versatile. I was happy to have an excuse to ink it up again . . .

I did this card for SC223. I started out with and A2-sized card, but ended up needed to go square 'cause these lovely Nesties took up more room than I had planned (I DO love 'em though!). So this officially puts my "Follow the Butterflies" card count at 85 . . .

Stamps: Watercolor Garden, Inspired by Nature, Fancy Flexible Phrases, French Script
Paper: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal
Accessories: Offray gingham ribbon, Spellbinders Labels Two (S4-162) Nestabilities, dimensionals, miscellaneous buttons, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches

Fifth Avenue Floral . . . True Confessions . . .

Okay, so I have to come clean here. When I first saw this stamp set in the new catalog, I was NOT impressed, In fact, I do believe I went so far as to tell my friend, "Who in the heck would EVER buy those dumb big flowers???"

Thanks to the enable-isms of my dear, sweet stampin' friends over at SCS, I am now eating crow and have reformed my ways. Oddly, not only do I NOT hate this set anymore, I actually LOVE it!! Kinda weird, eh? (And I am SURE that this has NEVER happened to ANY of you, RIGHT????)

I made this spring lily card for CC213. I must also admit that this combo didn't seem very "spring-like" to me when I first read the list of colors. Again, I have done a 180 on that assessment as well. At least I am open to change and willing to admit when I have made a mistake . . . :)

Have a happy "hump" day . . .

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Holidays & Wishes
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Whisper White
Ink: Close to Cocoa, So Saffron
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Three dies (S4-189), White taffeta ribbon, wide oval and scalloped oval punches, paper distressing tool, 1/2" circle punch, pearl sticker, pop-up glue dots

Buttercup Flowerpot

I'm doing a really quick "fly by" this morning . . . gotta run out the door to work, but wanted to share this cute little flower pot card that I did for TLC215 over on SCS. Here is a link for a tutorial if you would like to make one for yourself:

Flower Pot Pocket Card by Stephanie Luman

Have a happy Monday!!

Stamps: Many Happy Returns, Watercolor Garden
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral, Whisper White, Brocade Blue, Old Olive, Summer Sun
Ink: Chocolate Chip, white gel pen
Accessories: Spellbinders Dahlia (S4-191) and Scalloped Paisley (S4-131), EK Success Stitched Zig Zag border punch, Cuttlebug Houndstooth and Dotted Swiss embossign folder, large oval punch, word window punch, May Arts polkadot organza ribbon, pearl stickers, glue dot

Forever Bleu

I hate it when SCS goes down!! I try to delude myself that I don't spend THAT much time on there, but I guess the truth is that it screws up my timeline if it goes down when I NEED to post something or read something or look something up!!!

Today's challenge - LSC214 - was called Easy 1-2-3 . . . use one color of cardstock, two patterned papers and three embellishments. I counted my Nestabilities as an embellishment, so I'm not sure if I cheated or not, but I choose to believe I DIDN'T cheat!!

This was quick and easy, and I thought it up before I even got out of bed (after I had seen the challenge posted earlier the night before). This Bella Bleu dsp is DIVINE!! I think I need to buy another package!!

Have a great day!

Stamps: Together Forever
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Bella Bleu dsp
Ink: Not Quite Navy
Accessories: Spellbinders Inverted Scalloped Circles, Large & Small (S4-194 & S4-195) and Small Standard Circle (S4-118), Kraft taffeta ribbon, pearl (from SU Pretties), Large oval punch

Go BYU!!!

This makes card #84 in my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge . . . (peek at the link on the sidebar to the right if you are clueless as to what I am talking about!)

This is really kind of a weird little card. I don't expect that everyone is going to want to run out and make one just like out (although I DID use the sketch for SC222 on SCS). I am sooo excited to finally have the Spellbinders Labels Four dies (the shape is just awesome!)!!! And I am really enjoying all of the EK Success border punches I bought on sale at Michael's a few weeks ago. This one is called "Zig Zag Stitched Border Punch". You kinda have to lean on it pretty hard to get the stitching to show up. It is more of an "emboss" than an actual cut. I like it, though.

Despite the dorkiness of this card, it DID take me quite a bit of time to put together. At least I know my son will like it!!

Stamps: Jumbo Outline Alphabet, Contempo Alphabet, Simple Serif Alphabet
Paper: Brocade Blue, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Night of Navy, Whisper White
Ink: Sahara Sand, Night of Navy
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Four Nestabilities (S4-190), Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Butterfly Punch, EK Success Embossed Zig Zag Stitch border punch, Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic embossing folder, BYU ribbon, glue dots