fresh & fun

I started this card for the topper challenge, but in the end, it didn’t become one. I just couldn’t make it work.

The card base here is a 4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ piece of Purely Pomegranate cardstock folded in half.

I stamped the top half with the large swirl of the stamp set Priceless in Purely Pomegranate and sponged the edges in the same color. Yes, my Priceless doesn’t leave my stamping table right now. I keep reaching for it for almost every card. I am in love with the swirls, the images and the sayings of this set. Definitely my #1 new set so far.

I adhered a 2″ x 4″ strip of Cutie Pie designer paper on the lower part of the card. First though, I punched those bottom two corners of that paper with the ticket corner punch (AGAIN! and yes, that stays on the table at all times too. Let’s just say my table is messy). Then I tied a Bashful blue stitched grosgrain from the retired Seaside Originals ribbon collection around it.

I stamped the big Butterfly from Garden Whimsy in Purely Pomegranate on Shimmery white and cut it out. I used the hobby blade to cut out the small part on the top left wing. I added glitter to it and set it aside.  I totally cased this butterfly from the gorgeous card Jenn send me last week.

I punched a circle with the Mega circle punch from Uchida, wheeled the Little Bits Wheel in Apricot Appeal and sponged the edges. Then I stamped another big butterfly smack dab in it’s center with Pomegranate. I adhered the glitter butterfly on it’s body part to the butterfly in the circle. That way you can bend the wings upward and make it look 3-D. That circle was layered on a Mega Scallop Circle punchout in Certainly Celery and adhered to the main card with dimensionals.

The saying comes from the Garden Whimsy set. I stamped it in Purely Pomegranate on Shimmery white and punched it out with the large oval punch. Next I used the round tag punch on Purely Pomegranate Cardstock. I sponged and paper pierced the edges, layered the saying in it’s center and added bashful blue brads.

Wednesday is Sketch Challenge day on SCS. Last Wednesday, the sketch challenge was to make a topper card. Michelle Wooderson came up with this great card idea. You can see her awesome work on her blog Mish Mash.

I wanted to use my new Outlaw Designer paper for this card layout. I don’t have the Wanted set just yet. I am waiting to trade with a fellow stamping friend. I can’t wait to get my hands on that set. It’s sooo pretty and it makes the most gorgeous cards.

I have never made a topper card and thought the sketch challenge was the perfect time to remedy that. I started out surprise, surprise with a 4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ piece of chocolate chip cardstock folded in half.

I cut a 2 1/2″ x 4″ piece of the striped paper in the Outlaw Designer pack, punched the bottom corner with the ticket corner punch (I can’t help myself. It’s becoming an addiction just like chocolate chip! Square corners just look weird to me now!) and stamped the large swirl stamp from Priceless on the bottom left. That was taped to the bottom of the card based. Where the Designer paper ended I used some sage ribbon from the retired Seaside Ribbon Originals pack.

For the topper I punched four Giga Scallop Squares out of Really Rust, taped them behind a 2 3/4″ x 3 1/2″ piece of Really Rust cardstock to make a rectangle scallop frame and sponged the edges. Then I cut a 2 1/2″ x 3 1/4″ piece of shimmery white for the main panel.

I have to tell you. That panel took me a while to figure out. I just didn’t know what to fill it with. It had to be that big to make this card work as a topper. I finally settled on stamping the cardstock first with the Linen background in Creamy Carame. Then I wheeled the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel with Really Rust over that. Last I sponged the edges with creamy caramel. After I taped the Shimmery white down onto the Really Rust scallop layer. I paper pierced two rows and added the Faux Stitching by hand.

I punched out a large Photo corner with the Photo corner punch in Sage shadow, stamped it with Linen and sponged the edges with Sage Shadow. Then I taped it to the top right and added five Antique Copper brads to it.

I stamped two butterflies in chocolate chip on Shimmery White scraps and cut them out. Then I sponged them with Really Rust. They didn’t look quite right on the panel. I thought it needed a little bit more sage. So I punched out two Sage Shadow circles with the 1 1/4″ punch, stamped them with Linen, sponged and distressed the edges. I punched two 1 3/8″ circle punches out and distressed the edges as well with the cutting tool kit. I taped them together and adhered the butteflies with two slim strips of dimensionals, that were placed under their bodies.

Last I stamped Priceless in Chocolate Chip on Shimmery white, overstamped and sponged it with Linen and Creamy Caramel and punched it out with the large oval punch. I taped it down and added a large Antique Brass oval frame over that. 

I made this card for the Wednesday Sketch challenge for the Dirty Dare. I had fun with this sketch! (I made it on Wednesday, but had to hold off posting it until now so I can show off a new card every day while I am gone.)

I knew I wanted to start using the Cutie Pie Designer paper and I took my color combo from there. My card base is a piece of  4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ Purely Pomegranate cardstock. The horizontal strip of Designer paper measures 1 1/2″ x 4″ and the bottom corners were punched with the ticket corner punch.  I tied some of our new bashful blue grosgrain underneath the flower stripe. The vertical strip measures 1 3/4″ x 2 1/2″. It some of it is hidden underneath the horizontal paper.

For the main image I punched two Mega Scallop Squares in Apricot Appeal with my Marvy Uchida punch. I taped them together to make a scallop rectangle. I cut a piece of 2″ x 2 1/2″ Shimmery White cardstock, wheeled it with the Little Bits wheel in Apricot and corner rounded the edges. The saying is from Garden Whimsy and was stamped in Purely Pomegranate.

The two photo corners were made by stamping one of the stamps from the Background Sampler in Celery on Certainly Celery cardstock. I punched the corners out with the Photo corner punch.The  corner of smaller photo corner was punched with the corner rounder, adhered to the top right of the Shimmery white layer and three Bashful Blue Brads were added. The corner of the bigger Photo corner was punched with the ticket corner punch and, adhered to the bottom left corner of the horizontal Designer paper layer and five Rose Red brads were added.

The circle accent was made by punching a Celery layer with the 1 3/8″ circle punch and a shimmery white layer with the 1 1/4″ circle punch. I stamped the smaller of the two butterflies from Garden Whimsy on the shimmery white circle in Purely Pomegranate. I stamped a second butterfly with the same color on a scrap piece of Shimmery White cardstock and cut it out. I adhered it just to the body of the butterfly in the circle, bend the winds up a bit and added glitter.

I am really hooked on those Photo corner, can you tell?

I received a post card from A Muse. Their are offering free shipping to their customers on orders over $50. The code is #SS2007

So if you have been looking for a reason to order…..well, free shipping might just be that reason. You are saving money after all. LOL

Hugs and smiles

I made this sample last Tuesday. The color inspiration came from the last Color challenge. But I added my sweet Chocolate Chip and some Pumpkin Pie in the mix. I love this layout and can’t wait to see your samples with it.

The base is a 5 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ piece of chocolate chip cardstock. I stamped the front with the Linen background and sponged the edges. The designer paper is from the retired Playhouse pack. I sponged the edges of the olive and Pumpkin layers and distressed them with the cutting tool kit.

The measurements for the layers are:

Layer all the way in the back: Designer paper 3 1/4″ x 3 3/4″….Olive Layer 3 1/2″ x 4″

Middle layer: Designer paper 2 3/4″ x 3 1/4″….Pumpkin layer 3″ x 3 1/2″

Front layer: Shimmery White 3″ square….Olive Layer 3 1/4″ square

I stamped Tres Chic and Linen in Old Olive over the Shimmery white square and sponged the edges with Old Olive.  I then added the All in a Row open Argyle stamp in chocolate chip on all for edges of the Shimmery white and the  designer paper layer in the back.

I paper pierced the middle layer. the saying is from the set Short and Sweet. I stamped it in Chocolate chip, then stamped the background from Oh, So Lovely over it in Regal Rose and sponged the edges. I added a large oval Antique Copper frame over it and added some brads along the sides.

The Flower has three parts. The bottom layer was stamped with the large Flower from Office Accoutrement in Regal Rose on Shimmery White. The chocolate layer is punched out with the new large flower punch. I sponged the edges and added some faux stitch lines in chocolate chip on the edges. the top flower is the small flower from Office accoutrement stamped in Pumpkin Pie. Three Antique Copper brads finishe the flower off.

The ribbon is the wide rose grosgrain ribbon and the chocolate taffeta ribbon tied together across the back layer.

Here is this weekend’s sketch. It’s another square sketch. I just can’t help myself! I didn’t add a placement for accents or sentiments. Put those whereever you want to.

I will post a new sample tomorrow. Here is the card that I used as inspiration for this sketch. You can read all about this card in this blog post.

If you want to participate in my challenge raffle, make a card with this sketch, upload it online (either on your blog or in an online gallery like www.splitcoaststampers.com). Add a link to your card as a comment to this post.

I will determine the winner of the raffle when I get back from San Antonio with the help of random.org. The winner will receive a spool of narrow gold organdy ribbon.

I can’t wait to see your cards made with this sketch! Have a wonderful day!

Pam Downs sent me another one of her convention swaps. She is so sweet! I wish I was going too, so I could hang out with the Austin gang! :) 

When we checked the weather forcast yesterday it said it would rain all the way to Texas. We were a bit worried. We got up at 5 a.m. and were on the road at six.

We were lucky. It rained on us only a few times. Of course we had to stop at the Orange, TX rest stop. It’s Johns tradition. We have several rest stops that we always visit while driving to Texas.

While at the rest stop in Orange, we saw a raccoon. I have never seen a raccoon in the wild before. We didn’t stay long, but Lucas had to climb on the star again!

 We made really good time today and we in San Antonio at 7:00 p.m. sharp. It’s exactly 800 miles from our house to my in laws.

Yesterday the week long Dirty Dare challenges started over at SCS. You can read more about what those challenges are, the purpose of those challenges and the schedules in this thread by Julie. Today I am one of the challenge hosts.  I came up with this simple sketch for the sketch challenge I am hosting:

The card base is a 5 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ piece of chocolate chip cardstock folded in half. I stamped the Linen background stamp on it with chocolate chip ink.  All patterned paper is from the Linen Prints designer paper pack. The stamps are from the set Flowers & Flourishes.

I inked up the big flower with Cameo Coral and stamped it off once. Then I huffed on it to moisten it, rock n’ rolled the edges with chocolate chip classic ink and stamped it on white cardstock. I cut it out, added a chocolate chip flower punchout from the Three For You punch in it’s center and topped it off with a circle jewel brad from the fire collection.

The main panel is a piece of white cardstock, stamped with Apricot Appeal and Linen background stamp and flowers from the Flowers & Flourishes set. I added the small flower background stamp from that set with cameo coral ink that was stamped off once for a softer look. The saying is stamped in chocolate chip.

I paper pierced some swirls with the Priceless Brass template and some corner deco on the top right with the mat provided in the Tool Kit.

Of course I couldn’t help myself to add some Faux Stitching with the All in a Row set.

If you are a fan club member, head on over to SCS and participate in the challenges. If you aren’t a fan club member yet, you might want to consider joining. The Fan Club helps keeping SCS running. The monthly server costs for the site are quite high! As an extra bonus for supporting the site, you will be able to see a new stunning gallery filled with new samples from some of our most talented site members every month!

Please think and pray for my family’s safety today. We are heading towards San Antonio today for a weeks visit! It’s a 14 hour drive!

Misty bought some of my retired sets and sent me this striking card. You can find more of her work on her blog Lil’ Buck’s Creations.