Sneak Peak!!! Updated!

Okay, here they are, the details for this card!
The final VSN warm-up challenge was to make a card inspired by this phrase:

I am only as strong as the coffee I drink,
The hairspray I use,
and the friends that I have!

I focused in on the friends portion of the phrase to make this card. There are two aspects of friendship here; first is the quote from Oprah. This is exactly the kind of friends I've managed to find over the years, and a couple of them have ridden the bus with me! If only there had been a limo first!
The second aspect of friendship comes in the components of the card. Aside from cardstock and brads, everything on the card came to me by way of a friend. The quote, from a collection by Creative Memories, came from one of my best friends. The patterned paper and flower were a RAK from my friend Joni (Jstarbright on SCS) who I've gotten to know through VSN. And the black suede ribbon was blog candy I won from Jimmi (jpmayo on SCS), a new friend I've met through this round of VSN. Thanks girls!
The challenge closes Sept. 6 and VSN runs Sept. 7 and 8. To learn more about the challenge and VSN, go HERE!

A moment of bliss

Reading is a blissful experience for me - I love escaping into a good book! I always have one on the night stand and try to read a bit each night before bed - and if I'm lucky for a couple hours at a stretch on lazy weekend afternoons. Sometimes, my eyes get heavy quickly and I only get a few pages in, but other times I find myself so engrossed I'll look up at the clock and find it's 1 or 2 a.m.! That makes it hard to get up in the morning, that's for sure.
Sometimes I read paperbacks, and I don't mind dog-earing the pages of the book to mark my spot. But I also enjoy and collect hardback and oversize paperback books that I don't want to ruin, so I usually have a bookmark handy. I've even made a couple for myself and friends to use. This weekend, I made my first origami bookmark for the latest VSN warm-up challenge. It was so fun and easy! It would be a great project for kids, too.
Heather (Alcesalces on SCS) came up with the challenge and posted it today. The challenge, along with directions, can be found HERE. The VSN warm-up challenges are open until Sept. 6, but you can try this anytime. If you do make one of these bookmarks, drop me a comment here so I can check it out!
For my bookmark, I used some new My Mind's Eye paper, my Heartfelt Thanks and Noteworthy stamp sets, celery, bashful and white cardstock and turquoise, celery, bashful and black ink. It was a fun and easy project and I can't wait to put this to use tonight!

For Sale!

My sister Sunny has some retired SU stamps and catalogs for sale. Since I'm a nice sister, I told her I'd post them here for my readers. If you're interested in anything, contact her at:
Sunny
StampinSunshine@Juno.com

All this is straight from her:
All sets are mounted except On Ice.... Rubber condition is slightly stained on some... Pastels are new and unopened... Prices listed are original - e-mail me with an offer.... Payment accepted by personal check or money order - or customer direct from another Demo

Special Greetings Pending 27.95 1996
Warm Thoughts for Everyday Pending 15.95 1997
Dot Greetings 26.95 1995
Swirl Background 16.95 2000
Simply Spring 21.95 2002
Petite Posies 18.95 1998
Dot Invitation 11.95 1999
Love Ya! 17.95 1999
Alpha Shadows – Hostess 11.95
2002 Scribbles 11.952000
Festive Four 12.95 2004
Long Stemmed- SAB 2001 16.95 2001
Snow Angels 14.95 1999
Fabulous Four 11.95 2004
Watercolor Mini’s 17.95 2001
Petite Patterns 11.95 1999
Heart & Home – RMHCC 16.95 2003
Country Greetings 14.95 1999
Bold & Bright - SAB 2001 18.95 2001
Painted Garden 16.95 2002
Love Is A Great Thing 14.95 2000
Hearts & Posies 21.95 2002
Sketch A Party 24.95 2002
Fresh Flowers 24.95 2001
Framed Fun – SAB 2001 22.95 2001
Just For Fun – SAB 2001 22.95 2001
Flowers & Friends 24.95 2002
Gifted Greetings – LE SAB 22.95 1999
On Ice - New UM 2 pending - one left 24.95
2002 Pastel - Set of 35 old packaging - 19.95

2006-2007 Catalog & Idea Book 4.00 ea 4 Available
2004-2005 Catalog & Idea Book 4.00 ea 3 Available
2003-2004 Catalog & Idea Book 4.00 ea 1 Available
2002-2003 Catalog & Idea Book 4.00 ea 2 Available
1999-2000 Catalog & Idea Book 4.00 ea 1 Available
Oct 2003-Jul 2004 SM Catalog 2.00 ea 4 Available

Thanks!

Friday night stamping!

I finally got to stamp again! Last night was the first night in 10 days that I stamped. Both of the cards I made are for the VSN warm-up challenges. All the info can be found in the VSN forum here on SCS. You can play any or all of the warm-up challenges until Sept. 6. VSN itself runs Sept. 7-8. This is going to be a great VSN; there are lots of terrific challenges and a great group of coordinators and hostesses planning the event. You won't want to miss it. On to the cards: the first card was for the challenge to make a wiper card. You tug on the ends to flatten it out and the little pop-up piece reveals itself. I used perfect plum, pale plum and sage shadow cardstock along with the patterned paper from the Tres Jolie collection by My Mind's Eye. I LOVE that paper. I've cut a couple of pieces with the intent on using it on cards, but tend to hoard it more than I use it! Anyway, the main image is from a Newberg, Ore., company called Daisy Chain. I have no idea if they are still in business. But I have always loved bunnies and my sister got me this stamp several years ago. I love it because it is a large image, perfect for a card like this. I colored the bunny, including a faint outline around the entire image, using pale plum, perfect plum and sage shadow inks and blender pens. I sponged the edges of the image lightly with basic brown and sage shadow inks. Looking back, I wish I would've stamped the image on vanilla instead of white, but the sponging helps! I used my SU ticket corner punch on the corners and attached to the patterned paper. I used a piece of my new ribbon from Jimmi (thanks again!) and a piece of hodgepodge hardware in antique brass to finish off the card front. The pop-up piece is stamped with a sentiment from Riveting and the center is filled with a brown prima and antique brass brad. I'm planning to use this card for a little girl I know whose birthday is coming up!
The second challenge called for using autumn colors on a Christmas card. That one seemed tricky, but I pulled out old olive, cranberry crisp and more mustard ink and used those as my starting point. The circle ornament images are from a set by Hero Arts called Merry Dots (also a gift from my sister). I used my CM circle cutters to cut them and their mats out. The sketch is loosely based on a fairly recent sketch design from SCS. I stamped the background with stars from Stars and Swirls, attached the strips with the sentiment from MSE and added silver brads before attaching the circles. I finished it with some mustard grosgrain and cranberry stitched ribbon from SU.

One more RAK attack!

I'm still working on getting my stamp stuff out after putting it away for my mom's visit. I thought I would stamp tonight, but I haven't gotten to it yet, so maybe tomorrow! In the meantime, I have couple more RAKs to share. The first is from my new friend Jimmi - she sent me a thank-you for a RAK I sent her. Now I owe her a thank-you, because I won her blog candy and it arrived this week. Stay tuned for a photo of all the yummy ribbon Jimmi sent me! She's the best. Her blog, Stampin and Shoppin, is linked in my blogroll if you want to check it out.

The second card is from my VSN secret sister. She used guava chocolate and white - isn't it awesome? I love the color combo, the design, and the use of the sentiment as the background. I can't wait to discover who she is!

I'm in the process of putting together my reveal gift for my secret sister. When she knows who I am, I'll start sharing the projects I've done for her. It is so much fun making stuff with a particular person in mind.

Warming up for VSN

I made this card back in July and now I can finally share it. I'm one of several stampers hosting "warm-up" challenges in preparation for the Jump into Fall VSN event on SCS in September. My challenge went up tonight so now I can share! The challenge, to use rope, twine or hemp on a card, can be found HERE and everyone is welcome to play. There are no prizes, though a handful of my favorite cards will get selected for the VSN gallery that will go up after the big event. Cards must be made in 45 minutes and uploaded to the SCS gallery using the assigned keyword by Sept. 6. All the cards made for this challenge can be viewed HERE. Mine was the third of five warm-up challenges with the others coming in the next few days. You can play in all or any of the challenges, just so long as you upload by the end date. For more information on VSN or to see the other challenges, go HERE.
Card details: the image is from Wild Wild West and was a RAK. It's stamped in black ink on naturals cardstock, I think. I used earth elements inks to watercolor the image - I'm still learning to watercolor, and the image was a challenge. My cowboy ended up with green pants instead of blue, and the whole saddle area is brown because I wasn't sure what else was supposed to be depicted there! Other stamps are flannel plaid BG and Small script for the sentiment. Cardstock is close to cocoa, artichoke and really rust. I used rope on the corners and hemp twine on the sentment, which was punched and layered with the word window punch.

Inspired by Jenn Balcer

During the Dare to Get Dirty challenges, I made a bright boy card using the greens from bold brights, the Wild About You alligator and bird, and some Dots and Dashes paper. (love that paper, sad to see it retire this year!) While I had those supplies out, I made a couple of girl cards using the lion. They are very similar, but the second is a 4.25 square card. I like the lion better in orange than in pink. These were fast and fun to make, and I know just the little girls to send them to.
I'm packing the stamping stuff away today - it'll be tucked under the bed and in the closet for a few days while my mom visits. Most of it gets stored in the spare bedroom/office, but I don't have much room in there to actually stamp, so I wheel my stamp desk out to the living room and set up there with all my junk for weeks on end until company comes. It's one benefit of being single! Anyway, I may be scarce for the next few days as I get ready for her visit, then spend a few days with her. We don't have anything special planned, just some mom/daughter time.

A shout-out!

Just a quick post to give a shout-out and thank you to my new friend Jimmi! We've gotten to know each other a little bit on SCS because we're both hostesses for the upcoming VSN. Jimmi has a great blog, Stampin' and Shoppin', which I recently discovered. She also just had a blog candy giveaway in which she's decided to share some of the ribbon she got through a Jody Morrow ribbon share. And guess what? She picked me as the winner!!!! I am so excited! Thanks, Jimmi! At some point when my life calms down a little bit, I'm planning my own little blog candy giveaway, and I might just have to pay it forward with a bit of the ribbon. Who doesn't love ribbon????

Another RAK attack!

I realized I hadn't posted these RAKs either! One of my favorite things at SCS is Virtual Stamp Night - really a weekend - with a series of challenges based around a theme and 45-minute time limits per card. Challenges are posted hourly, so you are jumping from one to the next through the whole event. I'm hosting one of the challenges for the next VSN, Sept. 7-8. The theme is Jumping into Fall. As a hostess, I've got some behind-the-scenes access and have seen most of the challenges. They are awesome! Anyway, these RAKs are related to VSN. The first is from Pattyb, one of the two coordinators for VSN. She sent this beautiful sage, white and chocolate card and included some fun sparkly gems in the envelope. Thanks Patty!
The second card is from my VSN Secret Sister. Many of the hostesses decided to participate in Secret Sister swap, so we are sending cards to each other until VSN. At the end, we'll each send a reveal card and a little package of goodies for our sis. It is a lot of fun. My secret sis sent this card, using blue bayou, soft sky and groovy guava. It's a lovely card!

Rak attack!

My mailbox was a welcome sight this week, with two RAKs in it! The first one is from my friend Katherine, aka Beadfreak22 on SCS. She is the sweetest person and her card is a great representation of that. I love the new blue bayou ink and paper she used, and the layout wiht the diamond shape is lovely. I will be trying that, for sure. The funny thing is, unbeknownst to her, I had sent her a RAK this week, too! Talk about coincidence. Thanks again Katherine!

I also got a RAK this week from Alison of Stampin When I Can. Allison has the coolest blog -I'm sure you've all been there, but if you haven't, she keeps track of all the blog candy to be had, posts links to tutorials found in all the other blogs out there, and finds all the newest and hottest bloggers for us. Allison's RAK to me was a Rak-Back, or return RAK, for a birthday card I sent her awhile back. I love the patterned papers she used in her card, along with the patterned ribbon. I'm always afraid to mix too many patterns, but she is brave! Thanks Allison, I love the card.

I have been doing some stamping of my own, but it's all under wraps for a bit longer. I'll try to dig up some stuff to post here over the next few days, though, so hang in there with me! Have a great weekend.

Micro Mania Part 3

This should be the last of my Micro Mania photos! The first one is the outside view of the door prize I won. Pat Bear from SCS made this cute little suitcase (I believe it's a $1 candy tin from Target) and filled it with cute foam lady bugs and tons of little Primas (see second photo!) The thing was stuffed with flowers in lots of sizes and colors I don't have. It was a great prize.
The last picture, below, is of the nametag and bag our hostess, Minnie, made for everyone. We used the bag to carry our supplies and finished projects around from station to station. And everyone got cute nametags to wear so we would all know each other's names! Minnie also came around and offered us each a cute SU incentive stamp - I'm sure she has quite a stash, since she's been a demo for awhile and does quite well at it. I pulled out a cute bunch of grapes. All in all it was a great day!
That's all for today! Not sure what I'll have for the rest of the week, since the only stamping I've done so far this week is a secret for a bit longer. Happy Hump Day tomorrow!

Micro Mania Part 2

Here's a couple more photos from the Micro Mini Stamp Mania shoebox swap I attended Sunday. Our hostess was Minnie, in the turquoise with the black SU apron above. I didn't take very many photos, but this one is a good representation of the group hard at work on projects. It was a nice crowd; I'd met some of the women before and some were new to me Sunday. A few are SCSers, but not all!
This photo is of all the projects we made (except one that I'm saving as a surprise for someone who may or may not be reading this blog!) We had quite a variety of cards and other fun things. The long cranberry and thyme book was a cool coupon or paper scrap organizer Minnie designed; it used 5 self-adhesive business envelopes. I will be CASEing that one for sure! We also had two post-it holders; the blue Delight in Life one had a chipboard cover and back that were also stamped and cuttlebugged! Too cute. The other used stamps from Office Accoutrements. Other non-card fun projects included an empty TP roll turned into a candy holder, a corkboard bulletin board, a fun pinwheel using patterned paper and a pixie stick, and a cool magnetic metal tin (from Target) covered with Doodle This-stamped flowers. One last post tomorrow should wrap up my swap photos!

Micro Mania

Finally, I can share a couple of things I was working on right before and right after the Dirty Dares week on Splitcoast. Today was a SoCal Micro Mini Mania shoebox swap event. These micro minis were an offshoot of the big SoCal Stamp Mania event held each spring in Long Beach. I attended this year with a group of girls who live about 40 minutes away, and one of those girls decided to keep the fun going by putting together a series of "micro" shoebox swaps in our area. The first was held in May while I was on vacation, but the second was today and I could go! Yay! There's nothing more fun than stamping the day away, chatting and learning new techniques. Over the next few days, I'll share a few things from the event. The first, above, are the hostess and door prizes I took. I used some canning jars I've been carting around with me for ages to make ribbon jars (inspired by this month's Dirty Dozen gallery on SCS), then just pulled some ribbons from my stash to fill them up. I used a stamp from the Tagger's Dozen set and cool Caribbean and certainly celery inks. I tied the tag with some ribbon and added Primas to the top.

The second is the card I designed as my shoebox project. I struggled with the design for a bit before finally settling on this one. I used a faux postage template from SCS, then sponged bashful blue, so saffron and rose red ink over the stamp squares. The image, also from Tagger's Dozen, is is stamped in black stazon ink. I layered the postage on bashful blue and basic black. I also added a line of black and saffron prints designer paper on the side, then tied rose organdy ribbon along it to finish the card off. A simple but fun design, and the girls at the event seemed excited about it. Tomorrow I'll share the projects we made!

The last of the dirty cards

Here are a couple more dirty dare challenge cards I hadn't posted yet. The first two were for Jami's More is More challenge. The challenge was to make a card, then make another card using the same basic supplies, but kicked up a notch. I used cool caribbean paper, Crate Birdie Collection paper, creamy caramel, cameo coral and certainly celery paper and ink. The stamp set is Wild about you and the sentiment is from Smorgasborders. The ribbon is May Arts. The "more" parts are the sentiment layered on the circles, the primas, the ticket corners punched, more layers, a googlie eye on the ellie, stickles on the bird, and linen BG stamped on the card base. It was a fun challenge!

This card was for Candy Williams' acetate challenge. The card base is raspberry from Creative Memories. I cut down the base and made two 2-inch panels, then attached the basic black scalloped edges and the giraffe in the middle. The giraffe is stamped on acetate with blazing red stazon and the bitty background and sentiment from A muse are stamped on the inside. The ribbon is May Arts. This card looks cuter in person; it was hard to photograph because of the transparency!

Dirty no more

The Dare to Get Dirty challenges ended yesterday, and these are the last two cards I made for the challenges. I think I managed 14 cards in 14 challenges - one challenge called for two cards, and one card worked for two challenges! - out of 36 total. There is still a little time to try a few more, but my life is going to be pretty hectic the next couple of weeks, so I'm not sure if I'll have time to do any others. Right now I should be working on a card for the shoebox swap I'm attending this weekend, but my mojo seems to have left! I'll try again tomorrow night. So on to the cards: the first was for JulieHRR's challenge to make a single layer card, and if you wanted to, with a window and/or with acetate. I did all three. The card base is whisper white; I punched a square out for my window using my Marvy scalloped square punch. I'm not loving this punch yet - it is very stiff and hard to get a good punch out of. I guess I need to work it in a bit. Anyway, I used a spectrum-style rainbow pad to stamp the image from All I Have Seen, then stamped the sentiment on a window sheet and attached it with glue dots. I finished the card with some striped ribbon from my stash.
The second card fit Mytime's (Lauren) sketch challenge as well as Jami's fall back on black challenge. It's a business-sized card out of sage shadow. I used the scallop punch again to punch out the squares, stamped the Artfully Asian images in Stazon black and colored them in with sage shadow. I layered the squares on a sage piece stamped the leaves from AA in sage for a bacground. That layer was placed on a black layer with scallop edges cut using my Fiskars rotary cutter and blade. I finished the card with the AA sentiment and some black stitched ribbon.