Pretty in pink

Caardvarks' latest challenge is called "Think Pink" and the challenge is to make pink cards! I was making a couple of cards on request for a friend and this is one of the ones I gave her to choose from. She wanted one that didn't have a sentiment, which is hard for me! I love the Cuttlebug swiss dots folder, it just adds a touch of elegance to cards.
Supplies:
Stamps: Embrace Life
Ink: Stazon black, SU pretty in pink marker and blender pen for pomegranate ink
Paper: Whisper white, pretty in pink, purely pomegranate
Accessories: CB swiss dots, ribbon, K and Co. pearl brad

Mini comps

I recently altered some mini composition books to go in a couple of small gift packages. One of the goodie packages was in shades of pink and one was in shades of aqua, so the colors of the comp books were selected to coordinate. These came four in a package for a bout $2, I think. I just cut paper to fit the covers and left the original spines, so the whole project took mere minutes!
Supplies:
Stamps: Clear $1 stamp and clear Marcella K alphabet
Ink: Tsukinko Colorbox and Serenade
Paper: Pixie pink, pretty in pink, whisper white, unknown pink DP, blue DP is Making Memories
Accessories: ribbon, scallop punch, CM circle cutter

A little pick-up

This is such a cute little pick-up! I always forget what nice cards it makes - partly because I don't actually own the set; I borrowed it from a friend. Since it'll be awhile before Stampin Up has new sets out, and I haven't found much to buy in the local stamp, scrap and craft stores, I resorted to borrowing! This is the last of my June mini VSN cards. Deb challenged us to make a card expressing love or romance. This truck full of hearts is what I came up with. I'm continuing to practice coloring with my Copic markers. This was my first time using Tsukineko's Memento ink and I LOVE it! I had no smearing, running or bleeding! Yay! You can play the June VSN mini challenges through July 4; after that, the next round of mini challenges will come July 25.
Supplies:
Stamps: Loads of Love
Ink: Memento cocoa, Copic markers
Paper: Ballet blue, pretty in pink, chocolate chip, shimmery vanilla, Basic Grey
Accessories: Hodgepodge hardware, cuttlebug, linen thread, ribbon

Pocket card!

This was another one of my VSN projects. Lisa (stampinthyme) challenged us to make a pocket card, similar to those pockets that library books had to hold the checkout card. I turned my pocket card horizontally, just for fun. You basically take a traditional 4.25 x 5.5 card, and fold back a 1.5 inch flap, then adhere the three sides and make an insert to go in it. Simple, but fun! I've been trying to use up scraps lately, so my color combination was inspired by this scrap of dp.
Supplies:
Stamps: Simply said
Ink: navy, artichoke, celery, brocade blue
Paper: artichoke, navy, brocade blue, whisper white
Accessories: corner rounder, tab punch, primas, stickles

Frippery and Jane Austen

Today's cards are from another of the Bookclub VSN mini challenges over the weekend. Sara's challenge was inspired by Jane Austen, whose characters were masters in the art of frippery. Sara asked us to make two cards, one plain and one with frippery - basically a "more is more" challenge! I started with the card on the left, and added layers, cuttlebugging, hardware and extra ribbon to the second card as my frippery. I am loving this color combo - I will have to try it again! You can find the details of Sara's challenge HERE! There is plenty of time to play - these challenges run through July 4.
Supplies:
Stamps: Heartfelt thanks, small script
Ink: apricot, mellow moss
Paper: kraft, vanilla, apricot, mellow moss
Accessories: ribbon, brads, hardware, cuttlebug, scallops

Plum crazy!

Us VSN junkies have been talking a lot about books since that is the theme for this round of VSN, and several of the participants mentioned how much they love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I had never read any of them, but they've talked them up so much that I picked one up at the bookstore last night. I figured I'd start with the first one, so now I'm reading "One for the Money."
It also came as no surprise that one of the VSN challenges was based on a Stephanie Plum book. My friend Patty challenged everyone to use numbers on their card because numbers on their card because numbers play a role in the Stephanie Plum books. I needed a card for my soon-to-be three-year-old niece, so that's where this card came from. I thought about using pale and perfect plum for colors, just for kicks, but then found this piece of polka dot amethyst prints dp and went with that color instead. The card is 5.25 inches square.
You can find all the information you need to play VSN HERE! It is a great way to get lots of cards made, try techniques you'd never otherwise try and get your creative juices flowing!
Supplies:
Stamps: birthday whimsy
Ink: amethyst
Paper: amethyst, white, prints dp, unknown silver
Accessories: ribbon, cord, CM circle cutter, glitter "3" sticker from Making Memories, corner rounder

Where books and stamps collide!

It's time for another mini Virtual Stamp Night! There are five challenges this round, all connected to books and reading, and they run through July 4! I hope you'll join us. You can find all the details HERE! (Or ask me any questions on this post!)
Andrea challenged us to be "ghost writers" and use the ghosting technique, also known as Versamark resist, on our cards. I have been itching to get myself out of my color rut (have you noticed the pink, pomegranate and brown overload in my posts lately?) so I tried a new, fresh combination of cameo coral, river rock and white. I really like how it turned out.
For the ghosting, I stamped the flower from One of a Kind in versamark on glossy paper and let it dry for a few minutes. Then I brayered over the entire piece with cameo coral ink. The ghosting shows up better in real life, but was hard to capture in the photograph.
Supplies:
Stamps: One of a Kind, Sage Advice
Ink: versamark, coral, river rock
Paper: glossy white, whisper white, coral, river rock
Accessories: ticket punch, ribbon, brayer, brads, dimensionals.

By request

A friend of mine asked me to make a card for her to give to a friend who was retiring. I was flattered and happy to oblige. Problem is, she asked that it have no sentiment. And I don't know anything about the woman who will receive it. This combination can make designing a card very difficult! This is one of the possibilities I came up with. My friend said her friend likes Japan, so I figured some cherry blossoms from Artfully Asian would work. I colored the flowers with my Copics and matched them to this scrap of My Mind's Eye Tres Jolie DP.
Supplies:
Stamps: Artfully Asian
Ink: Brilliance black, Copics
Paper: Sage shadow, pale plum, Neenah classic crest ivory, MME Dp
Accessories: Ticket corner punch, ribbon, stickles

Fluffles + Copics

This card was one I struggled and struggled while my mojo was on vacation. I took several stabs at color combinations and layouts before finally settling on this one. I'm not totally thrilled with the finished product, but at least it's presentable! I colored Fluffles with my Copics. I only have 24 so far, with another five on the way, but I ordered two shades of gray just so I could color Fluffles to look like my cat, Eliot! I added a little Stickles to the flower centers for some sparkle.
Supplies:
Stamps: Fluffles from Stampendous, sentiment is a clear $1 stamp
Paper: green galore, neenah classic crest white, berry bliss DP
Ink: brilliance black, Copic markers
Accessories: corner rounder, ribbon, Primas, rhinestone brad

Beate's sketch #52

Here's another card from my card-making session to restart my mojo! This is for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. It's a pretty simple card; the colors were inspired by this scrap of DP from the My Mind's Eye paper pack from Costco. That stuff is going to last forever! I stamped the flowers from One of a Kind in turquoise and gable green, then rolled the edges lightly in Stazon black. For the main image, I colored the center with my turquoise marker, then attached some faint blue Dew Drops using diamond Stickles for a little bling.
Supplies:
Stamps: One of a Kind
Ink: tempting turquoise, gable green, stazon black
Paper: tempting turquoise, gable green, vanilla, black, MME dp
Accessories: Dew drops, Stickles

Mojo restart

I was attempting to restart my mojo last night, so I blog-hopped a bit to find some challenges to work on. This card is for the Amuseapalooza inspiration challenge. The inspiration piece was a Vera Bradley bag with a paisley print. I was inspired by the colors and the paisley. Problem is, I don't actually own any paisley stamps! Fortunately, my sweet friend Joni had given me a cool set of paisley dies for my Cuttlebug. So I CB'd a bunch of paisley pieces and glued them into a flower pattern. The gluing was a PAIN! When I was almost done, it dawned on me that I have a small Xyron which would have been perfect for that task. Doh! Anyway, the glue was also a bit messier than I had hoped, so I outlined the whole flower with stardust stickles. It worked like a charm. Since the challenge required using at least one Amuse stamp, I pulled out my favorite Amuse sentiment.
Supplies:
Stamps: Amuse
Ink: ballet blue
Paper: ballet blue, bashful blue, rose red, whisper white
Accessories: ribbon, stardust stickles, brad, mini pearls, CB paisley dies, corner rounder

Sorry ...

Sorry this blog has been quiet of late. I've been doing a little stamping, but it has not been good! I think my mojo went on vacation. I hope to get it revved up soon so I have some new things to post here. In the meantime, if you have any tricks to kick start your mojo, would you mind sharing them with me? Thanks!

Drink up!

I haven't played in a Caardvarks challenge for awhile, but I couldn't resist this one! It's called Drink up! And you're supposed to feature beverages on your card. I also happened to need a congratulations card for a friend who just completed her master's degree, so this card was born! I paired it with a bottle of bubbly so she could really celebrate. I love this image, partly because I love champagne! It was fun to color with my Copics - I only have a few colors, but I love these blues. I have skin white on order - so next time maybe this girl will have some skin color.
Supplies:
Stamps: Inky Antics Girly Girl, Lots of thoughts (SU)
Ink: Memories black, Copic markers
Paper: ballet blue, neenah classic crest white, Stemma dp
Accessories: ribbon, stickles, corner rounder

Sketch + inspiration + tag

It's been a long and exhausting week here, so I didn't get much stamping in. By last night, I was itching to get back to my table, and I have a growing list of cards that need to be made. Fortunately for me, the inspiration challenge had been posted on SCS. It was a lovely bedroom ensemble, with lots of soft color and a splash of bright pink. The bedroom inspired the colors and the panels of this card, and the remainder of the sketch was inspired by Taylored Expressions' weekly sketch challenge.
Supplies:
Stamps: Embrace life, lots of thoughts
Ink: basic gray
Paper: Soft sky, going gray, pixie pink, neenah classic crest solar white
Accessories: May Arts ribbon, scallop punch, CM circle cutter, CB swiss dots

* * * * *

This morning I was also greeted by the news that my friend Patty of http://www.paperpatty.blogspot.com had tagged me in a round of blogger tag. This was a tag I hadn't done before, so here goes:
1) Life 10 years ago: I either have a bad memory, or maybe this just wasn't that memorable of a year! All I can think is that I was living and working in Bend, Oregon, I was broke and looking for a better job and I'm pretty sure I attended my first Stampin Up party that year, which didn't help my budget :)
2) 5 things on today's 'to-do' list: Laundry, vacuuming, finding a birthday present for my soon-to-be 10-year-old niece, a Target run, and stamping!
3) Snacks that I enjoy: I like both sweet and salty snacks. For salty, almonds or cashews, popcorn or some kind of chips. For sweet, anything chocolate! And since it's warm right now I'm eating a lot of ice cream and other frozen treats.
4) Things I would do if I were a millionaire: Depends on if it was just a $1 million or multiple millions! I think I would move back to the Pacific Northwest, take my mom and sister on a trip to Hawaii, travel to Europe again and spend some time giving back to my community through volunteer work and financial contributions.
5) Places I have lived: Oregon (three different cities); Indiana (two cities), California (three cities) and Salzburg, Austria, during a 10-month study abroad program in college.

I cannot go to school today ...

One of my favorite poets is Shel Silverstein. When I was in fourth or fifth grade, we had to memorize poems, and everyone wanted to use poems from "Where the sidewalk ends." I still remember the first few lines of "Sick" as a result. I love that poem! So when Melinda issued a mini VSN challenge to use your favorite poem as inspiration for a card, I immediately thought of "Sick." Coincidentally, I needed to make a get well card - so Voila! This card was born! I love this patterned paper - it was a scrap so I can't remember who makes it - so the paper inspired the color combination. I also used my Spica gold glitter pen to add some highlights to the stamped flowers. It's hard to see in the picture but it's quite glittery in real life. The first mini VSN challenges are still underway, so please feel free to play! You can find more information HERE!
Supplies:
Stamps: Fabulous flowers, sincere salutations
Ink: pomegranate, saffron, eggplant
Paper: pomegranate, saffron, eggplant, DP unknown, neenah classic crest solar white
Accessories: ribbon, dew drops, spica glitter pen, ticket punch, dimensionals

Beneath the cover

This is another card I made for the mini VSN challenges going on through June 13. You can find more information HERE! Robyn challenged us to use vellum on our cards. I have several different vellums and actually pulled out a different piece to make this card - one that had words and images printed on it. I cut a bunch of different card stock and pieces of vellum, but just couldn't make that card look good. So I started over and decided to go with a simple vellum overlay instead. Funny thing is, I love the finished card! I should've just kept it simple from the beginning, I guess! I ran my vellum through the CB with the swiss dots folder to get the polka dots. The vellum piece is trimmed slightly smaller than the stamped background so you can see just a touch of the original color.
Supplies:
Stamps: Fabulous flowers, for a friend
Ink: stazon black, pomegranate, soft sky, celery
Paper: celery, soft sky, pomegranate, vellum, neenah classic crest solar white
Accessores: ribbon, brads, aquapainter, CB

The Scarlet Letter

This weekend was the first of three mini Virtual Stamp Nights that will be held throughout the summer, culminating with our big VSN weekend Aug. 22-23. The theme for this round of VSN is "Book Club," and the mini VSNs are being called "Book Signings." So all the challenges related to books and reading. The first mini VSN challenges can be found HERE! And you can play through June 13, so there is plenty of time to try your hand at the challenges. I had a very busy weekend - including some quality time at the beach this morning and the sunburn to prove it! So I still have a couple more to do, I will be stamping later this week, I suspect!
The first of the VSN mini challenges was based on "The Scarlet Letter." Trace asked everyone to use red letters on their creations! I needed a masculine birthday card, so I painted some We R Memory Keepers chipboard letters with Making Memories paint (red wagon color) for my red letters.
Supplies:
Stamps: birthday whimsy
Ink: ballet blue
Paper: celery, real red, patterned paper is from Adorn it
Accessories: eyelets, chipboard, MM paint