You Made Me Ink Challenge 3 (Hi)

Before I post my personal challenge, I just want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who commented on my daughter's card.  I can't tell you how happy that made her and she is so very appreciative of all your kind compliments. 

So,  THANK YOU VERY MUCH from Britany and myself. :)

This week I challenged myself using the Inspiration Image on my blog mixed with the Mojo Monday sketch.

Here is my card...

Here is the Inspiration Image I used

Here is the Mojo Monday Sketch and Link

More aspects of the card...

 Close up of the tulips that I tried to duplicate from the pillow design and the 3 squares below the arrow to symbolize the pillows on the couch.

 Close up of the center circle to show how I tried to duplicate the pictures on the back wall.

The ribbon that matches all the hues of the image and meets the Mojo sketch criteria.

Thank you so much for stopping by and thank you again for all your kind and thoughtful comments.

I'm off to stamp so I hope I have more to post later.

Have a WONDERFUL Friday and an even better weekend!

She amazes me...

The lesson that I was reminded of this weekend, came from a very special person in my life.  As a mother, I always feel that it's my job to teach and inspire my children; which it is.  However, God reminded of something very special over this Easter weekend.  

Sometimes, it's nice to sit back and watch your children and learn and be inspired by them and their actions.

So, this post is not one of my creations, but my daughter's and I am so proud of her and this beautiful card that she designed.

Thank you Britany for being a wonderful and beautiful person, not only on the outside but most importantly, on the inside!

I love you,

Mom.

She used this sketch challenge from Stamping 411

Click the above picture to go to the direct link.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope that her card inspired you as much as it did me. :)

Happy Stamping!!

Smile

Yeah, the weekend is here and it's one day before Easter, which is all the reason to smile!

This card is for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge which asks each crafter to make a card using the colors of Aqua, Yellow, and Brown.

I started the card out by using the border punch at the top crease and tried to weave ribbon into that, but after a long battle and a complete mess, you can see that I moved the ribbon down and left the punched area as a "blingy" doo-dad. (Official terminology)

I embossed a paisley layer and then used the Spellbinders Fancy Labels to add the Smile sentiment.

It looked like it really needed something else so I added the swirls as well in coordinating colors and felt it was finally complete.  

I'm not sure if it is, so any suggestions are welcome. :)

Here is the direct link to Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge if you'd like to take a peek. I'm sure they'd love it!

Thank you so much for stopping by and I wish you a wonderful weekend and a Happy Easter!

But, before you go, I leave you with some Easter tips: ;)  

• If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
• If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge.  Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.

Taking Baby Home

My inspiration this morning came from Simon Says Stamp where the challenge is to emboss.

I decided to pick one stamp set that I have never used before.

  Well, 3 stamp sets, tons of ink pads, set of watercolor pencils, dry and wet embossing, gamsol, and 3 cups of coffee later...

Here is my card

I chose Animal Crackers from Stampin' Up! as the set I've never used before.  

Not knowing where I was going with them, I Versamark stamped them and then finished them up with black embossing powder and watercolor penciled them in and blended with Gamsol.  

If you stare at something long enough, you start to see the finished project and what came to my mind were huge stuffed animals.  Then, it hit me that it would be cute to make a card of a happy family heading home with the a truck full of all the stuffed animal gifts that people bought for the new bundle of joy...and they are usually HUGE!

I sponged the card background with the road, field and sky and then stamped the trees on by using the thumping method.

Lastly I added the the clouds made with the Spellbinders embossing folder and edged with bliss blue.

Stamp sets I used were:

1.  Stampin' Up! ~ Animal Crackers

2.  Stampin' Up! ~ Loads of Love

3.Close to my Heart ~ Expecting

This is the challenge at Simon Says Stamp if you'd like to check it out.  There's some REALLY cool stuff over there!

Thank you for looking and have a great weekend. :)

BFF Stampin' Corner Challenge 8 (Sentimental Journey)

This weeks BFF Challenge was decided by me and I thought it would be fun to combine two other random blog challenges as our own challenge.

I picked Lily Pad's How To video on Movement and Dimensions.

(Click for direct link)

The other blog challenge is from Papertake for Spots and Stripes.

(Click for direct link)

As I began designing in my head, the concept for my card, I kept humming this one particular song, and then it all clicked.

Here's a little background...

When I was very little, my grandfather nicknamed me Bird because he said that every time they fed me, I would get so excited and flap my arms.   It reminded him of a bird; hence, today I'm 41 and still called Bird.  I spent a great deal of time with my grandparents growing up and was exposed to a lot of 1940 and 50's music.  I absolutely LOVE those eras of music!

My grandfather passed away many years ago, when I was only a teenager, but I still think of him all the time and go back to the memories that he made for me.  I am so fortunate to still have my grandmother with me and since she reads this blog frequently...

Here's to you Grandma and Grandpa,

Thank you for all your love and support.

Thank you for all the culture and experiences.

Thank you for the guidance and encouragement.

Thank you for the best memories a granddaughter could have.

I love you both so very much!!!

Love,

Bird

 Sentimental Journey (the song I was humming)

My card...

And here is, my BFF, Jennifer's beautiful card!

Tutorial Tuesday (Hang In There!)

This is a fairly self-explanatory tutorial that incorporates a faux fabric technique with a color challenge.

Here is my card that incorporates both of those elements.

The colors are based on Gina K's Stamp TV Color Challenge

(Click the image for direct link)

The faux fabric background was inspired by Splitcoaststamper's  Wednesday Tutorial

(Click the image for direct link)

Steps to creating this card:

1.  Card base is 41/4" x 5 1/2"

2.  Second blue layer is 5 1/4" x 3 3/4"

3. White layer is 3 1/2" x 5"

4.  The blue Nestabilities layer is from the Large Labels & the white layer is from Nestabilities Small Labels.

5.  I adhered the first and second background layers together and stamped five lemons, colored with watercolor pencils and then blended with an aqua-painter.

6.  Taped the lemons to the white and ran through the Spellbinders embossing folder, creating the faux fabric with design look, then distressed the edges.

7.  I double stamped the flower and lemon on the main stamp, colored and blended again and used 3D dots for extra dimension.

8.  I stamped out the little House Mouse, watercolor penciled him in and again aqua-brush blended.  Also using 3D dots.

9.  Cut a straw in half and then cut down to fit the frame of the card and adhered behind the little mouse

10.  Stamped Hang In There! and viola...

You're done!

Here are some extra images to show the steps a bit better.

The faux-fabric with lemons

3D flower out of glass

Little mouse helping out his friend.  The original stamp looks like this...

But I thought his pose was perfect for holding the straw.

Stamps Used:

House Mouse: Splish, Splash...A Citrus Bath

House Mouse:  This Egg's For You

Stampin' Up!:  Hang In There

Thanks so much for looking and check back later for the BFF challenge.

Happy Stampin' Ya'll!!!

You Made Me Ink Meets Mojo and Marilyn

Monday's don't have to be sadness due to the loss of the weekend and the dread of a new work week because at Mojo Monday, you can begin the week with a wonderful sketch that will encourage and inspire you to get through the day and head right home to stamp and create!  

YEAH MOJO MONDAY!!! 

 Well, them and coffee ;)

I chose to use the Inspiration Image on my blog along with Mojo's sketch. 

Here's the sketch and link.

Here's the image from my blog

Here's the trio's outcome...

It's different, but sometimes, different is a good thing!

Happy Monday

Life Happens, Love Helps

There's a really great blog called Stamping 411 and every Friday they post new sketch challenges.  

Here is the sketch that they posted for this weeks challenge.

Here is the card that I made

Each of Stamping 411's challenges requires that you use only Stampin' Up! products.

Products Used For This Card Are:

Elegant Soiree DP

Stampin' Up Taupe Ribbon

Embosslits Beautiful Wings

Vintage Vogue clear stamp set

For All You Do wood stamp set

Classic Chocolate Chip ink for the chipboard

Crystal Clear Emboss powder for the butterflies

Yeah!! Just got home with a new camera and my personal photographer, my daughter, is VERY happy!

I hope these are more crisp and sharp than all the others.  

Stamping 411 is a wonderful blog with amazing challenges and techniques that will truly inspire you.

Please check them out and see what the amazing DT's did for this sketch.

Click here... :)