Celebrate

Penny Black's challenge is to use a triangle or zig-zag this week. I am celebrating today by inking this Penny Black stamp (dry embossed and foam mounted for dimension) for the first time. The tree (the qualifying triangle) is a Sizzix die cut and Cuttlebugged (is that a word?) The background (snow) is also Cuttlebugged (yup it's a word).

This card (top fold 41/4 x 5 1/2) is sort of an easel card to allow for the tall tree adorned with pearls from stash. The easel stopper and other adornments are foam mounted snowflake sequins also from stash. Stash is the biggest store in my town! The stars are twinkled with Art Institute Glitter and a bit of teenie tinsel stars. You can celebrate too by inking a brand new stamp today! Thanks for looking.

Find Peace

What image for you might symbolize peace or rest? That is the challenge proposed by Miesje, guest designer for Stampin' Sisters in Christ this week.

To me any outdoor quietness brings peace to me and brings me rest and a feeling of calm. The card I have created, and the Bible verse that inspired the challenge both bring that to me: Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." I can just envison this scene up in the northwoods on a lake with a loon floating across the moonlit water.

Stuff I used and a few details: Vellum Flower Kit by Cloud 9 Designs (red tag at JoAnns!); Stamps: Embossing Arts, PSX, The Pines (I think I bought this loon stamp in Wisconsin), Sizzix frame, Sizzlets corners, the Loon is dry embossed on the breast, painted with nail polish for sheen and dusted with Art Institute Glitter, and set atop it all with pop dots.

What image brings you peace? You have until this Saturday 7/17 to post an answer to this challenge.

Have a Sparkle kind of Day

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge inspired by Isaiah 53:5 is to use stripes and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time with America's birthday just around the corner -- since our flag has stripes! "Patriotic Emily" is a charming stamp from Embossing Arts that I always delight in coloring and sparkling. The background paper with more stripes than Emily's apron, is from "the other Martha" on the internet. Funny thing about that -- serendipity for sure: I had printed it out to make a fan for my granddaughter and it was just sitting on my work table when this challenge was presented. The rest, as they say, "is history." Having just completed my patchwork card, where I dry embossed the pieces, I embossed Emily's dress for more "poof" and dimension -- all attached with pop dots. Nuff said -- hope you have a sparkle kind of day!

Other stuff: wire ribbon, grosgrain pleated ribbon (thanks to Candace for posting her cards with this technique), gold pen, Art Institute Glitter for sparkle, colors by prismacolor and OMS, Inkpads - Marvy and Versa Magic (sounds like a law firm? - no -- just orange and Mango Madness), Metallic Rub-On - Copper, Cuttlebug and Sizzix.

Happy Birthday America -- Sarah -- and America (my blogging friend)

A Grand Old Dad

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge hostess and DT member Lisa presents the verse for this week: 2 Timothy 1-6 and the challenge: make a project or card in a masculine style for Father's Day or other acknowledgement. Father's Day is just around the corner and Magical Crafts, Cupcake Craft Challenge, Cards for Men and C.R.A.F.T. also have father/masculine challenges. I encourage you to visit these links for great inspiration and a wonderful display of creativity. The image I used for this card is another of ever so many that have never been inked. But, it is not an every day kind of stamp so I was delighted to ink it here for the very first time to honor a "Grand Old Dad." Features cuttlebug embossing folder with gold metallic rub on, stamped background paper, blue metallic tape, sizzix die cuts, and metal charms from stash. Stamps: Judi-Kins and PSX. My DH is a "Grand Old Dad" and in fact, he is an "Old Grand-Dad" too- so yet another card for him. Thanks for visiting.

Would you tell me please?

. . . which way I ought to go from here? Alice has quite an adventure ahead of her at Oh, Alice! the Alice In Wonderland Blog Challenge. Chapter Two this week is a sketch like this one "running in a sketchy circle":
My creation is with DCWV papers, Martha Stewart Border Punch, Stamps: All Night Media, Embossing Arts, Art Institute Glitter, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Sewing Machine, Computer generated verses, Memories ink pads, extra stash stuff.

The way I should go from here is down the rabbit hole and into my Laundry Room! Have a great day no matter where you want to get to.

Mary's Tapping in Joy

Mary is tapping her heels in joy with spring on its way.
This delightful Mo image is another freebie -- Today she is appearing on this card using Dawn's challenge sketch for a chance to win a lovely Mo image. Mary's skirt is toled for dimension and she is cut out and applied in the frame with foam dots. Visit Mo's to see more great images and for the DT creations and the challenge information go here.

Here's Dawn's Sketch:

Stuff I used: DCWV Sizzix, flowers (thank you Kristine), Art Institute Glitter, Michael's $ stamp, Inkadinkadoo stamp, various punches, quilling and brads from stash.

Thanks for visiting....

Alice Gets Glam

That's the the first challenge at "Oh, Alice!"

ALICE GETS GLAM: INSPIRATION CHALLENGE
In anticipation of the upcoming Tim Burton remake, let's GET GLAM with Alice! The inspiration for this challenge is the makeup palette below with a pop-up mushroom mirror by Urban Decay. The design team called "The Twisted Thirteen" is showing off their own Alice Glam -- go take a look. But before you do, please leave me a comment. My eldest son's comment? "Groovy."


Stuff I used: Sizzix, Art Institute Glitter, stamps: Rubber Stampede, Inkadkinado, watercolor pencils, embellies from stash, recycle materials.

Spring is Coming....

Spring is definitely coming and this DCWV paper worked perfectly for these little HM guys & gals to frolic on. Special details by Sizzix, Art Institute Glitter, and a Making Impression butterfly punch (souvenir of Puyallup, WA). Visit the House Mouse Challenge for more details on this week's project to make a multi-fold card and take a gander at the great ideas presented by the DT.

My card was inspired by a blogging friend, Michelle, who showed me how to create this tri-fold accordian card in a video tutorial -- that aspires to make an element of surprise at each unfolding. Her tutorial is here -- and if you want to see more of this style, here are my other creations. This is also posted for the Stamp Something Challenge for something "springlike" and where you can see some beautiful examples -- Don't let spring flutter by you... take time to smell the "flowers."

Lucky Ducky

I took the suggestion for the Sweet N Sassy challenge blog to use their Thursday Freebie Digi stamp to participate in the challenge to use Holly. While a duck seems to be an unlikely candidate for a Christmas Card, I waddled ahead by dressing this lucky ducky in a winter cap (liquid appliqué and cotton added) and scarf. He is set in a Sizzix frame that has been textured with a cuttlebug folder, embellished with the required holly from a sizzlet die, and red gems for berries. A little Art Institute glitter for a bit of sparkle and a pipe cleaner candy cane sets him to dreaming of a ducky Christmas as a Martha Stewart snowflake border punch and shimmery paper completes the border. My granddaughter will be the lucky ducky that will receive this in the mail next month. When my MFA son wasn’t looking I put the blue bow back on this card – he said it looked better without it. His rationale is that the duck already has a blue "bow” around his neck. What say you?

Heart's Desire

From the Penny Black challenge comes a request to make a creation inspired by "Heart's Desire." This Penny Black image called "Chicky Night" is a good representation of a "heart's desire" -- spending time with friends -- and would make a good birthday greeting for one of my chicky friends. There is a heart's desire missing from this image, though, -- there should be a stamping chick! The image was "colored" cutting certain elements out of five stampings on various cardstock and printed papers, and then overlayed on the original stamping on the cream colored cardstock. A little extra color was added with watercolor pencils and glitter, etc.

Stuff I used in this project: Watercolor pencils, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Fiskars Border Scallop Punch, G Orange glitter, Art Institute Glitter, Baby stick on earring, Sizzix (gold frame), fern punch.

Stamps: Penny Black, Hearts Phrase Hero Arts, "Desire" - from a set of self-inkers from Costco, flowers, Stampendous,

I hope you get your heart's desire and thanks so much for stopping by. Please take a moment longer to write me a comment -- I'd love to know what you think.

Queen for a Day

Here is another card trick (No. 5) using a recycled playing card. I love the face cards so this time, I just cut out the queen’s image, painted it with liquid laminate and lightly sprinkled it with Art Institute Glitter. The Queen is foam mounted on an off-set to the gray panel with three purple jewels to mark her regal character. A silver ribbon binds the background. Do you recognize this patterned design?It is a panel cut from a Kleenex box to which I have added just a hint of Art Institute Glitter and foam mounted to the steel blue panel. I haven’t decided yet who the Queen is for the Day, and while any one of my birthday ladies might become “it” , all of you who visit me here are Queens when it comes to crafting.

See other card tricks under titles: King for a Day, Drama Queen, Gogh have great Birthday, and A Perfect Pair.