Friday Sketchers #87

 

Today, Totally Stampalicious is sponsoring the sketch challenge at Friday Sketchers. I love the sketch because I am totally into square cards lately. They cost more to send, but lately, I just don't seem to care. I used the Willameana set from Totally Stampalicious and Bittersweet papers from Basic Gray. The image is colored with Copic markers.

The ribbon is Pretty in Pink taffeta from SU! The card stock is Purely Pomegranate and Chocolate Chip. Card measures 5 1/2" square.  There is a great prize for this sketch challenge but as a member of the design team for Totally Stampalicious, I am not eligible to win it. But you are!! So why not pop over to Friday Sketchers and check it out!!

Digi Raccoon

Over the past few months, I have acquired a fairly large collection of digital images. The only problem is, like unmounted rubber, it is sometimes hard to identify where the image came from! I love this raccoon because of his realistic appearance and his mischievous pose. I just can't remember which company I purchased him from!! If I am able to identify the origin of this cute little guy, I will come back and edit my post. He was colored with Copic markers. It took a while to find the right colors and I probably couldn't replicate this one if  I had to. I went back over so many times with different colors!!! I used a new punch from Martha Steward to do the borders and corners of the mat layer. The designer papers are Bella Blue from SU. A little Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip card stock and a silk flower with a button for the center and it's done. Thanks for stopping in!

Chickadee

I spent some time this past weekend playing with some new rubber. I have wanted to get the Daisy image by Sugar Nellie for some time and finally decided to order her. The only problem was, that poor sweet girl couldn't fly all the way from Scotland by herself, so I added this sweet image to the order. She is called Chickadee and I just loved coloring this one. The colors I used actually match the card stock much better in real life than they do in this photo. The card stock is Bermuda Bay (SU in color) and Basic Black. The flowery image in the foreground is a background stamp I recently purchased from Hero Arts. I stamped it on acetate with black Staz-on and attached it to the card layers using silver brads. Some wide sheer black ribbon finished it off. Pretty quick and easy! Image is colored with Copic markers and stamped with Momento Tuxedo Black.

Nutsy Squirrel Valentine

They are having a challenge this week over at the Totally Stampalicious blog to make a Valentine card. I had this Dustin Pike digi image all colored up and decided he would make a good Valentine card. I have made several Valentine cards that would be great for my hubby...who knows which one he will end up with. Maybe I would give him one each day leading up to the big day. This one is small....only 4 1/4" square. I used the scallop square Sizzix die to make the card base and added some Bella Blue Stampin' Up! papers. The image is colored with Copic markers. The twine in Crafter's Floss from Darice. I bought this at a crop when I needed something for a closure on another project and I really like it. Vrey easy to work with....great weight. I ended up writing the sentiment myself. I just didn't have anything nutsy in my collection of sentiments. The inside just says "....about you!"

Be sure to check out the TS blog. They are offering a prize of a $10 gift certificate as the prize for this week's challenge, and who doesn't need to make a Valentine card this time of year? Thanks for stopping in!!

Glam Kitty in Pink

Here's that sexy kitty again, this time in pink! She just got back from a shpping trip and still has her little Mastercard in hand along with her purchases. Image is colored with Copic markers and popped up on layers of SU retired designer papers. Card stock used was Regal Rose and Sahara Sand from SU! and I stamped the image of Georgia Pacific white. I used some velvet trip from My Mind's Eye in the middle of some lacey trim I had in my stash. A few added blings and there it is.

Had a great time at the yard sale! I made a few dollars selling off some of my outgrown supplies and stamps and enjoyed the company of some wonderful stamping friends. We had a great turn out and laughed constantly! I did some stamping at the Friday night crop, but haven't been able to take any photos yet, so I actually have some stuff to post during the week! Thanks for stopping in and I hope your day sparkles!!

Glam Kitty....again!!

I had to make a card with Glam Kitty using my fave colors...purple and blue. This one has a really sparkly dress, also, but on this one I used a clear glitter gel pen to add the sparkle and it is much more understated with its shimmer than the glittered dress I posted earlier this week. I really love this cute kitty set from Totally Stampalicious. I really want to do some paper piecing with her, but haven't had time to do that...just coloring here and there. The papers I used for this card are from a set I have had for such a long time. I think they are by Creative Memories, though I'm not entirely sure that's correct. The card stock is a retired Close To My Heart color called Breeze. The ribbon is a shimmery turquoise color. Not a lot of fancy stuff on this one, but I like it!! Was a nice break from all the pink and red I've been doing lately.
One more work day with the kids and then we have a teacher work day...almost a day off without the kids there. Then I'm off to play at the Friday night crop at Priceless. I have the best time hanging out with the girls down there. Sometimes I don't get much stamping done, but we sure do laugh!! After the crop, we can bring in our stuff for the big stamp/scrap yard sale on Saturday. That's always a lot of fun too and this year I am going to be unloading some of the stuff I have outgrown. And I thought I'd never part with any of my stamps! It finally does happen!!

Love Bird Valentine

You know those little missions you find yourself in the midst of when you are looking for something you know you have. You know what I mean....those things you put somewhere safe where you would be sure to be able to find it when you need it! I was having one of those missions yesterday when I found this little heart shaker box set that I've had for about three hundred years. How appropriate to find it just in time for Valentine's Day! I have seen a few cards lately with an image looking through a window and thought this heart shaker box would be perfect for a small image. I chose the little Love Bird set from Bo Bunny that was still sitting on my desk from last month! I really need to clean up that room a little!!

I'm still stuck on those easel cards! For this one I used Basic Gray SU! card stock and the Sending Love specialty dp from SU! This paper is in their Occasions mini catalog and I am going to have to get another package of it. I just cut into it and it is already almost gone! I love it!! Every single sheet has glitter on it....and you know me and glitter....hehehehe!!

Here is a close-up of the shaker box. I colored the love bird with Copic markers and added some chunky glitter and red seed beads to the box. I have like two million of these red sequin hearts, so I decided to add some to the card.

Woo hoo!!! I finally got my heart border punch from Martha Stewart! I love this punch!! I used a Fiskar's corner punch...it's one of those ones that punches three different corners....for the sentiment layer. The sentiment is from an long-retired SU! set called Love Always. I used markers to color it and get two colors on it. Both ribbons on this card are made with SU! Basic Gray ribbons. The one on the front is the new Satin ribbon, and the one on the inside is the tafetta.

 

I used some of the small heart images from the Love Birds set to  stamp the white background panel and then ran it through the Big Shot with a swirly Cuttlebug embossing folder. A button with a heart sequin on top make the prop to keep the card standing upright. This was a fun one to make!

Just got some new rubber from Sugar Nellie, so I think I'm off to play again. Thanks for stopping in!!

Hawg Wild Valentine Basket

There is a challenge over at the Totally Stampalicious blog this week to use the Farmer Hawg and the new sentiment set that goes with him that was just released. I had this idea in my head as soon as my sets arrived for me to play with and get some projects ready for the release. I had originally intended for it to be in some kind of a plant because right after I got my stamps, I found these cute little plant pokes in the dollar bins at Michael's.

Living in such a rural part of Florida does have its drawbacks. The closest nursery is twelve miles away and it's so hard for me to get myself to drive into town these days. The cold (freeze) snap we've had here for the past two weeks literally killed any thoughts of using some pretty flowering plant in my yard. Almost everything is a lump of brown yucky stuff. Fortunately, we do have a Dollar General just a couple of miles from the house and I have to go that far to reach any kind of civilization (and check the mail) anyway.

I found some goodies at DG, starting with a basket with a brown fabric liner that matched the chocolate chip backing I had added to my hawg and sentiment. I filled it with all sorts of Valentine treats.....cute little notebooks, a candle, a candy flower bouquet, and of course.....CHOCOLATE!!! (the bottom of the basket is just full of little peanut butter filled chocolate hearts). This would be a great little gift for one of those Valentine birthdays I have coming up next month. Hubby is one of them, but this just isn't his style. A gift card to Tractor Supply would make him much happier!

I will have to wait and see where this ends up. For now, it works for the Totally Stampalicious challenge. Just a fun challenge this week...no prize included, but you can be sure there will be lots of opportunities to win free stamps from them in the near future. We are still waiting to get to the two hundredth subscriber so Joycelyn and Becky can give away another gift certificate to a lucky subscriber. Why not sign up....they don't flood the inbox with junk, and you just might win!!!

Also be sure to scroll down to the TS design team list on the right side of my blog to check out what the rest of the team has been up to!!

Warm Hogs and Pig Kisses

\Oh, my goodness!! I am such a mess with crazy schedules that hubby and I were sitting around this morining having a quiet cup of coffee before he had to run off to help his brother with a guy project, when we both realized that today is our twentieth wedding anniversary!! I thought that I hadn't made him a card, but when I went to dig in my stash of projects for the new release of Totally Stampalicious stamps, I found this one that uses the new sentiments for the Farmer Hawg set released late last year! Whew!! Saved!! I can have it all signed up and ready by the time he gets home!!

I had to do another easel card...can you tell I love these things??? Some of you already know about our problem with wild hogs tearing up our property here in rural Florida. Well, they have been out in full force since the cold snap hit us two weeks ago and is just now letting up. He has setting out corn to get them toward his trap....mmmmm....fresh sausage!!!

Anyway, I used some of that gorgeous textured dp from Stampin' Up! along with some Bayou Blue and Chocolate Chip card stock. The scallop square was made with a large Sizzix die. The corner punches are from the new Occassions catty from SU! The lacey border punch is from Martha Stewart and the image is colored with Copic markers. The warm hogs and pig kisses sentiment just cracks me up!! Love it!! The button I used to make my easel card stand up is from the collection I have from my great great aunt Cal's millenary store that she had in Tunkhannock, Pa back in the early 1900s. Never got to meet her as she was gone long before I arrived here on Earth. My dad, who is 83 has some great stories about her, though. Guess it's a good thing this card is going to be staying close to home!

Guess I got to rambling a bit today. Thanks for checking in with me today!!! Happy creating!!

Totally Stampalicious January Release

I am so excited about the January release of two new stamp sets over at Totally Stampalicioius!! This may be my favorite set from this new company so far!! The images and sentiments in Glam Cat are all just as cute as they can be!! My first project for this release is a checkbook cover that is going to be put into service right away!! I love the sassy shopping sentiment and think it's a perfect way to cover a checkbook!! Her cress is coated in fine glitter and I used a bit of silver cord to make the strap for her purse. The image is colored with Copic markers which I am slowly learning to use. They have a class coming up soon at Priceless that I think I should take! There will be new projects posted on my blog and on the blogs of the rest of the design team today and throughout the weekend! You can check them all out using the links below or using the links in the right-hand column for all of the design team members who have projects posted on their blogs and/or galleries today.

cindyhaffnerscorner

coffeestamper on SCS  also known as Sue Titilo

Becky Kuhne

Joycelyn Turner

Vicki Garrett

Stacy 

Laurie

For my checkbook cover I used a base of real red card stock cut to 6 inches square and scored it at three inches in one direction. I matted my colored image in black. The scallop circle was cut using a 2" scallop circle punch and layered on the sentiment. Image was simply colored and added the purse with the cord and a dimensional to pop it up a little. The glittery dress is sooooo sparkly IRL. This is such a versatile set. Glam Cat comes with a shopping bag, hat box, the purse, a big honkin' diamond ring, cash, credit cards and an assortment of cute sentiments! You are gonna love this kitty!!

Dustin Pike blog hop and challenge

I am lovin' how easy it is to use digital images and Dustin Pike is one of my favorite artists that creates digis. The little dragon I used in this card is an example of the super cuteness of his designs!! Dustin had a blog hop yesterday to help lauch his new challenge blog and a new group of images that will be released later this week. The challenge was to use any DP image to create a Valentine card. So here is mine!

I used an old sketch from Splitcoaststampers for my layout....had to work quickly cuz Kyli was napping...and some scraps of SU designer papers. That cute little heart corner punch was still sitting out on my table from one of last week's projects, so I used it again here. The dragon image is colored with Copic markers with a little glitter added to his wings. A couple of blings down the side and it's done! Thanks for stopping in a taking  a peek!

Before I go, I want to let you know what is going on over at Totally Stampalicious! They are having a sale this week....all stamp sets are 15% off with a free digi download with purchase. This will include the two new sets that are going to be released on Friday! Be sure to check back here and at Totally Stampalicious on Friday to see the cute new sets!!

Still very cold here. We had no power at the school this morning when I got there and we herded all the kids into the cafeteria where the back up generator provided them with heat, lights, restrooms, and breakfast. Of course, they were excited that they didn't have class.....until the power came back on!! Then back to grind stone we went!! They say it will likely happen again tomorrow....hurry Spring!!!

Some cards for the St. Jude's card drive

Kyli fell asleep while we were watching Finding Nemo..actually I nodded off a little, too. She was on my lap, so I eased out from under her and ran off to the stamp room for a little bit. I finished up a couple more cards and got a photo taken while it's bright and sunny outside....not even 40 degrees, but very sunny. I used some pup and kitty images that I have had stamped and colored for years. These stamps were some of the very first ones I owned. Very inexpensive from JoAnn.com. The papers are from Stampin' Up! and called Candy Lane. The border punch is from Martha Stewart. The scallops around the center puppy image was done by punching 1/2" circles from scraps of chocolate chip card stock. Added some blings and heart stickers to some of the cards. I hope to get a few more made up. Winter is collecting cards until the end of January. If you want to help her get the cards she needs for her card drive, you can jump to her blog by using the link on the previous post or the linked badge near the top of my blog page.

Cards for St. Jude's

Good Sunday morning to all! As I type this, I have my sweet Kyli on my lap. She was wanting some snuggle time before we eat breakfast, so I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to post this before my weekend is gone. I followed one blog to another blog the other day and came across Winter's blog. Winter is doing a Valentine's Day card drive in celebration of her blogaversary this month. I have a couple of cards finished to help her with her drive, but don't have any photos yet. But I really wanted to help get the word out and help Winter with her cause. I know it will mean a lot to the children at St. Jude's when they open all the wonderful cards she will take to them next month.
I know I almost always have more cards than I have recipients at the end of a holiday, so why not send those extras to Winter to take to these children? It's amazing to me how many children are served by St. Jude's and other hospitals for sick children. Way too many!!!
Well, it's 19 degrees here this morning! One of the news anchors this morning had the perfect word to describe this weather for Florida....obscene!!! Yes, obscene is the perfect word. I know we aren't as cold as the rest of the country, but this is Florida. We are not supposed to be this cold!! Kenny has to go outside and get the cows some water because their water trough is frozen and they are just licking the top of the ice trying to get some hydration!! But it's a perfect day for card making and crafting!! Happy stamping, all!!

Baby Safari Flip Book

I made two flip books last weekend when I went to play at Priceless. I am finally getting to post the second one! This one is for my friend's daughter who is expecting a boy.

This is the cover. I used a brad that matched the papers and piece of crafter's floss from Darice to make the closure instead of using ribbon. I think I will add a couple of safari-like beads to the end of the twine. The papers I used are by Imaginisce and have brads and dimensional stickers, stamps, and glitzy stickers to go with them....very cute! Below are pics of the inside pages.

 

And here is a photo of the book standing as if on display. One of the things I love about these little books is how they can be put on display when not in transit.

Thanks for stopping in. I started working on some Valentines, but Kyli is here now and all stamping and crafting has stopped until she leaves tomorrow afternoon. I will definitely be teaching her about stamps and paper as soon as she is old enough!

Totally Stampalicious Sketch Challenge

Time for another sketch challenge over at the Totally Stampalicious blog and I actually got to play fairly early in the week. I actually got this done as soon as it was posted, but I've been so busy with family and work stuff that I didn't get a chance to post my submission until now. There is a whole month of fun stuff going on over at TS this month, so hop over and check them out. They have some super cute stamp sets and wait til you see what they have in works for a new release coming up very soon!!! Here is this week's sketch.

 

I kept my card rather simple...pretty difficult for me! I used the Snowmen set and colored the image with Copic markers. I used  a retired Stampin' Up! snowflake punch and punched the snowflakes in both colors of blue card stock and layered them slightly offset from each other. Then I coated both of them with chunky glitter...of course! The base of the card is Whisper White card stock from Stampin' Up! and the other colors are from the scrap bin and are non-SU.

Thanks for stopping in!!

Girly Flipbook

I want to update on Zack Jones for those of you who may know him or his mother, Sue Jones. There has been no significant change in Zack's condition but they are beginning the process of taking him off the medication that has kept him heavily sedated and weaning him off the life support in hopes that his body will take over the process. It is also hoped that he will regain consciousness soon after the meds have cleared his system. Any prayers for Zack and his family would be greatly appreciated as his prognosis is still completely unknown to the doctors. He is being moved to the neurology department of the hospital, one of the best in the country. He is in the best human hands possible, and in God's hands as well.

I spent an enjoyable day at Priceless Scrapbooks yesterday. It was actually a productive day for me!! I managed to complete two flipbooks for my friend Debbie's daughters who are both expecting babies soon. The oldest girl is expecting a girl in February and so I worked on her book first.
This book was made using Bazill card stock and a paper stack from K and Co. along with some of the available matching embellishments. I very pleased with how this book turned out. I really struggle with the brighter colors when I'm trying to work with them, but I love the results. I uploaded the instructions to make these books on Splitcoaststampers a couple of years ago and they can be found here.  The directions are posted in a Word document in the first two posts of the thread. If  you are already familiar with the flip books and only need the  measurements, another SCSer was very sweet and converted the instructions to a PDF document and posted it as an attachment in post 39 found at the bottom of the same page.

Girly Magnolia Valentine

Before I tell you about today's card, I want to let those of you who know my dear friend, Sue Jones, know that Sue and her husband are at Shand's Hospital with their son Zack. Zack and my son, Robbie, are the same age, so when something happens to one of them it really hits home with both of us. Zack was in an accident involving a 4-wheeler and is in ICU at the hospital. He does not have any physical damage to his body, but it is feared that he may have some brain injury. They have put him into a coma-like state and they really won't know anything until he comes out of it in about three days. Please pray for Zack, Sue, and rest of the family as they deal with another tragic accident involving Zack and motor vehicle. It was just a few years ago that he was in a single car accident that nearly claimed his life. His recovery from that accident was nothing short of a miracle. I pray that God's grace will spare Zack a second time!

This cute image came to me via Bonnie, Sue's sister, who is another dear friend and stamping buddy. I think I learned almost everything I know about stamping from Bonnie and Sue!! She had stamped out a few of these images for me while she had the loan of this image from another stampin' bud. She's just too adorable holding that frog and getting ready to pucker up!!

As you can see, I am still stuck on these easel cards! I have made two others that I can't show you yet for the mid-January release of the new Totally Stampalicious images. I used a K and Co. Valentine stack and Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip card stock. The corner accents were made using the new corner punch by Stampin' Up! The brown lacey trim is a sticker trim also made by K and Co. I made the flowers by punching two sizes of hearts from card stock and then mounting them on a circle of card stock to form the flower. That all started when I had to come up with some sort of embellishment to cover the huge glob of ink that dumped from my Copic marker right on her shoe!! It was disastrous!!! Added a blingy center each of the flowers and a little glitter gel pen on her wings and crown.  I think this will be my Valentine card for Kyli this year.

Well, thanks for stopping in and I hope that each of you has a wonderful 2010!!! Please keep Sue and her family in prayer!!