Inspired...

Sunday is the Featured Stamper Challenge on SplitCoast Stampers, and this week is Cambria Turnbow. I chose this card to CASE. I am sure you can see that the card I completed looks almost NOTHING like Cambria's card and you are thinkin':

"Jules, I just don't see it!"

And I would say, "Me neither."

LOL!

I tried, I had patterned papers cut, punched, and mounted, but it just didn't look good at all. So I use what I had left and made this card.

The similarities are: patterned paper, the Zoofari stamp set, polka dotted organdy ribbon, sentiment on a word window punch, and machine stitching. So this card is undoubtedly inspired by Cambria's card. Thanks Cambria!!

Materials used (all SU! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Zoofari, Hugs & Wishes
• Paper: Orange Pindot (Making Memories), Stripe (KI Memories), Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Creamy Caramel, Not Quite Navy, Natural White
• Ink: StazOn Jet Black
• Accessories: Sewing Machine and thread (Singer), Watercolor crayons, Aqua Painter, Stampin Dimensionals, Orange polka dot organdy ribbon (Offray), Brad

I would try to CASE another card from Cambria's WONDERFUL gallery, but this one took me WAY too long to get to finally come together. Perhaps another day!

Monkey Business

Here is my first Zoofari card. I had to start with that little monkey he is so cute. The layout was inspired by Beate's sketch for this week (HERE). I forgot to add a sentiment. So after this picture was taken--I added a sentiment--NOT GOOD. So I just did not take a second picture nor will I link this picture on Beate's Blog. I guess the most important thing is that I had fun making this card!! Right?

This stamp set is one that when I first saw it I said to myself "Hmmm, I am not sure about it, but I know JeanneS will make me want it later!" And sure enough, she got it, and is doing wonderful things with it. I also purchased it since I do not have any cute or kids stamps, nor ANY animals.

Materials (all SU! unless otherwise noted)

• Stamps: Zoofari
• Papers: Daisy pp (unknown), Orange pindot (Making Memories), Stripe (KI Memories) Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, White Natural, Really Rust
• Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Old Olive, Cool Caribbean, Close to Cocoa
• Accessories: 1-3/8" and 1-1/4" circle punches, small corner rounder punch, Coluzzle, 3-D glue dots, Fine Black pen

I like how he turned out (also happy to use up some pp scraps, too!)!

Thanks for stopping!

First Baroque Card!

My birthday stamps came yesterday (though my birthday is not till early July). My mom gave me money for stamps this year and early since Stampin' Up! was having a sale for Demonstrators. The set I have been most excited about is Baroque Motifs. Ever since I first saw the Fall/Winter Preview Brochure, I have been in love with this set.

I used the stamp-a-ma-jig (SAMJ) to line up the "stars" on the border strip. I learned to do this from Lori's blog, Make a Difference. It went very fast--I need to pull out my SAMJ more often.

I just love these colors together and I am very happy with how nicely this stamp set stamps. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!




Materials (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps set: Baroque Motifs
• Ink: Whisper White and Taken With Teal Craft (pigment) Ink, Taken with Teal Classic (dye) ink
• Paper: Taken with Teal, Whisper White, Cool Caribbean
• Accessories: Jewel (Wal-Mart), Stickles (Ranger), Winter White Embossing Powder, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

Thanks for stopping by!! Hang on for more cards and projects with stamps from Stampin' Up!'s new Fall/Winter 07 Catalog!!

Quick Cards--Attempt #2

After everybody was in bed I was able to try this "Quick Card" thing again. Here is what I came up with.

Materials (all SU! unless noted):

• Stamps: clear stamps (Studio G), Sincere Salutation
• Paper: Lavender Lace, Cool Caribbean, Basic Black, Orchid Opulence
• Ink: Same as above
• Accessories: Ribbon (retired), Stickles (Ranger), ticket corner punch

I thank you for stopping by!

Quick Cards--Attempt #1

Monday's Technique Lover's Challenge was to make "quick cards" (cards in less than 15 min each. No sweat, eh? One would think so anyway!

I decided that I would use a One Sheet Wonder (OSW) to do this. I was HEAVILY influenced by the OSW cards made by Michelle Wooderson!! This is definitely a case of CASE-ing. (so please check out her website).

First I made the base sheet. The way I determined the colors, was by looking at the cardstock and ribbons I have on hand and using those colors.

I cut the stamped papers into 4-4" squares, and 2- 4.25" x 3" pieces. I stamped the sentiment pieces, matted them, added the ribbon, and some stickles and assembled the cards:

I have absolutely no idea if these were quick cards since I was interrupted numerous times in making these cards. My little dd is suffering from allergies and croup and needed lots of hugs and attention, so these cards had to wait. Thankfully I was following Michelle's plan so I could come back to them and pick up my train of thought very easily.

Materials (all SU! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Mixed Bouquet, Happy Harmony, Sincerely Salutations, Little Pieces
• Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Cool Caribbean, Only Orange, Gable Green
• Ink: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Cool Caribbean, Pumpkin Pie, Gable Green, Green Galore
• Accessories: Stickles, Ribbon (Walmart), Decorative scissors (no source)

These cards are for my older dd, my niece, and some girls from church that are going to camp next week. Thankfully this OSW technique enabled me to make a bunch of cards at once.

Thank you for stopping by. Please stop by Michelle's Mish Mash and admire her work and leave her a comment or two.

ATC Sneak Peek

I have joined a Bella ATC swap hosted by "Project Junkie" (aka Amanda). ATC's are "Artist's Trading Cards" or "Altered Trading Cards". They are the same size as standard playing cards, baseball cards, (or what we have in our house) Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Apparently, stampers started altering playing cards, but now, usually, cardstock it the base. They are 2.5" x 3.5". Not a lot of room. This is good and bad. Excellent for swaps. Bad for embellishment fanatics.

Here is mine:

(There is another project in the background--I will post about that sometime next week.)

Materials (all are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: EmmyBella (Bella Stamps), "born to SHOP" clear stamp (Studio G), purse incentive stamp
• Paper: Flowered paper (Kangaroo and Joey), Whisper White, Basic Black, Regal Rose, Rose Red
• Ink: StazOn Jet Black, More Mustard, Blush Blossom, Regal Rose
• Accessories: Jewels (Doodlebug), silver cord, Diamond Stickles, Watercolor brush, Coluzzle

One little trick I did that was not ordinary, is since the sentiment was unmounted (and very inexpensive) I clipped the top of the sentiment, and took "<" out of the bottom so I could get the sentiment to curve. I needed a little repositional adhesive to keep it in place on the block, but it worked great!!

Watch your mail Amanda--this should go out this morning!

Just in Case...

...SplitCoast Stampers goes down...again (I bet somebody could use a couple of Advil over there) I am uploading today's challenge card, here. Today's "Way to Use It" challenge is to use Flourishes. Not sure this card counts, as the flourishes are not featured, and I have done other cards that have featured them better--but this is what I made, today.
Thanks, Trudee for the fun challenge.


Materials (all SU! unless otherwise noted)

• Stamps-Like it a Latte, Circle of Friendship, and Rhonna Ferrer "Swirls"
• Paper: Confetti White, Creamy Caramel, Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip, and dp
• Ink: Creamy & Dark Brown Fluid Chalk Ink
• Accessories: Brads, 3-D glue dots, slit punch (to make scalloped border.

Thanks for stopping by!

Anyone?

Well, it is time to get rid of the old and make way for the new. Stamps sets that is. I have a list here to sell. Shipping is included if you purchase more than one set.

Most current items are 20%off, and previously retireds, are 50% off.

Note: All items are used, but stamp well.
(Most stamps have links to SplitCoastStampers galleries so you can see the stamps in action)

All I Have Seen --14.95—12.00
All Year Cheer I—29.95—24.00 reserved
Around the Block—11.95—6.00
Best Blossoms—14.95—7.50
Birthday Best—12.95—10.00
Classic Alphabet and Numbers—38.95+16.95=55.90—40.00
Collage Alphabet and Numbers—26.95+16.95=43.90—35.00
Fun Filled—16.95—13.50
Garden Collage—14.95—7.50
Happy Occasions—14.95—12.00
Lexicon of Love—14.95—12.00
Merry—22.95—18.00
Noteworthy (in French)—14.95—7.50
*Pretty Princess--22.95--1800
Quick and Cute—16.95—8.50
Reverse Prints—19.95—10.00
Smorgasborders—16.95—8.50
So Very—14.95—12.00
Stippled Celebrations—28.95—14.00
Stippled Stencils—11.95—6.00
Timeworn Trim—11.95—6.00
Too Terrific Tags—14.95—7.50
Very Punny—14.95—12.00
Whimsical Alphabet-Lower—26.95—21.00

Wheels:
Adoring Hearts Jumbo Wheel—7.95—6.00
Pine Bough—5.95—4.50 reserved
Sweet Feet—5.95—4.50

*newly added
Just e-mail me with "Retired Sets" in the subject line with questions or to reserve a set.
julesiana "at" go "dot" com (the e-mail is listed like this to prevent a bit of spam)

Thanks for looking.

Sketch Challenge and Mornings

Well, I was going to upload this only on my splitcoaststampers gallery, but I can't get on their site tonight. So here it is:
It is not the most spectacular card--but then again not my worst.

Materials:

• Stamps: "Mornings"--image RAK, Rhonna Ferrer "Swirls", Little pieces by SU!
• Paper: Patterned Paper by My Minds Eye, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Pink Passion
• Ink: Pink Passion, Chocolate Chip--various for watercoloring
• Accessories: "Cloud" Scissors by Fiskars

Thanks for stopping by--hopefully tomorrow will be a better stamping day.

New Rubber Color Challenge

Today's color challenge was Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip, and Certainly Celery.

Let me tell you--Cameo Coral is not in the top 40 of Stampin' Up!'s 48 colors for me. But I did it. Thanks for the most part to this paper that I got in Julia S.'s blog candy give away.

The designer paper is beautiful isn't it? Frankly if I had seen it in the store--I would have LOVED it--but I would have been intimidated by it since it is pretty fancy. And normally I would have shied away from using such a casual looking stamp with this paper--but I have been inspired to try new things by the blogs and galleries that I browse. And after all--it is just a card--I haven't messed up photos of my kids or artwork for my living room!

Some details:

• I stamped the petal in Cameo Coral and then ran a cotton swab (gotta love those $ store cotton swabs) around the edge, and then ran my Chocolate chip marker around the edge. Viola! A two toned petal.
  
• The centers are cut out by hand.
  
• All stamping was on Very Vanilla--cannot go wrong with solid images on this paper!!
  
• As you can see my beloved Certainly Celery is very sparing in this card. I am happiest with when I use the Pint, teaspoon, pinch, color theory. Pint of Chocolate chip (like--yeah--it's chocolate!!!), a teaspoon of Cameo Coral, and a pinch of Certainly Celery.
• ACK! NO ribbon, NO hardware, NO flowers, NUTHIN'! I thought with this paper and this fancy of a stamp that embellishments would not add a whole lot to this card. (not that it kept me from dragging them all out!)
  

Materials (all products from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Pick a Petal, Small Script
• Paper: Designer Paper (Melissa Frances), Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral
• Accessories: 3-D glue dots

Thanks for stopping by my blog again!!

New Rubber Love

Through an incentive program at Stampin' Up! I earned a free stamp set the first quarter of this year. I chose "Pick A Petal" from the new Fall/Winter Preview brochure. I hate to admit it--but I was not in LOVE with the set as I saw it in the brochure--but I do not have ANYthing like it (plus MOST of my flower sets retired--so I cannot demo or teach with them). So, I took a chance.



And am I glad I did!!


It is much easier to use than I had anticipated. Mounting the points at the edge of the block was a great help (a tip from another demonstrator). Stamping on Stampin' Up!'s Whisper White was a big help for the bold images (I have found that other cardstocks cause the ink to pool and look splotchy).

I really like how it turned out! The small flowers were stamped off for the flower shape and the center was "full strength." I added the verses from I Corinthians 13 to continue the whimsy theme and define the edges a bit more.

Materials (all products from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted)

• Stamps: Pick a Petal
• Paper: Whisper White, Cool Caribbean, Pretty in Pink
• Ink: Apricot Appeal, Cool Caribbean, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose
• Accessories: Pink Silk Flower (dissected by my daughter), Turquoise flowers (Prima Marketing, Love Button (Doodlebug Design), 3/4" circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, fine black pen

I hope you like it, too.

Thanks for stopping by my little blog.

New Blog Banner

I got a new blog banner from Shabby Princess. It was easier than I thought! I got the idea from Sarah Vrolyk.

I am starting to dabble in the world of Digital Scrapbooking. It is a bit awkward since I do not have a good photo editing program--but I am just doing it for fun anyway.

Anyway--check out Shabby Princess.

Anniversary Card

Our family has been invited to a 50th Anniversary party for a couple from our church. They are a sweet couple and (like many folks) have asked for no gifts. But no gifts does not mean I cannot make a card!!

I decided to use Mixed Bouquet one more time before it retires. I stamped the roses with VersaMark on Glossy White Cardstock and embossed them in gold. I used sponge daubers to color the roses. I started in the center with Rose Red, then Regal Rose, and Pretty in Pink on the edges.



Materials (all supplies Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Mixed Bouquet, Happy Anniversary by My Sentiments Exactly
• Paper: Patterned Paper (Kangaroo & Joey, Me & My Big Ideas), Whisper White, Glossy White, Cool Caribbean
• Ink: VersaMark, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink
• Accessories: Gold Glory Embossing Powder, 3-D glue dots, sponge daubers, Stickles, Ribbon (Walmart), Quilt Binding (Offray)
  

Inside:



Thank you for stopping by my blog!

Color Challenge with Coffee

I got an awesome CCRAK from Stamps'nCoffee. She sent me several stamped images of this lady with a sign (it is so me!) I couldn't wait to use her!! Thankfully, Emily's Color Challenge for this week was just about perfect. The colors were Ruby Red, Elegant Eggplant, and Certainly Celery.

Ruby red was PERFECT for her drug store dyed hair--don't you think!?! And the purple/green combo of the celery and eggplant was PERFECT for her dress (and accessories--of course!) Have you met this lady?? When I worked retail--I met her and many of her friends. High maintenance--but always appreciative of the extra effort.

Materials (all products SU! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Bring Coffee by Stamps Happen, Coffee and Tea Cups by Hero Arts
• Paper: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Ruby Red
• Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Ruby Red, Blush Blossom
  
• Accessories: rhinestones (Wal-Mart), Ribbon (Offray), Flower (Prima Marketing-Thanks TwinsHappy)
  

This was a pretty quick card, but I did have fun water coloring her.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Tag Time

I was tagged by Debi!

I pass this tag on to Faith, Peggy, and Suzy.


This is the one word answer tag.


Yourself: scattered

Your Partner: awesom

Your Hair: clean

Your Mother: chatty

Your Father: deceased

Your Favorite Item: chocolate

Your Dream Last Night: unremarkable

Your Favorite Drink: COFFEE

Your Dream Car: Town&Country (It is one word now! )

Your Dream Home: manageable

The Room You Are In: hallway

Your Fear: heights

Where You Want to be in Ten Years: Michigan

Who You Hung Out With Last Night: family

You’re Not: organized

One of Your Wish List Items: ATG

The Last Thing You Did: blog

You Are Wearing: blue

Your Favorite Weather: crisp

Your Favorite Book: Bible

Last Thing You Ate: CHOCOLATE

Your Life: dedicated

Your Mood: light

Your Best Friend: husband

What Are You Thinking About Right Now: dinner

Your Car: minivan

What Are You Doing At The Moment: list

Relationship Status: married

What Is On Your TV: History

What Is The Weather Like: Overcast

When Is The Last Time You Laughed: Yesterday!

Let's hear it for SUPER mail days!

First of all, yesterday was a wonderful mail day. Not only did I get a wonderful CCRAK (Challenge Chaser Random Act of Kindness) card from Beadn&Stampn COMPLETE with "I don't do mornings" images (stay tuned for cards using those--I just can't wait!!) but I also received the blog candy awarded by Julia S.

I am so excited about the papers, ribbon (velvet), coasters, and Snap Stamps. I do not have access to these things locally--so this made it an EXTRA special treat.


Today, well, today just blows yesterday away!

To think I did not even see it when I brought in the mail! But my older dd noticed the box when she returned from school. A box!! I knew from the return address it was from TwinsHappy!! She has been asking if I had gotten anything in the mail for a couple of days. No wonder she was so anxious!! It is the most awesomist (YES, you English majors out there--I KNOW it isn't a word) CCRAK!

At first it seemed just ordinarily awesome. A decorated tin with BEAUTIFUL paper, and a SWEET sentiment!! But this was HEAVY. I open it up to see chocolate, then primas, then brads, then more chocolate, then buttons, more brads, the sweetest note pad, the cutest tissues (called *SWANKIES* {giggle}), more primas and pretty ribbon and finally a note. It was a sweet note of encouragement (things have been a rough around here.)

I have plans in my head of how to use each and every piece!! I have never even laid my eyes on many of these things before (especially the tiny primas!!) Thank you TwinsHappy!!



If there were any bills in the mail today--can't say as I noticed them!
Now I think I am going to plot and plan how I can "pay it forward."

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge

Beate posts a sketch on her blog (fresh & fun) on Fridays. I looked at it on Friday--but kept getting distracted. I had also done a few "false starts" for Jen's Limited Supply Bonus Challenge.

Well, today they all came together. (With a little help from a trip to the $ store yesterday.)

I looked to see what embellishments, paper and stamps fit into the requirements (monochromatic and floral retiring) and I built it up from there.

Happy Harmony is from Sell-A-Bration--so of course that is retiring. I had plenty of black, grey and white items--So away I went!!

The flower trio is stamped with white pigment/Craft ink, and embossed with white. I sponged the grey ink over the flowers to create a shadow by resist. I used the Color Spritzer tool to add depth. The image was cut out with the Coluzzle cutting system. I also cut out a black and white circle--each just one size larger than the grey circle.

The black circle was scalloped with a small corner rounder punch. The grey and the black are adhered together but popped off the white circle (which is sponged with grey).

The horizontal strip is Whisper White, Canvas stamped in and sponged with Going Grey.

On the grey background I stamped the Swirls in Going Grey, and highlighted them with a white gel pen. The black flowers are punched from black and I added the jewels. The sentiment is inked with a black marker (to leave out part of the sentiment) and stamped on white, and corners punched.

Materials (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

• Stamps: Happy Harmony, Canvas, Swirls: by Rhonna Ferrer for Autumn Leaves
• Paper: Basic Black, Going Grey, Whisper White
• Ink: Black marker, Going Grey, Whisper White (Craft)
• Accessories: Coluzzle, ticket corner punch, corner rounder punch, white gel pen, sponge, flower punch-$ store, jewels-PSX

Thanks for stopping by to look!

Lost and Found

What happens when you clean your desk?!?--you find stuff!!

This card went MIA as soon as I made it!! (Last month--Oy!)

It was made for a sketch challenge. I also made THIS card for that challenge, too.

I love to watercolor--so I love to use this set!! I really need to know more princesses (although I do live with two).

Materials: (all supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted)

• Stamps: Pretty Princess
• Paper: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Basic Black, Ivory Natural, Lavender Lace
• Ink: StazOn (a must for watercoloring), Sahara Sand (shadows), Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, More Mustard, Blush Blossom, Lavender Lace
• Accessories: White Gel pen, 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, sponge, small watercolor brush, sponge, 3-D glue dots, ribbon: Wal-Mart, ribbon flower: Offray
  

The squares are popped up on glue dots, and the larger black border around the sentiment was planned and on purpose.

I hope you like my treasure--I will try to keep cleaning to see what else I can find!