So I lied............on accident

In my last post I said that it was the last challenge of the year at OCL.  Well, I lied, on accident!  I didn't realize that New Years Eve is a Friday.  So......head over to OCL, check out their sketch challenge for today (through next Thursday).  Remeber, a winner will be picked next year (week, LOL) to receive the stamp set of their choice.  I stayed with the New Years theme (see last post) as I needed to make 2 more cards to celebrate the new year. 

Card # 1

This stamp set is so easy and versatile to work with.  Just love it.

Simply says Happy New Year in gold embossing on the inside.

Recipe:

Images & Sentiments:  OCL "Cheers" stamp set

Cardstock, DP from Paper Pizzazz, Neenah Solar White

Inks:  Mememto inks, Copic markers

Embossing:  Ranger clear embossing powder, gold detail embossing powder.

The balloons are paper layers, the glasses and bottle are raised on dimensionals.

Border punch:  Martha Stewart

Die Cuts:  Nesties

The second card, following the same sketch.

and the inside

Not that I drink alot, but, this stamp set has some great drink stamps!  LOL

Fun to color and fairly easy to cut out.

Recipe is basically the same as the card above. 



This card may be entered into the following challenges:
Aud Sentiments:  Anything Goes
Paper Playtime:  New Years
Dutch Dare Card Challenges:  New Beginnings
4 Crafty Chicks:  New Year
Stampin B's Design:  Celebration
Southern Girls:  Anything Goes
Anything Goes Challenges:  The letter C- as in Celebrate
Wednesday's Challenge:  New Years

Paper Pretties:  Ring in the New Year
Little Red Wagon:  Leftovers - the black  ribbon, leftover from halloween

Our Craft Lounge sketch challenge

This is my second post today.  Our Craft Lounge has their latest sketch challenge posted.  It is the last one for December and the last one for 2010!  Come on over the join in.  Random thingy will be picking the winner of a stamp set of your choice from OCL the beginning of  January.  Always cool to get to pick what you win!

Happy New Years to everyone!

All images and sentiments are from OCL set 'Cheers'

Coloring is with copic markers

Sponging is all with mememto inks

Embossing is with versamark and Ranger clear embossing powder

Papers and ribbon are from my scrap basket

Dry embossing done with CB embossing folder 'swiss dots'

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Simon Says:  Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments:  Anything Goes

Sew Many:  Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time:  Surprise Us
CRAFT:  New Year
Fun with Shapes and More:  New Year
Paper Playtime:  New Year
City Crafter Challenge:  Stamp it Out
CYDA:  Punch it
Catch the Bug Blog:  New Year

Nesties Storage Solution

Tammie and I were recently discussing our choices for storing our nesties.  Seems like there are as many ways to store as there are nesties!  I tried to describe my cafe rod system to Tammie without much sucess.  So.........since a picture equals a 1000 words, here is my nestie (and EK punch) storage solution.  As  needed, I just add another rod and pile them on.  I packages are plastic CD cases.  There is/are strips of sticky back magnet on the cards for the nesties to stick to.  The original packaging picture is attached to the front of the CD cases along with the # of the nestie.

This method keeps them off of my desk but always right in front of me when I am trying to decide which die to use!  :)

Seasons Greetings! Back from Maui

We are officially back from vacation!  Had a wonderful time in Maui!  Weather in the 80's, rain one day and then just plain beautiful after that!  Can you believe this water?

The water temp is around 79 degrees.  Was just to beautiful to not take pictures, lots of pictures!

Also went up to the volcano crater.  What an amazing view from the top of the world!  Well at least from 2 miles up!

Was pretty cool up here, mid 50's.  Big change from the beach.

We also had some of the most amazing sunsets!

Every night was like this!  So beautiful.



Went snorkling, zip lining, whale and dolphin watching, walked and ate our way around the island!

Had too much fun!

We had a great vacation!  Our Christmas was wonderful.  With one son home and the other on the phone (Oklahoma), we got to open presents (I got a kindle!) and visit as much as possible.  I will be cleaning out my craft room this week and hopefully will be papercrafting by Wednesday!

Have a Happy New Years!

Distressed!

This is my last post before vacation.  A vacation without my laptop, how will I ever survive?  LOL.  Just spendidly, hehe.  This card is my contribution to the Gingerloft Challenge DT submission.  The challenge (which starts Dec. 12) is 'distressed'.  This is definitely NOT something that I normally (or even occassionally) do!  It was fun but don't expect many more from me.

The image is by Tami from Gingerloft.  Isn't it just too cute!

The sentiment is from Create with TLC  (I think).  Seems like she had this digi in mind.

Coloring is copics.

Papers are all from my scrap basket.

The ribbon from Michaels.

The button from Oriental Trading Co.

The snow is covered in sparkly fluff from Our Craft Lounge.  (can't see it well here)

The die cut is a nestibility.

I hope that every one has a safe and wonderful holiday season!  See you when I am done playing, lounging in the sun and sea, and yes, after a few mai tai's on the beach!    Yippee for me!

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Stamp Something:  Christmas something (colors, images etc)

The Stamp Man Challenge:  Christmas and 3 colors (red, black and blue)

Gingerloft Challenges #7

It's time for the next Gingerloft Challenge.  This one is super simple, use bows.  How easy is that!  Go to the Gingerloft website and pick up a freebie or purchase digi in the sale that is going on.  Make a card or "object" and use some bows!  It's fun, it's easy and it's free.  What more could you ask for?  LOL.  Isn't this just the sweetest face you have ever seen?  Love the image.  And, check out that border punch.  Aren't those paw prints just too much!?  Love them!

Image:  'Playground' by Gingerloft

DP:  scrap basket

Coloring:  Copics

Inks:  Mememto

Punch:  EK success border punch

Die Cuts:  Spellbinder Nesties

Ribbon:  Michaels, Joanns

Outside sentiment:  Our Craft Lounge - 'Crystal Clear'

Inside sentiment:  Hanna Stamps

Bling:  Winter bling - Oriental Trading Co.

Challenges Entered: 

A Spoon Full of Sugar:  Anything Goes

For Fun:  Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky:  Going with the Flow

Hodge Podge:  Anything Goes

Paper Cuts Challenge:  Anything Goes

Charisma Cardz Challenge:  One for the Girls

Cute Card Thursday:  Blast from the Past - challenge 49 'Animal Magic'

Delicious Doodles Challenge:  Celebrations

Top Tip Tuesday:  Layers upon Layers

It's a girl!

So....... I don't make baby cards.   Well, at least I haven't,  until now!  LOL.  Karen's daughter is having a baby girl!  Karen requested a baby card, so.......here it is.  Love this image and sentiment.   How very true.

The image and sentiment are both from Create with TLC.  Paulette does such an amazing jjob with digital word art and images.  Lately, those images have been mostly vintage, this one being no exception.  While you can go to her site to purchase, she also posts multiple freebies every day. 

Image:  Create with TLC

Sentiment:  Create with TLC

Sentiment inside:  Our Craft Lounge

Cardstock:  Bazzill

DP:  Sorry, from my stash

Ribbon:  Michaels

Border Stamp:  EK success

Coloring:  Copics

Inking:  Memento inks

The main image is colored and then covered with my embossing pen and ranger inks clear embossing powder.  This lets me sponge the background with all those wonderful colors without messing up the color of the image. 

This card is entered in the following challenges:

Digital Tuesday Challenge:  Use from your stash, use a digital image

Cute Card Thursday:  Anything goes

Moving Along with the Times:  Nice and Bright

Stamp Something:  Anything as long as it's digital

The Sisterhood of Crafters:  Birthday card (literally!)

Pattie's Creations:  Birthday Card
My Partner in Crafting Crime:  Marker Madness-Use your markers

Little Red Wagon:  Do it in Threes (I used 3 different card stocks. sponged the background with 3 colors)

Raise the Bar Challenge:  Oh Baby!

Sentimental Sundays:  Childhood
Lady Bug Craft Ink:  Ribbon

Great Outdoors

This is my first post as a DT for GingerLoft Challenges.  Tami has a wonderful selection of digital images, serious and quirky, detailed and simple.  There is something there for everyone! I have chosen 2 images for the November 14 challenge.  (I know I am early but I have a string of 12 hr shifts to work and don't want to be late for my first challenge)!  This first image is called Winter Trees.  I have done 2 cards with it.  One is simple with a couple of mats.

The card is dry embossed, copic coloring, flocking  with Crafty sparkles and and a little glitter.  Finished with a couple of of strips of paper across the bottom that matches the mats.  The ribbon completes the card.

The second card, with the same image,uses a sketch from Our Craft Lounge.  Once again the beautiful 'Winter Trees' image from GingerLoft.  There is designer papers, ribbon, brads that I coated in glitter, copic coloring, flocking with Crafty Sparkles, and die cutting using nestabilities.  I wish you could see the sparkle coming off of this card.  It SHINES!

The second image from GingerLoft Challenges that I chose to work with is called "Christmas Door".  This is another image that is quite detailed and shaded.  It requires little coloring to be just gorgeous! 

This image is also colored with copic markers.  I used two new-to-me techniques for this card.  The first is used on the white CS that I used the CB EF on.  The technique by Tex  is for adding sparkle or color to the top of the embossed images.  Check out the video, it was easy!

The second was doing a raised frame over my image.  This video is at StampTV and is also quite simple to do.  There is flocking with the Sparkly Fluff (love this stuff) and the snowflakes are layers acrylic in clear, white and silver.  Finished with white brads dipped in diamond glaze and then SU dazzling diamonds glitter.  Finish it off with a bow made with white and sheer ribbon with strips of silver that run through it.  Everything used in making these cards came out of my scrap baskets except the card bases.  Gotta love that.

I hope that you enjoy these cards as much as I loved making them!

Entered in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge: Winter Wonderland

Allsorts Challenge Blog:  Twas the Night before Christmas

The Crafty Purple Frog:  Time for You to Sparkle

Craft Your Days Away:  All White except for the image

Little Red Wagon:  Use the color Red

Top Tip Tuesday:  Christmas inspired

The Creative Cottage Challenge Blog:  Embossing

One Stop Craft Challenge:  Embossing

Simon Says Challenge:  Are you all white?

Crafty Calendar Challenge:  Winter Snowflakes

Pattie's Creations Design Challenge:  Christmas Card or Creation

City Crafter Challenge:  Get your Digi on

Stamp and Create:  Tis the Season 

My Partner in Crafting Crime:  Marker Madness

The Stamp Man Challenge:  Christmas 

Catch the Bug Challenge Blog:  Anything Goes

Card gift sets!

I did a class at Memories of Time last week.  So much fun!  Sponsered by Our Craft Lounge and put on by Cammie and Kisa.  We made a set of 4 cards and a holder.  With this set done, I went home and thought that these would make a great gift and maybe it would be worth it to make some to sell at work or a Christmas craft show.  So............I got really busy.  I actually completed 10 more sets using various stamp sets.  I took them to work to show a friend......and sold them all in about 1 hour!  How cool is that.  One friend let me bring home the 4 sets that she bought so that I could photograph them.  (Silly me, I didn't do that before I took them to work)!  Anyway, here are some quick pics of the 4 sets that I did. 

The second set of cards is from a stamp set from Stampin Up.  The other 3 sets are from Our Craft Lounge.  The cards all are different from each other, but from individual sets and color specific.

The  coloring was all done with copic markers.  The die cuts are all from spellbinders.  The border punches are EK success.  Ribbon from Michaels, papers are from my scrap basket.  The leaf set has clear embossing using Ranger clear embossing powder.  The penguin set has sparkly fluff on the hats and scarfs.  The birds set has flowers from prima (orange and yellow), I don't know where the pink ones are from.  And, believe it or not, all of the bling on the moose cards is from Oriental Trading Co.!  They have some great sets of seasonal bling.  These were from the winter set.

Really fun to make and nice to earn some money to pay for my fix (my craft stuff)!

DT for Gingerloft challenge blog!

I have wonderful news (at least to me)!  I have been selected to be a DT for Gingerloft Challenges!  This is a small digi stamp company that is doing challenges and supplies both digi's as freebies and for sale.  I will be posting some cards made with the wonderful images that they have shared with me.

Please go by and check out the challenges!  There are plenty of freebies to play with and the challenges don't require that you use one of their images (BUT........why not try one out)!

Mystical Wishes

Our Craft Lounge is having their weekly sketch challenge.  Today's is a layout for a scrap page.  Since I don't have any photos ready to go, I used the layout on a 5x5 card.  The stamp set that I used is one that I won in the last OCL blog hop for their new releases.  While 'Crystal Clear' is not a set I probably would have purchased for myself, I have been really pleased with how often I have actually used it!

This card would be perfect for a halloween/October birthday.  Or any other reason to give a card/gift!

The image and sentiments:  Our Craft Lounge
Inks:  Memento ink, Copic markers
Bling:  SU dazzling diamonds, stars from my stash
Papers:  No names on the back of the DP,  heavy wt. black cardstock.

This will be entered in the following challenges:
Our Craft Lounge:  Layout
Bee-Crafty:  Halloween
2 Sisters Challenge Blog:  Halloween

Penguins in Winter

After watching that silly pink skating snow woman, (see post 2 below)  I wandered some more into the wintery fantasy land.  Suddenly I was hit by a glittering snowball.  I looked up and what did I see, two cute, fat little penguins all bundled up.  They were having a snowball fight - and not aiming very well!  Actually, maybe they were aiming just fine!  LOL



The images and sentiment are from Our Craft Lounge.

Stamped with Memento Inks, colored with Copic Markers.

Glitter is SU Dazzling Diamonds.

The edge punch is an EK success border punch.

For the snowflake border inside, I just used the border punch on both sides of a strip.

The white paper is Neenah Solar White.

All other paper and the ribbon is from my stash.

The snow flake is a nestie.

Autumn Splendor

This is my 3rd post today.  I have been able to play in my craft room most of the day!  What a wonderful thing!  Fall is definitely hitting here on the Oregon coast.  Beautiful morning, somewhat warm.  Then all of the sudden the clouds showed up, it cooled off and feels like rain.  Oh well, that pretty much describes most of our fall days.  LOL

This card was made by masking the top and bottom portions.  Memento inks in 3 depths of color were sponges on to make the background.  The trees were stamped in the lightest and 2nd lightest colors.  Then the masks were removed and the trees stamped again with the darkest of the colors.  The image was allowed to go into the blank areas at the top and bottom.

A sentiment was stamped, a piece of scrap ribbon tied on and Ta-Da!

A simple (and I think elegant) card.  This one will go to my dad along with some cookies at Thanksgiving.

This card will be entered in the following challenges:

Lots to Do Challenges:  Plain and Simple

Crazy 4 Challenges:  Fall-Autumn

Sweet Stampin Challenge:  Use Ribbon

Autumn Beauty

Autumn is a beautiful season just for the colors that it presents.  Honestly, not my favorite season but definitely a pretty one. 

This image is another online freebie that I downloaded without putting into a file (sorry there were a whole set of them I downloaded without filing when I was ill)

The coloring is all with copic markers.

The image is cut out using a nestie and the out of the box technique.

The DP paper is from my stash, also cut with a nestie as is the card body itself.

The leaves are punch from glossy white painted with Ranger alcohol inks.

The ribbon is from Michaels.

There is also a die cut on the inside to write on (and some leaves for color)

This card is being entered in the following challenges:

Crazy 4 Challenges:  Fall-Autumn

Craftalicious Challenges:  Anything Goes

Silly skating snow woman!

Fall is here and winter rapidly approaching.  Wandering through the world of fantasy, what do I find but a silly pink snow woman ice skating for all she is worth! 

I think she is doing her dance for snow and colder weather (wouldn't want to melt!) 

The image is a freebie from the web (if anyone knows from where please let me know so that I can give credit). 

The coloring is with copic markers and memento ink for the shading.  The ribbon was white and colored with the same ink.  (don't know why it looks red in the photo!?)

The die cuts are all from spellbinders.  There is a similar tag on the inside to write on.

The sparkle (glitter) is SU dazzling diamonds.

All the extras are from my scrapbasket. (gotta love using those!)

This card is skating into the following challenges:

Die Cut Dreams:  Christmas Humor

Ginger Loft Challenge:  Winter

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps:  Non-traditional Christmas colors

Totally Gorjuss:  Pink

Simple Doodles:  Winter Warmers

Thanks to all these groups and their sponsers for allowing us to play with a goal!

Magical and Macho

Today I have cards for two challenges.  One (magical) for Catch the Bug Challenge Blog and the other (macho) for Doodle Dragon Studio challenge. 

Catch the Bug (Bugaboo) Challenge Blog is having a Harry Potter themed blog hop.  Bugaboo has some wonderful stamps based on the characters.  For my card, I chose Hagrid.  He is also the free digital stamp at the Bugaboo site for this week.  He is there until Thursday night so don't delay!

Hagrid is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts School of Magic.  Next to him is his dog Fang.  This is him getting ready to go into the Forbidden Forest in search of the 'thing' that is killing the unicorns!  Hence the lantern. 

They are colored with copic markers.

The DP is from DCWV.

The papers are embossed with CB folders.
The sentiment is hand written on an SU window punch die cut.

Bling and string are from my stash.

Notice that Hagrid doesn't have his pink umbrella with him.  That is where he hides his broken wand!  He must be very brave to enter the forest without it!

This card is also entered in:   Create 4 Fun:  Use a digi image

                                                    Fab N Funky:  Use a digi image

                                                    Stamp Something:  Punches or Dies.
                                                    There's Magic in the air:  Frame it

The second card is for Doodle Dragon Studios.  The challenge there is to use a Dustin Pike image for a 'Macho, Macho Man'.  Dustin has hundreds of images available on his web site.  Many for free and many more at VERY reasonable cost.  I don't know how Macho this is, but having been married for many, many years, any man that will do the yard work with a smile on his face is macho to me!

This wonderful image is also colored with copics.  Love the dog hiding in the leaves.

The card is embossed with a CB folder.

Cut outs are done with an EK success punch.

The image is cut out with nestibilities. 

The DP and string are from my stash.

The punch leaves are from glossy white paper I have colored with Ranger alcohol inks.

The inside is decorated with leaves that the macho man missed!

This card is also entered in:  Stamping Vacation:  No! No! sparkle

                                                   Ooh-La-La creations:  Nothing floral

Bugaboo and 'Anything Goes!'

'Anything Goes' over at the challenge at Bugaboo.  You don't even have to use one of their images if you don't have any yet--but shame on you!  They offer at least one freebie every week and they are wonderful.  Cute, fun to color and free.  What are you waiting for.  The images in their store are just as good and are very fairly priced.  They also have frequent sales!  Just do it!

My anything goes entry is from the 'Sassy' girl line.  Just love them.

Isn't she beautiful!  Isn't she naughty!

The image is from Bugaboo.

The sentiment designed for this stamp by Paulette at TLC (fantastic word art here)!

Coloring is with copics.  Shading with mememto inks. 

Some dazzling diamonds (SU), stickles, flat back pearls colored with copics and some stick on stars complete the bling. 
The ribbon is from JoAnns. 
I used a CB folder on the card and cut the images out with my nesties.  :)

World Cardmaking Day 2010

October 2, 2010 is World Card Making Day.  Dustin Pike of Doodle Dragons Studios is offering a special price on some of his creations to any that submits a card to http://www.worldcardmakingday.com/index.html  You then send a note to dustin with a link to your card.  He will email all those people with a special deal on his packet of images.  Anyone who has bought from Dustin before knows that his prices are spectacular when they are not  a sale so this should be really good!  This is my card for entry at the World Card site (if I can figure how to upload it, LOL)

This image is from the October 'kit' put out by Dustin.  Aren't those flamingos adorable! 

They are colored with copics.  The border punch is EK success.  The background is a CB snowflake embossing folder.  SU glitter on the first flamingo's nose, the ribbon and Dazzling diamonds on the white border punch.  The santa flamingo's suit has red and white sparkly fluff from Our Craft Lounge in the appropriate areas.  Too cute!  I think this may have to be my main Christmas card for this year.

We'll see......................

Birthday cards

Made 2 requested birthday cards this weekend.  One is for a young man that does archeological scuba diving for a living (say that 3 times fast!).  The other is for his brother who is an avid golfer.  The golf one was easy, the diver not so much.  I ended up using a Bugaboo image (girl diver), cut her hair off and turned her swimsuit into a shorty dive suit.  Who knew?!?  Worked fine.  The sentiments are from Our Craft Lounge.  A little young (alot really) for a 23 year old but it was what Danna wanted. 

The second card was for the golfer.  Much easier and age appropriate!  The image is a Kenny K digi.  Doesn't he just ooze 20 something attitude?!  Love it

The image and sentiment on the inside are both from Our Craft Lounge.  Great images that are a joy to color.  Speaking of which, all images were colored with copics.  The water and the outdoors DP are both from a photo stack from DCWV.  The DP behind the water is from my scrap basket as are the 'too cute' little fishy brads.  The golf ball is CB embossed with swiss dots.  The diver is embossed with Ranger clear embossing powder to make him look wet.  Nesties were used for the obvious cuts on the cards.

Happy birthday to Carter and Stephen DuVal!

Playing with Copics

Today I played at a new site.  Copic Creations is a great little blog with challenges using your copic markers.  It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or an expert, the challenges are still fun.  This weeks challenge is to use shading on or around (or both) your image.  What a wonderful way to practice a skill that can always use work!   Here's my card:

The pumpkin is a digital image that I found on line.  I'm sorry I don't know the artist.  The cattails were done using an SU grass stamp in brown memento ink.  I then used a brown marker and then sparkly fluff (from Our Craft Lounge) to make the 'heads' of the cattails.  The leaves are a punch using glossy white paper and Ranger alcohol inks.  The inky dinky dots and the sunflower charm are from Inky Impressions.  The ribbon is from Michaels.  The DP is from my scrap basket.

The background behind the cattails was used by sponging memento inks.

The pumpkin is my main shading for the challenge.  I used the following copics for it:

Y02, Y21, Y38, YR04, YR07, T1, T3

On the stem I used:

E29, E33, E35

On the leaves:

YG03, YG09, YG67

4th card, 3rd post- It's a banner day!

This is my 4th card and 3rd post today!  It is warm and rainy here.  Can't imagine a better day to spend cooped up in my craft room making cards!  This last card is for the "Friday Sketchers" challenge.  It is a beautiful sketch and I immediately knew what I was going to do with it.....

Not sure where I got this image from.  Doesn't it look to horrible to actually wear?  The sentiment came from 'Elegant WordArt'. 

The coloring is copics, the ink edging is memento inks.  The papers, ribbon, and flower are all from my stash.  The border punch is a MS punch around the page.

If you like my card, leave some love and then feel free to click on my header and check out the rest of my blog. 

Fancy folds and Fall memories

I have cards for 2 challenges here.  The first is for the Doodle Dragon Studio challenge blog.  They want a card with "Fancy Folds".  The second card is for a GinaK card challenge.  She wants a 'fall' memory as the idea for your project.  To see this card, scroll on down.  Feel free to check out the DDS blog entry along the way!  I don't know about fancy but this is at least a little different.

The images are all Dustin Pike images in a collage on the card.  All are colored with copic markers.  The glitter is SU dazzling diamonds.  They are all colored, cut out and pop-dotted (is that a word?) on a black card blank.  The edge of the card is punched with a MS border punch.  The ribbon is from my stash.

The horn of the monster above the 'beware' catches on the bottom of the bat to hold the card closed.

My second card is for the GinaK challenge to make a card based off of a favorite fall memory.  My favorite part of fall is just the colors.  This card was easy to put together. 

I sponged the background using memento inks and masking with post-it notes.  Stamped the image, again with memento inks using a stamp from Rubber Stampede.  The darkest set of trees were stamped with the mask removed to allow them to be the foreground.  The leaves are a punched out shape colored with Ranger alcohol inks.  The ribbon is from Michaels.  The sentiment is stamped and cut out with SU wordpunch window.  The card base was embossed with a CB folder.  The leaves are up on pop dots for some dimension.  (I believe I read a tutorial on doing this background on Crafting the Web)

This is quite an easy card to do, took about 15 minutes.