I stamped!

This is a birthday card that I'm sending to a stamper that I have long admired. Boy does it feel good to stamp! I've been missing it. I still have to make a birthday card for my son (my youngest turns 4 tomorrow) and a birthday card and matching gift bag for my best friend. I'm also going to attempt to make a 'Swimming Pool' ice cream cake for the festivities tomorrow. Wish me luck!

The card above is my very first acetate card. The trickiest thing about acetate cards (besides photographing them) is adhering your layers so your adhesive does not show. The stamped images are from one of my favorite retiring sets (that I'll hold on to forever) called Mixed Bouquet. I stamped the smaller daisy image using White Staz-On on the transparency itself. I stamped the larger rose image on Shimmery White using Pixie Dust Versamagic chalk ink. The image was then embossed with Irridescent Ice ep and then watercolored with banana and pink crayons. The patterned paper is some of my favorite Crate paper called Twirl. I highlighted some of the stripes with my Sakura glitter pen. This beauty shimmers like crazy (and the gal I'm sending this too LOVES shimmer)! I wish you could see it IRL. I tied some pretty green polka dotted ribbon and then hung a little CB tag that I made and stamped it with an image from It's Your Birthday.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

DH's Father's Day Card

Well, I was up late again last night stamping and dodging the inevitable Miller Moth again (yuck)! This is what I created for my DH for his Father's Day card.

I just recently purchased this Classic Pickups set from SU. I knew that I would regret not purchasing it before it retired (and I really didn't realize this until last night when I started to play with it). I never purchased Classic Convertibles before it retired, and I'm still looking to find it at a reasonable price.

This is a Gatefold card that I learned to make from Beate. The only thing that I haven't figured out yet is how to keep the card closed (so excuse my finger in the picture). The image is stamped with Black Staz-On on Watercolor paper. I used a mixture of my watercolor crayons and reinkers to color the image. I will never become an airbrush artist for hot rods, but I think my flames look OK! ;-) I used a silver metallic pencil for all the grillwork, rims and headlights and went over the windshield with a Sakura clear glaze pen. I sponged the edges with Buckaroo Blue and then used Classic Black DTP lightly on the edges. The black panels behind the truck were stamped in Versamark with the Paisley backgrounder from CHF and then embossed in detail black on black (love this look...I learned it from Lindsey!). I then added some Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware (couldn't put girly bling on a masculine card) for accents. I used my Cuttlebug to cut the little tag and sponged Buckaroo Blue all over, and stamped FD in my Rough Edges Alphabet. Finished with just the smallest little strip of Black Organdy.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Classic Pickups & Rough Edges Alphabet (SU), Paisley backgrounder (CHF)

Cardstock: Buckaroo Blue, Basic Black, watercolor paper

Ink: Versamark, Black Staz-On, Buckaroo Blue (reinker)

Accessories: Pewter HPH, Black Organdy, Sponges, WWC, Aquapainter, Detail Black EP, Sakura Clear Glaze pen

Little Lady

I made this for one of the Wish RAK gift exchanges over on Splitcoast. This was for a secret color exchange. The person who I was given to RAK, listed Blue as one of her favorite color choice. Boy did I ever have fun shopping for her. I didn't have the time to make as many altered items as I would have liked (I have been putting in some major overtime at work the past few weeks), but I thought I would post here what I did manage to make.

I made my secret color friend a little mini book with my Bind It All along with a matching card. I just love this patterned paper by Die Cuts With a View. It already has glittered accents all over it and has such a playful pattern. I thought it was high time I broke in my Little Lady set that I purchased from Papertrey. This is my first venture into acrylic stamps and I have to say that I really like the quality of these stamps. They really take the SU classic dye ink beautifully! I used the white card stock that Papertrey also sells for my card base as it has a nice weight to it. I layered on some SU Real Red with the patterned paper on top. I stamped the sentiment, antennae, and bug trail directly on top of the patterned paper. The Ladybug was stamped and cut out and mounted on top of the patterned paper. I added some Black Diamond stickles on top of the Ladybug spots for a little extra bling (although you can't see it in the photo...which was taken at 6:00 AM right as I was walking out the door to go to work).

Thanks for visiting!

Hula Cat (or the lengths one will go for art)!

One thing about "Stamping in the Moonlight", particularly this time of the year in Colorado Springs is that there are these nasty little moths buzzing around your head (they like the bright lights us stampers like to use). As us Coloradoan's would say "It's Miller Time"! If it wasn't for the fact that I admire the person who posted this Gatefold challenge, I would have thrown in the towel to avoid being pelted by these foul little insects. Where is my cat now that I need him most?

Stamps are from the newest Cat's Pajamas release (Hula Cat and Fun in the Sun plus 3 Small Flowers on the inside). Cardstock is Pink Passion, Wild Wasabi (I just love this new color!) and Shimmery White. Patterned paper is by Flair Designs (their new beach line). Hula Cat is stamped with Staz-On and watercolored and then I used my Gelly Roll pens to add a little shimmer. I cut out Hula Cat with my Creative Memories cutting system and mounted to a Giga Scalloped oval. Finished off with some Prima Daisy's and a little bling.

Nature's beauty!

No cards to share with you today, but I thought that I would share with you something beautiful! This beauty opened late yesterday afternoon. My Peony plant started as a bare root that I ordered from Brecks about 8 years ago. It has only produced blooms for the last 3 years. Has the 5 year wait been worth it? YOU BET! I believe that Brecks called this a Sorbet peony (it is supposed to have pink and cream tones). Hope to have some cards to share with you soon (definately one for Beate's challenge). I've been working a lot of overtime these past few weeks and my time at home with my two little ones becomes even more precious. I've been leaving for work at 6:00 am and getting home at around 6:00 pm, so sleep has been precious too! Thanks for stopping by!

I scream, you scream....

I am so happy with how this card turned out! I made this for Beate's sketch challenge over on her blog.

I LOVE this cute little Penny Black froggy (I have several of these cute frog images). I stamped the frog in Staz-On Black on Shimmery White cardstock. Colored w/my aquapainter and watercolor crayons and used markers to shade a little. A touch of dazzling diamonds gives the froggy's tummy and ice cream some sparkle. I stamped the Dots & Daisies background in Pixie Pink craft on Gable Green cardstock and embossed with Irridescent Ice embossing powder and rounded the edges. The Dotted background is stamped in Pixie Pink on Shimmery White and then ran through my Cuttlebug Blooms embossing folder. I attached the Gable Green layer to the Shimmery White layer, and all was placed on a 5 1/4 sized Gable Green square card base. I cut the Frog out with my Creative Memories circle cutter and mounted this to a Pixie Pink scalloped Circle. Attached the frog with dimensionals. The Daisies came from one of TexasJodylynn's Prima shares. Topped this with some Doodlebug bling.

This is a cool technique called Acetate Frost that I learned by being a Technique Junkies subscriber. This particular card uses Tim Holtz Alcohol inks (Farmers Market collection). I blatantly cased this particular design from Leigh O'Brien (as I had never used Alcohol inks before, I didn't want to have to think about anything else). I just love the bright vivid colors produced from these inks! I'm going to have to expand my collection (good use for my M's 40% off coupon). LOL!

Stamps: It's About Time, Well Worn Words

Cardstock: Basic Black, Rose Red, Whisper White, Acetate

Inks: Black Staz-On, Craft White, Farmers Market

Technique: Acetate Frost