Lovely Larkspur (or a lesson in creativity)

So Splitcoaststampers have these challenges going on...
the first challenge is one of those word challenges....
LOVE....
you know L is for Lavender...
O is for Oval...
Etc...
I went to bed last night thinking about what I could do...
L is for layers....
Hmmmm.....O...
this one vexed me a bit..
V can be Violets...
and I did just purchase the YOF:  Violets dies...
E can be embossing....
Oh and V can also be for Vellum...
Anyone who is a die hard PTI fan can probably already see where this is going...
So I'm just going to say it...
I CASED BETSY'S CARD!

Phew....got that out of my system...
I definitely didn't use this card in the contest...
and believe me when I say that I had all the intentions of NOT casing her card...
but what I found is that the arrangement of Violets was perfect...
the use of Embroidered Blooms as accents was just perfect...
Believe me when I say that MANY pieces of cardstock were stamped with other things...
and discarded...
die cut with Edgers dies and Oval dies (trying to get my O in there)...
and discarded...
Nothing looked right except for the perfect arrangement that is Betsy's card...
So I just went with it !

But that card lead me into creating THIS card...

Very easily I may add as the creativity juices were flowing...
and I managed to use one of those stamped backgrounds on this card...
so all is good....

L is for Larkspur...
O is for Off the Page
V is for Vellum
E is for White Embossing.
There always are a bunch of butterflies flying around in my mother's garden so there are a few of them on here too...

Oh and by the way, if you have the YOF series and are wondering if the newly released dies are worth it?  All I can say is YES!  I found that using a black piece of card stock underneath the die cut really helped me stamp accurately.  I will be adding more of these to my collection when they are back in stock.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Salud

Good morning!

I was able to play around in my craft room yesterday and made a card suitable for a couple of challenges.  First off is the member company Love Fest going on over on SCS.  The first is a challenge by Simon Says Stamp and is to incorporate a die cut element on your card somewhere.  I can't recall the last time I didn't have some kind of die cut on my cards, so this one was easy-peasy!  :-)

The second challenge is from The Cats Pajamas, and it is for their month long TCP Tuesday challenge where everything old is new again.  With this challenge we are to think "outside the box" and use your stamps or dies in a different way then originally intended.

This turned out exactly like I envisioned and I am super stoked about it!  Do you see all those little chili peppers?  That is actually the Mustache Slide die from TCP.  I ran the die every which way on my cardstock panel and then hand cut every one of those little mustache's out with an exacto knife and then backed each opening with different colors of cardstock.  The cute little penguin (named Larry) is from the Salud clear set.  Everything was colored with copics and then coated with Ranger glossy accents.  I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but the rim of the glass even has a coating of salt (aka Holiday glitzy German glass glitter).  The coloring on Larry was largely influenced by an ATC that I received in a swap that was created by Miss Meowy herself!

Have a great remainder to your day!

Linda

Stamps:  Salud (TCP)

Paper:  Simply Chartreuse (PTI), Basic Black, Real Red, and So Saffron (SU), Doodlebug Sugar Coated Beetle Black, Thin Birch Wood (TCP)

Dies:  Mustache Slide and Inside Pinking (TCP), Wonky Rectangles (Nestabilities)

Other:  various Copics, At You Spica (Copic), bling from stash, Glossy accents (Ranger), Holiday Glitzy german glass glitter (TCP)

Wishing You Sunshine

Hello!  This evening in CO, there is a snowstorm coming through.  Perfect weather for hunkering down in my craft room and playing with my goodies.

Over on Splitcoaststampers, they are having a Love Fest challenge for all the member companies.  The Cats Pajamas just happens to be a member company there, and yesterday they posted a pretty awesome inspiration challenge.  Check it out!

I am also submitting this for their new TCPTUES challenge which is to think "outside the box" and use your TCP stamps and dies in an innovative way.

This card was very difficult to photograph and truly capture everything going on with the card.  Let me just say though, I am super thrilled with how it turned out.

Inside shot without vellum overlay:

As you can see, I really took  inspiration from the colors and the spring like feel of the patterns.  When I think spring, I think of rain and yellow wellies (and flowers of course).  It all started by stamping the cutie pie image Wet Puddle (from TCP) on Copic express cardstock. She was colored with various Copic markers and her coat and boots were paper pieced. Her boots also have a nice coat of Ranger Glossy Accents.  The Lemon Tart cardstock panel was impressed with the Sunrise IP (PTI) and then adhered to a Soft Stone card base.  I then die cut some clouds from the Cloud Border (TCP) from white cardstock and some hearts that are performing double duty as "raindrops" from the Heart Rosette (TCP) from Aqua Mist cardstock.  The vellum overlay has the sentiment heat embossed in white and the "puddle image" heat embossed in clear.

Detail shot:

I would love to hear what you think!  Have a wonderful night!

Linda

Stamps:  Wet Puddle (TCP)
Paper:  Soft Stone, Lemon Tart, Aqua Mist (all from PTI), Copic Express, Yours Truly (Echo Park)
Other:  Cloud Border and Heart Rosette (TCP), Sunrise IP (PTI), Copics, detail white and detail clear ep, polka dot embossing folder, Glossy Accents

sMOOches

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine's Day!  Just wanted to share what I made for the two youngest Valentine's in my life.

First up, for my youngest cow loving son.

The sentiment on the inside reads sMOOches (LOL)!

And now for my oldest frog loving son.

The sentiment on the inside reads "have I toad you lately that I love you?"

And both of them together packaged up and ready to go!

For both I used the PTI Lunchbox Note and Limitless Layers Heart dies.  The Lunch box die is stamped with the PTI Simple Valentine set.  The cow is from the Chubby Chums set by Paper Smooches.  The frog is from the retired unforgettable SU set.  I realized after putting everything together, that I didn't have an envelope that would work for these Valentines.  To the rescue came the medium glassine bags from PTI gussied up very simply with some cute Washi tape (Doodlebug).

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

A Rose is a Rose

Papertrey Ink is celebrating their 6th Anniversary, and today Nichole challenged us to use a watercolor technique.  Watercoloring was one of the first techniques that I really fell in love with, so I was determined to play along today.

I stamped the rose and leaves from the YOF: Roses set in versamark on watercolor paper and heat embossed in detail white.  I've been itching to try playing with my Tim Holtz distress stains and they did not dissapoint!  The leaves were colored with some SU dye inks as I have yet to get any PTI reinkers.  Once I had the color the way I wanted it, I spritzed the paper really good with my homemade shimmer pearl spray and let it dry naturally.  Once dry, I heat embossed the Thank You sentiment (from YOF: Violets) in detail black.  A few little splatters of Mr. Hueys Opaque White finish the panel off.  My camera did not capture the shine or the true color saturation as much as I would like.  I'll try getting a better picture later, as it is overcast and cold here in CO.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  YOF: Roses and Violets (Papertrey)

Paper:  Watercolor (SU), Rustic White and Berry Sorbet (PTI)

Ink:  Distress Stain in Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick, dye reinkers Certainly Celery and Wild Wasabi

Other:  detail white and black embossing powder, Mr. Huey Opaque White

Bearing Quality Seeds

Hi Everyone!  Just a quick post to say "hi" and share a cute little ditty that I made for the newly revamped TCPTUES challenge!  We now have a whole month to create to our hearts content!  I should be able to do that!  :-)

I don't know about you, but if actual seed packets were this cute, I would be starting a whole lot more from seed!

Tah for now!

Linda

Stamps:  Bearing Flowers (TCP)
Paper:  Shimmery White, Shimmery Copper, Stella & Rose Mabel
Other:  Spellbinders Wonky Rectangles, Sunflower Rosette (TCP), Hero Arts Gemstones