Wild Thing...I think I LOVE you!

ETA: Whoops...hit upload too quickly. Forgot to post a picture of the actual card! LOL!

I recently one a lovely set of stamps from Julee over at Verve Visual. I picked the Fancy Florals Remixed set as my free set but *ahem* had to order a few more things to help round out the envelope (why let a perfectly good envelope go to waste shipping just one little thing)! :-) Talk about super fast shipping! I think I received my ship notice late Wednesday night (I placed my order on Wednesday) and received it beautifully packaged in my mailbox on Friday. Thanks Julee!

I made this for Julee's Mojo Monday sketch challenge over on her blog (Mojo25)! I think if there is only one sketch challenge that I have a chance to do weekly, it will always be Julee's. I *heart* her sketches! I used my new Verve Visual Wild Thing set to make this card for my oldest son to tuck in his lunchbox next week. The second I saw this set, I was in love with it. Unfortunately, not having any employment offers in sight at the time, I had to restrict myself from purchasing the set when it first came out. I will be starting my new job tomorrow and I know that my oldest son will be hit the hardest by my being gone again. Unfortunately my new hours will be 2:30 pm - 11:30 pm, and since my oldest always wants me to snuggle him at night for a few minutes before he goes to sleep, he's going to be missing me. However the nice thing about these hours is that I'll be spending time with both of my boys during the day at Harland's school (so hopefully that will make up for the missing mommy at night thing). I know that Harland's teacher is really looking forward to having help during the day.

Karrie was also so sweet in nominating me for the Excellent award (she's such a sweetie)! I think just about everyone that I know of that blogs has this award up on their blog already, so I'm just gonna say "Thank you very much"!

Card details:
Stamps: Wild Thing (Verve Visual)
Cardstock: Papertrey White, Basic Black, Shimmery White, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Basic Black, Pixie Pink, Pretty in Pink, Wild Thing dp (KI Memories)
Other: Dew Drops, Diamond Stickles, Dew Drops, glue dots, dimensionals, Cuttlebug

Blue Bird of Happiness

I made this for Julee's Mojo Monday challenge over on her blog (Mojo23). I love making square cards so this sketch was right up my alley! The card itself is 5 1/4 inch square and goes back to the very first stamping style that I really fell in love with. I first fell in love with Shabby Chic and vintage looks. All the distressing and direct to paper....sigh! Now when I think about it, I don't think that I have a certain 'style' at all. I love it ALL! I love whimsical, clean, retro, vintage, etc. What's that old saying? Jack of all trades, master of none! I guess that's me in a nutshell!

The card uses another image from my Birds Galore set (Inkadinkado). I inked up the little bird in Soft Sky and then rock-n-rolled in Close to Cocoa. The image is stamped on Shimmery White. I then took some Chocolate Chip dtp around the edges. The image was then matted with Chocolate Chip and distressed with my SU distresser tool. The background flourish is from the Pollen Dust acrylic set (Fancy Pants). This was also inked up in Chocolate Chip (with more Chocolate Chip dtp around all edges). I used my SU French Script background stamp on the vertical panel (you guessed it...inked up in Chocolate Chip with more Chocolate Chip dtp and then distressed with my distresser tool). The horizontal layer was embossed with my Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder. I used my slot punch to run some Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon along the length of the card. I finished the card off with a little diamond stickles and an Antique Silver Chantilly Charm (Imaginisce).

Thanks for looking!

Card details:

Stamps: Birds Galore (Inkadinkado), Pollen Dust (Fancy Pants), French Script (SU)

Cardstock: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, Shimmery White

Ink: Soft Sky, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip

Other: Textile embossing folder, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, slot punch, Cutter Kit, Diamond stickles, Chantilly Charms (Imaginisce), Pewter brad, dimensionals

Asian Embrace

I made this for Julee's Mojo Monday sketch challenge over on her blog. OMG is this ever an awesome sketch! The first thing that hit me when I saw this sketch is that it would be perfect for an Asian style card. Unfortunately, I do not have much in the way of Asian inspired stamps and accessories. I then saw this weeks tutorial for Faux Silk over on Splitcoaststampers, and knew in my head what I wanted to do.

The main image panel is Faux Silk. I stamped the floral branch from my SU Embrace Life set in black Staz-On on white tissue paper and then I very carefully watercolored using a Real Red reinker and my aquapainter. I then crumpled the tissue paper into a little ball and then smoothed it out as the technique calls for. The tissue paper was then adhered to a scrap piece of white cardstock with Mono Multi glue. While the glue was still wet, I sprinkled some Dazzling Diamonds glitter all over the image for a little added sparkle. I then cut away the excess tissue paper and then mounted the panel on some Basic Black cardstock, followed by a layer of SU Brushed Gold cardstock (I used my perfect layers tool to get the 1/16th in border just right). I then wrapped some gold cord around the panel and set it aside.

The Real Red layer was embossed with my Stylized Flowers cuttlebug embossing folder. This layer was also matted in Black and Gold. I then used two different sized square punches for the side accent (using black and gold cardstock). The background cardstock layer is the new Basic Grey color. This was embossed with Detail Black embossing powder (the image is also from the set Embrace Life). The final touch was stamping the large bloom from the Embrace Life set on Shimmery White cardstock. The image was colored with Real Red reinkers and some Twinkling H2O's for extra shimmer. The stamen of the flower was accented with my Black Copic Spica glitter pen. I wish the picture above would capture the sparkle and shimmer a little better, but these wintry Colorado days don't provide the best photography conditions.

I absolutely enjoyed making this card due to the awesome sketch. Thanks Julee!

Card Details:

Technique: Faux Silk

Stamps: Embrace Life (SU)

Cardstock: Basic Black, Shimmery White, Brushed Gold, Real Red

Ink: Real Red, Staz-On Black

Accessories: Gold Cord, Dimensionals, Stylized Flowers embossing folder, Dazzling Diamonds, Twinkling H2Os, Copic Spica Glitter pen

My frogs have mojo....

I made this for Julee's Mojo Monday sketch challenge over on her blog. Julee always has some rockin sketches (and by the look of things, she has some awesome new stamp sets coming our way soon too)! If you've never visited her blog, I highly encourage you to do so. You won't be disappointed!

For the central image, I used one of my Penny Black images (My Flower) stamped on Shimmery White with Black Staz-On. I watercolored the image using my watercolor crayons. I used the SU corner rounder on the Shimmery White piece and then mounted this on a Pixie Pink panel that was die cut from two square Nestabilities that are attached together with glue dots. I first reached for my rectangle Nestabilities, but couldn't find one long and skinny enough...square Nestabilities to the rescue! The base card is Bashful Blue which has a Gable Green layer on top that has been embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder (I believe it is called Bubbles). I then took some Bashful Blue ink dtp to tone down the green a little bit. I used my Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon on the side and then attached some of my new Dew Drops (Water assortment) to the ribbon with glue dots. The sentiment is some of the new SU rub ons (Eastern Eclectic). Added some Diamond stickles to the image (thanks Karrie!) and called her done.


I'm working on a cute project that I will hopefully be able to post tomorrow (at least some of it)! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Valentine's Mojo Monday!

I hope that you have all had a wonderful Holiday season! I've had a wonderful time with the boys this past month. This post is going to be super quick as I am taking the boys to McDonalds to run off some much needed energy (it has been super cold in CO and they are a little stir crazy)! LOL!


I made this for Julee's Mojo Monday sketch challenge # 17. I don't know why I always feel compelled to use Cat's Pajamas stamps for Julee's challenges (maybe because it was some of her fabulous card creations that turned me on to this line of stamps in the first place). If you have never visited her blog before, you're really missing out on some fabulous creations.


This card is so much cooler IRL! I wish it wasn't so hard to take photos of acetate cards. I stamped the Heart Circle, Medium Heart Circle and Small Heart Circle with White Staz-On on the acetate. I then stamped the Candy Box in Basic Grey on Rose Red cardstock. This was attached to the acetate with glue dots and then backed with Basic Grey cardstock from behind. I then stamped Cupid Kitty on Shimmery White cardstock and colored with watercolor crayons and my Copic Spica glitter pens. I cut this piece out with my Circle Nestabilities and then layered Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, and Basic Grey scalloped layers behind this piece. I then topped the white layer with some bling by Heidi Swapp. The sentiment is called I Love Mew! I then added some Cloud 9 Rain Dots randomly to the acetate layer.


Off to McDonalds!

Long time no post

I finally stamped!! Sorry for the long delay between posts. Life has really just been smacking me hard lately. I was laid off from work on November 14th after being with the company I worked with for 10 1/2 years. I'm making the best of it and have been enjoying spending time with my two boys. I figure that I'll start looking for new employment opportunities at the beginning of next year (after all, when will I EVER have time to take the whole month of December off again?). I also have a case of Bronchitis that just seems to not want to go away. I guess I really have no excuse NOT to stamp every day if I wanted to. I swear, I almost feel busier now that I'm not working. LOL! My house has never been so spotless!

I made this for Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch #14 on her blog Poetic Artistry. Julee has some awesome weekly sketch challenges that are just perfect for kick starting your Mojo (or lack of in my case). She also is a super talented stamper and the creative genius behind a new line of stamps (Verve Visual). Please check out her blog if you have never seen it. I promise you won't be disappointed.

My Mojo was seriously lacking last night. If you only knew how many pieces of my precious Shimmery White cardstock made it into the circular file, you would know how lacking my Mojo was. It could also be that I was very distracted by a playful Lab puppy who kept retrieving things for me (i.e. stuffed animals from the beds of my children, glass ornaments from the Christmas tree, etc.). If my cat Rocky would let him, I swear that he would bring Rocky to me. Anyway, what do you think of my first card in what feels like months?

Stamps:

A Winter Song (Elzybells), Snowflake Serenade (Papertrey), Punch Pals (SU)

Cardstock:

Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Kraft, Shimmery White

Ink:

Soft Sky, White Craft, Staz On Timber Brown

Accessories:

Nestabilities, Hero Arts rhinestones, WWC, Icicle Stickles, Snowflake embossing folder