Saturday, July 25, 2009

Inspiration




I love inspirational challenges. They are so easy for me. The first picture is the room where I got the inspiration. It was in the Better Homes and Garden Magazine.

The first card is a vase of daffodils --like the one on the coffee table.

The second card was inspired by the bench, the pillows under the bench, the Roman blind which all came together with Scene from the Garden.

I love the colors together. They are so bright and cheery.

Monday, July 20, 2009

CAS -- Clean and Simple using orange, yellow, turquoise



The Clean and Simple challenge was to use three colors, orange, yellow and turquoise.

Like many people, the stamp "Inspired by Nature" is a fun stamp set for me. In adding a butterfly brad to the flower, it fit the StampinB category for the week. I used scraps from a Paper Pad I got from Michaels.

The second card is a way I used the colors and added ornaments in turquoise. I was just checking out this beautiful stamp set. I love the way it worked.

Here are two different cards I made with orange, yellow, and turquoise.

Anniversary Card -- OURS


Dewey and I are having a party -- you are all invited. It's our 25th year of being married. So come to our house -- 6:00 pm -- you bring the appetizer -- we'll provide things to drink . . .

Here is the invite:

Saturday, July 18, 2009

50th Anniversary wedding card



Here is a 50th wedding anniversary card. I used an inspirational challenge to do this card. (http://www.tracyporter.com/) Note, I have both the dress I used to inspire me as well as the card. I think you will see what happened in my mind.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Spring Song in the Grass


I am loving birds. They are so much fun to watch on the birdfeeder. It is interesting to watch the big ones that cannot get their beak in the hole meant for the goldfinch, still chase the goldfinch away. In the end the goldfinch win.

Here is a card I did last night. It uses two different stamp sets -- Spring Song (bird) and Inspired by Nature (grasses). I stamped the grasses with VersaMark and Stazon's green. I then embossed with green embossing powder. I used the slot punch to make cattails on the grass. I then punched a hole in the grass with SU's wide oval punch and placed a watercolored bird from Spring Song stamp set behind it.

After I distressed, inked, and sponged the edges, added layers, ribbon, eyelet, and clip, it was done.

The inside says:
Hope is the thing
with feathers ---
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without
the words –
Ands never stops – at all.
---Emily Dickinson

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Clean and Simple




Finally -- I GOT IT.

One of the ways to make cards is Clean and Simple. (CAS) Every Monday there is a challenge on SplitCoastStampers.com for clean and simple cards. It is defined anyway you want it to be. But the original Clean and Simple was just that.

On SplitCoastStampers people all over the world look at your work. I judge my work by seeing how many people opened it up to look at it, comment, and add to their favorites list.

This is truly a CLEAN AND SIMPLE card. We were to look through art.com and find an inspiration. There are thousands of art pieces to "look through". . .

I thought about doing a deer, wolf, etc. But then I ran across "Curiousity" by . . . -- YES -- now THAT is clean and simple. Here is my "Clean and Simple" . . . and the inspiration piece.

So what you say? Well, within an day of posted, over 500 people had looked at my card -- unheard of For ME!

So what is the saying -- Less is More!

Here is less.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

New cards





Last week was a challenge in and of itself. The challenges that I like to do for SplitCoast Stampers.com are daily. I like to finish them in a timly manner, which means the same day. Actually, there is no limit on when you upload a card to the challenge. So I am really NOT late, but, I feel like I am.

Some of my friends are requesting pickup truck cards. So here are a few that I have done. I am trying to get a system down so making them will go faster.

Here are some cards I did.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Turquoise, Stand up Card, Birthday


Wow -- There was a challenge to make this stand up card. I have some more orders for birthday cards, and one challenge was to use apricot and turquoise with some brown. Turquoise is one of my favorite colors and apricot (orange) Dewey's. I combined two stamp sets from Stampin Up - Wagon Full of Fun and Crazy for Cupcakes. Fun Fun Fun.

Here is the card.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Challenge Challenge Challenge









I was too busy cleaning and reorganizing my studio enter the challenges for the past 3 days or make any cards. So on Sunday night late, I decided I would look at our wonderful Featured Stamper to see what I could do. I found many favorites, but wanted to actually CASE one that I had the same Basic Gray Paper and SU stamp set. I decided I could have it go for the Inspiration Challenge and the Clean and Simple Birthday Challenge as well.

But, I was wrong. Being as obsessive as I am, once I got the first one done, I had to "Tweek" for each challenge.

Here are the results.

The first one you see is MINE -- Cased from the second one -- which was designed and done by B-gin-R. I just loved her layout (sketch) -- and I just happened to have the same paper and the same stamp set. In Featured Stamper, you are to CASE one of the cards, and change at least two elements. I'll let you look to find the two or more elements that were changed.

The second one is to be Clean and Simple. I took out some layers and stamped on paper that I could punch. That technique is always easier for me since I don't ruin a card if I make a stamping mistake.

The third one is the Inspiration Challenge. The inspiration was to be taken from Poster.com. I found the poster I loved and went with it. See the sample.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Color Challenge


This week we were to use navy, yellow, and kraft colors together. That is a stretch for me.
Here is my take on that.

Sketch



Wow! This week the sketch challenge was to use 9 circles. I am in CA -- we head to Starbucks every morning. . . we are Starbuck addicts. I wanted to get Kathie a gift for "free bed and breakfast", so made the coffee card with a keychain size Starbucks Card. Also, I am getting my Christmas cards designed. This is not it, but it is a hint.