Monkey Studio Designs--And Lissie, Too!

Thanks a Latte

2012-03-06T13:07:00.003-05:00

I needed a couple of thank you cards and decided to pull out this set I purchased at Michael's awhile back. I just loved the steamy coffee and the punny sentiment and thought they could make a cute card. I pulled out my "Domestic Goddess" DSP and made a bit of a "tablecloth" and then wanted to balance out the cup with the bling down on the right. And, yes, I fussy cut the thing out. I can't believe I did it. ;o)

And, because the last photo of the piggy card was so shoddy, I wanted to post a couple of better ones. :o)

--Rach

Birthday Piggies

2012-03-04T14:01:00.001-05:00

I know the photo quality is lousy--iPhone photo. Sorry. :oS

Lil had two birthday parties to attend this weekend and thought I should use the "Button Buddies" stamp set for the birthday cards. She loved the cherries as well and wanted to use those. I told her I didn't think they were very "birthday" and she said we could just put birthday hats on them. That made me think of this sweet little piggy and I knew he would be fabulous with a birthday hat. :o)

Since the parties were for a 7 year old and 6 year old, I figured Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink and sparkly paper were the way to go. :o) The pom pom trim and button added the perfect finishing touches.

I find there are times when I struggle with 3"x3" cards, and other times, they just come together in a snap. The past two cards have been like that. I think it must be this cute set. :o)

Button Buddies Cherries

2012-03-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

I didn't purchase the "Button Buddies" stamp set, but Lissie did. I fell in love and borrowed hers. I think I'm going to have to get my own as I've really had some fun with it. I've got plans for the sweetest little box of 3"x3" cards as this set lends itself to those beautifully. Just wait until you see the birthday cards I made. ;o)

I happen to LOOOOOOOVE cherries and already have two different sets with cherries. Doesn't matter. I need these. ;o)

I needed a quick thank you card for a customer and decided this set would be perfect. I made three cards using Real Red as the base and mounting the white on Old Olive. I used the thank you sentiment from "Short and Sweet".

I wanted to play around with a couple of ideas for the cherries and hit these guys with Crystal Effects.

With this card, I actually used the buttons.

I think each card is sweet on its own, but really like playing around with variations as well. :o)

--Rach

Masculine Birthday

2012-03-02T15:46:00.003-05:00

When Amy asked me to make a birthday card for her father I was more than happy to do so. However, masculine cards are NOT my strong suit, so I was a wee smidge worried. I knew I could do it, but also knew it would prove to be a bit of a challenge. As easily as those baby cards come to me, masculine cards are just as much a struggle.

However, I've purchased a number of "masculine" stamp sets and figured I could give it a go. I have to say, I'm pleased with the results--Amy says her dad was too. :o)

I pulled out "The Open Sea" stamps and "Nautical Expedition" DSP and got to work. I used the large ledger stamp as a background image in "Crumb Cake" and stamped-off once before stamping onto the vanilla card stock. I also stamped-off the Night of Navy world map image as well.

I wanted to add a bit of balance and pull the eye down across the image so I (to steal a Jaydee-ism) "fussy cut" the anchor and adhered it using a couple dimensionals to pop it off the page.

The vanilla was a bit bright and jarring so I swiped the edges across an Early Espresso ink pad to add a little depth without having to mount it on another layer.

The stamp set lends itself to distressing since it has such an aged look about it, and I couldn't resist adding a bit of interest by tearing across the bottom of the image.

I didn't bother with a sentiment on the outside because I wanted the image to be the main focus. I don't think cards necessarily need to have a sentiment on the outside--sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. :shrug:

What I DO know is this card worked for me (and for Amy's dad), and that's what's most important. :o)

--Rach

Pink Pink Pink

2012-03-01T13:02:00.001-05:00

I needed a fun card to send to Grandma, and a 1st birthday card for my niece. Grandma's favorite color is pink, and I thought the Melon Mambo/Pink Pirouette combo could work nicely for both cards. :o)

This card is another go to layout for me. I love CAS cards and this one fits the bill. I used "Darling Dots" and "Signature Greetings" on this one. I also made sure to draw a line and use my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to line up the flowers.

I'll send this along with a sweet spring wreath I made for her. :o)

And, here's Ever's birthday card. :o) Using the same layout and idea, I used the flower stamp from "Season of Friendship" and the sentiment from "So Happy For You". I tried to use a "rock and roll" technique on the sentiment and it sort of worked. Oh well. It's the thought that counts, right?

I used some Dazzling Details to add some sparkle to the centers of the flowers and the butterfly's wings.

It's been so wonderful to spread my creative wings once again. When my mojo has flown the coop, I have a terrible time getting going again, but once I do, things start to flow. :o)

--Rach

Hello Baby!

2012-02-29T14:34:00.000-05:00

Hello stamping blog! Long time no post. One of my New Years goals was to make at least five cards a week and send at least three. Uhhhh, yeah. Still trying to work on that one...

But, my friend Amy gave me a nudge when she said she needed three cards and asked if I could make them. Sure thing!

She needed two gender neutral baby cards and a masculine birthday card. I knew the baby cards would be cake because, well, I have a go to card for babies. I simply adore the giraffe from "Wild About You" and love to use it. I also love this very simple layout and just change it up a bit based on what is needed.

This card uses So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue and the retired DSP "Cutie Pie".

I also needed two "girlie" baby cards for a friend and a cousin. I am in love with brown and pink paired together for a little girl and pulled out Early Espresso and Pink Pirouette and some Pink Pirouette DSP.

The sweet "Hello Baby" sentiment comes from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" and finishes off the card.

I suppose I should branch out with regards to baby cards, but when I can put something this cute together so quickly, how can I resist?

--Rach

2011 Christmas Cards--Scenic Season

2011-12-21T11:21:00.001-05:00

There is nothing I love more than Night of Navy paired with Whisper White. It has such a crisp, clean feel to it. I knew it was the perfect combination for my last Christmas card.

I had long admired the "Scenic Season" stamp set in the SU! catty and finally caved and got it. It's such an elegant stamp set and so quick and easy to use. These cards came together in no time.

Or, what would have been "no time" had I not used VersaMark and shimmery/sparkly heat embossing powder and then hit them again with 2-way glue and Dazzling Diamonds... Of the four cards I made, these took the longest. I inked my stamp with VersaMark and then Night of Navy ink and stamped the image. I then sprinkled on the embossing powder and hit it with the heat gun. I could only make them three and four at a time in this way. Oh my.

But, the effort was worth it. These are sparklerific and lovely. What more could I ask for?

This card uses:
*Stamp Set: "Scenic Season"
*Ink: Night of Navy
*Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy
*Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds, some sparkly non-SU! embossing powder

2011 Christmas Cards are Finished: Dasher

2011-12-20T13:02:00.001-05:00

By George, I think I did it! The cards, they're finished! Now to address, write, etc...

I've already posted two of my Christmas cards below, those fun and funky Pool Party/Cherry Cobbler cards.

Next, we have this little guy. Oh how I do love "Dasher". I fell in love with him the first time I saw him and simply had to have him. At once. ;o)

He came to live with me and we have made many beautiful Christmas cards together. Because he's such a simple, yet elegant kind of guy, I wanted something simple yet elegant to compliment him.

Add to that my love of red, kraft and white together, and we had a winner. :o)

This card uses:
*Stamp Set: "Dasher"
*Ink: Crumb Cake
*Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, silver glimmer paper (LOVE this stuff!)
*Accessories: Cuttle Bug Snowflake embossing folder, snowflake punch

Bitty's Birthday Cards

2011-12-19T12:56:00.003-05:00

Lissie was busy on a cross-country trip for the past couple of weeks and knew she wouldn't be able to make Lil a birthday card and get it in the mail in time for it to arrive on her birthday. So, she did what would any good grandmother do--ask their daughter to make the card. ;o)

I punched triangles using the Pennant punch and adhered Melon Mambo pom poms to them. The stamp comes from the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp set.

This card is our card to Miss Lily. It is over-the-top blingarific and she should love it. We'll see. ;o)

I stamped the horse from "Pony Party" in black Staz-On and colored her using Melon Mambo ink and a blender pen. I added two-way glue and Dazzling Diamonds to strands of the mane and tail. Blender pens are great because you can layer on color for more intense or less intense looks.

I stamped the wing and horn on the silver glimmer paper using black Staz-On, and cut and glued them on. To give the wing a bit of lift, I added a dimensional at the top and simply adhered it to the bottom.

This card gives me a tooth ache just looking at it, but I know my Bitty girl will looooove it. :o) After all, a girl only turns six once. :o)

Christmas Card Time Again

2011-12-08T09:51:00.001-05:00

I know it's making excuses, and that if I really wanted to, I suppose I could make it into the offudio more often to make cards, but the thing is, it's really REALLY hard to get in there with Ellie in the house. She's just busy. Really busy. I mean a LOT. I can't do it while she's awake because that is a disaster waiting to happen, and by the time nap time rolls around (hallelujah!) I have to clean up all the messes she has made while she was awake.

Combine that with rolling into Christmas season and there are myriad things that must be done, such as, oh, I don't know, making all the Christmas candy and cookies for the family. Oh, and let's not forget, Christmas cards! Ack!

How in the world did I get it all done when I was working?

The thing is, I LOVE making cards. I adore it, even. It is a huge stress release for me to get in there and fiddle around with papers and stamps. Methinks I just need to get in there and do it, and not stress about everything else so much. I mean, the messes will still be there when I'm done, right? ;o)

Anyhow, enough rambling. I typically make 20 cards each of four or five designs, thereby saving myself from the insanity of making 80-100 cards that are all the same. I pulled out a couple of sets I've never used and decided to ink them up.

See those lovely pieces of fleece up there? I saw them next to each other in JoAnn and knew Miss Bean had to have a blanket made from them (Lil will be making it for her). Inspired by the colors, I decided to make a retro-looking Christmas card. Even better? The Paper Players challenge this week is to create a Christmas card using non-traditional stamps and/or colors. I do believe this fits the bill.

Isn't it fabulous? I've been in love with Cherry Cobbler since it was released, and knew I wanted to use it on my cards this year. It is such a deep, rich and luscious red I couldn't resist. Then, there was Pool Party, my most favorite of the In Colors this year. Paired with a funky stamp, my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig and a straight line, I was golden. :o) This is design one for the year. I haven't done anything with the inside yet, but will.

My card making endeavors always include a number of mock-ups. I play around until a design looks good to me. Sometimes I wind up with more than one and others I have to scrap the entire idea.

Well, yesterday I had another card come together using the same stamp sets and colors. Score! Card number two is a go. :o) I was worried I might become numb using the same colors over and over, but given my love of these two colors, I don't think that will be a problem at all.

I still have at least two more designs to come up with, but hey, I'm half way there!

These cards use:
Stamp Sets: "Snow Burst", "Four the Holidays"
Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party, Silver Glimmer
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party
Accessories: snowflake punch (non-SU!), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

I suppose I had better be off to the offuido once more...
--Rach

Two Posts in ONE DAY?!? Best Wishes

2011-10-07T14:24:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I really did this all wrong. I suppose I should have been working on the Paper Players challenge FIRST since the deadline is TONIGHT. Oops. So, instead, I'll do two posts in one day. I'm sure nobody minds. ;o)

The challenge the Paper Players have going on is:

Well, my sweet cousin, Emily is being married next month and I needed a card to send. The music that has been cruising through my head since the invitation arrived is, "Going to the Chapel", hence, my card. :o)

Is my stamping drought coming to an end? Oh, I certainly hope so!

This card uses:
Stamps: "Short and Sweet"
Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand
Ink: Sahara Sand
Accessories: Basic Pearls, Elegant Lines embossing folder

I wanted something clean, simple and elegant and I do believe this fits the bill. :o)

--Rach

Trying to Find the Groove with "Just Believe"

2011-10-07T12:19:00.000-04:00

Lissie is here and when get together, card making usually ensues. However, (as I posted over on my personal blog), when I haven't made cards in a while, I find the mojo has deserted me and I struggle to get going. This card took me an hour and a half to pull together--sheesh!

GG's birthday was Monday and I needed a card to send (that's me, right on top of birthdays...). She loves pink and butterflies and I wanted to pull those two elements together.

I follow Jaydee religiously, and found a new challenge site through her. This one is Freshly Made Sketches, a site dedicated to " clean-lined creations but unlike Clean and Simple challenges, we encourage lots of detail and embellishments as long as they maintain a "clean" look to your card." Okay, I can get behind that. I needed a sketch, they had one that looked promising so I decided to see what I could come up with.

I'm pretty pleased with how it all came together, from the Blushing Bride and Crumb Cake color combination to the double butterfly I mounted just to the left below the focal image, to the little pearls I used as accents. It's a pretty little card and it makes me smile. Let's just hope it does the same for GG. :o)

This card uses:
Stamps: "Just Believe", "Sincere Salutations"
Papers: Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla (Whisper White was just too harsh)
Inks: Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Beautiful Wings embosslit, Lace Ribbon Border punch

Subtle techniques used:
*Instead of mounting the circle on a piece of Crumb Cake, I instead used the marker to color around the outside.
*Because both the Blushing Bride and Crumb Cake butterflies got lost when used individually, I mounted the CC butterfly on the bottom and the BB on top of it. It was perfect and nearly impossible to see in the photo due to the shadow. Oh well.

--Rach

An Apple for the Teacher

2011-09-05T22:36:00.001-04:00

Poor neglected blog. Poor thing. I'm so sorry I've left you with nothing new. I've been busy. That's my excuse.

But, with school starting tomorrow, I wanted to send in a couple of cards to Lil's teacher and assistant and quickly threw something together.

This first card is for Mrs. W. I used a sketch from Stamping 411 and pulled out "Greeting Card Kids" because, let's face it, they're perfect! They go wonderfully with the "Summer Picnic" DSP (that I have hoarded...) and I think it is a sweet little card.

I used the apple from "Tart and Tangy" to VersaMark the vanilla base behind the image--I know it's hard to see.

Then, there's this card I pulled together for Mrs. S. I had meant to make a horizontal fold card, but somehow managed to cut the card stock for a vertical fold. OOPS! This is making lemons from lemonade. ;o)

I love love love "Tart and Tangy" and haven't pulled it out nearly enough recently. I used it to not only make the focal image, but also VersaMarked the lower right corner behind the sentiment, and along the red strip on the inside.

I hope the ladies enjoy their cards. I certainly enjoyed getting back in my stamping space! :o)

Variations on a Theme

2011-07-27T11:19:00.000-04:00

Not only did I need a birthday card, I'm also trying to get some cards together for my bloggy friend Jaydee's Operation Write Home card drive.

I confess, I've not had much time to stamp of late, but am going to get together as many cards as I can--one is better than none, right?

So, I pulled out my new "Pennant Parade" stamp set and matching punch and got to work. I liked it so much I made two other versions, and, not as pleased with the last one as I thought I would be, I'm going to create yet another version. :o)

This card uses:
*Stamp Sets: "Pennant Parade", "Curly Cute", "So Happy for You"
*Papers: Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
*Inks: Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette
*Accessories: Baker's Twine

Same card, only I used the new In-Colors "Pool Party" and "Island Indigo"

And, here I used Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Pacific Point, and Rich Razzleberry.

I think these are just delightful and will make wonderful cards for soldiers to send to their children. :o)

Brien's Father's Day Card 2011

2011-06-19T21:24:00.001-04:00

Brien, is by trade, a map maker. Okay, so it's something that is actually far more complicated than that, but he tells people he makes maps for a living. So, when I saw "The Open Sea" stamp set, I knew I had to have it, if only for the map image.

I don't know about anyone else, but I have a dreadful time with masculine cards. This set lends itself to masculine cards beautifully. I complimented the set with the "Nautical Expedition" DSP and was ready to roll. :o)

I'm not a fan of snipping (I believe I may have mentioned that once or twice), but still snipped out the anchor and the needle for the compass. I adhered the needle using a piece of the "Vintage Trinkets".

I couldn't have been more pleased with how well the card turned out, and I can tell you B really seemed to like it. :o)

This card uses:

*Stamp Set: "The Open Sea"

*Papers: "Nautical Expedition" DSP, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

*Inks: Crumb Cake (I still want to call it "Kraft"!), Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso

*Accessories: "Vintage Trinkets" brad, dimensionals

--Rach

Birthday Wishes Color Challenge

2011-06-17T11:31:00.001-04:00

As much as I may long to get into my offudio to stamp and create, life (in the form of a Bit and a Bean) get in the way. I finally MADE time to get in there (something I must do more often!) and managed to get a few cards made. The first was a birthday card, the colors inspired by the color challenge over at the Paper Players.

The more I stamp, the more I realize my style definitely runs towards the clean and simple. I adore looking at and admiring those cards that are more elaborate, but, alas, I can't seem to make them work for me. :sigh:

So, I once more looked towards my CAS ways and a card was born. ;o) As a SU! demo, I have the privilege of pre-ordering certain items, and this stamp set, "Pennant Parade" was one of those items. I had a vision of birthday hats in my head, remembered I had some pom pom trim, and voila!

I'm absolutely tickled with how the card turned out. :o)

This card uses:
*Stamp Sets: "Pennant Parade", "So Happy for You"
*Papers: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
*Inks: Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi
*Accessories: Daffodil Delight pom pom trim

--Rach

An Egg is Quiet

2011-05-24T14:01:00.001-04:00

One of the most beautifully illustrated children's books I've seen in a long time is entitled, An Egg is Quiet. The story is simple, peaceful, and the illustrations are GORGEOUS. So, when I saw the "Nature Walk" stamp set in the Occasions Mini, I was struck by the eggs.

I've seen many many beautiful cards created with this set, but nothing CAS (clean and simple). While I was with her, Lissie challenged me to use the set to make a CAS card, and this is what I came up with. I wanted to highlight those beautiful eggs, but still use some of the other images as well.

This card uses:
*Stamp Set: "Nature Walk"
*Inks: Um, I can't remember the colors I used on the eggs--sorry!--and VersaMark for the body
*Paper: Crumb Cake, watercolor paper

I know it seems astounding that it should be so, but this card took me hours to create. I just kept sitting there, staring at those eggs, trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do with them. Sheesh.

--Rach

Oops! A Forgotten Easter Card

2011-05-23T14:33:00.000-04:00

So, I had this, I meant to post it, and then, somehow, I didn't. Crud.

When I went to visit Lissie, oh so very long ago now, I fell in love with Baja Breeze. I'm not sure what happened, but something about it just really began to call to me and I couldn't seem to stop using it. :o)

I wanted to make a quick, CAS Easter card using the pretty little egg from the "Easter Blossoms" set and this is what I came up with. I had wanted to play around with the colors and design more when I returned home, but then, I got wrapped up in Easter, Initiation, visits from friends from Germany, home improvement projects and so much more that my poor offudio is gathering dust. :sniff sniff: I left a DVD in the machine, awaiting my return. Poor Lizzie, how she suffers Mr. Darcy's pride...

I'm hoping to get back in there soon. Forget that. I'm GOING to get back in there and get to work. :o)

This card uses:
*Stamp Set: "Easter Blossoms"
*Inks: Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Pale Plum
*Papers: White (non-SU! cardstock), Baja Breeze

--Rach

The One's For Lily

2011-04-23T14:59:00.004-04:00

Dear little Lily loves kitties, so I made this card for her. I love the Sweet & Sour paper, so decided to use it. Somewhere, sometime I saw a card with a circle backed by a square and thought I'd try that. This card requires very little in the way of supplies:

DSP--Sweet & Sour
Cardstock--Rose Red and Pumpkin Pie
Inks--Basic Gray, Black, Pumpkin Pie, and Rose Red
Nesties--Circles

--Lissie

Miss Beanie's First Birthday

2011-04-19T21:05:00.002-04:00

My sweet Ellie Bean is a year old today. I can't stand it! Where oh where has the time gone?!?

A first birthday deserves a pretty special card, and seeing the layout the Paper Players had for a challenge this week, an idea immediately jumped into my head.

I adore the "Crazy For Cupcakes" stamp set and envisioned the big cupcake cut out and mounted on the decorative strip. Lucky for me, it worked out. ;o) I love CAS cards, so this challenge was right up my alley.

I found a hidden stash of "Rockabilly" DSP and decided the cherries would work well with the cupcake. I really like the embossed look of the DSP and thought it added some nice texture to the card.

As I may have mentioned once or twice before :ahem:, I'm not too keen on snipping and cutting (again, I blame years of laminating cutting...). But, I knew it would be the perfect touch for the card. I wanted to give the cupcake a cute wrapper and this piece fit the bill. I also thought a good cupcake should have sugary 'prinkles on top, so I used my two way glue and Dazzling Diamonds to give it some sparkle.

I finished it off with a piece of Whisper White satin ribbon, and a little tag from the "Tiny Tags" set.

And, of course, I simply had to finish off the inside. :o) Anyone else miss Kiwi Kiss? :sigh:

This card uses (all SU! unless otherwise noted):
*Stamp Sets: "Crazy for Cupcakes", "Happy Everything", "Tiny Tags"
*Paper: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, "Rockabilly" DSP (retired)
*Ink: Black Staz-On, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight
*Accessories: Scallop Trim punch, paper piercer, Whisper White satin ribbon

Sure, the card didn't make much of an impact with her now, but I'm putting it away in her baby book. Maybe years from now, she'll look at it and think it's pretty special... Here's hoping!

--Rach

P.S. A quick shout-out to the Paper Players--thank you SO much for selecting my Poppy Kids card as a "Cut Above"! I always get such a small thrill when something I've created is chosen. :o)

Playing With A New Idea

2011-04-18T19:54:00.002-04:00

I decided to see if I could make a card with a hole cut into the top layer with the stamped image peeking through from the inside of the card. I chose a cute bunny from the set called Merry Crittermas. I still love the old DSP called Razzleberry Lemonade, so used it on the front of the card. Here are the other supplies I used:

Nesties to cut the circle, the scallop border, and the white butterfly
Rich Razzleberry and white card stock
Rich Razzleberry buttons
Inks--Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, and Rich Razzleberry

--Lissie

Choo Choo

2011-04-17T15:02:00.004-04:00

My father has been a train buff since he was a little boy and it seems that my grandson, Gabriel, has inherited this love. So, I ordered the stamp set, Choo Choo, to make cards for these fellows. While the set has four different train cars, the only way I could fit three of them on a card was to expand the card width to 6.5". Rachael loves things in Roy G. Biv order, so I asked her which colors to use that would give a rainbow effect. She chose Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, and Wild Wasabi. I used my new Die-namics to cut scallops for the border and added Tangerine Tango rick rack at the bottom. Sadly, I cannot remember the name of the striped paper. I think it is from the recent Sale-A-Bration catalog.

--Lissie

Tiny Teacup Hello

2011-04-15T09:28:00.000-04:00

And, here we have yet another card using that fabulous color combo from the Paper Players' challenge--Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Baja Breeze.

I loved that teacup so much, and determined it needed a very CAS card to showcase it. I used the Stamp-A-Majig to get the teacups straight and evenly spaced. And, I'm falling in love with Baja Breeze (thank you, Jaydee!). It took me a while to really warm up to the color, but once I did, wow. It is such a lovely blue and so soothing.

This card uses:
*Stamp Set: "Tiny Teacups"
*Paper: Whisper White, non-SU! linen white card
*Ink: Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Baja Breeze
*Accessories: Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon

--Rah

Tiny Teacups Color Challenge

2011-04-14T13:10:00.002-04:00

Remember how I said the color challenge at the Paper Players really got my juices flowing? Well, here's another one using that color combo, and I couldn't resist submitting it as well. ;oP

I'd been wanting to play with the teacups for some time and inspiration struck. I'm not one to enjoy cutting out and snipping of images (I think it stems from all the laminating I've cut out over the years...) but I just had to do it with these guys. This card does indeed make me happy. :o)

This card uses:
*Stamp Sets: "So Many Sayings", "Tiny Teacup"
*Inks: Baja Breeze, Poppy Parade, So Saffron
*Paper: Whisper White, Baja Breeze

--Rach

Poppy Kids

2011-04-13T18:42:00.001-04:00

It was so wonderful to play around with stamps and paper again. I have really been blocked for the past couple of months, and getting to Lissie's, and seeing the color challenge the Paper Players had going on, my mojo returned. I haven't created a card, let alone participated in a challenge in forever. I pulled out a stamp set I've always loved, but never purchased, and got to work.

Let me tell you, there is some heavy duty coloring on that card! Not that I minded, though, since I find coloring so very soothing. :o)

I found the lanterns were a bit hard to see using Versamark alone, so I stamped in Versamark, then Poppy Parade, then hit it with the clear embossing powder and the heat gun. I'm pretty pleased with the results. :o)

I have loved Poppy Parade since it debuted, but have had a much more difficult time using it than I thought I would. It's just so stinkin' intense.

At any rate, the challenge really got me motivated, and I wound up creating two other cards using the colors as well!

This card uses:
*Stamp Sets: "Kimono Kids", "So Many Sayings"
*Paper: Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
*Ink: Black Staz-On, Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz, Versamark

I'll post another one of the cards tomorrow--it is very different, quite CAS.

--Rach

A Third Stationery Box ... For Father's Day

2011-04-12T09:13:00.006-04:00

Rachael convinced me I should make one of these stationery sets, and I'm glad she did. "To the Nines" is only heavy paper I have, so I used it. Because the look ended up being so masculine, I decided to give it to my father for Father's Day. I'll tuck a book of postage stamps in the little holder next to the note pad. I used antique brads on the note pad.
I included gift tags he can use.

And I added in 3" x 3" cards that he can use for gift enclosures or whatever.

Dad is a prolific letter writer, and he writes long, long letters. So, I decided to make thank-you cards so he won't have to buy any. I used the stamp, "Elegant Thank You" because it complements the paper.

Rachael has taught me that it is important to make the inside of the card elegant, too.

Best of all, everything folds up into this box.

--Lissie

Another Stationery Box

2011-04-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

Well, I had such fun with the first box, I had to make another. Looking through Lissie's DSP, I found "Storybook" and decided I could do something with it. Lissie had not intentionally purchased it, and had no idea what in the world she could do with it. I figured it out. ;oP

I made a stationery kit for a little girl, and think it is pretty cute. :o)

I wanted to make cards a little girl or boy could color and add something of themselves to and then send.

This kit uses:

*Paper: "Storybook" DSP (retired), Ruby Red (retired), Summer Sun (retired), Taken with Teal (retired)
*Accessories: large and small tag punches, scallop border punch, some retired So Saffron ribbon and I have no idea where it came from

So, what do you think, birthday present for Ella? :o)

--Rach

I FINALLY Did It!

2011-04-10T16:24:00.001-04:00

I have had this tutorial sitting in my bookmarks since it was this tutorial. Yes, I've been sitting on this project for close to three years, and I finally decided it was time.

I'm visiting with Lissie, and, as always when we get together, the stamping commences.

I found Mom's stash of "Parisienne Breeze" paper and got to work. It gave me the opportunity to not only make a 3D project, it also allowed me the chance to make cards--by 4.25"x5.5" AND 3"x3"--something I've not done much of recently.

Address book and stamp holder. I figure the address book could also be used as a simple note pad.

I fell in love with the DSP and wanted to showcase it and made some very quick CAS cards.

Of course, I had to line the inside as well.

I made ten little gift tags.

And, four 3"x3" cards.

Isn't this too sweet?

Since it was Mom's paper I tea leafed, I gave the box to her. :o) I then convinced her she needed to make one as well. Look for her posting soon. :o)

This card uses:
*Stamp Sets: "Best Yet", "So Many Sayings" Both retired SU! Hostess sets
*Papers: "Parisienne Breeze" DSP, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
*Ink: Chocolate Chip
*Accessories: Scallop border punch, scallop punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, scallop trim border

I hope Mom enjoys it! :o)
--Rach

Daffodil Delight Makes me Smile

2011-04-03T21:18:00.000-04:00

We recently had new carpet installed, and when we did, we moved my studio. Everything was waiting in boxes and bags in the garage--for what felt like forever! I had ideas--tons and tons of ideas--but no way to create them.

After a trip to IKEA, my new space was up and running (you can read about it here). Best of all, I can make cards again!! HOORAY!!

Last night I was just dipping my toes back in the card making pool. You know I LOVE using yellow and black together. :o) I wanted to make a sunny card, and I do believe this fits the bill. I know just the person I'm sending it to--they truly do make me smile. :o)

This card uses:

Stamp Sets: "Darling Dots", PTI's "Signature Greetings"
Inks: Daffodil Delight, Staz-On Black
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds

Oh the joy of stamping once more!
--Rach

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T19:14:00.001-05:00

When I first saw the "Blowing Kisses" stamp set in the 2011 catty, I fell in LOVE. What a sweet sweet bunny! I had to have him. Oh how I had to have him. I purchased him and then did nothing with him. Poor little bunny. :o(

Then, Valentine's Day was quickly approaching and I needed a card for my sweetheart. I pulled out sweet bunny and got to work. The card was coming together, but it still wasn't quite right. I cut it down to a 4.25"x4.25" square and it was perfect! I cut down a standard envelope to fit.

A view from the front so you can see how the grass continues across at the same level. There's no bow, nothing to make it TOO feminine (well except that Regal Rose card stock, of course ;oP). I LOVE it--but more importantly, so does Brien. :o)

And, the inside. Because, my honey does indeedy have my heart. :o)

*****************************
This card uses:

Stamp Set: "Blowing Kisses"
Papers: watercolor, Very Vanilla, Regal Rose, Real Red
Inks: Timber Staz-On, Real Red, Regal Rose, Wild Wasabi, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand
Accessories: dimensionals

:o)
Rach

Another Happy Birthday

2011-01-31T14:43:00.000-05:00

This is most definitely not the best card I've ever made, but it's not awful...

I used the same layout as I used for Gabriel's card and quickly made two for two more nieces--one for Gracie and one for Lydia. January quickly became a very busy birthday month for us, lol!

The giraffe would be better on the other side since he should be looking toward the middle of the card instead of off it. I tried to offset that by having him "talk" to the lion on the lower right.

At any rate, it's a fun stamp set and I do so like the contrast between the red and black.

This card uses:

Stamp Set: "Wild About You", "Stem Sayings"
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black
Ink: Black Staz-On, Real Red
Accessories: Real Red polka dot grosgrain

Hoppy Birthday, Gabriel

2011-01-26T21:53:00.000-05:00

Friday is my sweet nephew, Gabriel's, third birthday and I needed to get a card together for him. Jessie told me green is his favorite color, so I immediately knew I was going to use my "Unfrogettable" stamp set. Additionally, I wanted to play along with the Paper Players and this week's sketch challenge. You see, while color challenges are difficult for some, sketch challenges are the ones that make me stretch my creative abilities.

I absolutely struggle with sketch challenges...give me colors or inspiration photos any day of the week and I'm good to go. I know, I know, bass ackwards, right? :shakes head:

But, I did it! I'm pretty pleased with the results too. :o)

This card uses (all SU! unless otherwise noted):

Stamp Set: "Unfrogettable" (retired), Daisy wheel
Inks: Black Staz-On, Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake
Paper: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black
Accessories: Daffodil Delight taffeta ribbon, dimensional

Well, here's hoping Gabe-Man likes it...
--Rach

Pink Blossoms--Or as Brien Says, "Woah, That's Girly!"

2011-01-24T20:09:00.001-05:00

This is the other card I made using the "Easter Blossoms" set. I made an effort to color these more like apple blossoms, but still don't know how successful I was. Oh well. They're still lovely. :o)

I wanted to give the background some texture so embossed the paper. And then, because I wanted that texture to "pop", I sponged it with some Rose Red. And, who doesn't love a great big bow? I mean, besides Brien? ;o)

This is another one of those cards that I think doesn't really need a sentiment. I make those from time to time. This cards seems to scream "spring!". :o)

This card uses:

Stamp Set: "Easter Blossoms"
Inks: Early Espresso, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette
Paper: Whisper White, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: dimensionals, Pink Pirouette ribbon

--Rach

Apple Blossoms?

2011-01-23T13:49:00.000-05:00

I'm not certain what sort of blooms these are, whether they're apple, red plum, cherry, or some other fruit. What I am certain of is I love this stamp. :o) I made two cards using this stamp yesterday, one vertical, one horizontal. Since I posted a horizontal card yesterday, I went with the vertical today. ;o)

Once again, I felt the white space was just a bit too white, so I used a background stamp to make it a bit more subtle.

When I was younger, I really didn't care much for pink. Now, I adore it! Since I decided these were apple blossoms, I made an effort to color them as such. Then, after coloring these, I realized I had colored them more like our purple plum tree blossoms than like an apple blossom. Oh well. :oP I used my blender pens to pick up Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Rose Red and tried to shade, laying on the darker color over the lighter ones.

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "En Francais", "Easter Blossoms"
Inks: Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Early Espresso
Papers: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red
Accessories: Scallop border punch, Swiss dots embossing folder

This is such a sweet, feminine card, I have to find just the right girl to send it to. :o)

--Rach

Blue Blossoms

2011-01-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

My box of new SU! goodies arrived the other day and also helped jump start my mojo a bit. I had impulsively purchased "Easter Blossoms" from the Mini, having fallen in love with the sweet silhouette of the little girl. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with her...

I also rather impulsively picked up a pack of "Springtime Vintage" DSP--I have NO idea what possessed me, as "vintage" is not something I'm very good at--and it seemed to be made to go with the dancing sweetpea. I loved the tiny little blossoms on the blue and determined that was the paper I was going to work with.

From there, it all seemed to fall into place. (I assure you, even though it looks as if the image has been mounted crooked, it is in fact straigt IRL.) The only other hurdle I had to cross was the vast emptiness of white space in the background--it just seemed too bright somehow. I picked up the apple blossom branch and stamping off, used Baja Breeze in the background.

I think she's pretty sweet and can't wait to play with her a little more. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Set: "Easter Blossoms"
Inks: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy
Papers: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, "Springtime Vintage DSP"
Accessories: dimensionals, Victoria lace

I'm not sure to whom I'll be sending the card, but I know it will be someone who likes blue. ;o)

--Rach

A Thank You for Sister Rose

2011-01-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

Our girls were baptized two weeks ago, and my dear friend, Sister Rose was such an amazing help that day I wanted to send her a thank you note.

Alas, I was stymied, I had no idea what to do, how to do it. I have been out of the studio so long the ideas were stalled and NOTHING was coming to me. OH NO! My mojo was gone!

Thank goodness for Jaydee! She posted her card for this week's Paper Players challenge--a color challenge--and I was immediately struck with inspiration. :happy sigh:

The challenge was to use Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, River Rock and Rose Red in a project. I wanted the Rose Red to be a little "pop" of color to draw interest to the sentiment, so I stamped the sentiment in the Baja Breeze and then had a butterfly from my "Beautiful Wings" embosslit resting on it.

But, then I worried, maybe the sentiment was lost? Maybe it needed to have a little more "pop" to it? So, I created this card:

I'm not sure which one I like more. I'm leaning towards the first one, as it is a bit more subtle, but this one is lovely as well.

I lined the inside of the card and added another butterfly to tie the front and inside together.

This card uses:

Stamp Set: "Short and Sweet"
Paper: Very Vanilla, River Rock, Baja Breeze and Rose Red
Inks: Baja Breeze, Rose Red
Accessories: "Elegant Bouquet" embossing folder, "Beautiful Wings" embosslit

I'm hoping this has now opened the floodgates and I'll be back to stamping once more. :fingers crossed:

Happy Birthday, Brien

2011-01-06T17:04:00.000-05:00

Today is my sweetheart's birthday and I needed a card. I knew it was going to be tough to get something together today, for you see, Miss Ellie is teething and as such is a wreck of gigantic proportions.

I was able to pull out a card I had previously made and repurpose it by simply changing out the sentiment. No, it's not particularly masculine, but it's not too feminine either. I happen to love this card and this is really a go to set for me because it is so versatile.

This card uses:

Stamp Sets: "Sincere Salutations", "Inspired By Nature"
Papers: Early Espresso, More Mustard, Garden Green, Whisper White
Inks: Early Espresso, More Mustard, Garden Green
Accessories: hemp twine

One of my goals for this year is to get more time in my studio, so hopefully my poor neglected blog will be up and running once again. :o)

--Rach

Something Sunshine-y

2010-12-21T13:45:00.001-05:00

This wonderful, sunny creation was inspired by the fabulous Jaydee. A while back, she posted this card and I fell in love. Daffodil Delight paired with Basic Black? "Medallion" stamp? Sunshine? Yup, all three things I adore and I was ready to CASE it the moment I saw it.

Alas, I had to get through the piles of Christmas cards and tags that needed making. Finally, I was finished with all that, and then I couldn't find the time to get in the studio. Crud.

Then, Jaydee posted THIS on her blog, and I knew I had to make the time to get in and make the card--not so much for a chance to win the blog candy, but because the cards are going to such a worthy cause.

Besides, it was a CASE challenge, and goodness knows I've had this card just sitting in the back of my brain for goodness knows how long (since December 8, maybe??) and I was ready to do it.

I sincerely wish I had the "Wishing You a Day Bright With Sunshine" sentiment, and will now be searching for it. I did the best I could with the sentiments I had available. (As an aside, anyone else out there think they have plenty of sentiments and then see one they just have to have?) I'm pleased as punch with the results. :o)

I used the Eyelet Border Punch on the inside to mirror the lacy look of the Medallion stamp.

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Medallion", PTI's "Signature Greetings"
Papers: Basic Black, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, "Sunny Garden" DSP
Inks: Daffodil Delight, Staz-On Black
Accessories: rhinestones

--Rach

Aaaaand, the Tags are Finished!

2010-12-16T09:19:00.001-05:00

I think I'm all done with "Christmas" this year. :o) The cards are finished and in the mail. The tags are completed. Life is happy. It's time to get in the studio and begin making some "sunny" cards to brighten up this grey day. ;o)

I made ten of each. That should be more than enough. ;o)

I tried to make sure each design had something "special". The top of the ornament is has been "Smooched" in silver.

The "Snow" sparkles with millions of "diamonds".

The ornaments on the tree have been "blinged".

These were just too much fun to make! Heck, who doesn't enjoy playing with 1.25" grosgrain? I LOVE that ribbon! :o)

And, here they are in the their temporary home.

These just make me smile. :o)

--Rach

Gift Tags

2010-12-15T10:28:00.001-05:00

As I was wrapping gifts the other day, I realized I had no gift tags. Wait a minute, what?!? I had no gift tags?? How is that even possible?

Obviously that had to be remedied, and I went at once to the studio. (Okay, maybe not "at once", what with having a Bitty and a Beanie around, but I did eventually get in there...)

I have once more pulled out "Big On Christmas" (I can't seem to get enough of it this year, not to mention it's SO stinkin' easy to work with!) and gone to town. :o)

I was trying to decide whether to go with the Old Olive or Riding Hood Red on these two. Riding Hood Red it is. :o)

I'm not finished yet, but getting there. I'll post them all when they are completed. :o)

These have used:

Stamp Set: Big on Christmas
Inks: Black Staz-On, Copics in Olive and Cardinal (I have no idea the color number, sorry), Peach Parfait, Basic Black
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler (OMG I LOVE Cherry Cobbler!)
Accessories: Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds

I'm getting there, I'm getting there. :o)

--Rach

They're Done!

2010-12-13T09:42:00.001-05:00

All 90 of 'em. Finished. I had them completed by midnight Friday evening, having worked on the last three sets from 2-4:30 and again from 8-midnight. Insides, outsides, upside downs, all finished. Whew!

(I know the image is a bit hot, there's not much I can do about it. I MISS my flash!!)

I changed the sentiment on this one at Brien's request--he just liked it better. Hey, they're our FAMILY cards, so who was I to judge?

Last night, Brien spent some time printing out the envelopes (he found a fun Dashboard widget (for those of you who use Macs) that would print the address and our return addy) and I'll work on these while the girlies nap today.

Tomorrow begins the great gift tag adventure...

--Rach

And Another Stack is Finished

2010-12-10T09:48:00.001-05:00

Between making lentil soup, three batches of fondant (not the kind that goes on cake, the candy kind), and two loaves of bread, and between teaching and cleaning, I managed to find some time for ME. ;o)

I hit the studio at nap time (both girlies are sick so there is definitely a need for naps) and managed to knock out the snowmen. Yay!

I tweaked the original just a bit.

Can you see the difference?

I popped the snowman up on dimensionals. As I was painstakingly coloring and glittering each one (have I mentioned my studio is now coated in Dazzling Diamonds? You're shocked, I'm sure...) it came to me that these guys needed to be lifted off the embossing just a bit. I'm thrilled with the results. :o)

I use a heavier weight paper when embossing using white. I LOVE the SU! Whisper White paper for stamping on, but it's rather thin when it comes to embossing. I picked up some heavier stuff from PTI and I've been very pleased with it.

Of the designs I came up with this year, this one is Brien's favorite. I think the non-traditional colors combined with the striking contrast of the Cherry Cobbler with Basic Black really does it for him. He's typically a traditional kind of guy, but hey, this is one fun card! :o)

--Rach

One Stack Down...

2010-12-09T08:42:00.001-05:00

...4 more to go. I tackled the most time consuming card yesterday afternoon. It took me nigh on four hours to do all the coloring and cutting required. Oh my. What was I thinking?!?

It is a pretty good looking card, though. I guess that's what I was thinking. ;o)

--Rach

Making Progress

2010-12-08T09:09:00.001-05:00

No, no cards to post, just an update on the saga of the Christmas cards. Time sure has gotten away from me this year...

It's funny, now that I'm staying home, I seem to have less time to work in the studio, and less time for myself than I used to. How is that even possible?!? Hm.

Because I'm so behind on my Christmas cards, I came home from church last night, got things settled in the house and hit the studio. It took me an hour and a half, but I managed to get ALL my materials cut for the cards.

There are at least 16 of each card. Sometimes my love of layers really IS a problem...:eye roll:

I know there are those who would go out of their minds if they had to make more than one or two of the same card, and here I am, making 16 at the minimum, lol! That's one of the things that's so great about stamping and card making, everyone can do that which they like best.

I'm hoping to get a bit of time in the studio this afternoon or evening after church and get started on these guys. I'd LOVE to be able to get them in the mail by Monday or Tuesday next week.

--Rach

Playing with My New Goodies

2010-12-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I fibbed. I had no idea I would have a couple of minutes to play around in the studio before we left Friday. Heck, who can resist the lure of new goodies? A better person than I, that's for sure.

Getting out the "Holly Jolly" paper and the copics, I made the card above. I can't believe how intense the Cherry Cobbler looks in that light. That does it, I MUST get my bounce flash fixed...

I love the intensity of the copics in that image, as opposed to the one a few posts ago.

And, here, I don't think you can see it, but I played with the VersaMark Dazzle. IRL, it gives the tiny snowflakes a hint of shimmer and makes them a bit more visible than with VersaMark alone.

Again, I tried to capture the shimmer. "Tried" being the optimum word, of course...

These are pretty much facsimiles of cards I've already created so you can find recipe details below. :o)

--Rach

Hung Up on Christmas

2010-12-03T08:25:00.002-05:00

When I first began stamping in 2007, it was November, right around Christmas time and I knew I just had to make my own cards. I was still learning the basics and quite overwhelmed, but gosh darnit, I was going to make it happen. I had figured out that I wouldn't have to color in solid images--which was a good thing as I didn't have any markers yet--and I thought the stamp set "Hung up on the Holidays" was the cutest thing EVER. :o)

I purchased it, I made some cards, and I let it sit unused for the next two years as I used other "fancier" stamps to make my Christmas cards. What was I thinking?!? This is a darling set!

I don't know about you, but I will lie in bed at night and card ideas will flit through my head. This one kept coming to me and I got in the studio and had to make it. Initially, I was unimpressed. Somehow, it didn't quite meet up to the vision in my head. Okay, more to the point, it wasn't this card I made. I initially used Very Vanilla instead of the Whisper White and instead used only the ornaments. It was a bust. It was too symmetrical (is there such a thing?), and too yellow. I changed the paper and added the gingerbread man, and was somewhat pleased with the results, but still not sure.

That led to this card:

After putting it together, I realized I actually liked both cards and will be making them both this year. (Yes, I know the string is a little off from that red ornament, remember, these are just mock-ups.)

In other exciting news, I picked up some VersaMark Dazzle to use on the snowflake cards. It has a hint of shimmer that it adds to the watermarking. I also picked up...drum roll please...red and green copics. Oh my. Oh my oh my. I found two colors that are so close to Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler and my plan is to use them on the Noel cards. :o) I still need to play around with them--a LOT--but I'm getting the feel for them, and they're pretty nice. :o)

As for this card, it uses:
Stamp Sets: "Hung up on the Holidays"(retired), PTI's "Signature Christmas"
Papers: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Brilliance's Starlite Silver

I'll be out of town this weekend, so no stamping for me. And then, we're having a church retreat from 7-8 Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday--during my typical stamping time--so I don't know if I'll have anything new to post until next Friday. Maybe Lissie can pick up the slack? ;o)

--Rach

Big On Variations

2010-12-02T09:25:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned, I wanted to use my "Big on Christmas" stamp set this year, and did so yesterday with the snowman. I also decided to pull out the "Noel" stamp and work with it.

My plan is to use my "Holly Jolly" paper when it arrives, so I needed to use a stand-in until then. I dug into my retired DSPs and used "Dashing". I LOVED this paper when it was out and enjoyed using it the other night. I may make a few cards with this paper and color combo, as well as the "Holly Jolly". In fact, Brien said, "But I like this one!"

I know the image is stamped crooked, and the coloring is crappy, but remember, this is a mock-up. I'll do a much better job on my actual cards.

And, since these were mock-ups, I decided to show you another I created when trying to decide which color card base to use:

B said the red was a bit too intense and I agree, although, it's a pretty lovely card as well. Someone will receive this card. ;o) Additionally, I'll have to do a couple mock-ups with the "Holly Jolly" and the Cherry Cobbler to decide for certain if I'll use the red or green base.

This card uses:
Stamp Set: "Big on Christmas"
Papers: Real Red, Old Olive, Dashing DSP (retired)
Inks: Black Staz-On, Old Olive, Real Red
Accessories: dimensionals

One more improvement to this card will be to color the top of the ornament. I've got to purchase a gold metallic ink pen...:sigh:

I played around again last night and should have card for you for tomorrow as well. :o)

--Rach

Something a Little Non-Tradtional

2010-12-01T14:39:00.001-05:00

Alas, my plans to get in the studio last night were thwarted by creating two gifts for the grandparents in our lives. I'll just have to do it tonight instead. :o)

This is another of the cards I created Monday evening. I adore Cherry Cobbler, it is so rich and almost decadent feeling. I knew I wanted to make a card using "Big on Christmas", and I knew I wanted to use Cherry Cobbler. I decided to pair it with Basic Black, and it all came together. :o)

I love that this one isn't a "traditional" card, and yet, is so visually appealing. I'm not sure if you can see it (maybe enlarge the photo?), but I added Dazzling Diamonds to the S, N, and W. I'm playing around with the idea of cutting out the hat and carrot and making them three dimensional, but I'm not sure if I'm up to all that work on 15+ cards...We'll see how the time works out.

This card uses:

Stamp Set: "Big on Christmas"
Papers: Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Inks: Black Staz-On, and Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green markers
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds, Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Now, if only it would snow here...it was almost 70 this morning. :sigh:

--Rach

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack! :o)

2010-11-30T15:14:00.004-05:00

There really is no excuse I could give about why I have neglected my poor blog for such a long time. None whatsoever, so I won't even try. I'm back, the creative juices are flowing, and I'm ready to share once more. :o)

After tallying more than 75 people/families to whom we will be sending Christmas cards, I came to the conclusion I would go NUTS if I had to make 80 cards of the same design. Last year I made two different designs and I loved them both. You can see them here and here. I absolutely ADORE "Dasher" and keep wondering if I could just work him in somehow again this year. Hm...

Anyhow, I've decided to go with five or six different designs and I spent last night making mock-ups. Nine cards later, I had three I liked. Here's the first:

It is absolutely a CASE of one Jaydee's cards. I saw hers, fell in love (I have this thing for snowflakes) and went about making it "mine". Can you see the little snowflakes VersaMarked on in the background? I'm pretty pleased with the results. :o)

This card uses:

Stamp Sets: "Serene Snowflakes", PTI's "Signature Christmas"

Papers: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Whisper White

Inks: Bashful Blue, VersaMark, Night of Navy

Accessories: rhinestones

I'll be back in the studio this evening, playing around with a couple more sets. I'll have a new card for you tomorrow. Hooray! :o)

--Rach

Excuses 'R Us

2010-10-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

I'm SO sorry I've let you lie here neglected and abandoned, little blog. There was SUCH enthusiasm when I began you, and now that autumn has arrived, I've lost steam. More to the point, I've lost precious time. Because we travel so much in the fall (at least every other weekend), my card making time has been greatly reduced. :sniff sniff:

I'm so sorry, sweet blog. With Brien out of town the next two evenings, I'm going to try to do better. I'm going to pop in some old movies, get the stamping juices flowing and see what I can create. I'll check out a few challenge sites as well, and see if anything catches my fancy.

I hope to see you in the morning, my friend.

Sincerely,
Me

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-10-06T10:43:00.004-04:00

It is true that I am mostly retired, that is, I do not have a full-time job or a job to which I must go. However, I do work for a publisher, and, lucky me, I get to work from home. The work is sporadic, though lately, there seems to always be something to do. Mostly, I oversee the development of materials and review them. Recently I received a new title, Director of Special Projects, which basically means I do a wide assortment of things. The company I work for is small—a husband and wife comprise the company—and I cannot express how much I love working with them. Unlike large publishers I’ve worked for, all the work for this company is done with a verbal handshake, and they truly value my opinions. We trust each other and it is a lovely arrangement, one that I hope continues for many years. Just the other day, the husband contacted me to see how much they owe me for my work in September. We both had to think through everything I’ve done for them in the past month. Being able to trust someone 100% as I trust this husband and wife is a great joy. I love the loose arrangement, and I much enjoy the work I do. So, why am I telling you this? Because this week I’ve been up to my ears reviewing a new book, reviewing a revised book, working on a presentation I will give on Saturday, and planning how to proceed with a new project, among other things. As a result, I have no time to stamp. So, I looked through my cards and found one I created last summer when I had lots of time on my hands. To make it, I used these supplies:

Stamp Set—Simply Said
DSP—Delicate Dots
Card Stock—So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Twill Ribbon—Certainly Celery and So Saffron (layered)
Ink—Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery
Nesties—Circle and Scallop

--Lissie

Sparkly Birthday Wishes

2010-10-04T08:54:00.000-04:00

When I made Ella's birthday card back in July, I made two (as is typical for me), but instead of keeping one as a model, I made the second for my niece Jocelyn's birthday in September. When I first saw the "Pony Party" stamp set, I just knew it would be perfect for birthday cards (and "just because" cards) for little girls. How right I was. :o)

Because Ella is the child of the original "Pink Bunny", I made the card as pink and sparkly as possible. It is an easel card so it can be propped up and long admired. ;o)

To create the shades of pink in the mane and tail, I simple got out my blender pen and the Melon Mambo stamp pad. Then, I layered more color on where I wanted it darker and less where I wanted it lighter.

Using my two-way glue pen, I added Dazzling Diamonds here and there on the pony/unicorn. For the glittery images in the background, I used VersaMark and heat and stick powder.

It really was a fun (if time consuming!) card to make. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Set: "Pony Party"
Papers: Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Inks: Black StazOn, Melon Mambo, VersaMark
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds, 1 1/4" Pink Pirouette grosgrain ribbon, heat and stick powder

Autumn Gift Enclosure

2010-10-03T12:42:00.003-04:00

Rachael is away for the weekend so I decided to post a small card, one I'll use as a gift enclosure. I like to make square cards, but it can be tricky designing a card for a small space ... at least it is for me. I rummaged through my Designer Series Paper and was surprised to find a favorite paper with designs I had not yet used that would work for this card. (Don't you love it when that happens?) I finished the card and then realized it was out of balance so I added the two buttons. Here's what I used to make this card:

DSP--Autumn Traditions
Card Stock--Always Artichoke; Soft Suede
Buttons--Always Artichoke

--Lissie

Sisters

2010-10-01T07:51:00.004-04:00

My sister's birthday is coming up, so I decided to make her a card using one of m new stamp sets, The Nicest Things. I'm still struggling to learn how to effectively use watercolor paper, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I also wanted to use a color I haven't played with much--Baja Breeze. I made it the main color for the card. The colors on the card itself are far more muted and pastel-like than they show up in this picture where they appear much darker and more vibrant, probably because of the auto-correct feature I used in iPhoto. Here are the other supplies I used:

Inks--Baja Breeze, River Rock, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Blush Blossom, and Crumb Cake
Stamp Sets--The Nicest Things and Well Scripted
Crochet Trim--Victoria
Embosslits--Beautiful Wings
Designer Series Paper--Baja Breeze
Card Stock--Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze

--Lissie

Birthday Butterflies

2010-09-30T08:06:00.001-04:00

Grandma's birthday is Sunday and I wanted to create a card I knew she would love. Grandma's favorite color is pink and she has always loved butterflies--more so now that we've lost Hannah, as she (like us) views them as a symbol of the Monkey.

So, all I had to do was combine pink and butterflies. No problem! I remembered how much I had enjoyed working with a similar color combination on a Paper Players challenge and pulled out Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery and Very Vanilla and went to work.

"Just Believe" is an incredibly beautiful, feminine set and lent itself perfectly to meet my needs. I knew the "Beautiful Wings" embosslits would coordinate wonderfully with the set as well.

I love it when a card just comes together. :o)

Because it's a birthday card for a very special lady, I decided to bling it up a bit. I used Dazzling Diamonds on the flowers and butterflies, and then went a step further, adding pearls as well.

I just knew "Curly Cute" would be the perfect sentiment to accompany such a pretty card. :o)

And, you know me, I had to add a little something to the inside. I mimicked the scalloping on the outside and added a butterfly, Dazzling Diamonds and pearls as well. I left plenty of space to write a personal message to Grandma.

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Just Believe", "Curly Cute"
Papers: Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery textured card stock
Inks: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, "Beautiful Wings" embosslit, Dazzling Diamonds, pearls

It's such a sweet card I just want to prop it up and look at it all day. :oP I can't WAIT to give it to Grandma. :o)

--Rach

P.S. I'm sure I must have CASE'd this from somewhere, but for the life of me I can't remember where...

Muted Autumn Colors

2010-09-29T08:38:00.004-04:00

I wanted to create a card with muted autumn colors. I'm particularly fond of Sage Shadow, a recently discontinued color. As I dug through my Designer Series Paper, I found Autumn Vine, a paper I've used in the past; it includes Sage Shadow. I had cased a card on Split Coast Stampers with a similar layout and decided to try it, altering it a bit. The only thing I would change about this card is the size of the oval. I think it needs to be a bit smaller because it tends to overpower the tree. Here's are the supplies I used:

DSP--Autumn Vine
Stamp Sets--Give Thanks and Forest Friends
Card Stock--Sage Shadow
Inks--Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, More Mustard, Really Rust (the colors in the DSP)
Nesties--Oval and Scalloped Oval
Piercing Tool
Embossing Plate--Dots

--Lissie

Well...

2010-09-28T11:41:00.001-04:00

I had thought Lissie was going to post today, otherwise I would have posted this sooner. Liss is busy doing her "real" job today and unable to post. Thank goodness I had something. :oP My sister-in-law's birthday is tomorrow. Dana's favorite color is black and I had originally thought to do a tuxedo card. But, I looked at this image, and I just knew I had to color those little falling leaves. I wanted something unobtrusive and felt Blushing Bride fit the bill.

Well, once I had that little pop of color, I knew I had to have it in a couple of other places as well. :o)

I have to say I'm thoroughly enjoying the clear mount stamps. In this instance, it allowed me to get the images stamped fairly uniformly without the aid of the SAMJ.

I had resisted purchasing any more sentiments (I have SO many already), but saw "Curly Cute" and had to have them. :sigh: I have no willpower. :oS But, look what a sweet inside it makes!

This card uses:

Stamp Sets: "Funky Four", "Curly Cute"

Papers: Basic Black, Whisper White, Blushing Bride

Inks: Basic Black, Blushing Bride

Accessories: 5/8" black satin ribbon, scallop trim border punch

Let's hope she likes it!

--Rach

Oh My

2010-09-27T08:58:00.002-04:00

I'm SO sorry it has taken so long to post a new card. Things have been utterly crazy busy here and I FINALLY got some stamping time Saturday evening. I'm going to try to do better in the coming weeks. Fall is a busy busy time for us, as we are inevitably traveling to or from Blacksburg for football games and visits to the mountains in autumn.

My evenings have been eaten up with chores and sick kiddos. :sigh:

Anyhow, I had a chance to play with my "Funky Four" stamp set Saturday evening, and I LOVE the results! I thought it was SUCH a fun stamp when I purchased it, but then could figure out NOTHING to do with it. EEK! I hate it when that happens.

Then, without warning, an idea popped into my head and a light bulb went off. :o) This is for my nephew Miles. He was nine and I thought, "What little guy wouldn't like mushrooms?" I think they are cute cute cute. As for that crooked sentiment, that will teach me to not get out my SAMJ and just think I can "wing it". :oP

This card uses:

Stamp Sets: "Funky Four", "Happy Everything"

Inks: Soft Suede, Real Red

Papers: Whisper White, Real Red, Soft Suede

I'm still struggling without my flash. I'm sorry the photos I'm going to be posting aren't so wonderful...:sigh:

Another One for Halloween

2010-09-22T09:48:00.003-04:00

When Rachael came to visit this past weekend, she brought my Stampin' Up order. I couldn't wait to begin playing with my new stamp sets. It was hard to decide where to begin ... I ended up going for Halloween and created this card, one I'll send to one of my grandchildren. Please note that the cat is actually centered perfectly inside the cutout; the camera angle makes it look off center. Here's what I used:

Designer Series Paper--Cast A Spell
Stamp Set--Fang-tastic
Card Stock--Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive
Ink--Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Blush Blossom, Blushing Bride
Punches--Scallop and Circle
Dimensional--on the pumpkin to make it stand out from the witch

--Lissie

Sparkly Hannah Day 2010 Cards

2010-09-21T08:39:00.000-04:00

I have been trying and trying to get some studio time. This is always my crazy, busy time of year. We are out of town every other weekend for football games, we are traveling to see family, we are just busy.

I know, I know excuses excuses...

At any rate, I made it a point to get in the studio last night as I had a mission. Today is Sparkly Hannah Day 2010 and I wanted to give out anonymous cards with a couple of dollars in them. The plan is to leave these cards on random cars in parking lots. Inside the card reads, "We know this isn't much, but we hope you will use it to buy yourself a little treat". Besides that, the card is simply adorable. :o) Who wouldn't smile after receiving one of these cards?

This card uses:
Stamp Set: Darling Dots, PTI Signature Greetings
Paper: Whisper White
Inks: Melon Mambo, Only Orange (retired)

I made ten of them last night. You MUST use a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to get the images lined up! I also drew a light pencil line across the card to give the flowers a baseline.

As for the poor image quality, well, my sweet Lil dropped my camera and my flash broke. Boo hoo hoo! I hope to have it repaired soon!

Happy Sparkly Hannah Day! Go forth and perform a RAK!

Combining Techniques

2010-09-16T12:42:00.003-04:00

I wanted to make a very simple, clean card. I also wanted to use a new embossing folder and watercolor paper. And now, for the life of me, I can't remember everything I used to make this card. ARGH! Old age has impacted my memory. I know I used two different shades of pink card stock, but I'm not sure what they are--Rose Red? Melon Mambo? [Rachael just told me that those are the correct colors.] Here's what I know I used:

Embossing Folder--Elegant Lines
Ink--Certainly Celery and Melon Mambo
Water Color Paper (spritzed with water prior to stamping)
Stamp Set--Watercolor Trio

--Lissie

Feeling Autumn-y

2010-09-15T07:32:00.004-04:00

The air has a slight nip to it this morning. It has the past few mornings as well. I'm awaiting the annual color change, and doing so rather impatiently. I decided since they weren't changing nearly fast enough to suit me, I could just create some fall foliage myself!

I pulled out my "With Gratitude" set and stared at it. I pulled out different colored card stocks and stared some more. I came up with nothing. Nada. Zilch. The set mocked me. It did! Here I had this gorgeous set and I could come up with nary a thing to do with it. Ack! Dejected, I walked out of the studio and vowed I would think of something, that no mere stamp set would beat me. So there!

I took a different approach last night. I found a sketch challenge at Stamping 411 that looked promising and decided to give it a go.

I tried a vertical card first. No dice. Once I got it oriented correctly, the card came together. :o) I showed it to Brien who said, "ACK! What did you do?? You had this wonderful masculine card and you added a bow. A BOW! Now it just looks all sorts of confused."

Really? Oh no!
But you see, the thing is, I was proud of that bow. It was the most perfect bow I had ever made (thank you, Jaydee for the tutorial!) and I was going to leave that bow, even if it didn't work.

But that didn't mean I couldn't create another card. I typically make two cards anyhow, so this was easy to do. :o)

I rock-and-rolled the leaves on the background to achieve that multi-color effect. I ran the Cajun Craze piece through the Cuttlebug with a Swiss Dots embossing folder to give it some texture. The maple leaf is first stamped in VersaMark and then in Cajun Craze, covered with clear embossing powder and hit with the heat gun. I gave the card some depth by mounting the maple leaf using dimensionals.

These cards use:
Stamp Sets: "With Gratitude", "Watercolor Trio"
Inks: More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso--it should be noted I considered using Old Olive, but I thought it was too bright next to the more muted Regals colors
Papers: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze
Accessories: Early Espresso 5/8" satin ribbon, dimensionals, Regals button, Swiss Dots embossing folder, scallop border punch

Ha! I won!! I made a card with the stamp set, and even have another cooking for Friday's post! Hee hee hee. ;o)

--Rach

Happy Halloween

2010-09-14T13:09:00.004-04:00

Fall is in the air and leaves are drifting down from the trees in my backyard. Soon Halloween will be upon us. I've been making cards for my grandchildren, and found this skeleton to use. I tried stamping it in white on black using craft ink, but that didn't work well because the image looked muddy. So, I resorted to using Staz-on black ink; it seems to create a darker image. Here are the other supplies I used:

Designer Series Paper--Cast a Spell
Ribbon- Pumpkin Pie Striped
Card Stock--Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie
Ink--Staz-On Black

--Lissie

Grandfather's Birthday Card

2010-09-13T08:19:00.002-04:00

I have NO idea why I didn't post this Saturday, or even yesterday. I guess I took a weekend vacation.

I've been puttering around with autumn-y cards and pulled out "Thoughts and Prayers" the other day to ink up the tree with some fall foliage. I pulled the sentiment from "Watercolor Trio"--it just seemed to fit. :o)

I struggled with this one. I needed something to balance out the bottom, but ribbon wasn't cutting it, and buttons were too big. I had three brads originally, but managed to get them off-center so had to add the fourth. Ah, well, I don't think GF will mind. ;o)

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Thoughts and Prayers", "Watercolor Trio"
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Early Espresso
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Early Espresso (anyone else love love loving the deep, intense hue of this paper?)
Accessories: Neutrals brads

And, just because I can, I wanted to share my workspace with you. I'm already sharing it with a four year old girl, see? :oP

--Rach

Another Ugly one

2010-09-10T10:12:00.004-04:00

Most of the time I am satisfied with the cards I make. I plan each one carefully, and generally can envision it in my head before I make it. When I was young and made some of my own clothes, I could do the same thing with a pattern and fabric. I could "see" the results when picking out the right cloth and the perfect pattern. So, it was with confidence that I tackled this card. I knew I wanted to use red and black again, a favorite combination. But it all went pear shaped, as the British say. I've over-analyzed what the problem is and have come to the conclusion that it is the stamp I used in the circle. The shapes are simply too big for the rest of the card. Since no one will want to make this card, I hesitate to post what I used, but here goes:

Designer Series Paper--Cerise
Card Stock--Real Red and Basic Black
Stamp Set--Circle Circus

--Lissie

Fall, Oh Fall, Where Art Thou?

2010-09-09T08:38:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry I took a much longer break than anticipated. Miss Ellie received her four month shots Tuesday and she was a wreck that day and the next. As such, I was unable to get in the studio. :o( I'm pleased to say Ellie is doing better, and I had some play time last night. :o)

As the temperatures here continue to hover in the upper-80's to 90's, I'm insanely jealous of those with more seasonal temps. The kiddies are back in school, that means the days should be cooler with a crispness that I'm just not getting here. Williamsburg is a lovely lovely place to live, there are so many activities and so much history, but it lacks a proper autumn. As that is my favorite season, it makes it tough this time of year. Now Blacksburg has an autumn to be envious of. :sigh:

All this to say, I was trying to decide what I wanted to make to submit to the Paper Players Challenge this week (Clean and Simple--my style to a "T"), felt my longing for fall, and picked up "Branch Out". It all came together from there.

Since maples are my favorite tree (only because I don't live out west with the gorgeous, majestic aspen), and I LOVE their vibrant fall foliage, I decided that was what I was going to create. :o)

And, of course, I can't leave out the inside. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Branch Out", "Hope Happens"
Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Cherry Cobbler, Real Read, Early Espresso, Garden Green
Paper: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Tangerine Tango

We have highs projected to be lower-80's and upper 70's for this weekend. Maybe fall is on its way?

--Rach

Labor Day Holiday

2010-09-03T23:33:00.002-04:00

I'm taking time off until after Labor Day. Enjoy your weekend, everyone! :o)

Posting From On The Road

2010-09-03T09:22:00.004-04:00

Knowing I would be a way for a week, I decided to make a few cards ahead of time and then post them from the road. I am sitting in a McDonald's in Lebanon, Tennessee as it is the only free wi-fi in the area that I could find. The smell of breakfast and grease isn't the best atmosphere from which to get online, but, it's better than not getting online at all.

I made this card to send to a friend, but I'm not as happy with it as I'd like to be. I think the oval needs to be smaller, but it is what it is. (I think often we are our own worst critics.) Here's what I used:

Stamp Sets--Garden Silhouettes (I seem to be stuck on this set lately.) and For a Friend
Designer Series Paper--Certainly Celery
Card Stock--Bashful Blue and Whisper White
Inks--Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery
Nesties--Oval Scallop and Oval
Ribbon--Satin Bashful Blue

--Lissie

Lovin' Me Some Trendy Trees

2010-09-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

I can't get enough of "Trendy Trees". It's such a simple stamp set, so easy to use. I wanted to play with the In Colors, and I wanted to play with my "Sunny Garden" DSP, so I went back to my go-to layout. And, I was right, the trees look wonderful in the In Colors. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Set: "Trendy Trees"
Paper: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizazz, "Sunny Garden" DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizazz

And really, there's not much more to say. ;o)

--Rach

One Of My Ugly Ones

2010-09-01T07:19:00.004-04:00

On Sunday I was lamenting to Rachael that some cards you envision just turn out to be ugly no matter how much you've planned or how much effort you put into them. It goes without saying that I end up with more ugly ones than Rachael; after all, she's the one with the artistic talent. I have a Big Shot machine and wanted to play with some of the dies I have, and I also wanted to combine Real Red with Daffodil Delight. Why Real Read and Daffodil Delight? Who knows. I suppose I thought the card would turn out to be cheerful and uplifting. Instead, it turned out to be ugly with a capital U. The card took a lot of work, too, making the end result doubly disappointing. Here's what I used:

Stamp Set--Match Box Messages
Designer Series Paper--Cerise (an oldie but a goodie)
Card Stock--Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi
Inks--Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi
Punches--1 1/4" and 1 3/8"
Real Red Buttons
Linen Thread

Better luck next time, eh?

--Lissie

When Good Cards Go Bad

2010-08-31T08:26:00.003-04:00

Well, it had potential and then it didn't. I wouldn't be posting this except I promised Lissie I would post my ugly card. So, here it is, in all it's awful glory. There's not much to say, really. I tried distressing, it didn't work. Oh, well. Not my style, I guess...

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Greeting Card Kids", "Teeny Tiny Wishes"
Paper: watercolor, Blushing Bride, Newsprint DSP
Inks: Black Staz-On, Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Log Cabin Smooch Spritz

We'll give it an A for effort, right? Right?!?

--Rach

Day Brightener

2010-08-30T09:57:00.005-04:00

There are times when friends go through difficult times, and it is always nice to have a card on hand to send in hopes of brightening their days. One of my friends recently found out that her father has lung cancer, so I made this card to send to her. Here's what I used:

Stamp Sets--Hope Happens and Garden Silhouettes
Designer Series Paper--Sunny Garden
Ribbon--Pear Pizazz
Inks--Poppy parade and Pear Pizazz

--Lissie

Simple, Yet Elegant

2010-08-29T09:14:00.002-04:00

At least I think so. I've been dying to play with Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler as a color combo and finally did so last night. Boy, talk about rich, deep colors!

I pulled out my "Medallion" stamp, rock-and-rolled it with Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso, and stamped. The base looked a bit naked so I stamped it with VersaMark and "En Francais".

And, the inside. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Medallion", "En Francais"
Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso
Papers: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Pearls

This card makes me hungry--I'm thinking of black forest cake. :oP

--Rach

Red and Black--Inspired By Rachael

2010-08-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

When Rachael posted her little boxes, it reminded me how much I love the combination of black and red. It is eye catching and I've often worn the combination both in clothes and shoes. As a result, I set out to create a card using these colors. I turned to the same paper Rachael used, Rockabilly, mostly because it has shiny bits on it. Tart and Tangy is a favorite stamp set and the cherry stamp complements the paper. To make the cherries pop, I covered them with Crystal Effects.

Supplies used:

Stamp Set--Tart & Tangy
Designer Series Paper--Rockabilly
Ribbon--Ridinghood Red
Crystal Effects
Ink-Ridinghood Red, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip

I took half a dozen pictures of this card and gave up getting a good one. I am hopeless at photography.

--Lissie

Lissie's Birthday Card

2010-08-27T08:25:00.002-04:00

Due to a slightly unhappy baby last night, I was unable to make a card. Oh, I got a start here and a cut there, but Ellie was having none of it. So, I thought I would post the card I made for Lissie's birthday back in June.

It's a simple little card, but it makes me very happy. :o) It could be the ROY G BIVed flowers, it could be the Daffodil Delight card base. It could be the combination of everything. Who knows. What I do know is this was a simple little card to put together and it was fun to make. :o)

This card uses:

Stamp Set: PTI's "Signature Greetings"
Ink: Pacific Point
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi, Elegant Eggplant, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Trio Flower Punch (retired), Crystal Effects

Like I said, simple, but fun! :o)

--Rach

Fall Silhouette

2010-08-26T09:18:00.003-04:00

Still in a fall mood--I can actually feel it in the air--I decided to make an end-of-summer card to send to my father. Dad and I exchange old fashioned letters every single week, and it gives him a bit of a thrill to receive a handmade card in addition to the letter. Dad is an artist so he is more appreciative than most of my efforts to use color and design.

Here's what I used to make this card:

Designer Series Paper--Autumn Vine
Stamp Set--Garden Silhouettes
Buttons--Really Rust
Ribbon Originals--Jersey (I layered the ribbons)
Punch--Pinking Hearts Border
Card Stock--Really Rust and More Mustard
Ink--Wild Wasabi

--Lissie

Strawberry Inspiration

2010-08-25T08:47:00.007-04:00

Aren't these little guys cute? I will periodically make a couple of these little boxes of cards to have on hand to give as a little "thank you" gift. They also make excellent stocking stuffers. :o)

But, why strawberries and black and vanilla? Because of this:

This is the inspiration photo for the challenge over at the Paper Players this week. I was immediately struck with the strawberries and their juxtaposition with the blackberries. I LOVE black and red as a combination. I picked up that light vanilla color from the cheese in the bottom right corner and that was it! I instantly knew I wanted to make a couple of little boxes of cards. :o)

Each box holds four 3"x3" cards and envelopes.

I put two red and two black cards in each box. See how I used the polka-dotted paper to pick up the polka-dotty look of the blackberries? :o)

I also got to play with my "Rockabilly" paper, which I've been squirreling away for a special occasion. :o)

I used my Crop-a-Dile to punch the holes for the ribbon to pass through.

And, of course, I lined the inside of the cards as well. :o)

This project uses:
Stamp Sets: "Tart and Tangy", "Warm Words"
Inks: Wild Wasabi, Real Red
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, "Rockabilly" DSP, and Real Red DSP from a hostess pack
Accessories: 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, Crop-A-Dile, 1/4" red and black gingham ribbons, white gel pen, dimensionals

Now, to whom do I give the boxes...? :o)

--Rach

It's Time To Cast A Spell

2010-08-24T09:49:00.002-04:00

I'm not much for Halloween these days, but I have fond memories of trick or treating when I was a child, and I know my grandchildren love it, too. So, I began to work on cards for the fall and this is the first of my Halloween cards, ones I will send to my sweeties. Using ink in the lid of my stamp pad, I watercolored the image. Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp Sets: Greeting Card Kids and Scary Skeleton
Designer Series Paper: Cast A Spell
Inks: Old Olive, Black, Rich Razzleberry, Cajun Craze, Sahara Sand, and Pumpkin Pie
Rickrack: Ribbon Originals--"Pigtails" in Pumpkin Pie
Card Stock: Old Olive and Perfect Plum

School Daze

2010-08-23T09:31:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again--the back-to-school sales are on and there is excitement in the air. Teachers are scurrying to get their rooms ready in between all the mandatory meetings and school division professional development requirements (trust me, there is VERY little time to get that room ready!). But, it's all worth it, for the day after Labor Day (around here, anyway--don't ask about the "King's Dominion Law"...) we are greeted with shiny, smiling faces in brand new clothes, ready to embark on a new year. I confess, I'm going to miss that.

I borrowed the spiral punch idea from Lissie and the card came together. :o) Those kiddies are just too stinkin' cute!

And, the inside. I thought that sentiment went well with the kiddos on the front. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Greeting Card Kids", "Teeny Tiny Wishes", "Warm Words", "Heard From the Heart", "Tart and Tangy"
Inks: Oh, dear, let's see, Soft Suede, Cajun Craze, Real Red, More Mustard, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Sahara Sand, Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip (Whew!)
Paper: Real Red, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Watercolor, Summer Picnic DSP (which I have hoarded), Newsprint DSP
Accessories: Eyelet border punch, spiral notebook punch

Goodness I'm enjoying watercoloring!! :o)

--Rach

Fox and Friends

2010-08-22T11:36:00.003-04:00

As most any grandparent will tell you, having grandchildren brings a dimension to your life that you never could have imagined. I think about each one of my babies many times each day. Just thinking about one of them can put me in a grand mood that lasts for hours. If there is anything better in life than family, I have no idea what it could be. Often, when I am making cards, I think of a particular grandchild and then design a card specifically for that child. Other times, I make several cards for my grandchildren and then, later, decide who will be the recipient of each one. It is that case with this card. I knew I wanted to use Wild Wasabi--aren't we all glad that color came back--and my new stamp set Fox and Friends. As I looked through my Designer Series Papers, I was attracted to Uptown because it has circles in it and colors I like. Thus, this card was born. Here's what I used:

Stamp Sets--Fox and Friends and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Nesties--Scallop and Circle
Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch
Designer Series Paper--Uptown
White Brads
Card Stock--So Saffron and Wild Wasabi
Inks--Wild Wasabi and Close to Cocoa

Now I have to decide which of my sweet and precious babies will receive this card.

--Lissie

Autumn=Halloween?

2010-08-21T08:40:00.003-04:00

As you all have probably realized, I'm dying for autumn to arrive. Halloween and pumpkins are definitely autumnal, right? Well, I have had so much fun watercoloring these sweet kiddos that I have many, many images lying around, ready to use in cards. Last night, while waiting for Brien to return from the rehearsal dinner he was attending, I got in the studio and decided to do something with them. The latest Paper Players challenge is a sketch challenge and I decided to play along, especially as I haven't been able to play along in quite a while.

Yes, I know, I didn't make a square card, nor did I use a circle (I don't have any large circle cutting devices...), but it remains fairly true to the sketch otherwise. ;o)

And, of course, the inside. I didn't have anything to stamp in here so I decided to use paper instead. :o)

This card uses:

Stamp Sets: "Greeting Card Kids", "Teeny Tiny Wishes"
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Black Staz-On
Paper: Watercolor paper, Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, retired SU! Halloween DSP (I can't for the life of me remember the name--Sorry!)
Accessories: Dimensionals, scallop border punch, 1 1/4" Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain ribbon, mini pearls

I'm planning on making some similar cards to send to my nieces and nephews--I just can't get enough of these "Greeting Card Kids" and the watercoloring--it's such a stress relief for me. :o)

--Rach

Trees

2010-08-19T21:28:00.003-04:00

I'm such a sucker for trees. I bought the entire set, Forest Friends, just to get this tree stamp. With autumn peeking around the corner, I made this card to celebrate the upcoming change of seasons. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with this card, so I have not added a saying to the front. When I do, I will stamp it in Chocolate Chip or Early Expresso so that it will show up well on the More Mustard portion of the Designer Series Paper. The card is 4" x 4.5" instead of the usual 4.25" x 5.5". I chose this size to give the card balance.

Here are the supplies I used:

Stamp Set--Forest Friends
Designer Series Paper--Autumn Vine
Card Stock--Sage Shadow
Inks--Sage Shadow, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, and Really Rust
Brads--More Mustard

--Lissie

Another Long Fellow

2010-08-18T10:20:00.004-04:00

I made this card for Lily because she has such a good sense of humor and I thought the dog would make her laugh. It also turned out to look quite a bit like Hokie colors, and the Davis clan are big Virginia Tech fans.

Here's what I used to make this card:

Card Stock Colors--Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, and Rose Red
Sweet & Sour DSP
Buttons in Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, and Rose Red
Rose Red Ribbon

--Lissie

Poppy Love

2010-08-17T19:18:00.003-04:00

I was so taken with how well my wedding card turned out, I decided to try another one using a different embossing folder and color. Once again, I'm pleased with the clean and simple feel of the card.

This card uses:
Stamp Set: "Short and Sweet"
Papers: Poppy Parade, Whisper White
Ink: Poppy Parade (note: I still haven't purchased the stamp pads--the markers continue to work well)
Accessories: Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, Beautiful Wings Embosslits, crystal effects

This was another SUPER easy card that came together in no time, but looks lovely nonetheless.

--Rach

More Back To School

2010-08-16T19:47:00.008-04:00

For some reason this little girl--from the set Greeting Card Kids--reminds me that schools are opening all over the country (even though she is holding a heart and not a book or backpack). When Rachael was here, she taught me how to use an Aquapainter and watercolor paper to create a softer image. We first stamped images using permanent black ink (StazOn) and then using an Aquapainter slowly added color using the ink in the lid of the stamp pad. (You squeeze the pad together with your hands so that ink is deposited in the lid.) I had a pack of Tempting Turquoise DSP and decided to use it along with Real Red card stock because I liked the Real Red Ribbon and wanted to use it. To add interest I used my Spiral Border Punch and then tilted the image a bit. Here's a complete list of supplies I used:

Tempting Turquoise DSP
Real Red and Tempting Turquoise Card Stock
Aquapainter
Real Red Ribbon
Tempting Turquoise Button
Inks: Blush Blossom, Bashful Blue, Basic Black, StazOn Black, Sahara Sand, Real Red

When I finished the card I added the saying. Isn't it a shame after all that work I didn't stamp it straight?

--Lissie

Elegant Wedding

2010-08-16T08:56:00.004-04:00

Brien will be the best man in a wedding Saturday. Assuming I can find babysitting, I'll be attending as well (our sitters sort of fell through and now I'm scrambling). I needed a card for the happy couple and knew I wanted something understated and elegant.

Thinking "elegant", I promptly thought of my "Elegant Lines" embossing folder and from there the card simply gelled. :o) To set off the embossing, I decided to use dimensionals to give it a "lift".

My biggest problem was finding an appropriate stamp for the inside, as most of my sentiments, while having a nifty font, were too informal for this card. I came upon "Sincere Salutations" and knew it was perfect. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Teeny Tiny Wishes" (this is SO a "must have" set!), "Sincere Salutations"
Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand
Ink: Sahara Sand
Accessories: "Elegant Lines" embossing folder, pearls, dimensionals

I just LOVE how beautiful and simple this card is!

--Rach

Pawsitively Prints

2010-08-14T23:16:00.006-04:00

I decided to make a card to send to my grandson so got out a new set I hadn't yet used--Long Fellows. I had some new DSP, too, Pawsitively Prints, and thought it would work well for this informal card. Here are the other supplies I used:

Card stock--Tempting Turquoise and Poppy Parade
Ribbon--Poppy Parade
Scallop border punch
Ink--Tempting Turquoise and Poppy Parade

It's a shame the red layer of Pawsitively Prints doesn't show up well; the design on the paper is delicate. (It's the layer under the plaid.)

--Lissie

Loads of Love (Still Thinking About Autumn)

2010-08-13T16:16:00.008-04:00

When Rachael came to visit, she brought my Stampin' Up order. For years I've considered the stamp set, Loads of Love, and I finally made the decision to purchase it. Today was the first day I had time to stamp; it was not possible with a house full of company. Better the company than stamping, however, so I put my card making on hold. When I began to design this card, I had to decide what load, if any, I would put in the truck bed. Once I decided to go with pumpkins, my next decision was to figure out what other colors and DSP to use. As I leafed through my DSP sets, I spied Washington Apple and knew this was the set to use because the colors are Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, and Ridinghood Red. I also decided to try water coloring on regular white card stock and was pleasantly surprised by the results, though next time I'll probably use water color paper. After I put the card together, I decided to pierce the red paper behind the truck. I'll probably add a sentiment when I send the card, but I'm not sure yet what it will be or where I will put it, but it probably will go at the top of the red paper.

Supplies I used:

Ink colors--Sahara Sand, Close to Cocoa (retired), Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, and Ridinghood Red.
DSP--Washington Apple
Card stock--Bashful Blue and Ridinghood Red
Ribbon--Ridinghood Red
Aquapainter

--Lissie

Back to School

2010-08-13T08:26:00.005-04:00

In continuing with my "longing-for-autumn" theme, I have these sweet, adorable kiddos. I fell in love with "Greeting Card Kids" the first time I saw them, but then had to question, how in the world would I use them?? They are not my typical style and I knew I would struggle to make them work. And yet, how could I not get them? They were so stinkin' cute!

So, they arrived, I got out my watercolor paper, and I found the greatest form of stress relief! I always color when I'm stressed, and watercoloring proved to be just as useful. Only, this was more fun somehow. :o)

But, as I feared, they have been very difficult for me to make into a card. I have NO idea why, but I struggled like the dickens last night to make this come together. :shakes head: Things became somewhat easier for me once I began looking to the lace. Both the image and the lace practically scream "vintage".

And yet, I still struggled. UGH! I HATE it when that happens. But, I prevailed and these are the results. Not too awful, I think. :o)

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Greeting Card Kids", "Pocket Silhouettes" (sentiment), "Tiny Tags"
Ink: Early Espresso, Cameo Coral (retired), Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, More Mustard, Real Red, Sahara Sand
Papers: Cameo Coral (retired), Early Espresso, watercolor, Newsprint DSP
Accessories: Victoria lace, Early Espresso 5/8" satin ribbon, tiny tags punch, dimensionals, linen thread, sticky strip

Because the bottom of the image was popped up due to the runching of the lace, I needed to use the dimensionals at the top to adhere the image to the card in order for the image to be flat/level.

Overall, I'm fairly pleased with how the card turned out. In fact, I'm anxious to begin watercoloring yet more images. ;o)

--Rach

In Sorrow

2010-08-12T08:28:00.003-04:00

I found out two days ago, one of Brien's friends and former coworkers had suffered a devastating loss--her youngest brother was killed in Afghanistan. I knew I had to make sympathy cards for her and her parents as soon as I got home.

Then, yesterday, more awful news, a coworker lost a life partner. It's a season of sadness right now. :o(

I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my "Just Believe" stamp set, and it came while I was away. Looking at it, I knew it would be perfect for the cards I had to create. It's such an elegant stamp set and lends itself to clean and simple cards.

This card uses:
Stamp Sets: "Just Believe", "Teeny Tiny Wishes", "Thoughts and Prayers"
Inks: Marina Mist, Certainly Celery
Papers: Very Vanilla (Whisper White just looked too harsh), Marina Mist, Certainly Celery
Accessories: scallop boarder punch, small pearls, dimensionals

Then, because you know how I am, I had to make the card in another color combination as well. Also, when I make a card, I make TWO of them, that way I can have one on hand if I need it. Or, I will have it on hand as a model for later.

The only difference between this card and the other is I used Rose Red in place of the Marina Mist.

The only thing left to do is include a personal note of condolence and get them mailed.

--Rach

Hurry, Autumn

2010-08-10T19:56:00.005-04:00

I'm ROASTING!!! It's HOT!! It's not usually this hot in Blacksburg. I was hoping for cooler temps than those in Williamsburg, but it's not happening. :sigh:

Since I'm still in the 'burg, I'm still not in my own studio. I would love to steal some time to play in Lissie's, but with five kiddos five and under running around (or crawling or rolling), it just hasn't been possible. Instead, I took another tour through my archives and located this beauty that has me longing for cooler autumn temps and crisp, colorful leaves.

This card uses:
Stamp Set: "Trendy Trees" I swear, this is such a versatile little set!
Inks: Dusty Durango, Sage Shadow, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Dusty Durango, More Mustard and Whisper White card stock, and some DSP I can't remember--Fall Leaves or some such maybe?
Accessories: Dusty Durango dotted grosgrain, piercing kit, deminsionals

Autumn can't be too far off, right??

--Rach

Home At Last

2010-08-09T20:16:00.004-04:00

You haven't lived until you have traveled by car with five children ages five and under. Phew! Are we ever beat, and the poor kids are totally off schedule. They are troupers, though, and have hung in there.

Back home, I decided to post a card I made a week or so back because we have not had one minute to stamp. Here's what I used:

Rasberry Tart DSP
Rose Red ink
Cameo Coral paper and ink
Whisper White paper
Kiwi Kiss ribbon and ink
Pink Flower brad
Eastern Blooms stamp set (one of my "go-to" sets)

The layout is simple. I layered paper to add contrast and depth. I love Raspberry Tart DSP and wish I could get my hands on more Kiwi Kiss paper. I've watched Ebay and it's scarce and expensive. I've learned a good lesson by not stocking up on it.

It has been great being with Rachael though we haven't had much time to play with our stamping supplies. We did get to mess around with water coloring a bit. I'm sure Rachael will post a card soon highlighting what she's done.

--Lissie

Still Traveling

2010-08-08T19:50:00.003-04:00

The travels continue, allowing me to continue journeying through my archives. I made this card in July 2009 for my niece, Ella's, fourth birthday. She LOVES and ADORES anything pink, sparkly and princess-y, and I couldn't imagine any child wouldn't love seeing their name all in glitter.

I had seen an idea in the SU! 2008-2009 (I think...) that used Sticky Cuts and glitter on a card, and I felt it would be PERFECT for this card.

This card uses:
*Sticky Cuts
*Chunky glitter and fine glitter
*Melon Mambo and Pink Piourette card stock

The envelope uses:
Stamp Set: "Crazy for Cupcakes"
Inks: Black Staz-On, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay

Glitter-ific, Baby! :oP

--Rach

Lovely as a Tree

2010-08-07T20:08:00.003-04:00

Rachael and I are still on the road, so I am posting this card from memory. The problem is I can't remember the name of the DSP. I used a Whisper White card and Summer Sun because of the great contrast with Basic Black. The stamp is from the Lovely as a Tree set and is stamped in Summer Sun. After weaving the strips and gluing them down, I finished off the card with black brads.

--Lissie

From the Archives

2010-08-06T21:10:00.002-04:00

Since Lissie and I are traveling for the next few days, I thought I would dig into my archives and post some cards. I made this card in the dead of winter 2009 when the grey days were getting me down. The sunny lemons really perked me right up. :o) "Tart and Tangy" is definitely one of my go-to sets--hm, it hasn't seen ink in a while, maybe I should get it out and play. :o)

This card uses (all SU! unless otherwise noted):
Stamp Sets: "Tart and Tangy", "Happy Everything"
Inks: Yo-Yo Yellow (retired)
Papers: Whisper White, Yo-Yo Yellow, Basic Black
Accessories: black and white ribbon--unknown source, just found it in my ribbon drawer, gromits, two-way glue, Dazzling Diamonds, 1 1/4" circle punch (I think), 1 3/8" circle punch (again, I think--I made this back in 2009 after all)

Hm, I think I would LOVE a nice, cold glass of lemonade right now, seeing as our hotel room is about 100 degrees...UGH!

--Rach

Water Color Paper

2010-08-05T19:14:00.006-04:00

I came up with an idea for a card and decided to stamp the image on water color paper so that I could vary the color. I'm fairly pleased with the end result but have to ask myself, "What were you thinking?". Why did I ask myself this? Because I had INTENDED to glue the layout in a slightly different manner. The two strips of DSP behind the frog should be equidistant from the top and bottom of the card and the ribbon should be right in the middle. In other words, I wanted the layout to be in total symmetry. Oh well. I'll do it better next time.

Here's what I used to make this card:

Really Rust paper
Mellow Moss paper
Very Vanilla paper
Juntos DSP
Really Rust stamp pad ink
Mellow Moss stamp pad ink
Creamy Caramel ink
Water Color paper
Really Rust Taffeta ribbon
Mellow Moss Velveteen ribbon
Unfrogettable stamp set
Aquapainter

I stamped the images in Mellow Moss and then used an aquapainter and ink in the lid of the stamp pads to color in the frog, snail, and flower. I backed the Juntos DSP and the water color paper with Mellow Moss and attached them to the Really Rust card. Because the card is dark, I lined the inside with Very Vanilla. I cut and glued the Mellow Moss ribbon on top of the Really Rust ribbon, attached it to the card, and tied it in a knot.

If you click on the card you can see how water color paper lets you play with color intensity and shading.

--Lissie

Thinking About Autumn

2010-08-04T14:17:00.004-04:00

August always makes me think about fall, probably because I taught elementary school for so many years. So I got out Summer Picnic DSP and "Give Thanks", a stamp set I really like. I stuck with two main colors--Real Red and Old Olive both for paper and ink. To add contrast, I turned the Old Olive DSP sideways so that the lines are horizontal. I stamped the image using Basic Black and the sentiment in Old Olive. Using markers, I colored in the apples, leaves and pail. I believe I used Basic Gray for the pail, but I can't remember for sure. If I were to make this card again, I might emboss the pail in gray instead of coloring it in.

Moonlit Inspiration

2010-08-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

I'm can't remember where I saw the challenge, but it really called to me. The inspiration photo was black and white with some "pops" of green. I immediately thought of this set, doing a "scene" on a moonlit night in black and white, with cat tails blowing in the breeze. I liked the image so much I left off the green and said to heck with the challenge. ;o)

My challenge was deciding whether to mount the image on black and use a white card, or to mount the image on white and use a black card. Thank goodness for Brien, he comes through time and again when I ask his opinion on color combos and such. :o)

I have to say, I'm beyond pleased with how this card turned out. I don't know who the genius was who first determined you could use the slot punch to make the tops of the cat tails, but I'm beyond happy they did.

This card uses:
Stamp set: "Inspired By Nature"
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black
Inks: Sahara Sand, Basic Gray, Basic Black
Accessories: Slot punch, 1" circle punch, brayer, sponge daubers, blender pen

Technique:
First I cut the white card stock to 3 1/4"x4 1/2". I then punched a 1" circle from a Post-It note and stuck it to the card stock where I wanted my "moon" to be. Next I inked up the brayer with Sahara Sand and in one even stroke, rolled it on to the image sheet. This left a lighter area in the bottom of the card which I would use as my "water" later.

Then, using the Basic Gray, I went in with my sponge dauber and worked from the corners out and down around the moon. I went over that with Basic Black, confining it to a smaller area, being sure to allow the gray to show through.

I then removed the Post-It, inked up the image and stamped it. I punched some "slots" and adhered them to the card stock. Finally, using a blender pen, I picked up some Sahara Sand that I had "kachunked" into the lid and colored back and forth across the lighter background area at the bottom.

Now, to determined whom I should send the card to...;o)

--Rach

Razzleberry Lemonade DSP

2010-08-03T13:19:00.006-04:00

First, Rachael needs to teach me how to photograph cards. It's a shame she lives so far away; maybe when she is here on Thursday, she can show me. Rachael and I share many tastes in common--she is my daughter after all--but once in a while one of us will fall in love with a particular Designer Series Paper while the other one could take it or leave it. I think it is this way with Razzleberry Lemonade, one of my favorite papers ever. I think it's because last year's In Colors were my favorites and this paper has many of them in it.

You may have noticed that I often do not stamp a sentiment on the front of my cards. That's because I will decide later, when I plan to actually send the card. That way, if a friend is retiring or a family member has a birthday, the same card could work. So the sentiment for the white space in this card will be added later ... or not.

In addition to the DSP, I used Whisper White paper, and Rich Razzleberry ribbon. (I turned the ribbon over so that the dots would not show.) The stamp is from Baroque Motifs and was stamped using Melon Mambo. I used a Nestie to cut the shape with the stamp and the backing paper and added silver brads in the corners. Finally, I pierced around the white part of the paper.

So Sweet!

2010-08-02T18:02:00.003-04:00

So, did I mention I played around with "Darling Dots" quite a bit this weekend?? :oP Once I finished the ladybug card, I saw the cupcakes and thought they could be something very cute. I had been wanting to play with Blushing Bride and thought it would look amazing with Early Espresso (thanks, Liss!). Unfortunately, I keep ordering Basic Black satin ribbon, and NOT Early Espresso, so I dropped back and went with Chocolate Chip instead. Then, when I found this sentiment, I knew it was a perfect compliment to the cupcakes. :o)

In case you can't tell, I really like the clean and simple style. :o) I decided to make these cards simply for fun, and then I found another challenge for which they would be PERFECT. Stampin' Royalty's challenge this week is KISS or Keep it Simple, Sweetie. For me, these fit the bill! :o)

Isn't it funny how piercing the paper made the card just that much more sophisticated? Same card, just pierced.

This one was simply the Stamping 411 sketch--what started me down this road with "Darling Dots" in the first place.

Finally, I couldn't decide if I wanted to do a Chocolate Chip card base or Blushing Bride. So, I did both. ;o)

These cards use (all SU! unless otherwise noted):
Stamp Sets: "Darling Dots", PTI's Signature Greetings, Warm Words
Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Blushing Bride
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Blushing Bride, Real Red, Certainly Celery
Accessories: 5/8" Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, piercing kit

Same cupcakes, same layout, four different cards. Pretty nifty! :o)

--Rach

Monkey Studio Designs--And Lissie, Too!

Thanks a Latte

Birthday Piggies

Button Buddies Cherries

Masculine Birthday

Pink Pink Pink

Hello Baby!

2011 Christmas Cards--Scenic Season

2011 Christmas Cards are Finished: Dasher

Bitty's Birthday Cards

Christmas Card Time Again

Two Posts in ONE DAY?!? Best Wishes

Trying to Find the Groove with "Just Believe"

An Apple for the Teacher

Variations on a Theme

Brien's Father's Day Card 2011

Birthday Wishes Color Challenge

An Egg is Quiet

Oops! A Forgotten Easter Card

The One's For Lily

Miss Beanie's First Birthday

Playing With A New Idea

Choo Choo

Tiny Teacup Hello

Tiny Teacups Color Challenge

Poppy Kids

A Third Stationery Box ... For Father's Day

Another Stationery Box

I *FINALLY* Did It!

Daffodil Delight Makes me Smile

Happy Valentine's Day!

Another Happy Birthday

Hoppy Birthday, Gabriel

Pink Blossoms--Or as Brien Says, "Woah, That's Girly!"

Apple Blossoms?

Blue Blossoms

A Thank You for Sister Rose

Happy Birthday, Brien

Something Sunshine-y

Aaaaand, the Tags are Finished!

Gift Tags

They're Done!

And Another Stack is Finished

One Stack Down...

Making Progress

Playing with My New Goodies

Hung Up on Christmas

Big On Variations

Something a Little Non-Tradtional

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack! :o)

Excuses 'R Us

Busy, Busy, Busy

Sparkly Birthday Wishes

Autumn Gift Enclosure

Sisters

Birthday Butterflies

Muted Autumn Colors

Well...

Oh My

Another One for Halloween

Sparkly Hannah Day 2010 Cards

Combining Techniques

Feeling Autumn-y

Happy Halloween

Grandfather's Birthday Card

Another Ugly one

Fall, Oh Fall, Where Art Thou?

Labor Day Holiday

Posting From On The Road

Lovin' Me Some Trendy Trees

One Of My Ugly Ones

When Good Cards Go Bad

Day Brightener

Simple, Yet Elegant

Red and Black--Inspired By Rachael

Lissie's Birthday Card

Fall Silhouette

Strawberry Inspiration

It's Time To Cast A Spell

School Daze

I FINALLY Did It!