One layer + a border + a flake

This is the final day of Penny Black week at Stamper's Dream, and the Dream Team has shown some fabulous examples of what can be done with these images!! I think these two hedgehogs called Here Comes Christmas are just the cutest ever!! They're stamped with Tuxedo Black (Memento) onto Simply Smooth (Prismatics), colored with copics, and cut out with the Labels 8 Nestabilities (Spellbinders). The Border was made with a Martha Stewart punch, and the Flakes were made with the Spellbinders Create a Flake 1 die. Ultrafine glitter was added to the border, flakes, and snow with a Quickie Glue Pen and an Essential Glue Pad. Lastly, I added a bit more bling with Kaisercraft Rhinestones.

That's it. Pretty easy. Now, check out what Amy and Michelle have to show you.

FYI: Michelle has all the JustRite Stamps priced at 20% off starting today! What a fantastic deal. Also, she has some new product in the store. Check out the new images she's carrying from Tim Holtz's Stamper's Anonymous line. Yummy stuff!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!
Happy Stamping my friends!!

Penny Black Week at Stamper's Dream

It's Penny Black week at Stamper's Dream, and Michelle has a fabulous supply of charming Penny Black images. This whole week, the DT will be sharing projects made with some of the images. I made a card with this cute and chubby snowman called Sweet Snowman (PB). I stamped him with Versamark onto watercolor paper, and embossed him with Detail Black ep. I then colored him with my Tombow markers. I added some Polar White Flower Soft to the stocking cap and snow underneath him, and ink distressed the edges with Frayed Burlap (Ranger Distress Ink). The Martha Stewart Border punched top has Ultrafine Glitter added to it with a Quickie Glue pen, and the adorable little snowballs along the top are called Glitter Domes (Mark Richards). I got them at a fabulous little Scrapbook store in Oakhurst, California called The Cat's Meow. It's a bit of a drive for me, but I went with my dear friend Pat, so the time just flew by. And the cat's there give you the warmest welcome. As did Melissa. She has a fabulous blog HERE.

I got the ribbon from a charming Scrapbook store in Missoula, MT called Memory Lane, and the buttons are PTI. Finally, I used some Ivory Burlap String to tie the buttons to the ribbon.

That sums up my card for today. Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has to show you. Here's the schedule:

Monday - Denise , Amy , and Michelle

Tuesday - Becca , Michelle, and Me

Wednesday - Laurie , Denise , and Michelle

Thursday - Laurie , Silke , and Michelle

Friday - Amy , and Michelle and Me

Stamps: Sweet Snowman
Paper: Wild Asparagus (MME), Birchtone Medium (Prismatics), Neenah Solar White
Ink: Versamark, Frayed Burlap (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Square Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Tombows, Border Punch (Martha Stewart), Buttons (PTI), Glitter Domes (Mark Richards), Glitter, Quickie Glue Pen, Burlap String (May Arts), Polar White (Flower Soft), Ribbon (Miscellaneous), Dimensional Tape (Scotch)

Blog Award

Okay, I normally don't participate in blog awards, mostly because I feel guilty choosing only a certain amount of blogs that inspire me. My google reader is FULL of inspirational blogs. But I've seen this one floating around for awhile and thought I'd give it a go. Cammie gave me this award, and I have to say I'm more than honored because she is amazing as a stamper, and as a kind and generous person. Thanks my friend!!
So, here are the deets:

The rules are to answer these questions in one word, which is harder than you may think!

1. Where is your cell phone? desk

2. Your hair? brown

3. Your mother? loving

4. Your father? intelligent

5. Your favorite food? Pizza

6. Your dream last night? none

7. Your favorite drink? diet coke (two words...sorry!)

8. Your dream/goal? travel

9. What room are you in? stamp

10. Your hobby? stamping

11. Your fear? mingling

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here

13. Where were you last night? home

14. Something that you aren't? patient

15. Muffins? pumpkin

16. Wish list item? Studio

17. Where did you grow up? IL

18. Last thing you did? Blog

19. What are you wearing? sweats

20. Your TV? off

21. Your Pets? 3

22. Friends? treasured

23. Your life? interesting

24. Your mood? calm

25. Missing Someone? mom

26. Vehicle? SUV

27. Something you're not wearing? make-up

28. Your favorite store? Country Clutter

29. Your favorite color? green

30. When was the last time you laughed? yesterday

31. Last time you cried? today

32. Your best friend? All friends treasured (sorry ...couldn't use one word)

33. One place that I go to over and over? Supermarket

34. Facebook? yes

35. Favorite place to eat? Brazilian

Now I'm to nominate 5 blogs that I visit daily and am inspired by:

Gabriela

Laurie

Claire

Julee

Sandee

A Masculine Christmas Card

I wanted to make a Christmas card that wasn't all fancy shmancy so it could go to a guy. Many of you probably have Uncles, brothers, cousins, or guy friends that would appreciate no frou-frous on their card, I'm sure. So I chose to use this gorgeous tree from the Verve set O Christmas Tree. I Rock 'n Rolled it with Espresso and Pesto Adirondack Ink, and added a bit (just a little) of bling with some tiny rhinestones (Zva Creative). The sentiment is from the Verve set Blessed Christmas. All the edges were ink distressed with Tea Dye and Walnut Stain (Ranger Distress). If you click on the picture, the tree shows much better. For some reason it *glows* more here. Don't know why.

Hope you're having a nice weekend!
Happy Stamping my friends!




Stamps: O Christmas Tree and Blessed Christmas
Paper: Tawny Medium, Sage Medium, Suede Brown Dark (Prismatics), Neenah Natural White, My Mind's Eye
Ink: Pesto and Espresso (Adirondack Dye), Tea Dye and Walnut Stain (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Labels 4 and Standard Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Mini Multicolored Rhinestones (Zva Creative), Rhinestones (Kaisercraft), Button, Ribbon (PTI), Brown Burlap Twine (May Arts), Quickie Glue Pen, Ultrafine Transparent Glitter, Dimensional Tape (Scotch)

A Gerbera Birthday Wish

Ever have one of those cards where you keep looking at it and it feels like something is missing? And then.....you finally figure out what it is that it needs, stamp it, and by doing that one little thing, ruin everything? Yep, I knew you'd understand. That's exactly what I did with this card. *sniff*...I was following Splitcoaststampers sketch from Wednesday (SC253), but thought I needed to add a small sentiment on the bottom. Now, when working with clear stamps, sometimes I can be a little bit heavy handed and make the image appear too thick. So I practiced a few times on scratch paper, stamping out the sentiment. When I thought I had just the right pressure, I braved adding it to my already assembled card. *GROAN* Too heavy. Doesn't it just figure!! Guess it just shows that it's handmade and not perfect, eh? *grin*


So on to the deets...I watercolored the smallest Gerbera Daisies image (Flourishes) with my Tombows. The yummy paper is from the new My Mind's Eye line called Life's Stories!! I framed the image with Ovals and Labels 8 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), and added the ends of Fancy Tags (Spellbinders) in order to comply with the sketch. The bg strip is one of the new Martha Stewart Border Punches, and the sentiment is from Rubber Soul's clear set "Tiny Wise Words". Last, but not least, I added a couple of pearls (Kaisercraft) to my hinges.

That sums this card up. Sorry about the boo-boo. Didn't know how to cover that one up, and I didn't want to start over.

Hope you're having a happy stamping day!!




Stamps: Gerbera Daisies (Flourishes), Tiny Wise Words (Rubber Soul)
Paper: Life's Stories (MME), Kraft, Neenah Natural White, Watercolor
Ink: Versamark, Frayed Burlap
Accessories: Oval, Scalloped Oval, Labels 8, Fancy Tags (Spellbinders), Border Punch (Martha Stewart), Pearls (Kaisercraft)

Christmas Sentiment Set

Julee always has such fabulous sentiments included in her Verve releases each month. So I thought I'd make a Christmas Sentiment Set of four using some of her newest releases. The layouts are all the same, so I'll just list the sets I used along with the supplies below. They're each pretty self explanatory:

Christmas In The Air




Blessed Christmas



Star of Wonder

Thanks for visiting today!
Hope you're having a fantastic week!
Happy Stamping my friends!!





Stamps: Christmas In the Air, Blessed Christmas, Star of Wonder
Paper: Webster's Pages Holiday Collection, Tawny Medium (Prismatics), Neenah Solar White
Ink: Black Onyx (Versafine), Brushed Corduroy (Ranger Distress Ink)
Accessories: Labels 8 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Pearls and Rhinestones (Kaisercraft), Dew Drops, Ribbon (SU!, PTI, Miscellaneous), Button (PTI), Flowers and Leaves (Punch Bunch, Spellbinders, SU!, Martha Stewart), Sewing Machine, Natural Burlap String

Make it Merry & Bright

I love this sweet little tree from the Inkadinkado set Pattern Play Holiday. I just stamped it with Black Onyx (Versafine) onto Neenah Solar White and colored it with copics. I added a bit of sparkle with a Quickie Glue Pen, and Ultrafine Transparent Glitter. I then stamped the snowflakes with White Craft Ink (SU!) onto Stormy Light Prismatics for the bg. The sentiment is from the JustRite set A Merry Little Christmas Borders and Centers.

I used Mercy's sketch #46, found HERE, for inspiration.

I have a sneak peek of JustRite Images to share with you...Michelle ~ Stamper's Dream ~ will be getting them in her store Mid November. They're super charming!! LOVE the squares. Yep, I said squares.
They even have come up with some more circle frames and fonts. Here's a peek at the borders.




Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Stamping my friends!!

Stamps: Pattern Play Holiday, A Merry Little Christmas Borders and Centers
Paper: Stormy Light and Dark, Kraft (Prismatics), Neenah Solar White
Ink: Black Onyx (Versafine), Craft White (SU!)
Accessories: Labels 9, Circle and Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Embossing Folder (Sizzix), Copics, Glitter, Corner Punch (Fiskars), Border Punch (Martha Stewart), Ribbon (May Arts), Rhinestones (Zva Creative), Christmas Red Stickles, Candy Dots (Pebbles, Inc.)

Star of Wonder

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of shopping in a fabulous Scrapbook store in Missoula, Montana. It's called Memory Lane, and the owner is a gem!! One of the purchases I made (there were many....LOL) were some stencils (The Crafters Workshop). I thought one would work beautifully with the star from the Star of Wonder set by Verve. I ran it through my cuttlebug and added some glitter to the embossed parts in order to give the appearance of the star shining. The border was made with a Fiskars Circle punch. The rest is pretty self explanatory.

Hope your week is going well!
Happy Stamping my friends!!




Stamps: Star of Wonder
Paper: SEI, Island Mist Medium (Prismatics), Neenah Solar White
Ink: Smokey Gray (Versafine)
Accessories: Stencil (Peony - The Crafters Workshop), Circle Border Punch (Fiskars), Button and Ribbon (PTI), Rhinestones (Zva Creative), Border Punch (EK Success), Glitter, Silver cord, Dimensional Tape (Scotch)

Let Heaven and Nature Sing!!

Okay, I'm going to get right to this card because I'm so excited!! Isn't this Websters paper divine? (It's on back order right now, but I'll let ya know when Michelle gets it in her Stamper's Dream store again.) And if you're a regular blog follower of mine, you know I love using JustRite images also. So to combine these too was just too fun for me. Not only that......this card took me less than an hour to make. I know!! Isn't that super fabulous!?!?!?!? I just let the dp, tools and image do the talkin'!! *grin* Seriously, all I did was stamp the image onto watercolor paper, and watercolored it with my Tombows and an aqua pen. Quick as can be. The circles and Scallops were cut and embossed with my Circle Nestabilities and Cuttlebug, and the border is a new Martha Stewart punch. I added some rhinestones (Creative Imaginations), some ribbon (not sure who made this, it was in my stash), and sewed around the edges of the back panel. Okay...I did cut out some watercolored holly to add to the red circle bacground, and popped up the the birdhouse from the Christmas Treasures Borders and Centers set (JustRite), but that's it.

Have a wonderfully fantabulous week!!!
Happy Stamping my friends!!

Warm Holiday Wishes

Isn't this bird and flourish just charming? I love the whimsical clear set Pattern Play Holiday by Inkadinkado. It comes with so many charming images: a sweet tree, an adorable snowman, a fun flake and peppermint candy. So many possibilities. I chose to use this darling bird ornament and flourish with the Splitcoaststampers Sketch for this week. You can find the sketch HERE. Both were stamped with Black Onyx (Versafine) onto Neenah Solar White cs, and were colored with Spica Pens. The sentiment is from the set Holiday Expression (Inkadinkado). I've used this set quite a bit this year because of it's fabulous variety of sentiments. Michelle only has one left in her store too. Here's a close up of the bird so you can see the subtle sparkle of the Spica Pens. You can click on the photo to enlarge it. The rest is pretty self explanatory.

Hope your week is off to a great start!!
Happy Stamping!!

Stamps: Pattern Play Holiday (Inkadinkado), Holiday Expression
Paper: Blush Red Dark, Neenah Solar White
Ink: Black Onyx (Versafine), Bottle (Adirondack Dye), Vintage Photo and Aged Mahogany (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Spica Pens, Labels 4 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Border Punch (Fiskars), Ribbon (Offray), Rhinestones (Bazzill and Hero Arts), Snowflake Punches (Martha Stewart), Quickie Glue Pen, Ultrafine Transparent Glitter, Sewing Machine, Dimensional Tape (Scotch), Corner Punch (Marvy)

It's all about Verve today!!

Verve released 7 new fabulous sets this past Friday, and I mean fabulous!! Each one has gorgeous images, and wonderful sentiments with fantastic fonts. I used the Holly Jolly set for this card. I just stamped this beautiful ornament with Cranberry (Adirondack Dye Ink) onto Neenah Solar White cardstock and added some glitter to the flakes with my Quickie Glue Pen and some Ultrafine Transparent Glitter. I used the flower stem from the Believe set for the hanging implement. I also used Heidi Swapp dp, a Martha Stewart border punch and Offray Ribbon.

Now, since it's Monday, I also have a CCEE project for you. I know...I'm late. I was out of town since Thursday visiting my son in college and my dear friend Laurie (Just Give Me Stamps). I had a blast spending time with each of them. What treasured memories.

Anyway, onto the project. I mailed each CCEE member a small little lunchbox tin. Each member was to alter it, and fill it with anything they wanted to. It's just the perfect size to fit a gift card in. So that's what I did.

First, I ink distressed the tin with Timber Brown Stazon. I then stamped the images from Verve's set, Delightful & Delicious set, with Espresso (Adirondack Dye), and colored the cup with a copic. I used the steam image for the sides and added some Chocolate Pearls (Kaisercraft). The buttons are PTI.

I just layered some crinkled up paper with ink distressed drawer liner on top so the card would lay neatly at the top of the tin. After I began editing the photo, I realized I didn't ink distress the inside of the tin with the Stazon. Grrrrr....I'm late with this project already, so I just left it. I'll add the ink later. Sorry.

I got my color inspiration from the Starbucks gift card that I included inside.
We'd love to have you participate too. Just alter something and upload it to the CCEE Stampers blog. We'd love to see what you come up with.

ETA: I forgot to mention that our CCEE Stampers group will be taking the months of November and December off. Many are getting quite busy with Design Team commitments, as well as family obligations, so we're taking a break. Don't worry though, we'll be back stronger than ever the first of January. :o)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a FANTASTIC week!
Happy Stamping!!

Believe Blog Hop with Verve

Welcome to the Verve Believe Blog Hop. If you’ve just happened across my blog, you’ll want to start back at the beginning, Poetic Artistry, and hop your way along. Today we’re hopping for the Cure, sharing projects from a new set Verve just released called Believe. This set was designed in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness and Verve is donating $10 from the sale of every Believe set to the Susan G Komen For the Cure foundation. We believe that we can make a difference. We believe that each day should be celebrated, each moment cherished and that every little thing we can do in the fight to find a cure matters.

So, with great honor, I'm participating in Verve's Breast Cancer Awareness Blog Hop today. Here's the card I made with Verve's new set called Believe:


I LOVED the sweet, elegant ribbons Julee designed and thought I could make a charming pattern with them. So I stamped the ribbons onto white cardstock with SU!'s Positively Pink. I then added the small flowers with White Craft Ink and Detailed White ep. Finally, I colored some Kaisercraft Pearls with copics to match. The ribbons look a bit distortedin the close up, but I wanted you to be able to see the white on white embossing.

Thanks for hopping by! Next up on the hop is… Mercy. Oh, and we’ve got a special gift hidden along our hop for one lucky commenter, so if you see something you really love, give a little shout out and you just might win a $30 gift certificate to Verve!

Stamps: Believe
Paper: Neenah Solar White and Baby Pink Medium (Prismatics)
Ink: Positively Pink (SU!) Black Onyx (Versafine)
Accessories: Border Punch (Martha Stewart), Long Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), White Embossing Powder, Pearls - colored with copic (Kaisercraft), Dimensional Tape (Scotch)

Indian Corn

Last week our vet dropped off a tin bucket filled with goodies and a calf feeding milk bottle. I asked her what it was for. Well apparently, a neighbor had a sick calf on his beef cow ranch and needed a milk bottle to hand feed one of his calves. My husband sent over a bottle not giving it a second thought. Well, the neighbor was so appreciative of this minor act that he reciprocated with a gift. So, I made this card to thank he and his wife for their generosity. It's such a blessing to have neighborly neighbors.

Since they're farmers, and considering the time of year it is, I used this gorgeous Fall Corn image by Inkadinkado, framed it with the Labels 8 Nestabilities die (Spellbinders), and used Graphic 45 and Basicgrey decorative paper. I didn't have any more Chocolate colored Candy Dots (Pebbles, Inc.), so I colored my white ones with a very dark brown copic. It gave them a mottled look, which fit with the rustic feel of this card.

I LOVE the Thanks border punch (Martha Stewart). I thought it was kinda different and fun! Finally, I added some Natural Burlap String (May Arts), and a PTI Wooden button. Oh, I almost forgot, I ink distressed with Scattered Straw and Vintage Photo.

Hope your week is a good one.
I'm heading north to visit my son in college. I'll be gone for a few days, but have some posts scheduled during my absence. I also get to spend a day with my dear friend Laurie (Just Give Me Stamps)!! What a treat!!

Happy Stamping my friends!!

Come let us adore Him

Verve will be releasing 7 new sets at the Release Party this Friday. And each one is fabulous! I'm excited to share a sneak peek of the new Blessed Christmas set. I LOVE this cross! I embossed it in gold and colored it with Tombows. I used the Labels 4 (Spellbinders) die to cut the frame, and embossed it with a Sizzix embossing folder while the cardstock was still in the die. The next layer is was cut with a Labels 8 (Spellbinders) die, and the corners on the bottom layer were cut with a Marvy Corner punch. The sentiment was also embossed with gold ep and framed with the Fancy Tags die (Spellbinders.

Julee is also releasing a new set called believe, which she designed in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, and will be donating $10 from the sale of every Believe set to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. It's an absolutely beautiful set!!

That's about it. You'll want to head on over to the Verve blog to see how you can win one of the new Verve sets. And for even more chances to win, be sure to check out the Release Week challenges going on in the Verve Forum for your chance to win the entire release!


Thanks for stopping!
Happy stamping!




Stamps: Blessed Christmas
Paper: Neenah Natural and Solar White, Melissa Frances
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Labels 4 and 8 and Fancy Tags (Spellbinders), Sizzix Embossing Folder, Tombows, Flower Punches (Punch Bunch), Leaf Punch (Martha Stewart), Pearls (Kaisercraft), Corner Punch (Marvy)

A CCEE Feature and a Birthday

Monday seems to come faster and faster each week. But that's a good thing, because I LOVE Monday's. Seriously. It's always the day I organize things for the week, and I feel like it's the day I get the most accomplished.

Well, this week, I have two cards that I accomplished this weekend. The first is for the CCEE CNFS (Catchy Name Featured Stamper) that we feature once a month. This month I chose to feature a stamper that I greatly admire. Not only for her talent (which she has OODLES of), but for her kind and gentle spirit. Silke Ledlow, otherwise known as Sparklegirl on SCS.

So, for this challenge, I required everyone to use the following:
1. a girl
2. sparkle
3. square card (It is *shape up* month)
4. white space (Silke is well known for her clean style with a lot of white space)
5. Faux silk technique (Ummmmmmm....I actually forgot this one.) But, I made the challenge, so I can change the rules, right? *grin*

I tried to stay true to Silke's style. Talk about hard. I'm one that likes to fill every space up and you all know how I'm a distress addict. LOL For my girl image, I used this charming Whiff of Joy image called Dreamy Willow with Flowers, colored her with copics, and framed her with a Long Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

The border was punched with a Martha Stewart Border punch. I added my sparkle with Zva Creative mini Rhinestones, alternating flowers with gems. The sentiment is from a Verve set called Enjoy, and the cardstock I used was Blush Red Dark, Papaya Puree Medium, and Neenah Solar White.
Stamps: Whiff of Joy
Paper: Prismatics
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Long Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Copics, Border Punch (MS), Rhinestones (Zva Creative)

Now, for my next card:


It's my dear friend Cindy Motherway's birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cindy!!
So, to honor her special day, the CCEEers along with a couple of guest stampers, each made her a card. We were all challenged to use teapots (if we have them) because of the teapot challenge that she posts on her blog, and polka dots, cause Cindy is addicted to polka dots. Just check out her blog *This is my story*, and you'll get the idea.

For her card I used the set A Cup of Life and Wishing You (Verve). The teapot is paper pieced with Graphic 45's Christmas Past decorative paper. The embossed bg is Sizzix, the button, basicgrey, and the ribbon, Martha Stewart. I ink distressed the edges with Antique Linen (Ranger Distress Ink). I decorated the inside too.

Stamps: A Cup of Life and Wishing You (Verve)
Paper: Christmas Past (Graphic 45), Kraft, Neenah Solar White
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento), Antique Linen and Vintage Photo (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Long Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders) EK Success Border Punch, Sewing Machine, Piercing Tool, Ribbon (MS), Button (Basicgrey), Embossing Folder (Sizzix), Dimensional Tape (Scotch)

Thank you so much for stopping by! Be sure to check out the fabulous creations that the other CCEEers came up with at our CCEE Stampers Blog.

Happy Stamping!!