A Mojo sketch and California Snow

I love sketch challenges to help get the mojo flowing. I already had this darling Henry Mouse Whiff of Joy image, colored and cut out with a Spellbinder's Octagon Nestabilites die, but didn't know where to go with it layout wise until I saw Monday's MOJO sketch today. It just clicked...add a couple of Spellbinders snowflakes from their Create a Flake sets and it works!! I then added an icicle border to the bottom with a Martha Stewart Border Punch, a sentiment from one of Waltzingmouse's Gingerbread sets called Half Baked Gingerbread Joy, and there ya have it.

I also added some liquid applique to the marshmallows, some glitter with my Quickie Glue Pen and Ultrafine Transparent Glitter, and a PTI ribbon bow. The image was watercolored with my Tombows. Michelle is out of this particulare Henry Mouse image, but she has 4 other darling images to choose from.

That's it for my card, but I'd like to share a photo with you of our "California Snow". This is as close to snow as we usually get. It's actually snowed twice here in the 20+ years that I've lived here, but this type of "snow" (giggle) is not uncommon in the winter months......This is as close to a "White Christmas" as I'll get this year more than likely.

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!!

CCEE Birds and Bees and Hot Air Ballooning photos

Wow, it's been so long since I've written a blog post, I'm hoping I remember how. I just got home after 8 days of camping, and I got to go hot air ballooning over Lake Tahoe. I'll share some photos with you in a bit.

It's a new month, and that means a new challenge host for our CCEE (Cheers and Challenges Eager Eight- a group of eight friends that have been challenging each other for over 2 years) group. This month Cindy Motherway is our challenge hostess. I admit a bit of trepidation when she's in charge, cause she likes to be very creative. And sometimes we really have to step out of our boxes. But this month she's been pretty easy on us, and at the same time, pretty creative too. This week we had to make a card with Birds and Bees on it. No problemo...I have many direction choices I could have taken with that one.

I chose this sweet Whiff of Joy image called Willow with Strawberry Basket. I thought it would be charming to add the Whiff of Joy Fall Grass image, and a little bird from the Hero Arts Sparkle Clear: Hello Birdie set. The images were colored with copics.

I added some Kaisercraft Curls Wood flourishes to the bg, some gorgeous Ivory Silk Ribbon (May Arts), and a sweet little bee charm to complete my requirement. I'm sorry, but I don't remember where I got the bee from. Finally, I added a touch of Ultrafine Transparent Glitter with my trusty Quickie Glue Pen. The yummy decorative paper is Vagabond by Kaisercraft.

Too complete the card, I sewed around the edges and Ink distressed them with Frayed Burlap (Ranger Distress Ink).

We'd love it if you'd play along!! All you have to do is head on over to the CCEE Stamper's Blog for the details, and of course to see what the other gals have come up with this week.

Stamps: Willow and Strawberry Basket and Fall Grass (Whiff of Joy), Hello Birdie (Hero Arts)
Paper: Island Mist Dark (Prismatics), Neenah Solar and Natural White, Vagabond dp (Kaisercraft)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Frayed Burlap (Ranger Distress)
Accessories: Copics, Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Glitter (JudiKins), Quickie Glue Pen, Wood Flourishes (Kaisercraft), Ivory Silk Ribbon (May Arts), Bee Charm, Dimensional Tape, Sewing Machine

Now for the hot air balloon photos. They are all unedited. The colors are exactly as we saw them. It just depended on the sun's location. You can click on the photos for a better view.

First of all, the sunrise as we were leaving the dock:

The four brave souls: My daughter, me, nephew and son

Looking up underneath the balloon right before it landed on the boat to pick us up. (we were the second group to go. The basket holds 12 passengers)

One of the gorgeous views we had of Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake from the balloon:

The balloon's reflection in the water as they were airing it up: (the white specs in the photo are shells on the lake floor. The water is that clear.)

The boat where they air up the balloon, launch it, and deflate it from:

Looking straight up inside the balloon as they air it up:

I have many, many photos of our ballooning experience (airing it up, taking it down, and gorgeous scenery), but I won't bore you with all of them. These were some of my favorites. If you ever have the opportunity to hot air balloon over Lake Tahoe, CA, I highly recommend it. This was my second flight (I went up 7 years ago with my son), and I'd do it again in a second.

Happy Stamping my friends!!!

Smile...tomorrow's a new day!

These colors are not my usual style. Pretty bright and busy isn't it?

But I'm happy with the outcome for three main reasons:
1. I love this darling image - Willow Umbrella Girl (Whiff of Joy)
2. I love the papers - Bloom and Grow *Bloom* (My Mind's Eye)
3. I love the Easy Brad Maker Kit (Chatterbox)

I colored this sweet little girl with copics and popped up the umbrella and her arm with dimensional tape. I then sewed around all the edges of my panels after ink distressing them with either Stream or Lettuce (Adirondack Dye Ink), or Dried Marigold (Ranger Distress Ink). The corner piece is a Cuttlebug corner die, and I added a few dew drops too. The ribbon is Making Memories and American Craft.

I made the inside sentiment with the Harmony Rectangular Stamper Set, along with the Trompe Script and Brayton Fonts:
Okay...while at CHA with Michelle Rodgers (Owner of Stamper's Dream), back in January, one of our favorite finds was Chatterbox's Easy Brad Maker Kit. Not only does it come with the brads and epoxy circles, but it comes with each size circle punch needed for the 3 different brad sizes. Now, before you ask, these punches are not regular sizes. You can't find them anywhere else. But I thought they'd come in handy for those *in between* sizes that I never seem to have...ya know?

Anyway...let me show you how I made my *smile* brad.

Remember: At any time, you can click on the photo for a larger view, or click on the bold underlined words to take you directly to the product in Michelle's store: Stamper's Dream.

First, I designed my sentiment using my Harmony Rectangle Stamper Set , the Trompe Script Font and the C-45 small letters (JustRite), and stamped it with Tuxedo Black (memento) onto Sunflower Light (Prismatic).
I then punched out the sentiment with the middle sized punch, and ink distressed it with Dried Marigold (Ranger Distress Ink).


Then you lift the same size circle adhesive protector, lay the circle on top, rub gently and lift again. Your circle now has the perfectly sized adhesive circle on the back.

Just lay it in the brad center. Perfect fit.

Finally, lay the middle size epoxy circle on top. That's it. There are so many possibilities.

Here's a close-up of the dimension and the finished brad.
Supplies:
Stamps - Willow Umbrella Girl (Whiff of Joy), Harmony Rectangular Stamper Set, Trompe Script and Brayton Fonts (JustRite)
Paper - Bloom and Grow *Bloom* (My Mind's Eye), Intense Teal, Intense Kiwi, White (Prismatic), Neenah Solar White
Ink - Tuxedo Black (Memento), Stream, Lettuce (Adirondack Dye Ink), Dried Marigold (Ranger Distress Ink)
Accessories - Copics, Nestabilties Rectangle (Spellbinders), Corner die (Cuttlebug), Scallop border punch (Martha Stewart), Brad (Chatterbox), Ribbon (Making Memories, American Craft), dew drops, sewing machine, dimensional tape

Thank you so much for visiting. I hope your week is off to a great start and only gets better!!
Happy stamping!
Tosh

Monochromatic Swan

It's time, once again, for our monthly Stamper's Dream Dreamy Challenge. This week we were challenged to make a monochromatic card with a light, medium and dark color of the same family. I chose Desert Coral with Iced Orange (Prismatics). Prismatics are fantastic for monochromatic cards, and others too, because they come in a package with 3 shades of a particular color family.

We'd love to have you participate in this challenge also. All you have to do is make a monochromatic card and post it to the comments section of Michelle's blog: Stamper's Dream. If you post it to SCS, please use the key words: SDDC5. Michelle has some fun blog candy for a randomly selected winner too. You can click on the image for a larger view.

To see what the other girls have come up with, click on the names listed here: Michelle, Charmaine, Cindy, Denise, Kim, and Laurie

Now, to make this card...I first stamped the swan image from the Patterned Birds and Bugs set (Inkadinkado) with Black Onyx (Versafine), and embossed it with Detailed Clear ep. I then colored it with an aqua pen and Salmon and Denim Adirondack Dye Ink Reinkers.

The sentiment, from the Elisabeth Bell set, was stamped onto the Medium Desert Coral with the Black Onyx (Versafine) and was punched out with a tag from the Tag Trio die(Spellbinders).

The flowers and leaves were punched with a variety of punches: Martha Stewart, CarlaCraft, and Punch Bunch. The corners were punched with a corner punch by Marvy, the lacy bottom with a Martha Stewart Border Punch, and the bg was embossed with the Perfectly Paisly embossing folder by Cuttlebug.

All the edges were sponged with Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), the Pearls are by Kaisercraft, and the tiny little brad in the largest flower is an Epoxy Brad by Basicgrey.

That's about it! Hope you can play along. Head on over to Michelle's blog: Stamper's Dream. We'd love to see where your creativity takes you!


Supplies:
Stamps - Patterned Birds and Bugs (Inkadinkado), Elisabeth Bell (Whiff of Joy)
Paper - Desert Coral and Iced Orange (Prismatics), Neenah Natural White
Ink - Black Onyx (Versafine), Salmon and Denim (Adirondack Dye Ink)
Accessories - Labels I (Nestabilities - Spellbinders), Punches (Martha Stewart, CarlaCraft Punch Bunch, Marvy), Tag Trio (Spellbinders), Perfectly Paisley Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Pearls (Kaisercraft), Dimensional Tape, organdy ribbon, glitter, Quickie Glue Pen