Stampin 411 Challenge

I just heard about a new blog - Stampin 411 - that was started that will have weekly sketch challenges. I love sketch challenges so I thought I would participate in this one. This card has taken me a couple of days to finish. I started it Saturday morning; then took a break when my hubby took me out to breakfast. When I got home, I worked on it a little more until I had to go to Mooresville to take a class at Stamper's Alley. When I returned home, I had a little more time to work on it; then we went over to friends for a cook-out. Fast forward to Sunday am. .... I was able to finish it before we went out on the lake in our boat. Now, I'm back home from the lake and able to post it!! Whew!!!

I really like the way this card turned out. The card base is Baja Blue (sure gonna miss this color!) with DSP from Parisian Breeze. The stamp set is Organic Grace which is a retired hostess set that I never even inked before. A lot of cutting went into this card - the flowers, the fern and the little wildflowers! I sponged Baja Blue on the white square and backed it with Kraft.

Card Shares

Just a few cards to share with you today.  These are a few of the ones we made last weekend at Quarterly.

Lisa Tedder taught us this one.  It is brayered onto glossy card stock.  It was amazing how different they all turned out.

That is a piece of brown grosgrain ribbon for the butterfly middle.  We pierced a hole at the top and bottom and threaded the ribbon through.  Cool, huh?

 

This is the card opened up.  The frames makes a little box so the card doesn't fold totally flat.

This is a hinge card.  They were all the rage a while back.  The top of the card hinges open where the brad is and the square the butterfly is on is only adhered to the blue part of the card.

 

I made this card last night for my nephew's birthday.  He'll be 32 today.  Wow!  Hard to believe he's that old ... same age as my son almost.  Jeff will be 32 in November.  How time flies!

Big Boy Panties

I found this pattern on Splitcoast earlier this week and just had to try it!  My niece, Melinda, is trying to potty train Zach (although he is not interested at all!) so I thought I'd send him this card.  I used the Life's A Breeze stamp set.

Here it is opened:

Busy, Busy, Busy

I've been busy since I got back .... getting unpacked; doing laundry; and getting ready for NC Stampin' Up Demo's Quarterly meeting this weekend in Kernersville.  My sister, Marianne, is supposed to go with me but she called me about 3 this afternoon and she's SICK!!  How could she get sick at a time like this????  We're crossing our fingers that she'll feel better tomorrow and be able to "road trip" with me.  She's been working hard on her swaps and has paid her $$$ so I know she doesn't want to miss it.

Also tomorrow, I am going to the retirement home in Mooresville to do a card project with the group.  My friend, Judy, is going too and has made a card and a bookmark for them to make.  I did a card today using the Big Shot that they will just have to put together.  Here's my samples:

 

I'm taking a few items to the Quarterly for "show and tell."  Here is a Milk Carton that I made using the Parisian DSP.  I just love how it turned out.  That paper is the best and is on sale through Sunday.

Happy Birthday Harley Friend

This is a birthday card I made for a good Texas friend who loves his Harley!

3 D Card Swap for Quarterly

Well, I wasn't going to enter this swap (as I told you, Judy).  But, Friday, during a weak moment, I did it!!  And I made 18 of them (using different papers) on Friday!

The card opens up and can be used just as a card or you could put a Gift Certificate inside.  I have a small magnet under the top note and between the designer paper and the cardstock on the "card part" to hold it closed.

More Quarterly Swaps

This card is bright!!  I used the "poppin' pastels" technique.  Stamp the image with Versamark and use a dauber to apply chalk.

Quarterly Swaps - Thoughts and Prayers

Quarterly Swaps

I am flying to Texas tomorrow for 10 days so I will be posting some of the swaps I have been working on for the quarterly meeting.  I will be attending the NC Stampin' Up Quarterly the weekend after I return from Texas.

This one uses the de-embossing technique.  Run the cardstock through the Big Shot Embossing folder and run the ink on the reverse side of the paper.  I used Chunky Glitter on the butterflies.

Happy Mothers Day

To all the mothers out there, I'm sending a big way to go and a reminder too to take a few deep breaths along the way.  However you choose to commemorate this day, with family or on your own, with big fete or quiet respite, at home or out on the town, I hope you have a glorious day and that you connect with yourself and your family and enjoy your celebration.

In this month’s Real Simple magazine, Judith Newman  lists  10 things she suggests we all ask our mothers this Sunday.  On her list: 

1. What’s the one thing you would have done differently as a mom?
2. Why did you choose to be with my father?
3. In what ways do you think I’m like you?
4. Which one of us kids did you like the best?
5. Is there anything you have always wanted to tell me but never have?
6. Do you think it’s easier or harder to be a mother now than when you were raising our family?
7. Is there anything you regret not having asked your parents?
8. What’s the best thing I can do for you right now?
9. Is there anything that you wish had been different between us — or that you would still like to change?
10. When did you realize you were no longer a child?

I don't agree with all the questions up there - especially Number 4 - but they are thought provoking.  And you ought to ask some of them before it's too late and your mother is not around for you to ask.   What would you want to ask your mother?   What would you want your children to ask you?   What do you think the answers might be?

My family will be coming over on Sunday and we will celebrate the mothers among us (my mom, my sister and myself) with a cook out.  I just wish my own children could be with us too.  But, I will be meeting Ashley in Texas next weekend.  She has already sent my Mother's Day present which I will open tomorrow.  I am holding out hope that I will get a call from my son.  I didn't receive a card so I doubt that I will receive a call, but I can still hope, can't I?  My wish for this Mother's Day is that by next Mother's Day, our relationship will be better. 

Here are a few cards I am sending to friends and family this Mother's Day.

I'm published!

I picked up the recent copy of Stampers Sampler Catch Up issue a few days ago.  I just had time to look through it tonight and wow was I surprised!   I found one of my cards in the book!!  If you have the issue, check on page 85 at the top of the page and you'll see my card and my name!!  Isn't that nice?  This is the third time I have had a card in their magazine and it is still such a thrill! 

Here's a copy of the card from the magazine.  I took pictures of the cards when I sent them away but that was at least six months ago and I think I have deleted them from my computer so I had to scan the magazine!  I sent in about 10 cards.

There's not a lot of stamping involved on this card - just the words, love and cherish.  I used some patterned paper that my friend, Judy, had given me.  I  cut the circle out with my Nesties and paper-pricked around the edges of the heart.  The white "X" stitching marks are made with some white twine.  It's hard to tell, but the base card is Elegant Eggplant.  This was a Sketch Challenge several months ago. 

I'm just sent in about 20 card to Take Ten last week.  So, maybe I'll have more good publishing news in a few months!

Jump on the watercolor bandwagon!

Well, I have seen these roses on everyone's blog lately as well as on Splitcoast and several Yahoo groups.  So .... I am not one to not follow trends so I had to try them today.  Be warned .... they are addicting!!

Here are my watercolor roses:

And here is a card I made with a yellow rose.  I used Taste of Textiles paper (the white and the bronze).  

Aren't they gorgeous?

House Mouse Balloon!

I used another one of my new stamps today - the House Mouse one.  It's sooo cute!

I stamped this one on Whisper White paper and colored it with my Prismacolor Markers using the Gamsol method to shade.  The confetti was colored with SU's Metallic Pencils (I think they are retired).  I punched a hole in the balloon and tied a string around it.

This one was stamped with Staz-On onto watercolor paper.  I colored it with my Watercolor Crayons.  Then, I used Shimmerz and Radiant Pearls to color the confetti.  I used a punch for the two corners and I embossed lines all around the pink paper using my Scor Pal (hard to see in the picture).  I also stamped the mouse separately and cut him out and raised him up with dimensional tape.

Sonny and I went to the movies today.  It was a cloudy day all day with rain threatening so we couldn't take the boat out.  We saw Obsessed (with Beyonce).  It was really good!  I would recommend it.  It's one of those movies that the crowd is cheering on the heroes out loud.   You really get involved in the story.

Speaking of rain, did you see on the news the story about the Cowboys practice field getting destroyed yesterday in the storms that went through the Dallas area.  (click HERE  for a video)  Well, we used to live just a few miles from that area.  I did my grocery shopping at the Tom Thumb grocers right across the street (plus, my daughter worked there in high school).  Scary - I haven't talked to any of my friends yet to see if they had any damage.

Stamp Finds

Fun weekend I have had!   Yesterday Marianne came over to work on some projects we needed to do for an upcoming visit to a Stampin' Up Quarterly meeting in a few weeks.  This is the first time we have been able to bring (only) one guest to the quarterly.  We are going to do a 3D Sizzix Swap as well as a convention-style swap.  Marianne is making a cute Big Note Purse and I am making Big Note Boxes.  I'll share later. 

My Texas friend, Margaret, also joined us on Friday.  She and her hubbie are here babysitting their grandson (in Charlotte).  So, she came upstairs to visit and stamp with Marianne and I and we let the guys babysit Noah!!  He's almost 5 so it wasn't so bad for them.  You know what they did with him though?  They put him in the car and drove to Hickory to Home Depot!!  What a man thing!  It worked out for them though cause he slept the whole way there and back! 

Today I met Marianne at Stamper's Alley at 10:00 for the big SALE!!  We had to wait in line for the starting time and then it was "off to the races!"  This is the first time I've been able to attend the sale since I've lived here and it was all I've heard it was!  There were tables lined up on the patio that stretched about 12-18 feet and they were full of stamps - about 5 deep!  I did pretty good though and only spent $18!!  I bought 3 Stampin' Up stamps that are retired (All In A Row; Party Hearty; and Mixed Bouquet), one "saying" stamp (Know, that today a friend is thinking about you); a cute House Mouse (Balloon Ride); and a blank Mirror Image stamp.

So, here are a the cards I made tonight with two of the stamps.

This one uses the Mirror Image stamp.  You stamp the main stamp (Summer by the Sea) onto the Mirror Image stamp.  Then you stamp the Mirror Image on the bottom and the main stamp on top.  I embossed the main stamp.  This was colored with my Copics.

 

This is the Mixed Bouquet stamp set.  I got the whole set for $4!!  It sold for $28.95 when it was in the SU catalog!  I stamped the flowers onto Summer Sun and Tangerine Tango cardstock and embossed it.  You can't tell it, but I added some Shimmerz to the flowers also.  It's really pretty and sparkly IRL.  "Sweet" is stamped on a Cuttlebug tag.

Whoooo's Special?

I made this card tonight for a special little girl.  Have you heard of Wright Flight?  It’s a program that was offered at my granddaughter's school this year (in Tucson) and she was fortunate to be one of the limited number of students to be accepted into the program.  She attended the after-school program twice a month all year and was rewarded on Saturday with Fly Day.  She got to be co-pilot of a small airplane for a forty minute flight around town.  Isn't that pretty cool? 

Final Swap Cards

I went to a Pampered Chef party today - my first would you believe!  I was pretty good and only ordered about $10 worth of product!  Believe me, there was more I wanted but since I haven't cooked a meal in a week and a half, I couldn't justify paying $70 for a stoneware casserole dish!  Explain that one to hubby!  So, my plan is to have my own party this summer and earn me some free stuff! 

The weather was yucky today, but yesterday was just beautiful.  Who knows.  Spring is just playing tricks on us, I think.

So, here are the last of the swap cards for you.  Hope you have enjoyed them and are getting some ideas of your own for cards.  Don't forget to CLICK on the cards to see all the details!

This cute baby card is by Jenn Diercks.  She used Wagon Full of Fun, Sweet Little Sentiments and Goody Goody Gumdrops stamps.  She did a great job coloring the duck (used her aquapainter).  The DSP is from Good Morning Sunshine.

This card was done by Mary Rindal using Sense of Time.  I love how she threaded the wide Twill Tape ribbon through the Jumbo Eyelet!  And she used a small piece of Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon to tie around the twill tape.   It's hard to tell, but the tag is Sahara Sand Textured cardstock and is just gorgeous!  I just love how she crimped just a portion of the Not Quite Navy cardstock.  I think this is one of my favorites!

More Occasion Mini Swap Cards

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful spring weather!  We went out on the lake today on a friend's boat.  We haven't put our boat in the water yet this season, but I have a feeling it'll be going in soon!

I've got a few more cards to share with you from Jami's swap.

The Kraft one is by Stacy White.  She used Parisian Breeze DSP with the stamp set Very Versatile.  The ribbon is Kraft Taffeta ribbon and is so pretty with the Baja Blue.

The Saffron card is by Yvette Patko and uses Soft Summer stamp.  The DSP is Walk in the Park.  Don't you love the Corduroy button?

This card is by Crystal Spencer.  She always does really great cards!  You should see how many layers she used - I counted 6 layers on the left!  The stamp set is A Rose is a Rose from the big catty and the Oval All stamp from the mini.  She stamped the rose on the White Shimmer paper and it is so pretty.

This is another card by Yvette Patko using Just Beachy stamp.  Isn't it cute?  She also used Walk in the Park DSP and the Scallop Square Punch. 

More Swap Cards

I've got a few more swap cards to share with you today. 

Both of these cards uses Great Friends stamp set - a really nice stamp!  The green card is by Rachel Sztonyk.  She used Walk In the Park DSP and glittered the Eggplant butterfly.

The blue card is by Stacy White and also uses Walk In the Park DSP.  Don't you love these colors?

The Fathers Day card is by Leann Yoho and uses And Many Mower stamp with To The Nines DSP.  The man is water-colored and she used the Big Shot Circles along with the Circle Scissor Plus.

The Owl Card is by Trish DeFoggi and uses Forest Friends and Pocket Silhouettes..  She used Walk In the Park DSP.  She punches 1" pink circles to get the scallops.

Both of these cards are 4 1/4" square.

I went to the Great Impressions Stamp of the Month class last night at Stamper's Alley.  It was the first time I had seen my friend (and the teacher), Robin since her surgery.  She was looking good!  A great big shout-out to Robin!!  (Have a good weekend, Robin!)

Card Swap Share

I received my cards back last week right before I left town from Jami's New Occasions Mini Swap.  I participated in two of the swaps and, as usual, got some great cards back.  Here are two of them:

This one is by Trish DeFoggi.  She used Forest Friends, such a sweet set.  She crimped the piece of Old Olive on the bottom (how long has it been since you used your crimper?  Don't know if I can even find mine!)

Isn't this bunny just adorable?  This card is by Tandra Boyer.  She used An Egg-cellent Easter with Tea Party DSP.  I've got to order that paper - it's so spring-like!  She used the Big Shot Scallop Oval Die and glittered the bunny with Dazzling Diamonds.

Happy Easter

Hope the Easter bunny found your house!

These are a couple of Easter cards that I sent out.

This one is from a retired SU set and one I actually got in a swap a few years ago.

This one I made.  I just love this paper and find myself hoarding it!  The blue check and the flower are from Parisian Breeze DSP and it is cardstock weight.   I matched it with a piece of Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand and Whisper White.