Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Flock O'Chicks

I had started a little design for something . . . and then set it aside as I moved on to something else . . . and then something told me to finish it up.

And so I did create some chicks . . . 


I only inked the parts on the stamp that I wanted to ink (left one chick off and separated the sentiment).  And . . . I used my Tim Holtz markers which are quite awesome.  


Now go glue some stuff yourself! 

Supplies:  Bazzill Cardstock, Imaginisce Pattern Paper, Denami Stamps, American Crafts brads and ribbon, Stampin' Up Ink, Tim Holtz markers, Stickles

Monday, May 28, 2012

Made Me a Fence

At some point along the line, I had been given a basket of goodies from a friend, and the Fiskars picket fence border punch was in there.  I had been wanting to play around with it and decided today was the day.  A shout out to Kelly Jo Massicotte who was at New England Scrapbook one day demonstrating some super cool stuff you could do with punches.  She had the ticket border punch and showed me that you can punch a border and then flip and line up said border to punch "the other side" . . . and that is how I was able to get this adorable little garden border fence using the picket fence punch.  CUTE!   


The flowers are Denami Design stamps that were colored in using my Tim Holtz markers.  I was crazy to cut them . . . CRAZY!  But I do crazy crafting well. 
 

Loving that fence!

And I am usually not a fan of blank space . . . such as in the sky above my flowers.  But I challenged myself to leave it alone (so hard).  

Cheers!

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Supplies . . . Bazzill Cardstock, Imaginisce Pattern Paper, Fiskars Picket Fence Punch, Stampin' Up Tag Punch and ink for stamping, Denami Designs Stamps - flowers and "Hi!", American Crafts Brads, Tim Holtz Markers

Friday, May 25, 2012

Jar O'Joy

A little photo inspiration from Jay Gee's Nook . . .


I see color.

I see a jar with twine.

I see buttons.

I see . . .


I fell in love with my jar, which I stamped with black Stazon onto a fairly thick sheet of acetate from my LSS, New England Scrapbook Co. in Canton, CT.  It even has a shadow.  After cutting it out, I then stamped the "label" onto white and and affixed it.  I used pop dots behind the jar and label to attach my jar to the paper, and adhered the buttons between the acetate and the paper. 


I definitely want to think about some different ways to fill all the jars I will be making!

Keep on crafting! 

Supplies . . . Bazzill Cardstock, Imaginisce Pattern Paper, Acetate Sheet, Stazon and Stampin' Up Ink, Unity Kit of the Month, American Crafts Ribbon and Brad (in flower), The Twinery Twine, Tag Punch from Stampin' Up, Buttons and flower from my scrap stash. 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Pretty Pastels Blog Hop - Denami Designs




Hello Hoppers!  I am so excited to be a part of Denami Designs Blog Hop, as I love their stamps, ribbon, etc. 

You should have arrived here from Pat Quinet's blog.  I really enjoyed exploring Pat's blog as I was setting up the links in my post.  She does some beautiful stamping work!  

If you are looking to start at the beginning of the hop, you can click here to get to the Denami Designs Blog where the fun and creativity begins.  It is also a link you can click if you get lost along the way as they have the entire list of links).  

Details on the hop . . . 

When: The blog hop starts on May 20th at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until May 21st, 2012, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).

Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!

Prizes: We are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! We'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant (DT members not eligible) and then we'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

Pastels!  For my project today, I knew I was going to use two of my favorite denami stamps . . .
I had a 6 x 6 paper pack of Vintage Marketplace paper from Bazzill that is loaded with some awesome pastels.  I found a nice blue print for the sky and some pink ledger for the greeting.  I went to work making parachutes for my little chick using a pastel stripe.  

Now, I am a huge fan of stamping and paper piecing!  I sometimes let it get out of control.  So I came up with two designs.  One of the designs is less crazy and flat.  I stamped the design onto the blue pattern paper and then paper pieced my parachute and chick.  

 

My second design is a little more "out of control."  It is one of those where part way into the project you say, "What were you thinking?"  Note that his comment came when I was trying to get my little pieces of twine all lined up at the points of my parachute.  Yes, I replaced the stamped strings with some pastel twine.  Because it is popped, I lost the feet and had to make a decision whether to draw them in, or leave them.  I drew them in.



And on the inside of each card, and little something to tie it all together, but that still gives plenty of room for a handwritten note . . . 



When you leave your comment, let me know which one you prefer.  My vote goes to the flat version. 

Your next stop on the hop is the very creative Tenia Nelson.   I am sure she has something fabulous to inspire you!  
Don't forget to leave your comments to be eligible for the prizes, and I welcome you to become a follower of my blog as well.  Hope you were inspired to put your DeNami Design stamps into action!

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Freshly Made Sketches #35 - This Too!

Twenty minutes to create . . . seemed like an eternity to dry. I have never used a white pen to color anything in before.  I use them typically when I journal or when accenting something in white.  What an interesting thought to color in the picket fence with a white pen.  Check out the nice painted look it leaves on my fence posts.  

 

Yes, a Freshly Made Sketch (#35 to be exact) . . . and I made this . . . 




. . . out of this . . . 
 
 
. . . using scraps of Bazzill Cardstock, Imaginise Pattern Paper, Black Ink from Clear and Simple, Stamps from Unity KOTM, and my retired markers from Stampin' Up . . . and a glorious white pen!  





And I like to add a little splash of color on the inside . . . just to tie it together.  

 



 

A Little Something for Mojo Monday

O.K. - if you want to skip my rant in purple, please jump down to the Mojo Monday sketch.   And if you think you saw this post earlier without the rant, you would be right. 

An interesting thought about blogging for the person with A.D.D.  I've never been diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure I'm borderline A.D.D.  And anyone who watches me on a computer will agree.  I will open window, upon window, upon window . . . and I'll be multi-tasking  trying to do a dozen or so things at the same time.  

Is a dozen an exaggeration?  No.  No joke that at my Monday to Friday gig I will find windows open on things I started hours earlier and didn't complete.  And, make no mistake (I'm about to compliment myself, which I rarely ever do) that I am super conscientious at my job.  So when I'm making some changes on something at work, and I realize that a list I'm using might need to be more accurate, I leave my original document to look at the list, and then go to a system to find better information to fix the list.  And I notice that something is a little off in the system, so I go somewhere else to try to fix that, and then from there I see that we could do a better job with something else . . . and oh, yes, I did say I was going to fix that other thing for Joe Smith, so while I'm thinking about it let's open up that other document and make a pivot of the data and, what's that?  Co-worker, you need some help?  Yes, let me help you.  I will open up that spreadsheet for you and get the information you need, oh my this needs some work too.  And it goes on, and on and on.  

So . . . too many windows in blogging means that you will post your message.  But if you had another window open where you were creating a new post, you would say . . . oh this is old.  Let me delete this two sentences because I later created a whole page with everything and posted it.  And when you do that, you will lose the post!  You will lose the post!  And now anyone logging on to see your Mojo Monday sketch, including the Mojo Monday design folks . . . they will see your rant! 

So I'm done with my rant and can now re-post my photos for Mojo Monday!  Loved the sketch (I always love their sketches) . . .


Here is my design with a little bicycle built for two. 


I used some old scraps of what I think were Imaginisce paper and included cardstock from Bazzill, two stamps from Unity Kits of the Month (stamps on the outside were from one set, and the inside stamp is from another) . . . 


Have you ever ridden on a bicycle built for two?  It's super fun.  I had a friend growing up who had one.  I used to love it when we would take it out for a spin.  

c

Craft on people . . .

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Into My Heart

I came home from work today, and as I entered my bedroom my precious pup, Samantha, was there to greet me.  I noticed a tremendously deep indentation in my pillows, and I went over and pressed my hand on it.  It was warm.  It occurred to me that while I was away, she went to the spot where she could be closest to me while I was away.

She didn't go to my husband's side of the bed.

She didn't go to the end, side, or middle of the bed.

She went to the spot that was mine.

Samantha . . . "You have carved your way into my heart."

A card inspired by "my baby girl."




Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzill; Pattern Paper - Crate Paper and Three Bugs in a Rug; Ribbon - Creative Impressions - Die Cut - Quickutz; Ink: Stampin Up; Stamps - Unity - Pearls - Kaiser

Monday, April 30, 2012

Salt on the Rim - Skipping Stones Designs

I love stripes and dots, and I had this fun Imaginisce paper that I picked up from my LSS.  When I saw the sketch from Skipping Stones Design, I thought it would be perfect for a fun "party" card.

The sketch was unique in that it was very long.  I decided to go with a taller card . . . you know like those Hallmark ones that you find in the stores.  Mine is around 4 x 9" folded, and there are envelopes that come a bit larger than this so it all will work.   


Here is my design . . . perfect for an adult celebration . . .


And check out that "salt" on the rim!  


Mmmm . . . I need me some lime! 


Supplies:

Bazzill Cardstock
Imaginisce Pattern Paper
Stazon Black
Copic Markers
American Crafts Black Brads
Diamond Stickles
Ric Rac from my stash

Great Minds!

Whenever I do a sketch challenge or a challenge inspired by a photo, I try to just look at the sketch or the photo so that I'm not swayed in any direction by the work of designers.  I like to look after, or as I'm posting my work so that I can see how different my interpretation of the inspiration, whether it be a sketch or a photo or an idea.  I am always jealous of everyone's great work, and rarely do I see that my work is close to someone else.  But I was quite close on this one. 

The KOTM Sketch from Unity was the sketch below . . .



And my design . . .



 And one of their design team members, Jimmi, created this . . .



Great minds think alike! 


Supplies: 

Cardstock - Bazzill;
Pattern Paper - Scraps from my Stash!
Scallop Circle - Stampin' Up;
Stamps - Unity March KOTM;
Ink - Stazon
Twine - The Twinery
Buttons - Clear and Simple Stamps

Sunday, April 29, 2012

A Little Mojo Leads the Way

With a challenge as my road map, I created the card below for a friend who recently lost a pet.  I used some scraps left from the Glitz Laced With Grace line (from last year, but I still love it).

The sketch is from Mojo Monday . . . 





And my design . . .

The little paws with the angel wings was a stamp I picked up somewhere, and I embossed it onto the Glitz pattern paper in each of the dark green squares.  You can see it a little better in this picture . . .


And on the inside . . .


Sad occasion for a card.  Those darn pets leave us way too soon, but the amount of love they give is insurmountable!

Supplies:  Cardstock - Bazzill; Pattern Paper - Glitz; Ink - Stazon Black and Clear and Simple Embossing Ink; Sticker - Glitz; Brad - Bo Bunny; Die Cut - My Creative Time Tag; Stamps - My Creative Time Tiny Tags, RubberHedgehog (paw w/wings), My Favorite Things Clearly Sentimental About Pets.


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Paper Smooches

My remedy for a stressful day is to find a card challenge and create. I love creating cards because they are like little scrapbook layouts. And I love a challenge because it provides direction for me, much like following a map.

Today I turned to the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge . . .


There inspiration pictures was an interesting stretch for me . . .


One would think you would need a design with many words in blue and orange hues. Not me. I saw one orange word amongst the blue and remembered I had some paper with rows of butterflies in blue and orange. Why not single out one orange butterfly in the row of blue ones!


And a little color on the inside . . .


Supplies: Cardstock - Bazzill; Pattern Paper - KaiserCraft (butterfly and blue) and Little Yellow Bicycle (orange stripe); Stamps - Paper Smooches Healthy Vibes; Inks - Stazon Black

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Shut the Front Door!

One of my favorite Unity Stamps and perfect for their monthly challenge which was to create a card using a flap, window or door. I created a few of these in different designs, but this one was my favorite.


And inside the door . . .


I punched holes for ribbon, so the ribbon can be seen on the inside as well. It adds a nice touch.




Supplies: Cardstock - Bazzill; Pattern Paper - Doodlebug; Stamps - Unity Shut the Front Door, My Creative Time Turn that Frown Upside Down; Inks - Stazon Black; Embellishments - Doodlebug - Ribbon - May Arts

Friday, March 30, 2012

Unity KOTM Sketch Challenge

My March Kit of the Month arrived from Unity, and I just loved the graduation caps. Remembering their monthly sketch, I knew I had to use those little caps.

The sketch . . .




I went all black and white for this one, but I included lots of glitter, jewels and embossing.



And yes . . . I used twine! My ribbon stash continues to rebel.

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Supplies

Bazzill Cardstock/Unity March KOTM/Versamark/Queen & Company Jewels/The Twinery Twine/Zing Embossing Powder

Spring Silhouette

I spent the last few weeks coming back to this inspiration photo for the Jay Gee Nook Challenge.



So many colors, I'm not sure I knew where to start. People have asked me, where do you even begin when you look at those inspirational photos. In this particular case, because there were so many colors in the inspirational photo, I went for paper first. The stamp set came second, because it needed to be Easter theme. Embellishments came third.

Here is my design shown from two angles (one shows the dimension).



The silhouetted bunnies were a bit of a stretch. I believe the stamp was intended to be one of those "egg wrappers" that you put around an Easter egg. I wasn't sure how they would look on my card. I found them to be adorable, and even more so when I put those little tails on their behinds (which I snagged from my "Pebbles" chalk set).

Now that's innovation!

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Supplies:

Cardstock - Bazzill/Pattern Paper - Authentique Splendid 6 x 6 pad/Stamps and Die Cut - My Creative Time Hello Spring/Ink - Clear and Simple/Ribbon and flowers from my scrap jars.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Play Date Cafe #124

Tough colors for me . . .


I recalled a paper pad with those colors . . .


And a little splash of color on the inside (the bird is on the inside too, but you can't see him in his pic) . . .


And the ribbon revolt in my crop room continues with my twine usage. I can hear the spools singing their own version of Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond right now . . . "you don't use your ribbon anymore" . . . with sniffing sounds.

No worries ribbon!

Supplies

Cardstock - Bazzill/Pattern Paper - KaiserCraft/Stamps - Unity Stamp/Ink - Stazon/Markers - Copic/Ribbon - The Twinery/Punch - Fiskars Border and Stampin' Up Word Window