Greetings from Paradise

My niece, Jenn, loves the beach, so when I saw the Paper Crafts Go-To Sketch Challenge #4, I immediately thought of replacing the scallops along the top and the rectangular strip running down the right side with a palm tree. Here's the sketch:

And here's my take on it:

To create this card, I first stamped the clouds onto white card stock. I filled in the clouds on the bottom of the stamp with distress ink to create the horizon line. After cutting out my palm tree and waves with my Cricut, I used VersaMark ink to stamp a different pattern onto each piece. I also distressed all of the tree's edges. This added both texture and pattern to the card. After tearing the kraft card stock, I stamped the shell. Again, I used VersaMark ink to ink up the edges and add some depth to my sand. Finally, I stamped the sentiment and hung it from the tree using a bit of twine.

Here's a close-up of some of those details:

Happy birthday, Jenn!

Supplies:

Card Stock: Papertrey Ink (White); Stampin' UP! (Wild Wasabi, Kraft); DCWV (Brown)

Stamps: Hero Arts (Clouds, Raindrop Background, Stripes, Flourish Background, Antique Engraving, Love that Sparkles)

Ink: VersaMark; Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Faded Jeans, Broken China)

Tools: Cricut Cartridge (Ocean of Words); Tim Holtz Paper Distresser; EK Success Corner Punch

I'm Back!

It seems like I have fallen off of the blogging bandwagon! I can only blame end-of-school-year activities. Between award ceremonies, final track meets, dance recitals, band concerts and finals, there just hasn't been enough time to sit down and blog. Not blogging, however, does not mean there has been a lack of creating. I have been scrapping and stamping like crazy! In addition to several layouts, I have been making cards like a Hallmark production line. There have just been so many occasions this month and my card-making frenzy is not over yet.

So anyway, today I have a card to share with you. Here's the color inspiration for my card:

And here's my card:

It uses Hero Arts' Big and Small Flowers set that I picked up during my Fresh Face Winner shopping spree. You'll be seeing a lot of this stamp set. Since it was out on my table, i just kept stamping!

To create this card, I first stamped the brown flowers onto a large rectangular block. Next, I cut the yellow card stock into three even panels and matted each on brown. After stamping the sentiment onto the oval piece, I felt that it looked flat so I went back and stamped some small flowers using Versa Mark ink. Here's a close-up:

I finished off the inside of the card with a little extra strip from the original yellow rectangle and a sentiment from Papertrey Ink.

Supplies:

Card Stock: Papertrey Ink (Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate); Stampin' Up! (So Saffron)

Stamps: Hero Arts (Big and Small Flowers, Enjoy the Moments); Papertrey Ink (fillable Frames #4)

Ink: Ranger (Coffee); Versa Mark

Ribbon: Michael's

Tools: Spellbinder's Nestabilities (Petite Oval Small; Petite Classic Oval Large)

Whoo Loves You?

As a card maker, I am (I hate to admit) guilty of sending my cards late. It's the old shoemaker's children have no shoes theory in action in my house for most occasions. That's why when I saw Hero Arts' monthly challenge to make a card for Dad or Grad, I decided to join in. I'm proud to say that Sal's Father's day card is signed and sealed and ready to be delivered FIVE weeks ahead of time. Yeah for me! Anyway, here's my card:

I based it on Sketch 166 which I saw on the Card Positioning Systems blog:

Let me tell you a little bit about this card. I got the idea for the owls and the "Who Loves You" sentiment right away. My only problem was that I only own Christmas owl stamps (which are all dressed in ski sweaters or Santa hats) and I didn't want to buy another stamp this week. Then the light bulb went on and I thought that if my owls were hiding in the tree, I could cover up their winter attire. So after stamping and embossing the wood grain for the tree, I got out my hole punch and created some hiding spots for my Christmas owl. (Note: I first cut out three circles from scrap paper and placed them on my stamped image with removable adhesive. I punched right around these scrap circles for perfect placement!) After coloring and dressing my owls (including pearls for the Mom owl), I attached them so that they were peaking out from behind the circles and then used foam dimensionals on the back of the entire piece. Wanting to add more texture, I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the brown card stock behind each owl. Here's a close-up:

When my new phonebook was delivered this week, i thought it was a shame to throw the old one out -- especially since I look up any numbers I need online. So, in the spirit of recycling, I tore out some sheets, scalloped them with my border punch and added glimmer mist. The result, A soft ruffle trim that reminds me of owl feathers. And as luck would have it, using pages from a phonebook is the challenge over at Paper Crafts this week! Talk about a hat trick!

Well now that the card is done, I guess I should start shopping for his gift!

Supplies

Card Stock: Stampin' Up! (Naturals Very Vanilla, River Rock); Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate)

Stamps: Hero Arts (Background Flourish; Designer Woodgrain; Curly Alphabet; Owl Christmas; Trees, Birds & Messages)

Ink: VersaMark; Ranger (Coffee, Vintage Photo Distress); Stampin' Up! (Riding Hood Red)

Stamp n Stuff Embossing Powder (Detail Clear)

Tools: Stampin' Up (Circle Punch, Scallop Punch); Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Distressed Stripes)

Misc.: Stampin' Up! markers; Recollections Pearls; Technique Tuesday ribbon

Badge of Honor

Just had to toot my own horn and point out the new Moxie Fab badge that I'm displaying on right side of my blog. Remember my "It's a Boy" card that I submitted to the Get Sketchy Challenge? Well it was one of the winners! You can see all of the winning entries by clicking on the badge.

I hope you have a Moxie Fab day! I know I will.

Happy Mother's Day!

Just a quick post tonight to wish all of my family and friends a happy Mother's Day! Here's the card I made for mother:

This card came out nothing like I imagined it. First I randomly stamped a small rectangular scrap of paper with my sunflowers. However, since this is a big flower, I didn't get the look I was going for so I pulled out my Nestabilities and cut it into a circle. I placed my stamped piece on the brown scalloped circle (also cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities) and put that on the white card stock. Still not what I was going for. Then I remembered that I had these circular felt coasters that I had picked up in the dollar bins at Michael's. I put foam dimensionals on the back of the scalloped circle, adhered it to the coaster and put that on the white card. Better but the card was still missing something. That's when I pulled out my Hero Arts background stamp and some clear embossing powder. After embossing the image and distressing the edges, I added a little twine and gem,rounded the corners and finally had a card that was worthy of all the love my mother gives. Here's a closer look at the embossing:

I am submitting this card to Clips-n-Cuts Around the World Challenge #2. (http://www.clips-n-cuts.com/2010/05/around-the-world-challenge-2/). I didn't have a tulip stamp, so sunflowers will have to do!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Supplies:

Card Stock: Papertrey Ink

Stamps: Hero Arts (Real Flowers, Scroll Frames & Messages, Flourish Background)

Ink: Stampin' Up! (Crushed Curry); Tim Holtz Distress (Scattered Straw, Vintage Photo); Versamark

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities (Classic Circles, Classic Scallop Circles)

Bling: Recollections Pearl Stickers

Misc.: Clear Embossing Powder; Twine from stash

It's a Boy!

I love sketches! Sometimes they are all I need to get the creative juices flowing. Here's the sketch I saw on the Moxie Fab World' blogs Go To Sketch Challenge:

Here's the baby card I made using the sketch:

There's a lot of paper piecing on this card. After cutting my card stock and patterned paper to the desired sizes for 4.25" square card, I stamped the clothesline in black in. I stamped it again on white card stock with blue ink, red ink and yellow ink. I also stamped it on my patterned paper. I cut out all of the shapes and pieced them together. For added dimension, I "hung" the clothes on pop dots! I used my Cricut to cut out the speech bubble and popped the top layer of that too. You can also take a peek at the stamping I did inside the card.

If you want to read more about the Go To Sketches Challenge head over to Moxie Fab World at http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2010/04/get-sketchy-our-go-to-sketches-week.html.

Supplies

Card Stock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: DCWV (Nana's Nursery)

Stamp: Inkadinkadoo (Baby Boy)

Ink: Stampin' Up (Bayou Blue); Ranger (Black); Technique Tuesday (Sunlight, Lava); Signo Gel Pen (Black)

Tools: Cricut (George & Basic Shapes)

My Grads

When I graduated elementary school the same year that my sister graduated college, my parents gave us a joint party. Mark and Melissa's back-to-back graduation days last June also called for a joint celebration and a layout about my graduates. Here it is:

With the exception of the stamps, all of the supplies for this page are from Pink Paislee's new 365 Degree collection. I just love the colors of this collection and see myself buying more of it.

I started my layout by using the ledger as my base. This was the B side of the beautiful red and white patterned paper. Since I had only purchased one piece, I cut a square piece from the lower right corner since the hole would be covered with the circle paper. This was an economical move but I so wish I had bought another piece of this paper! Before adhering the red and white design to the ledger paper I used my exacto knife to fussy cut it.

Journaling reads: Two days, two graduations! Mark earned an award for outstanding achievement in computers. Melissa received the Music Excellence Award and the prestigious Superintendent's Award. I am proud of you both!

I definitely recommend getting the punch-out die cuts that go with this collection. I used four on this layout alone -- one for journaling, another to stamp the word "my" in the title...

...a third for Class of 2009, and the last one is popped in the lower right corner. I also liked the cork elements that you see below.

Finally, another new product I used on this layout is the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements. These self-adhesive embellishments feel a little like Silly Putty. In their raw state, they are white but you can ink them or paint them like I did.

Supplies

Patterned Paper, Punch- Out Die Cuts, Cork Embellishments, Chipboard Alphabet: Pink Paislee (365 Degrees)

Embellishments: Pink Paislee Artisan Elements (Swirls)

Stamps: Technique Tuesday (Initially Yours); Heidi Swapp (Alphabet)

Ink: Ranger (Black; Shabby Shutters Distress Ink)

Paint: Tim Holtz Distress Crackle (Shabby Shutters)