Express yourself

Everyone at my house is still sleeping so I had to take this photo in my kitchen instead of in my normal set up.  I think it turned out pretty good for no better lighting then I had.  

This spring has been so very busy that I have not gotten to stamp like I would like.  I used to be able to stamp just about everyday and post very regularly here but life has thrown some "lemons" and while I am trying to make "lemonade", I do miss my stamping!!

This card was very hard for me mainly because of th sketch I was trying to use!!  I thought it was an extra hard one.  If you want to give it a try swing on over to SCS and give it a whirl--most of the gallery entries made it look easy but I struggled with it.  I also incorporated the Ways To Use It challenge--beautiful buttons--into this card.

The DP is from Sweet Always, I also used Not Quiet Navy, and Whisper White.  The heart on my mug is paper pieced with a scrap.  The flowers die cuts from Stampin Up! and the stamps are from a retired set that I just love--Express yourself!!  I stamped the inside with this sentiment:  "Friends are the coffee breat in the business of life".  That is how I feel about all my friends here in blog land!! Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog.  I am hoping that I can get back into stamping and visiting you all!!  Have a great weekend!!

Mojo Sketch #88 & SCS Color Combo Challegne

Here is the card I made for this week's sketch challenge from Julee over at the Mojo Monday blog.  I loved this sketch--very easy and very fun!!  I also used the color combo from Emily over at the SCS Color challenge.  I think the two made a nice combination for this card.  

The color combination was: So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Pumkin Pie.  As usually (that is why I like color challenges--they really challenge me!!) I would not have put these colors together but I do love how the card turned out.  And I thought they were perfect for this plain jane stamp from VERVE.  I colored in the stars with my Stampin Up Pumkin Pie marker--Added some brads to the long rectangular panels and the ribbon knot--Layered my dp onto an embossed white piece of cardstock and layered it all onto Pumpkin Pie.  Thanks for stopping by to have a look-see!!

So, did you have a good Memorial Day weekend?? We did we went camping with some of our friends and had a fantstic time away.  The weather was perfect and it couldn't have been more relaxing!!  I hope you all had a great weekend too!!

Stacey's Jewlery Challenge

Every Sunday Stacey give a jewlery challenge over at her blog, Stacey's Stamping Station.  I enjoy seeing the great pieces that she picks, plus it is another excuse to stamp--gotta love that!!
Here is the inspiration that I got from the cuff:

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge

This is the card I made for today's Mojo Monday sketch challenge.  I love this ribbon that came on a gift I recieved so I designed my card around it.  The ribbon matches perfectly with Almost Ameythst in real life even though this photo doesn't quite show that.  My colors are Lavendar Lace, Almost Ameythst, and Whisper White.  I stamped the fish and added some dazzling diamond glitter.  I also stamped waves on the lower section below the ribbon.  The large square was embossed with the swiss dots folder.  Brads and ribbon slide were added to finish it off.  Thanks for stopping by and checking out my card!!!

Our Creative Corner Challenge

Here is my card for the OCC color challenge for this weekend.  We were to use Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Regal Rose.

I used my markers to ink my stamp set and then blender penned the image to pull alittle of the color to the inside of the image.  I tied my Bashful Blue ribbon through a flower slide as an embellishment and then finished it off with my sentimnet.  The sentiment was orignally one long line but like that it would not have fit on my card so I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig and my black marker to make it into 2 lines.  I really like it stamped that way!!  A very basic and simple card but I love how it turned out.  Thanks for stopping by!!  I hope you have had a great weekend!! My was full of soccer games and tryouts!!

VivaLaVerve challenge # 3 for May

Here is my card for the VivaLaVerve challenge over at SCS.   It is a sketch challenge with a twist and the twist this week was to use your favorite color combo, your favorite embellishment, and your favorite stamp set from VERVE.  I don't have very many but I will say this is my all time favorite quote!! I am hoping to win one of these months so that I have some more.......

I used Very Vanilla as my base and then layered it with textured Choc. Chip.  The DP that I used was from Bella Bleu.  The mats were created using Ballet Blue.  I stamped my image in Choc. Chip.  The ribbon slide was from a clearance rack in the handmade jewelry isle at Walmart. 

Can you pick out my favorites??

Favorite color combo--Brown and Blue

Favorite Embellishments--ribbon and all hardware

Favortie Verve Stamp--Beautiful You--I love all the sentiments in this set but this is my favorite one.

What are your favorites??  Would love to hear about them!!!  Have a great weekend everyone!!

Mojo Monday Sketch #86

Monday!! And it is Mojo Monday time....

Today's sketch was difficult for me.  I think I redid this card 2 or three times!!  I had the main butterfly cut out, but couldn't seem to get the card to come together.  I am OKAY with how it turned out--basically I just decided it would have to do!!  Ever have one of those days?? 

I used Tangerine Tango, Basic Gray, Basic Black, and Naturals Ivory.  Once my butterfly was colored using reinkers and an aquapainter I went over the whole thing with gray and clear glitter pens from AtyoSpica.  I love the look that it gives--too bad it does not really show up in the photo.  My background was embossed using the swiss dots folder.  All the edges were sponged using Basic Gray.  Thanks for stopping in to have a look--may you have a blessed week!!

i{heart}2stamp sketch challenge

Here is my card for the i{heart}2stamp sketch challenge:

I used Pink Pirouette for my base--layer Choc. Chip and then added some Pixie Pink and DP for my twin background pieces--My main sentiment panel is layer on Pixie Pink and Choc. chip--I cut a circle from the DP and added a flower button as an embellishment--the ribbon is twill Choc. Chip--my main sentiment is from VERVE's Beautiful You set.

Stacey's Jewlery Challenge

Here is my card for Stacey's Jewlery Challenge:

Each week she give us a piece of jewlery as our inspirations and then names the color combo.  This week the color combo was Cameo Coral, Ballet Blue, Kiwi Kiss.  So here is my card based on that.  I used Ballet Blue as my base--Cameo Coral embossed with my CB as my background--Kiwi Kiss stamped on Kiwi Kiss as my main panel--the arrow and heart are chipboard pieces that I colored with my Stampin Up markers--to finish it off I added some Kiwi Kiss ribbon and a key charm.  Thanks for looking--let me know what you think. 

2sketch4you sketch challenge

Here is my card for the 2sketch4you challenge:

I used a retired stamp set from Stampin Up called It's About Time.  I thought a clock face for pefect of the curved portion that was called for in the lower left hand corner.  This was an easy sketch to follow and an easy card to make.  I stamped the gears randomly for a background--stamped my sentiment  and main clock face in alittle darker gray--added a brad to the center of the clock to "hold" the hands--added a red rim that I created using my nessties and CB--added my "Celebrate" sentiment along the side in red and finished it off with a red ribbon.  The card is sitting on it's matching envelope.  Thanks for stopping by and looking--hop on over to 2sketch4you and play along.

Mojo Sketch Challenge # 85

It is Monday morning!! Yeah!! The start of a new week and time for the Mojo Monday challenge.  This sketch was a fun one.

I decided to use the DP to make my scallop--so I hand cut around the circles and punched out the center of each flower in order to make my scalloped edge piece.  I used a circle instead of a square for my top panel because I really wanted to use my Circular Sentiments.  I embossed my Choc. Chip panel and cute out the vine from the DP of the upper portion of the card, letting it flow off the panel.  I know it is spring time and I should not be making fall colored cards but this DP just jumped out at me and I couldn't help myself.  Besides that it feels more like fall then spring around here--very very cool!!  I am not sure where our warm weather is??!!??  Hope you all have a great week!!  Happy Stampin!!

VivaLaVerve Inspiration Sketch Challenge

This is my inspiration for today's VivaLaVerve sketch challenge.  We were suppose to choose something from our home as our inspiration. I decided to use this new trio of pots that I just planted cilantra in.  I got them at Michaels last week when they were 40% off.  I have his planter sitting in my picture window in my livingroom.  Now on to my card.......

......I stamped Victorian Lace in So Saffron ink onto So Saffron cardstock--stamped my leaves in white craft ink--stamped the main image in Certainly Celery--stamped my words on the panels and the sentiment in Choc. Chip--layered my trio of panels on to Certainly Celery and then layered them on my base card which is Choc. Chip--tied a Choc. Chip ribbon to secure my sentiment which is displayed in Coppper HodgePodge Hardware--the top halve of the Certainly Celery is embossed using my Swiss Dots folder.  Happy Stamping!!  Tomorrow I will be at a fair selling my cards--wish me luck!!

Verve's Project Parade....

The theme of this Project Parade was to celebrate the women in our life.....It's a girl thing!!

I have just one sister and she is awesome!! Growing up we did not always get along but now she is the best friend ever.  I chose her to be the women I salute during Verve's Project Parade. 

Here is the mug I made for her--sister is spelled out with rub-ons and the flowers were stamped in Sage Shadow and sponged around the edges--then I stamped them on the DP and cut our the center petals--added a bronze brad to the center--punched out Sage Shadow leaves and glued them under the petals--I added one and some ribbon to the mug handle to finish it off.