Sunflowers and Sunshine.../SOS#109 & TMS#206

Happy Sunday morning to you all! I hope that you've been enjoying your weekend so far! I have a card to share that I made for both the Shopping Our Stash #109 (Summer theme or summer colors) and Tuesday Morning Sketches #206 challenges:

The inside:

Here are the sketches you could pick from. I used the bottom right sketch for my card.

I chose to use sunflowers as my summer theme. I broke out a stamp set that I've had for over a year but never inked it before now. Yeah, I know, it's sad. And I have many more that haven't been inked either. I've vowed to start using instead of hoarding them! LOL! I stamped the image on water color paper, and again on patterned paper. I did something new: I colored patterned paper. Not something that I'd recommend as the ink and blending sticks tend to make the paper pill. I had to tweeze the itty bitty strings off. After coloring, I fussy cut the dress from the patterned paper and glued to the other image. I embossed the sentiment in white embossing powder, then added the rhinestones. Finished the inside and I was done!

That's it for now. I hope you enjoy your day today and thanks for stopping by!

Chris

Supplies
Stamps: MFT - Sunflower WTG, More Essential Sentiments
Ink: Staz On - Jet Black, Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Mark
DP: Graphic 45 - Happy Haunting (sunflowers); October Afternoon - Seaside (dress)
Card stock: Bazzill Basics
Adhesives: SA by 3L - MyStik, 3D foam squares; Elmer's extra strength glue stick
Accessories: Strathmore water color paper; Grand Calibur, Std. Large Nesties; MFT - Mini Monarch border Die-Namics; Marvy Uchida markers; Recollections rhinestones; Stampendous white EP; heat gun

Congratulations!..../FMS#94

Hello again! This is my second post today. I made a couple cards last night and for this one I used Freshly Made Sketch #94:

Here is the inside:

and the sketch:

What a great CAS sketch! I'm sure to be using this one again! The sentiment panel is adhered with foam squares, as is the kitty after fussy cutting it. (I stamped it twice, on both gray and white card stock, fussy cut the teeth and eyes, then glued them to the gray image.) A little shading with a gray marker finished the kitty.

Now for some more housework...yay! NOT! The floors are mopped and carpet vacuumed. Now I need to find the will power to do some dusting. BLAH! I swear I'm allergic to housework. I hope that you have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: Paper Smooches - Simply Said, Nine Lives
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Gray Flannel; Clear Snap - Chestnut Roan
DP: American Crafts - Color Crush
Card stock: Core'Dinations (teal); Recollections (gray, white)
Adhesives: SA by 3L - MyStik, 3D foam squares; Elmer's extra strength glue stick
Accessories: Marvy Uchida marker - Lt. Gray

Hope Your Day Rocks!

Good morning and TGIF!!! I want to share a card I made just for fun. I do have someone in mind for this. One of my neighbors is celebrating his birthday today, and he happens to be a radio announcer, so I made an artistic version of a sound board on his card! (Yes, I know, it's a major stretch!) LOL! Check it out:

Here's the inside:

He's also a major Orioles fan, so, except for the red, I kept the card in the O's colors. On the main panel, I drew a light line in pencil to line up the yellow 'lights', then stamped orange and red randomly above it. I drew a line using a pen under the lights, then stamped the play/stop/reverse, etc. icons. I tried stamping the sentiment in Clear Snap orange chalk ink then covering with clear embossing powder, but I over heated one side of it. Grrrr!!! Oh well. I finished the inside and was done!

This set has such fun stamps for scene building. If you have it, break it out and get crafty! LOL! Thanks for stopping by!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: Paper Smooches - Be Boppin, Digits (Happy Birthday)
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Tangelo, Dandelion, Lady Bug; Clear Snap - Orange; Versa Mark
Card stock: DCWV card base; Recollections - black, white
Adhesives: SA by 3L - MyStik
Accessories: American Crafts - bold Slick Writer pen; Stampendous clear EP; heat gun; Fiskars corner rounder

Have a Ball.../PS Sparks Designer Drafts/CTD#249

Happy Monday (?) everyone! I hope those of you in the USA had a safe and fun 4th of July, and my Canadian friends had a fantastic Canada Day last week! We decided not to go anywhere on the 4th, just hang out and relax. At night we were able to watch the local fireworks display from the air conditioned, bug free comfort of one of the upstairs bedroom windows! Woo Hoo!!

Anyhooo, today I want to share a card I made using the Paper Smooches Designer Drafts sketch and the colors from Color Throwdown #249:

Here is the inside:

and the inspiration:

I pretty much followed the sketch exactly. I thought of this jar as sitting out on a picnic table so I found this cute red gingham paper to use as table cloth! I used the jar, straws and sentiment, as well as the jar die from the Crystal Clear set. The jar was die cut from vellum, stamped and colored. I used a white Gelly Roll marker to add highlights. After I adhered the jar to the main panel, I pierced a hole on each side of the top part and threaded twine around it then tied a bow. The sentiment was heat embossed in white. I finished the inside with more gingham and stamped Happy Birthday and I was done!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you get a chance to play along with these challenges! Have a fantastic day!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: Paper Smooches - Crystal Clear, Birthday Sampler
Ink: Staz On - Jet Black; Memento - Teal Zeal, Lady Bug; Versa Mark
DP: MME - Quite Contrary Jack & Jill (red gingham); Echo Park - Metropolis Dots & Stripes 
Card Stock: Recollections (white, vellum); Bazzill Basics (blue)
Adhesives: SA by 3L - MyStik; Glue Dots; Scotch Vellum Tape; Elmer's extra strength glue stick; American Crafts foam dots
Accessories: Grand Calibur; Paper Smooches - Crystal Clear 1 Die; Marvy Uchida markers; Doodlebug twine; Stampendous white EP; rhinestones from my stash; heat gun; piercing tool

Nancy Drew.../MM#300

Good Morning my peeps! Hope you are all having a relaxing day so far. I have a card I'd like to share with you all. I made it using the Mojo Monday's sketch #300:

Here is the inside:

and the sketch:

While I'm at it, I'm also going to enter this at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Mojo Monday celebration.

Yep, went with a sassy inside sentiment! LOL! I printed that from the computer. It's been a while since I've made a card with so many layers. I'm more of a CAS or, as Savannah O'Gwynn coined, a CAKS (clean and kind of simple - LOVE THAT!) card maker. This card has 11 layers! (13 if you include the button and string!) Holy Crow! All the panel edges except the main one were inked with Vintage Photo DI before I backed them on black card stock. And did you catch that I used a button?! I have a mason jar full of them, and I barely use them. Note to self: start using your stash!!!

Well, I think the Hubs and I are going to go see the movie Despicable Me 2 today. I loved the first one and can't wait to see this sequel! I hope that you have a fantastic day in what ever you decide to do! Have fun!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps - Nancy Drew
Ink: Staz On - Jet Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
DP: October Afternoon - 9 to 5
Card stock: Recollections (kraft, black); Bazzill Basics (black)
Adhesives: SA by 3L - MyStik, 3D foam squares; Glue Dots
Accessories: Marvy Uchida markers; Grand Calibur; Sm. & Lg. Standard Circle Nesties; Strathmore Water Color Paper, October Afternoon - button; string from my stash; inside sentiment printed from Microsoft Office

You're Swell...Paper Smooches Sparks-Trend Watch July 2013

Hope those living in the States enjoyed a fun Independence Day! We just hung out and relaxed. We even were able to see the local fireworks from one of our upstairs windows. Didn't need to battle with bugs, noise or drunks! It was fabulous! LOL!

Well, as usual, I'm waiting until almost the last minute to enter a card in a challenge. Story of my life! LOL! This one is for the current Paper Smooches Sparks challenge: Trend Watch:

and the inside:

Here is the inspiration photo: Ocean

What a gorgeous picture! So I did what most everyone else did: I made an underwater scene! I used different scraps of paper and the Borders 1 die to make my "water". (Yay, less scraps!) The rocks I stamped twice, one being on scrap to be fussy cut and used as a mask. I placed it over the second stamped image then stamped the coral over it. Colored the rocks then fussy cut that out and stuck it to the bottom corner with some Glue Dots. I used the coordinating dies for the fish and jellyfish, stamped then colored. I also stamped, colored and fussy cut the starfish and crab. (Note: since I live in Maryland, I made the crab a Maryland Blue Crab! LOL!) Finished the inside with another sentiment and the whale and I called it a day!

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to leave a comment; I read them all and really appreciate them! Have a great rest of the evening!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: Paper Smooches - Briny Blue, Surf & Turf
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Nautical Blue
DP: Scraps from Graphic 45, MME, EK Success, Echo Park, & Heidi Grace Designs
Card stock: Recollections; David Tutera card base
Strathmore Water Color Paper
Adhesives: SA by 3L - MyStik, 3D foam squares; Glue Dots
Accessories: Paper Smooches - Border 1, Briny Blue 1 & 2 dies; Grand Calibur; Marvy Uchida Markers

You're the Bomb/RS#70

Good morning all! It's raining here. Again. Does anyone on the east coast remember what a sunny day looks like? Anyone? My yard looks so much like a jungle from all the rain we've been getting. It's not that it's coming down in buckets, just that it's enough that you can't run the lawn mower or hedge trimmers. Just when you think you can use those, BAM!, more rain! Geesh!

Anyhoo, here is the card I made using Retro Sketches #70:

...the inside:

Here's the sketch I based it off of:

As I was looking at the sentiments on the Paper Smooches set: Slang Gang, "you're the bomb" caught my eye. Then I had the idea to cut out a circle for a bomb. Once I die cut it, I cut a little notch for the top. I pierced a hole close to the edge to run the twine through, but was too close and it ripped. DOH! All was not lost: I 'McGyvered' it (Anyone else watch that show? I loved it! LOL!) with some scotch tape on the back side! Speaking of McGyvering things, see that 'spark' sort of stamp at the end of the wick? That's the 'leaves' from the tomato pin cushion on the Needle Little Love set by Paper Smooches! Cool Beans!! LOL! I used some gold Stickles to color in the spark and the tip of the wick, then used it to hold the wick in place. I used a tiny spot of Glossy Accents to shape the wick how I wanted it to look on the card. After I stamped and embossed the sentiment, I added the main panel to the card base with some 3D foam squares. For the inside, I die cut another circle, using the negative from that, I cut the little top out and taped it from the back side. Stamped Happy Birthday, cut a tiny 'V' in the top where the twine came out from (taped to the back side). Added some more Stickles to the end of the wick. Once everything was dry I adhered to the card. (Wow, I just read back what I typed, and even though it looks like it took forever to make, this card came together pretty quickly! LOL!)

Thanks for hanging in till the end of my wind bag of a post! LOL! Hope you have a great day!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: Paper Smooches - Slang Gang, Needle Little Love, Hullabaloo
Ink: Versa Mark; Memento - Tuxedo Black
DP: American Crafts - Color Crush
Card stock: Bazzill Basics
Adhesive: SA by 3L - MyStik, 3D foam squares
Accessories: Grand Calibur; Small Std. Circle Nestie; Doodlebug twine; Ranger - gold Stickles; Stampendous white EP; heat gun; Glossy Accents

Hey Girlie!.../SBS - Summer Fairy challenge

Good Morning Peeps! I'm back to share a card I made for the Simply Betty Stamps Summer Fairy challenge. Betty is very generous in that she gives you a free digi stamp to use! The catch is that you must be a member of the Facebook fan page, and, you must use the stamp for that challenge. Joining is free so, seriously, it's a no brainer! For this challenge, we are prompted to create our own back ground - but you can't use stamps to make it or just use patterned paper either. Here's my take on the challenge:

...and the inside:

Meet Summer the Fairy! Isn't she gorgeous?! Love her! I colored her with my Marvy Uchida markers, used Stickles on the wings, and once dry fussy cut her. For my background, I took Broken China and Peeled Paint DI, swiped them on a craft mat, spritzed water on it then lay a white card stock panel on top of the mess. This was the first time I tried this, so I made a couple panels. Once dry I doodled some pine trees on one of the panels, but I really disliked how it came out. I didn't want to waist the panel so that was used on the inside. ☺ Summer is popped up on foam squares and I added some rhinestones to add some more bling!

While I'm at it, I'm going to enter this in the Simon Says Stamp anything goes challenge.

The background technique I tried was so much fun, I'll be trying that again! Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you have a great day!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: SBS- Summer digi; MFT - More Essential Sentiments
Ink: Ranger DI - Peeled Paint, Broken China; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Card stock: Bazzill (black); Recollections (white)
Strathmore Water Color Paper
Adhesive: SA by 3L - MyStik, 3D foam squares
Accessories: Marvy Uchida markers; Studio 112 rhinestones; Ranger Stickles

for you.../Wanna Sketch #6

Happy Friday! I'm back with another post. I was on a roll last night and started two cards last night, then finished them up today. I played along with Lisa Arana's Wanna Sketch #6. I love the CAS-iness of this sketch. (Is CAS-iness even a word? It is now! LOL!) Here's what I came up with:

here's the inside:

and the sketch:

I have a bachelorette party/bridal shower to go to tomorrow, so I needed to make a card for that. I finally used this super cute raindrops stamp from Unity Stamps. I mixed it with some Paper Smooches stamps. (I think it worked out pretty good!) The umbrella was stamped on white card stock and two different patterned papers, fussy cut and adhered together. The raindrops were stamped in Teal Zeal, then I used an aqua blue marker to add a hint of color to them. I liked how they looked, but still felt they needed a little more. Out came the Stickles! Woo Hoo! I'm gonna need another bottle of this soon. I seem to be using it. A lot! Used a scrap of paper to stamp the sentiment. The inside sentiment I printed from my computer. Such a cute, sweet card, but when she opens her gift, she'll be surprised with how risque' it is! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to leave a comment. I appreciate and read all of them! Hope you get the chance to play along with the Wanna Sketch challenge. You have plenty of time to play, as it's open until July 20th!

Chris
Supplies
Stamps: Unity Stamps - February 2012 KOM; Paper Smooches - Sunny Side Up, Simply Said
Ink: Memento - Teal Zeal; Tuxedo Black
DP: MME - Quite Contrary-Jack & Jill
Card Stock: Recollections
Adhesive: SA by 3L - MyStik; 3D foam squares; Elmer's extra strength glue stick
Accessories: Marvy Uchida markers; Ranger Stickles; inside sentiment printed from Microsoft Office

Jar of flowers.../CTD#248 & SOS#107

Hi all and Happy Friday! I have a card to share with you all. This is for Color Throwdown #248 and Shopping Our Stash #107: use your oldest embellishment. Here's what I came up with:

Here is the inside:

And the color challenge:

Aren't these colors soothing? And the inspiration picture I loved so much I did almost a literal interpretation of it. I don't think I've ever stamped on kraft with Clear Snap's Frost White chalk ink before, but I gotta say, I'm lovin' the beachy vibe it gives! I masked off 3/4 of the panel then stamped the rosettes. After allowing that to dry I scored the lines, then lightly went over them with the Frost White, then added some ribbon (one of my ancient embellies! I think I've had this ribbon longer than I've been married: 23 years! LOL! I wasn't always a paper crafter. I did my share of sewing, flower arranging, painting, etc. back in the day!) I stamped the jar onto vellum with Jet Black Staz On ink. Using the laundry line as my stems (from Paper Smooches' Pip Squeaks set), I stamped them in Rich Cocoa. After allowing that to dry, I colored the jar with an aqua colored marker, purposely leaving a lot of uncolored streaks. After that dried, I used a white Gelly Roll pen to add highlights. Love how this turned out! The flowers and brads are the other older embellies that I've hoarded over the years. (I started paper crafting in 2007. These are some of the first items I accrued.) Finished the inside with a simple sentiment and more rosettes and that's all she wrote!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope that you get a chance to play along with these two challenges! Have a great day!

Chris

Supplies
Stamps: Paper Smooches - Crystal Clear (jar), Pip Squeaks (line); PSA Essentials - Rosettas set; My Favorite Things - More Essential Sentiments set
Ink: Staz On - Jet Black; Memento - Rich Cocoa; Clear Snap - Frost White
Card stock: Recollections (kraft, vellum); Paper Smooches (aqua)
Adhesives: SA by 3L - MyStik; Glue Dots; Helmar 450 Glue; Recollections red tape
Accessories: Marvy Uchida markers; Prima flowers (I think?); felt flowers & brads (I have no clue who the mfg. are!); Martha Stewart score tool; Sakura white Gelly Roll pen; Offray ribbon