Fluffles & Flowers - 3CT Sketch Challenge

Here we are again joining Kerry in this weeks 3CT Challenge.   This week the challenge was to use this sketch as the starting point for our cards.  I rarely work with (Square) cards although I like them as they do allow for a little more room to move things around on then a standard size card.  I'm not entirely sure I interpreted the sketch correctly since I don't have 2 different patterns of paper over the main card base.  Still I like how this turned out.  Besides I feel fortunate that I was able to participate this week having just had my CT surgery one week ago.

 On a "side note" things are going pretty well with the surgery.  I still have some numbness in one of my fingers and the inside of my hand feels stiff but I'm told eventually both of these things should go away completely.  My hand hurts a little when I move it certain directions and I think I may need to pace myself a little more as far as crafting goes right now but I'm happy that I had the surgery.

I adore "Fluffles" the cat (Stampedous) and since I already had this stamped image in my stack of stamped images waiting to be colored I decided to go with it for my card.  Then I picked out the Designer Paper, (Basic Grey - Sultry) and went from there with my color scheme.  On another "side-note" - It seems Kerry and I often have the same tastes as far as DP goes as you will note from her use of this same patterned paper on this card: and this isn't the first time I've discovered that we have the same DP (Great Minds Think Alike!).

Don't forget to check out the other Design Team members blogs and leave them some comment lovin! You can view the DT cards by clicking on the 3CT Blinkie on my sidebar.

Other Products Used:  Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Garden Green Card Stock - SU

Ink: Basic Black, Garden Green, Pixie Pink, and a Chocolate Chip marker

Prismacolor Pencils/Gamsol and Blending Stumps

Hibiscus Burst Twill Ribbon (Papertreyink)

In A Stitch Pink Blossoms - (Sassafras)

Martha Stewart Punch - Branch

Pink Spica Glitter Pen

Baby's Breath Glitter (Art Institute)

Nestablities Rectangle Dies (Spellbinders)

Paper Piercing Tool

Foam Mounting Tape

3CT - It's A Zoo Around Here

Today is Three Clover Thursday challenge day.  I wasn't sure I'd be participating today because I was scheduled to have Carpal Tunnel surgery on Tuesday and I just didn't think I'd feel up to making a card.  So you might (or might not) be wondering how a card appears here today then.  Well you see my surgery was scheduled for 9:00 am and on Monday I got a call stating that I had to be "bumped" further back in the day to 1:00 pm.  Since I didn't want to sit around all morning thinking about the surgery I decided to use my time to create a card for Kerry's fun challenge:  It's A Zoo Around Here (Use Animals).  I started out by using the Cupcake Friday sketch from Taylor's blog which really helped speed the creating process right along. 

My all time favorite animal is a CAT and I just bet Kerry knew that I would have to use one if I participated in the challenge and she was right!  The image I used is from The Greeting Farm (McSplendid Farm).  Don't you just think that sweet little mouse and happy kitty are just adorable, I know I do.  Anyway I colored the image with Prisma Color Pencils.  The paper I used is from the Bloom and Grow pattern by My Mind's Eye.

Ribbons, Rick Rack and button are from Making Memories. Frosted Brads (Doodlebug Designs) small brads, (Queen and Co.)

So there you have it.  I should be home recovering from my surgery by the time you view this card.  I am not sure if I'll be able to stamp for a couple of weeks but if I can I'll sure give it my best try.  Hope you have a wonderful week and don't forget to view the other members cards.  You'll notice a new "blinkie" on my sidebar that will take you right to Kerry's Blog and you can see all the great art work from the other members there.  Don't forget to visit their blogs and leave them some "lovin" via the comments buttons.

My Soulmate - Happy Anniversary

April 18, 1992 - Wow 17 years have gone by already and what a "ride" it's been.  There have been "ups and downs" over the years but I am happy to report that this wonderful man is still my best friend, my soulmate, my endless love!!!                                                                                               We both look so young here (and so skinny!)  Looking forward to many more years together. 

BC95 - Color Combo Challenge Floral Silhouettes

Happy Friday! - This week was so trying on my nerves.  I screwed up the computer last Thursday and had to have it taken in to be worked on.  I was told it would be back by Tuesday but on Wednesday it still wasn't done and I finally found someone who managed to get the thing fixed (sort of) and back to me.  I have spent the last 2 days reinstalling several programs that were taken off while we had it worked on.  Then today I discover our Camera editing program is not working properly and I have to download a new program which I don't like as well as the old program.  At any rate this is the best I could figure out the program to post my card for the challenge.  - It's always something isn't it!

Our challenge this week was a color combo: (Always Artichoke, Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand and a Neutral of choice if needed.  I decided to just go with the colors as stated.  My card base is Chocolate Chip layered with Sage Shadow that I ran through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dot embossing folder. Then ribbon (Seaside Designer - retired SU) was wrapped around the layers.  Then I layered Always Artichoke, Designer Sage Shadow Paper and punched the border with a MS punch.  The flower were stamped with Always Artichoke ink on Sahara Sand card stock and punched out with 1 1/4" Cirlce Punch then layered on 1 3/8" circles of textured Chocolate Chip cs.  The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate Chip and punched out with the word window punch.  I added 2 Always Artichoke brads.

That's it for this card, pretty easy card but I like the way it turned out. - Now check out the other members blogs to see how they used these colors.  You can do so by clicking on the Blogger's Icon on my sidebar.  Have a wonderful weekend.

BC94 - Pure Heart

Have you ever had "One of Those Days!"  You know the kind I'm talking about where nothing seems to go right and your get umpteen interruptions...Yeah you guessed it, that's the kind of day I seem to be having today.  I started working on my project for the Blogger's Challenge group late last night after my Stamp  Club was over but by 12:30 pm I decided it was time to head off to slumber land. This morning I got up fairly early and started working on my card again.  That's when things seemed to go all haywire...first I cut part of my original layer off and had to make it smaller.  Then the phone rang, (I kid you not 5 times within a 15 minute period)  Some days we never get calls but it figures when you are busy working on a project you get a bizarre number of calls.  I should just let the answering machine pick up but I'm just not one to do that if I'm home.  So enough "Whining" because I want to talk about my card.  - 

 It sort of took on a life of it's own as it wasn't what I started off with in my head but I think with this being Easter Weekend that it's very fitting to seek a Pure Heart and Steadfast spirit and what better time then Easter. I believe Christ's love for us and the Resurrection  gives up that hope for renewing our own lives if we seek Him out.             

Our challenge this week was: Technique of your choice.  Wow that left a wide range and while I'm not really a "Technique Type" of stamper I decided to do an easy but fun background technique using Saran Wrap.  It's so simple and yet creates such interesting and FUN backgrounds.  For this card I used Glossy Card stock and a Kaleidacolor Rainbow (Bouquet) Dye Ink Pad.  I just scrunched up a piece of Saran Wrap dabbed it onto my ink pad and pounced it on the card stock over and over to create my background.  Pretty Easy Peasy!

I used a sketch from the Clean and Simple blog found here - However I sort of added a couple extra layers and changed where the piercing was so it's not totally Clean and Simple but fairly close.

My card Base is Only Orange followed with a layer of Apricot Appeal and then my Background Piece.  To that I layered the same colors again and added my focal piece.  The stamp is one of the Plain Jane's from Verve Stamps.  I decided to use the background here as well and just stamped the sentiment and added a tiny flower with a crystal center.  The flower is from Hero Arts.  I layered this onto a piece of Green Galore card stock and they were cut out with Nestabilitie Dies (Label 2) and raised with foam mounting tape.  I added orange polka dot ribbon (source unknown).  I also distressed the edges of the Apricot cs with the cutter kit.

So now it's your turn to check out the other Bloggers Challenge members blogs to see what Techniques they used for their cards and projects.  Have a Blessed Easter Weekend.

3CT - Birds of Color

Good Morning! - Today is challenge day over on Kerry's Blog (Three Clover Designs) and this week the Design Team had a color challenge: ( Always Artichoke, Rose Red and So Saffron (Neutral of your choice if needed).  I was in  bit of a panic because I went through my stacks of DP and couldn't find any patterns with those colors.  Then I remembered that I had some SU Designer Paper that would meet the challenge.  I started with the So Saffron pattern from (Haiku-retired).  Then an idea hit me as I had recently purchased the Embossed Petals Border punch from Martha Stewart Crafts and thought that it would go grea with the pattern in the paper.  I punched it out on So Saffron and then edge the flowers with Yellow Citrus Fluid Chalk ink (Color Box) and added a strip of Rose Red cs to the back so it showed through the holes of the petals.  Then I added a small strip of Rose Red DP (from a Retired 6x6 pack that I don't recall the name of right now). 

Next up I had to decide on an image to use and I chose these lovely birds by Inkadinkado-Best Friends.  I colored them with Prisma Color Pencils on Naturals White cs with Basic Gray Ink and blended them with Gamsol.  Then I cut them out and mounted them to a Nestabilitie Die that I sponted on the clouds with Bashful Blue and a cloud stencil.  (I know blue wasn't part of the color scheme but it just felt right with my birds so I went with it anyway.) I sponged some So Saffron Ink around the edge of the die and mounted this to a square of Always Artichoke.  I also added Prima Flowers that I added glitter to and some matching brads in the color scheme.  The sentiment (Hero Arts) was stamped with Basic Gray ink and I pierced under it to high light the sentiment.  The birds and flower border piece were raised up using foam mounting tape.  I also added a small bit of sparkle on the birds with a pink Spica Glitter Pen.

Now don't forget to check out the other team members blogs and leave them a nice comment.  You can also participate in the challenge and then post your creations to Kerry's blog using the Mr. Linky feature there.

Have a great day!

BC93 - Butterfly Friendship

Friday has arrived and you all know what that means...Time for the Bloggers Challenge Group to post their cards/projects.  This week our leader (Lisa) provided us with a great sketch to use for our inspiration.  I just purchased the new (Great Friend) stamp set from the new Occasions Mini catalog.  I just love the Butterfly image in this set and had to have it.  I wanted to pair it with some brighter more spring like colors so I went with the Raspberry Tart DP for my color scheme.               My card base is Rose Red layered with Cameo Coral and the Designer Paper.  I added an embossed piece of Cameo Coral mounted to a scallop piece of Rose Red.  The sentiment was stamped in Basic Black ink before I ran it through the Cuttlebug.  I cut out a circle of Kiwi Kiss and then a piece of the designer paper with a scalloped circle.  I cut a smaller circle of Whisper White and sponged Cameo Coral ink on it and layered them.  My butterfly was stamped on Whisper White cs with Rose Red ink and colored with a Certainly Celery marker.  Then I cut it out and embossed it with the Versa Mark pad and Iridescent Ice EP.  I added 3 small clear jewels to the body and made antennae out of a piece of the Pretties Flower kit that I colored with a Certainly Celery marker.  I added some piercing to all my scallops and 3 Rhinestone brads that I cut the prongs off and glued on using glue dots. 

This is a great sketch  and I hope you give it a try.  For further inspiration click on the Bloggers Challenge Icon on my sidebar and check out what the other members created using this sketch.  Have a great weekend.

3CT - Penguin Paradise

Welcome to 3CT (Three Clover Design) Thursday challenge.  While it's not my week to participate as a Design Team member I really liked the theme this week (Eat It - Must contain a food image on your card) so I just had to participate.  It took me quite awhile to get my card going because I only got 3 hours sleep last night and had to take a nap and then it was time for dinner, and after that Bible Study so I didn't get started on this card until 10:00 pm. 

 At first I wasn't sure what I could use that had a food image on it and I went through most of my stamps and discovered that I indeed had several that actually had food images on them.  While they weren't the focus of the stamp they were food items.  However I settled on this adorable Penguin Image by Imaginesce and the Popsicle that is also in the set.  I recently purchased this paper (Serendipity - Whale of a Tale) and thought that the patterned matched the Penguins shorts pretty darn good so I went with it as my color scheme.

Details: Card Base, Ballet Blue, Apricot Appeal which I stamped the popsicle images on in a repeated pattern with AA ink.  The sentiment is from a StudioG stamp set and was stamped in Basic Black Ink.

I colored the Penguin and Popsicle with Copic Markers and Prismacolor Pencils and added some Crystal Glitter (Art Institute) to the popsicles.  I raised up the shorts with foam mounting tape and added 3 light peach brads (Queen and Co.) These were layered on Almost Amethyst and Lovely Lilace cs Nestabilities Circles.  Then I tied some lavender ribbon (May Arts) around the Apricot layer to complete the card. 

My hand is really bothering me again (Carpal Tunnel) so I've got to go ice it up again.  Hope you enjoy my card.  I love Cream Sicles YUM YUM!!!