CIC51 - Easter Blessings

Aren't these cupcakes beautiful! - These are the basis for this weeks Cupcake Inspiration Photo on Hope Stamps Eternal.    I was inspired by the colors (green, blue and gray) and of course the butterflies.  At first I was stumped about what I was going to use for my stamp and then this morning I discovered this as yet uninked stamp (Whimsical Flowered Egg) from Great Impressions that I bought last year and never used.  I water colored the image and then colored over it with Prisma Colored Pencils.  Next I masked the image and sponged on some Bashful Blue ink.  I decided to do the "Cracked Glass" technique as well to give it a bit of an "antique" feel.    I cut another butterfly out and added some shimmer with a Spica Glitter Pen.   I mounted the image to Baja Breeze Card Stock.  This was mounted on Certainly Celery with Designer Paper from Basic Grey (Figgy Pudding).  I embossed the bottom with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and added Basic Gray Ribbon (retired SU) and pearls from Zva found here:  The sentiment is from Verve (Everlasting Life) and was stamped with Basic Gray ink.

Be sure to stop by Hope's blog and check out what everyone else did with this inspiration photo.  Have a great day!

BC144 - Upsy Daisy Friendship

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANNABELLE
SKETCH CHALLENGE - IT'S PRIZE WEEK
SO BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT.

Hello! - Well I must say not only was this sketch a bit of a "challenge" for me but trying to get it posted was an even bigger one.  I have no clue what was going on but Blogger wouldn't put my photo's in right or align the typing the way I wanted it etc...It's been about 2 frustrating hours of deleting and reentering everything so hopefully this time is a go. This week the BC challenge is a "Sketch" challenge.  I tried several different papers, stamps etc...before settling on this one.  Which I happen to like so it was worth all the time and effort in the end.  Card details follow at the end of this post.  Below is a bit of what I've gone through this week.

We had a bit of a scare this week with Coleen.  She became ill on Tuesday morning and her mom took her in to the doctor.  I was at bowling at the time but called to find out how things were going.  The doctors did a bunch of tests and thought it was appendicitis.  They wanted her admitted to the hospital right away.  Needless to say my bowling stunk and I headed out to the hospital as soon as we finished bowling.  It was a long afternoon and one I hope to never repeat.  The poor child had actually started feeling better but they wanted to give her an IV and after 3 tries and her screaming and crying about how much it hurt her mom and I finally told them to stop.  Then when Coleen wanted something to eat/drink they said the doctor didn't want her to eat for another 4 hours.  The poor kid had gone without food all day long.  We ended up signing her out of the hospital against the doctor's orders and brought her home.  They spent the night with us and Coleen ate spaghetti and drank some milk before going to bed.  She was just fine the next morning and has been doing great since.  We think it was some kind of a stomach bug but I sure was disgusted with all the needless tests they took and what they put that little girl through.

Card details:  Card Stock: Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper Whip, DP (Source Unknown). Embossing Powders (Winter White - SU retired), (Bold Black), Clear

Ink Pads, Versamark & Lipstick Red Fluid Chalk ink (Color Box).

Ribbon - American Crafts, Scallop Punch-SU, Circle and Scallop Nestabilitie Dies, Swiss Dot embossing folder.

Be sure to stop by the other BC members blogs and check out their takes on this sketch.

Thought I'd leave with a picture of these tiny little red tulips blooming in my rose bed.  Aren't they cute!

absc18

Talk about "frustrated"...I've been trying to get Blogger to upload my photo's a certain way and now matter how hard I try they still come out different then what I want them too.  UGH!!!     So here we are ready for another Annabelle Sketch challenge. This sketch was a FUN sketch to use.  It allows you to use a variety of patterned papers (which I like).  I am really in love with SU's new Sweet Pea designer series so I've used it once again for this weeks card.

My colors are:  Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive and the Sweet Pea designer paper.    The stamp set that I used is, (Flowers With Love).  I stamped my flower with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with Prismacolor Pencils.  I added some shimmer with Spica Glitter Pens (hard to see in the photo).  The small flowers are from an SU punch and I added Blossom Sprinkles for my bling and some awesome ric-rac ribbon that I bought for a $1 at JoAnn's.

That's pretty much it for this card, simple and easy (which I like).  I hope you'll give this sketch a try too.  It's a PRIZE sketch and you have 2 weeks to complete your card and post a link on the Annabelle Blog using the Mr. Linky feature.  Don't forget to check out the other DT members blogs too and see their fabulous takes on this sketch.

BC143 - Spring is in the Air

Annabelle Challenge HERE




Spring has Sprung (almost) - Happy Friday, Today the Blogger Challenge theme is:

"Think Spring" and with the 1st Day of Spring arriving tomorrow (20th) it's very fitting that we honor this lovely season.  Spring is my favorite season of the year and since I was born on the first day of Spring I really love it!

For this card I chose another "no stamping" card.  I've had these wonderful fabric stickers (Hot off the Press) for a couple of years now and this one just shouted out spring to me.  Isn't it sweet.  I decided to pair it up with some Sweet Pea designer paper from SU and some soft colors (Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Pretty in Pink.  I stitched around the tag (it's a little uneven because my machine just won't work right. For some reason the thread bunches up on me.)
I frayed some Eggplant grosgrain ribbon and tied it on my tag, added some felt and prima flowers, a punched border and some pink jewels to complete my card.  I also embossed the pale plum layer with the Moroccan Screen embossing folder.  I chose to leave off a sentiment and let the tag speak for itself as to the theme.

Be sure to click on the BC icon on my sidebar and check out all the other members wonderful Spring cards/creations.  Have a great weekend and HAPPY SPRING!

I've included a picture of Coleen and her bouquet of Spring Tree blooms that she picked on our walk this week. 

Say it in Green n Blue

Hi,  Hope you are all having a wonderful week.  It's time for this weeks Annabelle Challenge and our theme this week is,

"Say it in Green and Blue."  I did double duty with this card as it's my very first time doing the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge on Karen Giron's blog (SSSC60).  I loved this sketch and thought it would work well with these fun flowers from the Annabelle stamp line (Floral Stems) The sentiment is from: (Flowers With Love). 

My card stock colors are: Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss, So Saffron and Very Vanilla.  The patterned paper is by (Cosmo Cricket).  I colored the flowers with Copic Markers (B21 Baby Blue, YR21 Cream, and YG00 Mimosa Yellow).  I added Olive Sprinkles to the flower centers.  The border strip is the Scallop Punch from SU) I added Olive Twill ribbon (SU retired) and some dark green embroidery thread tied in knots.

Please stop by the Annabelle Blog and check out the other DT members cards by clicking on their links.  Don't forget you still have 1 week left on the current Sketch Challenge and a chance to win the stamp set Flourishes available from Annabelle Stamps.

CIC50 Shamrock Wishes

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!  -  Even though I'm not Irish I still like to celebrate the day by wearing green.

Here is my card for this weeks Cupcake Inspiration Challenge.  What a fitting cupcake for St. Patrick's day.
I wanted to create a card that could be used for something besides a St. Patrick's Day card and I think this works.  I wanted a "linen" like feel to match the napkins and just had to include a shamrock of some kind. 
My little (Gnome or Leprechaun) is from Stampendous.  I colored him with Prisma Colored Pencils and paper pieced the hat.  I added some glitter (Sea from Art Institute) to the Shamrock.
My colors are:  Card Stock: Sage Shadow (SU) Light Beige is from a piece of Chocolate Box Core-dinations.  The patterned piece is one I've had in my stash forever and had no company listed on the back.  The (Wish) sentiment is a $1 find (Inkadinkado) and was stamped with Sage Shadow ink.  The eyelet lace is from my stash as well.  The brads are from Paper Hedgehog and the flowers are Prima's.
I distessed the edges with a paper distressing tool (SU).

BC142 - Songbird Birthday Wishes

It's Friday and time for the Blogger Challenge.  This weeks theme is, Birthdays (we all have them and we all need cards for them).  Since I was late getting started on my card due to hand issues (yes they get sore and some days they hurt more then others) I opted for a non-stamped card today.

I can't take credit for this design since it's largely cased from a card made by the fabulous Kim Hughes out of the current Stamp It Cards issues (Page 16).  She stamped a bird image, I chose to punch mine using the new SU XL Two-Step bird punch currently available in the Occasions Mini Catalog. 

The paper I used for this card is from the Sweet Pea Designer series pack also available in the Occasions Mini catalog as are the Sweet Pea felt flowers that I used.

The sentiment is a rub-on from the Chit Chat rub-ons (SU).  I did use 3 Olive Sprinkles available from Annabelle Stamps.   The ribbon is retired SU and the birds eye is a tiny Zva pearl from Hope Stamps Eternal.

I hope you enjoy this card as I think it's perfect for a Spring time birthday.  Don't forget to check out the other BC members blogs (click on the Icon on my sidebar) and check out their fabulous birthday creations.

A breath of Spring - absc17

Hi and welcome to the newest Annabelle sketch challenge. It's PRIZE time again and this time the prize is the set, "Flourishes" available here which is a fun set to use for adding "bling" to your cards.

For my card this week I chose the set, (Flowers With Love). I watercolored the floral image and added some shimmer with a Spica glitter pen. Doesn't it look pretty?  My card base is Regal Rose layered with Kiwi Kiss.  The designer paper (which I just love) is by, My Mind's Eye and is part of the Penny Lane collection.  I also used the Sanded BG stamp (SU) and added Blossom sprinkles for my bling.

Remember the contest now runs 2 full weeks so everyone will have plenty of time to play.  You can leave a link to your card via Mr. Linky at the Annabelle Blog We'd love to see your take on this great sketch.

BC141 - Shamrock Blessings

If you are here for the Annabelle, "Say it with...Cake" challenge look here

Now on to the Blogger Challenge this week.  This week was a "color" challenge:
Greens/White (Neutrals as needed).

First up I used "Black" as my neutral color.
I won this wonderful stamp set, (Shamrock Blessings) from Our Craft Lounge and just had to ink it up for this challenge.

I stamped the shamrocks with Kiwi Kiss ink on Whisper White card stock and stamped the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Then I layered this onto Old Olive card stock cut with Labels 8 Nestabilitie Dies.
I added three 3mm Black Currant Sprinkles from (Annabelle Stamps)  These are so gorgeous you really need to see them in real life to truly appreciate how pretty they are.
My background papers are from Stampin'Up! I also embossed a piece of whisper white card stock with the Moroccan Screen embossing folder.  The ribbon is black velvet from a retired SU ribbon pack.

For my 2nd card I was inspired by a card from the current Paper Crafts magazine (March/April) issue made by Maile Belles (Page 63).

I liked the layout but changed a few things to make this card my own.

Again I used the Shamrock Blessings stamp set from Our Craft Lounge.

For this card I chose, Kraft card stock as my Neutral color.  I stamped the shamrocks in, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive and Always Artichoke inks and punched them out with a square punch and mounted them onto matching card stock.  I embossed a piece of Kraft card stock with the Houndstooth embossing folder.  The sentiment was stamped with Kiwi Kiss and the "Lucky" portion colored with an Always Artichoke marker.  I added a piece of DP from SU and tied some Linen thread around it.  Then I used an Old Olive Felt flower, a White Flower and a Button (all SU) as an embellishment.

I really had fun with both these cards and hope you enjoy them.  Be sure to stop by the BC members blogs (click on the icon on my sidebar) and check out their great cards as well using this color scheme.

Say it With....Cake and CIC48

"Strawberry Fields Forever"

Hello!  It's time for this weeks Annabelle Challenge and we are doing something different this week.  Since we are now doing the "Sketch" challenge (bimonthly) on the opposite weeks we will be doing cards based on themes, color schemes etc...to start off we have the theme:  Say It With....Cake.

I'm also combining this challenge with this weeks Cupcake Inspiration Challenge on Hope Stamps Eternal.  Aren't those cupcakes divine!  What could be more yummy then ripe, juicy red strawberries.  Make's my mouth water just thinking about it.  Of course those who know me well know that I am a HUGE fan of the fruit and that I picked them to earn money every summer from the time I was 11 till I graduated from High School.  That's a lot of strawberry picking but you know I never got tired of the fruit even after spending my summers out in the hot sun or having to pick in a wet field after it rained.  I can't wait each summer for the berries to riped so we can enjoy delicious Strawberry shortcake.

My card features the awesome Annabelle Stamp set,  Jasmine's Cupcake.  I think she's perfect for both challenges. She's mainly colored with Copic Markers (the few that I have) and yes I need lots of work using them.  Her hair though was colored with an SU Marker (Creamy Caramel) as the only brown Copic I have was much to dark for what I wanted.  I paper pieced the dress with a piece of DP from (Cut-it-Up) called Green Salt.  To make the frosting fluffy I used Light Pink Puff Stitch by Color Point and some Candy Pink Glitter (Art Institute).  The bows were raised using foam mounting tape.

I punced 3 flowers with my SU punch and added yellow brads.  They go perfect with the blossoms from the inspiration cupcake.  I'm not sure who makes the red/white polka dot dp (wish I could give you the source) and I added dots to the Real Red piece with the Swiss Dot embossing Folder.

Other Colors, Pretty in Pink, Glorious Green, Whisper White.

Ric-Rac (isn't that pretty) from JoAnns for only $1 for 9 feet! 

Be sure to visit the Annabelle Blog as there is still time to participate in last weeks Sketch Challenge - Up for grabs is the fun stamp set,  I Can Fly  and you can also join in on our theme this week using any stamps you have as long as you use "cake" of some kind on your card.  Leave us a link via Mr. Linky so we can check out your delicious creations.