Be Confident

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Hello all, I'm in for a quick post before my day starts off with some fun with a friend and her daughters. A little bit of bartering and then some fun in the pool!

Today's card is using two challenges from Verve. My last order with Verve came with a wonderful gift bag of goodies and with some delicious paper among many other yummy stuff. I have a small pack from the same line so I know its MME's Hazel Papers. So sweet. I've been hoarding each sheet so it will last and now I have bonus paper. So fun.

Anyway, I've been watching the Diva Dare Challenge and it's Sentimental About Paper. To use your sentiments and break out that fun paper you've been saving. I've got an addiction for Verve's sentiments. They are the best, nothing more needs to be said! LOL And my affection for paper is something of a serious note. I must start using it more than I already do!

The second challenge is the latest Mojo Monday (#201). It's the last week of the month so you can choose the same sketch in either a round shape card or a square card. Here's the link for this challenge.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Details:
Stamps: Verve's Philippians 1:6 Plain Jane
Paper: Hazel Papers from MME, Chocolate from Wausau, Smooth White from Neenah, scrap Pale Jade cardstock
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Martha Stewart edge punch, aida cloth and  Sissix Rolled Flower Die, Inverted Scallop, Square and Round Scallop and Round dies from Spellbinders, mini clothespin, pearl dimensional paint from Pebeo, lace ribbon, button, bead and thread from my stash.

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So Happy for You

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It's Thursday and I'm bringing you a card I made for a friend of mine! We planned a morning back in June to do a mini workshop at my house (hah, I'm talking like I'm an instructor or something) so she could create some cards for graduation and also a wedding. We worked on the graudation cards too long and the wedding card still needed to be done, so I went ahead and pulled this together. It's not a traditional looking wedding card, but I really like how it came out.

My friend told me that the bride loves classical literature and the groom likes to play computer games. I really wanted to make a card that used both of those elements. I was delighted to have the help of my mother-in-law, who is an avid reader, tell me some classics that might work on a wedding card. We found a list online and as I did a sound off, we narrowed it down to three authors, two of poetry and one of short stories. Having them online I printed out my choice in an old looking font and then distressed in Ranger inks and here's a TIP; if you print things out on a Laser printer that uses toner it can be scrapped off with a sanding block then cleaned up with the adhesive remover eraser!!!!!

Classical literature, check!

Now for the gamer groom. Too hard to add some time of a game so I opted for the puzzle card. This mojo sketch hides the Joy Card fold nicely and might even intrigue the groom to figure out how to put it back together again.

Puzzle game quest, check!

Here is a list of challenges that the card is being entered.

	Mojo Monday 200 - Woo hoo! Happy 200th Mojo Monday and the Mojo Makers
Play Date Cafe Challenge 91 - just one color of your choice and just a splash! (Just happens to be sponsored by The Twinery)
Crazy 4 Challenges C4C96 - Joy Fold Card
Splitcoast Stampers Free 4 All #73 - Twine!

Thanks for stopping in today!

Details:

Stamps: Verve's New Mercies, Hope Blooms, A Cup of Life

Paper: Wausau Cream, WRF Ginkgo, kraft cardstock

Ink: laser printer (O. Henry short story in circle), Graphite Black, VersaMark

Accessories: Nestabilities Standard Circles, Recollections edge punch, Michael's Rhinestones, Offray cream satin ribbon, Twinery Honeydew twine

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I little Pinãta fun last week

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For a few weeks now, my son has been asking for a pinãta. It began sometime in May and it wasn't really a request, it was introduced as an idea. My son has a terrific mind full of things to make and we know it's share time when he starts out with, "Hey! I have a good idea!".
So we've made a pinãta and it was a grand party in our backyard.

(My mind is still on vacation... I took ALL of the photos with my Macro setting from the last card photo I took. I hope the photos don't make you dizzy!)

Now, once we layered the paper-mâché on the balloon and hung it in the laundry room to dry, all of the sudden the good idea became a great idea. We could go and buy a "shaped" pinãta! I really do understand and agree, because a newspaper print balloon shape pinãta is not as much fun as a colorful tissue paper fringed shaped pinãta. What to do? Make it look like a shape. What's an easy shape to make with an oblong sphere?

We watch a lot of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Ta-dah!

 Now for the swinging and face-off.

The nose is the first to go. Then when my daughter had her turn it was an ear.

So a few more swings and the pinãta split open... nice.

Hmmmm.... I think someone put the ear back on...feeling a bit sad for our mouse, I guess.

My pinãta tip of the day? For a good first pinãta experience, only do two layers of newspaper so it only takes a few swings to break apart. I'm thinking about a recent car commercial now....

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Here's the Scoop: A New Sketch!

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I've got another card I squeaked in this weekend! I made this on Saturday and have let the blogger elves post it for me today, because I'm most likely watching the Women's World Cup Soccer match from our DVR!

I wanted to play in a challenge that didn't have any pressure, hah! I can't believe all the sister's samples for the SFYTT challenge. I'm just inspired beyond anything. The sponsor is My Favorite Things Stamps so I started with my only stamp set from MFT, Here's the Scoop, and colored with Prismacolor markers. I did an MFT trio on this card with the Scoop girl, newer Notched Tag Die and Stamp Set and the Jumbo Scallop Die (Hey, I guess I've got two stamp sets if you include all the cute sentiments and tag texture stamps that come with the notched tag die).

Just head on over to this post to look at the sketch details and list of sister's blogs for some eye candy. Hope your as inspired as I was looking through the SFYTT sisters gallery!

Have a wonderful day!

Details:
Stamps: Here's the Scoop, Notched tag die and stamp set
Paper: Fresh Paint Textured paper (Pinks), Basic Grey Nuetrals (carpet), Provocraft Slab Pack (Green Polka Dot), Neenah Smooth White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Memento Black, Prismacolor markers
Accessories: MFT notched tag die and jumbo scallop die, SU chocolate chip double-stitched ribbon, Papertrey Ink rick rack die, Sew Easy Tool, DMC embroidery floss (3 strands)

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Simply CASE Study ~ Bloom and Grow

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It is the middle of July already and all my summer projects are slowly dwindling down. How are your's coming? There are always house projects to tackle, but I finished a very surprisingly arduous sewing project for a friend. A simple children's dress for a photo shoot. I hopped in her car and hand stitched the lace on to the sleeve's as she was driving over to the photographer's house. The last stitch and knot was done in the driveway! I laugh now, but boy was I worried if I was ever going to get it done. Did I mention that I started it in March?

I have been putting my stamping on the back burner since the beginning of the year, hoping that I could find a way to organize my To Do list to where I would be spending more time in my art studio during the day and not so much during the sleeping hours. I think it's going to be a longer process for me, but I'm enjoying some time to get my other hobbies done, like the sewing project I mentioned earlier.

Well, I just felt like I needed to get a card done, to feel like I still had game. I pulled up a practice piece for mixed media. I'm so inspired by all that is coming in to the card making world that I used when I was naive to the industry. I hope to keep playing and creating some more with traditional art supplies.

To motivate the start to my card I went for a Splitcoast Stampers challenge and found that the Ways to Use It (WT331): Crazy Collage challenge would work with my practice paper's. I added some more stamping to fit the challenge, but was still needing a layout. I used the July CASE Study challenge blog (CSC48) as my inspiration to finish this card. This month's muse is Dawn Woleslagle. What a crisp study piece!

My collage paper is a patterned paper that I stamped the flowers from Bloom and Grow in Baroque Burgundy and then stamped the leaves from the same set in Old Olive. This was after I laid out my mini gathered flowers stencil by Creater's Workshop and spritzed with some diluted Baroque Burgundy inker out of a Mister Spritzer bottle. Once I placed my elements I used two more stamps from my new Stella and Rose Doilies from Gertie "Girly" Stamps. Then to add some mixed media to it I dry brushed antique yellow craft paint on it, sometimes dipping the brush into a lighter yellow paint. So for the challenge I used 1) flower, 2) leaves, 3) medium doily and 4) small doily.

Have a fun and safe weekend.

Details:
Stamps: Verve's Bloom and Grow, MME Stella and Rose Gertie "Girly" Stamps
Paper: I can't tell what the pattern paper is on the mixed media panel, dafodil delight (pleated and sewn sentiment panel), cream cardstock base
Ink: Baroque Burgundy, Old Olive, CTMH Colonial White, Ranger Vintage Photo, Brilliance Black Graphite
Accessories: Sew Easy Tool, Black Button thread, QuicKutz fancy antique key die, gold cord, Hobby Lobby gingham ribbon, Tombo Liquid Glue, Queen and Co. Nightfall rhinestones

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Summer/4th of July Blog Hop Winners

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Time to announce the winners from last weekends Summer/4th of July blog hop!
Since I love to tell the winners "YOU WON!", I've included the list Taylor sent out to us hoppers. Congratulations and happy stamping!!!!!!

You have one week to claim your prize...if you haven't contacted Taylor by Friday, July 15th she'll give your prize away to another commenter!


Jan Garber -  Stampendous Cling Jumbo flower and handle (will be chosen by Stampendous)

Crystal Irwin - Stampendous Cling Jumbo flower and handle (will be chosen by Stampendous)

LUV2SCRAP - Karber Digital Studios - 2 digis of your choice

Alison Heikkila - Dreamweavers Stencils prize pack

Chris - Ippity Kit, courtesy of Maria Levine (will be chosen by Maria)

Jan-Marie  - a muse studio catalog and stamp set of your choice ($12.99 or under), courtesy of Sunghee Chon

Jessica Diedrich - Stampendous Cling Jumbo flower and handle (will be chosen by Stampendous)

Mousekmom - Chi Chi Memories digi stamp set of your choice

Lillian Child - Ellie Loves the Beach stamp from Your Next Stamp

Martha (Sissy) Speed Ramey - Skipping Stones Design stamp set (of their choosing)

Jennifer Ingle - $20 gift certificate to Little Potato House, courtesy of Sunghee Chon

Rachel - Pixie Dust Studio - 2 digis of your choice

Corinne - SU Fast and Fabulous set, courtesy of Cindy Coutts and Christian Paper Crafts

I had so much fun on this hop and was incredibly inspired at each stop along the way. I'm so thankful for your kind and generous comments.

Have a great day!

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Summertime Friends Blog Hop

Hello and happy weekend to all! I’m hopping with a few friends today to celebrate summer and the US holiday, Independence Day. I’m so glad you can join in on the fun and inspiration!

We are starting the hop at Taylor Usry’s blog where all the details about the hop can be found. Even if you see it here in my post, she will be the official list and guidelines keeper.

If you have been hopping from the start, then Mary should have been your last stop before arriving here.

If you feel like a chance at a prize we have just the ticket for you! Go back to the beginning of the blog hop list and comment your way through as your creative mind catalogs all the great projects. You have until Tuesday, July 5th at 6:00 PM EST to comment on as many blogs as you can. Winners will be drawn from random comments on blogs, and announced on Wednesday July 7th (on Taylor's blog.

My project today is inspired from the new mixed media trend and a few outstanding artists like Sherry Cheever who I’ve come across for inspiration in “Chunky Art”. I've made a wooden price tag cut from a 2 x 4 plywood using my miter saw (love it), and some old touch up paint sanded away for the worn look. I combined a couple of flower techniques made from unused coffee filters as the paper. My blossom nestabilities for the shape and some old college watercolors for the color.

It's time to stroll on to Erin's blog for some adorable inspiration!

Master blog list
1. Taylor	16. Wendy P
2. Cyndi	17. Suzi
3. Lynn	18. Kathy
4. Patricia	19. Beth
5. Alison	20. Wendy J
6. Berenice	21. Kerry
7. Erica	22. Louise
8. Mary	23. Liz
9. Janelle	24. Laura
10. Erin	25. Lee
11. Maria	26. Jennifer I
12. Jennifer D	27. Krissy
13. Pam	28. Sunghee
14. Angelique
15. Sandie

Winner’s Prize List (13 prizes)

Stampendous (3 prizes)	1 Cling Jumbo Tulip set 1 Cling Jumbo Tiger Lily set 1 Cling Jumbo Dogwood set each set comes with a Jumbo Perfectly Clear Handle
Chi Chi Memories	1 digi stamp of winner’s choice
Pixie Dust Studio (1 prize)	2 digi stamps of winner’s choice
Dreamweaver's Stencils	1 prize pack to winner
Karber Digital Studio  (1 prize)	2 digi images of winner’s choice
Maria Levine	1 Ippity kit
Skipping Stones Design	1 clear set
Cindy Coutts/Christian Paper Crafts	1 Stampin’ Up Fast and Furious set
Sunghee Chon	1 a muse studio catalog + 1 stamp set of choice (Value equal or less than $12.99) for US residents only
Sunghee Chon / Little Potato House	$20 gift certificates to Little Potato House template shop for US or non-US resident.
Karen from Your Next Stamp	Ellie Loves the Beach stamp

Have fun and hope you win something from the prize list!

Tag Trio Details:
Stamps: LOC Acanthus Leaves Clear Art Stamps, Verve Feel the Sun
Paper: DCWV Linen Closet, Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, watercolor paper
Ink: CTMH Colonial White, Stampin' Up Chalks, Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: Nylon Cord, coffee filters, corsage pins and beads, pleated white ribbon, Pebeo Chocolate Pearl Dimensional Paint, half pearls and string pearls

Vacation

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It's been a long time since I've posted a thing, hasn't it. My family and I sneaked away on a vacation a week after I did a whirlwind trip out to my nieces graduation. The month of June was pretty much spent outside of my house.

I'm back and wanted to share a photo or two from my family trip AND to let you know I'll be back Saturday with a project for a Friends blog hop. There are 29 friends hopping and a total of 13 prizes!!!!! Get a cold beverage and hop along with us tomorrow. We're going to have a great time.

Old coop (I guess) left to age quietly

My son giving a calf some sweet treats.

My brother with my daughter heading the cows to graze.

See ya soon!

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