Sunday, August 29, 2010

PUPPY MAIL

I had so much fun doing this image for the Stars and Stamps Sketch Challenge this week! This image I learned about from my friend Carol at Our Little Inspirations. She is very creative and one of my favorite card artists! The digi was offered as a freebie from Sliejke Digi Stamps where you will find many terrific digis all available for free as the artist enjoys sharing her "God-given talents" as she describes it. There is so much to see both on Carol's and Sliejke's website!

The Sketch:


My Card:
Isn't this digi image just absolutely adorable? I usually go for the florals, but since the day I saw the card that Carol created, I have wanted to make a card using "Puppy Mail"! I colored the image with Copics and put a border of Everything with Wine followed by a Sweet Corn embossed strip (both by Gina K). The DP is from DCWV's Far East Stack. The half pearls are from my stash.

I didn't post last week as I was on jury duty - a very long and interesting week. As well, having to drive off the mountain for an hour one way into the 105 degree heat was the worst torture possible for me. But I lived through it and my service is completed, so I am happy and am looking forward to a relaxing and cooler week coming up!

I hope and pray that you, too, will have a wonderful week. Blessings,

Saturday, August 21, 2010

LOVE THIS IMAGE

Thank you for stopping by my blog! Many of you have probably seen this Digi Doodle image before, but I am relatively new to the Digi Doodle Shop. This image was so much fun to color and the florals are right up my alley, so I thought I would enter this card into Digi Doodle Shop's weekly challenge! I have purchased several of their images and you will be seeing them soon!


I have also entered this card in the Fab 'n' Funky Challenge! They would like to see flowers for their challenge this week, and I thought this card should certainly qualify.

Ultimately this card and several more just like it will be sent blank to our deployed soldiers so that they may send them to their husbands and wives or other friends and family through Operation Write Home. Hundreds of stampers across the United States send cards to our heroes through OWH to keep the lines of communication flowing among those they care for. If you are a card maker and have never been to the OWH website, I enthusiastically recommend it. You may also want to visit their stamper's blog, Stars and Stamps! Who wouldn't want to receive such a beautiful flower arrangement!

Card details:
Stamp: Cone Flower and Vase Digi by Digi Doodle Shop
Paper: DP is from Latte and Naturals by DCWV; Lavender cardstock is Lovely Lavender by Gina K; Base is Solar White (Neenah)
Sentiment: Miss You... (Stampin' Up retired)
Accessories: Spellbinder Dies; Lavender Half Pearls from stash; Copic Markers

I hope you have a blessed week!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

HELLO

It is time for the Stars and Stamps Sketch Challenge #30. I have fallen in love with this digi entitled Calliopsis from Digi Doodle (They are offering 15% off during August!). I originally saw it on Karen Howard's Blog, Feline Creative, and instantly was enamored with it. I know you will be seeing it again from me in the not too distant future!

Here is the Sketch:

And here is my card:

The Fall colors are very inspirational for me and this card was a lot of fun to make. I am making additional cards to put in my box to Operation Write Home. Hey, I wonder if, since I bought my electric Big Shot from Jo-Ann's, if any card I make with a Spellbinder die or a Cuttlebug folder qualifies the card for the Craft for a Cause contest. Hmmmm......

Digi: Calliopsis (Digi Doodles)
Sentiment: Stampin' Up (1992)
Paper: DP is Natural Stack (DCWV); CS is Cranberry Tart and Sweet Corn (Gina K)
Ink: Creamy Caramel (Stampin' Up)
Copic Markers: YG93, YG95, Y02, Y06,Y08, E31
Ribbon: Wal-Mart
Other: Spellbinder dies, Martha Stewart punch

Thursday, August 12, 2010

I'VE FALL-EN AND I CAN'T GET UP

I had to participate in the S&S Midweek Throwdown because it represents a day I have been waiting for! Making cards for Fall - and now I don't know if I shall stamp anything but cards for Fall going forward! It is absolutely my very most favorite season! It represents the coming of cooler weather - and that is very important as I do not at all do well in hot weather. It seems to just literally suck all of the energy from me.

I love this image - it was free from Dover Publishing. If you go to their website here and scroll all the way to the very bottom, you will see Free Samples. Click on that and enter your email address and you will receive an email every other week or so with samples. Many of the images they offer are quite suitable to use as digis. I colored this image with Copics and mounted it on Gina K papers of Pumpkin Spice (smallest square), Sweet Corn, and Chocolate Kiss. The DP is from Naturals by DCWV.

It was a fun card to make and plan to do several of these for my OWH box. Blessings to all of you; hope you are having a wonderful week.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

A BOUQUET FOR YOU

Happy Sunday! It must be Sunday as I attended church today and there is a sketch challenge on the Stars and Stamps blog! My favorite day of the week for both reasons!!

Here is my card:

And here is the sketch:
I am a little disappointed at the photo, I just couldn't get a good shot of the flowers which are prettier and much more vibrant in person then they are in this picture. But after taking over 10 photos, I decided to choose the best one and hope that you will get the idea!

The card is made using
Paper: Lipstick Red, Midnight Fog, Slate Grey (all by Gina K) ; DP is Linen Closet (DCWV)
Digi Image: Free from Dover Publishing Sampler (I think); Sentiment is computer-generated
Ink: Copics
Red Pearls: Purchased in bulk on eBay

Hope to see you again soon and thanks for your visit!

Monday, August 2, 2010

OH, THIS IS SOOOOO HEAVY!

Another fun day of crafting today! What a blessing that I could spend time stamping and that you came by to see what I did!!

We had another birthday in the family - my older brother, who lives in Louisiana. I really enjoyed coloring this image with Copics - it is the Birthday Bear image from our very own Stars and Stamps free digi collection (look for the blue "S&S Free Digis" button on the right side of the page near the top). The DP is from DCWV Linen Closet. There is a sentiment on this card but it is on the inside since the image really communicates without any words what the card is about. It is a great card for a child, but it fits my brother well and I think he will enjoy it as he is very tall just like the cake. I wonder what I did before Spellbinder dies came along, and I have a joke with my DH Chuck that each time I use my electric Big Shot I say, "Have I thanked you today for agreeing that an electric die cut machine was worth the extra investment?" Indeed, it is for me, as I usually do make multiples of each card I post and send them to OWH!

Please feel free to leave a comment below if you would like. I always enjoy reading them! Blessings on your day,

Sunday, August 1, 2010

TREE OF LIFE STILL IN MY BRAIN

Hello and thanks checking out my newest creation. I saw this week's Stars and Stripes sketch and Holley's beautiful cards and just had to give it a go.

The sketch:
I still have Paulette's "Tree of Life image" from Create with TLC going in my head, so I decided to use it. Somehow, I just can't put this image on anything but an oval - guess it is the oval framing on the digi image. The card base is Gina K Sweet Corn, the belly band is Gina K Cranberry Tart, the strips are DCWV's Linen Closet. I used a direct to ink technique with Distress embossing ink around the outside of the belly band and embossed the Stampin Up sentiment and the belly band with Stampin UP Gold embossing powder. The Tree of Life image is colored with Copics and the I used a tiny bit of at you Spica in the center of each flower. I really like the way the colors came together. I am making a couple dozen of these for our heroes because they are so fun to make.

Hope you are enjoying the summer - it has been unusually hot - high 80s and low 90s here in the mountains. That won't seem hot to many of you living in places that rise to over 100 degrees, but for our mile-high mountains, we are wilting! Blessings in all you do!