Sketch Challenge and a commentary on primas

Sketch Challenge day - Love it! It takes such a burden off the decisions you have to make when creating a card. Of course I say that EVERY sketch challenge day, but it's true.

• I started with the DP as my inspiration. It's from Scenic Route and I found it in the clearance section of my LSS. I love sales.
• The colors for the card: More Mustard, Garden Green, and Bashful Blue. If someone had asked me 6 months ago (just after I joined SCS and started making cards everyday) what colors I don't use: I'd have said "More Mustard" along with other assorted colors I can't seem to live without.
• Apparently math isn't my strong point when I first get up. I wanted the panels to be closer together with just a hint of the More Mustard peeking through. I made the gaps too big. I realized it AFTER I had the card put together.
• I only used 1 stamp on this card: my sentiment running up the side of the card. It's stamped in Versafine black.
• I added some primas and brads into the big panel to add a little contrast and texture.

I am addicted to little paper flowers. Seriously. When I go to my LSS, I tell myself "no primas" but then I can't help but see what they have - and then I tend to buy a package. There are so many things I've been introduced to in the 6 1/2 months I've been on SCS - primas being the big thing I tend to buy a LOT of. I initially had sticker shock when I saw how much a bottle of primas cost - then I realized how MUCH is in one of those bottles. It evens out. I have enough of them that I could use 1 a day and more than likely not run out until at least late 2009 at the EARLIEST.

Just thought I'd share.

Monday - double challenge post

It's been a busy day with some fun challenges.



First challenge was Faith's last time hostessing the Stalker's Thread Color Challenge. She chose Real Red, Handsome Hunter, Mellow Moss and Old Olive. Hello green!

• I chose to use Papertrey's Snowflake Serenade as my background stamped in all the colors of the challenge.
• The main image is from SU! The World Over. It's stamped in Basic Gray and colored in with my Prismacolor pencils.
• I wanted to add a little punch (and some ribbon) so I tied some Real Red grosgrain around my background 3 times and pulled the knots to the bottom.

The other challenge was the Technique Lover's Challenge: Clear sleeved Nugget boxes. Now, I'd heard about Nugget tins - I have a bunch, courtesy of a buy with a friend on SCS - but I'd never heard of Nugget boxes. I followed the links to the different sized boxes - I'd like to thank that person - they did a great job.

• Bottom of my box is a piece of Scenic Route paper - it's vanilla with an olive pattern on it. There's no tape holding it together - it's just folded.
• The slide is a piece of acetate (like a transparency) that's leftover from when I made an acetate card. It's held together with 3 brads.
• The nuggets are wrapped with an address label stamped with a snowflake from Snowflake Serenade in Old Olive.
• The slide is tied with a piece of olive velvet ribbon.

Featured Stamper: TexasGrammy

Today's Featured Stamper is TexasGrammy. Her gallery is really nice to see - I've seen some of her cards when I wander through the new additions.

One card really popped out at me today: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/58827

• While I do have the set Paint Prints, I wanted to do something similar with a different set - I chose Delight in Life.
• I kept the sentiment set the same - chose another word out of the set.
• Perfect Plum and Mellow Moss were the first SU stamp pads I bought, but I didn't want to CASE too closely. I really like Groovy Guava and Barely Banana as a combo - they're warm colors and since it's barely above freezing outside right now, I love warm colors.
• Instead of using the folded white that's torn, I masked above the sentiment and sponged with Barely Banana. Keeping the mask in place, I also stamped my flowers.
• I wanted to put some embellishment on the card, so I added 3 black brads.

I just wanted to say my VSN mini challenge is officially over. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad that a lot of people participated - I was afraid that no one would do it. *roll eyes* The next VSN mini is on December 5th - it's a Wednesday - at 7pm EST.

So behind with the cards

The week of Thanksgiving... always fun. I truly tried to update this week, but things keep getting in my way. Not feeling well, holiday, that sort of thing.

I've been making cards though.

I've been keeping up on some of the regular SCS challenges and I did all but the new inspiration challenge that just started in the ST- line this week. Next week, there's going to be another new challenge, started by... ME! Fridays will have the STVV - Stalker Thread Visualize Verses which will be explained in my first challenge. I can't wait to start this!

I'll make sure I'm posting cards pretty soon.

Shelly's turn to shine!!!

I was so excited about the Featured Stamper for today because it's Shelly - papermoon04 on SCS. She's a total sweetheart - and she lives about 45 minutes away from me. And there's 2 LSS between the 2 of us, so we've been shopping buddies - and will probably get together sometime to go shopping again.

I've been a bad friend, though. I haven't been looking through her gallery (or anyone else's really) so when I looked through it, I was blown away by the gorgeousness of her cards.

I picked her Fleur D Harlequin card to CASE. If you're curious, her card is: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/674717

• One of the LSS we've been to had this gorgeous May Arts organdy ribbon. You can't really see it on the card, but it's variegated from aqua to brown, which is the inspiration for the Blue Bayou and Chocolate Chip on the card.
• Instead of stamping out diamonds, I cut diamonds out of Groovy Guava Prints paper.
• The layer beneath the diamonds has swirls from Priceless stamped in Blue Bayou.
• The "s" is Basic Grey chipboard embossed several times with silver embossing powder. **Note: if you're embossing on chipboard, it doesn't cool off as quickly as paper, so leave it alone for a few minutes before you run your finger over it to see how smooth it is. You'll pull part of the embossing powder off. I learned this to my detriment today.
• I don't have vintage brads - I need to ask Shelly where she got hers because they're really cool. I used clear rhinestone brads - and twisted my ribbon to "pinch" it at the brads.

This card is being sent to Shelly in the mail tomorrow. :)

Unusual request for a crafting blog

This is a crafting blog, I know. But thanks to my map, I've noticed that I've been getting visitors from places other than the US and Canada. Which is wonderful and I appreciate all my visitors. :)

I work at a daycare center and I'm starting to think of things to do for the summer already. The theme this summer is Around the World in 55 days. I'm hoping to find simple to create (or find in the grocery store) kid-friendly snacks from around the world.

If you have an idea for me and my work, please comment on this post with either a link to a recipe or the recipe itself. If you could also tell me where the snack originates from, that would be greatly appreciated.

I really appreciate whatever you can send me in way of ideas.

Pearlized Thanks

**random comment to start today: Blogspot remembered me. I had to click "sign in" but I didn't have to add any information like I have in the past. Weird.

My card for today is a double challenge card: Stalker's Sketch Challenge and the Ways to Use It - unique brads.

I have pearl brads that came 12 to a package, so I'm hesistant to use them. That works!

• Card base is Certainly Celery
• My lovely pentagon layers are Almost Amethyst cs and Certainly Celery Prints dp.
• The sentiment is stamped in Almost Amethyst. It's from Happy Harmony and is punched out with a super jumbo scalloped oval
• The main image is from The Art of Life. It's inked in Certainly Celery and Almost Amethyst inks and layered on a piece of Almost Amethyst.
• The layers of Almost Amethyst blend together, so I took a black marker and faux stitched around the edge of the image layer to create some definition.
• I used my crop-a dile to create some holes to thread ribbon through so I could tie a ribbon around my flower.

This card is going to a friend on SCS who is completely wonderful.

SC150 Mousie Get Better

This card was created for the SCS Sketch Challenge #150. I had fun creating this card... and it took less than 30 minutes - from the time I went downstairs to the time I walked out of my stamp room. I really need to put a clock in there.

• Base is Chocolate Chip
• Next layer up is Close to Cocoa Prints DP. I used the tag corner punch on the corners (where else?) and then glued rhinestones to the Chocolate Chip layer for a little sparkle.
• The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby and it's wrapped around the Close to Cocoa layer. It's a VERY close match to Mellow Moss.
• The House Mouse image is stamped in Basic Gray ink and only the blanket is colored. I colored it with a Prismacolor pencil that matches Mellow Moss.
• The sentiment is from Quick Thinking and is stamped in Groovy Guava.
• Mellow Moss and Groovy Guava are the "framing" layers for the main image. I pierced the corners of the Mellow Moss layer with my paper piercer.
• The image and its layers are popped up on dimensionals.

As I was naming this card, I thought of something that happened at work about a month ago. I work at a daycare center, so I have a lot of cute stories of what kids say. We have this little boy - B - who's autistic and he's the sweetest little kid ever. He's also hilarious. We have a dwarf hampster at daycare for the kids to look at and towards the end of the day - when there's not 40 kids running around making lots and lots of noise, GusGus (the hampster) graces us with his presence. Okay, backstory over. It was the end of the day and us teachers are cleaning up, making sure the fish and GusGus are fed for the night and GusGus comes out to run on his wheel. B saw this and was so excited that "Mousie" - what B called him - was out and running. He then encouraged GusGus to run by saying "Run Mousie, Run!" All I can think of is Forrest Gump and I'm trying not to laugh. But "Mousie" was running and B was happy.

Just had to share.

CONGRATS!!!!

Betty!

In my highly scientific way of choosing who won - asking a friend to pick between 1 and 15 - your number came up!

If you would email me at deipara@yahoo.com with your address, I'll get your candy out to you hopefully by the end of the week!

November Mini VSN - on NOW!!

Tonight, it's the Mini VSN on Splitcoast - and I'm one of the hostesses!

4 challenges

No time limits

2 weeks to post your card/projects

LOTS and LOTS of fun!

My Challenge: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299848

100 Views

According to my counter, I've crossed 100 views! Now, subtracting myself from this number (because I'm pretty sure I'm being counted too) this means I'm really close.

So... I'm going to offer a little blog candy. I need to decide what to give - I'll post a picture after I choose what to give away. **which I just did - it's down below**

So... the challenge:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=123359

This is my gallery on SCS - pick your favorite card and tell me why in a comment here. :)

Have fun!


*Can you tell I'm new at this blog candy stuff? I'll choose the winner Monday Morning - about 9am EST.*

Butterflies and DP flowers

The Stalker Sketch Challenge. What I said yesterday with the "regular" sketch challenge applies today as well - I love seeing what everyone else can create when given the same "floor plan" for a card.

• It's gloomy here, so I wanted a bright color palette to work with. What's brighter than Orchid Opulence? I added Certainly Celery and Apricot Appeal to the cardstock pile as well. The Basic Gray is there to tone down a little.
• I wanted to use DP - designed paper - on the card somewhere. So I dug through my stash and found the piece of Wild Asparagus paper - reason I'm using it? Under the lower butterfly there's purple shading that is REALLY close to Orchid Opulence.
• The butterflies are Basic Gray outline, Certainly Celery wings, and Orchid Opulence detail bubbles.
• The layers underneath the butterflies are Basic Gray and Apricot Appeal.

To be perfectly honest, I think I've created the ugliest card evah.

Sunny colors for a gloomy day

The Sketch Challenge. I have a lot of fun on Sketch Challenge days - one of the hardest parts of the card has been chosen for me. I'm glad I chose these colors - they're happy when it's gray and gloomy outside.

• I love how flexible you can be with the challenges. I chose to use ribbon instead of another layer going across the card. It's a very shiny grosgrain and it's close to Mellow Moss in color.
• The main image was inked in So Saffron and rolled in More Mustard. I'm not generally a fan of More Mustard, but I think it looks fabulous with these other colors.
• The small images were inked in So Saffron and the top was rolled in Mellow Moss and the bottom one was rolled in More Mustard. It gives them a different look.
• The small images are punched with a 1 1/4" square punch, then layered on a 1 3/8" square punch of Mellow Moss. I then cut out 1 1/2" squares of More Mustard to layer under that.
• I was going to use a different background stamp(s) for the white background. I was too lazy - grabbed another stamp from True Friend (where all the images come from) and stamped it in all 3 colors.

I had to finish assembling my card upstairs (my card supplies are down in the basement.) It all has to do with Christmas cards: I have all the pieces cut and stamped and ready to be assembled - and that's what I was doing last night while watching tv. So my tape and dimensionals and paper piercer were all upstairs.

Whenever I work upstairs - making ATCs or when I was cutting and stamping the pieces for my Christmas cards - I ALWAYS seem to forget something that's essential: acrylic blocks for clear stamps, stamp cleaner (always), tape. So I make 20 trips up and down the stairs somedays. The tub I grab to carry everything is MOUNDED by the time I'm ready to take stuff downstairs.

Challenge cards for today

Today was a double challenge day: Stalker's Everyday Events and the SCS Color Challenge. It was nice to have 2 cards to do (though if the CC had come out earlier, I would have combined them.)

Card #1

• Pocket card. Base is Regal Rose - it was on the table from yesterday's color challenge.
• Slider is Basic Gray cardstock layered with white, stamped with a single flower from Delight in Life.
• Fold in the pocket card has Soft Sky DP on it.
• Front of the card is Basic Gray cardstock with white layered on top, stamped with Delight in Life and Wonderful Words

Card #2

• Normal fold card for the CC of Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi and Ruby Red
• Base is Soft Sky, Ruby Red layer is only about 2.5" wide - layered with white and stamped in snowflakes from Papertrey's Snowflake Serenade.
• Cheffabella is stamped in Versafine black ink and I tried to watercolor - tried being the operative word. Prisma pencils colored the rest of it in.
• Cheffie's apron is a piece of Soft Sky DP that was cut out and glued in place.
• I used my new Coluzzle to cut the oval out.
• Underneath the oval is another piece of Soft Sky DP layered on top of Basic Gray cardstock.
• The Wild Wasabi layer has white grosgrain tied around it and the sentiment from SU's Give Thanks stamped on it.

Regal Elegant Butterflies

Today's the day for the Stalker Thread Color Challenge by Faith (markie's mom). I really like these new color challenges because we're given 4 colors, allowed 2 neutrals and sent off to do what we do. Our colors for today: Regal Rose, Elegant Eggplant, Pretty in Pink, and Sage Shadow.

To be perfectly honest, this challenge threw me for a loop. I really couldn't think of stamps to use right off the top of my head - even though I have what seems like 8 gazillion. I really didn't want to go "girly" with this kind of color scheme, but the butterflies were calling me.

On to the nitty gritty:

• Base is Regal Rose. I did some paper piercing in the corners.
• Next layer up is Elegant Eggplant. I stamped Print Pattern on it in Elegant Eggplant, then used my spiral punch to decorate the edge.
• The ovals (Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink, and white) were done with my Coluzzle. The sage layer turned out a little wonky, so under the eggplant layer is goes. The Pretty in Pink layer is paper pierced too.
• The butterflies are white cardstock with the solid wings stamped in Pretty in Pink or Sage Shadow. The pink details are Regal Rose and the purple details are Elegant Eggplant. The butterflies are also popped up on tiny pieces of dimensionals with their wings folded slightly to give even more dimension.

Friends, Shopping, Priceless

The Featured Stamper today was Jimmi - one of my VSN Sistahs. I'm so proud of her.

I chose a pocket card she did for the May VSN as the card I CASEd today.

• Card base is Certainly Celery "normal" card size (5.5"x4.25")
• The yellow is So Saffron. The slide part of the card is 3.5"x4.25" so it will fit into the pocket.
• I used Groovy Guava Prints Designer Paper. Love the polka dots.
• I used the same image Jimmi did - I used my reinkers and an aqua pen to color them in. This is the first time I did this, so things aren't as perfect as I'd generally like.
• I used a different sentiment than from her card. She had "Time to Shop" on hers... I chose "Good Friends are Priceless."
• Instead of using 2 ribbons for my slide, I just grabbed my Groovy Guava double-stitched ribbon.