Monday, July 28, 2008

Update!

Since I forgot to bake scones yesterday for today's afternoon snack at work, I'm up bright and early and I have time to update. *gasp*

This last week on Splitcoast, it's been a treat for Fan Club members - the Dare to Get Dirty challenges arrived! For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, Splitcoast has a design team which is affectionately referred to as the "Dirty Dozen." These women are phenomenal stampers and I can only dream to be 1/5th as good a stamper as they are. Fan Club members pay a small amount a year ($25) to get instant uploads and access to themed gallery the Dirty Dozen created that month.

As a thank you, Fan Club members have access to special challenges created by current and past members of the Dirty Dozen - the Dare to Get Dirty challenges. Thankfully there weren't as many as last year - I was pretty sick of making cards by the end of the week last year.

The major thing I learned with these challenges: when possible, combine. It makes life easier and you don't have as many cards laying around at the end of the day.

So... the cards from the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges:

I almost went blind when I saw this color combo together on my table. Is it obvious I don't use Bold Brights that often? Thankfully the card turned out not as bright when it was assembled.

Stamps: PTI - Garden of Life. Paper: Real Red, Brilliant Blue, YoYo Yellow, Whisper White. Ink: Real Red, Brilliant Blue, YoYo Yellow. Accessories: slit punch, corner rounder punch, oval nesties, velcro, tacky tape, ribbon.

I love cupcakes.

Stamps: MFT - What's Up Cupcake, PTI - Mixed Messages. Paper: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Real Red, My Mind's Eye dp. Ink: Palette Noir, Real Red. Accessories: oval nesties, dimensionals

I loved this sketch when I saw it. This card is a combo of 2 challenges: the sketch and a monochromatic card challenge. Thanks Manda (tropicalichick) for the image!

Stamps: none - image received as a gift. Ink: Really Rust and Blush Blossom markers. Paper: Really Rust, Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava cs and dp. Accessories: brads, primas, ribbon, dimensionals

My interpretation of a really pretty cake that was used for an inspiration challenge.

Stamps: Flourishes - Damask. Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black, PTI Select White. Ink: Versafine Black Onyx, Accessories: brads, dimensionals.

A masculine card challenge

Stamps: none. Paper: Tempting Turquoise, More Mustard, Real Red, East Coast Prep dp. Accessories: Basic Grey fibers - Boxer, brad, Heidi Swapp ghost star, dimensionals.


**Some of the new In Colors are intermingled with regular SU! colors. I'm not a demo, but I was extremely fortunate to get my hands on some of the paper before it's available to everybody.

Typing in 12 minute spurts is getting annoying. Thankfully, my baking is on the last pan.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Friday, July 25, 2008

I'm back

I'm getting really bad at this blogging thing and I apologize to whomever reads this.

But I have been creating and as soon as I get some pictures taken, I'll be uploading them here.

Hope everyone's been doing well,

Monday, July 14, 2008

It's time to show some cards

I need to get myself back in the mindset of make a card, take a picture and upload it all in the same day. I need to do a KETCHUP post.

Not long after I did my last post, I was printing someting out and the paper jammed. Not a problem, except I'm working in tight quarters and all the cards I make wind up sitting in a pretty Ikea planter/tin on top of my printer (and more recently, take over my desk in general.) Everything had to be moved.


As you can see from the picture, I had a lot of cards. All the cards that are in the white box weren't in the tin, they were piled precariously on my desk - the threat of avalanche was constant. I'm slowly RAKing the cards - I sent out 11 cards this morning.

Something I wanted to try last week when it was a TLC challenge was making a suspension card. They're super easy and lots of fun.


Stamps: Papertrey - It's a Celebration. Paper: Aqua Mist, Purely Pomegranate, Select White, My Mind's Eye dp. Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Aqua Mist. Accessories: thread, cuttlebug, classic oval Nestabilities, dimensionals, adhesive pearls.

Carole's color challenge last Tuesday was really pretty: Groovy Guava, Barely Banana and Chocolate Chip. I'm not sure I really like how my card turned out, but it's a great color combo.


Stamps: MFT - Boho Blossoms. Paper: Groovy Guava, Barely Banana, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White. Ink: Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, Barely Banana. Accessories: dimensionals, ribbon, halfback pearls.

I haven't done a Saturday Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast in forever - almost a year. (I did the math.) The challenge was to be inspired by some wedding cakes - and there was a beautiful aqua cake with branches wrapped around it. The branches reminded me of SU's Embrace Life, so I went from there.


Stamps: SU - Embrace Life, Papertrey - Piece of Cake. Paper: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Select White. Ink: Burnt Umber Palette, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss. Accessories: ribbon, slit punch, dimensionals, Sakura pen, aquapainter.

And this brings us to today's TLC challenge - grids. Since I don't have a Scor-Pal, I had to use my scoring blade on my trimmer to make my lines - and they're not fancy and on an angle or anything. After scoring my background piece, I stamped it with Flourishes' Damask background stamp and then sponged the edges. The main image is from Time for the Bubbly by My Favorite Things. It's stamped in Palette Noir and colored in with Prismacolor pencils and baby oil.


Stamps: Flourishes - Damask, MFT - Time for the Bubbly. Paper: Plum Pudding, Lavender Moon, Select White. Ink: Palette Noir, Plum Pudding, Lavender Moon. Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, baby oil, blending stumps, sponge, ribbon, staple, dimensionals, word window punch, brad.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Promised Pictures

So I promised you the pictures of my newly cleaned Dungeon. Well, it's a little more organized than before. I wouldn't go out and say it's clean. :)

But...

The new place for my extra paper and a whole bunch of alterable items.

Where I sit.

Looking down the table from the file box holding all my cardstock.

I also got some stamping done between cleaning and fireworks and more cleaning - stuff from another part of the Dungeon (not my stamping part) went to Salvation Army.

The card for the Featured Stamper today (wow, I'm posting a picture the day of the challenge!) I wanted to put all the greens together to create a spring or summery scene. The UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) had glitter in it, so my scene is all glittery.

Stamps: SU - Lovely as a Tree. Paper: Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Spring Moss, Whisper White. Ink: Spring Moss, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Palette Burnt Umber, Versamark. Accessories: UTEE, dimensionals, cuttlebug, paper piercer.

Hoping everyone had a wonderful weekend and has a great week,

Friday, July 4, 2008

The Dungeon's been cleaned

On Wednesday, we had a storm. I actually need to clarify that. Have you ever seen the newsclips that are videotaped DURING a hurricane with the wind swirling and the rain going full force? That's what was unleashed on us Wednesday afternoon and night. Power's out in some places around the city - and not expected to be back until Monday. Thankfully, I didn't lose power.

But we do have a leaky Dungeon. Some leaks are pretty close to my stamping area, others are in another part of the Dungeon. Regardless, my stamping stuff has exploded and I needed to organize it to get it under control.

So while I didn't have internet or cable Wednesday night, I cleaned up. The box o' projects is now gone - I went through it and have grouped things that belong together and put them on a spare shelf. Anything I don't want is going into a "white elephant" or blog candy pile.

I have a few things I still need to do, so when I'm finished I definitely will take pictures. This needs to be documented!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July,

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

I'm around, I'm around

I've actually been stamping. :)

I'm really liking the polka dot satin ribbon from Papertrey that I ordered in ALL the colors. As noted by the fact that all 3 cards that are going to be in this post have some on them.

Since my birthday was last Tuesday, I needed to make some thank you cards. I also had all this new Papertrey stuff. Hmm...

I made 2 at the same time, using the same colors, main stamp set, and dp. I also bought myself a Cropadile Big Bite at Michael's last week with a 50% off coupon, so I had to try it on snaps in the middle of the card. For those who are curious: PTI - Papertrey Ink; SU - Stampin' Up!
Stamps: PTI - Spiral Bouquet. Paper: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Select White, Everyday Blessings dp. Ink: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss. Accessories: Big Bite, snaps, dimensionals, word window punch, PTI ribbon.

Stamps: PTI - Spiral Bouquet, SU - Much Appreciated. Paper: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Select White, Everyday Blessings dp. Ink: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss. Accessories: PTI ribbon, dimensionals, word window punch, snaps, Cropadile.

The last card I made was also using Papertrey papers, but since I have these gorgeous Verve Visual sets sitting out, I decided to use one of the flowers. I wanted to keep it super simple, but absolutely gorgeous. I stamped the flower twice - once in Lavender Moon and once in Plum Pudding. I cut the extra leaves away from the Plum Pudding flower and layered it onto the other flower and connected them with a pearl brad.
Stamps: Verve Visual - Thankful Blossoms. Paper: Plum Pudding, Lavender Moon, Very Vanilla, Guide Lines dp. Ink: Lavender Moon, Plum Pudding. Accessories: corner rounder punch (to make scallops), paper piercer, dimensionals, PTI ribbon, pearl brad, Frosted Lace Stickles.

I'm waiting for Papertrey to send me the right stamp set. When I was unpacking my box, I had Boards and Beams instead of Out on a Limb Sentiments. So I sent them the set back and I got an email on Monday saying that the correct set is on its way.

I'm getting a little antsy about my Nestabilities that I ordered over a month ago from Cut @ Home. I ordered from them over a month ago - and while I do know that Nesties are REALLY in demand, it's kinda hard to be patient. I guess I got spoiled last order when I got them within 2 weeks.

Life's just crazy right now.

Wishing everyone a little less craziness than I currently think I have,