Blog Candy for 10K (and some cards)

I've been doing better about actually making cards over the past week. Maybe not getting them posted here right away, but the creative juices have been flowing.

Behind Door #1, is the card that kinda came out of the Inspiration Challenge. I say kinda because while I loved the intricate patterns of the French Bull plates, I couldn't find a pattern I could do justice. This happens a lot for me.
The background image is the vine from PTI's With Sympathy and it's stamped in Palette Noir ink. I highlighted some of the leaves with a white Prismacolor pencil.

The image is also from With Sympathy and is stamped in Gable Green and Lavender Lace inks on Cryogen white cardstock (Shimmer.) The sentiment is from Out on a Limb Sentiments (also PTI) and is stamped in Palette Noir.


Stamps: PTI - Out on a Limb Sentiments, With Sympathy. Paper: Cryogen White, Pixie Pink, Gable Green, Lavender Lace. Ink: Palette Noir, Gable Green, Lavender Lace. Accessories: brads, ribbon, white Prismacolor pencil, scalloped rectangle Nestabilities, ticket corner punch, dimensionals.


Behind Door #2 is today's FS card. The card is chose to CASE is this one.

Stamps: MFT - Boho Blossoms. Paper: Old Olive, River Rock, Real Red, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Basic Grey Scarlet's Letter dp. Ink: Old Olive, River Rock. Accessories: corner rounder punch, brads, rhinestones, dimensionals.

*******************************************************************************

Now onto what probably drew you to this post: the BLOG CANDY. I've finally reached 10K hits on my counter and I figured it was time to celebrate. I haven't given away blog candy since May of last year, so I've had some time to save up the goodies.

A 3 pack of 4x6 pine frames from Ikea

Autumn Leaves Flourishes clear stamp set

Making Memories shimmer brads

Making Memories eyelets (grass stains, dusk and manilla)

Glimmer Mist (Peach Delight)

A frame embellishment kit

7 Gypsies handbag kit

We R Memory Keepers metal alphabet set

1 yard red gingham ribbon

Doodlebug Dotlets (copper and gunmetal)

Primas

Buttons

Rhinestones

As I look through my list, I realize that there are a lot of embellishments. Which makes me wonder...

What is your favorite (go-to) embellishment for cards, scrapbooks, altered items, etc?

Please answer the question as a comment on this blog post and I will randomly select a winner at Midnight ET April 12/13.

Good Luck!

Foiled Again

So today's WT challenge was all about using foil on your cards: foiled paper, kitchen foil, etc.

I happened to find some Karen Foster metal sheets at my LSS on clearance a few years ago and thought it was a perfect choice. They're self-adhesive, so it makes it even better.

So I made my card.
Stamps: PTI - Out on a Limb, Out on a Limb Sentiments. Paper: Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet, Select White, Karen Foster metal sheet. Ink: PTI - Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate; SU - Brilliant Blue. Accessories: dimensionals, classic rectangle Nestabilities, buttons.

And my card is driving me nuts.

**warning: rant about the flaws and a pity party to commence**

Nothing on my card is straight, the buttons are an "embellishment opportunity" (aka - I botched something and needed a way to hide it) and I had a fight with my Cuttlebug over embossing my cut out layers.

*sigh*

It's a nice card, but it's days like this that make me question my desire to join a design team. I don't feel like I'm consistent in my quality.

I'm just having one of those days - and it stinks.

Hoping your creative day is better than mine,

A new temptation

No, I didn't buy anything.

But I've been introduced by my friend Michelle Redman over on SCS to a new way of stamping: DIGI-STAMPING.

It's an image you download and you print off in your printer.

Oh, what a dangerous world this could be.

Michelle directed me over to a blog by a man named Dustin Pike - he draws the cutest dragons for his company Mooseberry Graphics. He also had some freebie digi-stamps on his blog - the dragons are absolutely adorable and since they're free, I couldn't resist. :)

It's a Sketch Challenge day at SCS and the sketch isn't bad at all.

Since I've done this lead up into the dragons and it's incredibly windy here today, I figured it was fitting that I use the dragon flying the kite.

He's colored in with Copics, highlighted with a white Prismacolor pencil, and sparkled with some Crystal Stickles.
Stamps: Mooseberry Graphics - digi stamp Fly Kite. Paper: Old Olive, River Rock, Select White, Pumpkin Pie dp. Ink: printer ink. Accessories: Copics, white Prismacolor, stickles, brads, ticket corner punch, dimensionals.

Wishing for warmer weather,

Card Catch-up

I figured it was time to show off the 2 cards I've made this week.

The first card is actually from Tuesday. It's for the SCS Color Challenge of Kiwi Kiss (I used Old Olive), Baja Breeze (I used Sage Shadow) and Pretty in Pink.

Since I am horrible about birthdays, I figured I needed at least 1 belated birthday card in my stash.

Image is stamped in Palette Noir and colored in with Prismacolor pencils and baby oil. Her jammies are paper pieced with Pretty in Pink dp. The sentiment is stamped in Sage Shadow ink and punched out with a 1 1/4" circle punch.

The background is a piece of Old Olive cardstock that I laid a Tim Holtz mask over and sponged with Old Olive ink. I think it looks pretty cool.

Stamps: MFT - Here's the Scoop. Paper: Sage Shadow, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, PTI Select White. Ink: Palette Noir, Old Olive, Sage Shadow. Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, baby oil, stickles, ribbon, Tim Holtz mask, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, dimensionals, button.

And then there's today's card. FS112.

Here's the card I CASEd: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1188266

Changes:
I added a card base (I didn't want the Copic bleed-through showing)
Colors
Ribbon placement
No sentiment
Used a scalloped oval nestability as a mask

*Useful information if you choose to do something like this masked image*
My mask is the "negative" image from the nestability (the frame you get after you punch out the oval.) It was also notebook paper so I didn't get gaps in my stamped image. Copics bleed through this VERY quickly, so keep your marker light when you're working around the edges. Make sure you're able to remove your mask when you're done (personal experience on this one.)

I think I might be getting better with my Copics. Which is good.
Stamps: MFT - Can Ya Dig It? Paper: PTI - Spring Moss, Select White. Ink: Palette Noir, Ripe Avocado. Accessories: Copics, nestability, ribbon, dimensionals, white Prismacolor pencil.

Here's to a week that hopefully brings spring,

The Slippery Slope

Once I started buying again...

I won't say I can't stop - because I CAN. I just don't have the will or want to stop right now.

I'm trying, but it's not easy.

My LSS is now selling Glimmer Mist.

I found out because I was there asking for donations for work - my kids (my group) love playing with patterned paper and stickers and all that fun stuff.

I'm thinking of having an Ongoing Scrapbook for our summer. Have a table with scrapbook items out and when we get new pictures of a trip (or just regular day) let the kids create the page - and journal it.


***edited to add***

I just looked at my counter and I have less than 100 hits before I'm at 10,000! Blog Candy when I reach 10K.

An Early FS

So... the Featured Stamper was posted early on SCS. Which is great, especially since I was in the mood to stamp.

Today's Featured Stamper is...

Beate.

Which is fabulous because she's one of the rock stars of Splitcoast. It's surprising that she hasn't been chosen before.

It's scary (in a way) because she's ONE OF THE ROCK STARS OF SPLITCOAST. How on earth do you CASE Beate - and make it look good?

Well, it's not nearly as rough as I thought it would be - or a rough as finding a card in her gallery that doesn't have more than 20 Favorites. (I told you she's a rock star.) I settled for a card that had about 25 Favorites.

Here's Beate's Card.

You have to change at least 2 things - rules of the Featured Stamper Challenge. I changed:

Stamp
Colors
Size of the card - mine is 5.25" square
Left off the circles
No paper piercing
Stamps: Rubbernecker - Rose. Paper: Sage Shadow, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Basic Grey Marrakesh dp, Stampers Select White. Ink: Palette Noir. Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, dimensionals, ribbon, brads.

I'm excited to see the start of my daffodils and tulips in front of the house - it means spring's definitely on its way.

Wishing everyone a great rest of the weekend!

Shopping Therapy

I know it's been a while since I've posted - I'm creating, just not taking pictures of stuff.

Plus life's gone wacko again, so I've been laying low.

The kids at work were CRAZY this week - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday especially. It's the full moon at work.

So... armed with a 20% entire purchase coupon from Michael's, I did a little shopping therapy.

Yeah, making it past Easter without a purchase didn't fly.

It was a Tim Holtz day: one of his stamp sets, some Distress Stickles, the clockwork mask set, 2 jars of Distress Crackle Paint, and a set of Fragments.

Oh, and some Prima gem stickers.

I'm feeling a little guilty, because I cheated on the spending ban again.

But some time in stamping therapy (with my new goodies) with wash that guilt right away.