Sparkly Blooms

One of my dear friends (Hi Steph!) was having a birthday this last week (the day after my own) and I wanted to create a special card for her. So as usual, in my limited time I again turned to a sketch challenge for some inspiration...are you all getting tired of me saying that?! Anyway I used Julee's Poetic Artistry Mojo Sketch Challenge #53 and one of my new stamp sets, Eastern Blooms. By the way, I love that the new sets are die-cut! I got 4 sets (including an alphabet set) put together during one nap time!

I wanted a fall color look and I also wanted to use some Burgundy stickles that I have had for awhile and never used. So I put together my color combo of Really Rust, Bravo Burgundy, & Old Olive. Both of the main flower images were done with markers directly on the stamps. The saying came from Verve Visual's Beautiful You set. I also decided to pull out some eyelets that are apparently not very "in" anymore...Stampin' Up! only is selling the metal colors now instead of all of the colors like they did before! I still think they look nice...though I will admit I probably would have used brads instead if I had them in the same colors. Poor little eyelets!

On a side note, do you think this picture means that I vacuumed just a little bit too long? I put Adilane in the Exersaucer while I vacuumed one day. I heard her fussing a little...no all out wails...so I did a little bit more. Finally I stopped and went to check on her and this is what I found! Poor thing!!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Eastern Blooms, Beautiful You (Verve Visual); Paper - Really Rust, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive, Very Vanilla; Ink - Really Rust Marker, Baroque Burgundy marker, Old Olive marker; Accessories - Really Rust & Bravo Burgundy eyelets, 5/8" Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon, Burgundy Stickles, scissors, Mat Pack

Baptism Prayers

I wanted to participate in Julee's Poetic Artistry Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge Contest, but I kept putting it off. I have a stamp camp and baptism coming up so I have been focused on those. Anyway, I created the baptism invitations for my daughter and decided I would try Julee's sketch challenge for some baptism thank yous. The baptism invitation that the thank you was based on is the second card in this post.


I bought Verve Visual's Notes of Prayer set specifically for the cross image...I have been looking for a great cross for baptism invitations. I embossed the cross in black, colored the center, and added some pink stickles. I can't stop using my Cuttlebug, so once again I reached for the wonderful D'Vine Swirls.


I pulled out the retired Petal Prints to get the leaf pattern on the Pretty in Pink paper. I love the subtly and visual interest it generated. The Thank you card has most of the same elements as my invitation, but it ended up being a little more time consuming than the invitation...which is best I guess...one of the two should be easier to make right?!

So this is the actual baptism invitation. Pretty basic, so not much to say. I love the cross below the main image...highlights the main image cross!

It is now official...I am no longer employed! I turned in my resignation on Friday. A little scary, but I think that I have come to peace with the decision to stay at home. Not much else...too tired to think right now!!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Notes of Prayer (Verve Visual), Petal Prints (retired); Paper - Basic Black, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink; Ink - Versamark, White Craft, Pretty in Pink; Accessories - Cotton Candy Stickles, Black embossing powder, heat gun, D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder, Black brads

Road Less Traveled

Got a little bit more stamping in this last week...always makes me feel good to be a little creative! Even if it means I don't get as much sleep as I should! My stamping time generally doesn't start until everyone is in bed, so if I get on a roll, I stay up too late!! Oh well!

This card is for Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch Contest. I flipped the sketch though, so I hope it still counts! I finally bought some of her fabulous stamps...bought the Notes of Prayer set to make my daughter's baptism invites and had to throw in the Beautiful You set because I just love all of the quotes! I was very pleased with how this turned out and the quote is perfect as we have some friends that will be moving soon. I used the SCS Color Challenge #180 (Blush Blossom, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa) for the color scheme...not one I would have ever thought of, but I love it!

I colored the quote with markers so I could highlight certain words. Then I added a little sparkle to those words with a Gelly Roll pen that I have had for years! The quote layer and the Ruby Red strips on the top and bottom were sponged with Close to Cocoa ink. I roughed up all of the edges on all of the layers but one...the road is less traveled by afterall, so it should be a little rough. I pulled out my Cuttlebug Swirls embossing folder that I love so much and embossed the Blush Blossom layer under the quote. I rubbed it with some Close to Cocoa ink as well.

The sketch called for a circle element under the main image, but I just couldn't come up with anything that looked right. So I thought of using brads to create my circle element. Then I created a button (because I don't have any otherwise) out of some circle chipboard...I covered it with Blush Blossom cardstock, sanded the edges, sponged them, and the punch two holes with the Crop-a-Dile...tada, a button! Then I found some cross-stitch floss that matched the Ruby Red cardstock and tied it to my button.

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Beautiful You (Verve Stamps), Sanded; Paper - Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, Blush Blossom; Ink - Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red; Accessories - Cuttlebug Swirls Embossing Folder, Pewter brads, Sakura Gelly Roll Red Sparkle Pen, Circle Chipboard, dimensionals, Glue dots, Crop-a-Dile

Masculine Giraffe

How about a more masculine card? I needed a couple of male birthday cards, so I once again turned to my trusty SCS challenges to help me get started.

I utilized the Sketch Challenge #186 and the Color Challenge #176 (Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, River Rock). Since I do not own the Soft Sky or River Rock ink pads, I had to add some Chocolate Chip into the mix...tried not to add too much, so I wouldn't deviate from the 3 main colors.

I also realized that I am really lacking a good guy stamp set, so I had to turn to one of my favorites, In the Wild. Can't wait to see what the new catalog has in store for me...when is it going to come?!! Anyway, the giraffe was stamped in Chocolate Chip and layered a lot. I crumbled some Soft Sky paper and attached it with pewter brads. To give the bottom River Rock layer a little interest, I stamped the Sanded background with Versamark. The ticket corner punch and some reverse paper piercing finished it off. I always have a hard time with "guy" cards, but I was quite pleased with this one!

All is well in our home. I was the "Song Lady" at my church's Vacation Bible School. My son basically learned all of the songs prior to VBS starting, so he was my little "helper" when I had to teach the songs to the kids. It was fun. Adilane is doing great as well...she is just such a happy and easy going baby...we truly are blessed. So I will leave you with this adorable picture of her that I took over the weekend!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - In the Wild (retired), Sanded, Birthday Whimsy (retired); Paper - Very Vanilla, River Rock, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip; Ink - Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Versamark; Accessories - Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Pewter Brads, Ticket Corner Punch

Swirly Anniversary

Last week when I found a little stamping time, this was the second card that I did. I actually found a little time this week as well, so I will have another card to show soon...yeah me!

Utilizing the wonderful tools of sketch challenges and color challenges, I created this card for my sister's anniversary (and I made a second one for a friend's anniversary as well...what the heck, the supplies were all out already!). I love, LOVE, sketch and color challenges because it takes so much of the time of designing a card out of the way, so I can get them done quicker...and when you are only able to work in that 1 hour or so of overlapping nap time, quick is good. So I used Sketch Challenge #185 and Color Challenge #177 (Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Groovy Guava or Cameo Coral). I forgot that I actually had like 2 sheets of Groovy Guava and went with Cameo Coral...oops!

I embossed the couple with Crystal Clear embossing powder and then bleached them. The bleaching came out very vanilla colored, so I took the liberty to add Very Vanilla to the mix. I used my Swirls embossing folder for my cuttlebug (so love this thing!) and applied some Very Vanilla ink across the top.

That is all for now...I should have my card I made this week up in a couple of days. I am so proud that I am actually finding some time to stamp...it makes me happy!

The Engineering Details
Stamps - Summer by the Sea; Paper - Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Very Vanilla; Ink - Versamark, Very Vanilla; Accesories - Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder, Antique Brass brads, dimensionals, Crystal Clear embossing powder, bleach

Getting Back in the Game...Sort of!

It has been a long time! Things are going well at home with two kids, but we seem to constantly be adjusting...figuring out what works. Every day is different it seems, so there isn't a "normal" yet. Adilane is getting bigger and stronger all the time and Elijah continues to be the "Big" brother that is sweet and loving one minute and then he turns crazy and almost out of control the next! Believe me, I have a new found appreciation for Stay-at-Home Moms! In fact I have questioned if staying home is the right decision for me a couple of times...those were just the really bad days though!




Anyway, I actually found a little time yesterday to stamp! I was so very excited to do something creative...and I finally broke out my Cuttlebug that I have had since Mother's Day! Right now I feel pretty mentally and somewhat physically exhausted by the end of the day, so my creative juices have not been flowing! I am way behind on some cards for friends and family so I am attempting to catch up. To help speed things along (since my time is apparently limited) I am relying heavily on sketch challenges and color challenges. Less thinking for me!


So this card uses a sketch challenge from Julee at Poetic Artistry - Mojo48 (she always has great sketch challenges every Monday) and a color challenge from last week on SplitCoast Stampers (CC175 - Almost Amethyst, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron). I decided to try the die and embossing set that comes with the Cuttlebug machine. I have to tell you...I love my Cuttlebug and I know what to get so much more for it! It was so easy to use and the results were incredible! I altered Julee's sketch a smidge because I lent out my circle punches, so I went square instead.


I used the die to get the "postage stamp" square and then embossed the cupcake on the three colors and pieced them together. A little diamond Stickles finished off the cupcake. I don't have much Wild Wasabi or Almost Amethyst paper, so I had to keep it to a minimum. Luckily I still have the Designer Series Paper from the Hostess Benefit Prints Pack which contained Wild Wasabi! Mellow Moss Grosgrain ribbon actually does a nice job of matching the Wild Wasabi. Not much else to say...fairly basic but it felt good! Oh and I did a second card that I will post later!!!

The Engineering Details


Stamps - Everyday Flexible Phrases; Paper - So Saffron, Almost Amethyst, Wild Wasabi DSP from Prints Pack, Shimmer White; Ink - Versamark; Accessories - Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug Celebration Die and Embossing Set, Corner Rounder Punch, Diamond Stickles, Moss 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

A Flip-Flop Announcement

Ever since I saw the Flip-Flop (swing) card, I had it in my head to do baby announcements with it. So I finally did! I took the instructions from SCS (found here) and then altered the sizes to fit my photo and such.
I don't have a whole lot of truly baby stamps, so I borrowed a retired set called Welcome, Little One from a friend. All of the lettering was done on the computer and carefully cut to place everything where I wanted it.

I stamped the flowers in Rose Red and added a dot of White in the centers with the White Gel Pen. The white centers just gave it a complete look...something that was totally lacking prior. So this was my daughter's birth announcements. Probably a little more time consuming than I thought considering I made 60 (pretty typical with me), but I was very pleased with how they turned out. They took a month to get out...what is the etiquette on the timing of sending out birth announcements anyway? Oh well, better now than never!

The Engineering Details

Stamps - Welcome Little One (retired); Paper - Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Whisper White; Ink - Rose Red, Pretty in Pink; Accessories - White Gel Pen, Cutter with scoring blade