Sunday Sketch and Stamp --- Challenge #2

Happy Mother's Day!

It is already time for Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #2! We have a terrific sketch for this fortnight designed by Maggie.

So, here is my take on the sketch. It is also the card I gave to my mom for Mother's Day. It's a good thing she has a great sense of humor! (Actually, the card my brother gave her was even brattier -- hee hee!)

The stamp is Happy Hopper Dress Up from House Mouse and she is colored with PrismaColors. Isn't she the cutest? The DP is "Fashion District" from "Me and My Big Idea" papers. The embellies and ribbon are from my stash and the sentiment is computer generated.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to join us over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp. We have something special!

Forever Young Mother's Day Card

I've been out of town for a few days visiting my aunt and uncle and found them to be doing quite well! They are 87 and 88 years old, coming up on their 68th anniversary and living in their own home. We had a great time talking and going out to eat, a drive over to the Amana Colonies in Iowa, more talking, looking at pictures, drinking coffee, and did I mention talking! We always have a very good time together.

Now that I am back home I am catching up on all my favorite blogs. It's always so much fun to look at so much talent!

Before I left went out of town, I made this Mother's Day card for my step-son's fiance. She is young, a model and loves fashion. Not to mention a great mommy to their 2 year-old son! So when I saw this stamp called "Jasmine" from Rubbernecker Stamps I thought of her. Oh, to be young and skinny again! Wait, I never was skinny. Well, let's just say, "Forever Young"!

The card is actually made from some scraps (I never throw anything away!) and the light yellow card stock is embossed with Cuttlebug. The beautiful model is colored with Copics, and the flowers were stripped from a stem of silk flowers I bought at Walmart then attached with tiny brads. The leaves were stripped from the stem, too.

Penny-pinching tip: I bought stems of flowers in several colors at Walmart. They were a dollar each and I have dozens of little flowers and the leaves for accent. They stack smartly with other larger flowers or stand alone. In a previous card I showed these little flowers in white and dipped in glitter.

Well, on to looking at every one's new creations! Thanks for stopping by!

Whiff of Joy Challenge #28 --- Stars and Stripes!

Stars and stripes? Did someone say "stars and stripes"? Can I do a card in stars and stripes for the Whiff of Joy Weekly Challenge? You bet I can! That is one of my favorite things! Don't worry, I won't go into my rendition of a John Phillip Sousa march, but I do have one parading in my head!

With Memorial Day, Flag Day and the 4th of July coming up we tend to turn to, not just stars and stripes, but also red, white and blue. It just makes sense that my card would look something like this:

Charlie is decked out in a star-studded jacket pieced from a scrap of holographic paper. His trousers are cut from red mulberry paper. The rest of him is colored with Copics. He looks very dapper, don't you think? Rather than raise his glass in a toast he is waving a couple of US flags. Most of the materials are from my hefty stash of patriotic papers and embellies, and I would guess much of it came from Oriental Trading Company.

I had a long day of driving, but a very enjoyable dinner and visit with my aunt and uncle. (BTW, if you saw yesterday's post you saw the Mother's Day card I made for my aunt and she loves it!) They are doing amazingly well and we plan to do something fun tomorrow. I am about to nod off on my laptop, so I'd best get some sleep. I just couldn't let a WOJ challenge slip by!

A Mother's Day Card for a Very Special Aunt

Tomorrow I am driving up to Iowa to spend a couple of days with my very special aunt and uncle. They are 87 and 88 years old, respectively, and the most vital people I know! My aunt has struggled with serious health issues for some time, but my uncle's devoted TLC keeps her going. He has incredible energy --- I know that first hand, but that's a whole different story.

My aunt loves my cards so I made her a very special Mother's Day card. I call her my Aunt-Mom Lorraine because when my father died very suddenly when I was 3 years old (with 2 younger brothers) these two loving people have always been there for us. Dad was my uncle's baby brother. It goes without saying that these two people are very special to us --- and they bless so many others as well.

Tada! Here is the card. The layout is from this week's Ismaki challenge. They have some amazing sketches! For the colors I was inspired by the area rugs (photo at the bottom) from a Penney's catalog, which was easy since this is one of my favorite colors of blue. Of course the new Willow from Whiff of Joy is just so precious. She is colored with Copics and encircled in Paper Fancies flowers. The ivory DP is from DCWV Luxury Stack, and the navy embossed CS is from my stash. The white net trim is probably from Michael's bridal department.

To protect the card from being crushed I put it in a clear box from Clear Bags. I use these a lot for sending cards.

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend. It was quite productive for me and I have more cards to show you! So, when I go out of town, blogging goes with me!

Mojo Monday #84

It's time I get my Mojo Monday #84 card posted! In case this adorable Sarah Kay Country Girl looks familiar, it's because she is one of my favorite Sarah Kay stamps, and she is just so much fun to color. I colored her with my Copics and I love to get as much depth as I can. Such rich markers! The DP is all from DCWV Blossoms and Butterflies with a little sanding around the edges.


This was an easy and fun sketch to do. If you haven't joined in the fun yet there is still time before the next great sketch comes out on Monday!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend is relaxing and fun!

Basic Grey Challenge 32 --- Christine's Sketch

Since I love the Basic Grey Designer Papers it just made sense that I should take part in the Basic Grey Challenge blog. So, last night I selected some of my favorite pieces from the Porcelain Collection and made this card.

Sitting pretty in the center is Whiff of Joy Willow on WOJ's wing-backed chair. (Both colored with Copics) The lace that stretches across the card was carried into the flower as well, and an additional touch as a doily on the back of the chair.

It's a very rainy day here -- a good day for some stamping and coloring and a good movie. I hope it is lovely wherever you are and that you have a relaxing weekend planned.

Thank you for stopping by!

Who Can Resist Ian?

Yesterday was a "My Day".  I had my hair done, lunch with my mom, and a bit of shopping for fresh summer clothes.  Very nice day!  But, I didn't get a new card posted.  I didn't even get into my studio. 

I do have a couple of cards I haven't posted yet.  Greeting Farms Anya and Ian are so adorable I had to have a few of their stamps.  These are not easy to get! Some of the stamps I want are always sold out --- everywhere.  But I was able to grab a few.  Like Skater Ian.  Who can resist Ian, anyway? 

The images are colored with Copics and the DP for both cards is the rockin' DCWV Rock Star Stack.  I love these little guys! We'll be seeing more of Ian and some of Anya, too!

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your week has been good and a terrific weekend coming up!

House Mouse Challenge #35 -- Get Well Soon

I hope everyone is having a great week!  It has been rainy here but that brings out the new leaves and thick, cool grass! I love spring!

This week's House Mouse Challenge is "Get Well Soon" or to wish someone well.   I don't have any HM images yet that show bandages or thermometers, but I love this bubble bath bunny.  Besides, what makes one feel better than a long soak in the tub? I used DP from the S-E-I Black Orchid collection and my scrapbook stash to make a little bathtub scene.  The mirror is some holographic CS I keep on hand.  The vase has been in my sticker drawer for ages, and the leaves are from silk flowers.  Some pearls and paper flowers and voila!

Jump on over to the House Mouse Challenge blog and show off your House Mouse, Happy Hopper, or Gruffies on cards to make someone feel better.  Be sure to check out the design team's cards and all the participants', too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Earth Day Card

Last Wednesday, April 22, was Earth Day.  I decided to
take note of the day by making a "recycled" card.  Over the years I have saved nearly every greeting card, mostly Christmas cards, and my aunt recently sent me card fronts she had been saving.  So I took one of those older cards and made this simple all occasion card.  The card front with the branch and beautiful red bird was actually larger than my typical 5 x 7 size, so I trimmed it just a bit.  I placed it on a striped DP and attached that to Bazzill CS.  To highlight the pretty little bird I cut an opening in vellum with my Nesties and folded a margin around to the side and attached it to the back of the card. 

On the inside is a quote I found in a collection of Vellum Sentiments.

All was very simple and, best of all, reused a wonderful old card.

Sunday Sketch and Stamp --- Design Team Blog Hop!

Thank you for joining us on the first day of the brand new Sunday Sketch and Stamp challenge blog!!

Maggie, our fearless leader, gave us a terrific sketch for our first challenge and it is posted over on the blog .  We would love for you to post your takes on the sketch and the DT will be touring the blogs and looking at all the great talent out there.

Below is my card from Maggie's sketch.  I used DP from K & Company Classic Collection. The double-sided CS gives so many wonderful combinations. The image of Whiff of Joy Willow is colored with Copics. Isn't she just the sweetest? The ovals are cut with my Nesties. The scroll on the right side and the flowers are cut with Cuttlebug dies and accented with pearls. The "Cherish" charm makes a nice finishing touch and could be used for a number of sentiments.

But there is more today!  Scroll below the card ............................

We're having a blog hop today (26th April) to mark the launch of the site, so if you'd like to join in then hop back on over to the SSS blog where you'll find all the instructions and the link to the first blog to visit.

If you're already joining in the blog hop, you should have come to my blog from Clare at Taffy Crafty Creations (and if you didn't, you've taken a wrong turn -- oops --- and need to go back to SSS and start again...sorry!).

My blog hop question is: "How did I get the name for my card business?" You'll find the answer somewhere on my blog, so be sure to have a good look around! When you've found the answer, write it down and then hop on over to Stephanie's blog, Owl Whimsy, where you can see her wonderful DT card and the next question and blog hop link.

Good luck, have fun, and thanks for playing along with us - we can't wait to see what you create!

Sunday Sketch and Stamp is Ready to Launch!

We are getting really excited about launching our first sketch on Sunday, April 26!! We have a terrific sponsor for our first sketch.  Crafty Ribbons has provided the prize for our first challenge and it is really cool!!

 Also we have been busy behind the scenes adding a surprise for our first day:  A BLOG HOP!!  Whooo hooo! It will be starting at 9:00am GMT (3:00am CDT) and you will get to move from one designer's blog to the other. We will have our take on the sketch posted plus a question for you to answer.  There are prizes!  In the US, don't worry about getting up in the middle of the night to play --- you will have 24 hours to get the answers.  More details are over on Sunday Sketch and Stamp.

I am personally very excited as this is my first honor to be a designer.  I have to thank everyone for your encouragement and support.  I know you will all be around for our kick-off and we appreciate that, too!

See y'all Sunday!

One Card, Two Challenges: Whiff of Joy #27 and Cute Card Thursday #57!

When I finished this card last night for the Whiff of Joy Challenge I realized that it also fits the Cute Card Thursday Challenge. 

 

For the WOJ challenge Heather gave us a wonderful sketch this week.  I had this image colored and matched up to the DP for some time and thought it would be perfect for the sketch.  Willow is colored with Copics and surrounded by green and purple paper flowers from Oriental Trading Company and aqua flowers from Fabric Fancies.  The DP and green paper are from The Paper Studio and the lavender is from Paper Pizazz.  (These have been in my stash for a long time!) I distressed the edges of all the layers, which is the Cute Card Challenge: Getting Edgy.  Add some rickrack and a pretty little charm and ta-da!  At the last minute I added stick-on letters to spell "mother" and will add a sentiment for one of the sweet moms I know. 

There are more terrific cards at both of these sites, so jog on over for a look and play along, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Gift From a Friend

A hand made card is truly a gift, a creation from the heart. So when I received this beautiful card from my dear friend Marion of Myrt's Card-O-Craft I was surprised and elated!

A photo just doesn't do it justice. Marion's work is so neat and precise, every detail in place. The sweet stamp has her beautiful coloring and the inside of the card showed the same loving touch. The message brought tears of joy to my eyes and I'm going to keep that to myself, but she printed it in such a professional manner.

I feel truly blessed to be part of this wonderful community where talent, creativity and friendship are freely shared and appreciated.

Thanks, Marion! You are a gem!

Sunday Sketch and Stamp Launches In 4 Days!

Mark you calendars, set your alarms, and call your friends! Sunday Sketch and Stamp launches our first challenge on April 26 --- just 4 days away. Not only do we have some fabulous cards to kick off our first sketch, but we also have a terrific sponsor! So, what are you waiting for? Jog on over to Sunday Sketch and Stamp and see who this sponsor is!

See ya Sunday!

House Mouse Challenge #34 --- Springtime

Today is Tuesday and I have a confession to make: I am hooked on House Mouse and friends! Today I colored these cute little guys dressed as flowers, and before long I had a springtime bouquet. The House Mouse Challenge this week is Springtime so I am back already with this entry. Aren't they so cute?!

The DP is DCWV Blossoms and Butterflies. What better paper for springtime? The paper flowers are from a fun assortment called Fruit Salad Flowers from Oriental Trading Company. The little sunflowers in the centers were from Michael's bridal department --- really!

I haven't put a sentiment on this card yet because I haven't decided whether to use it for a birthday or Mother's Day.

Thank you for taking a look! Join us in the House Mouse Challenge and be sure to take a look at the other participants' springtime cards, too.

Whiff of Joy Challenge #26 --- Black & White with a Splash of Color

This week the Whiff of Joy Challenge isn't a sketch, but a color challenge: black and white with just a splash of another color. Fun! I knew just what touch of color I wanted to use. After I did my blog candy give-away I really wanted to get the the Pretty Poppies DP and embellies by Autumn Leaves for myself and, lucky me, they were on clearance at Michael's last week!

I chose Willow with the basket from the spring kit and set aside my beloved Copics in favor of PrismaColors for softer blending. I'm not as well practiced with the Prismas but I'm very satisfied with the results. The poppy brad, the DP behind the image and the journaling card are from the Pretty Poppy collection. The black glitter paper for the background added a lot of sparkle and the hounds tooth ribbon seemed to tie it all together. I really like this card. What do you think? It's a good thing I took pictures of it last night because my cousin snatched it right up today!

There is still time to add your favorite WOJ creation to the challenge this week! Be sure to check out all the other awesome cards.

Oh, and do you know about the new WOJ Summer Stamp kit now open for pre-orders? There's even blog candy to go with it!! Visit Katharina for details and a sneak peek.

House Mouse Challenge #33 --- Multiple Images

Yay! I finally did it! I finished a card for the House Mouse Challenge! For months I have been admiring these adorable little critters and the cards by the DT are amazing. I have to give special credit to our friend Carolyn who inspired me with her beautiful creations. I recently bought some Happy Hoppers stamps and with Carolyn's generous collection of more images, I have plenty to work on.

I guess I've hesitated this long because I am more comfortable coloring with Copics, but these little guys deserve the softness of PrismaColors. But you know what they say, "Practice makes perfect". These are far from perfect, but I'll keep on practicing. I had a piece of scrapbook paper with a photographic image of the beach which somehow suited these cuties. Imagine one of those watermelon seeds finding their way into the lemonade glass!! Heehee, LOL! Uh, um, I hope you enjoy this brief trip to the beach.

Please feel free to leave your comments. I appreciate the feedback.

Copic Creations #2 --- Blue Jeans

Copic Creations Challenge #2 is coloring/blending/shading jeans, which I have been doing quite a bit of lately so I had this adorable Country Girl from Sarah Kay ready to go. I love coloring this image (as I do all of them) with Copics because of the opportunity to shade for depth and highlights.

I just started coloring with Copics in November '08 and was immediately hooked! The Copic Creations blog is so terrific because of the tutorials offered by the DT. Be sure to check it out!

I apologize for the shadow over the card. The lighting wasn't cooperating and I wanted to show the embossing on the white CS. Thus the close-up below.

This challenge is up until April 30 so you have plenty of time to join in! Oh! --- there is a terrific prize, too!

Embossing on smaller white rectangle by Cuttlebug embossing folder. Grid on card base was done with Scor-Pal at one-half intervals.

One Card --- Two Challenges!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend! This is the first day I've had time to make any cards. I really missed the time in my studio, so today made me feel great!

This card actually fits two challenges. The first one is the Whiff of Joy weekly challenge #25, which I always love and, again, got in under the wire. The sketch by Katharina was such fun. The second challenge is the very first for Copic Creations and is coloring faces and skin tones.

Our beautiful Willow is sitting in a bed of flowers. She is colored with Copics and the flowers were pulled from a $1.00 stem from Walmart (talk about economical!), dipped in glitter and held together with simple white brads. The DP is Basic Grey's Porcelain Collection. It is so delicate and charming. The bottom edge is made with one of my favorite Martha Stewart edge punches.

Thank you for stopping by for a look! I'm looking forward to more time in the studio this week. Spring is finally making a more colorful showing here in SW Missouri and I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful season, too.

Happy Easter and Glorious Spring!

Happy Easter and Glorious Spring!

Easter Reflections

by Helen Steiner Rice

With OUR EYES we see

The beauty of Easter

As the earth awakens once more...

With OUR EARS we hear

The birds sing sweetly

To tell us Spring again is here..

With OUR HANDS we pick

The golden daffodils

And the fragrant hyacinths...

But only with OUR HEARTS

Can we feel the MIRACLE of GOD'S LOVE

Which redeems all men...

And only with OUR SOUL

Can we make our 'pilgrimage to God'

And inherit His Easter Gift of ETERNAL LIFE.