Favorite 2011 Mo Project

I posted this on my Splitcoast Gallery awhile back. I just forgot to post it here. It was one of my favorites, so I'm blaming it holiday overload.  I only remembered it when I ran across this Mo DP2 Challenge which is "Favorite 2011 Mo Project."

This is defiantly one of My favorite Mo images.  I colored her with Copics and shaded with Prisma pencils. The little poinsettia is a PSX stamp and the sentiment is from Paper Trey Ink.  I added some 3D paint for the snow. Then I stitched it to some blue/gray and used cream card stock as the base.

I thought it turned out pretty, but after view what the DT created.. OMG!

Jumbo Peony

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Will you look at the magnificent stamp that I bought and then just tucked away into a drawer.  I bought this just before Thanksgiving and I was already into Christmas mode.

This Jumbo Peony Stampendous lives up to it's name. It is so large that it hung over on my largest acrylic block.  I stamped it with Memento tuxedo black and shaded it with Copic BV02 and V09.  "Friend" is also from Stampendous. I dotted the "i" with a little pink jewel then lightly sponged some pink here and there.
The card was cut with a Spellbinder's die.

I am entering my card in this weeks Simply Less is More Challenge week-47-just-one-word. 

Just one more

In my previous post, I said that I "probably" would not be posting until after Christmas. That was before I went to the Simply Less is More blog and saw this week's challenge theme is music . So it got me to thinking about the Mo's Digital Pencil image that I got last year. Then I started looking for it. Since I upgraded last year, some things got moved and apparently some didn't get backed up, because I just couldn't find it. Then I became obsessed and ended up purchasing this digi again. It's so cute I really didn't mind that it was a second purchase.

I colored Singin so Beautiful with Copics and added some 3D paint on hats. The sentiment is from Paper Trey Ink.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

This will probably be my last post until after Christmas. So let me take this time to thank all of you have visited my blog and left those cherished notes of encouragement.  Card makers make the sweetest friends.

This lovely stamp is from the Stampin Place which I colored with Copics, pencils and Stickles.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up. The itsy-bitty pine cone is from Judith. The label is actually a flag die and sorry I cannot tell you what company. The paper and embellishments are both from K&Company.

Merry Christmas! 

Old Fashioned Santa

I made this last weekend and this will be short as I have just worked 12-1/2 hrs today and I am late for my own pity party.

Stamp:  Inkadinkado
Paper: The Paper Studio
Punch: Martha Stewart
Ribbon: My Stash
Ink: Momento Rich Cocoa
Colord with Copics  

Peace and Goodwill

Just a quick post to let everyone know, I still make cards.

The holly is a free digi from Cuddly Buddly.  I thought it need something else.  I found this ornament at the back of to drawer. I have no idea where I bought it but it had a clearance sticker for $.79, so I'm thinking Michael's.  It says it's a Brother Sister Design??   I also found this perfect color and size ribbon from which I hung the ornament. The sentiment is from Paper Trey Ink.

Have a great Monday everyone.

The staff

Let me start by saying, there is a lot of effort that goes into making a card.  And talent has it's price. Maybe I should replace the word "price" with.... you decide.  This is a picture I took of my desk after creating my latest masterpiece.  Note the little 4 x 4 inch square left for my poor little card.

And this is how I left it this morning

As I have mentioned before, I have a VERY tidy husband.  And he takes "tidy" to a new dimension. 

Hubby is retired and takes very good care of me.  So when I returned from work this is what I found.

Notice the neat rows he made of my stamps.  I'm sure it concerned him that the bottom row did not come out to the same length as the others.

Also note the 3 cut-outs a lined up as well as my glue which is all facing the same direction.  I'm really not poking fun.  But really, is it not just a little funny?  Yes, ladies he does laundry, vacuuming and yard work.

If he ever reads this the gig up.

Now to my card which I am entering in the Simply Less is More Challenge which is the colour green.

 I was really stumped with this challenge, so I started look through my inventory when I ran across this Serendipity stamp. 

I took very little coloring with my green Prisma pencil.  I suppose there isn't one of you who's seen a green dove, but I think he turned out pretty.

The sentiment is from Paper Trey Ink. I added green pearls as holly berries and matted it on this pretty embossed green card stock.

By the way Hubby has a good sense of humor.  He lives with me.

Holiday Door

This was really hard to color. I just couldn't seem to get the browns right. To top it off one of my brown Copics went dry. I contemplated making a red door, but I don't think I could pull it off with all that detail. 

The door is from The Stampin Place and the sentiment is from Stampendous. The paper is from The Paper Studio and I used another of the same to do the inside. 

 

Now I will go decorate the tree.  

Sophisticated Bunny

I mean really, doesn't he look rather stately and sophisticated with the black?  I think this is going to be a Mo Manning weekend.  I an missing my stamping buddy as she is a little under the weather.

This is a Mo's Digital pencil image that I colored with Copics and shaded with Prisma pencils. The sentiment is a Hero Art stamp.

There you have it. Pretty simple.

Bling it on!

I am having so much fun with these Christmas cards, that I wondering if I will ever be able to do anything but Christmas again. I am entering my newest fun time in Simply Less is Moore Challenge - A Bit of Bling.

So do you see the bling?  I embossed the Penny Black ornament with Stampendous Marcasite embossing powder and added some jewels. The doves are also from Penny Black.  They are actually one stamp, but I glittered, cut them out and popped them up.  "Peace On Earth"" is from River City Rubber Works. The silver embossed DP that I used for matting is by The Paper Company.

That's all for now.  Have a great tomorrow. 

Winter just blew in!

Winds gusting up to 48 mpr here! Hubby is already in a tizzy cause there's a leaf in his yard. Ya, he can't handle my craft room either.
Sherri and I had our usual Saturday lunch, preceded by a little shopping, proceeded by stamping. Then a little late online shopping.  She calls me an enabler, but she's the one with the extra Michael's coupon that just couldn't go to waste.  She made a amazing cat card you can see here.  And I made a card using my every year Christmas stamp from PSX.

I've discovered 3D paint!  I colored this with Prisma Pencils and Gamsol.  The little sentiment is from Stampin Up and the punch is Martha Stewart's.

Winter Wonder Land

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Both of my Granddaughters were here today. Three were those other people too, but L & M are just the sweetest.

Oh this is suppose to be a blog about cards?  Sometimes a Grandma can't help herself. But I do have a card to show you.

This is my Simply Less Is More Challenge card.  This week we were asked to do Silhouettes. I've used this stamp from Rubber Soul before. This time I stamped it on black, then white and embossed.  I wish you could see how it sparkles.  I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the top and the sentiment on the bottom is from Serendipity.

Everyone be nice on Black Friday, and have fun. (I will be working on inventory. Yuk!)

Nature's Beauty

I bought some water color paper last week and have been itching to use it.  I haven't use watercolor pencils since I became addicted to Copics.  I use to water color all the time but just on plane card stock.  The fawn was a little difficult to color. But I am my biggest critic.

This stamp is from Stampabilities and the sentiment is Paper Trey Ink.  I misplaced the package that the gorgeous die came in @#$%.  The white leave is a Martha Stewart punch.  I cut the oval and label with Spellbinders dies.  The paper is a company I've never heard of before, Me and My Big Ideas. 

Maple Leaf

This was made forSimply Less is Moore Challenge week-41-one-layer-leaves. I hope they will accept just one leaf.

I am pretty sure this stamp is from The Stampin Place. I bought it unmounted several years ago. I cut my card with a Spellbinder die, and traced a smaller die and colored it in keeping with the one-layer theme. The leaf was also colored with Copics and I added a little Stickles.

Northwoods Fall

So I got so much sympathy from my last post, I decided to take the afternoon off and enjoy the fabulous warm SUNNY Fall day.  I feel so energized and just good all over.

I know blue is not the usual fall color, but I painted the milk can first and I couldn't stop. Frankly, I surprised the pumpkins are blue.  

This beautiful Northwood's stamp was colored with Copics. I used some distressed inks for sponging and of course Stickles on the foliage. This is large stamp so there's not much room for designer paper, but I did find this fabulous blue K&Company for matting.

Saturday is suppose to be another nice sunshiny day. Enjoy!!

Where's the Sun?

As of Monday, I will not see the sun, except for weekends for about 5 months.  Although, I have a beautiful office, I don't have any windows.  I go to work between 6AM and 7AM and leave for home around 6PM. Which brings me to this photo.  I didn't have any natural light for it, so I tried it with a flash, without a flash, I dimmed the lights and took about a dozen photos before I chose this one.  It looks just a little fuzzy to me.

This pumpkin is from Serendipity and the sentiment is Hero Arts. I colored the image with Copis and added a little glitter. That was the other problem the flash was hitting the glitter just right, so it looked like there were areas that didn't get colored.
I am entering this in the Simply Less is Moore Challenge week-40 which is orange and red.

40 Years!

Forty years ago, November 6, 1971 Gail and Larry were married.

And we still look the same!

Memory Box Tree

This will be a quick post before I go to work.  Everyone goes to work at 6:30 AM and comes back home at 6:30 PM, right?

Isn't this Memory Box die gorgeous? I also used some more the gorgeous Graphic 45 paper.

Have a gorgeous day everyone!

Another Save

I think this is the third stamp that's been rescued from the box in the garage.  

The "rescue" pear is a Rubber Stampede stamp, which I colored with Copics.  The DP is from the a gorgeous, most favorite ever paper pack from Graphic 45.  The sentiment is computer generated and cut with a Spellbinder die.  I did a lot of sponging around the image, then I burned one edge a little. (People who know me will cringe).   The little black swirls, peaking out is actually label die from Quick Kutz.  My pear looked fabulous on every piece of DP in the pack, so I will probably will make more pear cards. I will however rethink that burning thing.

Meet the Family

I think I've mentioned Halloween is not my favorite event, but these guys are pretty cute.

Stamps:   High Hopes, "Happy Halloween", StampinUp, Art Impressions (corners)

Punch:     Spider?

Paper:     Basic Grey

Photographer:  Mummy (That's why she isn't in the picture).

A Perfect Day

I had the most amazing day...  I took a vacation day with no plans in mind.  I just have to start using or loosing. I took Hubby (he's retired) to breakfast, did my grocery shopping and baked some brownies.  The smells of  the brownies baking and coffee brewing along with sun streaming into my craft room made me more relaxed than I've been in months.  It just couldn't have been sweeter. It's true, that the simplest things in life are to be cherished.  Today was all about me.  I could get used to this.  Hmm!

This is a digi from A Day For Daisies that I colored with Copics.  I cut it out and placed it on  layers of DP from K&Company.  If you know me, you know I've made a boo boo, by the embellishments.  My gorgeous cover-up-flowers are from Jolee's Boutique. "Smiles" is a favorite from Stampabilities. And of course I had to use a little Martha Stewart glitter on the leaf and the stem.

Hope You Can Cling To (#2)

This is my second card I've made for - Hope You Can Cling To - a month long card drive benefiting breast cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center.  And this gallery HYCCT1101A Pink Critters.

Miss Fish (Comotion Rubber) was in the garage in a box waiting for the next rummage sale.  I bought Fishy several years ago when I was making smaller cards and just could figure out how to use or color it until this challenge came up.  I was able to curve that tiny Verve stamp "You Amaze Me" that just fit.
Those bubble jewels were bought at a dollar store and the blank embossed card was purchased at Michael's.

Hope You Can Cling To

I made this card for - Hope You Can Cling To - a month long card drive benefiting breast cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center.  And this gallery HYCCT1101A Pink Critters.

I had already colored him when I ran across this challenge, so I tried to touch him up and make him a little more pink. The hearts in his mane were already pink.  He is so sweet, but I have no idea what company is is from, so if anyone knows, please let me know.   The stripped paper is S.E.I.  I used Pencil to color him, but blended some RV14 Copic to make him a little more pink. The sentiment "So Proud of You" is from Verve Stamps.


Follow the ink in this post and join in this worthy cause.

It's Coming!

Yup! We can stop it.  Soon we'll be getting out the winter coat and that white stuff will be upon us. And under us, around us and on us. I guess it's best to accept it and know that every day is a gift from God.

So I'm becoming a little addicted to the Simply Less is More Challenge Blog.  Chrissie and Mandi are increadable designers and so inspiring.

This week's challenge was the color of your eyes.

I was really stumped until I ran accross this digi in my files. Both the sentiment and the mittens were freebies from Verve Stamps. I colored the mittens with Copics and added Stickles to pompoms, then mounted on DP from My Minds Eye. How simlple is that?

For the Girls

The Paper Shelter could have used  my youngest granddaughter when the drew this image. Those little legs, cute little skirt peeking out from under her coat, and that sweet, sweet face is my little "M".

I colored this image from Paper Shelter with Copics and added some Stickles to the leaves.  The DP is from Cosmo Cricket.  I purchased the leaf stickers, which included the jewels at a dollar store about 50 miles away from me and I am kicking myself for not buy more. I am not sure what company they are.

.

I am entering this in The Paper Shelter Challenge,#33 For the Girls

Less Is More Challenge

I must have tried this card out about a half a dozen times, before I ended up with this.  I am entering this in the Simply Less is More Challenge from this sketch.   Smudges and crooked stamping are the culprits. I swear, I can smear ink on a digi. Anyway, here is the sketch.  The creators of this blog, Chrissie and Mandy make the most amazing cards, that it's easy to get inspired.

For this challenge I used an image from Rubber Soul and a sentiment from Inkadinkado. I used a Spellbinder's die to emboss around the image.  Then I simply ran my Copics across the image and I used a little Stickles on the tips of the branches. 

Now, I have a date with my pillow. See ya!

Another Plum Purdy

Would you believe that after I made this card, I had to go to the store and buy some candy corn?

This is another Plum Purdy that I colored with Copics.  I cut an mounted this little guy on some DP from Cosmo Cricket. The red and yellow background paper is also Cosmo Cricket.  I used some Martha Stewart gltter for the straw hair.  Isn't he just yummy?

I am entering this in Paper-Pretties-Wednesday-challenge use Fall as your inspiration..

Plum Purdy Fall

I tore up my whole craft room to find this stamp.  Turns out it was where it was suppose to be.  That's probably why I couldn't find it.

I have this paper pad from K&Company that has the most fabulous flowers.  This huge sunflower is from that pack and I just cut it out.  The Plum Purdy stamp was colored with Copics and mounted on a Wilton doily. It looks black in the photo, but card stock behind the sunflower is actually a deep chocolate which I used Martha Stewart punch on the corners.  I did add a little Stickles to the twig. The sunflower stretches out over the 5-1/2" card.  I hope I have an envelope.

Simply Less Is Moore Challenge

I made this card without any stamping. I used Spellbinder's Paisley Die for the frosting  and Label's 3 die for the base. I embossed the paisleys with a Cuttlebug embossing folder then topped the icing with a Prima flower and a jewel.  The DP is from My Mind's Eye and the sentiment is a Fisker's sticker. The ribbon is from my stash.

I am entering this in Simply Less is Moore Challenge. . This week is anything goes and they are looking for 1000 entries,so why not join in on the fun.

Witching

I think I have finally figured out why I'm not crazy about Halloween.  This image strongly resembles me in the morning.  Actually she looks better than me.  Cackle! (I mean giggle.)

This is a High Hopes stamp, that I have colored with Copics.  I used a Spellbinder die to mount it then popped it up. Brads in the corners and a little Stickles on the stars tops it off on this pretty DP from Basic Grey.

See ya later! I have to go find my hat!

911 Never Forget

An All Day Card

I haven't done water coloring since I bought my first Copic about 3 years ago.  I watched another video using distressed inks.  I don't think I will even try it again, but that got me to thinking about all my Tombow markers. Previously I had always used pencil when water coloring.  I may have fallen in love all over again with my Tombow's.

As the title indicated this was an all day card. There is a reason there is a pop up on this card. (Covering up a little boo boo.)  I took me about an hour trying to fix it and my little brain cannot understand the concept of starting over.  Then I finally get it all put together and I decided to pick up the brush and just blend that blue out a little. Big mistake! I must hit a microscopic portion of the red and it just took off like a shot.  I never know when to walk away and leave well enough alone.

I am entering this in My Mums Craft Shop Challenge  1-2 -3 which is tell what you use one of, two of and three of.

For this card I used:

(1) Sentiment (Sticker - Art Minds)

(2) Die Cuts (Snowflake and wreath - Cuttlebug)

(3) Poinsettia (Gina K Designs) 


I am also entering this in Less Is More Challenge something that has a METALLIC finish to it. (The sentiment has a gold Metallic finish)

Two cards in less than a week.  I'm on a roll..

Pumpkins again.

I love fall! The colors are just awesome.  I just love the Northwood Rubber stamps.  Most are very large, but what wonderful scenery.

Sherri and I went shopping after our Saturday lunch. Hobby Lobby had their Grand Nestabilities on sale!!!

I bought the Grand Calibur a few months ago, but hadn't bought the round die for card making.  These are the smallest ones and I don't know what I will do with the really big ones.  

I hope everyone is having fun this long weekend and for my friends on the east coast, I hope you escaped the wrath of Irene.  Our flood waters have receded after 3 months. I finally got to take the interstate home from work last Thursday.

For all those who had labor this weekend thanks for keeping us safe, well fed and entertained.

Road trip. Good food. Good shopping.

I love these little road trips Sherri and I take.  Internet shopping is great, but once in a while it's just so nice to get away and share the things you love.  We shop, we eat a a nice restaurant and solve world problems while driving to and from.  Here is what I made with one of my finds.

This is the first stamp I've ever purchased from Northwood Rubber Stamps. They have some beautiful scenery stamps.  I colored this beauty with Copics and used some Stickles.  This is a large stamp, and I wish the DP from K&Company showed better.

I hope to be back again soon with some more of my road trip finds.   Creativeness has been on a road trip too.

Lhasa Apso

This Mo's Digital Pencil image is so cute, I could have printed on a old wrinkled up brown paper sack and it would still be cute.  I posted this card on Splitcoast Stampers and it got a moderate response, which makes me think it's not as spectacular as I think it is.  I am humbled.

So I went to Minnesota to visit my sister and along the way I stopped at my favorite craft store A Walk Down Memory Lane. (Okay, maybe it was a little out of my way.) Anyway, I purchased these fabulous dies, Spring Border by Memory Box and the Leafy Flourish is by Die-namics. Aren't they gorgeous?

I printed Lhasa apso on some pink cards stock (also purchased at AWML) and used just a little grey pencil on him.  The butterfly is from Flourishes.  After I made the card, I Googled Lhasa apso and they are actually white with golden highlights.

AWML has an on line store if you are interested in purchasing any of these dies. They have a wonderful selection of paper craft items.

My First Fall 2011 Card?

I just came back from a mini vacation visiting my sister in Minnesota. We had a really good time and I miss her already. Everyone should have at least one sister.

This is suppose to be a fall card, but the leaf said "I must be red" and now it looks more like Christmas.

The Stamp is from Studio 112 which I colored with Copics.  the embossed leaves were done with a Cuttle Bug die and embossing folder. The "Thankful" sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Enjoy the reset of the weekend.

Sleepless in Sioux City

If you're going to be up all night, you might as well post, right?  I finished this card late last night with intentions of photoing and posting the next day.  Problem is, I went to bed but never went to sleep.  And of course I still have to go to work.  This is an on going problem I've had since I was a young girl.

This is a digi from Cuddly Buddly.  I colored this up with bold colors the first time, but it was just uninteresting. So I decided  on a softer approach, and I rather like the look and it went so well with this gorgeous DP from DCWV.  It's actually nursery design pad. The punch along the side is new Fiskers punch that Sherri gave me as a Saturday present (what a sweetie).  The butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch.  The sentiment " Happiness held is the seed. Happiness shared is the flower" has no company name on it.  I added perils around the sentiment and to the butterflies.  This is my first use of the Grand Nestabilitie's dies. I am entering this in Cuddly Buddly's challenge-7-anything-goes.

It's 3:56 AM and I don't dare go to sleep now.  Yawn!

Hello My Friends

Life has once again gotten in the way of my card making. I've been super busy.  I thought things were suppose to start slowing down when you get older.  I'd retire, but I like to shop. But then if I keep working, I don't have as much time for card making. (And it takes me a long time to make one card).  So this is what I fussed over most of the afternoon.  Then I take the picture and it shows all my imperfections.

I probably should have gone back and blended her face a little, but that's about the time something horrible would go wrong. Sometimes it's that last touch up will get you.

This stamp is from Penny Black, and the "Merry & Bright " is from Paper Trey Ink.  I colored her with Copics and shaded with Prisma pencil and Gamsol.  I used an oval Spellbinders die, and a Martha Stewart punch for the back. The little snowflakes are from an AccuCut die.

I hope it isn't another whole week before I post again.

Quick Post for a Short Weekend.

The title says it all. I worked Saturday morning and from home Sunday.  Our youngest granddaughter spent the night Saturday and today we are having a birthday dinner for our daughter and youngest son. Whew!

This is High Hopes stamp, I paired with a Hampton Art sentiment.  I colored the cat and bird with Copics.
the sentiment cut with a Paper Trey Ink die. and mounted with a Die-namics die. I don't know the DP company as it's from my scrap stash.  The boarders were done with a Martha Stewart Punch.

The Wild

I have this box.  It is full of stamps and related stuff, that I have not used or never used in a couple of years. Stuff which I intend to sell in a rummage someday.  The problem is I keep going back to the box to bring back one thing and several come back to the craft room.  This giraffe is one of the things that made it back to my craft jungle.

I bought this several years ago. It is a large stamp, about 4-1/2 x 3-1/2. There is absolutely no company name anywhere on it.  The "You amaze me" sentiment is from Verve Stamps. I stamped my giraffe with Momento Rich Cocoa and glittered him up with Martha Stewart glitter.  The ribbon is from my stash.

Let me know if anyone knows the company name for this stamp.

Delight in Life

Happy Sunday!  I have a card today that I am entering in The Verve Sentimental About Paper Challenge. The challenge is to use DP that you have been saving and use only a stamped sentiment, no images.  I have had this gorgeous paper from My Mind's Eye for a long time.  The dragonfly is actually imprinted on the paper.  I could never figure out how to incorporate it on one of my cards.  Isn't it (the dragonfly) spectacular?

The paper is very glittery. I took my photo outside, but it still isn't showing.  I used a Verve sentiment. They have the best sentiments.  I used a Martha Stewart punch, some ribbon and perils to finish it off.

Missed it!

I saw this  Clean and Simple Challenge  layout a few days and just knew I  had to make something.  The problem is that the challenge is over. Pay attention Gail!  Read and take notes, because I can no longer rely on my memory to keep things is order.  Oh well, I can't waste a good card.

The flower and the sentiment are from Stampabilities.  The backdrop is a Stampin Up that I've had for years. The only color to the one flower was done with Copic R30 and RV04. I used Paper Trey Ink's rick rack die at the bottom of the sentiment and used a Cuddle Bug damask embossing folder for the bottom portion of the card. Jewels were added to give the card a little more balance.

You can find the original challenge design here .