July

I love this beautiful country! I could get real sappy about the whole thing, but instead I bring out my red, white and blue card.

Isn't this Serendipity stamp pretty. And BONUS it has a watermelon! I only used my Copics on the watermelon. The rest of the coloring was done with sparkly gel pens and sponging the center. I also used the Art Institute Glitter on the banner image.

The dies I used are Spellbinders Bracket Borders One.

Challenges:   Serendipity sscb32-create-window-card.

God Bless the USA!

Groovy!

I'm starting to get my groove back!  Work and stress can really suck the creativity out of you. I get the Serendipity news letter and their current challenge was stitching.  Well, I dusted off my $49.00 sewing machine a couple of weeks ago and guess what? It still works! So I sorted through my Serenity stamp stash (say that 3 times in a row) and found this Mustang stamp that I had never used and I got all excited just like use to be about making cards.  So without further ado, tah-dah and pat on the back.....  MUSTANG!

AND
Mustang 2

Serendipty Challenge #29 Stitches

Serendipity Stamp - Mustang 

For the first card stamped using Memento Rich Cocoa and colored the image with my Copics and then shaded using my Prisma pencils and Gamsol.  The embossing was done with a Spellbinder rectangle die.

I did some faux stitching in the corner using a Stampin Up piercing tool and Slicci copper pen.  I braided some twine I had and added a dragonfly charm and fastened both with some Zip Dry. The pen-stripped paper is from Basic Grey. The sentiment is from Stampin-Up's Mixed Messages. 

The second card was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Blac and was also colored with Copics. But for this one I decided to sponge the background. The image was cut with a Spellbinder die and mounted on Authentique Paper and stitched up on tan cardstock.

SSCB#21 Paper Piecing

This is my 100 hour card.  To start with, it was paper pieced and I kept loosing the little leaves. I got it all together and messed it all up when I stamped the sentiment. (Will I ever learn?) Then I went to trim the card before gluing it together when I cut on the fold. Well that won't work. It went downhill from there, but I stuck with it.

I made this card for Serendipity Challenge #21, Paper Piecing.

Stamps:  Serendipity, Paper Trey Ink (Sentiment)
Martha Stewart Punch
Spellbinder Die
Lil' Inkers design die (bow)
The paper is from my scrap bin.

Whew!

SSCB#20 Watercolor

Grab your brushes! Serendipity's water color challenge is nearing the end.  I haven't water colored in a very long time. This stamp made it so easy. I decided to keep it monochromatic in blue. I just love how it turned out.  I used water color paper and cut out the image. Then I did a little water color wash on the embossed background.

This is for Serendipity's Challenge #20.

Stamp:  Serendipity
Medium:  Water Color Pencil\
Embossing:  Sizzix Folder
Embellished with Pearls

Peace be with you!

Gingham and Polk a Dots

Serendipity has a challenge going on right now.  Use at least (1) Serendipity stamp, add gingham and/or polk a dots. I guess I did all three.

Stamps:      Serendipity, Paper Trey Ink (Sentiment)
Dies:          Marianne, DieNamics (tag), Lil' Inkers Designs (bow)
EF:             Embossalicious
Punch:        Martha Stewart (Pine sprigs)

Colored with Copis & added Stickles and 3D paint.

Yes, I took the picture in the Bathroom!

What have I been up to?

Every since I started blogging, I have been torn between my blog and Splitcoast Stampers gallery.
I can do one on a regular basis, but then the other gets neglected.  So I have been haning out at SCS.

This does not mean I am going to close shop since I still have blogs that I follow and this will allow me to stay in contact.  I just decided to do one BIG post each month.  You can find me at Splitcoast any time as GAILNM. (Really creative name :))

Products used can be found by visiting me at GAILNM at Splitcoast Stampers.

See ya in a few weeks!

I made a scene

It always amazes me how a card maker can use ten different DP and another 1/2 dozen embellishments, an image and a sentiment all on one 4 X 4 card.  After pulling 15 paper pads and every embellishment I have (I'm a collector) I came up with 2 DP and some paper frills and 2 die cuts on my 5-1/2 x 5-1/2 card and an image on my card. Whew!

Here's the recipe:

Mailboxes - Serindipity
1st Class - Stampin Up
DP - Basic Grey
Tree Die Cut - Memory Box
Scallop Punch - Fiskers
Paper Frills - Doodle Bug Design
Medium - Prisma Pencils & Gamsol

See Ya!

March Christmas Card Commitments

I'm almost never late for anything, but I am kind of a last minute gal.  So I surprised myself and finished before the 31st with this challenge.

This one is a High Hopes stamp. The DP paper is from K&Company. I colored this with Copics and Prisma pencils. The embellishments are a Wilton doily and buttons.

Isn't this Bo-Bunny paper fabulous? The horse is from Serendipity and the sentiment is Paper Trey Ink. This was done with Prisma Pencils and touched up a bit with Copics.

The silver paper has really pretty embossing, which didn't photo well.  The paper is My Minds Eye. The stamp is Stampendous. The itsy-bitsy poinsettias are a digi from A Day For Daisies. The deer was cut from my Silhouette Cameo. I also used Spellbinder's dies with this.

Whew! I am really tired.  Best hit the pillow, it's going to be a long week.  Have a good one. 

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.

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!)

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.