Life Happens

I love the challenge of making Clean & Simple cards. To this end, having the CAS Challenge (FTL 97)is awesome as a launching point for a layout! This is actually my second attempt at this challenge. I wanted to stamp the images directly onto the card stock to make it as much of a one-layer card as possible. I ended up using the Greenhouse Garden set from SU. I really love this set, but don’t use it much. This is my second card posted today using it, so I’m happy it is getting some ink! Here is my card recipe:

Card Stock – PTI White
Stamps – Greenhouse Garden (Stampin’ Up!)
Ink – Pale Plum (retired), Perfect Plum, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Versafine Black
Accessories/Tools – Stamp-a-ma-jig, Spellbinder frame, dimensionals, sponge applicator, corner rounder punch

Thanks for having a look today.

Happy Birthday

How could I resist participating in a sketch challenge by Papertrey Chicks! I think this could be my first card made for their Challenge #8. I liked the clean and simple layout. In keeping with my other recent posts, I wanted to use some new patterned paper I just bought. This time, the paper pack is from Dovercraft created by British Designer Kate Knight called “Eastern Blooms”. I loved all of the patterns and colors in this pack. My card base is white and I layered some Rich Razzleberry on top as well as the patterned paper. I added a strip of Regal Rose with the border punch along the bottom and glued some Razzleberry polka dot grosgrain ribbon to it before adhering it down. I used the Greenhouse Garden 2-step flower from SU stamped in Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry (used my SAMJ for the second stamp for accurate placement). I cut it out and layered it using circle nestabilities. I added a Happy Birthday sentiment from Taylored Expressions stamped in Momento Tuxedo Black ink and punched it with my SU punches. I finished the card off with a few self-adhesive pink half-pearls. Thanks for stopping by to have a look.

Mom’s Day

I need to get this card sent off to my lovely MIL as soon as possible. I combined today’s Mojo Monday Week 137 challenge with last week’s Curtain Call Color Challenge. I started off with a totally different card, but was not at all happy with the way it turned out, so started all over again. I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled with the sketch, but I think my Mojo was on vacation today. I started with Flourishes White CS for my card base. I added a layer of Melon Mambo as well as the patterned paper. I wish I had made my flower image a wee bit smaller so the patterned paper could show through a little more. I stamped the Spiral Bouquet flower from Papertrey Ink. on white CS using Melon Mambo, Certainly Celery and Chocolate chip. I layered that panel with Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo. When I saw the sketch and the vertical panel, I immediately thought of using paint samples. I’ve had a bunch of them for ages. I layered the green paint sample onto Certainly Celery and tied some Melon Mambo polka dot grosgrain ribbon to the top. I stamped the frame from SU’s Vintage Labels in Chocolate Chip and used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to centre the sentiment from SU’s Blooming with Love set. I punched it out using the label punch and larger die. I finished the card off with some Melon Mambo colored self-adhesive rhinestones. That’s it for now. I hope to get a bit more Mojo tomorrow to do a few other challenges. Thanks for having a look.

More retiring colors

One of my favorite SU colors is retiring – Sage Shadow. This will be one that I stock up on for sure! I incorporated today’s SCS Color Challenge #267 which called for us to use Sage Shadow, Apricot Appeal and Basic Gray along with Mercy’s Tuesday Sketch Challenge (MTSC70). I always love playing along with Mercy’s sketch challenges. I decided to use my new Flourishe’s From the Garden set. This is such a versatile set. I can see using it on a regular basis. I started my card using Flourishes White CS. I had a scrap of patterned paper (from Crate Paper, I believe) and layered some Sage Shadow under it. I tied some retired SU grosgrain ribbon around that. I used an Apricot Appeal panel behind the main image, which I had run through the Big Shot (it’s a SU texturz plate). I softened the corners with my corner rounder. I stamped the image with Momento Tuxedo Black and used copics to color it. The sentiment comes from the same set. I cut it out using my nesties die and popped it up a little. I finished the card off with a bow and button along with a few dew drops in the corners. Thanks for having a look. I’ll probably post a couple of other cards that I made last night but didn’t get a chance to upload. Have a beautiful day!

Togetherness…

I am a week behind in the Viva la Verve Challenge for March, so I made last week’s card and this week’s card. For the challenge, we are given a sketch and a few inspiration photos to choose from. Here is the sketch and here is the inspiration photo I used: I chose the strawberry image within the photo. I wish I had the Flourishes Strawberry set because it would have looked a lot closer to the inspiration. I don’t, so I this is what I ended up with: I used the strawberry image from Taylored Expressions’ Berries & Cherries set. The sentiment is from Verve’s Forever in our Hearts. I love how the sentiment works so well with this set! The card measures 5.25 x 5.25 and the base is Basic Black. I layered some red gingham patterned paper on top. I wanted to incorporate a bit of the blue color, so used the bottom square panels for that purpose in Baroque Blue, layered with Basic Black. I colored the berries and basket with copics and stamped the sentiment in Momento Tuxedo Black ink. I used my Nesties Labels One to cut it out and layered that with Basic Black. I used a hand-held punch and fed some Riding Hood Red ribbon through it and ited it with a blue button and a bit of hemp. I think it is missing something on the bottom. Maybe I’ll add a few rhinestones (my favorite embellishment!) to the bottom.

For the current week’s challenge, the sketch was this lovely image. I couldn’t decide on what inspiration photo to use, so I incorporated two of them using the lime green backsplash and the retro kitchen with the teal color and the hint of red .
For this card, my base is Papertrey Ink. white CS and I layered it with Baja Breeze. I layered that with some polka dot lime green paper. My other layers were some Basic Gray striped patterned paper layered with Real Red. I also used a lime green panel that I ran through the Cuttlebug with the Swirly embossing folder and layered with Baja Breeze. I tied a red ribbon around the smaller panels and tied a white button from my Baba with some white embroidery floss. The butterfly and sentiment are from SU’s Flight of the Butterfly set. I stamped the background in Green Galore ink as well as Aloe Vera Versa Magic Chalk ink. I stamped over that with the polka dot image using my stamp-a-ma-jig in Baja Breeze. I punched it out with the SU butterfly punch. I popped it up with half of a dimensional and popped up that panel with dimensionals too. I am going to add some teal colored rhinestones to the right side of the main image as well. Thanks for having a look at my cards today. My DH and his nephew are busy cooking up a storm – they are preparing some lamb dish and a salad of some sort to take to our neighbours for a Saturday night get-together.

Gell Well Soon

I don’t know why I made a get well card today – I guess because I was looking for a sentiment that would fit on the main image and that is the first sentiment that I found (from Papertrey’s Mailbox Greetings set)! This card took me forever to make! I knew I wanted to use Mercy’s Tuesday Sketch Challenge as well as the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge 260 (Crushed Curry, Always Artichoke and Basic Gray). I hadn’t inked up my Papertrey Spiral Bouquet stamps, so I thought I could incorporate the colors into that as well. I had this great patterned paper laying around and I definitely knew I wanted to use this great, wide artichoke satin ribbon that I get at Walmart. I’ll have to make a trip up there soon because I used the last of it up, boo hoo! Here is my card –
I used the Cuttlebug Floral Screen embossing folder on the basic gray panel. My main image was cut out using my oval nesties. I sponged some Crushe Curry around the edges to frame it up. I finished the card off with one of my Baba’s buttons (my grandma gave me a huge plastic box full of buttons she must have been hoarding – I mean saving – for over 30 years!) tied with gold cord. Hope you like it!

SC248 – Trendy Trees

Here is my submission for today’s Splitcoast Stampers Sketch Challenge:


I haven’t done one a SCS sketch challenge recently so I thought it was about time. My card is pretty simple. I used 110 lb. white card stock as my base and I added some chocolate chip scalloped panels to each side of the Basic Grey patterned paper. I stamped the Tree from Trendy Trees (S-U) in Kiwi Kiss and Choc. Chip. I layered the image onto a Choc. Chip and Blush Blossom panel. I added dimensionals to the back to pop the image up a little and finished the card with some Dollar Store adhesive pearls in a blush colour and the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes (S-U). Thanks for having a look.

Blossoms Abound

Card #3 using the “B” Stampin’ Up! sets I have. This card is my favourite card of the day. I used Mercy’s Tuesday Sketch Challenge #36 for my layout.


The card base is a gorgeous brown colour. It was a 12 x 12 paper that I’ve had for years. I tend to keep my 12 x 12 card stock because I keep thinking I’m going to “get into” scrapbooking, but never really do. I used a piece of patterned paper from the scrapbook calendar given to me last Christmas. It matched the brown as well as the Rich Razzleberry CS from S-U. I two-step stampped the grapes using Pale Plum and the Razzleberry. I stamped the stems in Soft Suede (stamped off once) and Old Olive. I added the Razzleberry ribbon to comple the card. I added the sentiment on the bottom in Chocolate Chip. I know who I’m going to send this card to tomorrow – my dear friend Laurel (we both love our red wine!).

LSC216 – A Wheel Challenge!

I can’t believe I’m among the first to make and post a card for an SCS challenge. I was watching the Calgary/Chicago hockey game and got bored (that’s rare for me – I’m a total hockey fanatic!! I guess that comes from always being around a rink) so decided to check to see if a challenge was up. Lo and behold, there was. I don’t often participate in the Limited Supplies Challenge, but it didn’t seem too hard, until I started to make a card with the directions given. We were to use only the following:
1 Wheel
1 Image stamp
1 Sentiment stamp
1 Embellishment
My card didn’t start out this way but I’m happy with the way it has turned out, especially since I’ve lived on very little sleep for the past 2 weeks (I go through these HORRIBLE bouts of insomnia every few months). I used the Watercolor Joy wheel in Apricot Appeal as my background on Very Vanilla card stock. I used Botanical Blooms as my image stamp in Apricot Appeal and Chocolate Chip (hey, it’s a 2-step stamping set, so I HAD to use the coordinating stamps!). I stamped the sentiment from Warm Words in Chocolate Chip. I initially used a piece of grosgrain ribbon to separate the flowers and the sentiment, but then that would have been the only embellishment I could use. Not good, considering I had already punched a hole in the card stock for a brad. So, I used a thin strip of Choc. Chip card stock instead and layered felt flowers from the Flower Fusion kit with a dollar store brad (it’s still only 1 embellishment technically, right?). That’s it! Thanks for looking. I am going to bed!

SCS Sketch Challenge #224

I couldn’t sleep last night so I made this card for the Sketch Challenge at Splitcoast. I’m pretty pooped this morning, let me tell you! This is my first post on our new site, so if it looks wonky, forgive me until I can pick Cathy’s brain a little more. My card base is Very Vanilla and I layered Chocolate Chip over that. It took me about an hour to pick out two strips of patterened paper to go on top of that! I played with a bunch of different backgrounds first of all, like close to cocoa, creamy caramel, kraft, but none of the DSP would go with it very well, which is why I switched to choc. chip. Anyway, I stamped various images from Scene in a Garden from Stampin’ Up with Timber Brown Stazon on watercolour paper (surprised – no!!) and used various inks to colour them in. I used Liquid Applique to create pussywillow