This first one is for a boy obviously and uses Basic Grey Oliver Collection with Verve to the Moon stamp set and VLV sketch from june. I just love those little critters. I colored them with copics - think I am getting better! The die cut shape is from PTI and the pleated thing I made myself - maybe a tutorial on that is in order.

 And this one is for a sweet baby girl who is being born today!!! I saw this idea on SCS and just had to try it myself! I think it is so cute! I used Close to Cocoa cs and inked the edges, used pink brads and made a hanger out of jewelry wire.

 WOW another post! See what happens when I clean my craft room?!?!?

I have a double challenge card for you today! I wanted to enter the Gina K stamp TV color challenge and so I had the colors wine, ivory, and gold in my head.

Then I saw the Waltzing Mouse Sketch challenge and that led me to Delightful Decorations by Stampin up.

Normally I try to use the company's stamps for their challenges but A) I don't have any Waltzing Mouse stamps...yet I placed my first order and they are on the way, B) I didn't have any Gina K that fit with the colors in my opinion. so oh well!

Here is my card.

I stamped the ornament image from Delightful Decorations and Tags Till Christmas in Encore gold ink then embossed with my cruddy clear EP - I am hoping it gives it a vintage look ;)! I then punched them out with the coordinating punch! I just love coordinating punches/dies!

I decided they needed some branches so I stamped the branch from Peaceful Wishes in Pallette Kraft ink several times. I then layered the ornaments and popped up the middle one. Below them I stamped Merry Christmas from Four Christmas in Matte Gold ink and then added a little bling to either end.

WOW! I used for different stamp sets on this one card!

Thanks for looking!

Another day another sketch! Here's a layout I did of my son and his (was my husband's dog) Flash. The two of them are the best of buddies!!!!! I am so happy to be scrapping again! It really does bring me so much joy!

The green background is distressed and inked and I hand cut the bottom. I punched out an oval for behind the title to make it stand out a bit more. The BFF letters are Scenic Route chipboard letters - I am still in mourning over the loss of my beloved Scenic Route! One of my all time fave companies! I guess I will just have to out and get some October Afternoon, Jillibean Soup and Crate paper to get over it! ;) The patterned paper on this is actually a Stampin Up Christmas line! I know right! The ribbon is Maya Road. I also used SU leafy branch die cut to create the branches coming out. 

I thought I was finished but in looking at it decided it needed something more. It was very *flat*. So I decided to make a paper flower. So I punched 4 graduated circles from the same patterned paper, distressed the edges, then sprayed them with Glimmer Mist. I left them dry enough to work with then pierced using a paper piercer in the middle to place a brad in the center then began crumpling and shaping my flower. When completely dry it will hold it's shape.

Here is my 1st Twilight Project! It was inspired by the books concept as a whole. The colors are from the book covers and well blood red, shiny silver volvo, black of night, sparkly vampires in the sun! I used Baroque Motifs which I FINALLY bought and am so glad I just love it! I started with a silver base added a black panel with the big flourish stamped using Pallet's Stamp&Stick Gluepad. I then dumped MS black glitter on it! I am having trouble keeping the glitter stuck to it! Hmmm not sure why?!?!?! Anyone used this particular product - I just bought it tonight! I also stamped cherish in veramark down in the corner then tried to emboss in red - perhaps I should have used white craft ink to get it to show up more?! I still have so much to learn about stamping! I have only been at it a year! anyways the card! I stamped the medalian in veramark on Real Red and used silver EP to emboss. Added some sheer shiny wedding ribbon and there you have it!

I hope everyone has a GREAT World Card Making Day and gets some quality stampin time! This day has an extra special meaning to me. You see last year on WCMD (Oct. 6) I was all set to work on assembling all but the crucial info and pics for the baby boy I was expecting. Well that and catch some good sales! Blake had a different plan! Around 1 pm my water broke however I was having no contractions or pain of any kind so I wasn't SURE it was my water. I ran to Target and some other errands during which my water started GUSHING! I made it home and told Andrew this was it and we got to the hospital around 4 pm. Blake was born at 7:00 pm on the dot! So I will always think of my baby on WCMD no matter what day it falls!

Here are a couple of cards to share with you today!

This card is my baby's birthday card for his party today! More about that later! I made this using Simple Birthday Thanks - you know that BIG cupcake! I love this stamp but hadn't used it yet! I paper pieced the top by stamping in white craft ink onto some patterned paper. I stamped the cherry on pure pom cardstock and the base on bashful blue and flipped it over after cutting it out and ran it through my paper crimper ~ which I think is maybe the 2nd time I've EVER used it! I stickled the cherry with Diamond stickles and the spots on the cupcake with Baby Blue stickles - also used those in the punched out area from the ticket corner punch. I tied some choc chip twill around the base and some bashful blue taffeta ribbon too!

This card is for one of the WCMD challenges on SCS! It was a sketch challenge and I {heart} a good sketch! This is old DP called Apple Cider - I really like it! The sentiment was stamped in Versamark and then embossed with COPPER ep! I don't know where it came from but I think it's perfect for this card! I punched that out and layered with more Apple Cider DP and ran some River Rock stiched ribbon through it! I added some cream DMC floss to the choc chip buttons and put one on each panel. Thanks for looking!!!!

Aren't these cute?! What are they you ask? Why Lesson Plan Bookmarks of course! As a teacher we keep a book of our lesson plans and it's nice to have some way to mark the week you are on! Now I didn't come up with these entirely on my own (what teacher of crafter comes up with something COMPLETELY on their own? Not many.) My friend Tonya a SU demo gave me one similar when the new catty came out last go around (when I was in her stamp club). They are made using JUMBO paper clips from Wal-Mart and then a variety of punches and stamps and such. First I started with my base - black scalloped circles I punched mine out using SU's scallop circle punch. Then I had to build each side. One side I wanted teachery so I used Tart and Tangy and stamped the apple image in Real Red then punched it out using my EK Success 1 1/4 inch circle punch. I matted this on a 1 1/2 inch So Saffron circle - punched out uisng the Yellow Marvy Circle punch. I went over the apple with Crystal Effects (also known as Paper Glaze or Glossy Accents), done with side one and left those to dry. For side two I just wanted it to be pretty. I had my Black Scalloped Circle and so from there I added a 5 Petal flower punch in Real Red (kinda looks like a star) then on top of that I layered a circle. The circle I first stamped the circle medalion from Simple Delights in So Saffron on same CS for a subtle look and punched it out with the 1 1/4 inch circle punch. To this I added a little bitty circle image from One of a Kind stamped in Black punched out with an itty bitty circle punch from SU - I call it the Build a Brad punch cause it's the perfect size to use with SU's build a brad. I wanted to use a mini red brad to adhere the mini circle using a mini red brad to the so saffron circle. However it was so little I knew I would have trouble punching a hole in it............so I used my paper piercer!!!! I also didn't want to get up from my desk to get my matt so I used my mouse pad!!!! SO there are my two tips for you! 1) When wanting to put a brad in something very small try your paper piercer! 2) when you are not in reach of a matt to use you paper piercer try your mouse pad oh but make sure it's not one of those gel kind! That could get messy! So I assembed side two and then used Tombow Mono AQUA to adhere to the JUMBO paper clip - not sure the diffrence between Aqua and Multi but the Aqua bottle is bigger and it worked GREAT!

Here is a close up of both sides. I made 10 of these and it took less than an hour including drying time! WARNING the Crystal Effects stays tacky for a long time especially in humid hot sticky Missouri! I will be giving these to my team members (kindergarten) and other close friends at school as a start to the new year gift. And one for my PSF Cheri who I get to scrap with Thursday!!! Oh and I made one for myself too!!! Thanks for looking! Check back soon for my Welcome to Minnie Cline Cards using the same colors! Hmmmm do I detect a color challenge??? Check back for that too!

This is the card I made for the Serendipity Scrapbooks DT call. The call ended last night at midnight and now all there is to do is sit and wait! Kristen said we would know by August 1st at the latest! I am soooooooo glad I have a workshop tomorrow and Tuesday to keep my mind off of it! I am so happy with how this card turned out!

I used my SU set Fresh Blooms/Fresh Cuts - my brain is foggy I can't remember! It is the preview set you could order in June. I wasn't that excited about it until stamp club and we used it and I loved it!!!! Had to have it! Maybe it's good I am not doing a club anymore! Everytime I would go with my list in hand and wind up adding to it! This was a pretty good addition I think! Not badly priced and a pretty unique set. The big image is like a background stamp but smaller - lots of detail! I inked it up with my brayer - such a wonderful invention - in soft sky then inked just the edges in choc chip. I stamped it on Whisper White then cut it in pieces which I matted on a piece of Soft Sky. I then matted that on a layer of distressed choc chip another layer of soft sky distressed and finally a choc chip base. This card is 6x6 - definitely a hand deliver. The sentiment is stamped on white in choc chip punched out with the Designer Label punch which perfectly matches the Stylized Silver hardware that was in the Spring mini - I so hope they put it in the Fall Catty along with some more like it! I don't know what I 'd do with NO hardware. I threaded soft sky double stitched ribbon through the openings and tied a little bow (so gonna miss the IN colors) and added some choc chip wide grosgrain behind it. TFL!

*Live*Laugh*Love*Create*

Tessa

This is a card I made for a sketch challenge on Serendipity Scrapbooks. I just love that site! Kristen the owner is super sweet! She stocks the store with all the latest and greatest must have items! The shipping is super fast and she includes a little bit of chocolate with EVERY order. The forum is always busy with all kinds of challenges and contests. There is something for every crafter whether you are a stamper, scrapper digi or traditional. Now for the card! The sentiment image is from the set Always from SU. I just love that set! I stamped it in purely pomegranate ink and then used my versamark pen to color over it and emboss with clear EP - I did this several times to make it look like a gel sticker. I had to hand cut it out cause would you believe I don't have a punch that coordinates?! I then layered it on a pretty in pink circle and that on a close to cocoa circle. The scalloped border at the bottom was made using my threading water punch! The patterned paper is from the 6x6 pad Two Scoops by Basic Grey. I love that line but chose the smaller pad ~ perfect for card making since I didn't think I would use it much to scrap for my boys! LOL! I used pink grosgrain ribbon and tucked it behind the pp, and tied two little knots. The flower is punched out of cardstock. The smaller one is an OLD SU button punch! The larger is the SU 5 petal flower punch. I used a pink rhinestone brad in the middle. TFL!

..................is his Daddy of course! This layout captures that idea for my hubby and our youngest son, Blake. I wanted pics of Andrew and Blake with him in uniform but Blake doesn't like it cause daddy is HARD (the vest, the radio, the gun, you get the idea) So I took these pics one night after Andrew got off work but he still had his SJPD uniform turtleneck on. I just love how it turned out! I hand stamped the title using Headline Alpha and my stamp -a-ma-jig - if you haven't ever tried one you really should! And have someone who knows what they are doing show you - I love it cause now I can stamp perfect titles!!!!! The journaling is also stamped but it is using Papertrey Ink's Simple Alphabet. I just love their stamps! And paper and ribbon and ink! This is using SU's I'm here Boy simply scrappin kit and a Janurary sketch from Page Maps. Oh and here is a close up of the journaling. It also shows the doodleing around the letters and on the blue stars that I did for some details. Thanks for looking

Hee hee hee that title is a mouthful! Can you tell I like alliteration and playing with word sounds?! It's a kindergarten thing I guess. Today is Father's Day - have you talked to YOUR dad? I called mine and sent a card but mom hadn't let him open it yet! We went out to breakfast at Crackerbarrel with Andrews parents. It was nice despite my allergy problems acting up again today! I made 4 cards and with the exception of my dad's which had to be mailed, I made them all last night! Nothing like the last minute Tessa! Oh well the turned out nicely.

This is a super cool technique that I first saw done by my friend Jac! We then did it at club and it is soooooo easy and so cool looking. The card I have for you we also did white embossing and so it's extra special. Check out this: Polished Stone for the "original" technique using metallic ink. This card is using this technique: Magic Snowflake which is similar to Polished Stone but uses glossy cardstock, and you emboss your image in white first and then do the polished stone over the image which after wiping "magically" appears! (note: SCS tutorial says to emboss again after dabbing with cotton ball - can just wipe off) This is just so fun and can be a really intense background or very subtle like shown here!

To do this stamp a solid image in white craft ink on glossy cardstock and emboss with white EP (or I guess clear would work too). Take a cotton ball and partially soak with rubbing alcohol then put a dot of each ink you want to use and dab onto cardstock - repeat and swirl and such to hearts content. Let dry a few seconds (dries super fast) then wipe off image with paper towel - ink doesn't dry on embossed image. Trim to desired size, use to create card! Viola!

Tools:

Cardstock - SU Glossy White, Blue Bayou

Stamps - Heartfelt Thanks

Ink- Craft White, Blue Bayou stamp pad and Reinker, Soft Sky Reinker, River Rock Reinker,
Ribbon - Double Stitched Soft Sky

Other - White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Ribbon Slide from Pewter HP hardware

The first new technique I have for you is Rock and Roll! I read the tutorial at splitcoast and then we did it at club too!



The rock and roll technique is pretty simple but hey - anything that takes stamping to the next level is good right? Here is the link the the tutorial at SCS. Rock and Roll

You need a solid image stamp to do this. I chose the set True Friend. I love that set - even better that it is die cut!
I did the big medallion. Ink up your lightest color first - here groovy guava - then you roll the edges in the other color - I chose Close to Cocoa. Super simple!



So then I decided to do another image and make a card! I used the tri-flower and just did the tips. The card base is River Rock, then a layer of groovy guava corners punched with my CM fancy corner punch, then some Apple Cider DP (love it hope it comes out in fall catty) punched with SU's ticket corner punch. In the bottom right corner I used a sentiment from Simple Delights and stamped "Just Because You're You" in Close to Cocoa - I love that saying! I punched out the image with my PINK Marvy oval punch and layered it on a close to cocoa piece punched out using the PURPLE Marvy scalloped oval punch. I added my ribbon by punching a hole and threading it through then tying a bow I used Groovy Guava stitched ribbon. I just love this year's in colors! What am I going to do when they retire????????? Thanks for looking!

Tools:
CS: River Rock, Close to Cocoa, Groovy Guava - SU
DP: Apple Cider - SU
Punches: CM Fancy Corner, SU Ticket Corner and tiny hole punch, Marvy Oval and Scalloped Oval
Ribbon: Groovy Guava Stitched - SU

I just love this card! It's using one of my fave sets Priceless. I just love this year's IN colors. Last year I was only big on Cool Carribean. And I mean who wasn't?! This year I LOVE them all. I have a multi pack of paper, all the ribbon (from a ribbon swap of course!) and all the ink pads except Blue Bayou. It's the one color I'm not crazy about. The rest I love!!!! Yes I know I mentioned that already. However I did actually use Blue Bayou for the base of this card, as well as to matte the focal image and a bit of ribbon. The 3 background panels I stamped the swirls from Pricless in Wild Wasabi and then the focal image is another swirl in Wild Wasabi and then I stamped the butterfly on the focal image and then on a scrap, cutting out the scrap to pop up on demensionals. There's also some stickles on the butterfly cause everyone loves a little bling! I didn't have a purpose when I created this card but when my dear PPPM friend Heather commented it was her fave in color combo I decided it would be her birthday card. I added a birthday sentiment inside and it is on it's way to her right now. Hopefully she will get it before she leaves for Disneyland this Saturday. So what do you think of this year's in colors? What do you think of the whole IN color idea? Have you seen the sneek peeks of next year's in colors floating around on blogs from people who went on the cruise? So far I'm not really that impressed - oh well more money for other things in the catty! Leave me a comment about your feelings on the IN colors.

One of the kindergarten teachers at school has been working with a retired military parent in sending things to a troop over in Iraq. I decided to make some simple cards to send with their next package. The images are all from PIF - a great way to get images of sets you don't have on SCS. The set is called Land that I love. They are from Ellen. The cardstock is not SU - I am using up some of my non-SU cardstock.

Ellen the one who sent me the images has hosted the last two or three can't remember rounds of PIF but fell rollerskating and broke her wrist! She had to have surgery so I am sending her this card. It is made with one of my fave sets Priceless. I think I have convinced everyone on the PPPM board to buy this set! That's all for today!