AO Release day 2

I am back with another sample using a new plate from Artistic Outpost.
This card uses a stamp from The Outpost plate. I absolutely LOVE this plate. This image is a large version of an image on the Serenity plate and I am so happy to see it in a larger scale.
I love this sentiment from the plate and just had to create a home that was nestled right in the center of the sunshine. I used my Prismacolor pencils to create the sunset. I just colored yellow right around the house and then colored outward from that with the various oranges, finally blending it all with Gamsol. I thought it worked out pretty well. I also brushed yellow Stickles in an outward motion around the house to add some sparkle. I stamped the house again and aged it a little with Distress inks and added it with foam tape for dimension. The frame was cut with a Nestabilities and is mounted on foam tape also. Finally, I added the sentiment in a wavy banner across the top.
Thanks for stopping by!! Check back tomorrow for an Artistic Outpost blog hop!!

*Scroll down to see my Pink Elephant challenge card that was posted earlier today*

The Pink Elephant Challenge #30

WOW! I can't believe that The Pink Elephant has hit challenge #30!! What started out as a fun little challenge blog certainly has come a LONG way!! I am so happy to see how many participants we get each week and that people seem to enjoy our challenges! That's what it is all about...having fun and creating!

This week, our challenge is a recipe: 2 squares, a ribbon and some BLING!
I have sadly misplace my mojo and really bombed on this challenge. It all started with a funky perfume box and it snowballed from there! lol I thought the pattern and colors of this box would be so cool on a card, so I cut two squares and a small rectangle from it. I like the colors and the patterns, but the rest of the card is leaving me a little unhappy. I don't know what it is, but I have been looking at this card for almost a week and just can't fall in love with it. I guess we all have times when we wonder what the heck we were thinking, right?!?!?! Well, this is definitely mine.
But, since I did the challenge, I am sharing it....hope you all don't mind!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to check out what the rest of the TPE designers created this week!

New stamps from Artistic Outpost!

I am so excited to finally be able to share the news!
Artistic Outpost has released 3 new stamp plates and they are gorgeous!
I am so in love with these new plates! They are gorgeous!! I got the priviledge of working with two of the new plates...Old Grist Mill and The Outpost. This notebook is made using The Old Grist Mill. I thought this stamp seemed so serene and would be perfect on a memory journal. I kept it very simple so I could make the image the focus. I covered the notebook with Ruche paper because I love the rugged texture of it against this covered bridge image. I tried to make the image appear to be a very old photograph. I don't know if I succeeded or not! I just colored it with Distress Inks and then added some details with a white pen to make the bridge pop a bit more. Like I said, simple, but I like it!

Here are the details on the new plates from Artistic Outpost:

The newest three collections from Artistic Outpost have a very natural vintage style, an ode to simpler times. We were inspired by some of our favorite quotes of Henry David Thoreau. His simple advice to "simplify, simplify" are words we should use in our daily life - the hustle and bustle of work, home, and community - as well as in our art. How often do we just need to stamp! Just the act of simply putting ink to rubber is calming and rewarding. We hope you find simple inspiration to create something that makes you happy.

And, we know you will love and want all three. So for a limited time, we are offering 20% when you purchase all three stamp collections. Simply use coupon code: September2009 at check out.

The Outpost: This collection is inspired by our Serenity signature set and continues this theme with a much larger image of our "outpost". You will love the versatility of this collection including the ATC sized farm house, and the nostalgic pocket watch.

Old Grist Mill: We live in the South where covered bridges are not quite as common as they are in other parts of the US and Europe. However, we absolutely long to be driving through the countryside in the fall, stopping at each covered bridge, and just listening to the "clippety, clap" of the tires going over each floor board. Again, we are reminded to enjoy simple beauty.

Generation Redux: These vintage images are grunged up a bit in a unique collage style. They are designed to go with not only The Outpost and Old Grist Mill, but think of using them with Home as well. We love this generation and find that this style of photo stamp is a perfect versatile style to add that "human"

element to your creations.

The Pink Elephant Challenge #29

Hey Pink Elephant lovers!!

Its Monday and you know what that means....another super fun challenge at TPE!

This week, we have a sketch challenge:And it is sponsored by the fabulous people over at Little Paper Shop. Be sure to drop in and check out their fun selection of stamps-unmounted and digital!! The design team got the priviledge of working with LPS digi images for this challenge and I had so much fun!
I made a pretty simple card for this challenge. I turned the sketch on its side and I put a sentiment in place of the two ribbons. I colored my image with Copics (I am starting to get the hang of them finally) and iced the cupcakes with lime green Stickles. I also added Stickles (crystal) to the ruffle at the bottom of her dress. The tag and pp came from a HOTP cardmaker design pack (thanks Wendy!). I hadn't planned it and was so happy to see how perfectly the colors matched with my colored image. LOVE when that happens. lol The sentiment is stamped with a JustRite stamper and stamp positioner.

Materials: STAMPS- Jenna Baking digi (Little Paper Shop), Curlz Font & Rectiangle stamper (Just Rite Stamps) INK-Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko) PAPER-Colormates (WorldWin Paper), Solar Classic White (Neenah), PP & tag (Hot off the Press) OTHER-Stickles Lime Green & Crystal (Ranger), Spots and Dots embossing folder (ProvoCraft), Ribbon (American Crafts), Foam tape

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Be sure to check out what the other TPE designers created this week!!!

The Pink Elephant Challenge #28

Welcome back TPE fans!!
It's time for another fun challenge!
This week, we are challenging you to make something that shows some Summer Fun!

Our summer has been so pathetic that I can't even get into the summer mood! lol But, I did pull out an OLD stamp set and come up with something that I hope you like. It certainly FEELS like summer when I look at it.

I decided to pull out my Copics again and give them another chance. They are growing on me, I'll admit that, but they still give me a headache. lol I colored the girl and then towel and then Stickled the heck out of the towel to tie it in with the glittery paper. Isn't that paper yummy? All of the patterned paper is DCWV Fun in the Sun...some glitter, some not. I just love the colors!! It is hard to see, but the dark panel behind the ribbon is actually a very glittery navy cardstock.
I cut the main image out with a Nestie, masked the stamped image and left the circle in the Nestie to sponge on the sand color. The sun was made with Nesties and a Just Rite stamp and the Curlz font.
Materials: Stamps-Summer set (ProvoCraft), Stamper, border, Curlz font (Just Rite Stampers)
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Paper-Colormates (WorldWin Papers), Fun in the Sun PP (DCWV)
Other-Copics, Circle/Pinked Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Ribbon

Be sure to stop by and see what the other TPE designers did for this challenge!! And maybe enter it yourself! We would love to see what you create. Have a creatively wonderful week!

Happy Birthday Elvis

It's no secret that I LOVE Elvis.
I seriously am obsessed with him. lol I love his music, his movies....HIM. So, when I saw this stamp set from I Brake For Stamps, I had to have it. I think it is such a cool stamp to use for my friends' birthdays. Not that all of them understand my love of the King, but they would appreciate me giving them a card with him on the front.

This is a pretty simple card, but one that looks MUCH better in real life. It is an overcast day here and I had a terrible time getting a decent picture of this card. I used the polished stone tech to make the background (oldie but goodie!) and then stamped and embossed the image. Added ribbon and bling to finish it off. It is hard to see the panel behind Elvis is embossed with a Fiskars texture plate. I have a really cool music note one that works perfectly with this image.

Materials: Stamps-Elvis (I Brake For Stamps)
Ink-Versmark (Tsukineko), black detail ep
Paper-Colormates, High Gloss (WorldWin Papers)
Other-Adirondack Alcohol Ink-Stonewash, Stream (Ranger), Music Note texture plate (Fiskars), Ribbon, Rhinestones (Kaisercraft)

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

AO-Hello Punkin!

Hey everyone!
I can't believe that it has been a week and a half since I last wrote a post. What's up with that?!?! I was so busy during July and then August came and it is 1/3 of the way through and things haven't settled down much. Now, I am crazy busy with back to school stuff on my off time. Once school starts, I hope to have some more ME time!! Who am I kidding? Then, the football games start and even more craziness ensues. lol

I finally got some time to play in here today and let me tell you...if felt GOOD.
I decided to pull out my Vintage Halloween plate from Artistic Outpost that hasn't seen ink in awhile. Shanyn asked why I was making a Halloween card and I told her, "because it seemed like a good idea". lol I just think this little witch is the cutest ever. I colored her with Prismas and Gamsol. I cut her out with a Nestie and then inked the background while it was still in the die. I stamped the verse repeatedly on the background, sometimes 2 or 3 times before reinking. Then, grunged it up a bit. Added the trees and the embossed/torn purple piece for ground. Tied fibers around the bottom (had to dust them off...haven't used fibers in forever!) and added a pumpkin. Finally, I embossed the white panel with the spiderweb folder and layered it all together. Finishing off with the sweet sentiment from the plate.Materials: Stamps-Vintage Halloween stamp plate (Artistic Outpost
Ink-Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Colorbox Lime Green, Orange (Clearsnap)
Paper-Colormates (WorldWin Papers)
Other: Spiderweb, D'Vine Swirls Folders (ProvoCraft), Prismacolor Pencils/Gamsol, Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Pumpkin, Fibers

Thanks for stopping by!! Have a creatively wonderful week.

The Pink Elephant Challenge #26

As I typed the title for this post, I was stunned to realize that we have actually had 26 challenges at TPE! It truly feels like just yesterday when Lori and I decided to start up a challenge blog where we could just have fun and hopefully have a few participants each week. Months later, we are both blown away by the amount of people that enjoy the challenges! We so appreciate all of you and are so happy to see you all participate each week. So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!!

Now on to my challenge card. This week's challenge is a recipe: 1 flower, 3 brads and patterned paper. I used a card kit from Deborah who is a Memory Works consultant. You can see what she sells here. She is also the sponsor for this week's challenge!!!
The patterned paper, flower, brads and ribbon were all from a card kit. These are very cute little kits with 6x6 papers and coordinating embellishments. The image I used is from I Brake For Stamps. You have seen me use it before. It is one of the very sweet Little Rascal images that Della carries. She just got some new ones at the store and I can't wait to get my inky fingers on those ones too!!! I colored this little girl with Prisma pencils and Gamsol and then added some Stickles to coordinate with the glitter in the pp.

Okay, so I guess I was having so much fun FINALLY creating again, that I decided to make a second card. I just adore these little penguins and wanted to use them on a card. Notice how his little swim trunks match the background paper? lol I colored these with my Copics....still learning and don't know that I really like them. I hate to say that, but I prefer my prismas still.... This is just a simple little card, but I used the recipe required. I added a little punched flower over the existing one on the hula penguin's head, so it counts!! lol

Be sure to check out what the other designers created for this challenge. You won't be disappointed!!!!

I also want to say one more thing before I close my post for this week. I have been having MAJOR troubles with blogger for quite some time now. I thought it was IE, so I upgraded to IE 8 and had more problems than with IE 7!! So, I downloaded Firefox and while it is better, I still have issues. I am guessing it is my computer or my ISP at this point and not blogger....
The biggest issue I have is being unable to comment. I click on the comment link and nothing happens. It is like pop ups are being blocked, but they aren't. I am able to do things on other sites, so I don't know what is wrong. I am telling all of you this because I want you to know why I don't comment anymore. At first, I was just too tired after working all day, but now it is because my darn computer won't let me. I want every participant (and my fellow TPE dt members) know that I am do visit, I just can't comment. Hopefully, this will be sorted out soon and I will be able to let you all know how much I love your cards!! You all ROCK!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a great week!!