Crazy 4 Challenges #22

Its Saturday and you all know what that means, right?

Another fun challenge at C4C

This is Lori's last week as hostess and she challenged us to use Lollipops in our designs.

She said we could use anything that had to do with lollipops, but what better time than to use her Lollipop stamps from Stamping Bella?!?!?

Here is the card I made using her super sweet stamp:

I fell in love with this sweet little girl and sentiment the second I saw them. Her little bunny slippers make me smile! This is a SUPER simple card, but I love it. I rarely do a white card and I decided it was time to do just that. I colored the image with Copics.In real life, the pinks that I used and the ribbon  match perfectly....dratted overcast weather means bad photos!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to drop by C4C for some more lollipop goodness!

The Greeting Farm's CHA Relay day #3

Well, I was actually following through with a challenge and just got day 3 done and uploaded. I went to the TGF blog to add my link and see that they have cancelled the relay. They had HUNDREDS of players each day which caused the gallery to crash multiple times. On top of that, people weren't posting their links in the proper blog post and were then sending complaints to the girls who volunteered to email the next digi. The poor girls were overwhelmed with emails and it just got to be too much for everyone. Makes me sad because I was actually keeping up! lol I was so excited to see what the next digi would be and I actually was standing a chance at getting the bonus digi for playing along everyday. Oh well, can't win em all, right?

Here is my card using the super sweet Toby Cub image:

Okay, so I can't win with photos. Yesterday's had too little light and today, the sun is so bright, I couldn't get a 'not washed out' picture. But, I think you get the idea!! The top banner says "I Love You", but the I was eliminated by the sun. I originally didn't have the 'beary' on there and my youngest daughter said I should put it on there since he IS a bear. lol So, I just used some tiny alpha stamps to add it. I like it! The image is colored with Copics. The PP, chipboard letters (I added dots to the S and Stickles to the O) and the glittered heart brad are all scores from Target's dollar spot. Fun card to make and a super cute image!!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a creatively wonderful rest of your week!

The Greeting Farm's CHA Relay day #2

So much fun!!!

Here is my day #2 card for the relay:

I can't wait to see what the next digi will be. I LOVE this little beauty!

Her name is Charlotte. Isn't she sweet? Or, I like to think she is a little SASSY!!!

Colored with Copics and I added Spica pen to the letters, her hair band, scarf and a bit to her hair.

The pp is DCWV Pocket Full of Posies.

Sorry about the photo. I am running on borrowed time so I can play along. I leave for work in the dark and I come home from work in the dark

So, I am doing my best to get decent pics. This has a yellow cast to it since it was taken in artificial light. The card is much prettier IRL.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see my next entry in the relay!

The Pink Elephant #51

Ugh...it is Monday and the only good thing about Monday is that it is time for another

super fun challenge at TPE!!!

This week we are asking you to create something using polka dots, a bow and pink!

FUN, FUN, FUN!!

The sponsor this week is Sassy Studio Designs

They have the most adorable digis evah! I really am in love with them!

The design team got the privilege to work with a couple of them. Thank you so much SSD!

Here is the card I made for this challenge:

The image is colored with Copics and I Stickled the icing on the cupcake. The PP and the sentiment stamp are both from Target's dollar spot. I hit the motherload there for Valentine's goodies this year! lol The ribbon was a very pale purple, so I carefully colored around all of the dots with my Copics to make it match. Love those Copics!!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to drop by TPE to see what the other girls created this week!

The Greeting Farm's CHA Relay day #1

Oh what fun!! The Greeting Farm is hosting a super fun CHA Relay over the next 5 days!

You can read about it HERE

Basically, Marie is giving everyone a free digi today. You create a card using that digi and upload it to their Galleria. Post a link and your email address in the comment section and Mercy will email you the next day's digi. If you don't play, you don't get the next digi. Each day a new digi will be emailed if you upload a card using the previous digi by 6:00 PM CST.

I decided I need to make time for playing more often, so what better way to do that?!?!

Here is my first entry in the CHA relay:

It is a VERY simple card, but I have to be realistic and try to keep them simple since I do have to go to work everyday. I colored Mer Ian with Copics and added glitter to his tail and hair with Spica pens. I love these pens...they are soooooooo cool!!

Stop by the TGF blog to get your own Mer Ian and play along!!

Have a great week everyone!!! Hopefully I will see you back here tomorrow with the next card for the relay!

Birds of a Feather

Here's another card made using the new Birds of a Feather plate from Artistic Outpost

When I saw these girls, they instantly reminded me of my two daughters. Actually, how I 'wish' they would be. lol They are like night and day....definitely NOT birds of a feather...but my hope is that when they are older, they will be close as sisters should be!

Image is colored with Copics. I embossed the purple panel with the Textile folder. Did a lot of stamping using the flourish stamps from this set to create my own PP.

Don't forget:

Use coupon code Spring2010 to receive 20% off each of the two new plates from Artistic Outpost.

Coupon expires 1/26 so hurry and get yours today!

Crazy 4 Challenges #21

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Its time for another super fun challenge at C4C!

This week, Lori is challenging us to make a card that is mainly pink.

I used one of her Lollipop stamps to make this super sweet Valentine card:

The background was cut on my Silhouette and then I embellished it with a white gel pen. The "love" is also covered with Glossy Accents to make it pop a bit more. I colored this little sweetie with Copics. She looked like she could be holding something, so I added a chipboard heart balloon. To make the balloon: I punched a heart from a scrap of pink paper, sprayed a chipboard heart with spray adhesive and attached the punched card. Sprinkled glitter in the heart opening that was left. Trimmed excess card and put a layer of Glossy Accents over entire piece. I added a string with embroidery floss.

This card definitely fits the challenge as a VERY pink card! lol

Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to drop by C4C to see what other pink goodness the dt created!

Birds of a Feather revisited...

Here is another card I made using the girls image from the Birds of a Feather

plate now available from Artistic Outpost

I stamped and embossed the image on a polished stone background. Added some white gel pen accents here and there to help brighten it up a bit. Stamped sentiment and tore it from the cardstock. Added some dots with gel pen.I embossed the main card with a Sizzix texture plate (not sure I love these as much as folders btw). Added polka dotted ribbon, bow and a punched strip across the top.

Spring is Here...

oh how I wish that were true!!!

Here are two more cards made using the new Birds of a Feather plate from Artistic Outpost

This one is one of my favorites! I decided to do a very simple Cuttlebugged card (swiss dots and distressed stripes) so the nest became the focus. I colored the nest with Copics.

Another simple one. I actually started out just making an ATC. I stamped the text image with resist ink and then rubbed dye inks over it to reveal the image. Stamped and embossed the bird image in black. Added the sentiment and then decided it was too blah. So, I embossed a cream card and layered the ATC on it and was MUCH happier with it.

BTW...all of the white, cream and glossy cardstock I used is available at Artistic Outpost. I so love that Robyn is now carrying my favorite cardstocks for stamping and inking!!!

Just playing

*this is my second post of the day...be sure to scroll down to see the Artistic Outpost new release info*

Man! It sure feels good to create for the sake of creating! No reason, no obligation, just pure fun!!

Today was a flurry of art activity in my studio and two of the things I made are just because!

The first one is a Valentine ATC using a Lollipop image from my friend, Lori Boyd.

Isn't this little girl adorable?? It is available at Stamping Bella along with lots of other Lollipops!!

She is colored with Copics. I layered her onto a Cuttlebugged background and then onto a red ATC sized piece of cardstock. The sentiment is a Studio G stamp I picked up last week. I added a couple of punched hearts. I finally Stickled the heck of it! lol I covered the exposed red cardstock, an edge around the sentiment and the hearts with red Stickles. The center of the one heart was covered with cotton candy Stickles. Just a fun little ATC that I will probably slip in John's lunchbox on Valentine's Day!
This ATC is also for the challenge at Cuttlebug Challenge. I love it when I make something 'just because' and it works for a challenge too. What fun!

Then, I played around with this awesome Sassy Studio Designs image:

Isn't she beautiful?!?! I think I am in love with this images! This was a very simple card because the base of it was premade (gasp!). I picked up a set of these pink scalloped cards at Target in the dollar spot. I thought they would make quick cards with some embellishing. I just added the blue cardstock to the bottom edge and then a strip across the middle. The image was colored with Copics. I used puffy velvet marker on her hat brim and ball and Glossy Accents to the mug. I layed ribbon across the top and bottom edges of the blue strip and made a half bow (I have no clue what to call it) and brad (from dollar spot also) under the image. Finally, I stamped the sentiment with charcoal ink. I wanted to put "Thinking of You" there, but I didn't have one large enough...*note to self: need larger sentiment stamps*.

It sure was fun to PLAY!!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great rest of your week!!

Artistic Outpost New Releases!!!!

The wait is finally over!!!  Paris Exposition and Birds of a Feather are here.  

Use coupon code Spring2010 at checkout to receive 20% off each of these two new collections purchased together or individually.  Note - coupon expires January 26th.

Paris Exposition:  Inspired by the Paris Exposition of 1889, for which the famed Eiffel Tower was built, this stamp collection features bold vintage style images including a French version of "What's up?". In French, we translated it to be "Quoi de nuef?" There are several collage elements to this collection which will provide you the flexibility to add multiple layers to your creations. 

http://www.artisticoutpost.com/paex1.html 

Birds of a Feather:  Edwardian romanticism inspires this collection of bird images. Included is a perfect ATC background of German text. You will also love the engraving realism to the main bird images. This collection is timeless and seasonless, though we did give you a special sentiment for your springtime projects. 

http://www.artisticoutpost.com/birdsoffeather1.html

Both collections are available unmounted or pre-cut and mounted on EZMount cling foam.

I worked with the Birds of a Feather plate. I just adore this plate. The bonus for me is the beautiful robin stamp. I, of course, HAD to do something using that image right away. I decided to make a post it note cover for work. I thought it would make a cute addition to my station. It was very simple to make. I just cute a strip of cardstock slightly longer than twice the length of the pad of paper, plus the thickness of the spine. I then scored the cardstock where it would bend around the post-it notes and folded it. Super siimple. I adhered the post-it notes to the back cover so it would easy to change out when I needed a new pad. I wrapped some beautiful checked ribbon around the cover. Stamped the image on Neenah paper (also available at Artistic Outpost) with Chestnut Memories ink and sponged the same ink around the edges to antique it. I stamped it one more time and cut out "ROBIN" and layered that onto the robin egg blue cardstock that I made the base out of and added it to the image. Layered the image onto brown cardstock and then onto the cover wtih foam tape. Finally, I tied a piece of ribbon in a knot, wrapped a felt brad over the knot and glued it to the cover. Very easy to make, but I love the way it turned out!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Be sure to stop by the other Design Team Members Blogs to see what they've created with these new plates

·  Gerrie Johnnic

·  Lisa Somerville

·  Cathy Edgar

·  Judy Hayes

·  Lynn Stevens

·  Robin Willis (you are here)

·  Toni Tessler

·  Robyn Phelan Sharp

The Pink Elephant #50

Holy Cow! I can't believe what I just typed for a title! The FIFTIETH challenge at The Pink Elephant?!?!

That means we have been bringing you super fun challenges for almost a year! That's so cool!!

Thanks to all of those who come and play along with us each week! It truly is so fun to go and see all the entries and the talent is just amazing!

Our sponsor this week for TPE is

Stampotique

They generously graced the dt with some fun stamps!! Thank you so much!

And this week is a sketch challenge:

My interpretation of my own sketch really is bad....so proceed at your own risk:

Okay, so I started with good intentions, really I did. But, this looks nothing like the sketch. Let's pretend that I zoomed in on the center of the sketch shall we? Seriously, I started with a full oval in red. I had Versamarked an embossing folder, ran the oval through in the Textile folder and sprinkled glitter ep on it. I heated it and layered the finished oval on a black scalloped oval.....only to find that the oval was way too big to go on a landscape card...sigh. I so didn't want to redo the oval cuz I loved it and it was really the size I needed for this super cute image from Stampotique. Isn't she sassy?? I just think she is so cute!! So, I layed the oval down on the side of a portrait card and cut off the edge. I thought it looked pretty cool, but definitely not like the original sketch. If I had it to do all over again, I would have embossed the white card base to add more "oomph"....but I don't have time to do that....sigh.

It was fun to color the image and I do think that the card is way different from my usual style....hence the idea to use the word "original" (Art Declassified stamp).

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

Crazy 4 Challenges #20

Hey all you crazy stampers! Its time for another super fun challenge at C4C!

This week, our hostess with the mostest, Lori Boyd has challenged us with a sketch:

I, of course, never seem to end up with a card that really looks like the sketch. This one comes pretty close though!! lol

I saw that The Greeting Farm was sponsoring the next two weeks and it has been ages since I have used a TGF stamp, so I just had to pull them out and use some!! In this dreary old winter weather, it was nice to create something bright and cheery and share some sunshine!!

I colored Hope and the sun with copics and added some details with a white gel pen. I used Floral Fantasy for embossing and cut my sentiment out a Spellbinders Tag Trio die. I used some felt borders for accents along with buttons.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to go to C4C to see what the other crazy gals did with this sketch!

Artistic Outpost New Release Sneak Peek!!

Starting January 20th, I will be sharing some projects using brand new stamps from AO! How fun!!!!

The following is a message from Robyn Sharp, owner of Artistic Outpost:

Happy New Year from Artistic Outpost!

We hope you are all enjoying a day of reflection and re-energizing at the beginning of 2010. We are thankful for a safe and happy holiday season, and we are excited about heading into our third year of bringing a brand of art rubber stamps to you, our talented and valued customers.

As the paper crafting world gears up for the annual extravaganza that is the CHA Show in January, we too will be releasing two BRAND new collections of stamps on January 20th. We will have the same exciting new release specials, and we hope that you are as excited as we are about these two new releases. The stamps are in our hot hands, and we are feverishly getting them packaged and ready to ship in the next couple of weeks. Our designers are also busy at work creating wonderfully inspiring projects to share with you. So, stay tuned, you will be the first to know when they are available for purchase.

And here they are:

 

Paris Exposition: Inspired by the Paris Exposition of 1889, and the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower, this collection features 12 images including French phrases and lovely collage elements, such as hot air balloons.

Birds of a Feather: Nothing says romantic and springtime, like the Edwardian inspired images in this collection. A special background stamp is included that is perfectly sized for ATCs.

Happy New Year to you and your familes.

Thank you again for making us a part of your creative trek!

-Robyn, Shelley, and Steven

The Pink Elephant #49

Did ya think I disappeared off The Pink Elephant bandwagon or what?!?!

I took a very long hiatus because the holidays had me so overwhelmed, I wanted to cry. But I am back!

This week, our sponsor is Kraftin' Kimmie. She has the cutest stamps evah!

Our challenge is to create a birthday card:

Pretty simple card. I colored the image with Copics and added stickles to make it sparkly. I used some DCWV Whimsy paper....love em!! Buttons and ribbon finish it off.

Be sure to stop by TPE to see what the other girls did this week!

Crazy 4 Challenges #19

Happy Saturday!!

It's time for another fun challenge from C4C

This week, our hostess Lori has challenged us to make a birthday card.

Psssssssst...her birthday is Tuesday, so be sure to give her some love!

Our sponsor is Innovative Stamp Creations.

I used this beautiful sunflower image from ISC and sculpted it to give it lots of dimension:

I colored the flower with Copics. I carefully cut it out, cutting the petals almost to the center. Then, I used a paintbrush handle to curl and form the petals. Finally, I filled the center with Walnut Stain Distress Stickles and sprinkled some brown flocking lightly over it. When it was almost dry, I used a stylus to press divets into the glue to give it that sunflower center appearance. It was so fun! I hope that it makes up for the fact that my card is so simple. I wanted to make a card that I could use for anyone's birthday, whether it a man or a woman, so I kept it simple.

Be sure to drop by C4C to see what the other fabulous designers did this week!

Crazy 4 Challenges....

Okay, you probably all think I am crazy since our C4C challenges go live on Saturday, but let me explain...

We have had some nasty winter weather for the past week and I have satellite internet. Snow and satellites don't always play nice together. I HATE that. I have had email and could surf the net, but couldn't upload or download anything. My internet just wasn't strong enough.

One of the C4C ladies was kind enough to add my card to the challenge site, but I couldn't put it on my blog until the weather cleared a bit. Very frustrating!!

Lori is our host this month and she challenged us to create a project using polka dots. My card looks like a polka dot fairy threw up on it! rotfl!!!!!

Our sponsor is Innovative Stamp Creations and Betsy was kind enough to send us stamps to use in our creations.

The Eiffel Tower stamp comes from the ATC Elements sheet. It is a beautiful stamp with so much detail!!

I used random polka dotted papers and ribbons along with the Swiss Dots embossing folder for the background.

Be sure to drop by C4C and see what the other designers created this week!

Today, I am off of work and I am attempting to declutter my life. I have to simplify my studio so I have the ability to meet deadlines. I have had such a hard time over the past 2 months and something has to change. I haven't been able to participate in many of the challenges at TPE or C4C because I just haven't had the time and because my area lacks organization. This will be shocking to some because I am slightly OCD. lol But, this room has been horribly neglected and things just seem to pile up to the point where I simply can not work. That is all about to change. I have spent hours in here already and it looks like I have a long way to go. But, hopefully, after I am done reorganizing and decluttering, I will be able to get back to my passion for art!!!

Wish me luck!

Have a creatively wonderful rest of your week and thanks so much for stopping by!