New England Stamper

Vintage Flower

Today's CAS challenge on Splitcoast was posted late last night and as I was up with my daughter, who is sick again with the flu, I was able to make my card around 1am.   Unfortunately it's raining cats and dogs here and the light is awful.  I've been waiting all day for the sun comes out, so that I can photograph it, but it's not happening, so I'm afraid the picture is pretty poor quality today - sorry!

I really wanted to use these Prima flowers I bought a few weeks ago, but felt like I was cheating because there's so little stamping involved.  So I added some Gold Glimmer Blingz to the inside petals so I could at least get my fingers messy.  And anyway, we need sparkle on such a rainy day!

 

These flowers are so purdy - I know I'm going to hoard them because there are only 5 or 6 in a package!

Enjoy your day!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Manuscript Background (Hero Arts)

• Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI), Birds in Paradise (Graphic 45)

• Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger), Gold Glimmer Blingz (Shimmerz)

• Accessories: Flower from Swaney Collection (Prima)

Lambs and Lions Challenge

Over at Gingersnap Creations, the March theme challenge was to create a card with either a lamb or lion image based on the saying that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.  It rained most of the day here, so is that considered lamb or lion?  I'm not sure.

I don't own a lion or sheep stamp and I did search for one at a few local stores but with no success.  So my buddy Sharon loaned me this cute Penny Black image.

I used Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge for the layout of the card, which measures 3" x 6".   The image was stamped with Memento black ink and colored with copic markers.  To give the white sheep some dimension, I outlined the inside of the sheep with Warm Grey (W2) and the outside of the sheep with Frost Blue (B00).  Here's a closer look:

If you're looking for a fun place to share your stamping with others, consider joining the Gingersnap Creations Yahoo Group - there are weekly challenges, swaps, great databases and much more.  All are welcome - check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Ewe (Penny Black)

• Paper: Bashful Blue & Pretty in Pink c/stock (SU), Neenah white c/stock & Chloe's Closer d/paper (Making Memories)

• Ink: Memento Black, Copic markers: B00, YG03, YG25, RV10, W2 & blender

• Accessories: Pink gingham ribbon (SU)

• Tools: Martha Stewart border punch

Sweet & Simple Saturday: Guest Artist

I'm excited to introduce my first Sweet & Simple Saturday Guest Artist, Susan Raihala!  When I came across Susan's gallery on Splitcoaststampers, I nearly fell off my chair - seriously.  She has such a great sense of design.

First, here's a little bit about Susan:

1. Where do you live? Southwest Ohio, but we lived in nine states in twenty years because DH was in the Air Force. I've seen a lot of America and love it all. Well, most of it, at least!
2. Who do you live with? My husband, George, and I have been married for almost 23 years and have two sons, Nick (9) and Jack (6). We also have an elderly golden retriever named Hoover, but his real name should be named Tigger because he's much better at bouncing than vacuuming.
3. Do you have a day job when you're not stamping? I never, ever thought I'd be stay-at-home mom, but I am and I love it. Before that, I taught college English classes and worked as a writer/editor in marketing.
4. How long have been stamping? Seven years.  I started papercrafting by making handmade books.  Aren't cards just very short books?
5. What are your favorite stamp companies? Stampin' Up!, Papertrey, Hero Arts...I love others, too, but those three make up about 90% of the stamps I own.  I own a lot of stamps!
6. Who are the stampers that inspire you?  Too many to list, but the three who have had the biggest impact on my style are Julie Ebersole, Krystie Lee Hersch, and Nicole Heady.
7. Do you have any other hobbies? Writing, reading, blogging (I have three blogs), and soaking up the sun...metaphorically speaking, of course, because I live in Ohio and take care of my skin ;-).

Like most CAS (clean and simple) cards, Susan's contain a lot of white space, which draw the viewer's eye to the main focal image.  But one of the things that sets Susan's cards apart are the interesting details she includes, such as the epoxy sticker on the Christmas ornament or the glitter on the Gratitude card.  These details really make your eyes linger on her cards.

Susan's cards are also well balanced - see how the red ornament is balanced by the red bow (above) and the vertical blue ribbon balances out the horizontal branch (below).

Another feature of Susan's cards I like is the movement she creates.  The flowers on the Gratitude card and red butterflies are positioned in such a way that the eye moves easily across her cards.

 

If you love her cards as much as I do, I encourage you to visit her new stamping blog, Simplicity by Lateblossom and leave her a comment on one of her fabulous creations.  And check out her writing blog, Questioning my Intelligence, which is hilarious to read. 

Enjoy your weekend and happy stamping!

 

Jenni Bowlin New Home

I needed to make a new home card today for a friend who just bought her first house.  I hope she doesn't look at my blog before I see her tonight! 

I've had these Jenni Bowlin bingo cards for a few months, but haven't found a good project for them, until today.  I love all Jenni Bowlin's vintage papers, cards and mini books etc, you can drool over them on her website. 

The only stamping on the card is the sentiment on the inside:

Come back tomorrow and meet my first Sweet & Simple Saturday Guest Designer - you won't be disappointed!

Supplies:

• Stamps: New Home (Impression Obsession)
  
• Paper: Vintage Cream c/stock (PTI), Basic Black c/stock (SU), Vintage Drawing Paper, Vintate Black Star Dot & Vintage Mini Bingo Cards (Jenni Bowlin Studio)
• Ink: Basic Black (SU)
• Accessories: Black Pearls (Hero Arts), Gingham Ribbon (Making Memories)
• Tools: Scallop Edge Punch (SU)

Club Challenge

The challenge I set my club members in February was to use a Filigree or Flower Designer Brad on a card.  Take a look at the awesome cards they came up with:

This first card was designed by Dawn - love that layout - it's so versatile.

The second is by Kerry - I really like the criss-crossed ribbon - great use of scraps!

Maria came up with 3" x 3' cutie - such a perfect little card to accompany a gift.

Here's Pam's Valentine card to her husband - we didn't read inside - honest!  I love the way she layered up the Filigree and rhinestone brads.

Can you believe Patti has only been stamping a few months?  I can't!  This purse card is adorable and I love the glitter!

This felt flower frenzie was made by Sharon - fantastic card!

Sue made this sweet card - don't you love how she decorated the inside too!

Great cards, ladies.  Thanks so much for sharing!

Monochromatic Card

I posted a cute card on Gingersnap Creations today (well I think it's cute!), along with a color challenge.  Why not head over there and take a look.

Here's a sneak peak:

Have a good one!

Spring Cards

I have two Spring Cards to share with you today.  And of course, I made them both for stamping challenges.  I think I might have an addiction to challenges!

The first was for a new challenge blog called Crafty Creations.  Their theme was Spring, so I thought this newly-purchased Memory Box bird stamp would be perfect. 

The bird was water colored with Bashful Blue reinker and has a coat of Under The Sea Blingz - one of the new color releases from Shimmerz.  [BTW - check out Shimmerz new and improved website].  Here's a closer look:

The second card is for today's CAS (Clean and Simple) challenge on Splitcoast, which was  to use a punch on your card.  I turned to my trusty Word Window punch and a brand spanking new A Muse stamp, called Open Zinnia.  With this card I also took on Sharon Johnson's ribbon tab challenge and sort of reversed the tab, but I think it still counts!

I stamped flower twice and colored them with copics, cut one out and layered it on top of the other.  The flower center has 3 tiny black pearls.

Thanks for visiting!

Card One Supplies:

• Stamps: Bluebird Branch (Memory Box)

• Paper: Baja Blue, Very Vanilla, water color paper, Basic Grey Two Scoops pad

• Ink: Stazon, Bashful Blue, Pirouette Pink, Certainly Celery & More Mustard reinkers, Under The Sea Blingz and Celery Shimmerz.

• Accessories: Valet Ribbon (SU), pearls (Kaiser)

• Tools: Aquapainter

Card Two Supplies:

• Stamps: Open Zinnia (A Muse), Simple Wishes (acrylic set by A Muse)

• Paper: PTI white c/stock, Regal Rose & Basic Black (SU)

• Ink: Black Memento, Copic markers, Regal rose (SU)

• Accessories: Regal Rose ribbon, black pearls (Hero Arts)

• Tools: Word Window Punch

 

Featured Stamper Beate

I was so happy to see Beate Johns as the Featured Stamper on Splitcoast this morning.  I figured that she would have been featured already, but I guess not. 

I was lucky enough to meet Beate last month in Florida and I felt like a school girl meeting her favorite rock star - it was a little embarassing.  But I've admired her work since I began stamping about 3 years ago and she has been a big influence on my style, so it was so thrilling to meet her in person.

I chose one of her cards from last Fall to case and I changed the stamp set and color scheme, but I mixed up the layout just a tad.

I'm loving Stampin' Up!'s Thoughts and Prayers stamp set and check out the new Stampin' Up! punch - the scallop oval punch.  Oh life is good when you have a new punch!

I received my new Shimmerz colors in the mail this week, so come back tomorrow to see a spring bird card using Under The Sea Blingz....

Happy stamping!

Supplies:

• Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers

• Paper: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Old Olive & Very Vanilla c/stock

• Ink: Chocolate Chip and Old Olive

• Accessories: Sale-a-Bration ribbon, brown brads (American Crafts)

• Tools: Mat pack, oval scallop punch, large oval punch

Sweet & Simple Saturday

Happy weekend!  For this week's Sweet and Simple card, I used this sweet A Muse car image.  A Muse stamps are perfect for this kind of card.  This week's challenge on the Creative Belli Blog is to make a project with wheels, so the car fit perfectly.

While making the card, I started thinking about some tips for making clean and simple cards.  What struck me is that they are definitely less forgiving than more layered and detailed cards.  They take less time to make than most cards, but it's definitely worth taking five extra minutes to make sure that it is finished nicely.

If you water color an image, you can rework it and disguise any mistakes you make more easily.  Or on a layered card, you can tie a huge bow or put a big button over a nasty smudge and it will look great.  Not so for these type of cards.  Here are a few tips, which are probably pretty obvious, but I'll share anyway:

Tips:

• Use a stamp positioner, such as a Stamp-a-ma-jig, to position your images correctly.

• Keep your work area clean: put down fresh scratch paper for each card and put the lids on ink pads once you're finished with them.

• Have baby wipes close at hand to clean inky fingers.

• If coloring a small image, use the fine tip of your marker, small paint brush or sharp pencils.

• Use grid paper or a ruler to ensure your images are adhered straight.

Just a few thoughts....Enjoy your weekend and come visit again soon!

Supplies:
Stamps: Car Load (A muse Artstamps)
Paper: White c/stock (PTI), Basic Black c/stock (SU), Bitty Dot Basics (PTI)
Ink: Stazon and Copic Markers
Accessories: Silver eyelets, gingham ribbon (SU)
Tools: Cropadile

What No Flowers?

I looked back at my recent blog posts and noticed that all the cards have flowers on them.  Hmmm - time for a change - just for one day! 

So, I chose to make a masculine card using Stampin' Up!'s Happiness is a Journey set and To The Nines designer paper, which is perfect guy paper.  The layout is based on today's Splitcoast sketch challenge. 

I'm afraid that the colors are off because the light was so bad when I took the photo.  I went outside hoping to get a better picture, but it made the Chocolate Chip look like burgundy - go figure.  The paper colors are actually Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke and Sahara Sand - you'll just have to use your imagination a little bit.

Quick tip: when lining up strips of paper like this, go easy on the adhesive because chances are you'll have to reposition one or two to get them evenly spaced.

I found another way to use up a scrap of ribbon - sew a button onto it.  This was an idea I got from Jen who left a comment for the blog candy - thanks Jen!  [If you need more ideas on how to use ribbon scraps see this post.]

Always Artichoke is a dark color to write on, so I decorated the inside of the card with Sahara Sand c/stock and a 3/4" strip of the designer paper, which is the same width as those on the front.

 

This will probably be my Dad's Fathers' Day card.  Thanks for stopping by my blog and have a wonderful day!