As a longtime lover and semi-collector of all things pineapple, the current pineapple trend makes me slap-happy.
I received an order from Lil Inker Designs last week; I know I said I'd ink up all of my LID stamp sets that I had before placing another order, but I couldn't resist the new Pineapple Panache stamp set, and LID was having a birthday sale. What's a girl to do? She's to order the pineapple set and coordinating die, as well as a few of the other sets/dies she's been wanting (because: 20% off!). And that's how you go broke saving money.
Anyway, I was itching to play with aforementioned Pineapple Panache, I needed to make my sample for Mojo Monday, and a close friend's grandmother passed away last week. Those parameters were not enough: I also wanted to participate in the current Color Throwdown challenge (#357). Thus, I determined to make a pineapple-themed sympathy card with this sketch and color scheme:
And here's what I came up with, turning the sketch on it's side:
The card measures 3.5" by 5.5". I used LID's Circles & Diamonds Stitched Background Die to give the white background a little texture. The sentiment came from LID's Really Rosemaling stamp set, and was heat embossed with white detail embossing powder.
My ink colors are Baja Breeze (Stampin' Up!) and Blush (Close To My Heart), both of which seem to be retired.
Ready to play in this week's Mojo Monday challenge? Then head over to the Mojo Monday blog where you'll find all of the details, and be sure to visit my fellow Mojo Monday design team members for lots of lovely inspiration:
Hey, friends. This is going to be a quickie, even though I'd like for it to be longer because I have a lot of backstory and extra photos I'd like to share with you. However, it's 9-something p.m. as I write this on Sunday night, and I have to get up at 4 a.m. tomorrow to make a 7 a.m. flight out of Dallas (wake, shower, load car, drive). Sean and I are heading up to Boston so that we can help Truman move into his dorm room. I have spent the whole weekend packing up all of Truman's stuff. I still have yet to pack my own bag. Eek!
Anyway, I didn't want to leave without showing you the sample I made for this week's Mojo Monday sketch, #412. I'm sure it will not be a huge surprise to know I made it with Truman in mind...
I used a new-to-me stamp set by Lil Inker Designs called The Fine Print. It's got several what-seem-to-be-snarky sentiments, but when you read the fine print, they are quite sweet. Take a closer look at this one:
There's a story behind the Charlie Brown zigzag. Truman was bald for a long time as an infant, and so for his first birthday (his birthday is on Oct. 30, hence he's had lots of costume parties and Halloween has always been a big deal at our house) he was Charlie Brown. Here's a look at part of a scrapbook page from way back then:
And since I'm showing scrapbook pages, here's a part of a two-page spread devoted to the clown I spoke of in my last post:
I've already started buying little gifts I can stick in the cards I'm going to send Truman as part of the oft-mentioned 100 Card Challenge. I picked up this USB drive a week or so ago for him, and now I have the perfect card to go with it. :)
Alrighty, folks - this is way longer than I intended, already. I have miles to go before I sleep! Wish me luck, and I'll be back soon. In the meantime, be sure to visit the Mojo Monday blog where you'll find this week's sketch and get info about how you can play along in the current challenge. For further inspiration, visit my craty Mojo Monday Design Team Members at:
Hello, hello! I'm here, and I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT the fact that my firstborn is leaving for college tomorrow.
I'm telling myself that I am absolutely fine with this fact. It's a good thing! Especially considering the alternatives. It's the circle of life, right?
Right. So let's move along, shall we? Everything is right with the world. (*breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth... breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth...)
Today I've got a TRIPLE THREAT card for you! That's right, I've combined three -- count 'em: 3! -- challenges in one single card. I'm not going to claim it's the holy trinity, but it's definitely a trinity of some sort. Let me explain:
Here's my card, also very suitable for my 100 Card Challenge for Truman (the aforementioned eldest sweet child o' mine):
The Basic Gray card stock was so dark, I knew I'd need to add an interior panel of white to make it useable. I also know myself well enough to know that I'd better do so when I make it, or it might never get done. There are so many great sentiments in the Seriously Awesome stamp set, that I couldn't help but stamp one in Tempting Turquoise ink to the interior panel:
Compare and contrast to the various challenge parameters:
And be sure to visit the MOJO MONDAY BLOG to see how you can play along. For further inspiration, visit my craty Mojo Monday Design Team Members at:
Title reference: do you remember the Jem cartoon/dolls from back in the '80s?
She was a little after my Barbie-playing prime, but my oldest niece was very into her, I do recall. When Carter and I went to see "The Minions" last week, there was a trailer for a new, live-action Jem and the Holograms (that was the name of Jem's all-girl band, you know) movie, with Molly Ringwald playing the mom.
Why am I bringing this up? Because I couldn't get that dumb theme song out of my head while I was creating my card for this week's Mojo Monday challenge, #407:
I used the Girl's Best Friend stamp set and coordinating die from Lil' Inker Designs. I was fortunate enough to win a $75 shopping spree to LID by participating in their February Monthly Meet-Up Challenge, and this is part of the lovely loot I ordered. I'm a big fan of Laura Pryor and Lil' Inker Designs -- she's super smart and innovative. If you aren't familiar with LID's products, do yourself a favor and visit the website. I'm forcing myself to use all of my stamps and dies from there at least once before I place another order, but my wishlist is growing, so I need to get after it! The weird part of me that fancies myself a tattoo artist (though I have yet to commit to a tattoo of my own and am not particularly good at drawing) is especially desirous of the Vintage Ink stamp set and coordinating dies...
Anyway -- back to my card. I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but on the sentiment layer I randomly stamped a smaller diamond and star image in Grout Grey ink (MFT Hybrid). I used silver metallic paper from my stash to die cut the large diamonds, and then backed them with white card stock that I brushed with Wink of Stella for extra sparkle. Both diamonds are popped up on Jody Boosters.
Other card ingredients: patterned paper from Little Yellow Bicycle's Swoon 6"x6" paper pad; black and white card stock; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; black grosgrain ribbon.
Here's a look at this week's sketch:
Head on over to the Mojo Monday Blog for all the details re: how to participate in this week's challenge, and then visit these crafty folks for more inspiration.
Are you all Valentined out by now? Or can you find it in your heart to stomach one more post featuring cute notes of affection? Oh, good -- I knew you could!
When I saw Lil Inker Designs' Lollipop & Pencil Treat Holder Die and the adorable Perfect Pairs stamp set (food with faces! Be still my heart...), I knew Carter and I were in business, and exactly what the boys and girls in his fourth grade class would be receiving. What I didn't know was when the class party would be taking place. Surely on Friday the 13th, the day before Valentine's Day, right?
Nope. I learned on Wednesday that there was no school on Friday or Monday, thus I began working on Carter's Valentines at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, and finished them up around 2 a.m. Thursday morning. Of course, I still had to photograph everything if I was going to share my labors with you, so imagine how cranky I was in the wee hours of Thursday morn...
Devoted mother that I am, I woke at 6 to decorate his Valentine box. (Nothing special -- just a shoe box covered in printed duct tape. Not worthy of photographing.) The good news is, Carter was very pleased with and appreciative of them, which is why we moms do these sorts of things in the first place. Here's how they turned out:
Carter decided he wanted to give both lollipops and pencils with his Valentines, so I wrapped a pair with Washi tape, then tied them to the Valentine with ribbon. Here's an individual look of each design. I ended up creating 6 of the five different illustrations (I didn't use the coffee and donut image; though super cute, most fourth graders I know still don't drink coffee).
Mac and cheese...
Eggs & bacon...
Peas & carrots...
Peanut butter & jelly...
And my personal favorite, burgers & fries. Here's a look at all five images:
Laura at Lil Inker Designs is starting a new monthly challenge with prizes available (you can read more about it on the LID blog HERE). This month's theme is "Anything Goes", so you can bet I'm going to enter these little guys.
Last thing before I leave you tonight: it's happy dance time around these parts. We have a contract on our home in Claremore!!! While I do have mixed emotions about moving and leaving all of our friends and the home we loved for so many years, it does us no good to have a big asset like that sitting empty when another family could be enjoying it and making their own memories there.
I'll be back soon, with my take on this week's Mojo Monday sketch. xoxoxo
Don't you hate when you schedule a post and realize you did it for the wrong date? *Sigh* My inner calendar/sense of timing has been thrown off due to having a sick boy at home for the past week. He's still coughing like a barking dog and running a slight temp, so no school yet for him. I'm going to go pick up some make-up work for him from his school right after I post this; please send positive vibes that it's not a thick sheaf of math worksheets!!! Not his favorite thing to do, nor my favorite thing to oversee!
Anyway, you ready to see the newest Mojo Monday sketch? It's #380:
And here's what I made with it:
I used the Fancy Feathers stamp and die set from Lil Inker Designs? Isn't it pretty? I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Peacock Feathers to create the background paper, using one of the five distinct feather images that come in the set. The foreground feathers were stamped out in Peacock Feathers, Mowed Grass (THDI), and Purple Twilight (Adirondack) inks, then tied with linen thread and popped up on Jody Boosters. I embossed the green layer with an embossing folder from Lifestyle Crafts, and the patterned paper is from a Doodlebug Designs 6"x6" pad. Here's a close-up:
Be sure to visit the Mojo Monday blog to learn how to play along with this week's sketch, and go see these lovely ladies interpretations for more inspiration:
Most paper crafters I know aren't especially fond of making sympathy cards. I'm certainly not. They make me sad. But, as I learned after my mother passed away last fall, it's those gestures made during hard times that mean the most to the recipient. The father of a dear friend passed away in a very sad and sudden manner recently. Thus, I put away the fun & cartoon-y stuff I tend to gravitate towards and went straight for my Class Act Stamps (aka Verve) to create an appropriately elegant and respectful sympathy card.
I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch as my blueprint:
And this is what I put together:
It may look fairly simple, but let me tell you - this took me a long time to make! There are always a lot of decisions to make when you're creating a card, but they seem weightier when you're creating a sympathy card, don't you think? Everything has to be just so. The color scheme, for example. For some reason, I got it into my head that I wanted to use purple, gray, and white as my color scheme. I searched through my plethora of 6"x6" pads (I swear, I should just get rid of all of my 12"x12" patterned paper, as I use it so seldom these days) and found some good gray patterned paper, but couldn't find any purple patterned paper that wasn't a weird shade or whimsical. I had to ditch the stark white cardstock I wanted to use, though, because the patterned paper had more of an ivory background, and I'm pretty sure Jody has a rule about that (I can't knowingly break Jody's rules, or she'll haunt me). Should I do gray and purple felt flowers? I was thinking so, but the gray felt I have is a cool gray and didn't blend well with the warmer grays of the patterned paper and cardstock, so I opted for just purple flowers. What color should the ribbon be? I didn't want to use gray ribbon on top of the gray patterned paper and cardstock layer where the bow would be - too much gray. I don't have any purple ribbon that's dark enough to match the purple felt or cardstock. Maybe I should put black pearls as the flower centers and use black ribbon? No, I don't like to use black on sympathy cards. I mean, I know I'm making it because of a death, but using black ribbon seems so... literal. And so on, and so on, and so on.
This is why I don't like making sympathy cards - they're hard!
Fortunately, though, I didn't have to come up with the sketch, too. Mama-to-twin-baby-boys JULEE did that for me. And she's done it for you, too. Go to the Mojo Monday blog to find out how to participate in this week's sketch challenge, and guess what? Since it's the first Monday of the month, it's PRIZE WEEK! If you participate and your card is deemed one of the Mojo-est Of Them All, you could win a free set of Class Act Stamps (aka Verve) of your choosing! So get 'er done. And for more inspiration, please visit my fellow Mojo Makers' blogs to see what sort of loveliness they've created to inspire you:
Happy Monday! Are you ready for the week? I am. I guess. I think. Maybe...
Regardless, here we are: another week, and another brand new Mojo Monday sketch, this one courtesy of the talented Teresa Kline. Ready for a look-see? Here you go...
A few months ago, I placed a big order with Waltzingmouse Stamps; WMS sponsored Jen's Sketch For You To Try and after playing with my sponsor set, I fell madly in love. I hadn't got around to inking any of them up, but when I saw this unusual sketch, I thought the time was right.
Isn't that sentiment just the funnest? I love. And the kicky red boots, too. Both are from the Back in the Saddle set. Between the images and the patterned paper (My Mind's Eyes' "Dilly Dally" 6"x6" pad, from the Miss Caroline collection), I felt inspired to get back to basics and use the technique that made me a stamper in the first place: heat embossing! Here's a close-up of the boots, so you can get a good look at the sheen and texture:
Mosey on over to the Mojo Monday blog for more info about how you can play along with this week's sketch. And be sure to visit my fellow Mojo Makers for further inspiration:
Did you watch Madonna's SuperBowl half-time show last night? Personally, I thought it was fabulous. I'm a big Madonna fan from way back; I even bought her first few albums on vinyl, if that tells you anything. I think she is an incredible entertainer and I love her music, but I don't really think I want to hang out with her. She doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun, to tell you the truth. And I doubt she stamps or appreciates papercrafts, so there's another strike against her. Oh well, Madge - you can't win 'em all. But thanks for singing a trio of my favorites last night. Vogue, Music, & Like a Prayer1? Pop music doesn't get much better than that, folks.
So - are you ready to see this week's Mojo Monday sketch? It's another lovely layout, this time courtesy of Debbie Carriere. Here it is:
I kept it fairly simple and didn't add a ton of extraneous layers. I worked the Paper Smooches Booth at CHA last week2, and hanging out with Kim Hughes, Karolyn Loncon, and Kim Kesti (all amazing, talented and wonderful women/cool chicks -- each of whom I'd choose 100 times over Madonna; again, sorry Madge. I know you read my blog, and I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I owe it to the rest of my readers to be honest) really got me thinking about simplifying my stamping/cardmaking. One can still make darling, well-designed cards without investing hours at a time, you know? So I'm playing with the whole 'less is more' philosophy and seeing if I can make it work for me. So far, I likey! What's not to like about a flirty houndstooth background and that fun sentiment? "You're My Lovie" - so cute! And I love-love-love the font. The patterned paper is from Fancy Pants Designs' Love Story 6"x6" pad, and I used QuikCutz Geometric Circles embossing pad for a little texture.
Go by the Mojo Monday blog for all of the details about how to play along with this week's sketch and kickstart your Mojo. And, since it is the first Monday of the month, it's PRIZE WEEK! If you participate and your card is deemed one of the Mojo-est Of Them All, you win a FREE stamp set of your choice from VERVE STAMPS! For more visual inspiration, visit my fellow Mojo Makers to see how they interpreted this week's sketch:
1. Speaking of Like a Prayer, if you like that song, you need to listen to this version by Sugarland with Little Big Town. Let the choir sing!
Now, Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland's lead singer)? She seems like a cool chick. I'd hang out with her. But she'd need to let me borrow that hat.
2. I need to make a post about CHA, too. I'll try to do that later this week. In the meantime, here's the abridged version: good times, good friends, good fun!
Thank you for letting me get that out of my system. Now I can proceed...
Proceed to what, you ask? Why, to the brand-new, February SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY! Here it is, in all of its pink,gray & black glory:
This month's SFYTT sponsor is a goodie -- one you know I {heart} -- YOUR NEXT STAMP! Yay!
YNS owner Karen Dedman is cool, classy, sweet & sassy -- a plethora of positive personality traits, wouldn't you agree? Her stamps are all that, too. Plus a bag of chips. And they come in more than 31 flavors. What else can I say? A lot, I'm sure, but it would be redundant and frankly, I'm a busy gal1. Ain't got time for such nonsense and what not. You hear what I'm sayin'? Anyway, look at what Karen has for you SFYTT partipants this month. Isn't she a gem?
I made a little somethin'-somethin' in tribute to my all-time # 1 go-to karaoke song2,3. Check it out:
You know what that is? A funky little shack -- FUNKY LITTLE SHACK! ;) I used YNS's LOVE SHACK set (isn't it darling?), and paper pieced the shack with some woodgrain digi paper from Crystal Wilkerson (printed out on regular ol' printer paper, because why not). The image comes with the "Love Shack" sentiment, but to make it lyrically appropriate, I added "baby" from PTI's Limitless Label set. The heart die cuts were made using Lil' Inker Designs fun new Of The Heart die. I bought a Corner Chomper recently, hence the rounded corners4. The gray panel was embossed with Paper Studio(aka Hobby Lobby)'s Woodgrain embossing folder. The heart patterned paper is from Echo Park's Yours Truly 6"x6" pad.
It even lays fairly flat, thanks to keeping the layers and embellishments to a minimum. No worries about extra postage, damage during transit, or fitting in an envelope, which makes me happy. :) Just a few of Jody's Foam Boosters for a tiny bit o' dimension.
Ready to see what The Sketcher Herself, JEN DEL MURO and the Designer of the Month, ANGELA THOMAS, have put together? Then head on over to Jen's blog, where you'll also want to add your versions of this month's SFYTT5. And, of course, you'll want to check out what my fantabulous SFYTT Sisters have put together to make you ooh and aah:
1. Seriously, if you knew what I had on my plate right now, you would cry for me. And then you would kick me. Then, because I'm testy from having so much on my plate, I would kick you back. Then it would be a brawl and get ugly. Thus, out of mutual respect and affection, I will restrain myself and not list out what I have to do before I leave town on Tuesday. (I could put a footnote here about my upcoming trip, but footnotes within footnotes are tiresome even to me. That's a post for another day. See? You have something to look forward to, which should make you think twice about wanting to kick me...)
2. It really is my go-to karaoke song, and I have sung it on stages and in homes all across this country. From Florida to Las Vegas and several places in between. I can sing it in any arrangement, but I prefer to sing it as a duet, where I take the Fred Schneider part and someone else (preferably Kristi Mallett, as so far, she is the only person I've sung it with who knows the song well enough to do it justice. For those of you who don't know her, she's one of my BFFs, the wife of Class Act Brad, and soon to be my next-door-neighbor. Heaven help her...) take the girls' parts. There are times, however, when I've been forced to take matters into my own hands and push to the background those who don't take their responsibilities to the audience seriously. Yes, Janette, Cindy, and Tammy: I am talking to you. Fortunately, I don't think any of you know I have a blog. {hee}
3. I also do a mean Tik-Tok by Ke$ha (after all, the party don't start 'til I walk in...), but that requires serious beverages ahead o' time. By the way - all this karaoke talk does NOT mean that I can sing. I can't. But -- say it with me, now -- what I lack in talent, I make up for in ENTHUSIASM! Good karaoke doesn't require (and sometimes prohibits) good singing, it merely requires COMMITMENT. If you're going to grab the mic, don't act shy and embarrassed. Go big, or sit down. And that's all I have to say about that.
4. Rounded corners may show up frequently for a while, thanks to my new tool. I like anything that makes me say "CHOMP" as it reminds me of those old commercials re: my beloved McRib. CHOMP!
Would you be my? Could you be my? Neighbor... I miss Mister Rogers, don't you? Such a good, kind man. I hold him responsible for my abiding love for cardigan sweaters.
It's Wednesday, Wednesday, WEDNESDAY! And thus, it's time for the COLORTHROWDOWN! Which begs the question: are you ready to rumble? Because here's what the fabulous KRISTIN has challenged you to work with:
As luck would have it, this color combo works perfectly with Kristin's latest digital paper designs for My Time Made Easy, Trendy Forest. With yummy patterns in hand, here's what I came up with:
Check out the Color Throwdown Blog to see more samples from my CTD chicas, and to learn how you can play along with us. You might even become our Featured Stamper and/or a future Guestie! For card details and more, see the girlies' blogs:
I'd like to go on and tell you what I've been doing with the rest of my life, but I'm TOO TIRED. On the off-chance you weren't already of the opinion that I'm a complete lunatic, you will be now: I've signed up for a month-long fitness boot camp that meets at 5 a.m. on weekdays. OUTSIDE. We're doing tons of push-ups and sit-ups (full ones, not crunches - damn it!) in the wet-a$$ morning dew. (Read: we're getting wet and dirty, and it's revealing sensory issues I wasn't aware I had...) Not to mention running. And lunges. And other horrible, terrible things that no one should do so early in the day. And did I tell you that my glasses are constantly foggy from the combination of sweat and the chilly air? So not only can I not see because it's dark, I can't see because of the steam on my lenses.
What possessed me? I don't know. All I know is that every night since I've started, I've gone to bed and tossed-and-turned, thinking "I have to sleep! The alarm is going to go off at 4:45 a.m.!"
Thus, I'm CRANKY! Thanks for listening to me rant, peeps. Hope you're in a better mood than me!
Good grief. I'm over a day late now with my JiFFy challenge card for this month! Suffice it to say, it's Friday but I feel like I've had a week of Mondays.
x 5
Ugh. I'd go into detail, but then you'd be depressed and want to jump off a cliff and that would make me feel even worse. Instead, I'll just play a little catch-up and as I do so, I'll sing a happy song like, say, "Zip a Dee Doo Dah." Here we go!
You remember the gist of our Just For Fun (JiFFy, for short) challenge, don't you? It goes a little something like this: each month, a group of my stamping friends and I get together for a little challenge. One of us selects an image. Before that image is revealed to the group, another one of us mails out some patterned paper to everyone. The patterned paper has to be used to make a card with the selected image, and no other patterned paper can be used. Sometimes the image and the selected pattern go well together, and sometimes they're a ... challenging fit, but it's always JUST FOR FUN!
This month, Christina selected the so sweet Sugarplums Pumpkin Emma by CC Designs. Meanwhile, Amy sent everyone Krafty Dots patterned paper by Recollections. Pumpkins, black and kraft? Why, I HAD to make my first Halloween card of 2011 - how could I not?
You know, all neutrals and no pops of color make Carole a dull girl, so I pulled out this fun & festive striped ribbon from Doodlebug Designs and based my color palette around it. I drew stripes on Miss Emma's tights with a Copic Multiliner pen, then colored her in with Copics. Her apron looked like it needed something, so I added some Adirondack Dimension Pearl polka dots in eggplant. Then, I trimmed her out, and gave her a couple of silver brad hub caps for her little wagon, and popped her up on dimensionals.
Here's a closer look at Emma's tights and apron...
If you haven't already checked out how my JiFFy Girlfriends met this challenge, be sure to do so. It's truth, it's actual: they've pulled out all the stops this month and created PROJECTS that are far more than satisfactual!
Now, (just in case you want this song in your head all day, too) here's a little something special from me to you...
Supplies used:
Stamps: Sugarplums Pumpkin Emma by CC Designs, sentiment from Hello Pumpkin set from The Cat's Pajamas; Paper: Krafty Dots by Recollections, Kraft, Black, Grape Jelly (by MFT), Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Sentiment Flag die by Lil Inker Designs, Copic Markers, Cuttlebug embossing folders, Doodlebug Designs ribbon and Sugar Coated Brads, Adirondack eggplant Dimensional Pearls, Inkessential opague pen, American Crafts silver minibrads, foam boosters from Jody Morrow's Sticky Stuff Store.
Are you ready to get Dirty? Because it's that time of year... Each summer the Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen and Dirty Dozen Alumni get together to issue challenges for all of the SCS Fan Club members. I'd love for you to play along with me!
I can't tell you what the challenge is (for that, you'll need to go HERE ), but I can show you my sample. There are also beautiful samples made for my challenge by the amazing Andrea Ewen, and my favorite Hot Pocket, Christina Fischer.
Here's a look-see at what I came up with...
I used Lil Inker Designs' brand new Rainbow & Clouds die and the accompanying stamp set (which comes with 20 all-purpose sentiments - yay!) to make this sunny little 3.5"x5" card. Isn't it fun? So much fun, in fact, I did something I haven't done in a while - I created a whole group of the same cards...
I remember when I first started stamping: I always made multiples of the cards I created. My thinking was, "Well, I've got all of this paper and stuff out already. If it's going to take me this long to do one, I might as well do several..." Still makes a lot of sense, but I hardly ever do that anymore, since I generally use images that I've colored. But no coloring on this little number, and it seemed wasteful to die-cut four rainbow stripes in each color, only to throw three away. (Granted, I throw a lot of paper away daily, but don't distract me from my illogical thinking, please.) So now I've got a sweet little set of cards, each with a different sentiment from the accompanying stamp set.
Here's a detail shot of the rainbow-like handstitching I did around the black layer:
I just alternated a blind stitch in my four rainbow colors. Easy & colorful!
