RSCC #11

OMG!! I didn't use my cuttlebug or nesties on a card! Alert the media! (had to steal that one - it cracks me up!) I actually jacked this color challenge up b/c I had my Soft Stone and Stamper's Select white out right next to each other. I stamped my flowers on the white instead. Oh well! At first glance, this probably doesn't look like it follows the challenge with the bright pink and red, but I used the pink and red Copics to color the flowers. Everything is outlined in a soft grey to help define it a little. Another whoopsie! The centers of the flowers don't follow, but they turned out just how I want them, so I'm not too bothered by it {wink}. The black panel is raised on dimensionals leaving a 1" border - just enough for the little rub on sentiment from Stampin' Up (retired).

I tried and tried to convince myself that I didn't need this set- Papertrey's Friends 'til the End. I mean, really - do I need another floral stamp set??? The answer, of course, is Yes! Yes! Yes! And I deserve it!! psst...you do too! ;o) Hope you like!! Have a great night!! :o) lyss

Calling all sugar daddies...

Hello ladies (or maybe just Annie, since I think she's really the only one that reads my little ole blog)! Recently my sweet dad asked me for some cards to sell in his store. Man, has this ever stumped me! See, his store is a vitamin and herbal supplement store that also sells some new age-y stuff. I don't really have a theme to go by like in the baby store. I chose to go with some more nature based cards and nothing with too much bulk. I started making a few single layer cards with an embossed rectangle or square on the front to frame the image. Whoopsie! I forgot the Copics will bleed and show through on the inside. Hence, this card:

I just ran this card through with the rectangle nestie again to cut the image out. This is an Annie LaPoint image from My Favorite Things that I won from a blog candy drawing. To be honest, it wasn't my favorite stamp, but once I colored it, I really liked it. I thought it might be a good card for someone to give with a bunch of natural lotions, massage oils, etc. The image is colored in with Copics and mounted on vellum cardstock. The next layer is Almost Amethyst and has been run through the cuttlebug with the swiss dots embossing folder. A little white organdy ribbon tied to the side finishes this little beauty off! I have to remember how much I love matting things on vellum. I have a card in mind right now that I want to make with vellum - why, oh why, must I work for a living?????? Where is my benefactor? I need a sugar daddy!

Stork baby

Here are a couple more baby cards. I used an old Stampin' Up! catalog for the card inspiration. In fact, I fell in love with the card so much, I had to get on eBay and find the set that has since been retired - Along the Same Line. The front panel is cut out with a rectangle nestabilitie and the stork stamped on the inside. The stork is stamped in Memento London Fog and colored lightly with colored pencils and OMS. The sentiment is from the SU set Congrats. The outer argyle pattern is from a small background stamp I got at Michael's. I had to line it up with my stamp-a-ma-jig and didn't have the best of luck. That prompted another eBay purchase! LOL! I decided that if I would be reproducing this card or any other that needed an argyle background, I would have to buy a stamp that covered the entire card with one application. The 'bundle of joy' tag is from the bottom of the stork stamp. I actually cut that part of the stamp off, removed the foam from the rubber and put both the stork and the sentiment on EZMount. I did this with a ton of my SU stamps and put them in a 3 ring binder - really freed up some space! The tag is cut out with a Spellbinders tag dies and while still in the die, sponged with Ballet Blue or Regal Rose ink. It's tied around some PTI Vintage Cream twill with embroidery floss. The buttons are also PTI in Vintage Cream and Hibiscus Burst.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a fantastic Father's day weekend and make your men very happy! ;o) lyss

Birthday Pitcher

I made this card for my mother's birthday back in March. Sometimes, I just have to save things to show when I'm in a creative slump. I colored my favorite image from the SU! set, Long Time Friend (retired). I used my Lyra colored pencils, Koh-I-Noor colored pencils and OMS to color the image. The lavender sprigs have Flower Soft (same color) on them for a little extra dimension. The background layer is the Leafy Branch cuttlebug embossing folder that is inked on the negative side before running through. The lower right corner is pierced with an Ornare piercing template. I used the template on the inside panel as well. The sentiment is from PTI's Damask Designs. That's all I've got today! Maybe my mojo-liscious-ness will return and I'll have something fabulous for you on Monday! {crossing fingers}

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! :o) lyss

Oh! I almost forgot! Check out my sidebar for new blog candy that I have stumbled upon. Whiff of Joy is having a new release tonight! The theme of this collection of stamps is Women's Delight, so marriage, pregnancy and babies. Right up my alley for the baby store cards! Scoot on over and check them out. They really are cute! Toodles :o)

Happy Birthday - Irish style

What is it with kiddos and wearing their food? This is my little guy twice this past month. The first pic, he is spreading Ranch on his arms like lotion. And the cheesy grin photo, he is wearing his yogurt, applesauce, almond butter mixture as a facial. Sounds like it might be good for my skin! Ha! Too funny! I know he just keeps doing it b/c it makes mommy and daddy laugh and pull out the camera! Little turkey!

My friend, Annie, designs for Digiments, a digital sentiment company. Throughout the month of May, free digital sentiments have been provided for you to create as many cards/projects as you want for a chance to win the June release. This is the card that I created with the week 2 challenge. The background is made with the new PTI guidelines paper and, of course, Guidelines in Palette Charcoal and PTI Ocean Tides. I used a super small dot from PTI Polka Dot Basics for the center of the OT image. I printed the digiment on Going Grey paper and cut it out and embossed it with a long rectangle Nestabilitie. The ribbon and button are also from PTI. The embroidery floss used to tie the button on was originally white. I looked up the complimentary Copic colors on the PTI website and used BG72 to dye it.

Hope you all are having a fantastic day! :o) lyss

Free Willy

Willy the Worm that is! I found a *new to me* artist, Victoria Case. She has some really cute digi images and stamps available from various sites. Willy the Worm was a freebie that she emailed sometime last week, I think. There is also a new challenge blog, VC Stamp Challenges. The first challenge was a sketch which I had to rotate a bit to make fit my image.
He's colored with Copics and cut out with a rectangle Nestabilities die. While still in the die, I used some pearlescent chalks around the image. I can't seem to edit my photos correctly cuz the chalk really makes the image come alive. I've mentioned before, I have a hard time with lots of white space. I did the *typical me* No No and colored my image before figuring out what embellishments and paper to use. Lucky for me, I have these pretty Primas that fit my flowers perfectly. The base is Elegant Eggplant stamped in PTI fresh snow ink with the grid from Guidelines 1 for that lattice effect again. The sentiment is from PTI's Mixed Messages. I forgot to take a pic after I actually finished the card. I added some Ranger Glossy Accents to his glasses. So cute! I think that's all! Hope you have a fantastic day!! :o) lyss

Stampin' Out Alzheimer's - Mojo Sketch 88

Here's my submission for the Mojo Sketch Challenge #88. I'm also entering it for lots of stuff over at the Stampin' Out Alzheimer's event.

I inked up Wasabi Ketto from Stamping Bella in Memento Tuxedo Black and painted her with Hottie Pink and Marigold Shimmerz. Her hair is colored with a black glaze pen and dusted with black glitter - uber shimmery IRL. She was cut out with the classic circle Nestabilities and while still in the die, I used a bit of pink pearlescent chalks to hightlight the area. The base is SU! Pretty in Pink with a layer of PTI white stamped with the 3 floral images of Verve's Grateful Elegance. The largest flower is stamped in Pretty in Pink, the next is PTI Hibiscus Burst and the smallest is SU! Only Orange. The Only Orange layer is stamped with the large square filigree pattern from the same set as the flowers. I then embossed the 'Hey There, Sunshine!' sentiment in black. The black strip through the center is a strip of PTI True Black satin ribbon. Lastly, the panels beneath the main image are stamped with the leafy sprig from SU! Embrace Life. They are stamped in VersaMark. I then used a white gel pen to highlight each leaf. I am in love with this card and fun color combo! Tell me what you think...

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! :o) lyss