SG8 ~ A Christmas Candy Cane

Oy vey!  Talk about life getting in the way this morning!  Sorry I'm so tardy with posting my take on the Sketch Girl challenge #8.  Here we go ~

I was super excited when Annie sent this sketch!  Isn't it cool??  My mind was just whirling with possibilities of how amazing it could be, the dp I could put together and even *wow* myself!  Then reality set in.  Let's just say that I am designer paper...challenged.  So many papers these days are distressed looking.  While we're being honest here, I have a hard time sponging or distressing anything - it kind of looks like a 2nd grader did it.  What are the tricks to combining papers??? Can someone please tell me?  I even tried papers from the same pack and couldn't seem to find ones that I could pair properly.  Oh well!  My main image is so large, it covers most of it up anyway!  I still am in love with this sketch though.  You'll need to bop on over to the Sketch Girl blog to actually take a look at it - I'm a turkey that way!

 

I recently purchased some super cute digi images from The Greeting Farm.  I actually had this image in mind when I first saw the sketch.  In retrospect, I probably should have scaled it down a tad.  The little cuties are colored with Copics {of course} and the candy cane is covered in a Sakura clear glaze pen, so it's almost like it's embossed without all the hassle!  Once I realized the dp I wanted to use was distressed or vintagey, I sponged around the edges. 

The sentiment panel is actually on cream paper, so that I didn't have to sponge {wink}.  While it was still in the die, I traced around the edges with a red metallic pen.  That is about it, I think!  Please bop around and see what the other lovely Sketch Girls have done with this one:

Annie  ~  Bonnie  ~  Chris  ~  Eve  ~  Harriet  ~  Jessica  ~  Jennie  ~  Julie  ~  Katie  ~  Randee  ~  Sara  ~  Tiffany

If you choose to play along with us this week, please leave a link in Mr Linky on the SG blog.  And if you upload to an online gallery, please use the keyword SG8 so we can all have a quick look!  Have a super fantastic day!!  It's Friday!!!  :o) Alyssa

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: The Greeting Farm Candy Cane Snack

INK: HP printer ink; PTI Pure Poppy; Ranger Antique Linen distress ink

PAPER: PTI Pure Poppy, SS White & True Black; Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly; Basic Grey Figgy Pudding

OTHER: Sakura clear glaze pen; Fiskars red metallic gel pen; Copics

BHDH #8 First Bite ~

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday in the Bombshell Stamps blog hop! Here's how it works:  Start at any of the Design Team Member Blogs and take a peek at their Hump Day project. Leave them a comment and tell them what you think about it! Then follow the links to the other DT member blogs and leave them comments. The more comments you make, the more entries you will have to win a great prize from Bombshell Stamps at the end of the month! You could win:

This week's Challenge is to make a coffin.  Sounds a bit daunting, eh?  The crafty queen Martha has made it rather easy!  Hop on over to Martha's site, pick up the templates and join in the fun!

I have to admit that this was a bit of a challenge for me.  I had it all planned out in my head, things stamped out, dp that I *knew* had to be available {it wasn't, at least not at Michael's}, clothes that I cut up...all to only end up in the circular file!  Back to the drawing board...I found some cute paper to line my Bombshell's coffin with - a nice textured pink paper.  Assembled the template and set about coloring my vampire.  She's just been bitten and turned and has now clawed her way out of her fresh grave - hence all the mud all over her blueish, dead body and nightie.  Her nightie is pieced with a bit of satin and frayed at the edges - this girlie has been struggling!!  I think she's also hiding something behind her back...perhaps her first kill.  All that hard work makes a new vampire thirsty and any little thing will do!  lol

Now, bop on over to the other Bombshell Hotties blogs to see some truly amazing creations!  Don't forget, the more you comment, the more chances you have to win!  Have fun!  Cross your fingers that we don't get the 14 inches of snow that's predicted throughout the day!!!  :o) lyss

Angela ~ Terra ~ Kas ~ Miss Magoo ~ Sarah K ~ Glittery Katie ~ Gabby ~ Nicole ~ Kathi ~ and our guest Kellie

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: Bombshell A Pirate's Life

PAPER: SU Basic Black; DP from Michael's

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black

OTHER: Martha Stewart coffin template; Copics; satin; Sakura Black glaze & Gold Metallic pens

Blog candy winner & Cards for Kiddos ~

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 5 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

#5 is: Scrapping Julie said... holy wow. check out this candy!!
thanks so much for visiting my blog today. i am so glad you did so i got a chance to check your blog out. very kewl. i see that you are from windsor co. my bestest friend in the whole world lives in windsor.
btw i am totally smitten with your blog candy! i so heart PTI. October 17, 2009 8:32 PM
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Scrapping Julie, please email me at critterlyss@hotmail.com with your address. I'll get your goodies off to you by either Thursday or Friday! We're expecting a BIG winter storm here, so I'm leaning toward the latter part of the week.
Switching gears on you here to a card drive. I really didn't want this post to go here, but I'm limited with where I'm posting from and what computer things are saved on. Anyhow, this story really touched my heart - #1 because of my own little guy and #2 because Eric's in a Superman shirt and Superman is my all time favorite superhero! So I just had to make him a SuperEric card! It was harder than I anticipated to write something inside. My heart just broke when I put myself in the mom's shoes. I just told him he is super and I hope he has a super birthday!
I have tears in my eyes as I type this though. Sadly, Eric passed away on Sunday night just shy of his 9th birthday. I just don't know what I would do without my little monster. Do me a favor? Go hug your kiddos, pests, monsters...whatever you think they are! ugh.
Also, here is a card I sent along for Kate. I just couldn't justify sending a card for one and not the other. I dug around in my stash and sent a cute card I had made (and photographed) a long time ago at a workshop. Hope this post wasn't too much of a downer! Sorry Julie that your Congrats came with this post!! Have a terrific day and hug those kiddos...I guess you could hug any of your loved ones! :o) lyss

ERIC CARD SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: Pink Cat Studio Billy Plate 1 & 2; Inque Boutique All Boy (retired)

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; PTI Pure Poppy; SU Yo Yo Yellow

PAPER: PTI Pure Poppy & SS White; SU Brilliant Blue & Yo Yo Yellow

OTHER: Sakura Gold gel pen; Spellbinders Sm & Lg Classic Rectangles & Star Nestabilities; Copics

KATE CARD SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: SU Pick a Petal & another little hostess set that I don't remember the name of

INK: SU Real Red & Basic Black

PAPER: SU Basic Black, Real Red & Whisper White

OTHER: Black brads; gingham ribbon; corner rounder punch; crop-a-dile; various circle punches

‘Tis the Season of Wildflower Kids

Don't forget to sign up for my blog candy! I just added a couple new things today, which is the last day to sign up! All you have to do is leave a comment! Oh and your chances are pretty good - there are less than 30 comments as of right now!

Today is the day! Jen, owner and artist of Wildflower Kids, has released an adorable new digital stamp collection called 'Tis the Season. The little elves just bowled me over! Sadly, I only have one card to show you today b/c my little monster decided he wanted to be just like mommy and colored all over my sample sheet with a dark red marker!! Grrr...thanks, Zane! The good thing about digi stamps is that all I had to do was select the images I wanted and print them off - while I went and put him to bed! Ha!
I decided to do something I never remember to do - I picked out my paper before I colored! I pulled colors from the striped paper to color my little elf. Once the card was assembled, it needed a bit more pizazz, so I used my trusty Sakura Clear Star pen to add sparkle. Some areas of the bells are accented as well as some of the stripes. It was a little hard to photograph this morning, so you'll just have to trust me! ;o) I also added some white flock to her hat trim, cuffs and skirt.
One of the Merry Christmas sentiments is left open so you can color it...which is just what I did! I set up my page in Microsoft Word with the smallest available margins and inserted my file. Then I just right clicked to resize and put it just where I wanted it. A super simple way to add some life and color to the inside of your card!




SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: Wildflower Kids 'Tis the Season
INK: HP printer ink
PAPER: PTI Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy & SS White; SU Garden Green; Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly
OTHER: Sakura Clear Star & Gold pens; PTI Raspberry Fizz saddle stitch ribbon; white flock; Copics: RV14, R29, R59, G21, G28, Y21, Y26, E55, E00, E02, R20, BG10, BG13


These adorable stamps are only available through Tonya's store, Stamp Happens. What are you waiting for?? Go there now and get yourself some great deals and fun stamps! Before you go though, make sure to stop by these other ladies amazing blogs to see the samples they've readied for you today:

Senior Stamp Sistahs:
Tonya ~ Julie ~ Jen ~ Beth
Stamp Sistahs:
Deb ~ Donna ~ Gayle ~ Jacquie ~ Leigh Ann ~ Sarabeth ~ Stephanie

Check out another of Jen's blogs, The Wildflower Patch. There are sneak peeks of new stamps and featured artists and chances to win!! Have a spectacular day!! :o) lyss

Pumpkin Bread Pickle

This is the second post for today...
Strange title? Yes, I know; however, there's a story behind it! The other morning, I was looking through my images to color and came across this beautiful cluster of pumpkins. Hmmm, I thought, what a tasty treat pumpkin bread would be! So I decided to make some at 5:45am. I blend the eggs, oil, sugar, cinnamon, etc by hand because I don't want to wake the household, preheat the oven, measure out the flour and salt and baking powder...Whoops! That was supposed to be baking soda! See my pickle?! Now you see my very dense pumpkin loaf...argh! Oh well! It still tastes pretty good even if it didn't rise as it should. LOL
Where, you ask, can you get this amazing image? Why, at Stamp Happens, of course! It is part of the Autumn Splendor collection of digi images from Wildflower Kids. Please bop around to the other Stamp Sistahs blogs {links in my sidebar} as we've all been showing off these wonderful new stamps from both Wildflower Kids and StampInsanity Stamps.
While this is an autumn image, pumpkin bread is so easy to make {if you have the right ingredients, that is!} that these would make for lovely neighborhood Christmas gifts or teacher gifts! Hope it sparks something for you!! Have an incredible weekend! I've got a sick kiddo, so I don't know how much fun or how productive my weekend will be :o) lyss

SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: Wildflower Kids digi Pumpkins
INK: HP printer ink
PAPER: PTI SS White; SU Really Rust & DP Autumn Vines (maybe???)
OTHER: Spellbinders Labels 4; Fiskars metallic gel pens; Copics: YR04, YR07, YR12, Y21, YG91, YG95, G99, C1, C3, C5, BG10

A Card for Alison ~

The Whiff of Joy design team is having a challenge to create congratulatory cards for one of the illustrator's, Alison Acton. She has recently given birth to a baby boy, Sam. I made this little 5x5 card using a couple of cute techniques that I've seen around blog land. The water is made from the negative sides of a scallop square nestabilitie. I sponged the edges for some depth and glued them down before cutting and embossing the image. The sails are pieced and popped up on a couple of glue dots. I figured, the less frills the better! Hope you like it!!
Also, Katharina is having a blog candy for the new winter kit of Whiff of Joy stamps. Hop on over a pre-order your kit today!! Have a great day! ~lyss
SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: SU By Sea (retired); PTI Bitty Baby Blessings & Polka Dot Basics II
INK: SU Bashful Blue; VersaMark; PTI Enchanted Evening & Pure Poppy
PAPER: SU Bashful Blue; PTI Enchanted Evening, Kraft, Pure Poppy, SS White & DP Men of Life
OTHER: Twine; PTI Vintage button Pure Poppy; Spellbinders Tags Trio, Classic & Scallop Square Nestabilities; 1 3/8" Square punch

BHDH #7 "I Fall to Pieces" ~

Unfortunately for me, a little thing called life got in the way of me finishing my card this week.

Here are the deets on the challenge though: This week's challenge is to do some paper piecing. This challenge is perfect for those leftover scraps of DP that you just can't throw away. Now you can put them to good use! Instead of hoarding these precious pieces, stamp your favorite image directly onto the paper and cut it out. Voila! You have the perfect patterned paper to compliment your favorite Bombshell stamp.

October's Monthly Grab Bag Prize!!!
Here's how it works:
Start at any of the Design Team Member Blogs and take a peek at their Hump Day project. Leave them a comment and tell them what you think about it! Then follow the links to the other DT member blogs and leave them comments. The more comments you make, the more entries you will have to win a great prize from Bombshell Stamps at the end of the month!

I'm so excited to see what everyone comes up with!! -you never what's gonna be around the next blog corner! So stop by, add your comment, and then hop on over to the other Bombshell DT Member blogs, and don't forget to join us again next week!!!

Bombshell Hump Day Hotties to visit this week:
Angela ~ Miss Magoo ~ Terra ~ Jacquie (Ms.October!) ~ Kas ~ Gabby ~ Glittery Katie ~ Sarah K

If you get a chance, scroll down a couple of posts to enter in my blog candy! Have fun hopping! :o) lyss

Spell Casting and all that Witchery -

I'm a dim wit, so I don't know how to tag my posts to stay at the top of the page. With that said, please go to this post to enter for my blog candy :o)

Here's another card to set aside for the stash for hubby. It uses the little witch Morgan - I just love her! Sorry for the odd angle of the card - I was trying to show the dimension. I must tell you that fussy cutting around that little kitty and his tail is not something I plan on doing again! lol It's too bad it doesn't show up in the photo. I used the Bombshell Hump Day Challenge from last week to pull something out that you've been hoarding or just had to have and never use by using this dp again. This time it's the Rockabilly (maybe ??? now, I'm second guessing myself) paper pack from Stampin' Up! (retired). I used a little tape to mask the sentiment so I could put part on the front and part inside. The front panel is embossed and reads, "You cast a spell on me". The inside reads, "...do it again!" Too funny!
Bop on over to the Stamp Happens store to get your exclusive Morgan's Spell set, designed by the fabulous Beth of StampInsanity stamps, today!! Have a good one!! :o) lyss

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: StampInsanity Morgan's Spell

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark

PAPER: PTI Pure Poppy, Soft Stone & True Black; DP SU! Rockabilly (?)

OTHER: Black embossing powder; Copics; PTI Pure Poppy satin ribbon; dimensional foam tape; Spellbinders Circle & Labels 3 nestabilities

Sharing the Goods...

This post is now closed. A winner will be chosen later today! Thanks for all your wonderful comments! ~Alyssa
Yowza! I have blogged every day this week! That, to me, is insanity!! Guess I had lots to share {wink}. Speaking of sharing...

I was fortunate enough to win a ton of goodies from Dawn's fantabulous blog. I already had a couple of the button colors and one of the stamp sets. So, just for the fun of it, I am sharing those goodies ;o) Right now, the candy consists of:
~ Papertrey Ink Damask Designs stamp set
~ Papertrey Ink Vintage buttons in Dark Chocolate, Enchanted Evening, Orange Zest, Spring Moss and a few Sweet Blush (these are just some of the leftover from my own stash)
~ Some cute ribbons
~ 6x6 Memory Box papers in Aerial, Inspire & Sprout (1 page of each design) {just added}
~ 6x6 K&Company papers in Hannah (1 page of each design) {just added}
~ 6x6 DCWV La Creme Matstack (1 page of each design) {just added 10.26}
~ 6x6 Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly mini deck (1 page of each design) {just added 10.26}
~ Autumn Leaves Hand Drawn Alphabet clear stamps {just added 10.26}

As I find more stuff, it will get added to the loot. The rules are this: leave me a comment! Yep! It's that easy!! You may also become a follower but I don't want you to if you don't want to {I think that's silly}. You may share it on your blog, but you don't have to do that either - it keeps the numbers lower if you don't! LOL If your comment does not link to a blog, please make sure that you leave your email address in your comment so I have a way to contact you if you're the winner. This candy will remain open until Monday, 26 October. One last thing, this candy is open to all. I will ship anywhere on the planet Earth! Hope you are all having a spectacular weekend! :o) lyss

Inspired by Shakespeare

Beth recently released some super cute Halloween themed StampInsanity stamps - Morgan's Spell and Halloween Henry. In light of the coming holiday, I thought I'd show you a cute little project that you could make to give co-workers, friends or just have sitting out on your desk at work.

Straight from William Shakespeare's Macbeth: "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. Fillet of a fenny snake, In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,— For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
I used a super simple template from Papertrey Ink's My Timeless Templates - Pack a Picnic. You could use any template or make up your own - I'm just not quite that adventurous!! lol Before the template was assembled, I punched the edges with the drippy goo border punch both on the template and on an additional strip of green. The green strip is painted with Celery Shimmerz. I also wanted to dirty up my cauldron, so I swiped it a bunch with a black ink pad. I stamped the quote on Basic Grey and stamped the bats in grey ink. Easy-peasy and done in just a few minutes! A super cute little addition at my desk to get me through the drudgery of work! Hope it gets your wheels turning on some additional ideas besides cards! Bop on over to the Stamp Happens store to get yourself this amazing set along with some other great Halloween goodies - some of which are on sale! Have a super day! :o) lyss

SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: StampInsanity Morgan's Spell
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black & London Fog
PAPER: SU! Basic Black, Basic Grey & Green Galore
OTHER: Terrifically Tacky Tape; Celery Shimmerz; Labels 3 & Circle nestabilities; Martha Stewart drippy goo punch; My Timeless Templates Pack a Picnic small

Sketch Girl 7 - Just for You

Leigh Ann, our fearless Sketch Girl leader, has done it again! She's given us a super fun sketch to work with. You'll have to bop on over to the Sketch Girl blog to get the actual sketch - amazingly for me, I didn't deviate on this one!!
I used one of the images that I had colored up for the StampInsanity set Meet Henry & Morgan as the focal point. The graph paper is printed from the Robots in Disguise set by Julie Billingsley at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

For some reason, this portion of the image looked school bookish to me - maybe it's because of the graph paper. The last time I used that was in Calculus my senior year of high school! Anyhow, I chose some images for the background piece that were somewhat school-ish. Everything is matted on black for a simple punch. Hope you like it! Check out what the other Sketch Girls did with this sketch:
Annie {Leigh Ann} ~ Bonnie ~ Chris ~ Eve ~ Harriet ~ Jessica ~ Jennie ~ Julie ~ Katie ~ Randee ~ Sara ~ Tiffany ~ and our Guest Designer, Amber
Remember to use the keyword of SG7 if you play along with us this week. Have a superb day!! :o) lyss
SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: StampInsanity Meet Henry & Morgan; Inque Botique; Cornish Heritage Farms Kim Hughes Collection Ahoy Matey
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; PTI Ocean Tides
PAPER: PTI Ocean Tides, Ripe Avocado & SS White;Robots in Disguise Digi pack
OTHER: Copics; Spellbinders small & large Classic Circle nestabilities

Bombshell Hump Day Hop #6

Welcome from the Bomshell Hump Day Hop! Our challenge this week is to use one of *those* purchases that you've made...you know the kind! Whether it be in the middle of the store and you just had to have it because you had a coupon burning in your hot little hand, from a blog that you frequent where you just had to have the latest and greatest, or where {like me} you just had to have that specific designer paper before it retired!!

When I first really got into stamping, I thought I wanted to be a scrapbooker. I made about 3 pages of a scrapbook of my hubby and my European vacation and had to return some tools, etc that I had borrowed. I'm bummed to say that I've never picked it up again. Then, I got pregnant! I thought for sure this would be what would make me want to scrapbook. I found some paper that I just *had* to have for my new little guy's announcements and scrapbook. Turns out that it was retired!! All my demonstrator could do for me was to scrounge up the few pages that she had left. This led me to a new addiction - if I found something I even remotely liked, I'd better get it before it retired and was no longer available! Hence the inspiration for this post. I had to have this paper, though now I can't remember the name - LOL! I mentioned in the post before this that I love to color; however, putting those images into a card becomes a real roadblock for me. I turned to a current Bombshell sketch challenge. What easier way to cut into some DP that I've been hoarding {and feeling a bit guilty about} and use an image that I was just dieing to color??

This sketch is a challenge on Rubber Stamp Chat. If you upload your card, you have a chance at some super fun goodies from Bombshell Stamps! Be sure to check it out and play along after the hop.

I colored this hula girl from Hawaiin Girl with my Copics. {Sorry, I have a list of them, but I've misplaced it.} She is mounted on Regal Rose and Taken with Teal over the semi-coordinating DP. A strip of PTI Hibiscus Burst grosgrain ribbon separates the two.

Not much else to explain on this one. I thought it might be a great card to slip into my husband's saddlebags one morning before he heads off to work {wink}.

Make sure to bop on over to the other Bombshell Hottie's blogs and leave comments along the way!! There are prizes available if you do!

Angela ~ Kas ~ Miss Magoo ~ Jacquie (Ms.October!) ~ Gabby ~ Sarah K ~ Glittery Katie ~ Kathi ~ Terra ~ Nicole

Hope you all have a fantastic day! Have fun along the hop!! ;o) lyss

Quick & Easy Gift

I think it's been established that I love to color! My challenge is figuring out how to incorporate everything I color into a card. I get stumped on the layout of things - which is why I am such a junkie for sketch challenges! When I first received Free Broom Rides, I promptly stamped out the sweet little witch a few times to color in various combos. This time Ivy got green hair - how fun! She is colored with Copics and her broom is painted with Shimmerz. I didn't color the broom first - that's how good the color is on the Golden Wheat.
I decided to put her on a quick and easy gift. I left a white border around her as I trimmed her out, matted her on some green and trimmed a little border again...don't look too closely b/c it's not trimmed the best. lol

The wood frame is another $1 find at Michael's. I used a foam brush and some black acrylic paint - about 2 coats. After the paint dried, I applied some Starry Night Stickles, courtesy of Tonya at Stamp Happens, in a free handed flourish. I stamped Boo in white ink and covered it with Stardust Stickles. Ivy is mounted to the frame with Terrifically Tacky Tape. I love that tape! It's fun to make your own glitterfied background papers or when making something that you want to rest assured will remain intact for many years to come! By the way, these uber cute stamps are currently on sale! Make sure you go get a set - Ghoul Friends is out-of-this-world cute too!

The little cutie patootie in the picture is one of my best friend's daughter, Ryleigh. She'll be turning 5 this December, but it's such a great little chubby picture that I had to use it. I hope she likes it! Have a super great day!! :o) lyss

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: Wildflower Kids Free Broom Rides
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; PTI Fresh Snow
PAPER: PTI SS White; SU! Green Galore; HP glossy photo
OTHER: Copics (sorry, I have a pic but can't find it); Stickles; wood frame; black acrylic paint and foam brush; Golden Wheat Shimmerz

Just Doodle it...

Well, here he is. I hinted at this little sketch book when I first posted a Meet Henry card. As I mentioned yesterday, this guy was a collaboration of my husband and I. I stamped Henry and colored him in with colored pencils really lightly - I was going with the whole *sketch* theme. He is cut and embossed with a Mega curved rectangle nestabilitie. I then handed him off to hubby and asked him to sketch something from Henry's pencil. When he gave him back to me, he had blended my raw pencils and drawn in a sidewalk with grass. I was a bit miffed at first because my vision was gone. Then I took a second look and fell in love! Thanks babe! You really made this project *pop* for me! I put Henry back in the die and used some Pearlescent chalks to smudge in some sky. What do you think?
I covered a $1 notebook from Michael's by measuring the front and cutting a piece of Dark Chocolate cardstock about 1" longer on 3 sides. I lined the paper up with the binding and drew lines at each slot. The holes are punched with a Crop-a-dile and then snipped to create the opening. The binding slipped right in and I've got a recovered notebook for about $1.12. I just saved myself from buying a binding machine! You can't make a notebook for that kind of money! The background is stamped with various boyish stamps in VersaMark. I then stamped SKETCHES across the bottom but secretly wish {not such a secret anymore, eh?} I would've left that off. Here's another idea for a more girly type of journal. I had this finished before the release, but didn't post it because a couple of the other Stamp Sistahs had the same vision. Now I figure, why not? I didn't put this on a journal, but you get the idea. Just a couple of punches and Voila! a new covered journal!

These are both from the StampInsanity Meet Henry & Morgan stamp set that is available exclusively at Stamp Happens. Don't forget that Tonya, the Stamp Happens shop owner, sends out a monthly newsletter email with a 40% off coupon! Hurry on over to the store for some fabulous finds and great sales!

Thanks for stopping by today! I have a fun week filled with posts. Tomorrow is a cute little something made with the Free Broom Rides set. You'll just have to check back each day to see what kind of fun was happening in my stamping cave this past weekend! Hope you have a fantastic day!! :o) lyss

SKETCH BOOK SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: StampInsanity Meet Henry & Morgan; Bombshell Speed Shop & A Pirates Life; Cornish Heritage Farms Kim Hughes Collection Ahoy Matey & Little Guy; PTI Fresh Alphabet

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; VersaMark

PAPER: PTI Dark Chocolate & SS White

OTHER: Koh-I-Noor color pencils & blending stump; Copics (for skin); Pearlescent chalks; Crop-a-dile; Spellbinders Mega Curved Rectangles

FLOURISH JOURNAL SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: StampInsanity Meet Henry & Morgan; PTI Fancy Flourishes

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; PTI Aqua Mist

PAPER: PTI Aqua Mist, True Black & Vintage Cream

OTHER: Spellbinders Labels 4 nestabilities

Mojo Madness 107 & a stamping related injury

I'll have to come back and edit how to's and what not later. I just want to get this card posted in time for Mojo Monday 107 and the Moxie Fab Gradient Challenge ~lyss

K...I'm back. I have been creating like a fool this weekend - much to my husband's chagrin, I'm afraid. However, I had a goal of projects to reach and then found some challenges that I wanted to complete! Back again...had to put the kiddo to bed.
I love this set from Verve stamps - Because of You. Not only does it contain some incredible sentiments for amazing people in your life, but it also contains some killer floral images. The flowers on the outer edges of my focal piece are the main image that drew me to this set. They totally look like Dr. Seuss flowers...or maybe it's that I've been reading too many Dr. Seuss books before the Zaniac's bedtime! I cut out a classic circle nestabilitie and left the die on while sponging So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie and Really Rust inks {I tried the whole brayer thing and that didn't work so well with the die still on the image}. I then stamped the two floral images in Memento Tuxedo black - I did this after the sponging because it left a much stronger black color. Trust me, I tried this about 5 times to get the look I wanted and only ended up with one card! I then sponged the black around the base of the image. I ran the image through the Cuttlebug again to emboss the image. I then smooshed it into a VersaMark pad and embossed it about 5 times with Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE). Here's my stamping related injury...sort of. As I was embossing my image, I didn't want to turn off my heat gun. Because I had such a mess going on, I had moved my stamp pad, UTEE and image to the floor. While leaning forward to smoosh the image into the ink pad again, I must've leaned over my heat gun a bit too closely. I started looking around to find the source of a burning smell and found the crotch of my yoga pants burning!! BEWARE of the heat gun. DO NOT leave it unattended or place it between your knees while crafting on the floor! Luckily, I was safe from the smoldering material. lol Anyhow, as the image cooled, it curled. I tried to straighten it and cracked it. So, rolling with the punches, I rubbed a bit of Ranger Distress Antique Linen ink over the image. I wasn't super happy with it, so I reheat it and smoothed out the cracks. The cool thing is some of the ink had seeped into the image, but it's still smooth on top. Ok, enough blabbering. I'm surprised if you're still with me. :o) The second layer(s) are Really Rust stamped in the same ink with the large image from Grateful Elegance. The edges are sponged in the same ink. The bottom layer is More Mustard embossed with the Cuttlebug embossing folder, Diamonds in the Rough. I rubbed the More Mustard cube over the embossed image for a bit more definition. The brads began with the colors of red, blue and purple. For some unknown reason, I do not have black, silver or white brads. When in need of the proper color, I hold them with tweezers, heat them up and emboss them in the proper color. Last is a bit of twine, held in place by notching the sides with a 1/8" punch. I've left the inside blank to make it a more all purpose card. All right then, I think I've rambled on enough for one evening. Thanks for sticking with me this long if you did! I don't think there is a need for a Supplies list today - I've listed it all in the post.
Hope you have a great evening! Please stop by tomorrow for a cool collaborative project with the StampInsanity set, Meet Henry & Morgan. My husband and I both had a hand in coloring this, and I am super happy with how it turned out! Night! :o) lyss

Cheer Up!

Ever have a friend that no matter what you do they just won't cheer up? Well, send them a card to make them laugh! Instead of saying 'Cheer up!' just tell them to 'Sparkle, dammit!'
This charming little sentiment comes from the StampInsanity Stamps set, Otherworldly Loves. I'm sure this sentiment has some other meaning, but I thought this worked for it too. Oh and it's all sparkly itself because it is embossed in Iridescent Ice embossing powder.
Remember these awesome, deeply etched, red rubber stamps are only available at Tonya's store, Stamp Happens. She has some fun Halloween sales going on, so hurry up and go get yourself some great goodies and super cool stamps! Sorry for the short post. I'm trying to sneak this in before a meeting! Have a great day! :o) lyss

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: StampInsanity Stamps Otherworldly Loves

INK: VersaMark, Stampin' Up! Rose Red

PAPER: SU! Green Galore, Lovely Lilac, Regal Rose, Rose Red; PTI Lemon Tart

OTHER: Sizzix Daisies 2 Die; PTI Lemon Tart button; twine; SU! Iridescent Ice embossing powder; Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder; Sizzix Big Shot Die; can't remember the name of the dp right now...sorry!

A Circular Color Challenge

Yowza! I have been a challenge maniac for the past week! I know I have DT stuff to finish; yet I can't get away from wanting to make Xmas cards and take part in some challenges too! You'll have to check back {hopefully} tomorrow for a fun little card made with the StampInsanity Stamps set Otherworldly Loves.
Have you seen the new online design publication Embellish? If not, you're missing out on a super blog with fun challenges and even the opportunity to be published! Check it out! Here is last weeks challenge that is open until Thursday, October 15th. I ran with the 'circle represents the world and the colors identify with the earth's natural elements, such as air, water, grass and ground.' I stamped a flourish from a Basic Grey Xmas stamp set, Winterland, on Aqua Mist cardstock in the new PTI Spring Moss ink. Let me just say that I think this ink has a bit of a learning curve on it. I was frustrated with the coverage, so I bopped onto the PTI forum and searched for threads about the new inks. Nichole responded to some unhappy users that you need to dab the ink pad on scratch paper about 6 times to condition the pad. This helped TONS!! Also, you only need a light touch for good coverage. If you press your stamp into the ink too firmly, you'll get excess ink around the edges of the stamp and a goopy image.
See my thought process was that the green on the blue would actually represent the Earth - you know...like the continents and stuff? Yes, I'm a nerd. The white hanger piece is cut and embossed with a long scallop rectangle, smooshed into the VersaMark pad and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder...for the North Pole!! Ha! I then stamped the sentiment and embossed it in white embossing powder. I liked the color combo and wanted to experiment, so I reversed the colors. I thought they could be little Xmas ornaments with a picture of the kids inside. The backside is also stamped with the flourish images.
Hope you enjoyed my take on the circular color challenge! Have a fantastic day!! :o) lyss
SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: Basic Grey Winterland (retired); Papertrey Ink Holiday Wishes
INK: VersaMark; Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist & Spring Moss
PAPER: Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist, Spring Moss & SS White
OTHER: SU! Iridescent Ice and White embossing powder; Crop-a-dile; PTI satin ribbon Aqua Mist; Spellbinders Classic Circle & Long Scallop Nestabilities

Viva la Mexico!

Last, but not least, a challenge that came close to home. The second Papertrey Ink World Card Making Day challenge was Mexico. Many do not think of Colorado as an area rich in Mexican/Hispanic culture, but those people would be wrong. Because of the multitude of agriculture here {among other reasons}, we have a strong Hispanic cultural influence.
My inspiration photo is my arm. I recently had a Day of the Dead skull tattooed on my left arm.
I chose a black and white image from this site that shares some historical information on Las Dias de las Muertas. The image is by Jose Guadalupe Pasada and is entitled, La Calavera Catrina. A gorgeous image! However, I am so kickng myself for not getting any of the new Sugar Skull stamps from Bombshell yet! Wish that wallet was a bit fatter right about now ;o)
I printed it out in a 3x3 size and colored it with Copic markers and outlined with Golden Wheat Shimmerz. She's matted on black that is up on dimensionals and then matted on Plum Pudding, Aqua Mist, Regal Rose and black. The sentiment is handwritten with a Sakura black glaze pen - hence the slight clumpiness {grumble}.
Hope you've enjoyed the little tour around the globe with me! Have a great evening! :o) lyss

Traveling to India...

I'm baaaaccckkk! I came home and tried to get a better photo of my PTI WCMD challenge card for India. I'm still not completely happy with the photo, but I want to get in for the goods, so here goes:

I am a big baby when it comes to crazy bold colors...and gold! Gold is not my favorite - I've always been a silver girl; however, part of this challenge is to incorporate gold and rhinestones, sequins, etc. I pulled up saris on Google {don't you wish you had stock in that company as an up and comer??} and came up with these two inspiration pieces. Hello Raspberry Fizz and New Leaf! I actually tried the two together and just couldn't do it! The raised panel is embossed with gold embossing powder and matted on a piece of white with the exposed sides embossed with gold ep as well. The background is stamped with Raspberry Fizz and then dotted with a gold pen and accented with two sizes of pink rhinestones. The sentiment says 'Absolutely Fabulous' because all that glitter and gold could only go to a fabulous person! The Labels 4 Nestabilities are cut and embossed. On the black layer, I sponged a gold ink pad before the cutting and embossing to add a little something extra.

I must say that this is not my favorite card...or even one I really like. Oh well! It fits the challenge and stretched me a bit! Thanks for the challenge Nichole! I'm going to try to finish my Mexico card! I hope I can get it done in time... :o) lyss

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: Papertrey Ink Damask Designs, Mixed Messages & Vintage Labels

PAPER: PTI Raspberry Fizz & True Black

INK: PTI Raspberry Fizz; VersaMark

OTHER: Gold embossing powder; pink rhinestones; Sakura gold gel pen

G'day, mate!

Here's another card I made for the Papertrey Ink World Card Making Day challenges. I have to tell you, when I first saw this challenge, I was not very excited. I chose to go with the dot portion of the challenge and googled 'aboriginal dot art'. Here is the inspiration photo that I chose. Then I started browsing my PTI stamps and couldn't find any solid images - apparently I like to color! Guess I'm going to have to remedy that problem...now where is my wallet? Hiding, would be my guess!
I chose to use a solid flower image from Verve Stamps. The dots kind of make it a busy card, so I kept the rest simple. A quick 'hello Friend' and this card is done. Now that it's finished, I love it! I kept the earthy tones due to the challenge and what I saw as traditional {read plant dye} colors. I'm thinking a fun set of these cards with bright color combos would be a great little gift! Hope you get a chance to play with these challenges! I have an India challenge card all done up too, but I do not like the photos I took this morning, so I'll have to take more and post again once I get home.

On another note, would you like a chance to win some free digital stamps??? Then please hop on over to the new Wildflower Kids blog! Jen, the artist, is giving away some blog candy - 5 images from the new digi set, Autumn Splendor! Hurry, because this giveaway ends tomorrow, October 6th! Thanks for stopping by!! :o) lyss

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Papertrey Ink Friends 'Til the End; Verve Stamps Fancy Florals

PAPER: PTI SS White & True Black; SU! Real Rust & Marigold Morning

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black

OTHER: Copics; Sakura White gel pen & Black glaze pen; dimensionals