Sunday, February 28, 2010

Goofy Old Eggplant Hunters

Good Sunday Morning...
I had a fantastic day at the Young Author's Conference yesterday. It's such a great day for the kids that attend. Tiring though - for us adults. I'm hoping to get some down time stamping done today. The following cards I created Friday evening....

This first stamp set is another Flourishes set that I haven't used enough of. I absolutely love these presents!!! This card covers a number of challenges...
Free 4 All - (the new "Limited Supplies" Challenge at Splitcoast) wanted a card which had texture, at least ONE colour that you don't usually use and designer paper if desired. I hardly ever use Elegant Eggplant and haven't used Handsome Hunter in a very long time. I put the pieces through my Big Shot with the Finial Press and then lightly rubbed my White Craft pad over top of the paper.
Friday Sketchers provided the sketch.
Simon Says Challenge wanted Vintage with Flowers and
Stamp Something wanted Patterned paper, buttons and ribbon.


My second card uses the sketch challenge from Splitcoast this week except tipped on it's end......I wanted the En Francais to come out written in the correct direction. The colours are from the Colour Throw Down this week.







Well....I hope you are having a restful Sunday. Blessings!! Joan

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Sugar Creek Hollow meets Our Creative Corner

I am so excited to share with you that Our Creative Corner has asked Sugar Creek Hollow to sponsor their challenge this week!!! Woooo Hooooo - How exciting!!! The challenge is to use the sketch shown at the end of this post.

One lucky winner will receive $10 to purchase at SCH. So make sure to play and link your card over at Our Creative Corner. You might be the lucky WINNER!!

Now, about my cards......I tried a square version and "regular card sized" version of the sketch.

My first version of this sketch uses this adorable little angel. I paper pieced her using an old package of DSP which I always liked. I didn't have a "main" mat on this card - so I added the corduroy buttons by cutting off their "brad" part and adhering them with mini glue dots. Ya gotta love those craft scissors!!!!!

For my Square card I used Tracy's (Owner and designer for Sugar Creek Hollow ) incredible cross with the dove image. I used my Stampin' Pastels to create the background. You can see a bit of shimmer to the Dove because I used Dazzling Diamonds on it. This will make a wonderful Easter card.

I hope you are having a marvelous Saturday. Have a fantastic time seeing all the creations for
this sketch between Our Creative Corner and Sugar Creek Hollow. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by,




If you would like to see all the creations with this sketch that the design team for Sugar Creek Hollow has created - you can link up to them here...

Donna

Friday, February 26, 2010

The New, The Old and The Memories and a Guest

Well, it was an eventful busy day - and a good one.
The New - I tried a new technique for making flowers - I've seen a number of them out there in blog land. I followed the tutorial by Mercy Kerin at Lord Have Mercy! It was so easy to do and I'm sure I will be making a few more before the week is out. I used two images from Sugar Creek Hollow for this card - the vine frame and then the scripture verse placed within it. The sketch I've used comes from the Card Positioning Systems. This card also meets the challenge over at Fab 'N' Funky which was to use Black and White.


The Old - actually isn't that old - it's a sketch that I've already used.When I saw Tracy's egg from Sugar Creek Hollow
knew right away that I wanted to use the Cracked Glass Technique on it - it just seemed to make sense with the eggs. There is a tutorial here from Beatte Johns at Splitcoast. I used the sketch from Sweet Stop Sketch - but I didn't put the sentiment in the fourth quadrant because I wanted to use all four eggs. Here is a close up of the cracks on the yellow egg.
















The Memories come with my third card. I've used the sketch challenge from over at Our Creative Corner this week. Along with it comes the Colour Challenge from CCEE which was Ruby Red, Creamy Carmel and Black. The memories come with the lace which was part of the Ways to Use it Challenge over at SCS this week.
When I started making more "vintage" type cards I began going through my various stashes that I've tucked away. Within my stash of ribbon and lace was this piece, which had still been basted to be gathered for a Klondike Days dress my Grandma made sometime in the late 60'2 early 70's. I remember the dress well and used to put it on and then stand on a phone book so it wouldn't drag (Grandma was a wee little woman). She played a big part in raising me and I am so thankful that she was part of my life - she taught me alot.

The Guest today was Sigmund Brouwer who came to our school, Thursday, to talk to the grade 4-6 about writing. He is so animated and the kids thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. He is in the Edmonton area for a Young Author's Conference on Saturday. He's been coming up for years since he's from Red Deer and the conference centers on bringing in authors/artists from around Alberta. It's an awesome day for over 300 kids in our school division (1 student from every class from grades 4-9 are able to go)

I hope you are having a wonderful Friday and gearing up for the weekend. I'll be spending Saturday with those 300 kids - it's an excellent day!!!!
Thanks fro stopping by,

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Birds and Remakes

Happy Thursday!!! I'm scheduling this post when it's actually Wednesday - so I'm really looking forward to Thursday. #1 - it's one of my most favorite days at school. #2 - Author Sigmund Brouwer is visiting our school today - he writes novels for children (mostly for boys!!!! Yipee- a greatly needed genre!) and he also writes incredible adult Christian Fiction. #3 - it's almost Friday.

Anyway - I love these little birds which come from Delightful Inspiration. They are just so much fun!!! Faith asked us to think outside the box for colours and such. I used the sketch from Midnight Madness. I love how they give you the
option of going all out or keeping it simple.
The Clean and Simple Challenge on Splitcoast this week was to take one of the cards you'd made previously and change it to a CAS card. I went through my stash and just pulled this one out which I made last year. I had embossed the swirls on Sage Shadow and then covered them with velum and added the little pearls from the Pretties Kit.
How convenient for me that I still had the black version of the rub-on words so was able to duplicate the card easily. I kept the base and ribbon the same but opted for DSP and brads for the embellishments. I didn't spritz or stamp the Apricot
Appeal with anything - that may drive me nuts in the long run. I seem to have an aversion to plain paper....unless it's matting.

Anyway - here's to anticipating a fantastic day. I hope the same goes for you. Thanks for stopping by!!

ps - is there anyone else out there who is getting teary eyed over some of the commercials and features during the Olympics. The Tim Horton's commercial with the Dad meeting his family at the airport with suitcases full of winterwear.....yeah, tears!!! And the segment that I just saw with Michael J. Fox skating .....knowing what he's gone through!!! Wow!!!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Perseverence....wins the medal

Well....this is for fun!
Tuesday's Colour Challenge on Splitcoast was taken from the Olympic Inuksuk.....shown in the corner. You could take 1-2-3-4-or 5 of the colours represented plus a neutral. The "dessert" was to add metallics - bronze, silver or gold. This sketch is from The Sweetest Thing - Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and the two of these fit together for me....
I used all five of the Olympic colours layered in the background with DSP (except for the Brilliant Blue which I had to stamp an image on. Heaven forbid that I should ever use a plain piece of paper!) I went to find an image that was sport related - 'cause I have a difficult time sometimes working outside the box. I saw this turtle and thought - hey - he won the race - he got Gold through perseverence. I guess he may have won three
different medals because I created the strip in the middle with gold, silver and copper metallic paper. I coloured his shell in the Inuksuk colours and his body is done in gold and silver metallic ink.

Hope you are enjoying your week. Thanks for dropping by!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Birds, Flowers and Cupcakes

I vowed I would complete a Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge and I did - on a Monday (Posted Tuesday morning). I actually love this card. I've grown accustomed to square cards so I decided to go with that design - who knows what the darling daughter would have said if I made a round card - I'll surprise her one day!!! Anyway I picked up the colours from Color Chef over at Kelly Jo's Stamp Pad - which I happened onto through The Daily Dare. The colours were Black, Cream and Green. I was skeptical until I put them together and realized how wonderful they looked. I finally opened my Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon....don't use Vanilla much so it hadn't been opened. I attached the little flowers with Crystal Effects and then added a dollop in the centres to attach the green
microbeads.

I've been trying to get to the CCEE challenge since it was set and finally finished! The challenge was to make something "Sweet". It was hard to decide at first and then I happened upon my cupcakes AND this awesome set of rhinestones just called out to be used. The sketch is from Squigglefly.

My last card is for the Featured Stamper Challenge on Splitcoast Sunday. As soon as I saw this card I knew I wanted to use it for the challenge. At first I was going to use the cornflowers from "Inspired by Nature", but these flowers caught my eye, so I thought I'd give them a try. I'm happy with how the card turned out but disappointed with the butterfly. The Tombow Glue went
on a bit too thick.

Well, I've got to get some marking done...report cards are around the corner!!!!

I hope you are having a wonderful day. Thanks for dropping by!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Busy Sunday

I was able to get quite a bit of stamping done yesterday so I was able to knock off a number of challenges.

This Faith card is for last weeks' Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast as well as the Colour Throw Down. The Colours were pale green, rust and burgundy. I realize now that I should have added some ink around the edges of the flower and the smaller letters. I can add it to the flower - but the letters will have to stay.

The teapot flowerpot is a free image this last week from Delightful Inspiration. I wanted to try
different colours for the flowers so ended up putting all three on the card - creating little doilies for them to sit on with my scallop oval punch. I've pierced the paper around the edges but it's hard to see.

The third is created for the Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast Saturday from Lark. I have the thumbnail shown - they were cute little felt sparrows. I brightened them up a bit and was able to use some flower shaped brads that I've had for YEARS and forgotten about. The background for each bird is spritzed with the colours I used. The sketch for this card is from Sweet Stop. Over at Stamp Something they wanted you to make something with a "Touch of Spring", and the Corrosive Challenge this week is to use "Things with Wings".

Thank you for stopping by - I don't usually do two posts in one day - but I wanted to get these ones on. Hope your Monday is marvelous...


Daffodils

Well, this poor daffodil plant certainly has been distressed. I was trying a new technique - which was featured by Danielle Kennedy on the Flourishes Newsletter February 14. It was a distressing technique which I had trouble doing it because my SU markers would run whenever I added water. It was a good thing that I stamped the image 3 times before beginning. What I eventually ended up doing was distressing the stamped image before colouring it....I had even let it dry for a couple of days and the ink still ran. So - the technique tutorial by Danielle is here...her end result is beautiful!!!

Challenges for this Card.....
SCS Limited Supply Challenge - Ribbon and Trim
Our Creative Corner - Try a New Technique
Saturday Spotlight - "Messy" - distressed paper
SCS Clean & Simple - Wishing For Spring
Thanks for stopping by to visit.....

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Tea and Posies

Good Morning - anyone ready for a cup of tea?
I like this cup and saucer from Sugar Creek Hollow. I printed it onto glossy paper (photo paper) so that I could use the crayon resist technique on it....that's how I created the swatches of white within the cup. To make the centres of the flowers I dabbed each of my silver brads into my Versa Mark pad, then dipped them into white embossing powder and heated them to solidify. I really like how this turned out.

Challenges for this card....
SCS Colour Challenge - Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Soft Suede
SCS Limited Supply Challenge - Ribbon and Trim
Saturday Spotlight Challenge- Making your creation "Messy" by distressing the paper - tearing - etc.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have time to settle with a cup of tea - especially with a friend.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Red Hat for Aunt

Whenever I looked at this Sugar Creek Hollow hat I thought of gardening and keeping the sun off your face.....until a couple of days ago - and I immediately wanted to turn it into a red hat for my Aunt Shauna. I don't know much about the organization, although I suppose I'm qualified to join now. I think she's get a kick out of it.

I've incorporated the Limited Supply Challenge for this week which was to use ribbon or trim....using a border punch was acceptable for trim. The ribbon I had left over from the little accordion book I made for my daughter last spring.

Hope all is well your way - thanks for dropping by...

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Tiffany and Giraffe

This lamp image, from Sugar Creek Hollow, was a favorite as soon as I saw it. I knew I wanted to colour it similar to a Tiffany Lamp, and I knew I wanted to cover it with Crystal Effects in order to make it more glasslike. I actually have two layers on the lamp to give it more dimension. You can't tell in the photo because it's so subtle, but I have lightly sponged the "white" section with the blue and pink...just enough to take away the starkness of the white. I coloured two of the little flowers from my Pretties Kit with the matching ink and also coloured three of the centers so they would alternate. I apologize that I do not know where the "frame" around the lamp comes from. I got a set of them from a Devine Secret Sister - I do like them.

My second card works with two challenges - The Ways to Use It Challenge on SCS was to use orange on our card....I used Pumpkin Pie and
Only Orange. The sketch is from over at Our Creative Corner Sketch Challenge. I left any sentiment off of the card so that I could use it for either a birthday or even a congratulations for a baby. Three of the giraffes have been done with white embossing powder. The central giraffe was stamped onto Only Orange paper with Versa Mark and then embossed with clear embossing powder. I coloured in her spots with a white gel pen and tied the ribbon around her neck.

I hope you are having a good evening. Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Bunny Bees

I was very excited to be able to participate whole hog in the Simon Says Challenge this week. It's a recipe challenge showcasing Stampabilities stamps, 3 embellishments, 2 patterned papers and 1 image. I was lucky enough to receive a couple of Happy Hopper images in a Birthday Card I got in the mail this month from Patricia Rose. To be absolutely honest, I was so afraid to start colouring them because I think they are so gosh darn cute that I didn't want to wreck them!! But I took the plunge - I desperately needed a diversion tonight.

So, my card has two prints - one piece from Kaleidoscope and one from Flock Together. My three different embellishments are ribbon, brads and hardware. My daughter and I had a discussion and decided that glitter isn't necessarily an embellishment...however, it is a must for wings. I took a piece of Hodgepodge Hardware, rubbed it in my versamark pad and doused it with black embossing powder in order to make it "match" better.

I am now off to do a wee bit of blogging and then to bed. I received news this afternoon that my stepmother is in the hospital and not doing very well AT ALL and not expected to last much longer. Prayers would be greatly appreciated....and thank you!
Thanks for dropping by,

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Cards and Butterflies

My daughter has asked why I'm always making square cards now.....well, you can put a bit more on them....duh! I have grown accustomed to them.
Saturday Spotlight's challenge this week is to find something from around your house to add to the card....but it can't be a craft item. I decided what DSP to use first and went from there. The playing card is so old - it's unbelieveable....it's yellowed so it went well with the paper. I put 4 layers of circles together before adding the little poker chips so they really stick up off the page. I figure I can give this to either of my two nephews, so it's all good. The sketch is Sweet Sunday Sketch #76 over at The Sweetest thing....


The second sketch is from I{heart}to Stamp -
SFYTT (Sketch for You to Try). I've used a butterfly from Sugar Creek Hollow which you can find in the freebies section!!!! I used my watercolour crayons for the Pretty in Pink on the inner wings - trying to get some dimension. This image does have printed antennae for this beauty, but I thought I'd try giving her wire ones.

I took the Grades 4-6 to the city today to see the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. I had a class with the 6's later in the day and the thing they were talking about most was how impolite and disrespectful some of the students from other schools were who were sitting around them. I'm sorry that they had to experience that, but I'm also happy that they are learning how to be good audience members themselves. They did enjoy the music too - which was geared for their ages and the conductor is awesome with a crowd of kids. The test will be when I take grades 1-3 in June. (I may be crazy on that count!)

Anyway - I hope you had a terrific Tuesday or are working on a wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for dropping by,

Monday, February 15, 2010

Success!!!!

Our Creative Corner has challenged people this week to use something that they purchased a while ago, but haven't used yet. I bought this wonderful "Chairs for You" set from Flourishes almost a year ago. They got buried and then one day I saw a card someone had made where they used DSP for the upholstery of the chair - that clicked in my head, but I still didn't pull out the set. So - today I did. I used Bella Bleu paper for the entire card - I just love it! The sketch is from Sweet Stop Sketch.
The flowers are from Mulberry Street. I don't have much of this sort of thing in my house - but I did buy these on an outing not too long ago. The middle flower is actually white, but I took my SU water colour crayons and Aqua Painter and touched it up with Creamy Carmel so it wasn't so stark against the Vanilla/Kraft base.

My second card is for yesterday's Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS....HamiltonGal. I picked Laurie's card - here - as my inspiration. I changed the colours and used DSP which was not on the original card. I hadn't used my "Build-a-Brad"s for ever so long that I figured they would work well on this card.

And finally - I know it's not that big a deal to the world - but I FINALLY finished my 2000 piece candy cane puzzle today. My husband bought it for me about 4 years ago, and though I am a professed puzzaholic, I balked at this one. I just
couldn't get my head around it. I was told I wouldn't get any more puzzles unless I finished it - that didn't even get me started until this year. I began about a week or two before Christmas - and put the last piece in today. Now I just have to decide which puzzle to do next - until I buy a new one!!!!

I hope you are having a wonderful day - and that you're enjoying watching the Olympics - if it is something you do.

Joan

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Stitched Angel


Well.....a number of old and new blogging friends have set me in motion for today's card.

I was visiting Dani's website - a fellow DT member for Sugar Creek Hollow and saw a cool looking sketch she had used. I used her link to the sketch - copied it - worked with it - and then discovered that it was a sketch by LuvLee for GKD Release Party Challenge #3!!!! I've been visiting Lee's blog ever since I started blogging. Woo Hoo!

Finally, while visiting Catt's Scratching Post, a former Little Sister from the Devine Secret Sisters on Splitcoast, I saw a card she created for The Corrosive Challenge Blog!! - it required the use of sewing on your card. Well, always looking for a new challenge - addict that I am - I headed to my stamp room.
So, this little angel is surrounded by friends. She is an adorable image by Tracy at Sugar Creek Hollow. You can find her under the New Releases Button. I printed her out onto white paper - which is why I was able to keep her wings white, and cover them with Dazzling Diamonds, while the rest of the card is Vanilla.
For the sketch, I punched out three little hearts, covered them with Tom Bow Glue and doused them with chunky red glitter. The Specialty DSP is "Sending Love Specialty" and has glitter already included on one side of each sheet!!!!!

Wherever you see stitching on Tracy's image - I have embroidered....which is why some of the stitches along the wings are so so close together. I used French Knots for the bottom of her dress and cross stitches in the middle. Her eyes and mouth are stitched too. If I could have curly cued her hair - I would have. I had so much fun making this card. So my thanks to Tracy, Dani, Lee and Chris!!!

Subsequently, I didn't get as much done as I thought I would, but that's how it goes sometimes.
I hope you have a wonderful Monday -