Delightful Inspiration

It's that time again for D2D, Delightful Inspiration. Faith created the 'Cat's Meow' for this weeks freebie. Her Dad is recovering from back surgery and the girls at Double Delight have requested we send a card to Faith's Dad. He really loves looking at all the cards that Faith has up on her blog! Suffice it to say he is card worthy! So to John, here's your card and it will be in the postal box tomorrow on it's way for you to touch/hold and enjoy. May God be with you and Ellen during this difficult recovery period.

I did up the inside, too! However, I went to far and wrote in it before I took the picture. OOOPS!

I am sure John won't mind...Do You?

I had a piece of this orangey card stock (CTMH) left from a home made envelope. It measured 12" x 6" and I thought it would make a great gate fold card. Say that quick ten times.

Thanks for coming by!

There's No Place Like Home

 I can hardly believe that September is almost here...just 3 days away! One month from now Kevin's son will be here, he's due to be dropped by the stork Sept 28th. So far Mom and baby are doing well. I think it hasn't sunk in for Kevin, yet, as it is his first child. He's definitely not our first grandchild and he won't be the last. Our three daughters have 8 children collectively. As of today John and I have 4 granddaughters and four grandsons.
The youngest is two and the oldest is twenty. Don't let me forget that we have two step granddaughters, also!
Onto the reason you all are here.......cards no, birdhouses......OK, how about a card with a birdhouse!!!

 The card and the envelope and then the inside with another pic of the envelope...what was I thinking? I wasn't thinking. I was just taking snap shots of this cute card. Why is it cute? Because of the little bird in the top right hand corner....he makes this card cute!!! I am so proud of myself.... I designed my own sketch for this card.

I figured where could I go and find a sketch to accommodate this long skinny image? Nowhere. This is a do-it-yourselfer. The image is Daisy Doodles from the Daisy's Digi Doodles Store for the Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge Blog. The theme this week is Anything Goes. The name of the stamp? You guessed it.....Birdhouse! It's a 2 for one, the sentiment comes with it.

Sale at the Daisy Store up to 50% off

Daisy's Digi Doodles Forum Challenge

For those of you that LOVE challenges and especially the 'Anything Goes' challenges. You can find one at the Daisy's Digi Doodles Forum starting September One. You must use a Daisy Doodles image to enter and have a chance to win a $10.00 gift certificate to the store. Imagine all that dough to purchase any images you like! And that's not all! The winner gets to be the  

Daisy Doodle Designer of the Month

  with a link to their blog...AND 

be put on a permanent list on the forum/challenge blog as the DDD of the M.

Thanks for coming by!

Challenges

Bee Crafty - Anything Goes9/04
Christmas Stamping All Year Long -Create a non-Christmas card 9/02
Stamping for the Weekend - Anything Goes 9/03
Pixie Dust Studios - Stitch It Up 9/01
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - So Distressing 9/01 (This card won top three)
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes 9/01
Flutter By Wednesdays - Anything goes. Can you see the two butterflies fluttering around the base? 9/01

RX

STAMPS: Love Ya Bunches- the little birds, DD Birdhouse

PAPER: SAB stacks 6" x 6" from a few years back, white, kraft

INK: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue, Tangerine Tango, Real Red

TOOLS: MS border punch, sewing machine

INCIDENTALS: ribbon and brads

A Christmas Card in August

Was moping around with nothing to do today...NOT!!!! Remodeling one of the offices this week and all the stuff is sitting in my DH's mancave. So there is plenty to do, but I don't want to do that, I want to create something.
The kitchen is clean, the house is vacuumed, the floors could use a good scrubbing, the three bathrooms are spic and span. Beds are made and the last load of laundry is in the washer. I feel good about the housekeeping so why should I worry about moving heavy objects from one room to the other? The guys can help me on another day. OK, back to creating - got on the computer and looked for a sketch or challenge or both. Found two ideas to incorporate into one card. Operation Write Home is throwing a recipe out there for a challenge - a ribbon, a punch or die cut, and heat or dry embossing....right up my alley. The 2 Sister's challenge blog has got an easy sketch.

The spellbinders label five was in my red scrap drawer and it gave me an idea...put the image behind the die cut...and that lead to cutting the red piece uneven hoping the twill ribbon will offset the 'unbalanced' focal point. The image is from Daisy Doodles Store. You can find it in the store under Candles in the Christmas section of Jules' store. i cut out two layers of the holly at the bottom of the candle and popped them up.

The smaller hollies were printed out on Word so I could get them real tiny, then colored them with my Prismacolor pencils, and finally cut them all out. I cut out 20 sets of those tiny holly leaves and glued them on the card. Added Glossy Effects to all the red berries to get them to shine!

And after all that I forgot to add a sentiment....guess it will have to wait ....just like all that stuff sitting in the mancave and the bare floors that need scrubbing!

Thanks for coming by!

Challenges;
Papertake Weekly - 3-2-1; 3 papers, 2 added layers of holly leaves on the candles, 1 die cut
Donna's Den of Crafts - Decoupage

Verve and the last two in August

I finally got a chance to do the last two cards for this month on the Verve challenge at SCS.
Here is the sketch for week three:

And here's my card.

'Some people make the world special by being in it' -  A sentiment from the Verve set, "Feel the Sun".

The flourish is from a SU set, 'Baroque Motifs'.

I used two papers, gold shimmer and black, two Verve ss, "Feel the Sun' and 'Bountiful Backgrounds', and two embossing powders gold detail and black. Masked the flourish to later add the bg stamp horizontally on the black vertical strip.

For week four here's that sketch:

And last but not least the week four card:

The basic sketch is there, I just added some flowers. Well, more than some!!!

Papers - four - Soft Sky, Confetti Cream, Natural Ivory, and Apricot Appeal.

Stamp set from Verve - Feel the Sun

From SU - Embrace Life, Friends 24-7, and Flower Trio

Ribbon is from MStewart.

All the flowers were cut out and or punched and adhered, the largest one with pop dots in two layers.

Thanks for coming by!

Challenges

Stamping Vacation - No no challenge (til 9/12)

Delightful Inspiration has GONE FISHIN'

Faith has created the cutest little monkey and he's Fishin' Around.

Designed2Delight has a progressive challenge each week.

Double Delight has a challenge that parallels the D2D,

and this week their challenge is to use ribbon, twine, or string.

Also, added is a sketch if you are interested.

 I was definitely interested since I was looking for a sketch and this

one was perfect for the monkey fishing.

Thanks for coming by!

challenges
Digital Tuesday - Water, beach, or tropical image

Meljen's Designs - Happy Birthday

RX

STAMPS: D2D digital image, SU Vintage Labels

PAPER: DP from DCWV Summer Stack, Tangerine Tango, CTMH textured blue, white

INK: Tangerine Tango

TOOLS: Photo corner punch, ticket punch, 3/4" circle punch, word window punch

INCIDENTALS: MS ribbon, silver button brad, string

waltzingmouse sketch challenge

I love my clear WMS stamps! This weeks Waltzingmouse sketch challenge looks simpler than I made it!

 Here's my busy version.

Cut out a big circle with opening on side, left side, then punch, stamp, punch, stamp, die cut, die cut, die cut, stamp, add bow and bling......did I say glue, adhere and tape?

I used a corner rounder for the card base and yellow scalloped circle, and Spellbinders for the blue  and yellow center circles, scalloped and plain. The small blue circles were stamped and then punched out with a small punch. I, also, stamped the inside the same as the front along the outside edge alternating the blue and yellow.

Thanks for coming by!

Challenge

Let's Ink It Up has their first challenge starting August 22. It's Anything Goes, but you must have yellow on your card. Oh! You must use rubber or clear stamps for your focal point. No digis allowed.

RX

STAMPS: Waltzingmouse's Irish Blessings, Celtic Heritage, Vintage Circles

PAPER: CTMH yellow, Bashful Blue, white

INK: Bashful Blue, Barely Banana

TOOLS: CB for Spellbinders, mid sized corner rounder with out the guard, 5/8" circle punch

INCIDENTALS: ribbon, bling

SALE at Daisy Doodles

SALE

Right now there's a big sale going on at the store.

Daisy's Digi Doodles Store

Jules has  all the stamps reduced. You can get up to

50% off!

I was just over there and there are some great images at 1/2 their original price!

I saw a few at 33% off, too!
The sale ends August 31st.

While I have your undivided attention:
The Forum challenge starts Sept One!
The theme is 'Anything Goes'
Sign up here.
Then just click on Forum and you are ready to go. there is a very short tutorial for posting pics.
We would love to hear your comments on the new Forum...so chat it up over there.

Verve

Anni-VERVE-sary Sketch challenge is going on over at SCS. Julee has given five sketches and for every sketch that you do you increase your chance of winning some VERVE goodness.

Sketch one, card one___________________________________________________________

Buttons and some hand stitching. Poke holes with paper piercer and then stitch with floss.

Sketch two, card two ___________________________________________________________

Two-step XL bird punch, Script and Swiss Dots embossing folders, and more buttons

                                                                                

Sketch three, card three______________________________________________________

Sewing machine stitching, SU Sizzlits dies for the birds, flower, leaves

Sketch four, card four________________________________________________________

 Another Two-step bird punch, Spellbinders Scalloped Oval, Swiss Dots EF, and SU EF in the background, and Vintage Labels for the sentiment

Sketch five, card five___________________________________________________________

Spellbinders circles, Maya Road flower, button and fibers. Vintage Labels ss from SU, faux stitching with white pen and Chocolate chip marker

All the DSP was from the same package, Parisian Breeze.

Thanks for coming by!

Waltz with the MOUSE in Shabby Chic Style

The Waltzingmouse Stamps Waltz for August theme is Vintage/Shabby Chic.

Here's my take on Shabby Chic/Vintage!

Here you will find a link to the blog and a description of V/SC.

The lace edging is old, like at least 20 years old....helps to save some things.

In two places I added glue and some Milled Lavender distressing powder.

It looks great IRL!

The floral image is from WMS Afternoon Tea Sentiments and is double layered.

For a little different card style, I chose to do a tunnel card, with a twist.

 

I made the sentimental panel to slide in behind the oval frame, so that it could be seen more clearly. I stamped on the teapot and then heat embossed the sentiment in a dark brown. MS punch was used for the wee flowers and I punched them from a dp that had printed words and a solid green. The eyelet border punch was used on the edges and not completely to the ends. On the right side a CB embossing folder, "Textile" was used just on the one side and then sanded off.

Trying to keep this short,so

Thanks for coming by!

Here's a link to the forum. Then get yourself to the August Waltz and you can see all the other Vintage/Shabby Chic creations and even try for a prize. If you are not registered and want to look you will have to sign up, but it only takes a moment.

RX

STAMPS: WMS Afternoon Tea and Sentiments

PAPER: DCWV, Pale Plum 

INK: Distress Inks-Tea Dye, Old Paper, Black Soot

TOOLS: CB with SU EF and Spellbinders, MS flower punch, SU border punch, sanding file

INCIDENTALS: Old lace

Yellow and white

Daisy Doodles

ONLY Words

Jules designed a set of digital images called 'ONLY WORDS'

No pics, just words.

and to show one of them off:

the challenge this week is to make a card using only yellow and white or cream.

the flowers are Daisy Doodles, also and you can find the 'Words' and 'Flowers' here in the Daisy's Digi Doodles Store.

To take part in the challenge head on over to the Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge Blog. 

This card measures just 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and the yellow is Crushed Curry. The flower behind the senti is a fan folded strip and then formed into a circle. Did you know that cs fan folded into a circle is hard to keep glued down? Trust me, ask me how I know!!! The mulberry paper is an added plus, love this paper and find that I don't use it as often as I'd like!!!!!

Thanks for coming by!

Try your hand at the challenge....how easy can it get?

Just yellow with white or cream.

Have you been to the forum of Daisy Doodles?

There will be challenges starting over there as well....

a little daisy told me to watch out for Sept first.

It only take a minute to sign up and we would love to see you over there. 

Sign up now and you'll be ready when the fun starts

at the FORUM.

 Challenges

Sentimental Sundays- Ribbon or lace

I Did It Creations - Anything Goes
Digi Doodles Shops Best - Flowers
Easy Craft Projects - "Girly" - my flowers qualify, according to their rules...whoo hoooo

Clean and Simple

The free image over at Faith's Delightful Inspiration is a pair of pumpkins. AND the Double Delight is clean and simple. No fuss, no muss, make a card in under an hour. How about after coloring...less that five minutes...after the coloring!

This card measures 3 x 5 inches and needs no explanation or RX.

Clean and simple card, clean and simple post.

Thanks for coming by!

Verve Week Two

I was just surfing through blogland and found a friend that has been doing the same Verve challenges as me for the last few months. Her name is Kathy and as she so eloquently put it, "I'm addicted!"

 I just like to commit to a certain challenge or should I say challenges. I like the continuity of following the same thing.....addiction is good...sometimes!!!!!

Thanks for coming by!

RX

STAMPS: Feel the Sun

PAPER: Orchid Opulence, Pink passion, Nore Mustard, scrap DSP

INK: More Mustard, Old Olive

TOOLS: paper piercer, CBfor Floral Fantasy EF

INCIDENTALS: brad, Krylon Gold Leaf pen

Free and it's for me

Waltzingmouse Stamps is having  a sweet contest while the owner/designer, Claire, is off on holiday in Ireland. You should see some of her gorgeous pictures of the country side and sunsets.

There are several wonderful free templates at the store. Pick one create something and enter it for a chance to win a free stamp set of your choice. There isn't much time remaining so I picked something easy - the watering can card template. I took a bright green tissue paper stamped all over in Soft Suede then crumbled it all into a small ball. Applied glue stick to the back of the template, carefully opened up the tissue and gently spread it out over the glue, tamping it down ever so gently to leave the small creases in it. Let it dry for a few minutes then covered it with embossing ink and clear embossing powder, heated it up to give it a nice gloss. Let it cool and then cut it out from the back side where it was printed. Glued some shamrocks and leaves on  and felt it was a bit too bright. OH OH. Can't put any old ink on top of the clear embossing...it won't adhere! but I have something that will...Stazon. I sponged Timber Brown Stazon almost all over to tone it down a bit. Here's two pics...before and after the brown. Tell me, which one do you like the best?

Here's a pic to show the glossy effect and the tiny creases.

Thanks for coming by!

RX

STAMPS: WMS Big Blossoms, Celtic heritage, Irish Blessings

PAPER: Natural ivory, Hunter Green

INK: Elegant Eggplant, Hunter Green, Soft Suede, Stazon Brown

TOOLS: Heat gun, craft knife

INCIDENTALS:  Clear embossing powder

The glossy paper project

Took the paper that I made yesterday and used it in a Verve challenge.

The paper that I have been talking about, the Alcohol Ink Faux Bleach technique paper that is over at SCS. The paper that caused a post to be written about an IRON!!!!!! Go figure!

This is Week one of Verve and Week two will probably be posted here tomorrow. I got a late start, what can I say?

AND now it's late and my eyeballs are tired!

Thanks for coming by!

You can check out the technique at SCS or take yourself back one or two posts for my revelations in alcohol ink and clear embossing powder.

RX

STAMPS: Su Filigree and Leaves set, Party Time by Verve

PAPER: glossy, turquoise from CTMH, Old Olive, white

INK: Pallette Noir, alcohol inks from Ranger

TOOLS: small leaves sizzlit from SU

INCIDENTALS: Ribbon, clear embossing powder, iron

Alcohol Ink Faux Bleach Technique

Well, I only had to check two places for the old iron....it was in the hallway closet!!!! I am now the proud owner of a craft iron!

It was free (sitting in the closet not being used) and recycled! DH bought me a new iron years ago with an auto shut off, which was much needed because I couldn't remember if I shut it off in the morning and I would call him to stop by the house and check. The old iron still worked so why throw it away...right?

I need to put a tag or sticker on it saying that it's for crafts only or DO NOT ADD WATER.

You never know who will drag it out and try to use it!

I know exactly who will and I am not mentioning any names, but she comes to visit frequently!!!

OK, enough about the iron. I can only assume you know where this is leading. Did you read the post here yesterday?...YES?....GOOD......

Here's my sample of the Alcohol Ink Faux Bleach from SCS that I linked you up with on that post.

The ones on the right are the origianl embossed papers, while the ones on the left are the pressed on papers.

If you want to use both I would suggest that you do not use any words that are legible. I realized my error before I inked them up with the alcohol inks, but thought I would continue to prove a point and let you in on the little secret. The pressed on page with words won't work unless you are planning on using Braille for a sentiment! I added small dots of the ink to my pad and next time think that larger spots would be better. Don't get me wrong I like what I did here it's just another idea for another time. when or if you try this heed the words...peel apart easily! The two papers will look as if they are glued together, but when you go to peel them apart they should peel away from each other... easily. If not, just place back on your ironing surface and add more heat. When they peel easily they are done. Plus, I added a 'pressing paper' over my cs before I ironed. The ink  did seep out a little onto the copy paper.

Now, to go make a card using one of these papers!

Thanks for coming by!

Double Delight

What do you get when you cross a bear with a sketch? Delightful Inspiration and Double Delight!

I got the idea for the paper on SCS today in their Weekly Inkling.

Of course, I had to change it up a bit!

Lily was sleeping and I couldn't get to the iron and ironing board (they are in the cupboard in the room where she naps) to press the papers.

It's called the Alcohol Ink Faux Bleach technique, but it reminded me of another technique. Poppin pastels 

 is the one that I used for the bear. I stamped with Versamark on the bear and dabbed brown chalk all over! On the white cs again stamped with Versamark, clear embossed and then sprayed some 

Tattered Mist for that purple Emboss Resist. On my glossy paper I followed the directions for the original idea and will show you that technique on another card when I get to the iron. I have an old iron, I should drag it down to my CR and use it rather than think about ruining my good iron. Now, where is that iron?

I bought a **Magic Matter way back when and used that today to get the even 1/8" border behind that adorable bear! Faith does such great images and this cutey is one of them. My paper flowers are from a packaging paper that had many colors running through it. Obviously recycled paper that I recycled yet again. Left the small ones plain and sponged the larger one with Basic Brown. Got the Stickles out and played around with them here and there.

Thanks for coming by!

RX

STAMPS: SU Filigree bg stamp, Delightful Inspirations - the bear

PAPER: DCWV, White, Kraft

INK: Bssic Brown

TOOLS: flower punches, circle punch, small leaves Embosslit from SU, Magic Matter

INCIDENTALS:  Clear EP

**Magic matter is a set of four metal circles that have holes in the middle where a pencil will fit and you just guide the circle of choice around the image and it draws an outline just the size you need.

Frankenstein!!!!!!

Frankenstein and the spider are an adorable pair 'hanging' out together on one of the latest digital sets for this Halloween season. Daisy Doodles is proud to present more sets for the 'GHOULISH' season and you can find them right here...just a click away! Daisy's Digi Doodles Store! Click on digi stamps once you get there and then on Halloween! You won't need your trick or treat bag but you may need to check out the very cute Halloween treat basket with accompanying bat.

You can also view the Halloween sets on the Daisy Doodles Blog!

For those of you cowboy fans, the challenge is still going on at DDCC blog. You can hop and win, comment and win, or just enter the challenge with a digital creation that depicts the Wild West and win!

Thanks for coming by!

Leave me some loving in the comments box...never get tired of reading all the lovely things.

RX

STAMPS: Daisy Doodles digi Halloween pack 1, the tiny spider stamp is from DOTS...my very first rubber  stamp

PAPER: retired SU Halloween paper, ornage, black, white and the purple card base is CTMH from a 12 x    12 textured cs that was on sale in May.

INK: Elegant Eggplant

TOOLS: CB for spellbinders ovals, EK border punch for the corners,

distressing tool

INCIDENTALS: Digitally produced sentiment, ribbon, DMC floss, small circle punch

Challenges:

Digi Doodle Shop -  Favorite Stamp...and right now Franky is my favorite stamp!!!

Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes
Saturday challenge - It's a Man's World

WMS sketch challenge #9

Here's the link to WMS challenge #9

Here's the sketch.

Here's my creation.

Used the two sets from Waltzing Mouse Stamps,

Afternoon Tea and the matching sentiments.

Thanks for coming by!

RX

STAMPS: mentioned above

PAPER: Buckaroo Blue, Close to Cocoa, brown textured, and a scrap of a beige

INK: Basic Brown, Buckaroo Blue, Chocolate Chip, Craft White

TOOLS: 1/4" hole punch for small circles and ticketing the corners, trio flower punch, stylus to form flowers,

 ticket punch for the larger panels.

INCIDENTALS: ribbon

Challenges for this card
Cute Card Thursday- Whatevah!!!!
Pennys challenges - Anything Goes

DT CALL-Let's Ink It Up!

   I have been thinking about joining a rubber/clear stamp design team and the time has come!

Let's Ink It Up has an offer on the table and Suzanne is going to pick eight of her favorites from a field of more than thirty applicants.

I just came across this blog two days ago and have been thinking about it since I really want to do an "ink up the stamp" and show it off!

 Here are my favorite three cards...that I could whip out of a chasm a very deep chasm of cards in a short time. 

I definitely wanted a varied mix of  style, stamps, and techniques, and here are the results.

The Tri-Shutter Card with WMS clear stamps

"Big Blossoms"

 

 _______________________________________________________

A masculine card.

The Brick Wall technique...Dream Come True 

Stamp name: Noble Deer

 

____________________________________________________

 Very Special Baby card that means a lot to me!

Just Rite Stampers-hand made Sentiment

 

 Just now thought of the scrap book pages that I have done with stamps....too late now. I really like these three cards that I have chosen and hope that they get noticed by a certain someone....

PSSSSST....Suzanne, R U there?

Thanks for coming by!

Wish me luck!

Heartfelt wishes

Faith at Designed to Delight came up with this delightful creature for Christmas in July. I just got around to him in August. He is called 'Heartfelt Wishes' and for Double Delight it was a challenge to make your own embellishments so I made layers of hearts, glued them together and punched holes in two of them to make buttons. Then as if that wasn't enough challenges...I found a sketch over at Jen del Muro's SFYTT!!
Three birds, one stone or for those in the paper crafting arena...Bing.Bang.Boom!!!!!

The card base and scalloped circle as well as the DP is edged with a gold Krylon pen. That is a piece of ribbon in the back, wired ribbon with a gold edge. Just love it and it's been sitting in a Christmas box of ribbon just waiting to feel the love. HW is holding a five layered heart in his hands, another embellishment, but no holes. The inside of the card is lined with the matching green cs and the reverse side of the Dp with the snowmen. The card base is Purely Pomegranate and the rest of the papers are from the BOTD.

Thanks for coming by!

DT member's blog candy

Candy

Tina over at Tina's Crafty Place is having some candy issues. 

SHE WANTS TO GIVE AWAY some CANDY!

Tina is on the Daisy Doodles DT with me and she does some awesome paper crafting.  

Click on her blog name above and you can see for yourself and read the list of goods that you can win!

So, whatcha waiting for? Git!

Happy Birthday, Ruthie

My Dear Aunt, my Dad's sister, will be 87 on August 9th. Happy Birthday!! Dear Aunt Ruth. Daddy called her Ruthie, so I sort of call her that now that he is no longer with us!!!! Ruthie lives in  a convent in Ohio and sure could use a ton of prayers for herself and the Sisters caring for her! Dad's older sister, Dorothy, is 96 and lives in the home where the Aunts that raised Dad and Dorothy spent their summers so many years ago in upstate NY. Daddy lived to be 93+ and I wonder if I will have their longevity!
On to the card...I followed the sketch challenge at Just Rite stamps.

and then the inside.......

Thanks for coming by!

RX

STAMPS: Just Rite's DIY Monogram stampers kit and Damask Borders

PAPER: Natural White, CS brown and turquoise, CS green DP

INK: Basic Brown

TOOLS: CB for spellbinders scalloped square and embossing template, border punch

INCIDENTALS: Ribbon, dragonflies

challenges

Easy Craft Projects: Chocolate Brown

Digi Doodles Shop's Best: Punch and Cut