Go Green-Vintage

I wanted to make a card with my Copics- and found a challenge to use all green....now that is a challenge, isn't it? Why- maybe it is because of the Irish blood in my veins....... I used a FREE Background stamp from a Vintage Digital site
http://digitaltuesday.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
I just LOVE this image- I hope I did it justice! You cannot see in the picture the Sakura Gelly roll pen adding shimmer to the little circles in the medallion centers.
What do you think?
Thanks for looking,
Shelly

Blog Candy -win an image by Ann Clack

I came across some candy today at Ann Clack's blog

I love Ann's talent especially in coloring in images- she is on a DT for a Copic Challenge by Kimm BT who has talent to admire.....

Please go give Ann some lovin!

Shelly

Happy Friday! I don't know why, but simple cards take me hours to make! This started when I was cutting cardstock in a Mover and Shaper Die....to bad it was not mine........anyway, I looked at the shape that was cut out and decided it looked like an ornament......... I stamped and embossed a snowflake from SU Snow Swirled, added a silver Eyelet and a gingham ribbon 'hanger'. I can imagine all kinds of ornaments made from the shapes I cut out from the Matchbox Die shapes too. (And, I am sure some creative SU demo thought of this AGES ago!). Background DP is Cottage Wall and Merry Moments both from SU. The Sentiment is stamped on a tag from the Matchbox Die.
I made this for dual challenges today- to have an eyelet for the Bloggers challenge for Sweet Dreamers (SCS) AND fit the sketch challenge for the Bloggers Challenge group.

Thanks for looking! Have a great weekend.
Shelly

Ai Foil for the Featured Stamper Challenge at SCS

I love to try to make a card to CASE the Featured Stamper on Splitcoaststampers each Sunday....does not always happen, but I love it when it does!

This Sunday, the Featured Stamper is joanne or jojot. I picked this card from her gallery- and then was to change three things. First, no DP- I made a BG called Ai Foil from the TJ newsletter. No punches in the corners, no pearls or brads- just added piercing. I colored the image with Copic markers- the image is a free digi download from this site (If you have trouble finding it- look around July 24-27th) and I originally found it on SCS when another papercrafter uploaded a card using it. I need alot of practice with the digi images to figure out how to resize them and make them larger or smaller.
The last time we needed new printer ink. I went to a 'cartridge refill' store. The color of the printing has a green hue to it after I print an image or two, so it is hard to also figure out how to not print in the middle of a page when I print just one or two images.....- lots to learn....but I guess I have a lot to learn to catch up with modern technology.
One more thing I found this morning while looking for digital image info this post on Free Vintage Digital images every Tuesday Now these look outstanding, don't they???

I would love to know what sites or sources you use for digital images!

Thanks for stopping by,
Shelly

PS I am going to send this card to my Technique Junkie swap card partner for August. We have a Just One swap, where we have a partner and I send her a card and she sends me one. It is optional and I would guess about 40-50 ladies participate each month. It is a fun way to see not only beautiful cards, but have a first hand look at techniques from the TJ newsletter. Oh, if you are interested or curious, Here is a link for the site- if you go there and get hooked...don't blame me!!

Marker Watercoloring Elephants

I have been playing around with markers- for this card, I colored in the outlines of the leaves and water colored with the Aqua painter. I used regular SU Whisper White on the BG strips for the water coloring.

I am going to send this to my nephew who just started college- that makes my sister and her husband empty nesters..... we have 2 more years and that will be us!

Stamps are Firecracker Designs by Pamela. All paper SU

Thanks for looking!

Shelly

Sweet Dreamers Challenge #4- Focus on Text and Bloggers challenge-punches

This is a card I made for two challenges this week.
The sweet Dreamers Blog Group on SCS has a challenge to focus on words on a card- the sentiment is the main focus here.
The Bloggers Challenge focus is on punches. I made an all Stampin Up card using the 'Always' set and DP called Cottage Wall. I am DP challenged, so I was thrilled by this card. The size of the card is 5 1/2 x 5 1/2

The CS is Razzleberry. I cut the DP just a pinch smaller than the Razzleberry layer, cut it in 1/2 (the stripes are on the opposite side of the flowers). I cut the stripes in 1/2 again and scallop punched the edges. The ribbon is razzleberry, and the dotted side is face down. I gathered it and used the sewing machine to apply it. The oval has DP that has been put through a crimper, the gathers tighened up by pinching them closer, and then gathering it around the edges of the oval- it is glued with Tombo Multi Mono. I have an oval on each side of this gathered DP. I stamped the sentiment from Always and pierced the edges prior to adding the oval to the 2nd side. I lightly sponged Razzleberry around the edge of the oval.

Thanks for looking!
Shelly

Zig Zag Masculine card

I decided to try a Clean and Simple (CAS) card today for the SplitCoastStampers CAS challenge........ I made a few of the ZIg Zag backgrounds while I had the supplies out. This was really quick and easy to put together. CS and DP all SU. Stamps are SU Classic Pickups
Thanks for looking
Shelly

Torn Frames and SCS Featured Stamper Challenge

I had a little time to stamp Sunday, and joined in the Featured Stamper Challenge at Splitcoaststampers. The Featured Stamper this week is Stamp Muse, and here is her card that inspired me. I did not have a Patriotic Tilda, so chose to use Halloween as my theme- for the challenge, you are to change 3 things about the FS card. I used DP with a Halloween theme and colored Tilda using Copic Markers. I used a Torn Frame technique from a past TJ newsletter, which I liked with the Gooey punch I used in the middle of the card. I love the colors for Halloween and enjoyed making this card.

Thanks for looking,
Shelly

"All The Things I Love" Huge Blog Candy

This evening, I came across the most outstanding BLOG CANDY tonight- here is the link:

Bev's Blog

Bev is on the verge of hitting 400,000 hits........(I cannot even imagine.........) Here are pictures of the candy- Drawing to be done 8/17 and is open worldwide.

I signed up- wish me luck............. Let me know if you sign up too!

Shelly

'Zig Zag' Whiff of Joy Birthday Mouse

My little GIRLY GIRL niece is turning 7 this month, so I decided to make a Girly Girl Birthday Card! I guess this could be considered a grid card for the Sweet Dreamers Blog group (from SCS)- it is called Zig Zag and it is from the latest Technique Junkies newsletter. The tutorial was written by Ann Clack- stampsandcars on SCS- one of my favorite stampers! Anyway, I also got out the Copic markers and went to town- this was just a riot to color-and to glitter. The BG is a piece of scrapbook paper from the dollar bin at Target I bought last Valentines Day. The image from Whiff of Joy is from an image swap on SCS and the Sentiment is from Mini Mates (Stampin Up-long retired).

Thanks for stopping by!
Shelly

Sweet Dreamers Blog Group Challenge # 3- grid

I am busy making ATC's for a Flourishes swap- and I decided to just make more so I can send some to Juliet A for the Technique Junkies ATC Technique Swap. (I made 18 of these in all). I join the TJ swap to get samples of techniques by others- and it is a nice way to see techniques I may or may not have tried. Deb Lovett put it nicely- the ATC cards are like having a little autograph book that other stampers sign- with their creativity (OK, not an exact quote.....).

Not an easy BG to photograph- more vibrant IRL....BG is Faux Sanding and the SU paper is retired Rose Romance-one of my all time favorite colors! I used the Scor Pal to make a grid around the outside edges, then took a Sakura Jelly Roll Pen and wrote over the scored line to get some sparkle. The Flourished Sweet Peas are colored with Copics RV00, R81, R83 (I cut out the 5 flowers and glued them over a black stamped image- am I crazy or what???) and I ended up using Green Galore to color in the greenery on the ATC. I added 5/8" sheer organdy in White to finish off the ATC. Now, to get them in the mail!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Aifoil and Recycle Challenge for Sweet Dreamers Blog Group

Our 2nd challenge for the blog group Sweet Dreamers is to Recycle something and use it on a card. I found an interesting post on a blog written by Melzstampz
For anyone that knows me well, my middle name is Challenge. I thought this looked like an interesting challenge- so I grabbed a cereal box out of the recycling. I made a Cuttlebug folder out of a piece of chipboard that I liked the shape of- spent quite a bit of time cutting out the images- they were too big and dense........, so I started again. I drew stars, and cut them in 1/2 and hollowed them out. Then, I used Gel medium to glue them down- i now have a folder to use over and over. How cool is that?
Ok, I used a new technique called AI foil from the brand spanking new TJ newsletter. I mucked the shiny look of this technique up running the BG through the Cuttlebug 3 times to get a good impression.....but, the crackly appearance of the cardfront is interesting. I used chalk to add a little color to the Soldier stamp.
One more quick thing about me- I send boxes to soldiers each month (mostly in Iraq) and have been for the past 5 years. I am currently sending them to a son of another nurse I work with, but I started out by sending boxes to soldiers I found on http://www.blogger.com/www.anysoldier.com
The stamps are from Firecracker Designs by Pamela
Hope you enjoyed my Challenge card- Thanks for looking!

Shelly

Blogger challenge #1 and CAS26 (from SCS)

Well, I am back and running! I have been doing laundry and grocery shopping and catching up.......from a very relaxing week away in Kentucky.
I spent the day making some TJ backgrounds to finish later, and also a challenge card for the Sweet Dreamers Blog Challenge Group. I think the CAS cards are very hard!

Here is my card for both challenges. It tells a few things about me- I love anything to do with needlework- even though I do not do too much anymore- I love Smocking and embroidery. I am a member of the Smocking Arts Guild of America, and in the past attended a number of yearly conventions around the US- I met so many fun friends too! I also LOVE Pink- any shade is good (well, maybe not neon pink.....). I also LOVE Blue. I generally craft using Technique Junkies techniques for my cards- and it is refreshing to make a 'plain' card every now and then......... My prior post has the directions to make the flowers like the one on my card- it is double tiered. I made a chain of 12 stitches for the leaves. The flower is DMC 3805, the leaves DMC 469. I made a border along the edge by making a length of chain stitches, and did the following in every other stitch:
single crochet, double crochet, single crochet. I sewed it onto the card with coordinating thread.

Thanks for looking! Thanks for stopping by.

Shelly