Congratulations TWINS

My cousin & her hubby just had TWINS a few days ago and I wanted to make a card that "sort of" went with their purple baby room. This weeks Play Date Cafe had a fab color challenge, with the color purple, so I thought I'd give it a go while adding a Sweet Sunday Sketch as the base of my card.

After picking a favorite SSS, I got to work matching up my colors with my Color Coach. Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery & Basic Gray won this match up so I started in on punching out my circles. The gray circles are 1-1/4" & the Celery circles are 1". I added a bit of Rick Rack Ribbon (say that three times fast!) over my piece of gray and only punched 1/2 of the sentiment from the Baby Bundle Stamp Set. I did a bit of cutting and coloring to a few of the images since I thought they needed some sort of pop. And I finished off the card with three random buttons from my button jar. (The rest are covering my floor, thanks to my very helpful 2-1/2 year old)

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 Sweet Sunday FAVE

Congratulations on your beautiful babies!! Hartley & Beau are just PRECIOUS!! Can't wait to meet them.

Mama Mojo

My Mom has been staying with the kids and I for two weeks lending an extra pair of loving arms to help around the house. As she drove away, little knots started forming in my tummy, knowing that I would be going at this deployment alone once more. So, what better way to fix those silly knots then paper craft! This weeks Mojo Monday was the perfect inspiration to get started and when I paired my Moms two favorite colors together and added a handmade flower, I have to say I was quite pleased with the result!

MOJO157 sketch

I used Pretty in Pink & Wild Wasabi throughout the card, including the DSP. My handmade flower was created using the faux suede method of punching out a shape (in this case, circles) and breaking down the fibers in the paper with my bone folder until I was able to pull the paper apart into two layers (or 3 per the case in one of my circles). I used the Scallop Trim Border punch along the side of my long Wild Wasabi paper. My flower was made with the 1-3/4", 1-3/8" & 1-1/4" Circle Punches. I used a brad to hold them together and fancied it up with a large piece of pink bling. My sentiment is from Well Scripted. The three little circles are punched out from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and I did the "pulled apart" faux suede effect on them as well. Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz added a bit of sparkle to my flower and 3 small circles. And a piece of Pink ribbon to finish the complete sketch. This weeks Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge just so happens to be Handmade Flowers, SWEET!! At the last moment, I corner rounded the ends of the card, which I felt gave it softer lines...

Thank you Mom for all of your loving help with the kids & house! We're going to miss your cooking, talks and uncontrollable laughter! Love you TONS!! Can't wait till Christmas!

Feathers

I started putting together this card two days ago BUT didn't get around to finishing it till today. As simple as it looks...there's always the challenge to find just the RIGHT stamp set to use in certain challenges, accessories, textures, etc. etc. This weeks I heart 2 sketch challenge was my very first piece of inspiration. 

SFYTT

I'm not a HUGE fan of butterflies or hearts so I find it kind of ironic that this post has BOTH in it...my second challenge that I mushed with the first came from The Color Throwdown blog.

Color Throwdown #111

So....as this isn't my FAVORITE card ever, I do like my little sassy lady, isn't she cute?! and I have the PERFECT person to send this sweet betty to, my adoring hubby, who totally ruffles my feathers! (wink, wink)

A+Monkey

Another creative day with Anne Marie yesterday and although I ONLY finished putting together 2 cards (and started the base of 2 more), I did combine 3 different challenges (quite a feat since there are sooo many wonderful challenges to pick from on the internet)...I really wanted to call this post Monkeying Around or Triathlon Monkey but settled on A+Monkey since that's what totally pops off this card. (Thanks for the fab idea to use chipboard, AM, you're a creative GENIUS!)

First I snagged this sketch from Anne Marie's stack of unbelievably OCD post it notes (and I say that with MUCH love since I too am on the OCD side, lol), where she jotted down this weeks The Paper Players challenge.

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Next I combined the colors from the SCS Color Challenge
Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi & Cajun Craze
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and last I paired it with the following inspirational photo challenge from The Shabby Tea Room

TSTR28 "School Days"

Gracious, THAT was a mouthful!! After coloring my sweet little monkeys, I punched them out using the 1-3/4" Circle XL & 1-3/8" Circle. Placed my background of RETIRED "Hand Drawn" DSP, some RETIRED Baja Breeze ribbon & a raw "A" from my SU! chipboard stash, with Cajun Craze sponged onto it and a sentiment stamped in Black Staz On and ba da bing ba da boom...a Thank You card, which I'm sure will come in handy for one of my daughters teachers!

Tess B-Day

I made this card for my good friend Berni, awhile back and didn't want to post it until she received it in the mail (of course I SHOULD'VE stamped BELATED inside since it was SOOOO LATE, oops!)

As always, I'm a fan of cutting things out...it's kind of like paper therapy and most likely a bit cheaper than retail therapy, hehe. I used the Tote-ally Tess & Happy Moments (RETIRED) stamp sets. And pulled Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze & Whisper White from the RETIRED Hand Drawn DSP. Also added a bit of RETIRED Kiwi Kiss double sided ribbon...guess I should've made this a RETIRED card instead, bwah haha.

After using one of my FAVORITE SU! punches, the Small Ticket Corner and adding a touch of BLING to the outskirts of the sentiment, I fancied up her shirt with two TEENY pieces of RETIRED chunky glitter (thank GOODNESS for tweezers)!!

Real Men Mojo

I had plans to use this stamp set on another sketch challenge BUT after coloring in the image late one night and leaving my card (all cut out but not adhered together) on my desk (along with some slightly expensive markers) I came upstairs in the morning to find my 2 1/2 year old son had "helped" me by coloring over my ENTIRE image (and part of my desk) with a RED marker...EEEK! So, sorry to say, I was a bit bummed by my slight misfortune of forgetting to close the baby gate (which only keeps him out 1/2 of the time) and decided to wait until the steam had settled from my insides before trying again! :)

I started off with this weeks Mojo Monday Sketch #156

and added a bit of color from the Play Date Cafe Challenge

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After flipping the sketch on it's side, I used Whisper White as my base and cut strips of 1" Basic Black, Real Red & Garden Green for my background. The Real Red got eaten on one side with the Scallop Border Punch. I added Basic Black ribbon and three Black Brads before popping up the image off of my card with dimensionals, I just LOVE those things (which is most likely why I have 3 packages as back up)!! 

Perfect Blend

Lately I've been BLENDING challenges together, hence the title of this post NOT to mention the phrase on my finished card! :)

I started out with a three color base from The Color Throwdown

Color Throwdown #110

Fell in LOVE with the color scheme and just HAD to ink up a new set of stamps that arrived in the mail. Not to mention, with my lack of sleep lately, I've got coffee on the BRAIN, hehe!

I corner rounded the Pink Pirouette base and Basic Gray layer of my card, then added the Scallop Trim Boarder Punch to the lower half of Rich Razzleberry. Found a scrap of textured Pink Pirouette that fit PERFECTLY for the top layer and then moved on to my row of stamped images. I didn't want to cut off the bit of steam from the center image, so I cut the paper a little bigger than the stamp and came back in with my scissors to capture the wisps. I did 'cheat' just a little and added a bit of brown to my coffee beans, the gray shadowing just wasn't cutting it for me. A piece of Rich Razzleberry RETIRED ribbon, edged the 2 cup images with silver & just the tiniest dab of Crystal Effects for my center cup of joe...On to the sentiment, which was stamped in White Craft Ink & heat embossed with White Embossing Powder. I almost added bling to the bottom left corner but decided to keep this one a little more simple, although I may NOT be able to resist adding some before I mail this little gem to a friend! :)

I also used this past weeks Sweet Sunday Sketch BUT didn't get my card finished in time to enter it, BUMMER...

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Wicked Monkey

I don't really think this monkey looks all that wicked but the colors are! :) This weeks Pals Paper Arts Challenge is to make a Halloween inspired card with the following WICKED poster in mind. 

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After pulling the following colors from the Wicked poster:

 Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black, Whisper White & Real Red

 I started out with a Basic Black base, then layered Pear Pizzazz & Whisper White on top of each other to create the background, which I topped off with a REVERSE cut out of the Top Note Die on RETIRED "Night & Day" DSP. My little wicked monkey was stamped in Black & then paper pieced with more "Night & Day" DSP. He of course needed a little hat, so I improvised and turned the party hat from the Sock Monkey set into a little witch hat, by coloring it in and adding a brim. It seemed to blend into the card too much so I layered it with some Pear Pizzazz. The pumpkin was cut out using the small oval punch and I edged each piece with So Saffron to give it a little dimension. I found the stem in my RETIRED pile of stamps from "Carved & Candlelit". A bit of black hemp twine, a sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Wishes", dimensionals & a bit of RED to finish it off!

I combined this weeks Tuesday Morning Sketch with PPA and I LOVE how the colors & sketch worked really well together.

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Golden Happy Birdie

Whipped this card up in a FLASH when I saw that I had only 2 hrs. and 34 min. left to enter a card for the Play Date Cafe Challenge...I just LOVE it when I'm able to make a great card in only a few minutes, I think that only happens when I try not to think so hard about making something fabulous, hehe!

this week we have to design a card using black and white as the base and adding a touch of one of the following three colors: pink, copper or gold

I don't have copper embossing powder so whipped out my gold and got right to work...first I cut my base and attached a scrap of designer paper I had used on another card. It seemed to shout at me from under the PILES on my desk cause it was...BLACK & WHITE! (YES, LOVE it when that happens!!) Then on to picking out my stamp set...it looked like everyone had already made good use of the Medallion and Eiffel Tower stamps, so what else could be gold but a BIRD CAGE!! :) I used the Happy Birthday saying from Well Scripted & the sweet little bird cage is from Chic Boutique. I looked around for other GOLD items to pull my card together and came up with gold card stock, a bit of BLING & some gold twine. Ta Daaaa...

(The photos aren't the best since I don't have any natural light to shoot in, being 9:40 at night, Ahem...hi ho hi ho, off to bed I go!!)

Cup of Tea

No tea for me today only COFFEE to prop my tired eyes open while stamping with Anne Marie today. But this I Heart 2 Stamp sketch screamed for a pot of tea from SU!'s Morning Cup stamp set. I also combined this sketch with an inspiration photo challenge from Papercraft Star and here's the result!

Tea Anyone??

Sketch sfytt

 Papercraft Star challenge #12

Sketchy Colored Chocolate

The Color Throwdown #109

I think this card can TOTALLY rock the "multiple personalities" phrase since it's a combination of 2 challenges. What do ya think?? I first started off with this flashy and BRIGHT color combo from The Color Throwdown and followed the sketch from this weeks Mojo Monday. I had fun coloring this little lady, she's a girl after my own heart! Chocolate in one hand and a girlie drink in the other, yum! I added a bit of crystal effects to her drink to give it that "just poured" look and viola!

Sympathy Pearls

Just this past week a very dear lady to many (also my old English and Latin teacher) passed away to be with Jesus and those who have gone on before her. Mrs. Jean Belz, you will be missed but heaven rejoices with your homecoming! 

When I saw this weeks Repeat Impressions Sketch, the calla lily that just arrived in the mail seemed to call out for the circular space. I already submitted a card to the PPA pearl challenge this week but after planting many a pearl on this card, I figured I'd submit again, not sure if that's allowed, we'll see...

here is the sketch and finished card

Pretty in Pearls-PPA58

Pals Paper Arts has again inspired me to create something beautiful and this week, the challenge is PRETTY IN PEARLS. Another baby gift for our little wee one came in the mail the other day and the white bag that held 3 onesies I put in my ever growing pile of STUFF to use on my cards. When I saw the PPA challenge, I knew I just HAD to use it since it reminds me of a bridal veil, classic & chic, just like pearls!

I cut a piece of the bag and layered it behind 3 silhouetted dress maker forms from Chic Boutique. A bit of Pretty in Pink ribbon, a phrase from Teeny Tiny Wishes & of course PEARLS from my Pretties Kit to complete the card.

FREE tote

Isn't this little bag AWESOME?! Get one FREE (a $39.95 value) with the purchase of a starter kit, when you sign up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator under me, September 1st-October 18th, or while supplies last.

Greenhouse Gala Craft Tote Description

- 100% twill nylon exterior; 100% nylon interior

- Dimensions: 15-3/4" x 7-5/8" x 8-7/8"

- Includes attachable shoulder strap for easy transport

- Center section fits 12" x 12" card stock, Craft Keepers & Paper Cutter

- Outside pockets fit extra-large punches perfectly

- Outside flap pockets offer secure spot for accessories

- Back zipper pocket holds up to seven Stampin' Pads

Holiday Mini

The Holiday Mini catalog is LIVE starting TODAY!! There are all sorts of fun new goodies to choose from, Sizzix dies, holiday stamp sets, designer series paper, bling and so much more! Click HERE or the link on the sidebar to view the Holiday Mini online, which runs September 1st-January 3rd, 2011. If you'd like a hard copy of your own, please contact me.