All 6 of these cards were for an Inspiration challenge over at Splitcoasters. The inspiration came in the form of wrapping papers. Lots and lots of bright colorful patterns that we needed to be inspired by. I actually made over 10 cards from this challenge, so I must have been pretty inspired at the time.

The first 3 are fairly straightforward stamping. For the 4th one (with the dual Pine trees), I took a mask in the shape of 2 separate triangles and mini sponge daubers and 'twisted' the dauber on the paper. This effect spreads the ink so it's darker in the outside rim of the circle and lighter at the center, to give the circles a ball like appearance. I used 3 different shades of green to compliment the DP on the card. For the 5th card, I followed the deets for a Buckle card. I went to the Resources sections of the SCS website to find the pattern. My favorite of the bunch has to be this big square card. I took white card stock and vellum cardstock and tore them into strips. I layered white on vellum and interspersed the layers all down the card, attaching them with silver eyelets.
The challenge for this card was to create a circle medallion using a corner punch. We cut the circle out first, then punched it around with a decorative corner punch. I added a scalloped edge behind the circle in hunter green & was able to finish the card with a wide strip of the green satin ribbon.

Finally, got some new blood in ... Received these Whipper Snapper images and had a field day. The first one is Shoveling Snowman, then Christmas Trio, then Chicken on a Swing. These Whipper Snapper stamps are just so stinking cute.

This one here is Edward the Elf. Elves are pretty hard to come by nowadays, but this guys pretty darned cute. As for the cat, don't you think it looks like Snickers? (I know .. who's Snickers)

These images are from Rubber Necker. First 2 are 30-40's throwbacks. I loved coloring them and matching outfits with the designer paper. The Girl hugging the flag is more cutsey than the others, but was feeling very patriotic when I colored it.

The 2 challenges on the left were left over from the Splitcoast sketch challenge SC205. The one on the right is from a challenge where we were supposed to use only Snowflake DP, snowflake embelly and keep the card monochromatic. I ended up punching out the edges with a border punch on each side of the dark blue cardstock strip and finishing it off with white sparkly snowflake dies.

I think that may be all that fits here in this post, so I'll be off for now ...

These creations were for the Dynamic Duos/Divine Secret Sisters Round 3. We were to send at least 2 cards per month to our Secret Sister, all the while keeping our identity a secret. We were able to communicate via secret emails we made up, but not reveal our true selves until 3 months was up. I had so much fun creating stuff for my lil Sis, it was hard to know when to stop. In case you weren't sure, her favorite color was red.

This is an altered cigar box. I always love little trinket boxes for myself, so assume that everyone else does, too. These are coated, so you can use it for almost anything. I tore some pretty DP then distressed the edges with walnut ink then ModPodged them on. Once dry, I stamped with Versamark and black embossing powder from the Stampin Up sets Antique Collectibles and Papa's Pocket. Also added a few other sentiment stamps. Finished it off by adding chipboard pieces and ribbon and buttons (shanks cut off) that had an old world look to them, as well as one of those closures that you wrap the string around. (I'm sure there's a technical name for them, but if you know me, it's "that thingy ma-bobber".
For her name, I found some wood letters painted white at the $ store and rubbed my Red Riding Hood ink pad over it to give it some color without actually painting it solid. Then took same distressed ink pad from the cigar box and rubbed it around randomly. Used the same stamping method here with the embossing powder. On the wooden letters, I also glued on some small buttons and tiny key charms before sealing it with a couple of ModPodge layers. The letters are about 8-10 inches tall, I didn't measure them.

One more thing I made was this mini scrapbook ... okay, so I expanded it a bit more and it's not quite as mini as when I set out. Decided on a size I wanted the pages to be and basically just made card bases folded in half in alternating colors (old olive and vanilla). I glued these together facing each other. I got the idea from something I saw sitting on the counter at Archivers. While theirs was only about 4 pages, I wanted a little more girth in this one, so I kept going .. and going .. and going .. (where IS that Energizer bunny when you need him?) ANYway ... I took about 4-5 sheets of DP that had similar colors without going for 'matchy-match' designs. I took these papers and cut them in random sizes and shapes and placed them throughout the inside of the book, on both sides, to give my Lil Sis something to start with, yet leaving her room for her own style and pictures of her family or friends. While its not that difficult to make these, I found it difficult to actually want to send it ... I was quite pleased with the results.
Anyway ... my Lil Sis seemed pleased with her stash, so I was happy as well.
I'll be back later to post some more of my recent cards. There's a couple that I have to say I'm kind of proud of.
Thanks for hanging out ...

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OMGosh it's been ages ... have done very little stamping 'cuz I'm so busy with the Lac Operon (it's a microbiology thing, lol). DD also had her first competition of the year & they took 1st. Woo Hoo! One more coming up next Sunday then they get a bit of a break til the next one.

Got a chance to stamp up some things ...

Thanks for stopping by ... have a great day

This card was for the Sketch Challenge at SCS, SC193. My first attempt was the card on the left. I actually named these cards Guasabi - I love the 2 (Wasabi and Guava) color combination. After the first, I was happy, but wanted to try another, so came up with the one on the right .. Okay, now I'm even happier, right?
Well ... Apparently not happy enough, cuz I tried a 3rd version of the same sketch. I'm trying not to think too much about the cardstock I'm using from the 2008 IN colors that just retired. I know, when they're gone they're gone ... I can think of a couple of SU colors that I'd like to yank and substitute for a couple of the IN colors. Who gets to pick the colors, anyway? (Of course, I'm probably just full of hot air ... is it just ME or does everyone else like the Wasabi, Bayou and Guava colors?) Don't answer that if it's not going to coincide with MY opinion, (snicker, snicker, Just kidding).

Well ... thanks for stopping by again. Love your comments.

Here's a few random cards that I've made in the last week that I didn't get a chance to post before. What do you think?

This card was made using a Black Magic technique. I stamped white craft/pigment image and once dry, dipped my prismas directly into the gamsol & colored onto the black cardstock. It made the colors a little more vibrant than I'm used to, hence the Black Magic title, I guess. I made the background paper using single flower stamped multiple times.

This second one was made in the same fashion, but I used a Penny Black image instead. The sentiment on the sign the Hedgie is holding was handwritten after the image dried.

This was for a sketch challenge. Love the image. I got it as an extra through the PayItForward thread. I paired some very old SU designer paper (white/red plaid) with some new bright and bold ladybug paper.

This is one of the larger stamps I have. Never sure how to work on them. Because of it's size, this card is the 5x5 size. I loved coloring this image. Half way through I wanted to change the flower to a purple color - okay, will do that on the next one I stamp. I used water colors and prismas with gamsol for the colors to get it 'just right'.

I love the way this card turned out. I have this funky stamp that is shaped like a paint swirl & I stamped in a lighter blue first, then the image was stamped in Versafine with a darker blue. Simple as that. Yet look how great it looks.

These next 2 cards were made using a technique involving Lumiere paint, Pearl ex, acetate. For the correct instructions, feel free to check this out: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=380530&page=3

Make sure you go to the FIRST post in the thread for directions. Because I didn't have Lumiere paint, the closest thing I had was Mod Podge. I mixed this with the pearl ex in Pearl, gold and bronze to get this Fall feel, and then stippled each individually onto the acetate. LONGEST 3 hours just waiting for it to dry. I ended up running the layer of cardstock below the acetate through the Cuttlebug that had been stamped with rust ink just to make some of the leaves stand out a bit more. I'm SO loving this thick chocolate satin ribbon, how about you? Did pretty much the same thing on the second card, just used a different folder for the Cuttlebug. I ended up with the shimmer side face up when I embossed it. I'd do it differently next time, painted side would go down.

Made these to give to some of the Policemen and Firemen in our area on this Thursday as a Thank You for all they do. All of them are colored with prismas and gamsol.

I have this image in a smaller version that I got from the Pay It forward thread but liked it so much that I went out and got the larger version. I used the SU Parisian designer paper & split it in half & flipped one half over to coordinate.

Well, that's just about caught me up ... Thanks for taking the time to peek at my Blog. Come back soon.

The following cards were all done on Labor Day, during the Wish RAK Labor Day Card Challenge. All cards we made will be donated to Operation Quiet Comfort. See this link for more information on how YOU can help the soldiers away from home. http://www.operationquietcomfort.com/index.jsp


I had just received this image the day before the challenge began. Colored it with prismas and gamsol, as well as standard watercolors.

I've dipped my foot in the water a couple of times with these Thomas Kincaide stamps, so I actually went out and bought one for myself. This one, though, I wanted to keep it fairly simple and just do it in sepia tones. I'm VERY pleased with the way it turned out. Although it has a ribbon, it's not fru-fru or girly because of the vintage feel to it.

The image on this card was from the PIF thread. I used prismas and Gamsol to color it in. Wanted to skew the images with the background mat and sew the card haphazardly to make it more rustic. I could SURELY use a cabin like this one ... Move all my stamps and scrapbooking stuff in here and I'll be all set.

Made quite a few of these "thinking of you" cards. Always nice for any soldier to send a note home in. This first set is stamped in the sepia Versafine. I SO love this older SU set! Makes a perfect card every time I see the images.

We were supposed to keep the color combination on the green side, but whenever I pull out my SU wasabi, I invariably pair it with the guava and I had just gotten this SU designer paper in guava, so guess what? Love these images ... I got these through the Wish RAK thread.

I received these images from the Pay it Forward thread. I may just have to get this stamp. Amazing what you can do when you give the card a wash of any different color. It changes up the entire look of the card.

Well, thanks for stopping by again.

This card was to be from a soldier to send home to his 'girl'. (I like to make these kind of generic, 'cuz you never know if they have a significant other, mom, aunt, grammy, sister, etc. that they'd like to write home to.)

While I'm not usually a Halloween card fan - I liked making this one. I have the background stamp that looks like bricks. I stamped onto pumpkin SU cardstock & added the spider. The pumpkin was stamped separately & bumped up on dimensionals, as was the sentiment. I love this ribbon I found - colors of candy corn, so HAD to had it, dontcha know.

This card was for a young man, any age that had an animal on it. I got this image through the PayItForward threads at SCS. Absolutely loved coloring him with the prismas & Gamsol.

These next 2 cards were made for Masculine birthdays, but the caviat was that we had to create some type of pocket to the card. Love the criss-cross folded one. Added some hemp to make it look even more Southwestern. The skull's head image is actually on a smaller note card that flips up. I really like the colors that came out on the right with the pocket card, too. The tag is 2-sided - vanilla layers on each side - so you can write a note.

Darling one had her BFF over when I was trying to do all these challenges - needless to say, I didn't get as much done as I wanted to because they wanted to help. They snagged every last one of my Sick Riley's so they could make their own Get Well cards for the soldiers. They made some Thank You cards as well, writing in all of them, for a grand total of 49 cards.

In the meantime, this was a set of cards I made - wanted to use up the paper, so I made 3 different but similar versions.

These were some of the Thank You's I came up with as well.

Non-Traditional Holiday colors was the theme here. Like the way they turned out. Each one of them in different color schemes, yet very obviously Holiday cards.