Color Lab Challenge 3

Well we're at Week 3 of the color challenges over at the My Create, Ink Color Lab.  We had some really neat colors this week to create with.

For my card, I focused on the rug and just ran from there.

I think for this card I actually managed to create something I've never done before.  To me the colors are bold and bright and suitable for a kid's card.  So for the first time ever, I believe I've created a kid's birthday card!  And not just any kind of kid.  I think this card would be perfect for a boy's birthday.  Wow, let me catch my breath.  A kid/boy birthday card.  Who would have thunk it?  Not me, that's for sure.  I hope you have a chance to hop on over to the Color Lab and give this challenge a try.  I'd love to see what you come up with.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

MTSC84 and Color Throwdown 103

I didn't think I was going to have a chance to stamp anything tonight.  I'm trying to get ready to go down the Cape this weekend and spend some time with my sister and her kids.  I haven't packed a single thing and even though I'm only going for a couple of days, I feel like I should be doing SOMETHING to get ready.  So, I decided to do some laundry and make a list of things to bring.  Tomorrow, I'll put everything in my bag and then I'll be ready to go.

On to the card.  I used Mercy's Tuesday sketch challenge and paired it with the Color Throwdown 103 challenge. 

The houndstooth patterned paper I used is from the retired Holiday Treasures christmas paper and is actually Ruby Red, but I thought it was awfully close to Riding Hood Red.  In real life, I can barely tell that they are not the same color on these layers.

So that's it for me tonight.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Monochromatic Poppy Parade....Almost

I set out to accomplish a few things with this card.

First, I wanted to make a card for the Just Add Ink challenge this week.  Second, I wanted to use a color that I had never used before:  Poppy Parade.  The third thing was actually inspired by the Just Add Ink sketch challenge.  I thought the CAS layout would be perfect for a monochromatic theme.  So I went to work with just two colors:  Very Vanilla and Poppy Parade.  I started to assemble my layers and realized that there was just too much poppy going on for my taste, so at the last minute I decided to mount the "thank u" sentiment on an Early Espresso square.  Even though I had not made a truly monochromatic card, I thought it looked pretty neat.  So off I go, putting all my layers together.  Once I finished I looked at the sketch again and thought:  "What a major bummer."

As you can see here, the sentiment is supposed to go to the left of the squares.  Not BE one of the squares.  Since I couldn't undo what I had already done, I decided to put a row of dots from the Punched Posies set where the sentiment should have gone.  I'm going to link it up to the challenge and pray that I don't get deleted for blatantly not following the sketch.  I suppose that I should be happy that I at least achieved one of my goals with this card!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Thanks a Million

This week's Taylored Expressions sketch challenge was really sweet.  Nice clean layers and a nice big space to use my thanks a million stamp from the Word Play stamp set.

And how about that groovy paper?  I feel like I've been transported back to the Partridge Family!  Seriously, the colors are great:  they make me happy!  Today was another scorcher here.  I tried to sit on the patio this afternoon and get some Vitamin D, but it was just so hot!  That's when I know it's time to retreat inside and spend some quality time with my stamps!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Just Believe

I think I read somewhere in blogland that the stamp set, Just Believe was that blog person's new favorite.  I think I may have to agree.  The wispy flowers, the practical sentiments and that cool shaped block (which, by the way, is just screaming for a coordinating punch!) are really so versatile.  Although I've been playing with it quite a bit over the last few days, I think this is the first card I've posted using it.

I decided to use the Pals Paper Arts sketch challenge this week (with a little poetic license for the pointy #5 panel).  I can't resist their sketch challenges designed by Margaret Moody.  Her sketches always seem to evoke a clean and simple feeling, even when they have multiple layers.  Now that's a knack, I say to myself!

And for the first time, I participated in the Inkspirations color challenge.  Any time I find a color challenge that involves chocolate chip, I'm there!  And did you notice that I managed to sneak in a panel of some long-ago retired designer paper?  That chocolate chip "sanded" panel is from the Spring Flowers paper pack from a LONG time ago!  This particular distressed paper has always been a favorite of mine.  I think I've only used it once before, because I start to cry every time I cut it up!  (Just kidding).

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Color Lab Challenge 2

It's Thursday and time for another challenge from the Color Lab.  This week the colors are so bright and summery!

I love the colors in this challenge.  The Regal Rose and Melon Mambo really look awesome together.  And I got to set off the bigger flowers with a sweet rhinestone brad.  I love those!  I used the colorful Island Oasis designer paper here and I'm pretty sure that I have not used it enough!  I'm like a broken record when I mention that I've found something else in my stash that's been neglected too long.  To remedy this, I recently used two whole sheets of this fabulous paper to make a gift bag!  Be still my heart!

Be sure to head on over to the Color Lab and participate in this week's color challenge.  I'd love to see what you come up with!

Thanks for stopping by!

Crumb Cake Thank You

I seem to be on a Crumb Cake (f/k/a Kraft) kick lately.  But no matter what you call it, you must agree that it looks great with just about any color.

It seems to be featured in a lot of color challenges lately and that's just fine with me.  I think my fascination with it started when I was a kid and I used to cover my school books with paper made from grocery bags.  Then when I got older and a little more crafty, I ordered some ribbed craft paper from a specialty store and started making my own gift bags.  Then I discovered stamping and just had to have a supply of it in card stock.  There's something about the earthiness of the color that appeals to me.

For this card I combined the Color Throwdow Act 39 color challenge with the Fall-To Layout 99 sketch.  This is my first time using the Fast and Fabulous stamp set, and I've got to say it's pretty fabulous.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Fifth Avenue Floral With Butterfly

When I saw the colors over at the Color Throwdown blog this past Wednesday, I thought "be still my heart."  I don't know what it is, but the colors of black, crumb cake, kiwi kiss, and baja breeze are FANTABULOUS!  And I know you'll find this shocking, but I just happened to have some retired Urban Oasis designer paper left over, which had some fabulous designs using both crumb cake and kiwi kiss.

I have a VERY limited supply of Kiwi Kiss card stock left over, but I couldn't resist using it.  And as you can see, I used it sparingly!  I paired this wonderful color challenge with the Sweet Sunday sketch challenge.  I almost left the butterfly off because I thought the layout of the card looked okay without it, but I wanted to remain true to the sketch challenge.  I added the button to give it a little more visual interest.

Since the base of this card is basic black, I also included a whisper white panel on the inside to make writing a sentiment easier.  The wonderful Urban Oasis designer paper gave me this sweet strip to liven things up.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Color Lab Challenge

Hey there stampers!  I've got some exciting news to share.  There's a new challenge blog in town.  That's right starting today and every Thursday hop on over to the Color Lab Color Challenge blog and play along.  This is week one of the challenge and there's some fabby colors to play with.

The big brown truck arrived today at my house with a big box of goodies just in time for me to play with the fabulous new Pear Pizzazz.  I especially love this color combo because I adore chocolate chip (who doesn't?!?) and it's easy for meto work it into a card!  And  Baja Breeze just complements these colors so well.  (So glad it's back)!

Now on to my take on the challenge:

I started out by sort-of following the Fall-to Layout 2 sketch, then I added some elements I saw in a card in the new SU! catalog.  I used the brand-new-to-me stamp set For All You Do.  I sponged the torn edges of the Pear Pizzazz and Very Vanilla in Chocolate Chip because I wanted to give it a little shabby look.  I also sponged the edges of the floral square.  I dug out some retired Chocolate Chip ribbon to set off the left edge and voila!  A complete card!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to visit the Color Lab challenge this week.

MTSC82 Birthday

This card was so easy to put together.  Of course, it helps when you have inspiration from an awesome sketch over at Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge.

I dug out my retired Ginger Blossoms paper and discovered that the Ruby Red flowers in it are a very close match to Riding Hood Red.  I can barely tell the difference in real life.  I used the super skinny new SU! taffeta ribbon, which is nice but I'm going to have to figure out a better way to stick it to cardstock.  I don't like my ribbons to move around, so I generally fix it with tape runner, but this ribbon is really slim.  I ran my ATG over it, then just rubbed off the parts that showed on the top and bottom.  Not very efficient but it got the job done.  Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

A Skinny Card For You

Hello everyone!  My card tonight combines the latest Sweet Sunday sketch challenge and the Curtain Call Act 38 color challenge.

I decided to follow Karen's lead and make this card with a 6.5-inch piece of cardstock folded in half.  I like it almost as much as those sweet 4.25-inch square cards!  There's something about a card that is made in a slightly unusual size.  They're just adorable.  This card uses the Punched Posies stamp set, which I love because almost every stamp in it has a coordinating punch.  No squinting and cutting required.  Just stamp and punch.  Easy peasy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Sage Shadow Flowers

I set out initially, to accomplish two things with this card.  The first was to use the recently retired Sage Shadow and Nouveau Chic designer paper.  (I'm sorry to see sage shadow go, but I've got a few sheets of cardstock left, so it should see me through for a while).  The second was to do the latest MOJO sketch. 

As you can see, I accomplished the first, but failed with the second.  I put the card together, had an oval on the front and even managed to squeeze in a flower in the oh-so-long-ago-retired Marigold Morning.  But the more I looked at it, the more I realized it was a horrible card.  I was not at all happy with it.  So as I contemplated what I was going to do I saw Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge and realized that the first layer was almost exactly the same as the MOJO sketch.  It was just reversed. 

So, once again I prayed to the glue-dot gods to let me take off the layers I didn't need and add the ones I did.  They pretty much complied with my request, but underneath that nesties Label Four is some ripped designer paper that you can't see!

And once again, I have to say how much I LOVE the new Cherry Cobbler.  It has just the right amount of pop for this card.

Thanks for stopping by and I  hope you have time to stamp today!

A Waltzingmouse and Pals Paper Arts Birthday

I love combining challenges when I can.  I saw the Pals Paper Arts challenge to use Basic Gray, So Saffron, and Chocolate Chip first.  Then I saw the Walztingmouse sketch challenge and immediately knew that they should go together.  I decided to give the rock-and-roll technique a go on the butterfly.  I don't think it looks too bad, but I think I got a little too much chocolate on my peanut butter so saffron.  All in all a good day since I was able to use up some more retired dsp.  And, I was able to use a chocolate chip button that I've been hoarding.  I think I've come to the conclusion that my hoarding tendencies have got to come to and end.  What's the point really?  Why in the world should I buy this stuff if all I'm going to do is stare at it?  And I think that if I start using this stuff I've got sitting around, maybe I'll become more creative.  Time will tell...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

Color Throwdown Turns 100

Every Wednesday I visit the Color Throwdown blog and contemplate something like this:

Sometimes I take up the challenge thinking "I can handle this."  Other times, I feel like I can't possibly handle it and I slink away and wait for the next Wednesday and a new challenge.  But this week I was determined to give it a go because this week the Color Throwdown blog celebrates their 100th challenge.  That's a lot of colors!  And I wanted to participate so that everyone involved in the blog knows how much I appreciate their dedication and the time committment involved in putting something like that together week after week.  What inspiration they provide!  So I humbly present my little card using the above colors.

I referred to my little binder of sketches for this one and dragged out a Fall-To Layout 43 sketch from about a year ago.  I think the red flowers provide just the right amount of pop against the somewhat more subdued colors of regal rose, baja breeze and certainly celery.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

SSSC76 Awash With Flowers

Today is Day 2 our our heat wave.  I think it was about 95-degrees today and  I went outside early to water my poor, beleaguered flowers.  And boy, did they need it.  Everything was so droopy and desperate for a drink.  I don't know what I'm going to do when I go to back work tomorrow.  They will be so neglected during the hot day!  Hopefully when I get home and have a chance to water them, they will be okay.  This heat is supposed to continue all week, so I hope they'll survive!

On to today's card:  I started out wanting to combine challenges.  I followed the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and I wanted to use the colors from the Color Throwdown challenge, but I opted for white instead of cream {drat}!  I really wanted to use this polka-dot paper from the Island Oasis dp, and the dots are white, so I had to give in!  Better luck next week when the Color Throwdown celebrates 100 throwdown challenges.  I think they've got a big celebration planned so be sure to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a chance to stamp today!

TESC119 Hugs & Kisses

I really like this color combo.  I used Crushed Curry as my base (so sorry that it's gone) then followed that with Old Olive and the brand-new Cherry Cobbler.  The colors really quite dramatic in person.  This is my first card using the new colors (for some reason I've been hoarding them, surprise, surprise) but I figured that I had stared at them long enough and I needed to start using them.  I followed this really cool Taylored Expressions Sketch and used the super-cute Beautiful Wings embosslit.  I love how the butterflies seem to be flying through the grass!

Today was the first day in what is supposed to be a heat wave this week.  It was 90-something, but in the sun it felt like it was 100-something.  I love the summer, so I'm looking forward to the heat!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today! 

I'm a Top Five Curtain Call Show Stopper!

What a surprise to find my card chosen as a Curtain Call Show Stopper!  Wow!  I can hardly believe it.  I knew that I liked the card, but I never dreamed that it would be chosen as a favorite of someone else!  Thanks Stacey!

Thank You Card

I had a tough time finding my mojo tonight.  I couldn't seem to find anything that inspired me very much.  I checked a bunch of sketch blogs, color blogs, inspiration blogs, but I had no ideas.  So I turned to my binder of sketch challenges.  I know that it may seem a little strange that I have a binder of sketch challenges, but I can't possibly be the only one.  They are very handy things to have.  For example, this card layout is from the MOJO77 sketch from March 2009!  One of the awesome things about the MOJO blog is that on the sidebar, there is a .pdf of past sketches by month.  So it's no trouble at all to print it out every month and put it in a binder.  That way, if I'm stuck, I have some inspiration that I can turn to very quickly.  Tonight, I needed a thank you card to send to a friend and voila!  Thanks to my handy-dandy sketch binder I was able to locate my mojo and force encourage it to help me make this card.  And thanks to Julee the creator of the MOJO sketch challenge for providing everyone with a valuable resource.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!