Cardinal Snippets

This is a card made with a technique called Snippets from the April TJ newsletter.  This sweet stamp is from Sweet N Sassy Stamps.  She has a several bird stamps and I like that this one as it could be a cardinal or maybe even a jay!  I went with Cardinal because of the berries! 

I grew up in Ohio and loved the cardinals.  Unfortunately, they don't live in Oregon.  When we visited my step-mom in Oklahoma it was soooooo beautiful to hear their call again. 

Sweet flower girl

This darling little image is from Sweet & Sassy Stamps.  I colored her with copic markers.  I thought she needed a little sparkle to jazz her up...used my Spica and Stardust pens.  The background is one of the techniques from last year's TJ newsletter AND it is also on the newest CD....Emboss or Die!  So many great techniques on that CD.  I hope you are able to get one!  There is a button on the sidebar where you can purchase one!  Now.....back to the background......it is called Antique Wallpaper.  Super easy to do and the effect is wonderful.  Hope you enjoy!

I'm really going to enjoy myself today........it is the Portland Heirloom Stamp Convention!  Woo Hoo!  Can't wait to see what new stuff is out there.  I decided not to try to work the convention this year since we have so much going on with our bus tour stuff.  Taking the day to go to the convention was dicey at best BUT my DH is going to the same convention center to watch the Silver Auction (a car auction).  So....we are both happy!

Stoned Butterfly

Okay, okay......it's not what you think!!  This beautiful butterfly and sentiment from Sweet N Sassy Stamps (which I LOVE by the way) is sitting on top of a background piece using a technique called Spritzed stone.  It is a technique from the Technique Junkie December 09 newsletter.  The butterfly was just perfect to use the blending technique for copics.  It is very hard to blend colors that aren't in the same color family.  I didn't try to work it too hard for the blending as the feathered strokes were okay for the butterfly.  I like this image so much for this technique that I think I'll stamp it into my manual for my class coming up in September.    If you click on the Sweet N Sassy button on your right you get to the site where you can purchase this set.  It also has another butterfly in the set as well as several other sayings.

My Very last Sweet Stop Design Team Card

This is a sad post for me.......I've completed the maximum 6 months of Design Team with Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge group.  I really have loved being on this Design Team.  The other members post fabulous cards and have been an inspiration to me!!  Thank you, Korin, for allowing me to be on your team.  I hope that I have met your expectations!  This week my card was one that I made for my in-laws as their Easter card.  The cool background piece behind the image is called Veined Marble and it a Technique Junkie technique.  It is such a fun technique that when a group of us got together to make some, we made a gazillion pieces and I'm still working off of them!!  The colors of this one just matched my cross coloring perfectly.  The cross image is from Sweet N Sassy Stamps and was super easy to color.  The coloring was done with copic markers.  I didn't blend the material drapped over the cross as good as I should have but that's okay, don't you think!!  After I cut it out with my Nestabilitiy, I kept the die in place and used my copic air brush to add the soft purple around the edges.     So.....this is the last time I get to tell you....make sure you visit the Sweet Stop and play along with the sketch of the week!!  Just click on the badge to the right!  So easy even a Caveman can do it!  ;-)

This was a great week......Zander was a good little boy both days that I watched him.  He has a healthy respect for the spoon and obeys so well now!  Amazing.  He must be growing too.......he has been pounding down the food and taking three hour naps.  While he naps, I've been trying to get a little stamping done as well as working on my picture cropping for our car club.......331 pics to crop....about 200 done!  My cards for the Rhododendron Society are done and sent.  I'll post a picture of them on Sunday or Monday.  Laundry is caught up.  Today is supposed to be beautiful again.  I hope to get lots more weeding done.....got three beds completely weed free this week....THAT felt good!  They are huge beds too.  The largest bed is about 30' long and 18' wide. 

Crazy week ends with Sweetness

This has been a crazy week!!  But here is my 'next to last' card as a member of the Design Team for the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge.  Korin (owner of Sweet N Sassy Stamps) lets you be on the DT for only 6 months.  That's good as the designers don't get burned out and the designs stay fresh.  BUT I am sad that it has come to an end.  The challenges have been great to keep my stamping even when I've gotten so busy!  This week the spin to the sketch was fuzzy!!  So......I needed to create a sympathy card for my husband's Uncle.  His aunt Lavina passed away last Sunday and the funeral was this last Thursday.  I had the stamp in mind already....it is from Inkadinkado.  With the fuzzy spin I thought that I would use some of that beautiful velour paper and use the mono die technique as well.  The end result turned out so textural and it so beautiful to touch.  I hope that Uncle Calvin likes it.  The saying is from Stampin Up.

As for the crazy week........On Tuesday I pretended to be the Choir director at church.  Wednesday was Praise Team practice.  Thursday we left for Southern Oregon for a funeral, came back on Friday.  THEN today it was the rubber stamp convention in Portland which I HAD to go to......gots lots of rubber that had my name on it!! 

Plethera of Pink Polka Dot Phew!

Here is this week's submission for the Sweet N Sassy Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge......wow...that is almost as hard to say fast as Plethera of Pink Polka Dots Phew!  Hee Hee!  That cute little image is from Sweet N Sassy stamps digitals.  Darling, isn't it?!  It is colored with.......drum roll please......COPICS!  Like I hardly use anything else anymore!  The pink polka dot paper was on top of the stash waiting for it's reassignment into the notebooks and I thought....hmmmm.....would be much easier to use than refile!  Right?!  I know the little dark dots are a little over the top but that's okay.  I used the Technique Junkie Technique called Out of the Box for the skunk.....stinkin' cute, huh!  (I know....bad pun.....)  I'll use it for one of my grandkids' birthday this year.  Hope you enjoy.  AND if you enjoy this card, click on the badge to the right and see what the other DT members came up with this week!  A..N..D  You can join us!  Upload your creation on the Sweet Stop blog!

It's sweet time!

Not only is it time for the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge BUT this is also a sweet Valentine for my granddaughter, Breauna!  You can play along with the challenge by uploading YOUR creation!  Just click on the the Sweet Stop badge to the right!!  The cute little mouse (I think it is absolutely adorable, BTW) is a digital design from Sweet N Sassy Stamps.  The background of the card is a technique from Technique Junkies called Herringbone.  You can read more about the Junkies by clicking on their badge to the right!  The little mouse is colored with copic markers.

Willie Update:  STILL no absolute diagnosis.....sheesh!  Now we have him on an antibotic for 2 weeks to see if there is something to cure before we start more expensive tests.  I'm praying that this does the trick for the water drinking.  The pain pills seem to be helping his random pains.  At least he is yelping less!

Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge #30!

This week sure seemed to fly by!  My card sale is done and I'll be taking the cards left to the church bazaar next Saturday.  I even have a few snowglobes left over! 

Here is the card for the SSS#30.  I was quite pleased with this card when it was done.  I was originally going to use a darker base and layers and it just didn't have the pop.  When I changed the base to white it just really seemed to work much better.  I used the Technique Junkie technique called Drywall Stitching for the edges.  Try as I may, I am not a straight 'sewer' even without my machine!  The image is from Sweet N Sassy stamps digital line.  Such a sweet little shepherd.   He is colored with copics.  I dug through some of my really old patterned papers and came up with the star and muted dot paper.  Nice to use some of it up.  I even used a little Flower Soft on the sheep.  It was dicey getting some on without covering up their faces!   Hope you enjoy. 

Today my first grandson turns three.  Seems like only yesterday that he was born!  Happy Birthday, Sweet Jim!  We'll celebrate his big day tomorrow with family.  Today we'll be with our car club at the bowling alley.  Practicing up for the big rematch with the GTO club.  Don't want them to win!!

Four way combo

Here is my card for th Sweet Stop Sketch challenge AND the Artful Sentiments Copic Challenge AND the TJ challenge to post a card with a TJ technique AND my Sweet N Sassy digital image for Sweet Stop Design Team members.  The whole image is of a little boy pulling the wagon with the pumpkin but since the copic challenge colors were just orange, yellow, and a W (grey) copic, I decided to only focus on the pumpkin.  You can see the sketch challenge and the copic challenge home pages by clicking on the links and banners to the right column.  The TJ challenge was to use any TJ technique.  Well....believe it or not, I had never done Score grid.  At least I don't remember doing it.  It is quite easy!  Always nice to have another way to use my Scor-It (which I love BTW). 

And..........make sure you click on the Sunbeams flashing blinkie to the right side column.  Sweet N Sassy stamps is celebrating their second birthday and they are having a give away.  WOW......can you believe that it has been two years already!  Congratulations, Korin!!

It's Sugar Baby and Artful Sentiment copic Challenge time!

AH!  I forgot to get this post on automatic yesterday!!  Sorry I'm late!!  Here is my card for this week's challenges.   This week I combined the challenges.  The colors for the copic challenge seen to the left inspired leaves.....right?!  I'm STILL wishing that I was in New England so see the beautiful fall colors.   Personal Interlude:   Last night we went to a new place to eat.....I had a coupon for $25 (you had to spend $35).  It was a BBQ place.  I'v e been hankering to have some Yankee Smokehouse BBQ since last year in New Hampshire so when I saw the Smoky Mountain BBQ I thought.......hmmmmm......maybe it will be as good as Yankee....     Wow......Nothing could be further from the truth.  The 'restaurant' ended up being an order window inside a bar.  At least in Oregon you can't smoke inside any building anymore.....thank goodness....or I would have had to leave.  The meatloaf wasn't too bad.....but almost every bit had something unchewable.  The brisket sandwich was FULL of fat.....ewwww.  The 1/2 rack of pork ribs wasn't too bad but lacked any real BBQ taste and the middle of the rack was cold.  The black beans were fair to midland but the potatoe wedges and sweet potatoe fries were fine.  I had two gift certificates to go there but I don't think we'll use the second one. 

Okay.....back to stamping.    After I decided I wanted leaves, I grabbed Sweet N Sassy's Autumn set which is drawn by Chris Dickinson.  I did use my blender to lighten the colors a little so they would look a little more leafish!  This sketch layout is from the Sweet N Sassy Sweet Spot blog....you can click on it to the left on my sidebar.  The long piece below the image is a Technique Junkie technique called Painted Mesh.  I used gesso instead of acrylic and toned it down with sponging.  The card ended up being a little dark but I guess it made the image stand out that way, right!  Around the image I also used TJ's Rubber Thwamping.....a technique that I submitted.  I think the technique has been around a while though.  I just love the texture that it can give....much different than sponging AND it is easy to clean off to reuse.  The maple leaf brad was a embellishment that I frankly forgot I had!  I have a slew of brads in different shapes that I got at the last Hot off the Press warehouse sale (locally) and I had them stored in those divided containers......I just never remember to look in there!!  Hope you enjoy this week's ramblings!

Artful Sentiments Copic Challenge #21

I can't believe that the week is already over. It was a very busy week for sure! Here is my copic challenge card for Artful Sentiments by Kimm's copic challenge. The colors for the week are shown to the side. AND I actually had them all this week. BUT this week I did add another color with them.......a green. I used some digital flower images from Fred She Said. Such fun flowers to cut and make 3-D. The butterfly is from Sweet N Sassy Stamps digital designs. Korin's butterfly is wonderful and being digital you can make them any size you want.....a definite plus! The blue piece under the flower and butterfly is a piece of AI Float. (AI - Alcohol Ink). The AI float technique is one that I discovered one day while I was playing. I thought......if you can float spray paints on water for cool backgrounds.....maybe you can float alcohol inks as well. I tried it and I got these wonderful results. The scallop lace edge is a Martha Stewart border punch. This was the last piece of paper that the punch decided to punch. I have tried all weights of paper and it is hopelessly broken....ugh!

Hope you enjoy!