Need a Lift

My dear, sweet friend Melissa at Tuesday Morning Sketches is celebrating her first birthday. Her challenge blog is one year old! Happy birthday, Melissa. Lindsay's Stamp Stuff is helping her celebrate this week by grabbing one of her sketches from the past year and giving it a go. If you play along this week, you have a chance to win a digital stamp set from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff like the Steampunk set I used to make this card.

I used TMS #35 and flipped and tweaked it a little for this card. I loved the vintage look of the DCWV Mariposa matstack paper combined with the antique bicycle and the paper flowers. The sentiment is from a PTI set called Everyday Buttons and it works perfectly with the image in the LSS stamp set.
Be sure to visit the other members of the design team to see what sketch they used. Then, stop by Tuesday Morning Sketches and grab a sketch of your own to play with after a quick visit to LSS for a cool digital stamp set to use on your card (LSS image not required but it would  be great to see what you do with them). Also, if this has put you in the mood for vintage, be sure to stop over at Lindsay's blog for a digital freebie. I believe you could "walk" away with a vintage car image.
Cheers!

Tea For Two and Two for Tea

My craft room is all clean and organized! I used some gift cards I got for Christmas and bought a file cabinet and a chest of drawers but I still needed to clean out and toss. I tend to look at packaging and think "What can I do to 'jazz' that up and use it for something else?" Now, that's a great way to go green and save some green, but it doesn't take long to hoard quite a stash of boxes, cartons, crates, jars, and baskets. I determined that I must start actually using and creating with this "stuff"! So with that in mind, I reached in a drawer and pulled out a sturdy plastic box that once upon a time held some smaller plastic boxes. I decided that this would make the perfect container for gifting some delicious teas.

I filled this with some of my favorite teas, but I won't really give these away as these are too hard to come by around here and I like them too much to part with them, but there's plenty of room in this box to fill with an assortment of teas. Now, for the best part...the outside packaging...

Closed and tied shut, this gift is now ready to deliver to a cherished friend or helpful neighbor. I used the card sketch from the Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge. LSS is sponsoring this week's challenge so be sure to check it out and enter for a chance to win a prize from LSS.
The cute coffee cup (think tea cup here) is from the Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Coffee Talk digital stamp set. I love how easy and fun this cup is to color in with copics. Grab this set for only $5 and earn a free stamp from the store. Speaking of freebies, be sure to click on over to Lindsay's blog. She has a habit of offering free stuff on Thursdays! Then, grab a cup of coffee or tea and hop around to see what the rest of the design team has been up to this week. You're sure to be inspired. Oh, and don't forget to try the challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches. Have a zippy week, all!
Project Recipe

Paper: SU More Mustard CS, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, My Mind's Eye PP

Stamps: LSS Coffee Talk digital stamp set

Tools: cuttlebug, Spellbinders Deckled Rectangle Nestabilities dies, EK Success corner rounder, copic markers, Prisma pencils

Embellishments: Prima flowers, PTI Ocean Tides grosgrain ribbon, SU Love & Happiness rub-ons (sentiment), Paper Studio Spare Parts brown brad assortment

Boo 2 You

I got some good news this week! I've been awarded a grant which will pay for a master's degree in Library Science. I'm going to be a LIBRARIAN! Well, in about two years, I'm going to be a librarian. In the meantime, I'm going back to school. The cool thing about this program is that all courses will be online! Yipee, no money for gas is needed.
Okay, I'm through with the personal stuff. I created this card for three different challenges. First up is the design. I used the sketch challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches. I haven't had a chance to use one of Melissa's sketches in a while, so I was real anxious to use this one. It's cute, huh, with those spider webs? The spider webs are courtesy of Tamara Bennet. They are an SVG that I cut with SCAL and my Cricut.
The challenge at DareU2 DigiStamp was to use the colors yellow, orange, and black. No problem there since I created a Halloween card for the Digital Tuesday Challenge. I love it when challenges all come together. And since I've been on a Halloween kick lately, these challenges were just "frightfully" perfect!
Project Recipe
Paper: SU Pumpkin Pie CS, SU Black CS, SU Haiku DSP (retired), Ginak White Pure Luxury CS
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Spooky Pumpkins
Accessories: SCAL, Cricut, Paper Studio Self-adhesive gemstone, copcis, sponge, Ellen Hutson ribbon

Rainy Day Projects

It's been raining here on and off all day which considering that we've been in a drought for the past year is absolutely FANTASTIC! I'm watching it lightning across the lake right now and it is a beautiful sight. What a great day it's been for working on projects.
The Pixie Cottage, a new stamp company with some ultra cute stamps coming out soon, is sponsoring a design team call. I spent the day working on projects to enter in the call, but then I went and checked out the competition and "Wow!" am I ever blown away! You need to check out the store when it opens just to see the work from their new design team because there is some great talent in the running for it.
Pink Daisy May

This project is for the Cute Daisy May challenge this week to use pink and ??? We could pick whatever color we wanted to go along with pink. So I decided to go with pink and pinker and then I threw in a little green, too, just to keep it interesting! This is just the sweetest image EVER! And do you love the flower? I took an inexpensive flower from a "silk" flower stem and inked it up with coordinating inks. The smaller flower in the middle also got a coat of Versamark ink and iridescent embossing powder. See it sparkle. I love taking plain (inexpensive) flowers and making them coordinate with my projects.
Christmas Treats

On this next project I was playing around with some ideas for Christmas (yes, I realize it's only September, but gotta start sometime!) Stampin' Up has these little treat cups and a coordinating stamp set. You punch a hole in the cardstock and slip the treat cups in from behind. Then, you just fill them up with some small goodies and cover the hole in the back. I wanted something a little non-traditional in terms of color, so I pulled out some of the new Bermuda Bay which I think makes quite a statement paired with black and white.

Too Cute to Spook

I also managed to get another Halloween card done. I'm not sure what I  will do with this one but it was a lot of fun to make. The little witch is from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. I thought this little trick-or-treater would work perfectly for the Digital Tuesday challenge which was to include a digital image of a teen or child.
There's a lot going on with this one. The sketch is this week's sketch over at Tuesday Morning Sketches. I dusted off my cricut and with the help of Design Studio and SCAL I cut out the swirly oval  and the drippy goo border. The drippy goo is an SVG that I got from the talented Tamara Bennett. I cut it out in black and some DCWV glitter paper. The "Boo" sentiment is a dingbat I got from scrapNfonts for a $1 (the $1 sale continues through Tuesday). I used my copics to color in the little witch and then used my deckle Spellbinders die to cut out and emboss the image. I sponged around the edges before I took the die off. Since I didn't have any Halloween patterned paper, the patterned paper in the background was created using some PTI Black and White Basics patterned paper colored in with an orange copic marker.
Well, that's today's fun! Tomorrow I need to work on some projects for my students and I've got to start planning out the project my papercrafting class is going to do in a couple of weeks. Maybe it'll rain some more--I seem to be very productive when it does!
Project Recipe
(Pink Daisy May)
Paper: PTI Sweet Blush CS, PTI Berry Sorbet CS, Shimmery Green paper (source unknown), PP from Chatterbox Page Kit, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS
Stamps: Cute Daisy May Sheet 59, PTI Spring Tags (sentiment)
Accessories: copic markers, cuttlebug, cuttlebug Victorian embossing folder, Spellbinders Label 4 dies, SU slot punch, SU eyelet border punch, PTI Berry Sorbet Ribbon, PTI linen thread, button (unknown source), flowers (Walmart), Versamark ink, Ranger Holographic embossing powder, heat gun

(Christmas Treats)

Paper: SU Whisper White CS, SU Black CS, SU Bermuda Bay textured CS, SU Night and Day DSP
Stamps: SU Sweet Centers, SU Teeny Tiny Wishes (sentiment)
Accessories: SU Sweet Treat Cups, Kaiser Kraft pearls (colored black with copics), PTI True Black Twill ribbon, SU Large Oval Punch, SU Scalloped Oval Punch, EK Success 1 3/4 circle punch, Tic Tacs candy

(Too Cute to Spook)

Paper: SU More Mustard CS, CTMH Black CS, PTI White CS, DCWV Spring Glitter Mat Stack, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, PTI Black and White Basics PP (colored with copic marker E07), SU Tangerine Tango DSP (retired)
Stamps: LSS Cute Witch
Accessories: DB Fright Night and LD Classy Charm font (ScrapNFonts), copic markers, cuttlebug, SU Movers and Shapers Modern Label die, Spellbinders Large Deckles dies, Cricut Expression, Storybook and George and Basic Shapes cartridges, SCAL and Design Studio software, SU Modern Label punch

Punchy Pumpkins

I'd love to say I'm feeling "fall-ish" but it's waaay too hot here for that. However, everyone else seems to be getting ready for the fall holidays, so I guess I'll fake it till I make it!
I was just playing around some more in my craft room and decided to squeak in at the last minute Mel's sketch challenge number 9 over at Tuesday Morning Sketches.
I did very little stamping on this one. Everything was punched out or cut out. I did use a CTMH Playful Flourishes set for some "vines". I used SU's large oval punch to make the cute little pumpkin. The leaves I cut out with SCAL and my Cricut. And that's one of my newest Spellbinders dies--Peony nestabilities. I colored some adhesive pearls with my copics and set them on top of some retired SU Autumn Vines papers I punched out with the SU modern label punch.
Great sketch, Mel. I'll try to get the next one done in a timelier manner!
Project Recipe
Paper: SU Really Rust CS, SU Old Olive CS, SU More Mustard CS, SU Autumn Vine DSP (retired), SU More Mustard DSP (retired), PTI Green Tea Leaves PP
Stamps: CTMH Playful Flourishes
Accessories: SU Large Oval Punch, SU Modern Label Punch, SU Movers and Shapers Modern Label Die, Cuttlebug, Cricut, SCAL, Spellbinders Peony Nestabilities Dies, Paper Studio Pearls, Copic marker

Cattails With Sympathy

It just seems like this has been a summer of losses. One of my former colleagues lost her husband earlier this week. Lindsay told us about a former design team member who was killed in a car accident this week. My great nephew died in an accident earlier this summer. And a long-time friend of the family lost her fight with cancer about a month ago. To top it all off, one of my dear friends and colleague moved away a couple of weeks ago. It just seems like I've had to say a lot of goodbyes lately.
I created this card to send to Cindy whose husband died Sunday night from a heart attack. She and I used to teach at the same high school a few years ago when my boys were still in school. I went to Tuesday Morning Sketches to get my weekly design inspiration, but Melissa changed things up this week. She issued a color challenge. So the sketch is pretty simple and clean (best I can do on my own). I am glad for the color challenge because I don't think I would have picked these colors on my own for this particular card, but I really like how they worked together.
The cattail image, which just looks so serene, is from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. I colored it in with my copics, masked it, and airbrushed the blue background. The background paper is PTI Green Tea Leaves. I used the SU Teeny Tiny Wishes for the sentiment and punched it out with the SU modern label punch and the the movers and shapers modern label die for the mat.
If you haven't been to Lindsay's shop in a few days, you need to head on over. She's added several new images. If you are getting Halloween projects started, you definitely need to see what she's got in the shop and you need to check out the whole design team because one of them has a little Halloween freebie for you and it is super cute. Start at Lindsay's blog so you can be sure to check out the whole list of team members.
Project Recipe
Paper: PTI Kraft CS, SU Elegant Eggplant CS, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, PTI Green Tea Leaves DSP
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Cattails #2, SU Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories: copic markers, copic air brush system, SU Modern Label punch, SU Movers and Shapers Modern Label die, sheer ribbon (unknown), Kaiser pearls (colored with copics)

Rockin Out

It's official...I'm back at work and boy, can I ever feel it! I'm exhausted and the kids haven't even arrived yet. How will I ever survive next week? It's been a crazy busy week on top of it being a work week. I have had so little time for crafting, but as always, I was inspired by the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches and the Digital Tuesday Challenge which was to make a masculine card. I love being challenged to make masculine cards because I have so many men in my family. I love all the "fru fru" that goes with making cards for the girls and women in my life, but I have to really work to keep things simple when I'm going masculine.
To give this card a masculine feel, I kept the elements simple and pulled more "guy" colors. This patterned paper is some retired SU DSP that gives a funky edge to the card. That fantastic image is from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff and it could so easily be punked out or pinked out for a different look or a more feminine look. Definitely, need this image if you've got teenagers to make cards for because these guitars are "hot" right now! You can get this image for a dollar at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff and you can take advantage of her everyday special and spend $5 in the store and get a free image of your choice. Also, sweet Lindsay is giving away one of her brand new digital images. But you've got to hunt it down with a blog hop to the whole design team. Start here.
I'm off to bed now because mornings suddenly come sooo early these days (only 10 more years until retirement!)!
Project recipe
Paper: SU Autumn Vine DSP (retired), SU Baja Breeze CS (retired), SU More Mustard CS, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Bass Guitar, CC Designs SugarPlum Sentiments (sentiment)
Accessories: cuttlebug, SU Movers and Shapers modern label die, SU Modern Label punch, copic markers, Sakura glitter pen, twine

Dream a Little

Get your shopping shoes on! Lindsay's got some new stamps in her shop. And you've just got to have this lovely dragonfly! So much fun to "sparkle up". I colored her in first with my copics, and then added stickles for all that sparkle. On the left side of the card I also gave you a little sneak peak of this week's freebie.
One of the ladies has this complete image to give away. That Lindsay is so sweet to offer all these weekly freebies. Be sure to send a little love her way, too. I printed out the freebie three times, colored each one, added stickles, and then used a 1.25 square punch on random parts of the image, creating a patterned paper look.
This sketch, by the way, is the Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge #6. I really like combining Melissa's sketch challenge with the Digital Tuesday challenge, but this week Digital Tuesday was also running a sketch challenge. I'll have to come up with something else for that one, I guess.
Okay, here's your to do list: (1) hop around to all the design team blogs looking for the freebie and checking out all the pretties (start here), (2) go visit Lindsay's Stamp Stuff and get this dragonfly, (3) spend at least $5 in Lindsay's store and get another freebie because Lindsay is making this an everyday special (can I get a big "WooHoo!"), (4) dream a little and then get busy making those gorgeous projects you've been wanting to make!
Project Recipe
Paper: GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, SU Black CS, SU Green Tea DSP (retired)
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Elegant Dragonfly, SU Dream a Little, retired (sentiment)
Ribbon: PTI True Black twill
Accessories: Ranger Stickles, copic markers, Making Memories 5th Avenue Blossoms and Buttons flower, brad (unknown)

Sparkling Lily

Wear your sunglasses for this one! The challenge at Digital Tuesday was Bling!!! I accomplished that mainly with sparkly paper. The glittery papers are from Die Cuts With a View Spring Glitter stack. I did also add a touch here and there of sparkle to my lily with my spica glitter pen.
You can find this beautiful lily at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. You can grab it for only a $1, but while you're there, you may as well pick out a few others because Lindsay has decided to extend her July sale into August. That means you can still spend $5 in her store and get a free digital image of your choice, too. And if you're still in the gardening mood, one of Lindsay's design team has a little freebie for you that's sure to please your green thumb (hint, hint). Be sure to visit Lindsay's blog and all the other members of the design team this week.
Thanks to Tuesday Morning Sketches for the card sketch this week. Another great sketch to combine with the Digital Tuesday challenge.
Project Recipe
Paper: GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, SU More Mustard CS, DCWV Spring Glitter Mat Stack
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Lily, SU Matchbox Messages (sentiment)
Ribbon: SU More Mustard Grosgrain ribbon, PTI Summer Sunrise Dotted Satin Ribbon, PTI Lemon Tart Satin Ribbon
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Spellbinders Classic Ovals die, SU Movers and Shapers Curly Label die, SU Curly Label punch, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Martha Stewart Cosmos punch, copic markers, spica glitter pens, buttons (unknown)

2 Challenges and a Late Birthday

Lookie at me with all my birthday goodies!!! Actually, that's not all of them. I also got a handful of Hobby Lobby gift certificates! I've got some wonderful friends and family. My two best girlfriends took me out for lunch and a movie and then that evening my husband, parents, sister, oldest son and his girlfriend took me to eat at one of my favorite restaurants (that's why I'm now working out and back on an eating plan!). My birthday was actually a couple of weeks ago, but I've been busy enjoying everything and didn't take time to post, but it was an incredible birthday! Thanks to all who made it special!
Next up is a card I made for one of my dearest friends and co-workers who is moving this summer. I can't even begin to describe how lonely this makes me feel even though I'm hoping this will be a very good move for her. I used the challenge over at Digital Tuesday's which was to simplify. So, I printed out my image, which was a freebie from My Grafico, onto Ginak cardstock, colored it with copics, stamped a sentiment, and grabbed some scraps. Simple. I cased this card from one of the Digital Tuesday Design Team members who created a fabulous card with a very similar layout. Loved the look so much, I wanted to try to create something similar.
Finally, this was supposed to be a card using a Tuesday Morning sketch challenge for this week, but I stopped at the background "swoop" because I didn't want to cover my SU Circle Circus circles!!! I tried all kinds of things to add an image or embellishment of some sort so it would somewhat resemble the sketch, but I just couldn't bear to have those circles covered. So I used the Stampin' Up Modern Label punch and created a window in the bottom of my card and added a sentiment to the inside panel that would show through. Guess this'll have to do. Afterall, the sketch is just a jumping off point! Thanks, Melissa, for another great sketch.
Flower Card Recipe
Paper: GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, SU retired DSP
Stamps: My Grafico Cocoa Studios Vases and Flowers Digital stamps, PTI Heartfelt Basics (sentiment)
Ribbon: PTI dark chocolate satin ribbon
Accessories: SU eyelet border punch, copic markers, Ranger Ruby Slippers Glitz stickles
Circles Card Recipe
Paper: SU Melon Mambo textured CS, SU Whisper White CS
Stamps: SU Circle Circus, SU Starring You
Ribbon: SU Melon Mambo dotted ribbon
Accessories: SU Modern Label punch, SU Scalloped Circle, EK Success 3/4", 1", 13/8" circle punches

Christmas Shopping in July

If you've been to Hobby Lobby this month, then you've witnessed the transformation from the summer garden scene to the winter wonderland! Incredible how they do that. One day I was looking at some patio furniture. The next day all that was replaced with Christmas trees. We're still experiencing triple digit temperatures, so I'm just not ready for the transition.
BUT this week's Digital Tuesday Challenge is Christmas in July and while I'm not ready for Christmas trees and snowmen just yet, I know it's time to start "the list". So with that in mind, I printed out a digital image of shopping bags from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff which I colored with my copics. Be sure to do a little shopping for yourselves and visit Lindsay's store this month. She's running a special all month: spend $5 in the store and get a free stamp of your choice and since it's digital, there's no waiting for days to recieve your images! Also, be sure to visit Lindsay's blog to check out what the rest of her design team is up to this week. Someone's got a darling little freebie to give away this week!
I used the Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge to create the layout for this card. It was so hard to take this card seriously, so I just had a little fun with the whole thing. I counted up the number of days until Christmas so I could print out my "tongue-in-cheek" sentiment which I punched out with Stampin' Up's new modern label punch and matted with their new movers and shapers die. I embossed part of the card with the new cuttlebug herringbone embossing folder. I cut out an ornament with a Sizzix die. Now, who can I send into a panic with this card announcing that time is running short to get that Christmas shopping finished??? Merry Christmas, yall!
Project Recipe
Paper: SU Wild Wasabi CS (retired), SU Real Red CS, Real Red DSP, DCWV Metallic Cardstack, DCWV Nana's Kitchen CS
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Shopping Bags
Ribbon: SU Real Red grosgrain ribbon
Accessories: SU Modern Label punch, SU Sizzix Movers and Shaper Die, Sizzix ornament die, Ranger Stickles, Cuttlebug Embossing folder (herringbone), Cuttlebug, copic markers (G0000, G21, G82, R0000, R46, N2)

Razzle Dazzled Magnolia

I want to crow I'm so excited about this post. First of all, I think I'm over the top in love with SU's Rich Razzleberry. Now I'm not all that much of a purple girl, but this color may have converted me. I love how Stampin' Up combined the Rich Razzleberry with Orchid Opulence, a color I thought I would never use, in this DSP Cottage Wall.
The next thing I just love about this card it that Magnolia. It just looks so awesome with a light edging of some purpley copic markers. I used two of the brand new super light copic markers BV0000 and G0000. You should see it IRL. It just pops off the card. You can get this beautiful image at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff for a $1. Be sure and get over there soon because Lindsay is running a special through the end of July: spend $5 and get a free stamp of your choice.
Oh, and I'm not through. Hang on tight! I told you there's a lot to love in this post. The sketch design for this card is from a brand new sketch challenge hosted by the creative Melissa Craig. And this week on Mel's Tuesday Morning Sketches, Lindsay is sponsoring the challenge and the prize is 10 (yes, ten) digital images from Lindsay's shop!!! The sketch is awesome and the prize is just incredible. I combined this sketch challenge with the Digital Tuesday Challenge which was to use 1 digital image, 2 designer papers, and 3 embellishments. I made my own embellishments with some cardstock and punches.
Okay, one last thing (I promise). Here's another goody for you. One of Lindsay's Design Team members has a freebie for you. It's not a flower, but it is something that loves flowers. So check out my sidebar for links to the design team or head over to Lindsay's blog The Frugal Crafter for links to the team and to give this super, generous lady a little appreciation!
Project Recipe
Paper: SU Rich Razzleberry CS, Orchid Opulence CS, Always Artichoke CS, SU Cottage Wall DSP, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS
Stamp: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Magnolia #2 digital stamp
Accessories: various flower punches by Punch Craft and Stampin' Up, copic markers (BV0000, V09, V15, G0000, G20, YG95, Yg 91)

Tuesday's Challenge

No, I don't have the wrong day. I know it's really Sunday, but I was playing around up in the craft loft and remembered that there was a digital stamping challenge on Tuesdays that I had been meaning to check out (I know...a day late and a dollar short!), so I hopped on over to the Digital Tuesday Challenge blog to see what I'd missed this week. In the future, I'll try to be more timely.
Since the challenge for this week is "sweet birthdays", I knew I wanted to use this float stamp from Lindsay Stamp Stuff with my Liquid Applique again. This time I added a little bit of glitter to the wet applique before "puffing" it with a heat gun. After I finished the image, I was scanning around looking for a card design idea and about that time I got an email from Mel at Tuesday Morning Sketches! It was kismet! I used Mel's Tuesday sketch to complete my Digital Tuesday challenge! Hmmm...this could become a Tuesday routine (that is if I can actual get it done on a Tuesday!) Anywhoo, Mel is just starting her challenge blog, so if you're looking for a sketch challenge be sure to check it out or join me in combining the two challenges to see what we can come up with.
I've been zippin' it today. So, if this is your first time here today, be sure to check out my earlier post, too.
Project Recipe
Paper: PTI Lemon Tart CS, PTI Agua Mist CS, SU Melon Mambo CS, GinaK White Pure Luxury CS, Paper Studio Paper Basics PP
Stamps: Lindsay's Stamp Stuff Ice Cream Float digital stamp, CC Designs Sugar Plums sentiments
Ribbon: PTI Agua Mist Satin Dots, PTI Raspberry Fizz grosgrain
Accessories: Marvy Uchida Liquid Applique, Doodlebug Sugar Coating Cupcake glitter, EK Success border punch, pinking shears, copic markers