Friday Mash Up 21

The weekly Friday Mash Up challenge is so much fun.  You never know what they're going to throw at you.  The simplicity of the sketch this week caught my eye.

And since I just experimented with the shaving cream background today, I decided to incorporate that into my challenge card.  I can't believe I waited so long to try this fun and easy technique.  What an awesome background it makes!  I used Old Olive, More Mustard, and Chocolate Chip for my reinker colors.  What do you think?

For the dry embossing part of this Mash Up challenge, I used the Elegant Lines embossing folder.  I thought its swirls echoed the swirly pattern in my shaving cream paper.

For the focal point image, I used the hostess set "Faith In Nature."  What a lovely set that lends itself to a wide variety of techniques.  I simply stamped my image with Old Olive and sponged a bit of More Mustard over the leaf itself.  I used my Big Shot and the Circles #2 die to cut the circles.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my card.  And if you've never participated in a card challenge, I highly encourage it.  It can really get the creative juices flowing!


Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Stamping!

Snow Much Fun

Thinking you would ever see "significant" snow in Houston is, of course, a pipe dream.  But that's perfectly fine with me!  After living most of my life in the Midwest, I've had my share of snow (and ice).  The first winter we lived down here, it was so comical to see the neighbors all rushing outside with camera and recorders to capture what was the first "snow" for some of them.  At best, I would have called it flurries, and even that was a stretch in my book.   After all, if it gets much below 70 degrees here, the "locals" are cold!  My husband and I hardly ever wear jackets, and certainly never a real coat here.

Anyway, I digress!  This is my first time playing with this new set "Snow Much Fun."  I just love snowmen, and the two guys in these set are pretty darn cute.  And I really like their little bird buddies.

On this card you also get a sneak peek at a Holiday Mini Catalog item -- the Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  To make the snowflakes pop off the whisper white cardstock, I gently sponged them with Bashful Blue ink.  Another reason I really like this stamp set is because it lends itself so beautifully to watercoloring, which is one of my all-time favorite techniques.  I used my blender pen with my ink pads for this one.  (You can also watercolor with pastels, watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, and re-inkers.)

I was hoping working on a snowy card might inspire some cool weather, but alas, we continue to set records for the number of 100+ degree days we have.  And my husband just said the forecast is for 107 this weekend.  Bring on the snow!!



Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Stamping!

Great recyling / storage idea

This weekend I've been doing a bit of reorzanizing and purging in my craft room.  I've been perusing the internet for inspiration on storage ideas and craft room ideas, which is sometimes rather depressing, and I found this great idea on making magazine holders from cereal boxes.

Karen in New England posted this on her blog and I thought it was so very clever.  Click on the link to see her instructions.
Magazine Holder

If I had saved cereal boxes over the years, I would have a million of these things made! 

Have a great week everyone!

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Stamping!

Monochromatic Hello!

I love designing cards with a monochromatic scheme, or in this case, almost monochromatic.  And Stampin' Up! makes it so super easy with their coordinating card stock, ink, markers, 12 X 12 paper stacks, and a host of other accessories.  The hardest part is deciding which color you want to play with.

Tonight's card is one I've designed and made multiples of to send to "From Our Hearts" -- a fantastic non-profit in my home state of Missouri that sends hand made greeting cards to the troops overseas.  The service men and women can pick any cards they need to send to friends and family back home.  What a wonderful, heartfelt way for them to stay connected to loved ones.  Be sure to check out their blog here From Our Hearts.

I have used Perfect Punches and Swirls & Curls Verses which is a hostess set from the Summer Mini Catalog.

Here you can see how I've popped up the center and base with dimensionals.  You can also see the original design of the base stamp image peeping out.  For those of you not familiar with Perfect Punches, the stamp I used is actually a Christmas stamp, but I just love the edge of it.  I use it a lot in this fashion.  I simply punch a 1 1/4" circle of whatever I want for the middle and cover up the Christmas design.  From above (below), you can't see the other design at all.

Thanks for taking a look.  And for those of you suffering with the heat like we are in Texas, think cool thoughts!!  (I know...it's not working for me either)

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Stamping!

The Christmas Spirit

I was so thrilled when I learned that Bells & Boughs made it into the new catalog.  I fell in love with this set when it came out in the Mini Occasions catalog.  However, I have struggled to design a card with this set that I like.  But I wasn't about to give up.  And this weekend, I stumbled onto a design I think I'm ok with.  So while we're in the midst of a triple-digit week here in Texas, I give you Christmas Spirit!

I love the addition of texture and pattern the Elegant Lines embossing folder gives.  I also really like the color combination of Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke.  It's such a nice, muted color palette.  I've played with this on Whisper White using Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green.  It's also very pretty (not shown at this time, but I'm working on it).

So to everyone who is also sweating it out in the heat, think cool thoughts!!



Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Stamping!