A Margarita and a Couple of Frogs!

I'm out straight this week creating samples for Dave for the Rubbernecker Booth at the Stamping show coming up this weekend in West Springfield, MA at the Big E -  Anne Harmon and I will be working the booth. 

But I wanted to get some posts up on the old blog so you wouldn't be bored to tears coming by and seeing the same old post all week!!

Here are a few of the cards I've made.  You'll find all of the supplies used at the end of my post.

We'll start off with this cool cactus margarita glass - complete with a 'salt rim' of Crystal Ice Stickles!

 Now that we've been fortified with a beverage we can continue with two frog cards!   I colored this image with a combination of Copics and Ranger Distress Markers.

 And this cute little critter was colored with watercolor crayons and a water brush.

 If you'd like to see what SCS challenges I made these cards for - you can check out my gallery over at Split Coast.

Thanks for stopping by!  If you come to the Stamping Show in West Springfield, MA this weekend - please come by and say 'Hello' to Anne and me!!

Margarita card:

Stamps: Rubbernecker - Margarita's Make sentiment #640-12, Margarita cactus glass #639-02  

Paper: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait - SU, White - PTI  

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black  

Accessories: Copics - G82, RV32, BG10, Foam Tape, Crystal Ice Stickles, Mega Mat Stack 3 - PTI, pinking circle Nestability, circle punch - Fiskars, rhinestones - Creative Charms, Embossing folders - Roman Bath/Provo Craft, Diamond Plate/Sizzix, Polka Dots/Life Style C

Frog on the daisy card

Stamps: Rubbernecker - Green & Slimey #636-10, Frog on Flower #637-02  

Paper: white, Ripe Avocado - PTI, More Mustard - SU, DP Simply Chartreuse Paper Pack - PTI  

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Antique Linen  

Accessories: foam tape, paper piercer - SU, Copics YG11, YR04, Y13, YR61, YG63, Circle Nestability, Prismacolor Green pencil, water brush, rhinestones - Kaiser

Frog on the lilypad card

Stamps: Rubbernecker - Toad-ally Awesome #636-06, Frog on Lily Pad #638-01  

Paper: water color paper - Canson Pad, Ocean Tide - PTI  

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black  

Accessories: square & postage stamp nestabilities, foam tape, heart punch - EK Success, key tag punch - SU, water color crayons - SU, water brush, tiny twinkles - Taylored Expressions, glue pen

Paws-itively Doggone Great Day!

I'm playing along again with the Dynamic Duo challenge -  this week we are using Bashful Blue and Marina Mist -

 well -  I'm actually using Bashful Blue and a Bazzill Blue (don't know which blue it is!) as I didn't have Marina Mist.

I embossed a square Nestability on the card, stamped and cut out the dog house, dog and sentiment and layered them with foam tape.The little CELEBRATE over the door is from the Box Word Set.   My stamps are all from Rubbernecker.

This card was also for the Featured Stamper over on Split Coast today - Susan Bridgman (Susanbri). I chose to CASE her Spaniel with Sleigh bells card.  I changed the stamps and made mine a b'day or special day card - but kept the dog theme and blue color.

 I hope everyone (in the US) is having a fun safe Memorial Day Weekend -  and I'd like to take this chance to thank all the women and men serving (or who have served in the past) in the military.   You help keep us ALL safe and it is greatly appreciated.

This is a picture of my son Josh (on the right) when he was stationed in South Korea in 1997.  He joined the Army right out of High School.  His first assignment was 12 months in South Korea.  

Stamps: Rubbernecker - Paws-itively sentiment #651-10, dogs/Alfie #651-04, Celebrate sentiment - Box word Set #622  

Paper: white - PTI, blue bazzill, bashful blue - SU  

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black  

Accessories: foam tape, rhinestones - Kaiser Craft, square nestabilities, circle punch - ek success, scallop circle punch - SU

May Waltzingmouse Blog Party

Today I am participating in the May Waltzingmouse Blog Party -  and the theme is to use comfy felt or fabric!  You will find all the details about the party here.

I used felt on my card today - making this pretty rose with the Spiral Blossom One die by Spellbinders. I dotted a little glue over the rose and sprinkled Coarse Glitter from Martha Stewart on it.  I added a single dew drop to the center.

I stamped a panel of stone card stock with the dashes and lines back ground stamp from Heirloom Patterns and layered it to a panel of Scarlet Jewel.  I adhered the panel to the card with foam tape. 

You can see how lush the felt flower is from the side view. This card will definitely have to be hand delivered and would have to be put in a large envelope or clear box!!

The leaves are from Big Blooms Chrysanthemums that I inked with Memento Bamboo Leaves and cut out.  I rolled each leaf on my finger to curl them a bit and layered them on the panel with foam tape.  I adhered the rose over the leaves with a thick glue dot.

The wedding sentiment is from Compact Sentiments.

You can find all the details about the WMS Blog party here.   We have one every month on the 17th - and the theme is disclosed on the WMS blog on the 1st of each month so you have plenty of time to make your creation - check my sidebar - the notice about it is always there!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Heirloom Patterns, Big Blooms Chrysanthemums, Compact Sentiments.

Paper:  Stone, Scarlet Jewel - PTi

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Memento London Fog & Bamboo Leaves.

Accessories:  Scotch Quick Cry Adhesive, Foam Tape, Flower Die Spiral Blossom One - Spellbinders, Ruby Felt - Michaels, Coarse Glitter - Martha Stewart, Hydrangea Dew Drop.

Dynamic Sympathy

I'm playing again this week with the Dynamic Duo Challenge - this week we are to use yellow and black with the optional dessert of dry embossing -  and since dessert is my favorite part of any meal (!) -  I used it on my card.   I love these Dynamic Duo Challenges -  using just 2 colors is right up my alley!

I used some fun new stamps from Rubbernecker on my card  -  the Sympathy and squares back ground are part of a new collage set of stamps that you can mix and match  - and the little 'with' word is just one of the many, many little words in the Box Word Set.

I die cut the filigree border and adhered it to the back of the stamped panel and layered that panel over the Swiss Dots embossed panel with foam tape.  Then I added the black pearls inside the circles.

That's it from me today! 

I'll be back Thursday for the Waltzingmouse Blog Party (postponed from May 17)  see my side bar for info!

Stamps:  Rubbernecker - Sympathy #646-10, collage pattern - squares #644-01, Box Word Set #622

Paper:  Lemon Tart, True Black -PTI

Ink:  Ranger Distress Scattered Straw, Versafine Onyx Black

Accessories:  black sticky pearls - Amuse, foam tape, filigree border die - PTI, Swiss Dots Embossing folder - Provo Craft.

A Class with Tim Holtz! Heart and Soul

I had the best morning on Saturday -  I attended a class by Tim Holtz - held at a nearby stamp shop called Absolutely Everything in Topsfield, MA.   There were 4 workshops - but I was only able to get in to one (you had to phone in on a given day and the phones were just wild busy!)  He writes about it here on his blog!

The class I got into was called Heart and Soul -  and we created a wonderful box with a heart inside covered in faux riveted metal.    Basically - I wanted to go to learn new techniques - so it didn't matter which class I got into (although I would have loved to attend them all!)

So we came into this rather large room -  I heard there were 100 people at each class - there were three rows of tables from front to back - this is the center row where I had a seat about 2/3rds of the way down - this was taken about half way into the room.

When I was waiting outside in the line to get in -  I met Heather - who had come all the way from Pittsfield, MA -  it took her 4 hours to get there because of traffic -  she was there for all 4 classes - lucky duck!  So the very first thing we did was to get in line to have Tim sign our Compendium of Curiosities books and the aprons that we were given by Kate the owner of the shop.

Here's Heather, Tim and me.

and here's Tim and me (lot's of pictures were being taken!)

The aprons say "Tim Holtz and I did ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. seriously, it was very distressing".  Rather tongue in cheek!! Did I say he signed my apron too??  Ya - I guess I did..... and can I just say -  he was just like you see him on his blog or any You tube videos you watch him in - he was funny, friendly and just a nice guy.   He took his time with anyone who wanted autographs or pictures - he walked around during the whole class talking to everyone - being sure they understood what they were doing etc...    And Mario was there too -   here he is helping with something that wasn't working quite right.

So here I am working on my project -  there were people from Canada there, a whole group of ladies who called themselves "Everything Tim" came from Ohio. 

 First we colored the cardboard boxes with Distress Stain inks, I used Silver (these are window boxes with little boxes inside but we took those out) then we inked over them with Distress Inks, I used Forest Moss - then we sanded all the sides to distress - and attached pulleys on the bottom for wheels.

 And just look what we did with puffy paper mache hearts!  We covered them with randomly cut pieces of silver metal foil sticky back sheets.  Then we made marks along the seams - some with the tip of a click it ink pen, some with a push pin and some with a craft scraper.  We made the stitches using loops of thin wire that we just inserted into the holes!  Next we inked the whole thing with 3 colors of Alcohol Inks -I used Pitch Black, Stonewash and Ginger. Isn't this the coolest thing??! Oh - and then we sanded it with steel wool to take most of the color off!

We lined the inside of the box with Terminology tissue wrap

We added Box Corners, sprocket gears, word keys, game spinners, time pieces and a light bulb - and even half of a View Master photo wheel!  He must have gotten those at an antique shop!

Here's Heather with her finished creation - everyone did theirs with slightly different colors and adhering all the 'stuff' in different places which Tim encouraged of course!

 and here's me with mine!

Not the typical kind of craft I usually create -  but I really enjoyed this workshop and my finished 'industrial style assemblage' (as the course description called it!)

Here are a few pics I took at home for a close up view!

 That's a piece of rusty screen across the bottom of the box.

Kent is my husband's name - so that is what I put inside the label pull -  and this will be a memento for our 15th wedding anniversary which is this June -  my word key just happened to say LOVE and the type charm says Lifetime - very appropriate!  And the View Master wheel I got has pics of Hawaii - maybe there's a trip in my future??!!  I think I'll add something with my name on it as well as our wedding date.  You can actually pull this around like a little pull toy circus wagon or something!

So, what do you think??!! 

Rubbernecker Stampin' Sisterhood Blog Hop - In the Garden!

Welcome to the May Rubbernecker Stampin' Sisterhood Design Team Blog hop -  given that we are in the middle of Spring - our theme is appropriately " Garden".

We are looking at my 'garden' from the inside of the house!  I inked the Spring Glory #610-01 stamp using Memento Dew Drop ink pads inking some flowers Cantaloupe, some Rose Bud and the stems in Bamboo Leaves.  I cut the stamping to fit behind the Grand Madison Window adhering the stamped panel to the window with foam tape. I sponged the edges of the window with Ranger Distress Scattered Straw to add a little dimension.  I added a little strip of lace for a curtain along the top and stamped the Get Well Soon sentiment from the Best Wishes Set #600 directly on the patterned paper.

I think looking out my window at this pretty garden would make  me feel a lot better!  How about you??

Now here are all the details about the Blog Hop from Jacquie:

You have until FRIDAY 5/25 to HOP, the winners will be announced Saturday 5/26 in the evening at the Stampin' Sisterhood blog.

**WINNERS**-
Each hopper, who does the following will receive a Shopping Code for 15% off their order (it will be emailed to the winners):
-leave some LOVE at EVERY stop along the way.
-collect our word search WORDS, as you go!
- leave a comment on the Sisterhood Blog, along with the words you've collected, and your email address
-ONE winner doing the above will be chosen to receive 25% off!!

If you are hopping after 5/19  just look for the HOP badge on my sidebar and click on it to bring you to this  post so you can leave a comment and hop to all the DT's blogs listed below

We are  having a word search this round!

My word is SEED!

BONUS ENTRY:
-As a bonus  we will draw A WINNER  for a STAMP SET of your choice, just for sharing our HOP on your Facebook page or Blog!!

-After you have SHARED,  just go back to the Stampin' Sisterhood Blog and let us know where you have SHARED our HOP, with a link!!

Watch out for something EXCITING coming for JUNE'S HOP on 6/5

Remember to always check the Stampin' Sisterhood blog - There are new postings every day to inspire you!

HOP ROUTE:

• Anne Harmon  Our newest Design Team Member!
• Bev Gerard
• Charlene Driggs
• Charlene Merrick
• Ellen Taylor
• Jacquie Peifer
• Jennifer Cuthbertson
• Joan Ervin
• Judy Rozema
• Julia Aston  This is me!
• Juliana Swanson
• Karen Hunsaker
• Kecia Waters
• Stampin' Sisterhood

Listen, and You will Hear.....

I made this card for this weeks CAS challenge over on  Split Coast - to divide an image into 3 panels.

I used the colors from Saturday's Dynamic Duos challenge  - So Saffron and Pool Party.  I love this new challenge where you just use 2 colors!

I stamped the music background from Waltzingmouse onto Pool Party cardstock and cut it into 3 panels - layering them to slightly larger black panels and then onto the So Saffron panel.  I stamped the sentiment from Impression Obsession right onto the panel adding rhinestones and punched butterflies.

Stamps: Musical Backgrounds - Waltzingmouse, Sentiment from Impression Obsession  

Paper: So Saffron, Pool Party - SU, True Black - PTI  

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black  

Accessories: foam tape, butterfly punch - Martha Stewart, rhinestones - Bazzill Basics

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Isn't this just the cutest little image of a toddler on his tricycle?!  It's a Mo's Digital Pencil image sold in rubber stamp form at Stamping Bella that I embossed in white.

My inspiration was a picture at the Australian Web Store, Hard to Find. from the Split Coast Stampers Inspiration Challenge on Saturday.  It was done in pink but I changed mine to blue and added the Memory Box die cut tree instead of stamping a tree.  I just love this quote from Dr. Seuss that comes with the image. 

This sweet little guy reminds me of my 20 month old grand nephew, Landon whom I just joyfully babysat for last Friday.  Here he is as I was holding him on my lap and reading a book to him - look at those blue eyes!

I brought a big sheet of packing paper with me and I had Landon lie on it and I traced loosely around him with a black marker - to make a Landon Paper doll.  I cut it out and I asked  him to 'color' it.  I told him we'd put it on the fridge to surprise his mum and dad when they got home.

 He really seemed to understand the concept that this represented a paper copy of him - he even kissed it! (too cute!)

I put it up on the fridge with a magnet but after it was there just a few minutes - he wanted to take it off  and walked back with it to his coloring table - I guess he wanted to do some more work on it!  He looked SO cute walking around with it!

Then he brought it back to the fridge to 'hang' it up again.  Always the little helper! "Here, Aunt Julia, please hang it up for me!"

After a hard morning of taking a walk around the neighborhood, playing kick ball in the yard, reading some books, having lunch and coloring his Landon paper doll -  he fell asleep on the sofa for a couple of hours.  A day well spent!

Stamps: Bye Bye Boy by Mo Manning purchased from Stamping Bella  

Paper: White, Spring Rain - PTI  

Ink: Versifine Onyx Black, Versamark, Ranger Distress Weathered Wood  

Accessories: hot gun, foam tape, white embossing powder, Arboscella tree die - Memory Box, key tag punch - SU

From Our House to Yours - WMS Forum May Christmas Card Challenge

The May Christmas Card Challenge is up in the Playroom of the Waltzingmouse Forum -  and this month the challenge is to use chipboard.  I made 4 to add to my ever growing stash of Christmas cards.

I remembered I had some Maya Road Chipboard houses in my drawer - and they worked perfectly here.  I got my design inspiration from the Split Coast Stampers Inspiration challenge today - with this decorative plate from the Australian Web store - Hard to Find.

I sponged the house, the die cut circle and the edges of the card with Tea Dye Distress Ink. I stamped the little heart, from WMS stamp set Sweethearts (I placed the house on the circle so I knew where to stamp the heart!), before embossing the circle with Swiss Dots and I taped a piece of Summer Sunrise card stock behind the open window to be the light inside the home!  The sentiment is from A Cottage Christmas.  I stamped "A Merry Christmas to You" from Compliments of the Season inside (not shown) -  but you could also make this a Thank You card -  a Welcome to Your New Home card,  an invitation or even just a note!

We'd love to have you join us in the WMS Forum Christmas Card Challenges - a new challenge is posted the 10th of each month -  you'll be SO glad you did when November rolls around and you have all your Christmas cards ready to mail!

Don't forget to check and see if you were the winner on our WMS May Release day blog hop!  It's posted on Claire's Blog.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - heart from Sweet Hearts Set, Sentiment from A Cottage Christmas  

Paper: kraft, Vintage Cream, Summer Sunrise - PTI  

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Tea Dye, Memento Lady Bug 

Accessories: Foam tape, Swiss Dots Embossing folder - Provo Craft, Chipboard House - Maya Road Houses Mini

Waltzingmouse May Release Day!

Hey Stamper Friends!   It's finally here!  The WMS May Release Day!  All three new sets are now available for purchase at the WMS store! Half Pint Heroines, Compact Family and Compact Sentiments Part 2!

To celebrate - the WMS Design Team is having a blog waltz with more creations using the three new sets.

You should start the Waltz at Claire's blog -  she will have a complete list of the Design Team in case you lose your way.   If you arrived from Sandie's blog - you are in the right place!

I have three cards to share today - sort of like the grand finale at the fire works on the 4th of July!

For my first card I used Compact Family - stamping all the words that apply to my sister (and myself actually!) She's a wife, niece, mum, grandmother, friend.  I drew lines in pencil across the panel to help me get the stamping straight!

For my second card I used stamps from Half Pint Heroines and Compact Sentiments Part 2.

I loosely used this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch for my card.  Using 6 faces creatively spaced and a heart shape rather than a circle!

 And here's my final offering -  a little whimsical, paper pieced elephant from Half Pint Heroines framed in a Circus Ring, an embossed Star Circle Nestability.

I scattered rhinestones around for a little shimmer and sponged the edges to highlight the embossing. I stamped the head twice on the patterned paper and layered it with foam tape to pop it up.

There will be a prize of a Waltzingmouse stamp set of choice from a random drawing of comments left on all of the Design Team blogs. You have until May 11th at 11:59 pm, 5:59 am Central, 3:59 am Pacific and 6:59 am Eastern Time to leave your comments.

The winner will be posted on Claire's blog on May 12th.

Your next stop on the Waltz is Laurie who, I'm sure, has some gorgeous inspiration for you!

AND don't forget to GO SHOPPING!

Sister Card:

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Compact Family.

Paper:  White, Pure Poppy, Melon Berry - PTI

Ink:  Memento Lady Bug, Cottage Ivy, Bamboo Leaves, Tangelo, Rose Bud, Bahama Blue, Danube Blue, Ranger Distress - Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmelade.

Accessories: Rhinestones - Kaiser Craft, Wrinkled Seam Tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop.

You Make Me Smile Card:

Stamps:  Compact Sentiments Part 2, Half Pint Heroines

Paper:  White, Raspberry Fizz, True Black - PTI, DP Out of Print Paperpad - Basic Grey.

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Accessories:  Copics - BG10, B24, C6, R20, R08, YR02, E35, YR23, E00, 1" & 1 1/4" circle punches - EK success and Stampin Up, wrinkled Seam Tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy Shop, Heart Nestabilities, wicker weave embossing folder - Provo Craft, Rhinestones - Kaiser Craft, foam tape.

Elephant Card:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Half Pint Heroines
Paper: White - PTI, DP Echo Park This & That 6x6 paper pad  
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress - Spun Sugar  
Accessories: foam tape, rhinestones - Amuse, Star Circles Nestabilities, trio labels - Spellbinders

WMS May Release - Preview Day 3 - Oodles of Love

Welcome to the final Waltzingmouse May Release Preview day!  Today we are highlighting Compact Sentiments - 2, a compliment set to  Compact Sentiment's  that was released in Feb.

For my project today - I made a little graduation cap box and coordinating card!

The bees and heart circle stamps are from the L'il Buddies set.  The two sentiments are from the new Compact Sentiments -2.

Here's the cap from the top

This cute little graduation cap is a freebie from The Toy Maker. It comes already colored (there's one in black (looks bluish above) and one in white) and includes a paper tassel - but I had a real cord bookmark tassel that I attached to the top with a large brad.  The brad legs show on the inside of the cover shown below - but that little piece of basket shred is almost covering it!  The box is just big enough to hold one of these yummy Ferrero Rond Noir candies - or a roll of cash!

I hope I've inspired you with my creations today!  I appreciate all the lovely comments you've been leaving me during the preview days.


This is our final preview day - tomorrow we'll be back with a Design Team Blog Waltz when the new sets will be available for purchase.  We will be posting at 2 pm EST so Claire has time to reset the store.

Let's check out what the rest of the Design Team has for our enjoyment today!

Anya Schrier
Beeca Feeken
 Belinda Chang Langner
Clare Buswell
Julia Aston - this is me!
 Jennifer Holmes
 Kelly Schirmer
 Laurie Schmidlin
 Lynn Mercurio
Mona Pendleton
Sandie Dunne
Claire Brennan - Owner
Tosha Leyendekker

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Compact Sentiments - 2 (to be released 5/8), L'il Buddies.

Paper:  white, harvest gold, true black - PTI

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Mustard Seed.

Accessories: Circle nestabilities, Roman Bath Embossing Folder - Provo Craft, Pretty Pearls/Black - Amuse, foam tape.  Grad Cap free Template - The Toy Maker.com, Cropadile, ScorTape, black tie Brad - Bazzill Basics, scalloped tags - Spellbinders, 4" tassel - Ellison, basket shred.

Stampin' Sisterhood May Sunday Challenge

 If you are looking for my Day 2  Waltzingmouse Preview post -   please scroll down - thank you!

It's the first Sunday of the month - and that means a new Stampin' Sisterhood challenge!  Jacquie has a cool little sketch for us:

and here is the card I created using the sketch

I used several new stamps just released at the Rubbernecker store -  the pretty silhouette wildflower is Floral #4 - #609-01 and the sentiments are from the Best Wishes Set #600.  I stamped the images and sentiment on Melon Berry card stock, cut them with Rectangle Nestabilities and sponged the edges with Dried Marigold Ranger Distress ink before taking them out of the die.   I layered them on the green panel with foam tape, stamped Happy Anniversary on the panel and added 2 black sticky pearls.  I didn't add a lot of 'fluff' since an anniversary card usually goes to a guy as well as a girl so I didn't want to make it too fancy!

We hope you'll play along with the May sketch challenge. You have all month to link your creation to the Stampin' Sisterhood blog where you will find all of the details!

Remember to check the Stampin' Sisterhood Blog every day of the week  - each day there is something new posted to give you inspiration!

Stamps:  Rubbernecker - Floral #4 -#609-01, Best Wishes Set #600

Paper:  Simply Chartreuse, Melon Berry - PTI

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Dried Marigold Ranger Distress

Accessories:  foam tape, black pearls - Amuse, Rectangle Nestabilities.