Say Hello to Zenfangle With Buttons and a Bow!

What a fun technique for us to try this week for the Ways to Use It challenge on Split Coast! Guest Host Beverly (ruby-hearted mom) introduced us to the art called Zentangle using pen and ink -black ink!

Here's my humble first attempt at the technique. An upscale doodling if you will - I used my micron 01 pen, a Sharpie, a white gel pen (just a tad!) and a grey copic. I hand wrote the 'hello'

My image is on a 4" square that I framed with black, grey and white.

I always used to doodle on the sides of my notebooks in school (didn't we all?!?!) - this art form really takes it to the next level!

Beverly is visiting in Boston this week (from TX!) and I work in Boston - so I PM'd her to see where she was and we were able to get together for lunch! We'd never met but 'knew' each other from Split Coast. We hit it off like long lost friends - isn't the stamping community a great one to be involved in!?! Here we are enjoying a great lunch at Jacob Wirth's in the theater district of Boston. Then we walked around the Boston Public Garden, saw the swan boats, and hit a couple of shops!

Stamps: none
Paper: white - PTI, black - SU, Bazzill white and grey
Ink: none
Accessories: grey copic N2, white gel pen, foam dimensionals, Mircon 01 black pen, black Sharpie

And here's my card for Friday's Free 4 All Challenge at Split Coast - to use Buttons and Bows.

My stamps are from a beautiful set from Waltzingmouse Stamps called Asian Garden. I layered some extra tree leaves on the tree with foam dimensionals. I chose my colors based on the pretty DP.

I used this weeks Taylored Expressions sketch for my card.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Asian Garden
Paper: White - PTI, DP GCD Studios/miniflowers/SUnny Days Collection, Coredinations/Oxford Ink: Enchanted Evening- PTI, Sunset Orange - Adirondack, Apricot Appeal - SU
Accessories: glue dots, foam dimensionals, sponge, vintage buttons-PTI, circle & scalloped circle nestabilities

Ahoy!

Ahoy Mateys!! This little sailboat card is for the Split Coast Teaparty challenge - to help Seth the Sailor who's alone and lost. This little sailboat is on it's way to help him find his way - you can see the 42,000 waves in the background (although I meant to mount the paper the other way up - OOPS!!) The beautiful nestie frame is helping tame the waves for Seth.

I'm going to be a great- aunt for the first time to a little baby boy in September (whoo hoo!!!). I'm starting to practice making baby boy cards so I'll be ready for the big event! This is also for Monday's SCS technique challenge - to use a frame on your card.

Here's what I stamped on the inside. All the stamps are from Bitty Baby Blessings by PTI. It's a great set for baby projects and has sentiments for twins and adoptions.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Bitty Baby Blessings
Paper: white, hawaiian shores - PTI, Bazzill brown, DP Bo Bunny/Sea foam dots, American Crafts/Backyard Splash
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Baja Breeze, Soft Sky, So Saffron - SU
Accessories: sponge, Classic Frames - Spellbinders, Labels 10 Nestabilities, distresser, tiny gems - Taylored expressions, glue pen, foam dimensionals, saddle stitched ribbon - PTI

Simply Get Well

This week on Split Coast my blogging friend, Cathleen, was the Featured Stamper - Whoo Hoo Cathleen!!! big congrats!!

There were several cards in her wonderful gallery that I wanted to CASE but finally settled on this Red Butterfly Happy Birthday I changed the colors and moved the sentiment, omitted the pin and made the top piece a panel.

I popped up the panel on foam dimensionals so the circle punches showed some depth. My sentiment is from Fancy Phrases by Waltzingmouse Stamps

And on the inside of my get well card, I used a sentiment from Autumn Abundance by Papertrey Ink.


I love the simplicity of this design - and it would work for birthday, thank you, sympathy - what ever kind of sentiment you wanted to use on it.
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Fancy Phrases , Papertrey Ink - Autumn Abundance
Paper: Blue Bazzill, Vintage Cream - PTI
Ink: Enchanted Evening - PTI
Accessories: foam dimensionals, glue dots, gems - Taylored Expressions, butterfly punch - Martha Stewart, circle punches - EK success, Quickie Glue pen

Bella & Bronte and May Flowers

Don't you just love this little girl?!?!? She's Bella with her dog Bronte - a Mo's Pencil Digital Image.

She looks just like my Godchild, Eden - so of course, I had to buy her!! See the resemblance??!! This is Eden a year ago - but she still has that full head of curls!!

I made my card for Mo's Challenge #31 - to use a Mo's image and flowers. I made my own felt flower using my brand new Papertrey Ink flower dies - boy did they work well - they cut right through the felt using my Cuttlebug!

The sketch is Mojo Monday #139.

I used colored pencils and Gamsol to color Bella as well as a couple of Copics. Did you notice the cute bumblebee on the brad in the center of the flower? Cute huh!?

Stamps: Mo's Digital Pencil - Bella & Bronte

Paper: Dark chocolate, vintage cream - PTI, DP - October Afternoon/Rain Boots, Bella Blvd/Estate Sale/Nana's Apron

Ink: So saffron - SU

Accessories: Koh-I-Noor colour pencils, Gamsol, glue dot, felt, Flower dies - PTI, bee brad - Basic Grey, edge punch - Martha Stewart, foam dimensionals, glue dot, saddle stitched ribbon - PTI, Copics - E51, R20, E34, C6, sponge.

Friends of WMS May Blog Waltz!

Welcome to the May Friends of Waltzingmouse Blog Waltz. The theme this month is Birthdays since May is the 1 year 'birthday' of Waltzingmouse Stamps!! Check out all the fun over at the WMS Forum in the Play Room where you'll find everyone that is participating in the waltz.

I just love Claire's WMS piece of cake template and I wanted to try and make a masculine slice this time. (see my other cakes here) I found some great textured Bazzill card stock at Michaels - the dark brown 'frosting' has swirls in it and the tan 'cake' has embossed circles. Then I just added brown buttons like chocolate chips or M&M's on the frosting!

Of course - I had to make a masculine style card to go along with the birthday cake! So I started by using the same papers and buttons. The dotted circle is from Faux Fun Circles, the sentiment is from Free Spirit Sentiments and the 'wave' is from Free Spirit - Boy. I used Mercy's Tuesday sketch for my card design.

For the inside of my card - I adhered two panels of the dotted Bazzill on either side of this great Irish Proverb from Words of Wisdom!
I lined my cake with Claire's Digitial Paper - Celtic Squares.

Remember to count how many teacups I have 'hidden' on my card picture above - tally up all the tea cups on the Design Team posts and post your total in the Playroom of the WMS Forum - one person with the correct answer will win a stamp set of their choice. And one random winner will be chosen from all participants in the Waltz!
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps: Faux Fun Circles, Free Spirit Sentiments, Free Spirit - Boy, Words of Wisdom:

Paper: Bazzill Basics - embossed swirl & embossed dots, Vintage Cream - PTI, Digital DP Celtic Squares - Waltzingmouse.

Ink: Dark Chocolate - PTI

Accessories: Glue dots, foam dimensionals, vintage buttons - PTI, Circle Nestabilities, cake template - Waltzingmouse Stamps.

Bold Daisies

This week's inspiration challenge over on Split Coast was a fun web site called Two Lumps of Sugar. I was inspired by these blue butterfly plates .
I got to use my brandy new Martha Stewart butterfly punch that I bought with my 40% off coupon at Michaels (whoo hoo!!) and also a brandy new stamp from Rubbernecker Stamps called Bold Florals - Daisies. Here's my card inspired by the dishes.

I distressed the edges of my image panel for the Split Coast Ways to Use it Challenge from Thursday. I colored the edges of the butterflies with a Copic to mimic those on the dishes.

I love how this stamp looks just inked without coloring and I think the butterflies added a lovely dimension to the simple stamping!

I think this card would work for a birthday, sympathy, thank you or just to say hi - don't you?!

Stamps: Rubbernecker Stamps - Bold Florals - Daisies #168-06
Paper: vintage cream - PTI, Bordering Blue - SU
Ink: Dark Chocolate - PTI
Accessories: butterfly punch - Martha Stewart, Copic - E59, glue dots, distresser, silver stickles

Gone Fishin'

Father Dan was an interim priest at our church who recently retired after being with us for over a year. He likes to fish - so I made this fun tackle box to give him on his last Sunday with us.

I purchased the pattern from Lisa at Stamndesign (she is SO clever!!) it also includes a fishing vest card pattern that I haven't tried making yet.
Look how wonderfully it is designed to open up on hinges and have the little compartment tray inside! It was really easy to make even though it looks very complicated! The tab on the cover just slips behind the metal name frame to close. If you wanted to be able to pick it up by the handle - you could use a piece of velcro instead.

The hinges are made with the SU word window punch and you use an oval punch to make the pieces on the corners.

I stamped these little Bible Verse cards to put inside the compartments of the box. I also tucked in some gummy worms and red fish candies in the larger section (as well as a gift certificate for him) I forgot to take a picture of the candies - they looked really cute in there.

A great gift for any fisher-person in your life don't you think??? Especially perfect for upcoming Father's Day!!

Stamps: Stampendous, The Stamp Pad Co (Sometimes Prayer), Print Works

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Black - SU

Ink: Chocolate Chip - SU

Accessories: metal frame - SU, brads, oval & word window punches - SU, rectangle nestabilities, cuttlebug, sponge, black grosgrain ribbon, large eyelets - SU, Dymo label maker