Happy Fourth!

Happy fourth of July to everybody! Remember that our freedom comes at a price and our men and women of the armed forces pay for it everyday. This is a Whisper White and Real Red cardstock. The starry paper....not sure. The image of the window is Window Dressing from SU and the bunting and flag are from Patriotism on Parade by Flourishes. I cut the flag out and popped it up on dimensionals. A little red ribbon and we're ready for those fireworks! Enjoy your day!

Blog Candy for a Big Milestone!!!

I'm coming up on a big milestone......20,000 hits on my blog. I can hardly believe it. For my readers, I have two stamp sets for blog candy. The one on the left is Make It Count which was used once (I think one stamp used once). The other is Polka Dot Punches from this past SAB catalog. This has never been used or even mounted. But it is pre-cut! Both sets of course are from Stampin' Up! Here's the rules: I can only send to a US post at this time. I appreciate all who visit from all over the world but can only do US postage. Leave a comment on this post. If you have a blog, I would appreciate a plug on your blog linking it to mine. When I reach the big number, 20,000, I will draw a name from the comments. Please leave a way for me to contact you. Otherwise, I will end up drawing a different name if you do not get back to me. Good luck everyone and thanks for making this possible.

Welcome Home Hubby!

John came home yesterday. Wahoo, no more running back and forth to the hospital. A nurse and a physical therapist saw him today. There is some concern about infection on the left knee but he's on antibiotics to hopefully prevent anything major. He's doing very well, can go up and down the stairs on one crutch! Thanks to everyone who prayed for us and expressed their best wishes. We appreciate it!

More Copics

OK I have to get more colors in Copics because even after two cards, you can get tired of using the same colors. I had just wanted to use them first before making a big financial commitment to them. This is from SU Harvest Home. I used the Copics on the orange and green but the blender pen with inks from the pad on the rest. Just some scraps of card stock and a Fiskar's leaf punch and the Nestabilites Labels One for the layers. Off to the hospital now!

Make a Card OR Bust!!!

Don't forget to click on the picture to see it enlarged.

It's been a week since I have been able to create a thing and today the Fed Ex man dropped off my first few Copic markers. I HAD TO TRY THEM!!! I only bought a few greens and a few orange/rusts and a blender, thinking fall. I don't know if there are actually orange sweet peas but I'm really happy with how this looks. There are some boo boos, of course.....come on it's my first try....but I am in love! The color is so saturated and flows on so easily and blending is so easy. The blender is a big help! I used Tangerine Tango paper and watercolor paper. Inks were Brilliance Graphite Black. EK Success corner punch and Mike's ribbon. I can't wait to order more colors....maybe some pinks, blues, purples and browns. I need to win the lottery!!! If anyone has tips on the best place to buy them, I'd appreciate a heads up. I bought these from Carpe Diem in California. They have them discounted right now but their shipping is ridiculous. Be still my heart!

A Quick Heads Up...........

For those of you who have been kind enough to inquire, my husband is doing well after his bilateral knee replacement. This man could not even stand last Friday and now, at inpatient rehabilitation, he is able to get himself out of bed, stand, walk, put pants on, take his own shoes on and off, etc. Rehab is VERY painful and he has a long way to go but I think he's doing great. Thanks so much for everyone's thoughts and prayers. I haven't had a moment to post anything but hopefully if he is home by the end of the week, I can get back to something creative!

Beautiful BLog Giveaway!!!

http://vintagebellastudio.blogspot.com/ Be sure to go here and visit this lovely blog and check out the wonderful vintage items celebrating the 100th post. Truly lovely!

Give Me A Squeeze!

Not really.....but isn't this image and the saying cute? This is from Life, Love and Lemons by Flourishes. I love fruit images and this set is full of them. The brand of cs is not SU, that's all I can tell you but it's close to Certainly Celery. The DP is SU Delicate Dots from a mini catty, as is the large medallion. The image is on watercolor paper and colored with my old favorite, the blender pen using inks direct from the pad. I smudged the edge of the image and sentiment with So Saffron for a little definition. The little scrolls are Nestabilites Doodles. I added just a tad of yellow Stickles to highlight on the lemons.

Hope you like it!

Another image from the PTI Vintage Basket stamp set. Are you sick of it yet? Not me! I love coloring these! So much fun. I used last year's SU Halloween DP on this background of Whisper White. Image is stamped in Basic Grey on watercolor paper and colored with a blender pen direct from the ink pads. The sentiment is from the picnic basket set but there is also a companion set of sentiments to go with the vintage picnic set.

My hubby goes in the hospital tomorrow for bilateral total knee replacement. I will try to keep up with posting but if you don't hear from me you know what's going on If you have an extra prayer or two, we'd appreciate it. Have a great day everyone!

Let's Have a Picnic!!!

Well I said you'd be seeing more of this set but I didn't think it would be this soon. This one went together really fast. Whisper White CS, Tea Party DP. The ribbon I have had forever and never used it. It was perfect for this. I used Marvy punches for the large scalloped circles and the napkin is cut separately and punched up on dimensionals. Colors used on the image were Creamy Caramel, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Real Red and a touch of white pen. Again, I used the Ribbon Tag Trio from Nestabilities for the sentiment. I'm addicted to this set I tell you!

Where did June go?

Where has this month gone? And why haven't we had any real summer weather? I feel like I live in Seattle instead of Maryland. Rain, cloudy, more rain, still more rain.......it's enough to make you depressed. But right around the corner is coming the 4th of July. I decided to make a little patriotic card for the occasion using Papertrey's new Vintage Picnic set. I don't remember when I have been so impressed with a set of stamps. You will be seeing lots more samples using this set so I hope you like it too. There are 5 different baskets and too many toppers to mention but pretty much all holidays and seasons are covered. This one is on Kraft CS and I used Bravo Burgundy, Night of Navy, Ballet Blue and Bashful Blue. I think I could have done a better job with Copics because they have such a fine tip but I don't have any ( have to remedy that soooooon!!) so I just used the blender pen VERY CAREFULLY! Then I used Papertrey's Green Thumb for the fireworks. It's the top of a flower! Added some Stickles for pizzaz and some Night of Navy ribbon on a Spellbinders Ribbon Tag. Distressed everything and there you are! I also have to give a nod to Mish Wooderson for the inspiration for the coloring.

Nesting Instinct

Quick card here with an image I've been wanting to try for some time. It doesn't have a name but it's by Inkadinkadoo and it was rather hard to ink properly. Anyway I used my Nesties to mount it and colored it direct from the pad with blender pens. Used some stickles here and there for bling. A strip of Cosmo Cricket on Sage Shadow CS. Used four tiny brads for accent to pick up th colors of the Creamy Caramel sponged edge and the same color is in the Cosmo paper. Have a good evening!

Wowzer Blog Candy! Woo Hoo!!!!

http://thescrapmaster.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-blog-candy-giveaway.html Please go here for truly AMAZING blog candy and also be sure to check out her new Challenge Blog.

A Very Special Project!!!

I am so in love with this project! It is from a tutorial by Tammy of http://www.dreamcreateandshare.blogspot.com/. Thanks for a wonderful tutorial Tammy and the inspiration too. You must have the Sizzix Matchbox Die to do this. There are actually 9 matchboxes involved, a little chipboard and DP and then you embellish to your heart's content. I did use a matchbox on top but you wouldn't have to. You could use anything. And get this....it swivels! You'll have to purchase Tammy's tutorial to find out how but the mechanism is something all of you have right in your craft room. I used the brand new Stampin' Up! Rich Razzleberry card stock and my K&Co. Madeline paper was the perfect companion. I used SU Designer Brads for drawer pulls and how you make them is another wonderful trick! I also used the dimensional flower/stickers from the Madeline line for embellishment along with Tim Holtz grungeboard, stickles, a MS punch, metal frame, etc. You can really go crazy with your embellishments. And the best part is.....it's really an easy project. It does take some time, mostly cutting and folding all the matchboxes but after that it goes together quickly. I hope you enjoy it and that you'll make one for yourself. Go to Tammy's blog,purchase the tutorial and you can instantly download it and get started.

Blog Candy Alert

http://paperphenomenon.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-candy-kit.html?showComment=1245094169618#c1821747828543909297 Check out this blog for fantasatic handbag tutorials and some wonderful blog candy!

Whoooo....Whooooo.....

Whoooo.....whooooo....or rather what is missing from this card? I know, I know, brads or SOMETHING to the left of the owl. But I couldn't find anything I was happy with so you get the unembellished unadulterated owl. But isn't he or she the cutest owl you've seen! This is a $1 stamp from Inkadinkadoo I found at JoAnn's as I was in the check out line. You know this nifty little items they tempt you with as you are bored waiting for the next cashier. Anywhoooo, the CS is Really Rust, So Saffron, Nevermore DS from Cosmo Cricket, and a More Mustard Top Note Die. The owl is on watercolor paper, embossed with clear EP and colored with inks right from the pad with a blender pen. The sentiment is from So Many Sayings on a word window punch. I will eventually find something I like for that spot. Definitely!

PTI Quilter's Sampler

Was in kind of a quilty-vintagy-patrioticy mood today! All the stamps used are from PTI's Quilter's Sampler. I stamped with Basic Black, colored with Red Riding Hood Red and Night of Navy with a blender pen and aged with TH Vintage Photo, including the little tin stars. I have had those for EONS! This stamp set is really a lot of fun but a 1" punch to punch out the quilt squares is a must. You just can't get them straight by eye. Enjoy!

Sitting on a Nest

Here's something just a little different. I came across this blog http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/ the other day and on it Cathe Holden tells you how to make these darling little wire bird nests. The one on this card was my first try, but hey it's not bad for the first one. So easy and very inexpensive. The wire is 24 guage beading wire and the eggs are little egg-shaped pearls available at Mike's. And you really can't do it wrong because it's a free form kind of thing. The paper used on this is Whisper White and the grey is a halloween paper from last year, might have been SU, not sure. I used Real Red ribbon and CS and ink and a Martha Stewart punch for the little leaves/twig. The bird is from Birds Galore by Inkadinkadoo, one of my favorite companies. The Labels Four Nestabilities were used for the medallion shapes. Then I used Crystal Effects to glue on the nest. It could be removed and a small pin back glued on with like E6000 and used as a pin or just a prop in your house with some birdy-nesty things---don't you all have them? Anyway, it was a fun little thing to make!

Sweet Little Gift Box

I am so thoroughly enjoying using Lauren Meader's Timeless Templates for some of these 3D projects. This one is called Get A Handle On It. Don't forget they are for sale at Paper Tray Ink. This box is 3.5" square which is a nice size for gifts. I used So Saffron CS and Tea Party DP. The scalloped ovals were cut with punches and the sentiment is from SU's Yummy set, masking out the scrolls with post it notes. The butterfly is from the Sizzix butterfly die and the pearls are Martha Stewart. Ribbon is So Saffron. A nice size cupcake or edible treat, a jar candle, toiletries, small stuffed animal, almost anything could be used to complete this little gift. Enjoy!

Purse-onality Clutch

I just love this little purse. It is made from a Timeless Template from Lauren Meader. You can find all her templates for sale at Paper Trey Ink. This is the Purse-onality Clutch. As you can see from this and my last project, I am making an effort to use up my current designer paper as it will be discontinued in the new catalog from SU coming on July 1. YAY! Anyway this is made from Parisian Breeze paper and the medallion image is from Polka Dot Punches. This is a good size box and could hold some craft supplies for a friend, chocolate and plenty of it, cosmetics, even small note cards, jewelry, etc. I used bridal brads from Mike's on the handles and medallion. Lauren is a talented lady and has quite a few templates in the collection now. They are only $5 and you can download them instantly. Works for me!