Baby Color Dare

Today's Color Dare is:

Marina Mist

So Saffron

Certainly Celery

When I pulled the colours together I immediately thought of a baby card.  I haven't used this roller much, so thought it would be the ticket!  That tiny tag punch is perfect for a couple of the extras from the Baby Bundle Set.

If you take up this Dare please link your creation to the Color Dare Challenge Blog and if you post to a public gallery use CD107 for this week.

For some further inspiration you can visit the other members of the Design Team at the following links...

Adriana
Joan - Me
Kathryn
Kim P
Kim R
Laurie
Lesley
Lori
Riley

Have a fantastic crafting day - Thanks for stopping by!

Joan

Tea & Happiness

WoooooHoooooo!!!!!!!
It's the last Monday of the school year!  I promise I won't make that announcement at the beginning of each post this week!
My Grade 6 kids were full of hugs at the end of today's class.  At least I'll still see most of them in halls next year - that's the nice thing about being a Elementary-Jr High school.  They were a good bunch of kids and I'll miss teaching them!

On to cards - today's Monday card is actually the Friday Mashup:

• use the sketch that was given
• Use More Mustard, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla
• Mashup the sketch and the colours.....

I turned the sketch on end because I preferred how the Presto Specialty paper looked in that direction.  I don't think I've actually paid attention to rubbing the white sections completely clean before - boy does it pop off the page! 

I created the flower using the biggest flower in the Boho Blossoms punch and just tipped the edges with the Cherry Cobbler.   The centre of the flower is actually a rhinestone brad.

I'm off to work on an anniversary project and then tonight our family is excited to be watching one of Allison's friends at the Edmonton trials for "So You Think You Can Dance Canada".  Woo Hoo - Can't wait.

Hope your day has been fantastic - thanks for visiting!
Joan

Life's a Bowl of Cherries - Enjoy!

I wasn't sure I would use this little bowl of cherries from the new "Cherish Friendship" set, but when I saw the Color Challenge from Splitcoast this past week: Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy  and Crumb Cake, it just seemed to make sense to use it.  So I pulled out the water colour paper and gave them a try.

The clean and simple look is what the  4 Crafty Chicks  are looking for this week.  I seem to be able to keep it simple as long as the main piece has texture.  I just have this strong aversion to flat paper on my cards - maybe that's why I like dimensionals so much too.  I have raised the square with the cherries and the small vanilla oval with "Enjoy".

Well, I'm off to sort cards today, and do some hemming.  I going to do the hemming first so I that it actually gets done!

Have a great day!  Thanks for the visit!
Joan

Newprint Amour

Extra, Extra - Having fun in the craft room!!!!

I am wishing I was back in Paris though!  Oh well - some other summer!  It's fun looking through this DSP to see the different ads.

This sketch is from this week's Just Add Ink.  Fairly simple sketch - but the different ways that people interpret the sketch makes each one unique.  That's the thing I love about sketch challenges!!!

Have a fantastic day!  Thanks for stopping by - Joan

Hello, Hello, Hello

I do seem to have a hard time taking pictures of cards with Cherry Cobbler.  Plus sometimes my camera decides to be in a mood....which I guess it is today.  Oh well - it's Friday - I'm not letting it bother me!

The sketch for this card is from Stampin' Royalty.  Clean and simple, really;  I didn't matt the background paper - which was a bit hard for me, but I like the look.   I'm glad I stamped the Hello's at the bottom - otherwise it's just a paper and embellishment card.

I'm off to take my daughter to the airport - she's flying to Vancouver for the weekend.  I'll be thinking of her all the while she's gone!!!!!  But I'll have the house to myself since my husband's away for the weekend too.  Here I come Craft Room!!!!!


Hope you get to enjoy your weekend to it's fullest.  Thanks for stopping by!
Joan

Birthday, Banners and Color Dares

WooHoo - Birthdays, Banners and Color Dares!!
I have to be honest and say that I was a bit hesitant when I pulled out the Real Red to use with this Color Dare - but Riley was right on the mark this week - I love this combination and I can't wait to see what the rest of the Design Team comes up with!

Your colors this week for CD106 are:

Peach Parfait

Pear Pizzazz

Real Red

I used the new banner punch - and I think I should have made a the card a bit bigger so that the banner was spread out a bit more.  Ah well.  Here are the links to see what the rest of the design team came up with...

Adriana
Joan - Me
Kathryn
Kim P
Kim R
Laurie
Lesley
Lori
Riley

Thanks for stopping by this week - I hope you take up the Dare - remember to post it as CD106 on any public galleries.

Joan

Clean and Simple for Tuesday

It's a fairly clean and simple card for today.  The simple clean sketch is from this week's challenge over at The Paper Players.  I moved the matted section to the left in order to reveal more of the embossing.  Except for the colouring, this would be a great card for a workshop - simple, quick and easy.

I've finally used some of the new paper - I am loving these two new colours together (Pool Party and Island Indigo).  The chair is also from a new set called "Cherish Friendship".

It looks like we're in for more rain this evening.  I walked on the lawn this afternoon and it's still moist from the previous numerous days of rain.....and the mushrooms are starting to grow.

Ah well - counting down the days of school - that's something to look forward too.  I hope you have something to look forward to also.  Thanks for stopping by!  Joan

Polkadot Love Life

Wow - what a busy weekend....but I'm back in the craftroom working on my own stuff.  I spent the weekend helping my daughter with a number of projects.  I've been thinking about this card for a couple of days - I read the challenge on The Friday Mashup! on Friday - you could

• Create a Summer Theme project
• Create a project using Polkadots
• OR Mash the two up as a summer project with polka dots....

so I brought out the flip flops - but only one design.  I tried to ink only that one pair, but I kept "catching" some of the neighboring flipflops - so I've cut each pair out and raised them on the white dot with a dimensional.  The pink and red rhinestones are cut out of the tiniest fire brads.

Fun, fun, fun....now if it would only stop raining in our area - that, however, really doesn't keep me from wearing flip flops!  I'm so happy not to be wearing socks!!!

Hope your Monday was great!  Onto the rest of the week.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit.
Joan

Congratulations Medallion

I must say that I am at the age where not many (none) of my friends are getting married.  Nor are any of my children's friends (yet).  However, it is always beneficial to have a card on hand in the case the need arises.  There are two Wedding themed Challenges which this card was created for - one is over at SUOnly Challenges and the other is at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  The colours for the card are courtesy of Stampin' Royalty.  I must say I am congratulating myself this evening because I have all of my report cards done.  Now to just get through to the end of June without being driven absolutely crazy by certain children who feel that school was already finished when Spring Break ended.  It's not so much the little guys as the Jr. High kids in the building.  Ah well - the countdown is on!  Enough rambling - thanks for taking the time to pop by for a visit.   Joan

Color Dare Day

WooHoo!!! it's Color Dare Day - Riley is challenging us today with Elegant Eggplant, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz and Sahara Sand.  I decided to use one of the new upcoming stamp sets.  I absolutely love this Hello.  I think I need to work a bit more on the floral image though.  I've "shadowed" the Eggplant with the Blushing Bride, but it didn't quite turn out as I expected.....so I added some Dazzling Diamonds.

I am pleased with how the punch turned out.

I hope you take the time to meet this colour challenge - Remember to link your creation to the Color Dare Blog - you could be picked  as a Featured Stamper.  Also remember to use CD105 when posting to a public gallery.

Now, please take the time to see what the rest of the Color Dare Design Team has come up with for this week....

Adriana
Joan - Me
Kathryn
Kim P
Kim R
Laurie
Lesley
Lori
Riley

Thanks for stopping by - I hope your Wednesday is WICKED!!!

Joan

Mojo Way to Go

Way to go today - my friend Joan had her last Bell practice with one of the classes, my husband had his band concert tonight, I got some flower planted and my daughter made a frame for her friend's birthday.

I got the idea for this flower from Sandra at Sandra's Stamping Spot for THIS flower. She has given some instructions, and it was really easy. I just think I need to make a couple more and not flatten the pieces quite so much.
For the scallop along the top and bottom edges I took the new Lace Ribbon Border Punch and cut it in half down the middle. And talking of splitting things - I inked only one set of words on a "triple" stamp from the Happy Greetings stamp set from the Summer Mini
The sketch is a Mojo Monday sketch.


This is the frame that Allison made for her friend. She's also going to be making her one of the photo tins.

Well - hope your Monday was marvelous - thanks for taking time to stop by for a visit.
Joan

Flip Flopping with Laughter

I'm loving the bright fun colours that The Paper Players have put out as a colour challenge this week: Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, and Daffodil Delight. As soon as I saw them together I thought of a bright summer day - and grabbed the flip flops.

I've used the Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge for today and incorporated the Spotlighting Technique. I haven't done it in a very very long time.

We have a BBQ tonight to go to for our Church Music Ministry windup - the sun has started to shine now too so that's fantastic. Hope you have something to look forward to this evening. Thanks for visiting.
Joan

Dragonflies for Dad

I've got three challenges happening with this card today. I finally got one created after being in my backyard for 4 hours cleaning out my flower beds. I'm going to have to rethink my whole gardening life because I can't do it on my knees anymore - I think I'm going to have to do more containers and put less into the ground.

Didn't see any dragonflies today - a bit too early still I think (here anyway). I did come across a couple of earthworms though and an interesting looking ladybug. She had more spots than I'm used to seeing. ANYWAY - when I saw the wall decorations in the thumbnail below, I knew what I wanted to do for a card today. The wall art is from Dali Decals which is the source for the Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoast. The sketch is this past week's Splitcoast Sketch challenge, and the masculine theme (or Father's Day) is the challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.

So, it was a productive day today, and I'm hoping to get to a greenhouse tomorrow to add some extra colour to the yard. Thanks for stopping by!
Joan

B&W Get Well

I'm not so sure how "cheery" a black and white get well card is - but it does have bling and butterflies! And I just HAD to make another one of those heated satin flowers. I only have three colours of Satin ribbon - I can see that increasing in the near future!

I've also used the new Lace Ribbon Border Punch that I got in my package of goodies yesterday. Gonna have fun this weekend!!!! (Guess I better think a little bit about report cards though since they'll be due soon)

Today's card comes courtesy of three challenges - Over at Just Add Ink they are looking for Black and White cards and Stamping 411 has this Clean and Simple Sketch (although the two flying butterflies are "extra".) It also meets half of The Friday Mashup - which is a Get Well card.

I hope all is well your way - and thanks for stopping by!
Joan

New Ribbon Flower Variety

Well - I found a new way to make a flower with ribbon in order to complete the challenge over at 4 Crafty Chicks this week. I was intrigued by Lori Turner's(Inkingly Yours) flower (one of the 4Crafty Chicks Design Team members - and fellow Colour Dare Team Member) She got the instructions for her flower from Dawn Olchefske's tutorial HERE. The instructions were excellent, easy and creating the flower was sort of magical - just like embossing powder!

(Oh - just one point - do make sure you follow Dawn's steps - I watched the video and then went to make the flower "remembering" the steps. TAKE THE RED LAYER OFF THE STICKY STRIP TO ATTACH THE RIBBON - if you don't you'll find that it melts while you're heating the ribbon. It doesn't ruin the flower - just gives you a reason to laugh at yourself!!!!!)

I thought I'd take a chance and see what happens stamping the sentiment on the ribbon - I used StazOn - and am glad it didn't bleed through the fibers.

Hope you are having a fabulous day - Thanks for stopping by!

Askew Trees for Dad

I know I've mentioned, from time to time, my aversion to plain paper. I usually feel the need to spritz it, distress it - something. I do occasionally leave it blank - but I am absolutely loving this square lattice embossing folder for adding texture without "messing up" the whole look of the card. Just as I did the other day - I attached the coloured stripes to a black background and then put it through the Big Shot.

This card falls under two challenges this week - the Color Throwdown - Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz and So Saffron. Also, Stampin' Royalty is looking to celebrate Dad this week.

My concert is over - I feel it went very well and got quite a lot of positive feedback from parents. I awoke this morning with the realization of another way the kids at my school ROCK! Once the concert was done, they started dismantling everything (grades 5 & 6) to take back to the music room without even a word from me. It wasn't until this morning that I realized that the music room had been put back exactly as it should be - everything in it's place. Yes, I am anal about things, and yeah I know the kids know it (although that's not the term they'd use, I'm sure) It's just comforting to know that there are youth who take the initiative to do what needs to be done and to do it well. I appreciate that so much.

Anyway - I'm a happy camper - and a campfire with camp songs is the next thing on my agenda before the end of the year. Hope you have something worth appreciating in your day today. Thanks for taking the time to stop by for a visit.
Joan

Exploring with a Color Dare

As soon as I saw these colours from Riley for the Color Dare this week, I saw "masculine" card, and water - so I pulled out "The Open Sea" and merged it with the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. The colours for this week are:

Not Quite Navy
Baja Breeze
Cajun Craze

I think these colours would be perfect for a Fall sort of card too - but since we haven't even reached summer - it works perfect for the ocean. Make sure that you stop by the other members of the Design Team to see their interpretation.

Adriana
Joan - Me
Kathryn
Kim P
Kim R
Laurie
Lesley
Lori
Riley

I hope you take part in our Dare this week - and make sure you link your creation back to the Color Dare blog where you could be selected as a Featured Stamper. If you post to a public gallery, remember to tag your project with CD104.

Thanks for stopping by today - Hope your Wednesday is Fantastic.

Overboard on so many levels....

A) This post includes 3 challenges 1) Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge, 2) Color Inspiration #158 from Stamping 411: Real Red, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Peach Parfait and 3) CAS challenge at Splitcoast using a Play on Words.

This may not look clean and simple - but it didn't take much to make - strips of paper and punches.

B) Four different punches used: Two-Step Bird, Scallop Circle and 2 sizes of circle punches

C) Three different embossing folders - I don't think I've ever used that many on one card! The back strips were a given - I always had that planned - alternating the embossing was just an experiment I ended up liking. Once I made the layered strip across the card, I just HAD to see what happened when I put it through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice Folder! I just love how it takes the layered look away. The polka dot embossed circle was just a way of getting away from a plain piece of paper.

So - what a way to end the day. Bright and full of fun! The instruments are on the stage, everyone knows what they are SUPPOSE to do. We'll see what happens at the rehearsal Tuesday. Good thing tomorrow is Color Dare......I already know what's coming up!

Thanks for taking time to stop by for a visit.
Joan

Stainglass Tortoise

Okay - it's not really a stainglass tortoise - just two different challenges.

I had a lot of fun making this first card based on the stained glass window shown below from Daniel Maher Stained Glass - which was the site for the Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoast Saturday. I love stained glass and am in awe of the people who can create such intricate works of art with such a difficult medium. I had fun with my punches creating all the little bits for my creation - the tiniest circles were made using the eye parts of the Two-Step Owl punch. Once I had all the pieces down and the lines drawn, I added Crystal Effects to make them glassier. It really perks up the colours a bit too.


Our dear little tortoise is sending Thanks for the challenge over at The Paper Players this week - remembering how important it is to send messages of Thanks, especially in an age of electronics. It's much more fun to receive Thanks in the mailbox! The sketch for this card is from Stamping 411 this week.

I guess the weekend is coming to a close and I will be happy once Wednesday is over this week. Hope it has been a wonderful one for you. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Joan

A Fistful of Balloons

Wow, I can't believe I managed to create a single layer card, and it wasn't even part of a challenge. The challenge I did meet is from this week's Friday Mashup! This is a blog I've just recently discovered and decided to try the challenge.... to create a card for kids, or use the color combination of Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight and Real Red....OR Mash those two challenges together in one card.

As soon as I placed the scraps of color on my desk I saw balloons, and pulled out this stamp because I just love the long swirling strings!

I stamped the balloon image on watercolor paper to colour in the balloons - and for a final Mash-Up - used all four colours on one balloon - of course they bled a bit and created a green in there, but I guess that's what happens sometimes when you mash things together.

I can't believe the weekend is here! I hope I can get some cleaning done and some stuff set aside for the community wide garage sale.
Have a terrific Weekend - Thanks for stopping by!
Joan

Happiness is - Fridays!!!!

Anyone out there remember the Peanuts having lots of ideas of what Happiness is? I had whole little book about it I think. Wow - those were the days! Today - Happiness is butterflies, a half day Friday with golfing and refreshments....and a husband who understands me!! WoooHooo!!!

I'm starting to get a bit used to these easel cards - it wasn't a necessary part of this card, but I liked the idea using the scalloped circle die for the Big Shot. The sketch is from Just Add Ink. The 4 Crafty Chicks are looking for anniversary cards this week. And finally, the colours are from the Color Throwdown - Certainly Celery, Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie.

I've also added this card to a newly discovered challenge blog - Hand Stamped Sentiments - their challenge this week is to use paper piecing in your creation.

My daughter came into my craft room while I was working on this and loved the color combo - she has to make something for a friend of hers - so we'll see if the colors pop up again.

Well, gotta get to work - I'll be finding out today if my "creative" idea of having the entire school singing a song in canon at four sections around the gym is going to work. I'm pushing the limits for the little grade 1's and 2's - so we'll see. It may just be a "crazy" idea instead.

Ta ta for now - thanks for stopping by!
Joan

A Musical Thank You

This is the time of year that I start making Musical Thank You cards for the parents who have helped me out in my music program through the year.....thus the reason I keep ALL retired Stampin'Up! musical sets!

This week, the girls over at Raise The Bar were requesting Thank you cards for Teachers - I no longer have children in school - but being a teacher - I give the Thanks You's out instead.

The Paper Players challenge this week has been "Anything Goes" - So - I've used two of my favorite stamp sets, I've used one of my favorite techniques - embossing! and then of course, my favorite add-on for almost EVERY card I make is Dimensionals!

I'm chomping at the bit now - only four school days until concert day - and somehow some teachers are still sneaking in a field trip. Arggggghhhhhhh! I do have fantastic kids - but I'm not feeling as confident about this concert as I have for others. Oh well - ya never want good rehearsals anyway!

So - take it as it comes - it will all be good. Thanks so much for stopping by!!!!! Have a Fantastic Day.
Joan

The Ceremony...

Oh I am having so much fun with My Digital Studio. My husband came to see what I was doing last night and I told him that I was having difficulty figuring out the middle block of this page - he just said - " You'll get it figured out!" - and I did. I LOVE being able to resize embellishments and to use as many as I feel like.

Thanks for stopping by - Joan

Color Dare 103

WoooHooo - It's Color Dare Day! It was great seeing so many people participate last week - I enjoyed visiting your blogs to see what you came up with!

This week, Riley has challenged us with:

Tempting Turquoise
Chocolate Chip
Pear Pizzazz
I'm not sure how I got started on the bugs - but they asked to come out to play and I let them. I don't have any Tempting Turquoise DSP, so made some using the Circle Circus Set. Then I decided that some holes were needed in the end as though the bugs had been eaten through the paper. I have no aversion or fear of insects (unless they are unusually huge - or decide my house is theirs) I enjoy watching their busyness in the garden.

Anyway......I hope you will take the DARE - and then post your project on the Color Dare Challenge Blog. If you post to a public gallery please remember to tag your creation as CD103. Have loads of fun - and check out the rest of the Design Teams blogs to see what wonderful creations they have come up with this week....

Adriana
Joan - Me
Kathryn
Kim P
Kim R
Laurie
Lesley
Lori
Riley

Thanks for stopping by! Have fun with the Dare! Joan

Last Chance Lists for Stampin'Up!

Today is June 1, so it's time to start saying goodbye to hundreds of products from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue and Definitely Decorative brochures that are retiring. Now is the time to get them before they're gone.

For a list of the retiring STAMPS CLICK HERE
For a list of the retiring ACCESSORIES CLICK HERE
For a list of the retiring DEFINITELY DECORATIVE ELEMENTS CLICK HERE

You can e-mail me with your orders or shop on-line, any time of day, at my website store
HERE

Remember accessories are only available while they last, so the quicker you shop the better.
Have fun shopping and Stamping!
Joan