Celebrate Easter & Spring

Happy Easter Everyone!  Blessings to you and your family!

It's a sketch day at Sunday Stamps this week and I love the one that Hayley has provided for us.  You could interpret the different sections in so many ways: varied DSP, varied embossing folders, varied colours, and as I chose, varied stamps.  I've been laid flat in bed, sick, for seven of the last ten days of spring break.....so I picked bright colours and a happy spring theme to perk me up!

I used a strip of our watercolour paper to create the rainbow along the side with an aquapainter and re-inker.  Then, just to bling things up a bit, I coloured our rhinestones with Sharpie to fall through the rainbow.  I'm figuring if Brian Pilling can colour rhinestones with Sharpie, so can I - and why not - it's awesome!

Check out the Sunday Stamps Challenge Blog if you're looking for some wonderful inspiration from the Design Team - and then let us see what you create!  Link your creation back to the blog by April 5 at 6pm EST.

Have fun creating, and enjoy the day celebrating the blessings of Easter.

Thanks for stopping by.

Joan

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Today's post is a collection of items from yesterday, today, and for tomorrow as part of an application process.

YESTERDAY
I had to pull out the flower garden, shown above, which I created with fabrics, ribbon and cardstock.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, but there's still tons of snow on the ground.  So this is a good reminder that spring will come!

Two Sunday's ago, I had my Chicks and Chocolate event and it was a great success.  I created little flags to co-ordinate with all the cards which were named after different kinds of chocolate.

This is an event I will definitely do again.

TODAY

One of today's cards was created for the Friday Mashup!  The Mashup was to use lined paper and have a distressed look.  This is my second package of Fan Fair DSP - I just love it!

Another card for today is for Merry Monday - it was a tic-tac-toe board for this challenge and I love the options you get!  I created an ombre background and then tore paper to create a bit of a landscape for these three to stand on.  They have been fussy cut and raised off the background.....and because it's a Christmas card, I just had to give them ribbons around their necks.

and TOMORROW....

Well - April's Technique Class...One of the techniques we'll be doing is the  Chalkboard technique.  To get the "chalk" line around the edge of both pieces, I traced the inside of the framelit before cutting it out.

and finally - for one of the scrapbook layouts for Stamp with Me Monday we'll create this sketch.  If you'd like a different coloured background, let me know.

That's it for today - Hope you are enjoying your Easter Weekend.

Thanks for stopping by,

Joan

Yummy in my Tummy

I'm presenting the sketch today at MDS Monday - Woo Hoo!  It's our tenth sketch - so, in  celebration it is a double spread, AND each time you enter you will get a chance to win an MDS download valued up to $9.99.  Your creation can be the double spread, or you can select one of the pages to use as your jumping off point.

The added "technique" this time round, is to add a frame on top of your feature photo to highlight something.  For my spread, I've focused in on the raspberry  Elliot is holding....this little guy has such awesome fine motor skills already - I love watching him  manipulate things with his fingers.

To create all of the raspberries, I cropped one of the balloons from "Party Animal" and recoloured it Raspberry Ripple.  Then I bunched them together into the shape of a raspberry and used the drop shadow to help create the depth of all those little seeds.

The banner is also from "Party Animal" - it's originally a 4 pennant banner, so I cropped it and stuck it back together to get enough pennants for the word.

Here is the sketch, and be sure to pop by the Challenge Blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has come up with....the deadline for your entries is April 5.

Have Fun!

Unforgettable Henry

Hello everyone - welcome to a Colour Challenge day at Sunday Stamps - It was my turn to pick the combination this week.  I rarely use these colours, and since we're under so much snow here, I thought a bright combination was in order.

I used three stamp sets for this creation - Beyond Plaid, Henry Says, and Clockworks.  So Henry has been cut out after being stamped on the herringbone design.  I can't believe that I've only just opened up the Tea Time Trinkets...they were one of the first things I purchased from the Occasions Catalogue.

The sketch I've used comes from Freshly Made Sketches this past week.

Here's the colour combo

Have fun creating - be sure to link your project back to the Sunday Stamps Challenge blog so we're able to take a peak.

We're off to see "Billy Elliot" tonight - totally excited for that.

Hope you have something to look forward to.

Thanks for stopping to visit.

Joan

Ombre Butterflies

This is a quick post as I'm trying to accomplish tons of things today - I decided to do the Friday Mashup!  They want butterflies this week - I just had to.  I didn't really stick to the sketch, but I did use my brayer and I did include the butterflies.  

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project using the "Sketch".

2. Or Make a project using "Butterflies & Your Brayer".

3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with "your Brayer using the Sketch and add some Butterflies".

 It's  a busy day - end of Sale-a-bration, end of the Bounce Back Bookathon, and we find out today the results of the voting for the Alberta Teacher's Association....Lots to think about and do.

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

Hooray Elephant

I was playing with this little elephant in preparation for the weekend - I used the wrong colour - so created this card so she didn't get wasted!  The stamp set is called "Henry Says" so I guess today her name is Henrietta!

I am loving these little flowers!  They are so easy to colour with a sponge dauber to match whatever is happening on your creation.

Our little friend is on Razzleberry hills - which means she is no where near where I live 'cause the snow just keeps coming down.  Ah well - it will disappear eventually.

Hope you're having a marvelous day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Joan

My Paper Pumpkin Arrived

Ya know how there's that knock at the door and you wonder - who on earth can that be? - well that's what happened today - and much to my surprise, it was my Paper Pumpkin arriving.  I was so excited, I   tore it open so see what was inside and went to work creating the "instructed" card and three more of my own variations...

This is the suggested creation - except I added more splatters through the card.

Next I decided to separate the words on the text stamp by using a marker.

Then the "throw away bits" caught my eye and I added them along the side.  The DSP has been cut and re-cut to create more banners.

and lastly - I masked the area under the "throw away banner bit" to create a new little banner and added a splattered scallop punch.  I just got the Basic Gray ribbon and love it!

So - You can stick to the instructions or add bits and pieces of what you have available.  If you'd like to learn more about My Paper Pumpkin - and get a wonderful surprise package in the mail each month  - here is the link

Thanks for stopping by!

Joan

Snow, snow and more snow???

The Merry Monday Challenge sure had it right this week - at least for people in my little area of the world.  We got a lot of snow again - but it's March - so it won't last long.  However, it is in the forecast for later this week.

Some snow hills have been added for this little guy to stand on and I've used the Cloudy Day embossing folder and one of the Tea Lace Paper Doilies.

For the big snowflake, I flattened one of the Soda Pop Tops through the Big Shot, pressed it into the Versa Mark Pad, dipped it in Pool Party Embossing Powder and heated it.  The snowflake inside is from "Four Seasons" and to emboss it I mixed some Pool Party and Silver Embossing Powder.  I will certainly remember this little trick when the season comes around!  To finish things off I added a wee bit of Dazzling Details around the edge of the paper just to cover it up.

Hope you have a Terrific Tuesday - we have Parent/Teacher interviews tonight so I won't be in my craft room....oh well - it's spring break next week so I'll have lots of time then.

Thanks for stopping by:

Joan

It's a Sketch Day at Sunday Stamps and Tara has a fabulously fun one for us to work with.  I must say that I sort of feel like a bit of a pinwheel blowing around today in the directions of all the things I want/need to accomplish - quickly.  I know I will succeed too!

This is the first time I've used the little pinwheel die since being introduced to it at one of Tamye's Extravaganzas and then realizing that I really do "want/need" it.  It sure does help making cute little pinwheels quickly.  I stayed pretty much "inside the box" for this sketch, although Tara is inviting you to please, (please!) think outside the box.  It's always exciting to see what different creative minds come up with.

So check out the Sunday Stamps Challenge Blog if you'd like some inspiration - and once you've finished your creation, link it to us so we can see!  Deadline for entries is Fri.  March 22 at 6pm EST.

Have fun - and thanks for stopping by!

Joan

Sunshine & Sprinkles Designer Series Paper	126922
Price: $13.50

Regal Rose 1/8 Inch Taffeta Ribbon	122965
Price: $8.25

Pinwheel Sizzlits S Die	129411
Price: $5.95

Cloudy Day Textured Impressions Embossing Folder 127022 Price: $9.95 Finishing Touches Edgelits Dies 127010 Price $11.95

Rainbow Butterfly

I played around with my markers, re-inkers and watercolour paper the other night.  Oh I could make a ton of these.  The butterfly didn't come out a dark as I'd like because of the watercolour paper - it's got a lot of texture - I'll try this again with embossing powder.

I didn't want to clutter up the front with a greeting - but it certainly could be used for any occasion.

It's Friday - woo hoo -

I'm preparing for "Chicks and Chocolates" tomorrow afternoon

Hope you have a fabulous day - don't forget

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT OF SALE-A-BRATION

(sorry - the rainbow was calling to me)

Thanks for stopping by

Joan

Swallowtail Clear-Mount Stamp	129216
Price: $16.95 Swallowtail Wood-Mount Stamp 129213 Price: $21.95 6 X 9 Watercolor Paper 122959 Price: $5.95

Lobster Trap

When I first saw this By the Tide set in the Spring Catalogue I knew I wanted it so I had the lobster for scrapbooking our trips to the Maritimes.  It's taken me this long to get it though.....and I'm loving it.  What a great set for masculine cards and memories.

The colours I've used are Night of Navy, Pool Party and Cherry Cobbler.

I oh-so-carefully used one of the Oval Framelits to cut out part of the lobster so that his antennae stuck out....really, I just didn't want that big an oval on the page. I had seen demonstrators partially cut before - but hadn't tried it myself.  It is a bit nerve racking!

The Soda Pop top has been squished through the Big Shot before I  adhered the anchor image and the anchor image was stamped onto the Natural Cotton Ribbon in both Pool Party and Cherry Cobbler.

The sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches this week.

I hope your mid week was great and your raring to get to the weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by to visit.

Joan

By The Tide Clear-Mount Stamp Set	129120
Price: $24.95
By The Tide Wood-Mount Stamp Set 129117 Price: $33.95

Soda Pop Tops	129388
Price: $4.95

Natural 7/8" Cotton Ribbon	127844
Price: $9.95

Ovals Collection Framelits Dies	129381
Price: $32.95

Christmas Bells

I did up a card for the Merry Monday Challenge - Love the sketches because they are quick and easy...and yet you can add to them too. (I added the bit of crochet trim)

I took a tip from the current "Stampin' Success" magazine that we get as Demonstrators....The music paper is actually a piece of our Natural Composition Designer Series Paper - it's already embossed and all I did was ink up the paper using a sponge and wiped the excess off the embossed areas.  I love the effect....especially since it's musical!

I embossed the holly leaves in gold on Always Artichoke paper and then embossed the bells on Very Vanilla and coloured them in by putting marker on the "shaded" areas and pulling the ink into the rest of the image with a blender pen.

Both the greeting and the bells have been raised with dimensionals.

Hope your week is moving along Merrily!

Thanks for stopping by.

Joan

Subway Art

Today at MDS Monday, Heidi has a great sketch for us and she is challenging us to add a bit of subway art within our project.  Subway art is simply a group of words or phrases that centre around a common theme - and use a variety of different sizes and types of fonts within the design.

I love this picture of Allison at one of her dance competitions, so my subway art includes words and quotes about dance.  I've also included some flourishes which I've cropped or recoloured to suit my needs.

I have actually done a number of different subway art pieces... This first one is a journal cover just for doodling and "arting" in.  The ones that follow are pieces I created to have displayed during the seasons at my front door....

As you can see....I've fallen behind and need to get some spring type ones created! 

 Here is the sketch for this challenge...

Have fun with it!  Can't wait to see what you come up with!

1. In your blog post you must mention that you are playing along with MDS Monday - we'd love it if you went one step further and linked back to the challenge blog and posted our challenge photo!
2. Your project must be new and not posted prior to the MDS Monday challenge date.
3. Enter as many times as you like!
4. When linking your entry, please link directly to your blog post, not your entire blog. 
5. Entries must be in by 11:59pm EST the following Friday (that means you have 12 full days to enter!)
6. Have fun!

Thanks for stopping by,

Joan

Sunday Birthday Dress

Happy Sunday! - Holly has a great colour challenge for us this week at Sunday Stamps.  I love red and black together - and this week Holly has selected Cherry Cobbler to be paired with Basic Black and Baja Breeze.

I love how easy the Seam Binding ribbon is to use....I had started out with a piece of Baja Breeze and twisted it tightly to form a waistband on this dress. In the end it looked like it really needed a bow - so I added on and "curled" the ends of the ribbon so they flowed nicely.

The "poster" in the background is created from the Designer Frames Embossing folder - I cut the frame out along the embossing and then added a white piece in the centre for the birthday greeting.

Be sure to check out the design team's creations at the Sunday Stamps Challenge Blog - there are cards as well as a scrapbook layout using our colours.

Remember to link your creation back to the blog so we can select a Top Pick!    You have until March 15,  to post your project.  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Thanks for dropping by -

Joan

Supplies: Cardstock - Basic Black (121045), Whisper White (100730), Cherry Cobbler (119685)

Embellishments: - Basic Pearls (119247), Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon (122331)

Lacy Brocade Textured Impressions Embossing Folder - 127819 - Price $9.95

All Dressed Up Bundle Clear - 131095 - Price $43.95

Set Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Die - 123130 - Price $10.95

Petite Pairs - Clear Mount Stamp - 122497 - Price $25.95

Petite Pairs Wood Mount Stamp - 122495 - $35.95