Get Well Flourishes

Thought I'd try clean and simple today.  This week's challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments is to use flourishes.  I've been wanting to use this stamp set for a while now - and when I looked at it I saw more than florishes - I saw flowers...sort of.  The get well wishes come from the SUO Challenges this week and the colours are today's Color Challenge over at SCS - Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight and a neutral.

I could give this to my daughter today - she's suffering from a summer cold - she's a bit annoyed because she wasn't sick all winter.  Oh well - it's a drizzly day today, so perfect for hunkering down in the covers.

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you have a wonderful day!
Joan

Pick a Number...

All these little games we play with ourselves....or at least I do sometimes. For this project I knew I would be using the Splitcoast Color Challenge and Sketch Challenge and Free 4 All Challenge - I just didn't know which stamp set I wanted to use; although I did want to use the new postage stamp punch for the bottom. So - for the stamp set - I picked a number and counted the stamp set on the shelf until I got to this one, "Simply Said". It's another set that I haven't used in FOREVER!!!

The Color Challenge was - Regal Rose, Rich Razzleberry and Vanilla.
The Sketch has not been adjusted from what was given (although I have three layers for the three spots along the bottom)
The Free 4 All Challenge was "Say What?" - to make a phrase the focal point.

Hope you're having a wonderful Holiday Monday - Thanks for visiting. Joan

Frozen Ice Cream Treats - for you

Well, I heard him today - that wonderful ice cream truck who plays such soothing music to the ears - NOT!!!!! A friend of mine of Facebook mentioned how relieved she was that the truck in her area had changed music this year. We, however, are stuck with "La Cucaracha".

Anyway - today's colours are courtesy of Splitcoasts Colour Challenge for the week - So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Blushing Bride. Take a peek at the gallery over there - there are some awesome creations with these colours.

I used the new "Sunny Fun" set for today's card - coating the ice cream treats with Illuminate Top Coat Smooch to create a bit of a glassy/frosty look.

That's it for today - it's been a productive day though - school, made this card, yoga, pruned a couple branches and raked about 1/8 of the backyard before my knees started complaining. Now - supper, ice and vegetate! Hope your day was full of accomplishments - minor and/or major!

Thanks for stopping by!
Joan

Mojo Friends...

I was so excited at school today, because a dear friend of mine, who had been on a short trip to Europe, had returned. I was so glad to see her! Tonight, I'm going to another friends house for a home party - so today is all about friendship!!!

This first card follows today's Mojo Monday Sketch. I found this sketch very easy to do - I think it's a keeper for sure. I do so love working with this wide Striped Grosgrain ribbon - it's so soft and pliable - I just "wrapped" the legs of the vintage brad around the ribbon and through a hole in the base.
The colours are from last weeks' Splitcoast Colour Challenge - Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler and Black. I've had the scraps on my table all week - finally put them together.

Stamp Set - Vintage Vogue Paper - Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler Ink - Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler Accessories - Scallop Trim Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Modern Label Punch, Vintage Brads, Regals Brads, Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Glimmer Basics Brads, Snips, Dimensionals,


Again - another Extravaganza card - yes, I'm almost done sharing them! We did a lot of stamping that day - it was awesome!!!!! Watercolour paper was used for the flowers, bird and greeting. We also covered the bird with Illuminate Top Coat Smooch - so the bird glimmers nicely.

I hope today has been full of relationships that bring you happiness....friends are so important.
Thanks for stopping by - Joan

Certainly Bashful Breezes

Today's card incorporates Splitcoasts' Color Challenge which is Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Baja Breeze and the SUO Challenge which is a Mother's Day card.

I sorry to say that I can't remember whose blog I was on last week when I saw how they took a strip of scalloped paper and (by cutting triangles into the "base") enabled it to curve around a circle. I'm familiar with the process from my sewing background, but I hadn't thought of using the technique on paper.

I pulled the aqua painter out again today to colour the bouquet and the Paper Daisies.

Hope Tuesday was a terrific day for you - Thanks for stopping by!
Joan

Stamp Set/s - On the Grow (Summer Mini), Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper - Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, Watercolour Paper
Ink - Baja Breeze, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Basic Black, Staz-On Black
Other - Paper Daisies, Word Window Punch, Certainly Celery Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Pearls, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Subtle Glimmer Brads, Aqua Painter, Dimensionals

Concord Thanks

This colour combination is from Tuesday's Colour Challenge at Splitcoast - Concord Crush, Crumb Cake and (Ivory) Very Vanilla. I pulled out this "Awash with Flowers" set - I've seen numerous fantastic cards with it - I just have to figure out how to work the pieces. I'm happy with this monochromatic look though! Just gotta do more practicing with it!

Spent the evening at a trumpet "grad" recital for one of my husband's former Jr. High band students. It's cool to get invited to events where students have moved into a subject you taught them.

Thanks for stopping by - Joan

CAS Friends

I'm still not completely secure with rockin' the Clean and Simple card. Yesterday's CAS challenge over at Splitcoast was to create a card using this one by (Maureen)Mama Mo Stamps as inspiration.
I've also used LAST weeks Colour Dare Colours which were So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz and Pretty in Pink.
One of the sets, Fabulous Florets, from the upcoming Summer Mini Catalogue is where the floral images are from. I spritzed the pink flower with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch.

Hope your week is going well, and I thank you for stopping by for a visit. Joan

Thanks-Merci

I was on a roll this afternoon - got three challenges included in this card....
Splitcoast Colour Challenge - Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Neutral
Just Add Ink - Sketch
Random Amusing Challenge - Using more than one punch or die cut

Hope you are enjoying warmer temperatures - I'm loving the sun, especially later in the evening. It shines so nicely in my stamping room.
Thanks for stopping by today - Joan

Antiquated Wishes

Today's card is for two challenges from earlier this week...

Lord Have Mercy! - Sketch
SCS Colour Challenge #299 - River Rock, Real Red and Old Olive.

When I first saw these colors I thought I'd turn it into another Christmas Card - but decided to deviate from the theme....I'm not a big fan of Real Red - so didn't want to have a lot of it showing...

I absolutely love these old antique items!

Hope you are having a wonderful Thursday - and thanks for stopping by for a visit. - Joan


Stamp Set/s - Puns from the Past, Timeless Treasures, Oval All
Paper - River Rock, Real Red, Old Olive, Neutral Patterns DSP
Ink - River Rock, Old Olive
Other - Retired River Rock Ribbon, Metallic Brads, Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch

Perseverence....wins the medal

Well....this is for fun!
Tuesday's Colour Challenge on Splitcoast was taken from the Olympic Inuksuk.....shown in the corner. You could take 1-2-3-4-or 5 of the colours represented plus a neutral. The "dessert" was to add metallics - bronze, silver or gold. This sketch is from The Sweetest Thing - Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge and the two of these fit together for me....
I used all five of the Olympic colours layered in the background with DSP (except for the Brilliant Blue which I had to stamp an image on. Heaven forbid that I should ever use a plain piece of paper!) I went to find an image that was sport related - 'cause I have a difficult time sometimes working outside the box. I saw this turtle and thought - hey - he won the race - he got Gold through perseverence. I guess he may have won three
different medals because I created the strip in the middle with gold, silver and copper metallic paper. I coloured his shell in the Inuksuk colours and his body is done in gold and silver metallic ink.

Hope you are enjoying your week. Thanks for dropping by!

Busy Sunday

I was able to get quite a bit of stamping done yesterday so I was able to knock off a number of challenges.

This Faith card is for last weeks' Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast as well as the Colour Throw Down. The Colours were pale green, rust and burgundy. I realize now that I should have added some ink around the edges of the flower and the smaller letters. I can add it to the flower - but the letters will have to stay.

The teapot flowerpot is a free image this last week from Delightful Inspiration. I wanted to try
different colours for the flowers so ended up putting all three on the card - creating little doilies for them to sit on with my scallop oval punch. I've pierced the paper around the edges but it's hard to see.

The third is created for the Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast Saturday from Lark. I have the thumbnail shown - they were cute little felt sparrows. I brightened them up a bit and was able to use some flower shaped brads that I've had for YEARS and forgotten about. The background for each bird is spritzed with the colours I used. The sketch for this card is from Sweet Stop. Over at Stamp Something they wanted you to make something with a "Touch of Spring", and the Corrosive Challenge this week is to use "Things with Wings".

Thank you for stopping by - I don't usually do two posts in one day - but I wanted to get these ones on. Hope your Monday is marvelous...

Tea and Posies

Good Morning - anyone ready for a cup of tea?
I like this cup and saucer from Sugar Creek Hollow. I printed it onto glossy paper (photo paper) so that I could use the crayon resist technique on it....that's how I created the swatches of white within the cup. To make the centres of the flowers I dabbed each of my silver brads into my Versa Mark pad, then dipped them into white embossing powder and heated them to solidify. I really like how this turned out.

Challenges for this card....
SCS Colour Challenge - Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Soft Suede
SCS Limited Supply Challenge - Ribbon and Trim
Saturday Spotlight Challenge- Making your creation "Messy" by distressing the paper - tearing - etc.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have time to settle with a cup of tea - especially with a friend.

Durango Sage Friends

Good Morning -
I am actually still trying to figure out how I feel this morning. I ended up with a very sore neck and migraine yesterday. I did manage to get a challenge card done before settling down early for the night.

The colour challenge this week is Sage Shadow, Dusty Durango and Chocolate Chip. I thought I could make a perfect masculine card with these colours - but this emerged - so it will be more of a fall season card. The sage piece is a left over from something else.

The sketch is from last weeks OCC (Our Creative Corner) Weekly Sketch. I see they have a new one posted this morning - so I'll have to work on that one today.

When making the flower - which I generally have a hard time doing - I bent each one of the petals. I've seen other cards with this done and WOW does it help immensely with the look of the flower. Thank you to everyone who is such an inspiration to me.

Well, off to get ready for work. Have a thoroughly wonderful Thursday.

Catching up on Challenges...

Well, I spent the afternoon catching up on challenges that I missed last week because of being at teacher's convention. I haven't even looked at my Monday challenges for this week. I was lucky because, although I wasn't able to stamp in the hotel room, I was able to check challenges and blog hop. So I had an idea of what I was wanting to do when I got home.

Saturday's Inspiration challenge came from Erté. The art was so fabulous and as I was looking at the dresses that were featured - I immediately thought of Haute Couture. I love this dress!!!!! My inspiration is in the little thumbnail - I coloured the dress with Bashful Blue, covered it with Crystal Effects and then doused it with microbeads. The flash on the camera added the bit of pizzazz.

Tuesday's Colour Challenge on SCS was Burgundy, Basic Grey and Crushed Curry. I'm not altogether happy with the way that I coloured these flowers...the shading isn't the best. I used a white gel pen to accent the centres before adding the rhinestones.

The next three cards are done with images from Sugar Creek Hollow. The images are available at the website under "New Releases". We're also having a Preliminary Preview this week and each day a couple of the Design Team are being introduced. Hop on over there to meet them, they're a fantastic group of women.

My first card uses this beautiful cross. It makes me think of a wrought iron fence and yet it's so soft and gentle also. I sponged gold ink around the outside of the white block and used gold cardstock to print the scripture verse. I broke down and purchased a set of Nestibilities on the weekend and tried it out for this piece. The pearls come for Stampin'Up!'s pretties kit.














Over at Our Creative Corner, they are challenging people to create a masculine Valentines card this week. When I created this card I had my husband in mind - I know the image is a bit "soft" and the sentiment is mushy - but it's heartfelt and I hope he likes it.

Finally, CCEE Stampers is having a heart challenge in preparation for Valentine's Day. The heart filligree and the "Forever" are separate images available at Sugar Creek Hollow. Somehow I also think this was a sketch challenge from a while ago - but I can't remember.

My husband is making supper right now - gotta love him!!!! - so once this is posted and supper is done I will be going around visiting my blog list.

I hope your Monday was wonderful and thanks for taking the time to stop by.

Totally Pink

Wow - I really have to say that pink is not one of my most favorite colours - but when the colour challenge says to use it - ya do. I just realized how washed out this photo ended up. (sigh)
The colours for yesterday's challenge were - Pretty in Pink, Mambo Melon and Blush Blossom. The only bit of blush I used was the second heart. I'm also disappointed that the words didn't show up as well on the photo as they do in real life. I was actually surprised - I stamped the Mambo Melon first and strategically placed it on the die to be put through the Big Shot. Amazingly, I didn't cut off any of the words.
I've included Pretty in Pink Ribbon on either side of the Mambo Melon polka dot ribbon.

The sketch is from Today's Sketch challenge. When I originally did the challenge I looked at it in black and white. I now notice that there is a 3a and 3b - oooops. Oh well. Pays to read instructions carefully!!!

Hope all is well your way - thanks for stopping by!

More Pretty Chocolate Razzleberries.....

I must not be eating enough chocolate lately!!!!! And well, "raspberries" are my most favorite fruit....so I've got more cards with Tuesday's Colour Challenge.

On my first card I've used my first images from Sugar Creek Hollow. I just love the scroll work around the heart. My camera decided not to feature the words - their clear in person. I added a range of big and tiny bling and the outside of the heart just called for Dazzling Diamonds on this card. I used Rich Razzleberry and Pretty in Pink around the edges of the scallop. I was going to add a bow, but decided that the simplicity of the bling was enough.

When you get a chance you should pop over to the Sugar Creek Hollow and sign up as a follower so that you don't miss out on the Grand Opening and an opportunity to win a $50 gift certificate at the store. Wooo Hooo!!!!

The image on the second card comes from Delightful Inspiration - It's the second week of a
challenge where you get a free digital image each week by creating a card with the image from the site. I love almost anything served hot in a cup....coffee, tea, chocolate. I went a bit overboard with this card though. I paper pieced the cup, part of the saucer, and the little hearts on the saucer. Then I rolled up some chocolate chip paper, made a little slit in the image and stuck in the two "cinnamon sticks". Next, since I recently found some old liquid applique - I just HAD to make the whip cream look good enough to stick your finger in!!!!!

So, with all that done - I'm heading to bed. It was a long afternoon taking 300 kids to watch the Olympic torch pass through our city. They were excited though and showed good Olympic spirit. Also...I'm still on my roll of getting up early in the morning to do my Wii fit, stamping and posting each day - on top of working. I can TRULY say that my prayers are being answered....I pray that your days, too, are blessed with creativity, patience, endurance, and peace.

Thanks for stopping by,

New Adventures and Chocolate.....

Well, let me tell ya......yesterday afternoon was pretty busy.

First, I got the news that I've been invited to join the design team for Sugar Creek Hollow - a brand new digital stamp company which will be opening it's "doors" on March 1st. Click on the badge at the right for the link. I'm really excited about this because it's a whole new avenue to go down. I'm also excited about being part of a team of women of faith!

Next on the agenda was to make a card from various challenges. I don't think this was exactly what I was expecting with this card. I had some of these bunnies stamped in Chocolate Chip and decided since it was one of today's colours for the Challenge, I would use one of them. ( The other colours are Rich Razzleberry and Pretty in Pink). Well, he changed from being a flat chocolate "chip" bunny to becoming a "crafty" glazed chocolate bunny. Once he was embossed I wondered what these hearts would look like - and vwala (how do you spell that???)

I used the sketch from over at Paper Works Co. - (PWCOSS#15). I liked using the ovals and Circles. Anyway - it became a wee bit "fancier" than I expected but I like it. I noticed that the gel pen spots I added around the oval soaked into the cardstock because of the fibers being roughened up by the sponge dauber. It's all okay - melted chocolate is just a good.

The weather has been wonderful here too - melting snow - not chocolate. Hope your day is filled with warmth and excitement! Our school gets to see the Olympic Flame today as it passes through town - talk about exciting!!!!

Thanks for stopping by

Bermuda Celery Hunter

I finally got around to opening up my package of Pendant Notes - Took a little while for me to figure out what I wanted to do, but I'm please with the result and think I'll use it as one of my cards for next month's technique workshop. I used sticky strip along the top to adhere the microbeads (haven't used them in ages) and although you can't see it in the photo, I used Crystal Effects on the flower to add microbeads to the centre.

This week's colour challenge on Splitcoast is behind the name of today's post. It sounded cute.....hunting for celery. Anyway - I like these
colours together - Bermuda Bay, Certainly Celery and Handsome Hunter. The "dessert" of the challenge was to add a bit of pink to the card without using cardstock. I did include the cardstock, but added the pink brad for the flower centre. This card also follows a sketch challenge from a couple of weeks ago.

School has only been in session for two days, but I have still managed to create and post cards, do my Wii-fit routine (and play with the darling daughter), and enjoy my school classes. Bring it on 2010 - we're on a roll.

Hope you too are having a great week -

It's been a while, but I've decided I need/want to get back into doing some challenges. I found school overwhelming this fall, but now I think I should be able to find a groove that includes stamping, workshops and work.

I started with this week's colour challenge....Barely Banana, Basic Gray and Dusty Durango. I used a sliver of designer paper because I loved the swirl of gray that it had.

It's the last day of 2009 - hard to believe.... I hope you have a safe and Happy New Year!

Thanks for visiting - Joan

Razzlebird

Here is my card for this weeks Colour Challenge and Sketch Challenge from Splitcoast. The colours were Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry and Basic Black. I liked the combo!

My pieces for the sketch are a bit smaller than they "should" be. I took apart three clear rhinestones to attached to the circles in the corner....love how they caught the flash from the camera!

I didn't have a lot of luck with black ink on this bird image - a hostess set - Wings of Friendship. Instead, I did it with versamark and black embossing. You can't see in the photo, but I've also spritzed some black around the bird.

Hope you're having a razzleberry type of day. Thanks for stopping by - JOAN