Mmmm, Chocolate!

It doesn't get any better than this. My two favorite things rolled into one... stamps and chocolate! I found this stamp called Layer Cake by Impression Obsession while I was browsing an online store looking for a specific stamp and it was instant love.

For this card I paired the stamped image colored with Copic markers with PP by My Mind's Eye and another stamp by Impression Obsession called Going Gets Tough. I couldn't find my punch to make the scallops (remember that messy desk I mentioned a few posts ago?) so I traced them with the help of a Bazzill scalloped card stock and then cut them out. I added a touch of Petal Pink Liquid Pearls and finished with ribbon.

Looks good enough to eat!

Cruisin' on a Sunday Afternoon

Well they're off! We drove my Mom, Dad and Aunt to the cruise ship on Sunday. Don't they look cute all ready to check their bags and get on board? I am so excited that they have this opportunity to take their very first cruise. Dad just turned 79 a week ago, so it's about time!

I made up cute little goodie bags stuffed with candy, crackers, a journal, gum, extra cards for their digital camera, etc. for each of them and attached tags that I stamped with Rubber Soul stamps. The clouds, ship and Bon Voyage sentiment all come from the same set. Love it!

They're creepy and they're kooky...

Boy, this was really fun! I haven't played around with Halloween images for years. I created these two cards for the Ways To Use It Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers. I know I only had to make one, but I enjoyed the first so much I had to make a second. The witch with her sidekick kitty card is made from Stampin' Up's Spooktacular Greetings set. I started out with Bazzill cardstock and then stitched two of the PPs (K & Company's Specialty Papers) together. I colored the image with Copic markers and then punched it out with my Marvy Uchida punch. The scallop was made with the Marvy Giga punch. I stamped the sentiment with Brilliance Graphite Black ink. A little lime green bow was tied to the image for a finishing touch.


The second card is made from the K & Company PP too but this time the image is from Inky Antics. I grabbed for the Copic markers again and couldn't resist making a little calico out of Frank's kitty. I call this little number Frank 'n Friend. :-)

Enjoy your weekend everyone. We're taking my parents and aunt to Seattle on Sunday to give them a send-off on their first cruise. They're off to Alaska for a week aboard the Princess Cruise line. I can't wait to hear all about it when they get back.

Sketch Challenge 138

Here's my take on SCS Sketch Challenge 138. I've gotten out of the habit of doing the challenges and need to get back to doing them. They really push me to try new things and get out of my rut.

I knew I wanted to use "Love Elsie" PP but had to flip the sketch to make it work with the design. The cupid stamp is by My Sentiments Exactly and the sentiment is from the Faux Ribbon set by Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for looking and if you complete the sketch challenge be sure and leave me a comment so I can check out your cards!

Oh, and don't forget to check out Lisa's blog Blessed a Latte'. She has some terrific blog candy up for grabs. Tell her Kathie sent you!

Just for fun

Today's post is a card that has a touch of whimsy. The stamp is from Stamps by Judith. I added the little handwritten sign and then stamped a second wing and attached it over the sign to make it appear that he was holding it. The DP is SU's Petals and Paisleys. There's something about this card that just makes me happy. I think it's the combination of colors, DP and those goofy bird legs!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my Dad's birthday, so I whipped up a little card using the "Let's Hear It For the Boys" set from My Favorite Things. I love that Kim has designed a set that we can use on masculine cards. They can be a special challenge sometimes.

The DP is SU's Wintergreen and the image was colored using Copic markers. It's tough to see in the photo, but the recliner is paper pieced and inked with Colorbox Creamy Brown ink. I added a ribbon and adhered the image with pop dots for a little added dimension.

Hope you all had a great week-end.

I've been called a lot of things...

but never a Rockin' Girl Blogger! Thanks Christina, it's an honor to be nominated by you. If you haven't visited her blog Paper Avenue, I highly recommend that you do. She was one of the first blogs that I placed in my favorites and I love to check in to see what she's up to.

Now for my nominations. This is tough since so many have already been nominated. I am selecting some of my favs even if they are already nominated so you'll have a chance to view their work:

Amy Westerman - Heartfelt Greetings
I love, love, love Amy's creations. Unique, bold and fresh.

Emily Gunnell - Icing on the Card
Emily's designs are fun, whimsical and slightly offbeat. Both her cards and her cupcakes will make you drool.

Daniela Dobson - For the first time
Gorgeous cards every where you look. Love her style.

Laurie Schmidlin - Just Give Me Stamps
Just one word. Delicious!

Kathryn Warner - Katydid Creations
I love Kathryn's tutorials on shading and her seed packets are the cutest!

Lavender Bunch

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have a ton of neglected stamps. This is one of them. I decided to blow off the dust and give it the exposure it deserves!

I stamped the Stampington and Company "Lavender Bunch" with Brilliance Black ink and colored the image with my Copic Markers. The background PP is by My Mind's Eye and the little "Nature" tag is from a stamp by Impression Obsession called "Soothing Nature". I inked up the word nature from the beautiful quote "I go to Nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order." The rest of the card is pretty self-explanatory, a few brads by Creative Impressions and a touch of velvet rick rack.

Have a happy Friday everyone. I've been counting the days 'til this one.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

I promised myself that I would make (and actually mail) my own Christmas cards this year. I always have the best of intentions and then sometime around December 15th I come to the realization that it just isn't going to happen. So, this year I'm going to start early.

This little guy captured me with his cute little sheepish (groan) grin. I just had to have him. I stamped him in Brilliance Black ink and colored him with my Copic markers. I chalked in a light blue sky and grayish snow and finally doodled around him with my Micron pen. The PP is from the Christmas Cheer collection by Rob and Bob Studio. I added the sentiment from Savvy Stamps and finished it with red grosgrain ribbon and three buttons.

So, that's one down, and about twenty five to go. Hey, it's more than I usually have ready.

Happy hump day.

Following Directions

I'm afraid that following directions has never been my strong suit. In fact, my husband always teases me about my "When all else fails, read the directions." methodology. With that in mind, I give you my card for the SCS featured stamper challenge #27. This is the first time I have participated in the challenge and read the complete directions after I completed the card. They are as follows:

1. Change 2 or more things on the card. It could be a color combo, embellishments, backgrounds, or even the main image could be different but similar because you don't own the exact image. List the changes in your description.

2. Give credit to the original stamper. Put a link to the original card in your description.

3. Fan Club members may upload today (Sunday). Non-Fan Club members are encouraged to play....please wait until Monday to upload your creations. Thanks!

4. Please note the following regarding Sketch Challenge cards: If you are keeping the same layout but changing most everything else on the featured stamper's card, make sure it isn't a sketch challenge card (SC##). The reason is because it is essentially is a CASE of the sketch since it isn't the featured stamper's original idea. Thanks!

Oops. Use the same or similar image? Guess that makes this a CASE of the sketch and disqualifies it for the sketch challenge. Oh well, I still enjoyed the process and love the resulting card. The featured stamper this week was Jen70 and here is her card I chose to CASE. I love the use of the PP and layout of the card. For my card I chose stamps from SU's Bodacious Bouquet and Warmest Regards and paired them with My Mind's Eye and SU PP.

Thanks for looking. Check back next week when I try again...with directions in hand. :-)

Back in the Saddle Again

Ok, well maybe not the saddle. How about the studio? Even studio would be a stretch considering that I am stamping on the desk in my bedroom that is piled so high with "stuff" that it leaves me approximately 8 square inches of creative real estate. It's funny, I have an entire craft room downstairs but I hate being down there alone and I tend to start bringing all my stamping and scrapping supplies upstairs a little at a time so I can be closer to my husband. The next thing you know, I have more upstairs than down and I have created a huge disorganized mess. I'm so glad my husband is so tolerant of this obsession of mine.

Today's card was made with a few of the new trinkets I picked up on vacation. The cardstock is from my Bazzill stash and the PP is My Mind's Eye. The sentiment is from Penny Black and is called "Special Treasures" and it was stamped with Brilliance Coffee Bean ink. I inked the edges around the sentiment block with Colorbox Creamy Brown Chalk ink and distressed them with my Stampin' Up distressing tool. I used my Tonic Border System and punches to make the border and added American Crafts felt flowers and buttons from My Mind's Eye.


It's hard to see, but there is also just a touch of bling at the center of the button on one of the flowers. It is a gem from the Bohemia collection by My Mind's Eye.

Hope you had a great weekend. Here comes Monday!

What a nice welcome

waiting for me in my mailbox when we returned from vacation. This SCS Welcome RAK from Jen (jetstudio29) really made my day. Thanks Jen! I love the red, blue and white combination.

Vacation was wonderful and relaxing. The weather for the most part was just right... sunny, but not too much heat and a nice coastal breeze. If you have never visited the Pacific Northwest, you really need to plan a trip here some day. I love this part of the country and the beauty of the Oregon Coast is breathtaking. It wasn't all just R & R though, there was a little "S" thrown in for good measure. What does the "S" stand for, you say? Why shopping, of course! I hit at least 4 scrapbook stores and came home with lots of new delicious papers and embellishments to make more cards. Now that's my idea of the perfect vacation.

See you tomorrow...

Wild Elephants....

couldn't keep me from going on vacation next week. I am so looking forward to taking a few days to de-stress and spend time with my newly unemployed husband. Tomorrow is his last day on the job. This last week has been especially difficult. I believe with all my heart though that God has a plan for him and he will be happier in the long run. So, we're going to head down the Oregon coast to take our minds off things.

This "Wild about You" card is for him. I wanted to tell him how proud I am of him for how he has handled himself through this ordeal. He is such a class act.

The stamp set is from Stampin' Up and the PP is from DCWV's Nana's Kids collection. I used the Three for You punch set from Stampin' Up to punch out the flowers.

TGIF everyone.