Apple Seeds

I can't believe the final week's challenge sponsored by Serendipity Stamps is here already. NUMBERS - that's this week's challenge over at Gingersnap Creations. I really had to think outside the box a bit on this one as I didn't have any Serendipity Stamps that just screamed "numbers". But then I thought of this stamp (one of my all time favorites by the way!) and I figured "counting" has to do with numbers, right?

The card came together pretty easily until I finished mounting the apple on the dimensionals and stepped back to view it and just knew it was missing something. I decided to add some seeds to the design so I began by hand drawing, coloring and cutting some out. The end result just didn't give me the effect I was after ... so, I raided the refrigerator and used three original God created ones!

Check out the other great number related creations by visiting Gingersnap Creations this week. Thanks for all the fun challenges Shar. It's been a blast!






It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Daisy D, Jillibean Soup, KI Memories overlay
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Ink: Papertrey Ink, Distress Ink
Accessories: Dimensionals, 7 Gypsies Rub-on, apple seeds
Tools: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug

A Copper Creation

There's another fun challenge going on over at Gingersnap Creations and this week it's all about metallics.

I chose to work with my favorite metal ...Copper! I thought this gorgeous "Mare and Foal" stamp from Serendipity Stamps would look great embossed in copper and I was right. They turned out beautifully. To coordinate with the image, I selected a Making Memories buckle that was orignally silver. I coated the buckle with VersaMark ink and then embossed it with the copper embossing powder... an instant copper embellishment!

I also used some DCWV metallic paper and copper brads and used the embossing powder one last time for the sentiment. I just love this beautiful script "Thank You" from Serendipity.

Check out the art work from the other DT members on the Gingersnap Creations blog and while you're at it, why not play along this week?







It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Core'dinations, Stampin' Up, DCWV Metallic Stack
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket, Wanted
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Ink: VersaMark, Distress Ink, Antique Linen
Accessories: Making Memories Buckle, Felt Ribbon, Dimensionals, Brads, Whispers Embossing Powder
Tools: Heidi Swapp Distresser, Marvy Heat Gun

Forever Friends

It's Tuesday, and that means it's time for another Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I really had fun with this one!



A few weeks ago I got caught up in several Sizzix haul videos over on YouTube. As if I needed anyone to enable my shopping sprees! So I headed over to the Sizzix site and I couldn't believe the sale on dies. I picked up this "Heart Flowers" die for $5.99. It sells regularly for $19.99. I also picked up several, *ahem* a ton of others for around $3.99 a piece. I thought it would add a fun new element to card making.

Today's card uses Bazzill Basics dotted swiss card stock and some of the paper from the new Imaginisce collection called "Lady Bird". This paper is so cheerful, I just love it. I am so ready for spring to arrive! I also used a Making Memories rub-on for the sentiment. I had originally planned to use the same rub-on on all four side of the panel but I found them to be very difficult to rub on and I was afraid I would ruin my card. I decided to use a ruler and draw a line around the panel using a pink Sharpie instead. I was really happy with the end result.

Thanks for visiting! Enjoy the rest of your week.







It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basic dotted swiss, Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Imaginisce, Lucy Bird
Stamps: None
Ink: Colorbox Chalk ink (shading)
Accessories: Dimensionals, Inkssentials white pen, Sharpie pen
Tools: Fiskars border punch, Corner Chomper, Cuttlebug, Sizzix Heart Flowers die

The Key Ingredients Blog Hop

Hi everyone, welcome! I'm so excited to be a stop along the way in Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients Challenge and Blog Hop. If you want to start the hop from the beginning, go to Laura Leonard's site or if you are coming from Candace Mitchell's site, you're in the right place. For your convenience, I have also posted links to all the blog hop participants below. You won't want to miss a single one!

Today we are going to shine the spotlight on the super fun monthly kit called The Key Ingredients. I have been a subscriber for several months and I have to say I'm like a little kid when the kit lands on my doorstep each month. Taylor has such a knack for putting together just the right elements ... it makes it so easy to assemble cards or create other projects. Each kit comes with yummy patterned paper with coordinating cardstock and then there's ribbon and a variety of embellishments. It's the one time a month I can just sit back and create without worrying about "wading through" my stash looking for just the right supplies. Heaven!

Taylor challenged us to create something with or about food using our January Key Ingredients kits. I created three Window Treat Bags using Taylored Expressions Doctor's Orders stamp set. With the cold and flu bug going around I wanted to make this special "treat" for a sick friend. There's nothing better than hot chicken soup when you're feeling under the weather, right? I used some patterned paper and rick rack from the KI kit and see those adorable crocheted flowers? Yep, they're in the kit too!

For the second treat I also used the Window Treat Bags from Taylored Expressions. (I noticed that they are currently listed as "out of stock" in the store and I'm not sure if they are being restocked. I'll check with Taylor.) I placed three tea bags in the cellophane bag that comes with the treat bags. Just a perfect little pick-me-up for a friend with the sniffles. I again framed the opening with the patterned paper from the kit and added some of the kit's ribbon.

The last treat bag is my kind of medicine! M & Ms! I hope Taylor will forgive me for making a slight alteration to her adorable stamp. I just had to cross through "recover" and add "eat chocolate" to the doctor's orders. Now if I could just convince my own doctor of the medicinal benefits!

Thanks for dropping in. Be sure to check out the Key Ingredients Kit. Trust me, you'll love it and there's so much going on right now including:

* A Brand New Key Ingredients Website - complete with a gallery that will inspire you.

* A Limited Time Subscription Special - If you purchase (or renew) a 6 month subscription on or before January 17th, you will receive a FREE Key Ingredients kit upon the completion of your 6 month subscription. This kit (a $23.95 value including shipping) will be an exclusive kit that will never be available in the TE Store!

When you're ready to move on, the next stop in the hop is the amazing Taylor VanBruggen herself! Enjoy!

List of participants:
Laura Leonard: http://lu-lascorner.blogspot.com/
Lisa Hjulberg: http://lisahjulberg.blogspot.com/
Lynn Mercurio: http://www.stamperosity.com/
Randi Barrett: http://randisanewcreation.blogspot.com/
Sunghee Chon: http://www.creativityinprogress.com/blog/
Candace Mitchell: http://cestmoicm.blogspot.com/
Kathie Bailey: That's me!
Taylor VanBruggen: http://www.tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/
Jodi Collins: http://stampingalatte.blogspot.com/
Karen Giron: http://kgiron.blogspot.com/
Melissa Sauls: http://www.instampingmode.com/
Donna Baker: http://www.serenityinstamping.com/
Charmaine Ikach: http://oodabugalley.blogspot.com/
Jeanie Witmer: http://thespottedchick.blogspot.com/







It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Prism
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, Nook & Pantry
Stamps: Taylored Expressions, Doctor's Orders
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Ribbon, Dimensionals, Window Treat Bags, Kaiser Craft Pearls
Tools: Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Corner Chomper, Craft Knife

Four Hearts

Hi everyone, it's time for another Gingersnap Creations weekly challenge and this week we are doing a supply challenge...embossing powder. I love using embossing powder but I have to admit that I don't pull it out as often as I should.

I think Serendipity Stamps really lend themselves well to fine detail embossing. I elected to make a Valentine's Day card for the challenge because I have been dying to use these gorgeous "Victorian Hearts Cling Stamps". They are so beautifully designed and I love all the detail. I inked them up using two different inks and then embossed them with clear embossing powder. The elegant sentiment is called "Happy Valentine" and is also from Serendipity Stamps.

Be sure to visit Gingersnap Creations today to view the other cards/projects made using embossing powder. Remember that Serendipity Stamps is this month's sponsor so our Design Team is taking part in the challenges all month long.

Thanks for stopping by!






It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up and Best Occasions Glitter Paper
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye, Be Loved
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Ink: Colorbox, Chestnut Roan, Encore, Green Metallic, VersaMark
Accessories: Papertrey Ink Ribbon, Dimensionals, Recollections Pearls, Stampendous Clear Embossing Powder
Tools: Martha Stewart Punch, Marvy Heat Gun

Peek-a-boo x 2

I needed a card for a baby shower I am attending tomorrow for one of my daughter's friends. She is expecting twin boys. Lord bless her! I dug through my baby stamps and ran across this adorable set from Stampendous called Peek-a-boo Baby.

I began by stamping the baby in front and then making a mask so I could stamp another one behind him. I added the Peek-a-boo sentiment and then colored the image with both Copic and Tombow markers. I really need to pick up a few other shades of blue Copics. I never seem to have one that will work with my projects. I used my Nestabilities to cut out the image and then mounted it on two layers of dimensionals so that it would "clear" the ribbon. I also added the "x 2" which was made with rub-ons and then placed on dimensionals.

Hope you enjoyed my card for today. Have a wonderful weekend!







It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: K & Company, Itsy Bitsy Baby Boy
Stamps: Stampendous
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: DCWV Rub-on, Stampin' Up felt ribbon, Dimensionals
Tools: Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Tombow Markers

Golden Butterfly

Well, I haven't done this in a while, two posts in one day!

This card is for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. Another great sketch this week, but at first I was stumped as to which stamps I wanted to use. So after much deliberation, I opted for none! Instead, I chose to use some of this gorgeous DCWV paper from their Mariposa Matstack. Isn't it beautiful? I just love the use of pink and gold together. I found a piece of gold mesh in my stash and then discovered a piece of gold specialty paper that I had tucked away. I popped it in my Cuttlebug with a Nestabilitie die and then added a Basic Grey "Thank You" rub-on.

The butterfly was cut out of the matstack papers and adhered with dimensionals. The final touch was the addition of Kaisercraft pink pearls. Love 'em.

Thanks for visiting!







It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up, Very Vanilla
Patterned Paper: DCWV, Mariposa Matstack
Stamps: None
Ink: Papertrey Ink
Accessories: Basic Grey Rub-on, Gold Mesh, Dimensionals, Kaisercraft Pearls, Papertrey Ink Ribbon
Tools: Nestabilities

To Everything There is a Season

Today I'm really excited to share a card with you that I made for a challenge called the Chestnut Theme Challenge. The theme of the challenge is "Time". Isn't that just a perfect theme for this time of year? Serendipity Stamps is the sponsor for the month of January at Gingersnap Creations and the SS Design Team is participating in four of the challenges this month. There's also a great interview of our fearless leader Mary Lee, you really must check it out! It's so much fun to read how she got started in the stamp business.

I chose to use two great stamps from Serendipity Stamps, the Large Pocket Watch and To Everything to meet the challenge. I just love how they work together. I began by masking off a rectangle on a piece of ivory cardstock. I stamped the watch with Versamark ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then sponged the background with four shades of ink, blending them as much as possible. I finished by stamping the sentiment with Memento Rich Cocoa (I inked the stamp with Versamark ink first) and then embossed it with clear embossing powder too.

You really owe it to yourself to visit Gingersnap Creations to see all the fun challenges Sharon has in the works and to see all the amazing cards made with Serendipity Stamps.

Enjoy!






It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up, Very Vanilla
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye, Ooh La La
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, VersaMark, VersaMagic
Accessories: Dimensionals, Embossing Powder, copper brads, Papertrey Ink Ribbon
Tools: Marvy Heat Tool

Why Eat Fruit?

Hi everyone. I hope your week is off to a great start. I'm gearing up to go back to work after being off for eight weeks. I'm both excited and nervous to see what's waiting for me in my office!

I decided to play along with Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge this week. I chose the Berries and Cherries stamp set for my images and sentiment. Don't you just love this sentiment? I mean really, isn't everything better with chocolate? I stamped the strawberries in Rich Cocoa Memento ink and then colored them with Copic Markers before cutting them out. I restamped the strawberries inside the circles and adhered the ones I cut out on them with dimensionals.

I added a little of Basic Grey's Nook and Pantry patterned paper and a button with baker's twine and when I was done I felt like it was still missing something so I added the itty bitty red pearls from Kaisercraft and I love how they were just the right touch.

Thanks for dropping by. See you later in the week.

It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, Nook and Pantry
Stamps: Taylored Expressions, Berries and Cherries
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Distress Ink, Shabby Shutters
Accessories:Dimensionals, Kaisercraft pearls, MS Baker's Twine, Button
Tools: Copic Markers,Nestabilities

Believe in Miracles

I whipped up this quick card last night for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. The angel image is from the Elegant Angels clear stamp set by Stampendous. I just fell in love with the beautiful trio of angels in this set. I colored her with Prismacolor pencils and then blended with Gamsol.

I am committed to using up some of my old supplies that are threatening to take over my house. Who am I kidding? They have already taken over. The sentiment on this card is an old 7 Gypsies rub-on that is probably 4 or more years old. I thought it fit the card perfectly. One tiny item down, a gazillion to go...

It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:Dimensionals, ribbon, crystals, 7 Gypsies rub-on
Tools: Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, Nestabilities, Bow Easy

You're so special

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Ours began as a typical Christmas, but as you'll soon see, it developed into something extraordinary.

The newlyweds, my son and his wife, arrived on Wednesday the 23rd. We had a great time catching up and my son even cooked dinner for us which was a real treat. Being the parent of a grown child really has its perks! The following day around noon, my son-in-law called to tell us that my daughter's water broke while she was at work and they had taken her to the hospital. She was only 35 weeks along, and labor started fast and strong. Her doctor decided to transport her to Tacoma (about an hour and a half drive) by ambulance because they have the best NICU in western Washington.

We all piled into our vehicles and followed behind. My husband and I were the first to arrive, followed shortly by my son-in-law. Due to the swine flu scare, the hospital only allowed two people in to see my daughter for the duration of her stay. I felt so lucky to be one of them and just as we were walking to her room, the nurse rolled out a small bassinette and announced, "She's here". The she that she was referring to is this little angel. We had missed her arrival by 5 minutes! Let me introduce you to Emelia Faith Marie. She weighs 4 lb. 13 oz. and is 17 in. long and other than being ever so tiny, she is in great health. Praise God! Our little Emme came home yesterday and she will forever be our Christmas miracle.

My card today is a tribute to Kristina Werner (kwernerdesign.com). I spent yesterday catching up on her Make a Card Monday videos on YouTube. I just love her simple yet extremely creative style. I was so excited to pull out two new sets from the 2010 Hero Arts release and ink them up. The flower is from the "Big and Small Flowers" set and the sentiment is from the "Truly Appreciated" set. You'll find the rest of the details below.

Hope your new year will be the best one yet!

It's all about the details:
Cardstock: Recollections Kraft Card
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, Origins and Sassafras, Sweet Marmalade
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:Dimensionals, ribbon, Fabric Brad
Tools: Copic Markers, Corner Chomper