A Simple Card

Today's card is a challenge from Serendipity Stamps. Our directive this time was to create a simple Christmas card. Aaaack! Let's face it, I am simple challenged! (No pun intended.) The more layers and embellishments I use, the happier I am. :)

I used the "Christmas Ball" image as the centerpiece. I stamped it in Versamark ink and then heat embossed it with Stampendous Embossing Powder. I colored the ribbon with Rhubarb Stalk Memento Marker and then added some silver glitter to the ornament. I then stamped and embossed the "Season's Greetings" sentiment. I used my Score Buddy to accent the sentiment without adding layers.

Check out the other design team creations and be sure to say hi to our newest member Jeanne Jachna! Then hop over to see Amy, Jenny and Miriam's blogs.

On a personal note, we're on baby watch for my son and daughter-in-law's first baby! He is due to arrive any day now and he will certainly add much joy this Christmas. I hope you have a blessed Christmas too!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Echo Park
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Dimensionals, Memento Marker, Glitter
Tools: Nestabilities, Score Buddy

It's Tea Time

Hey, It's tea time!

Today we focus in on some of the fun tea themed stamps found at Serendipity Stamps. I stamped Tea Border repeatedly to create a background and then stamped and cut out a portion of the Heart Cup image to use as an accent on the flower. Here's what the full image looks like:










Adorable! Makes me wish I were a tea drinker. It always sounds so much better than it tastes. I know, there are tea lovers out there that would say the same thing about coffee, right?

Want to see other "Tea Time" creations? Then check out Anya, Lynda, Amy, Jenny and Miriam's blogs.






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Colorbox Chalk Ink. Distress Ink
Accessories: Dimensionals, Ribbon, Glossy Accents, MS Pearls, Prima Flower, Glimmer Mist
Tools: Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Christmas Memories

Today I am sharing a card I made for another Serendipity Stamps challenge. Our mission was to create a watercolor project with a country feel. Serendipity has tons of great country images and I selected two for my card...Barn Door with Wreath and Christmas Memories. They are also available together in a cling set.

My watercolor method of choice was Distress Inks and an Aquapen. Love how easy they are to use to get great depth of color. I used Vintage Photo, Pumice Stone, Weathered Wood, Frayed Burlap, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass and Forest Moss.

Ready to see more? Then head on over to see what Anya, Lynda, Amy, Jenny and Miriam have whipped up!

Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!







It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Echo Park
Ink: Stazon, Distress Ink. Distress StainAccessories: Dimensionals, Ribbon, SticklesTools: Aqua Pen, Nestabilities, Crop-a-dile, Janome Sewing Machine, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

Gratitude

This week it's all about gratitude. Mary from Serendipity Stamps challenged the design team to create a project in honor of Thanksgiving. Happy to Mary! It's my favorite holiday. I chose the Wheat Sheaf cling set for my card. I love that the cling set comes with this wonderful wheat stalk and then a beautiful sentiment that compliments it. Due to my layout, I chose to ink up just a portion of the sentiment for my card.

I stamped the image in Rich Cocoa Memento ink and then colored it with a combination of Copic and Bic markers. The paper used is from the All Spice 6x6 pad from My Mind's Eye.

Check out what Anya, Lynda, Amy, Jenny and Miriam have created with Serendipity's wonderful Thanksgiving stamps. You can view the entire category here.

While we're on the subject of gratitude, I am so thankful for all of you! Thanks for stopping by.






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Hero Arts
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Distress Ink
Accessories: Dimensionals, Recollections Rhinestones
Tools: Copic and Bic Markers, Nestabilities, Papertrey Ink Edge Die, Fiskars Punch

Garden Glove

Sorry I've been away so long! These days just seem to be zipping by. I blink and September becomes October!

I'm sharing another Serendipity Stamps challenge with you today. This one is an inspiration challenge. Here's the photo we were given to be inspired by.


I just loved the rich colors and especially the combination of vibrant orange and blue, so that's the track I took with my card. The stamp is called "Garden Glove" and it suited my color choices perfectly. I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored it with Copic Markers. I chose Papertrey Ink kraft card stock for the card base and used Nikki Sivils Willow Bee patterned paper for accent.

The die used is Spellbinders Labels 18.

Don't miss the rest of the Design Team's inspired projects. Check them out here.

Anya, Lynda, Amy, Jenny and Miriam

You should also check out the new stamps section at Serendipity Stamps. Mary has come out with some wonderful fall and winter stamps that you will love! I'll have some cards to upload using the new stamps soon.

Thanks for popping in!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Nikki Sivils
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink
Accessories: Buttons, Dimensionals, thread
Tools: Copic Markers, Nestabilities, Signo Uniball Pen

Mr. Bones

Can Halloween really be just around the corner? Yikes, but this year has sped by.

For today's Serendipity Stamps challenge we were to create a Halloween card and use embroidery floss, yarn or (and I fudged a little bit here) baker's twine. I created my card with Mr. Bones as my focal point. Love this crazy guy! I used a die-cut frame from My Mind's Eye as his backdrop. I created the cross stitch pattern with We R Memorykeepers Sew Easy tool and then used the baker's twine as my thread. This was my first attempt with this new tool and it worked out really well.

I finished by wrapping the frame with more baker's twine and then added a few I Am Roses black rosebuds as an embellishment.

Visit Anya, Lynda, Amy, Jenny and Miriam too. You're going to love their creations! So be sure to go check them out!

All for now, thanks for stopping by.






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye, KI Memories
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: I am Roses black rosebuds, Baker's Twine, Dimensionals
Tools: Copic Markers, We R Memorykeepers Sew Easy

Snowman and Friend

It's a bit of the "Best of Christmas" for this week's Serendipity Stamps challenge. We had the option of using some of the all time best selling Christmas stamps to use on our project. I chose the "Snowman and Birdhouse" stamp. I just love this guy and his adorable friend! I decided to make a Z fold card for a change of pace and broke out some of the new fun papers from My Minds Eye called Darling Dear. I went crazy buying all of the new 6 x 6 pads. I think I have enough paper to make cards for the 5 years!

The image was colored using Copic Markers. Such a simple and easy card and I love the end result. You will find other great stamps used by Anya, Lynda, Amy, Jenny and Miriam. Be sure to go check them out!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: None
Tools: Copic Markers

It's Not Far Down to Paradise

It's not far down to paradise

At least it's not for me

And if the wind is right you can sail away

And find tranquility

The canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

No, I am not a sailor, but I always wished I could be. Today's challenge for Serendipity Stamps is to create a project centered around water. I selected this beautiful sailboat stamp for my card. I stamped the image in StazOn ink on watercolor paper and then colored it with Distress Inks and cut it out. I placed it on dimensionals and then cut it out using Nestabilities Label 1 die.

I chose several papers from Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket for a backdrop and added some twine and a Tim Holtz "Journey" token.

Ready for more? Then head on over to see how water plays a role in Anya, Lynda , Jenny and Miriam's projects.

Ah, sailing, maybe some day.





It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Coredinations
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket
Ink: StazOn Black ink, Distress Inks
Accessories: Dimensionals, Tim Holtz token, Twine
Tools: Water Brush, Nestabilities

Monochromatic in Green

Are you up for another Serendipity Stamp challenge? We are having some fun working with a monochrome theme this week. So I chose my favorite color - green - and one of my favorite Serendipity Stamps - Rattan Sofa - and went to work. I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored it with Copic markers. I wanted some dimension so I cut out the sofa pillows and then traced them on patterned paper and pieced them onto the sofa. I used the same PP and my Janome sewing machine to create a quilted background.

It really makes me wish I had a porch to put it on!

Head on over to see what monochrome color scheme Anya, Lynda , Jenny and Miriam have chosen.

Thanks for stopping by.





It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps, Hero Arts (sentiment)
Cardstock: Stampin' Up, Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Various
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Dimensionals, Silk ribbon
Tools: Copic Markers, Nestabilities, Janome Sewing Machine

Sweet Violets

What a great challenge we have for you today. We are using Serendipity Stamps "Big and Little" stamps to create our card. You'll find 14 pairings at Serendipity that include pussy willows, daffodils, sunflowers, irises and many more. I chose to showcase the Violets. I used the large violets image for the focal point on my card. I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and used Copics to color it. The patterned paper is from SEI. This paper is gorgeous! I love how it really complements the image. I decided to use the small violets stamp for both the card's interior and the envelope. I love how it ties the card and
envelope together!

Want to see what Anya, Lynda , Jenny and Miriam have whipped up? Be sure and visit their sites to find out.

Thanks for stopping by.





It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Stampin' Up, Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: SEI, Crate Paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Colorbox
Accessories: Dimensionals, MME Bling
Tools: Copic Markers, Nestabilities

Welcome Home

What's your fantasy life? Do you dream of travel...fame...wealth or your ultimate career opportunity? Well, the Serendipity Stamps Design Team was challenged this week to make a card or project using a stamp that depicts our dream life. I really had to think hard about this one! So many choices. Each stamp I looked at had so many possibilities. So, what did I settle on? What represents my ideal, fantasy life? It would be living in this amazing Victorian home; living in small town America; greeting my neighbors from the comfort of my front porch swing. The world was a better place when everyone had a front porch!

This stamp was also a great fit for another dream. I think we are united in the dream that all of our troops serving on foreign soil come home....soon.

Want to see what Amy, Anya, Lynda , Jenny and Miriam are dreaming about? Be sure and visit their sites to find out.

Thanks for stopping by.





It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup, Stampin' Up
Ink: Memento London Fog, Stampin Up, and Distress Ink
Accessories: Dimensionals
Tools: Copic Markers, Nestabilities

Retro Owl Gift Bag

Today it's all about the packaging! Serendipity Stamps DT was challenged to create some form of gift packaging, wrap, box, etc. It's my husband's birthday today and I wanted to make a little goodie bag for him so I decided to use an existing small paper bag and stamped it with my favorite owl stamp. I then created a tag with the same stamp, colored him with Copics and cut him out leaving a little white outline. The frame was created with the Fleur de Lis Square Nestabilities die and I added some Basic Grey patterned paper for color. The sentiment is handwritten.

This challenge we are welcoming our newest Design Team member, Miriam. Welcome Miriam! We're so excited to have you join us! Be sure to visit her and the other team member's sites to view their great packaging ideas!

Amy, Anya, Lynda , Jenny and Miriam

Thanks for stopping by.





It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Jenni Bowlin Brown Sugar, Distress Ink
Accessories: Pearls, fibers, fabric, small paper bag, Dimensionals
Tools: Copic Markers

Blast Off

Today's card was created for SCS's sketch challenge. (SC335) I haven't played along with any SCS challenges in ages, and I really miss them.

I just picked up this adorable Technique Tuesday "Out of this World" stamp set and really couldn't wait to play with it. It has so many cute images and will make great boy cards. I may even use this one as a graduation card. The paper is from Cosmo Cricket and Sassafras. I colored the image with Copic markers and really went crazy with Glossy Accents on the rocket ship and stars!

Hope your week gets off to a great start!





It's all about the details:
Stamps: Technique Tuesday
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket, Sassafras
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink
Accessories: Baker's twine, Glossy Accents, Button, Dimensionals
Tools: Copic Markers

Butterfly Kisses

Ever have just one of those moments when even the best planning doesn't produce the results you want? Yeah, well that was what happened to me on the way to completing this week's challenge for Serendipity Stamps. We were supposed to create a card using one of the playful "doodle" stamps. I chose the butterfly set. So far so good. The second part of the challenge was to incorporate felt in our project. I purchased several colors of felt a month or so ago in preparation for this challenge. Ah, that was my first mistake, a lot can happen to my crafting supplies in a month! You know that gremlin that creeps in and totally destroys your work space and hides half of your supplies? Sure enough, no felt, no how, no where.

So, with a quick shift to Plan B, I pulled out some of the adorable KI Puffies that I just picked up. They're felt, right? So technically I am in compliance. LOL. I really did have great plans for creating these cute little flowers...*sigh*.

Want to see what the other DT members have created with their doodle stamps and felt? Check out their sites by clicking on these links. Amy, Anya, Lynda and Jenny

Thanks for stopping by.





It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Jenni Bowlin Brown Sugar, Distress Ink
Accessories: Twine, KI Memories Puffies, Dimensionals
Tools: Stampin ' Up punches, Janome Sewing Machine, Memento Marker

All We Know of Love

This week we have another fun challenge at Serendipity Stamps. We are creating a wedding card using a sketch created by yours truly. I chose to create a background with this sweet stamp called "Calico Background" by stamping it multiple times with Versa Mark ink and embossing with Lindy's Stamp Gang's embossing powder. I added one of my favorite quote stamps from the Serendipity store called "That Love is All". The complete quote from Emily Dickinson says: "That love is all there is, is all we know of love." ... a perfect wedding quote!

Playing along with the challenge today are Amy, Anya, Lynda and Jenny. Run on over and take a peek at their creations!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: None
Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing Powder, Ribbon
Tools: Marvy Uchida, Stampin ' Up and Martha Stewart punches

Reuse It!

There are so many things I love about Serendipity Stamps and today's challenge let's me showcase one of the reasons. Mary, the owner, has a very caring heart. She has a wonderful selection of stamps called "Have a Care". They are available for a wide range of causes including recycling, breast cancer, adoption and making a difference for the lonely. They are a terrific way to let everyone know what cause(s) you are passionate about.

I chose to make an Earth Day card with this fun "Reuse It or Lose It" stamp. I picked out "earthy" card stock, added just a touch of Basic Grey papers and pulled out my trusty Janome sewing machine for a little ziggin' and zaggin'. The image was colored with Copic Markers and I used Glossy Accents to simulate the ocean. You can click on the image to view the texture and dimension it gave to the water.

Now, be sure to visit Amy, Anya, and Lynda to see what cause they are supporting today.

Happy hump-day!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Core'dinations
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Dimensionals, Glossy Accents, Signo Uniball Pen
Tools: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Copic Markers

The Pedigree of Honey

It's challenge time again over at Serendipity Stamps and this week we are combining a sketch (see below) with a simple card focused around one of the quotation stamps from Serendipity's amazing selection. It was hard to narrow it down, but I love the one I finally chose. It's called the Pedigree of Honey and it's by Emily Dickinson. I also added a couple images of this cute little buzzer. I mean really, what would a quote about honey be without a bee?

I have had this "Willow Bee" patterned paper from Nikki Sivils for quite a while and what better project to use it on! It worked perfectly.

Serendipity Stamps has some exciting news too. They are celebrating the Grand Opening of their newly designed website and online store and for a limited time, Mary is offering free shipping on any order of $10 or more. You can't beat that!

Be sure and visit Amy, Anya, Lynda and Jenny to see what quote caught their fancy!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Core'dinations
Patterned Paper: Nikki Sivils
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Prima Flower, brads, Dimensionals
Tools: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Inspire

The Challenge: Create a card for a teacher or coach

The solution: Take this awesome stamp from Serendipity Stamps and color it with Copic Markers, add some beautiful Cappella patterned paper from Basic Grey, dig out my Nestabilities and Fiskars Threading Water punch, pick the perfect Stampin' Up rub-on and top it off with some buttons tied with twine.

Here's to teachers everywhere who give of themselves everyday to make a difference in children's lives. They have one of the toughest and often thankless jobs out there and they inspired me to love the process of learning, to better myself, to get lost in a book and to shoot for the stars!

Visit Amy, Anya, Lynda and Jenny to view their creations!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Inks
Accessories: Buttons, Twine, Brads, Dimensionals
Tools: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Fiskars Punch, Copic Markers

Leftovers

I love leftovers, so naturally I was excited about this week's Serendipity Stamps challenge which was to create something from all those bits of paper, ribbon and embellishments left over from a previous project. I should do this challenge on a regular basis because my scrap bin is overflowing!

I chose this "Heart Quilt" stamp because a quilt is the epitome of using scraps to create something beautiful. I used some left over card stock from Papertrey Ink and remnants of an American Crafts PP used recently for Valentine's Day. The last "leftover" was a small scrap of muslin.

Visit Amy, Anya, Lynda and Jenny to see what they have cooked up with their leftovers!






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: American Crafts
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy and Vintage Cream, Distress Inks
Accessories:Muslin, Dimensionals
Tools: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Corner Chomper

A Study in Black and White

Hi everyone! I'm back after a nice little blogging break and I'm jump starting my return with this little black and white number created for this week's Serendipity Stamps challenge. Isn't this Triton Shell stamp gorgeous? I absolutely adore how much detail it has and I knew I had to use it for this black and white challenge.

I'm so excited to tell you about the new stamps that have just been released at Serendipity Stamps. You can check them out here: New Stamps! Can I just say the "Heart Teapot" is the cutest ever!

Visit the other Design team member's blogs for more black and white goodness.
Amy
Anya
Lynda
Jenny






It's all about the details:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Making Memories
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Silk Ribbon, My Sentiments Exactly Rub-on, Dimensionals
Tools: EK Success Bubble Punch, Nestabilities

Love Birds

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'll be back soon with a new Serendipity Stamp challenge.







It's all about the details:
Stamps: The Stamps of Life
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Dimensionals, Ribbon
Tools: Circle Punches, Copic Markers