Authentique Loyal Chipboard Book

I love Jana's classes! Jana has chipboard book classes at our local scrapbook store and she always comes up with the most fabulous ideas. Look what she's designed with this great Authentique paper, from the Loyal line. I love all the details. I used quite a lot of Glossy accents here and there. I'm planning on putting new born pictures of my son ....now that he's nine, lol. I may have to make another one for my other son's baby pic's.....he's nearly 25, lol. I am bad.

Ge-Ni-U-S

Simon Says is having an "anything goes" challenge and featuring MFT's. I made this card with the new release VIP PI Scientist. She sure is cute. Lot's of possibilities for this one. I love her lab jacket, which I made into a uniform smock. And since I am a nurse, I figured I can get away with that, lol. I airbrushed the background the opposite of what I've seen. I cannot get enough of this new toy, lol.

I used some new Fawn Lawn designer paper, which I love! The print is small enough to really make a pattern for her shirt, so I paper pierced it. I also used a tab die-namic and some new ric-rak die-namics. Add some twine from paperie and brads from my stash and a GREAT sketch from Ann at the Paper Players this week, (http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/2012/03/there-is-still-time-to-play-in_28.html) and Viola, she is finished.

Thanks for checking out my blog, I love all your comments.

The Craft's Meow March Sketch Challenge

I recently ordered Sew Lovely from The Craft's Meow and decided to participate in their March Sketch Challenge using one of the frames and sentiments. The Glossy accents on the buttons is not quite dry, lol, but I wanted to get a picture tonight and link it up to the challenge. Busy, Busy, tomorrow, lol.

I used Papertrey Ink paper as my base, followed by S.U. very vanilla, and I used Cosmo Cricket Early Bird designer paper. I inked up the image with Memento Tangelo and the buttons with Tangelo and LadyBug. The lace and brads are from my stash.

This was a fun sketch to try.

The Craft's Meow Birthday Sketch Challenge

The Craft's Meow is celebrating their birthday with a Sketch Challenge. I recently ordered the Sew Lovely set, so I decided to use an image from this set. Love the retro sewing theme, for some reason I cannot seem to get enough of these, lol.

I used Kraft card stock as my base, Black card stock to layer and then used October Afternoon dp. I stamped the image with Memento Potter's Clay as well as the sentiment and heart button. I stamped the other buttons in Memento Tuxedo Black. This was a fun sketch.

Card Patterns Sketch 158, Dies to Die for Challenge 2

well this one was a brain twister, lol. The Cards Pattern Sketch Challenge can be seen here. The Die-ing for a Challenge, From Dies to Die for is here.

So I started out with a Sketch and thinking Blue and Brown. And still wanting to use my new air brush, I decided to make some dirt and throw in a MFT's pure innocents cowboy. The paper is Authenique and was sitting here on my desk from two other projects, lol. The die I was die-ing to use is Spellbinders "Floral Ovals". It just seemed to do the trick. I was going to use the smaller one with the stars, but it was just a wee bit too small. I was also trying to work in those Cowboy parts die-namics, but did not want to cut back any further on my main image. Instead of ribbon, I used twine. And I placed my sentiment in the top right hand corner. Hope you like it, I had fun making it.

MFTWSC64.......Happy Birthday Dad

This Fred Bear Plays Indian is perfect for my Dad. Who is Native American and is very active in the Chumash teachings. He has regalia that he wears and he plays the Indian Flute. He makes Silver Jewelry and has made a couple CD's of his music. Today is his birthday and today I made this card. lol. I know, but you know, I made it today, that counts! I shall put a Home Depot gift card in it and he will be happy. Did I mention he is also a general contractor. He is in the midst of rebuilding another structure..... always building or remodeling. I think I may need to kidnap him for a few projects I need done around here, lol.

So this is Fred Bear from My Favorite Things. Once again, I am on time for this weeks sketch, wow, that is some kind of record for me! I did take some liberties with the sketch, there was another smaller block towards the bottom and I miniaturized it and placed it on top of the Fred Bear panel. There was also suppose to be a bow, but I used twine across the bottom instead.

Speaking of twine.... I have been hoarding a few feet of thin twine I buy at the local scrapbook store. It's like you can never have enough of it and yet, I don't want to use it all because what if they run out? Oh I know, many scrappers out there are so identifying with me right now, lol. Well, I found brand new rolls of May Arts twine in several colors on Amazon! For like a lot less than buying it a yard at time. And this is something I know I will use again and again. Almost as much as I love making cards, I love "finding" new things and for less money, lol. It's an illness that I don't want to recover from just yet, lol.

So how about them clouds? This is the first of many project I have used my new air compressor and new found air brushing knowledge with. The cloud die came from http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/06/clouds-template.html
And this is so easy to use. I stamped Fred Bear on my 110lbs paper, cut down to 3X4 (and then I cut some more). Then I stamped Fred Bear onto a note pad and cut it out. I used a small amount of removable dotto to place the note pad cut out onto my stamped image and then I was ready to air brush. I placed the template close to the top of the paper, airbrushed over the top down to the template, changed position of the template and moved it over slightly and then airbrushed some more, and so on.....til I got to the bottom, and then I turned the template over and gave it a nice smooth coat of B21. Reversed the template bottom to the edge and then airbrushed G24 evenly. Or not so evenly, but I wanted to add some grass in there. I love the grass strokes, I saw this done here on Delphine's place http://delphinesplace.blogspot.com/2012/03/bluebirds-proposal.html
And then I removed the note pad cutout over Fred and colored him up. See, easy! I did the same thing with the teepee and the back panel.

There are many many clouds in my future posts, lol. I love this!

More Scrappy Toys!

What in the world is that? It's a gift from my Hottie! It's an air compressor. I took a class on Wednesday and the gal had an air compressor and we made clouds and I HAD to have one. My Dear Husband ran out on his precious day off and found me an air compressor at Harbor and Freight for $89.00!!! Score. The recommended Copic air compressor is (clear throat) $299.00! Wow. I just attach the Copic nossel onto it and Viola....cloud heaven! lol.

I have been wanting one of these for some time now. I had no idea you could use any Air Compressor that has close to the same PSI. So I am a Happy Stamper today.

The directions are not clear, but it's not that difficult. Plug it in. Attach the hose. Attach the nossel. Turn it on. And you are ready to go. That little thing under the humidify catcher is the thingy you twist when you have shut off the compressor, to release the air. And quite literally that is all I know, lol.

The Pied Piper

Jeep was in this years school play. They had two performances today. The three o'clock performance with the hat on and the Seven o' clock performance with the hat off. I asked him why he didn't wear his hat the second time and you know what he said, "I didn't want to, so I asked the director if he would hang on to it for me. I got too hot." lol. He kills me.

This was a long week for him with auditions on monday and rehearsal every day after school until 6:30 and 7:30 pm. And they had rehearsal this morning before they 3pm show and then back to school again this evening for the second showing. What a trooper he was. None of his friends or class mates auditioned. It was just something he wanted to do.

I turned all stage Mom during the auditions too. lol. At the end of the auditions, they were asked to turn to a neighbor and make up a story with characters on an Island. Girls on either side would not include him in on their stories. I had to wait until the director was not looking and the teacher was busy, and then I ran up to him and told him to start talking to himself. He said, "I can't do that!" And I said, "How bad do you want to be in the play?" And so he started talking to himself and the director turned around and saw what he was doing AND he got to be in the play, lol. This age group is so funny. The boys like the girls and the girls like the boys, but neither of them are going to treat each other like they do, okay? lol.

We had a great time tonight. Oh and he is the one in the purple shirt.

MFTWSC63

It's another My Favorite Things Sketch on time! Wow. I must be like all motivated, lol. I'm actually probably their worst customer, lol. I nag. Where are my things? As soon as I push that button, bam, I want it in my mailbox, lol. But I think everyone is experiencing some type of pony express problems right now. Used to be, like before all the layoffs and shut downs, my orders would be mailed to me within three days. Those days are nearly over. But this one took a week and a half. Geez! But as you can see, she was worth the wait.

This is Cute-a-tude by MFT's, a new pure innocents image. And the corner dies are new as well. In fact, I used a lot of die-namic dies on this card: roses, flourish, banner, corners, scalloped rose die. Five counts as a lot right? lol.

I love this paper, it's Cosmo Crickets new Tea for Two. I love the new reds and pinks with green out this year. I love happy colors.

I have decided that I love adding two more copic colors to my faces. So they are E21, E00, E93, E000, E0000. The dress is R85, R83, R81. The shoes, C7, C5, C3. Her hair is Y00, Y11, Y15, YR23.

All of these color combination I have read from blogs that I hop around on. I do manage to write them down on my scratch pad to try out and once I try them out I put them in my note holder on my desk. It's not all that organized, but it's a way to keep track for now, lol. People ask me all the time how I come up with color combinations. I usually see something I like and ask the person what colors they used or they post it on their blogs and then I try them out and either use them or decide it's just not working for me, lol. No exact science here, all trial and error.

I shrank the sketch to fit an A2 card and it kinda took on a life of it's own. I love that. This one was a lot of fun to make. Hope you enjoy it and Thanks for looking.

S.U. club cards

I haven't always been so great about uploading my Stampin Up club cards. In fact, I haven't been so great about uploading to my blog in over a year now, lol. But I do love the projects my demo has us do and I really enjoyed this coffee cup card. I had done one earlier this year, but she made these with the Mocha Morning DSP and I love this paper for coffee cups. Then she made mini's which gave me an idea for the post below.

I am catching up on my blog uploading today because I have bronchitis and a head cold that has backed up in my ears and while I am just sitting around and in between naps, I can look on line and upload projects I've already done. I hope you are having a happy and healthy day!

MFTWSC62

Thanks a latte. I'm all caught up on the sketch challenges at MFT's again. Love these sketch challenges because I'm forced to tweak the sketch and make it my own. Not so easy for a KopyKat but very rewarding when I have a vision of what I want to do. And because they draw a weekly winner and that winner gets $20.00 gift certificate from their store! Score! More cute stamps is always a bonus, lol.

Stamp: MFT's a la mode, miss you a latte
Paper: S.U. crumb cake and mocha morning
Ink: memento and copics

MFTWSC58

Catching up on my blog posts. This was the sketch design for My Favorite Things sketch 58. I used a pure innocents fireman and a city scape die from MFT's. The paper is MME, same paper I saw Jodi use with her cute fireman. It's so perfect.

This one is for my grandson who loves firemen and the engines and anything that has anything to do with them. lol.

Thank You Jen!

I found a new friend when I looked up an amuse stamp consultant on line.

I was showing her a different bathtub card I had done and she was telling me of one she had similar. And when we got to talking about it, it was the same one I have been eyeing for a LONG time! So she gave it to me. Wasn't that sweet!? I love this. So I wanted to thank Jen.
If you would like to buy amuse stamps, please keep my friend in mind (click on her name here.)

I was after a snowflake die from Amuse, but like everything else, there is plenty more that I have to have, lol. Like the polka dot and gingham paper's, some stamp sets, some more dies....the list goes on and on. Good thing she is in town and I can text her at anytime.

The minute she gave it to me, someone else saw it and wanted to know who made it and where can she get it? So who makes this stamp and where can I get it? Right here.
http://www.susanascustomartandcarddesign.com/proddetail.php?prod=O-429

For Alison

This is a new release from Whimsy Stamps, it's called Dandelion Girl. I could not wait to ink her up. And I did ink her up, over and over and over. That dress is a bit more difficult than I had anticipated, lol. But I figured it out. Or at least I am moderately happy with this version. The paper is Prisma Botanicals. I have had that for a while now and this is the first time I've used it. I love it. I used a spellbinder frame and a cheerylynn lace frame, along with retired S.U. flowers and some pearls.

This card is going out today to Alison. Who is a teen who is having a hard time of it, health wise. If you would like to make Alison a cheer up card, her address is:

Alison Schmidlin
p.o. box 990
Dillion, MT.
59725

Sparkle Creations Blog Hop Winner!!!!

I love waking up to good news! Actually this is my second waking up, lol. I have had bronchitis pretty bad this weekend and decided since today was my last day off before working a stretch again I would go back to bed. Good thing, I was out like a light and must have needed that extra sleep. But OMGosh I digress. I just checked and I won the new Mr. and Mrs from Sparkle Creations and I WANTED THIS one so bad!!! Yippee. I have visions of what I am going to do with these two already.

Jeep is auditioning for the school play today. I will need to update my blog next weekend.

My Comfort Cottage

My Comfort Cottage has some blog candy and she would like people to post on their side bar. Okay, so if I knew how to do that I would, lol. How about if I put it in a post? Does that count, lol. Hey, it's good blog candy. lol.

She also has some really nice eye candy and I get her blog posts in my feedbiz, so each time she posts it lands in my email. So I don't miss any of her fabulous creations.

My Favorite Things

One last post, it's past my bedtime, lol. This is another pure innocent image from MFT's. The fence is a die-namic die and I colored that with Tim Holtz distress ink just like Sarah, a designer for MFT, who posted a tutorial on this when it was released. LOVE doing that. Because it is embossed like wood too and it adds so much to to it. I also used flat bottom clouds dies. Oh and the grass is CheeryLynn. I really like this grass die. The paper is Howdy Doody by MME. My absolute favorite paper that came out this season. Love the colors and the prints.

Okay, it's bedtime, thanks for following with me, even if my blog posts are hit and miss and just plain absent for months at a time. :)

Sparkle Creations, Relaxing Charlotte

Doesn't that look like fun? Love this image. I knew I had to use some liquid applique on those bubbles and heat them and POOF. Love the poof. I used more of the Howdy Doody paper on this one, by MME. The minute I saw her, I knew I had to do a bathroom scene. She was colored with Copics. I used one of my Spellbinder dies to make the mirror and embossed the frame and the mirror to make them look real from a crafty perspective, lol.

La La Land Dress Up Marci

Isn't she adorable? This is dress up Marci. Of course it reminds me of my daughter when she was little. Don't they all? lol. My daughter had a "dress and dazzle" treasure box that came with dress up clothes. She used to call it, "my dress'n'drazzle". I added hat's, shoes, jewelery, and make up to her little box. And she had hours of fun doing this and she would pull in her younger brother, my middle son, and make him all up too. And then they would come out for a fashion show. lol.

This layout was totally ScrapLifted. Here is the original post, and yes she was totally happy that I liked her creation enough to do one of my own. I had visions of my new Howdy Doody paper by MME and the die-namic dies I would use on it from the moment I saw it. LOVE this. I was going to high light her hair a bit more, but it was over kill with all the other high lights and took the eye away from the whole image.

I was so excited to finally get this stamp. I had asked the gals at the local scrapbook store to look for LaLaLand when they went to CHA. And they did, and they loved it, and they ordered a whole bunch to get in the store. And they came into the store and sold like Hotcakes. So they will be getting some more. Yippee.

MFTWSC61 Sketch Challenge and Design Team Challenge

The MFT design team challenge was "book it". Why do I take everything in the literal sense? I'm like a toddler that way. lol. I do love my Reading Flopsey though. He was a gift from a fellow SCS Kelli. I think that is why he is among my favorites.

So lately I have been in the mood for a good See's candie Chocolate Bunny. And Spring. The tulip tree has been blooming down the street and I love that. It's a sign. It's Spring. So I was drawn to some spring colors and came across my Authenique paper pad. I've been seeing these colors used on so many cards lately and I had to join in on the fun. So I got out my trusty Copic markers and colored him up. I used the posey die-namics for the flowers and added some ribbon. I also used this weeks Sketch Challenge format so I could do both challenges.

MFTWSC57 Sketch Challenge

Hey, what happened to 57 and 58? lol. This is 57 and I do have 58 sitting right here in front of me, not uploaded yet. Story of my life. I have three jobs though, so I am busy. lol.

This sketch twisted my brain up and I just could not wrap my mind around it. And quite honestly, it just did not turn out the way I thought it would. AND then I saw someone Else's who really did this sketch justice and I HAD to KopyKat it for sure. Isn't that latte girl cute? I loved everything about her card, so I had to find that embossing folder just to make this card. Plus I love it. Here http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2136930?&perpage=96&thumbsonly=0&si=mft is the original.

Now for a word on KopyKat'ing. I have been reading so many blogs where the designers are just beside themselves because people are "stealing" their ideas. A few of them said that others have literally copied their colored materials and put it out on the web for sale. That would not be KopyKat'ing, that would be stealing. I have had others send me messages telling me they KopyKat'd me or an idea I had. I try to message those I scrap lift from or at least will honestly say I got this from "so and so" or acknowledge that the original ideas were not mine. There is so much out there on Split coast and blogger land that I am sure at some point every idea can be traced back to an original thought. I just love the way some papers or ideas are put together and sometimes the whole design is a dream. Too good to just look at. I gotta try it. And quite honestly, I had no idea what I was doing when I got started a few years back. I started out collecting "pretty papers." I have watched so many tutorials on line, I cannot remember who said what or tried what. But I can say that I really appreciate all the people who share their ideas, skills and love for the craft. It has changed my life and given me so much joy. So thanks to all of those who have enriched my life through sharing their ideas. And those that I have messaged in the past have been thrilled that I would love their ideas so much, I wanted to make one just like it.

MFTWSC60 Sketch Challenge

Isn't this little guy cute?! I love these images. So fun to color and paper Pierce. And the new Cheerylynn die goes so perfectly with him. This is MME fiddlesticks paper pad. They really had some cute paper packs released.

Now Joe says that the horseshoe is suppose to be flipped the other way, so the luck doesn't all run out. And that's the first I've heard that. Why aren't they just lucky? lol. Who thought a horse shoe brought good luck anyway? I've seen those Westerns where they all get shot up and I know there are a few horse shoes around there, lol.

MFTWSC59 Sketch Challenge

Winner! I won the challenge with this card. Isn't that great? I'm just waiting to get the gift certificate so I can go shopping! LOVE on line shopping. It's way too convenient okay? lol.

Anyway, I was loving this a la mode stamp until I added the shadow. Now I was trying a new way to shadow. Pixelating a shadow can be tricky and I think I just put down too much color and forgot to pixelate and was trying to blend them. Back to the drawing board. And you know, I have had many images hit the round file, but I was just out of time to start over on this, so I uploaded it. Good thing huh? I do love the red hair though. My goodness it's bright. lol.

the paper is MME and I cannot remember which one, but I did manage to pick up quite a few new ones, lol.

MFTWSC56 MFT Sketch Challenge

Did you know if you click on the picture you can make it appear bigger? Try it. And then if you click again, it should be back to the regular post. One of my relatives were just telling me that they wished they could see a bigger picture, so I just thought I would throw that out there. lol.

For this cute Pure Innocent stamp, I colored her up with my copics and then applied the liquid applique to the bubbles. And then went over it with my heat gun. POOOF, it just poofs up with heat, how cool is that? I love it.

And if you have children that love bubble bath, then the scene with the bubbles runnith over is very familiar to you too. lol.

MFTWSC55 Sketch Challenge

I just finished this one up last week. I have been going a big out of order. I depends on how much time I have and when the spirit moves me. LOVE this new Cowgirl Pure Innocent stamp from My Favorite Things. The flowers are the rolled die-namics roses. I had to laugh at one gal that messaged me on Splitcoast wanting to know the sizes, I am the same way. Always inquiring about what this is and what that is. She is framed with a new die from CheeryLynn. And the designer paper is Crate Paper. I have been hoarding this paper, but decided since this is for my daughter, I would use it liberally.

When my daughter was 11, she wanted Cowgirl Boots. Real cowgirl boots from the western store. I bought her a pair of boots and a whole outfit to go right with it. She really liked that outfit! lol. So this little gal reminded me of her. As do so many of the others. She always loved to dress up.

Thinking back, it seemed like forever ago and yet, sometimes I am amazed at how much time has passed since then. Weird Mom moment. Okay, I'm better now, lol.

MFTWSC54 Sketch Challenge

I don't know about this....something is not right and no, it's not just fishy, lol. I needed something else on this card and everytime I added a flower, it just was not fitting. hmmmm. Well I uploaded it anyway.

MFTWSC53 Sketch

I'm catching up on my blogging....again....lol. I was reading somewhere and one of the fellow bloggers was complaining about how her favorite blogs don't have updates very often....lol. Ooops.

I have finally caught up on my sketches, but wouldn't you know it, the very last one I've done is sitting on my desk, no photo, no upload. lol. I'm hopeless. But I am coloring and I am having a very good time with all of this.

Hope this quarter has treated you well. Ackkkk, it's almost TAX time.