Friday, August 30, 2013

Up, Up, & Away



X-Press It Paper
Favorite copic color combo: Teal, Yellow, Pink, Black
 
Hello Friends and Stampers,
 
I hope this long weekend takes you Up, Up, & Away from it all.  I am lucky this year, I get the long weekend as well!  Yippee.  So it really is an Inspiration Holly-Day! Time for some inking up those cute stamps I just got.  Speaking of Cute Stamps, Have you seen the Newer than Newest in the New Items section over at Loves Rubberstamps?  You really want to, trust me.  lol. 
 
Today I am using a technique I saw on Theresa's Blog Crafting the Web.  There is a light tan page in the Beautiful Life paper I used to stamp the balloons and clouds.  I colored the balloons up with my Copic Markers, but I was happy with the way the clouds looked, so I didn't color them. 
As usual, I inked up the images with my Memento Tuxedo Black.  I was thinking of inking up in another Memento Color, but decided it was too late at night for trial and error, lol.  I always talk myself out of that too, one day..... Anyway, I fussy cut them out and used my Blueprints 5 to guide me in this sketch.




I really love this paper and will be sad when I run out, lol.   I love the Balloon images as well.  I will most definitely be using this set again soon, as well as these fabulous blueprints.... I love them!  I also stayed with our Challenge this week - your favorite color combination. 

Thank you for all your kind words as I lived my drama out on my blog re: my Grandson's School start, lol.   I'm very passionate about my Children and when something effects them, it effects me deeply.  It's so hard to have that helpless feeling and have to watch them experience life.  I just want to protect them from every little thing.  As it turns out, Reed has a wonderful teacher and all the staff at the school are warm and helpful. 

My son Jeep is a serious student.  He wants to please the teacher and he really wants to please his parents with his grades.  He is super smart and is becoming a bit of an over achiever.  My grandson, Reed, is also super smart, but could care less who is impressed with his grades, lol.  He does not like any part of school work or studying.  He is very tenacious and into playing with his Ipad and all the other things that interest him.  So we have the daunting task of catching my Grandson up in school to his grade level and while he is only in the 2nd grade, he really is missing much of the first grade stuff and a few things from Kindergarten.  He is a wiz at Math though.  And while we are catching him up, we also have to keep our son motivated, lol.  Jeep has decided he would like to play the violin this year.  So my quiet little world is a bit chaotic right now, lol.  Tonight I wrote out a sentence I wanted Reed to write on his homework.  He told me I "do my y's funny".  I explained that I didn't pay enough attention in school and so I never really learned how to write them correctly.  He told me not to worry, he would teach me!  So now it's his mission to teach me what I missed in Grade School or cannot remember because after all, "It was a long, long, time ago when you went to school Gramma." 

Stay tuned for more, lol.

Thanks for Looking and for your kind Comments.

Holly

Monday, August 26, 2013

All Aboard!


 
X-Press It Paper
Favorite copic color combo B97, B95, B93!
 
 

Hello Friends and Stampers,

All aboard for a new Challenge over at The Loves Rubberstamps Challenge Blog!  This week we are asking us to show and tell your favorite color combination.  We are being sponsored by not one but two sponsors, plus the Loves Prize! 



I love Train Conductor Owen!  He is so cute.  I used quite a few of my favorite color combinations on this one.  B97, B95, B92 for his overalls and hat.  E27, E25, E23 for his shoes.  R29, R27, R24 for his shirt.  Y38, Y19, Y15 for his scarf.  G07, G14, YGo3 for his gloves. E43, E42, E41 for the wheels.  Actually, you know what my favorite Copic Color Combination is of all?  R85, R83, R81, but I couldn't use these on a boy card, lol. 

So last week, we thought we were all settled into school with the boys.  The school district called to let us know they had to revoke my grandson's transfer.  So Joe and I scrambled around and after many phone calls, we had to register him at the elementary school a few blocks away.  Can you imagine?  So I have one going to the original school and one I had to take to a whole new school today.  I agonized all weekend over this.  I thought we were all ready for this change this morning, I thought I could keep the brave facade going.  When he started crying on the playground before school even started, I started crying too.  I cried getting him in the line.  I cried walking away.  I cried in the Dean of Students office.  I cried signing him up for the daycare across the street.  I came home and I cried for three hours.  I can't even remember the last time I cried, lol.  It's just so not me.  But my heart just ached for him.  Having another first day of school after just having gone through all of that last week.  I have to say I really HATE our school system.  Nothing about our society is focused on our children.  And they are the most important part.  Take the budget away from the prisoners.  Tax those top 3%.  Do whatever we need to do to pay our teachers really well, and give more funding to the school.  And then fire all those district people and start over again.  Okay I'll get off my soap box, lol.   He did a lot better today than I did.

I am using this weeks sketch over at MFT's. 


Thanks for Looking and for putting up with my rant. 

Holly

Friday, August 23, 2013

Square Cowboy



 
Whoo Hoo, Happy Holly-Day Friday!
 
I hope your week was fabulous and that you have great weekend plans!  It's my turn to show you some Inspiration on the Loves Rubberstamps Blog.  I am keeping with this weeks Challenge - Round or Square cards.  
 
I love this adorable Morehead Boy with his big ol' cowboy hat on.  Reminds me of my youngest son with his big ol' cheeks.  I love the Card Candi as well!  These polka dots are just what I needed to finish off this design.   
 
We made it through the first week of school and OMGosh these boys are so excited! lol.  The newness is great, and I love the enthusiasm and excitement before the reality of "school work" kicks in, lol. 
 
I hope you have a fabulous weekend and can join our challenge! 
 
Holly  
 
 


 

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Sing a little tune...


 
 
Happy Tuesday Friends and Stampers!
 
It's time for a new Challenge over at Loves Rubberstamps Challenge Blog.  This week we are asking you to show us your round or square cards.  This week we have a great sponsor!  We would like to thank the Paper Shelter for providing the design team with the cutest images this week!
 
My card is 5 1/2 Square.  I used the Vintage Seamstress digi and both the La La Land Musical notes and the MFT musical notes for the inside.  I printed my image onto X-Press it Paper and colored her up with my Copic markers.  I don't know why I am so into using my doilies lately, lol.   I promise my next card on Friday will not have one, lol. 
 
I saw a video on Facebook that was about "pay it forward" and each person who had someone do something kind for them, turned around did something kind for someone else, and so on... It brought tears to my eyes.  Imagine a world where everyone is showing kindness and acceptance.  The closest I can come to this is the scrapping world on line.  I love it when people are encouraging to others, it just makes me so happy.  I better go leave some more comments now, lol. 
 
Now that school is back into swing, I hope you all have a little bit more time for scrapping and card making.  I cannot wait to see the fabulous cards you make for our challenge.
 
Don't forget to check out the NEW ITEMS listed in the store!
 
Thanks for Looking and for your Kind  comments!
 
Holly
 

Saturday, August 17, 2013

A Big Thank You!




MFT - LDJ Grand Greetings
MFT - Die-Namics Blueprints 1
MFT - Die-namics Button Quartet Die
MFT - Die-Namics First Place Award
Memento - Lady Bug
Echo Park - Paper and Glue 6X6
Best Glue Ever!

Happy Saturday Friends and Stampers,

I have an extra card to share with you this week over at the Loves Rubberstamps Inspiration Blog.  Be sure to join us over there tomorrow for the DT blog hop and you have a chance to win a very nice prize just by commenting! 

I love the Die-namic Blueprint Dies!!!  I put the large rectangle over the sentiment I wanted to use and  decided it was perfect.  No guessing, no fuss, no measuring, just roll it through the bigshot and viola!  Unfortunately, I love them all and am now going to have start a collection, lol.  Fortunately, Laura carries them in her store along with a plethera of other fabulous images and dies and craft supplies.  Head on over to the store and see the cute NEW stamps she has added recently.

This week was super busy. My Grandson came to live with me while his mother is away for school, and we had a heck of a time getting him registered for school. Our Son is an intradistrict transfer student at a school across town where my Husband works. It's one of the better schools in town and we have had nothing but success these past years. He's going into the fifth grade this year. So of course we wanted to enroll our Grandson in the same school, but there was a waiting list, and then we were told the waiting list was being held until three weeks after school started. So we had to register him at the local neighborhood school and jump through all their hoops. Then we had to figure out the daycare system and get him ready to go there for before and after school.   Thursday,  the School my Son attends called and said my Grandson was accepted. So then we were scrambling around to get that taken care of and of course the daycare doesn't have any openings and has a waiting list to get in, lol. Lucky for us, there is a very prestigious daycare right up the block from that school and it will only cost us an arm and leg to enroll him there, lol. But you know what? He is worth it!
So this weekend we are going to run out and get two backpacks and two pair of shoes. I already have pencils and a few other supplies. I am waiting for that list the teacher sends home of the things they want their students to have for their class. Then I will run out and get the rest of the school supplies. It's been over 100 here all summer and will continue to be in the 100's until mid Sept or early October, so I always wait to get new jeans and long sleeve shirts when the weather changes. I am never sure what size to get for winter in the big "back to school" rush at the mall. So they start with a new shirt and shoes and wear those short pants they have been wearing all summer. I always pick up a few things each month so that there is no huge "need" all at the same time. It works better for me that way.   But for the most part, they are ready for School on Monday!   
How about you? Are you already for School to start?
 
Okay we are off to shop for the rest of our list!  Afterwards, I may have to get on line and order up some of these adorable Tiddly Ink stamps Laura just added!  She will be putting in a pretty sizable order to add as many of these to the store as possible, so come on stampers, help me out! lol.
 
Hope you have a fabulous weekend.
 
Holly
 
 

Friday, August 16, 2013

Miss You!


 
 
Hello and Happy Holly-Day Friday,
 
It's my turn to show you some craftiness on the Loves Rubberstamps Inspiration Blog.  Today I am keeping with this weeks Challenge - Hair of a different color.  I did see this color combination on Delphine's Blog.   The minute I saw it, I knew who I wanted to use it on, little telephone Marci!  I masked her off with scratch paper and stamped the suitcase.  Then I colored her up and fussycut them out.  I cut out a sentiment strip with my bigshot and then stamped a sentiment on it and cut off one edge.  I colored some rhinestones with my Copic Markers and added them to the side.  She took a while to color but I love her.  In retrospect, I shoulda woulda coulda made that phone red! lol. 
 
I hope you have had some time to stop by the Loves Rubberstamps Store, there are more NEW Items!
And if you love Some Odd Girl and Tiddly Inks, you are going to want to go check out the newly added stamps!!!  The whole team is so excited!   Speaking of the whole team:
Stop off at my team members and see what they have been up to lately.  I love our Design Team and sadly we are going to loose a few members on Sept 1st.  But we are also going to be gaining some brand new members:
 
Nicole Nastali - Nicole's Craft Nook
Joni Mastronardi - Joni52 Stamps and Scraps
Nina AKA PaperDaisies - PaperDaisies
and we have added a VIDEO DESIGNER who will be sharing Tutorial Videos on our
Indah Permatasari - Amberlycraft
 
 
So Head on over to check out their fabulous designs!  So excited to have them joining us on Sept 1st! whoohoo!
 
Thanks for Looking and for your kind Comments!
Holly
 


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Hair of a different color




X-Press It Paper
Echo Park - Beautiful Life 6X6

Happy Tuesday!
 
It's time for another Challenge over at Loves Rubberstamps!  This week we are asking you to use "A Hair of a Different Color." Use an unusual hair color, or add fun highlights - like teal, pink, purple!
Our Sponsor this week is Saturated Canary!  We'd like to thank Saturated Canary for providing the Design Team with a fabulous Digi to use.  I Chose Maxine the Florist.  OMGosh I love her hair, lol.  I just went for it, teal and yellow, so much fun.  I've never made different colored hair before so this was fun and I think I might have to do the same thing on Friday, lol. 
 
And I am loving this new Paper Laura added to the store!  Speaking of adding, she has added two new companies and I am so THRILLED!!!!  I'm not going to tell, you have to go see for yourself! lol. click HERE for the new goodies!
 
I cannot wait to see your fabulous creations and hair colors! 
 
Thanks for Looking and for your kind Comments!  
 
Holly

Seems a Little Sketchy- card sketch.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

I Heart Stamps!


Hello Friends and Stampers!

I am not part of the blog hop today but head on over to Loves Rubberstamps Inspiration Blog and and hop along to see what all my fabulous team mates have made to inspire you!

Laura - Loves Rubberstamps Inspiration Blog
Dangina
Athina
Shanna
Lydia
Marcy
Ivonne

Someone has a prize to be won by commenting on all the blog posts.  You would not believe all the NEW ITEMS in the store and the new companies that Laura has added and is planning on expanding with.....So Happy!!!!  So it's definitely worth the hop!

Today I am showing you some inspiration on my own, I got home from work last night and thought, what the heck!  lol.  I wanted to play along with the sketch design over at MFT this week.  I got out my cute P.I. called Crafty Friends.  I stamped her in  Memento Ink - Tuxedo Black Ink, and colored her with my Copic Markers on X-Press It Paper.  I used my MFT - Die-namic Circle Stax 1,
MFT - Die-namic Circle Stax 2 and Die-Namic Fishtail Flag Stax, I Love this paper thats new in the store, Echo Park - Beautiful Life.

I just love this crafty girl!  And this is definitely an understatement, "I heart Stamps!" 

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

Holly

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Raptor Round Your Heart





 
 
Hello and Happy Holly-Day Friday!
 
It's my turn to showcase on the Loves Rubberstamps Inspiration Blog!   Oh I love this cute Raptor!  He reminds me of my youngest son a few years back.  He always loved to dress up everyday.  He loved the shirts with the capes and he had a hoodie one year that he wore for Halloween and then nearly every chilly day for the next two years.  It was a tiger striped hoodie with little ears at the top.  And it was his favorite thing to wear.  Now that my grandson is living with us, he is also into the wearing things that appear to be a dress up.  I got him a hoodie a couple weeks ago that looks like a Clone from Star Wars and it zips all the way to the top of his head and has little eye holes in the hoodie.  What could be better than that?  Even though it's in the 100's here, he still wants to try it on and cannot wait til he can use it everyday, lol.  I may have to run down and buy him one in the next size up in case he outgrows this, this year.  
 
I know, I know, I have used this -  MFT - WBD - You're So Special To Me stamp set a lot lately.  I just love the flowers in this set and thought I would use it with my image and on the inside as well.  I am entering this in the Masking Challenge over at MFT's, where they have a tutorial on how to do this if you have never done it before.  I love masking my images with other images, so that was nothing new, but I rarely use soft colors with my spray gun and Copic Markers, so I thought I would try it out and I do love it!  So I plan to do this more in the future.  I am also using the Sketch Saturday Sketch for my card. 
 
I hope you have a chance to check out the New Items Laura has added to the store, I know she has a lot more to add, so keep checking in!
 
Also, don't forget about our Anything Goes Challenge going on right now!  I can't wait to see your fabulous designs!
 
Thanks for Looking and for your kind Comments!
 
Holly

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Keep Calm Queen


 
 
 
 


Hello Friends and Stampers! 
 
Happy Tuesday to you!  It's time for a New Loves Rubberstamps Challenge - Anything Goes!  I love this one.  It's a great time for everyone to show us their creations and I always learn so much going from entree to entree.  Love seeing the different styles and techniques.
 
Speaking of different styles, have you seen the NEW ITEMS Laura is carrying her store? You gotta watch the New Items link closely because Laura is sneaky and will start adding things by the truckload on there and before you know it, you have pages and pages and pages of new products to try and choose from.  She is expanding to new companies so that there is something for everyone.  And of course, even if it's not my particular style, I want it all! lol.   Laura has posted some of the new things to be posted in the near future on the Loves Rubberstamps Inspiration Blog.  So hop on over and take a look and then you have til Saturday to Blog Hop around for a chance to win a prize.  Fun, Fun, Fun!
 
This Queen Bean image is a limited edition TGF stamp and when quantities are sold, they are gone, so if you want one, be sure to head on over and pick it up.  The link below the card will take you to the store. 
 
I hope you can all join us in the challenge this week. 
 
Thanks for Looking and for your kind Comments.
 
Holly

 

Saturday, August 3, 2013

You Are Special To Me


 




Hi Friends and Stampers,

Just thought I would throw a little Saturday mojo your way with some inspiration from Loves Rubberstamps.  All these items on my card can be found at Loves Rubberstamps.  Here is the list and the hyperlinks to help you find them.

MFT WBD - you're so special to me
MFT Die-namic - bow from Woven Basket
X-press It Paper
Copic Markers
Bo-Bunny Prairie Chic Collection
Memento Black Ink

I actually had intended to use my Die-namic Chalkboard Frame Builder but this image is so large, by the time I framed her up, it covered up the rest of the card, lol.  So I had to layer her.  But oh, do I have plans for this frame builder! 

Okay, it's past my bedtime as I am preposting this, but I hope you are having a great weekend and can inky!  Maybe join us in our tall and skinny challenge!

Holly

Friday, August 2, 2013

Nosey Hollis!



 
Hello Friends and Stampers,
 
Hope you are enjoying this Friday.  Better yet, hope you have some great weekend plans!  Today is a Happy Holly-Day over at Loves Rubberstamps Inspiration Blog.  I have used Art Impressions Hollis, from the Front and Backs collection.  Laura has not stocked these yet, but if you are interested in ordering them, feel free to send her an email and she will let you know when you can expect them.    I had such a great time with our Current Challenge - 4X9 cards, that I decided to make another one!  At first I thought I wouldn't like making a card any other size than my standard 4 1/4 X 5 1/2, but as it turns out, I love it and I may even do it again and again, lol.  
 
Actually I thought about this stamp because I thought using a cute scene around him would be fun.  So I searched high and low in my stashes of stamps.  Here and There and Everywhere.  I have them separated into categories now, lol.   So I dug through the stash a few times and then finally remembered I had mounted him up and placed him with some of the other girlfriends stamps that are ready for me to use.  In the meantime though, I found a few neglected stamps that I intend on using later on this month, lol.   I know, I know, I am hopeless. 
 
So I stamped him up in my Memento Black ink onto the one layer and then stamped him again on scratch paper and fussy cut that out.  Then I placed that over the original image and airbrushed the sky and ground.  Then I colored him up front and back and fussy cut the back image to put on the inside of the card.  Then I used the dies and arranged the scene on top of that.  I love making scenes on my cards, it's a lot of fun.  It brought him right to life. 
 
I also like being able to use things from three different companies.  That is a big plus being a designer at Loves Rubberstamps.  If you are looking to be on a Design Team, send Laura a quick email because at the end of this week, we are going to pick three designers to join us for the fall term, see all the details here.  Design Team Call!!!   And if the big commitment scares you, remember we are looking for GDT members to join us for each month! 

Thanks for Looking and for your kind Comments!

Holly

Simon Says Sunshine