Cupkacke Challenge

A couple of weeks ago, I tried one of the Taylored Expressions cupcake challenge layouts. The only MINOR detail I messed up is that I followed the wrong sketch for the wrong week. Oops! I'm just glad I caught it before I posted it with all the other entries. I think mine would have definitely stood out....and not in a good way.

Oh well. Live and learn. At least I have a birthday card ready to go, and I also have something to post for my blog. Not bad. I used some of my new Memory Box stamps and papers to make the card. The cupcakes have frosting made from puffed up liquid applique, and I used red rhinestones as accents for the hat and cakes. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am looking forward to a couple of days visiting with my mom. Until next week....

Acetate Card

First of all, let me start things off by saying that I don't usually post cards using stamps that have been discontinued. However, I couldn't stop myself from posting a card I made during a Hero Arts Challenge that encouraged people to use their favorite HA products. My favorite Hero stamp (the flower) just happens to no longer be available. Trust me though, any other solid flower would work just fine!

To make this card, I took a Hero Arts acetate card and layered it with some of the new Basic Grey Porcelain paper. I stamped my flower with Colorbox Chalk pink ink onto white cardstock and then cut it out and glued it to the front of the card. I stamped a birthday saying from HA with VersaFine Spanish Moss ink and then added some white pearls to make the card look more feminine. I was pleased with the finished result because it is a surprisingly fast card to make.

I also wanted to have a chance to say hi to the people who took my Memory Box classes yesterday. I had a lot of fun, and I appreciate you being a part of my inaugural Memory Box classes at Angela's.

Thanks also to my friend Chrisi for hosting her wonderful annual Oscar bash. I had a wonderful time as usual. I enjoyed the telecast last night even though it had a surprising lack of Jon Voight footage (sorry for the inside joke). Plus, it was so easy to fall asleep last night having exhausted myself from rolling around on my Oscar pool winnings. :)

I do of course realize that I will never be invited back.

Memory Box Contest

I don't often overlap the cards I post on my two blogs, but I wanted to let you know that I am having a contest over on the Color Whimsy blog. If you leave a comment on that blog before Monday night, you have a chance to win one of the latest Memory Box 6" x 6" paper packs. Good luck!

Pink/Orange IO DT Challenge

It is time for another Impression Obsession Design Team Challenge! This time we were challenged to make cards with pink and orange in them.

The first card uses two of the new Leigh Hannan images. I love the champagne stamp, and I know I am going to get a lot of use out of the "cheers" saying! To make the card, I colored the glasses with pink Copic markers and added a little Stardust pen to some of the bubbles to make them sparkle. I finished the card by adding some cute SEI paper with pink and orange bubbles that matched the champagne glasses.

For my second card, I used a floral swish from one of the new Sarah Phelps clear sets. It really works well for any occasion.. birthdays, thank yous, thinking of you, Mother's Day, etc.. I colored the flowers with pink, orange, and green Copic markers and then shaded them with Cool Grey #1. To finish the card, I added a saying with Color Box Chalk Pink Pastel and then layered everything onto some striped paper by Crate.

If you want to see other cards with an orange/pink theme, be sure to stop by and see what Daniela, Deborah, Dina, Julie, Tina, and Michelle designed.

Take Care,

Cupcake Challenge #55

I decided I wanted to try the Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge this week, so here is my adaptation of the sketch.
I used some of my favorite cupcake stamps from Hero Arts as well as my brand new Basic Grey Marrakech paper. I just love that paper pack! The colors in the pack remind me of a caftan my mom bough in Morocco that was orange with dark blue accent pieces. It had beading on it that I tried to replicate by adding beads to the liquid applique that looked like sprinkles. I wish that I hadn't pressed the beads into the applique because applique puffed up in a strange way around the beads. However, I loved the sparkle the beads add the the card (which you can't see in the photo). I finished the card by adding a saying and some balloons by Hero Arts.

Spring Peacock

Hi guys. Just a quick post today of a card I made using one of the latest Leigh Hannan Impression Obsession images. I don't know what it is about her quirky drawings that makes me love them so much. I know when I think of spring, I think of peacocks! And yet....it works.

To make this card, I stamped my peacock egg with black Memento ink onto white cardstock and colored everything with Copic markers. It took me two layers of color to get the coloring of the egg to be perfectly smooth. I also added some Warm Grey 1 and 3 to the nest as "filler" in between the branches and leaves. I thought it gave more depth to the finished nest. You can't tell from the picture, but I added some clear Spica to the peacock feathers to make them sparkle.

Love those puns!

I have mentioned before my love of puns and wordplay. When I saw the new ocean set from Cornish Heritage Farms at Angela's a couple of days ago, I knew I had to have it. It is loaded with all kinds of of sea life as well as sayings that make me smile (and groan).

To make this card, I stamped the fish and seaweed onto white cardstock with black Memento ink and colored them with Copic markers. I stamped the seaweed image again onto paper, colored it, and cut it out. If you look carefully, you will notice that I left a small white border around the seaweed so that it would be easier to cut out. I then glued the extra seaweed onto the card so that it would obscure one of the fish. You can't really tell from the picture, but I used a pop dot to raise the shell and added some Spica pens to the fins to make them sparkle.

Have a fin-tastic day!

In My Heart

I thought I would continue the Valentine/color theme of my last card and post something I made for a Hero Arts Valentine challenge. I hate posting stamps that are discontinued, but I was limited in my Hero Arts heart options. Oh well!

To make this card, I stamped the heart onto white cardstock using black Memento ink and then stamped the bird inside using the same ink. I colored the heart and bird with Copic markers and then cut out the heart and layered it onto some Cuttlebugged cardstock. I realize "Cuttlebugged" isn't a word, but I kind of like it. My saying was a clear stamp so I was able to move it into the shape of a banner before I stamped my card. I think the wavy shape was a little more interesting than a traditonal straight saying.

On an unrelated note, I have a question to pose to you guys. Last night I was driving home and had the heat cranked to counteract the freakin' cold weather we have been having. I got it so warm in my car that I wanted to take off my coat. However, I couldn't do it becasue ever since I first saw Planes, Trains, and Automobiles many years ago, I have visions of becoming John Candy and having my arms pinned as I try to drive. It got me thinking about how movies/tv can affect the way we act. So, my question to you is "Do you alter your behavior in any way because of something you saw in a film or tv show?"

Call me curious!

IO Design Team Challenge

After all the IO design team challenges before and during CHA, we decided as a group to develop a regular challenge schedule each month. So, be on the lookout for more challenges as well as lots and lots of samples!

Today's challenge theme was "spring flowers." I don't know if Valentine's Day counts as spring, but I was dying to play with this heart/flower image. To make the card, I stamped the flower onto white cardstock using black Memento ink. I colored the flower with Copic markers and then carefully cut around the flower and leaf using detail scissors. I decided that I wanted the flower in a pot, so I cut out a pot freehand from some red paper and edged it with brown ink to make the edges stand out better. The rim of the pot has pop dots under it so that it is raised and gives a 3-D effect to the card. To finish, I added a valentine greeting as well as some red heart brads for embellishment.

Need some more floral inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Deborah, Julie, Kelli, and Michelle cooked up. Dina said she would be able to post hers Thursday, so be sure to check back!

Paper Scraps

I am forever looking for ways you use up my paper scraps. I felt as though I did a pretty good job when I made magnets out of left over paper as small Christmas gifts last year. I am posting a large photo of the finished project so that you can see it better. However, the picture makes them look more like paperweights than magnets. As a scale reference, each magnet ended up being a little smaller than 1" round.

My first bit of advice when making a magnet set would be to use a paper collection rather than random pieces of paper. That way, all the magnets will be different, but they will all coordinate with each other.

To make the magnets, I used a 3/4" circle punch to cut out my designs. I then bought a HUGE bag of floral stones at a craft store. I think I will be making magnets for the rest of my life! I then adhered the paper to the stones using Diamond Glaze and let the pieces dry. The glass stones themselves are not perfect circles, so I cut off any paper that was sticking out from behind the stones. I finished by adhering 3/4" magnets to the back with Diamond Glaze. I know I am a Diamond Glaze junkie, but it is really great for this project. It dries clear, and there is no way those magnets are going to fall apart! Another bit of advice... the 1/2" magnets I tested looked better behind the stones than my 3/4" magnets, but they just weren't strong enough to hold the stone AND whatever the magnet was supposed to hold. So, I went with the 3/4".

Once you have your magnets, you can present them any way you want. Altoid tins work well because the magnets stay in place inside. I was lucky enough to find stand-alone magnetic boards at the dollar store. To make them look prettier, I glued mulberry paper on top so you couldn't see the grey metal of the board. Mulberry works well because it is decorative, but it is also thin and won't interfere with the magnets sticking to the board.

Have a great day!