Stamp Fever??? You got it bad when.....

Stamping Fever???? Ever had this? I had it bad on Sunday when my mom and dad came to visit and I kept sitting there while she was talking thinking about how beautiful her sweater would look in card format. I was not trying to be disrespectful! My mind just kept wondering! I finally told her I needed....yes NEEDED...to take a picture of her sweater so I could make a card. She laughed, but complied. I have a series of photos that ensued from my card idea. We laughed and had a great time. I thought I would share a few more pictures below! Isn't she beautiful!

Back to the card. I am using one of ODBD December releases called Peace and Joy. Now, while it is somewhat of a Christmas set, I truly believe a snowflake can be used more often during the year.

I stamped the background and surprised myself. You know I love to make my own dp. It is very calming for me. My own form of therapy so to speak!

For this background, I stamped the snowflakes in vintage cream pigment ink directly to true black cardstock and let dry a bit. I then stamped my versamark pad all over the 5 inch squared piece and embossed with kaleidescope embossing powder. Everyone NEEDS this embossing powder. When it was completed, I gasped! I surprised myself with this beauty if I do say so myself. I almost hated covering it up! Of course, what is dp for, right? Right click on the pictures to see close ups!

As for the center snowflake, I stamped it in Momento Tuxedo black and added small and tiny gems to various patterned areas. This process proved calming for me. I added what I love to call my fou fou bowdabra bow with silver bowdabra wire and curly ques! Love it! It just finishes my sweater card beautifully to me!

Here are some more pictures of my Mom. My mom's friends call her Jo, short for Josephine. My favorite picture is my mom hugging my column. I actually sent this one to my siblings with the title "Crazy Walmart Shopper would NOT leave without her POLE!!!" Like North Pole? Get it?

















As always thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments are greatly appreciated!





Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! Tidings of good cheer, health, happiness, and prosperity for 2010!


Stamps
ODBD Peace and Joy
Paper
Ivory and PTI True Black
Ink
Versamark, PTI vintage cream, Momento tuxedo black
Accessories
Kaleidescope ep, sheer ribbon, silver bowdabra wire, mini bowdabra, clear gems, silver pearl

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge(FTTC44) and CC247!

It is time for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge(FTTC44)! This week Maki Jones is our challenge host. Maki is challenging us to CAS or clean and simple styled cards. To find out more about this card style, click here. This is the perfect challenge for you to finish up some last minute Christmas cards or card gift sets for the holidays! We look forward to seeing what you create in the CAS style!!!

This card is also for SCS Color Combo Challenge(CC247)! This week is

Very Black Suede! We are using Very Vanilla, Basic Black, and Soft Suede! This week's dessert option! SPARKLE and GLITZ in any COLOR!!!

You can add bling, gems, glitter, stickles, and shine in whatever medium you chose and whatever color. Sort of like Iciing on the cake!!!

For this card I am using the Flourishes Damask background and Dove and Holly sets.

Please check out the other blog team designer's cards to see what they created with the limited challenge for you this week.

Maki Jones

Silke Ledlow
Cindy Haffner
Dee Jackson
Kim Crawford

Swan Song Verve VLVSEP04 Challenge!

This card is for Verve's weekly sketch challenges with a twist. This weeks VLVSEP04 twist was to make a black and white card. It is also for Penny's Challenges to us a bird!

I stamped all of the black panels with an Verve image in versamark and embossed with clear ep. It does not show up the best in the world, but I think it looks great IRL. I am using all Verve images. I am also using one of the new sets that I order that just came yesterday called Swan Song. LOVE it!!!

I stamped my swan in momento black twice and cut out. I must add that while this image looks very intricate it is really easy to cut out. Love that!!! I colored the top stacked portion with sakura gel pen which offer a nice sheen of sparkle. Hard to see with a camera, though. I took a close up shot, but you will need to click on it to see the sheen more vividly.

I have been using quite a bit of the larger silver and gold pearls lately. I am trying to come up with clever ways to use the tiny ones I generally leave on the sheet. So, I added a tiny silver pearl to the feather points and used one of the larger ones for the swan's head.

For the clear embossed background panels, I used images from Bountiful Backgrounds, Grateful Elegance, and Filgree Fantasy sets. For the sentiment, I stamped with versamark and embossed with black ep. I stenciled inside my nesties with smokey shadow ink. I have been stenciling just about everything with my nesties shapes lately. I love the look.

I added a foo foo sheer ribbon with stick pin detailing and a few more silver pearls and it was done!!! I am laughing because it was NOT that easy. LOL!!! I had a few MOMENTS while making this card.

I do want to ask if someone knows of a corner rounder punch that actually rounds and does not leave the corners jagged looking I would LOVE to know about it. I have tried several different brands and I always get a less than smooth look.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and your comments are always greatly appreciated!!!

Stamps

Verve Swan Song, Bountiful Backgrounds, Grateful Elegance, Filigree Fantasy

Paper

Black and gp white

Ink

Momento black, versamark

Accessories

Nestabilities, foam circles, silver pearls, C1 and 100 copic markers, sakura gel pen, thin satin and 1" wide sheer ribbon, corner rounder, label 4, sponges, glue dots. , SU pretties kit, mini bowdabra

Rejoice!

This card is for today's FS133 Challenge!!! Congrats Joanne!!! Gorgeous gallery. I chose this card to case of Joanne's here.

I pretty much kept the same look, but changed the exactness when I did not have the same item. I did change the colors.

I am using an ODBD set called Worship the Lord. I embossed the image in white detailed embossing powder on to smokey shadow cardstock. Instead of using the cuttlebug folder, I used some of last year's stash of MME Festive and Frost collection. I love the shimmery look of the snowflakes.

When it came to the embellishments, I did not have snowflakes as big as Joanne's so I created a bigger look. I punched out and stamped the snowflakes with my versamark pad, then added the kaleidescope embossing powder. I tried to photograph my card so you could see the sparkle of this KEP.

For the sentiment, I stamped the sentiment in adirondack pool, used the spellbinder's die cut and while it was still in the die cut, I stamped with versamark, added the KEP and removed. I then heated it. I love this shimmery look. I finished both embellishments with dew drops. I also used a different corner punch for the edges.

Stamps
ODBD Worship the Lord
Paper
GP white, SU bermuda bay, PTI smokey shadow, MME
Ink
snow white, adirondack pool
Accessories
MS snowflake punch, dew drops, glue dots, foam squares, spellbinders, white detailed ep, Kaleidescope ep, SU corner punch

Christmas JOY!

This card is for today's SCS Feature Stamper Challenge (FS131)! Congratulations, Joanne!!! It was hard choosing a card. Here is the one I chose. I love the layout and design of Joanne's card as well as the Christmas theme. I kept the general layout and modified according to my larger size card. I change the colors and went with a little nontraditional colors instead.

I am using Flourishes All that Glitters and Poinsettia Boxwood sets. I stamped my background using one of the pine sprigs from the All that Glitters set in versamark and embossed with transparent kaleidoscope embossing powder. I love the subtle multicolored shimmer. I also used the versamark pad directly to the enchanted evening cardstock and embossed with the same embossing powder to get the rich shimmer for my corner and snowflake punch. I stamped the sentiment JOY in versamark and embossed in gold. I softly sponged the edges of the oval panel with ranger old paper and antique linen inks.

I colored using Flourishes Copic Color Collection in in Sky and Tiger Lily. I used Flourishes Classic White cardstock.I finished my card with satin ribbon and Flourishes Finishing Touches gold slide.

Stamps
Flourishes All that Glitters and Poinsettia and Boxwood sets
Paper
Flourishes classic white, PTI enchanted evening
Ink
Palette Noir, enchanted evening, olive, ranger antique linen, old paper
Accessories
Nestabilities, MS snowflake punch, SU photo corner, foam tape, glue dots, gold pearls, gold cording, transparent kaleiddoscope ep, sponges, gold slide

Framed Serenity

This framed Serenity Prayer combines two challenges. The first is Julia's Ways to Use it Frugal Finds(WT207). I purchase several sets these hanging frames a few years ago at the Target dollar spot. Except I think they were $2.50 a set. I have not done a lot with them. As I was going through the Room Service Home website, I came across this desk set. Immediately, I was drawn toward the dry erase hanging in the background and I remembered my frames. A frugal find is only a frugal find if it is used, otherwise it is wasted money. So, I am finally using my frames!!!

I thought the frame would look wonderful with tomorrow's Our Daily Bread Designs Serenity Prayer release. Thanks, Stef for great inspiration, and thanks to Julia for an awesome frugal finds challenge.

I embossed the prayer on textured cream cardstock using versa mark and black ep. I love the elegant simplicity of just the embossed prayer with nothing else added. I chose not to do anything else to it except switch out the ribbon hanger to black gingham. What do you think? I think I will hang this one in my craft room. It is a great gift idea whether it is a prayer or a scripture.

STAMPS Our Daily Bread Designs Serenity Prayer

INK Versa Mark

PAPER The Paper Company's cream white

ACCESSORIES black 5/8" gingham, black squared frame, black ep

God Our Refuge!

This card is for a few challenges. The first one is SCS Inspiration Challenge (IC167). Thanks Stef for wonderful inspiration with a poignant message. THE ARTFULL BRAS PROJECT. Members of Quilters of South Carolina have created one-of-a-kind bras for Breast Cancer Awareness. The exhibit consists of forty-nine original works of art which are unique, entertaining, humorous, and beautiful to make the public aware of breast cancer, to memorialize those lost to the disease, and to honor survivors. I chose the bra with all of the buttons, but used ONLY ONE button on my card. I am using ODBD Keep My Lamp Burning.

The second challenge is for Divine Design Bible Verse Challenge 09. This past week a friend was diagnosed with double breast cancer. While the doctors feel that it was caught in time in both breasts, surgery and possibly chemo are necessary. I would love to call her,send her a card, but she has requested NO cards, flowers, or calls. Technically...anything that will remind her. She does not live nearby, so all I can do is think about her and pray. So, I made this card for me to pray for her daily and to give me strength to be what she needs me to be right now. Psalm 46:1 is a very powerful scripture that really lets me know that all that I am is because of God. And, that HE is there as a refuge and strength.

This card is also for SCS Limited Supplies Challenge (LSC207). Thanks, Judy for such a wonderful challenge. We are to use two or more things on a card that are a stretch for me. The first thing that is a stretch for me is buttons. Until this week I rarely used them....especially the kind that actually look like buttons. So I added ONE button that actually looks like a button. Next, I created my own DP. I stamped Heidi Snapps Damask image several times in Adirondack Lettuce. I then added SU En Francaise background over the top using Ranger Tea Dyed ink. I love the end result. Note to self....make your own dp more often!!!

STAMPS ODBD Keep My Lamp Burning, Heidi Snapps Damask, SU En Francais PAPER PTI ripe avocado, poppy, gp white, black INK versa mark, black staz on, Adirondack lettuce, Ranger Tea Dyed ACCESSORIES button, brads, wrought iron corner punch, gingham ribbon, foam tape, dimensionals, 1" circle punch, black ep, CAD

Festive Flourishes Friday!!!!!

How do I Love thee? Let me count the ways.....ALWAYS or ALL WAYS!!!! I love a play on words. I was in the mood to make a Valentine's card. I combined the Flourishes, LLC Lace Heart and I Love Roses (for sentiment) to make my card. I used some new Basic Gray Bittersweet dp. I love the Lace Heart set. I finally ordered it because I knew I needed a good sized heart stamp that was...well.....just gorgeous all by itself. There is nothing like a heart with a flourish. Now is the time to get this set, too, so you will be ready for Valentine's Day. Whether you want it as a stand alone or paired with other sets, it is truly a must have. I used the sentiment portion of the set to create the script font background piece. I stamped the image several times. I sponged the edges with some Purely Pomegranate. I have not used that color in awhile, but the new basic gray dp really called for it. Also, I added a little depth and toned down the PP by sponging on some Ranger vintage photo.

For my heart, I had a few trial and errors to get the look I was after. I embossed it in gold, then sponged on some purely pomegranate. I went deeper in some areas to create a sense of depth. You know I love some sponging. Next, I fingered on some Crystal Effects to make the heart more sturdier as well as offer some shine. However, when I came back to check on my heart once it dried, it appeared a completely different shade. It never occurred to me that CE intensifies or brightens a color. It looked too vibrant a pink. In other words, it was not matching my dp. So, I embossed several hearts in gold and started playing with different shades. Here is a comparison picture of the PP on the bottom .
The heart I went with actually combines Bravo Burgandy with Purely Pomegranate to give me the hue I wanted. The one on the top right. The one on the bottom left is the PP by itself. It really looks too vibrant with this dp once the CE was added. Thought I would share!!!!

STAMPS

Flourishes, LLC Lace Heart and I Love Roses

PAPER

chocolate chip, gp white, basic gray bittersweet, purely pomegranate
INK
RANGER walnut stain, vintage photo Versamark, Purely Pomegranate, Bravo Burgandy

ACCESSORIES

Chocolate satin ribbon, gold cording, oval punch, CAD(hole punch), sponges, gold ep, CE, gold pearl/domes

Check out what the Friends of Flourishes blogs to see what they created this week.
Becca Feeken, Cindy Haffner , Dee Jackson , Kimberly Crawford , and Silke Ledlow. Also, You can visit Julie’s Friday Friends of Flourishes Blog Team weekly roundup at the Flourishes Newsletter.

Merry Christmas!

This card is for the Inspiration Challenge (IC158) at SCS. Thanks Stef for a providing such wonderful inspiration! The inspiration site is Block Party Press. Since I still have a few more Christmas cards to do, I went through the the BPP gallery and found one item that really seemed to convey what I needed to create today. The item shown here showcases an embossed look with a white background. Now, I did opt not to do any edge distressing just focusing on the embossing. I love the combo of crisp white with red and gold. I have been doing a lot of gold embossing lately. Today's card uses a stamp set from Our Daily Bread Designs
called Worship the Lord. I wanted to just focus on the serenity of the scene and the season. I embossed the image in gold and loved the look so much that I did not want to do anything else to it. I added some brushed gold cardstock which I think offers a wonderful contrast with the crisp white and lends itself to picking up the gold in the Deja View dp. I finished with a few detailing elements and was finished. I think I can mass produce a few of these.

Here is a close up of the Christmas Church. I wanted you to see that this card is very shiny and wonderful. The image is so detailed.

STAMPS

ODBD Worship the Lord

PAPER

GP white, brushed gold, Deja View global dp

INK

Versamark

ACCESSORIES

Square nesties, gold domes, gold cording, white organdy ribbon, foam tape

Festive Flourishes Friday!!!!

It is Festive Flourishes Friday!!!!!!This week is all about the crisp and clean winter white - dress it down with a monochromatic theme or dress it up with a sparkly flair. It's up to you! The only requirement is dressing your favorite Flourishes set in winter white! If you want to play along, simply leave a comment on the Flourishes Newsletter or upload your card to Splitcoast using the keyword FFFC2. Keep in mind, we’ll be doing this fun Friday challenge all month long and there will be a special drawing for those that play all four weeks! Details on what is up for grabs -- to come!! If you are just joining us - track back to the first Flourishes Friday challenge on the first Friday of this month. You can make up past challenges to qualify for the giveaway!

Clearly Winter White!!!!! I used I Love Roses set that is a new Flourishes, LLC release this week. I decided to go winter white with a touch of flair using acetate and some gold. What is winter white without some gold? I always think lurex sweaters....lol!!! I found it is truly difficult to not only get a great camera shot of the gold embossing but also taking a picture of the acetate card without glare or too many shadows. Truly, this card is so much prettier in real life than what I could capture with my camera and photog skills.

I really wanted to emphasize how truly detailed these rose stamps are. Marcella Hawley, the stamp set designer, truly created a multi-layered detailed rose. The roses are so amazing they can truly stand alone without coloring. I embossed the smallest stem rose in gold . Even embossed the detail of each rose petal is distinct. I played around with various shades of winter white. I did stamp my Flourishes Elements image in white staz on then added tiny little gold domes to the tips. I made a embossed rose tag and layered with scallop nestabilities. The inside uses some brushed gold cardstock and the paper company's blonde columns for some added texture. I also accented each inside corner with a touch of mini gold domes. I finished my card with some pretty brushed gold organdy ribbon and gold cording. At the moment this card does not have a sentiment. I do not know what I will use it for. I just know it is nice to have several pretty cards at the ready if I need something. What do you think?

Be sure to check out the blogs below to see what festive creations each have this week as well as any new set release creations.

Julie Koerber
Cindy Lawrence
Faith Hofrichter
Latisha Yoast
Laura Fredrickson

Christine Okken

Jan Marie Caruso

Sharon Doolittle

Cindy Haffner
Dee Jackson
Becca Feeken
Kimberly Crawford

STAMPS

Flourished Elements, I Love Roses

PAPER

acetate, the paper company's blonde columns and CANSON Mi-Teintes(white), brushed gold cardstock

INK

Versamark, white staz on

ACCESSORIES

Oval nestabilities, gold domes, organdy ribbon, cording, slot punch, adhesive dot

Stamping Tip!!!!

One of the best tips I ever received when I started stamping with clear stamps was from Laura Fredrickson. She told me to ink the stamp and turn it over and put the cardstock on top and lightly press each section of the stamp with the fingers without shifting the cardstock, then peel off. This is especially a great idea when working with larger detailed images. This is exactly what I did with the large flourished image in white on the acetate. I actually got that impression with all the parts there on my first attempt.....and stamping on acetate is tricky to begin with because it is so slick. So, thanks a bunch for a great tip, Laura!!!!

A ROSE by any other name....

A Rose by any other name........must be a Flourishes Rose!!!!! It is Flourishes Release Wednesday. The three Flourishes, LLC sets released today are Thinking of You, Lace and Trim, and I Love Roses. The set I have that I was able to play with is the Rose. It is a great set with many great size roses, a rosebud, and stems wtih leaves to color. I love all the wonderful sentiments in this set, too. As many times as I have looked at the Flourishes Elements set, there is one stamp in that set that always reminded me of a vine so I mixed these two sets together to make a climbing rose.

Blog hop to all the designers to see what each have created with these new sets.

Julie Koerber

Cindy Lawrence

Faith Hofrichter

Latisha Yoast

Laura Fredrickson
Christine Okken
Jan Marie Caruso
Sharon Doolittle
Cindy Haffner

I love running roses and how the leaves always seem so huge and the rosebuds are just hanging full, then all of a sudden......they start to bloom. It truly is beautiful. For my card, I stamped the vine in versamark on watercolor paper then embossed in gold. I stamped several rosebuds and leaves as well in versamark onto watercolor paper, then embossed them all. So, while this card may not show all the shiny gold, it is very shiny. I was trying to capture the card colors and all that gold was too shiny for a picture so I had to angle my card just so to get a little more dull cast....lol. I colored the rosebuds and stems with blender pens. I cut every rose and leaf out and place along the vine. I played around with the arrangement for what seemed like forever because I love order, but nature is varied. I added some soft sky with an aquapainter around the vine edges to create some shadow. I did not really want to do anything else to distract from the roses so I left the card background plain. What do you think of my running roses?

STAMPS

Flourishes I Love Roses and Flourished Elements

PAPER

Real red, gold shimmer, mellow moss, strathmore watercolor paper

INK

versamark, real red, pretty in pink, mellow moss, always artichoke, soft sky

ACCESSORIES

red organdy ribbon, gold cording, gold domes, oval punch, sponges, aquapainter, blender pens, reinkers, gold ep

Festive Flourishes Friday!!!!

Christmas is definitely in the air!!!!! I am getting the feel of Christmas just by shopping and seeing all the wonderful Christmas scenery in the stores. With so much festivities happening everywhere, we want you to join in the fun. The Friends of Flourishes have a wonderful surprise for each Friday this month . This week for Flourishes Friday we're making it Festive Flourishes Friday and you can join us in the fun! It's all about the colors of Christmas-red and green! So, grab your favorite Flourishes, LLC set and some greens and reds and let your creativity flow! That's the only requirement! You don't even have to make it a Christmas card. If you want to play along, simply leave a comment on Flourishes Newsletter or upload your card to Splitcoast using the keyword FFFC01. Keep in mind, we'll be doing this fun Friday challenge all month long and there will be a special drawing for those that play all four weeks!

For my Festive Flourishes Friday card I used my favorite Flourishes Christmas set this year Sleigh Ride. I love this set because it has the wonderful signature Flourishes deer in it. It also has several smaller winter scenes, and this wonderful sleigh. I love all of the words that come in this set, too. Can you see why it is my favorite? I used real red and Prism classic green cardstock. When I think traditonal Christmas, I automatically gravitate to old world looks and Christmas caroling which is why I used a piece of MME's musical score glitzy dp. I distressed the edges with some Ranger inks. Technically every piece is distressed with the Ranger inks to create a warm look. I think this sleigh makes me think of the song, "Dashing Through the Snow." I paper pieced the sleigh using a piece of dp from Deja Views global views pack. I can feel the cold wind in my face, the smell of pines everywhere and wood burning fireplaces filling the air with the smells of the season. What do you think?

Take a sleigh ride with me over to Friday Friends of Flourishes Blog Team weekly roundup over at the Flourishes Newsletter, and also visit these Friends of Flourishes blogs to get the complete Festive Flourishes Friday scoop Becca Feeken, Christine Okken, Cindy Haffner , Dee Jackson , and Kimberly Crawford.

STAMPS

Flourishes Sleigh Ride

Paper

The Paper Company's cream, real red, Prism papers classic green, MME Festive and Frost dp, andDeja Views Global view dp

INK

versamark, real red, Ranger antique linen, tea dye, vintage photo

ACCESSORIES

Nestabilities label one, squares, petite ovals, sponges, gold ep, gold pen, red organdy ribbon, gold cording, gold domes in various sizes, key tag punch, blender pen

You are in our PRAYERS

I loved the color combo this week, the sketch, and the ways to it challenge so I combined all three!!!! Thanks, Emily, Roxie, and Julia!!!!

Here is what I did. I wanted to make the basic sketch more monochromatic, yet each section creating texture and depth. I used real red, but sponged the edges with red riding hood to give it some depth. I added layers of black white and kraft along with a white embossed flourished dove from Our Daily Bread Designs. I made my sentiment alittle more of the focal point with its positioning and ribbon/banner look. I finished with touches of pearls at the top and the bottom. I wanted to keep the card bold....yet simplistic!!!!

STAMPS
ODBD Christian Flourish SymbolsPaper bb, gp white, real red, kraft
INK white craft ink, black staz on
ACCESSORIES square nesties, pearls, sponges, white ep