Mini Mittens Winter Wishes!

This card is for today's SCS Inspiration Challenge(IC212)! You can see my inspiration link here. I love the colors, dots, stripes, and motled look of the picture. I chose mittens instead of branches, flowers, and birdies.

For this card I am using Verve's Winter Mittens digi set. Since it is a digital set, I decided to alter the image a little bit with some software to create a background. I erased the strings and created a multirow mini mitten background. I printed and colored with copics and tried to mimic the smudgy look seen in the inspiration picture as well as some of the polka dots and stripe looks.

For the focal mittens, I kept the same size mittens, but added the strings back in and included the sentiment. Printed this panel, sponged the sides a little, and added the ribbon and silver pearls.


Stamps
Verve Digtal Winter Mittens
Paper
ivory, leaf green, raspberry fizz
Ink
Printer ink, copics, ranger antique linen, vintage photo
Accessories
sponges, mini bowdabra, silver pearls, silver bowdabra wire, foam tape



Thanks for stopping by and as always your comments are greatly appreciated!

ODBD Release Day Blog Hop!

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Our Daily Bread Designs November Release Blog Hop! And, what an amazing blog hop it is going to be, too!!! We are releasing three of the most beautiful Christmas sets!! They are called Blessed Christmas, Luke 2:11, and Christmas Verses! If you came here from Sandee's Blog, you are in the right place! If you happened on my blog but did not start at the ODBD Blog, you really should go there and start from there! The reason is we are playing a game. Each designer has one secret word hidden within her post so you must hop to each, copy the word hidden in the designer's post with designer's name, and leave a comment. Then, you will return to the ODBD Blog and leave a comment that you have visited all the blogs and left a comment so you can receive a special email address to email Greace with your completed sentence! Guess what? Once you have done that you are enter for a chance to WIN the ENTIRE NEW RELEASE this month! That's three GREAT new sets that will help you with all your card making needs just in time for Christmas!!!

This month the ODBD challenge is Glimmer Christmas! Check out the blog for even more ways to win!!! I am using some the mustard seed glimmer spray that is sold in the ODBD store. For my card, I cut to size two white pieces of cardstock, sprayed with the glimmer mist, let dry, then I stamped the top one with the corner image from the Luke 2:11 set. I colored colored with copics, and sponged the edges using Ranger antique linen and vintage photo inks to give a more vintage feel to the glimmer effect. I added a few tiny silver pearls for some extra background effect. I just wanted to add that my cardstock is very shimmery. I tried to capture some of that sheen when I took my photo! It really is unbelieveably glimmery in real life!

I stamped the same flowers onto more white cardstock, colored with copics, and sprayed with the mustard seed glimmer mist for aded sheen. I cut those out and topped them with some tiny silver pearls. For these particular poinsettias, I was trying to get the all green with the touch of pale pink color.

I stamped my sentiment panel and used the two cut out poinsettias as cut work floral detailing for my corners. This sentiment comes from the same set called Luke 2:11, however, I did alternate with the holly touches in the corner either the corner egde poinsettia image from this set or the poinsettia spray image from the Blessed Christmas set!

Thanks so much for reading my post and checking out what I created for you this month. My secret word is has! Next, you need to hop over to Silke's blog and see what she has created for you! As always, thanks so much for stopping by and your comments are greatly appreciated!!! Have a Blessed Day!

Verve Sneak Peeks! VSOCT09

This card is for today's Ways to Use it Challenge(WT241)! We are to patch it up!! Instead of using actual pieces of paper to patch things, I decided to stamp an image in a sporadic background design in different colors. This card is for the Verve Release Week Sketch Challenges! I am showcasing for you one of the new sets called Holly Jolly Christmas and Christmas in the Air.

For this card I wanted to go alittle vintage whimsical if there is such a thing. I am using nontraditional colors. I stamped and shadowed my background using one of the smaller ornaments that come in the set. I love this multicolored sporadic look. I used a copic C1 marker to shadow the ornaments to give them some depth. I sponged the edges and used a SU texturz plate to go behind the sentiment panel. I finished with some sentiment sponge stenciling and silver pearl accenting.


Stamps: Release Party sneak peeks.... Holly Jolly Christmas and Christmas in the Air, SU script(retired)
Paper: SU melon mambo, SU garden green, gp white, PTI true black
Ink: PTI raspberry fizz, leaf green summer sunrise, scarlet jewel, hibiscus burst,ranger antique linen, old paper
Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 9, Petite rectangles, SU photo corner punch, offray fuschia satin ribbon,silver cording, SU texturez paltes, silver pearls, mini bowdabra, stardust gel pen, Copic C1

Dare to get Dirty!!!

Have you checked out the DARE TO GET DIRTY CHALLENGE ‘09 on Splitcoast? If you’re a SCS Fan Club member you can find out challenge information here. If you’re not a SCS fan club member, what are you waiting for? The challenges are fun!!! I am so thrilled to be hosting a Dirty Challenge for you today. My challenge for you is called "DP by ME" and all the information can be seen here.

For my card today I used Strawberries by Flourishes. There are NO designer papers used. All the backgrounds were stamped using images from the set, colored, shadowed, and sponged to create coordinating images to go along with this delicious focal image in the set. I used Flourishes Copic Color Collections in Buttercup, Daffodil, Dusty Rose, Poppy, and Fields. I used some Nestabilities and a touch of black gingham, with four little silver pearl domes that I colored with a permanent black sharpie.

Here are a few of the reasons I like to make my own designer paper.

• Sometimes it is frustrating to find coordinating papers that work with what I am doing. By the time I dig through my stash, I could have stamped a background to use.


• Also, many packs of designer papers often have a few patterns that I love and use up quickly only to be left with some patterns that I do not particularly like(I sometimes use those to created altered designer papers).


• By stamping backgrounds, I always have an endless supply of beautifully coordinated designer paper that works perfectly with the stamp set(s) I am using.


• I also stamp my own designer paper just because it is fun and I love to see what I can create!!

Here are a few of my background stamping tricks

• I work better in smaller areas. I often start with a 5 X 5 piece of white cardstock or the white side of some designer paper I do not like. My cards are generally 5.5 squared so this works for me.


• I choose images or backgrounds that I think will look good with my focal image.


• I often sponge the edges and sometimes sponge color throughout the background so that I can create some depth to the stamp images.


• Lately, the copic C1 has become a very useful tool to add shadow and dimension around images to make items pop and to give the illusion of dimension.


• I also love to add texture or the look of texture with a textured stamp.


• I love to layer some images. Not necessarily a collage look, but more layered patterns and textures to mimic designer looks.


• There are also times when I stamp a background and do nothing to it. Some images are perfect alone and require none of the above add touches. It really is a matter of person preference and style.

Hope this helps!!! I look forward to seeing all your wonderful designer "DP by ME" creations!!!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!!!

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge!

It is time for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge(FTTC23)!!! This week Dee Jackson is our host!!! Dee is challenging us to cut it out and pop it up!!! We are cutting out items and popping them up to add dimension and interest to our cards!!! The sky is the limit with this one. Just remember to cut it out and pop it up!!! We would love to see what you create!!!

I am using the Waterlilies and Damask stamp sets. I am using the Flourishes classic white cardstock. I colored my waterlilis using the Flourishes Copic Color Collections in Buttercup, Daffodil, and Spring Greens. I cut out the flowers and popped them up to add dimension.

I just love the damask background with this beautiful waterlily. I thought it gave the look of some very elegant water swirls. I stamped the damask in Adirondack POOL which matches beautifully with SU new in color bermuda bay. I outlined some of the damask swirls with the C1 copic markers from the Neutral Collection to give the background some depth and dimension. I finished my card using a Spellbinders tag with grosgrain ribbon detailing.

Be sure to check out the other

Friends of Flourishes Blog team designers

to see what they created for you this week.

Dee Jackson

Silke Ledlow
Cindy Haffner
Kimberly Crawford

Stamps
Flourishes Waterlilies and Damask
Paper
Flourishes Class white cardstock, SU bermuda bay, PTI smokey shadow
INK
Palette Noir, Flourishes Copic Color Collections, Adirondack POOL
Accessories
Nestabilities, bling brads, foam dots, yellow grosgrain