Things are always greener on the other side...

I started off with the polka dot paper and ended up with this card by incorporating the sketch from retrosketches.  Garden Green matched the green polka dots perfectly and I thought the tree image would fit the space that I wanted to fill just right.

Supplies:

Stamp: Serene Silhouettes, Whimsical Words (Stampin' Up!)

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Garden Green (Stampin' Up!); Polka Dot (Scraps from My Stash)

Ink: Garden Green, Baja Breeze (Stampin' Up!)

Extras: Corner Punch, Button, Twine

Challenges Entered:

Stampin' Royalty #160

retrosketches #48

You're never more than a thought away...

Usually I love the colors from the colourQ, I still love this color combination but this week I struggled with putting all the colors together to create a card.  After sifting through all of my scraps I finally found this floral print and I thought it would fit into the color scheme.  I used the sketch from The Paper Players and threw it all together.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, Scraps (Bazzill, My Stash)

Stamp: Whimsical Words (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Cajun Craze (Stampin' Up!)

Twine: The Twinery

Embossing Folder: Sizzix

Challenges Entered:

colourQ #173

The Paper Players #130

Thanks Owl-Ways

For this card I used the Stampin' Royalty sketch and I didn't have any other color challenges to accomplish so I decided to use up scraps.  I bought the MME Breeze paper pad for a Chrismas project and had some leftover pieces.  I love yellow and gray together.  I think I love gray with everything... Yesterday I was folding laundry and basically my entire wardrobe is gray.  At least everything matches...  Anyway, I wanted to use my aviary stamp set because I haven't touched it in a while.  I also found some paper that looked like it could resemble feathers.  I chose to use a thanks sentiment because it looked small enough to fit in the space I had left.   I think it all came together quite cute. 

Supplies:

Stamp: Aviary, A Word For You (Stampin' Up!)

Cardstock: Breeze Paper Pad (MME); Basic Gray, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!)

Die: Circle (Sizzix)

Metal Accents: Silver (TPC Studio)

Challenge Entered:

Stampin' Royalty #159

Happy Birthday

For this card I used the color inspiration from ColourQ and the sketch from Paper Pals Arts.  First, I used a stamp from the Affection Collection.  When I realized the image was too big, I cut it the label portion and stamped Happy Birthday from the Party This Way stamp set.  I stamped the presents from the Patterned Party set four times in different colors.  I cut out the different presents and used Dimensionals to pop them up.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Affection collection, Patterned Party, Party This Way

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Summer Starfruit, Basic Gray, Whisper White

Ink: Poppy Parade, Melon Mambo, Summer Starfruit, Basic Gray

Embossing Folder: ZigZag (Lifestyle Crafts)

Dies: Scallop, Circle (Sizzix)

Challenges Entered:

colourQ challenge #172

PPA151

Red & Black Valentine

For this card I used the color inspiration from Dynamic Duos and the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Flowering Flourishes, Pretty Petites, Ciao Baby

Cardstock: Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Real Red

Extras: Butterfly Punch, Curly Label Punch, Basic Jewels, Satin Ribbon (Michaels), Embossing Folder (Sizzix)

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #69

Dynamic Duos #36

Celebrate

Earlier this year I was trying to look for some new blog challenges to enter and I discovered the new blog challenge Still Addinktive while scoping out other bloggers blogs.  I couldn't participate last week because I didn't have the specific stamp set that they were asking people to use.  So this week I was very excited to enter.  Of course, when I sat down to make a card I was stumped.  This is pretty plain and simple but it works.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp: Feeling Sentimental

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise, Summer Starfruit

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Extras: Scalloped Square Die (Sizzix); Bronze Metal Accents (TPC Studio)

Challenge Entered:

Still Addinktive #2

Baby Blue Rattles

I created this card using the Party Time Tuesdays color inspiration.  It is simple.

Supplies:

Stamp: Button Buddies, A Word For You

Cardstock: Basic Gray, Summer Starfruit, Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise

Ink: Tempting Turquoise

Extras: Scallop Punch (EK Success); Dotted Embossing Folder (Sizzix)

Challenge Entered:

Party Time Tuesdays #103

I Love You

I got my color inspiration for this card from the Color Throwdown Challenge. I wanted to use some of my new products from Stampin' Up!  I am notorious for collecting everything... I see something that I like, buy it, save it for something "special" and then forget about it.  Then, I have a collection of awesomeness in mint condition or a stamp set with only one stamp that has been inked.  I am hoping to break this trend and start using the things I have before they get forgotten.

I used the crumb cake in honeycomb for my background.  Stamped the heart in Melon Mambo on Melon Mambo cardstock and used the Framelits to cut it out.  I used the Framelits to cut out the two banners from Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  I stamped I Love You on Pretty in Pink cardstock and cut that out by hand.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:
Stamps: Hearts a Flutter, Cross My Heart
Cardstock: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Melon Mambo
Framelits: Hearts a Flutter
Embossing Folder: Honeycomb

Challenge Entered:
Color Throwdown #225

So Saffron & Certainly Celery

When I first saw the color combination from Dynamic Duos I thought it would be easy to create a card using the specific color combination.  To be honest, I seriously struggled.  I had all of these ideas in my head and none of them worked out.  I think I remade the card 3 or 4 times and it is still not awesome.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp: Button Buddies, Bloomin' Marvelous

Cardstock: Whisper White, So Saffron, Certainly Celery

Ink: So Saffron, Certainly Celery

Extras: Ribbon (Michaels), Punch (EK Success), Twine (The Twinery)

Challenge Entered:

Dynamic Duos #35

Happy Anniversary!

I don't have an anniversary coming up... I don't even know anyone with an anniversary coming up...  I just couldn't see myself making a million Valentine cards over the next few weeks so I thought I would switch things up and make a Anniversary card.

I used the retrosketches sketch with the More Amore DSP, Hearts a Flutter and A Word For You stamp sets.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp: Hearts a Flutter, A Word For You

Cardstock: More Amore DSP, Very Vanilla, Primrose Petals

Ink: Pool Party, Primrose Petals

Challenge Entered:

retrosketches#46

Blingy Birthday

The challenge at Party Time Tuesdays is to use bling.  I rarely use bling.  I just never think to use it...  I am boring.  So, I used three sizes of bling on this card.  I feel like I over-did it...

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Stamp: Bring on the Cake

Cardstock: Sycamore Street DSP, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake, Summer Starfruit

Ink: Island Indigo

Ribbon: Summer Starfruit

Extras: Bling (My Stash)

Challenge Entered:

PTT #102

Love Always

I used the sketch from Sketch Frenzy Friday and the color inspiration of Color Throwdown to make my Love Always card.

I embossed the dots onto a piece of Certainly Celery cardstock then flagged a strip of So Saffron cardstock.  Stamped the winged heart image in Regal Rose onto Whisper White cardstock and cut it out.  I stamped the always sentiment onto the flagged cardstock and of course their was a little blemish so I punched out a heart using the owl punch to cover it up.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp: Affection Collection

Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Whisper White

Ink: Regal Rose

Extras: Owl Punch; Dotted Embossing Folder (My Stash)

Challenges Entered:

Color Throwdown #224

Sketch Frenzy Friday 011113

Welcome Baby

This baby card is inspired by the Mojo Monday sketch and the the color inspiration from Stampin' Royalty picture inspiration.  From the picture I wanted to incorporate the baby blue and orange colors, the zig-zags and baby theme.  A bunch of my friends are having babies so I thought this would be a great card to have on hand to send out soon.  I think the colors are neutral enough that it could be for a boy or girl, but all my prego friends are having boys!

I embossed the crib image using the Pool Party embossing powder (new in the Spring Catalog) and cut out the circles using Sizzix dies.  The orange diagonal stripes are from the Sale-a-Bration Syacamore Street DSP and I embossed the zig zag background on the Pool Party cardstock.  I punched out the scalloped edge on Tangerine Tango cardstock and covered the seams with some Pool Party ribbon from the Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Pack also from Sale-a-Bration.

Supplies:

Stamp: Little Additions (Stampin' Up!)

Cardstock: Pool Party, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Sycamore Street DSP (Stampin' Up!)

Embossing Powder: Pool Party (Stampin' Up!)

Ribbon: Pool Party - Sycamore Street Ribbon and Button Pack (Stampin' Up!)

Extras: Dies (Sizzix), Punch (EK Success)

Challenges Entered:

Mojo Monday 276

Stampin' Royalty #158

Love You...

This card was a combination of the sketch from retro sketches and the color combination from ColourQ.

I used the Labels Framelit to cut out the background shape in Basic Gray cardstock then embossed it using the ZigZag embossing folder.  I flagged a piece of Night of Navy cardstock and also Daffodil Delight which I stamped the Love You sentiment onto.  I stamped a scrap of Whisper White using the Hearts a Flutter Heart stamp and Daffodil Delight ink then used the Hearts a Flutter Framelit to cut out the heart.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp: Hearts a Flutter, Love You

Cardstock: Kraft, Night of Navy, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White

Ink: Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight

Framelits: Labels, Hearts a Flutter

Embossing Folder: ZigZag (Lifestyle Crafts)

Challenges Entered:

retro sketches #45

colourQ #171

Mojo 275

I used the Mojo Monday 275 sketch to create this card.  I used the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper and used the Serene Silhouettes stamp for the focal point.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp: Serene Silhouettes

Cardstock: Sycamore Street DSP, Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Ribbon: Summer Starfruit

Challenge Entered:

Mojo Monday 275

Whale You Be Mine!

Sorry, my picture sucks!  My whales are island indigo blue but the right whale looks pretty dark...

As soon as I saw the Oh, Whale! set in the Spring Catalog I knew I wanted it.  When I saw the color combination from Dynamic Duos I knew I wanted to use my whale stamp.

First off, I used the Cloudy Day embossing folder to emboss Whisper White cardstock.  I regretted this move later when I decided to put hearts coming out of the whale's blowhole.  I stamped a whale image then used the happy Whale Clearlits die to cut out the whale.  Then I used the die again to cut out another whale.  Coming from Hawaii, I love anything crafty (but NOT corny) that reminds me of Hawaii.  I found the wave die in a scrapbooking store that I discovered in Colorado Springs and I had to have it.  I thought these waves could work perfectly with my whales.  I layered the waves and I also threw in the fish that were cut out with the whale die since I had them.  I stamped the hearts and the sentiment in Melon Mambo ink.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamp: Oh, Whale!

Cardstock: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Melon Mambo; Blue Dotted Paper (Bazzill)

Embossing Folder: Cloudy Day

Dies: Clearlits Happy Whale; Wave (My Stash)

Challenge Entered:

Dynamic Duos #34

Happy Birthday Blues...

My stash of birthday cards is pretty skim.  I loved the colors in the Stampin' Royalty color challenge so I thought I would make another birthday card.  I used the sketch from Fab Friday as a template for my card.  I really wanted to start using my new stamps and fun stuff that I bought myself before Christmas.

I broke in my honeycomb embossing folder for the background.  Then, I used the Framelits to easily cut out the stamped flowers and used the pearl pen to add a little dimension to the centers of the flowers.  I haven't bought the Framelits for the Bitty Banners yet so I had to cut out the Happy Birthday sentiment by hand.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:
Stamp: Secret Garden, Bitty Banners
Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
Embossing Folder: Honeycomb
Framelits: Secret Garden
Pearl Pen: Ice White (Viva Decor)

Challenges Entered:
Stampin' Royalty #157
Fab Friday 09

PPA 150

I have finally made a card for the Paper Pals Arts Color Challenge.  I have always wanted to participate but never had the time to actually create a card.  I am hoping to be more involved this year and participate in the PPA Challenges.  

Supplies:

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, So Happy For You (Stampin' Up!)

Cardstock: Melen Mambo, Basic Black, Basic Gray (Stampin' Up!), Pepper (Bazzill)

Other: Embossing Powder, Ribbon (My Stash)

Challenge Entered:

PPA #150

Happy Birthday Todd!

Todd's birthday is coming up so I thought I would make him a birthday card.  It is very difficult to make a masculine card.  I like to keep things simple but it's hard for me to make things look manly.  Speaking of manly, Todd has been looking very manly lately with his ridiculously huge beard.  We have been meeting up with friends from college that we haven't seen in a while and most people don't even recognize him.  It's pretty funny...

Supplies from Stampin' Up!:

Stamp: Patterned Party

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla

Ink: Lucky Limeade

Ribbon: Randomness from my stash

Challenges Entered:

Color Throwdown #223

retrosketches #44

Party Time Tuesdays #101