A "Love"-ly Design

I feel like I am on a roll! I cleaned off my stamping table this week, and have been using up 'left overs' that I've been keeping - you know the ones, those scraps and extra Big Shot cut outs you are *sure* you'll use so you don't throw them away? Okay - so my pile of these is waaay bigger than what I've used up so far, but hey, a girl can feel good about what she does use, right?! :)

I immediately loved this sketch when I saw it on GinaK's blog. I never would have thought to slide a layer between layered cut outs - but I really like the effect. I am going to try this layout for some altered notebooks I want to get done. I think it will be really pretty. For more inspiration for this sketch, check out GinaK's blog or StampTV - as this is actually one of two sketches - a simple one and a step-it-up one.

I'm not sure what occasion I will use this card for yet - possibly a Christmas card for my honey, or a support letter for a Marriage Encounter Team Couple, or maybe it will even last until February to be a St. Valentine's Day card for my honey (probably the most likely! heehee)

Both the image and the sentiment come from the GinaK set "Hand-in-Hand". In case you go check out this fun stamp set - I drew the fingernails in by hand with my Basic Black Stampin'Write Journaling Marker. I used Basic Black, Real Red and Very Vanilla. I paper-pieced in the dress sleeve with some Real Red patterened DSP I had left over, then used my Glue Pen on the polka dots, to create the bracelet on her wrist, his cuff link and edges of the scalloped heart to add some red glitter. The Ticket Corner Punch leaves a wonderful little nook to place some gold brads, and a stamping sponge with Real Red ink finishes off the edges of this design. I hope the up close shot helps you to see the glitter detail better! ENJOY!

Gifts of the Earth Card

I hosted another Chat & Challenge over at the demonstrator only website - Sudsol. I got this awesome sketch from Taylored Expressions. It is quite different than my usual style, so I played along to get me out of my box a bit more.

I really like the "Gifts of the Earth" set in the current SU! Holiday Mini. the images are lovely, and all have wonderful coloring potential. This time around, I water-colored using my Blender Pen and ink pads. In Colors Bermuda Bay and Dusty Durango along with some Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP and Very Vanilla. To add some texture, I used a bit of plastic wrap touched on the Dusty Durango ink pad for a tone-on-tone suede-look, plus a little metal gleam with the gold brads. The sentiment is from the set "Thank You Kindly", and was punched using the Oval Punch and layered onto the Scallop Oval Punch. One more accent - the Photo Corner Punch on the focal image to balance the Bermuda Bay. I added the "Give" by hand - because I wanted a Thanksgiving card. ENJOY!

Cinema Saturday #56 - "Legally Blonde"

The Cinema Saturday Movie this week is "Legally Blonde" with an added challenge of making your project 'inspirational'. As you can imagine, there are LOTS of pink projects out there! :) I chose a but brighter, darker pink in SU!'s Melon Mambo. The sentiment is my 'inspiration' point, "One person can make such a difference and that person is you!" Both the Iridescent Ice embossed butterfly and the sentiment are from SU!'s Flight of the Butterfly Set. Even the set name points to the character of Elle - who definitely finds her wings and shows how one person can make a difference. Her personality sparkles, as does that of several other of the supporting characters, so I *had* to use the sparkle of Iridescent Ice and rhinestone bling! The dry embossed flowers is a Textured Impressions folder from SU! called 'Elegant Bouquet'. I love that these folders are slightly larger to cover the front of a standard size card, without needing to layer - and of course, I am always thrilled for another reason to play with my Big Shot! (Have I told you lately how much I have been adoring my Big Shot? One of my best purchases this year!)

If you haven't played along with Cinema Saturday yet - why not?! Start this week! There will be a new challenge on Saturday morning, with sneak peeks beginning on Friday. ENJOY!

Super Mom Card

I made this card for one of the Release Party Challenges for GinaK Designs this month. Using a YoYo Yellow solid background is not typical for me - but I wanted this simple design to be bright and cheerful for whichever of my super Mom friends I send it to! The joyful look on "Kindred Spirit - Julia's" face matches with the sunshine yellow she is flying through! For me, this represents the underlying joy that gift of motherhood brings - even if a day isn't going so well, the underlying joy remains.

I couldn't get the detail on Julia to photgraph - but her Brilliant Blue suit is all sparkly from a Spica glitter pen, and her Real Red cape is shiny from a Sakura glaze pen. I used three Stampin' Up! punches - Star, Large Star and Modern Label. Also used - Crop-a-dile, Star eyelets (retired SU), and Dimensionals to pop up Julia and the Super Mom sentiment. (Julia and the sentiment are both GinaK.) ENJOY!

Chat & Challenge #207 - My WWME Card

Bet you thought I wasn't doing Chat & Challenges over at Sudsol anymore, eh? I have been doing them all along - they just haven't been making it here to my blog! This week - I needed to make a specific set of cards to send as post-Weekend notes from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend my hubby and I helped present this past weekend. It was the perfect way to celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary too! Woohoo!

The sketch that inspired my design came from fellow SU! Demo Gretchen Barron. Thanks Gretchen!

I used a combination of current and retired SU products for this design in order to reflect what I wanted to.

Stamps: Enjoy Every Moment and Love You Much (both current); Everyday Flexible Phrases and Expressive Flexible Phrases (both retired), WWME Stamp (non-SU)
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry and whisper White (all current), Ridinghood Red DSP (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (curret; Ridinghood Red (retired)
Accessories: Punches - Heart to heart, Scallop Oval, Large Oval & 3/4" Circle (all current), stampin sponge
ENJOY!

Cinema Saturday #55 - "Hocus Pocus"

This week is being consumed with a general malaise due to some family members being ill. Yuck! I pray all of you are remaining healthy and/or will have a speedy, uncomplicated recovery if you are already ill.

Anywho - The Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge this week is the movie "Hocus Pocus", with the added challenge of creating something Halloween related. Since I am not able to create something new this week, I wanted to share a link to the Halloween projects I created last year - I thought they were all so cute! Hopefully you'll find som elast minute inspiration here. ENJOY!

Cinema Saturday #54 - "Finding Nemo"

I am so excited to be a Guest Designer for this week's Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge! This week, CSCC also has a Special Sponsor and Guest Designer - Taylor Van Bruggen. I am familiar with Taylor's site, and her awesome weekly Cupcake Sketch Challenges! Taylor is offering some yummy Blog Candy for the CSCC this week - so be sure to play along for your chance to win!

As you can see, Taylor's pick for our movie inspiration this week is "Finding Nemo", and she included a special Color Challenge (shown on the right side of the banner above). I used Stampin' Up! Tempting Turquoise, Brilliant Blue, Only Orange & Whisper White on my design.

My first thought for "Finding Nemo"was the love of a father for his children, which reminded me of the "Mrs. Doubtfire" Challenge two weeks ago! But that SU! "Summer By the Sea" (retired) image is so 'two weeks ago'! (heehee) My next thought was the same stamp set, but the image of the little boy building a sand castle. This image reminds me not only of the beach and the sea, but also of the 'home' Nemo leaves behind in search of adventure. Then I thought about a clown fish made out of punches. So how to incorporate the two ideas? Why a birthday card with a 'gift' attached - a clown fish jumbo clippie bookmark! I went to the Disney "Finding Nemo" website and looked at gallery pictures there to try to re-create a clown fish for the clippie bookmark. I like the outcome, and it got thumbs up and smiles from my kids too!

Here is a look at how the inside of the card looks, for those paper-crafters like me who need to have a visual to "understand" a concept. The oval was cut out of the folded over Tempting turquoise card stock, using a Nestabilities and my Big Shot. In order to keep the card the standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" - I needed to trim about an inch off the bottom - so that when the clippie bookmark was attached - it would still be the correct size, and fit in the standard A2 envelope. I used Mini Glue Dots in the corners of the inside layer, so the clippie could easily slide in and out.

The clippie bookmark 'Nemo' fish was made using SU! punches - Wide and Small Oval for the body and fins and hand punchs 1/4" and 1/8" for the eyes. I also used the Modern Label Punch for the tail fin. The background scallop ovals are Nestabilities. A Pop Up Glue Dot holds everything to together on the jumbo clippie.

Retired SU! stamp sets "It's Your Birthday" and "God's Blessings" in Brilliant Blue Classic Ink finish off the card, along with some sponging of Tempting Turquoise Classic Ink on the cover.

Thanks to Taylor for the color combo challenge - I always enjoy trying new color combinations, especially when they are still inside my comfort zone! THANK YOU Sankari and Brooke for awarding me the Audrey Award, and giving me the chance to be a guest designer this week! I look forward to seeing everyone's creations...ENJOY!