Looking Out My Window

Today I am sharing a very simple and easy card I made using Gina K's Inspiration Challenge from a few weeks ago.

Gina challenged us to make a card showing what we like to see out our window. For me, I LOVE seeing my kids playing in the pool OR the sprinklers. They have so much fun and it lets me know they are having a happy childhood.

Also, Gina showed us on one of her wonderful videos how to make our "window" using the Scor-Pal and how to use it to border our ribbon.

For my card I used the Kindred Spirits stamp' "Summer Fun". I colored the image with my Copic markers added the ribbon to the card a button and a few metallic dots to finish off this cute summer "window".

I hope you take time to stop over to StampTV and check out all the awesome creative videos that Gina puts up to keep the inspiration flowing. Look for a new video every Wednesday, I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Have a great day! *smile*

Taylored Expressions Charity Card Event

Today I am sharing a couple cards I made for Taylored Expressions Dragonfly Card Drive. If you haven't heard of this... the details are HERE. I love donating any way I can to help children and when I know of parents who have lost a child, my heart just melts and I wish I could do more for every one of them.

I know cards can never do even close to enough but I hope that they bring just a tiny smile to their faces and at least a little bit of warmth in their heart to know that people care.

I used Taylored Expressions', "Discover Your Wings" to make both cards.

Taylor is accepting cards until March 25th and if you have a little time.. I'm sure she would love to get a few hand made cards from you as well.

Do we ever have enough time to do all we want for those that need comforting? No. Do we stop doing because we can't do enough? No. "Compassion is what separates us from the animals.", Charles Gilliland. I loved when I heard my brother-in-law make this comment. It's true... we can care for those we don't even know and the world is a little better place.

Have a great day! *smile*

Vicki Dutcher's Sketch Challenge

I am sooooooo loving this sketch challenge that Vicki Duchter posted on Stamp TV last week!! It was easy, different and so much fun to do!! Stamp TV has so many challenges and ideas to help keep your mojo flowing that I cannot image where my inspiration would come from if I wasn't a part of this wonderful community!! Not to mention the over 10,000(!!!!!) members who post their work daily that I get to draw inspiration from!!!

On this challenge card I used Theresa Momber's, "Hang In There" set which included this cute cute little raccoon!! I turned him horizontally because I wanted to use the "I miss you" sentiment thinking that he looked sorta sad. :-( Now "I" can totally see this poor little creature laying on a log like he just doesn't have the will to climb. Hee Hee

I colored my image with Copic markers and mounted him on my oval Nestabilities.

I HAVE to share my button find with you!! I LOVE that these buttons remind me of tree bark! Don't ya think???? Well... one day I was at my shop and attempting to do a "vintage" card when I decided I wanted to add a button. Needless to say... I had none. So I phoned my mom who lives near my shop and asked if she had any of my Grandmother's old buttons that I use to use as a kid when I visited her (she taught me to sew them onto a scrap piece of material every time I went over). Sure enough...she did!!! She said she not only had HER mom's buttons, but that she had gotten all the buttons from my father's mom as well!!!! WooHoo!!!! SCORE!!!

I ran right over and WOW the buttons we went thru!!! I had so much fun and I must admit... I definitely NEED to get better at vintage cards because NOW I have a ton of buttons to use with them!! :-)

I hope you have a great day and if you ever feel you're stuck and need to find inspiration, hop on over to Stamp TV. If you're not a member... we'd LOVE to have you and if you are... I KNOW you won't be mojoless long. Hee Hee

*smile*

Color Challenge on StampTV

It's time again for some more COLOR fun!!! That's right, it's another Monday and I have a whole new set of colors for you to create with this week. What do you think of WINE, YELLOW AND KRAFT???!!!

My card was inspired while talking to a fellow tenant over at the strip center that my shop is located. He told me he and his wife were married in a winery and thus I began creating.

I began with stamping the grapes from Asela Hopkins', "Fruitful Harvest" and my wine glass from Melanie Muenchinger's, "A Charmed Life". After I colored them with my Copic markers, I cut them out.

My card base is Gina K's Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight "Lemon Drop". I then added a layer of "Wine with Everything" card stock and layer of Kraft which I used a Fiskars border punch on the right side. Next I used my oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities.

I added a ribbon and bow from Gina's Pure Luxury Companions, Gold Lined Ribbon.

Stop over to the Challenge Page and join the Color Challenge. You have nothing to lose and COULD win a Gina K Designs set of your choice valued at $24.95 or less. AND, if you use a Gina K stamp set to create your card, your name goes in the pot twice for the drawing!!!

Have fun and remember, you can enter as many times as you want!!! *smile*

Pressed Watercolored Tulips

My card today is one I was going to originally use as an entry for Gina's DT Challenge but then decided against it. Idon't know... I'm just weird like that. LOL I used Melanie Muenchinger's, "Pressed Flowers" for my main images.

I LOVE that you can use these stamps and grab your Memento markers and just blend your colors right on the stamp before stamping them. I was hoping it would look a bit "water-colored" so I didn't attempt to make the coloring solid. The pink tulips I had to be sure and lightly color the edges of the stamp or y0u wouldn't have realized it was a tulip with just the ink at the bottom... hee hee.

I use two different Cuttlebug embossing folders. One on the right side of the card and the other side was embossed prior to layering it on the left. I decided to steal Gina K's idea of using a button at the end of the ribbon and then to bring out the embossed leaves on the right, I drew my own leaf and cut it out to stamp my sentiment on.

I really like the card so I'm not sure why I didn't enter it, but then again... my wonderful friend and CSS Alumni buddy, Jennie Harper, was the winner and trust me... she WILL ROCK the new stamp sets and show you some fabulous creations, that I am sure of!!!! Make sure to look for her work.... you will truly love her designs!!! Great job, Jennie!!! Woot Woot!

Have a great day!!! *smile*

Tom's Tree Frog

If you have followed my blog for long, you know I frequently mention my dear dear friend, Bette, who passed away almost two years ago. Bette was a HUGE lover of frogs/toads. So Theresa Momber's newest set, "Hang in There", just made me sooooooo happy!!! I couldn't wait to stamp this wonderful frog.

Fortunately, for me, Bette's husband, Tom, has done very well at keeping me posted on how is doing and writes now and then. Sometimes I cannot be thankful enough for the Internet. A week or so ago Tom sent me a beautifully done "newsletter" of sorts about he and his family. Things they have done and shared over the last year. So I am sending Tom my first frog thank you card. I know he will love it.

I colored my frog with Copics and applied a little spray brushing around him. I decided to go with some blue in my card and wanted DP that had both blue AND green. Well... I couldn't find any I liked well enough so I stamped my own! The patterned paper was as is with blues and browns. But... I took the leaves from Theresa's set and added my own green to it! Cool huh... blue AND green DP, just liked I wanted!!

My blue bottom layer of paper is from the Paper Temptress and is the Blueberry Colored Brown Bag Kraft paper. I have to tell you... initially I took this paper and threw a few shots of bleach on it. I was hoping to achieve a "water drop" look. But you know what??? It did NOTHING to this color!! Would not bleach out! Nice to know, huh??? So, not wanting to give up on some type of "distressed" look. I took the corner edge of a sanding block and scrubbed down the paper a few times making the lines and thus the brown kraft showing thru. This worked wonderfully.

Here's a shot of the inside of my card so that you can see that blue/brown DP before and after I stamped the leaves on it!

Have a great day and "hang in there". *smile*

Thanks StampTV Challenge Hostesses!!!

Tonight several GinaK Designs designers are joining together to host a special thank you blog hop to our recently retired StampTV Challenge Hostess Team. The four designers we're honoring tonight have provided weekly challenges for the STV members for the entire months of December, January, and February and we are so thankful for their inspiration and hard work!

• Shannon Bracken: Monday's Color Challenge


• Carolina Buchting: Tuesday's Anything but a Card Challenge


• Jennie Harper: Thursday's Sketch Challenge


• Selma Stevenson: Friday's Blast from the Past Challenge

Each participating designer was asked to choose one challenge shared during the past 3 months and make a card to share on their blogs tonight as well as to send that card to the hostess.

Visit these links to see all the projects we've prepared for our alumni hostess team:

• Jessica Fick


• Theresa Momber


• Cathy Tidwell


• Lee Murphy


• Melanie Muenchinger


• Nina Brackett


• Carolyn King

And, the new StampTV Challenge Hostess team is also joining in on the hop tonight!

• Tina Gilliland: Monday's Color Hostess


• Karen Knegten: Tuesday's Anything but a Card Hostess


• Vicki Dutcher: Thursday's Sketch Hostess


• Sharri Seffens: Friday's Blast from the Past Hostess

To see all the challenges the Retired Hostess team has shared during their term, visit the StampTV Idea Center . The cards are also presented in .pdf file format if you'd like to print them out!!

My first card is a thank you to Selma Stevenson who was in charge of the Blast from the Past this last three months. One of the challenges was to create a card using your Cuttlebug but only embossing on "part" of the card. On this card I chose the "Tiny Bubbles" folder and added it to the bottom half. I then used my Scor-Pal and made two lines running across the card where I added my ribbon to the middle of these lines. I used Nina Brackett's, "Lovely Labels" as my focal point and also Nina's, "Bug Me Anytime" set for the caterpillar and the butterfly images. I wanted to stay with the "spot" theme throughout my card from the "Lovely Labels". Thanks again, Selma, you certainly brought back those techniques we sometimes forget about!

My second card is a thank you to none other than Shannon Bracken who did the Color Challenges and who's place I am honored to be chosen for this next three months!! Shannon did such an AWESOME job of giving us colors I sometimes never think to put together. But I will admit... my favorite was the purple and yellow which I made a card here with. I LOVE my PURPLE!!! Again I used, Nina's, "Lovely Labels" and this time teamed it up with the butterflies from the Stamp TV Kit, "Picture It" set. Great job Shannon and who knows.. you may see purple again in the next three months.. *smile*
In my last project I created a card holder box for Carolina Buchting. Carolina was in charge of the Anything but a Card Challenges and I thought perhaps she can use this box to keep all her "thank you's" from us in it! One of Carolina's projects was to use "Inchies" in our design. I chose to do this to make my flap for the card box. I added one special Inchie at the ribbon that she can either use for a date or her name. Great job Carolina, I know I couldn't have come up with such creative ideas as you did.

You gals all did StampTV proud and I am so blessed to be such a small part of this fantastic group. I'm know you gals will be sharing more of you fabulous work with us as the days go on but you certainly do deserve a HUGE THANK YOU for all the work you did and the inspiration you brought to us all.

Have fun hopping through the many thanks we are all sending your way!! Have a great night everyone! *smile*

Look what was in the Attic

Ok well let me be the first to say... I am SOOOOO NOT good at "vintage/old" cards!! I just don't do "old" well. I mean have you LOOKED at me lately... ha ha ha ha! Kidding!!!! (still giggling)
But seriously... I have a very hard time trying to get "the look" of vintage, you know what I mean? Thus... to me... though I tried... and I really really did try... this card just looks plain... DIRTY! HA Like, yeah, someone found it in an attic!!! *onward and upward... shrugs*

My card was designed using Melanie Muenchinger's, "Pressed Flowers" and "A Year of Flowers". Now when I stamped the roses, I really wanted them to look... faded, so I stamped off before putting them to the white Pure Luxury Heavy Weight card stock. AND, I added the lined images in Memento London Fog ink, hoping again, for that "faded" look.

I used the new Lovely Lavender Pure Luxury Heavy Weight card stock as my base and embossed with my Cuttlebug. The, hoping to add even more to the "dirty" look, I took my Copic ABS system and sprayed the edges of the card, the ribbon, the sentiment tag AND the focal image with a bit of grey. All of these things, except the lavender base were WHITE initially.

I was... kinda happy with how it turned out. But honestly, it wasn't that "vintage" look I was hoping for. And what's worse.. when I took it home and showed it to my DH he said.. "Well.. it's just TO bright to be old looking!" What???? *insert major eye roll here* Oy! I see absolutely NO bright side to this card. I mean... none, zilch, zero!!

Oh well, you can't say I didn't try and well, after meeting up with mom at her house a day later, I decided ... hmmmm... perhaps I'll add a few vintage buttons to this card which she and I scoured thru that day. I got some cute cute old buttons from her stash that both grandma's had passed onto her. Which reminded me.... when I was little girl... that was my first form of art. Grandma M&M (Emily... but we made it short because the younger kids called her this that couldn't say Emily... hee hee) would give me a piece of cloth and her tin of buttons and taught me to sew one at a time on this piece of material. I went for that tin every time I visited and got right to sewing. My little square got quite pretty after having buttons sewn here and there. She never told me, but I think at some point she must have removed those buttons and put them right back in that tin long after I left. Hey... I wonder if I snagged onto any of those the other day???? Perhaps I will put one on a card some day that I sewed at Grandma's???!!! Cool!

Have a great day and if you can teach vintage cards... give me a call!! I need helps!!! *smile*

Gina K Designs is Looking for a DT Member for March!

Once again I am sharing a card that I am using to enter Gina K's Designs DT Call Challenge. YOU can get in the fun as well by 1) using one of the new Spring Pure Luxury Card Stock colors....



And 2) Using one of the newest released stamp images...

Hope is Faith
Lovely Labels
Pressed Flowers
Hang in There
Oh Baby!
Dream Birds
Inside and Out
Spring Florals

Make sure to use two of the colors shown above. You may enter multiple times but you must use a different stamp set from our new release for each entry.
The deadline for entering this challenge is Wednesday, March 3rd at 8:00 PM central time.


My card uses Theresa Momber's, "Hang In There" set. I adore this frog but couldn't resist hanging him upside down! Hee Hee And... since my buddy, Lee Murphy, added her frog to the Stamp TV Gallery in all PINK... I decided the battle was on... I HAD to use PURPLE!!! LOL Doesn't he look poisonous??? Ha!

I used both the Lovely Lavender and the Creme De Menthe Pure Luxury Heavy Weight Card Stock and colored my image with my Copic markers.

My background was Cuttlebugged with the Tiny Mosaic embossing folder.

Hop over to Gina's Blog and join in on the challenge. YOU could be the next Gina K Designs, Design Team Member for March and receive the WHOLE March release line of stamps!!! Why not give it shot and be on one of THE BEST Design Teams Ever!!!

Have fun creating and good luck!!! *smile*

I'm Hosting the Stamp TV Color Challenge!!!

I hope you come play along over on Stamp TV!!! My color picks for this week are PINK and WHITE!!! It was only natural after spending the weekend with my daughter, Emily, on our first ever "spa day" Saturday!!! She had soooo much fun and I did as well watching her smile and look all lady-like at the salon. Fun fun!!

My image is from Rupa Shevde's, "Oh Baby!" set!! I stamped the bear onto some DP and cut it out and mounted in the middle of one of Nina Brackett's, "Lovely Labels" set. I love BOTH these sets because they are so versatile. Rupa's set can be used for boy or girl and Nina's set just works on ANY card!!

I also stamped the bottle on a flower print DP and stamp the "It's a Girl" at an angle so that the lines of the bottle didn't get in the way.

Stop over to the Challenge Page and join the Color Challenge. You have nothing to lose and COULD win a Gina K Designs set of your choice valued at $24.95 or less. AND, if you use a Gina K stamp set to create your card, your name goes in the pot twice for the drawing!!!

Have fun and remember, you can enter as many times as you want!!! *smile*

Gina K's DT Call Challenge

Gina K Designs is looking for a new DT member for the month of March and YOU can enter her challenge for a chance to be on the team!!! How fun is that???!!!

You can enter as many times as you like as long as you use TWO of the new Spring colors Pure Luxury Heavy Weight Base card stock shown below.



Then... be sure to use one of these new Gina K Designs sets with each entry. Use a different set for each entry.

Hope is Faith
Lovely Labels
Pressed Flowers
Hang in There
Oh Baby!
Dream Birds
Inside and Out
Spring Florals

Make sure to use two of the colors shown above. You may enter multiple times but you must use a different stamp set from our new release for each entry. The deadline for entering this challenge is Wednesday, March 3rd at 8:00 PM central time.


My card uses Rupa Shevde's, "Oh Baby!". I LOVE all the images in this set and they can used for both boys and girls!

I used the Pure Luxury Heavy Weight Ocean Mist and Lemon Drop card stock. I also used Nina Brackett's new digital paper, "Swing into Spring".

My horse and buttons were colored using my Copic markers and popped up off the card.

I hope you join in on Gina's challenge. You could be the proud owner of ALL the new release sets coming out in March and be part of one of the most awesome Design Teams ever!!!!!

Be sure and stop over on Gina's Blog and link your creation using Mr. Linky to enter. You'll find ALL the details and see the fabulous example Gina created along with a chance to wander to the Senior Design Team's examples as well for even more inspiration. Trust me... this is NOT an opportunity you want to miss out on!

Whatcha waiting for... GO!!! Have fun!! *smile*