Penny Black Smitten

This is a stamp I haven't used in a while...and I just love it. It's a happy stamp, don't you think? It is called Smitten, and is by Penny Black.

The background paper for this card is from Gin X. They have some awesome paper, and I had to cut the last sheet of this one to make the card. Just scraps are left....wah!

I stamped the background for this image using Penny Black Striped Patch with Marvy yellow dye ink. I stamped it twice to make a plaid pattern. On top of that I stamped Penny Black Smitten with VersaFine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins clear detail EP.

The image was colored using Tombow markers in colors the compliment the background paper. I layered cardstock in coordinating colors to enhance the image, then used foam tape to adhere so it would have some dimension.

After I completed all the layering and putting the card together, I added Stickles Crystal Glitter Glue to the flowers and vase for a little sparkle.

I just could NOT embellish this card. I tried ribbon, Prima flowers, brads, and every other thing I could think of. To me, this card just did not need more embellishments without taking away from the main image. So for today, less IS more.

Hero Arts Warm Wishes

I can't even think about going back to work tomorrow. Ugh! I was off Thursday and Friday working on the new web store, among other things. Saturday and today I worked on it as well, but took a little break both days to soak up some sun by the pool. Ahhhh....life is good!

Today I just had to stamp something before I went into total withdrawal. This card is the fourth one I've made from the Hero Arts set called Sweet and Simple Patterns . The other three cards are also on my blog, so if you click on Hero Arts cards to the right you can find them.

I used my new Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder on the light pink panel, then inked up the gray side of a piece of Cut 'n' Dry foam with VersaMagic Pink Petunia. Since the gray side is firm, you can just rub it across the raised portion of the embossed panel and it doesn't get ink anywhere else.

The images were stamped with VersaMagic Jumbo Java, then embossed with JudiKins clear detail embossing powder. I stamped once on medium pink and once on light pink, then cut out the sentiment from the light pink and layered it on top of the medium pink. A few more layers of Bazzil cardstock, a little May Arts ribbon, and voila...it's a card!

I'm off to bed....the alarm goes off much too early! I hope you have a great week!

Penny Black...April Showers

I have been so busy uploading new inventory to my new webstore for the last couple of days that I haven't had a moment to stamp anything new. I just hate it when that happens! But if all goes well I plan to give myself a little play time tomorrow.

This is a card I made a little while back. The main image is called Penny Black Dotted Petals. It's an outline stamp, which I stamped on watercolor paper with VersaFine Black Onyx ink, then colored with Tombow markers. The sentiment is also Penny Black. They do have the greatest sentiment stamps!

I used Stickles glitter glue for a little sparkle and pazaaz. Do that call that bling? Or is that something else? I'm not exactly sure what bling is! Is it gems? or just anything sparkly? They (whoever they are) left me out of the loop on that one! :-)

You can find both of these images at my website under the Penny Black category here.

New website is up and going.....finally!

Last week my webmaster and I had a parting of ways. I won't go into the details. I just needed to get something going sooner than he was able to do it. At any rate, until I can find a new webmaster, I have temporarily created an eBay store. I've spent the last 24 hours or so scanning and uploading some of my inventory, and I have looooong way to go before it's all done. But since I'm supposed to be semi-retired from my second job (Yeah...right), I will do it at my own pace. (Those of you who know me are laughing out loud right now, aren't you?)

I received an order from My Favorite Things a couple of days ago, and they sent me these totally awesome samples! I already have their stamps on my website, and you can see them here! Aren't they to die for?

I have a lot of new things to add...and shipments are still coming in, so be sure to check back often. It's going to take some time to get it all listed. Geez...this is almost like work! :-)

Love Generously....

This is one of those projects that didn't turn out exactly the way I envisioned it. I stamped the flourishes from Rhonna Farrer (Autumn Leaves) on Bazzill cardstock using VersaMagic Jumbo Java. When I didn't feel it had enough "umph" I stamped the flourishes again using VersaMagic Sea Breeze to give it a little more of a background and dimension.

I love the verse on this card. It is from Penny Black, and one I don't think I have ever used before. The ribbon is from May Arts, and is a little shimmery in real life, with a thin golden edge. (If you click on the card it will enlarge so you can see it in greater detail.)

I like the card, but seems kind of "vanilla", like it is missing something. What is it? What could I add to make it "over the top"?

I've been tagged....

I have been tagged by Jason at I Made This. I commented about one of the cards he made last week, so maybe that's how he found me? Thanks Jason! Please be sure to check out his awesome blog here !

So by the rules of the game, I have to tell you seven things about myself. Here goes:

1. When I was in high school, I was the drum majorette for my last three years. I twirled the fire baton at our homecoming game each year. I can still twirl my baton, but haven't tried it with fire in the last few decades! (And it's probably best that way!)

2. I have five grandchildren, ages 13, 7, 5, 3 and 1. The oldest four are boys, and the one year old is a girl...finally!

3. I love red wine and Diet Coke...in that order. :-)

4. I have been a single parent since my younger son was 6 months old. He is now 32.

5. I am absolutely terrified of mice, but not of spiders or other crawly things.

6. I have a fettish for clocks and calendars. I have lots of them, but never enough. Weird, I know!

7. I am very political, and was even elected to the parish school board for 6 years.

I am supposed to tag other people. If I can find someone who hasn't been tagged I will do that in my next post.

Penny Black Lily

This is a card I made a while back. I liked it so thought I would share it here since I didn't have time to make anything new last night. My phone rang several times, so I spent a good deal of time talking to my little sister, then an old friend from high school. Okay Theresa, I didn't mean that YOU are old....I said you are an old FRIEND. There is a difference. After all...you are MY age! LOL!

The stamp is Penny Black Lily. Isn't it pretty? I do so LOVE Penny Black stamps! I colored the rubber using Tombow markers and stamped on white cardstock, then stamped Penny Black Think Spring on top with VersaFine Black Onyx. The green notecard was stamped with a Penny Black stamp called Classic Border using VersaMark ink. I wanted the card to have a little bit of a background but not take away from the focal point. After several layers of yellow cardstock to frame the main image I added yellow Stickles glitter glue around the edge of the white layer for a little sparkle.

Hero Arts - Wild Thang!

You make my heart sang....you make everything groovy. Okay.........I know...I'm reliving my youth here. But it was fun for the moment. Admit it. You remember that song! LOL!

While I was cleaning off my desk this weekend, I saw this Hero Arts Playful Animals set was still sitting there from a couple of weeks ago when I used the lion. So I decided that before I put it away in the drawer, where it rightfully belongs, I needed to make just one more card with it.

This is a fun card. Those of you who know me realize that this is really not my style. I prefer the more elegant cards. But for some reason, this set just speaks to me. (Not out loud, or course!)

I stamped the images on watercolor paper with VersaFine Black Onyx ink, then used Tombow markers to watercolor. When I finished I thought the background of the watercolor paper was much to stark and white, so I used Ranger Butterscotch ink to sponge out some of the whiteness. (Is that a real word?) The animal print paper is from my stash. The back of the paper says it's from NRN Designs, but honestly, I must have had it for eons!

I wanted a sentiment stamp that said something like "Wild about You", but of course, with the gazillions of stamps I have....that isn't one of them, darn it. So I just chose something small that would work with the design.

Fun.....and friendly card. And you know my grands will get it in the end. After all...it's all about them, isn't it? That's what Mimis do. :-)

So.........who's gonna get kicked off of Dancing With The Stars?????? Any opinions out there?

Hero Arts Flowers - The Accidental Card

A few days ago I was reading a post at one of my favorite blogs Daily Dose of Spazz . Simone's thread was about what can you do with cards you make, but you don't really like. Ironically, this happened to me today. I was making a card using my Hero Arts Real Flowers, and kinda stamped something where I really didn't mean to. I don't know why, but that always seems to happen when you're almost done, darn it.

So...not to be outdone, I used one of my favorite Marvy punches, and just punched out a portion of the stamped image and made this card. I didn't plan for it to be so bright! But hey...I just went with the colors and this is where I ended up. LOL!

I used my brand new Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder (love it!) and my Cuttlebug vintage corner die cuts. The sentiment is a Hero Art stamp called Quilled Special. I think I recently said less is more. But in this case, I just couldn't stop myself! So does that mean that more really is more?

I had a great Sunday, and really am not ready for it to end. I made a couple of cards with my new rubbah! And I even laid out by the pool for about an hour this afternoon. Ah....Mondays do come too soon, don't they?

I'm off to watch Brothers and Sisters before I hit the sack.

Shopping...my bad!

Okay...I will admit that I may have gotten a little carried away today. You see, it's like this: My best friend has been under the weather for several weeks now. She finally had sinus surgery about two weeks ago, and today is the first day she has felt like getting out in quite a while. It is my job as a friend to help her feel better, right?

So..........coupons in hand, we hit the stores! Can you see how bad I was? Now you know why I don't have a new image to post tonight...I was too busy shopping today! I told you I was bad. I admit it. I need help. You must know that I don't need more stamps...but I WANT them...ALL of them! :-)

Tagged!

I've been tagged...by Jessica at Wild Rose Stamper. Please check out her blog here Thanks Jessica! Your blog is just awesome!

The object of being tagged is to list 5 of your favorite blogs. I have soooo many blogs that I frequent, and I know that all of them have already been tagged (at least once). Too bad I can only pick five!

I wish I could tell you that these are all my blogging buddies, but the truth is that I'm so far down the food chain that they really don't even know I exist. But that's okay....it's not about that. It's about sharing inspiration......and they all have plenty of it!

Stamping and Stuff - Emily does such awesome work, and I am always in awe. If you haven't visited her blog , do yourself a favor and go there now! I promise you will find something to CASE!

Twisted Chick Creations - Michelle's style is one I aspire to. Always fresh, always inspiring. I totally love the "shabby chic" thing that she does!

Fresh and Fun - If you haven't heard of Beate, then you are really new to blogging, and in for a treat! Do youself a favor and check out her blog. Her work is always top notch, and she has some great tutorials!

Prairie Paper & Ink - Amy has such style! Her creations are totally over the top! And I she has a Blog Candy giveaway going right now! She is a designer for several of my favorites, and she never seems to run out of original ideas!

Paper Truffelz - Julie is totally amazing! She is on the design team for A Muse Artstamps, as well as others. She does some very cool stuff! Be sure to check out her blog!

RAK Received

I received this RAK from my friend Nancy. Isn't it beautiful? It's actually a sachet, and it smells soooooo good. Frankly, it is MUCH too pretty to put away in a drawer.

She made an envelope with a template using gorgeous shimmery paper, enclosed bath beads and sealed it. Then she used one of my favorite Penny Black stamps called Andante and colored the image using Tombow markers. (I have MANY favorite stamps, in case you haven't figured that out yet!) So basically, it's a card on the outside of the sachet.

The satin ribbon she used is the perfect compliment to the paper and stamped image. It's so elegant. My photograph doesn't do it justice!

Thanks so much, Nancy..........it's totally gorgeous!

(For those of you who don't know - RAK = Random Act of Kindness) :-)

Sunflower Blossom

Sometimes things don't work out on paper they way you picture them in your head. For me, this was one of those!

The flower stamp is Hero Arts Sunflower Blossom. I colored the rubber with Tombow markers, stamped and cut it out three different times, then layered each with foam tape for dimension. The Thinking of You stamp is also from Hero Arts, and is in a set called Designer Words. I've used that set several times this month. The patterned paper is from the SEI Penelope's Potpourri collection.

Hmmmm...not one of my favorites, but maybe it will grow on me.

BTW...Grey's Anatomy was really good tonight. Was anyone else watching?

Unexpected guests dropped in

Last night I had some unexpected guests drop in. After work I went for my walk, as I do most every day. Upon arriving back home, as I walked through my front door I noticed some movement in the back yard. To my surprise, I found three ducks swimming in my pool! And since the pool is salt water I thought it was even more unusual. I do so wish the grands had been here to see that. They would have gotten a real kick out of it! Oh well, at least I can show them the pictures.

Okay....I hate this

but something weird is going on with the blog photos. I'll see what I can do to get it fixed then we'll be back up and running.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Sweet and Simple

Sometimes I really like the simple things, and this is one of them.

The main image is from Hero Arts...another one in the set called Sweet and Simple Patterns. I think this is my third sample from this set this month. Can you tell I like it? And I just happen to have three sets in stock. :-)

I stamped the image on light pink cardstock in VersaFine Black Onyx, then clear embossed with JudiKins detail EP. The layer behind the stamped image is two GIGA scalloped squares, trimmed and attached in the middle to make a rectangle.

The imaged stamped below Sweet and Simple is also a Hero Arts stamp called Double Flourish. Isn't that a beautiful stamp? I adhered a Prima flower in the center of the flourish, and put a studded brad in the center of the flower.

I do think it is sweet...but simple.

A Simple Thank You

This card was a quick and easy one, once I chose my color scheme. I started with the patterned paper I found in my stash. It's a color I like, but don't often use. Then I went to my Bazzill cardstock collection and found the perfect match!

The stamp is from a Hero Arts set called Designer Words. There are three stamps in that set, and they are all just the perfect size for making quick and easy cards, or even a nice set for a gift. I stamped the image using VersaFine Vintage Sepia, then clear embossed with Judikins detail embossing powder.

Embellishments consist of ribbon, Prima flowers and a brass brad for the flower center.

The only thing I might have done differently was to put more layers behind the stamped image. But then, I really like the simplicity of this card so I left it alone. More is not always more! Or is it? :-)

Wildflower Bouquet

This is one of those cards that I really, really like. You know how it is...sometimes you like what you do...other times it's just okay.

My friend Nancy stopped by my house this afternoon to visit for a few minutes. As a surprise she brought me this Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers embossing folder. Thanks Nancy! What a great gift! I could hardly wait to use it, so I whipped up this little card. Isn't it sweet?

The stamp is A Muse Artstamps Wildflower Bouquet. I used three different Marvy oval punches to set off the image, which is colored using Tombow markers.

The Earth Laughs in flowers is a stamp from Printworks. I love, love, love that stamp. It comes in two sizes, and I have both (of course).

So I had a fun afternoon of stamping and creating something I enjoy. It was very gratifying and relaxing after a long hard week at the office. I hope your afternoon was fun too.

Hear Me Roar.....

I spent most of the day running errands, groceries, dry cleaners, you know...the usual. When you work all week, that's what Saturdays are for, aren't they?

After I got home this afternoon I decided to make a card for the grands just to let them know I was thinking of them. They are so adorable, and they do love getting mail from me! (Their ages are 7, 5, 3, and 1. How could they not be adorable!)

The main image in this card is the Lion from the Hero Arts Playful Animals set. The verse is also Hero Arts from a set called Sunny Messages. I have used that set sooooo many times!

I stamped the Lion on watercolor paper using VersaFine Vintage Sepia. I used Tombow markers and a blender pen to color and shade the image. The sentiment was also stamped with VersaFine Sepia. The patterned paper is Basic Grey Color Me Silly. The ribbon and cardstock are from my stash. (Who knows where that came from!)

I like this card, and think the grands will also smile when it arrives in the mailbox from their Mimi. :-)

Thinking...and smiling

I was playing around with some of my favorite punches, and decided to layer them a little differently. There are so many possibilities when you just allow yourself to go with the flow.

The Thinking of You stamp is from a Hero Arts set called Letter Messages. I stamped using VersaColor opera pink ink, then embossed with JudiKins clear embossing powder.

The "and smiling" at the bottom is a portion of a Penny Black stamp. I inked only those two words, then stamped on cardstock and punched with the Mega Scalloped square. I cut away portions of the top and bottom of the square so I would have a scallop on each side of the words. I added eyelets and a little May Arts ribbon to draw more attention to the detail.

It's been a really long and exhausting week. I'm off to bed, but will try to create a little something else tomorrow.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Have A Beautiful Day!

The flower in vase is a new stamp I just got from A Muse Artstamps, as is the sentiment. One of the reasons I love A Muse stamps so much is because they lend themselves to quick and simple cards. And besides...they're cute!

The patterned paper I used is from a DCWV Glitter Stack that I bought at Hobby Lobby. I like just the small touch of sparkle without it being too much. I wanted something to tie all the colors together, so I found this ribbon in my stash. I really like this card because it's happy and cheerful.

And I DO hope you have a beautiful day!

AND THE WINNER IS....

Amy! See her comment below:

Amy said...
Well, this is an easy one for me.....my very favorite stamp company these days is....HERO ARTS! They have some amazing stamps this season--I can't seem to get enough! And I don't have this set, so I want to win it! Thanks for the opportunity! I just found your blog through you visiting mine! I'll be visiting more often! Thanks!

Congratulations, Amy! Please contact me with your mailing address so I can get your goodies in the mail to you.

Please be sure to visit Amy's blog at http://heartfeltgreetings.blogspot.com/. With her permission, I will be adding her to my list of Blog links. Her work is just awesome, and she also has some great Hero Arts samples.

My sincere thanks to everyone for your participation. Hero Arts was clearly the number one choice, with Penny Black and Stampendous close behind.

I will be offering Dreamy Treats again when the online store is ready to open...or when we get to 5,000 hits, whichever comes first.

Penny Black Dicentra

Until I bought this stamp, I had never heard of a dicentra. Have you? And if it were not for the name on the stamp, I still really wouldn't have any idea what a dicentra looks like, much less what color it is. So I just went with whatever moved me at the time when I was coloring this beautiful Penny Black stamp with my Tombows. Just for fun, I added a little Crystal Stickles glitter glue to the flowers and stems.

I made the mistake of not choosing any patterned paper before I chose my Tombow colors. Therefore, I found myself in a bit of a pinch. (No surprise here!) Of all the patterned paper I have, I didn't have anything I really liked with this stamp. So....I used one of my fave Penny Black stamps called Penmanship to make my own background. Don't you just love that stamp?

This is most certainly not one of my favorite creations, but I do love the elegance of it.

DREAMY TREATS ALERT!

I am getting closer to my first milestone of 1,000 hits since I added the counter last Sunday. So, in order to say thank you to those who frequent my blog, I am posting my first ever Dreamy Treats giveaway! Just look at all these yummy candies!

The stamp set is from the 2007 Hero Arts collection, called Pots and Posies. The vertical Thank You stamp on the right is also from Hero Arts. I've also included a Spring paper pack from Petite Motifs and a package of cards and envelopes from Hero Arts. There are five different ribbons from May Arts, one yard each, 10 Prima flowers in pink and blue, and 5 acrylic mini clothes pins in various colors. I've also included a Marvy leaf punch and 20 scalloped circle punches. Ten are GIGA size, and ten are Mega size. There is also a package of Style Stone tags in the center, because I thought the picture needed something tall in the center. :-)

For your chance to win, all you have to do is comment to my question on this post. My question is, "Which stamp company is your all time favorite?" Please note that the answer must be a company that you can buy in a retail store, not a home based business. Please, only one comment per person.

Each subscriber who comments gets two chances to win. Those who are not subscribed only get one chance. The deadline is 9 pm (CST) Tuesday night. I will tally and announce the winner no later than 9 am Wednesday morning. Let's hope I've reached that 1,000 mark by then!

So......let me hear from you! After all, who wouldn't want to win these Dreamy Treats?

My sincere thanks for visiting my blog. Your comments are always appreciated and encouraged.

Watercolor Bouquet

This stamp has been in the drawer for a while now. It's been terribly neglected. You know...one of those that you just love to look at, would never part with, but don't ever use because you want to use the new stamp you just got. I know all of you have at least one (or two) of those, don't you?

About bedtime last night I decided to ink it up and stamp it on watercolor paper so it would be ready for me the next time I had a few minutes to stamp. Then, seeing as how I was inspired enough to ink it, I thought I might as well go ahead and choose some paper and Tombow colors to match. An hour or more later, it was a finished card. Sometimes you just gotta go with it while you're on a roll.

The stamp is from Printworks and is called Bouquet in Vase. The patterned paper is a piece I picked up for 25 cents on clearance at Mike's. Tombow markers and a blender pen were used to watercolor.

I hope you all have a Happy Easter!

Oodagoodies Alert!

Charmaine over at Oodabug Alley has some super fantastic Oodagoodies! Be sure to go there to comment for a chance to win them! What a generous give away! Charmaine really does beautiful work, and has been using Paper Trey stamps a lot lately. (I absolutely adore their stamps!) To go to Charmaine's blog Click here

WOW! What an honor!

I just received the following email from Allison at Stampin' When I can:

Dear Michelle:
In case your ears were burning, I just picked you for my Inspiring Blog of the Week so more people can see your super creations!

Cheers, Allison

Thanks Allison.......I feel so very honored! I've been blogging for less than two weeks now, and I'm genuinely honored that you think I'm doing something inspiring.

To visit Allison's blog Click here She has some really awesome creations on her blog that I know you will enjoy!

More Penny Black

Part of my family is coming for an early Easter celebration tomorrow. I will be making an informal lunch, and we will hunt some eggs out in the back yard. My "egg hunter" is precious little Jacob. He is only two, but I'll bet he can find Easter eggs without too much help! You should see the Easter basket I have made up for him. He's going to be sooooo jazzed (partially because of all the sugar that's in there). LOL!

Since I'm having family tomorrow I thought I would go ahead and post a couple of things tonight. Both of these are made exclusively from Penny Black stamps. Oh, how I DO love their stamps!

For better? or for worse?

Why is it that sometimes we just can't leave well enough alone? I really felt that the Penny Black Lily in my last post just needed a little something else. Should I have quit while I was ahead?

Penny Black Lily

I absolutely love Penny Black stamps! I can't remember when I started this card, but I finally found the inspiration to finish it. Coloring on the rubber with my Tombow markers is probably one of my very favorite techniques. I used up some scraps of Basic Grey paper from the Stella Ruby collection, and thought they complimented the colors of the lily. The Penny Black Deco Border was stamped with Adirondack Butterscotch ink. I even used one of my Cuttlebug embossing folders to texturize the red cardstock.

I'm off to get ready to go into town for a few errands and to have lunch with my best friend. Our office is closed today for Good Friday. It's great to have a day off, isn't it?

Easter Greetings!

For those of you who know me, I promise that I really DID make this card tonight. I know it isn't my style, and doesn't look like anything I have ever done. But.....I wanted to make an Easter card for my grands that would make them giggle. (They are the most adorable when they giggle!) I thought the huge easter egg in the grass with the caterpillar would be funny to them, so I just went with it. What the heck!

The large easter egg is from Penny Black. The grass, caterpillar, birdie and tiny flower are from A Muse Artstamps. I was trying to keep it kind of boyish, so I didn't use any ribbon or girlie things on it. That in itself was somewhat of a challenge!

Anyway....it's going in tomorrow's mail to my grandchildren. With any luck, they will smile when they open it, and think of me.

Doodle Daisy

I didn't have any time tonight to make a new card for the blog. I've been busy scanning images for the new online store! But I did decide to show you this card that I made not too long ago. I used the Hero Arts Doodle Daisy stamped with VersaMark ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail White Embossing powder. I used Tombow markers to color the image. I then stamped the Doodle Daisy again on a small scrap piece of cardstock just to get the center. I colored it then punched it out with a small circle punch so I could pop dot it over the center. I love giving a little dimension to a project.

The sentiment is from Printworks...one of my favorites!

An Ah Ha moment....

I have been struggling with my lack of photographic abilities for some time now. Last night AFTER I went to bed I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. (I don't have those very often.) What if I put my object (card) under my OTT desk light?

So naturally, being the kind of person I am, I had to get up out of bed and go in my studio to try it. WOW! What a difference! See my very first blog post for the "before" picture. This is yet another reason I can justify the cost of that really super nice OTT desk light I bought!


Now if only the grandchildren would fit under there. :-)

Critical Decisions...

Okay...this was supposed to be a quick and easy one. Do I make those.......ever? Am I even capable of making a quick and easy card?

I was determined to use one of my new Cuttlebug Embossing folders on a card, so that was my misson. I Cuttlebugged a lot of stuff, then ended up using the Mesh folder by Christine Adolph. I love everything she does, don't you?

The stamp is from a Hero Arts set called Letter Messages. The paper is awesome, isn't it? It's from the Basic Grey Perhaps collection. (I am MAKING myself use my prettiest paper...and it is hard for me! I should save it...might need it later and it will be all used up!) Is there a name for this illness?

First I stamped the Hero Arts Thank U stamp using VersaColor Opera Pink on light pink Bazzill cardstock. I embossed using JudiKins clear detail EP, then used my trusty Marvy GIGA scalloped square to punch it out. More layers using Bazzill cardstock, then using my corner rounder on each one. I then layered strips of the mesh Cuttlebugged cardstock in complimentary colors to match the patterned paper to add interest and texture.

When I was finished I just felt it needed something else. Didn't want to add flowers....or any of the usual tried and true embellishments, so I added a phrase using an A Muse stamp..."you're sweet".

What do you think? Is it better with.........or without the added words?

Long day.......too many decisions. I'm off to bed. I hope you have a happy Tuesday, and don't have to make too many critical decisions.

A true friend...

I really love this card. It seems simple, yet kind of elegant. I think that just maybe my friends might be happy to find it in their mailbox.

The stamp is a new one from A Muse Artstamps, and the paper is from the BasicGrey Stella Ruby collection.

I stamped the image using VersaMagic Jumbo Java, then clear embossed it with JudiKins detail embossing powder. Then I punched the Marvy Mega Scalloped Square from Bazzill paper, and aged it a bit by sponging the Jumbo Java ink on the edges. The layers of Bazzill dark pink cardstock were also aged with Jumbo Java to give it that "shabby chic" look.

The flowers on the card were from my stash, and are from Making Memories as well as Prima. They looked a bit too fresh and bright, so I mustered up my courage and sponged them with the Jumbo Java as well. (I hadn't tried that before. Whew, it worked!)

I have been in a shabby chic mood lately...can you tell?

Just sittin' here...

Maybe I should work on my taxes more often. It makes me want to stamp! (Could that just be my way of escaping the inevitable?)

I whipped up this little card pretty quickly. My friend Nancy came by to visit Friday night. She had just gotten the Marvy GIGA circle punch (which I don't own yet) so she brought it so I could punch some circles until mine arrives. She is indeed a good friend. :-)

The stamps are from A Muse Artstamps. First, I stamped the long skinny oval using Ranger Seashell pink. Then I stamped the chair and lamp using VersaFine Onyx Black, and embossed using JudiKins clear detail embossing powder. I "paper pieced" the chair and lampshade by stamping them again on patterned paper, then cutting out and adhering over the stamped images on my white circle. That's a technique I learned looooong ago, but just forget to use. I used my white gel pen to doodle on the edges of the scalloped circle. Then I used my fave Stickles Crystal Glitter Glue to add a little sparkle around the parameter of the white circle.

Just add a little touch of ribbon, and it's a card! Now who should I send it to?

Woo Hoo.....I won!

Can you believe it? I finally won some Blog Candy. Be sure to check out the blog where I won it at CraftyNerdSpecs blog. Lyndsay makes a lot of cards with A Muse Artstamps. She is one of their designers and instructors. I check out her blog on a regular basis to see what she's been up to. She is one talented lady, for sure. Thanks for the goodies, Lyndsay! I promise to put those to good use in their new home. Please check out her blog here: http://www.craftynerdspecs.blogspot.com

Good news...........

FINALLY, the Hero Arts website is back up and running! And their Spring Catalog is out too! You can find it here: http://www.heroarts.com. They promised that it would be bigger and better, and I think just maybe they were right!

I will be sending an order to Hero within the next week or so. Be sure to let me know if there is something special you want me to order for you.

Celebrate the everyday

Okay...just one more. I was working on my income tax return, but had to take a break because it's making me crazy. Sold a house, built a house, two businesses, etc., etc., etc. What happened to the days of the short form?

I digress.

This is another card made from the Hero Arts Sweet and Simple Patterns set. Did I mention that I just got those back in stock? This one was meant to be a quickie (since I'm supposed to be working on my taxes). But I got carried away making the scalloped edges with my corner rounder. I saw a fantastic tutorial about that somewhere in a blog. When I find it again I will post a link to it. Until then, basically what you do it take your paper guide off the corner rounder, then punch one then another down the paper. (See why I'm not doing tutorials?)

I stamped first on Continental Blue paper with VersaMagic Jumbo Java ink, then embossed using JudiKins detail clear embossing powder. Then I stamped the image again on Bazzill pale yellow using the same ink. I cut out the center of the yellow image and used pop dots to mount it over the blue stamped images. A few layers of paper and you're done.

Isn't that velvet ribbon beautiful?

Okay........I really AM going back work on my taxes now. Bummer!

Thanks so much

Well, I am supposed to be working on my income tax, but decided to take a break. Gotta have a little fun too, right?

This card was made using the Hero Arts Sweet and Simple Patterns set. (I just got those in stock this week.) I stamped the image using VersaMagic Jumbo Java ink, and embossed with JudiKins clear detail embossing powder. The pink Bazzill paper is aged by sponging Ranger Tattered Rose and Fired Brick Distress inks. The ribbon is from my May Arts stash.

I made myself cut into the Basic Grey Phoebe paper for this card. I totally hoard paper, meaning I just like to have it, and don't really want to use it up! How silly is that? ? ?

Back to working on my taxes...or maybe I should make just one more card first?