Stamping with a Passion!

Hello everyone.... It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge!!
The wonderful Barbara is our hostess the week and she has picked some soft and pretty colors for us to play with!!! I actually felt good enough to play in the craft room on Sunday...I'm slowly but surly getting back to normal!!! I have graduated to a cane but I still need the pain meds and I have to ice my knee several times a day. The physical therapist will continue to come to my home through next week so hopefully, she can work a little magic in the next couple of weeks!!! Anyway.....let me tell you about my card.

Papers from Echo Park's Victorian Garden and Boy Crazy by My Mind's Eye were used and sewing was done around the edges. The sketch is last week's Mojo Monday sketch and the sentiment is from Verve's Heart to Heart set. The pearls, May Art's wood birdcage, the Stampin Up! bird die, Twine, and the Martha Stewart fern punched leaves finish it off.

Be sure to add CTD239 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Frances Byrne - Stamp Owl's Studio - April's Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!

Hello everyone!! It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge!!
The wonderfully talented Wanda is our hostess this week and what fabulous colors....I love blue and yellow together!!!

My card features the Hollyhock stamp from Flourishes...it was colored with Copics and tiny yellow pearls were added to the flower centers. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink, the blue gingham paper is from Hobby Lobby, and the seam binding is the finishing touch.

Be sure to add CTD238 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Frances Byrne - Stamp Owl's Studio - April's Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!

Hello everyone....I bet you have noticed that I haven't been around for a week or so. I thought that I should let you know that I had a knee replacement on April 8th. Due to years of ballet dancing and abuse to my right knee, I'm afraid it finally gave out. I am on the mend now...I'm up walking with a walker and boy do I feel like a little old lady!! Now, all I need is the blue hair...LOL!!! I can only sit at the computer for a few minutes at a time so I won't be able to visit any of you for a few more days. It's a good thing that I scheduled a couple of my Color Throwdown challenges because it will be another week or so before I can stand in the craft room to create. Take care and I will be seeing you soon!!!!

Hello everyone!! It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge!! The fabulous and uber talented Tammy is our hostess this week and she has picked such a fun color combo. I didn't have these gorgeous papers so I colored an image and tried to use Copic colors that were as close to her colors as possible.

I used a Flourishes stamp from their Spring Bouquets set. It was stamped on the white card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black which is close to Night of Navy...LOL!!! Don't tell Tammy!!! This is pretty CAS with just the lace and seam binding but I really wanted the beauty of the colors to take center stage!!

Be sure to add CTD237 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Frances Byrne - Stamp Owl's Studio - April's Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!

Hello everyone!! It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge!! Lynn is our hostess this week and she picked this beautiful inspiration photo and colors...isn't it gorgeous!!! Since I didn't have a pansy image to color, I decided to dig out my last sheet of Orchid Opulence to make a flower.

Die-namics dies were used for the flower and the leaves....the layers were embossed with the Swiss Dot embossing folder and the twine was colored using a Copic marker. The paper was retired Stampin Up! and the scallop was made with a Rick Rack Die-namics. To finish it off, I used a sentiment stamp from Waltzingmouse Stamps Light of the World stamp set.

Be sure to add CTD236 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Frances Byrne - Stamp Owl's Studio - April's Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!

Hello everyone!! It's my turn to host the Technique Lover's challenge on Splitcoast this week and my challenge is to Stamp it, Mask it, Sponge it, and Glitter it up!!!! That's right...we are going to do three techniques in one!!! I just love the look of a sparkly stamped image without coloring surrounded by sponging. Oh, BTW....this is not an April Fools Day joke...LOL!!!

Here are the deets:

1. Stamp an image with lots of clear space on light colored card stock.

2. Mask the image and sponge a darker background color all around the image.

3. Remove the masking and glitter up all or part the image....no coloring allowed!!!

4. BTW...if you use Stickles for the sparkle you will be adding a little color.

My card features a stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy's Butterfly Flourish set...it was stamped with Bermuda Bay. The butterflies were masked and the background was sponged with Marigold Morning, Summer Sun, and Pumpkin Pie. The masking was removed and glitter was added ...you can't see it in the picture but it's really there!! The seam binding and button finished it off.

Thanks for stopping by....have a great day and if you want to get inky...come join us for this weeks TLC Challenge on Splitcoast!!!!

Hello everyone!!! Hope you are having a great week end so far!! I finally cleaned my stamp room and found lots of goodies that I forgot I had....I guess it pays to clean once in a while...LOL. I actually found my Washi Tape so I could make a card for The Moxie Fab World's Washi Tape Challenge....Woot!!!! The deadline is tomorrow so I cut that one kinda close!!

The Washi Tape was added to the two sides and the ends were weaved together in the corner. I used stamps from The Craft's Meow called Flower Garden....the stems were stamped with Basic Gray and the flowers were stamped with Summer Sun and Marigold Morning. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Communique Curves Sentiments Mini Stamp Set and the twine finishes it off.

This is also for a few other challenges:
1. My Creative Moments - Springtime
2. The Brown Sugar Challenge - Flowers
3. Addicted to CAS - Spring
4. Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards Challenge - Bring on Spring

Thanks for stopping by....I hope you have a wonderful Easter Sunday!!!!

Hello everyone!! I am sooo bummed...my internet was down for over 4 hours this evening and come to find out it was my router causing all the problems. We had to plug the computer directly into the modem so now the laptop, phone, and tablet don't have internet access....yikes!!! I guess I better get to staples tomorrow and buy a new router!! Anyway....I figured I better get my blog post finished before anything else happened...LOL!!

I made this sweet little milk glass bowl full of felt flowers for the Moxie Fab World's Summer Home Decor Challenge. Three different rolled flower Die-namics from My favorite Things and hand cut leaves were used...... they were hot glued to a piece of styrofoam that was adhered to the inside of the bowl with double sided tape. The punched layered butterfly was adhered with copper wire and several sizes of pearls were used for the flower centers. The felt is from Papertrey Ink (they have the best felt on the market!!) and the butterfly punch is from Martha Stewart.

This is going to my friend as a house warming gift...she just moved and I am going to spend a day next week helping her do a little decorating....I know she will love this!!!

Thanks for visiting....have a great day!!!

Hello everyone!!! It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge! My sweet friend, Denise, is the hostess this week and I just looove the colors she picked. I never would have thought to put those colors together....I will be using this combo again, for sure!!!!

I used the Mojo Monday #286 Challenge for the sketch and stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy's Nature Silhouettes for the flowers and Sweet 'n Sassy's Butterfly Flourish set for the sentiment. A Martha Stewart punch was used for the butterfly and the ribbon and ball fringe finish it off.

Be sure to add CTD235 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Kim Howard - Basement Stamper - March Guest Designer!!!

Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful day!!!!

Good morning everyone....hope all is well with you!!! I have been gone the last few days.....I went to the Dallas area to visit my niece. We did all kinds of fun things including going to a fancy movie theater that had cushy recliner seats and they even serve you a meal!!! Pretty fancy smancy...LOL!!! I'm back home to the real world now where no one serves me a meal but me!! I did get in the craft room today to create a couple of cards for the Sweet 'n Sassy Blog. This is my last week as the March Guestie....I wanted to thank the owner, Korin, and the DT coordinator, Janette, for inviting me to play with them this month and to use their wonderful stamps!! Check out my post here!!

This card features diecut birds from the Birds and Feather Die set, and stamps from the Wildflower set and the Thank You sentiment from the Butterfly Flourish set. The wildflowers and sentiment were both stamped on the Bo Bunny C'est La Vie dp and the piercing was done with a sewing machine. The twine and button are the finishing touches.

This CAS Thank You card was created with the Nature Silhouettes 2 set. The rock and roll technique was used on the feathers using Pool Party and Not Quite Navy inks. The sentiment is from the Butterfly Flourish set and the twine finishes it off.

Have you been watching Dancing with the Stars?? Do you have a favorite?? I haven't picked a fav yet but I always like Derick...he is sooo cute and always fun to watch!! Anyway...have a great day!!! Be sure to roll on over to the Sweet 'n Sassy blog and check out all inspiration from the DT!!!

Hello everyone!!! It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge! The very talented Tammy is our hostess this week and she has some very pretty and kinda dramatic colors for us to create with!!!! I have used a new set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps called Nature Silhouettes 2.

The leaf stamp was first stamped on the white card stock in a circle for the wreath shape. Since I didn't have Garden Green, I used Wild Wasabi. Then several leafs were stamped on a scrap piece of white card stock, cut out, and adhered over the stamped wreath with pop dots and glue dots. The birds were cutout of Real Red card stock with the coordinating die from the Birds and Feather die set and black pearls were used for the eyes. The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy's Flowers in Bloom set and the twine, lace, and button finish it off.

Be sure to add CTD234 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Kim Howard - Basement Stamper - March Guest Designer!!!

Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful day!!!!

Good morning everyone...I hope you are having a great day!!!! My Grands have been here last week and part of this week for spring breaks.....Cole had Spring break last week and Cody and Mackenzie have it this week. We spent last Saturday at the soccer field for both Cody and Mackenzie's games...I'll show you some pictures at the end of my post.

First I want to tell you about my card....Since I'm the March Guest Designer for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps I get to post on their blog. This is the card that I made for today's post found here!!

Stamps from the Nature Silhouette 2 set and dies from the Birds and Feather's die set were used to create this card. The foliage stamp was stamped on the black card stock with Versamark and embossed with white embossing powder. This layer was adhered to a piece of Hawaiian Shores card stock and then popped up on the white card base with foam tape. The bird images were stamped with Pumpkin Pie and Bermuda Bay inks and cut out with the coordinating dies......they were then popped up with foam dots. The sentiment is from the Flowers in Bloom set and the twine and button finish it off.

I also posted another card but you will have to go to their blog to see it....check it out here!!

Now for Grandma's brag book:

Mackenzie is the blonde who is outrunning the taller, longer legged player...Woot!!

Mackenzie is waiting for her team mate to get the ball back to her....they ended up grabbing the ball and Mackenzie ran it down to the end of the field. Mackenzie kicked it to her team mate and she made the goal.

The girls won their game 5-1...whoohoo!!!

Cody (Mackenzie's brother) hasn't played soccer for a few years but he sure is playing well!!

He fought hard for the ball and ended up kicking it to one of his team mates!! Even though he had to fight for the ball, he was still smiling...he is such a cutie!!

They fought hard but lost their game....what a bummer!!!

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!!

Hello everyone...First I want to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day...I'm not Irish but I always wear green on March 17th...I think that makes me an honorary Irishwoman at least one day a year!!!

I am hosting the Technique Lover's Challenge on Splitcoast again this week and I have chosen a fun challenge this week....Transform a Map...into something wonderful!!!! Maps are so trendy now...they have been used to make all kinds of things, for example:

1. You can make flowers from a map.
2. Create a background or use it on a layer or two.
3. Paper piece a dress for a girl image
4. Use it for die cut or punched trim
5. You can use a map to create a * I miss you across the miles * card or a safe travel card.

What if you don't have a map....you can use the map in a telephone book or print one off the net.
See...you have no excuse not to play!!!

I used a map of New Orleans from a trip we made over 10 years ago....I used it for the background of my card along with the motor home image from Rupa Shevde's Are We There Yet ? set from Gina K. Designs. The image was colored with Copics and the die cut direction signs were cut from Pumpkin Pie and Hawaiian Shores card stock. I cut the message bubble by hand and the sentiment is from the same set. The twine and button finish it off.

This is also for Cath's Moxie Fab World's Speech Bubble Challenge....check it out over at the Moxie Fab World's blog!!

Thanks for stopping by....have a great day!!!!!

Hello everyone!!! It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown Challenge! The very talented Lori is the hostess this week and she has picked some soft, springy colors for us to play with. I decided to keep the theme of the inspiration photo, too...isn't that basket of eggs and little bunny adorable!!

My card features the adorable diecut basket made with the Die-namics die. A second basket was cut out, sponged with a little brown ink.The bottom part was cutout and popped up to add a little dimension. The embossed basket weaving doesn't show in the picture...next time I think I'll wipe a little white ink over the embossed part to see it it shows up better. The egg, bow, and bunny dies also with the basket set were used for the orange eggs, pink and oranmge bows, and the pink bunny. A Martha Stewart punch was used for the foliage in the basket and the grass Die-namics was used for the grass. The little tag with the sentiment from Verve's Chocolate Bunnies set and the twine finish it off.

Be sure to add CTD233 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Kim Howard - Basement Stamper - March Guest Designer!!!

Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful day!!!!

It's my turn to host the Technique Lover's Challenge on Splitcoast and this week's challenge is to create something that has light to dark colors.....this technique is also called Ombre which is defined as "graduated colors from light to dark on a surface". Starting with the lightest shade of a color (any color), use light, medium, and dark shades of the same color to create a background or main image.

For example, you can use the same die shape such as a rick rack pattern...... cut several using light, medium, and dark shades of the same color family card stock. Starting with the light, lay them out on a piece of card stock working from light to dark and adhere. Now, cut the piece to fit your design.

You can also use light to dark colored papers to create a layered flower.

Other suggestions include:
1. Use light to dark shades of patterned paper to create a background
2. Use light to dark shades of pearls as details
3. Paint, brayer, or sponge a background using light to dark inks
4. Be creative...what can you design using light to dark colors??

My sample uses patterned papers starting with the lightest color at the top and working down to the darkest. The flower also uses light to dark colors and the vine, twine, and button center finish it off.

Stamps: Verve's Forever in Our Hearts
Paper: White, My Minds Eye dp, Bo Bunny dp
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Cherry Lynn Vine die, Twine, Button, Sewing Machine, Spellbinders Rose dies

This is also for a few other challenges:

1. Eclectic Ellapu - birthdays

2. Crafty Catz Challenge - all stitched up

3. 4 Crafty Chicks - die for dies (I used spellbinders Rose dies and Cherry Lynn vine die)

4. The Paper Shelter - punches/dies

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you can join us for this weeks Technique Lover's Challenge!!

Good morning everyone!! Hope you are enjoying your weekend....I'm sending hugs to all my friends up North who are in the midst of another winter storm!!! Hopefully, it will warm up soon!!!!

Today I can't stamp because I have got to get my taxes finished...uck!!!! Sooo, no cooking, no cleaning, no stamping...just papers and a calculator....it can't get much worse...LOL!!!! Anyway...I do want to share a couple of cards I made last week for different Splitcoast challenges using Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.

This card was made for the Ways To Use It Challenge...we were to use piercing. I haven't done piercing for quite a while and boy does it show...don't look too close...LOL!!! I used a new set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps called Nature Silhouettes 2 which is a new release set for this month!! The foliage was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black. The larger bird was also stamped with the Versafine, embossed with clear ep, and cutout with the coordinating die. The little bird at the bottom was stamped with Pool Party and cutout with it's coordinating die. The sentiment is an old rub on and the twine and button finish it off.

I made this card for the Mix-ability Challenge to use gesso and newsprint and the Friday Free 4 All Challenge to use eyelets. The newsprint was glued to a piece of whaite card stock and then gesso was brushed on over the newsprint.... a heating tool was used to dry it. Sponging was done over the dried gessoed newsprint with Marina Mist and Summer Sun. Then stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy's The Sea set were stamped with Versafine Onyx Black. Heavy twine was tied through the eyelet to finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day !!!!

Hello everyone!!!! It's my turn to host this weeks Color Throwdown Challenge and I have picked some soft, pretty colors for you to play with!!! Spring is just around the corner so this color palette has me in the mood for flowers and birds. I have another sneak peek today using Sweet 'n Sassy's new stamp set called Nature Silhouettes...it's just perfect for a touch of Spring design!!!

Markers were used to add color to the flower silhouette stamp; pool Party, Barely Banana, Calypso Coral, and Certainly Celery. The bird silhouette stamp was first stamped with Crumb Cake and then the edges were rolled on a Chocolate Chip ink pad before it was stamped on a scrap piece of white card stock. The coordinating die was used to cut it out and it was popped up with foam dots. The background paper from Prima was distressed and sewn along the edges, a scallop chipboard sticker from Teresa Collins was added along with the twine and button to finish it off.

Be sure to add CTD232 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some beautiful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Denise Marzec - The Paper Landscaper
Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene

Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud

Kim Howard - Basement Stamper - March Guest Designer!!!

Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful day!!!!

Good morning everyone!!!! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.....mine was a little sad. My good friend's mother was in the ICU last week and passed away on Thursday. Her funeral was Saturday so, needless to say, I haven't been on the computer much this last week. Hopefully, things will slowdown in a few days. I have decided that no one in my family is ever going to die...it's just tooo hard!!!!! My friend was very close to her mother...in fact she lived next door to her...so it is going to be terribly hard for her to get on with her life. Anyway....

I do have a bit of good news...I was asked to be a Guest Designer for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps for the month of March....Woot!!!!! They have such cute stamps and the new sets for March are FABULOUS!!! Wait till you see them....the reveal is March 8th!! Today I have a sneak peek for one of the new sets called Nature Silhouette!!

I used three of the bird stamps from the set...they were first stamped with Crumb Cake and then the edges were rolled on a Vintage Photo ink pad before they were stamped on white card stock. Coordinating dies were used to cut them out and they were popped up with foam dots. The wood branch is from Kaiser Kraft, the paper is from Webster's Pages, and the dream sticker is from my stash. The sewing, distressing, and seam binding finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by today!!! Hopefully, I will be able to visit all my friends blogs in the next few days!!!