WT challenge and a Background Tutorial

Hello everyone!! I got up early this morning to play around with some background techniques using Ranger Distress ink color combos. Then I saw that the WT challenge on Splitcoast was to use green. Ok, how do I come up with something green using Dusty Concord and Spiced Marmalade...tricky but doable.
I stamped the KK Originals Iris image on the white cardstock and on a piece of scrap white using Memento Tuxedo Black. I then stamped the image on a piece of Eclipse masking tape (a real must have for masking...the whole piece is sticky so it doesn't move when you stamp or color over it and lifts off beautifully!!! Love this stuff!), cut it out, and placed it over the stamped iris image on the cardstock. I then worked on the background. After finishing the background, I removed the piece of Eclipse and colored in the leaves and base light color on the iris' using copics. I colored the image on the scrap piece, cut out the Iris', and attached over the stamped iris' on the cardstock for a little dimension. I layered the finished project with Prism papers and the green ribbon finishes it off.



After I finished the card I thought you might want to know how I did the background. These are the steps without the masking and coloring of the iris image....I am just tooooo lazy to color another one!!!

Ok, here goes....

I used Dusty Concord and Spiced Marmalade Distress inks and my handy dandy Ink Blending tool on my much loved and well used Non-Stick Craft Sheet.





After inking up the ink blending tool pad with Dusty Concord, begin in a swirling motion on the craft sheet and continued the motion onto the paper.









Starting on the craft sheet first and working onto the cardstock is how you achieve the darker edge...no sponging needed!!


Once you have gone around the edges one time, decide if you want to add more color. If you want it darker, go around again.





It doesn't have to be a smooth application of color so don't worry about it looking perfect. Once you mist on the Perfect Pearls solution, the colors will blend together.













When you are satisfied with the outside edge, change your sponge pad and ink the new one up with Spiced Marmalade and swirl on the color in the center.












Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect...just fill in the space.



























Next, I inked up the Rubbernecker How Do I Love Thee and the Stamp Oasis Butterfly
stamps with Dusty Concord and stamped on the cardstock.












Stamp randomly for a collage effect.
























Next, mix about a 1/4 teaspoon of Pearl colored Perfect Pearls with water in a Mini Mister.










After shaking the mixture vigorously, mist the background. Be careful not to flood the area or the stamped images will run. If you want the images to stand out you can emboss them with clear ep. You can also use a pigment ink but be sure to heat set before you mist with the Perfect Pearls solution.


After you mist the cardstock, it will curl up. Once dry, it will flatten out.

Heat set the background after misting with the Perfect Pearls.

I wasn't completely satisfied with the colors on this so I added more Spiced Marmalade and misted again with the Perfect Pearls solution. Sometimes I have to yell at my hands to just STOP!!! Anyway...have fun with it and let me know what you come up with!!!

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you have a great day!!!

Rubbernecker Wacky Wednesday and Creative Belli Challenge #58

Can you believe it's Wednesday again....where does the time go??? I have 2 challenges for you today....Rubbernecker's Wacky Wednesday Challenge and the Creative Belli Challenge #58.

Each Wednesday, for the Wacky Wednesday Challenge, a different Design Team Member will post a weekly challenge. Now here's the fun part for you! We will be giving away 3 certificates each week to 3 different participants who play along. The certificates will be good for 25% off your entire order at Rubbernecker Stamps. All you need to do to participate, is upload your card (preferably using Rubbernecker images but not mandatory) to any online gallery and/or blog, and post a link to the challenge blog post. In order to win, you must post a link back by Monday of the following week. Winners will be announced on Tuesdays. You might be asking why Wacky Wednesday. Well, for no other reason than the challenges will not be the same and are the choice of the Design Team member posting. BTW, feel free to add the Wacky Wednesday blinky to you blog!!!


The Wacky Wednesday challenge on the Rubbernecker Blog is hosted today by none other than Kittie Caracciolo!!! Kittie's challenge for us is to make a card using a fold other than the standard fold. I chose to make a double fold card.
The adorable Rubbernecker Bunnies For Sale image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics. The mushroom dp is by Imaginisce, Fleurettes and scallop punch by Stampin Up! and ribbon my Papertrey Ink.







Martha Stewart punched ferns and a button were added and the image layers were cutout with Nestabilities. Prism card stock from Rubbernecker was also used: Island Mist Light, Crabapple Light, and Blush Red Light.

The Rubbernecker sentiment was added to the inside along with the egg brad...now don't ask me why I used a lavender egg. Mabye because it was the only brad I had in my stash....maybe no one will notice that there is no other lavender anywhere on the card!!!






This picture makes the folds look crocked but they really are even!!!

The Rubbernecker Design Team, as always, will delight you with their creations. Be sure to visit their blogs for lots of inspiration!!!
Bev Gerard (Tex)
Candy Williams
Juliana Swanson
Kittie Caracciolo
Linda Duke
Shelly Kuck
Sherry Cheever
Tami Mayberry
Broni Holcombe

Creative Belli Challenge #58



The Belli challenge on the Creative Belli Blog today is to use the cover of New Moon as our inspiration. Don't you just love the dramatic colors!!??!! I took my inspiratin from the tulip and the colors. You will find all the DT members inspiration cards on the blog but you will have to visit their blogs for the deets!!

For a little over a year now, we have been doing a challenge called Chrissy's Belli Challenge. It was started by Chris (chrissyd723) Dickinson to inspire us to use the *stuff* lying around our stamping spaces...those long forgotten goodies that we once had to have!! Chris, along with Holly Brown and Danita Hollander decided to create a blog AND change the name to Creative Belli Challenge.This is the second week to host the challenge on the blog. You can also visit all the Design Team's Blogs which are located on the sidebar... We will also be featuring Mr Linky, so you can participate with that as well.




I used the retired Stampin Up! set called Terrific Tulips and stamped them with Real Red and Old Olive. The sentiment is from See D's sentiments, the paper is from Basic Grey's Ambrosia and the Stampin Up! scallop punch was used for the scalloped edges. Ribbon, red pearls, and a Martha Stewart punched butterfly with a row of red pearls finish it off.

Be sure to visit the Creative Belli Design Team Member's blogs to read more details about their designs. You will find lots of awesome ideas!!! If you upload a card to Splitcoast or PCP, be sure to add CBC58 in the keywords section.

Anne Harada
Joanne Travis
Holly Brown
Chris Dickinson
Courtney Fowler
Ceal Pritchett
Christi Thorsen
Danita Hollander
Shelly Koskinen
Karen Gibson
Lee Murphy
Jennifer Greco
Debby McGivillary


Thanks for visiting today and I hope you have a chance to participate in the Wacky Wednesday and Creative Belli Blog challenges this week!!!!!

Mom's Birthday Card and My 4 Challenge Card!!

Hello everyone!! I had a great day today....this morning I went shopping for flowers and plants with my parents and then Dad took us out for lunch. Then this afternoon I went shopping for some new clothes...there's nothing like being in front of a huge mirror in your underwear to inspire one to go on a diet...yikes!!! Where do the rolls come from!!!???!!! Anyway....I spent the best part of the afternoon in the craft room playing with some new goodies that came in the mail last week.


I bought this adorable Saturday Evening Post image by Cornish Heritage Farm's from Ellen Hudson, LLC. I didn't have anything in particualr planned for this...I had a scrap piece of light teal dp on the counter so I inked up the stamp with Archival Jet Black, stamped the image on the dp, and embossed it with clear ep. The image was layered with black, the background designer paper is from My Minds Eye from Stamper's Dream, and the card base is Prism Paper from Rubbernecker Stamps.

The sentiment is from Stampabilities and pearls and twill from Taylored Expressions finish it off.

This is my Mother's birthday card......she was a piano teacher for over 30 years so I know she is going to love this...her 89th birthday is in April.

My 4 Challenge Card!!

This is the card I made yesterday for the Featured Stamper's Challenge on Splitcoast. The Features Stamper was Judy (StampingQueenJAR)....such a fabulous gallery and a spectacular talent!!! I just love every card in Judy's awesome gallery!!! I finally settled on this adorable card called Be Mine....I kept the same layout but chaged the colors, stamps, added the ribbon (because I smudged the edge of the image...arrrrr!!) and the seeds. Yes, you read correctly...I added celery seeds to the flower center with Crystal Effects so this card would qualify for the DDC challenge this week hosted by Joanne (sleepyinseattle) to make a Springy card with seeds....well, the flower is about as Springy as this is going to get!!! You can see all the other DDC cards here.

This also qualifies for Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply #77 challenge to use embossing (the stove was embossed). I also used the colors for the Clear Dollar Stamps Weekend Color Challenge on PCP: Blush Blossom, Riding Hood Red, and Wild Wasabi. Whew....this 4 challenge card wore me out!!! Toooo much brain activity today!!! The adorable old stove from Clear Dollar Stamps Ageless Antiques was stamped with Archival Jet Black ink and embossed with clear ep. It was watercolored with Ranger Black Soot Distress Ink, Wild Wasabi was used for the *floor* and Blush Blosson around the stove. The SU scalloped border punch was used for the scalloped border and SU Wild Wasabi dp was used for the squares.

The close up shows the celery seeds in the flower center....Love that adorable sentiment, too!!!

Thanks sooo much for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful evening!! Now I'm off to watch Dancing With the Stars!!!!!

I've been MIA

Hi everyone!! I have been a real blog slacker this week....my DH had a little surgery on Wednesday so I have been playing nurse...2 dressing changes a day. Since we have to pack his wound, we bought a water pick to clean it out...works great!!! He is doing wonderfully.....he even did a little *running the sweeper* therapy this morning!!! Just what the doctor ordered!!! Anyway.... I have 3 cards for you today.

The Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast today is an awesome site called Spunky Sprouts. When I saw the brown and white polka dot bibs, I knew I wanted to use the new Basic Grey Porcelain dp.




The New Clear Dollar Stamps Ageless Antiques image and sentiment were stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa, the image was colored with a peachy pink copic marker, and paper pieced with the Porcelain dp. The outside of the image was outlined with a pale green copic. The sentiment was punched out and attached with glue dots. I did a little zig zag sewing around the edges of the background layers and used Chocolate Chip and Mellow Moss card stock. A ribbon and pearls from Stamper's Dream finish it off.



The Limited Supply Challenge Friday on Splitcoast was to make a card in less that 30 minutes...yikes!!! You know I am the world's slowest stamper so this was a real hard challenge for me!! It takes me 30 minutes just to tie a bow!!! The Penny Black image was stamped with Basic Gray onto a piece of scrap dp. The See D's sentiment was also stamped with Basic Gray and I used a piece of Basic Grey's Scarlet Letter dp for the background and layered it on Pink Pirouette and black card stock. Pink flowers, black pearls, and black satin ribbon are the finishing touches. Tadaa...30 minutes to the second!!!





This is the card I did for the Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast Wednesday. I was in a real Spring mood so I used the beautiful pastel colors from Basic Grey's Lilykate and the Clear Dollar Stamps March Flower of the Month Daffodil set!!. This was also for Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simple #76 challenge. Sharon, like many of you, have been suffering from cabin fever and her challenge last week was to bring some sign of Spring to those who are cooped up in the house waiting for warmer weather. The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics. The script stamp in the set was stamped on the yellow background paper with Going Gray. I used Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, and Prism Yellow card stock and the ribbon, flower, and Candy Dot from Taylored Expressions finish it off.

The close up shows the sweet Daffodil image...can't get much springer ( is that a word??) than that!!

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you have a great weekend!!!

Wacky Wednesday Challenge and The Creative Belli Challenge #57

Good morning everyone!!! I have a wonderful announcement to make!!! The Rubbernecker Design Team will be having a weekly challenge on the Rubbernecker Blog called Wacky Wednesday !! Each Wednesday a different Design Team Member will post a weekly challenge. Now here's the fun part for you! We will be giving away 3 certificates each week to 3 different participants who play along. The certificates will be good for 25% off your entire order at Rubbernecker Stamps.
All you need to do to participate, is upload your card (preferably using Rubbernecker images) to any online gallery and/or blog, and post a link to the challenge blog post. In order to win, you must post a link back by Monday of the following week. Winners will be announced on Tuesdays.
You might be asking why Wacky Wednesday. Well, for no other reason than the challenges will not be the same and are the choice of the Design Team member posting. BTW, feel free to add the Wacky Wednesday blinky to you blog!!!



Sherry is the hostess for the first challenge to make an ATC. This is a first for me....I have not made an ATC before....I don't know why because they are too much fun to make!!! The little birds, sentiment, and bird house images from Rubbernecker were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics. Since I didn't have the right type of branch stamp, I drew on the branch and leaves using Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery markers. The background layers are Chocolate Chip and Kiwi Kiss, the clouds were sponged on with Cool Caribbean using my handy dandy Mothermark cloud template, and the little bee was added to finish it off.



I had so much fun with my first ATC that I had to make another one!!! This one features the beautiful Stamp Oasis butterfly and Rubbernecker Easter sentiment. The butterflies were stamped on the blue bugged background and again on white cardstock. The images were colored with copics, cutout and attached with glue dots. The corner butterflies were trimmed, brads, ribbon, and the sentiment were added to finish the design. The background layers are Certainly Celery and So Saffron.
I can't wait to see the little ATC cards you make!!! Remember to leave a link to your creations on the Rubbernecker blog so you have a chance to win!!

The Rubbernecker Design Team, as always, will delight you with their creations. Be sure to visit their blogs for lots of inspiration!!!
Bev Gerard (Tex)
Candy Williams
Juliana Swanson
Kittie Caracciolo
Linda Duke
Shelly Kuck
Sherry Cheever
Tami Mayberry
Broni Holcombe





Creative Belli Challenge #57

Today is the debut of the Creative Belli Challenge Blog!!! For a little over a year now, we have been doing a challenge called Chrissy's Belli Challenge. It was started by Chris (chrissyd723) Dickinson to inspire us to use the *stuff* lying around our stamping spaces...those long forgotten goodies that we once had to have!! Chris, along with Holly Brown and Danita Hollander decided to create a blog AND change the name to Creative Belli Challenge.
This is the first week to host the challenge on the blog. You can also visit all the Design Team's Blogs which are located on the sidebar... We will also be featuring Mr Linky, so you can participate with that as well.

The Creative Belli challenge this week is to create a card using images from Chris and Courtney's new stamps that were released last Friday for Sweet n Sassy Stamps. The beautiful bird image designed by Chris was colores with copics and layered on Prism papers. Sewing was done around the edges of the designer paper by My Minds Eye. The leaf stickers from the same My Minds Eye paper collection, ribbons, clip, buttons, and the scalloped punched border finish it off.




Two of the beautiful lily images designed by Courtney Fowler were colored with copics. Petals from one of the colored images were cut out and attached to the under image for a layered effect.



I used paper from My Minds Eye and the round and oval layers were cut out with Nestabilities. Ribbon and a gold metal butterfly finish it off.











I hope you can see the layering in the close up along with my thumb...yikes, I just noticed that!!!



Be sure to visit the Creative Belli Design Team Member's blogs to read more details about their designs. You will find lots of awesome ideas!!! If you upload a card to Splitcoast or PCP, be sure to add CBC57 in the keywords section.
Anne Harada
Joanne Travis
Holly Brown
Chris Dickinson
Courtney Fowler
Ceal Pritchett
Christi Thorsen
Danita Hollander
Shelly Koskinen
Karen Gibson
Lee Murphy
Jennifer Greco
Debby McGivillary

Who Doesn't Love Butterflies!!!

Good Morning everyone!!! I wanted to share some exciting news with you!!! The Creative Belli Challenge has a blog...it will be up and running tomorrow!!! All the cards by the DT members will be posted along with the challenge deets. Be sure to come back tomorrow to check out the Creative Belli Challenge and find the link to the new blog!!! Feel free to add this blinky to your blog!!







The Color Challenge colors on Splitcoast today are Kiwi Kiss, Pink Passion (yikes!) and Chocolate Chip. I found a piece of Basic Grey's Sultry paper that matched the challenge colors. The Clear Dollar Stamps Beautiful Butterflies images and sentiment were stamped with Chocolate Chip Craft onto white, Kiwi Kiss, and Pink Passion and embossed with clear ep. The sentiment layers were cutout out with Nestabilities, the butterflies were cutout and attached with dimensionals, and ribbons and a clip finish it off.





I used 2 different kinds of clear embossing powder on the butterflies. I used Stampin Up! clear ep on the big Kiwi butterfly and the small pink one on the right. The big pink butterfly on the left was embossed with Judi Kins clear ep.....note the sparkle!! Who would of thought that clear ep could have many different looks!!!

Thanks for visiting me today and I hope you have a great Tuedsay!!

Happy Sunday!!

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a great Sunday!! I took Mom to church this morning and when I took her back home, she gave me part of a spice cake she made yesterday...yummmmm!! It smells as good as it tasts...especially the cream cheese frosting!!! I did do a little stamping last night that I finally had time to upload!!

Congrats to Kelly H. for being today's Featured Stamper!!! Such a wonderful gallery full of gorgeous designs!!! I was inspired by her beautiful Gift Set NJP #5 card with the gorgeous colors and designer paper. I combined this with the Stamper's Dream Dreamy Challenge to make a monochromatic colored card. I used Basic Grey's Porcelain birdcage paper and the matching Porcelain Aviary Clear Stamp set both from Stampers Dream. The images were stamped, with Ruby Red Craft and embossed with clear and candy cane colored ep. I used Ruby Red and Pink Pirouette cs and ribbon, Primas, pearls, and velvet ric rac finish it off.




I just love these Basic Grey birdcage stamps....I stamped the largest one on the left first and embossed with the candy cane ep from Gel-a-tin. After masking that one, I stamped the square cage with Ruby Red craft and embossed with clear ep. After masking the two finished ones, I first stamped the bird and swing and them stamped the bottom cage over the bird with Ruby Red and embossed with the candy cane ep. The candy cane ep smells good, too!!!

I just had to make another Easter card, this one with the sweet little chick from Rubbernecker. The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics, cutout with oval Nesties and attached with dimensionals over the SU dp layers. The mint colored cs is Prism paper and I used Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Whisper White for the layers. The scallops were made with the SU scallop and primas, pearls, and ribbon finish it off.

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you have a great day!!!

Inspiration Challenge and Big News From Rubbernecker!!!

Hello everyone!!! Hope you had a great Friday.....I have been stamping all evening...Whoohoo!!! I finished a couple of projects for next week and I actually finished the Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast!!
This week’s inspiration comes from Room Service Home, an on-line retailer offering designer inspired merchandise with a modern flair. I took my inspiration from the Easter Basket Fun section...this adorable Rubbernecker image called Easter Bunny With Hat and Basket was just waiting for me to ink her up!!! I colored her with copics and used my new Stampin Up! dp for the background layers. I did a little sewing around the background layer and the Rubbernecker sentiment was cutout with Nestabilities.


Primas, ribbons, and a button finish it off. The card base is Bashful Blue and the matting is Cameo Coral.



Check out the new sale at Rubbernecker!!!

**** WEEKEND SPECIAL SALE ****

This sale is for all Rubbernecker, Stamp Oasis and KK Original stampsand sets.

Starts 12 p.m. noon PST, Friday, February 27, and ends at 9 p.m. PST Sunday, March 1st.

BUY 2 stamps GET 1 stamp FREE

Free stamps will be of equal or lesser value. We will refund thepurchase amount on the 3rd highest priced stamp and the 6th and so on.Shipping is based on the original purchase price and so is theShoppers Reward Program which will apply during the Sale. Click here to check it out!

The Rubbernecker Design Team, as always, will delight you with their creations. Be sure to visit their blogs for lots of inspiration!!!
Bev Gerard (Tex)
Candy Williams
Juliana Swanson
Kittie Caracciolo
Linda Duke
Shelly Kuck
Sherry Cheever
Tami Mayberry
Broni Holcombe

Enjoy your shopping at the Rubbernecker store and have a great weekend!!!

Clear Dollar Stamps Day

Good morning everyone!!! I am having such a lazy day today...haven't even had a shower yet...yikes!!! I really need to get outside and work in the flower gardens...everything is so dead looking....I need to cut off the brown tops and pull weeds so my neighbors quit giving me dirty looks...heeheehe!! If we don't get rain I may not have any flowers to worry about. It seems the country either has floods or drought...no happy medium any more....anyway, on that happy note...let me tell you about my CDS cards.

The Ways to Use It challenge on Splitcoast today is to create using a frugal find. Whether it's something inexpensive or something recycled... find ways to incorporate it into your design. I have a whole box of *stuff* that I hoard...things that come off packages, boxes, and gifts. Today I used a piece of rope like ribbon that was tied around a gift box of Ghirardelli chocolates...tooo yummy for words!!



The Clear Dollar Stamps Sorry Charlie image and sentiment were stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and colored with copics. The background layers were sponged, distressed, doodled, and torn...sounds like I beat the poor thing!! I did add the pearls for a little glam...rustic charm!!


Oh, BTW, Clear Dollar Stamps is looking for a Guest Designer for the month of March...check it out on Lori McCroskey's blog!!



The Wednesday Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast gave me another opportunity to use my Inchies!! Also, it got up in the 80's that day so I needed to work with snowflakes and penguins to cool things off!!
The images from Clear Dollar Stamps Zoo Critters set were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics. They were glammed up with a little glitter, cutout and attached to the Inchie from Inchie Art, LLC with glue dots. Snowflakes were sponged on the Inchie using a home made stencil with Soft Sky and punched snowflakes, pearls, and ribbon finish it off.


Thanks for visiting today and I hope you have a great day!!!

Belli Challenge #56 Monograms

Good morning everyone!! It's Wednesday and time for another Belli Challenge!!! This week the focus is on monograms or alphabet stamps. I decided to give a little love to my JustRite monogram set called Special Occasions. The butterfly and flourish stamps are from the Laundry Line set called Lil Girl by My Minds Eye. Both sets were stamped with Lavender Lace, cutout with Nestabilities, layered onto Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, and Lavender Lace cardstock. The lavender and flowered papers were a gift from Michelle Rodgers, owner of Stampers Dream. Thanks, Michelle!!

Primas, Candy Dots, and Stampin Up! ribbon finish it off.

The Belli Challenge was created by Chris (Chrissyd723)Dickinson to inspire us to use the *stuff* lying around our stamping spaces...those long forgotten goodies that we once had to have!! Anyone can play, so get out your scraps, stamps, and embellies!! Check out Chris' blog for details on how to win the challenge!!

Be sure to visit the Belli Design Team Member's blogs to see the beautiful monogram/alphabet cards they designed!! You will find lots of awesome ideas!!! If you upload a card to Splitcoast or PCP, be sure to add CBC56 in the keywords section.

Anne Harada

Joanne Travis

Holly Brown

Chris Dickinson

Courtney Fowler

Ceal Pritchett

Christi Thorsen

Danita Hollander

Shelly Koskinen

Karen Gibson

Lee Murphy

Janette Olen - Guest Designer