Saturday, January 31, 2009

Thoughts of You

This is another of the Taylored Expressions Anniversary Cupcake Challenges. This one is supplied by Donna here.



Patterned paper: Deja Views

Stamps: Studio G and Technique Tuesday

Ink: Ranger's Adirondak Cranberry

On this card, I wished I had made the square bigger as on Donn's sample. All in all, I am happy with the results though.

Happy Anniversary Card and Personal Share



This is another card from Taylored Expressions Anniversary cupcake challenge. This sketch is provided by Ana. I have to say this was one of the harder sketches for me. I struggled and am not greatly happy with the results. I think it ended up being a bit busy. I am not sure I liked the images I picked nor the ribbon. But, I am happy that I did the challenge.

Patterned paper: Creative imaginations

Stamps: Studio G

Ink: Ranger's Adirondak Basick Black

Techniques: using chalk to highlight stamped images.

On a personal note, I have begun a weight loss challenge for myself. I recently had to go to the doctor for a simple procedure and when I stepped on the scales I thought my jaw had dropped to the floor. I shared this information with my husband who got really upset, he wants me to be healthy. With his help I realized, I am headed for some major issues if I do not change my eating habits and begin exercising. So I broke out my weight watcher's materials I have had for quite a while but have not used. I began counting my points and started going back to the gym. Thursdays is when I weigh myself. This Thursday I had lost 1.9 lbs. I am so proud. I will be using my blog as a place to update my progress and I hope it will keep me accountable. Thanks for allowing me to share this. Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The first of nine


This is one of nine sketches being provided by Taylor and her cupcake crew at Taylored Expressions. This particular sketch can be found at Monica Davis' blog M.A.D. Stamper. I don't do many circle cards and am pretty happy with the way this turned out. The image is one I have had a good while and don't use much. It is one that is still on it's wood mount too. The main image is by inkadinkado and the sentiment is a Studio G stamp. I used Ranger's Adirondak ink in Currant with some purple pp that I cut into a five inch circle using my cricuit machine. I used a brad to put both circles together, attach the tag, and a some purple fiber to the card. The scallops I made with a circle punch and then cut each circle in half. I layered the circles under the creme cardstock layer to give it the look of another layer. This is a card I like how it turned out. I am so excited to be doing these challenges. I think it makes me stretch creatively, though I still have a long way to go before I get that polished look I am looking for.
Thanks for stopping by if you are reading this.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Lots of creativity


Wow, lots of creative stamping happened this weekend. This card actually started things off and then I went to Taylored Expressions and worked on the cupcake challenge. This month there are extra incentives and extra sketches to work with by her hostesses. You need to check it our and then upload your creations to splitcoast stampers. You have till Thursday 1/29/09. Check out all the details at Taylor's blog using the link above.
So my Card is using my cuttlebug swirl folder on half of the 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card. I used a technique Tuesday heart stamp and used some twinkling H2O's to paint the heart in using different shades of purple. I then added a ribbon some pp and a tag with be mine spelled using alphabet stamps by studio g. I used a small safety pin to attach the tag to the purple ribbon. I love how the card turned out.
I will be adding a different card over the next weeks from Taylor's Cupcake Challenge sketches by her and her cupcake crew, that way you don't have to go searching for them on splitcoast.
I hope you will enjoy them.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Birthday baloons



I popped over to Stamp Something's blog and found this contest. You should make a card using a birthday theme and enter too. Here is my take on that theme. Sorry this one is so blurry. This was a pretty simple card. I used my new Martha Stewart scallop punch. It worked out great. I stamped the baloons with permanent ink and then used watercolor crayons to fill them in. I added some stickles to the confetti. I layered on orange cardstock and then black cardstock. I added the pre-done Happy Birthday tag. Easy.... This looks much better in person. Thanks for stopping by.

Sweet Birthday Wishes


I used some of my inkadinkado cupcakes to make this card. I colored each one with pencils and the popped up the tops. I added some sparkle with some stickles. I also addeda rubon to the top and bottom of the card by Daisy D's. At the top there is polka dot ribbon and some various buttons. Hope you enjoy.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Cupcake challenge....



Once again, I am going to enter Taylored Experssions infamous cupcake challenge. On this card, I stuck to what I like to call my safe colors. Those earthy, fall type colors are my favorite. What can I say? The main heart image is by Autumn Leaves, stamped in cranberry by Ranger Industry's Adirondak line and then embossed with some sparkly northern lights embossing powders. I don't use my embossing powders enough, so this was a good chance to do that. I used some pp that had stripes. The hearts I punched out of burgundy carstock that I stamped with another Autumn Leaves stamp to give a bit more. This was stamped with hybrid pallete ink in Vintage Cream that is sold here. The scallop circle is by Technique Tuesday stamped in basic black, again by Ranger. Then I popped up on a circle a Studio G image/sentiment in cranberry image.

Hoping for blog candy...

OK...I am entering my first contest for some blog candy from here. I love this blog. You need to check it out. I am still new to all this entering contests by using my blog. So here it goes...LOL. The contest basically is sending at least one card preferably a birthday or all occasion card to Julie Carlisle {afancycat on SCS} who works in the International Student Services Department at Dallas Baptist University {DBU}. They have students from over 50 countries at the University that they give cards to. So, I am providing a card for this cause which is wonderful to be apart of. I also, may win lots of goodies. You need to look at the list of the blog candy because it is an amazing giveaway. People like Flourishes, Gina K Designs, and The Cat's Pajamas are just a sampling of those who have contributed to the goodies.

So about this card. This card starts off with mint green cardstock. I used my cricut to make some circles. The pp of course I don't know who made, I know it was from some of those big pads of paper from Michael's that I got years ago. The cupcake image is stamped on a velum circle tag. The cupcake image is by inkadinkado and stamped in permanent black ink. I colored the cupcake with pencils on the back of the image to make it nice and muted. I then cut a white piece of cardstock and stamped the sentiment from the same set by inkadinkado using basic black ink by Ranger's Adirondack collection. I tied a simple white ribbon around the bottom and I was done.

I hope this card finds it's way in a person's life that will just bring a smile to their face. That is the best feeling knowing you are helping to make a person's day. If you read this blog join in yourself. Julie will appreciate it.