Be Merry

Another Friday, another Queen for the Day on Splitcoaststampers. I cased this card. It is time to get started on Christmas cards so I don't end up in a panic as it draws near. This is a card that could be made quickly. Of course, I like variety so we'll see.

Recipe:
Stamps: JustRite-Merry and Bright
Paper: PTI white cardstock, Stampin'Up! Night of Navy
Ink: Stampin'Up! Night of Navy
Accessories: Martha Stewart Aspen Snowflakes, Cuttlebug embossing folder-snowflake, rhinestones

Love Scissors

I have a small collection of scissors and when I saw this stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers called
Sew What?, I fell for those beautiful scissors. My card is for the Stampin' B's Design Team challenge #131 given by Lois to do a one layer, no white card.

I  used Kraft paper and a Cuttlebug embossing folder called Rebecca. Stamped the sentiment and tied the ribbon and I love the card. Maybe I should send it to my sister. She made the pretty box I'm showing below for me to store the scissors I'm collecting. It is really beautiful and she used a lot of gold and silver metallic threads (even in the background which doesn't show here). It stores a lot of small scissors.

 Here are a few. I especially wanted the second pair from the left to show as they have beautiful flower designs on them. But, I see I didn't capture that. That is the only antique pair shown here. From the left: red, white, and blue (what I call my patriotic scissors), antique, rooster, and stork. I need to increase my collection. My sis has a huge collection...you should see.


Recipe:
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers-Sew What?
Paper: Stampin'Up! Kraft
Accessories: Offray ribbon in gingham check, Cuttlebug embossing folder called Rebecca

Enjoying Nature

I decided to play in the Sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers today. It has been a while. The sketch this week is really simple and I thought it would be perfect for my stamped and sponged image. My stamp is from Mark's Finest Papers-Adirondack Summer.
The sketch called for a ribbon down the center but I didn't want it to interfere with my sentiment so I made a pennant and stopped it short. Plus, I didn't think I had the perfect color ribbon. I have decided if you have a million ribbons, you never have the right shade, width, or texture you need. Ugh!

Less is More wants you to make a card using the color of your eyes. Mine are brown..so I've used plenty of SU Chocolate Chip.

CAS Sunday Challenge  #23 - Must be CAS-Anything Goes

Recipe:
Stamps-Mark's Finest Papers-Adirondack Summer
Paper: PTI vintage cream, Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip
Ink: SU Chocolate Chip

Tuesday Throwdown #69-Halloween

It's October and time to do those Halloween cards. I've starting buying my treats and have several bags accumulated. I'll make a couple more trips to load up before the big night.

Tuesday Throwdown has a timely challenge this week and it is to make a Halloween card/project. I love this image from Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps & More. It is the Halloween and Fall Stamp Set.
I think this wagon load of pumpkins is adorable.

I used a couple of punches (listed below) and gave the bat some eyes with my Sakura Jelly Roll Pen.

We hope you'll come along and join us for a fun challenge: Tuesday Throwdown - challenge #69.

Recipe:
Stamps: Digi image by Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps & More-Halloween and Fall Stamp Set
Paper PTI white cardstock, Hydrangea cs (unknown), K&CO Ghostly Greetings die cut mat pad, Boo paper is unknown
Accessories: Martha Stewart bat punch, Martha Stewart ghost corner punch, Sakura Jelly Roll Pen, Copics

Black Eyed Susans

Hope you saw my earlier post today telling you I had joined the design team for Friends of Speedy TV.   I needed one more card today and wanted to use a stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers called Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement. I think this is such a pretty, single stem and the set has beautiful images and sentiments.

I used a punch around the page from Martha Stewart called French Scroll and colored my flower with Copics. Added the sentiment and a couple of corners. Of course, I'll be adding a pretty sentiment from the same set inside to finish.

I'm entering these challenges:
Mark's Finest Papers Speedy the Cat's Challenge #75-Use Polka Dots (My dp and Swiss Dots embossing folder..hmmm, hard to see that embossing folder)
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Whimsical Wednesday - Anything Goes

Recipe:
Stamps-Mark's Finest Papers-Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement
Paper-PTI white cardstock, My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas paper pad
Ink: Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Copics, Martha Stewart French Scroll punch around the page, EK Success victorian corner punch
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

Friends of Speedy TV Design Team-Announcement & Challenge

Hope you all had a great weekend! I am here with some exciting news. Faith of Mark's Finest Papers  has asked me to join a new  team, 'Friends of Speedy TV Design Team'. We are having our first challenge today and hope you'll join in. Here is the link to MFP Speedy TV. It is a fun place with tutorials, chats, videos, forums, and lots of inspiration. Check it out!!! Well be having a new challenge each Monday. Be sure to come along and join us.

Our first challenge is a masculine card. We all need those 'man' cards and sometimes we've made so many other kinds that we don't have one of those on hand. So, now is a good time to get that done.

I'm  using a Mark's Finest Papers stamp set called Autumn Glory. I love stripes and think they can be very good for masculine cards (if they're not pink). :-) I did some sponging around the image to pop it out as I had not colored it. I just thought, for a guy, I would leave it in its natural state. Rest of the recipe is below.

Recipe:
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers-Autumn Glory
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, VersaMagic-Sea Breeze
Paper: Stampin'Up! Night of Navy cardstock, Cloud 9 Designs-Trvl stripe (dbl sided), white cs
Accessories: Spellbinders deckle nestabilitie, Mark Richards gold metal brads, Spare Parts clip by The Paper Studio, crimper

Autumn's Leaves

Happy Friday morning! I would say it is a good day but I have allergies soooooooo bad. It is that time of year for me...April and September. Ugh! You know, the sore throat and all that goes with it. Never mind me..let's just get on with my card.

I wanted to case a card today for the newly crowned Queen for the Day on Splitcoaststampers. It is none other than Dawn aka dawnmercedes. Here is her card. I stayed pretty true to her sketch and changed the dp and images

I am using a Mark's Finest Papers set called Autumn Glory and what a great set it is for the Fall season. I stamped directly onto my designer paper and a couple leaves at the bottom, which I sponged with a bit of green.

Challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks #57-Anything Goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty #63-Anything Goes

Scrapalicious USA #18-Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp-Anything Goes 

Recipe:

Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers-Autumn Glory

Paper: PTI white cardstock, Recollections dp-Field of Green, vellum paper-ribbon, Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip

Ink: Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip, VersaMagic chalk ink-aloe vera,

A-Haunting-We-Will Go

With Halloween coming fast, Faith asked the Stampin' B's Design Team to make a Halloween card. I have a new stamp set from Mark's Finest Papers called 'Get Your Broom On' and it is perfect for today's card. I stamped and only sponged the pot which I tried to make look very hot. Stamped my sentiment, added some score lines, a ribbon and it's all done.
Hope you'll join us so we can take a look at what you're doing for your Halloween cards.

Recipe:
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers-Get Your Broom On
Paper: PTI white cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin;Up! Melon Mambo and Apricot Appeal
Accessories: spider web ribbon, Scor-Pal, sponge

An Autumn Queen

How nice to be an Autumn queen ... or any queen for that matter. :-) I am late for the Queen's crowning on Splitcoaststampers, #78. I had something very important to do that day and that  was to go see my son, his wife, and their baby. Wouldn't take anything for that.

My card was cased from the Queen's card. I tried to keep the sketch and it went a little haywire on the top panel as I didn't use an image to fit her sketch on that section.  Tied a bow, made a mum  and it's finished.

Challenges:
Scrapbook Sisters #54-Leaves
Simon Says Stamp--Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog #63-Anything Goes


Recipe:
Stamps: Studio112 ($1 stamp), Mark's Finest Papers-Autumn Glory (sentiment)
Paper: PTI vintage cream cardstock, ColorMates Light Graceful Geranium cs, Tim Coffey-TC Cottage Garden dp
Ink: Memento Potter's Clay
Accessories: Offray Verano Tan Jute, handmade mum, Stampin'Up! Word Window Punch, micro beads for flower center

Thinking of You-Tuesday Throwdown and Operation Write Home

It's time for another fun challenge at Tuesday Throwdown #68. This week the challenge is: Thinking of You. We were provided some wonderful images from MY GRAFICO. I'm using the funky typewriter image (Posh 'n Trendy Stamps). Isn't it fun?  What a super variety of inventory they have! You should really check them out.

Here is our post from Tuesday Throwdown:
This week, we have a we have a special DOUBLE challenge for you!

Main Challenge: "Thinking of You"

Bonus Challenge: Send your card to Operation Write Home

In case you're not familiar with Operation Write Home, they are a non-profit organization that provides handmade greeting cards to help American soldiers keep in touch with their loved ones back home. OWH is celebrating its birthday this month, and since it gets its stock from crafters like us, we thought we'd help them celebrate by helping them grow their stock of cards through our challenge this week.

To help inspire you to participate in our bonus challenge, we are offering a special bonus prize this week -- a $20 gift certificate to spend at My Grafico! To be entered into this drawing, you must mail your card to OWH, and then designate that by typing "OWH" after your name when you link up.

Due to a little mix-up, I'm not sure my card meets the OWH guidelines, but too late now.
I decided to make my first tent topper card. If you would like to try one, here is a good tutorial on Splitcoaststampers. I used a zig writer on the typewriter paper for the appearance of typing.
  I've used a Stampin'Up spiral punch on the bottom. The complete recipe is listed at the bottom of my  post.

Recipe:
Stamps: My Grafico-Posh 'n Trendy Stamps
Paper: PTI Enchanted Evening, Stampin'Up! Chocolate Chip, unknown dp
Ink: SU Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Cappuccino twine, Stampin'Up! spiral punch, pearls, Recollections florals, Spellbinders circle and circle scalloped dies, Copics, Zig writer