Him in Our Hearts

Yesterday, my young friend Keri and I went to the LSS to stamp together.  I had these gorgeous primas from a previous purchase and wanted some pretty paper to go with them.  I fell in love with this iridescent TPC Studios Harvest Leaves paper...its rich colors are a perfect match for the amber and pink hues of these amazing flowers.

I stamped Lizzie Anne Designs' beautiful sentiment, Him in our Heart, on the gold iridescent flip side of the designer paper, tearing the edges (since all my border punches were not accessible to me at LSS!) and giving them a little distress ink to tone down the white core of the paper.  I found a beautiful Zva jewel swirl which I colored with a pale peach-toned Copic marker so that it coordinated with these papers and embellishments. 

I just LOVE how elegant and regal this card turned out!  Even though this paper isn't at all about bread and wine, it still makes me think of the Lord's supper!

Hope you're having a fabulous Tuesday!

I ♥ My Mom!

Mondays are sketch days at Lizzie Anne Designs...today's sketch is hosted by my friend and DT-mate Kendra.  I love Kendra's style and after seeing this sketch, I have been impatient to see her card!  I love the arrangement of all of the patterned papers inside and out, and the scalloped border!

Usually when new rubber arrives I ink it up immediately, but I've had this new LAD monthly mix for several days and this is the first time It's Good to be Queen has seen ink!  I have been having so much fun with Lucky You that I wasn't quite ready to move on! The March mix was perfect for several challenges during the last week! 

Change can be a good thing, though!  This new mix has its own fabulous images to fall in love with!  My mom adores elephants, so this sweet mom and babe would naturally be the first image that I would reach for!  I chose to pair it with an elegant designer paper (Pink Paislee's Bayberry Cottage) because I wanted a sophisticated, grown up look.  I stamped the image with Memento ink, colored it in with Copics in hues of gray with faint hints of lavender and even a tinge of green (for some reason it looks bluer here than IRL). I used some pale plum and almost amethyst to ink the scalloped edges of the card base and bring some of the colors of the image and designer paper onto the card stock.  Love that subtle, transparent color!

I stamped a coordinating sentiment, colored it with a tiny splash of Copic color, and then polished it with some shiny Glossy Accents.  Each of the dotted scallops along the bottom edge of the card was topped with a tiny gray pearl. 

I think my mom is gonna love this!  The only bad thing is that she subscribes to my blog, so it won't be much of a surprise!  Love you, Mom!

We're behind you!

Today's SCS Dirty Dozen/Dirty Dozen Alumni Challenge is all about the birds and the bees!  The challenge, hosted by Joanne Basile, is to use a bee or bird image but no border punches. I was surprised to see how many birds and bees stamps I have, and to discover how hard it was not to reach for the border punches!

I had my heart set on this particular Lizzie Anne image because I want to send this card to my former DD team mate Susan and her husband, Eric.  Eric was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and will soon start chemotherapy.  I thought this image would work with this sentiment from Card Quotations to convey the idea that "We're behind you!" 

I had already gotten a good start on my card when I saw this week's Sketch For You to Try.  Susan is a member of Jen's team, so this week's sketch is dedicated to her...it is so nice to see the members of stamping communities across the web rallying behind the Liles to show their love.  The road they're traveling is one that would be even more dreadfully difficult without the support of family and friends.
 
I probably should have let this card have its own way instead of trying to conform it to the sketch, but this is what I ended up with...I am still trying to decide what I think of it!  :P 

Visit the DD/DDA challenge gallery to see more birds and bees.  There are two galleries with cards for Susan...one by the DD/DDA friends for Susie, and this week's SFYTT slideshow gallery.

OCL Sketch!

It's Friday, which means a new sketch has been posted on the OCL blog!  This one, when I first saw it, stumped me, with its two identical image panels, but Jungle Love, available at i {heart} papers, came to my rescue!  I used the out-of-the-box technique for the lion so that the panels would remain the same size for each image.

I stamped my images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored them with Copic markers, and then added a mix of Gold and Orange Sparkly Fluff to the lion's mane...so CUTE and it matched perfectly!

I stamped the banana again so that I could cut it out and pop it up,and then, using a multi-liner, I faux-stitched around the panels, omitting the adjacent edges to give the feeling of one panel and add emphasis to the idea of "hanging out with you!" Same with the Tim Holtz distress ink to the edges. A left-over prima flower and a tiny gold bow (May Arts 3/8" satin) add a little interest to this simple design.

We would love for you to join us in the challenge!  Post your link to the OCL blog so we can see your creation!

Lucky You!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  To celebrate, Lizzie Anne Designs is having a Going Green challenge, and a sale!  *SELECT* Little Bits sets and Singles will be 30% off for three days only...March 17th, 18th, and 19th!  And it gets even better!  If you sign up for the Monthly Mix Club during those three days you will be eligible to get the Mix Discount ON TOP of the sale Lizzie Anne is already having! That means an EXTRA 20% off of sale items! You'll receive a code via email once you've signed up.  That means more green can stay in your pocket!  ;)

Our challenge for today was to use lots of green!  My card uses scraps of Basic Grey and We R Memory Keepers papers in various shades of green with a pretty green Zva flower, some green glimmer and organdy ribbons, and a green pearl. The images are from Lucky You, our current monthly mix.  I stamped them with Memento and colored them with Copics, then cut one out to add to the fabric blossom.  Love this sentiment!  So true!

How about some St. Patrick's Day blog candy?!  Check out the Lizzie Anne Designs blog for information on how to become eligible to win!

eta:  My projects in this post and the next all fit the Raise the Bar challenge to use green (either the color or something recycled!)  Fun challenge!

ihp Design Team Challenge

Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day our i {heart} papers design team challenge is to go green! Not necessarily the color green, but the other green...the reduce, reuse, recycle kind.  And this was a challenge with a twist!  We are using this week's Paper Craft Planet sketch as inspiration for our cards! 


I had SO much fun with this challenge!  It all started with a cute little idea that I saw over the weekend during my trip to Ocala.  Theirs used a hinged acrylic package with a heart-shaped bubble filled with pastel candies...so adorable!  When I saw a package of buttons in a magnetic-bottomed watchmakers tin, I just had to have 'em, as much for the packaging as the product!  ;)

I used the insert from the package as a template to cut my Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety designer paper, then added a strip of ivory card stock punched with a scalloped border and stamped with a sentiment.  The cute gardener bunny from OCL's Hoppin' into Spring was stamped with Memento on a scrap of card stock, colored with Copics, cut out and glued onto the border.  (Since dh is Patrick and ds Matthew Patrick and it is the day before St. Patrick's Day, I figured he needed a green jacket!)  All the edges were inked with Tim Holtz distress ink...just goes along with the other quote in this cute set!

For the matching card, I used another Garden Variety designer print, along with another green element, a strip of one of the corrugated wrappers that insulate a hot cup of coffee (this one is not the designer coffee variety!)  For the focal point, I inked only a portion of the sentiment, placing it alongside another image from Hoppin' into  Spring.  I added a couple of brads laced with some jute thread in hopes of adding to the garden atmosphere (as in pole-tied beans, etc.) and heavily distressed all the edges.  I used nesties small and large circles to cut and emboss the carrot, which mimics the designer print used on the candy container and therefore hopefully unifies the projects.

Here's some more eye candy for you!

• Carolyn
• Cathleen
• Gretchen
• Kendra
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Megan
• Tracy
• Kate

The theme for this month's Dirty Dozen gallery is All Creatures Great and Small.  Several DDAlumni have started a special gallery honoring our friend and fellow alumnus Susan, and I've included my furry rabbit friend.  As you read about what she and her husband are facing, please say a prayer for them!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll come back again soon!

You ROCK!

The DT girls (and Miss Stephanie!) at the {stamps} of Life decided to throw out a bi-monthly challenge to each other.Please feel free to play along with us!

If you are playing along with the {stamps} of Life stamps or digital images please upload to the gallery on the site -HERE- with the keyword TSOLD05. Please link to one of our blogs so we can see your stuff!

Our challenge this week is “Button it Up!!” (TSOLD05). Make a card or project with buttons.  Mine is a very simple card using a single red button as the O in the sentiment You ROCK! Love this fun sentiment! So many of us lack self-confidence and have a tendency to discount our worth...these two little words can say thank you, congratulations, and so much more! I want my friends to know just how special they are, each one in their own unique way.

My card is made with some of my favorite Cosmo Cricket designer paper scraps, a Heidi Swapp ghost flower, and some recycled ribbon.  These bright,  colorful prints just make me happy!

Here are the rest of our challenge players.  I hope you'll play along too! 

Stephanie Barnard
Jennifer Buck
Vicki Garrett
Jeanne Streiff
Joana Studor
Laura Williams

A Whirlwind Weekend!

What a fabulous, fun weekend it was! (Why is it that the fun ones fly by and the others seem to last forever?!)

Saturday, Asela and I traveled to Ocala to meet with some friends and fellow members of the StampTV Florida group.  We met at a great store, Priceless Scrapbooks, and spent the day stamping and chatting and sharing tips and tools.  It was so much fun!

While we were there I worked on two projects.  The first is this card using an adorable stamp from Lizzie Anne Designs' monthly mix, Lucky You.  These little chickies all in a row are SO cute, and I just LOVE this Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety paper!  I colored my chicks with some pale yellow-red Copic markers.  Current Dirty Dozen designer Kelly Landers let me borrow her punch to create the border of grass in two colors of green that grounds (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) the image.  Here you can see it a little closer...

My other project that I made while we were there is for tomorrow's i {heart} papers design team challenge...it came out so cute, so you need to be sure to come back to see it!  ;)

Sunday afternoon I made cards with the confirmation kids and their mentors.  For their service project, they decided (with zero influence from me, I promise!) to create hand-made cards for the nursing home residents who are not frequently visited, so we spent an hour before our usual Sunday evening class putting these together.  The kids did a great job, and after making their cards, they wrote scriptures and greetings inside.  Next Sunday we will be delivering them and visiting for a while with about 20 of the residents at the nursing home close to our church.

To close the weekend, we went with Clayton (our drummer), Jeremy (our youth pastor) and Cory (our pastor) to Hurricane Grill for the I Survived Category 5 hot wings challenge, and survive they did!  I'm not sure it was worth all that pain and agony just for a tee shirt!   

I am wondering how they're feeling this morning! It is probably a good thing that they have Mondays off!  ;)

Hope to see you back tomorrow!  Have a great week!

Kiss Me!

I've always loved this adorable OCL Fairy Dust set, but there could not have been a more perfect stamp and sentiment for today's Friday Free 4 All at SCS!  I wanted my card to look like a mix of princess frilliness and the crown jewels...along with a little hint of the kingdom's gold!  How do you think it turned out?!  How about a smooch!?  ;)

eta:  At SCS, Cathy (Mutnik) asked is the lipstick red?  I had to laugh...it is called FATALE!

Easter Blessings!

It has been a dreary day in Florida!  I managed to make a simple card for today's Ways to Use It challenge, but the sun didn't last long enough for a decent picture!  Hopefully these bright colors will still come shining through!

Today's challenge was to use something new...this is the first time this pretty Lizzie Anne Designs stamp has seen ink.  I just love the graceful font of this Easter blessings sentiment and the way it looks inked with markers of different colors.  I gave the butterfly wings a bit of clear Spica sparkle.  In keeping with today's challenge, I also used a brand spankin' new pack of pearls, the first blossom from an until now unopened pack of BoBunny flowers, and the MS punch I recently purchased. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be more rain...guess that means it will be a good day to do some indoor things that have been needing to be done, and to stamp some more!  I am happy for it to get it over with, because Saturday Asela and I are driving to Ocala to meet more Florida stampers to do a little paper crafts shopping and card-making.  I am really looking forward to it!