Gigi's Corner of the World

Happy New Year!

2011-12-26T17:52:00.000-05:00

Goodness, it's been nearly a year since my last post! I decided to check my blog today and have found a couple of new followers. Please accept my sincere apology for taking time to follow when I haven't kept up the blog for various reasons, mainly because of personal issues. Things are much better now, but I'm working at a retail store that is keeping me out of trouble..ha ha! Seriously, it's a God-send having the part time job, but it does cut down on the paper crafting. If you continue to visit, I promise to add some new cards to view. Thank you so much for visiting the blog and may 2012 bring an abundance of blessings to give and receive.

Gigi

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-05T19:32:00.000-04:00

Hey, it's Cinco de Mayo; anyone celebrating today? I went out with my sweet hubby for about one hour to enjoy a delicious drink. A lot of time this week has been spent making Mother's Day cards. I set a goal to sell at least 10 cards and the goal was met! Actually there were more than 10, so I'm feeling extremely blessed. A friend came by this morning to make cards for three special people in her life; she took home some beautiful ones, which will please the recipients. I'm sharing a few of the cards that were finished today and I think that Betty Boop is my favorite (it's going to a home with a great sense of humor :-) The roses and high heels were glittered using a two way glue pen and Martha Stewart garnet glitter. Betty and Pudgy are stickers; I usually don't use stickers for a main image, but since I don't have a stamp, these stickers work just fine. Hope your week is winding down and if you need to relax before Mother's Day, you do what I did this afternoon: go to a happy hour and enjoy a Margarita. If you're a mom, I wish you a beautiful day doing what makes you feel special.

Birthday and Mother's Day Celebrations

2011-05-04T08:28:00.001-04:00

There are several cards being posted today (guess I'm trying to catch up for the past year.) Lately I have been using a lot of Graphic 45 paper, glitter paper, tulle, rhinestones, and more glitter as well as plenty of chipboard. A few years ago, I purchased several packages of SU chipboard and never really found a good way to add them to cards. But, Happy Hour Crafts (HHC) has inspired me to dig out the chipboard and you can see an example of one on the "Loca" birthday card made for a granddaughter. The number 5 was used for the 50th birthday card, so using the negative circle, I used spray adhesive and applied red glitter to it. A yellow balloon was placed below the chipboard to give a contrasting look to the circle. The image is a digi one (Sassy Patsy) that caught my eye last year, or maybe earlier; who knows where time flies especially in my case :-) Copic markers were used for skin tones and for some of the "vintage" looking dresses. A stick pin from Maya Road was glued and glittered (another inspiring idea from the HHC friends.) The "Mom" letters were cut from glitter foam using the Cuttlebug and the black tulle with hot pink glitter added was an idea given by Prissy Conrad last Saturday at the Happy Hour Crafts workshop, thanks, Prissy! There is plenty of glitter and lots of tulle, so enjoy the view and thank you for stopping and taking a look today.

Spring Garland

2011-05-02T10:02:00.000-04:00

Wow! Can not believe it's been over a year since my last posting! If no one visits the blog, it's my fault. But life is busy and often fun, not to mention entering the FB world of communication. On to the project: Saturday I attended a workshop hosted by Happy Hour Crafts; what a wonderful time we all had making this fun garland. I finished it at home and sweet hubby hung it up in the workroom for inspiration while creating future cards. I signed up for the next workshop on June 18, and am looking forward to making a fabulous-looking shadow box. The garland butterflies are from Maya Road and are chipboard.

A Vintage Point of View

2010-03-03T09:05:00.003-05:00

Supplies:

Stamps: Hampton Arts (Cozy Lady); Papertrey Ink (Mixed messages)

Paper: Graphics 45 (Fashionista); Papertrey Ink (cardstock)

Ink: SU! (Nearly Navy); Ranger (Scattered Straw, Tea Dye); Versamark

Accents: Lace, paper punches, paper flowers, Copic markers, glitter pen, Spellbinders (die)

Supplies:

Stamps: Hampton Arts (Cozy Lady); misc

Paper: Graphics 45 (Fashionista); Papertrey Ink (cardstock)

Ink: SU! (Basic Black); Ranger (Scattered Straw, Tea Dye); Versamark; Tsukienko (Tuxedo Black)

Accents: Spellbinders (dies); Michael's (ribbon, black beads, rubons); Copic markers

Supplies:

Stamps: Hampton Art (Cozy Lady); Rubbernecker (Mae West quote); Ranger (Tim Holtz)

Paper: Papertrey Ink (card stock); misc dp from stash

Ink: SU! (Chocolate); Versamark; Ranger (Scattered Straw. Tea Dye)

Accents: SU! (brad); Spellbinders (die); Copic markers; Michael's (wired ribbon)

Supplies:
Stamps: Hampton Art (Cozy Lady); misc quote stamp
Paper: 7 Gypsies (French Market); Papertrey Ink (cardstock); SU! (Ruby Red)
Ink: SU! (Ruby Red); Tsukienko (Tuxedo Black); Ranger (Scattered Straw, Tea Dye)
Accents: Michael's (black ribbon, black beads); Spellbinders (die)

A few weeks ago, I designed several different cards using the same stamp. The idea came from a card stamping magazine, which I can't recall the name right now; it features a section showing different ways to use one stamp. The stamp is called "Cozy Lady/Woman in Coat" and is manufactured by Hampton Art. As you can see, there are a wide variety of supplies used for these cards. If one isn't listed, that you want to know about, please let me know. Thank you for stopping by today.

Gigi

Friday Sketchers 91 Good Friends Listen...

2010-02-28T12:01:00.003-05:00

If you would like to use this sketch, please go here. This card uses some new dp paper from K&Co, TC Blossomwood, which is gorgeous! I also purchased some floral embellishments that match to add to the main image. The main image was sponged with distress inks to soften the whiteness of the cardstock. The lattice was cut from Vanilla Cream cs and it was also sponged. The measurements are 4 1/2 x 4 1/2.

Supplies:
Stamps: Sweet N Sassy (digi)
Ink: Tsukienko (Tuxedo Black); Ranger (Scattered Straw, Tea Dye)
Paper: Papertrey Ink (Select White, Vanilla Cream, Dark Chocolate); K&Co (TC Blossomwood)
Accents: Spellbinders (lattice, oval dies); K&Co (TC Blossomwood flower)

SC269 Absolutely Fabulous

2010-02-27T14:29:00.006-05:00

Had time to play the weekly Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge, SC269. The Bella image has been sitting, uninked, for too long, so decided to make a card that will enclose a letter to a friend in Texas. Can't waste excuses for making cards, right? The image was stamped with Tuxedo Black on Select White paper and colored with Copic markers. The halo is glittered as well as the wings with Martha Stewart products. I really like the Martha Stewart glue pen; it works as well as the Quickie Glue one. The image was also sponged around the edges to take soothe the whiteness of the paper. The Bo Bunny paper was purchased in Gettysburg, PA, at the Scrapbook Forever store; that is one nice paper store! Thank you for taking time to look at the card; hope you receive some inspiration from it. Gigi

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Mixed Messages); Stamping Bella (angel)
Ink: Tsukineko (Tuxedo Black); Ranger (Tea Dye, Scattered Straw)
Paper: Papertrey Ink (Select White); SU! (Ruby Red, mustard); Bo Bunny (Kitchen Spice Nutmeg)
Accents: Michael's (ribbon, rhinestones); Spellbinders (die cuts); Copic markers; Martha Stewart (chunky and fine glitter); Sweet N Sassy digi stamps (A True Friend)

CPS155 Thanks for Perking Me Up!

2010-02-26T15:09:00.003-05:00

Finished the CPS155 challenge this morning with some dp that has been sitting in the stash bin for at least two years! It probably happens to you, too; you buy dp that you plan to use, but don't because it's being hoarded...doesn't make sense, does it? The dp is Creative Imaginations, Debbie Mumm (Coffee). The stickers matching the dp are so cute; in fact, I bought two sets of them and haven't used hardly any of them...why? Suppose I need them for a rainy day? :-) Each of us has a quirky thought or two when it comes to paper craft supplies and mine just happens to be hoarding dp for more than one year :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Our Craft Lounge (Fueled by Caffeine)

Ink: Tsukineko (Tuxedo Black), Ranger Distress (Tea Dye, Scattered Straw)

Paper: Papertrey Ink (Vanilla Cream, Dark Chocolate), Creative Imginations, Debbie Mumm

Accents: Creative Imginations stickers, Debbie Mumm (Coffee), Spellbinders (die cuts), Papertrey Ink (Enchanted Evening ribbon)

SC268 Welcome Little One

2010-02-26T14:48:00.004-05:00

This is a non traditional baby girl card, but since the paper is so stinkin' cute, I wanted to use it for a baby :-) The sketch is from Splitcoaststampers, SC268. The mailman brought some new paper from American Crafts, Dear lizzy.

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Bitty Baby Blessings, Heart Prints Sentiments)

Ink: Tsukineko (Tuxedo Black), Versamark (clear)

Paper: Papertrey Ink (Select White, Dark Chocolate), Bazzill (blue), American Crafts (Dear lizzy)

Accents: Ranger (Cotton Candy Stickles), Basic Grey (button), floss, rick rack ribbon, Marvy (heart punch)

MFT Wednesday Stamp Club Challenge for 2/10/10

2010-02-15T14:08:00.005-05:00

Last week, some new My Favorite Things stamps arrived and I couldn't wait to use them! This particular set is brand spankin' new and is called "Lovin' from the Oven." There is a a WSC challenge posted on the MFT blog. Kim has given several options to use for the challenge and I chose the card layout and am hoping to win a gift certificate to purchase another stamp set I've had my eye on for the last few days :-) The main image was colored with Copic markers and paper pieced using some new dp from Basic Grey, Nook & Pantry, which was also purchased at MFT. I wanted to add a flower to the front of the card, so went with the distressed look, which was misted with water, crinkled, heat-dryed, and edged with distress inks. Thank you for stopping by today and hope you have taken some inspiration from the card, which measures 41/4" x 5 1/2".

Gigi

Supplies:

Stamps: My Favorite Things (Lovin' from the Oven), Papertrey Ink (Cupcake Collection)

Ink: Tsukineko (Tuxedo Black), Ranger (Scattered Straw, Tea Dye)

Paper: PTI (Vanilla Cream), Basic Grey (Nook & Pantry)

Other: Spellbinders (Flower Creations, Labels 1), MFT (cream lace, twine), SU! (Chocolate ribbon), Copic (markers), Fiskars (lace punch), misc buttons, Provo Craft (embossing tool and folder)

Papertrey Ink's Anniversary Day 13 Contest

2010-02-13T18:47:00.007-05:00

If you haven't had an opportunity to check out Papertrey Ink's blog lately, you've missed so much fun. Although my name hasn't been selected to win a fabulous prize PTI has given away this month, I'm still giving it my best shot to win today's contest. Nichole has challenged her readers to create a card using a floral embellishment and an acetate sheet to share with another crafter. The first one I made (this morning) took forever to finish and when I began to post on the blog, I realized, after reading Nichole's blog again, that the card and embellishments were wrong (the cupcake stamps were used and they turned out cute, too :-) So, after lunch I went back to the drawing table and created something that didn't require as much time, but looked good enough to submit for the contest. The flowers were die cut and dry embossed; glitter was applied to vintage cream buttons making up the center. The card is being sent to a very sweet crafty friend; the cupcake one will go to another "sweet" crafty friend. Thank you for stopping by and taking a look today and if you have time, check out PTI's blog and enter your own design to win a nice prize.

Gigi

What I used:

Stamps: None

Ink: None

Paper: Raspberry Fizz Mix, Raspberry Fizz cs, vellum, True Black, Select White (PTI)

Accessories: Raspberry Fizz satin ribbon, vintage cream buttons (PTI), lace border punch (Fiskars), Swiss dots (Cuttlebug), glitter (Martha Stewart), Flower Creations (S4-072) (Spellbinders)

Bitty Baby Blessings Mojo Monday #125

2010-02-10T11:11:00.005-05:00

Good snowy morning from Northern Virginia! Yes, we have more snow falling today, but it's stopping by this afternoon. I feel for the evergreen trees having to hold so much snow and then breaking because of the weight on branches. I once bragged to family and friends in Texas that it's wonderful living in this part of the country because the winters are mild compared to the Panhandle of Texas; guess I'll have to make a retraction...ha ha! Seriously this is a wonderful place to live if you enjoy the annual four seasons.

Now on to the sketch: This one seemed a little daunting for me because I don't seem to work well with sketch challenges. I love using Papertrey Ink's Bitty Baby Blessings stamp set (see post below for another image); it's so precious. Fortunately there are new babies in the family and a friend has requested a baby card to give, so I made another one last night. This time the elephant image was stamped, paper pieced, and even has a dimensional-looking ear :-) The Scor-pal was used for the dry embossing effect and a white gel pen dotted the small scallop frame holding the stamped image. Paper piecing is fun and the image is perfect for doing it. The easiest way to adher the paper piece is using a Xyron machine (mine is the 2.5" one and does a great job for super small pieces.) The polka dot paper has been sitting in the stash bin for a couple of years, but works well for what I had in mind when using the sketch. If you use imagination, the image and ribbon actually look like a rattle (or so I think it does :-)

Thank you for taking time to stop and look today; I hope you have received some inspiration to use on a project.

Gigi

Ingredients:

Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper: Select White (PTI), turquoise (Bazzill), pink (SU!)

Accessories: Ribbon, white gel pen, scallop die (Spellbinders), Scor-Pal, minature half pearls (for inside sentiment) (

CPS 153 and Papertrey Ink's Bitty Baby Blessings

2010-02-07T09:20:00.003-05:00

My week was blessed with three new babies in our family; a set of twins, Peyton and Dylan, and Elizabeth. They were all born in near Kansas City, Missouri and their fathers are brothers, my nephews, Greg and Richard. The twins arrived early, but they're healthy and doing well. I made the card for Elizabeth the other day and when I saw the CPS challenge this morning, it works out perfectly as well as using Papertrey's Bitty Baby Blessings. You also have a chance to win some Papertrey products that are being released this month! The paper has been in stash for a long time, so am not sure of the name, but it was purchased at Michael's. The circle was cut, after adhering card stock to some lightweight cardboard to give some dimension. The "buggy" was paper pieced and Stickles were used on the handle and on the wheels for some bling.

Normally I don't comment on products, but today is an exception. The velvet stickers from Making Memories were purchased from Michael's last week and the adhesive doesn't stick very well; I had to press down numerous times to get a decent picture taken of the card and it was a little frustrating. Looking on the back of the package, the date listed is 2006, so it's possible that this package is outdated and that's the reason the stickers aren't staying in place. I don't want to add anymore glue in fear that it will leave a residue.

Thank you for stopping by and taking a look today. We have a beautiful day in Northern Virginia, after two days of gloom and a lot of snowfall; it set a record according to the weather reports. The blessing is that I was able to play in the craft "studio" for two days without having to get out and about. Sweet hubby and I made a quick trip to buy a few groceries on Friday morning before the snow began to accumulate, so we were set for the weekend.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for stopping by to take a look; I hope you leave with some inspiration, whether it's checking out what you can win over at the CPS blog, buying a cute stamp set from Papertrey Ink, or using colors you see on the card.

Gigi

Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper: Select White (PTI), pink (SU!), dp (unknown source)

Accessories: Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger), ribbon, heart punch (Martha Stewart), Velvet Sayings stickers (Making Memories), circle and scallop dies (Spellbinders), Copic marker

Mojo Monday 124 Life's Possibilities

2010-02-06T15:45:00.003-05:00

Lately the sketch challenges have been neglected and I can't give a reason except to say that I've worked on quite a few Valentine cards (see previous post) and didn't use any sketch challenges. Today, since the snow continues to fall in Northern Virginia, and sweet hubby and I don't want to get stranded outdoors in our car, I found a Mojo Monday sketch challenge to use. The card is a very masculine one and these are so difficult for me to make because I love flowers, ribbons, and a lot of bling. Tim Holtz was the inspiration since the stamps have his name registered and the ink is distress ink.

When hubby saw the finished card, he said it makes him think of time running out. We're hoping to get the most out of our life before time runs out, such as taking spur of the moment day trips, which we did on Thursday to NYC. We happened to choose the day before the snow began to fall on the mid-Atlantic area and enjoyed a wonderful time together. Are any of you into Korean food? We stopped at a restaurant called Hanbat and enjoyed a yummy lunch. My daughter and I found this place last year and were impressed with the food and the lunch prices. During lunch, a patron is given several bowls of different appetizers to sample before the main course is brought to the table. We sampled foods that we had never tried and there wasn't really anything left to return to the kitchen we finished....ha ha! We stopped in the huge Toys 'R Us store and had our picture taken together in front of the ferris wheel; I think we were the oldest couple there, but we had a great time checking out the newest toys on the market. We took a cab to Times Square and walked around window shopping until it was nearly time to head home. As we were walking to Macy's, on 5th and Broadway, I found a wonderful trim shop that nearly took my breath away; it's called M&J's Trimming and has wall to wall mouth watering trims, ribbons, etc. that you can use for sewing or crafting projects. I brought home some Swarovski half beads and a few yards of vintage lace to use on cards. The half beads should be larger for floral centers, but what I have will do until my next trip to NYC; I promise to look around the store longer because there was a lot missed.

Thank you for stopping by and hopefully you have taken some inspiration from the card or the sketch.

Gigi

Stamps: Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Collection Life's Possibilities (Stampers Anonymous)

Ink: Walnut Stain (Ranger)

Paper: Brown (Bazzill), Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Accessories: EB (Cuttlebug), twine (Papertrey Ink), sanding block, buttons, circle die (Spellbinders)

Happy Valentine's Day for 2010!

2010-01-28T19:31:00.019-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

For the past two weeks, I've stayed busy making Valentine cards for family and friends. You'll find an eclectic group of cards to view, so am hoping that you find one that inspires you. I want to give credit to my friend, Mita, who introduced me to a water spray technique to use on die cut flowers. You'll notice that hearts and flowers are abundant and many of them have been sprayed with water to get a store bought effect (that's what I call cost savings!) My sweet hubby says I really threw myself into making the hearts and flowers :-) Thanks so much for stopping by and if you have a question, or even a comment, please let me know; I appreciate your visit.

Gigi

Happy New Year for 2010!

2010-01-22T15:25:00.009-05:00

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's nearly two months since the last posting! My life stays busy especially with a move to a new home, changing part time jobs, and traveling with sweet hubby every now and then since we left our previous abode. It took nearly a month to get back into the swing of things when it came to creating cards; I felt overwhelmed unpacking all the paper crafting supplies. In fact, I almost began to cry because there was so much to take out of boxes and find a place where they would fit and where I would have easy access to them, not to mention remembering where they are stored :-) The trials and tribulations of growing older and not remembering as well as I did as a young woman :-) But, I'm thankful to wake up each day with a smile on my face because God gave me more time to become kinder and wiser (it's a challenge more often than not...ha ha!)

I have a lot of pictures to post, so bear with me and if you have time, please enjoy them. If you want any info regarding what you see, please let me know; I'm more than happy to give you the details. I want to get back into participating in challenges, but right now I'm thrilled to find time to make Valentine cards for family and friends. I'll get those posted later.

Enjoy your weekend and may the best NFC and AFC team win on Sunday (I have no favorites this year.)

PIF Christmas Gift Bag and Card

2009-11-27T15:15:00.004-05:00

Although Thanksgiving was yesterday, I want to let someone special know that I am thankful for her friendship and thoughtfulness; she is Monica from Sweden. This precious gift arrived just in time for Christmas; it was promised as a PIF (pay it forward) gift a few months ago. The card looks like it's 3-D because of the background and the texture of the paper, but it isn't. I can imagine myself walking through the snow covered ground at Christmas time, can't you? You can check out more of Monica's artistic talent on her blog. I feel blessed knowing some wonderful new friends who live in Sweden; hopefully we can meet one day while Efraim and I are in Europe this summer. Thank you, Monica, for the bag that will come handy for keeping things organized and for the first Christmas card received this season! As soon as Efraim and I get settled into our new home, I'll get to work on a PIF gift for someone special.

Gigi

A Beautiful Birthday Gift

2009-11-22T09:20:00.004-05:00

This birthday gift (chipboard FAMILY spelled out album) was made by a very sweet and caring friend, Naoma, who lives in Texas, which is so far from northern Virginia. The day it arrived in the mail, I had spent some time that particular morning thinking of my family in Texas, especially the grandsons, who are growing by leaps and bounds. I even became teary-eyed because I was missing everyone so much. When I opened up the package, containing this beautiful album, I immediately began to cry because it touched my heart tremendously and because I know how much time and effort goes into making something by hand. This gift is probably one of the most treasured and thoughtful ones I've ever received and will always remember how much it means. Another thoughtful touch was using some of my favorite design paper, Lime Rickey; I love BRIGHT colors and Naoma remembered. I amazed at how well she cut out and adhered paper to the chipboard letters; I can't make a chipboard piece look anywhere as nice as she does. Each page contains pictures of my family in Texas; the first page has a picture of my grandson, Jackson, and me; isn't he a cutie patootie? Thanks, Naoma, for making this birthday so special; you really know how to touch a sister paper crafter's heart!

Gigi

Recycled Christmas Cards

2009-11-22T09:11:00.004-05:00

These two card images were sent last year to hubby and me for Christmas; I kept them because they're really cute and because I could see using them again :-) The santa and background paper are from the original card; everything else is new. I added some glitter to the white beard and fur for some bling ;-) The snowman is adhered to a foil background and Stickles were added to the ribbons on the packages. I plan to send them back to the friends who mailed them; wonder if they'll recognize their cute cards this year :-) There are some other cards I want to use, but since we're in the process of packing for a move, I have to start putting paper craft supplies away...waaaaaaah, I don't want to stop crafting :-)

Thanks for stopping by today!
Gigi

Friday Sketchers Challenge #78

2009-11-15T09:23:00.003-05:00

The Magnolia Christmas stamps haven't arrived yet, but I still wanted to participate in a sketch challenge this week, so here is an image from Michael's $1 bin :-) Hopefully I'll receive the stamps in time to make a few holiday cards and get them into the mail; there quite a few family and friends who love receiving Tilda cards.

Recipe:
Stamps: Michael's $1
Paper: Pure Poppy, Select White (Papertrey Ink); holiday dp (Me & My Big Ideas)
Ink: Red pigment ink (Colorbox); Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Square scallop die and Poinsettia dies (Spellbinders); grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); buttons (Papertrey Ink); Utee embossing powder (Suze Weinberg); lace; sheer ribbon; rhinestones,

Papertrey Holiday Button Bits and Rustic Snowflakes Paper

2009-11-15T09:06:00.008-05:00

This group of cards uses Papertrey Holiday Button Bits. Holiday Wishes and/or Rustic Snowflakes holiday paper; there is one SU! sentiment included :-) I have really had a lot of fun using Papertrey's Button Bits stamp collection; I really have fun applying buttons on cards, so these are perfect for what I enjoy doing :-)

Some special notes: The little gingerbread men were stamped with a glue pad and Martha Stewart's brown flocking powder was applied for that "real cookie" look. To seal them, simply spray a sealer of some sort; otherwise, the powder will disappear when it's touched. I tried to find instructions on how to keep the powder from sticking; there are several products you can buy and try on the market, including something from SU! The Santa Claus image was stamped with dye ink first and then UTEE embossing clear powder was added to give that glassy appearance; this step was done about three times, but you can add more powder. I also used the new Background Basics Text Style II on the bottom half of the card.

Thanks for stopping by today; I really appreciate it!

Gigi

Spellbinders Poinsettias Christmas Cards

2009-11-15T08:37:00.006-05:00

The past week was a busy one when it came to making Christmas cards; I loved using the Spellbinders Poinsettias die cut, which was purchased at Scrap-Mart using a 40% coupon. Each card looks completely different, texture and color wise. I found a wonderful tutorial for the poinsettias here; it's easy to follow. A special shout out to my friend, Mita, over at Altheas Mix for the beautiful photo corners; this is my favorite from the Cuttlebug die package. Thank you for stopping by and taking a look; hope you have received some inspiration. Gigi

Mojo Monday Challenge 112 Merry Christmas!

2009-11-09T15:31:00.007-05:00

Today I went to work on a card order that needs to get delivered by the end of the month. Why? We're moving and I want all orders completed before the heavy duty packing begins :-) I have worked on cards for the past few days, but none were meant for challenges, so when time permits, I'll upload them and show them on the blog. There were two packages delivered today; one from Papertrey Ink and one from Scrap-Mart, which contained the Spellbinders nested poinsettias. I got to work using the poinsettias dies because Sherry Cheever has a terrific tutorial on her blog posted a few weeks ago using snowflakes dies. If you have some time, please stop by her blog and see her beautiful watercolored poinsettia card that is posted for today. Now back to why I'm writing :-) I wanted to participate in the weekly Mojo Monday sketch challenge. If you look closely, you'll see that the poinsettia was colored with SU! Bravo Burgandy while still in the die, stamped with Versamark, and then colored with Pearl Ex powder to give it the shiny finish; it was sealed with lacquer to keep the powder in place. It was layered with two sided tape and attached to the card with a foam dot.

Thank you for stopping by and taking a look; I really appreciate your time.

Gigi

Recipe for today's challenge:

Stamps: inside sentiment is from SU!

Ink: Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Paper: White (Papertrey Ink), wine (Bazzill), dp (Bo Bunny Believe/Noel)

Accessories: Green Leaf ribbon (PTI), wine (unknown), half pearl (SU! Hodgepodge), dies (Spellbinders), circle paper punch (SU!), Pearl Ex powders

CPS140 Snowflake Santa

2009-11-06T08:29:00.002-05:00

Wow, how time flies when you're busy trying to catch up from a fun trip. Hubby and I flew to Colorado to see adult kids and grandchildren. I drove from Denver to Amarillo to see more adult kids and grandkids as well as some treasured friends. Needless to say, it was tough coming back home without the gang...sigh sigh I received some Christmas card orders this past week and thought using the CPS140 sketch challenge would work well with this new stamp purchased at Michael's about a month ago. The sentiment is from SU!. The stars and snowflakes were die cut using glitter foam.

Hope you enjoy and can take an idea with you today. Thank you for stopping by and looking; it's really appreciated! Gigi

CPS137 Sweet Thank You Card

2009-10-11T17:12:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite challenges is from CPS; the team really knows how to sketch! You can get more info here. Since I tend to use the same layout over and over, the sketches challenge the noggin to do something different. It's also a great tool to use, if you're new to paper crafting. The sentiment and the cherry stem are from PTI (Everyday Button Bits and Cupcake Collection.) The dp a Doodlebug design called Cherry Pie Amore and Cherry Pie Plaid. Thanks so much for stopping by and if you're interested in having this card, please leave a comment. Enjoy the rest of your day and we'll visit again soon.

Edit: The winner of the card is Monica! Monica, please send your address. Thank you for the sweet comments left on this posting; each one was sincerely appreciated.

Gigi

All Occasion Cards

2009-10-11T16:28:00.009-04:00

Thinking of You

Thank You!

Happy Birthday, Hot Stuff!

Girlfriends

Thinking of You

On Friday evening, sweet hubby and I are flying out west to visit our kids and grandkids...it seems as if we haven't seen them in years...moms of adult children, you understand what I mean, especially if you live miles away from them :-) My daughter and a friend have asked me to take cards; they want to buy some and I want to have a wide variety to show. I've used some of my favorite stamps from MFT and PTI, and have used some of my newest dp from Graphic 45. The polka dot birthday card is for a good friend; she has a lot of sass, so the sentiment reads: HOT STUFF; how funny is that?

Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions, please feel free to use the comments to ask.

Gigi

Bitty Baby Blessings from Papertrey Ink

2009-10-10T09:10:00.010-04:00

This morning I'm showcasing some stamps from Papertrey Ink; I made baby cards using images from two of the sets, Bitty Baby Blessings and Everyday Blessings. Two of the cards can be used for a baptism or Christening and the other two can be given alone or with a gift.

Pink card: I used a CB ef to make the background paper. Becca Fekken, who has one fabulous blog, showed this beautiful card using the technique. I colored with ef with Raspberry Fizz (PTI)and got a mauve looking piece of paper. I stamped the baby carriage twice, once on Select White cs (PTI), embossed it with the CB ef, cut out the carriage and used pop dots to give it some dimension. Small pearls (Michael's) were added to the oval die cuts (Spellbinders) and to the wheels of the carriage. The sentiment was stamped and a tag was die cut (Spellbinders Tag Trio.) The lace ruffles were adhered with that wonderful tape you can buy at Papertrey Ink called Scor-Tape. This particular tape measures 1/8" and is perfect for using on ribbons or for small lines of glitter you may want to apply. It's transparent, so it's almost impossible to see when it's applied.

Summer Sunrise baby card: The CB ef was used again for this religious baby card. An image from the Everyday Blessings set was used and inked with Summer Sunrise (PTI). Ruffles were added below the cream colored ribbon. Pearls were added, too, for an even softer look. The inside sentiment is from the Bitty Baby Blessings set; this is another example of how you can use parts of various sets to achieve the look or sentiment you desire.

The Little Sailor card uses a smaller image from the Bitty Baby Blessings set. The images were inked, die cut, and adhered with pop dots. The ribbon was a piece attached to a department store bag. The two little white brads, which are perfect for coloring with Copics, were all I had left from my stash, so please forgive me for not using three. The Select White paper was sponged using Ranger distress inks.

Last, but not least, is a 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" Bundle of Joy card size that is perfect for adding to a baby boy gift. The baby onesie was inked on dp and cut out. It was adhered to the front of the card using pop dots. I made a boo boo on the circle die cut, so punched out small circles from matching dp to cover up :-) Small silver half beads were added to each corner. Misc ribbon was wrapped around the main image and a small tag with a sentiment from Bitty Baby Blessings was attached with white floss. Looking at this picture has me thinking: Why didn't I emboss the cream cs with a CB ef? Will use the idea on the next one...

Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting today; I hope that you're inspired and will use one idea for your next project.

Gigi

Many Thanks 2 Sketches 4 You!

2009-10-09T15:10:00.003-04:00

Today while browsing some of my favorite blogs, I saw this sketch challenge on Monica's and thought of how much fun I would have participating in it this week. There are some fabulous prizes to win, if you decide join the other card crafters. You can find more info on the 2 Sketches 4 You blog. On a trip to Gettysburg, in April, I purchased some Imaginisce paper, Twitterpated Lady Bug Ball, and thought how cute it would look on a card; hope you agree :-) Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you will take some inspiration to use on a future project as I did from Monica.
Gigi

Recipe for the Many Thanks card:
Stamp: Lots of Thoughts (Stampin' Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black
Paper: Imaginisce; Select White, True Black (Papertry Ink), glossy white
Accessories: Lattice border punch (Martha Stewart); ribbon (Papertrey Ink); dies (Spellbinders); brads (from the Paper Source Store)

Week 25 Flower Challenge from Just Magnolia Blog

2009-10-06T08:06:00.004-04:00

There's a challenge over at the Just Magnolia Blog you may want to try; you may just win a $50 voucher! The challenge is to make your own flower(s), so I pulled out a Spellbinders die set and made a Berry Sorbet (Papertrey Ink) and green flower. The doilie was sent by a sweet friend, Mita, who owns Altheasmix in Sweden, I used a Tilda stamp holding a pie; the season is upon us to begin baking goodies...hmmmm The Dark Chocolate ribbon is from Papertrey Ink and there are MS pearls from Michael's accenting the card. A MS leaf punch was used for the flower. The cs is Select White from Papertrey Ink; and the dp was purchased at Michael's quite a while ago, so can not remember the name, but it is double-sided. A border punch was used under the ribbon. Copic markers and distress inks were used for coloring and sponging the main image; distress inks were sponged around the doilie to tone down the stark white look.

Thanks for stopping in today; hope you take some piece of inspiration and share it with me.

Gigi

WCMD Challenge #1: Japan

2009-10-05T13:38:00.004-04:00

I checked out Papertrey Ink's blog on Saturday and found some WCMD challenges Nichole Heady issued. Since I have some retired Stampin' Up! Asian stamps collecting dust, they were put to good use! The dp was designed by Amy Butler; I don't have color names for the green and blue cs. The flowers were die cut as well as the tag and embossed. A cloth-type flower is found at the bottom of the green and blue petals. All my card bases are from Papertrey Ink, including this one, The sentiments were stamped and sponged lightly on the edges from distress ink pads. Thanks so much for stopping by and hopefully you have found something to inspire you, Gigi

Mojo Monday 107 Have a "Cherry" Good Day!

2009-10-05T13:31:00.004-04:00

Just when I think that a sketch challenge isn't a challenge, it turns into a challenge!!! But, I didn't give up and decided to submit this card for the weekly Mojo Monday challenge. If you haven't stopped by before, thanks for taking time to check out the blog; I really appreciate it. If you have stopped before, you'll recognize the adorable cherry stem stamp from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits. This set is absolutely the best for putting together all kinds of projects, especially cards. Hope your day is going as well as mine; I get to play in the 'studio' until sweet hubby comes home from work...yay!
Gigi

SC247 Make a Wish

2009-10-03T10:41:00.004-04:00

This is my take on the sketch challenge Splitcoaststampers had last week, SC247. I finally found some Basic Grey Cupcake dp in a LSS, actually too far to visit each week :-( and used it for this cute little birthday card, Make a Wish. The main image is from the Everyday Button Bits. This set is well worth the money because it has so many adorable images and sentiments that are so appropriate for almost every occasion. The paper, Enchanted Evening ribbon, some of the buttons, and stamps are from Papertrey Ink. Thank you for stopping by today! I need to get going on some Happy World Card Making Day! challenges PTI has today; check out Nichole Heady's blog for more info.

Sugar and Spice Bitty Baby Blessings

2009-10-01T14:46:00.005-04:00

I am having a great time using the Bitty Baby Blessings stamp set from Papertrey Ink. This little card uses the onsie and carriage images from the set. I found some retired SU! dp in the stash folder and thought it would work well with the images, including one of the the Polka Dot Basics II images; this set is a must have, if you like dots as much as I do! You'll find some glitter glued to the carriage image and a fancy piece of ribbon that was purchased at Hancock Fabrics. I definitely have to go and buy more of this, if I plan to make more baby cards :-) The rub on came from a package that has been sitting in a box for a couple of years, but matches the dp perfectly. Thanks for taking a peek and hope you take away at least one piece of inspiration. Gigi

Acrylic Paint and Dry Embossing Halloween Card

2009-10-01T14:36:00.005-04:00

One of the previous issues of Paper Crafts showed a technique using acrylic paint on cardstock; brush the paint going in one direction and turn the paper to paint in another one. I added another technique to the painted cardstock by embossing it with a CB pumpkin ef and used it as the card base. This technique probably isn't new to many, but I thought of the idea since it is autumn (the pumpkins work out well) and since Halloween isn't too far off, the little Crafty Secrets witch is perfect as the main image for the base. The small pin used for the ribbon actually came from a price tag, so keep your eyes open for these types of embellishments; they work out beautifully. Tip: Before you begin to emboss the cardstock, make sure it is completely dry.

Thanks for stopping by today; hope you got inspired to try acrylic paint on some cardstock!

Gigi

Whimsical and Spooktacular Cards

2009-09-29T07:04:00.015-04:00

Good Tuesday morning, everyone! I have a few more whimsical and spooktacular cards to show. By now you are probably getting tired of seeing all the Halloween cards I made the past couple of weeks, but rest assured, you'll get to view at least one or two more before too long! You can also tell that I went a little overboard with Halloween embellishments, paper, and stamps this year, especially since there was already a huge stash left over from last year :-) But, a girl can never be too thin, too rich, or have enough Halloween supplies...haha! Seriously, I need to reduce the stash to make room :-)

There are plenty of blogs showing fall, Thanksgiving, and lots of Christmas cards, but since I'm going to try to sell the cards you've checked out, I wanted a good selection for customers. Efraim and I are in the process of trying to find a new place to live before the end of the year, so Christmas cards are probably out because of the packing, moving, and unpacking we'll have to do during November and December.

By the way, when the pictures from our fabulous anniversary trip are downloaded, I'll post a couple on the blog for you to see. Hopefully there's one or two places you haven't visited, and the pictures will give an idea of what to expect whenever you do travel. Efraim drove over 1800 miles during the week we were seeing the sights, which included Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, West Point, NY, Martha's Vineyard, MA, and Atlantic City, NJ.

On to the pictures!

The following three Totally Witchin' cards are made using a My Favorite Things stamp set named the the same. I pieced the dresses on the right for each one using scraps of various papers from the stash folder.

The first one was made using a CB ef and orange/black core paper (thanks, Naoma!). It was lightly sanded to show the orange pumpkins. Glitter was added to the boots and hat for some bling bling effect.

#2 was also made with paper scraps new this year called Esmeralda. Some yellow paper was crimped and adhered to the black border punch. I bought a new die cut alphabet (You're Not the Boss of Me!) set (cut out the BOO!) using a 50% coupon at Michael's in Vestal, NY, while visiting week before last. It's nice finding things at other Michael's we don't have in our local store. My friend, Mita, who owns Altheas Mix also has a great selection of various dies in her store, if you live outside of the U.S. that you may want to check them out.

#3 The difference here is a CB ef was used for the base, a black pom pom for the spider, googlie eyes, and a CB die cut for the purple legs (have you ever seen a real spider with purple legs? I didn't think so!) I have literally fallen for this Halloween set from My Favorite Things! It's great that you can make the skin tone any color you choose and since I have friends from all over the world, they can have their own personalized card with the correct skin color.

This card was made for my teenage granddaughter, Bailey, who lives in Texas; she totally rocks!

This quick and easy Halloween card uses some of the stash I bought last year as well as new embellies this year. There is one stamped image, which is the spider web on the top right hand corner.

Here's another quick card to assemble; no stamping whatsoever! The skeleton face was purchased at Michael's and was already painted; I just added the crown sticker to his head. The paper is called Lollipop Lizzy; isn't that the cutest name?

Aren't these skeleton heads spooky looking (haha!) This card has a vellum overlay stamped with a spider web using Tuxedo Black ink from Memento; this ink works great on all the papers I use. The chipboard embellishments are all from the same package; isn't it wonderful when you can actually use up all the stickers from one package?!!!

Thanks so much for taking time to check out these whimsical and spooktacular cards. Hope you're having a great day and that you're abundantly blessed this week!

Gigi

Just Magnolia Challenge Week 24

2009-09-28T11:45:00.002-04:00

Good Monday morning! Between household chores, I participated in the Just Magnolia Challenge; you can get the info here. It's a color challenge with pink, grey and black optional. Another requirement is using a Magnolia stamp; no shortage of these in my house :-) Since this little Tilda, holding a heart, is sitting, she needed a bench to make her look normal; guess I should have colored the bench pink or black...haha! Oh, well, it's done...hmmmm, maybe I should try again with another card. Thanks for stopping by today; my day is going great and hope that you're enjoying the same.

Gigi

SFYTT 09_26_09 Ahoy Little Sailor

2009-09-27T16:46:00.005-04:00

Goodness, it's been awhile since the last post was written and have to admit that I missed not having time to take photos and write on the blog. Yesterday I spent almost an entire day creating more Halloween cards (yes, I enjoy making whimsical cards every opportunity available.) But today I checked out the SFYTT sketch challenge and decided to put aside the Halloween papers and embellies to create something different for the day. A package of goodies, from Papertrey Ink, arrived while I was out of town celebrating an anniversary with my wonderful hubby in Canada and several New England states for a week. The set I chose to use today is called Bitty Baby Blessings. I don't make very many baby cards possibly because I'm an older mother and don't know many young ones :-) But I love this set and wanted to make a card with it. I hope you enjoy checking it out and can take at least one piece of inspiration with you when you leave this blog.

Gigi

SFYTT Boo!

2009-09-14T18:40:00.004-04:00

Another Halloween card! This one was made for the SFYTT challenge. The wooden painted Frankenstein face was purchased at Mike's (also bought a skull and a witch); this little pieces come in handy because I'm not artistic enough to paint my own :-) The brads were silver, but they're colored with a black Copic marker; these markers are wonderful when wanting to change almost anything. An embossing folder was used for the background and small blocks holding rub on letters spelling out "Boo." Notice that the embossing was lightly sanded for more texture. The bat was die cut and some google eyes were added. The black border was purchased in a package containing a lot of borders, which saves on buying more crafty scissors or dies. The moon is a Spellbinders die cut and the bat is die cut using the Cuttlebug.

Thanks for taking a look and hope you take some inspiration, whether it's using your Copic marker for something other than coloring an image or purchasing painted pieces.

Gigi

Happy Halloween!

2009-09-14T18:30:00.006-04:00

Am not sure if you know this, but I really enjoy making Halloween cards. There is so much a person can do to make a cutesy, scary, or funny card using great looking papers, fun embellishments, and wonderful stamps. The top card uses Totally Witchin' image from My Favorite Things. One of the dresses is paper pieced and lots of glitter was added for some bling bling.

The second card is basically a card from a set I found at T.J. Maxx the other night. When I saw the box set, there were so many little ideas whirling around in my head, such as the fun crown that was colored, glittered, and placed on top of the little witch's head. Her shoes were also glittered! The crown is a grunge piece from Tim Holtz; these pieces are such fun to decorate!

The bottom card uses an image from a set I bought last year over at Crafty Secrets and yes, the set is still for sale this year. This little witch is such a treat to color with Copic markers. The background is embossed using the spider web ef from Provo Craft. The bats are die cut from Provo Craft, one purple and one black. The Boo ribbon is on sale at Mike's this week. The tag is from Spellbinders.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you know me personally, please leave a message saying you visited today.

Gigi

SFYTT Birthday Celebrations for Alessa!

2009-09-10T08:48:00.005-04:00

The weekly SFYTT sketch from Jen del Muro 's blog was used to create a birthday card for a one year old girl, Alessa. The dp, Cupcake, is from the Basic Grey line as well as the chipboard embellishments. The buttons are from Papertrey Ink; a great variety of sizes and shades are included in each bag of buttons sold. A candle border punch was used as a separator between Pure Poppy (PTI) and the dp. The sentiment is from SU! and am not sure if it's retired or not. Select White (PTI) is used for the card base. True Black ribbon, also from PTI, is added for some contrast.

Thanks so much for stopping by and sure hope your day is a great one!

Gigi

Mojo Monday 103 Enjoy the Ride!

2009-09-08T18:08:00.004-04:00

Mojo Monday 103 sketch was used for this cute little card. I saw the staple technique on a blog the other day and learned how to do it from a tutorial SCS has; Ashley Newell provides the tutorial. I tried using some decorative staples, but they continued to mess up on the ribbon; decided to use the regular staples on the ribbon and was happy with the results. Some of my favorite paper, Basic Grey's Lime Rickey, was used . The stamp set is from Papertrey Ink and is called Everyday Bitty Buttons. The buttons are from Basic Grey and were purchased from a ss that is about one hour from where I live.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you take some inspiration to try out, such as the ribbon staple technique.

Gigi

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #16

2009-09-08T17:57:00.005-04:00

Fall is just around the corner and using the colors Dawn McVey selected for her challenge seemed so appropriate for this card. The main image was colored with Copic markers and cut with Spellbinder dies as was recently released by PaperTrey Ink; the sentiment is included in the set. The ribbon is new to me from PTI. The polka dots are also from PTI inked in Chocolate Chip from Stampin' Up! I have one more card to show, so will close this one out.

Thank you for taking a look today and I welcome you to return soon!

Hugs (kram in Swedish),

Gigi

Papertrey Ink Autumn Abundance SC243

2009-09-08T17:33:00.002-04:00

The main image is one of three flower vases that Papertrey Ink recently released as Autumn Abundance. I enjoy coloring with Copics, so this set is perfect for my therapy :-) The dp is last year's release from PTI called First Fruits; I'll never use up all the paper that is in a pack! So happy to have purchased the set from PTI because this particular flower vase goes well with the dp. The sketch is from SCS (SC243), so if you want something that is challenging, check it out.

Notice a little leaf charm hanging from the PTI Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon; it was part of a gift that my friend, Mita, from Altheasmix generously gave. I love those little charms and enjoy using them to embellish cards.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. Enjoy the day and hope that you have found some inspiration whether it's from this card or from another blog. I always look forward to learning something new from other blogs.

More Halloween Stuff!

2009-09-08T17:19:00.004-04:00

I don't like scary or horror movies, but I really enjoy making Halloween cards for family and friends. The papers, sentiments, embellishments, and colors are such fun to use, so have to admit I pick Halloween as a favorite season to make cards :-) Thanksgiving is a beautiful season, but it seems so solemn when it comes to colors and sentiments (there are probably a lot of disagreements). Christmas is another wonderful season because as Christians, we celebrate the birth of Christ, so if I make a cutesy card, a tinge of guilt pops up because I know the reason for the season. So much for explanations; here are more cards I happened to make over the weekend (happy to stay in the craft room on a holiday, such as Labor Day, that we celebrate in the U.S. :-)

The witch card has a wooden face purchased at Mike's for very little. The card was extremely easy and quick to put together, so if you have scraps from the past or present, use them up; the dp was a Mike's sale find. A crimper, Spellbinder dies, CB dies, rick rac, brads, and black paper trim finish off the card.

Last one is a another simple card using stickers from last year's "monster mash" stash :-) A new Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Basics II set was used for the bottom part of the card. Unfortunately I haven't quite succeeded getting the entire stamp inked up correctly yet, so I went over each dot with a purple marker :-) The light green ribbon has been sitting in the ribbon bin for longer than I can remember, so thought it would "light" up the "creepy" skeleton...haha!

Hope you received some sort of inspiration today and plan on coming back to see more later. Have a wonderful rest of the week, my friend!

Hugs (kram in Swedish),
Gigi

MFT Totally Witchin'

2009-09-05T15:51:00.003-04:00

Last year, around this time, I was browsing through SCS and found several delightful cards using the Totally Witchin' set from MFT. Since I had already purchased the annual Halloween stamps, I passed on this darling set until this year. I went back to the MFT site that SCS has and notice that this card isn't the most creative, but I don't care; it was great fun putting together and am very happy with the results, especially with the purple glitter on the hat.

The spider is a pom pom with those little google eyes glued to it. I used a Cuttlebug die for the spider legs; saves time on cutting out a stamped version :-) The background paper was embossed with a CB spider web folder; love the texture it gives the card. I used Copic markers to color the main image and applied purple rhinestones to the bottom edge for some bling bling :-) Am not too sure as to where the purple grosgrain ribbon was purchased, but most likely it was at a scrapbook store that I visited within the last three months.

Thanks for stopping by and hope that you're having a great weekend and have some fabulous plans for Labor Day. Tomorrow hubby, a good friend, and I are heading to a place called Occoquan, VA; I was advised to take plenty of moola...oh, oh, that sounds like trouble :-)

Gigi

Mojo Monday 102 Autumn Blessings from Papertrey Ink

2009-09-05T15:33:00.005-04:00

Happy Saturday! This is a play day; have spent quite a bit of time playing with new stamps that arrived from Papertrey Ink (PTI), including this recently released set called "Autumn Abundance." There are several other vases of flowers you can use as well as several sentiments, which make this set very versatile. The dp is one of last year's autumn features, First Fruits, which is a paper pack. One other new addition is the Ripe Avocado grosgrain ribbon from PTI. This card can definitely get classified as a challenge, "Use What You Already Have." The sketch was found over at the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge Blog.

Ingredients for Autumn Blessings:

Stamps: Autumn Abundance (PTI)

Paper: Bazzill, all others from PTI, including dp

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Ranger Distress Inks

Embellishments: Hodgepodge hardware (SU!), dies (Spellbinders), ribbon (PTI), Copic markers

CPS130 All Things Grow with Love...

2009-08-29T16:38:00.003-04:00

Can you imagine growing something without love? Whether it's raising your children, nuturing a treasured friendship, or even growing something using dirt, love is involved when you want goodness in return. Looking back on raising my children, there are so many things I wish that I had done differently, but when seeing them, as adults, they have made my heart proud. The friendships that have grown throughout the years, especially the ones made as a very young woman, have provided so many treasures, such as letters, gifts, phone calls, or visits to my home. I truly believe that love helps to make things grow, and hopefully you believe the same way.

The card below has the flower leaves stitched with floss using a template found at a scrapbook store last week. I used to cross stitch on a regular basis, but since finding paper crafts, that hobby has taken a back seat :-( The sketch is from CPS and was a fun one to use this week.

Thank you for stopping by and may the rest of the weekend bring sunshine and love into your life.

Gigi

Recipe for all things grow with love:

Stamp: Everyday Button Bits (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper: DP (source unknown), all others (Papertrey Ink)

Accessories: Paper and fabric flowers, ribbon (PTI), tag trio (Spellbinders), border punch (Martha Stewart), Bazzill Basics Paper stitch template (Bazzill), floss, button, ef (Cuttlebug)

Mojo Monday 101 Friends are the Flowers...

2009-08-27T07:33:00.003-04:00

The other night, while searching for something that would work for a Mojo Monday sketch challenge, I came across some Mary Englebreit 3-D stickers, and thought one would look nice on a card. If you have some time, use this sketch: http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2009/08/mojo-monday-week-101.html

Recipe for Today:

Stamps: None
Ink: None
Paper: June Bug (Basic Grey), misc, Lemon Tart, True Black, Select White (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Mary Englebreit sticker, circle and square dies (Spellbinders), Pure Poppy ribbon (PTI), Swiss dots ef (Cuttlebug), corner rounder punch (SU!)

Enjoy a day with special friends and plenty of sunshine!

Gigi

Graphic 45 Paper Fashionistas

2009-08-24T20:46:00.003-04:00

During a recent visit to a fabulous scrapbook store, which definitely isn't a LSS because it was a one hour drive to get to it, I found some great eye candy paper. I didn't realize how popular this dp was until viewing some blogs and realized that I wasn't the only card crafter who fell in love with Fashionista. A good friend made me a pocket birthday card and I think it's beautiful and creative, so I wanted to make a thank you card for her using a smaller version of the pocket. There are quite a few embellishments on the card, including some beautiful lace that was purchased several months ago at Hancock Fabrics. The beige paper flowers feel more like fabric and have a wonderful touch to them. Thank you for stopping by and taking a look, Gigi

Ingredients:

Stamps: You Cheer Me Up (Stamping Bella)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento),

Paper: Fashionista (Graphic 45), all others (PTI)

Accessories: Lace punch (Martha Stewart), ribbon, circle die (Spellbinders), lace, doodle parts die (Spellbinders), brads, half pearl, fabric and paper flowers

ATS Wednesday Sketch Challenge

2009-08-24T20:28:00.002-04:00

This cute card is made using Clear Art Stamps and dp from Basic Grey's June Bug, which is one of my new favorite paper. The plaid looks as if it would work for holiday cards or even used for paper piecing on a dress or skirt image. I don't make very many get well cards, but couldn't resist using this adorable little nurse as a main image colored with Copics to add to a stash. I used the ATS Wednesday Sketch Challenge, which you can find here.

Ingredients:

Stamps: Feeling Yucky (Clear Art Stamps)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Scattered Straw and Tea Dye (Ranger)

Paper: June Bug (Basic Grey), all others PTI

Accessories: Brads, paper flowers, floss, misc buttons, oval dies (Spellbinders), ribbon (PTI), Copic markers

MFT's Hanging With My Peeps

2009-08-24T09:33:00.004-04:00

This little card was put together with scraps and some neglected lace. The jacket was paper pieced with scrap and a pearl was added for some demension. Does anyone else remember wearing sweaters with those cute little clasps added to keep it closed as a teenager? This pearl reminds me of those wild, crazy, and somewhat hazy days (remember I celebrated another 60+ birthday on Saturday :-D so remembering accurately, or even inaccurately, is somewhat of a challenge on occasion..."wink" I really like those cute little "peeps" on the main image; they represent the fabulous "chicks" I have as family and friends :-D

Ingredients:

Stamps: Hanging with My Peeps (My Favorite Things)

Paper: Misc

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Scattered Straw and Tea Dye (Ranger)

Accessories: Fiskars border punch, lace, paper flowers, adhesive half pearl, Copic markers

Everyday Button Bits from PTI

2009-08-24T09:03:00.008-04:00

Good Monday morning! Wow, are you in for a surprise today; there are some cards to check out and I'm so excited about getting to share them with you. If you haven't tried checking out a couple of blogs, such as http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/ and http://dawnmcvey.typepad.com/these_are_a_few_of_my_fav/, you're missing out on some wonderful designs and ideas. Nichole Heady is one of the owners of the Papertrey Ink company and you're not getting disappointed if you check it out. Her designers are one of the best in the country; in fact, many of them have their work published in card magazines, such as "Paper Crafts" and "Card Creations." One of the newest releases, Everyday Button Bits, is an adorable and versatile stamp set; there are so many combos you can use to create the perfect card! Hope you enjoy viewing a few cards I made on my birthday (it was raining, so Efraim and I postponed more celebrating until the next day.)

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits (PTI) for bike and sentiment
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: June Bug (Basic Grey), all other cs (PTI)
Ribbon: PTI
Accessories: Fiskars border punch, misc buttons, floss, markers, Flower Creations (Spellbinders S4-072)

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits (PTI)

Ink: Wild Wasabi (SU!)

Paper: Wild Wasabi (SU!), Cherry Pie (Cosmo Cricket), all other (PTI)

Accessories: Dotted Swiss CB (Cuttlebug), lace, mis buttons, floss, marker, Spellbinders dies, corner rounder punch (SU!)

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits (PTI)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Scattered Straw and Tea Dye (Ranger)

Paper: DP (unknown source), all others (PTI)

Accessories: Paper flowers, buttons, floss, marker, Pure Poppy saddle stitch ribbon (PTI)

NOTE: The ribbon was pulled and ruffled using Lisa Johnson's technique you can find here: http://poppypaperie.typepad.com/poppy_paperie/2009/08/ruffled-ribbon-trim.html

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits (PTI), Hanging with my Peeps (MFT)

Paper: All Rasperry Fizz paper is from PTI

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Accessories: Vintage buttons (PTI), Raspberry Fizz saddle stitch ribbon (PTI), paper flowers, floss

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-08-22T10:13:00.003-04:00

Today is my birthday and I want to thank family and friends who have taken time to make this day a little more special than the rest of the year. I have discovered that as I become older, the priorities change. One reason is that "children" are grown and on their own and that leaves plenty of time to do whatever pleases me, which is being with my wonderful, kind, and thoughtful husband, or doing fun things with friends.

My husband, Efraim, asked what I wanted to do today, but we've been celebrating for a few days and plan to do more tomorrow, so I thought we should simply relax at home until dinner time. We took a day trip to a small quaint town, Middleburg, on Thursday to enjoy a delicious lunch at a historical site called The Red Fox Inn. Middleburg is in horse country, so you can imagine the gorgeous homes and horses we saw during the drive into Main St, Middleburg. We browsed through shops and found a beautiful pendant Efraim bought as a birthday gift; I'll post a picture later. Another gift of time was driving to a scrapbook store that wasn't too far from Middleburg; I browsed, drooled, and purchased some papers while Efraim sat patiently looking at maps (he LOVES maps :-) When I got home from work yesterday, after putting in 10 hours, there were more gifts from Efraim: a delicious ice cream cake (he remembered how much I enjoy eating ice cream cakes from birthdays past :-), he saved me time in the kitchen buying a yummy pizza from a favorite restaurant nearby, there was a HUGE bouquet of flowers sitting in a vase, the cutest birthday helium balloon with "Elmo" hanging on :-) The birthday card is precious, too; my husband has a wonderful way of describing his feeling with words. I thank God for bringing Efraim, family, and wonderful friends into my life to love, enjoy, and praise!

I'm going to enjoy the day watching golf on television and playing in the "studio." Some new stamps arrived the other day and I can't wait to ink them up!

Hope you enjoy the day, too,
Gigi

Rain or Shine from MFT

2009-08-16T08:13:00.005-04:00

Guess who's worked almost everyday at the office for the past two weeks? Yep, you got it right, me! Lindy delivered her beautiful baby girl on July 27, so I'm covering for her until she returns. This means that I come home in the evenings too tired to do much more than cook and turn in by 8 PM...haha! On weekends, Efraim and I do our household chores and when they're done, we try to find a fun place to visit. Yesterday we watched our first polo match in Warrenton, VA. If you like beautiful horses, some interesting mallet striking, and delicious picnic food, you should try seeing one at least once. The weather was perfect for a summer night in Northern Virginia; there wasn't any humidity and enough cool wind to keep the temperature perfect. I've neglected my "studio" lately, but did manage to use a stamp set that was purchased at the American Scrapbook Convention in June in the MFT booth. I had seen the images on various blogs and think they are so cute especially since I have "granddaughter," a darling little Dachsund living in Texas. So without more ado about nothing, here are the pics. Enjoy your day and thank you for stopping by, Gigi

Down the Hatch! K&Company Citronella AMYRS5

2009-07-27T16:55:00.008-04:00

Today I found more time to play and decided to check the Prairie Paper & Ink blog. I looked at the sketch challenge, which looked like fun, so I sat down, after shopping for some groceries and visiting the Post Office and made another card. Several weeks ago, I found some cute dp from K& Company as well as some adhesive embellishments to match. The line is Citronella and is perfect for summer theme cards. The sentiment is from Rubbernecker. The flowers are Primas and the dp leaves were done with a MS punch. The Summer Sunrise ribbon is tied in a knot (Papertrey Ink). Does this card make you want to take a sip of pink lemonade? Nah, I didn't think so; you probably prefer a delicious glass of homemade sangria :-D

Thanks for stopping and taking a peek today; I appreciate it.

Inkido Butterflies from Altheasmix

2009-07-27T10:23:00.003-04:00

Good morning, friends! Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at today's card. It's a gatefold that has a main image stamped with butterflies from Altheasmix and French script from SU! A friend asked about the trifold card (see below) and I want everyone to know that each of these unique fold cards were created from a tutorial over at Split Coast Stampers (SCS); check out the resource section, if you're interested in learning different folds.

The main image was first stamped with the French script, on Select White paper (Papertrey Ink), and overstamped, using distress ink Scattered Straw, with three difference sizes of butterflies from Inkido Altheasmix has in her store. It was bordered with True Black cs (Papertrey Ink). The medium butterfly was colored with Copic markers and cut out. It was popped up with foam dots for dimension. True Black satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink) was tied into a bow and is used to keep the card closed. Small black rhinestones (Michael's) were added for some bling.

Bildmalarna Ahoy

2009-07-26T16:40:00.004-04:00

If you're interested in purchasing some adorable Bildmalarna stamps, please visit Altheasmix. Mita has a great selection of stamps to choose, not to mention all kinds of tempting embellishments you'll want to buy, too! I fell in love with two of the nautical-looking images, so took time out today to step into the "studio" and make a card. Now you're probably wondering what kind of card is it, right? Well, it began as a tri-fold card, but since the image was too large for the measurements on SCS, I decided to "adapt." If you know me, "adapt" means eyeball the measurements and go with instinct...haha! I thought it turned out well for someone who hates measuring anything except for cooking ingredients :-D The ribbon is removed to open the card and to help keep it closed. Actually I wanted to use the Scor-Pal again; it's so much fun scoring cards! Hmmmm, think I'll venture back into the "studio" and try scoring a grid-looking card and see how the measurements turn out...wish me luck!

Card Info:

Stamps: Bildmalarna (Altheasmix)
Paper: Bazzill, Select White, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Pure Poppy ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Copic markers, corner rounder punch (SU!), chalk, ef (Cuttlebug), foam letters (Altheasmix), Scor-Pal, Spellbinders, flowers (Prima)

Accordian Fold Flower

2009-07-22T09:23:00.004-04:00

I've long admired the accordian fold flowers that many of the bloggers use for their card embellishments. In fact, it's one of the reasons I purchased the Scor-Pal; it's so much easier to score and fold when using this tool. A good friend of mine is celebrating a birthday in August and I thought she would enjoy receiving this card; it was made with her in mind because she has such a happy attitude towards life.

Why is it when looking at a card, after photographing it, all the little imperfections show up? The ribbon knot looked good when it was tied; now it looks frayed...darn! Oh well, my friend probably won't notice it...let's hope she doesn't...haha!

Recently purchased a birthday candle border punch and it's great for embellishing cards with a birthday theme. The dp was purchased at Michael's some time ago and the last time I was checking out their paper section, there wasn't anymore of this very bright and cheerful dp. A Cuttlebug die was used for the Make A Wish sentiment as well as SU's birthday circle sentiment used for the flower center. SU's photo corner punch was also used to balance the card's appearance, or so I think it does :-D

Hot Stuff CPS 7/12/09

2009-07-15T14:54:00.003-04:00

Lately I've felt the warm weather call of summer, which in turn, has called me to use more bright and cheerful dp on cards. This one, Basic Grey's Lime Rickey, is no exception! The image is one of Rubbernecker's fun one from the old character section. The sketch is the weekly CPS one; you can find it here.

What I used today:

Stamps: Rubbernecker

Ink: Tuxedo Black

Paper: Select White (PTI), Bazzill, Lime Rickey dp

Accessories: Rhinestones (Mike's), ribbon, rectangle Nesties, Copic Markers

Thanks so much for taking a peek today; come back anytime!

Rubbernecker Down the Hatch! Flip Flops from the Cutting Cafe

2009-07-13T19:44:00.005-04:00

Today there are two cards I would like to share; one card uses a sentiment from Rubbernecker and is so appropriate with the dp and wooden glass. The other, the flip flop, is a digi image from the Cutting Cafe; you can find it here. The dp is very summery looking and so yummy, too! Michael's has the cutest wooden pieces you can color up; the glass was colored with Copics and the colors matched the dp perfectly. The flip flops have faux stitching and are embellished with some odd ribbon, rhinestones bought from a friend who shops at a wholesale place (very inexpensive buying from her :-) Epoxy stickers are so old that I can't remember when or when they were bought, but look perfect with these two projects.

Thanks so much for looking today; hope that you come back soon!

CPS123 Thank You...

2009-07-07T18:52:00.004-04:00

Blog business first: What do you think of the new blog background? I found a cute background on someone's blog this morning and saw that it was a freebie and checked into it. Unfortunately there wasn't one background that looked good with the "personalized" banner Jami Bova designed for me. So, I googled some freebie background sites and found The Cutest Blog on the Block; you can check it out here. There are so many selections and lucky me found the perfect one...yay!

Now on to the CPS123 challenge. I love this sketch! It allows you to use favorite dp scraps and there is room to embellish, too. Fun fun fun! Although very few people comment on my cards, I still feel that in my heart I did my best and that's what counts. There is always room for improvement and that's one of the reasons I continue to check out blogs, YouTube videos, and subscribe to magazines. I believe that a person should learn at least one thing a day and it doesn't matter what, so that is why I attempt to try old and new techniques, participate in challenges, and enter contests; there are so many talented and artistic people out there and they inspire me to reach even higher. Okay, I just stepped off the soap box :-D

There is a tool that Scor-Pal sells and it perforates paper; it's perfect for faux stitching and I believe it retails for $6.99. It's so much easier to use than the SU! paper piercer template (mine never stays in place, even with tape and you can only go so far with it before having to move it again). With this little tool, you simply place your paper on the Scor-Pal, use a grid line for a guide, and run the tool over the paper. I'm not sure if the explanation is clear enough, so if you want more info, let me know, or check out the Scor-Pal website.

Here are some details for the card:

Ribbon: Papertrey Ink

DP: Autumn Leaves Poppy

Tag Punch: SU!

Cuttlebug Vintage Corner Punch: Altheasmix

Cuttlebug Doodle Parts

Outside Sentiment: Flourishes Poppy

Border Punch: MS

Thanks so much for taking time to look at my blog; I know your time is valuable.

Enjoy a wonderful week!

Mojo Monday 94 Wacky Wednesday #18 Challenges

2009-07-06T20:50:00.003-04:00

Today was a good one for working in the craft room. I was able to participate in a few sketch challenges and also combined the Rubbernecker Wacky Wednesday with the Mojo Monday one. Time to close shop for the night and enjoy some television with my sweet hubby :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Friday Sketchers Challenge #59

2009-07-06T12:59:00.004-04:00

This card is made using a sketch from the Friday Sketchers Challenge team; you can check it out here The image is from Magnolia-Licious and the sentiment is from the Rain or Shine set My Favorite Things has for sale. Since purchasing a Scor-Pal, I try using it as often as possible; it really does make embossing lines look professional. My stylus is now getting a break; it was previously used to score cards. The dp is from Making Memories and was found at Michael's; the colors are so soft looking. The cs is Wild Wasabi, which may have gotten retired (I haven't seen a SU! catalog yet.) Well, it's off to make thank you card. Some friends invited hubby and me to a cook out yesterday and we enjoyed such a wonderful time with them, not to mention enjoying a delicious meal. I met the husband through my hubby (we all play golf), and got to meet the wife yesterday for the first time. We are making plans to get together again since we all had such great fun.

On the 4th, hubby and I went to the annual Tiger Woods Congressional Golf Tournament. The weather was perfect for watching golf at a gorgeous venue. There was a young man, from our home town, who played, so it was really great seeing him in person, too. We didn't make it to the annual fireworks display at the National Mall this year, but I assure you, if there is ever an opportunity to see it in person, you won't be disappointed.

Have a wonderful week and hopefully your weather is as beautiful as ours today.

Mojo Monday 93 SCS CC225

2009-07-01T12:41:00.005-04:00

The other day, while finding something to use a %50 discount coupon (never let a %50 expire:-) at Michael's, there were some cards in a box that are discontinued and are priced very low. The title of this particular box is called, "Kitchen." The cards, three designs, 12 cards,are blank and the weight of the paper is good. I participated in the weekly MojoMonday sketch challenge and combined it with the SCS color combo challenge.

Thanks for looking today!

Mod Podge Trinket Box

2009-06-30T11:47:00.004-04:00

During my excursion to the Great American Scrapbook Convention, over the weekend, there was inspiration to try an old technique I used when my daughter, Ronay, was around 3 years old. I remember making all kinds of things using the decoupage technique on wood. Do you remember doing the "fire trick?" You simply burned the edges of paper before applying the paste; it was fun living dangerously in my younger years...haha! So back to the inspiration: one of the demonstrators used napkins to decorate a piece of material that eventually looked as if it was painted oil cloth. Since I didn't think it would get used here at home, I decided to buy pretty napkins and see what would happen with some Mod Podge sitting on the shelf. There was a little box, purchased for almost nothing, asking to get decorated, that was used as my first project. I used to napkins and two coats of Mod Podge for the trinket box. Some velvet ribbon was wrapped around the lid and a few half pearls were added for some bling...have to have that bling bling. I {heart} bling!

The flowers on top of the lid were cut with a new die purchased at the convention at the Spellbinders booth using napkin and cs. Pop dots were added for dimension, here and there between the flowers.

Hope you're inspired to try an old technique that you haven't done in a long time using new a new idea.

Thanks so much for taking a look today!

Dance in the Rain with Tilda!

2009-06-29T15:31:00.004-04:00

The inside sentiment was found at the Great American Scrapbook Convention at the Rubbercafe booth sponsored by Pugnacious Stamps and Designs. I made the card last week and was looking for the perfect sentiment to use inside of it. Tilda's boots are covered with Glossy Accents for a shiny effect. The vintage Cuttlebug corner punch die and the butterfly charm are both from Altheas Mix. The main image was purchased from Magnolia-Licious online store. Thanks for stopping by today and hope you return again for another visit.

Happy 4th of July! Great American Scrapbook Convention

2009-06-29T14:57:00.006-04:00

This is another 4th of July card that was made for a very close friend; she always appreciates any type of card she receives from family and friends. The little piece of chipboard found inside of the card was purchased at the Great American scrapbook convention I attended, with a friend, this past weekend. It was my first SC, so you can imagine the excitement, inspiration, and numerous purchases I encountered...haha!

The chipboard, found inside of the card, was stamped with a couple of Papertrey Ink images from the Let Freedom Live set. The Fiskars star punch finally arrived, although a little too late to make more cards, so this card has several punched stars used for embellishments. The main image was colored with Copic markers.

Here are a few of my favorite memories that I brought home from the SC:

- Sitting for two hours watching a demonstration at the USA ArtQuest booth. I learned how to use various products Susan Pickering Rothamel sells, such as Great Tape and mica chips.

- Attending a 7 minute card class sponsored by Boxer Scrapbook Productions; great way to use up the multiple of paper scraps lying in a stash folder.

- Winning a fabulous prize from Fiskars (of course I had to go and buy a tool needed for this prize, but used a 50% discount coupon for it!

- Sitting down with several vendors, including Kim from My Favorite Things and Melissa Forsyth-Sampaga, for some one-on-one demos. Melissa spent quite a bit of time going over the Scor-Pal and I came home with one...Kim gave some great tips for using Copic markers and I purchased a few stamps sets from her booth. I enjoyed the Spellbinders booth where Mary was very helpful finding a die set I wanted to buy and did!

- Enjoying the many make and takes items I brought home, several made at no cost to me. Okay, okay, so I did break down and buy some of the products used for the make and takes :-D

- Finding a place to rest my feet and meeting some very friendly ladies who shared their love for scrapbooking (my love is cards). I also sat next to a woman who was so happy to have made the trip to the convention and was thankful she was able to afford a few little items to take home (she's single and on a fixed income.)

- Shopping at a Dollar Store...haha! We don't live near one, so it was a treat shopping for a couple of inexpensive items we need at home. I also found some of those old time clothes pins to wind loose ribbon around. I think Michelle Wooderson showed on her blog several months ago; the ribbon really does look neat and the pins don't take up much room.

- Thankful my friend, Lois, invited me to attend with her because it was definitely one of the most fun times I've enjoyed with crafts.

Verve Sketch VSJUN04 U R "Tweet"

2009-06-29T14:49:00.003-04:00

Hey there, "Tweeties", it's been a few days since there was a blog update, so prepare to get hit with a make up session...just kidding! Although I didn't enter the Verve sketch challenge contest, which was found on the MojoMonday sketch challenge blog, I liked the VSJUN04 sketch. I also like Lime Rickey paper, from Basic Grey, as well as the chipboard you can find in the Stamping Bella's online store, so here's my take on the sketch.

SFYTT 06/20/09 God Bless America

2009-06-22T14:36:00.003-04:00

This card was made for the weekly SFYTT challenge hosted by Jen del Muro; check out the details here. I purchased some festive patriotic stamps from Papertrey Ink and forgot to purchase the star punch that works well with all the stars in the two sets that arrived...so am trying hard to figure out a way to use the images on a patriotic card without the proper punch. I do have a small SU! star punch, which were layered and adhered. The image is a Tilda colored with red, white and blue markers. The 4th of July is next week, so am trying to get some cards in the mail to family and friends; I love making any type of celebration card!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look today!

Wacky Wednesday #16 Rock 'n Roll Birthday

2009-06-22T14:23:00.003-04:00

Another Wacky Wednesday challenge has been issued by Rubbernecker Stamp Co. Use ovals somewhere on your project. Check out the details here; you have a chance to win a nice discount on an entire order! This card uses several images from Rubbernecker, excluding the Happy Birthday. The checkered paper is probably more appropriate for a NASCAR enthusiast, but I can remember seeing this tiled floor at several soda shops in my younger days...haha! Can any of you remember the waitresses at a drive up wearing skates to take and deliver orders in a dress? Again, memories from the good 'ol days!

Rock 'n Roll lives on!!!!

CPS120 Let Freedom Ring

2009-06-20T18:43:00.003-04:00

This card was made for one of my grandsons; he's in the Army and is stationed in Iraq. I want him to know that he's appreciated for serving our country and helping to keep it free. Thank you, Dustin! The weekly challenge is CPS120; I enjoy participating when there is enough time. The images are from a Papertrey Ink newly released set, Let Freedom Ring. The background paper was crimped and sanded down to give it some texture. The dark blue paper was also distressed for a more masculine look. Square Nesties, circle, and word punches were used. SU! dye ink is used for the sentiment and all other words. Ribbon is from the stash, and is grosgrain.

Thanks for looking; I really appreciate it.

Ronay's Tilda

2009-06-20T18:39:00.003-04:00

Ronay, my daughter, commented on another post that the previous card didn't work well. She thinks the flower has more of a "country" look to it and that the previous image was too "mod" (my words :-) So, here's Tilda! Mija, thank you for your comments; they really do help. Love you!

SSNOTIME91 Hello, Friend!

2009-06-16T09:43:00.004-04:00

Yesterday allowed me to have some free time, in between house chores, to play in the craft room. Sharon Johnson has a challenge on her blog, No Time to Stamp, this week; you use half circles somewhere on your project. The image is a Magnolia stamp, Tilda with a straw hat. The wings are glittered and she is colored with Copic markers. The flowers are Primas with some rhinestones adhered to the center. It may be hard to see, but on the left hand side of the card, you'll see some hand stitching. I don't own a sewing machine, but really like seeing stitching on cards, so I made a feeble attempt to stitch a card. You'll have to look close, again, to see some semi circles around the large half circle; these were punched out and adhered to the back of the large circle. Everything else is self explanatory, but if you should have a question, please let me know.

Altheasmix Maja Design Paper

2009-06-16T09:36:00.002-04:00

I love this Maja Design dp that you can purchase from Altheasmix; the colors are beautiful and very spring like, not to mention summer is coming up next week...stop by the store and see what's on sale there and tell her that Gigi sent you! The stamps are from the Stamping Bella collection and were colored with Copic markers. The flowers are a combination of punched, using the Maja Design dp, and white blossoms from the Papertrey Ink store.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sister!

2009-06-11T19:24:00.003-04:00

I have a special needs sister, Roberta, who is turning 58. Looking back through the years, I can't remember a time when I didn't absolutely love my sister. When the family got the news that Roberta would never be "normal", we all grieved together, but as family, we always tried to make life as normal as possible for her. She is now living in a special needs home, where she receives wonderful care. My parents are deceased. I'm now responsible for decision making and seeing that she continues to receive adequate and compassionate care. She's never spoken a word her entire life, but when I see her smile, it's communication to my heart! God never gives us more than we can handle and it's definitely the truth when it comes to Roberta; she is a beautiful blessing!

Mojo Monday 90 Basic Grey Lime Rickey Fashion

2009-06-10T19:59:00.003-04:00

Each week I look forward to the Mojo Monday sketch challenge; some weeks seem to be more fun than others and this was definitely one of them. The shoe and sentiment are one of the many images that you can find in Rubbernecker's Fashion Icons Set #455. You can find some glitter on the shoe flower as well as half bead. More Basic Grey Lime Rickey dp is used on this card; love those bright colors! The flowers are Primas. A clear half adhesive brad was used on a circle punched from some Lime Rickey dp.

The weather lately has been very humid, mainly because of all the rainfall we've had here in Northern Virginia, and it makes me think of summer colors you can find with Lime Rickey! You can buy this paper from Stamping Bella.

Basic Grey Ambrosia Butterfly

2009-06-10T19:47:00.004-04:00

Here's more Basic Grey Ambrosia dp; I found a nice selection at Michael's recently. When I tried using the butterfly image before, it didn't stamp well. Tip: When using non-mounted stamps, try using a mouse pad to get a well inked image; it worked this time around. The butterfly was colored with Copic markers. Ambrosia border stickers were adhered. The corner border die cuts are available at Altheas Mix; they're Cuttlebug dies called Vintage. There are very small red rhinestones adhered to each of the corner punches; they seem to give the framed look dimension.

Kick Up Your Heels with Hero Arts!

2009-06-10T19:37:00.002-04:00

Recently I purchased some Basic Grey dp, Lime Rickey, and have fallen in love with it. The paper pad is filled with bright colors, which is what I like using most often. You can buy this paper from Stamping Bella. Flowers are Prima. The high heel image is from Hero Arts, High Heels. I used a MS border punch that seems to fit well with the circles in the dp. Swirls are Spellbinder dies. You can purchase the ribbon beads from Altheas Mix. Since the image is large, it's card base measures 5"x5".

Thanks for taking a peek today and hope you will return soon!

CPS119 "Wish"

2009-06-08T15:06:00.003-04:00

Between the real world (cooking, laundry), and the fun world of carding, there is time to participate in this week's CPS challenge. The dp is Basic Grey's Lime Rickey. I wanted to copy Becca Feeken's frame design on this beauty of a card; "wish" mine had turned out as well as hers, but I tried and that's what counts, right? The gorgeous yellow flower is a Prima Fiesta; it was purchased from Stamping Bella. Time to finish another real world task before heading back into the craft room. Enjoy your day!

CPS117 Tilda Holding Sunflower

2009-06-08T09:40:00.003-04:00

It's a sunny day outside the D.C. city limits. Are you having a happy day too? This little card was made using the CPS117 sketch; it was made too late to enter, but the sketch is a good one, and I didn't want to waste it :-D Flowers were punched out using a Sizzix die (used a Mike's coupon to purchase it.) Tilda was colored with Copic markers. DP is from the paper outdated stash (7Gypsies), which I hoarded and now it's gone...boo hoo. Buttons were purchased from an antique store hubby and I found during one of our day trip adventures, Warrenton, VA. Border punch is a Fiskars. Well, it's off to do the "fun" stuff, including laundry and preparing tonight's dinner in advance; we're having fajitas, homemade Mexican rice, and beans...yum yum!

Blessings, my friend!

Friday Sketchers Challenge #55 Tilda Sitting on Bench

2009-06-07T10:25:00.002-04:00

This card is using another cute Tilda stamp. The bench was stamped, colored with Copic markers, and cut out using very sharp scissors. Tilda's shoes were glazed over to give them some shine while looking at the butterfly, punch from MS, and her bow and shirt were dotted with a white pen. Twitterpat paper was used and rub ons from the Twitterpat collection were added to the top and bottom of the card. Twinkling H20 was used for the wings. A Fiskars punch was used for the border. Stickles were added to the body of the butterfly.

Tip: I was blog surfing this morning and saw that the Twitterpat rub on mushrooms were applied to paper, cut out, and added for dimension; it added a lot to the card.

Thanks for stopping and taking a peek!

Friday Sketchers Challenge #55

2009-06-06T17:33:00.003-04:00

Finished participating in another challenge, Friday Sketchers. One of the reasons I wanted to make this card is because there is a new "die" in the house and it was screaming, "Use me, use me!" What could I do? Well, there was a trip to Mike's for some adhesive backed foam and some brown felt for the flower. Already had the button, ribbon, and paper...whew! Sure hope that you get some inspiration from this cutie patootie Tilda, such as using buttons you wouldn't wear in public, or finding out that the Cuttlebug machine is compatible with Sizzix dies (more information on machine compatibility is found on the Splitcoaststampers website.) Hope you're having a fun day because I am!

SFYTT and Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #8

2009-06-06T10:52:00.004-04:00

Combined two challenges into one card this morning, the SFYTT hosted by Jen del Muro and the Raspberry Suite Color Challenge hosted by Dawn McVey. Enjoy your day as much as I'm enjoying mine!

Stamps: Heart Print Sentiments (Papertrey Ink)

Paper: All card stock and design paper (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!), Tea Dye (Rubbernecker)

Accessories: Half pearls, ribbon (Martha Stewart), Spellbinder dies, prima flowers, border punch (Fiskars),

Wacky Wednesday #14 Get Wella Bella

2009-06-06T08:37:00.004-04:00

Hello, everyone! Found a little time yesterday afternoon to play Rubbernecker's Wacky Wednesday challenge. Hope you find time to play along, too! Have a wonderful weekend!

Supplies:

Stamp: Get Wella Bella (Stamping Bella)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Rubbnecker)

Paper: Basic Grey Lime Rickey (Stamping Bella), Select White, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink)

Accessories: Basic Grey Lime Rickey chipboard, flower punches, Spellbinder dies, Copic markers, pop dots

Bildmalarna and Lavendar with Altheasmix

2009-06-02T10:36:00.008-04:00

Mita@altheasmix.se has a mix of so many adorable stamps, one being Bildmalarna. As a design team member for Altheasmix, I was asked to use lavendar as a base color with pale yellow and green to round it out. Majadesign dp was used for all the cards; these papers are so soft and perfect for springtime! The Vintage Cuttlebug dies work well on card corners.

All supplies listed are available at Altheasmix, so please contact Mita to purchase.

Supplies:

Stamps: Bildmalarna

Paper: Bazzill, Majadesign dp

Accessories: Vintage dies (Cuttlebug), Rhinestones (Kaiser Craft), paper doilies, floral ribbon, heart ribbon, sheer flowers, pearl ribbon

SFYTT 05/23/09 Angel Bella

2009-05-27T18:49:00.004-04:00

Lately I've spent more hours working at the office than playing in the craft room...bah waaaaaa. Today it was different; spent quite a few hours playing and was able to participate in the weekly SFYTT challenge. The Stamping Bella order finally arrived with the Angel Bella and new Basic Grey paper, Lime Rickey. The Lime Rickey chipboard pieces are so cute although I didn't know that the pieces are probably geared more towards kids. They worked fine with the angel; love the bright colors and they're the reason I bought the paper....love BRIGHT colors for those who haven't visited before and didn't know. Enjoy the day and when you have time, come back again for another visit.

Gigi

Black, White, and Silver After 5 Cards

2009-05-27T18:35:00.007-04:00

Wow, it's been forever since there was a post, but I'm making up for it today. A friend asked me to make some wedding cards for her; two of the cards are for her, the gold one I made got lost during a the camera transfer..ha ha! The "fashionable lady" is a stamp from Rubbernecker I recently purchased; she's using some of that fancy smancy paper that seldom gets used unless someone wants wedding cards :-D There is a flap card that is a treat to make because it requires a lot of measurements (you know math and me don't work well together :-D The fashionable one is a tri fold using some scraps of paper left over from the wedding ones. Hope you enjoy the cards and are inspired to use up some of that fancy paper you have stashed away.

Gigi

Aluminum Foil Flower and Doodle Parts

2009-05-18T09:34:00.006-04:00

Have experimented with some aluminum foil for the past two days. I watched a video that Gina K has on YouTube showing a demonstration of embossing foil (the kitchen kind.) This would help keep expenses down if buying craft foil. Gina K suggests using heavy duty foil, but we have the "regular" type in the kitchen, so that's what showing in the pics. What helped to keep the foil from tearing or not holding its shape was applying adhesive to some cardstock and then applying the foil to secure it; it works really well for "regular" foil. The top flower is completely made of foil with glitter added in the center. The bottom card has Spellbinder doodle parts embossed with foil and floral edges are penned with silver calligraphy ink. I love Basic Grey's Ambrosia dp and am using it whenever possible. The flowers on the bottom card are made from a MissCutiePieGoes80s template and Spellbinders mixed flowers dies.

If you do try using some foil, please let me know with a comment linking back to your blog.

Have a happy day!

CPS116 and Raspberry Suite Color Week 6 Challenges

2009-05-17T17:34:00.005-04:00

ToToday I've combined two challenges on one card. CPS116 is being sponsored by Stamping Bella (wonderful online store to purchase really cute supplies). Dawn McVey is hosting the Raspberry Suite Color Challenge Week 6. Check out her blog; you won't be disappointed. Flowers were cut using MissCutiePieGoes80's template; if you don't find it on her blog, she'll send a copy to you, if you ask nicely :-D Thought the dress would look nice if it was paper pieced with some Berry Sorbet bitty polka dot paper from Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Gigi

Supplies:

Stamps: Winobella (Stamping Bella)

Paper: Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate, Aqua Mist bitty polka dots and cs, Select White (Papertrey Ink), Chocolate Chip (SU!)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Accessories: Floral template (MissCutiePieGoes80's), half pearls (SU! hodgepodge), pop dots, ribbon (PTI), Copic markers, Brownestone glitter (Martha Stewart), Labels One (Spellbinders)

STVSC10 Sitting Pretty Tilda

2009-05-16T10:43:00.003-04:00

Recently discovered another challenge site, STVSC, and thought the sketch looked easy enough to use; sometimes challenges overwhelm me. If you happen to visit the site, you'll notice that the sketch was turned in a different direction, but I wanted to use Tilda again, wearing her glossy cherry yellow rubber boots :-D There are a lot of embellies on this gem, eventually I stopped adding when my head hit the craft table...ha ha!

Supplies:
Stamps: Tilda (Magnolia Stamps)
Paper: DP (SU!), dp (ForeverMore Scrapbook Store), Select White and Pure Poppy (PTI)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Die cut (Spellbinders), cherry brads (ForeverMore Scrapbook Store), heart lace (Hancock Fabric Store), navy ribbon (unknown), Summer Sunrise grosgrain ribbon (PTI), mini buttons (SU!), butterfly punch (MS), Paper Glaze (Aleene's), Victorian corner frame punch (EK Success), Stickles, paper piercer, Copic markers, corner rounder punch (SU!)

CPS115 So Very Sweet

2009-05-16T10:14:00.002-04:00

Today is the last day to participate in the CPS115 challenge and I didn't want to pass it up; the sketch is easy enough for even me :-D The "cherry" looking dp paper is more of what was purchased in Gettysburg from the Forever More Scrapbooking Store. Seriously, if you happen to visit the historic battlefieds in Gettysburg, stop by the store, you won't regret it. The stamps are from SU!, one being a hostess gift, So Very, and the other coming from a cute summer set, Tart and Tangy. The So Very set has multiple words and you probably can find it on Ebay. Am not sure about the Tart and Tangy, but do know that it was a huge hit with SU! fans. The Vintage Cream cs from Papertrey Ink was toned down with sponging for a more vintage look that the dp has on it. NOTE: The Vintage Cream cs works well with Martha Stewart border punches; it's not as heavy as some of the other card stock selections Papertrey Ink has to offer, so it punches easily and doesn't stick. It's the punch that doesn't work well, because when using one from Fiskars, the borders turn out beautifully using other PTI cs.

Promised myself that I wouldn't ramble with posts, but obviously it's not working :-D

Gigi

Supplies:
Stamps: So Very, Tart and Tangy (SU!)
Paper: Vintage Cream (Papertrey), Urban Prairie black dp (Basic Grey), cherry/stripe dp (Forever More SS)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Scattered Straw, Tea Dye (Ranger)
Accessories: red ribbon (PTI), cream ribbon, floss, buttons, fence punch (MS), markers (SU!), circle dies (Spellbinders)

Magnolia-Licious! May Sketch Challenge

2009-05-15T16:47:00.004-04:00

Yesterday an order of Magnolia stamps arrived and I couldn't wait to open at least one package and get started on coloring! The boots were colored and accented with Allene's Paper Glaze.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gigi

Supplies:

Stamps: Sitting Tilda with cherry boots and bench (Magnolia Stamps)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper: Stampers Select White (PTI), dp Plum Blossoms (Deja Views), burgandy cs

Accessories: Circle punches, half pearls, Paper Glaze (Aleene's), Copic and Prismacolor markers, CB ef, Doodle parts (Spellbinders), ribbon, pearl ribbon, paper flowers

Accessories:

CC218 SCS Challenge Too Cute for Words Frogs

2009-05-13T17:38:00.001-04:00

Wow, today has been a fun one :-D Have played a lot in the craft room; in fact, did all my chores early enough to spend time enjoying my favorite hobby. Aren't these frogs too cute for words? Here's a color challenge found over at SCS: Summer Sun, Only Orange, and Kiwi. Since I don't own any Summer Sun, dug out the Summer Sunrise from Papertrey Ink. Sweet hubs will receive this; he's been kind enough to find other things to keep him busy while I played.

Supplies:

Stamps: Polka Dot Posies (SU!)
Paper: Summer Sunrise, Select White, Summer Sunrise Polka Dots, True Black (Papertrey Ink), scrapbook paper from 2007 (one of those club thingies)
Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Love heart charm, crimper, rub on (SU!), ribbon, floss

MojoMonday86 GingerSnaps Bugg A Boos Bee

2009-05-13T15:18:00.003-04:00

Played the MojoMonday challenge this afternoon; such a great sketch to use. The post below has enough info regarding supplies used for this card. There is a significant difference though: If you look close enough, you can find some transparent doodle parts (Spellbinders) cut and embossed with a CB ef; they're the "leaves". I like using transparent paper and wanted to do something with the flower since it has a ghost flower below the sentiment. Peony die cuts were used (Spellbinders), clear buttons with black twine, black Stickles for antenna. Pop dots and rub on sentiment with petite rhinestone to dot the "I" in smile. MS border punch was used.

Thanks for looking; "Bee" happy!
Gigi

GingerSnaps Bugg A Boos Ladybug

2009-05-13T14:50:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, while looking at the All That Scraps blog, this little image was displayed; isn't it precious looking? Sweet hubs was walking by while I was on the computer and spotted it; he mentioned that he thinks it's cute, so I looked into purchasing it, not knowing it's a digi image! I wasn't quite sure if a digi image would work for me because our printer isn't one of those fancy schmancy ones. It printed out beautifully and the Copic markers didn't bleed, which made this woman very happy :-D What caught hubby's eye were the ribbons and he asked if there was a match in the stash. There was a very little piece left over; was very careful cutting. The body is colored with Twinkling H2O pewter since there was only one grey marker to use and it's not that pretty :-D Went to Michael's, after making the card and bought a couple of "grey" Prismacolor markers to use for future "bugg bodies." The main image was sponged to tone down the stark white paper. I've been trying to find ladybugs to use as embellishments and wasn't lucky at the local Mike's store. Found some black spongy paper and am not sure what you call it, but it cuts beautifully with Spellbinder dies. Had some spongy red paper in the stash stack. Bought some fine gauge black wire to use for antennas. Point being: The ladybug didn't quite turn out well enough to add to the front of the card, but cute enough to put inside of the card. Used the wire to embellish the paper flowers. If you're not familiar with wire curling, simply cut a piece of wire long enough to wrap around a small dowel or anything that is round. The larger the roundness, the larger the wire curls. Mine were wrapped around a paper piercer for small curls. Paper flowers were added, one colored with a black Copic marker. A red button was added for the center and has white floss tied to it. Corner punch outs for a "framed" look. Remember the big paper pad I bought a couple of weeks ago? This paper pad has so much in it and I'm trying my hardest to use it; there isn't even a dent made in this pad. If you want inexpensive, good quality paper, buy this paper stack from Me and My Big Ideas. What's really neat about it is that if something glued has been attached to it and you need to "unattach", the paper doesn't tear! You don't find that quality with a lot of inexpensive papers, especially card stock. Enough blabbering for now. Geez, it seems as if I can't quit typing :-D

Thanks for taking a look; I appreciate your visit today!
Gigi

Supplies:

Stamps: Digi Image from C.C. Designs Bugg A Boos Ladybug

Ink: None

Paper: Select White, True Black (PTI), dp (Me and My Big Ideas)

Accessories: Paper flowers, Copic markers, Spellbinder dies (Doodle parts and ovals), ribbon, corner punch (Fiskars), Twinkling H2O paint pot, wire, button, floss, white gel pen

Magnolia-Licious! April Sketch Challenge

2009-05-13T09:25:00.002-04:00

Time has flown by fast these past couple of days; hope all the moms out there were treated like queens on Sunday. I am the oldest of 10 children...whew! Everyday of the week was filled with chores, taking care of the little ones, and doing all that other stuff big sisters do, such as be the BOSS :-D Our family didn't have a lot of money to spend on special occasions, so on our birthday, we got the day off. We were styling during the time Art Linkletter (who, you ask?, well if you don't know, that's okay :-) We chose what we wanted mom to fix for dinner and got to watch as much tv as possible; my birthday is in the summer, so there was plenty of daylight left to play later than usual.

This little "glittered gem" was made on Mother's Day. I chose to spend the day doing what's fun for me and it was in the craft room. The image made me think of how special moms are and that's why there is glitter on the bow and on the shoes; moms seem to "sparkle" alot, don't you agree? I found a sketch challenge over at the Magnolia-Lious blog site and played with April's. Bought pom poms several months thinking I could get creative using them, but they never seemed to work before, so tried once more and sweet hubs thinks it looks as if Tilda is sitting on a pom pom fence...ha ha! What would I do without his input???? I'm so thankful that there is someone for me to turn to for assurance, ideas, or even get to make things.

LOVE charm is another gift from my sweet friend, Mita. She is venturing out on her own and opening up a scrapbook store in Sweden, so if you live near Sparreholm, please stop by and say hello to her for me!

Have a wonderful spring day and hopefully your're inspired in some way with this card, such as using glitter when you shy away from it. If you use the Two Way Glue pen, you'll do great. I like the fact that you mark only the areas that you want glitter to stick, and that the glue doesn't spill over into other areas.

Gigi

Supplies:

Stamps: Tilda sitting with Hair Bow (Hanglar-Sweden)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: Select White (PTI), Night of Navy (SU!), dp paper (Me and My Big Ideas)
Accessories: Nesties, CB ef, pom poms, glitter (Martha Stewart's large collection of glitter), heart charm, corner punch (SU!) Copic markers, pop dots

Technique Junkies Background Burst

2009-05-10T09:13:00.004-04:00

The Technique Junkies newsletter was used for inspiration on this card; it's called Background Burst. Using a large detailed stamp on dark cs, you cover it with white ink. After the inking, use a cotton ball to color different areas of the cs; you can use as many colors as you want, but the background looks nothing like the sample in the newsletter (will have to try again :-D The bg stamp is Paisley (SU!); maybe another background stamp, like swirls would work much better. Anyway, enough whining! Stamp the bg again with white ink to seal the deal. The main image is from Limited Edition, Large face. The sentiment is one from Inkadinkado, a Dawn Houser design. SU! Ruby Red cs is used for the base and frame, while True Black (PTI) was used for the bg stamping. Select White (PTI) is used for the main image and sentiment. SU! oval punches and some black mesh ribbon round off the embellishments. The main image and sentiment were sponged with Scattered Straw, Tea Dye, and Fired Brick (Ranger) to soften the start white cs.

If this technique is something you would like to try, check out the TJ website.

Have a happy day!

Friday Sketcher 51 Challenge

2009-05-09T16:46:00.004-04:00

I've given myself a Mother's Day gift; play all afternoon in the craft room. Of course, the regular stuff, such as exercising, laundry, dishes, cooking, getting dressed..blah blah blah was done before locking myself up for the rest of the day. Sweet hubs worked at the golf course this morning, so there weren't any interruptions before he came home; he's now at his favorite store, well, maybe it's really mine (hint: Mother's Day ) since I wasn't invited to tag along :-D Since you can't tell that discovering Magnolia stamps has become another passion of mine, you can find others on the blog :-) I'm trying hard to incorporate different images with different challenges, but this challenge, the Friday Sketcher, has quite a few cards made with the "Tilda" image, which caught my eye really quick!

Materials:
Stamps: Tilda with straw hat (Magnolia-lious)
Paper: Select White (PTI), Twitterpated (Imaginisce), dp (Majadesign in Sweden, gift from Mita), Night of Navy (SU!)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Floral template (MissCutiePieGoes80's), Copic markers, black pen (Sharpie), twine (SU!), brads, gel pen, Twinkling H2O paint pot in Heavenly White

Giggling "Tilda"

2009-05-09T10:53:00.003-04:00

Here's another cute Tilda that was colored with Copic markers the other day. Found the polka dot ribbon at the Paper Source in Old Alexandria, VA. The red flower was in a package that the store had on sale; love the feel of the puffy felt. A self adhesive white half brad was colored with a red Copic marker; it was added to the center of the polka dot paper Prima flower. The yellow dp is from a stack that was purchased sooooooooo many years ago that is perfect for dry embossing, but who's dry embossing with a stylus these days? My stylus is used for scoring! The blue "denim" dp was also purchased ages ago; thought it would look cute since Tilda is wearing jeans today. The navy cs was distressed using a Tim Holtz tool. The white flower adorning the headband is from a gift package I received from a very sweet and generous friend, Mita. "Giggle" is an old rub on that I was afraid wouldn't transfer because it's been stashed for a very long time. You could say that this card is almost like a bride wearing something old, something new and something blue...ha ha! I just crack myself up sometimes!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting "Tilda"; hope she made you want to smile since "mature" women don't giggle, not!!!!!

By the way, if you're a mom to anything that moves (didn't want to leave out the critters), Happy Mother's Day!

Wacky Wednesday #10 Favorite Technique

2009-05-09T10:23:00.003-04:00

Rubbernecker Stamps has another Wacky Wednesday challenge; use your favorite technique! There are several techniques I enjoy using, but someone, dear to me, really likes Tim Holtz's Adirondack®Alcohol Inks, so am submitting this card for the challenge. The flowers were cut, and edged with a gold pen, using a template from MissCutiePieGoes80s; you'll want to check out her great blog. The "petals" were stacked with a small pop dot in between for dimension. I made a conscious effort to make a card that isn't "accessorized" with black; it really took some effort, too :-D The doodle parts, "fake leaves", were embossed with the same folder used for the Berry Sorbet cs. Although it's difficult to see in the picture, a pearl alcohol ink was added for some shimmer. I like all the metallic inks!

Thanks for the visit today; hope you decide to return soon!
Gigi

Supplies:
Stamps: None
Ink: Tim Holtz's Adirondack Alcohol Inks
Paper: Select White, Berry Sorbet (Papertrey Ink), River Rock (SU!)
Misc: Ribbon, floral template, gold pen, CB ef, Doodle parts dies (Spellbinders), ribbon pearls, half pearls, Berry Sorbet ribbon (PTI), corner punch (SU!), pop dots