ASB Color Challenge

I took a little bit of artistic license on the Color Challenge over at A Shade of Blue last week. The colors were pink, orange, blue and medium green. I chose to use Pretty in Pink, Bliss Blue (Ret.,) Mint Melody (Ret.,) and Apricot Appeal.

I use the squiggle petal from the Stampin' Up! set Pick a Petal. I stamped in multiple times on the colored cardstock listed above and then cut them all out. Well, I have a nice blister on right ring finger from all that trimming but I love the way the card turned out!

I adhered the first layer directly to the patterned paper...do you recognize it? If you are a long-time SU! stamper then you might. It is Pretty in Pink patterned paper from 2002! I am such a hoarder! But,m in reality I only have 6-7 sheets left from the package, in various patterns. OK, I'm back from Memory Lane. ;-)

I used super thick pop dots on the second layer of petals. Then added a little bit of Celery Grosgrain Ribbon (also SU!) The card dimension are 5.5" x 5.5".

New & Improved Blue Heaven at A Shade of Blue

As I have mentioned previously, I am a Blue Prints Designer at A Shade Of Blue. The articles and tutorials that I write are in the Blue Heaven area of the forum. Normally this is a subscriber only feature. However, until the end of the month you can view all the "back issues" for free. Go Here--->>> Forums Main Page, and scroll down to the Blue Heaven header.

This weekend kicks off the newly formatted Blue Heaven. I feel lucky to be the first team member to publish an article since the changes in the team and the format. :-) The tutorial I just posted there--->>>HERE is on Hand-Stitched Paper. I hope you will check it out! The entire team is super talented. Each Sunday there will be a new tutorial or article by a different member of the team. You will find Blue Heaven editions focusing on Products, Techniques, Scrapbooking, Back-to-Basics and Projects. All the articles are interactive so that you may ask questions directly to the author/artist.

Debossing

OK...how many of you actually think to flip your embossed cardstock over and use the back side??? I never thought to do this. Until this week that is! The Technique Challenge this week over at A Shade of Blue was Debossing.

I am really giving my Baroque Motifs set a workout lately. This set just screams Autumn to me.





Details:
Paper: All Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip, Pumkpin Pie, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla.
Ink: SU! Pumpkin Pie Classic Ink
Tools: SU! Distressing Tool, Baby Wipe, SU! Ticket Corner Punch, Cuttlebug
Embellishments: SU! Grosgrain Ribbon (ret)

Kind Swirls

This card has a few mistakes on it...but if you can't find them then I'm not going to point them out. **grin**

This card is based on the sketch challenge posted on A Shade of Blue this week. I really enjoyed making this card. The Baroque Motifs set from Stampin' Up! is so versatile. I was going for more of a country look with this design. I used Really Rust, Ruby Red and More Mustard Cardstock and Classic Ink. The swirls are stamped in Old Olive Classic Ink on the Vanilla Cardstock and More Mustard on the More Mustard Cardstock.
I added detail around the large block and the card base itself with a Basic Black Stampin' Write marker; just a simple frame drawn near the edge. I used pop dots behind the smaller panel. Rather than wrapping the ribbon around the card front I trimmed the edges and roughed them up a bit.

Details: All products and Images are Stampin' Up!

Still looking for winner #2

I'm still looking for winner #2 in my Blog Candy give-away. MaraG, please contact me by Friday at 5PM Eastern. If I do not hear from you I will draw another winner.


Winner number two is MARAG (comment number 15) - You have won a ten dollar gift certificate to Embellished, the online store owned by Lindsey Botkin (aka Jacksonbelle.) Please email me with your name and email address. I will provide you with further details on how to redeem your gift certificate.

Spotlight Stamper Contest

A Shade of Blue is having a member spotlight contest. The upcoming featured stamper will be chosen based on votes earned. Please check out the link and vote for your favorite card! I have a card there...but I can't tell you which one. While you are there take a look around at the other great information. The Blue Heaven Articles are open to non-members until the end of the week, then they will close to non-members with the release of some great tutorials starting on Sunday the 23rd. My Tutorial on Hand Stitching on Paper is the premier tutorial for the new format of Blue Heaven. <<<---The Blue Heaven link will take you to an index page where you can browse past articles, tutorials and featured artwork.

The New Blue Heaven will feature forum based articles, tutorials with step by step instructions and other great paper crafting inspiration. The forum set up will allow for an interactive experience where you can directly ask the creator/designer/writer about the original post in the thread. Along with the new set-up will be specific gallery folders for each topic that will allow for additional samples created by Blue Heaven Designers to be viewed.

Shopping

I love to shop. It is no secret...there is no type of shopping that I don't like.

This is the last of the cards I made for The Stamp Shack's Mall of America stamping challenges.

I'm not thrilled with how it photographed. I took about 20 pictures in an attempt to capture the dimensions of the card.

The image is from My Favorite Things' stamp set "You Take the Cake." I inked just the lady and omitted the cake. I then stamped the packages on The Angel Company's Premium White Cardstock. I used Stampin' Write markers to color all the images. The wallpaper background is paper pieced in. This is a retired patterned paper from SU! I think it retired 2-3 years ago. I made the little shopping bags using the yellow scalloped rectangle punch from Marvy...sorry I can't remember the correct size name. The top of the bags is scalloped and the sides and bottom edges I trimmed off to get the straight lines. I then put it all together using pop dots and Mono Multi Adhesive. Mono Multi is great for paper piecing because you have just enough time to slide the paper into the perfect position before the adhesive sets up. The green scalloped background is two offset Giga Scalloped Squares. The pink velvet ribbon is from Michaels and the silver cord is from Stampin' Up! (retired.) All colored cardstock is Stampin' Up!, white cardstock is The Angel Company.

Blog Candy Winners!

First I want to say thank you to everyone who has been visiting my blog! Your sweet comments really make my day!

Now for the winners... as determined by random.org

Winner number one is SCFRANSON (comment number 21)- You will receive the items pictured in the original blog candy post below. Please email me with your name and snail mail address so I can get your goodies to you.

Winner number two is MARAG (comment number 15) - You have won a ten dollar gift certificate to Embellished, the online store owned by Lindsey Botkin (aka Jacksonbelle.) Please email me with your name and email address. I will provide you with further details on how to redeem your gift certificate.

Thanks again!!

Fun little game

This is floating around on a lot of the blogs that I read, thought you might enjoy a laugh.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Bear Terraza

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Moose Track Sugar

3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) A-Vig

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Purple Cardinal

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Dee Methuen

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Vigal

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put "The") The Pink Cosmo (politan)

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Linus James

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Eternity Salsa

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names ) Dee Manuel

New Challenge Blog

I am a design team and challenge team member at A Shade of Blue. In order to get some attention for the challenges and features that ASB has to offer we have now started a blog. You can find the blog here--->>> ASB-Challenge Blog.

I hope that you will have a look at the blog and add the blog to your reader program or subscribe for email updates.

Thanks for visiting here and don't forget about the blog candy give away that takes place tomorrow night...scroll down for the info or click here--->>> Blog Candy!!

Alright...I'm giving it away, anyway!

Scroll down to my Blog Candy post and you will see I mentioned that I would add a gift certificate to one of the most amazing online stores around...but the catch was I had to get to 1500 hits by Sunday. Well, I'm just too excited to let this one mellow... :-)

I am adding a $10.00 gift certificate to Lindsey Botkins' (aka Jacksonbelle) ebay store Embellished. So don't forget to leave a comment on my Blog Candy Post to be eligible. I will be drawing the winners on Sunday night! I just got an order in from Lindsey's store...some Inkadinkadoo Halloween stamps, great ribbon...oh my gosh...I love happy packages!! :-)

What are you doing still reading this post??? Go post a comment so you have a chance to win!!

For the boys

OK, I'm a self-professed girly-girl. I'm into frills, foofs and ruffles. SO I have a hard time making a true boy card. I was visiting The Stamp Shack and they had some pretty neat challenges to go along with the Mall of America event this past weekend. Well one of the challenges was to view the online store directory for MOA and make a card based on the store of your choice.

I chose Fossil as my inspiration and went on to make this card.

I used a sketch from Jen del Muro's blog for this. You need to check out the great sketches that she posts. Anyhow, I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out. Zachary is convinced it is his...and so it shall be. :-)

Details:
Stamps: Dino Mite (Stampin' Up!)
Paper: Old Olive, Creamy Caramel, Really Rust (Stampin' Up!) Premium White Cardstock (The Angel Company)
Ink: Old Olive & Garden Green Classic Ink, More Mustard and Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Markers (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories and Tools: Moss Gingham Ribbon, Stampin' Sponge, Distressor (all Stampin' Up!)

Don't forget to visit this post for information on my Blog Candy!!

Baby It's Cold Outside...

Not really...

I love this set from Lizzie Anne Designs, Christmas in the City. It is the first winter set I have gotten excited about in a long time. This card was a lot of fun to work on, in fact it kick started my creative juices which had gone on vacation for a while. I used Wintergreen DSP from Stampin' Up! for my inspiration. The cardstock is in color Soft Sky and Wild Wasabi. I stamped the image in Starry Night Palette Ink and added a bit to the Soft Sky diamond with a dry sponge. The ribbon and brads are are Stampin' Up!

And don't forget to check out this post--->>> It's Mojo Candy Time for your chance to win some blog candy!!

It's Mojo Candy Time!!

As a thank you for all 1000+ hits to my wimpy blog...(LOL)...I have candy!!

Please post a comment to this thread to be eligible to win. On Sunday night (September 16th) at approximately 9 PM EST I will go to random.org to find out who the lucky winner is! I will post back here in a separate post. Please post only once, as duplicate comments will not be counted.


Blog Candy includes a 36 sheet package of The Angel Company Vintage Holiday Wing It Collection, a candy tin ready to be altered and holding my favorite Prima Hydrangea Petals, Oodles of ribbon to coordinate with the paper, three Autumn Leaves Clear Stamps and a package of Making Memories Hardware.

And if you surprise me and push me over 1500 hits by the time this drawing happens another lucky winner (separate from the blog candy listed above) will receive a gift certificate to my Favorite Online Store for the latest and greatest in Paper Craft Shopping! So get clicking...I'll announce the store and the amount when I hit 1250 hits! :-)

My mojo left the building BLOG CANDY!

It's a terrible thing when all you feel like doing when you get some time to stamp is clean your stamp space. Well that is what happened to me! Bleck! Who the heck wants to clean???

Well, I tried and tried to not clean, I forced myself to stamp and I did. I created quite possibly the ugliest card of ALL TIME!!

Here it is!

So to thank everyone who has been visiting and put me at more than 1000 hits while I took a 20 day stamping vacation I am going to FINALLY post my blog candy.

Details will be in the next post. Now go pick your jaw up off the floor and visit someone else's blog who can provide your with inspiring artwork while I edit some photos of stamping I did this weekend...of which I am quite proud! :-)

See you in a few with Candy!!