Just One More. . .

I wanted to do the Bellaversary Sketch Challenge tonight - just because.  I love this little Bittybloom!

Not much to explain - I used some of the Basic Grey Cupcake paper I bought this weekend and Old Olive, Not Quite Navy and Riding Hood Red cardstock.  I pulled out my new label Nestabilities and paper-poked the RHR layer.  I layered the 1" circle, small oval, designer label and the 1-3/8" punches for the sentiment and added some adhesive pearls to the image and sentiment.  I popped them both up and TA-DAH!!!  Finished.  :o)

Now I'm really going to go and hang out with my hubby.  Night all!

Mojo Monday

Marvelous Monday, everyone!  

It is going to be a busy week around here so I was happy to have been able to get some crafting done after school today.  Now that I've finished reading the Twilight series, I don't have the "pull" to read before creating!  It was a great series, BTW.  I'm not usually a vampire kind of gal but this was so much better than I expected.  I'm not sure if I want to see the movie - I've heard it's great if you are a 13 year old girl but maybe not-so-much for a 30-something like me.  What do you think?  If you've seen the movie, please leave a comment to help me make an *informed* choice!  :o)

Anyhoo, back to the reason for this post.  I combined Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch with last week's Color Throwdown:

I kind of changed the sketch a bit and used a sentiment for my main image instead of stamping a sentiment at the bottom like the sketch illustrates.  I used a quote from a Heidi Grace collection and stamped it on Pink Pirouette.  I layered it on Wild Wasabi and Basic Black, paper piercing the Wasabi layer.  I used my newest Martha Stewart border punch to do the black scalloped piece under the quote and attached some Wild Wasabi ribbon.  The pink DP layer was looking a bit boring so I paper pierced the corners and added some black half pearls to the bottom right corner.  Julee always gives us great sketches so its easy to come up with something beautiful.  

That's it for tonight.  Tomorrow is the Splitcoast Color Challenge and Kwerner's Color Challenge - hopefully I'll have time to play.  See you then!

Merry Christmas to . . .

. . . a couple special someones.  These are for 2 of my neices for Christmas.  

The girls and I were out shopping yesterday for supplies to do a diferent special project and while we were in our LSS, I asked them to each pick a paper that would match their room.  They have recently had their room repainted in pinks and brown - one of my favorite color combinations!!  I think they did a great job choosing papers that are the *same* but very different.  I sure hope they like them!!!  Heck - I hope mom and dad think they're OK!  I guess if the colors aren't quite right they can go and get any paper they want to replace it.

I used Decor Elements: Together Circle Frame in Chocolate and their first name initial.  I kind of messed up a little on J's but hopefully she won't notice!  The frame was very tricky to get on straight without bubbling or wrinkling . . .   Oh well!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Bellaversary!!!

So, it's Em's 2nd Anniversary over at Stamping Bella and boy, does she know how to celebrate!  Not only did she release some NEW Bellas but she is throwing in some freebies if you place an order before tomorrow night!  I couldn't pass up free stuff so I placed my order like a good stampaholic should.

Anyhoo, as part of the celebration, the gals organized a "Bellaversary Bash" over at Splitcoast on Friday night.  They announced 3 challenges: a sketch challenge, an inspiration challenge and a color challenge.  I started with the color challenge ~ to use Em's signature colors of pink and light green.  I inked up Pia Puddingtop, worked my magic and voila!

I really like how this card turned out.  It took me quite awhile to get the juices flowing and even up until the end, I wasn't sure I liked it.  It was a last minute decision to use my shrink plastic and Verve's Ornamental Christmas that brought it all together.  I stamped the ornament image with Stazon, cut it out and then used my heat gun to shrink it - it always AMAZES me that it curls up and then totally flattens out.   The sparkly embossing powder is so perfect for Christmassy snow-type images. 

Recipe - Stamps: Pia Puddingtop, Verve's Ornamental Christmas  Ink: Black StazOn, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Basic Grey, Close to Cocoa  Accessories: Nestabilities, blender pen, adhesive rhinestones, Versamarker, Iridescent Ice EP, shrink plastic, siver cord, ribbon, dimensionals

I hope to be able to get the Sketch Challenge done today too but you know how it goes. . .  I *did* get some more frames done but I haven't taken pictures yet so you'll have to wait to see those.

Thanks for stopping by!  Only 18 more sleeps 'til Christmas!!!

How Much Do I LOVE Decor Elements????

I have been waiting not-so-patiently for my most recent Decor Elements order to come in and it is finally here! I have decided to make most of my Christmas gifts this year so some very lucky people (at least I think they are lucky!) will be getting one of these under the Christmas Tree:



I bought some Ribba frames from Ikea - these ones are almost 20" square - and used the small, black "Serve the Lord" Decor Elements. I used a neutral plaid DP but the recipient can change the background paper to whatever fits their decor. I think these are almost the EASIEST thing I have done - and they are so elegant.

ETA: The verse is applied to the outside of the glass frame front - it creates wonderful shadows and depth.

I'm going to do some more this weekend so check back if you want to see what I came up with! Later!

A Quickie. . .

I'm going to make this a quick post - I'm right in the middle of reading the "Twilight" series and am thoroughly addicted! I read the first two books in 2 days and I just got "Eclipse" from the library this morning. I've been DYING all day to get home to start reading it. But I wanted to make a card first and since I didn't want to think too hard, I used Julee's Mojo Monday sketch again and combined it with Kwerner's Color Inspiration Challenge:


Recipe: Paper - Watercolor paper, Taken With Teal, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery. Ink - Same as papers. Accessories - CB Embossing folders, Martha Stewart border punch, Nestabilities, blender pen, retired SU! ribbon, white gel pen, brad from Styled Silver HPH.

I'm not so thrilled with the result - I was feeling a bit distracted. I think I did a better job of "embracing the white" with this one, though. I still had to do "something" with the white layer so I ran it through my Cuttlebug - it was just too stark otherwise. The colors were fun to put together and definitely NOT in my box. And I didn't use any DP in this one either! Crazy!

'kay - I'm off for a couple of days. Big potluck tomorrow night and then Friday will be spent at a HUGE craft show in Edmonton. Enjoy your week and and let your crafting juices flow!

Monday Mojoliciousness on a Tuesday!

Hey there, everyone!

What a great week this is turning out to be - it looks (and feels) like it's going to snow, I'm heading up to Edmonton on Friday to go to the HUGE craft show at the Butterdome and we are having our stamp club potluck/Christmas party on Thursday night! AND I've been able to do some crafting. . .can it get much better?

I saw Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch yesterday but didn't have time to play. When I got home this afternoon I sat down and put my thinking cap on. The Color Challenge over at Splitcoast was Very Vanilla, Basic Black and Sahara Sand. I just ordered Sahara Sand paper and ink so I was happy for a chance to peel the plastic off the packages.



I love these colors together! Julee wanted us to "embrace the white" - I tried, really I did, Julee - but this was the best I could do:



I used my Philippians 4:13 Plain Jane stamp from Verve for the main image and a SU! rub-on for the image inside the square HPH. I ticket corner punched the main image and added silver brads to give it a bit *more*. I used my Swiss Dots embossing folder on the Sahara Sand layer as well as the Vanilla layer. After I had done the Vanilla layer, I thought it was missing something so I got my sponge dauber out and ran a bit of Sahara Sand ink over the surface of the dots. You might have to click on the image to see the detail a bit better. I used my new Martha scallop border punch (love it!), some black rick-rack and dimensionals to pop up the main image. I really love how this turned out and I know just who it's going to. . .

That's all for today, folks. I have to go to a parent meeting tonight to discuss plans for the Spring 2010 Europe trip. . . I think I am more excited than the kids! LOL See you tomorrow!