Elf Easel/ Mojo Monday 141

The last Monday of each month, Mojo Monday has a "Circle or Square?" challenge. I have been turning it into my easel of the month card. That way, I can still use the square sketch and I can practice one of my favorite formats!

I knew I wanted to make a card with the Ornament Punch elf and Merry Moments designer paper, so I thought I would hold on to the basic idea until the ladies at Mojo Monday came out with their next sketch. Whenever I'm a little stuck but have a few ideas to start with, I find playing with a sketch is a great way to get the ideas flowing again. Sometimes the final card doesn't match the sketch, but it provides a great launching point!

Today's creation is part of my Christmas in June collection. It's not too late to sign up to host one of these fun events. Get your friends together to make Christmas cards before the craziness of the season sets in...WAY before!

Lattice Thank You

I know it seems that I've been a slacker, what with my lack of posts, but it has been super busy out! No excuse, I know.

Today I wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone who made my birthday (or should I say birthWEEK) such a special one. I am blessed with exceptional people in my life & am often overwhelmed with gratitude. I don't think we can say it enough, so "thank you".

Product wise, I am excited that I finally got to use my new Lattice Die. You'll be seeing more of this one in the future! And I made friends with my Smooch Spritz too. It really makes this background pop with metallic undertones. I'm not sure that comes through in the photo, but it's there! When I use the spritz I find I need to hold the bottle up much higher than I think I do to get the right result. Just a tip for future use. :)

Happy Birthday to Me? or PPC #14

Okay, so maybe it is a bit tacky to make yourself a birthday card. But really, the card isn't for me. It just happens to be a birthday card on my birthday. Nothing wrong with that, right?

The color combo comes from PCC's 14th color challenge and includes Cameo Coral, Ballet Blue, and Handsome Hunter. Of course, in a little over a month, all three of these will be retired. I guess I better use them while I can.

My favorite part of this card is its ribbon. I dyed it myself! It's amazing what a little reinker & some white ribbon can do. This is the first time trying to dye my own ribbon, but, now that I have, I know you'll be seeing more. It was such fun & so easy! I love finding new uses for my reinkers!!

Starfish Buckle

I've always been fascinated by the fun & unexpected possibilities folks find in Stampin' Up Punches. For instance, the flamingo from the XL Bird Punch rocks my socks. As does changing the ornament punch into an elf! (You'll see more on that one soon). Then, The other day I was suddenly inspired by my 5-Petal Punch to create a starfish (or sea star as the marine biology teacher in me wants to insist).

Lucky for me, a box with my new Tropical Party stamp set had just arrived. That gave me the perfect accompaniment for my new echinoderm friend! This project also is my second go at making a buckle card & I really do like this new format. It gets my head to think in new ways which is always a good thing!

Punched Posies Mojo/Mojo Monday #140

Happy Monday, all! I will have to be quick on this one as I am running late (like usual!). I was so excited to play with my new hostess set from the Summer Mini Catalog. Such fun! Mojo Monday always gets me in the mood to play & now I just have to recenter my brain from cards to work. :)

Bike Thank You

Okay, change in plan. My new sets from the Summer Mini Catalog arrived yesterday & now I'm switching up the projects for Sunday's class so that we can do this one. I love the bikes from Pedaling Past. The little trike is super cute...expect to see it in June's Baby Theme Class.

I think this one is still manly enough to count for this week's theme class. I mostly kept things simple, but I did punch out the centers of each wheel for a more 3D effect along with the brads. I had just too much fun making this one to not pass it along ASAP. My only regret is that I started off without a full plan, so my bike & sentiment were on Whisper White paper rather than Very Vanilla. I think we'll switch it up for class. It will match the twill tape better that way.

It actually feels like summer is coming today, so be prepared for some summery cards soon! Oh, and hurray for my last day of substituting for the year!!

Coffee Filter Leaves

Grrr...I'm frustrated with this one. I really like the concept & creating the background using reinkers & a coffee filter was good fun, but I'm disappointed at my own execution this time around. Stampin' Dimensionals obviously don't work with coffee filters---you can see right through to them. However, I had already spent so much time futzing around with the technique that I really didn't have enough to redo the whole thing. Alas. Oh, I also forgot to adhere my twill tape under all the layers, so I had to fudge that too!! What a mess. At least folks in class are bound to do a better job than I did! This card will be one of those featured in my Man Card theme class this Sunday. Be prepared for some inky fingers, ladies. Or, bring gloves! :)

Out of the Box?

So, creating something that isn't a card is out of the box for me, but this time it happens to BE a box! I bought a wooden tissue box cover forever ago at a thrift store thinking that I would do something crafty with it "one day". Well, today is that day!

There's no stamping in this project...just some scoring & a little bit of punching to add an extra touch. I had to buy a new box of tissues the other day and was disappointed at how stupid the boxes looked. Some were crazy colors while others looked like they were from the wrong decade. One even looked like something from Dolores Umbridge's office. No thanks. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. Now I don't have to worry about what the box looks like! Mine will always have Thoroughly Modern paper to dress it up. I can buy Halloween tissues in June with no worries.

Man Truck Mojo/ Mojo Monday 139

Technically it's still Monday, so I guess I'm in the clear for Mojo Monday. That's why I'm going to go ahead and post tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow morning. Silly, I know, but that's okay!

Such a cute sketch from the Mojo Ladies this week!! I had great fun making it. The only problem is, I dug out some great colors that I don't use very often (Creamy Caramel & Bordering Blue) and now I'm reminded that I will miss them when they're gone.

I've never tried the "Spotlight" technique before and really like the effect it creates. Granted, it would be even better if I had the "expansion pack" for the truck set and could add someone in the cab. It's fun this way too though and will make a nice addition to this month's masculine cards theme class.

June Xmas Tree

Yes, I know, it's not a Mojo Monday card. Stay tuned for that one...there are just a few too many things for me to get done before work this morning. It will come though! :)

While taking photos this morning, I came to the conclusion that this card needs another layer. No worries though, I'll add one before my first Christmas in June class. That's one of the great things about getting everything ready to post here first: I have plenty of time for revisions!

I am finding it really fun to take out all of my holiday goodies to play in May. I think there may be a new tradition starting...

Eggplant Tree Trimmings

This project is another from my "Christmas in June" promotion. Remember, if you host a Christmas in June class or purchase a Christmas in June "class in a box" you and your friends will receive 20% off one pack of designer paper for each holiday stamp set you purchase. You'll also be entered into my quarterly hostess drawing for $20 in SU goodies.

I wanted to do something a little different with this card, but still use traditional Christmas elements. So, I started off with the elegant ornaments from Tree Trimmings & embossed them in silver. Then I chose my Soft Holly wheel to create a background that fit these ornaments nicely. If it were in reds & greens I think it would be a fairly "typical" Xmas card. However, the Elegant Eggplant, Melon Mambo, & Taken with Teal give the card a new twist. Keep checking to see more of my off season creations! :)

C is for Cat Color Challenge/PPC #12

Such fun colors of this week's PPC Color Challenge! Sage Shadow, Perfect Plum, Soft Suede, & Bravo Burgundy are all colors I enjoy but that I use too little. It took me a bit to decide how to use them, but I decided they would be great with a "kissed" cat. I had a little trouble getting the kissing technique to work with my little cat friend. Perhaps the Sage color is a bit darker than others I've used before?

The end result is kind of fun though. :) All of these great colors are slated to retire at the end of June, so if you are interested in ordering any of them please contact me ASAP. Stampin' Up has let us know supplies are limited & many colors won't make it all the way to the end of June.

Flamingo Friend

Cute, isn't he? I owe a huge thank you to my upline, Cindy, for introducing me to this little guy. She featured him on our make & take from this week's team meeting & he just makes me smile.
Of course, I couldn't just assemble the card as planned; I had to make it my own. For one thing, he simply screamed for a google eye! I also really like how the flowers from Tropical Party layer nicely with the Five Petal Punch. Once I got those layers going I realized that the background was in need of flower stencils. It's fun how one thing leads to another!
You've seen just how much I enjoy my XL Bird Punch, but this may be my very favorite use of it. Who knew it had all the bits for a very happy flamingo?

Snowmen in May?

Alright, you may think I've gone off the deep end on this one & have completely forgotten what season it is right now. No worries, I've still got that under control. This little number is the first card for my "Christmas in June" promotion.
For Christmas in June, I'm inviting all my customers to host a card making class where they can get a head start on Christmas cards well before the holiday rush while having a great time with their friends. If you're checking in from else where, I can also do a kit version of this class "Christmas in a Box". Contact me today if you are interested in hosting either version of this fun event. Since this is a host-your-own-class sort of event, I'm featuring some of our hostess sets in the projects. Today's stamps all come from hostess sets that you could earn by holding a class.
Not all of the sparkle of this card photographed well I'm afraid. The background snowflakes are all embossed with Iridescent Ice and the tag is stamped with a mixture of ink & shimmer paint. I guess I need to work on my photography skills. Join in a class this month to see it in person!
{Perhaps this card is how I'm coming to terms with the prediction of snow for tomorrow?}

Mojo Monday 138/ PPC #11

Whew! It's been so long since I've been able to make anything that I really felt out of practice this morning. I thought I would get things going by doing a challenge combo for today. Between Mojo Monday providing the sketch & PPC providing the colors, I really didn't have to do all that much. :) Okay, maybe it doesn't quite work out that way. At any rate, it's great to be home from an excellent vacation. You guys are stuck with me in real time now!

Today's Mojo Sketch was for a square card, but I was inspired by one of their creators to turn it into an easel card. I really do enjoy that format & hadn't made one in a while... Perhaps I will use them more often when faced with a square challenge. Making things that requires special envelopes & automatic extra postage always irks me. This way, I can be square & still fit a standard card envelope.

Thank You Maureen

I don't post EVERY card I ever make, but I thought I would like to share this one I made for one of my hostesses. Maureen has a lovely rooster collection that made me think of the Country Morning hostess set. I love any excuse to break out my Stampin' Pastels & was even more excited about this one because the color pallet is one I don't use often. It's good to stretch, right?
So, hopefully this little guy has reached his destination by now safe & sound. I'll also reach mine soon...we should be headed back home tomorrow. Look for fresh posts soon.

Smooch Spritz Experiment

I completely left my comfort zone for this one. I really wanted to play with the new Smooch Spritz from our Summer Mini Catalog & the special designer paper made to only show its design when it is sprayed/brayered/etc. The coolest thing about the Smooch Spritz is just how shiny it makes everything. I'm afraid it doesn't come through well through the photo, but even the Log Cabin has such a shine! Very fun. I'm also pleased that the seemingly random writing turned out to be from A Midsummer's Night Dream. But I'm a sucker for that one. :)

This one is far enough out of the box for me that if you want to see it at a class you will definitely have to make a request. I think I like it, but I'm not sure yet...let me know what you think (be kind though :) ).

Wings of Friendship Shimmer Emboss

This card is sort of my tribute to Almost Amethyst. I will miss it when it is gone, so we're going to use it while it's still around. That, and I really like making things shimmer with Iridescent Ice emboss powder! My husband thinks the card would look even better with a sentiment embossed in the same powder in the lower right corner of the Top Note. He may be right, but I'm not sure which one to use. This could go for a variety of occasions. I'm puzzled as to why it took me so long to take a closer look at this Hostess Set. I'm so pleased that I did.

What I'm Really Up to Today

Hi All!

Just thought I would fess up. I haven't been stamping for a while now...I've been way too busy underwater! This shot is from one of our dives yesterday off the island of Curacao. It's LOVELY here. No real time for a full update, but I thought I would take advantage of the wonders of technology. I hope you enjoy the posts I prepared for you all before I left. :) Of course, blogger seems to think I speak Dutch so spell check isn't working! Crazy, huh?

Polished Stone Frame

This is one of those projects that didn't turn out at all like I expected. The plan was for a polished stone Top Note with the center removed by the Movers & Shapers die. That's not quite how it worked out though, as you can see. Sometimes you keep what you thought you would toss & toss what you thought you would keep! It's good to just go with it though & not try too hard to force what clearly isn't working. Some days that is easier than others though...

Get Whale Soon Take Two

Ever since I made my first Get Whale Soon card with the hair gel water, I've had requests that it appear in classes. Truth be told, I didn't have enough of the goodies (particularly the designer paper) to go around. So, I've been trying to come up with an alternative. Here he is! Of course, this one needed google eyes in addition to the water effect. Look forward to seeing him in May classes. I think he'll be a hit!

Bouquet Bunch Flower Pot

I may have gone a little Big Shot crazy with this one, but I like how it turned out. Really Rust is one of the colors that I will miss when it retires this summer. One of my favorite things about it is how nicely it makes terracotta flower pots. Partnered up with a bit of Certainly Celery & Old Olive and we quickly see that Really Rust is not just a fall color any more!

I had fun playing with the letters from the Many Thanks die too. I'm so glad that we have stamps & die cuts to make letters for us since my handwriting leaves much to be desired. Oh, and we won't even discuss my drawings!!