Another Hibiscus

I used some of my Basic Grey Mellow paper to complement the colored flower. FUN! Colored with my Copics MORE FUN!

Big Goovy Pomegranate Flower

Here's the biggest flower (really not quite sure what variety?) that is in my Autumn Leaves Second Nature set. It was super fun to color with my copics - using the colors that match groovy guava & purely pomegranate. Sponged with guava for more texture against the stark white c/s. Made cards to have on hand just in case without greetings right now.

Always Tat

I like tattoos that are done well & in good taste. DH and I love watching tattoo shows on t.v. In fact I have one on my left ankle with 'Faith, Hope, Love' (my favorite scripture in the BIBLE 1 Corinthians 13:13, "Now these three remain, faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love"). It reminds me that I should do all things in love, that love conquers all and I was made whole by the love of God in Jesus' ultimate sacrifice of love on the cross for my sins. Actually, my husband got his first tattoo with faith hope and love on a ribbon wrapped around a pretty big cross. Then I got mine after, it has free-handed swirls and purple (favorite color) highlights. I am happy with it & don't regret the decision. John ended up getting more tattoos since and tonight is about to get an arm wrap around the first tattoo I described to expound on his faith. He's put a LOT of thought into it and I'm excited to see how it turns out. It's going to take a few sessions to complete; tonight is the outline and next would be the color and I think I will watch the coloring occur. That's when the magic happens!

On to my card - I found a LSS called Felicia's Scrapbooks over in the Oakhill area (about 5 mins from our house!) which has been there for about a year *gasp* how could I have missed it all this time when I would SHOP in the area often!! UGH, anyway I found it because I got an email from Inque Boutique saying where I could get some stamps (See D's) locally so we checked it out and boy does she have some cool stuff in there! There's mini sets for only $3.99 and I got 3 of them, an alpha set a thank you set and this tattoo set. What's so cool about these stamps is that the rubber is colored and there is a visible black outline of the stamp location that you can see through your acrylic block to see exactly where you's stamping! I love the Hibiscus in this set especially since I can color! The set is called Always Tat and I paired it with Basic Grey Mellow and some paper from a pack I got free with a $50 purchase at Archiver's a few weeks ago (I don't have the name since I'm at work posting this but I can update later). It's a really nice autumn pack. I used my copic markers to color my flower and spritzer tool with so saffron marker so I didn't have a stark white bg.

Small Guava Flower

On my first trip to Archiver's (awesome store) I was looking for some clear stamps (floral) that I could color because I LOVE to color! I found a set (with a few butterflies too) by Autumn Leaves by Rhonna Ferrare called Second Nature. I colored with my Copics and used Soft Sky & Groovy Guava cardstock as well as Groovy Guava prints ds paper & double stitch ribbon. This was inspired by Mish Mash - this is a layout I see she uses a lot and well, I LOVE all she does...so thanks for your inspiration Michelle (doubt if she'll see this post, not sure if she even knows about my blog, but that's o.k.!) Check out the cool new FALL banner she just put up!

FS 33: With Sympathy

It's been a while since I've played along with SCS' Featured Stamper Challenge. I was excited to see Kristina Werner highlighted so I had to play along! I love her clean, simple yet stunning style (she also bakes & take awesome photos!) Her SCS gallery is StarofMay and here is her blog Kwernerdesign Here is the card I chose to case, changing the colors, stamps and ribbon - keeping her crisp layout. I (sadly) needed a sympathy card for a co-worker whose father passed away over the weekend and this was perfect for it.

Stuff used: Papertrey's Beautiful Blooms and papertray sentiments. So Saffron, Cranberry Crisp, Vintage Violet and Always Artichoke.

Techno Takeout Blog Candy

Mary Jo the Techno Stamper* is giving away some awesome goodies for 10,000 hits (if she gets 150 comments, she's going to give away some designer paper from SU! so head on over there & check out her great blog!! *Techno stands for Techniques, because she loves them!

Tagging Fun

Gena at My Stampin' Garden tagged me with this fun game! I almost tagged myself since I saw this on other's blogs...but now I feel loved *smile* Thanks, Gena! We have a few similiarities! Smokey was my first cat, purple my favorite color and Marie is really my middle name! How funny. I bet mostly everyone's been tagged by now, but if you're reading this & want to play along...I'd love to know about it!!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) - Smokey CR-V

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Intense Chocolate Nutta Butta (sounds more gansta than nutter butter)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) D-Bak

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) - Purple Snake (ha, sounds sneaky)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) - Marie Hayward

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

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Pink Midor Sour

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)- Samuel Manuel (just realized they rhymed!)

9. STRIPPER NAME : ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Escada Bit o' Honey

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Elizabeth Alfred

Baby shower favors

As one of my gifts for a customer/friend's baby shower, I made the favors. They have packs of Trident Gum in them and were inspired by AJ The Willow Garden Gum Holder Tutorial.

Details:
Sets: Bundle of Joy, Everyday Flexible Phrases set
Cardstock: So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery, Confetti White
Inks: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Fiskars Scallop Scissors, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Bluebird Grosgrain Ribbon, Aquapainter, Word Window Punch, Velcro for closure

Beautiful Blooms Desk Set

I now have a complete desk set using my favorite set right now!

I had the idea a few months ago to make a decorative magnet since finding something similar at the Target Dollar Spot a while back. It didn't take me long to fall in love with the new papertrey set Beautiful Blooms which was designed to coordinate with the flower dies by Cuttlebug! It was the perfect time to put my project in place! I fashioned it to go with the gratitude journal I made a few weeks ago. I used my business card magnets behind the stamped images. Also used my Green Thumb set for the flower pot. The wire is retired SU! colored wire. I have it displayed on my lamp so you can see it's magnetic, otherwise how would you know?!

Also, at my up-upline's meeting on Saturday, one of our presenters, Mona showed us the cutest pencil topper made with a paperclip opened to stick inside the eraser part and had chipboard & scallop punches as the topper. Well, I figured I could do the same but with my Beautiful Blooms set & CB dies! To match the journal & magnet!

Autumn - The Most Beautiful Season

On Saturday I attended my up-upline's SU! Meeting. She was having a contest for Best of Show and of course I had to enter! Little did I know this card would take as long as it did (about 1 1/2 hours) but it sure paid off! I won!! Look what I get!! Fabulous! Everyone adored the card, but some people did not realize the 2 went together because we had them in clear plastic sleeves on a display board. Oh well. It was my first time making a Criss Cross Card from SCS. I don't think it will be my last, it was a lot of fun! Everyone was impressed with my hand -drawn fence (thanks to DH for his idea).

Sets: Autumn Harvest, Linen & Weathered BG, Season by Season, Expressive Flexible Phrases
C/S: Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Old Olive, Really Rust, Pumpkin Pie
Inks: More Mustard, Old Olive, Really Rust, Pumpkin Pie & watercolor crayons
Accessories: 5/8" olive grosgrain ribbon, pumpkin grosgrain ribbon, gold stretch cord from holiday mini, tab punch, paper piercer, ice square rhinestone brads, aqua painter, sponges.

Kimmie's Kard Kontest Entries

Kraftin' Kimmie is having a Kard Kontest & new High Hopes stamps are up for prizes! I HAD to enter them all because these are some of the cutest stamps and I don't have any yet *wink* I just realized I used almost the same colors for all the cards except the cat card & she said not to combine challenges. I really didn't intend that - I was just trying to use scraps up from my stamp camp! ugh

First card is for the sketch challenge fashioned after her card here

This card is for the Theme Animals - used my kitty with balloon by Whipper Snapper.

This card is for the Supply challenge - to use Embellishments. I used Primas, bling for the centers, gold brads, chipboard for the sentiment & ribbon on the chipboard.

This was the first card I made using Fall Colors & I liked them so much I think that's why I continued with them! Hope it doesn't disqualify me! Groovy Guava, River Rock, Chocolate Chip

Stamp Camp Projects

Well, the stamp camp I've been preparing for is over. It was a success! Everyone showed up who r.s.v.p'd and it was a fun time for all! Everyone loved the projects. So I thought I'd share for all to enjoy. I got most of my inspiration from SCS and/or bloggers and will give credit where it's due & I can find it!

This first picture is everyone's THANK YOU gift. I decided to do this instead of door prizes, I always think it's exciting to win a door prize but a bummer when you don't...I thought this was a great alternative that did not take too much time to make & everyone seemed very grateful (success!) My inspiration came from Angie Juda at Chic n' Scratch (thanks, Angie!)

Here is my version of Jenn's 2,5,7,10 box. The Bashful Blue scallop was an afterthought before the workshop started - I wanted to show everyone how to use the slit punch for a scallop border. I kinda like the double border too. Used Priceless Set.

This is the Cami Trifold Card using Baroque Motifs. I think everyone had fun with this.

Here's the 5-in-1 template box with matching card - the matching card was inspired by Simone's card I ended up adding Wild Wasabi flowers to the card base (instead of celery) because I needed to use that In Color since that was one of the highlights of this stamp camp (new products!) and also the bitty flowers on the white base. Everyone LOVED the box & Double Stitch ribbon. Used the Simply Said set (I know it's not a NEW set, but it made it in the catalog!)

This is a tall card to fit in the small open ended envelopes. Used Priceless Set.

Business Card Contest

Amy at Heartfeltgreetings is having a fun contest to create your own business cards. I really needed to have something 'generic' so I can advertise my blog for potential business.

I used my new Papertrey set Beautiful Blooms (I thought the leaves looked 'serene' to go along with my blog name.) Used Pumpkin Pie & Purely Pomegranate for the bitty flower. I attached a magnet (shown on right picture) for the recipient to have the option of placing my card on their filing cabinet, or refrigerator or their wallet.

Beautiful Blooms Gratitude Journal

First of all, let me say I had SO much fun stamping with my NEW Papertrey Ink stamp set Beautiful Blooms! I had inky fingers galore when I finished because I realized I could use my FINGER instead of an acrylic block with the itty bitty stamps! There's no trace of the venture this morning except on my messy desk *wink*

I went shopping at Target for my favorite adhesive (Scotch Quick Dry) and they were out! drats. Anyway, so perusing the scrapbooking aisle, there were a LOT of clearance items! I got this cute journal (2 for $2.49) with snaps that I just KNEW would match Purely Pomegranate! I plan to get some more soon.

I chose my colors based on the new FIRE Velvet Blossoms that I got at PTI. How cute & yummy are they? I am ALL over texture (I've been known to feel on people when they have a soft shirt or blouse on & HAVE to touch soft clothes, blankets, etc in the stores!!) Anyway, I knew for sure I wanted to make a bookmark to go with it...so this is what I did! I ended up using the SU Color Combo site (use ALL the time) for colors to match Purely Pomegranate & Pumpkin Pie. I added Old Olive, Taken With Teal & More Mustard for a FALL look. I am SO looking forward to that season!

I 'kissed' the polka dot, polka dot cluster & plaid stamps onto the solid stamp to texturize the flowers. I LOVED how that looked! I also noticed I need to stamp the solid flower before the outline or else I won't get them alighned right (which proves I NEED to get an OTT light one of these days).

To make my bookmark, I punched a hole in one of the petals with my Crop-A-Dile & layered the flowers with my crystal effects & added a bling brad (wish I'd had the FIRE ones that SU! carries, but I only bought ICE so far). Oh well...then added a jump ring & threaded my Tangerine Grosgrain ribbon & tied in a loop.

I think is by far one of my FAVORITE altered things I've done in a while. What do you think?

By the way...I do plan to use this as I love to keep my blessings at hand & will jot them down as I think of them. My first thing to write is how grateful I am to Nichole Heady & the rest of the Papertrey gals & design team for coming up with awesome products & ideas for inspiration!

Super Saturday Giveaway by Gena!!

Check out this post Gena is giving away some awesome goodies! I was Gena's Divine Secret Sister on SCS last round...she is fairly new to blogging but has some awesome creations on her blog! Check it out!!

Sorry I haven't posted anything new - haven't felt much like stamping. I have a stamp camp on Sat - after that I will post what everyone made. Hopefully I'll get something new to show you before then, though! I just needed to take a little break.