Gratitude

My dear, sweet friend Ellen Hutson had a blog candy give-away a few weeks ago and I was the VERY lucky girl with have won!

The package came right in the middle of wedding time, so I put it in my craft room and it got buried amongst all the other things that got put in there. Well, I cleaned and re-org'd the room this weekend and was I excited when I came upon that box. Holy MOLY - it was like finding a buried treasure! A Friends Centers stamps set by Mona Lisa Moments for CHF, a pack of Crush Collection paper by Crate along with the matching ribbon and Robin's Nest glass baubles.

I sat right down to make a thank you card. Since it was Sunday, I hopped over to SCS to see who the Featured Stamper is this week. It's Chelemom (gorgeous gorgeous stuff in her gallery), so I played along in the challenge at the same time.

I love this Hero Arts stamp. It works on vintage or bright cards. For this one, I used chalk inks to layer various colors of green on the stems. For the flower heads I used two shades of blue chalk inks and then Ranger Matte Accents on the tips for a little dimension.

Before adding the Matte Accents, I stamped a micro teeny script over the whole image, in varying directions.

The edges are smudged with the Ranger blending tool ( I would be LOST without that tool!) and distress inks. A Robin's Nest glass bauble finished it off.

Be sure and watch Ellen's blog in the coming weeks. I hear she's got great things a brewin'!

I *heart* Ellen!

HB

Supplies

Stamps: Hero Arts, Hot off the Press, Memory Box Paper: Crush Collection (Crate), Neenah Ink: Color Box chalk inks, Versa Magic chalk inks, Palette, Distress inks Misc: Robin's Nest glass bauble, Inkssentials Matte Accents, Ranger blending tool, SU! oval punch

Double Challenges

I found this way cool blog Our Creative Corner! A member of the blog's design team posts a challenge each Saturday and then the whole team posts THE most amazing samples! I'm talking jaw dropping!

This week's challenge is to use Basic Grey paper. Since I've been rather mojo-less lately, I headed over to SCS to see if one of the sketch challenges would inspire me. Sure 'nuf! This weeks sketch (#182) is also a perfect way to use up scraps!

I used a piece of Scarlet's Letter paper, which is a beautiful collage of patterns and colors. After I measured (took me longer to figure out what size squares to cut to fit on the matte than to make the whole card! lol), cut and adhered the squares to the black matte, I cut a piece of vellum using a scallop square Nestabilities. I used my tracing wheel to make a faux stitched outline for the next layer.

The sentiment layer is cut and embossed using a square Nestabilities die. I masked the edge of the "frame" so that when I stamped the flower it would keep the "frame" clean.

Check out the Our Creative Corner blog next time your mojo goes missing...

HB

PS I am not associated with the blog, I just like to share when I find cool things!

Supplies:

Stamps: Friends Centers (Mona Lisa Moments for CHF), The Art of Life (SU!) Paper: Scarlet's Letter (Basic Grey), Solar White (Neenah), Black (DCWV), Vellum Ink: Lime Pastel chalk ink (Color Box), Palette Noir, Creamy Caramel (SU!) Misc: Nestabilites, tracing wheel

Life and a mess...

Ok, so it's been 4 days since the wedding. I've stood in the doorway of my craft room wanting to go in. Really I have. But, after the last 6 weeks of intense work on wedding things... this is what my work table looks like -

LOL!!! Looks even worse in real life! Needless to say, after a long day at work I have NOT wanted to do a clean sweep. I will tackle it this weekend.

But (and there is always a *but* isn't there), a girl at work asked me to make a special card for a Sister (Catholic Nun) who is celebrating her Jubiliee, which is the 50th anniversary of saying her vows. Not even that mess could make me say no.

Since gold is the color of the 50th anniversary celebration, I stamped the branch and flowers from Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink) with Versamark and then dusted them with gold Pearl Ex.

You can see the shimmer in this pic. It's really subtle in real life.

I needed just the daintiest butterflies for this, so digging through my stamps I found my Take 3 set (SU!). I stamped it with Versamark and dusted it with gold Pearl Ex. I then spritzed it with hairspray to set the Pearl Ex so it wouldn't all rub off while I cut them out. I used a teeny tiny piece of foam tape to pop the wings up.

Once the main image was together, I spritzed on a light spray of Glimmer Mist (Sugar Cookie), and then stamped my sentiment.

I think it turned out kinda pretty, considering the environment I was working in! LOL

HB

Supplies:

Stamps: Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink), Take 3 (SU!) Paper: Neenah Classic White Ink: Versamark, Burnt Umber (Palette Hybrid) Misc: Pearls (Hero Arts), Sparkle Gold Pearl Ex, liquid gold Deco Color marker (Marvy), Sugar Cookie Glimmer Mist, gold ribbon (CTMH), Stampin Dimensionals (SU!)

I'm back!

Wow... I had to dust off this place as it's been so long since I posted anything! LOL

Our daughter was married this past weekend and the preparation while fun, took every bit of me to get it all done. (now I know why there are professional wedding planners out there!)

I know I didn't have to make everything myself, but what fun would that have been?

The colors of the wedding were red & black so I used the same Imaginisce paper (Black Tie Optional) throughout. The wedding invites, favors (see this post) and the programs all had pieces of that paper on them.

The reception was in a park on a beautiful sunny afternoon. We kept the decorations pretty simple, using silk rose petals strewn down the tables. When the doors to the shelter house opened the petals would float through the room. It was pretty to have them strewn around the floor. LOL

Since we couldn't have glass (park rules), we had red can coolers for the bridal party and families. Our youngest DD used puff paint to write every one's name on them.

And here they are...

Now, I need to go see if I have any mojo in me to stamp something!

Thanks for stopping by!

HB

Happy Birthday Cupcake Girl!

It's TAYLOR VANBRUGGEN's birthday! WoooHOOOO!!!!!

Taylor creates THE most amazing sketches for her Friday Cupcake Challenges, she warms our hearts with her Divine Designs, and she is as sweet as the frosting on a double chocolate cupcake!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!

I hope your day/week/month/year is filled with joy, love and God's blessings!!!

Big HUGE hugs!

HB

Tooooooo busy!

I have been so consumed with this wedding, that I'm feeling out of touch with the rest of the world. Does you life just spin in circles sometimes? Kinda like Lori Craig's fabulous card here! When I popped into her blog this morning my first thought (after my eyes adjusted LOL!) was "hey, that's my life right now!"

I love this little mouse by Whipper Snapper Designs. He can be all sad and missin someone, or he could be feeling a bit under the weather. He's like a sad face on a small child, breaks your heart but makes you smile at the cuteness of it at the same time! Today, he's saying to all my neglected friends... I MISS YOU!

After I colored the image with Copic markers, I used an Inkssentials opaque white pen to place little white "buttons" in the tufts of the chair.

The background is Antique Linen Distress Ink smooged around the image with this - Tim Holtz's ink blending tool. A mandatory item on my work table at all times!

Well... I better get to work. Hope you have sunshine in your day today!

HB

Supplies:

Stamps: Whipper Snapper Designs, Papertrey Ink Ink: Copic markers, Distress Inks (Aged Mahogany, Antique Linen), Palette Noir Paper: Daisy D, Papertrey Ink, CTMH Misc: Ribbon (SU!), Nestabilities, Martha Stewart scallop border punch, sewing

Sweetie Pie!

Taylor posts her cupcake challenge each Friday and I love the sketches she comes up with! This week is no exception! Plus, I love long cards! BONUS!!!

I don't have very many cupcake stamps (I know, I know... there is just something wrong with that!), and I know I don't have to use cupcakes for the challenge, but I think this pie from the My Punny Valentine set by Papertrey Ink is just as sweet!

I just bought this Imaginisce paper (Baby Powder/Baby's Breath) at the LSS. I love two sided paper! The pink diamond pattern was perfect for the pie plate. I stamped it with Versamark, embossed with clear embossing powder, and cut it out. I stamped the top of the pie with Versamark right on the pink paper (Basic Grey) and embossed it with ultra fine white embossing powder. I then glued the pie plate into place. The little heart cutouts on the pie are colored in with a pink Copic Spica glitter pen and it's topped off with a pink rhinestone.

I used my Nestability dies to create varying layers of circles. The pink scallop is stamped with polka dots and embossed with the ultra fine white embossing powder.

The sentiment is from two different Papertrey sets... Happy Birthday from Year Round Puns and Sweetie Pie from the My Punny Valentine set. I put them together on my acrylic block so they would line up perfectly. (I'm a little anal that way. My friend Val says I should use my stamp positioner. I always remember to use it AFTER I am done stamping. lol)

Thanks for stopping by!

HB

Friends to the End!

I've never really been a *cutesy* stamper. I leaned more towards the flowery, contemporary type cards. But, then I started buying Copic markers. You just HAVE to have images that you can color if you're going to buy them. Right?

Months ago, a bunch of friends of mine did an image swap. We stamped off images of our favorite, colorable (is that a word?) stamps, sent them to the hostess, and got tons of fun images in return. This is such a cool way to step out of your box in terms of the style of stamps you use, without buying them and then realizing they just *aren't you*.

I received this image by Whipper Snapper in that swap. I ADORE this little turtle and his friend! I'm sad to say though that he doesn't have a name... the website just says *Turtle with Frog*. (Anna, how come he doesn't have a name?)

I paired them up with this gorgeous paper by October Afternoon, matching the markers I used to the paper. Like many people who use Copics, I have a color chart that I can lay my paper up against to find just the perfect color.

Once Mr. Turtle was colored, I used an Inkssentials opaque white pen to highlight the center of each flower.

Then needing just a bit more whimsy, I used a Copic multiliner pen to doodle around the edge.

As a finishing touch, and to add balance, I added three buttons in matching colors. Instead of using thread I used skinny strips of matching cardstock (I don't like nekkid buttons) and attached the buttons with a glue dot.

Well, I've got chocolate chip cookies in the oven and the timer is about to go off. It's Father's Day week, so I'm starting the week off with DH's favorite breakfast food. Ya... he says "They have eggs, and dairy in them, right?", which is his justification. LOL

HB

Supplies:

Stamps: Whipper Snapper Designs, Papertrey Ink Paper: October Afternoon, PTI Ink: Copic markers, Copic mulitiliner pen, Inkssentials opaque white pen (Ranger), CTMH Misc: word window punch (SU!), buttons (SU!, Foofalla), tracing wheel

Fun Stamps!

Every so often I stop to realize that most of the stamps in my collection are flowers. I love flowers! I can't grow them... but maybe that's why I love them so.

I go through spurts where I really work to not buy flower stamps. (hard to do!!) The other day I was in our local JoAnns and I found these adorable little $1 stamps called *Mini Clear Stamps*. They are so adorable and funny! And the best part... they come with their own sentiment, so you don't have to try and figure out what to use! How cool is THAT! I had to scoop up a handful (yes, literally a handful! lol) and this one has got to be one of my favorites!



I love this little owl... he just looks so wise! I perched him on a branch, which is really a funky palm tree cut from a piece of scrapbook paper by Reminisce. I cut the top of two different trees and layered them to get a 3-D effect. The striped strip is from the back of the same paper.



The owl is stamped on Papertrey Inc white, colored with Copic markers and then cut out. His little bow tie is brightened up with a black Gelly Roll Glaze Pen.

I used my trusty Copic Airbrush System to spray on the blue sky.


Oh... and the best part? The inside of the cards says:

Follow your dreams,

except the one where you're

at work in your underwear.

Don't ya just LOVE IT! LOL!!!

Hope you have a fun day!
HB

... and we have a WINNER!

This was so much FUN! Hearing where you all are from is just mind blowing! From Australia to Israel to California to New Joizee (LOL Sue!!!) to Canada and beyond.

I had DH pick a number (#35) and the winner is Lizzy from Seattle, WA! Lizzy, send me your snail mail address and I'll get your package in the mail!

Now, I'm off to go stamp something!
HB

Thank You!

I think it's time to give something back... to show my appreciation for the warm and wonderful welcome you have all given me since I entered the blog world a few short months ago. So, I put together this little thank-you gift.

I've met so many wonderful women, from all across the country and Canada, through stamping and sharing via the internet. Aren't stampers just the most warm and caring people? I sure think so!

I'd love to know where YOU are from, so leave me a comment telling me what state/country you call home before 5pm (CT) on Tuesday. Be sure and leave your name! (isn't it amazing how many people have the name *anonymous*?)

Thanks for being so AWESOME!!!

HB