Sharing Creativity...

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Amazing!  Almost overnight we FLEW by 100,000 hits on my Blog!  Thank you for being so supportive and checking frequently on my Blog.  I hope I provide inspiration for you.  I’m going to hold off to do Blog Candy until next week because my son is in town and my husband is on vacation this week.  We have some mini getaways planned.  Stay tuned!

Funny how inspiration comes from things around us.  I saw this house ad for Pier One and immediately thought about recreating it into card form.  (A scrapbook page would be cute done with this idea, too!) 

I had purchased the Neighborhood wheel a couple months ago, but hadn’t used it.  So I wheeled it in Basic Black across some white cardstock.  Then I wheeled it again across Brilliant Blue cardstock.  I stamped one small star from Classic Backgrounds randomly with Whisper White all over a couple houses on the Brilliant Blue.  Then paper pieced the Brilliant Blue star houses onto the Whisper White copy.  I used a red marker to hand draw the stripes and colored in roof lines and Barely Banana marker for the windows.  Oh yes…I cut out each small window in the Blue houses with my paper snips.  I used Garden Green, Sahara Sand and Bashful Blue markers for the bushes, steps and clouds. 

I finished the card by  stamping Time to Celebrate in Basic Black ink.  Then punched a large and small star with a center white mini brad.  I still have almost a full roll of the red/white/blue ribbon that Stampin’ Up! used to sell, so I pulled it out to wrap around the card, too.  I added a quick row of piercing under the word Celebrate.  I think it turned out CUTE and a fun way to celebrate the 4th of July holiday.  

I hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday!

REMEMBER:  Today is the LAST day to order:

Occasions Mini Catalog

Fresh Cuts Promotion

eScape Promotion

Email me to place your order by 10:00 PM EST on June 30.  All orders received today will be placed in a drawing for your choice of a FREE Level 2 stamp set!

Tags: Blog Candy, Neighborhood wheel

I know!  This isn’t a Stampin’ Up! stamp!  However, Pamela from FireCrackerDesigns sent me some nice floral stamps for my design work with Technique Junkies Newsletter.  This flower bloom looked just like fireworks to me!  So…I had to make up a sky filled with them, especially with the 4th of July holiday coming up this week.

I used a technique from the current June/July 2008 issue of Technique Junkies Newsletter called Marker Water Coloring.  It was perfect for this stamp and SO easy!  If you don’t get this newsletter, you should!  It is filled with easy to do, step-by-step tutorials.

I used Real Red and Brilliant Blue markers and cardstock, along with a little Always Artichoke for the grass.  The "United We Stamp" stamp is from Printworks…I’ve had it for ages and seem to pull it out for every 4th of July card.  The small "fireworks" are from a Stampin’ Up! set called Snow Flurries which is retiring in August.  I’ll miss it since it is a fun stamp to use for other than making snow.  (Email me today if you want to order yours!)

Mary and I did some challenges last night, so I several new cards to show you over the next week!  AND, I noticed that I’m almost at the 100,000 mark…and that means BLOG CANDY!  Stay tuned!

Tags: fireworks, patriotic, Snow Flurries

Today’s Blogger’s Challenge is to use any type of Resist technique on your card.  I chose to do my background in a technique from the February/March 2008 Technique Junkies Newsletter called Joseph’s Coat with a Twist!  I never tried it when the newsletter came out (gasp!), and I didn’t know what I was missing!  VERY fun technique to do!  I used the Baroque background stamp because it was a large solid stamp and shows off this technique perfectly. 

My colors were Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke and Whisper White.  I also used stamp sets Together Forever and Lovely Letter’s alphabet for the mongram.  I had the bit of green stripe ribbon in my stash.  And I added a trio of Pewter mini brads up in the left hand corner.

This was really a pretty simple card, but it looks great with that resist background!  Enjoy!

My husband is off on vacation next week AND my eldest son is coming in town for the 4th of July holiday.  So, posts will probably be sporatic next week as I spend time with them.  We have several mini trips planned and, of course, we will be out at the lake boating and visiting with friends.  Have a great one!

Tags: Baroque, Joseph's Coat, Monogram, Resist

Here it is!  My new Decor Elements arrived this afternoon and I’ve already put up the Long Stem Silhouette.  It was amazingly easy to put up all by myself!  This doorway is the entry to my Studio in the main floor hallway.  It fills the empty space perfectly!  I purchased the large size Chocolate one. 

Now, I’m definitely anxious to put up the other two Elements I purchased.  Create will go in my Studio and I still need to find a place for the Baroque Motif medallions.  I have a couple ideas for additional ones around the house.

These are so much FUN!  I can’t wait for my Stamp Club to see these tomorrow. 

Better get off…we’re have thunderstorms!  Have a great evening.

Connie

Tags: Decor Elements, Home Decor

Aren’t these DARLING?  This was my Shoebox contribution when Michelle Zindorf, Karen Barber and Mary Brown came over last weekend.  A friend of mine had sent the directions to me a few weeks ago, but that was the first chance I got to play with them.  I did confirm that Kathy McGuire was the originator of this pattern when she did the Santa Pants last year.  I changed them to denim with pink accents and stamped flowers (from Ginormous Flowers) over them.  I used the piercer and mat to run faux stitches all along the suspenders and the belt loops and connected with a black pen.  (You can use the white gel pen and it is CUTE, but is not as easy to stay in the holes since the tip of the pen is larger.)  I wanted to keep this as simple as possible.

I scored everything for them…it saves time.  I usually do all the scoring at my classes anyway to keep them moving.  The base is Not Quite Navy with Pretty in Pink accents.  The belt buckle is a piece of the Hodgepodge Hardware slide in Antique Brass (figured I’d better use them up while I can) and pink grosgrain ribbon.  I did use the white gel pen in the centers of each flower.  Make sure to allow time to dry (ask me how I know that!!!)  lol!  I also made boy denim pants (without the flowers and with a black belt, Bashful Blue cuffs) and the Santa Pants in Red with White cuffs.  TOO MUCH FUN!!!  I love making 3D items!

I’m still working my little fingers to the bone in assignments.  BUSY week!  Next week my hubby is off on vacation and my eldest son will be in town to visit (YEAH!), so I know I won’t have as much time to play or work on things.  Got to finish up this week, if possible!

Have a great evening!
Connie

On one of my groups, the challenge a couple weeks ago was to use this cake as inspiration for our card.  We send off the card to our challenge partner.  (Working on this challenge made me HUNGRY!)  Isn’t this a gorgeous, fun cake?  I love watching Ace of Cakes and the unbelievable things they can do with some cake and frosting!  I wonder if it tastes as good as it look?

So here is the card I sent off to my partner.  Bright, huh?  I used stripes of cardstock in Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Yo Yo Yellow, and Pixie Pink.   The base card started with Green Galore and layered Gable Green over it.  I punched several 1/2" circles out of Green Galore and lined them up along the bottom of the  Gable Green layer.  I used Tombow Multipurpose glue to cover them, then pressed the clear micro beads into the glue.  It gives it a cool frosted look.  I stamped Hello (from Hi and Hello!) in Basic Black on the Pixie Pink color and placed a 1/4" orange dot (sparkling with Dazzling Diamonds) in the o.  For the focal point, I layered Green Galore and Gable Green, then pierced the corners with my Mat and piercer.  Then I used a die-cut Orange bloom, layered it with a Pixie Pink scallop circle, then a Yo Yo Yellow 5-petal punch.  I placed a green Round Rhinestone in the center for some Bling. 

I think it looks pretty close to the inspiration, don’t you?

I’m working on my Technique Junkies assignments for the next newsletter.  I did take a few minutes to work on another Zindorf inspired card…need to put some finishing touches on it.  Hope to post it tomorrow!

Yesterday, Michelle Zindorf, Mary Brown and Karen Barber came over to my house to stamp.  All that major stamping talent in my house!  Woohoo!  It was the first time Michelle and I had met (I had no idea she lives so close!), but Karen and I met at Leadership in January and Mary and I are sidelines with Stampin’ Up! and have known each other for several years.  Each of us brought a shoebox to work on.  Of course, we wanted Michelle to show us her Zindorf brayer techniques and Karen her Black and White Magic techniques.  Mary and I chose to bring 3D projects…Mary an awesome card box tutorial from Andrea Walford and I chose to bring a Pants Purse tutorial that I think originated from Kathy McGuire’s Santa pants.  Over the next few days I’ll show you the different projects we made. 

The first one was the card that Michelle taught us.  She has the tutorial on her Blog.  I tried not to deviate to much from her original design…I wanted to recreate her look EXACTLY!  I didn’t think I did too bad with her assistance on my first try!  I love the reflection of the moon on the water.  Beautiful!

This second card is one I tried to recreate from pictures of our trip to Hilton Head last year.  We watched the sunrise from our room.  The sun turned the sky into such beautiful shades of red before finally turning the sky light blue.  I tried to recreate the sand dunes and the grasses and wild sea oats with the stamp set Embrace Life.  (of note…I need to purchase some more nature type stamps so I can do more of the Zindorf technique!!!) Then, tried to recreate the darker reds at the bottom and how it blends into the lighter reds as it comes upward.  Of course, even with the Stamp-a-ma-jig, I messed up the greeting and had to cover over it with the large oval punch.  Rats!!!  I had a piece of this double-sided satin ribbon in my stash and the colors matched perfectly.  Not a Zindorf masterpiece, but I don’t think I did too bad all on my own.

Here is also a picture of the four of us at The Morgan House in Dublin, Ohio…a very nice tea room and gift shop!  Left to right, Michelle Zindorf, Karen Barber, Mary Brown and me.

Today’s a busy day for me with several stamping assignments due.  Need to get working on those.  I also need to finish prepping for my Stamp Club this week.  My husband sprained (broke?) his foot, too, so I’m trying to wait on him so he doesn’t get on it too much.  I’m insisting he needs to go to the emergency room and he is resisting….men!

Connie

Tags: embrace life, sunrise, Zindorf

Wow…week #52 of the Blogger’s Challenge…Happy Birthday!  I didn’t join the first couple weeks, but loved the idea, so I was soon hooked into playing along.  Today’s theme is masculine cards.  I thought about using my standbys…Bronc Buster or Wanted…and I’m sure several of the Blogger’s will use them…but went for something different.  I guess this is more a masculine teen or college age card.  No ribbon or frills…

I love those simple cards that I can whip up in a few minutes.  For some reason, I seem to always need a card at the last minute!  For this one, I used a base of Brilliant Blue.  Then cut a 5 1/4 x 3" piece from the Jersey Shore Designer Paper.  When I first saw this design in that pack of paper, I wasn’t too sure I would ever use it…but I’ve ended up loving the stripes of different patterns on that design!  The DSP is adhered to the base.  Then I inked up the Party and Eat Cake greetings with Brilliant Blue and Pumpkin Pie markers on the Block Party image (this set is RETIRING!) and stamped on Whisper White.  I punched it with the Key Tag.  I then punched the large circle from Pumpkin Pie and used the slit punch along the top edge.  Placed the Key Tag into the slit and secured with a mini brad.  I then punched 3 small stars and placed mini brads in the center of each one.  They are adhered with dimensionals.

Quick, easy, makes a nice card for men or teens!  And it celebrates the Blogger’s Challenge Birthday!

Have a great weekend!

Tags: birthday, Block party, Jersey Shore, stars

This was a card that I created when Lisa, Mary and I did some challenges together a few weeks ago.  We had a sketch to use and the color combination using Sage Shadow.  It is hard to see the dimension on this card, I should have taken a photo of it on the side.  The Faux Diamond Dust circles in River Rock, Sage Shadow and Night of Navy are all different levels and placed in between and behind the layers of the pregnant lady! 

The base card is made from River Rock.  On the Sage Shadow layer I used the Twill background with tone-on-tone Sage Shadow ink.  Then stamped You Look Fabulous in Night of Navy.  The Night of Navy layer I stamped the Polka Dot background in White Craft over it.  The 5/8 Burgundy grosgrain ribbon was knotted and then wrapped around behind the Night of Navy layer.  The Whisper White is stamped with She’s All That in Night of Navy and layered onto Bravo Burgundy which are popped up off the card.  I love how this card sparkles in real life!

Beautiful weather here in Ohio!  Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Connie