Simon Says Stamp: So Stinkin' Cute

I have updated my Copic charts!!!  And the great news is that I have added two new companies!

They are all on my sidebar and can be downloaded and saved for your own use.

The first chart on which I want to focus is the chart for Simon Says Stamp.  It includes all the colors through their brand new Daybreak release.  The chart includes all of my picks for matching Copics - and I have added those that Simon Says has done on their blog with their Color Coordinates posts.  They only do these once a week - so I have also added blank spaces on my chart for you to keep up with their picks. Our picks are not always the same but neither is wrong.  Often color matching is a matter of choice. The picks for Green Leaf are a perfect example.  Shari Carroll does their matching and her Green Leaf pick is fairly muted.  My Green Leaf pick is actually quite bright.  They both coordinate; it just depends what you are looking for, and on which Copics you might already have in your collection.

These charts are always in my sidebar - here's a quick link to the Simon Says Stamp chart.

I made a card using almost all Simon Says product (including two of their gorgeous new grays).  The coloring is done using my Copic matches for Fog, Smoke, Cotton Candy, Doll Pink and Orange Peel.  (The green leaves are done with their Green Apple ink.)

Something else new on my sidebar is my Color Coordinates chart.  This is something I have personally used for quite some time and finally thought that I would share it.  Right now, my cardstock/ink collection includes Stampin' Up, Papertrey Ink, My Favorite Things and Simon Says Stamp.  (There are lots of other gorgeous collections out there, but I have managed to convince myself that I don't need it all.)  This chart shows which cardstocks from each collection match each other- either perfectly or pretty darn close.  I use it because each company has slightly different products.  One example is that My Favorite Things carries matching buttons and ribbon, while Simon Says Stamp doesn't.  Some of their cardstocks are exact matches - so you can splurge on Simon Says Stamp cardstock and ink -  but supplement with some My Favorite Things button!!!  This whole thing is probably way too obsessive for most of you, but I'll bet that someone out there gets it!
The chart will always be on my sidebar - here's a quick link.

For my "stinkin' cute" card, I am using the sketch from retrosketches.

And I am playing along with the Simon Says Animal Antics challenge.

• Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Stinkin' Cute, Flower Friend
• Paper: Simon Says Fog, Smoke, Cotton Candy
• Ink: Simon Says Smoke, Doll Pink, Green Apple, Memento Black, Copics
• Accessories: Simon Says Flower Friend die, Hemptique 10-lb natural twine, miscellaneous enamel cots

Curtain Call Confetti Crush: You Are My Happy

This is my second post for today!

Just a reminder about the current Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Confetti Crush.  There are four more days to play along.

The design team is playing with products from Reverse Confetti.  It's not a requirement for you to use Reverse Confetti - just be inspired by the fun challenge photo - and if you get the LEAD, you will win a gift certificate to Reverse Confetti!  I have to admit - I was having so much fun playing with my product, that I totally forgot about the actual challenge photo.  I'm not sure how my card relates to the inspiration. Do you see the hints of purple/plum in the confetti - I used purple/plum in my card - for sure that was my inspiration!!??

Actually, that wasn't at all my inspiration.  My colors come from the current Reverse Confetti Color Challenge.

The cute little woodgrain heart is part of my very favorite set: Forever Fall.  I do like all things autumn, and this set is particularly cute.  The tag is "Tag Me", also from Reverse Confetti.  It's one of my favorites for its fun shape and the fact that the set comes with this big tag, a smaller tag, the banner and two rings for the top of the tag.

Even though I didn't do well with the inspiration, I do hope I've still inspired you to play along with Curtain Call!!  Bright colors, polka dots or bokeh, a party theme - lots of great inspiration in the photo (even if I didn't use it!!!)  Or...if you have any Reverse Confetti product, play along with their color challenge.

• Stamps: Reverse Confetti All About You (sentiment), Forever Fall (heart and woodgrain on tag)
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Plum Pudding, Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade, My Favorite Things Berrylicious
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Plum Pudding, Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade and Old Olive (darker on the "you" so it stood out), Versamark
• Accessories: Reverse Confetti Tag Me die, My Favorite Things Brick Wall Stencil, Dreamweaver Embossing Paste, Papertrey Ink Lavender Moon button, Wow White Embossing Powder, Hemptique 10-lb natural twine, Hobby Lobby ribbon

Celebration of Faith with Big Balloons!!

Confirmation is a big event in a Lutheran church.  Every Wednesday night for three years, our middle schoolers gather for a meal, worship, lessons and sometimes service projects.  At the end of the program, they have to write a two minute faith statement which they have to read in front of the entire congregation. We think their efforts are worthy of a big party!!  In years past, we have held a formal sit-down dinner for those finishing the program, but this year we started thinking that that dinner was probably more for the families and less exciting for the 8th graders.  So this year, we are having a dance!

Of course, it falls to me to create the invitations for the event.  In this case, I wanted the fun of the dance, but also some formality.  The balloons were an obvious choice because as we were planning how to get the kids to dance, we came up with the idea of balloons all over the dance floor.  The colors come from this week's colourQ challenge which I thought was a perfect mix of fresh and fun colors, yet still grounded and somewhat more formal with the gray.  I do have to make thirty of these - so they aren't overly complicated. The only hard part will be waiting for the embossing paste to dry.


I haven't started the boys' cards yet, but my plan is to change the peach in the sentiment and the second layer to the Baja Breeze.
I also sprinkled a little glitter on top of the embossing paste.

The colors are from colourQ.

OK then...I am off to stamp about 90 balloons and smear paste over a hundred little stars!!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Party Balloons, sentiment is computer-generated
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Gray and Peach Parfait
• Ink: Stampin' Up Baja Breeze, Peach Parfait, So Saffron, Basic Gray
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Fishtail Layers die, Dreamweaver Embossing Paste, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal glitter, Heidi Swapp Confetti stencil

Catered Crop and Deconstructed: Think Green

It's time for a new challenge at Catered Crop and our challenge is to "think green".

For in the true nature of things, 
if we rightly consider,
every green tree is far more glorious
than if it were made of gold and silver.
~Martin Luther


I love green.  I have more different green cardstock and inks than any other color (with blue a close second). And I love trees, so I didn't get particularly creative with my "green" card - I made green trees!  I have an older Papertrey set that has never seen ink - Trendy Tree Tops - and I used it for this bright and cheerful card!


I was immediately drawn to the current sketch at Unscripted Sketches because I loved the idea of one tree outside of the box.  They are celebrating their 5-year blog-iversary - that's 252 sketches!  Thanks to the great people at Unscripted Sketches for all of the inspiration.

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Trendy Tree Tops, Framed Out #5
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse CS and dsp, Limeade Ice, My Favorite Things Berrylicious
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Limeade Ice and Dark Chocolate, Simon Says Stamp Khaki
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Trendy Tree Tops die, Mama Elephant Landscape Trio die, Pretty Pink Posh Springtime Mix sequins, Hemptique 10-lb white twine, Spellbinders Square die

The Lamb of God

I was sorting out Easter cards and realized that I did not have anything quite right for my 6-year old niece. She's all about the bright colors so I went with hot pinks and bright greens and, of course, sequins!


The set is Easter Joy from Taylored Expressions.  I have always loved the set for its sweet and simple images.
If I had all of the time in the world, I would remake this with a little less of the green - it feels bottom heavy. I have a terrible tendency to analyze my cards when they are all done and I am looking at the photo.  I don't know why I see things in the photo that I don't see in real life.  I hate to admit how often I go back with fingers crossed that the glue hasn't dried, and do it again.  Not this time - my niece is only six!!

• Stamps: Taylored Expressions Easter Joy
• Paper: Papertrey Raspberry Fizz, Doodlebug Springtime 6x6
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles, PTI Raspberry Fizz button, Stampin' Up embossing folder, Avery Elle sequins, The Twinery Marigold twine

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Confetti Crush

It's time for a new challenge at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!!

 photo source: polkadotprintsstudio.blogspot.com

Can you imagine the fun you will have with this challenge?  Confetti!  Bright and cheerful colors! Dots or bokeh or birthday or any other celebration!  I am excited to see what you come up with!

We have a fantastic new sponsor, Reverse Confetti and the LEAD of this challenge will receive a gift certificate to the Reverse Confetti store!

I do love Reverse Confetti.  All their products work so well together.  The sentiment fonts are so current and fresh. The images are just plain fun.  I put together their Petals 'n Posies set along with Beautiful Banners.

Do you see what I mean about fun and fresh!!?

Be sure to check out all the other Confetti Crush fun.  I hope you play along!

Jen del Muro, Reverse Confetti

Amber Kroening

Amy Tsuruta

Gayatri Murali

Kim Singdahlsen

Laurie Willison
Lisa Henke

Marisa Ritzen

Maureen Plut

Monika Davis

Sheri Gilson

Sarah Gough

Stacey Schafer

Tenia Nelson

Tracey McNeely

• Stamps: Reverse Confetti Petals 'n Posies, Beautiful Banners
• Paper: Simon Says Stamp Khaki and Sunshine, scrap of diagonal stripe
• Ink: Simon Says Stamp Doll Pink, Orange Peel, Audrey Blue, Green Apple, Versamark
• Accessories: Reverse Confetti Petals 'n Posies and Beautiful Banners dies, Heidi Swapp Confetti Stencil (appropriate,  huh?!!), Dreamweaver Embossing Paste, Pretty Pink Posh 4 mm Sparkling Clear Sequins, Wow White Embossing Powder, misc yellow button and enamel dots

Viva la Verve and ColourQ: Birthday Wishes

I had plans to meet a friend for lunch today.  She's a church pianist, as I was for years, and I wanted to give her a break as she begins Holy H*** Week.  Yes, I'm sure that's blasphemous, but it's a very tough week for the pianist.  Services on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and extras on Sunday.  Usually extra rehearsals for the choir and other musical groups. And the music is "bigger" and harder.  It's tough.  Church pianists don't celebrate Easter until after the last service and a long nap.

Now that I've made you feel sorry for her, let me tell you about the year that she had a baby early.  She called me on that Wednesday morning to share her happy news, which was my worst nightmare as I had to sight-read the music for all of Holy H*** Week's services and rehearsals!  Can you tell that I haven't quite forgiven her for that?

Sadly, I had plans today - she just called to tell me her son was home sick.  But we rescheduled for Monday, right after Easter, with plans to drink heavily!

To top off her long week, it's also her birthday - and I wanted to create something bright and cheerful!  I just got the Lean on Me set from Verve.  I don't know why I waited this long - the flowers are so fun to color!


The colors are from colourQ.  Orange/blue or peach/aqua combinations are my all-time favorites!  (I did use a more aqua color instead of the Cool Caribbean simply because I liked the patterned paper.)

I'm also playing along with this week's Viva la Verve sketch.

• Stamps: Verve Lean on Me (flower), Birthday Surprise (sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist CS and dsp
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Verve Pointed Flower die, Stampin' Up tag punch, Memory Box Tender Leaves, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Doodlebug sequins, Hemptique 10-lb white twine, Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist button