Catered Crop: Seeing Red

It's time for a new challenge at Catered Crop.  We are "seeing red"!

Linda, at Catered Crop, writes:

Bold, luxurious and sexy Red! The Hollywood red carpet, red light districts, homespun gingham, roses, valentines, kick a** lipstick, cherries, apples, and blushing cheeks . . . royalty, danger and passion . . 


She doesn't mention Christmas, but what better for a red challenge than some crisp and clean, red and white Christmas snowflakes!?


These are a few items from the Stamptember release at Simon Says Stamp.  I got the Holiday Frame die on the day it was released. I imagine so many uses for it, from cute to elegant.  It took me a couple of weeks to decide on the snowflakes, then I saw this card by Debby Hughes.  I want everything that I see Debby Hughes use!  This is the Presents and Ornaments set and it's full of handy basics like these snowflakes, a number of different sized presents and bows, and a chevron border. Much of it will be handy year-round.
Linda has curated this Pinterest board full of inspiration.  Here's a peek. Notice that the card doesn't have to be all red - just a focus on red.

Then next week, all of the design team cards will be gathered together on the Catered Crop blog along with a few guest designers.
I look forward to seeing the Catered Crop gallery full of red!

• Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Presents and Ornaments
• Paper: Simon Says Stamp Schoolhouse Red
• Ink: Simon Says Stamp Schoolhouse Red
• Accessories: Simon Says Holiday Frame die, Falling Snow Stencil, white embossing paste and glitter, red and white twine

MFT Sketch: Birthday for a Friend

My 14-year old son fancies himsel a chef.  I am SO lucky!  He loves to cook and he loves to eat.  So when we decided to have friends over last night, guess who did the meal?  He made his own recipe - Rustic Pasta with Sweet Italian Sausage, and on the side he had Roasted Brussel Sprouts.   He even had an antipasti platter with various Italian meats and cheeses, marinated Mozzarella and Castelvetrano olives (which took three stores to find).  I was going to take pictures of everything so you could all drool - but I was too busy eating!

When we scheduled the meal, I had no idea that it was our friend's birthday in a week.  Thank goodness for Facebook sending me a reminder!  So before they came over, while my son was upstairs cooking and my husband was cleaning(!), I was downstairs doing a birthday card.

I recently got My Favorite Thing's Spotlight Sentiments.  I knew that they would make fabulous cards with the simple addition of a diecut flower.  I did my first one early this week - see it here.  I liked the look so much, I did it in a different layout for this card.


My colors came from the patterned paper which is Fancy Pants True Friend.  I have the entire collection of My Favorite Things cardstock and inks and  but it turns out they are missing anything in the coral and/or cantaloupe family which I needed for this paper.  Hey MFT!!  I'm thinking it's time for some new colors!!
The layout is from their current sketch.  I the love diagonal but the vertical lines gave me enough of a headache that I almost didn't do it.  I kept going and I REALLY like the final result.  That's why I use the sketches, and other people create the sketches.

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Spotlight Sentiments, Woodgrain Background
• Paper: Fancy Pants True Friend 6x6 dsp, My Favorite Things Natural and Berrylicious, Stampin' Up Crisp Cantaloupe and Calypso Coral
• Ink: Versamark, My Favorite Things Natural
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Gerbera Daisy die, Layered Leaves die, Lemon Drop button

CAS(E) this Sketch! Boo to You

I spent a wonderful afternoon playing at a friend's house who has it all when it comes to Stampin' Up products.  Although I still manage to buy more than my fair share of Stampin' Up products, playing with her stash allows me to avoid buying full stamp sets because I love one or two of the stamps in the set.  In this case, I really like Frankenstein from Freaky Friends but I have no use for the other fun characters from the set.  So I got my Frankie-fix with this little scene!


I thought the off-kilter panel on this week's sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch worked well with Frankie.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Freaky Friends, Good Greetings
• Paper: Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss CS and dsp, Crushed Curry
• Ink: Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss, black, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Heat 'n Stick Powder, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Avery Elle sequins

Freshly Made Sketches: Many Thanks

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!

I was organizing some stamps that I recently got from My Favorite Things and was looking at the long sentiments in Spotlight Sentiments - a perfect fit for the border in this sketch.  Then I started thinking about the tag and realized that what I really wanted to add was flower (and that's about as creative as you'll ever see me get in a sketch challenge - a flower instead of a tag!)  After I made that decision, I threw caution to the wind, although I'm the only one that can see it.  I used four colors of unopened or almost unused cardstock packages, in other words, colors that aren't normally in my color palette!!  And I think it actually works...

I almost never use purples, so the dark and light purples are a stretch.  I love these purples.  They are some of the first paper/ink sets that I purchased from My Favorite Things because I had nothing like it in my collection.  I don't know why I'd never opened them.  The red comes up a little bright in the photo - it's actually a lovely, muted brick red.  I can't explain never opening the green - I love natural looking greens like this.  Given I had so many new-to-me colors, I simply added them to a background of light gray.
I look forward to seeing what you create with this sketch!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Spotlight Sentiments
• Paper: My Favorite Things Grout Gray, Grapesicle, Grape Jelly, Brick Red, Factory Green
• Ink: Versamark
• Accessories: Hero Arts White Embossing Powder, My Favorite Things Sunflower Die, Simon Says Stamp Orchid sequins, Hemptique 10-lb white twine

Curtain Call Inspiration: Dream Explore Discover

Just a reminder that there are still 4 days to play along with the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Wishing Well. Cards are due on Thursday, the 25th, by 8 a.m. CDT.  One random winner will receive a $25 store credit to Whimsy Stamps and the LEAD will be invited to be a guest designer!

Each member of the Curtain Call Design Team received a stamp set and a die set to play with.  I used the Dream, Explore, Discover street sign from Travel 2 to create this card that I think would be appropriate for a teenager headed off to college.  (I didn't use the die that I received on this card - but I did show it off on the card that I made when the challenge opened.)

• Stamps: Clearly Whimsy Travel 2
• Paper: Pebbles Garden Party 6x6 pad, Simon Says Sea Glass
• Ink: Memento Black
• Accessories: Misc sequins, Taylored Expressions cloud impression plate

A Mickey Birthday

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday and she is a serious Disney fan.  She grew up in California and could see Disneyland from her home.  She, my brother, and their two sweet daughters are in California as I type this! They also have a three-week vacation planned in Florida later this year with Disney World and a Disney cruise on the list!  So when I saw these Mickey balloons at Frantic Stamper, it was a no-brainer that they belonged in my collection. (The set also comes with a trio of balloons and balloon strings.  If you love Disney there are a number of options at Frantic Stamper including a frame with Mickey peeking out of a corner, and a series of Disney princess dies).


I have to credit Debby Hughes at Lime Doodle Design for this card layout.  She uses tags in the bottom corner somewhat regularly and I love it every time that I see it!

• Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Happy Sentiments
• Paper: Simon Says Fog and Sunshine, Simple Stories Say Cheese
• Ink: Simon Says Smoke
• Accessories: Frantic Stamper Helium Balloon die, Simon Says Happy Die, WPlus9 tag die, Pretty Pink Posh Clear Sequins, Stampin' Up Hello Honey ribbon

Catered Crop: Good Medicine

It's time for a new challenge at Catered Crop: Good Medicine.  A thoughtful "get well" or "thinking of you" is definitely good medicine!!


“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today,” said Pooh.
“There there,” said Piglet. “I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.”
~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh


I try to keep a stash of get well cards ready to go because knowing that someone cares really is good medicine.  Get well cards can be difficult - in fact I've never loved the phrase "get well".  It seems so demanding.  These cards could be bright and cheerful or they could be funny, but you always have to be careful to know the recipient's situation. In the case of this card, it is destined for an elderly friend who probably isn't going to feel much better - so I kept it soft and sweet.  Just a note that I really do care.


As usual, Linda at Catered Crop has curate a Pinterest board of inspiration.  Here's a quick peek:

Then next Sunday, all the card from the design team and special guests will be gathered together at Catered Crop for a little more inspiration.  Hope you play along!

I got back two days ago from my mini-vacation and it was mostly wonderful!  Check out the spectacular scenery from some of the hikes that I did.

I also spent quite a bit of time sipping coffee at the local coffee shop and using their free Wi-Fi to keep up on all of your blogs.

We have a tiny, little condo in Frisco Colorado.  About 12 years ago, we had decided to buy a new home in Parker to move out of our tiny little house.  But I kept feeling sick to my stomach at the change in the mortgage payment because we have owned our current home for 25 years and the mortgage payment is wonderfully reasonable.  So instead of a bigger home, we bought this condo in Frisco.  I now have two teeny tiny little places!  One thing about the condo is both good and bad - it's old (at least for a condo). This is good because it was built before the ski industry became a high-end, slick sport and condos became high-end and expensive.  It's also good because with the wooden siding, etc. it feels like a mountain condo. There are beautiful condos up there with much more space than we have, but they feel like being in a city. The picture of the fall colors above was taken about 1/2 a mile from the condo.

The bad side of this is that the appliances are old and wildly out of date.  I'm actually irrationally scared of the oven because it's just a little dark hole - I can't explain it, I just always feel like something creepy is going to pop out, or my food is going to get sucked into the black hole.  The dishwasher hasn't worked in years and it is actually taped shut with a big warning sign for any guests because when it quit working, we just closed it and it really smells bad!

Long story short - on my last day, new appliances were delivered, but my husband's and my fear of home improvements was confirmed.  We are really, really bad at it. First came the refrigerator which we thought we had carefully measured.  Turns out we had measured the width, but not the depth.  It sticks out an extra 4" which made a huge difference. They had to take out the window ledge and the floor boards just to squeeze it in - and now it sticks out clear to the window.  It's quite a hulking presence in the kitchen and makes the window look off-center (which I know all of you cardmakers will understand).  Apparently there are such things as "counter-depth" refrigerators, but even though they are smaller, they are double the price, so I'm going to have to live with this hulking presence.  (We try not to put much money into this place that gets used maybe once a month.)

Then came the stove.  As a very inexperienced home improvement person, I had no idea there were stand-alone and slide-in options.  I bought a stand-alone; I needed a slide-in.  So after battling the refrigerator and then bringing up the new stove, I made them take back the stove.  (Did I mention we are on the second floor?)  Just like with the counter-depth refrigerator, the slide-in range is almost double the price but I don't have a choice on this one.  

Needless to say, my Lowe's delivery guys walked out with six-packs of beer and a good tip!!  They were the most cheerful guys and they kept propping me up by reminding me that there were definitely worse things that could happen than appliances that didn't fit!! 

(The dishwasher is fabulous!)

Well that was a longer story than any of you cared about!!!  Here's the card recipe which is probably all that many of you cared about!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Get Well Wishes, Diagonal Stripes background (just on the corners)
• Paper: My Favorite Things Grout Gray, Bubblegum, Sour Apple, Lemon Drop
• Ink: Versamark, White
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Gerbera Daisy die, Leaf-Filled Flourish (I did cut this into three pieces and spread it out behind the flower so it fit around the sentiment)

Freshly Made Sketches: Snowflake Greetings

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!!  This sketch was created by Cindy.

The instant I saw today's sketch, I envisioned the big snowflakes that Stampin' Up had last year called Festive Flurries.  It was one of those rare moments when I saw the card in my mind - big snowflakes, Lost Lagoon paper and Smoky Slate embossing powder.  That truly never happens to me.  I'm a brute-force stamper - lay it down, look at it, hate it, change it, lay it down again, etc. until it is right.  But then, just so I wouldn't get too cocky, Mr. Mojo slapped me down.  I couldn't find the stamp set.  I looked through my Stampin' Up section, my winter section, my Christmas section, and my NBUS section.  No stamps.  I looked again - nothing.  Then I started worrying that those stamps (a very expensive stamp and die set) were one of those things that my charming pair of cats had knocked off my craft desk into the trash without me noticing.  So I made a different card.  It took two long and frustrating hours and I hated it - because I wanted my snowflakes and Lost Lagoon.  Then I went for a long walk to clear my head.

Stamping is supposed to be relaxing, isn't it???

I looked one more time when I got back from my walk and I found it right away!!!  The problem was simply that I remembered it being a clear set and it was rubber.  Not only did I find it right away, but the card went together in 15 minutes!

If you add it all together - the searching, the bad card, etc. - this was about a five hour card!


I used some Heat 'n Stick powder to apply a fine glitter to the strip of Lost Lagoon and to the top snowflake. That's the kind of fuzzy look you are seeing in the photo - but it's great in real life!!
I do hope you all play along.  I love the sketches at FMS.  I even put an icon on my iPad with a direct link to the past sketches page at FMS.  It has helped me out of a crafting slump countless times.  This sketch is a definite keeper.  Think of all the shapes you could use - pumpkins and ghost, snowflakes and trees, flowers, stars, or my first card actually had a bunny!!  Then you could use colorful strips of paper to make it fun!  I look forward to seeing what you create.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Festive Flurry, Endless Wishes (sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Lost Lagoon, Smoky Slate, Flowerpot dsp
• Ink: Stampin' Up Lost Lagoon, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Festive Flurry dies, Smoky Slate Embossing Powder, Heat 'n Stick Powder (to apply the glitter), Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter

Happy Birthday Bev...Let's Celebrate and Happy Dance!!

Today we are celebrating Bev's birthday!!  Bev is one of the nicest people out there in the blog world.  Happy Dance is one of my very favorite blogs to read.  Her cards are clean, simple and graphic. And every post gives you a peek into her life.  Whether it be about typing a 75-year old manuscript, or the seeing the fox on the bluff, or making potato salad, or enjoying one of the 20 grandchildren - each post makes me smile!!

Bev also remembers birthdays.  It just takes a short scroll through her blog to see all of the birthday wishes that she sends out to others, so we definitely have to celebrate her birthday.  Darnell and Ardyth are the ringleaders of this one.  Darnell's blog is a little busy hosting her current NBUS challenge so all of our birthday cards and wishes for Bev are being linked up here.  Anyone can link up for Bev.

With Darnell as a host and with Bev as a big NBUS player (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff), it was a no-brainer for me to do a NBUS card.  I even dug deep for this one - a stamp set that had gathered dust. Happy birthday Bev!!  I hope you are celebrating and doing a happy dance!!

This is my third and final card to link up at the current NBUS challenge.

• Stamps: Lil' Inkers Spot on Stamps
• Paper: Stampin' Up Calypso Coral, Simon Says Green Apple
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow, Simon Says Green Apple, Coral Reef, Maliblue
• Accessories: Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Wishing Well

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

Isn't this a beautiful graphic??  I am so looking forward to seeing what everybody creates with this lovely inspiration.

The sponsor for this challenge is Whimsy Stamps who has kindly given the design team members a set from their Clearly Whimsy collection along with a coordinating die.  I got their Travel 2 but don't be misled by the word "travel".  My card for this week is a love card, then on the 21st, I'll be back with a heading-off-to-college (or even graduation) card - so it's not all about "travel".  

Do you all recognize the shape in the upper corner?  I think I'm going to have to be careful as to who I give this to.  They have to be old enough to recognize a roll of film!!  At the last minute, I added the light gray camera behind the sentiment to give a bit of a clue.

I also have to give a shout out to CASE this Sketch.  I was actually making the above card a week ago (before I ran away for a quick get-away!).  I was totally inspired by the sketch that was current a week ago, but it didn't even occur to me that the sketch deadline would be long past before I was scheduled to post this card.

Be sure to head over to Curtain Call to check out all of the inspiration from my fellow designers and our guests!  Then be sure to play along - there is a prize from Whimsy Stamps to one randomly selected participant.

• Stamps: Clearly Whimsy Travel 2
• Paper: Stampin' Up Garden Green, Peach Parfait and Basic Gray, My Favorite Things Bubblegum
• Ink: Simon Says Fog, Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow
• Accessories: Whimsy Stamps Candid Camera die set

Follow us!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Facebook Page

Curtain Call Pinterest Boards

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Wishing Well for the challenge details and to play along with us!

PTI Inspiration Archive: Birthday with Scribble Flowers

A dear friend is celebrating a birthday today.  (Happy Birthday Andrea!)  I have been a very bad friend and it's been a month since I saw her, and I miss her.  (Sorry friend.) I hope you have a fabulous day and we will celebrate big when I am back in town next week.  (I hope it means a little something that I made sure to get a card done, and actually mailed to you, before I left on vacation!)

I recently ordered the Circle Scribbles die from Papertrey Ink because I had seen them used a number of times as flowers.  I thought they would be fun for this card which is mostly birthday and a little apology.


I did use the sketch and colors from the Papertrey Inspiration Archive.

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Sketched Shapes
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Soft Stone, Bashful Blue, Pure Poppy, Spring Moss
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Circle Scribble dies, Turning a New Leaf dies, Harvest Gold buttons, Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles

Avery Elle More Stories: All is Calm

Avery Elle recently released a charming set of little animals called More Stories - it's the second set to Storybook.  I ordered immediately, not only because they are totally cute, but also because I envisioned them sitting in front of the trees from the Let It Snow.  More Stories comes with a variety of scene builders - kites for the spring, grass and flowers for the summer, falling leaves for autumn and snowflakes for winter - so it is perfect for all times of the year.  The four animals in the set have such sweet and gentle expressions; I think they are perfect for this calm scene.


I'm linking this up to the current clean and simple challenge at Avery Elle...keeping in mind that there's not a lot of white space but there is open space.

• Stamps: Avery Elle Let It Snow, More Stories
• Paper: Simon Says Soft Navy
• Ink: Simon Says Soft Navy, Versamark
• Accessories: Avery Elle More Stories dies, Memory Box star die, Heat 'n Stick Powder and Martha Stewart Fine Crystal glitter (it's hard to see but the star is glittery), Pretty Pink Posh 4mm Sparkling Clear sequins, Hero Arts white embossing powder

Freshly Made Sketches: Christmas Blessings

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!!  This one was designed by Jen Brum.

I was thrilled when I saw the sketch because I just got a new set from Paper Smooches that had the perfect image for the center.  This sketch is a fabulous way to show it off!

I created a starry background using a Memory box stencil, embossing paste and a sprinkling of glitter.  My original plan was to use pastel colors but somehow the more elegant blues and neutrals took over!
I'm sure you see the possibilities in Jen's sketch and I hope to see you play along!

I'm also adding this to the current Paper Smooches challenge.

And last, but definitely not least, I want to give a shout out to Darnell's current NBUS challenge.  These stamps are definitely "virginal" - pun intended!!!

• Stamps: Paper Smooches A Blessed Christmas
• Paper: Stampin' Up Creamy Caramel, Not Quite Navy, Little Yellow Bicycle paper pad
• Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Versamark
• Accessories: Paper Smooches Blessed Christmas dies, Memory Box Starry Nights Stencil, Dreamweavers white embossing paste, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Stampin' Up white candy dots, Pretty Pink Posh Bronze sequins in 4mm cupped and 6mm flat, Pretty Pink Posh stars (colors with a Copic), Papertrey Ink RUstic Jute button twine

Simon Says Stamp: Fairytale Collection

I love package tracking through UPS or USPS.  The words "out for delivery" totally makes my day!  I had a Simon Says Stamp package full of Stamptember fun scheduled to be delivered yesterday.  I watched the mail truck at my mailbox.  I waited a few minutes before I ran out to get the mail so I didn't look like a crazy woman.  Picture it: country road, long driveway, mailbox at end of driveway, woman in pajamas and sweatshirt with uncombed hair trotting to mailbox (I'm on vacation - I don't have to get dressed or comb my hair).  I got to the mailbox looked, looked again, no Simon Says package.  Seriously??!!  I should have run out when the mail truck was still there so I could have flagged it down and made them search their truck until they found my "out for delivery" package.  I looked scary enough to get it done!

Fast forward about ten hours.  I'm in bed, still in pajamas and uncombed hair.  I was browsing with my iPad and I glanced at the package tracking status just to see what kind of tracking update they added at the end of their day when they saw my poor lonely little package on the floor of their truck.  It said "delivered". Excuse me??!!  So - same mental picture as above - but add pitch dark, drizzle, and skunks lurking in every bush primed to take me down.  The package was there (and the skunks didn't find me).  God bless the postman who came all the way back down my country road!

I have lots of fun fall and winter stuff in the package - but first thing I did was stamp the inks.  This is their Fairytale collection.  I love Simon Says inks.  They stamp all blotchy and quite dark, but when you see them a few minutes later, they are smooth and beautiful!  These are five of the six new colors - Cobblestone didn't work on this card but it's a lovely gray/brown.


My life would be complete if they came out with coordinating cardstock for these new colors.  What's up with that??

• Stamps: Simon Says Talk Bubbles ("what's up?"), Card-Exchanging Friends (the banner)
• Paper: Simon Says Soft Navy
• Ink: Simon Says Goldenlocks, Coral Reef, Maliblue, Beanstalk Green, Caribbean Blue, Versamark
• Accessories: Simon Says Hello die, Frames die (the thin inner frame), Fall Festival sequins

Curtain Call Reminder: Lovely Leaves

This is just a reminder that the Lovely Leaves challenge at Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge is open for three more days.

I made another card bringing in the amazing colors of the inspiration graphic.  I love those brilliant leaves on the frosty gray background!


I have a full collection of Distress Inks but I rarely get them out.  At this point, I have no idea why - because what an amazing wash of brilliant color they can give.  Of course, they can also easily give a wash of soft pastels or neutrals.  I think I need to bring my distress inks within easier reach of my core crafting area!!
This is a new die by poppystamps (Memory Box) and I am totally in love.  I got the Maple Leaf, Birch Leaf and Aspen Leaf.  They all have that narrow edge that you can use to frame in a different color and they all have a vein pattern in the leaf.
I hope you are inspired and think about playing along.  If you are a fall-lover as I am, be sure to check out all of the entries at Curtain Call,  Just clicking over to the page will get you in an autumn mood!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Thanksgiving
• Paper: Simon Says Stamp Olive, Fog, Tim Holtz Watercolor cardstock
• Ink: Simon says Stamp Olive, Distress Inks in Fired Brick, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Vintage Photo
• Accessories: Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear sequins, Lifestyle crafts embossing folder, Smooch Illuminate (just on the outer frame of the leaf)

NBUS Christmas with a little Mojo

It's time for another NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) challenge on Darnell's blog.  (Congrats to Darnell on meeting another follower milestone!)    The rules are simply to use those virginal stamps that are languishing in your stash on a new creation.  Any new "schtuff" is fine - although Darnell notes that old virginal stamps really need some attention.  I didn't follow that part of the rule today as this "schtuff" came in my mail today!!


This is the brand new Lawn Fawn set Snow Day along with a little wooden snowflake from Lawn Fawn.  I pre-ordered them so long ago that I had forgotten about them, so the mail today was a very pleasant surprise!
I used the sketch from Mojo Monday.

The NBUS challenge is open clear until September 25th so there is plenty of time to play.  Plus, Darnell is kind enough to offer prizes and you can link three cards to get into the drawing for those prizes.

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Snow Day
• Paper: Simon Says Lipstick Red, Fog, MME Mistletoe Magic
• Ink: Simon Says Smoke, Lipstick Red, Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn Snow Day dies and Snowflake Wood Veneer, Zing Glitter Blue Embossing

Catered Crop: New Again

It's time for a new challenge at Catered Crop.  Linda is challenging us to bring something back from the "stamping graveyard" because it might become new again!

Don’t throw the past away
You might need it some rainy day
Dreams can come true again
When everything old is new again
~ lyrics by Peter Allen, 1979

I wish that I would have looked ahead to the Catered Crop challenges (looking ahead is one of the big advantages to being on design teams!)  I have been in a major purge mood all summer.  I have half the clothes that I had at the beginning of summer - all of those items that I thought I liked but never wore have been donated!  My cookbook and knitting book collections went from six bookshelves to three.  Our teeny, tiny mountain condo has gone to livable again with incredible amounts of old ski gear, warm clothes and family games and puzzles being donated or thrown away.  I started the summer feeling like life was closing in on me - do you ever feel that way?  And I purged everything just to make me feel "lighter".

My stamping stash was no exception.  That purge is still ongoing as every week I challenge myself to fill another trash bag and a donation bag.  Sadly, the stuff the truly belonged in the "graveyard" went first as those were the easy decisions.  If I hadn't touched something in years, it was gone.  This has made the "graveyard" challenge a little difficult.

One thing that I kept was a crimper.  I know this one is an oldie because Linda included it in the challenge graphic (see below).  Can you see the dust on my crimper?


I'll always keep my crimper because to this day, I love crimped fall leaves. Just cut your leaf, fold it in half and run it through the crimper at an angle.


I also kept my box of charms.  I'm not sure these are really graveyard items but I can't remember the last time that I saw a charm dangling from a bow on the card and it used to be totally normal.  I checked out an online stamping store from which I often got beautiful charms and they only have two styles now - so I decided to use them on this card.  (But after I decided to use them, I say that the brand new Stampin' Up Holiday catalog includes snowflake charms.  Although it is interesting that they never refer to them as "charms" they simply tell you that you can use linen thread through the loop to hang them.)  This box shows you why I had to use a few charms on this card.


I wanted to use a beautiful, dimensional ghost charm (you can kind of see at the bottom of the box) but it was just too big for my card idea.  I ended up using a trio of flat charms.  Using these flat charms told me why charms might have gone out of favor...they are impossible to photograph!!!  Here's a picture with the charms all "lit up".  With my limited photography skills, getting the glow on the charms makes everything else look gray.


And here's the card as a whole.


I used the crimper horizontally and then did a small strip vertically.  All edges are sponged with gray but you can only really see that in the bottom left corner. It's a nice look since only the raised portion catches the ink.

This card also made me wonder whether striped baker's twine is in the graveyard.  Personally, I had to dig really deep to pull mine out.  I do a lot of twine - but all I've used for a long time is solid color hemp twine.

Here's Linda's graphic on stamping items in the graveyard.  You can also check back at Catered Crop this Sunday to see what else the design team came up with.

Do you have any of these items?

Do you agree that they are in the graveyard?

What else do you have so far back in your stash that you've almost forgotten that's it there?

I hope you ponder these questions, then play along at Catered Crop.  I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

• Stamps: none
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Terracotta Tile, Smokey Shadow
• Ink: Simon Says Fog (just for sponging on the edge)
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Tricky Trio dies, Charms (unknown), Baker's twine from The Twinery, Fiskars paper crimper