My Refuge and My Fortress

We had out church cardmaking gathering last week and our cards racks are looking colorful and full!!!  That is...except for sympathy cards...so you will be seeing quite a few sympathy cards from me over the next few weeks.

This morning, I decided to play along with the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge.  It has a rectangular section that worked perfectly for this verse...

I had also just seen this week's colors at the Color Throwdown.

 I started this card with a very different vision.  I imagined that the colors would make a beautiful brayered or sponged scene behind the verse - a little rolling River Rock hill with a hint of Daffodil sunshine and a Soft blue Sky. A few weeks ago, I rearranged my desk and I put my box of dies on top of the desk and moved the box of brayers and sponges that had been on top of my desk...somewhere??!!  You have to realize two things - I have a craft CORNER and ... the box is bright green.  There aren't too many too many places that my box of brayers and sponges could be hiding.  But they are definitely hiding.  So I simplified my card and I am happy with the results.

Fun news:  my jaunty little fruits card was a Top Pick at Stampin' Royalty.

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Our Refuge and Serene Silhouettes
• Paper: Stampin' Up Soft Suede, River Rock, Daffodil CS and dsp, Soft Sky dsp
• Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede, Versamark Champagne Dazzle
• Accessories: Martha Stewart butterfly punch, EK Success border punch

Baby Set for a Special Teacher

Yesterday, Online Card Classes began their two-week Clean & Simple class.  I had taken their Holiday Boot Camp class in November and was so very impressed with the quality of their presentation, their unique ideas and all of the little tips and hints that I picked up - that I was absolutely thrilled when their current class is my favorite style - clean & simple!

The first class included three CAS layouts.  The video gave tips such as including dimension for interest and a great idea for masking the middle of the card. I always learn something from their videos - even though I have been crafting for a decade.

My task this morning was to create a card and a gift for my children's beloved 6th grade teacher who is having a baby!  (This is very special news since a little over a year ago, we had to send a sympathy card for the loss of their first baby.)

The sentiment treatment was taken from this BabiesRUs gift card. I used Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio to create the sentiment.  It would be very easy to create with stamps - probably stamping off first to get just a light color that will blend - I simply don't have basic alphabet stamps.

I also used the same colors but a different layout to create a set of six Thank You cards for her use.

The dimension that they talked about in the card class is found in the butterflies.  These are the two layouts that I used from Online Card classes.

Now I need to get the family up and off - but then I am going to settle in with the Day 2 cards and video and see what else I can play with today!!

• Stamps: Savvy Stamps thank you
• Paper: Stampin' Up Shimmer White, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Papertrey Ink New Leaf
• Ink: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Border Punch, Pearls, Vanilla Taffeta, Beautiful Wings Embosslit (first card), Martha Stewart butterfly punch (thank you card)

Predominantly Purple with Die Cuts

I have put together two challenges for this card - this morning's Clean & Simple Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers is to use die cuts.  This week's Less Is More Challenge is to go Predominantly Purple.  I'm feeling a little guilty about the second challenge as I went "Absolutely Amethyst".  On the one hand, it's in the purple family.  On the other hand, I never really use purples, but I do use amethyst - so not much challenge there!!

My inside is a cute stamp that says "Just sitting here thinking about you".

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Every Little Bit
• Paper: Stampin' Up Almost Amethyst CS and dsp
• Ink: Memento black and copics
• Accessories: Poppystamps (Memory Box) small window, Papertrey border, Stampin' Up embossing folder.

Bear Hugs are the Best!

I still have one stamp set to show off from the new release at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  I was browsing this morning's Splitcoast Inspiration Challenge which is not something I generally play along with (inspiration challenges are HARD) - then I stumbled on this Old Blue Owl Clock...

I really hate to say that this tired guy (who clearly had way TOO much fun last night) inspired me to make this darling bear card (Rhubarb is definitely NOT that kind of bear), but Rhubarb does have that sleepy kind of look.  I thought the wing patterns would be fun to duplicate - a little greenery (in white) and I like my card!

I am most definitely not a fussy-cutter - you can see my carelessness in this photo - but I wanted you to see the fun dimension on this guy!

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Love from Rhubarb
• Paper: Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise, Cool Caribbean, black
• Ink: Memento black, copics
• Accessories: Ek Success postage border punch, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Papertrey Woodgrain Impression plate, Espresso Dimension Pearls (eyes)

It's Sweet 'n Sassy Release Day!!

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps has an amazing release planned for this month, and the Design Divas are so excited about it!  Eight new clear stamp sets and three new sets of dies will be available in the store tonight.  Make sure you've got a warm, tasty beverage and some donuts ready....you won't want to miss a bit of the inspiration we have for you today!

You have probably arrived here from Amber's blog, but if you did just happen to find me first - it's definitely worth starting at the beginning - the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog.  There is an amazing variety of stamps in this release - and you are going to want to see them all!

My tidbit for you today are cards using the new Punny Fruits & Veggies set.  I was absolutely charmed by the jaunty grins on these little guys.  They called to me to dress them up and I knew they were the type of characters that could pull off polka dots and stripes and pinks and oranges!!

Don't they just make you smile??

Then I was having so much fun polka-dotting and striping and smiling at these little guys - I had to dress up "hot stuff" too!!!  He even got a little extra shine from Glossy Accents!

Next on the hop is Holly McMillen.  Enjoy your morning and be sure to come back tonight!

And now take a look at the rest of the Design Divas (and our very special January guest)...they've all whipped up some gorgeousness today!

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog

Taylor Usry

Bridget Finlay

Monika Davis

Jessica Fick

Dina Kowal

Giovana Smith

Kim Schofield

Amber Hillman

Kim Singdahlsen - you are here!

Holly McMillen

Mary Faus

Cathy McCauley

Lydia Fiedler

Korin Sutherland

We hope you can make plans to join us tonight in our Member Company forums over on Splitcoaststampers.  We're having a Release Party, and it is full of great activities, stamp set reveals, and fun with friends!  All of the partying will take place in our Release Party forum, so be sure to bookmark it!  Hope to see you there!

(I did get inspiration for the first card from this week's Stampin' Royalty sketch challenge.)

A Freshly Made Throwdown: Birthday Buttons

I combined two challenges today - the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the colors from Color Throwdown to come up with this masculine birthday card.

 The edges are inked just by rubbing along a black ink pad.  You never really notice this quick extra step until you have compared cards side by side - I took some before and afters on this post.  That quick rub just gives it a little bit of a shadow and that little extra dimension.

I made the circle and square buttons out of two different dsps and then coated them with glossy accents.

It's my oldest son's 16 birthday!!  I had planned to make something funny or sarcastic but just couldn't come up with anything in my collection.  So when I saw these challenges, I thought I would go for something a little more grown-up.  (I can actually enjoy his birthday because he hasn't completed all the requirements to get his driver's license so I don't have to panic because he is off on his own!)

• Stamps: Papertrey Round & Round (sentiment), Background Basics: Circles
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray (the circles) and Basic Black (the sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Gray CS and dsp, Real Red CS and dsp, Basic Black dsp
• Accessories: Misc circle and square punches, misc star button, crochet thread

CAS: Beverages and Babies!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I thought that I would start out my new year with a clean and simple challenge because they are my FAVE!!  Today's Splitcoast Stampers CAS challenge was beverages!  I had recently unearthed my box of small embossing folders and was thrilled to find these champagne glasses.

Then I liked the card so much, I went digging into the same box and found folders for baby cards!

(I apologize for the shadows on these cards.  I find that if I keep them shadowed, you can more easily see the embossed details.  I have not mastered the art of bright, unshadowed pictures with clear embossed details.)


For the Newlyweds

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes, Glitz Designs script
• Paper: black, white, Papertrey Fine Linen
• Ink: black, Tim Holtz Antique Paper Distress Ink
• Accessories: Cuttlebug folder, Nestabilities Scalloped Rectangle, Just Rite label die

Baby Girl

• Stamps: A Muse sentiment
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pretty in Pink, white
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray
• Accessories: Cuttlebug folder, Stampin' Up ribbons and embossing folder, small corner rounder

Sweet Pea

• Stamps: Savvy circle background (it's actually a square of circles - I just stamped it on both sides of the image to stretch it out)
• Paper: black, white, Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz
• Ink: black
• Accessories: Cuttlebug folder, Stampin' Up gingham, basic hole punch