Julee Tilman Sketch

This is Julee's sketch for this week...#80! If you have followed my blog for a while, you may know I am a huge fan of Julee's sketches.

Julee used to have a pdf file on her blog (Poetic Artistry) of the sketches, but now you can go to Mojo Monday- The Blog.

See the butterfly on my card? I found a package of these at Michael's yesterday in the $1 bins. They are by Studio 18. I thought it would coordinate well with my My Mind's Eye papers. I also used white Bazzill scraps. The rub-on, mini brads, and base card are all DCWV. The ribbon is by American Crafts. The square and scallop square are Nestibilities.

I love pinks, oranges, and lime together...such happy colors :)

Make it a great day!

Hey, Chick, Have You Seen My Mojo?

I have been very happy with the cards I have made/posted the past 2.5 weeks. Today I had a lot of trouble coming up with something. Anything.

I could not come up with a unique idea for an Easter card. I looked through the cards I made in Sue's "Thoughts and Prayers" Stampin' Up! class. I decided to use a sketch from a card Sue had us make. Then I sifted through my I've-had-this-forever embellies. I found three Laura Ashley buttons. I recalled I had a 12x12 of I've-had-this-forever Laura Ashley double-sided paper to coordinate. (Let's define "forever" as 5 1/2 years.) I stamped with blush blossom and mellow moss inks. I colored the chicks (a PSX stamp)with barely banana, their beaks & legs with more mustard, and their hats with apricot appeal. I colored the ribbons & leaves on the hats with mellow moss and the flowers on one hat with blush blossom. I eked out three cards from that 12x12 sheet, which worked out nicely since I had three buttons! Ah...no scraps :) The doily border punch is Martha Stewart. I masked the chicks and sponged mellow moss for the "grass". I think I need more practice with this :)



I also made this card out of the scraps from this post.

Happy Monday!

Cuttlebug Meets Cupcake- Be Inspired # 24

This week's challenge at Cuttlebug Challenges is to "create some unusual techniques for the frosting." I don't know if this qualiefies as unusual; I have used these pomegranate dew drops before on my cupcake icing here, and I have used Cuttlebug embossing folder as icing here. But I have never embossed and used dew drops :)

I used my Nesties Labels Two for the first time, and I paper crimped the cupcake "wrapper"...something I have not used in a long time :)

I just found a challenge blog called Stamp Something. They have a sketch challenge this week; like today's card.

Recipe:
Card base: DCWV
Black cardstock: ACMoore
Decorative papers: Bo Bunny
Cuttlebug embossing folder: Bloom Dots
Die: Nestibilities Labels Two
Dew drops: Embellashments
Sentiment stamp, oval punches, dimensionals, paper crimper: Stampin' Up!

Cuttlebug Spot Challenge #23 : Spring

I made the top panel using alcohol inks. I stamped and embossed in black, then added the white Basic Grey rub-ons to two corners.
I found a coordinating paper in my stash (by Magenta), ran it through the Cuttlebug embossing folder D'Vine Swirls. I mounted each on black cardstock. Then I added the scrap of purple decorative paper (also by Magenta) on black cs.
I used my paper piercer to punch holes and add the silver brads across the bottom. I found this silver flower charm in my stash, and hot glued it to the front.
Enjoy your weekend!

Cuttlebug Spot Challenge: Spring

When I think of Spring, I see dyed Easter eggs in pretty pastels, like this argyle bling paper by DCWV. I thought The argyle Cuttlebug embossing folder would be perfect with it. But the image? Spring also reminds me of the rebirth of the flowers and trees, allergies, and bugs :) I used the SU set "Cute as a Bug". I popped up the heart on dimensionals and added some stickles to coordinate with the bling in the DCWV paper. I didn't know how to add the sentiment. Then I noticed my new EK Success border punch with the pinking edge (like the argyle diamonds) and the hearts. Perfect!

CASE of Sharon Johnson & Faux Watercolor Tutorial

I fell in love with this card by Sharon Johnson of No Time To Stamp. Sharon is one of my "favorite inspiration" blogs. There are days when I go in my craft room and ask myself, "I have all of this stuff. Why don't I have any mojo?" Those are the times when I peruse her lovely cards. The stamp is SU two-step stamping set called "Heartfelt Thanks." This is one of my favorite SU sets.

I need to make Easter cards to send to my family, and I love to use purple and green. I remembered when I used some Sweetwater papers last August to make these cards.

I used my Scor-It to create a dry embossed frame around the flower. I layered on a scrap of purple, then on mellow moss cs, which I paper pierced and popped up on dimensionals. The gold sheer ribbon is May Arts, and I used my swiss dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on the base card. The inks are SU mellow moss SU lovely lilac, and Encore gold pigment ink. I used gold embossing powder by Stampendous.


Here are my Sweetwater scraps

that were left before I started. The scraps are on a 12x12 sheet of paper. I used that one long striped piece to CASE Sharon. It looks like I will need to find some other dps for the rest of my Easter cards, or make some June Houck scrappy cards :)

TUTORIAL: These are the materials I used to faux watercolor.

1. Color the solid stamp (direct-to-rubber). I spritzed the stamp twice, then stamped lightly, and then again with more force.

2. Here are my two images. I can create two cards! Then I stamped the outline stamp with gold pigment ink, dusted with gold embossing powder, and heat embossed the image. Voila!

I really like this card! So pretty. Thank you, Sharon :)

Basic Grey Bittersweet Card Kit & SU! rub-ons/primas

This card came from the Basic Grey Bittersweet Card Kit that I purchased from 7 Kids College Fund in January. I did not want it to be a Valentine, so I added some white SU! rub-ons (the sentiments.) Another part of a rub-on came off too, so I had to hide the offending rub-on with SU! primas from the Pretties Kit and an American Crafts brad.

Today actually is my parents' wedding anniversary and this is the card I made for them.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!