Seeing Spots

Polka dots actually. That's the theme for this week's House Mouse Challenge. I had dotted paper laying out all over the place and finally decided on this one with the pastel dots and designed the rest of the card around that. Punched the border of the polka dots and attached it to the base. Ran the lavender CS through Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. The image was colored with my Prismacolors/baby oil for blending, cut out and embossed with oval Nestabilities, chalked while still in the die. Then cut pink mat and the tiny oval for the sentiment, which is from Verve. A really simple card, nice and flat for easy mailing.

Stamps: House Mouse "Sweet Kiss", Verve Artful Elegance.
Paper: The Paper Studio, My Mind's Eye.
Ink: Colorbox Queues.
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Spellbinders, MS border punch, chalks, Prismacolor pencils/baby oil.

Triple Delight

Got lots accomplished last night. Shelbie's plane was delayed out of Burlington, VT - twice; thought she would miss her connection at JFK but that one was delayed as well. So I worked on cards throughout the evening while continuing to check on her flight status. Finally her flight into Austin was due to arrive at 1:46 this morning instead of 11:30 last night. So left here at midnight with my niece and Shelbie's boyfriend (my son wanted to sleep) to pick her up at the Austin airport. Cheaper by hundreds, even with gas, to fly her into Austin rather than straight into San Antonio. Crazy. The three of us almost tackled her; I think we were all crying, and we sure were getting stared at. : )
So here is some of what I got accomplished last night. More still in stages all over my desk. :) For all three of these cards I used paper from Cosmo Cricket's Wonderland pack. Gorgeous stuff.

I love WOJ images; this one just arrived last week so inked her up for Heather's sketch for Whiff of Joy Challenge #9. I colored Lizzie with Prismacolor pencils and baby oil, inked around her a bit and added some corners behind her. Layered all the Cosmo Cricket papers and the ribbon onto green CS base. Used gold vellum for the snowflakes. Sentiment is from Verve.

Stamps: Whiff of Joy Lizzie With Muff, Verve Winter Wonder.
Paper: The Paper Studio CS and vellum, Cosmo Cricket.
Ink: Stazon, Colorbox Queues.
Accessories: Prismacolor pencils/baby oil, ribbon, Cuttlebug.

For Sharon's SSNOTIME62 challenge this week, got to do something I haven't tried yet, writing on ribbon. I had this pretty wide satin ribbon in my stash so ran it through my printer. It's a little fuzzy, but I'll take it because I wanted the sentiment vertical. Cosmo Cricut DP attached to manilla folder, both punched with MS border punch. Also stamped the Inkadinkado angel on a piece of manila folder with Versamark and embossed in gold EP. Cut out and embossed with the Curved Rectangle Nestie, inked the edges. Added some gold vellum CB snowflakes. Finally, added some rhinestones on the flakes and on the angel.

Stamps: Inkadinkado Christmas Silhouettes.
Paper: Manilla folder, Cosmo Cricket, vellum.
Ink: Versamark, Colorbox Queues.
Accessories: Ribbon, computer, embossing powder, Cuttlebug, Spellbinders, MS border punch, rhinestones.

I have been wanting to use this owl image from Inkadinkado, and thought it was perfect for Papercraft Planet's Saturday Sketch Challenge. I flipped the sketch on its side. The DP is attached to a cream CS, then ribbon from Michael's over the seam. I stamped the owl with Versamark and embossed with copper EP. Cut out and embossed with the oval Nestie, then scalloped one. Inked around the image while still in the die. The sentiment and cute little snowflakes are from Verve. Attached image and sentiment on dimensionals.

Stamp: Inkadinkado Winter Birds, Verve Winter Wonder
Paper: The Paper Studio, Cosmo Cricket.
Ink: Versamark, Colorbox Queues.
Accessories: Nestabilities, ribbon, embossing powder, dimensionals.

Thanks Deb!

A couple of color combos that I really like are pink/brown and pink/gray. I needed a thank you card for Deborah who helped me get the 200 invitations (couple posts back) put together. I decided to use the SCS Sketch Challenge #203 to make this card. I haven't quite made friends with this one, and I think I've decided it's because the pink is too pink, but I seem to have run out of the paler shade. Anyhooo, the base CS looks like gray flannel, and I also used it for the center Nestie. I just love the new dies! I ran the pink through CB Argyle folder, hacked it up to make sure the diamonds were going in the same direction in the four pieces. Heavy silver CS for the rest of the squares. Sentiment is from a Clearly Wordworth set. Here is where the no love feelings started and this one almost got filed in the recycle bin, but it was late last night and I didn't feel like starting over so I kind of attacked it with different things before settling on these foil butterflies that I attached a tiny rhinestone to, the Dew Drops and that swirl from a Sizzix die that I had totally forgotten about. Still not what I think is my best work, but Deb says I'm a perfectionist (who me?) when it comes to my paper stuff, and I think she'll like this.

Stamps: Clearly Wordsworth
Paper: The Paper Studio, The Paper Company.
Ink: Colorbox Queues.
Accessories: Spellbinders, Cuttlebug, strong will not to toss, Sizzix, Dew Drops, foil butterflies.

Squeaking in a House Mouse Challenge

Been so busy with the invitations but I wanted to squeeze in this week's House Mouse Challenge where we have a recipe to follow to include ribbon, two buttons, felt and a scalloped edge. Barely made it, but here's mine.
Colored the busy little critters with Prismacolor pencils and baby oil. Sentiment I made with a JustRite monogram stamper. Felt shirt, and the blue ribbon and scallop on the left. Be sure and check out all other great cards for this challenge!

Stamp: House Mouse.
Paper: The Paper Studio.
Ink: Stazon, Colorbox Queues.
Accessories: Ribbon, buttons, scallop punch, JustRite stamper, felt.

Some Catch-Up With SSNOTIME56 & House Mouse

Wow! I was so, so happy to see my daughter! She looks beautiful as always, looks very happy, and I can tell she is having the time of her life! Makes it a bit easier for her to be so far away. Vermont was amazing...the turning of the leaves, the B&B we stayed in near the floating bridge. Wonderful. Could not have been a better weekend!
So today I'm playing catch-up, after a day of recovering yesterday from that 3:30 wake-up to catch the 6 a.m. flight on Monday; felt washed out all day yesterday. :)
So first card today is Sharon's challenge but this time she has been hijacked and she is the one being cased. This was somewhat intimidating - casing Sharon - but fun. The card base is kraft CS onto which I attached DP from My Mind's Eye after inking the edges. The lower border is pink CS run through a Cuttlebug Frills border. The main image is Flourishes Mixed Greetings; colored the bowl with chalks, and added some color to the mail with Prismacolor pencils, cut all that out and attached to white CS. The ovals were cut with oval Nestabilities. Used a slot punch and ran the ribbon through it. Have to say, after tying that beige...umm, thing...to the card...okay, it's a bow - I have a whole new level of respect for Sharon's bow-tying skills! I thought I was going to have to get a foot involved with this. Not completely happy with the way it turned out, but that is the best I can do with that poor bow. Sentiment from Verve was stamped and cutout with rectangle Nestabilities. Lastly, added some Dew Drops.

Stamps: Flourishes Mixed Greetings, Verve Artful Elegance
Paper: My Mind's Eye DP, The Paper Studio pink CS, Stampin Up! kraft CS.
Ink: Colorbox Queues, Prismacolor pencils.
Accessories: Ribbon, slot punch, Nestabilities, Dew Drops, Cuttlebug, chalks, baby oil.

This second card is the House Mouse weekly challenge. I love the sketch! I used a couple of the same papers as in the previous card, since I had them out. :) Kraft CS base and all of the DP is from My Mind's Eye, with the main base DP attached after inking edges. I used the House Mouse Feeling Rosy image, colored with Prismacolor pencils blended with baby oil. Added some Stickles to the cup decorations. Chalked around the image after cutting out with circle Nestabilities then attached to base. Sentiment is from My Favorite Things, cut out with Nesties and mounted. The flowers were cut from a Cuttlebug die, curved by pressing in the centers with end of a paint brush, and then added rhinestones to the centers. Added lavender pearls I got from Flourishes, each bordered by tiny rhinestones.

Stamps: House Mouse Feeling Rosy, My Favorite Things Time For the Bubbly.
Paper: Stampin Up! kraft CS, My Mind's Eye DP.
Ink: Colorbox Queues, Prismacolor pencils.
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, rhinestones, pearls, Stickles, baby oil.

Whiff of Joy Challenge #1

After I made my first WOJ card yesterday, I found the Whiff of Joy blog with their first challenge, so had to make another card to go play that - darn it! :) It was a fun sketch to follow.
The paisley background DP kind of swallows the base circle, but if you look closely you can see it and IRL it shows up really well. It was a doily (that word looks funny) I had sitting on my table from ??. I sliced it up and folded into a smaller circle, inked it with Velvet Colorbox and then tapped on it with Distress Ink and smeared that with a Q-tip to soften the edges. Colored the main image with Prisma pencils and chalked around her (they shimmer nicely in the light). Added Stickles to the flowers on her pants and bookmark, and Liquid Pearls to her wings. Cut her out with a circle Nestabilities and then a scalloped mat and popped her up on dimensionals. Stamped a ribbon from Prima onto the vertical strip and added some Dew Drops to the other. Attached it all to the burgundy card base. Sentiment is from a set called "Will -n- Way", rounded and inked the corners and attached with dimensionals. I love square cards. : )

Stamps: Whiff of Joy Melinda Reading Book, Will -n- Way sentiment, Prima Mktg.
Paper: Paper Studio CS, My Minds Eye DP.
Ink: Colorbox Queues, Distress Ink.
Accessories: Nestabilities, Prismacolors, doily, chalks, Dew Drops, Stickles, Liquid Pearls.

My first Challenge - SSnotime52

I love looking at Sharon Johnson's blog every morning and have been trying to get brave enough to attempt a challenge. I thought this Stamp Simply Challenge would be a good one to jump into for my first try. We are to Cuddle Up With Tammy (Tammy Hershberger ) to create a warm and cozy card. I got to bring my sewing machine forward on my table for this one. I hope this card will do.

All my paper is from Hobby Lobby. The ribbon was a spool in the $1 bin at Michaels. The cute little buttons are from Michael's too. They came in a package in the most gorgeous muted colors! I attached the ribbon, stitched a wavy straight stitch all the way around the card and over the ribbon, then attached the buttons. The teacup is by Inkadinkado, stamped in Burnt Copper Colorbox, then cut out with an oval Nestie and then a scalloped one. While the oval was still in the die, I attempted to create somewhat of a vignette effect with the Ruby Satin and Gold Brocade.

Stamps: Inkadinkado Vintage Teacup.
Paper: Paper Studio CS, My Minds Eye DP.
Ink: Colorbox Burnt Copper, Ruby Satin, Gold Brocade.
Accessories: Nestabilities, ribbon, buttons, sewing machine.