Happy Birthday Adam!!

My nephew, Adam, turns 14 today. So I sent him this cute little surfer guy card!

The background paper is the Inkadinkado WELLSPRING stamps in chalk ink and covered with clear/glitter embossing powder. The surfboard frame was airbrushed first with a blue and then a green. I soaked a washcloth with blending fluid and then dabbed the green/blue for the "splotchy" look. Surfboards and Surfer Chickie all colored with Copics.


Stamps: Denami Designs SURFER CHICKIE, sentiment, and SURFBOARD TRIO; Inkadinkado WELLSPRING
Paper: white
Ink: VersaMagic Turquoise Gem & Aquatic Splash; Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic airbrush system, clear glitter EP, circle punches, Copics

Deb's Recipe of the Month - July

Time again for the Recipe of the Month! This month (being half way thru the year) is BONUS month. In other words, I did two recipes.

My mom and I have dueling recipes for this slaw with Ramen Noodles. She uses red cabbage and chops it up like sand. And fries the noodles. ME? I like them soft and the cabbage shred (I don't care what color). Since I'm the one doing the recipe do-overs, I did MY version!

I always love using the Hero Arts FOUR DOLLS set. This one was colored with Copics to "match" the Basic Grey paper. I didn't really have the right markers but it worked. And I wasn't that crazy about the BG June Bug paper series, but I loved this soft purple/blue one. And it's very oriental looking. It's a pretty basic recipe card.

Stamps: Hero Arts FOUR DOLLS; Memory Box SONOMA PRINT
Paper: Basic Grey JUNE BUG
Ink: Memento, SU! Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Copics, Nestabilities, pink pearls

This recipe I saw this recipe posted on Michelle Wooderson's blog MISH MASH last year. I *LOVE* Fresca, it brings back many memories of my grandmother and hot summer afternoons. So EASY SQUEEZY CRANBERRY LIME COOLERS sounded great!

The glass was colored with Copics and then highlighted with glitter. I was worried that the Glossy Accents would make the Copic run or fade - but it didn't! You can see the glitter under the Glossy Accents. It's a cool look.

The colors I used for the drink recipe.

Stamps: Hero Arts LETS CHILL; Denami Designs SMALL CITRUS SPLASH
Paper: SU! Pink Passion, YoYo Yellow, Green Galore
Ink: Memento, Yo Yo Yellow
Accessories: Copics, glitter, Glossy Accents, EK Success border punch

FTL 81 - HOPPY SPRING

This was a fun sketch from clean&simple stamping! (FTL81)

I like all the circles but thought it would be fun to line up an image.

Talk about a *FAST* card - it took me 5 minutes! The hardest part was finding a "good" yellow!

Stamps: Amuse PEEP; Denami Designs HOPPY SPRING
Paper: Neenah Solar White
Ink: Brilliance and YoYo Yellow
Accessories: Piercing Bug and ScorPal

Not Published (this time)

So, when I first started my blog, I told you I was working on Easter submissions for a magazine. It was hard for me because everybody was working on Halloween stuff and I had the rabbits out! :D Still I sent off 6 entries to Stamper's Sampler with my fingers crossed (since it was my 1st submission).

This weekend my SS issue came and none of my cards were selected for publication. I have others in the pipeline. So while I'm disappointed it didn't work out this time - I'm hopeful for future issues.

Modern Grid Bunnies

Stamps: Denami Designs
Paper: Whisper White, orange
Ink: black
Accessories: glitter pen, ribbon and copics
Technique Junkies: Modern Grid

Chocolate Bunny

Stamps: Stamp Francisco: Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper
Ink: Distress Inks
Accessories: Ribbon, pearls, doily, Glimmer Mist

Arch Calla Lilies

Stamps: unknown
Paper: green, lavender, floral DP
Ink: Memento
Accessories: Glitter pen, copics, pearls

Bunny Parade - 10 Minute Card

Stamps: Oxford Impressions: CLASSIC ALICE
Paper: Neenah Solar White
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: none

Baby Chicks

Stamps: Oxford Impressions: COUNTRY GIRL
Paper: White
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: glitter, chipboard birds, paper lace

Alcohol Ink Handsome Hares - This is a Tim Holtz technique were AI is dripped on glossy paper and then sprayed with canned air to move it around.

Stamps: Stamp Francisco HANDSOME HARES
Paper: Whisper White, glossy white
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: Photo corners, Alcohol Inks

OH....And I've been working on CAS GRUNGE. More on that one tomorrow.

VSN October Mini #5 - Christmas Tree Trio

The final challenge tonight is PREPARING IN THE OKIYA. Use an acetate sheet to add a layer of white over the main image to enhance but not hide the other image.

I've had this Denami set for a while, but I got it after last year's Christmas Cards were finished. So it hasn't seen ink until today! You cant see the acetate layer in this picture, but you can see where I connected it to the background paper with the ribbon. I stamped the tree part first and then adhered between the acetate and card. Then using stamp positioner again, I stamped the swirl and dots on the acetate!

Stamps: Denami Designs
Paper: Bo Bunny, acetate
Ink: VersaMagic: Turquoise Gem & Aquatic Splash; ColorBox Ruby
Accessories: Ribbon, paper piercer, rhinestone snowflakes, and stamp positioner.

This is the last challenge for the October Mini VSN. You have until Monday evening (8pm ET) to post your cards to the galleries in the links. The main event (2 days of VSN) is November 13th and 14th. I hope you'll play along with me - I am hosting the 1st challenge on Saturday morning!! (Nov 14th, 11am ET (9am MT))!

Random Acts of Kindness

I'm in a group on SCS, where you can post "wishes" for images or products. Which keeps me from buying EVERY stamp I see. (grin) Somebody else in the group will fulfill my wish, if they have the stamp. I earn wishes by filling other member wishes - RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS (Wish RAK). Every month one of the group leaders posts 3 challenges. The only rule is that you must use one of your Wish RAK gifts. These are my entries for the month.

This challenge was to use 1/4 cup of rice in a plastic bag or balloon as a "stamp" to make a background. I tried to follow the directions (really I did) but it was just a big mess. So I improvised. I used embossing ink and clear EP with the rice stamp. After it was heated and set - I sprayed Glimmer Mist on the paper to make this INCREDIBLE background. The picture does *NOT* do it justice. The white dandelion on black was my wish RAK. To finish I put the round Denami HAPPY BIRTHDAY sentiment and a few rhinestones.

Stamps: dandelion (Penny Black?); sentiment Denami Designs
Paper: Neenah Solar White (aka PTI white), black, olive green, and aqua cardstock.
Ink: White, SU! Bermuda Bay and Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Glimmer Mist: Patina, Olive Green, Sapphire; rhinestones, clear EP, and round punches.

The hostess was inspired by the apple harvest in Michigan to create this color challenge: SU! Real Red, Barley Banana, and Certainly Celery (or Old Olive). I was inspired to use apples too! This EDWIN stamp was the Wish RAK (I think he looks like my nephew in his glasses). I colored Edwin with Copics. His sweater was colored and then using a wash cloth and blending solution I dabbed the sweater to give it texture. It really does look "fuzzy". I used this week's SCS Sketch Callenge #247. The apple core is punch art inspired by Julia Bettencourt. Red and cream cardstock is punched with SU! Rounded Tab punch. The cream is brushed with Creamy Caramel. The red is cut with decorative scissors. The seeds are Denami Raindrops. The sentiment is in a great set from Stampendous called LITTLE FRUIT. Die cut with my Nestabilities Labels and sponges with Summer Sun.

Stamps: Magnolia EDWIN, Stampendous LITTLE FRUIT, Denmani RAIN DROPS
Paper: SU! Real Red, Old Olive, and Barely Banana; SU! designer
Ink: SU! Summer Sun, Real Red, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: EK Success border punch, SU! Rounded tab punch, Fiskar scissors, Crystal Effects, Nestabilities, twine, and Copics.


The final challenge was a sketch. I just got the new Basic Grey's EERIE paper and I had to use it! The dotted paper and strip were busy enough not to need additional enhancement. The mummy (Wish RAK) was colored with SU! markers. And then I used my SU! color spritzer to give him a confetti background.

Stamps: Stampendous CHANGITO
Paper: Basic Grey EERIE
Ink: none
Accessories: Martha Stewart web border & corner punch, Making Memories label, SU! Markers, SU! color spritzer, and rhinestones.

Birthday Card Fairy - September

I've done a lot of swapping for card kits in recent months. A card kit is 2 sheets of 6x6 designer paper, 2-3 copies of an image, 12" of ribbon, and some embellishments. I have so many card kits now that I decided I needed to start using them. So I joined a group on SCS, that sends birthday cards to ladies in the RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) group. These are the card kits I did up for the September birthdays I was assigned.


This image is from Rubber Romance. I don't know the name of it. The kit included some fabulous graphic turquoise/black papers. I used the SCS sketch (SC242) of the week for the layout. The sentiment and polka dot center circle are from my weekend purchase at the Expo! Both are Denami Stamps.


I don't know the designer of this stamp, but I loved the designer paper that came with it. Those large flip flops are perfect with this image. I cut a tag shape and then put the plastic flowers on the edge of the tag. I used a masking technique to give the feel of sand and surf. And again, I used the Denami sentiment and polka dot center.


This Riley kit was so fun! I masked the surf and sand before punching out the image with my Marvy Giga scallop circle. Then sponged around the out side edge with SU! Not Quite Navy. The brown "sand" paper came with the kit but I used my sand castle punch from EK Success and then sponged brown ink along the border to darken the "sand". The sentiment is by Amuse.


And finally a House Mouse image. I love House Mouse but the images are often so large that there's not much that can be done. Fortunately, this kit didn't need more than the designer paper and the image.

"Cat Show"

Today in Colorado Springs was the annual Scrapbook and Stamping Expo. It's a craft fair with multiple vendors where the latest and greatest in the paper crafts world is available for purchase. I *always* find something I "need". My friend, Heather and I grabbed our debit cards and headed out!


When I was growing up, the Corder girls (Joan, Deb, and Laura) had a tradition after a shopping spree to layout all our purchases on a flat surface and have a "cat show". Don't ask me how it got that name. It just is. I didn't buy a lot of items but I'm thrilled with what I got.


We walked by this booth on the first round but I'm so glad we made a second tour! This lady was from Connecticut. She had lots of vintage photos, postcards, and books - mostly French stuff. I got 2 vintage books with gorgeous patine pages for $18.00. One book I intend to keep intact as altered art book. The other is in pretty bad shape, so I will use the pages for ephemera. Yummy stuff!!


And the Denami Designs booth is always PACKED!! This year was no exception. They always have such cute stamps and samples. This year I mostly got "filler" stamps to sets or lines I already had. And took lots of pictures of the samples for reference and inspiration.


This was a vendor, SAR Some-Assembly-Required, that neither Heather or I had run across before. They created 3 dimensional objects in a grid layout. There were a variety of ways to get the pattern: stamp/cut, pre-cut kits, die cut templates, and stencils. I hope to be sharing the pear with you in a few days.