Happy Birthday Scott

I need a quick masculine birthday card.

So I pulled out this DaVinci Man stamp. It had never seen ink...it was due!

Stamped on Stampin Up! old speckled vanilla with Coffee Archival.  The sentiment comes from a Christie Tomlinson set.

Happy Birthday Scott!  I hope it made it in time!

Happy (Belated) Birthday Nate!

My nephew-in-law's birthday is May 18th. So yes, I'm very late in posting this card. I did get it to Nate the week of his birthday, so I'm not a total loser! LOL.

I used this CAS sketch (#191) from Clean&Simple's blog.  I love their blog, but you know me...I rarely do CAS cards.  But this sketch spoke to me.

In fact, I liked so it much I made a second card.  I just reversed the layers.

The bee is Stampoque.

Happy "belated" birthday Nate!!

Dean's 80th Birthday

First let me wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my cousin, Dean, who celebrates his 80th birthday this week!!! Dean is so full of life that it's hard to believe he's 80 now. So I wanted to do a FUN birthday card for him.

Like many of you, I've beecome addicted to Pinterest. I find it a great source of inspiration. I pinned this card recently and decided that Dean needed a candle for each decade. And that beautiful CAS card needed a little grunging up!
The finished card has a Red Lead background stamp. To lighten it up a bit I added some gesso on bubble wrap, and some texture with a small piece of cardboard.

To create the candles, I cut 8 strips (2.5 x 4) from a Bo Bunny pad of paper (so all the candles coordianted). To break down the stiff paper (and get it to roll tightly), I pulled it over a sharp corner several times.

A little quick drying glue along the edge. I cut small bits of Scrapper's Floss and stuck it in one end as a wick. And 8 paper candles were born.

Happy Birthday Dean!!

Happy Birthday, Carolyn

I was traveling over the holidays and missed my friend, Carolyn's birthday. It's a few days after Christmas. I wanted to send her a part of me, so I created this 5x7 mixed media piece.

The techniques I used follow a lot of what I learned in Christy Tomlinson's SHE ART class, which I took last summer. In the end I liked it so much I nearly didn't send it to her (wink).

This is the birthday card I sent along. I think the image is a Lost Coast stamp. I love, love, LOVE the sentiment. It totally cracks me up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROLYN!!

Happy Birthday, Heather!

My friend, Heather, celebrated a milestone birthday this year. She was out of town at the time, so I just got her birthday card to her this week.

I stamped directly on Basic Grey paper and then cut out all the parts.

Happy Birthday, Heather!!

Rogue Redhead: Birthday Girls

My beautiful niece, Jessica, turned 24 on Sunday. This is the birthday card I sent her. I used my Rogue Redhead Designs, MILLINER MISSES plate. These lovely ladies are wearing their best hats!

I used a 4x6 printed paper with the border and then just embellished with flowers, wood scroll piece, and a birthday wish. The Milliner Misses were water colored with my aqua pen and Distress Inks.

GC115: Tribute To Teens

First...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM!! It's a bit early but here's your card...

My nephew turns 15 next week, so Gingersnap Creations TRIBUTE TO TEENS had perfect timing! I think I find teen cards harder to do than masculine cards. Their interests in life are gelling which helps, but it's hard to do "full" adult. Adam got a new guitar this year and is becoming quite the rocker (yeah Adam!!) So, when this rocker boy image was retiring from Stampin' Up! I had to have it.

Gingersnap Creations is also focusing on using child playthings in our art...crayons, clay, etc. All good stuff...but I never had kids so I don't have much of that laying around the house. :( In the quest for this card background I tried the following:

1) I bought mold-making clay - I was going to use a stamp to make a 3D guitar embellishment. That didn't work out because I bought the wrong modeling (mold making) clay and I didn't get the guitar stamp in time.
2) I tried to do an encaustic (paint with hot wax) technique with crayons & an iron. All I had was glitter crayons, and the end result was muddy background. I think I'd have better luck with a travel iron.
3) So...I decided to move to a marble background. GREAT! Except I didn't have any ROUND marbles (only the flattened ones). BUT, I did find some large wood beads. And so my red and black background was created with those. You can find the technique here on SplitCoast Stampers.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! EXTREME GUITAR, Inkadinkado SQUARES, Amuse Artstamps sentiment.
Ink: Archival Black
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Real Red & Basic Black re-inkers, wood beads, plastic box, red eyelets, black/white baker's twine, and Black Diamond Stickles

I hope you let your inner child out to play! Please join in the challenge at Gingersnap Creations!!

Happy Birthday Missy!

For my niece Missy...she turned 22 on Monday!

Just a little Asian influenced card.

For the kimono I stamped these Stampin Up two-step flowers and used a Hero Arts background stamp. I have to rave about the new Amuse Studio pigment inks! They have great coverage.

I used the stamp positioner to line up the kimono stamp image. Then cut out the image and collaged the card. The green polka dot paper was stamped with VersaMark and glitter embossing powder.

Stamps: Memory Box, Stampin Up FAST & FABULOUS, Hero Arts, Amuse sentiment
Paper: Amuse Studio (A|S) Grass polka dot & Bermuda
Ink: Amuse Studio (A|S) Buttercup & Lemon Whip; VersaMark; Archival Black
Accessories: Glitter embossing powder, Prima flowers, skeleton leaves, dragonfly charm, pearls

Happy Birthday Joanna!!

Happy Birthday to my friend, Joanna!! She's one of my local stampin buds and we often get together for a fun night at Archiver's!
This is very simple card. Memory Box paper covering the entire card base. The circle is a new Memory Box circle script stamp and over-stamped with the butterfly collage. I used two Stampin Up colors: River Rock and Pacific Point. It fits perfectly in one of the Nestability circles. A swirl of rhinestones (of course). And the "B" and butterfly are both stickers. I brushed a little talcum powder on the back of the butterfly sticker to get it to "stand up".

Fast, simple, elegant! Happy Birthday Joanna!!

Carolyn turns 50!

Hey! Yes, we're back from a FANTASTIC trip to The Netherlands. I think we saw everything you'd want to see there except tulips (too early). I had a lot of fun posting from my iPhone, but I noticed what I wrote didn't post. Oh well...

My nephew did great swimming! We so rarely get to participate in those childhood activities so many people take for granted. Just one of the many drawbacks to my sister living in Italy.
So, my friend, Carolyn, turned 50 at the end of December. Carolyn, her husband, Scott, and I are all the same age (give or take a few months). Scott is 1st with a July birthday, I'm next with a Sept birthday, and Carolyn squeaks in on Dec 29th. So you're saying to yourself...what took her so long to post this card? Well, we don't live in the same town and I wanted her to have it before I posted it!! :D

I did a very simple card with clipart (Paper Whimsy). There is no stamping here. I just enhanced the images with a glitter pen and glass glitter. The ribbon was tea-dyed at the same time I did the Gingersnap tutorial ribbon. It started out white.

I'm not sure why she was dreading this birthday...she looks great!

Here's a close up of the card detail. I had a 2nd flaming image that I cut out and poped up on foam tape. And I just love that glass glitter!! And in this picture you can see the gold "glitter" pen I used to highlight the palm tree fronds.

Happy Birthday Heather!

My stamping buddy, Heather, celebrated her birthday last week. But she was out of town...I couldn't post her card until she got back. (grin)

Last year I did a "Heather" type card - you know that CAS (clean and simple) style that she does so well and I do so poorly?!?! This year I decided I needed to do a ME card. This background paper is Webster's Pages. The tag was a regular sized tag that I cut down. Images from Oxford Impressions.

I bought some natural paper gift card holders at Archiver's. This was embossed with a new folder and my Big Shot. I then sponged Distress Ink colors and smooshed some Stickles on it to give it sparkle. The butterflies were just added to tie to the card.

Happy Birthday Jessica!!

With one minute left on the December 4th - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!!!

Stamps: Stamping Bella ELLA LOLLIPOP
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copics, primas, pearls, ribbon

She was always a cute little thing!

It's been a big year for Jess - she became a wife in January....

...and a mother in October...

LOVE YOU SWEETPEA! Can't wait to meet your son!!

SURPRISE!!!

LOL...I bet you were expecting a TIM tag tonight! So the surprise is on you. I do plan on playing along with Tim over the next few days (Tag #1 was pretty cool today); but I will be posting my version of tags every third day. (what can I say...I have a lot to share since it's been so long since I blogged!)

Let me say that the best way to keep a surprise party a surprise....HOLD IT TWO FULL MONTHS AFTER THE BIRTHDAY!!! Which is exactly what my mom did.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, my girlfriend, Carolyn, from Northern Colorado had call to say she was coming down to spend the weekend but her husband and kids couldn't make it. Great! We always have fun stamping and chatting so that was cool.

THEN I GOT SICK! It started with a sore throat on Friday, by Saturday morning it was full blown cold. Fever, cough, plug-y head, etc. I call my mom and asked her to bring me meds; took them; and fell back to sleep. I think I had 3 naps that day. Then the door bell rang and Carolyn said...get dressed we're going to dinner anyway. I'm not sure why I didn't argue...normally I would have. But I got showered, made-up, and dressed.

We got to Mom's house to pick her up for dinner....and Carolyn's husband and kids came out from the kitchen.

No sooner had I greeted them...and my friends from Colorado Springs/Southern Colorado came out of the kitchen. It was about then that my fevered brain kicked in and I knew it was surprise party.

And then the biggest surprise...

My girlfriend, Anne Lise and goddaughter, Maria came out...they had come all the way from Oslo, Norway!!

A big thank you hug for my MOM!!


After all the surprise guests had been greeted and hugged...they sat down an "roasted" me. Or maybe "This is your life" is closer. Each guest (in the order they entered my life) told a little story about me!

We shared some chocolate covered cherries my sister had sent, since she couldn't be there.

I think I'm gonna like being 50!

A *BELATED* Happy Birthday to GRANT!!

I have one niece and one nephew...my sister's kids.

I have two nieces and one nephew of the heart...my best girlfriends' kids.

My adopted nephew, Grant, turned 18 last month. And the "scummy" Aunt Deb that I am...I didn't get a card in the mail to him. And then I didn't get a card in the mail to him. AND I STILL DIDN'T GET A CARD IN THE MAIL TO HIM! (UGH!)

Excuses? I have many but I think you'll all understand when I say...making a card for a man is HARD!

Then inspiration hit...my Fred B Mullet fish stamps! They needed ink. Or in this case - BLEACH!

I started with two blue papers from Stampin Up (Not Quite Navy and Night of Navy. I wasn't sure how the bleach would react with the paper. This is the Night of Navy and you can see that it bleached out to a "tan" color. (The Not Quite Navy turned a pink color - yuck!) After that dried I stamped with the same color SU! ink over the bleached fish.

Finally, I added a bunch of water to a pot of Twinkling H2O's and let it set. As the water absorbs the H2O becomes "gloppy". With a paint brush I put some on my mat and added a bit more water and then "inked" up the stamp! And I got the cool metallic looking fish!

The fish on white paper is the same H2O. After it dried I used my stamp positioner to restamp with Archival.

I think it turned out cool!

Happy Belated Birthday Grant!! (love you!)

Stamps: Fred B Mullet, Amuse sentiment
Paper: Stampin Up! Night of Navy, Whisper White
Ink: bleach, Night of Navy, Archival black
Accessories: fly, Twinkling H2O's

Paris Exposition Birthday

I struggled a bit with this card. It just seemed to unfinished!

The panel under the picture is tag with the top cut off. I really like how the Distress Inks and Glimmer Mist work with a tag. I think it's the tag finish. Anyway. The tag was distressed with different brown Glimmer Mists and brown Distress Inks. Then I over-stamped with some of the smaller images from Artistic Outpost's PARIS EXPOSITION. The image is also from that set. The faces were colored with Copics and the sky was water colored. It seemed unfinished to me until I stamped the "postmark" with red ink.

Stamps: Artistic Outpost FRENCH EXPOSITION & 7 Gypsies AVIGNON
Paper: tag, french book page, white
Ink: Archival black & Distress Ink
Accessories: Copics, Scrappers Floss, Glimmer Mist (Creme de Chocolat, Coffee Shop, Wheatfields), ticket, brads.
Technique Junkies: Faux Paper & Antiqued Glimmers

Morphed Tag Tuesday - BLACK and WHITE

This week's Tag Tuesday challenge was BLACK & WHITE. And I really did start out with a tag but it morphed into a card when I suddenly remembered that my sister's birthday is in a few weeks! Gingersnap Creations is celebrating their birthday with a theme of CELEBRATE. What's better to celebrate than sisterhood?

The tag is layered B&W papers from a Stampin Up! Designer series (I think for Halloween). The image is LOST COAST stamp called "Waiting for Mr Right". The two ladies on the end reminded me of my sister and me (or will when we're old ladies). The fact that they were sitting under "APRIL" was TOO PERFECT! So I "cheated" a bit and marked the 14th in red. (wink)

Stamps: Lost Coast Stamps WAITING FOR MR RIGHT; Hero Arts FRIEND
Paper: Black & White cardstock, tag, black polka dot card (ready made), SU! Designer Paper
Ink: Archival Black
Accessories: Primas, pearl swirl, branch punch, ribbon, rhinestones

Magnolia Birthday Card

Hello! I had a very nice mini-spring break down in Phoenix. My cousin has a lovely patio and we enjoyed it thoroughly! Then I came home to taxes and a VERY sick dog. Jazz is still in the hospital. Her kidneys had shutdown. UPDATE: I get to bring her home today!!! :D

This was a card kit. Tilda was colored with COPICS. I used this week's SCS sketch challenge (SC272). I sponged Real Red in the center of the circle with the Nestie still on the paper.

Stamps: Magnolia; sentiment Amuse
Paper: SU! designer paper (I think); Real Red, Black, and Certainly Celery cardstock
Ink: Archival Black
Accessories: Copics, border punch, Nesties, paper roses, rhinestones.

A Bunch of Challenges (and no Mojo...)

I haven't been stamping much this week. It's tax time. :( And NO...I'm not getting to far to fast with that one.) And my MOJO went on Spring Break without me (though I'm heading for Phoenix for a small mini-Spring Break in a few hours!)

For this card I had created a Glimmer Mist background of my favorite colors for Gingersnap Creations - 3 FAVORITE COLORS (GC43) challenge. I like *ALL* the colors so it was hard to pick just three - I ended up with pink, blue, green. The Glimmer Mist is just sprayed and layered until I got the mix I liked. Spiltcoast's sketch challenge (SC271) worked perfectly for the large image. BUT I think this is missing something...not 100% happy with it.

Stamps: Stampington & Co PARISIAN SHELL
Paper: Neenah Solar White, blue, green, pink cardstock
Ink: Archival Black
Accessories: Glimmer Mist

I had extra sections of the Glimmer Mist sheet, so I cut it into strips. The flower was lightly watercolored with Distress Ink and glittered. This is for another Gingersnap Creation - Happy Birthday (GC44) challenge!

Stamps: Stampendous RUFFLED FLOWER
Paper: Neenah Solar White and pink card stock
Ink: Memento, Distress Ink WORN LIPSTICK and SPUN SUGAR
Accessories: glitter

And my niece's new sister-in-law had surgery this week for a second cochlear implant. So I needed a quick get well card! This Penny Black dog wearing cat slippers was already colored. I just needed to finish a card. For inspiration, I used SCS sketch 223. Somebody sent me these Prima cork flowers. Not too impressed - they fall apart easily but it was a nice texture.
UPDATE: FETCHING SLIPPERS is out of print - sorry to tease you! :(

Stamps: Penny Black FETCHING SLIPPERS; Amuse sentiment
Paper: Basic Grey KIOSHI
Ink: black
Accessories: Prima cork flowers, Stickles and Copics

SC269 - Counting Daisys Tilda

This was a card kit I just received from one of the last swaps I'm doing for a while. I loved the fresh SPRINGY paper and image. Just perfect for my Norwegian niece, Maria's birthday. I think she could use some SPRING too!
The kit included everything except the sentiment and the log image. I got that out of another card kit.

Stamps: Magnolia, sentiment - Whipper Snapper Designs 29 AGAIN
Paper: unknown
Ink: Memento, Brilliance
Accessories: Copics, ribbon, Martha Stewart grass punch, daisy stickers

Happy Birthday Jessica!

My niece, Jessica, celebrated her 22nd birthday on Friday (yes, the one getting married in a few short weeks). But the card didn't show up on time, so I've been waiting to post it. I hope it's there now Jess!

I did this card as a challenge piece for the Wish RAK November sketch. I used 2 images (Tilda and the Cherry Colander) that I received as Wish RAK's (random acts of kindness). Colored with COPICS and glitter pen (what would I do without my glitter pen?) Inside I made a little slot for a gift card.

Stamps: Magnolia, Lockhart Stamps, and AMuse sentiment
Paper: Real Red, SU! Summer Picnic
Ink: Memento
Accessories: Copics, punches, and gingham ribbon.