Purple Tulips for Andrea

Hi everyone.  This card is for two challenges at SCS:  Featured Stamper (FS316 - stampinandrea) and Ways To Use It (WT416 - Birthday Celebration).

StampinAndrea is the owner of Annabelle Stamps (a recent stamp company for me) ... I love her CAS and elegant style of cards and found several in her SCS gallery that I wanted to CASE in her honor.

In the end, I didn't CASE one particular card.  Instead, I tried to capture her style, along with using one of her stamp sets ... and using a technique that Andrea uses a lot, but I have never tried before - watercoloring with pencils.  Congratulations Andrea ... I loved looking through your gallery and I hope you like the card I made in your honor!!

The Ways to Use it challenge is a celebration of the eighth year since the challenge started ... make a celebration card and include purple.

Stamps:  Mother's Day Bouquet (Annabelle Stamps); Sincere Salutations (SU!)
Paper:  Watercolor; Elegant Eggplant (SU!)
Ink:  Black, Derwent watercolor pencils
Accessories & Tools:  Aqua Painter, Stamp-a-ma-jig, mauve mini half-pearls, adhesives, and dimensionals

I have never used the watercolor pencils before ... and I definitely need more practice ... but it is a fun technique.  It makes me feel like a watercolor ar-TEEST! :)  The only problem I had was the black ink outline ran on me.  I tried several different versions (Memento, SU!, Staz-on) ... and it turns out the Staz-on was the best of these on watercolor paper - but none of them was perfect.  I think next time I need to embossed the image so I don't have any color running.


Here's a close-up of the tulips:

Bordering on Romance

Hi everyone.  I have two cards for you today.  The first is my Design Team card for the latest challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More - Addicted to [Stamps]#6.  Anything goes for this challenge as long as you include a stamp of some kind on your project (rubber / clear/ digi).

This week's sponsor is

Prize:  $20 Gift Voucher

(please follow the rules of the challenge to be eligible to win)

Stamps:  Bordering on Romance (SU!); Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White (C.C. Designs)
Ink:  Basic Black (SU!); Copics:  YR07, R17, Y32, YR24, BG72, G43, YG67
Accessories & Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig, adhesives, and dimensionals

I simply stamped the image and sentiment and then colored in the image with copics.  I added a few lines of detailing to the orange flowers with my black Stampin' Write marker.


Here's a close-up photo of the flowers:

I hope I have inspired you to join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the other fabulous creations by the Design Team at ATS&M!

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The second card is for today's color challenge at SCS (CC415 - more mustard, old olive, midnight muse) ... with the "dessert" of watercoloring.  I thought this sweet digi stamp from Bugaboo was perfect for this color combination.  I used the marker layering technique on watercolor paper for the sunflowers.  The vase was printed onto Midnight Muse cardstock, cut out and coated with Crystal Effects.  Not sure if you can tell, but the vase looks like glass IRL.

Stamps:  SF Vase (Bugaboo); Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White, watercolor, Old Olive designer paper (retired), Midnight Muse (SU!)
Ink:  More Mustard, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Midnight Muse (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Blender pen, Crystal Effects, Lemon Drop Twine (The Twinery), Stamp-a-ma-jig, glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I printed the image onto watercolor paper; used a blender pen and inks to "watercolor" the sunflowers and then cut them out.  I printed the image a second time onto Midnight Muse cardstock; cut out the vase, and covered with Crystal Effects to give it shine and dimension.  I mounted the striped Old Olive background onto the same width of white, but about one inch longer.  This left a white strip at the bottom to stamp the sentiment in Midnight Muse ink.  I wrapped two strands of twine around the bottom of the vase to anchor.  I popped up the panel onto another white panel which was also popped up on my white card base (lots of depth).  The vase and sunflowers were popped on top of the striped designer paper.


Here's a close-up of the sunflowers:

Umbrella Lula

Hi everyone.  Time has just flown by this afternoon and it's now after 5:30pm here and I haven't figured out what we're doing for dinner ... I think it will be ordering in tonight :)  Sometimes crafts have to take priority.  Thankfully, it doesn't happen too often that I completely loose track of time so I'm sure hubby will be happy to head out and pick us up something good for tonight's dinner.

I wanted to make sure I got this posted today ... it's for the latest challenge at All That Scraps - Anything Goes ... and the challenge closes tomorrow.  I've had Umbrella Lula for a while, but never inked her yet.  I couldn't resist using my latest favorite patterned paper to give her a "fancy" umbrella.  Hope you like.

Stamps:  Umbrella Lula (C.C. Designs); sentiment (computer generated)
Paper:  White, Summer Starfruit, Bashful Blue, Sycamore Street DP (SU!)
Ink:  Basic black (SU!); Copics:  E000, E00, E01, YR07, R17, BG72, Y21, Y32, E44, E49, E77
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Curly-Q Border (C.C. Designs), Crystal Effects, glue dots, glue, white gel pen

Lula is paper pieced with her face, hair and duck all colored with copics.  I stamped off a second duck, and popped him up to make him stand out.  I die-cut the Curly-Q Border from Bashful Blue cardstock and used the "centers" as the raindrops.  I coated them with Crystal Effects to give them shine and dimension.

The sentiment is computer generated.  I know it might seem a little strange ... "Let me be your umbrella", but it makes sense when you see the inside, which reads "I'm here for you."  I thought it would make for a good card to give a friend that is going through a tough time.


Here's a close-up of Umbrella Lula:

Hello Doily!

Hi everyone.  Sorry about the title of this post ... I couldn't resist!! :)  Just got this new Lacy & Lovely stamp set from SU!  So pretty!!  Had a little trouble getting it inked with Crumb Cake ... I think I stamped it five times before I gave up (the center is very faded).  I even tried adding re-inker to my stamp pad but it didn't seem to help.

Then I thought I'd just stamp it separately in a darker color (Soft Suede), cut out the center and pop it up.  I'm so happy with how it turned out.  Originally I had a beautiful red rose as the accent ... but it stuck up too far and was too "weighty" for the card.  I settled on a small glittery heart - just a small accent so that the lace doily is the main star.  I popped up the Soft Suede-framed main panel for more depth.

This card is for the latest challenge as Inkspirational - CASE Challenge #8.  Hope you like.

Here's the challenge card for CASE'ing:

I kept the layout and heart accent ... but the colors, subject and main image are different.

Stamps:  Lacy & Lovely (SU!)
Paper:  White, Soft Suede, Red Glitter
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
Accessories & Tools:  Heart punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, adhesives, and dimensionals

Here's a close-up of the main image:

Copper Maple Leaf

Hi everyone.  Here is my Design Team card for the latest Addicted to CAS challenge.  Each challenge has a code word (selected by the design team) to inspire your creations.

It's Sue's turn to be in charge of this challenge and she chose this macho word.  :)

Being married and having two grown sons, I can never have enough masculine cards in my stash.  And what guy wouldn't love metal on his card??!! :)  And the fact that I heated the metal with a butane torch (albeit a mini Creme Brulee torch), definitely would spark a man's interest :)  OK ... enough with the puns (sorry about that!).

This week's sponsor is

$10 GIFT VOUCHER
will be awarded to the CAS PERFECTIONIST

(please follow the rules of the challenge to be eligible to win)

Stamps:  Bitty Birthday (SU!)
Paper:  White
Ink:  Basic Black (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Large Leaves #2 die (Cheery Lynn), copper metal sheet .005 thickness (K&S Precision Metals), mini butane torch; piercing tool, template and mat, Stamp-a-ma-jig, adhesives and dimensionals

I love this die from Cheery Lynn because of all the embossed details of the veining ... really shows through particularly well on the metal.  I simply die-cut the leaf, and then heated the metal with my mini torch (making sure to have it on a flame retardant surface), let it cool and attached it to my card front.  Because the leaf was so large, I balanced the card by adding a small sentiment, along with a little piercing to jazz it up.

Edit:  I should have mentioned that I ran the die-cut leaf with the copper through my Big Shot several times (back and forth) ... it didn't cut right through the copper, so I had to use my scissors to make the final cuts.

Here's a close-up of the card:

I hope I have inspired you to join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the other fabulous creations by the Design Team members at ATCAS!

I am also entering this card into the latest challenge at Less Is More (LIM#108 - Paper Piercing) as I have added two lines of piercing around the sentiment.

Stargazer Happiness

Hi everyone.  Quick post today as I'm off to see my DSIL at the hospital.  I'm way behind on making  a card to honor Mary (Octoberbabe at SCS).  Mary was chosen as Queen for the Day last Friday (QFTD152) and I wanted to make a card to celebrate.  Mary has a gallery full of inspiring cards ... and I chose this card to CASE in her honor - love the simplicity and CAS style.  Congrats Mary!!  I hope you enjoyed your special week!

Stamps:  Fifth Avenue (SU!); Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White, watercolor
Ink:  Black, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Cajun Craze (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, aqua painter, Stamp-a-ma-jig, and dimensionals

I used a watercolored lily that I made a while back and had in my stash so I'm not exactly sure how I made it :)   The image is stamped in black ink onto watercolor paper and then I believe I used a combination of an aqua painter, water mister and ink to color it.  I used Stampin' Write markers to color in the stems, stamens and add more dark pink to the center of each petal (and the dots).


Here's a couple of more pictures of the card:

... and a close-up:

Let Your Dreams Take Flight

Hi everyone.  Today my card is for the Less Is More Challenge (LIM#107 - Up in the Air) ... and the latest color challenge at CAS - Colours & Sketches (tangerine tango, sahara sand, summer starfruit).  The paper I used today has all three of those colors ... plus a little blue so hope I'm not cheating :)

I bought this adorable clear stamp set from Lawn Fawn a while back and this is the first time inking it up.  Love it!!  And I used my new designer papers from SU! called Sycamore Street ... and this particular pattern is my favorite - fabulous color combo!   Hope you like.

Stamps:  Sunny Skies (Lawn Fawn); Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White (C.C. Designs); Sycamore Street DP (SU!)
Ink:  Black; Baja Breeze Stampin' Write marker (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Puffy Clouds die (Memory Box), glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I added faux stitching around the clouds and popped up the larger two with dimensionals.  The kite is paper pieced onto white (to make it thicker) and then cut out and popped up as well (glued flush at the base where it meets the "tail" and popped up at the top).  The tail is also paper pieced.

I used (again) my sentiment stamp from Amy R's set - Be Happy Sentiments.  This is my favorite sentiment set right now ... although I love a lot of the Amy R sets and own about ten so far.  They are available at All That Scraps if you're interested.  FYI, these come as a full rubber sheet (with sponge backing) so you have to cut them apart ... but the quality of the rubber etching of the stamps is really high - I can't say enough about them.  I thought this sentiment fit perfectly with the kite and clouds.

Here's a close-up of the image:

Vintage Birthday

Hi everyone.  Two cards to share with you today.  The first is my Design Team card for the latest challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More - Theme#6 (Vintage).  This is not a style of card that I make very often ... but I think this CAS card still had a vintage feel to it.  Most of the work is done by the gorgeous papers - Simple Stories "Generations".

This week's sponsor is

Prize:  $20 Gift Voucher

(please follow the rules of the challenge to be eligible to win)

Stamps:  Happiest Birthday Wishes (SU!)
Paper:  Very Vanilla (SU!), Generations (Simple Stories)
Ink:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Rose Creations Nestabilties (Spellbinders), pearl ribbon, sponge, brad,  adhesives, and glue dots

I sponged the Very Vanilla card front (and inside panel) lightly with Soft Suede ink to give the paper an aged look.  The pearl "ribbon" is for my local $1 store - love it!  I made the rose from the same patterned paper, making sure to cut the blooms out of the "rose" pattern section of the paper.  Makes for a very dark rose, which adds to the vintage feel.  The leaves are also cut from the patterned paper.


Here's a close-up of the rose:

I hope I have inspired you to join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the other fabulous creations by the Design Team at ATS&M!

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The second card is for today's color challenge at SCS (CC414 - Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake) ... with the "dessert" being dry embossing.  Love these colors together and thought they'd be perfect for a nature / masculine card.  I had fun playing around with watercolor paper and ink to come up with my "aged" fern.  :)

You're One of a Kind

Stamps:  Word Salad (Paper Smooches)
Paper: Watercolor, Crumb Cake (SU!)
Ink:  Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Pair of Ferns die (Cheery Lynn), Rectangle Nesties (Spellbinders), Forest Branches embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), sponges, water mister, Stamp-a-ma-jig, glue, and dimensionals

I sponged the fern with Certainly celery (covering it) and then added light sponges of Chocolate Chip ink along the tips of the leaves and along the stem.  I misted it with lots of water and then blotted off the excess with a paper towel.  I liked the look, but the colors were too soft, so I sponged more Celery and Chocolate Chip on top while the paper was still wet.

I cut a frame using the rectangle nestie from Crumb Cake cardstock.  I swiped my Chocolate Chip ink pad directly onto the frame to create an aged frame (love how it turned out!).  I embossed a small piece of watercolor paper with the branches and glued it behind the frame.  The frame is popped up on the card front and the fern is glued on top.


Here's a close-up of the fern:

Wishing you a Lovely Day

Hi everyone.  ... And I am wishing you all a lovely day!! :)  Here is a card to honor Mary Marsh.  Mary is the Featured Stamper at Splitcoast Stampers this week (FS315 - MaryR197) ... congrats Mary!!  I love Mary's style and found many cards in her gallery that I would like to CASE (copy and share everything).  But when I saw this card, I knew I wanted to get out my brayer ... it is such a beauty!

My plan was to use Mary's card for inspiration, but in the end, it is almost a complete CASE, just changing up the pine tree stamp.  I did some second generation stamping with the two smaller trees (ink stamp, stamp off once and then stamp) to create trees in the background, but I found it hard to do that with black ink and they don't look much lighter in color.  I should have inked the background stamps with gray ink instead.  At least I learned something ... which I do most times I make a card ... always learning, but not necessarily retaining that knowledge :)

I have had fun the past two days, spending time in my studio, creating cards - my favorite hobby!  I took a couple of days off from hospital visits.  I'm finding that my energy is low right now, so staying home for a couple of days has really helped to rejuvenate me.  Today (as with most Sunday's), my kids are coming for dinner.  Gord and I really love that we have this time together with them.  Tonight's menu:  Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Roasted Potatoes, Steamed carrots, Zucchini with Parmesan ... and Coconut Cake for dessert.  The recipe for the coconut cake is under the "Baking with Loll" tab above ... and if you love coconut, give this cake a try - it's easy to make and delicious!

Speaking of recipes, I'm going to include a few recipes from our Valentine's Day dinner (I had a few requests).  They will be at the bottom of this post.

On to the card details ...

Stamps:  Large Pine Tree (Stampscapes); Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  Whisper White (SU!)
Ink:  Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Basic Black
Accessories & Tools:  Speedball Rubber Brayer, scrap paper for masking mountains, sponges, Stamp-a-ma-jig, and adhesives

I brayered the sky in this order ... Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Not Quite Navy.  I ripped a mask from scrap paper and sponged the tops of the mountain range.  I sponged Old Olive ink at the bottom, followed by a little Basic Black at the edge of the bottom.  I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to position my trees.  The two largest are stamped in Basic Black.  The two smallest are also stamped in Basic Black, but after they were stamped off once (tried to create the look of trees in the background).  I stamped one tree on the inside of the card for interest.

I'm having a bit of trouble with the light these days ... my pictures are not turning out very clear (could also be my camera - it's really old).  Anyways, I took a couple of extra shots from different angles so you can hopefully see it better.


Here's more photos:

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Here's a quick run down on how Gord makes Cedar-Plank Salmon ...

Marinate your salmon fillets for up to 4 hours if possible (6-8 oz. per person).  Marinade is a mix of lots of Thick Teriyaki sauce (we use Golden Dragon brand), with a little soy sauce and a pinch of garlic salt.  About 1 hour before you want to BBQ, soak a cedar plank in water (make sure to weigh it down so it is immersed in the water).  You can get cedar planks from your lumber store (cedar fence boards), just make sure at least one side is smooth (not rough cut).  Heat your BBQ to 350 degrees, place the wet cedar plank in the BBQ until you start seeing smoke (approx. 5-10 mins).  Remove salmon from marinade and place skin side down on smooth side of cedar plank.  Close lid and BBQ until desired doneness - don't open lid!  We like ours well done so cook it for approx. 40 minutes.  Remove salmon from cedar plank and remove skin before serving (lots of time the skin sticks to the cedar).  Enjoy!!

Fruit and Nut salad:

Mixed baby greens or chopped Romaine hearts, fruit of choice (I used sliced strawberries for Valentine's Day, but sliced apples, pears or halved grapes also work well), toasted nuts of choice (I used pine nuts, but sliced almonds or pecans work well too), sweet vinaigrette (recipe follows).  Also really good if you add a few ounces of chopped unripened (soft) goat cheese.

My Favorite Sweet Vinaigrette: (shake well to combine)
Equal parts:
Sugar (or to taste)
Grapeseed Oil
White Balsamic Vinegar

plus pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

Variations:  add chives, minced red onion or mustard to the vinaigrette to bump up the flavor

Spring Bouquet

Hi everyone.  Today's card is for the Inkspirational Photo Challenge #7 and SCS Free For All (F4A156 - Go To Your Happy Color Place - use colors you love).  I went fairly literal with my interpretation of the photo, creating a vase of flowers using the same colors as the photo (I love these colors!).  I added Crystal effects to my vase to make it shiny and "glass-like" (not sure it shows in the photo too well).  I made a whimsical bouquet of flowers, so I added a white-stitched, red ribbon to the top with a simple knot to mimic that look.  Hope you like.

Here's the inspirational photo:

Stamps:  Precious Butterflies (sentiment stamp from SU!)
Paper:  White, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Real Red (SU!)
Ink:  Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Tall Vase die (Poppy Stamps), Hydrangea punch (Martha Stewart), Leaf and stem punch (part of the 2-part bird punch from SU!), Stitched Real Red ribbon, white gel pen, glue, Stamp-a-ma-jig, and dimensionals

I die-cut the vase with Real Red cardstock and then cut a bit of the top and bottom to get the size of vase I needed.  I covered the vase in Crystal Effects and let it dry.  After it was dry, I used a stylus to give the sides a bit of a curved shape.

I layered the stem with leaves (six) until I was happy with the placement on my card front and then glued down the stems (the leaves are loose and have movement).  I glued on the hydrangea blooms that I had shaped and added centers with the white gel pen.  A few of the flowers I pinched up tight (to look like new blooms that weren't open yet), and added them as well.  A simple sentiment and a red knotted ribbon finished the card.  Sorry for the poor quality of photos ... it's very cloudy outside right now, so it was hard to get a good photo.  Need to figure out a good way to light my photos ... another new project to add to the list :)


Here's a close-up of the bouquet:

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Also wanted to share that my "Hydrangea for Susan" card was picked as one of the top 3 at CAS - Colours & Sketches Challenge blog.  Thank you to Jacqueline and her team for picking my card!!

And I received a request for recipes for my Valentine's Dinner that Gord and I made ... thanks for your interest Dolly!!  I'll work on putting together a quick list of how and what I did and post it soon.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hi everyone.  My last Valentine's Day card for this year! :)  I have now made all my cards for my sweethearts (Gord, Evan, Nikki and Jer) - just under the wire :)

Today Gord and I have taken the day off from our usual rounds of visits at the hospitals.  We managed to get in some grocery shopping this morning (Costco) before taking the rest of the day off.  I've been in the studio, playing! :)  And Gord has been listening to music (his favorite past-time).  When we were younger, we always went out for dinner to celebrate the day ... but now we'd rather stay at home where it's quiet and peaceful.  So our plan is to make a special dinner together.  Gord makes the most amazing Cedar Plank Salmon on the barbecue, and he'll be doing that while I make cheesy potato casserole and a fabulous salad of mixed baby greens with strawberries and pine nuts.  And for dessert, Baked Lemon Pudding ... something my mom made a lot when I was growing up - it's basically a lemon souffle that creates it's own lemon sauce in the bottom when it's baking - can't wait for dinner! :)

On to the card details ...

I received this stamp set in the mail from my very good friend, Debbie (thank you Debbie!!).  We have become on-line friends through Splitcoast Stampers.  It is the most amazing paper crafting website and there are so many talented crafters that share their work, tips and ideas.  It's a great place to be inspired ... and to forge friendships.  Even though Debbie lives so far from me (she is in Illinois), I feel like she lives nearby.  We chat on-line most days and I feel very fortunate to have connected with her.  And I am always inspired by her beautiful card creations - thanks Debbie!

Stamps:  Loads of Love (Penny Black); happy valentine's day sentiment (Teeny Tiny Wishes - SU!)

Paper:  White

Ink:  Basic Black (SU!); Copics:  W4, E77, R20, E01, R29, R39, 0

Accessories & Tools:  white gel pen, Maraschino twine (The Twinery), stamp-a-ma-jig, and dimensionals

I stamped the image and colored it with Copics.  Added highlights to the heart balloons with a white gel pen.  Knotted two pieces of twine together and wrapped the ends around to the back to secure.  Popped the main panel up on the card front for added dimension.

Here's a close-up of the sweet hedgehog:

Bloomin' Marvelous

Hi everyone.  Just had to make a second card with the colors of the SCS Color Challenge from yesterday (CC413 - tangerine tango, lucky limeade, whisper white).  This time I used a lovely stamp that was sent to me by my good friend Peggy.  Love this image and thought it would work perfectly with the watercolor spritz technique - turned out soft and feminine - just the look I was wanting.  I used my new SU! Bloomin' Marvelous sentiment stamp that I just got (for free) during the Sale-a-bration event.  I do love getting things for free!! :)

Normally I would just stamped the flower and sentiment and been finished, but today I decided to use some sheer thin ribbon that I've had for a while to add some interest to the top.  And I attached a lime green dragonfly charm that I've had for AGES.  Hope you like.

Stamps:  Floral 496-12 (Rubbernecker Stamps); Bloomin' Marvelous (SU!)
Paper:  White (card base); Watercolor
Ink:  Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, 1/8" Tangerine Tango sheer ribbon, dragonfly charm (unknown), removable tape, glue, glue dots, and dimensionals

I masked the blooms with removable tape and inked the rest of the stamp with Kiwi Kiss ink (I don't have a Kiwi Kiss or Lucky Limeade Stampin' Write marker or I would have used that instead).  I removed the tape and inked the blooms with my Tangerine Tango Stampin' Write marker.  I misted the stamp five times and stamped onto the watercolor paper card front.  I inked the sentiment and misted three times before stamping it on the card front.  I added the ribbons and charm and then popped the card front up on my card base to give added dimension.


Here's a close-up view of the main image:

Love Tweet Love and Scooting By

Hi everyone.  Two cards to share with you today.  The first one is my Design Team card for the latest challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More - Bingo #6.

Here's the bingo card:

I used the top horizontal line (digi, red, heart) ... and used an adorable image from Clear Dollar Stamps (this challenge's sponsor) called Love Tweet Love.

The sponsor for this challenge is

Prize:  $15 gift voucher

(please follow the rules of the challenge to be eligible to win)

Stamps:  Love Tweet Love (Clear Dollar Stamps)

Paper:  White, yellow checked, red glitter
Ink:  Real red, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Puffy Clouds dies (Memory Box), sponge, heart punch, owl punch (for small hearts), glue, and dimensionals

I printed out the two love birds onto yellow checked design paper, colored in their design (spots for the boy bird, hearts for the girl bird) using Stampin' Write markers and cut them out.  I then printed the sentiment onto white cardstock and cut it out using my cloud dies from Memory Box.  I layered of clouds to make them thick, and sponged Tempting Turquoise ink around the edge of the top layer.  The birds and clouds are popped up on the card front for added dimension.


Here's a close-up of the love birds:

I hope I have inspired you to join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the other fabulous creations by the Design Team at ATS&M!

I am also entering this into Splitcoast Stamper's CAS Challenge (CAS207 - Love is in the air).

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The second card is for the SCS Color Challenge (CC413 - tangerine tango, lucky limeade, whisper white).  Love this color combination!  I used an adorable stamp set from Paper Smooches that I've had for a while, but hadn't inked up yet ... I have several of those!! :)  After mentioning to Bonnie at Stamping with Klass that I rarely used patterned paper on my cards, yesterday's card and both of today's cards use designer paper - go figure! :)

It isn't very often I use DP unless I'm paper piecing (as with the card below), but I'm so happy that I've been using a little of my huge stash.

Stamps:  Spiffy Scooters (Paper Smooches)
Paper:  White; Orchard Harvest DP (SU!)
Ink:  Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss (SU!); Copics W4, Y32, YR07, R17
Accessories & Tools:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, sponge, glue, glue dots and dimensionals

I colored in the flames, seat, lights and tires with copics.  I paper pieced the scooter (full image) and then cut out a second set of the wheel covers, sponged the edges with Kiwi Kiss ink, and added them on top with rolled glue dots to create some depth (paper tole).


Here's a close-up of the scooter: