No Time To Stamp?

Keyword ssnotime81 -There is no time limit. You can play this challenge and upload yourproject at Splitcoastand/or your Blog, anytime at all! You (and that means anyone and everyone, blogger or not!)can play as many times as you like!!! The point is to keep it simple, quick and have fun!!! Please link back here.

The Incredible Edible Egg! Since Easter is fast approaching, I thought we would have some fun this week and take a look at the traditional Easter Egg. Let’s try to contain eggs in our creations this week– and you know me, I’m easy! Could be a beautifully decorated Easter egg, eggs in a birds nest, or in a frying pan, or a 3-D project containing jelly bean eggs or chocolate eggs. Let’s just get a bit *eggy* this week!!! No other rules - but to have FUN!!!

Today I’d like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to Barb Schramfor serving as our Guest Designer for the past month of March. Barb’s work is so out-of-the-box and always a treat for the eyes! We enjoyed having you Barb and we hope you stick around and keep playing with us. THANK YOU!!! You all can keep up with Barb at Explore. Dream. Discover.

And with a new month, I’m so pleased to announce our Guest Designer for April — Jenny Gropp. WELCOME, JENNY!!! I’m sure many of you know Jenny from both SCS and her Blog, One Krafty Kat. Jenny does some amazing work with a lot of attention to detail and I’m so excited to have her with us this month!!! Can’t wait to see her creations!!!

Check out the greatsamples for the Stamp Simply Challenge today on the blogs of these designers:

• Jenny,April Guest Designer
• Tammy
• Janine
• Jennifer
• Julie

Please bear with us as we are all uploading and linking on Thursday night.

You can see all Gallery Submissions here.

What wonderful samples!!! Thank you girls!!! Much appreciated!!!

Heres my egg creation for today:

Can you tell it’s an all-dressed-up Easter Egg? I had nothing that was egg shaped, so I just used my Oval Nesties, and I think they work OK! My memories of Easter as a child are mostly of the outfits we would always get and wear — a fancy dress, complete with shoes, hat, gloves and a purse! It was so much fun. And to think I don’t even like to get dressed up any more — LOL!!! It was so much fun then!!!

My card has only a stamped sentiment — the rest is just playing with DP and ribbon to decorate my egg. And my Prima on top serves as my eggs *hat* for Easter — LOL!! All ribbons used are by May Arts and available at the Stamp Simply Ribbon Storeabove my blog banner. The rick-rack is by Wright’s in the sewing section of Wal-Mart or other stores. My card base is 4.25 x 4.25 square and with the flower on top, it is 6″ tall.

Stamps: The Cross of Christ by Our Daily Bread

Paper: SU Black, White, So Saffron and Almost Amethyst Prints DP

Ink: Versa Fine Onyx Black

Accessories: May Arts Gingham in 3/8″ and 1.5″, Silk in 1/4″; Rick Rack by Wright’s from Wal-Mart; Prima from Michaels: SU Brad, retired Deckle Scissors, Dimensionals; Marvy 1/2″ punch (flower center); Spellbinders Petitie Oval Nestabilities, Tags Trio Dies; Red Line Tape, Glue Glider; Martha Stewart Punch on inside.

Shopping:

Stamp Simply Ribbon Storecarries these and other May Arts Ribbon, above my Blog header.

Joan’s Garden carries Spellbinders, Martha Stewart and Glue Glider.

Thank you so much for stopping in today. Hope you can throw together some egg creations for us all to see and enjoy!!! Hope you are having a good day and weekend to come!!! Thanks much — see you soon!

Today’s card could serve equally as well as an Easter card or a baby girl card. I used an Easter sentiment for today. I’ve paired SU’s lovely Bella Birds DP, with a Martha Stewart Felt Applique Bunny and my gorgoues May Arts satin ribbon. Not much stamping here, just a fun card to put together.

If you missed my last post, I just want to point out that I’ve added new Sheers and SILKS to my humble little Ribbon Sale listed in the tab above my Blog Banner. I have really fallen for these luxurious silks — just so yummy!!! I have them in 10 colors and 2 widths and you can see them here. Back to my card for today, using pink silk — here it is:

See what I mean about it being suitable for either Easter or a baby girl? I think so, anyway! I’m loving pinks and yellows together of late and this card uses a bit of added grayish blue as well. The layout I used is from this week’s Weekend Sketch Challenge hosted this week by Charmaine.Easy and fun sketch! If some days you feel stumped, start with a sketch — it’s a sure fire way to get you going!!!Here’s some closer detail views:

I can’t tell you how much I’m loving using this new silk ribbon. My bow is made using the 1.5″ width. It is SO lightweight and it just ties up so nicely. And see my neat bow center/knot? Well I did that by taking the 1/4″ width of the same pink silk, running it through holes on my tags and thentying it to the bow knot. The 1/4″ width perfectly covered the real knot and makes for a neat appearance while also serving to hang my tags — and it’s quick and simple — no fuss!!! The sentiment stamps are from The Cross of Christ by Our Daily Bread and fit perfectly on my little Tags Trio dies by Spellbinders.

And here’s my Martha Stewart Felt Applique bunnyfrom a sheet I picked up at Michaels. He is just mounted on some Nestie cut ovals and the little scrollies in the corners are from my newFlourish Accent Nesties. Fun little do-dads!!! I just run them through my Xyron X and they stick wherever they are placed.

Stamps: The Cross of Christ by Our Daily Bread

Paper: SU White, Pink Pirouette, Barely Banana, Bella Birds DP

Ink: Versa Fine Onyx Black

Accessories: May Arts Silk Ribbon available at My Ribbon Sale above my blog banner;Spellbinders: Petite Oval Nestabilities, Flourish Accent Nesties and Tags Trio; Kaiser Rhinestones; Glue Glider; SU Corner Rounder and Dimensionals; Martha Stewart Felt Applique.

Shopping:

May Arts Ribbon is available at My Ribbon Sale above my blog banner.

Joan’s Garden carries products used on this cardby Spellbinders, Kaiser, Glue Glider.

Thank you so much for stopping in again! I so appreciate it each time you do!!! I hope you all had a great weekend and are off to a good beginning of a new week!!! Thanks much — hope to see you again soon! Thanks!!!

I used one of the latest Easter releases by Flourishes, Easter Bunnies, to make this darling little girl’s birthday card — these are just the sweetest little bunnies in this set. This is also for two challenges — the sketch today at SCS and a challenge being run by Flourishes in their Member Company forum at SCS to make a card incorporating the details found in a little girl’s dress — how fun. You can read about that challenge here. I also attempted to work this into yesterday’s color challenge at SCS — Orchid Opulence, Sage Shadow and Kraft — but the Kraft just wasn’t working for me here, so I used Barely Banana in it’s place, and that made me much happier! Here it is:

The elements I used here that would relate to a little girl’s dress are the Swiss Dots (from embossing in the Cuttlebug), the gingham ribbon (all little girl’s dresses need a big bow), the picot trim, the button and the pretty, soft colors. Loved this sketch as well — fun with all the panels!!! The image was colored with an Aquapainter and ink refills and can you see his tail? I pulled a bit of cotton off a cotton ball andglued it on — so fun!!! And even though this is supposedly an Easter set, merely using a different sentiment turns this into a wonderful card for a little girl or baby. I am certainly not packing this set away after Easter!!!!

• Stamps: Easter Bunnies and Many Sentiments by Flourishes

• Paper: Orchid Opulence, Sage Shadow, Barely Banana, White

• Ink: Same as above plus Pumpkin Pie, Versa Fine Onyx Black

• Accessories: Aquapainter, Ribbon, Picot Trim, Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots Folder, Button, Mounting Tape, Mini Glue Dots, Cotton Ball, Glue Pen

That’s it for now!!! Thank you for stopping in and hope you all have a great day!!!

WOW — two Blog posts in one day — that’s unusual for me!!! But I just got the 2 new Easter releases by Flourishes and wanted to get a sample posted with each set. What a fun new set this is — Easter Bunnies. Just love it!!! Cutsey animals are not typically my thing, but for some reason I am really loving these bunnies!!! I had such fun making this card and can honestly say it is one of my favorites — I just LOVE the combination of patterns and colors. When I look at this card I think of a vintage little girl, in her printed cotton dress with a big bow at the back — fun!!! Here it is:

Aren’t these papers gorgeous!!! They are from the Two Scoops 6 x 6 pad by Basic Greyavailable at Flourishes, along with this new set called Easter Bunnies. And although this is an Easter set, a bunny set, I see something in this set that tells me I can make a definitely masculine card with this set — LOL!!! I’m super busy for the next couple days on required projects, but give me a few days and I’ll show you how it turns out — LOL!!! I LOVE doing the unexpected with a set!!!!

OK, I lifted a few ideas to make this card. First Jan Marie used an oval behind her bunny, representing an egg, and I thought that was so clever, thus my oval! And Sharon D. did the most fabulous thing to her bunny — she made it brown like a teddy bear (bunny) and added stitches up it’s back, like an old stuffed bunny. Well, those stitches looked fabulous on her card, but my attempt was not nearly as successful. I used a white gel pen to try to get white stitches, and it really didn’t work — none of my white gel pens would write properly over the watercolored bunny, so it isn’t as I had planned, but you can kind of see it and get the idea. Be sure to check out the cards linked to see the original creations using these ideas.

• The pink base card is stamped with Damask Positive, with Versa Mark, and gone over with pink chalk to make the pattern stand out more — so simple and so gorgeous!
• The bunny is watercolored on watercolor paper with reinkers and an aquapapinter and then cut out with a Coluzzle.
• The print background and its pink border were just cut to fit the yellow scalloped frame which was die cut usingthe rectangle scallop Nestability die by Spellbinders.
• The green DP is bordered on top with a small scallop that was created by die cutting another yellowrectangle scallop with the Nestability die and then cutting the scallop off the die cut rectangle and adhering it behind the DP. A piercer was used to add interest to the scallops.
• The yellow scalloped ensemble is mounted onto the card with foam mounting tape and the oval is also elevated with foam mounting tape.
• The ribbon wraps around the card front, running behind the main image.
• Happy Easter came in the set as stacked words — Happy on top, Easter on bottom — but I cut it into two words, giving me more options for use.
• I don’t have, but will buy, those tiny little cotton pom poms the kids use for crafts. I think they are the right size to glue on this bunny’s tail — won’t that be cute!!!

That pretty well sums it up — here’s the list of supplies:

• Stamps: Easter Bunnies and Damask Positive by Flourishes
• Paper: Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana, Watercolor, Two Scoops by Basic Grey
• Ink: Versa Fine Onyx Black, Versa Mark, Gelly Roll White Pen, various reinkers to watercolor
• Accessories: Aquapainter, Pastels, Cotton Ball, Ticket Corner Punch, Coluzzle, Crafter’s Tool Kit, Nestabilities Rectangle Scallop Die by Spellbinders, Ribbon by Offray from Wal-Mart, Mounting Tape, Sponge.

As always, I thank you so much for stopping in. Thank you so much for all the positive comments and encouragement — truly appreciated!!!

This set is one of the new Easter releases by Flourishes, called Easter Blessings. I need to mail out a sympathy card tomorrow, so I will be using this as a sympathy card — very appropriate, I think, with the cross and floral overaly. I didn’t have a sympathy sentiment stamp appropriately sized for this card, so I just went with Thinking of You, and I think it works!

This cross/floral image is large, and to give you an idea, the piece of watercolor paper that I have it stamped on is 3.5″ x 5″. My card is 5.5″ square and I’ll use a 6″ envelope for this. This image also works just wonderfully for a tall and thin card made to fit a standard business envelope — about 9 x 4.

I stamped my Blush Blossom card base with the Damask Positive background in Versa Mark, and then went over it with Blush chalks/pastels, using a cotton ball, to bring out the pattern more.Love that look! My main image is stamped in Gold Encore Pigment and then embossed with a mix I made of Detail Gold and Iridescent Ice Embossing Powders — it’s sopretty and sparkly IRL!!! I then colored it in using reinkers in various colors and an aquapainter. I did use what Icall my small *splatter* stamp from SU’s Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and that is embossed with the above mix as well. Also, the edges of the stamped panel are DTP’d (ink applied direct to paper from the pad) with Gold Encore and embossed with the same mix. Holes are punched for the ribbon using a 1/4″ punch, and the sentiment is mounted on Dimensionals and Pop Dots**. The ribbon is May Arts Scalloped Edge Satin — really gorgeous — from Flourishes.

• Stamps: Easter Blessings, Damask Positive, Open to Love - all by Flourishes; SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds
• Paper: Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, Watercolor
• Ink: Versa Fine Onyx Black, Versa Mark
• Accessories: Pastels, Detail Gold and Iridescent Ice Embossing Powders, Aquapainter, Ribbon, Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, 1/4″ hole punch, Pop Dots, Dimensionals.

** Yes, I’ve used 2 Dimensionals stacked oneon top of the other under the Thinking, and Pop Dots under the of and You. If you’ll notice, my main image is 3 layers thick, one of those layers being heavy watercolor paper. If I merely put the same type of *sticky* under each end of the sentiment, it would sit on the card unevenly — it would slope down towards the You. That sort of thing bugs me, so to make it sit flat as it should, I merely use different thickness *stickies*, and even stack them when necessary, to create a level surface. The Dimensionals are thin and are from SU, the Pop Dots are much thicker and I get them from Wal-Mart.

That’s it for now!!! I’ll try to get the other new Easter release (really cute bunnies) worked up into something later today!!! Thanks much for checking in!!!

Flourishes has come out with 2 new Easter sets — one is an absolutely precious bunny set and the other is a remake of a vintage card with an image of a crosswith a floral overlay– totally fabulous!!! However, sometimes things don’t work as planned, and this is one of those times. The unfortunate part is that these setsdid not arrive in time for the DT to get the setsto make samples for you, but Jan Marie has made a card with each set, and I’d like to share Jan Marie’s gorgeous cards with you here.

This is an ATC that Jan Marie made. Aren’t these just the cutest images!!! The set is called Easter Bunnies by Flourishes. Jan did a fabulous job on thisATC and I just really love how she used the oval Nestability die cut in the background to mimic an egg — what a wonderful idea for an Easter ATC!!! And isn’t that bunny and the little chick just the sweetest!! What a fun set to work with!!! I surely hope mine arrives soon!!!

And look at this gorgeous Easter image and sentiment!!! WOW!!! I love this format for a card and it goes just perfectly with this image!!! There is a very interesting story on how this stamp set, Easter Blessings, came to be. I think you’ll enjoy reading it and seeing the original piece. Just pop on over to Jan’s Blog to read the story.

Please check out Sharon Doolittle’s creation here - it is jaw dropping gorgeous - what an Easter beauty!!!

You can read more about both of these sets at the Flourishes Blog.

You can purchase these sets from the Flourishes store. While you are there, check out the new package of acrylic blocks — I just can’t wait to get these. The largest block in the set is large enough to hold a full sized acrylic background stamp, like Damask and Damask Reverse and Harlequin. Yes!!!! I am so happy about that!!! And coming real soon are the Clear Storage Boxes (I so need those) and the new lines of Basic Grey paper. They will be listed on the store site the moment the truck arrives with them, which is any day now, maybe even later today!!!

That’s it for now!!! Thanks much for checking in!!!!