PWC121: Animal Style

This week's challenge from Paper Pretties is to go Animal style - use an animal stamp, or animal print paper or texture on your project. since we just released this adorable new Horse stamp and I hadn't had a chance to play with him yet, I knew this was the perfect oppportunity!

 Horsin' Around is such a fun stamp. I love the expression on this guy's face...and the flower is adorable!! I colored him in with my copic markers, then cut the image out with a new labels nestabilities set. LOVE this new shape!! For the layout, I went with this week's Mojo Monday sketch.

I also made this card for Carolyn King's Heart to Heart drive. She's got an amazing lineup of sponsors for this HUGE giveaway (pretty much, all the big names in stamping are represented - including Paper Pretties!!) To enter, you have to make (and send) a card to someone who works with Alzheimer's patients. My aunt is one of those people, and she's been doing this for several years now. I've actually visited her at work when back in Maine, and she is so patient and kind (just like she was with me as a child) with her patients...I know she's perfect for these folks! And, I'm also sending some cards that I've made (and that Julia my daughter has made) for her to give to her patients...because I know how much THEY love getting cards too!

So...go make your own Animal-style card to enter into OUR contest, then send it to someone working with Alzheimer's patients to enter into Carolyn's contest too. It will double your chances of getting some free Paper Pretties stamps to play with!!

Mojolicious birdhouse!

I finally got to play along with a Monday mojo sketch again...and it was a circle or square sketch (Mojo132.) Now normally, I would take the cowards way and just do a square card, but i decided to be adventurous this time and make a circle card...and I like it!

I of course colored my image with copics...isn't it just a darling little birdhouse?? It's one of the newly released Paper Pretties  digi stamps! And as a digital image, i was able to print it any size I wanted. I actually created a sheet with 3 different sizes to print, so now I'm set for a while with this image, and can use it both larger and smaller!! Since it's almost Country style, I thought my new red gingham from My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary would work well, plus I LOVE gingham! The kraft is some specialty paper that came pre-embossed. I used my nesties to cut most of the layeres except the 2 largest circles which I used my circle cutter for, and I used some SU! ribbon, a PTI button and some linen thread.

Have a wonderful Easter everyone!!

Shamrocks galore!

There's no doubt...I LOVE St. Patty's day. Part of the reason is I LOVE Corned Beef and Cabbage - and that is the one day a year I can force my family to eat it! I also can claim some percentage of Irish blood (don't ask me to quantify it!) So of course I was thrilled with Jane suggested a Green challenge over on our I Dream of Stamping challenge blog for this week! That, and I had just gotten a new 4-Leaf Clover Girl from MFT's Pure Innocence line.

I used my wonderful Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety paper again to paper piece this little cutie, and for the background as well. I used some of SU!'s Not Quite Navy to layer everything, and the card base and shamrock are from PTI Spring Moss (as is the ribbon!) The layout was supposed to be this week's Mojo sketch, but it went off a little. Oh well!

I finished off the inside with similar papers and added the Go Green sentiment from SU! again, because I just LOVE it! Be sure to go check out the I Dream of Stamping blog to see Jane and Michelle's samples, and then make your own and join the fun!

Sophia's got Mojo!

Sorry again for the long silence, I've been meaning to post all week! I actually have been stamping, and so want to share some fun stuff I've made.

First up is this adorable Sophia card. I used Julee's Mojo Monday sketch along with the newly released Sending You Love Sophia. Isn't she adorable?? I stamped her with Palette Noir ink on whisper white cardstock, and colored her with my prismacolor pencils. I've missed those! The DSP is some I got from the Pretties Boutique last year...can't remember who makes it but thinking Bo Bunny? The ribbon I got just a few weeks ago (part of Christie's clearance sale!) and the buttons are SU! neutrals buttons. I punched the heart from Pink Pirouette paper using the new 3 heart punch.

I really just love this new stamp, and am sorry I haven't shared her with you before now! I"ll be back to Prettie Wednesdays after next week with Charmaine's challenge to use Pastels. Gotta dig through and see if I still have any!! Oh...and be sure to check out Jules' Jewels - case a card from the Prettie Gallery and you could win Cuddle Me Sophia!! (maybe I should try to win since I lost mine somewhere between Germany and California!)

Supplies: (all supplies from SU! unless noted)
Stamps: Sending You Love by Paper Pretties
CS: Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, DSP
Ink: Palette Noir, Chocoloate Chip
Acc: heart punch, scallop edge punch, oval punch, gingham ribbon, stitched velvet ribbon, buttons.

TFL!

Howdy Folks!

German Phrase of the Day: Hast du einen gruenen Rock? = Do you have a green skirt? You don't see the "ck" spelling in German very often, so it surprised me to see this is how you spell this word. It is pronounced just like it looks in English even!

How do you like our newest little Lady here? Isn't she just the cutest eveh?!? I was so excited the first time I saw her, and couldn't wait to get my hands on her. Of course, you all have probably seen her on all the other Prettie Girl blogs, but things take a little longer to get here to Deutschland, ya know?? Anyway, I used Julee's Mojo Monday #45 sketch for this card (although I did have to move the brads around a bit to fit better.) I used my retired SU! Outlaw paper, and my corner rounder to scallop the bottom (can't WAIT to get the new SU! scallop edge punch, come on August 9...hurry up and get here!) I did lots of sponging on this one, and colored her outfit to match the colors of the paper using an aquapainter and my ink pads. She is just TONS of fun to color...and the greeting that comes with her is so perfect. If you haven't signed up for the Stamp of the Month Club yet...you gotta to get this little sweetie before September! And when you go sign up, be sure to tell Christie I sent ya!!

Speaking of Paper Pretties, did you see the awesome product review Julie did of the Making Memories Ribbon Slides? And did you know that all the ribbon slides, and ric rac is on sale for 25% off throughout the entire month of July??? How cool is that?!? I know I'll be stocking up!!

Hope you all have a wonderful day, and I'll be back tomorrow with a fun project I did for a friend!

Supplies: (all supplies from SU! unless noted)
Stamps: Howdy Girlfriend by Paper Pretties
CS: Stamper's Select White, Sage Shadow, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Outlaw DSP
Ink: Brilliance black, Sage Shadow, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun, Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink
Acc: Aquapainter, corner rounder punch, sponge, chocolate grosgrain, antique brads

TFL!

Mojolicious Pretty Peek color challenge

German Phrase of the Day: Das ist privat. = That's private. Now...when has that ever stopped me from sharing something?? However, today, I do have some news. I had a doctor's appointment, and we got a piece of information we didn't have yet, but which EVERYONE keeps asking. Wanna know??? Come to the Stamping in Your Jammies party tonight and find out! ;-) 8pm EDT...be there, or, well, you know the saying.

Today I managed to combine my prettie peek with the color challenge over on SCS, AND Julee's Mojo Monday #44! Wow...I was busy. Actually, I only had a little time so needed to try and be quick so I thought if I had a sketch, and my colors I could be. Hah!

I cut little Sophia out this time, and watercolored her with my ink pads and aquapainter thinking that would be faster than my prismas. It is. And don't you just love the little doggy water dish with the swirly straw?? How cute is that?! I bet Maisy would love a green and pink polka dot water dish. Might have to look for one for her when we get back to the states.

I still don't have a working photo corner punch (my own fault for never calling SU! about it!) so I have to improvise and use other square punches to make them. These turned out a little skinny...but considering how little spare room I had available that was probably a good thing!

Ok, gotta run. But I'll chat with ya tonight, right??

Supplies: (all supplies from SU! unless noted)
Stamps: Soakin Up the Sun by Paper Pretties ,
CS: Wild Wasabi, Stamper's Select White, purely pomegranate, certainly celery
Ink: Brilliance black, certainly celery, wild wasabi, purely pom, pretty in pink , blush blossom, close to coca, soft sky
Acc: sponge, aquapainter, purely pom double-stitched ribbon, circle punches, square punches, neutrals watercolor crayons

TFL!

Sophia's got Mojo!

German Phrase of the Day: Darf ich dir einen Tee anbieten? = Can I offer you some tea? Usually, I drink a LOT of tea over here. But lately, I've been bad and drinking my coffee with sugar and full strength cream in the mornings. No wonder I've put a few pounds back on!! :-O I do still drink my tea in the evenings though...it keeps me warm when the heat has gone off and the house starts to cool down.

I'm trying to get back into the swing of all my challenges...just before the COMPLETE insanity of spring travel hits. Perhaps I'll post my travel schedule for you all to ponder soon, but let me warn you, I'm gone ALMOST as much as I'm home for the next 3+ months!! Yikes! Oh..so anyway I finally got a chance to do Julee T.'s Monday Mojo sketch challenge from this week.

I used some retired Holiday Thyme DSP along with this luscious burgundy Velvet paper. I bought that at Mike's when I was there in Florida, and I knew I wanted to put it into this CB folder to emboss it. I love the richness of the texture (if you click on one of the pictures you can see it a little better...but it's tricky to capture with the camera!) If only I could have found my Sophia stamp and not just a pre-stamped image I would have pieced her dress with the paper too! Guess it's time to clean off the stamping table, huh?

I colored our sweet little Sophia with my aquapainters and cut her out with my coluzzle. I used the Marvy Giga scalloped oval to punch the layer under her. I sponged all the layers with coordinating colors (except the velvet) and used my ticket corner punch on the green rectangle layer so I could add some antique brads. It's a little dark, but I love the rich colors!!

Supplies: (all supplies are SU! unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Cuddle Me from Paper Pretties
Ink: Night of Navy, Always Artichoke, Brilliance Graphite black, Baroque Burgundy
CS: Night of Navy, Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Holiday Thyme DSP, Stamper's Select White
Acc: watercolor crayons, aquapainter, ticket corner punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, sponge, antique brads

TFL!

Prettie Wednesday, and another little peak!

German Phrase of the Day: Kannst du das nochmal sagen? = Can you say that again? Usually I just cheat and say "Bitte" which means please, but can also mean you're welcome and excuse me, and probably several other things I just don't know about yet. However, this is a useful phrase to know when learning a new language...so I've tucked it into my back pocket of phrases I try desperately to remember!

Yesterday was Prettie Wednesday! Julie issued this week's challenge, and wants us to create a Valentine for our Stamping Sisters (or other girlfriend) Then, we'll mail them out to arrive by Valentine's day to the next Prettie girl on the list. So my challenge to you all is make a Valentine for one of your girlfriends (real, or PSF's [pretend stamping friends] as Lauren calls them) and MAIL IT! I know...I'm TERRIBLE about mailing things, especially since it costs me 2 euros to mail cards back to the US (that's $3.00!!) but we make all these wonderful creations and don't share them as much as we should...so...get out those stamps, and those stamps! ;-) Now for another little sneaky peek....
What do you think of today's little looksy at the wonderful new stamps coming out on Monday at Paper Pretties? It's very hard for me to keep the lid on this one...I just love it!! You won't want to miss the party Monday night at 8pm central (which is 0'dark-thirty here!) Be sure to check the other Prettie Girl blogs (links on right) for more sneak peaks today, and remember you still have time to submit an entry to be our first Cutie Pie!! Oh...and speaking of pretties... have you checked out all the ribbon Christie has over there? She just got some brand spankin' new Valentine's ribbon from American Crafts and it is TO DIE FOR! Oh my gosh...you have got to go check it out!!

Now, for today's card. I made this the other morning using a Stampendous image I stamped while my friend Karin was here. She made this gorgeous card with it, and I had to CASE at least part of it! I mean, look at that flower?!? So...I started with the image stamped in Palette Noir on stamper's select white. I sponged a little Groovy Guava into the center, then some Regal Rose working out towards the petals. Then, I opened up the Purely Pomegranate and started sponging that inwards. I don't think I have ever completely colored an image using sponges. I always watercolor images like this. But you just can't get this kind of intense color with a watercolor brush! I mean...this just screams at you!

After I got the color right, I cut the image out, covered it with Versamark and embossed with iridescent ice ep. Then, I inked it up with versamark again and covered it with Glassy Glaze ep. After melting that I added one more layer to make it nice and smooth. Gorgeous, no?

I had already decided to use Julee's Mojo Monday #21 sketch...but now I had to figure out how to incorporate this flower into it. I played around with a few different sets and finally settled on this Think Big set that I have rarely used, but LOVE. I stamped the BIG with Palette Noir first, then added the shadow with Going Gray using my SAMJ (Stamp a ma Jig) then I added the dream with Purely Pomegranate. I stamped the Pomegranate layer with my floral background (again with Pomegranate ink) and hid the seam behind the ribbon!

The closeup really gives you more of the impact of this flower. In real life it is amazingly gorgeous if I do say so myself. Gee..I'm gonna start sounding like Jan Tink here pretty soon!

Have a wonderful day everyone, and be sure to come back tomorrow for another Paper Pretties Sneak Peak!

Supplies: (all supplies are SU! unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Think Big, Floral Background, Stampedous Flower
CS: Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, Stamper's Select White from PTI
Ink: going gray, basic black, purely pomegranate, regal rose, groovy guava
Acc: sponge, iridescent ice ep, glassy glaze ep, black organdy ribbon, silver cord, 1 1/4" circle punch

TFL!
-Jana

Happy Cupcake Day, Daddy!!

German Phrase of the Day: Meine Freunde sind mir sehr wichtig. My friends are very important to me. This phrase is very true - I don't know how I would get through life without my friends!

I'm also fortunate enough that some of my best friends are also my family. My husband, my siblings, and my parents. Today, is my Daddy's birthday...so I thought a birthday card would be appropriate. Of course, I still have his bday card here that I made months ago and was supposed to give him when I saw him in New Jersey...oh well! I'll give him a call later today though, so he won't mind!

For the layout for this card I used Julee's Mojo Monday #17 sketch (better late than never, right?) What a fun sketch to use! I also used some fun SU! Prints Designer Paper, and MFT's Icing on the Cake and a color combo that I found laying on my desk. I started with my punched scalloped circle because I knew I wanted to use designer paper for that, and I built the rest of the layers from that. I used my coluzzle for the white circle (Papertrey Ink's Stamper's select white - I'm almost out so will have to get some more soon!) and stamped the cupcake first with palette noir ink, then masked it using my Eclipse masking tape. That stuff is AWESOME! If you haven't tried it yet, you can get it at the Paper Pretties store as well as other places.

Once the cupcake was masked, I stamped the stand in Blue Bayou ink. I'm not sure I like it in Blue Bayou...but I guess it's ok. After coloring in the cupcake (carefully so as not to run the ink from the stand...guess I should have colored it before masking it!) I sponged the edges of the circle first with River rock, then just a tiny hint of chocolate chip. I layered the circle onto the punched dsp (which was also sponged just with river rock though) then I had to decide what to use for the rest of the layers.

I chose Blue Bayou for my standard card base, and layered some blue bayou prints designer paper on top of it (sponged of course!) Then I used some Chocolate Chip satin ribbon layered on river rock for the center strip, then punched circles from river rock and blue bayou for the edges. I layered the circles, then cut them in half to make the 2 little tabs that appear on the sketch. After assembling everything, I stamped and punched the saying. This sketch was awesome, and will for sure go in my sketch book for future uses! Thanks Julee!!

Supplies: (all supplies are SU! unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Icing on the Cake by My Favorite Things
CS: Papertrey Ink's Stamper's Select white, Blue Bayou, River Rock, Blue Bayou and River Rock Prints DSP
Ink: Palette Noir, River Rock, Blue Bayou, Chocolate Chip, Ruby REd
Acc: Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, sponge, dimensionals, word window punch, circle punches, Marvy giga scalloped circle punch, eclipse masking tape

TFL!
-Jana