Flowers & Butterflies

Just a quick post before getting to my evening beauty routine. lol. (And boy, do I need it!) Using yet another Rhonna Farrer clear stamp set I created this fun card. The flowers in the corner are one big stamp. It only seemed appropriate that they be highlighted that way. ;) The images were stamped with Versamagic black chalk ink, then traced with a Stardust gold pen. I really like how it turned out.

Supplies
Stamps: Rhonna Farrer, Autumn Leaves
Paper: White, Night of Navy
Ink: Taken with Teal, Night of Navy, Versamagic Black Chalk, Not Quite Navy
Accessories: Stardust Gold Gel Pen, Scallop Punch

Blue Valentine

I am loving this color challenge. I am off to create a few more after finishing this little blog entry. Actually, I am going to change my contacts first. Things are a bit blurry right now...not a pleasant way to create cards.

We had a beautiful snow day today! It has been flurrying gently all day. Our neighbor was just down with his tractor to clear out the lane and our driveway. I have a feeling that by tomorrow morning all of his work will be in vain even though it is supposed to stop snowing soon. Blowing and drifting seems a good possibility.

Well, here is my card for the SCS color challenge this week.

Supplies
Stamps: Hearts & Stars (Rhonna Farrer - Autumn Leaves), Dreams Come True SU
Paper: White, Taken with Teal, Night of Navy
Ink: Taken with Teal, Night of Navy, Black
Accessories: White Grosgrain Ribbon, Flower Brad, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

After thinking that I was going to do another cool color challenge like the Blue Valentine above I came out of my stamping room with this one. I was simply a bunch of random ideas put together.

I am a sucker for pinks and chocolates. I used my chipboard scrap as a template to sponge the heart shape on the card. The ink is a monochromatic pad by Dee Gruenig called Shades of Rose. I used Close to Cocoa to doodle around the heart to frame it, then did a little doodling in the stripes with my clear Stardust Gel Pen. This was just a fun card with very little direction, but turned out to be a lot of fun.

Supplies
Stamps: Sage Advice SU
Ink: Close to Cocoa
Paper: White, Striped
Accessories: Copper Brads, Primas, Word Window Punch, clear Stardust Gel Pen, Grosgrain Ribbon

I've Been Tagged!

A - Available or Taken: Taken
B - Best Friend: DH Mitch & my friend Patty - The best friends anyone could ever ask for. :)
C -Cake or Pie: Pie - I love baking pies...and eating them.
D - Drink of Choice: Iced Tea
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday: Water Bottle - I have been drinking at least 64oz a day and carry it with me all of the time.
F - Favorite Color: Cool Caribbean
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Bears
H - Hometown: Sherwood, OH
I - Indulgence: Frozen Coffee - Panera/Starbucks
J - January or February: January, I like seeing all of the Valentine's Day decorations and making V-Day Cards. By the time V-Day rolls around everything is down.
K - Kids & Names: ETA March 27 - Don't know the gender. Girl - Maura Grace (The jury is still out on that one.) Boy - Liam Thomas
L - Life is incomplete without? Family and friends....ok, chocolate and stamps are good too.
M - Marriage Date: August 10, 2002
N - Number of Siblings: Two Brothers, both younger (Christopher & Ian)
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples - Honey Crisp are my current seasonal fav. If I can't get those Gala are good too.
Q - Fave Quote: TBA
R - Reason to Smile: Having a good life that God has given to me.
S - Season: Fall...I like the cooler temps. I am much more of a long sleeve and warmer clothes wearer. I love the smell of leaves (not burning ones). Candy corn. Hayrides. Ohio State football games with friends.
T - Tag 3-4 People: Looking...
U - Unknown fact about me: I like slighty burnt popcorn.
V - Vegetable you don't like: Brussel Sprouts...I tried, honestly.
W - Worst Habit: What would DH say? lol. Impatience. Probably not a habit, more of a character flaw.
X - X-rays: It's been FOREVER. I think my most recent ones were from the dentist's office.
Y - Your Fave Food: Fish and Chips
Z - Zodiac Sign: The Fish ;)

Inspiration has Struck Again...Thankfully!

I have a 2-hour delay from school this morning, so I thought I would blog a bit. I should be sleeping.... :) Until a couple days ago I had been suffering from a terrible case of "stamper's block". I sat for something like an hour and an half in my stamp room and flipped through various colored papers, tools and stamps with nothing springing to mind. I even went to the SCS challenge forum and couldn't get inspired, then it hit me and I have been off and running!!! What a wonderful feeling!

I have created several cards since Sunday evening, which is rare enough during the work week. I think God heard my prayers of frustration. I wanted to create and felt nothing. I have been chalking it up to pregnancy hormones. lol.

Here is one card that I made as soon as I got home from work yesterday, while engrossed in the History Channel. The rest have been uploaded to my SCS gallery.

Supplies
Stamps: SU Sage Advice, SU Natural Beauty
Paper: SU Cameo Coral, SU Certainly Celery, Black, White
Ink: Versacolor Midnight Black, SU Basic Black, Cameo Coral, SU Certainly Celery
Accessories: Making Memories Copper Pewter Brads, Cuttlebug Dies, Dazzling Diamonds, White Grosgrain Ribbon
The white ribbon was dyed using my Cameo Coral stamp pad. This is a GREAT way to spend LESS on coordinating ribbon and think the results weren't too shabby!

More Clear Stamps...

I picked up a few of the $1 Autumn Leaves clear stamps by Rhonna Farrer to play around with last week at Joann's. I couldn't pass up such a great deal! I have, however, found at least one disappointing thing about acrylic stamps...they do not accept dye inks very well. The images are splotchy and watery looking leaving the images incomplete and uneven. I believe that I read Julie HRR made a recommendation for chalk inks, which I am in complete agreement. The images are much more clean and crisp. I would also imagine that pigment or craft inks would work just as well for coverage.

I wasn't sure that I would end up actually using this stamp, but I have created a few cards using it already. DH actually named the file..."bird poo", which I haven't bothered changing yet. lol. Come on...it's kinda funny! I am ready for a relaxing weekend of cleaning (I know...how can cleaning be relaxing???) and a little bit of stamping as well.

Supplies
Paper: Smooth White Cardstock, SU Cool Caribbean, SU Almost Amethyst
Stamps: Autumn Leaves "Bird" by Rhonna Farrer, SU Wonderful Words
Ink: Colorbox Chalk Ink (Wisteria), SU Almost Amethyst, SU Cool Caribbean, SU Basic Black
Accessories: Brad, Prima Flower, Stardust Clear Pen

Addicted to Clear Stamps

I picked up some clear stamps at Hobby Lobby for 50% and am LOVING them. The 50% off sets are by Autumn Leaves (Rhonna Farrer) and another set I grabbed up was at Archiver's by Art Warehouse (Danielle Johnson). I can't believe how versatile they are. I made a card for my husband a small "thank you" for all of the pregnancy work he has been doing for me. (Lifting and moving things, etc.) I can only imagine what a pain it has been for him, yet no complaints. *How sweet!*

I need to stop blogging and get stamping!

Supplies
Paper: SU Whisper White & Crisp Cranberry, generic pink, patterned paper from Hobby Lobby
Stamps: My Heart Flowers, Art Warehouse (Danielle Johnson)