Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Inchie Post #3

Surprise....more inchies. :-D Sorry this one is blurry. It is a butterfly wing that is stamped onto a transparency, cut out, and attached onto another transparency. Then, there is a little window cut out! It is quite pretty in real life.
The all popular Archie inchie! These were so much fun!
The background here was made using 3 colors of twinkling H2O's on watercolor paper. Then the image was stamped over top. Added the letters from some letter stamps I bought at the dollar store!
Thanks for dropping in!!
Donelda

Monday, March 30, 2009

Inchie Post #2

More inchie! The Anne of Green Gables are the 2 stamps that Camel Diva used on the envelope that she used to send me some awesome itmes to use for my inchie making. I really appreciated her thoughtfulness and decided I could use the stmaps. The blue along the bottom is actually blue glass seed beads and there are green seed beads on the tree of the other stamp. See the blue snowflakes...they are covered in glitter... a little hard to see in this picture.
cute little ladybug from smARTworks!
my son really liked these owls poking up in the night sky!! Thanks for dropping in! Donelda

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Inchie Post #1

Yes, I've been focused on making inchies over the last few weeks. It's been a lot of fun! But 100 inchies is a lot to make .. and a lot to keep track of. It turns out that I ended up making over 130 by mistake!! Sheesh!! It's okay because I love inchies so I am just going to keep the extras!! Get ready because you are going to get to see all of them over the next 8 posts. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed making them!
Thanks for dropping in!
Donelda

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Loonie Stamper Challenge #33 - Mother's Day

This time it was Charlene's time to pick the colors for the Loonie Challenge! I love these colors and I am now the proud owner of some Ocean Tides colored cardstock (as well as a bunch of colors!!). I was kinda hoping that Raspberry Fizz would be one of the colors....just because I finally have that color!! But I will settle for using Ocean Tides because I really like that color too!
Do you see that ruffle scallop around the large circle?? Well, I was just over visiting Juanita's blog and saw THIS post. I loved the ruffle so I went to the Jan Tink link that Juanita provided and was so excited that I wanted to use the technique on my next card. Jan is brilliant!!
I followed the theme by adding a crimped flower behind the white prima flower!!
Supplies: Stamps-Background Basics: Stars, Background Basics: Retro, Polka Dot Basics, Pond Life {sentiment} (all Papertrey Ink); Paper - Lemon Tart, Ocean Tides (Papertrey Ink), Whisper White (Stampin Up!); Ink - Lemon Tart, Ocean Tides (Papertrey Ink); Other - Coluzzle, crimper, flower (Prima), large brad (Dollarama), flower die (Provocraft), Cuttle Bug.
Now off to see the other projects by the Loonie Girls:
Jewels, Dee, Char, Regan, Wendy, Maria is taking this week off to catch up with life (smart girl!)
Thanks for dropping in! You can bet you will see more cards and projects using my 'new PTI products' in the coming posts!!
Donelda

Friday, March 27, 2009

Alcohol Inked Butterfly

Isn't this background so pretty! The magic is in Alcohol Inks by Ranger! They are amazing!! For this background I used Lettuce, Meadow, and Caramel.
The butterfly is stamped onto cold laminate (like acetate only with a sticky side). Once it is dry, I added yellow and red Pearl Ex to the sticky side! It is really shimmery in person. Finally, I added some bling and the sentiment along the bottom of the card front and attached it all to the white card base.
Supplies: Stamp - Bliss (smARTworks); Ink-Jet Black (StazOn), various alcohol inks (Ranger); Paper-Glossy white, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Other-Pearl Ex (Stamin' Up!), cold laminate, rhinstones.
Thanks for dropping in for a visit!
Donelda

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop - March - Backgrounds

It is that time again, Papertrey Ink's Blog Hop. Nichole always thinks up great challenges for these fun nights!! This time, she wanted us to create our own backgrounds. I was so excited because this is one of my favorite things to do with PTI stamps. They are perfect for this because you can see through them to get placement perfect.
While PTI has many sets designed to easily create backgrounds, like Polka Dot Basics, Guide Lines I, Guide Lines II, Background Basics: Stars, Background Basics: Retro, Demask Designs, and Beyond Basic Borders. They are all great but I like to create my own backgrounds with bits and pieces of different sets! It allows for me to tap into my own creativity.
So, here is the piece of background I created. I was totally inspired by Betsy Veldman's Mother card so I started with the solid flower image from Beautiful Blooms in Spring Moss. Then I added the 4 small dots between them using Summer Sunrise. Finally, I used one of the flower centers from Lisa's Remember set using Plum Pudding. Since the colors looked so "springy" I decided to make an Easter card. I cut and embossed an oval from white cardstock using my nestabilities. Then, I added the little chick from Birds of a Feather and a sentiment from Limitless Lables. I added a bit of sponging on the bottome for grass while keeping the nestability die still on it.
I added a bit of Lavender Moon ribbon and attached the oval with dimensions. I didn't want to cover up the pretty background I had created so I just left it simple. Of course, once I got stared creating backgrounds, I didn't want to stop. I also made this one with Kraft cardstock, and white and Plum Pudding ink. The lines are created with the Guide Lines set but the flowers come from Text Boxed set. I haven't had time to create a card with it but you will be seeing something down the road for sure!
Now, off to check out the rest of the blog hoppers to see what backgrounds they created. Thanks for dropping in!!
Donelda

smARTworks Tea Party #14

Well, it was my turn to pick the theme for the smARTworks Tea Party this week. Since I have been making a ton of inchies for the inchie swap I am in, I decided to go with the inchie theme.
Inchies are so much fun! It is amazing what you can do with a 1"x 1" square of cardstock. I love using inchies on cards, as you could tell by all the samples I added to the announcement post.
Here, I stamped this great butterfly in different colors. Then, I strategically cut them out using my 1" square punch. Off-centering the butterflies makes for great creative opportunities. I added a black mat using a 1 1/4" square punch and some rhinstones to the wings. Next, I used this smARTworks background stamp by adding small spots of the colors that I used for the butterflies. I cut this down and then used one of the colors to make a matching mat. I added the sentiment and put all of this onto a white card base. Because it was so much fun, I decided to make a second card. I started out with the same butterflies but this time changed the layout. I added a sentiment square and put all of this onto a piece of white cardstock. I added some black cording to the bottom and then did some tearing. I rarely think to do tearing on my card, even though I think it adds a lot of character and dimension.
Finally, I added some black silhouette flowers (edited to add - this flower stamp is also from the smARTworks Cookie Plate set - sorry I forgot to add that information earlier -- you can not buy this set but can earn it with smART Bucks -- go HERE to read more about that) onto the white card base and attached the focal image with dimensions.
Now to see what all the other cookies did with this challenge:
And now it is your turn to share what you did with this challenge. Just leave a comment to any of the design team's blogs, like here :-), with a link to your creation. I can't wait to see what you did with your inchies!!
It's another double post day because I'll be participating in the Papertrey Ink's Blog Hop later tonight....so be sure to come back and see the backgrounds I made!!!!
Thanks for dropping in,
Donelda

Monday, March 23, 2009

Wedding Cards in Chocolate and Vanilla - Yummy!!

My friend Jenny is going to a wedding next week and has asked for a wedding card in the colors of the wedding. -- Chocolate and Vanilla -- how yummy does that sound!! Just like a bowl of great pudding!! Anyway, I wanted to make a few different samples for her to choose from so she could pick one she liked the best. Here are the 3 cards I ended up creating. Which one do you think she will pick??? Supplies: all cards are made with Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin' Up), all ink is Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up); all sentiments are from Wedding Day (Papertrey Ink), top card also uses Guide Lines and Borders and Corners (Papertrey Ink), Very Vanilla ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Brown silk ribbon (Michael's), half pearls (Dollarama), scallop scissors (Provo Craft), designer paper- Au Chocolate (Stampin' Up!), roses (from my stash purchased at Michaels' but I can't remember company name), circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug. Thanks for dropping in! Donelda

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Kristina Werner Color Challenge #46 - butterflies and boxes

A try at Kristina Werner's color challenge this week. I don't usually get a chance to get around to actually making anything but I did squeeze it in this weekend.
There is little stamping on this card, but if you look carefully (click on the picture for a larger image) there are some small flowers stamped onto the blue strip of cardstock.
I wasn't sure I liked these colors together, but once I got started they seemed to work.
Supplies: Stamps-Simple Little Things, Beautiful Blooms (Papertrey Ink), Cardstock - Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink, Bashful Blue (Stampin' Up!), Ink - Whisper White craft ink, Versamark (Stampin' Up!); Other - butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), 1 1/4" and 1"square punch (Marvy and Stampin' Up!), decorative scissors (Provo Craft), black rhinstones (Dollarama).
Thanks for visiting.
Donelda

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Loonie Stamper Challenge #32 - flowers and leaves

So this week it was Jewels turn to pick the Loonie challenge and she picked some great spring colors.
My husband and I just finished making a wedding cake (he makes the cake and does the icing, I do the flowers and arranging) and I happened to have some leaves on my craft table that are a "new leaf" color ... or as close as I have at this time (but it is coming soon!!). So I decided to use that in my card. I cut the flower using my nestabilities and added a little brown button!
Off to see the rest of the Loonie girls!!
Supplies: Stamps-Simple Little Things (Papertrey Ink), Cardstock - Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink), Raspberry Fizz polka dot patterened paper (Papertrey Ink - freebie paper), Ink - Whisper White (Stampin' Up!), Other - leaf (stolen from the wedding cake!), button, scallop scissors (Provo Craft), flower die, Cuttlebug.
Thanks for dropping in.
Donelda

Gift Set of Cards

I made this set of cards for a silent aution to raise money for a local dance club to go to Disney World. My friend's daughter is in this group so I am happy to help out!! It was a fun set to make using this awesome paper!!

Stamped images are from Papertrey Ink and Rhonna Ferrier swirls.

Thanks for dropping in.

Donelda

Friday, March 20, 2009

smARTworks - Wall Frame Love is Home

It is so much fun to make art with my stamping supplies. I loved this sentiment from one of smARTworks newer sets that I decided to do exactly that, make some wall art!! I created my own cloud template using some cardboard (probably a cereal box) and sponged on some blue to create a cloudy background. Then, I stamped the sentiment on top using Chocolate Chip ink. And I got the chance to use my newest Spellbinders die! The whole focal point is popped up on dimensionals. Supplies: Stamps-Birdhouse Trio (smARTworks), Cardstock-Whisper White (Stampin' Up!), brown (Bazzill, I think), designer paper is from an 8x8 pad by Me and My Big Ideas; Ink-Chocolate chip, Buckaroo Blue (Stampin' Up!); Other- home-made cloud template, sponge, light cardboard to mount it all on so it will hold up in a frame, Labels 2 Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provocraft), dimensionals, wood frame. Thanks for dropping in! Donelda

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Single Oak Trees

I colored in these trees one afternoon when I was bored and felt like coloring. I used my Stampin' Up markers and then highlighted with a white Prismacolor pencil crayon. Then I created these two cards with them. This image makes for a great masculine card. I still have one more tree to use someday in the future. Supplies: Stamps-???? (Stampin' Up!), Birthday Basics, Mixed Messages, Borders & Corners {square} (Papertrey Ink), Ink - Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!); Paper - Sahara Sand, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!), brown (Bazzill); Other - ribbon (Stampin' Up!), markers (Stampin' Up!). Thanks for dropping in. Donelda

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

smARTworks Tea Party invite

It is my turn to come up with the next smARTworks Tea Party Challenge. Picking a challenge is always so difficult because I have so many ideas running around in my crafty head that I can never decide what to pick. However, this time it was a bit easier. You see, I am involved in an inchie swap so I've been creating inchies like crazy. I love inchies! The size really stretches me creatively. So, my challenge is to use inchies on your card. That is, use at least one 1" x 1" piece of cardstock on your card.
Here are some cards that I have done in the past to help you with some inspiration!! Click on the links for various past blog entries. And here is one picture of a card where I used one large image to create 3 diferent inches to add to my card.
I hope this gives you lots of inspiration!! Please play with us!! You don't have to use smARTwork stamps. But, if you have them, use them!! The Design Team will be uploading their cards on Wednesday March 25th. You should join us by leaving a comment and a link to your card!!
Thanks for dropping in!
Donelda

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

smARTworks - Scrapling White Daisy Card

Okay, so if you follow my blog at all, you will know that this is my new favorite size of small card to make. It is 1 1/4" x 4" and just the right size to add a small little note for a friend!! I love to doodle on my cards as you can see here. These flowers were a continueation from the card I posted
yesterday. I stamped them onto vellum and then they were dry embossed on the back. Supplies: Stamps-Daisy Square (smARTworks); Cardstock- Whisper White, Buckaroo Blue(Stampin' Up!); Ink-Basic Black (Stampin' Up!); Other-vellum (Stampin' Up!), black marker (Sakura), embossing stylus.

Thanks for dropping in!

Donelda

Monday, March 16, 2009

smARTworks - Vellum Birthday Flowers

I really wanted to use the little flowers in this smARTworks set to make a border. I colored the back side of the vellum flowers with prismacolor pencil crayons in reds and yellows to match the designer paper. Unfortunately, they loose a bit of the 'pop' once I put the vellum on the dark patterned paper. You can see the effect better on the vellum flowers that I added to the inside of the card (which I forgot to take a picture of).
Supplies: Stamps-Daisy Square (smARTworks), Cardstock-Basic Black, So Saffron (inside), vellum (all Stampin' Up!), Boho Floral (Daisy D's); Ink-Jet Black (Archivers); Other - Prismapencil crayons, brads (Making Memories).
Thanks for dropping in.
Donelda

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Loonie Stamper Challenge 31 - Guide Lines and Diamonds

Wendy set the challenge for the Loonie girls this week and she picked some great colors!! However, if you know me, using more than 2 colors is always a challenge....so 4 is really tough!! But ladies, you will be happy to know that I have finally purchased more paper!!! Yeah!!

So, I turned to a great inspiration piece by my blogging and swapping friend Jessica. You can see the card that I used for inspiration HERE. When I saw it on her blog, it literally took my breath away!! I mean diamonds...get out!! What a great idea!

So, I took the colors and cut some diamonds and then added some of the great images from the Guide Lines set to each. I was pleased to see that they fit perfectly even thought the shape was a diamond. I chose Guide Lines to celebrate the 2nd version that was released last night...and I purchased it too!!! Yeah!!

This is such an interesting layout that I will definately be playing with it again. Now, off to see what all the Loonie Girls did with this week's challenge: Jewels, Dee, Char, Regan, Wendy, Maria Thanks for dropping in for a visit! Donelda

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Remember Card Set

I bought this awesome poppy stamp set from Papertrey Ink a while ago and have used a few bits and pieces from the set but not the actually poppy flowers until now. I saw a card done by Debbie Olson with this set and fell in love with it. Of course, Debbie's is colored with Copic markers which I didn't have at the time...so mine is done with stamping. And hers has more details like ribbon which I decided to not add (but now when I see hers and mine, I wish I had - see details do make the difference) I liked it so much, I made a 'one sheet wonder' and then used a few pieces to create these cards. I still have some left over too so you will see something made with it down the road.
Supplies: Stamps-Remember (Papertrey Ink); Ink-Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss (Papertrey Ink), Basic Black (Stampin' Up!), Versamark; Paper - Whisper White, Basic Black, River Rock (Stampin' Up!); Other - Coluzzle.
Thanks for dropping in! Donelda

Friday, March 13, 2009

On being proud!

Tonight my husband tested for his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. We started classes together. It was fun because I could kick his butt but he was gentleman enough to know better than to kick mine. Unfortunately, I grew wary of keeping up with the 'younger crowd' but he didn't. In fact, he bacame more and more interested in it!! He realized he was in better shape than he had been in a long time and enjoying a form of exercise! He set a goal to test for his black belt and be in the best shape of his life by the time he turned 40 years of age. He set his sights high and rose to the occassion!! I am so proud of his dedication, determination, and sheer grit to do it!! I am so proud that he is always working to be the best he can be...the best at Tae Kwon Do, the best husband, the best father, the best son, the best brother, the best friend, the best neighbor. Yes, I am so very proud of him!! Thanks for dropping in tonight. I'll be back to cards tomorrow! Donelda

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

smARTworks Tea Party #13 - Case a Cookie

So this time Dina came up with a great idea for our tea party - to look to the design team members for inspiration and 'Case' (which stands for 'copy and share everything') one of their cards changing at least 2 of the elements. My mission was to browse through Donna's blog which gave me lots of inspiration...so much that I couldn't just make one card. I had to make 2!!
So, my first card found it's inspiration from THIS card by Donna. When I saw it weeks ago, I knew I wanted to case it way back then, so this was an easy choice. One of the reasons I wanted to do the case is because I have so much blue scrap paper that I knew it would be a great way to use some of it up! The card is pretty straight forward. The squares are all 1 1/4". I used only part of the sentiment from Daisy Square. The butterflies are colored using my new Copic markers. I am starting to "get the hang" of these markers and how they work, but still need tons of practice. Obviously I changed the color combo, the stamped images (I don't have those cute little frogs), and the sentiment, of course.
Supplies: Stamps - Small Trio, Daisy Square (smARTworks); Ink - Brillance Graphic Black (Archival); Paper-Whisper White, So Saffron (Stampin' Up!), various scrap designer paper; Other - Copic markers, rectangle and scallop rectangle nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provocraft), dimensionals, black marker. And here is my second second card based on THIS card by Donna. I loved the plaid paper behind the focal image on Donna's card so that is where I started. I'm not sure if Donna's paper was designer paper or if she made it. But regardless, I decided to make my own plaid paper using my Copic markers. This time I remembered to note the colors I used. They include YG03 (Yellow Green), YR04 (Chrome Orange), B14 (Light Blue). I also used a black marker in there and, I've got to say, I really like how it turned out!! I might have to try that again!! And then, there is Susan's suggestion that the HUGE butterfly from the set Bliss should be used with shrink plastic. I had to try it and she is so right, it is the perfect size for a shrinked
butterfly!! I colored it in with my Prisma
Pencilcolor crayons. The rest is pretty straight forward. My changes from Donna's card: Different stamped image (again, I don't own that cute froggy!), I changed the background and went with a more solid color with just some versamark images stamped on there, and I don't have Labels 1 so I used a Lables 2 die under the butterfly.
Supplies: Stamps-Bliss, WD-60 {sentiment}, Cookie Plate {little butterflies on backgroud} (all smARTworks); Ink - Basic Black (Stampin' Up!), Versamark; Paper - Whisper White, Certainly Celery (Stampin' Up!), scrap blue designer paper; Other - shrink plastic, Lable 2 nestability (Spellbinders), alcohol ink markers (Copic), spring moss twill (Papertrey Ink), black marker (Stampin' Up!), black brads (Making Memories) Pencilcolor crayons (Prisma).
So, now it is time to go check out and see what the other Cookies have done with thier cases!!
Susan, Dina, Giovana, Donna, Peggy (on Susan's blog), Sarah (on Susan's blog). And we had Michelle play with us this week too!! What fun. she made 3 cards. You can see them if you click on the comments and copy and paste her links into your browser. Thanks for dropping in for tea Michelle!!
Now it is your turn....show us what you cased!! Just leave a comment with a link to your card so we can all see your fun case!!
Thanks for dropping in for tea today!!
Donelda

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

smARTworks - Birdhouse on Faux Wood

Another great card with this wonderful three-step birdhouse!! It makes the details so easy!! Just use your Stamp-a-ma-jig and you're done!! This background paper is a home-made faux wood using the tutorial on Splitcoaststampers. I thought it would be very hard but it turned out to be extremely easy to make this background! You have to give it a try!! Supplies: Stamps-Birdhouse Trio (smARTworks); Cardstock-Whisper White, Close to Cocoa (Stampin' Up!), brown (Bazzil); Ink-Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla craft, Buckaroo Blue (Stampin' Up!); Other-black marker (Sakura), paint brush. Thanks for dropping in!! Have a great evening!!

Monday, March 9, 2009

smARTworks - Rainbow Blooms

Check this out!!! I created this awesome background using the Alpha Garden Delights stamps from smARTworks!! It was easy. I simply drew some light lines on a piece of what cardstock. Then I stamped the different letters onto the stamp turning the odd letter. Then, I colored the leaves and flowers using a watercolor brush!! The rest of the card is pretty straight forward. The little flower on the corner of the sentiment is from the Daisy Square stamp set, another new set from smARTworks. I stamped it onto vellum and then painted the back fo the vellum with some pink ink. Supplies: Stamps-Alpha Garden Delights, Daisy Square (smARTworks); Cardstock-Whisper White, Pixie Pink (Stampin' UP!); Ink-Jet Black (Archival Ink), Pixie Pink, Green Gaore, YoYo Yellow, and a mix of Lovely Lilac and Orchid Opulance to get the irght color of purple (all Stampin' Up!); Other - rainbow ribbon (Michael's), watercolor brush, vellum. Thanks from dropping in!! Donelda

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Loonie Stamper Challenge #30 - Butterflies

It was Maria's turn this week to pick the Loonie Stamper Challenge and she decided to go with Butterflies!! Well, I can "do" butterflies!! Can you tell we are all desperately waiting for spring to arrive....as it is blizzarding outside my window tonight!! Yuck!!
So, I pulled out my Spiral Bouquet from Papertrey Ink. I bought it back in October and....today is the first time it has seen ink...if you can believe that!!
I decided to use this sentiment and it fit nicely on the longest die from my nestability lable set. Then, I used some Colorbox chalk inks to add the large and medium flower onto the white card base along with some black swirls. Finished it off with some black organdy ribbon and a beautiful pomegranet butterfly!
Now you have to go check out what the Loonie girls did with butterflies:
Supplies: Stamps - Spiral Bouquet (Papertrey Ink); Ink - Brialliance Graphic Black (Archival), blues (Colorbox Chalk inks); Paper - Whisper White (Stampin' Up!), blue (Bazzill), Pomegranet paper (Stampin' Up!); Other - butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), long die nestability (Spellbinders), organdy ribbon and dimensionals (Stampin' Up!).
Thanks for dropping in!
Donelda