Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Super Wednesday continued

---- Scroll Down for the other half of Wednesday's shenanigans! ----

So, onto 100.15:





Really pleased with this one. It's for my father-in-law as it's his birthday the week after next. I got the colour combination from the Colour Coach and I really like it so I'll use it again.

My FIL has a Jeep Wrangler (in Northern Ireland where they're really rare) and I originally thought this stamp was a Jeep Wrangler. Can you tell I am not a car person? Clearly I see now it's an ATV! Oh well. It's on the right lines. I used my SU! watercolour pencils & an Aqua Painter to colour the vehicle. Then I stamped off Crumb Cake to stamp the big paint splodge from Extreme Elements. The stars and sentiment are heat embossed in gold.

So sad mini library clips, Extreme Elements and Wonderfully Worn are all retiring! Sob.

100.15 Supplies: Crumb Cake, Basic Black and Versamark ink, Gold embossing powder, Marina Mist satin ribbon, Mini Library Clip, Watercolour paper, Watercolour Pencils, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Marina Mist card stock, Need for Speed, Wonderfully Worn, Extreme Elements, Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp sets.

100.16 is for my husband for his birthday. Possibly!





I realised again that I'd been neglecting the huge pile of DSP so thought I'd have a go at using some more. And ---- shock horror! ---- this is only SUM as I used a Technique Tuesday sentiment.

100.16 Supplies: Blueberry Crisp DSP, both SU! heart punches, Not Quite Navy cardstock, Versamark ink, Silver embossing powder, Dimensionals, Technique Tuesday stamp.

100.17 was my last card for today, one for my Dad for Father's Day:




My Dad is a Power Engineer and obsessed with planes. So I thought Need for Speed would come in handy again here!

100.17 Supplies:  Blueberry Crisp DSP, Versamark ink, White embossing powder, Dimensionals, Technique Tuesday blueprint stamp, retired Pacific Point ribbon, mini library clip, Basic Black, Pacific Point ink, SU! Need for Speed, Extreme Elements and Best Dad Ever stamp sets.

Phew! Even blogging this took ages. I am really pleased that I am 17 cards in 10 days in. The ideas are starting to come more easily now, but I know I need to use more DSP! I am going to try to make the next 10 cards using DSP. This is not a strength of mine so wish me luck!


Super Wednesday!

Well, somehow I managed to get Leo, AKA Velcro Baby, to sleep for 3 hours solid this afternoon without being glued to me. I kept thinking I'd never get the next project finished, but I kept managing it. So I made 5 cards! Wooo! And in fact, I'd done two others earlier in the week so I am about to update you on 7 cards....

First up: 100.11 was a repeat of 100.10 (the Christmas mittens). So you don't need to see that.

100.12 was another Christmas card:

All I can say is BLEURGH!!! Don't like this at all. I think it's the button. These wooden buttons will be available from SU! from June 1st, I got them in the pre-order (one of the many perks of being a demo!). I am actually not a big fan of them though coz I can't figure out how to use them, and they are a bit plasticky looking somehow. Everything else SU! makes is awesome though! :D

Supplies: Certainly Celery and Very Vanilla cardstock, Jolly Holiday DSP, Linen thread, Wooden button, Chock-full of Cheer stamp set.

Onto 100.13:





This was for a colour challenge on Splitcoast: Blushing Bride, Certainly Celery, Soft Suede. I cheated and used Rose Red too as I couldn't find any ribbon in the given colours. I also did a bit of paper piecing with the leaves to give them a bit of dimension by curling them at the edges. And I cut into the bird's wings, again for a bit of dimension.

Supplies: Rose Red seam binding ribbon, Basics Jewels: Pearls, Whisper White, Certainly Celery and Blushing Bride cardstock, Soft Suede, Certainly Celery, Blushing Bride and Rose Red ink, Betsy's Blossoms and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets.

100.14 was a repeat of the 100.4 hummingbird card.

Getting worried I'll lose my post so I'll upload this, then do another!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend...

...is one of the RARE holidays Stew actually gets here in the USA. Plus it's when all the outdoor pools open here in SoMD... fabulous. Have swum the last two days, it is such fun to swim with Jacob in the sunshine!

Card making has been a bit hit and miss, I really liked the "Goddess Lamp" card I did (100.8) that I tried another with the same paper and another Becky Fleck sketch:

I think I would have liked this a lot more if I'd matted the DSP once more. Or... who knows. I'll find someone to send it to though!

Supplies for 100.9 - Hoover Bow: Pool Party, Calypso Coral and Whisper White cardstock, Domestic Goddess DSP, Pool Party ruffled ribbon, large scalloped circle and 1.75" circle punches, Itty Bitty Banners stamp set and Bitty Banners framelits, Basic Jewels: Rhinestones, Calypso Coral and Basic Grey ink.

Then I realised I have 4 days to do 3 Christmas cards for CCC12 - not normally a problem but when you're sloping off to the outdoor pool it can be a bit tricky to get in the right mindset. However I really wanted to get the Domestic Goddess DSP off my desk after 100.9 (something isn't right about it and I wanted to do something different!) so I made this:





Really like how the string "tying" the mittens together came out - I freehand drew it and this is NOT a strength of mine. Whenever I use markers to ink up a stamp it goes a bit wrong, I think I need to season my stamps better. Anyway, judicious application of the blender pen usually helps!

I am also pleased with managing to use some of my Scallop Dot ribbon. I really liked the concept, but some of the dots aren't quite dead centre (only a fuss pot control freak like me would care) so I don't use it much. Anyway - flipping it over solves that problem AND the issue of white dots, vanilla paper (see, told you I was a control freak!).

Anyway I shall stop rambling on and get to the...

...Supplies for 100.10- Merry Mittens: First Edition (current) and Jolly Holiday (retired) DSP, Chock-full of Cheer stamp set (new!), Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler cardstock, Cherry Cobbler scallop dot ribbon, Basic Black inkpad, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Basic Black markers. Oh, and the aforementioned blender pen!
 




Friday, May 25, 2012

Two more...

Didn't get a huge amount of stamping time today but I still cranked two cards out for 100in100!





100.7 - Wish I'd switched the positions of the armchair & side table but hey- that can be another card for the challenge! I think I need to ground the green armchair somewhere too, it was my original plan to mat the card in Gumball Green to coordinate but the Marina Mist just looked so yummy with the Midnight Muse that I couldn't resist. Anyway - just a shout out for "Little Additions", not just a baby set.

Supplies: Little Additions and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets, Gumball Green, Soft Suede, Marina Mist and Midnight Muse ink, Marina Mist satin ribbon, Whisper White, Soft Suede and Midnight Muse cardstock.

After making 100.7 I realised that if I carried on making CAS cards like it I'd never make any headway with my retired DSP! So I got out my "Ideas File" and looked up some card sketches from Becky Fleck's FABULOUS CardMaps.

100.8 - I think I'll make a few more of these as I am really pleased with how it turned out. I am so sad the "House and Home" set retired - I loved it but I was clearly in a minority as it only survived a year!

Supplies: Domestic Goddess DSP (retiring 31st May!), House and Home and Delightful Dozen stamp sets, Calypso Coral baker's twine, Calypso Coral, Basic Gray, Pool Party and Whisper White cardstock, Pool Party and Basic Gray inks. Scalloped Edge border punch. Postage stamp die - unknown. Mystery die in drawer!

Took me a while to upload these as my lovely neighbour Beau managed to sever our internet line this afternoon whilst digging trenches for his irrigation system. Not to worry, all fixed now!

I am now chillaxing a la David Cameron with a glass of Chardonnay. I tried very hard to get my usual Pinot Grigio but our local liquor store / off licence only had Moscato (?), Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Booo! I get a craving for white wine about once a year so I was a bit disappointed!


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Christmas Swirls (In May!)

Well, I didn't make the semi-finals of the CAS DT search. Oh well it was my first try and lots of fun! Anyway as I was browsing the gallery of a former DT member I spotted a card I wanted to CASE. So I did! Made two of these to bring my total for the last 3 days, 6 cards! Wow! They also bring me half way for CCC12 May.





Supplies: Crumb cake cardstock, Deck the Halls DSP (retired), linen thread, Early Espresso ink. Stamps - Elements of Style (again!) and Teeny Tiny Wishes.

4th Card in 3 Days!

Well this 100 cards in 100 days challenge is doing wonders for my mojo! This is my fourth card in 3 days! Really, really need to get cracker-lacking on the old Christmas card challenge though. I uploaded all the cards I made during the last days of pregnancy today and I am caught up, but still have 5 to do for May. If I get on with it, it should be manageable!





Anyway this card is for a good friend who is returning to the UK for good next week. I will miss her and her adorable girls, although we are buying her car so I will think of her every time we get in it! I use Elements of Style tonnes but I usually make a variant of the same card - this time I tried to get out of my box a bit!

Supplies: Elements of Style and Woodgrain stamp sets, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso cardstock, Soft Suede (sponging & Woodgrain) and Early Espresso ink, Versamark & white embossing powder for the flower, Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon and an Antique Brad!

100 Lions Roaring!

Well I have so much news...

Here is baby Leo, one of the projects I've been working on in the last few months!






And one with a very proud Big Bro Jacob:





I am so smitten with my boys!

On the stamping/Etsy front I have just reopened my shop, and caved and bought a proper light tent. So I will be updating with new shots soon, and I also have a few new cards to post.

In other stamping news, a very smart lady called Mindykid on Splitcoast Stampers has started up a 100 Cards/Projects in 100 Days challenge. Well I am on day 3 and so far 3 cards have been made. So I am hoping to post all of those on here too. I am also trying to incorporate some more regular blogging too, so any encouragement or prodding will be MOST welcome!

 Card 1 - SUO using Sweets for the Sweet and the sentiment comes from Best Dad Ever. It's actually my favourite "Happy Birthday" stamp.
 Card 2 - SUO using Fabulous Florets and my underused watercolour pencils. Entered this for the CAS Summer 2012 DT search but was gently reminded that CAS cards are usually white/neutral in base. So Daffodil Delight wasn't really cutting it!
Card 3 - SUO using Betsy's Blossoms and the sentiment from Fabulous Florets. Betsy's Blossoms is available from June 1 and I have to say, it's fabulous. This one is my actual entry to the CAS DT search, the deadline is 12 noon today so hopefully I will make it to the next round!