Cardabilities Sketch #30 Reveal!

Here we are already at the end of April! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. It's hard to believe that Summer will be here before we know it! For some of you, I understand the weather is still cold.  I will be so envious of you come July-August when we are sweltering in 110 degrees, unable to leave the house until the sun goes down!!

Well, here is Sketch #30 that we at Cardabilities had the pleasure of working with!  What a fun layout!

And a little peek at my card....

A bit more....

And finally the finished project...

I couldn't resist using a little nest with Spring here and all we see in our trees are birds' nests...everywhere.   Problem being is that I worry about each and every one until the little bird hatches and flys away!

Bazzill cardstock

Paper Doily

DCWV paper - Vintage Collage

Wings Stamp - Hampton Arts

Nestabilities - Label 9

Sentiment - Stampendous

Recollections - flowers

Straw hat for bird's nest - Tree House Studios

   (Painted brown, covered with green moss, glued with Helmar's 450)

Robin's eggs - pinto beans painted with Delta "Pale Blue" acrylics.

                        (Dabbed with a touch of Stickles)

Blue Crystals - Zva

Stickpins - Handmade

Recently, I have decided that the inside's of all of my cards should be finished with a bit of something!

Please, go check out the other cards from the Cardabilities Design Team and enter one of your own for a chance to win a prize!

Spring Basket!

This week's sketch challenge at Waltzing Mouse is to include Embossing. 

 I love embossing on my Co-ordinations cardstock so this was a fun challenge...until....

Well, long story short, I'm sure you've all started scrapping and "LOST" a stamp, or sticker, or embellie that just absolutely HAD to go on your project. That's what happened to me tonight. I had my materials all laid out (of course, my materials from my last two projects are still all over my table) and I went to use the Waltzing Mouse clear acrylic stamp that was perfect for this card, and couldn't find it anywhere! It wasn't stuck to the bottom of my mat. It wasn't on the carpet that I could find after crawling around for 20 minutes feeling with my hands. It wasn't in the trash can where it could have easily fallen off the edge of the table. No...after 40 minutes of searching the entire room, it was LOST.  So, I used the other basket. Not the one I originally wanted, but a basket none the less.

This is from the one and only stamp set I have from Waltzing Mouse and I seriously have a crush on the Vintage Labels stamp set.  I was determined to get this card made in time to submit to the challenge this week!  Well, I love the western sets, too, and then there's Afternoon Tea...but if I had to pick just one...oh, nuts...that will be another challenge all of its' own!

Supplies used:

Bountiful Baskets, Waltzing Mouse Stamps

Co'ordinations cardstock

Quik Cutz, Diamonds and Dots embossing folder

My Favorite Things, Doily Die

Silk Flowers, JoAnn's

Sentiment, Imaginisce Rub-on

Well, I'm off to search yet again for that evasive little stamp!  



April Showers...

I have relatives and friends back in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin who have been experiencing horrendous weather.  My hometown, Granite City, Illinois, was hit by more tornados last week and many homes were lost or badly damaged.  Fortunately, my own aunts and cousin's homes were not affected.  But it must seem to them that the storms will never end. 

I have one Aunt who has been sleeping in her basement due to the fact that the storms usually occur after dark.  Poor thing....  I would be scared all alone when the winds are reaching 80 mph and higher, too! 

                 So, enough background info!
I made some quick cards to send out with the promise that the storms will end and Spring will bring the flowers!

I just received this Verve set of stamps the other day and was dying to ink them up! They work so well with heat embossing, and the dies are so easy to use! 

There is also a great tutorial about Line Framing on Papertrey's blog.  Not as easy to get it perfectly straight as one would think!  Thanks, Nichole!

And the leaf ribbon takes the ink so well, you can darken it to match your layout! (See version 2)

Version 2 , with inked leaf ribbon  added....

I love the way the leaf ribbon works with the stamped leaves, but not with this sketch.  I'm liking the simpler version more. 

This card will be entered in several challenges:

Verve Stamps - April Showers Bring May Flowers

Papertrey Ink, {capture the moment} - Line Frame Card

I would love to win some of those delicious PTI stamps !!!

Thanks, Sassafras!

When I opened the Sassafras challenge blog this month and saw the sketch layout for April, I knew it was the encouragement I needed to finish my co-ordinating second page of the pages I had started in March!  Sometimes I prefer that to an actual two-page layout, where the page flows across the two pages with connecting elements.

My layout for April

My two layouts.

Special Friendships!

I like to keep a stash of "friendship cards" just to send out in those moments when I want to remind someone just how much I appreciate my connection with them. 
First, I found this wonderfully, simple sketch at Get Sketchy, and HAD to join the fun!

Flipped it sideways.....

And even though the camera doesn't do the colors justice, anyone familiar with the the Cosmo Cricket,  "Dutch Girl" paper I used for the background knows it is very greenish.  Wierd, eh? Also, the dark cocoa brown cardstock looks rather greenish... I guess if I weren't so lazy, I'd change out of  my jammies and go outside for a picture!  LOL!

Also, anyone know how to use Adobe Photoshop CS to add the vignette blurried effect to the edges of the cards?  I knew when I had an older version of AP, but can't find it now!

Quickly, used were TLC Studio, "Sewing" rubber stamps, Cocoa Brown Bazzill cardstock, and Bazzill buttons.


Challenges this card is entered in:
Get Sketchy (Sketch used)
InStyle Stamps (Color Challenge)
Saturday Challenge (Stitching)
Crafty Creations (paper piecing)

Cardabilities Sketch #29 Reveal!

I am so proud to be able to post this, my very first, card for Cardabilities! Since being chosen to be on the Design Team, I have been floating on air! It is a very huge deal for me to be able to share my ideas and be a part of such a great team.  Thanks, Karan, again for this opportunity! 

And, not to delay any longer, here is the wonderful sketch for this challenge!

I love the linear look of it!

And here is my card!  I seldom get out my Copics anymore, so thought I'd polish up on my coloring skills by blending some cut-out stamped butterflies onto the card.  And, for whatever reason, I can't get enough newsprint paper! I am drawn to the vintage feel of it.

Popped up the sentiment and the butterflies, and added just a bit of  Gun Metal Stickles to the wings for sparkle!

Inside of card:

Thank you for looking, and please, add your own project to the challenge over at Cardabilities!
Also, Cardabilities now has their very own Gallery! Please check out all the wonderful creations!

Second Post for today:

              Grand Canyon in the Winter



I just wanted to post a short bit about my recent trip to the Grand Canyon.

I had never ventured north to the Canyon before June, so it seemed like a wonderful idea!

My longtime friend from high school had never been, so we planned a much needed "Girl's Vacation"!

First let me start by saying NEVER go to the Grand Canyon before Mid-May.  Apparently, that is when all of the repairs are made to the damaged roads from the winter snow and ice.

Also, I would suggest NOT staying in the "Village".  Little has been done to accomodate the number of people who now visit the park.  There is limited parking for the few restaurants available, and the shuttle system basically stinks!  We heard so many complaints from others who found it to be totally confusing and unorganized. By the middle of our second day, we finally had the whole thing somewhat figured out!

God help the non-English speaking foreign travelers!

Beautiful Eye Candy!

But while my friend was here, she gave me the most amazing bracelet!

She is making these by linking jump rings in a Byzantine Chain Maille  fashion. I love the fact that mine is both gold and silver. I wear both, so it works great. I asked if she would mind my passing on such a great product.  Here you go!

 $22 which includes postage.

It is hand-made with almost 200 individual jump rings, all of which are silver plated.  These can be ordered in all silver, all gold, or a mix.
Most importantly, these are made to fit!  Anyone interested can email Claudia here and get the details!

Not only am I impressed by the time she takes to do this, but I get dizzy

after 5 minutes of trying to make something so detailed!

Thanks, Claudia!  You're the best!