Time for DYSU again! YUMM!

Meljen's Designs
* Winner's Choice of 4 Images


Wonderstrange Arts
* 5 Digital Stamps (not from sets)


Rhoda Design Studio
* $15 Gift Certificate

My team was selected to work with Wonderstrange stamps!

I have to tell you, these are are bit different from what I am used to stamping with!

But, this little cupcake had just enough "darkness" about it to lend itself perfectly to being a "Hallow's Eve" treat.

This is actually one of my favorite CAS cards for the Fall!

To make the paper baking cup appear more dimensional, when I printed out the digital image, I printed TWO copies. One regular size.
And the second, I S T R E T C H E D out the whole image,
then cutting the second baking cup off.  I coloroed and accordion folded it and attached it to the front of the first image.  Since I glued down the side edges and popped up the center, it looks very real.

For the background, I used my pre-printed "Spider's Web" papers from
My Mind's Eye, and stamped and embossed some extra web in the upper right-hand corner. Well, this led to a cute little spider and a bright red jewel.

The cherry stem is a piece of brown cord, and the sprinkles are Recollections pearls.

JustRite "Tag, You're it!" Challenge

I have not made a dozen tags in my scrapping "career".

They are something that I normally find restrictive, or limiting.

So, it was with great trepidation that I grabbed my

JustRite

stamps and started in...

Not so bad, actually.

A tag is just a small card with the sentiment written on the backside...

I have been waiting for the chance to ink up the

lighthouse from

"Oceanside Oval Medallion" again.

I'm not quite ready to stop making summer cards, and embrace the holidays just yet!

I pulled out all the "goodies" for this one!

The pattern paper is Graphic 45, "Playtimes Past",

The mica and glittery "sand" is Stampendous,

The cord is from my Hobby Lobby stash, and the starfish is actually a REAL dyed starfish that I covered with clear embossing powder!

I found a piece of OLD, OLD Rusty Pickle paper that looked like weathered blue fence for that little bit of background.

I also chose to mat the lighthouse stamp in red with

Spellbinders, "Labels Twenty-Two",

just to change it up a bit.

I love the way the JustRite stamps pick up every little detail, especially when heat embosssed!  I also swiped over the whole image with VersaMark

and clear embossed that to look more like a bottle label.

So much fun!

Check it out at:

http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/

Oh my, oh my, oh my....!!!

I have a wonderful announcement!

As a matter of fact, my husband had to bring me back down to earth when I received the news!

I have been saying that it would be perfect should I make it onto a design team who's company makes my favorite papers!

And guess what?   I did!!!

As of August 1st, I will be one of twelve who have been selected to serve on

Erin Madsen's very first

DCWV design team!

and

To see Erin's video of the DCWV booth at CHA taped live today, go to:

http://www.dcwvinc.blogspot.com/2012/07/video-cha-booth-tour.html

Yep!  I'll be designing with the product we see everywhere, and is affordable to scrappers, even on a budget!

Michael's and JoAnn's...  I love that these papers are so readily available!

Now I can offer ideas for both companies,
DCWV and Stampendous,
and they are both sold at my favorite stores!

I am soooo excited, I am just now calming down and planning my

Halloween and Christmas projects!

(In my head, of course!)

I can't wait, as I'm sure you can't, to see what DCWV will come out with at CHA!

Last I looked, Erin hadn't posted anything but a few sneaky peeks...

and those look really cool!

But I'll share here as soon as we see anything from Chicago!

Their displays are always so amazing!

Please, feel free to leave me a comment and a high five!

I would love to hear how much everyone else loves DCWV as much as I do!

It's hip to be square at Doodle Dragon's!

The challenge at Pike's Playground this week is to make a

SQUARE

card!

And with the holidays closing in

(yes, Christmas will be here before we know it!)

I chose to use one of the images from the new
"Christmas in June"

set.

Find it here at Dustin's store!

These images are so much fun to color!
My grandson very nicely pointed out that the cookies HAVE to be
chocolate chip... that's Santa's favorite kind! 
Seems I recall my daughter liking those, too! (wink, wink!)

Ok, now it's your turn!
Keep it square, and remember,
everyone who enters receives a free image!

Skipping Stones Inspiration Challenge!

Just having some fun tonight with a challenge at

Skipping Stones Design!

I couldn't resist when I saw this photo...

Then the reality came to me that I have only the "girlfriend" themed SSD stamps

and really have no flowery ones!

My creativity went into overdrive (or was it the Ambien?) LOL!

I decided that one of the purses from "Birthday Purses" looked a lot like a flower pot.

Hey, it does if you squint..

So, this is what inspired me to make this little "Thank You" note card.

A bit of elegance, with a touch of whimsy.

The sentiment is also from that same set, "Birthday Purses". 

The background is stamped and silver heat embossed with an OLD stamp I have from Cornish Heritage Farms onto silver/gray Bazzil cardstock.

I figure if originality counts, I should get credit for this one!

DYSU Challenge- Play it "COOL"!

The Stamping Boutique

* Winner's Choice of 3 Digis

Copic Maker Scrapbooking

* 6 copic ciao marker (North/South America), Martha Stewart punch (rest of the world)

Scrapper's Delight

* $5 Gift Certificate

Wow! 
SUMMER and Challenge #80 is already here!

Here is my little summer gal, colored with Copics.
The frame around the little hula girl is cut out of the patterned paper and
 popped up on the card.

I also added a little sparkle by adding some Embossing Powder and mica crystals onto the frame. I even heat embossed the shell to make it prettier.

The bling was added to simulate "waves".

The sandals are from my ever-growing collection of charms.

Join us at

 "Do You Stack Up?"

and you could win a fantastic prize!

Supplies:

Papers; DCWV, "Pocket Full of Posies"; Bazzill Cardstock

Stamp ("Hula Kiddo"), Embossing Powder, and Mica Fragments; Stampendous

Flower; Prima Marketing
Bling; Zva Marketing

Stampendous July Citrus Challenge!

What wonderful colors for SUMMER!

Lime Green, Lemon Yellow, and Orange!

The challenge for the month of July here at
"Stampendous Impressions"
 is to use the refreshing colors of

CITRUS!

That's what I have done in this Garden Journal

made for my friend who lives in Iowa!

I am originally from the St. Louis area, and 15 years ago I relocated to Arizona.  A friend I went to high school with, also moved. But she went north to Des Moines. She still enjoys the Spring and Summer flowers in her backyard garden, while I sit indoors and watch the cactus out my window!  (LOL!) I DO get to have a chuckle in the winter, however, when she texts to say she's shoveling two feet of snow from her driveway! :)

It is my hope that she fills this journal with tons of photos and memories! 

I started with a blank 6 x 6 canvas mini album cover and back.

I began by covering the back canvas piece with pattern paper, being careful to fold it over the edges and glue securely.  I cut a piece of "solid" paper to cover the inside and the cut edges of the pattern paper. Next, I punched the holes for the 1" bookrings.

I decided that I wanted to make dividers for the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons.

So I cut 3 acrylic pieces from recycled packaging and again punched the holes for the bookrings. It wasn't until I had all of the insert sheets cut to size that I rounded all of the corners.

Please excuse the reflection in the sheets.

The day was overcast and cloudy

and I HAD to get my photos taken before continuing!

I then stamped a Jumbo Cling Rubber flower

onto the front of each of the clear dividers!

(Jumbo Rose, Jumbo Orchid, and Jumbo Iris)

Next, I carefully considered what information my friend would want to include.

I printed these on my computer, then cut to size, rounded the corners, and punched the holes.  This should enable her to keep a nice record of what needs to be purchased or done at the beginning of each season.  I included two each of the

"Growing in my garden:" sheets for each section,

knowing that she has soooo very many gorgeous plants and flowers in her yard!

(I also printed lots of extras for her to use in the coming years!

I made three of these pocketed inserts to be used behind the acrylic pages as background for the stamped see-through flower images.  Any additional infomation can be kept here, such as receipts for plants or idea photos.

   

CD pocket for a "Virtual Tour" of the garden!

NOW TO MAKE THE COVER!

I stamped the Jumbo Tiger Lily onto the canvas front in brown Momento and heat embossed with "Clear Bark" Stampendous embossing powder. 
The look was amazing! It really popped right off the canvas!
 (Of course, I forgot in my excitement to color it, to first take a photo!)

This is what the finished Copics colored image looks like! Can you completely blend on the textured canvas? No, not really, but I drew my markers across the image carefully, pulling the color to the inside from the outer edge, and it turned out surprisingly well!

To add some soft color around the image, I air brushed in green and yellow.

NOW, to put it all together!

Topping off the prettiness (is that a word?), I sprinkled Color Fragments
and Glass Glitter in several hues.
A tiny, sheer butterfly has found a wonderful place to land, and the soft ribbons and lace make for the finishing touch!

I can't wait to see this album in a year and see what
gorgeous memories she has stored there!
And I can relive the gardens I miss, too!

Thanks for joining me for this fun project!

My Favorite Color - RED!

USE RED AND LOTS OF IT!

  The Ribbon Reel - http://www.theribbonreel.co.uk/
* £10 Gift Certificate



Paper Pretties - http://paperpretties.net/
* Winner’s Choice of 6 Images



Inspired Stamps - www.inspiredstamps.com
* $15 Store Credit
 

  This week's challenge was the most fun yet!

What could be better than working with my favorite color?

 

  
The only stamp I used this week was the sentiment, an old Fiskars one that was just the right size for this CAS card!

It is so hard for me to keep it simple, and stop before I've overdone it.

But, at the same time, I think this is more bling than I've ever put on one project!

The rows of rhinestones were cut from a solid 4 X 12 sheet that I purchased at the last scrapbook expo I attended. (Have no idea who makes these)

 Normally I would have shuttered at using so many!

There's even a tiny one in the buckle of the boot!

The little Spellbinders boot die was one that a friend gave me because she no longer wanted it! Is it not adorable?

I put it to good use immediately!

And, finally, the paper is DCWV, the "Couture" collection! 

One more from my favorite paper stack company!

Thanks for joining us at DYSU and looking at my card!

Show us what you can do with the color RED!

New Waltzingmouse stamps!

I have long been a Waltzingmouse Stamps follower, and this new release is no exception as to why I like Claire's wonderful creations so much!

Check out the first day of the release at the

Waltzingmouse Stamps blog!

Also, if you're stateside like myself, you'll apppreciate the FREE shipping with approximately a $78 purchase! 

My favorite from the release for July is this adorable little jar!

Who wouldn't like to fill that with all sorts of goodies?!!

Candy Jar

It's one of the new MINI sets, and is so affordable!

(I'm thinking Christmas candy canes, gumdrops, Halloween candies...

the list goes on and on....

Win a Stampendous Stamp!

Join Stampendous at Paper Crafts Magazine’s Facebook Page for a chance to win the adorable Cling Hula Kiddo! Just comment on their post. Hop over to the Stampendous Page and Share us on your Wall… she’s a sweetie and perfect for summer stamping!

My own card featuring this adorable little gal will be posted here on July 12th!

(Like I would miss out on such a cute stamp!)

Cling Hula Kiddo

Here are some super samples from the team using her!!

Hula Cheer by Rachel Sztonyk

Hula Kiddo by Jennifer Dove

Don’t miss your chance to win this cutie pie!!

Doodle Dragon Challenge

The challenge this week at

"Pike's Playground"

is to use

PRIMARY COLORS!

That means only RED, BLUE, and YELLOW!

Don't look too hard, because I think you'll find specks of

green and orange in my paper!  It's really hard to find pattern paper with

only primary colors!

In this case it was the pretty "Celebrations", from Die Cuts with a View!

Even though trapped in the balloon, this little guy seems really happy!

Check out the rest of Dustin's images at

the Doodle Dragon store HERE!

I hear there are sneak peeks for sale -

Christmas in July June!

Have a wonderful, colorful weekend!

DYSU Challenge #78 - Clouds!

Our sponsors this week:
Crafty Sentiments - http://craftysentimentsdesigns.co.uk/
* Winner's Choice of 4 Images



The Paper Shelter - http://www.thepapershelter.com/
* $20 Gift Certificate



Gecko Galz - http://www.geckogalz.com/
* Entire July Collection (The Digital Paper Pack "Great Adventures", 6 different collage sets including Vintage Travels & Wild West dominos, and a digital stamp set "Mermaids Garden" a prize pack worth $30)


     This was a tough one because I was so excited choosing my "Gecko Galz" image,

that I totally blocked out the fact that our challenge was to, in some way, incorporate "blue skies" or clouds!  There have been a few times I have gotten a card started and realized that, in the excitement of using an image, paper or color,
 I've forgotten to consider the challenge requirement.
At that point, you just have to laugh and start over! 

Thankfully, nothing was glued down when I decided to go with the
heat embossed clouds.

This card was made to commemorate the U.S.'s fight for freedom

and why we celebrate July 4th.

I usually like to stay away from the typical bright red, white, and blue, but these muted papers and the subtle, vintage image won me over!

These Gecko Galz sheets are so beautiful, I want them all!

And if you want to know how the little banner was made, I printed the image a second time much larger, and cut the banner flags from a section of the printed image!

I had, only yesterday, received these little flowers from Wendy Robinson in a prize box from a Zva blog hop! Perfect timing, Wendy! I tinted them with my Copics to coordinate with  the print and quickly had a sweet embellishment!

Have a wonderful weekend and, for those of you stateside,
have a fun and safe upcoming
Fourth of July 
celebration!

Skipping Stones Sketch Challenge!

My card for the challenge at

Skipping Stones Designs:

and the sketch I followed:

I used the SSD stamp set, "Always Here".

I love the way the gorgeous butterflies and dragonfly heat emboss so clearly.

I dug through my older stash and the papers, flowers,
and even the black pearls were all from Prima Marketing.

The vow I made today is to educate myself more on my camera and the lighting process that causes the colors to look entirely different from what they are IRL.

It was frustrating today to try and get a photo when the yellows and golds were showing up differently on the embossed butterfly than on the ink stained flowers.

I had plenty of natural light in my little photo alcove and the white backdrop seemed bright enough. And it was too da!#&%#  hot in Phoenix to stand outside to

take a picture!

I found a great tutorial posted today by Debbie Carriere at My Favorite Things that I think addresses that very issue.  To see for yourself, go HERE!

In the meantime, I'm still working on the hubby for a new camera. If anyone has any suggestions for a good point and shoot SLR, please send them!
I am rather unhappy with my 3 year old Nikon Coolpix...constantly having to replace the AA batteries (doesn't use a special battery with a charger) and the settings are resetting themselves on their own.  hmmm...a haunted camera maybe? 

Well, based on the many number of times I've entered the SSD challenges,

the odds should be on my side to win soon! 

Wish me luck!