Thursday, April 29, 2010

Smeared & Smudged Contest Deadline is tomorrow!

Smeared & Smudged Sketch Contest deadline is tomorrow, but you still have time to enter to win Les Coquettes, a cool digital set by Stamp Insanity!

Here's a card using one of the images from the set!


Joszette was colored with Copic markers. The wall was drawn in with a chalk pencil. The sky was added with palette chalk. The patterned paper is old AMM paper, but I still like the color combo and those funky flowers and stripes. I added ribbon which I stapled on to the card. The flower was white, but is now pink thanks to my Copic marker. I added a black Rain Dot onto a white button for the center of the flower.

I don't know what I'll use the card for so I'll add a sentiment later!

Thanks for visiting.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Bombshell's Hump Day Hop -- Card #2

Here's the second card I did for this month's hop! (The first card is below).

This card adheres to the "Pretty in Pink" theme set by Kas AND also meets the April challege set by Cheryl, aka Ms. April, to create your own background with Bombshell stamps without patterned paper. (Oh the horror!)

Here it is!


I created a little spring scene using the swallow from the Love & Luck set, the Cadillac from the Speed Shop set, and the flowers from the Hula Girl set.

So do you think the driver and her passenger are having a picnic among the flowers or that the windows look steamy for a reason???
>wicked grin<

All the images were colored with Copic markers. There's a touch of Spica glitter pen on the headlights of the car. The grass background was created with Copic markers. I used several shades of blue and a touch of pink palette chalk to make the sky.

Thanks for visiting today! Take a gander at my second card. Remember to post comments along the way to be entered into a lottery to win a fab prize!

Here's a the list of the Hump Day Hoppers again:
Kas
Patti
Meredith
Katie
QueenBScraps
Steph
Erika
Sy
Angie
BoHoRose
Kelli
Stempelientje
Cheryl
Kathi
jheuser
Alison
Shaz
PerkyNihilist
Danielle

Bombshell Stamps' Hump Day Hop!

Hallelujah! It's time for Bombshell Stamps' Monthly Hump Day Hop! Kas, our Hump Day Hop Captain, set this month's theme, which is Pretty in Pink, where we were challenged use pink, pastel, or spring inspired projects.

I will have two projects for this challenge. The second is still on my table, but here's the first, which meets the "pastel" part of the challenge!



This card came about because my "Plan A" didn't work. While I was looking through scraps, I found a scrap of FiberMark Canvas specialty paper in an off-white/beigey greyish color. It's cool stuff, in that one side is semi-glossy and the other is matte. Both sides feel like canvas and you can stamp on either side. I looked at this stuff and thought to myself, "Self, I wonder how Copic markers would work on this". So, I stamped the ship from Bombshell's Homeward Bound set on the matte side, pulled out my Copics, and started coloring. The markers don't blend awesomely, but I liked the pastel effect, so I thought "Eureeka! I can use this for the Hump Day Hop!

I used white chalk to make the clouds look whiter. I also added a tad of white Inksentials Gel pen to the "sea" area to look like whitecaps. This specialty paper frays really easily, so I frayed the edges a bit and inked them with grey ink. The paper doesn't hold adhesive wonderfully, so I stitched (poorly) corners onto the top corners and lines on the bottom two corners to hold the stamped scene to the backing piece of canvas.

The paper diecuts like a dream, so I used a Spellbinders label die for the sentiment. The canvas paper doesn't hold the embossing at all well because it's too pliable. I used a strip of dark green canvas paper for the strip. The glossy side is dark green, but the reverse side is more aqua, which matched the seascape much better. I stamped the sentiment "Smooth Sailing" on two lines by masking it and stamping twice. I also stamped the compass in a mixture of yellow and orange StazOn.

I was amazed to find a piece of cardstock that matched the canvas paper really well, so I used that for the card's base.

Now that you've seen one of my projects, come back later to see the second one. But while you wait, hop to the next stop in the Hump Day Hop Roster, which is below. Be sure to leave comments, so you can be entered in the contest to win a fabulous prize!

Oh! Thanks for popping by on your way through the hop!

Hump Day Hopper List!
Kas
Patti
Meredith
Katie
QueenBScraps
Steph
Erika
Sy
Angie
BoHoRose
Kelli
Stempelientje
Cheryl
Kathi
jheuser
Alison
Shaz
PerkyNihilist
Danielle

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Organization can be pretty!

My unmounted stamps and various supplies have begun to get out of hand, so awhile back I started the monumental task of organizing my stuff. I put most of my unmounteds into binders, sorted my buttons into Jif peanut butter jars (because I'm a picky mother<--grin), and put my oversized paper and fabric flowers into an old plastic candy jar.

Now I'm in the process of making my jars and binders pretty! I started with the candy jar and decided to take Bombshell Stamps' April Challenge which was set by the wonderfully talented Cheryl, who is Ms. April. She named her challenge Baby's Got Back and challenged us to put away our patterned paper (sob!) and create our own background paper with Bombshell Stamps. Check out the challenge here.

Since I like to "double-dip", this project also is my "Altered/Decorated" project for Smeared & Smudged. Gotta love efficiency, eh?

Here's the jar.



Here's a close-up of the top of the jar.


Here are my screamingly verbose details. *giggle*
For the jar's label, I stamped the flower corner on the four corners of a small rectangular piece of white cardstock. I filled in the rest of the area with the flower/leaf (both from Bombshell's Hula Girl set. Using Copic markers, I colored each flower and leaf with two shades of the same color, then colored the background with a very light blue. The Making Memories Glitter stickers didn't show up, so I cut a Spellbinders' Fancy Label from silvery/white vellum, then layered the letter stickers over that.

The jar's lid is plain old plastic and had a paper label on it. I cut a circle from light blue cardstock using a Nestabilities die. I colored 3 humongo Heidi Swapp fabric flowers with Copic markers and stacked them.

For the center of the flower, I punched a 2" circle from white cardstock, which matched the 2" Ideology Fragment I planned to use. I stamped the medium Sugar Skull (from Bombshell's Sugar Skull set) into the center of the circle (my aim was a bit off), masked it, and then repeatedly stamped the same flowers from the Hula Girl set over and around the Sugar Skull. I colored the Sugar Skull, outlined it with mid gray, and then used other colors to color the flowers. I filled in the white space with light blue again. I used Glossy Accents to adhere the circle to the Fragment, weighted it down to eliminate air bubbles, and waited for it to dry. When it was dry, I adhered the Sugar Skull Fragment to the center of the flower with Glossy Accents, weighted it down, and left that to dry. Imagine my dismay to discover that the darned glue ran out from under the Fragment! But Bling came to the rescue, which delighted my inner magpie.

Oh, by the way, you have until Monday to sign up for this month's Bombshell Hump Day Hop and until the end of the month to complete Ms. April's challenge, my sketch, or to enter the Bombshell Banner contest. Cool deal!!!

Thanks for visiting today!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I'm clearly feeling Grumpy!

Another day, another Grumpies card. I have been having such fun with the terrific Grumpies set by Smeared Ink .

This set comes with large and small Grumpies, plus some screamingly funny and snarky sentiments that tickle my funny bone.

Here's a card I came up for the sentiment "get off my cloud."


The Grumpies were colored with Copic markers. I added some Sakura glitter pen to the eyes and then coated the eyes with a layer of Glossy Accents.

I used a QuicKutz diecut to mask the Grumpie's cloud area as well as both Grumpies before sponging Memento ink over a cloud template. I then outlined the cloud, added some sponged blue ink, and added some contours with a grey Copic marker. The sentiment was stamped onto a punched thought cloud.

The colors photographed a bit oddly. The pink Grumpy is not neon or hot pink irl. The blue is nicer too. Go know.

Thanks for visiting today!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Smeared & Smudged April Sketch Challenge

Kelli created another awesome sketch for April's Sketch Challenge over at Smeared & Smudged. Check it out by clicking HERE! There's a prize involved, so get busy!

Here's my take on the sketch.


I made the circle a lot bigger to accommodate the Woman Looking stamp by River City Rubber Works, which meant that the card had to be larger as well. It measures 6x6. The sentiment was computer generated. I used Nestabilities for the ovals, scalloped ovals, and circle. The patterned cardstock is by Memory Box.

Thanks for visiting today!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Another Sketch Challenge card!

Yay!!! I'm still sore and limping around with my crutches, but I'm finally getting back into the swing of things craft-wise. Since I'm still a bit out of it, I am using sketches and other challenges as a launching point.

This one is from the latest sketch (#276) over at Splitcoast Stampers.

Here's my card!


I used the Grumpies stamp set by Smeared Ink, a new rubber stamp company. I'm having a great time using these FUNky images and snarky sentiments!

I colored the Grumpy with Copic markers and used Glossy Accents on his eyes. The dotted and orange distressed patterned paper are by Cosmo Cricket and the striped paper is by Basic Grey. There's also a whole lotta Distress Inkin' goin' on. :D

Thanks for visiting today!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Bombshell's April Challenges!

This card meets both Ms. April, Cheryl Valadez, challenge to use stamps to create a background. I just sort of did it. The card really meets the sketch challenge. Remember, that if you participate in these challenges and share them on Bombshell's forum, you get to win a fabulous prize! Yippee!

Here's the sketch:


Here's my take on the sketch:


The card uses the Firefighter from Bombshell's nifty new To the Rescue Digital Stamp outfits that coordinate with the Bombshell Angel pin-up! I also used the flame border from the Tattoo Background set and the small tiki torch flames from the Tiki Party set.

The firefighter and the flame border were colored with Copic markers. The background behind the firefighter was chalked in. I added soot with Black Soot Distress Ink.

The triangles are the flames from the tiki torch, which were stamped onto Bazzill Bling cardstock with Yellow Brilliance ink, heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I then reheated the flames, sprinkled Chinese Red embossing powder on them, and reheated to melt the powder.

Thanks for visiting today.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Moxie Fab World Sketch Challenge!

Last week was "Go to Sketches" week over at Moxie Fab World to celebrate the release of a fabulous new idea book (which I need to get). Cath challenged us to create a card using one of the sketches from the book.

Here's my card!


I used the Grumpies stamp set by Smeared Ink, a new rubber stamp company. The stamps are a bit different than what's out there, but are big fun. They're awesome quality with deep etched rubber. They're also a great deal since there are so many images and sayings.

The Grumpies are perfect for my mood over the last week or so. I've been an impatient patient and have been totally out of sorts. I couldn't work out. I couldn't craft. I needed help all the time. So this card is sort of a note to myself from myself to suck it up and deal. :D

I colored the Grumpy with Copic markers, used Glaze pens to make his eyes glassy, and then stamped some sentiments in the QuicKutz die cut speech bubble. The patterned paper is from a 6x6 pad by Sassafras Lass. Love it! It's so bright and cheerful and goes so well with the Grumpy!

The card definitely makes me smile. I hope you like it too!

Thanks for visiting today!

I'm back! But I had a good excuse!

Hi all! I'm back to my blog and to paper crafting after taking a brief hiatus to have outpatient surgery to repair torn cartilage in my knee. The surgery went well, but I spent more than a week unable to sit long enough to stamp or paper craft, which was a big fat hairy bummer since I really, really had tons of ideas in my head.

Here's a card using Bombshell's nifty new To the Rescue Digital Stamp outfits that coordinate with the Bombshell Angel pin-up! These outfits are sooooooo cool. You just print 'em out, color 'em, cut 'em out, and dress your Bombshell!

Here's a card using the nurse outfit, which I thought was timely since my family nursed me with lots of TLC!


The stamped image and the digital nurse's outfit were colored with Copic markers. I used a Glaze pen on the stethoscope. The background is white shimmery cardstock that I ran through a Cuttlebug folder that had crosses on it. The "TLC" sentiment is Bombshell's Classic Tattoo font which was stamped in red ink, colored, and then adhered to Ideology Fragments.

Thanks for visiting!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Smeared & Smudged April Fool's Day Blog Hop!

This hop is sponsored by Smeared & Smudged, a great place to visit!

I've been running around like a headless chicken, trying to get stuff done before I get sidelined for a bit. Therefore, I haven't gotten to create my card for this yet, so check back later this afternoon or evening.

Here it is! It sure does take a long time for a thick layer of Glossy Accents to dry!


The stamp is from the Grumpies set by Smeared Ink! I love this set. Great sentiments and FUNky images. My Grumpy was colored with Copics which I also used to color the glitter stickers. Yahoo. A new use for them. :D His eyes have glossy accents on them to make them shiny and bug-outy. The egg has Crackle Accents on it and is 3D thanks to dimensional stickers. The papers are by Flair Designs and the sentiment (expecting a bunny?)is a Doodlebug rub-ons.

Thanks for stopping by!

Here's the list of hoppers.
Alison- http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com
Kelli- http://cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com
Meredith- http://www.papercanteen.com
Michelle- http://mylifemydreamsmyscrapping.blogspot.com/
Kathi- http://kathstales.blogspot.com <---Come back later!
Kim- http://offthewallcraftiness.blogspot.com
Lisa- http://www.ldfdesign.blogspot.com
Danielle- http://www.scrappy-arts-n-thoughts.blogspot.com
Alex- http://www.paperandstring.blogspot.com
Jean- http://iboard.jeansartdolls.com/index.php?showtopic=11977
Monica- http://giddygreetings.com
Sarah- http://sarahscrazycreations.blogspot.com
Erica- http://www.inkedupandreadytoplay.com/
Black Dragon- http://lynsblogger.blogspot.com/
Kymberly- http://dulcamarasdarkart.blogspot.com
Steph- http://stephscreativechaos.blogspot.com
Lady Brayton- http://ladybrayton71.blogspot.com/
Barb- http://haunteddesignhouse.blogspot.com/
Terra- http://www.moresmearedink.blogspot.com