Lord, make me a rainbow that shines down on my mother...she'll know I'm safe with you as she stands under my colors...

Happy Tuesday, y'all! I have another Skipping Stones Design Sketch Tuesday card for you today, and, yep...another emboss resist card! *grin* I can't seem to stop embossing things lately.


I used the ornament from Christmas Swirls for Cristina's awesome sketch. Before I stamped and embossed it, though, I stamped the "merry and bright" part of the longer sentiment from the same set repeatedly in Old Olive ink on watercolor paper. Then I stamped the ornament and embossed it in clear detail powder. The final step was a dark wash of Old Olive ink over the entire panel. Here's a closeup:

The set is full of awesome images and sentiments, for inside and outside your holiday cards. If that weren't enough, we have two Christmas sets on sale today! Christmas Swirls and Wise Men are each just $12.49 this month.

Don't forget to visit all the Design Team members blogs and our guests….

Jingle

JoAnn

Kandi

Karen

Katie

Shannon

Stephanie

Taylor

Wendy P

and our Guests…

Cristina

Tammy

Andrea

Karen

Thanks for visiting me today, and have a fabulous day!

Christmas, Christmas time is near...time for toys, and time for cheer...

Happy Tuesday, y'all! It's time for another Skipping Stones Design Sketch Challenge...#97 to be exact. And it's double fun today, we're celebrating the release of Christmas Song! If you just came from Katie's blog, you're in the right place.  You can start at the beginning of the hop at Skipping Stones Design, and see the whole list there as well. I created a little card today with Cristina's fabulous sketch...see what you think.


I sure had fun with this one. I wanted to use an ornament and this sentiment from Christmas Song, so I stamped the sentiment in Black Stazon on hot press watercolor paper, then embossed the ornament on top with clear embossing powder. Then I added a wash of Soft Sky and Tempting Turquoise, and some Real Red for the ornament. A closeup:

I stamped the music score from Timeless Textures in Versamark on Kraft, then added some lace and a Zva Creative pearl flourish for that little something *extra.* I hope you like it!

Now it's time to go visit all the rest of the girls and see what fabulous stuff they have for you! This month we are welcoming Andrea Ewen, Tammy Tutterow and Karen Christensen to our team as Guest Designers.  Cristina Kowalczyk will be providing all the fabulous sketch inspiration this month including the sketch we're using in today's hop!

Head over to Andrea's blog for some more Skipping Stones Design inspiration!  If you get lost along the way, here's your master list:

Cristina Kowalczyk

Jingle

JoAnn Valderama

Tammy Tutterow

Karen Baker

Katie Gehring

Andrea Ewen

Stephanie Mino

Karen Christensen

Taylor Usry

Wendy Price

Wendy Jordan

Have a fabulous day!

There'll be parties for hosting...marshmallows for toasting...and caroling out in the snow...

ETA: Got a new, clear pic for you! Hooray!

Hey, y'all! Thanks so much for all the love you left me on my last few posts. You gave me warm fuzzies!
Speaking of fuzzies, I have a card for you...and the picture is horrid, I know. I'll get a better one in the morning, but it'll do for now, k? And welcome back the Shannan you all know and love...yes, the one who takes a sketch, twists it, turns it, and makes a card completely opposite of what it's supposed to be. Here's the sketch:

See? Turn your head, cross your eyes, and you might see the resemblance in my card:


No? Well, let's look.
Large rectangle panel...CHECK.
Two small offset rectangles...CHECK, CHECK.
Three little dots on one corner...CHECK.
Square card...CHECK.
Seeeeeee???? I did it right, didn't I??? *wink*

Anywho, I used a new image from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps...her name is Piper. Isn't she adorable?? I stamped her in Black Stazon on Arches Hot Press Watercolor paper, then watercolored her with a water brush and reinkers. Except for the hair, which was done with Copic markers. I was dead set on using this image, so most of the time I spent on this card was trying to make everything fit on my 5 1/4" card base. So, Mercy, you can blame Piper. It's all her fault. Here's a closer look at her:


Don't forget to go visit Mercy and see her fabulous card, as well as Jessie's...our December guest! While you're at it, check out the rest of the muses, who I'm sure did not butcher the sketch like I did! *giggle*

• Cindy Haffner
• Crystal Birr
• Jessica Diedrich
• Julie Lacey
• Pam Speidel
• Pam Varnell
• Jessie Knight (our Fabulous Guest!)
  

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Sky falls, you feel like it's a beautiful day...don't let it get away...

Hey, peeps, Happy Tuesday! I hope you're week is going great so far. Mine is okay, but my boys are getting restless...it's definitely time to go back to school...before I pull my hair out! *yikes*

So, I have some fun news for you today...I was chatting with my friend Mercy the other day about her Tuesday sketch challenges, and she asked if I would be her first Guest Muse for August! I'm super excited...I love Mercy's sketches! Here's the sketch for this week:

And here's my card (lookie! I didn't alter it! *grin*):

I was feelin' a little scrappy, can't you tell? I decided on Charlotte Ketto for my main image, so I stamped her in Black Stazon on watercolor paper and colored her with reinkers and a waterbrush. I cut and embossed the image with my Rectangle Nestabilities, and added a tiny mat of Prism Suede Brown Dark before matting it onto the scalloped rectangle. The pink didn't show up very well on my base layer of Basic Grey Urban Prairie paper, so I added a larger mat of Suede Brown Dark behind the scalloped layer.

For the two strips across, I decided to do something a little different. First I adhered 2 strips of 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon to my card base, then stitched strips of 3/8" Regal Rose Grosgrain, pleating them as I went. I love how they look! Then I stitched around the Basic Grey layer and Brown mat, using a zig-zag stitch, and added a photo corner to the top left. For the flower accent, I layered some Primas and a button, and finished the card off with the Hello Dear Friend sentiment stamped in Versamagic Jumbo Java. Of course, I had to add some Diamond Stickles to Charlotte's dress for fun, too.


We'd love for you to play along with us this week! If you do, make sure you link your creation to Mercy's blog and also use keyword MTSC33 when uploading to your public gallery so we can see your fabulous creations. For more inspiration using this week's sketch, check out Mercy's blog, and the rest of the Muses:

• Pam Speidel
• Cindy Haffner
• Pam Varnell
• Julie Lacey
• Crystal Birr
• Jackie Pedro
• Jessica Diedrich

Thanks so much for hangin' out with me today. I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Give me just a little help and to show how much I care...I bring you Apples, Peaches, Bananas and Pears...

Happy Tuesday, people! So...who watched the Bachelorette? I did, and I have to say I am kind of sad she told Reid no, even though I know she should have. But I think, I dunno. I think he was the right one. But what do I know! *hmph*

I have a quick little card to show you today that I made for a couple of challenges yesterday. The Clean and Simple Challenge was a sketch, and I also added a couple of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges. I'm slowly crossing them off the list! *grin*

My Whipper Snapper sets hadn't seen ink in a while, so I decided to pull out Sending Happy Thoughts designed by my friend Anna and play with it. The pear was stamped in Black Stazon on watercolor paper and colored with a waterbrush & reinkers. Once it was dry, I added some shimmer with my Stardust pen and spread it around with my waterbrush. I trimmed down some October Afternoon paper and added a scalloped edge to the bottom before tying a piece of twill around the panel. I also rounded the top corners, just for fun. Then I stamped the sentiment in the bottom corner of the Kraft panel.

Well, that's about it for me today...I hope you have a fabulous day!!

Giving is such a part of living...Oh, I wish it could be Christmas all year long...

Morning, y'all!! Happy Wednesday! I have something fun to share with you today...the Serendipity Stamps team is celebrating Christmas in July! I could use a little cooling off...it's been over 90 in the evenings around here. YUCK!

I fell in love with the Snowman with Birdhouse image the second I saw it, so I knew that's what I wanted to use.

Whatcha think? Isn't he the CUTEST?? Sidenote: I have to say (if you can't tell) that this entire card was inspired by Anna Wight...she's a rock star!

Ok, anyway, I stamped Frosty in Black Stazon on Hot Press Watercolor Paper. It's so nice and smooth, so you get a great stamped image, which is important with images like this one. Then I watercolored him with reinkers and a waterbrush, and a hint of Blender pen in tiny spots. I decided to make him a little bit of a "Texas Snowman"...if you've never seen one, they're always a little brown from mud, since we never get enough snow to make a real one. *grin* Once he was colored, I distressed and sponged the edges, and added some Liquid Applique as snow accents. Then I matted the image with Chocolate Chip and stitched around the edges.

After sponging the edges of my Kraft card base, I layered some Bo Bunny Double Dot paper with crazy stitching around the edges. The main image was popped up on dimensionals. Following Anna's tutorial, I created a glittery crystal snowflake from a Maya Road Chipboard snowflake, and adhered it to the card with dimensionals. Then I wrapped some twine around the yellow layer, and secured it by threading it through the snowflake and a button and tying a knot.

I hope you've enjoyed my little bit of Christmas in July...I know I did! Make sure you check out the other samples from the Serendipity team.

Amy Cokley
Jennifer Woodward
Kathie Bailey
Kelli Richardson
Lynda Benden
Sue Eldred
Yvonne Hagane

Also, Mary mentioned that there will be a Christmas in July sale very soon! So make sure you sign up for the newsletter here to be updated as details are released. Have a fabulous day!

Baby, baby, I'm taken with the notion to love you with the sweetest of devotion...

There’s a new little baby Diva almost here and today we’re celebrating with a suprise shower hop! So come along with us and do the hop, hop, hop to help celebrate the arrival of Charmaine’s new little oodabug! This shindig started at the Verve Stamps blog, so if you’ve just happened along, be sure to hop on over there to start from the beginning!

I created this cute little number because Charmaine strikes me as a non-pastel kinda girl. So Isabelle should have a shabby chic card too, no? Take a peek.

I used the baby carriage stamp from Serendipity, paired with a sentiment from Practically Perfect. This card features lots of sponging, with some stitching and distressing. Fun stuff!

I have to run to my Copic Class...I'll be back this afternoon to add in details. K?

Thanks for stopping by! Now hop on over to Jen Tapler's blog for some more cuddly goodness. Have a great day!

Like a river flows, surely to the sea...darling so it goes...some things are meant to be...

Happy Bellariffic Friday, sistahs! I hope you had a wonderful week! We have delivered my nephew back to his sitter, and now I'm enjoying a little quiet. *grin*

This week's sketch was brought to us by Jenabella, and although it looked scary, it was actually pretty easy!
For the circle panel, I stamped Agnes Ketto in Black Stazon ink and colored her with reinkers, a waterbrush, and a blender pen. Some of the spaces in the image were just too small for a waterbrush, so I chose the blender pen so I'd have more control. I got a little carried away with the Prima flowers, but I think it ended up pretty cute. In the flower centers, I added Cappuccino Baubles, and used some Banana Split polka dot ribbon along the side of the card. The edge of the Kiwi panel was punched with my new EK Success Dotted Wave punch...my new addiction. *wink* The Oh Happy Day sentiment was also stamped in Stazon on Watercolor paper. It has to match, right? Anywho, I hope you like it.

Well, sistahs, I'm headed to take a little nap before we go pick Caleb up from his week at camp. To see more eye candy from the Babes and the Sistahood, check out Em's blog. Have a fabulous night, and I'll be back tomorrow with something VERRRRRYYYY special!

There's hope...it doesn't cost a thing to smile...you don't have to pay to laugh...you better thank God for that...

Happy Wednesday, folks! How's your week so far? Mine is good, just busy! Caleb is out of town for Music Camp, and my two year-old nephew is staying with us for the next couple of days. That should be interesting...it has been a LOOOONNNGG time since we've had a little one in our house! I'm sure he'll show us all the things we need to "childproof" and put up high. *chuckle*

Last night I sat down to stamp for a minute and noticed the Sketch Challenge had already been posted on Splitcoast. SCORE!


I apologize for the fuzzy sentiment...I took a new pic, but can't seem to get it right. Maybe it's the cardstock color? Either way, I'm having issues.

I've had this Three Dresses image from Serendipity colored for a while now, just waiting for the right card. The sketch this week was perfect! The image was stamped in Black Stazon ink on Fabriano Hot Press Watercolor Paper and colored with a waterbrush and reinkers. Once the ink was all dry, I added some detail with my Inkssentials Opaque White Gel Pen, then sponged around the edges with Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip ink. After adding a Chocolate Chip mat, I used my sewing machine to stitch around all the edges. The next panel is Barely Banana cardstock, embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing Folder, sponged with Cocoa and Chocolate ink, and stitched around the edges. For the panel across, I chose Prism Intense Pink, matted with Chocolate Chip and stitched to my Kraft base layer with a zig-zag stitch. After stamping the sentiment in Chocolate Chip ink, I decided I needed a little "something" for pizzaz, so I punched a Chocolate scalloped oval with one of my Marvy punches and cut it in half. After layering it onto the left side, just under the image, I punched a hole in it and tied some wide Olive Grosgrain ribbon around and in a knot. I love how it accents the image and sentiment without competing with either one.

Well, peeps, I better run...I have a feeling I won't get much done these next two days! *grin* Have a wonderful day, and I'll see ya later!

I'll be part of you in the way I do...come into my life so I can sing...

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. To my American friends...Happy belated Fourth of July! And to my Canadian friends, an even more belated Happy Canada Day! We had a fun weekend of just hanging out, eating good food, and fun with family. How about you?

I had a few minutes to stamp this afternoon while my boys were playing video games, so I decided to check out the Stamping Bella Challenge Forum. I decided to play along with the Bella's Favorite Stamper...this month's FS is Tracy Cornhill. Sistah has a rockin' gallery full of Bella goodness. I chose this cutie pie card to case.


I decided to use Maisy Ketto, so I stamped her in Black Stazon on watercolor paper and colored her with reinkers and a waterbrush. You can't see it very well in the photo, but she has a really soft pink glow behind her, which I think is pretty fun. I cut and embossed the image with my Circle Nestabilities and matted it with a black circle. I created a 4 1/4" square card base from Neenah Solar White and cut a 4" square layer of Kraft as my base layer. I embossed it with my Swiss Dots Embossing Folder and added some black gingham ribbon on the left side. The Cool Caribbean layer behind her was cut and embossed with my Rectangle Nestabilities, then I popped the main image up on dimensionals on top. To finish it off, I added some Diamond Stickles to her crown, flower, and wings.

Ok, y'all, I'm headed to clean the kitchen. Fun! Don't forget to check out this week's Bellariffic Friday sketch on Emily's Blog. Have a fabulous day!

OOHH! One more thing...on my sidebar, I added a Cbox, since all the cool kids like Linda and Paula have one. *wink* So, come chat!

I'd build myself up and fly around in circles...waiting as my heart drops and my back begins to tingle...

Morning, Sistahs! It's not so much morning now...but it was when I started this! *grin* I am back from Austin and POOPED! We had a great time, and of course my favorite part was shopping at Archivers with Libby before I headed home yesterday. We left just a *few* things there for you, but not much. *wink* Hi Libby!!!!

So it's Bellariffic Friday again, and this week we had a sketch from Jenabella. It looked tough, but ended up being pretty easy.

I ended up being on sort of a limited supply challenge, as I had my image colored & die cut, but nothing else done. I grabbed a few things before I left and hoped for the best. Thank goodness, I think it worked out.

Yes, I know that's a lotta dotsssss, but I couldn't stop myself!!! I stamped Twinkle Fairy by Chichiboulie in Black Stazon on Hot Press watercolor paper and colored her with a waterbrush & reinkers. I used Soft Sky, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette, and Rose Red. I cut her out with my Nestabilities Labels Four Die, and sponged the edges to soften them a little. I cut a 5" Chocolate Chip panel and pierced around the edges. Then I cut my Ocean Bo Bunny Double Dot paper down to 4.5" square and anhered it to the center of the Chocolate Chip Panel. Then I cut a strip of another Double Dot (Sorry, it's either Bashful or Wild Berry, I can't tell!) to go across the card. I adhered the image panel in the center, and then added a strip of Polka Dot Chocolate ribbon tied in a bow just to the left of the center. To finish off the card, I added three white buttons, and some Diamond Stickles to the image. Cause Twinkle Fairy has to Twinkle, right??

Well that's about it for me today. After leaving the boys and Josh home for three days, the house is a WRECK and there are no groceries. So much to be done! I shall see you later, friends.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Bellariffic Friday eye candy on Em's Blog. Have a wonderful Friday!

Dancing through life, swaying and sweeping, and always keeping cool...

Happy Wednesday, y'all! How's your week going so far? I'm working hard here in Austin, but I left you a little eye candy while I'm gone. Aren't I the sweetest? *grin*

I have this quick little Bella card to show you today using an image I colored last week. Did I mention that I love having a stash of pre-colored images? I usually do it when I'm feeling my mojo slipping or when I need a break from stamping. So I pull up the coffee table, turn on some good TV, and color away! It's quite relaxing, and productive, too. You oughtta try it!

So anywho, I stamped Cakeabella in Black Stazon on Fabriano Cold Pressed watercolor paper, and colored her with a waterbrush & reinkers. After I trimmed the image down, sponged the edges, and matted it with Chocolate Chip cardstock, I took a peek at the Clean and Simple blog to find a layout that fit the size and shape of my image. I settled on Sketch 38, and after folding my Kraft card base, I cut a strip of Kiwi Kiss cardstock down, stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa ink. After I adhered the strip down, I pierced a row on the top and bottom of the sentiment panel, then popped the image panel up on dimensionals. For the finishing touches, I added a white button and Diamond Stickles. Simple and easy!

Well, I'm off...thanks for coming by today! Don't forget to check out the latest Bellariffic Friday sketch...we'd love for you to play along! Have a great day!

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance...It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance...

Good morning, everybody! How's your weekend going so far? Great, I hope! I've been catching up on some stamping and laundry (ugh) and enjoying my boys. They are really silly and fun these days, and they always keep me cracking up. So fun!

Well, I promised you something fun and different yesterday, and I aim to please! Lately I've been wanting to expand my style and work with more detailed images, but I really didn't know where to start. I had noticed some really fabulous horse images on my friend Lynda's blog, and after following the link, I found a fabulous new company called Serendipity Stamps. Holy cow! In a matter of minutes I had a wish list of over $300. YIKES! A few weeks later, I saw a call they had posted for a design team, so I threw my name in the hat. I was so excited to get an email from Mary, the owner, a little while later, saying that I had been selected to be a part of their team!

So today, my friends, I am sharing my very first Serendipity Stamps card with you! You ready?

Is this stamp not GORGEOUS??? It's called English Rose, and it called out to me immediately. I stamped it in Black Stazon on a Fabriano notecard and watercolored it with a waterbrush and reinkers. I wanted these to look like my favorite Tropicana rose, so I used Blush Blossom on the rose as a base color, and then Tangerine Tango as a shadow. You can let your layers dry and go back in with more color to make your shades more intense, which is something I love about watercoloring. I did a wash over the image with a light yellow-green (I think it's Adirondack Citrus), and then did shadows with Old Olive. Then I remembered that rose stems are usually brown, so I went back with Close to Cocoa ink on the stems.

To finish off my card, I stamped the swirly Thank You Sentiment stamp in the bottom left corner in Black Stazon. That stamp was only a BUCK! Yep, $1! SCORE! And Mary says the dollar stamp section is always changing, so keep your eye on it. *grin*

And speaking of score, Mary is running a FREE SHIPPING special until June 10th. (my favorite kind...y'all know how I hate paying for shipping) Here's the blurb from the newsletter:

Free shipping on orders over $35!

Applies to U.S orders of any product.

Applies to Canadian orders of only unmounted stamps.

Overseas orders will receive a $5 shipping refund.

Non-US orders will receive an email notifying of shipping differences.

Shipping Special Ends June 10th

So just in case you were feeling enabled, I thought I'd share! *grin*

And in case you're still reading, make sure you check out the rest of my fabulous teammates...talk about amazing!

• Amy Cokley
• Jennifer Woodward
• Kathie Bailey
• Kelli Richardson
• Sue Eldred
• Yvonne Hagane
• Anya Schrier

So, what do you think? Do you likey? I hope so! You'll be seeing more in the future...fun stuff like horses, barns, and more flowers! Oh, and quote stamps...y'all I am in love! *happy sigh*

Have a great Sunday...see ya tomorrow for some Our Craft Lounge goodness!