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Saturday, July 28, 2012

Joy and Happiness

I'll be traveling next week, so this is one of my last posts for a bit.  This card is for the current challenge over at Bloggers Challenge, where the theme is "Christmas in July."  I decided to pull out this stamp from Stampington, which I used some years ago for my Christmas Cards. The image and sentiment were stamped with Peeled Paint Distress Ink onto Specialty Paper.  The mulberry card base was wrapped with olive lace and gold strips and a band of winter white vintage seam binding fashioned into a bow.  The snowflakes were punched out with a Martha Stewart Punch and touched with gold glitter glue.  To fill in the bottom of the card, I added a handful of vintage brass bottoms in various styles.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Best wishes, Yvonne

Love Always

Greetings!  It's already time for another challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge! FSC is celebrating it's First Anniversary with this challenge! I am so honored to be a part of this Design Team. I keep pinching myself to believe it is real!  This time around, the theme is "Anything Goes."  I decided to play some more with my new Dylusions Ink Sprays.  I also used the dot stencil again with a bit more success.  The beautiful focal image by Stampsmith is stamped with Black StazOn ink and matted with Black paper.  The sentiment is also by Stampsmith.  Finishing touches include a paper doily, faux stitching, die cut hearts cut from a candy box liner and wrapped with silver wire, vintage seam binding and button to complete my card.  I hope you will pop on over to FSC and check out all the inspirational pieces my very talented Design Team Sisters have created for you.  I hope you will also submit a project of your own.  Please remember we are a stamping challenge and digis are not permitted.  As always, there is a wonderful prize up for grabs for the top winner. I hope you are  having a great weekend.  My dear Josephine is coming along following lung surgery.  Thank you for all your well wishes and thank you for dropping by. Best wishes, Yvonne

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

Hello!  I want to share another card that I made for the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show where the theme is Hey Girl!  I selected this image by Art Declassified, stamped in Wild Honey Distress Ink on Specialty Paper and mounted it to a torn edge, crumpled and flattened mulberry colored background paper.  The matted image was added to a mulberry card base and honey colored background paper.  The sentiment, by Stampsmith, was stamped with Seedless Preserves Distress Ink and fits the challenge perfectly as little girls grown bigger everyday! Simple embellishments include a gift of hand dyed lace from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, Butterscotch Liquid Pearls, vintage buttons and seam binding and a die cut vine using upcycled craft paper that was mottled with Picket Fence Distress Stain.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Cheerio!

Greetings everyone!  Thanks for dropping by.  My first post today is for the challenge over at Try It On Tuesdays entitled So Very British. The white card base was distressed heavily with Festive Berries, Faded Jeans and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.   I was not happy with the depth of color though and went back over most of the card base with red and blue PanPastels and more Vintage Photo DI.  The images, all by Artistic Outpost, were stamped onto Specialty Paper and trimmed and mounted to the card base, except for the flag, which was inked with Distress Markers and stamped directly onto the card base.  A single embellishment of Chrome Liquid Pearls completes my card.  Thank you for those of you who have been keeping my dear dog, Josephine, in your thoughts and prayers. She is coming along and we may be able to bring her home tomorrow.  So glad you stopped by.  Hugs, Yvonne

Monday, July 23, 2012

Dream On!

Hello everyone!  My post today is for the new challenge over at Make My Monday.  This week, the color challenge is to use Analogous Colors.  According to MMM, "Analogous colors are colors that sit in a group of three right next to each other on the color wheel.  We usually use these combinations when doing monochromatic artwork."  Specifically, we are asked to use "Dark Blue, Light Blue and Turquoise."  I have to admit, I would not readily mix turquoise with dark blue or light blue, but I actually really like the outcome.  The card base was stamped in Faded Jeans Distress Ink with a complementary stamp from Crafty Individuals.  The focal image, by Stampsmith, was also stamped with Faded Jeans Distress Ink, matted with light blue card stock and layered over a paper doily that had its edges distressed with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.  The sentiment, by Stampsmith, was stamped with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and edged with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink.  The appliques were dyed with more Tumbled Glass DI.  Finishing touches include vintage turquoise seam binding and Baby Blue Liquid Pearls.  My dear Josephine, our aging standard poodle, underwent a serious operation this afternoon.  She has survived the surgery and is doing well in the care of doctors and nurses for the next few days.  Your thoughts and prayers for her are truly appreciated.  Have a great day.  Hug, Yvonne

Saturday, July 21, 2012

A Makeover!


There's an interesting new challenge over at Our Creative Corner.  It is called "What Not to Stamp." Why not check it out?! The challenge is to select a card you made early on that you really don't care too much for but that includes something about it that is endearing and then make a new card that includes what you like but in your current style.  Wow! It took me a while to sort through some old cards, and the one I selected below was created before I began my blog.  It's funny, I don't normally care for cute stamps (that' putting it mildly) but when I saw this stamp by Hero Arts, years ago, something about it struck me.  When I created my card with it, I followed the color suggestion on the face of the stamp using Copic markers.  What  don't I like? I don't like the heaviness of the colors and the poor blending, nor do I like the plain background.  The rickrack seams to narrow, too.  I never sent this card, so I guess I knew all along it was a dud!
Since I do like the stamp, I decided to try using it again.  Six years later, it really is a different world isn't it?  Distress Ink, Distress Markers, Specialty Paper, vintage seam binding, ChitChat Stickers, how did we ever live without all these wonderful products?  With a more vintage feel, softer colors, and grounded embellishments, I think this is a card I would feel good about sending out.  
Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Best wishes, Yvonne

Dear Sister

Greetings!  Perhaps like some of you, it has been a pretty stressful week of life! It is such a blessing to just sit down and lose myself in this wonderful world of art, don't you agree?!  My post today is for the new challenge over at Bloggers Challenge. This week, Lisa inspires us to create with Die Cuts.  Although I have a manual die cut machine, I must confess that I do not use it as much as I probably should, so I am always delighted when a challenge encourages me.  For my card, I wanted to continue experimenting with Dylusions Ink Sprays and even tried adding some stenciling.  Now there must be a knack to it that I have not learned yet, because when I tried spraying ink over the stencil, it oozed underneath even when I quickly tried sopping up the ink with paper towel.  If anyone has tips, I'd love to hear them!  I dipped a cap into my StazOn ink repeatedly to make some circles and doodled with  black marker to make faux stitching.  The focal image is from one of my go to stamp images from Artistic Outpost's Lovely Day plate and is colored in with Distress Markers (also trying to get the hang of them) and the edges were distressed with Milled Lavender DI. As for die cuts, the metallic hearts are from Tim Holtz Alterations and the spool was a gift from my Design Team sister at FSC, Brenda.  Final embellishments include ChitChat Stickers, beads from my stash, a chipboard bird painted with Picket Fence Distress Stain and some vintage seam binding.  I have not seen my sister in a long while, so I plan to drop her a line in this card that I made for her.  I hope she likes it.  I'll also be submitting this card to Artistic Outpost's July Referral Program.  I hope wherever you are, you are having a wonderful weekend.  Hugs, Yvonne 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Butterfly Friendship

Hello!  This is my second post for today.  My card is for the Anything Goes Challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show.  I began my card around a scrap of Specialty Paper that I had previously used to sop up leftover Dylusions Ink Spray in several colors.  All stamps used for my card are from Crafty Individuals and Black StazOn Ink was used throughout.  This beautiful butterfly stamp - CI 347   was stamped over top the scrap card stock and matted with yellow card stock.  The paisley stamp - CI 342 was stamped repeatedly on the right hand side of the card base.  The girl - CI 065 was matted with orange and yellow and the sentiment, a complimentary stamp from CI was distressed with Spiced Marmalade DI.  Simple embellishments include vintage pink seam binding, black Liquid Pearls and an applique flower trimmed from lace purchased at CI.  Thanks, as always, for dropping by.  I truly appreciate your continued support.  Yvonne

Christmas in July

Greetings!  I hope your Tuesday is going well.  I really vacillated on the title for this post as I am having a hard time wrapping my head around creating Christmas Cards, though each year I promise myself that I am going to start mine in July.  My card today is for the current challenge at Stampsmith where the theme is Christmas in July.  We are to create a Christmas Card using at least one Stampsmith image and summer colors.  I decided on my color scheme by using all three of the new Summer Distress Inks recently released by Ranger.  The main image of the girl is from the "Won't You be my Honey" Stampsmith stamp plate, which I won earlier this year at the Stampsmith Challenge Blog, and is stamped with Mowed Lawn DI and matted with card stock in green and blue.  The snowflakes by Studio G were stamped with Salty Ocean DI onto the card base and then Crackle Glue was applied for shimmer.  The sentiment was stamped in Picked Raspberry DI and also shimmered up with Crackle Glue.  Embellishments include rhinestone stickers, upcycled green satin ribbon and some beautiful snippets of Venetian Lace purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Thanks so much for stopping by.  Yvonne

Monday, July 16, 2012

Garment Inspired

Greetings!  Back today with a card for the newest color challenge over at Make My Monday.  This week, our challenge is to create a project using the complimentary colors of Purple and Yellow.  I decided it was time to pull out this gorgeous plate of stamp images from Oxford Impressions.  The card base was sprayed randomly with Lemon Zest Dylusion Spray before stamping images directly to the card base in Seedless Preserves Distress Ink, or onto Specialty Paper.  Simple embellishments include a number of yellow and white buttons, Baker's Twine, vintage purple seam binding and some spool die cuts that were gifted to me by one of my DT sisters from FSC, Brenda.  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Lullaby Little Darlings

Hello!  There's a new challenge over at Our Creative Corner.  This time around, we are asked to create a card using Pink and Navy and one other color.  I chose to use Green as my third color.  The stamped images are from Hampton Arts and were stamped in Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint.  Spun Pink Distress Ink was added to the edges of the stamped images and the frame.  Other pink touches include a doily, rocking horse, buttons and Baker's Twine.  Thanks so much for dropping by today.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Friends Forever

Greetings!  Finally got back into my Art Studio today.  It sure felt good to have access to everything I wanted for my projects.  This card is for several challenges.  It is for the current challenge at Bloggers Challenge where the theme is Black and White and one other color, and also for the challenge at Frilly and Funkie where the challenge is Altered Metal.  The main image is from Alpha Stamps and stamped with Black StazOn Ink onto Specialty Paper.  Color was added with Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink using Sequin Waste.  The metal numbers by Idea-ology were painted with Ranger Patina Paint in a Rust color.  Black burlap string purchased from The Funkie Junkie and a bit of black crochet trim, a recycled button and some Chitchat stickers complete my card.  

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Create a Memory

Greetings dear friends!  It has been nearly two weeks since I have posted to my blog.  We have been away from home and traveling about.  It has been nice to get away, but I must confess I miss my art studio.  Though I have a bag of card making items with me, you just cannot pack everything you would like to have along with you!  My post tonight is for the new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  The theme this time around is "Let's Get Messy and Inky!"  As I had just recently acquired some Dylusions Ink Sprays, I decided I might get pretty inky experimenting with them.  I sprayed Specialty Paper with Squeezed Orange and Bubblegum Pink several times and blotted the inks with facial tissue! as I had no paper towels in my hotel room!  I LOVE my Distress Inks, but I think I am also going to have some fun with these Ink Sprays!  The focal image by Crafty Individuals was stamped with Black StazOn Ink directly onto the prepared Specialty Paper.  I added Chitchat Stickers and planned to stamp some butterflies and cut them out to add to my card front, but alas, I forgot to bring scissors along. Luckily, I just received an order from the Funkie Junkie Boutique, which included a free gift of these die cut flowers.  I stamped over each of them with a portion of another Crafty Individuals stamp and mounted them to the card front.  Several were popped up with dimensional foam dots, though it did not photograph very well.  I added Black Liquid Pearls to the flower centers and tied some black burlap string around the card front.  The finished panel was layered to black paper and then to a white card base.  I hope you will pop on over to FSC and see all the creative inspiration pieces put together by my Design Team Sisters and I hope you will also consider submitting a piece of your own.  There is a prize for the top winner.  Please remember we are a stamping challenge so no Digis are permitted.  You can read the full details over at FSC.  Best of luck to each of you.  Yvonne

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Friendship

Hello!  It is the day before the Fourth of July Holiday here in the United States.  I am at the beach, and as so often happens when I am here, either my husband and I end up on a medication that prohibits us from being in the sun!  Pretty ironic don't you think?  Always looking to make the best of the situation, I pulled out my trusty craft bag and decided to make a card for no particular reason, or challenge.  All of the stamp images, the designer background paper used for the squares and the clip art are from Crafty Individuals.  Seedless Preserves Distress Ink was my ink of choice.  The lace and buttons are from my stash.  Happy Fourth of July to all who celebrate it, and a good week to everyone! Best, Yvonne

Monday, July 2, 2012

Find Delight in Every Little Thing

Greetings!  A second post today to share with you.  There is a new month of challenges for July over at Make My Monday.  During the month of July, we will be challenged with various color challenges. For this first week, the Color Wheel Challenge is for the primary colors of Red, Yellow and Blue.  Only sentiments or outline images can be stamped in black or brown.  As I am away, my choices were limited, but this Lapwing Bird, a complimentary stamp from Crafty Individuals, came to mind.  I stamped it in Salty Ocean, Mustard Seed and Festive Berries. Chit Chat stickers and some red burlap string from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, and a charm and a button from my stash complete my card.  Thanks for dropping by.  Yvonne 

Sentimental Journey

Greetings to each of you!  My post today is in response to the newest challenge over at Our Creative Corner where we are asked to include items used in Baking in our project!  I am still traveling, so my stash of baking items is somewhat limited, shall we say!  I did stop in to our local grocery store, though, and my eyes fell upon these beautiful black and white, foil lined, cup cake liners.  The liner was smashed flat and adhered to a white card base.  The focal image and square in the lower right corner, compliments of Crafty Individuals when purchasing other stamps, were stamped with Black StazOn Ink onto Specialty Paper.  I added some black Liquid Pearls to the  stamped berries for texture, a vintage button and some Chit Chat Stickers purchased from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Thanks so much for stopping by.  Yvonne

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Embrace Each Day

Greetings! This is a second post for me today.  My husband's sister's birthday is upon us.  As I am traveling at the moment, I have just a selection of my stamping gear with me in my trusty stow away bags.  (You may recall my dear husband asked me to use two bags so the one was not so heavy!  I think I benefited from the second bag!)  I asked my husband to pick out stamps he wanted me to use and a color palette and the resulting card is above.  The images are from Crafty Individuals and the Chit Chat Stickers are from The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  I am happy to share that I just won a 25% discount from a random draw for sharing a card that included items purchased from Linda's Boutique.  It is quite a savings as her items are already priced below MSRP.  Check it out if you have not done so yet and join in on the Sunday Share!  Thanks for dropping by.  Yvonne

Dare to Live the Life You Dreamed!

Hello!  Thanks for dropping by today.  My post today is for a challenge over at Simon Says Stamp and Show where the theme is the "Depths of Distress."  How we interpret distress is up to us.  I chose to dry emboss a piece of Kraft card stock with numbers from a Sissix embossing folder.  I added Picket Fence Distress Stain to some of the numbers and the entire piece was distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The distressed piece was layered to the left side of a black panel and then adhered to a white card base.  The focal image from the French Flight plate by Artistic Outpost was also distressed with Vintage Photo DI and framed with a distressed Tattered Angels Frame.  The sentiment is from the Kudzu Kafe plate from Artistic Outpost, as well.  Vintage buttons tied with fibers pulled from the strip of burlap beneath them, vintage black seam binding and an Idea-ology tag complete my card.  I am also entering my card at Artistic Outpost's July Referral Program where the current challenge is "Anything Goes."  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I really appreciate your comments, too.  Best wishes, Yvonne