Winter Wonderland VSN - Fa La La La La

Challenge D is "Fa La La La La" the challenge is to incorporate Music. I used a music note stamp in my background. I used the song Let It Snow for my inspiration.

My image is from Doodle Dragon Studios. I colored this image with Glitter gel pens and used Recollections Snow flocking powder on the hats. The background was made with the Stampendous Wavy Music wood stamp and the snowflakes and let it snow are from Stampabilites Winter Snowmen clear stamp set.  I used Momento Paris Dusk for the music notes and the let it snow and Colorbox Frost White for the snowflakes.

Here is a direct link to this challenge if you would like to check it out: Fa La La La La

Winter Wonderland VSN - There Is No Business Like Snow Business

Challenge B is "There is No Business Like Snow Business" the challenge is to incorporate a snowflake.

My image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and colored with Prismacolor Pencils. I used Frosted Lace Stickles on the trees. Diamond and Crystal Stickles on the Igloo and Crystal glitter for the snow on the ground. For something different on this card I used a snowflake punch around the image. The background paper is from I Believe in Santa by The Paper Studio.

Here is a direct link to this challenge if you would like to check it out. There is No Business Like Snow Business

Winter Wonderland VSN - Give Me The Warm Fuzzies!

Tonight and tomorrow is the Winter Wonderland VSN main event over at Splitcoaststampers.

Challenge #A is "Give Me The Warm Fuzzies" this challenge is all about what gives you the warm fuzzies. Of course for me thats sharing the holiday season with my 2 favorite boys. 

My image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and colored with Prismacolor pencils. I used a little Recollections Flocking Powder in Snow on the stockings. My background paper is from Spunky-Funky Christmas by The Paper Studio.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Give Me The Warm Fuzzies! 

Winter Wonderland VSN - Get Out The Salt

Challenge #6 is "Get Out The Salt" the challenge is to use the Salted Background technique. 

I really loved this technique! I think my results were great for a first try and I'm excited to try it again. I didn't have glossy cardstock so I used Glossy Photo paper instead.

The first thing I did was clear emboss the trees then I used Distress Inks for the sky. I used regular and coarse sea salt. I let it dry naturally then cleaned off the salt. The trees didn't show up to well so I stamped over them with Colorbox Evergreen ink then cleaned off the excess. This gave a cute snow covered effect. The snowflake stamps on the edge are from Recollections.

The blue background paper was misted with Shimmer spray. Added ribbon, punched snowflake and a little bling to the snowflake to finish it off.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Get Out The Salt

Winter Wonderland VSN - Head In The Clouds

Challenge #5 is "Head In The Clouds" the challenge is to make a card featuring clouds. I found this perfect image and added soft clouds around it using Colorbox ink and a dry baby wipe.

Here's a close up of my image and clouds:

My image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and colored with Prismacolor pencils. For embellishment I used a little of Stickles on the hat, Crystal glitter on the snow and Stickles covered with Glossy Accents. 

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Head In The Clouds

Winter Wonderland VSN - Let It Snow

Challenge #4 is "Let It Snow" the challenge is to use Flower Soft, flocking or something like it. I made some fake snow using a styrofoam ball.

Here's a close up pic of the snow:

My image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and colored with Prismacolor pencils. The background paper is Spunky-Funky Christmas from The Paper Studio. The cocoa stamp is from Recollections.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Let It Snow

Winter Wonderland VSN - Jingle Bell Rock

Challenge #3 is "Jingle Bell Rock" the challenge is to make a card that represents your favorite holiday song. As an extra challenge use 2 layers and 2 embellishments. I have so many fav's but I had to choose Jingle Bells as my current favorite. My son is learning this song and hearing him sing it is the sweetest thing. I had him in mind while making the card so I gave it a more masculine look.

Here's a close up of the glittery hats and glossy accent candle:

My image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and colored with Prismacolor pencils. For embellishment I used a little of Stickles on the hats and glossy accents on the candle and I hung little bells from the sentiment. The background paper is Spunky-Funky Christmas from The Paper Studio.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Jingle Bell Rock

Winter Wonderland VSN - Marshmallow World

Challenge #2 is "A Marshmallow World" the challenge is to make an all white card. Well mostly white you can have a little color in your image. The Stickles look pink but its only the angle of the picture.

Here's a better shot of all the glitter:

I had to use this cute marshmallow image from Doodle Dragon Studios. I colored it with Prismacolor pencils and used glitter glue for the gum drops and frosting. The snowflake background is embossed then misted with Shimmer Spray. The edges of the background and image are outlined with Crystal Stickles.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. A Marshmallow World

Winter Wonderland VSN - Warm and Cozy and All Bundled Up

Friday was the Mini Virtual Stamp Night over at Splitcoaststampers. The theme is Winter Wonderland. Lots of fun challenges so if you have the time be sure to stop by and check it out. The main event is on Dec. 9th and 10th if you would like to join us!

Challenge #1 is "Warm and Cozy and All Bundled Up" the challenge is to use an image of something you bundle up in and to incorporate felt.

My image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and is colored with Prismacolor pencils. I used glossy accents and crystal glitter for the fuzzy parts of Santa's clothes. I used white felt under my ribbon and thanks to my hubby's strength I also have 2 red felt snowflakes. There was no way I could of punched those myself.

Here's a better shot of the image showing all it's sparkle:

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Warm and Cozy and All Bundled Up

Pumpkins!!

I love pumpkins and so does my son. One of his first words was pumpkin. But he said it more like pununanun. Now he says it correctly but I'll never forget how he first pronounced it cause it's one of the cutest words I ever heard!! Here are 2 Halloween cards I made featuring pumpkins. Both were made with Doodle Dragon Studios images and colored with Prismacolor pencils. The backgrounds were made by sponging. They both have a little sparkle to them. I embossed the trick or treat with glitter then used orange stickels and covered it with glossy accents. On the second card the bats are embossed with glitter too.

Here's a peek at the inside of the first card:

And here's a peek at how I decorated the fronts of my envelopes:

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a great Halloween!!

Going Batty

I am not a big fan of bats the only way I enjoy them is at the zoo or as a digital stamp. This little cutie is from Doodle Dragon Studios. I colored him with prismacolor pencils and blended with baby oil then mounted him on foam. The bats are from Recollections and tree is from Posh Impressions and are all embossed. Heres a look at the inside...

Thanks for stopping by! Im off to work on some more Halloween cards!!

Watch out for the Grim Reaper!

Here's another card I finished up today and is now ready to be mailed tomorrow. The Grim Reaper is from Doodle Dragon Studios and is popped up on foam. I colored him using Prismacolor pencils. The background was made using Cloud 9 and Recollections stamps. The house, bat, splatters, moon and stars are all embossed. Here's a look at the inside too...

I'd like to enter this card in Dustin Pike's "Spooktastic" challenge.

I think I might need to double post all the way to Halloween cause it's fast approaching and I have lots more to share!

Ghostly Gathering

I can't believe were almost half way thru the month already!! I have barely started decorating! Well at least I have been crafting my days away! I finished up this card along with several others today. The main image is from Doodle Dragon Studios and is popped up on a piece of foam. I created my own background scene using Cloud Nine and Recollections stamps. The splatters, fence, moon and stars are all embossed. Here is a look at the inside...

I'm entering this card in Dustin Pike's "Spooktastic" challenge.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope everyone is enjoying the Halloween season so far!

It's October!!

I'm so excited that October is finally here! I love Halloween! I have a whole set of Halloween cards to get the month started. I made this set for a cat shelter fundraiser. As a lover of cats and Halloween I couldn't pass up the opportunity to donate these cards to such a worthy cause.

All 5 cards were made with images from Doodle Dragon Studios 2011 Halloween set. They were all colored with Prismacolor pencils and blended with baby oil when needed. Both of the background papers are from DCWV Ghosts and Goblins paper stack. The pumpkin stamp is from Recollections and colored with an Orange glitter pen.

Here's a close up of each card:

Thanks for looking! Check back soon cause I have a lot more Halloween cards and a few other Halloween related crafts coming up!

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - OH! My Leather!

Challenge C is "OH! My Leather!" the challenge is to make a project with faux leather. There are a couple tutorials on the challenge page...but I choose to do something different.

I do a lot of faux finishes on walls...almost every room in my house has a faux finish that I did. My obsession started when I was nineteen and had just purchased my condo. I came across a faux leather finish that you use saran wrap! I did not use this finish but the idea always stuck with me. So thats what I did here only I used a ziplock bag.

Before I go on a bit of full disclosure...This was my second attempt at this. On the first try I used a different tree stamp and it did not look good so I grabbed an image that was already colored edged it a bit and used it to cover up the bad looking trees. This is what I ended up with....

Now when I was writing this post and explaining how I got this finish I thought this would be better if it had pictures so I made another card just so I could add pics. I am so glad I thought of that cause my second try came out great!!

Here's how I did it: I tapped/rubbed Antique Linen Distress Ink on the ziplock bag then gently laid the bag over the paper and ran my hand over it to work the ink in. I did this step twice with the same color.

I repeated the process using Tea Dye Distress Ink (twice) then used Vintage Photo Distress ink (twice but very little ink the second time) after I was happy with the results I ran the Walnut Stain Distress Ink over the edges...that step is not necessary but I think it gives it a finished look!

Next I stamped the trees. My stamp is from Inkadinkado and I used Colorbox Black ink.

Now I thought it needed a little extra something so I used a colored pencil to add a little shading and dimension to my scene. The color I used is Prismacolor Brunt Umber.

I am loving this finish and from start to finished card it only took 25 minutes!!

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. OH! My Leather!

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - Round Em' Up

The card when its closed

The card when its fully open

Challenge B is "Round Em' Up" the challenge is to make a telescoping card. This was a new one for me and I was surprised how well it came together on my first try!! There is a couple great tutorials listed on the challenge page if you want to check out the link below.

The trick or treat image is from Recollections Halloween clear stamp set. The pumpkin, flying witch and Happy Halloween images are from Inkadinkado All Hallow's Eve clear stamp set. I used dry baby wipes to  give a sponged look behind all the images. The background paper is from The Ghosts and Goblins Stack from DCWV.

Here is the direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Round Em' Up  

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - These Boots Were Made For Walking

The Virtual Stamping Night Main Event took place last weekend. I was not as organized for the main as I was for the mini. Finally getting to uploading just now! And its going to be a slow process!

Challenge A is "These Boots Were Made For Walking" the challenge is to use stitching on your card. It can be faux or real. My stitching is real and done by hand since I do not own a sewing machine!!

My image is from the recently released Christmas in July set from Dustin Pike. It can be found here over at Doodle Dragon Studios. I colored my image with prismacolor pencils and blended it with baby oil. This image was pre-colored. When I started the challenges I raided my stash and luckily I had tons ready to go!! Background paper is from All Seasons by Paper Studio. I used Stickles Rock Candy for all the fuzzy parts of Santa's suit!

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. These Boots Are Made For Walking

"Girl Power" Challenge

I created this cute and girly card for the "Girl Power" challenge over Dustin Pike's blog! I'm loving the purple and green combination lately. My image is of course from Doodle Dragon Studios! I colored my image with Prismacolor pencils and blended with baby oil.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - Living In The Wild Wild West

Challenge #6 is "Living In The Wild Wild West" the challenge is to use the song "Wild, Wild West" by Escape Club as your inspiration and to include gingham of some sort. I was inspired to use a sheriff image.

My images are from Dustin Pike's Doodle Dragon Studios. They are both colored with Prismacolor pencils. Background paper is from DCWV The Guy Stack paper pack. I was inspired by the saddle up image to make the sheriff image look like an old poster and I added little nails in the corners too.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Living In The Wild, Wild West

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - Brayered Sunset On The Plains

Challenge #5 is "Brayered Sunset On The Plains" the challenge is to create a sunset using a brayer. Luckily there was a side note that you could use sponges, daubers, etc. cause I don't have a brayer and was a little afraid to use one.

I used sponge daubers and dry baby wipes to create my sunset. The inks that I used are: Colorbox Canary, Apricot, Orange, Violet and Royal Blue. I also used Momento Paris Dusk on the very top. The images were stamped with Momento Tuxedo Black and filled in with a Black copic marker.

 Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Brayered Sunset On The Plains

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - All That Glitters

Challenge #4 is "All That Glitters" the challenge is to use rhinestones on your card. I cheated and found the heart in the iron-on section.

My image is from Bugaboo Stamps and colored with Prismacolor pencils and blended with baby oil. The background paper is from The Paper Studios Jung-a-low Bung-a-low Baby paper pack.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. All That Glitters

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - Bring On The Clowns...Rodeo Clowns

Challenge #3 is "Bring On The Clowns...Rodeo Clowns" the challenge is to use at least 4 bright colors and to make something pop. I think I got it covered.

My image is from Dustin Pike and colored with Prismacolor Pencils. Nothing too special done to this card. I don't know what paper stack I got the paper from. It was in my misc. scrap pile.

I'm saving this card for my little brother, he turns 21 this year!

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would like to check it out. Bring On The Clowns...Rodeo Clowns 

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - Queen's Wave

Challenge #2 is "Queen's Wave" the challenge is to make a card based on the theme of waving.

My image is from Dustin Pike and colored with Prismacolor pencils. The paper is from DCWV All About Boys paper stack. I free handed the splash cut and added Glossy Accents to the little water drops.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you would to check it out. Queen's Wave

Stampin' Rodeo VSN - The Grand Entry

Howdy Y'all!! I'm taking part in the Virtual Stamp Night at Splitcoaststampers again. Tonight is the Mini event. The Main event will take place August 26th and 27th. If you have some free time stop by and join us it's tons of fun!!

Challenge #1 is "The Grand Entry" the challenge is to make a card using flags or pennants. I choose pennants cause they are so cute on a baby card and I need lots of baby cards right now!!

My image is from Dustin Pike and colored with Prismacolor pencils then blended with baby oil. The flowers were left over from another card and were perfect for this one. The small stamps on the pennants are from the Baby Barrel of Stamps from the Paper Studio. Background paper is from DCWV Baby Boy Nursery paper stack.

Here is a direct link to the challenge if you want to check it out. The Grand Entry

More Graduation Cards

I sponged this background and stamped the flowers in black. Then used a white gel pen to highlight the water. The sentiment is computer generated.

On the inside I used a Doodle Dragon Studios image. 

Colored it with Prismacolor pencils and blended it with baby oil.

I made this graduation card awhile ago and forgot to upload it.

This card has a matching bookmark and money or a gift card fits where the bookmark is.

I used daubers to make the backgrounds. The butterflies are punched from paper I painted and outlined with a purple glitter gel pen.