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Snowed In Sketch Challenge

Greeting from those of us buried again under the white stuff here in Northeast Ohio! I must say though, I can't complain about having a day with no where to go and nothing to do! EXCEPT that Mother Nature's notion of having another snow storm put a huge damper on the Northeast Ohio Shoebox Swap that was planned for today in Smithville! :( There were 15 of us gathering today to stamp and eat and talk and laugh! Mother Nature is definitely NOT a stamper! We'll have to reschedule it for another day, of course!

In the meantime, some of my best stamping friends came up with the idea of having our own Virtual Stamp Weekend within our thread on SCS. I decided to host a sketch challenge, and thought I'd share it here with you and if you want to participate also, please do! If you upload your card to SCS, please use the keywords BBSIVSWTammy (The letters stand for Buckeye Babes Snowed In Virtual Stamp Weekend!) And please post a link to your creation back here on this post, whether you post it on SCS or your blog. On Monday evening, March 10th I will draw one winner from everyone that participates to win a goodie bag of fun embellishments!

Here's the sketch (forgive my primitive drawing... I'm new to this!)

And it's based on this Gina K card I made the other day, but I'll do a new one for the weekend!

I hope you have time to partcipate! Have fun!

My Favorite Things - I'm a Wannabe!

Oh, I wannabe the Guest Designer so bad! So, I dragged my tired self home from work and worked on this card to enter the challenge again this month. This didn't turn out like the card in my head though!

It was fun to try a layout that's a little more outside the box for me. I read on the Craft Critique blog recently about a new book called The CardMakers Sketch Book. It looked fantastic, and so I found out who published it and ordered some copies for the store. They arrived today (along with the new releases from My Favorite Things... how lucky for me to play with for this challenge!) So I used a sketch from the book for my card, too! The challenge was to create a monochromatic card, and you could add neutrals of white, cream, brown or black. So this is my creation, and I hope it passes!

Here's a little close-up of the stamps I used and the Bo Bunny designer paper I picked out to match my shades of coral!

Quick tip: I didn't have any black brads that were large enough for the cream and red flowers. But I had some gold brads (you know... the kind they gave you to use for Sunday School crafts with great big wings on the back!?) I picked up the gold brad with my tweezers and pressed the brad into my Versamark ink pad. Then dipped it into black embossing powder, and heated until it was set. While the brad was still hot, I dipped it in the powder and heated once more for a good, solid finish. Easy-peasy! Now I need embossing powder in every color!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Punch a Bunch (My Favorite Things); Cardstock: Flamingo, Watermelon, Black OP (Bazzill Basics), Confetti Cream (Stampin' Up), designer paper (Shabby Princess from Bo Bunny); Inks: Red Brick chalk (Tsukineko), Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), markers (Copic); Accessories: twill tape (Stampin' Up), concave corner punch (EK Success), scalloped oval punch (Marvy), cream and black flowers (Hero Arts), red flower (Prima Sprites), ribbon (May Arts), gold brads (unknown), black embossing powder (JoAnn fabrics), antique silver brads (unknown), black thread, sewing machine, sponge, dimensional adhesive.

New Stamps from Gina K Designs

I got new stamps at the store recently from Gina K Designs, and I just couldn't resist picking up a few for myself! I just love this basket set, and so that had to be the first thing I played with! I have a special aunt that has a birthday next week, so this will get sent to her! (Even though, now that I think of it, she forgot my birthday!) :) I don't know how well you can tell from the picture, but I distressed the edges of the white circle that the basket is stamped on and the edges of the blue cardstock that the flowered paper is matted on. My circle punch is being very difficult, so my cardstock ended up having very messy edges after I punch it out. So the compromise was to distress it!

Stamps: Baskets of Happiness, Punchy Words (Gina K Designs); Cardstock: Pear, Lighthouse (Bazzill Basics), Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up), white (Georgia Pacific), designer paper (Autumn Leaves); Inks: Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up), markers (Copic); Accessories: Brocade Blue brads (Stampin' Up), ribbon (May Arts), super jumbo circle punch, mega scalloped circle punch (Marvy), edge distressing tool (Ranger), dimensional adhesives.

Thanks for stopping by! Stamp Happy!

Rain, rain, go away!

It's official... Mother Nature hates us! Not only is it raining, but it's COLD and raining! Makes me wish for a fireplace here beside my desk! But then I'd just curl up and go to sleep! :)

I made this card today using the Color Challenge on SCS to use Stampin' Up colors Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, and So Saffron. Isn't it a pretty combination? Makes me think of a garden! I probably should have made a flowery card... maybe my mood about the weather would be lighter! I was really pleased to see how well this striped designer paper I had matched the Wild Wasabi cardstock, so I decided to use it to paper piece the raincoat!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Stamps: Rain or Shine (My Favorite Things); Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron (Stampin' Up), white (Georgia Pacific), designer paper (Reminisce); Inks: Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Wild Wasabi (Stampin' Up), markers (Copic); Accessories: Purely Pomegranate stitched grosgrain (Stampin' Up!), light green grosgrain (Offray), scalloped rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), paper piercing tool (Darice), dimensional adhesives.

Hello Spring? What a cruel joke!

This bunny stamp set from Kitchen Sink Stamps is so much fun to play with, and that bunny is so darn cute, but he's in cahoots with Mother Nature I do believe and is playing tricks on us! Maybe he's the Trix Rabbit in disguise! We had a beautiful day here in Northeast Ohio... close to 70 degrees all day. And now, it's midnight and freezing rain is coming down! Excuse me while I wipe my tears... I cannot take one more day of winter!

Well, even though I think he's being a stinker, this Honey Bunny still helps me create totally awesome cards! I used Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge for my card layout. You have no idea the fun you're missing if you don't pick up this set for Easter cards! The nice thing about the set too, is that it's not just for Easter, if you'll remember the birthday card I posted the other day! The 3-Step Honey Bunny set, as well as 3 other sets are available today over at The Kitchen Sink! Stop by soon... I promise you won't have to wash the dishes!

Stamps: 3-Step Honey Bunny, tiny flowers from Playful Ovals (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Cardstock: Lavender Lace, Certainly Celery, Pink Passion, Whisper White (Stampin' Up), designer paper (Bright Wildflowers and Bright Confetti from Doodlebug Designs); Inks: Going Gray, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue (Stampin' Up), Charcoal Versacolor pigment (Tsukineko), Aloe Vera, Tea Leaves, Spanish Olive, Pretty Petunia Versamagic chalk (Tsukineko), Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance pigment (Tsukineko); Accessories: pastel jewels (Doodlebug Design), pink gingham (craft supply), dimensional adhesives, sponges.

Thank you!

Just a quick note of thanks to everyone for all the great birthday wishes, and for participating in my Birthday Blog Candy giveaway! I sure hope Rachel checks in here sometime soon to claim her prize!

I had a wonderful day, and the topper was my husband taking me out to dinner last night, and then coming home to a cake baked by my wonderful daughters. Then, because I'd had so much to eat, I ended up zonking out! Had to rush my daughter Kelsey to church this morning for the beginning of 1st Communion instruction (she'll take her 1st Communion on Palm Sunday!) and then rushed off to Kaylie's volleyball tournament! As of right now, I think I've been gone more than I've been home in the last 72 hours, and haven't done much stamping! Very, very sad! I promise I'll be back up and running with something to upload by tomorrow evening! Thanks for sticking with me!

My blog counter is climbing, and I just love it! Thinking maybe 20K posts calls for another blog candy giveaway??? I've got lots of great new stuff coming in soon at the store... Hero Arts, Inkadinkao, Bo Bunny paper.... stayed tuned!

P.S. And I have to tell you... the Birthday Blog Candy thing was a ton of fun, but it's so nice not to see that blasted "Over the Hill" balloon at the top of the page anymore! :)

Birthday RAK's

I also wanted to share with you today some more beautiful birthday cards I received in the mail!

This one is from my wonderful friend Patti, better know as MommaPatti to us Buckeye Babes! I just love this Boho-chic look here, and the colors are fabulous!

And this work of art comes from my super stamping friend Cindy, better known to all SCS'ers as Mothermark, the Master Storyteller! Isn't this card just beautiful? So much detail! I would never have the patience to do all that cutting out! I'm thinking I need to buy a frame for this one!Thanks Patti and Cindy for helping make my birthday extra special!

Hip Hop Hooray!

It's MY birthday! But you all should be more excited than me because someone is going to win all this loot today! And this card makes my final contribution to the blog candy basket... this one, plus 3 additional cards that I will make using this sweet new set from Kitchen Sink Stamps called 3-Step Honey Bunny! Is that not the cutest bunny you've seen in forever? He is created using a combination of 4 separate stamps, and it just amazes me how Maria designs these stamps, and the inked images coming out looking so awesome! You can get your own set of these stamps, plus some other great new additions for spring at the Kitchen Sink Stamps website beginning Monday, March 3rd!
Stamps: 3-Step Honey Bunny, flowers from Playful Ovals (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Cardstock: Pear, Whirlpool (Bazzill Basics), white (Hollo's), designer paper (Two Scoops by Basic Grey); Inks: Going Gray, Bashful Blue (Stampin' Up), Charcoal Versacolor (Tsukineko), Aloe Vera, Tea Leaves, Spanish Olive, Pink Petunia Versamagic chalk ink (Tsukineko); Accessories: scalloped rectangle (Spellbinders Nestabilities), white dotted organdy (May Arts), silver brads (craft supply), sponges, dimensional adhesives.