Stamped some more, I did!!!

Hello all my stamping friends!!!

What a wonderfully beautiful Memorial Day weekend we are having here in the southeast portion of Michigan!!! It's been quite a few years for us to have sun and warm temps on this holiday weekend as opposed to rain and chilly temps!! I hope all you are having a fabulously beautiful weekend too!

Well, I got some more stamping time in over the past couple of days and I just couldn't wait to show everyone! The newest releases from Treehouse Stamps are just perfect for this time of year with their American Dream set. This set has the adorable little boy and girl and they can be stamped either holding an American flag or sparklers for July 4th. This card I made for the Featured Stamper today on SCS, peanutbee AKA Denise! Check out the FS68 forum here.

On my card here, I have them holding American flags in honor of Memorial Day tomorrow. Sometimes I forget just what an honor and privilege it is to live in a free country and to be able to have the freedom to choose how I want to live my life, how I want to worship and be free from constant struggles just to obtain basic living necessities.

My main image is watercolored with the ink from my SU! stamp pads and a blender pen and aquapainter. I used the aquapainter for the grass and sky, just to keep them soft and not overwhelm the image. I first stamped the kids in black staz-on to keep the lines from bleeding in to the open spaces.

The flags are up on dimensionals, as well as the main image panel.

The changes I made are:

* Stamp set and colors of cardstock

* I added an additional ribbon

* I stamped my saying and placed it in a different spot and only used two crystal embillies

* I used my distressor tool on the edges of the white panel

My second card here uses the oh so adorable Make a Difference set also just released by Treehouse Stamps.

The koala bear is so cute and cuddly how can you not fall in love with him? I used this past week's color and sketch challenges on SCS on this card, which by the way I designed during a conference for work last week!! I had to do something to stay awake in the afternoon!!!

The CC was for Soft Sky, Certainly Celery and Blue Bayou. My neutral is obviously white! I stamped each of the white panels with the fern leaf and then ran through my CB with the Distressted Stripes folder. I also did DTP to the white panels with the Soft Sky. SU!'s tag corner punch was used on all the panels and I distressed the main image Soft Sky panel and used DTP with Blue Bayou.

The koala was colored with my watercolor wonder crayons and the branch/leaves were done with my SU! markers. Then I cut him out!! I wouldn't recommend doing this too often!!

I used the small corner rounder from SU! to make the scallop strip and overstamped the saying in Soft Sky with the fern. The entire main image panel/side panels are up on dimensionals and then the koala is up on more.

Let me know what you think!!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Slacker stamper....

Yes I am!!! I must confess though, I have been stamping, but not with enough time to stop and post much on my blog. I started a new job on April 7th, and I have been working my tail off since then!! I come home many nights with enough time eat something and crawl into bed. This is the first weekend I will have the entire weekend off!!!!!! So I am going to stamp, and maybe clean my house, but stamping is a higher priority!!!!

I have three cards to show you, all just released, from Treehouse Stamps!!! They are the cutest new sets with adorable patriotic kids and loveable wildlife.

My first card showcases the kids from American Dream and is so appropriate for Memorial Day as they each hold an American flag. I used my watercolor pencils to color them in and a sponge dauber to shade around the edges.

I combined two weekly SCS challenges together on this card: the color and sketch challenge for this past week. The CC is Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky and Ruby Red. Certainly not a combo I would put together, but they work well!!

The second card uses the same kids, but this time they are celebrating July 4th!! See the sparklers? You can interchange the flags and sparklers! What a neat idea and more bang for your buck!!

On here I used my SU! markers to color them in and for highlighting the girls dress. I used DTP in Brilliant Blue for the shading around the edges. The finished size of this card is 4" x 4".

My third card uses the Make a Difference set which showcases this adorable koala. He is so cute and fun to color. But I have to confess I am not certain what color koala bears actually are!!! But I thought he looked like a brown one. I used my watercolor pencils on here and on the background. After the image was blended, I used my sponge dauber in Bashful Blue around the edges for highlights.

This card uses this week's Ways to Use it challenge on SCS for using inchies. Well, I don't have any inchies so I made my own!! My main image panel is 3" x 3" and then I cut the piece into 1" strips and then into 1" squares. After they were cut I covered them with Versamark and clear embossed them. Next time I will cut them into squares after I emboss!!! I then put him back together and mounted him on cream panel and then the Bashful Blue panel. I used my distressor tool on the blue square and background dp panel.

Let me know what you think!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

VSN weekend!!!

This weekend on SCS, VSN is happening right now!!!! Not sure what VSN is? Checkout this forum here for all the deets! The two cards I have here are my samples for the challenge I am hosting.

For this card I wanted to create an elegant Wedding/Anniversary card, and what better way than with black, silver and shimmery white? But what I love the most is how the silver ep just makes the motif pop right off the page!!!

And for just an added touch of color I used Regal Rose for the sentiment and flowers. I used SU!'s retired wide gray organdy for my ribbon so not to distract from the card. I miss our organdy ribbon!!!

For this card I wanted something soft, yet elegant, for a very feminine birthday card. I picked up the shimmery Mango cardstock at Archivers and love just how this goes with Apricot Appeal and just a touch of Pumpkin Pie. I also used Shimmery White c.s. for the Orchid and clear embossed the Birthday Wishes over Pumpin Pie craft.

I've had the big fabric brads forever and just never seem to find the right card/style to use them on. I just love the little touch of extra color they add here. The *{}* are also covered with clear ep over Apricot App. craft.

My layout came from the April/May issue of PaperCrafts JOCM recipe on page 22.

Enjoy VSN!!!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Happy Cupcake Day!!!

Hello everyone!! I have one card for which incorporates 2 of this week's challenges on SCS!!! The TLC is for Paper Tole and the Ways to Use It is for rub-ons!

To be honest I had never used rub-ons before SU! put them out in the newest catalog! I was a little afraid to use them at first, but after I did I fell in love with them!! They are so easy to use and make a great addition to your card, project or whatever you are working on!!! On here I used the SAB Love & Happiness rub-ons.

My basic layout for this card came from one of the cover creations from the December 2007 issue of cards. I like the simple layout and how it lets me put the focus on the main image, which is the cupcake!!

The TLC for this week is Paper Tole. There are two layers of the cupcake, but the third frosting layer is up on thicker dimensionals than the bottom portion. I put a clear raindrop over the cherry to give it added depth.

Paper tole is where the same image is stacked to provide dimension to the key features. Since I only have the cupcake, I kind of went a little crazy with dimensionals and foam squares!!! My picture isn't the best and I may re-take it tomorrow during the day. It's hard to see the depth of the Paper Tole, but it's there!

Doesn't the cupcake look yummy enough to eat?? This stamp and the sentiment are available from Treehouse Stamps. If you haven't yet checked them, head over there right now and see all the wonderful stamps they have!! There is also an awesome sale going on right now!!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Flowers & Sweets....How Neat!!!

Ok, I'm tired and I know that title is corny, but my cards encompass both! And yes I said cards!!! I have 2 to show you tonight!

The first is for this week's color challenge on SCS: Apricot Appeal, Cameo Coral, Creamy Caramel and Mellow Moss. Colors which evoke warm thoughts of spring, but I used sweets instead!

I used the newest set from Treehouse Stamps: Sweets for the Sweet. It is filled with all kinds of different baking and sweets type stamps.

I made a collage on the large square panel and then cut out the gingerbread man, lollipop and cookie cutter and put those on dimensionals.

I also used the design challenge in the newest Take Ten to see how I liked it. I think I will play around with it some more and send in a card or two.

For the sentiment panel I used my Marvy mega scallop and super circle punches, Fiskars cutting system and SU! key tab punches. Some shading with DTP in Creamy Caramel, dots with the white gel pen and voila!!

I used a copper swirl clip with the ribbon, which is white twill and SU!'s Mellow Moss grosgrain.

My second card uses the same color combo, but in conjunction with this week's sketch challenge on SCS. I love the simple and easy use of this sketch and feel it will be one I use alot. Maybe I can use this for convention swaps!!! Better start thinking about those now, you know!!!

The idea for this popped in my head immediately as I was laying the cardstock out, and I just love how it turned out.

This is my first time using something other than a *true* flower stamp to make a flower!!! I used the Rock n Roll technique for the flowers. And I needed a thank you card, so that's how I decided to use Curvy Verses. I think the style of the phrase goes well with this card.

I used the flower from So Many Scallops and then punched a 1" circle and the large flower from my Boho Blossoms punch to make the center. A neutrals button and linen thread finish it off.

For the stems and leaves I used the Mellow Moss and Certainly Celery grosgrain. The flowers are up on dimensionals for extra depth.

I used my distressor tool on the edges of the Mellow Moss panel and the Apricot Appeal dsp from the hostess level 1 pack.

Off to bed now!! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

Wishing for Spring!!

Well here in Michigan we are having one day of snow and freezing cold temps and the next day it is beautiful and warm!! Today I think it was almost 50!! But gloomy and overcast and rainy! So if spring wont come when I want it to, then I'll just make a card which reminds me of spring!

This card uses the Go Green and Everyday Sentiments sets from Treehouse Stamps which is available now. I just the big tree and think of what I can do with for any season. And the side stamps that come with it are darling!!

On this card I used brown staz-on for every image and then watercolored them with my watercolor wonder crayons and a blender pen. I just love how the Brilliant Blue cardstock makes the focal image "pop"!

The bird and butterfly are up on dimensionals for added effect.

The next card is also from Treehouse Stamps and is their Farm-tastic Set. This set is filled with wonderfully cute farm animals and farm accessories!!

The llama was calling me, and since I have never stamped a llama I went for it! Just a simple layout, using up some of my retired Outlaw dsp.

The entire panel with the llama is up on dimensionals and then the mouse scallop is up on one more.

I'll have more to post soon!!! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

Purely Organic Thanks

This week's color combo on SCS are colors which lend themselves to elegance!! Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black and Basic Gray.

I needed to make a thank you card for my MI secret sis from the MI Minglers event held this past weekend in Birch Run, MI. My secret sis was Debbie Stevens and if you have the newest copy of Take Ten, she's got 2 cards in there!!!

I started with my base card of Purely Pomegranate and then just played around with the other 2 colors until I found layout and look I liked. I knew I didn't want the black to have very heavy presence since the card base was already a dark color. I also decided to use white eyelets on the photo corners instead of brads for different look.

The white neutrals is actually Shimmery White and just gives that extra pop of elegance to the card. The flower charm was a last minute thought as I was finishing up and I think it adds just the right touch here.

The flower stamp I used is from the new Simply Organic set from Treehouse Stamps which was released on March 7th. You can check out the site here: Treehouse Stamps. You wont be sorry you did!! I used my Always Artichoke marker to color the stem and my Purely Pomegranate stamp pad and blender pen to do the flowers directly on the stamp. The sentiment is with their new Everyday Sentiment set.

The main image panel of the textured Basic Gray and Shimmery White is up on dimensionals and then the sentiment ovals is on another dimensional!!

I'm in the process of making a notepad to go with this and I'll post that later.

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~