Vintage Birthday Parfaits - DIC117

Hello all!!  What a week this week!  Seems like all I have been doing is running and getting no where!  Ever have any of those days?

Well it's Thursday again and time for another UDI Inspiration challenge.  Check out the UDI Blog for the birthday inspired picture.  I may have strayed slightly from the inspiration piece, but this is where I felt moved to go.

All of the pieces I used on here were scraps, either laying on my craft table or in my stash!  I just started putting pieces together and this is where it ended!  I am really pleased with how it came out.

I started with a Very Vanilla card base, folded for a top opening.  I layered a piece of Peach Parfait, cut at 3 3/4" x 5" to give it a "frame" around the card base.  Next I layered that with a piece of Newsprint dsp, which I ran through the Perfect Polka Dots eb folder and then ran the Peach Parfait ink pad over.  It shows up better than I thought it would.

I used one of my favorite new sets, Artistic Etchings on here.  This set is so fabulous for making vintage, eclectic or collage type of cards.  It took a couple of variations before I wound up with final look mostly because I didn't want to cover up too much of anything!  Especially the yummy new black lace trim from the Holiday mini!  I sooo hope we get more of that!!!

The medallion was stamped onto the new cork sheets and then cut out.  I stamped it in Black staz on.  I really like how it shows up on the cork.  If you don't have any of those yet, you need some!!  I backed a Paper Daisy on it and used one of the new Antique Brads in the center.

The rest of the images are pretty self explanatory.  I used the new black jewels on the crown.  Lots of dimension going on here too!!!

Don't forget to check out the UDI Blog to check out he rest of the team member's creations!


Happy Stamping!!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #108 continues!!!

Hello all!!!  I've been very busy today with various projects and was too tired to pre-post today's GCA.  So, in that case, I am continuing the GCA from last week, Trees, Trees Everywhere!  Even if you already played along and want to enter another card, go ahead!

I apologize for the poor picture from last week, but I am working on a new one for this week.  So for all the details for GCA #108 check this post.  The deadline will be extended until October 16, 2010 at 12 midnight.

Can't wait to see what you create!!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #108 - Trees, Trees Everywhere!!

Hello all!!!  Yesterday I spent a wonderful day at a stamping event with my up - upline, Jan Wakeland.  She is from Pennsylvania and she some to my little town of Jackson, MI!!!  Jan is an awesome person, so full of love, warmth and such a passion for guiding you in your SU! business.  I have learned a lot from her.  She asked me to do a presentation at the meeting, showing how to use our new Distressing Essentials Kit.  It was a lot of fun, and I forgot completely to take pictures of my projects!!  I know a couple of my friends did so I will see if they can forward them to me.

As I contemplated the challenge for this week, I sat on my balcony looking out and thought "I will sure miss the leaves on the trees surrounding the back of my apartment building."  Since I live in an older complex, we have many, many grown and mature trees that shade us and create privacy.  During the spring, summer and fall seasons I feel like I"m living in my own secluded world as much of the surrounding neighbors are hidden by the trees.  So that is where the idea for this week's GCA came from!

The card I have for you is one I made last year, while still a current set (Trendy Trees), some of the papers and embellies are not.  I used Sage Shadow, dsp from 2009 Holiday mini, Sage Shadow gg, Creamy Caramel textured card stock and Whisper White as my card base.  But still, it's a cute card, if I do say so myself!  This card was created for a VSN challenge on SCS last May.  Here's the details of that challenge:

For this challenge there was a list of items you needed to include on your card!! Those are:

5 layers of dp and/or cardstock
3 colors of ink
1 image
1 sentiment
3 dew drops (brads, bling or liquid pearls will qualify for this - no faux brads/etc)
Stickles or Shimmerz or glitter or glittery gel pen to glam it up!!
some sponging....
and to get the suitcase closed, you'll need some ribbon!! (thread will work too)

* Well, I have 6 layers of card stock, not counting the base layer!
* 1 image and 1 sentiment
* 3 brads
* ribbon and thread!!
* sponging on the frame and image panel
* gold and clear glittery pens used on the tree

My frame around the main image was made using the torn frame technique from the Nov/Dec 2008 TJ newsletter. I love how this turned out, but it took over half my time to create!! Good thing the rest of the card came together very quickly!!!!

My glittery pens on the tree don't show too well, but they are there!

So, the challenge for this week is to have your creation incorporate a tree, or trees, on it.  Even branches count.  And if you don't have any tree stamps, feel free to make your own!

Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by October 9, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts, Stampin' Connection (for SU! demos) or Stamp TV, please put GCA108 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!

Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!


Happy Stamping!!!


~~~Ann~~~

GCA #107 Winner is....

..... Jellybaby21!!!!  She is new to my blog, and challenges, and she made a wonderful seaside card you can see on her blog, jellybaby cards.  Please send me your address to pinkstamper06@yahoo.com and I will get a stampin' goodie package out to you!!

Thanks to all who stopped by, played along or left comments!  I see I have 2 new followers and I welcome and thank you!

Up Next:  GCA #108 - Trees, Trees Everywhere!!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

A Fruitful Thanks - DIC115

Hello all!!!  This week for the UDI inspiration challenge I stretched the design slightly.  (Actually, as I am out-of-town this week, and worked so much on stuff for this upcoming weekend, I am using a card I made a little while ago!!!)  Please Maria, don't shoot me!  Check out the UDI Blog to see the inspiration piece, a gumball machine, and play along if you can!

This card is a "tent topper" card.  You can create these several ways, but I usually like to make mine with a rounded topper.  But, I have made them with a square topper.  On here I used the scallops #2 die, large size, and the Circle Scissors plus to make the inside circle with Shimmery White.  The scallop is made using Daffodil Delight and finished with piercing in each of the scallops.

Now, to make your base, you make it 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 square and when you put the topper on, line it up to make it no longer than 5 1/2.  That way you can still put it into a regular A2 envelope.  I layered my base, made with Riding Hood Red, with Whisper White and Greenhouse Gala dsp.  I used the Daffodil Delight ornate flower pattern.  My sentiment is  stamped in Black Craft and clear embossed.

The white organdy ribbon was tied on my bowmaker and then fastened on the back of the Whisper White layer.  The topper portion was attached using dimensionals.  I get very picky about making sure the image is straight and I don't go past the 5 1/2 length.  Using my grid paper from SU! is perfect for this!!

My stamp set I used is Studio Sketches, and I almost didn't buy this!  This is one of the pre-order sets we could purchase before the new catalog came out.  I am not the greatest with watercoloring, but this set really makes it easier than it looks!  I colored the pears with the Pear Pizazz marker, along the edges, and then used my aquapainter to pull the color up in the rest of the image.  The  Shimmery White cardstock is awesome to watercolor on!!  The apples were stamped, colored the same as the pears using the Soft Suede and Riding Hood Red markers, cut out and popped up with dimensionals.

Actually I don't think I strayed to far from the inspiration piece, as it is a gumball machine and I did use a rounded tent topper and similar colors!

Don't forget to  check out the UDI Blog if you have a minute and play along with us!

Happy Stamping!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #107 - Seaside Wishes!

Hello all!!!  I've been very busy today preparing for a presentation at my upline's Michigan meeting this Saturday.  I am so excited she is coming to MY town!!!!  My upline I am talking about is Janet Wakeland.  I've met her several times and she is the nicest, and funniest, person to know!  Anywho, that doesn't mean I forgot about the GCA for this week. 

Sorry for losing the post earlier today!  I tried to upload the pic and the new post at work, and it was blocked!!

This weekend I have also been working on wedding invitation samples for my best friend's daughters wedding.  This is what brought the GCA for this week up.  On some of the samples I used a stamp of the South Haven lighthouse, which has special meaning for all of them.  So, I thought what better idea than thinking about the seaside and what goes with it. 

So, think about what encompasses the "seaside":  Lighthouses, water, boats, seagulls, fish and so many others!  There is really no limit to what you can do with this week's challenge.  Use the colors of the water, images of water/boats/lighthouses or whatever makes you think of the seaside.
I used the new set, Uncharted Territory, for my seaside inspired card.  This is a great set, and I can see the uses for it for many cards.  I started with a Whisper White card base and then layered it with a piece of the white satin striped dsp from last year. 

I tried to keep this simple and the focus on the main image.  Matted the main image with Night of Navy and Marina Mist.  The image was stamped in Black staz on onto Whisper White.  I then watercolored the image my aquapainter and ink from the stamp pads.  Whisper White is not the best card stock for watercoloring, but if you aren't too heavy with the aquapainter, it works out ok.  The sailboat was colored the same way, cut out and then popped up with dimensionals.  The entire main image panel is also popped up with dimensionals.  To keep the embellishments light, I used a silver clip and a piece of Marina Mist 1/8" taffeta.
Upload your creation to either your blog or to an online gallery and post a link to your creation to this blog entry by October 2, 2010 at 12 midnight. I will choose the winner the next day. If you upload your card to SCS, PaperCraft Planet, Stampin' Addicts, Stampin' Connection (for SU! demos) or Stamp TV, please put GCA107 in your keywords. That way everyone can see all of the wonderful creations at once!


Even if you can't make the drawing deadline, PLEASE feel free to participate in the challenges and upload your creations at any time. I would love to see it! And yes, my challenge is open to everyone who visits, even if you live outside the US!

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~

GCA #106 Winner is.....

.... Jan from She's Gone Stampin'.  She made the most adorable Halloween card with Pumpkin Marci!  Jan please email you address to pinkstamper06@yahoo.com and I will send out a stampin' goodie package to you.

Thanks to all who stopped by, took a look, left a comment or played along.  I have so much fun looking at your creations and reading the comments.

Up Next:  GCA #107 - Seaside Wishes

Happy Stamping!!!

~~~Ann~~~