This was created for Beate's sketch challenge, WSC17.
I just got this new paisley paper by My Mind's Eye at my local scrapbook store today. I paired it up with Buckaroo Blue, Creamy Caramel, and a Daisy D's "Attic Flower" with a button in the center. The sentiment came from SU's Love Matters set. I also used Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Hardware, hemp twine, distressing tool and a sponge.

Autumn around the corner...

September will be upon us tomorrow! My favorite time of the year is fall. Leaves changing colors, cooler and less humid temperatures... and breaking out the warmer clothes, which partly inspired this first card.

On Splitcoaststampers today there was a challenge for autumn. This "tent card" is for Challenge 3. I did Houndstooth print on Elegant Eggplant, like a warm sweater! Stamped Autumn Leaf Prints in various shades of Earth Elements colors plus Eggplant, on watercolor paper, spritzed with water for a slight bleed of ink, then used my air tool to spray some chocolate chip speckles. Sewed the Really Rust textured cardstock on my machine. The word blessings is from Wordsworth. Ribbon and hardware are from SU.

I combined challenges 1 and 2 in this next card. Create a scene with 3 or more stamps, and use an animal not normally intended for autumn/halloween themes.


On Pumpkin Pie cardstock, I layered a strip of "Prairie Dot" paper by Flair Designs, and a Prima with a green crystal brad in the center. For the scene, I used Monkey Business, Carved & Candlelit, and Spring Garden (grass). I used a sponge dauber and a torn sponge for the sky in Buckaroo Blue and Bashful Blue, and the other colors used were Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Chip. I masked the pumpkin to get the monkey behind it.

Thanks for looking, see you again later!

Hello friends!

I made this card for today's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers. I used Happy Harmony in real red, chocolate chip and mellow moss ink colors for the flowers behind a slide mount that is a metallic aged gold color. The create joy stamp is from Wordsworth. I used the following papers: SU More Mustard, Whisper White and Real Red, Daisy D's and Kaleidoscope designer papers. Both ribbons from SU, ladybug came from a friend, and I distressed it with my SU distressing tool, a sponge with Chocolate Chip ink and DTP Technique.

I'm really excited to have a long weekend coming up. We're going to host a cookout on Labor Day so I'm hoping for great weather! This summer has been incredibly hot and humid here and not much rain at all. I'd love to hear what others are planning for the Labor Day weekend!

I'm still here!

Hello friends, yes, I'm still alive. I had a huge response to my ebay listings that closed last week, so I've spent the week shipping stuff to people. Another thing you may not know about me is that I commute an hour each way to work and have a young child, so my evenings are limited. BUT, I've just this past week accepted a position here in my very own city, so I'm getting 2 hrs of each day of my life back very soon. Only 8 more "driving" days! Woo Hoo! I start my new job on Sept 10th and am so excited! I made this card for someone in my family. I got some really great birthday gifts this past weekend while visiting family out of town... So I'm going to be making some thank you cards this week.

This one is made with SU Buckaroo Blue, retired Designer Series (Spring Showers) paper, Kaleidescope paper, new SU ribbons and the Happy Harmony stamp set. Very simple for my limited time.

Yippie-Cow-Yay!

Happy Sunday! Tomorrow is my birthday!

Tonight I participated in the "Featured Stamper" Challenge on Splitcoaststampers. Melissa had a great card here for another challenge, so I chose that card to CASE with modifications. Cow was from "Happy Cows" by Missy B Designs. Yippie is from Wordsworth. I used some retired DS paper from Stampin' Up, and embossing folder from Cuttlebug, oval punches from SU, gold brads, and brown grosgrain ribbon.

And now my needs according to Google- searched "Kelly needs" and here's the top 10 (my comments are in parentheses):

1. Kelly needs a quivering antenna. (Cable seems to work just fine for my TV.)
2. Kelly needs to go to court. (It was all a setup- I promise I didn’t do it!)
3. Kelly needs a little guidance. (Well, maybe.)
4. Kelly needs to know what she did wrong. (Exactly how I felt at work the other day! What did I do wrong? As it turns out, nothing. Thank goodness!)
5. Kelly needs to go! (Where? Will someone just tell me where? It’s like trying to decide on a place for dinner!)
6. Kelly needs to stop! (Yes, until we decide where I’m going.)
7. Kelly needs a new job. (Exactly!)
8. Kelly needs to be part of a loving, committed marriage. (Um, honey, is there something I need to know?)
9. Kelly needs modesty. (I’ll have to disagree on this one, but I do find it funny!)
10. Kelly needs to lose weight. (Maybe just some re-direction? LOL)

Lots to Talk About!

First let me share that I did this card for WT126 on Splitcoaststampers. It's the Ways to Use It Challenge, to use the distressing tool. All Supplies this time are Stampin' Up! Stamps used: Artfully Asian and Warmest Regard. Cardstock: Cocoa (textured), Artichoke, Eggplant, and Caramel.

Next, I want to share with you the winner of my challenge, Cheryl (cakvd). I will be contacting her about sending her package! Check out her blog here if you get a chance: Engineered Expressions.

Lots of people are looking behind some of my cards (see some of my older posts) and commenting on my ribbon jars. Here is a picture of them:

I have some other ribbon storage for large spools, but here's where most of my ribbon is stored, on a shelf directly over my work space. Patterned ribbons are in the middle jar. Then as you can see I have split all solid colors into 2 color families for the other jars. By the way, these are called "Cracker Jars" and I purchased them at Target within the last year or so, in the kitchen supply area. They're a pretty good size and so fun to look at!

I have been adding lots of stamping stuff to eBay which is why I'm now playing catch-up on my blog. So head on over here and see what I've got for sale. I'll be adding more over the weekend, I have about a dozen more full stamp sets left to list.

I'll post again with some more cool info this weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Blue Bayou Color Combo Challenge

I took the color challenge on today (see Splitcoaststampers). I used Touch of Nature by Stampin' Up! along with Flourishes by Autumn Leaves and the sentiment is from Wordsworth. I didn't have the new Blue Bayou color so I substituted Teal. Craft white ink for the flourishes, Sahara Sand ink on Sahara Sand cardstock. Watercolor paper for the flowers, which I curled outward for effect, I simply watercolored Teal ink. Accented the card with Star Dust Stickles and Crystal brads.

Please don't forget my challenge, 2 more days to submit your entry. See Saturday's post for details!

I completed some challenges, and a challenge reminder for YOU!

Hello to all! Don't forget my giveaway challenge, see Saturday's post, you have until Thursday to complete the challenge and report back to me!

I worked on a couple of challenges yesterday and wanted to share. This first card is Beate's weekend sketch challenge, I have a slight variation on it, but it mostly fits the sketch. My photography skills cause the color of the watercolor area to look off, but in real life it matches.

I used Serene Sunflower from Stampin' Up! with Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, and the cute diagonal stripes from Kaleidoscope. I pierced around the card with a paper piercer, The rectangles are all sewn on with my sewing machine, wavy stitching was intentional. I did the sunflowers in Rose Red, Regal Rose, and True Thyme on some Fabriano Medioevalis watercolor paper and spritzed with water. The little flowers were punched with my SU! Spring Flower Bouquet punch and added a yellow crystal brad in the center. Celebrate is from Fancy Flexible Phrases. I moved the flower circle up just enough to add that in, hence my skewing from the original sketch a teeny bit.

The next card I did was an inspiration challenge on Splitcoaststampers. The inspiration was a rug from LL Bean (see the thumbnail on the left for the rug I chose). I used flowers from Looks Like Spring and Sheltering Tree, and the leaf sprig from Refuge & Strength. I chose the colors Buckaroo Blue and Bordering Blue, and used white craft and Colorbox Chalk Pads for stamping colors. I added a silver organdy ribbon and a simple Hodgepodge Hardware frame to display a simple Thank You.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend, and I look forward to you sharing your work for my giveaway challenge!

Finally! Internet is back at home! And my first GIVEAWAY!

Our internet service provider failed us and a LOT of other customers this week. THREE nights without service! I was really suffering withdrawals! I was so upset about the loss of connectivity, that I even lost some inspiration to stamp! BUT...

I was able to do a few cards. This first one took time to inspire me. I worked at it one night, then put it down, then went back and toiled over it again... here is the end result:

Old Olive paper paired up with this great paper from BoBunny. Tied a knot with this white grosgrain ribbon (5/8"), I used Fresh Fruit from Stampin' Up!, one of my all time favorite sets. I used the pineapple as the pattern in the background. I used the apple with Versamark and Stampin' Up! pastels. I also added a few Stickles to the shine of the apple. I punched a square on another BoBunny paper for the tag and threaded double linen thread tied around the ribbon. The "blessings to you" stamp is a cute little stamp from Wordsworth, also a favorite of mine! After all the time finally coming up with this card, I'm fairly pleased.

This next card was inspired by Friday's Limited Supplies Challenge to make a summer card. I pulled out my Nature Prints and Cheesecloth sets from Stampin' Up! Also used an ocean themed sentiment from Verses. I used Cool Caribbean cardstock, Craft White ink, Olive, Caramel, and Moss classic inks, and Colorbox Petal Point Chalk Pad Lime green color (turtle). I sponged some of the ink, and used my Color Spritzer, too. To polish it off, I used Crystal Effects on the turtle. A great card with NO layers and no extra embellishments.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY: In the first card I told you that I used one of my all-time favorite stamp sets! Show me your all-time favorite stamp set, dust it off and create something special! Use some current stuff with it if you like, just show me what you've got! All I ask is that you don't show me something you've already made prior to reading my post.

Just add it to your gallery or blog, then leave me a comment on this post to tell me where I can see it! I will choose at random one participant to win. The prize includes alterables! Tim Holtz Metal Disks, Adhesive Backed Library Pockets, Acrylic Tags from Krystal Kraft, and Chipboard Flowers from Stampin' Up! Also throwing in some blue, purple and pink Primas! So, hurry up, what are you waiting for? Get to stamping!

Thought for Today:

I have no new projects to share tonight, but I read this quote today and thought I'd share:

“Try, try, try, and keep on trying is the rule that must be followed to become an expert in anything."

W. Clement Stone

I found this to be interesting and so true, including with art. This man seemed to live a very interesting life, if you'd like to read more, go here. I'm tired tonight, so I'll leave you with that.

Simple, No Layers Cards

I have a really hard time with cards like this. Not that they're hard to do, but I'm one of those who wants to keep adding more.

So I put off Julie's DTGD challenge off for a while. But I've revisited the challenge. And here is my result. Simple, cute, yet very special.

I wanted to show you close up to see the adhesive crystals in the center of the flowers. And the elegant Fabriano Medioevalis card, which I purchased from StarlitStudio. I used black craft ink for the stems and sentiment, which made it a little bolder.

Simple designs can make such a bold statement sometimes, if done right. So that is the end result of my simple, no layers card.

Shhh! Don't tell Jennifer!

Jennifer is such a great friend to have. She loves to come over after our girls are asleep and hang out in my craft room to talk and scrap, we have each other's families over for dinner on lots of random nights, and she's always willing to help me out when I'm in need! Well, on those dinner nights, she never minds being a guinea pig! And many times, she's asking me for recipes! So I've decided to give her a VERY belated birthday gift. I'm making this recipe binder for her and am planning to fill a bunch of recipes in it that I know she loves (and has been asking for). So don't tell Jennifer ;) if you see her. This is not complete yet, but here's the basic idea of it.

I used papers and Voila from Stampin' Up!, Flourishes stamps from Autumn Leaves using white StazOn, Primas (which I Mod Podged on the tops for stabilization), ribbon, brads, large eyelets, binder clips and a Boho Chic metal frame from Making Memories. The outside cover was used by sticking the papers to both sides of a thin chipboard cut to 7.5x7" and then Mod Podge all over. I trimmed Stampin' Up! 6x6" page protectors and made new holes to lessen the width. Tabs made with the Round Tab punch by SU! Threw in a library pocket and figured she could use that to keep grocery list or whatever inside.
Here is a peek inside:

Soooo, remember, if you see her, DON'T TELL! ;) I don't want her to know yet.

My FIRST Post!

Let me tell you- I am SO excited to start a blog, I don't really know where to begin. I've been contemplating this for quite some time. Well after much thought, here it is! Mission completion! (Any Little Einsteins moms out there?) I thought I'd add my newest creation to start...

Did you dare to get dirty? I had a blast last week during Splitcoaststampers DTGD challenge week! I had a few Dirty Dozen challenges outstanding that I wanted to complete- I was already dreary eyed at work as it was, so staying up even later was out of the question.

This tag card was Yvette's challenge. I haven't ever made a tag card before, so this is a first for me. I pulled out Heartfelt Thanks for this challenge, and used papers from BoBunny and Daisy D's, which I thought coordinated really well, even though the papers are SO different. I also used Stampin' Up!'s Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Crisp, and True Thyme colors. My absolute favorite techniques include distressing and aging with DTP and sponging inks. The triangular brown piece is a "Boho Chic" metal accessory from Making Memories. I left the center blank so I can leave a personal note to the recipient of this thank you card.