Garden Greetings 2S4Y 31

Okay so I was at Target yesterday and I walked past the new dishes and you will never guess what colors everything were in...Dusty Durango, Night of Navy, and Chocolate Chip. Light bulb! I came home and created a card based on these three fabulous colors and also on the 2 Sketches 4 You bonus sketch. I just wish I would have taken a picture of the dishes.







Although I don't have a sentiment running around my flowers, I think it was a simple and easy card to make. I used the Garden Greetings set for my image and sentiment.

Seasons of Joy Curtain Call Act1

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas is my Curtain Call Color Challenge Act 1 this week. I feel like I overuse the same sets every week and I haven't ordered any new sets yet because I am desperately waiting to order from the mini-catalog. Yippee! Anyway, that left me with few choices for this week's challenge. So I turned to a Christmas set that I adore...Seasons of Joy!

Here's my card. The lighting is terrible and doesn't make the colors pop like they should, but that's what I get for taking pictures at 9:30 at night.

It's difficult to see, but I clear embossed the swirl over the tree for an added affect.

A Winner!

Winner, winner chicken dinner! I can't believe it. We won our first stamping challenge. It was one of the cards mom and I posted for the Jewelry Color Challenge last week. This is the first time we have ever won anything. Yikes! I'm super pumped! Check out our winning entry at Stacey's Stampin Stage! Instead of a Jewelry Color Inspiration, Stacey will now be posting a Curtain Call Color Challenge. Check it out. I will be posting something later using this amazing color selection.

Thanks Stacey!

Bird on a Branch SSSC27

I am so excited about this card. I used the color wheel to pick out some coordinating colors to use on a card. I think I did okay if I do say so myself. I used the Sweet Sunday Sketch #27 for the layout and moved this around just a smidge. It turned out pretty cute.




I used an embossing plate on the BigShot and then sponged over it in the same color to pull out the pattern a bit more. I did a lot of sponging on this card, but I loved the look once it was all done.

Splitcoast Stampers CAS24 Color Challenge

Mom and I decided to participate in another challenge. This time we accepted the Clean and Simple #24 (CAS) challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. This is a challenge that comes out every Monday, but you can always participate at your own speed and you can go back and do older posts as well. So the whole idea to participating is that your card should be simple to recreate or to make a bunch of or clean in design or looking uncluttered. Again another fabulous place for me to go. This week the challenge was to use Turquoise, Orange, and Yellow in a clean and simple way.

For my card I decided to go back to the Clean and Simple Stamping blog and choose a layout I liked. I decided on last weeks post Fall-To Layout #50. I loved this layout because you could use it in so many different ways. I know I did.

So here is the card I came up with. I used the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set and the new Butterfly punch! The bright colors were toned down a lot because of the huge amounts of white space.

Mom decided to use the Mojo Monday #96 layout for her card.

She said she didn't hear me say that the card was for the Clean and Simple challenge, so her card is a little brighter than mine. I still think she did an amazing job!

Full of Life JCI46 and FTL51

I previously showed you one of the challenge cards mom created. This is the one I came up with for the same Jewelry Color Inspiration #46. I love these colors together and although they remind me a little like patriotic colors, surprisingly I didn't even think about going that route.

Here was the fun part...picking the layout. I found this website last week that focused on making Clean and Simple cards which is what I love. I'm anti-clutter on a card, but constantly finding myself put more and more on because I don't know what else to do. I followed the Fall-To Layout #51 for some guidance. Mom did a card with this layout also. Look for her's below mine.

I used the Sanded background stamp, the BigShot for my Top Note die and Flowers, and the Full of Life stamp set. I love that there isn't much on this card, but it still looks fabulous!

Here's mom's version of the same layout.

Mom's First Challenges JCI46 and 2S4Y31

So I decided that it was time mom started doing some of these challenges with me. We sat down last night and made some really great cards. She did an excellent job and agreed that the challenge...color or layout gave her a direction. Way to go momma!

Well first we turned to Stacey's Jewelry Color Inspiration #46 for a really great color selection. On her blog it said that this will be the last jewelry color challenge because she is updating her blog...so I really hope that it isn't the last one ever. I love these!

Next we looked through several layouts and mom picked 2 Sketches for You #31. It was simple and provided a pretty open window for creating!

Here it is...Ta dah! Mom used the Square Scallop punch as a border for her flowers. She used the Sweet Stems set and I love how she just left the outline of each flower, without coloring them in. She also used the new Modern Label punch and punched it up with a background created by the Oval Scallop and a 3/4" Circle punch! I'm so proud of her!

New Catty Swap- Kind and Caring Thoughts

I decided to join a New Catalog Swap with my upline and a couple of her stampers. It ended up being 25 people, which is awesome because I think about all the great cards I'll get in return. I whipped up this little gem using the Kind and Caring Thoughts set and Heard from the Heart. They were fast and easy... my favorite kind of cards. They may look familiar to you if you visit our blog often. Our monthly stamping group made this card for our July class just with different colors.

Ingredients:

Stamps- Kind and Caring Thoughts, Heard From the Heart

Cardstock- Dusty Durango, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise

Ink- Dusty Durango, Chocolate Chip

Accessories- 1 3/8" cirle punch, 1 1/4" cirlce punch

Great Friends FTL 49

I found this new blog today. It is called Clean & Simple Stamping. They create quick and easy layout that will having you make beautiful cards in a matter of minutes. They give lots of great ideas. Check them out at http://cleanandsimplestamping.blogspot.com/

So I used Fall-to Layout #49 to make this card. At first I thought this card would have enough stuff, but I truly love cards that don't have too much going on. I know I have a problem feeling like I don't need to keep adding "stuff" for the sake of adding it. I like this layout because it allowed me to just get the essentials and still make a beautiful card.



I just picked up the Great Friends set and I think it worked perfectly on this card. The DSP is Urban Garden which is retired, but you could use any DSP and it would be just as beautiful. I will definately be looking to them for more layouts in the future.

Petal Pizzaz JCI 45 and SSSC26

I think I've mentioned once or twice before that I am in love with Stacey's Jewelry Color Inspiration. This week I was a little worried again. The colors were beautiful, but always the question about how to put them together.

Visit http://stampinwithstacey.blogspot.com/2009/07/jewelry-color-inspiration-45-giveaway.html to see how everyone put these colors together.

I paired these colors with Sweet Sunday Sketch #26. This sketch was super simple and a great layout to keep in your back pocket for quick and easy cards. Visit Karen's site to see more. http://kgiron.blogspot.com/

I love, love, love this card. I usually hate the cards I make, but I really, truly love it. It think I got it right with this one. I used the Petal Pizzaz stamp set, which I love also, and layered the center of the large flower. I added a clear button and some silver elastic cord, well, for pizzaz! There's a lot of love happening here. I honestly can't believe I made this card! Yippee for me!

Garden Whimsy CI 56

Here is my other card creation for Kristina's Color Inspiration #56. http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/



I honestly like this one better than the first. I think it is cute and charming. I haven't made many baby cards, but I plan to give this one to my friend Amy for her baby shower.



The little snail from Garden Whimsy makes an adorable addition to the card. I added some Stickles to his shell for a little something-something. I love the look of glitter, but not actually working with it...so Stickles are great for me!

Cheap Talk CI 56 and 2S4Y 30

I am looking forward to being done teaching summer school after this week. Look it's already Wednesday I'm only now checking all my favorite websites and blogs for this weeks challenges. I'm hooked!

So KWerner posted Color Inspiration Challenge #56 which included some beautiful and bright colors. I was so inspired that I made two different cards. Look back later for another post with the same color scheme. Visit her site here to check out this and many other color inspirations... http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/

Next I went to a new favorite blog/website to find a simple yet great layout. 2 Sketches 4 You gives amazing layout ideas. Not only that but the examples you see there are amazing. Very talented stampers! This is Sketch #30. Take a look at their site here. http://www.2sketches4you.blogspot.com/

Here's my take on both the colors and layout put together. I think my problem, if you can call it that, is that when I do color challenges I always feel like I need to use all the given colors in CS. I forget that the stamp or embelishments can use the colors too. Hopefully you don't think this card has too much going on. I think the layout minimalized what could have been a disaster card.

Seasons of Friendship

I can't even tell you how happy I was that the Seasons of Friendship tree was in the new catalog. I loved it in the mini-catalog last year and was sad when it was in the Spring and Summer addition. I am glad someone came to their senses and put it in this new catalog.

Okay so the other night my husband and I were outside having a fire and the sky was the most beautiful colors. The trees were black against the beautiful sky. This inspired me to make this card using sponges and black embossing powder. Just goes to show you inspiration is everywhere.

Kind and Caring Thoughts JCI44 and MM94

I think I am starting to get the hang of this challenge thing. I decided to make a card this week based on the layout from Mojo Monday. Click here to visit the site http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/



The color pallet came from Stacey's Staming Stage and her new weekly installment of the Jewelry Color Inspiration. I found these colors much easier to work with than the last one I did.
Check out her site here... http://stampinwithstacey.blogspot.com/

Ta-dah! Here's my creation. I can't get enough of the Kind and Caring Thoughts set, obviously because I have used it on most of my new cards and challenges. The DSP is older, but I loved the pattern. I love the way this card turned out!

July Stamp Class

Our stampers decided that they couldn't get enough of us and wanted to have an additional July class, so here are the goods from tonight. Some of these ideas have been rolling around in my head for a while and now was as good time as any to get them out. Although I wish I would have highlighted some new stamp sets more, I'd say overall I like what we have done here.


I am the girl who doesn't put greetings and sentiments in cards until I'm going to use them, but something has been nagging at me about the Define your Life stamp set. I have been dying to use it, but didn't know how to incorporate it without it looking too obvious.



The next layout I love and found that someone else on Splitcoast had used with a totally different set. I think leaving a lot of white in the background scares people, but I love the simplicity of this card and will be doing a similar one for a swap I'm in this month. I also incorporated the small flower from the Kind and Caring Thoughts set (a new Level 3 Hostess set!)




Last but not least is an oldie, but a goodie. I made a couple billion of these last summer to send to former students who had birthdays last summer. I think they are adorable and would make "sweet" birthday or party invites. We jazzed them up a bit by using the scratch and sniff technique from Splitcoast Stampers. Click here and it will take you directly to the site.
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/scratch_and_sniff_technique/

Kind and Caring Thoughts WCT49 and MM93

Okay so I have been finding these great blogs that offer just what I need...color combos and card layouts. I decided to try my hand at combining the two, unfortunately I found that I didn't have any Groovy Guava CS left, after 2 years of not being an In-Color color, so I swapped it with Apricot. It's a little too orange, but it's the closest I had. I found the color combo at a site called Color Throwdown. Click here to check it out. http://colorthrowdown.blogspot.com/



Next, I used a layout from Mojo Monday. They post a new layout each Monday. You are able to submit your creations using that week's layout for others to see. Of course, I was a day late and I couldn't link up to Mr. Linky on the site. Better luck next time for me. Visit Mojo Monday's site here for more layout ideas. http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/



So tah dah...here's my card using all these great resources. I used the Kind and Caring stamp set, which is a new hostess set and the words are from Great Friend. I kind of like it, but I would have liked it more with Guava CS. Oh well...Enjoy!

Stampin' Up! Deal Of The Week

Big Shot Doctor's Bag. Available July 6-12, 2009 get the Big Shot Doctor's Bag for $49.99. That's nearly 30% off the regular price of $69.95!

Promotion Details:
Every week during the month of July, Stampin' Up! will offer one discounted product as a "Deal of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required. To order contact me today!