Give me an S! Give me an F! StampFairy!!!!

Oh I'm cheering today alright - cheering that it's Friday that is!!!  Also cheering that it's another new image release at StampFairy today!  So let me introduce you to Linda the Cheerleader...

Aren't these new Linda Cheerleader images so fun?  Just released and in the StampFairy Shop ready for you to pick up!  And for you freebie fans - the "Cheer" sentiment image is a freebie for you and a perfect finishing touch with the new Linda images.

Here she is a little closer.  This adorable cheerleader was colored with Copics and the pompoms and dress were paper pieced - it's a perfect image for doing that.  I used papers from Basic Grey's Lauderdale collection - a fun color combination isn't it?

I used the freebie sentiment and added white gel pen dots to coordinate with the polka-dot ribbon. A great finishing touch and a sentiment that is versatile for a variety of cards like thinking of you, happy birthday or a card to "cheer" someone up!

Now you just have to make your way over to the StampFairy World blog and see the design team's samples using Linda Cheerleader. I am just giddy over the inspiration this week from our team - lots of fun paper piecing ideas and such creative layouts and dimensional effects. You don't want to miss them - and a little bit of cheering for the DT would be nice too!

And if you love challenges, there's still time to play along in the StampFairy Challenge this week. Create a card using a StampFairy image and three embellishments and you've got the right ingredients to join in!  Some more great inspiration with a variety of StampFairy images from our DT there too!

Have a terrific weekend everyone and thanks so much for stopping by today!

Introducing Betsy the Cow - StampFairy

Happy Monday everyone! It's time for a new challenge at StampFairy and this week it's a sketch! But first let me introduce the newest addition at StampFairy, "Betsy the Cow". Isn't she the cutest bovine you've seen? She just brings a smile to my face - what a perfect way to start the work week around here!

Betsy is decked out with Copics and cut out. The papers used on this card are from Basic Grey "Hopscotch" and a piece from October Afternoon "Thrift Shop" (the circle background for Betsy). I had such fun coloring her and adding the sentiment - I made this thank you for our good friends who entertained us Saturday night with wonderful food and card games that kept us laughing for hours. Thanks Heide and Ken! : )

Here's a preview of the other images in the "Betsy the Cow" collection. You can find her HERE at the StampFairy Shop.

And here's the challenge sketch - it's a lovely sketch and shows off your designer papers really well. I do hope you'll consider making a card with a StampFairy image and this sketch and enter our challenge this week.

Now head on over to the StampFairy Challenge blog and see the rest of the design team inspiration using the sketch. You'll get some fantastic ideas on how to use StampFairy stamps just seeing their work. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Sugar Creek Hollow Sketch Challenge

It's another sensational Saturday and that means a new challenge starts today at Sugar Creek Hollow. We've been getting some amazing entries in our challenges over the past couple weeks and appreciate so much those that are participating. If you're new to Sugar Creek Hollow, I welcome you to join our challenges. A new challenge is posted every Saturday at the Sugar Creek Hollow blog.

This week it's a sketch challenge. We'd love it if you created a card using this sketch and play along in our challenge this week. We will choose one random winner, who will receive a free digi of their choice from the Sugar Creek Hollow Shoppe and a badge to display on your blog. If you use a Sugar Creek Hollow image you will get two entries in the random draw. Just follow the instructions at the Sugar Creek Hollow blog and join us in the weekly fun!

Also each week, the Design Team will choose a Card of the Week and the creator of that card will get a badge to display. One overall winner will be chosen each month from the Cards of the Week. That person will be invited to be a Guest Designer and participate in the next challenge. An image will be provided to them to work with. The Card of the Week prize will be given when we have a minimum of 10 entries.

I used a new image from Sugar Creek Hollow on my challenge card called "Love You Lady" created by Sugar Creek Hollow's owner, Tracy Vinson. This darling vintage ladybug is a perfect all occasion digi that is a bit whimsical too. She's colored with Copic markers and Basic Grey's "Olivia" collection papers are used here as well. The sparkly chipboard flourishes are from Making Memories. Spellbinder's circles and deckled rectangle Nesties are the die cuts I used along with "Old Paper" distress inks from Tim Holtz.

Now visit the Sugar Creek Hollow blog for more inspiration from the talented Design Team - you definitely don't want to miss that! I hope to see your creation in the gallery this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Doodle Pantry Challenge - DPDC5

What a fun day off I've had today. I had some extra time to just play in my craft room and decided to make up this darling image from Doodle Pantry and play in their challenge - DPDC5. This image is called "Branch Birds 2" and it just cracks me up with the sentiment "Dare to be Different"!  The challenge simply calls for using a Doodle Pantry image and that's fine by me - I love the cute and whimsical images that Laurie Wilson creates.

I used Prismacolor pencils with gamsol blending solution to color these adorable birds. I think the pencils provide a soft look here but still rich with color. I've used Basic Grey papers - Sugar Rush Pulled Taffy and Romani Collico and Stampin Up's Peach Parfait cardstock. The border punch is EK Success - just picked it up this morning at Joanne's while my son was at baseball practice next door (got to love that!).

That's it for today. Back to work tomorrow so I'm signing off early tonight. Thanks for stopping by!

Button Eye Scarecrow - MMSC80 & DPDC2

I'm back at it again at Midnight Madness sketch challenge - finally! Between work and kid activities, there hasn't been a spare minute to play in additional challenges lately.  So since I'm on vacation tomorrow, I thought I'd steal away into the wee hours of the evening and whip up a card for the MMSC80.

Here's the sketch this week - I've chosen to follow the fancy version which has more embellishments.  I thought this was a really interesting sketch and as always at Midnight Madness, a bunch of fun too.  And I have to tell you that it feels good to get back to the MMSC - I've missed those talented ladies there and those sketches that Priscilla dreams up!

I'm also entering this into the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 2 where you have to use something that depicts foliage, branches or leaves.  Here I've used a branch punch, some leaves are stamped on the Canjun Craze panel and the digi image is a scarecrow stuffed with straw (seems that is some kind of foliage - right?!)

I started with this adorable scarecrow digi stamp by Doodle Pantry. He seems like such a friendly chap - not scary at all if you ask me!  He's been fancied up with Copic markers and a couple buttons for eyes and cut out using Nesties Label 9 dies.

I've used Basic Grey "Pyrus" collection papers here along with SU Mustard and Cajun Craze cardstock.  A little stitching on each of the panels helps define it and adds that country feel. I've used a Martha Stewart branch punch for embellishments - thought they looked a bit like straw in the mustard color and keeping with the theme.  A few additional buttons and a bit of green ribbon and that's it - a fun fall card perfect for these few days before Thanksgiving.  Tell me what you think - won't you?

Thanks for stopping by!

Sensational Saturday at Sugar Creek Hollow

Good day everyone! Today we have a sketch challenge and blog hop at Sugar Creek Hollow and we encourage you to join in the challenge this week using one of our new Christmas and Winter images.  Here, I've used the Cardinal digi stamp introduced last month - I love this wonderful image.  Something about Cardinals at Christmas time is so festive and I think my card captures that this week in a vintage way.

This is the sketch we're following this week - thanks to Joseline on our design team.  All you have to do to play along with us is to follow this sketch, post your card to the Sugar Creek Hollow blog, visit the design team blogs and leave a little love there by commenting. 

Also take some time to visit the Sugar Creek Hollow Shoppe.  You'll find a host of Christmas and Holiday freebies there that you can use to join the sketch challenge fun this week!

For my card, Copic markers were used to color the image in vibrant reds and warm browns.  I added a bit of glitter to the cardinal to make it stand out and some on the tree stump he's perched on. 

 I used papers from Basic Grey's "Jovial" line on this card - these papers are gorgeous and I've been itching to use them.  My ribbon is also from Sugar Creek Hollow - country crinkle ribbon in Robin's Egg (Aqua) and can be found here at the Shoppe.  A few Papertrey Ink vintage buttons with some raffia string tied on completes the card and adds to the rustic feel.

Thanks for visiting my blog today and be sure to "hop" by the other SCH design team blogs - links to their creative work can be found on my left sidebar.

Happy creating!

Sugar Creek Hollow New Fall Releases

Hi everyone!  Hope your Labor Day weekend is off to a good start.  This holiday is always the signal for me that Fall has arrived and Summer is over.  I'm okay with that - Autumn is my favorite season!  Something about the warm colors of the turning tree leaves while there's a cool nip in the air. 

Well, to celebrate the start of the Fall season we are kicking it off with some beautiful new Fall Digis at Sugar Creek Hollow and a Brand New Design Team that yours truly is part of.  My card here shows off one the digis in the release today - this fantastic swirley tree.  I could hardly wait to show off this image with the warm Fall colors of this season that I love.  Don't you just love the flourishes all over this tree? 

If you look closely at the tree, you'll see the chocolate pearl embellishments and the glitter of the gel pen I used to dress it up - I just couldn't resist glittering those flourishes and the wispy leaves! 

Come take a look at who's is in the Sugar Creek Hollow team. Our team has some great cards to show you using the latest digis. Then, make sure to visit the Sugar Creek Hollow store to purchase these beautiful vintage style digis. We even have some Vintage gifts you can purchase too.

Tracy, Owner
Joseline, DT Coordinator
Mary
Marsha
Nancy
Sally
Kelly
Stephanie
Cec
Sharon (You Are Here)
Renee
Joni
Lisa
Donna
Julie
Megan
Ms. Plum
Heide
Dawn
Sugar Creek Hollow

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe:
Stamps - Digital Image from Sugar Creek Hollow
Paper - Basic Grey - Capella collection
Accessories - Spellbinders Labels 15, Lattice Borderabilities, Chocolate Half pearls from Amuse, Sakura glitter gel pen, SU lace ribbon
 

Sunflowers of Provence - Play Date Cafe

The first thing that comes to my mind when you mention the Provence region of France is sunflowers - lots of them.  So when I saw at the Play Date Cafe the challenge was Provencal Style using the colors in the image below as the inspiration, I knew I had to start with sunflowers as a main focus. I also knew I'd combine that with a variety of colorful patterns that stand on their own when alone, but then when combined together look related and a perfect match for one another.

The individual patterns I selected here are from different manufacturers and designers and wouldn't be seen together in the store. However, when combined here they work in harmony for that Provencal feel.  These wonderful papers are from Creative Imaginations "Narratives" (blue and cream), October Afternoon "Fly a Kite" (yellow) and Basic Grey "Pattern Paper" (multi-color floral).  A little bit of distressing, using Tim Holtz "tea dye" distress ink, was done to provide an aged feel and some definition.  I also stamped french script lightly on the blue and cream paper to add some depth and for that Provecal tie-in!  Same with the Fleur de Lis punched edge on the SU Regal Rose paper.  If it's French you've got have a fleur de lis somewhere - right?!!!

The sunflowers stamp used here is new from Hero Arts.  I colored it with my Copic markers and sponged the blue ink (SU Bashful Blue) to pick up the blue in the background paper.  In the flower centers I used copper Stickles to add the bit of sparkle and depth needed for the image to pop.

For the finishing touches - a handmade distressed flower made from my SU scallop circle punch, a few Papertrey vintage buttons and some beautiful lace stitched on that I recently got at Joanne's.  The layout of the card is from the Splitcoast Stampers sketch challenge (SC288).

Merci for stopping by today.....  Au revoir et salut!

Wahoo! Another award for my work.  This card received an honorable mention in the Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC37!  They call the honorable mentions "Cream in our Coffee"!  I call it WONDERFUL!!!!

Thanks to the design team!



Recipe:
Stamps - SU French Script background, Hero Arts "Three Sunflowers"
Paper - October Afternoon "Fly a Kite: Dandelions", Creative Imaginations "Narratives", Basic Grey "Pattern Paper", SU So Saffron, Regal Rose
Ink - Palette Noir Black, Copic markers, Tim Holtz "tea dye" distress ink
Accessories - Nesties Labels 8, circles and scallop circles dies, EK Success fleu de lis edge punch, Papertrey vintage buttons, lace

"The beginning of the summer holiday..."

This is the perfect card right now as I have officially begun my two week vacation!  Or as the DP says.... "This was the beginning of the summer holiday...."  I did this card for the Splitcoast sketch challenge #287.

  First, I fell in love with this Lockhart stamp.  It just spoke summer to me - don't you think Adirondack chairs are totally a symbol of summer?  This is one of the stamps I picked up when I won that raffle at the stamp show in the spring! 

I colored the image in off-white, pale blue and greens using Copic markers and it coordinated wonderfully with these papers.  The word paper is by October Afternoon called "Sprinklers" and the other two are Basic Grey from the "Kioshi" collection.  I loved this word paper - and I thought it was a perfect pairing with the stamp image here. 

To add a little more dimension and texture to the focal image, I used Flower Soft as part of the grass and as a few of the posies in the flower pot to make those areas pop a bit more.  All in all I'm pleased with this card overall - wish you could see it in person as the colors are a little more intense but still are soft.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog today! 

 

Heide's Birthday

This card is for my dear friend Heide.  We had such a good time on her birthday with the rest of the gals from our stamping club.  We all spent the day at the StampScrapArtTour rubber stamping show - spending up a storm on new stamps, embellishments and gotta have "toys".  It was such fun!  And to top it off, I ended up winning a $100 gift certificate at the show!  I couldn't believe it -- and of course I didn't have any trouble spending it either, LOL!

For this card I used a new stamp from Hero Arts.  I really like this bicycle stamp.  I inked it up using my Stampin' Up markers in Mambo Melon, Soft Suede, Black and Razzleberry.  I added a touch of Curry on the pedal gear and the basket. 

In the basket, I thought it would be cute to fill it with flowers so I used my Flower Soft "Spring" and it really makes it pop.  From there the image was cut out using my Spellbinders Labels 4 dies.  The background paper is Basic Grey "Green at Heart" and the cardstock used is Soft Suede and Melon Mambo also from Stampin' Up.  I just added some free-hand doodles with a white gel pen around the soft suede image panel - an idea I picked up from the stamp show we were at today.

So that's it at the end of a wonderful day with my dear stamping friends and BFF Heide on her birthday.

Thanks a bunch for stopping in and visiting my blog today.  Let me know what you think...

Sharon

Easter Blessings

Just a quick post today with two of my favorite Easter cards that I made for my family.  The first one uses this wonderful rabbit image that I got nearly a year ago from a stamp show.  It's from Stacy Stamps and was new to their line last summer.  I colored the image using my Prismacolor pencils and gamsol to blend them.  I paired this with the beautiful DP called Old Fashioned Eggs from Karen Foster papers. 

The rabbit image was mounted on the vanilla cardstock that was cut out using the Top Note die from Stampin' Up that I first stamped with a script stamp and then distressed using Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Tea Dye and Antique Linen.  I also used a bit of Regal Rose in the distressing to pick up the subtle pink tones in the DP.  The background and accent cardstock is SU True Thyme.  SU and EK Success punches were used on the Thyme bands that run across the card and the greeting panel.  Papertrey Ink Melon Berry ribbon and buttons were also used.


The second Easter card uses the adorable "Chocolate Bunny" stamp from Stampin' Up.  I made this card for my niece Olivia who is a choco-holic to the max.  I knew she'd get a kick out of the stamp - she's a little stamper herself and of course I endorse and promote that with stamps, inkpads and cardstock as gifts to her.

The chocolate bunny was stamped in Chocolate on Close to Cocoa cardstock and distressed a little with Caramel and Cocoa ink (which is hard to see in this photo).  It was mounted onto paper where I had stamped the grass from SU "Inspired by Nature" in Celery and Mellow Moss.  The rest of the background was lightly sponged with Bashful Blue.  The eggs were cut from an older DP from It Takes Two.  I framed the image using Spellbinders Classic Frame die cut from Basic Grey's Green at Heart paper.  The other cardstock used is Celery, embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder and PTI's Plum Pudding cardstock.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and I thank you for stopping by my blog.

Flutter By Butterfly

This is a quick birthday card I made up for a friend at work.  My inspiration for the colors was taken directly from the DP - Basic Grey's Indian Summer series.  The three main colors are Stampin' Up In Colors - Rich Razzleberry, Curry and Dusty Durango.  Before adherring my elements to the Razzleberry cardstock, I spritzed the card with a mix of SU champagne shimmer paint with 70% alcohol.  You can see a bit of the shimmer that gave to the base card.  I used this on the butterfly images to add a bit of sparkle there too.

The butterfly stamp is from SU Great Friend and I stamped it on the inner color ink first (from top: Curry, Durango, Melon Mambo) and then rocked and rolled the edges on the Razzleberry inkpad before stamping on Whisper White cardstock.  I punched the butterflies out using my SU square punch but using different angles for some interest so they looked like they were fluttering by.  Each butterfly square was then mounted on Durango cardstock and popped up with dimensionals.  The Curry cardstock was punched using a Martha Stewart punch which I thought coordinated really well with the DP design.

Thanks for fluttering by my blog!  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Cocoa Butterfly

After several weeks of a horrendous work schedule and then a total creativity block, I'm back at it in my stamping room - or my "happy place" as I sometimes refer to it.

I made this card for the color challenge on Splitcoast - had to use Close to Cocoa, Taken With Teal and Vanilla. I really like this color combo and have used it before on more masculine type cards.

With the color challenges I usually pull the color cardstock and look at them as I peruse my stamps. Usually a particular stamp/stamp set will scream out to me as the one and this time is no different. I thought this butterfly from Stamp Camp would be perfect - stamped in cocoa and colored with shades of teal. This time, though, I wanted the color to be softer. So instead of reaching for my copics (which I'm addicted to), I grabbed my Prismacolor pencils and gamsol.

I used three different colors of teal to color the image after stamping it in Cocoa. I blended the colors in and through the image using the gamsol and a blending stick. Then I picked up some purple, yellow, green and dark royal blue to blend in for a subtle variegated look and for shadows/highlights on the butterfly. When that was complete, I restamped the butterfly image again using my stamp-a-ma-jig with Versamark and heat embossed using clear embossing powder.

I had the DP already which was perfect match with the butterfly. It's hard to see in the photo, but it also has teal as a main color with all the other colors I used in the butterfly. I mounted the image on cocoa cardstock cut with the Nestabilities Labels 4 die (which is layered on top of teal cut with the same die - just offset enough for the teal to show). A few corner punch details and some dew drops on the corners and that's it.

So I'm feeling good - think I've got my creative mojo back! More to come in the next few days.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today!

Recipe:

Stamps - Stamp Camp

Paper - Close to Cocoa, Vanilla, Taken with Teal, Basic Grey DP "June Bug"

Ink - Close to Cocoa, Versamark, Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol for blending (image)

Accessories - Dew Drops, Fiskars "Heritage" corner punches, Nestabilities Labels 4 dies