Color Blocking in My Own Way

I just finished a post a little bit ago, and was planning on trying to relax for a few brief moments before I have to go pick up my wrecking crew from school, but then this thought came to me as I was cleaning up my paper (now there's a first: me, cleaning up directly after making a card! HA!) from this card that I made this afternoon.

I thought that this paper from Cosmo Cricket would lend perfectly to making a card for this week's challenge over at the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog, which is Color Blocking.

Here's my card:

Now I must say that color blocking is totally not my forte, or one of my go-to styles for creating cards, but I gave it a try! I think it turned out okay! What do ya think? I know it's not solid colors, but I thought it was cool!

Last night I made a card for this challenge, and then the more I looked at it, the more I really didn't like the exact colors I chose, so I am re-doing it.....if I get it finished, I will try and post it to the challenge as well!

Gonna keep this short....I have to run and get the boys!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Summer Weddings

It is that time of year, my friends!

Wedding Season!

Usually I don't pay much mind to it, mainly due to the fact that everyone I know is married.

Needless to say, I don't receive too many wedding invites these days.

This year however is an exception.Next week, a good friend's daughter is getting married. I wanted to create a fabulous wedding card for her, that captured summer. Usually when making wedding cards, I don't tend to lean towards such bright colors, but I just love these bright swirls of colors in this Cosmo Cricket paper. It actually makes me think of a Hawaiian wedding, which by the way, some family friends of mine(they were like my second family growing up) youngest son is getting married tomorrow in Hawaii. And I so wish I was there! Weddings and bright tropical colors have been on the brain! I might have to make another card like this for them, as they are having a reception back here in our area in July!

I also have to admit that this card was also created with a dual purpose in mind. I have been hearing about the Paper Crafts Magazine Gallery Idol 2011 Competition, and although have toyed with the idea of entering, really wasn't planning on it. Even thought I have had multiple card picked up for publication this year, I just still don't feel like the cards I create even come close to matching up to the amazing talent out there.....especially for the Gallery Idol Competition.

Well, I'm going out on a limb here, and I am entering this card into the competition.

Just for fun!

Because that's why I create and stamp!

Hope you all have a most fabulous Friday!

I have a card that I made last night for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge, that I want to redo before I submit it....so check back, there might be another card posted today...

Or it might be tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Rainbow Birds

Here is another card I whipped up super quick for this week's Tuesday Trigger over at the Moxie Fab world! This week's trigger is right up my alley. I have really been in love lately with cards using a rainbow effect. And I love birds too, so this was perfect for me!I bought this stamp some time ago, but this was the first time it has seen ink! What a fun challenge for it to make it's maiden voyage!

This trigger picture of these brightly colored spools is simply divine, or as Cath would put it...... absolutely Moxie Fab! Thanks Cath, for such great inspiration and a great challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies:

Bazzil Textured Card Stock

Birds on Wire Stamp by Penny Black

Cherry Cobbler, Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry, Pear Pizazz, Tempting Turquoise Ink by SU

Jute Twine by PTI

Blue Flowers

I was over at Karen Baker's blog, The Bald Dragonfly, the other day, and saw that she had played along with a challenge that Virgina Lu had over at her blog that combined inspiration photos and Hero Arts stamps! How fun! I just had to play along! So here's how I Stamped My Hero Heart Out! This was the card I came up with after seeing this sweet picture that Cath had posted over at the Moxie Fab World. The colors just jumped out at me, and I since I love blues, I decided this was the inspiration pic I would use!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies:

Baja Breeze, Soft Sky, Whisper White Card Stock by SU

Flower Medley Stamp by Hero Arts

Soft Swirls embossing folder by cuttlebug

Baja Breeze Ink by sU

Certainly Celery 5/8 Grosgrain ribbon by SU

Dazzling Diamonds Glitter by SU

A Rainbow of Butterflies

This weeks Tuesday Trigger: Rainbow Bright, over at the Moxie Fab World inspired me to make the following card!

I have really love the Modern Basics stamp set from PTI, and have wanted a chance to play around with it more, but really haven't had the time. These butterflies were perfect, I thought to lend to the rainbow effect! The sentiment is also from PTI: Think Big Favorites #2, I believe! The inks and paper are all Stampin' UP!

Gonna keep it short today, as I have lots I want to accomplish!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Dies and Flowers and Gems.......

....and a little embossing too! Oops! There are actually 4 elements here on this card which is my second attempt at the CAS-ual Fridays Tic Tac Toe challenge! Last night as I was posting my first card for the challenge, I was just messing around and had the beginnings for this card here!

With all the fun elements to choose from in this weeks challenge, I found myself last night, going through a bunch of my crafting supplies looking for all the fun things that I could play around with to create cards for this challenge!

This sure has gotten my creative juices flowing!!! Thank you, ladies over there at CAS-ual Fridays for coming up with such an inspiring challenge! It was just what I needed to get my stamping mojo back in gear. I have been so extremely busy lately with everything else in life, that crafting has had to take a back seat (like the third row, back seat......)!

Now I just want to stamp and be creative! And it couldn't have come at a better time. Kerry is taking the three older boys on a father/son camp out tonight, so if I can get the baby to go to sleep early, I can have the whole night to myself!!! I might even have to bop down to my favorite little stamp store, and get myself something new since my FIRST CHECK from having some cards published arrived yesterday! I have told myself for the past few months since getting things picked up for publication, that I wouldn't spend any money on supplies until I actually saw the money! And it came! And now I can go spend it! Yay!

And I just have to say (again) that I have really enjoyed these challenges! They are so much fun for me, they have caused me to step out of my comfort zone a bit, which is great, and all the cards from the Girl Fridays, as well as all the cards made by all the wonderfully talented gals who play along each week are truly inspiring. It makes me want to try harder, craft more, and be the best that I can be, so thanks to all who participate as well as leave such encouraging, sweet comments for me, I truly appreciate it all!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Buttons & Ribbon & Chipboard!

Yup, those were the three items I chose for this weeks CAS-ual Fridays challenge! The challenge was to play a tic-tac-toe of sorts and pick three items in a row that you see displayed below and create a card with them!I know that I have used this Medallion stamp on the last three cards I have made and posted here on the blog.....but I am just in love with it. On this card, I stamped it on some Inchies, which are 1 inch squares of cut mat board......that counts as chipboard, right? I then added some ribbon at the top with a button, and there ya have it, folks!

Sorry the picture is so poor, but I wanted to snap a picture tonight, and its dark out, so I had to settle for inside. Because, if I left it for tomorrow, who knows if it would get done. Life has been so incredibly busy with the end of the school year upon me, and all the kids' sports and activities coming to an end. It seems like I just don't have any spare time at all.....so I had to quickly take these few minutes tonight, and make this card and get it posted so I could be a part of this weeks challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays. I so missed playing along last week...

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!
Supplies:
Medallion Stamp by Impress
Baja Breeze card stock by SU,
Chocolate Chip Ink by SU,
Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta ribbon by SU
White Inchies
Buttons by PTI
Corner Chomper

Tuesday Trigger: Take Two!

I made a second card yesterday for this weeks Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World. I made it while I was writing the post for the first card I made.

I was going to add it to the original post, but wanted to get a decent photo of it and it was kind of a gloomy rainy day, and I ended up running out of day......where does the time go?I used the same stamp as my first card,(love this stamp) but changed up how I used the colors and switched the sentiment and added a few different embellishments. I think I like this card better than the first one.

Today was the first day since the beginning of April that we have not had something going on. No soccer practice. No games. No Cub Scouts. No Track. No activities of any kind. So I'm going to keep this really short so I can go and enjoy the evening with all my boys!!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies:

Chocolate Chip Card Stock by SU, Whisper White Ink by SU,

Doily Stamp by Impress, Sentiment by Savvy Stamps.

Ric Rac by May Arts, Pearls by K& Company

Tuesday Trigger: Neapolitan

My kids LOVE Neapolitan ice cream. Even better are the Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches. And I have fond memories of eating Neapolitan ice cream at my Grandmothers house when I would go and spend the night there on Friday nights as a child.

So I just had to play along with this weeks' Tuesday Trigger over at the Moxie Fab World! Isn't this picture just yummy?Here's the card I whipped up, being inspired by these wonderful colors!

Gonna keep this one short today....I'm trying to get a bunch of things done while the baby is sleeping!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

'Sew' Happy to make this Card!

I had just a second this morning to take a little peek around blog land, and came across the latest challenge over at the Moxie Fab Word: The I'm Sew Excited Challenge.

With all the craziness that I have been experiencing lately with the school year finishing up, I have not had as much time to craft as I have wanted. So I seized the opportunity this morning when the idea for this card popped into my head.

When I came across the challenge, I so wanted to play along, but among my enormous collection of stamps, I don't have any that have to do with sewing. I have had my eye on the Sew Lovely set from Lawn Fawn for a while, but in my efforts to try not to spend money on stamps or crafting supplies until I see the money from my upcoming to be published cards, I just haven't purchased it yet.

I did remember however, that I had a little mini deck of Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl paper, so I pulled that out, and put the card together! I can't believe I did not use a single stamp! Wow! I found some letter stickers from K & Company that I had lying around to make my sentiment, since again, I didn't have any stamps that would work exactly! Improvise, improvise, improvise! I then threw on some buttons and twine, and there ya have it!

Gonna get going now, the baby has been a bit cranky through my efforts of creating this card, so I'm going to go love on him, and encourage Sam to get dressed for school!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!