I Scream, You Scream

When I was growing up, we lived not too far from where the New York Yankees held their spring training games in Fort Lauderdale.  There was a snack vendor named Ivan who would come around with "popcorn, peanuts, cold beer here!"  He also had ice cream and would do the "I scream, you scream..." thing.  My sister and I liked the long conical three-flavored Astro Pops.  Sometimes it was just family, and other times we'd load some neighborhood kids into the station wagon and take the whole group.
      
The card I'm sharing today was inspired by the GCD Studios paper that I used.  Notice there's a little ice cream truck on the horizontal strip, parallel to the ribbon?   I couldn't resist.
  

           

I planned on adding some Glossy Accents from Ranger to the ice cream itself to make it shiny and look cold.  Unfortunately, I was in a hurry to get it off to a magazine and the Glossy Accents wouldn't have had time to dry.  The card did make it into the magazine, though.  It will appear in the Feb/Mar 2016 issue of Scrap & Stamp Arts.
    
The cone is paper-pieced, and I added just a touch of a very light blue Copic marker to the outside of the ice cream for dimension.

The stamp set is really cute, and it has faces in the different frozen treats depicted.  However, I liked this particular card without the face, so I omitted it.  Looking at the card now, I see that the ice cream cone would make a great pot for a plant.  I love it when stamp sets are versatile, don't you?
    
Happy Stamping!
  

FWF: You Are So Kind

It's Friday once again, which means the weekend is right around the corner!
  
This particular card that I'm sharing today features my most favorite bird rubber stamp.  I'm enchanted by it. I love it so much, I bought a back-up.  (It's the only stamp I've ever purchased a back-up for on purpose. I do admit to buying other duplicates by mistake!! I hope I'm not the only one who does that.)
    

      
This card was an easy CAS (clean-and-simple) card. The patterned paper is from Memory Box.  The stamp and sentiment are from Unity Stamp Company. The edge of the paper was inked in Chestnut Roan chalk ink from Clearsnap, and the stamps were stamped in Seedless Preserves, a purple dye ink from the Tim Holtz distress collection from Ranger.
  
I thought of adding all sorts of embellishments...  a gem for the eye, a ribbon across the top, etc. In the end, though, I don't think they were really necessary. Do you prefer lots of layers and embellishments?   Or do you tend to keep it simple?
  
Happy Stamping!

FWF: Be Led by Your Dreams

It's Friday again!  Today, I'm sharing a card that is hitting the newsstands as we speak in the October 2015 issue of Scrap & Stamp Arts.
   

 

      

I stamped the butterfly and the sentiment onto patterned papers (from Prima) with Memento dye ink in Rhubarb Stalk.  I then took some water and a brush, and watercolored more of the Rhubarb Stalk color throughout the butterfly's wings.   I added brown to the body of the butterfly with a Copic marker.  Quick embellishments included flowers (from Prima), pearls, and awesome Sea Grass thread in Soft Pink from The Thread Gatherer.

This weekend I've got two fun stamping sessions scheduled with different groups of friends.  Are you going to have a chance to create?

Happy Stamping!

FWF: Owl ♥ You Always

Here's to another Fun Friday with Friends With Flair!  As if we ever need an excuse to stamp, right?  I'm a caregiver and find it difficult to carve out the time to be creative.  We just need to do it.  Self care needs to be a priority!  I find myself thankful for Unity and their weekly FWF encouragement because it reminds me to get into the creative space and go for it!  Consider this your reminder.
   

    
Paper piecing is one of my favorite techniques, and I just had to make a polka-dotted owl!  Isn't he cute?  The funky paper actually started out as a large tag shape from a very old K&Company tag-pad.  The writing, dots, film, and wavy lime green line on the bottom are all printed on the paper.  Then I found the "Check It Out" acetate banner from a package of BasicGrey embellishments and this card was on its way.

Speaking of reminders, here are two more:

1. Love cards don't have to be red or pink or girly.
2. Love cards don't need a holiday.  Send it whenever you feel it.

Happy Stamping!

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This project has also been submitted for these challenges:

• Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge:  Anything Goes
• DL.ART July Crafty Challenge:  Anything Goes

FWF: Some People Strengthen Others

"Some people strengthen others just by being the kind of people they are."  How amazing!  I consider myself so lucky to have (and to have had) some of these people in my life.  They probably don't even know who they are, but I do and I'll never forget them.  It's something wonderful to aspire to, isn't it?
   

      
For this week's Friends with Flair, I did a bit of overlapping stamping.  I stamped the dark sentiment and then partially overlapped the blue butterfly.  If you recognize the paper, it's from the same DCWV paper stack as my last post (with the baby carriage stamp).   I really like the blue and yellow color combination -- and not just because I'm part-Swede.
   
I hope to get some stamping in this week.  It's supposed to be over 100 degrees F here for the next fourteen days at least, so I'm going to do my very best to stay inside and stay cool.  Hope you have plenty of time for fun & stamping, too!
   
Happy Stamping!
    

FWF: A New Set of Wheels

Happy Friday, everyone!   This week has seemed to drag on and on for me, so I'm especially glad the weekend is almost here.  Hope you have something fun planned, as well as (for my American readers) some time to reflect on those who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms that we enjoy.
 
I don't happen to know anyone who is expecting or who just had a baby, but I thought these stamps from Unity were ADORABLE!!  I love that they can go from girly to boyish with the change of color -- or done in a neutral color if the gender isn't known yet.
 

   
For this card, I used old things as well as new.   The stamps were new, and this was the first time I tried the new Hero Arts Ombre ink pads.   The pad was pretty cool, but it wasn't as "ombre" as I thought.  When opened, it just looked like one of those three-section Kaleidoscope pads.

As for old, I've had this paper for a long time.  A friend of mine had this DCWV Café Mediterranean mat stack, but it wasn't her style.  I traded her for one that I had that didn't float my boat.  It worked out great!  I love how the embossed flowers/circles on the paper mimic the wheels of the baby carriage. 
 
For a quick accent, I selected a button that matched a lot better in real life.   The photo is throwing off the blue for some reason.  I threaded the button with thin strips of the same navy cardstock I used to frame the stamped panel.   I love threading buttons with the paper used on the project.   There's almost always a little scrap somewhere, and it always matches!
 
Hope you enjoy visiting the FWF participant blogs!    Happy Stamping!
   

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Cute Critters

Everything is coming up Spring (well, it is in most areas of the country, anyway).  Spring is when all the cute little forest creatures and baby critters make their appearance, and we're ready to focus on that.
   

This week, our team made projects with the MFT Cute Critters stamp set and Amy Tangerine Stitched collection 6x6 paper pad.   These products and so much more are available at Cuttin and Stampin Scrappy Supplies.

My challenge project focuses on love.  Love can be any time of year, not just Valentine's Day.  Think a note in hubby's briefcase, little card in kid's lunchbox, etc.

All three of the patterned papers I chose were in the Amy Tangerine "Stitched" pad.  I used a Spellbinders label die to cut out the raccoon and sentiment, but the card is only showing about 40% of the whole die shape.  As you can see, the heart is also only showing a portion of the shape.   Your investment in dies is so much more valuable when you flex the creative muscle and realize you don't have to use the entire shape.

I felt the "Love" paper was very bold to the point where it could be overwhelming, so I only used a thin strip.  The card itself is a very dark grey and I used Memento dye ink in Grey Flannel for stamping.

As an aside, this card would be especially funny for me to share with my husband.  He had an epic war with a raccoon a few years back.

Happy Spring & Happy Stamping!

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Girly

We're showing off our girly side, with projects that feature the Prima clear stamps and the Prima Jodie Lee Butterfly Collection paper pack & embellishments.

        

My project shows the fairy trapped in a jar.  The jar is paper-pieced with a grey lid.  The fairy was stamped with Memento ink in Rhubarb Stalk.  Then, I added some highlights to her with a Rhubarb Stalk marker.  If you look closely, you can see that I colored in her hair, made pleats in the skirt, etc.

   

The flower on the bottom left corner was made from two Prima mulberry flowers and the pearls are Prima, too.  The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company.  The cute pink bow was made from Light Pink Sea Grass from The Thread Gatherer.

   

 

So, what do you say?   Would you like to join us by making your own "Girly" project?  Remember, "girly" can mean lots of different things -- colors, flowers, bling, etc.  Add yours here.

    

Happy Stamping!

Cuttin' and Stampin' Challenge: Anything Goes

I've got an "Anything Goes" project to share with you.  I went with a graduation theme.  I know it's February, but there are all kinds of graduations and they don't always happen in May or June.  Graduations from boot camp and technical school programs happen at any time of year.
     
I used the Altitude patterned paper on the focal strip with the sentiment.  The other patterned papers and little achievement tab sticker are from Doodlebug's Cap and Gown collection.  The cursive 'congratulations' is from the Avery Elle Oh Happy Day stamp set.

     

   

We can't wait to see your project, too!   Please add your link and be entered to win.

 

Happy Stamping!