CASE It Challenge - Week 24

Time to CASE a project for the Cuttin' & Stampin' Weekly Challenge!

Many people think of CASE as Copy And Share Everything or Copy And Steal Everything.  My take on it is a bit different.  I prefer "Copy And Selectively Edit".  You don't have to copy everything... just borrow the good stuff.  Add your very own flair, tweak it and make it suit your needs!

Here's the card I found on Pinterest that I'll CASE today:

It's adorable!  But I need a card for my nephew who's turning seven, so I'm going to need something a little more grown up.  I think that some bolder colors (less pastel blue) and less ribbon would help fit the bill.   Here's my take on it:

 

My card features the "Mac" line from Bazzill Basics patterned paper, journaling card, and border sticker along with Bazzill dotted green cardstock and white pre-cut number (colored grey with Memento ink, as shown below, to match the sentiment).  The balloon is cut out using an Accucut die, and the balloon string is drawn with a very thin Copic marker.  The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches "Sentiment Sampler" set.

 

Now it's your turn to create your own CASE It Project and enter in this week's Cuttin' & Stampin' Challenge HERE. 

Happy Stamping!

Thank You Card Challenge

It's a new week and time for a new challenge at Cuttin' and Stampin'!   This week's challenge:  Thank You Card.   It's a great reminder that it's always good to have a few thank you cards on hand.  You never know when you're going to need one.   

I have a few cards on display at Cuttin' and Stampin', but I wanted to feature this one here.  I've been lucky to have several terrific teachers in my life, and I'm so grateful for them.

This card features a tree from Unity Stamp Company, the sentiment from the Kim Hughes (designer at Paper Smooches) collection from Cornish Heritage Farms, and red brads for apples.

So whether they're ultra-feminine, juvenile, masculine, minimalist or super-fancy, silly or serious, show off your Thank You Cards!  We'd love for you to link up and join our challenge, so click here to enter your creations.

Happy Stamping!

Prayers Sent

Hubby & I are so lucky to have so many friends and family sending prayers and happy thoughts our way.  He unexpectedly got "the call" a few weeks ago, and we rushed to Salt Lake City for his kidney transplant.  We were out of town for weeks and are now driving back & forth to SLC for checkups on his new organ.  He's doing well so far.  As thrilled as we are for him, we're also thinking of a very sad family somewhere whose relative gave the gift of life.  We're so thankful.

This card features stamps from my favorite designer, Kim Hughes @ Paper Smooches.  Her style is so fun & whimsical, but it can also be used with softer patterns for more somber projects.  The soft patterned paper is from Memory Box.

I'm especially glad to have met a new stamping friend in the SLC area.  I grabbed a few of my supplies on the way out the door, and I even got to stamp with her one day while we were there.  She was so nice and even spent time with me at the hospital while hubby was in surgery.  I'm sure we'll be friends for life.

Happy Stamping!

Tiny Hearts

I haven't stamped in a long time.  I finally brought some of my toys out to play with!   Got together with several friends and had a blast stamping and catching up.

It's August, and the stamping magazines are planning Valentine's issues already.  One magazine's theme is "Tiny Hearts", and I created a few cards to fit that theme.   Here are two of them:

 

Stamps used on both cards are from the fabulous Kim Hughes @ Paper Smooches.   BasicGrey "Bittersweet" papers were used on the top card and patterns from a K&Co. 4x6 paper pad were used on the bottom card.


There have been fires not terribly far from here (no danger for us), and it has been very hot and smoky outside.  Lots of time for more indoor activities like paper crafting.

Happy Stamping!

Belli Challenge

It's still hot here in Boise, but it's time to turn our crafting attention to projects for the Fall. This week's Belli Challenge (#74) is to create a Fall or Halloween project. I thought I'd join in since Creative Cuts & More is sponsoring this challenge and since my card uses elements from the new Fall Occasions Kit that CC&M will be debuting very soon. It's a sneak peek of several of the goodies that the kit contains.

The kit is luxurious, with beautiful rich tones and several shimmery papers. As you can see in the closeup that follows, both the card and the large swirl are shimmering. Another lavish component of the kit is the variety of silk ribbons and fibers that are included. The colors are stunning and the quality of these hand-dyed silken goodies from The Thread Gatherer is unsurpassed.

Supplies:
Stamps: Enjoy Your Day (Cornish Heritage Farms' Kim Hughes Collection)
Paper: Die-cut card, leaf, & swirl; and K&Company's patterned paper (Fall Occasions Card Kit from Creative Cuts & More)
Paint/Ink: Palette Noir (Stewart Superior)
Accessories: The Thread Gatherer's hand-dyed silk ribbon & silk chenille yarn; and button (Fall Occasions Card Kit from Creative Cuts & More); corner rounder punch

I hope you'll play along with us! Be sure to check out the other yummy creations at The Belli Blog. If you're uploading to SCS or PCP, the keyword is CBC74.

Happy Stamping!

Shimmerz Blog's Birthday

I made two birthday cards, both using the new Bo Bunny "It's My Party" collection papers & stickers. For the first card, I die-cut a candle out of cardstock and acetate using an AccuCut die. The cardstock is the wax part of the candle and the acetate became the flame. I painted the acetate flame with Mello Yello Blingz on both sides. I then used dimensional adhesive so the candle would pop right off the page.


On my second card, I also used dimensional adhesive, this time with the EK Success Powder tool. It allows flat stickers to pop off the page. For added interest, I painted the gift with Mello Yello Blingz.



Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Birthday (Kim Hughes Collection @ Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: It's My Party PP (BoBunny); Canvas & Smoothies CS (Bazzill)
Paint/Ink: Mello Yello Blingz (Shimmering Products); Lady Bug Memento Ink (Tsukineko)
Accessories: It's My Party Stickers (BoBunny); Corner Rounder Punch & Powder Tool (EK Success); Candle Die (AccuCut); Dimensional Adhesive (3L)

Speaking of birthdays, it's my sister's birthday (Happy 35th, Kris!) and my blog's birthday too! Be sure to stop back here starting on Monday for a birthday blog candy with a cupcake theme! Up for grabs are cupcake stamps, cupcake stickers, cupcake ribbon... all for one lucky winner.

Happy Stamping!

PS: There's a call for guest designers at Creative Cuts & More.

Fancy and Funny

Today's project is a study in contrasts. It's dressed up to be an elegant card for an engagement or wedding, yet the stamped image is whimsical and the matching sentiment is funny.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Kim Hughes and her whimsical designs. I made this card from a stamp image that I made when I borrowed this set from a friend. (I've since purchased it... I couldn't help myself!) As much as I adore these stamps, though, my favorite part about making this particular project is how I unexpectedly fell head-over-heels for the Coal Shimmerz!




Supplies:
Stamps: Ocean Friends (Kim Hughes Collection @ Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White 80# Cover Smooth (Neenah); Fig Swirl & Blackberry Swirl Smoothies (Bazzill Basics); Silver Sparkle CS (DCWV)
Paint/Ink: Coal Shimmerz (Shimmering Products); Paris Dusk Memento Dye Ink (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Large Circle & Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirl Embossing Folder (Provo Craft); Flowers from the Bubbles Collection in Black (Prima Marketing); Red gems & pearl (K & Company); Black ric rac (May Arts); Dimensional adhesive (3L)


Looking at this closeup, it still surprises me that these sparkly paper Prima flowers started out a very light cream color. The Coal Shimmerz had excellent color coverage and made these sparkle like crazy! They almost look like the very metallic-steel-black-grey looking mineral called Hematite. It's gorgeous and one of my new favorites.

And some quick artsy info. for locals:
- ReUse Market is going to have their open house this month on April 24-25. See their Web site for details.
- Boise Art Museum is showing some early photographic works by Ansel Adams. Admission is free on First Thursday, April 2nd. The photography curator from Oakland Museum of California will be speaking at 5:30. Make a charcoal drawing based on the photos in the studio from 5-8.

Happy Stamping!

Another No-Stamper

I couldn't resist shooting a pic of this cute little guy to share with you today. This is the Shark, which is one of the several new exclusive QuicKutz dies that were released at Archiver's this past weekend. Of course, cut in different colors of cardstock, he could become a goldfish or a clownfish or even a black molly.


Supplies:
Paper: Mysterious Teal (Bazzill Basics); Smooth White, Black & Chili Cardstock (Archiver's); On The Dot Ring PP (KaiserCraft)
Accessories: Shark Die (QuicKutz); Apron Lace Border Punch (Fiskars); dimensional adhesive (3L)

I must be in a fishy mood, because I just ordered the Ocean Friends set by Kim Hughes @ Cornish Heritage Farms. Lila let me borrow it for some fun stamping and I just had to have one for myself. I got my ship notice within the last few minutes so I'm sure to have them soon!

Happy Stamping!

Boxer Blue

There are so many bonuses and benefits to having friends that stamp. One benefit is that their stamp collection houses some different stamps than yours. Thank you for letting me play with your Kim Hughes stamps!

This Ocean Friends set of hers is at the very top of my wish list. These little sea creatures are melting my heart and the creative, sweet sentiments that accompany them are icing on the cupcake.

TIP: I prefer not to leave my buttons naked, but it's sometimes difficult to find threads/ribbons that match. This problem is solved by using thin strips of the paper & cardstock used elsewhere in the project.

Supplies:
Stamps: Ocean Friends (Kim Hughes Collection @ Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White 80# Cover Smooth (Neenah); Boxer PP (BasicGrey)
Paint/Ink: Paris Dusk Memento Dye Ink (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Large Circle & Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Buttons (Autumn Leaves)

Happy Stamping!

Fun News!

There's fun news on several fronts:

* Kim Hughes has FOUR adorable new stamp sets out. My favorite of the four is Ocean Friends, but all are must-haves! (Who am I kidding? All of her sets are must-haves!) Her next sets come out the first Thursday in March, and my calendar is already marked.

*I won a fun drawing from Making Memories! I can't wait to play with their new jars! I've just cleaned out my stamping stash (which included my stamp room, living room, dining room, garage, and dad's house!), and I definitely have the need for a few more storage solutions.

* The Re:Use Market in Boise has announced its January Open House! They'll be open on Friday, Jan 23rd from 2 to 5 and then on Saturday, Jan 24th from noon to 3. Be sure to bring a bag!

Hope you're having a great day!

Happy Stamping!

Blog Banner Challenge

As you can see, things are looking a little bit different around here today. I participated in the weekly challenge at Cornish Heritage Farms -- which happened to be to make your own blog banner. This is something that has been on my mind for several weeks, and I was thinking of hiring someone to update it. But how would I advise them on what I want, when I'm not sure what that is exactly?

I started with this card, which I made during the Kim Hughes Blitz over at CHF in June. I scanned it, and then decided I needed a funky font to type in my name and title. I downloaded one of Kim Hughes' fonts, CK Slim Mitch, to match her cool style.

Why not give it a try? I'm glad I did!

Oooh, in other Kim Hughes news, she just released two new stamp sets and they're both super-cute! Birthday Bash and Comforting Hugs are now available.

Happy Stamping!

Shining & Shimmering

There's a big going out of business sale at Mandarin Pixie right now. Prices are VERY low, so check it out. First come, first served.

I wanted to show off the adorable Kim Hughes owl and the birthday card that served as the inspiration for my Cards for Troops challenge on SCS. Cards are still being accepted, so if you have a little extra time to stamp this weekend, please make a few for the troops. They just need to be postmarked by 9/20. Click here for details.


Supplies:
Stamps: U R A Hoot and Tag You're It! by Kim Hughes (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White 80# Cover Smooth (Neenah); Olive & Gold cardstock (Archiver's); Mellow PP (Basic Grey)
Paint/Ink: Beeswax, Rustic Red, and Sagebrush Limited Edition Shimmerz (Shimmering Products); Rich Cocoa Memento Dye Ink (Tsukineko); Chestnut Roan ColorBox Chalk Ink (Clearsnap); Beige E33 Marker (Copic)

We've all got some fun holidays coming up! Halloween was one of my favorites. Keep your seatbelts fastened for some Halloween blog candy coming soon. :)

Happy Stamping!

Today's the Day!

Big news and some fabulous projects for you to check out today over at the Shimmerz blog! Three new limited edition colors (Beeswax, Rustic Red, and Sagebrush) were released for this fall. Here's a project I made using the Beeswax gold:

His feathers were already paper-pieced in a gorgeous golden color thanks to patterned paper from Scenic Route.


Supplies:
Stamps: America the Beautiful and U R A Hoot by Kim Hughes (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White 80# Cover Smooth (Neenah); Criss Cross Cardstock in Ladybug (Bazzill); PP from Scenic Route
Paint/Ink: Beeswax Shimmerz (Shimmering Products); Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger); VersaMagic Chalk Ink in Night Sky (Tsukineko); Cool Grey C01 Marker (Copic)

Now if you happen to have offered blog candy and mailed me this stamp set as a prize, you might see this card in person very soon. :) Thanks, Kim!

Happy Stamping!

It came. It went....

...but we're STILL going to party. My 1-year blogaversary (which coincided with my sister's birthday) was last week. I didn't forget, but never did get around to posting about it or the blog candy I've been collecting for it. Happy Birthday, Kris!

Here's the scoop on what's been going on around here:

- I am working on building a design team for Shimmerz paints. They are so much fun to play with! Last night, I made earrings from beads that were painted with Shimmerz. They're so incredibly shimmery and they dry on slick surfaces. {singsong}Love It!

- Speaking of earrings, I learned to make earrings last fall. They are now for sale at a new, artsy consignment store in downtown Nampa called Sparrow Clothing, which had their soft opening on May 10th and sold 30 pairs by June 1st... and they didn't even have their Grand Opening yet. All 30 replacement pairs are made, and now there's the matter of getting the holders printed and assembled before sending them out there.

- I've been helping out at Creative Cuts & More, with blog buttons and newsletter formatting. Terry has lots of terrific new dies and new products that she'll be adding the the Web site very soon. Bazzill Bling and Tacky-Tape shapes... here we come!

On July 4th weekend, I'll be hosting a Wish-RAK challenge at Splitcoast for patriotic cards to send to overseas troops to send home to their friends/family. I can't WAIT to see what people come up with! I'm planning on making my samples from the Kim Hughes "America the Beautiful" set.

Here's a birthday cupcake for Kris and my blog. I'll have goodies for both sometime soon. :)


Supplies:
Stamp: Clear Design Cupcakes CL158 (Hero Arts)
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White 80# Cover Smooth (Neenah)
Paint/Ink: Golden Wheat, Magenta, Royal Purple and Bubble Gum Shimmerz (Shimmering Products); Brick Beige E31 Marker (Copic); Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger)

We'll be heading off to Dave's coloring class this weekend, and then first thing Monday morning my husband is scheduled for abdominal surgery... so it may be another week or so before I'm able to post. Until then...

Happy Stamping!

Kim Hughes Release & Blitz

So far, the first few hours of the Kim Hughes Blitz over at Cornish Heritage farms has been a total blast! Two winners were randomly selected from those who posted on the forum, and it turned out that Lila and I were selected. Pretty cool! Fall Silhouettes is on its way to my door!

Then there was a really tricky challenge. We had to use orange, lime green, brown, and cream... along with buttons and a bow. I was baffled by the color combination until I ran across the 6x6 pad of LilyKate paper. Perfect! Here's a picture of the owl gal (eyelashes added).
If you'd like to see a peek at the whole card, click here.

Happy Stamping! :)

Trifecta of Tidbits

I'm having a terrific stamping day today, and I didn't even stamp yet. It's nearly 11pm here, though, so squeezing in a little stampin' time before the clock strikes twelve is unlikely. Here's what made the day so great...

(1) Right at the crack of 10am, I was on the phone to the nicest lady at Susie Paperie in Hailey, Idaho. On my short list of stamper-stars to meet is Dave Brethauer from Memory Box. His coloring techniques are amazing, as are his card constructions. Very simple, tight, and impactful. Love them. So I got an autographed copy of his book, Card Design, when in Spokane and have devoured it with fervor. Long story short, he's coming to Idaho and my BFF and I are in seats #1 and #2. Can. Not. Wait.

Then the next two happened just within the last 15 minutes or so while I was blurfing.

(2) Kim Hughes {I *singsong* love her stuff!} posted on her blog the names of the winners for her Memorial Day challenge. And whose name is on the top? Mine. She's sending me America the Beautiful, one of her rockin' stamp sets. Now I just need to take some anxiety medication and try to figure out how to make a thank-you card for her. Seriously, it's like making a painting for Michelangelo.

(3) CHF is having a Kim Hughes Blitz and it's kicking off on Wednesday night, June 5th. Oooh, and in conjunction with the blitz is the release of more of her stamps. Maybe more than I can handle.

Happy Stamping! Hope your day rocked!

Tyson's a Girl

I'm enamored with my new toy, the Fiskars Threading Water punch. It is a scalloped border with dots. Very cute! I had to try it out, so here's a quick little card I made using it and the fabulous Kim Hughes stamps which were featured as the stamp-of-the-month at CHF in April.

There's been quite a hubbub over the Threading Water punch over at SCS. Stampers have had trouble finding it. I found mine at Archiver's. Don't have one in your area? No problem -- they ship!

Supplies:
Stamps: Kim Hughes April '08 Tyson the Turtle (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
Paper: AnnaSophia Faded Floral, Worn Dots, and Multi Floral (Bo Bunny); Classic Crest Solar White (Neenah)
Accessories: Threading Water Punch (Fiskars); Sketch Markers YG93, R29, BG02, E000, and C0 (Copic); Nestabilities rectangle dies (Spellbinders)

Happy Stamping!