EMChallenge #3

So for this week, the EMC (Erma/Martha Challenge) is to use chipboard. Don't forget to put EMC or EMC3 in your keywords if you upload to SCS. I will be back later on with my chipboard but if you look in the post below, you will see a card that I made last week with chipboard.

Still alive!

I'm still alive even though it may not seem like it as I haven't posted at all last week. For some reason I was busy every single day last week and had no time to update my blog. I am hoping this week will be a little slower and I'll be able to post more!

Here are a few projects I made during the week. The first two use Stampin' Up! set One of a Kind, Berry Bliss design paper and purely pomegranate ink!

This was for the Try New Technique challenge, opens to reveal a gift card. Directions can be found here at Pinefeather's blog. Watercolored the flower with inks.

Ways to use it challenge: scissors. I cut the flower out and cut the ribbons. Added some white gel pen accent to the flower. There are post-it notes in the middle of the 'booklet'. This was what I gave to my hostess at a recent workshop.

The color challenge was pretty in pink, certainly celery and chocolate chip. I used a new set from Treehouse called "Hoppy for You". Cuttlebugged the background and watercolored the frog with inks. Added some google eyes and the saying "Hang In There" from the frog set. Sent this to my friend, Angie, who is still in the hospital.

This card was for the challenges that were held all last week at Cornish Heritage Farms using backgrounds. The only background of CHF that I own is Pretty Pattern. I embossed it in white on the blue (prisma cardstock) and also embossed it in black on the chipboard bird that I had colored with distress inks. The saying is from the set Elegant Sentiments by Treehouse.

A Special Request and a card

A very good friend of mine came out of pancreatitis surgery yesterday with flying colors. She still has a long recovery ahead of her. I would love to flood her with cards while she recovers. If you would love to help me, please send them to:

Angie Todd

c/o Amber Hillman

234 W. Walnut St.

St.Paris, OH 43072

I will send them on to her. I've been flooding her with cards leading up to her surgery thanks to those that responded to my thread on SCS. Now I can finally post on my blog since she will be in the hospital for 10-12 days and won't be able to check my blog ;) To read about her experience leading up to her surgery and after, check out her site here.

Another long card using a set coming out on April 25th from Treehouse Stamps. This image makes me think of when hubby was able to do this with our son, now he gives these rides to our little girl but even that won't be for long. They grow up to fast!

stamp: My Hero - Treehouse Stamp, SU flannel background; ink: black stazon, not quite navy, more mustard; paper: more mustard, not quite navy, white; accs: prismacolor watercolor pencils, aqua painter, sponge

The earth laughs in flowers

This weeks challenge with my sassy friends was to case one of the newest member's card. That new member is me! They picked out this card that we had to case. I was told i could sit out since it was my card but i decided to play anyways as it was only fair that i did.

Lo 'n behold, my card fits in with the limited supply challenge which is a long tall card and Sharon's (notimetostamp) challenge which is black accents! I even squeaked in the ways to use it challenge which was acrylics. (of course it feels like cheating as the only acrylic i used was my block that my stamp was clinging to but we were told that still counts.)

I just got the new sets for Treehouse Stamps that will be available April 25th so I decided to use one of the sets for the card. I wanted a simple color scheme and not much on my card other than what i had to case. In keeping with the LSC, I omitted some of the layers that is in my orginal card.

I watercolored the flowers with purely pomegranate ink and added some crystal stickles to the middles. Layered them on dotted swiss cuttlebug piece that i had ran off at mom's. Added my three little brads and stamped the wording straight on the card itself instead of making a tag. Card measures 8x4.

I really like the striking look of the colors even if I keep thinking of Cruella Divel! lol

stamp: Home Grown by Treehouse Stamps; ink: black stazon, purely pomegranate; paper: black, white, purely pomegranate; accs: aqua painter, stickles, ribbon, brads, cuttlebug, acrylic block

Dotted Swiss by hand

I decided to combine the color challenge of Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava and Basic Grey (which mine is on order so I used black instead) and the MFT sketch challenge together. I did have an idea for the color challenge but using a different layout but you know how it goes... you start thinking and say "hey, I can do the same thing with that sketch" So I did.

I don't own a cuttlebug. I know, the horrors of it, huh? But I wanted a dotted swiss look to my vellum. So I took my paper piercer guide from my SU tool set and used my smallest stylest that would fit through the holes. Yes, I did make a few holes in the vellum but luckly I was able to cover them up with the image. But next time i am going up to my mom's and running off some on her cuttlebug as this darn card took me almost 3 hrs to complete because of doing it by hand!! But I love the look of it, can't wait to make more cards with the sketch.

I really wanted my background to be dotted swiss embossed too but really didn't feel like doing it by hand so I used Behind the Scenes from MFT stamped in Craft White. I also don't have any black ribbon (it's actaully on order) so I cut a thin piece of cardstock and added dots to it. And then I layered it on Blush blossom paper ribbon. The smallest oval was cut from the oval coluzzle and the rest were just cut to fit. Once again I added dots to around the sentiment. And dots on the scallop oval. I almost added dots to my corners to but my eyes were starting to go a little cross eyed!! Don't think i've ever added that many dots to a card!!

stamp: Thanks a Bunch, Behind the Scenes - My Favorite Things; ink: groovy guava, white, black, old olive; paper: blush blossom, groovy guava, black, vellum; accs: coluzzle, brads, scallop punch, stylus, paper piercer template, white gel pen, square punch to make photo corners, square punch

A challenge for you

While chatting with a friend one day, we decided to challenge ourselves on using our first stamp set ever. I am opening up that challenge to you. Make a card with your first stamp set that you bought. If you upload it to SCS, use the keywords EMC so that we can comment on it. I can't gaurantee I will be uploading a challenge every week, but am hopefull we will come up with something to keep us in love with stamping. If you have an idea for a challenge, let me know.

So what does the EMC stand for? Erma/Martha Challenge. Everyone is either an Erma or a Martha. Erma being someone who thinks cooking is something that can be made in 10 mins, hates house chores, hates sewing, etc. Martha loves to sew, cook/bake, or alll that "gross" stuff that Erma just can't stand! (It's also a running joke between my friend and I as I am Martha and she is Erma)

So here is my EMC card. My first set was actually Handstitched Holidays but I sold that on ebay a while back as I just couldn't do anything with it! So I went with my second set: Papa's pocket. I love this set for it's detail but still have a hard time coming up with a card. Think it would work so much better on scrapbook pages.
Lots of distressing with ink on my card. Colored in just a bit on the pocket knife. Layout comes from Cardmaker catalog.
stamp: SU's Papa's Pocket, Sanded; ink: distress ink; paper: close to cocoa, vanilla, cranberry crisp, chocolate chip; accs: brads, notched corner punch, sponge, aquapainte

Start every day...

with a smile and get it over with."

Here is my card for the Featured Stamper this week on SCS. Once again I went with High Hopes. What can I say? Thier images are too adorable.

With Featured Stamper, we are suppose change 2 or more things but try to keep the layout the same. I kept the layout the same (well except she tore the bottom of her card and I completely forgot to do that!) but I changed the colors and the images. To see the card I cased, go here. I used watercolor crayons to color my image with. Distressed all the edges of all layers of cardstock. Used a CHF background in the same color of ink as cardstock.

stamp: High Hopes, Edgy Eloquence, CHF; ink: black stazon, bordering blue; paper: bordering blue, brocade blue, black; accs: aqua painter, watercolor crayons, ribbon, distresser tool

I promise I will have a card up sometime today using Stampin' UP! images even though I have only made it half way through the High Hopes that I have borrowed from my mom!!

I can't believe I forgot!!

No, I didn't forget anything. That is the title of my card I made late last night. I did the Limited Supply that was to make our own 'designer' paper using stamps.

Still on that High Hopes kick! I used the peanut to stamp on Going gray with Going gray ink to make my designer paper. The elephant is colored with Prismacolor pencils/gamsol and shaded with prismacolor markers. The bow has glitter pen outlined on it. I colored my brads with a Prismacolor marker and sponged around the elephant and the saying.

Layout is for Shadowcatcher's Mojo Madness sketch.

stamp: High Hopes; ink: black, going grey, real red; paper: black, going grey, real red, white; accs: prismacolor pencils, prismacolor markers, gamsol, glitter pen, brads, dimensions, corner round punch

I did it so there!

The title is directed to a group that I'm in called the Sassy Seven. Each Wend. we have a card challenge that we are suppose to complete. As usual I am a day late! BUT.... This weeks challenge was a sketch that we had to follow and it included a CIRCLE!!! What you may not know (but the Sassy group does) is that i have a hard time wrapping my head around circle anything on cards!! So I think they made this sketch a challenge on purpose!! BUT I showed them!! I DID A CIRCLE ON MY CARD. So to my Sassy friends:

I'm still on a High Hope kick. (I have to get my use out of the stamps as long as I still have them. Sooner or later mom is going to want them back!!) I stamped the leaf first and masked it until I had the coverage I wanted. Then keeping the leaves masked, I stamped the little boy.

Images were watercolored with markers by scribbling the markers on a plastic lid and picking up the color with my aqua painter. I used the cloud stencil to add the sky in and some stickles on the flowers. I also stamped Sanded on the Night of Navy in Night of Navy for a texture look.

Now you may be wondering about the colors. The colors are from the color challenge on SCS for this week: Glorious Green, Real Red and Night of Navy. As for the eyelets, that is the Ways to Use It challenge on SCS this week.

stamp: high hopes, Sanded; ink: black stazon, night of navy; paper: night of navy, real red, glorious green, white; accs: real red, night of navy, glorious green markers, eyelets, stickles, cloud stencil, coluzzle

Hang in There

Yesterday's sketch made me think a little outside my oval. lol k, so you have to see my card to get the joke.

I'm on a High Hopes kick. Thanks to my mom, who was kind enough to let me borrow her High Hopes. I went with the monkey on the vine for the card and used the cloud stencil behind him. Used distress reinkers to watercolor him. I cut him out of the oval some. Scallop oval was made using round corner punch. Bananas are cutout and watercolored with distress ink. Sentiment is hand written with distress ink sponged on. My background is a fiskar embossing plate called Leaves. I used a regular stylus with the plate as i don't have a cuttlebug to run it through.

stamp: High Hopes; ink: black stazon, soft sky, distress ink mustard seed; paper: misc green, brown, white; accs: aqua painter, distress reinkers, cloud stencil, word window punch, brads, corner round punch

Hogs & Kisses

This card was for the Featured stamper and Try a New Technique. The technique was to layer ribbons.

My High Hope stamps were calling me so I used one of my favorite stamps. I colored the image with Prismacolor Watercolor pencils. Did a little paper piecing with the little girl's hair bow, shirt, cuff and pockets on her overalls. My ribbon layering is a little hard to see but I layered pink ribbon ontop of blue ribbon.

What about those studs/snaps?? They are like a blue "glass". I found them in my stash of misc sewing items. They are very old as they belonged to my grandma. The box they were in said 1949 on the side! I am thinking she used them on my uncles' shirts for their rodeo outfits. I wish she was still around so I could ask her just what she used them for. I have bags of them in a few different colors that were hers to use.


stamp: High Hopes; ink: black stazon, pretty in pink; paper: bashful blue, winter stackmat dp; accs: studs/snaps, notched corner punch, sponge, ribbon, prismacolor watercolor pencils, aquapainter

Edited to added: Thank goodness for internet/msn. My uncle popped in and i was able to ask him about the studs/snaps. Yes, Grandma did use them for his and his brother's rodeo shirts. How cool is that?

How fast can you type?

A little thing I found on someone's blog. Something to do if you are bored!! Let me know how well you did! :)

59 words

Speedtest

ColorBlocked Cupcake

DD#2 has a birthday party to attend to today. Here is the card I threw together for her. I think a 9 yr old girl would like it. My daughter did. ;)

I used Taylor's sketch and Sharon's challenge of a color blocked background. Used two different sizes of little cupcakes to make the background. Liquid applique as the "icing" and crystal effects on the cherry and cupcake liner, added some sponging around the cupcake. Used corner round punch on the circle to get my scallops.

stamp: cupcakes and cupcake saying from Treehouse; ink: black, perfect plum, pretty in pink, lavender lace, brocade blue; paper: soft subtles; accs: brads, notched edge punch, corner round punch, ribbon, coluzzle, liquid applique, crystal effects

A rainy card

Once again I'm late on my card that I do with my Sassy group of friends. The challenge this time was to make a rain themed card.

I combined three different sets from Treehouse to make my "rain" card. I even added a little sunshine to my rain card... at least in the sentiment! stamp: Farm-tastic, Everyday Sentiments, Spring Blessings all by Treehouse Stamps; ink: black, garden green, bashful blue; paper: pink, green, black, white; accs: watercolor pencils, baby blue stickles

I had too much fun with the Limited Supply that I had to make another card with only White and one other color. (yes, i know my image is stamped in black... didn't even hit me until a few hours had passed, oh well, too late now) I used Happy Mother's Day from MFT, masked the lady and used Behind the Scenes to get the dotted wall. Watercolored the dress with ink and added white gel pen dots. Watercolor crayons were used for the flowers and pot.

Mini scallop scissors were used on the square and circle coluzzle used for curved flap. Berry Bliss design paper is used in the background. This card is called a flap card and directions on how to make it can be found here on Splitcoaststampers. I made the flap close by using velcro.

stamp: Happy Mother's Day by MFT; ink: pretty in pink, black; paper: pretty in pink, white, berry bliss dp; accs: aquapainter, watercolor crayons; white gel pen, mini scallop scissors, velcro

A recipe book

I had this idea in the back of my head for awhile now. When the Limited Supply was posted last night and I was still up, I decided to try out my idea. The challenge was to use ONLY white and ONE other color that is NOT a neutral! I happened to be chatting with Frances (StampOwl) at the time and just playing around, I asked her to give me a color. She said "blue" and I thought, hey, I haven't used Blue Bayou in a while, why not.


Here is what I had in my head and it turned out just like I had imagined it. Images are from the set Sweets for Sweets by Treehouse Stamps. Even the line that is on the cardstock is part of the set!

I double stampe the images, here on the front in white and blue bayou.
stamp: Sweets for Sweets by Treehouse; ink: white, blue bayou; paper: white, blue bayou; accs: brad, scallop rectangle

A 4 hour card!!

No, this isn't an April Fools joke. This card took me 4 hours to make this morning!

Using the color Challenge of Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss, Creamy Caramel, Apricot Appeal and the Try New Technique of Paper Tole, I sat out to make a card using the new set, that will be released from My Favorite Things this wends, Can Ya Dig It.

Paper Tole involves lots of cutting and layering. I will use the lady as the steps by steps directions. I stamped her three times on white cardstock in black stazon. I then colored all three images the same. One lady is used as the 'base' that I layered onto. I cut out the entire dress minus her arm. Using dimensions, I layerd that on top of the base lady. Then I proceeded to cut out the sleeve of the third image and layered that on to the sleeve using a dimension. The hat and gloves were only layered once. In the close up picture you can see the layerings.

As for the seed packets, I layered them twice but I cut out the veggies from a third image and layered that onto the packets. I wanted it to look like she was holding the trowel so I cut a slit in her gloves and stuck the handle through it.

stamp: Can Ya Dig It by My F avorite Things; ink: black stazon, mellow moss, creamy caramel; paper: apricot appeal, white; accs: watercolor crayons, aquapainter, dimensions, coluzzle, cloud stencil, studs