ColourQ - 2nd Post Today

I've had this card done for two days now and FINALLY took a pic!!! It's for the ColourQ Challenge - Melon mambo, Regal rose, Apricot appeal, Green galore. I try really hard to do this challenge every week because I love the color combos Arielle comes up with. And such fun inspirational pieces too!!! Anyway, I needed a birthday card for my sister-in-law so this serves two purposes! The image is a digi from Softpencil. I used my copics on her plus cut/embossed with my nesties. I used this sketch challenge from SCS as well as embellishments I found in my stash. I'm seeing a trend here with using stuff I bought awhile ago and never used! Now to get it mailed off.

Last Day of Sneak Peeks!!

Hope you've been enjoying all the sneak peeks you've been seeing so far. The best part is, there's more today and tonight at midnight you get to fill up your shopping cart with them!!!!!!! These next two cards are with a Laurie Wilson called Scenic Trees. I love solid stamps and talk about a variety of trees to choose from!!!!! For this card I wanted a bit of a tropical feel, because I'm sick and tired of the snow and cold (on a side note, hubby and I were up late last night not only shoveling the driveway, but also putting back together our mailbox. Someone slid down our street, hit our mailbox, then just drove away! Upsetting for sure!). I went Crushed curry, Melon mambo, and Basic grey for my colors to coordinate with these really cool brads I found in my stash. The card measures 4 x 6.

As this verse says, despite all the ups and downs we all have in our lives, we should always give thanks to our Lord. I find I get caught up in all the stresses that life brings us, often brought on by myself. But once I take a moment and whisper a little prayer, I feel that heaviness lifted and I can see more clearly. A very simple card indeed, as I limited the layers I so love to do. And I pulled out my hunter green cardstock that has to be 5 years old, if not more. I just don't go for it much. The argyle embossed layer I sponged with white craft ink and stamped the tree a second time without re-inking. Clean and simple. For more fabulous inspiration, check out these blogs and be sure to leave a little love:

Kim

Angela

Katie

Linda B

Nancy

Stacy

Laurie

Another beautiful value verse Lori has created, Psalm 37:3-5. I had a stack of these die cut butterflies on my desk and that's was the inspiration for this card. Colors include Rose red, Pretty in pink, Basic black and Cameo coral. The DSP butterfly was cut out of SU's Rasperry Tart. The verse worked perfectly in my long rectangle nestie. Then, believe it or not, I felt the need for some sparkle so I laid two strips of sticky tape down and covered them in glitter. Just the right pop this card needed. That and the strip of pearls to glam up the butterflies. The two smaller butterflies I punched out using my Martha Stewart punch, popped all three up, and bent up their wings. Thanks for stopping by. More samples with this verse can be found here:

Trudy

Tricia

Sarah

Cassie

Stacy

Candy

Sneak Peek of a Mouse Family!

Welcome back to day #3 of Clear Dollar Stamps' sneak peeks. Today I have an adorable set to show you by Wendy Hall called Pippin Mouse Family. This lovely lady I stamped, colored in with my copics, then cut her out so I could pop her up over the swing. I even popped up the little bow in her hair. A fun card to make, and I used nothing but scraps to do so!!! I'm still waiting for the day when I can actually see the dent I made in those scraps!!!!

This adorable little mouse is celebrating a birthday! It's hard to see in the photo but the cupcake and candle are all glittered up with Stickles

Now this card I used yet another mouse from the set (there are 3 in all!) along with the balloons. I stamped one balloon on scrap white, masked it off, then stamped the second balloon "behind" it. A touch of Stickles was added on to those as well. They are popped up above the hand-drawn strings. Now what I really want you to focus on in this card is the sentiment, "Something to Squeak About." This individual stamp is soooooo cute, a perfect addition to any mouse family!!! LOL!!! Other designers showing off sneak peeks today of these sets are:

Katie

Tricia

Sarah

Wendy

Candy

Second Post: Clearly Inspired Challenge Hip to be Square

I sure hope you can join us in our Clearly Inspired Challenge, it could mean a free stamp of your choosing!!! The challenge this round, make a square card, no matter the size, as long as it's square. Okay, so I took the square theme a little too far!!!!! The card itself is 5", with 5 additional squares on it! The stamp set is the lovely June Flower of the Month, the rose. I colored it in with my copic markers and cut it out with the nesties. I wanted to keep it mainly monochromatic, using pink and rose paper. And, once again, I finished the inside, so now the card truly is complete. Can't wait to see what all of you come up with. And don't forget to read on down for day #2 of Clear Dollar Stamps March release sneak peeks.

Welcome to Day #2 of Sneak Peeks

I love showing off the soon to be released sets from Clear Dollar Stamps. March 1st is when you will be able to purchase these stamps. Spot the Dog is an individual stamp as is the sentiment I Woof You. I stamped Spot twice, cutting him out and popping him up over the first stamping. This card measures 4.25" square, a fun perfect size. More cute samples found here:

Katie

Tricia

Nancy

Laurie

These two cards are from a set by Wendy Hall called Dylan Boy. She is also releasing Daisy Girl for the little ladies in your life! Since I have two boys, I simply had to have this set!!! The first card is a little different for me because it doesn't have words on the outside!! I went too with a color challenge I found on someone's blog...Kraft, Crushed curry, Kiwi kiss and Brilliant blue. The second card was fun, stamping Dylan, cutting him out so I could sit him on the stone wall with his best bud Mr. Snail! Thanks for stopping by. Check out these blogs for more fabulously cute samples:

Katie

Stacy

Wendy

Spring is Coming!!

Well at least the cards on my blog remind me of spring!!!!! 6 more inches of snow is fore casted by tomorrow night!!!!! Enough already! What I can never seem to get enough of though are these adorable new releases coming out each and every month at Clear Dollar Stamps. Sneak peeks start today, which means you can purchase these adorable stamps for yourself come March 1st. Check out the adorable Patch Basket and Hoppy Easter, I paired them with the Patchpal Bunny. Take a look at Katie's and Candy's creations using these sweet stamps too.

This new stamp set is called Daisy Duo. I found the tutorial for this holder HERE and decided to make it into a little gift for a friend of mine who has been under the weather. She's quite the gardener so the little rose plant was right up her alley while the M&Ms help not matter what the problem is!!! You really must check out these DT Member blogs for even more inspiration with this fabulous set:

Trudy

Katie

Tricia

Stacy

Cassie

Laurie

Now this sneak peek is for the adorable 2-step stamping set (try and say that 3 times fast!!) Circle Chit Chat. Another sign of spring, a little chick and soft pastel colors!! I love the phrase for this one, Let's Chic Chat. A very simple card I know, but still fun to make!! More cards that are fun to look at and leave comments on can be found here:

Katie

Linda B.

Nancy

Sarah

Laurie

I have more sneak peeks to share with you over the next three days so be sure and stop by. Have a wonderful day!

It's a Color Challenge!

On the Little Paper Shop blog, they're hosting a color challenge this week -- Kraft, Chocolate and Kiwi. Just yesterday I received my Flourishes order and couldn't wait to dive into it! I used the set Irish Blessings, stamping it in Memento Rich Cocoa and coloring it in with Copic markers. Not the best of pics, I know, but at midnight lighting wasn't working in my favor!!! Of course I had to add some stitching...since I don't use my sewing machine to make clothes any more, gotta put it to good use somehow!!! Colors of cardstock include Chocolate chip, Close to cocoa, Kraft, Vanilla, and Kiwi kiss. The DSP I found in my scrap bin. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

Fishy Friend

Okay, my crazy busy week at work is over so I can breathe!!!! I was so exhausted yesterday that I called and canceled a stamping evening with a friend!!! Now that's tired!!!! I wanted to show you a card I made using the Stamp of the Month, Sweet Circles, by Clear Dollar Stamps. This set is free with any $50 order!!! This was my lazy rendition of the modern grid technique! What's lazy about it you ask...I used grid paper I got from PaperTrey Ink! Randomly stamped the fish, then came back and marked the grid lines with a permanent marker. Simple!!!!

Celebrate

I don't often refer to mice as "cute," but these guys really are!! They were created using the set Circle Somethings from Clear Dollar Stamps. I love two step stamping, and it couldn't be easier with this set of clear stamps. There are so many possibilities!! Also, please check out Lori's blog, Katie has a wonderful tutorial about embellishing embellishments! School is closed AGAIN today!!! Unbelievable how much snow we keep on getting. Stay warm and have a wonderful Tuesday.

God Is Love

Happy Monday!! Can you believe we are expected to get more snow today into tomorrow??!! What's six more inches on top of 2 feet?!! Here's a card I made for my February sneak peeks using the stamp set Peace for the Journey from Clear Dollar Stamps. Even though I am learning and enjoying coloring my images, my first love is the solid stamp, and this set is full of some lovely ones. I inked and embossed the cross in gold then cut it out, popping it up on the oval. I inked and embossed the swirls onto the black layer as well. Other colors of cardstock include Very vanilla, Brushed gold and Handsome hunter (or is Forest Foliage?? I so rarely use it I'm not sure which color it is!).

I need to go get ready for work. Then I need to finish up my sneak peeks for March (what, March already...yep, it's just around the corner.).

Happy Saturday! Just got home from work, ate lunch, put in some laundry, and decided to hit the computer before heading in to do some stamping. I made this card for a friend of mine who injured her foot and needed a little "pick me up." I used the stamp set Plumes and Blooms by Clear Dollar Stamps. I stamped the large plume on the DSP just to dress it up a little bit. And one of the blooms was stamped on white and over stamped with the sentiment (from Church Chatter) in black. I like the pop of the black butterfly. Now time to deliver it, she just lives down the hill!!

Gigi, the Glitzy Giraffe

Let me tell you, getting snowed in isn't all that it's cracked up to be!!!! Kids went back to school for the first time this week - thank goodness for small miracles!!!! They have needed constant entertainment and supervision because they are so out of their routine. Even sending them outside didn't last long enough, it was way too cold! And this meant no stamping time for me like I thought I might!!! I did get a card done for the Clearly Inspired Challenge over on the Clear Dollar Stamps blog. The theme this time is to "Glitz it Up" by using anything that sparkles and shine on your card or project. I used Gigi Giraffe, using Copic markers and a bit of Stickles on her spots. During my cleaning and organizing phase (didn't last very long!!!) I ran across this baby themed paper by Making Memories called Animal Crackers as well as the felt star brads. I simply couldn't resist putting it to use. To the brads I added the rhinestones and added some zig zag stitching as well. Please play along with the challenge, you could win a free stamp set of your choice if you do!!!!!

Make a Wish

What a weekend -- 2 feet of snow fell Friday afternoon into Saturday morning!!!! What a wonderful excuse to stay indoors and stamp!!! I got this one done, and just in time, for the ColourQ Challenge of Melon mambo, So saffron, Old olive, Baja breeze and White. I had just received this adorable Rachelle Anne Miller image called Peek-a-boo thru Wish RAK and couldn't wait to color him up. I used my copic markers for that. Also sent the bottom layer thru my sewing machine as well as a strip of scrap DSP that I sewed in place on the inside (Linda, I blame that on you!!!!!!!). The sentiment is from Clear Dollar Stamps called Birthday Celebration. Thanks for stopping by. Schools around here are already closed for tomorrow. And I just heard we are expecting more accumulating snow Tuesday and Wednesday. Where is spring???!!!