Mini Card Sets

Here is one of the mini card sets (3" x 3") that I made for my Stamp Club.

I used the Punch Potpourri Level 1 Hostess set.

And this one.

I used the Strength & Hope set for this.

They were really fun to make.  The tutorial for the holder is in the Splitcoaststampers resources.

I'll be back later with a challenge card.

Scrappin' Sunday on Tuesday

My friend Sue at Sharing What I Love has a special feature on Sunday's.  She calls it Scrappin' Sunday and she makes a card from her scraps.  Everything is scraps except the base card.

I have a ton of scraps.

Really, you wouldn't believe how many I have.

The scraps seem to multiply.  I use them, but the bags still get fuller.

So I'm going to do Scrappin' Sundays with Sue.

I'm late.  But you're used to that aren't you?

Do you have scraps?  Follow the link above to Sue's blog and get some good ideas.  Then add your card to her linky.  We'll have lots of scrappin' ideas in one place.

One advantage of being late is that the CAS challenge at SCS yesterday was a sketch inspired by mocjen (Jennie).

Two birds with one stone so to speak.

But wait, the TLC Challenge at SCS yesterday was to do patchwork.

Sometimes being late has it's advantages.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Strength & Hope

Ink:  Whisper White

Paper:  Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, DSP, Daffodil Delight

Accessories:  White EP, Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Fine gauge wire

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I love all the comments and hope to get time to comment on your cards too.  Wish I didn't need to sleep!

Enjoy!

Butterfly Garden

I combined 4 challenges today.  I don't usually get that many challenges in since I like to keep my cards clean & simple.  But I think I got them all in and still kept to my goal.

The layout is from this card made by the SCS Featured Stamper, Carly.  Her gallery name is PaperInBloom.  I love her clean and simple style!  I flipped the card, changed the images and colors and used a butterfly instead of a button.

This also qualifies for the Stamping Up Only challenge to do a card with May Flowers.

And the Friday Mashup is Ribbon or Pearls and All Things Girls.

Finally, I will send this to the Less is More Challenge to do a card with Butterfly/Butterflies.  Yeah, I know I've already done one with this challenge, but I'd like to share this one too.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Strength & Hope, Silhouette Sentiments
Ink:  Perfect Plum, SU Markers (Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake), VersaMark
Paper:  Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Accessories:  Clear EP, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Basic Pearls & Rhinestones

Thanks for stopping by. 

Enjoy!

Bonnie

Inspired by Joanne

Today, Joanne, aka sleepyinseattle, is Queen for the Day at SCS.  I have been a fan of Joanne's versatile style for quite some time.  My biggest problem was deciding which of her cards to CASE!  I chose this one.

Here's mine.....

I didn't use the blended pencil technique.  I should have, but I inked this with markers and changed the colors.  I used a different butterfly too.  The butterfly is stamped with black then smacked with VersaMark and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Inspired by Nature, Strength & Hope
Ink:  Black StazOn, VersaMark, SU Markers (Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip)
Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Accessories:  Clear EP, Color Spritzer Tool

Congratulations Joanne!  I hope you enjoy your reign and are treated like a queen for the next week.

I almost forgot.  I'm entering this in the Stampin B's challenge to do a Springtime scene.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Enjoy!

Bonnie

Playing with Butterflies

I tried something new with the butterfly in the Strength & Hope set.  Well new to me anyway.  I haven't seen this done yet but I'm sure someone out there has thought of it too.

I stamped the butterflies with VersaMark on different colors of card stock, sprinkled with black embossing powder and heated them up.  I love the colors showing through and it's easier than embossing then painting these dainty creatures!

Then, of course, I had to cut them out.

Here's the finished card.



I had a hard time getting a photo of this.  For some reason all the pictures were blurred or else they were so shiny that you coundn't see any detail.  They're not the best pictures, but hopefully you can get the idea.

I'm going to enter it in these challenges.....

SUO18 -  In Celebration of Butterflies.

The Friday Mashup #5 - Embossing Nature. 

         1. Make a card inspired by nature
         2. Make a card with embossing on it somewhere on it.

         3. MASH it all up and create a nature card that uses embossing somewhere on it!

I've been wanting to play along with the new Friday Mashup challenge for several weeks.  I'm so glad I finally got to do it!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Strength & Hope
Ink:  VersaMark
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango
Accessories:  Black EP, Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, fine guage black wire (for antennae)

Don't forget that Stampin' Up! will donate $2.00 from the sale of each stamp set to BCRF (The Breast Cancer Research Foundation).

Thanks so much for visiting here today. And thank you for the wonderful comments you have been leaving. They make my day!

Enjoy!

Bonnie

More Strength and Hope

I had computer problems yesterday that brought me to a grinding halt as far as posting was concerned.  I think I have things worked out, but it took hours!

I was so happy that I could post a card today.  Then Luke had other ideas and I ended up pushing a truck with him for a while.  The days just aren't quite long enough!  But he will be grown and I'll be glad that I took the time to push a truck with him.  Besides, he gives great, sloppy 3 yr. old hugs!

This is for the Saturday Sketch Challenge at Stamping 411.

Here's the sketch .....

Don't forget that when you purchase this Strength & Hope stamp set, Stampin' Up! will donate $2.00 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).  What a good cause and a beautiful stamp set to boot!

I used the colors from the Color Challenge at SCS this week, Black Cherry Crumbs.  In other words, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Black and Ivory or White for the neutral.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Strength & Hope
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice EF,  Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Basic Pearls, Permanent Marker

Thanks so much for coming to visit today.  And I really appreciate all the lovely comments you have been leaving.

Enjoy!

Bonnie

Butterfly Blues

This lovely butterfly is from the upcoming Summer Mini Catalog.  It's called Strength & Hope and Stampin' Up! will donate $2.00 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for every set that is purchased.

You can see other cards using this set here and here.

This time I used elements left over from my last Stamp Stack.  This  butterfly fit perfectly on the ovals I had already cut.

Oval-icious was the theme for the Ways to Use It challenge at SCS last Thursday.   So I'm going to post this over there. (As usual, I'm late.)

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Strength & Hope, Bird on a Branch

Ink:  Marina Mist, BAsic Black, Basic Black SU Marker

Paper:  Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Big Shot, Elegant Lines EF, Ovals die, Baja Seam Binding, Basic Pearls (colored with a permanent marker)

My company is gone and I got my stamp room back this afternoon.  I was able to get a couple of cards made.  I  can't wait to share them with you.

I'm so glad that you came to visit.

Enjoy!

Bonnie

A Real Challenge

I  have been struggling with this card since Sunday!  The Less is More challenge this week is to use Acetate.  I was tempted to pass up this particular challenge, because I don't like working with this medium.  But I've been a LIMette (the name they've given us LIM groupies) since the first challenge and didn't want to break my record.  And challenges aren't supposed to be easy!

I didn't have much acetate and what little I had didn't last long with the first few tries.  This was the last teeny, tiny scrap!

Then I had a hard time photographing this card.  The butterfly was blurred in every picture I took.  I guess it's the reflection.  Anyway, I had to lay it down on the floor and stand directly over it to get a somewhat clear shot.  I think it's still a bit blurred.  It looks better IRL.

There's scoring around the butterfly window.  I don't know that you can see it in the picture.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Strength & Hope, Thoughts & Prayers
Ink:  Black StazOn
Paper:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Acetate
Accessories:  Basic Pearls (colored with a black permanent marker)

We've had beautiful weather here in NC.  Maybe that's part of the reason that I am struggling with designs.  It's too nice to stay inside!

Thanks for stopping in to visit.

Enjoy!

Bonnie

Sneak Peak

The One Layer Wednesday challenge this week is to do a Sympathy Card.  The challenge part is that we can't use a tree or flower.  The majority of my stamps are flowers with some trees thrown in!  And of course it has to be on a One Layer Card; defined as one piece of cardstock folded in half.  No layers.

I had just pre-ordered this set that will be in the Summer Mini catalog so it was sitting right on top.  That butterfly was just staring at me and I had to see what it could do.

I stamped it in VersaMark and heat embossed it with black embossing powder.  Then I layed a template of the large oval from the oval die and traced the oval with a black SU Marker.

Then I laid the oval cut from the template over the traced oval and sponged Crumb Cake ink all around.  It looked kind of flat so I went back and added a bit of Cherry Cobbler sponging too.

Then I did this one

I had bought this Cuttlebug Embossing Folder a while back and finally got around to using it.  The non SU stuff seems to take a back burner.  I used the same technique for the butterfly and then sponged a some Baja Breeze around the butterfly and on the edges of the card too.

Those butterflies were just begging for some bling.  At first I though no because these are for a somber occassion.  Then I thought that in expressing sympathy, we are also celebrating the life of the person who has been taken from us.  So each got one (tasteful, I hope) little stone.

I'm not sure which one I like the best. 

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Strength & Hope, Beautiful Borders (retired), Teeny, Tiny Wishes
Ink:  VersaMark, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze
Paper:  Whisper White
Accessories:  Big Shot, EF, Basic Rhinestones

By the way, the Summer Mini goes live on May 1.  This set, Strength & Hope has 3 more stamps, and best of all, $2.00 from the purchase of this set will be sent to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  I can't wait to get my pink out with this set!

I'm so glad you stopped by today. Enjoy!

Bonnie