Mojo Monday 79 Sketch Challenge Pretty Poppies

Happy Sunday afternoon! Glad you had time to stop by and take a look at the Mojo Monday 79 sketch challenge I finished a few minutes ago. I'm leaving town early Tuesday morning to visit my children/grandchildren in Texas and won't have anything to post until I return. This card uses some very old dp (black/white polka dot) and some new papers (Pretty Poppies). Michael's has this dp on sale as well as the floral embellishments; get 'em while they're hot :-D I've wanted to use the floral embellies and when I saw this sketch; thought they would work really well for it. Enjoy your week and may an abundance of blessings chase you down

KWernerdesign.com Color Inspiration #47 Friendship Card

Another challenge accomplished today, the KWernerdesign color inspiration challenge. I'm beginning to think, actually have put lots of thought into my "think" that it's time to take a class or two on colors because this inspiration was definitely a challenge :-D Today is a play day for me; nothing urgent needing my attention (the kitchen and bathroom floors were screaming earlier, but got them to hush with soap and water :-D It's really nice having a day to call your own to simply play with card goodies, although I do miss my sweet hubby who is away in Denver this week, "Hi, Sweetie!" My success rate for having a card selected by Kristina, so far, is zero, zilch, nada, but hey, I'm not a quitter! I check out the winners and see their designs and get feel for something will work for my style. There's probably several of you who like simplicity, while there are others who want to embellish, tie ribbons, add more embellies, add another ribbon, well, you get the idea :-D

I appreciate you stopping by to take a look, and here's wishing your day is as much fun as mine!

Gigi

SSNOTIME80 Easter Card

Hi, thanks for stopping by today; hope you enjoy looking at this cute card made with lots of punches and die cuts :-D There's a "no rules" challenge over at the No Time to Stamp blog that I wanted to play today and since I'm leaving town in a couple of days, I want to have my Easter cards finished and ready to mail before heading out. The bunny was punched using a bunny head (poor thing, no body attached :-D) punch bought a couple of years ago online. The body is the large oval punch from Stampin' Up! and the small oval punch, from SU!, was used for the feet. The dp is from Bella Blvd, which was won as a prize from the Moxie Fab World blog; there's always a prize to win over there! I used scraps to punch out Easter using the Cuttlebug and dies.

Gigi

Happy Easter Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #6

Hope your day has gone well and is even better tomorrow. Had a busy one myself and got a lot accomplished. My sweet hubby is out of town and we're not seeing each other until next week. I plan to get as much card crafting done as possible. The goal is to get Easter cards made and mailed by Monday. Have you started on your Easter cards yet? If you have any great ideas for layouts or even colors, please share; I really like learning new things. In fact, one goal, each day, is to learn something new. It can be a new word, a new technique, a new procedure at the office, or simply learning how to be a kinder and more understanding woman as I become older.

I went blog hopping today and visited Makeesha Byl's lovely blog. This young woman is extremely talented and it was nice looking at her creations. She apparently hosts sketch challenges and since I'm always on the look out for new sketches that are doable :-D I wanted to play hers.

I'm trying to figure out what exactly is the "going" thing with card crafting these days :-D My taste seems a little too much when compared to cards that are published or recognized by other contemporary crafters. I really worked hard to tone this card down, yeah, right :-D Anywhoo, my sister, in California, won't know any difference and will appreciate the card since it was made with love!

Thanks for stopping by and looking today; I really appreciate people who take time to visit.

Gigi

Supplies:
Stamps: None
Paper: Textured blue and yellow (source unknown), Select White (PTI), dp Easter Eggs (Reminisce)
Accessories: sml flower punch, oval Nesties, brads, computer generated sentiment, CB ef, self adhesive die cut border stickers (Reminisce)

Huge Blog Magnolia Candy Give Away from Pretty Pressings!

Happy Monday! I found a blog about a month ago where you can find some of the most beautiful card creations made by Claudia Rosa, who designs for Magnolia stamps. If you're interested in trying to win a prize of six sets of these cute stamps, please visit Pretty Pressings and enter your name. She has a few rules to follow, but nothing you can't handle :-D Good luck!

Friends SFYTT 032109

Have you ever gotten into a creative slump where it seems as if nothing is working and you find yourself throwing too much paper, etc away because it doesn't look "good enough?" Somedays you feel an idea running around in your head, so you dash into the "studio" (my guest bedroom :-D and begin pulling out papers, ink, etc. and start. Actually the start is never finished because the idea wasn't working out as envisioned :-D Well, it happens, and it happens often to me; my "idea" has been dumped into the trash can :-( One of the reasons I began playing sketch challenges was to explore other ways to make a card; I found myself using the same layout time after time because it felt "comfortable." If you haven't taken the plunge, check out a couple of blogs and begin playing. Sometimes you'll find a sketch or color inspiration that is extremely user-friendly and other days you'll wonder why you even attempted to become another Sherry Cheever or Becca Feeken :-D Bottom line: I hope you're having as much fun learning new techniques, ideas, and playing challenges as I am. If you like this sketch, click on over to Jen del Muro's blog for more info. Enjoy a happy week, and thanks so much for stopping by to "smell the flowers." Gigi

Happy Easter! TECC60 Sketch Challenge

Happy Easter! The cards are made using some of the yummy dp purchased in Gettysburg last week. I didn't exaggerate when you read that plenty of paper was bought at that great LSS; check out their online store. These cards are for very young granddaughters; my husband is leaving a week sooner than me (I'm working :-( and is taking these with him to hand out to the girls. Taylor's sketch works perfect for the Easter cards, at least I think it does :-D Much of what is used on the cards is a few years old, such as the brads, the chick sticker, the bunny with the bow and the egg punch. I tried updating the "older" stuff by using CB efs, MS punches, Spellbinders oval nesties, and some lovely lime ribbon purchased in NYC at the Kate Spade store. The punched eggs were cut with an inexpensive decorative scissor from Mike's. I think that SCS has a challenge to use "older" stuff. It seems as if anything that's not used within 6 months or so becomes outdated, so having an opportunity to update supplies becomes economically efficient :-D

Thanks so much for stopping by; hope you enjoyed your visit.

Gigi

Hello, Mita!

This card is for Mita, saying hello from across the waters, here in Virginia. I mentioned in a previous post that she sent a gift package, from Sweden, that contained ooodles of goodies from her country and the cute butterfly is one of the many charms she included in the gift. It's fun using gifts and letting the person know how much you appreciate them. I'm fairly new to the blogging world and haven't established many friendships, so when Mita came into my life, it was really nice; she became one of my first "blog" friends.

If you have an opportunity to establish a friendship, via the blog world, take time to let your friend know how much you appreciate the time and effort they make to nuture your friendship. Some of you readers have so many blog friends that it would probably 24/7 to thank them for all they have done to make your life sweeter or kinder and that's okay because it simply means you have what it takes to maker someone else feel "special" like Mita :-D

Kwernerdesign.com Color Inspiration #46

Am hoping that I have made this card in time for the Kwernerdesign.com color challenge; there is a deadline and think it's west coast time. I'll find out soon enough if Mr. Linky takes it or not :-D

I Was Picture Tagged!

I was picture tagged by Sherry Cheever, who by the way, has some really cute pics on her blog this morning. This picture was taken in Montreal, Canada in a quaint bistro in Old Town, during an anniversary trip during 2008; isn't my hubby a cutie? :-D We also took a road trip to Quebec, which has a beautiful and interesting Old Town to explore, if you enjoy shopping and eating delicious food :-D The language spoken in Montreal and Quebec is predominately French (beautiful to hear), but almost everyone speaks English, especially in shops and restaurants. We brought home some wonderful memories and are already looking forward to visiting Quebec again.



Here are the rules to play:



•Open your photo folder on your computer

•Open the 6th folder of photos

•Select the 6th picture

•Post the picture on your blog with a description

•Invite six friends to join the challenge

•Link your six friends to your blog post



Here are my blog buddies: Mita, MissCutiePie

Howdy! Another Wacky Wednesday Challenge

My grandson, from Texas, is leaving tomorrow; he spent his spring break with my husband and me this week. I want to thank my daughter for allowing him to fly to Virginia, alone, to celebrate his 13th birthday doing fun things and visiting interesting places. This is her thank you card. Thank you, mi hija! The designer paper (Creative Imaginations, Debbie Mumm design) was bought in Gettysburg, too. I made out like a bandit, in Gettysburg, buying pretty, cute, and functional paper (is there such a thing as functional paper? :-D No, well don't tell that to my sweet hubby...ha ha! Since Rubbernecker suggests using one of the company's stamps, I chose the "howdy" from the Cowboy set (sku 39-0304060) to use for the sentiment. It was inked with brown Colorbox pigment ink and embossed with clear powder. The chipboard embellishments were purchased along with the paper; there are several more to use and now I'm wishing I had bought more paper :-( Guess I'll call the owner and see if he can mail some more (good idea, Gigi!)

Enjoy the day and may happy thoughts take over,
Gigi

Supplies:
Stamps: Cowboy set (Rubbernecker)
Ink: Brown (Colorbox pigment ink)
Paper: Creative Imaginations, Debbie Mumm design, vanilla (PTI), Chocolate Chip (SU!), turquoise (unknown)
Accessories: Creative Imaginations, Debbie Mumm adhesive chipboard, rick rack, star punch (SU!), CB ef, rectangle die (Spellbinders)

Wacky Wednesday Challenge 03_18_09 for My Special Friend

I'm playing the Rubbernecker Wacky Wednesday challenge again this week using a beautiful stamp called Bold Tulips (sku 168-05). Remember to check out the blog and the online store because there's plenty of incentives to play, win, and buy (you can get some free stamps!) The tulips were inked with Memento Tuxedo Black colored with Prismacolor and Copic markers. The vanilla cream paper was sponged using Scattered Straw and Tea Dye ink from Ranger Industries. The paper was purchased in Gettysburg. The rub on is from a slab Autumn Leaves made for Pretty Poppies. The red rhinestones were purchased at Michael's. The black ribbon is also from Michael's.

My special friend, Mita, is experiencing some physical problems, so this card goes to her wishing a quick recovery so that she can get back to crafting.

Thank you for taking a peek today; I appreciate your time looking.

Gigi

Mojo Monday 78...Thank you, Mita!

Good morning! My hubby, visiting grandson, and I took a trip to Pennsylvania this week. We stopped in Gettysburg for a history lesson learning about one of the most famous Civil war battles that took place there. I'm glad we were able to take my grandson on this trip because he's old enough to understand the reasons the war was fought and what the consequences were for the entire nation. Okay, enough of history, let's get on to some light stuff. The last time I visited Gettysburg, we drove by a scrapbook store; unfortunately it was closed :-( But, when we drove by on this trip, it was open!!!!! I expected to find patriotic papers and embellishments, but my oh my, there was more than imagined and not enough time to go through it, one by one because this store was once a home, so each room was filled to the brim with papers, embellies, etc. :-D I didn't realize that we had gotten there just before the store closed, but the owners were nice enough to allow me to roam to my heart's content....ahhhhhhhhhh Anywhoo, I came home with plenty of new papers to use, including some really cute Easter/spring ones. The paper used for this card was located in the Disney section, which I normally don't stop and check out (no more little ones in our house :-( I couldn't resist buying it, why? It has three of my favorite colors, red, black, and white. If you visit this blog often enough, you'll see plenty of yellow thrown in too, so I was thrilled to bring it home and make good use of it :-D

A precious friend from Sweden, Mita, sent the darling stamp along with a huge stash of other embellishments and papers that are made in Scandanavian countries; I couldn't wait to get her inked up and colored! Isn't she adorable stamped and colored? I'm not sure where this image was made or what her name is, but can probably bet it was in Sweden. I saw the Mojo Monday challenge sketch and thought that image and paper worked perfect for it, so here it is! The paper is actually one piece, but I added some black ribbon and a strip of adhesive border below the ribbon. The polka dot flower was purchased in Gettysburg; thought it was cute enough to use with the paper. I colored a frosted flower with a Prismacolor marker and topped both with a black fabric one and inserted a red brad to the center. The main image was inked up with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Prismacolor and Copic markers. I took some Scattered Straw Distress reinker and splattered the white background before cutting out the girl and adhering her to it. I know some crafters really like the stark white background, but it's still difficult for me to use it unless it's required for a challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out the challenge; hope you like it, or left with some inspiration, or even a smile.

Gigi

Things Used:
Stamps: Unknown from Sweden
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper: Select White, True Black (PTI), Magic Mix Up, Magic Dots (Reminisce)
Accessories: Brads, fabric/plastic flowers, Prismacolor and Copic markers, ribbon, Adhesive borders (Reminisce)

Wacky Wednesday Challenge Card Winner!

I just found out that my card submitted last week for the Wacky Wednesday Challenge was chosen as one of the winners over at Rubbernecker Stamp Co. I also couldn't wait to share the good news! It certainly does make someone's day getting recognized for doing something with pride, not to mention the inspiration drawn from talented and creative card makers, such as the DT over at Rubbernecker, so thank you for selecting my card for this challenge. I'm going to enjoy using my discount buying some other wonderful stamps I've had my eye on for some time :-D

Thanks for taking time to read this post; I really appreciate it!

Gigi

New Blog Banner

If you're a regular reader, you'll notice something a little different on the blog today. Jami Bova, a blog banner and watermark designer, created this cute blog banner; I love the flowers and doodles along with my favorite colors, red, black and white. I've wanted a banner design showing some of my personality and I think she did a great job putting it together. Thanks, Jami.

CPS107 Krazy Kuts Tweet Bird

A few weeks ago, I won a prize by entering a comment on Moxie Fab World's blog and was sent some really cute spring time paper and die cuts. Thanks, Cath! There's always a prize to win on this blog; in fact, Papertrey is giving away 12 different stamp sets to some lucky winners this week! I wanted to play the CPS sketch challenge again this week, so here's my entry. The letters for "Tweet" were die cut using the Cuttlebug. I used Spellbinders Labels One for the main image. The kraft paper was crimped for the bottom half of the card; the crimper isn't used as much as it was a few years ago :-D A couple of rhinestone hearts were added for an extra embellishment. Pink gingham ribbon was added since the bird is a very femme :-D The sun and cute bee are from the die cut sheet, too.

Thanks so much for looking today; hope you can come back and visit again,

Gigi

RAK from Mita

Today there was a beautiful RAK card from Mita! Talk about making someone's day that much more special, she sure did a great job of making mine. Isn't that butterfly gorgeous? Wish you could see the dp IRL; it simply sparkles, especially the butterflies. I'm also impressed with my name being on the card, too; it's the first time anyone has done something so special with it. Thank you, Mita, for becoming a good friend across the miles (she lives in Sweden); I'm so thankful for your kind spirit and friendship.

SFYTT Pure Summer

Although today is wet and gloomy looking, this card makes me think of summer, especially with the color combination of black, yellow and white. While the guys are away, I got to play another challenge. This is the weekly SFYTT sketch challenge Jen del Muro has each Saturday. It's a fun one and I especially like the fact that a new border punch was used. Clear stamps from Target were stamped and colored with Copic and Prismacolor markers. One piece of dp is so old I was afraid that it would begin to disintegrate while cutting it...ha ha! The other piece was recently purchased from the Paper Source Store, but I don't have the name. The stamped sentiment image is from the Flourishes Poppy set. I sponged the main image as well as the sentiment with Distress Inks purchased from Rubbernecker (don't forget to check out their blog and play. ) The bling is from Mike's and there are black brads, too. Ribbon is from the stash. The rub on is from Pretty Poppies (Autumn Leaves). Thanks so much for looking; hope you were inspired by at least one item or idea.

Enjoy a week filled with blessings and much love,

Gigi

Precious Mojomonday Sketch Challenge #77

My oldest grandson, Kole, is visiting from Texas this week! It seems like ages since we last saw one another because he has grown at least 2" and his "Gigi" has spread about the same sideways :-D My husband and I are excited to have him with us; young people tend to keep old people young at heart, don't you think? This evening the "guys" went to a pro basketball game, which left me some time to play challenges....yay!!! This card was made using the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #77. I like to use dp that is double-sided because you can coordinate the paper easily. The papers used today are from K&Co, Que Sera Sera (I use to sing that song, which was recorded by Doris Day; anyone know who that is? :-D There is a rub on, Spellbinders doodle parts, bling from Mike's, and a Pretty Poppies flower (Autumn Leaves) that are used to embellish the card. Circle punches from SU! are used, too.

Thanks so much for looking today and may your week fill up with an abundance of blessings,

Gigi

Precious Supplies:
Stamps: None
Paper: Select White, True Black (PTI), DP (K&Co.)
Ink: None
Accessories: Fabric flower, bling, rub on, Spellbinders die, circle punches

Wacky Wednesday Challenge with Rubbernecker

Hello! Hey, have you tried playing the Wacky Wednesday challenge over at Rubbernecker today? You can win a prize with your entry. It's easy peasy; just click on over to Rubbernecker and check it out! Today's challenge, issued by Kittie, requires a card using any type of flap. Another suggestion is using a stamp purchased from Rubbernecker. This high heel is one of my favorite stamps; there are so many color combinations you can use with it and several cute sentiments to add on. I used a quote sentiment by Bette Midler; this one was bought at Rubbernecker as well as the high heel.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: High heel, sentiment (Rubbernecker)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Distress Inks (Ranger)
Paper: Select White, True Black (PTI), Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel (SU!)
Accessories: Labels One (Spellbinder), twine and ribbon (SU!), CB ef, button, pop dots, Prismacolor markers

CPS106 Sketch Challenge "Thanks a Bunch!"

"Thanks a Bunch" for looking today; hope your day is filled with an abundance of blessings and lots of fun! I played another challenge this weekend; you can find it over on the CPS blog site.

Stuff I used:
Stamp: None
Paper: Sabrina (Making Memories); True Black, Select White (PTI)
Ink: None
Accessories: Misc punches, flower template (Miss Cutie Pie), rub ons (SU!), brad (Making Memories), bling, ribbon

SFYTT 03/07/09 Smile!

This "Smile" card is for you, why? You're reading my blog and hopefully you have a smile on your face looking at the bright yellow flower and reading the sentiment :-D I played the SFYTT weeklysketch challenge Jen del Muro has on her blog. Red, black, and white are three of my most favorite colors, so adding a yellow flower gives this card a huge POP!

Things I used for "Smile"
Stamps: None
Ink: None
Paper: True Black, Select White, Pure Poppy (PTI); Just Add Salt (Luxe); Pretty Poppies Flower Accents (Autumn Leaves)
Accessories: Ribbon, bling (K&Co), border punch (MS), Fabric Flower (Autumn Leaves), rub on (SU!)

ATC Wacky Wednesday Challenge on 3/4/09--Time Traveler

Oooooo, have you ever found yourself trying a challenge that is totally and completely out of your comfort zone? Yes, I thought so :-D Sherry Cheever is on the design team for Rubbernecker Stamp Company and posted a challenge on Wednesday to create an ATC (never have made one and looking over the rest of the design team's pretties, this is probably my last attempt :-D Reason #1 that I wasn't comfortable is because it's much smaller than my normal card size (if it's too large, I'm sweating, too :-D Reason #2, I'm not sure that this is actually an ATC because the time piece overlaps the card. But, I forged ahead and went with my gut instinct, you know, something with fashion and I have plenty of those stamps, such as the Travel bg stamp from Rubbernecker. Mr. Rubbernecker, David Miller, is giving away a 25% discount coupon to 3 participants each week, so check out the site and see what great stuff he has in his store. There are some requirements, such as using a stamp purchased from the company. He also has more incentives to shop, so as soon as you leave here, "click" on over there! Since the "Mike" store in my area doesn't carry very many Distress Inks or reinkers, I get mine from Rubbernecker. Time to give your eyeballs a break and sign off for now, but before you go, thanks so much for stopping by and checking out this ATC.

Stuff I Used:
Stamps: Travel bg (Rubbernecker), 20's Flapper (Alpha Stamps)
Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI), Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!), Scattered Straw and Tea Dye (Ranger from Rubbernecker Stamp Co.)
Toys: Time piece (Heidi Swapp), adhesive half pearls, lace, brad (SU!), window punch (SU!), computer generated sentiment

Party Hearty with Color Inspiration #44 KWernerDesign

For the longest time I checked out Kristina Werner's blog simply to see what her colors inspired others to create. There are so many creative and talented card crafters whose work I enjoy seeing every day. Lately I've felt that there's time to create a card using Kristina's inspirational colors, so for the past two weeks, I've submitted a card on her blog, including this one. These colors are fun to use, so if you're up to it, go by and see what others have created on her blog, or simply play, too!

Winter Morning at the Bird Feeder

Spring isn't too far, but we experienced a beautiful winter scene on Monday morning. My husband took this great picture of a beautiful cardinal perching on a branch shortly after eating at the bird feeder. My husband and I enjoy the birds who flock to eat and perch outside of our balcony as well as the squirrels that provide entertainment, with their funny antics, especially when they're eating or trying to break into the bird feeder :-D I mentioned to my daughter that when the time comes for me to live in a rest home, she needs to find a place that has a window view of trees and squirrels for me to see :-D Enjoy your day and if you're a stamper, please create something that will make someone's day special. Thanks for visiting!

Gigi

SSNOTIME76 Spring Time Card Challenge

We had some major snowfall yesterday, which is unusual for this area; it's beautiful to see from where we live (next to a wildlife preserve.) I've had Sharon Johnson's (No Time to Stamp blog) challenge in mind for a couple of days and decided that today was perfect for making a spring time card :-D The main image was stamped several times with a clear stamp, Flowers Stamps (Autumn Leaves), which was purchased from Target. It was colored with Prismacolor markers and cut with Nesties. Self adhesive half pearls were added to the centers of the flowers as well as to the clear (Heidi Swapp)/paper flower (this was colored to match the bright paper with Prismacolor markers). Small half pearls were adhered to the black and white border paper, Pretty Poppies (Autumn Leaves), punchout (Martha Stewart punch). The bright paper was embossed with the CB D'Vine Swirls ef. Thanks for looking and may your day seem like spring before leaving the blog :-D

Gigi

Kwernerdesign.com Color Inspiration #43 SFYTT_022809 Sketch Challenge

Today I played two challenges: Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration and SFYTT's. The color challenge was definitely difficult because I normally pick outrageously loud and bright colors for my cards. But, since I love coloring images, this turned out to be a lot of fun and good therapy, too :-D The sketch is a great one this week; it really was easy to use and worked out fine for the color inspiration challenge (yay, two challenges in one card!) The main image was sponged lightly with Ranger Distress Inks and cut with a Labels Two die from Spellbinders. The pumpkin pie cs was inked with SU! Polka Dots bg stamp (my chicken wire bg stamp hasn't arrived yet :-D The old olive cs was embossed with CB's Swiss Dots. This card was definitely out of my comfort zone, but still fun to make. Thanks for "peeping" today!

Gigi

Stuff Used:

Stamps: Inkadinkado, Polka Dots (SU!)

Paper: All SU!

Ink: Black Tuxedo (Memento), Scattered Straw and Tea Dye (Ranger)

Accessories: Prismacolor markers, button, Nesties Labels Two, CB ef, twill ribbon and twine (SU!), Fiskars punch, corner punch (SU!)

A New Little Someone Baby Card

A friend of mine is having her first baby soon in Colorado, a blessing after so many attempts to conceive, and this is the card that was mailed along with her baby shower gift. The majority of the ingredients used to make this card are retired from SU!; the papers and ribbon were a hostess gift (Simply Scrapping set.) I used chalks to color the bunny and markers for the eyes and nose. Light blue chalk was lightly added with a cotton ball around the bunny to give the white cs some color. The baby blue paper was embossed and the border was made with a Martha Stewart punch. How many of you know that it's really difficult to punch a heavier card stock with Martha Stewart's punches? I had to find out the hard way, but eventually it worked out fine. Using lighter weight works much better. Circle Nesties were used for the main image. Hope my friend likes this card as much as I do :-D