WCMD Challenge #1

I found this monochromatic challenge here at StampingMathilda for Just Johanna's World Card Making Day celebration. Base is a 5x5 square in yellow. The next panel has the faintest yellow stripe that doesn't really show through in the photo. The next layer is stamped with a flower flourish from Studio G (Michael's dollar bin) in Summer Sun. The smallest layer has the sun from SU's In the Sky stamped in Yo Yo Yellow. The sentiment is also stamped in Summer Sun and is from SU's All Year Cheer I. The bow is a piece of cotton twill dyed with a yellow marker and tied through eyelets. Thanks for looking!

Off to do more challenges. I told Justin he could have a turn on the computer after he counted to 100 bongo drum beats and he's at 90, so I'm off!

Seeing Threes

Cruising through the stamping blogosphere yesterday, I came across this challenge from Sharon at No Time To Stamp. 3x3s are something I have not done yet, and I don't know why. They are so fun! And so quick! I'll be making more of these in the future, I can assure you... Here are my debut 3x3s. The challenge was to make 3 of them. The base is brown cs. PP is Frances Meyer East India, which is one of my favorite papers in my stash. The leaf (SU! Tags & More) is stamped in Really Rust on a rust square from a Scrap Pack. Eyelets are rust, and the brads are copper. I paper pierced one around the edge and tied jute on the third one.

This is the last day of my vacation, which was everything I wanted in a week off. I got to putter around, shop, clean, relax and STAMP! I feel recharged, and happy that this is a 3-day weekend, so I don't actually have to report back to work until Tuesday. Also, I still have 2+ weeks of vacation to use before the end of the year, so I can do this again closer to the holidays :)

I've got an eye on my visitor counter, and am thinking that I will do some blog candy sharing at 500 hits. I'm not quite there, yet, but that gives me a goal to look forward to. Thanks for helping me reach it!

RAK For A Cause

Here's my RAK to send to the family mentioned in yesterday's post. I started with a light blue base, which is watermarked with swirls if you look really closely. The floral panel is Sketchy Daisies by Stemma, mounted on a textured mustard panel. The same blue is used for the smaller panel across the bottom and the sentiment (All Year Cheer I) is clear embossed onto a Giga Scalloped Oval punched from the same mustard textured cardstock. I pierced around the scallops to add a little something. Ribbon is from SU! grosgrain collection. Simple, simple, but I hope it brings them a smile.

I also finished my swap cards today. But after they were all sealed and ready to be mailed, I realized I forgot one of the layers I was going to add. Oops. They still look nice without it, but that final layer really made them pop. I'm not tearing them all apart to add it in now, though!

After this week of relaxation, I am tired! How can that be? And is it horrible to say that I have not missed work? Tomorrow is my last day to myself, as my hubby and son will be home with me all weekend. I'm hoping to sneak away for some Card Making Day challenges - we'll see if Justin takes a nap Saturday...

More Shocking Evidence...

Of my spending so much of this vacation in the craft store! Today, I went in for this:

And came out with this:

As I was working on cards for a swap, I realized I needed a bit more paper, just the two colors in the first photo. But while I was there, it was on sale, and then I found a stash of Clearance papers in the front of the store and found some gorgeous rust and dark green for only 8cents a sheet! So how could I NOT get it? Oh, and the punch (not in photo) was purchased with my 40% coupon.

It gets worse - chatting with hubby about how my paper cutter is not such a good quality item, he said "So just get a new one. No sense getting frustrated when you are trying to have fun stamping!" And yes, I hopped onto Joann.com and took advantage of the free shipping. But really, I'm done now. My vacation is half over and I don't want to spend another day running around in traffic!

Working on my swap cards, I didn't get a chance to complete something new today. But here is a second card I made yesterday with the same papers as the Criss Cross card. Stamps are from Fun with Shapes and All Year Cheer I. Handsome Hunter and Going Gray ink. Silver cord and glitter glue for ornaments. I'm going to try it again with different papers tomorrow. Thanks for looking!

Blog Candy for a Cause - check this out

Have you seen Andrea's request for RAKs? The story is heartbreaking and my thoughts are with the family as they go through this trial. I hope you can help, too! Read more here

Hi, I Have to Confess...

ETA: I changed the title of this post because some search bot is screwing up my stats.

...I am a Paperholic.

Seriously, 2 days and FIVE craft stores later, I have more paper in my stash! Ok, so some of it is for a swap I'm making cards for. But the other pieces, they were just pretty. I go to the craft store and just stand in the paper aisle, mind awhirl with all the things that could be done with the gorgeous prints! I can never leave without a few sheets under my arm... Am I alone in this addiction? I don't think I am, or there wouldn't be an entire blogosphere of papercrafters :)

My creations for today were challenge to me. First, I completed a Criss-cross card. What fun! If you have never tried this, check out this tutorial on SCS. If I didn't have 75 Christmas cards to send out, this might be my card of the season. Maybe a select few will get these... I started with hunter green card stock. The pp is Provo Craft Holiday Slab V. The insert base and the band are The Paper Company Glacial Blue cs. Insert is layered with white cs. The sentiment stamps are Everyday Flexible Phrases (perhaps I should have broken out the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up the words better. The Tree and snowflakes on the tab (barely visible) and insert are from Shapes and Shadows, stamped in Handsome Hunter and silver and Brilliance Moonlight White. I used my glitter pen to detail the trees. Ribbon is craft store stock white grosgrain.

I will not go to the craft store tomorrow, I will not go to the craft store tomorrow, I will not go to the craft store tomorrow. But I WILL stay home and play with all my new stuff! Maybe even organize my papers...

Thanks for looking!

Quick and Simple Birthdays

This week, I am on vacation from work!! Yippee, yahoo! I'm so excited to be able to spend some time on myself. Oh, and packing up the kitchen and cooking things for the freezer to have while we are without a kitchen... But still, the amount of time I can spend stamping, reading and relaxing is so much more than usual.

I spent this morning shopping. Went to a Michael's that is not in my regular shopping circle. It was fabulous! They had soooooo much stuff on clearance and had a fresh new batch of stamp sets in the dollar bins. I got a bunch and am saving some for a blog candy giveaway soon. Stay tuned! And if you like the Rock Star line of papers, they had a bunch of them on sale, too!

My niece's birthday is tomorrow. She lives in AZ, so yes, this card will be late. Good thing I have a "belated" stamp, huh? These two cards are nearly identical, so materials are the same. They were super quick and simple, just what I was in the mood for so I could get my mojo flowing. The base is DCWV metallic textured card stock, one in blue, one in lilac. I love this paper!! The stamps used are SU! Border Builders, stems and flowers; Chasing Butterflies by Hambo and new sentiments from Michael's. I knew when I saw the Chasing Butterflies stamp that I wanted the boy to be running through grass to make his catch. The colors are Pink Passion, Lovely Lilac, YoYo Yellow, Pixie Pink and Gable Green and Garden Green. And the sky is sponged with Bashful Blue. The boy is colored using markers and the butterfly trail is dotted with a pure glitter marker. The purple version has lilac eyelets and the blue version has small gold brads in the corners.

Hopefully there will be lots of posts this week. Till then, Thanks for looking!