...Limited Supplies Challenge #148

This was my submission for today's Limited Supplies Challenge at SCS. The title of this one was "Follow The List #6", and here were the rules:

• Stamps : one focal image that could be colored, a sentiment (optional), an image to ground the focal image (i.e. grass, oval, etc. - optional)


• Papers: any shade of white, 2-3 patterns of designer paper, NO OTHER COLORED CARDSTOCK


• Tools: no specialty tools (i.e. punches, CuttleBug, piercer, etc.), any coloring tools could be used, sponges were also acceptable


• Embellishments: one piece of ribbon

Those were the parameters given, so I had to think-up a clean and simple design. Unable to do so, I decided to use a layout that I had used previously on one of my Christmas cards. Here's how it all came together...

The card base is actually a piece of Watercolor Paper that measures 11" X 4-1/4", and when folded in half (to open at the bottom) measures 5-1/2" X 4-1/4". The designer papers (dp) were from the Cerise Designer Series Paper collection from Stampin' Up! The bottom dp measures 4-1/4" X 2-1/4", and the top dp measures 4-1/4" X 2". They are attached to each other using SNAIL Adhesive, then to the card base using Dimensionals after a piece of Red Organdy Ribbon was tied around the left side of the panel. A Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker and a Ruler (that has every 1/8 of an inch marked) were used to add the row of dots above the dp panel (since I couldn't use my Mat Pack).

The focal image is a heart from the upcoming Spring-Summer 2008 Catalog and Idea Book hostess set "Time Well Spent". It was stamped in Black Staz-On ink onto a scrap piece of Watercolor Paper, and colored using a Blender Pen and Real Red ink. Christmas Red Stickles were used to color the inside section of the heart to give it some sparkle, and once it had dried the heart was cut out using CutterBee Scissors. The sentiment is from the current catalog's hostess set "So Many Sayings", and it was also stamped in Black Staz-On ink onto Watercolor Paper. The sentiment was cut out using my Paper Cutter, then attached (with Dimensionals) to a scrap piece of Watercolor Paper that measured 1-1/2" square after the edges of both were sponged in Real Red ink with a Sponge Dauber. The heart was then attached to the square with Dimensionals also.

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend. I hope to see you back with a couple of cards for the Inspiration and Featured Stamper Challenges this weekend. Until then.....Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Time Well Spent, So Many Sayings

Paper: Watercolor, Cerise Designer Series Paper

Ink: Black Staz-On, Real Red

Accessories: stickles, dimensionals, scissors, paper cutter, organdy ribbon, blender pen, ruler, marker, sponge dauber, and adhesive

...Sketch Challenge #156 & Ways To Use It Challenge #146

This is my submission for yesterday's Sketch Challenge and today's Ways To Use It Challenge at SCS. The sketch is pretty self-explanatory, only I flipped it onto its side. The cut circles should be on the top instead of on the left...I always have to be different! Today's challenge was to use Staz-On ink in some way, so I used mine on the sentiment. I absolutely love the colors I used for this card, too! The colors are as follows: Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, and Groovy Guava. I will refer to them from now on as olive, nqn, and guava.

The card base is olive and measures 10" X 5-1/4", and when folded in half to open at the right measures 5" X 5-1/4". The next layer up is nqn, and it measures 4-7/8" square. I used BasicGrey's Infuse Paper Pad for the next layer, and it measures 4-13/16" square. The green frame is also from the Infuse Paper Pad, and cut out using the Coluzzle Cutting System. The sentiment is on a scrap piece of Vellum that had been mounted onto a piece of nqn cardstock. The sentiment is from the set "All Holidays", and stamped in Staz-On White Opaque ink directly onto the vellum. The flower from "In the Spotlight" were stamped in guava (twice) and olive onto Whisper White cardstock. Crystal Stickles were added to the centers and petals of each of the flowers, then each flower was punched out using the 5-Petal Punch after the Stickles had dried. Each layer was attached to the others using SNAIL Adhesive. The flowers were popped up off of the card using Dimensionals, and a piece of Groovy Guava Double-Stitched Ribbon was added to the folded edge to finish it off.

That's it for today! Thanks so much for stopping by to check this out! I hope to see you all again tomorrow with a card for the Limited Supplies Challenge.

Supplies

Stamps: All Holidays, In the Spotlight

Paper: Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, BasicGrey Infuse, Vellum

Ink: Old Olive, Groovy Guava, Staz-On Opaque White

Accessories: 5-petal punch, coluzzle, dimensionals, ribbon, adhesive, stickles

...Technique Lovers' Challenge #148 & Color Challenge #146

This is my submission for yesterday's Technique Lovers' Challenge and today's Color Challenge at SCS. The colors for today are Glorious Green, Green Galore, and Real Red. The technique used is called "expressiomistic". The card base is Glorious Green measuring 5-1/2" X 11", and when folded in half measures 5-1/2" square. The next layer up is Whisper White cardstock that measures 4" X 4-1/2", and the edges are sponged in Green Galore ink with a Sponge Dauber. The focal image is matted in Real Red cardstock that measures 3-7/8" X 4-3/8". The focal panel is Whisper White cardstock that measures 3-3/4" X 4-1/4". The snowflakes are from the sets " Snow Burst" and "Snow Flurries". The largest snowflake is inked up in Green Galore ink, but the stamp is sprayed with water before stamping onto the white cardstock. This causes the image to smear. This technique is done for each of the three large flakes. Once the cardstock dried, I reinked the same large snowflake in Glorious Green, then stamped over the lighter smeared flakes. This is the Expressiomistic Technique. The small flake was stamped in Real Red before sponging the entire panel with Green Galore ink with a Sponge Dauber.

The sentiment is from the set "Warm Words", and was stamped in the lower right-hand corner in Staz-On Black ink. The white focal panel is attached to the red panel using SNAIL Adhesive, then that panel was attached to the bottom white panel using Dimensionals. The entire focal panel was then attached to the card base using Dimensionals again. I added Clear Rhinestones to the centers of the three largest flakes with Mini Glue Dots, and wrapped some Red Organdy Ribbon around the top of the entire focal panel, and tied it off on a knot.

That's it for today! I hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas! My family and I are fixing to go out to eat and go to a movie together, so I will see you all back here tomorrow with a creation for SCS's Sketch Challenge. Until then...Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Snow Burst, Snow Flurries, Warm Words

Paper: Glorious Green, Real Red, Whisper White

Ink: Glorious Green, Green Galore, Real Red, Black Staz-On

Accessories: sponge dauber, rhinestones, ribbon, water bottle with spray nozzle, dimensionals

...Christmas Wishes

Have a Very Merry Christmas! See you all later tomorrow with some new cards!

...Ways To Use It Challenge #145 & Color Challenge #144

This is my submission for yesterday's Ways To Use It Challenge and last week's Color Challenge at SCS. We were to use wrapping supplies to make a card, so I chose to use tissue paper in my card design....it's called the FAUX SILK TECHNIQUE. I will go into more detail in my description as we go along. The card base is Certainly Celery cardstock that measures 8" X 4", and when folded in half makes a 4" square card. The next layer up is a piece of Pumpkin Pie Designer Series Paper that has a floral design on it, and it measures 3-11/16" X 2-7/8". The focal image is Whisper White cardstock that measures 3-1/2" X 2-11/16". I used the bloom from the set "Blossoms Abound", and stamped two in Rose Red ink and two in Pumpkin Pie ink. The edges of the cardstock were sponged with a Sponge Dauber in Certainly Celery ink.

To achieve the faux silk look, I applied a coat of Mod Podge to the entire image panel with a Foam Brush. While it was still wet, I gently covered the Mod Podged image with a piece of White Tissue Paper. A Brayer was used to roll over the image to make the tissue paper stick into the Mod Podge (I used my fingers to go around the edges to make sure that none of the sides or corners would come up). The image panel was set aside and allowed to dry. Once dry, the corners of the tissue paper were mitered, and the excess was folded over the sides and attached to the back using SNAIL Adhesive. The sentiment is from the set stamp set, and was stamped in Staz-On Black ink at the bottom of the panel. Dimensionals were used to pop both the image panel off of the designer paper panel, and the designer paper panel off of the card base. I finished off the card by running a piece of 1/4" Celery Grosgrain Ribbon around the card front, and ended with a knot.

That's it for now! I hope to work on today's Limited Supplies Challenge after I get all of my errands finished today...so I may have another post for you today (there's a shock)! If not, I will see you all tomorrow with the Limited Supplies and Inspiration Challenges. Until then...Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Blossoms Abound

Paper: Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie Designer Series Paper, Whisper White

Ink: Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Staz-On Black

Accessories: tissue paper, Mod Podge, foam brush, brayer, dimensionals, celery grosgrain ribbon, sponge dauber

...Color Challenge #145 & Sketch Challenge #155

This is my submission for Tuesday's Color Challenge and yesterday's Sketch Challenge at SCS. The card base is Wild Wasabi and measures 6-5/8" X 6-1/2", and when folded it measures 6-5/8" X 3-1/4". The focal panel is made up of So Saffron (5" X 2-1/8") and Elegant Eggplant (4-3/4" X 1-7/8"), and the edges are distressed using a Distressing Tool. The 1-3/8" Circle Punch was used to punch out five Wild Wasabi circles. The 1-1/4" Circle Punch was used to punch out two plain So Saffron circles. The saffron circles were stamped with the leaf image from "Carte Postale" in Elegant Eggplant, and the edges were sponged in eggplant using a Sponge Dauber. The flower medallion from the same stamp set was stamped three times in VersaMark onto So Saffron cardstock, and embossed using Ranger Eggplant Embossing Powder and a Heat Gun. The centers of the embossesd medallions were punched out using the 1-1/4" Circle Punch. The same flower medallion stamp was stamped three times onto Whisper White cardstock in Elegant Eggplant, then cut out using CutterBee Scissors.

The two saffron leaf circles in the background were attached to eachother using SNAIL Adhesive, and all the layers on the foreground circles were attached using Dimensionals after Gold Rhinestone Brads were added to the centers of the cut out flowers. The flower circles were then attached to the panel using Dimensionals. The flourish stamp from the same stamp set was stamped in Wild Wasabi ink in the lower left corner of the card. Eggplant Organdy Ribbon was added around the card front, then the focal panel was attached over the ribbon using Dimensionals. "Bonjour" from the same set was stamped in eggplant onto saffron cardstock, punched out using the Small Oval Punch, and attached over the flourish in the lower left corner with Dimensionals.

That's it for today. I'm not feeling too hot and my youngest son has a doctor's appointment at 3:30, so I will be running him around shortly. I hope to see you all back here tomorrow with a card for both the Ways To Use It Challenge and the Limited Supplies Challenge. Thanks for stopping by, and until tomorrow.....Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Carte Postale

Paper: Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White

Ink: Wild Wasabi, Elegant Eggplant, VersaMark

Accessories: sponge daubers, embossing powder, heat gun, circle punches (1-3/8" and 1-1/4"), small oval punch, rhinestone brads, dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, organdy ribbon

...Technique Lovers Challenge #147

This is my submission for today's Technique Lovers Challenge at SCS. We were to use the Dazzling Diamond Dust technique on our cards today, and this is what I came up with. I started with a card base of River Rock that measures 5-1/2" X 8-1/2" folded in half to open at the right. The next layer up is a piece of paper from the Holiday Harmony Designer Series Paper line. It measures 5-3/8" X 4-1/8", and the edges are sponged in Purely Pomegranate with a Sponge Dauber. The focal image is Whisper White (3-1/2" square) stamped using the snowflakes from "Snow Burst" in River Rock and Purely Pomegranate. The entire panel is covered with VersaMark, then embossed in Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder...this gives the whole image some awesome sparkle! I matted the panel onto pomegranate (3-5/8" square), then onto river again (3-3/4" square). I used piece of the 15/16" Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon to tie around the center of the focal panel, then used Dimensionals to pop the image up off of the card base. I used the sentiment from "Peaceful Wishes" on the bottom of the card, and stamped it in Basic Gray. Clear Rhinestones were added to the center of the largest snowflakes and the ends of the sentiment using Mini Glue Dots.

That's it for today......promise!

Supplies

Stamps: Snow Burst, Peaceful Wishes

Paper: River Rock, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White, Holida Harmony Designer Series Paper

Ink: same as paper, VersaMark, Basic Gray

Accessories: iridescent ice embossing powder, rhinestones, sponge daubers, dimensionals, satin ribbon

...Thank You Stationery Sets

It has been forever since I have had a chance to stamp...UGH! I finally decided to make myself sit down and focus on getting some projects done. So I worked on several thank you card sets for a few ladies that have been a huge help to me lately. Then I also decided to make Christmas cards to mail out this week...60 of them in all. The stationery has a Whisper White card base that measures 5-1/2" X 4-1/4" when folded. I used the flourish and flower medallion from the set "Carte Postale" as the focal image. The flourish is stamped in the following colors: Eggplant Envy, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Not Quite Navy, and Chocolate Chip. The flower medallion is stamped in VersaMark then embossed with either Ranger Silver Embossing Powder (the chocolate, eggplant, and navy ones), or Ranger Black Embossing Powder (the pumpkin and red ones) onto cardstock in the same colors as the flourishes. Once they were embossed, I used the 1-3/8" Circle Punch to punch out the medallions. Dimensionals were used to pop the medallions up off of the flourishes. The edges were sponged with a Sponge Dauber in their respective colors, and "thank you" was added to the lower right corners. I used thank you's from the following sets: "Stem Silhouettes", "Carte Postale", and "Warmest Regards". Each card has a coordinating envelope that is stamped in the lower right corner with the bird from "Carte Postale" also. Then each color is bundled with Organdy Ribbon in the same color as the images.


And these are the finished products! Aren't they adorable?! I made five sets of ten in all, and I can't wait to get them out to my darling ladies! I hope they enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them. I may end up making a set for each color in the Stampin' Up! line. I think they would be wonderful thank you gifts for hostesses and even teachers. That is what I am going to do for my boys' teachers and coaches this year.




These are my Christmas cards for this year...very simple and easy to mass produce! The card base is Whisper White that measures 5-1/2" X 4-1/4". The tree is from the set "Solemn Stillness", and it is stamped in Garden Green ink. The sentiment is from "Many Merry Messages", and it is also stamped in Garden Green. Easy Peasy! Love, love, love it!





That's it for today! Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my creations. I will try my best to post everyday this week...I promise! Well, until tomorrow...Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Carte Postale, Stem Silhouettes, Warmest Regards, Solemn Stillness, Many Merry Messages

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Eggplant Envy, Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy

Ink: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Eggplant Envy, Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy, VersaMark, Garden Green

Accessories: sponge daubers, organdy ribbon, 1-3/8" circle punch, dimensionals, embossing powders, heat gun

...Check This Out!

Thanks for the idea, Gilly and Debbie...too funny! I hope to have some creations for you all later today....YEA! Hugs ~ Mercy

My Elf-Portrait

Retiring Accessories Alert...While Supplies Last

**Updated 12-31-07**
Retired wheels and accessories are available while supplies last, so make sure you place your orders no later than December 28th. To keep you informed of inventory levels, I will try to update this list daily. Items listed in RED are no longer available.

Start Simply-Simply Sent (pages 12-14)
107415 Friendship Shapes
109230 Happy Day

Albums (page 168)
100700 Album Leather Post Black 8-1/2x11
105385 Album Linen Post Mellow Moss 8-1/2x11
104520 Album Linen Post Natural 8-1/2x11
104517 Album Linen Post Navy 8-1/2x11
105382 Album Linen Post Real Red 8-1/2x11
105392 Album Linen Ring Mellow Moss 8-1/2x11
104510 Album Linen Ring Natural 8-1/2x11
104513 Album Linen Ring Navy 8-1/2x11
105388 Album Linen Ring Real Red 8-1/2x11
103145 Page Protectors Post 8-1/2x11
104523 Page Protectors Ring 8-1/2x11
104184 Post Extenders

Cards & Envelopes (page 169)
107293 Greeting Very Vanilla Medium
107285 Open End Very Vanilla Large
107284 Open End Whisper White Large
107296 Shimmery White Medium
107287 Square Vellum Large
107310 Square Very Vanilla Mini
107294 Vellum Medium
107290 Very Vanilla Large
107291 Whisper White Large

Designer Series Paper (pages 170-173)
109149 Brocade Background
109161 Cerise
109162 Charbon
109155 Creepy Crawley
109152 Darling Doodles
109150 Dashing
108503 Petals & Paisleys
109156 Linen Prints
109147 Notations No. 2
109148 Outlaw
109158 Uptown
109157 Wintergreen

Simply Scrappin' (pages 174-177)
109722 Creative License Hostess Level 1
109611 Happy Me Hostess Level 3
109596 Out & About
109626 Primary Colors
109649 Round Up
109635 Secret Garden
109663 Winter Bright

Accents & Elements (page 178)
109198 Borders & Blossoms
109199 Little Reminders 2
109197 Tagged

Naturals (page 179)
103598 Paper Vellum 12x12
105652 Wrapping Paper Whisper White

Boxes & Tags (page 179)
105067 Pockets & Pieces Assortment I
105068 Pockets & Pieces Assortment II
108798 Tiny Takeout Confetti White
107246 Tiny Takeout Kraft
107235 Tag Sheets Bold Brights
107239 Tag Sheets Confetti White & Kraft
107236 Tag Sheets Earth Elements
107240 Tag Sheets Kraft
107237 Tag Sheets Rich Regals
107238 Tag Sheets Soft Subtles

Punches (pages 182-183)
106522 Punch Spring Bouquet Flower

Tools (page 184)
105962 Perfect Layers Tool
103953 Stamp-a-ma-jig Imaging Sheets Refill

Applicators (page 185)

101052 Brayer Attachment Foam
100894 Watercolor Brush Flat
101551 Watercolor Brush Medium
101331 Watercolor Brush Small

Adhesives (page 185)
106650 Greeting Glue
102620 Liquid Glue

Coloring Tools (page 186)

105543 Pastel Refills Bold Brights
105544 Pastel Refills Earth Elements
105547 Pastel Refills Neutrals
105545 Pastel Refills Rich Regals
105546 Pastel Refills Soft Subtles
103174 Stampin' Pastel Applicators
100852 Stampin' Pastel Erasers

105580 Spectrum Pad Blue Frost
101492 Spectrum Pad Celebration
105579 Spectrum Pad Cotton Candy
101336 Spectrum Pad Pumpkin Patch
100000 Spectrum Pad Un-inked

100081 Stampin' Write Marker Going Gray
100945 StazOn Ink Refill Timber Brown
103088 StazOn Pad Timber Brown

Embossing (page 187)

103352 Stampin' Glitter Romantic Red
103349 Stampin' Glitter Silver Shine
103151 Stampin' Emboss Powder Hologram Highlights

Eyelets & Brads (page 189)

101016 Eyelet Tool Kit
105317 Bold Brights II
105379 Silver
105315 Soft Subtles II

Ribbon & Embellsihments (pages 190-191)

107282 Fancy Fibers - Bella
107283 Fancy Fibers - Elizabeth
105395 Wire Works Metallic

Stampin' Around (page 192)
104432 Stampin' Around Cartridge & Ink Refill Clear Embossing
101460 Stampin' Around Cartridge & Ink Refill Whisper White
102391 Stampin' Around Ink Refill Clear Embossing
103017 Stampin' Around Ink Refill Whisper White

Storage (page 193)

105747 Boxes Stamp & Supply Extra Large
105748 Boxes Stamp & Supply Extra Large Divided
105744 Boxes Stamp & Supply Extra Small
105749 Boxes Stamp & Supply Jumbo
105734 Boxes Stamp & Supply Large
105746 Boxes Stamp & Supply Medium
105745 Boxes Stamp & Supply Small

For Kids (page 194)
105677 Stampin' Kids Pad Bear Brown
105676 Stampin' Kids Pad Beetle Black
105675 Stampin' Kids Pad Boxcar Blue
105674 Stampin' Kids Pad Gumball Green
105673 Stampin' Kids Pad Poppin' Purple
105672 Stampin' Kids Pad Princess Pink
105671 Stampin' Kids Pad Robin Red
105670 Stampin' Kids Pad Yahoo Yellow

Stampin' Around Wheels (pages 196-197) *Jumbo
100360 Acorns
109812 All about Birthdays*
109690 All about Christmas*
109812 All about Gratitude*
109676 Autumn Dots
104070 Bloomin'
107466 Bodacious*
105750 Bouquet*
107481 Butterflies & Blossoms
104065 Fishy
100267 Happy Jacks
107563 Ho Ho Ho
104312 Hot to Dot
104279 Leaf Prints
106062 Leaves Awash*
107479 Rough around the Edges*
101927 Snowman Fun
107465 Speckled*
105521 Spooky Skyline*
108979 Spotted*
107480 True Hearts
105033 Wings & Things

...Life Is CRAZY!!!

Sorry that I have been MIA the last few days, but is has been a mad house around here! Thursday was my birthday, I had my last November SU order come in, and I had to run all over town to get all of our bills paid....so no time to make cards. Friday was just as bad: I was on the phone most of the day trying to get my DSL connection fixed, I had to clean house, and my oldest son had a basketball game an hour away from our house (their games usually start at 5:30, but all the teams were playing so they ended up starting around 9:00 PM), and we didn't get home until after 11:00 PM.

Some of Christian's basketball friends came over to spend the night on Friday, and they stayed until last night....once more.....no time to stamp. And an added bonus...teenage boys can EAT!!!! I need to get another job if we're going to be having these crazy, hungry boys over all the time! I make it sound horrible, but they all seemed to have wonderful time....myself included. At least with them all here I know exactly where they are...if you know what I mean!

This week will be just as hectic with my monthly class coming up on Thursday. I still have to get all of the supplies together for each of the ladies, and get it all packed up and ready to go. We have basketball practices all week, two basketball games, and two doctor appointments on top of my schedule...fun, fun, fun!!! So, needless to say, I will be a bit busy. I will try to post something for you each day this week, though.

Thanks alot for coming by and checking on me! It means so much to have my "pretend friends" (something my friend, Shannan, calls her cyber pals) care so much. Until later....Hugs ~ Mercy

...I've Been Tagged & Elfed

Hello everyone! Today has been CRAZY!!! My oldest son hurt his back this past Friday night in a basketball game, and the pain had only gotten worse throughout the weekend. We finally got an appointment this morning at his doctor's office...where they gave him an anti-inflammatory and some muscle relaxers. The doctor sent us to an imaging clinic to have x-rays of his lumbar spine and upper back. So the day was spent either on the road to a doctor's office, or actually in the doctor's office. Needless to say, I didn't get a chance to attempt the Sketch Challenge at SCS....but I have been tagged and elfed!

I was tagged by Meda at Handmade By Meda in Romania, and here are the rules:

• Link the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog
• Share 7 facts or weird things about yourself
• Tag 7 random people and list them (including links to their blogs)
• Leave a comment on the blogs of the people that you tag letting them know that they have been tagged.

Now my seven *weird* facts about myself:

1. I can burp the ABC's (TMI....I know!)
2. I love watching Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius on Nickelodeon
3. My closet is organized by type of clothing, then by color...alphabetically
4. I have to make myself clean the bathrooms......HATE, HATE, HATE IT!
5. My "doggers" (dog-daughters) go everywhere with me
6. I cannot see a ribbon sale and keep on walking......gotta buy!
7. I have to sleep on the right-hand side of the bed on my left side....have no idea why!

Now I know alot of people who have already been tagged, and it is never easy to choose just seven.....so if you're reading this please consider yourself tagged!

I have also received a wonderful and anonymous Christmas package from someone at SCS. I tried to get a picture of it all, but it wasn't clear enough to see everything. So I will just tell you what I got! I got an adorable designer paper gift bag with lots of goodies inside: large brass eyelets, a bottle of stickles, rain drops embellishments, assorted ribbon, rhinestone brads, a bottle of cream buttons, and chocolate. Thank you so much, secret elf.....you truly made my week! Now I have to think of two people that I want to ELF, and then send some goodies to them.

That's it for now! Thanks for coming by today to see me! I hope to make up the Sketch Challenge and complete the Ways To Use It Challenge tomorrow. So until then....Hugs ~ Mercy

...Color Challenge #143 ~ With Gratitude

This is my submission for today's Color Challenge at SCS. The card base is Old Olive cardstock that measures 11" X 5-1/2" folded in half to make a 5-1/2" card that opens to the left. The next panel up is Basic Black cardstock (5-3/8" square), and Certainly Celery Designer Paper (5-1/4" square) stamped with the flourish from "Baroque Motifs" in the upper left and lower right corners in Old Olive ink. Two Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelets were attached to the upper corners of this panel with the use of my handy-dandy Crop-a-Dile. Two pieces of Organdy Ribbon (Celery and Olive) were laced through the eyelets, then tied in a knot above the focal image. A Jumbo Pearl Brad was used to finish off the ribbon.

The focal panel is made up of the following cardstocks and dimensions (from the bottom): Basic Black (4-1/4" square), Certainly Celery (4-1/16" square), and Watercolor Paper (3-7/8" square). The image and sentiment are both from the stamp set "With Gratitude", and they are stamped in Black Staz-On ink. I used my Aquapainters to color the leaf in these colors: Certainly Celery, Old Olive, and Summer Sun. I took Sponge Daubers and colored in the background with Summer Sun and Old Olive inks. I then used my Two-Way Glue Pen to outline the leaf, and sprinkled some Dazzling Diamond Glitter over it. Each layer is attached to the other using SNAIL Adhesive.

That's it for today. Thanks again for stopping by to see my stuff! I hope you will come back tomorrow to see my submission for the Sketch Challenge! Until then...Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: With Gratitude

Paper: Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Basic Black, watercolor

Ink: Black Staz-On, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Old Olive

Accessories: organdy ribbons, crop-a-dile, jumbo eyelets, jumbo brad, glue pen, glitter, aquapainter, sponge dauber

...If It Ain't Broke...

Why in the world would you change a card that seems to work just fine the way it is? Well, today's Technique Lovers Challenge was to stamp on either Ceramic Tiles or Chipboard Coasters, and I am out of both! So I have been playing around with yesterday's card, but I've changed a few things...the cardstock, the colors, and the accessories. The final product...a fun, fresh, and playful card to send to a special friend! The "special friend" I am speaking of inspired me to use this set in the first place. I had visited her blog shortly after receiving my stamp set, and she had showcased a couple of cards that that she had made with the same set.....and I was totally blown away! So this is for you, Pam V!

I started with a card base of Whisper White cardstock measuring 8-1/2" X 4-1/4" that was folded in half to make a 4-1/4" square card that opens at the bottom. I used one of my Square Dry Embossing Brass Templates, my Light Box, and my Dry Embossing Stylus to create a debossed (it dips down into instead of popping up off of the paper) frame for my image. I then used my Paper Piercer and Mat Pack to pierce holes just above the top of the debossed frame. The flower and sentiment from "Time Well Spent" are both stamped in Black Staz-On ink, and then colored using my Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Write Marker.

I punched out a piece of Turquoise Vellum and Whisper White cardstock using my 3/4" Circle Punch, layered them atop one another, and attached them using a sparkly Jumbo Turquoise Glitter Brad. I made these customized brads from Jumbo Silver Brads, Two-Way Glue, and Making Memories Turquoise Glitter. I attached the silver brads to a piece of thick cardboard (to keep the mess contained), then used my two-way glue pen to paint a circle of glue onto the center of the brads, then sprinkled the glitter over the top of the glue. After they dried, I used one to attach the two punched circles together to form the center of the flower, and added Dimensionals to it in order to lift the center off of the image.

I finished of the card with Silver Cording and Turquoise Dashes, Dots, & Checks Organdy Ribbon. I used my 1/4" Circle Punch to punch a half-circle notch in the fold of the card, then tied two pieces of cording in a knot. While holding the knot in place, I placed a strip of the organdy ribbon over it, then tied another knot in the cording to hold the organdy in place. Lastly, I trimmed the ends of the ribbon and cording to the desired length with my Cutter Bee Scissors.

That's it for today! Thanks for coming over to check out what I have been up to! I hope to be back tomorrow with a contribution for the Color Challenge. Until then......Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Time Well Spent

Paper: Whisper White

Ink: Staz-On Black

Accessories: turquoise marker, paper piercer, mat pack, silver brads, glitter, glue pen, cording, organdy ribbon, circle punches (1/4" and 3/4"), light box, brass template, stylus, dimensionals

...Featured Stamper Challenge #43 ~ CuttersCallous

This is my submission for today's Featured Stamper Challenge at SCS. The lucky lady we honor and CASE (Copy And Share with Everyone) is RoseAnn.......aka CuttersCallous. She is a phenomenally talented card maker with a clean and crisp design style. I chose THIS CARD of hers to copy, but changed several elements to make it my own. Here is a list of the things I've changed: the color of cardstock, the stamp set, the ribbon, the embellishments. I kept the same layout, however, and I believe I still kept her vision in tact. So let's get on to the deets (details)!

I began with a card base of Kraft cardstock measuring 4" X 8". It is folded in half to make a 4" square card that opens from the bottom. I used one of my Square Dry Embossing Templates, an Embossing Stylus, and my Light Box to deboss the center of the front of the card to make it look like a frame. The flower and the sentiment are from the set "Time Well Spent". This set was sent to demonstrators as a thank you from Stampin' Up! It will be in the new Spring-Summer Catalog as a hostess set (Pam V....see what you did? You made me use this set! teehee!). Both of the elements were stamped in Staz-On Opaque White ink. I colored the outer outline with my White Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen, then traced over the sentiment to make it a bit brighter.

I then used the 3/4" Circle Punch to punch out a scrap piece of kraft cardstock to cover the center of the flower. Before I covered it, I attached a Jumbo Glittering Red Rhinestone Brad to the middle of the circle, and used Dimensionals to pop it up off of the flower. Christmas Red Stickles were applied to the stamen of the large flower and the centers of the flowers in the sentiment. I added 1/4" Red Grosgrain Ribbon to the top of the fold by punching out one hole at each end with the 1/16" Handheld Punch. The ribbon is finished off in a simple knot.

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by to check out my artwork! I hope to see you again tomorrow with a creation for the Technique Lovers Challenge. Until then.......Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Time Well Spent

Paper: Kraft

Ink: Staz-On Opaque White

Accessories: signo gel pen, dimensionals, 3/4" circle punch, 1/16" handheld punch, rhinestone brad, grosgrain ribbon, stickles, dry emboss template, light box, stylus

...Technique Lovers Challenge #144 & Inspiration Challenge #104

This is my submission for both the Technique Lovers Challenge (from Monday) and today's Inspiration Challenge at SCS. The technique was to make a Nugget Box using cardstock and acetate. I will be spotlighting this in my "Awesome Acetate" class in two weeks, so I will not be able to give you the step-by-step instructions, but I will let you know what materials I've used. The base of the box is Soft Sky cardstock, the lid is acetate, and the paper on the Hershey's Nuggets is the Cute Pie Designer Paper. I "wrapped" the box with Purely Pomegranate Double-Stitched Ribbon, and finished the knot in the bow with a Jumbo Fuchsia Rhinestone.

The inspiration today is mitten wrapping paper, and it can be seen HERE. The card was made for both challenges...I had to try to kill two birds with one stone! The card base is also Soft Sky cardstock measuring 3" X 6", and folded in half to make a 3" square card that opens from the bottom. The next layer up is Purely Pomegranate (2-7/8 " X 1-1/2") and Cutie Pie Designer Paper (2-3/4" X 1-3/8"). I used more of the Pomegranate Double-Stitched Ribbon in the center of the card and attached it with SNAIL Adhesive, then closely trimmed the edges with my CutterBee Scissors so it wouldn't wrap around to the inside of the card. The frame is from the set "Label Classics". It is stamped in Staz-On Black ink onto a scrap piece of Wild Wasabi cardstock, then it is closely cut out and mounted onto the card base using Dimensionals. I used the 1" Circle Punch to punch out a piece of pomegranate scrap paper, and mounted in onto the frame using dimensionals.

The mitten is from the set "Flaky Friends". It is stamped onto four different colors of cardstock in Staz-On Black ink: Soft Sky (the mitten), Bashful Blue (the small button on the star), Purely Pomegranate (the star), and Wild Wasabi (the small button under the star). Then I cut out the individual parts of the mitten, and attached them to make one mitten with different colors. The completed mitten is then attached the the circle with dimensionals. The sentiment is from the set "Hugs & Wishes", and it is stamped in black ink at the bottom of the designer paper panel. Lastly, I finished off the card by adding some Baby Blue Stickles to the cuff of the mitten.

Well, that's it for today! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my stuff! I hope to see you all again tomorrow with a submission for the Featured Stamper Challenge. Until then...............Hugs ~ Mercy

Supplies

Stamps: Flaky Friends, Label Classics, Hugs & Wishes

Paper: Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate, Bashful Blue, Cutie Pie Designer Paper, acetate

Ink: Black Staz-On

Accessories: rhinestone, SNAIL Adhesive, dimensionals, 1" circle punch, ribbon, scissors, stickles