One Of The Good Ones

Hi Stamping Friends!

Most of the time when I particpate in any online papercrafting challenge, I always find myself taking the challenges too literally.  I do the sketch EXACTLY like it's shown.  I use the EXACT colors they say, and even when it's an inspiration challenge, I tend to make it look EXACTLY like the inspiration photo.  I love to see when other (more creative!) stampers take a sketch or inspiration and really make it their own.  I try to break out of my mold occasionally, but it's difficult!  It must be that first-born trait of mine to do things EXACTLY right.  Artistically speaking, it can be very frustrating!  That's what happened with today's card.  I think I just got too literal with both challenges.

SMARTY PANTS

For this card I used the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #58 from the HOPE STAMPS ETERNAL blog.  I usually use a cupcake image for this challenge, but when I saw this sketch from the SKETCH GIRL blog, the two just seemed to fit together.  So then I decided to recreate the cupcake tops on each of the four circles.  Again, too literal!

I do love this fun sentiment.  It comes from the Smarty Pants set.  I haven't given my mom her Mother's Day card yet.  I think I'll give her this one instead.  It's the perfect sentiment for her.  She is one of the "good ones"!  I think it's funny, now that SU! has announced the colors that are retiring, it seems that I keep using those colors!  I haven't used Green Galore in forever, and I think I've used it three times in the last two weeks.  Go figure!  The card base is Pixie Pink, layered with Green Galore and Sweet Pea DSP.  I hope they have something similar to the Sweet Pea pack in the next big catty.  That pack was so popular, that it sold out before the mini catalog ended!  The other two colors I used on this card are Only Orange and So Saffron.  The Sizzlets I used are: Little Leaves, Floral Fusion, Birds & Blooms, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, and the Paisley Texturz Plate.  That another thing I'm looking forward to seeing int he next catalog, what new Big Shot stuff they will have. I {LOVE} my Big Shot!  It is my most used stamping tool.

Make sure you stop back by tomorrow and see my creations for the STAMPIN' INSPIRATION challenge.  I hope you'll play with us this week!  Just to see what an out of this world challenge it's going to be, here's a little sneak peek...

SMARTY PANTS   #115070   $18.95

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

ColourQ #29

Hi Stamping Friends!

Arielle really decided to challenge me this week!  I think this challenge pic is so bright and cheerful, but when I got out these colors to play with... oh my!  I didn't quite know where to begin.  It didn't help that I don't even own a Bravo Burgandy stamp pad!  I've been a demo for four years and have never bought it.  That's how often I use that color... never!  I do have a Bravo Burgandy marker, so that's what I used.  So I guess what I'm saying is, I really struggled with these colors.  I guess that's why it's called a challenge!

Here's the card I ultimately sent to Arielle:

Can you see the Bravo Burgandy?  I didn't think so!  The sentiment is the only thing on this card that is BB.  This card uses the Cheep Talk stamp set.  This sketch comes from Amy Rysavy's blog: PRARIE, PAPER, & INK.

Of course I wanted to create a couple more samples for you.  Too bad I didn't remember to take pictures of them when the sun was still shining.  Bad cards + bad lighting = awful blog post.  I almost don't want to post these, but I guess everyone deserves a bad stamping day every now and then!

Here's my second card:

I love this layout!  The block panels are very fun.  This sketch comes from my favorite Stampin' Up! online community hangout, STAMPIN' ADDICTS.  They have different challenges everyday.  Come hang out with us!  This is Sketch Challenge 50.  I flipped it on it's side.  This card uses Upsy Daisy, Dot, Dot, Dot, and Oval All stamp sets.

And my third card:

This sketch comes from the SKETCH GIRL blog.  This is sketch #16.  Another fabulous sketch.  This card uses the Petal Pizzazz and Stem Sayings stamp set.  It also has more Flower Fusion Sizzlet flowers on it.  I just can't get enough of those cute blooms!

Be sure to check out the rest of the creations from the CoulourQ Royal Court.  You can click on the links to their blogs in my sidebar.  And be sure to play along with us at the COLOURQ this week.  You can't do any worse than I did!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

Sketch Girl!

Hi Stamping Friends!

Well I found another challenge to participate in.  As if I didn't have enough challenges to play in already!  This is a bi-weekly sketch challenge blog called SKETCH GIRL!  And this is their sketch #15.

I used the color challenge from my favorite online Stampin' Up! community, STAMPIN' ADDICTS.  If you love SU! products as much as I do, you should come hang out with us!!  This is for challenge SACC50.  The colors to use are Ruby Red, More Mustard, and Pumpkin Pie.  My first thought was, oh, those are fall colors.  But after looking at a couple of the samples, I changed my mind.  They really are beautiful for spring colors too. 

This card also fits the theme challenge going on at the PALS PAPER ARTS blog, which is to use flowers.  Well now, that's an easy challenge! 

Here's my card:

Don't those colors look happy together?!  The card base is Pumpkin Pie.  The MM DSP strip is from the Welcome Neighbor Pad that was available during SAB.  The PP DSP strip is from the Sweet Pea Pad that is available in the Occasions Mini catalog, through the end of April.  This is one of my all-time favorite DSP packs!  If you haven't ordered it yet, you should!!  So many great patterns in it.  The Ruby Red DSP is from the Autumn Tradition pack in the regular catalog.  The flower images are from a new stamp set called Awash With Flowers.  It is a sneek peak set that will be in the new catalog in July.  But the cool thing is you can get it now!  I LOVE this set so much more than I thought I would.  I bought it in Clear Mount and am so happy I did.  Expect to see lots more of this stamp set!  The sentiment comes from the On A Pedestal set.

That's it for today.  Come back tomorrow to see my creations for the ColourQ color challenge.  Yes, I did say creationS!  I never seem stop at just one card.  I don't think I'll do that every week, but Saturday is my stamping day and I just love to keep on stamping! 

I'm still tossing around the idea of starting my own challenge blog.  It would be an inspiration challenge, using party/entertaining ideas as inspiration.  I'm thinking of calling it Stampin' Celebration.  Whadya think?  Crazy huh!  I'll keep you posted of whether or not I go through with it.

AWASH WITH FLOWERS   #120549   Clear Mount $27.95

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!