Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge #9

Hi Stampers!  Just a quick post.  I'll be back later to add details. 
Join us this week at Stampin' Celebration.  We are celebrating all things patriotic. 

I'm back!!!  Literally!  We've been gone on an RV trip to Iowa and Yellowstone.  That's why my blogging (and stamping!) has been so sporadic.  We had a fabulous time.  Hubby, myself, the 3 kiddos, and my mom and dad all loaded up in my parents RV for an 11 day road trip.  Yellowstone was gorgeous.  If you ever have the chance to go, do it.  One day we hit some traffic on one of the roads.  We waited about 45 minutes while about 8 bison walked down the road, shoulder to shoulder.  Neither lanes could pass them.  Who knew there was such thing as rush hour buffalo traffic?!  We got home from our trip and dove right into reality.  We unloaded the RV around 4pm and by 5:30pm my 14yo DS was already at his swim meet.  It's been go, Go, GO! ever since!  I haven't had any time or desire to stamp at all.  I finally had to force myself to make this card.  I felt so bad letting my own blog challenges pass me by!  Thankfully I have a fabulously talented design team that has kept things floating in my abscence.

DEFINE YOUR LIFE

Besides the Stampin' Celebration challenge, this card also fits three other challenges.  Seems everyone is being patriotic this week!  I used the sketch from Taylored Expressions.  The color challenge is from the Stacey's Curtain Call.  And Connie and Mary are doing a theme challenge this week.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Happy Stamping!

ColourQ #36

Hi Stamping Friends!

Just a quick post today.  I've got lots of stuff on my to-do list.  Don't we all?!  Arielle found another fabulous color combo for us to play with this week.  I hope you will join the challenge over at the COLOURQ.  I combined the color challenge with the sketch challenge over at Taylored Expressions.  However, I did notice that I forgot a layer of the sketch.  Too late to change it now!

ELEMENTS OF STYLE

I forgot the extra layer of paper that should be under the flowers.  What a bummer!  I still like how this card turned out.  Not my typical style.  I really think you cannot make an ugly card when you use Elements Of Style.  It is such a gorgeous stamp set.

I hope you will join us this week at the COLOURQ.  It's always fun to do something "out-of-the-box". 

Stop back by on Thursday, when I will show off our next Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge.  Then on Friday I will be particpating in the Stampin' Addicts (my FAVE SU! online hangout!) blog hop featuring retiring sets from the SU! catalog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

Two Card Saturday

Hi Stamping Friends!

Well I was gone so much this week, that today I'm stuck home doing laundry and.... STAMPING!  So I have two cards for today.

PETAL PIZZAZZ

This first card uses the color challenge from the COLOR THROWDOWN blog.  This is challenge #91.  The sketch comes from TAYLORED EXPRESSIONS.  This is sketch TESC112.  The colors and the sketch are so fun.  This sketch begs for some stitching, but since I don't sew, I had to opt for some faux stitching instead!

My next card is really an invite.  My oldest DS will be graduating from 8th grade.  We started homeschooling when he was in second grade.  After lots of prayers, we have decided to let him go to high school next year (he fell in love with water polo of all things!).  So this is a very big occasion for us and we are invited our family and close friends over to celebrate.  He is very excited about going to school in the fall and his mom is very... well I'm not sure yet.  I'm thrilled to watch him grow up into a wonderful person, but he's still my little boy (well, not so little, he's about 6"2")!  Come August 12th (first day of high shool), I'm sure a few tears will be shed. 

EXTREME ELEMENTS

I know I'm biased, but isn't he a handsome guy?!  And such a sweetie too.  What I love most about him is his soft heart.  I used this sketch from CARDS AND THINGS.  This is sketch challenge #30.  I flipped the sketch and made my vertical strip go over top of the center rectangle.  It mostly resembles the sketch... I think.  :)  Extreme Elements is one of the stamp sets that if you buy during the month of May, you get to choose a pack of Designer Brads for FREE!  Got to love a Stampin' Up! sale!

Anyhoo!  Best get back to the laundry.  And more stamping!  I need to make 20 of these invites, work on Arielle's next COLORQ challenge, and of course the next inspiration challenge over at the STAMPIN' CELEBRATION blog.  I hope you can play along in both of them!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

Taylor and Stacey Challenges

Hi Stamping Friends!

Today's card was made for a dear lady in my stamp club.  She had knee surgery this past Monday, and I just wanted her to know that I was thinking about her.  Now if I could just remember to mail the thing!

A ROSE IS A ROSE

I used Taylor's Sketch Challenge TESC111.  And Stacey's color challenge ACT28.  I have some "go-to" challenges, and these are two challenges that I check out every week.  I may not have a chance to play in them, but I always see what they have to offer. 

The card base is Not Quite Navy, layered with Kraft that has been stamped with the En Francais BG stamp and Versamark ink.  The DSP is from the Sweet Pea DSP pack that was in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  I'm not real thrilled with my "gathered" ribbon.  It looks like a big, pink inchworm, inching across my card..  Guess I need some practice in ribbon pleating!  The flower image comes from A Rose Is A Rose stamp set and the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. 

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!  I plan to do lots of stamping.  If you have extra stamping time this weekend, come play along with us at the STAMPIN' CELEBRATION Inspiration Challenge blog.  We would love to see what you create!

A Rose Is A Rose   #111560   $37.95

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Easy Breezy Monday

Hi Stamping Friends!

Can I say that I'm actually happy it's Monday?!  I had a super busy weekend and I'm glad to be back into the routine of the week.  My two oldest had their music recitals this weekend, so no more driving to music lessons for a while!  Yay for me!

I know it's a little late for a Valentine card, but this one just sort of happened!

Today's card combines the sketch challenge from TAYLORED EXPRESSIONS and the color challenge from the EASY BREEZY KEWL COLOR CHALLENGE blog.  I suppose it could be an anniversary card too, since it doesn't say anything about Valentine's Day on it. 

Hope your weekend was more restful than mine.  Remember to stop by tomorrow and see what fabulous colors Arielle chose for the COLOURQ challenge this week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

Go, Graduate Act

Hi Stamping Friends!

Today's card features a sneak peek at a new stamp set that is in the Summer Mini catalog, which begins on May 1st.  I was thinking that the STAMPIN' ADDICTS blog hop was this weekend, and I was going to feature this card.  But the hop doesn't start until April 30th and I can't wait that long to show it to you! 

Here's today's card:

Isn't that owl just the cutest?!  All the images are from the Go, Graduate set, except for the stars.  They are from Extreme Elements.  I really love how this turned out.  The Impressions Folder is also a sneak peek from the upcoming SUmmer Mini. It's called Square Lattice.  Make sure you stop by next week Friday for the Stampin' Addicts blog hop and see all kinds of great ideas featuring new stuff from the Summer Mini Catalog.

This card combines two challenges... of course!  The colors are from STACEY'S STAMPING STAGE.  This is Act 26.  The sketch comes from TAYLORED EXPRESSIONS blog.  This is sketch 109.  I altered the sketch slightly as I did not make a long card.  I loved this layout so much, I used it for my swap card.  I did alter the colors slightly, as I only has a scrap of Going Gray and do not plan on buying any more, since it will be retired in July.

I've chatted previously about wanting to start a stamping challenge of my own, and I am!  Candace Lawlor and I have teamed up to start the Stampin' Celebration blog.  It will be a weekly inspiration challenge.  Our debut challenge will be on Thursday, May 6th.  Just in time for Mother's Day.  I haven't provided a link yet, as we are still working on a few things.  But we are both VERY excited about it and hope that you will play along with us!  So stay tuned!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!

ColourQ Tuesday #28

Hi Stamping Friends!

Woo Hoo!  It's another COLOURQ Tuesday!  This week Arielle gave us some fun, bright colors to play with.  I think they kind of have a fun retro feel to them.  Like a 50's style diner.  I had such a great time playing with these colors, that I created three cards... again! 

The first card uses the sketch from the CLEAN & SIMPLE blog.  This is Fall To Layout #85 FTL85.

Here's the card I sent in to Arielle:

I love everything about this card except that panel under the Pumpkin Pie Striped grosgrain.  At first I had only the ribbon, but it looked too plain.  Then I added the Ruby Red panel, and that was working for me either.  Then I added the Regal Rose and when that still didn't work, I finally gave up!  Not sure what else I could have done differently.  For this card I used the new set that will be in the next SU! catalog, but it is available for purchase now!  It's called Awash With Flowers and can I tell you that I LOVE this set!  I just can't stop using it!

For the next card I used the sketch from TAYLORED EXPRESSIONS.  This is sketch #108 TESC108.  Super cute layout with all the different panels.  I was having some difficulty finding various DSP in these colors.  I finally decided on some patterns from the Sweet Pea stack that is in the Occasions Mini catalog.  The blue is really supposed to be Taken With Teal, but I think it works for Bermuda Bay too.  I did flip this sketch on its side.

Here's my second card:

I'm not sure how often you'll find blue leaves, but I think it works!  These first two cards also work for the theme challenge over at the PALS PAPER ARTS blog.  The theme is Flowers.  I have a feeling they are going to get TONS of uploads this week!  The pink almost looks like Cameo Coral in this pic, but I promise it really is Regal Rose.  The stamp sets I used in this card are Sweetheart and A Little Birthday Cheer.

The last card uses the Sketch For You To Try at Jen del Muro's blog i{heart}2stamp.  Another fun sketch with lots of layers and panels.  I may have overdone the polka dot theme with this one.  This is the card that made me think these colors had a retro feel to them.

And finally, card number three:

Isn't it just delish?!  Makes me think of malt shops and sock hops and Chevy's with big tail fins.  The DSP is from the Sweet Pea stack... again!  The stamp set is called On A Pedestal.  Be sure to check out what the other ColourQ gals have created with this fabulous color combo.  Just click on the links on the sidebar.  I still have to pinch myself to think that I get to hang out with such talent! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!