Let's do the mash

I have not been posting, but I have been stamping. :-) Today's post is a mish-mash of the things I have stamped.  If you have questions, shoot me an email.

First up, a card for a friend.  Bright, sunny colors to celebrate up her day!

 

The next three cards were made at a fellow demonstrator's, Mary Cargill, class.  I so enjoyed going to an event where someone else had prepped all the materials and I just had to stamp and assemble!  I love them all.

 

 

The next two cards were also made at Mary's class. I used them as my swap for the Open Swappers group.  Some of the gals received card 1 and the others received card 2.

 

 

Take a moment and click on the Open Swappers link and take a peek at what the other swappers made.

 

Thanks for stopping in.

Kristine

 

 



Blog Candy winners and a Fall Wreath

Thanks to Nancy and Nance for posting a comment or sending me an email.  Both ladies picked the embossed version.  (See my last post to understand what I'm talking about.) I will have the cards in the mail to you both toot sweet.  Since only two people responded, I decided to make them both winners!!

Are you curious which version Hubby picked? He liked the plain Gumball Green card stock.  I've always said he likes the simpler cards.  I should have known, huh?

Now onto today's share.  A Fall wreath. 

 

 

I saw a card similar to this when the stamp set Day of Gratitude first came out.  This is a simple layout, but the card itself takes some time to make.  Cutting out the leaves and acorns is time consuming.  Fortunate for me, I love paper cutting.  I made ten of these cards. Yes, that's 90 leaves and 50 acorns I cut out.  It was a couple hours of meditative paper cutting.  Ahhhh. 

 

 

Thanks for popping in.  Sending thankful thoughts to you for being one of my blog readers. 

 

Kristine

 

Recipe:

Stamps: Grateful Greetings, Day of Gratitude

Wood grain Embossing folder

Card stock: Whisper White, Early Espresso

Inks: Bravo Burgundy, Cajun Craze, Gumball Green, Early Espresso

Linen Thread,

Punches: Corner Rounder, Oval



October swap and some RAKs

Hello All.  Happy cooler weather!  Makes me do the happy dance. 

My share today is my swap for the Open Swappers group.  (Click on the Alpaca in the right side bar to see what the other swappers created.) I decided to create a holiday card.  This stamp set had not yet seen ink {gasp.  I love the drinking glasses and the fun sentiments.

This was the first version.  I liked it.  Then I got this bee in my bonnet that said one more thing.  Put some embossing on the Gumball Green card stock.  So I did.

Version 2.0

I showed the two versions to my son.  He said, "I like the one with the embossing."  (An aside...how many 14 year old boys love their mother enough to KNOW what embossing is?  I know!  I am loved.  {Big grin.})  Later in the day, after making all the swaps with the embossed back ground, I asked my daughter which version she preferred, totally anticipating that she would go for version 2.0 as well.  She didn't.  She liked the smooth paper better.  (Can you see the confuzzlement on my face?) Dear Hubby comes home.  He gets the question... which does he prefer? He was the tie breaker.  I was hoping he would go for the embossed version.  I had ALREADY finished the cards...all of them embossed.  Can you guess what he said? 

Wait!  A game.  You leave a comment as to which version you prefer and I will draw a name to win.  What do you win?  The card you prefer!! I'll draw a name before next week end.  Okay, off you go to make a comment.

Recipe:
Stamp set: Happy Hour
Dies: Spellbinders classic oval, Framelits Labels
Snowburst Embossing folder
Cardstock: Be of Good Cheer DSP, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green
Inks: cherry cobbler
Ribbon: Scallop Dots 1/2" Cherry cobbler
Punches: Wide Oval
Fun stuff: Dazzling details, Basic Rhinestone

- - - - - - - - - -- -

Something that is so cool, well besides the weather, is a card that comes in the US Postal Mail for no reason other than the sender was thinking of you.  Here are some cards I recently received as Random Acts of Kindness, or RAKS in the stamping/card making world.

 

Thanks Eleanor and Joanne for the kindness shared! 

 

 

Thanks for stopping in! 

Kristine

A time for some gratitude

Whew.  I have felt like a hamster on a wheel as of late.  I am grateful that the wheel is slowing and I'm preparing to climb off the wheel and work toward more "normal"... if there is such a thing in Life.  One of the things that I am grateful for are the customers who have decided to stick with me as their point of contact for Stampin' Up merchandise.  I made this card for those that ordered from me this month. It's a simple card.

 

This is my version of a vase full of mums.  Ever since being back east during the fall color change many moons ago, I have adored mums.  If you're wondering, the vase is punched out using the owl builder punch!  Clever eh? 

 

Thanks for continuing to stop in and visit.  I am grateful for your support!

 

Kristine



 

 

Recipe:

Stamps: Apothecary Art

Inks:  Soft Sky (retired), Bravo Burgundy

Paper: Watercolor paper, Bravo Burgundy, Apricot Appeal (retired), Really Rust (retired), Creamy Caramel (retired)

Punches: Owl Builder Punch, Triple flower punch (retired)

Fun tools and embellies: Aqua painter, basic rhinestones (colored with a orange and yellow Sharpies)

A Fall card

Demonstrators for Stampin' Up! get a monthly magazine called Stampin' Success.  There is always something in there that gets a response from me.  This time it was a card designed by Lisa Dolson from the great state of Montana.  I copied her card, except that I do not have the same stamp sets she has, nor do I have the patience she has to score a card the way she did.  I have searched the vast web to see if she has a website/blog. I cannot find either.  I cannot legally show her card on my blog, soooo you'll have to either imagine what she did, or become a demo to see the magazine. :-)  Here's some differences...she used a leaf stamp set different than the one I have used, she had a different sentiment, and she scored the die cut piece whereas I used the new wood grain embossing folder...so much cinchier. (is that a word?  Mr Spellchecker says no, but I'm using it anyway.) Colors and layout are the same.   

Here is my version:

Can you see why it won the art contest?  Once I had all the leaves made and cut, I decided a little shimmer would be extra nice.  Can you see the light sparkle on the leaves?  Purdy.

I liked this card so much that I made more of them for my Open Swappers friends as my swap card.  Click the link in the right side bar (the cute alpaca!) to see what all the swappers made.  Then contact me to join in the swapping fun.

Recipe:
Stamps: Autumn Leaf Prints, All Year Cheer
Dies: Labels Framelit, Woodgrain embossing folder
Paper: Very Vanilla
Inks: Cajun Craze, Lucky Limade, More Mustard, Island Indigo, Soft Suede
Fun embellies: Champagne Shimmer paint, Linen thread, a button from my collection.

------

Thank you to those of you who have emailed me to ask after my mom's health.  I appreciate the prayers and support.  She is doing well!! We go back to California this Friday to see how well she has healed from the surgery and to get a prognosis.  More prayers are always welcome!

Thanks for dropping in.

Happy Fall!

Kristine

Mojo Monday 260

I am so glad to be posting today.  You have no idea.  So let's get right to it!

I played along with the Mojo Monday crowd today.  If you look through my blog, you will note that I do not make many square cards.  No reason for that.  I suppose the idea just doesn't hit my creative brain spot when crafting.  Nice to try something different.

This is my Friend's son, Kyle.  He is really into dinosaurs right now.  The picture is a little old, but just too cute! 

 

And a peek at the inside of the card. 

 

 

Thanks to Julee for the great sketch.  I had fun!  Here is the sketch that I followed.

 



Thanks for stopping in.  I missed you!
(note: the card recipe is below)

Kristine

Recipe:
Paper: SU Brocade Blue (retired), SU Chocolate chip
Design paper: Little Yellow Bicycle's babysauraus
Punches: 1 3/4" circle, Scallop Trim border
Ribbon: SU 1 1/4" striped Chocolate chip Grosgrain

I'll see you when I see you

Sometimes Life throws a curve ball. A fast ball at the head.  Maybe low and inside and you gotta watch out for your knees. Sometimes a ball zips by and a wild dance happens to reach the ball. A swing and a miss.  It's okay because a person is not out until after the third strike. And a person gets to hit a lot of foul balls while swinging. So goes my life right now.  I'm swinging and missing.  But I'm still at bat, and I'm knocking the ball to foul rather than striking out.

This whole metaphor is just my clever way of saying that posting to this blog may be ...let's call it sporadic... for awhile.  I have pulled back from my demonstrating from Stampin' Up (sad, sad, sad) and when I have time and the energy to craft, it will be for pure joy.  It takes more energy to post a blog entry than one might think.  All the photography, downloading, thinking...and typing...and, for me spell checking, that has to happen! So this is not adios, just a  "I'll see you when I see you."

Let's all wish for a perfect pitch to my sweet spot that I get to hit outta the park! Whamo!

Kristine

A sunset just for you

The art of stamping.  Seems to be making a comeback.  For awhile, the thing to do was create a card with a gazillion layers of card stock. Gosh, a card may not even have stamping on it, but be filled with embossing and designer papers and trinkets.  Nothing wrong with that kind of card. (well, except maybe the extra postage it takes to send it somewhere!)  This card is only two layers and the impact is made with the inks and stamping.

I had to ask my son about making the sunset.  I have really never noticed which direction the colors layer themselves in the night sky at sunset.  Yes, I know the colors of a sunset, but how to recreate it with ink?  My son informed me that his art teacher said, "Dark on top."  So that's what I did.   There is a line under the words Just for you on the actual stamp that I masked before stamping.  I like the top part of the sentiment, but not the teasing tone of the bottom half of the sentiment.  Especially for this card.  I love that with a wee bit of transparent tape I can adjust a stamp to my liking.

Below you can see the glimmer of the card.  I went back over each bunch of flowers with some Dazzling Details and just dotted on a little sparkle. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Afterthoughts (retired)

Card stock: Whisper White, Night of Navy

Inks: Stazon Black, Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight

Dazzling details, sponges

Hope you like the card.  Thanks for stopping in!  Special thanks to my followers and subscribers for giving me someone to "talk" to!

Kristine

Let me make it up to you

Sorry for the long absence.  Life happened.

To make up for the almost month away, I will post ALL of the goodies in my "to be posted" stash.

First up is the latest card I have completed for my Open Swappers Group.  Click HERE for more information on joining the group and to see what the other swappers created.

Supplies:

Stamp set: Pleasant Poppies

Card stock: Whisper White and Poppy Parade (retired)

Inks: Poppy Parade (retired), Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery

Accessories and Tools: Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (retired), Brights brads, and Simply Scored tool.

I used the new Pleasant Poppies large background stamp.  This is really an easy card.  I water colored the poppies using and aqua painter.  I did not worry about staying in the lines because I wanted a very soft look.  The scored line on the top and the bottom just adds a hint of interest to the card.

Project number 2:  I made this for my friend.  She just moved into a new home and is moving on in her life after a marriage ending.  This is her time to bloom, so I made this to remind her of that.  The colors match the colors she has chosen for her new master bedroom.

A closer look at one of the "Hydrangea" blooms.  I used the Trio Flower punch (retired) and sponged each flower in  Perfect Plum.  There are over 1,000 flowers on the two blooms!  This took me longer than I planned and left me with purple fingers.  The butterfly is from a big box store and just matched! It so fits in with the idea of rebirth.  I used straight pins to push the flowers into a Styrofoam ball.  Another reason for purple fingers.  After pushing in over 1,000 pins, the pad on my thumb had a bruise!  The idea for the project came from a catalog of another stamping company.

Supplies:
Sizzix Timeless Type Alphabet Die
Card stock:  Whisper white, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery
Inks: Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant
Trio Flower Punch (retired)
Certainly Celery 1/8" taffeta ribbon (retired)
Candlesticks and Styrofoam balls

Project 3:  Sometimes giving a tip in a nice little envelope is cool.   These are made from the Scallop Envelope Die.  Add an appropriate label and they're ready to use. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Perfect Punches (retired)
Ink: Pear Pizzazz
Bigz Scallop Envelope Die
Card stock: Whisper white
DSP: Berry Blossoms (retired)
Pear Pizzazz 1/4" organza ribbon (retired SAB)
Punches: Scallop oval, Moder label

I punched a hole in the center of the flap and brought the ribbon up through it to tie the bow.  Keeps the flap closed and gives it a finishing touch.

Project 4:  These are the thank you cards for orders placed last month.  I really love the Mixed Bunch stamp set. 

Supplies:
Stamp Set: Mixed Bunch, Loving Thoughts
Card stock: Whisper White
Inks: Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petal, Gumball Green
Adorning Accents Embossing Folder
Punches: Blossom, 1" circle
Basic Rhinestone

Project 5:  This card is a CASE of a card made by Mary Brown.  I love her style.  This was a card from a workshop that I had.  The clouds are made from the cupcake builder punch!  My downline made a card using the punch as a cloud and I adored the idea!

Supplies:

Stamp Set: Up, Up and Away, Friendly Phrases

Card stock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist

Inks: Midnight Muse, Basic Black, Raspberry Ripple, Pumpkin Pie

Punches: Build a Cupcake

Polka Dot Embossing Folder 

Project 6:  This was another card made at the same workshop as the balloon card.  It has a special gift card holder!  The idea for the card came from a convention swap last year.  There was no name on the swap, so I have no idea who to give credit to for the design.

See how the ribbon pulls out the gift card holder?!  Clever eh?

Supplies:

Stamp set: Betsy's Blooms Wheel (on the gift card at the bottom)

Framed Tulips Embossing Folder

Card stock: Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Baja Breeze, and copy paper for the envelope

DSP: Floral District

Inks: Rich Razzleberry

In Color Designer Series brads

1" circle punch

Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon

Final share:  This is a birthday card I did for a friend.  This is also a CASE of Mary Brown.  Told ya I love her stuff! 

I have been working on this post for most of the day.  Having my family home is wonderful, but it is difficult to get anything done!  The minute I sit down, another interruption. I know any mom out there can relate. 

Thanks for visiting.  It is appreciated.

Kristine

A purple Vroom

Here's a card from my last workshop.

The motorcycle stamp set is retired, but the image is still available in My Digital Studio.  I printed out a bunch of the motorcycles and then ran the image on the cardstock through the Big Shot with the new die. (The name of the die escapes me at the moment!)  (A side note: I am writing this from a  vacation I am on, and do not have my catalog with me. If the names of the items are a wee bit off, that is because my memory is always a wee bit off. Well, let's be honest here...there is more than just my memory that is a wee bit off about me.  However, a tilted personality makes for a unique one! Anyway,  please pardon my mistakes, as I know I will have some!  I'm trying to be brief here.  Successful there, huh! Not. I could look everything up online, but to be honest, I'm too lazy to do that today!!  Hey, I AM on vacation. *smile*)  See how shiny the motorcycle chrome is?  That shine was made using Pearl Ex and Future Floor Wax Finish.  I put the floor finish in an Aqua Painter and then just dip the tip into the Pearl Ex and paint.  Easy and not messy!  The Pearl Ex needs nothing else done to it because the floor finish has acrylic in it and the medium is set as it is applied.  Like I said...easy!  My hostess asked me to demonstrate the Pearl Ex since SU used to sell it, and she had a lot.  Always fun to revisit the past and use something again.  The silver panel of the card is aluminum foil.  Did you guess that?  I know, purdy!  We took heavy duty aluminum foil and cut it to size and ran it through the Big Shot using the new Fan Embossing Folder.  Here's a hint from me, your friend.  Do not apply adhesive to the back of the foil.  Apply it to the cardstock and then press the cardstock to the foil to adhere the foil.  The less you touch the foil, the luckier you'll be in not getting a rip.  We also ran the black strip of cardstock through the Big Shot using another new folder, the Argyle Embossing Folder.  I think it looks like faux leather.  Chrome and leather and a purple motorcycle.  Funny thing, most of the ladies had someone in mind that they wanted to give the card to.  The sentiment on the inside of the card says, "Well-behaved women seldom make history."  So true.  See the paper piercing around the motorcycle? That was done with the new Paper Piercing Pack.  Way cool.  Love the larger size of it.  If you get one new non-stamp thing from the new catalog...that's a great choice.  Don't forget to get the mat.

Okay, my friends, it's back to vacation.  Thanks for the stop in!
Kristine

A love note

Do you get it?  Love notes! HA! The key is the key to the card giver's heart.  Ahhhh...

This card did not come out the way I originally intended, but...well, sometimes a person needs finish what one begins.  The thing that happened with this card was that the black ink was smudging.  It is the new Stampin Up classic ink.  I love that it is black-black, not purple-black. But I was not lovin' that it was smudgin'. It should dry quickly.  Obviously on the textured white cardstock it needed more time. 

I wonder what the music sounds like if the notes were to be played?  It looks like it would be fast. 

This card was for a swap.  I kept the least attractive card for myself.  If you want to see what the other swappers made, click HERE.

Thanks for the stop in.
Kristine

Some cute gifts

One of the things I like to do is create some hand made gifts for workshop attendees.  Here is the gift I made for the last workshop.

Even if I do say so myself, these potted flowers are cute, cute, cute!  The idea is not my own.  I found this tutorial on a blog that has a wide variety of ideas called The Diary of Two Crafty Girls. Isn't that a cleaver blog name?  This tutorial is from Natasha and she made it easy peasy to do.  Go to their blog and search Flower Pot Gift Idea tutorial.  I used the stamp set Fabulous Florets, just like Natasha did in her sample. The colors of the blooms are the new Summer Starfruit and Primerose Petals.  The leaves are the new Gumball Green.  See, a showing of the new In Colors! Ahh, I may be a wee bit clever/crafty too! 

Gasp!  I just noticed that I took a picture of the BACK side of the pot!  The front is the same, but has the raffia ribbon bow.  I do not have another to take a picture of!  {sigh}  Oh, what to do with a middle-aged mind.   Ah well, we will all pretend that the picture has a bow.  Anyway, the original idea was to put a bulb in the little pot.  But the workshop was postponed past bulb planting time, so I did the next best thing and filled the little pots with candy! (Maybe the ladies liked the candy more than they would have the bulb?  It's that instant gratification thing.  Yummy candy now vs. a flower in three months.)

Here's a peek at the inside.  Hey!  You can see the bow on the front!  See, I'm not fibbin'  about the ribbon!  That rhymes...fibbin' and ribbon.  Onward...

And here is the box waiting to go to the workshop. Happy little box!

I had another special gift for my hostess.  Some yummies inside this as well. :-)  The flower is what I want to share.  I made it using the Paper Daisies.  One daisy as a bottom and then folding the daisies into forths and hot gluing them to the base until you have the fullness you want.  I spong daubered this with Primrose Petals Ink and swipped the edges with Bravo Burgandy ink.  A Basic Rhinestone in the center adds some sparkle. 

I think it kinda looks like a carnation?  The box is made from the retired Bigz XL Box #2 Die in Bravo Burgandy Textured cardstock.  White taffeta ribbon to wrap around.

There you have it!  Some gift presentation ideas.  Thanks to all of you for giving of your time today. I wish you a pot full of candies!

Kristine

Hello again and Product shares

Hello June?  Where did you go?  Yesterday was my birthday.  I am always startled by the arrival of my birthday.  It is past the middle of the month, and I always wonder where the first weeks of June go?  Since the time I was school-aged, the first two weeks out of class zoom by. 
Z OOOOO MMMM!!  See what I mean!? Fast.  I am also startled by the fact that I am growing older. Anyone else out there ever have the notion that everyone ELSE gets older, but not yourself.  Weird that, I know.

Onward to stamping related information...
I have always offered my customers product shares when new catalogs or minis arrive.  Why have I not put those opportunities up here?  Dunno.  But here they are.

These shares are for ribbon.  In the share you get two yards of each of the new style ribbons.  It is enough to see what you like and make a couple of projects, but not the whole roll.  It is easy to get carried away with ribbon.  This I know.  Love ribbon.  L-o-v-e it!  So think of this as a ribbon buffet.  You get a little taste of all, but you don't walk away bloated. :-)

Share 1:  2012-2014 In Color Ribbon Share
2 yards of each color
3/8" Satin Stitched

Here is how the share will arrive to you:

This share is $10.50

 Share #2:
2 yards each color
1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

This share is $11.75 each

If you are interested in a share, shoot me an email and let me know what you want.  There is no additional shipping to get it to you.  

And some sharing of a different sort.  Here are the gifts my family gave me yesterday.  Roses are from Hubby. Sweet guy he is. 

Olivia set the table "fancy" for my breakfast and lunch.  She makes me smile.  This china belonged to my great aunts.  I knew she was up to something when I heard my china cabinet doors opening and closing before I got out of bed!

The gift they all went in together to get is this beautiful scarf.  I love the colors! It matched perfectly the top I had picked to wear for the day. 



Thanks for stopping in.  Welcome to my new follower, Barbara! I'm glad you have joined me.

Kristine

Did you miss me?

Here I was, plugging along getting a post in not once but twice a week.  It was grand!  Grand, while it lasted.  I have been traveling and hosting for the past two weeks.  I do have a card to share with you though!

Stamps: Wild Rose (retired), Hope Happens (retired)
Cardstock: Pool Party DSP (retired), Gumball Green, Barely Banana (retired), Whisper White
Inks: Daffodil Delight, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz (retired), Gumball Green, Primrose Petals ink mixed with Craft ink and added with a brush.

I made this card for my mom.  She found out last week that she has oral cancer.  Never smoked in her life, but she has the cancer of a smoker.  This is her third battle with cancer.  She had a sarcoma in her Kidney in 2005, then melanoma on her head in 2007, and now carcinoma in her mouth.  She has a good outlook, and her spirit is strong.  She amazes me.  If you are of the mind, a prayer for her would be appreciated.  She is in for some painful surgeries and some blows to her appearance for awhile.

On the good news side of life, my son was honored with an award from his middle school on Wednesday.  His school mascot is the Diamondback (yes, only in Northern Nevada) and they have a education matrix they call S.T.R.I.K.E.  The letters stand for Strength, Tolerance, Responsibility, Knowledge and Empathy.  Thomas was chosen for the honor because the staff at the school feels he exemplified these characteristics for the past three years at the school!  His graduating class is around 600 students, so this is a wonderful thing to be selected among so many. I am such a proud mom! I know he is a wonderful person.  I have been blessed by God with both of my children.

And here is another rascal in my life.  This is my friend's son, Kyle. I think of him as one of my own. He calls me Ne-Ne.  I think that is his attempt at Auntie.  He just turned two.  Lordy I remember the twos.  I will say this...being around a 2 year old when in one's 30s in a heck of a lot easier than doing it in one's 40s!  He's fast. Colleen and Kyle stayed with us for a week.  He adored being with my kids. They adore him, but you know what the best birth control might be for teens?  Put them in a room for a week with a two year old.  Then ask...wouldn't you love to have a two year old around all the time?! (insert menacing laugh here) I love the vagabond beard he has created for himself in this photo.  I know he REALLY enjoyed that ice cream! :-)

And finally, when I came home from my trip, my peony bush greeted me in full glory.  So many luscious blooms that the poor thing was bent to the ground even with a flower ring to support the blooms.  I picked a few to enjoy inside and fill my house with the wonderful scent.

Thanks for sharing some time with me.  You're grand. 

Kristine

It's just like riding a bike

Is there anything in your life that you wish you liked more than you do?  For me that is bike riding.  I think about bike riding...spinning wheels, wind in the hair, sun on my face and back, the ting, ting, ting of a bell on my handlebars.... It all sounds joyous.  Simple.  A quick trip to the store on my bike! A toodle around the neighborhood on my bike! Camping and exploring the park on my bike! Then I get on my bike.  And I begin to pedal.  Huff, puff...pedal pedal...huff puff...pedal pedal.  And the glory of a "bike ride" goes away.  Even at those times in my life when I have been in excellent shape, the bike ride has never been what my imagination foretells.  Whenever I see an old fashion bike, that whimsy enters my mind and I think I might just give bike riding another go.  And the cycle (no pun intended) begins again.  And so this leads to why one of my first purchases from the new Stampin' Up catalog has an image of a bike. 

Stamps: Summer Afternoon (2012-13 hostess)
Simply Scored with the Diagonal plate
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe DSP
Inks: Summer Starfruit, Crumb cake
Basic Pearls, dimensionals

 Can you see why this image brings back that whimsical feel...the want to bike ride?  I can imagine myself climbing aboard, perhaps wearing a pair of white "pedal pushers" and a jaunty colorful blouse.  My Keds ready for the pedals.  I'm going to deliver the flowers to a friend.  Maybe visit awhile with the friend and drink some cool tea.  And then I realize that I really do not want to ride this bike.  Sometimes it takes years for me to let go of a notion.  Some would call that attribute stubborn.  I prefer to call it persistent. :-)  I do enjoy looking at this bike.  I can still enjoy all of my imaginings about biking knowing that I will not plant my back end on a bike seat any time soon.  And that is why this is a thank you card.  Thank you to whomever this card ends up being sent to, but also, thanks be to God that I have finally realized that riding a bike is not for me. :-)

Here is a view of the card from a different angle.  I stamped the basket image on a scrap piece of paper, cut it out and popped it up on a dimensional.  The colors of the card are inspired by the color challenge from Our Creative Corner last week.  I used the new SU color, Summer Starfruit as my yellow.  It's an interesting color.  Can I just say that it reminds me a wee bit of baby food squash?  Wonder why they didn't name it Baby Food Squash Yellow instead of Summer Starfruit?  Probably due to lack of alliteration.  I betcha Baby Food Squash Yellow would be a real hot seller. :-)

That's it for today.  Thank to my followers and subscribers.  See you soon! Ting, ting, ting!

Life's a Bowl of cherries

There is a demonstrator group that I belong to that has weekly swaps.  In May, one of the weekly swaps was based on this photo:

 It's a cool photo. I had stamping insomnia from it. My mind was mulling over how to make a card that reflected the inspiration. Hmmmm.  A 1950s feel to me...some art deco too.  I like the colors.  I even like the Melon Mambo in there. :-)  And here is the card I made for the swap.

I liked the rounded corners of the marquee, so I rounded my layer corners.  I swiped a white craft pad over the layers of Tempting Turquoise to get the worn feel.  And why the cherries?  Well, my Grandma Daisy had a bowl very similar to the one in the stamp image.  And it was actually blue and red.  When I first saw the stamp set, called Cherish Friendship, it was Grandma Daisy's bowl that came to mind...and probably why I bought the set.  :-)  A 1950s bowl to go with the 1950s vibe of the card.  Makes sense in my mind. 
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I colored the bowl and cherries with water color pencils.  They seem to be my favorite coloring tool as of late.  My cherries are Mt Rainier cherries.  They have more of the yellow coloring than do Bing or Pie cherries.  Can you see the shine on them?  That's Crystal Effects that I dotted onto each cherry.  Now the image has a bumpy feel to it--like there's really something in the bowl.

Here's a picture of the side so you can see all of the layers.  It's like stairs! You can also see the bumpy cherries!  The three rhinestones adds the glamor of the theater marquee. 

Something I like about the stamping world is how we can be inspired by anything.  I can't wait to see what the other swappers make!  That part is always the most fun.

Thanks for stopping in.
Kristine