Playing with Olivia and a Sneak Peek

Note:  I have blathered a lot before getting to my card and the sneak peek.  If you are visiting just to see the sneak peek and a new product, scroll to the bottom.  If you don't mind a wee bit of blathering...read on!


I am so lucky that my daughter, Olivia, aka Livi, likes to paper craft with me.  She is 12, and I love that it makes her smile when we bring out the craft supplies and get down to a challenge.  This weekend we are missing Thomas.  He is her brother and my son.  He is 14 and off on a trip to Disneyland in LA with his school orchestra.  We miss him terribly.  I am very fortunate that my children love each other and consider each other best friends.  I know!  Can you imagine my surprise as each year they grow they continue to treat each other with respect and love!  It says a lot about who they are as people.  So we are missing Thomas and we felt a little paper therapy was in order.  So we have been doing some challenges.

Because Livi likes sketch challenges we started there.  She combed my bookmarked sights until she found a sketch she thought she could work with and like.  What she found was the Saturday Sketch Challenge at Stamping 411. Perfect! It's an older sketch, but that's what we used. Here it is:

Then to make the challenge a wee bit more difficult, we each picked a color from the Stampin' Up! Color Coach.  This had to be a focal color in the card.  Here's a picture of Livi selecting my color.  She's so funny.  Look at that cute face!

And wouldn't you know it, we each by happenstance picked colors for each other that we would NOT normally pick.  She picked Melon Mambo for me.  I picked Tangerine Tango for her.  We each gave a heavy sigh.  Oh the tortures of working outside a comfort zone! :-)  Then we got to work.  Lots of laughs, and Oh-my-gosh-this-card-is hard! later we had our finished cards.  One of the rules of our working together is no peeking at the other person's work.  We like the surprise of the finished card.  I ripped my card up a few times.  Livi sticks with her plan and is always okay with what she creates.  Say anything about our personalities?

First Livi's card.  Remember she had to use Tangerine Tango.  I love how she interpreted the sketch and made that color work for her. 

And here is my card.  Remember I had to use Melon Mambo.  I fudged a bit.  Although Melon Mambo is a main color, I think the Elegant Eggplant is more noticeable.

The stamp set used is a new stamp in the upcoming 2012-13 Idea Book called Betsy's Blossoms.  I received this set as a part of a bundle that Stampin' Up put together as an incentive.  If you reach a certain level in your title, you begin to get the opportunity to buy these bundles at a discount, or eventually you get them free!  I got my first discount bundle. Hehehehehe, grin.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE Stampin' Up! :-)  Love getting things for free or at a big discount. 

I think the set has a retro feel to it.  Yeah man...retro! 

Thanks for visiting today.  Thanks to you, my followers and subscribers.  You are da bomb.
Kristine

For Mom

I love Stampin' Up!  I really do.  But sometimes I see something that is non-SU that I must have.  So it happened last weekend when Livi and I went to a big craft store.  I saw this beautiful paper in the bargain bins.  It was love at first sight.  The roses on the paper spoke to me of times gone by.  So I bought it.  And I used it.  Everything except the designer paper is SU, but the colors are retired.  I have been rearranging stuff to make room for the new goodies to come, and I miss so much some of the colors of the past--such as Mellow Moss.  It was/still is a favorite.  It doesn't surprise me that Mellow Moss matches the design paper.  We are all drawn to certain colors.  Okay, now the card. This is my mom's Mother's Day card.  My mom does not own a computer, so no worries about her seeing it before I give it to her. :-) 

I decided to use the sentiment "family" instead of "Mom" because she is the glue of our family.  She has also never really thought much about needing a special day for moms.  She's all for another family day, however!  So it fits her better.

I fussy cut some of the roses out of the paper for the small pair above the circle and then popped them up on a dimensional.  Here's a side view of the card so you can see some of the dimension as well as the inside of the card (before I write in all the mushy stuff I write inside cards.)

Supplies: 

Cardstock: Brilliant Blue (retired), Mellow Moss (retired)

Designer Paper: Treasures by Shabby Chic

Polka Dot Embossing Folder, 2 1/2" circle plus and Circle Scissor Plus

This card fits the bill for two challenges as well. Cool. It is the Mojo Monday Sketch 240, and it fits the theme for the Paper Players Theme Challenge 94.   I thank the ladies at both challenges for helping me create my mom's card. :-)

I just realized there is no stamping on this card!  Huh? 

Thanks for stopping by.  Special thanks to my followers and subscribers.

Kristine