I'm finally well!!!

Oh, my gosh, the cold that I got last week really knocked me on my behinney! Today is the first day that I have actually felt normal(which is a relative term I use loosely). Here is a card I made in honor of feeling better using Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed life and also her A Year of Flowers tulips. Double whammie of my favorite stamps :)

I colored the tulips, stems, leaves and ladybug from A Year of Flowers and cut them out and adhered them to my Top Note Die. I used 2 Adirondak ink pads, lemonade, juniper to sponge around the edge of the die panel and added a final light sponging of Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the farthest outside where I wanted it the darkest.

The sentiment, which I absolutely love, is from A Charmed life. I have used the wine glass a lot and decided that it was time to expand my visions as this set is so versatile and can be used for about a million occassions.

I created my own designer paper for the back panel by taking a piece of yellow cardstock and stamping the crackled finish stamp, from Bold Flowers ( a stamp set included in the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit). I stamped it in the Adirondak Juniper ink all over and then I took the Charming stamp from A Charmed Life and stamped all over the paper as well going in all different directions. I then sponged around the edge with the same Juniper ink.

I cut strips of Blue bayou cardstock and used my corner punch to create a pretty scalloped strip which I cut into four strips and matched the corners to frame the main image. I tied a piece of white dotten swiss sheer ribbon through a large grey-green button and tied it in a knot and then adhered the ribon to the main image,

The main image is popped up on strips of foam mounting tape but you can't see the dimension in the photo

The designer paper behind the main image is from the Ocean Glass paper pack I picked up at Michaels before Christmas.

It feels good to be back coloring and making cards again. I have missed making projects to show you and hope you missed it too.

Be sure to add a comment to the Blog Candy Theme frame for a chance to win it. I will honestly say that it looks so much better IRL. The post is at the very top of my blog postings until April 16 when I will draw the winner.

See you all tomorrow and thanks for stopping by.

Cathy

I'm getting Published!

Funniest sight in the world is me doing the Happy Dance, not a pretty picture, but I just received notification that one of my Floral Frenzy cards from StampTV GinaK Designs is going to be published in Scrapbook News and Review in April.

Scrapbook News and Review is an online magazine available through the following site:

http://snrcardiverse.ning.com/profiles/friend/list?page=1

It was the first time I had gotten up the nerve to submit anything. I submitted two cards, the floral frenzy card was selected.

I had to remove the picture from my galleries and blog so you won't see it again until after the magazine is published.

I am working on some other cards for my blog but won't have any ready until tomorrow night, just had to shout out my news, Well, I am excited.

Cathy

Color Challenge Altered Notebook

I decided to do my friend Theresa's color challenge on StampTV but didn't want to make a card. The challenge was to use the colors Lavendar lace and Old Olive. I love making altered notebooks so that is what I made:

I bought these notebooks at Michael's quite a while ago in their dollar bin. They are perfect for me to alter because the SU spiral punch aligns perfectly on the spiral binding to be able to add your designer paper all the way to the edge of the cover. I used the Floral Frenzy green digital paper for the Old Olive color and used the pretty pink flowered digital paper from the Peachy Keen collection at GinaK Designs..

I wanted to use the Take Flight Butterflies again, (I don't think I will ever get tired of coloring them), and because the color challenge was lavendar and green those are the colors that I used to color the 'flies. I changed up the coloring a little because no two butterflies are exactly alike. I used the gradiant copic technique to color the butterflies because it gives a nice smooth transition between colors. Instead of using my blender pen to lighten certain areas I used my lightest pink which acts basically the same as the blender pen by taking away the darker color but leaves a pink tone and not white.

I cut out the butterflies, yep even the antenna, and placed them on my cover. I stamped the sentiments from Take Flight on vellum and cut them out and adhered them to the cover between the butterflies.

I used my stardust glitter pen to outline the butterflies veins and it looks beautiful IRL just doesn't photograph as nice as it should. IRL they all look as nicely colored as the top butterfly because it is highlighted with glitter pen as well but the angle doesn't show it.

I added tiny half pearls under each sentiment and one tiny half pearl at the top right corner. I also added a half pearl to each hole left by the threading water scallop punch. I tied pieces of brown, green, white, purple and pink ribbon to each spiral and my little altered notebook is done. I love using these myself and giving them as gifts, my granddaughter's love them.

Thanks Theresa for a great challenge and now I have a pretty notebook to use, added bonus!

Have a good day,

Cathy

Bleached Beauty

The technique video on StampTV by GinaK Designs this week is two methods of using bleach to create your image. Here is the card that I created for the using bleach making your own bleach pad with paper towels:

I stamped the flowers onto the dark green mat cardstock that came in the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit. I actually sponged around the edge very gently to frame the flowers and soften the edges just a bit.

I used a white top note die for the white side and used my new Tim Holtz swirl mask to create the design. I used Tim Holtz Vintage Photo distress ink to sponge over the mask. I added white antique lace on the left side of the main image, tied a piece of beautiful golden ribbon to the image. The ribbon was a free gift with a purchase from Ellen Hudson's store. (that is where I buy my Variant inks to refill my copic markers).
I added 3 brown dew drops in the upper right corner and added faux stitching around the edges and my card is complete.

Hope you have a great day!

Cathy

Marty says Anytime is Playtime!

Marty wants to Play!


Isn't Marty the cutest little pup from Dog Gone Stamps? He thinks that it is Playtime and he has a spinner clock that says just that.
I colored Marty with copic markers and mounted him on black cardstock. I had sewn some free motion patterns on red cardstock with my sewing machine and though it would be a cute background for Marty.
Accessories are a bone paper clip from WalMart and a spinner from the Tim Holtz Accessories collection which my Michael's just started carrying.
I got out my label maker and punched the "Anytime is Playtime" labels, a black check ribbon scrap for the bone and Marty is ready to play.

I'll be back later with more creations. Have a great day!

Cathy

Wine Glass Charm

Okay, I had this great idea to make a wine glass charm using shrinky dink and Melanie Muenchinger's Jumpin for Joy and A Charmed Life stamp sets. It was great in theory and worked out pretty good until it came time to photograph it. 3 hours and 50 photos later this is the best I could get, urggggghhhhh!!!

Here is a close up of the cute seal from Jumpin for Joy set Melanie created last year for GinaK Designs.

Just to prove that in real life you can see the detail of the charm :) Little tip: You can not color on the smooth side of the shrinky dink material, but, if you are careful and do not lay the piece down on anything( or the ink will rub off) you can flip it over and color the backside(rough side) and when you heat the shrinky dink the color melts into the piece.

The other shrinky dink tags say" Save the Date" from A Charmed Life and "taking the plunge" part of the stamp "Congrats on taking the plunge", from Jumpin for Joy.

I will guarantee you that if you make this project you will really like it, it just doesn't photograph well because the material makes it impossible to photograph well.

I don't know how many of you are pro's using shrinky dink material but I just started using it about a month ago. I love it for tags and now charms, but I have a problem with it laying flat. I discovered today that once I have it completely melted and it is laying as flat as it is going to I flip it over and press down fairly firmly with one of my acrylic blocks. It worked really nicely on the seal which had fins and a tail piece that wanted to curl.

I will be back with more projects later. I was home sick today so I got this project done earlier in the day.

Later,
Cathy

Inky Impressions First Ever DT Call

Inky Impressions is a brand new stamp company that is having their first ever DT call. I absolutely love DT and Guest DT assignments (for lack of a better word) and I love to color anything with copic markers. Inky Impressions stamps are darling children images that lend themselves to lots of coloring. Here are two of my favorite projects that I am submitting for consideration:




This will be my last post for a few days, I am going to Kansas City to see 4 of my grandchildren in a Karate Tournament. Be back Monday night. Have a great week-end.

Cathy

Send in the Clowns with a Postal Theme

"Send in the Clowns" is the newest release from Artistic Outpost featuring vintage images of lovable, funny, clowns. Our clowns are not creepy and they are definitely not scary. This collection comes in both unmounted (8.5" x 5.5") sheets as well as precut, mounted on EZMount foam, and packaged on their own printed and indexed storage sheet.

All images are designed to also coordinate with our Vintage Circus collection. We are just in love with this collection, and we hope you are too."

"As a preview special, when you buy "Send in the Clowns" you will also get a FREE coordinating collage sheet professionally printed on cardstock. This sheet features more circus images including vintage posters and advertisements. This special is good through March 22nd."

***********************

My two projects for tonight both have a Postal theme, post cards and stamps. Without further adeau, "Send in the Clowns".

I used the two small stamps from the "free" collage sheet and trimmed the edges with my stamp decorative edge scissors. I stamped the clown, the row of dots, and CLOWNS from Send in the Clowns to create the larger stamp image. I free-handed the 5 cent to match the price sign on the smaller stamps. I mounted the stamps on black cs so that you could see the perforated edging. I used a bar code stamp from a retired SU set. I have been kind of on a kick to stagger my matts, I think it adds a little more interest without distracting attention from the focal point which I want to be the main image.

I used the tiger image from the "free" collage sheet for the post card project as well. I have a template for the post card which I just print off onto cardstock. I mounted the postcards on black cs and added two circus tickets and this project is ready to be added to a 12X12 scrapbook page. The project measures 7X11.

Thanks for looking and be sure to check out the Design Team and Guest Design Team members Send in the Clown projects.

I hope that you have enjoyed my projects for this new awesome release. I have only begun to create with this set and combining it with the Vintage Circus stamp plate.

Cathy

A Charmed Life--Days of Wine and Roses!

I had decided that I wanted to make a name frame using Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed Life stamps. I knew that I wanted to use the Wine Glass, the rose from A Year of Flowers and the Exclamation stamps from A Charmed Life. Once I said wine and roses together I remember how I have always like the song Day's of Wine and Roses by Henry Mancini (most of you probably have no idea who Henry Mancini is) and my Theme Frame idea was born and here is the final result:

First I wanted a piece of sheet music of Days of Wine and Roses. I didn't have one so I went to the internet and downloaded a "free" easy piano version. I printed it on GP white cardstock.

I cut the sheet music to 5X5.

I knew that I also wanted to use Emily Giovanni's beautiful Rich and Shabby digital paper that I purchased the night of the GinaK Designs Release Party. It is so beautiful. I print it off on the GP white cardstock so that it is thick enough to have some stability. For this project I used the bold stripe and the pink flowered from the download.

I stamped the wine glass on a sheet of transparency and stamped the rose, stem, 2 rose leaves, and the Exclamation sentiments on white cardstock. I colored the wine in the glass and the heart charm burgundy. I colored the rose, leaves, and stem(my favorite beautiful rose), from A Year of Flowers, with copic markers and cut them out.

I cut my base chipboard piece 5X12 and placed my 3 pieces of dp on the base. I put the striped dp at an angle for interest.

When adding the embellishments to the project you have to remember that the base will be under the edge of the frame about 1/4 inch all the way around so if you put an embellishment right on the edge it will not be seen.

On the left music panel I placed a piece of vintage lace on the left side and used my corner rounder punch to scallop the right edge. I placed the rose stem and leaves so they would sit under the wine glass stem. I adhered my acetate wineglass by using my tape runner on the wine section so it would not show through. I added a strand of tiny pearls to appear to be laying on the table over the base of the wine glass. I then placed my rose blossom on the panel.

The middle section I usually leave a little more plain. I tied a bow in the shimmery pink ribbon and left the tails long enough to cascade onto the other two panels. I glued a medium half pearl to the center of the large heart charm and attached it under the bow. I used pop dots to attach the tails of the ribbon in the places I wanted. I placed one sentiment on the center section

On the right section I placed a strip of ribbon and pearls on the angled side. I adhered them with ribbon tape from SU. I then added a key charm to the tail of the pink ribbon and placed my sentiments angled around the panel with a tiny half pearl on each sentiment.

I placed a half pearl on each scallop on the left panel and my Days of Wine and Roses Theme Frame was ready to frame.

The frame is a 3.00 frame from WalMart :O I tried for months to find frames like this before WalMart started carrying them and although this is my favorite you can get them in black and oak as well.

I submitted this to Donna's 3D challenge for GinaK Designs StampTV for March which was to make a 3D project that you will give as a gift, tell why and to whom.

I will be back right after midnight tonight with another Send in the Clowns preview for Artistic Outpost. See you then.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cathy

Have a Clown Party-Send in the Clowns!

"Send in the Clowns" is the newest release from Artistic Outpost featuring vintage images of lovable, funny, clowns. Our clowns are not creepy and they are definitely not scary. This collection comes in both unmounted (8.5" x 5.5") sheets as well as precut, mounted on EZMount foam, and packaged on their own printed and indexed storage sheet.

All images are designed to also coordinate with our Vintage Circus collection. We are just in love with this collection, and we hope you are too."

"As a preview special, when you buy "Send in the Clowns" you will also get a FREE coordinating collage sheet professionally printed on cardstock. This sheet features more circus images including vintage posters and advertisements. This special is good through March 22nd."

Here are my Circus Party creations:

It's a perfect set to create your own Birthday Party package. I used the new Send in the Clowns stamp plate to create the stand up clown. I just cut a small slit between his shoes and cut a small strip of black cardstock to place in the slot and you can have a whole table of happy clowns in no time.

The invitation is very simple to make from one sheet of 8 1/2 X 11 cardstock. I created a template that is available on the projects page of Artistic Outpost soon.

I used another colored clown for the gift bag tag and tied it onto the twist tie. I purchased the striped gift bags at Hobby Lobby.

The straw cover is a clown face that I left tabs at the top and bottom when I cut it out so that I could use my paper punch to make a hole to fit the straw into.

I purchased the ticket holder box and altered it by adding an elephant standing on a ball on each side.

The possibilities are endless. You can make your own hats or purchase red ones and add a clown or elephant to each.

Makes me wish my kids were still little.

Have a great night and be sure to check out the other Guest Designers projects and those of the Design Team as well.

Cathy

Send in the Clowns! Artistic Outpost New Release

"Send in the Clowns" is the newest release from Artistic Outpost featuring vintage images of lovable, funny, clowns. Our clowns are not creepy and they are definitely not scary. This collection comes in both unmounted (8.5" x 5.5") sheets as well as precut, mounted on EZMount foam, and packaged on their own printed and indexed storage sheet.

All images are designed to also coordinate with our Vintage Circus collection. We are just in love with this collection, and we hope you are too."

"As a preview special, when you buy "Send in the Clowns" you will also get a FREE coordinating collage sheet professionally printed on cardstock. This sheet features more circus images including vintage posters and advertisements. This special is good through March 22nd."

Here is my first project using the Send in the Clown stamp plate:

This is a mini poster that I created using the darling chubby clown image. I drew in the center ring free-hand and stamped the unicycle. I used the dot border to create the audience by overstamping the dots in a row.

I masked the space around the clown and used my copic airbrush to create the darkened arena. I then masked just the clown and airbrushed my lightest yellow and my lightest grey to create the illusion of a spotlight. The white dots in the crowd are supposed to look like camera flashes going off.

Be sure to stop by the Artistic Outpost blog and check out the projects created by the other DT members and Guest Designers.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back tomorrow night for more new projects using Send in the Clowns!

Cathy

Thank you from Heather!

Look at what Heather Lee-Reppen sent me as a Thank you for winning one of the Scavenger Hunt Blog Candy bundles I did for Dog Gone Stamps a few weeks ago. Heather has been a follower on my blog for a long time and always leaves the sweetest comments. Thank you Heather for this beautiful card. Heather put a sticky note in the card so that I could use it, not going to happen. I will cherish this beautiful card and keep it on my wall of fame.

This is a short post. I am getting ready to post my first sample project for the Artistic Outpost Release tomorrow. That is the big project that I have been referencing for a week or more and the reason that my blog posts were a little less frequent a couple of weeks ago.

See you all tomorrow. Thanks again Heather for the beautiful card :)

Cathy

I finally got Take Flight!

I have wanted the stamp set Take Flight since it came out a couple of months ago as the free set if you bought 3 stamp sets from GinaK Designs. I just could not swing it until now. It came in the mail today and I had to play. I love it as much as I thought I would. Here is my first card with the set:

I stamped the butterflies with Momento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with copic markers, no surprise there. I have been on kind of blue and green kick lately and carried it over into this card. I used a modified version of the Copic Gradiant method of blending the colors into each other for a smooth, no line transition between colors. If you follow my blog at all you know that I use this method whenever the image allows.

After I colored the butterflies I decided that it was a little too plain so I got out my Botanical Dreams set by Asela Hopkins and used the flower branch that I off stamped once so it wasn't so dark. I went over the outline of the flowers and branch with my C1 gray copic marker to blend it into the backgrond just a little more.

I sponged around the entire main image with Tim Holtz Pine Needles Distress Ink..

To complete my card I mounted the main image on black cardstock. I added a large gold rimmed pearl in the upper right hand corner and placed a piece of black velvet ribbon under it. I added 3 medium/small half pearls around the large pearl. I added a piece of the black velvet ribbon to the bottom of the card and placed 3 half pearls in the left side of the ribbon to balance out the card a little. Finally I mounted to my bottom layer which is Cool Caribbean cardstock(don't hate me because I still have some) :) .

I really like the simplicity of the card letting the butterflies be the focal point.

I know that I am going to use the heck out of this set and I am working on some ideas to use it with A Charmed Life by Melanie Muenchinger too.

See you all tomorrow night, if I am not in the clinker. I was supposed to show up for jury duty this morning. I thought it was Tuesday and didn't realize it until I called to see if my group was supposed to show up in the morning. Yep, only it was supposed to be Monday at 8:30 and not Tuesday at 8:30. I'm sure if I plead insanity they will let me off, Would any of you bail me out?

Good night!

Cathy

A Challenge Card and a Way out Card!

Made you look didn't I :) The first card I am going to post is a card I created for Donna's Sketch Challenge on StampTV this week. I turned the sketch on it's side to fit the way I wanted to card to turn out. What do you think?


I had an idea for a project to make with A Charmed Life and I needed grapes for it. I found this stamp today at Michael's on sale that was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't wait to use it so I decided to use it for Donna's challenge on StampTV.

Michael's had also just gotten in the Tim Holtz masks and embellishments, I was in heaven. I stamped the grapes onto a piece of white cardstock and colored them with copic markers. The images were to have rounded corners so I used my corner rounder punch on each layer. I then placed my mask over the side of the card and sponged with Tim Holtz Distressed ink Pine needles, and Vintage Photo. I then sponged around the rest of the edges on the main image piece and left enough white space for the sentiment that I wanted to add.

I used a piece of the Floral Elegance Digital Download Paper from GinaK Designs for the background designer paper. I used the green with circles

I knew that I wanted to use the sentiment from Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed Life that reads, " Like fine wine, you improve with age". I added Cheers! at the bottom. The challenge sketch called for a flag on the upper corner and I wanted to add Friend there. I stamped Friend on vellum and attached that to a Tim Holtz fragment tag. It won't smudge and adds a bit of interest to that corner. I tied a sheer purple dotted swiss ribbon to the tag and melted it until curled with my heat gun.

The final element needed for the sketch challenge was two rounded pieces under the main image. I wanted to compliment my main image and not distract from it, so I added some purple highlights to my antique prima printed flowers, added a purple button tied with embroidery floss, and glued the flower to the tags. I like the way it turned out.

Are you ready for the Way Out Card!?! This would be a perfect card for a challenge to use a stamp image for something other than its intended use :)

This is the wine glass from A Charmed Life turned upside down and I drew in the feet and arms free-hand. I added googly eyes on antenna and a present charm in one hand and a cupcake charm in the other. I gave the robot/alien a big heart charm for its heart.

I made a pocket for my birthday sentiment by attaching the main image by only three sides leaving the zigzag side open for the sentiment card to slip in and out. I attached the striped triagular piece to the main image with eyelets so that I could have the side open for my sentiment pocket. The Sentiment is computer generated and attached to green cs and then mounted on white cs for stability. I punched a small hole and tied a colorful filament thread so that the sentiment could be pulled out. I stamped the Happy Birthday greeting from A Charmed Life on the white card base not covered with the striped triangle.

What little kid doesn't love robots and aliens.

I haven't made this goofy a card since Go Team! at Christmas time, I am sure you all remember that one. That card still makes me smile.

Just in case you wonder what Melanie thought of this card. I cleared its posting with her before I posted it :O

Okay Melanie, I promise no more goofy cards this month !!! :)

Thanks for looking. See you tomorrow night.

Cathy

Charming Flower Bowl and Tutorial

When I sent Melanie Muenchinger this photo she wanted me to include a tutorial to show everyone how to make the flower bowl from the wine glass. This will be my first tutorial, be kind! Here is the card:

I really like the way this card turned out, the soft colors, the elegance added by using the crackled background stamp from Bold Flowers from the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit and the dainty heart charm adds a sweet touch.

Here is how I created the flower bowl from the wine glass stamp from A Charmed Life by Melanie Muenchinger for GinaK Designs:

The supplies you will need are Momento Tuxedo Black ink, flower stamp, wine glass stamp and sharpie permanent marker.

Step1: Stamp flower image on piece of scrap white cardstock

Step 2. Ink right half of wine glass bowl only

Picture on the left shows the stamped image from step 2

Step 3: Ink left half of stamp making sure to only ink the glass bowl
Step 4: Shows positioning of stamp to line up with first image stamped

Step 5: Ink base and stem of glass
Center picture shows image after all stamping is complete

Right Photo shows Black sharpie pen that I use to draw in the missing lines

Left photo shows the lines drawn in. Tip: draw in a continual motion for a smooth line

Center Photo shows image colored without thought of water line and ready to cut out

Right Photo shows flower cut out and positioned in the bowl to decide where to mark water line

Left Photo: I colored in the water with copic markers. I used B000 and C1, grey over blue

Center Photo: basic shading completed on water, draw in water line by holding the flower image in place and matching the stamped lines.

Right Photo: These are the copic markers and sharpie pen used to complete this project.

If you have any questions please ask, I love it when people think I actually know something.

I just completed the card as usual with shading and sponging, two pieces of ribbon and a Happy Anniversary Sentiment tag.

I would love to see if anyone liked this tutorial enough to try to create this flower bowl. Would you please send me a link to your image or blog if you try one.

Thanks for looking and making it through my first tutorial.

Have a great rest of the week-end. See you tomorrow night!

Cathy

StampTV Challenge Card

It has been nearly a week since I did a challenge card so I decided to try to get a couple completed. Here is the first: Cammie hosted the color challenge on StampTV this week and the challenge was to use red, pink and black. What do you think?

I colored the iris's from Floral Frenzy, the StampTV stamping kit from GinaK Designs, with my copic markers. I used 3 shades of pink and one red(that is my red color for the challenge). I mounted the image on bright pink cs, and mounted that on black cs.

I ordered the Rich and Shabby digital paper pack created by Emily Giovanni after the GinaK Designs release party on Thurs. night and downloaded and printed it tonight after work. It is so beautiful. The bright pink flowers were perfect for this challenge. I mounted that on black and my card base is white.

I kept the embellishments to a minimum. Black and white checked ribbon is from Michaels, a black photo mount attached with a pink brad and black marker used for the faux stitching around the pink flowered panel and the corners of the main image.

My girls will not believe it but I am actually going to give this card to my niece for her bridal shower that I am attending tomorrow. Her wedding colors are pink with black accents, this will be perfect. Perfect timing of this challenge Cammie.

The reason that I make cards is that I love to color and create, I don't have to have any other reason.

Tonight I am going to post another card using Melanie Muenchinger's A Charmed Life set and even do a short picture tutorial of how I created the focal point of the image. That is all the details you get for tonight. I don't think you will be disappointed if you stop back to see what it is.

Thanks for stopping by and see you tonight.

Cathy

Check it Out!

You have got to see what my friend Lynn Stevens, who is also a Guest Designer for Artistic Outpost, made for me. Well, you get to because here is a picture of it now:

This darling bracelet is so jam packed with treasures that I could hardly photograph all of them. The angel medalions have glitter inside and are just precious. The Monopoly pieces, scrabble blocks, tiny dominos, bingo buttons, jacks, gems what a treasure.

I have always admired Lynn's style and using antique treasures in her creations. When Lynn creates them it is definitely Trash to Treasures Art, which is the name of her blog. If I tried to do the same thing it would be treasures to trash :)

You could get a Treasure from Lynn too by entering a contest on her blog. It is kind of a fun contest because you have no clue what you are going to receive, but I can guarantee you that if Lynn created it, it will be a wonderful surprise! Here is the link to the Contest:

http://trashtotreasureart.blogspot.com/2009/02/want-to-get-handmade-gift-from-me-hurry.html

On a totally different subject--At midnight last night(this morning) I posted my first 2 projects as the Guest Designer for Melanie Muenchinger( I still can't believe I am saying that :) ), I knew that Melanie is such a respected artist and so darn creative that I would get some traffic to my blog. I can't check my blog from work, for some reason they think we are supposed to earn our paycheck?!? ha ha. When I got home I had a lot of comments on my two blog posts which always thrills me that people actually take the time to comment. I usually have between 20 to 50 visitors per day which for someone like me is cool. I had 725 hits at 6:00 tonight and at midnight I had 804. Thank you all for stopping by and thank you to those who also left a comment. I am as bad as the next person for visiting a blog and not leaving a comment :)

I should have another project for Melanie soon, I need to touch base with her before I post anything else to my blog.

I almost forgot, Melanie's A Charmed Life set that I am using this month was released for sale tonight so you can buy this wonderful, versatile set.

The other big project that I have been working on is quickly approaching and I am going to be getting some new Dog Gone Stamps ( as soon as I mail off her sample cards :) they are coming Nancy, I have them gathered up and just have to put them in the envelope, I'm thinking Saturday morning.

Gotta quit for now, I have been sitting at a computer for 15 hours straight now and that is enough.

See you tomorrow,

Cathy

Melanie chose me!

A Dream Come True!

I have been dying to shout it to the world, but had to be quiet, do you know how hard that is for me? ha ha! The creator of my all time favorite stamp set, A Year of Flowers, Melanie Muenchinger, asked me to be her guest designer for March.


I did have a few days of total panic when my stamp set didn't arrive until Wednesday and the preview was Thursday morning just after midnight Argh! I got home from work at 6:00 and cut out the stamps and created two projects that I had planned. Check the post below.


I am so excited to have even been chosen by Melanie, but when I got my stamp set in the mail today she had included the cutest card See!

Not only did I get this darling card Melanie also signed my stamp set!!!

Now that I have my stamp set I can't wait to create some beautiful fun projects and with 59 stamps to create with... yes, from one set, I can't wait to play.

See everyone at the GinaK Designs Release Party tonight!

***Make sure that you check out my two samples for Melanie's newest set, A Charmed Life, as well as the samples done by the Design Team Members for GinaK Designs. My samples and the links to the other designers samples are in the post below, just right below this one, yep just down a little more :)***

Goodnight,
Cathy

A Charmed Life--I think I'm leading one!

I am so thrilled to get to create a sneak peek of Melanie Muenchinger's new set, A Charmed Life. This awesome set will be available tonight at the GinaK Designs Release Party on Splitcoast Stampers. I created two projects that are designed to be given as a gift together but I couldn't get a good photograph of them together so you get to see them separate :)

My second project was a bookmark that coordinates with the card:

It is kind of hard to tell but the wine glass is outlined with the Stardust glitter pen and really shines.

More A Charmed Life peeks from the DT team here:
Asela Hopkins

Carolyn King

Cindy Lawrence

Jessica Fick

Joanne Basile

Kurtis Amundson

Melanie Muenchinger

Theresa Momber
Gina K

and the In the Spotlight Designer Sharri Seffens!

Thanks Melanie for allowing me to play and thanks for looking.

Have a great day, see you tonight!

Cathy

I Love You Duck and Thanks a Latte!

I made this card some time ago but just realized that I had never posted it on my blog. It was created using the My Cuppa Joe stamp set by Asela Hopkins, sold at GinaK Designs. Very simple concept on the card. I used copic markers for the coffee mug and craft snow for the froth. It was fun playing with snow with a toothpick to keep in in the lines where I wanted it :).
The scalloped punch is Stampin Up and the You're Cool Beans circle stamp is in the My Cuppa Joe set as well. There are lot of cool coffee related cups, coffee bean bag, sentiments for lots of different occassions.

Oh, by the way, GinaK Designs is having a Release Party on Thursday at SCS forum. Sneak Peaks start tomorrow

Checkout this little Duck with Flowers,
This little Duck with Flower is from Dog Gone Stamps and is just so sweet and innocent. It was colored with copic markers and cut out the image square at an angle.


I stitched along the edges of the main image and also made a decorative outline border basically for added interest without adding any other embellishments, keeping it a more masculine feel.


Have you noticed that I have been on kind of a masculine card kick for the past couple of weeks. Oh well.



The card is really self explanatory, Always nice to have a few Just because I Love you cards laying around.


I know that I have not been blogging at my usual pace but I have a couple of really big projects going that are secret for a little while longer and with working full time, which pays for this addiction, I mean hobby, there just aren't always enough hours in the day. Hang in with me and I will let you know about my secret projects just as soon as I can.

See you all tomorrow,

Cathy

The Belle of the Ball

Happy Friday!!!

I finally got a chance to make the Belle of the Ball into a card. I showed you the image a few days ago because I just didn't take time to make cards yet (I was having too much fun coloring.)

This is one of the 1926 images at Dog Gone Stamps. The original drawings were done using a feather quill pen and ink.

I colored the image with copic markers and wanted to make a simple but elegant card to showcase this beautiful lady. I added glitter to her sash and necklace with a stardust clear glitter pen. Of course it is really hard for the true shine to show up with a flash picture.

I sewed the main image onto the star flower punched and embossed white panel. I decided that I wanted just the blue panel as the card base, but it was a little plain, so I used my sewing machine and made a free hand sewing line twice around the card base. Where the lines intersected I placed a half pearl for pretty definition of the sewn lines. I tied a sheer white ribbon around the base under the raised main panel and my card was complete.

I hope you all have a great evening. I posted a little earlier than usual tonight, I still have a bunch of stamping to do, the best part of the day!

See you tomorrow.

Cathy

Jessica's Sketch Challenge at StampTV

Jessica's sketch challenge, for StampTV, was to make a rather simple card. One rectangle main panel(layered of course) and a ribbon.

I have been wanting to do the faux silk technique and bought the tissue paper for it months ago, just didn't do it until tonight. I really like the way it turned out.

I used my Owl Always Love You stamp set by GinaK Designs for the main image. This image was colored with Koh-I-Nor pencils and OMS, yeah I know I do occassionally use other mediums besides copic markers.

The simple basics of the faux silk technique are to take a piece of tissue paper and crumple it up. I really wadded mine up into a ball and then smoothed it out. I cut a pice of cardstock 5.5X4.3 and took some Elmer's white glue and watered it down a little and brushed it on the white cs. I then laid the tissue paper onto the cs and pressed it down. I tried to make it smooth without taking the crinkled texture out of the tissue paper.

I thought it was a little more plain than I wanted to I took a piece of white copy paper weight designer paper and punched out my EK leav branch all around the outside at different angles. I then glued this piece onto my original tissue paper layer. I crumpled up one more piece of tissue paper and after applying another layer of watered down glue I pressed the final piece of tissue paper onto the punched out layer.

I word of warning, you can not cut the tissue paper with your straight edge cutter, it rips, don't ask me how I know that :)

I sponged the owl image edges with Rose distress ink by Tim Holtz. Layered the owl on pink cs and the pink on always artichoke cs I had left from Cindy's color challenge last week.

The final step was to tie the pretty sheer pink ribbon on the bottom and stamp Happy Birthday in the upper left corner.

Wonderful 15 minute card. Thanks for the wonderful challenge Jessica.

My friend Lynn, Guest DT member for Artistic Outpost as well, had this comment challenge on her blog and I really want something that she has personally handcrafted so I am doing it as well. Here are the rules:

Hurry first 5 commentators only!!

I saw this over on my blogging friend Lynn's blog Trash to Treasure Art and just had to comment about it. ,so as the rules go. I am posting it for all of you. Sounds like a lot of fun! No anonymous comments for this, I moderate comments, so leave your email address in your comment and I will get with you for your address to mail your prize.! (P.S...I won't post your email address on my blog ,just your comment.)The first 5 people to comment will receive something handmade by me.But there is a catch... Here are the rules:1. Its my choice what to make...and it will be a surprise!!2. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make, but I hope you do!!3.What I create will be just for you...completely original :)4.It will be done this year. (That's what the rules say, but I'll have it done in less than a month.)5 Now for the catch. The catch is you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same giveaway to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.Its all about sharing the Love!! Be sure to post a link, cuz I WILL check your blog! "wink"

I will be posting rather sporatically this week as I have a lot of stuff on my plate that I can't share at the moment.

See you tomorrow, Happy Stamping!

Cathy

Theresa's Color Challenge StampTV

Are you tired of flowers yet? I'm not tired of these beauties from the Floral Frenzy StampTV kit. This card is for the Color Challenge on StampTV hosted by Theresa this week. The challenge was to use Pink and some of the digital paper that is free to download on GinaK Designs. It was created to use with and for this kit.
I colored the lilies with copic markers and sponged around the edge with brushed corduroy distress ink by Tim Holtz. I didn't want to add a lot of embellishments but I did want something of interest in the upper right hand corner. I decided to use my corner punch as a reverse decorative punch. I punched the corner and then folded it back so the fancy design showed. I mounted the main image on a piece of Pretty in Pink SU cs. The floral dp is the first sheet that I have used of the Floral Frenzy digital paper. I love it. I tied my ribbon around the main image. I broke down and used a piece of my precious pink ribbon that came in my Floral Fenzy kit, it is beautiful and has such a wonderful sheen to it.
I mounted the main image on the bottom panel that was another piece of Pretty in Pink with a piece of the pink/brown light digital cs.
The final step was to stamp the sentiment at the bottom. I love the way that the GinaK sentiment stamps are always bold enough to be seen when stamped but they don't distract from the image.
If you don't like color challenges, there is a 3-D challenge hosted by Donna Baker, a sketch challenge hosted by Kurtis, a Scrapbook challenge hosted by Emily, a new video tonight showing how to color with colored pencils and OMS (odorless mineral spirits).
I'll be back tomorrow night, not sure with what yet, but I always have something in the works.

Good Night

Cathy

Just call me Old Blu Eyes!

I promised you a sexy giraffe tonight. Dog Gone Stamps has the best giraffe with the sexiest eyes, I can't bring myself to color them any color but Blue.

I really wanted this to be a masculine card, I think I succeeded. I absolutely love this giraffe. Yea I know I say that about all the Dog Gone Stamp images but just look at them!

I colored the giraffe with copic markers and sponged around the edge with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo distress ink. I mounted the main image on brown cardstock. I mounted the piece of green minds eye designer paper on a piece of Marigold cardstock from Stampin Up. The brown stripe is from the Outlaw designer pack from Stampin Up. and that is mounted on a piece of Kraft cardstock. I used a beige diecut Quikutz label that I cut out with my cuttlebug. I sponged all of the edges of all of the panels.

Before I mounted the matted panels together I tied the brown satin ribbon around the left side of the green panel vertically and tied the knot bow. I used my paper piercing tool, more affectionately known as my frog stabber, to punch the holes for my corner brads. I added a large decorative brad to the center hump of the label.

I mounted the green panel on double sided foam pictures tape and did the same to the giraffe image so that it has real defined layers. The sentiment will go on the inside of the card.

Don't you agree that this is one of the coolest images of a giraffe that you have ever seen? If you like this image and the others that I show regularly be sure to check out Dog Gone Stamps because I only have about a dozen at the moment.

Okay, that is it for tonight. Tomorrow I will have more StampTV challenge cards. They are having a different challenge every day.

See you tomorrow.

Cathy

Sunday is Challenge Day!

Sunday is usually the day that I try to catch up on a few challenges. Today I was able to complete two challenges. The first is the sketch challenge on Dog Gone Stamps. I had colored the image last week but used it to make the card for the challenge.

I colored the black lab with copic markers and used the copic airbrush for the grass and sky. The card is a 5X5 square to fit all of the pieces in. I mounted the SU kiwi kiss cardstock (cs) onto the black and white polka dot designer paper (dp). I mounted all of the squares onto white cs and then the white cs panel onto another piece of kiwi kiss cs.

I tied a piece of black ribbon with white stitching around the center panel of the squares. I wanted the card to have an I Miss You sentiment because the little pup looks like he misses his ball throwing buddy. I cut a piece of shrinki dink and stamped the sentiment on with my brushed stroke alphabet stamps from SU. I then melted and shrunk the shrinky dink with my heat gun. It is so fun to watch the shrinky dink melt and shrivel up in wierd shapes before laying flat. I almost had a disaster though, the shrinky dink was larger than some I have worked with and it started to melt onto itself. I had to use a tweezers to get it unstuck and finish heating it. Worst case senario I would have had to make another one but it came out just fine.
My second challenge was for GinaK Designs, StampTV. Melanie Muenchinger hosted the Potluck Friday Challenge which was to do a split screen project. Basically you just needed to cut an image into three sections and mount it.

My first card was really pretty but there was just something about it that I didn't like in the middle band, so I made another that I liked much better here:

Don't fall out of your chairs, but I did not use any copic markers to make this card :O. Before I became addicted to copic markers my favorite medium was watercolors. I used my SU water color crayons directly onto the Elegant Flowers stamp, from the Floral Frenzy Kit, and stamped onto a damp piece of white water color paper. I stamped the flower three times and when it was dry I stamped the crackled background stamp from Bold Flowers, also from the Floral Frenzy Kit.

I sponged the edges with Tim Holtz Weathered Wood Distress Ink and mounted my main image pieces on blue bayou cs. I had stamped the kiwi kiss piece of cs with the crackled background stamp using SU mellow moss ink.

I wanted to add a sentiment so I created a tag using my tag punch for the scalloped ends. Gotta thank my friend Theresa for that tip which I have used so many times since she showed it on her blog. I had a piece of organdy ribbon that I had dyed Not quite Navy that I tied onto the green cs panel and mounted it all on a piece of Not Quite Navy SU cs. I had some irridescent beads that matched perfectly to I glued them 3 on the top panel and 3 on the bottom panel. My second challenge card was done.


In case you want to judge my rejected card and see why I didn't think it was the best here it is: I really like the pinks and greens but something about the center panel just isn;t quite right, I will figure it out and redo it when I have time. I used the same water color technique on this card as the blue one.


I have also been working on a big DT project that I can't show you yet.

Well, I have been windy enough. I guess that happens when I don't post for a day because unless I am sick or out of town I am always creating something.

See you tomorrow night with a sexy giraffe card.... think about that one!

Cathy