Blogger's Challenge #225: Back to School

It has to happen sometime...summer vacation has to end!  I just didn't want it to happen!  But, I'm looking forward to a terrific group of first and second graders so I guess I'll survive!

Our challenge was to "celebrate" the beginning of a new school year!  I needed a birthday card for an adorable little guy who will be my great-nephew as soon as my nephew marries his mom on 9-10-11!!!

I used a set from the Summer Mini called Recess...best part of the day!  (Usually my only prep time!)  I also snuck in a set from the "big" catty called Pennant Parade...isn't it terrific?  The punch matches the set perfectly!  Love all of the new punches/stamp sets that Stampin Up has designed!

Check out the other players below and join in!!!

Blogger's Challenge #223 & 224: Embossing and Color Challenge!

I don't know where my time went this week!  But I didn't do my blogger's challenge last week so I combined the two by embossing this one!  Our colors to work with were shades of green, purple and brown.  Now, just saying those colors doesn't sound very appealing to me....but try different combinations and you may surprise yourself!

I went with Lucky Limeade, Wonderful Wisteria and Crumb Cake...they worked very well together!  I embossed the doily images from the Delicate Doilies set and then used a sponge dauber in those colors to sponge in the color.  I finished off using the Wonderful Wisteria Ruffled Ribbon and the Doily Triple Layer punch!  Thanks for looking!

Stampin Up! August Promotion!!!

Buy any 3 $10.95 Designer Series Paper (DSP) from the Summ er Mini or pages 184-186 & get one FREE!

Blogger's Challenge #222: Summertime

I was really stumped on what to do for my Summertime theme.  I finally resolved that I needed a birthday card and I would go with light, fun, "summery" colors. 

I began with my color combo.  Don't you love this retro pink/blue?  I used Pretty in Pink and Tempting Turquoise but Stampin' Up has a lot of choices that you could substitute.  (I wanted Island Indigo but I don't own it in a craft ink so I went with Turquoise.)

I pulled out the Fancy Fan Letterpress. The Letterpress plates work best with Craft inks and watercolor paper.  SU now has much larger watercolor paper available, too!

Panels are a challenge for me...to get them the same size and spaced properly but I was successful!  After that, the rest of the card came together really quickly with a few punches (Cupcake Builder, 1 3/4" Circle, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle and the Modern Label punch. I also used the Movers and Shakers to layer the Modern Layer punch.)  I added a few rhinestones and ta-da, my card is complete!

Be sure to check out what Summertime fun the other players had below!  Also, as always, you are invited to play along.  Please make sure that Blogger's Challenge is a prominent part of your post.

Blogger's Challenge #221: Sketch

Lisa created a sketch for us to work with this week.  I really loved it and came up with a card lickety split!  I used some DSP Paisley Petals and do you recognize the flower?  Yep, it's the Fun Flower die again!  Guess I love it, huh?

Be sure to check out the other players below!  Also remember that you are always invited to play along.  PLEASE make Blogger's Challenge the main focus of your post!

Blogger's Challenge #220: Floral Frenzy!

The Big Shot shines again in my card this week!  I used the Bigz L Die Fun Flowers to create the funky DSP/Pacific Point flower.  I added a little color with a Melon Mambo Pastel.  The background is done with the Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and it's colored with more pastels in Wild Wasabi, Melon Mambo and Pacific Point. 

Thanks for feeling floral with me!  Be sure to check out the other players below!  You are also invited to play along with us!  Make sure to have Blogger's Challenge as the main point of your post!

Blogger's Challenge #219: Color Challenge

Happy Independence Day!It's pretty obvious what our colors were for this challenge!  Specifically, I used Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red and Whisper White. I kept it VERY simple.   I used a new punch from the now available 2011-2012 Stampin Up catalog!  It's called Petite Pennants...so cool!  I also used my Big Shot and a Decorative Strip Die called Naturally Serif.  It's a great way to own an entire set of an alphabet at a low cost!

Thanks for looking and be sure to see what the other players did with these colors!

Blogger's Challenge #218: Things with Wings

While lying in bed last night, this idea came to me for the Things with Wings challenge this week.  I got to use a few new things that will be in the new Stampin' Up Catalog, too!

First, the color:  Wisteria Wonder.  It's a new In Color.  We now have 10 In Colors and this is a fab purple!  The images are from a set called Delicate Doilies.  So superb!  I stamped the doilies in Wisteria Wonder and then, used a Versamark pad to stamp the butterflies from Flight of the Butterfly and clear embossed them.  I used my brayer and Wisteria Wonder to roll the ink over the embossed images.  I added some rhinestones for a little bling and stamped the sentiment with Concord Crush, an In Color from last year.

Thank you so very much for checking my card out today and be sure to visit the other players.  Also, you are invited to play along and add your link below!

Blogger's Challenge #216: Sketch

Didn't Lisa give us an awesome sketch?  I love it when I just look at a sketch and know exactly what I want to do with it:

It came together really easily this week!  I used the Paisley Petals DSP...it was a sneak peek in April and will be in the new catalog on July 1!  I cut out the dies from the Big Shot Bigz die called Beautiful Butterflies (an SU exclusive die).  I stamped it with the flowers from Tiny Tags.  The Thank You sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped on the Modern Label Punch.  I altered the punch a bit.  I punched the entire label out and then reinserted both ends to trim it a bit.

Thanks for looking and see what you can do with this sketch!  Remember to post Blogger's Challenge as the main focus of your blogger post when you share!  Also, the other players are shown below!  Please take time to check them out!

Mojo Monday!

Boy!  It's been a LONG time since I did a Mojo Monday sketch!  I found a little bit of extra time now that school is out!

I used some soon to be retiring papers from SU:  Blueberry Crisp! Blueberry pie was my favorite growing up and still is!  Actually, anything blueberry is pretty darn good, especially this DSP!

Thanks for checking it out and shop my website (http://www.lisabohler.stampinup.net/ ) if you want to shop for these soon to be gone items!

Blogger's Challenge: Pets

Our challenge this week was to do something with pets.  I was all set as I just finished these pages last month on My Digital Studio...have I mentioned how much I love to do my scrapbooking the digital way?

Suzy and Daphne love to nap...they're dogs, aren't they?  So I snapped a few pictures over the winter and made these pages.

Be sure to see the other Pet Challenges that the other players did and you are also invited to play along!

Happy Stampin!

Blogger's Challenge #214: Make it Shimmer!

Our assignment was to Make It Shimmer!  So, I pulled out the Sizzix Permanent Adhesive sheets and punched out a bunch of the 5-Petal Flower Punch, Shimmery White cardstock and the Fine Supernova Glitter and came up with this bit of shimmer this morning!

Thanks for checking it out!  Please check out the other players below and also remember that you are invited to play, too!  Please make sure that Blogger's Challenge is prominently included in your post!

Blogger's Challenge #213: Inspiration

When I saw that the theme of the inspiration photo was mostly nautical items, I didn't know what to do.  SU came out with some cool nautical stamps, paper and such for the Summer Mini...but I didn't buy any of it!!!  No problem!  My Digital Studio to the rescue!

I logged in to SU, bought the same mentioned items in DIGITAL format and created the following card with My Digital Studio!

Plus, just like when you buy stamps, I can use this stuff over and over and over!  Plus, the digital paper will NEVER run out!!! 

You can check out the other nautical ideas below from the other players!  And...please play along with us!  Be sure to mention Blogger's Challenge prominently in your post!

Blogger's Challenge #212: Sketch

I begin with an apology for not posting on time!  It wasn't my fault this time!  I went to post on Thursday night and Blogger was doing some fixing.  I woke up on Friday, same problem!  It was out of my hands from that moment on as I was out of town for a school track meet all day Friday and pooped out all night!

Well, enough excuses!  Here's the sketch:

I flipped it to the side and took a few liberties with the center portion.  I had More Mustard and Marina Mist on my stampin station at the time so those are the colors that inspired me for this one!

Please use the sketch for yourself and share what you did!  The other Blogger's Challenge players are below and add yourself!  Be sure to make Blogger's Challenge a main portion of your post!

Blogger's Challenge #211: Nature

Our challenge for this week was Nature.  I chose to use the new set from Stampin' Up! called Strength and Hope.  $2 from every sale of this stamp set will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation!!!  It's available for just $13.95 in Clear Mount (123660) and $17.95 in Wood Mount (118100).  Such a GREAT deal!  Let me know if you would like to place an order for this set...I'll have an order going in on May 15th!

Enough of my sales pitch!  Please play along with this challenge!  The "rules" are on Lisa Somerville's blog (http://www.lisasomerville.com/).  Also, see what other players found in nature this week by seeing their links below!

Happy Stampin'!

Blogger's Challenge #210: Colors!! Rose, Green and Blue

I had LOTS of fun with the color challenge this week!  It took me a couple of days to find time to put the card together but I finally finished it this morning!

First, I chose two blues (Pacific Point and Baja Breeze), Rose Red and Wild Wasabi.  My picture makes the rose look much brighter than it is in real life, though!

I chose to use a sneak peek from the Summer Mini catalog that starts tomorrow!  I created almost all of the background punches with one punch!!!  It's called Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch and you get your moneys worth when you purchase it!  The only punch I added was the 1/2 inch circle in the middle of the outline flowers!  I had dyed the satin ribbon a long time ago (back when Pacific Point was an In-Color and now it's a standard Stampin' Up! Color!)

My next door neighbor is celebrating her 80th this weekend so I thought I'd give her this card!

Happy Stamping!  Please play along with us!  The rules are found on our list mom's blog (http://www.lisasomerville.com/)

Blogger's Challenge #209: Ribbon or Lace

I knew exactly what I wanted to do for this challenge!  I just needed time at home to do it!  But, after church last night and church this morning, I am finally posting my challenge...

I made this card to thank Julie, my latest party hostess.  I used Sticky Strip and Seam Binding Ribbon in  Always Artichoke and Crumb Cake as my ribbon technique.  Super simple. I love how the seam binding can be added without making my cards too thick!  Sure hope we see this product line in the new catalog in July!!!

Have a blessed rest of your Holy Week and a Blessed Easter to all!

Check out the other challenges below!!

Blogger's Challenge #208: Sketch

Lisa created this great sketch for us.  I wasn't sure at first what to do with it but all sketches end up inspiring me at some point! 

I finally came up with this:

I LOVE the Cherry Cobbler color, don't you?

Thanks for looking and have a GREAT day!  Be sure to see the other players below!

Blogger's Challenge #207: Inspiration Photo

Lisa challenged us with the photo above.  I really liked the idea of layered frames and so this is what I came up with:

I took images from several different stamp sets that had simliar line styles.  I stamped them in Basic Gray ink, often stamping off to create depth.  I punched them out with the 1 1/4 square punch and then put it on textured Basic Black cardstock and punched out with the 1 3/8 inch square punch.  I layered them onto Marina Mist textured cardstock.  Using the textured cardstock adds a little more that the photo doesn't quite pick up!

Thanks for checking out my card!  Please see what the other players did below AND please PLAY ALONG!!!

Blogger's Challenge #206: Birds

There was no question as to which stamp set I would use for today's challenge.  I grabbed my Nature Walk set and created my own designer paper.  I stamped the images onto Naturals Ivory cardstock wth Early Espresso ink.  I added a touch of color on the bird's belly with Bravo Burgundy and used Not Quite Navy to sponge a little bit of blue around the images. 

I used the Four Frames stamp set to create a label that goes with the Decorative Label Punch.  Don't recognize this set?  It's JUST available for purchase today!  It's actually a sneak peek from the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog!  You can purchase it after you meet a $20 minumum purchase requirement. There is also a package of Designer Series Paper that you can also purchase after meeting that requirement.  Contact me if you are interested!!!

Thanks for looking and be sure to see the other challenges below.  Remember, you are invited to also join in!