Blogger's Challenge #101: Graduation

It's that time of year again! Kids filled with hopes and dreams of what their futures will bring! It's been 20 years since my graduation (I know you can hardly believe it!) but that same sense of adventure and what possibilities await fills the air.

I made this grad card for my cousin's daughter. Her school colors are black and silver and a turquoise blue so that was my inspiration. I used my trusty Great Grads set went with Basic Black, Going Gray and Tempting Turquoise.

The tempting turquoise background has been textured with the Daisy plate using my Big Shot. That's something that I can't pick up in photos well, but trust me, it REALLY adds to this card! I wanted scallops around the G image so I made lots of circles with my 1/2" circle punch and attached them to the back with SNAIL adhesive.

Thanks for looking and be sure to see what the other players have done. I won't have a post for Monday's Technostamper Lunchtime sketch and I probably won't have a project for next week's blogger's challenge but the other players will!

Blog Award to me!

My sweet friend, Robin, nominated me for the Lemonade Stand Award! Thanks Robin! She is a phenominal stamper and always has a smile to share! And...she did this on HER birthday! If you want to be inspired or just read positive posts, check out her blog: Trinity Designs

The rules of the award (To pick up the Lemonade Stand Award):- Comment on this blog.- Cut and paste the award logo and use it in your own blog.- Nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude.- Link to your nominees within your blog post.- Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award.- Link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation.

Now, for my nominations...Tough decisions! But here they are: Lisa, Claudia, Barb, Sheryl, and Jeannette.

Thanks for always giving me inspiration girls and a happy face when I see anything you are connected with!!! HUGS!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #71

Look closely and you may see the sketch for this week! I don't know why they are so tiny but if you click on it, you should be able to see it larger!

Here's my card:


I used this color combo for a one on one "guess the retiring set" challenge. I am hoping I'm wrong, but I think that Heartfelt Thanks may be going. On June 1st, we'll know for sure when Stampin' Up! releases the Last Chance list. That'll tell us what accessories and stamps will be gone! The color combo is Chocolate Chip, Rose Red and Apricot Appeal with Very Vanilla as my neutral. The sentiment is from the Rub-on Collection called Chit Chat.

Thanks for looking and please play along! See what others did with this sketch at Mary Jo's site!

Blogger's Challenge #100! Patriotic

I really wanted to come up with something special for the 100th BC! But, I have this card...which I like and am not sure about all at once!

I thought about the shuttle heading back to earth today and thought that space travel needed a little tribute. We take it for granted! That explains my choice of stamps! I used the baby wipe technique to create the striped background in Ruby Red and Not Quite Navy. Then, I used the Polished Stone technique to create the strip of sparkle across the middle.

With some brads and bling on the bottom, my card was complete!

Be sure to see what fabulous creations the other Blogger's Challenge members did!

Also, thank you to Lisa Somerville, our BC mom, for coming up with all of our ideas to keep our creativity flowing!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #70

Welcome to another Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge. You are welcome to play along. Here's this week's sketch:

Isn't it a fun one?

Here's my card that I came up with:


The Kraft paper has been a popular choice for me lately! Love that as a neutral to break up the normal white and vanilla combo.

I was going to send my Blogger's Challenge for my DSP one on one challenge but I may be sending this one instead as I was partnered up with someone from the BC group!

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

Blogger's Challenge #99: Case yourself!

For this week's challenge, we were to pick a card/project of our own and CASE it. CASE stands for: COPY AND SHARE EVERYTHING.

I chose this card that I had done to enter a contest. It uses the dormant set Bugs and Kisses (still available but not featured in the current catalog.)



In my CASE, I chose to focus on DSP as I am in a DSP weekly challenge for one of my online groups. It uses the awesome DSP Sweet Slumber...don't you love those bright colors? I also used the stamp set, Wagon Full of Fun and Corduroy Buttons from the Occasions mini catalog.



Aren't they the same but different? Similiar colors and same layout but what a difference the stamps and paper make!

Remember that the DSP and Textured Cardstock packs from SU are on sale...BUY THREE GET ONE FREE! Great deal!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #69

This one came to me fairly quickly...once I figured out a color scheme, that is! Awhile ago, I printed up a color reference chart called the In Color Combinations chart. I chose: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red and More Mustard. Turns out, I liked it a lot! I added Basic Brown so I could watercolor my image a tiny bit.

Here's our sketch for today:
And here's my card:

There's quite a combo of texture on this one! The Kiwi layer went through the Big Shot with a texture plate. The card base has the damask image from Friends 24-7 (so glad I bought that set!) stamped tone on tone using my versamark pad. I used Baja Breeze Corduroy buttons and the scallop gives one more layer of texture. The watercolor paper has a bit of texture, too! I went a little texture crazy!

If you want to see what others did with this sketch or you want to play along, please go to Mary Jo's site! Thanks for looking!

Blogger's Challenge #98: Mother's Day

Happy Early Mother's Day to all of you moms reading this! I already had my MIL, Mom's and Grandma's cards done when I started working on this challenge so I'll have to find a good reason to send this card out!



My inspiration this week was seeing all of these marvelous Fifth Avenue Rose cards. If you want to learn how to do this fun and simple technique, book a workshop with me right away and I'll teach you!!! You can't really see the texture that I added to the Pale Plum layer but it's there! I also was inspired by this week's CPS sketch.


The colors I worked with are Eggplant Envy, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum and Shimmery White cardstock.

Be sure to see what the other players are up to this week by clicking on the link on my sidebar! Happy Mother's Day!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #68

The first question to answer is, "Where is #67?" It just didn't happen. But, I do have my sketch done for this week!

Here's the sketch (click to see it larger): And here's my card:



I'm keeping it super short today but I do want to mention that I used the new JUMBLE Alphabet. It's a set that will be in the next catalog and you can get it NOW!!! And...at 20% off!!!! www.lisabohler.stampinup.net

Go to MJ's Blog to see what the other players did and be sure to play along, too!!!

Blogger's Challenge #97: Sketch Challenge!

This week's challenge was to use the following sketch:


Since I have a grad party to attend on Saturday, (can you believe it?) I needed a grad card and here's what I came up with:


Using Kraft as a card base was based on getting my new Kraft Corduroy buttons...aren't they cool? I added the RHR as I looked through my Designer Paper Series scraps and found a Riding Hood Red piece perfect for the sketch.

ALL of the DSP (Designer Paper Series) papers are apart of a GREAT offer from Stampin' Up! Buy three, and get one free!!! The textured cardstock assortments and specialty DSP are also included in this special! You can purchase online or email or call me to purchase and take advantage of this deal!

Blogger's Challenge #96: Alter it!

I thought that the Alter It Challenge would be a perfect time to revive these awesome Crystal Light water bottle pouches! I also needed a quick project to demo at my workshop tonight! I don't know who came up with the original idea but I took the dimensions for my project from Nancy Riley.

I've got to keep this short. I have a few more things to do for my workshop! Happy Friday!

Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch #66

These sketches with circles are really giving more and more practice with my Circle Scissors Plus and I think I finally got it! The key? Don't be shy with the respositional Dotto adhesive!!!

Here's the sketch challenge from Mary Jo. Remember, you can play along, too!My latest "new" stamp set is Branch Out. I really liked it when the new catty came out but it turned into a must have with this card from Sheryl!


Thanks for taking a look and be sure to try and play along!!!

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Thoughts and Prayers, Branch Out
Ink/Cardstock: Regal Rose, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip
Other: Eyelet Border Punch, Circle Scissors Plus, Glass Mat, Silver Brads, 1/4" Circle Punch (retired), Chocolate Chip marker, SNAIL, 2-Way Glue Pen, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals

Blogger's Challenge #95: Color Challenge

OOOOOH! Lisa picked a WINNING combination of colors this week. I thought it was going to be good but it was just a pretty combination when I took out the four colors of cardstock and was wowed by looking at plain, unstamped cardstock! Now, what do with that...didn't think you'd appreciate my "empty" cardstock as much as I did so I did stamp something!

Here's the combo: Always Artichoke, Sage Shadow, Sahara Sand and Chocolate Chip! GORGEOUS! Seriously, take out some scrap cardstock and those colors and I dare you to not like it!



I love the damask image in the Friends 24-7 and love it as a repetitive pattern. With the help of my handy-dandy Stamp a Majig, I created this double-image pattern in the Always Artichoke and Sage Shadow and using a tiny little image from One of a Kind stamp set and my Chocolate Chip ink, I connected the pattern together. The tag focal image is actually one of the dies from the new Matchbox Bigz XL Die from the Occasions Mini catty...Spend $40 from this little catty and pick a free stamp set from page 208 in the Spring/Summer catty! The sentiment is from the Friends 24-7 set.



Thanks for looking! Feel free to play along and be sure to see what the other challenge players were up to this week!

Next Stampin' Class at the Library!

Next Tuesday, April 21 from 5 to 7:30 pm. Front meeting room of the Crookston Public Library. Make the the two cards pictured above plus receive envelopes AND stamp the candle! Cost is $12. Space is limited to 10 so reserve your spot with me right away!!!!

Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch #65

I first looked at this sketch and thought...no way can I do this! But, it's a challenge for a reason and it turned out that I CAN make this sketch happen!

I got to use more items from the Occasions Mini...remember the special this month....Spend $40 from the Occasions Mini and choose one item from page 208 from the Spring/Summer Catty for free! Or hostess a workshop of $150, get one of those items free!

Here's the sketch:
And here's my card using Forest Friends:



I flipped the sketch a bit, putting the circle on the opposite side. That's a little trick I learned at Yearbook Camp in the 80s (thanks Jostens!) Make sure that person in the photo is facing into the layout otherwise it looks like they want to leave the layout!

I've got texturing on the circle thanks to my Big Shot and brought out the Color Spritzer for the base of the card (thanks for the inspiration, Robin...she used it in a Blogger's Challenge and I realized I had neglected mine for a little bit!)

The tag has the trees on it by accident! I was trying to use up the cardstock that didn't work for me the first time I tried my focal image and caught the top of the trees on the tag. I used the omitting technique (using a marker to ink part of a stamp) to add Thanks to the tag!

Thanks for looking and make sure to see what the other Technostampers were up to AND (I can't say this enough) PLAY ALONG!!!!

Card Recipe:
Stamp set: Forest Friends
Ink/Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Creamy Caramel
Other: Chocolate Chip and Always Artichoke Markers, Circle Scissors Plus, Glass Mat, Lots of Tags Sizzlet Die, Texture Plates #4, Big Shot, Baja Breeze 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Rich Regals Brads, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Color Spritzer

Mojo Monday on a Sunday!

I made this card using the sketch from the Mojo Monday blog from last Monday...The deadline is tonight so I thought I better hurry up and post!

Here's the sketch:


And here's the card that I created:



I got to use some new items from the Occasions Mini catty. Did you remember that if you spend $40 from the Occasions mini, you can choose one item from page 208 in the Spring/Summer Catty for free? Or, if you host a $150 or more workshop, the hostess gets to choose one of those items? Too cool!

Thanks for looking and here's the recipe:

Stamp Set: Great Friend
Cardstock/DSP/Ink: Ruby Red, So Saffron, Whisper White, Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP
Other: Basic Small Grommets, White 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Big Shot, Stampin' Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive, Paper Snips
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Blogger's Challenge #94: Technique

Our challenge was to use a technique to create our card. Well, the latest issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter was released on April 1 and I'm finally trying one of the fabulous techniques out. The technique is called Cuttlebug Stamps but I used all Stampin' Up supplies to complete the technique and I really like the results!

The technique called for Cuttlebug folders and a Cuttlebug. I simply replaced those items with my Big Shot and the Texturz Plates. I used the Paisley plate and Lovely Lilac ink. When I first began stamping EVERYTHING was Lovely Lilac. I don't use it as much but it's still a GREAT color! This card is for one of my students who is having her adenoids and tonsils out next week.

Make sure to check out what techniques the other BC members tried out and play along with us, too! If you would like more information about this technique and would like to subscribe to the Technique Junkie Newsletter, click HERE or click on the logo in my sidebar.

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge 3

Thought I'd give another try at the Raspberry Suite Color Challenge by Dawn McVey. Here's my card:



All my supplies are Stampin' Up! Thanks for looking! I'm off to fold my laundry before heading to bed...whoo hoo!