True Friend Re-Do

OK - I had so much angst over my first try at VLVjun04. My first go is a few posts below. You can view it HERE. The piercing was wrong, the paper was wrong, so I reworked it. I am much happier with this one. It's so funny how these things can haunt you... and how much time it can take me to get the right combination of papers and embellishments. This one made me nuts, so I just had to re-do.

Recipe:
Stamps: Verve~Hundred Hearts, SU~Bella Blossoms.
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette.Paper: Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, White, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP.
Accessories: Piercabilities, Rich Razzleberry Grosgrain Ribbon. Sticky Tape, MFT brads, Sponge Daubers, Nestabilities, Bow Easy, Cuttlebug & EF, Mat Pack & Piercing Tool, Sea Sponge, atyou spica glitter pen.

Thank You Flower Pitcher

This week's OCC Challenge was a sketch. My dear sister gave me this gorgeous stamp for my birthday along with a shopping spree at Scrapper's Cove. I was waiting for a good layout to try it. I had to turn the OCC Sketch sideways to make it work - a little creative license... but i think it was a beautiful match. I love it!

The image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Blace on Solar White paper. This closeup of the flowers to show the Atyou Spica Glitter Pen sparkles that look so great. I could not capture this effect in the picture of the whole card.

Here are the ingredients:

Stamps: Impression Obsession~Flower pitchers, SU~Short and Sweet

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Basic Gray, Pretty in Pink, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, Solar White.

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Copics, Atyou Spica Glitter Pen, Nestabilities, Word Window Punch, Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots EF, Crushed Curry Polk-Dot 1/2" Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Without You...

The challenge this week over at MFT Sketch Challenge and Chatter {MFTMFC5} is to use paper piecing on your project. This is one of my favorite techniques, and MFT images are so often so great for it. I used the Digital Girl set, and paper pieced her dress, chair cushion and desk. The rest I colored with COPICS. Take a look at my beautiful watermark. I got it from Karen Giron of The Sweetest Thing, who does beautiful work and who has a lovely selection of watermarks for sale. I love mine - got it in 2 colors. To take a look at Karen's selection of watermarks, Click HERE. She is incredibly gracious and helpful. I treated myself to Photoshop recently, and I have to say I am not getting the hang of it very easily. Karen has provided great support for her product and has gone out of her way to help me use it and to encourage me to persevere with my new friend/foe Photoshop. Thanks Karen! How do you like my watermark?? I can't say I am exactly sure what I did, but it looks great, don't ya think?

Here are the ingredients for my card:

Stamps: MFT~ Digital Girl.
Paper: Kraft, Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, Raspberry Tart DSP, Ski Slope DSP, Solar White.
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copics, Xyron Sticker Maker, Nestabilities, Hodgepodge Hardware, Dimensionals, Pink Brad from MFT, MFT Ribbon.

True Friend

I made this for VLVjun04 - the 6/19/09 Viva la Verve sketch with a twist. The twist is to use one piece of DSP for inspiration. I just got my new SU In Colors and new Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, so I wanted to give them a whirl. This year's In Colors are really intense. I always have a hard time saying goodbye to the old ones, but I usually fall for the new ones eventually. I decided to jump right in . I am not thrilled with the piercing on this card, mostly because when I put it all together, some of the piercing fell in places I wish it did not. I also tried another new toy - my MFT Hotfix Glitter Pearls with the Professional Touch Hotfix Chrystal Applicator. Oh boy, I sure do need practice with these. I burned my finger, burned the pearls a bit, and ended up gluing the pearls on with glue dots... I love the idea of this, just have to figure out how to do it right. Despite the issues I had with it, I like it the way this card turned out. Here is the recipe:

Paper: Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP.
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette.
Stamps: Verve~Hundred Hearts, Bella Blossoms.
Accessories: Nestabilities, Sticky Tape, atyou Spica Glitter Pen, Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Mat Pack & Piercing Tool, Sponge, Sponge Daubers, Professional Touch Hotfix Chrystal Applicator, MFT Hotfix Glitter Pearls, Bow Easy.

Hello Sunshine!!!

I just love this card... I made it for MFTMFC3 which was to make a Tri-Fold card. This one is a Joy Fold Card - you can find the tutorial HERE. MFT's Who's That Girl images are some of my VERY favorite. This one is from Let's Picnic. It has been monsoon season here in the Northeast, and the thought of a picnic on a sunny summer day is delicious. Maybe some day the sun will come out!!!

The base of my card is black. I used some red paisley paper for the left panel from Creative Memories that I have had stashed away for a long time ~ very picnic-y! The red check paper is also CM. The gray is from SU's Walk in the Park DSP, as is the DSP matted on the More Mustard panel. I paper pieced the dress on the WTG image and colored her skin with Copics. I used CM shiny silver paper for the plate, and I used COPICS to color the food and wine bottle which I cut out, glued and applied liquid glass for shine. The blade of the knife is colored with a silver Zig Painty. The sun was made with MFT's Build a Bouquet set. I stamped a circle with Barely Banana, stamped a flower image on top with Summer Sun and then punched it with a circle punch. I stamped the flower image again and cut it out to make the sun's rays. The scalloped oval is Garden Green.

The left corners are punched with the ticket corner punch. I adhered white brads with glue dots. I did not want the brads to show on the inside, so I clipped the posts of the brads with a craft clipper and glued them on with glue dots. Wishing you sunshine in your summer days...

Happy Birthday Girlfriend!

Tomorrow is a very dear friend's birthday. She loves MFT's Who's That Girl images, so I wanted to make her a birthday card using one of them. I also used this week's MFT sketch MFTSC83. This card is actually quite funny because the chance of her pampering herself on her birthday is probably close to zero %. She'll be running her 3 kids around like a crazy person to all sorts of activities. I hope she can have a little down time and that her family treats her like a queen on her special day!! I also hope she does not see this post today, but I am probably safe - she is too busy! Happy birthday Carol! Can't wait to celebrate together.

Here's the recipe ~

Stamps: MFT~Girls Day In & Time for the Bubbly.
Paper: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Regal Rose, Walk in the Park DSP.
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black.
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Copic Markers, Pacific Point striped grosgrain ribbon, Bow Easy, Dimensionals, Large Oval Punch, Oval Scallop Punch, Liquid Applique, Heat Gun.

Beach Time Invitation

I am SUPER happy with the way this card turned out. I used this week's fabulous OCC sketch challenge for the layout. The centerpiece is an image from Crafty Secrets "Summer" Cotton Scraps collection. I first saw Cotton Scraps used for card creations on Sharon Johnson's blog, and I had to try them. I purchased mine via Sharon's Stamp Simply Ribbon Store, along with her lucious ribbon offerings and other things like the amazing Bow Easy. Of course, it took me hours to "whip" this baby together, but theoretically, it could have been a quick project! LOL!!

Here's the Recipe~
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Confetti White, Baja Breeze, Blue Bayou, Riding Hood Red.
Stamps: Hugs & Wishes
Ink: Soft Sky, Pacific Point.
Accessories: Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Mat Pack & Piercing Tool, Karen Foster White Mini Brads, Dimensionals, Cuttlebug, Brayer, Nestabilities Ribbon Tag Trio, Sticky Strip, Twill Tape,
Crop-a-dial.