You're so Tweet!

I'll be working in the kitchen for the next few days, getting ready for a High Tea that I'm hosting for some girlfriends this Saturday.  Of course, I still want to spend time for the studio ... so today I made a CAS (clean and simple) card using the color challenge from SCS this week (CC373 - wild wasabi, pumpkin pie, bashful blue).  Just love this color combination!  This is a quick and easy card that was fun to make.  Hope you like.

"You're So Tweet"

Stamps:  It's a Stretch (SU!); Love Bug - sentiment (Fiskars)
Paper:  Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi polka-dot DP (SU!)
Ink:  Early Espresso, Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, Tombow glue, and adhesives

I stamped the main image in Early Espresso ink onto a Whisper White card front, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement.

I re-inked the bottom of the main image (pot) and stamped it onto a scrap of Pumpkin Pie cardstock.  I re-inked the top of the main image (tree top) and stamped onto a scrap of Wild Wasabi polka-dot DP.  I re-inked the top of the stamp again  (bird sitting in tree top) and stamped onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock.    I colored the bird with Stampin' Write markers Bashful Blue and Pumpkin Pie and then cut it out.  I also cut out the pot and tree top.  I glued the pot and tree top on top of my main image and then glued the blue bird on top of the tree top (paper piecing).  I colored in the other two birds on the main image with the Stampin' Write markers.

I stamped the sentiment in Wild Wasabi ink, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement and then mounted the card front onto a card base of Wild Wasabi cardstock.

For the inside panel, I used Whisper White cardstock and stamped one of the birds in the bottom right-hand corner, coloring it in with Stampin' write markers.

This was a quick card that only took about 10 minutes to make.

White Picket Fence

Today I made a card for the SCS Color Challenge (CC373 - wild wasabi, pumpkin pie, bashful blue).  I had a lot of fun with these colors!  I created an outdoor scene with a tree swing, picket fence, grass and flowers, using a step card so that I could have lots of depth between layers.  My jumping off point was the picket fence die that I just got from Poppy Stamps - love their dies!!  This card was not hard to make, but it was a little time consuming making all the flowers.

I have been following Pam Sparks' blog "Expressions with Heart" for a little while now and just love her style and how she creates fun scenes.  I'm learning a lot from her and she inspired me to make today's card - thanks Pam!!  Hope you like.

"White Picket Fence"

Stamps:  Tree Swing (Stampendous); Happy Moments - sentiment (SU!)

Paper:  Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake (SU!)

Ink:  StazOn Black, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, Soft Suede, Basic Black (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Picket Fence and Wildflower Patch dies (Poppy Stamps), Grass die (Cheery Lynn), Hydrangea punch (Martha Stewart), medium oval punch, blender pen, sponges, mat pack, stylus, paper piercing tool, Forest Branches embossing folder (Cuttlebug), mini half-pearls, Tombow glue, and adhesives

I made a step card base with Wild Wasabi cardstock (4 1/4" square with the folds at the front being 1" deep) - start with a piece of 4 1/4" x 10 1/2" cardstock.

I stamped the tree and swing in StazOn black onto Whisper White cardstock.  I made a randomly scalloped border (hand-cut) and used it to sponge clouds in the sky with Bashful Blue ink.

I used my blender pen to color in the tree trunk with Soft Suede ink and the leaves and grassy hill with Wild Wasabi ink.  I cut the main panel to a 4 1/4" square and then glued a strip of Wild Wasabi grass along the bottom.  I mounted the main panel onto the card base.

I cut a strip of Whisper White cardstock 4 1/4" x 2" and sponged it with Wild Wasabi ink and then scored a line down the center and creased it.  I placed that over top of the step at the front of the card and glued it down with Tombow glue.

I cut out the picket fence with Whisper White cardstock using my Big Shot.  I glued two strips of Wild Wasabi grass (cut out with the big shot) to the front of the picket fence, attaching them at the bottom only.

I cut out a set of Wildflowers dies with Wild Wasabi cardstock and then trimmed down the "heads" of the flowers, leaving just a small circle to attached my Pumpkin Pie flower heads to.  I punched out the Pumpkin Pie flower heads using the hydrangea punch and shaping them using my mat pack and stylus.  I placed a mini half-pearl in the center of each flower.  I made eight flowers and then attached them to the picket fence, gluing them just at the bottom.

I cut out another set of Wildflowers dies using Bashful Blue cardstock.  This time I cut off the stems, just keeping the small flower heads.  I shaped each flower with my mat pack and stylus and then glued the small blue flowers all along the bottom of the fence.

I had a piece of Crumb Cake embossed with the Forest Branches lying in my scrap pile, so used it for the sentiment.  I stamped "happy birthday" in Basic Black ink, punched out a medium oval and then sponged Soft Suede ink on top to highlight the embossing.  I added a dot of Early Espresso at each end of the oval to represent "nail heads" and then secured the sign to the picket fence.

Lastly, I glued the picket fence on top of my card base at the very front.

For the inside, I used a Whisper White card panel, sponging Wild Wasabi at the bottom.  I mounted a picket fence die-cut on top and added a grass die-cut on top of the fence, at the very bottom.

Here's a couple of more pictures taken from a different angle so (hopefully) you can see the layers.



Happy Birthday Bouquet

Today I spent some time with Scott, my technical support person for my blog ... he is a friend of my son, Jeremy ... and has spent several hours helping me to set up my website ... and then set up my blog.  I so appreciate his help.  Thank you Scott!!!  Today he showed me a few new ways to improve my blog, so I'll be working on that over the next few months.

Today's CAS challenge is a color challenge (CAS168 - chocolate, green and white or ivory).  This is such a classic color combination and I had lots of ideas for cards, but settled on one using my owl punch from SU!  Hope you like.

"Happy Birthday Bouquet"

Stamp:  Happy Moments - sentiment (SU!)
Paper:  Whisper White, Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Just Add Cake DP (SU!)
Ink:  Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Wildflower Patch die-cut (Poppy Stamps), 2-Step Owl Punch, Early Espersso twine, mat pack, stylus, white gel pen, Tombow glue, glue dots, sticky strips, and dimensionals

I started with the owl.  I punched him out with Early Espresso and Whisper White cardstocks and punched out the vest with the Wild Wasabi polka-dot DP from Just Add Cake DP.  I punched out an extra owl body and cut out one of the "feet" to be used for an arm and hand to hold the bouquet.  I glued all the parts together and glued the tip of the arm to the back of the owl's body.

Next I ran the Wildflower Patch die-cut through my Big Shot with both Wild Wasabi cardstock and Whisper White cardstock.  I cut the heads of three of the white flowers and glued them on top of the matching green flowers with stems.  I cut off three small heads from green flowers and used my mat pack and stylus to shape the flower heads into a cup shape.  I glued these to the center of my three flowers.  I used the white gel pen to add a dot in the very center of each flower.  I gathered the flowers together and tied a bow around them using Early Espresso twine.

I added a 1" strip of Wild Wasabi polka-dot DP to the top of my Whisper White card front.  I wrapped more Early Espresso twine around and tied a bow and then used sticky strips to mount the card front onto a card base of Early Espresso (for stability).

I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso ink and then mounted the owl just above, popping it up with dimensionals to add depth.  I added three rolled up glue dots to the bouquet (one behind the bow, and one on each of the back two flowers) and then secured the bouquet to the owl's "hand".

For the inside of the card, I added a 1" strip of Wild Wasabi polka-dot DP to the top of a Whisper White card panel.

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Today I'm adding a new recipe to the "Baking" tab of this blog.  I usually only add sweet treats, but I posted a picture of the Spanakopita Rolls that I made the other day and had a request from Marcia to include the recipe.  This is for your Marcia!!  Hope you have fun making these for your church tea!

Spanakopita Rolls



Spring flowers

Today I'm posting a card for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge (CFC50 - Spring is here).  Immediately I knew that I wanted to create a card with orange flowers ... to me, it's one of the happiest flower colors and you know when you see orange flowers in a garden - spring is here!  I used all SU! products for this Clean and Simple (CAS) card.  Hope you like.

"Spring Flowers"

Stamp:  Up in the Air (SU!)
Paper:  Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie polka-dot DP, Pumpkin Pie (SU!)
Ink:  Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Pencil, eraser, Stamp-a-ma-jig, blender pen, 1/4" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, corner rounder, glue dot, and sticky strips

First I cut a strip of Pumpkin Pie polka-dot DP for the bottom of the card front (2 1/4" wide).  I then dry-fit it onto a Whisper White card front and made a light pencil mark onto the card front, just below where the top of the DP would be.  (This is to make sure the flower stems at just slightly below the top of the DP).

I inked the stems and flowers using Stampin' Write markers Cajun Craze and Old Olive.  I stamped the image onto a Whisper White card front, making sure the stems were just below the pencil mark.  I picked up Pumpkin Pie ink with my blender pen and colored in the flower heads.  I scribbled the blender pen onto a scrap piece of paper until there was no more color and then picked up Old Olive ink and colored in the leaves.  I erased the pencil mark.

I stamped my sentiment in Old Olive ink, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement.

I mounted the polka-dot DP onto the bottom of the card front and rounded the bottom corners with the punch.  I wrapped the Old Olive ribbon around the card front at the top of the DP, and tied a knot.  I moved the ribbon around until I was happy with the placement of the knot and secured it with a glue dot.

I mounted the card front onto a card base of Pumpkin Pie cardstock (for stability) and then rounded the bottom corners of the card front.

For the inside panel, I added a strip of polka DP at the bottom of the Whisper White panel (this time I only used 1 1/4" strip of DP).  I wrapped a piece of Old Olive ribbon around the top of the DP and secured it to the back of the inside panel (no knot this time).  I mounted the panel to the inside of the card base and then rounded the bottom corners.