MOJO Farewell

Last Monday, Julee posted the very last of the Mojo Monday Sketches - NUMBER 500! It's been almost 10 years since she started posting and she's decided to focus a bit more on her family these days.

I haven't participated in ALL of the sketches, but I do really like the ones I've done.

Here's my interpretation of the very last Mojo Monday Sketch:

I started off with the ATC onto which I stamped the splatter from Touches of Texture Stamp Set using Powder Pink Ink and the small flowers from the same set using Berry Burst Ink (stamped off).

Next up I stamped the pot of paintbrushes from the Crafting Forever Stamp Set using Basic Black Archival Ink and cut it out. No. There is no die for this image (or this set for that matter). Yes. I fussy cut it...and several like it as this ATC was the make and take for my catalogue launch this past Saturday. Everyone loved it! I may or may not be one of those crazy people that enjoys fussy cutting (and by may or may not, I mean I am 100% one of those crazy people! And I'm proud of it too - LOL!)

Then I coloured in the stamped pot with my watercolour pencils and aqua painters. It was adhered to the ATC using Stampin' Dimensionals.

After that, I set about sorting out the card base and decided I'd use ALL of the new In Colours for 2017-2019! Because...well...why not!

As a special treat, I'm going to give you EXACT measurements of each and every element of the card. I'm often asked about providing this information and while I sometimes do, for the number of blog posts I create, this process would become VERY tedious if I had to do it every time (and I'd probably stop creating). I'll try and do it a little more often for you though.

So, here you go (from the card base up):

• Lemon-Lime Twist Card Base - 5 ½" x 8 ½", scored at 4 ¼"
• Whisper White Cardstock - 4" x 5 ¼"
• Lemon-Lime Twist Designer Series Paper - 3 ⅞" x 3 ½"
• Powder Pink Cardstock - 3 ⅞" x 1 ½"
• Lemon Lime Finely Woven Ribbon - 5" long
• Tranquil Tide Cardstock - 4 ½" x 7/16"
• Berry Burst Cardstock - 3 ¾" x ⅝"
• Fresh Fig Cardstock - 2 ½" x 3 ½"
• Whisper White Cardstock - 2 ¼" x 3 ¼"
• Berry Burst Finely Woven Ribbon - 4" long
• Whisper White Baker's Twine - about 6-8" long (enough to tie your bow)
• Stamp Sets:
• Touches of Texture
• Crafting Forever
• Ink:
• Powder Pink
• Berry Burst (stamped off)
• Basic Black Archival
• Accessories:
• Watercolour Pencils
• Aqua Painters
• Glue Dots
• Stampin' Dimensionals

So there you go!

Happy Stampin'!

MOJO Monday makes it to Saturday!

When I saw this week's sketch for Mojo Monday, I knew it would be PERFECT for an ATC focal point...but since I'd already DONE my ATC projects for this week, I decided to post on a Saturday!

Check it out:

My base is Bermuda Bay and I added a layer of Soft Sky underneath my Whisper White image panel. The images were stamped using Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum and Pear Pizzazz (both stamped off and at full strength to get the different shades). When stamping the flowers, I figured out that it's MUCH easier to stamp the outline first and THEN use the filler image. Give it a try next time you use the Oh So Succulent Stamps!

I tied a cute little Baker's Twine bow around the base of the ATC and...DONE!

When I was done creating the ATC, I added it to the card base along with a piece of Succulent Garden Designer Series Paper.

Now, the Succulent Garden DSP has Mint Macaron in it and NOT Bermuda Bay, but I think the two look pretty good together, don't you? I'm getting kind of nostalgic for Mint Macaron and it hasn't even retired yet! I'm sure going to miss that colour. :(

What do you think?

STAMPS: Oh So Succulent, So in Love
INK: Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum, Pear Pizzazz
PAPERS: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Bermuda Bay and Thick Whisper White Cardstock; Succulent Garden DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sponges

Happy Stampin'!

Grateful

Today's card continues our theme of the Succulent Garden, but today we're only using the Designer Series Paper. Check it out:

I just love how simple it is! You can take five minutes out of your day and create this card. Yes! Really! Five minutes was all it took...and that includes dragging out the Big Shot and cutting the two circles.

My base is Sweet Sugarplum with a layer of the Succulent Garden DSP on top (sponged with Sweet Sugarplum Ink). The strip of cardstock is Tip Top Taupe (retiring soon!) and the large circle is another piece of Sweet Sugarplum. My sentiment, which is from the Bunch of Blossoms Set, was stamped onto Whisper White Cardstock using Tip Top Taupe Ink and cut out using the Stitched Framelits Dies.

I added a button (retired, sorry) with some linen thread for the finishing touch.

You'll notice that the large circle has been cut. Here's what I did with the other piece:

What do you think?

STAMPS: Bunch of Blossoms
INK: Tip Top Taupe, Sweet Sugarplum
PAPERS: Whisper White, Sweet Sugarplum and Tip Top Taupe Cardstock; Succulent Garden DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Sponges

Happy Stampin'!

MOJO Love

It's January 4th! Do you know what THAT means?? It means that the Occasions Catalogue and Sale-a-Bration brochure are LIVE!!!

While I was at On Stage in November, I (along with all my other fellow demonstrators) received some pretty awesome stamp sets! So in Love was one of them.

I used it to create this:

If you're coming to my Open House this coming Sunday, you'll get to see it and LOTS of other cards I've been creating!

What do you think?

STAMPS: So In Love
INK: Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry
PAPERS: Whisper White, Sweet Sugarplum and Rich Razzleberry Cardstock; Blooms & Bliss DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

It's a MOJO kinda day!

Well...actually, it was a MOJO kinda day on Monday which is what got me started creating all the Christmas cards for my upcoming class on Saturday December 5th (you're coming, right?), but I had some other awesomeness to put up first. So...this had to wait till today.

And, if you're keeping track...only 35 more days till Christmas. That's just five weeks...no pressure!

Today's card is quick and easy. so you should be able to whip up a batch of them in no time flat. Especially if you take advantage of my "cut to size" offer when you purchase your card making supplies from me. That's right! When you purchase everything you need to create one of the cards I've featured, I'll personally cut all the pieces to the required sizes. All you'll have to do is stamp and assemble.

You'll start off with a base of Old Olive Cardstock and add a layer of Designer Series Paper from the Merry Moment Pack (which, unlike the paper on Wednesday's card, should be available until April of 2016). The next layer is Real Red Cardstock and the "tag" was created using a different DSP from the same Merry Moments Pack.

Then I punched a 2 ½" circle and adhered the word "merry" which I cut using the Christmas Greetings dies. I then stamped the rest of the sentiment using the Holly Jolly Greetings Stamp Set. These two items can be paired together and purchased as a BUNDLE for a savings of 15%.

The circle was adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Holly Jolly Greetings
INK: Old Olive
PAPERS: Old Olive, Real Red and Whisper White Cardstock; Merry Moments DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Die, Stamp-a-majig, Ribbon, Hand Held Stapler, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Make it MOJO Birthday

Are you ready for another Make it MOJO? Here we go!

Cut two pieces of Bermuda Bay Cardstock:

• 4 ¼" x 11"
• 2 ¼" x 4 ⅛"
• You'll also need a piece of Bermuda Bay scrap for the "Just for You"

Cut two pieces of Whisper White Cardstock:

• 4" x 5 ¼" (this is your inside layer)
• 2 ⅛" x 4" 

Cut a piece of Crushed Curry Cardstock:

• 3" x 4 ¼"

Cut a piece of Calypso Coral Cardstock:

• ¾" x 4 ¼" (this is for your scalloped edge)

Cut a piece of Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper:

• 3" x 4"

Let's get started!

Fold your 4 ¼" x 11" piece of Bermuda Bay Cardstock in half to form your card base and set it aside.

Ink up your image with Calypso Coral Ink and stamp it onto your small piece of Whisper White Cardstock.

Clean off your stamp and ink it up again in Versamark ink. Stamp it onto the scrap of Bermuda Bay Cardstock and emboss it with White Embossing Powder. Cut it out leaving a narrow border so the Bermuda Bay is peeking out. Adhere it to your larger stamped image using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Mat this image panel onto the smaller piece of Bermuda Bay and then mat it again with Stampin' Dimensionals this time unto the piece of Crushed Curry Cardstock. Take care to make sure it's on the left hand side as you need room for the ribbon/bow.

Tie your ribbon and add it to the right hand side of your Crushed Curry Cardstock. Set it aside.

Attach your 3" x 4" piece of Birthday Bash DSP to the bottom of your card, taking care to leave even borders around the three sides.

Using the scalloped border punch, punch the edge of your Calypso Coral Cardstock and add it to the front of the card so it *just* touches the top of the DSP.

Add your whole image panel to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Stamp your 4" x 5 ¼" piece of Whisper White Cardstock with the sprinkles stamp from the Balloon Bash Stamp Set and attach it to the inside of your card.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Balloon Bash
INK: Calypso Coral, Bermuda Bay, Versamark
PAPERS: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral and Crushed Curry Cardstock; Birthday Bash Specialty DSP
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Embossing Powder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Make it MOJO

The one where I tell you EXACTLY how I made this card, complete with measurements.

If you're one of my Facebook friends or if you follow my Facebook Business Page - Handstamped from the Heart, you know I was away at Leadership this past weekend. We all had a GREAT time and came back tired but filled with ideas!

Today, I was inspired by the ribbon that was wrapped around our Manager's Reception gift...and then I didn't even use the ribbon - LOL!

Have a look at the card and then I'll tell you JUST how to make it:

Cut your Hello Honey Cardstock as follows:

8 ½" x 5 ½" (this is your card base)

⅝" x 3 ½" (use your scissors to cut a notch in one end of this piece)

Cut your pieces of Hello Honey Designer Series Paper from the 2014-2016 In Colour paper stack as follows:

4 ⅛" x 5 ⅜" - 2 pieces

¼" x 3" (this will be used on the inside of the card).

Cut your pieces of Very Vanilla Cardstock as follows:

One piece at 2 ⅝" x 5 ⅜"
One piece at 3" x 4 ¼"
One piece at ¾" x 2 ⅞" (use your scissors to cut a notch in one end of this piece)

Cut a piece of Speciality Newsprint Designer Series Paper to 3" x 4 ½".

From scraps of Very Vanilla Cardstock, stamp and punch the large butterfly from Kinda Eclectic in Hello Honey Ink; die cut a circle using the 5th circle from the smallest in the Circles Framelits Set. Also punch a 2 ½" circle from Hello Honey Cardstock.

From a scrap of Hello Honey Cardstock, punch a 2 ½" circle.

Use your sponge to sponge Hello Honey Ink on all your Cardstock and DSP pieces except for your card base.

Now...it's time to assemble!

Adhere your 2 ⅝" x 5 ⅜" about ¼" from the LEFT side of one piece of Hello Honey DSP. Then, adhere your piece of Specialty Newsprint DSP to the RIGHT side of your card front, leaving about a ¼" on the right and centering it from top to bottom.

Leaving about a ¼" at the bottom of the Newsprint DSP, adhere your Hello Honey Banner on the left hand side and then add your Very Vanilla piece of Cardstock on top of this piece, leaving about ⅛" at the bottom of the Hello Honey Cardstock.

Set these pieces aside and now we're going to do some stamping!

On your Very Vanilla cardstock, you're going to stamp the sun image from Kinda Eclectic. Before you stamp the image, stamp it off onto scrap paper and then stamp it onto your Very Vanilla Cardstock. You'll put the sun slightly off centre, so you can see some of the ends of the rays on your cardstock. Then, using your Stamp-a-majig, you'll stamp the sentiment from Kinda Eclectic using Memento Black Ink. Stamp it toward the bottom centre of the circle.

Attach the stamped circle to the Hello Honey circle and adhere it to the card front just above the bottom of the Very Vanilla banner using Stampin' Dimensionals. Attach the stamped and punched butterfly to the top, right of the circle using Tombow Mono Multi Glue (green goop - LOL!) Be sure to use the glue JUST down the centre of the butterfly.

Attach all these stacked pieces to the card base and then add the little pearls in each corner of the piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock.

Now, let's move to the inside of the card:

On this inside piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock, you'll stamp the same sun image on the top RIGHT. Don't stamp it off this time. Stamp it at full strength. Attach the skinny strip of Hello Honey DSP toward the bottom of the piece. Then, you'll attach it to the large Hello Honey piece and then attach both these pieces to the inside of the card.


What do you think?

STAMPS: Kinda Eclectic
INK: Hello Honey
PAPERS: Very Vanilla and Hello Honey Cardstock; Specialty Newsprint DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Dies, Punch, Stamp-a-majig, Basic Pearls, Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

MOJO Poppies for the Weekend

Happy Saturday my friends! It's the weekend! Do you have anything exciting planned? Me? I'll be pouring over the new 2014-2015 catalogue and planning SO many fun classes for the upcoming year!

Speaking of classes...have you seen what's coming up next week? Head on over to the classes tab and check it out! There's still space available, but HURRY!! Register by Monday and pay your fee of $35 (I accept PayPal) to reserve your space at the fun table.

Now that that's out of the way, here's today's card:

The Mojo Monday sketch this week was tall and skinny so this card is 3 ½" x 5 ½". The best part is that it'll still fit in a standard A2 envelope. Of course, if you had the envelope punch board, you could make a CUSTOM envie for it with a piece of 7 ½" square Designer Series paper.

Of course, I had some bright colours out from making from the Utah Divas card for Tuesday, so I went with those colours again, omitting the Marina Mist and adding Real Red and Old Olive.

To create the poppy image, I used just a portion of the Pleasant Poppies Background Stamp and coloured it using Real Red and Olive Markers.

A double bow of Daffodil Delight Seam Binding is the finishing touch.


What do you think?

STAMPS: Pleasant Poppies
INK: No ink pads were used in the creation of this card
PAPERS: Whisper White and Pacific Point Cardstock; Quaterfancy and In Colour DSP
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Shhhhh...quiet now.........

If my MOJO has come out to play again, I don't want to frighten it. Best to keep it down, I think.

Today's card is for MOJO Monday (yes, the current one) and my upcoming manly man card class on May 10th.

You'll notice some retiring product on there (it was still available at time of typing). I won't miss the buttons so much (it took me nearly two years to use them!), but I'm going to miss that ribbon! I think this is roll number 3 or 4. If you're going to miss it too, today is the very last day for FREE shipping on everything, so be sure to submit your order! Use hostess code: 6SDWJQYW for a chance to win some freebies!

I started off with a Baked Brown Sugar base and added a layer of Early Espresso Cardstock. The Designer Series Paper is from Soho Subway (also retiring!). My image is from the Open Sea (not retiring!) and is stamped in Baked Brown Sugar on Very Vanilla. I discovered that one of the Circle Framelits is *just* the right size to fit inside the 2 ½" circle punch, making a perfect mat.

I tied my button up with some linen thread - acceptable in a "man class" since it's not ribbon - LOL! And don't worry...since you're coming to class, I'll be tying the buttons for you. :)

What do you think?

STAMPS: The Open Sea
INK: Baked Brown Sugar
PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar and Early Espresso Cardstock; Soho Subway DSP
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Circle Framelits, Punch, Ribbon, Button, Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Merry MOJO Monday - Christmas Collectibles

Fresh Prints for Christmas? You bet!! There's Real Red and Crumb Cake in the stack and those are two great Christmas Colours! Check in out:

The Mojo Monday Card the week was tall and skinny. Since I created a 5 ½" square card for Wednesday, I decided to use the left over 3" x 11" piece of Real Red Cardstock. I LOVE the way it turned out! Of course, thanks to our Envelope Punch Board, I'll have NO trouble creating a custom envy.

To the Real Red base, I added a layer of Whisper White and then some strips from the Fresh Prints DSP Stack. I opted for the Christmas Collectibles stamps this week and stamped my image in Real Red Cardstock. I added it to the card front with a circle cut from the Circle Framelits.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Christmas Collectibles (still available!)
INK: Real Red
PAPERS: Real Red, Crumb Cake and Whisper White Cardstock; Fresh Prints DSP Stack
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Framelits, Linen Thread, Marker, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

You should know by now...

...that I never actually GET to complete the Mojo Monday on an actual Monday. So it stands to reason that I'm showing you the Mojo Monday card on a Thursday. At least you get to see it, right?

The MOJO Monday sketch was pretty simple this week, so of course I had to dress it up with extra layers. Check it out:

My base is Coastal Cabana and I added a layer of Fresh Prints Designer Paper. That paper stack is just so darn cute! I love all the fun colours and patterns in it!

It took me a while to figure out the right colour combination for the the "You and Me" and heart images. Lots of scrap paper was used, but I'm happy I persevered and love the way it turned out.

And what about that ribbon? I love that you can shape it around things and because it's ruffled you don't end up with extra thickness behind the layer. Perfect!

This would be such a cute Valentine's Day card, don't you think?

Look at THIS:

See that splatter? I learned a new trick!! You'll want to come to class on February 1st, where we'll be making Thank You cards and I'll be showing you this new technique that I picked up at Leadership. SO much fun!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Perfect Pennants
INK: Real Red, Coastal Cabana
PAPERS: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana and Real Red Cardstock; Fresh Prints DSP
ACCESSORIES: Coastal Cabana Ruffled Stretch Trim, Big Shot, Hearts Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

MOJO Monday Birthday

Yes, I know it's Thursday...but if you've been following my blog for ANY length of time, you know that I RARELY get the MOJO Monday done on an ACTUAL Monday. In fact, I think it's happened ONCE - LOL!

Today's card is for a dear friend who is celebrating a birthday this weekend! The best part? I get to spend the DAY with her and a couple of other WONDERFUL friends. We've known each other probably for about 10 years or so and we STILL (as time allows) get together once a month and craft! Sometimes months and months go by before we see each other, but we pick up RIGHT where we left off like no time has passed at all. THAT is an AWESOME kind of friendship! Wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, onto the card...

I still had some Baja Breeze out from Keely's Workshop this past weekend, so I started off with that. Then, I decided on a monochromatic look, so I took out my Not Quite Navy. Did you know that Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy are a "Dynamic Duo"? You should check out the Colour Coach! There's all kinds of GREAT ideas on that! I use almost every time I create!

Since we've been friends for such a long time, I chose a set that feels a little "vintage" to me. The image is from one of the new sets in the 2012-2013 Catalogue called "From My Heart". Appropriate, don't you think?

I stamped it in Not Quite Navy and then hand cut it (yes, for real). Then I stamped the "Friendship" again in Baja Breeze and hand cut that. I added it on top of the image using Stampin' Dimensionals.

I then punched out a 2 1/2" circle using my circle punch and adhered the image to that. Next came the paper piercing, which you can somewhat see in this detail shot:

The image seemed like it was missing a little something, so I took three of the smallest paper daisies, coloured them with an inked sponge dauber and bedazzled them with a Basic Rhinestone before using a glue dot to attach them to the card.

Here's the inside:

I won't subject you to the mush I'll be adding later. :)

What do you think?

STAMPS: From My Heart
INK: Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy
PAPERS: Whisper White, Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy Cardstock; Baja Breeze DSP
ACCESSORIES: Circle Punch, Paper Daisies, Basic Rhinestones, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

A little MOJO brings out the Best of Everything

I don't want to say it, because I don't want to jinx it, but shhh...I think I got my MOJO back.

For the past little while, I've been in a bit of a funk (this seems to be going around - what's UP with THAT?), not really creating, not really wanting to, but kind of really wanting to, if you get what I mean. I'm always happier when I'm creating, but sometimes just can't put it all together. *sigh*

This week, there's been a series of SUPER awesome sketches and inspiration around the web and it seems to have been JUST what I needed!

Today's card is brought to you by the MOJO Monday sketch! I STILL have my class papers out on my creating space, so they got used again! :) I'm sure my ladies will LOVE seeing all these samples at class tomorrow.

Check this out:

I started off with an Island Indigo base and while I wouldn't NORMALLY pair Island Indigo with Tempting Turquoise (the colour values seem a little off to me), I figured since they were together on the SAME piece of paper, it might be worth a shot. I'm not 100% sure that I like it, but with such a small border, I think it might work! :)

Then, I had an extra piece of Lucky Limeade sitting around (from the card you'll see tomorrow - LOL!) and added that...another layer of Tempting Turquoise and THEN I decided on the stamp set...yeah, a little backwards!

Anyway...I used my markers to ink up the little branch (though youngest DS asked why the tree was sideways) with Early Espresso and Lucky Limeade. Then, I used markers again to ink up the bird (Early Espresso, Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango) and since I had the markers out, I just used the Tempting Turquoise marker for my sentiment.

The MOJO sketch had a little embellishment off to the left of the image panel, but since I stamped my image on the left, I decided to add my embellishment on the right. Besides, there was a bit too much white space there for me.

To create the little rosette, I "rooshed" up some Daffodil Delight Seam Binding and then adhered it to a punched circle (1" in this case, though you could make it bigger if you wanted a bigger rosette) covered in Sticky Strip. I added the large pearl in the centre and a small piece of 3/8" Whisper White Taffeta under the circle before adhering it to the image panel.

And then of course, there's the inside:

I added another piece of Summer Smooches DSP and a smaller piece of Tempting Turquoise. I then use the markers again to stamp another image of the branch. Then I added the same doodling as I did on the front image panel.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Best of Everything, A Word for You
INK: Do Markers count? LOL!
PAPERS: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade and Island Indigo Cardstock; Summer Smooches DSP
ACCESSORIES: Markers, Punches, Seam Binding, Taffeta, Large Pearl, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

AWESOME, thy name is Island Indigo

...especially when paired with Baja Breeze. Oh my! I think I may just have a new favourite colour combo!

Truly! Now, Island Indigo and Pool Party are pretty awesome together, but Island Indigo and Baja Breeze are just more...well...MORE.

I had Island Indigo out because I was creating my card for the Stampin' Queens sketch on Wednesday (you'll have to come back to see that one) and I was struck with the idea of featuring a different stamp set each week. Well, my stamp set for Wednesday is The Open Sea and I drew a complete blank as to what else I could do with it. Subconsciously, it was probably the idea of using ONE stamp set for a WHOLE week that freaked me out - LOL!

Then, as I sat there staring at my Island Indigo cardstock, I thought, "HEY! Why not feature a new COLOUR each week!" With fifty colours, I could cover almost a whole year - YES! What do you think of that idea?

So...this week, since I was already creating with Island Indigo, I decided to go with that. Wednesday's card is also my Dynamic Duo card for the week, so it features Real Red as well. I wanted something different, so I pulled out my colour coach. Lo and behold, there it was! Island Indigo, Baja Breeze and Rich Razzleberry! LOVE!

See? You love it too, right? You get subtle with a bit of POP!

When I saw the Mojo Monday sketch, Betsy's Blossoms was the first thing to come to mind and I think it was a pretty good choice!

I just love the finished card! I'm planning on sending it to a dear friend and I do hope she likes it! I won't spoil the surprise by saying who, because I know she reads my blog on a regular basis. She needs a little pick me up and I think this will be just the ticket!

Here's a little close up of the tag:

Must run! Things to do, places to go, people to see and all that. Oh...and laundry, there's ALWAYS laundry!!! *sigh*

What do you think?

STAMPS: Betsy's Blossoms, Tiny Tags
INK: Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Rich Razzleberry
PAPERS: Whisper White and Island Indigo Cardstock
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Bitty Button, Punch, Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Doing the Mojo with CCMC in Basic Poppy Limeade

Confusing enough for you? LOL! Well, it's MONDAY and I actually got to DO the MOJO Monday ON the actual Monday...which I can assure you is NO small feat!

I also decided to use the CCMC colour challenge, which is kind of Christmas-y, but sort of not. I mean...it's red and green, but I can't wrap my brain around how bright the colours are. KWIM?

Anyway, here's the card:

The CCMC colour challenge this week was Basic Grey, Poppy Parade and Lucky Limeade...which are KIND OF Christmas-y, but not really what I would call traditional Christmas colours. Maybe that's just me. You can let me know what you think in the comments section below.

The only Basic Grey I had was 12 x 12" textured cardstock, so I started off with that, trimming it to 8 1/2 x 11" and then in half to 4 1/4 x 11". I then added a piece of Basic Grey Designer Series Paper from the Neutral paper pack. It's cut to 4 x 5 1/4". I added some more Designer Series Paper from both of the In Colour packs.

I stamped the ornament in Poppy Parade and the little string in Lucky Limeade. I punched out the circle using the 1 3/4" circle punch and then sponged the edges using Poppy Parade. I adhered the punched circle to a piece of Lucky Limeade which was punched with the 2 3/8" Scalloped Circle Punch and stuck it all to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The sentiment was stamped on Whisper White in Poppy Parade and trimmed it to a skinny strip before turning it into a banner.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Tree Trimmings, Short and Sweet
INK: Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade
PAPERS: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Lucky Limeade and Poppy Parade Cardstock; Basic Grey, Lucky Limeade and Poppy Parade DSP.
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

Merry MOJO Monday on a Thursday!

Say THAT ten times fast - LOL!

As you may have noticed, this week I've been playing with Pennant Parade, Pear Pizzazz and Riding Hood Red. Today is no exception.

Today is also:

• Bald and Free Day
• Come and Take It Day
• Ecological Debt Day
• Mad Hatter Day
• National German-American Day
• Physicians Assistant Day

And you thought you had nothing to celebrate!

Here's my Merry MOJO card:

Though the photo may indicate otherwise, I can assure the you that the "red" DSP is indeed Riding Hood Red and that the "green" DSP is indeed Pear Pizzazz. It's that darn iPhone camera again!

I started off with a Riding Hood Red base and added a piece of polka-dot Riding Hood Red DSP over a layer of Whisper White. Next came the layer of Pear Pizzazz DSP with the scalloped border of Pear Pizzazz cardstock. ANOTHER layer of Riding Hood Red DSP atop a piece of Whisper White is the centre panel.

My image is done just like yesterday's! I stamped the tree base in Soft Suede on Whisper White and punched it out using my 1 3/4" circle punch then stamped, punched out and adhered the tree image using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The sentiment also copies yesterday's. I figure, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" and it's working for me!

Tomorrow is another day and I still have all that stamping goodness out on my table. I'm debating using it AGAIN. Or should I change things up?

What do you think?

STAMPS: Pennant Parade
INKS: Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Pear Pizzazz
PAPERS: Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz and Riding Hood Red Cardstock; Pear Pizzazz and Riding Hood Red DSP
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Ribbon, Bakers Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

What's your Mojo Monday Style?

There are SO many challenge blogs that I like to read, but there's just NO way I could get to each and every challenge. So, as often as possible, I like to combine the challenges.

Over at the Pals Paper Arts, the challenge this week is: What's your signature style? And over at Mojo Monday, the challenge is, as always, a sketch. So...this week I thought I'd combine the Mojo Sketch with the Signature Style challenge. This was the result:

Yeah...not so much. Sometimes you have to post the less than stellar cards. I have a pretty good following (pats self on back - heehee!) and I like to make sure that I post interesting/fun/duplicatable/showcase cards. Basically, I like to make sure there's a variety of everything and in this way make sure that everyone likes what they see at least some of the time.

I've been stamping for quite some time and like to think that I know (for the most part) what the heck I'm doing.  Today's card is proof positive that even seasoned stampers sometimes go horribly wrong - LOL!

So...since the card is above is clearly SO not my style (if you know me, you KNOW this!), I decided to leave that card for the Mojo Monday card and create THIS for the Pals Paper Arts:

Now THIS is much more my style - classic.

Growing up, my sister was the fashion plate - the latest trends, the newest clothes and heaven forbid our mom made her shop at Zellers or Kmart. She was completely MORTIFIED! On the other hand, I went for the classic lines - the classic skirts, the pants that would last seasons (instead of weeks), the shirts/tops/blouses that I could wear for years to come and while they would not be "in", they would be "classic".

For this card, I used the CAS sketch over at Split Coast Stampers and the "What's your style" challenge at Pals Paper Arts.

Check out these details:

LOVE "tying" my ribbons like this.  The addition of the little button is SO cute!

I used Basic Black brads (say THAT ten times fast!) as accents.

What do you think?

MOJO CARD

• STAMPS: Best of Everything (coming in new 2011-2012 IBC)
• INK: Pretty in Pink, Wisteria Wonder (new in Colour for 2011-2013)
• PAPERS: Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder and Pretty in Pink Cardstock; Flirtatious Specialty Designer Series Paper (available as of July 1st, 2011)
• ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Scallop Circle #2 Die, Brads, Basic Pearls, Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

PALS PAPER ARTS CARD

• STAMPS: None
• INK: None
• PAPERS: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Love Letters DSP (retiring = sad)
• ACCESSORIES: Ribbon, Brads, Button, Linen Thread, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack

Happy Stampin'!

By Special Request - Mojo Monday #194

OK, so the MOJO MONDAY isn't the special request, but the cupcake card is! Last Tuesday, you'll remember I posted these cupcake cards because I had a special request on my Facebook Page for cupcake cards. Speaking of which...Are YOU a Facebook Fan of my page? If not, just click on the link in the right side bar.

For today's card, I used Create a Cupcake.  Currently this set is NOT available to order. However, if you MISSED getting it in the Occasions Mini, you'll be thrilled to learn that it will once again be available in the new 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalogue. The matching punch will be there too!

For the card base I chose Poppy Parade and then added a layer of Daffodil Delight. I cut up pieces of Designer Series Paper from the Sunny Garden Pack into 1" x 4 3/4" and rounded the corners before adhering them to the card. I then added a piece of Poppy Parade Cardstock punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch and tied a piece of Daffodil Delight 5/8" taffeta ribbon around it.

My focal image is stamped using two pieces from the Create a Cupcake set. The "top" of the cupcake was stamped with "sprinkles" and adhered to the 2 3/8" punched Scalloped Circle using Stampin' Dimensionals. The Scalloped Circle was also adhered to the front of the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Create a Cupcake (available July 1st)
INK: Chocolate Chip, Peach Parfait
PAPERS: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight and Poppy Parade Cardstock; Sunny Garden DSP (retiring)
ACCESSORIES: Punches, Daffodil Delight Ribbon (retiring), Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stampin'!

MOJO Monday on a Thursday with a little Springtime Vintage

When I saw the MOJO Monday sketch, I knew I had to try it out, but I was waiting for just the right idea to pop into my head...and yesterday, that's JUST what happened!

I started off with the Springtime Vintage DSP as my inspiration. From that I chose Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz and Baja Breeze as my cardstock colours. There are so many wonderful designs in this DSP pack and they go with eight (yes, EIGHT!) of our cardstock colours. Talk about versatile!

Anyway...here is the card I came up with:

I started with the Crumb Cake base and then used another piece of Crumb Cake in my Big Shot with the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder. I just LOVE that you get a blank canvas with which to work and still get the texture when using this folder.

I chose a piece of DSP with Baja Breeze in it and then matted it on a piece of Baja Breeze Cardstock. I scrunched up the Baja Breeze Seam Binding by tugging on a couple of the middle threads to get it all rouched up. I love this effect and you can do it with MANY of our ribbons. I wrapped it around the panel and affixed it using glue dots on the back.

I stamped the image from Pocket Silhouettes (one of my all time FAVOURITE sets!) on Very Vanilla Cardstock using Pear Pizzazz Classic Ink. I punched out the image using my 1 3/8" circle punch and then matted it using both the small and large scallop circle punches. It was adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The finishing touch is a scrunched up double bow of Baja Breeze Seam Binding. To achieve this look, I dampened the seam binding with just a touch of water and smooshed it up in my hands. I flattened it only slightly to tie the bow.

To add even more dimension, I affixed a Vintage Flower using a glue dot.

If you've read this far, and your name just happens to be Cheryl...this is one of the cards we'll be making at your SAB workshop!

What do you think?

STAMPS: Stem Silhouettes, Teeny Tiny Wishes

INK: Pear Pizzazz

PAPERS: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze and Pear Pizzazz Cardstock; Springtime Vintage DSP

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, Seam Binding, Vintage Flowers

Happy Stampin'!

It's a MOJO Monday Colour Throwdown!

This is my second post for today, please scroll down to see what else I've been up to!

I can't even REMEMBER the last time I played with a MOJO Monday sketch. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day. And, since today is the last day for Colour Throwdown # 100, I knew I'd need a sketch to get my submission in on time. MOJO Monday to the rescue!

The colour throwdown seemed a little daunting at first...I mean, I could manage Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery and Regal Rose, that wasn't a problem. But then they threw in Real Red? It has a TOTALLY different colour value! What to do, what to do? I decided the MOJO Monday sketch would be perfect because of the little squares. That meant I could include the Real Red and not have it overwhelm the card by using it in one of the tiny squares. So, that's what I did!

I stamped all my little flowers using the Level 2 Hostess set Apple Blossoms onto Whisper White paper and then used a 3/4" square punch to punch them out. I layered them on matching cardstock and hand cut the small border.

Then I stamped my 3 1/2" X 5" piece of Baja Breeze using En Français and Baja Breeze Ink. This is SUCH a versatile background stamp! If it's not part of your collection, it should be! If you'd like to order one be sure to contact me!

I adhered all the layers together and then cut two short lengths of Whisper White Satin Ribbon and tucked them under the four little squares which I mounted to the front of the card on Stampin' Dimensionals.

I used my Circle Scissor to cut the half circles where I stamped my sentiment.

What do you think?

STAMPS: Apple Blossoms (Level 2 Hostess Set)

INKS: Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Real Red, Regal Rose

PAPERS: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Real Red and Regal Rose Cardstock

ACCESSORIES: Punches, Ribbon, Circle Scissor

Happy Stampin'!