There's a New Kid on the Block

Hey legionnaires. How's your Monday going? Beautiful weather in most of the country. Spring has sprung.

 There’s a new challenge blog in town with articles, swaps, interviews, videos, challenges, great prizes and MORE! Check out Lily Pad Cards! [Link: http://www.lilypad.inlinkz.com/]. They have a weekly video too....luv that. The prizes offered are fabulous. Why not start your week off by entering? I did.

I plan on taking three challenges this week,  Less Is More, Gina K's Sketch Spotlight and Mojo Monday. That's my plan and I'm sticking with it. So come back soon.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

First card as a DT member at Simply Create

 Hi legionnaires. Blogger is acting super weird this afternoon, so I'm keeping this post very short. It's not allowing me to save drafts, so forgive grammer, spelling, etc. I just wanted to let visitors know who come via  Simply Create  (see sidebar), the deets on the card.

Recipe: Base is SU Kraft (retired)
Mats are SU's cajun craze (new) and certainly celery
Mat with images are on SU confetti cream
Images from TLC Craft Companion
Sintiment from Juki-Kins (very old)
Button, twine & bling from my stash
Border punch is EK Success
Mats are embossed with the SU folder square lattice

 Hopefully, things on Blogger will be greatly improved later this evening.

Cyber Hugs & Kisses
Erica

Less Is More Challenge #7

Afternooon legionnaires. before I talk about my card, I have some fabulous exciting news to share. I was invited to be a member of the design team for Simply Create (blinkie to the right). When Trish H., lead designer, sent me an email, I think I re-read it 10 times and then got up and ran through the house shouting with joy. Well, those of you who have been given the honor of being a design team member realize most of the family just don't get it, but I know my fellow bloggers do, so smile a little for me. Simply Create  is a no-hassle challenge blog. Challenges are issued once every other week and sponsors are only monthly so you take the challenge, because you enjoy what you do, without trying to be rewarded.

On to my last card for the masculine themed  Less Is More challenge  here.
I think sympathy cards for a man to give or receive are among the  most difficult to design.

This past Saturday, I took a class with Ken Pesho. He is an instructor for Stampscapes, a rubber stamp company specializing in scenic stamps. Ever heard of them? I thoroughly enjoyed myself and learned a great deal and of course, armed myself with some beautiful images from the stamp line. I wanted to use one of them, but, of course, it couldn't be a "scene" since we have to have white space on our card. After looking through some saved cards, I came across this sketch and I just knew it would work. I don't think I need to actually credit any particular designer, as I've only used the sketch. I stamped with Memento tuxedo black and sponged with my "finger spongy thingie" in blue, green and butterscotch, to achieve the shading. I added  some little white marks with a Signo white gel pen. Michelle Zindorf...queen of brayering, does this frequently. So I'm pleased with my last card and I'm ready for next weeks' challenge....sorta, after I clean my craft room. I'm sure design team members alway have nice neat areas to create in.

Don't forget to come back and visit Thursday PM, and check-out my very first  Simply Create card as a DT member. And a shout-out to Janice at Scrappin To Stay Sane who urged me to try more challenges. Super Hugs to dear friend.

Cyber Hugs and TGIW
Erica

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Wacky Arizona Weather

Hi legionnaires. Kinda chilly today and raining yesterday. By Thursday, it'll be in the 80s. But I'm thinkin' spring and my head is in the clouds....more aobut that tomorrow.

This cute hedgie image and the sentiment are from Penny Black. Lots of springtime cs and ds papers. The sentiment is on a Taylored Expressions banner die. Banners are all the rage in case you haven't noticed. A pretty bow, bling, and Prima flower remind me that spring really does come first. Oh, and that's Rangers baby blue Pearls down the left side, just to make it pop a bit. I colored in pencils and blender pen. I don't do hedgies and mice with Copics very well. BTW, there are new markers (new to me) on the block...apparently very popular in Great Britain, similar to Copics, but a steal in price by comparison. They are Promarkes and can be found at CarpeDiem and Blick Art Supply. SCS' Newsletter had a forum last week comparing them to Copics.. Might be worth it for me to invest in a set of 12...just to see ya' know.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More Week #7

Happy Sunday legionnaires.
It's kinda gloomy outside but the temperatures are in the 70s and I have my corned beef, cabbage and potatos in my pressure cooker. I'll be making some sweet cornbread to go with  and then I'll have apple pie for dessert. Sounds delish, huh? Well, honestly, the pie might not get made...depends on how long I stay reading blogs, a pastime I indulge in far toooo much. Ah, I am doing what I love and lovng what I do.

So Less Is More is asking for a masculine card today and we can have minimal layers. I'm glad since I feel this image needed a layer to anchor it...groan!! And, isn't the sentiment appropro both in its font and its masculine meaning. After all, don't men always do what they want  love? Actually, I hope I come across this saying, by PrintWorksCollection, with a more feminine font, else, I'll have to make one on my own. The anchor is called Textured Anchor by Stampabilities. I really like the size of it. My card base is SU's Blue Bayou (retired) and the ink used is Rubber Monger Steel Blue. I don't think they are in business any longer. Thank goodness I have a refill. I used an SU corner punch also. I would give this to a man who liked sailing or fishing. On the inside, I'd probably use a very simple Happy Birthday stamp. Congratulations would also work well.

I have another idea floating around in my head, so another post will be coming in the middle of the week.

I'm so happy for Less Is More. So many talented designers have found there way to this challenging blog.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

A collage card

I am not a collage card type. Now that's not to say that I don't know a gorgeous one when I see it. And every once in a while I will make an attempt to design one. I bought a small designer mat pad by K&Company and because the pages are intensely flowery, you can't just do anything you want. Clean and simple won't work...at least I haven't discovered a way to make it work. But I was desperate to use at least one mat today. So I chose that flowery one...poppies maybe and a scrap in black and beige I had on my desk. Then I had to find a stamp. TPC's Vintage Bird Cages was right in front of me. Just stamping it was not gonna do, so I stamped in Encore gold and embossed with a fine gold powder by Ranger. Very satisfied so far.I found just the right Nestie to frame my bird cage.

Now here's where I ran into trouble. I started with a black card base. I needed neutral. But there needed to be a mat that was 1/4 inch smaller all-around to top the mat. Ahhh, well how about a newsprint in black & white. The print I used is fine if you can resist reading it. It's about bringing up kitty and right there at the top is all about pesticides, weedkillers and rat bait. Not very good reading and I don't see how you could avoid reading some of it if you see this card. I tried faux stitching hoping to draw the eye quickly away from the words. Not very effective, huh? So legionnaires, in spite of all the other design elements on this card, I am disappointed with it. Any suggestions for a newsprint that has easy on the eye storylines either digi, or a large stamp, will be greatly appreciated. I believe Hero Arts may make one. Going to my LSS tomorrow for a class and they have Hero, so I'll be on the hunt.

Oh, and the blue flower is handmade by moi. It is made from a paper towel cut into a scallop and spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist...that stuff does come in handy in sometimes. I have an excellent tute link should anyone want it.

Well everyone, have a great weekend. I still need to clean my room up.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

My Cupcakes

Good afternoon legionnaires. I have accomplished absolutely nothing today. Well, I did eat breakfast and now it's lunchtime. I stayed in my PJs all day. I did find a great tute by Heidi Blankenship (her first, hopefully, not her last) on how to make flowers with a scallop Nestie. And then wonders upon wonders, I made a few. Most of the time, I download vides never to be returned to again. I know...sad, huh? And I can't even say they're for when I retire, since I already am! I even did a bit of experimenting of my own with pleasing results. Soo, I'll have to hustle after lunch. I have to make a banana cream pie, write a letter to my 88 yr. old aunt back east., and alas, clean my stamp room which is a total shambles. Dinner will be leftovers.

So here is an easel calendar. And these are my chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. They are my grands, Melea and Sienna and are 6 months apart. This pic was all I wanted for last Mothers' Day. Since my vanilla one is in CA, and mom is ridicously busy, it took some doing. But I love our photo, so I put it to good use and sent it on to CA. I had plans to make lots more of these, but, well, you know....the best laid plans of woman. Anywho, it was easy peasy and fun to make. I get to have my little family together for Easter and since the last time we were together was T-Day, I'm excited. I am so very blessed.
Hugs and Blessings to You.
Erica

Less Is More Challenge 139/2

Hi legionnaires. I mentioned I'd have another

go at the LIM challenge for "off the edge". Once again, I've used a new stamp set from TPC Studio, called Vintage Bird Cages. There are three cages and two sentiments in the set, plus two birds. I've never seen such a pretty in flight bird. It lent itself to some delicate coloring which I did with pencils and a blending pen on the thrice stamped bird. And isn't E. Dickenson's sentiment beautiful? (Note to self...try to find a book of her poems...).The base is a Papertrey white cs...nice and thick. I used Memento Paris Dusk ink. I felt black was just too stark.

This also will be submitted to Simply Create here where the challenge is #39, Just a Little Monochromatic.

Well, I've gone and stayed up into the wee hours, and though I have a nice lazy day coming up, my hubby doesn't pay that any attention. My roomis an absolute mess, so I think I'll be cleaning it up a bit.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Simply Create Challenge #39

Hope you've had a great Sunday filled with fun, laughter and of course, stamping. I've been answering challenges this weekend. This is my second and there will be a 3rd for Less Is More. I have the card ready, but need to photo it. Simply Create asked for monochromatic and this card with black, blue and white is just that. The typewriter is from a clear set by Hero Arts and the sentiment is from an older set that I removed from its packaging to put in a binder. Alas, no brand name. So, isn't dearest friend a salutation you'd type on a letter if you sent snail mail to a dear freind? I actually remember starting letters to my hubby with Dearest and I signed them Forever yours. I was such a romantic and so very naive. You see he was my first husband...turned out to not be the dearest and I wasn't his forever...ha ha...T.M.I. Well, the second time around hubby was the charm for me.
Back to the matter at hand. I've used a white base and an SU blue (probably a retired color) mat that I stamped with a BG stamp from Inkadinkadoo. I stamped the image on a Nestie and added some dark blue buttons that I sewed embroidery thread on. Everything was stamped with Memento tuxedo black ink.
Be back early tomorrow with my 3rd and final weekend challenge. Then we'll see what Mojo Monday looks like. I haven't done one of them in months.
Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More Week 6

Well legionnaires, I'm 95 1/2 % better today. It helped that I had a stamping day with my gal pals and we had a scrumptious Irish themed lunch. When's the last time you've had lamb stew? And my friend El (this month's hostess) really knows how to set a table and make us feel special. Fortunately, my appetite had returned some, and I was able to enjoy the meal. I am going to do everything humanly possible to never get a UTI again. I am soliciting recommendations from you too dear readers.

Over at Less Is More here , the challenge is to have an image off edge of the page. Add the rule of only one layer and this time no score lines, and here you have my take. I've been searching for a ruler image for some time. This one is in a set by TPC Studio, called Card Crafting. Have you heard of them? They are red rubber stamps with cushioning that will stick to acryllic blocks. They cost less than $12.00 a set, available at JoAnn's. And I got mine at 40% off. So, what do you think I did? Yup, I bought 3 sets. I love that the images are so large. And it has some cute sentiments.
The card is a white base and I stamped the images and words in Memento tuxedo black. It really could not have been simpler, but we'll see how the experts rate it, should they venture here.
I've got some other ideas brewing in my head for this challenge, so you may see another post here soon.

Oh, and a heads-up for you. Sharon, co-owner of Spellbinders, will be on HSN demo-ing the Grand Calibur on Monday at 7AM eastern and again at 11 AM est. This is the only die-cut machine that has tempted me recently, since I've never owned a Wizard and use my Cuttlebug for my Nesties.

Getting thru the day

I have been under the weather for the past week and it is sooo boring. My mojo was completely gone and just returned a bit today. I figured I needed to send myself some flowers, so here we have Flourishes Mix & Match Mugs used. This is a really versatile stamp set. It's becoming my "go to" set of choice. I used SU's new pear cs and ribbon. Stamped the image, then colored it. Cut with a Nestie die and left in so I could sponge around the image and still have a border. I absolutely love this technique. I can't afford an airbrush system. And even if I could it would take me out of my zone of clean & simple, so this works well. I colored with Copics and the button is from my stash and thin strips of paper are threaded through it. I opted to mount the image off-center to give it a fresh look. I really like how this card turned out and hope you do too.

A Different way to Use Lace Doilies

Here's a different take on using a doily. Actually, I saw a similar version many years ago at the first stamping convention I ever went to. OMG, I thought I had to have everything and dropped $300, after sitting at every demo table I could fit into the day. Ask me if I made more than one creation with what I purchased. Ahh, but it got my mojo working.
So, here I sponged the heck out of a panel stamped with Stamendous' muical notes. And I placed a doily over the side of the panel and sponged through the holes, then removed it. This technique was found on UTube, but I made this card a few days ago, so if you want a link, I'll be obliged to do a search, but I'll do it if you ask...smile. I added a flower that I sprayed with the one bottle of Tattered Angels glimmer mist that I own. Never did see much use for the stuff, so I'm trying to use it up so I can move on. A little bling for the center of the flower and the sentiment on a slant, and that's my card. This one doesn't fall into the C&S category, but it actually wasn't difficult to make.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Simply Create....I'm Lovin 'Em

I'm enjoying the Simply Create challenges so much, that I'd be happy to carry their blinkie, if they had one. C'mon blog owners get crackin'.
This is my second challenge. I'm able to put a card together quickly using their challenges. So today, this is for flower power found here (Ohhh, I just learned how to hyperlink...another lesson from Blogger....sorry, I got side-tracked.)

I have forgotten what this technique is called. I was in such a hurry to get started, but you stamp in versamark, cover with clear embossing powder and then brayer ink all over, but the image resists the ink. It must be called emboss resist. I believe I found it on the Hero Arts blog...prolly frm Jennifer Maguire. I will edit if I can. I learned this technique a long time ago, but it's always good to pull out an old technique now and then, right. The flowers are an ancient image from my stash. They don't even make stamps like this in that it is foam mounted on a heavy acrylic sheet. It's all one stamp. There's no name on it and it was a cheapie. The sentiment is a Cuttlebug entire word. I used an SU punch for the border and the ds paper is SU, as well as the chocolate chip base/mat/word. A little bling in the centers and voila, there you have it.

On another note, I mentioned I'd be taking photos of the dishes I made for the party I catered. I'm sorry to say, that in my rush to have everything ready on time, as well as being unable to find some last minute ingredients I was certain I had, it didn't get done. However, the event was a big hit. All the food was delicious. Seconds were had by all. I won't go into great detail about it, but the biggest hit was asparagus quiche and sadly, the least enjoyed was from the popular,  The Pioneer Woman Cooks | Ree Drummond ... a dish called Sun-dried Tomato Pasta salad. I enjoyed the dish, but few of the 11 other ladies did.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica