FAS Challenge 1

Good evening stampers. Ruth and Jenny at  Fetch A Sketch'  have given us our first sketch. How exciting for them and me too...to be able to be in on a new stamping venture. One of the best things about this sjetcg challenge beside the cute name, is that it posts every two weeks. That's really great for those of  us who have lives beyond  stanoubg, . And they will have blog candy at times too. And Ruth and I are two members of the Simply Create design team, another fun place to find challenges.

Here's the sketch.

My rendering includes SU cs and dsp. I used an EK Success punch and Nestabilities. I added bling and Liquid Pearls in buttercup. The tiny flowers were made from a multi-flower Marvy punch. The coloring is all copic and the image and sentiment are from an SU hostess set in a past mini called On The Grow.

So go play and have a a great week.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

My Take on the SU Save-a-Note...as I call it.

Hi Stampers,
I hope everyone had a great weekend. I did lots of blog surfing. It never ceases to astound me at the number of stamping blogs that are out there. And if I'm only looking at stamping related blogs, how many more must there be in other subject areas. YIKES, how does the internet stand it!?

On to a project that my trio + one made a few weeks ago and I promised to show. This is my take on a video tute that Angie Kennedy Juda does. Read  all about it here.   I haven't seen any others, so she gets the credit. I wanted to jazz mine up for my friends to make and show the potential it has to be a stamp camp project.

So, you take one of the pastic stamp storage cases SU offers in its catty, some two-sided dsp and you find some cheapie pads at Walmart and you have the beginnings. Then what I did is add a stamped image from SU's Notably Ornate.
You add sealed envies that you cut the tops from so you have pockets for misc., a doily, some border punched pieces, and a loop for your pen. I found some "woven non-roll elastic" in the sewing section of Walmart and made a loop to attach a thinnish pen....if the pen is too fat, your case won't close. On the outside, to give it that Whow factor and possibly make it easier to locate in your purse should you tend to carry one of those big puppies, I added a key-charm. These are becoming quite popular. And I found a few videos showing hand-made ones. Some people even swap these. I tell you, there is a craft  for EVERYONE. The charm is attached using your Crop-O-Dile to cut  two holes on the spine which you thread a ribbon through and then attach the charm onto. BTW, this charm came readi-made from Walmart. Gosh..seems like I live in that store. It cost $4.99. I thought that was a great price. Please note, you'll need lots of strong tape such as Scor-pal.  I think I've covered everything. Let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to share. I will show you another case made by one of the ladies in the next few days.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More Challenge #21

The Divas at Less Is More  made it easy peasy for us this time. And since I veered a bit from the challenge last week (more like blew it), I hope to make it up here. And so, I stuck to the basics with my two cards.

For my first card, the base is an SU...retired color (ugh, gone and forgotten) black mat and the buttons are made with DCWV's Linen Closet matstack. I used a Sixxex Sixlets buttons die. Don't know if the impression around the outside of the button is showing, but it's too cute. I "sewed" them with black embroidery thread onto a black panel. I faux stitched the panel. The sentiment is from a set called clearly inspired by Paper Creations. I don't think you can find it anymore.






My second card evokes the spirt of the USA's Independence Day holiday. This is the first time I've ever made a card for the 4th of July. My panel is a bit lower than the sketch prescribes. Alas, I tried the middle and it didn't work well.
The base is neenah solar white with the wide mat an SU Red Riding Hood strip that I punched with an EK Success punch at the bottom. The blue stars from paper in my stash are diecut with a Quikutz die and there's a tiny bit of bling on the middle star. The sentiment stamped in Memento danube blue, is from the same set as the above-mentioned.

I hope my cards pass muster this time. If you don't already play this challenge, this is a great sketch to start with. Go check it out.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Quickie card

I made this card just to have on hand in my stash. It was easy peasy since the card is one of those ready-made ones from a $9.99 box by Paper Studio. You just need to add your own touch to these as you feel inspired. The banner is a from a Cuttlebug die set I don't often see. I inadvertently tossed the packaging, so I haven't got the name, but I think ProvoCraft was trying to compete with Spellbinders when they introduced them. I seldom see them used on any blogs, so it doesn't look like they "took." The sentiment is from Stampendous, using Memento tuxedo black, and the blue paper from my stash and the bottom is border punched with an EK Success punch. A little blue bling added for the final touch.

Hope your week is going well. I'll be back with those 3D projects my Stampin' trio made on the weekend. They came out so well.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Second Post of the Day

This is my second post of the day. It's rare I do that. If you're looking for my LIM card, go to previous posts.

For Simply Create's wings challenge this week, I made two cards...both quite different and then couldn't decide which to submit for my design team entry. I ended up with this one leftover after thinking a dt entry should be a bit more intricate. Now, depending on your style, you may actually disagree with me. Far be it from me to say you're wrong. I am, after all a C&S stamper at heart. The basic sketch comes from Joan at Paperlicious here.

This card uses SU's soft suede for the base and and a bit of baja breeze. The inks are SU's olive green and marina mist. The stamps include CTMH for the swirly stitches, the tiny leaves from Rubber Tapestry's dainty florals and the dragonfly is a very ancient Stampabilities image. The sentiment is from my stash of unmounted sentiments, of which I have collected quite a few. The ribbon is from my stash.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Challenge Me?

Less Is More   has a monogram challenge today and I think they're being quite expansive in their rules. You can use stickers today. So, I did. I've had these EK Success stickers for years. I used them on a Scrabble lovers' card, and had quite a few leftovers. I am a Scrabble player and I have the app on my iphone. I'm not very good, but I do have lots of fun. It's sorta like my card-making. 

This really is a clean and simple card. I just measured to be sure I was centering the squares. Then I mounted the letters on to brown scrap using the smallest Nestibilitie squares I had. The base is my usual Neenah solar white. I think A R T is a monogram for creating beautiful things (or not), as well as playing the game of Scrabble. Art is in the eye of the beholder, right?

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Beautiful Fairies for Simply Create's 46th Challenge

Simply Create has a "winged" challenge this time around. Once I actually got to thinking about it, I realized there are many things that have wings. From my fellow designers at Simply Create, looks like fairies rule and rock. Mine is from Inkadinkadoo's Beautiful Fairies clear-mount set. I had it for a time. Knowing I couldn't exactly design a fairy image in a clean and simple look....my go-to design, I had to get out the purty stuff....you know, sparkly bling, ribbons, corners and fussy paper. Now for some, that's their go-to look. For me, well, I buy, hmmm, collect the stuff, put neatly in a drawer and rarely use it. Not this time. If you want deets, ask in your comments, cause the issue with these fussy cards, is that the recipe list is sooo long. I will tell you that the ds papers are from DCWV's Mariposa matstack. And I'm in love with it. These beauties beg for fussing over.

Tomorrow I have a stampin' pal get-together. I have a great 3D project for us to do. So come back Sunday and check it out. Don't forget Less Is More's Saturday challenge. If you're in the USA, you can check it out Friday after 12 midnight Central time. I often do this and then I dream on it. Is that a good thing?

Hugs & Blessings,

Erica

New Rubbah...Happy Dance

Yes, it's true, I got 4 new stamp sets from Stampin' Up. After being on an austerity budget for the last three months, I had to complete my quarterly obligation and I did.

Yes, I am doing the happy dance, but SU has made some changes in how they reward their demos and after thinking about it and talking with my upline, I have decided I'm not crazy about it. Although I've only done the math in my head, it seems we are not getting as much product $$$ to play with. That means that it could be a tougher sell to get hostesses for parties. I suppose this is just Shelli's way of meeting the economic difficulties. I'm sure that there are many other changes in other areas and this is the only one that has affected me.

On to my goodies. I am being more careful when choosing sets. If I can't envision up to 5 cards in my head, I pass the set up. I think I've chosen carefully. So, here I've used a hostess set called Faith In Nature. If you lean toward C&S designs; if you often make card sets to give away; if you like to keep several "thank you" sentiments on-hand; if you try to buy genderless (is there such a word?) stamp sets, then this set is for you. Of course, you'll have to be a hostess to get it. IMO, it's worth it. My card is white on white and I used the SU lattice folder and stamped in Memento tuxedo black and colored with copics. There is a thank you sentiment in the set, however, I've used a Fisher clear mount thank you, because I wanted "for your kindness". The oval is a Nestie die and the pear is stamped then die-cut with a nestie also. All paper is Neenah solar white.

1. I'll be posting a card for tomorrow using an SU flower die that retired far too quickly IMO.

2. On Saturday, don't forget the divas will post a challenge at Less Is More.

3.     Simply Create will post it's challenge. I have made a fussier card than usual for the team, but I like it.

4. I have a 3D project to post for Sunday, after my stamping galpals have made one for themselves. It would be
perfect for a stamp camp and I haven't seen a anything quite like it on anyone's blog.

Soooo, do come back and get ready for the weekend.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More Challenge #19 and I have a New Badge!

Good Evening.
How has your weekend been? Mine has been superlative...after starting out a bit challenging for me personally. I checked out the LIM challenge at midnight and took it to bed with me. The following day, I hadn't dreamed up anything I wanted to work with, so off to my email I went. There in my inbox was another email from LIM. It was the weekly announcement of showcased cards. Lo and behold, I was one of them. I'm Showcased...forgive me for shouting, but I'm so honored. What a great card-themed year I'm having...a member of a DT team for the first time and now featured on one of the fastest growing challenge blogs. Mandi and Chrissie are the best pair of divas I know. Thank you so much dear ladies. Your challenges are awesome and have stretched me considerably. I want to thank my blog-readers as well. Thank you for commenting on my cards. That means soooo much to me.

Here we go to the one layer challenge this week...to make a card with a frame. A thought came to my ears after attending church and listening to awesome uplifting Christian music. I attend the most inspiring church. I'm so blessed. Though we don't have a violin in the church band, it is an instrument I thoroughly enjoy. This stamp, Vintage Violin, by Stampabilities was stamped in Memento tuxedo black overlaying a stamp called Music Score by Stampendous that's stamped in Memento London fog. To get the frame, I used a rectangle Nestibilitie and diecut into a piece of scrap then I taped it with removable tape onto the card base front (Neenah solar white) and stamped the music score background direct to paper. Note, I stamped-off the stamp first. Upon removing the scrap, vioila...the frame. I stamped the violin over it. The sentiment is from SU's Apple Blossoms. I hope you like my card and have a go at LIM's challenge.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Simply Create Challenge

This is my second post of the day. I probably should have put this one up first since I'm on the design team of Simply Create, where it's the first "other" Saturday of the month and  All About You Dad #45.
Simply Create gets us going on a themed card.
With Father's Day  around the corner, I was only too happy to make a few cards. I chose
this one for the challenge. I made it for my dd to
give her husband.
The FD sentiment is computer generated. The measuring tape with the sentiment is SU's Totally Tool. The papers are all SU, except for the ds which is from the Paper Studio's Mirabella collection. Memento tuxedo black ink was used for stamping and the descriptive words were cut with an SU punch and the corners of the FD sentiment mat are done with an SU ticket punch. Metal brads are used and a button is threaded with twine and twine is used to hold the descriptive words. It seems like there's a lot going on, but actually, this card was simply to put together and I'll be making more with different descriptive words, of course. Come play along with us won't you?

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More #18

So here it is Saturday and the LIM Challenge 18 from Mandi and Chrissie is a fun one.

I knew right away what image I wanted to use, as well as the color. Monochromatic speaks neutral to me. Here, I have used an off-white card base and shades of brown. Hopefully, the photo shows the variation. The card size is 5 1/2 x 5 1/2. The A2 size would not have left me with enough white space. I stamped the cute mushroom from Stampabilities, in white pigment ink and embossed in a white fine detail powder. Then I rounded one side of each square and mounted them with thin tape. I argued with myself about rounding, but felt the squares needed a bit of pizzaz. I stared, and went away, and returned because I couldn't decide if a sentiment was in order. Finally, I decided that mushroom can lend themselves to anything so why not leave it blank writing inside as the need for the card became obvious.

So, there you have it.

Congrats to the Less Is More. I think the divas are a bit surprised at how many stampers are taking their challenge. I knew as soon as I found them, that success was theirs' (grammer?) for the asking.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica