Less Is More Challenge

Hi Stamping friends. The divas have challenged us with using yellow...never a favorite of mine. As a matter of fact, does
anyone really like yellow all by itself? I shall have to check a few posts. Several songs came to my mind for some reason...the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, The Yellow Rose of Texas, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. Gosh, I don't know why, but I had no bikini stamp, no sub image, and only a huge rose, so I settled with the common baby chicks. Aren't they adorable? I  found them at a convention I went to several months ago. They are a DeNami Design image and I have lots of ideas in my head to use them. They're colored with copics and/or SU markers in "yellows".   The photo was taken with my Iphone and I added some filters in an attempt to make the white be really white...don't know as I've achieved that or not. After I uploaded this, I added some cute cloud dies overhead .The puddle of water from Stamp A Mania fits underneath them perfectly.
Although I'm a bit ambivalent about yellow, I have some other card ideas floating around my head, but that's because of all the inspiration from Mandi and Chrissie.

Hope your weekend is off and running, but not so much that you can't do a little stamping.

Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More....Having a Go

I haven't had a go at the Less Is More Challenges since my dh passed in January.
It was a bit of a ritual for me. He'd know exactly why I wasn't paying him much attention early on a Saturday morning and would wait a bit more patiently than he ordinarily would. This is because he had been the only witness to my utter glee when I was showcased. He knew exactly how much it meant to me. He watched me grow from my inept first submission attempts to finally earning a compliment here and there. He truly was happy for me.

So here we go, I caught up with Mandi and Chrissie at 12 AM, USA time in Arizona, just after I'd posted about Simply Create Too, where I am on the design team. I decided not to wait until morning...how my life has changed.

I love this trio of southwestern clay pots from Stampmania. They specialize in images of the Southwestern and can be difficult to find. However during my adventure to a Stamp Convention, I found them and treated myself. Afterall, I am a Southwesterner some 15 years and I do love many aspects of desert living. To continue, the LIM Divas gave us a sketch which can be found here with all the deets. I have colored the pots with copics mainly and a Letraset or two....first time really playing with these...me likely. The sentiment stamped in Memento cocoa brown is from Our Daily Bread. I agonized a bit about the sentiment. I wanted the font to be perfect more than anything and then too, to be only one short line.  My photo skills haven't improved much. And finally, white is, IMO, so tough to get right. Alas, I love a white card base. Well, I'm not tickled pink, but it's been a while, so I'm happy.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Last of the Valentines Day cards

So legionnaires, I like using doilies, on cards, but I usually find that most cards (including a birthday card I posted a few days ago) using them do so with too much going on and I barely catch a glimpse of the actual doiley. I want that baby to stand out. I think I've achieved just that with my card here. Not sure if I should have stamped the sentiment in gray, but I wanted it subtle and I knew I was adding those flowers. Now about those flowers...they're pricy Primas from Michaels and I don't think they carry them anymore. The size works well, but the leaves are awful. I must figure out a way to use a small leaf punch to sub for these dreary things in the future. The doiley is Wilton, but here's a little story for you. Hubby & I eat at a restaurant called Mimi's. They use doilies beneath cups of decafe coffee so when they do refills, they won't make a mistake and give you the regular. I know I'm a real stamper now, 'cause I looked them over and decided to ask the waitress if she would be kind enough to give me a few. She did (and her tip increased by $1.00...hee hee). Back to the card. The tag is a Nestie and the pink circle is dry-embossed with a CB folder. It's all adhered to SU's red riding hood. The more I look at this card, the more I feel I could have done better. So if there's a remake, I'll post it and link the two together. I've never attempted a do-over on my cards, so it will be a first.

Edited to Add:
My good cyber-friend told me about a challenge at Shannon's Sentiments here, so I've done just that. Thanks Janice.


Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Square Biz

 

So I tried editing my photo in Picnik which I think is affiliated with Picassa. It’s fairly basic and I don’t know if I like it, but here it is then I tried to post via Windows….don’t mind me, I may not have that correct. Anywho, here is my card for a  challenge on Sharon's blog. She is asking for clean &  simple. I think I’ve succeeded but I need to tell ya it is a CASE, but I've forgotten from where, 'cause as soon as I saw the sketch, I made the card and then it was quite late, well you get my drift. The tiny sunflower stamp has been around my craftroom forever and the paper is…Papertrey’s luxery white, the ds square is CTMH and the rectangle is DCWV. The sentiment is from a clear set that I can’t find now….gosh, is it really 3 AM?

Goodnight legionnaires.

Hugs, Erica (who if she doesn't stay up, doesn't learn anything)

I Took the Challenge Today

Well, I took the challenge today. Actually, it's my first one from Scrapnextras It's their Stash Challenge here http://www.scrapnextras.com/scrapnextras/2009/03/stash-challenge-tuesday-stickers.html#comments. I used stickers that I was hoarding for some time. The name on the package is "Gifted Stickers." I love teacups, teapots, teabags and loose tea, and oh, iced tea. If I drank more tea than I ate candy, I wouldn't look like I do, But, alas, I love milk chocolate, fudge, buttermints, and Necco Canada wafers and Werthers originals more. Gosh, I sure love candy, huh? I sort of cased it from this card here http://www.scrapnextras.com/scrapnextras/2009/03/stash-challenge-tuesday-stickers.html#comments

The base is a kraft c.s. (not SU) and the pink mat is CB'd as is the blue mat and then I used a Memories shadow ink for the rose from Hero Arts and then overstamped with a Hero Arts sentiment that's been around 4ever and is so versatile. There is one little secret going on in this card. I give my 20 mos. granddaughter "sticker address labels" that I seem to get by the hundreds, to play with. There are usually some kind of flower stickers on the sheets. She peeled 2 of the flowers from the "base" of a trio of stickers and I noticed that the remaining piece resembled Nestibilitie scalloped squares. I pounced on it before she could rip it apart, and put it to good use here. Then I placed these pretty teacups & saucer stickers inside of the squares. The embellies are Kaiser blue pearls...hope their true color is showing up. I really like the way this turned out, hope you do.

P.S. After posting, I realized that all the pearls aren't visible. There are 3 of them directly underneath the sentiment. I'll have to be more careful with displaying the card prior to snapping.

Have a great Wednesday.

Erica