Splashes of Watercolor

Well, another month has passed since the last design challenge for the present and past Dirty Dozen girls. Hard to believe!

This month Diane Zechman was our challenge hostess with the mostess and she issued a real doozie of a challenge:

It’s called “Inside & Out”….meaning we had to stamp and decorate both the inside of our card and the outside of the envelope.

Our required element was to make it “patriotic” (interpreted any way we like)

Our restricted element - NO RIBBON

I can still hear the echoes of all the dirty girls saying “OH NO - NO RIBBON????!!!”

Now she gave us all the criteria immediately after our last challenge so I’ve had this information for a month, but do you think I started on it early? Heck no! I just started last night. I did however know ahead of time which stamps I would use.

I chose this really cool stamp called Sam’s Hat, and Celebrate America for the card and the Grand & Petite Flag Stars for the inside of the card and the envelope. They’re all from the Patriotic section at Rubbernecker. I also used the Stars wheel from Stampin’ Up! rolled in silver ink onto the red strip and the envelope (kind of hard to see).

And here’s the inside and the envelope:

So what do you think? Patriotic enough? We also have the option to send our card to the troops and Beate has graciously agreed to accept them and send them to her husband to distribute.

If you’d like to see the designs of all the Dirty Girls, just click on this link: DCIO608

Thanks so much for visiting! I won’t be around for about a week. I’m being kidnapped (willingly of course) by a motley crew (Sherry and Jeanne) next Tuesday, and we’re headed down to Orlando for StampFest. We’ll be hanging out with Kittie and Candy and Jerri Kay will be visiting too! How cool is that??

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Stamps: Sam’s Hat, Celebrate America, Grand & Petite Flag Stars - all from Rubbernecker’s Patriotic section; Star wheel - Stampin’ Up!

Paper: white, real red, blue textured, vellum

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black & Platinum Planet

Accessories: Copic markers, SU markers, red spica glitter pen, silver stickles, brads, Krylon silver leafing pen, mounting tape

All items in red are from Rubbernecker Stamp Co.

Copic markers used: R05, R24, R29, C1, C3, B21, B24, B29, 0

I couldn’t wait to get home from work today to make a beachy card with today’s color challenge colors! I love this combination! Here’s a link to the challenge: CC171

I don’t have time for much of an explanation, but I really don’t think it’s needed. It’s a simple card. The image squares are inchies. The black squares are punched with a 1-1/4″ square punch. The soft sky textured layer and the sentiment layer were attached with mounting tape.

All images and ink are from Rubbernecker Stamp Co.

Thanks for stopping by to look!!

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Stamps: all from Rubbernecker Beach Party 2 section

Paper: shimmery white, kraft, soft sky textured, black textured

Ink: Palette Hybrid Ink

Accessories: Copic markers - B000, C7; 1″ and 1-1/4″ square punches, rectangle Nestabilties, Cuttlebug, ribbon, linen thread

I’m thrilled that Maren is the featured stamper at Splitcoast today! She’s a fellow Jacksonbelle Embellishments DT member, and I’ve certainly admired her artistry for a while now! Her cards are all so fresh and pretty, so it was tough to choose one to CASE. But I finally decided on this one - Dream. I love the fresh colors, the great layout and just the little glimpse of the botanical images!

I think this card will go to George’s daughter and her husband for their anniversary that’s coming up. Liz will love it!

I had a little trouble getting the holes to line up just right, so there are striped and celery circles everywhere on my work table now! I guess I’ll have to make a couple of polka dotted cards next!

These beautiful images are from the Inkadinkado Garden Delight clear set from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. They’re colored with Stampin’ Up! markers. I used my corner rounder punch to make the scallops on the bottom.

I hope you all had a great weekend. Back to the salt mines tomorrow! (Yuck!)

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Stamps: Garden Delight - Inkadinkado (Jacksonbelle Embellishments)

Paper: white, certainly celery, My Mind’s Eye 12×12 slab

Ink: Stampin’ Up markers: celery, olive, saffron, regal rose, ruby red, pumpkin, rust, bashful blue, amethyst

Accessories: corner rounder punch, 1″ circle punch, 1-1/4″ circle punch, ribbon

Whew! Hang on to your seats! There’s a lot to talk about today!

First of all there are some changes being made to the Rubbernecker weekly challenge. Starting today it will be combined with the Tuesday Treasure Hunt, and the rules have changed to allow for a lot more leeway in your designs and a lot more opportunities to enter for a chance to win. To check out all the details, please see this post of Jeanne’s: Rubbernecker Blogger Challenge Changes

Today is also the Treasure Hunt at Rubberneckers. You can read all the details and find the first clue to lead you to the treasure on the Rubbernecker Home Page.

And Kittie and I have blog candy today! To win some Rubbernecker Bucks from me, just leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite technique is.

Now on to today’s challenge. Oooh, this is so much fun! The challenge is to use the paper piecing technique. For any of you unsure of how to do this, Jeanne has a couple of great tutorials on her blog. When you take the challenge and upload your card to the SCS gallery, be sure to add the keyword RBC11 so you can be entered in the monthly drawing to win $25 in Rubbernecker Bucks!

I knew I wanted to play with these adorable little mice and they’re just perfect for this technique!

I stamped these cuties 3 times on white cardstock with Ranger Distress black soot ink. I colored the first image completely with my Copic markers. On the second image, I colored and cut out the entire top of the cupcake (all but the wrapper), the mouse heads  and the cherries. From the third one, I used the frosting with the cherry on top. That’s a lot of coloring and cutting, but the result is just so darn cute! This is a large 5-1/2″ square card.

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Stamps: Mice with Cupcake (#1049SO), Make a Wish (#60-14 UP) - Rubbernecker Stamp Co.

Paper: white, old olive, real red, Summer Picnic DSP

Ink: Ranger Distress ink - black soot

Accessories: Copic markers, paper piercer & mat, ticket corner punch, slot punch, brads, ribbon, Ranger Glossy Accents

Copics used: W1, W3, E31, E33, RV14, RV34, R24, R29, B21, B24,

YG06, G94

Don’t forget to check out these DT members for their challenge cards today:

Candy

Jeanne

Kittie -blog candy too!

Linda

Shelly

Sherry

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Today I also have a Jacksonbelle Design Team challenge card.

Lynda Benden issued this fun challenge. We are to use the sketch located here, and some of the new Prima products. You’re welcome to play along too. When you upload in the SCS gallery, just add the keyword JBE004.

I chose to use the new Prima Urban Cosmos paper and the Inkadinkado Garden Delight stamp set. And here’s my card:

The Happy Birthday sentiment is stamped in chocolate chip ink on a small piece of acetate which is attached under the small chocolate paper strip.

There are 3 layers to the flower and 2 layers to the dragonfly. The second layer of the dragonfly is on acetate and is heat embossed with kaleidoscope EP. You can click on the photo to get a closer look.

This card is 5″ square.

Be sure to check out these other DT members cards:

Amber

Beth N

Beth T

Erin

Kisa

Lila

Lynda

Lindsey

Maren

Thanks for stopping by and sticking around to read all of this! I hope you have a great week!

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Stamps: Garden Delight, Happy Birthday - Inkadinkado

Paper: shimmery vanilla, chocolate chip, acetate, Prima Urban Cosmos - Colony and Cosmo

Ink: Rose Red, Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip, Adirondack Lettuce

Accessories: SU markers - Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Kaleidoscope EP, heat gun, glue dots, mounting tape, circle Nestabilities die, Cuttlebug

All items highlighted in green are from Jacksonbelle Embellishments.

This card was made for my grandson’s 8th birthday and also qualifies for the Ways To Use It challenge WT167 to make a masculine card.  Thanks to Lindsey for guest hosting today, and get well soon, Julia!  My card was totally influenced by this card:  Howdy Ride ‘Em Ronnie by Leigh O’Brien, one of my stamping idols!

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Speaking of idols…..Whoot!  Whoot!  for our new American Idol, David Cook!!!  He is just too cool, and his versatility and originality amazes me!  Can’t wait for his first CD to be released!! 

Tonight begins another season of So You Think You Can Dance.  I love that show just as much as American Idol.  Thank goodness I finally broke down and got a DVR, because the premier is partially on opposite my #1 show, Grey’s Anatomy.  And no matter how much I want to see these fantastic (and some not so fantastic) dancers, I would not miss Dr. McDreamy for anyone or anything!

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Back to my card.  With 3 grandsons, I’ll always be in the need of masculine cards.  That’s why I just love these clear western stamp sets from The Cat’s Pajamas!   I grew up with a love of cowboys and all things western (let’s hear it for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans!) and I want my grandsons to as well.

Ronnie and Howdy were stamped in Adirondack Espresso ink on shimmery vanilla cardstock and colored with Copic markers.  The western town scene was stamped on the patterned paper and just shaded with Copics as well.

 The edges of the red strips of paper and the brown circle were distressed using my paper snips.

I hope he likes his card!  Yee haw, y’all!

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Stamps: Having a Pow Wow, It’s a Western Thing - The Cat’s Pajamas

Paper: shimmery vanilla, Basic Grey Blush collection

Ink: Adirondack Espresso

Accessories: Copic markers, circle Nestabilities dies, Cuttlebug, star snaps, silver pen, paper snips for distressing

Copic markers used: E00, E02, D31, E33, E13, E27, E37, BG10, BG15, R24, R29, W3

Yes, today is Tuesday and time for the Rubbernecker Treasure Hunt. I almost never post twice in one day, but what’s a person supposed to do when a challenge and a Treasure Hunt need to be discussed!

So here are the deets:

The treasure will be available for you to find from 4:00 am PST until 9:00 pm PST. You can find the first clue on the Rubbernecker home page.

And be sure to visit these design team members today for a chance to win blog candy:

Candy

Shelly

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Now on to today’s project~~

I really wanted to try the Double Pocket Bag that was yesterday’s Technique Lovers Challenge at SCS. So here is my attempt.

Jenn D really wrote a great tutorial and this is a really neat way to give a small gift such as a gift card or a few handmade cards.

My SWEET image is called “Pondering” and is from the Stamp Oasis section at Rubbernecker Stamp Co. The sentiment is also from Rubbernecker. I stamped the little girl with stazon ink on watercolor paper and painted her. Everything else is self-explanatory.

Don’t forget to hunt for the treasure and hop over to see Candy and Shelly for a chance to win some Rubbernecker Bucks! The other DT members will have some great creations for your viewing pleasure as well!

Thanks for floating by and

please come back soon!

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Stamps: Pondering (#1066SO) and Special Friend (#145-25) - Stamp Oasis section of Rubbernecker Stamp Co.

Paper: watercolor paper, taken with teal, SU Petals & Paisley DSP

Ink: StazOn black, various colors

Accessories: Circle Nestabilities dies, Cuttlebug, horizontal slot punch, ribbon, terrifically tacky tape, waterbrush, mounting tape

It’s time for this month’s Past & Present Dirty Girl challenge. We had to use owls (or another flighted fowl), use texture (however we interpret that), and NOT use crystals, rhinestones, or dew drop type embellishments. Can you imagine how hard that was for the dirty girls? No bling?! Ha!

I chose to use 2 of the owls from my Inkadinkado Bird Assortment stamp set. I just think they have the funniest expressions! And yes, I DO realize that real owls don’t have pink or green & blue wings. But these are my dream owls, so we’re just lucky I didn’t make them entirely pink or green or blue!

My texture comes from the felt I used to make the swirly branches, and from the flower, the beads in the center of the flower, and the ribbon. Think that’s enough texture? And the beads wouldn’t count as the bling mentioned above, right? So I think I stayed within the boundaries!

The beautiful Prima Urban Cosmos “Cosmo” paper already had the swirly branches on it, but I wanted to use this brown felt that I already had. So I laid some vellum over the paper, traced the swirls with a pencil, taped this “pattern” to my felt, and cut out the new branches. I guess some of that seamstress knowledge from years ago came back to help me out on this card! No, I wasn’t a professional - I just sewed all of my daughters clothes and costumes when they were young.

And would you look at how beautifully the scrumptious May Arts ribbon matches the Prima paper! They look like they were made for each other! I was also really pleased that cranberry crisp and river rock were also perfect matches for the paper.

In case you can’t read the sentiment, it says “may your day be filled with flowers” and it’s from the Lizzie Anne Au Naturale stamp set.

To see all the “dirty” creations, click here: DCWH508

Thanks for stopping by! I hope your day is filled with flowers!!!

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Stamps: Bird Assortment - Inkadinkado, sentiment from Au Naturale - Lizzie Anne ~ both sets are from Jacksonbelle Embellishments

Paper: white, river rock, cranberry crisp, Prima Urban Cosmos - Metro and Cosmo

Ink: Palette Hybrid Noir and Burnt Umber

Accessories: Copic markers, brown felt, Prima Urban flower, horizontal slot punch, terrifically tacky tape, Stardust Stickles, May Arts Ribbon, beads, mounting tape

All items highlighted in this color are from Jacksonbelle Embellishments

I saw that AmyR filled in for Roxie yesterday to post the sketch challenge on Splitcoast. She can make the simplest sketches look fabulous! So I decided to try this one for myself. Besides, I needed a birthday card for a coworker!

Remember that I made a birthday card for my son-in-law earlier with the little dog from the CC Designs stamp set, It’s My Birthday? Well, I decided to go with the same theme here. The coworker is a young man also.

The card is pretty straightforward. The zig-zag lines are not actually stitching, but one of the stamps from a Technique Tuesday stamp set. The tiniest present is paper pieced with a scrap of the striped paper, and the faux brads are taken with teal cardstock punched with my 1/4″ circle punch. I also shaded the sentiment a little with a W1 Copic marker.

Thanks for coming by to visit today!

Oh and did you watch the American Idol elimination show last night? I definitely think the best 2 are in the finals - David and David. I vote for David, how about you?!! (Personally, I think David Cook has the most versatile style, but I love them both!)

AND…tonight’s another new episode of Grey’s Anatomy! Yum!

Have a wonderful day!

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Stamps: It’s My Birthday - CC Designs, Hanging By a Thread - Technique Tuesday

Paper: shimmery vanilla, cranberry crisp, taken with teal, My Mind’s Eye 12×12 slab

Inks: Palette Hybrid Burnt Umber

Accessories: Copic markers, 1/4″ circle punch, mounting tape

Copics used: Y21, Y26, YR16, YR68, BG15, BG09, YG03, G94, E09, E37, E31, E33, E13, W1

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After I’d posted the above card for yesterday’s challenge, I found out that today’s Ways to Use it Challenge at SCS is to use inchies. I LOVE INCHIES!!! I first learned about them on Ellen Hutson’s blog and have been fascinated with capturing as much art as possible on a 1″ square! The real experts are Sharon, Debbie, Ellen, Michelle, Trudee and Cindy. Check ‘em out! Ellen even has an entire blog devoted to them: Inchie Inklings.

So this is the mini-card that I made for Ellen’s March Inchie challenge.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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Stamps: Pencil cup - Lockhart Stamps

Paper: white, always artichoke, real red, Basic Grey cupcake 6×6 pad

Inks: Palette Hybrid Noir

Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, 1″ punch, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities rectangle dies

My grandson Will just graduated from preschool. You know, it seems to me that he was just born yesterday! He is his mom’s youngest, so she’s mourning the passing of his “babyhood”.   And she started to talk about having another baby.  I definitely had to talk her out of that one rather quickly!!  But not to worry; it didn’t take much convincing!

As I was trying to decide on the paper to use to make his card, I came across some scraps that I thought would work well for a little boy. You know, the super-star theme. As I was making it, I realized it was the same paper I had used for one of my December 2007 Dirty Dozen designs. Here’s a link to that post (if you’re an SCS fan club member): Trinket Boxes

So I pulled the box out of storage and put some money in it to go along with the card. The bag is just a plain white lunch bag with Cuttlebug Concentric stars glued to it.

And here’s a picture of Will receiving his diploma from his teacher, Miss Anna ~

Thanks for visiting and letting me share this with you!

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Stamps: Graduate - Inkadinkado, Foursquare and Lined Paper backgrounder - Cornish Heritage Farms, You Rock! - A Muse

Paper: white, DCWV Rock Star mat stack, Basic Grey Mellow 6×6 pad

Inks: Palette Hybrid Noir, black StazOn, ruby red

Accessories: silver sheeting, spiral punch, Copic markers, Cuttlebug, Concentric Stars die

Hi y’all!

Lindsey from Jacksonbelle Embellishments issued her first challenge this week!  It’s a color challenge with a twist - make a thank you card using pink, green and gray.  I didn’t have a lot of time to work on this after I got home from work last night.  I just couldn’t miss American Idol now that we’re down to the final 4.  Although I don’t think there’s much question as to who’s going home tonight!

Anyway, this is what I came up with:

I started by inking my branch stamp with going gray and then just barely touching my basic gray ink pad to the underside of the branch.  So when I stamped it, the branch was already shaded!  I added the leaves in Adirondack lettuce and the flowers in SU pretty in pink.  The nest was stamped in basic gray and the owl was stamped over it in going gray.  I cut these out together and was going to mount them, but they just kind of faded away.   I wanted them to be the focus of the card, so I decided to sponge the area behind them with willow ink, then attached the little guy in his nest on mounting tape.

You’re more than welcome to play along.  You can find all the entries for this challenge on SCS here: JBCC01

Thanks for stopping by today!

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Stamps: Grow-A-Garden (Basic Grey), Chelsea Sentiments (Inkadinkado) - from Jacksonbelle Embellishments

Paper: white, basic gray, going gray, old olive, Basic Grey Sugared 6×6 pad

Ink: going gray, basic gray, pretty in pink, Adirondack - lettuce, willow

Accessories: sponge dauber, Dew Drops, mounting tape