Happy Birthday Dad

Today our theme at Blogger's Challenge is "It's Your Birthday!"  

This is one I've been hoarding and not wanting to give away as I really like how it turned out.

I stamped the bike off before stamping it onto my card stock.  The image was stamped over it and I added some pearls to embellish.  Think it still has a masculine feel to it.

Hope you are having a great week, I know I can't wait for the work day to be done with and get the weekend started, although it always goes by so fast.

I'm also entering this for the Birthday Card Challenge in the Moxie Fab World.

Join us over at Blogger's Challenge and build up that birthday stash.

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Card details:

Stamps: Old Fashioned Afternoon from Sweet Stamp Shop, Dad from Our Daily Bread Designs

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise and Very Vanilla from Stampin'Up!, Year.o.graphy collection from Simple Stories

Inks: Close to Cocoa from Stampin' Up!, Color Box by Stephanie Barnard in Chocolate

Embellishments: Dimensionals from Stampin' Up!, LeCreme Pearls from Want2Scrap, Pennant Trim die from Verve Stamps

Gnome-body Like you!

Cute little card using the retired Gnomies set from The Sweet Stamp Shop.  I paper pieced his hat and body using my patterned paper stack.

I bought a ton of sequins and needed to start using more of them so I adorned the space in between the hearts with them on my card.

Hope your Monday is starting off right!  It was a great weekend here but today I'm a little sore from spending a little too much time in the sun yesterday (minus some sunscreen).  OUCH!

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Card details:

Stamps: Gnomies from Sweet Stamp Shop

Cardstock: Basic Gray and Basic Black from Stampin' Up!, My Mind's Eye Ruby Collection

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, copic markers

Embellishments: Sequins from Michael's, Dimensional Glue from Sparkle N Sprinkle, Dimensionals from Stampin' Up!

Bee's Knees

Today over at Blogger's Challenge is Things with Wings.

This is a very simple card for me, I worked with the designs on the patterned paper and stamped my bee images directly on it.

After stamping the bees I added the sentiment with some pearls.  Like I said, super simple card for me today.

Hope you are having a great week, I'm looking forward to hanging out with some friends at Archiver's tomorrow to get some Project Life done.

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Stamps: Bees #3000 & #3008 from Stampotique, Old Fashioned Afternoon from Sweet Stamp Shop

Cardstock: Basic Gray and So Saffron from Stampin' Up! and My Mind's Eye Be Amazing

Inks: You're Such a Gray-Cious Host and Perfect Little Black Dress from Clear & Simple Stamps

Embellishments: Bo Bunny Weekend Market Jewels, Distressing tool from Stampin' Up!

Get Well Soon

Another card I created using the Feathers set from Clear & Simple Stamps.  Thought this was a fabulous color combination for a masculine get well card, but could be used for a feminine card as well.

Enjoyed a nice relaxing weekend here, even gotten a little stamping in yesterday afternoon and evening.  Finally felt good to get some creating done.

Hope you all had a great weekend and thanks for starting off your week by stopping by to visit me.

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Stamps: Feathers and Leaflets from Clear & Simple Stamps

Cardstock: Sahara Sand and Whisper White from Stampin' Up!

Inks: Crumb Cake, Cool Carribean and Pumpkin Pie from Stampin' Up!

Embellishments: Spellbinders Nestabilities Circle die, My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy Enamel Dots, Dimensionals from Stampin' Up!

Celebrate

Today over on the Moxie Fab World blog, Cath has challenged us to a Birthday Card challenge.  I love to create Birthday cards, but never seem to have enough masculine ones.

This also uses some polka dot papers for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week.

I created a few to put in my masculine stash of cards and this one was using the set Feathers from Clear & Simple Stamps which I think is fabulous masculine set and I love the variety of leaves in it.

I've been working at using up some of my zillions of paper pads in my stash and this is from the Simple Stories Year.o.graphy collection.

Can't wait to see some more Birthday ideas over at the Moxie Fab World, you have until 8/12 to join in.

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Stamps: Feathers from Clear & Simple Stamps

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla from Stampin' Up!, Simple Stories Year.o.graphy collection

Inks: Chocolate Chip from Stampin' Up!

Embellishments: Dimensionals from Stampin' Up!, May Arts Burlap Ribbon

Thank You...You're the Best

This month over at Paper Crafts, the July Gallery Challenge is all things nautical.  

This paper from the Unchartered Waters Collection from Glitz screams nautical to me and combined with the Lighthouse Collage set from Our Daily Bread designs, this card turned out just like I envisioned it.

I stamped the image directly onto the patterned paper to give it that ocean feel.

Thanks for stopping by to visit me today, hope you are having a great week!

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Card details:

Stamps: Kind Deeds from Clear & Simple Stamps, Lighthouse Collage from Our Daily Bread Designs

Cardstock: Unchartered Waters Collection from Glitz, Night of Navy and Whisper White from Stampin' Up!

Inks: True Blue Fan from Clear & Simple Stamps

Embellishments: Bo Bunny Weekend Market jewels, Dimensionals from Stampin' Up!

Merci

Libby Hickson is our hostess this week over at Stampotique Designer's Challenge and here is her challenge for you all:

Although I live in Atlanta, Georgia, I spend every summer traveling vicariously around France, thanks to a bunch of boys on bicycles riding in the Tour de France! It always inspires me to create cards with a little French flair - so today I'm challenging you to do the same! Anything you can think of - the colors of France, French script, classic landmarks - whatever you'd like, just give your card a little French flair!

All you Stampotique fans know that finding some french flair in the collections of stamps is not easy...but I managed to figure something out.

My brother and sister-in-law had watched our little Moochie pooh (dog) while we were on vacation and so I wanted to make them a thank you card.  Now, my dog is not a poodle but I thought this poodle image would be perfect anyway.

I added some Sparkly Fluff onto the poodle (enlarge the small photo to see).  

Hope you will join us over at Stampotique Designer's Challenge this week and show us your French Flair.

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Card details:

Stamps: Alpha Lower 7177 and Bella 9225 from Stampotique Originals

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 3 Ruby

Inks: Perfect Little Black Dress

Embellishments: Webster's Pages trim, Marvy Uchida punches, Sparkly Fluff-silver

Happy Birthday Fella

This week over at Blogger's Challenge is make your own background.  I'm a bit slow in participating for no good reason, enjoyed some down time while my kiddos were out of town and while I had grand plans of stamping the nights away...that didn't happen.

I know this one has been used before, but I adore how it looks.  I just took some bubble wrap and inked it up to create my polka dotted bottom of the card.

Hope you will join us at Blogger's Challenge this week.

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Card details:

Stamps: A guy Thing from Clear & Simple Stamps, Quick2border from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and Whisper White from Stampin' Up!

Inks: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke from Stampin' Up!

Embellishments: Stampin' Up! Basic pearl jewels, bubble wrap, Spellbinders Nestabilities Circle Dies

Beautiful You

I don't think I've used this set but one other time.  It seems I have lots of those sets that are just collecting dust and I hate that...am trying to use more of them.

My sister-in-law, and good friend, Heather's birthday is today...so if she's reading this, Hope you have a Happy Birthday!

This Artful Delight sketch was just a perfect one to use, very clean lines which I love with just a little embellishments. I stamped the flower background on a piece of patterned paper and then the same with the flower, which I fussy cut and sponged to make it stand out a little more.

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Card details:

Stamps: Bold Vintage Floret Background by Heartfelt Creations

Cardstock: Basic Black, My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Portobello Road

Inks: Memento Gray Flannel

Embellishments: Michael's Rhinestone and Pearl gems

Banner Dies

Looking for a great banner stamp, The {Stamps} of Life has one that works well with the Sizzix Framelits Banners #2 die.  I know this is one I'll use often in my scrapbooking-perfect for party pictures.

Here are a few I created with this set, Banners2Cut that was released today.  Hope you enjoy.

Card details:

Stamps: Greetings4Birthday and Banners2Cut from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Confetti White, Pumpkin Pie, Cool Carribean, Teresa Collins Tell Your Story

Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Cool Carribean, Memento Tsukineko Gray Flannel

Embellishments: Janome sewing, Sizzix Framelits Banners #2

This is by far my most favorite card in the group, I adore the color combination of the dark brown and bright pink against the craft paper.

Card details:

Stamps: Daisies2Garden and Banners2Cut from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Confetti White, Paint the Town Pink, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip

Inks: Color Box by Stephanie Barnard in Chocolate and Guava

Embellishments: Sizzix Framelits Banners #2

Card details:

Stamps: Mums2Love, MoreMums2Love and Banners2Cut from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: River Rock, Hibiscus Burst, My Mind's Eye Portobello Road

Inks: Color Box by Stephanie Barnard in Bubble Gum and Guava, River Rock

Embellishments: Sizzix Framelits Banners #2, Basic Grey Candy Buttons

This card I used one of the stamps to created the framed background on my card.  I like how it turned out and will try to space a little in between next time to give it a little more of a different pattern.

Card details:

Stamps: Crayon2Stamp and Banners2Cut from The {Stamps} of Life

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Confetti White, My Favorite Blue Jeans

Inks: Color Box by Stephanie Barnard in Cornflower and Chocolate

Embellishments: Twine, Stampin' Up! basic pearls

Happy Birthday

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe 4th of July.  We had some fun with friends for a BBQ and fireworks.

I've been enjoying my week without the kiddos and although I haven't stamped quite as often as I had intended to, I have gotten a few cards done.  I'm looking forward to some scrapbooking tomorrow with a friend.

I love the flowers in this set from Verve stamps and especially love layering them.  I used some patterned papers to create this layered flower.

This is creeping in just under the wire for the Retro Sketches, this is one I will be using again, loved how quick and easy it came together.

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card details:

Stamps: Sentiment Sampler by Paper Smooches and Great Friend from Verve Stamps

Cardstock: Confetti Cream, Night of Navy, My Mind's Eye Blue Bell

Inks: Night of Navy

Embellishments: Michael's pearls

Chicken In

Wow, 2 posts and 2 cards in 2 days!!  Can you believe it?  Maybe I might get myself back into the swing of things after all.

Today is Stampotique Designer's Challenge and while I'm not playing this week, my card does use some of my most favorite Stampotique images-the chickens.

Immediately when I saw the Fusion Card Challenge I knew what I was going to do and what stamps I would be using.  I had a hard time with the open space but thinking I filled it okay.

Hope you are having a good hump day!

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Card details:

Stamps: Stamps: 2070 Bold Birds and 8935 Just Chicken In from Stampotique Originals

Card stock: Crafter's Companion Ultra Smooth White, Kraft Like a Rockstar, So Saffron

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: crimper, sequins, dimensionals

To Love and be loved

My kiddos are vacationing with their grandparents this week in FL, so I've had a few minutes to stamp uninterrupted.  Miss them, but am also trying to relax and enjoy not having to run around every night.

I love the Mojo sketches, always have, but don't always get to play.  This week they are celebrating their 300th sketch and have lots of prizes to give away and you can join as many times as you want.  I'm thinking I should have cut multiple ones in different patterns at the same time I was doing this card. Oh well!

 I knew I wanted to use that little flower from the Feel the Sun set and so I stamped it on patterned paper three times and cut it out to give it some dimension.  The center was stamped on the green polka dotted card stock to give the center some contrast to the yellow.  I'm so happy with how this turned out.

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Card details:

Stamps: Dude and Feel the Sun from Verve Stamps

Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Confetti Cream and My Mind's Eye Sunshine patterned paper

Inks: Dish All the Dirt Brown

Embellishment: dimensionals, distresser

Reader Feeds

If you are like me, you were a little disappointed that Google Reader was "retiring".  I loved my reader, found it easy to use and began looking immediately for a new reader.

Many turned up, and I confess I signed up for about 5 of them to try them out and see how I liked them.

Here are the ones I found that I liked the best with the first one what I'm currently using:

1. The Old Reader:  very similar to Google Reader this is the one I've liked the best so far.

2. Feedly:  I was using this up until a few weeks ago, but really had some issues with it displaying the photos, it was picky and I hated that.  I will say I still open this one and scroll to see if it's any better, but so far I've been happy with The Old Reader.

3. Bloglovin':  I tried this, it just wasn't for me, but others have liked it a lot.

If you haven't found a new reader yet, you may want to try one of these and see if it's a good fit for you.  Please remember to add on my blog to your new reader, I would love for you to continue to follow me.