Shabby Mojo

Good morning, it's snowing here in Minnesota.  I almost didn't make it down to the farm this morning to feed calves.  I had my choice of driving on my side of the road with 3 foot drifts or on the wrong side of the road that the wind had blown open.  The one mile to the farm seemed like 10 this morning, but I made it and the babies are fed.  Anyhow, I stayed up late last night because I was obsessed with finishing this card, my poor hubby had to do 3 or 4 proofs for me. 

I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch. 

I combined it with this weeks challenge at The Shabby Tea Room - "Shabby Shutters".  The challenge was to used navy blue and neutral colors along with a distressed element.  Here's the inspiration photo:

Since the challenge was "Shabby Shutters", I thought it would be a good time to pull out the My Creations A-door-ables from Close to My Heart.  I've had them for a few years (blush) and haven't used them.  My thought was to create a window out of two of them and include a message on the inside.  They come in white, so I stamped a bird with Versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder, one for each "window".  I distressed them using the emboss resist technique with Bamboo ink, and went around the edges with walnut stain distress ink.  I used my edge distresser on the framing panels.  For the background, I embossed a piece of Outdoor Denim cardstock and used my sanding block to distress it to show the white core.  I made a crumpled flower for the corner, I painted on some Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint to the petals for some more shabbiness and shine.   I ended up creating a twine background using twine, a small piece of round cardstock and lots and lots of glue dots.  I also included a vintage button that I bought at an antique store on my birthday last summer. 

Here's the inside of one "window":

The inside of the other "window":

Also, at the Ribbon Carousel challenge it's Anything Goes this week.  For that challenge, we need to include some sort of ribbon or twine, I've used 3 different kinds of ribbon or twine.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  Bamboo, Outdoor Denim, Desert Sand, Colonial White - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Paper (for flower):  Caprice - CTMH
Ink:  Bamboo, Outdoor Denim - CTMH, Walnut Stain Distress Ink - Ranger, Versamark
Stampsets:  Childhood Portrait - CTMH, Butterfly Wishes - The Greeting Farm
Scallop Velvet Ribbon - American Crafts
Ruffle Ribbon - Morex
Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint - Ranger
Mocha Opaques and Clear Detail Embossing Powder- CTMH
Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Button Latte - Stampin' Up!
Scallop Circle (for flower) - Lifestyle Crafts
Brown Twine - pre-cut from local store
Vintage Button - Antique Store in Stillwater, MN

Fun is Good

Here is my card using the Viva la Verve February week 3 sketch.  For some reason, I struggled with this sketch, I started it over a week ago and ended up walking away from it.  Last night I decided that it was past time to finish it.  I ended up starting from scratch, and I love how it turned out.  I used the picture from the Ribbon Carousel Challenge as inspiration for both my colors and the movement in the paper.  The theme this week was colors and swirls.

I opted to fussy cut a flower out of a larger piece of paper and thought a rosette with a button would add the final touch. 

The green polka dot ribbon is from my stash.  A few years ago at a Creating Keepsakes convention in Minneapolis, I entered a card in their contest.  Some weeks went by and I never heard anything, so I assumed that I hadn't placed with it.  One day, I came home from work, and there was a box sitting in front of our door.  When I opened it, this ribbon was wrapped around the 1st Place prize for the card contest.  I was over the moon excited!  The box was full of fun paper crafting books, magazines, cardstock, and some tools.  I saved the ribbon, and I thought the rich green color would be perfect on this card.

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Berry Sweet - K & Company
Cardstock:  Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Whisper White - Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Stampset:  Beautiful You - Verve
Markers:  Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo - Stampin' Up!
White Embroidery Floss, Green Button - Close to My Heart
Circles and Scalloped Circles - Spellbinders
Ribbon - Unknown

Gratitude

I'm afraid I don't do clean and simple cards, I'm not even really sure what makes one qualify for CAS.  I feel kinda silly even attempting one.  But, that's the challenge for this weeks Viva la Verve sketch - it's clean and simple.  So, here's my attempt:

I'm also playing along with The Play Date Cafe challenge #120.  The colors are baby blue, orangesicle, and basil.  I used sky, taffy, and garden green, all Close to My Heart colors.  I added the blue sparkles, well (1) because they sparkle, and (2) they broke up the vast expanse of taffy.

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Taffy, Garden Green, White Daisy Cardstock - Close to My Heart (CTMH), Believe - CTMH
Ink:  Taffy - CTMH, Memento Tuxedo Black
Stampset:  Beautiful You - Verve
Sparkles - CTMH
Nesting Scallops Die - Lifestyle Crafts
Circle Die - Spellbinders
Square Lattice Embossing Folder - Stampin' Up!

The Greeting Farm Splitcoast Stampers Challenge #4

I absolutely adore this weeks sketch for The Greeting Farm's Sketch Challenge #4 at Splitcoast Stampers.  I have a very small selection of their stamps, but what I do have I love.  Lolli Anya is my favorite stamp that I have from them.  When I use her, I can't resist adding as much sparkle to her as I can.  I added stickles to her hair bows, dress, and ruffled skirt.  I added liquid glass to her hair ties and the lollipop for some shine.

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Sweetleaf and Hollyhock Cardstock - Close to My Heart (CTMH), Baby Safari - Little Yellow Bicycle
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Stamp:  Lolli Anya - The Greeting Farm
Copics:  E00, E02, R20, RV13, V06, V17, Y21, RV11
Stickels:  Cotton Candy, Diamond - Ranger
Liquid Glass, Sparkles - CTMH
Very Vanilla Velvet Ribbon - Stampin' Up!
Scalloped Die - Die-Namics - My Favorite Things
Silver Trim - Unknown (Mfr. didn't have their name on spool)

Merry Monday Challenge #8

Here's my creation for this weeks Merry Monday challenge:

I tried to add as much detail as I could and still be able to mail it.  To give the sentiment some shine, I opted to heat emboss it with silver embossing powder.  I couldn't resist adding a few sparkles, both clear and red.

Supply List:
Paper, sparkles - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Stampset: All the Best, Holiday Commentary - CTMH
Inks:  Olive, Cocoa, Cranberry - CTMH
Silver Embossing Powder, Sparkles - CTMH
Ovals and Scalloped Ovals - Spellbinders
Scalloped Border Punch - Stampin' Up!
Velvet Ribbon - Flair Designs

High Tea with The Shabby Tea Room

This week at The Shabby Tea Room the theme is "High Tea" along with this beautiful inspiration photo:

I have a drawer in my craft room dedicated to empty containers that I can turn into something for a project.  Since the theme is High Tea, I thought I would raid the drawer for a jar to turn into a container to hold Friendship Tea. 

I decided that I was going to also create a card to go along with it and make it a gift set.  For the steam, I inked the stamp first in Versamark and then in Bamboo, so I only have to stamp it once.  Then I sprinkled it with clear embossing powder, heat set it, cut it out, and adhered it to my card.  I used a gold metallic marker to draw around the doily and sentiment panel.

I loved the gold details in the inspiration photo.  For the jar, I used a glue pen to add gold glitter around the outside of the cardstock.  I also stamped the image in Versamark and sprinkled it with gold glitter.  Here's the jar all alone:

And a closer view of the top (I adore these paper flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts):

Just for fun, here's the recipe for the tea I'm going to make to put in the jar.  I need to pick up a few of the items at the store tomorrow.  I couldn't wait to share this jar and card with you until then.  My sister gave me some for a gift.  I enjoyed it so much that I found a recipe that I like on the internet, except I can't remember where I found it.  I love that it's instant and that you can vary how much you put in depending on your taste and mood.

Friendship Tea

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups Tang

1/2 cup instant iced tea (plain, unsweetened)

1 package Lemonade Koolaide

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspooon cloves

Combine together in a food processor.  Store in a sealed container.  Put 2-3 teaspoons of mix per mug of hot water. 

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  A Sip, Playful Petals - Close to My Heart (CTMH); Favorite Thoughts - Stampin' Up!
Paper:  Sky, White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, Life Delights - CTMH
Inks:  Sky, Bamboo, Chocolate - CTMH; Versamark
Lace Ribbon, Gold Metallic Marker - American Crafts
Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts
Gold Stamp Sprinkles - DeNani Design
Paper Doily Die - Stampin' Up!
Vintage Seam Binding
Mocha Opaques - CTMH

Mojo Monday #229

It's Monday, and that means it time for another Mojo Monday sketch. 

I had the flourish overlay laying on my desk, it was left over from trying it on for another card.  As I was making this one, I decided to try it.  Here's this weeks sketch:

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Sophia - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Stamps:  Castle - Imaginisce, Fairy Tales do Come True - Stamping Bella
RicRac, Sparkles, Pretty Pins, Button - CTMH
Labels 8 - Spellbinders
Flourish - Little Yellow Bicycle
Copic Markers - W0, RV11, YG11, R37, BV00

What's Black and White and Pink All Over?

My card using the sketch from the Ribbon Carousel Challenge and the color challenge from The Play Date Cafe.  I did a card with a very similar (different shade pink) color scheme around Valentine's Day, I love the papers from BoBunny, so I was excited to use them again.

Here's the sketch:

When I saw the challenge for The Play Date Cafe, I couldn't resist combining the two.  Here's the inspiration photo:

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Enchanted Collection - BoBunny, Watermelon Cardstock - Close to My Heart (CTMH), Whisper White - Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Stampset:  Beautiful You - Verve
Flower Ribbon - Maya Rd.
Pink Lace - Multicraft Imports
Pink Sparkles, Flutter Paper Shapes - CTMH
Oval and Scallop Oval - Spellbinders

Merry Monday Challenge #7

I discovered the Merry Monday challenge while I was cruising some blogs that I follow.  I love the idea of starting next Decembers Christmas cards early, so here goes.

The stampset I used is called Merry Pursuits from Close to My Heart.  I haven't used it very much, so I thought it would be fun to use this little guy making a snowman.  The snowman was just begging for a touch of prisma glitter. 

Supplies Used:
Stampset:  Merry Pursuits, A Timber - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Believe - CTMH
Green Tinsel Ribbon - May Arts
Button, Red Sparkles, Prisma Glitter - CTMH
Copic Markers:  RV11, E00, E02, R29, B02, G24, Y21

Sparkle

I was cruising around the Split Coast Stampers forums a few days ago and stumbled across one of their member companies - The Greeting Farm - challenge threads.  It looked like fun, so I thought I would join in. 

Everytime I look at this stamp I think of a candy store.  I think it's the strawberry bow and cupcake in her hair, so I decided to do candyish colors.  Here's a closeup:

Supplies Used:

Paper:  Daydream - Close to My Heart (CTMH)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Stamp:  OA - My Favorite Thing - The Greeting Farm

Bitty Sparkles, Bling Button, Corner Rounder - CTMH

Green Rhinestones - Kaiser Scrapbook

Scallop Punch - Stampin' Up!

Cotton Candy Divine Twine

Diamond and Sequins Stickles - Ranger

Circles and Petite Scallop Circles - Spellbinders

Bic Markers - Honey Brown, Tiki Hut Tan

Copic Markers - E00, E02, R29, G24, RV11, BV00, YG11, YG41

Cherry-O Mojo

I adore this weeks Mojo Monday sketch:

I also love to play along with The Shabby Tea Room challenges.  I was excited when I saw this weeks theme entitled Hi Ho Cherry O, we were challenged to create a card with cherries on it in honor of national cherry month.  Close to My Heart had a workshop kit a few years ago called Cherry-O it included paper and a stampset both with a cherry theme, so I knew what paper and stampset I was starting with.  Here's my card that I created using both the Mojo Monday sketch and including cherries:

I stamped the leaves on the stems and the bowl in sweetleaf and then rolled the edges in chocolate.  I have to confess that this is actually take 2 for me.  I wasn't quite happy with my first try, I took pictures of it, but couldn't bring myself to post them.  I was thinking about the challenges last night while I was feeding calves at the farm.  I decided to start over, so after I put the girls to bed, I stayed up late and made take 2.  I'm very pleased with how this card turned out.


Supplies Used:
Paper:  Cherry-O - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Stamps:  Bowl of Cherries - CTMH
Ink:  Tulip, Chocolate, Sweetleaf - CTMH
Brads, button, embroidery thread - CTMH
Ruffle Ribbon - Morex
Early Espresso Bakers Twine - Stampin' Up!
Scallop Punch and Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder - Stampin' Up!
Labels 1, Circles Small, Petite Scalloped Circles - Spellbinders

The Shabby Tea Room Week #100

I wanted to play along with this weeks The Shabby Tea Room challenge - Candy Hearts.  They challenged us to use a food theme and hearts.  After alot of pondering, I remembered that I had some nugget tins stashed away, so I decided to pull one out.

I originally intended to fill it with some Hershey's nuggets, but since the theme was hearts, I thought it would be fun to do a literal interpretation of the them and fill it with candy hearts.  Hearts are not something that I use alot for crafting or for my home decor, so I didn't realize until I sat down to design the wrapper for the tin how few things I have with hearts on them.  I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to use a stampset from Verve.  I colored the hearts on the frame with a Copic marker and then used a Glaze pen on them for some shine.

Supplies Used:
Paper:  More to Adore - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Chocolate, Hollyhock - CTMH
Stampset:  Sweet Treats - Verve
Punch - Double Loop - Martha Stewart
Copic Marker - RV11
Glaze Pen - Sankura
Mocha Opaques - CTMH
Ruffle Ribbon - Morex
Brown Tulle - Maya Rd.
Pink/Brown Ribbon - hoarded in my stash until now

Prayers

It's Friday, and besides being sheet washing day in our home (one of the few scheduled things that I've been able to stick with), it's also time for a new Viva la Verve sketch challenge at Split Coast Stampers.  Here's this weeks great new sketch:

At the Ribbon Carousel Challenge, it's Anything Goes this week, so I opted to combine them.

I used a Level 2 paper pack - Caprice - from Close to My Heart that was new when I started as a consultant, it's long since been retired.  

I was trying out ribbon to go with the paper, and I came across this satin ribbon.  I wanted to pleat it, and opted to pleat it while I was sewing it on.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Notes of Prayer - Verve
Paper:  Caprice - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Chocolate - CTMH
Satin Ribbon - Michaels
Mocha Opaques - CTMH

Mojo Monday #227

I have to admit it, I wasn't to sure about this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  Crooked panels and me just don't get along.  I like things that are straight, I have a hard time with off kilter. 

When I'm doing a challenge, sometimes I start with a stamp, sometimes I start with paper.   Today, I was thinking about the sketch, and suddenly it hit me - I had picked up a 6x6 pad of black and white paper from BoBunny and hadn't even opened it.  I could combine it with some sort of pink (Close to My Heart's Cotton Candy was the final choice), and I was off and running. 

I'm pleased with the final result, maybe I'll get the hang of off kilter panels after all.  This sketch is definately growing on me.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  Cotton Candy - Close to My Heart
Patterned Paper:  Enchanted - BoBunny
Stamps:  Beautiful You - Verve; Soul Mates - CTMH
Ink:  Cotton Candy - CTMH, Memento Tuxedo Black
Ribbon:  Pom Pom - CTMH; Pleated - May Arts
Standard Circles Small, Petite Scallop Circles - Spellbinders
Gem Flourish - Multicraft Imports

Hearts

I love the Pure Innocence line of stamps from My Favorite Things, I think they are so sweet.  Now admittedly, my selection of stamps is currently quite small, I'm working on adding to it.  So when I saw their post on Split Coast Stampers for the February MFT Guest Designer Contest, I couldn't resist giving it a shot.  The challenge was to stamp your heart out, so we need to include hearts in our project. 

As soon as I saw the Cheerleader, I knew she was my girl.  I could envision a garland of hearts between her outstreched hands.  I opted to paperpiece her dress, I wanted to make it look less like a cheerleader, and more like a dressy dress.  I also used my glaze pen on her shoes to make them look like patent leather.  For the hearts, I punched them from the Stampin' Up! Owl punch.  I colored them with my Clear Star Gelly Roll pen to give them some shine.  My daughter still has left her heart doily's out for me to steal, um borrow.  I spritzed it with Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist for some more shine.  Here's my attempt at a close up to show more detail:

Also, at the Catered Crop the current challenge is to use hearts in a project.  Since the sponsor this week is Heather Ellis the designer of Pure Innocence, I thought this card would be appropriate for the challenge.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Cheerleader by Pure Innocence for My Favorite Things
Ink:  Tuxedo Memento Black
Paper:  Close to My Heart
Copic Markers - E00, E02, E37, RV11, R37, W0
Die-namics Simply Scallop (large) - My Favorite Things
Labels 8 - Spellbinders
Owl Punch - Stampin' Up!
Flower ribbon - Maya Rd.
Cotton Candy Divine Twine
Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels
Bling Assortment - CTMH
Glaze Pen, Clear Star Gelly Roll Pen - Sakura
Heart  Doily - Target

Paper Pieced Butterfly

I loved The Ribbon Carousel's challenge this week - to use the paper piecing technique.   I used the sketch from Viva la Verve February week 1 as a starting point for my card.

I ended up rotating the sketch because I really wanted to use this sweet stamp - Buttfly Kisses from Pure Innocence for My Favorite Things.  Since I have two little girls (ages 5 and 2), whom are currently running around in dresses playing princess, I just had to have this cute stamp.  It hadn't seen any ink yet, so I figured today was the day.  I originally was going to paper piece the wings with a glitter cardstock, but when I stamped her, I realized that I also had some white glitter cardstock that reminded me of tights from my childhood.  So, her tights, wings, leotard, and shoes are all paper pieced. 

Supplies used:
Daydream Paper - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Glitter cardstock - DCWV
Stamp:  Butterfly Kisses - My Favorite Things
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, StazOn
Corner Punch, Bling Assortment, Sparkles - CTMH
Divine Twine
Copic Markers:  E37, E00, E02, W0, V17
Embosslit:  Beautiful Wings - Stampin' Up!
Labels 8 Nestibilities - Spellbinders

I (heart) You

I combined this weeks The Shabby Tea Room week #99 challenge - Love is in the Air with the Mojo Monday #226 sketch challenge.  This week the sketch challenge was either a round our a square card, I started with a round card, but didn't have enough circle dies to make it work (does this mean I get to go shopping???).  I originally was going to use a "Love" stamp for the sentiment, but as I was deciding on paper, I stumbled across some felt die cut sheets from Close to My Heart that I've had for a few years, but haven't used, I thought some felt would be a good addition for some texture.  I found the felt I (heart) U in there, and had to use it.  Part of the challenge for The Shabby Tea Room was to include a mail element, so I inked up a stamp first with VersaMark and then with Bamboo ink and then stamped it.  I repeated a few times, then used detail clear embossing powder on it so I could distress the cardstock without loosing my stamped image.  There is a tiny bit of overspray from some glimmer mist I was playing with, but in real life it does add a bit to the card.  I was inspired by Debbie Carriere's stitching on her cards on her blog - Scrappin' My Heart Out so I opted to add some stitching to my card.  I love stitching on cards, I think I need to do more of it.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  Baby Pink, Bamboo, Colonial White - Close to My Heart
Patterned paper - Cosmo Cricket
Ink:  Bamboo - CTMH, VersaMark
Stamps:  Pure Love - CTMH
Border Punch Scallop Trim - Stampin' Up!
Labels 8 - Spellbinders
Detail Clear Embossing Powder, Mocha Opaques, Felt - CTMH
Lace Tape - decollections
Velvet Lace - from my stash (before I kept track of where I got it from)
Cream Pearl Pen - Viva Decor