tuesday throwdown

Today color challenge is brought to you by Sherrod Studio. The design team was to create a project using the colors buttercup, cranberry and brown bag (Close to My Heart colors). I started off this card wanting to use my Basic Grey paper pack where the papers incorporated these colors. The stamp set is Friendship Blessings by Sherrod ( you can see Kim's store on the website and while you are there, check out the other design team members cards, and.........don't forget to play along. Each week a winner will be chosen to be our guest designer!!)

Here are the other details on this card:

Sketch Challenge at Card Positioning Systems
Pin Up at 365 Cards, Day 240- use safety or straight pins with a charm (see my shell?)
Stampin Sisters in Christ #10- to express our thankfulness to someone that has done something for you. I have some dynamite friends that stick with me through thick and thin.
Crazy 4 Challenges #8- use 3 shapes on your card. I used a square, rectangles (stripes) oval and a star (my charm!)

Thanks for stopping by this tuesday! See you soon!

Tuesday Throwdown #2- Sherrod STudio

Our challenge this week was to do an emboss resist. I love these little gingermen from Sherrod Studio! This versatile set is called Fresh Baked. I took a sketch from CPS this week and used that as my starting point. Kris gave me some old Flair christmas paper and I used this great vintage "music" and "holiday words" dp as my background papers. CTMH cranberry cardstock. The raffia ribbon is a prize from a challenge I won and the flowers are Petaloos christmas poinsetta group.

Now onto the gingerbread men. First I stamped the outline of him onto chocolate cardstock and embossed him with white EP. Now, before I cut them out, I used dark brown distressing ink and sponged each one to make them look like overcooked cookies! LOL! Yes, that is probably how they would turn out in my home!! It makes the white EP really stand out! Then I used mini red rhinestones for the eyes, stamped in a sentiment off of the set, attached with a misc button.

Only 2 more months to shop for presents for the holidays! I started my shopping over the weekend and got some great gifts (the best ones are the ones that appear without you having to really look for something!) I even discovered a new warehouse bookstore where I got a great cookbook by William-Sonoma for $10 (yes it is a $30 retail book!) and yes they are all new. Kids got some great stocking stuffers (can't beat $1.00 books!) Can you tell that I am excited by my finds????

Have a great day- Hugs

World Cardmaking Day Preview

Saturday is a day that celebrates the card maker in all of us. There are many sites that are blog challenging, check them out!

This card is made for 2 sites. The sketch challenge came from Twisted Thursday and the stamps are Sherrod Studio- Harvest Blessings. I have struggled with images that require coloring in, but broke down and bought a cheaper version of Copic Markers, called NeoPiko. I like them. But, still learning the coloring in, blending in and erasing too much color. I like how this card turned out. I stamped in Walnut Distressing Ink (Tim Holtz) and colored away. I wanted the turkey to stand out more, he has more color. The pilgrims, used grey to color in the aprons, but the rest of the clothes I left plain. Too much color becomes too busy. The twine is part of the S2G twist (use raffia or twine on your card).

I am very excited about tomorrow! I think I am going to find alot of inspiration and put my creative juices to work!

Sherrod Studio Sketch Challenge #1

Welcome to the first sketch challenge of Sherrod Studio! The designers are excited to show you how easy it is to incorporate these stamps into any project that you want to complete! I chose to use Gracie. She is holding a flower and wishing you a happy birthday! I used papers from Debbie Mumm (believe it or not, these come from the Baby Boy Set!). Scrap ribbon and stickers finish off my card. Love orange lately! Summery color, bright and cheerful (wouldn't wear it, but love to drink an Orangecicle...:0) Check out the rest of the DT to see what they came up with!

The names of the team on are my sidebar to the left.

3 to See!

This card was created for The Pink Elephant and Cute Card Thursday. Amazingly enough, both sites asked for Summer Themed Cards. Well, nothing beats the Seashore for summer images! LOL! This is Maize, she is a prize that I won from Twisted Thursday, during CHA week. She is sassy, cute, independent and I just love her. The paper is from DCWV, Fun in the Sun, even the colors I used are summery: breeze blue from CTMH, pink on the bucket, light greens and yellows. Even the paper is glittery, reminding me of the way the hot summer sun reflects on the granules of sand- temporarily blinding you!

Lovely Gracie's Birthday Card completed 3 challenges. Sherrod Studio , Card Positioning Systems #130 sketch design and Inky Impressions Paper Piecing challenge. Gracie's shirt and balloon were pieced using Basic Greys paper, same pattern line as the balloon DP. Birthday is a fabric sticker, I think from Anna Griffin????? The balloon was put on 3d foam to give the impression of floating.

And I actually completed a layout for a challenge on Unscripted Sketches. When I first started following US, this was the site that I could use for all of my backlog of photos. Scrapping seems to take so much time anymore and cards have become addicting! And less time consuming.... So, today I am by myself and am trying to do a few layouts before the day is done. I love this picture of my girls. They were walking down to the lake, way ahead of their father and I and it makes me think of the 3 musketeers. My girls can be the best of friends and the worst of enemies. This day, they were united in their explorations of the world around them and I love it! I stamped on Burlap, gives that fall feeling, and made my own leaves- properly placing them so they look like they are free falling off of the trees. Hemp was the final touch that pulled this together.

Are you ready for fall?

many cards today

This card is too cute! This set, Gracie, from Sherrod Studio is so versatile! The teddy bears on here could indicate a Welcome Baby (neutral enough for either boy or girl) or it could be used as a birthday card for a toddler. The papers are from Basic Grey.

Love how this card turned out! This was made for Cupcake Craft Challenge #51, which was to make a project with a beach theme. I used the By the Seashore stamp set by Sherrod for the bucket and sentiment. Cut out a circle, and shadow from my cricut for the sun. Popdotted the bucket and used glitter to give the sand some summer shimmer!

This card is my favorite! I just rec'd my new DT fall stamps from Sherrod Studio. This floral set is called Friendship Blossoms. The sketch I followed is from the site Twisted Thursday- use polka dots. I used my swiss dots embossing folder to add the dots onto the floral paper. Hope that counts! Distressed all of my edges. I stamped the flower 3x on cardstock then cut out 3 times, each time smaller than the other to give height and dimension. Added glitter to the edges. Leaves cut on cricut, added hemp for extra texture. With everything going on, the card was left blank- the sentiment can be written on the inside.

3 cards today, 3 challenges

Sherrod Studio Ella set has so many wonderful images that can be used for a variety of projects (stayed tuned for new fall releases happening next week.....!) This grouping of presents worked well for my christmas card. I tried a new technique called stained glass. You stamp on vellum with versamark and melt EP on your image. The star tree from SU! Peace on Earth set worked wonderfully! Turn over your vellum and color in from the back. Turn back over and you have the look of stained glass! I just have to work on that excess powder that sticks to everything! The DP comes from ARound the Block.

I just love my new DCWV stack called Green Stack!!!! They are 4.5x6.5 and work great for the larger cards (which i have been doing lately for the embellies i am now using!). Chipboard letters, nesties for the frame (which is the sketch challenge over this week at Unscripted Sketches #16), misc ribbon that I picked up today at a thrift store and bobunny rubon. Love Love Love (did i tell you i love this new paper stack!) It!

Finally, this card (5x5) is for the Cupcake Challenge #50- to use green, pink and brown, animals and flowers. Yup, got all of the above. The papers are a mixed batch that I ordered from Taylor Expressions (some basic grey, mme, etc...) Misc ribbon and small primas (that I am desperately trying to use up.....they are like rabbits and multiply in my bag LOL!) I wasn't too happy with the coloring of the monkey (jsut a clear stamp) so I sprinkled on some glitter and Viola! The girls thought this card was A-DOOR-A-BALL, and are laying claim to it for the future! yah mom!

see you tomorrow (don't forget to stop by next week August 7-10th for the sneak peeks of the sherrod studio new releases! we will be doing a challenge and Kim is giving away a new stamp set!)

2 cards, 2 challenges today!

I have been following this site for a bit now, but haven't participated until today. I am finally caught up with some sketches from last week and actually had this morning to play along! Color Throwdown was to combine amethyst, garden green and buttercup- the sketch is mine. Love this color combo and it made a great birthday card for my stash! Used CTMH amethyst and buttercup cardstock and markers, my DT stamp Gracie (from Sherrod Studio), for the flowers, MS punch. Misc ribbon from Michael's and Heidi Grace pins.

365 Cards is Super Sketchy Sunday and I really liked this sketch. Bought some new "clearance" items and tried my hand at a felt boarder. It is a little bright green but thought it worked for the bright cheeriness of this card. Even used a rubon for the inside of the card. I think decorating the inside adds and extra pizzazz, but usually forget to do it- LOL! The patterned paper is K&Co sweet berry, the rest of the items are just miscellaneos stuff I have had or been given by Kris.

have a great sunday! off to the grocery store, then the pool, then who knows what. Hopefully a family movie night to see Inkheart.....

2 sketches and DT card

2 Sketches 4 You sketch for the week proved challenging for me this week. Maybe because I have been making so many Christmas cards that to change gears put my mojo out of whack. Decided to turn the sketch sideways and inspiration hit. Had this Sherrod Studio stamp set out to make a card for my weekly blog item and the 2 just went together. Don't you just love when that happens?

Challenge Day - how many can I complete?

Anyway- the above card is for S2G papercraft challenges, Twisted Thursday #18. Love how this turned out. They are giving away a free digi image for the challenge. Don't you just love this fruitcake angel? The other deets were: use digi angel, follow the sketch given and add something clear. See my clear button on top??? Actually, I forgot about this part of the challenge until I reread the criteria and really added this as an afterthought..... I glittered up the angel with prisma glitter and the papers are from Around the Block- holidays.

Card number two is for 365 Cards day #131- Ad Inspired and Our Creative Corner (red, white and blue) I love the color scheme which is what I based my card on. Followed red, white and blue (all CTMH papers). The stamp image is from Sherrod Studio (by the seashore set). Glittered up the sand with prisma glitter. Now: red white and blue- see the blue stripes on the towel and the shower curtain? red polka on the other towel? White shower curtain, reminds me of water droplets, hence the swiss dot folder used on the white c/s. Brown stool- brown sand. bathroom- water- seashore? dr. seuss in black on the bottom left- my "life is a beach" sentiment bottom left???? I think I caught the essence of this ad for my card. By the way, Bobunny did a challenge recently for an ad inspired layout- I WON!!!! Check out bobunny or my blog entry!

Now, off to "rest" the rest of the afternoon.......

Ella

Ella is the newest set premiering at Sherrod Studio- this set is full of birthday surprises, and Ella herself! Don't forget, Grand Opening Special is free shipping through 7.7.09! It won't come off at checkout, but will be adjusted by Kim. This set has a border stamp featuring cupcakes, a large cupcake (which I showcased here), a tray of cupcakes, flowers, presents (for any holiday!) and 4 phrases/sentiments!

The papers on this card are more Bobunny, Popsicle line. I love the bright vibrant colors in this pack! The pattern for this card also comes from splitcoaststampers.com (no I am not affiliated with them, but I love checking in weekly for the card sketches and inspiration!)

Don't forget to hop over to Sherrod Studio- a lucky winner will win some great blog candy from Kim! Good luck!

Sherrod Studio Day 2

I love the Bobunny new papers, POPSICLE, and thought that the bright bold colors would work great with the new set,By the Seashore, from Sherrod Studio! I had such fun using markers to color in these kids at the beach! They remind me of the first time that I took my girls to Bradley Beach in NJ, last September. We had a blast as the beach was empty and we found a bunch of sand dollars! "M" got so dizzy from the water receding that she just fell over backwards- it really does give you the sense of vertigo! I laughed so hard- poor kid, has a beach complex now because of her mother!LOL!!!!! I think that is my favorite thing about papercrafting: the memories of moments that you treasure in your heart, how our creations take us back to that particular time and we can vividly remember everything. Ahhhh....I can smell that ocean, feel the grit of the sand, hear the call of the seagulls, the horns of the barges........

What memory can you conjure up vividly from a stamp set?

Grand Opening of Sherrod Studio

Today is the grand opening of Sherrod Studio, by Kim Sherrod! Stop on over and see the wonderful stamp sets she has for sale! I am having so much fun with this set, Gracie. See yesterday's post, featuring Gracie- she is a cutie-patootie! Gracie was designed after a character in Richard Evans book. The sales from this set will be going to a charity "The Christmas Box International Lifestart Initiative".

What is hppening at Sherrod Studio Grand Opening on July 1? Well, there will be some blog candy up for grabs (see also Sherrod Studio Creative Blog or Kim Sherrod) AND (drumroll here....) FREE SHIPPING on orders placed between 7/1 and 7/7/09! Get shopping!

About this card....
Today, I decided to showcase the single flower in the set. Again, using paper piecing- stamped the image on pink c/s and cut out, adhering with double sided tape. The center gems are a bargain I picked up from Taylored Expressions- her garage/moving sale. The sentiment is also from Gracie, and to highlight certain words- I used a Versamark Pen, then with chalk, swiped over the words. The pink matches the pink gemstones, tying it all together. Used my new nesties, black cardstock and MS pink paper, with a white satin ribbon. DD gave me thumbs up for this card......wonder who she is thinking of procuring it for????HHHMMMMM??????

Stop by for more stamp images from the grand opening, I have 2 more sets to showcase during the month of July!

Hello Gracie!

I have some exciting news! I was one of 6 chosen to be on the new design team of Sherrod Studios! I am so excited! Kim sent these adorable stamps out to us to start creating and, boy did I! "Gracie" arrived last night and I couldn't resist playing after dinner. Good thing I sorted my paper stash the other night because I knew just where to go- my new MME Wild Asparagus papers. The papers reminded me of a carnival and that is the theme I went with. Since I am still learning how to use watercolor pencils, took my time and colored her shoes and cheeks, with the hair being the easiest. Paper pieced her outfit with the same red stripe and paisley print. Balloon strings are waxy flax. She is definitely "one of a kind!"

Please take a moment to congratulate Kim on her new adventure and visit her blog at Sherrod Studio ! While there, check out the other design team members artwork- grand opening is July 1st! See you there!