Something Yummy - EHA Challenge

Hi everyone!

I have another new stamp from Elphine House Australia by Elisabeth Bell to show you! She is so, so adorable! This stamp is called "Yummy Pudding". I love the little mouse on top of the pudding.

I did this card for the Elphine House Australia's challenge this week "using shades of pink and blue" which you can find on their blog here. This is a fun challenge, and you can use ANY Elisabeth Bell image! You can even download one of her digi images to do it like I did with "Pati's Kisses" back in May. This is a great chance to win something sweet!

I hadn't planned to cut this image out, but I had everything the way I wanted it and then shaded around the image at the end, big mistake! It totally messed up everything around it. So this is what I finally came up with. I really love that in-color "pool party". I got the sample cardstock packages for both sets of in-colors right now. I can't wait to try out some more of the colors.

This is the first time I tried using a charm with a chain to have it hanging instead of glued. Really easy, all you need is a little piece of chain and a jump ring to attach them together. I'm not sure I like the way this one came out, but not bad for the first try! I submitting this card on Split Coast Stamper's WT332 challenge to use metal.

For stamps on this I used Yummy Pudding (EHA), Yummy, Language of Friendship (SU). Paper used: white, Kraft (Papertry Ink), solar white (Neenah), soft suede, pool party (SU), sweet stack (DCWV). Ink used: black (Versafine), soft suede (SU). Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, mineral spirits, rick rack, weaving fibers, adhesive pearls, button (Basic Grey), micron pen, charm, chain, jump ring, standard circles small, small petite scallops dies (Spellb), punches: boho blossoms, wide oval (SU), deco fan (MS).

That's it for now! Make sure to check out Elphine House Australia's website and challenge!

Blessings!

Kathy

Blog Candy Winner

Hi Everyone!

I can't believe it! I won blog candy at one of my favorite blogs, True Sjolander's True gifts from the heart which you can find here. I won Tombow markers which I have been wanting to try out and now I can! How awesome! Thank you True!

I recently joined True's blog as a follower. Her creations and coloring are amazing! She's been published a bunch of times too! If you've never visited her blog, you have to check it out!!!

This is really funny, I don't usually win anything. I've enter in blog candy maybe 4-5 times, and this is the second time I've won it! That's pretty good odds!

Blessings!

Kathy

Birthday Bear

Hi there!

This image is an oldie, but goodie! I stamped this bear probably about 8+ years ago, borrowing the stamp from a very good friend, Shannon! I thought this bear was SO cute, so I stamped a bunch of them and colored some with pastels a looooong time ago. I'd be embarrassed to show those cards now, that's for sure!

This is what you get when you organize your stuff, all sorts of things you didn't remember you had! I found these images stashed away in a drawer!

For stamps on this, I used Costume Bears (I had to search SCS to find the name of the set this came from), Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU), heart balloon (Michaels $1.00). Papers used are Nana's Nursery Baby Boy, old olive, orchid opulence, very vanilla (SU). For inks I used black (Versafine) and orchid opulence (SU). Accessories: ribbon (SU), buttons, hemp cord, brads, Prismacolor pencils, mineral spirits, punches: frond (Martha S), word window, modern label (SU), perfect polka dots embossing folder (SU).

Thanks for looking!

Blessings!

Kathy

Organization - Craft Websites Shortcut

Hi there!

I have a tiny little organizational tip that I have been using for years and thought I would share it...maybe someone can use it!

I did a simple (it would have to be because I don't know much about Excel)Excel spreadsheet document with columns for Company Name, Website address, user id, password, and description of what it is or what I use it for. At one point I had a folder of sticky notes and papers with website addresses. I finally decided to put it all in one place with all the information I needed. Whenever I need to check a website for something, I go to this document. I find the website name or what I'm looking for, note the user id and password, click on the web address and I'm there.

Sorry, the picture isn't the greatest, but you get the idea of how it works. You can't see the description column in the picture, but it is part of the document. Really simple, but it has really helped me to stay organized and clutter-free! Hope you find it useful!

Blessings!

Kathy

Birthday Pool Party

Hi Everyone!

Hope you're having a great summer!

I have a new card to show you that I call, "Birthday Pool Party". The reason I called it that is I'm using a new Stampin Up paper I just got called pool party. It's one of the in-colors for 2010 & 2011. I really like this color...may need to get some more!

I'm submitting this for a Split Coast Stampers challenge F4A74 - using 2 of the same thing, which would be the big pearls. I don't know what I would do without adhesive pearls, I seem to put them on most everything. I barely did any stamping on this one. The sentiment was stamped with ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder. You can quite see it in the picture, but this technique comes out really pretty. This card was definitely more about the color than the coloring...unusual for me!

Speaking of coloring, last week I ordered a set of Tombow markers that I should have by Tuesday. I can't wait to color with them using a watercoloring technique I saw. I'm hoping to get more vibrant colors when I color. I can also use these to accent my pencils...I hope!

For this card, I used Well Scripted stamp set from Stampin Up. Papers are very vanilla, pool party and an old SU vellum paper. Ink is soft suede. For accessories, I used clear embossing powder, adhesive pearls, pearl string, pearl brad, Prismacolor pencils, mineral spirits, ribbons, flower, scalloped oval punch beautiful wings embosslits, square lattice EF (all SU), flourish die #9 (Sizzix).

That's it for now! Blessings!

Kathy

Elphine House First Challenge!

Hi there!

Today Elphine House Australia is having their very first challenge on their blog!! All you need to do is make a card using ANY Elisabeth Bell's stamp or digital image, not just EHA's stamps. The challenges will be done every other Wednesday at 9:00 am Australia time and end 2 weeks later Tuesday at 9:00 pm their time. Their blog has a clock on it that shows the current time there so you have it. Just post your card on your blog and link it to Elphine House Australia's blog here, then add it to their blog. The winner will be chosen using Random.org.

You'll also want to visit the DT blogs and leave some "love" for each of them!! One of these comments from one of the blogs will be chosen by Random.org to win a EHA stamp!

The first challenge starting today is call "Lace It Up", use any sort of lace on your creation. There are samples from the fabulous Design Team (that includes me :-)) for you to get ideas from. The winner of this very first challenge will receive 2 EHA stamps of their choice!

This is my sample for the Challenge which can see on their blog. This is one of their new stamps called "Nursing Boo Boo", another one of Elisabeth Bell's adorable images!

Here's the front:

And here's inside:

I tried a few new techniques on this which made it really fun. I did "outside the box die cutting" so I could fit the image how I wanted it. You can see a little how the tips of her wings and hair extend over the circle. I also stamped, colored and popped another set of wings. I used diamond stickles on the wings which I thought looked cute. The flowers were made from cardstock using boho blossoms punch (SU), 1" scallop circle punch (EKS), and a paper flower tutorial I found on on Dawn's Stamping Thoughts here. I did the white border on the front and the border strip inside using a new punch I just got by Martha Stewart. It's the deco fan punch around the page punch that is one of my favorite new toys!

There are LOTS of details to list on this one, so I'm going to list the rest in my Split Coast Stampers Gallery which you can find here!

Thanks for stopping by to visit me! I love receiving your comments and encouragement!

Hop on over to EHA's blog to check out the challenge and be inspired!

Blessings!

Kathy

Puppy Tails & Ice Cream

Hi Everyone!

I have a brand new stamp to show you from Elphine House Australia! It's called "Tell Tail Ice Cream" and designed by the super talented Elisabeth Bell. I'm just loving these little boy images of hers from EHA...they are SO adorable!

I called this card "Puppy Tails & Ice Cream"...here's the front:

And here's the inside:

I wanted to try using fabric strips in place of ribbon, so I went to Jo-Ann's to check some out. I bought a few pieces including this plaid homespun fabric as a color inspiration for the card. I've used homespun fabric riped in strips before for crafts, but this is the first time using it on a card. The thing I like about homespuns is there's no "wrong" side to the fabric and it frays nicely.

I colored this image with Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and also experimented with distress inks and markers a little. The ice cream cones are from a $1 stamp I bought at Michaels last week that I cut and pieced, and the "Puppy Love" is from a Cloud 9 set called "Simple Thoughts - Dog" that I shaped with decorative scissors that I've had FOREVER and never use.

The papers are brilliant blue, ballet blue, old olive, creamy caramel (SU), solor white (Neenah), Hopscotch mat pad (K&Co), the bright green is from Bazzils Pastel Matstack.

You can find this adorable stamp "Tell Tail Ice Cream" and others here on Elphine House Australia's website.

If you need any more of the details on this, you can get more here on my Split Coast Gallery.

I'm also including this card in the SCS challenge F4A72 - free for all for "activities I enjoy in the summer"...that would HAVE to be definitely eating ICE CREAM!!!

Thanks for looking and allowing me to share with you!

Blessings!

Kathy

Elegant Hydrangea

Good morning!

I've been wanting this hydrangea set for so long and finally bought it last week. It's called "Because I Care" from Stampin Up. Next to roses, hydrangea flowers are my favorite. I especially love the blue blossoms...not sure why I did purple! Next time I'll do blues.

I posted this card in the Split Coast Challenge WT329 which is 'something old and something new'.

I colored this is Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and also some markers and a little experimenting with distress inks. The paper is elegant eggplant, old olive, whisper white (SU) and solor white (Neenah) for the image.

If you would like any additional details, you can find them on my SCS Gallery here.

Thanks for looking!