This card was created for Kristina’s 50th color challenge (check it out). I love the colors in this inspiration. It took me a bit to figure out what I was going to do. I like how the tags flow over the card base. I played with putting the ribbon and flowers on different colors, but I like how it ended – with the same colors all together.

This is another card I started for a challenge. This time, a sketch from CPS (CPS110). I knew what I wanted to do with this card from the beginning, I just ended up taking a couple weeks to do some programing before I finished it. I even did the inside on this one

I originally wanted to put some “texting” message in the oval. So I headed over to netlingo to look up some of the latest acronyms. I must say, that I am not looking forward to having my daughter start texting!

Today’s pondering had me trying to figure out which challenges to follow. There are SO MANY challenges out there – and most of them are very good. I think I haven’t been stamping much lately because I am overwhelmed with trying to do them all. I need to pick a few and just look at the others. How did you decide what challenges to do?

They say that some things are worth waiting for. This card is like that! I originally started this card almost a month ago to enter it into the PTI monthly contest (using Guidelines stamp set). I folded the white card base and stamped the Ocean Tides/Kraft Guidelines background panel. But then, I was stumped. I wanted to use Lemon Tart (one of my favorite PTI colors), but it was too light be a focal color. Since the contest is long over, I was able to do it unhindered by the desire to “win” something.

I *love* how this card turned out! I used Melon Berry (another of my fav colors) along with Butterfly Kisses (a definite go-to caliber set). I embellished with my white gel pen and a few strategically placed rhinestones.

There was a mini VSN this weekend. I wasn’t home for the live postings, but I did managed to make a few cards before the deadline.

First up is my Guitar Queen. The challenge was to use a Beatles’ song as inspiration. I went with “While my Guitar Gently Weeps”….though really the only thing that translated was guitar! I went with a rocking look and bright colors. The layout is an old mojo sketch. The star was created with chipboard, white paint, pink craft ink, clear EP, and green dye ink – easy peasy! I stored much of my stamping supplies when I moved and I must have been in a very “minimalist” state of mind when I decided what would store and what would ship because I left almost all of my punches at home…boy do I miss my circle punches!! I would have added little circle mats to the brads, but making them now requires hand-cutting and I didn’t have time within the challenge limits.

Next up is my BlackJack card. This was a fun challenge – the idea was to create a card using the point system given and come up with a 21-point creation. I did it! This was a card that has been in my head since I saw the Fan Club April Inspiration. Again, I didn’t bring my cloud template so I made one. I always seem to think big when I made a cloud template, oh well. My sponge had a darker blue in it and I didn’t get it all out when I applied Bashful to the cardbase. I would also have added blue sky to the focal image panel. Ugh, sometimes time constraints really bug me!

Finally, my last VSN card uses strips of paper. I spent a lot of time with making the background, so the rest of the card is plain. I love the “plaid” background and had fun creating it! I only have one country-feel set – but it is a classic. I love my “On the Farm” set and will never get rid of it!

Thanks VSN Hostesses for some awesome challenges!

Over at SCS, there will be another VSN mini on Saturday. But on Friday – there was a surprise challenge! The challenge was to embellish a card with at least 3 things (from a list).

So, my card isn’t highly embellished, but I made up for it by eating a couple cookies whilst I created the card The first requirement was to use a favorite stamp set. Well, for me, my favorite set is always the one I most recently got – that would be Wishing You by Dawn for PTI. Then my “bar” selections were ribbon, buttons, and the piercing template.

I made this card for the SCS Fan Club sketch challenge (DSKETCH0409). Are you a fan club member? It is a great way to support a great community! {SCS Fan Club}

When I first saw the sketch I had lots of ideas, but after a week of rain, I am looking forward to the bright summer! The letters were easy to make. I took glossy cardstock and used markers to make stripes. Then I stamped the outline alphabet and cut out the letters.

On the inside I used a leftover piece of the “rainbow” glossy paper. For some reason this TAC set doesn’t include a sun (the only sentiment in the set is “sizzlin’ summer” – you’d think they’d have a sun image *grin*) but I found another TAC set that did.

Today I was ruminating on the topic of style – not clothing, I don’t have any style there! No, I mean my card-making style. I generally recognize a few styles: collage, vintage, clean-and-simple, and lots-of-layers. I never seem to keep to one particular style, though some styles are definitely harder for me. I always cop-out on style questions and say eclectic. About the only thing I truly know is that I enjoy working with bright colors, which I find interesting because I do *not* do bright in any other aspect of my life.

I’m a little behind, but I loved this challenge and had to finish what I started a couple weeks ago. This card is for a past Res-Q challenge – Daisies and Diamonds (RESQ03). The challenge was to use brown, white, and either red, orange, or yellow, and also to add in diamonds.

Ever since I got this stamp set I’ve wanted to do the lines thing…I’m just too lazy when it comes to making a mask, lol! I really love how this turned out! The diamonds part of the challenge was covered with the gems in the flower center. Thanks Mom for sending me a sample of the Tangerine paper!

I was even inspired to decorate the inside too.

This is a card I created for Mom’s May stamp camp. Her requirements were to use Lovely as a Tree to make a masculine card. I also knew that a customer had requested a card using glossy paper. So I decided to add that in too. I really like how the reverse masking and resist turned out. The final touch was to add the sentiment.

I unmount my stamps. I love using my stamps unmounted. Early on I realized that it would be helpful to mark the backs with an arrow showing which way was up. So far, that hasn’t failed me, but today….it did. I had marked the “Happy” form Happy Everything upside down! That particular stamp drives me nuts and I really should have stamped it before I used it, but since the back was marked, I thought I was good to go.

Oh well, live and learn (and re-mark!).

I’m hosting the Casual Mid-Week Challenge over on the Papertrey Ink forum (cmwc51). I found a cool lap desk for inspiration. Here is a link to the product on the Room Service Home website.

Back when Nicole introduced the Chocolate Remix paper she showed how you could color in the images and give the paper a whole new look. I’ve been wanting to try it, and now I have! When I saw the inspiration piece, the lap desk in the back really reminded me of that technique – so I had to do it!

I made this card for the RESQ challenge (resq02), which is an inspiration picture of an adorable tea set. I also used the latest mojo sketch (mojo80).

The tea set reminded me of a kids tea party, so I went with soft colors and the little girl image.

The ribbon knot is supposed to be a rose. Since the ribbon is so narrow the rose isn’t as blossomy as what I’ve done with wider ribbons. I found instructions for doing the ribbon rose on Kirsten’s blog you can see her video tutorial here.