Saturday Sketch Challenge

this is the fourth week of the new sketch challenges on the diva blog. i like the simplicity of this sketch.

the card was run through the big shot for a textured background. the images were stamped and distressed before being adhered to the card.

what do ya think of the new "in colors?" for not liking earth tones i really like the suede.

see ya next saturday for another sketch. :)

diva inspiration challenge

i ran with the flowers on this week's inspriation challenge at udi and nothing else it seems.

i had fun with the shaving cream last week for the sketch challenge and carried it over to today's challenge. my vase is a couple of punches cut and put together. the pink part has also been put through the big shot with a texturz plate. i used the pocket silhouettes set, added some ribbon and brads to complete the card.

thanx for taking a peek.

diva sketch surprise challenge

a surprise was added to this week's sketch on the diva blog. along with the sketch we were asked to do the shaving cream technique. it has been years since i have done this technique so i went with the real thing vs faux shaving cream. it is alot of fun and so easy to do.

i used the "branch out" set that is on the dormant list. the kite is not part of the set. i had to cut and make it myself along with the tail fluttering in the wind. please let me know what you think.


the shaving cream almost looks like whispy clouds blowing around in the breeze.

diva inspiration challenge

this week's adorable inspiration can be found on the diva site. i thought it was the sweetest thing when i saw it.

i made a punch flamingo that i first saw on becky roberts' blog, who was kind enough to send me the directions. danee hoang originated the punch animals, but i do not know her blog, so if you know her please let her know i'm lovin' it.

i went with the flamingo and brightened the colors up a bit. isn't he just fun??? i couldn't find my googly eyes so i punched out a white and black circle and added crystal effects. except for the fact that it doesn't move it could pass for a googly eye. his neck and wing are moveable and are not tacked down. the yellow flowers and tiny ones in the upper left corner are popped up with dimensionals.

:)

Saturday Sketch Challenge

welcome to my "stuff." (i'll get back to that in a minute)

it is week 43 for the utah diva sketch challenge. take a peek and let me know how i did.

i don't think that there is any color that does not go with certainly celery. i just love it! i've teamed it with coral and blush blossom for this card. i love how the photo came out. it picked up all of the pretty fairy dust glitter that stayed behind. it's soooo sparkly.

i'm going to share a little secret with you. about 90% of these sketches are of cards i have done in the past for swaps or whatever. the rest of them are of swaps i received. the funny thing is that when i sit down to do the sketch i'm challenged. duh. you would think since i've already done them i wouldn't have a problem. the thing with me though is that when i sit down to stamp i rarely (maybe less than 1/2%) CASE something. i just go with whatever comes into my head at that time.

once i created the sketches i put the card back in the box so i wouldn't cheat. (i'm such a doofus sometimes.) i had sixteen weeks of sketches ready to go when i took over as the sketch coordinator. . . which is scary because i'm such a procrastinator.

anyway, back to my "stuff." i realized that while i was stamping the sentiment in the frame that i do not utilize the products that SU! offers us. i usually "eyeball" everything i stamp. i don't use a stamp-a-ma-jig though some people swear by it. i just stamp it! haha.

i also do not use or "get" the wheel guide (i really should look in my catty and see if it is even still available). mind you, i have had both of these products in my house. i think the stamp-a-ma-jig was out of the box once and immediately returned and the wheel guide never! came out of the package. i finally packed them off to my mom and sister with the rest of my "stuff" they get to inherit when something retires.

here's another product i'm beyond challenged with. the pretties kit. i probably spent about 45 minutes trying to get the pin just right on my card. the pin bottom refused to stay on and my beads kept going all over the place. i can use the half pearls and bling brads just fine, just not the pins or flowers. (don't get me started on the flowers)!

eyelets are another one. do ya ever see anything i make with eyelets? first of all i don't own a crop-a-dile. i have used one once or twice and am intimidated by it. i usually need ALOT of supervision when i use it. the thing just scares the "crop" ~ haha ~ out of me. am i the only one who thinks it is not the greatest thing since sliced bread? anyway . . . just a few ditties on some of the SU! products that are offered but not utilzed by me.

maybe next time i'll sing the praises of the products i do use!!!

thanx for checkin' in. xox

diva inspiration challenge

i Love!!! this week's inspiration on the udi site. i took it literally!!!

the photo didn't turn out too well, but the heel is done with gold shimmer card stock.

let me know what you think.

diva sketch challenge

it is time for another sketch challenge on the utah divas international blog. check out this week's challenge and see if i came close with my card this week.

i'm not sure if you know or not, but i'm the new sketch coordinator on the diva site. so when i started to work on this card i asked myself who made up this sketch? sheesh. it really Did challenge me for a moment. wasn't the brightest crayon in the box at that moment. hah.

i used the friendship wheel with the butterflies from the branch out set (dormant) with banana and bashful blue, a little bit of ribbon and styled silver hardware. it is already in the mail to a friend that i visited on my way through chicago last weekend. she has the best b & b i've ever stayed in. haha.

thanx for takin' a look. :)

IT'S THURSDAY ! ! !

here is this week's inspiration card from udi. i think i tried half a million things on this card before i got it right. . . well, sorta.

i think in the end i was just getting loopy and wanted it done. did ya see i even made him a rainbow fish with a silver scale. not sure what drugs i was on. haha.

anyway, i'm sending this card to a very special friend who made me the cutest video on youtube. if ya want to see my video email me and i'll send ya the link.

diva sketch challenge

it's hard to believe we've been doing sketches for 41 weeks with the utah divas.

bashful blue and black make up this simple baby card. a mini paper clip and ribbon finish it off on the middle image that is raised with dimensionals.

diva inspiration challenge

another thursday and another inspiration challenge on the utah diva blog. the minute i saw this picture i knew i was going to have fun with it.

i basically wanted to duplicate the picture. really the only difference is that i kept my cake layers on an angle instead of flat on the top. i just wanted it a little more quirky and fun.

i had to add a background because the black was blending in too much with the card itself, so i added the silver card stock to go with the shimmer white used on the cake.

diva sketch challenge

this poor little embossed bird did not photograph very well. he is just too shiny and is bouncing back from the flash.

this week's diva sketch was done two weeks ago. i'm not sure what got into me to have them done so early. i'm sure i'll slack off next week. ;)


rose red, pretty in pink and whisper white, along with tea garden dsp were used for this card.

not too difficult. i like to leave the sentiments off until i know what i will use the card for though. i'm leaning toward a birthday greeting for my mom who will be 86 on the 30th.

diva inspiration challenge

ok, i'm not sure where the inspiration for this card came from cuz it certainly wasn't from the picture posted here. do you see anything that has to do with a waterfall or the surrounding colors from the picture? geez oh peez.

i tried two different things and they both ended up in the garbage so i just decided to go with something else . . . don't ask me what it is cuz i have no freakin' clue. i think it might be the non-floating reinker thingy.

we'll let the picture tell it's own story. :(



yes, there are nine layers on this card and yes it was intentionally placed in the bottom right corner. just don't look at it too closely.

diva sketch challenge

i've had this ready to post since last sunday. scary huh! check out the sketch here.

this was a fun card for me. i am so lovin' the new "in colors." this mambo melon is da bomb! i paired it with regal rose and basic black. (thanx lala for letting swipe a snip of the ribbon. xoxo)

the black just "pops" everything, don't you think? click on the picture to get a better look at it. yes, i did cut out those little teeny tiny cupcakes and put a dimensional on them.

one flaw in women

i've seen this several time, but it is so worth repeating.


One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice..

They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.


They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

diva inspiration challenge

ok, i liked the inspiration over at the diva site, but don't like the outcome. it's just another bad card week for me. (however, check on saturday cuz my sketch challenge rocks)

i wanted to use the colors and thought garden green was close to the green pictured. i am SO NOT an earth tones person and i think it looks hideous. i didn't even have any garden green and had to use a piece from the "mat pack sampler."

my little beverage is cute though with some dsp used for the colors and crystal effects on the glass.

it looks like a christmas card gone very very bad. haha.

diva sketch challenge

another saturday, another sketch challenge over at the utah divas.

i kept it Very! simple today, but i like how it turned out. i am really lovin' the new in colors!

suede and curry were used for my sweet stems card.

diva inspiration challenge

i think today is thursday, but i really can't say for sure. chip had a four day weekend for the fourth and it threw me all out of wack.

so, hop over to the divas to see this weeks inspiration.

i know i've tanked on several of these sketches, but this one is totally on maria's shoulders. i told her it should have been done before the end of june because the pacific point in color would have been perfect for this picture. unfortunately, maria requests that we use current stampin' up! products and this picture is just nine days late. haha.



i was not able to do a preorder so i had to work with what my friend had on hand. i tried to recreate some of the movement from the swirls though i'm not sure i succeeded. the top note is the outside edge only.

you can't see the greeting very well, but it is stamped in white on the blue at the top left. you may click on the picture for an enlargment.

some more stampin'

i made a few more cards today for various people. just wanted to share them with you. hope you like them.




this last card has the center cut out. the image is actually on the inside of the card.

swaps

the following two cards are swaps i made for a group i'm in. we swap for every mini catalog that comes out, as well as the yearly idea book.


i went a little off of the beaten path with the colors on this one. my friend, lala, is always amazed with the color combinations i come up with. this little pheasant card has eggplant, not quite navy, curry and suede card stock and ink. i like it.









the center image on this card is embossed and raised with a dimensional. the two outside images are stamped right onto the shimmer card stock. the black has another image stamped with versamark though you can't really see it in this picture. i finished it off with a bit of ribbon and greeting.

blog award

A blog award from ann.



ann, from annscreativenook, gave me this wonderful blog award!! thanx ann for thinking of me and passing this award onto me!

Now, as with any of these blog awards, the idea is to pass on the appreciation to fellow bloggers.

There a couple of fun "rules" (well, more like guidelines) to this award:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve (newly) discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.


My chosen bloggers are:
adrian: www.adrianscrazylife.blogspot.com
adriana: http://escape2stamp.blogspot.com/
andrea: andreawalford.com/
blythe: http://www.stampinwithblythe.com/
brenda: http://sweetpapertreats.wordpress.com/
elizabeth: www.elizabethloves2stamp.blogspot.com/
jeannette: http://www.jeannettesiciliani.typepad.com/
leonie: www.stamp-a-latte.com/
selene: www.stampinfunwithselene.blogspot.com
jan tink: stampspaperscissors.typepad.com/stamps_paper_scissors/
tammy: http://www.stampwithtammy.com/
tiffany: http://mycraftyworld.blogspot.com/
becky: http://woodenshoestamping.blogspot.com/

I hope you can find time to visit these blogs and find even more inspiration for your creations!!! Thanx again!

i know there are not fifteen blogs on here, but oh well. ladies, please know that i thoroughly enjoy your blogs or one reason or another.

thank you.