Diane's Workshop

Hallelujah!

2010-11-30T07:50:00.004-07:00

For anyone who hasn't seen this yet, please watch and enjoy!

A Thousand Sheets of Paper!!!

2010-08-22T14:53:00.004-06:00

I could hardly believe my eyes! Know what a thousand sheets of paper looks like?

Now, how would you like to have some of that stack!? Just visit here and see how to win some of that stack...AND some other goodies!

Clean and Simple Challenge 73

2010-07-21T19:39:00.005-06:00

So, do you notice that I am trying to catch up a bit? I would like to be a bit more regular at posting. I keep trying!
CAS Challenge 73 at SCS is a color challenge. Colors are bashful blue, certainly celery, and orange. Here's my submissions.
Click here for details.
Click here for details.

Clean and Simple Challenge 72

2010-07-21T19:33:00.006-06:00

The third week's challenge was a sketch challenge based on one of my own cards. Here is the sketch.

Here s the card that I made that week:
Click here for details.

Clean and Simple Challenge 71

2010-07-21T19:24:00.005-06:00

My second week on the CAS DT the challenge was a Theme challenge...Things that Fly. Here's the two cards that I made for that challenge.
Click here for details.
Click here for details.

CAS Challenge cards...week 1

2010-06-17T10:38:00.005-06:00

These are the cards I posted for my first week on the CAS design team on SCS. The challenge was to make a card with the greeting/saying/verse as the focal point.
Click here for a list of supplies.
Click here for a list of supplies.

Altered PTI tote bag

2010-06-11T08:45:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I placed an order with PTI and with the stamps and paper, I ordered one of their tote bags. Knowing that I am a tote bag fanatic and that I am a quilter, I just couldn't leave that tote bag the way that it was!

So I began the search for a coordinating fabric. My stash would yield nothing that matched that pink. It is a difficult color to coordinate with. So off to the store. Lots and lots of pinks...nothing matching. Then I started on other colors that have pink in it and found a really cute brown/hot pink/pink/white print which even fits with the Papertrey style.

Now this was not the most economical project! The bag was just $2. Add $4.50 for fabric, $2 for piping, and 5 hours of my time...but the results are great!
So, what do you think?

Splitcoast CAS Design Team competition

2010-06-09T07:20:00.009-06:00

The past couple weeks or so have been taken up by focusing on the Clean and Simple Design Team competition for the summer season. The theme was a trip to the amusement part and I wanted to share my entries with you.

Challenge 1: You are walking into the amusement park and meet the photographer who wants to take your picture. Make a card that 1)has a person, character, or group as a focal point, 2)add a tiny bit of bold, flashy ribbon, bonus points for adding texture as well, 3)keep it clean and simple.
Click here for details on supplies.

Challenge 2: Make a card with a summer theme.
Click here for details on supplies.

After challenge 2, Jen narrowed the field to 20 people who would continue to the semi finals. I made this list! WooHoo!

Challenge 3: Make a clean and simple card using pop dots (aka dimensionals) to create height and dimension on your card. Since I always use dimensionals on my cards, this was not a big challenge for me, so I tried a technique I had seen before and liked.
Click here for details on supplies.

Challenge 4: Create a clean and simple card with a moveable part. It was fun seeing the great variety of cards that everyone made! I made a viewmaster card.
Let me say right now that I will probably NEVER make one of these EVER again!
Click here for details on supplies.

So now the tension has built to a very high level. Who will make the finals? Ten people would be chosen, and I made the cut! Love it!

Challenge 5: At the close of the day at the amusement park, we visit the water park. Make a clean and simple card with a water theme. I was having a difficult time deciding what to do. Not that I had no ideas, but that I had too many! I made three cards and entered these two:
Click here for details on supplies.
Click here for details on supplies.

What a GREAT time we all had. The last night was tense, particularly since Jen posted the guest designers a few at a time and left the design team to last! But I made the design team this summer! So for the next 3 months I'll be designing for Splitcoaststampers CAS design team! Cooool! I've tried for this for five competitions and I finally made it!
So, I invite you to join the fun in the SCS CAS challenge forum every Monday for wonderful challenges!

Waltzingmouse Blog Hop...Happy Birthday!

2010-05-17T11:07:00.006-06:00

I made this card for the CAS67 Shabby Chic and Clean and Simple challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers. I think that it is almost an oxymoron to put these two together but I made an attempt and this is the result.

I didn't use any image stamps at all, just a word stamp...and it is from the Waltzingmouse Earth Angel set.
The paper is assorted designer paper from my stash.

...did I really use a die cut?...

2010-05-05T14:51:00.005-06:00

Yes, I guess you could say that...but technically it is an embosslit. So can I say that I really didn't give in to die cuts? I made this for CAS65 on SCS.

I ran the popped up panel thru the BigShot with a texture plate. The texture plate and embosslit are from SU! as is the punch for the greeting. The leaves are a Martha Stewart punch. I sponged the embosslit flowers with apricot ink to give them some dimension.
Paper: SU! vanilla, apricot, wasabi, celery
Stamps: SU! small script
Accessories: Lots of Dimensionals!

Waltzingmouse Challenge

2010-04-28T19:46:00.004-06:00

Claire posted a sketch challenge on her blog today. I looked at it and thought, "Whatever can I do with this sketch? I'm a Clean and Simple stamper and this is definitely outside my box!" But I really wanted to try!

So this is the result. I'm pleased with it and it will make a wonderful baby card for someone who is having a boy!
Stamps: Waltzingmouse and Clear Expressions (sentiment)
Paper: Baja Breeze and White
Ink: Baja Breeze
Accessories: Ribbon, Corduroy Button, Dimensionals

Waiting.....for.....Spring.....

2010-02-23T09:32:00.006-07:00

I'm ready! Too much snow this winter. We've had snow on the ground since last fall and that NEVER happens around here. Never say "never"!

So, in anticipation of spring coming (sometime) I have a couple of cards to share with you.

The first one turns out to be a Mother's Day card. (No, my mom doesn't read my blog or check SCS. She is somewhat computer-challenged.) The sketch was a challenge for me. I had to spend a bit of time getting what I wanted. The tulip is PTI's Wishing You set and the greeting is an old SU set called Wonderful Wishes. The kraft paper is dotted with SU's new Dot, Dot, Dot then punched with a Martha border punch. I love the twill tape! It is on a roll in the sewing department at WalMart. I'm going to have to stock up!

I've been wanting to make some of those really cute trees that are made of patterned paper and cut out. But I don't have the stamps and can't afford them right now. So I made do for this card by using SU's Sheltering Tree on some dotted-watercolor-wash type designer paper I had in my stash. The check paper at the bottom is from Creative Memories. I think it sets the card off well, don't you?

Have a wonderful week anticipating the coming of Spring!

"New" PTI stamps

2010-02-01T14:29:00.006-07:00

I'm bad, I know. I buy new stamps and then they sit for long periods of time before I use them. I did it again with a huge order of PTI stamps that I bought about 4 months ago! So I broke out two sets today.

This one is PTI's Tea for Two set. I even recycled some paper from one of the set boxes to do the narrow polka dot band.
Paper: Wausau 110 pound white and recycled PTI paper
Ink: SU Not quite Navy, Old Olive
Ribbon: Blue Grosgrain (from Michaels?)

This one is PTI's Wishing You set. The images I stamped on the card had some "bloopers" so I restamped, cut, and popped the tulips up. It was designed for the CAS52 Sketch challenge at Splitcoaststampers.
Paper: Wausau 110 pound white and Basic Gray PP
Ink: SU Groovy Guava, Wild Wasabi
Ribbon: SU Groovy Guava stitched grosgrain

Hope you enjoy these!

Playing Post-vacation Catch-up

2009-09-25T08:16:00.006-06:00

Here I am, sitting here at the computer, with my chai tea, reading the blogs I have been following, and enjoying the gloomy, misty day. It's fall! I like fall. Fall is when we take a vacation. Now you have to understand that vacation is a broad term for us--it may mean a missions trip, a camping trip, or a trip to Grand Junction to get apples. It might even mean taking time off to do a project around home. But this time we ventured out to Yellowstone and the Tetons. It was cold at night (we were prepared with a heater for our tent) but the days were gorgeous, until the last day there. It was cloudy, rainy, blustery...but the "moods" of the Grand Teton on that day were spectacular!

Anyway, I have several challenges to get caught up on, and I did two yesterday.

This card is totally different from anything I have ever made...but I sure do like it! I started by planning for the CAS31 "pop it up" challenge using dimensionals. The pumpkin inchies are popped up. But it also fits CAS 30 because I took those images off of a card I made years ago in a workshop and this works as a "remake". Then there have been two challenges for "bling" or "sparkle" that fit the use of heat and stick powder with glitter (CAS21 and CAS27). I used a 1 inch punch for the inchies and a MS border punch so that fits CAS07 to use punches. Have I missed any?

The paper is SU Kraft, black and mustard DP. The orange dot is CM. I used Black hemp for the cord.

This card is for this week's CAS33 sketch layout. Again, I used an image from an old workshop card that was done with the technique where you put drops of reinker on a baby wipe and use that for a "stamp pad". The pear was done with green galore, tempting turquoise, and yoyo yellow inks. I just cut the image out to make this card.

The card is crushed curry, and I used turquoise and white cs and a turquoise dp that matched. There are two layers of dimensionals...under the box and under the pear. The picture doesn't do the sentiment justice...it is really much clearer IRL.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stamping at the Fair

2009-09-04T07:05:00.005-06:00

A While back I participated in our county fair "action corners". That is where various different individuals/groups come for a block of time the first weekend of fair to demonstrate various activities and crafts to fair visitors. People are there quilting, spinning, knitting, doing model railroading, gardening...and on and on. I was there to stamp. I made a bunch of cards, and with some of them I got a bit distracted talking to people while I stamped. Those cards have a few problems LOL! But some came out pretty nice. I thought I would share a few with you. They are all fairly simple cards.

Paper: Kraft, Tangerine Tango, White
Ink: Basic Brown
Ribbon: Tangerine Tango stripe grosgrain
Stamps: Various wildflower silhouettes from Hero Arts and Rubber Stampede, All Year Cheer

Paper: White, Cameo Coral, DSP in celery
Ink: Celery, Coral
Ribbon: Coral
Stamps: In Full Bloom, Wonderful Words
Accessories: Dimensionals

Paper: White, Riding Hood Red, DSP in Mustard
Ink: Basic Brown
Ribbon: Mustard
Stamps: For a Friend
Accessories: Dimensionals, Rhinestone, Colored Pencil

Waltzingmouse Celtic sets

2009-08-18T10:18:00.008-06:00

I got these wonderful Waltzingmouse sets in the mail (or post) a few weeks ago, and I made a few cards the same day. But did I post them here? No. Well, I have no excuses other than I have been neglecting my blog...again. Well, to be honest, I haven't visited a lot of blogs lately. But I'm remedying that!

What can one say about such elegant images. This card has one image stamped twice in the circle. I used my CM circle cutter for the circles, and my Scor-Pal for the scoring on the background. Colors are Handsome Hunter and White. Dimensionals pop the image up.

The soft colors on this card were inspired by one I saw on SCS, but I don't remember who posted it. I apologize. The claddagh represents friendship, loyalty and love. I will probably use this for a wedding or anniversary card. Colors are kraft, white, saffron, and mustard. Scoring is done with the Scor-Pal and the ribbon is cream. It really matches better than the picture shows. Again, I popped the image up with dimensionals.

And this elegant card is done in Elegant Eggplant and white. I used dimensionals to raise the image panel up.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday to You...!

2009-07-10T13:34:00.008-06:00

This week, for CAS22 at Splitcoast, we were to make birthday cards. Who doesn't need birthday cards? Well, I made several and I wanted to share what I made.

This punny card is the first one I made. The colors were a color challenge a while ago that I wanted to try sometime. The layout is one I go back to often, because it works well. Cardstock colors are Basic Gray, Going Gray, Yoyo Yellow,and white. The inside of the card has a white panel...and the greeting, "from some of your closest friends". The fishies in the can are watercolored.

This card was inspired by a Life is Good tee I saw at Jax Mercantile...one of my favorite stores. I would buy the whole Life is Good corner if I could! The colors are only Rose Red and So Saffron. The TAC greeting is heat embossed.

This one says, "an-udder birthday?" and is done with an older SU! set called Birthday Banter (the same one that the fishies above come from). The colors are Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red.

This last one is also an old set from SU called Sketch a Party. The cake trim, candle and the greeting are all accented with Gelly Roll glitter pens. Colors are Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip, and Creamy Caramel.

If you want more details you can check out my gallery for today at Splitcoast. Have a wonderful weekend, even if it is hot!

Wonderful Color Combo

2009-06-22T08:25:00.004-06:00

Just thought I would share a couple of cards I made last week with the Color Challenge on SCS. The colors were Baja Breeze, Ruby Red, and White.

The first card is one that was also made for the CAS challenge. The birds are a part of Inkadinkadoo's Birds Galore and the sentiment is from SU! set All Year Cheer 1, a retired set. The card is 5.5 inches square and the red layer is popped up on dimensionals.

The next card is one that I made for my dad for father's day. The layout is one that I used before with different images and colors, and I like this combination even better. The image stamps are from the SU! set Winds of Grace and the sentiment from an old retired set called Wonderful Wishes. I used a strip of Ruby Red CS on this card where I had used ribbon on my previous card. Why? Well, no such thing as Ruby Red ribbon in my stash!
Best thing about this card? My dad really liked it!

Blessings for this glorious week :)

Curious Iridescent Papers

2009-06-19T08:23:00.006-06:00

I love these papers, but sometimes I forget to use them. I purchased both Cryogen White and Poison Ivory with some friends...from Cut Card Stock . I often think of ideas to use this beautiful, shimmery, iridescent paper, but today I actually did something about it. Some time ago I did a wedding card in white and ivory, and that provided the inspiration for doing this wintery card...in both ivory and white.

The card base is Poison Ivory. The first layer, in Cryogen White, is popped up, as is the image layer in Poison Ivory. The snowflake is stamped in SU! White and embossed in Iridescent Sparkle EP. The ribbon is SU! narrow white organdy. Hope you enjoy these pictures!

Color Dare!

2009-06-10T08:56:00.003-06:00

Here is a link to the new Color Dare blog...Check them out in their new exclusive home, then sign up as a follower and be entered to win some wonderful blog candy. Of course, if you sign up, then I have less chance to win...and I'd love to win!

BTW they used to be here...

Have a great day!

Being Krafty

2009-06-09T14:32:00.008-06:00

Recently I made more cards with Kraft cardstock than I ever have before. I thought I would share some of those with you.
This first card is for this week's CAS18 challenge : a color challenge...to use Kraft, Corals/Pinks, and one other color. I added black for this one. See my gallery for details.

This is also for the CAS18 challenge. White is my additional color here. I have wanted to make this card for a long time and now I had a reason to do it! Details in my gallery.

This Tangerine and Kraft card was for the CAS17 challenge on SCS, which was an inspiration challenge, using beach towels and totes from Land's End. I chose a tan bag with orange handles that had butterfly fabric for the top closure. You can see it here. The details are at this link.
Hope you enjoy these!

Inspired by...

2009-05-28T07:05:00.006-06:00

I particularly like to do inspiration challenges. Some are difficult for me, but sometimes things just "click" and I get something that I really like. I wanted to share some of my recent cards that are inspired by "something"...oftentimes clothing!

This first card is inspired by a new Life is Good tee. I used the single flower in Merci, and colored the outer half of the petals with Prismacolor Premier pencils. I then used the colorless blender pencil (also known as a burnisher) to smooth and blend the color out. It spreads the color a bit more into the centers of the flowers. The paper is heavyweight white and I stamped the flowers in Basic Black. The greeting is from the old SU! set Simple Sayings.

This card was inspired by my youngest granddaughter's t-shirt from Carters. They have the most adorable fabrics! The shirt was pale pink with an over-all flower design in orange, bright pink, and green. The paper for the card is Pirouette Pink, the flowers are stamped in Pixie Pink, Green Galore, and Pumpkin Pie. The stems are also Green Galore. The flower set is Big Blooms. Ribbon is from Michaels.

This last card was for the CAS11 challenge at SCS and was inspired by a JCPenney comforter. The card is Pink Passion. The flowers on the white panel are Pixie Pink, Rose Red, YoYo Yellow, Certainly Celery, and Taken with Teal. The flower stamps are from an assortment of SU! and CTMH sets, and the greeting is from Curvy Verses. The paper piercing on the corners of the card completes the card.

Monochromatic Cards

2009-05-27T14:05:00.006-06:00

In the past few months I have made quite a few cards that fit the definition of "monochromatic". I wanted to share some of them with you.

This first one was for the CAS14 challenge on SCS, which was for rock and roll technique. I used apricot and pumpkin inks on the flowers. For the rest of the details see the card in my gallery.

This next card is a super-simple masculine card that I made for the CAS10 monochromatic challenge. Its details can be seen here.

This card uses the same apricot and pumpkin colors as the first picture above. I made this for the CAS10 monochromatic challenge as well, and I have left a space for a sentiment. This link will take you to the details.

Have a great day! and keep stamping!

Remake that strayed...

2009-05-26T09:09:00.004-06:00

This card is one that I started as a remake...but it got far from the original design! I do like this one a lot. I try to make nice cards for my hubby...and he doesn't really like lots of layers, embellishments, backgrounds, etc...so this one makes it into his stash. The entire center panel is popped up on dimensionals.
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Swirling Leaves Wheel, On Your Birthday
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard
Paper: More Mustard, Vanilla
Other: Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals

Redo-ing those old cards that don't quite make it...

2009-05-25T12:05:00.012-06:00

The CAS challenge at SCS this week is to re-make an old card. Well, I have a bunch of cards that are downright ug-ly. Well, at least now I think so. Then there are some in my gallery that have pictures that don't and never did do the cards justice. I'm not going to delete them, but I think I will try to improve many of them. Here are a few:

This was an old (2005) Christmas card. See how it looks now:

Stampset: Christmas Cardinals
Paper: 110# White, Real Red, Summer Sun
Ink: Basic Black
Other: Watercolor pencils with aquapainter, SU! paper piercing set

I liked this spring card then, but it is better now:

Stampset: Spring Garden, Itty Bitty BG
Paper: Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss, White
Ink: Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss
Other: sponged some Moss on the edges of the images, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

Oh, why do we even admit to making those old cards!?

Ahh...Life is Good!

2009-05-19T06:44:00.002-06:00

Life truly is good! And I love the "life is good" tees. So when I got a new North Style catty and saw the collection of new ones, well, inspiration is what catalogs are for...right?

This is done on heavy white cardstock with the single flower from Merci. I used Prismacolors to put color on the outside half of the flower petals, then used the blending pencil (sometimes called a burnisher) to blend and shade out the color. The sentiment is from Simple Sayings, an old SU! set.

Back again...

2009-05-18T10:10:00.004-06:00

Ah, well, my sidebar says that I blog without obligation. So I shouldn't feel obligated, should I?! But I do. I think I should be posting more frequently. I think that I am so far behind with what I have been doing lately that I don't know how to get caught up. But those 'shoulds' and 'oughtas' and all that just make me feel guilty for not posting...and I put it off even longer.

Well, I figure that I will not try for any 'shoulds' and I will post when I can. After all I "blog without obligation" right! So I'll just post what I want whenever I can!

This card is for the CAS15 challenge at SCS. We were challenged to use only black, white, and one (only one) Bold Bright. I used Gable Green. The image is Stampendous' Agapanthus Blossom and it is stamped on Shimmery White in Versamagic, which is the only black I could get a really good image with. Hope you like it!

"Recent" cards...

2008-09-19T14:18:00.006-06:00

Things have been somewhat busy for me lately and I have been a "slacker" at posting. Right now my camera needs batteries so I am posting some recent (defined as anything since the last time ) cards that I haven't posted here yet. These happen to be from the Dirty Dozen Challenges on SCS. I actually got every one of the challenges done that week!

If you would like to see the details for these cards, just click on the "see my art at SCS" picture in the right column. All the details are there.

New Background Color

2008-09-19T14:06:00.002-06:00

Well, I finally got fed up enough with the background color I had...definitely time to change it! I had to play with the hex colors (googled the codes, just like I do for everything else I want to know something about!) a lot to find the color I wanted but I liked this one. So what do you think?

Mothermark's Teapot Tuesday Challenge 10

2008-09-02T11:58:00.003-06:00

Cindy posted a really cute little teapot, maybe I should say TINY teapot, for her Teapot Tuesday Challenge today. Visit her blog to see this week's challenge. I decided to use the colors in her teapot and tray to make my card. I also did some scoring on the front of the card and on the image. The image and sentiment are popping pastels in Pixie Pink and Garden Green. Paper is white (of course!) and Pixie Pink.

Ice Cream Scoops...a convention 08 special...

2008-08-01T07:48:00.007-06:00

When Lynda posted her kodak gallery with the sample boards from convention, there was this ADORABLE ice cream cone. Well, I just HAD to figure out how to do those scoops. So I did some playing around this morning. We may find out later that there is an easier/better/different way to do these, but this is what I figured out...

First you punch out a piece of post-it with the glue, or, as I did, a piece of cardstock circle. Use the 1-3/8 inch punch and put some removable double-stick tape on the back. Make sure it is removable tape!!!

Then put that circle on a piece of cardstock for your ice cream scoop.

Punch with the scallop circle punch. Make sure your circle is centered in the punch. (I apologize for the blurry picture here, but I think you get the idea)

Here is where a steady hand is needed. Your scallop punch has 14 scallops. You want to cut 7 of them off, following the outside edge of the circle. You'll need to cut in from the edge, between two scallops, then cut along the edge of the circle until you have removed the 7 scallops, then back out to the edge.

Voila! An ice cream scoop!

Make three of these, decorate them with versamarked polkadots and stack them up on top of a cone, or in a dish, or as scoops on some banana, add a cherry or two...
How do you like your ice cream?

Color Throwdown Challenge

2008-07-14T10:14:00.002-06:00

A wonderful Monday morning to everyone!

I just found this site today! Check it out if you really love doing color challenges. It is just starting up, with new challenges each Wednesday...so the current colors are:
Pretty in Pink
Sage Shadow
Regal Rose
I will post a card here and in my SCS gallery...when I get one made...LOL!

Demonstrating Stamping at the County Fair

2008-07-08T14:56:00.001-06:00

I got the call about demonstrating rubber stamping at our county fair again this year. I did it a last year and the only difficult thing was getting my stuff in to the exhibition hall in a reasonable number of trips! I had fun, talked to a bunch of people, did NOT do any hands on, but had a LOT of samples for folks to look at. This year a friend will be joining me for part of the time, and I think I will be making cards for challenges. In fact I may challenge my friend, on the spot, as well. Make it fun for both of us. I'll let you know how it turns out. It's in just 3 weeks.

Saturday Sampler March Block

2008-07-08T14:50:00.000-06:00

Here is the March block for my Saturday Sampler Quilt. It is limited in its colors, so it was a bit more of a challenge.

I think I have figured out why I really don't like my quilt squares on my blog...the background of the pages is definitely NOT complementary to these squares. I'll just have to live with it for a time.

My dad's card

2008-07-02T08:19:00.000-06:00

I realized I never posted my card that I did for my dad for father's day. I used the KK Originals chili pepper only this time it is done by coloring the stamp with Watercolor Crayons, misting with water then stamping.

Paper: Kraft, Ruby Red, White, Certainly Celery
Ink: Ruby Red, Old Olive
Watercolor Crayons: Assorted Reds and Greens from SU Watercolor Wonder Crayons
Stamps: KK Originals, SU Itty Bitty BG and Wonderful Wishes.
I also did some sponging on the white with Ruby Red and on the Celery with Old Olive.
He loved it!

Saturday Sampler February Block

2008-06-26T14:21:00.000-06:00

Thought I had better post another block from my Saturday Sampler Quilt.

I like this block a whole lot better.

I found the block I want to use to replace my January block with. It is called "Bird's Nest". But I think I'll wait until the last month of blocks (September, I think) so that I can use my September fabric in two blocks. So you will have to wait to see what it looks like! Sorry!

Prismacolor matches for SU In Colors....

2008-06-24T15:14:00.000-06:00

How about my 'wild' and 'off the cuff' estimates (ala JanTInk) as to which colors might match the new 2008-2009 In Colors? Anybody interested?

Here's what I think. Please be forewarned that I am working with MY printer's interpretations of what MY monitor had on it from SOMEBODY's camera took a picture of. (Hmmmm...what does that say about my guesses???) Oh well, it is STILL just a guess!

Pink Pirouette...I'll send everyone hunting for another discontinued color...1014 Deco Pink
Riding Hood Red...hard choice but I'll try...923 Scarlet Lake or 924 Crimson Red
Tangerine Tango...921 Pale Vermillion or 1001 Salmon Pink (pink???)
Kiwi Kiss...1005 Limepeel (will this be a darker shade of River Rock?)
Baja Breeze...1087 Powder Blue or 1023 Cloud Blue
Pacific Point...1100 China Blue

So, we'll see how I came out when I get my paper!

Just an FYI...Here is the thread at SCS that has the Prismacolor-SU matches:

Sisterhood 19!

2008-06-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

I am now "official"! Part of Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers Group 19, that is. So welcome to my sisters, and I am looking forward to visiting you all regularly. I have already made the rounds once this morning, but I really NEED to get busy on some chores. So I had best sign out and get busy!

Bright Baby Card

2008-06-18T12:12:00.000-06:00

This is a card I made a while back, but didn't get to post it yet. I was messing around with some scraps of "stuff" I had hanging around...this is a piece of unused OSW that begged to be used. I also had an extra "baby girl" from my daughter's baby announcements. "Eureka! They both used Cameo Coral! Wonder if I can use them together?!" So, with the addition of some patterned paper this is the result. I kinda like it!
You can see the deets in my SCS gallery here.

Rubbernecker Blogger Challenge RBC14

2008-06-17T10:04:00.000-06:00

Was browsing my favorite blogs and picked up the Rubbernecker Challenge for this week on Jeanne's Inky Paws blog. Here is the post for the challenge...check it out...it was a bunch of fun this morning!
I love black and white...but this challenge was with a "pop of color"...and you need to use either a Rubbernecker, KK Originals, or Jeanne Streiff collection stamp. At least they do if you want to be eligible for the monthly prize!
Here is my card.

I used:
KK Originals chili pepper 49-14 Southwest Spice...
Black and white paper
Cuttlebug Swiss dots folder
Double stitched ribbon
SU Craft ink in Real Red and Green Galore
Clear embossing powder
SCS sketch challenge SC164

The Saturday Sampler Quilt--January Square

2008-06-16T07:02:00.000-06:00

The Fig Leaf, one of our local quilt shops, has a Saturday quilt club called the Saturday Sampler. It costs $10 to join and the quilt you make has 9 larger squares. Each month you make one square from the provided pattern and fat quarter (plus any other fabrics you may desire) and bring it to the next meeting. The kicker is that if you finish your block and come to the club meeting, you get the next fat quarter free. If not...oops! you pay for your fat quarter! Keeps you quilting!
While the patterns are the same for everyone (I'd guess about 120 are doing the club) we had three color combinations to choose from. The first was the colors of the sample quilt, in rose and sage colors. The second was fabrics for Christmas. The third was called Tulip Nouveau after the fabric line from Northcott fabrics, and this is what I chose to work with. The focus fabric is a large tulip pattern fabric in reds, yellow, green, and black. I chose extra fabrics in those colors with a background in white-on-white.
I didn't join until later, but I got my January square done just in time for February. This is it:

I'm not absolutely loving this square. By the time I finish them all I am thinking I will replace this square with a different pattern. The rest of the squares are more "star" or "pinwheel" shape patterns.
Have a great day!

Inspiration Challenges

2008-06-11T09:02:00.000-06:00

I seem to like the inspiration challenges...get my creative juices flowing a bit more than some of the others. So, here are a few from the last few days. This first one is SCS inspiration challenge 117...details on the card are in my SCS gallery.

This next card is for SCS inspiration challenge 107...again the details on this card are in my SCS gallery.

My last one for today is for Beate's inspiration challenge 17...see my gallery for the details.

Tour of my "Workshop"

2008-06-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

I thought you might like to see where I work. This picture is of the cabinet and shelves that has all my stamping and scrapbooking 'stuff' in them. The shelves have paper, art supplies, layout books, quilting books and patterns, knitting books, sewing books, and some of my genealogy books. On top of the cabinet are some bins that have things to alter and all my oldie stuffed animals are on top of the bookcases. I have all my dolls (from when I was a kid, as well as my mother's and grandmother's dolls) on shelves on the other side of the room. Alas, even since I took these pictures, I cleaned up and rearranged the shelves just a bit!

This is the lower section of my cabinet. I just made the new shelf unit because I was tired of the 'mess'. I keep paper in full sheets and half sheets on the shelf, along with some larger card/envelope sets. On top I have my templates, extra grid paper, and my Scor-Pal that I *just* got. I LOVE it! In the drawers are ribbon, hardware, reinkers, etc...stuff I don't have at hand all the time.

This drawer worktable is also in the lower section of my cabinet. Since I took the picture I added a whole lot of punches! Now they are along the 'back' of the table and the small ones are in a basket.

This is the upper section of the cabinet. I have corkboard on the doors and some metal strips to hold magnetic baskets. I think I need a few more! Yes, there are really 72 drawers in here...I bought the Sterilite 3 drawer units and tossed the plastic thingy the drawers came in. I had a friend build the cabinet especially for those drawers. All my stamp sets, stamp pads, heatgun, EP, tools, brads'n'stuff, sponges, quarter-sheet and smaller paper, etc are all here, believe it or not!

This is a closeup of some of the drawers. I stamped the images and reduced to 25% and placed them all on the front of the drawer. Works as an index of sorts.

And this is what the inside of one of those drawers looks like. My sets are all unmounted. I have stamped the images on a card, put the name sticker on the card, and put the rubber (on EZMount) on the back of the card, behind the image. I haven't yet unmounted the wheels. I think I plan to, though.

This is what the lowest drawers are like. Bottom row holds tools. Next up is paper, then stamp pads and prismacolors, then embellishments and sponges.

This is a paper drawer. In the front are all quarter sheets. I try to keep the paper colors together. In back are scraps. This drawer looks pretty neat right now!

I didn't include pictures of the insides of my other drawers or of the drawers with neutrals but they're similar to what I have here. It is a comfortable place to work...when it is clean! (it doesn't look like these pictures today, though!)
Enjoy!

Taking time...

2008-06-09T14:20:00.000-06:00

I am realizing that if I want to do this right, I will have to "make the time" for what I really want to do. I am definitely not a journaler, and I have a 'learning difference' that makes it difficult for me to get what is in my head down on paper...or in the case of this blog...on the computer screen. But I will have to JUST DO IT! as the saying goes.

I quit my job to be available to my kids...being a grandma...and that is what I am doing. It gives me lots less hours in the day to do other things, but it is oh, so rewarding. I love my little ones...Owen and Eden, Emerson, and Danika and Maeilyn. They are little miracles! And the oldest just turned three...the youngest is three months old! Three came in just 4 months!

I'm doing a sampler quilt class/club right now. The quilt has 9 large squares, all different. We had a choice of three different color themes: Christmas, rose/green, or a black/red tulip design. I chose the last one...and am having fun with it! It is TOTALLY out of my comfort zone for colors. I'll post some pictures of my squares in a couple of days (hopefully)!

I made a collection of cards this morning. I have decided I prefer the clean and simple style. I like looking at the complex ones, and I make a lot of them, but I think I like the simple look better. My hubby does, for sure! Here are some of them. I apologize for the dark pics...will use a bit more light next time.

This card has no layers! The stamp set is Time Well Spent, from Stampin' Up. Stamped with Basic Black and colored with watercolor pencils and an aquapainter. It is for SCS Inspiration Challenge #68.

This is one of the graduation cards that I made for all the guy grads at church. The girls got the Swiss dots CB folder instead. Simple, but elegant. The stamp is from Hero Arts, and the mortarboard is from a package I got in the scrapbooking section at WalMart.

Thanks for visiting today!

Inspiration everywhere!

2008-05-12T10:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday at church I was sitting behind my daughter's childhood friend and her family. Beth had on a cute blouse that just begged to be inspiration for a card! It said, "Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip" to me, and I could not resist trying out the combination in a card today. Here is what I came up with...

Have a great week!

See details in my SCS gallery post

I'm in over my head!!

2008-05-06T09:01:00.001-06:00

Greetings to everyone who made it this far!

I decided to take the plunge and start a blog. Don't ask me why...probably because I thought it would be fun. You really don't want to know the frustration it took to get to this point though!

I don't plan to limit myself to what I include here. You may find some cards and some scrapbooking, some quilts, maybe some books I'm reading...even family, faith, and friends.

Stay tuned!