For Michelle

I'm dedicating this posting to my friend Michelle H. . . . . . blah, blah, blah. . . . (can you believe she finds my postings boring???? LOL! Love ya Michelle!

Now onto serious business! I think my loss of mojo isn't actually lost mojo but rather over whelming stimulus because there is so much inspiration that I become unable to decide which sketches and stamps and colors and. . . . . Well, I'm taking the first steps to wade through and craft again.

Here is a close up of the butterfly.


I started with sketch #47 from 2Sketches4You and decided to make a butterfly my central image. I chose a butterfly from IBFS Things With Wings. Copics Color Challenge #53 provided the colors for the butterfly; Y17, YG03 & C7 (I added YG00.) I sprayed Shimmerz Spritz Babys Breath to give it some shimmer.

Here is the complete card.


The background layer uses the Rainbow Double TJ technique. (You have to be a TJ member to have access to this technique.) The stamps used with this layer are from Sweet N Sassy Stamps called Dream Silhouettes and is a retired clear stamp set. I'm not sure if Korin offers it as a digi.

Stamps: (IBFS), Dream Silhouettes (SNSS); Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), VersaMarker, Certainly Celery; Whisper White Craft (SU); Paper: Wild Wasabi, glossy, So Saffron, Solar White (Neenah); Accessories: Doily Lace boarder Punch (Martha Stewart), Night of Navy Grosgrain ribbon, white embossing powder, pearl dew drops (generic).

Frog Valentine

I first wanted to show you a picture of my Valentine. Before I even got out of bed this morning I had TWO Valentines from my little guy! He used his cardstock but my glitter pens (asking afterward if it was okay! Hahah!)


I was going to post a picture of his Valentines to me, but Blogger won't allow me up upload another picture right now. I will note that the first Valentine's card opened backwards, or perhaps his heart was just upside down! ;)

Before I show you the card I made my DS I wanted to send out a "Thank You!" I actually WON a new set illustrated by Theresa Momber from GinaK's sneak peek last week called Hang In There. Theresa is terrifically talented! I just love seeing her artwork and tutorials. She definitely inspired my card, not just because I used her set. You see, the night I saw on Gina's blog that I had won, my DS came downstairs to get me and I was so excited I showed him the set and a couple of DT samples before I took him back up to bed. Well, he commented that perhaps I could make him a Valentine's card using the cute frogs (he's ALL boy! LOL!) I told him I would if the set arrived in time, (I definitely wasn't expecting it that soon you know, there's always hope.) Imagine my surprise when a package arrived in my mailbox Friday! YES!! It was here and without further ado here is the card I made for him.


I had to take several pictures to get a good shot of this. This card uses the Double Embossed Metal TJ Technique. I was at Hobby Lobby several months ago in the framing section (not usually in that section of HL) and found this roll of soft aluminum on sale so I bought it. I KNEW I'd be able to use it for something! Thanks so much Pat for the inspiration!

The layout is from today's CPS card sketch #154. They actually posted it a bit early (last night) to their Facebook page so I immediately started to use it for this card.

Can you see Theresa's influence on this card? After I colored this cute little guy using my Copic Markers I masked him and sponged all around him. I really like how this turned out!

The DP was embossed with the Leafy Branch folder and brayered Bamboo Leaves (Memento) over to highlight the embossing.

Thanks for reading this far!! Happy Valentine's Day!

Stamps: Hang in There (GinaK); Ink: Memento: Bamboo Leaves, New Sprout, Dandelion & Cantaloupe, SU Basic Black Marker (sentiment); Paper: Wild Wasabi, Neenah Solar White, DCWV Old World textured mat; Accessories: Cuttlebug & Leafy Branch EB folder, Soft Aluminum sheet, Heart punch (Emagination), Large Sponges, Copic Markers: G02, G09, G28, E43, E44, E49, YG00, YG03, YG63.

Yes, I'm still here. . . .

I've been so caught up with the holidays, my DH deploying and getting my DS and I on our routine I've just not had the mojo for stamping. Well, I needed a card for a friend and was motivated to receive a digi freebie from Sweet N' Sassy Stamps (SNSS) on Paper Craft Planet (PCP) that I put together a card. The challenge was an inspiration challenge for "The princess and the frog."

Here is the version I entered at PCP:


To receive the early bird freebie your card had to be uploaded by 10pm and I made it by minutes! After I posted this I noticed that my dew drop moved and required fixing. I went ahead and made some upgrades to the card at that time.

I used this week's sketch by 2 Sketches 4 You, isn't it lovely? I did turn it on it's side so I could use this princess image. Color combo from SCS CC254 was to use Bashful Blue, Soft Suede, Ruby Red and any neutral. I colored using my Copics. Here is the upgraded card:


Stamps: Princess, Forget Me-Nots (both from SNSS); Ink: Tuxedo Black & Summer Sky (Memento), Close to Cocoa (SU); Paper: Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, Solar White (Neenah), Bashful Blue D/P (SU); Accessories: dew drop (generic) Distress stickles, clear atyou Spica, Copic markers, sponge, brown ribbon (American Crafts) brad (SU).

Roaring Birthday

My DS is attending a friend's birthday tomorrow and I've been wanting to make a shadow box card for Challenge #13 for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ. I also wanted to use some of my darling PMS stamps that I've been collecting! Right now PMS is having a blog hop and in conjunction with their Makeup 4 the Week-end Challenge. The challenge is to use Olive, Navy & Mustard on your card. So here is my Olive, Navy & Mustard Shadowbox!


I colored Rex with my Copic markers. I used the Out of the Box technique with this shadowbox. I thought it would be fun when DS's friend opens the card! He is turning 7 so I think he'll like it.

I used Just For Fun's grass stamp. That little grass stamp comes in quite handy!
Here is a top view so you can see the shadowbox depth. The tutorial for this shadowbox is at SCS here.

So, do you think he'll like it?

Stamps: Rex & sentiment (PMS), Grass (JFF), Ink: Old Olive, Rich Cocoa (Momento) Paper: Night of Navy, Old Olive, Whisper White, More Mustard; Accessories: Copic Markers, Pop Dots, Coluzzle.

Patriotic

Hello. . . . . testing. . . . is anyone out there? ;)

With no mojo and our family's focus on my DH getting ready to deploy I just haven't created in awhile. Until last night. Our local Officer Spouses' Club had a luncheon today with the theme of Make It, Bake It, Fake It. Until last night, I had nothing to take. Then the guilt came flooding in and I hit my craft room and SCS. I wanted to use a new stamp set from SU that had been so far uninked. Courage is a beautiful stamp set and I so wanted to use it. I found a beautiful card at Splitcoast to CASE. Gotta love SCS when you have both a mojo and time crunch! Nikki's card was perfect for the job!

Here are the four cards I made. They are all the same with the exception of the sentiment I used. Three of the sentiments are from the Services & Sacrifices stamp set. There's a lot of layers here, more than I normally use, but I love the feel of these cards. I did add a layer inside (forgot to take a photo) where I stamped the star from the Wanted set in VersaMark along the side borders onto kraft c/s. With all the layers on the front it helped give the back of the card some strength and provided a lighter surface to write on.


My friend Rose ended up winning this set. She is so gifted and crafty herself that it was a honor that she would even want my cards! Thanks for making my day Rose!

Stamps: Courage, Services & Sacrifice, Wanted; Ink: Rich Cocoa (Momento), Close to Cocoa; Paper: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Kraft, Very Vanilla; Accessories: copper brads, 1/16th" hole punch, Destressor tool, Ticket Corner Punch, sponge.

Kip

I won this little guy in one of the challenges over at PMS forums. During their monthly release they post a couple of challenges and you have a week to complete the challenge. So I won a challenge and since my DS loves all sports I just HAD to get Kip! Well, my nephew (9 months older than Troy) also LOVES baseball so I inked Kip up for my nephew's birthday. I used one of the challenges at the PMS forum for this card. The challenge was a card sketch with some additions (sparkle, button, layers & PINK: see those cheeks and mouth? LOL!) I hope his card arrives in time and that he can recognize that Kip is wearing a NY Yankee's uniform! Well, I did my best with that part! Anyway, my nephew is living with my brother in S. Korea and tomorrow is his birthday so "Happy birthday Gabe!"


I tried using a gray marker for the pin stripes but it was too dark and I didn't want to start over so I stamped Kip two more times and used a pencil for the stripes. I cut out his new uniform out and from the second image I cut just the mitt so Kip has a bit of paper tole going on.

I wanted the brown layer to have a leather feel to it so I misted some water onto it and wrinkled it and spread it back out. When it was dry I did direct to paper with some Close to Cocoa to help it look worn.

I used Just For Fun's Grass stamp for the grass at Kip's feet in two different greens to add depth. I used a VersaMarker over the image of Kip and clear embossed him before I sponged the green and blue background.

Thanks for taking a look! Have a fabulous day!
Melissa

Stamps: Kip (PMS) Grass (Just For Fun), Ink: Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves & New Sprout (Memento); Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa, Ballet Blue & Green Galore (SU); Paper: Night of Navy, Chocolate Chip, Polar White (Neenah), Accessories: CB, Nestabilities, clear EP, VersaMark Pen, Clear Spica pen, neutral button (SU) and blue hemp cord, pencil, various Copic markers and multiliner .03.