I can’t believe that it is already 3:15 on Saturday! I have worked in the studio all morning to finish one card (that I actually started yesterday) – Oh My Badness! I have so many other projects that NEED to get done, but I was absolutely hell bent on getting this card finished. I started coloring this image yesterday afternoon, experimenting with Copic markers and different types of paper. Even though I had a couple of brief lessons from Jeanne in Orlando, yesterday was the first time I sat down to play. I actually emailed her last night and asked what the heck I was doing wrong – she knew right away without even looking! Hmmmmmmmm, I think she knows me!!!!!

My Favorite Things is releasing a new set tomorrow, Hit the Beach, and what a fun set it is. You’ll be able to find this set along with all the others by visiting their website at My Favorite Things.

I ended up stamping the main images with Adirondack Pitch Black Ink on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Cover and then colored with the Copic markers. To give the image of sand around the images, I sponged on VersaMagic Sahara Sand and then distressed the edges of the main image and the sentiment. (I don’t think I’ve distressed an MFT card yet, but this one seemed to call for it!) The cabana was made with the Brunch Collection from Crate Paper that I picked up from Jacksonbelle Embellishments. The overhang for the cabana was created by placing two score marks 1/4 apart and attaching to the Green Galore background layer and then raised on the front of the card with dimensionals. This was a fun card to make once I got over my hang up with the Copic Markers.

Stamps: Hit the Beach by My Favorite Things

Ink: VersaMagic Sahara Sand, Adirondack Pitch Black

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Green Galore, Brunch Collection by Crate Paper

Accessories: Copic Markers, Ribbon, Dimensionals, Scissors for Distressing, Sanding Block, Sponge, Various sizes of Circle Punches

Oh my this week has gone fast! I’m still somewhat disorganized and really need to pull it all together this afternoon - while I’m doing all the things DD#2 wants me to do, yeah right! Can we say multi-multi-task . . . AND the puppy still will not leave my side! At least someone missed me last week while I was gone!

I’m still trying to play with all the rubbah I have gotten the last month or so. I actually have so much new stuff that I may never use it all – I could possible use something new every day for quite some time – now this is absolutely astounding, because I can’t find half the stuff I did buy last week! Something else to organize a little better than it is.

I checked in on the Limited Supply Challenge on Splitcoast this morning and I have to say that this little card that I made took me way too much time! No Flowers – no flowers for patterned paper, no flower stamps, no flower embellishing tools, but we could use primas or silk flowers. Can you imagine how hard it is for me to find a stamp without flowers at this moment! Pretty durn hard! So in my attempt to use new stamps, I pulled out something new from Inky Antics (not saying what it is, cause I ended up using something else). I colored that little image close to 5 times and finally hung it up! More - new rubbah! Yes, that’s what I needed. So I went to the cabinet and finally settled on this cute little image that I picked up from eclectic Paperie some time back (still uninked).

I once again colored the new image (with Copic markers) and still very unhappy with the outcome, stamped it out a few more times and settled on Prismacolor pencils and some new little tools that I picked up at Stampfest. They probably should be used for photo tinting and inks, but I found that they work well with turpenoid and blending! What are they you ask? Ranger Cut-n-Dry pen nibs. They aren’t but about 2″ long and 1/8″ round with a great little sharp point!

Anyhoo, here’s my card for todays Limited Supply Challenge.

The image, Stampendous Bee Trio was stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black and then colored with Prismacolor Pencils and Turpenoid. The background paper I found in a stack that I have long forgot where it is from, but the black and white Polka Dot is from the Radiant Heartwarming Vintage Collection that I received from Crafty Secrets. The sentiment is from SU’s Quick Thinking.

Stamps: Bee Trio by Stampendous from eclectic Paperie

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black

Paper: White, Black, Unknown Background, Radiant Heartwarming Vintage Collection from Crafty Secrets

Accessories: Giga Scallop Punch, Prismacolor Pencils, Turpenoid, Ranger Cut-n-Dry Pen Nibs, Brad, American Crafts Ribbon, Mounting Tape, 3/4″ Circle Punch

I have to say, today has started off with a BANG! I woke up early, 5:00 a.m., (which tells me that I’ve finally caught up on the sleep I missed last week), and the puppy immediately ran to me for huggles! I started moving my office out of the studio this morning and now have a studio that I can stamp in. This was the idea of Daughter #2, who came in last night blabbering about her orientation trip to Ball State. She is so excited, met some new friends and will be leaving home on August 15th. Boy time sure flies!

Anyhoo, many years ago I had a customized desk built into the breakfast bar area in the kitchen. I haven’t used it for many years (mainly because I wasn’t smart enough when I designed it to accommodate a big computer monitor - duh!). So Mallory suggested that I move all my computer and office stuff to the desk to free up enough space in the studio to add a table – WOO HOO, it works! Now I just have to find a place to put the small cabinet I was using as a desk.

Ready to stamp now, I checked out the Ways to use it Challenge on Splitcoast, and the object of the challenge today is to use scallops! Yep, I can do that. Off I trot to the newly reorganized studio and begin stamping. Still wanting to use some of the new rubbah that I got while in Florida, I decided to use Farm Friends from My Favorite Things. WHAT you say – I didn’t have Farm Friends? Nope, got it from Kim while I was in Orlando!

Okay so the card is finished, I’ve taken pictures, and doorbell rings! OH YEAH it’s Mr. Brown and he has my NEW SU catties! Yes, it is a MOOvelous Day at my house today!

So, here’s my card and I’m gonna go browse the new cattie now!

The image was stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black and then water colored with reinkers. I drew the polka dots with a Signo White Gel Pen and the little pink flowers are actually outlined with a Sakura Gelly Roll Glaze Pen, but you just can’t see it in the photo. I grabbed a few scraps of Crate Paper Carnival Collection and headed to the sewing machine. Yep, Kim I sewed on an MFT card! The scallops are made with Fiskars Cloud Scissors and I used a 1/16″ hole punch to make the little holes.

Stamps: Farm Friends from My Favorite Things

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Tempting Turquoise, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Barely Banana, Pretty in Pink, Green Galore

Paper: White, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Crate Paper Carnival Collection

Accessories: Sewing Machine, Fiskars Cloud Edged Scissors, Ric-Rak, Ribbon, 1/16″ Hole Punch, Mounting Tape

I am so excited that I have some time to stamp today! I’m whompin’ some of the new rubbah that I’ve gotten recently and really haven’t had time to play with . . . and let me tell y’all, there’s lots of it! When I got up this morning, which was late (I think I’m still catching up on all the sleep I missed last week), I had in mind what I wanted to do today. Hmmmmmm, didn’t quite work for the first card!

Anyhoo, I checked in on the Sketch Challenge at SCS (yes, Roxie I got it done this week) and had to change up what I was going to work on first. Since I’ve only done a few samples with the new Baroque Motifs that was the first set I reached for (along with the new colors) for my first card today.

The swirls are stamped on Whisper White in both Soft Sky and Blue Bayou. The flowers are stamped in Purely Pomegranate. For the bottom layer, I stamped the swirls in Blue Bayou on Soft Sky and then used the Purely Pomegranate for my card base. I guess I should mention, that I used my new daubers to sponge the edges of both layers (okay, okay – a dauber addict now – I don’t have enough)!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs

Ink: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Purely Pomegranate

Paper: Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate, Blue Bayou

Accessories: Sponge Daubers, Brads, Velvet Ribbon, Mounting Tape

Someone asked me a question yesterday about the fantastix coloring tools. I do use them like a paint brush. I keep a small container of water on my desk and let the coloring tools sit in the water and soak it up, especially for water coloring. If I am using chalk inks, I just grab a little water on the end to help spread the ink more smoothly. You’ve just gotta love these little things. Now I still use a watercolor brush for small detail work, but for larger areas and highlighting around the image you can’t beat them (IMO).

I can’t believe that it has taken me all day to get unpacked, laundry done and all the goodies put away from my trip! I thought I would never get all the new stamps organized – and really they’re probably not, but at least they are stored so I can find them. I have decided however, that if either of my girls is not leaving the house soon, that I’m gonna have to do some major reorganizing of the studio.

I haven’t stamped in over a week, and I still owe Roxie a sketch challenge from last week (which she continues to remind me of) and actually found a little stamping time tonight. I did this card for today’s Color Challenge on Splitcoast, and have to admit when I first looked at the colors, my first thought was eeeeeeeeewwwwww, but hey, I find that I do like them!

I stamped one of the vases from Vases in Vogue and then drew the flowers using a calligrapher pen and Bombay Black India Ink. The image is water colored with reinkers, a paintbrush, and fantastix coloring tools. I used some of my new daubers to make the circles in the background.

Stamps: Vases in Vogue

Paper: Whisper White, Canson Watercolor Paper, Basic Black, Cool Caribbean

Ink: Black Stazon, Cool Caribbean, Pretty in Pink, Marigold Morning, Bombay Black India Ink

Accessories: Fiskars Cloud Scissors, 1/8th Circle Punch, Ribbon, Mounting Tape, Small and Large Oval Punches, Tsukineko fantastix Brush Point Coloring Tool, Calligrapher Pen, Black Gel Pen, Watercolor Brush