Good Morning! During the past week, I’ve been working on some samples for the Rubbernecker Booth at the Akron stamp show. Both Shelly and I will be there working, so if you are attending, be sure to stop by the booth and say hi! I worked up the card I’m going to show you today, last week. Then, when I saw the colors for today’s Rubbernecker Blogger Challenge, RBC05 (red, green and yellow), and believe me I didn’t make it for the challenge, it will work. Actually, I spaced the challenge this week. I was out of town yesterday visiting with Mallory, and when I went to check on the colors, I remembered I had made this sample, Ethel in her yellow polka dot bikini!

This was a fun card to make, and just my try at a little scene. I stamped the image of Ethel, drew the pool and deck area, and then colored with Copic Markers. Every time I color Ethel, she so reminds me of one of my mother’s friends from Florida. As long as a can remember, my mother’s friend has had very darkly tanned skin and white hair. She always wears bright colors that typically have some type of bling on them. I just can’t help myself - Ethel must be tan and dressed just a tad bit bodacious! In this instance, her red bikini has polka dots made with yellow Liquid Pearls. Her earrings, glasses and shoes were outlined or colored with a Gold Spica Glitter Pen. To add some dimension to the images, I used Ranger Glossy Accents on her glasses to make the lenses. The background paper is BasicGrey Infuse that I stitched to a background panel of dark brown. I’m a little ticked with myself that I stamped the sentiment crooked, but the card was already done and it was a last minute decision to stamp in on the Designer Paper and not make another panel. Maybe Ethel had a few too many Bahama Mamas while floating in the pool! Rum can make some of us do silly things!

Stamps: Rubbernecker Old Characters Collection Decorate Text SKU:78-07 and Ethel In Swimsuit SKU:74-06 from Rubbernecker Stamp Company

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Light and Dark Brown; BasicGrey Infuse

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black and Espresso

Accessories: Copic Markers; Gold Spica Glitter Pen; Ranger Glossy Accents and Lemon Yellow Liquid Pearls; Sewing Machine; Ribbon; Brads; Mounting Tape

You can find more samples for today’s Rubbernecker Blogger Challenge on the blogs of the following Design Team Members: Broni, Kittie, Shelly, Candy and Jeanne. Don’t forget that Rubbernecker is having their Spring Madness Overstock Sale, and for every $50 you spend, you get a free stamp. Shipping is also free on orders of $75.00. You can check out all the deets on the Rubbernecker Home Page.

Well, I guess I’m done babbling now and I hope all of you have a great day! Nope I’m not either. Don’t forget to check out the stamps I’ve got for sale — there just might be something there you need! Now I’m done.

You know how sometimes you start a project and it ends up something entirely different. This has happened quite often with me lately. I have one half assembled card and one colored image on my desk now that was supposed to be one card. I colored the image taking my colors with the designer paper I was going to use. I got my layout together, assembled the backgrounds, worked on my embellishments, and then when I laid the image on top - well, it really doesn’t work. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet. Replace the image with a sentiment or try the image anyway. There actually is a twist with the image and designer paper, which is why I chose it. Maybe it’s the embellishments I worked up that don’t work. I’ll keep looking at it for a day or so and try a few other things.

This same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. There was an inspiration challenge to make a card based on something in your home. I picked the framed quilt pieces in my stamp room. I had this idea that it would be cool to stamp out a heart, cut it up into 1″ squares and do an inchie heart. So that is exactly what I did. Then the heart was too big and overpowering for a card front. So I switched to a canvas. As I was standing there studying the canvas, the heart was too small. I needed to add more to it! I had just gotten some new sentiments that I pulled out, studied them and it hit me. I knew what to do! I stamped the same heart image on the grunge board and cut it out. Wings were added to the heart, sentiments were inked and stamped, and an old watch was torn apart. I think the watch may have been my dad’s or my grandfather’s. It was in a bag of old jewelry that my mother gave me some time back. The watch = TIME. Take TIME to

The canvas painted with a Ranger Lemonade Acrylic Paint Dauber and inked with Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The heart image was stamped in Vintage Photo on the Grunge Board and then cut out. The heart was then inked with Fired Brick Distress Ink and misted with Fired Brick - Gold Shimmer Mist. The Grunge Board wings were painted with a Snow Cap Acrylic Paint Dauber and then covered with Old Paper Crackle Paint.

Once they were dry and cracked, the wings were then misted with Old Paper - Gold Shimmer Mist. To attach the wings to the heart, I punched holes on either side and stitched them together with black hemp twine.

The sentiments were stamped in Archival Jet Black in and the heart and watch parts were attached with Matte Accents.

Stamps: KK Originals Sentiment Collection Believe SKU:69-09 KK, Create SKU:69-07 KK, Follow Your Dreams SKU:69-10 KK, and Live SKU:69-17 KK; Stamp Oasis Graphics Collection Postage Heart SKU:1679 SO from Rubbernecker Stamp Company

Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black, Tim Holtz Old Paper, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick and Worn Lipstick Distress Ink

Accessories: 6×8 Artist Canvas; Tim Holtz Grunge Board Basics and Elements; Ranger Snow Cap and Lemonade Acrylic Paint Daubers, Mini Mister, Gold Perfect Pearls, Matte Accents; Hole Punch; Black Hemp Twine; Old Timex Watch; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber

I hope you have a terrific day today! I’m heading out to spend some time with Mallory.

Can you believe it’s Thursday already? I can’t! Not only that, I can’t believe it’s already afternoon here. We are still having some technical difficulties with the blogs, but I have no doubt that the guys will figure it out. They have been working the last few days and are probably screaming as loudly as we are. I’ve got to give them props though, they are the best!

A few days ago I was out walking the dogs and noticed that my Bleeding Hearts were starting to bloom, but the Hyacinth are so pretty this year that I had to snap a picture.

You can just barely see the Bleeding Hearts in the background. I also see the Astilbe peaking up behind the Hyacinth. I also see tons of work to be done in the flower bed and should really be out there while it’s pretty and not in the house. I also need to move some hostas from the front walk, but I keep procrastinating. Do you think the gardening fairies will come visit?

Today’s Ways to Use it Challenge on Splitcoast is to find ways to use eyelets, grommets, etc. Now lets face it, I’m not an eyelet person. I LOVE my brads and never ever reach for anything that resembles an eyelet. For me, this definitely WAS a challenge!

The image was stamped, and then cut out with rectangle Nestabilities. I embossed it, and then using the die as a stencil, the background was airbrushed very lightly. I colored the image with Copic Markers, and then decided that it was too flat and highlighted the flowers with Spica Glitter pens. Which, you can’t even see in the photo. The background paper, my new BasicGrey Cupcake, was sewn to a panel of SU Old Olive. The grommet was inserted into the triangle panel (it helps if you have something that will set these things – I thought a Crop-o-dile would – BWAHAHAHAHAHA), and the ribbon was wrapped around the background panel, up through the grommet and tied in a bow. I was a little bothered with the size of the flower panel, and decided to cut a larger scalloped panel for the bottom. I then raised the top panel with mounting tape. I like it better.

Stamps: Thanks Bunches from Lizzie Anne Designs

 

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; SU Old Olive; BasicGrey Cupcake

 

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black

 

Accessories: Copic Markers, Airbrush System and Spica Glitter Pens; Spellbinders Rectangle Nestabilities and Wizard; Karen Foster Favorite Things Grommet; Sewing Machine; Ribbon

I hope all of you have a terrific day and if the sun is shining where you are – enjoy! It’s gonna be in the mid-70’s here today but we are expecting thunderstorms. I need to catch up on some projects I have going and I keep getting farther and farther behind.

Well, we have been having some technical difficulties today on the SCS blogs. There was an upgrade last night and some of us lost our blogroll and categories. Well actually they are there, we just can’t get to them. I’m sure that the great guys behind the scenes will have it fixed for us very soon! Anyhoo, I’m going to keep this simple today.

This card is the SCS Sketch Challenge today. I don’t know why I drug my heels all day in getting to this, it’s really a very simple and quick card. More me anyway!

I cut the ovals out with Nestabilities, and then stamped the sentiment on the white oval. The background paper is my NEW Sugared by BasicGrey. I stitched it to a pink panel, tied the ribbon and then layered it onto the card. The heart is actually a charm from an old piece of jewelry that I had in some stash.

Stamps: Winged Mother from Lizzie Anne Designs

 

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Prism Herbal Garden Medium and Iced Pink, BasicGrey Sugared

 

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Espresso and Shell Pink

 

Accessories: Spellbinders Wizard and Oval Nestabilities, Ribbon, Old Jewelry

I have to say, that I couldn’t get the photo adjusted just right, and the colors are somewhat off from the actual card, but I always find that with pink.

Hope you guys had a great day today!

I have finally finished today’s Color Challenge on Splitcoast. It’s only taken me all day! I colored the image once, had it ready to go and messed it up. I started all over, had a few interruptions, and finally got it finished after dinner.

I stamped the image, and colored it with Copic Markers. As I was working on the background, it occurred to me that it might be fun to add a sand trap around the green. Uphill green, sand in front — makes for one tough hole. If you under hit - you’re in the sand, over hit - you’re down the other side. I’ve played a few holes like this before. You hit the ball, hope it’s going to hit the green and stick. With any luck, if it rolls anywhere, it stays somewhere just off the fringe. The background paper was sewn to a panel of green cardstock and then layered on blue. The twill tape was sewn to the card front and then the edges were fringed. I added a few dots around the border of the sentiment and both the image and the sentiment are raised on mounting tape.

Stamps: Rubbernecker Old Characters Collection 78-04 Ralph Golfing and 74-12 Paradise Text from Rubbernecker Stamp Company

Paper: Georgia Pacific White, Navy Blue, Green, and BasicGrey Aged and Confused Vagabond

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black and Archival Jet Black

Accessories: Copic Marker, Sewing Machine, Twill Tape, Brads; Mounting Tape

I hope everyone has had a great day and it was nearly as hectic as my own!