I was going to say good morning, but I just realized it’s already afternoon. Happy Friday instead! I hope everyone had a fulFILLING Thanksgiving and have plenty of leftovers for the rest of the weekend. I do! We ended up throwing a quick meal together but still ended up with way too much food – that the fun part – it’s all about the food!

Last night while cruising and chatting on Splitcoast, I noticed that Jen had already posted today’s Limited Supply Challenge. Well I went to check it out, debated about making a card last night or this morning instead. I had a little time, wasn’t sleepy yet, and decided to go ahead and make my challenge card. I got it all done, was getting ready to take my picture and went back and read the instructions for the limited supplies. Hmmpf – I had added one too many embellishments. One embellishment allowed – I had ribbon and brads. I asked in the thread about it and received a message back from Jen – layers okay, punches okay (one specialized tool of choice), but ribbon and brads no. One more thing – it’s all about neutrals with just a pop of color.

Now I have two cards. I have the one I made last night (more is more) and the one I made this morning. I’m gonna show you my actual challenge card first:

The background is made with the swirl from Baroque Motifs and different snowflakes from Snow Burst. Using different colors of neutral inks and some creative off stamping and over stamping, I mixed the two sets to create the background. For the image layer, I stamped the snowflakes and used punches to create the different layers and the holes in the scallops. The sentiment is from a set that I found at Hobby Lobby last year. I choose Very Vanilla and River Rock as my neutrals and Purely Pomegranate for my little pop of color.

Stamps: SU Baroque Motifs and Snow Burst, Unknown from Hobby Lobby

Paper: SU Very Vanilla and River Rock

Ink: SU Purely Pomegranate and River Rock, Tim Holtz Vintage Photo and Antique Linen Distress Inks

Accessories: Uchida Punches, Large Oval Punch, Push Pin, River Rock and Purely Pomegranate Ribbon, Sponge Dauber, Mounting Tape

Here is my first card I made with the brads (before I read the details of the challenge in their entirety). I guess I have a less is less and more and more card today!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far! I’ve been working the last couple of days on some projects that need to get done, but I wanted to sneak in some fun too. Both my mother and my aunt are wanting some funny birthday cards. I can’t remember the last time I stamped anything haha funny, so I’m starting to do a little here and there. First off, I need to replenish the card stash, but I also need to get some creative juices flowing with funny stuff. This morning I finished up a project, went to Splitcoast to check the Inspiration Challenge, and wasn’t all that interested. I wanted to stamp, but not something I had to do. Anyhoo, here’s what I did!

Ethel was colored with Copic markers and there’s just a touch of Sakura Gelly Roll Glitter Pen on the pom pons on her shoes. I call her Ethel because she is from the Murray & Ethel unmounted sheet from Rubbernecker Stamps. Another one of those that I picked up at Orlando Stampfest. I could actually see Ethel in an old flannel robe, so I stamped the background with Flannel Plaid. The sentiment is also from this collection, and is raised on mounting tape. Another not heavily embellished, simple card for mailing.

Stamps: Murray & Ethel from Rubbernecker Stamps

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, SU Real Red and Basic Black

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Real Red

Accessories: SU Red and Black Gingham Ribbon, Copic Markers, Pilot Black Gel Pen, Mounting Tape, Sakura Gelly Roll Glitter Pen

By the way, the Rubbernecker stamp site is still under re-construction, but I understand that it will be open very soon.

TGIF! It seems like this has been a very long week. So much has happened here, and most of it not stamping related. My goal today – spend as much time as possible n the studio! I have a few deadlines looming and the need to create is close to becoming a must.

I’ve had a few emails and messages about the stamp used on the card I’m going to show you today. I actually made this card a few weeks ago for a Splitcoast Sketch Challenge, and never got around to posting here. Anyhoo, about the stamp. While walking around Stampaway in Cincinnati, I was drawn to one particular booth - Picture Show. Their stamps were so unique and different – funny stamps, serious stamps, classic stamps – and they were small and unmounted. Perfect for someone who has maxed out storage space in their studio. It was the end of the day for me when I found this booth. Money was running low so I was only able to pick up a few stamps – some that I thought were absolutely hilarious with unlimited possibilities. When I checked out, I asked the husband of the owner if they had a website. Much to my dismay, NO! He said his wife just wasn’t interested in computers. So, the only way I know how to get these stamps - is to run across them at a stamping convention. If anyone has information that I am not privy too – please pass it along. I would love to have more of their stamps!

One of the stamps, is this little girl. She reminds me of Wednesday Adams but I really don’t think she has a name, just a number. Poor girl! The minute I saw her, I knew that she had many possibilities and saying EEK was one of them. So I did combine her up with the Eek sentiment from Fright Night by My Favorite Things. My aunt has requested a birthday card made with her – that is one of my projects today!

Stamps: SU Cheesecloth and Best Fiends; Girl from Picture Show; Fright Night from My Favorite Thinks

Paper: SU Basic Black, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black

Accessories: Ribbon, Circle Punches, Copic Markers, Mounting Tape

Happy Tuesday! I’ve been up and moving since 5:30 a.m., when the pups nosed their way into the bedroom and started jumping at the bed. They do this most mornings, but I don’t always hear them – I did this morning though! Actually this might be a good thing because there are a lot of things I want to get done today. Meaning, I would love to spend the entire day in the studio stamping!

I grabbed that first cup of coffee this morning and checked in on the Color Challenge on Splitcoast. The colors today are Always Artichoke, Taken with Teal and Purely Pomegranate. Now I have to say that my first instinct on these colors was yuck! But, let me tell you, I do like them together. I don’t know if I will make many cards with these colors, but it is a fabulous combination.

I combined two sets for this card, using the large single flower from True Friend as on the layers on the medallion element. All of the edges of the white were sponged with coordinating colors and both the medallion/flower and the sentiment are raised on mounting tape.

Stamps: True Friend, Baroque Motifs

Paper: Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate, Always Artichoke

Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Always Artichoke, Taken with Teal

Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware, Large Copper Brad, Double-Stitched Purely Pomegranate Ribbon, Mounting Tape, Sponge Dauber

Wow. I can’t believe it’s Friday already! My house is quiet, my chores and errands are done, and I still haven’t found all the stamping time I wanted. Well, I did last night – when I should have been in bed. I was on my way to bed last night around 12:30 and ready to sign-off on the computer when I checked the Limited Supply Challenge on Splitcoast for today. Much to my joy, the challenge was posted and I was going to be able to sleep on what I wanted to do. I logged off the computer, shut everything down, and was heading to the laundry room to turn off all the lights, etc., and stopped at my counter. Bad move! The smell of ink, paper and rubber was too much to resist. Ideas were flowing - - I felt the need, THE NEED TO STAMP!

The Limited Supply Challenge, is just that – limited supplies. Today’s challenge is to make a Sympathy card with flowers. One background stamp only (big, little or another turned into a background stamp - but only one). One Sentiment stamp, no Cuttlebug or similar tools, and embellishments are limited to your style.

At 2:00 a.m., the basic layers of this card looked good (in my mind anyway), and then this morning the rest of it came together. I just had to have the set Blossoms Abound and I’ve used it once before this card, and Flannel Plaid just seems to go with everything. The flowers are stamped with VersaMagic chalk inks, and Flannel Plaid is stamped in Very Vanilla. The edges of all the panels are also sponged in the Very Vanilla just to add a little interest. Now, please note: I used 2 brads instead of 20, 1 ribbon and 1 bow instead of 2 or 3, and I only have 6 layers instead of 9 – and I put my background panel directly on the card – I NEVER do that!!!!! Plus, I actually stamped the sentiment on the image – normally I would have stamped it separately, layered it with something else and more than likely raised it up on mounting tape. Oh, and there’s no sewing. I did good, I did real good (here it my southern drawl)!

Stamps: Blossoms Abound and Warmest Regards

Paper: Whisper White, Very Vanilla

Ink: Very Vanilla; VersaMagic Spanish Olive, Hint of Pesto, Aegean Blue and Sea Breeze

Accessories: Brads, Ribbon, Corner Rounder, Square Punch, Sponge Dauber