La La Land Weekly Wednesday Challenge-Paper Piecing

This week's challenge on La La Land's Weekly Wednesday Challenge is paper piecing. Okay, Okay...I admit to only piecing the broom, so is that cheating? Nawww.....

Actually, this witch was just too much fun to color to add too much piecing! I have to tell you, these images have taught me so much about my copics! And...I really wish all my stamps created such wonderful images. I really am a red rubber girl!

I got out all of my Halloween punches, stamps and papers and decided it was time to play with them...How fun! On this card I used some Debbee Mumm DP, and added Witch on the Broom Rosie on dimensionals. The black oval I put through a cuttlebug spider embossing folder.

There are lots of stampers joining our Wednesday challenge, you don't have to use a La La Land image, but it really is a bonus for us to get to see Irina's stamps "in action". Come join us with your paper piecing for this week's challenge.

Card details:
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Stamps: Witch on the Broom Rosie from La La Land Crafts, Sentiment is from a Studio G $1 set

Cardstock: Lavender, Black and Dusty Durango(all SU!) and Debbee Mumm DP


Ink: Memento Black for image, Versafine Black for the sentiment, copics

Misc: Martha spider web and bat punches, spider cuttlebug folder, spider web ribbon(thanks Libby), oval nestie

From Courtney's Closet Challenge #49

oh...what a fun challenge this week at From Courtney's Closet! Although I don't have any Hello Kitty type stamps...I did follow the color scheme and had to include those fun clouds on my card too! You must follow the link and see Libby's wonderful card this week...it is really creative and put together with a lot of thought!

I made the clouds by using my SU! scalloped punch and punching part of the cloud and then hand cutting the rest myself...I think that worked pretty slick.

I have been saving this Snoopy stamp for the perfect inspiration...looks like I finally found it! Looks like Snoopy and Woodstock and having a toast with ice cream cones doesn't it? I drew in the grass with my copic multi-liner (I LOVE these pens), added the clouds on pop dots and the Martha Stewart ice cream cones too.

Hello little Kitty Courtney!

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Stamps: Eating Ice Cream F1200, Partial Sentiment from Lots of Thoughts Celebration set

Cardstock: Brilliant Blue and Rose Red? by SU!, Basic Grey cupcake DP, Bo Bunny polka dot DP

Ink: Memento Black, Copics, SU! Yoyo Yellow marker for Woodstock

Misc: Martha Stewart ice cream cone punch, nesties, SU! scallop punch, dimensionals

From Courtney's Closet Challenge #48-All Things Grow With Love

This is the card I made for this week's From Courtney's Closet Challenge #48.
This week Libby had a guest "model" named Mattea. She had a a sweet little flowered dress on that we used for our inspiration.

This is a pretty simple card with some fun DP by American Crafts and some colorful buttons. I did have fun using embroidery floss to sew on the beautiful buttons.



This week's little inspiration outfit and model, Mattea. Please make sure to visit her Mom's blog Scraps by M.


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Stamps: Sentiment from the SU! set Love Matters

Cardstock: SU! Pink and Old Olive, American Crafts DP

Ink: Choc chip

Misc: Martha Sterwart border punch, Buttons by Rhonna Farrer/Autumn Leaves, Embroidery floss

House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge #44-It's Ice to be With Friends

This week's challenge at House Mouse and Friends is Paper Tole Technique. I use this technique a lot on my cards...I love the dimension it gives, although it doesn't photograph especially well. (hmmm or maybe it is the photographer ya think?)

Paper tole is when you stamp an image twice and then using the second image to cut out small pieces of the image and add it to the top of the original image to give it several layers. I tend to be a little lazy and usually only add one additional layer, but it can be very dramatic with 3 layers...You can also shape the added paper pieces by rounding the back of the added piece with an embossing stylus. Just rub the stylus over the additional piece to give it a more dramatic and/or "rounded" shape. I didn't do that on this card, but I do that on a lot of the punched flowers I use on cards.

On this card I added additional parts to the leaves at the top of the image, all the flowers, and a couple of the shells at the bottom of the image as well.

I also used my new Oval All stamp set and coordinating punch from SU! ...been waiting for the right card to use this. I did change the sentiment on the oval. I just used the words from an old celebration set and my stampamajig for placement, using scotch tape to mask out the original word.

It is over 100° here today (yesterday was 105° YIKES) so wouldn't this be just the best way to cool off!? Besides, for anyone that knows me personally...they know I NEVER go anywhere without a BIG cup of ice cubes...rain or shine!

Can you see the added pieces of leaves, flowers and shells in this pic? This stamp is the June 2006 stamp of the month.

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Stamps: Beach Cooler with Amanda, Mudpie and Muzzy (HMOR1086), Oval All and Love Note (retired)--both SU! Sentiment inside says It's Ice To Be With Friends by Stampabilities It's Ice (DR1062)

Cardstock: Pink from SU, misc blue check DP

Ink: Memento Black, Copics, SU! Markers

Misc: Dimensionals, Stampamajig, scotch tape, Martha Stewart border punch. oval and scalloped oval punch from SU!

Card size: 5 1/2 x 5 1/2

From Courtney's Closet Challenge #46-All Punches

A quick From Courtney's Closet Challenge card.

When I get really tired during harvest...I get stoooo-pid! LOL I have looked at the colors in Little Cupcake's shirt for several evenings and just could not get a good grasp of them...so I just picked out what looked like it would go and went with it. (left out the rusty color in my card)

I have a hard time comprehending things at home or conversations after 14 hours of phones ringing non-stop and people talking at me... by nightfall I should just go to bed.... I really wanted to stamp tonight but I didn't trust myself with markers or inkpads of any kind...I just know I would tatto myself, so I stuck with punches...safe for me tonight LOL! I did venture a little paper piercing and managed that fine...I didn't impale myself at least.

This card is made with SU 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 square punches, Martha border punch and the SUBoho Blossoms punch as well as the little 1/4 circle punch that is retired now. The DP is retired from SU also.

I ran the squares through the bubble cuttlebug folder to give them some texture. I paper pierced with my Tim H ruler. If you don't have one of those...you should!

That's it for tonight...off to bed!

Sweet little cupcake Courtney.

From Courtney's Closet Challenge #45-Best Friend

Little Sophie is guest starring this week on From Courtney's Closet Challenge #45.
Sophie's Mama is Katie Brooks at KB Stamps.

I used this sketch challenge from Jen del Muro at iheart2stamp.

One thing I have learned from playing along with Libby's weekly challenges, is to use what I have on hand. I didn't even come close to having any flower DP to match Sophie's flowery pants, so I made my own with an old retired stamp set from Stampin' UP! named Petite Posies. This set does get pulled out and used still...after all these years!

I took my inspiration from Jen's Sketch, Sophies pants and those "orange" pop blocks, and this week's Celebration over at Penny Black's Saturday Challenge. Now I call that multi-tasking LOL!

You can see in the first picture that everything is on dimensionals, making for some fun 3D. I even got to use my new Martha butterfly punch. NOWWWW...as my stampin buddy Charla knows, I used to have a real aversion to bug stamps...including and especially butterflies. I used to just cringe at them...(I am clueless to understand why) but I am slowly coming out of my cacoon LOL and just getting over it! Now, I am not sure Charla has gotten over her smiley face phobia tho!

Do you have a certain type of image that makes you cringe?

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Stamps: Penny Black Butterfly Wishes 2620H, Retired Stampin UP Petite Posies, Stampin Up! sentiment from Full of Life

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue and Blush Blossom from SU!

Ink: Tuxedo Black from Memento, Copics, SU! markers for the sentiment

Misc: nesties, kaiser pearls, SU twill ribbon, Martha punch, dimensionals

3 Clover's Thursday Challenge #3-Green!

This week's 3 Clover's Thursday Challenge is to use GREEN as the main color of your card and to include 3 embellishments! I am not big on embellishments, so I really had a hard time with this card. I was calling this card my "build a bear" type card...I just started with my image and sort of kept adding "stuff" to it. LOL...one of those type cards.

You all now how I love different types of stamps...so here I picked a stamp from my Winnie the Pooh collection...yes, another collection you have yet to see LOL! In this stamp, Christopher Robinson has just found a 4 leaf clover! Lucky!

If your feeling lucky this week, I hope you will join in with Kerry and the rest of us on this great challenge!

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Stamps: Pooh Looking For Luck 776G by All Night Media. Best O' Luck is a Studio G stamp cut in half so it would fit in the circle, Flexible Phrases-retired SU!

Cardstock: Lots of different paper used here...SU! YoYo Yellow, Green, DCWV green and white polka dot and Bo Bunny green dot for the card base, GP white

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, prisma pencils/oms, green

Misc: Martha Stewart punch, Paper Shaper shamrock punch, SU! hardware, misc yellow ribbon from Michaels, paper piercer, window word punch.

Three Clovers Thursday Challenge-Happy Easter!

Kerry over at Three Clovers Designs is starting a new challenge called Three Clover Thursday Challenge (TCTC) . Her challenges will be different each week and will feature an Inspiration Team .

And guess what...I get to play along!

All these wonderful stampers will take turns participating in Kerry's weekly challenge, which could be a sketch, a color, theme or something fun Kerry has chosen to tempt you all to join in!

Make sure to blog hop around and check out the other TCTC "Sisters"!

Elena Joldersma
Lisa Somerville
Kristen Catalano
Sharon Caudle
Ida Krause
Mary Jo Price-Williams

TCTC #1-Sketch Challenge

My Card's Details

I love this bunny stamp...probably because of it's shape. The plaque is on dimensionals as well as the sentiment is also on dimensionals...so this really is a 3D design!


Stamps: Easter Plaque M210-Stampendous

Cardstock: SU! Lavender Lace, GP White, Bo Bunny DP

Ink: Memento Black, SU! markers, prisma pencils/OMS

Misc: Martha Stewart border punch, misc ribbon, dimensionals, Kaiser crystals, SU corner punch

Maude is at it again!

I made this Valentine card for my Mom. She is recovering from surgery and could use a real "Maude" pick me up. This card was inspired by the lucious Valentine cards that Jennifer at Jennifer's Sweet Designs has been making. I love this card and the chocolate brown has just stuck in my mind ever since I saw her card! Be sure to check out all the wonderful Valentine's she has shared!

Susanna at Card of the Week has a sketch challenge up today that you should all try. You can see it here. Although I did change it around some, I followed the basic sketch I think!

Now, if you've been around my blog long enough...you know Maude is my favorite stamp of all time...I don't own her, but she comes to visit occasionally so I can stamp some of her images. She is quite a character! Thanks to Barb for letting Maude come visit! She is made by Art Impressions. I did paper piece her robe and bunny slippers!

If you have a "Maude" card you would like me to link here...just send me an email...

Jenny at One Krafty Kat created a Maude card.

You can see Jenny's creation here.

Coffeestamper on SCS posted this one.

bmbfield on SCS created this funny scene with Maude.

I made this one for Courtney's Closet challenge.




The bottom inside of the card. I have to thank Kerry for sending me this Martha punch..it was very hard to find!


Stamps: Super Maude-- she used to come in two sizes, so you might want to look around Art Impression's site, Isn't Life Sweet sentiment by Stampabilities and bought at RKStamps. It is a sentiment made to go with my House Mouse stamps.

Cardstock: Wonderful DP by Stampin Up!, Real Red, Choc Chip, Heart DP is used for paper piecing Maudes robe and slippers(company unknown)

Ink: Memento black, prisma's and prisma's/oms, SU! choc chip and real red markers to color the sentiment

Misc: Nesties, Martha punch, misc red ribbon, Making Memories heart brads

Penny Black Stairstep card

There's a whole lotta paper piecing happening on this card! The little letter the "chick" in front is holding is pieced in pink SU! DP, as well as parts of the hats and the bow too! I got some new SU! Riding Hood Red DP in all the different prints and it is just beautiful. I just had to try to fit it in on this card where I could.


I used copics, prisma pencils and OMS and SU! markers to color this card. (that's a lot of stuff to clean up too LOL)


I dug out a retired Stampin Up Chicken Wire background stamp for the back drop . I used to be such a background stamp fiend...but have gotten more where I use DP now. (which explains the chaos of my craftroom!)

This card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge #35.

Now, I think this might be the last stairstep card I make for a while, but no promises...I just love making the little scenes this style of card allows!


Stamps: Penny Black Pinky and Porky 3110K, Penny Black What a Day! 2350F, Studio G $1 sentiment stamp from Michaels, Stampin Up background stamp.

Cardstock: Stampin Up DP and Riding Hood Red, SU! Pink

Ink: Memento Black, RHR, Prismas, SU! markers and copics

Misc: Martha border punch, SU Riding Hood Red ribbon, Nestabilitie Hearts

Courtney's Birthday Celebration!

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

Courtney turns 1 today!

Today is a very special day over at Libby's Little Addiction blog. Little Courtney-the star of FROM COURTNEY'S CLOSET CHALLENGE, turns one year old today and her Mama is celebrating in a big way!

Libby has asked some of her blogging friends to help ring in Courtney's special birthday by posting our challenge creations this morning.(of course I told her I would be happy to be on Courtney's Design Team LOL).

Libby will be offering up a chance to win some amazing blog candy to all who participate and create a project this week! Visit Libby's blog to see her creation and her blog candy....she tells us it's great stuff! Join in the fun...and let's party!

You can visit these other amazing bloggers to see their From Courtney's Closet Challenge(FCCC) creations!

Carole Burrage at Mother's Little Helper.
Leslie Miller at Running With Scissors
Maria Gurnsey at Scrappin by M
Melissa Sauls at In Stampin Mode
Nancy Riley at iSTAMP
Rose Ann Reynolds at Paper Delightz
and me!(can you believe who's on this list with little ole me?...woo hoo---some of these ladies have been on my list of original blogs I first started stalking over a year ago...and some I am just discovering and will now be stalking..LOL...they are all just wonderful!) Please visit and leave them a FCCC greeting!

My first try at a Bind It All book! Yikes...this was a lot of fun to make, especially for such a special little girl! I don't think I mangled the chip board or anything...so I am going to say my first one is a success, even though I have learned tricks I will do different on the next one!

The button covered cake actually pulls up out of the holder and says HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This book is why I have enjoyed FCCC's challenge so much. This challenge has forced me to grow as a stamper by trying new things, and really using my BIG stash of stamps that were waiting to get inked!

Of course, the meeces are checking out the inside of this book!

Stamps: Misc individual House Mouse Stamps inside the book, Streamer stamp(?) , Stampin Up circle sentiment

Cardstock: SU! mint melody, rose romance, purely pomegranate, (all retired I think),very vanilla, and SU! DP inside as well as Heidi Grace DP

Ink: Memento Black and Purely Pomegranate

Misc: Rhonna Farrer Autumn Leaves French Twist Buttons, Mega flower punch, misc bling, Nestabilities inside, Martha border punch, Bind It All, SU! ribbon and May Arts ribbon, cuttlebug alphabet.

Book Size: 5 x 5

From Courtney's Closet Challenge-Love Bug

My...where has this week gone? I almost ran out of time to make a card for this week's From Courtney's Closet Challenge. This is about as close as I could find to Magenta Libby! This is the retired Purely Pomegranate paper from Stampin Up.

I used a sketch designed by Stephanie for Taylored Expression's sketch challenge (TECC52SH). You can see Stephanie's sketch here.

Be sure to visit Taylor's blog here and see all of her fun sketch challenges going on for the one year anniversary of her Cupcake sketch challenges!

Stamps: Studio G dollar stamp from Michaels- Love Bug

Cardstock: Pomegranate, Certainly Celery, SU! DP

Ink: Mememto Black, image colored with Prisma's/OMS

Misc: Misc ribbon, paper piercer, Martha Stewart border punch, nestabilities

Card Size: A2

"Hanks" for everything.

Okay, here is the finished card I made from the ATC I posted here. Since this is a thank you card to Erin, it is fitting that I used the new Martha border punch little Cole so thoughtfully shopped for and gave to Gwamma for Christmas. This punch is a little tricky to line up, but after much practice...I think I got it LOL! This is a 5 x 5 inch card. I layered the ATC on Barely Banana cardstock and added some blue Bohemia DP and some very glittery ribbon I bought several years ago at Target. The stamp info is posted under the ATC.

Snoopy Celebrates 2009!

This is one of the first detailed cards I have made in a couple months...boy was it tough! My stamping brain is not in gear yet...but I am working on it! I started out with a whole different plan for these two images...and ended up pulling out my Martha punch and my Sizzix confetti die.

The only coloring on these images is a little prisma pencil coloring over the sentiment and the grass under Snoopy.

I glued little pieces of confetti all over this DCWV green cardstock(inside the card also). My Sakura Quickie Glue pen came in handy for that!

This card is my 2009 hope for you all...a happy and healthy year! I hope we can all be as happy as this little beagle in his "dance of joy"! This card was inspired by the motivational message on Gina K's blog posting... see her card here.


Inside of card...I was on a mission to use my confetti die...something I have had for YEARS!

Stamps: Dance of Joy by Stampabilities A408C, Count your Rainbows by Inkadinkado

Cardstock: DCWV green for base of the card, S.E.I. DP, SU! Purely Pomegranate, Bashful Blue, Choc Chip

Ink: Memento Black, Prisma's

Misc: SU! ribbon, nesties, Sizzix confetti die, Martha border punch

Card Size: 5-1/2 x 5-1/2

Another Gina K gift card holder

Side view..it sits by itself like a little purse.

Inside with the Starbucks card

I made this real quick as a gift. I used the Gina K tutorial here. Gina's is very bright and cheery so go take a peek!

Quick measurements. Use 4-1/4 by 10-1/2 cardstock and score at 3, 3-1/2, 4-1/2, 5-1/2,6 and 9! Quick and simple.

Stamps: A Muse Hot Cocoa 2-2061C, Friendship Blooms SU set, and a Studio G sentiment Wishing You Joy!

Cardstock: Choc Chip, Kraft

Ink: Choc Chip

Misc: Martha border punch, velcro closing dots, brown ribbon(in case I want to hang it)

From Courtney's Closet Challenge -Miss You Bunches

Isn't this a cute little monkey? For the longest time, I thought it was a hippo LOL! Guess I had to actually use this cuttlekid die before I could see the "real" animal.

This is my From Courtney's Closet Challenge for this week! This was a hard challenge, sort of weird colors, but it came together in the end.

I used the cuttlekid animal die that I had to have (unused until now), background cuttlebug folder, nesties and my NEW Martha Steward border punch. I love those punches...I bought a "few" of them when I went to visit Cole a couple weeks ago! I had to borrow the "nanner" stamp from Charla and her sock monkey set. Thanks Charla!

Sentiment inside...Miss You Bunches!

silly little monkey girl...won't be long before she really is swinging from the rafters!

Stamps: Banana from SU! Sock Monkey set

Cardstock: All SU! Choc Chip, Creamy Caramel, Pink, Barely Banana, SU DP Bella Rose brown polka dot

Ink: Choc Chip

Misc: Nesties, Martha punch, dimensionals, cuttlebug folder, cuttlekid die, misc ribbon, flower brad

Verve Sketch VSHR1 Bushels of Blessings

I made this card for Julee's Holiday Release Sketch Blitz VSHR1. You can read about her sketch challenge HERE.
I was trying to keep this card warm and fuzzy with fall tones and the brads I had were all this pewter color...soooooooo I took one of the three copics I own (light walnut) and colored the brad...it worked really slick! It dried quickly and did not wipe off!

Stamps: Studio G $1 stamp sentiment

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, DP from K&Company mat pad...pure lovely paper...textured and richly colored( I won this in some blog candy!)

Ink: Choc Chip

Misc: Martha Stewart leaf punchies(gift from Heidi Fleetwood, thanks sissy!) Memories? brad, American Crafts fall ribbon, one copic marker LOL

From Courtney's Closet Challenge Penny Black Grass Cake

This is my inspiration card for this week's From Courtney's Closet Challenge #22 at Libby's Little Addiction. Little Courtney was a little spotted dalmation for Halloween, but due to family connections...I got a cow vibe out of her picture! I have dear family that have a dairy farm, so I think it is natural I would think spotted cows instead of dogs, don't you think? In fact, this card will probably being going to the mistress of the farm as her birthday is coming up in December!

I tried to stamp this Penny Black image on watercolor paper and it would just not cooperate darn it....I ended up embossing it on my standby "Wal-Mart white...Georgia Pacific" cardstock. I did see some totally smooth watercolor tablets at Michaels the last time I was there, so I guess I will get some of that to try! Any tips???

I used my Stampin Up! watercolor crayons and water brush to color this image. I also used SU! circle punches as well as my Martha scallop punch.

ETA: this card was inspired by a sketch by Maria Bell here!

Dalmation= Courtney...a darling smile here!

Stamps: Penny Black Grass Cake 2343K (bought from Dick at hmstamps), circle sentiment is Circle of Friendship from SU!

Cardstock: One of the pinks from SU!(I can never remember LOL), green polka dot is DCWV Nana's Kids, plus other misc DP, Basic Black

Ink: Black, Colored with SU! watercolor crayons

Misc: Embossing powder, Martha scallop punch, SU! circle punches, misc ribbon

Weekend Sketch Challenge #62- PB Halloween

This was a fast and easy challenge. I have been trying to get to this PB stamp before Halloween is over and this stamp fit so well with Beate's Challenge here.

The little owl and the little peeking green bird are 3D also. I used my Martha slime and bat punches.

There is a story to this card...but in the end, the trick to this card is that it opens backwards! (it didn't start out this way LOL) I decided to change the papers around after I had already adhered them, so instead of wasting the messed up black card stock, I decided to make the card opening the wrong way and use the TRICKS sentiment.

Stamps:Penny Black night things 3714H, Studio G sentiment

Cardstock: Black, All Debbee Mumm DP

Ink: Black and Prisma pencils

Misc: Circle Nesties, Martha Punches

House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge - Monster Mouse

Can you believe it??? I actually got this House Mouse and Friends Monday challenge card done before the end of the week! The challenge this week was a Halloween card.

I absolutely love this Debbee Mumm Halloween DP, so I tried to use a smaller image so that I could show off the DP too. I masked the stamp Monster Mouse and only used one mouse. This DP paper is full of glitter images, but it is hard to tell from this picture.



Stamps: This is an old Stampa Rosa stamp -Monster Mouse 218, Stampology Boo! stamp

Cardstock: DCWV cardstock, Debbee Mumm DP

Ink: Black, SU! misc markers to color the sentiment, prisma's for the mouse

Misc: Nestabilities, Martha Stewart bat punch, misc ribbon, hole punch

Card Size: 5x5