eat cake

This is the first time I completed a Splitcoaststampers challenge. Every Wednesday, they have a sketch challenge and I am going to try to complete them...but no promises. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I am so used to just sitting down and designing when I create that following a specific pattern and designing around it was foreign to me.

I am still on the bright colored kick. I completed two cards with a little variation, because I had the scraps sitting on my desk and had to use them. Maybe I should change my name to Scrap Lady.

I like how the "eat cake" sentiment on top of the cake plate turned out. I saw these two stamps side by side in my scrap rack and the sentiment looked like a cake to me, so I put them together.

At first, I wasn't sure if I liked this card, but it has grown on me. The sketch challenge did not call for embellishments in the upper right corner, but I couldn't resist. I used Flower Power paper pack, which is retired. I couldn't believe how the American Crafts popsicle ribbon had the same color combination.

As you can see...my Cuttlebug strikes again! I am so glad I got my bug for Mother's Day. This is a must in my book. If it is on your wish list, make sure you use your 40% off coupon at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Another tool I seem to use a lot is my Tim Holtz distressing tool. CTMH has one in there new fall idea book. It seems to distress paper better than my Tim Holtz one, but it wasn't as close to my work station as the Tim Holtz one was...can you say lazy? I need to put my CTMH one in my Totetally Cool bag. I used the following stamp sets: Happy Birthday(sentiment) , Birthday Bash (cake plate), Happy Day (eat cake, retired). If you would like a stamp set that has Happy Birthday and Celebrate in different fonts Happy Birthday is the one to get. I use it on many projects.

I can't decide if I am going to post a layout or another card tomorrow. I have a Zoo layout I am working on presently. It depends on if I get the time to print pictures.

I almost forgot to show you my embellishment center from Making Memories. It is up and almost filled. I am waiting for some little jars my sister has for me. The jars on it now are plastic. They are awesome! I like the fact they are light and don't weigh down the shelf. It has been fun filling with all the products I have hidden in cupboards.

Happy Stamping!

Unexpected Visitors

Today, I knew my in-laws were coming, but no one told me they were bringing my husband's aunt and uncle. Whew! I am so glad I did all my cleaning in the morning. They came around 1 p.m. and left around 8:00 p.m., so needless to say I didn't have time to create today. That means I am pulling from my archives again.

I made this card with a Christmas stamp set, No Peeking (2006 November stamp of the month). I love these little packages. They may look familiar from my Technique Tuesday - Prisma Glitter post below. On the layout below, I used these same packages as background stamps and colored them in with CTMH markers as well as using them as embellishments.

On this card all products are CTMH:

Stamp sets: No Peeking, Celebrate (retired), Happy Day (retired)

Ink: Cranberry, Sunny Yellow

Paper: Black cardstock, Giggles & Grins pattern paper

Accessories: metal rimmed tag, Cranberry waxy flax, black beads, Sunny Yellow marker, Cranberry marker, Holiday Red grosgrain ribbon



Another question:

Cathy asked, "How did you get started with stamping?" I went to a scrapbook fair in my husband's home town. People could crop and shop. Well, I shopped. Some vendors had make-n-takes set up and I sat down at the Close To My Heart table. I never heard of them before. The consultant had a tag for us to make and I fell in love with the acrylic stamps. The rest is history. I purchased a catalog from her and bought a couple of winter sets. I joined a stamp club not long after that and then I became a consultant after getting my feet wet with the product. I have had fun ever since and have become an addict. I have over 200 stamp sets and it seems to keep growing. In the last few months, I seem to be working on more techniques and want to dive into prismacolors thanks to Ana Wahlfarht. Her blog Ink A Stamp is listed on my sidebar under Inspiration. She is one of my favorite paper artists and I have been saving my stamping money to make the 120 prismacolors purchase.

Just one more day and if I haven't heard from Shannon K, I will draw another random number to win the blog candy she never claimed.

Have a great day and take time to create!