Happy NSD Day!!

So today is National Scrapbook Day and for the first time in years, I did not scrapbook today. Instead, I went for a long walk with my friend, visited my father and went to Costco with Chris for our bi-weekly visit. Then I came home and finished a card set I told my friend I would make her mother for Mother's Day. Did anyone do any scrapbooking today?

I decided to share what I did create, though. Guess where most of the stuff came from? The mess on my desk!! I know, I know, I have been doing this challenge for a while but I have to say, it is whittling down all my "extras" and I am able to make some quick cards. (Okay, not really "quick" for anyone else but quick for me!!)

The first card took me all of ten minutes to create. I had created this flower using the no line watercolor technique a few nights ago. I used Distress Inks/markers in Brick Red, Festive Berries and Mowed Lawn to "paint" the flower from Jane's Doodles. I die cut the element into a square and then stamped the Hero Arts sentiment.

I then tied some Doodlebug twine around the square and tied it into a bow. Next I adhered the panel using foam adhesive over two Doodlebug Mini Doilies that I had adhered to a red top folding card.

I just noticed that I used four doilies on this project. These stick together and I didn't notice until I was looking at the card as I am posting.

Oh, and the leaves on the tulip are freehand. Not wonderful but they were kind of fun to create.

My next two cards are very similar. They will I will be including them in the card set I made for my friend's mother.

My first card I embossed and then die cut a piece of white card stock. I spritzed some Squeezed Lemonade Distress Spray and let it dry. I then layered images that I die cut and stamped from WPlus9's "Fresh Cut Florals" set.

I think this is the most versatile set of stamps that I own. I have used this for a ton of cards!

I enhanced the blue berries and the yellow flower with some Stickles in Sea Glass and Diamond. My last step was to adhere a few blue sequins. I am kind of addicted to them as of late!!

My last card is the same design but much more simple. I die cut a piece of white card stock and stamped some leaves in two different greens. Next I stamped the sympathy sentiment from PTI's ""Words of Comfort" set. Then I layered the panel over a blue top folding card.

I layered the florals over the leaves and added clear sequins to this. The Stickles were added last.

I am hoping that my friend's mother will like them.

Okay, I need to cut this short and go spend some time with the family. I also need to put my hand on ice. I burned it while cleaning up the mess my dog made while we were at dinner. I am praying he doesn't get sick as he ate a few starburst candies and twenty pixie sticks!!!

Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate your visit.

A Few Birthday Cards using Mama Elephant

I go through stages on what kinds of stamps I like. Right now I am obsessed with the company Mama Elephant. This company makes the CUTEST stamps sets and dies. I have had fun coloring some little guys from the "Just Hatched" and using the mess on my desk to complete two adorable birthday cards.

The first one I created I used an orange color scheme. Did I tell you I am obsessed with orange? I believe I have said that a time or two!! Anyway, the first thing I did was to die cut a piece of Simple Stories "Color Vibe" paper with a My Favorite Things "In and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangle" die and layered it over a white top folding card.

Next I stamped a strip of white card stock with a sentiment from the WPlus9 "Unforgettable" stamp set, layered it over a strip of orange card stock and adhered it to the card front. I then arranged and adhered the little animals over the front.

The little chick and the blue bird I used foam adhesive to pop them up a bit. I added tickles to the top of the chick's party hat and some green dots to the dinosaur. My last step was to adhere sequins randomly around the focal point. I also used a Wink of Stella on the balloon and the blue bird to give them a little zing.

I liked this card so much that I created another one utilizing the same animals but I colored them in different colors. I often do this because I often color things in big batches. I get bored using the same colors all the time!!

I used a little less bling on this one too. No Stickles anywhere!!

Aren't they cute? Totally fun and easy card from the mess on my desk!!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope your day is fabulous!!

Supplies:
Stamps-Mama Elephant-"Just Hatched," WPlus9-"Unforgettable," My Favorite Things-"Sweet Birthday Wishes," Paper Smooches-"Sentimental Sampler"
Papers-Scraps, Stamper's Select White Card Stock from Paper Trey Ink
Other-Copic Markers, Big Shot, Sequins, Foam Adhesive, Momento Ink-Tuxedo Black

Freshly Made Sketches #179, a Robotics Competition and ANOTHER what is on your Desk Challenge

Happy Sunday!! Today I am sharing a card I created for Freshly Made Sketches #179. I challenged myself to use what was on my desk too. Here is what my desk looked like this morning.

I have been busy with my coloring this month but did not use anything. I have watercolored, used colored pencils, and colored in images with Copics. It has been fun!!

Here is the card I created with one of my WPlus9 elephants. I LOVE these fun sets!! In fact, I am obsessed with elephants now.

I used the elephant on this card as inspiration for the coloring on my elephant. I love how mine came out!!

I cut a piece of post it in a cloud pattern and then used ink to make the background sky. I just sponged on two types of green at the bottom. I then stamped the sentiment in a dark purple ink.

Next, I layered the inked panel over a card that I embossed with an embossing folder. I die cut a purple strip and adhered that on the card. I adhered the elephant using foam adhesive over the strip.

My last step was to adhere a die cut purple heart and a few sparkles.

I have to admit that the card that I had in my head is not how this card turned out. I actually made a completely different background but had to throw it out due to a mess up with stamping. Don't you hate that?

I am entering my card into Freshly Made Sketches #179 and Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday challenge.

 

Supplies:

Stamps: WPlus9 "Bubble Talk"

Ink: My Favorite Things-Green Apple, Limeade, Sweet Tooth, Paper Trey Ink-Enchanted Evening, Memento-Tuxedo Black

Paper: Bazzill (green and purple), Paper Trey Ink (white)

Dies: WPlus9-"Bubble Talk," Winnie and Walter-"Essentials-Katharine Cutaway," Simon Says Stamp-heart, Paper Trey Ink

Other: Copic Markers, Big Shot, Sequins, Foam Adhesive, Sequins and pearl, Tim Holtz Embossing Folder

On a different note, yesterday I went to my first robotics competition. My daughter is a member of the high school robotics team. She does not program but is on the business side. She makes buttons, has to scout the robots of other teams, makes flyers for the fund raisers and other fun things. My husband also mentors the kids on the programming side of it. It has been a pretty big commitment for both of them.

I had never been to one of these things and I have to say, it was quite interesting. At the kick off event, they are given instructions on what their robot needs to accomplish, which effects how the team physically builds the robot, as well as creating the code to program it. Here is what the kids created:

I know it does not look like much but the job the robot has to do is pick up garbage cans AND stack crates. Here is the robot in action. I apologize for these horrible photos but was too lazy yesterday to put the zoom lens on for the photo below.

I circled the robot stacking bringing the stack of crates to the spot it needed to put the on in order to get points. Kind of weird to see such a packed gym for a robot competition isn' t it?

And my daughter and her friend cheering for their robot.

They wound up placing 4th out of 40 teams and entered into an alliance with two other's for the todays competition. I did not go today, though. Yesterday was long enough!!

I thank you for looking. Have a great week!!

CASE this Sketch #113, Cupcake Inspirations Color Challenge and 30 Day Color Challenge with WPlus9 "Unforgettable"

Hello, hello, hello!! I hope you all are enjoying this fabulous Sunday. I am trying to wake up from the lovely day light savings time change. I do not like the "spring ahead" mode. I am a horrible sleeper and this just kills me to lose an hour of sleep.

This week was super busy for me. Chris was away so I became the taxi to everything under the sun. Not to mention that Charlotte was sick. She is better now, thank goodness.

Let me tell you, I think all single parents should get an award. I don't know how you do it day in and day out. I would be curled up in a fetal position every night, crying my eyes out. I am one of those super sensitive people that not only need my alone time but if I don't get it, I am absolutely miserable.

Yesterday I was able to spend HOURS in my crap, I mean craft room. Right now it is HUGE mess. You know how I periodically challenge myself to use "what is on my desk?" Well, this is what my desk looked like yesterday.

I should take photos of my desk today because it is worse, if you can believe that. I have a mixture of new products that I have no where to put (I need to spend some money on organizers and no more supplies), as well as things I have been coloring. I have a new ink organizer that I received for my birthday but our printer broke and I need to make labels. I am waiting to transfer THREE drawers full of ink pads that will make room for some of this stuff. Anyone willing to come over to help me clean all this can play with anything they want to!!

Even though this is so messy, I was able to make five cards yesterday, and part of a sixth, yesterday My mojo was flowing! In the midst of all the activities I had this week, I was able to color some of the elephants from Wplus9's "Unforgettable" set as part of the 30 Days of Coloring Challenge. I just had to use one on a card.

Isn't Ella adorable? Okay, she might look like she is not grounded but I figured she is floating in the air. I used CAS(E) this Sketch #113 for the card design and Cupcake Inspirations Color Challenge (chartreuse, white and a pool color) for the rest of the card. Okay, Ella is gray but I am not counting her.

 

I started off this whole card by using the smoosh method to make the panel behind Ella. Laura Bassen uses this all the time to make backgrounds on her cards. I used this method YEARS ago but did it slightly differently then Laura. I tried her method but I am not going into it today. I have a photo tutorial later on this week with all the details. I added some misting to this panel as well because I wanted the green to be a bit more vibrant. I also stamped some bubbles from WPlus9's "Bubble Talk" stamp set in two places with gray ink

Anyway, I mounted the die cut with fun foam onto a top folding A2 card size that was covered with a scrap of patterned paper. I then added the balloon, Ella and some sequins to complete the card.

I love, love, love this card. I have a few ideas up my sleeve for a couple other cards with this stamp set but that will be for another day.

I think this post is long enough. I thank you for your patience and for stopping by to browse. Have a fabulous night!!

Supplies:
Patterned Paper-Lily Bee Designs "Kite Strings"

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