Tag You're It! Challenge #28 and a card

Hello!! Just a quick post today. Have lots of appointments before I start work tomorrow. Yuck!

I created a tag for the Tag You're It! challenge blog. I always see the fun inspiration pieces and want to join but often my mojo is on the fritz. It was cranking this weekend, though, so I had a time to create a tag.

Here was the inspiration tag for the Tag You're It! Challenge #28:

Isn't that bear adorable? My project looks NOTHING like it, though. It kind of amazes me what inspires from something. I knew I wanted to use a little critter stamp, like the bear, include a birthday sentiment, as well as have some type of balloon on the tag. I have the tag die that Jen used but wanted to change that up a bit. Below is what I came up with.

I started off by stamping and coloring the little alien and space ship by Clearly Besotted from the "Out of This World" stamp set with Copic markers. When I saw the space ship, I knew I wanted one of the critters from the set to use it as a "balloon" on this card. You know the kind-a shiny Mylar one? I tried the best I could with the coloring but it is not as silver as I wanted it to be. I did put a layer of Wink of Stella on it so it does shine, though it is just hard to see from the photo. After I finished the coloring, I die cut the images and set them aside.

For the background, I die cut a piece of navy blue card stock with Paper Trey Ink's "Monthly Moments Journal Card #5 Die." This has been laying on my desk FOR MONTHS waiting to be used.
I then took out my new "Blueprint Sketch" Distress ink and blended it across the front of the card.

Next I blended "Chipped Sapphire" over the "Blueprint" ink.

I went back and forth between the two until I got the color right. I decided it needed something else so I dug out Tim Holtz's "Picket Fence" Distress Spray Stain and some Shimmer Spritz to mist the front of the card. I actually splattered the distress stain and misted the shimmer spray.

I let the card dry and die cut it with a Paper Trey Ink "Tag Sale Die #2."

I then stamped a banner with the sentiment and adhered that to the front of the tag. I followed that up by attaching some silver thread to the space ship and adhering it to the top right of the tag.

Using an craft knife, I cut around the little alien's hand. I wanted it to look like he was "holding" the balloon.

I then adhered the alien to the card with foam adhesive and glued the twine into his hand.

I think this is so darn cute!!! I have no idea what I will do with it but I love it.  This Clearly Besotted stamp set is just so FUN.

I thank you for stopping by my blog today. Have a great day!!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

MUSE Card Challenge #129

Happy Sunday!! Two more days until I go back to work, three days before Char starts school. As the time nears, the more stressed I get and the more time I have actually been spending in my craft room. I did not realize how much crafting actually calms me down...that and shopping. Sometimes the two actually go hand in hand.

Speaking of shopping. I have a problem. I think I need a 12 Step Program for ink pads. Hi, my  name is Nora and I am an ink-o-haulic. These pads have all been purchased this summer (minus three that I am presently waiting on from Simon Says Stamp.) Oh wait, I forgot to add in the four distress pads I bought with the new colors. Okay, now I KNOW I have an issue.

Some are opened and some are not. None have been used at all. The horrible thing about this is that I have a cart full of the new Umbrella Inks at Scrapbook.com that I want. I really don't "need" them though.

Anyway, here is why I am really posting today. I had a chance to stamp a card for the MUSE card challenge (#129) this week. It was to use the card below as inspiration.

This card was made by Anita Bowden. If you haven't visited her blog, run over there and look. Her cards are fabulous!!

Here is my take on her card:

I originally wanted to make this only with a white background, no blue matting. HOWEVER, (surprise, surprise) I messed up on die cutting the panel and the stenciling was all done. I decided to just go with it.

I started off by using a stencil from Memory Box and blending Peacock and Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink on a piece of white card stock. I then die cut the panel and mounted it on a Hawaiian Shores A2 top folding card base.

I really wanted to add some gold on the front like the inspiration piece but was not sure how. I knew I really did not want to use sequins. I then remembered I had gold thread and so adhered that to the card.

Next I used a Paper Trey Ink die and die cut four sentiments from black card stock and adhered them together to give the word a bit of dimension. I then adhered the die cut over the thread.

My last step was to stamp the sentiment strip using a Mama Elephant stamp and adhere that to the front. Once I had the idea, this card came together so fast. I think I will be using it again.

That is all for today. I thank you for looking!!

Supplies:
Stencil-Memory Box

InLinkz.com

Freshly Made Sketches: Sketch #200

Happy Saturday!! I hope you are all enjoying your day off.

Today I am sharing two cards with you. First is a card I created was inspired by the sketch #200 from the Freshly Made Sketches blog. It is the blogs 200th celebration!!!

When I saw the sketch, I knew I wanted to crack open the "Rolling Cloud Dies" from Taylored Expressions that I just received, as well as the rainbow die I had in my stash from My Favorite Things. I used white card stock for the clouds and scraps for the rainbow.

I adhered the die cuts over a white card base that I had blended Tumbled Glass Distress Ink on to make a "sky." I then stamped a sentiment by Paper Trey Ink in blue.

My last step was to give the card a little sparkle by adhering clear sequins randomly around the card.

I really like how this came out and have enough pieces of rainbow left over to make another rainbow card. I will have to mix up the colors but I think that would be okay.

Here is the sketch that I used for the card:

In other news, I wanted to share a few photos from the fun wedding I went to last weekend. A lot of my photos did not come out that well because of bad lighting so forgive me.

This is me and my husband Chris. I cannot believe I am actually posting this because as a rule, I hate photos of myself. I am really trying to be better about it, though.

This one is my brother, Chuck, and his wife, Marlene. They don't live near us so it was really nice to see them!!

My sister Jen, Chuck and I. I have another sister that did not attend the wedding. Who looks the oldest here?

I thank you for stopping by today. Enjoy your weekend!!

Supplies:

Card Stock-Paper Trey Ink (white, red), Bazzill (orange, yellow and green), Basic Grey (Blue)

Ink-Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Tumbled Glass), Ranger (Blue Ribbon Dye Ink)

Dies-My Favorite Things (Rainbow) Taylored Expressions (Rolling Clouds)

Other-Ranger Ink Blending Tool, Sizzix Big Shot, Scotch Adhesive, Sequins, Ranger Multi Matte Medium, Paper Trey Ink stamp ((Beautiful Butterflies)

A Wedding Card

Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well. Busy here. Too busy to feel like crafting.

We took a road trip this past weekend to Cleveland for a wedding. Twenty hours in three days was a lot of driving!! We had a fabulous time, though with extended family. As I get older and the kids grow, it is harder and harder to get together in a big group like that unless you have a planned function. When we do get together, it is so much fun.

Today I am sharing the wedding card I created for the bride and groom.

I started out by cutting a piece of white card stock into card a 4 1/2" by 6 1/4" base. I then took a piece of white card stock that was cut into 4 1/4" by 6" and embossed the top right and bottom left corner. I did not have an embossing sleeve that was this size so I improvised by going up half way to get the area I wanted embossed. I then turned the embossing sleeve around to do the other side.

I then adhered a sheer white ribbon to the back of the embossed card front and adhered it to the card base. I used a Spellbinder's Nestabilities die (Labels One) to create a label that I embossed Paper Smooches champagne glasses in platinum. I then layered the champagne label over Spellbinders "Decorative Labels One" die cut.

The last step was to tie the ribbon and add little dots of diamond Stickles in strategic places on the card.

This card did not take me that long to make and I am really happy with how it came out. I do want to apologize for the photos, though. It was not a nice day and I had to take the pictures so I could fill out the card!!

I also decorated the envelope a bit. I used PTI's "Soft Stone" die ink with their "Garden Gild" stamps from the Make it Market Kit Mini and Stickles to jazz the envelope up a bit.

Well, that is all for today. I hope you have a great Friday!!

Our Day Trip to Vermont and Ghost Stamping with New Umbrella Craft Inks

Happy Thursday!! This week has gone by fast!! We have been out and about almost all week doing something. Monday we went to the Ben and Jerry's Factory in Waterbury, Vermont. They were making "Cherry Garcia" that day.

It was kind of hokey but neat at the same time. Plus, part of the tour is a free scoop of ice cream!! Charlotte and her cousin made tie dyed shirts too.

Charlotte with one of her cousins. I had to make her pose!! Then all three posed for me!!

We were not allowed to take photos inside the factory part. I don't think the employees wanted to be in shots of tourists. I know I would not want to be in someones photo that I did not know! Char had fun tie-dying, though. It was cheaper then buying a ready made shirt!!

Her cousin, Sydney made one too!! I am glad they both wore aprons because this could have been a potential mess. Charlotte is not known for being "neat!"

Okay, now for my card. I was able to play with some new inks that Scrapbook.com has in stock. They are made by Umbrella Crafts. Below are the inks that I used to create the card. (Adding the green was an afterthought.)

Today I am showing you a "ghost" stamping card that I created. I used Umbrella Crafts white dye ink to do the "ghost" part of the stamping. In the past I used pigment ink so I was not sure how a white dye ink would work. In fact, it worked fine!!

First, I stamped a bunch of flowers in white dye ink on Kraft card stock with My Favorite Things "Build-able Blooms" stamp set.

When I first stamped it, the ink was a bit light but as the time went by, it darkened up. I really liked it because I did not have to heat set it. I could have put my finger across it and it would not smudge!!

I then stamped over the white with the orange ink, making sure the flower was off set a little so that the white would show up. I love this effect!!

I then added other flowers. One I used the white as the color and then stamped inside with others. After I looked at this panel, I  knew it needed something so I added some green leaves.

This is the card I wound up creating with that stamped panel. I die cut the kraft into a square and added scalloped green border and some green twine. I then used foam adhesive to mount this to an orange A2 top folding card that I scored every half inch.

I added the flower that I had stamped on white card stock and then die cut with the matching die. I then die cut a green leaf, mounted it on the kraft and then used foam adhesive to mount the flower over it.

My last two steps were to stamp the sentiment and add a little Glossy Accents and Wink of Stella in the middle of the white flower.

I really like these Umbrella Inks. They stamp really crisply. I LOVE the white especially. I have not tried it on darker paper but will be doing this in the future.

I am really busy this weekend so I will be offline. Have a great weekend!!

Click her for a list of supplies