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Saturday, December 29, 2012

She Makes Her Own Way

This is the last challenge for Fashionable Stamping Challenge for the year 2012!  Our challenge:  Surprise Us!  Anything goes, so show us what you love.   In addition, the Design Team is playing Secret Santa. Each of us will be posting our project off to another team member! Our thanks to Joanna for suggesting this. I recently acquired a new plate of images from Artistic Outpost called Cowgirl Strength and was excited to ink them up!  I also used an image from The Outpost, which I stamped in Pumice Stone for a faded appearance. Colors were kept muted for a retro appearance.  Simple embellishments include an assortment of vintage buttons and a bit of burlap string.  I hope you will pop over to FSC to see all the gorgeous projects that my design team sisters are sharing for your viewing pleasure.  Here's hoping you, too, will submit a project for our challenge.  As the year draws to a close, I wish each of you a very Happy New Year.  Thank you for all your support.  Yvonne

Friday, December 28, 2012

Top Ten Favorite Cards for 2012

Several of my blog friends shared some of their favorite posts at the end of 2011, and I thought it was such a great idea.  I decided that I would give it a try, myself, at the end of 2012.  Without further ado, here are my favorite cards from throughout the year.  











Each of you have brought me great joy throughout this year.  Your words of encouragement, you talent and creativity on your own blogs, your friendships, have all inspired me.  Thank you so much.  I wish  you true happiness in 2013.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Lovers Forever

It's the day after Christmas, and I hope for each of you who celebrate Christmas, it was a special day.  Today, the challenge at 365 Cards is to "Pick Two."  You are to pick from specific patterns and themes.  I chose Polka Dots  and Love.  The focal image, by The Stamp Barn, was stamped simply in Black StazOn Ink and distressed with Old Page Distress Ink and layered over a red paper doily. Simple embellishments include lace, ribbon, burlap string, liquid pearls and German Scrap.  I hope you will consider joining us for today's challenge!

I don't often share personal pictures, but thought you might like to see a photo of my grandchildren taken at Christmas, in their Christmas outfits.  Have a great day!



Tuesday, December 25, 2012

An Inkspirational Challenges Follower Giveaway!

We are just a few days away from the kickoff of the Inkspirational Challenges Blog!  This is just a short post to share with you a Giveaway that starts Today!  I hope you will pop over and check it out! Wishing each and every one of my followers a very Merry Christmas. May your time with family and friends be your very greatest gift.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Peace on Earth!

Greetings!  I am sharing a card with you today for the newest challenge over at 365 Cards.  Today's challenge is to create a card with a Square and Oval on it.  My mind immediately went to this square image of an angel from Crafty Individuals, which I simple matted with black and gold paper and backed with a paper doily.  Since the angel is looking upward, I gold embossed a North Star by Studio G in the upper left corner.  The gold oval frame from Crafty Individuals frames my NOEL sentiment.  Paper doily border from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, ChitChat stickers from Ideaology and several vintage buttons and vintage seam binding complete my card.  Are you ready for the Holidays?  My dear husband was under medical treatment most of November and just returned home from another week in our local hospital.  Yikes! I have miles to go!  Thankfully, my husband is doing a bit better.  Have a great day.  Best, Yvonne

Monday, December 17, 2012

Yuletide Greetings


Greetings, it is Monday and that means it is time for another fabulous challenge over at Make My Monday.  For the third week of December, we are playing Christmas Bingo!  

For my project, I decided to work with Words, Lace and Distressing.  The focal image is from a Miniature Christmas Image book by Crafty Individuals.  Words were added with vintage text book scrap and ChitChat stickers.  The paper doily and cheese cloth were distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Vintage buttons add a bit of sparkle.  Background images are complimentary stamps from Crafty Individuals.  We look forward to seeing your takes on the Christmas Bingo Challenge.  

This is the last challenge at Make My Monday until the beginning of 2013.  It has been an honor to have had the opportunity to contribute as the Guest Design Artist for December.  Thanks for dropping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Coming Soon! A New Challenge




I am excited to announce that there is a brand new Challenge called Inkspirational Challenges that kicks off on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 and I am proud to announce that I have been selected to join an outstanding Design Team of talented artists at Inkspirational Challenges.  The new Challenge is led by Mynnette and Ellen.  Each week, there will be a different challenge:  A sketch, color scheme, photo inspiration, a CASE card challenge, and when there are five weeks, an Anything Goes challenge.  There are great sponsors planned with great prizes for the winners.  Please check out the Inkspirational Challenges' blog to meet the complete Design Team and come back on January 2 for our first challenge!  Best wishes, Yvonne

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Cherish the Adventure

The weeks are just flying by! It is hard to believe it is time once again for another challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  This time around, the challenge is to "Mask It."  The interpretation is up to you.  I chose to use Dylusions Stencils for the background of my card.  I worked with Vintage Photo and Pumice Stone Distress Inks.  After preparing the background, I stamped several images from Crafty Individuals with Black StazOn ink.  The focal image, Clip Art by Crafty Individuals, was matted with white card stock, distressed and mounted to the card front with Kraft  Photo Corners.   Embellishments include snippets of lace, buttons, vintage text page, ChitChat stickers, vintage seam binding, burlap string, Liquid Pearls and a metal charm.  I hope you will consider creating a project for  a possible prize.  There is some really great inspiration by my Design Team sisters over at FSC. May they inspire you! Best wishes, Yvonne

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Happy and Sad

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / i3alda
There's a new challenge over at 365 Cards during a week of Opposites!  Today, the challenge is "Happy and Sad."  How you interpret it is totally up to you.  I decided to use theater masks for my own card.  I found this colorful clip art at Can Stock Photo, which I mounted to a card base.  The sentiment was stamped with Black StazOn Ink and mounted to the card center with pop dots.  Chrome Liquid Pearls, vintage seam binding in shades of purple, blue and white and a ChitChat Sticker complete my card.  I cannot wait to see what you come up with for this challenge!  Thanks for dropping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Monday, December 10, 2012

Season's Greetings

It's Monday, which means another new challenge over at Make My Monday!  It's a Potpourri of challenges for December.  This week, the challenge is to create a Christmas Card using a White on White Technique with one of color for accent.  
I believe this is my very first White on White card.  I am so drawn to White on White cards, but have never been brave enough to try one.  Being able to add a touch of another color helped a bit.  A simple card, I embossed card stock using a Sissix Tim Hotlz folder, matted with red card stock and added to my card base.  Some vintage trim was added to the side of the card.  Finishing touches include a paper doily folded and attached to the bottom of the card, a flower made using the Tattered Flowers Die Cut, with a snow flake punch and a pompom.  Bits of white seam binding and a sentiment stamped with Festive Berries Distress Ink complete my card.  I hope you will join in the fun at Make My Monday.  Take care and have a great week.  Best, Yvonne

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Remember, I Love You

Greetings!  This is a scheduled post for Wednesday morning.  The challenges over at 365 Cards this week are sponsored by Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More, a division of I Did It Creations.  Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and papers.  Robyn will award the 365 Cards winner his/her choice of 5 digital stamps.  For today's challenge, we are to use "Stripes" in a bold way.  For my own card, I chose to work with a Digi image called Don't Rain on my Parade.  The image was colored with Copic Markers.  Simple embellishments include vintage buttons and snippets of burlap string, Kraft striped paper ribbon, liquid pearls, and Chit Chat Stickers.  It's a whole week of showcasing Robyn's great designs.  I hope you will join in the fun! Best wishes, Yvonne
  

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Happy Holidays!

 
Greetings!  Today, I am sharing may twelfth and final card for the Twelve Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style, which is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  This is my first time to participate in such a challenge, and I am so glad I did it.  It helped me increase my stash of Christmas Cards, and even more so, it stretched me to create cards I would never have made otherwise. Linda's beautiful tag is shown below. 
I was inspired by the gold embossed background of Linda's tag, the overall red and green color theme and the Happy Holidays sentiment.  The background for my card is a complimentary image I received from Crafty Individuals when I ordered stamps.  The Happy Holidays image by Anna Griffin for All Night Media was given to me by a friend at work who decided to create all her cards on her computer going forward.  To add a bit more gold, I added pieces of a gold heart doily, folding it over the card base edges.  Vintage green seam binding, bits of tartan plaid twill tape, and a vintage button complete my card.  You have until December 17 to join in to be in the running for some generous prizes.  Thanks for dropping by.  Best, Yvonne

Monday, December 3, 2012

Memory of the Heart

It's Monday!  And it's the beginning of December, so that means there is a new set of challenges over at Make My Monday (MMM).  I was delighted and honored, recently, to be asked to be a Guest Artist for MMM during the month of December.  Design Team Member, Caz, selected Potpourri Challenges for December.  For the first week, our challenge is to create a project with "Favorite Flowers."  I LOVE all flowers and am particularly drawn to flowers in orange and red tones.  Caz's favorite flowers are "Poppies."  I decided to create a card of my own around poppies.  All images are from Artistic Outpost.  The poppies, butterfly catcher and sentiment are from the Flower Market plate and the postcard is from Ephemera Background plate. Vintage Photo Distress Ink was used on the card base, the lace, doily and the stamped images to age the card elements.  Simple embellishments include orange burlap string, vintage buttons, a bit of cheese cloth and copper butterflies.  What is your favorite flower?  I hope you will join us over at Make My Monday with your favorite blooms! Best wishes, Yvonne

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

With the year quickly coming to a close, it is once again time at Fashionable Stamping Challenge for a new challenge. This time, the challenge is "To Die For."  We want to see your creations that include die cuts and/or punches and, of course, stamping!  For my creation, I chose this beautiful little girl with her teddy bear by Oxford Impressions.  After stamping and trimming her, I water colored her and mounted her to the card base with pop dots.  The snow flake border along the bottom is a die cut by Sissix for Tim Holtz.  The snow flakes are punches from Martha Stewart.  It is difficult to see, but all the snow elements and the little girl glisten with Ranger Stickles and Liquid Pearls.  As a finishing touch, I included tartan plaid twill ribbon.  I sure hope you will stop over to FSC to see what all my design team sisters have dreamed up.  Hoping you will join in as well for a possible prize if your creation is selected as the top winner.  Thanks for dropping by.  Yvonne

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Noel, Noel

First, a great big thank you to my most recent followers!  Always amazed and delighted when someone decides to follow my blog.  We are up to Week 11 at Twelve Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style, with The Funkie Junkie Boutique being our sponsor.  Linda's beautiful tag is shown below.  I was inspired to use numerous elements from Linda's tag.  The bronze tones, a white flower and bronze leaves, some lace, a script background and copper liquid pearls.   
I chose my Holiday image based on Linda's "A Joyful Christmas."  It inspired me to choose my beautiful "Joy and Happiness" image from Stampington, which I embossed with Copper powder.  The "Peace" and "Noel" sentiments are by Recollections.  I did not have a holly die cut so I used my Tattered Flowers die cut, purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  Thanks for dropping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

December 25

Happy Tuesday!  I am sharing a card today for the latest challenge over at 365 Card.  This week, the sponsor at 365 Cards is Stamp Your Life.  For my card, the beautiful, bold December 25 circle is a digi image from Stamp Your Life.  This is my very first ever card using a digi image.  After printing my image, I cut my card stock down to fit a card base.  I worked with images from Oxford Impressions.  The holly and snowflakes were stamped directly onto the card stock.  The sweet boy and girl were stamped on scrap card stock, trimmed and water colored with Distress Markers.  Simple embellishments include tartan plaid twill ribbon and a vintage red button tied with burlap string.  Thank so much for dropping by.  I hope you will drop by 365 Cards and join in the challenge.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Monday, November 26, 2012

Fall Harvest

Happy Monday!  It's is just so good to be back home again.  There truly is no place like home.  Since it's Monday, that means there is a new challenge over at Make My Monday.  This time, the challenge is to include Buttons and Ribbon in an Autumnal design.  While rooting through my ribbon stash for some fall ribbon, I came across this twill ribbon.  I decided to go with it and the rest of my card flowed from there.  The images are from Artistic Outpost's Bluebird   plate.  The little boy appears to be harvesting wheat to me and birds on a wire are a frequent scene this time of year. I had fun sorting through my vintage button stash and decided to stack a few of them for added dimension.  A bit of paper doily, via a TH die cut, a paper leaf, a feather and some copper liquid pearls complete my card.  Happy Harvest everyone.  Yvonne

Friday, November 23, 2012

Harvest Time

Playing catch up, but wanted to play along at Make My Monday Challenge where the challenge continues to be Autumn and specifically Vellum.  I rarely work with vellum, so this was a great challenge for me to try.  I began by stamping some acorns and leaves onto vellum with Black StazOn Ink.  The acorns and leaves by Studio 112 were colored with Distress Markers in various shades.  Paper leaves were layered over a paper doily and accented with a vintage button.  Lace, burlap string and a scrap of seam binding are wrapped around the bottom of the card.  The sentiment, also by Studio 112, was added to the top of the card and accented with Copper Liquid Pearls.  Thanks for dropping by.  Yvonne

Happy Christmas!

It is almost impossible to believe we are up to the 10th week at 12 Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style. The challenge is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  For week ten, Linda created the tag below.  I have to tell you, this really took me back to my childhood.  My dad use to wrap the stand our tree stood on with brick paper and the brick on Linda's card just reminded me of my childhood instantly!  
For my own card, I was inspired to use a brick embossing  folder to incorporate brick in my own card.  I also included the number 25 and a scrap of cheese cloth as inspired by Linda's tag.  I was also inspired to select a vintage replica art image and in place of icicles, I decided to frost the top of my card with a portion of paper lace that I purchased at The Funkie Junkie Boutique some time ago. Some kraft and green striped paper, also from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, and a couple of snowflakes and vintage buttons complete my card.  

On a personal note, I am home again, after being out of town for three weeks while my husband under went some medical treatment.  It is so good to be back home.  We are hoping he feels better soon and that the treatments are successful. Thank you to each of you who have sent kind wishes of encouragement our way the past few weeks.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Send in the Clowns!

Greetings!  This is a scheduled post as I continue to be out of town with my husband.  Today is hopefully the completion of his treatments so we look forward to tomorrow!  I am sharing a card today for the newest challenge over at 365 Cards where today's challenge is "Just Smile."  We are to include a big smile on our card.  My first thought went to images of people, which I adore.  In the end, I decided to go with clowns as they are known for making us smile.  I hope you will join in the fun and submit your take on our challenge.  My images and sentiments are from Artistic Outpost's Send in the Clowns Plate.  I am also submitting this to the November Artistic Outpost Referral Program.  Happy Thanksgiving to those who will celebrate tomorrow here in the United States.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Home Sweet Home

The weeks go by so fast!  Once again it is time for a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  Our theme this time, selected by me, is "Home Sweet Home."  There are all sorts of ways to go with this theme.  My first thought went to this Artistic Outpost image from the Outpost plate, however, you could also make a house shaped card or a card with a bird cage.  The possibilities are endless.  For my card, I began with smooshing various Distress Inks on my Craft Mat and sopping up the inks onto white card stock.  I stamped my house image with Black StazOn Ink over the background.  The sentiment was stamped onto a torn piece of Kraft paper.  Simple embellishments include vintage seam binding and button, burlap string, and some beautiful die cut leaves compliments of the Funkie Junkie Boutique with a recent order.  I hope you will check out the inspiration pieces of my design team sisters and submit an entry of your own for a possible prize.  Please remember we need to see stamping on your entry as we are a stamping challenge.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Autumn Harvest

It is already the second week of Autumnal challenges for Make My Monday for November.  I missed the first week with my dear husband being hospitalized.  We are home just for an overnight before heading back to the hospital, so I thought I would join in at MMM for the current week.  This week, the theme is Autumn and Stitching (faux or real).  I chose to stamp a bunch of pumpkins on white card stock and water colored them with Distress Markers.  A zigzag stamp by Hero Arts was stamped around the border.  The prepared  image was mounted to background paper and a paper doily over the card base.  Paper leaves, burlap string and a button and some copper liquid pearls complete my card.  I hope every one is enjoying their weekend.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Friday, November 16, 2012

Christmas Adoration

Home for an overnight and thought I would try to catch up on the Twelve Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie Style with the ninth tag shown below.  The challenge is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
For my card, I chose several elements from Linda's tag.  The embossed wood background, red and white stripes, a red button and  an Idea-ology ticket. I chose to punch snowflakes out of re-purposed white corrugated cardboard and swiped Festive Berries Distress Inks across them.  The little girl by Oxford Impressions was stamped, trimmed and water colored with Distress Markers.  Some chitchat stickers, lace and vintage seam binding complete my card.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Think and Wonder

This is a scheduled post as I continue to be out of town while my husband deals with health issues.  My post is for a new challenge at 365 Cards.  Today's theme is "Wordy."  We are to create a background for our card with words using stamps, background paper, etc.  I chose to work with a plate of images and sentiments by Artistic Outpost called Think and Wonder.  Sentiments were stamped directly to the background or to scrap card stock and then applied to the the card base.  The children were stamped, trimmed and distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Simple embellishments include brown burlap twine, a vintage button and die cut leaves stamped with script that I received as a thank you when I purchased items from The Funkie Junkie Boutique.  To ground the busy background, I decided to add some Black Liquid Pearls to the four corners.  I am also submitting my card to the November Artistic Outpost Referral Challenge. Thanks so much for dropping by today.  Best wishes, Yvonne 

Monday, November 12, 2012

Seasons Greetings


My card today is for the eighth challenge of the Twelve Tags of Christmas Funkie Junkie style that is sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique.  Linda's beautiful tag is shown below.  I was inspired to try to recreate the coloration of her background as well as the stars by Inkadinkado.  I incorporated Santa, an image by Stampsmith, a red border, flowers from Tim Holtz Tatterered Florals purchased at the Funkie Junkie Boutique and added some bells to reflect Linda's tag too.  I also chose to use the same sentiment in a different font.  Have you thought about joining in the challenge?  There's still time!


Thanks for dropping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Melt Away

Greetings!  This is a scheduled post for the newest challenge at 365 Cards.  The challenge is to create a card based on the inspiration word:  Melted.  At first I thought of ice cream cones, but not having a stamp image of an ice cream cone, I decided to go more romantic and thought of a heart melting.  On a chocolate card base, I layered a paper doily and some torn vintage page text that were distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Distressed lace and some burlap twine were wrapped around the bottom of the card.  Next I layered a clip art image by Crafty Individuals over the paper doily.  Chit Chat stickers were added next.  I could not find the word melt so I stamped it with a Studio G Alphabet Set.  A vintage button, Platinum Liquid Pearls and distressed paper heart complete my card.  I hope you will give our challenge a go!  Take care.  Yvonne

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Oh La La!

I have so enjoyed the challenges at Make My Monday during the month of October, all around a French Theme. It is nearly time for a new month of challenges, but I wanted to create this one last post for a challenge called Feminine Romance even though I have missed the deadline for submission.
I decided to work with several images from Stampsmith.  One of a French Cancan Girl and another of a portion of the Eiffel Tower.  The images were stamped with Black StazOn Ink and distressed with Vintage Photo DI.  The paper doily and torn strips of background paper were also distressed with VP DI.  Some ruffled trim, vintage seam binding, a vintage button, and some Eiffel Tower diamond stickers complete my card.  Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks to all of you who are keeping my husband in your prayers for the next few weeks.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride Together

Hello!  It's time for another challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenge.  This time, our challenge is to create a project around a "Musical" theme.  Now there are all sorts of ways to take off on this theme.  I thought about stamping some musical instruments, but in the end, decided to make a winter scene with a thread of a popular Christmas song included.  All the images and sentiment are from the  Sleigh Ride plate by Artistic Outpost.  The children were water colored with Distress Ink Markers.  The trees have glitter glue added to them, though it does not show here.  The edges of the images were distressed with Pumice Stone Distress Ink. A tartan plaid ribbon and some clear gems complete my card.  I hope you will check out all the beautiful inspiration pieces by the rest of the Design Team and create a submission for a possible great prize.  Best wishes, Yvonne

Friday, November 2, 2012

Happy Holidays!

Greetings!  Thank you to all of my dear friends who sent words of encouragement earlier this week concerning Hurricane Sandy.  I am happy to report that although we were prepared for the very worst, we were spared the heartache felt in New Jersey and New York.  Some how we managed to keep our power throughout the high winds and though we live one block from a river that flooded our home a year ago, we incurred no flooding this time.  This post is to share a card I created for The Funkie Junkie Twelve Tags of Christmas, Tag 7 Challenge, which is being sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique
Linda has graciously allowed us to make other than a tag and I continue to make cards for the challenge.  Linda's beautiful tag is shown below.  For my own card, I was inspired by the following elements: the reindeer, the sentiment, snowflakes, and trees.  As my reindeer stamp seemed a bit contemporary, I chose a tree stamp by Studio G along the  same lines. The sentiment is also by Studio G. The snowflake stickers and punched snowflakes are from Martha Stewart.  

I hope you will stop back on Saturday evening for the latest challenge at Fashionable Stamping.  My posts will be scarce the following two weeks, as my dear husband is undergoing some medical treatments out of town.  Since the Hurricane, my Internet access has been spotty.  I will hope for the best and will try to keep up with all of you and your posts.  Best wishes my friends, Yvonne

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

By the Beautiful Sea



Greetings!  This is a scheduled post that I am hoping to post before we lose power here in Central Pennsylvania in the midst of Hurricane Sandy.  I hope wherever you reside that you are safe, dry and warm.  Over a 365 Cards, the challenge for today is to create a card based on a Decorative Item in your home.  My thoughts immediately went to this decorative pillow in my den.  Although my card is not a "replica," the composition was truly inspired by the pillow.  The images and sentiment are all from the Beyond the Sea plate by Artistic Outpost. The sky, light coming from the lighthouse and water were all created with Distress Inks.  I chose to use star fish rather than stars for my corners.  What will you chose to inspire your creation?  We hope you will join in the fun at 365 Cards!  Thanks for dropping by.  Best wishes, Yvonne