If I Only Had A Brain!

This is my first time to ink this classic image of the scarecrow from the Oz Collage by Artistic Outpost. I just love this plate, along with their many other offerings. Check them out if you have not had occasion to do so yet. You won't be disappointed! Hope you are having a memorable Memorial Day Weekend. Thanks for stopping by. Yvonne

Bloggers' Challenge - All that Shimmers

I started working on this card last evening. After going to bed, I realized that the Emerald City needed some sparkle, so I promptly added some Stickles Glitter Glue to the city this morning. The images and sentiments are from Artistic Outpost from a plate called the Oz Collage. I was thrilled when I saw this week's Bloggers' Challenge was "All that Shimmers," as my shimmering Emerald City fits the bill.

By the Sea Part Three

A different take on this young shell gatherer! The plate of images in Beyond the Sea by Artistic Outpost. Enjoy the day. Yvonne

By the Sea Part Two

Another take on the Beyond the Sea plate by Artistic Outpost. I love their vintage images and how Distress Inks and Copic Markers really add to their authenticity. Thanks for stopping by. Yvonne

By the Sea

I love this plate by Artistic Outpost called Beyond the Sea. Perhaps it is because I have been by the sea the past few days, and just saw the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but I felt like making a series of cards with this plate. Hoping you enjoy this and the two to follow. Happy Memorial Day weekend to all. Yvonne

Remember When...

These stamps from the Route 66 by Artistic Outpost are some of my favorites when I need a masculine card. The "Remember When" sentiment is from the Playtime plate, also by AO. Using a Kraft card as my background, I stamped my images and sentiments with Black ink on white card stock and then used Copic Markers to add color. I distressed the stark white card stock with Pumice Stone Distress Ink by Ranger. (I confess, it took me three tries with the blank card before I stopped dragging my wrist or fingers through the Pearl Drops. You have that some days!) Thanks for stopping by. Yvonne

Sparkle and Shine Challenge

The Challenge at Simon Says this week is to Sparkle and Shine! My card includes lots of bling so hopefully it fits the bill! I am thinking my granddaughter would like to receive this card. Stamps by Studio 112, Cardstock by Bazzill Basics. Thanks for stopping by! Yvonne

365 Cards - Day 80

The challenge at 365 Cards today is called Cute Cuts. The challenge was to take a stamped, computer generated, handwritten word or sentiment and cut the letters out individually for use on a card. For my card, I selected a very neutral card stock by Bazzill Basics. I used, for the first time, a set of animal stamps by Cavellini. I have always imagine stamping them with red ink and so today I did! I softened the bright white cardstock with Pumice Stone Distress Ink by Ranger and matted the images with black and red cardstock. The sentiment by Vap Scrap! was stamped in black on white cardstock, cut apart and matted in red and softened with Pumice Stone DI. To finish, I added some red and white striped ribbon, a little alphabet twill tape and a vintage red button tied with Scrapper's Floss. I think my grandson would enjoy receiving this card in the mail! Thanks so much for stopping by. Take care and have a great weekend. Yvonne

Golden Memories

The third of three violet/lavendar cards! Also from the Bluebird plate by Artistic Outpost, I love this go to image of birds. The little bits of paper, so beautiful in real life are from Italy. A friend and I were in a little shop in Washington, D.C. years ago and she picked up a small, one of a kind, box filled with paper samples from around the world and showed it to me. I scooped it up for $5. How about you, where have you found some unusal finds for your card making? I would love to hear your story. Have a great day. Yvonne

Purple Harvest

Not sure what possessed me, but I just made three cards using lavender and violet! Not colors I normally choose. For this card, I decided to look through my stamp binder where I kept unmounted stamps before I discovered the wonderful world of indexed, pre-cut and mounted on foam stamp collections. I came across my stamps from the Bluebird plate by Artistic Outpost. Softened with some Distress Inks and matted in black, I only needed to add a sheer ribbon, some German Scrap and my new favorite Viva Decor Pearl Pen. I hope you are having a great day. Thanks for stopping by. Yvonne

365 Cards - Day 77

The challenge at 365 Cards for day #77 is White Space with the obvious, specific challenge to keep some white space on your card. Because of the white strip I used on top of my purple background paper, I actually have quite a bit of white space! The stamps by Art Declassified (I sure miss this stamp company) are inked with DI in Concord Purple and colored in with various Copic markers with some shimmer on top. I wanted the card to only be purple and white so I did not color in other than their garments. When searching for embellishents, I came across these two button type elements that had adhesive backing. They were sent to me as a thank you by a company I ordered supplies from, but I cannot remember who! My thought was again, more white! Thanks for stopping by today! Yvonne

CR84FN28

This is my first time to try a CR84FN Challenge. I have often admired others creations based on CR84FN Challenges, but had not tried one myself. Today the inspiration piece is:
For my creation, I chose a beautiful set of stamps by Artistic Outpost called The Outpost. I started with a Kraft card and used red and yellow background papers with some black for depth. I added neutral buttons and seam binding for embellishments. Thanks for stopping by. Yvonne

Bloggers' Challenge - May 13, 2011 Sketch

This week's challenge at Bloggers' Challenge is a sketch, which I have included above. I'm not so much into circles but thought this stamp called Baby Moon from PSX might work. I dug out my paper cutting shears and some really old baby buttons to add to the card. The sentiment is by Rubber Stampede. I love pink and yellow together and have been wanting to make a card in this combination for sometime. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are having a good week. Yvonne

365 Cards - Day 76

Still working through a week of "sketches" at 365 Cards. My card today is an interpretation of the sketch shown above. Not having anything totally circular, I chose this image by Artistic Outpost with a Ferris Wheel. The other images are also from the same Artistic Outpost plate entitled Paris Expostion. My card will also be entered into the May Referral Program at Artistic Outpost. Thanks for stopping by. Yvonne

Simon Says - Look What the Stork Brought!

Heidi, from Simon Says, is the focus of the Challenge for Simon Says this week. Before her baby was born, you could make a boy or girl card. We now know Heidi has a beautiful little girl so I decided to go for the pink! I used Distressed Inks, a Martha Stewart's punch, and the Baby Moon stamp by PSX and sentiment by Studio G. On a personal note, the pink cord attached to the large pink bow is left over from my granddaughter's baby announcements from 2003. Wishing Heidi and Jason the very best with their new baby girl.

Life's Simple Pleasures

This post will be entered into the May Referral Program at Artistic Outpost and into to the Clear It Out Challenge, which requires you to submit any project using ribbon/trim. This is the first time I have inked this focal image by Artistic Outpost that is on the Think and Wonder plate. This plate includes lots of catchy phrases from Dr. Seuss, but I decided to include a sentiment and a bicycle, elevated with pop dots, from the Lovely Day plate. Not sure about your family, but hot cocoa is enjoyed year round here and so a bike and an image of an advertisement about hot cocoa works for me! Why not enjoy a cup today? Take care. Yvonne

Life's an Adventure

The dog in the focal image is a stamp from the Adventure set by Artistic Outpost reminds me a little of my youngest daughter's Italian Greyhound, Kia. Such a sweet dog! Enjoyed blending Distress Inks on my card stock and added a touch of "Warhol" with the miniature dog images. Thanks for stopping by and may life bring you adventure! Yvonne

Call Me Kitty

I recently received this plate of images called Adventure from Artistic Outpost as a thank you for having a card featuring an Artisitc Outpost image published in the 2011 Catch Up magazine by Stampington and Company. I also just recently acquired some new tools to use with Distress Inks, so....I've been busy trying out the new stamps and trying my hand at blending inks! I just love these vintage images by Artistic Outpost. There are numerous sentiments included with the Adventure set that can be stamped in the center of the phone booth. What fun! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day. Yvonne

Happy Mother's Day 2011

Wishing every mother, every mother-to-be, every aunt, and every grandmother, a Blessed and Happy Mother's Day.

Bloggers' Challenge - Nature

This week's Bloggers' Challenge is to make a card with anything to do with nature. I immediately reached for this plate of stamps called Birds of a Feather from Artistic Outpost! I am also posting my card at Artistic Outpost's May Referral Program.

I recently watched Tim Holtz in a video and I am trying to learn how to use Distress Inks. I stamped my main image in black ink over top of a piece of cardstock that was inked with Distress Inks. I decided to add lots of black to my card to really make the images and sentiment pop on the spring green card blank. Really loving the Poly Clay product I purchased recently. I may never buy brads again! I decided to add a musical note charm to my card to signify all the singing going on with the birds right now. As the sentiment says, "spring is here!" Thanks for stopping. Yvonne

Royally Crafted - Day 67

Today's challenge at 365 Cards is to create a wedding card befitting the recent Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge . It is probably hard to see, but the card base is a deckle edge card. I selected this bride and groom stamp, by Paper Inspirations, that I used to make my youngest daughter's Save the Date announcements when she got married in 2007.

I chose not to watch this Royal wedding, though I was home and could have, but did of course see follow-up footage. I would say the one word that best described the wedding was "understated," though elegant also comes to mind.

With that in mind, I wanted to keep my card pretty simple. I chose to mat the bridal couple in metallic sapphire to pay homage to Princess Diana's engagement ring. The sentiment from Stampington and Company could not be more fitting for this wedding. I added the bow, by Character Constructions, at the top to frame the card. Although I used the same black ink, it did not show up real well on the gold metallic paper. I decided to add some soft dots to the bow with a black glitter pen. I searched my ribbons and flowers but in the end decided it would be too fussy. Instead, I chose a gold Fleur de Lis brad. Though often associated with the French, it is used throughout Europe on countless coats of arms and flags over the centuries, and I thought it was a nice finishing touch.

I value your comments on my design. Thanks, as always for stopping by. Happy Mothers' Day to everyone. Yvonne

Mythical Paperpieced Creature!

Working on two challenges today. The first is for 365 Cards, where they ask that you create a card that includes a mythical creature. This dear image from Lost Coast Designs immediately came to mind. I also am using this card for a Simon Says Challenge that calls for paperpiecing or piercing. I chose paperpiecing. For my friends who are new to this term, it is when you stamp an image on multiple colored papers or cardstock and then cut them out and piece them together to give an overall colored image. The beautiful bow at the top of the card is from Character Constructions. The bird, sentiment and hearts are from K & Company. Thanks for stopping by. I love comments, so I hope you will leave one if you are moved to do so! Yvonne

Bloggers' Challenge - Rose, Blue and Green

The challenge over at Bloggers' Challenge this week is to make a card using "Rose, Blue and Green." I chose "Samantha - Large" by Stampington and Co. for my focal image. She is stamped on scrap cardstock, cut out and colored with Copic Markers. I added a doily, paper flower, ribborn and buttons to complete my card. Many of the embellishments were a gift to me from a colleague. I hope she will enjoy receiving this card in the near future as a testiment to the fact that I am eagerly using her recylcled treasures! Thanks for stopping by.

365 Cards Spotlight Designer Achievement

I was delighted to find when checking out the 365 Cards site today for their new challenge that the very first card I submtted to one of their challenges was selected for a Spotlight Designer Award. Each week, one card is selected each day from each challenge for being outstanding. It was so exciting to be selected! Just had to share with everyone. Thanks for stopping by . Yvonne

Rhyme Time

For day 63 of 365 Cards, the theme is Rhyme Time. The challenge is to include a sentiment that rhymes. It could be a stamp, rub-on, sticker, etc. I chose a stamp by Stampendous for the sentiment. Once I chose my sentiment, my selection for the main image was simple. It is a beautiful image by Magenta that I purchased years ago for my granddaughter's birth announcements. I added Glitter Glue to the sentiment, some pompom trim and my favorite, white seam binding with a pin saftety pin. Everything is assembled on a very soft pink card. Thanks for stopping by. Yvonne