Unscripted Color Throwdown: Batty for You

Last week, when Stacey Schafer visited Denver, she brought me a Halloween goodie bag - Reverse Confetti Halloween sentiments, Glitz paper, orange Doodlebug Sprinkles, and black Hemptique twine. From the airport, we drove straight to Archiver's - big surprise, huh?  In the course of the drive, I had mentioned that I had spent two weeks brutally purging my stash, but that one of the things I hadn't parted with were punches even though I always used dies instead.  We agreed there was no reason to ever buy punches again.  So we walk into Archiver's and there's a make-and-take with this great bat punch.  Guess what?  Here's Stacey's use of the bat punch that we weren't going to buy...and here's mine...


I've also used the Glitz Raven paper, the twine and the sprinkles!!!   Thanks Stacey!!  The bat is a black suede and I'm thinking I should have brushed the cat fur off it before I took the photo - sorry for the linty look!
I had started this card a week ago then I set it aside to work on some other projects.  In the meantime, the unscripted sketch challenge closed - but I still want to credit it!

I also used color throwdown.  I had already used the Smoky Slate background and the papers are full of Tangerine Tango, Black and Slate.  When I was finishing it up this morning, none of it popped - I remembered the Daffodil in this challenge and it worked perfectly!!  Plus it matches the creepy bat eyes!

• Stamps: Reverse Confetti Spooky Sentiments
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate, Glitz Raven 6x6, black suede paper
• Ink: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate
• Accessories: EK Success Large Vampire Bat Punch, Doodlebug Sprinkles in Tangerine, Yellow and Black, Lil' Inkers Stitched Circles, Hemptique 10 lb black twine, yellow stickles

Color Throwdown: Happy Birthday Feathers

I recently broke down and bought two different feather sets.  Then...even though I just purchased those...I had to get the truly cute feathers that just came out from WPlus9.  It's a truly fun set with great patterns and also coordinating dies!  The colors from color throwdown were just begging to be used on these funky feathers!


Plus, I had just organized my Stampin' Up inks (all 113 of them) and I knew that I still had the old color Pixie Pink so I couldn't miss this challenge!!

• Stamps: WPlus9 Fanciful Feathers, Strictly Sentiments 1
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Soft Stone
• Ink: Stampin' Up Turquoise, Melon, Pacific, Tangerine and Pixie, Distress Ink Pumice Stone
• Accessories: WPlus9 Fanciful Feathers die, The Twinery Pink Sorbet

The Color Throwdown 5th Anniversary! Love Is In the Air

The Color Throwdown has been giving us color inspiration for five years!  I haven't even been in the blog world for 5 years.  My blog opened on November 13, 2010.  My first color throwdown card was just 4 days later on November 17th.  So they have been an important part of my crafting career!!

I've waited a little long to participate in their fifth anniversary - it's closing by end of day today!  They are having a big party with lots of prizes and a ton of great inspiration from current and past design team members.

I played around with a number of ideas.  Most of what I was playing with involved coloring images. Have any of you had the experience that lots and lots of your Copic markers are going dry all at once? I think we all jumped on the bandwagon at about the same time - and so my markers are all about the same age and are all failing.  Sadly, even though I had a cute image for this challenge - my markers coordinating with Crumb Cake and So Saffron aren't functional.

So...new direction...I also had new-to-me dies on my desk (NBUS!!! Never Before Used Schtuff!).  I have loved the stitched squares and rectangles from Li'l Inker Designs.  When I decided to order the stitched circles I also filled my cart with a number of other basic dies - sun, clouds, balloons and the instant camera die.  I love the added interest of the stitching on their dies!


Thank you to Color Throwdown for five inspiring and fun years!!

• Stamps: Li'l Inkers Balloon Builder, Hero Arts tweed background
• Paper: Stampin' Up So Saffron CS and dsp, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake
• Ink: Memento Black, WPlus9 White
• Accessories: Li'l Ink dies: Stitched Rectangles, Large Sunshine, Rainbow and Clouds, Balloons; Trendy Twine Strawberry Cupcake twine, misc heart gem

Peace, Love and Flip Flops!

It's a busy day today - lots of fun stuff!  An afternoon stamping with friends, an evening at dinner and then my friend's choir concert and it's finals week in my current class.  So I had a half an hour this morning to play - and it's a very rare card that I can finish in half an hour.  But I had a plan to use flip flops for a niece's birthday.  (Sadly, this plan changed when I realized the stamp set didn't have a birthday sentiment - but it was still a plan.)  First, I saw the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches - perfect space for some flip-flops.  Then I saw the colors at color throwdown - perfect colors for my favorite sentiment in the set!


So I'm all done - and then I noticed my mistake - anybody see it?  This die set comes with a number of toppers for the flip flops.  I didn't use the actual flip flop topper because it would have been hidden by the bow that I wanted to use.  So I don't think these are technically flip-flops, are they??  Flip-flops have the little strappy thing for the big toe - can they also be little slip-ons like these?  It's just like me to obsess over stupid things like this!!

• Stamps: L'il Inkers Flip Flop Sentiments
• Paper: Stampin' Up Night of Navy, Little Yellow Bicycle Just Because 6x6
• Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Accessories: L'il Inkers Flip Flop Dies, Divine Twine Maraschino, misc sequins

Freshly Made and Color Throwdown: Congratulations

Two challenges popped up this morning that I thought would be perfect for one of my unused sets that I have been eyeing lately.  The set is this year's Papertrey Ink anniversary set - Birds & Blooms.  I got it right away because I had the points - but I've been feeling like it would be a total pain to line it all up - so I have ignored it.  As it turns out, PTI did a great job as each layer has a little tab that lines up and makes it quite easy.



Because I wasn't sure that I was going to like the set, I didn't get the coordinating dies that came out the next month.  Because I do like dimension, I added some white Glitter Domes from Mark Richards.  But I think the dies are going onto my wishlist so that I can pop up the little flowers (and don't have to handcut the bird!)
The sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches and I knew that the large square would perfectly hold the wreath.

The colors come from color throwdown along with a bridal bouquet image.  I think my card could be used as a wedding card or even a new pregnancy or baby card.

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Birds & Blooms, Simple Little Things (sentiment)
• Paper: white
• Ink: Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
• Accessories: Crafts-Too Embossing Folder, Papertrey Ink Double Ended Banner die, Mark Richards Crystal Dome sickers, Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry Taffeta

TAWS Time: Miss You with Chevrons

I spent quite a bit of my weekend sitting with the boxes of cards that I have made over the last year making sure they were ready to be sent to Operation Write Home so when I sat down to create a card for another of the new release sets for The Alley Way Stamps, the idea of "missing you" was on my mind.  I had to give you the background because this is so totally not a direction that I thought I would take the new set full of chevrons and arrows - but I do like how it worked.  Stars and hearts and a "miss you" banner looking a little bit like a comfortable quilt.


Even though "miss you" is sad, I went looking for the brightest color combo that I could find so that the card still brought a smile.  I found color throwdown.

There are brand new Copic charts on my sidebar with all of the new 2013

Stampin' Up colors and up-to-date Papertrey Ink colors.  Guess what!!!

It includes all retired colors - Pink Passion is on the chart!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Good Point, sentiment from Get the Point
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Gray
• Ink: Memento Gray Flannel, Copics
• Accessories: L'il Inkers Stitched Rectangles, Stampin' Up Basic Gray button

Blog Hopping with The Alley Way Stamps

It's blog hop time for The Alley Way Stamps  (TAWS) - there are fun new stamps - if you follow the TAWS blog there have been sneak peeks the last three days (I did one yesterday!).  Today, when you hop, you get to see all of the new stamps!

If you started with my blog, be sure to head back to the beginning at The Alley Way Stamps.

TAWS is releasing a wonderful new background stamp.  Woodgrain is so in - and it works for so much.  On sneak peek day, you saw the new Love Knots woodgrain done in pinks and there was a video tutorial on doing it in bold blended colors.  I still need Christmas cards - so here is Love Knots used slightly differently.


{This card was made with love and prayers for a wonderful family dealing with chemo for their 8-year old for the fourth time.  They get a little break in December, but it's not over.}
Then...a very different stamp style...Doodle Frames...

Aren't these fun???  I'm a clean and simple card maker and these are perfect!  You could plop one of these fun frames in the middle of a card and they are each interesting enough to totally make the card!!

Next on the hop is Lyndal

THE FINE PRINT from TAWS:

One person will win ALL 3 NEW SETS!! YEP!! So if you want that person to be you.. all you have to do is comment on the hop! 

Here are ways you can win.. You can pick and choose which ones you want to do.. but the more you comment, the more chances you have to win.. 

1-Comment on The Alley Way Stamps Blog

2-Comment on the DT girls blogs (below)

3-Post about it on facebook or your blog

4-Like us on Facebook

(leave a separate comment for each that you do)

 You have until Nov 30th by 9:30 PM TAWS time to leave comments.

Here are the DT Blogs to visit

Alison
Annette
Arielle
Audrey
Danielle
Jessica
Kim <===You are here!
Lyndal
Tracy

A big thank you to two challenges who helped get me over a drop in my mojo as I was creating these card:

The Paper Players

The Color Throwdown

Background Check with TAWS

It's a sneak peek day for The Alley Way Stamps and I get to show you a fun new set called Background Check.  It's a variety of wonderful borders that can easily be extended to an entire background!  Given it's Halloween week - I had to go with one more little ghostie...


The strip of dots is actually only four dots across - a full strip is on the four left of the card.  Then I just kept adding strips, moving down a little bit each time.
I hope you are watching the sneaks at The Alley Way Stamps blog.  It's a fun release month - the three new sets are completely and totally different.  The first peek was last Friday and then one more tomorrow - followed by a fun and inspirational hop on Wednesday!  (I just realized Wednesday is Halloween and I should have saved this card for the Hop - ooops!!)
My colors come from the color throwdown.

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Background Check (released Nov. 1), Ghoul-Friend (words) and Fa-La-La (face from an ornament)
• Paper: black and white
• Ink: ColorBox Frost White, Stampin' Up Celery, Amethyst, copics to match Pumpkin, Amethyst and Celery for the gems (see my side bar for a downloadable match list)
• Accessories: Papertrey Orange Zest button and Ghost die, My Favorite Things Fishtails LAYERS die.

It's Fall About You

I am so loving fall colors and the new set by The Alley Way Stamps called It's Fall About You is the PERFECT set to use these colors...


I had to use these colors from the color throwdown - isn't that inspiration photo amazing!

And I used these week's sketch from Technostamper.

Card details at the bottom of this post.

I have had the busiest weekend.  We spent all day yesterday on hard stadium bleachers, in the Colorado sun, watching my son compete in marching band.  This is the 6'4", 200+ pound son whom I have told you about in the past - "Are you sure you're not a football player??"  Nope - THIS is what he does...

He's the saxophone looking right between the drums.  

I am so proud of him.  Just last week, in Theology class, they were discussing stereotypes.  The teacher looked at Andrew and said "Just look at Andrew...you would think football...but NO...marching band!!"  In my day, I would have crawled under my desk at being a band geek.  But my son owns who he is and is extremely proud of being in the band!  (And the teacher knew that about him - it was a PERFECT example of stereotypes)

He's almost right in the center looking VERY serious.Their show started with them all marching in the old-fashioned style, fife and drum style...

Then they broke into a funky rendition of Katy Perry's Firework...
They were extremely upset that they didn't make the finals of the competition (top 12), but when we saw the final scoring - they scored 5th in group musicality!!  I am guessing they will be drilling their marching even harder over the next few weeks before the next competition!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps It's Fall About You, sentiment is from Cover Up
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake and Summer Starfruit CS, Pumpkin Pie and Sahara Sand dsp
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie Taffeta, Lifestyle Crafts embossing folder

CAS and Pastel Party Animals!

This month's release at The Alley Way Stamps was SO much fun with all of the circus sets - I have had more bright colors out on my desk than I ever remember having had out before!!  But for my last post dedicated to the August release, I decided to bring it way down.  I used stamps from Party Animals to make a very CAS and pastel card!!!


I got my inspiration from The Paper Players.  I was thrilled when this challenge got me thinking about piecing those balloons - they are so uniquely narrow, I just wasn't sure how to make them stand out.

The colors are from the color throwdown.

On Monday, I'll be starting to preview September sets from The Alley Way Stamps.  If you don't follow the TAWS blog be sure to check it out because there will be sneak peeks ALL week!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Party Animal
• Paper:  white, Stampin' Up dsp in Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise and the cameo balloon comes from Ginger Blossom
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: white crochet thread, Cuttlebug small embossing folder (I actually haven't seen the little 2x2s in stores since Cuttlebug first started - but they are still on the official website.  I used a square from Playful Squares.  They are great for CAS cards!)

Less Is More: Happy x3

I LOVE this week's challenge at Less Is More - "Three".  Three is such a good cardmaking number!!  Of course, they had to add a little complexity by making it a one-layer card, so I found some FUN stamps and make a happy, happy, happy card (with three little treats!)




To add interest to this simple card - I did add some glitter and gloss...

Then, because the arrow is a paper clip and is also pointing inside - I had to give it something to point at!

I also used the colors from this week's color throwdown challenge.  It is their 200th challenge!!!  They are celebrating with FIVE colors - way out of my comfort zone - but it worked perfectly for these little treats!

I hope you have a happy, happy, happy day.

Mine will be great in about THREE more hours.  Today I am beginning my stint as the temporary, full-time pianist at church since our amazing pianist of the last six years has moved on. I love giving to my church.  I love music.  But  I am a very, very, very nervous pianist and I want so badly to make it a meaningful worship service that I feel I cannot make mistakes.  And I DO make mistakes.  It's a bad combination which leads to shaky hands and utter exhaustion when it is over.  I'm hoping as the weeks go by, I will settle into this position and begin to feel the sheer joy of lifting up my music!!  Say a prayer...  (I'll be fine...but I'm writing this 15 minutes before I head to church and my nerves are starting to act up!)

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps bite size, jibber jabber, mad gab
• Paper: white
• Ink: Memento black and copics (see the side bar for my charts of Copic colors that match Stampin' Up and Papertrey Ink)
• Accessories: arrow paper clip from Hobby Lobby, Ranger Glossy Accents, Art Institute Glitter

Unity Primitive Wilderness

I was busily indexing and putting away new stamp orders and just HAD to play with this new-to-me stamp by Unity, particularly given I remembered that the sketch challenge at Pals Paper Arts had a large enough panel for these trees and the color challenge at Color Throwdown had natural colors including a blue for the birds!!

• Stamps: Unity Primitive Wilderness, Papertrey sentiment from Pretty Peonies
• Ink: Memento black and copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Really Rust, Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake DS and Baja Breeze dsp
• Accessories: Tim Holtz embossing folder, misc hemp and brads

U Are Amazing

Pin It

Today's card plays along with three challenges: the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge, the Sweet 'n Sassy Wednesday Challenge (as found on Splitcoast) which is to do reverse masking, and the  Color Throwdown.

I like the subtle colors with just a pop of Poppy!  And I always like the look of a little sponging because you can go lighter in the middle and give it a "glow" - although I should have kept the "glow" lower so "amazing" stood out!!

The sketch:

The colors:

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy You
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride
• Ink: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride, Chocolate
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Embossing folder and flower punch, misc leaf punch, Martha Stewart glitter blue, misc red ribbon

A Freshly Made Throwdown: Birthday Buttons

I combined two challenges today - the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the colors from Color Throwdown to come up with this masculine birthday card.

 The edges are inked just by rubbing along a black ink pad.  You never really notice this quick extra step until you have compared cards side by side - I took some before and afters on this post.  That quick rub just gives it a little bit of a shadow and that little extra dimension.

I made the circle and square buttons out of two different dsps and then coated them with glossy accents.

It's my oldest son's 16 birthday!!  I had planned to make something funny or sarcastic but just couldn't come up with anything in my collection.  So when I saw these challenges, I thought I would go for something a little more grown-up.  (I can actually enjoy his birthday because he hasn't completed all the requirements to get his driver's license so I don't have to panic because he is off on his own!)

• Stamps: Papertrey Round & Round (sentiment), Background Basics: Circles
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray (the circles) and Basic Black (the sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Gray CS and dsp, Real Red CS and dsp, Basic Black dsp
• Accessories: Misc circle and square punches, misc star button, crochet thread

Color Throwdown for Less Is More

I have had this Cuttlebug embossing folder and the Ribbon Banners set aside as a great match for an elegant CAS card.  I had envisioned a beautiful floral, but...if you have been reading my blog...I am challenging myself to make a huge dent in my box-of-stamps-that-will-not-be-put-away-until-they-are-used and there is not an appropriate flower in that box.  But there is a set of beautiful crosses and with this week's Color Throwdown challenge, it all came together!

I am also using this as my ninth card for the Less Is More challenge to get 1000 entrants.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Crosses of Hope
• Ink: Stampin' Up Early Espresso
• Paper: Stampin' Up Very Vanilla, Regal Rose, Early Espresso
• Miscellaneous: Cuttlebug embossing folder, Nestabilities Ribbon Banners, gems colored with copics

Color Throwdown on a Get Well Flower

I have a church cardmaking gathering tonight and you can always tell when it is getting close because my cards get very simple.  Of course, I prefer a CAS style - so this really isn't a problem for me - but I do try to put together a variety of styles for all the other cardmakers to play with.

I used the color's from this week's Color Throwdown.

I also want you to check out the left side of my blog page because I did some cleaning!  I moved the "Tips and Techniques" section to its own tab at the top of the page.  I plan to pretty it up and organize it a little better, but that will come later.

Most importantly, I added "My Blog List" - these are the blogs that I read every day!  I did set it up to only show you the 25 blogs that have most recently posted - if you saw everything that I read, you would definitely realize how obsessive that I am!  So check this section often because you will definitely find other blogs to love!

Apologies to you if you think that I have missed you on My Blog List.  I have worked very hard to clean up my "following lists" and my Google Reader - but I think they are playing tricks on me.  Blogs that I am absolutely certain that I follow are no longer listed.  Just random stuff - but it's going to take me awhile to clean it up.  So if I definitely follow you - don't worry - you'll get on My Blog List!

• Stamps: Stampin' Place
• Ink: Stampin' Up markers in Pool, Olive, Crumb
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pool, Olive, Crumb
• Accessories: Nestabilities die, Sizzix embossing folder, SU Olive Taffeta, Stickles (on the flower)

i{heart}sketches and Stamping Bella

There is a monthly sketch challenge at i{heart}2stamp that I typically find myself doing on the last day of the month. It comes out on the first Saturday (yesterday) and I am doing June's sketch today (Sunday)!  I just decided I didn't want to have to remember every single day in June that I had a sketch challenge to do!

Their sponsor for June is Stampin' Bella and I have some great Bella stamps!

Then I had to pick colors.  I am still on a high from winning a roll of retired polka dot Melon Mambo ribbon on E-Bay last night so I decided that I would allow myself to use some of my precious stash.  It turns out that this week's color throwdown challenge uses Melon Mambo!

• Stamps: Stamping Bella
• Ink: Memento black, copics
• Paper: Stampin' Up Certainly Celery, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie dsp
• Accessories: Nestabilities square, scalloped square and circle, Stampin' Up Melon Mambo ribbon, Spica glitter pens (on the lace)

We spent yesterday at Erik's lacrosse tournament (they are still winning so we are spending most of the day there today also.)  In Denver, the popularity of lacrosse is growing at an amazing rate.  There are 20+ fields in use at this tournament all day long and they have a huge lacrosse vendor area and play area.  Erik tried out something that I had never seen before - the human-sized hamster ball:

He crawled into a giant
plastic ball.

They blew it up with what
looked like a leaf blower.

They rolled him up the
ramp to the pool.

In he goes!

He spent the whole time
trying to stand up!

It was brief, but he did it!

Then they just unzip him
and he's done!