Giroids ...

I made the giraffe background by sticking cut aways from SU stamps onto a wood blick. Then I printed test and stamped over it.



I saw this card and drew these guys ... then made a variety of cards with them.

If anybody else wants the images, feel free to grab them -- I would be honored to have you like them enough to use them!

My friend Juliet made a card with one of them --- you can see it here.

I have another Giroid available from Firecracker designs and my friend Karen made this card from it.

Delightful Inspiration doggy heart

It's week 3 of the design challenge at the Delightful Inspiration blog. I am still not sure how I feel about digital images, but this challenge has made me much more comfortable in working with digi images. It sure is nice to be able to make them any size you wish, and I had some fun playing around and making them long and skinny or short and fat. But this is the image the way it comes -

These dogs to form a heart are perfect for my friend who has 2 labs - they are both light golden so I used my copics to outline only then smudged the edges with my blender pen. Since I printed the images on regular copy paper, it was easy to get the paper saturated and get the inks to bleed and soften.

The other card uses the sketch of the week from Splitcoast.

You can click here for the image and lots of other cute stuff.

Teapot Tuesday

Check out the teapot and the bookmarks I made.

Wreath on a Wall

Thinking spring yet? I am! However, even with my glasses on, I didn't realize that the wreath was supposed to be fall bittersweet till I tried coloring it and making it into spring forsythia. Oh well!

Sunday featured stamper

On Sunday morning, I like to mosey on over to Splitcoast and see who the featured stamper might be. Then I go through their gallery and see which cards call out to me. I like to choose a card and draw the image - I can't draw that well so I need to choose a card with an image that I can manage. I think it makes me see things differently to draw them.

However, my Santa doesn't even LOOK like hers!

These are some possibilities from the 681 cards in JDMommy's gallery. blue bird mouse and bird snowflake swedish meatballs snowguys Christmoose gingerbreads wall penguinthanksgiving tags trees angel duct tape candles snow button flower fall tri shutter pirates elephant car wanted whale koi morning cat ocean santa birthday lighthouse coffee turtle and frog tugboat face beach frog corn bird tags jugglecow turtle rose sheep giraffe crab baseball bug teacups marshmallow snowman umbrella bug Gingham snowman butterfly

Delightful Inspiration Latte cups

Isn't this just the cutest image from Delightful Inspiration ... all the more delightful cuz I got it free >^..^<. You can scroll down and click on their logo on the left to go visit and get your own!

I got some permanent Bic markers and used them for 3 of the cups ... did one of the cups with my copics.

Can you tell which one is copic colored?

Heyyyyy Juliet ...

She challenged me to do the card you see here ... and I followed the tutorial by Michelle Zindorf and came up with this card.

I think we should do this one next.

Teapot Tuesday...Apple tree

Teapot Tuesday at Splitcoast has us chasing down an apple picking pusher perpetrator. Since that probably doesn't make sense, hop on over to Splitcoast and hear the whole apple picking story.

Look what I found at Juliet's Blog!

I was blog surfing today and found this Valentine by Juliet that looks a great deal like the Christmas card I sent her ... turns out she scanned it, cleaned it up and recycled it into a Valentine. I am honestly Honored!

PLEASE note that the branch is adapted from an original design available from stampingbella-branch with birdies

Juliet's black birds

Juliet chose this tutorial from the Zindorf blog for our next challenge. I kind of wish I hadn't colored in the leaves ... but I don't wish it enough to re-do the card.

Sunday featured stamper

I looked at a lot of cards before I decided which one to case for the Sunday Featured stamper at Splitcoast. Since I didn't have the Whipper snapper stamp, I drew the image in pencil then went over it with black gel pen and finally with a durango colored marker. I think it turned out kind of cute!

Amazing what you can do if you can't get at your usual supplies. I used glitter glue for brads, and had no solid colors to layer so I drew a line around the edges with my marker. I used kitchen string in place of ribbon. And I met my New Year's Resolution to decorate envelopes and insides.

The links below are other cards I considered casing before I settled on this one.

I saved them here for myself in case I need inspiration later in the week.

orchid card lighthouse cool cat single flower droopy daisy tulips grass tweetheart bright bloomsSanta cup flowers baroque butterflies pencil box bbq peachy bunny to draw monkey cranberry blooms snowman so happy

Delightful Inspiration

This image was free at this site; and if you put that I am your friend, I will get a free image ... hint hint hint ...

I printed the image off on cardstock and colored it with my copics.

I forgot to say that I entered the challenge as a friend of Juliet A -- so I hope she gets the credit for it anyway!

Juliet made me do it ....

Juliet suggested I find inspiration at the Zindorf blog, and this is the card I am choosing to inspire me. Sometimes I need a good friend to kick my muse in the pants to get me going. One of the driving forces in choosing this card is the fact that I don't know where my brayer is ! I also would have liked to add gold brads ... but you can guess where my brad collection is located - ( where current temperature is 9 degrees, gosh I am glad to be here and not there.)

Juliet gave a good explanation of our challenge at her blog so I will direct you there if you want to see her card and her explanation.

Snow?

Our weatherman said SNOW ... he never says snow. It doesn't snow here! They rescued 150 sea turtles, apparently when they get cold they just float to the surface and wait to be picked up - as in 150 pounds per turtle ... the manatees aren't doing so well. My orange tree is looking sad.
Brrrrrr!

Update ...

Numerous surface observations and weather spotters continue to
report rain mixing with light sleet and snow flurries across an area
north of a line from Melbourne to Kenansville. Intermittent periods
of a rain...sleet...and snow flurries with little to no accumulation
are forecasted to continue across this same area through mid
morning.

Teapot tuesday and a color challenge

I finally tried a color challenge over at splitcoast. I was halfway into the card when I realized my SU markers are in Michigan and I happen to be in Florida. I did my best with the copics but they look a bit blotchy to me.
Got out my Elemental Doodles Teapot - I love that little image! Then I realized I left ALL of my clear blocks for clear stamps ... in Michigan.
Duhhh what was I thinking!

Patchwork heart

This was kind of fun. I made the patchwork first then cut out the heart.

Featured stamper Ann

Wish Mike were back at work, because I found a bunch of cards to case at the Splitcoast featured stamper gallery that I am thinking of using for inspiration.
The first one was inspired by this ... the next one inspired here ...
The grid one was inspired by this card.
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1537940?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1467913?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1466343?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

butterfly - long note Butterflies sky scene punch flowers shutter fish layer flower turtle
fish and yarn frog koi red daisy car

pumpkin birdhouse http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1456538?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

embossed leaves http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1449129?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

beer http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1439130?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

teapot http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1487637?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

bubble fish http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1513879?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

pussy willow http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1499929?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

ginko http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1490376?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

flower vase http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1524034?&cat=500&ppuser=198978

January 2010

My first card of 2010. I love that shell punch!

Flying South ... well, driving

If I don't post between now and the new year ... it is because we are going to Boston from Michigan by way of the middle of Florida.
AND ... we are doing it in the middle of a snowstorm with a husband, 2 cats, 3 birds, and a dog.
I am taking my stamping stuff along and will be ready to post a bunch of new cards and such in January.

Anyway, this is the card I made to tuck in Mike's briefcase on his last day of work in Michigan before we head to Florida for the winter.

starting to think Florida

Gotta love this bird! But it sure does show that I cut him off at the ankle because he was too long. I think I will go back and stamp another foot and raise it on dimensionals. Then I will want to stamp another beak and raise it up. And another tail. And another wing. And now my foot will need to be raised even higher ...

Actually the scanner picked up the edge and made it look awful, in real life you can barely see that the paper is pieced

Kissy face snow man

The scan doesn't show the bright orange carrot noses... and ..Is the red a little much? Trying to decide if I should keep the red or not.

No kissy face at our house, I have developed a whopping cold and am sneezing and snurfling... but when I saw this tag I had to make one like it. This is a direct case, copy and steal everything , and I have absolutely no creative genius going but isn't it the cutest thing you have ever seen! GO see this lady's blog, her name is Ellen Kemper and she does darling stuff. If you go to see the original, you will have to scroll down to Dec 11th ... but you will enjoy the scroll because this lady does some CUTE CUTE stuff.

Honored !

I was featured as a pick of the day for Dec. 13th on Miss Boo's blog! She chooses her favorites off Splitcoast every day and complies a list that makes it easy to see the best of the best. And Gosh, I was included with all the rest!

Here's a link ...

Ornaments on a string

Isn't this just the cutest idea! With my new cuttlebug folder it was quick and easy. Not that I want cards to be quick and easy, but when something simple is this cool, I gotta try it. Here is where I got the original idea --

Tim Tags 1, 2 and 4 - My way

Here's my interpretation of each of Tim's Tags

My Christmas Gift

It's the week before Christmas, I love Christmas time
And I spent my whole evening creating a rhyme

Hey Joyce you'll have to tell me what you think
Of the poem I composed when you print it with ink.

If you want to know what I'm talking about
Just read the comments and you will find out.

Punchy cupcakes card

Trying my new cupcake punch --- cute, huh!

New Shell punch

This is my second card made with my new shell punch set -- the first one will be posted after it arrives in Somebody Special's mailbox >^..^<

Tim Holtz Tag # 3

Susan has really been sweet about encouraging me to try the Tim Holtz tags. But after she said she spent 9 hours making the first 9 tags, I gotta admit I was a bit intimidated! Here you see tag # 3, well, tag # 1 for me, in JULIET TONES ... with a shrinky dink charm and a gold heart and silver jump ring. I have never matched my shoes with my purse either --- >^..^<

Sundaes and stitching

Coloring my new images and adding some crystal effects. Doesn't that hot fudge look good enough to eat? The stitchery card is for my quilt making friend Barb.

Birdies, snowmen and trees

UPDATED : Jan 10. JULIET USED MY IMAGE and made a VALENTINE ! I was so tickled. Go see her blog to see the whole story.

I decided to play along with the featured stamper at Splitcoast and was inspired by her bird card, this snowman card and this tree card, Then I set the snowman background down upside down by accident and came up with another card .... and another ....
I didn't have the bird stamp but got out a pen and did my best to draw it. Not bad, huh! Had to add the card late because I was waiting for it to arrive in Virginia before it was spied here !