Generic card

Not sure what this card is going to say --- maybe thanks or happy fall or happy birthday. It was inspired by Lori -- LMcAree at splitcoast.

Which one?

Well, whadday think, straight brads or crooked? On one I used versamark along the edge to get a thick row of silver embossing, on the other I just rubbed the edges on the versamark pad. Not sure which look I prefer. I definitely think using the versamark marker to write "hello" made it way too heavy a line.

LOVE my hand colored paper, that is a fun technique to do. Inspired by Lori at Splitcoast.

I'm just not vintage

I really tried to do a vintage card for the splitcoast challenge - but it just isn't in my blood I guess. I used a slip from the American Spoon store in Petoskey that gave my card a nice oldy look ... but I am not too comfortable with the style and the results probably show that!

Wild thing ... wild day!

I am cutting up my syllabus into black and white giraffes before I put on my pin stripe business suit and head to Saginaw Valley. The challenge over at mothermark was to use black and white to tone down a wild, out-of-control teenager -- some start for my psyche as I get ready to face my classes today, huh!

I printed the giraffes with versamark on the assignment section of my syllabus which I am telling you because you really can't tell what the giraffes were printed on.

But it did make a cute card. Then ... I got out the gel pen. Joan Bardee has been doing an "extreme makeover " thing on her blog and I thought I would post the before and after photo of this card. Not sure if I made it better or worse, but I had fun and that is why I make cards in the first place.

I'm back!

We are back from Petoskey. Mike took FIRST place for his age group in the half ironman race - he swam 1.2 miles in chilly Lake Michigan, biked 65 miles along the coast up and down some fierce hills, and ran 13.1 miles along the beach, 70 miles total and he took just under 7 hours to do it.

I shopped Petoskey downtown and found lots of new stamping goodies. It's good to be home ...and just in time - classes start tomorrow.

Wallpaper inspiration

Splitcoast had a wallpaper site for their Saturday inspiration. Can you believe this wallpaper is made for on a ceiling! How fun is that!

Anniversary of a birthday

My neighbor Sam celebrates the 25th anniversary of her 59th birthday early in September. I made this card for her.

Her house is full of fake flowers so I had to include a few.

Found a Queen Cat

Just found this blog and a card I really wanted to try.

You can see that it is very similar but turned on its side.

Heyyyy Lisa !

Made this card with a paint chip and some new paper that I had to have ...

Oops, late again

My sister's wedding anniversary is tomorrow. Even if I catch the mailman, which is unlikely, this card probably won't make it to Wisconsin in time.

When the world hands you scraps ...

When the world hands you scraps ... I just made this cupcake card from the scraps of my sketch card with the kitty. The ribbon is the same color as the cupcake paper, I have no clue why the scanner washed it out so much. But I tried taking a picture outside in the daylight and wasn't thrilled with that either !

I am still playing with the background paper I made a month ago - which kind of ties me into a color scheme for the month as well. I should make a whole new batch of it for fall.

At any rate ....here is my card for today's sketch at splitcoast plus a new cupcake card for my cupcake pile.

Free vet check

We are playing "CLUE" over at mothermark's blog

and I found this cat hiding in the flowerpots. Seemed only natural to have the card hiding in the cats ...ha ha ha

Then I took Snickers to the vet for her baby kitten to one year weight check. The vet didn't charge me! So this was a perfect thank you card ... I wrote"Thanks for checking on my cat ... "on the inside.

SERENDIPITY !!! I keep making these silly teapot cards and then finding a perfect use for them!

JoJot's Cards

These are cards I made over the weekend - The Sun Days card is for Mike when he does his big race this coming Sunday.

The frog card is for my friend who starts teaching Kindergarten next week and has a theme of frogs for her classroom.

Cats and Cupcakes

Oh this card was really fun ... kind of makes me want to start all over again with my 30 cards for 30 days ...

You might notice a similarity to mothermark's card here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1227254

Cupcake again ... new and improved

Cat note: revised this cupcake today - just didn't like it the way it was ...

But I kept the shiny cherry on top.

Ever get the feeling you don't know when to stop? I remember when I was doing cake decorating, I never knew when enough was enough. And then when I was a quilter I never knew when I had just the right amount of quilting. Well, the same doubts haunt me with my cards. I made this card for Amanda's 30th and was thrilled with it but now I am thinking, gee, if I would make one more layer for the frosting part and raise it up a little, then stick the cherry in it, that would look even better. Debating with myself ...

I do love my new camera though. It is idiot proof which means I can use it. It's an Olympus 5010 12 mega pixel, but better than that, it's a turn it on and push the button kind of affair. Works great for my totally un-technical mind.

Now ... should I make another layer .... or not? Hmmmmmmmmmm

Cupcakes ... new and improved

If you think you have seen the card below, I just revised it into the card on the left. Better?

the big Three - oh

Inside of Amanda's final 30th birthday card with a detachable bookmark . Not sure how to rotate the picture, it is fine on my computer but when I open the blog it is sideways. Oh well, turn your head and you can see it !

Mojo Friday Cupcake

For some reason I am not happy with either of these ... but I am not sure why. Maybe it is just Friday and threatening to rain all afternoon ...

Tosh by Gosh

Found this card on Tosh's blog and fell in love ... hope she doesn't mind that I am using it for inspiration! This card is SO not me but it is SO who I wanna be!

Quilter's cheer

One of my quilting friends needed some cheering up ... here is the card I made plus the inside. The little triangle piece is not on the card, it is on my scanner ... but I already sealed the envelope so if I want to post a photo, this is the only photo I am gonna get ...

Almost late!

Playing with Amy's punch and I was almost late for an appointment ... but here is the card .

Card Sketch Wed

This card is not at all like the other cupcake cards I have been making for Amanda but gosh I love the look! Wonder if I should give this card to someone else and continue the "cute" sequence I have started for Amanda. ... what do you think?

My background paper was great fun - I got some Tim Holtz distressed ink pads and smeared them across a non-stick sheet. Sprayed them with a mist of water and sprinkled some pearl ex from a salt shaker - then pressed paper into it. You can't see the sheen that the pearl ex made but it is really pretty.

I made quite a bit of this paper -- you'll be seeing it again!

Loved this paper!

The first card was made totally with stamps, the rest of these use my new paper which I really like. For a change I was just making cards, not using sketches or inspiration pieces or whatever, just playing with paper and color.

I fell in love with this paper at the scrapbook store.

The stickles basket by the checkout called out to me and now on the peach one I have some ED leaves tumbling through the sky and leaving a sparkle train behind them. Easy and fast but I really like how it turned out.

I took the other shots outside and the color is a little better. The background is a light blue which the camera didn't pick up at all on the card with peach leaves.

I can see clearly now ...

If you can see the teapot in my card without seeing the inspiration teapot, good for you! I think it kind of got lost, but I really had a good time making it and that's all that matters, right?

But then again, if you can see putting tea in this pot, then even better for you! To be perfectly clear, this looks just a bit like a water pitcher which would make more sense because you need a light to get out of the water, not out of the tea unless you are at the Boston Tea Party. Ahhh. That explains it.

Take me to Jail Tara !!!

Put me in jail with my rubber stamps, because I totally stole this card from Tara. ( go see hers, it is even prettier than mine.) http://itsallgoodbytara.blogspot.com/

Actually she says on her blog you can copy her work and "it's all good ..."

Just look how easy this is, all you do is plunk down a kaleidoscope card on textured paper and add your leaves. Mine are from Elemental Doodles instead of the stampin up Tara used, so my card has been diddled for sure ; )

Blowing the paint around

I did this card after seeing one like it on splitcoast - pulled out a straw and went outside to blow the paint patterns. Never mind the fact that the skies opened and I got drenched; the card turned out very nice! The butterfly is ... ta dahhhh ... Elemental Doodles.

Which leaves?

These were inspired by a card on Splitcoast - and I can't decide if I prefer the real leaves or the ones I stamped with my new Elemental Doodles fall set. I can say one thing ... coloring mesh tape with a stamp pad is VERY messy.

Submitted!

I submitted 6 cards to Take Ten Magazine - now I need to find out if I am allowed to share them on my blog!

They were made with a bunny stamp from Nise ... and with an Easter bonnet from Elemental Doodles. Wouldn't it be fun to see the cards published in a magazine!

Amy's Birthday

The front of the card was done with the Zindorf technique of versamarking then stamping, then clear embossing. Next the color was brayered over the image and rubbed off the embossed portions. The petals were colored with white colored pencil and then with shiny chalks on the petals.

The inside was stamped with her favorite birthday stamp image then that was masked and I stamped the coneflowers with versamark and then ink and the rock and roll on the edges of the cones. That was all clear embossed and then the grasses were overstamped after I masked the text. I rubbed shiny chalks over the text and used cotton balls and a dusting brush on the edges.

Here is Amy's envelope

Since we are meeting for lunch, I didn't have to make it mail-able.