Congrats on Your Big News!

I'm giving this card to a gal that shared news with me that she's expecting. It's always so exciting to hear this happy news! I couldn't wait to use my new Nursery Necessities stamp set that I earned free last month for promoting to Manager with Stampin' Up! How stinkin' cute is this sweet elephant? I used the Fall-To Layout #49 for my sketch inspiration...they always have the best layouts to get you started...and I paired the FTL49 with the Color Challenge #226 over at Splitcoaststampers.



Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Absolutely Fabulous (retired)
Paper: Apricot Appeal, Baja Breeze (retired), Close to Cocoa, Tempting Turquoise CS
Ink: Close to Cocoa
Other: Big Shot, Backgrounds #1 Texture Plates, Top Note Die, Apricot Appeal 1/4" Grosgrain, Vintage Brads, Mat Pack & Paper Piercing Tool, Stampin' Dimensionals

My Fabulous Friend ~ Distressed Flowers

Whew! I tried to use as many challenges as I could find today for this card. First of all, I have been wanting to create some of these distressed flowers for some time, especially since Dawn McVey posted a tutorial on how to make them. The Ways To Use It challenge, WT222, over at Splitcoaststampers had a similar tutorial for distressed flowers using a crinkled paper technique. For the color inspiration, I used The Pink Elephant Challenge that posted the cover of Better Homes & Gardens...plus when I headed over to Libby's Little Addiction, Courtney's outfit had these colors, too! I love the relaxing feel that the blues and greens exhibit, don't you? Kazan's Sketch 28 was my layout inspiration for the card. I think it all came together nicely...and I'll definately be making more of these fun distressed flowers in different color combinations. Won't you have a try? If you do, leave me a posting about it so I can check it out!



Stamps: Absolutely Fabulous
Paper: Certainly Celery, White Confetti, Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise CS
Ink: Pacific Point
Other: Pacific Point Striped Grograin, Cutter Kit, Crafters Tool Kit, Pacific Point Corduroy buttons, Natural Hemp Twine

I just heard!

I look forward to seeing the new sketch over at the Clean & Simple Stamping blog each week. The Fall-to Layout #38 is a fabulous one, but then again, I think they are all fabulous!



I will be demonstrating the bleaching technique at an upcoming group meeting, so I've been practicing today. For this clean & simple card, I used the Bleached Out Image technique by heat embossing a floral image from the Embrace Life stamp set with clear embossing powder on Riding Hood Red cardstock and then applying the bleach with an aqua painter to the flowers. Take a look at the tutorial for this technique over at Splitcoaststampers and stay tuned in the next couple of days for some more "bleached out" cards!

Stamps: Embrace Life, Absolutely Fabulous
Paper: So Saffron, Riding Hood Red, Kraft, Whisper White CS, Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP
Ink: Versamark, Black Stazon
Other: Baja Breeze Corduroy Buttons, Natural Hemp Twine, Pop-Up Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, 1" Circle Punch, Clear EP, Heat Tool, Aqua Painter, Bleach

In Good Times or Bad ~WSC73 & SCS CC211

Here is another challenge combination card. This time, I used the Weekend Sketch Challenge #73 and the Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge #211.





Stamps: Absolutely Fabulous
Paper: Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, Kiwi Kiss & Whisper White CS, Bella Rose DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Other: Eyelet Border, 1 1/4" Square & Scallop Square punches, Pretty in Pink Taffeta ribbon, Pretties Kit, Pop Up Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

In Good Times or Bad ~ KWerner Design Challenge #28

How cool is this Color Inspiration #28 from Kristina Werner! Go check out all of the fabulously talented stampers that submit cards for these weekly challenges!



Here's my card submission!



Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Absolutely Fabulous
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Taken With Teal, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie & Whisper White CS
Ink: Pumpkin Pie & Elegant Eggplant Classic
Other: Elegant Eggplant 1/4 Grosgrain, Crafters Tool Kit, Flower Trio Punch, Vintage Brads, Corner Rounder Punch

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge ~ Breakfast at Tiffany's

My blog friends, Sankari and Brooke, have started a new challenge blog called Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge. This week the movie inspiration is Breakfast at Tiffany's...so cool!



Here is my challenge submission...a great opportunity for me to use my Pretties Kit! This is the first time I have watercolored the pretties flowers! So easy...why was I waiting for so long?



Stamps: Absolutely Fabulous
Paper: Urban Garden DSP, Basic Black & Whisper White CS
Ink: Basic Black Classic, Baja Breeze re-inker
Other: Pretties Kit, Aqua Painter, Baja Breeze Double-Stitched Grosgrain, Mini Glue Dots