Friday, July 31, 2009

CDS Color Challenge and Exciting News!!!

I have some exciting news to share with you today, but first I'll show you the card I made for today's Clear Dollar Stamps Weekend Color Challenge. This was *definitely* a challenge for me! I don't use sage that often, although it was the first green I ever bought from SU. After I found Moss, Olive and Celery, Sage just sort of fell by the wayside. So a color combo of Sage, Rose and Mustard was really hard! I used the Clear Dollar Stamp of the Month set from April called Silhouette Wishes and the sketch from Papercraft Weekly to make it look like you were looking out of a window. The word "hope" is from another set called "Genuine Love".

So, can you guess my good news?? I was asked to join the Clear Dollar Stamp Design Team as a sneak preview artist for the rest of the year! Wow! I am *so* honored and blessed. I've already seen the stamps that I'll be working with for my first sneak peeks (Mark your calendar for the last four days in August!!!) and the sets are *incredible*!!!! You'll love them all. And one of the best things is that they are *so* affordable. Oh, I can't wait to show them all to you!! (Can you tell I'm excited????) I'll be working to update my blog links in the next week or two so I can list the other CDS designers as well. That way you can visit their blogs, too!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Tricia

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Ready for a Challenge????

I'll be hosting a 28 day challenge over on the Handfuls of Purpose blog starting August 1st to help us get our homes in order before school starts again. We'll be following the suggestions laid out in the Beautiful Life Management pages by GraceWorks, but you don't need to have or use the pages to participate. Each day there will be a daily tip, a daily checklist, and a challenge. Along the way there will be prizes and lots and lots of encouragement!!

If you're not familiar with GraceWorks, we offer notebook-based planners geared especially for Christian women. Our classic line has time management pages, devotional pages, housekeeping and organization pages, homeschooling pages and much more. Our Beautiful Life Management System offers daily routine and housekeeping suggestions, as well as other pages to keep your home running smoothly. Feel free to drop me a line at gracewrks@gmail.com for our free ebooklet "Planning to be a Blessing" to see what we're all about. You can read more about the 28 day challenge and some of our products on our blog here.

Hope to see you there!!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Moose Be!

The Clear Dollar Stamp Challenge for this past weekend was to make a card with the colors orange, teal and grey. Huh??? Those are not easy colors for me to use!! In fact, I don't remember ever using teal for the 9 years I was a demo!! I decided to use my sweet little Moose Friends set from Clear Dollar, since I could color the moose grey. Then I just started layering! I hope you'll stop by this weekend for the challenge. It's such a fun one and everyone is so friendly and encouraging. You can find the group on PCP here.

I'm off to get a haircut. TTFN!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Details... Verve Style

The Verve Project Parade this month has been wonderful & inspiring. Each of the design team, in turn, has shared the design process behind one of their cards. Including all the little details that make it *pop* in their opinion. As there is a $25 gift certificate to Verve up for grabs for a random participant, I decided I'd share the behind the scenes thought process for this card...

I have started to rely heavily on sketches to get me started. In fact, I have a sheet in my planner that is full of sketch challenges and color challenges and I'll often combine them if I can. For this card, I knew I wanted to use the Viva La Verve sketch #5 with a twist of texture. With the size of the rectangular panel, I decided to use the set Meditations, because I love it and haven't used it enough. I wanted to give the perception of a circle behind the image panel, so I stamped two of the flowers in the set a few times in PTI Fresh Snow ink on Kraft cardstock and cut them out. For awhile all the pieces just lay on my cardstock base, until I can see what "works". I wanted some variation in color, but I also wanted to keep it predominately brown, so I inked up my sentiment stamp with caramel ink, then cocoa, then chocolate chip. With the varigated sentiment, the lighter background paper, and the darker ribbon, there is plenty of variation to make it interesting, but it still looks "monochromatic", so it is soothing to the eye. To add texture to my card I popped up the main panel which put one layer of ribbon higher than the other. I also popped up some of the flowers.

As for embellishments, I'm a "less is more" kind of gal. I love ribbon and scallops and brads, and you'll find them on almost all of my cards. Buttons and flowers and pearls are harder for me to use, as is paper piercing, but they'll show up occasionally as well - in fact I used a pearl as a flower center on this card! Stitching on my cards is quickly becoming a new favorite.

My favorite design tip is actually one a friend of mine gave me when I was frustrated with my piano playing. I'll never forget what she told me. "As you keep practising and listening to others, you'll pick up ideas and techniques that fit you and you'll develop your own style. It doesn't have to be like anyone else's." There are so many wonderful designers out there that it can be very intimidating, but just pick one thing you like from their design - how they place brads, tie their bows, pierce their layers, color, etc. - and try to incorporate it into your next card. As you keep doing this, you'll be surprised at how much you'll improve and how you will start to develop a distinctive style of your own. It may not be the PaperCraft style - that's ok. This is just supposed to be fun!! So off you go now. Enjoy creating!!

Many blessings,

Tricia



Friday, July 24, 2009

Sammy's Friend

It's been Christmas in July for me this week! I was able to share the GraceWorks Beautiful Life Management Planners with a group of Moms during VBS and their theme was Christmas. I wish you'd been there! There were lights and garland and stockings, Christmas cookies, carols and even presents. What fun!

This image is a freebie that you can get here from Ellie of Digital Stamp Oasis for just a few more days, so be sure to get it soon! Seeing how proud Sammy is of his snowman makes me smile. I colored Sammy with Prismas & OMS and used a copic on the snowman, then I watercolored in some More Mustard to give them a "glow". Some eyelets, "messy stitching" and a sentiment from TAC finish off the card.

Think Snow!! :-)
Just Kidding!!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Another Fall Card

I'm going to be going to my first ever "shoebox swap" in a little over a month, so I pulled out an old SU sample from my box and remade it into this card. I used the SU set A Flower for all Seasons and some retired stamps, as well. I was SO proud of myself for not using any patterned paper. :-)

It's hard to tell in the top picture, but the scalloped circle punch makes a little window, and that layer is popped up with dimensionals. I used eyelets, ribbon, SU markers (which I hardly ever use anymore since I got my Copics...) and lots of sponging.

Here's a close up...
Hmmm.... I think I need to go back and add some sparkle!!

I'm off to a Christmas in July ladies' get together this morning at church. How fun. I am definitely getting in the Christmas mood!

Blessings!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Think Fall

A quick post for today. Here's Tilda all ready for Fall. She's colored with Prismacolors and OMS. I punched with the slot punch for the ribbon to come through. Sentiment is from The Angel Company. Plaid background is CC Designs.


Saturday, July 18, 2009

Just for Fun

A number of months ago, my dear friend, Debbie, gave me a stack of her leftover cut card kits from when she was a Stampin Up demo. What fun!! Unfortunately, I keep forgetting that I have them. LOL. But yesterday, when I remembered (because I couldn't find my large paper trimmer and I needed a card base for another card...) I pulled out this kit and set to work. I remember when I didn't use designer paper on anything. It was actually kind of fun! So this week I have at least 4 cards, including this one, done "the old fashioned way".

For this card I used a set by CC Designs and a sentiment stamp from Studio G. I colored with Copics and a White Gel Pen. Simple, quick & easy! Gotta love it.


Friday, July 17, 2009

(Non) Color Challenge

The Color Challenge for Clear Dollar Stamps this week is to make a card with as much white as possible. I couldn't quite make myself do *all* white, but this came pretty close. Sentiment is from the set Silhouette Wishes. Pretty Cuttlebug folder is from my dear friend Cheryl. Thanks Cheryl!!!!!!! :-) Now all I need is a wedding to go to!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

With Borders!


The borders are on! And I bought the batting today, too. I don't know if I'll get it layered or not tomorrow. It's my stamping day and I'd hate to miss that. We'll see how the day goes. Right now I'm going to relax for awhile before bedtime. :-)

TTFN!

Yay for me!!

Here is yesterday's progress. Yay!! I finished the last two blocks, all the cornerstones and the sashing. Today, between grocery shopping and taxi-ing my daughter to work, I'm going to try to cut out the scrappy borders and get them sewn together. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get the top all put together. Wouldn't that be fabulous? This quilt has been in my ufo pile for at least 4 years but I never finished it because I was afraid of the last two blocks. One had y-seams and one was paper pieced. It wasn't even that I didn't know how to do them... I just was unsure of myself. Well, they're done. And they don't even look horrible. {{smiles}}

I'll be back later if I finish. Thanks for looking!!

Tricia

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I'll have a blue Christmas...

Here's Tilda all ready for Christmas. I must say I'm already starting to think that way, too!! The school supplies are already out in the stores, which makes me think about cooler days and apples from the orchard and Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS! :-)

I set Tilda on an ornament and made some snow for the bulb to sit on. The background is Not Quite Navy cardstock stamped in PaperTrey White with the Polka Dot background stamp from CC Designs.

Today is hopefully a quilting day for me. I would like to get 2 blocks made and my sashing and cornerstones cut and pieced. We'll see....


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Viva La Verve - Scored Lines

The Viva La Verve challenge for this week was to use scored lines on your project. Since I was having so much fun with my kraft cardstock this week, I decided to pair it with some Lemon Tart paper and ribbon from Papertrey. I scored the background with my ScorPal, then used my scalloped Marvy Square punch (Super Jumbo - the blue one) to punch out my main image which I popped up with dimensionals. The little tabs are punched out with the word window punch. Thanks for looking!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Pooh

One of my daughters just loves Pooh - ummm, yup, the 18 year old!! I've had these stamps in her honor forever, but seldom use them. In fact, I just transferred them from foam backing to ezmount last year. Here I stamped the little postage stamp on a piece of Basic Grey background paper and colored Pooh & Christopher Robin with Prismacolors. After doing a reverse mask and distressing a little I sewed it to a little mat and assembled the card. Sketch is last week's Mojo94.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Tilda with Watering Can

Even Tilda was colored with Prismas & OMS this week... well, all but her skin. I really like the Copics for that. The layout was quick and easy thanks to the Just Magnolia Challenge blog, although I did have to color my button, the eyelets, and one of the brads with Copics to make them match the card! :-) Sentiment is Clear Dollar Stamps. Thanks for looking!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

First Quilt ... Last Quilt

One of the things I'd love to do this week is to finish some projects that are lurking in my boxes. A pillow with a cross-stitched top, framing a cross-stitch, completing an almost finished quilt top, etc., etc. In my search for inspiration, I came across this post to show your first and last quilts and share something you learned on the way.

So... here's my first quilt - (See my cute dog??)

It's really a pretty quilt... only *nothing* in my house is sage green and yellow and purple. *Nothing. Whatsoever.* It lives in the closet. :-)

Here's my last project. Simple and sweet. It lives on my bookshelf. Don't look at the quilting. It's crooked. I don't like quilting. I like piecing. Which is why my last project is only this big and why I have about 10 quilt kits sitting in the closet waiting for me to do them. Sigh.


Just for fun, here's a picture of my favorite quilt. I miniaturized a King Size Thimbleberries quilt pattern and it turned out so cute! Or shall we say it *was* until I scrimped and saved to have it professionally quilted and she quilted it with black thread. Why black???????? It isn't even pretty anymore. It made me sad. I don't even want to bind it. It lives on my quilt rack. As long as you look at it across the room it's not quite so nasty. Just don't turn it over. The back is a light gold flannel like that inner border. And the stitching is black. Yuck. Ugly. Bleah! So what have I learned along the way??? I'm sticking to table runners with an occasional lap quilt or one or two of Miss Rosie's Tuffets thrown in! Well, except for this week when I'm challenging myself to finish a block of the month quilt from... ummm... a number of years ago. Anyone want to come give me lessons in machine quilting so I don't have to stitch in the ditch?? :-)


Thanks for stopping!


Digital Tuesday - Sweet Birthdays

I had so much fun playing with my prismacolors & oms this week! For this card I colored Sammy from Digital Stamp Oasis and made a quick birthday card for the Digital Tuesday challenge. After I colored Sammy, I used a small sponge dauber and sponged a little caramel around him to give a distressed look. The sentiment is from Clear Dollar Stamps.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Weekend Color Challenge

Isn't this a fun clean & simple sketch? It's from the Card Positioning Systems blog for this week. I used the colors from the Clear Dollar Stamp Weekly Color Challenge and the set "Genuine Love". I saw the stitching on the middle border idea on Nichole Heady's blog and thought it was a great idea. It makes it so pretty! Thanks Nichole!

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Vintage Snail Mail

It is quite possible that I may never part with this card. I really, really like it!! The cardstock and ribbon came with my last SU order. I have such a wonderful demo!! I stamped the kiwi cardstock with little flowers in white ink. I stamped the picnic basket on some very old SU dp and then stamped the flowers on the basket and colored them with copics. I stamped, colored and cut out the letters, and put my basket and letters together on a piece of pink dp that I had punched out with my pink scallop punch. That was then matted on white and then onto a brighter pink. I must say that I'm enjoying the Vintage Picnic set. It's easier to use then I thought and it seems to lend itself to such classy cards.

Thanks for stopping by! Tomorrow's post might be later, since it's my stamping day!! See you then!

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Clear Dollar Stamps Weekend Challenge

This sweet little moose was for last weekend's Clear Dollar Stamps color challenge and uses the Mojo Monday sketch from last week. I love making bright cards like this to send to the Ronald McDonald house. They are so bright and cheery!!

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Hello Friend

I have 3 Magnolia cards that I need to make this month. Here's the first one, featuring one of my favorite Tildas. She's so feminine and pretty. Speaking of feminine, I came across a fabulous definition the other day that has really been a blessing to me. In her book "Chosen to be His Helpmeet", Debi Pearl says that "feminine" is devoid of dominance and control. I've really been thinking about that. If you picture this sweet Tilda she doesn't look very controlling does she? She looks capable and lovely and hardworking, but sweet and feminine. That's what I'd like to be known for, as well.

Have a blessed day!
Tricia

Monday, July 06, 2009

Clean & Simple Snail Mail

I had these leftover strips of paper after I finished one of my cards on my cardmaking day, and they were just begging to be used, so I trimmed them to card size, colored a Gina K Framed Fun snail and added a PaperTrey sentiment. DP is by K&Co. These clean and simple cards are so sweet and this one is even flat which makes it especially nice to actually mail out.

TTFN! Tricia

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Pure Delight

As I prepare for church this morning, this is a wonderful verse to think about. Do I truly delight in the Lord? Are His thoughts what I enjoy thinking about, or do I like to live closer to "the edge"? What kind of things do I watch on TV? What things come out of my mouth when I'm bumped? My heart's desire is to someday hear Jesus Christ say "Well done, good and faithful servant." Help me delight in You today, Lord!!

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Summertime Friend

The Digital Tuesday challenge for this week was to make a Summertime card. One thing I love about summer is warm Summer rain showers. Actually they're usually downpours with thunder and lightning, but occasionally you get a soft shower, and that's what Susie Squirrel is playing in.

Let's see... I paper pieced Susie's flower and colored the center with Copics. Susie is colored with Copics as well and I used a white gel pen for highlights. Designer Paper is by K&Co.

Hope you had a happy 4th! Parade and picnic and fireworks for me!!

Friday, July 03, 2009

Cards, Cards & More Cards!

I had a ball today stamping up a storm. I tried something new this week and didn't do any stamping until today. Do you know how much I got done around the house this week? It was phenomenal!! (Did I spell that right??) Anyway, today was my stamping day and I got 7 cards made. One for each day of the week on my blog. That is so exciting! They aren't fancy, but they're me.

This is one of my favorites. It's for the Viva La Verve Week 2 Challenge on SCS and it has a twist of Poppin' Pastels. Can you spot them? On the white panel behind the sheep, I stamped the flowers with Versamark and then used pastels to color over them. The Versamark picks up the color. Pretty, isn't it?? The little sheep is from Elzybell UK and is colored with Copics and punched out with Marvy punches. The sentiment is Verve and Elzybell combined. Thanks so much for stopping by. Come again tomorrow!