Making Smiles

I received this sweet blog award from Vicki at Bountiful Blessings this week. I'm so honored! I love seeing what Vicki creates and reading about the process she took. And she's so encouraging and talented. Thanks Vicki! :)

Now here's the hard part. I'm supposed to tell five things about myself, and I've been at a loss what to share. Let's see.

1. I love having my boys home during the summer and hate to see school start each September. It seems most of my friends are the opposite and they can't wait to send their kids out the door.
2. I spent a semester in Costa Rica as an exchange student my junior year of college.
3. I turned the big 4-oh this year and had a very quiet birthday. That was perfect as I'm really not into a lot of fanfare and fuss. For some reason though, I catch myself thinking I'm 41 now and have to review the year to remind myself that I'm not! haha. Getting ahead of myself....
4. I do a lot of counting. At church each week I count the offering donations and do all the data entry for tracking financial statements. At school each month I review the lunch menu orders to check everyone's math and payments and follow up with credit and debit slips, etc. It's a lot of volunteer time, but it's so nice to "use my brain" and have the satisfaction of a job completed and done well.
5. I grew up as a PK (preacher's kid) in a little country church.

Okay, now it's my turn to share this award with five people.

Dawn Mercedes - I met her through Divine Secret Sisters and I love her style!
Terry - a sweet friend I know in real life!
Vickie Y. - the fairy godmother of Big Sisters in DSS. :)
Kim - who has kindly helped technically challenged me with digi stamps!
Danni - who leaves so many encouraging words to so many bloggers.

Red Christmas Trees

Sherrod Studio Tuesday Throwdown: sstt03 Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Barely Banana
Card Patterns: Sketch 38
Creative Belli Blog: #77 Raffia or Twine

I used Sherrod Studio's Christmas Greetings set for this card. You can emboss with any dye ink pad if you have a versamark pad and clear embossing powder. I first inked the center tree with versamark, and then inked it again with real red dye ink before stamping it onto my banana cardstock. I quickly covered it with clear EP and heated it up with my embossing gun. Voila! A shiny embossed tree. :) I did the same method for the other trees, trunks, stars and sentiment. Just remember to clean your stamp in between each inking so you don't get color ink on your versamark pad.

AND I absolutely LOVE how easy it was to line up the three trees and their trunks with the clear stamps! I don't think I have ever stamped three of anything in such an straight line before and I managed it on the first attempt {cheer}.

I think I'm also addicted to my sakura glitter pens. I started by outlining the tree mat, then the saying, then the card base and then all the bumpy parts on the cuttlebug red layer. It's such an easy way to add sparkle and it's just fun! {wink}

I found this satin ribbon that matched the caramel paper, but it looked plain so I added some red twine and I like it better. Then I was digging through my bin of random buttons and found the yellow one first. I thought how perfect it would be if I could find a red one to fit in the center and was thrilled to find exactly what I needed after more sifting. Again, twine came to my rescue in tying the two buttons together. {grin}

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day!

Kirsten's Dreams

Paper Makeup Stamps makeup4theweekend02
Splitcoast Sketch Challenge 252
Danni's Dreams Flutter By Wednesday

Here's another one of my favorite Paper Makeup fairies. Kirsten has such a dreamy look on her face and I've made many wishes as I blew dandelion seeds off into the breeze. I used an aquapainter with my watercolor wonder crayons to color her a couple days ago. Then I was stuck on a layout until today's sketch challenge at Splitcoast. Gotta love sketches! :) It's subtle, but I traced around her picture with a glitter pen. The saying is also from Paper Makeup.

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day!

Digi ATC

I made another ATC card for Paper Makeup Stamps first Makeup for the Weekend Challenge from last Friday. Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow's challenge holds. :) I was inspired by Kim Stewart's quilt card and cut tiny half inch squares for my background. I used a white gel pen for all the "stitching". It's so funny that today's Ways to Use It Challenge on Splitcoast is to use patches because it fit right into my plan for this card. The saying is from this week's Word Art Wednesday freebie digi stamp. Kim came to my rescue and helped me figure out how to print it in color - thanks Kim! :) I used nesties to cut it out and frame it. I colored the edge with my white gel pen to give it the look of an extra layer.

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day!

Emboss Resist

Here's my card for today's color combination challenge on Splitcoast. It's also for Sherrod Studio's Tuesday Throwdown to use the emboss resist technique. I used the Christmas tree outline stamp (from Sherrod Studio's Christmas Greetings set) to randomly create a background with versamark. I then embossed it with vanilla EP. I punched out 1-inch squares and sponged them with artichoke, coral and burgundy. I matted them with the same colors and chose one of the sayings from the same stamp set for the center.

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day! :)

Fresh Baked Gingerbread Man

I made this card for a new challenge at Sherrod Studio called the Tuesday Throwdown. This week's challenge was to use their sketch. I used a pre-printed notecard for my background (Limited Supply Challenge on Splitcoast). On my card it's very subtle, but there are two triangle vellum pieces over the background. I used the gingerbread man outline from Fresh Baked on Kraft cardstock. I love how easy it is to position the vest, face and stripes with the clear stamps. I filled in all the white areas with a gel pen. Another thing that I like about clear stamps is how you can gently curve them on the acrylic block and make a straight saying wavy. I thought it went well with the wavy frosting on his arms and the border punch. I chose grosgrain ribbon because of the striped texture it has.

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day! :)

ATC Card Challenge

I have seen these little cards called Artist Trading Cards (ATC) in galleries for years and I have never made one. I don't know why because they are sooooooo cute. It's just been something on my "I'll do it someday" list. :) Well today's the day! Paper Makeup Stamps has changed their weekly challenge day to Friday and for this week it is to make ATC's.

I embossed and paper pieced the butterfly from the PMS Buggy Sayings set. I paired it with another one of my favorite word art sayings "When the World" (also from PMS). All designer paper is from My Mind's Eye that I matched up with Rich Razzleberry cardstock. I may have gone a little overboard with the bling, but I love how it sparkles. :) And it fits in with this week's Stamp Something Bling It challenge.

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day!

PMS Release Party Challenges

You know those months when everyone in the house is taking turns being sick with fevers and the coughing just lingers on and on? That's what it's been like here and finally today everyone is back at work and back at school. I wouldn't say we're feeling 100% yet, but we're getting there.

Anyhow,Paper Makeup Stamps had a great release party a week ago. My name was drawn to win the ENTIRE October release - how sweet is that!? I've got my fingers crossed that those delightful stamps will arrive in my mailbox today. :)

They also gave us two release party challenges and here are my cards for those. :)


The first challenge was "I've got a CASE of PMS" to case a card from their newest design team member Randee. I enjoyed looking through her gallery and chose this card. I love how she stamped on the designer paper and how simple and elegant it is. Then I changed it to something fun and whimsical!

I was in the mood to make a card with Trick or Treat Ted. I used designer paper for the two background layers like Randee did. I have this great DCWV All About Boys stack of DP that has these alien patterns in it. I colored Ted with my new copic markers. I tried following Katie's Color With Me directions from her posted video and I think he came out okay. Fun to try something new. :)

I left off the brads and ribbon from Randee's card and chose to pop up the saying. I used a marker to omit the words "Witching you a" and get the "Happy Halloween" sentiment that I wanted. I also traced around Ted's white circle with a silver glitter pen. I like how it compliments the other shades of gray.

The second challenge was a Paper Makeup Recipe to make a card with the following "paper makeup" on it.

foundation: Quote, large sentiment, or word art (as your focal point);
powder: Fall colors-themed (paper, ink, embellishments, etc.);
eyes: distressed look (paper, ink or tools as needed);
blush: use at least 3 layers;
lips: brads or eyelets (or something similar).

I love this saying and have it as a stamp, but I also have the digi version for when I want to make the word art larger and really stand out on my card. I sized it in Word and printed it out on Very Vanilla cardstock. I used a Paper Shaper border punch on the sides of the saying and sponged around it with brown ink. I thought this DP from Basic Grey's Archaic collection already looked distressed and I loved the fall color tones in it. Those brads are copper and give off a beautiful combined brown and rust color that I just couldn't capture with my camera. I think it also has enough brown to fit in nicely with this week's Stamp Something challenge.

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day!

Another Melody Card

Paper Makeup Stamps: World Card Making Day to make a new card with PMS stamps.
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge: Make a card with a pull-out feature.
Splitcoast Featured Stamper Case a card by Clownmom

Here's another Melody card. You can scroll down and check out her story in my previous post if you haven't read that yet. :) For the first time I did not glitter a fairy's wings! (gasp) I wanted the stickles to stand out on her belt and the white part of her dress. I wish you could see the sparkle better in the photos above. I used a blender pen and ink to color her in and tried to make the little bird she's singing to resemble a robin this time. Putting the saying on a pull-out tag was the perfect way to use a larger sentiment without making a bigger card or covering up part of Melody. And I loved Clownmom's card (linked above), so that gave me a great starting point. I switched out the black for brown, only added scallops on the bottom of the image mat, and made my sentiment tag a pull-out one instead of dangling. I still liked the ribbon going across the upper corner though, so I kept that on my card too.

Thanks for looking and have a blessed day! :)

Introducing Melody

In August Paper Makeup Stamps had a Custom Fairy contest and I was delightfully surprised to win. I had allowed myself to think about what kind of fairy would I want made if I got to choose, and I'm so glad I did! When Katie announced my name (after the shock and shrieking wore off and I could type again) I knew exactly what kind of fairy I wanted custom designed. Her name would be Melody and she would be singing to a bird. She would have ringlets and be wearing a simple dress and tiny shoes (always colored to match, haha!) I've just always loved to sing along with the radio or my CD's. It's my favorite part of any church service or program at school. And I've always loved being outside and watching little creatures go about their daily lives. This is the perfect idea of a Beautiful Day Fairy stamp for me.

I just love how Melody is drawn - she's exactly as I imagined her. Kudos to the illustrator Diem Pascarella! You can look at the PMS Blog for other sneak peek cards and she'll be released for sale on Wednesday night, October 7th during their release party. While you're checking Melody out, don't forget to leave comments there and have a chance to win the ENTIRE October release of stamps - now that's a lot of rubber happiness! AND as if that's not enough, Paper Makeup Stamps is having a 12 Week's Countdown to Christmas Sale every Saturday starting today for the next 12 weeks! Lots of exciting things going on over there. :)

And now for a couple cards! Melody is so much fun to color! I used a blender pen and ink and was thinking of Giselle from the movie "Enchanted", so this Melody has strawberry blond hair. :) I went with a pastel scheme of Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Apricot Appeal. Of course, I had to add dazzling diamonds glitter to her fairy wings. The saying is from PMS set Nature's Song. I like how the scalloped oval mimics the scallops on her dress and the cuttlebug music embossing folder gave me a great accent for the apricot panel. :)


In addition to mounted or unmounted rubber, Paper Makeup Stamps offers their Beautiful Day Fairies in digi form for the first month after they're released. So, for my second card I shrunk Melody down before I printed her. I wanted her to be the correct size to go with the cottage and willow tree (also from PMS!) After I colored her, again with blender pen and ink, I held my breath and oh so carefully cut her out. I sponged the grass and sky to add some texture and ripped a brown strip of paper to be a path leading from the cottage. The cottage was much easier to cut out after it was colored in and I added clear glaze pen to all the windows. I used markers to color in and "huff" the willow tree stamp and cut that out for the front yard. Then the clouds I just cut free-hand. As for the saying, well, there's this song that I grew up singing in our little country church and I just had it going through my mind and was humming/singing it while making this card. :) So, I decided why not print off the title from my computer. I used a small label nestie to cut and stencil the saying.



Here's a close-up view of Melody. Isn't she darling!? :) I used a glitter pen on her wings.


Thanks for looking and have a blessed day! :)