Sunday, July 27, 2014

Camp Wannastamp



Since I have had my first summer free from school work in three years, I was able to take advantage of Camp Wannastamp. My somewhat "local" stamp store  One Little Spark-(an hour and a half way) has a stamp camp every year. it is an all day stamping event taught by the store owner, Pat Thorpe's daughter- Heather Meeson of the A Muse fame. 

We started out with a funky folded card. it was a wee bit too funky for my group, so we opted to keep our four 2x2 panels to make a card set at home.  I will show them when I complete the set That took us through the morning. While lunch came with the event, the fab Philly five decide to have a tail gate picnic. Boy was that a great idea! We had the car radio blasting XM radios 60's on 6. We had our chair out in the parking lot and we gorged on barbecue chicken, potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, hummus, salsa and chips. What picnic is complete without cup cakes and we had those too.





Thank God the weather held out, because soon after we returned to camp, it started pouring! the rest of the afternoon was spent, doing what I love best- making cards. Some were winners and some not so much. But I learned something new with each card.


This card, so totally did not work out, but I tried to save it by outlining the hello with a black sharpie.


This was not my favorite card but I did like the washi tape I added to it. I think it will make a good card for my teenage nephew and if he chuck's it I won't be offened. :)



This card was fun and I love the sentiment. We learned a cute way to make the fruit loops with a hole punch and a circle punch. 


This is a lovely CAS card, that I actually saw on Laura Bassen's blog prior to class. I had to add some bling- why you ask? Well, just because I had it with me and I like it!


 We finished with this really fast CAS card. I was glad it it was so CAS because I was exhausted. We had a quick snack from the card trunk and were on our way home after a hilarious, creative, fun and tiring day at camp.








Saturday, July 26, 2014

Hang in there



This week at Just Us Girls, Sharyn is hosting a fun photo challenge. It is just full of summer fun and inspiration. I am finally getting the hang of these photo challenges. Its not about trying to replicate the entire photograph but but being inspired by parts of it. I was drawn to the pennants that were hanging. I used an oldie but goodie stamp from Impression Obsession- "telephone lines" and colored them in the same colors as the flags. The sentiment was CASEd from the "summer BBQ". Still in my CAS aesthetic but totally inspired from the photo.


I hope you will join us this week at JUGS and show us how the photo inspired you! Happy creating!


Saturday, July 19, 2014

Cool flora



This week's challenge by Vicki is a cool and refreshing color challenge. Just perfect for inspiring cool thoughts on a hot day!  We are looking for creations using turquoise, green and lime. 


The BIG news though is this is the 250th challenge from Just Us Girls!!!  Can you believe that!! 250!!! WOW!! In honor of this event the Chic of the Week will win their choice of stamp set $14.99 or less from Dare 2B Artzy.


I loved these cool colors so much, mainly because I think green is the most beautiful color in the whole world!! (Sorry, Marguerita, I know you think the best color is pink.) I had to make two cards I liked this challenge so much. Both, are floral in nature. Are there green flowers out there? I am sure there are but if not- there should be!


I could not decide which card to post to Just Us Girls, so I had do a "meeny, meeny minny, moe" to pick which one to use. Which card do you like?

Be sure to join us at Just Us Girls for our 250th challenge and play along and you might win an awesome prize!!



Stamps used- Paper Smooches,  Bold Blooms, Reflections
                      Simon Says Stamp, Flower Friend

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Trends

 

This week we continue with one of our new challenges at Just Us Girls. This is trend week, where we challenge you with the latest paper crafting trends. I just love this idea and today we have a great trend for you- woodgrain. This is so popular from woodgrain stamps, embossing folders to actual wood paper.


I took this challenge and grabbed a piece of balsa wood that I had been hoarding. I grabbed an oldie but goodie from Hero Arts. I embossed in white and colored the image with Momento markers.

We had a steller response to last week's "bird" challenge. Let's keep the memento going and please join us this week at Just Us Girls.




Tuesday, July 8, 2014

You are my sunshine!



CAS-ual Friday is hosting a very fun challenge that fit right in with a new stamp I recently got. The theme is "summer lovin'". 


I used sunburst from Neat and Tangled. The rest just fell into place for this CAS graphic card. 

This may be the last challenge I can enter, unfortunately vacation is over and it is back to work. :(

Thanks for stopping by!


Monday, July 7, 2014

Tie a yellow ribbon



This is third semester of the House of Cards Challenge site. HOC was the first site to use a single theme and to promote a variety of card styles. Since we have started I have noticed other challenge sites are doing the same thing! But remember you saw it first here.

The theme for the month of July is add a ribbon- or more than one.  This week we are sharing the creations from the CAS team.

I thought long and hard about what I would do. The recent events in the Middle East reminded me of the first Desert Storm invasion and how everyone supported the troops by tying yellow ribbons around trees. My yard was full of yellow ribbons even though I had no one close to me in the service. There is a long history behind the tying of yellow ribbons. It started even earlier with tying yellow ribbons to support the hostages in Iran and all the way back to the Civil War. The American Forklife Center has a very good article if you more interested.

Of course there is the is the very popular song by Tony Orlando and Dawn- Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree.



Please join us at House of Cards and share how you would add a bow or two or three or more to your creations.


Sunday, July 6, 2014

Float


I have been spending quality time in my studio this week and therefore have had the time to enter challenges. CAS-ology had a particularly creative word cue this week- FLOAT. Of course I immediately thought of a boat on water, but you have to check out what others did. Some very clever interpretations! The card I am highlighting is the one below after I mistakingly left it too close to a another card I was splattering. I was so mad at myself until I really took a look and decided- "ohhhh a happy accident!" I liked the splatters, they reminded me of the spray that comes up from the ocean.


I will let you decide which you like better. Thanks for stopping by!


Saturday, July 5, 2014

Tweet Tweet big changes at Just Us Girls!



A little birdie told me that there are big changes going on at Just Us Girls. Th challenge line up is changing and I am soooo excited by the new challenges we are offering!! We have decided to go with a word and trend challenge instead of the sketch and technique challenge. 

This week's challenge is the word bird by Maria! How trendy is that. And it is just in time for me to play with my new Dina Wakely scribbly birds. I think everything I have seen done with these adorable birds has been mixed media, not really my thing these days. 

Naturally I made a card and even got to use my new koi watercolors that were so highly recommended by Kristina Werner


I hope you will join us at Just Us Girls for these exciting new challenges!

Friday, July 4, 2014

Card Inspiration



I know this isn't very patriotic but I really wanted to join in the challenge over at Muse. This is my first time playing along with them. 


The card challenge from Jen Wills spoke to me and I used it to inspire me but went in a different direction. 

The "rhapsody" stencil from Memory Box is my most used stencil. I just love it! I created a negative mask a sponged through the stencil on the mask and with an extra fine sharpie I outline the design. To finish the card off with a die cut butterfly.

I hope you see how Jen's card inspired mine.

Thanks for stopping by and if you are in the US- have a Happy 4th of July!!


Thursday, July 3, 2014

Recycled Love



I don't know about you, but this card maker loves to get cards! My husband is quite aware of this and takes his card giving seriously. He likes the cards that reproductions of paintings usually and tends to buy my cards at the same gifty type store. What happens though is he often ends up giving me the same cards over again for different occasions. I save all of them so I have quite a few of the same ones. 
Less is More is having a "recycled" challenge. I have been planning on doing this for awhile but with the challenge it was the perfect opportunity to recycle the beautiful cards from George. The new "shape" builder dies such as this set from Avery Elle make these quick cards to create.


Here are few other cards I have created from George's cards to me.




As  a crafter I rarely throw anything out. Remember it can all be recycled somehow!

Thanks for stopping by!