Awwww, Cute!

Weeks ago, I went shopping at a papercraft store, and after looking around for over an hour, ended up buying a single set of stamps (plus a few other odds and ends). The stamp set was the Hero Arts speech bubble clear set.

When I tried to use it, I realized I have a shocking lack of stamps of images that might legitimately have something to say in a speech bubble. After digging a bit, I found two old, discontinued stamps from Hero Arts--a kitty and a dog--that are obscenely adorable. So I made these two cards.

The dog, named Newton, and the kitty, named, um, Kitty, need ground to stand on, so I gave Newton a piece of my last remaining washi tape (I gave the rest away because I'm washi-challenged), and Kitty got the large AMuse oval to stand on.

They're cute, but I feel creatively tapped out with speech bubbles. And now I'm feeling stupid for buying the speech bubble set in the first place. They seemed like such a great idea in the store, but now I suspect I fell victim to some trend or another, subliminally controlled by marketing forces I don't care to look at too closely.

Or maybe I just need to buy some more images of critters who might have something to say.

Oh, and by the way, we're not even going to talk about the punch I bought that I already had. No, no, no, I did not do that. Never, not ever, no way, not in this lifetime, ever.

De Nile is a river that runs both deep and wide.

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts, Papertrey (Newton's saying)
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey
accessories: heart rhinestone, washi tape, Memento markers

Floral Frenzy Revisited

After playing around with A Muse's Marvelous Marigolds, I pulled out Papertrey's Floral Frenzy, an older set that is lots of fun. Here's the first card I made with it.

I just love the white layers and the soft browny-greens (VersaColor inks, split pea, bamboo). Sadly, I have no clever explanation for the three layers of white.

It just felt right.

Skip on over to Heather's Blog for this week's One-Layer Wednesday Challenge: Feminine Birthday Card. FUN!

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Floral Frenzy
ink: VersaColor bamboo, split pea, pinecone
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: none

OLW127 Pinterest Inspiration

Wow.

I had a hard time stamping yesterday.

I ruined a lot of card stock.

Wasted some bling.

It was sad.

When I told my mom, she said, "You took too long a break from stamping. You need time to get back in the groove."

She was right. I've hardly stamped anything in weeks and have been posting cards made in January.

But finally, late yesterday afternoon, I made this for OLW127 on Cheryl's blog using THIS PIN for inspiration.

Whew. It looks just fine.

I loved that Cheryl posted this challenge because I spend all sorts of time pinning things but rarely use what I pinned for the purpose intended. Thanks, Cheryl, for keeping all that pinning from being a waste of time!

Supplies
stamps: SU, Papertrey
ink: Memento, Ancient Page
paper: Papertrey
accessories: rhinestones, corner rounder

Lenten Devotional

First of all, I'll share a super simple card to get you in the mood.

Lent has begun. Perhaps you are one who gives stuff up for Lent...chocolate, perhaps, or candy, or the Internet. If you gave up the Internet, you're not here reading this and are a better, stronger person than I am.

If, however, you are interested in doing something a bit more spiritual for Lent other than just giving up chocolate, perhaps you might enjoy diving into your Bible for a study of Exodus. If so, please visit my other blog, Transforming Common Days.

Each weekday during Lent, starting Monday, February 18, I will post our study from First United Methodist Church of Springboro on that blog. You are invited to share your thoughts throughout the study in the comments over there.

I would love it if you would join us!

Supplies
stamps: StampinUp (cross), Papertrey (sentiment)
ink: VersaColor
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: rhinestone, Copic and Bic markers (for shading the rhinestone)

Pink Flowers

Here's the card I almost posted on Valentine's Day but didn't because it was pink and not exactly a Valentine. Pretty, though, don't you think?

I actually made quite a few Valentine's Day cards but hadn't photographed them in time to post, which is too bad because some of them are really cute! Now, if I post them, it will feel awkward, like showing up to a costume party on the wrong night, all dressed up like a Smurf (or maybe the Doppler effect) and feeling like a fool.

One of the reader comments on my non-Valentine's Day card on Valentine's Day brought up an interesting topic I've discussed before...the trend toward using non-traditional colors on holiday cards. So Valentines are, say, purple or blue or brown or yellow rather than pink, red, and chocolate brown. Or Christmas cards are teal and orange rather than green and red. The reader complained about this trend, and she has a valid point, in my humble opinion.

I play with color a lot, mainly because it's fun. Also, I make so many Christmas cards (at least a couple hundred each year) that limiting myself to a traditional palette for them all is mind-numbingly boring, so yes, I did, indeed, make a teal-and-orange nativity card last year. Just one, to get it out of my system.

But varying the traditional color for a card gets old fast. The traditional colors are there for a reason, and while an occasional pink-and-gray Christmas card might look fresh and fun, when the tradition becomes too diluted with variations all over the place, the result is visually jarring chaos.

The point behind the rules is that when we break them, it's for a good reason because the rules aren't exactly arbitrary. They have their own very good reasons for being. I mostly follow them and break them only when I feel I must.

Of course, this is a hobby, so do what you want...make all-black Christmas cards for all I care if  it makes you happy. You don't have to listen to me.

Even if I am right.

Ooops. Was that my outside voice?

Now, who wants to take on the challenge of an all-black Christmas card?

Supplies
stamps: A Muse Marvelous Marigolds, Hero Arts sentiment (discontinued clear set)
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey
accessories: rhinestones, dimensionals

Happy Valentine's Day

And I'm not going to show you anything pink or red.

You're welcome.

The AMuse Marvelous Marigold...in purple. I colored it simply, without shading, in three shades of purple. Then, I tried to stamp the sentiment on the card, but it of course looked terrible because it overlapped the flower.

ROOKIE MISTAKE.

So I covered it up with the strip, and you would never have known if I hadn't blabbed.

Just keepin' it real in Simple-Land.

Supplies
stamps: A Muse
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey
accessories: rhinestones, copic markers, dimensionals, scallop scissors (to round the edges of the sentiment panel)

Masterboarding It

You might have noticed masterboards in one of the Stampington and Company magazines. An artist creates a collage sheet and then cuts it up to make a bunch of different cards. It's not my usual style, but when confronted with AMuse's Marvelous Marigolds set, which contains outline and solid flower images, as well as solid leaves, I decided to experiment on a small scale with my own masterboard.

Using a 4.25"x5.5" scrap of card stock (the back of a failed one-layer card), I stamped a bunch of images in shades of yellow and orange Memento ink, cut out pretty strips that had nice balance, and made these two cards.




This first card shows the panel popped up on dimensionals, with bling and pearls added for fun, because, you know, there just wasn't enough on the stamped panel to begin with. *snort* All that happy movement is reminiscent of a busy, loud birthday party.




The second card has the stamped panel glued flat down to the edge of the card vertically to emphasize the verticality of the sentiment. The biggest flower in the darkest color with the biggest pearl is lined up to call attention to the sentiment and reinforce its meaning (one big flower = great friend).

This set is perfect for masterboard treatment...and by balancing all that busyness with a fair measure of empty white space, the cards still feel very clean and graphic. These colors pack a powerful punch of energy, but imagine using cool blues and greens...a completely different vibe would, um, vibrate.

So to speak.

Supplies
stamps: AMuse Marvelous marigolds, Hero Arts friend sentiment (discontinued), Papertrey Birthday Basics
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: rhinestones and pearls, dimensionals, glue