Autumn Splendor Birthday

I must say it wasn't super sunny this morning when I took the dogs out, but it sure was nice to open the back door and be greeted by a bunch of beautiful morning glories!  

After taking a picture of what's right out my back door, I had to go check out the morning glories that grow up my apple tree.  A few years ago I started planting these flowers under my tree to see if they would grow up into it...well they did!  Now every year they self seed so I don't have to buy any plants.  This year I had so many growing I had to pull a lot out like they were a bunch of weeds!  Actually I took some of the larger plants and replanted them by my fence.  That's why I get the beautiful view every morning. :)  Thanks for letting me share a little bit of my garden with you...

Now on to today's card.  For starters, I did get this design from someone else and thought I had her bookmarked so I could acknowledge her.  Sorry, but I can't find it...and I have looked every where! :(  So...continuing on, this was for a stamp a stack from a couple of months ago, but I wanted to wait to post it until it was getting closer to fall...and it's coming faster than I'd like it to!  Anyway, I had fifteen people come to this stamp a stack so I needed two baskets and two cards so we wouldn't be making card all night!  One thing I pointed out with this card is that no two cards are alike, so don't worry if your card doesn't look exactly like mine.  Each card is unique. :)  

This is the first one...the sponging is nice and light...

...with words and a couple leaves on the inside.

Now the second card where the sponging is much darker.  I really liked the light one when I made it, but after I made the darker one I think I liked it a little better. ;)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Sets: Autumn Splendor & On Your Birthday

Card Stock:  Early Espresso, Crumb Cake & Very Vanilla

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, 

Old Olive & More Mustard

Versa Mark

Embossing Folder:  Square Lattice

Cute as a Button

Well, I had a good evening...  I went to visit a good friend of mine that moved about an hour away.  It was hard to see her go, but it's so much better for the family!  They have a cute little "cottage" as she calls it and about two acres out in the country.  Great place...and I'm so happy for them! :)

Today's card is a little different than what I usually do, but if was for my last stamp a stack and it needed to be a generic baby card.  I think I'll be doing either a card for a boy, or a card for a girl the next time I make a baby card.  It will definitely be easier that way...or it could be I'm too lazy to come up with another card for either a boy or a girl. ;)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  Fox & Friends

Card Stock:  Perfect Plum, Pretty in Pink, Marina Mist, 

Wild Wasabi, So Saffron & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Perfect Plum, Pretty in Pink, Marina Mist, 

Wild Wasabi & So Saffron

Punches:  1 3/4" Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle & Decorative Label

Embossing Folder:  Perfect Polka Dots

Embosslits Die:   Sweet Buttons

I printed the "Cute as a Button" using the RGB Code for Perfect Plum

What a beautiful day we had here yesterday.  I love the warm sunny days of summer...especially when they aren't humid.  I managed to spend a few hours out in the yard trying to keep my flowers looking nice, but I must say my garden is definitely feeling neglected this year!. :(  At least it's still producing the veggies we planted and hasn't gone on strike!  I think tomorrow I'll be picking and freezing more corn.  But I still want to have a few more ears of corn on the cob for supper...yummy!  

Now on to today's cards.  They were inspired by two different challenges.  I've been following the blog 4 Crafty Chicks for awhile, but don't think I've entered one of their challenges before.  Not sure why I haven't, but I really liked the colors they had for their next challenge and started thinking about what I could do with it.  Then I saw the design for The Friday Mashup and an idea popped into my head that would work for both challenges.   I love it when that happens! ;)  

Just a close up of the first card I made...

...and a look on the inside.  Every now and then I like to use the stamp a second time before I clean it off.  It's lighter and makes a nice background that can be stamped over with a saying, or even written on when you're just sending a note.

And my second card.  I needed to get a birthday out of one of these.  It's my niece's birthday in a few days and I thought I would send this one to her.

On the inside of this one I stamped the saying over the muted picture.  I must admit the pic doesn't look as nice as the real thing.  The picture is making the petals look a little funky.  Oh well...

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  Inspired by Nature & On Your Birthday

Card Stock:  Marina Mist, Perfect Plum & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Marina Mist, Perfect Plum & Wild Wasabi

Punces:  Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle & Word Window

Embossing Folder:  Square Lattice

Ribbon:  5/8" Grosgrain in Marina Mist (retired)

Jewels:  Basic Pearls

Stampin' Queen's Sketch Challenge 1

Today I am very excited because I am entering my card into Stampin' Queens first Sketch Challenge that heard about from my upline Glenda.  She is a member of the design team...congrats, Glenda!  I'm also excited because I finally bought some blender pens and have been wanting to use them with this stamp set.  When I saw the SQSC design, I knew I had the perfect opportunity to give them a try.

I must admit, it is a little bit of work coloring it in, but once you get the hang of it it goes pretty fast.  I will definitely be using this technique more...but only if I'm doing a few cards at a time. ;)

I had to put something on the inside after making the outside so colorful.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

Card Stock:  Always Artichoke, Rose Red, Crumb Cake & Very Vanilla

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze, Rose Red & So Saffron (used on flowers)

Stampin' Write Markers:  Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum, Rose Red & Basic Gray (for bird)

Punches:  1 3/8" Circle & 1 1/4" Circle

Texturz Plate:  Backgrounds 1

1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon:  Rose Red

Stampin' Emboss Powder:  Gold

Shimmer Paint:  Champagne Mist

Sunflowers!

Well, my sunny day for the fair didn't last. :(  Nothing like being in the grandstands, which are metal by the way, and seeing lightning flash just to the west of us!  Yup, a storm decided to come our way and cancel the events for the night.  At least we were able to see half of the "show" before we had to leave.  Believe it or not, this card making, kind of crafty, girl was watching an off-road derby.  It's been a tradition for us since it started at the fair. :)  Ok, now on to today's card...   It is another one I made for my last stamp a stack.  One of the ladies had mentioned at an earlier stamp a stack that she liked sunflowers, so I thought I would come up with a card for that. :)  You inspired me, Dawn! ;)  Speaking of sunflowers, that's one flower I don't have in my flower garden anymore.  Maybe we'll have to buy more bird food so the birds can spill the sunflower seeds...then I'll have some miniature ones again. :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  Vintage Label (retired sale-a-bration)

Card Stock:  So Saffron, Early Espresso, Garden Green & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pad:  Early Espresso

Punches:  1 1/4" Circle, 3/4" Circle, Modern Label & Word Window

Bigz Die: Daisies Flower #2

Embossing Folder:  Square Lattice

5/8" Grosgrain ribbon in Early Espresso (retired)

Crimper for leaves

Growing Green ~ For You

Well, today is starting out sunny and bright, and that's a good thing because the fair is going on around my little part of the world.  We always look forward to it, but it also means summer is going to be coming to a close in just a couple of short weeks.  I'm not so sure I'm ready for summer to be done yet this year.  Seems like it just got here!  I did manage to get a few nice pictures of the sunset on my birthday, so that should help me remember we did have summer after all. ;)  

Anyway, Today's card is one that I made for my last stamp a stack and also for a card swap with The Red Hot Stampers.  

Not sure if you can tell or not, but I have shimmer paint on the flower.

Every now and then I like to make the inside almost as nice as the outside. :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  Growing Green & Elements of Style

Card Stock:  Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry & Pretty in Pink

Punches:  Medium Oval

Ribbon:  5/8" Grosgrain in Rich Razzleberry (retired)

Stampin' Emboss Powder:  White

Shimmer Paint:  Champagne Mist

I used the emboss resist technique on the leaves and flowers.

The Open Sea ~ Birthday

Today's card is made using one of my favorite masculine sets that's going to retire at the end of this month.  I made this birthday card for my mom's cousin that we see a couple of times a year...and every time he sees me he tells me thank you and how much he likes my cards.  That's always nice to hear...especially from a male!  I used the Joseph's coat technique to do this, using various blues.

A peek inside the cards... 

...and one more picture. 

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Set:  The Open Sea

Card Stock:  Night of Navy, Baja Breeze & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Night of Navy, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Bashful Blue & Marina Mist

Punches:  Modern Label & Word Window

Embossing Folder:  Square Lattice

Stampin' Emboss Powder:  Clear