My Cricut Goes "Woof"

Do not attempt to adjust your monitor. There's no stamping on this. And yes, it is a scrapbook layout.

What's going on around here, you may ask?

Well, I am taking the class "Paper Pups" which is a course over on My Creative Classroom that explores the Cricut cartridge Paper Pups. I think of my Cricut as one of my most neglected, most intimidating paper crafting tool I own, so when I saw this course being offered, I just couldn't resist it as an opportunity to learn about how to get the most from my Cricut.

When our first assignment turned out to be a scrapbook layout, I just shook my head and went with it, as I have never scrapbooked in my life.

Anyway, as you can see, the Sloopy Dog is the star of this particular layout. For this week, we practiced borders and shadows. Pretty cool features.

I promise some cards later this week. Thanks for visiting. And Sloopy says thanks too.

Halloween Valentine

There's a chance that my mind may be a little altered right now due to the cold medicine I am taking, but I came up with the warped idea to make a Halloween Valentine.

I was looking through some stamp sets and came across the set "Totally Witchin'" from My Favorite Things, which has the spider and spider web images. I then spotted the set "Falling for You", also from My Favorite Things with the sentiment "I'm Falling for You" and this card was born.

I used the current Sketch For You To Try challenge, 091810, for the layout. I stamped the spider and the web onto a panel with Colorbox Black Pigment ink and heat embossed with Judikins clear embossing powder. I used various panels of patterned paper, framed with black cardstock. I sponged around the orange patterned paper with some Hero Arts Soft Gray Shadow Dye ink. The sentiment was then stamped onto a circle that had been cut with a Nestabilities die and then was framed with a scalloped circle, also cut with a Nestabilities die. I added the white dots with a gel pen. I stamped the heart from Stampabilites onto some patterned paper and cut. A ribbon and some black brads were also used to embellish this card.

Okay, (cough) (cough) (sniffle) (sniffle). Back to bed I go. Thanks for visiting my blog. I promise, my blog itself is not contagious, just me.

Happy Haunting

I wanted to participate in this week's Sketch Challenge over on Splitcoast, SC298. I thought it might be fun to ink up a fun set called "Fright Night" by My Favorite Things.

I inked the main image of the trick-or-treaters with Marvy dye black ink onto Georgia Pacific cardstock. I colored it with Copic markers and then cut around the image the best that I could. There was some pretty detailed cutting involved. I then sponged a Nestabilities die with SeaShells Peach Bellini dye ink and placed the trick-or-treaters on that oval panel, and added a shadow with Copic markers. The candy panel of paper is actually another My Favorite Thing image stamped repeatedly and colored with Copics. The plain blue panel was made with one Copic marker and then ran through the Cuttlebug. The black dotted panel is a patterned paper scrap. The sentiment is from My Favorite Things. Black cardstock was used to frame the various papers. A brad affixed the sentiment and ribbon was used to complete this card.

It is so much fun to make Halloween cards, and this set by My Favorite Things is an oldie, but goody. So adorable!

What a treat for you to stop by my blog. I really appreciate your visit.

Candy Corn Girl

When I saw this adorable Candy Corn Girl from Sassy Cheryl's I just couldn't resist her. I had to have her, just like if I walked by a bowl full of candy corn.

I printed the image onto Georgia Pacific cardstock and colored the image with Copic Markers. The sentiment is a $1 stamp and seemed to go perfectly with the image. Patterned paper and black cardstock were used to complete this card, along with some sheer white ribbon.

This card is in response to Sassy Cheryl's current challenge, Challenge #29, which is to use a Spellbinders die on a card. I used my circle and scalloped circle dies to cut the circle panel that I tucked underneath the main image.

Okay, now why after making this card do I now feel the need to go to Walgreens and look at Halloween candy? LOL!

Happy Sun, Moon and Stars

My color pencils were feeling a bit neglected, so I grabbed a Terry Medaris image from my stamp collection. Terry's images never fail to inspire me.

I stamped the Terry Medaris image with Stazon Jet Black onto Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper. I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils and sprayed with workable fixative. I tried to mimic Terry's coloring on his coloring book sample, because the man is a color genius. I then used the current Sketch For You To Try, SFYTT091110, for the layout. The panels were all made with various patterned paper scraps and I did some paper piercing as well.

So glad you stopped by my blog today. Wishing you a Happy Sun, Moon and Stars.

Patient Puppy

My dachshund, Sloopy, is anything but patient. Is there such as a thing as a "Patient Puppy"? Well, according to Whipper Snapper there is. This adorable image is called "Patient Puppy" and it is from Whipper Snapper.

I stamped the puppy onto Georgia Pacific cardstock with Marvy dye black ink and colored it with Copic markers. I then cut around the image.

On a circle cut from a Nestabilities die, I created a scene of grass and clouds by sponging various dye inks: SeaShells Cloudy Blue, Whispers Savoy Green and Adirondack Oregano. I then placed the dog image onto the scene and added a bone embellishment.

Brown cardstock and patterned paper were used to create the various panels of this card, and I paper pierced around some of these panels. A scalloped paper punch was used for the side border, along with some ribbon.

The sentiment is from Stampendous and the little dog tag is from Hero Arts and was stamped onto a patterned paper scrap. The pawprint inside the tag is from a $1 at Michaels.

Thanks for your patience with my updates. I sure wish I could complete a card a day so that I could post daily, but that day job that helps me buy all of these "must have" images gets in the way and tuckers me out. LOL.

Snow Much Fun

I had "Snow Much Fun" making this card...playing in glitter and randomly putting snowflakes onto this card. This card was made in response to the current challenge over at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge blog, Challenge #28, which was to use one of Cheryl's snowmen along with some glitter, ribbon and buttons. I get three points for my efforts...a point for using a snowman, a point for glitter, a point for the ribbon. I forgot about button(s). Oops!

Anyway, the digital snowmen image is from Sassy Cheryl's. I printed it onto Georgia Pacific cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I cut the panel using a Nestabilites die and then did some sponging around the panel with some SeaShells Cloudy Blue dye ink. I added some glitter from Art Institute Glitter and Martha Stewart Mica Flakes to make the card sparkle. Patterns of patterned paper were cut and the layout was inspired by the current Sketch Challenge #297 on SCS. I used the snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder on one of the panels. I cut some vellum snowflakes from a Cuttlebug die. A snowflake brad and a snowflake embellishment were also used to adorn this card, along with a sheer blue ribbon. The sentiment is computer-generated.

And, just to be clear. Shoveling snow is NO fun. Oh well, we have a few months to go before I have to worry about that.

Touchdown, Buckeyes!

Though the subject matter of this card should be of no surprise, I'm thinking the style of this card certainly is a departure for me. But, I believe that getting out of my stamping comfort zone every once and a while is important to my overall growth as a stamper...so, when I saw the Clean and Simple Challenge, CAS83, on Splitcoast earlier this week, I went with it. The challenge was to use this particular CAS layout/sketch in a card.

I stamped the referee image from Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers onto Georgia Pacific cardstock with Versafine Onyx Black ink. I colored his face and hands using Copic markers (which took all of about 20 seconds). I cut this image out, and then placed it on the card panel. The square panels were made from Ohio State patterned paper and scarlet cardstock framed with black cardstock. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday.

And there you have it. I hope the Buckeyes' upcoming game against Miami on Saturday is this "clean and simple", LOL.

Adorned in Scarlet and Gray

I'm still on a scarlet and gray kick. Seems like I'm reaching for these colors (scraps) of paper a lot lately. 'Tis the season!

I stamped this cute Whipper Snapper image called "Little Girl and Dotted Present" on Neenah Solar White cardstock with Marvy dye black ink. I did some multimedia coloring with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils. I cut the image panel with a Nestabilities die and then put a scalloped panel around the image, also cut with a Nestabilities die. Patterned paper and scarlet cardstock were used to make additional panels, along with a scrap of sparkly specialty paper that I found. I paper pierced around some of the panels and placed a few scarlet brads around the corners. The sentiment is from Stampendous.

A quick and easy card for the stash. Recipient should probably be a Buckeye fan, LOL.

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Fishing Dachshund

How awesome to have a three day weekend. Yay for guilt-free cardmaking time.

I'm going to be in need of a birthday card soon for someone who adores dachshunds, just like me. I began to play around with this adorable fishing dachshund from Cowtown Stamps and took a peek at this weekend's Sketch For You To Try, SFYTT090410. This card resulted.

I stamped the dachshund image from Cowtown Stamps using Marvy dye black ink onto Georgia Pacific cardstock. I colored the image with Copic markers. I used a Nestabilities die to make a circle panel. I decided to try to incorporate some of the panels of the sketch into my fishing scene, so I colored these panels with Copic markers also. Patterned paper was also used. A gel pen made the wave highlights near the boat, fish brads were added to "sea", a dog bone embellishment was used as the "bait", and I used a paper punch for the bubbles along one panel and wrapped that panel with a sheer white ribbon. The sentiment is a portion of a stamp from StampIn that I inked with a black Memento marker. The sun was cut with a Nestabilities die and colored with Copic markers.

What a fun card. I enjoyed making it.

Fall Means Buckeye Football

Buckeye Football Season has arrived!

When I saw Challenge #27 on Sassy Cheryl's Digi Stamps Challenge blog, which is to make a Halloween/Autumn creation using a Sassy Cheryl's image, I thought it would be fun to use a non-Halloween/Autumn image to complete this challenge. I decided to make a Buckeye card because that's what fall means to me. And, if you question shorts in the fall...oh, yes. It was over 90 degrees in Ohio Stadium Thursday night. Very appropriate attire.

I printed the Sassy Cheryl image, Dancing Debbie, onto Georgia Pacific cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. A Nestabilities die was used to make the image panel. The football is from PSX and was inked with Marvy dye black ink and colored with Copic markers. Patterned paper and red cardstock were used to complete this card, along with a the computer-generated sentiment of "Go Buckeyes". A small red and white ribbon was attached near the sentiment.

Here's to a great season, Buckeyes!