Trying to Stay Afloat

I changed grade levels and buildings all within four days before starting school, so needless to say, I've been trying to stay afloat during what is always the hectic back-to-school season. With the idea of me trying to come up for air, the news of Hurricane Irene, and me trying to hang on to summer...seemed only appropriate to do one more summertime aquatic card.

The challenge this week on the Outlines Challenge Blog is "Beautiful Borders". Create a card by adding a decorative border or two, using a border punch or stamp and you could win a $25 gift certificate from Outlines Rubber Stamps. I hope you'll play along!



I immediately thought of incorporating my EKSuccess Bubble Border punch into my design. First, I stamped portions of the Split Layering Collage-Splash (H-796) onto X-Press It cardstock using Marvy black dye ink. I colored the images of the seahorse, oyster and kelp with Copic markers. I did some highlighting of the oyster and the seahorse using Moonlight Smooch. I cut these images with my Cutter-bee scissors.

With a Nestabilities circle die, I cut a circle of patterned paper from The Paper Studio. I also cut a circle of kraft, and tore along a 1/4 of the circle. With the small piece of torn kraft and the cirlcle of patterned paper from The Paper Studio, I formed the underwater scene. Some dots from Copic markers, atyouSpica pens, and a Sakura glitter pen, help make the sand sparkle. I then placed the images into the scene, pop-dotting the seahorse. I took my EKSuccess Bubble Border punch and punched a few bubbles along the edge of the circle. I then place a scalloped circle cut from white cardstock using a Nestabilities die underneath my underwater scene. Then, I took a larger piece of patterned paper, also from The Paper Studio, and created bubbles along the left hand side of the square using the border punch. I placed the scalloped scene onto the layer. A sheer white ribbon completes the card.



Make sure you visit the rest of the design team to see they've incorporated borders into their projects:

Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Lisa Silver
Robin Kirkpatrick
Sandy Hulsart
Sue Kment

Until next time, chances are I'm going "border"line crazy. Things should be slowing down into a routine soon. Thank you so much for visiting my blog today!

Woof!

It's Monday! Time for another challenge from the Outlines Blog. This week, the challenge is pay tribute to our four legged friends by using animal stamps from the Outlines Rubber Stamp Company. Well, as soon as I told my dachshund Sloopy about the challenge, she insisted, of course, that I do something for dogs. Make sure you play along too this week, for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Outlines.



I decided to do a shape card for this challenge. With the Cricut cartridge, Paper Pups, I cut out the image of a bone and the shadow of a bone using patterned paper from Making Memories and off white/beige cardstock. I paper pierced the patterned paper.

I then stamped the "Split Layering Collage -Woof" (H-1064) with Marvy black dye ink onto X-Press It cardstock. I colored the multiple images within the collage with Copic markers. To add some bling, using Picksey Pick-Ups, I added some Swarovski crystals, Clear Size 9, to the fire hydrant, the flower next to the doghouse, and around one of the dog collars.

I placed my collage onto the bone, added the sentiment "To err is human..." (B-1081), along with a sheer light brown ribbon, and dog paw embellishments.

Make sure to see what the rest of the design team created for this Four Legged Friends Challenge:

Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Lisa Silver
Robin Kirkpatrick
Sandy Hulsart
Sue Kment

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. Sloopy says thanks too. "Woof!"

Beach Baby

Here's another card I've been meaning to share. I made it a couple weeks ago. Kind of appropriate to share today...as this is the last day of my summer break, and I am already longing for a trip back to the beach. I report back to duty tomorrow in a different school teaching a different grade. Needless to say I am busy, busy, busy seeing as how I just found out about the change in assignment on Thursday. Eek!

The image used on this card is a digital image from The Stamping Boutique. It is called "Baby Boy on the Beach".

I printed the image onto X-Press It cardstock, and colored with Copic markers. Highlights of the water were made with a white gel pen. I cut around the oval, which is actually a part of the image.

A strip of patterned paper from Hot Off The Press was placed onto kraft. A small sun-like image was cut with a Cuttlebug die and adhered with a gold brad.

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things and was stamped using Versafine Onyx Black.

Thanks so much for visiting. I have a post scheduled for tomorrow, and some other cards in the making. Just know I must put my first graders first. Things are bound to settle soon. ;-)

Helika

This is a card I made nearly two weeks ago for one of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges on Splitcoast, but haven't had a chance to share it yet on my blog. (Gee, that back-to-school stuff really gets in the way stamping and blogging).

To make this card, I stamped the image of Helika, from the 2010 Rubbernecker African American release with Marvy Black dye ink onto X-Press It cardstock. I colored it with Copic markers, and then proceeded to cut around the image with my Cutter-bee scissors.

To make the sun, I sponged Adirondack Sunshine Yellow dye ink and Adirondack Butterscotch dye ink onto a circle that was cut using a Nestabilities die.

Patterned paper from Doodlebug Design and My Minds Eye were used to form the layout of this card, along with a pale yellow cardstock. I paper pierced around the layers, added gold sheer ribbon and some gold brads.

The sentiment is also from Rubbernecker Stamps, the 2011 release of Old Characters.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. Stay tuned because I have a couple other cards just waiting to be shared, along with some new cards in progress.

Boo Shoes

Some of the more fun cards to make are Halloween cards. The colors and images are right up my alley. This rings true especially for this card, where I used a new Halloween image from Terry Medaris Art Stamps. Have you seen his newest release? They are too fun!

This particular Terry Medaris image is called "Boo Shoes". I stamped it using Stazon Jet Black onto Hewlett Packard Color Inkjet paper (24 Pound, Uncoated, 96-Plus Brightness). I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils. I learned from Terry in one of his classes that such inkjet paper is an option for Prismacolor work, and it totally works fine when making cards if you layer the paper onto cardstock.

I cut the image panel using a Nestabilities die. I did some sponging around the panel using Distress Ink Wild Honey and did some paper piercing. I framed the panel with black cardstock. Patterned paper from Lasting Impressions and PJK Designs make up the layout of this card, along with black cardstock.

The sentiment is from My Favorite Things. Baker's Twine and orange rhinestones put the finishing touches on this card.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. Your comments have been so "boo-tiful" lately and I want you to know they are much appreciated.

Summer Time is the Best Time

We're soaking up the last few drops of summer! This week, Outlines Rubber Stamp Company is challenging us to create a card or project with a summer theme. The beach...florals...something with bright fun colors. Play along with us for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Outlines. See all of the details on the Outlines blog.



For my card, I chose to use a layering collage from Outlines called "Split Layering Collage-Seaside"(I-795).(I love Outlines layering collages because you can use the entire stamp, or just isolate some of the images. Endless possibilities.) I cut a panel of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White with a Nestabilities die. Then, with a Memento Tuxedo Black marker, I carefully inked the image of the Adirondack chair and stamped it onto the panel. Then I simply drew a line for where the water meets the sand, and lightly with a pencil, drew the horizon line. I then colored my beach scene with Copic markers. I added a little sparkle in the sand with an atyouSpica pen, and put some highlights in the water using a white gel pen. Also, I used a touch of Flower Soft Polar White for the foam of the water.

Then I inked the beach ball/sand pail part of the collage with a Memento Tuxedo Black marker. I colored with Copic markers as well.

I used patterned paper from Jillibean Paper's Watermelon Gazpacho paper pad for the base of the card. I just love the bright orange text on text, along with the saying "Summer Time is the Best Time". I placed the beach scene onto the patterned paper, added the beach ball and pop-dotted the sand pail. An off-white ribbon complete the details on this card.

I am not happy that summer is coming to an end, so you can be sure I'm going to visit the blogs of the design team to soak in those last few drops of summer. You should too!

Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Lisa Silver
Robin Kirkpatrick
Sandy Hulsart
Sue Kment

Rubbernecker Scooter Kids & Friends Hop

Welcome to our little HOP!! We are SO happy that you could join us in celebrating some NEW stamps! Mr. Rubbernecker released some SUPER cute images, on the down low, a few weeks back and we wanted to share them with you!! They are SO adorable that we just HAD to show them off! We have sweet SCOOTER KIDS, some new ANIMALS, and we even got some cute new FRIENDS!!! You can find them by visiting RUBBERNECKER STAMPS and clicking on the 2011 NEW RELEASES!! Hey, wait, there is MORE!! We also have something else to CELEBRATE!!! Our design team has a NEW name!! We are SO excited!! I bet you were wondering what was up with that!! Weren’t you?! We are NOW the……………………………...



Cool, huh? We are going to have SO much to share with you!! It will TRULY be a SISTERHOOD , for sure!!! OK now, a HOP would not be a HOP without a little PRIZE!! Right? Of course!! SO, in honor of our news AND our new images, if you visit ALL the participants and leave some LOVE... You will have the chance to WIN a $25 RUBBERNECKER STAMPS CERTIFICATE!!

WOW, more coolness!! Our winner will be announced on TUESDAY, so you will have plenty of time to hop! OK, better get HOPPIN’!! Thanks SO much for being a part of our excitement!! You will find the HOP ROUTE below my card details.



What's a hop without a bunny?

The bunny image and sentiment are from the 2011 Friends collection. I stamped the bunny onto a panel of X-Press It cardstock cut from a Nestabilities die. I masked the bunny, and then added clouds and grass with a sponge using the following dye inks: Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, SeaShells Cloudy Blue, Adirondack Willow, Adirondack Lettuce, and Adirondack Oregano. I stamped the bunny again, and colored with Copic markers before pop-dotting into the small scene. A touch of Polar White Flower Soft was added to the bunny's tail.

Patterned paper from My Minds Eye, Colorbok and Lasting Impressions provide the various layers for this card, framed by black cardstock. Some panels were texturized with Cuttlebug dry embossing folders, and paper piercing was done to the panels as well. The sentiment panel was cut with a Nestabilities die and then cut in half. A sheer black ribbon puts the finishing touch on this card.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today! Make it an AWESOME one!

Make sure to hop and visit all of my sisters to see their wonderful creations, and for your chance at a $25 gift certificate from Rubbernecker Stamps!

Charlene Merrick
Frances Gumprecht
Jacquie Peifer
Jen Charboneau
Joan Ervin
Judy Rozema
Julia Aston
Juliana Swanson
Kecia Waters (you are here!)
Kittie Caracciolo

To the Beach (and Back)

Last week, my husband and I returned to our honeymoon destination for our first anniversary...Ocean Isle Beach, NC. It was an awesome "Part 2", and this week, I find myself missing the beach so much. I tell you, I would live there if I could figure out a way. But for now, beach images will have to do.

The image used on this card is a digital image from The Stamping Boutique. It is called "Beach Baby With a Hat".

I printed the image onto X-Press It cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. Highlights on the water were made with a white gel pen.

I framed the image with black cardstock and placed on an off-white card base.

Very CAS...I thought the image truly speaks for itself.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. Hope the image was a little "escape" for you too.

Turtle Love

It's Monday! How would you like to win a $25 gift certificate from the Outlines Rubber Stamp Company ??!! All you have to do is get out your lace and incorporate it into your project for the Outlines Monday Challenge!


For my lace project, I decided to use the adorable Outlines image of "Mazie & Max" (E-1180). I stamped the image using Marvy Black dye ink onto X-Press It cardstock. I colored both turtles with Copic markers and then carefully cut around the turtles using my Cutter-bee scissors. I stamped the Outlines sentiment "Always & Forever Square Small" (B-729) also with Marvy Black dye ink onto X-Press It cardstock and colored it with Copic markers.

Patterned paper from Making Memories and beige cardstock form the layers of this card. A small heart punch was used for the hearts, and then of course inspired by the challenge, I adhered three strips of lace. I pop-dotted the image and sentiment to add some more dimension to the card.


Make sure you visit the design team for more ideas on how to use lace:

Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Lisa Silver
Robin Kirkpatrick
Sue Kment

As always, thanks for visiting my blog today.

Froggie Love

Time for another Outlines Monday Challenge! Each week brings you another chance to win a $25 gift certificate from Outlines Rubber Stamp Company. All you have to do is play along with us.



This week, we've been challenged by an inspiration photo. When I first saw it, I thought such a room would be perfect for a frog. And, from that thought, the idea for this particular card was born. I borrowed the colors, the white decorative frame, and the black frame and incorporated those elements into my card.



I stamped the adorable frog couple from the Outlines Rubber Stamp Company, "Bianca & Bob" (E-1178), onto X-Press It cardstock with Marvy black dye ink. I colored them with Copic markers and cut them out with my Cutter-bee scissors. I then stamped "Fancy Frame" (K-1185) onto X-Press It cardstock with Marvy black dye ink and cut along the outside of the frame and along the inside so that I could build a scene. I also stamped the sentiment "Love" (C-243) and cut around just the word panel, and framed the word with black cardstock.

I created the room where the frogs are sitting with Bo Bunny patterned paper acting as the wall paper, and textured light green cardstock as the floor. I "sat" the frogs on the floor and added a little shadow with a Copic marker. I then "hung" the picture of love on the wall.



You are going to love what the other design team members came up with by looking at the photo. Don't miss visiting the inspiring:

Jeanne Streiff
Jenny Gropp
Lisa Silver
Robin Kirkpatrick
Sandy Hulsart
Sue Kment

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!