Ain't This Cowboys First Rodeo

     I wasn't smart enough to buy Da Man when he was for sale with Stampin' Up, but I am lucky enough to have a friend who sent me several stamped images of him so I could play.  There is a  coo to bring Him back if your interested check this site out  Bring Back the Man at Splitcoaststampers.  There is a whole blog dedicated to the man here at Women of the Wild West, check him out.
    Da Man has packed his saddle up after his most recent rodeo, I think he is hoping Miss Kitty will give him a nice foot rub when he gets home......sigh, if he were here I would give him a foot rub :)
   

     Just had to post a few pics from some visits to the Ranch....I've made lots of friends over the years and always look forward to visiting with them.  I have been blessed to meet and get to know several people from around the world.

 

Isn't he sweet

Me and Flavio from Switzerland

This little fella was only a week old when I snapped this

On a ride in the Catalina's with my favorite Cowboy

Challenges:  Joyful Stamper, Anything Goes,  Make it Monday Anything Goes

White on White

     My stamps are in drawers with categories on the front,  If you know me it is no surprise that the Western and Christian stamps share equal space. My heart belongs to both of them when it comes to stamping, I am trying to branch out a little.....and why not, that means more stamps of other images to play with - and there can't be anything wrong with more stamps.
    The scripture I used from Our Daily Bread Designs is one of my favorite, and from their Customer Favorites released last August. When I think of a new creation I think a clean start or all white. With that thought in mind as I put this scripture to ink, it is no surprise the card is 'simply' white with lovely butterflies (and of course a few pearls, I do like pearls).  What a comforting scripture to know that when I know Christ and embrace Him in my life, I too become a new clean slate for Him to work through. The old me is gone and I am renewed by his gift on the cross and through His resurrection.
   

Thanks for visiting: 

Materials Used:  Sizzix Embossing Folder, Our Daily Bread Designs Stamp, Cheery Lynn Butterfly Die, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Vellum, Cardstock,  Pearls

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge,  Simon Says Stamp Challenge, Anything Goes, Word Art Wesnesday

Keep it Simple

As I was perusing Splitcoaststampers I came across a challenge that I couldn't resist.  I have posted it below:

Just like technology grows by leaps and bounds every year, so does the art/craft we share. It's hard to believe that just a little over six years ago, there was no Cuttlebug. Then the nestabilities and subsequent dies exploded on the scene. I remember when I started stamping... eyelets were the rage and brads were hardly heard of. And designer paper!! When I first started, they were limited as well.

~ Stamping Nostalgia ~

So our challenge today is going to be to make a card as if we were back in the early days of stamping. NO EMBOSSING, NO DIE CUTS, NO PEARLS, NO SEWING, Nothing that was not available way back when. 


     This challenge really got me thinking back to those first stamp parties I went to and the stamps, stamp pads, and paper I purchased then left them sit on the counter.  I remember some of those first cards I made, given what I owned and what I knew, I think I did a mighty fine job!!  Then I heard of a place called Splitcoaststampers and 'oh my' I could spend hours looking at cards and get ideas...I just knew I could never stamp as well as so many of the ladies whose galleries I visited.  SCS was a place I visited for about 2 years before I joined in 2007 AND I just knew I would never post a card there, I was way too intimidated. 
     During those early years a friend, who had been stamping for many years, challenged me to get together with her every few weeks and as I watched what she did I began to grow and learn and WANT to step out of my little box.  When she moved back to Illinois she invited me to be a part of the 'Stamp Club' she belonged to (and her sister stampers welcomed me with open arms).  What fun to get a challenge each month to create something of a certain color, or layers or whatever the theme was that was chosen.  How I looked forward to receiving their cards in the mail to see what they had done with the challenge - I couldn't wait for the mailman to come.  
    I'll never know what possessed me to play at the computer and become a blogger a few years ago.  What an adventure it has been!!!  The talent and ideas I have come across amaze me.  The kindness of people who I have sometimes contacted to find out 'just how they did what they did'.....has overwhelmed me.  Friendships have been made with people I have never met (but sure would like to).  Its been great.
     SO today I took the "Back to the Early Days" challenge and created this wonderful simple little card.  In those early days I had few supplies and would have stamped my image and layered it onto some colored paper....to make a real statement I would have probably put a few colors of paper under it.  The only way I could even think of adding texture would have been with my Fiskar cutter and stylus....to color my image I would have to raid my kids colored pencil box.  So what you see below is pretty much what an early card from me would have looked like...simple, clean, straight and pretty much one size fits all.  I don't regret those days and am glad to have had this challenge to keep me grounded about what it is I love so much about stamping.  

Thanks for visiting:

Challenges:  Splitcoaststampers TLC374

Materials:  Cardstock, colored pencils, Wordsworth Rubber Soul Stamp

Woman in Pink

     I'm not sure if its because I enjoy biking, or I am just getting older, but I just love this image by Mo Manning.  MuMu, who is of that age where a lady still wears a skirt to shop, looks as if she hasn't a care in the world as she bikes home from the market. Her plump rump is planted firmly on the seat as she pedals along with her face soaking up the sun, and her surroundings.  I can only hope I grow older with this same sense of empowerment, while still riding my bike.
     The flower I used is made from some crinolin and netting that I cut from a Sizzix die and colored with my Copics, after which I scrunched it all up around a brad..  The leaves are a Memory Box die.  I have been working on reorganizing my craft room and my sewing machine is now out and useable, so I just had to stitch around the outisde.  That and I thought it gave the card a more 'down home' look to go with this sweet image.  If you know me you are probably surprised there aren't pearls on this as I love 'pink and pearls'.......I don't think I'll add any, but sometimes cards change before they go in the mail :)
     For the challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs I have used, Stitching, Pink, Ribbon, Ink, Nestie, Green Leaves.  For the challenge at 4 Crafty Chicks I used material for my flower.

Thanks for visiting, have a great day....

Materials: Spellbinders, Sizzix, Fabric, Stamp by Mo's Digital Pencil , Bo Bunny Paper, Seam binding, Copics Memory Box

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs (SPRING), 4 Crafty Chicks #85 

Bleached Peony

 

 When my niece got married last August I purchased this stamp to use on the front of her wedding handouts. Since then I have been thinking of some ways to use it on a card.  Splitcoaststampers did a tutorial on bleaching  not long ago, a technique I haven't done in at least 5 years.  When I did last try it all I did was bleach an image out on my paper.  This time I wanted to try and not only bleach my image BUT color it with Copics.
     While I am happy with how this card turned out, it has many imperfections.....that said I can't wait to make another and see if I can improve.  Using some kraft cardstock I stamped the image and then embossed it with clear powder.  Using an old paintbrush I applied my bleach.  There are areas where I applied too little, they didn't bleach out quite as much as other areas.  Coloring with Copics on this surface was a challenge, you can't really blend them as well - and you certainly want to make sure the paper is good and dry from the bleaching before you use them.  This is however, a flower, and not expected to look perfect.  I had really wanted to add some vines or leaves around the cut out image but the card is already a large square and it just seemed to look too busy.

Thanks for visiting,

Materials used:  Stampendous Peony Stamp, Ribon, DCWV Mango Frost Matstack, Make an Impression Sentiment

Challenges:  Stampin Sisters in Christ, 4 Crafty Chicks Flowers, Papertake Weekly Anything Goes, Whimsy Stamps Ribbon, Divas by Design Anything Goes and Blog Hop

By His Wounds

      As I got some cards ready for Easter this was one of several I put together. For my background I used an Our Daily Bread Designs Stamp of three crosses, and repeatedly stamped across some kraft card stock in brown ink.  The sentiment, from the same Our Daily Bread Design set, He will Rise, is stamped on a coaster that I ran through my Grand Caliber with a Spellbinders die and then used some gold Krylon to ink the edges.  I cut several leaves from a Cheery Lynn die that I positioned in the corner, and then put a flower I made in the center of them  (a picture tutorial of how I make my flowers is posted on this blog).  The inside reads "Alleluia, He is Risen".
     I also used this sentiment on a cross I made that I purchased from Michael's. The cross was edged in gold so I used gold leaves below the sentiment.  Instead of cards I made a few versions of this cross and sent them to friends.

Thanks for stopping by,

Materials:  Our Daily Bread Designs He Will Rise, Spellbinders Die, Cheery Lynn Die, Krylon Pen, Pearl, Cross from Michael's

Challenge:  Word Art Wednesday Challenge 22, Incy Wincy Designs Challenge Easter

Hope is Pink!!!

     I have been asked to send more cards to the Church Book Store and thought they might like some supporting prayer for those with breast cancer.  When I was out and about I discovered the new Sizzix "Movers and Shapers L" die and thought it would be fun to make these cards using it.  The challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs asked us to use our favorite set - as I said in an earlier post, they are all my favorites as I use them, but I will admit to being a little partial to the butterflies and have used them many times over the year!!

     I made two cards (so far) and below is the second using the same Sizzix Die to make the card.

     All the stamps I used are from Our Daily Bread Designs.  The first card uses the set 'Butterfly Corner' with the matching Butterfly and die.  The sentiment inside is from the 'Praying for a Cure' set, which is also the sentiment on the front of the second card.

Thanks for visiting,

Materials:  CS, Spellbinders, Our Daily Bread Designs Stamps, Copics

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs Favorites 102

Flowers of Faith

     The challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs Blog is to use one of our favorite stamps from them.....Seriously??  My favorite stamp is whatever stamp I happen to be creating with at the moment.  Every time I create a card, for whatever reason, it is my favorite until I dig more paper, stamps, and ink out to play with.  For sure this stamp and paper were my favorite a few days ago..... 

     This card was created using a stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs - what really excited me about this card however, is that I found this envelope with a 6x6 piece of matching paper at a store going out of business for .18 whole cents.  Then I added some lovely patterned paper I had purchased with some ribbon that was going to the garbage from a display at where I use to work and 'voila' a card I love.  However, as I type this I am eyeing those pretty pink cards I made today with the 'Praying for a Cure' stamp and thinking they may just be my favorite......for sure until I stamp tomorrow :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Materials:  Crate Paper Slipcover, CS, Spellbinders, ODBD stamps, Pearls, Recycled ribbon

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs 102,