The Bunny Shake

     Yep, I have seen tooo many You Tube videos of the 'Harlem Shake' lately and just couldn't resist making a shaker card.  While shopping recently I purchased a package of Impression Obsession shaker inserts and just wanted to play - I usually don't use a bunny for an Easter card, but this little fella was just too cute to resist.  The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon (part of a package I won during the Hope for the Cure Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers last fall) - love this ribbon, and winning it has inspired me to keep it within sight so I can use it on more cards.  The colors went perfectly with my paper, I even used a piece of plain cardstock that I punched the edge of to layer the two ribbons over.
     My bunny looked a little plain all by himself in 'shaker land' so I stamped a row of Easter eggs, which I colored with my Copics, then stamped a second row of Easter eggs that I fussy cut out as a  mask over the first row - then I stamped the bunny and removed the mask so he looks like he is sitting in the field with them.

Supplies:  Copics, Impression Obsesion Inserts, Spellbinders Dies, Hampton Art Stamps, Flourishes Stamps, Really Reasonable Ribbon, Martha Stewart Punch, Corner rounder

Challenges:  Cute Card Thursday Spring, RRR Challenge 67 Show me the Green and Ribbon

Bwah ha ha ha ha

     Oh my word, there are so many cards I SHOULD be working on but when I saw this tree stamp, as I ran through the craft shop, the idea for this card seemed so obvious I HAD to play.  And no, I didn't really run through the craft shop, if I did I might miss something....but I did stay focused and head to a few certain aisles to see if anything new had arrived.  My son is one of my biggest fans and supporters and making cards for him is always a pleasure.  So when I saw this stamp I decided to get a head start and make his Halloween card.  He is in his mid twenty's but has always been easy to spook - when I saw this tree I just knew it needed lots of spooky eyes peeking out from the night.
     This is a Step Card. To create the background for the tree I took cut a circle from some removable paper and placed it over my Brilliance CS.  Then I used my Color Duster brushes to repeatedly stipple over the page in Night of Navy, More Mustard, and some Summer Sun until I got it as dark and spooky as I wanted. Then I removed my circle, and with my Copic's, colored in the moon.  I cut a stencil for a cloud pattern and laid it down, using my sponge with Night of Navy, I dabbed the sponge over the edges while I  continually moved the stencil around to created a layered look in the background.  I then stamped several of my headstones, colored, and fussy cut them.  My fence die is pretty large so after running it through my Grand Calibur I cut the bottom and messy cut the tops.  My headstones in the background are popped up over the skeletons, and the headstones on the front are flat on the step, with the fence popped up over them.  Inside is the sentiment "BOO'.  I'm pretty sure he is going to like this ...  until it gets sent it will adorn my stamp room.

Materials:  Brilliance CS, Recollections Tree Stamp, Hampton Art Headstones, Memory Box Fence Die, Crafts Mart Skeleton Stamp, Embellishments, Copics

Challenges:  Dream Valley Something Old, Something New

Happiness.....

   

     A few weeks back I saw this sweet horseshoe die by Provo Craft used on a card, I knew I had to have it, and was able to find one for sale on e-bay.  When it arrived I couldn't wait to use it.  The first set of horseshoes I made were with a pewter colored paper and I scuffed up the edges with silver ink.  Once I laid the card out I determined I needed a different color horseshoe.  I ran the die thru my CB again with brown paper and used my gold Color Box ink to scuff the edges, giving it a nice used patina.

    This Mustang stamp is a favorite of mine from   Serendipity Stamps.....so regal looking. While I wanted to use my new horseshoe die, I will have to admit that this card really ended up  being about the inside.  I am not sure what this layout is called but when I saw it here I had to try this cut and fold technique. It was pretty simple, all I needed was a 5" x 10.5" piece of card stock, a few cuts, and scores an inch wide, and viola -- a lovely looking and unique pop out for my inside.  I made a second card with some fabulous polka dot paper, its is posted over at Splitcoaststampers.

     When I was finished with this card I gave it to my friend Lori who owns a beautiful thoroughbred named Tuscany - I thought she would appreciate it.

Materials:  Serendipity Stamp, Hampton Art Sentiment, Cuttlebug Die, Spellbinders Die, Xyron, Krylon Pen

Red for Love

     Well it is the first week of the New Year - I am happy to say I do not make resolutions....I am one of those 'day at a time' people.  This doesn't mean I don't have goals I want to achieve, but each day brings new things and challenges and I like to try to be flexible.  LOL, because my family might not think I'm as flexible as I would like to believe.  

     I found this fun glitter foam at Michael's and just had to buy it...my idea was to use a die with it and see how it would layer up for a Valentines card.  By my standards getting my Valentines cards done now is 'very' early.  I usually have a bunch of ideas in my head and wait until the last minute to see if they will work. This is a pretty simple card, and the picture really doesn't do it justice.  The foam came out great when I cut it - no white around the edges showing because it is red all the way through.  Then I gold embossed a dollar stamp I had (it was a circle and that was the best fit) and used an old Stampin' Up sentiment for the bottom that I also gold embossed.  The outer layer of red was run through my GC with a circle die to create a framed look.  I used my gold leafing pen to edge the inner circle and the outer edges of the red layer.  

     It is a simple but very pretty card....the inside says "I will love you till the day after forever..." with a red rose stamped off in red over it.  I think my DH will like it  

     Just a note that I used my new watermark created by Dina Kowal - I had wanted something with horeses (imagine that!) I follow her and know what a fabulous artist she is so when I saw she created watermarks I contacted her.  I think its pretty cool!

  

 

Materials:  CS, Superfine Gold Embossing Powder, Stampin Up - Love, Hampton Art Stamp, Spellbinders Dies, Glitter Craft Foam, Computer generated sentiment inside. 

Challenges: Joans Gardens (JG512) Valentines and embossing, Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes

Thinking Pink

     I made this card with someone I just met in mind, she has cancer and I wanted her to know I was thinking of her.  This is one of those Hampton Art $1.00 stamps you find at Michael's and I just love the saying!!  The sweet little contemporary dragon flies are some rubber I bought at a convention many years ago, I believe from StampLaJolla and they are just 'perfect in pink'.  The challenge this week at Our Daily Bread Designs is to create a pink card with an uplifting sentiment......I'm thinking this will work.  I have a new set on order from them that should arrive tomorrow which means I will probably just have to sit down and make another card :)
     I used my Copics R81, R83 and R85 - they blended out just beautifully together!

Thanks for Looking 

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs

Materials:  Hampton Art Stamp, Stamp La Jolla, Vellum, CS, Copics

Bwa ha ha ha Trick or Treat!!

     After not being in my stamp room for a few months I just buried myself playing.....for whatever reason I found myself focusing on Christmas and Horses, then it finally occurred to me that Halloween was just around the corner and I needed to get a few cards ready!!
     This is a card I made to send with a package to my son out west.  I doubt my kids will ever be too grown to not send a little package of goodies at Easter, Halloween, Birthdays, etc. (Christmas we are all together - yeah!)  Besides, He is one of my biggest fans and I think there is a good chance he has saved every card I have ever made him (One day I suspect he will meet a good woman and my cards won't mean quite as much). I know he will enjoy this one and the goodies I send with it.
     I have been playing with step cards and had this fab paper with eyeballs all over it, the idea of a graveyard for Halloween was just too good to let go of.  I stamped the cute little Kolette Hall Hampton Art stamp 3x's in a row and used my Copics to color the grass and tombstones.  The skull is a sticker from Recollections that I layered over some yellow/gold vellum for a spooky effect.  Trick or treat is a dollar stamp and the spider webs along the outside are a Martha Stewart punch....had a lot of fun doing this and can't wait to do a matching treat bag and get it in the mail.  Happy Haunting!!!

Thanks for looking!!!

Materials used:  DP, Recollections Sticker, Hampton Art Stamp, MS punch, Copics, Dimensioinals, 
Challenges:  Sentimental Sunday Challenge 78 Halloween,  Make It Monday Challenge 60, Dream Valley #18 Halloween