Penelope...my new favorite!

The new set of Penelope papers is my new favorite. (Trust me, the picture does NOT do it any kind of justice.) These papers are full of very rich jewel tones perfect for the fall and heading into Christmas too!

This is a quick (aren't all my cards?) 4x4 card just done to show off the paper. I added a tag from the paper collection and finished it off with an eyelet, ribbon and scrapper's floss. Very simple, but the paper makes it look nice.

Old Blue Truck

...and yes, yet again, another discontinued stamp! I'm still running with my pursuit for making "male" cards!

I really like how this turned out! I probably should have used a marker to color the pine trees a dark green, but overall, it's a pleasing card. And an easy one to put together! How do you like the buckle? It inspired me to punch the holes for a decorative effect on the left edge.

We had a stamp camp last night...I'll get some photos taken and post some pics this week!

Next event won't be until Sept. 2 for Technique Tuesday.

Pink, pink....and more pink!

Seems that I have been in "discontinued stamp" mode...well, that's the nice thing about having stamps! I can still use my discontinued stamps, you can't say that for stickers or rub-ons!

Anyway, here's a nice girly birthday card to give you a break from the manly cards I've been doing lately. You'd think I made this card for my everthing's-gotta-be-pink girl, Megan, but it was actually a card I make for Rachel last year.

Gotta love the stickles and the gel pens here. I think that's what makes the card! Very simple, very basic...but I think it still works!

Heather's Sketch 35

Heather always puts up a sketch on Mondays, which I nearly always attempt to do, sometimes successfully. Since I've been in a manly card mode with Hemingway paper, I used what was sitting on my desk.

Here's another retired set, Lazy Days. (I would not have been the "good-wife-of-a-fisherman" if I didn't have this set in my collection.) Now, you would think making manly cards would be easy with the right sets of stamps. Maybe my brain just makes it more difficult? What can I say, amazingly enough, I just don't think like a guy but hopefully this will be a card a guy would like.

Here's the sketch and my card:

Still the one...

Have you ever made a card and just LOVED it? This is still one of my favorites. Yes, I know the set is retired but just goes to show that just because a set is "retired" doesn't make it any less useful. In fact, this is still a fabulous set! (Don't you wish you got one before they were no longer available?)

That is the nice thing about having a stamp...it's usefullness and creative uses are endless. Okay, I admit, some may begin to look "dated" but then again some are timeless (like this one.)

This particular card was not one of my hubby's favorites. He thought the seagulls should have been with the lighthouse. (Shows what he knows, huh?) If you look closely, you can see the *ding* at the top of the lighthouse, which is why he got this card in the first place! Lucky guy!!

Thanks Jackie!

Jackie was kind enough to share some fabulous double-sided pink & green cardstock and sheets of tags/etc. when we did a sorority card-making weekend. I did lots of cards that I didn't happen to snap photos of....I know, can you believe it?

Love the double sided cardstock! It's especially nice for puching holes in the front to see into the card itself like the saying here on this card. The squares are blitzed up with some Stickles. Cute & very easy!

I'm almost at 2500 hits on my blog! WOW! Then it will be time for some blog candy, huh?

...and more horses!

In my attempt to use up my Hemingway scraps, and make some "manly" cards I've noticed a couple things. #1: I still have tags that need to be used up. (Hmm....I feel a meander mini book coming on!) and #2: I really don't like that starburst looking paper that comes in the Hemingway collection. I still have 2 full sheets of that paper amidst various other scraps that are now getting smaller and smaller. Come to think of it, I haven't seen many samples out "in-the-world-at-large" with that paper either... all the others in the collection, but not that one. Hmmm...

One note here, the hardware is comparable to the hardware featured in the TAC catalog, just not pewter colored. Well, when I ordered mine, it came it copper color and I never thought anything about it! So, since it goes so nicely with the Hemingway collection, it has given me an opportunity to use it!

My fav is the one below with the buckle and the dark green. What do you think?

One more quick note, or maybe two:

For the locals in the North Fork and Delta County area: Stamp Camp on Wednesday, Augut 13. Please let me know you'll be there. $15 for 4 fun projects!

And to the world at large out there! I'll be announcing some blog candy next week ...so stay tuned!!

Horses...maybe man cards?

I suppose the locals all know I've started selling cards at the Kut& Klip in town.
I left a basket of cards before I left for Yellowstone and had to refill it when I got home!! That's good news! Well, all except for the "more masculine cards" request. Hmmm....that's always been a challenge of mine I suppose. I don't really have that many "male" kinds of stamps...

So, last night I sat down with my horses and Hemingway (the paper, not the author) and attemped to use up some scraps. I blame Carol Norby, she had some fabulous cards not too long ago on her blog. As you know, my philosophy is: if you can't come up with it on your own CASE someone else!! I worked these out in about in hour while waiting for the oldest to come home from her date.

Back on track...

Isn't is funny how life happens while we are busy making plans? Don't know where that quote came from, but it seems to be so true with my life. Good thing I had planned a quasi-vacation for July!

We are back at it now that August has started and last night was our TAC-nique Tuesday class!

The first is an oldie but favorite. I just had to do something with chalk. It's Nancy's favorite coloring medium. So, the first technique was easy to pick....Chalked Embossing:

#1 is a sample I did a couple moons ago...or more! The second is the new version.

Okay, I know, I know!! It's the same card!!! My point is...you can use your design with different stamps and still have a lovely unique card. I actually like the tree better! I think it "pops" more on the black background.

Card Details--

Stamps: Love & Laughter (TAC)

Cardstock: Basic black & white

Inks: Noir Palette, Versamark

Other: White EP, Basic Brights Chalk Kit

The second technique I selected was NOT working well for me when I went to create samples. Grrrrrr!!! I HAD to come up with something, dang it! Luckily for me, I am an avid blurfer! (That's "blog surfer") and Jan Tink at Stamps, Paper, Scissors was my saving grace for the day!

She did an EXCELLENT tutorial on "Moonlighting" that I thought would be fun. So....not only did I do that technique....I also TOTALLY cased her card!!

#1 is Jan's version. (Yes, yes, I know it ROCKS!!) And then there's my feeble attempt:

What can you do when you don't have the same stamps but you want to recreate a card? Improvise, of course! Afterall, there are NO mistakes in stamping...only creative opportunities!! Not too bad, mine's a bit plain. Perhaps because the kids ate all my chocolate! (Christy noticed there were no M&M's & pretzels on the table.) Well, we won't be making that mistake again!! Time to find a new hiding place for the yummy stuff which is apparently absolutely essential in paper crafting.

Card Details--

Stamps: Happy Haunting, Running Stitches, Northwoods Stars - retired (all TAC)

Cardstock: White, Orange, black, purple, deorative paper -retired

Ink: Noir Palette, Burnt Umber Palette, French Lilac Palette, Galaxy Gold Brilliance

Coloring: Prismacolor Golden Yellow & OPT

Other: DewDrops, edge distresser, ribbon, green gel pen

No pic today....

Oh my golly! I can hardly believe I haven't posted since July 25!! Good heavens! What the heck have I been doing? I'm finally coming out of "vacation recovery mode" and getting on with life. That's a good thing!
I have spent a weekend creating cards with sorority sisters, but of course, as luck would have it, the camera was at home. Aaarrgghhh! But I DO have photos & stuff to post, I just seem to conveniently find excuses not to have done it yet. PMS, hot weather, apathy... all leading to a general lack of motivation. Okay, so they are ALL lousey excuses, but right now, it's all I've got!

TAC-nique Tuesday will return tonight after a month hiatus. So, posting tomorrow...with photos...can be counted on!

Thanks for bearing with me!