Hollyhock Mambo

I think it was last week or maybe the week before I did a card with a garden of hollyhocks.  This design piece was still laying on my table and it seemed perfect for a tall, skinny card!  And that was the CAS challenge this week on SCS.

Or is this a gladiolus?  Hmm...maybe I need to get my flower book out and check!

I stamped the image with Black StazOn painted with ink and a blender pen.   The card is   3 1/4" x 6 1/4" and fits in the SU open end envelope.  I'm not sure why one of the rhinestones doesn't shine like the rest.  Maybe I need to replace that before I send it out!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Fast and Fabulous, Short and Sweet

Ink:  Black StazOn, Melon Mambo, Garden Green

Paper:  Whisper White, Scraps of Watercolor, Melon Mambo & Basic Black

Accessories:  Blender Pen, White Gel Pen, Ticket Corner Punch, Basic Rhinestones

Thanks for stopping in to visit.  I've been enjoying your comments.

Enjoy!



Hollyhock Garden

Hello crafty peeps.  I have finally put down my new cattie, for a few minutes anyway.  I have to put it out of sight to remove the temptation.  I'm like that with cookies and chocolate too!

I did get a card made for the Color Challenge at SCS to use Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette & Melon Mambo.  Dessert is a round embellishment which I totally forgot.

I stamped with the outline stamp in Black StazOn on a scrap of Confetti White cardstock.  Then I put a drop of re-inker of each of the pinks in a lid and used my Aquapainter to color the blossoms. A drop of Old Olive and the Aquapainter colored the stems & leaves.

I used a very simple CAS layout on an embossed Confetti White card.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Fast & Fabulous, Short & Sweet

Ink:  Melon Mambo, SU Re-inkers (Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Old Olive)

Paper:  Confetti White, Melon Mambo

Accessories:  Corner Rounder, Word Window & Modern Label Punches

I love to use this set for two-step stamping but I like it with the watercoloring too.  I'll be sad to see this set retire from the hostess sets, but, believe me, there are lots of awesome choices to take it's place!

I'm so glad you could join me today.

Enjoy!

Another Try

Last night I shared a couple of cards that I did for the One Layer Wednesday challenge.  I commented that inspiration challenges are not a comfortable fit for me.  Several of you commented that you have the same discomfort.  I'd never know it from looking at your cards though.

Here's another card that I did for this challenge.  I don't know if I can enter 2, but it was a good exercise.  We were to choose a picture from Marta Writes at pinterest.  This is the picture I chose to interpret....

I love all that texture! 

This is what I came up with....

Too boring!  So I dyed some white taffeta ribbon with the Peach Parfait marker and added it.....

Much better, but it veers from the inspiration photo too much.  So.....

I gathered some vanilla seam binding by pullng a thread in the middle.

It's difficult to add a ribbon like this to a one layer card!  Glue dots to the rescue!

More like the photo, but, oh no, I think I like the peach ribbon better.  I'll bet those glue dots won't let go!

So much for inspiration photos.

I think I'll go read a book!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Fast & Fabulous (Level 2 hostess set)
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Peach Parfait, SU Markers (same colors)
Paper:  Whisper White
Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Basic Pearls, White Taffeta Ribbon, Very Vanilla Seam Binding

Thanks for the visit.  Enjoy!
Bonnie

Pink Crumb Cake

I love pink and Crumb Cake together.



And the ColorQ challenge has all those soft shades of pink this week

Then the Play Date Cafe challenge this week went in the same direction.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Fast & Fabulous, Bird on a Tree (retired)

Ink:  Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, Blushing Bride

Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Crumb Cake

Accessories:  Scallop Trim Border Punch, Big Shot, Wonderful Wings Embosslit, Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Pearls

Enjoy,

Bonnie

Hollyhocks & Lace

The colors for this week's Color Challenge on SCS were Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and Pacific Point with doilies for dessert. I like all three of these colors, but quite honestly, I didn't like them together.

I used the hollyhocks from the Fast & Fabulous set. It's a 2-step stampin' set. First I stamped the flowers in Razzleberry, then I stamped the stem in old Olive. So far so good! I tried a Pacific Point butterfly and it hurt my eyes! I ended up using the Pacific Point SU Marker and spritzing the design background. It's subtle enough that it doesn't make me cringe.

For my doily I used a bit of lace that had been hanging around forever. I have no idea where I got it. I wove some Old Olive narrow grosgrain ribbon through the holes to add some interest.

The sentiment was crooked. It's a clear mount stamp too. I'm not sure how I managed to do it crooked! I stamped it again and punched it with the Word Window Punch and trimmed one end.

Card Recipe
Stamps: Fast & Fabulous, Silhouette Sentiments
Ink: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Acc.: Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Pacific Point SU Marker, Color Spritzer Tool, Word Window Punch, Big Shot, Finial Press Embossing Folder, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, lace

I'm not crazy about this card but it will have to do. I'll go over to Splitcoaststampers and see what the others have come up with.

Later,
Bonnie

Fast and Fabulous Rubies

I did this card for the Color Challenge this week on SCS to use Riding Red, Blushing Bride & Early Expresso. Dessert this week is something new.

The card base is Blushing Bride stamped in Blushing Bride ink with the filigree stamp from the Elements of Style stamp set.

The main design is from the Fast & Fabulous set. It's a Level 2 Hostess Set.

From now until August 31 if you have a $350.00 workshop, you earn an extra $25.00 in free merchandise as well as a Level 1 or Level 2 hostess set and $40.00 in free merchandise. Did you count that up? That's $65.00 in free merchandise!

Ok, now back to the card. The flower is a two-step flower and I stamped both the solid and the outline in Riding Hood Red on a scrap piece of Whisper White. This red is a new core color. It's a little richer than the Ruby Red that has been discontinued. The design is matted on Riding Hood Red & Early Expresso. I used the Ticket Corner Punch on all the corners to dress it up a bit.

I stamped the sentiment from the Elements of Style set in Early Expresso. Typically, I stamped it crooked. It is a clear mount stamp too. I'm not sure how I managed to stamp it crooked! Not to be deterred, I stamped it again on some scrap Blushing Bride that I stamped with the filigree like the base card. I used the 1" Circle Punch to cut it out. It worked out well because I thought of the little bit of Riding Hood Red ribbon I had left over in the drawer and made a little tab to put behind the sentiment.

For dessert, I used some of the new Rhinestone jewels on page 188 of the new Idea Book & Catalog. Check them out. They're large packages and self sticking.

Hope you have had a wonderful day and maybe got a chance to stamp.

Let me know if you want to host a workshop and get the extra hostess benefits.

Bonnie

Ribbon Flower

This week's Ways to Use it Challenge on SCS was to use ribbon. Now I don't usually use ribbon except for tying a knot or bow. So I decided to really challenge myself and do something different.

I'm not crazy about this, but I'll share anyway. I used a needle & thread to tack loops together until I had enough for a daisy. Usually I end up sticking my finger and bleeding all over things, but I remained accident free for this. I used to sew like I make cards now. I don't have time for both so the sewing is put away.


I used one of the Level 2 Hostess gifts in the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog for the background on the Early Expresso layer (another sneak peek of a new core color). The stamp set is called Fast & Fabulous and it is both.

Card Recipe

Stamps: Fast & Fabulous, Short & Sweet

Paper: So Saffron, Early Expresso, Old Olive

Ink: Early Expresso

Acc.: Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Ribbon from the Ribbon Originals, Elementary pkg., Pearl from the Pretties Kit, Large Oval, Scallop Oval, 1/16" Circle & Scallop Trim Border Punch

Hope you like this better than I do!

Again, have a wonderful weekend.

Bonnie

Monet Garden

I'm so excited about my new previews that I just had to do another post and share one with you.

This stamp reminds me of the holyhocks my mom grew when I was a kid. It's Two-step Stamping and you know how I love that!

I inked the main flower with Melon Mambo and the outline with Wild Wasabi & Rose Red Markers. I did three main flowers and stamped off around to resemble a garden. It has a nice watercolor look don't you think?

This will be a Level 2 Hostess gift. It has two more flowers too. I can't wait to play with them!

This qualifies for the Technique Lovers Challenge this week to do a one layer card. That's really hard to do! It's not too clean & simple but since it has butterflies, I may put it in the CAS too.

BTW, there are flat back pearls and rhinestones in the new cattie. Reasonably priced too!

The butterflies are from the new Daffodil Delight. It is a beautiful shade of yellow!

Card Recipe
Stamps: Fast & Fabulous
Paper: Naturals White, Daffodil Delight
Ink: Melon Mambo
Acc.: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Rose Red & Wild Wasabi SU Markers, Flat back Pearls, Rose Red grosgrain ribbon

That's it for tonight. Thanks for visiting. Let me know what you think.
Bonnie