Last Chance to Sale-a-brate

Tomorrow is the last day of Sale-a-bration 2011.  When I first saw the Sale-a-bration sets, I wasn't too excited.  But now I've grown very fond of them and hate to see them go.

The layout for this card is from the Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch Challenge.  After I finished it, I thought it looked very much like Lee Conrey's card.  I have often been inspired by Lee's cards.  I love here clean and elegant style.

The CAS challenge at SCS this week is to put some cut up sentiments on a card.

I used the colors from the SCS Color Challenge this week, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, & Baja Breeze.  Dessert is to add a bird or birds to the card.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Sweet Summer, So Happy for You
Ink:  Marina Mist, SU Markers (Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Marina Mist)
Paper:  Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Baja Breeze Seam Binding

That's it for today.  I'm glad you stopped by.  I'll be back tomorrow with some more Sale-a-bration.

Enjoy!

Bonnie

Two for One

Today's One Layer Wednesday challenge, hosted by Susan of Simplicity fame, is to do a card inspired by a picture found on Marta's Boards at Pinterest.

I am really uncomfortable with inspiration photos!  First of all, I have trouble zeroing in on which to be inspired by and second, I'm not real sure what to do with it when I find it!  Am I uptight or what?  I tend to just copy what I see and I'm not sure that's the point of the whole thing.  I did this card inspired by this picture.

When I finished with the wreath,  it seemed a little to dense (thick, not stupid) to me.  So I tried again.

It's still not as lean and simple as the inspiration, but I liked it better.  I used the Stamp-a-majig for the first card and just eyeballed the second.

I'm not pleased with the birds.  I should have left off the feet and inked them in tan.  Those tails make me think of a Carolina Wren instead of the Chickadee I was going for.

But do you see what I mean.  I pretty much did my version of the card I saw.  Not much inspiration there!

I did another that is a bit more creative and not so much of a copy.  I'll share that tomorrow.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Sweet Summer, So Happy for You  (both are Sale-a-bration sets), You're a Gem
Ink:  SU Markers (Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Basic Gray)
Paper:  Whisper White
Accessories:  Eyelet Border Punch, Blender Pen

Thanks for the visit.  Enjoy!
Bonnie

Sweet Summer Birthday Banner

This was a fun card to make.  I'm really enjoying the Sale-a-bration set, Sweet Summer.  And to think, I almost didn't order it!  Just goes to show you that first impressions aren't always correct!

The layout is from clean&simple

The beautiful colors are from the Color Challenge this week at SCS, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery and Rose Red.  Dessert is a banner.

I cut the 1/2" banner from a scrap piece, cut the ends, inked the edges and folded a bit on the ends with my thumbnail.  The birthday wishes is from another Sale-a-bration set, So Happy for You.  I love the fun font of these sentiments!

Remember those Sale-a-bration sets are free with a $50.00 Stampin' Up! purchase and will only be available until March 31.  Let me know if you want to order or go to my sidebar and order from my website.  (Make sure it is the bon2stamp website.  Name in the top right hand corner.)

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sweet Summer, So Happy for You

Ink:  Black StazOn, SU Markers (Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Marina Mist)

Paper:  Whisper White, Marina Mist

Accessories:  Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper EF, Ovals die, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Certainly Celery & Marina Mist Ribbon, Signo White Gel Pen, Blender Pen

I meant to put a pearl in the center of the flower.  I think I will do that before I send it out.  Imagine it with a pearl center, ok?

Thanks for the visit.  Enjoy!

Bonnie

Color it Spring

I think I can get this in just under the wire.

The Paper Players #35 challenge is a sketch

I really liked this sketch and wanted to use some of the In Color DSP from the Hostess gift pad.  Since I've been thinking Spring this week, I chose to put the Daffodil Delight with the Pear Pizzazz and make it a 3" x  6" card.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sincere Salutations, Sweet Summer (Sale-a-bration set)
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz
Paper:  Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, DSP Pack (Hostess Level 1)
Accessories:  Big Shot, Ovals Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Large Oval Punch, Daffodil Delight narrow taffeta ribbon, beads

Hope I can get this in before the deadline.

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy!
Bonnie

Framed

This weeks Featured Stamper at SCS is Cookie aka StampGroover.  It was such fun to look through her gallery and hard to choose just one card to CASE.  This is the one I chose.  This is what I came up with.....

I used a different stamp set, color for the frame and ribbon.  Otherwise it's pretty much the same.  Probably too much, but I hate to mess with a good thing!

The colors are from the Curtain Call #70 to use Turquoise, White, Tangerine & Pear!  They worked perfectly for this card!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sweet Summer

Ink:  SU Markers (Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango, Pear Pizzazz)

Paper:  Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise

Accessories:  Paper Cutter, Scrap of Ribbon, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, White gel pen

I hope it's ok to sneak in a yellow butterfly.  He lit on the leaf and just looked so good there, that I left him.  Besides, I had to whack off most of the 3rd flower to fit in the frame.

Enjoy,

Bonnie

Christmas in February

This week's  One Layer Wednesday challenge, over at Simplicity, was to do a Christmas or Season's Greetings card.  Had to use red & green on white or cream.  It had to be one layer (one piece of cardstock folded in half, no additional layers and minimum embellishments).  She even suggested using a non holiday stamp for extra points.

Here's the first one I did.....

This flower is in the Bliss set from the Sale-a-bration catalog.  I always thought it resembled a Poinsettia and thought it was a shame that this set would be long forgotten by Stampin' Up! come Christmas.

I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig and actually got things where I wanted them this time.  I inked the flowers with markers then masked them and inked just one petal in green for a leaf and, again using the SAMJ, stamped the leaves.  They needed something to ground them, so I drew a doodly frame around.  I pressed down too hard on the sentiment, but didn't think it was bad enough to trash.

Then I had another idea with another Sale-a-bration set......

Actually, I planned to stamp a poinsettia on this, but liked it so well without it, I didn't.  I've got to tell you that initially I thought I had ruined this.  I didn't get a good stamp and I figured since I was using the SAMJ and I hadn't moved anything, I could just stamp over.  WRONG!  I ended up with a double image that gave me motion sickness just looking at it!  So I used the marker and kind of filled in between the double lines and blended with the blender pen until it didn't make me queasy.  I really loved the results.

Again, I pressed too hard on the sentiment and got a heavy image.  I hope whoever gets this card won't care.  Probably won't even notice!

Maybe I ought to take the blending pen to the poinsettias. Hmmm....

Card Recipe (Poinsettias)

Stamps:  Bliss, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  SU Markers (More Mustard, Real Red, Garden Green)

Paper:  Whisper White

Accessories:  Stamp-a-ma-jig

Card Recipe (Filigree Branch)

Stamps:  Sweet Summer, Short & Sweet

Ink:  SU Markers (Garden Green, Real Red)

Paper:  Whisper White

Accessories:  Stamp-a-ma-jig

Enjoy,

Bonnie

Another Sweet Summer

Just a quick post tonight.  This is for the CAS106 challenge at SCS.  This week is a inspiration challenge of this beautiful card by NancyK.

                    

I used a different stamp, sentiment and colors, reversed the scallops, left off the ribbon, added a layer and left the bottom straight with rounded corners.

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Sweet Summer, Bring on the Cake
Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, SU Markers (Not Quite Navy, Daffodil Delight & Real Red)\
Paper:  Not Quite Navy,  Whisper White
Accessories:  Scallop Trim Corner, Scallor Trim Border, & Corner Rounder Punches, Blender Pen

Enjoy,
Bonnie

Possessed

All day yesterday I kept thinking about the SCS Color Challenge.  Karen B. Barber was the hostess and if you have ever seen her work, you'll understand why I say I was possessed!  I just had to make this card before I went to bed!  There was no stopping me! I couldn't pass up Not Quite Navy, Daffodil Delight and Cajun Craze with wide grosgrain ribbon for dessert!  (Actually the ribbon was the biggest challenge for me!)

Karen has a very destinctive style.  Take a look in her SCS gallery.  I always love reading her descriptions too.  She's a hoot!  This card is totally inspired by Karen!

It was like an out of body experience!  Has that ever happened to you?  I think I've reached a new level in my obsession!

I used the Sale-a-bration set Sweet Summer.  Now when I first saw this set, it did nothing for me.  Actually seeing what Karen did with it made me really want it!

I stamped the spikey flowers with Cajun Craze and colored them with a Daffodil Delight SU marker and did a little extra Cajun dot in the center.  I stamped the round flower with Night of Navy and outlined the petals with the Night of Navy marker, then blended with the blender pen.  I used the Signo White Gel pen in the centers.  I had to add in an extra color for the stems because I didn't think the given colors would work there.  I used Always Artichoke, did a little outlining with the Artichoke marker and blended.  The bee is stamped with Basic Black and colored with the Daffodil marker.

I cut the design out with the largest oval die and the BIG GUY.  Then I had to dig for something that is not SU.  I have a cutter system from another company that lies deep in the bottom of a drawer and only comes out for emergencies.  It worked great for the Daffodil & Not Quite Navy ovals.

I spritzed the design with the Color Spritzer Tool and the Daffodil & Cajun markers.  It was so much fun that I spritzed the card too! 

After I struggled to get that ribbon and bow done (it took longer than the rest of the card), I assembled the ovals and used the Signo White Gel pen to dot around the outside of that NQN oval.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sweet Summer

Ink:  Cajun Craze, Not Quite Navy, SU Markers (same, also Daffodil Delight, Always Artichoke), Basic Black

Paper:  Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Daffodil Delight

Accessories:  Not Quite Navy (from a ribbon set in last years Idea Book and Catalog), Uni Ball Signo Gel Pen, Blender Pen, Color Spritzer Tool

Hopefully I can get to bed a little earlier tonight.  It was fun though!  I love it when an idea works out!

Enjoy,

Bonnie