Moo Cards: Just a small spurt of creativity

Moo cards are quick and easy to make. I had a few minutes on Saturday night, after running around, crazy, all day. I had a little bit of time this evening to work on them, also. I am sending them to someone who had asked for them. I created the teal blue background using a Distress Ink (Faded Jeans) mix (ink and water). I used Hero Arts flourish stamps, and edged each card with Stampin Up Bayou Blue ink. The vintage images are a mix, from a CD I own and my personal collection. The words came from a Coldwater Creek magazine. For the orange and green moo cards, I brayered Stampin Up dye inks on glossy cardstock. Then, I just stamped and sponged ink through a stencil I had. I don't know how often I'll be creating in the months ahead, but I hope it'll be at least once a week. Life just gets in the way sometimes.

Please visit a new blog that I have just started

First, I am not abandoning this blog. This is my creative blog, and I plan to keep it. I'll soon get back to creating. I just needed a little break.

But, I did start a new blog. It's called Baskets for the Cure. It's to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Please visit my blog; and if you can, please help my by adding a link of my new blog to yours. I would appreciate your support.

Thank you very much, and thank you for stopping by!

I am overwhelmed

My friends, I am overwhelmed to the point where the thought of creating is making my blood pressure rise. Can you believe this? Therefore, I have decided to take a break. My family is scheduled to move in a year, and I'm feeling restless. The clock has started ticking, and I must, must, must declutter and downsize. I have a lot items to go through, throw out, donate or sell. I have a lot of Longaberger baskets and rubber stamps which I want to put up for sale. I'm not even worried about whether I'll get a ton of money from those. I just want to get rid of them. (If I put them up on eBay, my seller name is ethel769).

Here's the deal for Stamp Shack members. I put something on the message boards about what I plan to do with my Longaberger items, should they NOT sell on eBay. So, you may want to bookmark my blog for future reference. Each week, starting April 4th, I will start listing the items that DID NOT sell on eBay. You'll know what to do. Just tell me which ones you have your eye on, and give me way to get in contact with you (not through the Stamp Shack, but privately).

So, for now, I bid you adieu. I don't know how long I will need. I just know that *now* is the time to focus on cleaning and decluttering the house. I may be back in a month. It might be sooner. Thank you for being faithful readers of my blog. I don't know if you have me on your Google reader list. But, if I start posting again, I hope you'll stop on by and check up on me. Hugs to you all!

ISMAKI Challenge #11

Here is my interpretation for this week's ISMAKI Challenge #11. It was designed by Manue. The focal stamp is by Innovative Stamp Creations and the sentiment stamp is from Buzz N Bloom (an Australian stamp company.) I turned the sketch the other way, and created a frame using stamps by Heidi Grace. The paperclip is the final touch and I thought it complimented the flourish stamps nicely. Thanks for stopping by!

Pop-up card. Hello Spring!

My crocuses are peaking out from under some ground cover. The weather isn't warm enough to be outside for too long, otherwise, I would be out there, today, cleaning up some of the dead foliage that's covering some of my flower beds. But, when the crocus start to bloom, it won't be too long before we will begin to see the dwarf irises, tulips, daffodils, and periwinkle making their appearance.

Today, I made a pop-up card. It's been a long time since I'd made one of these. More than anything, I must've used eight different paper punches to make this card. Everything from various sizes of circle punches to my Stampin Up scalloped punch and slit punch. Happy Spring to you!

And the winner of the Magnolia blog candy is......

........drum roll.........

Miss Thanh Vo!

Congratulations, Thanh! In a scientific process involving writing down names on paper, placing names in a basket, and drawing one name out (thanks to my son), we have a winner! She got her cards in under the wire, too!

Please check out Miss Thanh's Yummy Creations and add her to your blog-roll. She is so creative and her posts are so thoughtful! Thank you to everybody for participating in this month's blog candy. I have a few more Magnolia stamps which I will place up for grabs on future blog candy posts, so stay tuned!

ISMAKI Challenge #10

This is the first time I've participated in a challenge on the ISMAKI blog . This is Sketch Challenge #10 designed by Marsup .
Stamps: Magnolia, Rhonna Farrer, Heidi Grace. I used Punch Bunch punches for the flowers and leaves. Thanks for stopping by!

Spring is the in the air! It's time for some blog candy!

This is the first week of this year that temperatures are going to be above 40-degrees, here, in the Omaha area. Woo-hoo! Spring is definitely right around the corner. To celebrate, I am going to give away this cute Magnolia Stamp. It's of Tilda holding a bouquet of flowers. So appropriate for Spring, don't you think? Here's what I'd like you to do. Create a card with the following elements:

* Your card should scream "Spring! Spring! Spring!" Think flowers, Easter eggs, tulips, birds, babies, garden scenery... you get the picture.
* Must be a new card (it shouldn't be one that you've already posted on your blog, before.) The date on your blog post should not be earlier than 10th March, 2008.

That's it! Pretty easy, huh? Please link your creation to the comments section of this post, and link this thread to your blogpost. The deadline is Sunday, 16th March, 2008 at 8 AM CST (Central Standard Time, USA). All cardmakers are welcome to participate. I am willing ship this cutie overseas, so international artists are also welcome!

Magnolia: My first cards using these cute images.... and has Ethel moved over to the "dark" side?

These are my first cards using Magnolia stamps. They are designed and made in Sweden, and the only way I've been able to find them is to order them online through sources in the UK. OK. Well, some of you may be wondering, "What the heck has gotten into this girl? We thought she was all into vintage and weird stuff? Why is she showing us all of these cutesy cards?" Well, just before the New Year, I made a resolution to quit making cards to please everybody else. What it boils down to is this. I stamp because I enjoy it. I don't stamp because I want someone else to enjoy it. Does this make sense? Yes, yes, yes, we do create cards to give to others. But, I have found that I loathe, dislike, do not enjoy the creative process when, in the back of my mind, I'm always thinking, "Will so-and-so like this card? I hope they like this card. I'd better do this [insert technique, style, colors, add embellishments here] because so-and-so is really into that." I think this defeats the enjoyment and the purpose for why I rubber stamp and create cards. I hope you're following me here, because I've gone down the deep-end. Well, you'll be seeing LOTS more of these cutesy images. But, once in awhile, I'll delve back into my love for vintage and for all things eclectic. Everything you see on this blog is a different facet of me. And, right now, you're seeing the side of me that is more light-hearted and...as always...just wants to have fun!


First card. Stamps: Magnolia, Stampin Up; Paper: Bo Bunny Press; Ink: Stampin Up Real Red, Summer Sun and Always Artichoke; Embellishments: Thumbtack brads; Colored with prismacolor pencils and COPIC markers.


Second card. Stamps: Magnolia and Stampin Up; Paper: Die Cuts With A View (DCWV); Ink: Stampin Up Purely Pomengranate; Embelishments: Floral brads; Colored with prismacolor pencils and Stickles.

Rubber Romance Divas: Two cards on this Saturday morning

I've been awake since 3:30 AM. Now, "Why in the world would you be awake at the crack of dark?" Well, tomorrow, we lose an hour of sleep. And, since I already wake up at 4:30 AM during the week, I figured I'd start conditioning myself to losing that extra hour, starting this morning. THIS SATURDAY MORNING, ladies and gentlemen. Yes. I've lost it. I should be committed for not sleeping in when I should have. But, you don't want to see a grumpy momma bear on Monday morning, so I need to start 'preparing' for the time-change, now. OK....back to 'craft talk.' The beauty of waking up this early is you can actually steal some alone time. This is when I get the most done in the craft room, and when I don't feel like I'm being rushed. Once the boys wake up, then I feel as if I am under the gun to make breakfast or do something else that will take me away from cardmaking.

The first card was so much fun to make. I'd been mulling this card over in my mind for a few weeks now. I stamped the image three times. Once on dark pink paper, once on light pink paper, and once on white. Then, I cut out the different parts, glued them together, and added diamond glaze to the bubbles. Primas. Who doesn't have hundreds of primas in their stash? C'mon...'fess up! The primas added a really pretty touch to this 'bathtub scene', don't you think? I am entering this card for Aud's challenge on her blog. Check it out, and you could win her fabulous blog-giveaway!

On the second card, I used some patterned papers on top of stamping the image to white cardstock. I love the caption on this card "So much to do.....so few to do them for me." Isn't that a hoot? I glued some eyelash fiber to the edge of the pillows. This was a little RAK from my friend, Joanne. It was perfect for the pillows.

OK.....that's it for me, today. I'd better get some housework done, or else I'll be in trouble! I can hear five loads of laundry calling my name! Thanks for stopping by!

What every stamper needs

I made several of these to send out for a swap on The Stamp Shack. The Vintage Stamp is hilarious, isn't it? It's part of a stamp set by Sunday International. I had picked it up out of a clearance bin (yes, a clearance bin) in a stamp store in Kansas City. I believe there are some 12 stamps in the set. All of the stamps in this set are funny (did you read the nutritional value of this chocolate bar?) I colored the image with COPICs. The sentiment on the tag is by Stampin Up (Oh So Sweet). I plan to write a little message on the back of the tag.

You Make My Day Award

Jennifer Woodward of Thimbles' Bobbins, Paper and Ink was so generous to give me this award. She is one of nicest people in the world, herself, and she brightens my day just because she's my friend. I feel kindred with so many crafters and bloggers. I want to pass on the award to the following bloggers who ALWAYS come stop by my blog and are kind enough to give me feedback or leave comments. They are, in no particular order:
Kim Hutchinson of "Running On Ink"
Dawn Bryson of "The Chatty Stamper"
Heather Grow of "We Grow By Our Dreams"
Teresa Chapman of "Aunt T's Paperarts"
Sue McGettigan of "Wandering Star"
Tami Bayer of "Dapple Designs"
Nancy Maxwell James of "Vintage Papers"
Andi Sexton of "Andi's Perfect Gravy"
Sandy of "A Colourful World"
Gisou of "Mon Univers Scrap"
Thanh Vo of "Yummy Creations"
Beth Norman of "Sunflowers and Dragonflies"

Bandana Print card

I was wowed by a couple of demonstrations and examples of the "Bandana Print" technique. Most recently, I had seen a video of a demonstration at CHA using Rangers' Inkssentials pen. Well, you can't find that pen, just yet, at any of my local scrapbook or art supply stores. Instead of the Inkssentials pen, I used the Gelly Roll pen by Sakura. I've heard that the Souffle pens are also ideal for this project. I'm going to Archivers this afternoon, and will pick up a couple of white Souffle pens to see if they are better. You can purchase the Gelly Roll pens at most craft stores. I bought mine at Joann's. The stamp I used is by Stampabilities. It was PERFECT for this technique, don't you think? The background stamps are by Stampin Up (True Friend and One of a Kind.) I heat embossed a couple of the small flowers from One of a Kind and used the Boho Blossoms punch. Sentiment stamp is by TAC. Thanks for stopping by!