EtsyInspired Challenge #2

How about another EtsyInspired Challenge? This week Your Next Stamp is sponsoring the EtsyInspired Challenge. The Etsy shop that is being featured is The Caged Fairy. The Caged Fairy sells jewelry, vintage pieces, and hats.

The jewelry piece I chose for inspiration was a crystal studded safari elephant ring.

The card I created features Your Next Stamp's Riley the Elephant, a rubber stamp. I stamped him on Papertrey Ink white cardstock using Memento tuxedo black ink. I colored him with Copics markers.

The card is a 6"x6" easel card. You can find the instructions to make an easel card here at Splitcoast Stampers.
I used white cardstock as the base and matted with red cardstock. The designer paper is 2-sided American Craft. I made the flags by trimming party hats cut with a Quickutz die. The fence was cut with a Martha Stewart border punch. The circles were cut with Nestabilities. I added a baseball button, and the 'play ball' is an old sticker from Two Busy Moms.

This will be a busy week for me. Your Next Stamp will have the September releases, and I have the Whimsie Doodles challenge on Wed. Also the September Whimsie Doodles 'sneaky snippets' will appear this week, and the Whimsie Doodles September release will be soon after. Plenty to do, lots of blogging.
Be sure to check back to see the new releases! Have a great week! Linda C

An Etsy Inspired Card

Today I created a card for the challenge blog called Etsy Inspired. Each week this challenge blog chooses an Etsy shop to feature. Anyone who wishes to participate in the challenge is asked to visit the featured shop and choose an item that inspires her. Using the chosen item the participant then creates a project based on the inspiration.

This week's featured Etsy shop is Global Child Collection. I chose 'Protect Our Water' for my inspiration.

Here is my Etsy inspired card:

To create this card I used the Whimsie Doodles image 'Whale and Baby'. I printed the image of Papertrey Ink white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I applied Glossy Accents to the water spout. The design paper is from a K&Co. stack. I used a Stampin' Up border punch for the scalloped edge. The ribbon is American Craft, and the Dew Drops are from Robin's Nest. I used buttons from my stash.

I have been really busy this week making cards and coloring. Life is good!

New YNS Stamps Coming!

Hi! It's time for the new Your Next Stamp release! Woo Hoo!!

The fun begins on September 1st and not only is Your Next Stamp bringing some fun Fall and Halloween stamps but it will be the first hop for all the NEW YNS Design Team Members! I am so excited to be a part of this awesome group and participate in this blog hop!

We want you to be a part of this new release and Blinkie Blog Hop  fun. Check out the Your Next Stamp blog. Grab the blinkie that Simonne designed and post it on your blog to help spread the word! You could win a prize...in fact, there are 2 prizes!!

What can you win?

Well, first, you get to look at a cute blinkie everytime you log onto your blog plus you have a chance at winning the entire September release! WOW! That is a ton of rubber!

All you need to do is...Grab the blinkie code and post it on your blog. On the YNS blog add your blog link and post a comment on the YNS blog so we know that you've posted the blinkie on your blog. You are still more than welcome to enter if you don't have a blog, just leave a comment letting us know that you would like to be entered in the contest but you don't have a blog.

I can't wait for you to see the new stamps! I have had fun coloring these! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!  Linda C

Whimsie Wednesday 'Text Me'

Today is Wednesday and time for a Whimsie Challenge. Design Team Diva, Joy, is challenging us to use text on our cards and projects. Check out the Whimsie Doodles blog for the details. After you have created your card or project with text be sure you link it to the WD blog. You might win a prize! Don't forget to check the other WD Doodlelicious Divas for their takes on Joy's challenge. You can find their links on the right side of my blog.

Here is my card for the challenge:

I chose to add text to my card by using design paper with text. The papers I used are from a DCWV (Die Cuts With a View) school stack. I matted with Bazzill cardstock. I colored the Whimsie Doodles image (Swing Koale) with Copic markers and cut the image paper with a Nestabilities die. The twine is from Stampin' Up!, and the skateboard, ball, and cap are from Sandylion 3D embellisments. This is one of my favorite Whimsie Doodles images. Koale is such a cute kid. You will probably see him again!

I also entered this card in the ICopic challenge which was to use red, yellow, and blue. Those of you who love coloring with Copic markers like I do might want to check out this challenge blog.

Back to School Challenge

Shirleys 2 Girls has a 'Back to School' challenge on their blog. I decided to create a 'Back to School' card with a twist. This card is for all those mothers who celebrated when they children went back to school.

This is a Shirleys 2 Girls digital image. I added the sentiment 'Three Cheers for Back to School' to the image before I printed it. After printing I colored the image with Copic markers and added a bit of bling with tiny pearls and rhinestones. The mats were cut with Nestabilities. The background paper is from a DCWV stack. The yellow and pink cardstock are from Bazzill, and the larger yellow pearls are from Kaiser.

Tomorrow is Wednesday so watch for the Whimsie Doodles Whimsie Wednesday challenge and news from Your Next Stamp!

Color Me Farm Fresh

Melyssa, owner and designer of Whimsie Doodles, is a Design Team member for The Greeting Farm. She has issued a challenge for The Greeting Farm called Color Me Farm Fresh. The challenge is to use orange, green, and blue. Here is my card for the challenge:

The image I stamped is Rain from the set Rain Snow Shine from The Greeting Farm. I stamped with Memento tuxedo black. I have found Memento ink is the best ink with Copic markers. It does not smear, and you can color with Copics soon after you stamp. After I colored with Copics I added Glossy Accents to give a glossy look to the boots, umbrella, and buttons. I also made a puddle with my blue markers and Glossy Accents. I adhered Robin's Nest raindrops. They are similar to Dew Drops but have a raindrop shape instead of  being round. The background paper is My Mind's Eye, and since it is 2-sided I used the reverse side as my mats. The clouds were made with a Quickutz die using blue Bazzill and a K&Co. scrap.

For the inside of the card I used a piece of the Quickutz Bazzill cloud. The sentiment is from an Inkadinkado stamp and is matted on the My Mind's Eye paper. I used a 1/2 inch circle punch to cut out some of the colored circles on the designer paper. I adhered the circles to the sentiment piece to emphasize the word 'rainbow' in the sentiment.

If you are up for a challenge head on over to The Greeting Farm blog or Melyssa's blog for the details.
Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate you! LindaC

Storage Idea

Occasionally I have questions about how I store my various products. You can check here to see photos of my pattern paper storage. As you know, I am a thrift store shopper. You might remember the glass caddy I use for buttons. You can see it here.

Today I want to show you a purchase I made at a neighborhood yard sale. I bought these 6 spice jars for 50 cents. I brought them home, gave them a hot, soapy bath, and when they were dry I filled them with 'Dew Drops' and other similar embellishments.

Jars make great storage items and can be found in abundance at thrift stores and yard sales. I store my Stickles and Liquid Pearls in a large jar. Fish bowls are good for storage also. You don't have to spend a fortune on storage items...check out thrift stores, yard sales, and your granny's attic.

Bold, Bright Summery Colors

With teachers and students headed back to school, the summer is coming to a close...even though the thermometer and calendar don't know it. Pools will be closing, noodles will go into storage, and school books will replace paperbacks. Your Next Stamp Challenge #23 is calling for a shout out to the colors of summer....a hurrah for bold, bright colors.You can check out Your Next Stamp challenge here.

Here is my card for the challenge:

The image is YNS 'Vacation Dan'. He's on his way to the beach to surf one more time before heading back to school. I stamped the image on Neenah paper using Memento black ink. I colored the image with Copic markers. I added Glossy Accents and silver embossing powder to the image. The circles were cut with Nestabilities, and the sticker is from K&Co. The designer paper is from my stash.

Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer vacation! Thanks for stopping by. LC

Whimsie Wednesday Challenge #45

It's Wednesday...time for a Whimsie Challenge. Today's challenge is Back to School. You can check out the challenge on the Whimsie Doodles blog here. Sheri has created some awesome 'back to school' projects that teachers and students would love to have.

For this challenge I used a Whimsie Doodles 'Punny Enough' image called 'kickin it old school'. It is a digital image so I was able to resize it to fit my projects.

I printed the image on Papertrey Ink white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. The sentiment is a Making Memories rub on. The designer paper is from a DCWV school stack, and I used a charm from an old bracelet. The ribbon is white seam binding I dyed with Glimmer Mist.

I made the tag using a smaller version of the school image. I cut the circles with Nestabilities. The designer paper is from the DCWV stack. I used the same Glimmer Mist dyed ribbon, twine, and an apple charm from an old bracelet. I thought this would be a great teacher gift. There are never enough pencils in a classroom!

Thanks for stopping by. If you are in school or work in a school, I hope you have a great year! LC

What is Liquid Applique?

Since my last post I have had questions about Liquid Applique. It is a thick liquid in a tube made by Marvy Uchida. It comes in colors in addition to the white I used to make the popcorn on yesterday's card. The side of the tube reads, "For Embroidery and 3D Effects on Fabric and Paper". I first learned about Liquid Applique last year when I saw it used on cards as a snow effect.

I made this card last year and put Liquid Applique on the fence. Please excuse the quality of the photo; I scanned this card instead of photographing it. That was before I got the camera I now use.

I am thinking I would like to try Liquid Applique in other colors...maybe pink to use as icing on a cupcake or create blue cloud. Let me know if you decide to give it a try. Thanks for stopping by. LC

A Second Helping of Popcorn

I have been in the Liquid Applique again creating popcorn. For this card I used 'Keepin' it REEL' from the Whimsie Doodles 'Punny Enough' set which has 5 digital images and sentiments. I printed the image on Papertrey Ink white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I filled the popcorn kernals with Liquid Applique and set the image aside to dry overnight. (To get the best results from  Liquid Applique, you need to let it dry overnight.) While the image dried I finished the front of the card. I used K&Co. designer paper from a stack called 'Cut and Paste' and red cardstock to mat. I added yellow star brads and yellow tickets. The tickets are from an Etsy shop. The next morning I puffed up the Liquid Applique with my heat gun and added dots of yellow Copic marker. I think this is a 'reely' fun card.

This was an exciting mail day for me. I received stamps from Your Next Stamp....(hint)...people, animals, holidays....I can hardly wait to get started!!

Encouragement

Here are several cards I created this weekend for friends who need a little 'pick-me-up':

My 'Hang in There' card was created with a Whimsie Doodles image. I colored it with Copic markers and added Glossy Accents for dimension. The design paper is from Basic Grey, and I matted with orange Bazzill cardstock. The twine is from Stampin' Up, and the button is from my stash. I dyed the white seam binding with Glimmer Mist.

This card was created with a Bildmalarna stamp. Bildmalarna stamps can be purchased from StampingScrapping.com . I colored the image with Copic markers. The design paper is from Basic Grey, and the paper I used to mat is from Creative Imagination. I created the fence with a Martha Stewart punch and added 'Jolee's for You' flowers.

This card was created with a Pure Innocence stamp from My Favorite Things. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up. The design paper by Chatterbox is an old one from my stash. I colored the image with Copic markers. I used Nestabilities to cute the image and the mat. The sentiment is on tickets I cut using a die from Papertrey Ink. The flowers are Primas. The ribbon is white seam binding I dyed with Glimmer Mist.

I hope you have a great week. Thanks for stopping by. I love when you leave comments; it lets me know you were here! LC

Your Next Stamp Design Team

I am so excited to be a part of the new Your Next Stamp Design Team! I look forward to working with all of these talented ladies creating with YNS's fun and whimsical images.

Here are the new Design Team members.

Beth Ranney-Thomas    http://inkyfingersrule.blogspot.com/

Chris Olsen  http://twinklesglow-glowbug.blogspot.com/

Crystal Irwin  http://www.crystalkbk.blogspot.com/

Heather Rolin  http://www.hlr976.blogspot.com/

Jenny Cierley  http://suchins.blogspot.com/

Linda Cummings  (that's me)

Sylvia Blum  http://sylviastamps.blogspot.com/

Wendy Ramlakhan  http://sugarpea-designs.blogspot.com/

WOO HOO!

I have some exciting news! Check it out here!

Flea Market Chic

Today I want to introduce Whimsie Doodles Doodle-licious Diva, Andrea, whose style inspires me. I am not certain what her style is called, but I think of it as 'flea market chic'. She has the touch when it comes to knowing what to add and where to add it. Looking at her cards and projects is entertaining because there are many facets to each one.

This card, Pretty Peas?, is my attempt at 'flea market chic'. I used an image from Whimsie Doodles Sentiment-edibles and colored it with Copic markers. The circles were cut with Nestabilities, and the designer paper is K&Co. To the front of the card I added Dew Drops, a ticket, button, baker's twine, ribbon, a tag, punched shapes,and a brad. This card was fun to make, and I plan to create more 'flea market chic' cards.

Sadness in our Neighborhood

It is a sad day in our neighborhood. A house down the street from us burned completely. The firefighters worked diligently through the heat from the fire in our 100+ temperature and were able to save the two houses next door . I am thankful for these brave young men who give of their time and energy to serve our communities. Below are our local heroes.

.

I Lava You

Whimsie Doodles' August release, "Punny Enough", is a collection of 5 images and sentiments. You have seen my card with the popcorn (Keepin' It Reel), and now it's time for "I Lava You".

I printed the image on Papertrey Ink white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers. I cut the circles and sentiment tag with Spellbinders Nestabilities. The background designer paper is from a K&Co. stack. The paisley paper is from my blue stash, and the pink mats are the reverse side of the paisley paper.The ribbon is seam binding I dyed with Glimmer Mist. I applied Glossy Accents to just the 'lava' part of the lamp and left the bubbles that occurred. I added teal buttons and brads.

Be sure and check back tomorrow for the Whimsie Wednesday Challenge.

Up for a Challenge?

I was browsing through blogs the other day when I came upon TreeHouse Stamps blog. I noticed there was a contest for August, and TreeHouse was providing a digital image for downloading which was to be used in the contest. I like a challenge so I downloaded the cute little mouse and went to work. The August 2010 card contest can be found here.

I printed him on Papertrey Ink white cardstock and colored him with cool grey Copics markers. I used the same markers for the clouds and Copic R 20, 22, 24 for the flower. The browns and greens were a mixture since I have several of each that need refilling. I added Glossy Accents to several items in the image and a Dew Drop for his nose. The ribbon is seam binding I colored with Glimmer Mist. I added a button, floss, a couple Dew Drops, and a small Stampin' Up tag/stamp. The cardstock I used was 2 shades of Bazzill grey. The designer paper from Autumn Leaves was from my 'pink stash'. I photographed him and sent him to the designated person.

He is a cute character so I thought I would print another one and make a card to send to a teacher friend who just started back to school. I decided to play around a bit with the image. I removed the big flower and added a few small flowers, a shirt and an apple (for the teacher). I colored the image with warm grey Copic markers. The designer paper was from a DCWV school stack. I used red and black mats. The tag was a Quickutz die that I printed on before cutting. I added Glossy Accents to the image and tag. The ribbon and button are from my stash. I used Martha Stewart baking twine on the tag.

I've never been known to 'leave well-enough alone'. I printed the image once more, but before printing I removed everything except the mouse. I added the word 'school' to the image to make a sign. I thought if a mouse went to school, he would attend in a wall and take cheese to his teacher instead of an apple. And he would definitely need clothes, although I don't think his too-short shirt would meet the dress code. ha
I colored him with warm Copic greys. The designer papers were Core-dination (embossed) and DCVW. I added tickets, a frog sticker, 7 Gypsies strip sticker, a flash card I printed, and a rub-on from American Crafts. The circles were cut with Nestabilities. I added Glossy Accents for dimension.

I have another idea for this mouse. What do you think he will be doing next?

Visit the TreeHouse Stamps blog to download the image. Are you up for the challenge?

Brothers Layout

While I was creating layouts for my Guest Spot on Ideas for Scrapbookers I put together this layout of three special boys. They are the grandsons of my BFF, Linda. Aren't they adorable?! These photos were taken on the wedding day in June. They had matching ties!

I used three Reminisce designer papers (Genuine Boy), Bazzill cardstock, Quickutz dies, and a chipboard letter. I covered the letter with one of the papers, sanded the edges, and applied Glossy Accents. I didn't plan this, but in the lower left corner of the designer paper is KY, and the boys live in KY. Now that's cool!

For a chance to win a Whiff of Joy stamp, check here. You can enter once a day.

Tooting My Horn

THIS IS MY SECOND POST TODAY.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE WHIMSIE DOODLES POST.



I am the 'Guest Designer' on Ideas for Scrapbookers today. Check it out here.

Whimsie Doodles August Release

It's NEW RELEASE DAY at Whimsie Doodles! Woo Hoo! There is a new set of adorable images called 'Punny Enough'.
Check it out... here  There are also new Whimsiecut files!

Be sure to stop by all of the other Doodlelicious Divas' blogs today to see the awesome creations they have made using the newest Whimsie Doodles images.
Andrea
Alicia
Joy
Shannan
Sheri
Nikki


Also......Please join me in welcoming a familiar face back to our team as our Guest Designer for the month of August, Kelli Caslow! Glad to have you with us this month, Kelli!


Here is a card I created with one of the new August images...'Keepin' it REEL'  I just love the box of popcorn with the movie reel and film!

I created this card by first printing the image on PaperTrey Ink white cardstock and coloring it with Copic markers. Then I cut the image out and applied Liquid Applique to the popcorn areas. While the Liquid Applique was drying (overnight for best results) I created the background of my card. I used K&Co. stack designer paper called 'Cut and Paste'. I cut the paper apart so I could use various elements. The small filmstrip at the top of the card is by Tim Holtz. I used red Stickles on the large 'popcorn' words and attached the star brads. The following morning I applied heat to the Liquid Applique by using a heat gun. The heat caused the Liquid Applique to puff. When the popcorn had cooled I added the yellow coloring with Copic markers. I adhered the Whimsie Doodles image to the front of the card. I added a bit of grey Copic marker around the bottom of the popcorn box and movie reel to create dimension. The sentiment is computer generated. As you can see, this card was a bit of work but I love the results!

1st Birthday Bash and Blog Hop

Your Next Stamp is celebrating its first birthday, and there is a sale and a  Blog Hop.  Check out the new August releases and hop on over to the blog. There are prizes to be won. I'm headed that way right now! Gotta see what the new stamps look like!

School Colors*

*Be true to your school...rah, rah, rah!

Check out the Whimsie Wednesday Challenge on Paper Craft Planet. Shannan's challenge is to use your school colors on your project. My school colors were black and gold, and here is my challenge card.

I used the Whimsie Doodles 'Bee Well' image. I colored it with Copic markers and added Glossy Accents for dimension.

Tomorrow the new Whimsie Doodles images will be released for August. WooHoo! Check back tomorrow!

Sneaky Peaks

Today is Aug. 4 which means tomorrow is the release day for the August Whimsie Doodles images.
Here are my Sneaky Snippets. What do you see?
Check out the Whimsie Doodles blog for the Sneaky Snippets from other Doodle-licious Divas.

More Close-Ups

Here are close-ups of birthday cards I created using the Whimsie Doodles Shell-a-bration set.

These are fun images to color and decorate. After I colored the fish with Copic markers I covered it with orange Stickles to represent a goldfish. I covered the balloons with Glossy Accents after I colored them so they would have a shine. I used a white Sharpie pen to add the white accents. After I colored the crab with Copic markers I added googly eyes for dimension. I created the sand with embossing powder. I added blue plastic beads to both cards for a bubble effect.

Is it hot where you live? It is terribly hot in Tennessee. Makes me wish I was at the beach in Georgia!

Tooth Fairy Visit

First, I want to apologize for the disorder of my blog yesterday. I spend several hours playing with the layout, and I still have not decided on the final arrangement. Anyway, today, it is what it is.....who knows what you'll find here tomorrow!

Second, I want to introduce you to Kennedy, my friend's daughter. Kennedy lost her first tooth last week, the day before her fifth birthday. Isn't she adorable?

To celebrate this event I created a card for Kennedy. I used the Whimsie Doodles image Girl Tooth Fairy. I colored the image with Copic markers then covered most of it with Stickles. I used Glossy Accents on the tooth to give it dimension. The designer paper is from an old DCVW stack, the ribbon is Stampin' Up!, and the flower is stacked Primas and Petaloos. The image and mat were cut with Nestabilities, and the corner beads are from Kaiser. With Stickles, beads, and a flower I hope it is fancy enough for a special girl!