Our Red-Lovin' Diva, Anne!

I made this butterfly-themed tote bag as a case and in honor of my friend, Anne (aka jdmommy on Splitcoaststampers), who was chosen as this week's Queen for the Day!  Anne LOVES red and really cranks out some beautiful creations with her signature color.  I wanted to make a card using her beloved red, but ended up falling in love with her beautiful Mother's Day Tote she made and knew instantly that I wanted to case it to make one for my mother.  Since my mama loves butterflies, I chose to these softer colors of Marina Mist and Very Vanilla with Soft Suede as the contrasting accent color.

The large butterfly image is from Rubbernecker's Butterflie are Free set.  I stamped the butterfly in Marina Mist.  The two smaller butterflies are from a ProvoCraft die.  I added champagne-colored pearls to all of their bodies.

I didn't have any tissue in a color that I wanted for this tote, so I crimped and cut one-eighth strips of Very Vanilla cardstock from my scraps.

You can find the tutorial for this tote on Splitcoaststampers here.  I like that Beate always does a video tutorial, in addition to the written tutorial, since I am more of a visual learner.

CONGRATULATIONS, Anne, and thank you for the magnificent inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll be able to stop by the next three days to see some Rubbernecker new releases the design team will be previewing on Sunday and Monday with a bang-up blog hop on Tuesday, May 3.

Butterfly, Butterfly

Butterfly, butterfly
whose got the butterfly?

Can you find the butterfly in the card below?

(maybe if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you might see the butterfly--heh-heh)

Cindy Haffner has challenged the CCEE Stampers, and she challenges you to join us, in making a card/project with a butterfly(ies) on it.  Have you found mine yet?  No?  Well, if you pull out your magnifying glass, you just may see that small orange winged creature on the spout of the teapot. 

This cute digi image was designed by Leigh Grady to be used with this week's Teapot Tuesday challenge.  I wasn't able to play on Tuesday and just had the chance to do some stamping late last night, but da Mudder doesn't mind if we come to the tea party late.  I colored the image with Copic markers.

The sketch design is this week's Mojo sketch.  The gingham ruffled ribbon is from May Arts.  And before you go thinking I sewed on my octagon Nestability, I don't even own a sewing machine; therefore, this is faux stitching done with a paper piercer and fine tip black marker.

Why not visit our CCEE Stampers blog and see the beautiful designs my friends, Shirley, Frances, Cindy, Tosha, and Joanne made.  Maybe you'll even think about playing along with us!

Petals in the Die

Sorry I haven't been around much.  It seems like I'm always multi-tasking and the time goes by much faster than I'd like it to some days.  I hope everyone had a pleasant Easter celebration.  We enjoyed time with family.  My sweet, adorable, precious great-niece Zoe (pictured with me in my avatar) is now three.  She has more energy than any other child I know of!   She is at such a fun age, and I enjoyed watching her look for eggs on her Easter egg hunt.  She was so funny.  Every time she'd find an egg, she'd squeal with delight and then throw it in her basket.  You could hear the eggshells cracking!!  OMG!  We were all laughing so hard!

Now, onto the stamping business at hand.....My friend, Joan (or Joanie as I like to call her), on Splitcoaststampers, is the hostess this week for the Technique challenge.  She gave us the challenge to "stamp in the die."  Here's how Joanie described the technique:

"All you have to do is stamp your image using a background stamp or any other large image that will cover the whole die so the unstamped edge under the die creates the frame. ....easy peasy!!!



1. Cut out your layer with a die...Nestabilities were used for my sample.
2. Leave the cardstock in the die and stamp the image covering the whole die. Press fairly hard so all the paper is covered with ink.
3. Remove the paper from the die...be careful because the ink on the die will be wet. If you try to clean the ink off the die before removing the paper, it may smudge the paper (I know this from experience...LOL!!)
4. Tadaa...instant frame around the die cut!!"

I pulled out some long-neglected, but still loved, Stampin' Up stamps for my design today.  I used Petal Prints and French Script background.

I used the fancy tags die cut in kraft cs first and stamped both the French Script and Petal Prints flower while still in that die. I then cut another fancy tag out of night of navy and trimmed off the ends and a little of both sides of the kraft cardstock so I could have the navy matting.

After I stamped the Petal Prints flower, I heat set it with clear embossing powder for a richer color than how it stamped on the cardstock.

Well, it's back to the multi-tasking since the dryer is buzzing and the clothes are begging to be folded.  Oh the drudgery of laundry!  LOL!

Have a fabulous day and thanks for stopping by!

Pleating

Welcome to another post for our weekly CCEE Stampers challenge!  This week, Cindy Haffner challenged us to use pleated paper or ribbon.  

I pleated this pretty shimmery plum cardstock by scoring it at 1/4" intervals and then folding it.  I applied a 1/8" strip of Scor-Tape to the center of the pleated panel and then applied by black and white gingham ribbon to it.

Here's a close up view of my tulips.  This is actually an individual stamp of one tulip by Rubbernecker.  I masked and stamped it five times for my bouquet.  I watercolored the tulips with Perfect Plum reinker.  I accented the darker center with Purple Smooch Accent Ink.  I also applied touches of purple and green metallic art penciling.  Leaving my cardstock in the oval Nestability die, I sponged Barely Banana around the tulips.  I topped it off by adding a few spritzes of shimmer spray and then added these lovely lavender pearls.

I applied the oval image to another piece of this beautiful shimmery plum cardstock using my Topnote die.  I popped this up on thick dimensionals.

Please be sure to stop by our CCEE Stampers blog and see the exquisite creations of my team mates Frances, Tosha, Shirley, Cindy, and Joanne.

Have a fabulous day!

Stamps: Easter Tulips (#31-10)

Cardstock: Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Shimmery Plum
Ink: Memento Black, Barely Banana, Perfect Plum, Old Olive
Accessories: watercolor brush, oval Nestabilities, Topnote die, embossing folder, black gingham ribbon, lavender pearls, dimensional, Bow Easy, Scor-Tape, Purple Smooch Accent Ink, metallic art pencils

Cool Beans

I made this card in honor of Coffeestamper, aka Sue, on Splitcoaststampers as she was chosen the featured stamper this week.  I cased her cute Bugaboo Perk Up card.  I made the required two or three changes and used the sketch design from this week's Stamp TV sketch challenge.

Stamps: Cuppa Joe (Gina K)

Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, dp
Ink: Memento Black
Accessories: Copic markers, Bravo Burgundy marker, large polkadot embossing folder, oval Nestabilities, circle punches, zig zag border punch, dimensionals
Techniques: paper piecing

Make Mine Pink and Black

I love pink and black together and was thrilled that Cindy Haffner, our CCEE Stampers challenge hostess for April, chose this combination for our color challenge this week!

(click on the photo for a larger view)

I colored the sundae image (by DeNami Design) with Copic markers.  I then dotted the glass with black fine tip marker and covered with Crystal Effects.  For the ice cream, I added a little Icicle Stickles.  The cherry on top is a small Basic Gray Eva button.

I created my own designer paper using my MFT Die-namics flower.  I cut the flowers out of Pretty in Pink and the leaves out of Certainly Celery.  I added 1/4" circle black dots to the center and then added small white circles from my double circle punch to the very center.  I glued these to black cardstock and added white dotting with a Signo Gel Pen.  I then ran this piece through my Big Shot using the Square Lattice embossing folder.  This technique is referred to as Embedded Embossing.  The Square Lattice embossing folder works exceptionally well for this technique as it presses the flowers into the black cardstock.

Other supplies I used are oval Nestabilities, 1/8" thick dimensionals for my oval panel, pink and white striped ribbon, and pink flirty ribbon.

Why not play along with us by pulling out your pink and black and showing us what you've got?  Check out the details for playing, as well as seeing Joanne's, Tosha's, Cindy's, Shirley's, and Frances's designs, on our CCEE Stampers blog!

Thanks for swinging by!  I love your visits and appreciate your comments!

Hoppy Hoppy Easter!

(click on photo for larger view)

We're seeing the first signs of Spring in Michigan....finally!   The sun is shining, the grass is getting greener, and the robins are appearing!  Therefore, I was in the mood for bright, happy, Spring colors for my design today.  I used the sketch design from today's challenge on Splitcoaststampers and this cute bunny caught in the carrot garden by Rubbernecker.

Have a hoppy day!

Stamps: Everything Coming Up Carrots (SKU #84-11) and Hoppy Hoppy Easter petite text (SKU #14-0910) by Rubbernecker

Paper: Pink Passion, Whisper White, Green Galore dp
Ink: Memento Black, Pink Passion, Green Galore, Bashful Blue
Accessories: Copic markers, 1" and 1 1/4" circle punch, MFT scallop border Die-namic, floral border punch, large polkadots embossing folder, cloud template, green galore brads, Prima flowers, 1/4" circle punch

RUBBERNECKER BLOG HOP - More New Releases & Prizes!!

Welcome to another RUBBERNECKER STAMPS release day HOP!! An OLD PEOPLE hop!! Thank you SO much for HOPPING with us today!! We really enjoy sharing our creations with you!! Besides ALL the GREAT creations, there are PRIZES to be had, as well!! Take a look at what we have for you!!



1. If you leave some LOVE at EVERY stop, you could WIN………….


A $25 RUBBERNECKER GIFT CERTIFICATE


2. If you sign up for the Rubbernecker Newsletter, on the RN BLOG, you could WIN….


ONE OF TEN $10 RUBBERNECKER GIFT CERTIFICATES


How is that for some PRIZES!! Wonderful, right? WOW, Mr. Rubbernecker sure does LOVE his customers!! We will announce the winners THURSDAY 4/14! So, you have until then, to HOP and SIGN-UP!! The official BLOG HOP ROUTE is listed below, in case you should get lost!! ALL of the NEW release stamps, you see today, are available NOW for purchase, at the RUBBERNECKER STORE!! Thanks for joining in our excitement and BEST OF LUCK!!

If you've been checking out all the design team members' blogs on the previous two Preview Days, then you've already seen Ralph Fishing.  Several of us on the team fell in love with Ralph because he is the persona of a man who loves to fish!!  I mean, he's got it all......the gear, the waders, and, yes, lots of fish stories!!!

(you can click on the photo for a larger version)

Ralph was colored with Copic markers.  I added some hair stubble on his face since he didn't have time to shave before he headed out to fish.  I colored his shirt green and then added the plaid pattern with a brown Copic marker (I saw that cool tip in the May issue of CardMaker called Faux Fabric Coloring by Colleen Schaan).  I even attempted to make his jeans look like jeans by adding dotting with a fine tip navy marker.  I used a cloud template to sponge the blue sky and clouds. 

My next card uses this fun image called Ethel and the Group.  I went with a black and white theme because I also made this for Mothermark's Teapot Tuesday challenge.  Here's a photo of the inspiration teapot:

  It is rockin' cool!



And here's my card:

I colored this image with Copic markers, as well.  Can you see the blue tinge in Ethel's gray hair?  hee-hee  Isn't Ethel cool playing her stand-up bass?  She can really pound out a tune.

See those white brads on my black punched stars?  They are faux brads.  Yep.  I got the idea from my friend Nancy Littrell who made her own faux brads from the punched out circles of the large prong on the Cropadile and then covered them with Crystal Effects, so I had to try it.  They came out really cool!  Smart Nancy!

Now, here's your official blog hop route:


Charlene Merrick (that's me)

Frances Gumprecht

Joan Ervin

Julia Aston

Karen Hunsaker

Kittie Caracciolo

Jacquie Peifer

Maria Gurnsey

Mutnik-Cathy Bomgardner

Have fun hopping and GOOD LUCK!

Day 2 Preview of Rubbernecker's New Release!

As I indicated yesterday, Rubbernecker Stamps will be releasing MORE new stamps on Tuesday 4/12/11.  We are having TWO days of PREVIEWS!!  Welcome to Day TWO!!   If you missed Day ONE, just scroll down to see my post from yesterday.  You will want to visit the Rubbernecker Blog for ALL of today’s participants!! That and you won’t want to miss out on the PRIZE for today!!  The Rubbernecker Blog has ALL the details for you!! 

Meet Edna.  Edna is definitely NOT a morning person.  As a matter of fact, this image is called Edna's Mornings (SKU #562-06).  I immediately thought of a color scheme from the 1950s, so I chose to use turquoise for the sink in her bathroom.

(You can click on the image for a larger view)

Everything was colored with Copic markers.  I used a Marvy fine tip pen to add black polkadots to her bathrobe and her white socks.  Edna LOVES polkadots!  Isn't she cute?

And,  I love the corresponding sentiment, which reads "Here's hoping you don't look as bad as I feel!" (SKU #563-04), that I stamped on the inside of my card.

The flowers are from an MFT Die-namics die using Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo cardstock.  The designer paper is some Bo Bunny paper I've had for a while.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the Rubbernecker's Design Team blog hop, your chance to win a prize, and to order the new images!  I'll be using yet another darling image from this new release.

DAY 1 Previews of Rubbernecker's New Releases

Rubbernecker Stamps will be releasing MORE new stamps on Tuesday 4/12/11.  To give you a PEEK of what’s to come, we are having TWO days of PREVIEWS!!  Welcome to DAY ONE!!  You will want to visit the Rubbernecker Blog for ALL of today’s participants!! That and you won’t want to miss out on the PRIZE for today!!  The Rubbernecker Blog has ALL the details for you!!  For my design today, I used Cowboy Ralph (SKU #562-03) and the corresponding sentiment (SKU #564-10).  Cowboy Ralph just cracks me up.  Talk about a man of leisure! 

(if you want to see a larger version of this card, click on the picture)

I used Copic markers to color this image, and I stamped the sentiment with Early Espresso ink.  Both the image and sentiment panels were cut using deckled Nestabilities.  Both are also sponged on the outer edges with Ranger Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy.  You can't see it in my photo, but I added Crystal Effects to the bath water on the floor.  My sweet, talented hubby (who's a cowboy himself at heart) tied the lasso (using hemp twine) for me.  I first looped it through the piece of brass hardware on the sentiment panel and then glued it to my cardstock with Aleene's Tacky Glue.  I attached brass brads to the four corners and then wound linen thread around each one to get the thread on the outer edge.  The cowboy designer paper is some I found at Hobby Lobby called Rustic Rodeo.

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy all of the creations, and GOOD LUCK!!

Heads UP!

I don't have any design to show you today because I've been busy making cards with some new Rubbernecker images that we'll begin previewing tomorrow, so I hope you'll stop back to see what all of the team has been making.  Plus, you'll have a chance to win more prizes from the ever generous Mr. Rubbernecker!

Doily Challenge

Cindy Haffner is April's CCEE Stampers challenge hostess and she has challenged us---and YOU---to add a Doily die, or some lace on your card, or both if you like!!  I don't own a doily die so I bought white paper doilies at my local Hobby Lobby and sponged this one with Buckaroo Blue, edging it with a Night of Navy marker.

The butterfly image is from Butterflies are Free by Rubbernecker.  I stamped it with embossing ink and then heat embossed it with silver embossing powder.  I watercolored the butterfly with Red Jasper Twinkling H20.  The center of the butterfly is blue Fine Cosmo glitter by Stampin' Up.  Here's a close up of the butterfly.

We hope you'll play along with us.  You can get all the details and see Cindy's, Joanne's, Shirley's, Tosha's, and Frances's fabulous creations on our CCEE Stampers blog.  Now....go get busy and let us see what you've got!

Honoring Another Queen for the Day

Clownmom (Lois) is Queen for the Day this week on Splitcoaststampers!!   Lois joined SCS about eight months after I did-----way back in 2005-----and she has always been there providing support and encouragement to other stampers in her posted comments.  She also happens to be a very talented stamper!

As I perused Lois' gallery to settle on a project of hers I wanted to case, I actually came across two designs.  One is a set of lovely gift cards called Gerbers in Purse and the other is a pretty stationery box called Southwest Stationery Box.  I actually had started making my stationery box several months ago, but never finished off decorating the inside nor did I ever create my cards and tags for it.  Lois' two beautiful projects really gave me the inspiration and motivation to complete mine.  I have several photos in order to show you the different views and items.  There's a great tutorial on how to make these stationery boxes under the Resources section on Splitcoaststampers.  Just click on my tutorial link to take you there!

The pretty pink and white designer paper I used is Letterbox by American Crafts.   The opposite side of this designer paper is the brown I used for my punched floral band around the box top.  I glued this band onto my box top except for the front.  In front I used Sticky Strip because I wanted to adhere some pretty white gold glitter to the inside flowers on this band.

Here's a top view to show you the layered flower I made with my Sizzix Flowers, Daisies #2 die using the same designer paper.  I separated each layer with dimensionals.

Here's an open view of the box.  I designed four 4 1/4" square cards, 3 1/4" square cards, four 3 1/2" envelopes I made for the 3 1/4" cards, and four tags.  I also included postage stamps and a pen.  The chipboard "W" and little flower on the postage stamp cover were originally purple, so I colored them brown with my Copic markers.

Here's a view of the cards with the box.  On the 4 1/4" square cards, I used my favorite tulip flower image, called a Year of Flowers, designed by Melanie Muenchinger and distributed by Gina K. Stamps.  I watercolored the tulips with Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, and Mellow Moss.  I first stamped the image and then cut out the flower and stem leaves for dimension.  The tulip bulb was stamped onto Cryogen Sparkle White cardstock which has a natural shimmer to it.   I used Vintage Vogue and Itty Bitty Backgrounds on the 3 1/4" square cards.  I used Pocket Silhouettes on the tags.

Here's a photo of just the cards, tags, and envelopes.  I made the 4 1/4" square cards with my Lacey Squares Nestabilities.  Since I couldn't get a clean cut of the double-layered Pretty in Pink cardstock with these Nestabilities in my Big Shot (not sure why since I've used my other Nestabilities for card shapes), I adhered them together with my Word Window punch and pink brads.  Since this technique makes it a little difficult to open the card, I scored across the top of the card about 3/4" down to make it easier to open without ruining the design.  The 3 1/4" cards were made with Square Nestabilities.  I added a little half circle tab with pink brad on the side using my 1" circle punch.




Here are photos of the individual projects.  Sorry for the fuzziness on the Friends one.  The focus feature on my camera has been acting up for some time now when I try to zoom in on projects.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and view my project!  I spent a LOT of hours putting this together.  I'm gifting it to my baby sister who I know will appreciate all the work I put into this.  She makes beautiful jewelry for me, so I wanted to give something back to her that I made.

Congratulations, Lois, on being chosen as Queen for the Day!  You so deserve this honor!