Dolce Stamps & Cards Challenge!

It's time for another Dolce Stamps and Cards design team challenge!  This week Judy challenged the team to make a square card with at least one die cut shape in our design.  I used the MFT large scallop border Die-namic for my die cut. 

I love this beautiful fall wheelbarrow image by Art Impressions.  I enjoyed taking my time to color and shade it the way I wanted with my Copic markers.  I added Glossy Accents for the shine on the apples.

(click on photo for larger view)

After I adhered my ribbon, I used my Cropadile to add these Pumpkin Pie eyelets.  Here's a closer view of the coloring.

Here's a complete list of the supplies I used:

Stamps:  Giant Harvest Wheelbarrow by Art Impressions

Ink:    Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:    Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Bazzill Brown, DCWV Amber Autumn designer paper
Embellishments:   eyelets, ribbon
Tools:   Copic markers, Glossy Accents, white gel pen, large scallop border die, Cropadile

I hope you'll join us in Judy's challenge.  The winner of the challenge will receive a $10.00 gift certificate to the Dolce Stamps and Cards online store which is full of all kinds of awesome stamping goodies. Be sure to read all the challenge rules on the left sidebar on the Dolce Stamps and Cards blog so that you're eligible to win the prize!

Just a Peek!

This is a little peek at what I have posted on the Rubbernecker blog for my Wednesday's Worktable today.  I'd appreciate it if you stopped on over to see the full design!  You'll need to scroll past the top post of our recent blog winner to get to my posting.  Thanks!

If you'd like to see the Hope You Can Cling To challenge cards I've been working on, it'd be easier to visit my gallery at Splitcoaststampers.

Have You Seen???

Hello, friends!  Just a quick note to see if you've been over to the Rubbernecker blog lately.  Omigosh!  You really have to check out the posts this week.  My friends Charlene (cookiebaker) and Kittie (Kittie747) have some magnificent creations for you to gaze upon!!!  Check them out here (scroll past the top post of the Halloween blog candy winner) and leave them some love, okay?

I'm still busy working on Hope You Can Cling To challenges, and will have more to share with you soon!

Here are a couple more Hope You Can Cling To challenge cards I made.  As I've indicated in previous posts, Splitcoaststampers has partnered with the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas with a month-long card drive in October for Breast Cancer Awareness.  There's a different challenge posted each day, and all of our cards will be sent to the Cancer Center for the patients and family members.

Anna Wight (sweetmissdaisy) challenged us to make a card with a bee(s) and/or use yellow.  I used this sweet Bee Bear Penny Black image colored with a mixture of Ranger Distress Inks and Copic markers.  I paper-pieced the bear's outfit.  The lace ribbon is ruffled.  The sentiment is from Rubbernecker.

The next HYCCT challenge was given to us by Patty (pattyb) to make a pink collage.  I paired this challenge with the Featured Stamper challenge to honor DeborahLynneS.  I met Deb a few years ago when she lived in our Upper Peninsula.  She is a sweetie and makes the most beautiful cards!

I chose to case Deb's gorgeous  Stamp Simply Prima Hop card.  We are required to change two or more elements in our design to make it our own.  I used different stamps, colors, made my own flowers, used grungeboard instead of chipboard, and distressed the edges of my paper for a shabby chic effect.

I used two designer papers (the very back panel and the panel with white writing) and then made my own designer paper for the panel in between these two that was stamped with Rubbernecker's collage image in Adirondack Shell Pink.  A portion of this same collage image was used for the postage stamp piece.  The "Believe" sentiment is from Rubbernecker's Fall Trilogy set.  Deb used chipboard in her design.  I took a flourished piece of Tim Holtz Grungeboard and tried to color it pink.  It didn't come out the way I really wanted it to look, so I sprayed a Krylon Adhesive over the entire piece and then covered it with pretty pink glitter.

The little flowers were made with Marianne Creatables dies.  I used the same Rubbernecker collage image for one flower, striped dp for another, and then I colored white cardstock with Ranger's Spun Sugar Distress Ink.  I glued these flowers around my white organdy ribbon with Aleene's Tacky Glue.  Here are a couple close-up photos of the flowers.

I hope you're having a great Sunday, and I appreciate your stopping by to visit me!

More HYCCT Cards

Here are a few more cards I made for the Hope You Can Cling To challenges on Splitcoaststampers.  This is their second annual month long card drive to benefit those affected by breast cancer.  Our cards are being sent to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.

My first card was for the challenge to make a card using things that begin with the letters P.I.N.K.  I used:

P = Polkadot & Paisley stamp set
I = Iridescent Ice embossing powder
N = Notched corner punch
K = Knot as in french knots sewn at base of flower

I stamped the flowers in Melon Mambo first and then used my Versmark pen to heat emboss them with Iridescent Ice embossing powder.

Here's a close up so you can see the iridescent ice embossing and french knots a little better.  You can always click on the photos for a closer view, too.

My next card was for the challenge to Treat Yourself by making a card with candies or cookies or fruits, etc.  I chose to use this beautiful pear image from Gina K Designs stamp set called Fruitful Harvest.  I colored the pears with Copic markers and sponged around the image with Ranger's Spun Sugar Distress Ink. 

My third card is also for the HYCCT to dry emboss something.  I dry embossed my vellum window pane with a stained glass embossing folder.  I made my door using long classic rectangle and classic square Nestabilities.  I used brass hodgepodge hardware for the door handle and mail slot.

It's Definitely Fall and Purple Passion

Yes, it's definitely Fall here in Michigan.  Shirley challenged the CCEE Stampers to make a card/project with a Fall theme. 

I love the leaves that come in Rubbernecker's Leaf Group set.  They are especially fun to work with when using the polished stone technique.  For those of you who may not be familiar with this technique, you simply apply colors of ink onto a piece of glossy cardstock and blend them with alcohol.  You can either put your ink and alcohol together on a cotton ball and dab them that way or you can use what I prefer to use and that is the Tim Holtz Blending Tool.  You apply the ink to the piece of felt and dab it onto your glossy cardstock.  Again, you can also put your alcohol blending solution on with your ink at the same time or you can add it by dropping the alcohol blending solution directly onto the glossy cardstock after you've applied the ink.  You get a slightly different effect with each way.

I used Stazon Black; Encore Copper; Adirondack Alcohol Inks in Lettuce, Butterscotch, Hazelnut, Cranberry, and Copper Mixative for my leaves today.  Here's a closer view of the leaf.

Isn't that pretty?  I just love the effect. 

This card is also for another Hope You Can Cling To challenge to use the Colors of Hope:  green, brown, and yellow.

Here is a list of all the supplies I used:

Stamps:  Thank You So Much sentiment; Leaf Group; Grid bg

Paper:  River Rock, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Glossy
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin’ Up Chocolate Chip; Stazon Black; Encore Copper; Adirondack Alcohol Inks in Lettuce, Butterscotch, Hazelnut, Cranberry, and Copper Mixative
Accessories:  brown brads, paper crimper; houndstooth embossing folder, corner punch, dimensionals

Please stop by our CCEE Stampers' blog to see what Tosha, Frances, Cindy, Joanne, and Shirley have created for this Fall challenge.  Perhaps you'd like to play along!

Here's another card I made for the Hope You Can Cling To challenges.  Holly challenged us to use a shade of purple and I love purple!

The chicks (Chickie Hop by Stampendous) were colored with a Copic marker and then covered with yellow flocking. Their headbands were watercolored with Elegant Eggplant.

Hope You Can Cling To

It's a rainy day here, so I've sequestered myself in my stamp room (like that's a really hard thing to do, huh?) and have been working on the Hope You Can Cling To challenges in support of Breast Cancer Awareness this month.

My first card is for the challenge to use pink ribbon in your design.  I ruffled my pink ribbon behind my pinking circle.

Stamps:  Pocket Full of Posies
Paper:  Whisper White, pink dp
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Adirondack Shell Pink and Pesto
Accessories:  pink ribbon, pinking circle Nestability, Fleur De Lis Rectangle, Wonder Tape, watercolor brush


My second card is for the Butterflies of Hope challenge to use a butterfly(ies) in our design.  The butterfly was stamped twice. The second one was cut out and glued over the bottom one with it's wings lifted. I used pink glitter on the butterfly's body and a portion of the wings. I used a smaller butterfly from Rubbernecker's Bud Set to create the background.  Each panel was sprayed with shimmer mist; I wish you could see it in my photo.

Stamps: Butterflies; Bud Set by Rubbernecker
Paper: Very Vanilla, pink dp
Ink: Spun Sugar Ranger Distress Ink
Accessories: pink ribbon, corner rounder , Fleur De Lis Rectangle, shimmer spray, pink glitter, dimensionals

Rubbernecker Fall Blog Hop!!

Welcome to our Fall/Halloween hop!  Thanks so much for joining us.  Rubbernecker Stamps has such a wide variety of images that we thought we would share some Fall and Halloween ones with you.

There is a hop route for you to follow below.   And, so you don't get lost, each Sister will have this list for you to help you on your journey!  Make sure to leave some love at every stop in order to be eligible for the prize! 

You could win......

Your choice of one of these AWESOME stamps sets!
(if the images are too small for you to see, click here and here to take you to the Rubbernecker pages where they are located)

Here's my side-step card I created using the Halloween Two set.  Click HERE for a great tutorial on Splitcoaststampers on how to make this kind of card.

I stamped each image, colored  them with Copic markers, and cut them out in order to place them where I wanted them in my scene. 

Here's a photo I took above the card so you can see inside it a little better.  I drew and hand cut the grass blades on my green designer paper in front of the fence and the two layers with the witch.

Ok, the rest of my Sisters from the  Stampin' Sisterhood have a lot of creations to share with you, so grab a cuppa your favorite beverage, sit back, relax and get hoppin'!  Be on the look out, too, for our hop next month!  We look forward to seeing you then for more sharing and prizes!!!  Thanks, again, for joining us today and enjoy!

** HERE'S YOUR HOP ROUTE**

• Bev Gerard
• Charlene Driggs
• Charlene Merrick  (you are here)
• Frances Gumprecht
• Holly McMillen
• Jacquie Peifer
• Jen Charboneau
• Jennifer Cuthbertson
• Joan Ervin
• Judy Rozema
• Julia Aston

       - Karen Hunsaker

• Kecia Waters
• Kittie Caracciolo
• Maria Gurnsey
• Rubbernecker Stamps

Special People

I made a couple birthday cards for two very dear friends celebrating their birthdays soon.  I went from bold, bright colors in my first card to a more subdued, soft card for the second one.

This first one is for the Free for All challenge on Splitcoaststampers to make a card characteristic of someone whom you intend to give the card.  This friend loves flowers and polkadots so I incorporated those for her.

Stamps:  Live, Laugh, Love and Tart & Tangy by Stampin' Up
Paper:  Whisper White, Black, Ridinghood Red, Rockabilly dp
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  MFT large scallop die, circle and scalloped circle Nestabilities, Creatables flower die, red brads, markers


My second card is for the Queen for the Day challenge on Splitcoaststampers.  Today we honor a friend and one of my Rubbernecker Stampinhood Sisters, Joan Ervin.  I cased Joan's gorgeous card seen here incorporating changes to make the card my own.

Stamps: Victorian Lace(SKU 10 GM) and Happy Birthday Square (SKU #565-19) by Rubbernecker
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Adirondack Shell Pink, Stampin' Up Regal Rose
Accessories: Spellbinder Rose Creations die, Fleur de Lis Rectangle Nestability, black brad, foam mounting tape, corner rounder, sponge dauber, Aleene's Tacky Glue

Please be sure to check back on Sunday for our Rubbernecker Fall blog hop with an opportunity to win some blog candy!

Halloween and Friend-ship

It's time, again, for another Dolce Stamps and Cards challenge!  This time, Cindy challenged the team to incorporate sewing or faux stitching into their Halloween designs.  Since I don't own a sewing machine, I had to go the faux stitching route, which I did in orange around the main image panel and in black at the top of the green spider web designer paper in the background.

Who doesn’t love the fun of Halloween?  Fluffles sure loves it, even if this little mousie did scare him pretty badly from behind with his mouse “boo!”  This image was quick and fun to color and so easy to pair up with some fun Halloween designer paper and coordinating “eyes” ribbon.  Cindy also challenged us to use sewing or faux stitching in our design.  

Be sure to swing on over to the Dolce Stamps and Cards blog  for all the details on how to play along in this challenge and be eligible to win a prize!!

Next up is my weekly CCEE challenge card.

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.....

In honor of Columbus discovering America, Shirley challenged the CCEE Stampers to make a card with a ship, ocean, Indians or anything that relates to this day.   I also made this card for one of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges over at Splitcoaststampers  for the entire month of October as a card drive to benefit those affected by breast cancer. Yesterday's challenge was to have at least one heart in your design.

I pulled out a much-loved, but long-neglected Stampin' Up set called Boatloads of Love for my Friend-ship card today.  I watercolored everything except the sky, which I sponged.  The base card and ribbon are navy blue, although they appear to be black in my photo.

Here's a close-up of the multi-layering I did on the heart and the puffs of steam from the boat.

If you'd like to join our CCEE Stampers challenge and see the creations my friends made, please check it out here.

Here's a peek at what I've featured on the Rubbernecker blog today for my Wednesday's Worktable post!

Swimming for Katie Blog Hop

From October 10-12 some of the best stampers are joining together to support and encourage our friend and fellow stamper, Katie Renz, who is currently battling inoperable gastric cancer. If you're not familiar with her, Katie’s cancer story started just before Christmas last year. This young, beautiful, healthy, vibrant mother of 3 with her infectious smile was suddenly diagnosed with an inoperable cancer, virtually overnight. A few tummy aches and then stage 4 gastric cancer. Her first post about it is here. The idea of “Swimming for Katie” came from her recent post here.

This exclusive stamp used in my sample, designed by Becky Oehlers is available as a clear stamp, as well as a digis or a dig and SVG cut file. 100% of the profits go to Katie's fund to help her and her young family. Her husband Kevin and her three young children need our help and support. In addition to the Keep Swimming Octopus, Marianne Walker and True =D Doodle Designs both also donated digis that are for sale. Direct donations are also being accepted. Information central is HERE. This is a permanent page that will stay active at i {heart} papers with current information and the full 3 day blog hop listing, as well as the donation button.

For my card, I stamped and colored this cute octopus image with Copic markers.  Using a circle Nestability, I employed the "out-of-the-box" technique by having a portion of the Keep Swimming flag outside of the circle.  I matted this circle image with a Brocade Blue Fleur de Lis Motif Nestability.  I used the small Fleur de Lis square Nestability and cut it in half for my corners.  The background designer paper is by American Crafts and reminded me of water with its wavy lines.  I finished off the card with these pretty blue pearls.

I hope you will join me in supporting Katie through a purchase or donation. The following is a list of everyone who has projects posted today. I hope you will be inspired by them and moved to purchase or donate. If you would like to send Katie a card, her mailing address is:

Katie Renz
PO Box 5913
Bellingham, WA 98227-5913

Here are all the items for sale.

And here is a list of everyone participating in today's blog hop:

Ashley Harris

Clare Buswell

Jessica Diedrich

Lisa Somerville

Charlene Merrick

Eva Dobilas

Judy Rozema

Sharon Doolittle

Tifany DeGough

Windy Robinson

Ashley Cannon Newell

Connie McCotter

Heidi Van Laar

Karen Maldonado

Lori Craig

Melissa Phillips

Tosha Leyendekker

Amy Kolling

Angela Thomas

Angelica Suarez

Angie Blom

Becky Oehlers

Betty Wright

Bev Gerard

Brenda Weaver

Carolyn King

Chari Moss

Charlene Driggs

Cindi Bisson

Claire Brennan

Corinna McGregor

Craft Critique

Karen Hunsaker

Keely Yowler

Kelly Schirmer

Keri Lee Sereika

Kim Hughes

Kimber McGray

Kittie Caracciolo

Kristin Eberline

Wendy Price

Favorite Color Combo

Shirley is the hostess with the mostest for our October CCEE challenges.  For this first one in October, she challenged us to make a project using our favorite color combo.  It was hard for me to settle on just one, but I did finally, choosing pink, green, white and black .

I used my Rose Creations Nestabilities to create my flower out of Pink Pirouette, sponging the edges of the flower with Regal Rose.  The sentiment is by Verve from their Celebrating You set given to me by my friend JoJo, along with the coordinating dies (thanks, JoJo!).  The ribbon is May Arts.
Here's a close up of the flower.  Obviously, this kind of card is best hand delivered to the recipient.  The flower would also make a lovely decoration on a gift.

Check out our CCEE blog to see what Joanne, Shirley, Tosha, Cindy and Frances have to show you in terms of their favorite color combos.  Perhaps you'd like to play along with us, too!

Fall Trilogy

Happy Wednesday, my friends!  Wednesdays are a fun part of my week because I hostess the Wednesday's Worktable challenge on the Rubbernecker blog.  I have a fun project showing how I used one image to create a couple different designer papers using different techniques, as well as using the same image as the focal point for my card.  Here's the completed card, but I'd love it if you popped over to the Rubbernecker blog to see the close-up photos and narrative description of how I made my card!  Let me know what you think!

I Still Relish It!

What do I relish? I relish many things in this gift of life of mine, but the one I'm referring to in my blog title is R-E-T-I-R-E-M-E-N-T!!! For those of you who don't know, I was "encouraged" to take an early retirement last December due to changes being made in my pension benefits package. Some referred to it as an "incentive package," but, really, it was the state bureaucractic way of forcing those of us who worked for the state for many years and were on an older (and much better) retirement benefit plan to retire early.

Mind you, I'm not sour grapes about this happening It's the reality of the economic situation in most places these days. Rather, I count myself fortunate to have had a good state career in the 35 years I worked. Now, I count myself even more fortunate that I no longer suffer from the Sunday evening blues in the drudgery of having to return on Monday morning to what had become an unhappy place for me to be. Now, I wake up each morning with a smile on my face, knowing that the day is 24 hours of how I want to spend those 24 hours. Yes, life is good, and these nine months later I still do not regret the decision to accept that retirement "incentive." My time is mine!

And, of course, one way I like to spend my time is creating my own greeting cards.  I made this card for Dolce Stamps & Cards using this beautiful peacock image by Impression Obsession.

(click on photo for larger view)

This beautiful peacock cling mount image is all one piece of deeply etched rubber and is available at the Dolce Stamps & Cards store.   

I colored the entire image with Copic markers.  After I colored the spots on its tail feathers with Royal Blue and Salad Green markers, I added Ranger Firefly stickles over the Salad Green portion.  Oh, how those pretty, iridescent spots sparkle in real life!!  Can you see the teensy-weensy royal blue gemstones on the peacock’s head crest?  I colored the crackled background with Pale Aqua and Aqua Blue markers and sponged Ranger’s Tumbled Glass Distress Ink on the outer edge of the cardstock.  The framed edges around the image were made with Tim Holtz’s Alterations On the Edge Die.  After I dry embossed the Crumb Cake panel with the polkadots, I ran my Rich Razzleberry ink pad over it to color only the raised portion of the dots.

Here's a list of supplies I used to create this card:

Stamps: Peacock by Impression Obsession

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black , Ranger Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, Stampin’ Up’s Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry, Black
Embellishments: Rich Razzleberry polkadotted ribbon, royal blue micro gemstones
Tools: Ranger Firefly and Xmas Red Stickles, Polkadotted embossing folder, Tim Holtz Alerations On the Edge Die, dimensional, Copic markers , blending tool.

Also, I want to remind you of the fall color challenge happening over at the Dolce Stamps & Cards blog.  I hope you'll check it out and play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by.  What?  You want to know how I'm going to spend the rest of my day?  Well, I do have a few design team commitments that I'll be working on throughout the afternoon.  Then, my beloved husband is taking me out to dinner for our  twelfth wedding anniversary.  We're going to the restaurant where he proposed to me!

Yes, life is good, and I count my blessings every day!