Flower Basket

Basket Full of Fun was one of those sets that intimidated me when I started stamping. I completely avoided anything that had to be colored in for the longest time. But then I moved, found a new stamp store, and discovered odorless mineral spirits that I could use with my colored pencils. Ah... what a day :-). So a few months ago, I flipped back through some older SU catalogs and re-discovered this set. It was time to round up an old classic...

Inspired by this card made by CraftCrazy98...



Vital Stats: Stamps (Basket Full of Fun, SU); Ink (Timber Brown StazOn); Paper (Close to Cocoa, So Saffron & Whisper White CS, SU; So Saffron Prints DSP, SU); Other ( Clips Assortment, SU; Light Blue and Grosgrain Cocoa Ribbon; Prismacolor Pencils & Gamsol)

A-Muse-A-Palooza: Splendiferous Spots

This week's A-Muse-A-Palooza challenge is themed Spots. My Martha Stewart butterfly punch had been feeling left out of all the action lately, so I put it to work on A Muse's ever-so-cheery polka dot cardstock for some splendiferous spotted butterfly fun :-)



Vital Stats: Stamps (Splendiferous Day, A Muse); Ink (Lavender Lace, SU); Paper (Kitchen Blueberry, Purple & Pink CS, A Muse; Whisper White CS, SU); Other (Passion Purple Sheer Ribbon, A Muse; Scallop Edge Punch, SU)

Birthday Bundt

I have no idea why it never occurred to me before... but I applied liquid applique as frosting on this image and then left it for a bit. When I came back, it looked just like chocolate glaze! Yummy! Always before, I'd used my heat gun to puff up liquid applique. Why had it never occurred to me just to leave it be? Just too easy and fabulous!



Vital Stats: Stamps (Birthday Bundt, Stampendous; Sweet Holiday Wishes, A Muse); Ink (Black StazOn & Chocolate Chip, SU); Paper (Old Olive, Chocolate Chip & Whisper White CS, SU; Courtyard Dots, Chatterbox); Other (Prismacolor Pencils & Gamsol; Sparkly White 1/4" Twill; Gold Atyou Spica Marker, Copic; Brown Liquid Applique, Marvy Uchida)

A-Muse-A-Palooza: Boris, In the Twilight of His Life

Three strikes, but I'm still in the game... This week's A*Muse*A*Palooza Challenge is themed "Twilight" and it has proved to be a more difficult challenge for me than the others.

1. Have I read the Twilight books? Can I make a card based on a scene in the book? No.
2. Do I own a vampire stamp? Can I make a generic vampire card? No.
3. Do I own any solid A Muse stamps that I could use to create a silhouette again a twilight sky? No.

But...

The Twilight books have a fantastically striking cover design. So I designed a card based on that. And because I just couldn't help myself, I gave Boris some grey hair... still brewing up trouble in his twilight years ;-)



Vital Stats: Stamps (Boris & What's Brewing, A Muse); Ink (Black StazOn); Paper (Basic Black, Real Red & Whisper White, SU); Other (Drippy Goo Punch, Martha Stewart; Prismacolor Pencils & Gamsol)

The Perfect Pear

My husband and I are celebrating our anniversary today. There's something special, I think, about holidays that you have to work for. So many holidays just come around every year and you celebrate regardless. But anniversaries you have to earn...

Anniversary cards are some of the hardest, I think, to make, too. And I totally blame this on the stamp companies. Are you out there? Are you listening? How many new stamps have you seen that have been designed for weddings? Loads, right? Okay, but for every one wedding card that you make, shouldn't you be making year after year of anniversary cards? So why aren't there more stamps for making anniversary cards?!? Alright. End of rant.

This year, I lucked out, though. This year, Stampin' Up released a new stamp set with a pear in it. And in my world, there's nothing that says Happy Anniversary to your husband like a good pun ;-). The puns are hidden on the inside on this one (mostly because the set didn't actually come with the world's greatest pear pun sentiment and I ended up writing it out myself). But I do happen to think that we make the perfect pear...



Vital Stats: Stamps (Cheep Talk, SU); Ink (Old Olive & Chocolate Chip, SU); Paper (Whisper White, Chocolate Chip & Kiwi Kiss CS, SU; Good Morning Sunshine DSP, SU); Other (1 1/4", 1 3/8" & Scallop Circle Punches, SU)

A-Muse-A-Palooza: Blue Ribbon Performance

There's more A-Muse-A-Palooza fun going on this week! The latest challenge is to design a card inspired by "ribbon." So here's my rather masculine interpretation: a blue ribbon to celebrate one of life's little successes...



Vital Stats: Stamps (Drum Set & You Rock, A Muse); Ink (Glue Pad, Tsukineko); Paper (Kitchen Chocolate, A Muse; Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip & Whisper White CS, SU); Other (Giga Scallop Circle Punch, Marvy Uchida; Fine Supernova Glitter, SU)