Sylvia's Stamping Corner

A BLACK AND WHITE DAY!....ADD A LITTLE BIT OF RED!

Today we were back to our sunny weather, still cool but comfortable. I spent very little time in the kraft room today, trying to catch up on my sleep. When I finally decided I wanted to make a card, it was late evening. I wanted to make a kraft, white and black card and I knew a few elements I wanted to use.

I started with a kraft card base, I stamped the sentiment crooked, too many times to count, before I used a kraft mat and got the stamping straight. I stamped keys, a crown and a frame before I figured out what I wanted to do. I used a scrap of textured white cs after I cut the window of the frame open. Die cut hearts in red were popped on dimensionals, little rhinestone hearts were added to the corners. The black mat is embossed, although I am sorry you can not see it clearly. I will try and get another picture to replace this one tomorrow that shows the embossing.  The stamped crown was fussy cut and red and gold rhinestones added. The key was fussy cut as well. I added two fussy cut hearts and machine stitched around the outside. This card achieved what I had wanted. I love trying new things with my cards, I never tire of making cards and they usually reflect my day.

Today is my dil's birthday and I hope she has a wonderful day! Hope your Friday is awesome as well.

DO YOU HAVE THE JANUARY BLUES?....p.s. i love you!

I do think the January blues are going around, a let down from the holidays, but that is not my blog post tonight. I made a card using blues, one of my favorite colors to stamp. I used Pool Party, Island Indigo, and Pacific Point to do away with the blues!

I never quite know what drives the idea for these cards. But today, after a long night, I made this card. Quite simply, I stamped, water colored and fussy cut flowers over and over. Then I used die cuts and punches to finish this card. Tonight, it is the combination of blue with white which works for me. What colors are you wanting to work with this week?

I went to bed early last night, but was aware that a storm was in the area so I did not get to sleep. The cats seemed restless on the bed when the storm arrived. It was just before 2:00 and the thunder was so fierce that I had to get up. Now who is afraid of thunder? It sounded like a band in my bedroom of the loudest sort. So I got up and watched tennis with Tigger in my lap, until the storms passed. There was a tornado that touched down near here so we were really lucky. This is the first time I have not slept because of thunder which was more fierce than the lightening. Needless to say, my day was a weary one. Hope your Wednesday was good and your Thursday will be fabulous!

COLOURQ CHALLENGE #121...LOVE YOU!

It is another cool crisp Tuesday morning and we have another awesome color challenge for you over on the ColourQ Challenge Blog. Arielle has chosen these colors Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, More Mustard, Kraft and white, for you this week. I always love a combo that I can use on flowers, it makes my task so easy. Please, join us this week and try this wonderful palette, I look forward to seeing your projects.

I did a lot of embossing before I chose just the right combination. The card base is kraft cover with white embossed cs. Die cuts and embossing are what this card is about, that and a little fussy cutting. The skirt in the photo reminds me of one my mom had when I was growing up. I chose to take just the flowers to do my colors in. I wanted an elegant card and that would be white with just pops of color. The die cut borders out of kraft and the small heart with the sentiment tied all I wanted to do with this card together. I had really not intended to get started so early on Valentines, but once I started, they just keep coming.

I had a hard time getting this card photographed, in order to show the embossing the Old Olive appears dark, but I did use Old Olive and More Mustard on the leaves. Have a wonderful Tuesday! We are supposed to be nice again so I will be outside spreading topsoil on the grass just in case we get some rain.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY...ANOTHER BIRTHDAY CARD!

I awoke to another beautiful day. I don't know how warm it got, but I did take the cats out and grill hamburgers for lunch. They enjoyed their time out and did not want to come in. I worked all afternoon assembling my DT card for the ColourQ, then after some supper, I made this card. I must admit, I stamped this panel Saturday so it did not take long.

When I was having a hard time on Saturday, I used that time to ink stamps with Stampin'Up! markers and stamp some samples. I don't usually do that, but when the brain doesn't work usually the simplest task puts me on the right course for the next day. I used a Pool Party base, an Old Olive panel, and two border strips I had left over from my ColourQ card. I love coloring this stamp. Does this remind you of a quilt motif? This is one of the stamps from the Sale-A-bration catalog going live tomorrow. I am not quite sure about the width of the Old Olive panel, but the card is finished.

I have one more post to write and schedule, then I am off to watch basketball and tennis, one of my favorite pass times for a Monday night. Have a wonderful evening, I will be back first thing in the morning with my ColourQ post. I think you are going to like the card and the way I used the colors!

 

 

CITY CRAFTER CHALLENGE WEEK 92...PRETTY INSIDE AND OUT!

This week over on the City Crafter Challenge Blog, challenge #92 is titled "Pretty Inside and Out". the challenge is to decorate the inside of your project as well as the outside. I got a late start this week making this card, due to brain drain!!!!However, there is still time for you to play as well.

I have a kraft card base, with lots of designer paper and lots of embossing and punching. I am in one of those moods today where I just want to combine whatever I can stamp and get away with. I spent the afternoon stamping this and that until I came up with the perfect owl for this card. I used a piece of cs that I had stamped a medallion on awhile back(saved, never used) to punch my owl and wings. My inside dsp was a piece already cut and in my scraps. I embossed it with the tulip frame ef, before adding an owl and stamping I love you. The butterfly is left from my gift bags, to which was added a pearl body. Do you see my peek a boo window? This was the hardest part of making this card, getting everything lined up right. That and all the stamping with markers and fussy cutting took a little more time than usual.

You are probably wondering where I got the idea to combine this front with the dsp on the inside. That is where my brain was today, half in one world and half in the other.

I love this dsp. Fyi, I had to have my husband dig out the bag of scraps that I threw away when cleaning my room. I found myself trying to make cards this week with no scraps. Well the big black trash bag is now on the floor! The back of this card has another owl back, I could not resist using it after I punched it. It was another 73 degree day here, have a wonderful Monday!

BIRTHDAY WISHES...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENDA!

There are a lot of birthdays in January for me to remember. I write them down, but somehow theydisappear when I clean up my space. I met Brenda at Stampin'Up! convention in 2008. We became friends. Brenda, I believe your birthday is today, the 21st, but I know it could be any time this week.

Today was a slow day, my brain was overflowing with ideas last night, but not today. I tried to get going by taking the cats out and working in my flower bed. All that accomplished, besides the gardening was for me to get really cold. So I took a nap thinking, OK, I will get some needed sleep and wake up refreshed. That wasn't the case either, so my night was slow. I finally settled down and just played with stamps and markers. I stamped several things, even did a watercolor. This is one of the pieces I stamped using markers. It is very clean, a much different look that what I usually do. However, I know Brenda will love it anyway.  So Happy Birthday Brenda!

I hope you had a good Saturday and that Sunday will be wonderful.

FROM MY HEART TO YOURS....A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS!

I have been working on an album tonight, I got the chipboard cut and covered with card stock. I had to put it down as I felt overwhelmed. So I started on a card. Does that make any since?

My card was designed around this beautiful bird and flower stamp set. One thing led to another and it all came together. I embossed the front of my kraft card base with a texture plate. Everything else was stamped on white card stock. The frame was stamped, water colored and die cut with a frame die. I water colored flowers with Daffodil Delight, So Saffron, Real Red, Poppy Parade, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, Pool Party, and Lucky Limeade. I used the punch for the bird, wing, and branch, then cut around the bird to cut off the white. I had to hand cut the flowers as I gave away my punch thinking it was a retired one two years ago and just have not replaced it. I stamped the sentiment, then the frame around it and punched it out. It is nice to have punches and dies that do part of the work for you.

Our weather has been warm for winter, with only a few days when I would say it is cold. With the weather which was 73 today, I think of spring, flowers and the birds. So you might be surprised and see more cards like this one. Have a wonderful Saturday! Enjoy your crafting.

LOVE YOU...KISS YOU...MISS YOU...RED AND YELLOW VALENTINE!

I left my craft room to take a break and eat supper, only to find when I returned that two of my friends were working hard in my new space. Do you think they were designing a card?  You take a guess!

I guess the room had a calming effect on them as well.

I finished the bags I started last night adding tulle bows and stamped and punched tags. I started this card after supper. Red and yellow are two of my favorite colors to use. I decided to make a Valentine. I originally planned a butterfly and may go back and add one tomorrow, but I am so tired after a busy day. so here is my card using Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Chocolate Chip and Kraft with just a little Lucky Limeade. I punched a border strip, using a heart embossing folder for the bottom and did a lot of stamping and layering.

Ok, what are you doing for Valenitne cards, making or buying or not participating? Have a wonderful Thursday. I will be planting some pansies and broccoli. We are having such beautiful weather that I just can't resist!

BIRDS...FLOWERS...HEARTS...MEDALLIONS...GIFT BAGS!

I am not quite finished with these gift bags, but I thought I would show you what I have finished so far. All I lack now are the tags and the Tulle bows. I will be going out tomorrow to get the Tulle. I am pleased with the way they turned out.

I used red and pinks double sided dsp for the bags and the medallions. I used my Simply scored tool and a lace punch for the border. I stamped and water colored the flowers, punched the butterflies and birds then added a few rhinestones. I made eight of these to list on my Etsy shop. Valentines Day is less than a month away, what are you making?

Wishing you a happy Wednesday! Thanks for all the lovely comments about my room, I am enjoying working there.

COLOURQ CHALLENGE #120...A CUP JUST FOR YOU!

Happy Tuesday! This time last week I was painting my craft room, also knee deep in a mess! During that time I was trying to get over a horrible cold and totally out of sorts. It was not until Saturday that I felt my room was neat and clean, therefore I could work without tripping over stuff. Today's challenge over on the ColourQ Challenge Blog is just a perfect combination. Arielle chose these cool colors, Bravo Burgundy, Rich Razzleberry, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo, and white. Join us again this week, I look forward to seeing what you can do!

My card base is Wisteria Wonder, matted with Bravo Burgundy and white. I added a die strip cut from Wisteria Wonder dsp gluing in between the two mats. I stamped the border at the lower part with Island Indigo. I then added the embossing at the top, stamping the sentiment second, then adding score lines and new Island Indigo baker's twine.The most fun was using Stampin Writers to color my cup. Starting with the cup background in Bravo Burgundy, I added the flowers in Wisteria Wonder and Rich Razzleberry. I also stamped the flowers again and cut four out, gluing one and adding the others with dimensionals. I loved the vibrant colors in the photo, but I wanted a more muted card. I did not have a Paisley stamp so I used the embossing folder to recreate that element. The border stamp mimics the lace and the cup and the colors flow like the shirt body!

I had a headache when I designed this card, I think that influenced how I used these colors. Take a look at the other Dt's projects, there are some really vibrant and striking samples. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

ANOTHER CARD....MY CRAFT ROOM...I LOVE IT!

Yesterday I worked on gift bags, but gave up before finishing last night. I have pictures of my room to share. I did not have the best light. My room faces east, so the best light is spring or summer. The color of the walls in my room just happen to be Pool Party, I did not match the color, it was the color I picked out in the store, just lighter. when I finished painting the color matched the cs and I love it. I also have a card I made a few days ago. Hope you enjoy!

First, the Birthday card, I love the papers and the middle piece is stamped in several colors, then pieced together. The top dsp is embossed with hearts, so pretty. and now my room....

From inside the room, here is a shot you have seen before, but with the new wall color. Pool Party is the color in the Cupcake card above, and this picture is the closest to the real wall color.

Moving around to the right is my desk...

Moving right along is the back wall...

Close up of the back wall...

and the next side...

Moving along.....got to have stamps and a TV!!!!

Now if I want to close out the world, I can close these doors....

Over the door is the window where half of my medallions were at Christmas. The other side of the doors is the hall, across is the dining room with the other window like this one. With the doors open, this room is open and large enough to add a table when I need one.

Well I still have things to add to drawers and the wall and over the door, but it is finished for the most part( I am still sorting and putting things from the other room away). I can't just stuff stuff, I like organized! I would love to hide the hard drive and the sewing machine cords, not sure what I will do there yet. Hope you have had a great Monday! I will be back early in the morning with ColourQ challenge #120.