Playing with my stamps....

...is what I have been doing today!  One of the best things in the world when it is snowy, and cold, and just plain yucky outside.  So let's just get right to it!

So, I recently found another stamping challenge/sketch blog recently called "Stamping 411" and this past weekend they posted a great sketch.  So, of course, I had to use it.  The sentiment on this one is not very common, but I think it could be used for so many things.  I think it would be especially good for someone who is struggling with not being the best at something...because isn't that something that is hard for all of us at times?  I know it is for me...  This is what I came up with:

"We Can Twinkle" supplies: 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics

Paper: My Mind's Eye & Scenic Route

Stamps: Renaissance By Design (Roots & Wings and Roots & Wings Add-on) 

Ink: Clearsnap (Pigment: seaglass, aqua, dune & Chalk: yellow cadmium) 

Ribbon: Renaissance By Design

Pearls: Kaiser Craft

Chipboard: Rusty Pickle 

Glitter: DecoArt & Ranger Stickles

Corner Rounder: EK Success

Border Punch: Fiskars

Paint: crafty supply

Instructions:  Fold yellow cardstock in half to make card base, and round the bottom corners.  Round the bottom corners of a flocked dot paper block and adhere to the front.  Punch a scalloped border to the top of a yellow script paper block.  Stamp the tree, stars and sentiment to a cream cardstock block.  Adhere to the yellow paper block, and accent with Stickles and yellow pearls.  Tie ribbon around the bottom of the entire block, and adhere it to the front of the card using dimensional adhesive.  Paint and glitter a chipboard star white, and adhere to the middle of the bow.  Accent the middle of the star with a yellow pearl.  Adhere light blue and yellow pearls to the opposite corners as shown. 

The next two cards use sketch 85 from the Clean & Simple Stamping blog.  I love how one sketch can look completely different...even if the same person is using it more than once!  Here is the first sample, using these fabulous Lawn Fawn stamps....I just love them!  Eeek!

"Cute As A Button" supplies: 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics

Paper: GCD Studios

Stamps: Lawn Fawn (Sew Lovely set) 

Ink: Clearsnap (Pigment: turquoise, canary, frost white) 

Jewels: Doodlebug Designs & Kaiser Craft

Ribbon: Renaissance by Design

Twine: Darice Inc. 

Button: craft supply

Border Punch: Fiskars

Instructions: Fold kraft cardstock in half to make card base.  Punch a border to a turquoise cardstock strip and adhere to the left side.  Adhere a floral paper strip to the left side, and zig zag stitch alongside the seams.  Tie ribbon around the strip, and attach a button to the bow using twine.  Stamp the sewing machine and sentiment to the front, and then stamp a button border along the bottom and right edge.  Accent the stamping with jewels. 

And here is card #2 using the same sketch as above.  Totally different look!  And, oh how I love this Delightful Dahlias stamp set...it seriously makes me smile every time I break it out and use it!! 

"Thank You So Very Much" supplies: 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics

Paper/Sticker: Glitz Designs

Stamps/Button: Papertrey Ink (Delightful Dahlia set)

Ink: Clearsnap (Pigment: razzberry, green, midnight) 

Ribbon: Renaissance By Design

Jewels: Doodlebug Designs

Corner Rounder: EK Success

Border Punch: Fiskars

Instructions:  Fold blue patterned paper in half to make card base, and round the right hand corners.  Round the right hand corners of a white cardstock block.  Stamp the flower and leaf border to the right side, and adhere to the front of the card.  Punch a scalloped border to pink paper, and adhere to a striped paper block.  Adhere the entire block to the left side of the card.  Tie ribbon to the left side, and accent the bow with a button and jewel.  Stamp the sentiment to the middle, and accent with jewels.  Add the butterfly sticker to the right of the sentiment, and accent the middle with jewels.

And then I realized that I forgot to post my card for CPS 161 last week!  We were sponsored by Hero Arts, and this is what I came up with!  (And I have NEVER used that embossing folder before.  And it is FABULOUS!  I honestly can't believe I have had it this long and never used it....bad Lea.  Tee hee!) 

"Hello Greeting" supplies: 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Paper: Glitz Designs

Stamps: Hero Arts (Say Hello set) 

Ink: Ranger (Dye: eggplant), & Clearsnap (Chalk: rouge, & Pigment: green, razzberry, pink) 

Jewels: Doodlebug Designs

Ribbon: Renaissance By Design

Twine: Darice Inc. 

Button: Papertrey Ink

Corner Rounder: EK Success

Embossing Machine: Cuttlebug by Provo Craft

Embossing Folder: With Gratitude by Provo Craft

Instructions:  Fold kraft cardstock in half, and round the bottom front.  Emboss the front of the card using a Cuttlebug and With Gratitude embossing folder.  Round the corners and ink the edges of a floral paper block, and adhere to the middle.  Round the corners of a white cardstock paper block.  Round the bottom corners and ink the edges of a pink dotted paper strip, and adhere to the bottom of the white block.  Stamp the sentiment and flowers to the white cardstock, and accent the flowers with jewels.  Tie ribbon around the seam, and attach a button to the bow using twine.  Adhere the entire paper block to the front, and accent the top of it with three jewels. 

And I just realized that every single one of these fits the current challenge at Our Creative Corner...which is to use bows!  Tee hee...the entire post fits!  Yay! 

Well, in some other random news.  We bought a new TV.  Not that we REALLY needed a new one, but it was priced to sell because it is a clearance model...so we decided to use some of Josh's bonus for it.  So, we are now the owners of a 58" Samsung plasma television...I will admit, it is pretty sweet.  It is only 3" bigger than our old TV, but the picture quality is definitely better.  I can't wait until it has been on for 100 hours so we can calibrate it. We watched some of the Master's on it the other day....and I thought the nuclear color of the green was going to burn into my retinas.  We are keeping it on all the time in order to get to that 100 hours...should be good to go by the end of the week!  Yay! 

And I am getting something fun too!  I will be ordering the Nikon 105mm micro lens that I have wanted forever tonight!  It is going to be an awesome portrait lens, and it also does double duty for macro photography.  I cannot WAIT to get it and play around with it.  So exciting!   

Well, that is all I have for now.  Hope that your week has been a great one so far!  ♥♥♥ 

Until later,
~Lea