One more DRS project!

My time at DRS is officially over, but I volunteered to post a project to the DRS blog and this is what I came up with. Simple and sweet...

DRS Challenge--Dazzling Diamond Dust

I'm sure you're not surprised to see another coffee card! I actually had this one coffee cup left over from my other DRS coffee projects, and it goes perfectly with this paper, so I decided to dazzle it up with some Versamark and a mixture of clear EP, iridescent EP and glitter. The designer paper has flowers that are glossy, almost like enamel, and I thought this combination of textures would be really pretty together. I may try again in brighter light to see if I can capture it better on camera.

Lots of eye candy on the DRS blog today, so don't miss it!

Simple Pleasures

I made this envelope card for today's DRS blog post. You can find out more about it here!

This little piggie...

Poor thing, he looks so flushed and miserable, doesn't he?!

My image, DRS' newly released Leonard's Sickday Blues, was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa, then colored with prismas and Gamsol, cut out with Nesties, and accented with a little brown Micron. Definitely not one of my best cards...I have had a few small distractions lately! (check out this post!) :)

Today's DRS Monday challenge is to make a buckle card. SCS has a wonderful tutorial. Check out the DRS Blog to be inspired, and then revisit to link yours to today's thread.

DRS Blog Hop

If you arrived here from Heather's, then you're in the right spot! Otherwise, you need to go to Vicki's to start at the beginning!

Have you been seeing all of the DRS Designs sneak peeks this week? My design team mates have been creating some wonderful things, making ready for the release this Saturday! Lots of great stamps! Can you tell which ones are my favorites? LOL! All week I've been on a kick with these coffee stamps. Maybe it is also because I have needed a little caffeine kick to get all of my *to-do's* done!

I *love* coffee! I grew up in Southwest Louisiana, and have fond memories of the neighborhood moms gathering for coffee while all of us kids played. I wasn't allowed to drink coffee unless it was coffeemilk--equal portions of each with lots of sugar! Maybe that is why even still, I just can't quite embrace drinking it black! I love going to New Orleans to Cafe` du Monde to have chicory coffee and beignets. YUM!

I am sharing another wood project with you, along with the mug hanger that was featured on DRS' blog yesterday. This is a frame that could be hung on a wall or displayed on a shelf or tabletop. (If you missed that post, you should check it out...I gave instructions for painting with acrylics and tips for working with wood.) The windows were just the right size for one of the three cups that are part of a single stamp, H960. I used a marker directly to the rubber to stamp each one individually, then colored with prismas and gamsol, cut them out and adhered them with dimensionals. To dress it up a bit, I used the Fresh Roast stamp, also marker to rubber, to stamp the words above and below the center window.

I am debating going back with a brown micron to add in some little squiggly shapes (like the ones on each of the coffee cups) around each of the windows. It would add some great detail, but it gives me a bit of trepidation to doodle with permanent ink on a nearly finished project!

As I already mentioned, in my opinion no cup of coffee is complete without a spoonful of sugar, so I altered a little jelly jar to fill with Hawaii vanilla flavored turbinado sugar. Just pour the sugar in, and then poke a few pieces of a vanilla bean into the jar and let it sit, cool and dry, for a while. It's great to sprinkle on pie crusts too!

From here, go to Cathy's...and remember to visit DRS Designs for the big release this weekend! Make sure you leave comments all along the way on today's hop...there'll be a reward for your efforts come Saturday! DRS Designs is the proud sponsor of the Cute Card Thursday challenge blog this week. Participate in their challenge for yet another chance to win some cool DRS Designs stamps!!

Yee-haa!

Sometimes an image seems way out of your comfort zone, but then after playing with it for a while, it ends up being one you really love using! When I first saw this image, I was not really sure exactly what I wanted to do with it, but then I saw this cowgirl designer paper and I was instantly inspired! This paper reminds me of my friend Julie...she is definitely all girlie and pink and frilly, but she also owns a horse and does her share of all things associated with taking care of it, IYKWIM!

I stamped the horse with Memento Rich Cocoa ink onto Naturals Ivory card stock, then colored it with a relatively dry aqua painter and Watercolor Wonder crayons. I used a nestabilities oval to cut and emboss it and frame it with a scalloped oval. This was mounted onto a belly band in an offset position to make the most of the words and images of the designer print. All of the edges of the papers are distress-inked with Tim Holtz distress ink in tea dye and vintage photo. I knotted a piece of jute to give it a bit more Western flair.

I went back to the LSS to purchase more of this paper and it was all gone. :( If I can get more, I'd make another card just like this one!

Stay tuned for more DRS sneak peeks...the design team's links are on the sidebar. Blog hop starts on Thursday! Don't miss it! I've been working on some special projects that I'm excited to share!

A Simple Sneak Peek!

Today is the beginning of sneak peeks for DRS Designs...there are so many great stamps being released this month! Our team will be showing you new stamp sets all week, and then on Thursday we'll begin our blog hop! Make sure to mark your calendar, because there will be lots of great eye candy and blog candy too! :)

As excited as I am for new rubber, I don't like the idea of abandoning the stamps I already have, so today I'm doing a sneak peek that combines something old with something new. Sounds like it oughta be a bridal card, doesn't it?! Nope, not this time!

This stamp is actually one of DRS' envelope art stamps, but I wanted to practice coloring it with my new copics and use it on a card front. I stamped the image, H710, Sunflower Postage Frame, using Memento Rich Cocoa ink. Then I carefully cut out the window using a craft knife. I used a brown micron pen to sketch in some lines on the outer edges to mimic the lines around the window. If you deliberately use a light touch the pen will skip and make dot-dot-dots...I love the less formal look of it and use that technique (or a little cross hatching to change the effect) often.

I cut a mat slightly larger than my image, softly penciled in some guidelines, then stamped a single sentiment from the new thank-you multiple greetings image that is being released on Saturday. The top layer is on dimensionals to give a little space and shadow around the sentiment. A pretty bow of sheer olive ribbon keeps it simple but dresses it up just a touch. Hope you like it! For me, having some quick and easy options for thank-you's is always helpful! Can't ever seem to have enough around!

DRS Challenge--Get Well Cards

I just couldn't resist another Cutie Pie Kid (Here for the Party!) card for today's DRS challenge! She is still a favorite, and will be for a long time to come! I omitted her balloon for this challenge, replacing it with a flower so that she is more fitting for a get-well card. The sentiment, Just a Note, works for any occasion.

I used DCWV glitter pack of designer paper, and colored my image with prismas, gamsol, and a bit of Spica clear glitter. The ovals are cut and embossed with nestabilities. I took a single bloom, folded it in half, inserted a few stamen and then folded it in thirds with a glue dot inside to hold everything together.

I love these fun, bright, cheery colors! I think she looks very sweet and would be bound to brighten someone's spirits when they're feeling under the weather!

DRS ConGRADulations!

I have two posts today, so make sure to check them both out!

I have been playing all weekend with new rubber from DRS...I can hardly wait to reveal the new release, but for now I am sharing some of the cards I have made using stamps from the current catalog. This graduation stamp is new to me, and it arrived just in time, so I paired it with a couple of backgrounders that were sent to me last month. I really like how these turned out.

I love the thought expressed in this sentiment stamp, so I decided to frame it with a never-ending design and to include a butterfly as a symbol of new beginnings. I love this color combo nearly as much as I loved River Rock and Black! I stamped with Palette Noir ink, then misted over it with a Spritzer and a Creamy Caramel marker. All of the edges are inked with Tim Holtz distress ink in tea-dye.

I decided to try out a flip-flop card (Beate's tutorial on SCS) using the dots background in the same color scheme...this design is great because it uses less than half a sheet of cardstock for the card base! It is a nice single layer design, and a gift card fits perfectly on the back, a wonderful surprise as the sentiment flips from front to back. What grad doesn't LOVE getting a little extra spending money?!

Today's cards are also currently posted on the DRS blog...my post is a follow-up post to my friend Dawn's post yesterday, which featured some great information about getting nice, dark impressions when using solid stamps. Dawn and I would LOVE it if you would visit the DRS blog and comment on our cards there!

DRS Challenge--Flap Card

Cards with special folds always intrigue me and I especially enjoy making them. I made this card for a fun DRS challenge to make a flap card. Split Coast Stampers has a great tutorial on how to make these. I altered the pattern just a bit for mine to make it my own. I hope you like how it turned out!

I used DCWV Safari Chic Stripes to give this card some jungle appeal...the colors were just perfect for the stamp I wanted to use. I just couldn't resist this cool medallion for the front! My mom LOVES elephants, so I guess I'm naturally drawn to them too!

I love the surprise of finding this cute monkey inside! He is one of my favorites from the first set of stamps that I received from DRS. He was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with prismas and gamsol. One of the things I love about him is that he is so versatile! You can dress him up, as I have in this card, perfect for an adult...or he would be equally at home with more child-like designer papers for a more whimsical appeal to a younger audience. I've had alot of fun with him and I know he will see alot more ink in the near future!

Visit the DRS Designs blog to see what our other designers have made for this flap card challenge, and then design your own...we would love to see what you come up with!

Another DRS Cutie Pie!

I told you several posts ago that this sweet DRS Cutie Pie Kid instantly became my favorite, so you may be seeing alot of her! ;)

For this card, I stamped my Cutie Pie twice using Palette Noir ink, then colored her with bold colored prismas and gamsol. This has become my favorite technique as of late simply out of practicality. For a while I was busy with chaffeuring Matthew to and from play practice and then to and from his music lessons and testing. When that was over we flew over to Louisiana to help take care of my dad after his total knee replacement (we're loving Louisiana but kinda missing Florida too!). Prismas are a lot simpler to travel with than a whole bunch of ink colors! I brought along my prismas and SU markers, my *In* color ink pads and some Copics, thinking that would give me the broadest range of inks in the smallest amount of luggage space! So far it is working out great!

I would like to share another of my favorite techniques...adding dimension by popping up portions of the design (aka paper tole). It really adds alot of depth and makes a card look extra special! After coloring my two images, I cut out her skirt and balloon and adhered them with dimensionals on one edge only. For her skirt, the dimensionals are along the bottom, and the top edge is adhered with mono multi so that it looks flared the way an A-line skirt would be IRL. The balloon is the opposite, adhered with mono multi at the bottom and with dimensionals at the top.

The card was constructed using Paper Company Studio Celebration Dotted Stripe and Bright Stripe to bring out the colors of the image. I sponged the cut edges of the paper with white craft ink so that they matched the corners which appeared inked already. The mat was cut and embossed using scalloped rectangle nestabilities. (I actually made this card before leaving home, and I'll tell you now, it is my Cuttlebug and nestabilities that I miss the most!)

I really LOVE this paper and liked the way this combination came together. My birthday is just a few days before July 4th, and those of you with birthdays near any holiday know how the birthday festivities are sometimes swallowed up by all of the holiday celebrating. This card has just enough of a patriotic feel but not so much that it is overwhelming. Hehehe...I may just have to send one to myself! It's that big red dotted swiss bow that I really love!

DRS Blog Hop

I'm so excited that today is my first DRS Designs Blog Hop! This is the *official* unveiling for Dawn Mercedes and me as guest designers for the months of May and June! We have already been having lots of fun, and I'm beyond thrilled to be on this team of talented designers! I know I am going to learn alot and grow some wonderful friendships.

If you are just jumping on the blog hop, you should go to the DRS Blog so that you can start at the beginning! You don't want to miss the great ideas and fun sneak peeks that all of our stampers have to show you.

My card for today is a tri-fold card featuring a cute monkey, E871. I stamped him using Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock, then colored him with prismas and gamsol, layering the colors to bring more intensity to the darker areas and to tint his cheeks, lips, and belly. I stamped him once more, just to color and cut out part of his face to add dimension and depth.

To make the card, I cut a 3.5 x 10.5 inch piece of cardstock. Then I scored 3.5 inches from each end. I made diagonal scores on the front and back flaps (see the picture of the open card to figure out how to orient these score lines). I added triangular pieces of DCWV designer paper inked with Tim Holtz distress ink and matted with coordinating cardstock. After adhering the ribbon to the left card flap, I then added some circles (I miss my nesties!), only adhering the top left side, attaching the monkey on top with dimensionals. The rest must remain free so that the card can swing open freely. After punching a scalloped circle from cardstock, I snipped the *petals* toward the center, wrapping each gently around a toothpick to create a curved shape. A paper flower and button tied with cord finish the embellishments on the card front.

For the inside, I cut more triangles of coordinating designer paper, along with a 3.25 inch square of ivory cardstock. I inked all the edges, stamped the sentiment, and adhered them to the card base. I used a marker to sketch a fun border (also on the circles on the card front), then added a second monkey with dimensionals to the bottom corner.

If you started at the beginning, you've got one more stop and then you're done! My friend Vicki has a fabulous design to share with you, so don't miss it! I hope you've had fun!

Blessings!

DRS Cutie Pie!

I was so excited to find this Cutie Pie in the package of stamps that DRS Designs sent me! I think she is so absolutely adorable! I have been trying different coloring media to see how she looks with each one. She's so much fun to color!

Last week Asela and I shared lunch and then stamped together for a while...Asela didn't get much done since she essentially ended up pausing here and there to give me my own little private copic lesson! I enjoyed it so much, and built quite a bit on what I had already learned at the Copic certification course I took in February. It was fun to use Copic colors that are not yet part of my collection, and to see how the various colors blend together to create high- and low-lights to give a two-dimensional image more of a 3-D appearance.

For this card, I stamped using Memento ink, then colored with Copic markers to match BoBunny's designer paper Alissa Twirls. I added a black mat with a lacy edge because it seemed to really heighten and brighten the colors, especially with some hot pink BoBunny button accents and a bow of mint glimmer ribbon.

I think she is going to be one of my very FAV stamps during my two months as DRS guest designer! I just love her!

If you liked the sweet silhouette I posted yesterday, you should go visit my friend and DRS Roomie Dawn Mercedes! She posted the companion silhouette, a little boy, using a mosaic stamp which turned out absolutely gorgeous! I'm so happy to be guest designing alongside her! I think she's amazing!

Silhouette

Before I left for my parents' in Louisiana I spent some time stamping with my new DRS images. Today I'm giving you a little sneak peek at a sweet silhouette prayer image soon to be released (F931).

I knew when I first saw this stamp that I wanted to make a black and white card with just a hint of pale yellow. I chose BoBunny Alissa Kissable designer paper and Stampin' Up's So Saffron and Basic Black card stock.

The making of this card was very different from the norm because the focal image was stamped after basic construction of the card instead of at the beginning. I started with a standard sized card of black card stock, then measured a mat and designer paper to layer on the front. I used my nestabilities circles to carefully cut openings of gradually smaller sizes through the layers, treating the designer paper and mat as one. Next I placed a yellow mat and a white cardstock layer inside the card, aligning them carefully and faintly tracing through the card front around the circle with a pencil. I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then colored around the silhouette very softly with prismas, blending the colors with gamsol.

To add a more finished look to the inside, I cut a scalloped edge frame using nestabilities rectangles, centering it so that it remained invisible through the card front when the card is closed. I kept things sweet and simple, adding only a bow of gold edged black organza ribbon to the front, and a small bow of glimmery ribbon on the inside. This card reminds me that God is pleased when we come to Him with a child-like faith and trust. I hope you're blessed by it! Thanks for visiting!

More news!

I have more exciting news to finally share! I have been invited to guest design for DRS Designs! I found out back in February that I would be designing for them during the months of May and June, and had to keep it quiet all this time...and then when it came close to time for our reveal, I found out that my *room-mate* (also guest designing for May and June) is my good friend Dawn Mercedes! We had a great laugh together over the phone about that! Sharing this experience with Dawn is gonna make it that much sweeter! I'm so excited!

You might have seen me sneak my DRS banner onto my blog a few days ago. For the last few days I have been holed up in my stamp room, stamping cards to send to them for an April 27th deadline. I'll be sharing those and more over the next several weeks.

The card above is a card I stamped this morning for today's Limited Supplies Challenge, *Make Yourself at Home.* Jeanne challenged us to use colors inspired by the decor of one of the rooms in our home. I have a lovely Ethan Allen chair made with this print...it is one of my favorites, so I decided to use DRS's backgrounders to make a card in these colors. I used markers directly to the stamp (P631 and H628) using Sage Shadow, Ruby Red, Creamy Caramel, and Blush Blossom, then stamped onto ivory cardstock. The sentiment (G604) and butterfly (G115) were stamped using Tim Holtz distress ink. I gave the butterfly body a little dusting of Fun Flock just for fun. I sponged all the cardstock, including the butterfly, mats and card base, using Tim Holtz distress inks, and after constructing the card, added a bow and a few contrasting buttons tied with cord as accents.