Yippee for the Snarky Stampers!

Y is for Yippee is the brand new challenge at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers! Let's celebrate... something! I'm celebrating that we had a couple of spring-like days this week, even if today we're back to brr. And looking ahead a couple of months, I decided to go with a graduation card for my version of yippee: 

This will eventually be for my great-nephew, and I would like to suggest to all schools that they should make their team colours noticeable somewhere on their websites. Eventually I determined that gold and black was what I wanted. I used the current Freshly Made Sketches sketch (I flipped it) for my design — I have a few layers here, but I say the overall look of the card is still quite clean and simple. The mortarboard is from Crazy Things, but without a bird, dog or cat beneath looks quite classy! I went over the tassel with a Versamarker so I could give it some gold tinsel embossing powder bling. I luckily had patterned paper, gold pearl paper and gold mist (for splattering) that all coordinated. 
I'm also going to add this to the Rubber Dance challenge of black & white with one colour, as well as Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday anything goes challenge. 
The sisters did not manage a lot of snark this week, so thank goodness our latest Queen and guest designer, Becca, did! Be sure to check out their creations, and then join us! 

Supplies: white & black cardstock, gold pearl paper, Teresa Collins He Said She Said patterned paper, Tim Holtz/Stamper's Anonymous crazy Things stamp & die, MFT black licorice ink, Versamarker, gold tinsel embossing powder, Spectrum Noir markers, Spellbinders circle, MFT blueprints 24 stitched circle & Little B Block Out dies, Art Anthology Timeless Colorations spray, pop-dot tape

Pin It Now!

Pawesome!

For the first time I'm attempting to combine the two My Favorite Things challenges, Sketch and Colours! 

I've rotated the sketch to the horizontal way I've used it: 

I watercoloured a couple of the cuties from the Cat-itude set and paired them with the "Pawesome" sentiment. By adding a layer of vellum behind the die cut frame, I was able to add a background behind the kitties without overwhelming them or adding a third pattern to the mix. I'm going to say the polka dots were inspired by the circle element on the card that I didn't incorporate. 😉

Supplies: white cardstock, vellum, Lilybee Designs Pinwheel & Pebbles Lakeside patterned papers, MFT Cat-itude stamps & dies, MFT black licorice & Memento Luxe Danube blue inks, Ranger clear embossing powder, Zig clean colour real brush markers, MFT blueprints 24 & diagonal stitched dies, Spectrum Noir clear overlay sparkle marker, pop-dot tape

Pin It Now!

Springtime Pin-Sights

There's a new Essentials by Ellen Pin-Sights challenge, and it's full of spring colours and blossoms. 

Lots of pastel pinks and purples, floral images... here's where it took me:

The Bold Blossom die cuts are thoroughly coated in sparkle shimmer mist, which of course doesn't want to show in the photo. I sponged pink, lilac and green inks in the spots where I wanted the blooms. The sentiment is stamped in grey and embossed with sparkly embossing powder to go with the flowers. I'm thinking this will be either a wedding card (there's one we're going to next month) or perhaps a Mother's Day card. 
I'm also adding this to the Happy Little Stampers April Anything Goes with Dies challenge. 

Supplies: Neenah solar white & Stampin' Up almost amethyst cardstock, Essentials by Ellen All Inside stamp, Versafine smoky grey & spun sugar, shaded lilac & bundled sage distress inks, Hero Arts csparkle clear embossing powder, Spectrum Noir clear overlay sparkle marker, Tsukineko sheer sparkle spritz

Pin It Now!

Pastel Tulips

I had a little time to get out the stamps and inks on this cool, rainy day and make a card to fit three coordinating challenges. My starting point was the pastel colour palette at the current Just Us Girls challenge: 

Then I added the Curtain Call challenge... 

...as well as the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, Showers and/or Flowers. When I mixed them all together, this is what I got: 

To be honest, I started with a set of tulip layering stamps, but after three attempts realized that some days I am not meant to try to line up stamps that precisely. I blame the overcast day. 😉 So instead I pulled out this tulip stamp, embossing it in sparkly embossing powder, before sponging the three colours of ink to match the challenge palette. I didn't want to cover up too much of the panel, so used some twine to add a small tag with a simple sentiment. If I hadn't used sparkly embossing powder, I might have considered making this a sympathy card for the stash... but I've also discovered seasonal ones aren't as versatile if you are suddenly in need of a sympathy card. 

I'm hoping tomorrow is a play-with-ink day, too, before a busy weekend! 

Supplies: white & Hero Arts layering cardstock, Hero Arts Newspaper Tulips & Mama Elephant Party Kit stamps, Versamark, Memento cantaloupe & dandelion & spun sugar distress inks, Wow white & Hero Arts sparkle clear embossing powders, Winnie & Walter Katharine & Sizzix traditional tag dies, yellow Divine Twine, fun foam

Pin It Now!

Roses and Muse

This week I decided I'd like to play in some card challenges... and look, it's already Wednesday, sigh. At least I have a card that purposely fits two challenges! Monday, the latest Muse challenge began, with this card by Jenni Murray: 

Right away, I had an idea of what I wanted to do. Then yesterday, Shopping Our Stash came out with its new challenge, A Rose By Any Other Name. A perfect fit! Here's my card:

Obviously, I focused on Jenni's overall floral panel in white on a coloured background, with a sentiment across the lower third. While I really liked the blue Jenni used, I decided to go with purple for mine. I embossed a rose background stamp in white — I really liked the effect when I used it for my Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers card. Instead of overlaying a sentiment, I cut my panel and embossed the sentiment on the background panel. I also kept my panels larger than Jenni's with less of the card base showing around the edges. 

I've started another two-in-one challenge card... will it be done in time? We'll see. 😂

Supplies: purple & Bazzill marshmallow cardstock, Impression Obsession Roses & Altenew Tulip stamps, Versamark ink, Wow white embossing powder, fun foam 

SaveSaveSaveSave Pin It Now!

Lots of Threes

My second post of the day! 

The new Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers post

is right here. 

Hard to believe, but we're halfway through April! The Troublemakers want to remind you that our current challenge is going strong:

I managed many threes for my latest card!

-three dress images
-three patterned papers
-three inks
-three embossing powders
-two sets of three gems! 

I'm adding this to the Current Seize the Birthday link-up with the option of using two patterned papers — yes, I used two (plus one 😉). This does say "happy birthday" on the inside, and will be going to my niece. 
You have until April 25th to come and play along with us! Join us here. 

Supplies: white cardstock, American Crafts Hip Hip Hooray patterned paper, Unity Undeniably You stamps, Versamark, Versafine onyx black & Memento Luxe love letter inks, Ranger clear, Wow white & Hero Arts clear sparkle embossing powders, MFT wonky stitching die, Hero Arts clear gems, fun foam 

Pin It Now!

Elegant Edna!

Happy Saturday! For the latest Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge, Edna has gone formal... 

E is for Elegant! Show us your most elegant creations, snark optional but always welcome. Mine is *almost* completely snark-free today: 

The centrepiece of my card is this oh-so-elegant panel from Graphic 45. To echo the pretty lace detail, I embossed a rose background stamp in white on black. A sentiment seemed superfluous. 
You may be wondering... the snark? Take a closer look at the model's hand. Creepy or what? So I say that's my hidden snark on the card. It may end up in my dreams tonight. 😱
Remember to check the elegance on display by my sisters in snark, as well as this week's Queen and guest designer, Josefine! I hope you'll join us. 

Supplies: black & cream cardstock, Graphic 45 Couture Beautiful patterned paper, Impression Obsession roses stamp, Versamark ink, Wow white embossing powder, fun foam 

Pin It Now!

Just Fur You... and MFT

I'm playing along with the My Favourite Things Sketch Challenge this week with, what else, a kitty card! Here's the sketch:

And my reasonably faithful take on it...

I coloured my boxed cat quite simply, concentrating mostly on his big grey patch. He's on a distress ink-sponged and water-splattered panel, which also qualifies this for Happy Little Stampers April CAS challenge to use blending on a card. For the diagonal element, some pawprint washi tape seemed just right. 
And thanks to a reminder from Lols, I can enter this in the current Wednesday Simon Says Stamp spring colour inspiration challenge! (Thank you!) 
If it's your celebration, enjoy this start to the Easter long weekend! 

Supplies: white & grey cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, MFT I Knead You stamps and die, Versafine onyx black & tumbled glass, broken china & shaded lilac distress inks, Ranger clear embossing powder, Spectrum Noir markers & clear glitter marker, MFT blueprints 24 dies, Queen&Co washi tape, pop-dot tape

SaveSave Pin It Now!

Happy Birthday!

I didn't want to miss a chance to play at Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday challenge this week... they are celebrating eight years of challenges with a Happy Birthday theme! I also wanted to participate in fellow Troublemaker Amy's new Always Fun Challenges. For the first challenge, the theme is Anything Goes, so a birthday card will fit just fine. 😉 Here it is: 

I've been trying to use some of the images I coloured during last month's colouring challenge, rather than adding them to my UFO (unfinished objects) bin, to be forgotten for untold lengths of time. This kitty with his fishbowl are two of them. For the background, I didn't want my clocks too defined, so brushed a watercolour panel with water before inking up the stamp with two colours of distress ink and stamping it. The sentiment I used is actually a two-line one, so I masked off the second line before stamping and embossing the first. This saved the punchline for the inside... "unless you wish to be younger... then you're screwed". Plus a big Happy Birthday, of course. 😄

Supplies: Stampin' Up crumb cake cardstock, Hero Arts layering cardstock, Strathmore watercolour paper, Paper Smooches Nine Lives stamps & dies, Hero Arts Time to Stamp & CAS-ual Fridays Whole Shebang stamps, Versafine onyx black & antique linen & vintage photo distress inks, Ranger clear & Hero Arts clear sparkle embossing powders, Zig clean colour real brush markers, Twinkling H2Os, MFT blueprints 24 rectangular stitched frame die, Glossy Accents, pop-dot tape

Pin It Now!

Three Glasses of Wine

April!!! April Fools' Day, of course, but also the latest Naughty or Nice challenge! 

THREE OF SOMETHING! And those cute bunny triplets are the hint that we're offering the option of making your creation an Easter one. I couldn't wrap my brain around a three-of-something Easter card, so I went with wine instead. 😉

I have my three wineglasses, but also happened to use three colours of cardstock as well. 

The Troublemakers are showing off all sorts of ways you can incorporate three of something with their inspiration pieces, so you have no excuse not to join us! 

P.S. This is my second post of the day! My post for the newest 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge can be found here. 

Supplies: white, black & grey cardstock, Hampton Arts /Laugh Out Loud Wine Theme stamps, Memento Luxe Love Letter ink, Ranger clear embossing powder, MFT diagonal stitched & Avery Elle Cheers dies

Pin It Now!

Snarky Silliness

Oh oh... a new Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers challenge falls on APRIL 1st??? Let the shenanigans begin!!! 

S is for SILLY! The Sisterhood does silly almost as well as it does snarky, so you know you're in for a fun challenge. Here is my contribution...

My Crazy Dog was coloured a few weeks ago as part of The Daily Marker 30 Day colouring challenge, so it was simply a matter of giving him this silly, over-sized Easter headband. I used blue and purple watercolour powders to make a border that looks vaguely like a pattern on a dye-dipped egg, then used a speech bubble to die cut my computer-generated sentiment. 
You'll want to check out all the silliness my snarky sisters have been up to, as well as our current Queen of Snark, Margo. I hope you feel inspired to come and join in on the silliness! 

Supplies: blue cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Tim Holtz/Sizzix Mini Crazy Cats & Dogs & Crazy Things stamps & dies, MFT black licorice & tumbled glass distress inks, Paper Smooches Word Bubbles die, Magenta Nuance water colour powders, watercolour pencils, pop-dot tape

Pin It Now!