You can never have too many flamingos

How cute is this stamp?  I just love this flamingo!  Sometimes it's nice to make a Christmas card that's a little out of the ordinary and I think this qualifies! 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges...

Sew Many Cards (snowflakes)

Craft Your Days Away (texture)

Crafty Pad (anything goes)

Creative Cottage (Untraditional Christmas)
Craft Your Passion (Anything goes)
AI Factory Challenge (winter)
The Stamp Man (any 3 colors ~Christmas theme)
Stamps R Us (Holiday card)

Paper Playtime (snowflakes)
Totally Papercrafts (Christmas Punches)
Alota Rubber Stamps (snowflakes)
Delightful Challenges: Embossing

Card makings:

Spellbinders dies

Digital Delights: Flamingo

Flamingo phrase: unknown red rubber cling stamp (maybe Rubbernecker?)

Copic markers

Stickles (Icicle)

Martha Stewart: snowflake punch

misc. snowflake punches

Cuttlebug, Stampin' Up and Quickutz embossing folders

Pom Pom ribbon

Organdy ribbon

Pink lacy ribbon

Thank you Art Impressions! I love Maude!

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Art Impressions but they run a monthly contest with a theme.  This month was "The Maude Show".   I made one card that was just a fun Maude style card but for my second card I took the theme quite literally.  I tried to create a card that looked like an old television set.  It's tough to see in the photo but there is clear plastic where the screen is and Maude is behind it.  The dials are 3-dimensional as well which doesn't show in the photo.  Art Impressions is one of my all time favorite stamp companies and I own just about every stamp that AI has ever made.  The Golden Oldies are my favorite.  They have so many fun sayings to go along with them too!  I'd like to thank them for my second place finish in this month's contest.  (the website says 3rd place so I'm going to have to look into that.  My e-mail and gift certificate both say second place)  I can't wait to pick up some of the new releases that I don't have yet!!

 Card makings:

Maude image: Art Impressions

Heart punch

white gel pen

scoring tool

circle punch

Copic markers

stickles (on the steam)

button

clear plastic (I save old plastic packaging from things like Cuttlebug folders or Spellbinders dies)

Cranky Maude

What can you say about Maude...she's a bit of a grouch sometimes.  I like to assume it's only in the morning before she's had her first cup of coffee.  I love this stamp from Art Impressions.  I really wanted to "wild" her up this time so she's dressed in animal print.  I also used an AI sentiment that says I'm not deaf... I'm ignoring you. 

Card makings:

Image & sentiment: Art Impressions

Copic markers

Sizzix embossing folder

Martha Stewart border punch

buttons

puff paint

Hey everyone!  I received some very exciting news today! My trinket box made with two Sugar Creek Hollow stamps has been featured on Showcase Sisters blog. I'm so proud and so glad they chose something from my DT work. They're such pretty stamps that I used on this box. I can see why it was chosen. Thank you Tracy for making the stamps that inspired this project!  Here's the link to the original post so you can see all of the photos and details... Sugar Creek Hollow Trinket Box.

Don't judge me!

Here's another funny lady from Art Impressions.  I wanted to make a card that was bright and fun to match how I envisioned her outfit.  What's one of the main ingredients needed when you go to the beach?  Sunshine of course.  This was very easy to make.  It was a lot of fun and I think she looks great on the front.  In order to get real looking sand I used real sandpaper.  I wanted a fun phrase to go with her so I chose this... Friends never judge each other...everyone else, however, is fair game.  Inside it says Happy 29th Birthday from your 110 lb. friend.  Of course it's only funny if you give it to someone who's 30 or more and you weigh more than 110 pounds.  I happen to qualify for both of those!

To make this card I first cut a rectangle that measured 4" x 8".  Next I used a Spellbinders die to make the big scalloped circle.  After I had my circle cut I punched the borders and glued them on.  I flipped the paper over and trimmed off any excess so that they followed the outline of the circle.  The next thing that I did was to freehand cut a flame.  I made mine look a little like a Hershey kiss.  Once I was happy with my shape I traced it to make 8 more flames. 

I  began with the top flame and then added the two next to it. 

Next, I skipped to the two side flames.  I felt I would get them more evenly spaced by doing this.  There's no particular order that you have to use though.  Then, I added the rest of the flames. 

After all of my flames were glued on I added my sun and sand and then after adding dimensional tape to the beach lady I stuck her to the front. 

My last step was to glue the sun to the front of my card and stamp the sentiment.

I hope this inspires you to do something a little different.  If you create something like this I'd love to see it!

Card makings:

Stamps: Art Impressions

Spellbinders big scalloped circle

Stickles: Yellow, Picket fence

Copic markers

Colorbox fluid chalk ink: Lipstick red

sandpaper

EK Success wave & swirl border punches

Sizzix green die: Cloud

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Heavenly bodies

They say the universe is made up of heavenly bodies... of course they mean us!  I love this sentiment from Art Impressions!  I thought it went just perfect with this cute couple.  I love how full of life they are!  I tried out my new wave punch from Fiskars.  It's really cute.  I have some plastic letters that I picked up at the dollar store YEARS ago.  I never used them so I decided rather than let them go to waste I would start using them for WHATEVER!  I cut one of them up and made the splashes that are behind the old couple.  I love that you can see through them like real water.  I'm trying to squeeze every last bit out of summer.  I go back to work on Sept. 7.  Summer was just too short!

Card makings:

Stamps: Art Impressions

Copic markers

Fiskars wave punch

Quickutz embossing folder

ribbon

Stickles

Colorbox fluid chalk ink: Prussian blue

blue plastic

acrylic glaze (on goggles)

Midnight Madness Gold Star Award

This morning when I opened my e-mail to check it I was recieving congratulations about my win.  What win?   I had to read on.  It turns out that my first ever submission to the Priscillastyles Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge was chosen as the gold star winner.  Thank you so much to everyone over there.  I'm very honored and excited to be chosen.  For my card I used images from Sugar Creek Hollow.  I'm sure I'll be playing along with many other challenges!

Girls Night Out

Here is the second card that I made for Art Impressions May contest.  I used the Chick Trio stamp from their Bird Brains line.  I colored them with Copic markers and used coordinating Stickles glitter glue on them.  These girls are definitely ready for a night on the town.  Inside I used the phrase Happy birthday to a real "Dish"! and bird tracks.

Disco Fever

This is my entry in the Art Impressions May contest with the theme "I feel like dancin'!"  I love this couple!  The have so many possibilities!  I started with my background and used an EK Success border & matching corner punch.  I then cut the Spellbinders polka dot frame out and used green glitter glue to highlight the dots.  I placed a black piece that's embossed with a Cuttlebug folder behind  the frame.  I used another EK Success border punch to make the circle strips that I placed randomly on the background.  Next I used the Spellbinders Octogon die to make the disco ball which is hanging from the "ceiling" by a strip made with yet another EK Success border punch.  I embossed the disco ball with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder.  Lastly, and most importantly I stamped the "80's" couple and colored them in with Copic markers.  I finished them off with Stickles glitter glue to give them the "flash" that every disco couple needs.  Now I know disco was in the 70's so let's just say I used my creative license on this one!  Inside I used a Dream Impressions stamp that says "Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone!"  Happy Birthday.   Don'tcha love it?!!

First place April winner

My card won 1st place in Art Impressions April contest.  You had to use a photo of a plane that they posted somewhere on your card.  I came up with the idea to do a "blind date" and the plane made me think of the Wright Bros.  I used a filmstrip border punch to make the planes look like an old movie.  I can't wait to get some new stamps with my GC!!  Thanks again AI!  (View contest winners here)

Snail Mail

This is my other entry for the Art Impressions April contest.  We were required to use the photo of the U.S. Mail plane on our card.  I used Oscar along with the photo and printed my joke off the computer.  I had to freehand the speech bubbles because I didn't want them to just look like scalloped ovals.  The stamps and the piece across the middle were embossed with Cuttlebug folders.  Oscar was colored with Copic markers. 

Under the weather?

As you all know, Art Impressions is one of my all time stamp companies.  I am crazy about their old people (as well as tons of others!).  The old people are my absolute favorite though which is why I also love I Brake For Stamps and Rubbernecker.  This month's A.I. contest is to make a card for TROUBLED TIMES - GET WELL, SYMPATHY OR ENCOURAGING CARDS.  I chose get well.  I used a combination of paper piecing and coloring with Copic markers for this card.  The band-aid was made by cutting a rectangle, rounding the edges and running it through my cuttlebug with the swiss dots folder.  The cute felt flower was a Christmas ornament that I got on clearance at Wal-Mart.  It was a 6 pack for only .10 cents!!  I got 4 different colors.  Can't beat that! You can't tell in the photo but her hand that's holding the remote is popped out on dimensional foam. 

Get Well or ELSE!

Get well, or else!  That's what I swear this nurse is thinking.  The nurse and doctor's office are both from Art Impressions.  I kept the card pretty simple and let the images be the focal point.  I did choose the other items carefully though.  I thought that this cuttlebug embossing border folder looked like an EKG print out. (I think that's what I'm thinking of).  I also thought that the little white eyelets were like pills.  The get well letters are cut from Sizzix Girls are Weird sizzletts.  Copic markers were used to color the images. 

Cute little cupid

Happy Valentine's Day!  (a day late)  Too busy yesterday to post.  We had 5 soccer games, a basketball game and a dance recital yesterday.  This adorable Boy Cupid is from Art Impressions. The bouncing hearts are also AI. He's colored w/my Copic markers and layered on mattes/frames cut w/ Spellbinders nestability label dies.  The red matallic hearts were made with paper punches.

Happy New Year 2010

I made it just under the wire! I managed to find time to do one card for this month's Art Impressions contest. Obviously the theme is New Year's Eve. I used several of their stamps for this card. None are actually New Year's Eve stamps but I thought this would be fun. For Dec. 31 I used Rhonda with Hat (http://www.artimpressions.com/Product.asp?Sku=T2784) & the Old enough to know better... (http://www.artimpressions.com/Product.asp?Sku=E1427)phrase. For the morning after I used Maude (http://www.artimpressions.com/Product.asp?Sku=I1238&ProductName=Maude) and the phrase I'll rise but I refuse to shine (http://www.artimpressions.com/Product.asp?Sku=E1431). The other stuff was printed from my PC. The cute star border is a new line at Michael's from the makers of American Girl Dolls. The numbers were cut from Sizzix Fun Serif dies. It was all colored with Copic markers and a little glitter hear and there finished it off. Happy New Year all!

Another contest win

I took second place in the November Art Impressions contest. This months theme was the beauty of nature. I think I broke my record... I used 7 of their stamps on 1 card. Hopefully I'll have time to make a card for the December contest. It will be tight but just maybe...

Winter Wonderland

This card is for the Art Impressions November contest: The Beauty of Nature. I thought 'tis the season for snow and snowmen so I built on that theme. I absolutely love the new tree and fence stamps. Actually they're all so darn cute from the snowman to the birds (which are taken from the scarecrow stamp) to the cute little rocks. They have the best stamps! I colored everything with my copics and used clear glue and white snow shaped glitter to make the snow that's covering everything. There are some tiny little punched snowflakes as well. I love the soft color scheme. It really does remind me of a wintry day. As the phrase says... Let it snow!

First place card winner

I won another Art Impressions contest. I took first place for October. Can't wait to spend my GC!! Thanks again AI! http://www.artimpressions.com/ContestInfo.asp

Happy Fall from Art Impressions

This is my other entry for the AI October contest. This month they posted an inspiration photo and you had to use either the theme or colors from it. I went with colors. The photo was a fruit stand with lots of "autumny" colors. I think this scarecrow of theirs is absolutely adorable. He's all colored with Copics except for the background. The sky and dirt were sponged on with dye ink. I used a punch to make the corn stalks and the felt and crystal leaves were from Targets dollar spot. The card was cut from a Spellbinders Label Nestabilities. Happy Fall everyone!

Strut Your Stuff

It's your day so strut your stuff. That's a phrase from Art Impressions that I paired with the Rooster and Hen dancing. It's a birthday card and the inside phrase says "happy birthday to fabulous you" and has bird tracks stamped in it that are also from AI. I thought the gingham paper and ribbon gave it the country farm look I was going for as well as the fence cut with Quikutz dies. They are colored with Copic markers and the background was sponged with pigment ink. The rectangle was cut with a nestability die. Now... who has the next birthday?? ...who doesn't read my blog.