Own Your Story...

Uck!!! It is a rainy Monday here in Western Washington!  So... I'm hoping to chase the grey away with a bright and cheery card I made using some wonderful My Favorite Things stamps and dies.

It is currently teaser-time over at the My Favorite Things blog and that means that new MFT stamps and dies are being featured!!  (Hop on over there to check out all the fun!)   It also means that it is time for another MFT guest designer contest.  The winner of this month's contest will get over $200.00 of MFT stamps and dies and get to participate in the MFT teaser-time releases and challenges for the following month!  Who wouldn't want an opportunity like that??  I certainly would!!  Did I mention that I love MFT stamps and dies??? No... well... I DO!!!  So... I put together my little card with this month's guest dt challenge in mind:  Hit the Books.   The challenge is open to interpretation... so my card is a pretty loose interpretation!

For my card I used the MFT set Own Your Story along with the coordinating die.  The patterned papers are from the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody 6x6 pad.  I stamped a notebook paper image from the set on patterned paper and trimmed it out.  I die cut additional paper using the coordinating die and stamped the sentiment at one end.  Three roses were created using the brand spankin' new MFT Royal Rose Die-namics die.  Now this die isn't available just yet... unless like me you got your hands on the February MFT VIP collection!!!  MFT has the BEST dies for making rolled flowers and this new one is no exception.  The flowers were made using various papers from the Howdy Doody pad.  I finished off the card with several leafy branches made using a Sizzix die and some pearls to the center of each flower.    The layout for the card is based on the current MFT Wednesday Sketch challenge sketch.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Card stock:  SU! yellow & pink; PP:  My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline; Stamps:  My Favorite Things Own Your Story; Dies:  MFT Royal Rose Die-namics & Own Your Story Die-namics die; Sizzix leaf die; K&Co pearls; May Arts lace ribbon; Ink:  SU! Close to Cocoa

Poppy Dreams....

{For my ODBD Shining the Light post, please click here}
Hello!! It Sunday and I'm here with a card for two CAS challenges:  Less is More (use neutrals) and One Layer Wednesday (black, cream & a bit of bling).    I hadn't done a OLW challenge in about a month.  Not entirely sure why other than maybe I was too busy or I was just lazy.  I love one layer challenges, but if I have to think about what I have to do too much then forget it!  Anyway.. when I saw Jennifer's challenge this week I had to play along this week.   I was so happy to see that this week's LIM fit perfectly with OLW because well... black and cream are definitely neutral!

I haven't used any of my Penny Black stamps in ages and decided to get a couple out to use for my card.  I used a PB woodblock stamp called Poppy Poem and a sentiment stamp called Dreams Come True.  The poppy image stamped using a somewhat dried out black ink pad.  The image is black, but not a strong black.  I did this so that the sentiment (stamped using a juicier black ink pad) would stand out more.   Some clear rhinestones from Want2Scrap were added to the center of the flower, as well as under the word "true" to finish the card.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI cream; Stamps:  Penny Black; Inks:  Close to My Heart black & Memento Tuxedo Black; Rhinestones:  Want2Scrap

I Have Something For You To Try!!!

{For my ODBD Shining the Light post click here}

Hey everyone!!  I'm back and this time... EEEPPP!!!...  I have something exciting to share!!  See that banner???? I'm guest designing for the fabulously talented Jen Del Muro's Sketch for You to Try sketch challenge!!!   When I got the email asking me if I wanted to be the guest designer for March I didn't hesitate one minute to say YES!!!  I really feel very honored that I was asked because I have only been participating in Jen's sketch challenge for the last four months or so!  It was only a little bit later that I thought to myself... did they ask the right person???   Anywhoo... on to this month's sketch and my card.

This month Something for You to Try is being sponsored by The Craft's Meow.  If you have not taken a look at the Craft's Meow's stamp line up, you really should!  For my card I used the super cute Craft's Meow set:  Owl Be Thinking of You.  Isn't the sketch absolutely fabby??  I stamped the tree image on white card stock and then colored it with some Copic markers.  The grass was created using Copics, as well.  The papers are from My Mind's Eye Dwell 6x6 paper pad.  I did some paper piecing of the little birdhouse, as well as with the clouds.  The cute little owls were colored with Copics and then trimmed out.  I thought it would be fun to use some ribbon and a button to create the long side piece on the sketch.   I just love how it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by.... now get over to Jen's blog and check out her fabulous card, as well as all the fabulous cards from the design team!!

Supplies:  Card stock:  PTI white; PP:  My Mind's Eye; Stamps:  The Craft's Meow; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Marina Mist; Copic Markers; Ribbon:  PTI Lemon Tart; Button:  PTI; Twine:  The Twinery

ODBDSLC99... Flowers

Hey everyone!!   Happy Saturday!  Time for another ODBD Shining the Light challenge!  This month is a special month for Our Daily Bread Designs because this month we are celebrating ODBD's fourth anniversary!!  YAY!!  There are going to be fun things going on all month so you are going to want to make sure you check the ODBD blog often.   One of the traditional gifts for a fourth anniversary is flowers and so this week we are challenging you to use flowers on your project and not just flower embellishment, but we want you to use your ODBD flower stamps!!!  

For my card I used one of my very favorite floral images from ODBD... the dogwood image from Grow in Grace.  Not only does this set have that beautiful dogwood image it also beautiful sentiments and verses. God's grace definitely is sufficient!! I went with a very soft and neutral palette for my card.  The patterned papers are from a Stampin Up! designer paper line called Beau Chateau.    The dogwood image was stamped using Memento's Rich Cocoa ink and then only the flowers were colored using very soft pinks and yellows.  I also used one of the images from the ODBD set Vine Borders.  The image was stamped on some designer paper using pink ink and then trimmed out.   Some crochetted lace and pearl flourishes finished everything off.  The layout for the card comes from this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  

As always, we will be giving out a prize, a $15 gift certificate to be used toward stamps at the Our Daily Bread Designs store!! Entries for the prize must be submitted by Friday, March 9th  at 8 a.m. EST. One random winner will be chosen and announced next Saturday.   Because this month is ODBD's anniversary month we are asking that all cards linked use only ODBD stamps.  We will be choosing 1 to 2 creations to spotlight for our Shining the Light Award.  In order to qualify for this award, however, you must use Our Daily Bread stamps and have your submission added to Mr. Linky by Friday, March 9th at 8 a.m. EST. If you upload your creations to Splitcoast Stampers or any other online gallery, please use the keyword is ODBDSLC99. When creating your posts on blogs please include a link to the challenge.


Thanks for stopping by... please take some time to check out the beautiful projects created by my fellow "sticks" Lori, Jan Marie, Jan, Debi, Chris, Kathy, and Sabrina! To join in the fun, please click here.


Supplies:  Card stock:  PTI cream; PP:  Stampin Up!; Stamps:  ODBD; Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black & Stampin Up! Pretty in Pink; Pearl Flourish:  Recollections; Crochetted Lace:  May Arts; Punch:  EK Success; Copic Markers

Pursue Happiness....

Hey there!!   Happy Friday!!  Gotta card for a couple of challenges:  ColourQ and Taylored Expressions (TESC153).   When I saw the new sketch for TESC my heart sank a little bit!  I mean... just look at that sketch!  How do you figure out how to fit 8 little squares, circles, whatever on a A2 sized card and make it look good??  But after a bit of think and looking at what the TESC design team (and if you want to see some fantastic cards, please take a look at the design teams' cards) came up with I had my fairly simple idea.

One of my favorite TE sets is Discover Your Wings.  One of the butterflies in the set is the perfect size for trimming out and popping up on a card in the numbers I needed.  So.. I stamped eight butterflies using Pumpkin Pie and So Saffron inks (the ColourQ colors are:  Pumpkin Pie, Delightful Daffodil, Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso & white).  I don't have Delightful Daffodil or Lucky Limeade inks, so I subbed in So Saffron & Pear Pizzazz.  The large floral image was stamped using Pear Pizzazz. I trimmed out all the butterflies, added the gems to their bodies and then popped them up on the card.  The main floral image was matted using both Pumpkin Pie & So Saffron card stocks.  Now where is the Early Espresso on the card you might ask.  Well I used it for the sentiment.  I thought about trying to color some gems with a Copic marker, but decided against it because I didn't think it would look that good.

Anywhoo... thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SU! Pumpkin Pie & So Saffron; Inks:  Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz & Early Espresso; Stamps:  TE Discover Your Wings; Gems:  Hero Arts & Want2Scrap

3 Sunflowers....

Hey there!! Wow... March is here already!!  Time sure is flying by!   Got a chance to make my card for this week's Timeless Tuesday challenge (yay!!!).   I used the current Sketchbook Saturday sketch for the layout.

This week the uber talented Tammy is hosting the Timeless Tuesday challenge and she has asked us to create something that has a country comfort feel to it.  For me nothing says "country" more than some beautiful sunflowers and soft weathered wood!  So, I pulled out my Flourishes Sunflower set and did a little bit of coloring with my Copics.   The set contains a large sunflower image and then a smaller version of the large image.  I stamped the large image once using Rich Cocoa ink and the smaller image twice using Rich Cocoa.  All three were colored with the following markers:  Y21, Y23, Y35, Y38, E11, E13 & E15.  I then trimmed all three out and inked up the edges a bit with some Old Paper Distress ink.  The label was die cut using a Spellbinders Label 11 and the edges inked with Old Paper.  I wanted to use a rather large sentiment for the card so I got out my Hero Arts Friends are Treasure cling set and used a sentiment from that.  The sentiment was stamped using Stampin Up!'s Close to Cocoa ink. The background was created by embossing some kraft card stock (to bring in the soft weathered wood feel) using a Sizzix embossing folder... the name of which I do not know... but it creates this beautiful lattice background and I love it!   A row of gems finished things off.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white & kraft; PP:  My Mind's Eye Sunshine; Ink:  Memento, Stampin Up! & Ranger; Stamps:  Flourishes & Hero Arts; Gems:  Hero Arts; Dies:  Spellbinders; Copic Markers; Embossing Folder:  Sizzix