You're My Cupcake: an aperture card :)

I'd like to thank Newton's Nook Designs for sending the ultra sweet stamp set "Love a la Carte!" This card was seriously a challenge because it requires 4 colors, something I don't typically do. I like to stick to 2 or 3 colors...but 4? Ok, I'm game!

Challenge: Inky Paws Challenge #06 so come join in the fun with your own creations!

Card Recipe:

Stamp Set: Love a la Carte by Newton's Nook Designs
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury White 120# base, DCWV shimmer cardstock
Derwent Color Pencils
Paper piecing (cupcake bottom paper: K&Company Brenda Walton)
Memento inks & markers
Spellbinders Nestabilities Circle Dies
EK Success & Stampin' Up Circle / Scallop / Square / ribbon hole hand punches
White button, twine, yellow gingham 3/4" ribbon, lime green, clear and pink rhinestones
3D Crystal Lacquer, glue dots, adhesive foam dots
Sakura Pink Star glitter pen

Thank you dear friends, for stopping by!!!!

Don't you LOVE the SEA?

I do, too! Snow covered mountains, endless fields of wild grasses blowing in the wind, diamonds sprinkled on the ocean -- I just adore all of it.

This is made for Lee's MIUM challenge at STV. It's a CAS challenge. I have issues with CAS because it's SO HARD TO STOP ADDING THINGS. Really! How does one know when to stop? I guess that is how one masters CAS technique. I have a long way to go. (Do you see the invisible glitter swirls? I hope not -- see? I.CAN'T.STOP.)

Direct to Paper (DTP) technique (just pull the ink pad across the paper)
"Enjoy the Sunshine" stamp set from Gina K. Designs
Broken China distress & Memento Tuxedo Black inks
Copic markers BG11 & BG13
Aqua rhinestones and adhesive foam behind the main card layer
Wink of Stella clear marker

Thank you for stopping by ♥

Sweet Music

This is a card made for the StampTV MIUM challenge this week, hosted by Cat!

I colored the image with Memento pastel markers, then covered with Delicata gold ink for shimmer. The cracked glass method is fun and easy to do. Gina has a great tutorial here:

The Cracked Glass Method

Stamp Set: Love is Friendship by Gina K. Designs
Inks: Memento, VersaMark and Delicata Gold
Gems: Want 2 Scrap, champagne 2 mm
Embossing Folder: Sizzix Curly Gate
Dies: Sizzix Framelits #657902
Piercing Tool & Stampin' Up Piercing Template
Fiskars Corner Embosser (for inside card)
EK Success 1/8" adhesive foam dot squares (my favorite) ScorTape & glue dots

I do not have an 'oval' piercing template. But Splitcoaststampers (SCS) has a really helpful tutorial showing how to use the square Stampin' Up template to create circles and ovals for perfect piercing. You can see both the video and the pictorial steps that Beate made here:

Perfect Oval and Circle Piercing

{You can see 3D shimmery, glittery goodness behind the UTEE & on the background}

Thank you so much for stopping by! 

Our House Sold :)

Hi friends,

It took a long wait for the market to begin a turnaround here on the Big Island. So we've been making that monthly mortgage on our first house since Jan 2007 when we moved into this one, besides making ends meet in this home and it's been a bear. We are very grateful though because we have a roof over our heads, utilities and grocery stores. We know what it's like to have nada. Our house sale was recorded yesterday, so we made our final mortgage payment on it and the first card is for the couple who bought it. This is their very first home purchase -- so we congratulate them. Some day soon we hope to begin the long haul on remodeling this home because we've had to concentrate on prepping the other home for sale. This one is in sad shape :(

The second card is for our realtor with whom we have worked with before. She and her hubby are very relaxed, friendly, fun and yet on top of every single step when representing a buyer or seller. They are also our friends (welcome to Hawai'i).

I used a triangle paper punch for the tree (x3), scored the front door to give it some paneling look, and used the corrugator thingey for the siding :D No templates for either card, just winged it.

Yes, that is a cat walking on the roof. Our Juliette (aka Murderess) loves patrolling our rooftop. It's so funny to watch her spiral walk her way down the ladder Bruce has up against the roof. She makes me laugh. I used floral soft for the wreath so it's very puffy-3D IRL. I covered the coconuts with Glossy Accents and the birds with clear glitter. 

Thank you so very much for stopping by!!!

Ding Ding Ding - Did You Win?

 everyone! I just can't believe we are starting another new year already! It's as if when I'm not looking, someone is pulling a few months out of my calendar every year. I'll try to keep a closer eyeball on it this year!   

It's time to pull a number out of the online Random Sequence Generator!!! I wish all 15 of you could win, but it won't be long until I give away more blog candy so stay tuned {winky winky}! In the meantime, THANK YOU to each one of you for visiting and playing with me!!!!

Random Sequence Generator

Here is your sequence:

 6
14
 9
10
11
 7
13
12
15
 5
 4
 8
 2
 1
 3

Timestamp: 2014-01-01 19:00:17 UTC

So provided I can correctly count up to six on my toes, the winner of our blog candy giveaway is----

JUDY WOODLAND!!!!!

                 

Sweet Judy - please let me know your current mailing address thru email here or STV - whichever way is easiest for you ♥ I'll get your package of goodies mailed out to you asap!

BLOG CANDY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

Aloha dear friends,

~ Blog Candy ~ Celebrating 50 members! I've been MIA lately due to injuring two lumbar discs and some other health issues and important life events. I miss EVERYONE! Each of you means so much to me and I just want to say thank you! Retail value of all gifts given in this candy is over $50 US.

Rules:

If you live in the USA, I can easily mail you these prizes. If you live outside the USA, I will need to send you A2 size, flat items only - papers, embossing folders, etc., because the shipping cost is simply too high to mail bulky or heavy items.

Entering is Super Easy! I hope notifying the winner is just as easy...

1. Leave me a little comment below.

2. See the link over on the top of the right side column? It says Follow by Email? Enter your email address to follow. You might have to confirm it but that's it.

3. Under that link it should say Join this Site. Please join. Once I hit 75 members, it will be time for more blog candy to be sent out. The biggie blog candy will be the 100 member mark as well as the next blogiversary!

I will use an online Random Number program to choose the winner.

You do NOT have to jump through a Wheel of Fire, holding one foot behind your back, with a spoon in your mouth, teetering a raw egg in the spoon, reciting the alphabet backwards. I stopped entering giveaways because of how hard they make it to enter.

Candy!!!! All items are brand new, unopened - I accidentally bought two of everything so YOU win lol!!! If you already own these items, you may wish to wait for the 75 member giveaway as it will all be different prizes.

                                                                           

Blog Candy Products

1. Darice Embossing Folder of "Grass" #1218-75. This fits the Cuttlebug and Big Shot along with similar die cut machines using two plates for embossing sandwich. The folder has a butterfly. flowers, and grasses with dimensional tops on the grasses, more like fern.
2. Marvy Uchida Clever Lever Craft Punch, 1" diameter circle. This is way easy to use, fast when you need circles, and can make so many things out of it - snowmen, faces, moons, suns, and much more.
3. Tim Holtz Distress Inks in "Old Paper"' and "Vintage Photo with two unused sponge daubers, not pictured here.
4. A brand new stamp set, deep red rubber and closely cut to the images, by Nina Brackett for Gina K. Designs, to use ALL YEAR LONG -- Fanciful Tags!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. I will include some pretty papers and ribbons, brads and eyelets and other surprises before closing up the package to be mailed out.

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 1, 2014!!!!

Please mark your calendars and I will do my ultra, mega best to notify you by email, Facebook, and thru the general cardmaking grapevine.

Finished :)

Hi friends,

Well, the light at the end of the tunnel has arrived (and it's not a train). The 2013 SCS HYYCT month of challenges has finished. (I can barely type LOL).

Here are my last creations. Forgive me for not typing info on them...

Thank you for your loving comments and encouragement!

With aloha ♥

Friendship Notepad for SCS HYCCT challenges

Eeek I almost forgot about this, do you believe it? We've been so busy at SCS I can't remember what I've made!

This is a gently altered spiral notepad. I used the Cropadile to punch holes in my MS dp every where there is a metal wire wrung. Then I cut angled slits towards each punched hole so that I could slide and push this dp onto the spiral binding. I used some glue to hold down all the dp around the binding, and used Scor Tape for the borders of the dp. Inside I used the same dp and just tried to be neat. Finally, I added a ribbon and an epoxy puffy sticker as the focal sentiment.

I am adding a new pink pen which has Susan G. Komen printed on it in gold.

This will also be packed up and sent to the breast

cancer patients in Texas soon ♥

Aloha! 

Floral Friends and a Positive Outlook - two more cards for SCS HYCCT!

Hi there,

This is the first time I worked with acetate. After trying Copics (no), Distress inks (no), and a few other inks, I read up on YouTube what does work? Ta Da - Our Humble Sharpies :D

You must color quickly lest you color over dry ink. This removes the ink! I used two shades of pinks and greens, and had to color as fast as I could. I outlined all of the image (stamped originally with StazOn) with more black Sharpie because it no longer was bold enough to see.

The 'smeary' parts in the photo are actually the shadows cast from the image towards the beige embossed paper insert behind it - It was the best picture I could get. It looks so much better IRL -- why is that so much of the time?

Because the corners smeared a bit, (Color Box Chestnut Roan), I stamped lace and florals around the card, then distressed edges. But the acetate is clean, sparkles and shines!

Stamps by GKD Dogwood and Butterfly by Theresa Momber, Corner Embellishments by Anna Griffin 18th Century Garden, Lace by SU.

The next card was supposed to resemble "subway art" but I have no idea what that looks like. The only sentiment I have that might come close to that is the one I used by Hero Arts below.

I love the dp which is from Susan Wright for K & Company. The mat pack is stunning.

Thank you dear ones for stopping by and taking a look!!!

Aloha ♥

Going to Town

Do you have many memories from when you were very, very young? I do. I think I was about 4 yrs old when our neighbor and landlord Mrs. Finke would take us to town in the very early 60s.

Our mom and all of us kids would pile in and she would take us to heavenly McDonalds. This was before they sold over a million burgers! Then we would go to a little grocery store (long before there was a 7-11) and buy a little bit of candy. I mean a little bit. We were very poor. But I recall eating those fake coke bottles, kind of like gummy bears? But when you bit into them, a tiny bit of yummy coke flavored goodness would cover your taste buds. That was very cool. Like - How did they get Coke inside a gummy candy bottle?

This card is made in memory of Mrs. Finke. She was what neighbors were all about - love, generosity, and goodness.

{Stamp Set: Technique Tuesday, All Aboard}

 

Almost at the finish line

Pant pant pant...

We are nearing the end of a month long challenges run at SCS Hope You Can Cling To journey. I will upload the last few I've made, just to save us time and typing :)

1. Blue Suede (shoes) Slingback Pumps!

Yes, this was for a challenge based on any of Elvis' songs. Used the Sakura glitter pen on the heels and shoe lining. Thank you to Kyra Scrapycat at STV for sending me her gifts of GKD Ocean Mist Ink and Ribbon which matches my GKD Ocean Mist buttons perfectly. Ahhh. Matchy matchy.
I also touched the glitter pen to all the smallest circles on the dp, and along the borders of the wonky rectangle and sentiment. It's really sparkly IRL. {Stamp Set: You've Got Style by GKD}

2. Sparkles in my heart in this Floral. Stamps by GKD, a la Theresa Momber with "Aloha" stamp set. I colored the flowers with Copics, then dusted the tops of everything with Stickles Diamond glitter and on the leaf, Lime Glitter. I simply embossed the card with Sizzix Birds (and Wreath) EF. Finally, I dotted the stamen with Viva Gold Pen dots. I do love sparkles! So I gave the birdie a little blue rhinestone eye :* {Stamp Set: Aloha by GKD}

3. While this is not for the SCS HYCCT challenges, it is for a friend living in Indonesia. She is superbly artistic and I sent her some PSX, Northwoods, and D. Morgan scenic stamps to play with. Hope you like them Dina!  ♥ {I think this stamp by is Precious Moments, sorry I can't remember for sure} Doesn't she remind you of the Little House on the Prairie Show?

4. Who doesn't like Winnie the Pooh? Esp Classic Pooh? I thought this could cheer up someone coping with the treatment for breast cancer, bring back memories from long ago.

It's very simply colored, sponged in clouds, used a tree stamp from a recent GKD set, and added dry embossing to the background dp. I had some dark chocolate brown pearls and the silk blue Maya Arts ribbon as embellies. HANG ON POOH AND PIGLET! {Stamp Set: Touch the Sky by All Night Media}

5. Riley Riley Riley. You daredevil you. Isn't he fun? I colored with Copics and added Stickles diamonds as big, snowball size snow flakes dumping onto him. He is a beginner skier but took the Black Diamond Lifts... This can't end well. I love the inside sentiment -- "Yeah, I don't have one of those." {Stamp Set: Ski Riley by Riley & Co.} Handtyped and printed the sentiments.

6. Finally, there is a mixed media card to share. Throwing caution to the wind, I reached for whatever was close and not used much. So this is the first time breaking open both the natural Mica flakes and the A/C duct tape from Home Depot (thanks honey). I embossed the sentiment (Darice Border Sentiments) onto AC tape, and after adhering the AC tape to cardstock, I cut it with Cheery Lynn Exotic Butterfly #3 Medium (whew) die cut. Then I rubbed on paste in dark green and gold to the dp and both the sentiment and to the butterfly, added a few turquoise gems for color. Lastly, I sprayed fixative over the top to hopefully adhere the mica flakes permanently. The flakes went on top of Glossy Accents. The butterfly is popped on foam.

I know this is a lot to look at and try to absorb.

Thank you ever so much for

stopping by and leaving your tender comments!!!

Aloha ♥

All for Hope You Can Cling To at SCS

I am still continuing to try and keep up with the October Breast Cancer support cards to be sent to a hospital in Texas.

The first card up is a very simple one to make, allowing the beauty of Gina K. Designs designer paper to glow through. There is a simple, gold embossed leaf as an embellishment under the sentiment.

The next card uses a free coloring image online which I just printed and colored, cut out each boot, curled them a bit, then sprinkled with glitter and pop dotted. The sentiment is just typed up and printed.

The third card is based on the Perry Como song and I just wanted it to be simple and let the star be the focal image. It's hand sketched along with the pocket.

The fourth card is also simple, using the "kissing" stamp technique. I used a fruit stamp from Gina K. Designs and kissed it with the SU Irish blessing verses stamp then punched it with a scallop punch.

Finally, Kittie C. used a serene theme for this challenge, so I used Theresa Momber's stamps and sponging technique for this ocean sunset.

Thank you very much for stopping by and taking a look!

Touch the Sky

This is also made for the HYCCT challenges at SCS. It was fun to make, and hand make the hills, trees and clouds :)

Stamp set, cardstock and dp by Gina K. Designs "Petals and Wings."

As always, THANK YOU for your kind and sweet comments!!!

Snowy Bridge

When it gets warm here, and especially humid, I imagine laying in the snow - ahhhhh.

I stamped this Northwoods stamp, "Winter Bridge," in Summer Sky blue by Memento. Then using Copics #B000 and B00 I added shading. Then I stamped VersaMark all over the image and sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds glitter over that.

All cardstock from GKD.

Thank you for looking!!!

Butterfly Dreams

This is a card for a challenge hostessed by Angela at SCS called "Inspiring Words."
The hardest part was finding the sentiment to use. The one I settled on is from a Gina K. Designs grab bag I won a long time ago, but isn't it a beautiful saying? It took me quite a while to pick this one.

After that the card is very simple. I used dp from K&Company by Susan Winget. The whole paper pack is gorgeous. I then took a Sakura clear glitter pen and outlined all the butterflies, then added a few dots here and there.

I made a matching bookmark and called it done. Easy Peasy after all those more difficult cards recently!

Thank you for stopping by and taking a look!!!