INK-A-PALOOZA Sketch Challenge!

I've made three cards today for the various INK-A-PALOOZA challenges at The Stamp Shack.

This one is for Joanie's Sketch Challenge using the sketch below. It is taken from "The Joy of Cardmaking" by Wendy Johnson. At first glance, you may think I've forgotten about the three sections on the bottom of the card, but if you look closely, you'll see that I zig-zag stitched the sections onto the floral paper. I tried using three different patterned papers but I thought it distracted from the image. And by the way, the image is a $1 Michaels stamp... colored with prismacolor pencils. I got out my neglected giga & mega circle punches for the center.

I'm still working on a couple other challenges and will post the rest of my creations tomorrow. I hope you're having a nice weekend!

Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me. ~Author unknown, variation of an excerpt from "The Serenity Prayer" by Reinhold Neibuhr

INK-A-PALOOZA Color Challenge!

Today is the first day of "INK-A-PALOOZA" at The Stamp Shack and I'm hosting a Color Challenge with the opportunity to WIN a prize!

To enter this challenge, you must create a hand-stamped card using the colors GREEN, PINK & BROWN. For those of you who like to think in terms of Stampin’ Up colors…think Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Close to Cocoa! But, any shade of green, pink and brown will be acceptable. You may use designer paper, but it must have only shades of these colors.

Since this is a Stamp Shack sponsored event, you must post your challenge card in the Creative Team, Special Events Gallery at The Stamp Shack and begin the title with IAP4. Once you’ve done that, please come back here and leave a comment with the link to your card so you will be included in my random PRIZE drawing for a brand NEW Stampin' Up set!

WIN A PRIZE!

Best Kind of Friend

by Stampin' Up!

This is the card I created as an example. The designer paper is "Surfer Girl" by The Paper Studio. The sentiment is one of my new stamps bought last weekend in Lincoln at Ben Franklin Too. It's "Kiss of the Sun" by Verses Rubber Stamps.

Ink-A-Palooza starts today and runs through Sunday, May 4th. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

As I mentioned earlier, this challenge is sponsored by the Stamp Shack, so all entries must be posted in the gallery there to be eligible for the prize drawing. Let the FUN begin! :)

Stampin' Smiles,

"Stamping makes an ordinary day more colorful!"

You Made My Day!

Have you ever made a card that you were simply HAPPY with? :) I just did!

Yesterday, I was so surprised to find these super CUTE Changito monkey images in my mailbox! How FUN! Of course, I couldn't wait to color them and create a card for my sweet Stamp Shack friend {Suzi F} who sent them to me! She knew I had been looking for this stamp and couldn't find it locally, so she stamped some images for me and offered to look at her Archivers to see if they still have it there. SWEET!

There is a sentiment that goes with this image, but I chose one from my Hero Arts set instead because it said exactly what I wanted to say ~ You made my day! :)

Do you like this designer paper? My sweet DIL Jami just gave it to me last weekend. It's from the Basic Grey Urban Prairie line. I happened to have it on my craft table when I was coloring the image and WA-LA! Don't you love it when that happens?! :)

Yesterday I was on a ROLL and made 5 cards! One is for a sketch challenge at The Stamp Garden in Sioux Falls. I used one of the Changito monkey stamps that I bought when I was shopping there. I'll post it later...

Have a super Sunday and do what you love! Smiles...

Quote for Today ~

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~Danny Kaye

April Showers Bring May Flowers!

HAPPY HI from Nebraska where we're having a nice Spring RAIN shower today! Even though I much prefer SUNSHINE, it's "April showers that bring May flowers"!

Would you believe I have another 3-day weekend? YaY for me! :) My sweet DIL Jami had an appt in Lincoln yesterday and invited me to ride along, so I took a day of vacation from work. She and I and another stampin' friend Karmen took a little roadtrip and what a FUN day we had! Lots of talking, laughing, lunch and SHOPPING!

I got the rubber stamps for this card at the Ben Franklin Too store, which has SO many rubber stamps I was overwhelmed and kept changing my mind trying to decide which ones to buy. Jami spotted these "Bee Showers" and "Let it Rain" stamps by Stampendous and knew I would want to have them! duh! :) In the next few days, I'll show you some of the other stamps I couldn't resist. Let's just say I had Spring Fever! :)

This card is kinda BUSY (busy bees?) with the floral background paper, but I went with it anyway and colored the image to coordinate. (At least, I think it does! :) I've been using this paper quite a bit lately because there are so many pretty florals. It's Wild Raspberry ~ an 8x8 pad by K&Company that I purchased at Michaels. The base cardstock is Stampin' Up marigold morning and the image was colored with Copic markers. The twill ribbon is from Taylored Expressions.

Today, I've been doing laundry and a few little household chores, but couldn't wait to get in my stampin' room and ink up these new stamps! I need to work on a couple ATC swaps that I signed up for at The Stamp Shack and also figure out my color challenge for our Stampapalooza "Week of Ink" coming up soon!

Wanna hear something funny? I rarely bake anymore, but this morning I decided to make my favorite coffee cake recipe. Mr Wonderful loves to have goodies around the house and since he bought groceries (he always does...I don't like to!) I figured I would quick make this favorite of ours. I had the topping mixed up, the eggs were in the bowl and I was just ready to spoon in the sour creme and realized it had CHIVES in it! :) ugh! That might work on our baked potatoes, but not in our coffee cake!

If you want a quick and easy dessert recipe, this is a GOOD one! I got it from a friend at work years ago and use it often.

LaRee's Struesel Coffee Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1/4 cup firm butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

3 eggs

1-1/2 cup sour creme

Measure and mix together in small bowl: 2/3 cup of the dry cake mix, butter, brown sugar and nuts. Set this aside for the topping.

In another bowl, beat together eggs, sour creme (with NO chives :) and the remaining dry cake mix. This will be very thick. Spread 1/2 of this into a 9x13 greased/floured pan and then sprinkle 1/2 of the topping mixture on. Then spoon on the other 1/2 of the cake batter and topping. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. ENJOY!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and you all know how I love reading your comments! (hint)

May your weekend be filled with SUNSHINE & SMILES!

Quote for Today ~

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A Real Color Inspiration Challenge!

This was definitely a "challenge"! Individually, I love the Stampin' Up colors kiwi kiss, pacific point and rose red, but I just wasn't too sure they worked together.

After much pondering, I decided to create a card similar to one I saw a couple months ago on one of my favorite blogs ~ Stamp & Smile. Michelle is SO talented and always blows me away with each and every one of her creations.

If you like using punches, you'll love making this card. I've used the wide oval punch for the flower pots, cut off the top and bottom and sponged white craft ink on one side for highlights. The other side is sponged with the same ink as the cardstock color. Actually, you wouldn't necessarily have to use the punches to make this card, you could cut them freehand too. Any flower punch would work...I chose to use one from my 3-flower Stampin Up punch. This card is very bright and cheery, but I had quite a time tonight trying to get a decent photo without shadows. :)

MW and I had a wonderful time in Sioux Falls and I got to do some SHOPPING! I was happy to use my Michaels coupons on some new ribbon, designer paper and a cool little oval punch by Jolees. Also, we drove downtown and found The Stamp Garden...a darling little shop full of a wide variety of rubber stamps and products to tempt me! I was wishing I had my camera to take photos to share with you. Next time I will! Of course, I didn't walk away empty handed...I bought all four of the Changito monkey stamps they had on the shelf and ordered a newly released birthday set too.

If you want to play along with this color inspiration challenge, just go to KWernerDesign.com. Even if you don't participate, be sure to take a minute to view all the fabulous creations others have made. It is truly amazing! I find SO many fantastic new blogs this way.

Do you have special plans for Easter Sunday? I'm so blessed to have a sweet DIL who loves to cook and we're invited to Andy & Jami's for dinner. That makes my day! :)

God's blessings!

Quote for Today ~

Let the resurrection JOY lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and HAPPINESS. ~Floyd W. Tomkins