So thoughtful!

I created this card yesterday, inspired by the colors of my son's shirt--Green Galore, Night of Navy & Brocade Blue, as a thank you for a wonderful baby gift from my SIL's parents. I wish I would've taken a picture of the whole ensemble which consisted of all handmade items--a hooded bath towel, 2 soft cotton crocheted washclothes, and a wonderfully brightly colored crib blanket. It was all tied together with a beautiful bright green ribbon which I fully intended to use on this card, but it was just too wide (7/8" I believe). So, I opted for this bright green Offray felt ric rac instead. Well, guess what?! Over at Splitcoaststampers, yesterday's Ways To Use It Challenge #171 was to use ric rac--a double play for me! Isn't it funny how things just work out sometimes?!

Have a wonderful afternoon and happy weekend!

American Art Stamp designs...

Here are two cards I created yesterday using new stamps from American Art Stamp. You can read more about them at the AAS design team blog of which I am part: In A Meeting and Just A Note. While you're over at the AAS blog, check out the other great works of my design team members: Michelle, Cindy, Janine & Kirsten!

Sketch Challenge 181

Good morning! Today's sketch challenge over at Splitcoast makes for a quick and easy card--right up my alley! I chose to use a piece of retired Au Chocolat designer paper in combination with the soon-to-be retired Wild Wasabi cardstock and matching stitched grosgrain ribbon, all from Stampin' Up!. My sentiment is from Absolutely Fabulous, a set from SU! that I *had* to have but haven't used with much frequency. If you've never tried a challenge over at SCS, try the sketch challenge today...click here for all the juicy details on the sketch and uploading your image.

One quick sidenote: the inspiration for today's sketch came from Starofmay. I absolutely *love* this girl's style and she has an uber cool (is that even cool to say anymore?) blog found here. Check it out!

Color Challenge 171

Here's a quick card for today's color challenge over at SCS~CC171: Soft Sky, Kraft & Basic Black. Emily, the Color Challenge hostess with the mostess plans to feature one of the retiring In Colors '08 each week as we'll sadly bid them goodbye in another month or so. So today's featured In Color is Soft Sky. I have loved combining it with black this past year--I think the two colors make a great pair, so striking...elegant...bold. I guess I'd better stock up on Soft Sky cardstock before time runs out. Anywho, without further adieu...here's my card. I also cut into a new set I've had lying on my stamp table from Cornish Heritage Farm called Motivational Centers, created by *the* Lisa Strahl, aka Mona Lisa Moments. T here are so many wonderful sentiments included in this set...check it out here!

Supplies: Stamps--CHF Motivational Centers, CHF For the Men; Ink--Palette Noir Black; Paper--Spring Silhouettes, Kraft, Basic Black Soft Sky; Accessories--May Arts ribbon, buttons, brads.

New Banner!

What a fun and sweet surprise...a new banner by Morgan, Val Stangle's daughter! Morgan is a whiz with PSE and came up with this all on her own using a picture of my 9 month old, George. I just love the ink dots behind the title...how ingenious, eh?! Check out more of Morgan's work on her Mom's blog.

Thanks so much, Morgan! Ü

Something old, something new...

If you visit my blog with any frequency, you'll notice that I tend to utilize layouts or sketches over and over again, tweeking them as I go. This card is a perfect example of my tweeking. I took the previous post's card which featured Jen del Muro's Saturday Sketch For You To Try, eliminated one of the layers, changed up the colors and *vwah-la* a sorta new card! I also swapped the upper right hand circle embellishment with a Felt Fusion spikey orange flower with a flat-sided pearl from the My Pretties kit, both from Stampin' Up!. I like the combo of the felt and pearl. Challenge yourself to save yourself some time this week and tweek one of your cards into something old, something new!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: Stamps--Carte Postale; Paper--textured Soft Sky, Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery, Certainly Celery DSP, Spring Silhouettes DSP; Ink--Chocolate Chip, Versamark; Accessories--ribbon from packaging, Felt Fusion, My Pretties.

Mon Amie...a day late!

Ok, ok, so if you know *the* Ms. Carole Burrage, you know how good she is with words. She frankly intimidates the h-e-double hockey stix outta me with her verbage, so much so that I don't even know if I just used the word *verbage* correctly. I'm in hot water with her at the moment anyway seeing I didn't give her the 4-1-1 that I joined the blogging world, but I didn't want to come off as a diva or something, telling her to come over to my new web-place and expecting to be lavished with ooh's and aah's...you know?!

So, once she finds out I'm blogging, she starts ranting about it on her blog and throwing me right into the fire, signing me up for Jen's Sketch For You To Try...geesh, what kinda friend is that?! I'll tell you what kinda friend that is: exactly the kinda friend I want, need, like to have around! I need a little push from time to time and Carole is one hot mama to whom I just can't say *no*...nor do I want to!

Thanks, friend...this one's for you! And, by the way...a big congrats on your *dirty* nod!


See what Susie and Carole came up with using Jen's sketch by clicking on their names!
Supplies: Stamps--Carte Postale; Paper--Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Enchante dp; Ink--Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery; Accessories--brad, Chocolate taffeta ribbon