Sunflower Studio

BIRTHDAY GIRL {sfytt}

Here's a second try at Jen's SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY from this past Saturday. {The sketch is in the post prior to this one.}  While I liked my card, after I viewed the cards from the other SFYTT gals I was feeling a little underwhelmed with my own.  I mean, really, some of those cards were super fancy.  It was like one of those "kick it up a notch" challenges that you find in Creating Keepsakes magazine.  So, while I studied Jen's card and the details of it, and then tried to recreate some of it...my card still came out on the simpler side.  Oh well...that should tell me something.  "Stick with what I know!"

This stamp is another of the PURE INNOCENCE images recently released by MY FAVORITE THINGS.  The set is called MY BALLOON.  They're just the sweetest, sweetest images.  I really hope that Kim releases more of them.  They're hard to resist.  The actual stamp image doesn't show the top of the red balloon.  I drew that in and drew out a couple more balloons to match the Basic Grey patterned paper layer.  

I'm soooo late in getting the present - AND this card - to it's recipient.  None of it will be a surprise at this point:  not the card since she'll see it here, not the present since she told me what to buy, and not the fact that it's late in coming either!  Good thing it's my sister and she's been known to be a little late herself...Happy Birthday, Lynn!!!

FLURRY OF LOVE {sfytt}

I am in love with this new line of images from MY FAVORITE THINGS.  They're called PURE INNOCENCE and that name fits perfectly for these darling little stamp and sentiment sets.  This little girl is in the set called, what else, FLURRY OF LOVE.  My new stamps have been living on the corner of my work table while I finished up some other stamping projects...they just grabbed my attention this morning when I sat down to create my card for this week's SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY. 

As usual for JEN's sketches, this has a ton of possibilities.  I thought the placement of the embellishments in the sketch would be the perfect for some swirling glittery snowflakes.  The rhinestone swirls are from Walmart and the snowflakes are from the Recollections line at Michael's.  I added a strip of scalloped velvet trim from Creative Imaginations on top of pretty holiday papers from K&Co. in a pad from last year.

I'm off to check out the other SFYTT girls and see what they're created with today's sketch.  You can follow the links below to do the same...

Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles

and Jen del Muro (Jen's made a really cute card using TCP images!) with this month's special guest artist.

CHRISTMAS WISHLIST & RECEIPT BOOK - 2009

For the last so many years I've been making myself a WISHLIST & RECEIPT book so that I can keep track of my Christmas shopping.  You know how it is when the frenzy hits?!  If I don't write things down and keep the receipts in one place then they'll never be seen again.  They get lost in the holiday black hole - also known as the guest room closet...eeek! 

Normally, I would use one of the Sizzix file folder dies to make my page/envelope thingies...you can see one from a few years ago HERE.  This time, I decided to use envelopes for my pages and to bind it together with my Bind-It-All machine. 

First, I decided on the size of my book and cut chipboard cover pieces for that.  I used the Xyron to add patterned paper to the covers.  I sealed each envelope and then cut off a piece of one end.  That's where the receipts can slide in.  I inked the edges of the envelopes and bound the book with a large coil so that it can be as thick - when filled - as I need it to be.

For the inside pages, I used the Top Note die from SU! for the label shape.  I stamped "wishlist" and the numbers using a new TCP alphabet set called COOLVETICA and then stamped images from the PENGUIN CHRISTMAS set in the bottom corner after "stamping off" ink so that the image is more muted.  I used a Marvy file label punch for family member name tabs.  Oh, and I used a circle punch to create a little finger hole to grab and/or insert receipts.

For the outside of the book, I cut the Top Note die shape from chipboard and covered it with patterned paper {Making Memories}.  I then layered a piece of a bingo card {Jenni Bowlin} and the penguins and their tree from the PENGUIN CHRISTMAS set.  All is colored up with Copics.  I added polka dots to the tree with fancy GLITZY GLITTER that's brand new from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS for the holidays and a big ole yummy bow using SU! wide striped grosgrain ribbon with buttons from TCP.  The "wishlists & receipts" tag finishes it off...again with the COOLVETICA alphabet.

And...now that we're in crunch time and the Christmas shopping frenzy has begun, I've really gotta get on it and make another of these for ME!  My original went straight to Alma as a TCP sample.  What will I do without my book...YIKES!

TCP Tuesday #85 - Inspiration

Toni found us a fun inspiration photo for this week's TCP Tuesday challenge.  It's a cute hat from LL Bean.  {On a side note...I gotta say that I've seen quite a few cute things from LL Bean this year...good for them!}  Well, my mind tells me that this is brown, turquoise, white, and a fuschia kind of pink.  That's what I went with anyway.  Toni's card looks like she went a little more "purple" though.  But, it's an inspiration challenge so you can really do whatever works for you.

I'm still loving all of Alma's new holiday sets so that's what I used here.  The fun bear is included in the GIVE A LITTLE set and the sentiment is from the PENGUIN CHRISTMAS set.  I really like that the sets are sort of interchangeable. {And they're a part of this month's KITTY KAT PACK too so that's extra savings, sisters!}  The patterned paper is from a little set of swatches from October Afternoon that I picked up at CHA last year.  I'm really diggin' all of the scrappy style cards that are popular right now.  {Amy Rohl does a great job with this style!}  For whatever reason, I seem to have trouble achieving the right look - at least in my eyes.  I would count this card towards that style though....especially with the big ole bow (ribbon from JoAnn's) and the rhinestone circle (Best Occasions from Walmart).  I'm cool with how it turned out!

Here's your part...grab some of your CAT'S PAJAMAS stamps and come up with something of your own - inspired by the hat up above, of course.  You have until the end of the day on Saturday to add your card to the GUESTBOOK on Alma's blog to be entered to win this month's SWANKY STAMPER title and the Cat's Cash that goes along with it.

A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS {sfytt}

Welcome to another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY!  This week some of us are using adorable digis from YOUR NEXT STAMP on our cards.  The image that I chose is called Skating Ellie with Merry Christmas.  She's so cute and she's available digitally for a limited time. 

I haven't had too much experience with the digi images but I do think it's pretty cool that you can print the "stamp" out as many times as you need to and, I guess, you can change the size too if necessary.  Pretty cool.  I printed Ellie in the size that the image sent to me was set at onto PTI Select White cardstock with my inkjet printer.  Then I colored her with my Copics...no smearing!  Worked perfectly...I like it!

I can't wait to see what images the other SFYTT girls chose to use and how they interepreted JEN's sketch this week.  Here's the list so that you can click on over:

Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles

and Jen del Muro with special guest Amy White.

Oh, and I almost forgot!  Jen's giving away a $10.00 gift certificate to YOUR NEXT STAMP.  Create a card using the sketch and add your link to Mr. Linky on her blog to be entered to win.  Excellent!

Supplies:  Stamp - digi image from YOUR NEXT STAMP and sentiment by A Muse Artstamps; CS - SU! White, textured CS by DCWV and Coredinations, PTI White, patterned paper by Basic Grey; Ink - Onyx Black Versafine; Other - Copic Markers, glitter snowflakes in $ section at JoAnn's, Creative Imaginations button, SU! ribbon, paper piercing tool, pattern tracing wheel, white gel pen.

HAPPY AUTUMN - Blogger's Challenge #125

Here's a quick card for this week's Blogger's Challenge.  The theme for this one is "Happy Fall Y'all!"  I was a little nuts earlier this fall with taking pix of the leaves.  They're just soooo colorful that I want to capture the color before it disappears. This week I've been working on some projects that I can't show yet...lots and lots of coloring.  So I kept it really simple for the challenge.  The patterned paper is from Making Memories and the little sentiment stamp is by Savvy Stamps.  I used one of the newer EK Success edge punches, buttons and twine from PTI, and a leaf from Prima.

We've been having rain almost all week due to the leftovers of Hurricane Ida.  Hopefully the sun will decide to shine and we can enjoy the weekend around here.  I wish all of you the same!

TCP HOLIDAY HOP!

I'm so excited that we can finally reveal the new release sets from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS!  Alma way outdid herself this month with four brand new Clearly Swanky stamp sets and an alphabet to boot!  The TCP design team, along with a couple of special guests will be featuring cards and projects made with the new sets in today's HOLIDAY HOP. 

Hopefully you're coming here from AMY'S BLOG.  If not, you really should go back and start at the beginning...SUSAN'S BLOG.  It's also TCP Tuesday and it's a stamp challenge....any December holiday image.  Of course, we'd prefer that you used Cat's PJs stamps, but the topic for this one is really wide open.  That SWANKY STAMPER title and the CAT'S CASH that goes along with it is up for grabs once again.  Why don't you join in?!

All of the cards that I'm showing here feature stamps from the MAKE MERRY set (N-9676).  I was gonna say that it's my fave set this time around but, then again, I really love all of the new sets...YOU WILL TOO.

This penguin with his Appletini, I think, sort of reminds me of Scrooge at the end of the movie when all is happy again.  I think it's the hat.  I used one of the Nestabilities Labels dies to cut out the penguin layer.  I then stamped and masked the main image and airbrushed color around him for the background.  I've been working on "aging" the images by spraying a little E44-Clay around the edges.  The delish patterned papers here are from the Making Memories Mistletoe line.  Giant striped ribbon from SU!, TCP buttons, and some PTI button twine finish it off.

Happy New Year from Sprinkle!  This was my favorite card from the new release.  I really like the black and cream color scheme with some Kraft thrown in.  I think it's really "now".  I also tried out the "letterpress" tyep technique with a Spellbinders Impressibilities die.  I inked up that circle background die and then ran it through the machine to emboss and press the ink into the paper at the same time.  It's not visible in the photo but it does have some fun texture.  I added the little scalloped edge with the Fiskars Apron Lace punch.  What's really amazing about this card?  NO COLORING!  Can't remember that last time that happened for me.

 

One more....this one makes me think of Bond, James Bond.  He likes his fun green drinks shaken - not stirred - ha ha.  On this one I added some "salt" around the rims of the glasses using great new fine white GLITZY glitter that is also on this new release.  AND, I added a sticky strip of tape above the stamped images and used the sparkly silver shard GLITZY glitter.  It's really sooo great in real life.  The patterned papers used here are in the Cosmo Cricket Oh Joy collection.  Buttons are from TCP.  Ribbon and button twine from PTI.

Alrighty...now you should hop on over to TRACY FALCO's blog for more holiday goodness!

A COUPLE MORE FOR TURKEY DAY...

I have a couple more cards from the GOBBLE IT UP new release from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  Tomorrow, we kick off more brand new holiday stamp sets from TCP and I didn't want these to get lost in the shuffle.  Only a few more weeks until Turkey Day!  Gotta get those cards made...and quick!

Here's Poochie servin' up the bird.  I'm a big fan of non-traditional color schemes so I really liked this one for Thanksgiving.  All of the patterned papers are from the Indian Summer Stack by DCWV.  I colord and airbrushed with the copics and cut out the ovals with Nestabilities dies.  The big scalloped border is made using punched circles.  What a fun and easy way to jazz it up, huh?  Buttons from TCP.

And what's Thanksgiving without Turkey Sprinkle.  This was my "Franenstein" card...it sort of took on a life of it's own during the creative process.  Again, papers from the Indian Summer Stack.  I added some sort of swirly stitching and TCP butttons.  I'm still not sure about it all...I like the combo of papers and textures...the stitching?  The jury's still out!

Anyway, don't forget to check back in tomorrow - or even later tonight - for more peeks of the new TCP sets and embellishments and all of the details on the blog hop.

MASTER OF YOUR OWN ROMAINE {SFYTT}

We're finally enjoying a sunny Saturday here in the mid-atlantic.  It seems that it rained almost every weekend this Fall...it's been terrible for our soccer season.  Thankfully, that's all over this weekend!

So, it's Saturday and that means it's time for another of JEN'S SKETCHES FOR YOU TO TRY.  For me...and I've said this before...it's such a great opportunity to use stamps that I just "had-to-have" but that have been sitting on the shelf without a smidge of ink on 'em.  This fun little guy is from Inky Antics.  They have a whole line of little chefs and fun saying to go with them.  I think they're soooo cute!  So I was thrilled to ink him up today for the sketch.  The patterned papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Nutmeg collection.  The colors must have been in my brain this morning.  I took a picture of some of those MissMatched socks the other day in these exact colors...they're really pretty together.

I'm off to get something other than stamping done today before a fun evening out for a friend's 40th birthday - dinner and a limo....yea baby!  Don't forget to click in with the other SFYTT girls to see what they've created with this week's sketch...

Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Susan Liles

plus Jen del Muro and this month's special guest Amy White!

REAL BALD EAGLES!

Today the kids were out of school so my mom and I took the little boy up the road to CONOWINGO DAM. The Conowingo Dam (also Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, Conowingo Hydroelectric Station) is a large hydroelectric dam in the Lower Susquehanna River.  It's really close to where we live and it seems as though the eagles like it too.  A large number of bird watchers come out daily with those gigantic lenses on their cameras.  I got so excited when an actual bald eagle flew overhead that I didn't get a picture of him.  I did, however, snap a few of some of the immature eagles fighting over a fish and that was pretty cool.  The pretty adult bald eagle here was in a tree behind us and he was pretty happy just to sit here and survey his surroundings.  I zoomed in as far as I could but it still took some zooming in digitally at home to show him up close.  Be sure and check it out if you're in the Baltimore area!