A Preview Surprise!

***If you're looking for my Paper Players card, click here***

Hi friends! I know you must be thinking what's up...Nance posting on Tuesday?! Well, it's a very special post because today is the day when I am revealed as a Guest Designer for the Create with Connie & Mary Spring 2013 Edition!  

I was delighted to be invited back to the Create with Connie & Mary team--even for one project.  Connie & Mary have lined up an amazing group of artists and the 
Create with Connie and Mary Spring 2013 Edition will be chock-full of fabulous projects and tutorials but...only for subscribers.  

Each Guest Designer will feature a stamp set or product on their project. Here is the card I created as a sneak peek...can you guess what product I will feature?

You won't want to miss it!  Preview week started yesterday, and the session runs all week. There are some talented designers ready with over a month’s worth of projects – just for you!  

Remember, the only way to get to see my project created especially for Connie & Mary, or the other designer’s projects, is to sign up, so head over to Create with Connie & Mary to take advantage of the $29.95 early bird price today!

 

Just in Time Sketch {CCMC229}

This week's sketch over at Create with Connie & Mary was just in time for a card I needed to create for my nephew's birthday!  It had been forever-and-a-day since I played along so I decided to dig in.  Here's their fun sketch:

Normally, that skewed panel would have me running for the hills, lol.  But I wanted to use the Extreme Skateboard digital stamp in My Digital Studio and the tilted panel seemed like a perfect ramp to me!

Would you believe that there is no traditional stamping on this card?  There's hardly any layers or embellishments either!  I designed it completely in My Digital Studio to fit on a 4.25" x 5.5" card base. Once it was finished in MDS, I printed in onto Whisper White cardstock, matted it with some Crumb Cake and popped it up on a Midnight Muse card base.  The only thing I added were some Mini Silver Brads to the wheels.  I have to say I was pretty pleased with how it turned out and I [hope] think my nephew will too!

Since I wanted to use the same image on the inside and it was a digital "stamp", I designed the inside with MDS too.  Just copy and pasted the chevron borders from the front, colored them in the same "inks" (Basic Gray, Midnight Muse & Summer Starfruit) and then staggered them.  I also played around with the coloring tool in MDS2 that allows you to color sections of a digi stamp just as we would if we used markers to color a rubber stamp.  How cool is that?!  I used Basic Gray, Baja Breeze and Summer Starfruit to color the sentiment from the Word Play digital set.  I also got a little digi crazy with the paint splatter tool--also a new feature of MDS2.   

Well, thanks for checking in on me today...lots to do as we get ready for my daughter's birthday tomorrow!  Have a great night!

 

Snow Much Fun {CCMC172}

Hiya friends! Welcome to another week at Create with Connie & Mary where the gals have provided a great sketch to work with:

Now, if you're a follower of my blog you probably know that titled panels always throw me for a loop!  But I wasn't going to let this one get the best of me...when I first looked at it, I saw...SNOW...and the perfect excuse to use my new stamp set, Snow Much Fun:

Isn't he cute?!  The snowman was stamped on a Whisper White oval in Jet Black Stazon and colored with a blender pen and Pool Party, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and a little Pumpkin Pie classic ink:

Of course, I had to add some Dazzling Diamonds to the ground, his hat, the Northern Flurry embossed background...and...

the drifts of snow.  I tied the whole thing with some Cherry Cobbler baker's twine and attached a sweet mini jingle bell...so cute!

Here's another stamp from the same set on the inside paired with A Christmas Greeting and some snowflakes from the Short & Sweet set.

I hope you liked my card today.  I don't often make cute or even whimsical cards but this little snowman was too adorable to pass up!  Be sure to stop by the rest of the Design Team over at Create with Connie & Mary.  I'm sure they will have some fabulous eye candy for you!  If you would like to play along, please link up your creation to CCMC by Wednesday, October 26th at noon (EST).  Thanks for stopping by!

supplies:

stamps: snow much fun, a christmas greeting, short & sweet (snowflake)

ink: pool party, cherry cobbler, pumpkin pie, crumb cake classic ink; jet black stazon; whisper white craft ink

paper: crumb cake, whisper white, pool party CS

xtras: cherry cobbler baker's twine; mini jingle bells; northern flurry embossing folder; ovals die; dazzling diamonds

Dapper Ducky {CCMC162}

Happy Thursday friends!  Thursday means it's another fun challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary and this week it's a sketch challenge.  Everyone loves sketches right?  So take a look at CCMC162:

A good, clean, classic sketch that can be interpreted any number of ways.  I am in need of yet another baby card for friends of ours so here's what I made for them:

Aww, isn't that little ducky from  Easy Events the cutest?!  He looks so dapper in his hat and umbrella!  Here, let me show you a close-up:

He is stamped in Chocolate Chip ink and colored with a blender pen and ink pads in So Saffron, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery and Peach Parfait.  Did you notice how the umbrella extends beyond the circle?  Before I punched it, I snipped around the top part of the umbrella then slid the cardstock into my 1 3/4" circle punch but pulled the umbrella up so it didn't get punched out!  Just a fun little detail--you know the ones I kinda obsess over! ;-)

I colored the wave with a blender pen and Marina Mist ink and, of course, had to add some Dazzling Diamonds to make them sparkle. Can't seem to make a card without DD lately.

And the finished inside stamped with a Marina Mist sentiment from Friendly Phrases, some Certainly Celery DSP and another little So Saffron ducky!  Pretty quick and easy...the hardest part was deciding what colors to use!

I hope you've liked today's sketch card...check out all the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the Create with Connie & Mary Design Team and then think about what you might do with this sketch.  We would love for you to play along with us!  Thanks for stopping by...cheers!

supplies:

stamps: Easy Events, Friendly Phrases

ink: So Saffron, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip

paper: So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Marina Mist, Peach Parfait CS; Pocketful of Posies DSP; Designer Patterns Stack (Subtles)

xtras: Dazzling Diamonds; Linen Thread; SU buttons [retired]; 1 3/4" Circle punch; 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch; Circles die; Marina Mist 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

Crisp Clean Summer: {CCMC161}

Hi friends and welcome to the Thursday Challenge at Create with Connie & Mary!  Last week's challenge was a doozy for me but it looks like many of you really rocked that crazy sketch!  This week Connie & Mary went much easier on us with a classic and elegant color combination:

I love black and yellow together--it always makes me think of crisp summer clothes with clean and classic lines, very Talbot's if you know what I mean!  Here's my take on crisp, clean and summer:

If only the weather had been bright and sunny for a better photo!  I have been itching to try this simple technique with the Flower Fest set and I chose the big beautiful zinnia.  I stamped it in Jet Black Stazon and then colored inside each petal with a Daffodil Delight marker--it really gives the flower dimension doesn't it? 

Of course, I stamped it a few more times and cut each successive layer out and popped it up on a dimensional.  Adding a little dazzling diamonds and a Basic Black Glimmer Brad to the mix as well.  The Old Olive snuck in in a scrap of embossed cardstock I already had.  The leaves were punched with the Build-a-Blossom punch and bent for added interest.

Clean and classy absolutely must include polka dots and this card has twice the polka dots!  This is my first use of the new Polka Dot Scallop ribbon and it is lovely!  Here, I wrapped one piece around the front of my cardstock and secured it to the back with snail.  Made a loop of ribbon from a separate piece, pinched in the middle, added a Glimmer Brad and adhered with a glue dot...instant bow!

And one last detail to show you that adds so much to the card IRL.  I heat embossed more zinnias in the opposite corners of my card base for added texture and shine.  It's difficult to capture in the photo but it really pops! 

I hope you've enjoyed my Crisp Clean Summer card today....I'd love to hear your comments.  I read and treasure each and every one of them!  I know the rest of the Create with Connie & Mary design team has some amazing projects for you so be sure to stop by.  We hope you'll join us this week, I'd love to come visit you!

supplies:

stamps: bring on the cake, flower fest

ink: jet black stazon, versamark

paper: basic black, whisper white, daffodil delight, old olive CS; designer series pattern stack (brights)

xtras: glimmer brads (nuetrals); polka dot impressions folder; top note die; basic black polka dot scallop ribbon; 2 3/8" scallop circle punch; build a blossom punch; black stampin' emboss powder

Sweet Birthday: {CCMC159}

Oh my goodness, has it really been 10 days since I last posted?! Yikes!  Sorry friends, I guess I needed a bit of a break.  :-)  Thank goodness for this week's challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary to get my crafting mojo in gear!  This week we have some really pretty colors for CCMC159, how about Regal Rose, Marina Mist and Sahara Sand...lovely!

I paired this week's colors with this adorable sketch from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge (SSSC126):

With colors and sketch in hand, I knew just what I wanted to do...

I just love that flagged end to the Regal Rose designer paper!  The balloon was made by stamping a sentiment from the new hostess set Happiest Birthday Wishes in Marina Mist ink onto MM cardstock.  The circle was made with the 2 1/2" circle punch and edged with some Tombow liquid adhesive and Silver Glass Glitter.

The balloon basket from Sweet Centers was stamped in Sahara Sand to which I added some Regal Rose balloon weights, Linen Thread ties and Sahara Sand clouds punched with the Build-a-Cupcake punch.  I can't believe I don't have a Regal Rose marker so I substituted with a RR ink pad and blender pen.  Guess what's on my next order?!

I love those cupcake clouds!  And here's a quick peek at the inside:

Another banner panel for the inside with more clouds, this time sponged with Marina Mist ink and the super happy sentiment also from the Happiest Birthday Wishes hostess set.  

That's all for me today folks--I hope to be back to a regular posting schedule now.  Be sure to check out the rest of the design team inspiration over at Create with Connie & Mary--they're sure to have some lovely projects!  We hope you'll play along with us--we can't wait to see what you create with these colors!

supplies:

stamps: sweet centers, happiest birthday wishes

ink: marina mist, regal rose, sahara sand

paper: sahara sand, whisper white, marina mist CS; designer patterned paper (brights)

xtras: build-a-cupcake, scallop ribbon border, 2 1/2" circle and 1 1/4" square punches; basic rhinestones; silver glass glitter; linen thread; blender pen

Basic Double Saffron Pie {CCMC158}

Happy Thursday everyone!  Wow, it's a double challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary--CCMC158 will last for two weeks and includes a color challenge AND a sketch challenge.  Choose one, choose both--more options for your creativity! 

 Combining both the color and sketch challenges into one card, made everything come together easy-peasy!

The sketch is a square card so I made a 5x5 card featuring some textured Basic Gray cardstock and a large scalloped Pumpkin Pie circle.  My Circle Scissor Plus easily cut a nesting circle of Very Vanilla and So Saffron for the focal image.  I used post-it notes to cover up the bottom third of the circle then simply sponged Pumpkin Pie ink above the line created with the post-it notes.  The forest of pretty pines from Plant Hope was stamped twice in Basic Gray.

In place of the brads in the sketch, I wanted a few birds in the sky.  I tried hand drawing them but they just didn't look right.  So, do you know where my birds came from?  Believe it or not, they are in the background of the Sail Away stamp!  Yep, I inked just the birds with a Basic Gray marker and stamped them twice onto my circle. 

I planned to use Very Vanilla seam binding ribbon but it looked plain on it's own, so I stamped it in Basic Gray ink with the Woodgrain stamp for a little interest.  I wrapped it around the card and added an Antique Brad and some basic pearls along with a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

I used a little more Very Vanilla inside along with some Pumpkin Pie designer patterned paper, just a touch of First Edition designer paper and one of my favorite sentiments from Word Play.

So, will you play along with us?  Two challenges, two weeks--combine the challenges or do them separately--we just hope you'll join us!  Be sure to stop by Create with Connie & Mary to see what the rest of the design team has to inspire you!  Have a great day!

supplies:

stamps: plant hope, woodgrain, teeny tiny wishes, word play, sail away

paper: basic gray textured, very vanilla, pumpkin pie, so saffron CS; first edition DSP; brights patterned DSP

ink: pumpkin pie, basic gray, so saffron

xtras: antique brads; basic pearls; circle scissor plus; scallop ribbon border punch; scallop circle die; very vanilla seam binding ribbon.

Love for Eastern Blooms {CCMC157}

Welcome to the Thursday Challenge at Create with Connie & Mary!  It's a sketch challenge this week and my card went in a completely different direction than what I had in mind...but I like the end result, I think!  Here is our sketch:

It's a great one for featuring horizontal stamps and I just had to use one of my favorite retiring SU sets:

I sure am going to miss Eastern Blooms with its lovely stylized cherry blossom branch.  I had an anniversary card in mind with these colors and thought that a gold embossed branch would be lovely:

First, I stamped a piece of Baja Breeze in the same color ink with the En Francais background stamp.  The cherry blossom branch was stamped in Versamark ink, sprinkled with gold stampin' emboss powder and heat set.  Of course it needed a boatload of..ahem....just a few pearls.  :-)

I added some scrunchy Very Vanilla seam binding ribbon to the bottom edge with some sticky strip tape.  The Tiny Tag was stamped in Baja Breeze and Soft Suede and pinned to the ribbon with a tiny Vintage Trinket safety pin.  You can also see that I did a little bit of background stamping with some Soft Suede cherry blossoms directly onto the Elegant Soiree designer paper. 

You can probably see the background stamping better here behind the trio of sweet little flowers.  The flowers were punched from Brushed Gold cardstock with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and topped with a big fat pearl on each!

With a dark card base, of course the inside needs to be finished.  Cherry blossoms were inked in Baja Breeze and stamped off once before stamping onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  A scrap piece of Elegant Soiree designer paper and a Soft Suede sentiment from A Word for You were the finishing touch!  In case you are wondering, the Very Vanilla insert measures: 3 3/4" x 4 3/4". 

I hope you've enjoyed my card today...I'd love to hear what you think or answer any questions you might have.  Be sure to pop on over to Create with Connie & Mary to see what the rest of the design team has in store for you!

supplies:

stamps: eastern blooms, a word for you, en francais, tiny tags

ink: baja breeze, soft suede

paper: soft suede, very vanilla, baja breeze CS; elegant soiree DSP

xtras: basic pearls; gold stampin' emboss powder; itty bitty punch pack; very vanilla seam binding ribbon; vintage trinkets; jewelry punch

Dreaming in the Garden: {CCMC153} {CI158}

Hiya friends!  I am continuing my spotlight of retiring stamps and accessories with another Thank You card.  My birthday was last weekend so, I've got a lot of thank you cards to send--lucky me!  Another favorite of mine on the Last Chance list is Dream Garden and when I saw this week's sketch at Create with Connie & Mary, I immediately thought of the cranes in this set:

Then, I went looking for a color challenge suitable for an Asian-inspired card and found these over at Stamping 411's Color Inspiration #158:

OK!  So off I went to my craft room.  And after fiddling around a bit--took me awhile to get the Certainly Celery just right--here's what I came up with:

See how the three panels of the crane stamp line up with the three panels in the sketch?  I stamped the cranes 3 times in Peach Parfait on So Saffron cardstock and matted the panel with Peach Parfait.  The Very Vanilla circle was cut with a circle nesties and I used the rock 'n' roll technique for the geisha image.  

I inked her first in So Saffron then rolled the edge of the stamp around on a Peach Parfait ink pad and then again, lightly, on a Real Red ink pad.  After I stamped her onto the circle I used a q-tip to add a little Very Vanilla Smooch Spritz directly on the image for a pearl effect. 

I used another retired favorite, Embrace Life, for the beautiful bamboo fronds that were stamped on the circle in Certainly Celery and on the background in So Saffron.  I love how it makes her look like she is praying in a bamboo grove.

I also grounded her with a Blender Pen and Certainly Celery ink.  Without it she appeared to be floating--much better to be on the ground!  :-)  That's a little bit of Subtles Patterns Designer Series Paper stack in Certainly Celery peeking below the circle and some lovely Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon.

Here is the crane stamp again on the inside--just a single stamp inked in Certainly Celery and stamped off once.  Happy Greetings from the summer mini catalog provided the perfect sentiment inked up in Peach Parfait.


So, what do you think of my Dream Garden card?  I'd love to hear from you!  Remember, we've got a Kind Thanks challenge going on over at The Paper Players this week so come check us out!  Thanks for stopping by today and I hope wherever you are today...it's a good one! :-)

supplies:

stamps: dream garden, embrace life, happy greetings

ink: so saffron, certainly celery, peach parfait, real red

paper: so saffron, very vanilla, peach parfait CS; subtles DSP stack

xtras: circle nesties; certainly celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; blender pen; very vanilla smooch spritz

Perfectly Surprised {CCMC}

Perfectly surprised…that describes this week over at Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition where they are full of surprises and I am SOOOO excited to announce that I am the SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER for Week #5.  That’s right, ME!   Surprise GUEST DESIGNER!  If you are a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition, I will be sharing with you a FABULOUS 3D project and tutorial using one of that week's featured products in the Summer Mini.  But WHICH product is a SURPRISE, too!  

 Now remember...the only way to see my SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER project is to be a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition and sign up now while you can save $5 off the subscription price.  The early bird special of $24.95 ends Saturday, May 14th at 11:55 pm.  Don't delay!

And speaking of summer, I am in love with Fabulous Florets from the Summer Mini catalog!   Today’s card features all of the stamps in the set:

Along with some bright and happy colors: Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive—don’t they look smashing together?!  I used the embedded embossing technique to create my polka dot background: 

To a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock, I adhered numerous 1 ¼” Whisper White circles and ran the whole thing through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder.  I also stamped the smaller flower in Pumpkin Pie on my cardbase in opposite corners.

The big Daffodil Delight flower was created by stamping the big solid flower from Fabulous Floretsthree times in DD on Whisper White cardstock .  Yes, each one was hand-cut but because they are all layered together and the edges appear as part of the flower—the cutting doesn’t have to be perfect!  There are 2 flowers glued together as the base and one popped up on top with a dimensional.  I also stamped the leaf image onto Old Olive CS in OO ink, cut out and crumpled for a realistic look layering one leaf under the top flower for extra dimension.  Some Rose Red seam binding ribbon added a pop of contrasting color—love how it looks with Pumpkin Pie!

The inside of the card received a touch of the Square Lattice embossing folder—just ran it through the Big Shot with just the bottom quarter of the cardstock actually in the folder.  The sentiment from On Your Birthday was stamped in more Old Olive ink and more flowers added in Daffodil Delight and Rose Red

So, were you perfectly surprised?  I sure was…and delighted to be the SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER #5!  Remember...the only way to see my Surprise Guest Designer project is to be a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition and sign up now while you can save $5 off the subscription price.  The early bird special of $24.95 ends Saturday, May 14th at 11:55 pm.  Thanks for stopping by and sharing in my big surprise!

stamps: fabulous florets, on your birthday

ink: daffodil delight, rose red, old olive

paper: pumpkin pie, whisper white, old olive CS

xtras: square lattice embossing folder; rose red seam binding ribbon; top note die