Summer Card Camp...Week 3

Another week over at Summer Card Camp...and another set of colors...



I love this palette! It just whispers romance!

I broke out another swapped stamped image from my friend...colored it with my Prismacolor Art Markers...trimmed it out and made it the center piece of the card.



All the papers used are plain cream cardstock with a lovely linen texture...and utilizing a technique video from Penny Black's blog...I made the cardstock match this week's class palette...and my flowers.



I am just in love with the texture of this cardstock...it took to the Distress Inks (aged mahogany, walnut stain, tea dye) like a duck to water!



So inky and oh so much fun!

Summer Card Camp...Week 2

This week's color scheme for Card Camp...calls for more sunshine and happy summer thoughts!



I immediately thought of the cute stamped image that my friend sent me...and really, what says summer more than Strawberries!



The papers are from Echo Park (yellow), Creative Memories (green) and Scenic Route (plaid) ...and the letters are from American Crafts...I don't know who made the stamp, sorry, I wish I knew...it's just adorable! Like I said, it was sent to me in a swap with a friend...

(If we are lucky, she will pop over here and leave a note in the comments letting us all know who made the stamp....)



Any-whoooo....I colored the image using Prismacolor Art Markers, trimmed her out with an Exacto knife and popped her up!



And finished the card off with a bit of faux-stitching in white with my all time fav pen...Uniball Signo!

I have oodles more scraps to go through...and a bunch of new card sketch ideas (all part of the card camp!)...so I'm off to get creative!

~TTFN!

Happy Independence Day!

I'm off celebrating, swimming, eating and relaxing with my family...

I hope you are too!

Happy 4th of July!

...And Oodles of Coloring!

Here are a couple of cards I made semi-recently...both with colored images (I am really on a roll here!)

This one was for Jon's birthday...


It is a 5 1/2" square card...I am really liking square cards lately. I used a bunch of scraps from my scrap bucket...making sure they all matched with the little colored text scrap...and the stamp is from Penny Black.

And I'm sure Penny Black has a official name for this little cat...but I like to refer to her as Fat Bonnie (sorry Bonnie...I mean that in the most loving way!)

"Yeah...whatever! It's all fur!"

I stamped the image twice so I could fussy-cut the little paws and pop them up off of the card...and add the kite string under her paws!


I borrowed my friend Trish's stamp for this card...

And even raided her scrap bucket for the papers...


I like the look of having the colored images popped up for dimension...it really makes them stand out...

Well, I better get back to task...I am finishing up a big travel scrapbook for my parents' trip to the British Isles last year...and I want to give it to them when I see them tomorrow for Independence Day...

Image Swap...and Oodles of Coloring!

Way back in April I did a stamped image swap with my friend Tracy...

I haven't finished coloring in all of the images that she sent me...and only one has made it onto a card...but I'm working on them...

I have organized all of my art markers in a little travel bag. I marked the end of each pen with the color number so they are easy to find. I use Prismacolor markers...and well, the color on the marker label leaves a lot to be desired...as does their numbering system. Copic's really have that head over heels above Prismacoclor..but at this stage in the game (73 markers into it!) I don't want to put the money into switching to Copics...

My color chart and carry case are working pretty good...and I have colored in several of the images from the swap...


I adore these little cuties...I trimmed them out individually thinking they would look good 'popped' off the front of a card...

I am also in the process of trimming out these strawberries...


...and these roses...I think the roses should go on a card with some antique-y text behind them...



I don't know how this card will be put together...but I think I will make something to send to my friend Irene...I just think she would really like this image...

And here is one of the Magnolia girls...I see them all over the card-scape and have been wanting to try one out...

This one will probably make it onto a card fro my sister-in-law Kerry...I think of her every time I look at it...


These are the tiniest little bits-o-sweetness..there were actually five images, but one made it onto an Easter card for my mom...so actually, I guess I have made two cards from the swapped images (but I don't have a picture of that card...sorry!)

Okay...so enough typing...back to coloring!

Hello, Sunshine!

Well after an odd day of rain on Tuesday...summer is back...again...

I signed up for Summer Card Class, and this week's color palette (the color palette is to the left in the side-bar) and the sudden re-appearance of the sun, led to these cards...



Simple lollipop flowers...



a little foam adhesive...



and a sentiment printed from the computer...



I can't wait to get these little cards in the mail!

Bonnie's New 'Do...

At least once every year Bonnie goes to the groomer...err, I mean...beauty parlor to get her hair done...

We tried to give Bonnie her summer 'do at home last week...

She has VERY dense fine hair and an undercoat that would keep Jeremiah Johnson warm all winter!

No good...bad mistake...so, with a funny looking semi-shaved hip we took her into the professionals...

Here is her new 'do...



She always comes back from the beauty parlor a bit irritated and grumpy (and smelling like flowers)...but I think she is loving all the attention she is getting...I just can't stop petting her velvety shaved coat!



And I think her cute little bobbed-'do makes her look younger...

Hmmm...maybe I should call up my hairdresser and just give-up on trying to grow my hair long! Short is in!

2011 Veggie Garden...

I planted my new veggie garden back in the middle of May...and I am pleased to say everything is still alive and thriving...more or less...

Last year we built three raised beds in our side yard...

Bed #1 has been active all winter. I planted artichoke, garlic, onions (yellow and red) and cauliflower last fall. The cauliflower never really looked ripe, it flowered but looked pretty sickly, so we never ate any. I pulled that out this past weekend and made room in the bed for carrots. I harvested the garlic on Saturday and replanted their row with radishes...I love when the seeds sprout! I can't wait!

Here is Bed #1...


My onions bolted...I don't know why...I planted them per the instructions...but they bolted...

Oh well, the flowers are pretty...and the onion bulbs can still be eaten (but not stored)...


My artichokes are pretty measly...I guess I will have to wait for next year...hopefully the chokes will be more robust in 2012...


This is Bed #2...It is planted with squash, pepper, basil and cilantro....and a bunch of watermelons (that are volunteers from last years plant)...


So far the squash is surviving...I sheltered them a bit this year behind a big lemon tree so the wind doesn't whip them around so much...


I am crossing my fingers (and toes) hoping to get some yummy yellow squash and zucchini!


This is a mild jalepeno...I am still holding out for getting some home grown pico de gallo!


And here are the watermelon volunteers...there are about 15 sproutlings...I'm gonna wait and see who looks the strongest and biggest and weed out the rest in a few weeks...


This is bed #3...corn, tomatoes and cucumbers...


I don't know how well the corn will do...I hear it is pretty tough to get sweet cobs with so few plants...but it should be fun to watch it grow...


Ahhh...tomatoes! I planted Sweet 100s and a Roma...and had to weed out (no joke) 30 seedlings that sprouted from last year...and they sprouted all over! In all three beds and the surrounding rocks! Tomatoes love Fairfield!


This is the lemon cucumber...the plant from last year did pretty good...so I have high hopes for this little cutie!


And this is called a Japanese Cucumber...so exciting to see a little cuc-bud!


My raspberry is doing well...but no flowers yet...


And late on Sunday I picked up a yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, Black Beauty eggplant and a couple of Blue Hubbard squashes to fill in some empty pots in the garden...so many yummy veggies!

And one last picture...the only Dahlia that came back this year...she's lonely, but she's lovely!

Simon Says Card Challenge

Over on the Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog they posted a nice card sketch for this week's challenge...



And I haven't done a challenge in awhile...

And I have been really enjoying making cards...

And I have these really cute stamped images I swapped a couple of month's ago with my friend Tracy...

So...

I thought I would give it a whirl...



I used up some scraps I had laying around (from SEI, Memory Box and who-knows-what-else...), and the image is from a Stampin' Up set...I've had my eye on this, so it was a great surprise to see it in the package I received in the swap! I colored the little darling with Prismacolor Markers...and no matter how many pictures I tried taking, the soft 'blush pink' in the image is showing up neon...it really isn't...bummer!



And adhered her to a doily I made using a Spellbinders die that I received in my gift bag at a retreat I went on last month (I'll post more about that trip later...so much fun!)



And here is the dimensional shot...

I am reserving the right, as the artist, to go back later and add some bling to the card...maybe a pearl accent or two...what do you all think, she feels a bit un-done to me...hmmm, I'll have to stew on it for a while...

The last of the cards...

I know I have been AWOL lately...but I have been pretty productive (in a crafty sense anyway....who cares if the weeds need to be pulled!)

I spent this past Sunday making a few more cards for Stephen's Project...so I could get them all mailed off this week! The last I read...Bazzill had received over 8,000 cards to help out Stephen...wow! Crafters sure are generous!

I am sending in 35 cards...I wish I could do more!

Here are samples of the last few I made this weekend...(sorry about the pic quality, I used my camera phone)









I love this one...I made a few in maroon too...


I filled the heart with glossy accents...fun!







I think these are my favorites...


...Or maybe these...

I am also including a bunch of cards my friends Jordyn (11) and Mathew (10) made too...



Thanks you two...you both rock!

I have a lot more to share this week...so stay tuned!