The Ribbon Resource:: Stampendous 2016 Hop

The Ribbon Resource is again teaming up with Stampendous for a really fun blog hop featuring both their products. I have two cards to showcase today, and they couldn't be more different from each other!

This vintage based started with a dark aqua card base and a strip of patterned paper. I bordered the paper with 5.5" length of the 1.5" Ivory Sheer Ribbon with Butterflies and a 5.5" strip of 7/8" Crochet Ribbon in Ivory and a bow from my most favorite ribbon ever, Natural Burlap String. I then layered two butterflies I cut from the Sheer Ribbon with Butterflies, wrapped some string around the belly and adhered it to the card base under the Burlap String Bow. I then finished the card with a beautiful sentiment from Stampendous' Life Words Perfectly Clear Stamp Set.

Switching gears, I stared this clean and simple card with a kraft card base that had been stamped and embossed with a retired Stampendous called  Dino Time and embossed with the masculine colors in their Spring Sparkle Embossing Powder Kit. I added a sentiment from Stampendous' Wild Sayings Perfectly Clear Stamp Set and finished the card with a double knot wrap-around in coordinating colors of Burlap String in Parrot Green and Yellow.

Of course, standard with The Ribbon Resource's Hops, there are prizes up for grabs! The Ribbon Lady is giving away a few gift cards to The Ribbon Resource so you can pick out your own ribbon if you are a winner! Complete details are on The Ribbon Resource Blog.

Here's the hop order for all the days of the hop:

Monday

Amy Rysavy

DeeDee Catron

Gini Williams Cagle

Tuesday

Jen Shears

Jenifer Cowles

Jennifer Davey

Wednesday

Karen Baker

Karen Hanson

Latrice Murphy

Thursday

Lori Williams

Michele Kosciolek

Rebecca VanDeMark

Friday

Tami Mayberry

Terri Burson

Tracy McLennon

Papertrey January Blog Hop Challenge

I'm joining in on what I think is my first ever Papertrey Ink Blog Hop Challenge. I thought that the inspiration this month was so modern and graphic, and a lot of fun.

I used the Lovely Layers Dies and Stamp Set to create my card. Off to see the other inspiration!

Green Puppy

Woo hoo! The Panthers are going to the Super Bowl! I think I might be the only Panther fan living in Wisconsin, but that's ok! I've got a clean and simple card I made with things "found" while cleaning and purging my crafty area this past weekend. The puppy was already colored and cut, I think it was when I first got some Copic Markers and had to try them out. I adhered him to a yellow card base that was stamped with a row of polka dots (which you can hardly see because of the photograph), some trips of patterned paper and black washi tape.

I created a card with the Simon Says Stamp: Wednesday Challenge: Create with Critters in mind.

The adorable Sav left a comment mentioning that I could enter this in the January Paper Smooches 4 Color Challenge, so I think I will! Blue, Aqua, Green and Yellow!

Woodgrain Neutral

The making of masculine cards is tough, isn't it? However, sometimes those guys need a card too, therefore I took on the inspiration picture at Fusion Challenge to create a masculine card.

I was also inspired by the Wplus9's Throwback Thursday Challenge #11, as it seems that I don't have many current stamps with the exception of one company's products.

I chose to CASE the layout of Maureen's second card with the help of Wplus9's Folk Art Florals Dies cut in navy and cream patterned paper and solid vanilla cardstock. I adhered these leaves to a patterned paper woodgrain piece of paper and wrapped with some May Arts Natural Burlap String.

Still working on cleaning the crafty area...still getting distracted with products I find (like the woodgrain patterned paper!)

One Layer So Sorry

I was in the process of cleaning and purging my crafty area, and I stumbled upon this long forgotten, but utterly beautiful retired Hero Arts Set, So Sorry. It is one of my few sympathy sets and I just can't let it go.

Even though this set is retired, I stopped cleaning (hah! it wasn't that difficult) and created a one layer card for A Blog Named Hero's One Layer Challenge. I started with a white cardstock base and masked strips off with washi tape. I then added a mixture of blue distress inks, removed the masks, and added more inks. Then came a few dots of water. After that was dry I stamped the vine in black, as well as the sentiment. I hope by adding some May Arts Black Burlap String doesn't disqualify the card from being one layer...I really like the texture it adds to the card.

I hope that I am not the only one that: 1. can't let certain, old stamp sets go and 2. gets distracted when cleaning a crafty area.

The Ribbon Resource:: Monochromatic Valentine Wreath

Ahh, the beauty of monochromatic design that lets the textures and details of the project shine! I am showcasing a wreath I made for the Valentine's Day Holiday over at The Ribbon Resource Blog (along with a with a quick tutorial!). If you are interested in the full reveal, please pop on by!

A Fox Sitting

Foxes are plentiful in Wisconsin and I've had the joy of seeing the beautiful creatures in their natural habitat, however I don't think I've ever seen one sitting!

I created a card with the Simon Says Stamp: Wednesday Challenge: Create with Critters and the Lawnscaping Challenge #122: Watercoloring in mind. 

 

I started by free watercoloring a muted background of oranges and yellows onto a white piece of cardstock. After letting it dry, I stamped the cute fox from Lawn Fawn's Into the Woods and then after a bit of masking, the log from Critters in the Forest. I then watercolored each, the fox with heavy pigment, the log with light pigment, and then stamped a sentiment from Critters in the Forest. I embossed my card base with Lil' Inkers Designs' Cover Up Die: Stitched Woodgrain and then attached a strip of orange pinked paper and some moss fabric tape and the main image. I finished the card with a wrapped bow of May Arts Natural Burlap String.

The Ribbon Resource:: Cardmaker Magazine Hop (Take 2)

Welcome to The Ribbon Resource and Cardmaker Magazine Valentine's Themed Hop! (This is Take Two, so I apologize if you've seen this post before, we went up a bit earlier than expected so I'm reposting.)  You should have arrived from Jennifer Davey's amazing Blog if you are following the hop. Did you know there are prizes? Refer to the bottom of my post for the details!

I have a two cards featuring the same line of ribbon and the same composition, but I love how one is soft and sweet and the other is classical and romantic.

For the soft and sweet card, I die cut a heart from white cardstock and lined it with The Ribbon Resource's 5/8" Adhesive Rosettes in Pink. So easy to do because the roses come backed with adhesive! I snipped away the overhang and then adhered the ribbon-lined heart to the stamped card base.

For the classical, romantic card I used the same techniques and steps as the soft and sweet card, but changed it up by using the 5/8" Adhesive Rosettes in Red and a different stamped sentiment. The description for the Rosettes is perfect: "The 5/8 inch red rosettes have an acrylic glue backing that allows you to stick it on every kind of surface, from cloth, to plastic, to clothing." It literally is the perfect ribbon for any use for Valentine's Day!

Your next stop is: Kim Klinkovsky!

Two people can win a prize of a $25 gift cards to The Ribbon Resource! More details on entering can be found on The Ribbon Resource's Blog.

Here's the complete line-up if you need:

• CardMaker
• Amy Rysavy
• DeeDee Catron
• Carisa Zglobicki
• Gini Williams Cagle
• Jenifer Cowles
• Dawn Lusk
• Jennifer Davey
• Karen Baker
• Kim Klinkovsky
• Karen Hanson
• Latrice Murphy
• Linda Beeson
• Lori Williams
• Michele Kosciolek
• Lisa Silver
• Rebecca VanDeMark
• Tami Mayberry
• Pamela Haskin
• Terri Burson
• Jen Shears
• Tracy McLennon
• The Ribbon Resource

Stamp sets featured: Lil' Inkers Designs Modern Mehndi Stamps, Lil' Inker Designs Sending You Stamps

Watercolored Roses

I was inspired by two challenges to make this card. Challenge is a good word to use, as this was my second attempt!

I knew I wanted to use the color inspiration picture at the Fusion Challenge, and I was intrigued to try out some watercoloring techniques for The Lawnscaping Challenge #122. I used Lawn Fawn's Flutter By Stamp Set and stamped a cluster of roses and leaves in the corner, similar to the picture. I then bordered the watercolor with bright yellow. I then mounted this panel to a green cardstock base, and added a strip of woodgrain and white paper. I finished the card with a bannered sentiment and some May Arts Natural Burlap String.

Here's a close up of the watercoloring. When I think of Lawn Fawn Stamps I think of bright, fun, clean designs, so it was neat to branch them out a bit!

It takes me a while to come up with designs now, and I feel as though my designs and techniques are still from when I started card-making...some day I will tell my story for the reason for my break, but I need to gather my thoughts first. Thank you all that have stopped by!

May Arts:: Retro Rose Hair Pin

I adore PinUp in the Park, the day that I get to dress up in the styles from the 1940s and take pictures with my cousins. Please stop by for a tutorial up over at the May Arts Blog for a Retro Rose Hair Pin. I want to make more for next year, they are sooooo easy!