VSN Sketch Challenge

Last weekend, SCS had Virtual Stamp Night. This is such a fun event! I don't get to play along like I used to, but I did create one card. The theme this time was You Make My Heart Sing. This was a sketch with the 4 squares representing the chambers of the heart. In keeping with the theme, I made mine an anniversary card. This is also a sneak preview of one of the Creative Crew challenges for March! (Ssh, don't tell on me!)
The background was inspired by ponygirl40, a member of the Creative Crew. This faux peeling wallpaper technique is her specialty. It was a lot of fun to create. The cardbase is Crumb Cake stamped with Sanded (in Crumb Cake) and Woodgrain (in Chocolate Chip). The wallpaper is Very Vanilla cardstock with Teahouse stamped in Garden Green. I used a Wild Wasabi marker to color in part of the pattern. I tore off one corner, distressed the edges and sponged it all over with Crumb Cake before adhering it to the cardbase.
I can't believe how many stamps I used for this: 3 backgrounds plus 4 stamp sets!
Happy stamping!

Wedding Album

Click here to view this photo book larger

Bright SAB card

I really wanted to use that cute owl SAB stamp, and I'm trying to use my DSP a lot more. That's how I came up with this crazy card!
Card base is Daffodil Delight with the Teahouse BG stamped in the same color. For the DSP strip, I cut Peach Parfait cardstock to 4 1/4" X 2 1/4" then punched the scallop border on both sides. Then I measured the inner part and cut the Sunny Garden DSP strip to 1 3/4" wide. The owl is inked with Poppy Parade and punched out. His chest is another design from Sunny Garden. I adhered him to a Pear Parfait decorative label.
I gathered the Pear Parfait seam binding ribbon by pulling a thread from the center of the ribbon. I folded each end over and added a rhinestone brad (retired from the Pretties kit).
Happy stamping!

Quilt card

Last week's technique on SCS was a quilt card. I wanted to create one using the February Creative Crew color challenge: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and Early Espresso. I followed the pattern on SCS. The 2 DSPs I used are Greenhouse Gala and Jolly Holiday. After I adhered all of the pieces to a scrap of cardstock, I ran it through the Cuttlebug in the Finial Press embossing folder. That really gives it a quilted look in person. The tutorial can be found here.
Happy stamping!

Wedding card from Deb

Here's the lovely card Ray and I got from Deb and Louise. It's so elegant! The embossing is such a nice touch.
Happy stamping!

Using my new stuff!

Almost everything I used on this card is new! I just got the Build A Blossom stamp set and coordinating punch from the Occasions Mini. I already love it! TIP: To punch out multiples of the petal, stamp them in a row and punch them out left to right.
I got the color combination from a blog. It was so unusual that I had to try it: Peach Parfait, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze and Whisper White. I stamped the petal in Riding Hood Red ink on Peach Parfait cardstock. After I punched out the petals, I stacked them together and punched a little hole at the end. A Peach Parfait glimmer brad holds them together, and I just fanned them out. The DSP is Greenhouse Gala, and the background is called Teahouse (new to me). I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of Whisper White, punched it out with the word window and then sponged Baja Breeze around the edge to make it stand out against the background of the card.
Happy stamping!

Wedding card from Mama

Here's the card Mama sent to Ray and me for our wedding. I love the silver embossing with the burgundy! Very elegant!
Happy stamping!

Go, Pack, Go!

The Packers are the Super Bowl champs! Whoohoo!!!!

Mama asked me to post cheesehead photos. Sorry that everyone else has to see these, LOL! I promise I'll be focusing on stamping from now on!

Creative Crew color combo card

One of this month's Creative Crew challenges is a color combo: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and Early Espresso. I love this combo! We also made this card at a workshop last week.
The card base is Very Vanilla 8 X 5 1/4, scored at 4". That is attached to a piece of Daffodil Delight 4 1/4 X 5 1/2. I sponged the edges of the Daffodil piece with Early Espresso to tone down the color a bit. Next I ran some Early Espresso cardstock and Jolly Holiday DSP through the Top Note die. The shape has a perforated border all around, and I trimmed that away on the Jolly Holiday piece so the Early Espresso piece would be a mat. I colored the flowering branch with markers and then stamped it onto Very Vanilla. Next I used the cutter kit to rough the edges and sponged on a little Early Espresso. The finishing touch is a bow made with Cherry Cobbler seam binding and an antique brad. I found the bow tutorial on Mary Brown's blog. It's so easy and so pretty!
P.S. That's 2 non-holiday projects using the Jolly Holiday DSP! I'm trying to use it up.
Happy stamping!

Origami napkin ring

One of the Creative Crew challenges for February is to create items for a dinner party. I came up with the idea for a napkin ring using an origami flower called kusudama. I first saw this flower on a gorgeous wedding cake that Jodie Olver made. She is one this year's Artisan Award winners. I found the link to directions on her blog.
I'm trying to use my Jolly Holiday DSP for non-Christmas projects (don't want to waste it!), so that's what I used. When I glued the flower together, I inserted a loop of ribbon to run the longer ribbon through to tie around the napkin.

Here's a side view where you can see the ribbon loop.

Here's a close-up of the flower. I added a big pearl to the center to cover up the gap where the 5 petals came together.

Happy stamping!

Wedding Photos

Mr. & Mrs. Ray O'Brien!

(L-R): Stephanie, Kristina, Ray, Jana, Daniel

Me with my maid of honor, Alyssa

Here's a close-up of the fabulous necklace I wore!