Yellow Jersey

Hey Peoples!!  Hope your weekend is going good!  I'm still fighting the tail end of what ever crud I caught earlier this week (or what ever the exhaustion decided to turn into).  But!! I'm starting to feel somewhat human again and finally found the energy to put together a birthday card for my boss today.

Now, for those of you who do not following professional bicycling (gasp!!) let me just give you a little background.  In professional cycling, and more importantly, in the Tour de France, the leader of the over all race wears the Yellow Jersey or the Maillot jaune.  It it the most prized possession and in Europe, if you are one so lucky to have worn the Maillot jaune, you are considered a super star (much like how we treat the stars of Hollywood).   You may have heard of Lance Armstrong?  The guy who came back from cancer to win a record 7 Tour de France's? (we will not get into the controversary of whether or not he did it clean or with drugs.....personally, I'd like to believe that since the man looked death once in the eyes, he would not risk his second chance at life by taking something that could possibly kill him.....but I digress!)  Well, my boss is a big fan of Lance's (and cycling in general).  So for his birthday, the other girls and I decided to order the boss man a cycling jersey from Lance's Livestrong foundation (now whether or not you are a fan of Lance personally, the man has probably brought more attention to the fight of cancer in the last 10 years.  And I have read countless stories from other cyclists and those who are not cyclists of how much his foundation helped them find the information and doctors they needed to fight their own battles against this disease.  I think it is a good foundation.  I have supported it in the past and will do so again). 

Again, I digress!! (sorry, the brain is not back to functioning normally again it would appear!) So with the jersery colors in mind, the cycyling theme in mind and the fact that my boss usually gives us VERY generic cards for our birthdays (he finds it amusing to give Christmas cards for those of us with birthday's in December, Easter cards for those in March/April....you get the picture!) this is what I came up with:

 This acutally came together quite quickly.  The image of the bicycle is a stencil from Dreamweaver/Lynell Harlow.  Initially, I did the whole lightbox and stencil routine and then messed around trying to custom color the bike with my copics and the stencil still in place (now, I think that would have worked, IF I had actually tried to hold the stencil in place and had tried to color carefully, instead of doing it really quick).  After doing some investigating (and having a major AH-HAH!! moment after reading Claire Brennan's blog on using the Cuttlebug and stencils) I decided to give Claire's version a try.  I inked up my stencil using SU's Summer Sun.  Then I made my sandwich of the A plate, B plate,  stencil, 120# pure luxury cardstock in white, 4 paper shims, black embossing pad (or the spellbinder tan one) and the other B plate. I ran it thru my neglected Bug (the Big Shot tends to get used more).  I then trimmed the image, rounded the corners, matted it on some basic black , rounded the corners again and adhered that to my 5 3/4" x 6" 120# pure luxury card base.  Stamped the sentiment from SU's It's Your Birthday using my stampamajig  and Archival Jet black ink(and yes, even then, I managed to get it slightly crooked and down a hair lower than I would have liked!).  Pretty CAS and QUICK!!  Not a WOW!! card, but I think it fits the bill for the boss man!

Hope you find some time to create something today before the week is upon us again!! I'm off to work on some mass produced thank you cards for those who helped with Grandparent's day and coach the different basketball teams at the school.  Think today's key word is CAS!! LOL!! 

Thanks for dropping by again!!  Till then.......

Just a Fragment.....

......For Just For Fun® Friday.

Hey Peoples!! Thank goodness it is Friday!  This week has been one that I'd rather forget!! After pushing myself beyond what would appear to be my limits last week, I managed to drag myself into being sick.  BUT!! Being the dim bulb that I am, I continued to try to work 9+ hour days covering for my vacationiong boss. Well, on Wednesday, the girls in the office decided that they had enough of my trying to cough up my lungs and popping medication like it was candy.  They took it upon themselves to rebook and double book both our offices and told me to stay home on Thursday.  They are truely the best!! And, I admit that I sooo needed the rest!  I did nothing Thursday but sleep, sleep and tried to create something for today's Color Challenge! 

Broni  challenged us to use Kraft, Aqua and Teal as inspired by the papers by Graphic45 On the Boardwalk.  Now, I do not have any of this paper (gasp!) so tried to pull out the colors for an idea that has been brewing in my head for a while

Now, in real life, the colors are not this bright and the colors match the color challenge better. But I could be still in my deep medicated state of mind and don't know the difference!! hehe.   And for the life of my addled brain, I could not get this fragment to photograph well.  And to be honest, I got beyond caring! LOL!  I used the largest fragment from t!m holtz's ideology line and applied alcohol inks in Stream, Butterscotch and Epresso to one side.  When the inks had dried, I stamped the Queen Ann's Lace (F2716) with Archival Jet black ink and immediately wiped it off using a paper towel leaving behind my white silhouette.  I mounted the fragment onto a piece of white cardstock using glossy accents.  I then turned the piece over and stamped the sentiment "A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience ~~Oliver Wendell Homes (D2531) on the front using Jet Black Stazon (tip:  if you mess up the stamping on a slick surface, like a fragment, grab your blending solution and wipe it off real quick! Works great!! (couldn't reach the stazon cleaner soon enough! hehe).  I then stamped the small butterfly (A3378....sorry, I could not pull up the link) using Archival Jet black ink onto a scrap piece of SU's Taken with Teal.  Cut it out very carefully and adhered only the body to the fragment using glossy accents.  I then mounted the fragment on a slightly larger piece of Taken with Teal and that to another slightly larger piece of Kraft.  Supplies:  Inks:  Alcohol inks in Stream, Butterscotch, Espresso, Archival Jet Black, Stazon Jet Black.  Stamps:  Just For Fun® Queen Ann's Lace (F2716), Insight (D2531) and small butterfly(A3378).  Paper:  SU's Whisper White, Taken with Teal, Kraft.  Accessories:  Glossy accents, large fragment from the

idea-ology line by Tim Holtz. 

Make sure you stop by the other gal's sites to see what they came up with!!

Sheery Cheever

Broni Holcombe

Kat Tucker

Heidi Blankenship

Linda Duke

Sandy Sandrus

Terre Fry

JFF Blog

Thanks for dropping by again today! I'm off to take another little nap, hehe. Seems that I'm more worn out from creating than I thought I would be!!  Take care of yourselves and take TIME for yourselves!!

Black and Cream with a little CAS on top

Hey Peoples!! Are you sitting down?! Yep!! I actually have ANOTHER  project to share today!! (don't worry, I'm sure I'll make up for it next week as I have to work all week while the boss plays in Mammoth! hehe).  I finally got the Just for Fun Friday color challenge done!!  Kat had challenged us to use Black, Cream/vanilla and a color pop of our choice.  Now, to me black and cream just seem to call for RED (though I will admit that Heidi and Broni  have given me serious thought that GREEN should be the go to color!!).  But!! I stuck with the red!

 Now, I kept this pretty clean and simple.  I first stamped the flower flourish from Just for Fun Stamps®(G3354) across the top of my pure luxury 5x5' card base using my stampamajig.  I then pulled out some of the left over coffee filter flowers that I had made for this previous project. I swiped some Worn Lipstick distress ink on my craft pad and spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Apple Red and smooshed my flowers into the ink, giving them a soft shimmer that the photographer was not able to capture (ahem!).  The flower is held together by a Build a Brad that has a 1/2 cream pearl on top.  The flower was then layered over some black velvet ribbon and the Fleu de Lis Spellbinder border that was cut and embossed using my Big Shot. I added some teeny tiny 1/2 backed pearls to the middle of the larger flowers in the stamped image and then carefully sponged the edges of the card with Old Paper Distress Ink.  I played around with adding a sentiment to the front, but decided that I liked the card as it was and a sentiment could be added later to the inside to fit what ever occassion the card was called for!

Thanks for dropping by again today!!  I'm off to find my desktop AGAIN (am I the only one who creates a HUGE mess for a simple card?!! OI!! I swear my craft area will never be cleaned as long as I'm creating!! It would seem that I pull out every possible die, embellishment, tool that I MIGHT consider using on a project!! LOL!!)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and remember to take the time to create SOMETHING, whether it be a new recipe, a scrapbook layout, a card or a new spring garden bed!!

Game On!

Hey Peoples!!  Well, it would appear that everyone survived that stampede called Grandparent's Day! Grandparent's were entertained by all the cowboys and cowgirls puttin' on their shows!!  Grub was good and not much left overs to be had once the junior high and high school students got wind of some free fixin's.

Thought I'd share a couple of pictures.  The first would be of my own little cowboy on his horse "Skull" (funny story, the emcee asked the third graders what were the names of their horses.  When *C got up to the mic, he said his horse was named "Uncle Larry".  Later he told me that he decided that some of the grandparent's might not like the name "Skull" so he decided to say something else so he wouldn't offend anyone!! Awwwww!! hehe)

 Now "Skull" is one of 12 sock horses that *C and his third grade classmates made!! They stuffed the socks and with only a little help, sewed on the ears and manes. I made all the harness' (taking note of the special requests for what color of ribbon).  I think the kids did a GREAT job!!

And here is all the horses lined up in the classroom in the "stall", hehe

********************************

Now onto a CARD!! Now before I get flammed, I have not done the Just for Fun® Friday Color Challenge yet!! BUT!!  I have a REEEEAAALLLY good excuse!!  It would seem that my oldest was invited to an overnight birthday party for tonight.  Now, I'm not exactly sure when the invitation went out (DS seemed to think it was Wed, possibly Thurs?!! grrrrrrr) but he did not actually GIVE me the invitation until Tues of this past week.  Now, if you've been reading my blog, you know that I've been just a LITTLE busy this past week prepping for Grandparent's Day.  Soooo!!  Today I had to make the b-day card before the color challenge card!! (not to mention tackle the MOUNDS of laundry that seemed to crop up while I was living at the school!! hehe). 

Now I find tween cards extremely hard to make.  Well, tween cards for BOYS.  I personally think the stamping world is sorely lacking in the tween boy catagory. There are some CUTE (the key word being CUTE) stamp ideas out there that would be great if I was making cards for tween girls.  But I have boys.  And we are at the stage where invites to birthday parties are not of the mixed company parties.  BUT!! My creative juices are still flowing (hmmmm.....wonder how long I can keep this rolling?!) and this is what I came up with:

                                  

Ok, admit it!! Is this pure genuis for a 13 year old boy or what?!! I roughly traced an Xbox controller onto grid paper and made my template.  The template was then traced onto black textured paper.  I then lined it up on a folded piece of grey textured paper and lightly penciled my "dimension" outline on the lower portion.  The "control" buttons are all punched out with various circle punches ( 1/2" 3/4", 1", 1 1/4" and hand held 1/4" punch).  The colored buttons have the topper from SU's build a brad on them to give them the shiny dimension that the real controller has.  The middle "x" button also has a 3/4" clear topper thingy (have no idea what these things are called!) on it.  The other controllers were first outlined by rolling the large "base" along my craft white ink pad and adhered with dimensionals to give the the toggle look.  The gift card present will be attached to the inside.  PERFECTO!! hehe!

Thanks for dropping by again today!! I'm off to get ready for DH to take me out to dinner.  It would seem that we've been married 16 years today! (and if your wondering where the card is for DH.....it didn't get made.  That's why I'm still married to the man.  He just breathed a huge sigh of relief when I suggested that since last week was pure H*** with our schedules, we forgo any gifts and cards and do something special later (dinner does not count, hehe....that's just a necessity! BHWHAAAAAAA). 

STAMPEDE!!!!!

Got a stampede going on at the homestead.  After the cowboy rode off into the sunset (see this post for more details) it would seem that some critter decided that life was just getting too easy out on the range. So, that ornery critter started a stampede just to liven things up.  First, there was the herding of 3rd and 4th graders thru Legoland for a day.  Come sun up there were 12 sock horses that needed harnessing.  And tables and chairs had to be set up for all the folks coming for grub. Plus puttin' out the fancy goods so folks don't think we don't know how to put on a gatherin'.  Not to mention some pickin' up needed to be in some of the classrooms (wouldn't be proper for the Grandparent's to be seeing dust on the desks.  They might get the wrong idea that the young 'uns weren't learnin').

So basically, I got over whelmed by all the hoopla for Grandparent's Day and did not get my card done for today's Just for Fun® Friday Color Challenge #3.  Kat challenged us to use Creme, Black and a color of our choice. Great colors!! Just no time for the mojo!!

I PROMISE that I will post a project this weekend.  Just need a moment to let all the dust settle down!! hehe.   But!! By all means, we'd love for you to join in on the fun!! Grab your stamps and come play with us (remember:  if you've got some Just for Fun Stamps, we'd love to see your creativity in using them.  BUT! If not, that's ok!! We just want to give everyone a FUN excuse to stamp with us!! There is a Mr. Linky on the Just for Fun® Blog so that we can enjoy what you come up with!!

Make sure you stop by all the other gal's blogs and see what they came up with (I know I'll be taking a peek for some inspiration!! I'm afraid I might have used up all my alloted creativity for the week already! LOL!!)

Kat Tucker

Broni Holcombe

Heidi Blankenship

Linda Duke

Sandy Sandrus

Sherry Cheever

and

Terre Fry

Just for Fun Blog

Ok...Happy Trails to you!! 'Til we meet again!! Happy Trails to you!! (do you all have the Van Halen version running thru your noggins now?!! ROTFL!!) 

Happy Trails....

Hey Peoples!!  Believe it or not, I've been creating for HOURS over the last couple of days. AND today I finally came to the end of the trail!!

Every year our little private school has Grandparent's Day the last day of school just prior to spring break. Grandparents or Special "grandparents" are invited to come to the "Pit" and enjoy presentations from
K-6th graders, an art display of work from all the students and a light lunch.  They are then welcome  to go to their grandchildren's classrooms and see the work they do there.  The Home and School committee usually picks a theme and all festivities are planned accordingly.  This year the theme is Happy Trails.  Somehow I got held at gunpoint (ok, ok....I made a deal with the President of H&S.  If she accepted
 the presidency (which I declined faster than a branding iron), I'd help with the planning and decorating for Grandparent's Day.  In all honesty, I got off with the better deal).

Sooooo, the travels begin in the Pit area (this is the central meeting area for the school) which is approximately 9 x 30 ft.  First you start with some bright orange paper

 Then you add some bright red paint and some spotches of purple paint

Then add a few pieces of black paper over the top for a silhouette

And you got yourself a cowboy at the end of the trail.  (I believe you can click on any of the pictures for a larger view)

As simple as this looks like it should have been to do, it took me 6-7 hours of working time (that does not include set up for the painting or cleaning up).  Lucky for me, the second grade teacher is very artistic and helped me get the projector positioned correctly to kinda trace the cowboy onto the paper.  She then helped me make the horse look like a horse vs a cow (it would seem that after I drew out the original cowboy on his horse and took him down to trace around without all the lines, I CUT the wrong scribbles and made my horse shorter, squatty and basically a cow. By that time I was tired, sore from all up/down off the scaffold and HUNGRY.  I could not for the LIFE OF ME get things to line up correctly with all the separate sheets of paper.  So a HUGE thank you to Mrs. S!!!! She rode in and saved the day!!)

The high school has asked that this be left up as the junior class would like to use it for a special announcement.  I believe it might be for the upcoming junior/senior banquet, which I heard rumors that it will be a western theme. I don't know for sure.  So, the work will be appreciated by more than one group.  Which is nice when you spend hours creating something that will eventually end up in the trash can (the harsh reality of doing this type of art work!! LOL!)

Papercrafting on a LARGE scale, hehe.  And "pawdner's, I'm done.  Stick a fork in me and turn me over"

'Till next time!

Exploring New Worlds~Color Challenge

When the Just For Fun Design Team decided to do a weekly color challenge, our fearless leader Sherry asked us for suggestions on some general color combinations.  This week we are using possibly one of my FAVORITE color combinations!

Here is what I came up with:

Now this card is WAAAY out of my comfort zone, but I REALLY, REALLY like it!! It has much more embellishments than I usually use, but I think if I can get over my "if I use it, I won't have it" hoader syndrome, I just might get used to this look from me!! hehe.   I knew I wanted to use this Just For Fun Old World Map.  I pulled out Distress inks in Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters and Broken China and swiped across my craft mat for the Wrinkle Free Distress technique. I repeated this two times on some Georgia Pacific 110# cardstock.  I then stamped the image twice using Distress Vintage Photo and clear embossed.  I then went in with a sponge and darkened some of the lighter areas using the same inks as I used for the wrinkle free portion.  I cut out one image of the globes and used foam tape to pop it over the other image.   

This image is LARGE.  5 1/4" x 4".   I knew I wanted a larger card than your regular A2 so I planned on making an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" card base.  I pulled out this gorgeous blue/green paper from My Minds Eye "School Days" that I've had forever and used that as my base.  Then I added the textured brown from DCWV natural pack for the matting of my image.  Then I got stuck.  REALLY stuck.  I could just not come up with the "final look".  So I pulled out the big design guns.  I called in the Toad (dear hubby) to help me.  I layed out some possible embellishments that I was considering and he fiddled around with some of them and wah~lah!! He suggested the jumbo eyelets across the top with the twine and the key hanging off of it "somehow".  I added the rub on flourishes and sentiment from K&Company's Blue Awning and finished it all off with the twill ribbon.  Supplies:  Stamps:  Just for Fun® Old World map H2105.  Paper:  MME "school Days", DCWV textured brown.  Accessories:  SU jumbo eyelets and twill ribbon, cropadile, twine, key from T!m Holtz             idea-ology, sentiment and flourish rub ons from K&Company "Blue Awning"

Now, we would like you to join us in our color challenge!  Make a card using the above colors of BLUE, GREEN and BROWN and add your link to Mr. Linky on the Just for Fun Blog.  While we hope you'll use your favorite Just For Fun Stamp, but all means, it is NOT required!!  Grab your stamps, inks and come join in the fun of creating!!

For some more inspiration don't forget to check out the other team member creations:

KAT Tucker

Terre Fry

Sherry Cheever

Broni Holcombe

Linda Duke

Sandy Sandrus

Heidi Blankenship

 I hope my last couple of projects have inspired  you to step out of your comfort zone to try something new!!  How much more fun to make a big ol' mess with others!! hehe

Thanks for dropping by!! Till next time~~~

Good News/Bad News Metal card

The Good News:  Got some new metal embossing goodies this week from Ten Second Studios ( I actually had to order some of the supplies from Bonnie's Best.  Both had quick turnaround and Bonnie called and e-mailed me when one of the metals I had wanted was not in stock.  Talk about service!!).  I could hardly wait to try it out!! So, when my youngest son was invited to a b-day party this week (FOR FRIDAY!! Yikes, peoples!! Let's have a discussion some time about the stress of adding last minute parties to the "To Do List"!!) I worked up in my mind just the card I wanted to make.

The Bad News:  Everything that could go wrong on this card did!! GRRRRRR!!!! I haven't ruined so much stuff in one sitting in a LOOOONG time!!

First the card:

(I know that this will not make sense to most of you card makers.  I would have taken pictures of what I was doing, IF I had managed to do ONE STINKIN' thing right!! Once I figure it all out to a somewhat presentable degree, I will do this again with step by step pictures)

(this is not the gift card that will go in this....this is what I had.  DH is being a gem and buying the REAL gift card today on his way home from work)

 I ordered a mold that you place under the metal and use a paper stump to bring out the texture.  Well, I saw on the Taco Tuesday Videos that you can run the molds through the Big Shot and do quick embossing.  GREAT.  Except when I ran my FIRST (notice the number there) sheet through, the depth of the mold caused some of the higher detail lines TO CUT MY METAL (and yes, I DID follow the instructions provided on the video! Except for one possibility.  TWO sheets of tissue paper might have been needed in my sandwich).  Ok.  Fine.  I'll just do the thing by hand.  Get SECOND piece of metal and lay it over the mold and start rubbing the details in, doing some detailing as I go along.  GRRRRR!! Almost done with the whole pattern when it dawned on me that I'm working ON THE WRONG SIDE IF I WANT MY IMAGE EMBOSSED not DEBOSSED.  Consider trying to erase the thing but decide that I just need to get the stupid thing done.  Get THIRD piece of metal and finally get most of the details rubbed into the metal.  Go to refine the details and screwed up (I'll spare you the agony of reading that).  Finally, get to the place where I just don't care anymore and use a sanding block to rub off the colored finish on the metal to highlight the raised portion.  Ruined my blade on my personal trimmer cutting the metal somewhat square (important detail later)  as I could not cut a straight line to save my life with my puny little Xacto knife (yes, I will be ordering a heavy duty cutting mat and knife shortly). 

Moved on to the inside of the card.  Borrowed the Sizzix/SU die Look Here! from my wonderful friend Kerney (waving!) and cut the image from textured black cardstock.  Ran some of the scrap metal over the arrow portions so that I could emboss them to match the front of card.  Luckily, I was using scraps as I had to re cut the bottom arrow TWICE since I needed the mirror image so that the metal would show on the FRONT of the arrow vs the back (didn't consider the pop up factor).

Cut my base cardstock to what I thought was 1/4" larger than the front metal piece.  Remember the italics from above?  It would seem that my square card was SOO not square.  So, cut another card base and adhered the inside of the card using red liner tape (you know, the REALLY sticky stuff?!)  Get it all down nice and tight.  Dug out the number 9 from T!m's idea-olgy line and mess around with trying to get it to show up on the metal more, finally settling on making a very handmade border for it.  Line it up on the front AND REALIZED THAT I GRABBED THE WRONG CARD BASE when I adhered my insides!!

By now, I really HATE this card.  I don't care that it is not the "WOW" card that it was suppose to be.  I don't care that it goes against all "good design rules".  It is for a 9 y/o boy.  Whose invitation to the party came two days ago.  For Friday.  I don't have time to do this stinkin' card again.  Glued the stupid thing together and call 'er BURNT. 

Now, I could have just given this to the kiddo and you all would have never  been the wiser.  So why did I chose to share all my frustrations?  Because there are some important lessons learned here:

 1) Trying something new means mistakes.  In my case, MANY, MANY  mistakes.  But one will never grow in creativity if one never tries something new

2) In all reality, everyone will probably be impressed with this card.  It has the dimensional factor going for it.  It has the "cool" metal going for it.  It has the "made just for you" going for it

3) EVERYONE makes mistakes.  In blogland, we don't see the overflowing trash cans.  We don't hear the words our children think we don't know.  But the mistakes are there.  And personally, I find encouraging to read about the mistakes.  It makes the "OMG! creators"  more like me.  And I like to think they are human and not from another creative planet that I wasn't fortunate enough to be born on.

So, I'm sharing the good and the bad.  Take a risk today. Try something new.  Chalk up the mistakes to a learning experience and move on to the next one.  It's all good.

Thanks for dropping by today!! I'll be back tomorrow with another Just for Fun Stamps Color Challenge!!

Vintage Clean and Simple

I haven't done a challenge on SCS in FOREVER.  So, today I decided that I would check out the challenges and lo and behold!! I think I covered both the CAS challenge (to layer two different shapes on your card, but keep it clean and simple) AND the Try a New Technique, Very Vintage. 

This idea started with the flower.  I have been wanting to use my Spellbinders Daisies since I got them!!  I tried cutting them out on regular cardstock and embossing, but it just did not have the look I was going for (which is all the fluffy hand made flowers that I have been seeing on other's blogs!)  I finally remembered some wonderful coffee filter flowers that Sherry Cheever made, so I opened up my package of filters that were bought just for this technique!! I swiped distress inks in Tea Dye, Old Paper and Antique Linen across my pad, but instead of misting with water, I misted them with Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Old Lace.  I used my heat gun to dry them then layered three on top of each other, folded the filters in half and cut using my Daisy dies.  I layered the different sizes and smooshed, lifted and worked the layers until I got a look that I liked.  I then pulled out a build a brad from SU and layered on a large 1/2 backed pearl from the Pretties kit and used that to hold the flower together.  I made a 6x6" base from a piece of textured vanilla paper from my DCWV neutral stack.  A piece  of  retired  of Spring Silhouettes dp from SU  was cut slightly smaller than the base and I sponged some Distress ink in Tea dye around the edges.  I then die cut Sizzix Flowers and vine and Scibbles Swirls from a piece of SU Wild Wasabi and then spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Olive Vine.  While that was drying, I die cut twice using SU's Top note, first in Soft sky then again in the base color from DCWV.  I sponged around the edge of the soft sky layer with Tea Dye and the entire vanilla layer with Old Paper.  I stamped the main image from Just for Fun Stamps® using Distress Vintage Photo and layered everything and finished off with the addition of some 1/2 backed pearls.  Supplies:  Paper:  DCWV neutral stack, SU Spring Silhouettes, soft sky and wild wasabi.  Inks:  Distress inks in antique linen, tea dye, old paper, vintage photo.  Accessories:  Sizzix Big Shot, dies Flowers and Vines #3, scribbles swirls, SU top note, Pretties Kit, Spellbinders Daisies S4-058, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Old Lace and Olive Vine.  Stamps:  Just for Fun® A child's heart E3150

I think this card would make a great "Teacher appreciation" card!!

I enjoyed participating in the challenges again!  I need to try and make this a habit! LOL!!  I'm now off to find my desk top again...it would seem that while all the different ideas were trying to emerge from my brain, my hands forgot to put stuff away!!

Pink Chocolate Lillies....

Sorry about the dead blog this week. On the days that I've not been called into work,  I've been trying to catch up with 6+ weeks of neglected housework.  Let's just say that it has not been real fun to discover that bathrooms can get cob webs in the corners!! YIKES!!

Ok...now to catch up on the creative end!!  There are some exciting things happening with Just For Fun® this week. First, we would like to announce and welcome a new designer to the team . . . Kat Tucker! Kat is

one of those designers that makes my jaw hit the ground!!  I just can't wait to give some of her projects a try!!  Please make sure you drop by Kat's blog and give her a big ol' FUN welcome!

Another exciting event is the launching of the new Just For Fun® Blog! You’ll be able to find albums for all the designers on the right hand side where you can view all their designs in one place. You’ll want to check out the new Designer page where you can read more about your favorite designers and get to know them better too!!

Saving the best for last . . . . we are announcing a new weekly color challenge . . . Just For Fun® Fridays. Each Friday there will be a new color challenge posted on the Just For Fun® Blog and samples will be posted on each Designer’s blog. (yes!! This means that I will be posting at LEAST once a week now!! BWHHAAAA!!)  We are inviting you to play along with us and want to see your creative works too!!  There will be a Mr. Linky at the end of each Friday’s post for you to link to your own card.

This week Sherry challenged the team to use Pink, Green and Brown.  AAAACCCCKKKK!! There is that PINK color that I don't know how to use!!  I guess that is why it is called a CHALLENGE, huh?!! So to add to the already HUMONGOUS challenge of using pink, I gave myself another added challenge:  to pull out an old technique that I haven't used in a while.  Well, let me tell you!! I went back 20+ years for this one, peoples!! The added challenge:  Watercoloring!!

Now, way back in my entry into the collage world, I thought that I  wanted to be an art major.  Until I realized that while I do have some God given artistic talent, it is NOT the level of talent one needs in order to make a living using said talent.  But before reality hit, I did take a watercoloring class.  A BEGINNER watercoloring class.  Brushing aside all the cobwebs of my watercoloring abilities, I came up with this card:
 

 Not too shabby for being incredibly rusty at this technique! LOL!!  You'll have to look past the incorrect "shading" as I had more than one blooper in not remembering that the light spaces have to start out light and stay that way!!

I stamped the Lily onto some 140# cold press watercolor paper with Archival Jet black ink.  Using the YUMMY new distress reinkers in Spun Sugar, Vicorian Velvet, Crushed Olive as well as Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters, I watercolored the image using a small brush.  I then had to meticulously cut out the image as it would seem that I was having some problems staying in the lines and remembering that that my hand dragging across the still wet image would leave smudges (OI!! I told you it had been a while!! LOL!).  I then made my own background paper by taking another piece of the watercolor paper and spritizing Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Cherub Pink in various spots.  I then took my Distress Shabby Shutters ink pad and swiped it across my craft mat in "blotches" and spritzed with water to have it bead up.  I then put my watercolor paper down in the beaded ink and used a large watercolor brush to blend the edges.  I then spritzed the entire sheet with Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Pearl (perhaps my favorite color!!) and let it dry.  I stamped the Background block script with Victorian Velvet and randomly stamped portions of it along the page.  I cut the background to be slightly smaller than my 6x6" base of DCW's (Natural stack) shimmer chocolate.  I punched out the "lace" using one of Martha Stewart's punches (sorry, don't recall the name!!) from a strip of the left over background paper.  The scalloped oval was die cut using my Spellbinder Scalloped ovals and classic ovals and adhered with glue dots.  The lillies were then adhered over the scalloped frame using dimensionals.  Tied the ribbon around the frame and called 'er done!! Supplies:  Paper:  140# cold press watercolor, DCWV natural cardstock stack.  Inks:  Archival Jet Black, distress reinkers/inks in Spun Sugar, Victorian Velvet, Crushed Olive, Shabby Shutter, Peeled Paint.  Accessories:  glue dots, Spellbinder Scalloped ovals and classic ovals, Sizzix Big Shot, glue dots, dimensionals, ribbon, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Cherub Pink and Pearl. 

Make sure you check out all the other designer's projects (I know I will be!!  I need to see how other's use PINK hehe!!)

Broni Holcombe

Sherry Cheever

Heidi Blankenship

Kat Tucker

Linda Duke

Sandy Sandrus

and

Terre Fry

AND!! Don't forget to visit the Just For Fun® Blog and post your PINK, green and brown project!!

 Thanks for dropping by again today!!  I hope that you'll join us every Friday for another color challenge!! Use it as an excuse as to why you have to stamp over the weekend!! BWHHAAAA!! 

Till next time!