And God Created Mothers

Happy Friday Peoples!!  It's time for another Just for Fun® Friday color challenge and today Sherry challenged us to use the following colors as inspired by Graphic45's Proper Gentlemen

Now here is where I'm going to let you on a little secret.  The Just For Fun® Design team gets to have a "sneak" of what the upcoming color challenges are going to be.  It would seem that yours truely had a major brain freeze for this week (yes, yes, I know.  TOTALLY out of character for me!! hehe).  I picked out my paper, the image I thought I wanted to use and was getting everything ready to go.   Divine intervention had me double checking the challenge colors this morning and LOW AND BEHOLD!! I was on the WRONG week!! GRRRRRR!!  Let's just say that I looked rather like a deer in the headlights for about 30 minutes or so trying to reverse gears and come up with something else!!  But!!  I think I did pretty good, all things considered! LOL!!

I started with the DP from Colorbok's Fresh Meadow pack and cut it slightly smaller than my textured Very Vanilla base of 6x6".  I rounded the corners with my corner rounder and sponged the edges with Distress Fired Brick and set these layers behind.  I then pulled out distress ink in Antique Linen and swiped it on my craft sheet and misted with water on a scrap piece of the textured vanilla cardstock.  After getting the depth of color that I liked, I spritzed the layer with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Antique Lace and Pearl.   I stamped my sentiment .....He Created Mothers from Just for Fun Stamps® with Distress ink in Fired brick.  I cut out/embossed that layer and the Cranberry Crisp layer with Spellbinders Labels 11.  Then came the really fun part! I used Tim Holt'z Tattered Florals sizzix die with some very vanilla cardstock and used the smaller 6 petal flower to make my roses (one of many tutorials can be found here).  After cutting my dies (I layered 3 pieces of paper at one time and ran them through my Big Shot) I sponged the edges and back with Distress Worn Lipstick and then just the edges again with Fired Brick.  I then assembled the roses using Art Glitter glue.  I die cut the leaves (Sizzix Branch with Leaves) from some scrap Very Vanilla and spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Meadow Green and Old Olive.  The roses were adhered over the layers with some dimensionals and a touch of glue. 

I hope you'll join the Just For Fun Friday color challenge!!  If you are in need of some more inspiration, check out the other DT members and see what they came up with!!

Sandy Sandrus

Terre Fry

Sherry Cheever

Margarita Ybarra (NEW to the team!! YEAH!!)

Kat Tucker

and

Broni Holcombe

Don't forget, you can use ANY stamps to play along with us!! Just add your name to Mr. Linky on the

Just For Fun® Blog so we can see your creations!

That's it for today!!  I am going to the Pasadena Design House with my mother in law this weekend and I always find so much inspiration from all the over the top designing!!  (cross your fingers I find some inspiration for Teacher Appreciation....some how May 4 snuck up on me and once again~~I'm about 2 steps behind!! Any suggestions would be welcome!! )

Thanks for dropping by again today!! I hope you are able to have a creative weekend!!

Notes from the Locker Room

Hey Peoples!  Have a quick post to share today (if I can keep from chatting too much!).  The Toad has been after me to make some thank you cards for all the coaches who helped with the our little school's participation in the city basketball league this past season.  As usual, I'm a couple of miles/months/years behind, but finally came up with a design. 

I got the idea to make a "locker room" with a hanging plaque.  The layout is fairly clean and simple as I have 8 of these to make.  And since I got the wild hair to cut out each and every one of the elements!! (I'm tellin' ya....sometimes I have to wonder at the twisted turns my brain takes in creating!).  The card base is 120# Pure Luxury cardstock from Gina K, with a top fold.  I LOOOVE this paper!! It is WONDERFUL for coloring with copics (smooth, no bleeding, so single layer cards can be made with it), but it is STURDY for building scenes like this without warping.  The images are from Melanie Muenchinger's "Sporty Accessories".  I stamped the tennis shoes using Archival Jet Black ink and colored with various copic ciaos.  The basketball was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and also colored with copics.  The lockers were stamped with Adirondack Slate ink and shaded with copics.  I tried to stamp the lockers lined up next to each other using my stampamajig, but somehow I managed to still stamp them "off" so EVERYTHING got cut out!!  The "plaque"  sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Faux Ribbon.  I masked off the "with appreciation" under the "THANKS" as I felt it was kind of redundant and stamped it using SU's Real Red.    The "floor" is scored (with the debossed lines on the front) every 1/4" using my Scor Pal, but they are difficult to see in the picture.  All the images (except the plaque) are popped up on dimensionals.  Supplies:  Stamps:  Melanie Muenchinger's Sporty Accessories, Papertrey's Faux Ribbon.  Inks:  Archival Jet Black, Memento Rich Cocoa, Adirondack Slate, SU's Real Red.  Paper:  Pure Luxury 120# from Gina K, basic black

I still need to put the rest of these together, but since I've been really lame about posting lately, I wanted to take a moment and share something new with you!!  I'm off to take a little break and do some yard work before the predicted rain hits!!  Thanks for dropping by again today!! And remember~take time for some creativity!!

One of THOSE weeks

Hey Peoples!!  It has been one of THOSE weeks where the schedule was over booked and of course had some unexpected loop-de-loops thrown in (I'll spare you the details).  I had every intention of posting some pictures of a so-so attempt at metal embossing project that I worked on last week, but never got the time for a photo session.  Something to look forward to (hopefully) next week.

Today is also the Just for Fun Friday Color Challenge!!  This week Broni challenged us  to use:

Here is my take on these colors:

Yeah.....remember when I said it was one of THOSE weeks?  I never got a chance to play (sniff, sniff)!!  I DO have an image all picked out, just need to find the 3 hours needed to make  the card! (I am not known for speedy creativity.  Once I start, I ponder the "what if I did this? Or maybe that would look so much better! OR!! What about?!)  I do plan on participating, it just won't happen until later!!  BUT!! Check out the other inspiration links:

 Kat Tucker

Terre Fry

Sandy Sandrus

Sherry Cheever

Broni Holcombe

I also want to congratulate Sylvia from Little Treasures as the winner of the 25% discount on her Just for Fun Stamps® order!! 

I hope that you will join us in the fun on the Just for Fun blog!  Remember, you don't have to use Just for Fun Stamps® (though we'd love to see how you use them if you've got them!!)

Well, I have a full day of work today and my oldest son is having two of his friends spend the weekend with us (do you have any idea how much food costs to feed 4 tween/teenage boys?!!).  They will be joining us for a day in the mountains tomorrow and stay until Sunday.  The Toad's birthday is also Sunday (and no, I do not have a card or a present for him. I'm sure I will hear about having all this stuff to make cards and how I never even made my own hubby a card......just insert major eye rolling here___________( I'm tellin' ya.....this week was out of control!!)

I do appreciate you taking the time to stop by today!! I hope that you make creating something a priority  sometime this weekend also!!

Tattered Faux Silk

Hey Peoples!! Are you glad it is Friday?!! I have a busy weekend on the schedule.  Work today, tomorrow I'm meeting up with some of my PT classmates (it would seem that it has been (gasp!) 20 years since we've graduated) and an all day continuing education class on Sunday.  Fun, fun, fun! (snort)

But!! Today is the Just for FUN® Friday Color challenge!!  Sherry challenged us to use the following colors:

I swear the woman is trying to FORCE me to like PINK!! (still not giving in on that one!!) LOL!!  After my struggles to come up with something last week, I was truely stumped as to what to do for this week.  I finally decided that keeping it clean and simple was going to be my best bet! 

  

I started by spritizing Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Cherub Pink and Frost onto some tissue paper (the kind you shove into gift bags!). I used my heat gun to speed up the drying process and repeated the step again until I got the depth of color I wanted.  I then glued the tissue paper to a piece of Gina K's 120# pure luxury cardstock and punched the bottom edge with a Martha Stewart punch (hmmmmm......those things aren't marked with the name.  Guess who didn't notice that when she threw away the box it came in?!!)  The "faux silk" layer was then adhered to a piece of Basic Black cardstock.  I stamped of the four flowers that can be found on the Just for Fun Stamps ® Floral Block using my stampamajig and Ranger's Archival Jet Black ink.  The Butterfly (also from Just for Fun Stamps®, sorry I couldn't pull up the link!) was stamped using Distress Stormy Sky onto a scap  piece of the pure luxury paper.  I then used my Versamark pen to outline the blue and applied SU's Heat n Stick and then Dazzling Diamonds to add some extra sparkle. The body of the butterfly was attached using some rolled up glue dots so that the wings could be "free".   I then added the rub on "spring" from American Crafts miniMarks Spring and Summer Book One. 

At this point, I decided that something was lacking and added the clear flourish gems for the butterflies "trail".  Hindsight says I should have had the spring rub on under the flowers and  used a larger flourish.  Hindsight is never early!! Supplies:  Paper:  120# Pure Luxury in white, basic black, tissue paper.  Stamps:  Just for Fun Stamps® Floral Block (RB7004) and Large Butterfly (C3373).  Inks: Ranger Distress in Stormy Sky, Archival Jet Black.  Accessories:  Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Cherub Pink and Frost, American Craft rub ons, flourish gems from Walmart.

Now this week you are, without a doubt, going to want to participate in the color challenge!!  One lucky participant will get 25% off an order placed!! Remember!! You do NOT need to use Just for Fun Stamps®  to play along with us for Just for Fun Friday's Color Challenge (though, we'd LOVE to see your Just for Fun Stamps®).  AND!  You'll want to check out what the other gals came up with for some more inspiration!!

Sherry Cheever

Kat Tucker

Broni Holcombe

Terre Fry

Sandy Sandrus

Thanks for dropping by again today!! I hope you all have a GREAT weekend!! 

Bronc Bustin'

Hey Peoples!! Happy Thursday! Quick post today.  I'm trying to get some much needed laundry and house work done as I have to work tomorrow and have an all day continuing education class this weekend.
 Believe it or not, I've been stamping up a storm the last couple of days.  Remember the Grandparent's Day festivities that I painted the backdrop for?  Well, belately, we decided that we really should have some thank you notes for those who donated their time to make the day a success.  So, I've been mass producing cards!

 I started out by stamping the main image on glossy paper with Distress Black Soot ink and embossing with black embossing powder. Now, my idea was to make the cards look like the background so I pulled out Distress inks in Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door and Fired Brick and did my sponging in layers.  Funny thing.  The inks blended more than the paints did and I got more of a orangish background versus the redish background I was going for (IRL the main image IS more orange....camera (not the photographer!) changed the tone!!)  I layered the image on some Basic Black cardstock and some Spiced Curry that was distressed using my SU distressing tool.  The card base is Tangerine Tango with SU's Sanded background stamped using Distress Rusty Hinge. 

Decided against embellishments as I had to make 15 of these and didn't want the cost of mailing them to go up!  Pretty simple, but I think it will get the job done!!  Supplies:  Paper:  SU's Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry, Basic Black and Glossy.  Ink:  Distress inks in Black Soot, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick and Barn Door. Stamps:  SU's Bronc Buster.  Accessories:  Black Embossing Powder, heat gun, 1 1/4" circle punch, distressing tool.

I'll have another card tomorrow for the Just for Fun® Friday Color Challenge!!

Thanks for dropping by!! I hope you have an enjoyable evening!!

Challenge with a Challenge

Happy TGIF!! I spent my week FINALLY finishing up the organization (aka CLEANING) of my creating area!  I'm soooo excited to have everything put into its own space and the fact that I can see the floor (I won't even mention how long it's been since that has happened!).  I will post some pictures later!

  Today~ it's time for another Just for Fun® Color challenge and BOY! Was it a challenge for me!

 Do you see that PINK color?!! Have I ever mentioned that I am SOOOO not a PINK person? Well, it would seem that I was, uhhhh, maybe whining a bit to a friend that I was not finding inspiration in the "girly girl" pastel colors.  So, SHE challenges me to make a masculine card with these colors!!  SERIOUSLY?! 

Guess what?!  I DID it!! hehe!! Here is my "Pulling Weeds"

I pulled out my favorite technique of wrinkled free distress and  swiped Distress inks in Tattered Rose, Bundled Sage and Scattered Straw onto my craft mat and misted with water.  The 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" shipping tag was smooshed into the ink a couple of times  until I got the look that I wanted.  I then stamped the dandalion (E3370) from Just for Fun Stamps® multiple times along the bottom portion of the panel using Distress Bundled Sage (I did not always reink between the stamping....very random type of thing going on here!).  The sentiment, also from Just for Fun® was stamped with Distress Walnut Stain.  I then got the belated idea to spritz a light dusting of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Pearl over the image.  Lucky for me it did not cause the Distress inks to run!! I would strongly suggest that if you want to add the glimmer mist, do it BEFORE you do your over stamping!! It worked out fine this time, but I will not be responsible for "softened" lines if you chose to follow in my "what if I add this" footsteps!!

The edges of the tag were then distressed with my SU distressing tool and sponged along the edges lightly with Walnut Stain.  I then matted the tag onto a slightly larger piece of SU's Sage Shadow cardstock.  Now~~IRL, this matches soooo much better with the Bundled Sage color tone, but the camera insisted on pulling out the "blue" tones!! The final mat was a very slightly larger piece of SU's Chocolate Chip.  Then I pulled out some wonderful fibers that my friend Melody sent to me a while ago and added it to the tag.  Supplies:  Paper:  SU's Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip, vanilla shipping tag.  Inks:  Ranger Distress inks in Tattered Rose, Scattered Straw, Bundled Sage and Walnut Stain.  Accessories:  Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and unknown fibers.

Using more muted tones of the challenge colors, plus keeping this pretty CAS, I think I pulled off a masculine card pretty well, if I do say so myself!!

I hope you'll join us on the Just For Fun Blog and share your creations using these colors!!  While we would love to see what you do with Just for Fun Stamps®, they are NOT a requirement to play!! Just grab your stamps and have some FUN with us!!  For some more wonderful inspiration, check out what the other gals came up with!!

Kat Tucker

Terre Fry

Sandy Sandrus

Sherry Cheever

(Broni is on vacation this week)

Just for Fun Blog

EXCITING NEWS!! 

 Just for Fun Rubber stamps is having a DESIGN TEAM CALL!!

Just For Fun® Rubber Stamps is looking for new Designers to work with their images and products. If you are interested in applying, please email the following to Sherry Cheever, Design Team Coordinator:

•Your name and contact information

•4 pictures of your best work (cards, layouts or altered projects) It is not necessary that these projects use Just For Fun images.

•Link to your blog and online gallery

•A list of Design Teams you are currently on

This call will remain open until 12:00 Noon EST, Thursday, April 22, 2010. New Designers will be chosen by April 26, 2010.

DESIGN TEAM REQUIREMENTS

Design Team Members will commit to a term of six months. At the end of the six months, a review will be made by the Design Team Coordinator with the Designer.

A minimum of six projects are to be posted on your blog and/or online gallery by the end of each month. Four/five of these projects will be for the weekly challenges hosted on the Just For Fun® Blog. All projects must include a products list, simple directions and use 100% Just For Fun® images. Periodically, there will be a call for your projects to be used as samples in stores, the booth and/or at shows. All projects will be mailed to Just For Fun® within one week of the call (unless otherwise noted.

Design Team Members will receive:

•A Starter Package of Images

•Monthly and/or Quarterly Images, depending upon Designer’s need and team requirements

•New Releases when produced

•Discount on Product Available on the Site

Designers will be given access to the Design Team Group and are asked to upload all projects to an album in the Group. This is where Just For Fun® reviews the images to prepare for shows.

All requests for stamps will be made through the Design Team Coordinator via email.

Just For Fun® Rubber Stamps is a family business and our goal is to make the Design Team feel like a family as well. Communication is highly encouraged between the team and all concerns and/or questions should be addressed immediately with the Design Team Coordinator.

WHEW!! This turned out to be quite the long post! I hope that you all have a great weekend!! I have some much needed projects that need working on, but oldest DS has been scheduled to play in a middle school varsity basketball tournament all day on Sunday.  That, I'm afraid, might mean not much stamping time, but you never know!! I just might have to pull out the "I NEED to get this done before Sunday" whine and fit it in later today! hehe!!  Thanks for dropping by again today!!

 

The Aim of Art

Happy Friday Peoples!!  And Happy Easter Wishes!! (for those who celebrate).  It's time for this week's

Just for Fun® Friday color challenge.  This week our colors come from Sherry, who found her inspiration in

Graphic45's On the Boardwalk and Fashionista paper. 

 DISCLAIMER:  THE ABOVE COLOR SWATCH IS JUST A BEGINNING SUGGESTION.  THERE IS NOT A SPECIFIC SHADE OF RED, YELLOW OR BLACK THAT IS REQUIRED.  THEREFORE, EACH AND EVERY PARTICIPANT IS FREE TO DECIDE WHAT COLOR FAMILY OF THE MAIN IDEA SHE/HE CHOSES TO USE. 

According to The Toad, I pushed the limites on my color choice.  According to me, I went with a more cranberry/rust shade of red and my yellow is more of a yellow green.  I'm just going to point out that if you go to paint store and look at all the red and yellow paint swatches, you'll see HUNDREDS of different shades. That's all I'm sayin'!! hehe

                                       

My project was inspired by something similar that Sherry did a few weeks ago.  I love her roses and have been wanting to try them myself but was waiting for my T!m Holtz Sizzix Tattered Floral die to arrive.  Then I got the idea to try it with some metal (hindsight:  I should have made a least ONE rose out of paper first, just to get the feeling of the process.  But that would have been the smart, easier thing to do.  I decided to jump off the creative bridge first and check the depth of the water later! hehe).  I cut out the medium 6 petal flower using some Spiced Rum metal from TenSeconds Studios.  I then flipped the metal to the backside (that is plain aluminum) and colored it using alcohol inks in Terra Cotta and Raisin.  Then I ran the flowers through the Cuttlebug Swiss dot embossing folder so that I DEbossed the dots.  Using really stickly red liner tape I put the flower together using this tutorial.  Now, one thing I learned is that metal is NOT paper! LOL!! While you can curl the edges, I realized that metal can curl much tighter and had to carefully unfurl some of the petals.  Which lead to some of the overworked edges showing more of the aluminum color. Putting the flower together was a little tricky as the metal does not manipulate like paper does and wrapping the red liner tape was a bit tricky.   The leaves were hand drawn to fit my rose on a scrap piece of metal and colored with alcohol inks in Lettuce, Pesto and Raisin.  Tip:  color your metal BEFORE you do the detailed embossing work.  That will allow the ink to get into those recessed grooves (ask me how I know this!! geesh!!)

Here is a close up of the rose:

                              

While not the perfect rose, I CANNOT wait to try this again!  (Yes, that is fair warning!! hehe)

On to the rest of the project!

I then painted the outside edges of my cheapo $1 wood frame from Michael's (found these  two years ago...Christmas time.  Idea was that I was going to alter the frames as gifts.  Obviously THAT never happened!).  Then I covered it with English Meadow paper from Colorbok using Tombow mono multi liquid glue.   I sponged around the edges of the paper and the inside of the window frame with Distress ink Aged Mahogany. Being on the T!m mode, I pulled out my Elegant Flourish die and cut two of the smaller flourish from grunge paper.  I colored it with Black Soot Distress ink and then spritzed it with Tattered Angel's Glimmer Mist in Pearl (that would be the "white" splotches" in the picture.  IRL, they don't show up!! Gotta love the camera!!).  The sentiment from Just For Fun® was stamped using Archival Jet Black onto a piece of Whisper White that was cut out (with NO embossing) using my classic oval Nestabilities. The edge was sponged again using Aged Mahogany.   The scalloped frame was cut out from Cranberry Crisp cardstock and embossed using the scalloped oval nestie.  I then took a strip of clear rhinestone accents and colored them using alcohol inks  again in Lettuce, Pesto and Raisin.

I have to say I LOOOOVE how this turned out!! (especially the metal rose, that is my favorite part! hehe).  I can see quite a few of these around my work area for "inspiration". 

 Speaking of inspiration:  make sure you check out all the other gal's creativity (and leave some special love to Linda.....sniff, sniff.  She has realized that while she may look like Wonderwoman (welllll, a blonde version, hehe) and creates like Wonderwoman,  she cannot do it all and wants to make sure she has time to spend with her grandkids this summer (gotta give her kudos for having her priorities in the right order!!)

Linda Duke

Sherry Cheever

Sandy Sandrus

Heidi Blankenship

Kat Tucker

Broni Holcombe 

and

Terre Fry

I hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend, no matter how you chose to celebrate it!!