Head to the Orient with ISS

Don't I wish!!! LOL  I just LOVE this Anime image from InStyle Stamps!  Her name is Mykai, and I could hardly wait to use her.  So much so that I am not quite arranged and organized in my new studio, but I HAD to go ahead and use her.  I have, somewhere, some great papers to use with an oriental look and, of course, I can't find them NOW... but never fear... they will turn up somewhere! 

I began by coloring Mykai using my Copic markers.  I cut her out and placed her on top of my pendent Nestabilitie which I used Gina K's Pure Luxury Metallic card stock, Silver Lining.  My pendant is mounted on top of a piece of black card stock which I scored diagonally using my Scor-Pal, making diamond shapes.  Instead of using it as most would with the scores being embossed... I turned the piece over and the scores are now raised on my paper.  LOVE how this looks. 

Again I mounted the entire piece on top of another piece of the Silver Lining card stock.  I used my CLEAR rhinestones and colored them with my Copics to get just the right shade of red I wanted.   A simple knotted piece of silver string and my card is done!

On the inside I kept it clean and simple.  Using a piece of DP and more Silver Lining card stock.  I wasn't sure what sentiment I wanted on this card so I just left it blank to use as a note card or just a personal message.  I used my EK Success Wave Flourish punch on both a piece of red and black and mixed them together for a simple but fun corner embellishment.

Did you know that if you go to InStyle Stamps Blog, and click on the "Shop Now" button on the left, you can get a 5% discount on your order with InStyle Stamps???  AND... if you buy digi images, which is what my card is made from today.. that is a really big discount as most digi images are under $5!!!!

You really should check out all the adorable images over at InStyle Stamps.  And if you're a fan of Anime drawings, Virginia has some very very cute ones available as well. 

Have a great day!! *smile*

Color Throwdown Celebrates 100!!!

Today the 100th color challenge from Color Throwdown. That means a chance to win LOTS of great prizes. One of the prizes being given away is from Tami Mayberry.
Here is a peek at what you can win:

The prize pack is valued at nearly $100 and includes the following:
Gina K Designs stamps by Tami Mayberry-Happy Hearts and In Stitches
CardMakers Sketchbooks-Original, Christmas and Birthday editions

To celebrate Tami and a few friends are sharing their creations using the Happy Hearts set combined with the Color Throwdown 100th color combo.

Here is the combo for the challenge:

Here are my projects.

The first card I created took in all the colors as a whole big canvas.  I used several layers of Tami's hearts to stack on top of each other as my focal image.  The regal rose piece I embossed with my Swiss Dot Cuttlebug folder to mimic Tami's dots on the heart and the reverse dots on the green stamped hearts.  My perfectly colored DP was my Baja Breeze coloring and matched perfectly.  Nothing but a big red satin bow to finish it off.

On the inside I used more of the hearts from Tami's set and pieced together my own sentiment from the many many words included!!

I have one more card to share.... a clean and simple design.

For my last card I used a simple white card base of Gina K's Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight White card stock and stamped the hearts in each of the colors required for the throw down.  I added one heart to my bow to gift it a bit of a "lift". *smile*

Inside... I again kept it very clean and simple and decided to go with a "wonky" location of my sentiment.  I kinda like it there... hee hee.  Once again... a coordination of colors in the DP for the challenge.

For even more ideas using this set be sure and visit the rest of the designers participating:


Tami Mayberry
Lea Lawson
Maren Benedict
Jeanne Strieff
Tina Gilliland
Jennie Harper

Then when you are finished hop on over to the Color Throwdown blog for details on how you can enter to win this prize as well as many others.

Have a great day and good luck!! *smile*

Tiny Beliefs...

I'm feeling cheery today and happy and realizing that as always... I have to always believe.  You see, I just got back to a REGULAR office again!!!  My studio was being remodeled and made larger and for the last three months... I have been in a make-shift area of the building and I must say... it has been NO JOY RIDE!!!

But now... I'm almost settled into my new space and I am so happy.  I think this awesome sentiment from Creative Clear Stamps entitled, "Family Blessings" clearly said what I should have known while complaining and hating the situation I was in!!  But... it is all behind me now and I am thrilled to be able to CREATE again!!!

On the inside.... I used the sentiment single, "Believe".  When I met my husband 12 years ago he always drilled into me... "You gotta always believe."... and still some times I find it hard to do.  But I admit... I have become better at it then I eve was!!!

I hope this inspires someone to always think positive and know that things will get better.  They always have a way of working out.  *smile*

My Christmas Style

I REALLY do not want to think about Christmas this early.... BUT.... since StampTV is putting of Christmas Challenges every week, I can't think of a better way to get prepared early for card giving than to get a head start on it and be relaxed and unrushed doing  so!!!

Giovana's challenge last week was for us to show her our "style".  I'm not sure I have a certain STYLE, but I do one thing very clearly... every year... and without reservation or wonder of what card I am making.  I NEVER fail to make sure I include our Lord Jesus Christ into  my family's Christmas.  Far too I think it is forgotten what the real meaning of Christmas is and I refuse to let that die in MY family.

So... that is my style when it comes to Christmas cards and to how I look at Christmas as a whole.

I admit at times with all the cute, fun, adorable stamps out there, it is hard to always to resist them... but... I think even with a cute mouse wearing an all to big Santa hat... we can still include the Lord

For my card, I used Gina K's Pure Luxury Metallic Silver Lining for my card base.  I stamped Nina Brackett's, "Vintage Borders" and Melanie Muenchinger's, "Festive Fame" for my sentiment which I LOVE!!

I use the snowflake Nestabilitie embossing folder for my background and on the ribbon, I also use Theresa Momber's, "A Very Merry Christmas" to stamp the Hallelujah on top. 

Whatever your style is, I hope you always remember Christmas was our Lord's birthday and the most joyous day of the year.  *smile*

Happy 4th of July!!!

Happy Fourth everyone!!!

Today has such bittersweet memories for me. I lost my dear dear friend, Bette, two years ago to cancer and though we go on with our lives, we still find time to remember our loved ones and those who have not only lost their lives fighting for our freedom, but also those who fought their own personal battles.

To our military men and women... thank you for keeping this a free country where our dreams can come true.

And on that note.... I have been away for a couple days, did you miss me???

I have been organizing my NEW STUDIO!!!! I am so excited!! I decided to take a few pictures for you to see the progress and "construction", as it were, going on. My dear friend, Kathy, came by today and spent all morning helping me to decide on this and that. So... without further ado, here's where I am.... so far. :-)

We took this photos this morning... and already things have changed!!! LOL

Remember... we are ORGANIZING... it's not done by a long shot!

Notice the TWO Starbuck cups... BOTH mine! LOL  We started early!!!

My friend was going crazy with these dots.  They are Dry Erase self adhesive dots that can be put and removed.  She had them here... then there... then here... LOL  I think they moved again! LOL

I LOVE these cute hangers I found at Hobby Lobby!!

More to come when we are further organized.  There was so much to go thru and refile and rearrange and CLEAN!!  I can't believe the amount of dust I had on things from being in that make-shift office.  Ugh!!

There are even TWO more walls to do something with!!  AND more tables to buy and bring in!  Actually.... now that I think about it... THREE more walls to do!

I wish you could ALL come visit!!!

Hope you have a great day!!! *smile*

InStyle Stamps Sketch Challenge

Its the beginning of the month and that means Sketch Challenge time at InStyle Stamps!!! Above is the sketch we were to follow. And, this month, the design team is ringing in he holidays with a Halloween and/or Christmas card assortment for you to get your juices flowing!  How awesome would it be to have holiday cards done ready to go in the mail by August???  Cool, huh?  So... on to my card.  All images used in the sketch challenge by the DT will be in the store by July 16th!!

My card today was with the Candy Corn Family from InStyle Stamps.  How SWEET are they???!!! PUN intended!! Hee Hee 

I admit, this sketch was a bit of a challenge for me.  I could NOT for the life of me decide on anything!! Mostly, I think, it was my last night in my "make-shift" studio before they moved me to my newly remodeled one and I was HOT, tired and certainly scattered everywhere!!!

I used my Copics to color my images and dabbed a bit of Vivid London Fog ink around the edges of my Deckled Rectangle Nestabilitie.  I added a Scalloped Circle Nestie to the left side and felt it was a bit plain so I added HALF of a silk flower and some self-adhesive nail heads to the center.  I also sponged some of the Vivid London Fog ink onto the flower.  When I added the buttons I wanted to do them the same color as my Candy Corn Family and instead of doing THREE layers of buttons, I decided the yellow card stock was my initial color so I added just the orange and white button.  

On the inside I really really wanted to do some type of "spider web" stamped design and like I said... my studio was a disaster and I couldn't find anything I really wanted... so I just punched a few swirls and added them to my card stock border.

Be sure and stop over at InStyle Stamps Blog and add your card to Mr. Linky.  You could be a winner of four digi images!!  Deadline to link is August 1st so hurry on over and add your fabulous work and play along!!