Stampin' & Scrappin' with Donna

SOME STAMPIN' THERAPY

Life is slowly returning to normal after losing my father to Cancer earlier this month. The spring bulbs are blooming this week, which gives us a sense of renewal and a fresh start. I've been edging myself back into my routines, and I thank you all for sticking by me while I find my way back to a creative frame of mind.

Last Monday I got a real boost in the arm when I attended our team's monthly meeting which Samantha Forrest and Diane Hilborn had all planned out (thank you both, and Julie Leblanc too in February for keeping the team going in my absence!) Having friends is always a treasure, but having Crafty Friends just brings an extra special bond and warmth ...  and the Artful*Inkers team are true-blue crafty friends. Thank you all for being there for me on Monday, and over the last few months too.

So, back to getting creative again ... so much has happened while I was absent - I missed sharing my Leadership projects with you in January; Valentines Day has come and gone without a single card from me, and St. Patrick's Day is history too. Now we're all focusing on Spring themes in our creations, along with Easter and Mother's Day - whew! I have a whole pile of cards I received over the last couple of months that I plan to share here with you, as well as some of my Leadership projects. Since the products are still all currently available, I hope you'll bear with me as I play catch-up over the next few weeks with my posts.

For today, I wanted to show you some cards that my team mates and I made for a creative challenge called "white spaces" - which just means keeping the card clean & simple, letting lots of white show through .. you know, the type of stuff we RARELY do when we get out all of our stash and start adding layer after layer of goodness. Well, sometimes CLEAN AND SIMPLE is good too! Enjoy ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1- by Diane Hilborn, featuring SPRINKLED EXPRESSIONS stamp set, EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENT ribbon, & DESIGNER FRAMES embossing folders from the SALE-A-BRATION brochure (expires March 31, 2012)

#2 - by me, Donna Henley, featuring ADORNING ACCENTS embossing folders & Edgelets dies, LARGE PEARL BASIC JEWELS, MIXED BUNCH stamp set, & BLOSSOM punch  - all from the OCCASIONS MINI CATALOGUE (expires April 30, 2012)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 - by Samantha Forrest, featuring one of the 2011-2012 In Colours, CONCORD CRUSH, as well as the ELEMENTS OF STYLE stamp set from the current Idea Book & Catalogue (expires May 31, 2012 - NOT June 30th, by the way!). Samantha used the SPOTLIGHT technique, one of my faves.

#4 - by Vanessa Manklow, featuring LOVE & LAUGHTER stamp set (from the Occasions Mini), Basic Black 1/8" TAFFETA RIBBON, the FINIAL PRESS embossing folder & Big Shot, and silver embossing powder to really make the stamped image stand out.

I'll have some more team swap cards to share with you all tomorrow...

BOOK-A-THON TODAY

Stampin' Up!'s Booking Marathon is TODAY and our goal in North America is to book 5,000 home workshops by end of day.

I'm on the phone, doing my part - but if you call me to book your home workshop before I call you today, I'll give you a FREE STAMP SET from my stash, just for booking!

You'll also get a fun night with your friends creating some holiday cards and other goodies, AND as hostess, you'll earn all the great Hostess freebies that Stampin' Up! offers!

So call me now, before I call you:   519-823-8891

BE MORE ADVENTUROUS

That's my goal for this year, my 50th .. I've challenged myself to try lots of NEW things, and especially to DO them rather than observe from the sidelines!

Here's one of my adventures from our holiday in Cape Breton and PEI ...

Climbing to the top of a historically preserved lighthouse with my deathly fear of heights and see-through staircases was a HUGH challenge for me, but the view from the top was oh-so-worth it!!

My grandmother was born in a lighthouse (not this one) so I've always had a fascination with the life of a lighthouse keeper and the beacons themselves.

The Canadian Coast Guard has recently announced that they can no longer justify the cost to keep the lighthouses running and with GPS and other modern navigational tools, the lighthouses are no longer needed.

This one has been taken over by a local historical society and preserved as a museum - thank goodness I took the chance to visit and climb to the top .. who knows what will happen to the rest of our Canadian lighthouses once the Coast Guard cuts their support?

Be more adventurous .. it's a good goal, both in life and in business. I hope to keep living up to that goal in the coming days with Stampin' Up! ... so stay tuned!

cheers

ColourQ CHALLENGE #31

Over on the ColourQ blog, they provide a weekly "cue" to challenge us to try new creative combos; here is this week's colour combination: crushed curry, brilliant blue, tempting turquoise, certainly celery and whisper white ...

... putting all of these vibrant colours together on one card is truly a challenge, wouldn't you say?

My kewl stampin' pal Julie asked me to play along with her this week, so even though I should be packing for my weekend getaway trip to Holland (the one in Michigan, not Europe - sigh)  ... I just couldn't let my girl down; kwim?

So here's my take on the colour scheme - hope you like it! I never thought I'd be able to put Brilliant Blue and Tempting Turquoise together (I stamped off with the Brilliant Blue just to soften it up a little) - hope you like the end result!

Be sure to click on Julie's name to see what she made with these colours, and don't forget to visit the ColourQ blog to see what everyone else came up with, too!

See you when I get back from my decadent weekend of stamping & shopping my way across Michigan!

cheers

 

EASY BREEZY CARD CHALLENGE .. DIGITALLY!

Well, if you follow me here, you must realize by now that I've fallen WAAAYYY behind with my entries to Julie's "Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenges" ... I DID have a perfect record of entering every one of her challenges since the beginning, but alas, real life got in the way of my fun and I missed the entire month of October (possibly more).

I'm happy to say that I'm back on track with EBKCC #10 ... AND I designed my entry using MY DIGITAL STUDIO, Stampin' Up!'s new digital designing software. What do you think of it?

EBK COLOUR CHALLENGE #10:

Christmas card using Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Whisper White and Ruby Red colours.

DIGITAL IMAGES USED:

Kraft & Whisper White card stock, Chocolate Chip Small Dot Designer Series Paper, Medallion Stamp, Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kit Elements & Border.

The saying is one from my 2009 Holiday Helper, issue #1, and was written in a text box with a misc font from my computer. That's one thing I really LOVE about My Digital Studio - I can use any font I have on my computer ... and I have quite a few! (Can you say font-a-holic?)

Don't forget to subscribe to my 2009 Holiday Helper to receive 12 different holiday projects in your email inbox - one per day starting November 15th. I should have a special Holiday Helper subscription link up & running in the next couple of days, but in the meantime you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter and just add the 2009 Holiday Helper newsletter to your request.

If you're already a monthly subscriber, you can edit your subscription preferences to include the 2009 Holiday Helper newsletter. Please note: if you received my Holiday Helper newsletters last year, you will still have to subscribe to the 2009 version - last year's list has been removed.

Clear as mud? If you have any questions, just drop me a line. I'm here to help!

cheers,

Donna

97 DEGREES IN ARIZONA

As I type this, fall is definitely in the air in Ontario; we may have to turn on the furnace tonight for the first time .. it was pretty nippy out there this morning!

However, in my friend's home town near Phoenix, Arizona, I see that it is a toasty 97 degrees F ... Diana, you have it good. No wonder you don't live in Canada anymore - I'd trade in our white winters for a year-round tan anytime! I can't wait to head down your way in January for Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference - bring on the heat!!!

This card is for Diana's colour challenge - she started hosting these a month ago, but this is my first entry .. what can I say? It's been a busy month! Glad I could finally sit down long enough to play... I would have liked to do more with this card (maybe stars in the night sky?) but the girls will be here soon for another class.

CHALLENGE: Stampin' with Di's Colour Challenge #5

(Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Whisper White and Real Red)

SUPPLIES:

INKS: NQN, Real Red, Certainly Celery and Basic Black

CARD STOCK: NQN, Whisper White & Certainly Celery

STAMPS: Loads of Love

ACCESSORIES: Black marker, Aqua Painter

GOOD FRIENDS ARE HARD TO PART WITH

I'm losing a really close friend ... well, not for a few more months ... but the point is that Julie's moving away and I'm not going to see her pop over every day like I'm used to doing. We stamp together, we borrow each other's stuff, and her son is like a grandson to my hubby & I (ok, maybe a nephew; I'm only 49!)

Julie is a talented stamper who hosts a colour challenge on her blog using Stampin' Up! colours - I've participated since day one but I almost missed the boat this time, even though she extended her deadline by another week (Just for me? I hope not!!!)

Anyway, even though the new colour challenge was posted today, I still have until 8 pm tonight to post my entry for the last one, so here goes (my record is still intact, thanks to Julie's patience!)

CHALLENGE:
Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenge #5

(Bashful Blue, certainly Celery, Basic Grey & Bermuda Bay)

SUPPLIES:

All four of the above listed inks & card stock, plus black gingham ribbon and black buttons, all from Stampin' Up!

STAMP SETS: Animal Stories (pg 88) & All Holidays (pg 43 - for the Happy Birthday phrase)

cheers,

Donna

A BIT EARLY FOR THE LEAVES TO TURN

Monday already - hope you're all enjoying your Labour Day weekend! I'm still in Cape Breton as you read this - hopefully lounging in the sunshine or exploring the shoreline ... pure heaven!

Here's my entry for this week's EASY BREEZY KEWL COLOUR CHALLENGE .. I've been submitting entries since day one and I just couldn't miss a week - horrors!

There's definitely an autumn feel to this card ...

CHALLENGES MET:
EBKCC #5 - Soft Suede, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke & Elegant Eggplant

SUPPLIES USED: (100% Stampin' Up!)
INKS - Soft Suede, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke & Elegant Eggplant
PAPERS - Soft Suede, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke & Elegant Eggplant card stock; Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Papers
STAMPS - Trendy Trees (pg 112)
ACCESSORIES - 1-1/4" Circle punch, Curly Label punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

See you all soon!

EASY BREEZY CHALLENGE

Feels like I've been doing laundry and packing for two straight days; but I really wanted to make a card for Julie's Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenge before we head off on our road trip - Hubby just called from work - now he wants to leave as soon as he gets home in the morning, so I actually had to drop everything and sneak down to my studio tonight to make my entry!

CHALLENGES MET:
EBKCC #4 - Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue & Crushed Curry

SUPPLIES USED: (100% Stampin' Up!)
INKS: Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue & Crushed Curry
PAPERS: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Crushed Curry & Bashful Blue card stock; The Write Stuff Designer Series Papers
STAMPS: Celebrate Everything (pg 144) & Trendy Trees (pg 112)
ACCESSORIES: Word Window punch, Slit punch, 1" Circle punch

NOTE: This card is designed to hold a gift card or certificate inside; I used the slit punch on the yellow strip on the right to make two tabs to hold the card closed.

cheers,

JUST UNDER THE WIRE ... WHEW!

I've been participating in my friend Julie's Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenge (EBKCC) since it's debut, and I'm determined not to miss a single week! Julie posts a new colour challenge every Friday, but since I didn't get to my stamping studio until Tuesday ... well, you know the rest. I managed to finish this card tonight, just under the wire!

CHALLENGES MET:

EBKCC -  Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue, More Mustard & Old Olive
3 CLOVERS - use a photograph on your card
ABC - C is for Circles
PILE IT ON - Threes (3 blue circles, 3 green circles) + at least one other challenge

TODAY'S FRUGAL TIP: I really enjoyed the challenge of working a photo into the card design - what a great way to use up those random, leftover photos in my shoebox - I don't even know the people in this shot!

SUPPLIES USED: (100% STAMPIN' UP! unless otherwise stated)

PAPERS - Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue, More Mustard & Old Olive card stock
INKS - Bashful Blue, Old Olive & Brilliant Blue
STAMPS - Itty Bitty Background (page 132), Seaside & Travel Post (both retired sets)
ACCESSORIES - GoGo Boots Alphabet Dies & Big Shot Die Cutting Machine; 1-1/4", 1-3/8", 1-1/2" & 1-3/4" Circle Punches, and chipboard word stickers by MemoryMakers (for the letter "u")

cheers

I'M REALLY CHALLENGED TODAY!

Technically, this story started yesterday, but today isn't much better ... ever have one of those days that for whatever reasons, whatever you try to create just gets messed up? That's the space I'm in right now; hopefully it passes soon, lol!

Despite smudges, drops, mixed inks (not intentionally!), adhesive smears, embossing goofs, upside down images, and tearing apart and reassembling ... this card eventually came together.

CHALLENGES MET:
* Mojo Monday - Week 101's sketch

SUPPLIES USED: (100% Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated)

* INKS - VersaMark & Night of Navy Craft Inks
* PAPERS - Close to Cocoa, Bordering Blue & Ballet Blue card stock, Brushed Silver card stock
* STAMPS - Delightful Decorations (avail. Sep. 1st in the Holiday Mini)
* ACCESSORIES - Choc. Chip 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon, Vintage brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Iridescent Ice embossing powder,  Heat Tool, Merry & Bright Rub-Ons & Ornament Punch (both avail. Sep. 1st in the Holiday Mini), Snowflake Cuttlebug Embossing Folder by Provo Craft.

TECHNIQUE: Faux Diamonds (goes by a couple of other names too): Cover the portion of the card you want to dazzle with VersaMark ink, then cover the entire area with Iridescent Ice embossing powder & heat to set the powder. In the sample above, the top half of the card (blue section) is done in this technique. Optional: if you like, stamp an image on the card stock with a darker shade of ink before applying the VersaMark. (Just  don't stamp your image IN VersaMark like I did, or it will disappear when you do the technique - duh .. I TOLD you I was having a bad stamping day!) To get my image back, I stamped in Craft Ink on top of the Faux Diamonds after it had dried. Not as good, but close enough.

PS: This started as a standard 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" card but to do the sketch justice, I trimmed it to a square 4-1/4" x 4-1/4" shape, and decorated the leftover bit (4-1/4" x 1-1/4") to match the card. The smaller bit could be used as a gift tag or a bookmark or .... ?  I saw this trend on Split Coast Stampers earlier this year ... but I can't remember what they called these odd bits; if you know, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I'll send you a card!

cheers

NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS?

I was working on my September class samples down in my studio yesterday (there's no better place to be on the hottest day of the year!) .. and I took a little break to check out this week's challenges. Here's what I came up with:

CHALLENGES MET:

I{HEART} TO STAMP'S SFYTT: Aug 15th's sketch

PILE IT ON: masculine card + at least one other challenge

OUR CREATIVE CORNER: Christmas in August

 SUPPLIES USED: (100% Stampin' Up!)

PAPER: Handsome Hunter, Ruby Red & Very Vanilla card stock; Merry Moments Designer Series Paper

STAMPS: Yuletide Christmas (Available Sept 1st in the Holiday Mini) & Newsprint Alphabet (retired)

INKS: Ruby Red & Handsome Hunter

MISC: Stampin' Dimensionals; Jumbo Oval, 1" Circle & 1-1/4" Circle punches; sponge

MOJO MONDAY .. ON WEDNESDAY

So I ask you ... when have I EVER been on time, eh? Today's To-Do List is still dated for last Friday, lol!
Whenever I get to feeling overwhelmed, I know it's time to head down to my Stampin' Studio and have some fun ... so ...

Here's my entry for this week's MOJO MONDAY card sketch challenge ... the stamps and colours I chose were inspired by a layout in the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalogue from Stampin' Up!

(Ooooh, just wait til you see this mini here on my blog on Sept 1st ... there are SO MANY kewl new things that I had a really hard time choosing my pre-order stuff. Good thing demos don't have to wait as long as everyone else to get their hands on new products - I think I'd burst!)

SUPPLIES USED (100% Stampin' Up!)

Papers: Not Quite Navy, Kraft, & Very Vanilla card stock; Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper pack

Inks: VersaMark, Bordering Blue & Whisper White

Stamp Set: Snow Swirled

BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS...

Two very good stampin' friends of mine launched their own caRD challenges last Friday and even though I had NO time to stamp this past week, I really wanted to participate & show my support to two of the most creative ladies I know!

So, to Julie and Robbyn .. here are my entries (quickies though they are) ..

Robbyn was selected as guest host on SPCC's
Finally Friday Challenge - we're to make a monochromatic card!

I know that technically speaking white isn't a colour, but I really wanted to play with Stampin' up!'s Texturz Plates on my Big Shot and well, the card kinda grew from there.

(ED: I just checked this week's Pile It On Challenge & to my delight, this card qualifies! See - NO patterned paper at all!

SUPPLIES: (100% Stampin' Up!)
Whisper White card stock, Pretties Kit, Backgrounds #1 Texturz Plates, Scalloped Eyelet Punch, Paper trimmer with Scoring Blade 9to make the two straight embossed lines along the left side of the card), Boho Blossoms punch & White Vellum card stock (to make the small flowers under the brads), and 5/8" Jumbo Brads (neutrals).

*** click on the cards for a closer look ***

Julie chose a very tropical colour scheme for her first Easy Breezy Kewl Colour Challenge, and for good reason ... she just got back from Hawaii!

Thankfully, one of my favourite Designer Series Papers from Stampin' Up! had most of the required colours, so all I had to do was add a greeting stamped in Chocolate Chip (why does it feel like I cheated?) GRIN!

SUPPLIES: Pink Flamingo DSP, Summer Sun & Whisper White card stock, 5 Petal Flower punch, Pretties Kit (I seem to be reaching for this a lot lately!), scallop oval punch, large oval punch, & Oval All stamp set.

Now, I'm off to set up for tonight's class ... cheers!

AHOY MATEYS - I'M CHALLENGING YOU!

TODAY'S CHALLENGE FROM THE FRUGAL STAMPER:
DUST OFF THOSE OLD STAMP SETS!

Last week I was stamping with KIm who needed some quick & easy pirate themed cards ... so I called out to my team of enablers (aka the Artful*Inkers) & Erica loaned us her Stampin' Up! set "Ahoy Matey" and the coordinating wheel (sadly, both of these adorable items are retired).

Here's the card we came up with ... it turned out pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself!

With new products being introduced all the time, we stampers & scrapbookers can get caught up in the "must have it" syndrome while our older stamps, papers and embellishments collect dust.

So here's my Frugal Challenge for this week:
Dust off an older stamp set and use it to make a card or layout - preferably one you haven't used in a long while.

Do it just for fun, or send it to a friend who could use a pick-me-up, or take a digital photo, upload it to your computer, and email it to me, 'cause I'd love to show everyone's work here on my blog on the weekend! Who knows, I may even throw everyone's name into a hat and pick one to receive a surprise gift!

And if you discover that you really don't need that older stamp set anymore, why not sell it on Kijiji or trade with a friend - you'll free up some room in your stampin' space, you may get some money to buy something new, and the stamp will find a new home (rubber stamps can dry out & eventually crack, you know - although I've never actually seen it happen to any of mine; some are seven years old and still going strong!)

BUTTERFLIES, ANYONE?

Here's a challenge that I managed to finish tonight during Girls Night Out ... certainly not my favourite colour combo, but it gave my ol' brain a good workout!

CHALLENGES MET:

Our Creative Corner (sketch)
SP Colour Challenge (Mellow Moss, Crushed Curry & Dusty Durango)

SUPPLIES USED: 
(All Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated)

Inks: Dusty Durango
Card Stock: River Rock (retired), Mellow Moss, Dusty Durango, & Crushed Curry
Stamps: none!
Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Big Shot die cutter, Cuttlebug background embossing folder, Cuttlebug floral embossing strip, Spell Binders' Swirls dies & Stampin' Dimensionals.

cheers,

Donna

TIME FOR ANOTHER CHALLENGE TODAY

Actually I made this card on Tuesday, but I couldn't show you until today 'cause it was for a swap at a demonstrator meeting last night. (Couldn't ruin the surprise, now could I!)

The swap rules were to focus on new stuff from Stampin' Up!, and I managed to make the card so that it would also meet a couple of online challenges too:

CHALLENGES MET:
Pile it On (watercolouring + at least one other challenge)
Sketch Saturday (Sketch #61)

SUPPLIES USED:
(All ©Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated)
STAMPS: Country Morning (Level 1 Hostess set) & Sanded
INKS: Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Close to Cocoa & Ruby Red
PAPERS: Kraft, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango & Whisper White card stock
MISC: 1/2" Polka-Dot grosgrain ribbon (Dusty Durango), Ticket Corner punch, 1-1/4" Circle punch, 1-3/8" Circle punch & Aqua Painter

I'm lovin' this new polka dot ribbon in all the new In-Colours! It works for birthdays, Christmas, anything that needs a pick-me-up, really. I've got a Ribbon Share going on right now, so if you want some polka dots in your life too, give me a shout by Friday - 5 yds of each of the six In-Colours for only $35 (Offer available in Canada only)

cheers,

THREE CHALLENGES ON TODAY'S CARD

Wow, it felt good to be stamping again today .. I've immersed myself in researching my family tree lately & have neglected my favourite creative outlet ... stamps, ink & paper!

Today's card covers three different challenges:

2 Sketches 4 You (Laura's Sketch #31)
Three Clovers (sparkle & bling)
Use Your Stash (leftovers from other July projects)

Supplies:
(All products are ©Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated)

STAMPS: On a Pedestal
INKS: Elegant Eggplant & Orchid Opulence Markers
PAPERS: Elegant Eggplant, Orchid Opulence & Whisper White

MISC: Elegant Eggplant Rick Rack from "Orchard" Ribbon Originals Collection, 3/4" Circle punch, 1/8" handheld circle punch (retired), Scallop Edge punch, Sticky Pages, Orchid glitter from "Fine Cosmo" Stampin' Glitter Collection, Big Shot die cutter machine, & the "Dotted Swiss" Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Frugal Stamper's Tip of the Day: to make the two faux buttons, I punched two 1/8" circles from a sheet of Sticky Pages (see page 180 of the new catalogue), then centred them in the 3/4" circle punch & punched out my buttons! I peeled the red covering off, dipped into glitter, then peeled off the paper backing & applied to the card. Oh, and the faux thread is actually a super-skinny strip of white card stock that I threaded through the button holes before I stuck the buttons down - then when all was secure, I tied the scraps into a knot & trimmed the ends.

cheers,

ONE LAYOUT - TWO SCRAPPY CARDS

Just a quick post this am before I head out for the day ... I had some pieces left over from my cupcake card (small flowers & hearts from the Sizzlets Big Bold Cupcake die by Stampin' up!) that the frugal stamper in me couldn't throw out ... and once I saw this week's sketch challenge over at 2 Sketches 4 You, I could "see" the finished cards in my mind! The pink one on the left also meets a couple of other challenges while the turquoise one on the right is a "spare". Enjoy!

CHALLENGES MET:
2 Sketches 4 You (Kazan's sketch # 31)
Our Creative Corner (Triple Play: 3 different embellishments: rhinestone brad, stapled ribbon & pearl dots)
Color Chef (#15: yellow, pink & white)

SUPPLIES USED:
(all Stampin' Up!© unless otherwise stated)

Raspberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper;
Melon Mambo, Summer sun, Bermuda Bay, Taken with Teal, Dusty Durango, Naturals Ivory & Whisper White card stock' (some are textured cs)
Hearts Cuttlebug embossing folder; "Big Bold Birthday" Sizzix Sizzlets dies, Big Shot die cutter, Whisper White taffeta Ribbon, Clear Rhinestone Brads, Pearl Dots (maker unknown).

"THERE AIN'T NO RHYME FOR ORANGES"

OK, before I share my challenge entry for this week, here's a quick trip down memory lane to explain today's title... hit the buzzer as soon as you know the answer:

Clue #1: 1970's
Clue #2: Jack Wild
Clue #3: Saturday morning kids' show
Clue #4: Witchy-Poo

Did you get it? Yep, the show was called "Puffinstuff" ... "H.R. Puffinstuff; who's your friend when things get rough..." Picture a teenage boy (Jack Wild, who played the Artful Dodger in the movie "Oliver"), a magical talking flute (named Jimmy, I think), Witchy-Poo, and a big guy named Puffinstuff (he looked like a cross between Mayor McCheese and Barney).

This one song from the show was about trying to find a rhyme for the word oranges ... "oranges, poranges - there's another one!" The message was to think outside the box, challenge the accepted norm, and be creative - something I needed to hear in my  early adolecent years I guess, because the song has always stayed with me. Of course, the fact that Jack Wild's Teen Beat posters were plastered all over my bedroom walls back then might have something to do with it too ... along with Donny Osmond, David Cassidy, Chris Knight ... but I digress.  <grin>

OK then, on to the real reason for this post ... a card! This one's one of my favourites; I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

CHALLENGES MET:
Pile it On (mostly orange + at least one other challenge)
Sweet Sunday #27 (sketch)
SCS: Clean And Simple #24 (colours: turquoise, yellow & orange)

SUPPLIES USED:
(all by Stampin' Up!© unless otherwise stated)
Raspberry Lemonade Designer Series Papers
Big Bold Cupcakes Sizzlet dies
Scallop Circle #2 Bigz die
Big Shot die cutting machine
Bermuda Bay, Dusty Durango & Whisper White card stock
Scallop Edge punch
Curly embossing template (by Fiskars)

I'M BLUSHING ... CAN YOU TELL?

Wow, what a pleasant surprise to wake up to this morning ... my latest challenge entry was selected as one of the TOP THREE SCOOPS over at PILE IT ON CHALLENGES - I'm honoured! And as a winner, I get to show a special blinkie here on my blog (just as soon as I figure out how, lol)

I'm also in good company this week - I love the other two top entries .. one is a card by Lisa; the other is a scrapbook layout by Issa ... be sure to visit Pile It On to see them! (Oh, and you can see my card by scrolling down below this post - look for the title FIVE IN ONE.)

And while you're at Pile It On, why not enter this week's challenge yourself! Just make a card, layout, whatever using MOSTLY ORANGE plus meet at least one challenge from another site. You'll find a handy list of challenge sites at PIO, sorted by the days of the week that the various site owners post their new challenges. Who knows? Your card could be a winner! (Hey, if it can happen to me ...)

Check back later this morning for my orange card (I only managed to meet 3 challenges on this entry, but just the same, I'm pretty darn proud of how it turned out!)

cheers,

A NEW CHALLENGE ENTRY ... OR FIVE!

I've been neglecting my favourite card challenge sites for the last couple of weeks... it might have something to do with the arrival of Stampin' Up!'s new 2009-2010 catalogue and all the excitement and planning that goes with it ... but now it's time to stretch my creativity once again.

My fav challenge site is "Pile It On" because they encourage us to meet more than one challenge with a single card - so in their honour, today's entry covers FIVE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES (that's a new record for me!)

SUPPLIES USED: (100% Stampin' Up!©)
Wings of Friendship stamp set (Level 2 Hostess set)
Rose Red Patterns DSP
Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke & Very Vanilla card stock
Mellow Moss grosgrain ribbon
Heart to Heart, Large Oval, Scallop Oval & Corner Rounder punches
Rose Red, Mellow Moss & Always Artichoke markers
Always Artichoke & Rose Red Classic ink pads
Oval Scallop Frame die & Big Shot die cutter

TODAY'S TIP FROM THE FRUGAL STAMPER: I didn't have a small enough butterfly punch for this card, so I punched out some small hearts with Stampin' Up!'s Heart to Heart punch, and just glued them together in pairs!

CHALLENGES MET:
Pile It On (their sketch & at least one other challenge)
Makeesha's Inspiration Challenge (colours)
Creative Inspiration (stitching - faux or real)
Cupcake Crafts (Blossoms & Butterflies theme)

Our Creative Corner (pet theme - I'm stretching the theme a bit, but hey - I had a pet bird once!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

ONE MORE CHALLENGE

Even though I'm on an impromptu get-away trip with my hubby, here I am in the hotel room finishing yet another challenge just before the deadline .. while hubby rolls his eyes and shakes his head <grin>

Keesha's sketch challenge gave me a lot to think about, and in the end I couldn't resist adding a little bit to it - hope you can still see her original design in my card!

For colours, I used Kraft, Pink Pirouette, and Baja Breeze - this week's colour combo on Colour Throwdown. (You'll have to take my word for it on those colours ... the lighting in our hotel room is terrible!)

The centre bottom of this card is too bare for my liking, so I'll probably stamp a greeting down there when I get home tomorrow - hey, I couldn't bring EVERYTHING from my Stampin' Studio on this trip, now could I?

Stamp Set: "Circle Circus"
(available in Stampin' Up!'s new catalogue on July 1st)

RAZZLEBERRY DAISY

Today's challenge card features Stampin' Up!'s new "Razzleberry Lemonade" Designer Series Papers (available for purchase on July 1st ... soon, my friends; soon!) - I absolutely LOVE the colours & designs; it takes me back to my teen years in the mid 70s (gasp; did I just admit that out loud???)

My stampin' cohort Julie let me try out her new Daisies #2 die today, so that's how this card started .. with a daisy. Then I dropped the flower onto different combinations of the DSP until I finally narrowed down my choices (I told you I LOVE it all!) - THEN I found a sketch challenge that would work with a big round flower in the middle of the card... kind of a backwards process, but there you have it.
 

CHALLENGES MET:

1) 2SKETCHES4YOU: Kazan's sketch #29

2) PILE IT ON: use purple + at least one other current challenge (second time this week, I know)

Now onto some exciting news for my Stampers' Club members ... your pre-ordered catalogues arrived today!!!!!!!!!!! I'm leaving shortly for a stampin' class in Kitchener, but tomorrow (Wednesday) I'll be home all day & evening if you want to drop by and pick up your copy!

Not in my club but still NEED to get your hands on the new catalogue NOW??

Well, I give away my catalogues for FREE to anyone who a) books a workshop with me, b) places an order of at least $50 before tax, or c) joins my Stampers Club ... so let's talk!

BAROQUE GONE BAD?

I do the card challenges because they make me try new things with my card designs, but today's card is WAAAY OUT THERE  - at least for me, lol.

I wanted to combine this week's colour challenge from kwernerdesigns.com (#55) with the "sketch-for-you-to-try" challenge on i{heart}2stamp.com.

Each one has its own complexities, and combining them may have been my first mistake, lol.

After many false starts, adding & subtracting, trimming & re-stamping ... this is the end result.

I wanted the look of many layers without layering, so I tried lots of cut-aways to let the bottom layers show through. Too hard to line up, so I gave in & layered the circles in the middle.

I'm still not happy with it (either it's missing something, or the ribbon is way too much; I can't decide) ... but after a full afternoon of fussing, the time has come to let it be and move on to something new.

PILE IT ON: 3 NEW CHALLENGES

It's Monday, which means there are lots of new challenges to try out this week!

Here's what I came up with for the following sites:

1) PILE IT ON: entry must use purple, and be combined with at least one other current challenge (mine covers three different challenges - wahoo!)

2) MOJO MONDAY: use this week's layout sketch (#92)

3) SPCC: colour combo #3 (Garden Green, Lovely Lilac, & Chocolate Chip)

(all supplies © Stampin' Up!)

Stamp Set: Lexicon of Leaves
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Garden Green & Lovely Lilac
Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilly, Lovely Lilac & Garden Green
Techniques: bleach stamping, sponging, & stamping off (aka 2nd generation stamping)

PILE IT ON: 2 CHALLENGES ON TODAY'S CARD

As soon as I saw the sheet of elephants in Stampin' Up!'s new "Tall Tales" Designer Series Papers, I thought of "Elephants on Parade" - is that from Winnie the Pooh's nightmare about pink ephalants?

Anyway, these elephants look like they're dancing, so I thought this saying was perfect for today's card ... put your left foot in, take your left foot out ...

CHALLENGES:

1) PILE IT ON - use two different ribbons, plus at least one other challenge

2) 2SKETCHES4YOU - sketch #28

All supplies © stampin' Up! ("Tall Tales" DSP will be available for purchase starting July 1st)

PILE IT ON: 3 CHALLENGES IN ONE CARD!

There's a new challenge blog in town called "Pile It On" .. the idea is to combine 1 or more challenges with theirs ... there's no limit as to how many challenges can be met on one card, as long as they're all current at the time of posting.

Well, the Frugal Stamper applauds any initiative that encourages multi-tasking .. in my mind it's just as frugal to save time as it is to pinch pennies!

So, just under the wire (the ink is still wet!) - here is my entry for the following challenges:

1) PILE IT ON:
use a non-stamped sentiment (mine is cut on the Big Shot using the Go-Go Boots alphabet dies)

2) I [HEART] 2 STAMP:
this week's sketch (posted just this morning)

and
3) OUR CREATIVE CORNER:
use border punches (I used Stampin' Up!'s scallop border on the 3 background panels, as well as to make the corners on the tag and I even saved the straight strips from the border punch leftovers & glued them onto 2 of the panels - who says border punches aren't versatile!

 All supplies © Stampin' Up!

Stamp Set: Love You Much
Card Stock: Razzleberry (available July 1st) and Whisper White
Inks: Razzleberry
Accessories: Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper (available July 1st), Go-Go Boots Alphabet Dies, sponge, Clear Rhinestone brads

KEESHA'S SKETCH CHALLENGE #8

I needed to make two cards today: an engagement card for this weekend and a black & white card for the creative challenge at my team meeting tonight, so I decided to tie both in together with Makeesha's sketch challenge for this week ...

... given all those parameters, it took only about 10 minutes to come up with this little gem - sweet, simple, and quick: three of my favourite things!

Guess I could have slowed down a little bit - I see now that my greeting is crooked; but the deadline to play is today and I still have to get ready for tonight's meeting, too!

The stamp set used is another one that Stampin' Up! is retiring at the end of June: "To Have & To Hold"

To see all of this week's entries visit: inspirations sketch challenge #8

MADE TWO CARDS TODAY FOR THREE CHALLENGES!

Quick post ... hubby's waiting to start the movie ...

CARD #1 is for the MOJO MONDAY sketch challenge #88 - I took it pretty literally, lol.

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and CARD #2 is for two challenges this week: 2Sketches4You # 27
and Colour Challenge #7 over at My Favourite Things (raspberry, artichoke & moss)

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I'm really enjoying the challenges - they stretch my creativity into new directions; I hope you'll try them too!

CARD CHALLENGE WHILE I SIT BY THE PHONE...

Because of today's 12 HOUR SALE, I've had to stay near the phone & computer all day to receive your orders as they come in ... so in between calls I decided to make a card to enter two more challenges:

The layout for this card comes from this week's sketch challenge on i{heart}2stamp.com

and the colour combo comes from this week's colour challenge on Our Creative Corner ... Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue & a neutral of my choice - I used Basic Grey to tone down all the girly colours <wink>

FYI: There's still time to cash in on the savings today .. I'm offering 10% off your entire Stampin' Up! order between 4 pm & 8 pm tonight! Scroll down to my earlier post for all the details.

cheers
Donna

ONE CARD ... TWO CHALLENGES

After several busy days with my mother & sister, I finally had the chance to stamp tonight ...

Here's my entry combining TWO challenges for this week:

Makeesha's Inkspirations colour challenge #7,

and

Taylored Expressions' Cupcake sketch challenge #68

Be sure to visit their blogs to see all the other entries, and maybe enter a card yourself!

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RECIPE: (100% Stampin' Up! products)

STAMPS: Birthday Wish (#114486) & Itty Bitty Backgrounds (#114996)

PAPERS: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Sage Shadow & Very Vanilla card stock; To the Nines Designer Series Paper (I love this DSP & must get more while it's on sale this month!)

INKS: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust &  Sage Shadow Classic inks

iheart2stamp sketch challenge

My friend Julie came over this afternoon to stamp and we both worked on some more challenge entries ... here's what I came up with for the sketch challenge on iheart2stamp.com - what do you think?

It's really different from my usual style, but that's what these challenges are all about - trying something different! All supplies are Stampin' Up! except the Prima flowers (and the chocolate Designer Series Paper is retired SU - gotta use up my stash!)

Want to see the other entries, or enter yourself? Here's the link to this week's challenge at  iheart2stamp.com

I'VE ENTERED ANOTHER CHALLENGE

OK, I can see where this may become addictive, but I couldn't help entering just one more challenge for this week - what a great way to get me to use my stash and create just for the fun of creating!

Today I've made a card for this week's sketch challenge on "Our Creative Corner" - a personal favourite 'cause my very talented friend Vicki Garrett is on their design team - YOU GO, GIRL!

Here's my entry, using "Bella Bleu" Designer Series Paper and stamps from "Wonderful Watercolours" in the current Stampin' Up! catalogue.

Want to see the others, or maybe enter this week's challenge yourself? Here's the link to "Our Creative Corner".

Enjoy!

MY FIRST DESIGN CHALLENGE ENTRY!

I've always admired the folks who organize online card challenges AND the talented gals who enter every week too ... lately I've discovered that people I know are participating (JulieL, RobbynW & Peachie, to name three) so today I've been persuaded to give it a whirl!

Here's my entry for Makeesha Byl's card sketch challenge #7 - she's a Stampin' Up! demonstrator in Australia. All the Designer Series papers I used are from "Pink Flamingo in the current Stampin' Up! caatalogue. The stamped flower inside the "Build-a-Brads" came from the set "Flight of the Butterfly".

This was a lot of fun to do! If you want to see all the entries or to enter yourself, check out the challenge details HERE

cheers, Donna