Friday, May 29, 2009

This is the second sneak peek sample that I created using Clear Dollar Stamps' "Peony" stamp set. This set is a must have and it is only $7.99 for the whole set! You can purchase it here at Clear Dollar Stamps. Since I created such a warm hued peony card on the other sample, I wanted to do something "cool" hued -- and I had this luscious designer paper from the Paper Company that has a fantastic shimmer to it, IRL. My camera did not pick up that quality very well, but it's gorgeous paper, just the same. The peony was stamped, colored and cut out for the paper tole effect again and the card was embellished with a shower of scallops! Here's the deets:

Stamp Sets Used: CDS "Peony"
Cardstock & Papers: The Paper Company Studio "Spring Stained Glass" Designer Paper, Paper Trey White Cardstock, Swarthmore Watercolor Paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - BV01 Viola, BV11 Soft Violet, VB13 Hydrangea Blue, YG03 Yellow Green, YG67 Moss, G24 Willow, Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust Clear Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Regular & Scalloped Octagonal Dies, Martha Stewart Dot Eyelet Border Punch, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Sewing Machine, Thread, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Offray Satin Ribbon, Robin's Nest Dew Drops
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Machine Stitching, Paper Piercing, Paper Tole, Copic Coloring & Blending

Introducing "Patchpals"!


This stamp that I'm previewing is an individual stamp that is part of a new design line of stamps at CDS, designed by my CDS teammate, Shawne Arnold. The line is called "Patchpals" and there are several "Patchpals" animals: a Puppy, a Lamb, a Giraffe and a Pig. All of them will be very versatile to use and I have to say I had a ball coloring my "Patchpal Elephant" image. All "Patchpal" animal images will be available from Clear Dollar Stamps on June 1st. I am previewing the "Elephant" single stamp today. To see all the other "Patchpal" animals, please visit Lori McCroskey's blog for an illustration of them all -- it will be diificult to choose just one, so why not get them all? LOL Other design teammates that have sneak peek samples of "Patchpals" are: Shawne Arnold, Stacy Morgan, Katie Renz, Sarah Taylor, Cassie Trask, Tori Wild & Laurie Wilson.

The first card that I made with the "Patchpal" Elephant stamp was made for a baby shower card and geared more for a girl (although, there is green and yellow in it and it could be used for a boy -- well, maybe? LOL). Here's the deets:

Stamps Sets Used: CDS "Patchpal Elephant"
Cardstock & Papers: Making Memories Yellow & White Gingham Scrapbook Paper, Paper Pizzazz "Lisa Williams" Designer Paper Collection, Color Mates Medium Pretty in Pink Cardstock, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - RV13 Tender Pink, Y15 Cadmium Yellow, G21 Lime Green, Signo White Gel Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug "Argyle" & "Bubbles" Embossing Folders, Nestabilities Regular Round & Pinking Round Dies, Marvy Jumbo Round Punch, Fiskars Paper Shaper "Pinking" Scissors, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Paper Piercing Tool, Sewing Machine, Thread, Adhesives, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Zots, Doodlebug Buttons, Pebbles Grosgrain Ribbon, Computer-Generated Sentiment
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Dry Embossing, Machine Stitching, Paper Piercing, Paper Tole, Copic Coloring & Blending
The second card that I'm sharing is another one made with the "Patchpal Elephant" stamp. This card was made for our CDS Design Team Sketch Challenge and Laurie Wilson always designs the layouts for these, and she did a great job on this one, as it really lent itself well to the "Patchpal Elephant". I wanted to make another baby shower card geared more for a boy and had orange, green and blue on the brain for some reason. But all-in-all, I think it turned out pretty cute. Here's the deets:

Stamp Sets Used: CDS "Patchpal Elephant"
Cardstock & Papers: Making Memories "Chloe's Closet" Designer Paper Collection, K&Co. "Remake Grassy Greens" Mat Pad, DCWW "Animal Crackers" Mat Pad, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Glorious Green Ink
Markers: Copic Sketch Markers - YG41 Pale Cobalt Green, YR 16 Apricot, B32 Pale Blue
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Scalloped & Regular Square Dies, Nestabilities Scalloped Circle Dies, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Tskukineko Sponge Dauber, Sewing Machine, Thread, Adhesives, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Zots, Doodlebug Buttons, Making Memories "Chloe's Closet" Collection Button, Green Jewelry Twine, Pebbles Grosgrain Ribbon.
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Sponging, Machine Stitching, Paper Tole, Copic Coloring & Blending

Thursday, May 28, 2009

It's Sneak Peek Week!

Good Morning! Today is a very special day! It is Day 1 of Sneak Peek Week for Clear Dollar Stamps! Are you excited yet? We sure are! I don't have any sneak peek samples to share with you today (sniff, sniff), but I don't want you miss the beautiful samples that my CDS Designer Teammates are previewing today. I hope that you come back to visit tomorrow, as I will be sharing two soon-to-be-released stamp sets by Clear Dollar Stamps -- so you won't want to miss that! But for now, enjoy the 6 NEW STAMP SETS, previewed by my CDS fellow designer teammates:

COLONIAL CARVINGS - sneak peek samples:
Nancy Grant, Stacy Morgan, Sarah Taylor & Laurie Wilson

HAPPY 4th of JULY- sneak peek samples:
Stacy Morgan

GOD BLESS AMERICA - sneak peek samples:
Nancy Grant & Stacy Morgan

JUNE ROSE - sneak peek samples:
Stacy Morgan, Katie Renz, Sarah Taylor & Laurie Wilson

ROSEBUD PRINCESS - sneak peek samples:
Shawne Arnold, Nancy Grant, Kim Teasdale, Angela Thomas, Tori Wild & Laurie Wilson

ROSEBUD SCROLLS - sneak peek samples:
Shawne Arnold, Nancy Grant, Kim Teasdale & Laurie Wilson

AND! For a complete illustration of each stamp set, please stop by Lori McCroskey's blog for more detail. All above mentioned stamp sets can be purchased at www.newcleardollarstamps.com on June 1st!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Want to be a Guest Designer for CDS?

I've got some exciting news to share! Today is the start of the Clear Dollar Stamps' Guest Designer Challenge! Every month, CDS selects someone who enters the Challenge and they have the opportunity to design card samples and other projects for Clear Dollar Stamps, using their stamps, that they receive for FREE! How cool is that?

If you're interested in submitting a sample to be considered as the next Clear Dollar Stamp Guest Designer, click here and follow carefully all the instructions that Lori McCroskey lists on her blog. Remember, there is a deadline to submit your entry and who knows? You may be designing along with me next month! Good luck!!

Friday, May 22, 2009

"Let Freedom Ring!"


Well, I bet you thought that I evaporated off the face of the earth, huh? In a sense, I did! LOL My sister, Dianne, who lives in Georgia, was here visiting for 2 weeks, and we had a great time catching up and visiting, as mentioned in my previous post, then my son, Christopher just finished his first year of college (away on campus). He came home on Tuesday and I've been busy sorting, laundering, packing up and putting away all those things that college kids bring home at the end of the school year. It has been a big transition for Christopher and Tom and me this year, as Christopher is an only child and he pretty much filled our days since the day he was born. But, I am thrilled that he has the chance to experience living in a dorm away at college and will continue on next Fall. It is good to have a complete family home again.

I've also been busy as bee making June Sneak Peek samples for Clear Dollar Stamps' upcoming stamp releases -- this month I've made 10 samples and I don't know where I found the time to do them, but they were such fun to make, and I'll be sharing all of those samples starting next Friday, May 29th! But, other CDS team members will be sharing some samples earlier on Thursday, May 28th, so be sure to follow their blogs and you can find their links on my right sidebar under the CDS Design Team List.

I created this card for the CDS Weekend Color Challenge over on Paper Craft Planet. I haven't played this challenge for quite awhile, so with Cassie Trask hostessing (she so graciously took over my spot as hostess when I needed more family time), I just had to play along to show her my appreciation. The challenge colors were Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy and Creamy Caramel with White as an optional neutral. I decided to make a Memorial Day Celebration Card that could also be used for the 4th of July. The little flag top of the baby moose's head was hand drawn and the sentiment was handwritten. I have to say that cheated with the colors that were given, as my only Creamy Caramel is in the colored baby moose! Here's the deets:

Stamps Used: Clear Dollar Stamps "Moose Friends"
Cardstock & Papers: Retired Stampin' Up! Night of Navy Stars Scrapbook Paper, Making Memories Red & White Stripe Scrapbook Paper, Color Mates Medium Autumn Red Cardstock, Paper Trey White Cardstock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Summer Sky Inks
Markers: Copic Sketch - RV13 Tender Pink, RV29 Crimson, G07 Nile Green, G24 Willow, B39 Prussian Blue, Y26 Mustard, E00 Skin White, E25 Caribe Cocoa, E31 Brick Beige, E33 Sand White and Navy Signo Gel Pens, Micron .01 Black Felt Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Regular Round Die, Nestabilities Pinking Round Die, Nestabilities Tags Trio Die, Martha Stewart Zig-Zag Border Punch, Karen Foster Click-It Hole Punch Kit, Sewing Machine, Thread, Sponge, Adhesive, Stampin' Up! Dimensionals, Star Brads, "Bobbin" Satin Ribbon, Offray Satin Ribbon
Techniques: Basic Stamping, Copic Coloring & Blending, Sponging, Machine Stitching

Monday, May 11, 2009

Color Abounding

Good Morning! I wanted to share a photo that my husband Tom, took of one of our Azalea bushes. After 9 straight days of pouring down rain, and I mean pouring down rain, the Lord has blessed us with an array of beautiful color and green all over the place! We have several Azalea bushes around the front and sides of our house of all different color and this is just a sample of the color that abounds in Maryland right now. I just love Spring and I just love Azaleas, only wishing that they would stay in bloom a little longer than they do.

I apologize that I haven't had any new creations to share with you since I last posted my Clear Dollar Stamps' sneak peeks, but I do have a valid excuse. My only sister, Dianne, is here, visiting from Georgia for 2 weeks and when she is here, we have a "Gabfest" and enjoy shopping, eating and "catching up" with each other. I have created a few cards while she has been visiting, but I'm afraid that I cannot share them with you, just yet, as they are sneak peek cards for June! But, I may just be able to get a card made that won't be a sneak peek later on this week or this coming weekend. So, come back to visit a little later this week and maybe I'll have something exciting to share! LOL

Hope your Mother's Day was filled with much love and joy!