Blog Hoppin' with the Bombshells

Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another fabulous blog hop with the Bombshells! This month's theme is brought to us by the Blog Captain extraodinaire, Kasmello! Here's what Kas had to say:

The theme for March's Bloghop is METAL -
Try using metals in your project : Make something on metal, metal accents, metal embellishments, or even "Metal" music...Your choice just tell us how it fits with the theme. I would love to see as many people participate as possible.

A while back I experimented with metalwork tools and created the heart embellie you see on my card. It's a bit rustic...heehee..to say the least, but I still kind of liked it, so I hung on to it thinking I would use it on something, someday. Then, lo and behold, Kas comes up with this awesome hop theme and there you go! By the way, just a few weeks ago, I took a proper metalworks class and know so much more than I did back then. I think I need to get that tube of aluminum out and play ;D

This little angel is bringing the bling, baby! In fact, if you are offended by gratuitous bling, then shield your eyes, because I threw all caution to the wind and let my unbridled shine monster cover this card in glitter glue and gemstones! Not sure what I was going for, but when all the glistening fairy dust settled, this is what was left in it's wake. I had a blast putting this card together! If you think you might want to play in next month's blog hop, pop into the Bombshell Forum and get the deets ;D OR...if you want to order some of these incredibly unique and sexy stamps visit the Bombshell Store. Now, head over to the other blogs in the hop and check out all the crazy cool metal infused projects my talented friends created. Every comment you leave increases your chances of winning a little somein', somein' ;D

Kas
Kathi
Katie
Terra
MaryG
Steph
Erika
Sy
Angie
BoHoRose
Stempelientje
Cheryl You are here!
Cassie
Crafty Saffy
Meredith
QueenBScraps
Cynthia
Patti

Jealous...?!

Good Morning! Here's a new card, as promised and boy, do I feel so much better ;D When I need a crafting pick-me-up, the first thing I reach for are my feel-good, spirit lifting, happy fun-time images....NOT!!! LOL! I reach for my quirky Stampotique images. They may not be overly joy-inducing, but they ALWAYS put a great big, demented grin on my face ;D Heehee...what does that say about me?

No time for analysis...let me introduce you to Bowtie and Mr. Stripes! Bowtie is a handsome devil, doncha think? And Mr. Stripes makes a frequent appearance in my cards, such as this Twisted Christmas one. What's that, you say? You think I might need an exterminator?! LOL! Nope, he's practically a pet!

Anyway, I'm working on class samples for a class I have scheduled for April 10th. I know! That date is just around the corner and as I have mentioned before, folks don't tend to sign up for classes when they don't have even an inkling about the projects. This card is the first of three that will feature the "leading men" in the Stampotique line. At first, I was thinking that this would be the male off-shoot of the Cheerleader class, which featured the Stampotique leading ladies, and I thought maybe I would call them the Quarterbacks, but that doesn't feel quite right, so I am still looking for a clever name. Any suggestions?

Have I forgotten?

Nope, I have not forgotten...so sorry there was only one post last week and no cards. Egads! What has become of me?! This week I promise you photos of new projects. A day without cardmaking is like a day without sunshine. Heck, I'll go one further and say it's like a day without oxygen! How is a girl to survive without being able to dabble in the very activity that makes her heart sing?! Well, I certainly plan on making up for it this week, so please check back tomorrow and I promise I will have something new to share ;D

Until then, I'm going to be stamping away at my desk and I recommend you do the same. A little paper therapy will cure most any of the dreaded doldrums ;D

Odds and Ends

Hello, everyone! No card today, but I want to share a couple of photos of the new desk we bought for me to work on. I've had the desk for a couple of weeks now, but it miraculously ended up covered in cardmaking debris almost as soon we sat it down, because I was in a frenzy making cards for Objects of Desire and after that, putting together class kits for this past Saturday's classes. By the way, I want to give a shout out to everyone in attendance. I had a great time and I always appreciate the folks that take my classes. You guys rock!

I hauled a lot of my stuff to China Phoenix 2 for the classes, so I thought I would snap a couple of rare pics of my clean desk before I unpacked everything and put it back into it's usual state of chaos. LOL! I'm exaggerating, but there are times when I am in the zone and I look down to find that my work area has been swallowed up by supplies and I am actually working on a 6"x 6" clean space. I just don't know how that happens.

I also wanted to share a pic of some awesome Alice in Wonderland stamps by Mad Rat Rubber Stamp Co. that I picked up at the shop on Saturday. They are the more traditional images and I can't wait to make something with them! I feel some Alice cards percolating in my teeny brain...hehe!

That's it for now. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow with something new ;D

SImple But Elegant Part 4

Hello, again! Today I am featuring another Simple But Elegant card. Stamping here is at a minimum thanks to an uber-fabulous bird punch by Martha Stewart. Since there is not a lot to color on this card, I tried to make the background panel a deeper shade of blue by smudging lots of Faded Denim Distress Ink on the oval panel. Again, I left it in the die to create a nice clean border around the edge, followed by a little glitter glue to give it some sparkle.

This card is about as simple as it gets, but makes for a sweet all-occasion card.

Also, I am teaching two classes at China Phoenix 2 on Saturday. If you want to see what I'm teaching, follow this link. If you are signed up for one of my classes, I will see you tomorrow and I look forward to having a great time. Everyone else, have a great weekend and I will see you on Monday ;D

Simple But Elegant Part 3

Hello! Today I am featuring a card using one of the fabulous new images by Penny Black. I basically used the same formula as I did with the other cards I have posted this week in an effort to give them some consistency. They might even make a nice set to give someone as a gift.

I started by smudging the edges of the oval die cut panel with Tattered Rose Distress Ink while the panel was still in the die. The die acts as a mask and maintains a nice fresh white border around the edge. Next I stamped the Poppy Poem image in the center and colored with Copics. I tried to keep the coloring simple since I was making multiples of these cards. My goal was to use no more than 5 or 6 Copic colors per card, which is true restraint, so I should get a pat on the back...lol! Have you ever set out to color up a simple image only to look down after you have finished to find that you have 20 or 30 markers piled up on the table? I know...me, too!!

Next I added a thick layer of dimensional lacquer to the poppy and the buds and followed with an outline of glitter glue in Stardust around the edge of the panel. The glitter papers are from a pad by DCWV. I just love coordinated paper pads! They really cut down time on trying to match papers up and find patterns that compliment each other. Bravo, paper companies...keep up the excellent work!

And, of course, no card is complete without a few paper flowers and gems. They are my absolute favorite way to finish a card ;D

See you tomorrow for one more Simple But Elegant design.

Simple But Elegant Part 2

Hello and welcome back! I have another card today that is very simple to create, but makes for an elegant all occasion card. Again, I have used images by Tim Holtz for Stampers's Anonymous. This bird silhouette is from his Urban Tapestry set and let me tell you, the rubber has been well loved ;D Seriously, I have probably used this image more than any of my others. There is something about the silhouette of this bird resting on that branch that just makes it work for practically any occasion. It's perfect for birthdays, get well, sympathy, thinking of you, and even holidays. Add a Witches Hat or a Santa Cap and you have Halloween and Christmas covered! LOL...I love a hard working stamp! What are your favorites?

Again, I smudged my die cut panel with Distress Ink, this time Scattered Straw and I left it in the die while I applied the ink to achieve that nice white border. While the panel was still in the die, I stamped the bird silhouette and added leaves and a flourish. I colored the bird with Copic markers and then I added dimensional lacquer to make it shiny. I followed this with a bit of glitter glue in Stardust around the edge. I love adding the glitter glue, because it really makes the card feel special and it only takes a minute to do. I paired this with some lovely glittered papers by DCWV, and added some flowers and gems. Easy peasy ;D

See you tomorrow with Part 3 ;D

Simple But Elegant

Good Morning! I know I have been away from the blog-o-sphere for a few days, but now I am back with several cards to share with you this week. The theme this week is Simple But Elegant all occasion cards.

As some of you know, during Christmas I placed some cards in a high-end local boutique by the name of Objects of Desire. This was on a consignment basis, so I would only receive payment if the cards actually sold. Well, they did very well and according to the itemized list included with my payment, more cards sold after Christmas than before even though the price on the cards had not been reduced for after Christmas clearance. Hmmm...very interesting. Perhaps a few late presents were shipped out, or maybe folks were just stocking up for next year. Hehe..no sense in trying to analyze the shopping habits of Albuquerque consumers ;D

Objects of Desire requested more cards for Valentine's Day and now they have asked for some all occasion cards. Why, oh why, does it seem that the all occasion cards are more difficult to create? Maybe because I have too much freedom in their development. Anyway, I settled on some images by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous. The TH images are some of my favorites and seem to be my "go-to" items when I need a quick and stylish card. Besides, Stampers Anonymous has a terrific Angel Policy, which I always make sure to check before I attempt to create anything for resale. If you are creating cards for resale, be sure to check the Angel Policies on the manufacturer's website or use the excellent resource provided at Dragonhome's Place to look up the info. This site is a one-stop compilation of not only Angel Policies, but also, stamp store sites, personal scrapping and stamping sites, and a plethora of crafting information. Truly worth a looksie.

Today's card features images from the Nature's Discovery TH set paired with beautiful glittered papers from the Laundry Line pad by My Mind's Eye. I love using glittered papers for these cards as it adds just a bit of sparkle with no extra effort from me. I sponged the edges of a die cut panel with Faded Jeans Distress Ink using the actual die as a mask to keep the border a nice crisp white. I stamped the images with the die still in place so that my stamped image would not compromise the white border. I added just a tad of color with Copics and then filled the butterflies in with dimensional lacquer. I added a bit of Stardust glitter glue to the edge and sat it aside to dry for a good long while. I finished it off with some paper flowers and gems and called it a day ;D

Check back tomorrow and I will have another Simple But Elegant card to share with you.

My First Blog Award!

My friend Nicole gave me a blog award and I am tickled pink! Nicole is an awesome blogger! She not only creates amazing cards and altered art pieces, but she is a heck of a writer, too. I love to visit her blog and see what she has been up to. Right now, Nicole and her family are working their way through the alphabet, by celebrating a letter every 2 weeks. They are on "E" at the moment which means they have been: making Ebelskivers, watching the movie 8 Seconds, eating Eggplant, and creating tasty baked goods showcasing Easter candy. How cool is that! Thank you for the award, Nicole! It makes me smile every time I look at it ;D

Now I get to bestow this cool award to other bloggers and the first person that comes to mind is my uber-talented blog friend in Hawaii, Donna Mikasa! I met Donna hanging out in the Hero Arts Flickr forum and even then she stood out as a super sweet person who can kick butt with paper and ink. Check out her blog, because it is filled to the brim with her inspiring creations!

Next, I would like to give this award to Kathy Racoosin. Another super talented card crafter! Her blog is overflowing with her colorful and creative creations and is sure to inspire anyone who stops by. She, too, is super sweet and it always makes me smile when I see a comment from her :D

Here's how the award works:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. List who gave the award to you and use a link to her blog (or hyperlink).
3. List 10 things that make you happy.
4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know!
5. I am not such a stickler for rules if you are like me: do as you please with it!!!

Oh, sheesh! I almost forgot to list 10 things that make me happy. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Kirk, my husband, he is the funniest person I know and can have me in a laugh induced convulsion in a matter of seconds.
2. My mom is also pretty hysterical, herself, but she is also kind and extremely generous. She has never met a stranger and can start a conversion with pretty much anyone. There is a never a dull moment when I am hanging out with mom ;D
3. My sister. She's a pretty cool chica ;D
4. Hunter, Charlie, and Max. There is nothing like hugging a big, fat cat after a hard day. They don't care if my hair's a mess or that there is a huge pimple on my nose, they are just happy to see me :D
5. Making cards, playing with paper, inking up my stamps...exhilarating!
6. Hanging out at CP2 and teaching classes. Seriously, teaching card classes there is the high point of my month and I absolutely love it.
7. Getting together with my buddies for lunch or a libation! I adore these people!
8. Chatting with my friend Kathy. We can spend hours catching up! If she had a blog, I would have given her this award, too ;D
9. Living in warm, sunny Albuquerque.
10. Watching a movie that makes my emotions sing. Example, when I watch the movie Elf, there is a part that makes me so over-the-top happy that I...cry...every time! I'm a dork, but I don't care ;D

My New Blog!

Hello! No new card today, but before you think I have become a big slacker, I must say in my defense that I have been very busy. I have teamed up with Nancy Yoshimoto at China Phoenix 2 and created a blog dedicated to the happenings at this wonderful rubber stamp store. The new blog will showcase upcoming classes, feature information about the talented group of instructors that teach there, and be filled to the brim with lots of updates and informational tidbits regarding products and techniques. I posted a little intro today, so swing by the China Phoenix 2 Blog and check it out ;D

The Cheerleaders...meet Prom Queen

Yesterday I went down to China Phoenix 2 and stayed pretty much all day. My friend Kathy was teaching a class, so we were able to squeeze in a nice long visit afterwards. Plus, I was able to hang out with all the other cool people that were in and out of the store. I just love that place! If you live in or around Albuquerque and are even remotely interested in paper crafts of any sort, you should pay a visit to this awesome store. You will never meet a nicer, more welcoming group of people :D

Today I am featuring the third card I will be teaching in the morning on March 20th. I am calling this class, The "Cheer" leaders, based on the quirkiness of the Stampotique characters I am using and the surliness of the word stamps. These gals are anything but "cheery", HOWEVER...they do make me smile every time I see them. I just can't help myself! I was shooting for a bit of sarcasm with this set of cards and I think that has been achieved. Sorry if I offend anyone with today's card, but let's be honest, we all have a friend or two (or 12) that we could easily apply this sentiment to ;D In fact, on several occasions, I can apply this sentiment to myself...LOL!!

By the way, the "cheer" leaders names...Perl, Moth Fab, and Prom Queen...were all designated by Stampotique and are not manifestations of my bizarre brain, in case you're wondering ;D AND...on a follow up note, I picked up several more of the new Stampotique characters yesterday at the store, along with some new word stamps and let me tell you, they are DOOZIES!! I am thinking that the month of April will bring more cards using these fab images!

Have a great weekend and be sure to take time to create a lil' some'in, some'in :)

The Cheerleaders...meet Moth Fab

Hello! Just a super quick post today to introduce you to Moth Fab. She is a Stampotique image and the focus of the second card I will be teaching at China Phoenix 2 the morning of March 20th. While Moth Fab is certainly the epitome of fabulous, my favorite part of this card is the sentiment, "I understand. I just don't care." LOL!! That says it all! I feel like I need to get this on a t-shirt ;D

Speaking of China Phoenix 2, I am heading over there this morning to work on a top secret project...! But you'll have to wait a few days before it is unveiled...mwahahahah...*insert mad scientist laugh here*!!!!

That's it for today, stop by tomorrow when I will introduce you to our third "Cheer" leader ;D

The Cheerleaders...meet Perl

Good Morning! It has been a gorgeous couple of days here in Albuquerque. Looks like we're going to be in the 60s today. The skies are blue and clear, and it would be a great day to do something outside. Okay, that's it for my impression of Al Roker! LOL! I'm not a meteorologist, but I've seen one on TV...! That makes me an expert, right? ...NOT!

I'm teaching a class on March 20th at my favorite stamp store in the world, China Phoenix 2. It will feature the 3 muertos themed cards I created and blogged about in February using some images by Bombshell Stamps. My class is in the afternoon and the morning spot was going to be a class taught by my good friend Kathy. I love days when we teach together, because afterward, we hang out and chat up a storm until Nancy, the owner, has to finally throw us out...hehehe! Actually, Nancy is a sweetheart and would never do that, but I do feel a bit guilty when she closes the store and we are still there gabbing 2 hours later ;D Anyway, Kathy had to cancel her class because she is going out of town to be with her daughter who is expecting her 2nd child. She's such a great mom! I was really looking forward to our "catching up" time, but she obviously has a pretty good excuse ;D So, to keep me out of trouble, I will be teaching in Kathy's morning slot on the 20th, as well. Two classes in one day? Can I handle it? I'll let you know how it goes!

I'm just now working up some samples for the morning class and I thought I would go with some Stampotique images. I have paired 3 of the sassy girls from their stamp line designed by Jill Penney and Daniel Torrente, with some humorous sentiments that have been laying around gathering dust. I'm calling these girls, The Cheerleaders, because they are anything BUT cheery...lol!

The first card features Perl who I have colored with Copic markers and she has been paired with a stamp by Rubber Cottage that says "How's that workin' for ya?". Love the sarcasm! I added a bit of orange glitter glue to her headband, necklace, and bangles, but she really didn't need much more to finish her off. Just a flower and a gemstone, and she is ready to give the world some "tude" ;D

I'll be back tomorrow with another "Cheerleader" card. Ciao for now!

Some Exciting News!

Good Morning! I was going to post this announcement yesterday, but time got away from me and before I knew it, the day had gone.

I have been selected as the Guest Designer for April over at Bombshell Stamps! Bombshell calls the monthly guest designers, Pin Up Girls, so I will be Ms. April! Woo hoo! I have never been selected to participate on a design team in any form or fashion so this has me over the moon ;D Bombshell Stamps is one of my absolute favorite stamp companies so that makes this honor even sweeter.

The design team is known as the Bombshells and consists of such artistically creative talent that I must insist that you visit their blogs to say "hello". Meet the Bombshells here:

Kathi Rerek - DT Captain
Nicole Maki - DT Publisher
Glittery Katie - Technique Expert
Terra Serrano - Clothing Design
Kas Mello - Blog Hop Captain
Mary Giffiths - Bombshell Girl
Stephanie Jones - Bombshell Girl
Erika Taylor - Bombshell Girl

And while you're out and about in Blog Land, stop by and say "hello" to the monthly Pin Ups. Another group of awesomely talented gals:

Patricia Stigsell - Ms. March
Cheryl Valadez - Ms. April (hey! that's me!)
Katja Andersson - Ms. May
Kelli Green - Ms. June
Alison Heikkila - Ms. July
Rose Manchester - Ms. August

It would mean the world to me if you would swing by the blogs of these wonderful artists and show them some love ;D