Merry Christmas!

I'll be amazed if anyone stops by today.  After all, it is Christmas!  After church this morning, I know I will be busy with family all day.  But it is Saturday, time for our weekly sketch challenge at UDI.  You can see the sketch here.  I knew I wanted to play with some new stamps from the Occasions mini catalog and the Sale-a-bration catalog.  Here's a sneak peek.

I used the set Valentine Defined and added the owl from the Sale-a-bration set Punch Bunch. Again, I stayed with a classic color combination of Real Red, Basic Black, and Whisper White.

And on the inside of the card, another stamp from Valentine Defined.

That's it for today!  If you are blog hopping, head on over to Becky's blog to see what she did with this week's sketch.  Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Christmas!

Blessings,
Barbara

Bliss!

Bliss is having a little time to play with some of my sneak peek stamping supplies!  I used one of the sale-a-bration sets, "Bliss," that will be available starting on January 25.  I'm going to keep this short and sweet since a have a bazillion other things to do.  You can see this week's UDI sketch challenge here. I used it horizontally instead of vertically, and I changed the shape of the circle accents.

I just love this classic combination of Basic Black, Basic Gray and Whisper White. Next you can head over here to see what Becky has come up with this week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas blessings,
Barbara

I'm so not ready for winter!

This week I had a chance to play with some of the things I preordered from the Occasions mini catalog. As much as I love Christmas, I really do not like the cold, dark days of winter! So I am already in a "think spring" kind of mood.  For this week's DIVA sketch challenge, which you can see here, I knew which set I wanted to use. Easter Blossoms! I pulled out my Color Coach and found my inspiration with Pink Pirouette. I was going for a shabby look, so I used the tea stain ink from the distressing kit.

I used the Sweet Set combination of Pink Pirouette, Sahara Sand and Always Artichoke.  I am not very happy with my photos since I had to use flash and much prefer natural light.  But when it is dark out by 5:00, and you start with a gray, overcast day, there aren't many options!

Here's the recipe:
Paper:  Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette
Ink:  Always Artichoke, Tea Stain distressing ink
Accessories:  Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Oval Scallop Frame Bigz Die, Always Artichoke seam binding.

In real life, the seam binding looks much softer in color, not nearly as dark as it appears in the photo.

Hm, I wonder what the rest of the team has been up to this week?  You can hop over to Becky's blog next.  Yesterday, while I should have been working on the family Christmas cards, I pulled out something else I wanted to play with.  My downline Christmas party is next Tuesday, and I had to get busy and prepare for one of the games, which is Bingo!  I had way too much fun making Bingo cards using the set in the Holiday mini catalog.  The boards are all different, and the red circles with the images are the calling pieces.  I think we'll use pennies as markers.  This set is just too stinkin' cute!

Well, this morning we go for our tree, and our daughter is coming to do some holiday baking, so I am looking forward to a delightful day!

Enjoy your weekend!
Barbara

Craft Fair Share

It's time for another weekly sketch challenge from UDI, and if you click here, you can see the sketch. I had a really busy week and was struggling with this week's sketch. I tried a couple of ideas yesterday, but nothing panned out. I was having trouble with having so much blank space in the center of the layout. Anyway, all of a sudden an idea clicked, and here it is.

This is a covered note pad with a matching pen! I made a bunch of these for the craft fair, and I took one and added some embellishments using the elements of Carol's sketch. I got the idea here, and if you follow the link, she has all of the directions/dimensions on her post. Here is a view of the inside.

When I was taking my photos this morning, the sun came out and was streaming in the kitchen windows. I just love the natural light and the highlights and shadows...

Well, if you're anything like me, I bet you have a list a mile long for the weekend! We're heading out for our tree a little later, and I hope to get a lot of decorating done in the house. But before you go, be sure to head over to Becky's blog to see what she came up with this week.

Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings,
Barbara

Oops, Again!

I've been so busy preparing for a craft fair that I totally forgot about my sketch! Check back later today and see what I've come up with. For now, you can head over to Becky's blog and see her fabulous creation for this week! Actually, if you scroll down to her mid-week post, you will see some of the things I've been up to.  I've just been too busy to post!

Dasher

It's time for our weekly Diva Sketch Challenge.  You can view the sketch here.  This week I turned it upside down, and I used one of last year's most popular a` la carte stamps, Dasher.  I stamped the image in Versamark on Shimmery White card stock and then embossed it in silver embossing powder.  Here's a detail. I'm surprised that the Shimmery White card stock does not show up well in a photo since it is beautiful in real life.

Here's the recipe for the card.
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Shimmery White
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Norther Flurry embossing folder, Marina Mist wide striped grosgrain ribbon, Silver Tinsel Trim, Silver embossing powder

As you are reading this, I am enjoying some time in Michigan with Becky!  Head on over to her blog to see what she has done with this week's sketch.  (Three of my children live in west Michigan with their spouses and children, so we are having a wonderful family visit!  I love to spend time with all six of my grandchildren, who range in age from 7 years down to 7 weeks.  What fun!)

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,
Barbara

Deck the Halls

It's time for our weekly Diva sketch Challenge..  You can view the sketch here.  This will be a very quick post since I am finishing my preparations for the craft fair.  Christmas has been on my mind, along with the shopping, wrapping, decorating and card making.  (Sometimes I get tired just thinking about it!)  Mr. Owl got all decked out for Christmas, including hanging some festive decorations!  Enjoy!  Details will come later...

Now on to Becky's blog to see what she came up with this week.  Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,
Barbara

Welcome Christmas~Again!

Can you tell I'm in love with this stamp set?  I know I've used it for a blog post before, but it seemed just perfect for this week's sketch, which you can view here.  I have had a busy week getting things ready for a craft fair next Saturday, and then I took a class last night at a local scrapbook store.  When I crawled into bed last night I realized I had completely forgotten about working on my UDI sketch challenge, so I apologize for the late post.  I hope you think it was worth the wait.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Welcome Christmas
Papers:  Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Deck the Halls DSP
Inks & markers:  Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder, Stampin' dimensionals, Riding Hood Red ribbon (retired)

I inked my embossing folder with Crumb Cake ink before I ran it through the Big Shot.  For the wreath, I used a small handheld punch (1/4" circle) to go around the inside and outside of the wreath, taking little bites (circles) out of the paper, then trimmed the rest with a scissors.  It seemed like the easiest way to follow the outline of the wreath.  To pop it a little, I used my Always Artichoke marker to add a touch of color to the edges, then popped it up with dimensionals.  The bow was added to cover an "oops!" when I dropped the marker and made a line on the wreath.  Oh boy, now I am giving away all of my inspiration secrets!

Head on over to Becky's blog to see her usual creative genius!  Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous weekend.

Blessings,
Barbara

Oops!

I've been so busy preparing for a craft fair that I totally forgot about my sketch! Check back later today and see what I've come up with. For now, you can head over to Becky's blog and see her fan-ta-bulous creation for this week!

Greeting Cards Kids

As you can see, I've used one of my favorite stamp sets again! I just love to watercolor these sweet little kids. This time I added some ruffles and bling to really show off the image.



If you want to see the sketch I used this week, head over the Utah Divas International blog. I actually flipped the sketch upside down.



Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Music Notes wheel
Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, watercolor paper
Ink: Black Staz-on
Markers: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Champagne chunky glass glitter, Always Artichoke seam binding, Square Lattice and Petals-a-Plenty embossing folders, Big Shot, aqua painter, sponges

To give it a vintage feel, I sponged the Very Vanilla paper and the main image with Crumb Cake ink. The Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder was also inked with Crumb Cake ink before I ran it through the Big Shot.

If you are hopping from blog to blog to see the Diva's sketch challenge, Becky's blog is next in line. I'm sure she will have something wonderful for us to see.

Thanks for stopping by, and a special thank you to those who leave comments. It's always encouraging hear what you think.

Be well!
Barbara

Holiday Planner Class

I'm planning a class to help you get a jump start on Christmas. It includes a Holiday Planner, gift tags, a gift card holder and a cash/check holder. Most of the projects will be easy to duplicate, so you can make more to suit your holiday needs.

Here's the Holiday Planner.

There is a pocket with a calendar, a gift list, and a menu planner, as well as two envelopes for gift receipts and coupons. If you sign up for the class, I will let you know your options for personalizing the inserts! You can have a Christmas card list or personalized shopping lists as well.



This set of 10 gift tags is almost too cute to use, isn't it?


I will post pictures of the next two projects tomorrow.

Blessings,
Barbara

Better late than never!

Okay, okay, I know I'm late in posting, but I hope you will find it was worth the wait. Here's a peek at my card for today. If you want to see the sketch, you can check it out on the UDI Blog.



I can't believe how all the little imperfections are magnified in a close up photo! Anyway, I knew as soon as I saw Carole's sketch that I wanted to do a pocket card, but I wasn't sure what to do. Yesterday I was playing with the beautiful Candy Cane Christmas DSP in the Holiday mini catalog, and I fell in love with the bling! Here's my card.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: A Cute Christmas
Papers: Real Red, Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Candy Cane Christmas DSP
Ink: Black Staz-on
Markers: Real Red, Garden Green, Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride

Here's a photo with the insert pulled out.



Now you can head on over to Becky's blog to see her usual fabulousness! (Gotta love that girl ~ she's my daughter!)

Enjoy this beautiful fall weekend, and Happy Halloween!

Blessings,
Barbara

Missing...

I've had a busy week and a busy day. Tonight I had a Christmas card stamp-a-stack, and the last customer just left. It's too late to work on my Diva Sketch challenge, but if you stop back on Saturday afternoon, I'll have a card ready. Right now you can head over to Becky's blog to see her fabulous creation.

While you're here you might take a look at the card I did for the DIVA color challenge this week. It is posted below.

Blessings,
Barbara

UDI Color Challenge #7

I'm playing along with the Utah Divas International Color Challenge this week! Here is the color combination.



And here is my card. It uses two of my favorite things, the French Foliage set and the Lattice embossing folder. I inked the embossing folder with Crumb Cake ink before I ran it through the Big Shot.



I hope you stop back on Saturday to see the DIVA weekly sketch challenge.

Blessings,
Barbara

Welcome Christmas

Welcome to another Diva Saturday sketch challenge. You can hop over to the Diva blog to see this week's sketch. This is what I came up...



And here is a picture of the inside...



Be sure to check out Becky's blog to see what she came up with this week. I am sure it is fabulous!

Blessings,
Barbara


Recipe
Stamps: Welcome Christmas, TeaHouse BG
Papers: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso
inks: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso
Accessories: Sticky strip, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, lace

A Wish for Peace

I can't believe another week has flown by! This week I am enjoying the beautiful fall colors of west Michigan. I am here visiting my children and grandchildren, including a beautiful new granddaughter born on October 3. Sweet little Mabel Rose arrived 5 weeks early so she had to stay at the hospital for 11 days, but I am delighted to say she is finally home! Thank God for many blessings.

This week's Utah Divas sketch was really a challenge for me, so I took some liberties and eliminated some elements. My apologies, Carol, but I remember you said we were allowed to use the sketch as an inspiration point! Here's the sketch.

And here's my card.



Anyway, I have had Christmas cards on my mind lately. I am determined that this year I will have them made by Thanksgiving. For the past few years, my husband and I have the following conversation the day after Thanksgiving

Husband: Are the Christmas cards ready? I thought we could work on them this weekend.
Me: No, they're not. But I can go the the H******k store and pick some up if you want.
Husband: WHAT?! Send out store bought cards? But stamping is your business!!

This year I want to have them ready and see what happens. I may have to pick dear husband off of the floor!

Here's my interpretation of the sketch. You can see I eliminated some elements and moved one around. I was really happy with the end result.

Recipe
Stamps: A wish for Peace
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso
Inks: Early Espresso
Accessories: Two-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Scallop Trim border punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

I hope you can see the beautiful shimmer on all of the snow. I'm not sure how much you will see it in the photo.


Well, that's about it for me! You can hop on over to Becky's blog to see what she came up with. For those of you who might not know, Becky is my daughter. For next week's sketch, we will be working together. What I mean is we will be together in Becky's stamping space. We really enjoy crafting together, which doesn't happen often since we live 750 miles apart. It is a real blessing to be able to spend time with my family.

Happy fall!
Barbara

P.S. Comments are always appreciated! I love to have feedback and hear what you think.

French Foliage

I can hardly believe that three weeks ago today I was in Paris and had dinner in the Eiffel Tower! This stamp set, especially the Paris postmark, really reminded me of France. I guess it goes without saying that one of my favorite sets in the new catalog is Artistic Etchings! Here's a photo of the Eiffel Tower from my trip. We were finishing a river boat cruise at dusk and the lights on the tower were just coming on. What a sight!



Anyway, on to the Diva Sketch Challenge for the week. Here's the sketch.

You will see that I rotated it this week.


I cased the color combination from a card I saw and liked. Here's the recipe.

Stamps: French Foliage
Paper: So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Inks: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, So Saffron and More Mustard
Accessories: Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Early Espresso ribbons, 5/8" satin and 1/8" taffeta, Big Designer Buttons (Crumb Cake)

The So Saffron paper was "smooshed" with So Saffron ink. I inked the embossing folder with Crumb Cake ink before I put it through my Big shot. (I inked the inside of the folder on the side that has the Stampin' Up logo on it, if that helps.) It really adds depth to the image. I guess it wasn't too smart of me to cover so much of it up, eh? Finally, here's a detail on the button.

I tied the 1/8" taffeta through the holes in the button. I hope you like it!

Well, on to Becky's blog to see what she came up with this week. Don't forget you can always head over to the Utah Divas International Blog to see the list of people in the sketch hop.

Have a great weekend!
Blessings,
Barbara

Just a Cup of Coffee

Here it is, the end of another week and time for the weekly Diva Sketch Challenge. So grab a cup of coffee and see what I've come up with this week! I thought the sketch was clean and simple so I decided I'd keep my card the same. Here's the sketch. Can you believe we are on week 103?

Here's my card and it uses one of my favorite color combinations, Baja Breeze and Cherry Cobbler. You may remember that was the combination I used here as well.


Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Tiny Teacup
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Subtles Patterns DSP (Baja Breeze)
Inks: Black Staz-on, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Basic Black 1/8" taffeta ribbon, 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" square punches

This is one of the sweet single stamps that are featured on pages 18-20 of the Stampin' Up catalog. I separated the word hello from the teacup when I mounted the stamp and placed it on the side of the block so I could stamp the images individually. Since I'm a coffee drinker, I think it is a coffee cup! Here's a look at the inside of the card.



If you are following our blog links, you'll be heading over to Becky's blog next. Be sure to scroll down to her post of September 25 while you are there. She made herself the most adorable raincoat! Wait until you see it!

If at any time you can't find a link you can head over to the Utah Divas International blog and find all of the links.

Enjoy the weekend, and thanks so much for stopping by! And an extra thanks to those of you who take the time to leave a comment. They are greatly appreciated!

Blessings,
Barbara

Weekly Diva Challenge

It's time for another diva sketch challenge! This week's sketch was a classic, in my opinion. I decided to use one of my favorite sets again, Greeting Card Kids. Here's my little lovely...

and here's the sketch. I turned it on its side again.


I used the Wicked Fun Specialty paper on this card and based the color scheme on that. I think things are pretty self-explanatory. I adhered the beautiful Raven lace from the mini catalog with sticky strip, gathering it as I went along. The image was stamped on watercolor paper and colored with markers and an aqua painter. Here's a close up.

Now it's over to Becky's blog to see what she came up with this week.
I've missed posting the last two weeks because of a trip to Switzerland, Germany and France. I've been hoping to post some photos, but life keeps getting in the way. Maybe next week!

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy this first weekend of fall!
Barbara

Spooky Things

I have been busy planning a Halloween class, and here is the first project! This is a variation of a project presented by Brent Steele at the Stampin' Up! convention in July. Stay tuned for some more great ideas using the Spooky Things Decor Elements (# 121209, $14.95) and the Black Flourish Designer Jewels (#120987, $4.95) in the Holiday mini catalog.

Happy Labor Day!
Barbara

I Think I'm in Love!

When I first saw the 2010-2011 Stampin' Up! catalog, I fell in love with the stamp set Greeting Card Kids. If you told me I could only order one set this year, I think this would have been it. Isn't this little girl just the cutest?



The other thing I have fallen in love with is the new Color Coach! I knew I wanted to use Riding Hood Red, and here is the color combination I worked with.





One thing I've learned using the color coach is that if I want to add another color to a combination, it always works to use the dynamic duo color (in this case Cherry Cobbler) which is what I did for this card. I also know I love anything that is a Shelli favorite, which you see is the case in this creative combination.

I know you are probably here to see what I did with the Sketchy Saturday Diva challenge, so here is the sketch...



and here is the card! I did alter the size of the center rectangle.



I think this has to be one of my favorite cards of the last several months! Now if I could just my act together, I'd make a dozen of these and have them on hand for Valentine's Day!

RECIPE
Stamp: Greeting Card Kids
Paper: Love letter DSP, Subtles Patterns DSP, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, watercolor paper
Accessories: Scallop edge border punch, small heart punch, stampin' dimensionals, aqua painter and coordinating markers

If you are blog hopping to see all of the sketch cards, you will want to head over to Becky's blog to see what she came up with this week. If for any reason a link is missing, you can head over to the Utah Diva's blog to see who is next.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and for those of you on the East Coast, enjoy the cooler weather!

Blessings,
Barbara