Sunflower Studio

BLOGGER'S CHALLENGE #20 - PHOTO OR MAGAZINE

   The Blogger's Challenge this week was to incorporate a photo or magazine page into your project.  Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who was wondering exactly what that meant.  There is the Scrunchie technique in the October '07 Technique Junkie newsletter but that wasn't the direction I wanted to go in.  Then Lisa mentioned doing a scrapbook page...duh!  Umm...uses pictures, stamping, patterned papers.  SEE...definitely not a scrapper as this never even entered my mind.  What did come to mind was using one of the photos that I had taken at the beach in October and adding some stamping to make a card.  And here's what I came up with...SURFIN' SANTA!  HANG TEN DUDE!!
    Isn't he funny?!  The actual wave in this photo is probably about a foot tall...the miracles of photography. *giggle*  The Santa image is made from two different A Muse stamps - Surfin' Santa (2-2110D - who doesn't come with his own surfboard) and Surfer (2-6075D - the dude with the board) - and a little masking.  This gorgeous glittery patterned paper is by Brenda Walton for K&Company.  The ribbon is from KI Memories and the buckle and brads are from SU!s Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware kit.  RAD!
    As this was kind-of a wide open topic...I can't wait to see what the other BC girls made.  As usual...the list is on the right so that you can oogle too.

OUR HOUSE PENGUIN

    This card follows Sketch #3 from Alma at The Cat's Pajamas.  Can I just tell you....I am in love with Basic Grey papers.  They are just so gorgeous.  It's really hard for me to actually use them, though.  I just want to hoard them in my paper stash like they're made of gold.  Does anyone have a the name of a good psychiatrist?  Ha!
    The BG papers used here are from the Fruitcake collection.  The stamps are, of course, from The Cat's Pajamas.  I used the Mistletoe Penguin from my Poochie Christmas Clearly Swanky set.  I also used the From Our House sentiment from the Kitty Christmas clear set.  Remember that you can buy these stamps separately on a wood mount too.  Or just go for it and get the clear sets...you know you want it ALL!  The buttons and ribbon are from SU!  Oh, and I used a scalloped oval Nestabilities die this time - cutting the plain oval out with the Creative Memories oval cutting template.  Lots of sponging with Walnut Distress Ink, a little watercoloring, and some hand-cut holly leaves finish it off.

FALL IN MARYLAND

These are for my friends (especially you, Rose Kerry!) who live in those warmer climates and don't get to experience the changing of the leaves.  I know that my neighbors think I'm nuts.  I've been running around with camera in hand this week to capture the Fall colors.  (Pulling the car over and jumping out...even letting Kyle take a few shots from his side of the car!)  I can't help it!  I'm completely enthralled with how amazingly colorful real nature can be.   I especially love it when I can find a grouping of trees that have so many different colors in one area...the larger photo is from right at the entrance to our neighborhood.  How lucky can we be?!  And then there's those trees that look like they've just burst into flame.  WOW!  You've definitely got to enjoy it while you can...one big rain and some wind and it'll all be gone in a flash.  Happy Fall!

SNOW PENGUIN

      I've kinda had this background piece bouncing around in my head for a few days.  I'm sure that it's not hard to tell that I'm head over heels for the Stampin' Up! Big Deal Alphabet.  I use it all the time.  On this, I used the letters to spell out 'SNOW' with four different chalk inks.  Of course, then I covered the words up with my snowy penguin....still like it though.  I also can't say enough about these Memory Box penguins.  Look how 'puffy' he is!  HA HA  That just cracks me up!
Supplies:  Stamps - Big Deal Alphabet from SU!, Bundled Penguin (C955) from Memory Box Co, sentiment (9-8098B) from A Muse, and a dotted swirly stamp from the Polar Holiday set (N-7477) by The Cat's Pajamas; CS - Buckaroo Blue, White, Not Quite Navy and Taken w/Teal from SU!, watercolor paper; Ink - Black Versafine, various for watercoloring, Color Box Fluid Chalks in Azurite, Ice Blue, and French Blue, TAC chalk ink in Squash Blossom, Colorbox pigment ink in Whisper Grey; Other - white Sharpie paint pen, glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds, brads, waterbrush, velvet ribbon, Irridescent Ice EP, Nestabilities scalloped rectangle die, thin black pen, Twinkling H2Os.

FREE SPIRIT BIRTHDAY

     Today I decided to try and use more from my box of 'new' stamps.  They're just begging to be used.  This first card uses a gorgeous set that I bought from Mona Golobek.  Mona's a fellow Technique Junkie who introduced herself to me at the rubber stamp show in York, PA that I went to a few weeks back.  She's a rep for CTMH and had a booth at the show.  Go Mona!  I'm all about equal opportunity stamp purchasing...ha!  Anyway, the set is called Free Spirit.  I fell in love with the circles of sentiments.
    The background paper is made using the Water Color Distress technique from the February 2007 Technique Junkie newsletter.  I love the mottled look.
Supplies:  Stamps - Free Spirit set from CTMH, medium scroll (B-S348) by The Cat's Pajamas, sentiment from A Muse (9-8253B); CS - Basic Black, Elegant Eggplant, Eggplant Envy, Lavender Lace, white from SU!; Ink - Black Versafine, Elegant Eggplant, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Lavender Lace; Other - black brads, waterbrush, scalloped edge scissors. 

TODAY'S THE DAY! - 100,000 BLOG HITS

OMG...today's the day that my little 'ole blog reaches 100,000 visitors!  That is astounding and amazing to me.  Thank you so much to anyone and everyone that's come by to check things out, to get ideas, and to share their thoughts.  To show my appreciation, I'm giving away five *blog candy* grab bags!  Here's an idea of what each will contain:

• Turquoise Making Memories Lanyard
• Heidi Swapp Lipgloss or Heidi Grace Lip Balm
• Around the Block Accordian book or Paper Sampler and Three Bugs in a Rug Designer Brads
• Studio G Clear Stamps
• Bazzill Bitty Blossoms
• Around the Block Aluminum Brads
• Jumbo Paper Clips
• At least a foot each of more than 10 different ribbons
• Zots Singles - Glue Dot samples

How can you win a bag?  Leave me a comment to this post by midnight eastern time on Friday, November 9th.  Tell me what you like best about blogging.  I'll use the online random number generator to pick my five winners.  It's that easy!  And, hey, THANKS AGAIN FOR VISITING!

Digital Elements:  Occasions Collection from Shabby Princess, Sun Porch by Amy Teets - www.theshabbyshoppe.com

TECHNIQUE JUNKIE CARD OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER - MARKER WASH

It's time again to try a new technique!  And, for the subscribers to the Technique Junkie newsletter, it's time for another Card of the Month challenge.  I know that I've said it before but you just can't go wrong with fun AND easy.  My markers are probably the LEAST used tools in my stamp room.  But, as you can see...a little marker can go a long way and make a BIG impact.
    As for the details...each month we will be encouraging subscribers to try out a new technique and then to enter their creations in the Card Of The Month challenge.  Entries will be voted upon by the members of the group and three artists will be chosen to have their cards featured on the TJ Yahoo Group homepages.  It's fun...it's easy...and it forces you to break out the supplies and get to work!
    November's COTM challenge will be the Marker Wash technique.

It's never too late to join us over at the Technique Junkie newsletter and Yahoo group.  Click here for more information.

BLOGGER'S CHALLENGE #19 - Embellishments - Brads, Eyelets, Buttons, Hardware

This week's Blogger's Challenge was to use embellishments.  I always use a little of this and a little of that so this wasn't too much of a stretch for me.  BUT, this turned out to be more like a self-imposed limited supply challenge.  In my mind, I wanted to use a cardstock that I hadn't used much of before (Blue Bayou) and stamps from The Cat's Pajamas that I hadn't tried yet, and the Nestabilities dies that I just received, AND, then, to use some sort of embellishment!  I squeezed all of that into this little card that measures 3.25 x 4.
    When the Nestabilities first showed up someone made a card with one of the larger dies by not trimming the top edge of a folded piece of cardstock.  I thought that was just the greatest idea so that was my jumping off point.  When I went looking for my patterned paper, I was only concerned with finding a matching color to my cardstock - not even noticing that this paper is pretty Christmas-y.  I bought this little TCP television (F-S344) thinking of all of the things that I could put inside the picture frame.  I masked and added Big Sprinkle (D-S301).  And then I added the sentiment (C-7459) on top of a Quickutz tag and scalloped square.  I did throw in a few brads and an eyelet, some Crystal Effects, ribbon, and silver cording.  Do you think I used enough STUFF on this card?!  I'm thinkin' "yes"!
    I almost forgot to mention my new Cat's Pajamas watermark.  Alma made these up for the team.  How excellent is that?!  I love it!
    Now I'll head over and look at what the other gals came up with this week...don't forget to check them out too.  The list is at the right ------>>>>.

MORE ELZYBELLS!

I got to play a little yesterday with more Elzybells stamps AND some new Spellbinders Nestabilities dies...yippeeeeee!  These things are so cool!  I'm looking forward to really experimenting with them.  I bought all of the scalloped edge sets and now I'm kicking myself for not getting ALL of them.  Hmmm...maybe for Christmas...

Supplies
left card: Stamps - Cheery & Bright (D0043) from Elzybells and Every Little Thing (B898) from Memory Box; CS - Old Olive and watercolor paper; Ink - Black Versafine and various for watercoloring, Basic Brown; Other - Nestabilities Scalloped Oval Dies, Dazzling Diamonds, waterbrush, paper piercer, Martha Stewart craft seam binding, red A Muse Kitchen Collection 4-bar notecard.
right card:  Stamps - Mary & Joseph (D0010) from Elzybells and Surprise & Delight (9-8153B) from A Muse; CS - Chocolate Chip and watercolor paper; Ink - Black Versafine and various for watercoloring, Basic Brown; Other - Nestabilities Scalloped Oval Dies, waterbrush,  Martha Stewart craft seam binding, green A Muse Madiera Collection 4-bar notecard.