Sunflower Studio

CHEERS POLLY!

I just love all of Anna Wight's images for Whipper Snapper.  That gal is soooo talented!  I bought "Polly" here a few months back.  She reminds me of my sister.  She used to have those pigtails when she was a little girl.

This card is for a challenge swap with one of my Yahoo groups.  The inspiration was this fancy shmancy cake.  THAT CAKE looks so yummy.  I'm not sure where the original photo came from by it makes me think of the ACE of CAKES.  I love that show and the fact that it's filmed right down the road in Baltimore.  Who knew they could do all of that with CAKE!

Supplies:  Stamps - Polly by Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper, flower by Stampendous, sentiment from A Muse; CS - Basic Black, Pink Passion, Only Orange, Green Galore by SU!, watercolor paper; Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, various for watercoloring Polly; Other - Copic markers, orange Stickles, black brads, waterbrush.

FOR A SPECIAL TEACHER

Finally...the last day of school!  I can't believe the kids are getting out so late this year.  Could it be because we had 3 "snow" days?  And I use that term very loosely since we didn't ACTUALLY have any SNOW on any of our 3 SNOW days?  We did have some minor icing...and some threats of ice.  I know, I know...they're trying to keep the kids safe.  All I have to say is - we NEVER even had ONE snow day in the four years that we lived in Chicago!  They just don't know what to do with the white stuff here in MD like they do in the Midwest.

Okay, enough complaining.   We've been crazy busy around here and all of our events converged into this one week...end of school, end of baseball, in-laws coming, Father's Day activities.  I woke up at 4:00 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep.  I decided to use that time to get some cards made for the teachers.  This being the last day and all, I knew that we'd be running up to the store for some gift cards and flowers before school.  Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute.

This image is Peter.  He's another Anna Wight illustrated stamp from Whipper Snapper Designs.  Could he be any cuter?!  And I dressed him up like my little guy...the camo pants (camos are cool), orange t-shirt (orange IS his favorite color), Star Wars on the t-shirt (Star Wars is his favorite subject), and I even added Tom (Tom is his favorite cat!).  Fairly quick and easy using Stampin' Up! inks and a watercolor brush on Fabriano Mediovalis note cards.  The cat and sentiment stamps are by A Muse Artstamps.

BLOGGER'S CHALLENGE #46 - MOTHER'S DAY CARDS

    Mother's Day...Mother's Day...it's almost time for Mother's Day!  It's really not that big of a deal around our house...but I do love my MOTHER so this is for her.  This week's Blogger's Challenge was to create a Mother's Day card...duh!  (Last week was Graduation cards and since I don't know anyone who's graduating from anywhere - and because I ran out of time - I skipped that one.  I did have a little idea for something rattling around in my head so I may get to it yet.)

    My mom is a Red Hat Lady...thus the color scheme here.  And I got some new stamps this week - SHOCKER RIGHT?!?  NOT!  This lovely little girlie is Rosie Posie and she's from Whipper Snapper Designs, illustrated by Anna Wight.  (ACK!  When I went over to Whipper Snapper to grab the link for this post I saw that Anna has two new UM sets coming soon - Cats and Dogs - oh dear...I'm sure they'll be must haves!)  She's so cute!  I watercolored her using SU! reinkers and also Hot Cinnamon Twinklng H2Os for the shoes and polka-dots.  The sentiment is from Paper Source.

    I hope all of you MOMs out there have a wonderful weekend.  (I also hope it gets sunny around here but I think it's all rain in the forecast...good for the plants though!)  HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

BASKET OF BLOOMS

   I finally gave in to the undeniable temptation from the stamping world and bought some Copic Markers.  I'm thinking that they'll be a great compliment to my Prismacolor Markers and definitely fill in some holes for colors that I didn't already have...you know, those odd colors for shading specific areas...or just an interesting orange or mustard that I'm always looking for.  Three of the four sets of the Copic Ciaos arrived today.  I was beside myself with excitement!  I'll admit it...I'M A COLOR  JUNKIE!  I immediately printed out the Copic color chart that was on Sharon Harnist's blog and filled it in.  I told the gals on the TCP design team that I'm considering taking my new markers with me everywhere...even to bed...I don't want to be away from them too long.  Toni told me that Bill probably wouldn't mind unless he rolled over on top of my new 'babies'.  ACK!  THAT would be a serious tragedy for Bill...he would be banished to the guest room...ha!
    Anyway, here's my first card using them.  This is another Anna image from Whipper Snapper and as soon as I saw it I thought 'hanging planter'.  So here ya have it....

Supplies:  Stamp - Basket of Blooms (MT044) from Whipper Snapper Designs; CS - Night of Navy and Kraft from SU!, yellow - unknown, dp from DCWV; Other - Hemp Twine from SU!, brads, Copic Ciao markers, white Signo Gel pen, sentiment printed on the computer.

AN APPLE A DAY....

I found some time to play with Whipper Snapper images today.  This is another one of Anna Wight's fantabulous illustrations.  These apples are so shiny and luscious that they look good enough to eat!  And you know what they say, "an apple a day..."

Supplies:  Stamp - Bowl of Apples (NT910) from Whipper Snapper Designs; CS - textured by Bazzill, Dill Blossom designer papers by SEI; Other - SU! Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, SU! Word Window Punch, SU! slot punch, white Signo Gel pen, black Zig Millennium pen, various Prismacolor Markers, Nestabilities dies.  *Sentiment created on the computer.

BLOGGER'S CHALLENGE #40 - THEME CHALLENGE

    I'm baaaaaack!  And I'm not completely thrilled about the weather predicament I now find myself in!!!  I could definitely live with 70s/low 80s and no humidity throughout the entire year...ya gotta love that.  St. Petersburg, FL is spectacular this time of year and I look forward to going each and every Spring.  Maybe I'll share some beach photos soon!
    But, life did go on in the stamping world while I was away and I'm sure I missed a ton.  I'm late on getting  my Blogger's Challenge card finished as well.  Guess I'll be playing catch-up this week.  BC #40 is a theme challenge and the theme was SPRING FLOWERS.  I bought some really neat paper from SEI from a great store in St. Pete, Whim-So-Doodle.  (I highly recommend visiting if you go to FL.)  The collection is called Dill Blossom and the colors are right up my alley for sure.  I knew that I'd use it for my challenge card.  I chose to pair it up with the sunflower from Anna's Posies for You set from Whipper Snapper.  (I know...sunflowers are probably more Summer than Spring...oh well!)
    I watercolored the images with SU! dye inks and used the SU! Word Window punch to add my sentiments - from the Essential Sentiments set by My Favorite Things.
    I have a whole list of "to-do's" this week but I'm hoping to get some good stamping time in as well.  If you haven't already, be sure and check in on the other BC gals this week.  Click on the BC logo to the right.

FROGGIE BABY

    I think this is my favorite Whipper Snapper card that I've done so far (uhhh...right behind Batcat & Robin, probably...heehee).  The Gift Frog (NT055) is another of Anna's illustrations and he's adorable.  The patterned paper is from another K&Company mat pad.  This one's called Brenda Walton Small Wonders Boy.  I'm really not into pastels so this pad really suits my color palette for baby cards...not too light, not too dark...but, with the red thrown in, just edgy enough. 
    Since I'm stuck on using the Prismacolor Markers these days, it won't be a surpise to you that I used them here.  Also the use of the Nestabilities dies...I highly recommend them...they just make everything so fun.  I created the little sentiment on the computer in Photoshop Elements and then printed it onto cardstock and cut that out with the Nestie circle die.  Behind that is a blue circle cut with one of the Petite Scalloped circle dies...you can really see the difference in the sizes of the scallops from the regular to the petite looking at them here.  The little white scalloped border was created using the SU! Slit punch on some white textured adhesive backed DCWV cardstock.  The ribbon is more of Martha Stewart's seam binding ribbon from Michael's.  I added a teensy bit of sparkle with the Sakura Stardust Glitter pen on the flower and bow and gave froggie some white dots with a white Signo Gel pen.  I thought that the right side of the card needed a little red since it was fairly heavy with it on the right.  This Doodlebug flowers adds just the right touch.
    All ready for a baby shower gift....hmmm...don't really know anyone that's having a baby right now.  Oh well...note to self...remember this one for later.

MISS LOUISE MOUSIE

    Is this not THE most adorable little mousie?!  She's so sweet.  This is another of Anna Wight's illustrations for Whipper Snapper Designs from their Spring/Summer 2008 collection. 
    I started with the patterned paper for this one...that's where the inspiration for the colors that I chose came from.  It's from a new 4x6 pad by K&Company called the Happy Trails Mat Pad that I bought at JoAnn's (they have these all over the place though).  The colors are just gorgeous and the paper is thick and textured.  I added some flowers to Louise's (NT050) dress before I colored her in with Prismacolor Markers.  I added the green 'ground' and then used a blue Sakura Souffle pen to make the dots - mimicking the patterned paper.  I also colored the background yellow and then used a different shade of yellow to add the diagonal lines - again, mimicking the patterned paper. 
    These Whipper Snapper images that I've been using are all printed on white paper so I'm not actually stamping them myself.  And when it comes to the sentiments, I have a limited supply.  That's why I've been making them up on the computer for other cards.  For this one, I used the same yellow that is behind Louise to color over the Happy Mother's Day (GX946) sentiment.  I also covered over the rose that is part of that stamp and glued on a small silk sunflower to match the one that Louise is holding.
    This card has so much color that I felt like it didn't really need too much embellishment but I did add the ribbon and brad corners for just a dash more texture.

TWO SHEEP & BOPEEP

Happy Spring!  I know it's too early for that but that's what I've been working on lately.  This is another card featuring BoPeep and her sheep from Anna's BoPeep's Sheep set from Whipper Snapper.  She does look very springy in her flowery apron, doesn't she?! 

Again, I watercolored BoPeep and her sheep with various SU! dye inks and a waterbrush.  I added some tiny flowers, a bit of weaving on her hat, and little dots of black with a very thin Pigma Micron pen.  It just adds a wee bit of texture.  The patterned papers are by Crate Paper and they're from the Birdie Collection.  I also added in some new Aqua Mist cardstock and some Spring Moss satin ribbon that I just got from Papertrey as well.  (I am so enamoured with everything that PT comes out with and all that their designers create but it just doesn't work for me.  I wonder if I'm trying to force myself to make something in their 'style'.  I think it's like me and A Muse...I love the clean and simple 'A Muse' style but I just can't do it myself...I need more layers, and ribbon, and brads, and glitter and...and...and...you get the drift.)

BE NICE TO MISTER BUNNY

So last week I was a little bit disrespectful to Mister Bunny.   This week will be "Be Nice To Mister Bunny" week and I promise not to degrade him again...uhhh...at least until something else comes to mind!

Here, he's just wishing you all early Easter Wishes.  He's just so cute that you wanna squeeze him.  I popped up the flowers and the carrot (a-la-Anna) to add some dimension.  The sentiment is from the Mixed Messages set by Papertrey.  Look how tiny...it fit perfectly in the smallest Nestabilities Classic Oval and Scalloped Oval dies that I have....teeny tiny little scallops!  In case I need to say it again, the bunny, carrot, flowers, and grass stamps are all from the Spring Has Sprung set by Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper Designs.  This is all watercolored using various SU! dye inks and a waterbrush.  The sparkly patterned paper is from the Nana's Kids pad from DCWV and I added some swiss dot organdy ribbon - all of a sudden I'm in love with that stuff.  (If anyone has a cheap source for it I'd love to know about it.  I need ALL of the colors, of course!)