Sunflower Studio

WELL WISHES {sfytt}

{03.20.10 ~ 10:00 pm - edited to add my finished card and details.}

Happy Spring, People!  I, for one, am sooooo happy that we have sunny warm weather.  I know we may not be done with the cold and we, for sure, will get a bunch of rain but at least I know the warm weather is just about here.  I'm a person who needs sun...SUN is a GOOD thing!

And with the first day of Spring this year comes a new SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to get my card together yet this week.  I am hoping for a free moment today since I absolutely must get something done for a worthy recipient.  Our friend and SFYTT sister, Susan Liles, recently informed us that her husband, Eric, has been diagnosed with Lymphoma.  They started his treatment this past week but good, positive thoughts and well wishes can go a long way.  We're all stamping for Susan and her family this week.  Wanna help out with some positive reinforcement?  YOU can send some encouragement Susan and Eric's way by sending a card to the following address:

Eric and Susan Liles
7920 Sunrise Dr.
Watauga, Tx 76148

I decided to use some Memory Box stamps that were gathering dust on my shelf.  I loved these fun penguins and have gathered quite a few of them.  This "what's up Holmes?" sentiment was in the same release as the little detective penguin.  Isn't it silly?!  It just cracked me up so I hope that Susan and Eric will think it's funny too.  I also used new patterned paper, cardstock, buttons, and the zig zag die from PTI. {I've had a little spending issue there lately...oh dear!}  I do have to say that the dies cut like a dream.  I also had these new flowers from Prima and have been dying to use them.  I gave Sherlock a boutonniere...it's kinda big but I like it.

I obviously took a few liberties with the sketch too.  I just couldn't bring myself to add the horizontals and block out the pretty polka-dotted background paper.  Instead, I used the zig zags to represent those elements.  I think that's allowed...hope so!

Don't forget to visit the rest of the SFYTT gals and see what they've done with the sketch this week...

Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Megan Lock
Jenn Diercks
Amber Hight

and Jen del Muro with her special guest designer, Angie Tieman.

Make sure to upload your card to Jen's SLIDE GUESTBOOK so that you can be considered for a spot as a future Designer of the Month!

JUST A NOTE {SFYTT}

Once again...I AM A LUCKY DUCK!  I have the honor of joining a really fun group of tremendous stampers each week as a part of JEN DEL MURO's "SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY" team.  I can't believe that there'd be anybody not familiar with Jen's sketches but just in case you don't know the details...each week Jen provides us all with a new sketch.  Use that sketch to inspire your stamped card.  It's fun...the sketch takes lots of the guess work out of card planning too...you gotta love that!  Plus, need a little push getting started?  Well take a peek at what the other SFYTT DT gals have created...that oughta get your creative juices flowin'!

What I like even more than having my layout planned for me is that I get to use ANY and EVERY thing that strikes my fancy...no limitations!  That means that so many of my never-before-inked stamps will get their turn on the work table.  {And you know that can only mean the purchase of more stamps!  Gotta keep things current, right?!}  So, my card this week features some owls from MEMORY BOX.  I've got a thing for owl stamps.  {Kind of like my thing for robot stamps.  Eeep!}  But I never end up getting to ink 'em up.  Anyway, here are two of the oodles that MB has to offer.  I also used one of their branch stamps.  The little sentiment is from Anna Wight's Sweet Expressions set from Whipper Snapper.  All is colored up with the Copics and I added a little airbrush to the oval while it was still in the Nestabilities die.  These scrumptious patterned papers are all from the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird collection.  Look...I even dug out - AND I DO MEAN DUG OUT - some Prima flowers...haven't used those in ages even though I have tonnage of them.

Be sure that you check in with all of the SFYTT gals...

Jen
Amy
Kelly
Susan

And this month's Guest Designer - Lorelie

AND...this week if you play along and post a link to your card over on JEN'S BLOG you'll be entered to win a goodie bag.  Easy as pie so get to it!

HAPPY "NANNER" VERSARY

SO...I've always known that I'm my own best audience and I always laugh louder and longer than anyone else at my own jokes.  What can ya do?!

This was the card that I made for my parents 45th wedding anniversary this week.  For some reason that little Carmen Miranda penguin from Memory Box popped into my mind at card making time and what do you think followed that up?  You're right....HAPPY "NANNER" VERSARY!  ha ha ha ha ha.   NANNER...get it?  BA-NANNER!  hee hee  Don't get it?  Don't worry, I don't think that Mom and Dad did either.  At least I enjoyed making it and I giggled the whole time.

Supplies: Stamps - penguin and "cha cha cha" by Memory Box Co.; Paper - patterned papers by Basic Grey in the Urban Prairie collection, textured papers by DCWV, Papertrey White; Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento Ink; Other - Copic Markers and Multiliner, paper piercing tool, Prima flowers

BEATE'S WEEKEND SKETCH CHALLENGE #42

    I wanted to at least stamp one thing this weekend...it's hard to squeeze it in sometimes with family stuff going on.  So in between baseball practice, dinner with neighbors, a trip to Home Depot, a little straightening here, a little straightening there, and a whole lotta laundry, I tried Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge...she's up to #42 now!
    This card uses SU!'s Ginger Blossom designer paper.  I think it's just gorgeous.  I've had it forever but I think it's the first time that I've actually cut into it.  I bought this little bird stamp at AC Moore the other day.  It's not a store that I frequent because it's a little bit away from me and I think they're stamps are usually overpriced, but this little guy was on sale and I fell in love with him.  I also had some new Memory Box stamps that I used here:  the thicker branch is called Bird Branch (E1035), the branch with leaves is called Leaf Branch (D1034), and the thin swirly branch is called Verdi Flourish (C987).  I used a few different inks on top of each other so it's hard to make out each branch clearly.  The sentiment stamp is from A Muse.  This is the first time that I've broken out the Primas in a while...maybe the first time this year!  At this rate, when I die they'll have to scatter Primas over me instead of real flowers...I've got a ton of them.  I also splurged and used these tiny little pearls from Kaiser Scrapbook that I bought in Florida.  Pearls seem to be the thing right now.

JANUARY DIRTY GIRL CHALLENGE

   

    The Splitcoast Dirty Dozen design team members - past and present - have been doing a challenge card each month.  They should all be posted on the 20th.  Whooops!  Today's not the 20th?  I could have sworn that it was the 20th?  See what happens when the little boy has a sick day and then two days off for teacher inservice and then two weekend days and then a holiday!!  I lost all track of time.

    This month's challenge was to create a card with the following criteria/theme:  Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, 'sweet', and no A-2 sized cards.  You could interpret the sweet in any way that you like and your central image needed to be a girl.  I guess I fudged a little...'girl' penguins count, right?!

Supplies:  Stamps - All stamps by Memory Box; CS - River Rock, Rose Romance, Ruby Red, Papertrey White, gorgeous patterned paper by Cloud 9 Design - Sparkle TLC Argyle and Sparkle He Loves Me; Ink - Black Versafine, White Craft; Other - White EP, River Rock ribbon, Prismacolor Markers, Red Stickles, Stardust Glitter Pen, thin black pen, Nestabilities dies.
   
    You can go here to check out this month's creations from the other gals.  They're all very unique and creative so you'll have plenty of inspiration for your next 'girlie' card.

A GIFT OF TAGS

I signed up for a challenge where you had to make a set of gift tags for your partner.  My set is going to Jane Bosi and, in turn, I'm receiving a set of really great tags from Vicki Garrett.  How fun!

Supplies:  Stamps - snowman by Memory Box, 'a gift...' sentiment from Wordsworth, SU! Big Deal Alphabet, 'merry christmas' sentiment by A Muse; Ink - Black Versafine, Versamark, Aspen Mist VersaMagic chalk ink, Ranger Walnut Distress ink; CS - Bravo Burgundy, Soft Sky, Always Artichoke, White from SU!, textured cardstock by DCWV; Other - Basic Grey Figgy Pudding patterned papers, brads, SU! slit punch, Nestabilities die, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, glue pen, Twinkling H2Os, SU! brown EP, SU! CD tin.

HOLIDAY ATCs

Finally getting out the last of the ATCs that I signed up for recently.  (Can someone please remind me not to sign up for anything else during the holiday season?!) 

SKATING POOCHIE HOLIDAY
Supplies:  Stamps - Skating Poochie (Poochie Christmas set) and swirls (Kitty Christmas set) by The Cat's Pajamas, solid oval by A Muse; CS - Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, White; Ink - Black Versafine, grey Colorbox Pigment; Other - Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, glue pen, brad, SU! Brown Taffeta ribbon, white Signo Gel Pen, pink glitter, SU! Markers, patterned paper from Love Elsie collection by KI Memories

JINGLE PENGUIN   
Supplies:  Stamps - Santa Penguin from Memory Box, sentiment from A Muse; CS - Wild Wasabi, Real Red, White; Ink - Black Versafine, Bordering Blue, Sahara Sand; Other - Twinkling H2Os, waterbrush, SU! red gingham ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, glue pen, Memory Box patterned papers

CHRISTMAS 2007 - WISHLIST AND RECEIPT BOOK

    Yeah!  Finally some stamping and crafting done today.  I think it's been since the 20th that I actually stamped anything.  I caught a funky cold from somewhere (probably the germ factory they call an elementary school)  and was pretty much out of it from Thanksgiving until Monday.  What's up with that?  Do you think that as we get older these things affect us more acutely?  I never get sick so this really stunk.  Anyway...it's on it's last legs (and, yes, it DID have a life of it's own and had taken up residence here!) so I hope to be back to 100% before the end of the weekend.  There's no other way to get around it...I have seven little boys coming over on Sunday to celebrate the big 7th birthday of my little guy.  Yippeeee!
    So the holidays are right here upon us and that freaks me out every year....What do my family members want?  What do they need?  Where do I go to get it?  What if they're sold out?  OMG - the house has to be cleaned before Kyle's birthday?  And then again before Bill's work holiday party?  It's all very overwhelming sometimes.  In 2005 when I was lucky enough to be a part of the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen design team, I made a little book that held all of my family gift wishlists and the receipts that I collected while shopping.  It really came in handy.  I didn't make one last year but I felt that I really needed this to get started on my shopping this year.  And...here it is...my Christmas 2007 Wishlist & Receipt Book!
    This time - unlike 2 years ago - I had my Bind It All to assist me...hee hee.  (It's one of the gifts that Bill is getting me this year!  I took it out of the box and then put the box in my Xmas pile to be wrapped.  Wish I had the Janome Sew Mini too - that's at my mom's house getting wrapped up...*snicker".)
    You can check out my original book in this post at Splitcoast.  (You might need to be a member of the Splitcoast Fan club to see it since that's the gallery that it was included in.) I'll include the pdf file for the 'wishlist' pages also.  It's in color but you can just print it in black & white on your own printer.  Download xmas_wishlist_book_page.pdf

Supplies:  Stamps - Santa Penguin from Memory Box Co., Rough Edges Alphabet and Little Numbers set (ret.) from Stampin' Up!; CS - Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Papertrey White; Ink - Black Versafine, White Stazon; Other - Sizzix File Folder #2 Die, Cuttlebug, chipboard, Bind-It-All w/1" white wire, various ribbon, Nestabilities Large Scalloped Oval dies, Twinkling H2Os, waterbrush, glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds, White Signo gel pen, small leaves from Jolee's by EK, SU! tab punch, silver cord, Daisy D's rub-on stitch tape, transparency sheet, glass marble beads, confetti snowflakes, all scrapbook papers by Scrapworks, snowflake brad.

    Now I can really get down to business....CHARRRRRGGGGGEEEE IT!

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.

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.