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!

BLOGGER'S CHALLENGE #44 - COLOR CHALLENGE

    Here's another color challenge for ya!  The Blogger's Challenge this week was to create a card using the following colors:  Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, and Brocade Blue.  It's always fun to see different cards made with the same colors so I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with.
    I'm gonna dedicate this card to Anna's new baby cow.  You've got to check her out...she's just about the sweetest thing I've seen in a long time. 

Welcome to the world baby cow!

Supplies:  Stamp - Holy Cow (MY904) by Whipper Snapper Designs; CS - Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, and Brocade Blue, Kraft, white, white textured by DCWV; Other - Prismacolor and Copic markers, various ribbon, American Crafts brads, glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, black Zig Millennium pen.

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.

WANNA HANG OUT?

Here's another Whipper Snapper image for ya.  In fact, this one is this week's Internet Special on the Whipper Snapper site.  (If you sign up for their e-mail updates you'll get the special notifications each week.)

Supplies:  Stamps - Swingin' Monkey (CY905) from Whipper Snapper Designs; CS - Brown textured by Bazzill, SU! So Saffron and Ruby Red, Papertrey white, designer papers from Nana's Kids pad by DCWV; Other - ribbon from Michael's, Nestabilities dies, Prismacolor Markers, sentiment created 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.

BLOGGER'S CHALLENGE #36 - LAYOUT CHALLENGE

    Yea...Friday again!  This week's Blogger's Challenge was to create a card using the "With Heartfelt Sympathy" card layout on page 44 of Stampin' Up!s 2008 Spring/Summer catalog. 
    This is a pretty straight-forward layout and one I feel like I use pretty frequently anyway.  I find myself stuck in the rut of creating a vertical card with a horizontal band across the middle and a centered vertical image on top.  Let's just call it a 'classic'...ha!
    This is Stephanie (CY906) from Whipper Snapper Designs.  I've been thinking about making a card and coloring the girl image like that E-surance character, Erin, with the pink hair and black skinsuit.  I had a Bella in mind for that one but haven't gotten to it yet.  So Stephanie gets to fill in for now.  She's a spunky, forward -thinking little gal.  Just wait until she becomes a teenager...oh dear!
    I also used the Happy Mother's Day (GX946) sentiment on this card.  Everything's colored with Prismacolor Markers.  The striped paper is by Heidi Grace, the dark pink by Daisy Ds, and I have no idea who makes the black polka dot paper but it was way down in my stash!  The ribbons are by KI Memories.
     Don't forget to click on the Blogger's Challenge logo on the right and see what the others did with the layout this week.  Have a terrific weekend and thanks for visiting.