Comme Ci, Comme Ca

That was my favorite phrase when I was learning to speak French. Literally translated, it means, "as this, as that." To the French, it's a phrase that means "so so," as in mediocre ... as in today's project. As in, I'm just not that excited about it, and therefore don't have much to say.

Have a great Friday!

Supplies:
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, and More Mustard card stock by Stampin' Up; soft sky designer prints paper by Stampin' Up!
Accessories: turquoise and mustard vinyl flowers by American Crafts; red felt flower by American Crafts, chipboard letters by Heidi Swapp and American Crafts, silver brads by Stampin' Up!

Fab Color Combo, Part 2

When I said I was in love with this color combo, I really meant it. These little notecards started off from the remains of yesterday's card. I had played around with cutting out the image and popping it up on a colored background, but for yesterday's card, I ended up liking the image better just stamped onto white. The cut-out version was way too cute to throw away, however, so I put together the first of these little 3x3 notecards. Next thing you know, I had a set of four.

I love these little notecards, by the way. They're like little appetizers to whet your creativity. Betcha can't stop with just one :)

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Fine Lace background
Paper: Basic Gray, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Celery designer prints
Ink: Basic Gray
Accessories: Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery markers, "ice" circle rhinestone brads, dimensionals, paper piercer, edge distressing tool, sponge dauber, gray taffeta ribbon, word window punch, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, circle cutting system and scalloped scissors by Creative Memories

Fab Color Combo

Are you just dying over this color combo from SCS's weekly Color Combo challenge? I could not wait to get the kids to bed last night, so I could get down to my craft room and PLAY! I've always loved bashful blue and certainly celery together. The gray breathes new life into this trusty combo! What I like about the colors is that they can work equally well for something on the elegant side, or something funky and hip, or even something sweet and baby-themed. They'd be great colors for weddings and anniversaries, and equally great for sympathy. I can't think of many color combos that versatile.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Fine Lace background, Cute Converse
Paper: Basic Gray, Celery designer prints, Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery
Ink: Basic Gray
Accessories: Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue markers, gray taffeta ribbon, dimensionals, Ice circle rhinestone brads, various circle punches, sponge daubers, distressing tool, circle cutting system and scalloped scissors (Creative Memories)

Guava Butterfly

I wanted to play around a little more with the Pomegranate, Celery and Guava color combo I used on yesterday's card. I was also trying to play along with Jen del Muro's Sketch For You To Try from this past weekend, but I just couldn't make the tilted main image panel work on this card. Very frustrating since I fell on my face with her sketch from last week, too. I'm waiting to post that one until I can get my hands on the vomiting smiley I saw on Cammie's Blog. Too funny, even though her project in question was totally adorable!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Priceless
Ink: Groovy Guava, Purely Pomegranate, Certainly Celery, White craft
Paper: Whisper White, Groovy Guava, Purely Pomegranate, Celery designer prints
Accessories: crystal effects, glitter pen (Sakura), miniature flower punch (from Michael's), Groovy Guava double-stitched ribbon, ticket corner punch

Delighted in TexasGrammy

I'm loving SCS's Featured Stamper Challenge. I get to spend time discovering, or rediscovering, a talented stamp artist. And when it comes time to sit down and stamp, the hard part is already done so I don't have to think much. Makes for a quick and easy stamping Sunday!

This weeks's stamper is TexasGrammy, aka Beverly. Be sure to head over and take a peek at her awesome gallery. For the challenge, you get to pick a card to CASE, and then "make it yours" by changing at least two things. I chose this card from her gallery because it's delightful (sorry, couldn't resist!), and because it gave me a good reason to mount and use my free Delight in Life set from Sell-A-Bration way back in January.

I kept her layout and stamp set choice, and then made these changes:

1. slightly different colors
2. changed white stamped background to Groovy Guava
3. added two more cut out flowers
4. added faux stitching
5. added silver ribbon
6. added sparkle with Sakura glitter pen (you might have to click the photo for a close-up to see this... I traced over the sentiment and along the outlines of the flowers)

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Delight in Life, Canvas
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Certainly Celery, Purely Pomegranate, Groovy Guava, VersaMark, White craft
Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Groovy Guava, watercolor paper
Accessories: aqua painter, paper piercer, silver ribbon, white gel pen, key tag punch

Three Elves and Their Scrooge Mama

This is what I do at 1 in the morning! Sad :)

Three Elves
Scrooge Mama

Enjoy!

Penny Black Pine Cones

I noticed some questions about subscriptions and feeds from a few recent comments. I added a FeedBlitz subscription link, so feel free to sign up there if you like. I admit I don't know a lot about it, so if I messed up any existing feeds, I'm sorry!

I also saw the coolest thing the other day. If you haven't seen the spinning dancer optical illusion, check it out. Supposedly, if you see her spinning clockwise, then you are more right-brained; and if you see her spinning counter-clockwise, then you are more left-brained. Which way do you see her spinning? Or maybe you see both?

And now for some stamping ...



This is another possibility for my holiday cards this year. I've used a Penny Black Pine Cone stamp I found a year or two ago, and the layout is CASE'd from this super sleek card by Kristina Werner.

Once again (I hope I'm not in a rut), I colored the image with markers, then overstamped in VersaMark so I could clear emboss the whole thing. I've put a Happy Holidays greeting on it, but I think it would also work well for any occasion that requires a masculine card (even with the ribbon). Those masculine cards are always challenging little buggers. For me, anyway :)

Supplies (Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Pine Cone (Penny Black); Riveting, Canvas
Inks: Always Artichoke, VersaMark
Paper: Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip markers, clear embossing powder, paper piercer, sponge daubers, dimensionals, pewter jumbo eyelets, Crop-A-Dile, chocolate wide grosgrain ribbon, slot punch, 1/2", 1 1/4", and 1 3/8" circle punches