Mermaid Joy!

I love A Day for Daisies Mermaids!!

This one is especially sweet!!  She must be tiny of have a seahorse look so large next to her!

I think she (A Wish Under the Sea) is negotiating a ride!

This image is colored with Copic markers and the layout is from Mojo Monday #430:

There are more beautiful project featuring the January Showcase images on the blogs of my teammates:

Alison Arielle Broni Cathy Cindy Jen Juliana Kathy Tanja

We also have a new challenge on the A Day for Daisies blog!  Add stitching!  I used a tracing wheel and a straight edge to add stitching onto the base of my card.  How will you incorporate this challenge on to your A Day for Daises project!?!?

I cannot wait to see!!  Thanks for stopping by my blog, today!
Have a wonderful Friday!

Swooshing you a Merry Christmas!

At the Hambo Hoedown it is time for another challenge: Kraft + another color!

Here is my card using Skiing Mouse:

For this card I used the layout from MojoMonday #324:

Card Details: Image:  Skiing Mouse from Hambo Stamps; Coloring Mediums: Copic Markers; White Prismacolor pencil;  Paper: Kraft, red and white cardstock; Jenny Bowlin dp;  Accessories: Brads, Bookplate die, foam tape, baker's twine, Liquid Applique;

So come and play along with us at the Hambo Hoedown!!!

Mermaid Mojo

The Mojo Monday Sketch for this week (#310) caught my attention.

This A Day for Daisies image (Water Talk) was just itching to be colored and played with, too.

So who am I to get in the way??

The image was colored with Copic markers.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and taking a peek!

Brrrr!

Happy New Year!

Today I am using the layout from Mojo Monday #171;

This card uses an image from the new "Juniper and Jupiter" stamp set from Starving Artistamps.
The paper is from Reminisce and the letters are from American Crafts.  I colored the image with colored pencils.

Isn’t he a cutie!

I hope your new year starts off warm!!

~Juliana

Mojo Ketto Spring!

Is spring here??  In Michigan, well, experience tells me that we haven’t seen the last of snow..but what we have is disappearing.  It is inspiring mass cleaning/organization efforts and spring stamping around here.

Today’s card was inspired by the Get Sketchy challenge for this week (no sketch, just make a spring themed card) as well  as the Mojo Monday #128 challenge. I normally shy away from contests, but the sketch fit my inspiration, so I gave it a shot.

• Stamp: Suzette Ketto from Stamping Bella; sentiment from Starving Artistamps;
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black;
• Paper: DCWV and My Mind’s Eye;
• Other items; Punches (tab, flower, and border); flower and rectangle die; sandpaper; copic markers; Prismacolor pencils, buttons and thread; foam tape

I hope spring is on the way to your neck of the woods!!  If it isn’t yet, hang tight, it hasn’t skipped yet!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

READ!

March is reading month according to my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher.  We are a reading family, especially my little kindergartener!  She is in LOVE with the written word—it takes FOREVER to get through the grocery store because she has to read as much as she can (signs, labels, the directory on the cart).  It is fun (unless you are in a hurry)!

My daughter, Stamp Simply Challenge #129 and the Mojo Monday #127 were the inspiration for this card!

• Stamp: Betty the Book Worm by Green Bean Baby;
• Paper: Bazzill cardstock; Cosmo Cricket;
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black;
• Other Items: Colored pencils; buttons; ribbon; border punch (EK Success); foam squares;

I love to read!  Happy March!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Baby Jesus Mojo

The Mojo Monday Sketch this week looked like a challenge for my “style” (say this loosely because I am uncertain if I have a particular style). So I thought it was time to try something different and give the sketch a go.

Here is my card:

for the sketch:

Stamps: The Nativity and Christmas Nativity Sentiments from Starving Artistamps;

Papers: DP: DCWV and Unknown; Cardstock: Prism;

Ink: Stazon Jet Black; Memento-Rich Cocoa; Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Antique Linen;

Other Items: Nestabilies Dies; Prismacolor Pencils; ribbon;

The Nativity Stamps and Christmas Nativity Sentiments are a new release from Starving Artistamps. This set has such a great variety of Nativity images and words!!

As always—by using the discount code (savetenJS) you can receive 10% off any Starving Artistamps and DoodleFactorystamps.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Final Frontier Inside & Out

I sure hope you were able to participate in the blog hop for the release of the DoodleFactory set: Final Frontier

Today I wanted to use the set by doing a couple of color challenges AND doing the inside of the card—as well as the outside!

This first one is for the Color Throwdown and Mojo Monday:

Stamps: DoodleFactory Final Frontier; Urban Sentiments-Set 1; Circle Background; All from Starving Artistamps;

Paper: DP –SEI (Poppy); Cardstock: SU! and Prism;

Ink: StazOn-Jet Black; SU! Craft-Taken with Teal; SU Classic-Certainly Celery;

Other Items: Colored Pencils; Clear Embossing Powder; Perfect Pearls, foam tape; dew droppy thingy; Spellbinders dies;

This next one is for the Color Challenge on SplitCoastStampers:

Stamps: DoodleFactory Final Frontier and Into the woods sets from Starving Artistamps;

Paper: Bazzill; bravo burgundy and always artichoke (SU!);

Ink: Memento-Tuxedo Black;

Other things: Copic and Prismacolor markers; foam tape;

And the inside:

These are just such fun stamps to work with!!!

I would like to thank, Betty, Julee, and Danielle for coming up with such great challenges!

Just a reminder—by using the discount code (savetenJS) you can receive 10% off any Starving Artistamps and DoodleFactory stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Ramblings and Mojo Madness

As a milestone birthday approaches I am have times of reflective thought.  Today’s reflective question is why do I blog my stamping.
The number one reason is to chronicle my “adventures”.  I do not keep many of my cards (just the ones I deem ugly and unworthy to go into other’s hands).  They get given as gifts, sent to rubberstamping companies, sold (not so much any more) and a select few get sent out to people as actual greeting cards.  So I have very few cards on hand.  The ones I do have on hand were made 3-4 years ago—and should end up in the recycling bin.
In just browsing a few folders I came up with some of my favorite cards of the winter of 2007-08.  Feel free to take a gander. 

On another note; I made a card for this week's Mojo Monday Madness.  I used one of my new Verve Plain Jane Scripture Stamps.

Deets:

• Stamps: Phil. 4:13 from Verve; Abstract Floral and Floral Silhouettes Set from Rubbernecker;
• Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Broken China, Shabby Shutters, and Brushed Corduroy;
• Papers: Prism: Simply Smooth Ivory, Spring Willow Light, and Island Mist Light; Dp from My Mind's Eye; close to cocoa (SU!)
• Accessories: May Arts Ribbon; jewels; embossing folder; deco scissors;

Thanks for stopping by. 
I hope every one has a happy Mother's Day!

Bee Uniquely U

I am a sucker for a pun.  Even as a young reader I remember checking out pun books from the library over and over again.  And then, of course, repeating them to my mom to hear her groan.  LOL!

Soooooo... in keeping with the "Don't Worry...BEE Happy!" card, I decided to make one of the U-niquely U sentiments into a pun.

The layout for this card uses the Mojo Monday #70 sketch. 

The three flowers were punched from a scrap piece of cardstock and sponged with VersaColor pigment ink onto the very vanilla cardstock.

Materials:

• Stamps: small bee set and U-niquely U sentiment set from Starving Artistamps.
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Versa Color-Green Tea, Cardinal Red, Topaz;
• Paper: very vanilla, riding hood red and baja breeze (SU!), gold (Bazzill); dp from Daisy Bucket Designs and Anna Griffin;
• Accessories: flower punch, black pen, Nestabilities;

Can you tell I am in the mood for spring????  That is the beauty of stamping--it can be any season I want it to be in my studio!

 

Just Bee-Cause

I am really liking these bee stamps!!  I do love to color--but sometimes I want something quick.  With just a little bit of coloring these bees are DONE!

I colored this one with Prismacolor markers--an EASY image for beginners.  I soaked the area with the yellow--added some yellow-orange and orange low lights.  Then I shaded the wings a bit with two VERY light grays--DONE!

The sketch for this card is from the Mojo Monday Blog--Mojo Monday #68.  I am a major fan of the Mojo Monday sketches--but I haven't gotten to them in QUITE a while.  But I made it today!!!

The colors come from the SCS Color Challenge--CC200.  Brilliant Blue is NOT a "Go To" color for me--but the brightness of it works.

Materials Used:

• Stamps: Large Going Bee and sentiment; Weave Background; All from Starving Artistamps;
• Paper: white, Brilliant blue, garden green, pumpkin pie (SU!); lighter blue--Bazzill; DP-Paper Studio
• Ink: Palette Noir, Peeling Paint & Spiced Marmalade (Tim Holtz); Ballet Blue-Craft (SU!) for sponging;
• Accessories: buttons, markers, dies, ribbons, sponge, hole punch

Okay my goal for this week is all 7 weekly Challenges--(I still have to go back and do the Featured Stamper).  I want to start this year off stamping!!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Mojo-Batik for a "New Day"

Today's card is a combination of Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday and the Technique Lover's Challenge on SCS. Today's technique is colorwash batik. It is one of my favorite ways to play with re-inkers. It can be a tad messy--which I don't mind (please note the title of my blog). A benefit of doing this technique is that I could use the extra colorwash mist to dye my *not quite the right color* flower.

If you check out the sketch for Mojo Monday #55, you will notice that a few items are a bit--off. My excuses for this is that my computer is upstairs and my stamping studio is in the basement and my printer cable is still MIA. So show mercy ;)

Materials:

Stamps: Chrysanthemum; Miracles Text; How do I love Thee; (all from Rubbernecker)

Paper: Pumpkin pie and old olive (SU!); Pea Green (Bazzill); DP (MME); Opalescent Ivory;

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Dried Marigold, Worn Lipstick, and Vintage Photo;

Accessories: flocked brad(Paper Studio); mini brads; foam tape, mini misters, clear EP;

Thanks for stopping by!!

Look Up!

I hope all of you had a great Mother's Day. I sure did!!!

Today's card is my entry for Julee Tilman's Mojo #36 contest.

Color blocking is a little out of my comfort zone, but I gave it my best shot.

This card is VERY VERY shimmery. I used shimmery cardstock and made my own shimmer mists with Perfect Pearls, Distress Ink and water. I made my own cloud template. All three stamps are from Starving Artistamps. The sentiment is computer generated.

Materials Used:

• Stamps: Snail; Silhouette Daisy ; Grass;
• Ink: StazOn Jet Black; TH Distress inks: Shabby Shutters, Weathered Wood, Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint;
• Paper: Georgia Pacific White; SU! Bordering Blue; Old Olive; Black; Pearlized dark Grey;
• Accessories: PrismaColor pencils + LOMS; sponges; foam tape; Stampablities Cut and Dry felt; Nestabilities dies; Clear Ep; Mini Misters; ribbon;

Thanks for stopping by!!! Have a great week this week!!

Verve Mojo

Julee Tilman, has presented some WONDERFUL challenges this week!

First of all on her blog is the Mojo Madness #32 CONTEST.  I have to tell you--I STINK at contests.  The just suck the inspiration and creativity right out of my brain.  But on the other hand--If I just tell myself, "Jules, it is JUST a SKETCH!!"  Perhaps I can actually finish it (an NOT have it look like my 4 yr old did it).

THEN, on the Verve Visual Blog is an "Vervalicious" (her word not mine--but I like it) inspiration challenge (also a contest). Well, are these pillows not absolutely gorgeous??

I just love the colors, and the patterns.  So I figure, lets combine them, and if I do a card that looks like I used crayons and stickers, then I will have only wasted the time and materials for one card than two.  RIGHT??



I pulled out my Verve Visual Wild Thing set (I got it after Valentine's Day--so most of the stamps have never been inked).  Please understand--I was a Rubber Snob--I went kicking and screaming to the Photopolymer side of stamping.  And now--I am a convert!!!

I loved being able to line up these images by seeing through the block and the stamp!  HOW FUN IS THAT!!

I am fairly happy with how the card turned out.  I am REALLY happy with this color combo!!  Don't they look great together??

Anyway--thanks Julee for the sketch and the inspiration--I WOULDN'T have done it without you!!

Materials:

• Stamps: Wild Thing (Verve Visual); Fern Leaf Tooled Leather (Starving Artistamps);


• Inks: Night of Navy, So Saffron, Apricot Appeal (SU! Craft), Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard (SU! Classic), Yellow Ochre (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink)


• Paper: White, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, So Saffron, Night of Navy;


• Accessories: Punch, pearlescent paint

Thanks for stopping by!

Adventures in Paper Tole

  The technique lover's challenge for this week was paper tole.  I have done this before with flowers but the stipulation for the challenge was to NOT use flowers.

I chose this little doggie and sentiment from Eat Cake Graphics.  I just love this guy (I really need to get some cake to go with him!!) 

 

 

This is the detail of the layers.  I colored each layer.

 

He looked a little lonely so I added some confetti and streamers.

 

The papers are from a Colorbök set of papers from the $ section at Joann's.

It is spring break this week and my dd (Gracie the 9 yr old)was looking for something to do.  So I suggested she try this with the Crab and Co. stamp set (SU!) for my nephew's birthday.  Gracie often needs help with layout so I also had her try Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday (Mojo31) sketch. 

This is what she came up with:

I would not have picked out these colors--but they work.  

I did help her with the paper cutter--she gets confused by the measurements.

 

Thanks for your patience for me to post again.  It has been a little crazy around here.

Mojo Revisited

Though I truly enjoyed making my other Mojo27 card. I was dissatisfied with the end result. So I tried again.

I actually got out of the house last night (we traveled to the middle of nowhere to hear Lost and Found--one of our family's favorite bands.). So I am slightly more refreshed today--even though there is even MORE snow falling outside.

Okay--I have typed up a description to this three times and they are ALL lost in cyber space.

So the Readers' Digest condensed version is:

Materials
Stamp Set: Serenity (Verve Visual)
Ink: So Saffron and Rose Red Craft Ink (SU!), Cadmium Yellow Fluid Chalk Ink (Clearsnap)
Paper: Perhaps (Basic Grey), More Mustard, Rose Red and Spring Showers (SU!), Pearlized Cream (Verve Visual)
Accessories: Gold cord, Ribbon, Foam Tape, Plastic Key

Thanks--lets see what happens when I hit *publish post* this time!

Coffee, Friendship & Mojo

Once again--to get some mojo going--I turn to Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday sketches. This time it is Mojo Monday #27.

One of my favorite things besides stamping is coffee (perhaps you have noticed my cursor). So I also LOVE coffee stamp sets. My good friend Shelly had stamped all she could with this set--so she sent it to me. It has GREAT sentiments to go with it.

Most of this is pretty straight forward. One of the fun parts of this was to stamp the coffee beans with white and emboss with white. When it cooled--I used a Q-tip inked with creamy caramel dye ink and shaded the beans a bit (you may have to click on the picture to enlarge it to see this detail).

Materials :

• Stamps- Espress Yourself (SU!--retired)
• Ink-Creamy Brown Fluid Chalk Ink, Taken with Teal craft ink, White Pigment Ink
• Paper-Lt. Grey paper, Pink textured cardstock (Bazzill), Cool Caribbean, Taken with Teal & Pretty in Pink cardstock (SU!), Pearlized Cream (Verve Visual)
• Accessories-ribbon, brads, cloud scissors, scallop square punch, rectangle punch, colored pencils + LOMS,

If only I had wings...

Would you like some insight to my sense of humor? I suppose not. So just skip the reading part and go strait to the card. (and if you want to leave a gushing comment--that is cool with me, too)

Tracey drew and made some beautiful stamps of BEAUTIFUL flowers. And what am I drawn to?? The snails!! I immediately thought they would be great with this sentiment from the Mini Positive Words set (which has something for almost every occasion--and then some).

So here is my first *snail* card.

The layout is the brilliant brain child of Julee Tilman--Mojo #26. It pushed me to do some things I don't normally do--which is good. I used three patterns of the Sprout pack from Memory Box.


Starving Artistamps has a wonderful selection of butterflies. I chose this one (and not just because it is called a freak--LOL). It can be found here (p1.6). The butterflies are each stamped with a different color of fluid chalk ink.

The little snail is colored with colored pencils and I used the Gamsol technique. I made the orchid clouds by making my own cloud template and a sponge.

I really had GREAT fun making this card and I am pretty pleased on how it turned out. I need to alter my photo set up because I took almost a dozen pictures of this card--either the butterflies get washed out or the orchid clouds do. I used a bunch different lighting situations and camera setting and back drops. This was the best of the bunch. I think it is time to make a light tent.

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek!!

Whispering Birds

Once again I was inspired by Julee's Mojo Challenge, this one is #25.

I also used the color challenge colors. I will NOT say I was inspired by these colors--but rather challenged by them. The colors were Pumpkin Pie, Orchid Opulence and Certainly Celery.

I have to admit that the dp from ki Memories saved this card.

The black label was made by sticking one end of the paper through the bottom of the File Tab punch.

SO today is the final day do sign up for my Blog Candy. I will draw tomorrow at noon.
Thanks for playing!!

Another Go at Mojo....

I thought I would give Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday sketch challenge another shot.


This week's sketch can be seen here.


The background is not Designer Paper, it is a stamp. I just LOVE this background stamp from Starving Artistamps!! It is called Fern Leaf Tooled Leather Background. I quickly watercolored inbetween the leaves using my watercolor crayons. Grey crayon on the light grey paper and Black crayon on the dark grey paper.

The Rocket is stamped with Brilliance Graphite ink. For what I own--it works best with these stamps. The rocked and hearts are colored with PrismaColor pencils. The "smoke" hearts are stamped with SU!'s Real Red classic ink--twice without re-inking.

I inked the chipboad heart with red pigment ink and embossed it with SU!'s Iridescent Ice embossing powder.

The ribbon look frightenly exactly like what was in the sketch--but that was not my intent--it was just what looked best out of what I had.

Thanks Julee for the FUN sketch!