maria's craft room

Loonie Stampers Challenge #67: It Was A Battle!

Hi there!  TGIF...and whoa!  This is quite the color combo, no?  It is actually Wendy's week to pick the challenge but her original suggestion involving purples and the movie Twilight was vehemently overruled by a nasty mob of Edward-loving yet plum pudding and vanilla hating Loonies.  After much spirited negotiation throughout the week the compromise challenge was plum, raspberry fizz and orange zest.  I'll tell you exactly what I told the girls:  these colors together are icky poo for me.  Icky, icky poo.  And as you see, I certainly didn't use a lot of them on this card!  Still love you, Wendy!  This challenge...not so much.  But hey, New Moon comes out today.  See...there's always a silver lining:)

Take a gander at what the other girls created:

Char   Dee   Jewels   Regan   Wendy

Play along!  Link up your creation to the comments section under any of our blogs...we love to come visit you!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:  all Papertrey except for Cuttlebug embossing strip and Copic markers
 
 

Loonie Stampers Challenge #56

 

 

Hi there!  Happy Friday:)  For those of you new to our Loonie Stampers Challenges, let me give you a quick explanation.  It all started with four Canadian ladies who came together as a result of the Papertrey Ink online forum (Char, Jewels, Dee and Regan).  They decided to host a Papertrey color challenge each week on their blogs...a way for friends to have fun together.  Loonie comes from the Canadian coin, by the way.  Jewels created the graphics and all took a turn picking the challenge details.  Well after a few weeks the four girls realized that they were incredibly lonely (perhaps I'm exaggerating here) and in a giant 'aha' moment that they struck perfection by adding two more fabulous women to the mix.  Enter Wendy and me.  (Yes, I'm the lone American Loonie...and the only one with an accent according to Char and Regan.  Hrmpf:)  So we've been challenging each other weekly ever since and as a result have met scores of other fabulous crafting addicts.  We have fun each Friday and invite anyone and everyone to come party with us.  This week was Jewels' choice and she provided not only a color challenge but an inspiration photo.  I opted to continue with my current Cuttlebug obsession...when will it end?!?

I can't wait to go see what the other Loonies created:

   Char   Dee   Jewels   Regan   Wendy

Play along!  Link up your creation to the comments section under any of our blogs...we love to come visit you!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:  Ink, Cardstock and stamps all Papertrey, SU ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing strip and tag die, Kaiser bling

Spooky Scary Cuttlebug Cards

 

 

 

Hi there!  Hope you're doing well:)  I had a very crafty weekend and then the school year started.  So far it's only been one day but I am wiped!  Ugh.  And the freshmen look so little and young this year.  Of course that has no connection whatsoever with my age because I'm not getting older.  Definitely not.  Anyhow, since it's been so long since I popped on here to share (or visit your blogs...I promise I'll get out there!) I thought I'd put up three of my Cuttlebug cards today.  I have a pending order for some Halloween cards and virtually no Halloween stamps.  So what to do?  Pull out my embossing folders and white ink. That's all for now...must get to school.  I do have a large stash of cards just waiting to be shared with you this week:  wedding, teacher (for you Kristen!), more Halloween, some sassy ones (hope you all like those) and a few duds I think I'll keep to myself:)  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:  Cuttlebug embossing folders, white, black and gray Papertrey ink, Papertrey and SU cardstocks, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, Kaiser bling, sentiment stamp from Unity (a freebie from iheartpapers.com....go shop there!)

Nurse's Birthday

  Hello there!  Hope you're doing well.  I have something a bit unusual to share with you today.  This was my first attempt (ever) at a gatefold card.  It's the thought that counts, right?  *wink*  Our school nurse is celebrating a birthday this week and I was asked to do up a card for her.  So I did my usual and thought about it for a bit and then it hit me - blue and white and bandages!  Most everything about the card is obvious except for the bandage closures.  I bought clear band aids and adhered them to white cardstock.  Then I secured the left sides to the card using glue dots.  The right side of the bandages are secured using BasicGrey card magnets.  I just hid one piece under the blue cardstock and adhered the other piece to each band aid.  Done!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Cardstock:  Papertrey select white; unknown blue from my stash

Other:  Band Aid brand clear bandages, Cuttlebug embossing folder, BasicGrey card magnets

You Had Me At Hello

  Hi there!  Happy Monday to you.  Last night I gave myself another challenge:  make a card without layers.  Well...this is what happened.  As you can see I pulled out my swiss dot embossing folder again.  Truth be told it never leaves my countertop.  I was just telling a friend of mine the other day that for me it's like the little black dress of papercrafting!  This card was fairly quick and easy:  stamp the blooms and centers across the bottom, emboss, wrap in ribbon and add the sentiment.  Done!  Of course, once the card was finished I started hearing that line from that Tom Cruise/Renee Zellweger movie in my head...and then I started hearing Lionel Ritchie singing and then I started hearing David Cook singing his version of 'Hello'.  And now I'm wondering if I'm truly over my little crush on David Cook.  Hmmmm...maybe I'll break down and buy his CD after all!!!  Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey ripe avocado, spring rain and dark chocolate

Cardstock:  Papertrey select white

Stamps:  Papertrey Mixed Messages and Beautiful Blooms

Other:  Papertrey ripe avocado ribbon, cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder

Loonie Stampers Challenge #14: Take Two

  Hello!  Yes, it bothered me that much that I didn't get the challenge details right.  I tried again!  Thank you to everyone for your kind comments...they truly did make me feel tons better about my design mishap.  This attempt features the same linen vellum base plus an additional layer of vellum that was run through with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  I rubbed a dark chocolate inkpad over the textured layer (and blotted the excess ink with a tissue...softens the effect) and then wrapped the whole thing in ribbon.  Check out the blossoms - the bottom layer is velvet and the top is one of the 'new' Prima woodlands hydrangea blossoms.  They coordinate with both spring moss and ripe avocado...how cool is that?  Well I'm off to continue cleaning.  And I'm baking and cooking, too.  The trifecta!  How does baked manicotti, homemade meatballs, salad and red velvet cake with buttercream frosting sound to you?  Yum.  And I'm so stinkin' excited it's Saturday...I'll be up crafting tonight and listening to my favorite radio program.  Whoo hoo!  Thanks for stopping by! 

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey dark chocolate

Cardstock:  Papertrey linen vellum

Other:  Cuttlebug embossing folder, Maya Road velvet blossom, Prima hydrangea blossom, Foof-a-la button, hemp twine, Papertrey summer sunrise ribbon

Tag Card

  Hi there and good morning!  Did you have a good Tuesday?  We visited with family, ran errands, I read two books (Debbie Macomber's latest holiday book is cute)...and I went to bed early.  As in 8pm.  Why does it feel so decadent to climb into bed early when you don't have to?  And with clean sheets.  Ahhhh.  Nothing like the first sleep on a set of clean sheets.  Speaking of clean, here's a simple holiday card I put together the other day using Papertrey's new tag collection stamp set.  And some of that new BasicGrey wassail paper!   I picked up the 6x6 pad and I'm in love with those papers.  And I'm guessing you noticed I'm posting in the morning?  For several reasons I'll be doing morning posts from here on out.  (But I'll still be creating at night!)  As always, thanks for stopping by.  Off to work!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey dark chocolate; SU craft white

Cardstock:  Papertrey select white, pure poppy and kraft; BasicGrey wassail collection paper

Stamps:  Papertrey 2008 Holiday Tag Collection

Other:  swiss dot cuttlebug folder, distressing tool, blue and pink Marvy circle punches and martha stewart twill ribbon

Created By Courtney Challenge #12

  Good morning!  Well here's my news:  I'm now a Created By Courtney Challenge Chick!  I am so thrilled that Courtney asked me to join her challenge team.  Although *blushing* I accidentally slept in today and I'm a little late posting this.  Today's challenge was a color challenge and we're to incorporate the colors brilliant blue, rose red and always artichoke.  I interpreted those into the corresponding Papertrey colors of ocean tides, berry sorbet and ripe avocado.  I used Papertrey's Guidelines stamp set to create the pattern and then I 'quilted' it using the argyle Cuttlebug embossing folder.  To give it a little bit of an older feel I sponged the edges with antique linen distress ink.  And - big gasp - I left my buttons naked.  I am such the rebel, no?

 

Here's a closeup of the quilting...or my attempt at giving you a closeup.  My niece played with the buttons of my camera a couple of weeks ago and I still haven't been able to get my settings corrected.  Here's hoping inspiration strikes and I read the instruction manual!  Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'll be adding links to the other challenge chicks in the sidebar right after I post this so please visit them to see the wonderful items they created. 

 

And please play along with us!  Just leave a link in the comments below. 

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey dark chocolate, berry sorbet, ripe avocado, ocean tides; Ranger antique linen distress ink

Cardstock:  Papertrey select white and ripe avocado

Stamps:  Papertrey Guidelines and Quilter's Sampler Sentiments

Other:  Foofala buttons, Papertrey ribbon, argyle Cuttlebug embossing folder

Sunday Evening

  Hello!  Hope you had a great weekend.  It's been a little busier than normal around here...birthday parties for nieces/nephews on both sides of our family.  Consequently I've had to pull out my final 'unposted' project to be able to share something tonight.  Sheesh.  It's like emptying the crafting savings account!!!  This is a little thank you card I was asked to make for a woman who works at the hospital with my sister.  I was thrilled to find out that she was interested in pinks, chocolate and polka dots.  It was SUCH a stretch for me! *wink*  I started with a select white base, embossed the sweet blush layer and then added the focal piece.  I cut and embossed the dark chocolate layer with a Nestie, wrapped it with May Arts ribbon and added the little onsie that I cut out of berry sorbet stock.  I added the 'B' to it, traced the edges with a blush blossom marker and highlighted the 'snaps' with a stardust glitter pen.  The sentiment is a Lockhart stamp I had rolling around in a basket and I should share that I stamped it in dark chocolate ink onto the sweet blush layer prior to running it through with the swiss dot embossing folder.  I tried a version where I stamped it after and ...no go.    Oh my.  I can't believe another work week is about to start.  I didn't even get to clean the house this weekend!  (eh...when do I ever rush to do that, anyway?)  Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey dark chocolate

Cardstock:  Papertrey select white, sweet blush, berry sorbet and dark chocolate

Stamps:  Papertrey Bitty Baby Blessings, Simple Alphabet; Lockhart sentiment

Other:  May Arts ribbon, swiss dot Cuttlebug embossing folder, small rectangle Nestabilities, stardust glitter pen, SU blush blossom marker

Loonie Stampers Challenge #12

  Hi there!  It's time for the next Loonie Stampers Challenge and guess what?  It's my turn to choose the parameters!  I decided to add a theme to the usual color inspiration and went with dark chocolate, berry sorbet, sweet blush, pure poppy and lots of L-O-V-E.  Isn't this graphic from Jewels incredible?  As always, it's not a requirement to use Papertrey products...simply substitute with whatever you have.  Play along with us Loonies and add a link to your creation in the comments below!

      

 

I started with a base of dark chocolate.  Check out that adorable Moose!  Regan sent me a bunch of images and this guy was in the packet.  Somehow his  look seemed a little amorous to me, so I added the sentiment from Papertrey's Mailbox Greetings set.  Some embossing, distressing and ribbon round out the rest of the cast of characters.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Check out the other Loonies:

Char, Dee, Jewels, Regan and Wendy

Hope you're able to play along!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  Papertrey dark chocolate

Cardstock:  Papertrey select white, sweet blush, berry sorbet, pure poppy and dark chocolate

Stamps:  Papertrey Mailbox Greetings, moose from a CHF set by Kim Hughes

Other:  Papertrey berry sorbet and pure poppy dotted satin ribbons, Cuttlebug hearts embossing folder, distressing tool, SU close to cocoa and creamy caramel markers, Copic W1 marker (outline)

Framed Shower Gift

 Hi there!  I know, I know...I'm posting during Game 1 of the World Series.  Sigh.  The Phillies have led the whole time but they've stranded more men on base than I can count and committed some really irritating errors.  It's going to be a Philly win:  ugly and tough.  Be glad you're not in my family room right now!  Well, wait a minute.  If you were here I'd get to show off this shower gift I made tonight.  One of the teachers at school is having twin boys and her shower is tomorrow.  I'm still playing with my new papers and colors of cardstock from Papertrey.  How cute are these polkadots? 

The frame is 6" x 8" and I made the focal piece (ripe avacado layer) to be 4" x 6".  I stitched the avocado layer on with my Sew Mini and yes, I'm still fine with the fact that the tension is wrong.  It's been broken since day one but hey...I think it adds some interest.  The aqua mist layer is 3.5" x 5.5" and I ran that through my Big Kick with the swiss dot Cuttlebug embossing folder and then distressed the edges.  (Hello Di from Australia!!)  Next up I added the onesies that I stamped in black ink onto the Ocean Tides stock.  Hard to see, but I used a stardust glitter pen to highlight the snaps at the bottom.  The names were stamped in black ink using the Simple Alphabet set, and the sentiment is from Bitty Baby Blessings (same as the onesies) and was stamped in black ink on select white cardstock.  The ribbon is spring moss and I added the Making Memories safety pins for fun.  Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Until next time...Go Phillies!

M

Supplies:

Ink:  SU basic black

Cardstock:  All Papertrey:  select white, ripe avocado, aqua mist, ocean tides, polkadot paper

Stamps:  Papertrey Bitty Baby Blessings, Simple Alphabet

Other:  swiss dot Cuttlebug embossing folder, sewing machine, distressing tool, Papertrey spring moss ribbon, stardust glitter pen, Making Memories safety pins

Wednesday Wisdom

 Hi everyone!  Can you tell I'm having toubles?  Not only did I fall asleep before posting last night, I still haven't figured out what buttons my niece, Grace, pushed on my camera.  It appears that this non-technical girl has a date tonight with her camera instruction manual!!!  I was digging around in one of my cabinets yesterday evening and found this stamp.  It's an unmounted rubber stamp and I have no idea where it came from...sorry.  But it almost perfectly suited my mood so I thought I'd ink it up.  The ink and cardstocks are all Papertrey, the patterned paper Making Memories, the ribbon SU, the baubles are from Stamping Bella and I embossed using large square nestabilities and the swiss dot Cuttlebug folder.  Off to work now, but I'll be back before the World Series starts tonight.  You have no idea how excited the husband and I are that our Philadelphia Phillies are in the Series!!!  Thanks so much for stopping by (and for your patience with my camera knowledge)!

Until next time...M

Snow Day Wishes

 Hello!  Hope you're doing well.  I know it's a little early in the school year to be wishing for a snow day...and yet it's on my mind.  What can I say?  So I dug through my stash of stamps and came up with this cute Gina K snowman.  I kept it simple by using black ink on going gray stock and added some sparkle by coloring the accents with stardust and glitter markers.  A cuttlebugged background, some SU ribbon and a tiny Cuttlebug tag round out the details. 

And I'll have a surprise for you tomorrow.  I'm working on it now and I just hope I finish in time!  Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  SU basic black

Cardstock:  Papertrey select white; SU going gray, basic gray, basic black

Stamps:  Gina K snowman, Papertrey Take a Bough (joy)

Other:  Cuttlebug embossing folder and tag die, SU real red ribbon, stardust glitter pen, red and black Spica glitter markers

Beate's WSC #56

 Hello and happy Sunday!  I hope your weather is as beautiful as it is here at our house.  The sky is that perfect September blue with not a cloud in sight and there's a cool breeze floating in the windows. Ahhh.  My favorite weather!  Deuce is having a ball lounging in his bed in the patch of sun streaming through the back door and the husband and I are watching football and eating pizza and ice cream.  Want to come over?  We have plenty to share!  It's time again for Beate's weekend sketch challenge and in honor of the start of the official NFL season I decided to make a card for my favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles.  Whadda ya think?  Is it masculine enough?  Check out the Eagles logo.  Would you believe it's actually a temporary tattoo?  I experimented and it's possible to use them much like you would a traditional rub on.  My favorite part is the lacing on the side panel.  It reminds me of the top of football pants. Hmmm...football pants...is it me or is it getting warmer in here?  Time for more ice cream!!!  Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Until next time...M

Supplies:

Ink:  none

Cardstock:  SU handsome hunter, basic black, chocolate chip, going gray and basic gray; Papertrey select white

Stamps: none

Other:  official Eagles temporary tattoo, Sizzix football die, Cuttlebug mesh embossing folder, white souffle pen, Crop-a-dile, SU silver eyelets, SU distressing tool, May Arts ribbon, white embroidery floss

Trajan Monogram...'M'

Hi everyone!  Tonight I thought I'd share a simple little monogrammed set I made for ...someone.  It's supposed to be for someone other than myself, but the longer I have these in my grubby hands the more I want to keep them.  How silly is that?  Anyway, I decided to hop on board the 'monogram craze train'.  I don't have any of the latest and greatest monogram stamping tools, but I do have Papertrey's Trajan Monogram stamp set and a 1" circle punch.  And check out the ribbon - it's some of Martha's.  I have been so good lately, just walking past her displays at my local craft store.  But when my eye caught on the chocolate edged ribbons...well...you know how I am about chocolate.

The base is sweet blush, and the main layer is spring moss that was run through with the swiss dot embossing folder.  I decided not to sew or distress the edges because I think the intended recipient would prefer clean lines.  The flowers are Prima Forever Flowers and I added liquid pearl to the center of each.  The monogram was stamped in dark chocolate onto vintage cream stock and then punched with a 1" SU circle punch.  And the edges?  I finally broke down and bought some distress ink.  I was such a fool for not getting this sooner!  I used the direct-to-paper technique with Ranger's antique linen ink.  Love it!  Can't wait to use it on a million other things.  I'm not sure if that's a promise or a threat...

 

And if you'll indulge me, I want to share that one of my entries for Papertrey's August Guest Star Stamper competition was selected by Nichole for honorable mention in the 'best use of set released before June 2008' category.  Yes, I'm pretty darn happy.  It was this card - remember it?  I combined Paper Tray (their first set) with Text Boxed to create the flowers.  Happy dance...happy dance.  Just be grateful you can't actually see my happy dance.  It's not pretty!  Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Until next time...M

 

Supplies (monogrammed set):

Ink:  Papertrey dark chocolate, Ranger antique linen distress ink

Cardstock:  Papertrey sweet blush, spring moss and vintage cream

Stamps:  Papertrey Trajan Monogram

Other:  Martha Stewart ribbon, SU 1" circle punch, liquid pearls, Prima forever flowers, swiss dot Cuttlebug embossing folder