monday makeover challenge & BLOG CANDY!

andrea over at 'sunny stampin' had a monday makeover challenge and i decided to play! her challenge was to take a card or some other project that you really like and is non-SU and re-make it using only SU products!

this first pic is of one of my favorite cards! it was featured in the feb. '08 issue of 'cards' magazine, found on page 112. jennifer roach did a fantastic job on this card, i could ever only hope to not disgrace her! so here is my only-SU version. there are a couple of big diffrences... i don't have any SU rhinestone brads on hand (i buy 'em, i use 'em!), so i used crystal effects w/ dazzling diamonds glitter instead. card is 4.5" x 7.5"
recipe:
ink- Llace, Wwasabi, Ssaffron, PIpink, Ccelery, & versamark
paper- textured Wwasabi CS for CB, Llace, Wwhite, and DSP is enchante'
stamps- new hostess level 3 set "hapiness always"
accessories- new scallop edge punch, wasabi ribbon, crystal effects, dazzling diamonds, corner rounder, sponges (for ink distressing the edges of CS), and pastels (for chalk distressing the oustides of the center panel)

so, i have finally answered another challenge! and did you see my funky fingernails?!? i just LOVE them! my stamping friend does my nails and she just got this fabulous new green acrylic called 'sour apple' and i think i will always have green fingernails now! =)

enjoy your week!

OH! don't forget about my challenge for the two (2) stamp sets & a whole lot of misc. embellishments! click here for my blog candy giveaway! hurry, ends 8/1/08!

photo distressing

found some old pictures of my youngest after bath time, she used to just love to be naked!

i have seen lots of cool arrows lately and have been wanting to try one out, so i did! took a piece of chipboard (the kind that comes in the back of packs of papers to keep them from bending, they're like a bonus in the pack of paper!) and freehanded drew an arrow. over and over i drew the arrow until i got it to look half decent, then used craft knife to cut it out! covered it with DP, sanded the paper, attatched some ribbons, whala! is that how you spell it?!

saw the photo scratching in a magazine lately and wanted to try that for a photo-distressed look. i took a thumb tack and scratched the edges of the photos downward to the edges. i rubbed walnut ink on the scratches, then dabbed the ink off with a cotton ball. i gave you a close-up of the edge of a photo so you can see it a bit better. i really like the look it gave my photos!

ingredients:
paper- SU scrap pack, lined notebook paper, cardboard (tore it open and used the insides outward for the photo corners), brown packing paper (for title mat)
ink- jim holtz walnut distress ink, SU Cchip
stamps- SU 'baroque motifs' & 'headline alphabet'
accessories- chipboard, misc. ribbons, SU spriral (for the notebook paper) & tab (for the journaling block under the middle photo) punches, sizzix flower dies w/ my cuttlebug (sanded the edges, used dimensionals to pop up the diffrent layers), big green brad, sanding blocks (used on all DP). used misc. chalks on edges of photo mats for soft distressing.

well, today was the first day of the rest of my life. and it went well! thanks for all the well wishes! have a great day!

long watercolored flower card

so with as much watercoloring as i have done, i have never used watercolor paper, so i had to try it out. i am pretty dern pleased with the outcome! this card was for my moms birthday this last weekend.

recipe:
ink- Ppink, Llace, Oolive, Ccelery, Ssun, PIpink, Ssaffron, & stazon black
paper- watercolor paper, SU Ccelery & Wwhite CS, DP is from the scrap pile
stamps- SU "in full bloom" & "small sayings"
accessories- aquapainter, circle punch, chalks (for distressing the edges w/ cotton balls), used sakura glitter pen on interior of flowers to make them look oh-so-beautiful!

i start my new job tomorrow! i am filled with that "oh my goodness! what did i do?!?" feeling. i am scared, nervous, excited, anxious.... wonder if i'll get any sleep at all tonight! wish me luck!

oh! just fyi, i will be posting a challenge for blog candy when i get to lucky number 5,000 on my hitcounter, so keep checking back!

"simply shabby"

in the current issue of 'take ten', there's an article that i just loved and found oh-so-interesting! on pages 34-36 of the summer 2008 issue, kim hughes did an article, with card examples that you must buy the magazine to see, they're fabulous!
i would like to share kim's shabby ideas with you!

"kims shabby tips-
1. use a sand block to soften the edges when using paper with a white core.
2. use chalks to soften the edges of papers.
3. use chalk inks for a soft edge.
4. use dark inks to grunge up the look.
5. crinkle paper and flatten to add texture.
6. crinkle and sand the paper for a textured, aged look.
7. use walnut inks to give it a washed look.
8. curl up the edges of paper for a worn look."

hope this helps you with your de-stressing of paper!

4th of july bees!

didn't send any 4th of july cards out, but got the cutest little bee stamps at the stamp convention and had to use them! also wanted to try the soft look of chalk distressing, and here's the outcome!
recipe:
paper- DCWV, SU Wwhite
ink- stazon black, NQNavy
stamps- all images by 'alota rubber stamps'
accessories- ribbon, star eyelets, red thread, star punch, sanding block, circle punch, chalks & cotton balls