Shabby Girly Lotus Blossom and the View from Today's Studio

Today's feminine project was made using the Retrosketches #156 sketch and will be entered at The Shabby Tea Room, for "Pop of Pink," TSTR247.  The color palette was inspired by the gorgeous gown seen here, at the Oscars:

Photo: oscar.go.com

The good people at Runway Inspired Challenge (RIC#79) invited us to use a variety of Oscars looks as our inspiration.  I loved the softness and the sparkle in this gown, so I used Blush Blossom and gold sequins from my Gold Sequin Trim to echo that.

I used the Lotus Blossom stamp (a freebie available with Sale-a-Bration) and inked it in Blush Blossom over Pink Pirouette. Soft and subtle!

To add a bit of texture, I used the soft Gold Satin Ribbon as well as some Pearl Basic Jewels.  Finally, I added scrunched strips of Pink Pirouette card stock that I'd cut using my Stampin' Trimmer. These little touches make it eligible for the Friday Mashup Challenge #200 (FM200), in which we're to pick two favorite Challenges from before (to celebrate the big 2-0-0!). I chose #7 (Feminine) and #14 (Flowers).

The Ornate Tag Topper Punch and White Baker's Twine add touches of class to the tag.

This sweet sentiment comes from the And Many More stamp set and was inked in Perfect Plum.  I also used it to sponge the edges of the punched piece (using the Modern Label Punch). A pearl ties it to the rest of the project. 

And here is the view from my Studio today:

What they say about Seattle is true.  It rains here.  A.  Lot.  Thing is, when the sun comes out, it's hard not to drop everything and head out to enjoy it.  

We've had *unseasonably* lovely weather for the last few weeks.  I have daffodils and hyacinth peeking up and blooming in the yard. My lilacs, blueberries and hydrangea are budding and some leaves are even beginning to unfurl. It's magic.  

For a mom whose kids play baseball and softball, this weather is sublime.  The kids have had so much fun practicing in this weather (let's hope we have some games on days like this).

As you can see, the sky is robin's egg blue right now, all over, with NO clouds in sight.  A PNW rarity, to be sure!

This is our deck, which we've waited forever to build.  It took all summer to be completed and I've been gazing longingly out the windows at it since October, but I've finally been able to enjoy some morning coffee and blogging out here.    

On the right side of this picture is our grill, where I've temporarily set the hummingbird feeder.  Anna's Hummingbirds (we love that name) are native, year-round residents here and I've got one who's been visiting the entire time I've been out here working.  

I hope Mother Nature lets up on you snowbound folks and gives you some respite from the cold and that the thaw is gentle and uneventful. We'll be back in the rain and gray soon, I'm sure, so I'm going to enjoy this sun and clear weather while I can!

Stop by tomorrow for my latest Mojo Monday entry (a masculine birthday card)...

Thank You and Birthday Cards for Shabby and MOJO Challenges

This is a quick post, as I'm off to our Relay for Life today and I need to finish packing...  These cards were created, inspired by the Mojo Monday MOJO353 and The Shabby Tea Room TSTR226 challenges.  Here are the sketch and inspiration photo.

Here's the scoop:

• I used the Large Polka Dot TIEF to mirror the boots' big dots in the photo.  

• The inspiration for the color palette comes from the photo, as well.  We've got Pool Party, Pink Pirouette, Pistachio Pudding and Crisp Cantaloupe.  

• Pearl Basic Jewels add a fun touch to the left edge (also my super-sneaky way of adhering my vellum -- I just snuck some Two-Way Glue in small dots beneath the pearls on the vellum), flower centers and on the sentiment.

• My Label Bracket punch gave the sentiments that extra touch on the sides.

• The Four You stamp set has really useful and fun sentiments.  Both of my cards' sentiments come from this set...

• I made simple tissue paper flowers by punching plain tissue paper with my 1-1/4" Scallop Circle punch and then sponged Pink Pirouette ink on them.  

These were fun and easy to make.  I love the shape of the Labels Collection Framelits.

Shabby Notecard with All Abloom DSP

Today's project is an entry in The Shabby Tea Room's "Sketch This" Challenge #225.  I love participating in this great weekly challenge.  Most weeks, we are inspired by a photograph and asked to use specific elements in our projects.  Such fun!  As the site says, "Only our name is shabby ... your project need not be!" -- I love the challenge of making something that falls within that aesthetic!

Studio Suggestions:

• I used the new All Abloom DSP from Stampin' Up!  This Designer Series Paper comes in a "stack" of 4.5 x 6.5-inch sheets.  There are 12 great designs and they are such fun to use in cardmaking!

• The DSP drives the color palette:  Mossy Meadow (a *new* 2014-16 In Color), Island Indigo, Pistachio Pudding and Daffodil Delight.

• Pearl Basic Jewels add a quick and simple classic touch.

• Linen Thread is looped between the 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch and the 1-3/8" Circle Punch in Island Indigo.

• The Project Life Corner Punch makes for a quick detail to "round out" the project (pun totally intended). 

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Kind & Cozy (W129123, C129126)

Papers:  All Abloom DSP Stack (133703), Mossy Meadow (133676), Daffodil Delight (119683), Island Indigo (122923), Pistachio Pudding (131924) and Whisper White (100730) Card Stocks

Inks:  Island Indigo (126986) and Pistachio Pudding (131177) Classic Inks

Accessories:  Pearl Basic Jewels (119247), Linen Thread (104199), 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch (127811), 1-3/8" Circle Punch  (119860), Project Life Corner Punch (135346), Retired Itty Bitty Shapes Punch (I'm sorry -- I wasn't thinking when I reached for this), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

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I hope you're having a great day!

Not Quite {50} Shades of Blue -- Build a Blossom

Please forgive the title...  When I saw the 365 Cards Challenge, "A Little Shady," I was immediately reminded of that title.  No Grey here -- just shades of Pacific Point.  Since I stuck with just Crumb Cake and Pacific Point (Whisper White doesn't "count," in this case), I entered this card in last week's Dynamic Duos challenge, too.

This card is one of my favorites that I made last weekend.  I used the Build a Blossom set and the Blossom Petals Builder punch.  To make the different shades of the leaves, I simply "stamped off" (AKA stamped on scratch paper first) and then stamped on the Whisper White card stock.  Double (and even triple) your supplies!  The Pacific Point card stock (punched with the Blossom Petals Builder) gives another dimension of color).

The Pacific Point piece behind the blossom was run through my Big Shot using the Elegant Lines Textured Impressions embossing folder.

One of my *favorite* sets is the Petite Pairs sentiment set, which includes sentiments broken into two messages (many can be used separately, tho), so that one can add a second thought to the inside of the card.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Build a Blossom (W121923, C121994), Petite Pairs (W122495, C122497)

Papers:  Crumb Cake (120953), Pacific Point (111350) and Whisper White card stocks

Inks:  Pacific Point Classic (126951)

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Elegant Lines folder (119277), Modern Label punch (119849), Word Window (119857), Blossom Petals Builder punch (121808), Large Pearl Basic Jewels (125577), Linen Thread (104199), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Misc. button