Flutter By Wednesday 115 Challenge

Hi everyone! Let me just start off by saying this is BY FAR, in TWELVE years, THE girliest card I have ever made! LOL, I have 3 sons, and a bizarre attachment to the color blue, so it's SUPER rare, you'll see this pink, glittery, rhinestone, silk flower look come back soon. But, I have to say, it was a LOT of fun embracing my girly side. This is one of the digi stamps I won from Wild Flower Patch. I picked 3 boy images, one cornucopia, and this fairy. I thought she would be cute for little girl birthday cards. I may make a stack of these to keep on hand for little girl birthday cards!! Here's the link to Wild Flower Patch. I'm also submitting this to the "Flutter By Wednesday Challenge. Here is the link to that, if you would like to participate. So, my little fairy friend, let;s see. Digi stamp, colored with the Copics, Some glittered Rose Romance cardstock I have from a million years ago. I also glittered it a million years ago, and I found it in my folder, all ready for me. :) Yea!! Less work, you gotta love that. Seriously, SU! retired this color years ago, and I must've seriously stocked up when they did, because I have a TON of it left!! :) This is also SU! patterned paper, also retired, Raspberry Tart DSP. Then of course TON of mini rhinestones, some Prima flowers, a rhinestone brad, and....voila! Girly Fairy Card all ready to go. Well, I'm going to sign out, and I am THRILLED to report, I have a kids free weekend! My hubby took the boys camping, and, since he will be gone all next week, I am staying home. :) Of course, I do have a house to clean, and a Stamp Club meeting here Sunday morning, and a kitchen table that I'm refinishing, but still I plan on a girly movie tonight! Goes with the girly card, right? Have a great weekend!!

Blue Hydrangea SFYTT

Hi everyone! Well, I decided to forego the laundry and do the Sketch (SFYTT) instead! A girl has to have her priorities, right? ;) I used the hydrangea stamp from Because I Care, the new SU! hostess set. You have seen this stamp on my blog before here. http://noelle-paperandice.blogspot.com/2010/07/stamp-club-projectscatty-cases.html  I did this card in a regular A2 size instead of a square like the sketch shows. I used Copics to color the flower, and then added lots of mini pearls in the center of each bud. I used the sewing machine without thread (much faster than a paper piercer, when you are doing this much!) Some Prima flowers and rhinestone brads on the sides. The SU! colors are: White, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, and Daffodil Delight.Overall, a pretty simple card!

Here's how you get to the sketch.

http://iheart2stamp.com/2010/07/24/sponsored-sketch-for-you-to-try-3/

Honestly, I've just about had it with that stupid links button! It only works some of the time. Any tips on what I am doing wrong or how to fix it would be MUCH appreciated! ALSO-a reminder: if you follow my blog on Google Friend Connect (so I can see it) I will follow yours! Here's a detailed shot on those mini pearls. Have a great day!

You can buy this hydrangea beauty here.

Curtain Call 40 Challenge

Hi everyone! Hope you are all well today, we are CRAZY nuts here as the boys' school starts next week! Ack!! I am SO not ready, fortunately I already ordered their school supplies online. And, in case you're wondering, YES, we have an unusually short summer here. 8 weeks is awfully short to cram everything in! Here's my card for this week's color challenge at Stacey's Stampin' Stage. http://stampinwithstacey.blogspot.com/2010/07/curtain-call-color-challenge-act-40.html (that pesky link button again! Grrr!)  Check it out, SUPER fun colors, which led me to make this fun card! The stamps are Circle Circus and Smarty Pants (both SU!) The blue and green papers are from the SU! DSP collections, Urban Oasis and Bali Breeze (both retired). The red sheets are (dotted) October afternoon. Remember the big rose card? It's on there too! And the red and white print near the top is a scrap from a premade card by DCWV, the "Citrus" card box. A little stitching, a butterfly journaling block (K & Co., I think???) and some punched hearts from the DCWV piece that I colored red. Up close, you can still see a bit of the pattern. Here's some more detailed shots... The big funky circle was first stamped in red on white, then stamped in red on turquoise, then stamped in red on kiwi kiss. Then I cut out a flower from the turquoise image, the same with the kiwi flower. Finally I outlined the remaining flowers in black. The whole thing is surrounded by the black extra large scalloped circle, made with that new extra large punch. The colors for the challenge are : Real Red, Kiwi, Kiss, Black, White, and Tempting Turquoise. Well, that's it for me, trying to get some housework done, so I can take the boys to "Despicable Me" tonight. I heard it's hilarious! :) Trying to get this week's SFYTT done, as well, so.... hopefully you will see me again soon! Have a stellar day!

You can purchase this fun card here
http://www.etsy.com/listing/52541229/funky-hokey-pokey

It's easy being green (color challenge)

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is well today. This is likely my last post for the week, since I'm leaving tomorrow to go spend a fun weekend with friends in beautiful Aspen, CO! Yay for downtime!! I will miss my hubby and the boys, but it's really been such a crazy summer, I am looking forward to a little R and R. This card is for the color challenge over at Stacey's Stampin' Stage, Heres the link- sorry for the ugly text, my links button only seems to work about half the time.

http://stampinwithstacey.blogspot.com/2010/07/curtain-call-color-challenge-act-39.html

The colors for the challenge are: Wild Wasabi, Crumb Cake (aka Kraft), white and Certainly Celery. I decided to do this challenge because a monochromatic color scheme like this is really out of the ordinary for me. I tend to be an analgous or complementary color scheme kinda gal. I also tend to use bolder colors, so I like how soft this turned out, The stamps are "Upsy Daisy" and "Occasional Quotes." I did spritz the kraft daisy piece with some gold Smooch Spritz, to add a little zip, but, you can't see that here. A button from my button jar and some old floral wire complete the look. The Wild wasabi piece was the only scrap I had left of that color, already in the size you see here & that scalloped piece I found in scraps. Yea! Don't you just LOVE it when half the work is already done for you??? So, a simple card, and NO way I'm fitting it into a regular envelope with that big bow! Lol, I tried to make it smaller, but I really liked it better this way, so, it stays.  Well, that's it for me, PLEASE comment or follow, if you follow my blog on google friend connect (so I can see it) I'd be happy to follow yours too. TFL and have a SUPER weekend!!!!

You can purchase this green daisy card here. 

Surf Pup SFYTT

Hi everyone! Here's my entry for this week's sketch for you to try. Link is here if you want to join the fun! Well, as you can see, I'm now going sewing machine crazy! LOL, went from no stitching to too much! Oh well, sooner or later I'll get it down, I just thought it was a fun way to accent this card with the stitched "waves" and accent pieces. Some of the lines are stiched sans thread, as just to leave the pattern of the needle. These are from the same TCP stamp set that the cat on the floatie stamp came from last week. The paper is the new SU! Greenhouse Gala. The solid colors are: SU! Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Marina Mist & Certainly Celery. His trunks are paper pieced with the same DSP. I used watercolor crayons & blender pens to create the background before I did the stitching. Well, that's it for me today and remember, follow my blog on Google Friend connect & I'll do the same for you. I'd love to make some more friends 'round here! :) TTFN, and have a SUPER day! -Noelle

Stamp Club Projects/Catty CASE's

Hi everyone!!! I made a bunch of cards last week & am, just now, finding time to post them!!! Things have been CRAZY with the boys all home!!! There have been doctors appointments, dentist appointments, horseback riding lessons and triathalon club for them. I am wiped!! We have a very short summer here (8 weeks) and I ALWAYS think we will have all this time to do fun things, etc.... and then it always ends up being complete crazy chaos until they go back to school at the beginning of August. Whew! You'd think I would learn!! 

 These are a couple of projects I've been working on for my upcoming Stamp Club. This black and red card IS an original design, BUT I will tell you it all began with a case from the new catalog. The card I cased is on page 124 of the new catalog. Here is my case of that card.  I liked it, but I just wasn't IN LOVE if you know what I mean, so then I started playing some more and came up with the design at the top. I used some "Night and Day" paper from last fall, as well as an acetate scrap from there. The red patterned paper is from "Bella Rose" and last year's Valentine bundle. The red is Riding Hood Red. And YES...... it IS machine stitching you see on these cards!! The sewing machine is OUT and I am planning to leave it out! :) YOU CAN BUY THESE 2 BLACK AND RED CARDS HERE!!

This next card is also a case. I normally love to design my own projects, but with all that has been going on, well, you get the drift. Of course, I always alter them a little, to make them my own. I think the catalog has So many great cards in it this year, too! I changed the stamps up a little and used some different accessories, etc. Look on page 151, to see the SU! version. Here's mine:

I used patterned paper instead of the solid Daffodil Delight paper. Both that and the green are from the new paper pack "Greenhouse Gala." The stamps are from new hostess sets ""Because I Care" and "Occasional Quotes." I stamped the hydrangea in coordinating ink, to create a shadow effect.  More detailed shots.....

Well, that's it for me today. I'm going to do my best to get back and do some sketch challenges this week, so HOPEFULLY I will see you soon. Please follow or leave a comment! And, I'll make you a deal, if you follow my blog on Google Friend Connect, I'll follow yours too! I really want to get to be more of a part of this community. TFL and have a super day:)

Crazy for Candles (Spotted canary-July sketch challenge)

Hi!!! This is for the Spotted Canary July sketch challenge. I put all the info on my Spotted Canary Craft Spot, the entry for this card is here : http://www.spottedcanary.com/Crazy_for_Candles.htm

If you want to play along with this month's challenge, you can check out the thread on the Flock Forum here. 

TFL!!! Please feel free to comment or follow, I'd love to hear from you!!!! :)

Happy Anniversary!!!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband, Steve!!! Fourteen years and counting:)

supply list: DCWV "Latte" matstack, SU! "Certified" stamp set (retired), solid cardstock, Ivory & Certainly Celery(SU!), Perfect Plum, Night od Navy & Certainly Celery inkpads, navy blue twill tape, jumbo eyelets, button, punches, and other brand stamps.

Vintage Berry Thank You

Ok, so I couldn't wait another minute! My  house  is terribly neglected today, but I couldn't wait to play with these new papers & stickers from October Afternoon:) I had actually stamped the "thank you" sentiment on the label you see sticking out from under the scallop circle piece, BUT it was crooked, soooo.... happy accident!! It gets a scalloped circle layered over the top & I like that even better:) The rose is a prima flower. The stamp is from the SU! new hostess set in the brand new catalog, called "Because I Care." The SU! solid cardstock & ink colors used are; Soft Sky (retired) and Cherry Cobbler (new). The punches are from SU! and Martha Stewart Crafts. that corner brad piece is like a million years old (ok, really only about 5) & I don't remember the manufacturer. But I was THRILLED to use it, because I've had it forever & never used these! I paper pierced along the bottom & I really REALLY need to drag out my sewing machine because I just love sewn cards and they are so, so popular right now!!! I promise, soon you will see some sewing machine work on my cards. Well, that's it for me tonight:) Thanks for stopping by & please comment if you get a chance. Thanks!!!

You can purchase this berry beauty here.

TCPTUES SFYTT California trip, etc

Hi everyone! I hope you are all well. I got back from my road trip on Sunday night and was soooooo tired yesterday I decided to forego the challenges until today. This card is for both this week's SFYTT link here and for last week's TCPTUES color challenge, which I believe allows you to submit for a month, the link is here. 

The colors used are Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Green Galore, & Elegant Eggplant. The circle printed piece is (I THINK) AC cardstock and the word printed piece is K & Company. The stamp is from TCP. I think I will send this card to my sister's boyfriend's mom, Carol. Carol was SO sweet to us while we were in CA. She had us all over for dinner and let the boys swim in the pool where she lives. My mom & I wanted to send her a thank you, so here it is! ta da!! ;) More detailed shots below...I used some retired purple hemp twine stitched along the bottom by hand.

Additionally, my mom & I transported my sister's cat, Gretchen with us to CA in my car. I know it sounds like something out of a movie, and there were times when it truly felt that way!! Anyway, I thought it fitting that this card features a cat! :)

We had fun on the trip, we saw Muir Woods, Old Sacramento, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square and Placerville, CA. But it was a LOT of driving, and 3 VERY tired little boys yesterday (as well as one tired mom!) Here's some pics:) This is the ONLY picture with me in it. I don't know how I always end up doing that! Can any of you relate? I'm the scrapbooker & photog, so RARELY are there pics of me. I was there, I promise!! :)

 Left to right, my sister Shelley, Collin, Ian, me & Evan.

The boys inside a giant tree at Muir Woods

My sis, my mom & the boys in Old Sac.

Have a great day all!!

Happy Birthday to Jenny, Shelley & Amy!!!

Hi!! I'm going to keep this short since I am CRAZY busy today. Ack!! Hosting a big family BBQ here tomorrow, and leaving early Monday morning for a road trip with my Mom and the boys. We are going to see my sister in CA. She moved in March and I miss her SO much!! :( Poor hubby has to stay home for work, so.... hopefully I survive a week on the road with 3 boys & no husband;) Ok, ok, I'll likely survive, but the REAL question is whether my sanity will stay intact, lol!

Here are a few birthday cards I made this week.

This first one is for my sister, Shelley: I used the Stampin' Up! wheel builder stamps, kinda cool, because you can stamp the three wheels in different colors at the same time, if you have a special ink cartridge. I, in fact, do NOT have that special cartridge, so I was able to wheel the top and bottom images first in Old Olive, and then the center "Happy Birthday To You" image by using the builder wheel spindle. Then, I colored the candles and stars in by hand. This is a fun way to add color to your wheeled images, I do that all the time. Then, some punching along the bottom edge. The accent is made with a Cat's Pajama's stamp, a Stampin' Up! canvas piece, punches, markers and a prima flower with a glitter brad in the center. My sisiter really IS 29 this year, so I didn't ink the funny part of this stamp, you'll see it all on the card below. This is a legal sized card. I am taking it with me to CA!! :).

This next card is for my stepsister, Amy. We have a running joke that we are both "forever 29." So, when I got this set, I knew it would be PERFECT to make her birthday card with!

 Same piece with the wheel and the coloring. The little penguin is from the same set that the "happy 29th birthday. again!" stamp is from. The penguin is colored with Copics.

This final card is for my friend, Jenny. Here is also a pic of the gift bag. I was trying to make the card match the bag & truthfully, I'm not sure how much I lke the card? I like it, but I thought the colors were a bit "halloween-ish." What do you guys think?? I made the center of the flower myself and cut the felt strip by hand as well. This card was late, a few weeks past the actual date when we finally got together for dinner, hence the sentiment.

Here's a pic of the bag and the inside of the card. I really don't like to see ribbon ends and the backs of brads, etc. on the insides of my cards, so I often line them on the inside to hide all the ugly parts like this:) Well, that's it for me! No challenges this week, as I will be on the road! Hope you all have a FUN, SAFE, and HAPPY Fourth of July!

PS The new Stampin' Up! catalog has dropped! Yippee!! You can check it out on my SU! site with the link on the top left hand side of the page. If you live in the Denver area and would like a paper catalog, I do deliver:)