More Vegas pages (CQC148)

Well, hello hello blog friends! This summer just seems to be getting busier and busier! We are having a TON of fun, but I am having a hard time keeping up with anything, even the dishes! ;) I know, stamping should ALWAYS take priority over housework (and in my heart it does!) but sometimes I have to be practical, too. :( Oy, it's looking like the next few weeks will be just as sporadic, so sorry to be MIA, but we have just a couple more weeks to go. We will be out of town for some of the time, so posting will be minimal at best, but then I will be BACK! :) Hope you are all doing well and having loads of fun, too!

Ok, this week's ColourQ palette, looks like THIS!

Seeing the pink, I knew I had to do something girly.... I had a stack of pics still laying around from the Vegas Girls Trip I went on last summer, so I went with that. 

The title was made by cutting out my own "playing cards," and stamping them with the mini heart from my TCP Bingo stamp set, then I used sticker letters for "Vegas." I had a few Vegas themed stickers that had the right colors, and some Vegas buttons that I incorporated. 

The DSP is new SU! and reminded me of some of the designs that are on dollar bills, so I went with that cutting 2 large banners with my LID die on the LH page, and border punching a strip on the RH page. It's actually a heart border punch, but I just let the bottom parts of the hearts peek out from behind the photos, the v shape mimicking the fishtail banners. That's a great tip, to really look at the different shapes you can make with your punches! :) 

I did my journaling with my label maker again, was bummed that the shade of green isn't quite Lucky Limeade, but by that point it was already done, and (in the interest of time, of course!) decided to just go with it! 

I hope you like my pages and I'd love to see what you will do with them at the ColourQ this week! 

Big hugs, sorry for the absence, but I'll be around more soon :)

xoxox, Noelle

*oh and I am SO excited to share my happy kudos with you! I was featured at JUGS for this card! :) and also featured at Jingle Belles for this card, thank you SO much for the shout-outs, ladies! Love ya all! :)

Bright Birthday Wishes...with a candle ;) (CQC 147)

Hi all! Time for another fun challenge at the ColourQ! Hope you will come play with us this week. Here's the palette:

I confess it took me a while to figure out what to do with these... I was using retired color Rose Romance in lieu of Regal Rose, so I was using 3 retired colors. And, even for me, the "dust it off" girl, sometimes I struggle with using the retired colors, I don't want my project to feel dated, you know?

 My original intent was to do the layered stamping with the flowers, and then stamp the sentiment on the top of the same piece in the Brilliant Blue. I tried it, but it just didn't "gel," so I cut a smaller Nestabilities and put the sentiment on the solid white piece. I thought it looked pretty layered with the larger piece, though, so that's what I did.

I was really happy with the candle addition to my last card, and I still had the package of candles sitting there, so I did the same for this one, also adding the "Happy Birthday" banner and some bakers twine  to the candle. 

I found this old piece of Baja Breeze DSP in my stash, the delicate flower print seemed a good fit for the card. This is a large card, 5 1/2" square. 

And that's all for me! Hope you can come play at ColourQ this week! :)

xoxox, Noelle

supply list: stamps: Stampin' Up!; DSP: SU!; dies: Spellbinders and Lil' Inker; blue bakers twine: TCP

DUST IT OFF!: Old colors and some old DSP still look pretty! :)

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Hi there! Kids were gone for three days and I feel the quiet really helped me to reclaim my mojo! :) Happy stamper, here. This is for Tracey's  sketch at  Retrosketches 21, and a new challenge I haven't played before Just Us Girls 146, gosh, I am just SO in love with these colors! :)

I decided to make a boy's birthday card since I always seem to need those! I have some new stamps (also helping my mojo along....) and this was one of my new sets, called "Storybook Friends." Love these little animals! :) I can't wait to use the fox, he was the one I was just smitten with when I saw the set.

I created my own tag with a technique I'd seen on Pinterest, to use the Spellbinders die to cut just the top of a paper, I will be doing that again!  I layered a mini paper bag as the back/top of the tag.

I used a birthday candle at the top of my tag, have seen a few of these in Paper Crafts, and thought "what a cute idea!" :)

I really just added the airplane because it was so cute! It really doesn't go with the dog theme, but it does go with the boy theme, and the colors were perfect, so I went with it. :)

I used an ANCIENT tab sticker, a sentiment from Paper Smooches, and a reclaimed bottle cap as embellishments.

That is all for me today! Kids are home now and I'm shoulder deep in laundry! ;) See you soon, I have a fun ColourQ card coming up on Tuesday! :)

hugs, Noelle

supply list: stamps: Stampin' Up! and Paper Smooches; patterned paper: My Mind's Eye; dies: Papertrey Ink and Spellbinders; tab sticker: K&Company; airplane sticker: October Afternoon; ribbon: Stampin' Up!; bakers twine: doodlebug design; candle; mini bag; large button

DUST IT OFF!: That tab sticker is ancient, and I keep all the bottle caps that come off bottles 'round here, so I never have to buy any! ;)

Late Night Stamping + MFT= Happy mojo

Hey folks! I couldn't sleep on Weds. night. One of those nights where my mind was buzzing with a million different things. Our schedule has really filled up for these last few weeks of summer. And I just feel like I am on my toes running, doing, and trying to keep up every day. Nothing really new, life is crazy for us all sometimes, isn't it? Anyway, I decided to head down to my studio at around 1145pm. I'd pulled up the sketch from this week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club 81, and was really intrigued by it. I had this Pure Innocence Paper Dolls stamp set that I hadn't even inked up yet. This is the first PI set I have ever bought, and I'm having this funny feeling it won't be the last! ;)

 I knew I wanted to make a card for my friend, Donna. We had run in the same circles for years, but last year she asked me if I wanted a workout buddy, and we have become very close in a short amount of time. Last week, she gave me the sweetest card, I almost cried when I read it, because I feel just the same way about her! God brings certain people into your lives for a reason. So, anyway, I guess it goes without saying that I wanted the card to be really really special. :) If I make a card especially for you, you can be sure; it's a hug with a fold in it! ;)

Anyway, back to my card. So of course, I used the MFTWSC sketch....




And I pulled a variety of papers out, I knew I wanted a bit of a feminine, yet vintage feel for the card. I focused on the colors: turquoise, red, green, and a bit of pink; because I know Donna feels about like I do about pink; it's fine.... it's just NOT blue! heehee. ;)

I colored my little girl with Copics, not much shading except on her cheeks and her knees. Added some polka dots freehand to her dress. I paper pieced those teensy weensy paper dolls, I think it was the hardest part of the whole card! But I really wanted them to look as if they'd been cut from notebook paper, so the work was worth it.

I had intended to put the sentiment on that horizontal banner, but in the end it wasn't all going to fit. So, I used a ribbon instead, and a little glass gem. I have been dying to break into that package of gems! They are SO pretty, I am a smitten kitten.

Where that little circle is at the top, I die cut a flower with the Rolled Rose Die-namic, and pinned it with a pretty pin. The background is just layered DPs with solid mats, following the sketch. Easy peasy for that. I also added a little tab sticker to the top of the stamped image.

Well, thanks for taking the time to pop by paper & ICE! So glad you came, come again soon. :)

xoxox, Noelle

supply list: stamps and die: MFT; patterned papers: October Afternoon, BasicGrey, Creative Imaginations; ribbon: Stampin' Up!; markers: Copic; tab sticker: October Afternoon; glass gem: Pebbles; stickpin: My Mind's Eye; solid card stock: Stampin' Up!

DUST IT OFF!: Not a lot of dusting of products today, but I sure was glad my mojo dusted itself off, and joined the party! ;) 

Your'e SMOKIN' hot!

Hey there! Happy anniversary to hubby and me today! 16 years since we tied the knot in a not-so-intimate wedding ceremony with 200 people watching!  ;) 16 years of good, really. No marriage is perfect, but I'm happy to say that ours has had more good than bad, and he's still the person I lean on the most in the world. I have a very cool, very geeky surprise planned. By the time this goes live he will hopefully know about it, but I had no clue what to get him, really nada. And then I thought I'd go off of that anniversary number thing, you know like one year is paper, two is wood, etc. Come to find out, there isn't one for 16? I personally thought that was weird! Maybe they figure by 16 years you don't need to celebrate anymore? LOL, 16 years and 3 kids, I think we need to celebrate more than ever! Ha! So, anyway.... my husband is a science guy. He's an engineer, and reading up on the Periodic table of Elements, the 16th element is Sulphur. I know Sulphur doesn't sound very romantic.... but when I discovered that the Hot Sulphur Springs are only a couple hours from where we live, I knew I had a winner of a gift! So, we will spend a little time there this weekend, kids are going to my Mom's, it should be good. :) Here's a scanned in cropped down wedding pic from back in the day before everyone had digital cameras! Makes me feel SO old, lol!

So, this is the card I'm giving him. It's a "reject" from my latest PC Mag submissions, it was for the male valentines. Personally, I thought it was funny! Must just not have been what they were going for this time. I'll keep plugging away at it. :)

These stamps are Paper Smooches Alfresco. These stamps crack me up! I thought this would be a cute Valentine, but it makes a good anniversary card, too. :) I colored the fire with Copics, and added a few gem flourishes for interest. The sentiment was curved on the block and then stamped.... that's a real advantage that clear stamps have over rubber! I particularly like the photopolymer ones like these. Acrylics are fun and uber-affordable, but a bit harder to get that perfect image from.

Well, that is all for me, big weekend ahead! Hope you are all doing well. :) have a great weekend!

hugs, Noelle

supply list: stamps: paper Smooches; card stock: Stampin' Up!; markers: Copic; gem flourishes: Recollections

First Day of School scrapbook layout

I don't really know why I picked these photos to scrap for this week's ColourQ challenge. I think it might be, at this point mid-summer, I start to LONG for the First Day of School to arrive! ;) The kids are fighting, it's so hot, we have been to the pool/gone to the movies/seen the zoo/gotten together with friends, etc. more times than I can count. And, I miss my blog! There is just SO little time for projects and blogging in the summer months.... usually the only time I can find is after the household has gone to bed, and then I have to sacrifice my precious sleep! Trust me, it's a cruel choice to make.... sleep or crafting? Since both are as dear to me as the air I breathe! ;) heehee.... well, anyway, here's the cool, modern palette for this weeks ColourQ. Love it!

I have really preferred using sketches to scrapbook with lately. Keeps my pages from getting boring, that's for sure. I had pinned this sketch to my Pinterest Inspiration Board, and that's what I used for the LH page in my spread.

Here's my pages.....

I wanted to use those old cork letters on this page SO bad, I actually had to fashion the "H" from some other letters! Do you see the seam? That's a great way to get the most out of your letter stickers. Can't tell you how many letters I've "built" through the years from necessity! ;)

I used some buttons where the little dots are on the sketch, found some sticker photo corners for that element. I used my old-school labelmaker for the journaling.

On the RH page, I simply taped down my photos, and created a border strip with some DPs in the right colors. A quick companion page.

Well, I hope you will come play at the ColourQ this week! What might you do with these colors! Pop back in on Thursday, I've got a cute card scheduled to go live then. 

Big hugs!

Noelle

supply list: papers: DCWV, SU!, MME; letters: JoAnn, Authentique, K&Company, October Afternon; corner stickers: unknown and OA; stickers: Jolee's Boutique; brads: SU!; buttons: SU!, pebbles, MME, and unknown; metal number tag: Tim Holtz; punch: EK Success; washi tape; Martha Dtewart Crafts and K&Company; label maker: Dymo 

DUST IT OFF!: Those red flocked photo corners and "pals" stickers are ancient.... 8-10 years old at least! 

Frosty and Cold (CFC61, JB12:15, RS20)

Those who can't keep up, combine challenges! Howdy folks, hope you are all having a fabulous week! Being as this summer isn't seeming to get any LESS insanely crazy than it is.... I thought I'd make one card for three challenges.

.....And if you don't believe me, let me just tell you that I rescheduled our summer vacation for the THIRD time yesterday, and the only way we could go at all was leaving town immediately after the boys race, and Ian and I flying back separately from hubby & the other two boys, so he can make it back for a very important meeting! But that could be a whole other blog post, so I'll just stick to the card, because (let's face it) I am pressed for time, lol! ;)

Anyhow, thought it would be a good thing to get smart about combining challenges! So, this is for this week's Retrosketches 20, Jingle Belles Red OR Green challenge (boy have I missed that challenge! and I am waaaaaay behind on holiday cards for the year, so I need to get crackin'!), and a new challenge I haven't tried before; CAS-ual Fridays challenge "lets strip." I figured since so many friends and designers I love are on their DT; like Lynn & Christina; I should give it a go! :)

My "dust it off" for today are these snowman stamps, circa 2005, Stampin' Up! "Cold Play." I have held on to these stamps, they have seen a LOT of love through the years, and when I saw the 3 hexagonal shapes on the card, I thought it might be fun to build a triangular snowman! I used the washi tape to create my background DP, and to make my snowman's scarf. It's bummer none of the tape is from my recent Lawn Fawn order because LF is sponsoring CASual Fridays this week :(. I stuck to all greens and blues because of the JB challenge, and I was also trying to be as CAS as possible. The sentiment stamp is TCP, from the snow bunny set. I dressed up the snowman with his washi scarf, a snowflake button, and some glitter gems.

And that is all for me today:) Have a great one!

hugs, Noelle

supply list: stamps: SU! and TCP; washi tape: Target, K&Company; Martha Stewart Crafts; punches: EK Success; glitter gems: Crystal stickers; snowflake button: Dress It Up

DUST IT OFF: Some old stamps get fresh new life with some washi tape and a CAS color palette paired with lots of white. :)

On the loss of your pet....

Hi there, just wanted to share a quick card that I made for my friend Annette. Annette and I started being friends when I was just a new blogger and before she was a blogger! But she lost her sweet little dog, Lola recently. :( I am very sad for her since I know how much my dogs mean to me. She had also sent me a sympathy card when my grandma died, and I really appreciated that! I meant to get this done sooner, but as the way everything has been lately, well, you get the gist. I stayed up late the other night just to get a few things done, and this was one of the things I finished, along with next week's ColourQ pages.

I had pinned this card on Pinterest, and you can see I did something very similar. I made a pink "dog collar" at the top of the card with ribbon, a ribbon slide and eyelets. the execution got messed up a little, just because this ribbon was so sheer, but I still think it's cute. I added angel wings to the chipboard dog, and I used some fuzzy paper for the die-cut clouds. I hope you like it, but more importantly, I hope she does!

Big hugs, and go snuggle those dogs and cats you have at home! -Noelle

supply list: DP: SU!; chipboard dog: K&Company; cloud die: MFT; angel wing brads: Unknown; stamp: SU!; ribbon slide: SU! eyelet brads: unknown

DUST IT OFF!: Some old hardware is still really sweet on this card.