WOYWW #330

If this is your first wednesday visit and your curious about the mess being on display its all explained here at our hostess Julia's blog.

 What I walked away from on Sunday evening. Monday and tuesday were play in the dirt outside days... I had *almost* used that Celtic heart on one of the samples but, chose a different image instead.  I will use it eventually I think. oh and that is a newish set from MFT that I bought with the idea of doing some watercolor backgrounds maybe for HYCCT sometime. the lettering looks a little more free hand than typed.

one of the samples has tulle on it, some had string. I have not done anything with that new tree die cut yet but, did cut a couple out of gold metallic mirror paper. I cannot remember if those ribbons went on samples or Christmas cards. 

scrap pile is breeding in the dark, some of the newer sentiments that were stamped and left to dry are still in/on/under it, and I still have not inked the bird crazy accessories but, I keep leaving them out in hopes of doing that sooner or later. not sure if I will buy the dies for those yet or not. The ODBD happy mail has not arrived yet, the postoffice has not scanned the package for a week now so, I will try to track it again later when I get home and maybe it will show up on next weeks desk shots.

Playing Favorites

I meant to post this a week or so ago... time flies. but, this is another one of those stamps that I gave my self permission to buy with the excuse that HYCCT is coming...
yep, one of these became a challenge sample. and nope, I did not personally "have to" buy any supplies for this, I just wanted to. This sentiment is from a company called Neat and Tangled.
 the other peeks I did are on instagram from the phone and some leaked to facebook. but, I have to check my phone again because, the computer is not letting me save photos I already posted to instagram to share here. you can find peeks on instagram with the hash tag #HYCCT15 or #splitcoast

Did ya do something fun for national coffee day? ( I did get a latte at dutchbro :) ) but, it has already been drank and its too dark for more photos, so maybe some desk shots in the am.

I am not going to make it with being done with all 40 challenges before October hits.
 but, I am not in panic mode anymore either.
We started the patio / wrap around sidewalk of the northwest side of the garage/pottingshedcorner of the house this weekend and I have been coming home from work making one of the flowerbeds empty and one smaller.

I will have to take an around the corner shot in the daylight tomorrow.

Sample Peek...

So, I picked up this IO sentiment (DKdesigns) recently just to use during Hope You Can cling to next month. and this is what I did with it... I think this is a good one for that theme? I have been trying really hard to keep my cards in the flat (does not need lots of postage category) and I was doing really good all the way up until this one yesterday when the next two that followed got lumpy and needed boxed.
So, it looks like there is officially 40 challenges in total. ( the OCD people freaked at 39 lol) and so, I now have 14 of them done as samples and need to go to the PO and get my box so, I can start filling it up.

I know there are questions about do I have to do them all? the answer is NO, but if you have the time and the ability to make even one single card during the month of October. and send it to ( they are mostly sending to the big cancer treatment center in Texas  UT MD Anderson Cancer center. ) 
The specific mail address for cards mailed in is: 

 The Department of Volunteer Services – Unit 115
Attn: Maggi Suttles
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77030

There are people sending to places local to them.
the whole point of this card drive is to send a little cheer to these families, and patients and caregivers. ( at MD Anderson they have a team of volunteers who take the cards to the rooms for the patients to use, but they have some set aside for families and caregivers to use) so, if you have time to join in on even one challenge and send that card in for someone to use, you are sending it to the volunteer team ( which gets to ooh and ahh) and the person who selects it to use, and the person they gift it to. ( so, its one of those gifts of your time that keeps on giving) Some people have friends or family that need cheered and they give some of their cards local and mail some. So, its really up to you where you send to. I do know they take photos of the cards donated at MD Anderson and sometimes put them up on the Splitcoaststampers facebook page for everyone to ooh and ahh over the piles of happy mail. :)

5 more days until the challenges start going live.
There is at least one every single day with a few days having multiple challenges.
Some people do them all ( twice) WOW I know right? some people do a small stack. ( They put your name into a drawing for prizes if you do at least one challenge, and if you do them all then your name goes into a drawings for more prizes) I have won some really nice gifts doing this over the years and I didn't do this to win something but, the prizes were WOW! how nice, cool is this? :) (you can click on the HYCCT in the side bar to see some of my previous years posts.)

anyways that is what I am up to right now, will spill some more leaks for the next few days as I go along.

WOYWW #329 a mess of course

 So, when I walked away from this mess on Sunday evening it looked like this. ( I have had a headache and felt pretty blah and tired the last few days so it was fun to wake up feeling more like me again. anyways, I had stamped some things I want to color for HYCCT samples, started on a background, still have stamps & dies breeding in the scrap piles along the edges.

you know a normal desk view . And fun news, I decided to take Judy's advice (June backed her up) that I should link the Sympathy card I made last week to the ODBD sketch challenge and ( I won) so, more happy mail is on its way to me soon.

want to play along with us? you can find where this blog hop originates at our hostess Julia's blog here.

A Featured Stamper CASE

 Today's Featured Stamper is Linda and I came across this fun card in her gallery and thought that is really cute ( and not coffee themed like most the shaped gift card holders I have made) so, I thought lets try this. and so, my version the base with the fold was 8 1/2 X 4 1/4 and its folded in the center. the embossed panel is a scrap that is layered on that as is the print strip so, the print was moved up a smidge to make this visually look 4 1/4 x 4 1/2. The sentiment is from Catslifepress.
Cut with an lawn fawn stitched label die, tucked in some of those Tim Holtz punchies I had laying on the table under the bloom.
(mostly the bloom and the sprigs were added to hide the fact that this is a tag that pulls out of the "gift box)

 So the inside is a shipping tag with a second scrap piece of the texture that had been inked with antique linen ( yep I was able to buy a new pad yesterday) and the center of that was cut with an W plus 9 gift card die. ( it does not cut the outside edge, just makes 4 flaps in the corners to tuck into.

 So then I grabbed an old used gift card I have in a little bowl where I shoot I have some props nearby and this one was on top... and I about had a heart attack thinking the die was going to be worthless because this card was so much smaller. haha.

evidently its just APPLE gift cards are smaller than the standard size everyone else seems to use for their plastic gift cards. WHEW eh? :)

Thursday's Cards

 So, I love this image its really so "me" Messy long hair with a baggy sweater... ( I wish I had one like this in Red at the moment lol) and the sentiment came about because,
I sold another stack of cards at work today and now I am really low on humor and birthdays.
She is colored with prisma pencils ( even the skin )

 This gal is from Unity Stamps and the sentiment is from Dylusions.
 The felt ribbon is from Micheals a few Christmases ago now and the papers are basic grey.

 Just a simple one, the people were colored with Copic's. the printed paper is MME and this one is also 6" square.

 Two of what sold today were wedding cards. and I think these colors may be really old fashioned but, they kind of suit the image. when is the last time you went to a wedding and the bride had sleeves on her gown?
Colored with copics and a bit of glitter gel pens.

The couple is from Lily of the Valley and the sentiment I (think) is SU. The flowers are all from wild Orchid crafts and so this one is Boxed in real life. also sold the sympathy with the lords prayer on it from the other day that was jump started by the ODBD sketch. ( which I did link it up there today for the heck of it)

Topiary Bunny

Just something for the stash, this Michelle Master Special Delivery is from Art gone wild, ( it followed me home last week) so, it's colored with prisma and Polychromos pencils with a bit of white gel pen on the petals of the flowers on the sling. The oval stitched die is from Simon Says stamp an dthe sentiment is from the Story book Avery Elle set. the laces are vintage, the crochet bloom is something I found in a multiple pack at a yard sale a long time ago with a craft button. this one is 6" square in real life.

WOYWW #328

 

This is what it looked like when I walked away to go downstairs and color on tuesday night after work. there are a few extra scripture sentiments out "drying" and I had in the middle of the sympathy card and samples for HYCCT making tried to use my antique linen pad again and remembered I had pretty much made it dry but, I did pick up a reinker bottle last week....

So, I opened that bottle and inked my pad... and evidently it looks like old paper reinker is in the antique linen bottles... ( which is not the end of the world ) but, I already have an old paper reinker. and now I am mildly hopeful that one of the big box stores in this town might actually have a new linen pad on the shelf because, its one of my "go to" colors.

 

The other stuff that followed me home last week with the reinker bottle. So far I have used the horse and the believe sentiment a few times now, the topiary bunny was colored for the first time last night so hoping to make that one into a card tonight. Want to play along with us? you can find out how to here on our hostess Julia's blog. Happy Wednesday Ladies!

Tuesday's Cards

 Today my insurance agent came by my office looking for a sympathy card... and the only one I had at work was one of those variations of the ones I made with the angel wings from when we lost grandma last month so, he looked at that, then he looked at me and said. this is too much for him, he's an old cow poke. so, I said OK I have the rest of them at home. and of course there isnt anything really simple in there so, I made this one. not sure I even like it for a sympathy card but, I am not entirely sure what he is looking for either. so the horse is from Serendipity stamps and the sentiment is SU.

 

 And that made me remember I had ordered a bunch of ODBD stamps at the end of July beginning of August and I did get the email with their sketch challenge this morning. ( this is not quite there so, I was not planning to link it up) but, the sentiment was stamped on the Misti twice to get the boldness.
and the edges all have some color box fluid chalk ink on them because, I ruined my antique linen pad buying a re-inker. ( more about that tomorrow in the desk shot lol)

 Their sketch challenge hides here if you are interested. The base printed paper I have been hoarding for a while from Websters pages, I did cut it out to let that edging shine. the lacy square diecut did not have enough contrast from the word panel so, I ended up adding some texture with the honeycomb background. and I switched that from a circle to a square and then used a ribbon for the bottom rectangle panel. and two flowers so, I am guessing I have made too many changes for that. The sentiment panel is up on pop dots.
 the sketch looks like this. if you want to go give it a whirl its open for a week I think.

Now this is something a lady asked me for in July if I had any sympathy cards with this Psalm on it. and I did not, so the inside of this one actually says with sympathy. I am not sure where I got the crochet bloom anymore and or who makes the big brad in it. but, the black lace across the top is Vintage and this one is 5 1/2" square in real life.

Chalkboard Snow

This week's featured stamper is Ann and I came across this card of her's and loved the drama of the colors so much. I would never thought to make snow in a chalkboard look. but, that is what I did with some white SU powder and Recollections chalkboard cardstock. ( which gets stinky if you over heat it, and if you touch it with your finger you will find an heat embossed fingerprint on the paper haha) The snowflakes are from Hero Arts, PSX & Impression Obsession. The french script I inked with a versamark pen one line at a time and put in to fill in some of the white spaces. the sentiment is paper parachute. this is A-7 in real life. changes were to move the sentiment up to the chalkboard and switching the multiple black gems for one big brad.

every time I do something messy I do more than one while the mess is out just in case. ( I mess it up) which happens. this one the sentiment is from Unity stamps and there is a plastic white snowflake button on that. the dot print paper is from DCWV and the corrugate is from fancy pants.

a couple of Dear Santa letters

 because, the idea was stuck in my head... to use these sentiments with a typewritter image... so, I came across these MFT just my type type writers and paper sheets that were stamped and or diecut a long time ago on scraps. and added the River City Rubber Works sentiments over the top.
they are both 6" square in real life.

the type writers are up on pop dots over the typed paper.

something in teal

 ooh this was done a few weeks ago I guess ( the coloring ) I think I did this the day before the how to color folds tutorial came out in the weekly email. and I smiled. and I let it sit on the table a while.
and one of the times I was "cleaning" I had placed it near this heat embossed lace from DTGD. and thought that looks interesting. from this angle you can see the glitter pen work on the dress. I also took  pale warm grey to his arms and face for some stubble.

 somewhere recently I had seen some company ( mft?) come out with dymo words a stamp set) but, where ever I seen it I could not enlarge it to show me the words they had in the set or find it in the site and then later I kind of laughed because, I have a couple dymo label makers. so, this is why that came about. Plus, I am not real sure what I wanted the words to be on this one.
the U plastic disc is a doodlebug letter ( from a million years ago, no clue if they still make them)
The ribbon was a recent purchase something May Arts cut by the yard.

This one is 6" square in real life, the couple is George & Scarlett (psst they are on sale again right now as I type this) The face less images are growing on me I guess. ( I have a handful of them now, all from Unity stamps) and that is always the first thing Tim says when one is done... they have no faces.

WOYWW #327 {today & before}

Welcome to the mess/ not so messy view of my table this morning ( and monday's views)  If you have not stopped by on a Wednesday before you can find out more how to play along and see other crafty spaces here where this blog hop starts on our hostess Julia's blog. 

 So, this is really clean actually. the new dies from last week are in sleeves with magnets. ( I have played with the oval woodland one so far) above that is something I was messing around with during the Christmas cards on dictionary pages phase from last week. piles of dictionary pages not used yet. some punchies from a Tim Holtz sizzix punchie.
(I think Sizzix makes better dies than punchies if you are curious but, it could be the intricacy of the spring)

Now this is happy mail from Magenta that arrived on tuesday and I carried it up the stairs with my coffee to shoot these today shots. the little pots are their version of brusho ( powder water colors) I did pick up a few in colors I do not have in brusho's or color burst's) and I am planning on copying Dina's idea and moving the ones in these style tubs to little bottles with dispenser tops (similar to the color burst packaging) (do you see how clean it is around the coffee mug??)

So while I was cleaning on monday I made my scrap pile mostly dissappear by stamping newish stamp on it and ( mostly versafine) so they were left here to cure/dry. probably will be die cutting the words tonight. 

 Now this was a recent find these boxes of lace from a yard sale. they were sitting on the coffee table across the room and I had seen the boxes on monday and thought you should go through them so this is the before.

and this is the during. so you can see all the piles of everything I had left out when we left for the wedding last Saturday. So, when I was done cleaning all this and putting it away and etc. it was too dark for my eyes to feel like playing monday night.
ooh and you can see what the tim holtz punchie looks like in this shot too.

Friday's Happy Mail...

 So, I have been out of 80 cover sheet in both cream and white for a while now and am down to the last 1/4" of the 110 in both colors so, a cardstock order was needed.

and I had an order arrive from 123 stitch. some IO sentiments, 

 A new crimson pad, a Santa that has been on my wish list a long time.

some new Memory box dies.

 So, after I got the table mostly cleared off the die had to be played with so, I did this for the friday Mixed Media challenge. ( which was to use or have lots of white space) so, my "white space" is really cream colored but, I think it still works. the dictionary page was colored with some bundled sage and frayed burlap distress and after the woodland oval diecut went over that I added the snow-tex with my finger. the big snowflakes are like shank-less buttons of plastic from a craft store a long time ago. did the outside dies as embedded ones the stitched rectangles are from Simon Says Stamp. The sentiment is from Elyzbells and the slim tag die is from Mama Elephant. this one is A-6 in real life.

More Christmas

 So, the pile of vintage dictionary pages is going down on the table. both of these stamps are from Hero Arts, the distress colors are bundled sage and frayed burlap. This one is 5 1/2" square in real life. the tag die is from Mama Elephant and the mini brad is recollections. there is some candy cane stickles on the wreath.

 

These are each 3" square in real life, the JOY is stampendous and paperpieced into the design, the wreath is Hero Arts. 

Just a few more layers, did the wreath on a scrap of cream laying on the table and color dusted it also with the distress inks but, my brain my prefers the stamped on the text look to the cleanness of this one.  The red mat was cut from the ODBD layered lacy squares die and I used one of the spellbinders mat 6" squares to trim the wreath. the sentiment is SU.

the left over star from one of Wednesday's cards and one of the scraps of snow with just the brown distress no green. ( this was a trial piece) the blue is 3 1/2" square and the snow is 3".

Wednesdays Christmas cards

 

This one is A-7 in real life. the browns are baked brown sugar and the dictionary page is vintage. the largest snowflakes are Hero Arts, the mid sizes are all Impression Obsession and the smallest one is PSX. they are all heat embossed with that SU white powder. the linen ribbon on this one is some generic there is no label on the spool stuff. the sentiment is from ornamental pines.

 This one is 4X9 in real life and that sentiment is from Hero Arts, the base and the sentiment panel are Neenah classic cream and the brad is from MME.

 This is the one I did first, I started out cutting down some dictionary pages to be sizes I make cards in. pieces that would fit A6, A7, 6" square, the 4X9, a pile of 3" squares and I thought what if you made it a frame. so the star was cut with the MFT stitched stars and the sentiment is from Hero Arts. this one is 6" square in real life. the ribbon was one of those cut by the yard ones a long time ago. the corrugate is from fancy pants.

 and then this one was last I decided to add some distress inks to the dictionary page after it was heat embossed and the green was bundled sage & frayed burlap
 this one was supposed to be 4X9 but, I had placed lines of glue on the card base front and while I was looking to line it up the top right corner hit that glue and this paper is fragile, so it tore and wrinkled there was no saving it so, I lined up the bottom and whacked off the top so this one comes out at 4X6 so a skinny A-6 version.
That sentiment is from Elyzbells.
anyways, the sentiment is curvy rubber and I put the pierced fishtail die on it at an angle to get it to cut onto that and then just whacked off the crooked end. does that make sense?

Now this was an attempt at the sketch challenge. its missing rows of dots so, I didn't load it to the gallery. the Joy is colored with prisma pencils because, I stamped this with the one and only Memento Lux pad I have the just for you is from banner banter. the round tag is from that new die set that followed me home. the corrugate is DCWV and the ribbon is unknown. This one is A-6 in real life.