Monday, June 28, 2010

By The Seashore & A Birthday!

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A scene like this just puts me into a relaxed mood.  How about you?  Can’t you just hear the waves rolling along the sandy shore?  A soft breeze rustling the grasses?  The gulls squawking?  Okay…maybe not.  Though, you have to admit, it is a pretty scene. 

100_0779Creating this scene was super simple too.  I started with Baja Breeze card stock.  To create the horizon line,  I used the straight edge of a scrap piece of card stock and sponged on Baja Breeze Classic ink.   I then tore an edge of the scrap card stock to create the “rolling waves”, again sponging on the ink along the torn edge.  Once I reached the shore line, I carefully sponged on Sahara Sand and Barely Banana to give it a more '”sandy” look.  Each “wave" line is edged with my White Gel Pen and then smudged using my finger to give it a softer look.  I sponged on some clouds in the sky using Whisper White Craft ink.  The grass in the foreground is from Inspired By Nature and stamped in Old Olive.  The linen thread just gives the100_0787 card a natural feel.  The birthday sentiment is from Watercolor Trio and ‘Thinking of You’ from the long retired All Year Cheer 1.  The second card is layered onto Naturals White card stock and a Crumb Cake card base.

Today is my Dad’s birthday.  I sent him the above birthday card.  I wish we could be together to celebrate his special day.  There’s been a lot going on in his life as of late.  I hope the card is a bright spot in his day.  I hope he’ll see the love that was put into making it…and hear the waves rolling along the sandy shore, soft breezes rustling the grasses, the gulls squawking…  Okay…maybe not.  I love you, daddy!  Happy birthday!

Thanks for taking a look.  Hope you’ve been inspired to try some sponging on your project today.

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE unless otherwise noted as being retired.  The Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake papers and inks will be available for purchase on July 1st.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Fishy Fun For Father’s Day

My husband loves to fish, so does my youngest son.  A fishy Father’s Day card just seemed appropriate and it sure did turn out cute!

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I’ve been wanting to try this punched fish for awhile now.  I’ve seen so many cute ones on SplitCoastStampers.  He uses the Ornament punch and the 5-Petal Flower punch with Crushed Curry & Pumpkin Pie cs.  The googlie eye just seems to give him character.  The ‘seaweed’ is the grass stamp in Inspired By Nature, stamped in Garden Green on Baja Breeze cs.  Paper Piercing for the fish bubbles and some retired Magic Mesh for added texture.  It is all on a Very Vanilla card base.  The sentiment is found in my favorite, Teeny Tiny Wishes.

It got the boys’ approval and I heard no complaints from their dad (smile).  He knew if he did, I’d take his new hammock pillow back…hehe!

Thanks for looking. 

Be inspired! 

~Leslee~

All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE unless otherwise noted as being retired.  The Baja Breeze paper will be available as of July 1, 2010.  The googlie eye was purchased elsewhere.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Impressionism Art

100_0615These cards were extremely simple to create.  Of course, I was inspired by this card while browsing the SCS gallery.  I, pretty much, cased the card exactly.  Only, I ended up with two cards based on the one.  Funny how you start out to case a card exactly only to find you’ve strayed and created something similar yet new, much like Impressionistic Art .  You’ve got to love creativity!  And you never know what may inspire you.

100_0610This first card was created by first spraying a piece of Watercolor Paper with water and then stamping on the image.  Allow it to dry completely (I put a heat gun to mine…I’m impatient like that) and then re-stamp the image on top. 

 

On the second card, I stamped the image on the 100_0608watercolor paper and then sprayed it with water, allowing it to run.  Again, dry completely and re-stamp the image on top.  The outcome is not so different from the first card but crisper and cleaner.  Personally, I like the look of this one better.  However, they are both gorgeous cards!   

Both cards feature the Watercolor Trio set,  Rich Razzleberry & Always Artichoke card stock and markers.  The first card has a layer of Sahara Sand cs, uses the Scallop Edge punch, Vintage Brads and the sentiment is from Watercolor Trio also.  The second card is layered on Presto Patterns Specialty Designer Series Paper, which I sponged on Rich Razzleberry Classic Ink and then used a paper towel to remove any excess ink from the image.  It also uses the Scallop Border Edge punch.

There you have it…two quick and simple cards, inspired by one.  Thanks Julie for the inspiration!  I hope you’ve been inspired too.  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.  Your comments inspire me as well.  Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE!

Monday, June 21, 2010

A Quick Makeover!

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I don’t know about you but I always seem to make a new card for each event.  Well this time, I was unable to create something new due to time constraints.  So, I browsed through my stash of cards (yes, I have a huge stash!).  That’s why we have a ‘stash’, isn’t it?  Our box of go-to-in-a-pinch cards.  I pulled out a card that I created long ago.  I loved the card then and I still love it now.  Guess you can say that I’ve been hoarding it all this time.  Here is the original card, Blissful Squares.  However, it was a 4”x4” card and I do not carry that size envelope.  I felt horribly wrong sending the small sized card in a too large envie.  So, I found a piece of Purely Pomegranate in my stash of retired card stock and cut a100_0739 new card base that measured 5-1/2” x 4-1/4”.  Perfect for the size envelopes that I have on hand.  I adhered the original card dead center and then stamped a few flourishes from the Priceless set along the edges to give it a more finished look.  I added some onto the envelope too.  Done!  A super quick makeover! 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you’ve been inspired to browse back through your card stash!

Happy Birthday Cathi!  I hope you have a great day!  Love and miss you.

Oh, how do you like the new look of my blog?  Blogger’s new Custom Designer made it super simple (smile)…of course, maybe that’s why I didn’t have the time to make a new card…hmmm.

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and mostly retired.  You can still purchase the One of a Kind set until June 30th.  The Boho Flowers, Word Window punches and the Vintage Brads can still be purchase HERE as well. 

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

For My Birthday Boy

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I know…this isn’t the most original card.  It looks very much like the birthday party invites I had done.  You can see those here.  I must admit, I have been using up the pieces and parts that I’ve had laying about my desk.  The differences for this card are the cluster of stars from Extreme Elements that are background stamped in VersaMark on the Brilliant Blue card base.  Again, everything is Smooch Spritz sprayed using Vanilla Shimmer and the large star is sprayed with Gold Glow.  The sentiment is found on the giraffe in Animal Crackers (soon to be retired).  I had made a bunch of these star banners and attached them to sucker sticks to decorate cupcakes for Jess’ end-of-the-year classroom party.  Unfortunately, I failed to get a single photo of them.  The ‘tail’ of the banner was simply punched using a point of the Star punch.  It sure beat cutting each one by hand (smile).

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Jesse seemed to like the card…and that’s what counts.  After all, he was the birthday boy.  Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you’ll reach for the stars and find inspiration while doing so!

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies (except for the two smallest stars) are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased by clicking HERE

Friday, June 11, 2010

Pastels & Presto Patterns

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Here is another card created with the use of the awesome, new Presto Patterns Specialty DSP.  This technique is known as Poppin’ Pastels.  I covered my piece of DSP with 100_0572VersaMark ink and then applied Stampin’ Pastels (chalks) using sponge daubers.  Once I had my paper colored, I used a soft cloth (a tissue) to wipe away the excess chalk and ink from the raised, embossed image that was already on the paper.  The sentiment is from Watercolor Trio.  The Pretty In Pink layer was punched using the Scallop Border and the ribbon is Whisper White Satin

Super quick and very easy!  Thanks for stopping in.  I hope you’ve been inspired.

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Today is my sweet Jesse’s 11th birthday.  It is so difficult to fathom where the time has gone.  It has flown by so quickly.  We aren’t standing eye-to-eye yet.  The day is quickly approaching though.  I’m so blessed to have him in my life.  I am a very proud mama!  He is a really good kid with a good head on his shoulders.  I hope he remains that way.  He gets good grades, has nice friends, loves his video games and Lego® bricks.  This is his last year in the Elementary school.  Each year the 5th grade staff puts up a bulletin board of Then & Now photos of the 5th grade students.  These are the photos I sent in for the board…

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Isn’t he handsome?  I over heard he and his brother talking earlier.  Adam mentioned that he saw Jesse’s picture on the board.  He then asked, “Is that little kid’s picture next to it you?”  Jesse admitted that it was.  Adam laughed.  A small fight ensued.  Hmm…I can’t wait for Adam to see what picture I pull out for his turn on the board!  Hehee! 

Well…Happy Birthday Jess!  I love you very much!  Psst…bug!

I can’t show you his birthday card just yet.  He must get it first.  I can show you the party invites we sent out earlier in the week.  He is having a camp out…complete with hot dogs and S’mores and a bonfire!  We found a website, KidsAstronomy.com that we can pull up a Skymap and check out the stars in the night sky too!  Should be a fun evening!  Pray the weather remains nice through the weekend. 

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The invites are postcard style using Brilliant Blue card stock.  I spritzed it with the new Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (found in the Summer Mini Catalog).  It really 100_0631gives it a “Milky Way” effect and Jess loved the look.  The stars are all die cut in Whisper White using the Big Shot and the Stars #2 die.  They, too, are spritzed with Vanilla Shimmer and Silver Foil Smooch.  Oh, and the small stars are punched using some other handheld punch from I don’t know where.   The big star is popped up on a Dimensional.  It is a very cool effect with the Smooch Spritz.  These invites couldn’t be any easier. 

Thanks for stopping in today.  I hope you’ve been inspired…at the very least, you’ve been star gazing ;-)  Have a great day!

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE unless otherwise noted.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Presto Patterns DSP

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I really think this new Presto Patterns Specialty DSP (found in the Summer Mini Catalog) is pretty cool.  In a nutshell, it is an emboss resist technique…with the embossing part already done for you.  How cool is that?!  That’s right…really cool AND time saving. 

For this card, I’ve used my brayer and Certainly Celery classic ink.  I 100_0561rolled it onto the entire piece of DSP and then used a clean paper towel to remove any excess ink that may have been sitting on top of the raised embossing.  I then used various markers to color, highlight and add depth to the floral pattern.  Marker colors used were Cameo Coral, Rich Razzleberry, Certainly Celery, So Saffron and Garden Green.  Very simple and quick to achieve the look you want.  The main image and sentiment are from the new Watercolor Trio set.  

The Presto Patterns Specialty paper comes white with clear white glossy designs.  You can customize it to your project using any medium you desire.  You must give it a try!  I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. 

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Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you’ve been inspired to give this awesome new DSP a try.

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE!  

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Life…

is a matter of moments.  Each one special…a special gift from God.  We only need to open our eyes and see the gifts before us.  We only need to untie the ribbons.  His gifts and promises are new each day.

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The Lord has called my grandmother home.  She was such a special gift to us all.  To have her in our lives as long as we did was truly a gift from God.  We have been blessed beyond measure.  I am so thankful that we made it to see her at her 100th 100_0148birthday party.  In case you missed it, check out this post, Happy 100th Birthday!!!  I am so happy that my boys got to know both their Great-Grandmother's…each on my side of the family.  It is just one of those little gifts that last a lifetime!  This is the last photo of my boys taken with their great-grandma K.  She was real good that day and knew who we all were.  Just another special gift and memory I’ll cherish forever. 

I found that my creative mojo decided to make an appearance during my depressed state.  Actually, I get fidgety when I’m stressed out.  The week before she passed and the week after were extremely stressful weeks for me.  Tons of things were happening in my life all at once.  I’m glad that those weeks have passed and life is back on a more normal keel.  I find that getting creative (stamping & crafting) helps to calm those fidgety nerves.

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I finally was able to play with one of my new sets, Elements of Style.  This card also includes the new Log Cabin Smooch Spritz and Presto Patterns Specialty DSP (both found in the Summer Mini Catalog).  I spritzed the Smooch onto Naturals Ivory and then stamped the flowers in Soft Suede. I used markers to color in the flowers as desired and I highlighted them with my White Gel Pen.  The Presto Patterns DSP is really pretty cool.  For this card, I spritzed on the Smooch and then took my sponge to cover the entire piece of DSP evenly.  You could sponge on any ink in the same fashion for an entirely different look.  It is all layered on a piece of Always Artichoke and a Naturals Ivory card base.  The ribbon is Vanilla Taffeta

I really love the way this card turned out!  What do you think?  I know I’ll be trying this again in different color combinations.  I hope you’ve been inspired.  You must give this Presto Patterns DSP a try!

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Seeing Stars…

100_0580Stars everywhere! 

The boys’ cousins’ birthdays are near Memorial Weekend.  This year, it was a combined birthday party for them both.  Worked out perfect 100_0587for me…it is just as easy to make two cards as it is to make one.  All the supplies are already out on the desk…just use up all the leftovers to create a second card, similar in elemental features yet very different from the first card.  Kind of like brothers…similar in features yet very different from one another.  Okay…I may be talking about my boys but there is some truth in that.  Memorial Day sparked the star element.  The stamped star grouping is found in Extreme Elements.  It is stamped in Crushed Curry ink.  All the die cut stars used the Big Shot and the Stars #2 die, Brilliant Blue and Real Red card stock.  The sentiment is from 100_0592Birthday Best (I wish they hadn’t retired that stamp).  I used the wide oval punch and adhered it to a leftover piece of Basic Black.  I love it when I can use up pieces I have laying about on my desk!  Linen thread finishes off the corners of the black cs. 

Very simple and done in no time at all!  Love it!

Thanks for stopping in today.  I hope you’ve been inspired to use up the leftover elements!

Hugs,

~Leslee~

All supplies are Stampin’ Up! and can be purchased HERE unless otherwise noted as being retired.