Happy June!

June First already - amazing!!!  Of course, judging by some of the weather we've had recently, one would think it was the middle of July!  With it being the first of the month, my post for today is my June calendar page.  As always, I will make the offer of sharing my Excel spreadsheet for printing the calendars.  If you would like the file (for this year or next year or both), just email me at LJNeus@hotmail.com.


For this month, I went with a brass stencil.  I used my BIGkick to emboss the design on to the calendar page, and also on to different patterns of paper.  I cut out the boat, the sails and the flag and added them to the embossed image on the page.  I put the stencil back on the image and used markers and a glitter pen to trace over the sun, the water and the clouds.  Have a great June!


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Happy Memorial Day ... and It's RI Stamp of the Week!

Happy Memorial Day to you all!  I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend.  And I hope you are also taking time to remember the reason for this holiday.

Today is Monday, so you know that means by now - it's the day the new Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week is revealed!  This week it's the Crowned Crane Deco - # 5702-M.  Please visit the RI blog, The House That Stamps Built, for all the details on how to purchase this great stamp for 50% off through Sunday.  And be sure to check out the Repeat Impressions Rock Stars' blogs to see what they have created with this stamp!

Harriet ~ Joy ~ Julie ~ Makiko ~ Robin

For this first card, I simply stamped the image with Versamark and embossed it with Gold Detail embossing powder.  I matted the image with a shimmery dark blue paper.  The beautiful patterned paper on the bottom (which also has gold in it that you probably can't see) is some that our daughter and son-in-law brought back from Japan for me.  I have been "hoarding" it, but decided to part with some of it!  The image is mounted on Pop Dots and I added some gold ribbon.  (You can see the gold a little better in this picture.)

I made this second card with an image I had laying around after working on the first card.  I had stamped it a few times in different colors.  I thought I could just as well put this stamped image right on to a card, instead of adding it to my "card parts pile!"  It is stamped  with PTI's Fresh Snow Ink on Kraft cardstock and matted on some dark olivey cardstock, and mounted on Pop Dots.  The patterned paper on the bottom is from the same package of paper as my first card - from Japan.  It's matted with the same green cardstock as the image.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions and is embossed with gold embossing powder.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

SCS Color Challenge - Anniversary

I made this card for our daughter and son-in-law who will be celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary on Monday.  It was done based on SplitCoastStampers Color Challenge #272 - Real Red, Bermuda Bay and Kraft.

The frame is from Papertrey Ink, from their new Fillable Frames #4 set.  I stamped it in Real Red.  I added Prima flowers with red brads. I stamped the sentiment (which is also from Fillable Frames #4) with Tempting Turquoise. (I only have the Bermuda Bay marker - not the ink pad - and it didn't work on the stamp very well.  Close enough!)


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Sharing in Your Sorrow - Tulips

A quick post for today.  A friend of mine from my Yahoo! group had a death in her family last week.  I made this card for them.


The stamp is the Stamp of the Week from Repeat Impressions.  (See this post to learn how to get it 50% off through next Tuesday.)  I colored it with Stampin' Up! chalks.  I paper pieced the vase, and used the same patterned paper for the matting.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up!'s Thoughts and Prayers set.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

SCS Color Challenge - Celebrate

I made this card for SplitCoastStampers Clean and Simple Challenge #68 - "Summer" - and for Color Challenge #272 - Bermuda Bay, Real Red and Kraft.


I inked up the flip-flop stamp with a Creamy Caramel ink pad, then colored the flip-flops (on the stamp) with Real Red and Bermuda Bay markers. I matted it with kraft. I attached the Prima flowers with red brads. I thought they matched perfectly - even the design, with the circles, matched the flip-flop on the left. The sentiment (from the dollar bin at Michael's) was also inked up with Creamy Caramel and colored with markers.


Two miscellaneous things:  You still have another week to play along with the Repeat Impressions sketch challenge and have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate.  You can find the sketch and details here.


I will try to keep up with posting on my blog, but I have a busy few weeks coming up.  Memorial weekend - no specific plans other than a Twins game on Saturday - GO TWINS!  The following weekend our daughter and granddaughter will be here for four days.  And the following weekend is our Yahoo! groups "Group Gathering."  Lots of fun things!


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Best Wishes

A "just because" card ... just because I got this stamp in the dollar bin at Michael's last week and wanted to use it. I thought I could stamp it in a pattern and make a background, but it just didn't line up any way that I could figure out.


I stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black ink on Aqua Mist from Papertrey Ink and colored it with Mint Melody (anyone remember that? LOL!), Sage Shadow and Cameo Coral markers from Stampin' Up! and a white gel pen. I cut and embossed it with a Square Nestability and sponged Mint Melody on the edges. The lower mat is also cut and embossed with the same square - it's out of Mint Melody cardstock. I embossed a larger square in my card base, which is Stampers Select white cardstock, also from PTI. The sentiment is from PTI's Fillable Frames #4 and is stamped in Cameo Coral. The colored layers are mounted on Pop Dots.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week - Vase of Tulips

Well, once again it's Monday - and Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week day:)  This week's SOTW is called Vase of Tulips 1317-L.  For this week only, it's available at 50% off.  You can find all the necessary details on the RI blog, The House That Stamps Built.  (Be sure to follow the directions found there.)  The Repeat Impressions store is found here.  Check out all the wonderful stamps.  Also, check out what other members of the design team have created.  And remember, the "WHAT IF?" Wednesday sketch challenge (and the chance for a $25 gift certificate!) is still open!

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Harriet ~ Joy ~ Makiko ~ Michele

For this first card, I stamped the image on shimmery white paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink, and embossed with detail fine black embossing folder.  I colored the image with Stampin' Up! markers.  After coloring, I cut the image out with an Oval Nestability.  Before removing from the Nestability, I sponged with pale yellow ink.  I sponged a little bit of black ink on the edge.  I embossed the background with a Cuttlebug folder and matted with black.  I added some sheer black ribbon.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions and is stamped with Old Olive ink.

For this second card, i stamped the image on white cardstock and embossed with detail gold embossing powder.  I colored it with watercolor pencils and a paintbrush and did some sponging with gray and yellow in.  I sponged Versamark on the edges, and also the edges of the blue matting, and embossed with gold embossing powder.  The patterned paper is from a Sizzix pad.  I added some yellow dots with a sponge dauber.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions and is embossed in gold.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Wedding Congrats

I made this quick wedding card for an acquaintance of my husband.  He (my DH) loves white and embossing, so this is what he chose.  It's a case of a graduation card I have made.


The glasses are a small Cuttlebug folder.  The top embossing is done with a Sizzix folder.  The bottom embossing is a Cuttlebug folder.  I added lines with my Scor-Pal.  You can't tell in the picture, but the matting is shimmery silver.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Ladybug Hello

A fun little card for today.

I used my new Martha Stewart ladybug punch on Real Red cardstock.  (This was one of my great finds last week - for $6.99!) I scored some lines and added the Hello from Papertrey Ink's Fillable Frames #1. I matted this on Basic Black. The bottom matting is stamped with a ladybug from a dollar set from JoAnn's and a dot from a different PTI set.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

One-Layer Birthday #2

I made another card for Susan's (Simplicity) challenge to make a one-layer card.  The additional challenge this week is to use a "faux embellishment" stamp.  


My faux embellishment stamps are lace and ribbon.  The "lace" border is from Stampin' Up!'s Trimtastic set.  I cut it along the edges to make it scalloped.  The "ribbon" is also from SU! - from Perfect Plaids.  The flower is from Inkadinkado.  I colored it with chalks.  The sentiment is from Papertrey's Birthday Basics set.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Another Super Simple Card

I stopped at Michael's yesterday and picked up a couple things - a wooden dollar stamp, a clear dollar stamp set, a couple stamp sets that were greatly clearanced, and a Martha Stewart border punch that I got for 50% off with a coupon.  It was a fun shopping trip:)


I had to use the MS punch right away.  I took a piece of paper from a scrap pack and punched it.  I threaded some ribbon through the slits and did some scoring on it.  I decided it needed more, so I added a piece of ribbon between scored lines.  The sentiment is from Papertrey's Birthday Basics set - big surprise! LOL!! - with Versamagic Purple Hydrangea ink.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

WHAT IF? Wednesday #2 - A Repeat Impressions Challenge

Today is another "WHAT IF?" Wednesday at Repeat Impressions.  You can find the details on the RI blog: The House That Stamps Built.  Today's challenge is this sketch:

Won't you please join us for this fun challenge?  The participants from the last challenge, along with the participants from this one, will be entered into a random drawing for a $25 gift certificate from Repeat Impressions.  How awesome is that?!  (If you participated last time and make another card this time, you double your chances!)  Just make your card, upload it, and leave the link on the RI blog.  If you upload to an online gallery, please use the keyword M1910.  Be sure to check out the other Design Team members' cards, too!

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Darsie ~ Harriet ~ Joy ~ Julie ~ Makiko ~ Robin

My card uses the Daffodils stamp (#904-L).  I colored it with Stampin' Up! markers.  I cut and embossed it with a Long Rectangle Nestability.  The matting is done with a Long Rectangle Scalloped Nestability.  I punched the yellow strip with an SU! border punch, scored it with my Scor-Pal, and added the ribbon.  The little flowers were colored with a marker, and I added the brads for centers.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions, and is also cut with Nestabilities.  The image and sentiment panels are mounted on Pop Dots.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Super Simple Thanks

I needed to mail a check to someone and didn't want to just slip the check in the envelope by itself, so I made a super simple thank you card to send with it. :)


The flower stamp is from an Inkadinkado set.  I colored it with Stampin' Up! markers from the Soft Subtles family.  I didn't want to use black ink for the sentiment - I thought it might be too "stark."  So, I used a Hero Arts Soft Silver ink.  I added pearls to the centers and called it done!


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week - Live Laugh Love

Today's card features this week's Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week - Live Laugh Love (3108-J.)  Please visit the RI blog for the details of how to get this stamp 50% off this week only!  You need to follow the directions on the blog to receive this special price.  You can find the stamp on this page (scroll down a little ways) and here is a link to the Repeat Impressions store.  Check out the Design Team members' blogs for inspiration using this stamp!

Ayana ~ Dana ~ Harriet ~ Joy ~ Julie ~ Makiko ~ Robin

Note: Some of these links go to the blog and not the specific post.  I will edit them as the posts become available.

Don't forget - you still have today and tomorrow to get your sketch challenge card entered.  There will be a new sketch on Wednesday.  There is a $25 gift certificate from Repeat Impressions up for grabs!  The sketch, details, and sample cards are available in this post.

This is a gatefold card - It opens in the middle.  For the Live Laugh Love panel, I brayered onto SU! glossy paper with a Kaleidacolor Spectrum pad, then stamped the image over that.  I cut it with a Labels Two Spellbinders die and added a little "bling."  The matting (Pink Passion cardstock from SU!) was also cut with a Labels Two, but turned the other direction.  I embossed it with a Swirls Cuttlebug folder and rubbed a little bit of white ink on the edges.  The background was stamped with another stamp from Repeat Impressions (Heart Flower - scroll down a ways) and colored with SU! markers - Pink Passion, Orchid Opulence, Brilliant Blue and Green Galore.  I also used a little dot from a Papertrey set.  I matted the side panels with more Pink Passion.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Wow – a Tutorial!

I got a few emails about the scoring on the card that I posted yesterday, so I thought I would try doing a tutorial.  If I do another tutorial, I will spend a little more time on it.  And maybe get a manicure and put some lotion on my hands!  But for today, here it is!

The scored and embossed cardstock is Certainly Celery and the matting cardstock is Bermuda Bay.  I embossed the bottom layer with a Sizzix folder.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink’s Birthday Basics and I stamped it with Bermuda Bay.  The butterflies (punched with a Martha Stewart punch) are mounted on Pop Dot pieces, and I added pearls for the bodies.

I’d appreciate any comments you might choose to leave!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

SplitCoastStampers Color Challenge - Two cards

I'm sharing two cards with you again today.  (I better get some more made - I'm running out!)  They were both made for the Color Challenge on SplitCoastStampers - Melon Mambo and Soft Suede.


For this first one, I used my new scoring pattern, but added to it by doing the "radiating" scoring in both directions.  I sponged Soft Suede on the scoring.  I matted with Soft Suede, also.  The flowers are from the wedding section at Michael's and I colored them with a Melon Mambo marker.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions.  I added pearls for the flower centers.

For this second one, I used a new Martha Stewart punch I got on clearance at Michael's.  I scored a couple lines under it.  The sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts.  I inked it up with Soft Suede and then used my Melon Mambo marker to color the words.  I added scoring around the sentiment, also, and embossed the top section with my Swiss Dots folder.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

SplitCoastStampers Clean and Simple Challenge - Birthday (and Misc.)

Just a very simple birthday card for today.  I made this for the Clean and Simple Challenge #66 on SplitCoastStampers on Monday.  It was a sketch, and you can find the challenge here.

The papers are all from a We R Memory Keepers pack from Archiver's from a couple years ago. The stamps are all from Papertrey sets - Birthday Basics and Around and About Sentiments.  I punched the flower with a Paper Shapers punch.  The circle was cut with a Nestability.

I've been thinking I never did share pictures of our kitchen, once it got (almost!) done.  We still have to paint (I will cover up all those hours and hours of stenciling I did over the cabinets!) and we still need to do the trim around the window.  But, the rest has been done for a while now.  I should have taken a picture of it with the under-the-counter lights ON though, since that was part of what took so long!  There is lighting under all the cabinets, even the one to the right of the stove.  The backsplash is textured wallpaper painted with a metallic paint.  That was the last part of the project.  The cabinets were refaced over 12 years ago and the countertop and sink, etc. were done about a year ago.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Digital Image Birthday

This is a free digital image I got for being a member of the Tiddly Inks group on Paper Craft Planet.  I really like it!  


I colored it with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol - including adding light yellow around the edges of the image for a little "glow."  Then I cut it out with a Deckled Long Rectangle Nestability.  I left it in the die after embossing and sponged yellow ink around the edges - leaving a white frame.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Birthday Basics set.  Both of the background papers are from Sizzix.  I embossed the yellow strip with a Cuttlebug border folder, scored lines with my Scor-Pal and then sanded them down with a sanding block.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Daisies and More Daisies!

I have found out through stamping that I love daisies:)  And I have two more daisy cards to share with you today.


This first one was done for Susan Raihala's (Simplicity) One-Layer Wednesday challenge.  This one was for last week's challenge (besides the obvious requirement of being one-layer!) to use punctuation stamps.  (Today's challenge is to use ribbon on your one-layer card.)  I love this little group of Daisies from Repeat Impressions.  I stamped it three times on this card and colored with Stampin' Up! markers.  I added the scoring and the sentiment, which is from Papertrey Ink's set Birthday Basics.  The bracket stamps are from PTI, also, from the Wishing You set.

This next card is basically the same, but I added matting (Certainly Celery) to my strip of daisies.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions.  The butterfly is from Repeat Impressions, too.  (Isn't it awesome!)  I stamped it on scrap cardstock, colored it with SU! markers, and cut it out.  I also stamped it directly on the card front and colored it quickly.  I mounted the cut-out one on Pop Dots over the one on the card.


Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!

Scored Birthday

   A quick card - and a quick post for today.
   I was making this background for the card I posted yesterday, but lined it up wrong for the first score of the second direction.  So, I went with it and did it differently.  I like the way it turned out.  The daisy is from Martha Stewart.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.
   Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!