I Couldn't Have Picked - NBUS #1

...a better friend.

Hello and welcome.  I found a new blog the other day belonging to someone I follow on Pintrest, and she's holding a monthly challenge as well as challenging followers to use their virginal or Never Before Used Schtuff.  The first challenge is based on friendship and I figured these challenges would help me get my mojo back.  So I pulled out a set I bought years ago from the now closed Clear Dollar Stamps store and had never used along with some never used pearl dew drops to create this card.

I stamped the background using the tools from the Bless My Blooms set using regal rose ink directly onto the card before sponging the background.  The main image is stamped in memento black then colored using prismacolor markers then cut out the heart flowers and popped them up on dimensionals before layering, adding brads, a floral spray made from scraps and Martha Stewart punches, and then the virginal white pearl dew drops.  My final touch was to spritz regal rose ink over the main image for some extra texture.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: CDS Bless My Blooms
Ink: Memento Black, Regal Rose
Card Stock: Stampin Up!
Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Sponge, Martha Stewart Punches, Glue Dots, Dew Drops, Ice Stickles, Brads, Color Spritzer Tool, Regal Rose Marker

Warm Hugs

Hello everyone.  Sorry about the short post.  I've been having some major migraine issues this last week again.  In fact, I have been in the dark since last Wednesday and just typing this post is hurting the head. 

Today I'm sharing a card with you I made for the Clearly Inspired Valentine Challenge for Clear Dollar Stamps.  I used the Toasty Bears digital set and just paired it up with some valentine background papers, cuttlebug embossing folder, heart brads and ribbon.  I printed out the images twice and colored with prismacolor markers before cutting one set out and stippling Stampin Up! bashful blue and sage shadow inks around them to soften up the white areas.  Once that was done I popped up the bears and fire on pop dots for a little added dimension and my card was done.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: CDS Toasty Bears Digital Image

Ink: Stampin Up! Bashful Blue, Sage Shadow, Regal Rose

Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Regal Rose, Rose Red, Sage Shadow, Designer Paper

Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Stipple Brushes, Ribbon, Heart Brads, Pop Dots, Glue Dots

Clearly Inspired Birthdays

Hello and happy Tuesday.  Today I'm sharing with you a couple of cards I made for the Clearly Inspired Birthday challenge. 

I was inspired for my first card by some Imanginese cloud designer paper and decided to do a card with a hot air balloon.  So I pulled out my Daisy Hot Air Balloon by Clear Dollar Stamps and stamped it twice onto white card stock using memento tuxedo black ink.  Once my images were colored with prismacolor markers, I cut one complete balloon out to pop up on pop dots and added a "make a wish" metal sticker to the center of the daisy.  Once that was done, I added some Recollections cloud brads I found on clearance at Michael's, a butterfly brad, and then added everything to the card.

My second card is a clean and simple style card using the retired Dairy Delights set from Clear Dollar Stamps.  I pulled out some scrap card stock from printing digital images, folded it to make a smaller card, and stamped my image with saying in memento tuxedo black ink then colored it with koh-i-noor pencils and a blender marker.

Both cards only took a few minutes to make, yet are totally different in style and format.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.


Stamps: CDS Daisy Hot Air Balloon, Dairy Delights
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Baja Breeze
Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Baja Breeze, Barely Banana, Imanginece Designer Paper
Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Koh-I-Noor Pencils, Blender Marker, Pop Dots, Brads, Metal Sticker, Stipple Brush

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

Hello and welcome to Tuesday.  I discovered a really cool Christian stamp store called Clear Dollar Stamps and their challenge blog called Clearly I Stamp.  One of the new stamps I chose to purchase is a Christmas stamp called Little Bethlehem and decided to participate in one of their challenges.  I chose the Christmas one and inked up my Little Bethlehem with memento tuxedo black ink and colored it using koh-i-noor pencils and a blender marker.  Once all of my coloring was done, I lightly stippled Stampin Up! night of navy ink around the edges before lightly stippling Tim Holtz tea stain and vintage photo inks over everything to "age" the image a bit. 

Once the stippling was done, I lightly distressed the edges of the town with my fingernail before layering and adding some vintage brads then adding it to the card.  Tim Holtz pine needles is stippled around the edges of the card to darken the edges.  I'm really happy with the way this turned out since I made it with one of my nasty migraines again.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.


Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps Little Bethlehem
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Pine Needles, Tea Stain, Vintage Photo, Stampin Up! Night of Navy
Card Stock: MFP Corn Husk, Chip Board, Michael's Recollections Christmas Designer Paper, Stampin Up! Night of Navy, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Koh-I-Noor Pencils, Blender Marker, Brads, Stipple Brushes, Dimensionals, Fingernail