Less Is More

The Less Is More challenge blog is only in it's 4th week but it already has a huge following.  This is my first time joining in  and I doubt it will be my last.  The challenge this week is a recipe: 3 squares.  I used colours inspired by last week's ColourQ challenge.  I didn't manage to play along with that one but I love the bright colours and will definitely be using them again.

Supplies: Card Blank: The Stamp Pad Co; Stamps: Hero Arts squares and sentiment & The Paper Source images; Ink: SU Rich Razzleberry, Wild Wasabi & Pacific Point

The Hero Arts funky frame stamp was given to me by a friend a few years ago and this is the first time I've inked it up.  I love the doodliness of it!  The Paper Source stamps were part of a set I bought in 2007.  I think I've mentioned before how much stash I have hoarded and I am determined to stop buying and start using.  I'll post some Craft Cave pics one day soon so  you can see how out of hand it has become.  Part of the hoarding has to do with the fact that I don't have any local stores I can pop out to when I need something.  I have to order everything online.  Due to shipping costs it's not economical to order just one thing here and there so I tend to do bulk orders and always go overboard.  I'm a bad, bad stash hoarder.  Is there a stash hoarder's anonymous I can join?

Multi Challenge card

Supplies: Cardstock: SU Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and River Rock;  Stamps: Woodware  USA image and Hero Arts sentiment; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Cherry Cobbler; Copics: R59, Y17, YG91; Martha Stewart Daisy Dot punch; Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

I'm on a birthday card kick at the moment.  I never seem to have one when I need one (or when someone else wants one!) so I'm trying to build up a stash.  This birthday card was supposed to be for three different challenges but one has already closed.  Doh!  I have to remember the time difference when I'm entering a Just Add Ink challenge.  :)  I used the JAI colour combo and the the sketch from Card Patterns Sketch 104. 

I also used a Woodware stamp which means I can enter it in the Woodware USA Challenge #16 - Anything Goes.  I really like Woodware's stamps and as a company they also provide fantastic customer service.  I had an issue last year where it appeared that my order had gone missing.  The rep that I dealt with was lovely and worked quickly to sort everything out and not only did they resend the order but they added extra goodies to the order to say sorry for the delay!  Woodware is definitely on my thumbs up list.   

Curtain Call Colour Challenge: Act 71

I'm really enjoying these colour challenges but I'm going to have to order some more Stampin' Up paper pretty soon.  I seem to be going through it at quite a clip!  I made another one of my no-sentiment cards using the above colours from Curtain Call Act 71.  I also christened my Martha Stewart butterfly punch although I was a bit disappointed with it.  I had hoped it would make a cleaner cut but I spent quite a bit of time tidying up the edges of the butterflies.  I tried punching through some tin foil to sharpen up the punch but it didn't seem to make that much difference.  Has anyone else had this issue or did I just get a dud punch?

Supplies: Cardstock: SU Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron, More Mustard, Crumb Cake; Stamp: PTI - Asian Fusion; Ink: SU Cherry Cobbler;  Punch: Martha Stewart; Copic: W-3

Getting Back in the Groove

Today was the first significant amount of time I've spent in the Craft Cave since before I went away.  Our vacation was wonderful - everything we had hoped it would be - and for the first time in forever we completely relaxed.  It was bliss.  We were sad to leave our resort but excited to come home and see the hounds.  Unfortunately we only had 3 days with them before we lost Scout and so I was really not in the mood for cards last week.  A friend at work asked me to make some birthday cards for her for this week so I had to get going.  I finally started checking out a few blogs this weekend and trying to get back in the groove.    Thank goodness for some challenges to help clear the cobwebs from the crafty part of my brain!  :)  For this card I used the colours from The Play Date Cafe Challenge #70 and The Sweet Stop Sketch #97.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; PP: Scenic Route; Journaling Tag: Scenic Route; Stamp: The Paper Source; Ink: Plaette Reflection Blue

Does Nestabilities have a star nest?  If so, I need to invest in one because those stars were a pain in the butt to cut out!  Must look into that...

RIP Scout

Scout was my first dog.  Due to her rough start in life she was never an easy dog but she was my girl and I loved her.  She has been through so much with me in the last 8 years and I credit her with getting me through the break-up of my first marriage.  When all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep away the rest of my days Scout would give my hand a nudge and remind me that she needed things from me.  We took a lot of long therapeutic walks together.  She always knew when I needed a cuddle and didn't mind when my tears got her fur all wet.  Over the years she's made me laugh and also occasionally made me want to throttle her but she was always there.  Even with 2 other dogs at home the house now seems empty and probably will for a long time.  Rest in peace, Baby Girl.    

Be Back in Two Weeks!

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge 96 - Whateva!

A few of the girls at work have requested Valentine's Day cards for their guys.  One of them wanted "something cute and a bit silly" so I broke out my brand new Lawn Fawn stamps.  Their stamps definitely fit the cute part of the request and I figured I could provide the silly.  I really like their alphabet sets as I feel like they give me more freedom with my sentiments.  (I know I could create sentiments on the computer but the computer is in my apartment and the Craft Cave is upstairs in Mom's apartment - I'm too lazy to run up and down creating computer sentiments!)  So here's  my interpretation of a cute and silly Valentine:

Supplies:  Card Blank: Handy Hippo; Stamps: Rubber Stampede heart, Lawn Fawn crown & sentiment; Ink: SU Real Red, Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaFine Onyx Black; Other: Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic pens, Pop Dots

I'm going to enter this in this week's Stamptacular Sunday Challenge.  The theme is "Whateva!"  and I think this card fits nicely in the "Whateva" department!  :)  Have a great day!