HYDRANGEA - ONE OF MY FAVORITE FLOWERS

Hi there, 

I hope it's as pretty a morning in your neck of the woods as it is here:  the birds are chirping, the sun is shining and the garden is beckoning me to get out there and do some work, but I have to put it off 'till next week.  Too many projects - not enough time!!  I know you all know what I mean.  Even my 12 year old said (while we were waiting on the school bus this morning) "how can it be Thursday already!"

I have a quick card to share with you this morning that was published in this month's Vamp Stamp News.  The article is on different folds for cards.  There are many great ideas with how-to instructions - take a look.  

I used the hydrangea from a new Sparkle N Sprinkle Set 490: Spring Florals, together with a saying. It's a gorgeous set and very versatile.  I don't think you can ever have too many flowers!  

I used the cracked-ice technique on the hydrangea, and the embossing folder and little blue flower were some more goodies that I had received from Amanda (see previous post for the others)!  Thanks again Amanda!

Here is the card closed:

and here it is open:

So that's it from me for now - gotta run!

Hugs,

Shona

.... AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY "SHONA" DIFFERENT!

Had to try something totally different today!  I recently (actually probably about more than a month ago) won a package of gorgeous goodies from Amanda, by commenting on her blog, which I love.  I "met" her through Sparkle N Sprinkle when she was on the Design Team, and I've always loved her Copic coloring skills!  

I thought it would be fun to try to case her creations, using most of the supplies that I received!  It was so much fun!  She sent Natsuko, from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, she also sent me a beautiful pack of Meadow Lark papers, but I happened to have some origami papers sitting around and they were totally crying out to me, to be used with the Asian image.

I have recently been picking up Spectrum Noir markers, and so tried to coordinate the colors of the background paper with the image.  Yes, I know I cheated on the big part - the dress!  That was actually paper pieced!  Yes, Amanda could probably do it, but I wasn't even going to attempt to color that!

I also received the purple petals, just added a few centers to the flowers and layered them on to Spellbinder's foliage die cuts.  Amanda's cards always have some Sprinkles for added sparkle.  I added some Sparkling Snow glitter from Sparkle N Sprinkle for my bling.

So here is my attempt at an "Amanda card":

Isn't that saying just lovely?  I cut it up, so that it would fit into the smallest of the Labels Nine die cut.

Thank you so much for my goodies, Amanda.  I had so much fun thinking outside "my box".  Have a great day everyone,

Shona

STOP THE LIFE BUS - I WANT TO STAMP!

Why does life always get in the way of stamping?  I've had a crazy two weeks, so I raised my hands and said forget even going up to the stamping room since last Thursday!  

It started with a girlfriend coming in for an overnight a week past Tuesday.  She left on Wednesday, then it was straight to the High School musical (Legally Blonde) rehearsal to take photos, and again on Thursday and Friday.  Friday evening old friends came in from Washington DC, they were staying 'till Sunday.  

Calum, our youngest had three soccer games over the weekend - the first of which was at 8 am on Saturday!  Then the next was at 11.30.  Gillian, our daughter, in the meantime had to be at school at 6.15am, as they were getting bussed to a rehearsal in the city, as she was rehearsing with the High School for a concert  at Carnegie Hall on Monday night!  

Saturday night ended up being late and Calum had his third game at 8 am on Sunday morning!  I ended up missing that one, as I was concerned I wouldn't get back in time to make my 11am appointment, which was to chaperone the choir in the city.  We finally got home at 8.30pm, exhausted, and went to bed.  I had offered to chaperone Monday also, so it was another 11am start from school, and with the performance, which was amazing, starting at 8 pm - they sang the Durufle Requiem, we pulled in to the school parking lot at 12.15am.  

Here's Gillian (center), singing at Carnegie Hall:

Tuesday, I spent the day going through the photos.  I had previously done the headshots, so I just had to pick out some of the best of the shots I had taken over the past week, to put up on the action shots poster boards.  Wednesday afternoon was the dress rehearsal that they do for the local Seniors. I recorded the performance, and took the last of my photos (463) making a total of 2081!  (Oh my God, oh my God - you Guys!)  The last four musicals we've created a DVD with 800+ pictures, set to the music of the show.  The kids love to have the memories! 

Here's Gillian (center) in the musical:

Yesterday afternoon I went up to the church to survey the grounds - I'm in charge of the landscaping for the church, and we are having our Spring Clean-Up on Saturday morning, yes I know - who scheduled that right in the middle of the musical?  You guessed it - me!

So last night was Opening Night and the show went great. Today, I'm catching up with everything that has not been done since last Monday and getting ready for my 8am start up at the church tomorrow!

Knowing how crazy things were going to be, I had got ahead in most of my stamping stuff and plan to dedicate next week to catching up with that.  So, in the meantime let me share a couple of ATCs that I did a couple of weeks ago.  

They are so much fun to make!  Details?  Still staying with the sun and beach idea, here is the second one:

Aren't Mudd Puddles cool?  You can find the ingredients for this one right here!

OK, that's it from me for today.  Got to go and make up my to-do list for tomorrow.  I hope to post again next week.  

Shona 

SNS "ANYTHING BUT A CARD" BLOG HOP

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Here we are with another fun-filled, inspiring blog hop from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  If you came by way of the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog then you are in the right place, because I have the honor of starting out the blog hop this month.   If you happened to come directly to me, then go back to the SNS Blog to get the information you need to win a variety of prizes, but basically, all you need do is comment on each of the designers' pages to be eligible for all the goodies!  That's easy, right?

A while back, one of the designers sent out an e.mail asking what we were all doing for the hop, but, I have to say I didn't reply, not because I was being rude, but as I still had no idea what I was going to do.  I usually try to incorporate a technique in the Blog Hops, using as much SNS product as I can.   With that at the back of my mind, and being in love right now with a new set that just came out,  Set 493 - Silhouettes, here is what I came up with:

I had a clip picture frame lying in a drawer, which I disassembled, masked out a circle from a Post-It note for the sun,  and then applied Versamark ink to the entire back of the glass.  I applied six different embossing powders, starting at the top: Shimmer, Ice Rink, Country Blue, Arctic, Vintage and Hit the Beach, then heat embossed the entire back.  I then went back and applied a mortise mask to the sun, applied Versamark and heat embossed with Gold Coast. 

I simply stamped the Silhouette Scene on the front of the same piece of glass in black StazOn.  I added a couple of extra stamps from the same set, including the birds.  The great thing with working on glass is, before it completely dries, you can erase anything you don't like with StazOn cleaner and a tissue and then stamp over.

All I needed now were a few embellishments: a lovely teal ribbon, some Mudd Puddles, a little shell, and of course the beautiful saying and I was done.  If you need more thorough instructions, you can find them right here in my Gallery.

I hope you liked what I shared today.  After leaving me a comment, you should hop right on over to see what our talented Jacqueline has come up with.  I can't wait to see what everyone has done.  

Enjoy the hop and have a great day!

See you again soon,

Shona

SNS APRIL CREATIVE SKETCH CHALLENGE

Good Morning and welcome to a new month!  Where does the time go?  

With a new month comes a new SNS Sketch Challenge, and this month we were asked to use a Michelle Perkett digi.  This posed another new challenge to me!  Use a digi!!  I'm afraid I like my comfort zone, so look forward to when the great digi's that SNS carries, are "rubberized"!

Have to say though - the challenge ended up working in my favor, as the 5-a-side soccer team would have been quintets on my card had they been made from rubber!  Being able to make the digi's whatever size you want, is a definite advantage.   You can make them taller and skinnier, plumper and shorter and anything inbetween.  The only disadvantage I found was that the balls they were holding also got distorted, but nothing a teammate's elbow couldn't cover up!!

So here is my dream team of champions:

Next time, I might try to change the hair-do's, but for young boys I think you can get away with just changing the color!

I sponged the background with Memento inks and then ran it through a Darice Sports Phrases embossing folder.  If needed, the full directions can be found here in the SNS gallery.  

Hope you'll try the Challenge this month, there are many genres of digi's in the Michelle Perkett collection.  You don't have to wait for them to be mailed, another advantage to digi's.  So let's see what you can come up with.  To see what the other designers came up with - just click here - for more inspiration.

....... and we've got another Blog Hop coming up on Thursday and Friday, 4th and 5th.  This time the theme is "anything but a card"!  Please stop by to check it out and for a chance to win prizes along the way.

'till then - grab a digi - and send in a card!  Looking forward to seeing your creations!

Shona