Singing in the Rain

It poured yesterday, it rained more today, and tomorrow it is going to snow. So much for that "in like a lion, out like a lamb" thing.

Linda's May/June theme in the 'Hood is posted, so I figured I may as well make it. I don't know why I did not work on the swaps that are due sooner, especially as I know exactly what I am going to do with them, but that is the way it works sometimes. 

Ok, so back to Linda...
She wanted us to "make a card that represents some activity you love to do outdoors", I assume in the summer. 

As you may or may not know, I am allergic to the sun. I spend all summer in long sleeves and capri pants; No shorts and tee shirts for me... except when it rains. I love those overcast days!

I am sure Riley is singing as he stomps in those puddles; I know I would be.


 






I do not think I have ever done this before, but I am entering this card in multiple challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches (#179) - Thank you for the sketch
Loves Rubberstamps Challenge Blog (#144) - Create Your Own Background (not only the trees; if you look closely, you can see the yellow panel is streaked to simulate rain falling - did you notice it is falling in the same direction as the drops in the image?)
Crafting When I Can (#90) - Favorite Hobby or Activity




Card Details:

Image: Riley and Company, Cover-a-Card

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: Hammermill, GP, SU

Ink: Memento
Coloring: Copics

Tools: Nestabilities, Cover-a-Card

Embellies: unknown ribbon

Barb's Fabulous Flowers

I was doing so well earlier in the year with getting my swaps in on time, that I signed up for not one, but two spots in Barb's Fabulous Flowers before my cards were finished. Here we are at the last minute and I just finished the second set. Technically set #2 was finished over the weekend, but since I was making extras for another occasion, I did not consider the entire set finished until just now. 

The first card I made, featured Tuesday Morning Sketches (#203) and was actually finished on that same Tuesday. Sadly I did not have time to scan it until this morning so I missed the entry deadline  

Can I just mention how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Cover-a-Card stamps by Impression Obsession? I may never buy designer paper again!

Card Details:

Image: PSX, Impression Obsession Cover-a-Card, Denami Design

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: GP, SU

Ink: Memento, SU

Tools: Embossing Folder, Nestabilities, IO Mega Mount

Coloring: SU Watercolor Crayons, Aqua Painter

Embellies: Unknown ribbon












Card #2 features Sweet Sketch Wednesday (#211). Unfortunately, there is not title on that particular blog post so I cannot link directly to it. If they should fix this, I will adjust the link accordingly. 

Card Details:

Image: Riley

Sentiment: SU

Cardstock: GP, SU

Ink: Memento

Tools: N/A

Coloring: Copic Sketch Markers

Embellies: Unknown rhinestones

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

I have always liked the saying, "In like a Lion, out like a Lamb" when it comes to March. It reminds me that Spring will soon be here. When it is a snowy winter, I love the season, but when just dark and gray and the ground is brown, not so much. 

Way back in elementary school (first grade maybe?) Princess A made a lion face and a lamb face. Around the first of March these are hung; one on the door going in (the lion) and the other going out (lamb). These little guys always make me smile and are one of my absolute favorites of her art projects over the years.

Yesterday was been a mixed bag. Woke up to several inches of snow on the ground, but by school bus time it was sleeting. Changed to rain and freezing rain for a while, then suddenly snowing fast and furiously again. Two hours later what was covering the driveway from that second snowfall was gone. The lion is losing her roar. The lamb is edging her way in. 

I was not sure what to do with this weeks sketch(#190) over at Tuesday Morning Sketches until I saw the challenge this week at Twisted Tuesday Challenges(#46). The sketch could not have been any more perfect!

Therefore, I made two.

Where are the pearls on this first card, you are wondering? Look closely at the flowers behind Riley's and the lamb's ears, and also the one still growing on the left.

The lamb is made wooly with Liquid Applique. I don't think it is physically possible for me to make a sheep and not puff it out with that stuff.

While perusing Facebook last night, I discovered a lucky coincidence; this card also qualifies for the Riley and Company challenge(#0613) this week. Oh happy day!

On the second card, the little rim of 'metal' between the handle and bristles of the paintbrushes is colored with a Gelly Roll Stardust clear glitter pen. The pearls here follow the sketch more closely.



Happy First Day of Spring!    

Card Details:

Image: Riley & Co

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: SU, GP, unknown dp

Ink: Memento

Tools: SU square punch

Coloring: Prismacolor markers

Embellies: Viva Pearl Pen, Liquid Applique, SU buttons, SU bakers twine, Gelly Roll Stardust glitter pen

Winter Fun with Riley

I was perusing my friend Kelly's blog the other day and discovered she is the host over at Riley & Co for this week's challenge, Winter Fun! I LOVE Riley stamps; In fact, I asked for a whole slew of them for Christmas/Birthday. (Out of the eight requested, Princess A gifted me six. S'alright, Valentine's Day is coming... and I am sure my list will be longer by then anyway )

It has been a long time since I participated in a challenge for a blog post. Much too long since I have gotten to sit at my stamping desk, truth be told. I needed some Sketch Challenge inspiration (SCS Sketch Challenge #367 to be exact)

Without further ado, here is my Winter Fun with Riley card:

 

Card Details:

Image: Riley & Co.

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: GP, SU, 3 Bugs in a Rug

Ink: Memento

Tools: EK Sucess Paper Shapers snowflake punch

Coloring: Prismacolor markers

Embellies: SU buttons, Liquid Applique, glitter, embroidery floss

A "Moving" Winter Scene

I was inspired to make this card by someone whom I have never met, JustPaintingAround. I am enthralled by the way that no matter how many layers in her card, the scenery remains the same. I wanted to see what I could do with this idea. My intention for this card was for Paola's Move It swap, but once it was done I realized it fit so well with the SOTC theme of December (create a winter scene), that off it went to Fay instead. Of course, then it was back to the drawing board for Paola's swap, but that will be the next(ish) post...

First I made the shaker box. Riley was stamped and masked. Using some templates bought eons ago (made by All Night Media) I sponged the trees, then the clouds. Riley was colored and Liquid Applique added to the ball of his hat and underneath his skis. Next I took a pinch or two of white Fun Flock and a teaspoon of glitter and stacked them on Riley's nose. Clear acetate, double sided foam tape and a frame cut with Nesties finished the box. Many, many shakes later, the flock and glitter were well mixed; some of the glitter had migrated to the liquid applique, adding a wee sparkle.

Back to sponging, this time to the strips in the background and the card itself. I lost count of how many times I had to wash my hands throughout this entire process. The green border was made by switching out the blade in my rotary cutter (yes, Mom, I have a rotary cutter and have managed not to lose any blood... yet) to a scallop edge and voila! Assembly took mere minutes with my ATG gun.

It is nowhere near the artwork of JustPaintingAround, for she is truly the "Queen of the Scene", but I am quite pleased with the result. Not bad for a first try...

Spring Fever (But Not in a Good Way)

What's this?! A second post in ONE DAY? Don't think it will become a habit, but I found this challenge from following Miss Sandra's card and could not resist.


The lighting here is not the best, but when I held the dp up to the photo of the pillows on my monitor, the colors really were the same...

Poor Riley has Spring Fever, but not in a good way. His thermometer is almost completely red; I don't think he will be getting out of bed for quite some time. Fortunately, someone has made him a bowl of chicken soup (charm courtesy of Hanna Stamps) and has fluffed his pillows and tucked him in with his lovely matching sheets.

Designer paper is from SU, as is the 'Certainly Celery' cardstock. The white is PTI; and what isn't paper pieced is colored with Prismacolor Markers

The layout is from SCS Sketch Challenge 02, but my main focus was, of course, the Hanna Stamps Challenge mentioned above

A Year And A Day...

What was I thinking, signing up for not one, not two, but THREE 12+1 spots in Christy's Year of Rileys swap?! I guess I just love that little moose. But OMG, it felt like these took forever. In fact they consumed me so much that now that they are done and gone I have to force myself to remember I have other responsibilities (read: other swaps to finish)

For Group #1 (July), I chose Campfire Riley. He is colored with Prismacolor markers and made good use of my Nestibilities. Behind the Skeeter Spray (SU) is a pop-dot and the Skeeters (also SU) in the background have Crystal Stickles on their wings. The marshmallows and the spray of the Skeeter Spray are colored over with a glitter gel pen.

Group #3 (September) is School Riley. This first photo is what I sent. The second is my original prototype, but as I live with a Physics Professor, the ABC/123 line did not seem quite appropriate. Also, I figured people would probably want to customize thier own sentiment, so I left the blackboard black. The ABC/123 is included inside the card if anyone wants to add it, but the crayons are not. You can blame Crayola, as they do not sell a box of white only crayons, or I would have included one for everyone. Hopefully you ahve a box of crayons kicking around and can root it out. I imagine any other light color would work just as well, but I only tried the white. Looks just like chalk to me!

All cardstock is SU; all coloring is done with Prismacolor markers, except the sponging around the blackboard is done just by rubbing the ink pad (SU) across the cardstock. Her eyeglasses are Cotton Candy Stickles and there is a pop-dot behind both Riley and the stack of books.

When I signed up for Group #5, all I told Christy was that I wanted to use Tea Riley (OK, he is actually called Coffee Riley, but I don't drink coffee, so round here it is all about the tea) and I would take whatever month she needed to fill. I ended up with March. There are two versions of this one only because I ran out of the original dp and had to buy more, but the store no longer had a match...

...but as I ended up with tulips, I think that worked out just fine. Prismacolor Markers again were used as were the Nestabilities, though the scallop behind the dp is from SUs scallop border punch. Behind the (Vippies) sentiment there is a pop-dot. Cotton Candy Stickles top off the cupcake.

Why do all the groups have odd numbers, you ask? Linda took the even numbered groups (lucky duck, there were only two of those!). When all is said and done, between us we will receive ALL of the cards made for this swap. We are going to be flooded with Rileys!!

A Meeting of Hos

Saturday, January 17 - a day like no other. For that was the day I met some Hos and participated in my first shoebox swap.

A shoebox swap is where each person brings a project for the others to complete and all the parts with which to complete it, in a shoebox to a predesignated location. In this case, it was Michele's house.

My first project was a pop-up box card.

I used Dress-up Lily and her accessories from Pink Cat Studio on my second card.

Here are some photos from the day:

Su, Yvonne, and Michele

Me and Michele

Me, Yvonne, Su and Michele

Annabella. We wore her out, which her mother says is very difficult to do.