Sprinkles on a Sweet Day

I just bought a cute picture for my kitchen/hallway. It is a dessert on a table and it says, "life is sweet." I guess that's why I decided on this message today.

I love the sprinkles in this stamp set. I thought they would make a great background. I am sure I will use these a few more times before I move on to something else...watch for more!

This is a loose translation of Heather Rolin's layout challenge . My new home is decorated in a contemporary theme, which is probably why I went with this design.

The sets I used are, All About Birthdays (sentiments), and Christmas is the Time for Cookies by me for

H &M Stamps



Thanks for visiting...come back soon!



~Bev

Finally...I am back, and armed with stamp sets!

Hey Everybody!



Big News! My very first original stamp sets are available online for purchase! There are five of them, and I am working on 10 more for release next year. Check them out! Right now you can get FREE SHIPPING! Go to: http://www.handmstamps.com/


As for my move to Florida, we're "in". George and I still have alot of loose ends to take care of, but we did manage to take a trip to IKEA to purchase tables for me to work at in my very own craft room. Storage pieces will have to wait, and I have to try a different connection for my computer (wireless doesn't work here), but other than that I am able to function enough to get back to blogging...



Here is a card made with my stamp set, "Old Fashioned Hayride". What fun!


My camera is charging, so as soon as I can, I will post more angles and close-ups of this card. Finally time to use the Fall stuff (although it's in the 90's here and doesn't feel at all like Fall!)


This card is for Heather Rolin's layout challenge, HMSC11. It's a loose translation. Rocking stamps is one of my favorite things to do. I used three colors: Old Olive, Summer Sun and Bravo Burgundy. I curved the cute sentiment and cut the three corn cobs out of glossy paper. I used a sponge here and there, and edgers to make the scallops. The image in the oval is chalked, and the sky was done with my good 'ol CTMH cloud stencil. The paper and cs are vintage CTMH.


With all the adorable cards I have seen on this blog, I have some catching up to do!


Have fun with your stamps,
~Bev

Happy Birthday to my George

George is my hero...this card is for him. We will be moving to Florida to retire, by the end of the summer. This is a BIG birthday!
I used Crafty Secrets Layout Challenge for this week: CSSC25. I finally got some new stamps sets! OH! This layout is also special because Darlene used it to make a card for the last challenge, and then Pammyjo used it to honor Darlene on her birthday which was also this week...Happy Birthday to you, Darlene!

One thing I seem to always do on chalked images when using vintage stamps...I erase some of the chalk to give the image a shadow.
I used two of my newly purchased CS sets: Hardware, and Card Sentiments. The paper is from Leisure Arts (Elements) and Karen Foster Designs (Old Script) The black cs is really cool...it's called Core'dinations. The core of every sheet of black cs is a color. This one is beige. I sanded it to bring out the core. Not all their cs is black, this series is called, Black Magic.

I discovered something cool when I sanded the edges of my focal point square...the inked edges sand away, leaving the edge looking torn and really vintage. I was so excited to see an inked edge to that...I have done it with white core cs before, but never this! I also sanded the brads and melted the ribbon.
The lock and key represent my heart, and that George holds the key...so romantic...

I love Crafty Secrets stamp images. I guess I really am a romantic at heart!

~Bev

Second Post Today...

I am playing catch-up today...this card is for two challenges: Crafty Secrets' Vintage Black challenge CSSC24, and Heather Rolin's layout challenge on her blog... HMSC2. (see last post for a link to her website)


I just love to play with realistic images, and recreate scenarios on cards. This one was too much fun! I heat curled the ribbon with my heat tool, and curled the stamps, too!

If you look at some of my past posts, like the windblown blouse, or the wallpaper card, you will see the lacey border stamp.

For this card, I trimmed away some of the extra acrylic on the stamp, and adhered the image to the block on a curve, so I could make these plates. I used my empressor stylus to make the plate indentations.

I just ordered three more sets of Crafty Secrets stamps...it's about time, too

~Bev

There's No Place Like Home...

This card is for the WT172 Challenge, "Ways to Use It", using scoring. I use the empressor stylus all the time...and I love it. Here, I made "wanescoting" and moulding, sanding the cs after scoring it. I used dp that looks like wallpaper, and so just had to get out my "Bird Notes" stamps from Crafty Secrets again. Chalked the image, erased some, and used the Kitchen Classics from Crafty Secrets to make the lace border. Pretty simple card, but naturally, it took me some time.

Darlene's Challenge Card

I have made some great acquaintances on SCS, and Darlene is one of them...love this card. Darlene used one of my favorite techniques...chalking. I've got to find our where this paper is from. I have been searching the 'net for vintage look paper...this is so pretty! Any help in this area would be appreciated.

Thanks for playing, Darlene!

~Bev

My Vintage Roses A Color Challenge

It was Valentine's Day. George surprised me with a bouquet of beautiful yellow roses, edged in pink. I love roses...who doesn't? The only problem was, we were leaving for Florida the very next morning.


I usually dry a single rose from each bouquet, but this time I took the whole bouquet, tied twine around it and hung it in the basement. When we returned a week later, the colors were even more vibrant than when they were fresh!
So this is the challenge...Look through your inks and find the most vibrant colors to represent what you see here...or play up the palest ones. I don't care, as long as you are happy with your result. I will post all the entries here. As a lover of vintage, these roses should translate to a card beautifully, but the colors would do well with any style.
Take time to smell the roses, and don't forget to end your week with a BLAST!
~Bev

Dreams...Blowing in the Wind

Blowin' in the Wind...Bob Dylan, Dream a Little Dream of Me...the Mama's and Papa's...why do I always get a tune in my head when I type here?
I think this is a dreamy card. I picture a woman on a hill (like Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With the Wind), hair and ribbons blowing, dreaming of someday, somewhere (oh no!...Somewhere, Out There...An Amercan Tale...remember that movie? Maybe I am having TV withdrawal...too much time on the 'puter, maybe?)
Anyway...I used a paper folding technique I saw on DIY with Anna Griffin. Here is the link: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/sc_techniques/article/0,2025,DIY_14232_2351794,00.html

The buttons and word, "dream" are from SeeD stamp sets I have. The lace is from Crafty Secrets Kitchen Classics again...love those stamps!

The ribbon is held in place with monoadhesive and a glue dot for the bow. I distressed, as always.

This is my card for the Buttons and Bows challenge as SCS Crafty Secrets Challenge every Tuesday. If you like Vintage, why not join in?
~Bev

Heather's Card

Heather Rolin, owner of H&M stamps http://www.handmstamps.com/, created this cute card for the color challenge, using the last of her rick rack. Isn't it cute? Thanks for playing Heather!

We have some players! (besides me)

It is so great to have some beautiful artwork done by my friends here on my blog! It's almost as great as having them over to stamp together...almost.

This card was done by my friend Darlene akronstamperdpk. I think it's darling! I was curious about these colors done in the vintage style...they did just fine.And are you ready for this? Here is a card by Beverly Cole...but it's not me! Beverly (beestamper) discovered my name on SCS and gasped as she contacted me...what a riot!
Hi Beverly..your card is COOL!




Here is my sample for this challenge.

I needed to make just ONE MORE card with this Kitchen Classics set from Crafty Secrets. The colors in this challenge were fun to use. The stamp set has cherries in it, and I thought I would naturally use them, but as I played around with the designs, this card emerged.

"Spice of" was done with the Playful acrylic alphabet from CTMH. The ribbon is also CTMH, as are the cardstock and the gingham. I chalked alot, as usual including the shakers and the bg. the dots are from a leftover when I made the kids dot card for Darlene's Crafty Secrets challenge a couple of weeks ago.

I will post more friends' cards as they arrive...y'all come back!

My Free Geranium's New Home...and a Challenge!

This was too beautiful not to share...Remember my free Geranium from the Log Jam on Mother's Day? It lived on my kitchen windowsill for more than a week, when I decided to purchase some friends for it. What a punch of color for my front walkway! I have used these colors in cards. My friend Linda loves Summer colors. What do you think, Lin? Wanna make me a card? Anyone else interested in joining in? Let's see what we can come up with.