What's on My Kitchen Counter

At Splitcoast Stampers, the Inspiration Challenge is a fun Pinterest Board all about placemats and tablescapes.  Here is the picture I chose: I just love the breezy drapes, the starfish, and the name of the blog it comes from (between naps on the porch).  I totally recommend checking out the blog, http://betweennapsontheporch.net/ , Susan does the most amazing things with tables and hosts a tablescape challenge every Thursday.  One day,,,,, I sponged my scene and stamped the DRS Designs Splatter Background on the sand to make it more realistic.  I used some cheesecloth for my breezy drapery and used the starfish from the 4-in-1 seashells stamp as my tieback.  I had to cover a little blue smudge so I stamped the Small Line Happy Birthday and punched it out.  I have been making a lot of beach cards lately - must be time to actually go the beach! Hugz

The new DRS Designs Challenge is to use stars.  Any kind of stars will work - painted, drawn, splattered, stamped, die cut, movie stars, etc.  I went with "star" fish using the new 4-in-1 seashells stamp.  I sponged a little beach scene with some sand, waves, and clouds.  I used the DRS Designs Splatter background stamp to add some pebbles to my sand. Then I added the new Adirondack Chair image to the one corner and the starfish from 4-in-1 seashells.  I placed that layer on top of a larger die cut panel stamped with Lines O'Plenty Background and then sponged in the die. It still needed something so I stamped my base with the Script Font Background and added a banner made with the Woven Plaid stamp.  I sponged the base using SU! Crumb Cake Ink. This week I made another beach themed card using the 4-in-1 seashell stamp as well - it was supposed to be for a CAS challenge at Splitcoast Stampers but it somehow morphed into a totally non-CAS card - lol! Ano

One of my favorite DRS Designs stamps is the  Cancer Is...Greeting   This stamp is so about my Mom who has battled cancer for years.  She gets up every day smiling and laughing even though the chemo and cancer are doing a number on her.  Wow - that is true courage. I used the new Anchor image and the  Sea Grass image on top of recycled cardboard painted with some white acrylic paint. My seam binding and netting are from SU! and the dried plant material under the anchor is from an arrangement we had around the house (don't tell Kenny - lol).  Hoping you are having a really special week! Hugz

DRS Designs is sponsoring Christmas Stampin' All Year Long this week so I wanted to play along in their weekly challenge. In Alabama, most years Christmas isn't very cold. Actually, that is why I moved to Alabama.  I came to visit one year at Christmas and everyone was wearing shorts.  I had come from snow-covered and icy roads so I seemed like Heaven to me!  My Christmas card is all about the beach.   I used the new 4-in-1 Seashells and the Seaside Dock images from DRS Designs .  My background is some recycled cardboard painted with white acrylic paint.  My ornaments were made using the SU! Ornament punch, silver cording, and three SU! brads.  I tucked in some SU! Seam Binding and some little natural plant fibers out of one of my old floral arrangements.  If you would like to play along and get a few more Christmas cards done (remember it is just around the corner), the challenge is to use ribbon.  Hugz!!!

This week's DRS Designs Challenge is a nautical color challenge (check them out HERE ). I used a ton of stamps on this card:   Lines o'plenty (for the bottom base) Script Font Background Stamp (for top base) Woven Plaid Background Stamp (for the bottom banner) Picket Fence Vicki's Versatile Background Lighthouse (new) 4-in-1 Seashells (new) Beach Birthday Greeting (new)   ' I loved making this card!!! Hugz

One of the challenges at SCS recently was to make a western card. I use to make a bunch of western cards as the SU! Wild Wild West set was my go to masculine set.  The WWW man was off visiting with a friend for a year and has now returned so I dug him out for the challenge.  I am still on my "I refuse to spend any time coloring" trend, so I drug the man through a mix of western colored Brushos, distressed him up a bit, and added some feathers made with the SU! Four Feathers set.  Super easy and quick card - in fact, I made it at 4:00 AM before work.  Hugz!!!

A friend of mine asked me to come up with some Sympathy cards to use in her ministry. I wanted to come up with something simple and emotional. My first thought was to use tear drops, but I didn't want the card to be obviously sad.  I decided to go with drops of water and add one or two that looked like tear drops.  I used Brushos to make my background (smashing and dragging to get the effect here).  I added the Brush In Deepest Sympathy Stamp (588G ) to my die cut oval (Spellbinders die brushed with black ink around the edges), and I drew on my water drops with a fine tip black marker and a white gel pen.  I really like the look of this card. Hugz!

At DRS Designs t his week we're using the HOT TREND of:  Over the Top! (stamp the greeting or a portion of it on top of your image or you can also have a die cut sentiment on top or use a vellum overlay!) I stamped the DRS Designs  Small 1 Line Happy Birthday Greeting over the Medium Daisy Bloom to create the flower for my card. I used the DRS Designs  Scrip Font Background for my top bg panel and embossed the bottom panel with some crumb cake ink on the top part of my embossing folder.  A little layering was done on the flower (stamped it three times), added a bit of water color to the image, and then added a cute little SU! clear button and some twine.  Fun and quick.  I love this challenge check out the cards by the other design team members HERE . Hugz!

I needed a birthday card for my sweet youngest daughter who is turning 20 this Friday.  She loves happy flowers so I cased the Featured Stamper at SCS, Lizzie, and came up with this card (I used a DRS Designs flower and sentiment, a Sizzix Tag Die, and some scrap papers).  Hope you week has started out well! Hugz