What's on My Kitchen Counter

Another mixed media card inspired by the SCS Inspiration Challenge this weekend - I can't stop!!! HERE is the link to the inspiration piece I picked.  I used some old cardboard that I painted white and then I added water and sprinkled on some Brushos.  Then I did the same thing to some white paper and punched out the flowers once it dried.  Actually I made this in the mornings before work so it wasn't really difficult or time consuming.  I love how it came out!!!  My sentiment is from SU! and my punch is from Martha Stewart.  I am entering this in the following challenges: Crafting with Friends :  Anything Goes Craft your Passion :  Anything Goes Inspiration Destination :  Anything Goes Hugz!!!!

The newest DRS Designs Challenge is to focus on the Sentiment and make it the main focus of your card.  Still wishing for snow, I did a snow based Christmas card: I used the DRS Designs Large Script Merry Christmas on the front and inside I used the new Baby Jesus Heart .  I added in some Tim Holtz die cut pinecones and greenery.  I made my snow by mixing in white acrylic paint, Snow Tex and Glitter.  I have to admit I was inspired by THIS awesome creation on Pinterest  - I found it when participating in the Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers and had to try to do something like it.  Hugz!!!

DRS Designs is the sponsor at Tuesday Morning Sketches this week so I decided to play too (especially since the sketch is sooo fun).  I love the aqua, green, and red color combination I am seeing on Christmas cards this year so get ready for an aqua, green and red color explosion on my blog over the next few months! All my images and backgrounds are by DRS Designs: Ornament: Simple Ornament Inside the Ornament:   Snow Tree with Fence Greeting and foliage around ornament:  Season's Greetings Holy Spray Base Background: Small Merry Christmas Greeting (stamped multiple times) Top Background Panels:  Script Font Background This sketch was so fun and I really like how the card came out.  Hope you get a chance to play in the challenge too.  Hugz!

It's a color challenge for the next week at DRS Designs: I love me some chili peppers.  My favorite thing to do right now it half a Jalapeno, de-sead it, fill it with cream cheese, wrap it in bacon, sprinkle some brown sugar on top and bake it for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.  Yumm!!!  Aren't the colors in this picture fabulous?  I used some of them on the poinsettia I used on my card (all done with Tim Holtz distress inks). I used the new Seasons Greetings Holy Spray image and I embossed it in white. Actually, the base was created when my daughter and I were discussing what makes a masculine card.  I was showing her how colors can help along with inks and design. Then I showed her how a giant flower or some pink can change it to a feminine card.  Hope you can join in the challenge. Hugz!!

I am still dreaming of snow - hope I don't sound like a broken record! For right now, my little snowy Christmas card is the closest thing I have to snow other than if I decide to chip off the frosty ice forming around my freeze door.    I used the new  Simple Christmas Ornament and stamped in the Triple Tree with Snow image.  I stamped the Triple Trees with Tim Holtz Dress Ink and blurred them with some water.  I stamped them in on my top card layer and did the same thing.  I added some Snow Tex and then stamped the Large Script Merry Christmas .  Inside I made a similar scene. This also qualifies for the current DRS Designs Challenge: You Left Me Hanging!   (a card with anything hanging, dangling, etc.) - today is the last day and we would love to see what brilliant creations you can make with this theme.  Hugz

Don't you love it when a plan comes together? My youngest daughter, Allie, has decided to start a booth at a flea market.  She has picked out the cutest name for her business - The Speckled Farmhouse.  She has a darling blog if you want to visit it ( CLICK HERE ).  Last night we were kicking around ideas for her business cards and sale tags, and this morning I decided to play in the Splitcoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge. Then two ideas collided and this is what happened: I was inspired by THIS business card (the Inspiration Challenge was based on a great Pinterest board that is nothing but super cool business cards).  Hope Allie likes it. Hugz!

The DRS Designs Challenge this week is: You Left Me Hanging!    (use any technique, image, die cut or punched shape but have something that Hangs or dangles... think ornaments, jewelry, fruit on the vine, laundry, you get the idea! ) I saw  THIS great card on Splitcoast Stampers done by Angie (love her work), and I had never heard of Dangle Art.  I checked it out on Google and decided to try it for this fun DRS Challenge.  I had so much fun!  I will be doing this again.  I used the new Triple Hanging Christmas Ornaments stamp (just the middle one) and the Small Merry Christmas Greeting . Hope you will join us in the challenge - be sure and check all the other DT members' cards as well.  Hugz!

Yesterday, I tried to do a few of the Dirty Girl Challenges on Splitcoast Stampers.  I had intentions of doing at least half of them but I only got a few done.  The first two are done with DRS Designs Images and the second two with Tim Holtz Crazy Bird Images (the bg in the third is DRS too).  I had fun making these, and that is all that matters right?         Hope you had a fun weekend too!  Hugz!!!

This week's DRS Designs Challenge is all about the  HOT TREND of:  Dry Embossing!   (use any dry embossing technique..embossing folders, scoring, or the old fashioned way with a stylus & stencil). I used a cool Sizzix circle frame embossing folder to frame my images.  The folder has a fun little spring looking flower around the edge so I covered it up with some holly and branches (from a new image coming to DRS Designs soon).  I added some ornaments (also soon to be released) and the fun Small Merry Christmas Greeting .        I love how this came out and it may be my go to Christmas card this year.  Hope you can join us in the challenge.  I am also entering this card in Jeannie's Dragonfly Journeys' Color Challenge - thanks for letting me know about it Jeannie!  Hugz!

If you are like me, you are dreaming of cooler weather.  Last night, my family (including my new grandson) were all laying around talking about our favorite Fall and Winter things - hot chocolate, caramel apples, pumpkins, wearing sweaters and coats, Halloween and Christmas movies on TV, and the beauty of the leaves and trees.  I had to make a cooler weather card after all that dreaming!  I used the DRS Designs  Snow Tree with Fence (144M) image to create this scene.  I was inspired by  THIS wonderful picture at Artful Home (the inspiration site in the Inspiration Challenge at SCS this week).  The image did all the work - all I had to do was a little watercolor line in the background.  A few SB dies and Martha Steward punches made the frame.  There are still a few more hours to enter in the DRS Designs  Cause a Scene Challenge! Many hugz!