My Favorite "Guy" Card Color Combo

I have always loved this color combo for guy things....clothes....decor....and yes...cards!
back in the 80's...i discovered my love of this navy..tan and cream color combo when I made an afghan for a male friend..and I have loved it ever since.

I have long since retired my crochet hooks....and have replaced them with anything and everything related to card stock..ink..and rubber stamps.....and still...I have found myself going back to this color combination countless times when creating  "guy cards"...

This Father's Day card is CAS (my style of choice!) and is ideal, I think, for Sketch Challenge #3 over at Card and a Half and it's done in my favorite guy color combo...using Stampin Ups Not Quite Navy, Creamy Caramel and Very Vanilla

While I love this color combo for guy" cards....I know that it translates well to feminine cards..and so tomorrow I'll share a second card...also created for this card challenge...using similar colors...

Until then...I hope that you enjoy your Saturday...and that maybe...you'll visit Card and a Half to check out this Sketch Challenge

Stampin'... Stampin'...Stampin'.....for a Moxie Fab Challenge!

I've received some emails asking about the background print on this card (posted here on my blog earlier this month).....
so..I thought I'd answer the questions.....and while I am at it...tell you that I am entering this card in a challenge at Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge in the Moxie Fab World ......and if you've created a card in which stamping is the predominant element....be sure to visit Cath Edvalson..at the Papercrafts Moxie Fab World Blog to enter your card in thie weeks challenge!

So...now...onto my card....
here I created one card...used two colors (*Basic Grey and Very Vanilla card stock) and lots of stamping with one beautiful stamp set....(The Open Sea...from Stampin up!)..and the result is what you see below!..and oh!...yes... I almost forgot to mention that I used a Color Spritzer (for the little "splatter" of ink dots around the image of the ship)

Now....about the background..which is what everyone asked about ...
I used the globe and the stamp that replicates a ships manifest for the background...using Stampin Up Basic Grey  Classic ink on Basic Grey card stock...stamp stamp stamp.....and wha-la!..a beautiful background pattern that coordinates with the ship image from the same stamp set!
(I love creating background patterns with stamps...using the same color ink as the card stock...like I did here...with Basic Grey)

I enjoyed making this card SO much..and am looking forward to making a few more of them to keep on hand for "guy" occasions...

P.S....don't you just love the little stamped anchor that I cut out and used as an embellishment! (the anchor is  another stamp included in "The Open Sea" stamp set)

Spritzer fun.....

Every so often I dig out a tool or supply that I haven't used in a while....put us both on the guest list.....and the I throw a little reunion party....

This time the guest of honor was the Stampin Up Color Spritzer Tool...
As soon as we were reunited..I realized how much I had missed my Spritzer....

After a wonderful reunion..I decided to throw another party..same guest of honor..but a bigger guest list..
and so...I brought my Spritzer to last month's card making Workshop.....and introduced it to the ladies who attended...and the party took off!

This is the "Spritzerized" card that we did..(we always make 4 of each  of 2 cards at every workshop...)...
once everyone got the hang of how much pressure to put on the Spritzer bulb..the fun began!

The Spritzer...the colors (*Basic Grey and Very Vanilla).....and Stamp set (*The Open Sea) and the Designer Series Paper (*Nautical Expedition) ....were all a big hit!

Imagine...a color and generic as Basic Grey being a hit! (that was our color  that night....we always work off of one Stampin Up color each month)

So without further ado...I give you our "Spritzerized" card

 ...and here it is again...side by side ...with the second workshop card for that evening..also using Basic Grey ....our color of the night......along with Concord Crush...Pretty in Pink and Very Vanilla...

Thanks for stopping by....
I hope that these cards inspire you to plan your own reunion party with a stool or supply that you haven't used in a while...and that you fall in love all over again with it...like I did..with my Color Spritzer

Cherry Cobbler...a wonderful color

Every so often...in the creative process...you work with something that you find that you really love...maybe a little bit more than other materials, parts, pieces and supplies that you've loved in the past....
For me...that feeling came when I decided to make some cards for next weeks workshop...using Stampin Up's Cherry Cobbler....
I like red tones..but not fire engine red...and Cherry Cobbler turned out to be a nice deep rich warm red tone...bold enough..but not shouting "look at me..but put on your sunglasses first!"

These are the 2 cards that we will be re creating at next weekends workshop...(we'll make 4 of each for a total of 8 cards)

*High 5 and thumbs up to you, Cherry Cobbler...(I think you will become a fave of mine for holiday cards this year!

*click on each pic to view details in larger format

A Very Vintage Valentine

I am still catching up with sharing recent cards here on my blog...and am excited to share these vintage Valentine's with you.
These were created with free on-line printables that I found while browsing different web sites

These cards were a cinch to make....and were a big hit with my 2 Valentine sweethearts...my daughter, Chelsea.....and fiance'....Gary...

I also used these adorable images (and some others) with the ladies at my monthly Workshop...and they were a big hit!

I also posted the first card (below) to my FB page..and offered to make one for any local friends who might want one... so that they could give it to their own Valentine sweetheart..
as it turned out..quite a few people liked the card enough to ask for one...and so I had a steady stream of friends coming to my house..to pick up their card

As much as I am an addicted and dedicated stamper..I can definitely see myself enjoying creating with Vintage images like these  in the future...

If you like Vintage images..be sure to take a jaunt around the web .....where I know you'll find more free printables that you can create your own cards with.

(I still have, I think, one...or maybe 2...valentine card pics on my camera....Gary and Chelsea's cards...and will share them when I upload them to my computer..)

This is the card that I made and offered to friends.. (I think that lots of husbands and sweethearts in my town  received this card this year..lol)

I created this little cutie cop card for a friend  who gave it to her police officer fiance...(loved the corny sentiment..)

Catching up...

It's still cold out here on Long Island..but we have sunshine..and chirping birds..so I am hopeful that soon I'll see those beautiful crocuses poking their lavender heads thru the ground by our driveway....
Once I see those little purple flowers blooming...I'll know that I can do my Welcome Spring happy dance!

I won't profess to be doing any Spring cleaning yet...but I am feeling like I at least need to give more attention to my much neglected blog...and so I'm sharing a few photos of the cards that I whipped up for last month's card Making workshop...

The workshop ladies loved both cards..specially the square one..that fits into a std CD envelope (the kind with the clear round window on the front)

This weekend I'll be creating 2 additional cards..and prepping the kits for next weekend's Card Making Workshop...and will be sure to share photos here when they're done)..but first..I'll be back wiht a few Valentine card cuties that I think you'll like a lot :)

I hope that these cards inspire you..and lead you to your craftroom..to create some cards of your own!

Have a great weekend!

Wish the Dazzling Diamonds on the blooms in the photo showed better...you'll just have to take my word about how pretty it looks... :)

PS....My cupcake top was sitting a bit high on top of the cupcake...(don;t you think??)...so i lowered it right after this photo was taken..and it looked much better...

Drum Roll please.....a Fast Card-a-Thon Update!

Hi Everyone..

The Card-a-Thon was yesterday..and it was a HUGE success.

Are you sitting???

Our grand total for the day was....3185 cards!!!!

yep..you read it right... in one day we created 3185 cards for our Military Heroes

Last year we created 1754 cards in one day at the Card-a-Thon and this year we had hoped to create 2000 cards...so 3185 is a thrill!

The Card-a-Thon could never have been the tremendous success that it was....without all of my SU and SCS friends who have been shipping supplies and materials to me...and Pastor Janet Porcher of the Oceanside First United Methodist Church  for generously donating the churches spacious hall to us for the day (as she did last year)...
Thank You to...Marcie from ucutathome(.com) .... Diana from Scor-Pal .... Stampington and Company ....and my wonderful local friends who donated all of the materials and supplies...along with a group of wonderful dedicated and hard working volunteers who attended and created all of the fantastic cards!

My Thank You cannot be complete without adding an extra thank you to all of my monthly workshop ladies who have worked with me behind the scenes during the past months prepping materials....cutting ...scoring.....embossing....sorting etc...you have all been so generous of yourselves..and your time...and are very much the backbone of this event!

You are all appreciated beyond what words can convey!

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

PS...Today I am in the "recovery mode"...but will be back in a few days to post some photos of the day

Yes....I'm Still Here.....

Yes....I'm here.....Thinking that it can't be possible that it's already the middle of January...(and even more amazing...today my "baby"...aka my sweet daughter turns 17!

After being absent from my blog for so long..I had hoped to be back..to regular posting and sharing..and maybe even some blog candy here and there.....once the New Year began...not a genuine resolution....but just a "hope"...and a nice thought...
However.....seeing that it's already mid January..I think Ill take a rain check on that plan..and hope for better once the Card-a-Thon is over...

Yep!..the Card-a-Thon is THIS SUNDAY..January 23rd!
We are  ready to roll..supplies ready..
card bases ready.
images stamped..colored..matted...
volunteers signed on....
....and a goal of making 2000 cards by the end of the day being held onto tightly..
wish us luck!

(I'll share photos after the event and let you know if we reached our lofty (aka CRAZZZZY) goal of creating 2000 cards!)

In the meantime..our Long Island weather is not so nice today...rain..sleet..snow..and lots of slippery ice all over the place....so while I'm home....safe and warm.....and thought I'd take a moment to do a fast blog post...

I have 2 back to back workshops on Saturday..and wanted to share the cards that we will be doing at the evening card making Workshop...

I am a CAS (Clean and s Simple) kind of card making gal..so cards like this always appeal to me

Our color palette that night focuses on Poppy parade..a really nice red ...and it worked well with Baja Breeze and Sahara Sand...don't you think so?

Thanks for stopping by..and I hope that you are cozied up at home too, on this wintery day!

Thank Goodness for Workshop Commitments...

The Card-a-Thon is this weekend!

I can hardly believe that a years worth of planning and prep will all fall into place on Saturday!

I hope that you'll check in here at my blog next week for some Card-a-Thon photos... and maybe even a video
(to read about the Card-a-Thon.... go HERE )

This being said..I have not been creative at all..(for my own pleasure and enjoyment)...for months now..my creative tie has been limited to what i create and prepare for the monthly workshops that I do...thus the title of this blog post..." Thank Goodness for Workshop Commitments..." because
without my monthly workshops I have a feeling I'd be creating...NOTHING!

Don't get me wrong...I love creating for workshops and classes....
anytime I can create is time that I cherish and enjoy....
but I really do miss sitting down and creating "just because".

Anyway... this is the card that we did last Saturday
Our color palette that night was Concord Crush...and the card was a hit with everyone.
I hope that this card inspires you to get your hands on some Concord Crush ink and card stock...
(I am so NOT a purple person...but this color has already become a fave of mine)

Knee Deep in Card-a-Thon Stuff....

HELLO EVERYONE!!...

Can you hear my voice?
I am shouting to you from under a huge, and forever growing, heap of boxes..envelopes and packages that are beginning to arrive here for the Card-a-Thon....and have transformed my house into a warehouse of all sorts of card making supplies.

What's the Card-a-Thon you ask?

Well...I'll give you the Reader's Digest condensed version of the story...
This is how it all started..

Last year..I had this desire to create cards for our U.S. Military Heroes...I thought I'd do it on my own..and send them to Operation Write Home..and Operation Quiet Comfort...
Then I thought...hmmm...maybe I'll ask my Workshop ladies if they wanted to join me...

and from there..it too off..and all began to happen....

and so...l after many months of planning...getting donations from a few crating companies....posting threads on Splitcoaststampers.com asking for donations of colored images..and other card making goodies...I found that the response was FANNN-tastic!...
This was turning out to be much more than a handful of ladies getting together to make cards...

and so...last October (2009) I organized and hosted the first Card-a-Thon here in my home town
in hopes of making about 500 cards for our US military heroes...

The cards being made would all be sent to Operation Write Home..and Operation Quiet Comfort

Approximately 40 volunteers of all ages came that day and created cards from 10 a.m. - 6 pm...
and in the end... we didn't make 500 cards... or 1000 cards....
we made 1754 cards!!!

My blog has been VERY quiet lately..(no time to create)...but these are a few photos from last years card-a-thon....
http://mypaperbliss.blogspot.com/2009/10/few-card-thon-pictures.html

The event was such a success..and the people who volunteered told me to count them in if I did another Card-a-Thon..

so...here I am..KNEE DEEP  IN CARD-A-THON STUFF!

I started out with this years goal being 2000 cards........but am now thinking that with the donations I've already received..(and with what's YET to come)..we may be able to go beyond that insanely ridiculously huge number of 2000....and hopefully maybe even make it to 23...24...2500!!

The flip side of this is...I have not created a single thing sin ages..other than the featured cards and projects for the monthly workshops and crop that I do...

I am now feeling itchy about getting back to my card making..,,(I really miss my creative time)...so while I won't promise anything...to you..OR myself.....I'll say that I am hoping that by the time mid August rolls around..I'l be sharing some photos with you here..of things I'll be creating...

So..if you'd like to donate colored/matted images to the October 23rd Card-a-Thon..and push us further along to the 2500 number.... ...please email me at LovesStampin@aol.com

And...if you live near by...it'd be wonderful to have you join us on October 23rd for a 12 hour day of card making!

I hope that all of my blogging friends are having a safe and wonderful Summer...and always know..although my own bog has been very quiet...I continue to enjoy making the rounds to YOUR blogs to admire your work....

and sometimes...to steal a bit of inspiration!