Little Red Caboose

That's me alright...the little red caboose.

I waited until the last day of May to complete my Bombshell Stamps Pin-up challenge for May--but I had a GOOD reason. I've recently undertaken the TOTALLY daunting task of re-doing my studio. Thanks to the help of my dear hubby, my studio is now (finally) in working order. But for the last few weeks, I've had no studio to work in. And, it's a little hard to get stuff done with all my supplies in boxes and my studio torn apart. I'll post pictures of my studio makeover later...

Now is the time for me to share my entry for the Pin-up challenge!! This month's challenge was brought to us by our Miss May- Jennie. She tasked us with playing a bit of Tic Tac Toe...Bombshell Style. 3-in-a-row is what we chose. Silly me, I was gonna choose EVERYTHING on the board for a "blackout"...then someone reminded me this was "tic tac toe"...not Bingo. So, I acquiesced and just went with the right column of Pins, Roses and Red (but I SO TOTALLY could have done a blackout).

I used the lovely Rose's Portrait stamp from Bombshell. I stamped her with Versamark ink on black paper and embossed her in white. This is version 2. In version 1, I tried to color her in with Prismas...but it looked, yucky. So I just left her be. I embossed the background and mat with embossing plates. I made the roses out of cardstock. The beaded pins I threw together with odds and ends beads and some jewelry-making head pins.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Divas by Design: #30 Anything Goes

Ingredients:
Stamp - Bombshell Stamps (Rose's Portrait)
Nestability die - Spellbinders (Labels Ten)
embossing plates - Fiskars, Sizzix
Patterned paper - Scenic Route
trim
beads and head pins
cardstock
pearls - Michaels

The Lusty Month of May

Can you tell I've been singing songs from "Camelot" all week? I know it's because my hubby and I are watching Stargate SG-1...9th season...with all those episodes that revolve around King Arthur and Merlin (who is, in fact, an alien). Now that I've TOTALLY exposed myself for the nerd I am, it's the very last Wednesday of the month and that means it's time for:

 Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Blog Hop!!!

This month, our illustrious hop mistress, Alison, decided we should choose one of the MANY obscure holidays that fall in May. I thought there were only a couple. Au contraire, mes amis. There is a veritable BOATLOAD of weird holidays to be had in May.

Don't believe me? Go check out this link: Weird May Holidays.

You should have arrived here from Miss Emily's FaBuLoUs blog! If not, oh well! At least you got here! And if you wanna start at the beginning of this wacky hop just go to the Bombshell Blog and start at the beginning...'cuz it's always a good place to start.

I picked May 21...National Waiters and Waitresses Day. Here's my tribute to all the servers out there. May your tips be generous and your customers be pleasant. And, when one of them makes a pass at you just say, "I'm not on the menu...but I should be."

 Order Up!!!

So, here's my entry for the hop. I did a little (okay a LOT) of work in Photoshop to give my Bombshell Angel waitress a quintessential uniform. Let's say...I took liberties. LOTS of liberties.

Like Dr. Frankenstein in his laboratory...I sort of took bits and pieces from several of the digital Bombshell Angel outfits and combined them, rearranged them, spliced them and tweaked them within an inch of their virtual lives...and VOILA!! A 1950's roller-skating waitress was born--complete with pad, pen, roller skates and FaBuLoUs cat-eye glasses. The background is shiny silver paper (it's hard to see in the photo). And the patterned "pie" paper has shiny silver pie tins on it. I added some shiny silver punchinella and some really cute vintage German silverware stickers.
 

 I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• All That Scraps - Inspiration Challenge
• My Mums Craft Shop - Red White and Blue
• Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - Celebrations
• Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges - Anything Goes
• Crafts and Me Challenges - Add a Ribbon 
• Divas by Design: #30 Anything Goes 
• Scrapbook Sisters - Card Challenge #86 (Anything Goes)

Ingredients:

Digital image - Bombshell Stamps (Bombshell Angel)

Prismacolor colored pencils

Patterned paper - TPC Studio (Easy as Pie), red gingham from who knows.

chrome brads - Creative Impressions

scallop scissors - Fiskars

Punchinella

ribbon - Michaels

silver paper

cardstock

vintage German silverware stickers

Next hop stop is Miss Kapree!!! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Please leave love along the way in the form of comments and virtual hugs. 

Here's a full list of the hop participants...in case you want it, need it, or wish to sell it to the CIA.

Bombshell Blog
Alison
Susie
Cassie
Jodi
Mary G.
Kim
Emily
YOU ARE HERE >>>> Torrey<<<<< YOU ARE HERE
Kapree
Kelli
Glittery Katie
Kathi

Inner Light

A few days ago, it was my bestee's birthday. Let's just say...she has now (and for the next four months) caught up to me in age. I like to tease her about how she can now officially become a Red-Hatter, join AARP, order from the senior menu and receive discounts all over the place.

Then, I remember....

I, too, am "that" age.

*sigh*

Crimanently. When did we become "that" age? Ok...for her--a few days ago. For me, about 8 months ago (for those of you literal types). I didn't mean that as a literal question. It was more a rhetorical, philosophical musing sort of ponderance. I mean, I still FEEL about 20 something on the INSIDE. But, my joints and mirror say otherwise.

Stupid joints. Stupid mirror.

At any rate, I made this card for Jodi, in honor of her birthday. She's my muse. She's my mojo. She's my inspiration. 

Jodi, you'll NEVER be old in my eyes, because the light within you burns so brightly.

Happy Birthday, my bestee. I love you.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Challenge # 20 No Flowers Allowed!
Paper Play Challenges - Summer Lovin' 



Ingredients:

Digital Image - Twilight Fairy by Sara Burrier
Prismacolor colored pencils
glitter pen - Sakura
rhinestones - Michaels
ribbon - Offray
patterned paper

A Fond Farewell

Today's post marks my last challenge for Chocolate, Coffee & Cards as one of their design team members. I had a blast being a part of their inaugural design team!! Not only was it their very first DT...it was also my first stint as a challenge blog DT member! It was an honor to work alongside some very talented ladies, with some very fun artwork! I want to offer a laurel and hearty handshake to welcome the new DT. (get it? "laurel and hearty"???)

never mind...y'all are probably too young anyway.

Ok, on to this week's challenge. This week at CCCC, we're celebrating the snips and snails world of boys! We were asked to make a card that would be suitable for a boy. Our sponsor this week is Dearie Dolls by Mary Ellen. She sure does have some c-ute stuff! And the best part is, she offers all the images on her blog for FREE!! WOW!

For my card, I picked this charming little guy with his doggie balloon. I found this REALLY darling pack of patterned paper by DCWV--it's all different patterns printed on Kraft paper. Anyone who knows me, knows I luvz mah Kraft paper.

I colored up my little guy on Kraft paper (what else?) using my Prismacolor pencils, so that he'd match (sort of) the background paper. Can't even tell he's made out of Kraft paper can you? I LOVE what colored pencils do when laid down on Kraft. SO VIVID!!! Then I fussy-cut him out and added real string to his balloon. I cut out the trees from the original background (it's 12x12) and popped them off for more dimension. I did the same with the fluffy clouds.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

•  Kraft Outlet- "Remember You"
• 2 Sisters Challenge Blog - "Bring on the Boys" 
• Here Comes the Boys - # 28 "Anything Goes"
• One Stop Craft Challenge - #184 "For the Boys"
• Fairy Tale Challenge Blog - "Boys and Men"
• SJ Crafts - May/June "All About The Boy"
• Make It Monday - #91 "Anything Goes"

Ingredients:
Boy with Balloon image - Dearie Dolls
Banner - Spellbinders (Ribbon Banner)
Patterned paper - Die Cuts With a View (Playtime Kraft pack)
Prismacolor colored pencils
Glaze pen - Sakura
mini rick-rack
embroidery floss
foam spacers
Kraft colored cardstock

I'm not in Kansas anymore

Actually, I never was in Kansas. I was next door, in Colorado. BIG difference.

I just wanted to take a quick minute to post a card I made recently. I didn't make this for an assignment...not for a challenge...not to promote anything. I made this card, for me. 'Cuz I wanted to. I just had an urge/vision to make a Dorothy card.

The fabulous shooz are a Cricut die (don't ask me to remember which one)...but I didn't trust it would cut out the glitter paper, so I cut them out of regular cardstock and traced 'em on the back of the glitter paper, then hand-cut them out. Old school...I know. So shoot me.

I added lots of splashes of glitter pen, though it doesn't show up in the photo. Why is it SO DIFFICULT to photograph glitter and have it look...glittery? I ended up adding little "starbursts" of white in Photoshop to accentuate the glitter. It's totally cheating...but I couldn't figure out a better way to impart the "glitter" feel in the photograph.  

Does anyone out there have any suggestions for successfully photographing glitter?

Ingredients:

Twinkle Toes cartridge - Cricut
Dorothy image - Graphic 45 (The Magic of Oz)
Nestability die - Spellbinders (Labels Four)
eyelet border punch - Martha Stewart for EK Success
eyelet corner punch - unknown
dotted ribbon and heart brad - Creative Impressions
glitter paper
patterned paper
glitter pen - Sakura

CCCC time again!

It's May. I can't believe it. But one look outside confirms it. The trees are in full leaf. The Spring flowers have all but gone and the fireflies are out and it's challenge time again over at CCCC!

This round's sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and our challenge was to follow this sketch.

I chose the fun and Springy Ladybug Scene-It stamp to work with. Who doesn't love ladybugs? It reminds me of that nursery rhyme we all knew as kids. Have you ever stopped to consider what it's actually saying???

Ladybug, ladybug

fly away home...

your house is on fire 

and your children will burn.

How TERRIBLE is that? What a horrific image it creates! FLY, LADYBUG...FLY LIKE THE WIND!!! No wonder I'm so twisted...undoubtedly it is due, in part, to the fact that I was raised on apocalyptic nursery rhymes like this. But this gives me an idea...maybe I should have put flames on the backs of the ladybugs...

Anyway, back to my card. I colored the image with my Prismacolor pencils (sorry, no Copics this time) and mounted everything on a black background to make it really POP.

Ingredients:
Scene-it Ladybugs stamp - Bugaboo Stamps
Patterned paper - Die Cuts With A View
Prismacolor Pencils
ribbon - Creative Impressions
black gems - Michaels
webbing
cardstock
stamping ink

Throwing down the gauntlet

As some of you may know (and many of you may not), I recently spent 4 GLORIOUS days at a scrapbooking/card making retreat up in Colorado with my bestee, Jodi. You can see her FaBuLoUs blog here: KabooDesigns.

Before the retreat, Jodi went through her GINORMOUS stash of stickers and put together a rather large tub (20 gallons or so) to give away. She actually was a VERY good girl and donated not only tons of stickers, but albums, embellishments, paper and various paper crafting supplies to be given away at the retreat.

She and I usually aren't real "productive" when we go to crops/retreats, but we do enjoy a little friendly rivalry. So, we decided it would be fun if we challenged each other to a card-making duel. **

**DISCLAIMER:  the only guns used in this duel were adhesive guns.

Each of us reached into the giant vat-o-stickers and presented  the other with a sheet of stickers to use in our duel. The only requirement was that we had to use at LEAST 2 stickers from the selected sheet.

We both chose REALLY old sets from Scrappy Cat (funny how that worked). Here is the set I chose for her. The set she chose for me was very similar but in a different color palette.

And here is what we did with them:

First is my card: I pretty much left the stickers as-is--just cut the larger ones down to size. They made a fun backdrop for my scooterific card. It's hard to see, but I added a silver border around my scooter image (a stamp from Imaginisce that I colored with my Prismacolor pencils) to mimic the silver border that is on the stickers.

Next is Jodi's card. She pulled out her fine-tip pen and Zentangled the heck out of the stickers. I must admit...hers is BRILLIANT and far outshines mine (but don't tell her that).

Note the groups of 3 graduated "gems" on both our cards. This was TOTALLY coincidental, as we made our cards at different times during the weekend and didn't reveal what we did until the end. GMTA (great minds think alike).

It was a fun and "challenging" challenge...and I consider this crafting duel...a "draw".

HAHAHAHA.