Ukulele Lady

I taught myself to play the ukulele a few years ago. Nothing fancy. I play songs that my family sang when I was growing up because those things need to be passed on, ya know?! A lot of my favorites are songs that my Grandma would sing...I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, My Blue Heaven, and You are my Sunshine. As I learned more chords, I added a few favorite oldies of my own. This one is fun to sing!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knw2HpCmQe4]

That song was the first thing that popped in my head when I made this card!

[caption id="attachment_8398" align="aligncenter" width="3233"] Ukulele Hula Girl, Harvest Moon and Wind Swept Palm JFF Rubber Stamps. Club Scrap cardstock.[/caption]

I caved and bought some Distress Oxide inks... I saw so many posts using them and I was intrigued! They are so smooth and creamy and make inking a background so easy! I love what happened to the background when I flicked water droplets on it.



That sure was a lot of fussy cuttin' but I love how it turned out! I used Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers to color the images and added some Stickles for sparkle. I heat embossed the harvest moon with silver embossing powder because...you know the song...♫ By the Light of the Silvery Moon♫♪! Oh, I am so ready for a beach VACATION!

Be sure to check out the new Just For Fun Rubber Stamps challenge for July, WEDDING BELLS! Whip up a wedding themed card and share it with us for a chance to win a gift certificate to shop at JFF Rubber Stamps!

Go make something fabulous!

SUPPLIES USED:

I link to sources for your convenience. Affiliate links are used at no extra cost to you.

Distress Oxide Inks

Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers 

Stickles

[gallery ids="8437,8438" type="rectangular"]

Club Scrap® Card Stock

CHALLENGES ENTERED:

Creative Artiste's Challenge 28  Anything Mixed Media Goes

Brown Sugar Challenge Blog #258 Anything Goes

Crazy For Challenges 393 Create a card to celebrate a popular travel destination

Hiding in My Craftroom 308 Super Scraps Saturday

Dare 2B Artzy July Challenge 

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Dresses, Bathing Suits and Blue Panties

I rode my bike to my hair appointment at Ron's Salon Saturday...in a dress!



My windblown "do"! It was dry by the time I rode home.



I was feeling so good, I went shopping at Dillard's for makeup and came out with a new bathing suit, cover up, makeup, and shampoo (because I passed by Ulta!).  I haven't bought a bathing suit in years...I hate shopping! I even went for my first swim of the season that afternoon with my friends. I was like a little kid after that, I needed a nap! (It might have been the combination of 3 hours of sun and a daiquiri!) Summer is here!

I was lazy and crafty the rest of the holiday weekend. Scrap and nap! I thought I'd make a few cards after seeing the Club Scrap July Card Sketch Challenge. Annette did a great job with this one! I love the simplicity.





Club Scrap® (CS) card stock. Bathing suit stamps, sentiment and banner stamp from CS Boardwalk kit, palm tree image from JFF Rubber Stamps

I haven't used my alcohol markers in a while. I love the vibrant colors!

[caption id="attachment_8198" align="aligncenter" width="2434"] Images stamped with Memento ink and colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers. Stickles for sparkle. Sentiment stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with copper foil embossing powder. Twine and mini clothes pins from my stash.[/caption]

I am impatiently waiting for my July 2017 Club Scrap®  Deluxe kit Vintage Botany kit to arrive in the mail! So, I downloaded the digital kit and whipped up a digi card too. That "punny" sentiment is hilarious!

[caption id="attachment_8197" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Club Scrap Vintage Botany digital kit backgrounds and sentiment. Crewel and Unusual floral elements.[/caption]

So, I get this text yesterday...



Well, I would have worn blue panties, but I never botany! Bahahahaha!!!!

Do more of what makes you happy!



SUPPLIES USED:

I link to sources for your convenience. Affiliate links are used at no extra cost to you.

Club Scrap card stock



Club Scrap Boardwalk Stamps



JFF Rubber Stamps Windswept Palm



Club Scrap Vintage Botany Digital Kit 



Club Scrap Crewel and Unusual digital kit



Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers



CHALLENGES ENTERED:

Club Scrap July Card Sketch Challenge

Crafty Creations Challenges #345 Anything Goes

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog: Challenge #53 Anything Goes

Dare2BArtzy July Challenge Bright Colors

Hiding In My Craftroom HIMCR #307 Photo Colors Challenge



Inkspirational Challenge #138 -Rural



Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog Anything Goes

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Finding Coffee

I love coffee. Can't do without it and will go to great lengths to find some if it isn't readily available. BUT, I am a coffee snob. I like it strong with cream and sugar AND some flair! A few years ago, when my sister was visiting, we decided to stop in and pay a late night visit to Lorna (her mother-in-law). Lorna is a FABULOUS hostess! She had her coffee service ready when we arrived (she was in robe and slippers!) and had REAL CREAM and sugar to boot! Good conversation and some rich coffee makes for a great ending to a fun night. I want to be more like her when I grow up... I wouldn't have answered the phone that late, let alone make coffee and entertain. She is a true "southern lady"! Seriously. She's from south Louisiana!



My card features the Finding Coffee free digi stamp from Stamplorations, who just happens to be the sponsor for Day 2 of the Cupcake Inspirations 400th Birthday Challenge.



They are generously providing a $20 gift certificate to their store, so be sure to make something and link up for a chance to win!

[gallery ids="5816,5815" type="rectangular"]

I printed the digi image on Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock 8.5x11-and colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers. The teacups are heat embossed with gold embossing powder and a coat of Crackle Accents. I rubbed Tea Stain Distress ink over it after it was dry. I rubbed the little black frame with Versamark ink and dusted with silver embossing powder and heat set. I wasn't sure it would work, but I love the effect!

 

[caption id="attachment_5814" align="aligncenter" width="2448"] Finding Coffee STAMPlorations digi image cut with CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies. Club Scrap® card stock and sentiment.[/caption]

[gallery ids="5792,5885" type="rectangular"]

Check out what the rest of the design team has to share today and play along during our Celebration! Be sure to display BOTH the 400th challenge inspiration AND combine a birthday theme project with a past Cupcake Inspiration Challenge. Past challenges can be found on the CIC Pinterest Board as well as on the Cupcake Inspirations blog. Pick one and make a card!

Do more of what makes you happy!



Other challenges entered:

CYCI #151 Sketch by Eva



STAMPlorations Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge! 

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Time for Tea

It took me a long time to learn to like hot tea.

I like the ceremony of it. But, tea is not for impatient people. There is a process to making a good cup and it shouldn't be rushed.  However, I am not a patient person. I'm especially not patient in the morning when I need a caffeine jolt! Given the everyday choice I will choose a cup of hot coffee over a cup of tea, but I do love hot spiced tea at Christmas, cold almond tea from The Cottage, and a sweet hot toddy when I have a bad cold. But, on a cold day when the house is quiet and I want to be cozy and read a good book, I'll take the time to make a good cup of tea!

Valentine's Day is Tuesday and this is the perfect card for a kindred spirit!



This week's Cupcake Inspirations Challenge is sponsored by STAMPlorations  and they are generously providing a $15 gift certificate to our randomly chosen winner. STAMPlorations also hosts numerous monthly challenges on their blog so be sure to hop over and see what's going on there too!



STAMPlorations offers the occasional free digi image for the Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge and I found this Cup of Roses digi stamp by Sherry Russ to use for my focal image.



I flipped the image and added a sentiment that I designed in Photoshop Elements using the Jury Duty font.



I colored the images with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers on Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Premium Cardstock and then cut out some of the edges of the leaves with a craft knife to pop them up for a little added dimension.



The black Club Scrap cardstock underneath gives it a nice shadow!



Check out what the rest of the design team created here (the STAMPlorations design team joined us this week as well!), then go make a card and enter the challenge! Can't wait to see what you create!

Do more of what makes you happy!



Challenges entered:

STAMPlorations Anything Goes Challenge

PDE Linky Party #159 Cards

 

 

 

 

 

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STOP and Smell the Roses!

My grandfather always had roses in his garden. Red ones, and they smelled good too! He also planted climbing roses that grew up around the front porch. (My dad is the handsome teenager on the right!)



When I was little, I would sit on the porch and pop off the thorns on the stems and he would get so mad! He always threatened to "pop" me, but he only did that once...He said he kept a switch on top of the refrigerator. When my sister and I would argue or get in trouble, he would point up there and say, "I'll pop you with that switch if you don't behave!" There wasn't really a switch up there, but we believed it! I don't remember what I did to get "spanked", but I remember the aftermath. It didn't hurt anything but my feelings and I remember throwing myself on the bed in the guestroom and carrying on for a LONG time. Poor Papaw...he kept saying he was sorry and patted my back trying to get me to quit crying. I must have been such a little brat because I milked that for awhile AND I told Memaw when she got home! He would playfully "pinch" us after that, then pat us and say, "You know Papaw loves you!" Good grief we were spoiled!

These American Beauties remind my of Papaw's roses...

[caption id="attachment_5218" align="aligncenter" width="519"] JFF Rubber Stamps American Beauties stamp image. Colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers (Pinks and Greens) on Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Premium Cardstock and backed with Club Scrap® cardstock from the Paradise collection. Crystal and Lime Stickles and for sparkle. Memento Ink in Rose Bud for the inked edges.[/caption]

UPS just delivered my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers Wednesday and I couldn't wait to try them out. I watched a ton of tutorials on blending, tested them out on scratch paper and jumped right in with a no-line coloring technique. With a little more practice, this might become my new favorite medium!



I designed my sentiment in Photoshop Elements and printed on the Spectrum Noir card stock. I saved the .png file so that I can print and repeat as needed.

[caption id="attachment_5221" align="aligncenter" width="987"] Jury Duty, Beyond the Mountains and Bigelow Rules fonts.[/caption]

I was worried at first, but I didn't get any smudging when I colored over the lettering with the markers. I love how the Rose Bud ink matches the markers!

The American Beauties stamp is available in the JFF online store and it needs a good home. Not only is it beautiful, it can be any color you want!

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

 (Enter the challenge to win a gift certificate!)

CLICK HERE to join the challenge and see more inspiration from the design team!

Do more of what makes you happy!

 

Challenges entered:Spectrum Noir Anything Goes Challenge

 

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