Ellen Hutson Bold Blooms

Hello, Friends!

I apologize for not getting a new card to you sooner!  I had a terrible headache on Monday and Tuesday and now my back has really begun hurting again.  My headache was from the humidity and sinus issues, I think.  I actually miss the dry Arizona weather!  Can you believe I just said that in writing???  My back still just doesn't always cooperate like I want, although it will eventually!

Last week, I shared a card I made for the Ellen Hutson Pin-insights Challenge.  There was only one problem, though, and it was a big one!  To enter that challenge, your project has to have Ellen Hutson products on it, and my card did not.  This doesn't upset me right now because I'm still on some pretty strong medicine for my back.  Everything I forget, I blame on those medicines.  Now, when I am finally off of all of them and I still forget things, then I will be upset!  Until then, it can't possibly because I'm getting older, it has to be the meds.  Let's face it, I've got to find some good in still being on all this medicine (besides the fact that it helps with my pain)!  

The people at Ellen Hutson are very nice and their store offers fantastic customer service.  So, after my mistake, I knew I wanted to make another card for the challenge at Ellen Hutson and fix my mistake.  My card was inspired by the Essential by Ellen July Pin-Sights Challenge, which features all of these great pictures that were found on Pinterest.  

My card was also inspired by this week's sketch challenge at The Paper Players.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make a card with it.  

Combining the two challenges worked out perfectly!  

 I was able to quickly make my card background using gingham fabric tape and polka dot paper.  I made my tag out of a brown color of card stock that is lighter than the usual Kraft card stock.  (Remember everything that isn't retired that I used to make this card is pictured below.) Now, enter the Ellen Hutson products!  I chose to use the Bold Blooms stamp set and matching sets of dies that are exclusives to the Ellen Hutson store.  The word "happy" which is stamped at the top of my tag actually goes in the phrase "oh, happy day!"  However, I chose to just use the word happy so my tag didn't end up being so long it looked awkward.  I love the script font that it is in!  I easily colored just the word "happy" with my blue marker and stamped it on my tag.  Along with the Bold Bloom stamp set, there are two sets of dies that match it.  One cuts solid images and one cuts outlines.  I could have stamped my red flower and green leaf, but I chose to cut them out of the solid image dies.  Then, I cut the navy outlines that I put over my flower and leaf with the other sets of dies.  There are so many combinations you can make with this set of stamps and dies and they all look terrific!  I adhered my flower and leaf to the tag and then added three pearls, which mimic the polka dotted paper, into the center.  I added red and white and navy and white twine to the top of my tag.  I put the tag on with foam tape and my card was complete!  It was finished in much less time than my recent quilt card and is just as cute!

Now I have a card that actually follows all of the rules for Ellen Hutson and I got to make a card with the sketch that I loved the second I saw it.  It was a good card creating day, don't you think?

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Bold Blooms Stamp Set by Julie Ebersole for Essentials by Ellen
Paris Dusk Memento Marker by Tsukineko
Solar White 110 lb. Card Stock by Neenah
Real Red, Old Olive, Night of Navy and Sahara Sand Card Stock by Stampin' Up
Regals Color Collection of Background Designer Series Paper Stacks by Stampin' Up
Bold Blooms Matching and Bold Blooms Stand Alone Dies by Julie Ebersole for Essentials by Ellen
Scalloped Tag Topper Punch by Stampin' Up
Primary Assortment of Doodle Twine by Doodlebug
Blue Jay Single Spool of Hemp Cord by Lawn Fawn
Bright Floral Fabric Tape by Recollections
Pearl Basic Jewels by Stampin' Up

My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 Quilt Card

Hello, Friends!

I hope you had a great weekend and are ready for another new week!  

I made today's card based on two different challenges.  The first was a color challenge that I loved as soon as I saw it!  It is at the Colour Me...! blog that posts color challenges every week.  

Isn't that a marvelous color combination?  My first thought was to use it to make flowers.  That would have worked, but I'm trying to push myself to think out of the box so I kept thinking.  Next I thought about using one of the Tim Holtz Stampers Annonymous Bird Crazy stamps with the pink, coral, and purple colors for my bird and the green for grass the bird was standing on.  That probably would have been a good choice.  However, I had a new Blueprints Die-namics Set from My Favorite Things that I have been wanting to use and so I decided these would also make great colors for a quilt.  I'd like a quilt in these colors, although technically, I'd like a quilt in just about any colors!

With my quilt die in mind, I knew the sketch I had seen from Freshly Made Sketches would be perfect for my card.   

I had my colors, my sketch, and my focal point picked out.  Now I just had to put it together.  Easy, peasy, right?

WRONG!!!

Then everything that could go wrong did and everything I tried didn't work.  I used the scalloped rectangle from the Blueprints dies for my pink background.  I embossed it with little polka dots.  It looked good to being with, but it didn't stay that way.  I put adhesive on the back of each piece of card stock before I cut the shapes out with my Big Shot.  I've done that many times before.  They refused to cut all the way through, no matter what I tried!  So I tried tracing the lines with an x-acto knife.  I'd still be working on the card if I had stuck with that.  I tried stamping on the card stock to give each color a design.  I didn't like it.  When I did finally get a quilt done, the plain quilt on the embossed scallop made the background look to busy and the quilt look to plain.  I tried putting my quilt on the card horizontally, which meant I had to change the directions of the hearts.  I messed up the heart squares when I tried to remove them.  So, I threw everything in the garbage and started over.  Unless it could be recycled, that is.  I never throw away something that can be recycled.

This time, it worked!!!

I went with the "less is more" theory.  No embossing and no scallop piece for my background, just pink card stock cut in a rectangle.  I made my quilt, again, by cutting out the card stock without adhesive.  This time they cut perfectly.  No x-acto knife was necessary which was good because I probably would have lost a finger the way things were going!  I cut an extra purple rectangle the size of the quilt and put adhesive on it.  Then, I laid down the frame of the quilt and inserted the squares and decorations inside.  They stuck perfectly.  Now, my card looked a little too plain, so I added a Sizzix frame in the coral color to make the final edge of my quilt.  This was just enough decoration!  Woo Hoo!

I could have added a plain strip of card stock for the side of the sketch and been done, but again, that would have been a little too plain.  So I trimmed off about a half of an inch from the white card stock front of my card.  Now, when the card was closed, you could see the back piece.  I used the largest Sizzix frame and cut a piece of coral card stock with it.  This mimics the same pattern as the rectangle I used on my quilt.  I cut it so it had a straight edge, centered it, adhered it to my card stock, and then trimmed off the ends which were too long.  I added a piece of thick bakers twine (retired) along the coral card stock to make it look more finished.  Then, I punched a hole in the center of the coral piece on the back of the card and another hole straight across from it on the front of my card.  I used another piece of thick bakers twine to close the card and tied it in a bow.

Just 250 hours after I started this card, 
it was finished.  

Okay, it wasn't 250.  It was 249 1/2.
Okay, it wasn't 249 1/2 either, but it seemed like it.

This is probably going to be a birthday card for my Aunt for a few reasons.

1.  We both love quilts.
2.  She appreciates my cards.
3.  She saves my card.

Let's face it, if I sent this card to someone who then threw it in the garbage and I found out that they hadn't kept it,  I would cry...a lot!  A card that seems like it has taken 249 1/2 hours to create, should be appreciated and kept until the end of time.

Some fancy cards come together in a flash and some more simple cards can take forever.  My words of wisdom for you- don't give up, eat some chocolate or ice cream or chocolate and ice cream, and then get back to your future masterpiece!

In case you've forgotten what the final card looked like, here it is again.

Happy Stamping!

I used the follow products to make this card:

Blueprints 20 Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Scallop Rectangle Frame Framelits by Sizzix

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah

Pink Pirouette, Calypso Coral, Garden Green and Blackberry Bliss Card Stock by Stampin' Up

2015 SAB Accessory Pack (Blackberry Bliss Thick Baker's Twine) by Stampin' Up

1/8 Inch Circle Hand Punch by Fiskars

Double Sided Tape by Sookwang

VC Rocks Celebrate Today!

Hello, Friends!

Welcome to the July 2015 Birthday Blog Hop!  

This summer is VC Rocks 15th birthday!  I know I've been a member for ten of those years (maybe even 11) and I've made wonderful friends during that time!  This blog hop will feature birthday wishes projects, all featuring Stampin' Up products. To see all of the projects along the hop, you can start at the VC Rocks blog by clicking here.  Click on a project to go to each person's blog where you can see a larger picture and get more details about each of their fabulous designs.  The ladies in this group are very talented, so I highly suggest you check out their projects! 

 I know many of you started following my blog when I was a Stampin' Up demonstrator so you'll be happy to see I have not forgotten my Stampin' Up roots!  That is where my stamping life began and I will always be grateful to Stampin' Up for the terrific friends I've met and the fantastic hobby I love!

For this card, I stamped my balloons from Celebrate Today and cut them out with the corresponding Balloons framelits.  I put a little bit of Real Red, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight inks on my Dotty Angles stamp to create the fun background on the white card stock below.  I made my balloon strings out of Basic Black Baker's Twine and then tied the strings together with another piece of baker's twine into a bow.  I like it when the strings are tied together as a finishing touch. 

This is a fun card and I think it would be great to mass produce it to have on hand when a birthday pops up!  Just don't "pop" the balloons!

Don't forget to check out the other blog hop participants at VC Rocks Blog!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Celebrate Today and Dotty Angles Stamp Sets by Stampin' Up
Real Red, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight Classic Inks by Stampin' Up
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko
Whisper White, Real Red and Pumpkin Pie Card Stock by Stampin' Up
Balloon Framelits Dies by Stampin' Up
Basic Black Bakers Twine by Stampin' Up

Art Impressions His and Hers Flying Birthday Card

Hello, Friends!

I hope you were sitting down when you opened this card up!  I know it's hard to believe but I actually fussy cut the images out on my card!  If there is a matching die set to any stamp set I own, I like to buy it because I don't think my fussy cutting is that great.  However, this fabulous stamp set, His and Hers Flying, doesn't have a matching die.  (Although, some of their brand new stamp sets have matching dies now!)  Art Impressions released a set of stamps that are only available at AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels.  This one is only available at Michael's.  The great news is that it's available at Michael's online store if you aren't near one.  The closest one to me is a good 45 miles away, so I got online  and got to order this stamp set and a couple of other AI exclusives when they were on sale for 40% off.   You've got to love a great stamp set that's on sale!  The link I posted below will take you right to Michael's if you are interested.  

I think the card is pretty self-explanatory.  I stamped my plane in Memento black ink, colored, and fussy cut it out.  All Memento Dye Inks are safe to use with Copic Markers, so I stamped the banner in Memento Blue Danube ink so the letters would match the plane and so I could add a light blue to the inside of my banner.  I punched a small hole in the plane and banner so I could tie the banner to the plane with twine.  Then, I put both pieces over the paper layers with foam tape so the plane and banner would stick up from the cloud background paper just a little bit.  If you want a stock tip, buy 3M because their foam tape is awesome!  I use it all the time!!  That was it!

I am entering my card in the Art Impressions: In With the New challenge which is to use your latest Art Impressions purchase in a project.

I am also entering my card in the Seize The Birthday Anything Goes Challenge.

I used the following products to make this card:

His and Hers Flying Stamp Set by Art Impressions
Danube Blue and Tuxedo Black Memento Inks by Tsukineko
Copic Markers
Pure Luxury Card Stock by Gina K
Real Red Card Stock by Stampin' Up
Stars and Stripes 6x6 Paper Pad by Doodlebug
Primary Assortment of Doodle Twine by Doodlebug
1/8 inch Circle Hand Punch by Fiskars
Scotch Double Sided Foam Mounting Tape by 3M
MISTI

Happy Stamping!

Poll Question

Hello, Friends!

I have a very quick favor to ask of you.

On my blog in the top left corner, there is a poll question.

It says,

Have you ever searched for a specific card on this blog using the labels feature?

Yes

No

Would you please quickly go to Life with a Wiener Dog and let me know the answer to this question?

It will be up through July 29th.

The labels are the lists of stamp manufacturers and the specific stamp set I used to make a card.

For example, have you ever thought, "I'd like to see the card Frank's Mommy made again with the My Favorite Things stamp set, 'I Knead You?"  So, you went to my blog, found that label in the list on the left side and went to that card.

It doesn't matter to me, but if this feature isn't used, I'm going to take it off of my blog.  It is LONG and I'm trying to improve the quality of my blog.  

After you vote, leave your name and email address in the comments section of this post.  I will draw a winner of some goodies (NO WIENER DOG WILL BE INCLUDED!) whether one person or five hundred leave their information!

As of 11:00 PM CST, July 21st, there is now a bonus second question if you would like to answer it as well.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Happy Stamping!

Flowery You Are Wonderful

Hello, Friends,

Take a look at this post.  Do you notice anything different?  I hope the answer is "Yes!"  Thanks to my friend, Robin, I finally can use the watermark that I got when my blog was updated to the style you see now...years ago!  At the bottom, I have added picture links to the products I used to create this card instead of the usual list.  Now you can see exactly what I've used, which is great if you want to see everything included in the stamp set, die set, patterned paper, etc. that I've used.  This will make it easier to know if you want to add it to your wish list!  Remember, a lot of the products can be purchased from multiple sites.  The picture will take you to one store where it is available.

I made a quick card today to thank some very special people who were wonderful to me last week!  I could actually make a lot of these cards for all the people who have been so supportive of me during all of my back issues.  For as many bad things as I had to deal with, I am most definitely a very blessed person!

My color choice came from the Color Throwdown.  I love this color combination!

I used the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches for my basic design.  The sketch challenge was already over when I made my card, but that didn't change the fact that it would work well with my card, so I used it anyway!

Happy Stamping!


I used the following products to make this card:

Bold Blooms Stamps by Essentials by Ellen
Kudos Stamps by Paper Smooches
Lilac Posies, Sweet Plum and Tuxedo Black Memento Luxe inks by Tsukineko
Solar White 110 lb. Cardstock by Neenah
Basic Black Cardstock by Stampin' Up
Clear Embossing Powder by Ranger
Heat Gun

My Favorite Things Purrfect Birthday Card

Hello, Friends!

Welcome to Friday!  I've had a busier week than usual.  I did things out of the house three days in a row!  I know most people go out of the house 6 or 7 days a week.  However, you have to remember that because of my back, I was staying at home for a month at a time only going out for doctor's appointments.  So three days out and about in a row for me is a victory!

How do you like this card?  As soon as I saw the new Birthday Present Die-namics from My Favorite Things, even before I saw anything made with it, I pictured having something come out of it with balloons.  When I make cards for my cousin's kids, I like to make something that's specific for them as a way to show them I care about them.  I was overjoyed when she told me that he loves their orange cat and their orange cat loves him!  I knew exactly what card I was going to make him for his July birthday!  

I thought about it for a couple weeks so it came together really quickly.  The present die is so cool because it comes with score lines so it has some depth to it.  I filled the top and bottom with fun foam to "fill" it up.  Then I stamped and colored my orange cat and put it on with Double Sided foam tape.  It's not as thick as the fun foam.  This makes sense with the card so the cat could fit in the box.  The bow on the box comes with the Birthday Present dies.  I love all the layers!  It looks like I used two different colors of green card stock (Love that Lime!!!) but I actually just colored one layer with a C2 cool gray Copic Marker.  This made that layer a little bit darker, which was perfect to give the bow depth!  My balloons (and the cat) match the new 6x6 Plaid Patterns Paper Pack, also by My Favorite Things.  I love the balloon that says, "happy birthday" over and over since it's not anywhere else on the front of my card.  I added three layers of grass, because the box would be on the ground as the cat got lifted up into the sky.  I used the same lime green as the bow, used one solid lime green layer on the back, some gray on the second layer, and drew grass lines on the layer closest to the viewer.  My clouds come from another My Favorite Things die that I love- the Cloud Cover-Up Die-namics.  It made the perfect background for my lovable orange cat floating up in the air.  

Two last details- did you notice the cat is actually holding the twine balloon strings?  I used an X-acto knife and cut around the paw so I could tuck the balloon strings under it like the kitty was literally holding the balloons!  

The other detail, which I didn't take a picture of was the sentiment.  I used the Pure Innocence stamp set, Feline Better, which has the words, "Happy Purrthday."  It was purrfect for my card!

There's only one problem!  I've got to figure out a comparable cute card for his sister who has a birthday in August!  That may be hard to do!



Since this is a birthday card, it fits the challenge of "Anything Goes" at Seize The Birthday!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

I Knead You, Pure Innocence Feline Better, Party Balloons Stamp Sets by My Favorite Things
Tuxedo Black Ink by Memento
Limelight Hybrid Ink by My Favorite Things
Bermuda Bay Classic Ink by Stampin' Up
Copic Markers
Pure Luxury White Card Stock by Gina K
Limelight Prestige Card Stock by My Favorite Things
Marina Mist Card Stock by Stampin' Up
Plaid Paper Pack by My Favorite Things
I Knead You, Party Balloons, Cloud Cover-Up, Birthday Present Die-namics by My Favorite Things
Grassy Border by Lawn Fawn
Whisper White Baker's Twine by Stampin' Up
Scotch Double Sided Foam Mounting Tape by 3M
X-acto Knife
MISTI

They're Little but They're There

Hello, Friends!

Because they are little, I wanted to be sure you saw a new feature on my blog!
You can now share my blog posts with
email
on your own blog through Blogger
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest (my personal favorite!)
Google+

Right below the wiener dog jumping above my name
the "You might also like:" and
"posted by Angela" and the time of each post

check out the small boxes on each post with the logo of the method you want to use to share a post or picture from that post.

I love this for pinning things on Pinterest and wanted it for you on my blog, as well!


I'm trying to make small upgrades that I can figure out on my own to make my blog more people friendly and better looking.

Although, with Frankfurter on it, can I seriously make it better looking???

A Cozy Inspiration

 

Hello, Friends!

 

I have a new card to share with you.  For a while, I've been following the blog Muse.  I follow it to challenge myself and try and get my thinking to be more creative.  Recently, they started the blog Muse: ChristmasVisions which I also follow.     

 

So, what are these blogs?

Well, as you learn from the blogs, one of the definitions of a muse is an inspiration.  These are inspirational blogs.  One of the design team members creates a card and everyone else that takes the challenge makes a card based on that challenge.  I've been following both blogs to see what people create because I don't usually see what to create right off the bat.  You can create cards based on the colors, the theme of the card, or the actual images.  When I saw this week's card on the Muse Christmas Vision's blog, I had a vision of what to create.

 

 

This card has mittens, embossing, twine, a sentiment, a curved edge and uses the colors red, lime green, and blue.  I didn't let myself look at the card once I was creating mine because I didn't want to copy it exactly, which I was afraid I would end up doing! 

 

If you look at our two cards, the same elements are there.  (We used the exact same colors of red and lime green from the same companies.  There's just a difference in the lighting of both of our cards.) 

 

 

Both cards have mittens.  The Muse mittens are embossed, mine are just stamped.  The Muse used flat card stock for the blue panel where I embossed mine.  I flip-flopped these elements.  The Muse has twine at the top and bottom of the blue panel.  I used twine to connect my mittens.  The Muse has the sentiment on the blue panel where mine is on the red base.  The Muse stamped in red where I stamped mine in black so it would show up on the red card stock.  We both used the same color palette, with the exception of the black ink on the sentiment.  Can you see the influence but that it isn't an exact copy?

 

Some of the cards are way more creative than mine which is a pretty obvious influence!  Others just used the colors and the Christmas sentiment.  Like I said, though, I'm watching what others create and learning to see the influence through other people's eyes.  So hopefully, I can get more out of the box than this card.  I highly encourage you to check out either or both of the Muse blogs.  They are very interesting!

 

 

Another way you can learn something new is to follow the My Favorite Things blog who is doing a summer school this summer.  The second session began on Monday, but you can certainly jump in.  This session focuses on color.  The lesson my card relates to is the principle of gallon, quart, and pint for choosing colors.  This means you use a lot of one color (the gallon), a smaller amount of a second color (the quart) and just a little accent of a third color (the pint.)  My card uses a gallon of red, a quart of blue, and a pint of green as an accent color.  Some people do the things they teach naturally and others learn something new.  I've had a combination of both with their lessons, even though this is the first one I've gotten to enter.  The best part of summer school is when you enter a card based on the lesson, you might win $20 or $50 in free MFT products.  They made the mitten dies, the stitching stamp I used, and the sentiment on my card as well as the lime green ink!   I use their product a lot in my cards. 

 

   Well, if you've read all of this, good job!  Leave me a comment and tell me your three favorite colors to use on a card!

 

Happy Stamping!

 

 

I used the following products to make this card:

 

LJD Nordic Knits and Cozy Greetings Stamp Sets by My Favorite Things

Real Red and Coastal Cabana Classic Inks by Stampin' Up

Limelight Hybrid Ink Pad by My Favorite Things

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Tsukineko

Real Red and Bahama Breeze Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Cozy Mittens and Stitched Basic Edges Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder sold by Stampin' Up made by Sizzix

MISTI by My Sweet Petunia 



Avery Elle's Happy Camper!

 

Hello, Friends!

 

I hope you had a good weekend!  I made this card for my cousin's daughter who is away at camp this week.  I've told you about my cousin's family before.  Our Mom's are sisters.  Both of us are only children so I get to be "Aunt Angela" to her kids.  I love them so much and can't wait until I am healthy enough to go see them.  (They live about 2 1/2 hours away, but with a bad back, it might as well be 100 hours away!)   I did get to see them for a little bit before my surgery.  When her son called me "Aunt Angela," it absolutely melted my heart!  Seriously, I think that was one of the best moments of my year and it will be hard to beat!

 

This card is for her soon-to-be 10 year old daughter.  I didn't want it to be too cute and childish looking and embarrass her.  I also didn't want it to be too over the top either.  I just wanted a simple card to let her know I'm thinking about her and praying for her this week. 

 

I had forgotten (because I'm still on pain killers) about this stamp set I had from Avery Elle which was perfect for my card.  I was going to stamp some flowers from Avery Elle, but when I went to get them out I saw this one instead!  It's name is even "Happy Camper!"  It couldn't be any more perfect than that!  Just for a little interest, I used different shades of Memento Dewdrop Inks to stamp the same cloud, the sun, and the pond.  For example, I inked part of the cloud with Bahama Blue ink and stamped it using my MISTI.  Then I inked the other part of the cloud with a darker blue, Danube Blue, so it overlapped part of the cloud and gave shading to it.  The little Dew Drop inkpads with the pointed tip made this easy to do.  I stamped the trees in two different colors of green and then added the brown trunk with a Memento Rich Cocoa Marker.  These ink pads have good coverage, as you can see from the card!

 

This stamp set also has mountains in it, but where she is, there aren't mountains.  There's a canoe that you can put animals in, like a fox or hedgehog, but I thought, while that would have been super cute, it might feel too childish to her.  I did add some Wink of Stella to the lake so the card had a little bit of sparkle to it. 

 

I probably overthink both kids cards, to be honest, but I love them so much and I want their cards to be something they really like.  I hope my 10 year old niece likes this one!  

I used Freshly Made Sketches Sketch Challenge to create my card.  It was perfect for the little scene I wanted to create!

 

 

Since my card is 100% stamped, I'm also going to enter it in Virginia's View Challenge #16.  There are some beautiful cards that are all stamped on Virginia's blog.  I encourage you to check them out!

 

I also want to thank the Loves Rubberstamps Company for a $20 gift card!  The card I made for my cousin's son for his baptism with the fish tank was randomly chosen from their Loves Rubberstamps Challenge Blog.  If you click the challenge blog link and scroll down a little bit, you can see my card.  The only thing better than stamps and stamping supplies are free stamps and stamping supplies! 

 

Happy Stamping!

 

 

I used the following product's to make this card:

 

Happy Camper Stamp Set by Avery Elle

Dandelion, Tangelo, Bamboo Leaves, Cottage Ivy, Bahama Blue, Danube Blue and Paris Dusk Fade-Resistant Dye Memento Dewdrop Inks by Tsukineko

Rich Cocoa Fade Resistant Dye Memento Marker by Tsukineko

110 lb. Solar White Card Stock by Ellen Hutson

Pure White Pure Luxury Card Stock by Gina K

Pacific Point Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Clear Wink of Stella by Zig

MISTI by My Sweet Petunia



A Sincere Compliment

 

Hello, Friends!

 

I wanted to make a card with this "never before used stamp" from Riley and Company.  They have a line of stamps called Funny Bones and they are hilarious!  This stamp, "Sincere Compliment" is one of my favorites because the punch line is so unexpected and you realize quickly why the woman is no longer your friend!  Riley from Riley and Company is a Moose and there are tons of awesome Riley stamps.  If you are a fan of funny stamps, moose stamps, retro people stamps or just great stamps in general, then you have to check them out.  The Funny Bones stamps are so entertaining that they are great to read if you need a good laugh.  Don't be surprised if a few don't jump in your cart though!

 

I was excited to see that the challenge on Riley and Company's blog was to make a card using orange and purple.  I was a little worried about how I was going to make this work, but I had to find a way so I could share this new stamp with you.  I stamped my sentiment by putting purple ink on the mustache and orange on the words.  This, then, tied the colors of the background paper together because they matched the Funny Bones image.  Suddenly, the orange and purple looked fine with each other.  I worried for nothing!

 

I used the Mojo Monday sketch for this week for the design of my card. 

 

 



The circle portion, which could have been any shape, was perfect for my quote.  The other layers gave lots of places to add my purple and orange background papers.  It was perfect for the card I wanted to create!

 

Pictures vs. a List of Items Used

I checked out InLinkz to add pictures for you.  I tried to register.  They said my very obscure email address had already been used.  So I tried to log in.  Then they told me that they had no record of that email address.  So I can't register because my email has been used.  I can't log in because my email hasn't been registered.  I'm trying to figure out how to reset this without having to get an additional email address, even if it's a free one.  If we can't get it solved in a week or so, I'll add a different email address just for them.   

 

Until then, please bear with the list a little bit longer!

 

Happy Stamping!

 

 

I used the following products to make this card:

 

Sincere Compliment Stamp by Riley and Company

Tangelo Twist and Blackberry Bliss Classic Inks by Stampin' Up

Whisper White Card Stock by Stampin' Up

The Basics 150 Paper Pack 4.5"x6.5" by The Paper Studio

 Moonlight Designer Paper Stack by Stampin Up

Stitched Circle STAX by My Favorite Things

Circles Collection of Dies by Sizzix sold by Stampin' Up

 

Gotta Give the People What They Want!

 

Hello, Friends!

 

I have appreciated all of the comments that you have left on my posts recently.  One person said that she liked cards made with the funny Art Impressions stamps so you can guarantee that I'll be making another card to share with you soon featuring Art Impressions Stamps.  Why?  Because she took the time to post, so the least I can do is fulfill her request.

 

 

Another person posted that she liked seeing Frankfurter the Wiener Dog.  Actually, she wrote "FRANKFURTER THE WIENER DOG" if I remember correctly.

Well, you gotta give the people what they want, right?!

 

 

 

Here he is!

 

I had just taken this picture of Frank last week because he turned 14 years old on June 30th.  He knew he was the "Birthday Boy" that day and wagged his tail every time we called him by that name!

 

Frank is such a sweet boy.  He is smart (sometimes a little too smart).  It's amazing how much he knows and understands.  My example of that is always that he learned how to roll the window down in the car by accidentally stepping on the button a couple of times.  He quickly realized that's how you make the window come down and now he has rolled the window down on his own for about the last 13 years!

 

Frank is funny.  It's like he has a sense of humor at times.  He is sweet and caring and knows when you are upset and he doesn't like it.  If you're crying, he comes to lick away your tears.  He is cute.

 

Look at that face, again.  It's the sweetest, cutest wiener dog face I've ever seen and that's not because I'm prejudiced, either.  :)

 

He may have a "little old man face" now.  He may have bumps and scars from back surgeries in places he didn't used to.  (We both do.  Maybe it's genetic?)  He may walk slow like he can barely get going until it's bedtime and he knows I'm going to give him one last treat for the night.  Then he can gallop around the bed, up his doggie steps, jump on the bed and be ready to go in a second.  Literally, it probably takes 3 seconds but no more than that, I'm sure.

 

He is a great dog.  We've been together since he was 6 weeks old.  The only thing I wish is that we had another 14 years together.  Life with a wiener dog is fabulous, no matter what else is going on. 

 

And, if you think I love him a lot, you should see him with my parents! 

 

I will love you forever, Frankfurter!

 

 

P.S. Great idea asking for Frank!  I'll give in to that request anytime!

 



Penny Black's Penguins Everywhere!



Hello, Friends!

I hope you were sitting down when you opened your email!  Another post all in the same week!  There are just so many great challenges out there this week that I had to get stamping!  Not to mention the fact that it feels so good to get back to making cards!

When I saw Merry Monday's Challenge was to create a Christmas Card with a penguin on it, I knew exactly which stamp I had to break out for a new card.  The Penny Black set Mimi's Christmas features a long line of penguins with two creating a snowpenguin.  It can't be a snowman, because it's not a man, right?  I love penguins and this is such a fun but sweet stamp.  I probably should have used the traditional red and green for my card, but I wanted to use some non-traditional colors that I could use all winter long.  I left the inside of my card blank so I can add a "Merry Christmas" inside if I decide to use it for a Christmas card. 

 

Did you notice the swipes of glitter on the white snow both above and below the penguins and on the snowpenguin, of course?  That's my handy Wink of Stella clear glitter pen.  If only it showed up on camera as well as it does in person!

Knowing I would feature at least one panel that was long on my card, I remembered seeing the Can You Case It sketch challenge.  Although the penguins are long enough to go all the way across an A2 card horizontally, I liked this sketch which still featured a lot of penguins! 

 I turned the sketch on it's side and moved the sentiment and bakers twine to the bottom panel.  My penguin panel is slightly larger so it would draw the most interest.  I added snowflakes on the top panel which looked all lonely with just plain paper.  The snowflakes and sentiment both came from The Cat's Pajama's set, "Freezin' Season"

  

The Shopping our Stash Weekly Challenge is "Gingham Style" which is too funny not to take part in!  So, my card featuring Doodlebug papers have a polka dot pattern, a snowflake pattern and a gingham style pattern, all from the Frosty Friends collection.

Question: Now on my blog I always list the supplies I used.  However, I've noticed a lot of blogs are using pictures now to show the items they've used.  Which do you prefer- a list or pictures?

Please leave me a comment and let me know which you prefer.

BONUS QUESTIONS:  Did you see the movie March of the Penguins?  Did it scar you for life? 

I only ask because I did not want to see how the cute little penguins pass away or what happens when they loose their egg baby.  I was scarred for life.  I just thought it would be a happy little movie about penguins where they all lived happily ever after!  I don't care if that's not real.  I'd prefer to think of it that way!

Thank you for your comments!

Happy Stamping, Friends!

I used the following products to make this card (in a list until I hear otherwise!):

Mimi's Christmas Stamp Set by Penny Black

Freezin' Season Stamp Set by The Cat's Pajamas

Tuxedo Black and Danube Blue Ink by Memento

Bermuda Bay Classic Ink by Stampin' Up

Grape Jelly Hybrid Ink by My Favorite Things

Copic Markers

Solar White 110 lb. Card Stock by Ellen Hutson

Bermuda Bay Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Grape Jelly Card Stock by My Favorite Things

Frosty Friends 6x6 Paper Pad by Doodlebug Design Inc.

Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Word Window and Modern Label Punches by Stampin' Up

5/8" Circle Punch by EK Success

Doodle Twine Primary Assortment by Doodlebug Design Inc.

Clear Wink of Stella by Zig

Scotch Double Sided Foam Tape by 3M

MISTI Stamping Tool 



Fintastic Friends with Fintastic News





Hello, Friends!

 

I have another card to share with you!  

 

This card features two new stamp sets by Lawn Fawn, "Fintastic Friends" and "Owen's Alphabet."  I love both of these sets!  The set, "Fintastic Friends" features a rectangular aquarium and a round bowl for the various fish and other items you can place inside, like sea weed or the castle and rocks that I chose.  If you've been searching for a hermit crab stamp, which I would think would be hard to find, there's even an adorable hermit crab!  Owen's Alphabet features letters inside circles.  Lawn Fawn has great alphabet sets!  Both sets have matching dies, which I also love!

 

I wanted to make a card for my cousin's son who recently had great news to share- he was baptized.  I decided a very soon-to-be seven year old boy would probably like the fish and get the "fintastic" pun.  Besides, I really wanted to make a card with this set!  

 

On my card, I chose to feature a rectangular aquarium with angel fish inside.  I did that because as a kid, my Dad had a 20 gallon aquarium with angel fish (and various other fish and snails) inside.  It was beautiful...until the seal along the side broke and all the water started pouring onto the floor as I was walking through the room!  It must have vaguely traumatized me, because all these years later, I still remember clearly seeing the drips, telling my Mom the fish tank was leaking, and then seeing the whole side break loose!  My Mom managed to clean up all the water and save all the fish.  She was a "fintastic hero" that day! 

 

I cut my aquarium out of the blue card stock with the matching dies and then stamped the aquarium inside the outline on the white card stock that makes up the card.  I colored my aquarium and added the fish with dimensional tape so they actually stand up a little bit from the rest of the card.  This really makes the fish stand out in real life.  I stamped the word, "fintastic" which is part of the phrase "you're fintastic" from "Fintastic Friends"  I stamped "NEWS" from Owen's Alphabet.  It was super easy to line up the aquarium and the words with my new MISTI.  It may very well be the Most Incredible Stamping Tool Invented!  I embossed the blue card stock with a random dot embossing folder so it would give the subtle impression of bubbles around the aquarium. 

 

I added fish food on the side so these cuties wouldn't starve to death and a matching bow.  It kind of stands out as an accent, but it also blends in since it's the same color as the card stock below it, if it's possible to blend in and stand out at the same time!  Even though the card is for a boy, I think the bow adds a nice touch and I don't think he'll mind. 

 

I used a sketch challenge from Freshly Made Sketches #193 for the design of my card.  I altered it a little bit to add my fish food and changed the position of my bow.  I had thought originally that my words would fit on one line.  When they ended up taking up more space, my bottom panel ended up bigger.  Hopefully, you can still see the sketch in my card, even though it's slightly different!

The color challenge from ColourQ this week was perfect for my card.  I didn't make a birdhouse, but I did make a fish "house" so it even goes along with the picture a little bit!

 

 

Finally, I am entering my card into the Loves Rubberstamps Challenge Blog Challenge #158 which is to make a card for a celebration.  This card would really work for everyone's celebration of good news, whether they are 7 or 77, male or female! 

 

I hope you've enjoyed my latest card!

 

Happy Stamping! 

 

 

I used the following products to make this card:

 

Fintastic Friends and Owen's Alphabet by Lawn Fawn

Tuxedo Black Ink by Memento

Pool Party Classic Ink by Stampin' Up

Nautical Blue Ink by Memento Luxe 

Copic Markers

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Ellen Hutson

Pool Party and Midnight Muse Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Clear Embossing Powder by Simon Says Stamp

Decorative Dots Embossing Folder by Sizzix sold by Stampin' Up

Fintastic Friends Lawn Cuts Dies by Lawn Fawn

Pool Party Thick Baker's Twine by Stampin' Up

Scotch Double Sided Foam Tape by 3M

MISTI Stamping Tool

 

Art Impressions 4th of July Girlfriends Celebration

 

Hello, Friends! 

 

I was feeling stronger today, though still recovering from back surgery, so I decided to make a card!  I needed some wild and crazy happiness so I knew which stamps I wanted to use.  My card features two hilarious stamps from Art Impressions.  I have loved their stamps for years.  I have wood mounted ones that date back 10-12 years ago and they are all wonderful images like the two I used today.  If you haven't heard of them before, Art Impressions makes beautiful images that are perfect for water coloring.  However, my favorites are all the humorous ones, like the Girlfriends series which I used for my main images.  There are lots of Girlfriend stamps available now.  You can have Girlfriends having coffee together, exercising together, at the movies and even bundled up in a quilt together.  (Naturally, with my quilt love, that one is on my immediate wish list!) 

 

These three ladies holding the giant cake have been one of my favorite inages since it first debuted.  I finally got it and broke it out of the package today.  Although it would fit on a standard A2 card, I decided to make a 5"x5" card instead.  I chose my color scheme so I could enter the

Art Impressions "Red, White and Blue" Challenge 162 for this week. 

 

 

This was such a fun image to color!  My color choices and design made it fit other challenges as well!  I added red polka dots to one of the lady's pants and white polka dots to another lady's shirt.  This made my card fit the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Going Dotty."  They even featured Art Impressions stamps in their gallery this week, so my card fit right in!

   

 It also goes along with the inspiration challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments. 

 

 

I put Wink of Stella all over my candles and the ends of the party hats so they have a glittery shine in person.  Unfortunately, you can't see that in the picture.  Doodlebug Design Inc. provided the red, white and blue patterned paper stripes, perfect for this fun occasion.  I also used Doodlebug twine to add a bow in the right corner.  I even got to finally use my MISTI, a gift from a special friend, waiting for me to use after surgery.  This ensured my sentiment was straight on my punched piece. 

 

Since the United States of America is turning 239 this week, it would take a big cake to celebrate.   This cake might not be quite big enough for all of us, but it's a good start.  With these fun ladies to deliver it, your 4th of July party is bound to be a hit.  The sentiment is a great reminder, too!  Also from Art Impressions, the more candles you have the more cake you're going to need to hold them!  That makes turning a whopping 239 years old not seem so bad after all!

 

Happy Birthday, America!

 

I have recently gotten several Art Impressions stamps so be prepared to see more of them here on "Life with a Wiener Dog" soon!

 

Happy Stamping!

 

 

I used the following products to make this card:

 

Giant Cake and Bigger Cake unmounted stamps by Art Impressions

Tuxedo Black Ink by Memento

Wild Cherry Hybrid Ink Pad by My Favorite Things

Copic Markers

Uni-ball Signo White Gel Pen

Solar White 110 lb White Card Stock by Ellen Hutson

Primary Assortment of Card Stock by Doodlebug Design Ink

Patriotic Picnic and Stars & Stripes 6x6 Paper Pads by Doodlebug Design Inc.

Doodle Twine Primary Assortment by Doodleug Design Inc.

Scallop Oval Punch by Stampin' Up

Corner Rounder Punch by Stampin' Up

Scotch Double Sided Foam Tape by 3M

Clear Wink of Stella by Zig

MISTI Stamping Tool