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July 04, 2009

You Rock

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Quick post from me.  I'm typing it up just before we leave to go camping on Thursday. This week, Crissy challenged us to use lots and lots of polka dots on our cards.  I pulled out Singing Catrina for my card along with some Papertrey cardstock and patterned papers.  Lots of stitching, buttons, and rounded corners.

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After I colored my image, I added some angel wings shimmerz to Catrina's boots and jacket to give them a rock star sparkle!  I also added some mini rhinestones to her boots.  Be sure to check out all the design team ladies' cards on the High Hopes challenge blog.

Well, that was short and sweet.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Singing CatrinaYou Rock (High Hopes Rubber Stamps), Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: white, ripe avocado, spring moss (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Guide Lines, Polka Dot Parade (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: ripe avocado (Papertrey Ink), tuxedo black (Momento)
Accents: new leaf buttons (Papertrey Ink), purple button, flower (Prima Marketing), mini rhinestones
Tools: corner rounder, sewing machine, copic markers, angel wings shimmerz, embroidery floss (DMC)

July 01, 2009

my fabulous friend

It's the first of the month (seriously, how can it be July 1st already!?!?) so that means it's time for another Flower Soft Design Team challenge.  This month, Jennifer challenged us to think outside the box (or use flower soft in an innovative way).  Flower Soft is such a versatile product and can be used in so many ways besides just creating beautiful flowers.  I have used it as feathers on a boa on this card, frosting on my cupcake card here, and even as the dirt on the image on this card.

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When I was brainstorming some ideas for this challenge, I came up with the idea to create fuzzy polka dots (using a dot stamp from Women of Life) on my card.  A fun card with lots of texture!  I stamped my polka dot pattern in black ink, applied flower soft glue to each dot and covered them with black flower soft.  I pressed the flower soft down into the glue gently, tapped off the excess, and repeated a few times to make sure the dots were covered well.  Then, I stamped my sentiment, cut it out with a long rectangle nestability die, and sprayed it with a copic marker while it was still in the die.  After the flower soft was dry, I added my mats and adhered my layers.

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Don't those fuzzy dots look fun!?  For lots more amazing out of the box ideas for using flower soft, be sure to check out the rest of the design team ladies' blogs: AJ Otto, Carole Burrage, Charmaine Ikach, Deb Saaranen, Jennifer Buck, Sharon Johnson, and Valerie Stangle.

Have a great day my fabulous friends! *wink*

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Friends 'Til the End, Women of Life (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: white, true black, raspberry fizz (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: noir (Palette), true black (Papertrey Ink)
Tools: black flower soft, flower soft glue (Flower Soft), copic marker, air compressor, long rectangle nestability die (Spellbinders)

June 30, 2009

thinking of you

Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments about my son's card yesterday (and my card, too, of course).  I love seeing what he comes up with and how proud he is of the cards he makes.  He also does a lot of drawing so our bedroom walls are covered in his drawings.  I love how he loves to create and I get to keep so many of those treasures!

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Last week, I took out Fruitful and Fruitful Sentiments so I could play with them a little more.  I wanted to create some custom stamped fruit paper and chose the raspberry image.  I stamped my pattern on rustic cream cardstock.  I just love this cardstock!  I sponged the edges of the patterned paper, pure poppy card base and circles, and the new leaf strip with dark chocolate ink.

Have a happy day and thanks for stopping by!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Fruitful, Fruitful Sentiments (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: rustic cream, aqua mist, pure poppy, new leaf (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: true black, pure poppy, new leaf, dark chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Accents: aqua mist vintage buttons (Papertrey Ink)
Tools: sewing machine, circle punch, sponge

June 29, 2009

You're so sweet

We made it back last night from camping.  We had so much fun!  The weather was perfect. Sunny, but not too hot. 

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Here's our home away from home.  I love our trailer!  When the weather is nice, we usually pack a picnic and go for a ride on the motorcycles.  I love sitting out in the middle of nowhere picnicking with my family.

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This morning, I got the chance to create a card for this week's CAS challenge over on SCS.  The challenge this week is to make it sparkle. I used Cupcake Collection and Background Basics: Spots & Dots for my card.  I stamped the cupcake liner with dark chocolate ink and then, I colored over it with a copic marker to add some shading.  I added some mini rhinestones to the scallops on the cupcake and some cinnamon stickles to the centers of the dots.

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My 5 year old son just loved the cupcake when he saw it so he wanted to make a card, too.  Both of my kids love making cards!  They made father's day cards for Daddy this year and my son probably made at least a half a dozen! lol

Have a good one!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Background Basics: Spots & Dots (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: white, dark chocolate, raspberry fizz (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: dark chocolate, fresh snow, true black (Papertrey Ink), tuxedo black (Momento)
Accents: dark chocolate satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink), mini rhinestones
Tools: copic markers, circle nestability dies (Spellbinders), sponge, cinnamon stickles (Ranger)

June 27, 2009

Picnic Time

It's time for the Sunday High Hopes challenge!  This week, Lacey is challenging us to use stars or stripes on our cards.  Thanks for the fun challenge, Lacey!

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I pulled out Ants Picnic from the last High Hopes release.  (You know these cute little ants are some of my favorites!)  I paired my image with some patterned papers from my stash and some blue bayou cardstock and ribbon.  I'm not really sure who makes the paper.  I think it is some retired Wild Asparagus from My Mind's Eye.  I doodled the grass around the image and colored the image with copic markers.

Have a great day!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps:
Ants Picnic, Picnic Time(High Hopes Rubber Stamps)
Cardstock: white, pure poppy (Papertrey Ink), blue bayou (SU - retired)
Patterned Paper: wild asparagus (My Mind's Eye - retired)
Accents: blue bayou stitched ribbon (SU - retired)
Tools: copic markers, sewing machine, circle punches, rectangle nestability die (Spellbinders)

June 26, 2009

Aloha from Kona

A few weeks ago, Our Craft Lounge released this super cute Hangin' Loose with Kona stamp set available exclusively at Electric Paperie.  Oh my goodness, he is so adorable!!  I had to order him and finally got the chance to play with him this week.  You will definitely be seeing this cute little guy again soon!

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I pulled out my My Mind's Eye Grow paper kit again and colored Kona with copic markers in coordinating colors.  I doodled the sand around Kona and the cute little crab that comes in the set.  I matted everything with true black cardstock to help the colors pop and added some true black buttons.

I am going to be busy packing to go camping this morning.  Looks like we are going to have some nice weather and it's going to be so nice to get away.  I'll schedule my High Hopes challenge card to post Saturday night.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps:
Hangin' Loose with Kona (Our Creative Lounge)
Cardstock: white, true black, vintage cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Grow paper kit (My Mind's Eye)
Accents: true black vintage buttons (Papertrey Ink)
Tools: copic markers, sewing machine, rectangle nestability die (Spellbinders)

June 25, 2009

Bella Birffffday Blog Skip, Hop, and Dance!

Welcome to the Birthday Blog Skip, Hop & Dance sponsored by Stamping Bella! If you've just happened upon my blog, you can CLICK HERE to start from the beginning at Bloggabella.  Happy Birthday, Emily!!!  Hope you have a great day!

When I read about the Bella Birthday blog hop, I had to join in the fun!  It's been way too long since I paid with one of these cuties!

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Partygirlabella is the perfect image to wish Emily a happy birthday and one of my personal favorite Bellas so I had to use her on my card.  I paired her with some October Afternoon Detours patterned papers and colored my image with copic markers in coordinating colors.

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I used some dimensional glaze to make the balloons nice and shiny and finished off my card with some layered buttons and a large Prima flower.

As if you need another incentive besides checking out some beautiful cards, there's even a prize up for grabs just for commenting on the participants' cards.

How about a prize? In addition to the fabulous eye candy, we have decided to hide a prize somewhere along the hop! One pre-selected blogger will draw a random winner from the comments on her post, and the winner will receive a $40 Gift Voucher to Stamping Bella!!! The fun part is...we're not telling you who it is! So as you hop, make sure you leave comments on every post so you have a chance to win!! We will announce the winner on Monday in the Splitcoast forum. MWAH!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Next up in the blog hop is Kathy

Happy Hopping!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Partygirlabella (Stamping Bella), Birthday Basics (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: white, true black (Papertrey Ink), Pacific Point (SU)
Patterned Paper: Detours (October Afternoon)
Accents: flower (Prima Marketing), buttons, brads
Tools: copic markers, dimensional glaze (Ranger), sewing machine, scalloped scallop border punch (SK Success), embroidery floss

June 23, 2009

thinking of you

I was going through my stash of cards recently looking for a Thinking of You generic card.  I only found one!  I used that card and now need to make up some more so that I have some on hand.  I decided to pull out Vintage Picnic again since it is perfect for Thinking of You cards.

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I stamped this patterned paper quite a while ago (you can see the card and read the details on this post) and still had the rest of it sitting in my stash waiting to be used.  I decided it would be perfect for my card.  I stamped my image and colored it with copic markers that coordinate with the colors in my stamped patterned paper. 

I embossed my kraft cardstock strip with a cuttlebug embossing folder.  Then, I stamped a stamp from Background Basics: Text Style lightly over the embossing.  I love how it highlights the embossing just a little bit.  Then, I added some layers and punched border before assembling my card.

Have a great night!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Vintage Picnic, Vintage Picnic Sentiments, Background Basics: Text Style,
Boxes, Bags, & Tags, Polka Dot Basics, Guide Lines, Text Boxed (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock:
sweet blush, spring rain, white, true black, kraft (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:
hibiscus burst, true black, new leaf, melon berry, dark chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Accents: 
new leaf vintage button, true black satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink)
Tools: rectangle nestability die (Spellbinders), scalloped scallop border punch (EK Success),
embroidery floss, copic markers, embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

June 22, 2009

buzzin' by to say hi

I recently picked up some Our Craft Lounge stamps that I had been eyeballing.  I got this cute little bee set called Bees Knees.  Aren't these little bees so cute?!  And I love the sentiment!  Debbie did such a great job with her first releases through Our Craft Lounge!  Congrats again, Debbie!

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I paired my bee images and sentiment with some Papertrey Ink summer sunrise cardstock, true black cardstock, and a piece of Friends 'Til the End patterned paper.  I colored everything with copic markers.

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Before adhering my layers, I added some glitter to the bee wings with a Sakura gelly roll pen and I added some dimensional glaze to the bees' eyes.  (Sorry the photo is a little blurry.  My camera evidentally liked the bee hive more than the cute little bee! *wink*)

Hope you're having a great day!

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Bees Knees (Our Craft Lounge)
Cardstock: white, true black, summer sunrise (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Friends 'Til the End (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: tuxedo black (Momento)
Tools: copic markers, long rectangle nestability die (Spellbinders), sewing machine, gelly roll pen (Sakura), dimensional glaze (Ranger)

June 20, 2009

Here's the Dirt

This week's High Hopes challenge is Use Up Your Scraps from Jeanne.  Oh, fun challenge!  We all have lots of those!  I decided to create my husband's Father's Day card for this challenge.

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I paired this cute Gordon Groundhog with some Basic Grey Archaic patterned paper scraps.  I colored the image with coordinating copic markers and stitched my layers.  Then, I sponged all the edges with dark chocolate ink to dirty them up.

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I snapped a quick photo of the copic markers I used.  Join us in the challenge for a chance to win some cute High Hopes stamps.  (Did you know that there is a set of stamps given away every week on the challenge blog?  Just join us in the challenge and link to your card on the High Hopes blog for a chance to win.)

Niki

Recipe
Stamps: Gordon Groundhog, Heres the Dirt (High Hopes Rubber Stamps)
Cardstock: white, dark chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Archaic (Basic Grey)
Ink: tuxedo black (Momento), dark chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Accents: Archaic buttons (Basic Grey)
Tools: copic markers, sewing machine, rectangle nestability die (Spellbinders), sponge

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  • All content, including text and photos © Niki Estes; All rights reserved. My artwork on here is for personal inspiration and enjoyment only and may not be copied for submission to contests, publications etc. Enjoy, be inspired, have fun, and play nice. Thanks so much for your support!