Morning Cup o' Joe on Small Doilies

For me, a perfect morning is a tasty cup of coffee ~ joined by a cookie (on a doily, of course), a calm dog and quiet time to create.  Such occasions are rare and short lived.  I enjoyed my (short) moment this morning, until I heard the footsteps...

I found this color combo at Color Throwdown - which I probably would not have thought to put together, but quite enjoyed the blend... (nice coffee pun, huh?)

So with the current doily craze, I thought I could play along with the WT330 SCS Challenge.  Unfortunately, I don't have any real doilies... but, I thought the detailed circle element from Stampin' Up's Artistic Etchings, had that doily look.  You have to look very closely to see them - I added the mini doilies below the white scallop effect above.

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I added a little bling on heart to "perk up" this cute little cup, with a side of frothy whipped cream on the edges of the card.

Hope you find your perfect moment today.
Thanks for stopping by!
Luci

Happy 4th!

 Happy 4th of July!  The storms have passed and so a lovely day of sunshine and splashing for all... (Shockingly, our pool is crystal clear blue... and, not the typical shade of cloudy green).  

Well, maybe not splashing for all... you see, the floral brad and splashes of blue (to the upper left) are hiding the poor little birdie that I messed up coloring.  But, since I was following the Mojo Monday challenge here, I moved my "star" element to the other side so I could cover up the faulty feathered friend. 

I chose to use this interesting color combo in the Simply Stampin challenge here.  They have some beautiful samples there, so make sure you visit them, too.

Thanks for stopping by.
Have a terrific day!
Luci

Surf's Up!

Masculine cards have to be my most challenging - especially since I admire all the floral cards out there!  Needing a masculine graduation card, and finding this super challenge at CASual Fridays, I thought going with Kraft and beach-y blues might be just the way to go. 

I started by masking the sun or moon (whichever mood you are in) on a piece of Kraft CS, and sponged the blue sky around.  Then I added some drifts of Kraft sand (sponged of course).

 

Here, I tucked in a few embossed surf boards so that they had a glossy/wet look (ya' know after surfing all day, they had to dry off...)

I added 3 tags to the upper left, using just the Happy part of the Happy Graduation stamp for the smaller tags.  The 3 tags and the 3 sea shells I thought fell right into sketch challenge that inspired this layout.  You can see the sketch here from iheart2stamp.  

I hope it's a happy, happy day for the graduate!

Thanks for stopping by.

Hope your day is happy, happy!

Sunscreen Needed on this Sail Away Adventure

Well, there are more "Out of the Garden" projects to show you.  Unfortunately, the pictures are stuck in the computer that needs repair... sigh...  Plus, it's probably too hot to be in the garden these days, so - I'll take you to the shore (as they say in Joisey).

And, how much do I love this cute little sailboat?  It's one of those stamps that you can use in a scene, rather than just on its own, if you know what I mean.  Here, I wanted to put the boat in some waves under a beautifully sunny day.   I used the giant Medallion stamp for the sun and added too much yellow for my taste - so, I figure it's a reeeeealllllly sunny day!   I had to reapply sunscreen when making this card.   :)

Since it was used for a masculine graduation card, I added the saying from Stampin Up's Set, Word Play:  "Go Confidently in the Directions of Your Dreams" on the inside.  I thought it was fitting for the occasion.

Thanks for stopping by.
Have a bright day!
Lucian

Go in the Direction of Your Dreams

The close of the school year is upon some of us (still... sigh).  Yes, in New Jersey, school is in progress.  Graduations are certainly in the air, though.  So in the way of my garden theme, here's a nod to all of those students who are ending their school career to embark on their life-long journey.  I thought this phrase, "Go in the Direction of Your Dreams" from SU's collection of Word Play is just the right amount of font whimsy and heart-felt sentiment under my flower-filled hills.

I know I was inspired by another stamper to use those amazing swirls (sorry, I cannot find the image anywhere, now) - that has got to be my all-time favorite SU stamp!  Baroque Motifs can do just about anything!

And, the beauty inside this card was CASED from a fellow SU demonstrator, Sharon White, who shared the idea of swirling butterflies on Stampin' Up's Stampin Connection.   So, here's a close-up of the inside with butterflies and flowers... and of course... those baroque swirls!

By using a window sheet or transparency, you achieve a glorious effect of butterflies flying on the (clear/transparent spiral) inside of your card.

Hope you found an idea or two.
Have a glorious day!
Luci

Elegant Purple Eggplant

Isn't this the season of eggplants and zucchini's?  Since I was making projects this month - with the theme,  "Out of the Garden" - Elegant Eggplant seemed like the best choice for this monochromatic card.  I suppose, it's one more excuse for me to bring my favorite color onto my craft table:  Elegant Eggplant!

What do I love about monochromatic cards?
1.  Easy color combo!
2.  Surely, I can find just 1 favorite color to use...
3.  Offers an elegant and/or serious nature to the card.

I was inspired by someone's website - (and now must hunt it down to show you - but I will) - to create a water-colored design on an embossed image.  I used the aqua painter to pull ink off of the coordinating Elegant Eggplant stamp pad and lightly dab into the petals of the Flower Garden embossing folder.  To finalize the edges, I sponged Elegant Eggplant ink around the sides of the card.

So glad you could stop by.
Have a wonderful day!
Luci

I Love a "Sale"

I am just enjoying the use of this single stamp, Sail Away, from SU's mini catalog.  I was inspired by Mary Brown's use of masking and sponging to create the sunset scene.  I used designer paper for the sails.  The waves have a touch of white gel pen, if you look closely:

And, I picked up the stitched grossgrain ribbon from SU's clearance rack.  I though it had just the right amount of white stitching to match the waves!  I love a sale... or is it... sail?!

Thanks for visiting.
Have a peaceful day!
Luci