Mask It

Whatever will I do when Soft Sky retires this summer? I'm sure SU will have some new color that I can't live without.... but this one, will be missed.

Two weeks ago, it was my turn to issue the Prettie Girl challenge. I don't know what I was thinking, I made the challenge to use some form of masking. Sorry girls!! I should have gone easy on you!

I stamped this little Stampendous bee onto whisper white paper and then stamped him again onto my eclipse masking tape. I applied the mask, and then using my ink pads and a sponge, I added in a background of both sky and grass. Then removed the mask and colored in the image with my copics.

I also used masking on my MFT card which I'm now off to go post. For that card, I masked to create the perception of depth, to sort of "stack" images to create a scene. I can't wait to see how the rest of the girls masked for this challenge, and girls, I promise I'll pick something easy the next time I'm picking challenges!

The card base here is Soft Sky, with Certainly Celery mattings. The flowered designer paper is Fall Flowers designer paper from Stampin Up.

Be sure to blurf around to the other Prettie Girl blogs (see links on the right) to see what they did for this challenge and to see what this week's challenge is as well!

Have a great day!

Prettie Yummy!

Its Prettie Wednesday again! These weeks are going faster and faster. I seriously can't keep up. Charmaine, no peeky because this is on its way to you via FedEx becuase I'm SO late.

I used Cambria's tutorial on Splitcoast to make a cute little treat box, but I wanted a bigger one, so I used a 9x9 piece of cardstock and made my score lines at 3 inch intervals instead of the standard size from her tutorial.

My "Pretties" for this project are my Nestabilities and Copics. The paper is Stampin Up's Spring Fling which I totally adore, and the stamps used for this project are from Stampendous.

Charmaine and I both have children with severe nut allergies, and I know how hard it is to find safe treats for all these candy giving holidays. I picked up some treats for her girls from Vermont Nut Free Chocolates (my local candy place carries it around holidays...) and a pack of Peeps (my very personal favorite Easter candy!)

Be sure to pop around to all the Prettie Girl blogs (see links on the sidebar to the right) to see what they came up with for this Anything But a Card challenge!

Last week's challenge was from Christie - to make a shaker card. I better get shakin on that one. Pardon the pun.

Have a great day!

Prettie Wednesday - Shake it Up!

Two weeks ago, Christie issued our latest Prettie Girl challenge, to make a shaker card. I've always thought these were so fun, and hadn't made one yet.

When I was in CHA with Paper Pretties, I attended a Hero Arts class. We used this cute stamp set in class, and each got to take one home! Hooray!

I created the window with a transparency sheet (I only had to totally destroy my stamping area to find where I'd tucked them away) and the little window has clear micro beads inside.

The cupcake frosting is "glittered" with the help of my Glue Pen.

This cute paper is Paper Salon, and the ribbon is American Crafts - both from the Paper Pretties Boutique

I'm still one challenge behind. Last week Julie Masse challenged us all to make something with chipboard. Off to see what's in the stash to work with!

Be sure to pop on over to the other Prettie Girl blogs (you'll find all the links on the sidebar to the right!!)

I forgot! Its my time to schedule the challenge of the week! Here it is. Prettie Girls - Put on a Mask! You can mask to create depth in an image, to build a scene, reverse mask....whatever you choose, but mask it up ladies! Can't wait to see what you do!

Prettie Wednesday - Striped

Two weeks ago, Jillian issued our Prettie Girl challenge. The challenge was to use stripes in your design. I wanted to work with this super cute paper and luscious ribbon is Noteworthy from Making Memories.

I stamped the famous "headless chick" from MFT on watercolor paper with my Pearlescent Chocolate Brilliance pad and then I watercolored with my watercolor crayons and an aquapainter.

Since the "In Colors" from Stampin Up don't come in the watercolor crayons, I had to get a little creative with the mixing to get the right shade. I blended Tempting Turquoise with Sage Shadow and was very happy with the results.

If you're wondering how I already have this MFT stamp "Ride Em Cowgirl" since it is being released tonight from My Favorite Things .... this is the Paper Pretties My Favorite Things stamp of the Month for February!! I had so much fun with this card which is making its way up to Julie Masse in the mail.

Today's challenge will be posted by Christie!! Be sure to pop on over to visit all the Prettie Girls (see blog links on the right) to see everyone's stripey creations.

Paper Pretties next release is scheduled for Sunday, March 9th at 8pm EST we'll also be having our monthly Pretties Pajama Party! The Pretties Pajama Party is like a mini Virtual Stamp Night that lasts 3 hours. Each hour a challenge will be posted and you have an hour to complete and upload each challenge creation Hope you'll come join us for new stamps and fun challenges!

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out the very next post for my Blogaversary Candy!!

My Prettie Valentine

Two weeks ago, Julie Masse posted our Wednesday Prettie Girl Challenge. We were to make a valentine for another girl on the team. I'm so behind, I finally just got around to making this, so Jillian, if you're here, no peeking! I'll be hand delivering this to you in LA! Hooray!

I knew I wanted to make something really girly for Jillian, so I dug through my Valentine stash and picked out some Cosmo Cricket Hey Sugar designer paper. I also wanted to use the scrollwork heart from my SU Always set.

Now, since this is a Prettie Girl challenge here are the things from Paper Pretties that I used on this challenge.... the sentiment "Friendship" is from my MFT Set "By The Seashore" which was in my very first Paper Pretties box! I also added this WeR Memory Keepers Hardware flower slide. I have to say I'm loving this kit --- there are just SO many pieces that I don't have to hoard it - I'm free to use it becuase I've still got loads more in there!! Sweet!

Speaking of the Paper Pretties card kit boxes, there are some for sale over in the boutique! There are actually a bunch of things ON sale over there too, for instance MFT Stamps, Marvy Punches, its all listed under the SALE tab in the boutique.

Be sure to stop by the other prettie girl blogs -- see links to the right to see the valentines that everyone else came up with. I got a sweet package from Jana the other day with a cute Love Bugs card filled with some stamped off images for me to play with! Wahoo! Thanks Jana!

Thanks to my friend Barb who participated in the Prettie Girl challenge this past week. She sent me an email with a card she created off my sketch! Thanks Barb, drop me an email at stampedbyhand@comcast.net and I'll get a little something out to you!

How did I forget to mention - Please Join us Monday night for Stampin In Your Jammies! We'll be stampin the night away on Monday beginning at 7pm PST once we're done with the show for the day. We'll have hourly challenges, as well as recaps from the show. So excited to finally stamp live and in person with my fellow pretties!! The party will be over here hope you can join us!

Prettie Wednesday Returns!

We're back!!!! You may remember that the Prettie Girls (a.k.a. the Paper Pretties Design Team) had been issuing Wednesday challenges this past fall - each week one of us takes a turn issuing a challenge, and forwards our creations to another girl on the team.

This week, the challenge was issued by Christie and its a color challenge: light yellow, light blue, and apricot. How springy and fun! I can't wait to play. We'd love for you to play along, please let me know if you do by adding a comment on this post with a link to your creation. You can find all the girls blogs in my sidebar to the right. ----->

So, looks like Masse and I are on the same page, because we both created red Snowflake Kisses creations for the day. My card base is Real Red from SU and the designer paper is the now retired (sniff sniff) Cerise paper from SU as well. The stamp set is the newly released Snowflake Kisses stamp from Paper Pretties.

The mittens are stamped with Brilliance Graphite Black ink on Watercolor Paper and then colored in with reinkers. The muffs of the mittens were given some fluffy with Liquid Applique which I picked up at the Paper Pretties Boutique. The sentiment fits perfectly on the round tab punch and I notched the edge of the main image with my slit punch to create a little space for the ribbon tie.

Lastly.....I did post my challenge for the week on the Paper Pretties Forum as well called "Play it Again" basically it is a challenge to kick an existing creation up a notch, or make a card in two versions a before and a **more** version. Hop on over to the Forum to see the challenge and hopefully to play along, there will be a prize from the Boutique for one lucky player!

Try Something That Scares You!

After seeing so many stunning cards made with the Baroque paper from Stampin Up, I succumbed and purchased it. But, I must admit, its been sitting in my storage since then. And Um... yes, that was in July. That's bad.

When I opened up the package, I decided it was just too far out of my normal "style" and wasn't sure if I'd ever use it. The other day, as I prepared for my Design Team challenge with The Prettie Girls, I said to myself "Come on. It's only paper." I leafed through the package and found two that I liked. I've been meaning to use my new Illuminations stamp set from Stampin Up. (I bought it specifically to make a wedding card for my sister.)

All supplies on this card are from Stampin Up. The colors here are River Rock for the card base, Old Olive Matting and Very Vanilla. The card is finished off with Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon. Which I love. **I'm sure you've seen this comment before, but River Rock is tough to capture in a photograph. The color is gorgeous, it just for whatever reason, photographs sorta bland.**

Edited to add... as I had mentioned, I went back and added another "C" popped up on Dimensionals today. I like that extra layer in there for a little "pop." I changed the top picture, but here's a closeup of the "C" itself, I just think its so pretty!

So, here's my Design Team challenge to the Pretties this week. Find something in your collection that is out of your traditional style, either stamps that you have but don't use, or paper you haven't yet been brave enough to use, or a color ink pad that you own, but don't use. (I have one of those --- Taken with Teal.)

I'll be playing again and will have a new card to send along to the Prettie Girls. Each Wednesday, we'll each post our previous challenges (whoops, I posted mine too early in the week, please follow down to see my challenge cards below) and one of us will issue a new challenge for the week. The Prettie Girls are Alli, Christie, Jillian, Charmaine, Julie C., Julie M., and Kristine . And, we hope you'll follow (and possibly even PLAY!) along.

I'd love to see what you've come up with. Post here with a link to your blog or SCS gallery (or wherever you post for that matter!)

Come on, what's really to be scared of...its only paper, stamps and ink. Be sure to check back next Wednesday to see what we all completed last week!! Most of all, Have fun!!