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High Hopes' New Releases & Blog Hop!!

Do you love High Hopes images as much as I do? Well, here's some exciting news!!!! High Hopes Stamps will be having a blog hop to show off their new releases!!

Mark your calendar!! The sneak peeks will begin next Tuesday, April 5th, along with their next challenge. There will be more peeks on Wednesday, April 6th. Then there will be a Blog Hop and release on Thursday, April 7th. Woo Hoo! I can't wait!!

Click here if you'd like to WIN some of their brand new release stamps!!

Christmas Card of the Week- Drummer Boy

Happy Sunday! I hope that it's warm wherever you are...it's pretty cold here in Maryland!!

I was able to get into my hide-away and get some much needed stamping time in today! Here is my Christmas Card of the Week:

The image is Little Drummer Boy from High Hopes Stamps. He is stamped onto GP110 white cardstock and colored using Copic Markers. I've had him colored for quite a while now, but finally got around to making a card with it. The sentiment is also from High Hopes. All papers are from Stampin' Up- Cranberry Crisp, Brocade Blue and Creamy Caramel. I also used a small scrap of very old SU designer paper from several Christmases ago. I distressed all the edges and also embossed the Creamy Caramel panel using SU's Square Lattice embossing folder.

I'm really liking getting a Christmas card per week done!! I now have 5 cards done, so at this rate, I'll have plenty of Christmas cards done by November to send out to friends and family!

Please stop by again on Tuesday for my Two 4 Tuesday blogpost. See you again soon!

More Christmas in July...barely!

I made these cards back in February for submission to the July issue of Scrap & Stamp Arts magazine (my first-ever submission to a magazine). Well, I've given up all hope that they'll be published, so I've decided to go ahead and post them.

The first card uses a High Hopes image called "Woodland Santa". I just love their images! They're so much fun to color! Cardstock is SU's Wild Wasabi and Real Red. The white is GP110 and the image is stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics (this was one of the very first cards that I colored using my Copics!) The patterned paper is unknown. It's some I bought in a 'yard sale' bin at our LSS. The "merry & bright' sentiment is from an old SU set.
This second card is made using another High Hopes image called "Stirrin' Milton". This guy has the best face! Again, the image is stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto GP110 white and colored with Copics. The candle "glow" is made by sponging SU Summer Sun ink around the flame of the candle. The sentiment is also from High Hopes. All other papers are SU- Real Red, Wild Wasabi and Dashing DSP.

I think both of these cards turned out cute, and I'm a little disappointed when I see some of the cards that WERE published. Oh, well...I'll just try again...

A Dragon and Lions, oh my!

Happy Monday! I didn't get to stamp as much today as I had hoped due to several appointments, but DH had to work late so I was able to get into my hide-away after I ate dinner.

This first card I made for Ricky. If you remember, Ricky is the son of one of the teachers I work with. He had complications from surgery, and had to endure a 2nd surgery, but after almost a month in the hospital, Ricky is finally home and on the mend. I wanted to send him another get well card. This dragon image is from High Hopes Stamps and I received it in a High Hopes image swap I participated in earlier in the year. These dragons are so much fun to color! I colored the image using my Copics. The bi-plane is from a retired SU set called Up In the Air. The base card is Chocoalte Chip and the dotted DP is from the Certainly Celery DSP set. The wide celery-colored ribbon is from the Offray Ribbon Outlet and the narrow grosgrain is SU's Close to Cocoa. Inside is a computer generated sentiment "I hope that you're feeling "thumbs up"! I know, it's corny, but I think he'll like it!

My parents' 54th wedding anniversary is coming up on July 30th so I decided to use this High Hopes image called "Snuggly Lions", also from the image swap, to make their card. I love the looks on the lions' faces- they're SO in love! :) All papers are SU- Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Bella Rose DSP, except the white cardstock which is unknown since I didn't stamp it. Of course, I colored the image using my Copics and sponged the edges of the image using Old Olive ink. The ribbon is Offray. The red self-stick half-beads are from Michael's- I think they're Reflections. The "lots of hugs" sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Tomorrow I don't have any appointments so I hope to be able to stamp away the day! Ya'll come back now, ya' hear?

Shoebox Penguin

Tomorrow I'm going to a shoebox swap at our LSS, Create IT Crafts. The theme is Christmas in July. This is the card that I'm taking to the swap. I used one of High Hope's penguin stamps. Isn't he cute? I stamped in onto GP110 white cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored him with Copics. I then doodled around the edge of the image using the fine point on my SU Basic Black marker. The rest of the papers are from Stampin' Up...Always Artichoke, Bashful Blue and an old DP from a Christmas pack from a couple years ago. I embossed the DP in my Cuttlebug using the Snowflakes embossing folder.
The light blue grosgrain ribbon is from Michael's. I stamped the Merry Christmas image (from Bombshell Stamp's Holiday Accessories set) onto GP110 and punched it out using the medium oval punch from SU. I punched the scallop punch (also from SU) out of Always Artichoke and layered the white oval to the top of the scallop oval, then using pop dots, adhered the sentiment to the center of the ribbon.

It's a simple card but I don't know the levels of the stampers coming to this crop. I hope they like it. One note, though...when I take my supplies to the swap, I'll be taking SU markers for them to color the image with- no way am I taking my beloved Copic markers to let strangers mess them up! :) They'll just have to deal with it!

I'm hoping I'll be able to make some nice cards at the swap that I'll be able to use for Christmas this year! Here it is, mid-July and I only have 2 Christmas cards made!!!

Saturday's Stampings...

It was such beautiful day here in Maryland that DH decided to go on a looonnnngggg motorcycle ride down to the Norfolk area and back again...he and some friends are going to Sturgis in August and they need to get their butts in shape before those long 600-mile-a-day days on their way to South Dakota...so...while he was gone I got back into my stamping room to get a few more cards made...

I wanted to make thank you cards for everyone who donated to the American Cancer Society for my school's Relay For Life team. I needed something simple since I was going to have to make so many, so this is what I came up with. (If you dontated to me, don't peek!) I used SU's retired Hope Is... stamp set. All papers are SU- Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black and Tempting Turquoise designer papers, although the white is GP110. The verse is stamped using Momento Tuxedo Black. The ribbons are SU's black organdy ribbon and 1/8" white grosgrain from Offray. The stick-on gems are from Michael's and I used black Prima flowers from the Halloween collection. Inside I stamped the ribbon heart in Tempting Turquoise and then stamped "Thanks for your support" in black over the ribbon. I really do appreciate everyone who donated to our team. The Relay holds a special place in my heart- moreso since we lost my niece, Julie. I decided to use turquoise since that is the color for cervical cancer. (Sorry for the crooked scan!)
This next card I made for the BRAK group on SCS. The image is Hopeful Ant from High Hopes Stamps. I have had SU's Watercolor Wonder crayons for a long time and have never used them, so I thought I'd give them a try...not so sure I care for them now that I've tried them. I used the Aqua Pen with them to color the image. The papers are SU's Pumpkin Pie, Green Galore, Basic Black and a Halloween pack of DSP (sorry, I can never remember the names of the packs!) The image is stamped on watercolor paper using Momento Tuxedo Black.

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday weekend!!!

Inky Impressions 1st Design Team Call

A brand new stamp company, Inky Impressions, is holding their first ever design team call. They asked that applicants post their 2 best cards...they're specifically looking at our coloring skills since their stamp images require a lot of coloring. Well, I LOVE to color- I always have- and I love to color with my Copics. I thought that I would never be chosen, so why bother? Well, the more I thought about it, the more I thought- why not? The images that I've seen so far in their sneak peeks look to be right up my alley, so I decided to go for it! So, above are the two cards that I'm submitting for the call. The clown image is from High Hopes Stamps, "Sending Smiles" is from Hero Arts. I used SU Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock. The striped paper is from My Favorite Things (Spring collection) and the polka dot paper is unknown. For embellishments I used Prima Flowers, My Favorite Things Adornments (Spring collection) and Copic Markers. The orange and green ribbons are some that I received at The Meade Girls SBS last weekend, as was the polka dot paper (courtesy of Kim, the owner of Create IT Crafts) so I don't know who the makers are. The dragon image is also from High Hopes. I used SU Basic Black and Whisper White. The green paper is Dark Luscious Lime from ColorMates. I ran it through the Cuttlebug using the Mesh embossing folder (I thought it looks a little like what I think dragon skin would look like!) The image is also colored with Copics. I hope that you enjoy these cards and I'm hoping that the 'judges' at Inky Impressions do also! Wish me luck!!

Curious Kitty

This is another card that I made for my senior 'buddy', Miss Laura. The image is from High Hopes Rubber Stamps. It's a cute image but I'm not quite sure I like how the card came out. It's a 5-1/4" square card. I used SU Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White and one of the SU DSPs (but I can't remember what the name is). The buttons are some I've had for years and I added them to go along with the sewing box in the image and are attached with glue dots. The Thinking of You stamp is from SU, as is the Old Olive narrow twill ribbon. I also got to use my brand new SU eyelet border punch! I sure hope Miss Laura likes it!

Bewareth!

This is another card I made with one of the High Hopes images I got in the swap. I just LOVE this dragon stamp but I'm not totally thrilled with how the card came out at all! Not quite sure what I don't like about it or what I could have done to make me like it better. Any ideas? I used SU Basic Black, Pixie Pink, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi and SU DSP. Of course, I used my Cuttlebug AND my beloved Copics!

I didn't make it but...

A few weeks ago I decided last minute that I would apply to be a guest designer on the High Hopes design team...I don't know what possessed me to think that I would ever be picked- especially after seeing how many stampers applied AND after seeing some of their work! I got my email telling me that I was not chosen but they would keep me in mind for future design teams. This is the card that I submitted using the challenge that they required. After seeing this card, you'll see why I wasn't chosen! :) It was the only High Hopes Stamp that I had at the time that would fit the challenge. Okay, so I wasn't chosen, but a year ago, I never would have even considered applying! I've submitted 2 cards to Scrap & Stamp magazine for publication- something else I never would have thought I would do, but with a little pushing from Tracy, I decided to go for it. Maybe I'll get lucky there!

Laugh Out Loud!

I am having such a good time with the High Hopes images that I got in the swap. Here is a card I made for my 'stash' using the Juggles stamp. I don't usually like clowns, but this guy is just too cute! I used Stampin' Up! Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock. The striped is also from SU but is from a retired DSP pack that I can't remember the name of! The Laugh Out Loud sentiment is from Hero Arts. Of course I used my new Copics! I just can't get enough of them! I'll be taking a Basic Copics class at Create IT Crafts later in the month and I'm hoping to improve my coloring skills!!

Wingin' It!

This is another card that I made for my senior buddy. I participated in a High Hopes image swap and this is one of the images that I got. Isn't he just adorable?? The stamp is called "Wingin' It". I used 3 of my most favorite things to make this card- High Hopes Stamps, my Cuttlebug and my brand new Copics!!! I hadn't planned on putting the black square behind the scallop, but the yellow-on-yellow just didn't show up...all-in-all, though, I'm happy with how it turned out and I hope Miss Laura likes it, too!

I'm A Senior Angel!

I have been a Chemo Angel for many years. After hearing how my friend, Kathi, enjoyed being a Senior Angel, when it came time for my reassignment, I decided to take the different route and become a Senior Angel (see http://www.chemoangels.net/ if you're interested in joining!) After much anticipation, I finally received my senior buddy's name- Miss Laura. She is 94 years old and lives in New York. This is the angel card that I made her to send with my intro letter.