Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha

Paula is back with some great sketch challenges over at Stampin’ Addicts! This one is from the week before last, sketch #118. It’s okay though, because there is no time limit so you can play along whenever you have a chance!

I needed to make a thank you card for my fabulous downline Samantha who bailed me out of a total dog-sitting nightmare while we were out of town over the holidays. This sketch was perfect. This also gives you a sneak peek at the gorgeous designer series paper that you can earn for free during Sale-a-Bration! (SAB starts on Tuesday, January 24th!)

Stamps: D is for Dog, Delightful Dozen
Ink: Soft Suede, Pool Party
Paper: Pool Party, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade, Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper
Other: Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Full Heart Punch, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit

The Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper comes distressed on the edges, so I sponged some Soft Suede ink around the edges of the pieces that I cut to match.

What fun, summery colors from ColourQ today. It’s kind of a last hurrah as we wave good-bye to summer, even here in Southern California!

As I looked through my old pictures for ones that matched the colors, I found this super cute one of Eve and Biscuit. Can you ever have too many pictures of adorable children and their puppies? How sweet are their faces? Eve was two here, and Biscuit was about 1.

The background paper is from the digital version of the Domestic Goddess Designer Series Paper. It has such cute patterns!

I created this page when I was applying for the ColourQ design team. I’m pretty sure that I haven’t posted it here yet. It used the colors from ColourQ Challenge #42:
Real Red, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, & Chocolate Chip. I’ve been hard at work on my projects for next weekend’s Stampin’ Addicts blog hop. We’ll be featuring stamp sets that are retiring at the end of June. I made some super cute cards with Bugs & Kisses! I can’t wait to show you — but I have to. Be sure to come back Friday for that.

I really like the way the Chocolate Chip outline makes the elements look more cartoon-y. I think it adds to the youthful exuberance of a preschooler and her puppy.

Today’s ColourQ colors are so bright and fun!

I decided to use a 5 1/2 year old picture of Eve and Biscuit. They both look so young there. Eve is turning 8 today! I can hardly believe it. (See my post from yesterday for a look at her birthday card.) I created this layout with Stampin’ Up’s My Digital Studio software. I decided to use the black to outline the different elements, adding a more cartoon-y and childlike look to the layout.

Since this features Biscuit, it is also perfect for this week’s SUO animal themed challenge.

Good news for those of you who love My Digital Studio as much as I do!  A FREE update (1.0.6) is now available for all My Digital Studio users with the packaged DVD software.  The update provides users with new functionality and several new options for print products. The easeist way to get your update is to open your MDS program, click “Help” and then select “Check for Updates” in the My Digital Studio software.  The update will be performed automatically.  Be sure to allow for some time as it is quite a large download.  When you are done, you will be able to create and print some AMAZING new projects! If that doesn’t work, go to  MyDigitalStudio.net and download it from the updates section here.

Here are some of the new enhancements in functionality and print products in this FREE update to expand your options while designing:

• Group and edit: Enjoy the ability to group objects and then resize, recolor, and rotate, them all at once.
• Access more information: View project dimension information in both inches and pixels when you right-click the project and view the Edit Object screen. Make sure to check out the Info tab on this same screen for more object details.
• Get the pages you need: My Digital Studio automatically adds just the number of pages you need for the type of project you’re creating (for example, four pages for greeting cards, two pages for postcards, and 26 pages for calendars).  Note that the last page of greeting cards, trifold cards, and calendars automatically includes the Stampin’ Up! and My Digital Studio logos as embellishment pieces which can be removed.
• Choose what you view: You can check a box to show the bleed (trim) area in Preview Project, or simply uncheck to hide it.
• Crop with confidence: When using the crop feature for Photos or Background Paper added as a page layer, use the ruler or width and height boxes to crop an image to the perfect size.
• Keep it quick: Move back and forth between project pages with a quick key command (ctrl+right arrow for next page; ctrl+left arrow for previous page) or from the View menu in the top menu bar.
• View the Resource Palette with ease: Use your keyboard arrows in the Browse section of the Resource Palette to quickly toggle between artwork.
• Add and delete pages in a flash: Do it all at once.  Forget the days of adding and deleting pages one-by-one.  Simply select the page thumbnails at the bottom of your canvas, right-click and delete.
• Keep your favorites in line: Remove your favorite colors via the Remove Favorite button from the Favorites tab of the color palette.

I am really excited about the changes to the Grouping Function. I used them when I created the scallop circle with the little girl and dog from All in the Family. It was super easy to group them together and then resize them!

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see the new My Digital Studio downloads — Stampin’ Up promised new downloads every Tuesday in April! (I’ll have them posted here for you bright and early every Wednesday morning!)

Steve has a great supervisor at work, who has been really kind to him. She shows dogs, like we do, but Newfoundlands. She is also involved in the Lab Rescue, and is the one who helped set us up as a foster home. As a thank you, I made her a set of cards. There are three different color schemes, and two cards of each — one with a yellow lab and one with a chocolate lab. I made the paw print panel by wheeling on the card stock first, then running it through the Big Shot in the embossing folder.

Stamps: D is for Dog, P is for Paws Wheel
Ink: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler
Paper: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Accessories: Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Full Heart Punch, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit, Big Shot, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding

Stamps: D is for Dog, P is for Paws Wheel
Ink: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Marina Mist
Paper: Marina Mist, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Accessories: Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Full Heart Punch, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit, Big Shot, Marina Mist Grosgrain Ribbon

Stamps: D is for Dog, P is for Paws Wheel
Ink: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizazz
Paper: Pear Pizazz, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Accessories: Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Full Heart Punch, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit, Big Shot, Pear Pizazz Poly Ribbon

Which colors are your favorite?

It’s my week on the ColourQ design team again! Here are the colors for this week. Lots of pinks!

I scanned through the last few years of pictures that I have on my computer, and I thought that this one went the best with it. Eve was four and a half in this picture, and Biscuit had just turned three. I think I need to frame this scrapbook page and put it up. Just look at those faces!

If you are wondering how I made it look like the Framed Tulips embossing folder, it turns out that stamp brush has been a part of the Vintage Overlays Digital Stamp Set the whole time! It is #13. I made it look embossed by changing the color to match the background, then adding a drop shadow at 75%. Thanks to Alesha Walls for posting the instructions on MyDigitalStudio.net.

I have a special post for you today from my favorite guest blogger, Eve! She’s been having fun coming up with at all different color combinations using the color coach lately, and used it to pick this combo out. I’m not sure if she intends to give it to one of her friends who likes dogs, or actually to one of the dogs.

Stamps: Long Fellows, D is for Dog
Ink: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise
Paper: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise
Other: Tulip Border Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Big Shot

I love stamping with her and seeing what she comes up with!

So, have I kept you wondering what my exciting news could be? Well, wonder no further! Over the weekend I was chosen to be a part of the ColourQ Royal Court Design Team! I am so excited! I absolutely love this color challenge, and have been playing along for quite awhile, so when Arielle posted that she was looking to add some scrapbookers, I jumped on it! I’ll be officially posting every other week, and most likely playing along on the week’s in between. I hope you will too! Here are this week’s colors. Aren’t they so bright and fabulous?

I went hunting through my photos when I saw these colors, and was thrilled to find that this picture of Eve and her best friend had all of the colors in it. How cute are they with Jack? And no, he’s not quite fully grown yet.

I hope you’ll come over to ColourQ and come play along too!

I decided to try a new color challenge this week, one that I have seen a bunch of my friends play. It is Stacey’s Curtain Call Color Challenge. Here are this week’s colors:

We just received the pictures of Jack winning “Best Puppy” at the Great Dane Specialty Show earlier this month, and Steve asked me to make a card to send along with a copy of the picture to the judge who gave him this award. I decided to use these colors for it. I used the new Crumb Cake ink on top of the Kraft (aka Crumb Cake) card stock for the foot prints, and then ran it through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice  Embossing Folder to give it some texture. The stamp is from a new set called Perfect Punches that is in the new catalog.

Stamps: Perfect Punches, P is for Paw Wheel
Ink: Real Red, Night of Navy, Crumb Cake
Paper: Real Red, Night of Navy, Crumb Cake (Kraft), Whisper White
Other: Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (reversed), Scallop Oval Punch, Movers & Shapers Punch Windows, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Here’s a picture of Jack and his Best Puppy Award. Doesn’t he look great?

When I saw this week’s sketch from Stamping 411 I knew it would be perfect for the Father’s Day card I wanted to make from the dogs to my husband.Here’s the sketch:

I used Loads of Love for the first time in forever. My husband drives a blue pick-up truck, and with the dogs in the back it was just perfect! The dog on the left is Biscuit our yellow lab, the one in the middle is Jack our Great Dane (I tried to draw in his mask), and the one on the right is Hershey, a chocolate lab who used to live with us. I also used my Watercolor Wonder Crayons for the first time in a while. I forgot how much I loved using them! I’m so glad that there is a new color kit to update these in July!

Stamps: Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Stazon Black, Night of Navy
Paper: Kraft, Night of Navy, Whisper White, Travel Journal Designer Series Paper
Other: Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Aqua Painter, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch

Great sketch this week! I’m so pleased with how this card came out, and my husband loved it too!