the creative closet by cindy lawrence

Artisan Submission Sharing

Hey everyone~

How was your weekend?  Ours was super-busy, but lots of fun! :)

I thought I'd finally start sharing some of my Stampin' Up! Artisan Award submissions with you.  This card was one of my faves.   One of my absolute favorite stamp sets in the new SU catalog is A Kind Word!  I found it amusing that two of the other winners also had submitted samples with this set...must be SU really likes this set too. ;) 

I made the scored grid using my paper cutter and scoring blade...thought it added that little something extra to the card.  I also thought it would be fun to make the focal image the center of a flower, for a bit of an out-of-the-box layout.  I watercolored the image in my usual fashion...re-inkers, water brush, watercolor paper.

Here's the full recipe:

Stamps:  A Kind Word

Papers:  Very Vanilla, Kraft, Baja Breeze, Bella Bleau Designer Series Paper, Watercolor Paper

Inks:  Black Staz-On, Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Ruby Red, Going Gray, Basic Gray, So Saffron, More Mustard, Bordering Blue, Blush Blossom

Accessories:  Daisy Big Shot Die, Kraft Corduroy Brad, 1-1/4" & 1-3/8" Circle Punches, Circle Scissors Plus, 1/4" Circle Punch, Vanilla Brads, Piercing Tools, White Gel Pen, Paper Cutter w/Scoring Blade, Dimensionals, Baja Breeze Satin Ribbon, Aqua Painter, Vanilla Flower Button, Linen Thread, Sponge Dauber, Baja Breeze Felt Flower

Since I will be road trippin' it from the 3rd to the 8th, I will be sharing more of my Artisan submissions over the next couple of weeks...gotta keep my peeps happy with new posts while I'm away, right?! :)  Actually, I am really hoping to share some of our adventures with you as we travel...unless of course it's totally boring! {grin}

Have a fantastic Monday, friends!

Hugs~
C

A Little School Spirit

 

Happy weekend, friends!

I have a quick post for you today.  I am soooo tired with all of these schedule changes...back to school, new job, preparing for our road trip next week.  So. Tired.  I know I'll get used to it...just gonna take some time. :)

I made today's sample for my college-bound son.  It is so hard to believe that this time next weekend we'll be in Pensacola, FL registering him at school! 

Here's the card recipe:

Stamps: School, Sports, Spirit! (Gina K Designs)

Paper: Pure Luxury White, Basic Gray, Brilliant Blue Textured

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers, Basic Gray

Accessories: Gray Brads, Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, White Ric Rac, Argyle Cuttlebug Folder, Dimensionals

My work hours are a little funky right now because I'm in training AND because of my road trip next week.  They're trying to get me fully trained before I go.  So, it's off to work I go this morning.  Then this afternoon is Abbi's birthday party with her friends.  We were originally planning a beach party; but hurricane Danny has other plans...hmpffh.  So, we've moved it inside for pizza and bowling.  I'm sure it will be a fun time! :)

Hope your weekend is lots of FUN!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs~
C

Flourishes Friday Focus!

Hey all~

It's time for Flourishes Friday Focus!  This week it's my turn, and I'm showcasing masking, or more specifically Eclipse Masking Tape.

For all the details, check out the Flourishes Newsletter for my complete tutorial. :)

Here's the recipe for my card:

Stamps:  Poppy Patch

Papers:  Classic White, Basic Black, Sweetbay Designer Paper

Inks:  Palette Hybrid Noir Black, Copic Markers:  Poppy Collection, Evergreen Collection, C7 from the Cool Neutrals Collection, BG11 from the Water Collection

Accessories:  White Pearls (dyed black with Copic Marker), Angel Wings Shimmerz Paint, Black Satin Ribbon, Black Crocheted Lace Ribbon, Eclipse Masking Tape

Check out the fabulous masking ideas from the rest of the design team:

• Christine Okken
• Faith Hofrichter
• Julie Koerber
• Latisha Yoast
• Leslie Miller

Have a fabulous weekend, friends!  It's finally FRIDAY...yahoooo! :)

Hugs~
C

Autumn Beauty Preview

Hey all!

I am so excited about this beautiful stamp set illustrated by the fabulous Theresa Momber!  It's called Autumn Beauty and is brand-new from Gina K Designs.  You can get it yourself beginning Thursday evening after the release party! :)

Here's my card recipe:

Stamps:  Autumn Beauty, A Year of Leaves (sentiment)

Papers:  Pure Luxury White, Black Onyx, Ambrosia Designer Papers (Basic Grey)

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers

Accessories:  Piercing Tools, Rectangle Nestabilities, Black Brads, Tangerine Tango Striped Grosgrain, Dimensionals

Check out the rockin' samples from the rest of the team:

• Jessica Fick
• Asela Hopkins
• Carolyn King
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Erika Martin
• Gina Krupsky
• Kurtis Amundson
• Lee Murphy
• Lynn Mercurio
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Theresa Momber
• Shelly Wilson (Center Stage Spotlight)
• Charlene Merrick (Center Stage Spotlight)

Don't forget about our Release Party on SCS starting at 7pm CST on Thursday, August 27th. There will be contests, challenges, lots of chatter as well as a ton more samples shared by the Senior Design team members and our Center Stage Spotlight team too. We'd love to have you join us!

That's all from me today, folks!  Abbi had a great first day of school, and I have the day off today.  So, all is well! :)

See ya tomorrow!

Hugs~
C

Back to School Preview!

Hey everyone~

Well, I survived my first day at work!  I will be in training all week; so it's a bit mundane.  BUT they tell me that my "real" job will NOT be mundane at all.  I love these training programs...they assume you know nothing!  My biggest challenge will be to stay awake...haha. :)

Today's sample is another sneak peek from Gina K.  It's called Back to School, which could not have come at a better time.  My daughter starts 4th grade today (Wednesday), and this is the card I tucked into her lunch box to let her know how much I love her and how proud I am of her.  She will love it...mostly because it matches her lunch box and her backpack and her shoes and...  Yes, she is into matchy matchy these days!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps:  Back to School

Papers:  Pure Luxury White, Chocolate Kiss, Thoroughly Modern DSP (SU)

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers, Chocolate Chip Marker (faux stitching)

Accessories:  Brads (didn't have a chocolate color; so I dyed them with a Copic marker), EK Success Border Punch, Chocolate Satin Ribbon (PTI), Labels Four Nestabilities, Piercing Tools, Dimensionals

Now, stop on over to the rest of the design team blogs to see their drool-worthy creations:

• Jessica Fick
• Carolyn King
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Erika Martin
• Gina Krupsky
• Lee Murphy
• Lynn Mercurio
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Theresa Momber
• Tina Gilliland (Center Stage Spotlight)
• Vicki Dutcher (Center Stage Spotlight)

Don't forget about our Release Party on SCS starting at 7pm CST on Thursday, August 27th. There will be contests, challenges, lots of chatter as well as a ton more samples shared by the Senior Design team members and our Center Stage Spotlight team too. We'd love to have you join us!

Have a FANTASTIC Wednesday, everyone!  Welcome back to school, all you kiddos!  ....and WELCOME TO PEACE AND QUIET, MOMS!!! :)))

See y'all tomorrow!

Hugs~
C

Gina K Preview Day One

Hey everyone~

Today I've got a couple of Gina K sneak peeks for you.  This first one is called Fruitful Harvest.  I was immediately drawn to this pretty pear image.  My friend, Karen, told me the other day that I am the "Queen of Fruit".  I have been cracking up at that for days now!  I know she meant it in the sweetest way; but I have this gift/curse of creating instant pictures in my mind...and I immediately pictured myself with a towering crown of fruit on my head...and here I am giggling about it all over again. :)))

So, anyway...  I embossed the pears in white on watercolor paper and used three different colors on the pears (Certainly Celery, River Rock, So Saffron).  That is my favorite, favorite, favorite (did I say favorite) thing to do....mix different shades together when I'm watercolor.  Nothing is more satisfying to me in the whole wide world of stamping.

There's another sneak peek on this card too...the beautiful gray cardstock (which I peeked yesterday too).  It's called Moonlit Fog.  Isn't that a yummy name?  It will be released this Thursday night after the release party, along with all of the fabulous stamp sets we're showing you this week.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps:  Fruitful Harvest

Papers:  Pure Luxury White, Moonlit Fog, Wisteria Designer Paper (Basic Grey), Watercolor

Inks:  VersaMark, Certainly Celery, River Rock, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke, Soft Sky, Basic Gray

Accessories:  Labels One Nestabilities, Niji Waterbrush, White Detail Embossing Powder, Spring Moss Stitched Grosgrain (PTI), Lattice Border Punch (Martha Stewart), Ivory Button (SU), Dimensionals

The next set we're sneak peeking today is called A Year of Leaves...yet another gorgeous set for autumn!  I decided to go super-crazy-vibrant with my leaves, and I love how they turned out. :)

I embossed the leaves in gold on watercolor paper, and colored using re-inkers and my trusty Niji waterbrush.  It's actually the very same technique as I used on the first card, but very different looks. 

I found these sweet little leaf embellishments in my stash, and colored them gold with my Zig Painty, since the colors didn't match my card.  I added a couple of layers of shimmery gold card stock to pull the whole thing together.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps:  A Year of Leaves

Papers:  Pure Luxury White, Brushed Gold, Rocket Red, Watercolor

Inks:  VersaMark, Soft Sky, Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red

Accessories:  Wide Oval Punch, Gold Detail Embossing Powder, Leaf Embellishments, Gold/Silver Zig Painty, Red Stitched Grosgrain (old Stamp TV Kit), Niji Waterbrush, Piercing Tools, Dimensionals

That's all from me, folks!  Check out the rest of the designer's fabulous creations:

• Jessica Fick
• Asela Hopkins
• Carolyn King
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Erika Martin
• Gina Krupsky
• Kurtis Amundson
• Lee Murphy
• Lynn Mercurio
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Theresa Momber
• Geri Utterback (Center Stage Spotlight)
• Dee Marie (Center Stage Spotlight)

It's my first day at work today!  Wish me luck! :)

Have a fantastic day!

Hugs~
C

Stamp TV Color Challenge!

Hey everyone~

I hope your weekend was FABULOUS!  They sure do go fast, don't they?!

Today I have a Gina K sample for you, made with the Signs of Autumn Stamp TV Kit.  This kit is definitely my favorite one so far.  I am the hostess for this week's Color Challenge over on Stamp TV, and the colors I chose are orange, gray, and white/ivory.  The gray & orange card stock you see on my sample are both sneak peeks of yummy new Gina K colors. ;)  At first I thought these colors were going to be difficult to work with; but they turned out to be a perfect autumn color combo.  To play along with us (for some freeee stamps!), whip up a sample & post it on Stamp TV using the keyword "stvcc27" before next Monday, Aug 31st at 8am.

Here's the recipe for my card:

Stamps:  Signs of Autumn Stamp TV Kit

Papers:  Pure Luxury White, Moonlit Fog, Pumpkin Spice, Ambrosia Designer Paper

Inks:  Black Staz-On, Pumpkin Pie, Dusty Durango, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Going Gray

Accessories:  Gray Mini Brads, Pumpkin Pie Striped Grosgrain, Houndstooth Cuttlebug Folder, Square Nestabilities, Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon, Pumpkin Ric Rac, Niji Water Brush, Piercing Tools, Dimensionals

Have a fabulous Monday, everyone!  It's my very last day before I'm officially a "working woman".  Okay, we all know I never sit still long enough to NOT be a working woman; but this is a "real" job.  I'm a REAL girl...I'm a REAL girl! :))

Thanks for visiting today!

Hugs~
C

A Happy Heart

Happy weekend, stampers!

Today is a special day in the Lawrence household.  My daughter, Abbi, turns 9 today.  She is the last of four children & the only girl.  She is sweet, tidy, conscientious, friendly, creative, beautiful, smart and sensitive.   She is our little ray of sunshine...and she's not so little anymore. :)  Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Now, I'll bet you'd like to see a card sample!  Today I have a fun one from Our Craft Lounge.

Autumn is such a happy time, isn't it?  I mean, that is when the kids go back to school, right?!  Haha...seriously, though, I love the colors, images, and overall warmth that comes with the season.

For my sample today, I used the Autumn Garden set from Our Craft Lounge.  It really paired up nicely with the K & Company designer papers I found.  Yummy stuff!

My original intention when I began making this card was to use the Weekend Sketch from Beate's blog.  BUT...I put the sentiment in the wrong place....so nevermind.  Leave it to me...I really have to print those sketches out and put them right next to where I'm working, or I mess something up every time.  I really like how my card came out anyway; so THANKS Beate for the inspiration! :)

Here's the card recipe:

Stamps:  Autumn Garden

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Linen Distress Ink, Copic Markers

Papers:  Pure Luxury White, More Mustard, ancestry.com Designer Papers (K & Co)

Accessories:  Gold Crystal Stickers (Mark Richards), Piercing Tools, Orchard Ribbon Originals (SU), Modern Label Punch, Large Oval Punch, Sponge Dauber, Dimensionals

That's all from me today, folks!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs~
C

Flourishes Friday Focus

Happy Friday, friends!

It's time for another Friday Focus from Flourishes!  This week we're focusing on distressing.  Stacy is leading the way this week with a fantastic tutorial over on the Flourishes Newsletter.

I had so much fun coloring in the gorgeous peaches image (don't they look delish?!) that I nearly forgot what the challenge was! :)  I chose to do my distressing in two ways.  First, I swiped several ink pads (Artichoke, Cocoa, & White) across the Artichoke cardstock for a weathered look.  Next, I sewed along the edges & used a distressing tool to rough them up a bit.  I added the burlap string and antique wooden buttons to enhance to the homespun feel of the card.

Here's the card recipe:

Stamps:  Cherries and Peaches

Inks:  Palette Hybrid Noir Black, So Saffron, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Craft White

Papers:  Kraft, Classic Ivory, Always Artichoke, Ruby Red, European Watercolor

Accessories:  Antique Wooden Buttons, Sewing Machine, Distressing Tool (SU), Water Brush, Ivory String, Labels 1 Nestabilities, Dimensionals

Check out the fabulous eye candy from the rest of the design team:

• Christine Okken
• Faith Hofrichter
• Julie Koerber
  
• Latisha Yoast
• Laura Fredrickson
• Leslie Miller
• Stacy Morgan

Before I sign off, I want to say thank you to all of you who offered travel tips & ideas for our upcoming traveling adventure.  You guys are SO AWESOME!!!  For those who asked, we leave on Thursday, September 3rd and return on Tuesday, Sept 8th.  So I guess it's really a 6 day trip; but who's counting? :)

Have a lovely Friday, everyone!

Thanks so very much for stopping by today!

Hugs~
C

The Slacker Returns!

Hey everyone~

Sheesh...right after I apologize to y'all for missing Monday's post, I go ahead and miss Wednesday too!  Soooo sorry...again.  I have been planning a 5 day road trip to take my son to college in Pensacola, Fl.  It'll be myself, Ben, his girlfriend (who's also attending PCC), & my 12-year old Nick (who's very excited to be coming along to keep his mom company on the ride home).  I have never driven 2900 miles in 5 days...ever!  Being the detail person that I am, I have mapped out every minute, right down to which restaurants we'll hit along the way.  If you don't plan your meals on a long trip like this, you'll end up eating fast food for every meal (cuz that's all you see from the highway).  We want to hit some authentic southern bbq joints & country kitchens, and a little Philly cheesesteak too...yumm!  Isn't it funny that all road trips seem to revolve around food?!  It sure beats the mini bag of peanuts you get when you fly!

I know...it would have been so much easier (and cheaper too) to just fly down; but we're putting on our adventure hats instead.  We are all really excited about it! :)

So, I'll bet you'd like to see an actual sample today, huh?

Okay, okay....

I made this for this week's sketch challenge over on SCS.  The coolest thing is that the challenge hostess, Roxie, used one of MY old cards (from June 2008) as the sketch for this week!  What a pleasant surprise that was when I went to check out this week's sketch! :)

I used the new Thankful Flourishes set from Our Craft Lounge.  I can't believe I haven't played with this set before now!  It is just so GORGEOUS!  I added the rhinestones around the flower center to draw the eye right to the flower.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Thankful Flourishes

Paper: Pure Luxury White, Basic Black, Mimosa Designer Papers (SEI)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Kiwi Kiss, Copic Markers, Craft White

Accessories: Gold Crystal Stickers (Mark Richards), White Detail Embossing Powder, Black Polka Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals

Hope your day is just lovely!  I am spending the day with my sweet hubby...breakfast out, a round of golf, and lunch at our favorite Italian restaurant.  We may never come back home...hope Ben is prepared to raise the kids! haha

Thanks for stopping by today!

See you back here tomorrow....REALLY! ;)

Hugs~
C