SSD Blog Hop

Welcome to Skipping Stones Design’s Blog Hop to celebrate the release of a new stamp set, "Always Here". If you just happened upon my blog today, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. You should have arrived from Heidi's blog.

Combined with the blog hop today, it's also Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday which means the Design Team is showcasing another fabulous sketch from Maren Benedict! We'd love for you to play along with the sketch and link your card at the Skipping Stones Blog. Just remember to use the keywords SSD040 if you are uploading to any online galleries.

Here is my sample for this week's sketch:

I had some difficulties taking a good photo of the card, it is raining all the time, so please forgive the bad pic! I colored the butterflies with copics and added some accents with a white gel pen. The paper is Basic Grey. I worked with the digital images on this card, but my real stamp set arrived today and I can't wait to ink it up! The butterflies are beautiful!

So here is today's Blog Hop list:

Kandi Phillips http://www.kraftykandikrafts.blogspot.com/

Kryssi Ng http://www.sugar-buffet.blogspot.com/

Maren Benedict http://www.zanynotcrazy.blogspot.com/

Amanda Sewell http://www.inkspirations.blogspot.com/

Alice Wertz http://www.aliceslittlewonderland.blogspot.com/

Dina Kowal http://www.mamadinis.blogspot.com/

Jen Ingle http://www.justjingle.blogspot.com/

Heidi Van Lar http://www.vanlaardesigns.blogspot.com/

Vanessa Menhorn http://www.wingsofabutterfly-vanessa.blogspot.com/ -> YOU ARE HERE! :)

Peggy Russell http://www.beautifulgreetings.blogspot.com/

Wendy Price http://www.paperinkandsmiles.blogspot.com/

Michelle Gireau http://www.twisted-chick.blogspot.com/

Have fun hopping and thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Anything Tim Holtz inspired

Happy Thursday! I made a card for the new challenge blog Simon Says Stamp and Show. This week's challenge is called "Anything Tim Holtz inspired". How could I possibly leave this one out?? I wanted to get really inky and made this:

I used the beautiful flower image from Tim's Urban Tapestry set on a background that was inked up with Tea Dye distress ink and distressed with Walnut Stain distress ink. The script on the background is once again the good (old) "Old Letter Writing" from Hero Arts. I used a brush to sprinkle some Perfect Pearls droplets onto it. The dragonfly is a digi image from the Hero Arts kit "Winged Friends". It is colored with Copics. Onto the wings I applied some Rock Candy Distress stickles. Here is a close-up to see the glitter (and the Perfect Pearls):

I made another card, but I don't like how it turned out. The only thing I loved was my textpaper rose so here is a glimpse of that:

I will remove it to use on another project! Thanks Mr. Holtz for inspiring me!

Have a great day everybody and thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Vanessa

SSD #39 - Winner inside!

Happy Tuesday, sweet friends! Here comes this week's Skipping Stones Design Sketch, created by the wonderful Maren Benedict:

And here is my take on it:

I really love this poem from the "Healing Wings" Set. I thought it would fit to stamp a weed and the bird from the "Dandelion Dreams" Set and to use some Tattered Angels mist on the background (I think they look like glistening tears). That paper is from an old My Mind's Eye Collection. Come and play with us this week! You'll find all the details for this challenge here.

Now to the lucky winner of the beautiful "Timeless Textures" Stamp set! Here is Mrs. Lucky:

Barb said...

Vanessa, this is so pretty! I love your take on the sketch! Gorgeous color combo!

8/17/2010 11:40 PM

Congratulations, Barb!! I know Mr. Random chose you, but I am glad he did, you are always so sweet and really deserve it! Just send me an email with your address and Heather will send out your new stamps soon!

I hope you are all having a great day! Thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Another published card

Happy weekend sweet friends! I am here to share a card that is published in the Paper Crafts September/October issue. I just got my issue and love it! This card was made for the "Fall for Fashion" feature that is all about patterns:

I used the boots from this adorable digi stamp set from The Cutting Cafe and resized them in Indesign for my purpose. But Regina Easter, the owner of The Cutting Cafe created a new file to create this shaped card more easily! You'll find it here. That houndstooth paper is from the "Homespun Chic Collection" from GCD studios. The sentiment is Hero Arts.

My other card that was published in this issue is featured on the Moxie Fab World blog here. The September/October issue has beautiful features! I love the "Reading between the Lines" feature especially. Get your issue here!

Have a beautiful weekend and thanks for visiting! Don't forget about the stamp giveaway in the post below!

Hugs,

Vanessa

SSD #38 and a give-away!

* GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED*

Happy Tuesday! Time for the next Skipping Stones Design Challenge! Here is Maren's sketch for this week:

And here is my take on sketch #38:

I used the beautiful butterfly from the "Healing Wings" Set, the music background from the "Timeless Textures" set and the sentiment from the "Dandelion Dreams" set. Check out the other samples and the challenge here. I hope you will play, too!

And now to the give-away! Heather from Skipping Stones Design is very generous and is offering this gorgeous stamp set to one of my readers:

Beautiful, isn't it? I just love using it! So to win this, just leave me a comment here! I will draw a winner next Tuesday and will announce the lucky duck in the next SSD post. Good luck!

Have a happy day and thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Hero Arts Butterfly

Happy Thursday! Rainy Thursday here. Just wanted to share a card I made last night, using one of my favorite butterflies from the Hero Arts "Flutterbies" digi kit. This is my entry for this month's theme "Keeping in touch and Back to School". I just can't leave out a Hero Arts challenge :)

I used a simple cake doily and misted it with Tattered Angels mist. That flower is misted, too. The butterfly is colored with copics and I stamped the "Old Letter Writing" with Antique Linen on it (but that's very difficult to see here). The sentiment is from the "Everyday Sayings" set.

Ok, short naptime today, I have to go!

Have a sunny day and thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Vanessa

More Vinnie Pearce!

Happy Wednesday! Here are more cards using Vinnie Pearce's new Collection "Journey Back"! You know I like butterflies - and Vinnie offers some really beautiful ones in this kit. Here I decided to print out a large one:

That background paper is from the kit, too. I stamped the ornament from the Hero Arts "Speckled Ornaments" set and the sentiment from the "Birthday Sayings" set. That doily is a simple small cake doily I found in a supermarket. I inked it up with Tea Dye distress ink to match the card. The brown rose is cut from that fabulous rose trim from Webster's Pages.

Next is a card using more of Vinnie's gorgeous papers. This one with the birdcages comes in three colors:

I really like that color combo. You can find the kit here. And lots of inspiration, too! The Creative Team made so many beautiful layouts and cards... Oh, and Vinnie's kits are 25% off sale items at the moment, so better be quick!

Thanks for visiting and have a beautiful day!!

Hugs,

Vanessa

New Vinnie Pearce - A Journey Back Collection

Back with the promised second post! Today Vinnie Pearce's new, gorgeous, fabulous, wonderful Collection called "Journey Back" is finally available! This digi kit is so beautiful, I can't stop using it! Today I am showing you two cards I made and will share the other ones tomorrow:

Love that sweet birdcage and the colors of the kit! And the kit is perfect to create some happy shabby cards like this one:

I had so much fun with all the beautiful elements and papers - and everything is so inspiring! Sigh. The kit is available here. Go and get it! Now!

Thanks so much for visiting and have a fabulous day!!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Skipping Stones Design Sketch #37

Happy Tuesday! It's time for a new sketch challenge over at Skipping Stones Design! Here is Maren's second sketch:

And my take on it:

I used the Dandelion Dreams set for my card. Such a beautiful set full of lovely weed images! I hope you have time to play this week! Check out the challenge here!

I'll be back with a second post today and I promise you, you don't want to miss it!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Tiffany Doodles - Flowers Challenge

Happy Weekend! It's time for a new Tiffany Doodles challenge! This month the theme is flowers. Love this!! And Tiffany has a lot of gorgeous flowers to work with! Here is my sample:

I used the Dahlia w/Oval digi stamp. It includes another Dahlia image with an Oval that fits the Spellbinders Nestie Dies! For my card I colored the image with pencils. The patterned paper is Basic Grey, the cardstock and button are Papertrey Ink. I used Wild Honey Distress Ink to dye my ribbon.

Check out the challenge here! I would love you to join us!

Have a beautiful weekend and thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Dolmar, the untameable lawnmower

Happy Friday! You will find a card at the end of this post! I just wanted you to meet Dolmar, the untameable lawnmower I spent yesterday with. Meet Dolmar:

It must look absolutely ridiculous to watch a 55 kg girl trying to make this wild horse do what she wants to :) But at least I am doing this in style now:

(If you ignore my fuzzy hair sticking to my sweating face and the old, worn-out shirt I had on while delivering my daughter and the ugly, canary-yellow rubber gloves... but while working, the boots are the only thing I see, so I can feel stylish!)

Ok, you made it to the card:

Made this one a while ago, trying to imitate orchids with some Prima Hydrangea flowers. The flourish and sentiment, paper, button and ribbon are Papertrey Ink. The flourish background is Hero Arts.

Have a fabulous day and thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Guest Designer for Skipping Stones Design

Happy Tuesday! Heather from Skipping Stones Design asked me to be her Guest Designer for this month! I am so honored to work with her beautiful stamps! Every Tuesday there is a new Sketch Challenge on her blog and this month's sketch Designer is no other than Go-To-Gal Maren Benedict!!! Here is my take on her beautiful sketch:

I used the stamp sets "Timeless Textures", "Healing Wings" and "Dandelion Dreams". Be sure to check out the challenge and all the wonderful inspiration here!

Thanks for visiting today! Have a beautiful day, sweet friends!

Hugs,

Vanessa

Sharing published cards

Happy Weekend! Did anyone miss me? It is back! Our I-Mac is back! Now I am able to print and up-load again and access my files! I will try to catch up with everything now! On to some cards! I always forget that I am allowed to share one card out of Paper Crafts publications, so I thought I'd share two cards that were published recently. First is a card featuring one of my favorite stamps, the Hero Arts Starburst Lace:

The photos are not the best - I always forget to take a nice photo for the blog post, too :) The card was published in the Paper Crafts special issue Card Style - a must have! This issue is full of amazing inspiration for every style! Get your issue here.

Next is a card that was published in another must-have-issue, Card Creations Vol. 8. A magazine full of fabulous ideas for all occasions. You'll find it here. This is my wedding card:

I am working on cards using Vinnie Pearce's next digi-kit that will be released on Tuesday (08/10/10). Be sure to check back then, I promise you will want this amazing kit. Believe me! Sigh.

Ok, trying to catch up a bit now. Thank you for still visiting! Have a beautiful weekend my friends!

Hugs,

Vanessa