So it is raining…I mean, for here it is seriously raining, and today is only the first day of what will be many days of major down pours.  Part of me loves this, hearing the sounds that the world makes when it gets wet.  On the other hand the three children I have birthed won’t see recess or out door play for like a week…never a good thing.  Too much energy in offspring is always difficult.

But for the moment, it is just me, sitting here with a cup of coffee and a few minutes to share with you what I’ve been playing with this week.  I haven’t had as much time as I like sitting at my desk…other commitments have take up a lot of time these past few days.  I hate when I don’t get to work on the little stuff, I feel just a little lost.

But I have had some time to play around and here is what I’ve come up with.

Up first is a color challenge from the Team over at The Paper Players.  This week the challenge has us focusing on black and white, plus one color.

I pulled out a stamp set from Penny Black that has all kinds of accessories and started stamping out high heels, purses, pearls and sunglasses.  In the center of the card I went with a simple phone stamp and the sentiment from the same stamp pack.  I pulled out my copics and started coloring in the images with a combination of pinks (RV00, RV02, RV04).  I did some detail work with a combination of black copics, but in the end that work was for not.  In the end, I pulled out my spectrum Noir sparkle marker in black and highlighted all the black spots with the sparkle.  I trimmed the card stock down by a quarter of an inch and added a black glittery paper.  I love how this turned out…not crazy about the tones of pink I pulled, but alas, I think the card has just the right amount of girly coolness.

The girls over at Just us Girls this week have a fun theme challenge going on.  I probably could have just reused the card above for this challenge too, but I had an idea as soon as I saw the theme and ran with it.  The theme, all over stamping.

I pulled out a Funny Bones sentiment that I have had a for a bit, but haven’t found the right place to use it till now.  I stamped it out onto some watercolor paper and then made a sort of mask to cover the words.  Then I pulled out a on red rubber stamp of an apple (this may have actually once been one of my kids’ stamps, and I may have stolen it at some point) and started stamping apples all over the paper.  I pulled out my Daniel Smith watercolors and started mixing up colors using nothing by primary colors to make the colors used.  I painted the apples, trying to leave a subtle highlight on the areas where the highlights were intended.  I think this ended up being pretty cool.

This week the designers over at Inspired by all the Little Things have jumped forward into Valentine’s themes.  I’m not sure I was ready for it, but I pulled out my love mojo and went to work.

I pulled out some black card stock and then using a Spellbinders die, die cut an intricate heart into it.  I pulled out my white gel pen and started marking up the card stock to look like a bit of chalkboard.  I grabbed some dark red card stock out and started doing the things you have to do to make a shaker card.  Guys, I think I need to flatly give up on this style of card.  I just don’t have it.  I know others do, but I am not the girl to highlight this technique.  No matter how many times I try, I just seem to fail.  Alas, here is the shaker card I tried (and Fail) to make.  Next time, I’ll stick to coloring.

Finally today we have a theme challenge over at Less Is More.  This week they want to see a one layer card featuring favorite drinks/beverages.  I decided on some champagne.

I pulled out a Paper Smooches drink stamp set, and stamped out a glass and a bottle.  Then  I pulled out a Funny Bones sentiment and stamped it not the the beverages.  I colored in the glass and bottle to make it look realistic (sort of).  Finally I added some dots of glitter pen to make it look like the bubble from the champagne.  I keep it all simple, liking how everything turned out.  I did add a spray of glitter mist, but that was just too add some sparkle to the empty space, unfortunately you can’t see if from the pic.

That’s all for today.  I am off to get house work done so the kids can just mess it up this weekend while they are trapped in doors durning the rain.