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Saturday, May 16, 2009

A Charmed VSN

It's Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) weekend at SCS and I am having a blast playing along with some of the challenges. For any of you not familiar with VSN, hostesses set a new challenge each hour (Fri evening and all day Sat). You have 45 minutes to complete your card and 15 minutes to clean up, upload your card, get a snack, etc. You don't have to play during the hour that the challenge is first issued, but you do need to stick to the 45 minute time limit. All projects for the VSN weekend have to be uploaded by Tues night.

I completed three of the challenges yesterday, when they were first issued and I hope to go back and do some of the ones I missed, today. This is only the second time I have participated and I am loving the challenge of making a card in 45 minutes. This is a huge and almost impossible challenge for me, because I am typically a ridiculously slow cardmaker.

The card above is the first one I did for VSN yesterday. I already had a wine glass colored and cut out and it was so tempting to use it, but I thought that would be cheating, so I did a new one. LOL. Part of my challenge to myself was to try to snap my photos as I usually would, as long as I felt like I was still going to be able to complete the card in time. So far I was able to do that, so I have some step by step photos to show you.

I started by stamping the wineglass from A Charmed Life (Gina K), illustrated by Melanie Muenchinger, with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I colored the image with Copics. I started with RV23 and filled in all of the wine area, leaving a small area uncolored to act as a reflection.

Next I added RV29 around the outside, working in small circles.

Used RV25 to blend out from the darker color.

Used RV23 again, to blend the previous color.

For the glass, I used C3 and C1.

To make the background I used Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Bravo Burgundy and sponged. Then I used a stamp from Growing in Unity (Unity) and stamped around the edges, using Bravo Burgundy and Pretty in Pink inks.

I used my Stampin' Up slot punch to put a hole through the cardstock, so I could run my ribbon through it, before assembling the card.

Then I glued the top layers onto the layers below and ran the ribbon around and tied the bow. Then placed that all on a Regal Rose cardbase. That patterned paper is from the Basic Gray Eva pack. I am so loving that paper. It's helping me get over my fear of pattern paper. LOL.

I was running out of time, so there were no other embellishments besides the ribbon and I didn't even trim that! I thought about trimming it and shooting new pics for the blog, but decided I should share it, as is.

Now I am going to torture you with photos from my backyard. I am having so much fun this year. With the new pond (still a work in progress) we put in, we are getting so many more birds than ever. This is the first time we have ever had bluebirds nest in one of our houses and I am so happy. I love those sweet little birds.

Here is papa bluebird. I've been putting out meal worms for them and they are getting used to me, so I was able to get close enough for a few close ups.

Here he is with a mouth full. They are greedy little birdies. They chirp at me like crazy when I come out with the worms. Then, if I take too long to clear out, they start flapping their wings like baby birds asking parents for food. Too cute.

Here are a few birds bathing in the waterfall at our pond. The one on the left is a Grosbeak and the other is an Oriole. I wish the photo did justice to the brilliant orange on the Oriole. I was at quite a distance and it was in the shadows.

I also want to than Sue and Tee for awarding me with blog awards this week! Thanks, guys!

Ok, that was almost a novel. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I am going to spend the morning with my DH kayaking on the lake. Fun, fun, fun!

13 comments:

  1. First of all Theresa I think making that card in 45 minutes is amazing. No way could I come up with something half as good in that time (or any time really, Lol).

    Secondly, thank you so much for sharing the wonderful photos of the gorgeous birdies in your back 'yard'. In the UK we say back garden. To us a 'yard' is just a flat area of bare concrete which I know is definitely not the case in the US as your photos go to prove.

    Lesley Xx

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  2. Beautiful Card - It would take me way longer than 45 mins. to make anything half as good!!!!!
    Also love the pictures from your garden (oops sorry guess where I was brought up!!!) . Such pretty birds, what a treat to have them visit you on a regular basis.
    Here in Sydney we have Kookaburras that swim in the pool more than we do!!! sadly don't see quite so many small birds. Sue.

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  3. Wow! Very beautiful card, Theresa! Can't believe you finished it in 45minutes! Love the swirls you stamped and ribbon treatment! Thank you for sharing how-to pictures!
    And birds pictures too! They are so pretty!

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  4. Great job on that panel...love all the sponging! And the mix with the Bittersweet DP is super!

    Love your birdie pics...we only have drab gray and brown birds in our backyard so I am jealous!

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  5. WoWzA, your card is beautiful!! All that in only 45 minutes?!? Yikes, it would take me that long on the sponging alone!

    Your bird pics are incredible!! I rarely see Orioles ... or blue birds for that matter. PLEASE keep posting more pics; I love 'em! How sweet that they're letting you get close to 'em ... how cool is that?!?

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  6. as always fabulous, you should use those great pictures of the birdies for an inspiration challenge!!

    Patricia
    www.papertemptress.com
    Check out PaperTemptress's blog
    and May's specials!
    www.blogs.papertemptress.com

    "A GIRL CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH PAPER" - Lisa Bearnson

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  7. Gorgeous card, Theresa.
    Love the colors and the way you threaded the ribbon.

    Your pics are awesome!! I am a total bird nut....you are so lucky to have bluebirds and orioles. They are so gorgeous.
    I saw my first hummingbird today at my feeder...adorable little fellow!

    Karen x

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  8. Great card! I just started cardmaking not long ago
    and it seems to take me forever to make one.

    I love your bird photos! I don't think I've ever seen
    a bluebird. We don't have them in this part of
    Canada. Your backyard must be beautiful!

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  9. SHEEESH Theresa!!! Could you at least have struggled with the 45 minute time limit???!!!! LOL Just a gorgeous card!!! And we love birding....getting to watch their behaviors up close is so cool!!!

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  10. Theresa-you are so lucky to have these birdies! Not to mention being able to photograph them. I love birds, too. Where are you? I'm in mid-Michigan and have heard the Orioles in my yard. My mom saw bluebirds here years back. Guess I need a pond and some meal worms. Love your tutorials, btw. Smiles, Lori

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  11. Cute card.....great pictures - please torture us some more!!!
    Jan

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  12. I love the card. I also love the birds. We also have many different birds in our yard. The pictures...wow. What kind of camera did you use? You make my pictures look like childs play.You give me great ideas for cards & scrapping. Have fun.

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  13. I can't believe you did that card in 45 mins! It's lovely...

    As for those blue birds, we don't get them over here, so thanks for sharing such beautiful pics with us. I've never even seen a photo of them before so this post is a real treat on more than one front. Thank you!

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