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!