The Invisible Intruder

Happy Saturday, y'all, and welcome to the 46th Nancy Drew Challenge!  Today Nancy is squaring off with The Invisible Intruder.

This cover reminds me of 99 Steps and Crossword Cipher in that it's largely brown/neutral tones, and once again Nancy is in her signature color of pale blue.  This time we get Ned on the cover, which rarely happens, and we have a creepy backdrop of a stingray and some skulls.  I like it.  This is my childhood copy, I have my name written not once but twice inside the front cover.

Case file:  Nancy's friend Helen (who last appeared in #20, The Clue in the Jewel Box, and I think this might be her final appearance) organizes a ghost-hunting road trip to investigate odd happenings at five different locations, including a phantom canoe, a medium, and a ghost horse, so this is basically five Scooby-Doo episodes in one volume.  The book ends up at the home of an eccentric old man who collects rare shells and also human skulls, which is not my design aesthetic but rock on as long as the skulls and shells are ethically sourced, and Nancy captures the gang behind all of the haunts.

Here's my card:

We get some lectures on different kinds of shells over the course of the book, so I decided to pull out Stippled Shells for my first card.  I chose River Rock, Pebbled Path, and Basic Beige for neutral colors and put it all on a Balmy Blue card base for Nancy's dress.

I had done a mosaic card with Stippled Shells a long time ago so I kind of started with that as a jumping off point for this card.  Also, I made this one before the vintage traveler card I posted on Wednesday.

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Stippled Shells, Weathered, Stepping Stones
Ink:  River Rock, Pebbled Path
Paper:  Balmy Blue, River Rock, Pebbled Path, Thick Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Layering Ovals Framelits, Dimensionals

And I have one more card:

The first location they road trip to has a self-propelling canoe, and while investigating it Nancy and Ned encounter a mechanical octopus which drags Ned away and that is straight out of a Scooby-Doo episode and it makes me laugh.  So I had to make an octopus card, using Nancy's hair and dress for my colors since the rest of the cover is pretty blah.

I did keep Gray Granite as my main color here, which matches the stingray pretty well.  I found my blue and gray patterns in the Otterly Adorable DSP, and I matted the Gray Granite pattern on some Gray Granite cardstock on which I colored the edges with a Blend marker to make it stand out against the Gray Granite card base, which is an easy way to get multiple values of a single color.  You know what, I miss Mango Melody.  It's a fun orange.

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Message in a Bottle
Ink:  Gray Granite, Mango Melody, Gray Granite Stampin' Blend
Paper:  Gray Granite, Thick Basic White, Otterly Adorable DSP
Accessories:  Dimensionals, Sparkly Gems

Like The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, I think this one has too many characters as we have the regular Drew Crew (Nancy, Bess, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave), Helen and her husband, and three other couples whose names I could never remember and they're apparently only around so everyone can rag on the one married woman who believes in ESP and ghosts, which is unfortunate.  We have some goofy Scooby-Doo inspired moments, not up to the utterly bananas hijinks of Brass-Bound Trunk or Moss-Covered Mansion, but the five mini mysteries and road trip setup are fun, so I give this one three and a half stars.  If you're inspired to create a card based on this mystery, please leave me a comment below!  And I'll see you next time when Nancy investigates The Mysterious Mannequin.  Cheers!

Friday Flashback: Ancient Art & Weathered

Mornin, folks!  By the time you read this, I will (hopefully) be hanging out on a beach in Greece : )  It's our last hurrah before we go back to the States next week, spending a week in Crete relaxing and, in my case, checking out the archaeological site because I'm a history nerd.

So today I thought we'd go with Ancient Art for a Friday Flashback post.  So I got this stamp set last year or the year before when I was randomly trawling eBay for old SU! sets (which my husband wishes I would stop doing...to be fair I do already have a lot of stamps and I haven't looked for any more on eBay in quite some time).  So this post is a Friday Flashback but it's also the first (ahem, only...so far) time I've used Ancient Art.  I paired it with Weathered, a great background stamp from way back when, and made a set of cards.

I'm over here talking about Greece but Ancient Art has a distinctly Native American vibe to it.

Hey, you never know when you'll need a thunderbird stamp.  Or a cool lizard.

Okay the snake is not my favorite but I do like the turtle.  One old, old stamp set I've thought about tracking down is Aquaria, and it has a neat turtle in it.  Not that I don't have other turtles, I'm sure my hubs would point out ; )

Not 100% sure what the animal on the left is meant to be, but I think of it as a bear.  And the handprint is good for a high five card, yes?  So I used every stamp in the set and kept the cards super simple without sentiments so they can be used anytime.  And they're good guy cards too, I think.  I will miss having Sahara Sand in the SU! color lineup, it was a unique neutral.

Anyway, check ya later, stampy friends.  I'm gonna go relax on a beach with my two favorite dudes.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Ancient Art, Weathered
Ink:  Sahara Sand, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Mossy Meadow
Paper:  Sahara Sand, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Mossy Meadow, Thick Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Dimensionals

A-Team Baby Book: August

ETA:  Well dangit, I meant to schedule this for tomorrow morning and accidentally published it this afternoon, so bonus Friday post and pretend you saw it on Saturday.  :D

Happy Saturday and hooray for a long weekend!  Today's baby book pages are certainly summery.

So my brother attended Oklahoma State University, whose mascot is Pistol Pete (a cowboy) and whose colors are orange and black, and now you know why I incorporated orange and a cowboy on this layout.  Plus my niece was born in Texas and nothin' says Texas like cowboys (and cowgirls!).

I'm still angry at myself that somehow I NEVER got ink refills for the In Colors the year that Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, and Concord Crush retired.  I forget the other two colors from that year but maybe they came back?  Anyway, my Poppy Parade ink pad is a little dry so the cowboy isn't as saturated as he could be.

I used the medallion from Wanted as an accent next to the month.

And some wee little horses for the journaling block!  They're actually part of a line of five, I just masked off the other two for this.

Today's super hot color palette:  Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, and Whisper White.  Have a great weekend, y'all!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Wanted, Bronc Buster, Weathered, small horses by Deadbeat Designs
Ink:  Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight
Paper:  Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, PTI White, Sunny Garden DSP
Accessories:  Sizzix alphabet, circle & scalloped circle punches

Friday Flashback: Linen

Happy Friday, y'all!  Today's Friday Flashback stamp set is Linen--yep, we're shining the light on a background stamp today.  Let's check it out!

Also features Baby Talk, Petite Patterns

One thing I noticed going through my archives is that I've used Linen quite a few times, but it's hard to see in the pictures because the texture is so fine on the stamp.  So click on the photos to enlarge, and check out the card base on this one.

Also features Heartfelt Thanks, Warm Words, French Script

Or the Almost Amethyst layer on this one.

Also features Fall Whimsy, Print Pattern, AYC3

Pumpkin Pie layer on this one...

Also features Touch of Nature, Print Pattern, Weathered, AYC3

The card base on this one...

Also features Steppin' Style, Print Pattern

And finally, the blue layer on this one.  Uh, Linen is a hard stamp to photograph I guess?  Well, here's my new card:

I think you can see it a little better here; I stamped Linen with Dapper Denim ink on Dapper Denim cardstock and IRL it looks like blue jeans which makes me happy.  I'm entering this at Just Add Ink, where the challenge is to just add "B"--I made a birthday card with a blue jeans background, using the color Blushing Bride and the stamp set Bodacious Bouquet for my blooms, to which I added a bit of bling in the form of rhinestones, and I used my Big Shot to cut out the Lots of Labels die for my sentiment.  How's that for Bs?

This also counts for Retro Rubber's challenge to use flowers:

I've had Linen for 10 years (!!!), Bodacious Bouquet for 9, and Perfectly Penned for 5, so they're all nice and retro for that challenge.

I also incorporated the colors from The Color Throwdown:

I used Dapper Denim, Blushing Bride, and Watermelon Wonder for my colors, and I think they'll forgive me for adding a smidge of Pear Pizzazz because I just needed some leaves for my flowers.

This afternoon, hubs and I are going to see the new X-Men movie (hubs is off work today!) and then we're going out to dinner.  Maybe I can talk him into going to Chuy's for some Mexican food...adios for now!

Supplies, last card only:
Stamps:  Linen, Bodacious Bouquet, Perfectly Penned
Ink:  Dapper Denim, Blushing Bride, Watermelon Wonder
Paper:  Dapper Denim, Blushing Bride, thick Whisper White
Accessories:  Lots of Labels Framelits, rhinestones

Friday Flashback: Sincere Salutations

Thank goodness it's Friday, kids.  Not my best week ever.  I will neither confirm nor deny that I ate brownie batter for breakfast today.  Is it weird that I like brownie batter better than actual brownies?  Don't answer that.  Also, I laugh in the face of salmonella.

But anyway, I bring you today's slightly late Friday Flashback.  Today's retired stamp set of choice is Sincere Salutations, and I remember how excited we stampers were when it first came out--eight sentiments in a pretty classy mixed-font format, what's not to love?  So again, this flashback would take a week if I put up every single project I ever made with this stamp set.  Let's just select a few, shall we?

Also features Baroque Motifs

And right off the bat this one might be my favorite of the bunch.  I like the color combination :)  And of course Baroque Motifs can do no wrong.

Also features Natural Beauty

My long-ago SU! upline used to do that thing like on this card where a smaller-than-A2 card is folded and then backed up with a piece of colored cardstock; not really my thing but it did let me do a nice bow on the side of this card.

Also features Pretty Peony

Some pretty purple peonies for a birthday...

Also features Roses in Winter

And Christmas roses.  Yeah, Sincere Salutations has got you covered for most events.

Also features Stippled Stencils, Weathered

The sentiment showed up better IRL on this card than in the scan (and this was so long ago that it was a scan rather than a photo)--it's embossed in gold.

Also features Wonderful Wings, Filigree

One last card featuring one of the gorgeous butterflies from Wonderful Wings, and also last week's Friday Flashback set of Filigree.  And now for this week's new creation:

I'm pretty pleased with it.  I used the color challenge from ColourQ:

And apparently I was influenced by the picture in the challenge graphic too, because I think that's what made me reach for Medallion.  I also used this week's Retro Rubber Challenge sketch:

In the spirit of the challenge, I've had Sincere Salutations for I suppose 11 years because I think I got it when it came out; Medallion dates from 2011 so five years, and True Friend I've had for 9 years.  Yeah, I think I got the "retro" part of the challenge covered this time ;)

Well, hubs just got home and he's taking me out to dinner so that's it for me.  Cheers, y'all!

Supplies, last card only:
Stamps:  Sincere Salutations, Medallion, True Friend
Ink:  Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Tangerine Tango, Night of Navy
Paper:  Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Whisper White
Accessories:  Circle punches, Regals Candy Dot, Tangerine Tango ribbon from Sale-a-Bration a couple of years ago

Friday Flashback: Ancient Asia

It's time for the Friday Flashback!  If you've been here for a while (or if you've perused my other blog), you know that I used to live in Japan and I love stamps with an Oriental flair.  Today's Friday Flashback is for the superfantastic Ancient Asia!

Also features Bamboo II and Happy Birthday Frame

I sent this to my dad for his birthday a few years ago.  I still miss the retired blue colors like Ballet Blue and Brocade Blue.

Also features Bamboo II, Natural Beauty, and Itty Bitty Backgrounds

I made this card before I ever knew there was a band called Imagine Dragons :)

Also features Sanded and Birthday Whimsy

And there's the other dragon in the set.

Also features Whimsical Alphabet

The first layout in my Okinawa scrapbook--I used the tiny dragon in a line across the top of the pages.  So that was the Flashback part, and because I've been having SUCH a good time in my craft room this week I have two new cards to share!

My friend Misty recently had a wedding anniversary, and when she got married I made her a wedding sampler with Chinese characters on it so I was thinking of her when I made this card.  I used the colors from the Color Throwdown:

Such a pretty photo on there, I want to go wherever that was taken.  And you might recognize this week's Nacho sketch too:

But I didn't stop there, I made one more card today:

Kind of different for me, it's all neutrals (and you know I like color, and lots of it).  That Whisper White layer is actually sponged with Sahara Sand and Basic Gray ink, but the flash kinda whited that out.  I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch on this one:

So there you have it!  I've got some pictures picked out for a scrapbook layout to work on next week, and I think Ancient Asia will be making another appearance in my scrapbooks.  Hope y'all have a great weekend, and cheers, peeps!

Supplies, dragon anniversary card:
Stamps:  Ancient Asia, Best of Love, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Riding Hood Red
Paper:  Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Night & Day DSP (I used up a scrap!)
Accessories:  Riding Hood Red taffeta

Supplies, horse card:
Stamps:  Ancient Asia, Weathered
Ink:  Sahara Sand, Basic Gray, Whisper White
Paper:  Sahara Sand, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Sahara Sand DSP
Accessories:  Whisper White baker's twine, Neutrals Candy Dots, Dimensionals

Friday Flashback: A Beautiful Thing

It's Friiiiiiiday!  And time for this week's Friday Flashback.  The retired stamp set du jour is A Beautiful Thing from back in 2008, so let's flash back.

That little sunburst kind of design between the flowers is neat, I kinda wish I'd focused on that for the new card this week but what can ya do.

Also features For Father

 This card was a one-hit wonder for the stamp set For Father.  One of these days it'll get its own (rather short) Friday Flashback.

Also features Priceless

When I made this card, I was (temporarily) caught up with all the Splitcoast sketch and color challenges.  I'm close to catching up again :)

Also features Weathered

Last card for the flashback part of today's post; I really wish Elegant Eggplant would show up in more color challenges.  And also Garden Green.  I love both those colors but I seem to be in the minority.  (Side note:  to my delight, there are a couple of new patterned paper packs in the upcoming catalog that feature Garden Green.  Still no love for Elegant Eggplant though.)

Anywha, here's this week's new creation:

That gold embossing powder on the flowers did NOT want to show up in the photo.   Trust me, it's there!  I'm contrary enough that I like to take your stereotypical Christmas colors and make something not-Christmasy with them.   One more color challenge closer to catching up on Splitcoast!  I also used last week's sketch from Sketch Frenzy Friday:

Have a great weekend!  We're going to see Godzilla tonight :D

Supplies, last card only:
Stamps:  A Beautiful Thing
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Versamark
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Gumball Green DSP
Accessories:  Gold brads, gold EP, Very Vanilla seam binding, Dimensionals

Friday Flashback: Vintage Verses

Howdy folks and welcome to this week's Friday Flashback!  I'm a little late getting my post done today, but I've been distracted...I got my preorder goodies in the mail today and I just *had* to have a sit-down with the new catty before I could do anything else.  But I'm ready to go now and this week's randomly chosen retired stamp set is Vintage Verses from last year's Sale-a-Bration!  What's with all the former SAB sets lately?  I don't know, they were all chosen from the proverbial hat.

Also features Mixed Bunch

Here's a very bold bright card to start us off.

Also features Lovely Leaves and Weathered

Something a bit more manly...

Also features Swallowtail

Ok, I admit, this is one of my favorite cards ever.  Gotta love the giant butterfly.

Also features Nature's Pace

And this one...is not my favorite.  Well, they can't *all* be winners.  So that's it for the Flashback, here's today's new card:

You can see I kinda love that little "Just because" stamp :)  And I had to give the World Treasures peacock a little more love since he's on his way to blissful retirement in Jamaica.  That peacock panel was a pain though; I had three different tries at polished stone and one try at doing something on watercolor paper before this one kind of worked.  The Old Olive ink refill muddied the Bermuda Bay too much when I tried to use them together for polished stone, Bermuda Bay was too dark by itself, but Bermuda Bay plus Coastal Cabana seemed to work okay.

I used almost the right colors for this week's Color Throwdown:

I accidentally used Old Olive instead of Lucky Limeade; this is what happens when I try to do color challenges from memory.  I think the Old Olive is close enough for me to be safe from the Challenge Police though.  I also used this week's Retro Sketch:

That one I stuck pretty close to, except all my card elements are bigger than they are on the sketch.

And now it's time for me to dive in with the new In Colors and have some fun.  My fingers are already stained blue and green, so I'm a happy stamper!

Cheers, peeps!

Supplies, last card only, all SU!
Stamps:  Vintage Verses, World Treasures
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Night of Navy
Paper:  Old Olive, Bermuda Bay, Night of Navy, Glossy White, Season of Style DSP scrap
Accessories:  Deco Label, Petite Petals, and Boho Blossoms punches, rhinestone, Dimensionals