This will be short.  I have been very tired lately, and work has been unusually busy, so that is why you haven’t had a post from me in almost a week.  Well, here is a card I made with Papertrey Ink’s Beautiful Blooms.  I actually made this on World Card Making day. . .yes, can you believe there is a day for people to make cards? It’s awesome!

Here is the recipe:

Stamps:  Beautiful Blooms (Papertrey Ink)

Paper:  Ruby Red, Old Olive, and Creamny Vanilla (all su!)

Accessories:  Old Olive ribbon, caramel bling, and paper piercing (I love paper piercing!)

I made this card for a Splitcoast sketch challenge that I never uploaded because I think I was exhausted, and sick of the computer I call it the “Perfect Combo” because coffee and friends are the perfect combination (well, in my book at least). The designer paper with the dots was actually given to me by a sweet 10 year old girl at my church. I made some cards with them one Sunday, and she brought this paper to use and said I could have all the unused paper. I was so touched.

Here’s the recipe:

Card base: 5 1/2 by 4 1/4
Paper: Kraft Cardstock from Hobby Lobby, Ivory cardstock from SU!, and More Mustard Designer Paper from SU!

Stamps: My Favorite Things-Hot Stuff!!

Accessories: silver brads & Prima Flower from Hobby Lobby
Tools: Paper Piercing, Blender pens, light sponging on sentiment panel

My opinion on paper:  Stampin Up! and Papertrey Ink are the way to go for card stock purchasing.  The Hobby Lobby craft paper is a nice color, but not as thick and leaves a rough feeling on your hands when working on it.  I sometimes thought I got some small, fuzzy splinters in my skin after the card was made :)  Ouch!!

Also, I am totally diggin SU! new designer paper series. . .the designs are great.  Too bad they don’t sell a variety pack.

Card base is Stampin Up! Bashful Blue.
Center panel is Basic Black, Bashful Blue and Glossy Paper all from SU!
I embossed with black embossing powder the main image then sponged bashful blue leaving some white to show through.
Stamps: Baroque Motifs and sentiment from My Favorite Things, Rain or Shine
Embellishments: Adhesive rhinestones and 1/4 in. black grosgrain ribbon, and black brads
Techniques: paper piercing, embossing, and sponging

Tip: Use the embossing budy when you heat emboss or you will get speckles of the embossing powder on your main image.  It’s worth the money to buy an embossing buddy :0

Here are all my card, ready to go!

I have a great card to show you tomorrow.

-Vanessa

Thanks Nicolle B. for you comment on looking forward to my card blog. . .you were the only one who commented about my big step, and that comment is what got me bugging my DH to make it happen.

So, why do I call it Ben’s Asleep?  Well, it’s quite simple really.  I create while my son sleeps, and his name is Benjamin–but Ben had more of a ring to it.  I must give credit to our good friend Alex who helped come up with the name.  You see, we were all sitting around the table at Mama Fu’s discussing my cards while chowing down on some noodle dishes.  We all agreed I needed a website to start my card business.  So, one thing led to another, and Ben’s Asleep was happily agreed upon.  An hour later, we bought the domain name.

Am I selling my cards on here?  No, and I am not sure if that will happen.  I am just blogging about my hobby, and hoping to set up a little corner in the stamping blogosphere.

I hope you will be inspired and laugh with me through this journey of discovering my style–I still haven’t quite figured it out yet.

I’ll be posting a card soon. . .

-Vanessa