Flash Those Pearlies!

Sorry this post is late--relishing in my last lazy days of summer before returning to a new school year on Monday. Speaking of summer--much of mine is taken up with care and maintenance appointments--physical, new haircut, eye doctor, and of course, going to the dentist--and that's what my challenge involves for you today. Create a project that is all about smiles! Use an image that is smiling or use the word "smile" in your sentiment. After all, my summer is coming to a close and I could use a grin or two. Flash me those pearlies!
Don't forget to add the keyword RESQ58 if you are uploading to an online gallery or just use the inlinxz below.

(Poppy by "I Brake for Stamps"; sentiment by "Verve.)

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers!
Pat

April Showers

It's April, and you know what that means -- rainy weather! Getting wet and chilled can be bad for your health. Stay dry and stay warm. Get out the slickers, ponchos, and umbrellas, and keep them handy.

Today we have an Inspiration Challenge. Look at the beautiful umbrellas here. Then make a card inspired by one of them. You might be inspired by the colors, the designs -- anything. Let your creativity flow! I can't wait to see what you create!

I was inspired by the beautiful poppy umbrella here.

And don't forget to use the linking tool below to link us to your creation and if you're uploading to an online gallery, use the keyword or tag RESQ42.

Happy Holidays from Pat

Happy Holidays to all of our stampers!

Hugs, Pat

Calling Dr. Stitch!

It's Dr. Stitch on call this week. I don't know about you, but whenever my mojo needs a little boost, I visit the button department of my local craft store. Buttons come in every color, every size, and many, many shapes. Buttons can be shiny or dull, pretty or cute, plastic, metal or wood. I find buttons inspiring.

So my challenge to you this week, to jump-start your mojo, is to make a card or scrapbook page using buttons. You can use buttons you have, or (better yet) you can go out and browse the button department at your nearest fabric or craft store. Find one or more buttons that inspire you and use them on your project. Then, post your card or scrapbook page in an online
gallery or on your blog. If you post in a gallery, don't forget the keyword RESQ20. Then post a link to your card in the comments section below. I can't wait to see your button creations!

World Card Making Day Challenge #2

Here is our next Challenge brought to you by Pat (casep on SCS)...

We're having a Health Fair today at the Res-Q Challenge. One thing you can do at a health fair is to have your vision tested. We are all familiar with reading the letter chart. It's actually called a Snellen Chart!

My challenge is for you to make a card featuring a large letter on the front. Your letter can be stamped, or chipboard, or cut out of a magazine. Just be sure it is big and bold like the letter chart.

Get that mojo going and make a card!

Use keyword RESQWCMD2 in your online galleries and make sure you post it here to be entered in the contest!

Res-Q Crew Resumes

Denise (AKA Resqbarbie on SCS, PTI and Stamp TV):

I have been crafty all my life. Ever since I got my very first pack of 64 Crayolas I have been hooked. I started Scrapbooking when I got married back in 2001. I have completed seventeen 12 X 12 albums of my kids, wedding and family but believe it or not I am STILL behind!

I started stamping and card making in 2005 when I attended a Crop for Breast Cancer and met my dear friend Toni who introduced me to Stampin' Up and cardmaking. I was hooked. I found Splitcoast Stampers shortly after that and got involved in Virtual Stamping Night. I have made so many dear friends through VSN, my Res-Q-Crew members being only a few!

My favorite products to use are buttons, acrylic paint and ribbon. I love finding and learning new techniques! My favorite stamp companies right now are Papertrey Ink, DRS Designs, Gina K, and Artful Inkables. This changes practically every week but I am always on the lookout for new companies!

In my previous life (meaning before I had kids), I was a NY City Paramedic and loved my job. I injured my neck and back shortly after 9-11 and have been unable to return to the profession I loved so dearly. This is how the name for this challenge blog came to be. I hope you enjoy it and have fun with it!

Past Guest designer for H&M Stamps and DRS Designs

My SCS Gallery

My PTI Gallery

My Personal Blog- Handmade by Me

Jean (AKA naturecoastcrafter on SCS and Jean C. on StampTV):

As the daughter of a floral designer, creativity is in the genes and I’ve enjoyed doing anything (short of gardening) with my hands! Over the years my creative outlets have included making dollhouse miniatures, needlework, beadwork, wirework, decorative painting, clay sculpting, and whatever was new and trendy. For the past 4 years, I have been expressing my creative energies in papercrafting, especially cardmaking and rubber stamping. My best friend since 1971 (Patricia or casep) led me in this direction when she became a Stampin’ Up demonstrator. Due to her expert salesmanship, we had to move to a bigger house to accommodate my addiction and I’ve been totally immersed in the insanity ever since! I became involved in Virtual Stamp Night on Splitcoaststampers and made many great friends in that forum as well as on Gina K’s StampTV. I love doing card challenges on SCS and StampTV and am always looking for new, fresh, and different ideas. Some of my favorite designers are Karolyn (Paper Therapy), Denise (Paper Landscaper), and Amy (Pickled Paper Designs), along with my Res-Q-Challenge friends, of course. I’m in the process of developing my own blog, but I’d love for you to check out my gallery on Splitcoaststampers:

My SCS Gallery

Pat (AKA casep on SCS and Poppy on StampTV)

Whenever I was bored when I was a child, my mom would pull out The Make-It Book and we would make something. Thus my love of crafting began. I crocheted and did counted cross-stitch and embroidery. I sewed clothes, costumes, dolls, and animals. I did wood crafts, made miniatures, and built dollhouses. I began making cards about 12 years ago when I first saw a book about cardmaking. At first, I mostly made cards from kits and I didn’t use rubber stamps. Then a friend invited me to a Stampin’ Up! workshop. I started buying stamps and paper and started making my own cards. Eventually I found Splitcoast Stampers and became part of the stamping community. I have made so many friends there, including the members of the Res-Q Crew. Although I still like to do other crafts, cardmaking is my favorite. I love to create a small piece of art and then send it off to someone. Scatter Joy! is my motto.

My favorite products to use are decorative paper, brads, and ribbons. I joke that I have more paper than most scrapbooking stores, but I think it’s actually true! I just can’t resist a beautiful piece of paper.

In real life I am an elementary school teacher. I have taught for 35 years and have taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.

I am very excited to be part of the Res-Q Crew!

My SCS Gallery

Michelle (AKA Eliotstamps on SCS)

I've been crafty all my life, though I didn't always know it or admit it! I got my start putting together crafty stuff such as invitations and party favors for events such as wedding showers, baby showers and birthday parties. Over the years, I've dabbled in candle-making, handmade potpourri, holiday ornaments of all kinds and much more. But for the last 10 years or so, my primary focus has been on stamping and scrapbooking, and my interest in stamping really took off when I joined Splitcoast in 2005.

I use mostly Stampin Up ink and paper, but I love lots of different stamp companies - Stampin Up, Gina K, Unity, Lockhart, Rosie's Roadshow and Inkadinkado to name a few. When I win the lotto, I'll be spending some of my fortune at Papertrey Ink and Taylored Expressions, too. My other cardmaking favorites are ribbon, Kaisercraft rhinestones and pearls, Copics and Nestabilities. You can find at least 3 of those 4 on just about everything I make!

To pay for my crafting habit, I work in the media industry. I'm single and live with my cat, Eliot, who can often be found nosing around in my ribbon or trying to lay on my cardstock. When I'm not stamping, I love to read and go for walks on the beach.

My SCS Gallery

My Personal Blog- The Craft Cat

Jacqueline (AKA jacqueline-I know, real original)

Artsy-fartsy! That’s me…I’ve always been involved in something crafty – it just comes naturally for me. In Kindergarten, I painted a picture and brought it home to my mother every single day. As I grew up I dabbled with different mediums; charcoal, oil and acrylic paints, watercolors, ceramics, pottery, candle and soap making…you name it, I tried it. I’ve always been fond of pretty stationery, note cards, and stickers too – I love to write letters and have pen-pals. A few years ago I began scrapbooking. My BFF invited me to a Stampin’ Up! Party and I reluctantly went. I remember saying, “I do scrapbooking, I’m not getting into all these rubber stamps – I’m not buying anything”. Well, call me a liar…because, here it is almost seven years later and I am obsessed with rubber stamps! I can’t get enough. And, because the stamps are so versatile and convenient, it’s easy for me to sit down and whip up a card in a matter of minutes. I still scrapbook and love arranging my photos, but I love the instant gratification of card-making just a little bit more.

I use primarily SU! Cardstock and ink and have lots & lots of stamps but there are way too many delights out there to be exclusive. I just can’t wait to get my hands on new goodies. And, those that know me know that I’m the one who will “push-the-envelope” (so to speak) so I’m always on the look-out for off-beat, sassy images and sentiments. A few of my fav companies and stamp lines include: The Greeting Farm, I Brake for Stamps, Gina K., and Pink Cat Studio. I tend to lean towards open images that I can watercolor or use pencils but I haven’t met a stamp I didn’t like [yet]. I just adore ribbon and glitter (Stickles in particular) and you’ll find them on almost all my creations. Oh, and I {heart} patterned papers…I could sit for hours and just look at paper. My alter-ego is that of Water Conservation Specialist for the Water/Sewer Authority. I promote water conservation by developing programs and teaching people about the value of water and importance of efficient water use. Personally, I am totally in-love with my boyfriend, Joe (to the point of being giddy) and my trusty side-kick, Piper (my Pomeranian) is never far from my side. Both Joe and Piper make me laugh every day and make my life a little brighter. Ain’t love grand? I am thrilled to be a member of the Res-Q Crew…these ladies are a hoot!

My SCS Gallery

Challenge #4

Welcome to RES-Q-Challenge #4! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! Today's challenge is brought to you by

Pat (casep on SCS):


My challenge is about diamonds. You might know that the 4C’s of diamonds are cut, color, carat, and clarity. We are going to borrow 3 of these to get your mojo in motion.
The directions are very easy.

Choose a cut, a color, and a carat.

Then create a card based on the materials your choices indicate.

Make your choices and let the creativity begin!

1. Cut:

use a round shape on your card:



use an oval shape on your card:


use a heart shape on your card:


use a square shape on your card:

2. Color*

Use blue, yellow, green, white

Use purple, orchid, green & white

Use green, aqua, blue, white

Use pink, purple, green, white

* I left the colors generic because I don’t know whose papers or cardstock you might have. In other words use any pink, purple, green, blue, or yellow you have and/or any decorative paper that matches the color scheme.

3. Carat:

1 carat- Use ribbons or fibers

2 carats- Use brads or eyelets

3 carats- Use buttons, charms, or epoxy stickers

4 carats- Use bling, rhinestones, or glitter

By the way, when I was doing research for this challenge I found out that diamonds come in over 300 different colors. Who knew? To see all the natural colors of diamonds click here: http://www.colordiamondshop.com/search.php

Here is Pat's sample:

Remember, there are no time limits, vendor restrictions or other rules for the challenge. It's only for fun and inspiration. When uploading your card to Splitcoaststampers, Papercraft Planet, StampTV or any other site, please use the keyword RESQ04. And whenever you upload to a site or you blog, be sure to link back here using so we can all see what you've done!

Thanks for playing with us this week!