Thoughts of You

I made it!!  I finished my card for the ABS Sketch challenge, went to class, and am able to post with an hour and a half to go!  =)  I am so relieved.  I just love Anita's stamps and her fabulous DT, and I love to participate in her challenges!  (Here's a link to the Sketch Challenge #9.) So, here we go!

This is the sketch that inspired all of us crafters and card-makers this week:

And HERE is my card!

It's hard to see, but I used lots of little gems on the side ovals.  I hope you like it!!

The Dawn of a New Day

Since returning from my retreat a week ago I have been completely burned out.  I've been so tired....so blah.  Even when I got my brand new Big Shot (which I love so much, thank you for the early birthday gift, mom!) I had so many ideas I was tripping over myself to get home....and when I got there, I could barely eke out one card.  Sigh.  I had so many plans, especially for some of my favorite challenges (ABS, Pollycraft...thank goodness I already had Guylou's done!) but just couldn't get the energy to actually sit down and execute them.  Time has just sort of slipped away.

Well, today is a new day, the beginning of a new week.  I'm still pretty tired, but I'm hoping the creativity will keep flowing.  I have a class tonight, and I'm going to try to get the ABS challenge in there before the deadline at 10...but either way I think this will be a better week.

Ok, thanks for listening to me vent!  =)  Hope to see you all soon!

Shake, Shake, Shake!

Well, thanks to the current challenge over at Tiddly Inks, I have accomplished another first...my first shaker card!  Yay!  =)  A friend's birthday is coming up, so I thought this was the perfect time to make her a card.  I also used a sketch from the Papertake Weekly Challenge blog.

This is the Papertake sketch...

..and here is my card!

This card was created using an image from Tiddly Inks (isn't she fabulous?!), posted in frames created by Nestabilities and my **brand new** Big Shot!  (That's another first!)

Here's a close-up of my shaker.  Inside I have some pink beads and some light pink, dark pink and crystal acrylic gems. (Sorry for the shadow in the corner...apparently my picture-taking abilities are a bit lacking this week. LOL)

This card is being entered in the following challenges:

Tiddly Inks #39: Teach Me Shaker Card

Papertake Weekly Sketch #53

Doodle Pantry #8: Sparkle and Bling

Southern Girls Challenge #13: Brads, Gems or Dewdrops 

Do You Stack Up #8: Anything Goes

Digi Doodle Shop's Best #48: Spots/Dots

Thanks for stopping by!!  I hope you enjoyed it!  =)

The Sound of Your Soul

Well, it's 3:30 am on the last day of my scrap retreat.  I've had a blast!  I was so happy to be able to go on this retreat and meet some absolutely wonderful women!  I can't wait until next year when we do it again.  =

Here is my final card for the retreat:

The background paper is by DCWV's Ciao Bella Hello Beautiful stack.  Image is from Guylou's Inimitability.

This card was created for a couple of different challenges.  The first one is WhoopsiDaisy's challenge: For Someone Special.  I made this card for my sweet little dancer...I hope she never quits dancing and loving life! 

I am also entering this in Guylou's Anything Goes challenge.  You have until March 3 at 10pm EST to enter...so go check it out!  Any company's stamp is accepted, but if you use a Guylou digi your entry counts twice...and if you use the featured stamp, it counts THREE TIMES! You can't beat that!  =)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day!

Edit: Ok...it's Tuesday morning and I just realized that this picture is a LOT darker than I thought!  Just to let you know...that's entirely the camera's fault! LOL  The colors are actually probably around 3-4 times lighter in RL.  I'll see if I can add a better picture when I get home tonight.  Sorry!  =)

Home is Where One Starts From

If you haven't heard yet, the Outlawz are having  a Western party this week!  For the Thursday Prisma and Other Mediums challenge the theme was anything goes, western optional.  Now, I'm trying to stay in the spirit of the party, so I decided to keep with the western image.  

Here I have a Barn scene from Squigglefly and the couple is an image from Digi Doodle Shop.  I colored both images with Pebbles Inc. chalk pastels.  Then I aged the pictures with Distress Ink in Vintage Photo...almost didn't even need to color with the chalk since it all turned a kind of yellow anyway. LOL  After coloring I cut out the couple and positioned on top of scene.  The flowers are from Hero Arts and are shaded with Vintage Photo and Tea Dye Distress Inks.  The lace is also shaded using Vintage Photo Distress Ink, but it's kind of hard to tell in the photo.  Mini keys are from 7gypsies, brads are from American Crafts Elements. Sentiment is from 7gypsies and was also shaded using Vintage Photo.  All corners were rounded using a Creative Memories corner punch.

I'm pretty proud of how this card turned out.  I really wanted an old-fashioned, down-on-the-farm kind of look.  I think I'll give it to my grandpa for his birthday.

Challenges:

Outlawz Thursday Prismas and Other Mediums February 17th

Digi Doodle Shop's Best #47: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope everyone's staying safe and warm!

Kick Up Your Heels

Here's a birthday card for one of the guys in my life.  Possibly DH, but I don't know if I can hang on to it until next January.  =) Maybe step-dad will get it.

Stamp is from MelJen's Designs, colored with Copics and edged with a silver leaf pen. Sentiment created on MS Word and printed out, then paper was shaded using Distress Inks in Tea Dye and Vintage Photo.  Guitar dp from DCWV's Rockstar Stack. Wood floor dp from DCWV's Weathered and Worn Stack. (I just realized...I use a lot of DCWV paper! LOL) Both dps were shaded using the Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Challenges:

MelJen's Designs #46: Happy Birthday

Outlaws Western Birthday Card Party: Western Theme

Paper Sundaes #57: Masculine Colors

Cards for Men #4: Recipe

Now, the recipe for Cards for Men is (1) image, (2) design papers and (3) embellishments.  I don't consider sentiments embellishments...but if you do, feel free to remove me from the challenge.  Thanks!

Ask Any Child....

There's a get well challenge going on over at Catch the Bug, and Bugaboo is sponsoring a couple of color challenges on different sites, so I decided to combine all of the challenges into one card.

The nurse is one of Bugaboo's little Kidlets.  I just think they are SO adorable! 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Catch the Bug: Get Well

Card Cupids: Red, White and Blue

Sweet Stampin: Red, White and Blue

Thanks for stopping by!

Miss You...

Tiddly Inks is having a new challenge, and the theme is : Monochromatic.  (Here's a link to the details.)  I decided to use different shades of violet for my card.  I think the colors go perfectly for this Gothic-looking image.  Here's my entry:

The dp is from DCWV's Once Upon a Time mat stack. The flowers are Hero Hues Art Flowers in cream, colored using chalk ink, amethyst ink, or distress ink in Milled Lavender.  The sentiment cut is from Stampin' Up, hand written and outlined in light purple souffle pen.  Mini flower brads are from Recollections.

I hope you like it!  See you soon!

Warm Wishes...

Sitting here, listening to the weather forecast, I am reminded that as much as I wish it were so, Spring is not yet here. (They are estimating another 10-15 inches of snow between very early Sunday morning to noon on Monday.  Just when I thought all the snow was *finally* melting...)  Since I still needed to do one of Anita's sketch challenges, I thought that Aspen would be fabulous in a winter card.

This is Anita's sketch for the week:

and this is my entry:

 Hopefully winter will soon be over and I can start thinking of sunshine, running barefoot in the grass...just being outside for more than 10 minutes in a row without freezing my you-know-what off!  =)  Until then, we have fun Anita stamps to play with and keep us warm inside.  (Have you seen the new release?  Go check it out!!  They're adorable.)

Challenges:

Anita Be Stampin' #8 Sketch

Papertake Weekly Challenge: Putting On the Glitz

Digital Tuesday #98: Use a Die Cut (my die cut is a Sizzix from Stampin' Up)

Thanks, y'all!  See you soon!  =)

The Most Beautiful View

Here is a card I created for a few different challenges.  I got to play with some of my favorite things: buttons, ribbons, flowers, dies...the list goes on and on.  

I just love this Paper Shelter image.  She's so adorable!  And I just love the gathered skirt!  I colored her using Copics (except for the mirror glass, which is colored with a silver Spica marker, then covered with a clear glaze pen to give it a smooth sheen).  The design paper is from DCWV's The Sweet Stack. I made the lillies using the McGill Paper Blossom punches.  So much fun, but takes quite a while to put together since all of the petals are punched out separately, decorated, curled, then glued together.  Then I spritzed the entire flower with Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz in silver.  When the flowers were dry I added a blue gem to the center.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

The Paper Shelter #1: Buttons and Bows

Southern Girls Challenge: Blue and Chocolate

Fab 'n' Funky: Make Your Own (I made my own flowers)

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back soon!  =)

Going Out With My Boots On

Well, today is the last day to create a card for the Outlawz CAS Party challenge.  I had been putting it off, but finally buckled down to get my thoughts on paper.

This is the inspiration photo:

And here is my card.

It was inspired (A) by the super cute boots in the inspiration photo and (B) a country song I love called "Boots On" by Randy Houser.  (The song is why the background is music notes.)  I thought these Meljen's Design boots were just too cute...and perfect for this challenge.  Thanks for taking a look!

Some Birdie Loves You...

Doodle Pantry is having a fabulous challenge this week.  (Deadline is in 11 hours, so you better hurry!  Challenge is #7: Use a Doodle Pantry Image) The challenge is to use a Doodle Pantry image in your card, which is super easy since they have so many cute ones.  Every challenge entry gets a  Doodle Pantry digi kit called Kitty Bouquet for FREE!  How cool is that?!?  =)

Anyway, so here's my card.  I call it Birdhouse Love.  (I know, so original, right? LOL)

The birdhouse image is a Doodle Pantry digi.  (I just love the upside-down bird in the top of the house!) The Love image is from Bee Crafty.  Images were colored using Copics.  Paper from Ciao Bella's Hello Beautiful stack.

Hope you enjoyed it!  Thanks for stopping by!

21!

I had a blast creating a card for Pollycraft's current challenge: Special Birthday.  A friend of mine is turning 21 in a little bit, and I was very excited to create her card.

The image is from Pollycraft, and having a drink in hand is the perfect way to celebrate the 21st birthday!  =)  The frame is a cut file by Ileana at I Scrap Designs.  The image is colored using Copics, the buttons and frame are highlighted with Crystal Stickles, and the sentiment is written with a purple souffle pen and outlined with a light purple Le Plume marker.

This card was also created for a Desert Islands Itinerary challenge.  The challenge is to incorporate at least three items from the following itinerary in your card: 

1. Monochromatic

2. Movie or Book inspired
3. Buttons
4. The word “ FRIEND(S)” in your sentiment
5. Border Punch
6. Only one pattern paper
7. The color Red
8. No flowers
9. Swirls
10. Sparkle

The items I chose were #3 buttons, #4 the word "friend", #8 no flowers, #9 swirls and #10 sparkle.

The sparkle is kind of hard to see, so here's a close up of the corner so you can get a general idea of what it looks like in real life.

I hope you like the card....and I hope my friend does, too!  =)  Thanks for stopping by.  See you soon!

This card is being entered in the following challenges:

Pollycraft #80: Special Birthdays

Desert Islands #2: Juanita's Itinerary

Outlawz Color Challenge 2/1/11: Celadon, Lavender and White (including polka dots)
Karber Weelky Challenge #25: Digi Stamp and Birthday

And Another One Down...

Hi!  I know you haven't heard from me in FOREVER....at least 20 minutes....so I know you must have missed me.  I don't want you to go through withdrawals, so here's ANOTHER card  did today!  (Can you believe it?  I love retreats!) LOL

The image is by Anita Be Stampin'.  The sentiment was printed from MS Word using a fairy font I found online.  The white butterfly was painted with Cracle Paint in Pickett Fence.

I hope you enjoy it!  I am entering this card in the following challenges:

I <3 To Stamp Sketch For You To Try Feb. 2011

Outlawz Birthday Challenge 2/7/11: Use an angel, fairy or butterfly

Outlawz Prisma Challenge 2/10/11: Spots or Stripes (Or Both)

The Cheerful Stamp Pad: #11 Colors Red and White (Non-Valentine)

Hey Cowboy....

Whoo, it's party time at the Outlawz!  I decided to start the party with Tuesday's Color Challenge.  The challenge is to use the following picture as inspiration, and to include something with a western theme:

.

I was also combining this challenge with a few others, including Sweet Sketch Wednesday's sketch #89:

So here's my card, I hope you like it!

The image is from Kenny K (I just loooove his sexy ladies!), colored with copic markers, glitter pens and a souffle pen.  I continued the ribbon onto the inside cover of the card.  The inside looks like this:

So that's my creation.  Hope you enjoy!

I am entering this project into the following challenges:

Do You Stack Up: #7 Dots

Kenny K's Krafty Girlz: #32 Circles

My Time To Craft: #128 Going Round in Circles

Sweet Sketch Wednesday: #89

Outlawz Color Challenge Western Party

Hello Sunshine

It's a bright and shiny day...at least in my mind.  (In reality, it's cloudy, windy, cold, and 12:40 am. LOL)  The challenges I decided to do with my current card were to add bling and add shine.  Here's my card....

I think I accomplished my goal...how about you?  Or, it might just be that I'm tired.  Hee!

Bling and shine is sort of hard to photograph, so let me tell you what I did.  First of all, the little flowers are completely covered with glitter and have a gem in the middle.  The sun is outlined in orange glitter glue and has golden gems for the eyes.

The Digis by Phooka flowers are outlined with stickles and also have gems for eyes.  Oh, and I used a yellow glaze pen to give the face some shine.  Here's a picture taken from the side so you can see some of the shine.

The butterfly is was covered with crackle paint in Pickett Fence, then covered with light green stickles.  Here's a closeup of that one.

You know, I think I might have overdone it with all of this shine and bling.  Then again, as my mother says...you can never have too much bling!  =)

Anyhoo, I hope you liked the card!!  The challenges I'm entering are:

Digis by Phooka: #3 Bling It On

PaperPlay Challenges: 11 - Week 7 Add Some Shine

We'll "see" you tomorrow!!

Party!

Well, today is day one of our scrap retreat and I'm having a blast!  We came, got all set up, and I created one card before we head to the casino. (Wish me luck!!!)  Here is my *first* card of the weekend!

I had so much fun with the last Napkin Fold card I did, I just had to try another one when I saw Catch the Bug's new challenge: Different Fold.  I really like how this one turned out!

Here is the card closed...

The digi on the top of the belt is a Pattie's Creation stamp.

Here is the card half open...

Here is the card fully open...

And here's a close-up of the inside of the card.

There really is lace across the middle...I know it's hard to see, but I swear it's there!  And the dots on the corners of the flags are little mini pearls.  The teal background paper is from Bearly Mine Crafts. The girl stamp is Ava from Bugaboo (she originally had wings and was carrying a heart, but I altered a bit to be holding the cupcake) and the cupcakes are Pattie's Creations.  Flowers were colored using cats eye chalk.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Catch the Bug - Different Fold

Paper Sundae's - #56 Pick Your Toppings: Pick at least two out of Flowers, Lace, Distressing and the Color Pink.  (I used flowers, lace and pink.)

Happileigh Scrappin -  Cupcake Wars Challenge #10

Bearly Mine - #4 Ribbons and Pearls

Thanks for stopping by, and I should have a bunch more posts over the next few days.  See you then!!  =)

Party Time!!!

Hey guys!!  The Outlawz are partying it up all week!  (You know us rebel girls...always a party somewhere!)  There are tons of fun prizes to win, so come check it out!  Hope to see you there!

You're My Silver Lining

Hey y'all!  The Greeting Farm is having a very fun color challenge!  Here are the colors:

Why the question mark, you ask?  Well, that's because YOU get to choose the third color!  How cool is that? =)

I'm combining this challenge with a few others, which I have listed at the bottom of the post.  One of the other challenges is Sweet Sketch Wednesday.  Here's the sketch for the week:

Ok, now I know y'all are just DYING to see my card.... (If not, you really should be.  I kid, I kid!)  So, without further adieu, here it is!

Oh, I had so much FUN with this card!! I got to use my favorite TGF stamp set: Sweet n Toxic from the Creeper Crew. (Girl, skulls and sentiment are all from the stamp set.)  I also used a fun Cuttlebug embossing folder and skull ribbon from the Celebrate It: Halloween collection.  The skulls on the ribbon were originally white, but I colored them using my Copics to match.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

The Greeting Farm: Color Combo 2-11

Fab 'n' Funky #59: Tempting Texture

Sweet Sketch Wednesday #88

Crafty Catz #69: Valentine/Love

The Pink Elephant TPE93: Be My Valentine

Do You Stack Up #6: Ribbon

Thanks for checking out my creation!  Hugs!

He Loves Me...

Pollycraft is having a sketch and theme challenge (Sketch # 79).  The theme is Love. The sketch is...gorgeous!  I had so much fun playing with this.  Here it is:

And here is my card:

The stamp is from Pollycraft.  (Isn't she adorable??)  The flourish stamp is from Tim Holtz.  I used a paint dobber for the original flourish, but didn't like the end result.  Then I added a few more of the flourishes using a copper dye ink, and was a little happier with it.  The paper flowers started out cream colored and were shaded using copper dye ink and blue or purple chalk ink.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Feel free to let me know what you think! =)

Last Minute Love...

Anita's having another fabulous sketch challenge...and I had a great idea for a Valentine's Day card.  Since Valentine's Day officially starts in 2 minutes, I was definitely leaving it for the last minute.  =)  It's a lot of pink...but I may end up giving it to my DH.  We'll see.  He'll just end up giving it back to me for my "samples" like every other card I made him. LOL!  I guess that's better than throwing it away.  =)
Anyway, here's the sketch...

...and here's my entry...

Now that I'm looking at the picture...I probably won't give it to DH.  Waaay too much pink for him!  =)  I'll figure out a use for it some day.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you like the card!

I Heart You Forever

Hey everyone!  The Outlawz are having another sketch challenge.... Here's the sketch!

Isn't it adorable?  I love it!  Here's my card:

The paper is from the Hello, Beautiful stack by Ciao Bella.  Forever heart stamp is from Guylou's Inimitability. Heart with bow is from CS Designs. Heart with flower is from Happileigh Scrappin'. All stamps colored using Copics.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Outlawz Wednesday Sketch Challenge: 2/9/11

Paper Sundaes #55: Two or More Images

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope y'all liked it!

Distress, Distressed, Distressing?

I've been on a distressing kick lately.  Ever since I created my first distressed card a few posts back...I've wanted to make everything distressed! Luckily, this Tellen's Place image fits that style.  =)

Anyway, Sketch Saturday has a fabulous sketch this week:

Isn't it cute?!?!  I had a ton of fun playing with it.  Here is my entry:

As I said, the image is from Tellen's Place Designs.  It was colored using Copics (I've been having a lot of fun playing with my new yellow Copics to create blonde hair!)  The papers used are from Tim Holtz's seasonal paper pack.  The numbers are American Crafts Thickers in glass slipper, sanded down and dabbed with Tim Holtz distress ink in Vintage Photo.  (Actually, all papers and stamps have been "aged" using distress ink in Vintage Photo and Tea Dye.)  The metal lock and key embellishments are TPC Studio Mr. & Mrs. metal accents.  When the card was all assembled it was misted with gold Tsukineko Sheer Shimmer Spritz.

This card is being entered in the following challenges:

Sketch Saturday: Week #141

Tellen's Place: Hearts

Alphabet Challenge: N is for Numbers

I really hope you enjoyed the card!  Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look.  Cheers!

Being Deeply Loved...

Hey everyone!  Karber is having a couple of new challenges, and I'm so excited! The KB Cute Monday challenge is "Inspired by a Book" and the Karber Weekly Challenge theme is "Movies".  I could not think of a better way to combine those challenges than by using the awesomely cute Cowardly Lion by  Bugaboo's new Wizard of Oz line! (See the whole line, as well as the other Bugaboo stamps, here.)  With this stamp as an inspiration, I found a fabulous quote by Lao-Tzu, and I was ready to go! (The sentiment says "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage."  Isn't that sweet??)  Voila!

The lion was colored with Copics (E21 Baby Skin Pink for the face and stomach, E33 Sand for the body and E37 Sepia for the mane and tail.) The large heart is a Tim Holtz Die cut out of grungeboard and sprayed with Glimmer Mist in Tattered Leather.  It was outlined with Stickles in Waterfall. The little hearts are White Blossom Jewel Stickers in pink and colored using Color Box Pigment in Bronze.  The chocolate paper was embossed using Sizzix Wedding Set #2.  Ribbon is by American Crafts.  Entire card edged with Color Box Chalk Ink in Chestnut Roan.  (Isn't that a horse?  I love horses...LOL)

Anyway, I hope you like it.  I had a lot of fun creating the card!

This card is being entered in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine Challenge #3: For Men and/or Boys

Cards for Men #3: Valentine/Love

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #58: Color Combo Chocolate and Blue

KB Cute Monday #2: Card or Project Inspired By a Book

Karber Weekly Challenge #24: Digi and Movies

Catch the Bug: February Anything Goes Challenge

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!  Cheers!

Purple, Purple...and More Purple

Anita Be Stampin is having a color challenge, and guess what color....  That's right, purple!  LOL  (Actually, the colors are light purple, dark purple, cream/light yellow and kraft.  Check out the details here.)  I actually had a heck of a time trying to get the right purples.

Well, I think it turned out alright, anyway.  =)  Hope you like it!

Birthday Anya

Here's a card I created using The Greeting Farm's Birthday Anya. I just love TGF, and I especially love the Anya stamps!

Here's a close-up angle shot so you can see the stickles on the hearts.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

Bee Crafty #47: Hearts

KB Cute Monday # 1: Hearts

Outlawz Birthday Challenge: 1/31/11 Hearts and Ribbon

Outlawz Sketch Challenge: 2/2/11

Your Love Gives My Heart Wings

So I found a fantastic folding tutorial on StampARTic called a Napkin Folded Card. I just had to try it.  (You can find the tutorial here, it's very simple and fun!)  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

This is the card completely closed:

This is the card half open:

And this is the card completely open:

Here's a close-up of the inside of the card.  The sketch was created by Sweet Sketch Wednesdays.

The stamp is a Meljens Design stamp, colored with colored pencils and stickles.  I hope you all like it!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

My Time To Craft #126: Flourishes

Do You Stack Up #5: Red Hot

Meljens Design Team #44: Fun Folds

Outlawz Prisma & Other Mediums: 2/3/11 Swirls or Flourishes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday #87