Hownowbrownkow

forever..

2012-01-25T02:00:00.004-06:00

Ah, Wednesday again. Seems like the weeks are passing by so quickly. I'll be glad when spring arrives. We've had a relatively mild winter, but the rebirth of everything is spring is so welcome at this point!
This week's Color Throwdown colors and inspiration are brought to you by Joan! Take a looksie:

Aren't they lovely? The inspiration photo really took me in and reminded me of the Wanted by Cosmo Cricket paper that I have. I love the look of that bed and the dress forms are really neat. Here is the card I made:

In addition to being inspired by the bed, the little rosette on the dress form made me think of my Papertrey Loopsey-Daisy die. They're so much fun. Tonight was the first time I used them even though they've been sitting here for almost a month. All in all, I like the feel of the card. I used my woodgrain impression plate on the flower to give it some texture and coordinate with the woodgrain pattern on the patterned paper.

That's it for me today! Thank you so much for all of the notes and messages you have left for me and your prayers. This has been a better week...I suppose each week will be better than the last. I hope so anyway. Right now, Ava and I are looking forward to Comic Con in San Diego this summer. Tickets haven't gone on sale yet, but when they do we are ready!! We are such nerds...lol.

Thanks for dropping in! Be sure and check out what everyone else has done with these fab colors!

Stacy Morgan, January Guest designer

together..

2012-01-18T02:00:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone! Look who's decided to make an appearance. Gosh, it's been weeks since i've seen the likes of this place - or your places! I'm sorry about that. Life has been crazy. I went back and forth in my decision to let you guys know what's going on. In some ays it seems unfair not to do so, so I decided to give a snapshot of the last few months. I'm in the midst of a divorce and there have been so so many things going on. Moving, moving again, changing schools, changing schools again, and so on and so forth. Stamping has been THE last thing on my mind though I have sorely missed it. Anyway, that's what's going on here. Hopefully, the silence is over and I can get back to "Life" now...

So, it's Wednesday and that means it's time for a Color Throwdown post!! Here are this week's colors, brought to us by Danielle:

I love these colors together and the inspiration photo made me think of love. The forever kind (how ironic!) and so I decided to make a Valentine's card. Here ya go:

I love love love this tree from Papertrey Ink's Love & Marriage set. So many possibilities for it, ya know?

Well, that's it for me today. Be sure and stop in and see what the other DT members have done and thanks for stopping in!!

Stacy Morgan, January Guest designer

grateful..

2011-12-07T02:00:00.008-06:00

Hey there! Short post today. We had a death in the family this past weekend and it's just been a long hard week. Actually, a long hard season but that's another story for another post. So, it's Wednesday and time for another Color Throwdown challenge!! This week, our hostess Wanda picked some great neutrals. Check them out:

We've had so many people praying for us this week and sending kind thoughts that I had thanksgiving on my mind and opted to use the colors in that way. As a blanket thank you to everyone who's been there for me lately! People who've made me smile and all. Here is my card:

I just love that patterned paper. I've had it for a few years and haven't ever used that particular pattern. Love the way it works with the thanks giving theme I was going for with this card.

Well, that's it for me. Be sure and check out what the other DT members have for this week and play along if you can. Next week is our last challenge for the year!

Lydia Fielder, November/December Guest Designer

heart..

2011-12-01T01:00:00.002-06:00

Hey there! Hope you're having a wonderful week. I've been sick, so it seems like it has gone on longer than it actually has. I was working today on some numbers with my boss and completely zoned out..seriously. When I "came to" I had no idea what we were doing or talking about. Sad...lol. I still feel that way. Ugh..

Anyway, today is the first Thursday of the month and that means it's time for another FYI Challenge. Here is this week's inspiration photo:

I was really struck by the colors and decided to focus on that. Here is my card:

The sentiment is from my Market Street Stamp, Follow Your Heart. I stuck to a pretty basic layout since my brain was NOT about to come up with anything especially complicated in its current state. :)

I hope you will play along with us this week. Check out the FYI blog and see what the other DT members have done! Have a great Thursday...

earthy christmas

2011-11-30T01:00:00.011-06:00

Hey guys! Thanks for dropping in. Ok, is it really the time of year when you get nothing done? I sure hope so because that's how I feel! The days are really starting to run together and I am beat most days by the time I get home. We don't even have the Christmas tree up yet! Maybe tomorrow....

Anywho, today I have my Color Throwdown card for this week and decided to try and make a simple card. What I didn't count on was the number of vanilla sheets I would go through trying to line up the tree with the die..lol. Ah, well...here are this week's colors brought to us by the fabulous Lynn!

And here is my card:

When I first saw the colors, I was worried I could not be able to work with them. Primary colors and I do not get along well. The colors always make me think of trains and little boys...lol. I finally changed my thought pattern and went for light touches of the colors instead of a massive dose. That, I thought, I could live with...and I was right. I really like how the card turned out. I hope you like it!

Well, that's it for me today. Hope you're having a great week! Be sure and stop in and see what the other DT members made and then play along with us this week. You KNOW you have a Christmas card or two you could make. ;)

Lydia Fielder, November/December Guest Designer

smiles..

2011-11-23T06:50:00.000-06:00

Hey, good morning and happy Wednesday! I hope your week is going well. Today is my Friday at work, so I am stoked. We went to see Breaking Dawn again last night..yes, that makes the third time since last Thursday night..what's your point? LOL. I loved it though so, just like Harry Potter, we'll see it a billion times while it's in the theatres. We're dorks..lol.

So, anywho...it's Wednesday which means it's time for another Color Throwdown challenge! This week's hostess is Lori and here are her fabulous colors:

Aren't those great? I really love Baja Breeze. It's such a really soft, but cool blue. So, I pulled out my Up, Up, and Away set from Papertrey and got to work. Here is what resulted:

Hope you like it. I had fun coloring in the balloons, though I must say that I would have preferred using Copics. I just cannot get my SU markers to color in well without leaving 'color lines' across the image...maybe I just don't know how to color..lol.

Well, that's it for me. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow..or just a wonderful Thursday if it's not Thanksgiving where you are. :)

Be sure and stop in on the other Color Throwdown Design Team members to see what they've got to show you!

Lydia Fielder, November/December Guest Designer

wedding wishes..

2011-11-17T02:00:00.000-06:00

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! Well, it's Thursday and not just any Thursday..it's finally "Breaking Dawn" movie Thursday!!!!! Eeek!

We are so excited to go and see the movie tonight. We've got tickets for the midnight showing and also for another showing on Saturday sponsored by Twilight Lexicon. We're hoping that someone from the actual movie shows up this year as they have in years past. Woot! Today is also a special Thursday because it's time for another FYI Challenge! Here is this week's amazing photo:

It's kind of a "breaking dawn", no? LOL. Here is the card I made for this week:

Ok, so you had to know that I would make a wedding card, right? I pulled the blue and rust from the photo. Those were the two colors that stood out to me most. I think they work well together,too!

Well, that's it for me. Thanks for stopping by and check out the FYI blog for all of the DT samples and to play along with us! Have a great day!

the beat of my heart

2011-11-16T02:00:00.001-06:00

Hey ladies! Thanks for stopping in today! This week is MY week to host the challenge at Color Throwdown! Yay!! So, you just HAVE to play along. :)

Here are the colors I chose for this week:

Grey is one of my favorite colors and I love Riding Hood Red and So Saffron. I'm not a huge fan of red or yellow, but these tones really appeal to me for some reason. Do you like them?What's your favorite shade of red and/or yellow? I'm curious...

Anyway, I decided to make a lovey dovey card. Not sure why that was on my heart, but it was. So, here it is:

I really like the way it turned out. I used the Market Street music background and Papertrey Love Birds set together and I think it works well. I hope you like it.

Well, that's all I have for today. Be sure and stop over at the Color Throwdown blog and play along, but first take a peek at what the other Design Team members created! Have a great week!

Lydia Fielder, November/December Guest Designer

elf!

2011-11-09T02:00:00.011-06:00

Hey guys!! Thanks for stopping in! It's Wednesday, so that means its time for another Color Throwdown challenge. This week, our hostess is Joan and she has picked a bright and fun color combo for us:

Isn't it cool? So, when I first saw the combo I wasn't thinking Christmas. Then, as I was going through my stamps I came across the Papertrey set called Stylish Sentiments: Holiday. I bought this set specifically for the sentiment I used. I just LOVE the movie Elf. We watch it all year long! When we first moved into our home, and before cable showed up, it was the only thing we had to watch every day. I mean the ONLY thing. I think we watched every day for at least 2 weeks..lol. Love it! So, anyway, when I saw the sentiment I was immediately like "Yes!!". I just loved it when he said it and it makes me smile! Is that sentiment from something else? Does anyone know?

Anyway, after that blah blah blah, here is my card:

I added the bells from the Bells & Boughs set and I was done. Super simple, fun card! I hope you like it! Be sure and check out what the other ladies on the Design Team have done and then play along with us!

Lydia Fielder, November/December Guest Designer

new beginning...

2011-11-02T02:00:00.022-05:00

Hey there! Ok,so I know I said I'd start stamping more..hopefully soon! I miss it!!

Well, it's time for another Color Throwdown challenge. This week, our hostess is Danielle and she's bringing us a wonderfully soft and beautiful combo. I love the neutrals! Here is the combo:

I decided to go ahead and make a birthday card. You can always use another one of those, right?? Here is my card:

Be sure and head over to the Color Throwdown blog and play along with us...AND check out this month's Guest Designer, Lydia Fielder!! Be sure and check out what the other DT members have done:

Kerri Michaud - starting this week with us as a permanent DT member!!

Lydia Fielder, November/December Guest Designer

every star..

2011-10-26T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Thanks for dropping in. I'm sorry I've been so quiet lately. Lots of things going on here and crafting kinda gets bumped sometimes. I'm sure you know how it is! :)

Anyway, it's Wednesday and you know what that means! That's right, it's Color Throwdown time again. This week our hostess is Laura!! Here is what she has for us this week:

I'm not sure why "baby" popped into my head when I saw these colors, but I thought they would be perfect! Here is the card I created:

I just love that sentiment. It's fro the Papertrey Ink "Inside Out: Baby" set. Love it! I love the way the colors mix well together and it's not a combo I would have come up with in a million years! That's another thing to love and this is definitely a combo to keep! I hope you get the chance to play along with us this week!

Check out the Color Throwdown blog to see what everyone else came up with using this great combo! Hopefully, i'll be back soon with more crafty goodness! Love you guys!

FYI Fall

2011-10-20T02:00:00.002-05:00

Hey! Quick post today. It's time for this week's FYI Challenge. Today we have a wonderful Fall photo:

Isn't it lovely? It made me think of a wonderful Fall outdoor wedding, so this card was born:

Be sure and stop by the FYI blog to see what the other designers created. Have a wonderful Thursday!!

birthday throwdown..

2011-10-19T02:00:00.001-05:00

Hey there. I'm sorry I've been mia for a few days. Life is taking some twists and turns and, as such, my mojo is up and down,too! But, I am getting back into the swing of things this week! :)

Today is Wednesday and it's time for another Color Throwdown challenge! Broni is our hostess this week, and these are the colors she chose:

It's a traditional Halloween color scheme, right? Of course it is...but when I think of Halloween it makes me think of my stepmother because her birthday is the day before! I decided that since we don't really do Halloween here (well, we do, but not so much that I would actually do a card for it), that I would go ahead and make my stepmom's birthday card! So, here it is:

She loves flowers and thought this came out pretty much in a way that she would like. I was going to put a bow on it, but then decided to leave it as it was. Good idea or no?

Anyway, I hope you get the chance to play along with us. Swing by the Color Throwdown blog and see what everyone else has created! Thanks for stopping in!

happiness..

2011-10-12T02:00:00.001-05:00

Hey there! It's Wednesday and time for another Color Throwdown challenge! Thanks for all of your congratulatory comments and emails last week. I'm still over the moon about being on this team. :)

Barbara is our hostess this week and she picked these colors:

I love these colors together. I'm loving Fall, so I didn't WANT to think Christmas, but that's exactly what happened. My first Christmas card of the season. Haha..

The papers I used are from the Odds and Ends pack by Cosmo Cricket. I love the vintage look of these papers. I don't usually "do" vintage, but I do like the papers that feed into that style. I thought they went well with this Papertrey Ink sentiment from the Stylish Sentiments: Holiday set that was released in September. I added a bow and used my Vintage Music background from Market Street Stamps.

I hope you get to play along this week! Stop by and see what the other designers have created,too!

Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe
Danielle Kennedy
Joan Ervin
Kristin Eberline
Lori Tecler
Lynn Put
Tammy Hershberger
Wanda Cullen
Amy Sheffer, October Guestie

birthday cake..

2011-10-10T04:15:00.000-05:00

Monday, again? Really? Great..

Well, I DO have a card to share so that's something, right? :)

This was made using my new Market Street Stamp set called Celebrate Cake. I used this month's Paint The Town Challenge over on the Market Street Stamps Blog. Here are the colors for October:

Stop by and check out what their designers have come up with and then play along. It's a great color combo!

Hope you have a great day today! Thanks for stopping in!

Make a Wish..

2011-10-09T11:21:00.001-05:00

Hey there. Happy Sunday! Quick post today as I'm feeling a bit poorly. Ugh..

I am playing along with this weeks' Colour Q challenge. Here are this week's colors:

The inspiration piece is gorgeous, no? Love it. Here is my card:

I won a free set from The Craft's Meow earlier in the week and picked this Butterfly Kisses set. I KNEW I was going to love it, and I do. Isn't it the sweetest little image? I stamped the wings in Wisteria Wonder and cut them out to add a little color to the silhouette. So sweet.

Well, that's it for me. Thanks for stopping in. I hope you've had a great weekend. :)

Instant Witch!

2011-10-08T08:00:00.006-05:00

Hey guys! Thanks for dropping in! Today, I have a cute little project created with my Bugaboo digital stamp, Instant Witch, for the Bugaboo stamps Trick or Treat ABC Challenge.

I decided to make a little hot chocolate holder. I thought the sentiment from this digi was perfect for that! Instant Witch..Just add water! LOL...genius! Here is my project:

Oh, Stella Witch...you're so adorable. I added a little of an old SU paper called Rockabilly, I think. It's been retired a while but I still have a wee bit left that i'm sort of hoarding. I colored her in with Copics and added a little ribbon. Check out the Bugaboo stamps blog for more on this challenge and to see what others cool projects have been created. Thanks for coming by today.

Operation Julie's Smile Blog Hop

2011-10-07T07:00:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone! Welcome to the Operation Julie's Smile blog hop! I'm so excited to be a part of this. The creative blogging community is coming together this weekend to help one of our friends, Julie Ranae. You may know her as the Design Team Coordinator for many wonderful companies from bakers twine, die cuts, rubber stamps and more. What many people don’t know about Julie Ranae is that she has had some pretty major dental surgeries in her lifetime due to medication she had to take as a child. It was in her plans to think about having all of her teeth replaced at some point in the next 5 years, a decision that was pretty easy to plan out. But then it happened…she chipped her front teeth on a weekend a month ago. The dentist told her there was no way to save them & that it was his recommendation that she give in and have them all her teeth removed soon, but for that day, they needed to get her front teeth done so her gums could begin to heal. He said he would "work out payments" with her to have ALL this work done...but when she called to make her appt for the first step of impressions, they told her the amount of money that was needed and that the "payments" applied only to the two teeth that were extracted that day. Her husband Paul was with her & that too, was his understanding as well. So this is how she has found herself in this situation…Needing at least $4000 to get started and another $3000 to finish the process…a total of $7000.

Nicole Rixon, owner of Sweet Stamp Shop put together this benefit after finding out about this situation and before Julie Ranae knew it, it took flight! Because she is an event organizer by trade, she has taken on the job of organizing all of the blogs in this hop as her way of ‘working overtime’ for what she needs, the same as if she were able to work overtime at an outside job to pay for the work to be done. It is the goal of all of these generous friends & sponsors to help make this situation more do-able for our friend so that she can share a brand new smile with all of us soon.

If there is anything you can do to help with a financial donation, there is a donation button ready for you to click. Any amount is appreciated and ALL DONATIONS will be eligible for prizes from our sponsor pool. The donation button is at the top right side of my blog if you'd like to help out!

You should have come here from Debby's blog. If you didn't, you can always head over to Sweet Stamp Shop blog to see the complete list. You don't want to miss one single project! You have the entire weekend to stop in and comment to be eligible for prizes! That's right...PRIZES! There are over $2,500 worth of prizes that have been donated and will be awarded - maybe to you! Prizes will be drawn 3 ways: Paypal donations, blog comments, & blog hop hosts.

A complete list of sponsors is also available at the Sweet Stamp Shop blog.

Ok, so without further ado, here is my card:

I just love my Lil' Inker acorns and thought that they went perfectly with the pocket die from WPlus9. I mean, who doesn't love a pocketful of...acorns...yes, acorns. ;)

I hope you liked it! The next stop on the hop is the PSA Stamp Camp blog. Make sure you leave a comment here before you leave so you can increase your chances of winning a prize! Laters!

FYI & Bugaboo!

2011-10-06T01:00:00.001-05:00

Hey! Thanks for stopping in! Well, it's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time for a new FYI Challenge. This week we're sponsored by Bugaboo stamps. They have such a cute collection of stamps and the one I used today is extra close to my heart. You'll see why in a minute...first, though, here is our inspiration picture:

Isn't that a lovely cathedral? Wow..the vastness of it alone leaves me in awe. Just gorgeous. It actually made me think of the architecture of Hogwarts (from Harry Potter). Specifically, the dining hall. Anyway, so putting that thought together with the image I chose to work with, I came up with this:

Now, if you guys have spent any time here you know I LOVE Harry Potter (um, and Twilight..let's never fail to mention Twilight!), so this was right up my alley. I had SUCH fuin coloring him in. I went a little off script with the red "Converse", but I liked the way they looked..lol. Do you see Hedwig there peeking out? Ack! I love it..so cool. I also colored my SU ribbon to match the Gryffindor House colors. Oh gosh, really this card was so much fun. You should head over to the Bugaboo site and see all of their stamps. They're so so cute!

Well, that's it for me today. Be sure and check out the blog to see what the other ladies chose and created! Have a great day!

Color Throwdown surprise..

2011-10-05T01:00:00.003-05:00

Hey you guys! Well, today I have some amazing news! I have been asked to be a Design Team member for the Color Throwdown challenge. Can you believe it? I seriously almost fell out of my chair at work when I got the email from Tammy! Of course, I immediately said yes! I am so excited to join such a fabulous group of stampers AND ladies! There are also a few more "newbies" starting this week, so head over to the blog and check it out!

This week our hostess is Tammy and she chose this color palette:

I really like the Creamy Caramel thrown in there. It used to be one of my favorite Stampin Up colors, but I haven't used it in a while. I will have to change that. It has the neutrality of kraft, but creamier..I love it! And you all know how much I like Early Espresso...almost as much as an actual espresso! :)

I decided to make a card for a friend with a birthday this week. I had this patterned paper that I bought at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago that I thought would work well with the color palette AND be perfect for the recipient of the card. Here you go:

Well, thanks for stopping in and sharing my awesome news with me. I hope you have a great rest of the day! :)

Don't forget to stop by the Color Throwdown blog to check out the other DT creations and see who else is new this week:

Barbara Anders - http://barspaperpursuits.blogspot.com/

Broni Holcombe - http://bronih.typepad.com/splashesofwatercolor/

Carole Burrage - http://motherslittlehelper.typepad.com/

Danielle Kennedy - http://wilddragonflydesigns.blogspot.com/

Joan Ervin - http://stampingwithapassion.blogspot.com/

Kristin Eberline - http://kristinscrafts.blogspot.com/

Lori Tecler - http://inkingaloud.blogspot.com/

Lynn Put - http://thequeensscene.blogspot.com/

Tammy Hershberger - http://stamphappy-tammy.blogspot.com/

Wanda Cullen - http://cullen-arycreations.blogspot.com/

Amy Sheffer, October Guest Designer - http://pickledpaperdesigns.blogspot.com/

pocket boy..

2011-10-03T04:15:00.000-05:00

I come up with the craziest names for my posts sometimes..lol.

Anywho, thanks for stopping in! I hope you all had a great weekend! It's cool here finally and I LOVE it. Fall is my favorite time of year in Tennessee.

Today, I have a card for this month's Sketch For You To Try, seen here:

I decided to use my new pocketful stamps from WPlus9 that came a few weeks ago. I thought the sketch was perfect for using one of the pockets included with this set. I went with a baby boy theme and came up with this little ditty:

I love the way this little pocket looks. It's just so fun to play with! I added a little texture to mimic denim and added little half pearls because it reminded me of the little rivets on pockets. This was such a fun card to make and would also be extra cute in a "girl" version. Can't wait to try that!

Well, that's it for today. It IS a Monday after all, so I must mentally prepare for today - the busiest day of my work week! Fun...lol

Have a great one! Laters!

hello, friend

2011-10-02T04:15:00.005-05:00

Hey there! Happy Sunday. I hope you've had a great weekend.

Today, I have my card for this weeks Colour Q challenge. I finally read the directions and made a card for the challenge...lol. Don't you hate when you do something without reading through and you mess it up? Argh, that's SO annoying.

The first part of the challenge this week was to use the color combo, seen here:

The second part was to pick a previous Colour Queen and CASE their card. This was a not so simple task because there were some outstanding cards from which to choose. I finally decided on this CAS beauty by Jocelyn:

I thought it was so beautiful!

Here is MY card:

Hope you like it. Im really learning to love my Papertrey Bloom Builders die! Not sure if you can tell, but I stamped the Bit of Burlap background from Market Street Stamps in Versamark on the white card stock. It gives it a little weight and I like that. Have a great day!

what we need..

2011-10-01T00:01:00.011-05:00

Hey there! Ahh, It's the weekend again AND its World Card Making Day! This is my first time participating in any way, and my hope is that I'll get a few things done today and post a few times. Of course, the best laid plans and all..lol.

I used the current sketch from the Market Street Stamps sketch:

I LOVE this sketch. It can be used for SO many occasions. Well, here is my card:

I also used this week's Colour Q colors, BUT since I was obviously too busy to actually READ the directions, I can't enter it. I'll have to create something else with these fabulous colors and try again! LOL

Ok..well, thanks for stopping by. If this is your first time, welcome! If not, thanks for stopping in. Be sure and check out the other blogs on the WCMD blog hop! Have a great day! Don't forget to get something stamped! :)

nuts about you!

2011-09-30T04:15:00.001-05:00

Hey there! Dropping in today with the CUTEST little stamp set. It's called the Acorn die and stamp set from Lil' Inker. It's so much fun to play with!

I paired it up with this week's Card Patterns sketch, seen here:

And came up with this:

Cute, right? Those acorns are so neat and easy to cut...like butter! They even come with various faces and sentiments. I also used the Sentiment Flags, also from Lil' Inker, to add the sentiment. Perfect!

That's it for today. Tomorrow is World Card Making Day...are you entered in the blog hop yet?!?!

for you..

2011-09-29T04:15:00.003-05:00

Hey there! Ava's school is having a silent auction tomorrow and we are sending in a Hollister gift card so the kids can try to bid on it with their money. Well, it's money they ear for being great students, so not actual currency that you can spend outside of school...lol. Hollister is Ava's favorite store, so I imagine I may see this card again when she bids on it herself! :)

I decided to make a little holder for the gift card using this week's Color Throwdown colors:

I used my seed packet die again and came up with a really simple little design since I'm pretty sure it's going to go into the garbage. Ha!

Thanks for stopping in! Have a great rest of the day.

u rock..

2011-09-28T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Hope you're having a good week. Mine is so far, so good. I have a card today for this week's Friday Mashup. I haven't had a chance to play the last couple of weeks, so I wanted to make sure to play along this week. Here is the challenge:

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

Make a project using the "Square Sketch above ".
Or Make a Project that has a "Masculine" theme.
Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Square Project using the Sketch, with a Masculine theme".

I decided to stay true to the sketch and the theme and create an all purpose guy card. Here ya go:

I pulled out my Papertrey and Verve die and had a blast creating this card. I love the little "splatters" on there. Fun!

Thanks for stopping by. If you get a chance, play along with the Friday Mashup!

moxie birthday..

2011-09-26T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hey there. Thanks for dropping in. Oh, for those of you that asked - Contagion was okay. I'd give it a B-. It was great for a while and then it felt like they HAD to wrap it up and left too many unanswered questions for my taste. The cast was great, though, and it really did make me think a bit on how many germs and things there are out there and how susceptible we all really are...yeesh!

Anyway, on to my card. I am using this week's Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger. Here is the inspiration photo:

What a neat picture. I was inspired by the colors and that little banner at the top. It made me think of my grandmother. All of the little things in the photo remind me of things that would be in her home. The thread and buttons for sewing, the little "hanky" in her purse, the picnic pattern on a table in the backyard...the whole thing just screamed her to me. She was such a warm and giving person, and so I decided to make a card that included a gift. Here it is:

I used a selection of papers on this card. A little Cosmo Cricket "Circa 1934"and "Odds & Ends", both of which I really like. I thought the colors in those papers were perfect for the challenge.

I also, for the first time, used my Papertrey Seed Packet Die. I figure I can throw a gift card in here and voila - instant gift! I really like the way it turned out and love how easy it is to put together. I added a sentiment from the Verve "Hope Blooms" set, a flower, and a little bling and I was done.

Well, that's it for me. Have a great day and thanks, again, for stopping in! Laters!

a most beautiful day..

2011-09-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hey and welcome to this month's Papertrey Blog Hop!

Here is this month's inspiration photo:

I loved the colors and lines, so I went with the obvious inspiration and came up with this:

This was the first time I ever used these die...and I really liked them. They make great flowers, for sure. This was a super simple card, but I love the colors on the patterned paper and the little glittery button,too! Well, thanks for stopping in...see you on the hop!

caring thoughts...

2011-09-24T17:42:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Quick post tonight. We're going to see Contagion tonight, so I need to update quickly. :)

I have a card for this week's Colour Q! Check out the colors:

And here is a get well card for a friend:

Love these colors! Ok, well thanks for stopping by!

hello, friend..

2011-09-24T07:24:00.000-05:00

Hey there! Saturday and i am feeling almost 100%! I managed to stamp last night and it didn't bother me at all, so yay!

The first card I wanted to make was for this week's Color Throwdown challenge. Here are this week's colors:

I initially thought to make a baby girl card, but once I got started I went in another direction and made a generic "friend" card to send out to a buddy that's been missing from church the last few weeks. :)

Here is the card:

I really liked the paper. It has a great mod feel! Well, that's it from me today. Thanks for stopping by!

Operation Julie's Smile

2011-09-23T09:07:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! No card today. My elbow IS a lot better, but I still haven't been able to make anything. I am hoping that when I get home this everning, it will feel well enought to stamp something! Of course, when i CAN'T stamp is precisely when I have all sorts of ideas in my head TO stamp..lol.

Anyway, I am here today with a special post about an upcoming Blog Hop that I am sure you'll want to be a part of. Most of you know Julie Renae. If you've heard of The Play Date Cafe or CAS-ual Fridays, then you know who she is! She's a super DT coordinator and all around great person.

There will be a benefit blog hop called

'Operation Julie's Smile'

that will take place Oct 7-9.

There are a variety of
companies and design teams who will be participating

in this hop to help raise funds for this benefit.

So far, over $2000 in prizes have been made available
and will be awarded for both participants
and those who donate.

Click here to read more about Julie's story and why you will want to be a part of this benefit!

new someone..

2011-09-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

Hey there. Quick post. I have tennis elbow and got 2 cortisone shots yesterday. Needless to say , they hit a nerve so I was in CRAZY pain today. It's a wee bit better now, but i'm supposed to NOT type or craft (waaaaaa!!!!). I made this card earlier this month for the current SFYTT. Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Thanks for stopping in. Hopefully, I can get back to crafting soon...and typing and eating with my right hand..lol.

congrats..

2011-09-19T08:28:00.000-05:00

Hey there! Quick post today... I have a card today from the current Color Throwdown challenge.

Here are the current colors:

I decided that I did like these colors together after all. I was having a hard time at first because of the blue. Well, I better go. Gotta start working! Have a great day..sorry so short.

birthday wishes..

2011-09-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday! It's a wonderful day here..hopefully it is where you are as well. Today, I made a card using this week's Card Pattern's Sketch seen here:

I flipped it on its' side and came up with this:

I had fun making this little ditty and really like how the black and red look together. It's not a combination I use very often, but I like it. :)

Well, back to college football. Have a great rest of the day!

happy train..

2011-09-16T04:15:00.005-05:00

Whoa, Friday already? Don't get me wrong..I'm glad it's here but, man, it seems like this week flew by! I hope you guys all had a great week. Mine was pretty good, I suppose. Nothing remarkable happened. :)

I have a card today that I made for this week's Colour Q challenge. Here are this week's colors:

Fun colors, right? They put me in the mood to make a little boy birthday card. I seriously have NO birthday cards around. I really must start making cards that are usable. I have plenty of cards that say things like "birds fly cause they have wings" (not a real sentiment) or something like that and nothing that just says "Hey, happy birthday" or "congrats" or even "hey buddy!"...lol. Do you guys find yourself making cards that you don't REALLY use? The madness has GOT to stop...lol. So here is the card I made:

Now to find a boy to send it to and I am all set! Have a great weekend. Go Buckeyes!!!

go confidently..

2011-09-15T01:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I'm back today with this week's FYI challenge. I didn't get to participate last time, so I was itching to get back to playing with the rest of the ladies. They have some FABULOUS cards to share, so be sure and hit everyone else's blogs!

Here is our inspiration photo for this week:

Isn't that just gorgeous?? Stephanie picks out THE most beautiful pictures for us to use. This picture made me think of episode of Andy Griffith (one of my favorite shows) where Howard Sprague sees a commercial and decides that he is going to throw caution to the wind and move to a Caribbean island. It doesn't turn out quite like he expected, but the fact that he actually DID it was always cool to me. He at least TRIED it, ya know? I'm not sure there is enough of that these days. ANYWAY...sorry for that ramble..lol. Here is my card:

Thanks for stopping in!

celebrate..

2011-09-14T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hello! Well, this week is just flying by! It's already halfway done..yay!

Today, I have a card for the current CR84FN challenge. Here are the challenge colors:

I decided to make a card unlike my normal cards. No patterned paper and no buttons. Pretty CAS, though, I DID add ribbon and glitter. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, ya know? I had to have SOMETHING extra. :)

Here is what I made:

I love the way Smokey Shadow looks with the bright pink and bit of black. The butterfly is actually the same color as the ribbon, but the glitter didn't photograph it the same.

Well, that's it from me. Hope you guys have a great Wednesday!

be free....

2011-09-13T06:53:00.001-05:00

Hey guys..thanks for stopping by! Today, I have a card that uses the Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Color Challenge. I just love the colors.

I love the bouquet in the inspiration picture, but decided to use my new Market Street set called Hippie Chic again. The images are so adorable and I really liked the sentiment (you know how I am about sentiments!) with this. Here is my card:

Is that guitar not the cutest? I really like this set. I have GOT to get more of their stamps. They're really great quality and, quite frankly, I also like the way they smell. :)

Anywho, thanks for stopping in!! Have a great rest of the day!

peace..

2011-09-12T06:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, guys! Thank you for stopping in. I am using more of my Market Street Stamps today. I just cannot get enough of them. Today's set is called Hippie Chic and it's adorable.

I am also using this week's Card Pattern sketch, seen here:

I really like this sketch. There are so many ways you could go with this. I decided to keep it fairly simple. Here is my card:

Well, that's it for today. Stop in over at Card Patterns and play along!

thoughts..

2011-09-10T15:45:00.000-05:00

FINALLY....finally my mojo is back and life has settled down enough to stamp again. My husband is home and reintegration has been...difficult. I guess the older your children are, the harder it is for things to get back to normal. Ugh..

Anyway, I am back and have been stamping all morning! Yay! Today, I have a card for this week's Colour Q! Here are the colors for this week:

Neat colors, huh? Orchid Opulence was always one of my favorite SU colors. I decided to use one of my new Market Street Stamps that arrived a little over a week ago. It's called Comforting Florals and I absolutely adore the image of this vase and flower combo. Here is my card:

I added Crystal Effects to mimic water...in person, it's really cool. Well, I better get back to the family. Thanks for stopping in!!

Wishing you sunshine..

2011-08-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping in tonight. I've got a quick post since I spent too long on Pinterest and now it's time for bed..LOL!

I've got a card using this week's Color Throwdown colors, seen here:

Here is my card:

I made a card using stamps from PapertreyInk (sentiment and balloons); Market Street Stamps (sunshine background that I love!) and Lil Inker (cloud dies). I love mixing and matching like that. It was fun to make this card. I have had the idea for this card in my head for weeks. I like the way it came out. I can't wait to try it with different colors...so fun! You could potentially see this same sort of card later in the week..lol.

Well, thats it for me tonight. Night!

Gloomies..

2011-08-28T07:48:00.000-05:00

Hi and thanks for stopping by! I have a fun and busy little card for you today. I used this weeks Card Patterns Sketch, seen here:

What a fun sketch! Here is my card:

I really liked mixing the patterned paper and the big buttons were perfect for that element in the sketch. All of the flowers I have are too big to be used there. I didn't dawn on me until after I made the card that I could have used my MFT rolled flowers die. Ah well, maybe next time. :)

Hope you're having a good weekend and, if you're in the path of Hurricane Irene, that you're staying safe and dry.

thanks so much..

2011-08-27T11:52:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! Hope that your weekend is going well so far. Have you guys discovered the Friday Mashup challenge blog? I did last week and it's a really fun challenge. You have choices each week on what you do. One or both of the challenges they put forth can be on your card. This week, the challenge is to use their sketch, seen here:

and/or to use dry embossing on your card! I decided to do both and came up with this little number:

I used the PapertreyInk Woodgrain embossing plate on the scallops and the flowers (from Verve's Great Friend set) and I really like the way it turned out. The colors in the paper are really pretty together and I added a little Crystal Effects and a pearl to the flowers for a little more eye candy...just a little. :)

Well, that's it for me today. One week and 3 days until hubby comes home from his current deployment, so we're running around preparing for that! Yay! Thanks for stopping by!

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger...

2011-08-25T04:15:00.000-05:00

Wow..I totally could not think of a good name for this post, can you tell? ;)

Have you guys seen the current Tuesday Trigger? Take a looksie:

Is that not a beautiful room? All of that pink and black with a splash of yellow and a bit of translucence? Yes please!

Here is my card:

I was inspired to use the vellum and patterned paper by the chandelier in the room. The paper has mini chandeliers on it and I thought the vellum worked well as there is a lot of clear glass (hmm...I guess all glass is clear, though...haha) in the room. I used my border die to mimic not only the color, but also the basic shape of the chairs and the cameo...well, I just loved the cameo. It seemed to be perfect as a final touch here.

I hope you like it! Have a great rest of the day.

CAS-ual day

2011-08-23T04:15:00.001-05:00

Hey there! Thanks for stopping in. I haven't played with the CAS-ual Friday challenges in forever, but this week I knew as soon as I saw the challenge what I was going to do! The challenge this week was to use embossing on your project.

I decided to use my SU Flower Garden embossing folder to create the embossing for my card.

I haven't decided whether this is a wedding or birthday card. I guess it could be either, right? :)

Well, that's it for me today. Have a great day!

U are sweet

2011-08-22T04:15:00.002-05:00

Is it really Monday already? Ugh...this weekend went by way too fast!

On Saturday, I was perusing blogs and came across a post on Teresa Kline's blog for a challenge called Friday Mashup. Wow..they have some really cute challenges, and this week's was to "mash up" cupcakes and buttons (or use one of them) in your project!

I decided to play along and make a card full of sugary sweetness! :)

I found some great MME paper in my stash and it was the basis for the rest of my card. Here you go:

Isn't that paper adorable? I also pulled out my new Verve "U" die and mixed it with a little Papertrey "Wonderful Words". The cupcake and cherries are from a set I bought eons ago from Lawn Fawn called "Bake Me a Cake".

This was such a fun challenge. I can't wait to play again. Check it out of you haven't seen it yet!

Gratitude..

2011-08-20T13:10:00.000-05:00

Hello there! Quick post today as I am waiting on the AC guys to show up and trying to also get the house cleaned (cause you know when repairmen come to the house, it must be spotless..lol), but I did manage to stalk out (I mean come upon...ha!) this week's Card Patterns Sketch. Here is this week's sketch:

Since it's 84 degrees upstairs where the craft room is, I mentally moved from summer straight to fall and came up with this card:

I used my new Simple Sunflower set from Papertrey. I just love it! I mixed it with some of their First Fruits paper and a sentiment from Inside Out: Thank You! I really like how it turned out.

Well, I must go..have a wonderful Saturday! Stay Cool. :)

love u

2011-08-19T08:25:00.001-05:00

Ah, finally the weekend! I hope you guys have all had a great week. Today, I have a card that I made using this week's Color Throwdown challenge colors!

Is Early Espresso not the best brown out there? Oh, I just love it so. :)

I decided to make a card that decidedly simpler than my normal, but I think it turned out really well...pretty much just as I had imagined.

I used my new Verve stamp set, You & I, along with the matching die. Oh. I really can see me using this set a ton. I love it and, of course, the font is awesome. Take a look at the entire set here. I just adore it!

I also used the new Loopy Blooms Verve die. That flower is just so different and cute, no? You can see it here. :)

Thanks for stopping in!

I know what you're thinking...

2011-08-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know what you're thinking "Hey..here she is using those numbers die again and she does NOT know anyone turning 5!". Yeah, I know that's what y'all are thinking and guess what...you're right! Ha! This time, though, there is a method to my madness.

Last night, I went to see Maroon 5 and Train in concert. Oh goodness...it was a FABULOUS show. Loved every bit of it, though the fact that Adam Levine did NOT remove his shirt was a bit of a bummer...lol.

So, back to my thought process...I got home late last night and the only thing I could think of was my new train set and die from Papertrey (courtesy of two awesome PTI forum friends who took pity on me when I couldn't go to Stamp-A-Faire last month and wanted to buy me something) and also my numbers die..specifically the number 5. I SO wanted to make a card that incorporated those two things: Trains and 5's...get it? Train and Maroon 5..get it? Heehee...i'm so silly. :)

Anywho, so I decided to use this week's Colour Q colors, seen here:

And here is my card:

I just love that set. It's so so cute!

Well, that's it for me. I DO want to leave you with a couple of videos in case you're in need of a Maroon 5 or Train fix. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

A little "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 (my all time favorite)

And a little "Save Me, San Francisco" by Train:

Thanks for stopping by!!

Harvest..

2011-08-18T01:00:00.002-05:00

Hi and welcome to another FYI challenge. Take a look at this week's inspiration photo:

I loved the vibrance of the blue sky, but the yellow and red in the trees sucked me in and I focused on those colors. Here is my card:

The diecut is an MFT called Well Worn dies. There are actually 3 layers to it. On my card there are 2 used: The Terracotta Tile layer is one, then the Early Espresso and Fine Linen is another. All I did was diecut that same shape in two colors, and then I cut the EE layer in half so that I could sort of "mat" the same shape on itself...if that makes any sense..lol.

Please play along with us if you can. The challenges last for 2 weeks, so you have plenty of time to get going!

I also wanted to tell you guys that this challenge will be the last for Valerie and Wanda!!! They've been a joy to work with, and we are TRULY going to miss them both. We do, however, have two NEW DT coming and they will join us for the first challenge in September!! Yay!

Baby Bunny!

2011-08-16T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Hope you're doing well. I just love pastels, don't you? I don't wear them, but I love to create with them...especially baby cards! I love using yellow even when I know the sex. Yellow..and also light greens. I think they stand out from the normal pinks and blues. The current CR84FN challenge uses yellow, kraft, and a neutral and I immediately thought of a baby card!

And since I am still obsessed with my SU "A New Little Someone" set, the bunny is making another appearance! Here is my card:

I just love changing up the colors on his feet, ears, and bow. He's such a little cutie! Thanks for stopping by!

Get better..

2011-08-15T04:15:00.000-05:00

Well, hello! It's a new week already, huh? Yeesh. I hope you had a great weekend. I managed to get some stamping done, so that was fun! I have a card for you today using the current Card Patterns Sketch. I know I say this every week, but I love their sketches! Here is this week's sketch:

I decided to make the card a square because I wanted to use this big flower that i've had in my stash for months and it just didn't look right on the A2 cards.

I hope you like it. I really liked these colors together and it was really brought together by the Basic Grey "Out of Print" paper pack. Can you guys tell that I love patterned paper? No? Really? LOL..well, I SO do.

Thanks for stopping by!! Have a fabulous Monday!

College Man..

2011-08-14T00:05:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I have a card today that I just loved creating. This week's Wee Memories challenge called for us to make a masculine card. I decided to go with a "college acceptance" congrats card.

Here is my card:

I just love the Basic Grey "Oxford" paper pack because it has so many different masculine themed papers like this one with all of the books. And yes, I know it's a tad late to be getting an acceptance letter to college, but just go with it...lol

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Sunday!

Birdie...

2011-08-13T10:13:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Long time, no blog. I cannot believe it's been almost a week since I updated. I'm not sure where this week went! Crazy! Well, today I am back with a card using this week's Colour Q colors. Here are the colors:

What fun colors! I had a little trouble with the Melon Mambo (don't I always??lol), but love how it turned out. I used an older SU set called A Little Birdie Told Me. One of my favorites from eons ago. :)

Here is my card:

Have a great Saturday! Thanks for stopping in!

To the Happy Couple!

2011-08-07T12:26:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm back today with another card for my friend's Ben and Tori. Their shower is today and this is the card I made for my mom to give. :)

I used this week's Card Patterns Sketch, seen here:

And here is my card:

Have a great Sunday!!

Lucky Me!

2011-08-06T10:39:00.002-05:00

Happy Saturday! Well, not so much for me as of yet. I was cleaning the bathroom and somehow got Windex in my eyes. Ugh. I tried to flush them out, but they're still burning. :(

I did, however, manage to get this card completed before it was too bad. I was getting my card together and a sheet of Lucky Limeade got in the way, and I thought "wow, I like it!", so I kept it. Its a funky combination, right? I think it works, though.

So, I used this month's Sketch For You To Try, seen here:

Have you guys been playing along every month? There is a huge prize at the end of the year for everyone who's played along! Check it out!

Here is my card:

Hope you like it! Well, I'm off. Got shopping to do! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Grunge..

2011-08-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, i'll admit it. I have fallen in love with making guy cards. I'm not sure what it is. They just feel so natural to me now. I like the simplicity of them, but also the angles and colors and sort of messiness that they have. Weird. So, when I saw this week's Colour Q challenge, I knew there was a "You Rock" card in my near future. Here are this week's colors:

And here is my "rockin'" card..

Isn't it fun? The colors look perfect together and I just love my herringbone cuttlebug folder! It adds a little "I have on a suit with Converse kinda feel a la Joe Bastianich (on the left...sigh) to the grungy nature of the card, no? :)

Well, thanks for dropping in. Have a great Friday!!

Blue Skies

2011-08-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Thanks for dropping. This week is flying by, no? And we've got temps over 100 degrees everyday, so it's a energy drainer!

Today, I have the inspiration pic from this week's FYI Challenge. Stephanie finds THE best photos out there and brings them to us! Look at this week's beauty:

Wow, right? Love the blue skies in this picture, which prompted me to use Verve's Blue Skies set that has been sorely missing from my blog lately. Here is my card:

Do you see the sentiment peeking out there? Heehee...I thought that was cute. :)

So, check us out and play along!

Adoption Congrats!

2011-08-03T02:00:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by! Well, school is underway and so far so good!

I've got a quick post for you today! I was lucky enough to be asked (ok, maybe I begged...lol) to stay on one more week as a Guestie with this week's Color Throwdown. Thanks, ladies! It's always a pleasure to play along with you! :)

Here is this week's color combo:

I immediately thought about a baby boy card. I really like the softness of the colors and decided to use my new Congrats All Ways set again, but this time opted to use the "adoption" stamp. I am not sure I even noticed it before I bought it, but we know lots of people adopting, so this will come in very handy over the new few months! Here is my card:

I just love love love that bunny! I've had him for years...even before I stopped stamping a few years back. It's an old Stampin Up set called A New Little Someone. It's easily one of my favorite baby sets ever. :)

Take a look at what the other designers have done with these colors, including the ACTUAL Color Throwdown Guest Designer for July, Lori Tecler! :)

Lifetime of Happiness

2011-07-31T19:11:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Well, it's Sunday evening already. How did that happen? School starts back here tomorrow, so I'm in that mode. Hopefully, I'll remember to wake Ava in the morning for school...lol.

I have a card today for this week's Card Pattern's sketch, seen here:

I've fallen back in love with making the A2 cards. For a while, I'd only make square ya know? Anyway, I decided to make a card for a wedding shower I'm going to next weekend for a family friend and his fiancee. Their colors are browns, creams, and sages, so I think this card is perfect for them. :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week! Play along at Card Patterns if you get a chance. It's a great sketch this week.

Congrats...

2011-07-29T04:15:00.000-05:00

Ah,finally Friday! Woot! Today I have a quick post with a card I made just because I wanted to use the new SU In Colors again. I totally love the Calypso Coral. It's such a bright, deep, rich color - almost like Papertrey's Melon Berry, but a bit brighter. The ribbon IS Melon Berry and matches quite well. Just an FYI in case you were curious. :)

I WILL say that the picture doesn't do that color justice. I could not get a picture that totally captures just how bright the color is. You'll have to see for yourself. :)

I decided to emboss the "congrats" from Papertrey's new Congrats All Ways set in white on the SU patterned paper. I think it turned out pretty well.

Well, that's it from me. I hope you have great plans for the weekend. This is the last weekend for summer because school starts here on Monday! We'll probably do some last minute clothes shopping and watch lots of Harry Potter and Twilight. Laters!!

A song..

2011-07-28T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hey there! Thanks for stopping in. It's been a busy week around here! I've gotten a whopping 4 hours of sleep since Saturday...ugh. I'm running on steam, people! I have GOT to get some sleep soon or it's going to start affecting my attitude! :)

Today, I have a card for this week's Colour Q challenge. Can I say that as soon as I saw these new SU colors when the catalog came out, I KNEW I had to have them. I decided to just buy the "sample" pack with the inks and card stock and after using them tonight I simply must buy packs and packs more of it. All of the colors are just gorgeous and they work really well together. When I saw this challenge, I was very excited! Ok, so here is the color swatch:

I decided to break out my Papertrey set, Happy Trails. I really like the sentiments included. I'm such a sentiment freak!

Here is my card:

I don't know about you guys, but I love using flourishes on things..lol. I think they work so well with birds and butterflies! This was a fun card to make. It feels like it needs something else, but I'm not sure what. Ah well...hope you like it!!

Celebrate!

2011-07-27T02:00:00.002-05:00

Hi there. It's Wednesday and time for another Color Throwdown challenge. I will go ahead and say that when I saw this combo, I loved all of it...EXCEPT the Melon Mambo! As much as I love that color, I just didn't see it fitting in with the other colors. I was dead wrong! :)

Here are this week's colors:

And here is my card:

Though I had my reservations, I found that Melon Mambo stamps a shade off from Rose Red on Vanilla card stock, so it actually blended in really nicely. In case you can't tell, the Rose Red is the top and bottom shade and the Melon Mambo is in the middle.

I just love the way this card turned out. I think the distressed look of the ink on the chevrons works well with the way the flower stamps. These are two of my favorite Papertrey Ink stamps and I like them together! I found a little flower button in my Papertrey stash that I think works perfectly with the rest of the card.

Here are links to the other ladies playing this week..go check them out!!

Tammy
Danielle
Broni
Barbara

I hope you find time to play along. I would love to see what you do with the colors! Thanks for stopping by!!

50 & Fabulous!

2011-07-26T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hello there! I am so done with the heat and humidity. Can someone please send me a plane ticket to Alaska?!? :)

Today, I have a card that I made for a friend of my mom's. She is turning 50 today! I started out making a card that was black and purple, but I thought the Ruby Red and Vanilla made for a lighter feel and I have been itching to use that striped SU ribbon since I bought it over a year ago! I think it works perfectly here.

Thanks for stopping in and have a great Tuesday!!

44 Years ago...

2011-07-25T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hi and thank you for stopping in! I have a card today for this week's Card Patterns sketch, seen here:

I decided to go with a masculine birthday card for a relative using my Tim Holtz papers that I just love! Here is my card:

This was a fun sketch and it allows for relatively quick cards to be created! I distressed the sides of the sentiment panel just to give it a little more "man-ness" (lol) and added some twine and a neutral button. Easy peasy!

Thanks for all you do..

2011-07-24T11:31:00.001-05:00

Hi there. Today, I have a VERY quick post. I am cutting it close getting this card in for this week Colour Q. I have NO idea where the time went...lol! Here are this week's colors:

And here is my bright and fun thank you card!

I made this card for Ava's Sunday School teacher. Today is the last day of the Sunday School year..starting next week, she'll be in the Youth Group! Eek...where DOES the time go?

Anyway, hope you like it. Have a great rest of the day!!

Kind Words

2011-07-21T01:00:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Happy Thursday! Ok, is it 100 billion degrees where you are? It is SO very hot here..ugh. I am NOT one for heat and humidity and this summer has been off the charts hot.

Today, I have my card for this week's FYI Challenge. It really reminds me of Fall, so it's one of my favorite inspiration pictures. Just thinking about Fall makes me cooler....college football, chili, cool crisp saturday mornings...I love it all! Here is this week's photo:

And here is my card:

Is that scene not so beautiful? I pulled the grey from the stairs and, of course, the red and tree from the surrounding scenery. The faux texture on the patterned paper also reminded me of the real texture on the stairs...kinda like a concrete type thing, ya know?

Anyway, please stop in and play along with us. We've got a fabulous photo and would love to see what you do with it. Laters!!

Happy Birthday Hop!

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! This is my second post for the day. Scroll down to see my Color Throwdown card. Today, I have a card for the AmberInk 1 year birthday!

Twelve short months ago
we made our big debut,
So now we'd like to commemorate
our 1st birthday with you!

This flash mob of torchbearers
always light our way.
Won't you please jog along
on our special day?

Leave your comments here and there
over the next 48
On Friday we'll announce the loot
Don't wait...let's CELEBRATE!

and as an FYI...There will be prizes for comments along the way -
Wednesday, Thursday to hop. Winners announced on Friday.

Here is my card:

I had such fun with this cupcake image. I colored it in with Copics and then added some glitter. Here are the list of players:

Be sure and leave a comment. There ARE prizes to be won!!!

Color (throwdown) My World!

2011-07-20T02:00:00.001-05:00

Hey there! I am back with this week's Color Throwdown challenge colors and card. This week we're using the Rainbow as our color guide!

I dreamed an idea for this card...last minute, of course, and woke up at 4am to execute it. Ok, so it didn't come out EXACTLY as I imagined it, but alas here it is:

I couldn't pick up the "sparkly" too well, but believe me...it's sparkly! Thanks for stopping by! Play along with us this week at Color Throwdown!!

Special Little One

2011-07-17T04:15:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Quick post today as this is scheduled and I should already be out the door to leave..lol. The new Stampin Up catalog came out a couple of weeks ago and, while I really don't/can't use rubber stamps anymore because I've gotten so used to clear, I fell hard for this little guy as soon as I saw him! I decided to make a simple child's birthday card:

Thanks for stopping in!!

Take Flight..

2011-07-15T11:53:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Well, did you see Harry Potter last night??? Ava and I went to the midnight showing ant it was FABULOUS!!!! We waited outside in a line that wrapped around the building for about 2 hours before they finally let us in about 11. All 14 screens were showing it and it was a really cool atmosphere! The movie itself? It shot straight to the top for me as far as ranking the movies of the series. It was just excellent. No spoilers here, though, so let's move on. I could only get 3 hours of sleep after the movie, so I was up bright and early this morning. I decided to make a few cards. Not for any challenges - just cards. :)

This one was really fun to make. I am patterned paper addict...even bought a bunch in my sleep from Two Peas last week (long story...lol), so I love to mix and match the patterns in the paper pack to see which ones work best with each other. Today I used the Out of the Blue (Lime Twist) from MME.

I combined that with Up, UP, and Away and Happy Trails from Papertrey. Well, I need to get some coffee down my throat because I'm taking Ava and one of her friends up to the Smokies for the weekend and we need to get moving. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!! Oh, and by the way - Ava had a really great time at camp. Made new friends and was really happy she went. Her skin didn't fare too well, but that's okay. Thanks for your emails and comments and well wishes for both Ava AND me...lol.

Simply Fabulous

2011-07-13T02:00:00.003-05:00

Hello! It's Wednesday again and time for another Color Throwdown! I'm Guesting this month, so don't forget to drop in and play along with us! You will LOVE this week's color combo:

Beautiful, right? I don't remember loving Taken with Teal that much before, but it was so much fun to use. All of these colors really rocked!

Here is my card...and it's one of my favorites ever. :)

The MME Life of the Party paper really sets this card off. I love that polka dot design and I thought it would look cute in die form..and it does! heehee. I colored in the rhinestones and added some twine and the Prima flower and I was all set.

Anyway, that's all I have today. Don't forget to peek in and see what the other ladies did with this combination! Here are links to their awesome cards:

Kristin
Barbara
Carole
Laura
LeAnne
Tammy

Miss You!

2011-07-11T04:15:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Quick post today. I have another of the cards I sent to Ava at camp this week. I used my new The Craft's Meow "Life is a Carnival" set. It is SO cute!!

The sentiment comes from the Lil' Inker Designs set, Pinwheels. I threw on some twine from The Twinery and called it a day! And yep..I went CAS with it. Can you believe it??? :)

Thanks for stopping by!

thanks, friend

2011-07-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Ahh, Sunday already? Where DOES the weekend go? I'm playing again this week with the ladies over at Card Patterns sketch blog. I just LOVE their sketches every week. In fact, I am usually in front of the computer Saturday mornings waiting on them to upload..lol. Here is this week's sketch:

And here is another "guy" card. I'm really starting to get the hang of those! I used some of my Tim Holtz papers and ink just to add a little testosterone to the mix. :)

Have a wonderful day! Thank you for stopping by..and don't forget to check out Card Patterns and play along this week!!

Blowing Kisses..

2011-07-09T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hi there! On Monday, Ava is leaving home overnight for the first time. Well, first time for more than one night AND out of state. She's going to Centri-Kid with some others from church and will be gone all of next week. Eek. They actually are supposed to come back Friday, but since Harry Potter comes out Thursday at midnight, i'm going to ride up to Kentucky Thursday evening with a friend and get her. Is that crazy? Leaving church camp to go see a movie about Wizards? Eh, maybe so, but welcome to our world. We're total Harry Potter nerds...lol. :)

While they are at Centri-Kid, they can receive mail so I thought I would create a few cards of encouragement to send her. She's not exactly excited about going because of her Eczema and the way her skin behaves. The thought of putting on/taking her meds and being around kids and outdoors makes her anxious (and mommy,too!!), but I know she can do it. I mean, come on, she's at Church camp. I figure God will help guide her through it and give her a peace about it. If He can't, no one can!

Anyway (wow, i'm talkative today!), here is one of the cards I am sending her. I used the current Wee Memories challenge which was to create something that reflected summertime.

Nothing is more summer than pinwheels, right? Well, that and lemonade or homeade ice cream..yum!

The paper is from the MME "Life of The Party" collection and it's full of sugary sweet goodness. Just love those papers.

Tanks for stopping in! Be sure and stop over at the Wee Memories challenge and play along. You have 2 weeks to play!

Stamps: Lil' Inker Pinwheels
Card Stock: White (Papertrey); MME Life of The Party
Ink: A blend of Tempting Turquoise and Bermuda Bay (Stampin Up)
Extras: Lil Inker Pinwheels die; Apron die (The Cat's Pajamas); Ribbon (Papertrey)

Feel Better..

2011-07-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hello! When I saw the Play date Cafe challenge colors for this week, I fell in love. My first thought was a baby card (which I may still create), but it wound up being card for a friend recovering from back surgery. Here are this week's colors:

And here is the card I created:

I just love these colors together and this patterned paper is one that got shuffled in behind all of my Basic Grey, MME, and Cosmo Cricket!! Poor lonely paper..but aren't the colors just perfect for this challenge? I also love scallops, so those just had to be a part of the design. The ribbon is actually PTI saddle stitch ribbon, but I removed the white stitching because the card has no true white on it, so that part stuck out too much.

Well, that's it. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Colour Q Rocker

2011-07-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by! Today, I have a card for this week's Colour Q challenge. Here are this week's colors:

And here is the card I created...with a teen rocker chick in mind. :)

I used Scortape behind the guitar dies and used my MS glitter to make them shine. Such a fun card to make!

FYI Challenge #9

2011-07-07T01:00:00.003-05:00

Hey there! I hope you have had a great week so far. I have a beautiful inspiration photo to share with you from the current FYI Challenge. Take a look at this gorgeousness that Steph picked:

Is that not SO beautiful? Oh, I just love it. The water looks perfect and the sky is brilliant.

I was inspired mostly by the wavy nature of the building and the main colors of blue and orange. Here is the card I made:

Please stop by and join us for this week's challenge. We'd love to see what YOU can make!

Stamps: Think Big Favorites, Fancy Flourishes (Papertrey); Great Friend (Verve)
Card Stock: Pacific Point, Only Orange, Only Orange dsp (SU)
Ink: Versamark and white embossing powder (SU)
Extras: Ricrac die, button, twine (Papertrey)

Sending You..

2011-07-06T02:00:00.003-05:00

Hi there!

Guess what? For this month, I will be Guesting over at Color Throwdown.

This week's colors are brought to you by Danielle. We're using Riding Hood Red, Apricot Appeal, and Wild Wasabi.

I used the colors, along with Basic Grey's "Bookprint" paper to create a simple card for my mother in law's birthday next week. :)

Stop by Color Throwdown and play with us! It's a weekly challenge and always has really amazing (and challenging!) color combos. Thanks for dropping in!

Special Delivery..part 2

2011-07-05T04:15:00.003-05:00

Hi there! I have another card today using the soft blush/early espresso color scheme and the Bundle of Love set from Papertrey. I used this month's Sketch for You to Try, seen here:

And here is my card:

I just love the baby! She's just the cutest thing. I want to make many more cards with this set in different colors! Have a great day!

Merci Make it Monday

2011-07-04T11:11:00.002-05:00

This is my second post of the day. Scroll down to see more. :)

Ok, so when I woke up this morning and saw this week's Make it Monday challenge, I was a little bummed. I don't really own any reinkers. I have two SU ones and 2 Papertrey ones - and one of those is black. I really did want to try the challenge, but I just could not think of a way to incorporate the colors I had.

I sat down at my craft table and immediately thought of Polka Dot Basics. I had an idea in my head and it was awesome. Well, I think we all know how that goes sometimes. That idea I had? Well, it's STILL in my head. This is a close representation, but it didn't quite stamp the way I thought it would. Perhaps it was the fact that I didn't have any foam..or because I gooped too much reinker out. Either way, I am kinda diggin' the card in a funky, messy, ink all over my hands like I am in Kindergarten kind of way.

I stamped using SU Black and PTI Smokey Shadow kind of all mixed up a bit. I was going for a more gradient look. It made more of a grunge dot look, though. I also used my Raspberry Fizz reinker for the "Merci" and a little Fresh Snow on the edges. It's definitely one of my more funky cards. :)

Special Delivery

2011-07-04T01:00:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th of July! I love holidays, but they're just really not the same when Hubby isn't here, ya know? They just don't feel as festive..but I guess all military families and others (Policemen, Firemen, etc) deal with that, so i'll shut it. :)

Today, I have a card that I entered into the Gallery Idol competition (yep, two cards are entered when 2 days ago I couldn't even get one cranked out). It has absolutely nothing to do with the 4th of July, but I suspect you've seen quite a lot of those so i'll do something different. Never mind the fact that I had no real 4th of July themed stamps or paper..lol.

So, here is my sweet baby girl card:

I just love this Cuttlebug folder. I've had it for a long while and don't use it nearly enough. It's just perfect for smaller baby items or, as I did here, masking off parts of a set to create a little scene. I just love this stork from Papertrey especially since it can carry that sweet little pumpkin! How cute is that little one in there?? I decided to give some texture to the blanket by just using my Square Lattice folder from Stampin Up. It was a pretty simple card to make, but I like it. :)

Gallery Idol Congrats..

2011-07-03T08:41:00.001-05:00

Hello! I decided to, at pretty much the eleventh hour, throw a card into the Paper Craft's Gallery Idol competition. I'd been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now, but could not get the RIGHT card to come out - until this morning. It just happened so smoothly. Woke up,ate some peach cobbler muffins,watched SpongeBob (lol)...and voila! Before I knew it, the card was made and I am pretty dang happy with it!

Here is my entry:

What do you think?

Stamps: Love Birds (Papertrey)
Card Stock: Kraft, Black (Papertrey); Riding Hood Red, Love Letter dsp (Stampin Up)
Ink: Black and VersaMark (Stampin Up)
Extras: Ribbon, embossing powder (Stampin Up); Pearl (want2scrap)

A Man's Life..

2011-07-02T14:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Saturday! Boy, am I glad it's the weekend. It's hot here in Tennessee, so I am doing my part and staying indoors..lol.

Today, I have a card from this week's Card Patterns sketch, seen here:

I LOVE making these long cards. I should really do it more often. I decided to go with a card for a guy, since I am desperately short on those. I used some of my new Basic Grey "Oxford" paper. It is positively scrumptious! Here is my card:

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend.

Trouble..

2011-06-29T19:39:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a great week so far. It's a short week just like next week here in the States so, of course, that means it's going by ever so slowly. :)

Anyhow, today's card uses this weeks Color Throwdown colors. Ok, can I just say I went through a TON of cardstock trying to get this card made. Seriously, I know I used 8 sheets of Vanilla. I'm not sure WHAT was going on, but it just took a while for it to come together. My mojo was all off tonight, but I think I do like how the colors came together. Here is the swatch:

And here is my card:

Have a great evening!! Thanks for dropping in to see me. :)

Grunge Boy

2011-06-28T12:59:00.000-05:00

Hello there! Hope you're doing well. I woke up today to lots of roof shingles in the yard...yay! Ugh..time to call the roofer and the insurance company. I hope it's not a hassle!
Anyway, I have a card for this weeks Colour Q. Did you see that I got Colour Queen last week??!?!? Talk about amazed and over the top excited! I was definitely shocked and so happy. :)

Here are this week's fab colors:

I decided to make a card for my hubby that wasn't too mushy..lol. Something just to let him know that he does, indeed, rock! He is still deployed, as you know, so this IS my way of making a patriotic card! It's for the best patriot I know. :)

It's a little juvenile, but I know he will love those skull and crossbones! He's a bad boy like that..not. Haha...anyway, here is the card:

Hope you like it!

Dreams

2011-06-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Thanks for stopping in for the second time today. :)

As a lot of you are, I'm taking the Online Card Class given by Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire. Today was the first day of class and we had a color challenge. Here are the colors we were to use:

And here is the card I created:

What a bright and cheery color combo! I decided to go with a fun birthday card using one of my favorite Verve sets, Great Friend. Thanks for stopping in and checking it out. I'm off to see what everyone else has made! :)

Stamps: Great Friend (Verve); Polka Dots Basics, Daydreamer (Papertrey)
Card Stock: Baja Breeze, Orchid Opulence, Brights patterned paper (SU); White, Orange Zest (Papertrey)
Ink: Only Orange, Orchid Opulence
Extras: Raspberry Fizz ribbon, Polka dot cuttlebug folder; Scallop die (papertrey)

Words cannot express

2011-06-27T04:15:00.001-05:00

Hi! Thanks for dropping in! I have a card for this week's Card Patterns Sketch, seen here:

I decided to go with a soft green, cream, and black color scheme. I love this patterned paper from SU and thought it would be a fun combo. Here is my card:

Thanks for stopping by! Gotta go! :)

Welcome Baby Girl..

2011-06-26T04:15:00.001-05:00

Hola! Today I have a card for no challenge. Can you believe it? LOL

I needed a quick baby girl card for my mom. Ok, so after I got started, I realized it was not going to be quick to cut out those squares without a square punch (note: buy a square punch today!), but once I got the sizes down it was fairly simple.

I just love Night, Night Moon and I thought these little images would be so cute in the squares. I added the Well Worn die from MFT and a sentiment, ribbon, and button and I was done! Voila! Hope you like it!

Papertrey June Blog Hop Challenge

2011-06-25T07:34:00.002-05:00

Hello! Welcome to this month's Papertrey Blog Hop!

I'll make it short and sweet since there are tons of blogs to see.

This month, we were challenged to use an inspiration picture. I LOVE inspiration pictures and love to see how others interpret things, so this should be so much fun. Here is the inspiration photo from Pinterest:

When I looked at this photo, I immediately thought of little best friends playing dress up with glittery things and poofy dresses and how little best friends grow into big best friends. I thought about how those friendships sometimes never end. You meet, and for the rest of your lives, the friendship is solid. So, here is what my brain came up with as a result of that thought process:

I just love using that MS glitter. I found that it is MUCH better when used with scortape and not liquid glue..lol. Much less messy! I also used the Papertrey Wonderful Words Additions set and die. To get the rainbow effect on the diecut, I just colored the paper with Copics and then diecut it from there - super simple.

Well, as usual I am gabbing. So go...go..check out the rest of the entries this month here on Nichole's blog.

Thank you for stopping by!! Have a great weekend.

Thanks for the lift...

2011-06-22T21:04:00.001-05:00

Hello there! I hope you're having a great week. I want to let you know that my daughter, Ava, is REMARKABLY better. Seriously, I have never seen anything like the healing that has taken place. It is nothing short of amazing! Thank you ALL so much for your prayers and good vibes and words of support. I truly appreciate it. She still has a ways to go, but it is much better...at least she is moving around now!
Anywho, today's card uses this week's Colour Q colors! They are so cheerful.

And here is my card:

Can you tell I am so in love with these balloons? LOL

Well, thanks for stopping by go and play along at Colour Q if you get the chance. Great colors this week!

Before & After

2011-06-21T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hello there! Happy Tuesday! Today, I have a card for you that is part of a challenge over at the Papertrey Posse. Cathy is our hostess for June and she challenged us to take a card we had done before and make it over basically. A before and after. We all have those cards that we think maybe just need a little something else after we have already posted them, right?

My card came from this post. I liked the card well enough, but it seemed like it was not grounded enough or was missing something. Of course, when I went to make changes I tore the original so I had to actually MAKE another card, not just add to the existing one, but whatever. Haha.

So, here is the "before" shot:

And the "after":

Sorry about the difference in the picture tone. I'm going to blame that on the cloudy skies we have today. :) For the "after", I decided to add a base layer of Early Espresso. It felt so naked as a one layer and I felt like it needed some "heavy" to it. I also added clouds from my new Lil Inker Designs set called "Rainbow's & Clouds". The clouds are perforated and so cute! I just added a little Dazzling Diamonds to them and that's it. I really think the card looks better now..ok, maybe just to me lol..but that's my before and after. If you get a chance, please come over and play along with us. There are 2 challenges for June and you still have plenty of time to play along. Thanks for stopping by!

Brighter..

2011-06-20T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hello there. It's Monday and today is my first day back at work in almost 2 weeks. Wow. I'm sure my inbox is ridiculously full. Ugh.

Anyway, today I have a card for the Color Cue challenge.

As soon as I saw those colors, I knew it was time to finally get out my Lil' Inker Designs, Rainbows & Clouds set and die! This is the cutest little set. There are perforated clouds (2) and 2 different rainbow options. Plus, the actual arcs on the rainbow are separate, so you can make all sorts of color or pattern combinations! Here is my card:

I decided to try my hand at a glittery rainbow. Um..Ok, glitter is NOT easy to play with when you're doing little spaces like this and also when the pieces need to touch. Yeesh..I noticed after I photographed it that the green moved down into the blue a bit...DON'T GO LOOK!!..lol. I still love the card, though. So fun and cheery and I know exactly who it's being mailed to today. :)

Well, I better get ready for work and for the barrage of craziness that I am sure is going to ensue once I get there. Have a wonderful day!!

Birthday Boy!

2011-06-19T04:15:00.001-05:00

Hello. Thanks for stopping in to visit! Today I have a card that I made for my little cousin, Luke. He turned 4 yesterday and had a fun little party that we attended for a while. With Ava being so ill, it's hard to get out anywhere for any length of time. I know I sound like a broken record, but if you guys could keep her in your prayers I would appreciate it. It's hard dealing with this unknown issue but it's made more difficult because hubby is deployed. I told a friend yesterday that if it wasn't for crafting, I'd be in a closet somewhere...really.

Anyhow, enough of the heavy. Here is the card I made for Luke:

I just love the bright colors for a little boy. Making this card also made me realize that I have absolutely no real "boy" type stamps..at least not for little boys. I need to at least have a train set or something! :)

This card fits in perfectly with the current Wee Memories challenge which was to make something party themed! Head over and check it out!

Hope you guys like it. Have a great day!

Stamps: Simply Circles (Papertrey)
Card Stock: Green Galore, Real Red (SU); Natural Ivory (Papertrey); MME patternend paper
Ink: Green Galore, Real Red, Night of Navy (SU)
Extras: Numbers die, Star Die, Linene impression plate, buuton, and Enchanted Evening ribbon (Papertrey)

CAS-ual thanks..

2011-06-18T03:47:00.000-05:00

Hello and Happy Saturday to ya! Thanks for all of the birthday wishes yesterday. It was overall a good day. I got my ticket to the Papertrey Retreat in July, got my hotel reserved, had cupcakes from Gigi's, and hung out with Ava and my Mom.

Today, I have a card I made for this week's CAS-ual Friday's challenge which was to use color block. Ok, so this challenge is the one every week that TOTALLY makes me pull my hair out because I am such an overdoer on my cards sometimes. The patterned paper, the ribbon, the buttons..I love all of those little things and they just don't work (for me) on CAS cards cause i'd have 20 on there instead of 2...lol. This week, though, I think I achieved the CAS look that has alluded me these last few weeks. I absolutely adore this card (can I say that??)

These colors are just so fabulous together. I love the combination so much. I got it from a Louis Vuitton bag that I love. Let me tell you, though. When I first made this card, it had clear card stock covering the entire front because the inspiration bag was patent leather. It was so cute...until I tried to photograph that sucker. Ok, I did not realize that I could take 26 pictures of one card and still not come up with anything usable! The clear card stock acted as a mirror and in each picture you could either see me, the camera, the fireplace, the blinds..ugh..it was a nightmare. In the end, I decided to strip off the clear card stock and go au naturel with it...LOL.

Well, that's it from me. Hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Inside Out: Thank You; Modern Basics (Papertrey)
Card Stock: Early Espresso; Rich Razzleberry (SU); Fine Linen (Papertrey)
Ink: Early Espresso, Rich Razzleberry (SU)
Extras: Pearls (want2scrap)

love you..

2011-06-17T04:15:00.002-05:00

Hello. Happy Friday! Today I have a card for you that I created for this week's Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger. I was immediately drawn to the spools of thread and the colors and I thought the squiggles on my MME paper, the stitching on the ribbon, and the felt would make for a fun trigger inspired card.

Again with the bright colors, but I thought these would be perfect for a little "i love you' card for my daughter, Ava. I wanted to make her a little something to let her know that I love her...hope it makes her feel happy.
I used my new Paper Smooches stamps...they're so dang cute! Check it out:

Thanks for stopping by! Oh, I almost forgot..today is my birthday,too! :) Happy 38th birthday to meeeee....lol.

Stamps: Word uP (Paper Smooches)
Card Stock: Tempting Turquoise (SU), Natural White (Papertrey); MME patterned paper
Ink: Only Orange
Extras: Felt, Ribbon, button, scallop border die, hearts die, spiral notebook die, Cain Print impression plate (Papertrey)

Birthday Wishes..

2011-06-16T07:20:00.000-05:00

This is my second post. Scroll down for my FYI challenge post.

Hello! Thanks for stopping in. I've got a quick post today. I actually have things on my agenda today - will miracles never cease? LOL.

I have a card today for this week's Colour Q! The colors intimidated me at first, and then an idea for a birthday card for a male co-worker came to mind and I was all set. Here are this week's colors:

Just perfect for a masculine card, no? Well, here is what I created:

I really really like that Papertrey Men of Life set. I think even for guys who may not sail, it's still a great set for a man don't you think?

I'm also putting this into Papertrey Make it Monday for this week which was to use the rock n roll technique. Here is a close up of the sails where I used the technique:

I really like using it, though it was a tad more difficult on a non-round image..lol.
Well, that's all I have for today. Have a great day!

FYI Challenge #8

2011-06-16T01:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there. I love this card and at some point each one of us could use a card like this. This week's inspiration photo is here:

As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to somehow bring the texture of the mountains onto the card as well as keep the natural feeling of the photo.

I decided to go with an encouragement theme because sometimes it feels like things are really bad and you're out of control, but if you just stay the course and possibly "go over the edge", that things will get better. So, with that said, here is my card:

This was a pretty easy card to make. I basically made all of the pieces and then scrunched them up to give them that "natural" texture. Easy peasy.

I hope you'll join in with us this week and play! Thanks for stopping by.

hello, friend

2011-06-15T10:57:00.001-05:00

Hi there! First, thank you all for all of the well wishes and emails. I am feeling almost back to normal. Of course, my baseline normal may differ from the normal person. :)

Today, I am back with colors and a stamp set that I did not know I loved. Truly..when I first saw these colors at Color Throwdown, I was terrified.

I am so not a "brights" person and I had no idea how I could work these colors to be more me. Well, I think I have something I can really love. I also never really love love loved Little Bitty Bird from Papertrey. I liked what I saw others do with it, but it was never calling to me until a week or so ago. I started seeing so many cute cards with it and thought I would give it a shot. I adore it! Those little birds are so sweet and I really like popping up the little wings. I decided to use this week's Mojo Monday as my jumping off point.

It's also going into this week's Wee Memories Challenge which was "Anything Goes!"

But enough talk, here is my card:

Hope you like it! I added a couple of diecut hearts in the patterned papers and threw in a little crochet trim I picked up at Two Peas in a Bucket a while back and voila! :)

Have a great day!

Stamps: Little Bitty Bird
Card Stock: Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine (SU); Vanilla (Papertrey); My Mind's Eye and SU patterned papers
Ink: Old Olive, Tangerine, Daffodil Delight (SU)
Extras: Heart diecuts, Simply Circles die, and buttons (Papertrey); Well Worn dies (MFT); Crochet trim (Two Peas in a Bucket)

For Dad

2011-06-13T04:15:00.003-05:00

Hi there! I have a card today that I am sending my Dad for Father's Day. Initially, it used this week's Card Patterns sketch, but somehow that got away from me so it's just "sort of" the sketch. :)

Hope you like it. I used papers from the Stampin Up Summer Mini and the images and sentiment from Papertrey's Men of Life set. Have a great day!