Happy Birthday Danni /Flutter By Hop

A few of us have gotten together to have a Flutter By Hop and to wish Danni, the owner of the late Flutter By Wednesday blog, a very happy and fun-filled birthday today! Keeping Flutter By Wednesday in mind, we have all created a little something for Danni and have added a butterfly or fairy to our projects.

I've never made a pocket letter before but have wanted to since the first time I saw one on blogland a couple months ago. I love the idea of filling them with some crafting goodies and a sweet treat (or two)...and then mailing it to a friend.  Such a cute idea, right?!! 

I used the adorable Flutterby Anya from TGF and added lots of sparkle on her wings! The pictures look foggy because...well, because it's hard to take a clear picture through a baseball card protector sleeve.

HOP LIST:

Danni

Peggie

Harriet

Sheri

Shirley

Kristie

Nancy

Margie

Jan

Marji

.......Denice.......

Netta

Lynette

Brenda

Ashley

Anyone can join the hop and leave comments! Danni will be offering two (2) separate gift certificates to people who leave comments. You have until Monday, September 7th to leave your comments. The winners of the gift certificates will be announced Tuesday, September 8th on Danni's blog.

Happy Birthday Danni!! 

I hope your day is filled with all the flutter-bys your heart can handle!

Happy Birthday Marjorie!

I made a birthday card for my friend Marjorie using an Elizabeth Craft Designs accordion die...these dies are so much fun to create with and always result in a stunning card. The dies are really easy to work with, there's no need to be intimidated by the design. 

I used transparency for the centers to make it look like the images are floating. The hardest part of this card was trying to figure out how to connect the panels without the glue showing through....after much thought I came up with glue dots, thank goodness they hadn't dried up! Do you see it?!

A little history about Marjorie and I, we "met" when we were paired as partners in a Cricut swap we both signed up for and we became friends with our very 1st email. Even though we live 450 miles apart we were able to meet when she came to the area to visit her son who was attending college just a couple suburbs away. We chat almost every day and I am so happy to have her in my life and to be able to call her a friend!

 Happy 50th Marjorie!!

CHALLENGES:

Inspiration Destination: #47 Anything Goes

Scrapper's Delights: #47 Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft: #11 Anything Goes

Sister Act: #119 Anything Goes

TTCRD: Aug 18-24 Anything Goes

Wags 'n Whisker's: #160 Frame it Out

Thanks for stopping by and sticking with me this past month, I have to say it's been nice  to sit back and enjoy the summer. School started for my youngest today which, hopefully, allows for some extra crafting time!

LRS June 14th Blog Hop

Happy Sunday and welcome to the Loves Rubberstamps weekly Sensational Sunday Blog Hop! 

The Design Team has created some gorgeous projects for your Inspiration. Check out each link and leave a comment. If you get lost along the way, each stop will have a full list of links. One of the Design Team posts is the hop's Sensational Sunday Sweet Spot and a name will be drawn from that list of comments to be in a monthly drawing for a $20 Loves Rubberstamps Gift Voucher! We will draw the winner of the Voucher the 1st Sunday of each month from all the comments left on the design team blogs. 

Last week we had a 50th birthday party to go to...it was lots of fun! A live band, a food truck and fabulous weather were the perfect way to celebrate a monumental birthday!

The following items can be found at Loves Rubberstamps:

Julie Nutting Mixed Media Floral Texture Background

Julie Nutting Doll w/ Strapless Dress

Avery Elle Numbered Balloons

Avery Elle Numbered Balloons Die

Lawn Fawn - Let's Polka

Copic X-press It Blending Card

Copic Sketch Markers

Dienamics Flat Bottom Clouds

Memento Inks: Black Tuxedo, London Fog, Bamboo Leaves

Distress Ink Broken China

Zig - Squeeze and Roll

Zig - 2 way Chisel

Candi Foam Dots

You can start the hop at Laura's blog or continue on to Rebecca's blog HERE. These weekly hops are so much fun...not only do you get to see some wonderful projects but there is an instructional video.   Hopefully, you saw it on Lydia's blog.

Laura Love - Loves Rubberstamps Blog

Dangina Martinez
Nina AKA PaperDaisies
Lydia Evans - Video Designer
Denice Bartucci (HERE)
Rebecca Billard
Wendy Nicola Jackson
Nick
Jennifer Greco
Pam DeChellis
Loves Rubberstamps Store

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and leave such sweet comments, they really do make my day.

WW #148 Leo

The challenge over at Wicked Wednesday is called LEO and the image I used is also called Leo, which was provided by this week's sponsor, Delicious Doodles.

I opted to make a horoscope ATC by printing today's horoscope from Cafeastrology.com onto watercolor paper. After coloring and masking the image, Distress Inks were applied to the edges and then water was splattered over the ATC.

Because today is our lovable and fierce leader's birthday at Wicked Wednesday, I made a small journal for her using the ATC with her horoscope. I hope she likes it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENN!!!

As most of you know, you have until 7:00 pm EST next Tuesday to join us in this fun ATC challenge. My teamies have created some inspiring works of art with the LEO theme in mind, all of which you can see HERE. Hope you'll join us!

Happy 15th Dario

I used Desconstructed Sketch #160 and finally, I am not scurrying around last minute to enter my card into their weekly challenge!

TGF CC Saturday, Copics, Viva Decor Pearl Pens, Signo Gel pen

DP: Glitz-Sunshine in My Soul

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The card was made for my youngest who turned 15 this weekend....which means another semester of DRIVER'S ED is ahead of us this coming school year. Thank goodness he is our last one taking the class as I'm not sure if my nerves can take any more, lol! We took him out for burgers and to see Blue Man Group in the city, what a fun night...can you say "creamed Twinkies?!!" 

Happy Sunday!

WW #131

The CRAZY CRANIUMS challenge going on at Wicked Wednesday this week is

 sponsored by Smeared Ink....I choose to use their Cranium Captain digi. 

Cranium....brain....brain matter.....get it?!!!

I used my ATC to make a card for my oldest son's 25th birthday.

I found the cutest website called POST LIKE A PIRATE

which translates everything into pirate speak.

"Why pirate speak," you ask.

"Because his nickname is Pirate."

You have until 7:00 pm EST next Tuesday evening to join us

 at Wicked Wednesday for this fun and interesting challenge. 

For more inspirational ATC's you can see what my talented teamies

 came up with HERE. 

Coloful Anya

I thought I'd play along with a couple of my favorite challenge blogs when making this card for our God-daughter's upcoming birthday. Here's the inspiration photo Anyone For Anya posted for their Colorful Photo challenge.

 

 

I used Anya Lifts and colored her hair a gorgeous shade of purple for TGF's FFF Getting Wiggy With It challenge. I LOVE this challenge because it requires any TGF image colored with non-traditional hair colors...it's a little out of the box and a fun challenge!

In keeping with the inspiration photo I tried to use the 3 main colors I saw...yellow, blue, and purple. I think this fun and colorful leopard DP is a great choice and makes for some adorable balloons.

Speaking of balloons....the hubs and I went out to eat last night with some good friends and we went to a wonderful restaurant along the Fox River. All four of us agreed that it was the nicest evening of the summer, so we decide to sit in the outside dining area. Good food, great friends, and an unexpected hot-air balloon passing by.

I hope your day is filled with unexpected surprises!

:Dxx

Wishing Eva a Happy Birthday

 

I little birdie told me it was Eva's birthday today, and that her favorite colors are red, pink, and purple...what a smart and clever birdie, lol. Happy Birthday Eva!

 

I used one of the new images from the Peek-a-Boo series by Yumi and Fumi Handmade called Yumi with Birdie, which is just adorable. I couldn't resist using a freebie bird-day sentiment I found online.

 

Don't forget to head over to the Y&FH blog to wish Eva a happy and celebratory day. You'll also see some gorgeous creations from the Y&FH DT...all wishing her a happy, happy day!

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a great Sunday.

:Dxx  

Another Happy Tuesday w/ Y&F H

 

Chase, from the Y&F H Back to School release has always reminded me of my son who has the same adorably pinchable cheeks and "puddin' face" grin. I  thought he would be perfect on a card for my son's 21st birthday...which is this coming Friday.

This is one of those cards that is much better in person. All of the blue stars were cut from glitter paper,  there's lots of pop-dots and texture, and I love how a layer of vellum mutes all the stamping behind the image. DP is from ATD's Textured Cardstock pad. The glasses were hand drawn.

 Copics:

Hair: E31, E33, E35

Skin: E0000, E00, E11, R20

Jacket, shoes: W1, W3, W4

Jeans: BG10, B91, B95, B99, W1

Shirt: G34, W1

 

 

Happy 21st Birthday Nico!

 

Our plan is to take Nico out to dinner and celebrate with family...grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins over the age of 21. I asked him....

 

Where do you want to go for dinner?

The Tilted Kilt

Ummmm, Mama and Papa are going too...can you think of a place more appropriate?

Hooter's

Alright, let's choose someplace together.

I want a big, juicy cheeseburger

It's Friday during Lent, it's not going to happen.

Get real, of course it's going to happen.

Do you think you're the only person turning 21 during Lent on a Friday?

Mmmmm...cheeseburger(s)!

Our compromise...stopping at The Tilted Kilt on our way home from dinner and having a drink at the bar. There's something about going to TK with your son that just isn't right?!! LOL!

 

Challenges:

Here Come the Boys: #46 Lots of Layers

Use it Tuesday: #49 Fasteners Used items: Number stickers, brads, background stamps

Deconstructed Sketch: DS89

 

 

Happy, happy Tuesday!

:Dxx

Macala is turning 10

Seems like it was just a couple of months ago that I was showing off a birthday card for our niece Macala....can it already be a year?!

 

I used  a couple of different clear stamp sets from TGF for this card,  Anya Celebrates was used for both the image and sentiment and the Sparking Season set was used to stamp the presents in the background.....look carefully because they were stamped in Angel Pink Momento ink. The background fits perfectly into this week's FFF challenge Stamp Your Own Background.

 

 

I'm also playing along with Kim Yu's November Sketch #10. It amazes me how quick and easy a card can go together when I'm working with a great sketch...but then I always say that about Kim's sketches.  If you haven't noticed I've also become a huge fan of this MME - Dolled Up double-sided DP...gotta love it!

 

As always, thanks for stopping by and leaving such sweet comments. I'm off to vote, finish the laundry, walk on the treadmill, and watch my taped episode of Bones from last night!
:Dxx

Happy 18th Frankie!

We have another birthday celebration coming up soon...our daughter is turning 18 next week!  I wanted to make sure this was completed and ready to go before her birthday, as last year I was late in making her card and she was very upset with me and muttered something about "the shoemaker's kids." She's a total goofball about anime and manga and even has a few characters that she draws herself. I personally think she's super talented and have asked her a few times to draw images for specific projects for me...if she actually does get around to drawing them I'll let you know. I can't believe we'll be taking her on college visits this coming month.

 

I started making this banner a couple of week's ago hoping to enter it into a couple of challenges but was sidetracked by a few birthdays, along with out-of-town guests. I'm not complaining tho...it was great to see my sister again as it's been since  spring since I last saw her. I added kanji and flowers from the Pagoda cartridge, and the number 18 is from the Mickey & Friends font cartridge. The girlies are from the newest Sister Stamp release and all  DP is from the MME Penny Lane line.

This is the matching card made with a few leftovers...such as the negative from one of the flowers and an extra butterfly I didn't use on the banner.

Stamps:
Sister Stamps: Mariko (w/ present), Miyoko (w/ cupcake)
Hero Arts: Arigato
Stampin' Up: Take a Spin

Challenges:
Yumi & Fumi Handmade: #3 Anything but a Card
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door: #37 Sept 25th - Oct 1st
Use it Tuesday: Use Your Scraps, here's how:
All images were stamped on odd sized scraps and then fussy cut.
The flowers were cut with DP scraps left over from a project from 3 years ago.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving all of the sweet comments that you do, they really are a bright spot in my day.
:Dxx

Happy Birthday Angela!

Today is Angela's birthday, she is my hubs god-daughter and one of the craftiest 11 year olds I know! She just completed making her halloween dress out of duct tape and is now contemplating the accessories she's going to make for it. CUTE!!

Thank goodness my newest purchase from TGF Anya Celebrates arrived just in time for me to make a quick and simple tag for her. This was colored with watercolor pencils because I don't own any of the Primsacolor pencils, but I am seriously considering purchasing a few because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the look of colored pencils on Kraft.




Challenges:
Anyone for Anya: Flower Power!
My Sheri CraftS: #91 Back & Forth

Thanks for stopping by and leaving all the comments, everyone is always so sweet!
:Dxx

Happy with New Sister Stamps

I've fallen madly in love with all of the Sister Stamps! Oddly enough, I am NOT a fan of most anime styles, yet I can't get enought of these adorable little images! I thought Takeo would make a fab card using Jen Shults' weekly sketch...Deconstructed Sketch #61. Just in case you didn't notice I rotated the picture of the sketch to match my card, lol. Don't you just love the color combination on this card, I know I do!



Thanks for taking the time to stop by and saying HI, it's always fun to see who comes and visits.
:Dxx

Happy 13th Birthday Dario

Today is the day my youngest is officially a teenager....he's 13! He's a great kid with a wonderful and loving sense of humor, and has worked really hard to be where he's at...but gosh, does he ever keep us on our toes!

Like most of the teens these days, he loves his hoodies...so using Logan from TGF was a perfect choice when making his card. I think this card qualifies as CAS...just like Dario who likes to keep his things neat and organized, and without a lot of clutter. Just make sure to come back in a couple of years and ask me about his "clean room" after he's had a few years experience of really being a teenager, lol!



Challenges:
Anyone For Anya: Simple Sketch Sunday
The Greeting Farm: July Retro-Stars & Stripes

Stamps:
TGF: Logan
Technique Tuesday: Sentiment

Thanks for stopping by, I hope your day is as happy and joyful as mine was 13 years ago!
:Dxx

Updated: WW Summer Wedding ATC and a Challenge Card

Our sponsor this week at Wicked Wednesday is Just Some Lines and I used two of their images to make this Summer Wedding themed ATC, I used both EMO Bride and Groom and Wedding Cake images. I did some photo manipulating on the couple image and erased the bride's bouquet so the ATC wouldn't look too busy. Sadly, I didn't have an ounce of artistic confidence at the time to re-draw her arm in and left it blank...thank-goodness the cake is delicious looking enough that you might not have noticed?!!

Don't forget that you have until next Tuesday evening to enter your ATC in the Summer Wedding challenge, we'd love to have you join us!

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A quick update:
I rec'd a call today for a wedding card and immediately thought to myself that this ATC was meant to be made into a card....which is what I did this evening and just finished. This was fun to make because I haven't made a card with this many layers for quite a while. I used Kim Yu's July sketch for inspiration and am entering it in her monthly challenge. I'm also entering this in 365 Cards Day 133 - Misty challenge because I sprayed the flowers with Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst sprays.


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For my next project it took me a couple of days to get this card completed, as I had all the elements sitting on my desk but I just couldn't figure out how to put it together until I saw this fab card by Tracy MacDonald...which I totally CASED!


TGF's Birthday Ian was colored in Copics and I used all DP scraps, which leaves me with the dilemma that I don't have enough scraps left over for the inside. Yet the biggest challenge on this card for me was using the twine...which is my crafting nemesis! I think we all have one or two products we don't work well with...do you have anything that you struggle with everytime you try to use it?

Challenges:
Anyone for Anya: July Photo Inspiration
Here Come the Boys: Tag on a Card
Simon Says Stamp: Tags or ATC's

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by my blog and for leaving such sweet comments, they always brighten my day.
:Dxx

A couple of cards/challenges in one post!

It's the 4th of July and this is my 2nd post for the day...I'm just trying to get these posted/entered in time before some of the challenges end, as lately I've made cards and have forgotten to post them for the challenges I made them for...DOH!

I did get the chance to make this card for our niece who turned 12 over the past weekend...don't you just love the sas on TGF's Creeper Leslie! I couldn't believe my luck at how well the birthday brads matched as they've been sitting in my stash for a good couple of years. I'm entering this in the
Anyone For Anya: Just Use It challenge.


My second card had me saying Grrrrrrrr! Have you ever bought a crafting tool and wondered why you bought it?!! That was me while I was trying to get this card finished for an 80th birthday party were heading to in a few hours. I know why I bought my Provocraft Gypsy, but wish I would use it more often so I wouldn't forget the basics on how to use it...such as welding and contour hiding. I had a couple of hours to get this done...simple, right?!! I mean, all I wanted to do was weld 8 and 0 together, and again in Shadow. I sat down to watch a youTube 101 tutorial for the Gypsy and the girl said, "press this pretty little button...." Grrrr! Not what I wanted to hear at the time! All in all....my Gypsy survived my little temper tantrum and I have vowed to use it more frequently from here on out!


The number 80 was cut and pop-dotted a couple of times and the image inside the 0 was stamped and wet embossed. The sentiment says Happy Birthday in Italian...perfect for a man who travels back to visit his relatives in Italy every year. I'm entering this in Here Come the Boys: Metal and/or Embossing challenge.



Thanks for stopping by and leaving such sweet comments, it's always fun to hear from those who share my love for ink and paper!
:Dxx

Wicked Wednesday - Child's Play

We've got another fun challenge at Wicked Wednesday this week: Child's Play! This is one sweet image by our sponsor this week Dearie Dolls.....I just adore this little guy and his pogo horse. After coloring the image I pulled out the Cuttlebug A2 Combo Die Out West and used the catcus and sherrif's badge from the set to finish this fun little ATC off.


A couple of days after finishing the above ATC I remembered it was my nephew's birthday and we were going to see him over the weekend and I still needed to make a card. So I grabbed the ATC knowing how much our almost 7 year old nephew loved horses and knew this was going to perfect for him.

As I sat in the chair close to Rocco while he opened presents I can't tell you how much it warmed my heart when I saw a smile spread from side to side on his face when he opened his card.


One random winner this week will receive all 5 of the digi images that the DT used from Dearie Dolls, if you'd like to see the images you can hop over to Wicked Wednesday to see them...and while you're there, we'd love to have you join us!

:Dxx

Birthday wishes with Kiyoko/Anderson Gardens

Oh my...spring cleaning, an out-of-town guest, and extra days at work have kept me busy and away from my computer for the past couple of weeks! But finally this morning I was able to sneak downstairs for a few hours to my craft area and combine a couple of my favorite challenge blogs into a card, and this is what I came up with.



The image I used is Kiyoko from Sister Stamps and colored with Copics, isn't she the cutest?! The sketch I used is by Kim Yu who started posting monthly sketch challenges on her blog at the beginning of this year, and it really is true when I tell you that each and every one of her sketches have stunning results....I always look forward to the beginning of every month to see what she comes up with. The DP is by American Crafts, along with origami paper. The Kenji words are from Hero Arts. The cherry blossoms are from I Am Roses and were left in their original creamy/white color. The Asian brad is from Recollections. Would it surprise you if I said the sparklers are heavily laddened with Atyou Spica Glitter pens?

Stamps:
Sister Stamps: Kiyoko
Hero Arts: Tiny Chinese Wishes
Hero Arts: Chinese Happiness Wish

Challenges:
The Kraft Journal: Use Any Sketch
Simon Says: Birthday Celebrations
Paper Playtime: #73 Anything Goes
Totally Paper Crafts: #114 Saturated Colors
Kim Yu: May Sketch

Remember I said I had out-of-town company for a couple of days? I took my friend to see the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford while she was here and because the weather has been unseasonably warm this spring, we were able to enjoy the early blooms!

Main building/Gift Center:


Walking along the paths/grounds:


Raked sand in front of the head landscaper's home:


Bamboo water fountain:


The beautiful waterfall:



Gorgeous gardens, right?!! As always, thanks for stopping by and leaving all the sweet comments that you do...they make me smile!
:Dxx

Pretty in Blue

Have you ever made a card and wondered to yourself why it was so easy to put together when there are other times that you struggle for hours?! This went together in no time and I'm thinking it's all because of this gorgeous DP by DCWV called Mimosa, matching the papers couldn't have been easier. I love all the bird and butterfly images throughout the pad and decided to use DP as the main image instead of stamping and coloring one....only because my mother is a bird fanatic and this is perfect for her upcoming birthday, besides...why would I want to hide this gorgeous image behind all the layering that I do?!!


I used Jen Shults' DS No. 47...what a wonderful sketch and her DT is truely AWESOME! I used TH distress inks on all the edges, fussy cut some butterflies, used a Spellbinders Mega-Oval die, a SU Vintage Flower adornment, Kraft paper, lots of blue, and a stamped birthday sentiment...whew!!


Challenges:
Deconstructed Sketch: No. 47
Simon Says Stamp: April Showers Bring Spring Flowers
Kraft Journal - April Showers Bring May Flowers
Flutter By Wednesdays: #198-Birthday
The Stamping Boutique: #33-Distress

Thanks for stopping by, I love chatting and visiting with friends...old and new!
:Dxx