Friendship Image from Polkadoodles-Winnie~Missed You So Much

 After the year we all had in 2020, this great image from Polkadoodles just about says it all.  I know I just crave hugs and really letting people know how much they mean to me!  This great digital stamp is called Winnie- Missed You So Much!  It can be found in their store here. 

 

 I used Copic Sketch markers on this stamp and here's the list of them:

 

Copics used:

Skin Tone: R000,00,01,02, RV10

Yellows: Y00,Y11,Y13,Y32,Y26,Y21,Y26

Green:  G12

Blues: B34,B32,B52

Purples:  BV000, 00, 01,02,04

Browns:  E23, E53, E55, E59, E57, E11, W3

Gelly Roll 10, Posca White

After using a Mod Stitched rectangular Die to cut the image, I matted it with a subtle green cardstock.  Taking a lavender seam binding tape that I had crumpled up, I tied a bow for an accent.  I Stamped the sentiment in a lavender ink and added some clear micro seed beads to the center of some of the flowers on the design paper.  It's elevated up on Pop-Dots.

I always finish the insides of my cards with color-coordinated paper.  With this card, I added a sentiment block from a scrapbook page and now have a great card to send to a friend!  

BE SURE to check out the Polkadoodles Store, especially on Tuesdays!  That's when they have many or all their items on a discounted sale!  It's well worth the visit.

Thanks for stopping by!

New Release time at All Dressed Up! I went to the French Quarter, come along!

 Wendy Burns, the artist in residence at All Dressed Up Stamps, has been at it again with some delightful new release images!  The one that I decided to use is Summer Blooms.  This image makes me think of the French Quarter residences with the balconys and the decorative iron scroll work on them.  And always, always flowers wherever you look!  Think the New Orleans atmosphere made me haul out some brick design paper for the "apartment". 
I decided to try a little different effect with the shutters-instead of solid, I gave them an open-air look.  Imagine the smells from the bakeries or the wind from the canal or waterway.
I'm always needing Thank You cards so used a complimenting floral paper with a "French Script" stamp for the sentiment.  Hope you like and make sure you check out the other new Release images that Wendy created and check out the current Challenge that's still going on--we start a new one next week!  See you there~

Perfect time of year to say Thank You to your favorite Teacher at All Dressed Up!

What with this being May and many

schools closing for summer vacation and many students graduating from all different levels of education, our "Artist in Residence" Wendy Burns, has been busy with this month's new All Dressed Up release images!  The one I was privileged to use is named No 1 Teacher.  It's the perfect way to show a little kindness, gratitude for filling your child with lots of knowledge through the years and say Thank You to that special Teacher. 
Using some brick design paper and some mathematical paper, I created the scene.   I fancy cut around the teacher and her desk assortment-whew that was done very carefully!  To give her some more depth, I raised her up on some dimensional foam dots.
On the inside, I used some black chalkboard paper with designs and a Best Wishes stamp I had in my stash.  Along with the teacher image, Wendy created 2 other Father's Day celebration images that are terrific and an adorable girl with butterflies.  Her images are always such fun to color! 

Remember to pop over and buy them from our Etsy store and don't forget we have two challenges running right now - 

Our Blog Challenge

ending on the eve of the 14th 

and our Facebook Challenge 

ending on the last day on the month.

Day 2 of the June NEW RELEASE at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! FANCY FLORALS**

Welcome back to Day TWO of our June Krafty Peeks at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

How about we stick with the amazing floral theme we started yesterday?? We are thrilled to present the second set of stamps from our new artist, Melissa Baker-Nguyen! We know how much you loved her first set from last month called Bugs & Kisses and we're sure that this one will be no different!
Check out FANCY FLORALS!
This gorgeous set of blooms is so versatile and is perfectly designed for so many themes and reasons to send cards to the ones you love! There is a basket of blooms, a trio of single blooms and of course fantastically designed sentiments, which, just happen to fit inside the basket!!!
 I love this set-there are so many options available to you with the sentiments.  As there are extra flowers with the set, I printed out an extra daisy and using some fancy cuts after shading it, I curled the edges and added a little glitter to the dimensional piece.  This is one set for sure you need!

All the Krafty Design Team members and Guests listed below have lots of stunning creations to share with you today featuring the FANCY FLORALS stamp set! Be sure to hop around and leave lots of love at each and every stop because one lucky commenter will WIN a gift voucher to the krafty shop! The winner will be announced at the LIVE Online Release Party on Sunday evening, so don't miss it!
Happy hoppin'!

ATG Challenge at Color It Create It Show It Off--Win some Sherri Baldy images!

We wanted to remind all our friends and followers out there that there is still a Challenge going on at Color It Create It Show It Off until February the 26th.  We always have Anything Goes Challenges so it's open to anything!!  You get a chance to win some of the great images shown on the Challenge site from Sherri Baldy-how great is that!


I chose to use this image from the MB Butterfly Dreams Stitched Love Pocket Letter Kit--Lots of smaller images BUT the great thing about digitals is that you can crop them from the page and make them larger!  With my card, I used this adorable girl in the pretty hat, matted her with some Loden Green grass weave paper, and ran this new ribbon rose mini down the side.  Gals you need to go to HL and get some of this-it comes with 3 rows along the length so with 12" you could conceivably 6 six in. square cards with no problem!  The curl of the rose is real close so I couldn't put in a pearl half so instead I used my liquid pearls to make my pearl dots!  I also put tiny pearls on the flower centers and the buttons down the coat.  Found this perfect striped design paper and stamped a sentiment along the bottom in Colorbox chalk. On the inside I used a floral paper and then one of the sections with the rose.  Then stamped a sentiment from my stash.  I can never have enough Thank You cards!
Please come to our Challenge and you will get so inspired from others and have the chance to do the same for others with YOUR creation!

Crafting When We Can Challenge using Stamps by Julia Spiri--Come join in the FUN!!

What a long journey back to finally posting on my Blog.  At the end of March, I had a total knee replacement on my right leg and have spent almost 6 weeks trying to recover.  I never thought it would effect my stamina and concentration as much as it did but, just trying to coloring images and then assemble everything took a lot out of me.  I'm coming back slowly but surely....I really missed being creative.
So, for this first of hopefully more to come DT posts, I give you my creation for the great group called Crafting When We Can and they are being sponsored by Stamps by Julia Spiri  I LOVE her images!!  This one is called Girl with Cat--she has SO many other equally inspiring designs as well.  Our challenge at CWWC was to add some additional flowers-one of my fav embellies.  I turned this into a Thank you Card, goodness knows that I need several of those to send to others!
Gals this is a great site to enter your wonderful creations~ where it's not just the luck of the random draw for the winner and Top 3 but, someone that is really looking the works of Art and appreciating them!  I can't wait to see your entries (max of 2) on the challenge and that you will want to come back again and enter more!

It's the last Hurrah at Sweet Pea Stamps- Come join us as a Thank You for all the good times!

 I'm sure that you have been following the "news" that as of the end of November, Sweet Pea Stamps will be closing their doors for good.  The last rubber will have been pressed, the wonderful artists will be moving on to other venues to showcase their creations, and our sweet, kind, courageous leader will have a more routine way of life and will be on the road to a healthier life style.  She took me in on her Design Team and I found a wonderful second home.  Lynette, I will always be grateful for the      time that I've spent here with you. 

We, the DT, wanted to make these last 2 challenges ALL about Thank Yous or a Thanksgiving theme.  Because we are so Thankful for being here on a regular basis!  I chose an image that I feel conveys my sadness for leaving called Into the Light by Karen Middleton.  I will always remember this image as one of my favorites as it was my very first attempt to color Black hair.  I love the color combination of blues and browns so have combined some weathered wood paper with some heritage style brown mat.  I love the sheerness of the taupe brown lace that I added at the side and added the circular die cut.  Inside is a verse that I think conveys my heartfelt feelings for this Digital & rubber stamp site-Sweet Pea Stamps leaves behind many happy customers and friends world wide.  It's great to know that Lynette's hard work saw such a Dream come true.  Please join us and let us see all YOUR Special projects!  We'd love to be inspired!  Signing off as an SPS Design Team Member,  Carolyn

We are so Thankful for Sweet Pea Stamps....It's a bittersweet month ahead

As I'm sure you may have heard, we will be only having 2 more One Sweet Challenge with this wonderful site, Sweet Pea Stamps, before Lynette closes the doors at the end of the month.  She has had such amazing artists and has been such a generous owner, she will be missed greatly.
So. It has been decided, very fittingly, that this month will be all about Thankfulness or  Thanksgiving.  With that in mind, I'm using an image called Thanksgiving by Regan Kubecek.  Loving the Fall colors, embossed shiny leaves, thick baker's twine, and an appropriate Stampin' Up sentiment.  On the inside I used the flip side of the leaf paper, an accent paper and a great Thanksgiving stamp. 
Every time I use this image, I will remember all the good times we, the Design Team, have had with SPS and our Challenges.  We hope that you will all want to take this final lap with us and get inspired with the creations on the Challenge.  Look forward to seeing you there.

INKY Impressions- Having a BOY THEME Challenge at Southern Girls Challenge!

Have you ever needed a "Thank-You" card for your child's Teacher?  Something that they went above and beyond about, for giving your child a needed word of encouragement, for something that your child finally understood because of their patience???  Well, that is what I based by card on this week using Teacher's Pet-Christopher from Inky Impressions.  They are a new sponsor for us at Southern Girls Challenge and I just love their digital images!  I found some great "School Themed" paper, used a mat made with a gorgeous shimmery cardstock called "Fairway" from The Paper Cut as well as their Manila File in Gold-Both Winners!  Added a strip of grosgrain ribbon with 2 metal button accents-just reeks boyhood.  Inside I used a ruled school paper cardstock with additional cardstock accents.  Come and join us for this 2 week challenge at SGC--It's BOY THEME!  Can't wait to see what you come up with!
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So Happy to be on the Doodle Pantry Creative Team!

Even though this is April Fool's Day, this is no joke for me!!!  I'm so excited to have been chosen for the Summer Creative Team at Doodle Pantry~ This is a unique site with a huge library of delightful images, sentiments, and papers for MANY eclectic tastes.  I think I didn't close my mouth the whole time I was visiting the shop-Laurie does beautiful artwork and coloring.  And her perspective is spot on--funny how being married to a retired Art Teacher for so many years rubs off on you. 
We use the First of each month to "launch" the new releases but also to invite you to play along with the monthly challenge which starts at Noon Eastern time the 1st through the 24th Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge 44. The challenge is "anything Digi Goes".
On to my debut card for them:  the image, papers, and sentiments all come from the set called Petite Bouquet and you get SO much in the set!  I wanted to give some dimension to the Bouquet so, I cut back the front flap of the card so that I could overhang the flowers. THEN I cut out the yellow rose, 2 red petal sections and the blue bow from a duplicate print and with small pop dots, raised them up for more dimension. A coating of Diamond Glaze over the flowers puts such a shine on them!  The purple print as well as the golden yellow paper are some of several choices of papers in the set-this color combination just sings SPRING to me!
Inside and out, I used the solid purple paper swatch to accent the Beautiful sentiments with flourishes on them.
I hope you felt a breath of Fresh spring air when you looked at my card and I hope you will return soon to see some of Laurie's other beautiful sets.

It's Anything Goes this week at Squigglefly!

I just wanted to share a card for one of my favorite sites-Squigglefly!  I often make cards that don't fit the "challenge" for the week but I love the images so much I use them for my everyday cards.  It just so happens that this week, our other team Holley Hobbyists, is running a challenge-ANYTHING GOES! so it's perfect for that!!  I LOVE this image from one of their talented artists, Inger Harding, called Old Fashioned Skates.   I did a "twist" on this image-instead of stamping on the tag, I colored it and then cut out the center all the way through to the inside of the card.  Taking a small stamp, I centered it under the opening and then went stamping mad all over the inside!!  I LOVE the way this turned out-I need to find other images that I can do this to again!! So gals put your thinking caps on and come join us in the fun this week.  If you win using a SF image, you get to find an image in the shop for your library--so cool!

THANK YOU at Squigglefly's First Challenge for 2014!!

Are you all ready for the first Squiggle Fly challenge of the year? Well, since there was no challenge last week, we have no winner to announce, so we will get right with it....
The first challenge is: to make a Thank You card, with an added twist, if you wish-which is to use Embossing on it too. I am sure we all have Thank Yous to send out for all the wonderful holiday gifts!

The image that I'm featuring on my card this week is Little Bee by artist Monica Estill --she's one of many talented artists at Squigglefly.  Be sure and check out the selection and variety-especially the first weekend of each month!  That's when the new releases are listed!
On this card, I used an embossed card front that has Many different ways to say Thank You~I Always need these cards.  I added some green fun chevron paper, bumblebee ribbon and some great Crystal Ice Stickles to his wings. The inside is finished off with a top note label in yellow with a stamp of Thank You!
Can you tell I'm SOOO tired of Winter here in Illinois and ready for Spring?? Winter Storm hit this weekend and we were without electricity for 23 hours-Yikes!  Think WARM  Thoughts!

Let's be SQUARE at Squigglefly-2x the Winner!

The challenge this week is called Hip to be Square.  So create a square card or perhaps a square tag, show us your Square side.   We'd love for you to use a Squigglefly image, to be prize eligible it's required, but everyone is welcome to play along.  AND the greatest thing is that last week we didn't have a winner, so this week's prize will be DOUBLE!  Two Squigglefly images or image sets for the winner of this week's challenge. WOW!

I'm using the image Noah's Prize Pumpkin by Cheryl Alger, one of Squigglefly's Premier Artists and the Sentiment Give Thanks by our own DT member, Charlene Mitchell.  My square was created by using a scallop square die which I elevated with pop dots.  I love making these seasonal cards during the Holidays.  I'd love to be a fly on the wall at my relatives' homes when they get my special cards just for them!  Pretty soon I will have to fill up all my Fall copics cause I'm using the heck out of them! 

Be sure and check out some of our newest artists and their original digitals as they join this great group of talented people.  They're so creative.  the husband and wife team of Carmen and Graham Gamble are sure to to make their way to your creations!

Remember to get your entry into this week's challenge so that you have a chance to win some of the images from our library~see you there!

We are Thankful at Squigglefly with our newest Challenge-Thank You cards

I'm using this challenge to create a type of card I so seldom do, a card that's thankful for someone's kindness to them.  At Squigglefly this week the theme is Thank you cards and what with the season, I'm sure there will be many entries centered around Thanksgiving.

But I thought that there's a kindness that's shown that we rarely have a chance to return the favor or say how much it meant to us.  It's when we've suffered a loss or a tragedy and someone has prayed for us, held our hand, put their arm around us to help share the grief.  Those "angels" do the act without any thought of being noticed, or expecting praise.  They are just THERE!  How wonderful we don't have to go through life without compassion for others.

That being said, I wanted to use an image that I've had colored up for some time, waiting for the perfect time to use it-it's called Power of Prayer by Lynne Stansbery, a featured artist from Squigglefly's super group of artists.  In simple elegance, it's a powerful statement.  This digital comes with a wonderful verse also, but to change the focus of the card, I elected not to use it.  However it would make an impactful sympathy card.

So as this season progresses, take time to ponder ALL your reasons to be Thankful.  We truly are Blessed with all our bounty, both in friends and families.

Southern Girls Challenge this week~~Make Believe

 Well, this might be stretching the challenge this week BUT given the gorgeous image from the Etsy Store called Rhoda Design Studio I had to come up with something that fit the bill!

So on this week's challenge at SGC, I am Making Believe that the cool, crisp breezes of FALL are on their way to give us a break from the oppressive heat we are having in Illinois!!!  How's that for a Stretch!  What is even more hilarious is that several of the DT live in New Zealand, Australia, and surrounding areas so when we're in Summertime, they are getting the reverse weather more or less and would probably be thrilled to be a little warmer.

I tried a different card style than I usually make but I'm loving the curved front effect!  This image from Rhoda's Etsy store is called Windy Day Margo and  was such fun to color up with my copics.  She looks Sassy!  The Leaf DP I used on the front is shiny embossed on each leaf-I just loved it when I purchased it! There is a twisted knot of Rust Twill that has Autumn Splendor printed on it and some branch punchies in browns stuck down into the knot.  I have a cream panel in the inside that is stamped with "Thank You".  Could even be as a Hostess card if you were invited to Thanksgiving Dinner somewhere

The challenges at Southern Girls Challenge are every 2 weeks and we get tons of International and Stateside entries.  There are always great prizes and sponsors and the winners are ALL HAND PICKED by the DT--No Random number choices here-I think that makes it even more special, don't you?  We'll hopefully see you there soon!
Thanks for stopping by!