a really small gang

last night i made this card...and although i do like it now...there no less than 7 other ideas as to where this card was heading first! finally though, i settled on this design and i do like it! 
i used the image from the latest runway inspired challenge as my jumping off point, and it's fabulous!

so here it is:

i stamps are from mama elephant's good times stamp set. those little potty people are one of my all time favorite images!! i love cutting them out and popping them up for dimension! this time, they were also heat embossed in clear so i could get that fabbie lilac patterned paper to show.

then the wood veneers were placed and the splattering of pearls. see how simple and fun this card is? yeah, it still took me about 2 hours to make. can you believe that!? i told you, it transformed many times from my original idea. ha ha! sigh. what a time waster!

so that's it!
it's only thursday...not yet friday...but we can do it! (we're almost there!)
enjoy!

this little light of mine

the most recent challnege at little tangles is all about using washi tape. say no more, i'm in!

here's my card:

i decided to try to the washi in a non-traditional sort of way, that is, i tried to make it blend in a little. 
the sunburst is die cut from my new die from my favortite things - i just bought it this past weekend, and i couldn't wait to use it! i cut a rectangle of white cardstock and covered it with that fabbie grey/doily washi tape. then i die cut the sunburst out and vwa-la! i was left with washi covered sun rays! :)

i decided the sun needed a face, and i actually created it with two stamp sets from neat and tangled: sparkle and shine and sketchy cupcakes. i love that quirky little smile! the sentiment is also from the sparkle and shine stamp set. oh, and the background of the card was created by using my very favorite heidi swapp shine mist - mustard. it's the best one - in my opinion! :) that whole sun ray panel was then popped up for dimension and attached to a shiny silver background. oh, i did add a few yellow enamel dots. i think they finish the card. :)

so that's it! 
enjoy!

stinkin cute

alright, i had to use that skunk image from simon says stamp's 'stinkin cute' set one more time! it really is stinkin cute! and what's better than a funky colored, stinky cute skunk? not much... :) and the colors from the lesley's challenge at the fusion card challenge were calling me!

oh yeah. awesome. i know.
so here's my card:

it didn't come together exactly as i planned, but overall, i like it. the enamel dots, mixed with the hearts are fun! they're like wafting up from his tail, like a 'smell', but it's love. awwww. :) ha ha!
and i super like that little real enamel dot on his belly! lol! 

the skunk was paper pieced and popped up and i created my own banner for the sentiment.

so that's it! 
enjoy!

peachy keen

time for another card created for the 'use what you have challenge' over at the sweet stamp shop! one of my favorite new challenges because i get to create a card with fun stamps and use up my old stash at the same time! score!

for this particular one nicole created a card inspired by a photo on pinterest. i decided to use the same photo for inspiration on my card! :)

i also used the sentimental birds stamp set - one of my favorites! :) 

i used watercolor paper as the base, and then i heat embossed the birds on a wire in clear. then i added some disress marker coloring and mixed the two colors (worn lipstick and wild honey) together to give it a really soft and warm feel. in real life, this card is super soft! the pictures make it look a little harsh, but, what can you do?

oh, and my old product? (and i mean oooolllllddd...we're talking like 2004 people) is this decorative wire from close to my heart! who uses wire on projects?! i don't know what i was thinking at the time! sigh. (as you can see...it has not had much use...there's a ton left!!) 
anyway, i really liked the idea of the grey/silver with those warm colors from the basket in the inspiration photo, so i ran with it and made a few of the 'wires' from the stamp 'actual' wires for the birds. ha!

the sentiment was then heat embossed in silver and i added a few rosey sequins to balance all of the metallic action. :) 
so that's it!
enjoy! hope to see you making a card for this challenge too! 

brass monkey

i'm a big fan of beastie boys! LOVE them! and i have been wanting to use the monkey from avery elle's 'funky monkey' stamp set in true beastie boy spirit forever! today my ideas finally came to fruition! it helps that the sketch from the most current AEI(love)U challenge is super fun and inspiring:

i bought these really cool light wood/vellum tags (yeah, you heard that right, wood AND vellum tags, they're pretty sweet in person!) from hobby lobby today (shhh!) and i heat embossed the monkey in...what else? brass!

then i stamped the monkey image onto some cool patterned paper and paper pieced those onto the tag over the monkey, just to give the monkey a little extra elements. the jungle branch was paper pieced and popped up for dimension.

for the sentiment i masked the 'thanks a bunch' saying that is on the sentiment to spell the word 'that', and then stamped 'funky monkey'. say it with me now!! 'brass monkey! that funky monkey!' he he he! ok, so i added some yello striped washi to the side (sunshine) adn some fun different sized teal and yellow sequins (if ever there was a sketch that called for sequins, it was this one!)!

i really do, love this card!! i hope it make you chuckle or at the very least smile - and if you're like me...the song is now stuck in your head! there could be worse songs to have in your head though. :)

enjoy!

buttercup

my card for today features more mama elephant stamps. i can't resist them, they're too cute and fun for CAS projects! which is why the card was created for the most current challenge at CAS(E) this sketch! here's the sketch they provided:

i thought the polaroid from 'we click' would just be perfect for this sketch. here's my take:

i like the muted colors together for this card, and i had the 'you are my sunshine' song stuck in my head while i was making this card, and that came through sort of subtly (grey background, sunshine in the polaroid, etc). :)

the clouds are fussy cut and popped up from the 'sunny skies' stamp set. and the sentiment is from 'say what' stamp set, and i was totally digging how the flourish of the 'b' overlaps onto the background of the 'picture'.

to finish it off, i added a few pearls to the clouds, i tried to resist adding sequins...but alas, i could not resist adding a little embellishment. :)

so that's my card!

enjoy! 

stinkin cute

hey there!
i have a card to share that i made for the current CAS(E) this sketch challenge! (just eeeeeeek-ing it in!)
the sketch is just divine! and i was able to find (literally!) 20 minutes to craft while the house was quiet and the little menn were napping!

i used this set from simon says stamp - stinkin cute - and it really is!! that skunk makes me crazy it's so cute! :) i couldn't wait to color him up! here's my card! :)

i stamped the base of the card is watercolor paper. then i stamped that skunk (see? adorable, right?!) and used my distress markers and watercolored him in. LOVE it! :) i even like how it looks like i went out of the lines and the colors blended together - that's the point of the watercolor look, right? :)

i also added a strip of the lilac-y colored distress marker which i watercolored around and then stamped over with the dots from this set from simon says stamp - furry kisses. LOVE these images too! even the dots are cute! is that possible?

finally, after a sprinkling of rain (to add to the eeyore-ness of this card...you know, doom and gloom and rain clouds, etc) was added i also added some sequins. but they were super large and super sequin-y, so i added some my minds eye enamel dots to the center in order to tone them down. i love it! :)

so that's it!

enjoy!

the interns

i just wanted to share a quick post of a scrapbook layout i made for the most recent sweet stamp shop - use what you have challenge! one of my new favorite ways to use up my old (decrepit) stash of crafty supplies! i feel awesome after i do this challenge because i make something great, and i also use something that may or may not have given up on ever seeing the light of day in my craft room! lol! 

so, this time, i made a layout! and a little backstory here: i work full time from home, and my little menn love nothing more than to sit at my desk and 'work' if the chair is empty! what's more exciting to the littles than two computers, a mouse and a corporate phone? lol! so now then, here it is:

the stamp sets i used from the sweet stamp shop are alpha tabs, lil sweet peeps, and let's chat! i colored in the camera and added an enamel dot to the lens and popped it up!  also created some 'rays' from the camera in teal, white and grey, i really like how that looks!  the two little dudes were also colored with some of my copics (i'm very much an amateur!), but i do like how the hair turned out, beginner-level-wise!

i layered some washi behind these pictures (and i had to share a close up of it, i mean - look at that face!) ha ha!

there's an itty bitty bag from whisker's graphics on this layout too, which i filled with the 'message' card from the let's chat stamp set.

so the old stash - those would be the old looking rotary numbers (which i placed on my layout in a circle to reflect the old dials!)! i bought those at target - no LIE - about 4 years ago from the dollar section! and i have loved them, but not known that to do with them! and it wasn't until i went to place them on my layout that i realized they were magnets! lol!! surprise!! i wasn't going to not use them though, they're way too cool!

so that's it! i hope you're able to play along this week - it's such an awesome challenge! 

enjoy! (and happy father's day!!)

hello birdie

the little tangles challenge blog just welcomed a brand new design team! and in observance of this, the new challenge this week is all about saying hello! :)

how fun and nice, right? :) i had to join in!
here's my card:

i LOVE that little bird! it's a freebie from neat and tangled! and though i'm usually not into it, i totally had to use that bird image - it's freakin cute! i printed it onto watercolor paper and then used my distress markers to color it in. after i fussy cut her out, i popped her up, too, for dimension.

not to be outdone, the word bubble (the 'a lot to say' stamp set) was stamped onto watercolor paper as well. then i used (nope! not distress markers!) my heidi swapp shine mists and painted those on the bottom! i blended the yellow and pink colors together to create the subtle, light and airy feel! (and if you look closely, you can even see some of the shine still...though capturing that in pictures...not for amateaurs.) ha! the sentiment is from some amy tangerine white woodgrain thickers! love!

the soft woodgrain panel was created with the 'on the strip 2' stamp set. i finished that panel off with an outline from my sewing machine. i felt it needed a little sewing action. 

so that's it!
enjoy! and to the new little tangles design team - welcome!!!! i can't wait to see your constant inspiration with each challenge! :)

pinch me

i must be dreaming! 
i'm so very excited fired-up happy blessed overjoyed thrilled, ok all of the above (i can't pick just one word!), to share the news that i am part of the very new, very fun, very amazing lawnscaping facebook inspiration design team!

i'm a huge lover of all things lawn fawn and lawnscaping related! i've been a fan of both since (practically) day one! :)

i can't wait to be part of the team and hopefully share some inspiration, just as i continue to be inspired by everyone i see, every. single. day. 

check out the announcement here, and then check out the rest of the designers, you're in for a treat! :) 

and while you're there, check out the new blog design (it's awesome!! LOVE the clouds and chevron pattern!) and the brand new lawnscaping design team members - so excited to see their work featured with each challenge!
see you in the blog world!
enjoy!

simply wonderful

my card today is fun! i have had this idea for a while now (some of it!), but finally made it come to life late last night! :) i was inspired by the challenge at CAS(E) this sketch! it totally fit my vision and helped me get the card from my head to paper! :)

i used three stamp sets from mama elephant for this card: sunny skies, cosmic stars and smitten! :)

i stamped the balloon part of the hot air balloon with picked raspberry distress ink onto water color paper. once it was dried, i colored over some of the pleats of the balloon with a darker pink from my inktense pencils and blended it in (evvvvvveeeer so carefully! ha!) to add a hint of dimensions of color.
the girl (virgo for you astrology lovers!) was also watercolored with the inktense pencils. i cut slits of her hair so the basket of the hot air balloon could be 'behind' her hair. that whole little scene was popped up for dimension! :)

the clouds were made with this cloud die from taylored expressions. i used the negative and main cut! i just off set them and added some washi behind it to add the feel of warm sunny rays!

so that's it! i'm totally hoping to get inky today too...fingers crossed i can! :)
enjoy!

happy birthday cupcake!

i made a super cute and fun card for the challenge at seize the birthday! this time they're sponsored by neat and tangled so i had to play along! :) plus the sketch was super fun and easy to work with! :)

i used images from the sketchy cupcakes stamp set - love that set!! 

i paper pieced the images and then popped them up for some dimension over some fun fun fun washi! :) love yellow woodgrain! and that rainbow chevron washi from glitz design is a major current favorite! :)

i added some stickles to the sprinkles of the cupcake too. and the smiley face on the little fork is the same one from the cupcake, i just did the smallest amount of selective inking to make it fin! ha ha! 

so that's it! simple but fun! and i can't wait to send it to the birthday girl! :)
enjoy!

crunchy and creamy and cool

i had SO much fun going through my old stash and making a card for the use what you have challenge at the sweet stamp shop last week! i had to play along again - it's too fun! and i feel accomplished afterwards because i have less waste in my craft room! it's win-win!

this week, nicole also challenged everyone to play along and combine your card with another challenge, too!! even better! so i chose to play along with the retro sketches challenge this week, as well! it's such a fun sketch!!

i used the sweet stamp shop's, perfect match stamp set - one of my top favorites! i love the pairings of the food! so fun! :) ha ha! here's my card! 

i paper pieced the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and also added some glossy accents - it was calling to me! :) they're also popped up - i could NOT resist adding a touch of dimension! oh, and i LOVE that red strawberry jelly!! ha ha! oh, and as for my 'old' stash...check it out: rub ons!!! oh yeah baby! two different kinds to be exact! 

i just couldn't get past the sentiment i created in my mind (through thick and think, crunchy and creamy - best friends!)! get it? because peanut butter can be of the crunchy or creamy variety? lol! i crack myself up. the 'crunchy & creamy' part was created by using individual rub on letters...sort of tedious. but, worth it in this case. :)

i especially love the blue striped banner and bit of twine on this card - i added them to follow the sketch closer and i think that aqua blue is a great compliment to the reds, brown, and beige-s of the pb&j colors! :)

so that's it! 
enjoy! and don't forget to go through your stash and give new life to your old product! :)

old school dad

the latest challenge at a blog named hero is all about masculine cards and projects. perfect! father's day is coming up, (which i'm sure was no accident regarding the timing! nice play - a blog named hero). and so of course i had to make a card for my dad. and when i remembered this stamp set that i had from hero arts, i was totally ready. 

here's my card:

i used some of my distress markers on watercolor paper to make it look like the paper was old (think: treasure map color). then i stamped the images onto the distressed paper. i stamped an extra sheet of 'paper' too. then i put it all on some vintage-y looking old ledger paper. score!

and for some reason, i felt that wood veneers were totally masculine, and added some to the card. and i like how it looks. perfect for my dad! this, a guy who used to wake me up by blaring queen through the house on the weekends in highschool. it doesn't get much better than that! :) he's definitely old school and cool. 

enjoy!

more mama elephant fun!

i'm back! with more mama elephant fun , featuring cards from may's release  and i still feel like this has all been a magical dream! :) this time my projects are using the wanderlust stamp set, which is a MUST have for anyone who goes...anywhere! lol! my first project is a layout! and this entire layout was inspired by that totally hip and trendy subway map! i LOVE it!! and though i don't live in NY, it works for anywhere! i also added a that super fun compass (and the arrow really spins!) i can't empasize this enough - i LOVE this stamp set! it's one my absolute favorites (i used 6 of the images on this layout alone!) here's a sneak peak of it! :)

see that compass - the arrow really spins! :)

my next project is a really fun card for my bestie! she does project life and the wanderlust stamp set is PERFECT for project life-type stories! so as part of the card, i made a little insert for her project life album (since she rides her scooter and motorcycle with her fiance i thought it would be a perfect insert for one of their adventures!)!  here's that little sneak!

from the bottom of my heart, thank you SO much for the wonderful opportunity to guest design for the may release! it has been a dream come true and a complete adventure with the nicest people, ever!
to see the full projects, be sure to head to the mama elephant blog! :)
enjoy!