Awesome

Our new challenge for the Crazy 4 Challenges is up today, and this week it’s all about sewing and stitching!  We challenge you to actually sew on your card, or add some stitched elements, whether real or faux to your design.

For me, I almost always use some faux stitching on my cards through my use of dies.  I love the extra bit of texture it gives to the card.  So today, I added a little more than usual, and here’s my card…

One bit of stitching appears on my background panel of watercolor card stock which was cut with Blueprints 24 from My Favorite Things, after I applied a wash of aqua blue ink.  And some additional stitching comes in to play with my use of the Quilted Flower Dies from Lil’ Inker Designs.  I added a sentiment to my card using the Awesome Word die from Lil’ Inker and the matching Hello, Awesome stamp set.  I die-cut the word three times, then adhered all three layers together and applied a coating of Glossy Accents for extra dimension.  My design was finished with some enamel dots.

Be sure to stop by the C4C blog for all the challenge details today, and be inspired by the rest of the CrAzY girls…

Anja de Regt
Barbara Anders
Caz Counsell
Frances Byrne
Jessie Rone
Joanne Grzelak
Karen Aicken
Maryann Einem
Raquel Mason
Rebecca Ednie

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Throwdown #385



Hi there!  Wow, Jodi has some purty colors up on the Color Throwdown blog today!  I couldn't resist playing along with my former teammates to make this quick birthday card for a co-worker...

I think I got this sweet Pineapple Panache stamps and matching die from Lil' Inker Designs way back before Christmas, and am finally using them today.  Now that I got started, you might be seeing a lot more pineapples from me...it's just too cute!  I stamped the texture on the pineapple with Versamark ink, then embossed with gold, and added some gold flecks of color, too.  My background was done with Tumbled Glass and Peacock Feathers distress inks... I wish I'd gotten the darker color just a little more teal.  Maybe I'll just have some fun later and create a second version of this card!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Don't forget about the great bargains to be had on my Sale Page!  So many people have bought tons of things, and I'm so grateful to be able to downsize my collection a little... thanks to all of you who have bought from me this week and last!

Valentine Treats

I decided to surprise some of my co-workers today with some Valentine treats!  My oldest daughter graciously helped me make some chocolate, and sprinkle -covered pretzels last night, and then we bagged them up in cello bags, and tied on some tags I've been working on for a few weeks!  Here's a sampling of the tags with product links under each photo!  For all the tags, I used the Pierced Traditional Tags STAX and the Traditional Tags STAX Die-Namics from My Favorite Things.

 

LLD Accent It - Feathers and Arrows Die-Namics, Hearts Stencil

("Love Struck" sentiment from a retired set)

 

LJD Scribble Roses, LJD All My Love

 

Hearts background and "xoxo" are retired from MFT.

 

BB I Knead You and matching Die-Namics, BG Tiny Hearts background

(Thanks for the loan, Kirsty!)

 

 

The "love" and "sweet" dies are Lovey Words Confetti Cuts from Reverse Confetti, with Lovey Words Coordinates stamps, as well as the Double Heart Garland Confetti Cuts, and the Whole Lotta' Hearts stamp set.  Also used here are stitched clouds from the Rainbow & Clouds die from Lil' Inker Designs.

 

I'm feelin' the love!  :)

Seriously...

Hello friends!  Happy New Year!  I just  have a quick card to share with you today, using the colors for the current Color Throwdown #374, and the sketch from The Challenge #55.  You may or may not have noticed that I’m no longer a member of the Color Throwdown team.  After almost 7 years, I decided it was time to step down from the team I helped found.  I’m so grateful to all the girls on that team who have stepped up to take over several of the tasks I kept up with each week, and I hope they keep going for many, many more years!

So here’s my card using the colors that Broni chose for this week…

The last time I used this Seriously Word die from Lil’ Inker Designs I mentioned that it was quickly becoming my go-to for belated birthday cards.  And here I am, using it again!  (Thinking maybe I need to address the fact that I seem to be sending a lot of late birthday cards?)  I added a stamped sentiment from the Seriously Awesome Sentiments stamp set, and die cut some flowers from the Perky Posies.  The Posies and the die-cut circle were watercolored, and I embellished with some enamel dots and clear sequins.

I used the sketch from The Challenge, flipping it like a mirror so my flowers ended up on the left side.  (Realized too late though, that the deadline to enter had passed.)

That’s all for today… it’s the first card I’ve actually made in a long time.  I’m hoping it inspires me to get another one made very soon!  My mojo is still missing… whoever has it, please send it back!

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Favorites for 2015

Hello friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday, and are ready to begin a new year!

I don't know if this is the "trendy" thing to do anymore, but I've always loved looking back through the past year and picking out my favorite cards from each month.  I found this year to be a little easier to choose from, probably because I just don't find myself doing much stamping anymore.  Not sure why, but if you see my mojo, please tell it to come back home!

But anyway, here are my favorites from 2015!  I hope you like them, too!

In January, I created this card with the To Thine Own Shelf stamp set from Simon Says Stamp...

 

 

For February, without a doubt my favorite card(s) were these beauties made with the Delightful Dahlias from Papertrey Ink...

 

 

 

In March, I just couldn't resist this cute card using Whale of a Time from The Cat's Pajamas.  (This stamp set may no longer be available, as I can't seem to find it on the TCP website.)

 

 

 

In April, there was no other choice but this card made with my beloved Kitchen Sink Stamps!  There is always going to be a really soft spot in my heart for KSS as it was the very first design team I was ever asked to join, and Maria (the owner) could not be a sweeter person!  Plus, the bicycle I used on this card comes from the Multi-Step Bicycle stamp set that I had a hand in designing!

 

 

 

I CASE'd a card from the fabulous Betsy Veldman back in May, and created this card using the Text Block Birthday die from Papertrey Ink.  The sweet co-worker I gave it to still has it on the bulletin board in her office!

 

 

 

The Birdie Brown You Gnome Me stamp set from My Favorite Things was definitely a good purchase this past year, and helped me make this fun card back in June...

 

 

 

SO much of my stamping budget got spent at Simon Says Stamp this year!  (DON'T tell my husband!)  I couldn't resist the fun leaf-shapes in this new One With Nature stamp set, used on this card I made back in July...

 

 

 

My word, did Tim Holtz ever hit a home run with the release of those Crazy Birds this past year, or what?  I resisted the urge to buy them for a month or two, but I finally gave in.  I paired one of those Crazy Birds with this seriously fabulous Seriously die from Lil' Inker Designs for this card that was sent to my youngest as she began her first days in college back in August!

 

 

 

This little giraffe from Wplus9 Design Party Animal stamp set was also one I couldn't resist this past year!  And since my oldest daughter loves giraffes, this card was perfect for her 23rd birthday back in September!

 

 

 

In October, I tried my hand at some no-line coloring with my Copics.  Have to say, I love how it looks and there are a few people out there who do a spectacular job with it, but I'll just stick to coloring within the lines!  But here's a favorite using another darling Birdie Brown stamp set, the Harvest Mouse...

 



 











In November, I CASE'd this card from Lindsay Amhrein using the Smile Circle die from Simon Says Stamp...

 

 

 

And finally, without a doubt my favorite card from December was this one using the Merry & Bright stamp set and matching Confetti Cuts die from Reverse Confetti.

 

 



 

I hope you've enjoyed this stroll through the past year with me!  Thank you for stopping by, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!





Seriously…

I’ve always had intentions of participating in the Montly Meet-Up challenge from Lil’ Inker Designs...

I’m getting in under the wire for the challenge this month with this card that I made over the weekend…

The challenge this month is to use stars in your design, and unfortunately my Lil’ Inker collection isn’t that big so I don’t have any star dies or stamps.  So I used a star stencil and a watercolor wash of Spun Sugar and PIcked Raspberry distress inks to make my background.  Then used my favorite Seriously Word Die from Lil’ Inker and added a sentiment from the Seriously Awesome companion stamp set.  I added a thin layer of Glossy Accents to the die-cut for a little extra texture…



It’s kind of marginal as far as qualifying for the challenge, but it was fun to make anyway, and will come in handy next time I need a thank you card!  :)

I also utilized CAS(E) This Sketch #149 for my layout on this card, and even though the challenge is over I used the Runway Inspired challenge #95 as inspiration for the starry background and the colors.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Color Throwdown #364

It’s time again for another Color Throwdown challenge, and this week my BFF Barbara Anders is our hostess.  She snapped this photo of this very ornate shoe while in Italy this past summer, and she thought it’d be a good inspiration photo for our challenge today…

Now, I have to admit… the colors for today are supposed to be lime green, aqua and coral.  I should have checked that before I started.  Because I saw pink instead of coral so I started with a piece of Bubblegum card stock from MFT.  Then, when I realized I needed a darker shade for my flower, I went with Ripe Raspberry and now my card is a little off from the intended colors…

But it’s still a nice card, no?  :)  I finally used my Quilted Flower Die set from Lil’ Inker Designs for this card to send to a friend who’s birthday I forgot over a week ago!  The Seriously Word die is also from Lil’ Inker Designs, as is the matching Seriously Awesome stamp set.  I played along with the current CAS-ual Fridays challenge #144.  (I followed the far right Tic-Tac-Toe column and did stenciling, die-cutting, and embossing.)

Please be sure to visit the CTD blog today for more inspiration, and visit my Throwdown sisters for more inspiration…

Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe
Joan Ervin
Jodi Collins
Lori Tecler
Vickie Zimmer
Wanda Cullen
Michelle Boyer, October Guest Designer
Claire, Guest Star Stamper

My blog readers are seriously awesome!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Color Throwdown #357

Hi friends... it's time for another Color Throwdown challenge, and this week Joan is taking us for a walk on the wild side with this inspiration photo...

I struggle when using anything close to blue and pink... I just automatically want to make a baby card.  But at this point in my life, I don't find myself with a need for baby cards very often!  So I was really glad when the idea for this card jumped into my head!

I finally used the Crazy Birds stamp set that I just HAD to have a few months back!  LOVE these silly birds!  I colored very simply with Copics, then masked the image and splattered some gray ink on the card stock.  The Seriously Word Die is from Lil' Inker Designs.  Before I cut the light pink card stock, I sponged some darker pink ink onto the card stock, then die-cut to create the ombre look.  The sentiment was stamped on black card stock, and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I mounted the background panel to a piece of black and white striped paper, and then to a white card base.  I finished the design with some enamel dots.

Be sure to stop by the CTD blog for all the challenge details.  And visit my Throwdown sisters for more inspiration!

Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe
Joan Ervin
Jodi Collins
Lori Tecler
Vickie Zimmer
Wanda Cullen
Lindsay Amrhein, August Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by today!

Color Throwdown #340

Hello friends, and happy Wednesday!  We’ve got another Color Throwdown challenge for you today and Jodi is our hostess with this wonderful inspiration photo that just full of Springtime goodness!

I just couldn’t resist order the new Perky Posies die set from Lil’ Inker Designs, and it arrived just in time for me to take to my stamping retreat this past weekend and make this card…

Let me just say, this is one fun little set of stitched flower dies!  They’re perfectly sized and totally cute with the stitching detail!  I was inspired by this sketch I found on the Scrapbook & Cards Today website, so I used it for my card, inverting the design.  The BG Gingham background stamp from My Favorite Things is stamped in Grout Gray hybrid ink, and the “Happy” in the sentiment is from the Lil’ Inker Quick Notes stamp set.  (The “birthday” came from a set borrowed at the retreat, but I don’t know what company it’s from… sorry!)  I added some enamel dots to a few of the flower centers for extra dimension.
Be sure to stop by the CTD blog for all the challenge details, and visit my Throwdown sisters for more inspiration. Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe
Joan Ervin
Jodi Collins
Lori Tecler
Monika Davis
Vickie Zimmer
Wanda Cullen
Karen Giron, April Guest Designer
Kathy Schweinfurth, Guest Star Stamper Many thanks for visiting my blog today!  I appreciate your comments a great deal!

Color Throwdown #259

It’s Color Throwdown time again, and this week Melody is hosting her first challenge with this beautiful Fall color combo!  I hope you’ll check out the challenge over on the CTD blog and join us!
For my card, I found some Little Yellow Bicycle papers from last year that worked perfectly…

However, the papers being a good match is about where it ends, ‘cause I think my card is pretty lame!  :(  I used my Acorn die from Lil’ Inker Designs, and added a sentiment from the My Favorite Things Cheerful Blessings stamp set.  The layout for my card is from the Fall-to-Layout #257 for this week.
So be sure to stop over at the Color Throwdown blog and join us this week, and check out my CTD sisters for more inspiration…
Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe
Joan Ervin
Lori Tecler
Lynn Put
Melody Rupple
Vickie Zimmer
Wanda Cullen
Susan Roberts, September Guest Designer
Thanks for stopping by… happy stamping!

Clean and Simple Thanks

I needed a couple of thank you notes recently, so I came up with these three quick, clean-and-simple designs using a variety of my favorite stamps, dies and cut files!

This first card uses Vegtastic from Paper Smooches, and some assorted scraps of designer paper.

This second card uses the Rainbows & Clouds dies from Lil' Inker Designs with the coordinating stamp set. The clouds are cut from white felt.

And this last card uses my favorite Occasional Labels cut files from My Time Made Easy and a stamp from Stampin' Up! and paper from October Afternoon.

Thanks for checking out my CAS cards!  I'm pretty happy with how they turned out!

CrAzY for Clean and Simple

It's week #4 out of 5 of my challenges over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog, and this week I'm hitting y'all with a doozie! :) Clean and simple, one layer cards! I know, everyone is now running away and screaming, right? C'mon... that's what a challenge is! :) Give it a try! It'll set you free!

Here are some GREAT examples I found for inspiration in the galleries on Splitcoaststampers from Lori Tecler, elmo98ca, Taylor Usry, and mamamostamps.

For my card, I decided to use my fabulous Acorn Die & Stamp set from Lil' Inker Designs, and an embossed square for this quick, simple design. The papers I used on my acorn and from Crate Paper, and I added a quick little twine bow for embellishment.

Stop and see what the other Crazies have created today....

Barbara Anders

Cindy Haffner

Frances Byrne

Jessie Rone

Joanne Grzelak

Jocelyn Pelkey

Lynda Benden

Maria Bell

Silke Kittman

Silke Ledlow

Vicki Garrett

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy stamping!

World Card Making Day with the CrAzY gIrLs!

It's National World Card Making Day, AND a new month for the Crazy 4 Challenges blog, and I am the hostess this month! To celebrate today, I am asking everyone who participates in the C4C to make any card at all, but find a charity to donate your card(s) to after today! Maybe a local senior center or nursing home? Or call your local hospital and see if they can use some cards for their gift shop!

Another option for donating your cards is Operation Write Home! OWH's mission is "Supporting our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them. This merry band of thousands of card makers is made up of Americans - and citizens of other nations too - who care about our military, and want to support them through creativity and encouragement. Crafters of all ages and levels of experience have participated since 2007...and are on the way to a landmark one MILLION cards! Care packages filled with hundreds of handmade cards are sent to our contacts, restocking every 6-8 weeks, and are sent in time for the long journey back home to loved ones. Each box is packed with great care, alternating styles, colors, and card makers from all over theUSA, creating 'eye candy' for heroes who see only khaki around them. The topper on each box is a plastic bag filled with 20-30 letters from adults and children across the country, letters handed out especially to those in need of a positive word from the homefront."

I am working to get involved with this very worthwhile organization! If you'd like to mail your cards to me, I will make sure they get sent to OWH. You can email me through my Blogger profile for my mailing address. If you choose to make cards for OWH, I would ask you to check out the Card Guidelines before you start.... there are a few items to observe with these cards that will travel extensively overseas and back.

For my card today, I decided to go with a nice, simple layout... not too much bulk, and I think just about any service person could use this card to send home to a friend or relative! Plus this gave me a GREAT chance to use my brand spankin' new Acorn Die & Stamp Set from Lil' Inker Designs! Are these acorns not the CUTEST? OMGosh, I love 'em! I actually cut out quite a few extra ones, and I think I'll make some multiples of this card to donate. There are tons of great sentiments in the stamp set to use, plus more funny "faces" to put on the acorns, too! Stop by Laura's store and check out ALL her fabulous dies and stamps... you WON'T be disappointed! The papers I used here are Cosmo Cricket "Nutmeg" and I used the layout from the Clean & Simple sketches blog for this week.

Stop and see what the other Crazies have created today....

Barbara Anders

Cindy Haffner

Frances Byrne

Jessie Rone

Joanne Grzelak

Jocelyn Pelkey

Lynda Benden

Maria Bell

Silke Kittman

Silke Ledlow

Vicki Garrett

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy stamping!

Color Throwdown #151

It's time again for another Color Throwdown, and this week Kristin is our hostess! And this week we're letting you do something we usually ask you to refrain from... create with a rainbow of colors! You can use them all, or just use some of the colors.... or you can create rainbows like I did for today!

My daughter needs to send tons of thank you notes for the gifts she got recently for graduation, so this is one batch of the many I've been creating for her to use. I simply took a whole bunch of scraps of designer papers and cut out rainbow after rainbow using Laura's Rainbow die from Lil' Inker Designs! Then I cut out some clouds (also from Lil' Inker), and quickly assembled a dozen of these 4 1/4" cards!

I actually highly recommend, if you're cutting out paper for one rainbow, do a bunch more at the same time and just keep them handy! It was so fun to shuffle through the variety of colors and patterns I ended up with to create all these rainbows! :)

See the colorful creations from my Throwdown sisters today....

Barbara Anders

Broni Holcombe

Kristin Eberline

Laura Pryor

Keva Brown, July Guest Designer

Happy stamping, and thanks for stopping by!

Products used from Lil' Inker Designs...