Curtain Call–Flamingo Reminder

Hey friends, just a reminder you have until Thursday, August 25th at 8:00 Central time to join us for the current Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!  The current challenge is inspired by this photo.  Remember, it’s all about being inspired by the photo.  If you don’t have anything flamingo-themed, that’s OK.  Be inspired by the colors, and actual items (the phone cases, the blouse, the swim ring)… let your imagination lead you!

Since I used my only flamingo-themed item on my card last week, I chose today to be inspired by the swim floaty, and went with this much-loved stamp from Whipper Snapper Designs for my card…

This Poolside Chicken stamp has always been a favorite of mine from Whipper Snapper Designs (And how cool is it that a card I made using it is the one they use to sell the stamp on their website?  I LOVE it!)  I chose to give my chicken a bright pink bikini to match the flamingo floaty in the inspiration photo, then added waves, a blue sky and sunshine coloring with my Copic markers.  I’d seriously LOVE to be in that same scenario right now!  My one chance so far this summer to go swimming was ruined by rain last Sunday, but we need the rain so bad here in Ohio so it’s all good.  No one needs to see me in my swimsuit, anyway!

Be sure to stop by the Curtain Call blog for all the challenge details and JOIN US!!! 

Curtain Call–Summer Snow Cones

Hi friends!  I am (ashamedly!) back with another late blog post today.  We had teenage girl crisis last night that resulted in a long trip to Columbus and back, and by the time we got home I had to get to bed or wouldn’t have been fit for work today.  (Although, I have a few co-workers who’d probably say I’m not fit anyday!) 

It’s time for another great Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge, and this time around these oh-so-cool looking snow cones are our inspiration!



How I WISHED that I had some snow cone images to use for this, but I didn’t AND I resisted the urge to shop for some!  LOL  (Well, I resisted for a little bit but then I gave in to the urge, which you’ll see next week!)  Instead, I focused on the “rainbow” of colors here and created my own version of some cool refreshments…



I pulled out the very fun So Smooth stamp set from Lawn Fawn to create a nice row of summer smoothies for my card.  I stamped each one on Distress watercolor card stock, and colored each one with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  Then I used the same markers to splatter the background with a little inky confetti, and added a paper umbrella to one of the drinks.  Now, in hindsight, I’d like to go back and add some glossy accents to each glass, but for now this is it.  But before I send this out to someone, I might just do that!

I got a little bit of inspiration for my card from this photo of Starbucks drinks, featuring the Orange, Green, Blue, Purple and Pink drinks!  OMGosh, I'm addicted to Pink Drinks!  They're so yummy!

Please be sure to stop over at the Curtain Call blog for all the challenge details, and join us!  You could be in the running to be chosen as the “Lead” and be our guest designer for the next challenge!  And be sure to visit the Crew for plenty of inspiration…

Betty Wright
Kim Singdahlsen
Leigh Penner
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Lynn Mangan
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Melody Rupple
Monika Davis
Sheri Gilson
Silke Ledlow
Stacey Schafer
Tara Godfrey
Have a great week, and thanks for visiting my blog today!

Sweet Watermelon

Hello, and happy weekend!  Our Crazy 4 Challenges team has a new challenge for you today!  Since July is known as National Hot Dog month, we’re incorporating picnic themes in our creations today!

Well…. I went through all my stamps and dies, and would you believe I just had nothing to use?  And even at my crafty day last week with friends, no one had any stamps with them that would do!  So I turned to my favorite digital images at A Day for Daisies and created this card…

Who doesn’t love watermelon at a picnic, right?  So I printed out this juicy Watermelon Wedges image from ADFD to create my card.  I colored with Copics for another day of coloring in The Daily Marker 30 Day challenge.  And I added some green gingham paper from the Farm Fresh Gingham Paper Pack from My Favorite Things, because every good picnic includes a gingham tablecloth, amiright?  Using some Blu Raspberry card stock, I die-cut the “you” using the You craft die from Simon Says Stamp.  (I get SO MUCH use out of that die!) and then to finish the sentiment I added “are so sweet” which comes from the LLD Donuts and Sprinkles stamp set from MFT.  Behind the die cut circle, I added a double-ended Fishtail Flags STAX Die-Namics cut from Razzle Berry card stock, and embellished with some black 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
Alexis Crossland-Smith, Guest Designer

Have a GREAT weekend, stay cool, and thanks for stopping by today!

MFT Summer School Secondary Colors

I made one more card for the 8th day of Summer School with My Favorite Things, this time using the secondary colors from the color wheel of orange, green and purple.  As a coincidence, orange, lime green and grape (purple) are some of my favorite flavors of POPSICLES!  :)

I borrowed the LJD You’re the Sweetest set from my friend Kirsty this week, and had some fun.  The popsicles were stamped with Limelight, Lavender Fields and Orange Zest premium dye inks, and then I applied Glossy Accents over each one for a frozen shine.  I also used the dye inks to create my watercolor panel behind the popsicles after I stamped it with the new BG Balloon Strings background stamp.  I stamped in Versarmark, then heat embossed with detail white embossing powder and used a water brush to apply the inks.  This panel was cut with the Pierced Rectangle STAX Die-Namics.  I think the strings look cool sideways like this… kinda’ makes you think of waves of summer heat?  On the Smooth White card stock background panel that was cut with Blueprints 13 Die-Namics I used white embossing paste and the Large Polka Dots stencil.  I stamped the sentiment in Steel Grey hybrid ink on a flag cut with the Blueprints 12 Die-Namics.  The popsicle sticks were die-cut with In the Buff card stock, and I sponged a little Natural hybrid ink on them for definition.
The layout for my card is from the My Favorite Things sketch #238 for this week.
Well, that’s all for me this week for Summer School at My Favorite Things!  I sure wish Summer School had been this fun 30 years ago!  (Yes… had to go once when I didn’t pass Geometry!  And I said back then, and I still say it now… I will never need Geometry in my life!  LOL)
Thanks for stopping by today!

Hope Your Day is Cool

These new Birdie Brown Penguins in Paradise stamps that were just released at My Favorite Things were just too irresistible… I had to order last week!  And having the matching dies just makes it so easy to create a fun little scene for Mr. Penguin to enjoy…



I actually colored my little penguin earlier as part of #thedailymarker30day2 challenge, and then used him for this card.  I browsed a few challenge blogs looking for layout inspiration and actually found THREE challenges I could use for this card!  That almost never happens for me but I used the current Clean & Simple Stamping layout #15, then worked the little beach ball into the design for the current Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge, and then found that Crazy 4 Challenges #289 this week is to include sunshine in your project!  My penguin, tree and beach ball are all colored with Copics, of course.  To create the little beach scene, I die-cut a Pierced Rectangle STAX Die-Namics from Sno Cone and Natural card stock.  Then, to make the sand I used the Rolling Hills Die-Namics, but used only the hill piece.  I added a few Flat Bottom Clouds Die-Namics cut from Sweet Tooth card stock and stamped a strip of Ripe Raspberry card stock with the BG Grid background stamp.  On the Lemon Chiffon back panel, I used the Tim Holtz Rays stencil using Lemon Chiffon hybrid ink.  I matted the panel on a piece of Black Licorice card stock, then mounted everything to a Sno Cone card stock base.

I can see myself having a LOT more fun with this sweet stamp set!

Have a great day!

The Cat’s Pajamas Sneaky Peek #6

It’s almost here!  We’re on day 6 of new release Sneaky Peeks for The Cat’s Pajamas, and today is all about the new Cut-Ups dies!  You’ve already seen a few with cards earlier in the week, but the one I have to share with you today I think you’re going to absolutely ADORE!  I created a shaker card with mine… check it out!

Now, I’ve always been shaker card challenged, so this card makes me quite happy because it turned out just as I envisioned!  The new Fly Cut-Ups die is so much fun, and as you can see here I paired it with those new Stitched Clouds Cut-ups (that you’ll be able to get FREE with your $65 purchase!) and stamped a sentiment from the new Drop In stamp set on one of the clouds.  Inside the shaker I used a variety of seed beads and sequins.

Want to win one of the new releases before they’re even available to purchase? Of course you do! For a chance to win some Cut-Ups, just hop along and comment on all of the participating Cat Pack member blogs and the TCP blog today. One randomly selected winner will be posted on the TCP Facebook page tomorrow.

Here’s where to find all of the Sneaky Peeks today:
Nancy Thomas
Lisa Henke
Wendy Bond
Jessie Rone

And don't forget to save the date for the Pajama Party on Monday, May 25th from 8:00-10:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Cat’s Pajamas Facebook page.  The new release is official on Tuesday, May 26th!

Deconstructed Sketch #164

Hello friends!  It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time for another Deconstructed Sketch!  We’re on sketch #164 this week, and Jen has designed a fabulous layout for you…

There are a lot of fun options you can have with this with your background stamps or patterned papers!  I hope you’ll stop over at Jen’s blog and give this sketch a try!
Here’s my card…

A long time ago, the idea kept popping into my head to make a watermelon using the big circle dies in the Blueprints 16 set from My Favorite Things.  And the half-circle element in the sketch kept speaking to me so this is what I came up with!  I cut the watermelon rind using Gumdrop Green card stock, and stamped it in Gumdrop Green hybrid ink with the BG Diagonal Stripes background.  The watermelon flesh was made using Wild Cherry card stock, and I made the seeds using the leaves from Die-Namics Flower & Leaf Trio and Black Licorice card stock.  The card base is Sweet Tooth card stock, and on it I layered a Wild Cherry card stock panel backed with Black Licorice card stock, and stamped in Sweet Tooth pigment ink with the BG Gingham background.  Behind the watermelon is a piece of Black Licorice card stock that was embossed using the Polka Dot Cover-Up die.  I added some Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX in Sweet tooth card stock, and a black twill ribbon tab at the bottom to finish the design.
On the inside, I added a very simple sentiment stamped in Gumdrop Green hybrid ink from the Chocolate Sentiments stamp set…

I hope you’ll join us!  Stop over at Jen’s blog for all the details, and see the rest of the team for more inspiration…

• Arielle Gordon
• Cresta Woodruff
• Jen Shults
• Kim O’Connell
• Sheri Gilson
• Tangii Crain
• Tracey Pickersgill

Here are my supplies…

Die-namics Blueprints 16	Die-namics Flower & Leaf Trio	Die-namics Polka Dot Cover Up	Die-namics Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX	BG Gingham Background	BG Diagonal Stripes Background
Chocolate Sentiments	Hybrid Ink Pad Gumdrop Green	Pigment Ink Pad Sweet Tooth	Gumdrop Green Card Stock	Wild Cherry Card Stock	Sweet Tooth Card Stock
Black Licorice Card Stock

InLinkz.com

All products from My Favorite Things unless otherwise noted…
Stamps:  Chocolate Sentiments, BG Gingham background, BG Diagonal Stripes background
Dies:  Blueprints 16, Flower & Leaf Trio, Polka Dot Cover-Up, Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX
Card stock:  Gumdrop Green card stock, Wild Cherry card stock, Sweet Tooth card stock, Black Licorice card stock
Inks:  Gumdrop Green hybrid ink, Sweet Tooth pigment ink
Accessories:  black twill ribbon (unknown)
Thanks so very much for stopping by today!

Sunflower Birthday, and Gifts for YOU!

There’s a really special lady with a birthday today…it’s Kim, the MFT Lady herself!  So I just had to pull out one of my favorites things, the LJD Splendid Sunflower stamp set and make her a card!  Kim, if you’re reading this… wishing you a very happy birthday today!  (And this card will be late!)  :)
I took some inspiration from the Mojo Monday sketch #352 this week…

I know you’ve been seeing a lot of the Sunflower here lately, but I just love it so much… I thought maybe a pink version would make it easier to see again?  :)  I die-cut the sunflower using the LJD Splendid Sunflower Die-Namics with Pink Lemonade card stock, then stamped in Pink Lemonade hybrid ink.
  The flower center was stamped with Grout Gray hybrid ink and Steel Gray hybrid ink.  I also used my RV11 Copic marker to add some shading to the sunflower petals.  The leaf was cut from pale green card stock and stamped with Spearmint hybrid ink.  On the Grout Gray card stock panel on the left I stamped the BG Gingham background with Grout Gray hybrid ink, and I cut a Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX from pale green card stock and stamped in Spearmint hybrid ink with the new BG Romantic Script background.  The Pink Lemonade card stock back panel mounted on the Steel Gray card stock base was stamped with the BG Linen background in Pink Lemonade hybrid ink.  I added a tag cut from the Blueprints 14 from Grout Gray card stock, stamped the sentiment from the Birthday Sentiments set, and finished with some enamel dots.  The card measures 3 1/2” by 5 1/2”.

Now, did you catch there in the title where I mentioned “gifts for you”?  Since it’s Kim’s birthday, I’m going to give away some gifts!  I have three Die-Namics Free-with-$60 dies that I’ve received with orders in the last month or two, and I’m giving them away to three lucky people!  So, if you’d like to win one of these Die-Namics… the Centerpieces You Mean the World to Me, or one of two File Folders Edges Die-Namics… this is what you need to do.  Leave me a comment, and tell me what’s your favorite thing over at My Favorite Things?  What do you love?  The Pure Innocence line… the fabulous Die-Namics… are you a die-hard Who’s That Girl? fan, even though she’s long gone?  Do you love the stencils, the fantastic colors of card stocks, inks and accessories that are all perfectly matched up?  Tell me what you love the most in a comment here by Monday, July 7th at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time.  I’ll post three winners here on Tuesday, July 8th!  (Please, only one comment per person!)  I will contact the winners, so please make sure your comment has a way for me to reach you or you won’t be eligible to win!
And on a side note, I want to send out a huge thank you to three special ladies… Celeste Goff, Tracey and Heather!  You three ladies leave me comments without fail on every post, and I want you to know that it’s very much appreciated!  I love hearing from you, and am grateful that you take the time to make me smile!

LJD Splendid Sunflower	Die-namics LJD Splendid Sunflower	Birthday Sentiments	Die-namics Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX	BG Gingham Background	BG Linen Background
BG Romantic Script Background	Die-namics Blueprints 14	Hybrid Ink Pad Pink Lemonade	Hybrid Ink Pad Spearmint	Hybrid Ink Pad Grout Gray	Hybrid Ink Pad Steel Grey
Pink Lemonade Card Stock	Heavyweight Card Stock Grout Gray	Steel Gray Card Stock

InLinkz.com

All products from My Favorite Things unless otherwise noted…
Stamps:  LJD Splendid Sunflower, Birthday Sentiments, BG Gingham background, BG Linen background, BG Romantic Script back ground
Card stock:  Pink Lemonade card stock,
Grout Gray card stock, Steel Gray card stock
Inks:  Pink Lemonade hybrid ink, Spearmint hybrid ink, Grout Gray hybrid ink, Steel Gray hybrid ink
Dies:  LJD Splendid Sunflower Die-Namics, Blueprints 14, Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX
Accessories:  enamel dots (Doodlebug)
I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Color Throwdown #299

Hey friends, Happy (almost) Independence Day!  I’m hosting the Color Throwdown challenge this week, and I thought this somewhat Patriotic color-combo would be fun to try this week…

Whadya’ say… wanna’ give it a try?  Stop over at the Color Throwdown blog for all the challenge details and join us!
Here’s my card…

I started out by using some translucent embossing paste on the Strawberry Slush card stock with the MPD Stargaze stencil.  After my stars dried I cut the card stock using the Blueprints 15 Die-Namics,
which gave it that nice angled look.  I stamped the sentiment from the LLD Document It-Right on Target stamp set in Tumbled Glass distress ink.  After I tied some silver cord around the red cardstock, I used my Die-Namics Stacking Stars to cut out a few stars with Tempting Turquoise and Whip Cream card stock.  I finished this clean and simple design by spritzing the starry panel with some MIX-ables Sheer Shimmer Mist and adhering it to the Whip Cream card stock base.
So, be sure to stop over at the CTD blog for all the challenge details!  And for more inspiration, visit my Throwdown sisters…
Barbara Anders
Broni Holcombe
Cindy Lawrence
Joan Ervin
Lori Tecler
Monika Davis
Vickie Zimmer
Wanda Cullen
Diane Jaquay, July Guest Designer
Vicki Dutcher, Guest Star Stamper

LLD Document It - Right on Target

Die-namics Stacking Stars

Stencil MPD Stargaze

Die-namics Blueprints 15

Whip Cream Card Stock

MIX-ables Sheer Shimmer Mist

InLinkz.com

All products from My Favorite Things unless otherwise noted…
Stamps:  LLD Document It-Right on Target
Card Stock:  Whip Cream card stock; Tempting Turquoise, Strawberry Slush card stock (Stampin’ Up!)
Ink:  MIX-ables Sheer Shimmer Mist; Tumbled Glass distress ink (Ranger)
Accessories:  MPD Stargaze stencil, Stacking Stars Die-Namics; translucent embossing paste (Ranger); silver cord (unknown)
Many thanks for stopping by today!