Dream Create Inspire

DeNami Design Cute Chickies Blog Hop

2012-02-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

If you've arrived here from Linda's blog, you are on the right track! If not, you can start the hop from the beginning at DeNami Design's blog. If you visit each and every blog and leave a comment, you have a chance to win one of three DeNami gift certificates (must leave a comment by Monday night)!

Ok, let's get down to business since you've got lots of cute stuff to see today! I chose to use the Heart Chickie since Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I've had this stamp in mind to use for my hubby's V-day card, since it's not real 'girlie', hehe! So I chose some masculine colors and kept this pretty simple. The Starlet stamp was used to create a patterned background. Hope you enjoy!!

Thanks for visiting! Your next hop is over to Dana's blog!!
There is definitely some eye candy over there! :)

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Heart Chickie, Starlet
Cardstock: Stampin Up! - Cool Caribbean, Cherry Cobbler; PTI - Fine Linen

Ink: Staz-On: Jet Black; TH Distress Ink - Old Paper
Ribbon: Maya Road

Other: Dies - Spellbinders; Dimensionals

RIC5 & CFC39 - Happy Birthday

2012-02-11T14:38:00.001-06:00

Hi guys! I am popping in real quick to share this card I made for the following challenges:

Runway Inspired Challenge #5

CAS-ual Fridays Paper Piecing

It's pretty straightforward. I used the light blue color from the RIC, and paper pieced the Water Lily stamp (DeNami) for CFC using a very subtle light blue striped patterned paper. Some dimensionals were used to pop it up, and I colored in a little shadow on the layer underneath to give it some depth (Copic marker).

The Spellbinders label is also popped up, partially overlapping the lace. The Happy Birthday sentiment is from PTI, and I stamped the Water Lily again at the bottom for a little more detail. The blue cardstock has a shimmer to it, which you can really only see it the upper left corner. It looks much 'cooler' in person!! ;-)

Stamps: DeNami - Water Lily; PTI - Gracious Vases (sentiment)
Cardstock: PTI - Rustic Cream; SU - Naturals Ivory; DCWV Latte Cardstock stack
Ink: Stampin' Up -Bashful Blue; StazOn - Jet Black
Other: Spellbinders Labels Twenty, Lace, Dimensionals

I Just Can't Live Without You...

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hey there! I need to share this Valentine-y card with you! I created this for my submission to the 2012 Spellbinders Design Team, but unfortunately I was not chosen to continue to the next round :(

I then submitted it to one of Paper Crafts magazine calls, but it wasn't chosen for that either.

So, can I get some LOVE for this card?! hehe. Anyway--I still really like this one, and it's fun to create my own little sentiments to fit just right on the Spellbinders banner dies.

Wanna know a little secret about the heart??

Well...I created it using just two of the stamps from the Papertrey Ink stamp set, Modern Basics! One is the cluster of three solid shapes (used for the two points of the heart), and the other is just one solid shape, that I easily rotated to fill in the curved left and right sides of the heart.

Can you see what I'm talking about?? I know...it's hard to explain with just words. If you need more explanation, just let me know in the comments section and I'll do my best to assist you! I dabbed some Liquid Pearls on the heart to give it some shine, and finished it off with a Prima Flower in the center.

Cardstock: PTI Rustic Cream; Stampin Up-Cherry Cobbler.
Stamps: PTI Modern Basics
Ink: Stampin Up-Cherry Cobbler
Other: Flower-Prima; Ranger Industries: Liquid Pearls - Platinum Pearl
Dies: Spellbinders

DeNami Anything Goes Challenge!

2012-01-30T17:59:00.001-06:00

Hey there stampy friends! I have a sweet little card to show you that I am entering in the DeNami Theme Challenge #9 - Anything Goes! My friends' daughter just turned one, and I thought this elephant would be a cute stamp to use on her card. I really don't have any kid themed stamps (just a few Baby stamps), so I had little to work with. I should really invest in some, right?!

Thanks for taking a peek! :)

Stamps: DeNami - Polka Dot Elephant, Polka Dot Background; PTI - Borders and Corners Monogram Edition (sentiment)
Cardstock: PTI - Rustic Cream
Ink: Stampin' Up - Pale Plum, Regal Rose, Apricot Appeal, Perfect Plum
Punch: EK Success - Open Scallop Edger Punch
Twine, Dimensionals

Papertrey January Blog Hop Challenge

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hey! It's time for a Papertrey Blog Hop! I'm excited to be participating in this one because it's been quite a while since I joined in on all the fun.

The challenge this time is to pick your favorite project from 2011 and share it. To take it a step further, you are also challenged to create a second card that is inspired by the favorite project you select.

Pretty fun, huh?! I had a tough time choosing just ONE project...there are several that I really love, but decided on this (See original blog post with additional photos)

For my new card, I used the same concept of the square card with a die cut from the center, and another die-cut used as a frame. This time the card is larger, measuring 5.5" x 5.5". I used the Delightful Doilies set, which is one I should really use more often because I just love it! Also used the coordinating doilies dies.

The main doily was stamped with VersaMark ink on PTI white cardstock, then embossed with white ep. I used two Tim Holtz Distress Inks to apply color with the ink blending tool, alternating between pink and red. The doily is popped up with some dimensionals.

The small center element is from the DD set as well. It's die-cut, and then stamped using the "Love" sentiment from Gracious Vases, and popped up with dimensionals. To make it complete, I scored about 1/4" along each edge of the card front!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my project today...thanks for stoppin' by!!

Stamps: PTI - Delightful Doilies, Gracious Vases
Cardstock: PTI - White
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress - Fired Brick, Victorian Velvet
Dies: PTI - Delightful Doilies
Embossing Powder: Sweet Stamps (white)

PTI Make it Monday #49: Ghost Masking

2012-01-16T19:31:00.002-06:00

Hey blog friends! I've got a new card to share with you today. It's time for PTI Make it Monday #49: Ghost Masking. I've never heard of this technique before, so I was very curious as I watched Betsy Veldman demonstrate how to do this technique (and her card is just beautiful)! It's actually very simple. If you haven't already, you can check it out here.

I used two stamp sets: Mat Stack 2 Collection (all the black areas on the top panel), and Giga Guide Lines (tealish color images). Hopefully you can see in the pic that the teal stamps inside the circle are lighter, or "ghosted", compared to the area outside the circle. This way, the sentiment is not overpowered by the pattern behind it! I absolutely LOVE how this card turned out! What about you? What do you think?! I would love to hear your feedback.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!!

Stamps: PTI - Mat Stack 2 Collection, Giga Guide Lines
Cardstock: PTI - White
Patterned Paper: Me and My Big Ideas, DCWV
Ink: SU - Baja Breeze; Tsukineko - Jet Black
Die: PTI - Mat Stack 2 Collection
Other: PTI-Hawaiian Shores Satin Ribbon, True Black Grosgrain Ribbon; Maya Road - Trinket Pin; Recollections: Black rhinestones

DeNami Valentine Blog Hop

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hello and welcome to the next stop on the DeNami Valentine Blog Hop!

If you're arriving from Michele's fabulous blog, then you're right on track. If you stumbled over here or are lost and want to start at the beginning, you can start by heading over to the DeNami Blog!

If you'd like a chance to win one of THREE $20 gift certificates to the DeNami website, BE SURE to leave a comment on every blog! DeNami will be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant, and they'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop! You have until Monday, January 9th, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs to be eligible for a prize.

Ok, on to the Craftiness! I will make this short and sweet because I know you have a lot of blogs to visit!

I made a card set with a matching envelope using this tutorial by Amber. If you are not familiar with Amber's work, I highly encourage you to check out her blog. Two words to describe her: CREATIVE GENIUS

I also am entering this in the Young Crafters Unite Challenge #5 - Clean & Simple.

Stamps

DeNami

Hearts Petit Fours Stamp Set

Zigzag Stitch Border

Thoughtful Greetings Petit Fours Stamp Set (You're special)

Mini Heart

Papertrey Ink

Fillable Frames #11 (be my valentine sentiment)

Diecut - Banner Builder Collection

White Cardstock

Black Buttons

Stampin' Up

Rose Red, Basic Black, and Going Gray Cardstock

Silver Embossing Powder

Rose Red Ink

Silver Cord

Other

Cuttlebug Textile Embossing Folder

StazOn Jet Black Ink

Tsukineko Brilliance Pigment Ink - Starlite Silver

I hope you got some inspiration from my Valentine project!

I had such a great time working on these, I want to make more! ;-)

Now, on to your next wonderful creation at

Pam Wendt's Blog!

Hi!...Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T10:10:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was great!

I know I've been lacking in my blog posts lately, and I'm sorry about that. The holidays just wear me out and don't leave me much energy for blogging :(

There is good news though. I have a lot of cards that I haven't posted here yet, and my goal for the new year is to post at least once a week. I have cards from magazine calls that didn't make the cut, gifts I've made for people, and I'll have some "experiment" cards as well--meaning there are so many different techniques that I haven't done yet that I am dying to try out (thanks to Pinterest and the Cool Tools special issue from Paper Crafts magazine)!

Ok, on to the good stuff. In honor of my return here to my blog after a month long absence, I'd like to tell you all---Hi!

This was a fun card to make. I stamped the Zigzag Stitch border repeatedly using 4 different color inks. By leaving some space between each group, I was able to stamp "Hello" twice, then adhere the large stickers to spell "hi". The three brads to the left of "hi" add a little something extra (along with the twine)!

I appreciate you stopping by today, and would love to hear your thoughts on this card! Have a wonderful start to the NEW YEAR!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Zigzag Stitch Border; PTI - Modern Basics (Hello sentiment)

Cardstock: Stampin Up - Cherry Cobbler, Kraft; PTI White
Ink: Stampin Up - Cherry Cobbler; Tsukineko - Pumpkin Spice, Hint of Pesto, Jumbo Java
Stickers: K&Company

Other: Bakers Twine - Divine Twine; Brads-Stampin Up

CAS-ual Fridays CFC #29 - it's a sketch!

2011-11-23T21:48:00.001-06:00

It's been quite a while since I participated in a challenge! I went with CAS-ual Fridays this time around since I really liked the sketch for the current challenge.

I made this masculine card for my dad for his birthday. It's pretty simple and basic. I stamped the dots and swirls on the Linen cardstock, then ran it through the embossing folder for added interest. I hope this has inspired you in some way today! Thanks for taking a peek!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Grunge Me, Modern Basics (sentiment)

Cardstock: PTI - Linen, Rustic Cream; SU - Basic Black

Ink: SU - Basic Black, Mellow Moss

Other: Embossing Folder - Tiny Mosaic (Cuttlebug); Twine: Divine Twine

DeNami Design Anything But a Card Blog Hop

2011-11-12T10:13:00.001-06:00

Welcome! You've reached the next stop on the DeNami blog hop. If you came from Sarah's blog, you're right on track! If not and you'd like to start at the beginning, head on over to the DeNami blog to get started!

I have created a paper ornament and a gift tag. I used this Tutorial for the ornament...it's really easy to do! I used a thinner kind of cardstock, and stamped the Starlet stamp repeatedly to get a patterned paper effect.

The next stop is the VERY talented Michele Gross! Thanks for the visit, and see ya around blogland!

365 Cards Publication!

2011-11-08T19:24:00.001-06:00

WOW! The day has finally come! My first published cards are officially in print! This is a very exciting time for me. I received my copy of Paper Crafts "365 Cards" over the weekend, and oddly enough, the first page I opened to had one of my cards!! Imagine that! Below is a look at that very card...

I love the rainbow colors in this! The red, orange and green sections are patterned paper, just cut into strips. Then, I used PTI's Modern Basics stamp set for the blue leaves, and the purple sentiment. Thanks is stamped on separate cardstock and popped up with dimensionals. It's a very simple card to make, and you can easily swap out different patterned papers and colors!

I can only post one of my cards here on my blog, but I'll give you a hint where you can see the other one! Visit the Paper Crafts Magazine blog, and scroll down to the fourth card...

This special issue goes on sale today, so get out to your nearest craft store and pick up a copy of this very inspirational magazine! You'll get so many ideas...one for every day of the year! :)

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear your thoughts on my first published cards!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Modern Basics

Cardstock: PTI - Rustic Cream
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket - Social Club, Salt Air.

Ink: SU - Night of Navy; Tsukineko - Eggplant

Other: Dimensionals

Make it Monday #39 - background building

2011-11-06T22:01:00.000-06:00

Oh boy do I LUUVVV this week's PTI Make it Monday!! Creating your own custom background papers using stamps is just limitless!! I would make 100 cards for this challenge if I only had the time ;)

November is a very busy card month for me. My hubby, dad, and bro-in-law all have Nov bdays! Plus, we have a wedding to attend next week, so I gotta get on the ball and make a card for that too! :)

Well, I am ahead of the game a little for one b-day card (I am notorious for making last-minute cards!) thanks to this MIM!

My hubby loves music. Playing it, listening to it, talking about it, and singing along with it (often times changing very nice lyrics to very inappropriate ones) :/ Anyway, I finally got my hands on a couple "Dude" stamp sets, and I'm just loving them! My very girly stamp collection was in desperate need of some masculinity ;)

To highlight the guitar, I adhered it to the black diecut, popped up the diecut and the sentiment for added dimension. I love how this turned out....I think it's pretty Rockin'! :D

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Boy Basics: Rock On; Grunge Me

Cardstock: PTI - White; SU - Going Gray, Basic Black

Ink: SU - Cherry Cobbler, Elegant Eggplant; TH Distress Ink - Pumice Stone, Tea Dye, Faded Jeans

Other: Nesties Circles, Dimensionals

DeNami Fall Blog Hop

2011-10-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

For my Operation Julie's Smile Blog Hop post, please click HERE

Hello and welcome to the next stop on the DeNami Mini Cards Blog Hop! If you came from Tina's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, be sure to head over to the DeNami Blog to start from the beginning! You will definitely want to visit each blog and leave a comment for every participant because there are TWO $20 DeNami Design gift certificates up for grabs!!

I used the Thanksgiving Chickies stamp as the main focus of my card. It is such a cute scene, isn't it?!?! I used some gold Stickles to highlight the pumpkins and the Chickie's beaks. Around the edge I added a few swirls and leaves from the Leaf Accents Stamp Set. Finishing touches include the ribbon and button! I would love to hear your thoughts, so please remember to leave me a comment before you head to Amy Smidebush's blog!!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami: Thanksgiving Chickies, Leaf Accents Stamp Set

Cardstock: Core'dinations; PTI - Fine Linen

Ink: SU: Basic Black
Ribbon: PTI: Twill Tape - Terracotta Tile

Other: Diecuts: Spellbinders - Grand Labels Eleven; PTI Button; Stickles - Golden Rod

Operation Julie's Smile Blog Hop

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the next stop on the hop! I am so glad you joined us on this amazing blog hop for Operation Julie's Smile. If you came here from Joycelyn Turner's blog, then you are in the right spot. If not, you many want to start from the beginning at the Sweet Stamp Shop's Blog (where a complete list of participants is) and take your time. You have ALL WEEKEND to hop with us and win prizes! Prizes will be drawn from: 1) Blog Comments - 2) PayPal Donation List - 3) Blog Hop Hosts

If you are unfamiliar with Julie's story, please read on.

The creative blogging community is coming together this weekend to help one of our friends, Julie Ranae. You may know her as the design team coordinator for many wonderful companies from Bakers Twine, die cuts, rubber stamps, and more. What many people don't know about Julie is that she has had some pretty major dental surgeries in her lifetime due to medication she had to take as a child.

Unfortunately, about a month ago, she chipped her front teeth. The dentist told her there was no way to save them, and that it was his recommendation that she give in and have all her teeth removed soon, but for that day, they needed to get her front teeth done so her gums could begin to heal. He said he would "work out payments with her to have ALL this work done", but when she called to make her appt for the 1st step of impressions, they told her the amount of money that was needed and that the "payments applied only to the two teeth that were extracted that day."

Her husband Paul was with her and that was his understanding as well. So this is how she found herself in this situation - needing at least $4,000 to get started and another $3,000 to finish the process. A total of $7,000!

If there is anything you can do to help with a financial donation, there is a Paypal donation button in my sidebar, ready for you to click >>>> Any amount is appreciated and ALL donations will be eligible for prizes from our sponsor pool of over $2,500!

Ok, now on to the CRAFTY stuff! Here's the card I created for this hop, and for a special couple who is getting married today! The picture doesn't do it justice...there are dots of Liquid Pearls throughout the stamped flowers...just beautiful when the light hits it the right way!

I hope you enjoyed your stop here! The next stop is JenMarie Taylor's blog. Make sure you leave a comment here before you go so that you can have a chance at the amazing prizes up for grabs and if you can, please make a donation so we can help bring back a new smile for our friend.

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Gracious Vases; DeNami - Congratulations Script

Cardstock: PTI -Rustic Cream

Ink: SU - Elegant Eggplant; Tsukineko - Starlite Silver

Other: PTI Silk Ribbon; Pearl Stickers - Recollections; Liquid Pearls - Platinum Pearl

Celebrate Always...

2011-09-26T23:47:00.001-05:00

I went to a wedding over the weekend, and thought I'd share the card I gave to the new happy couple! One of my favorite embellishments are pearl stickers. They add a very special touch, in my opinion! :)

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Mat Stack 2 Collection, Boxes Bags & Tags

Cardstock: SU -Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip

Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup - Dutch Mustard Soup

Ink: SU: Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip

Dies/Punches: EK Success Edger Punch - Acanthus Leaf; PTI - Mat Stack 2;
Spellbinders - Labels Four

Other: Pearl Stickers - Recollections, Dimensionals

Let's Try this Again...

2011-09-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

I was not contacted by the original blog candy winner, so today might be your lucky day! Time to pick a new winner! This time it's....Carol!

Carol, please send me an email to designer_purple (at) yahoo (dot) com with your full name and mailing address by Tues, Sept 27th so I can get your goodies out to you!

Blog Candy Winner!!

2011-09-03T17:51:00.000-05:00

It's time to announce the very special lucky lady who won my blog candy! I apologize for the delay in this post, but I started a new job recently and this was a pretty stressful week for me. I'm hoping it's better in the weeks to come :) Thanks to all who stopped by and entered the candy. It was fun reading your comments and hearing what your favorite card is! So now....the randomly selected winner IS....

Larissa Heskett!

Congrats Larissa! Please send me an email with your mailing address to designer_purple (at) yahoo (dot) com by SATURDAY, SEPT 10th, and I will get the package out to you! If I don't hear from you by then, I will have to choose another winner.

Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone!

100TH POST BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY!

2011-08-31T23:59:00.003-05:00

Hello Fabulous Followers! A special hello and WELCOME goes out to all of you who are new to my blog!

I have finally reached my 100th blog post and to celebrate, I am giving away the goodies you see below to a very lucky winner! (See the itemized list below the picture)

IF I REACH 200 FOLLOWERS by the end of the giveaway, there will be a SECOND winner of a special mystery blog candy! Make sure to spread the word to all your crafty friends! :)

(Only US residents are eligible)

Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Eleven Die
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Wild Honey
Pearl Stickers
Inkadinkado Beach theme clear stamps
K&Company "Roam" Tag Pad
K&Company Adhesive Chipboard Alphabet
K&Company Die-cut Alphabet Stickers
DCWV Mariposa Alphabet Stickers
Cloud9 Glitter Stickers

HOW TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment on THIS post for EACH of the following that applies to you*

1) You must be a follower (new followers are welcome! US residents only, please)

2) Post about this giveaway on your blog, linking back here. It can be a post or in your sidebar.

3) Take a look around and tell me which of my cards is your favorite!

This means you have up to 3 entries to win!

The giveaway will run through Wednesday, August 31st. I will randomly choose a winner (two winners if I reach 200 followers), and post the results here on my blog by Thursday evening, Sept 1st! Make sure to check back to see if you are a winner! :)

CAS Birthday Card

2011-08-29T22:15:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I have a clean and simple card to share with you today. I've combined the following challenges....

Horizontal Sketch Challenge in the Moxie Fab World

CR84FN37 Color Challenge

Papertrey's Make it Monday #30: Colored Pencils

....to come up with this! The flower is handmade out of PTI Satin Ribbon using this Tutorial. I colored in the butterfly with 3 different Prismacolor pencils for a graphic, striped look. What do you think? I would love to hear your feedback! Thanks for visiting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Modern Basics, Borders and Corners Monogram Edition (sentiment)

Cardstock: PTI - White

Ink: SU: Bashful Blue, Sage Shadow; StazOn: Black
Ribbon: PTI - Hawaiian Shores Satin

Other: Prismacolor Pencils; Pearl Brad - the Paper Studio; Other pearl stickers - Recollections

DeNami Product Spotlight - Solid Polka Dot Border

2011-08-24T05:00:00.010-05:00

Good morning! It's time for the next Product Spotlight over at the DeNami Design blog! This is my last post as a Guest Designer. It's been a fun month being a part of all the fun, and now I'll show you my project featuring the Solid Polka Dot Border stamp.

This is a very simple card to make, and you can change up the color scheme in a heartbeat. The background pattern was created using the Mini Starlet. The dark purple cardstock was embossed using a Tim Holtz Texture Fades folder. I stamped the Solid Polka Dot Border twice on white cardstock, and cut them out. A hole was poked near the end on each one, and I threaded Baker's Twine through to create the bow. Lastly, the congrats tag from the Thoughtful Greetings Petit Fours set is the finishing touch!

I hope you enjoyed my card, and thanks for stopping by!
My blog candy giveaway ends in one week, so make sure to check it out --------> HERE

Cardstock Organization and Storage

2011-08-22T06:00:00.115-05:00

A few months ago, I finally got all my cardstock labels printed and assigned to the correct folder! You see, the cardstock was organized into separate file folders, but I didn't have labels on them for the longest time! What good are separate folders if you don't know what is inside them?!?!

Here's what I did...

Typed the name of every color of cardstock I have, and put either "SU" or "PTI" for Stampin' Up! or Papertrey Ink after the name. I printed on regular white printer paper, then used my paper cutter to cut them out quickly
Left some blank space to the left of the name to place a small circle punch shape for a sample of the color!
Placed the label inside the clear tab, then attached the color swatch to the outside of the tab with a little dab of adhesive
Alternated each tab in a different position so it's easy to read the labels
Opted to organize it by color, not alphabetically or by color family

Edited 11/8/11: I've had a few questions about the size of the file box I use.
It's about 14" x 23" x 10". Here is a link to a box just like it. Hope this helps!

I LOVE THIS SYSTEM!! Makes finding the color I need SO easy! It is also a good reminder to use colors I don't use that often. The pieces you see right in front are half sheets that are already cut. It's easy to quickly check that spot if I need a specific color. I hope this guide was helpful and gave you some ideas on how to organize your stash of cardstock! If you have any questions, just leave a comment on this post! :-)

PTI Make it Monday AND CAS-ual Fridays/Clean and Simple Stamping...

2011-08-15T21:26:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to have a chance to do a card for a few challenges! It feels like AGES since I made a challenge card, LOL!

I've combined Papertrey Ink's Make it Monday #28: Glitter Die Borders, and CAS-ual Fridays CFC#15, who have teamed up with Clean and Simple Stamping for a sketch! WOW...that's a mouthful, HUH?!?

I really love the look of the glitter border around the die-cut shape. I would have never thought to do something like this! I used the Mat Stack 2 PTI die to trace around with a glue pen, and then sprinkled it with glitter. The stamped die-cut shape is popped up with foam adhesive for that added touch of dimension.

The flower is a 'sparkly' white Prima flower. I inked the edges with a bit of ink to give it character and to match the dark pink in the sentiment and twine. The photo just doesn't do all that glitter and sparkle justice!!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Background Basics: Diamonds, Mat Stack 2 Collection, Signature Greetings

Cardstock: SU - Close to Cocoa; PTI - Rustic Cream

Ink: SU: Mellow Moss, Purely Pomegranate; Tsukineko - VersaMagic: Jumbo Java

Other: Twinery Twine: Pink Sorbet; Prima Flower; PK Glitz Glitter - Sand; SU Brad; Dimensionals

DeNami Mini Cards Blog Hop

2011-08-14T08:00:00.099-05:00

* TO SEE MY BLOG CANDY POST ----> GO HERE *

Hello and welcome to the next stop on the DeNami Mini Cards Blog Hop! If you came from Carol's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, be sure to head over to the DeNami Blog to start from the beginning! You will definitely want to visit each blog and leave a comment for every participant because there are TWO $20 DeNami Design gift certificates up for grabs!!

I chose some bright, summery colors for these mini cards. They all coordinate, so it would be a cute little gift to package up and give to someone special.

The patterned paper was created using stamps from the latest DeNami release:
Ornamental Flowers
Leaf Accents
Ornamental Vine

The sentiments are from the Thoughtful Greetings stamp set. I stamped them on a piece of vellum, scored a line along the top and bottom edge, and added a couple of matching buttons!

If you haven't heard, I am having a special giveaway to celebrate 100 posts!
Check it out HERE!

Your next stop is Shirley Chang.

DeNami Product Spotlight - Rainbow

2011-08-10T05:00:00.057-05:00

* TO SEE MY BLOG CANDY POST ----> GO HERE *

Good morning! It's time for the next Product Spotlight over at the DeNami Design blog! Since I am the Guest Designer this month, I get to show you my project featuring the Rainbow stamp.

I stamped the Rainbow, and instead of coloring it in, I stamped a bunch of the Mini Hearts, and then filled them with a colorful mix of Stickles.

*TIP* - I didn't have ALL the different colors of Stickles, so I colored a few with ink and a blender pen, and then used clear Stickles on top of them! :)

The Heart Chickie sits perfectly underneath the Rainbow, don't you think?! I added a pink rhinestone to that heart, and then 2 small red rhinestones in the other two hearts. The background pattern was created using one of my favorites, Curly Garland Border.

I hope you enjoyed my card, and thanks for stopping by!
If you haven't entered my blog candy giveaway yet, check it out --------> HERE

Hint. Hint. (and a Card!)

2011-08-05T15:14:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't been posting a lot of cards lately. My July was a VERY busy month, and things have settled down a bit now. I look forward to squeezing more crafty time in!

Something I've mentioned a few times before is that I will be doing a BLOG CANDY giveaway for my 100th post. Well....this post is number 99! So that means VERY VERY SOON you will get to see what goodies I have for you! If you are a stamper/card maker, I think you will be pleased ;-)

Take a look at my card below. This was my first application for the Spellbinders Design Team earlier this year. I love how it turned out, and I was absolutely shocked to hear that I made it through the first round. Unfortunately, I didn't make it past the second round, but was so happy to be included among so many other talented people in round one.

Spellbinders is one of my favorite manufacturers. Their dies are just plain AWESOME! Do you have any Spellbinders dies?? Which is your favorite? How many do you have?

*Like I said before, you will love the blog candy*

**hint**hint**

Thanks for visiting!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla
Patterned Paper: The Paper Studio - Poteeka Souffle

Spellbinder Dies: Classic Squares LG, Labels Nine
Other: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Textile; Prima Flower; DeNami Button, Dimensionals

DeNami Sketch Challenge #9 - I'm a Guest Designer!!

2011-08-01T05:00:00.047-05:00

Today is a very special day for me! It's my debut as the August Guest Designer for DeNami Design Rubber Stamps! They are one of my favorite stamp companies, with the cutest, most elegant, and whimsical stamps! Some of you may be familiar with them, but if not, I encourage you to go check them out! The blog is also full of lots of ideas! I am positive you will find SOMETHING you like ;)

Today begins the next challenge, a Sketch Challenge by owner and stamp creator, Nami. You have until Sunday, August 28 at 11:59 PM PST to have your card uploaded to your blog or photo gallery, and linked to the sketch challenge thread on the DeNami blog. We would LOVE for you to participate in the challenge and see what awesome things you do with this sketch! The winner will receive a gift certificate to the DeNami online store!

I used some of my favorite stamps from the new collection for this card. The Water Lily takes center stage on a Spellbinders Fancy Tag, and I created some patterned paper with one of the stamps from the Ornamental Flowers Stamp Set. Of course, I had to add a little bling to each of the leaves---such a fun finishing touch! I also added a dab of clear Stickles on each leaf of the Water Lily.

Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by for a visit today! It would mean the world to me if you took a minute to leave me some feedback on my FIRST card as a Guest Designer!! :) I'll be back with another post or two this week!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Water Lily , Ornamental Flowers Stamp Set

Cardstock: PTI - White; SU - Basic Black, Cool Caribbean
Ink: SU - Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry

Other: Spellbinders Fancy Tags Three, Stickles, White Pearl Stickers, Dimensionals

My attempt at Gallery Idol 2011...

2011-07-09T07:50:00.002-05:00

Good morning!

I've been eager to share a very special card I made recently for a chance at Paper Crafts Gallery Idol 2011. The top 20 finalists were announced yesterday on the PC blog, but unfortunately I was not one of them. It was my first attempt at this, and with 1600+ entries, there were some awesome submissions!! Check out the list of finalists, and get ready to vote starting Monday for your gallery idol!

The theme was Congrats and I really wanted to think outside the box for this one. Well, I think I accomplished that goal! What do you think?!?! I would LOVE to hear your comments!

I chose to do a non-traditional shape - A BABY BIB! I hand-drew the shape on cardstock, cut it out, and traced it again on Bashful Blue cardstock, and cut out a border from that as the trim for the bib. I'm not gonna lie...it was pretty tedious, but I think well-worth the finished product! I also made a little pocket on the front (you know how a lot of those baby bibs have one so it catches the extra food, lol) for a place to put a smaller card for the recipient's message.

I hope you have enjoyed this! Just a reminder that I have 3 more posts until my 100th post BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY! :)

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Polka Dot Elephant, Polka Dot Background, Congratulations Script, Giraffe

Cardstock: PTI - White, Stampin' Up - Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink
Ink: SU - Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White

Other: PTI - Medium Scallop Border die; Divine Twine; SU Corner Rounder Punch; Buttons

Cardabilities Design Team Reveal #34: Patriotic Card

2011-06-30T07:30:00.099-05:00

Welcome to Cardabilities Design Team Reveal #34! This is my last post as a design team member, and I want to thank Karan and the rest of the design team for this fun experience! :)

This week's sponsor is Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More. They will award either 5 digital stamps or 4 digital stamps and 1 paper pack of the winner's choice to the winner of this challenge. So what are you waiting for?! Get in that craft room and create something with this awesome sketch!

I decided to rotate the sketch and use a patriotic theme. I can't believe July is almost here...but that means it's time for BBQ's, time spent with family and friends, and a long weekend just around the corner!

I used a the Primitive Birdhouse digital stamp by Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More, and colored in parts of the image with a blender pen and ink. The banner on the side is made using PTI's Banner Builder dies and stamp set.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I am very excited to tell you that I am only 4 POSTS away from publishing my 100th post! I will have a very special BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY to celebrate this occasion! I can't tell you when it will be posted, but it's likely going to be in the month of July (my favorite month). So make sure to visit me often so you don't miss it!!! Happy 4th of July weekend to you all!!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Robyn's Fetish - Primitive Birdhouse Digital Stamp; PTI - Banner Builder stamp set

Cardstock: Stampin' Up -Whisper White, Real Red, Night of Navy
Color Medium: Blender pen with dye ink

Other: Miscellaneous Buttons and Brads, Dimensionals

Cardabilities Design Team Reveal #33

2011-06-15T07:30:00.052-05:00

It's time for another Design Team Reveal over at the Cardabilities blog! This reveal is sponsored by Whimsie Doodles. I had a chance to choose from several of their latest released images, which you can find here. The congrathootlations owl is pretty cute, huh?

I colored him in with PrismaColor pencils. The background papers are from Cosmo Cricket. I think it's a fun Graduation card! I plan to give it to one of my cousins :)
Thanks for taking a look today! Hope your week is going great!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Whimsie Doodles - Congrathootlations Digital Stamp

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Very Vanilla
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket - Social Club
Color Medium: PrismaColor pencils
Ink: TH Distress Ink - Pumice Stone

Other: Nesties Labels Eighteen, SU Corner Rounder Punch, DeNami Buttons, BasicGrey Ribbon, Dimensionals

DeNami Fabulous Frames Blog Hop

2011-06-12T08:00:00.132-05:00

Good morning and welcome to the DeNami Fabulous Frames Blog Hop! If you arrived here from the extremely talented and creative artist, Amber, then you are on the right track. If you are lost or want to start at the beginning, just head on over to the DeNami Blog! You are definitely going to want to visit each and every blog, leave a comment, and leave with LOTS of inspiration! You have a chance to win one of TWO DeNami gift certificates!

3 CARD SET - Click on image to enlarge

INSIDE SENTIMENT - You're special

INSIDE SENTIMENT - Thinking of you

INSIDE SENTIMENT - Happy Birthday

It's a funny thing that I'm the next stop after Amber on the hop because I was inspired by her project HERE for my blog hop project (Thanks, Amber!). I loved the idea of the square card set, so that's what I did here. Each card measures 4.25" x 4.25". I chose a CAS look, and made the main focus the frame and heart inside it. I absolutely LoVe this set! They are sooooo simple to make, you can choose any color, use just about any diecut shape, and use any small stamp for the inside. The heart is perfect for it though, right?!
So, I diecut the Nesties label on the card front to create a window. I used two Nesties together to diecut the frame shape, then stamped it with the Polka Dot Background, and adhered to the front of the card with dimensionals. The heart on the inside is also popped up. When you open the card, the sentiment is revealed! I also scored a frame border on the card front.

I hope I have inspired you on the hop today! Enjoy the rest of the stampy creations ;-)

Your next stop is Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Hearts Petit Fours, Polka Dot Background, Thoughtful Greetings Petit Fours

Cardstock: PTI - White
Ink: SU - Lavender Lace, Taken with Teal, Regal Rose

Other: Nesties Labels Fourteen, Dimensionals

Cardabilities Design Team Reveal #32

2011-05-30T07:30:00.041-05:00

Happy Memorial Day!! I hope you are enjoying your long weekend with family and friends, and of course getting some crafty time in as well!

We've got another great design team reveal over at the Cardabilities blog today, so be sure to check out what all the other DT members have created! I really love this sketch because you can do SO MANY different things with it! I opted for the CAS look, and had to use one of my new favorite PTI sets, Modern Basics. I chose a color combo I don't think I've ever used...lovin' the high contrast on this card.

I hope I have planted some kind of inspiration in you today! Like always, I love to hear your feedback so I would love to get a comment from you before you leave! ;)

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI - Modern Basics

Cardstock: PTI - White; Stampin' Up - Basic Black, Pixie Pink
Ink: SU - Pink Passion, Brilliant Blue, Basic Black

Other: Circle Nesties, SU Corner Rounder Punch, SU Button, Colorbok Metal Dots, Dimensionals

DeNami Product Challenge #8: Patterned Paper

2011-05-26T22:46:00.002-05:00

Plain Paper. Cardstock. Patterned Paper. I love it ALL! My favorite though is definitely patterned paper! There are endless colors, shapes, and themes available out there, and I'm a sucker for 'em! :) This DeNami challenge is to use patterned paper, and I happened to come across some 'forgotten' paper today while I was putting away supplies. I thought it would be PERFECT for a baby card. I just so happened to recently purchase DeNami Design's darling Giraffe stamp, and wanted to make a Congrats card for friends of mine who are having twins! So, two little paper pieced giraffes are front and center on this cute little card. I created my own patterned paper in the background using the "congrats" stamp from the Thoughtful Greetings set and Polka Dot Background.

If you'd like to see more samples using this adorable Giraffe, check out the Design Team's work in the Product Spotlight this week! They are AMAZING!!!

Thanks for taking a look today! Hope you visit again soon!

PTI May Blog Hop & CR84FN29

2011-05-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

Good evening! I'm here with a quick post...this card is for the PTI May Blop Hop - Flowers, and the CR84FN Color Challenge #29.

I used PTI's Year of Flowers: Violet. The Kraft piece was folded in half and diecut with Spellbinders Nesties Label One, so that is the 'inside' of the card (the card base is just one layer). I colored in the flower with PrismaColor pencils, and popped it up with dimensionals.

THANKS FOR TAKING A LOOK AT MY CREATION!

I'm Going To Be...

2011-05-23T22:51:00.001-05:00

PUBLISHED!!!!

I am absolutely, super psyched about this! I made a goal for this year to get at least one card published in a magazine, and it's finally happened! (well, almost)

Here's the deets.

Magazine: Paper Crafts

Issue: A Card A Day

Date of Release: November 8, 2011

# of my Cards Chosen: TWO!

My Reaction to the INCREDIBLE news: YIPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

As much as I hate winter and the cold weather, I can't wait till November! :D

Cardabilities Sketch #31

2011-05-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Hello! Here is my take on the Cardabilities Sketch #31! I will be back later to add my supply list :)

Tuesday Trigger and CAS-ual Fridays!

2011-05-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday! I have a CAS card to share today. It's for 2 challenges that I'm so excited to play in!
Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger

and

CAS-ual Fridays CFC#1 - Texting Skills

In case you haven't heard, CAS-ual Fridays is a BRAND NEW CAS challenge blog! Be sure to check it out if you haven't already, and see the DT's awesome Texting Skills projects. I'm thrilled to also participate in the Tuesday Trigger for the very first time! I have a hunch I will be returning to these challenge blogs quite a bit in the near future ;-)

I had an idea floating around for this, and then I looked through my stamps to double check for any 'text' stamps, and Voila, I found a heart that I totally forgot about and it fit perfectly for my idea!!! It is stamped, edges inked, cut out, and popped up with dimensionals on top of the PTI framed piece. The card base is partially embossed, then I stamped the Three Line Border stamp by DeNami Design right underneath it to mimic the lines in the skirt. I pulled the colors of the skirt into this too. Finish it off with a few buttons and twine, and you have yourself a clean and simple card for a very special someone ;)

Thanks for stopping by! I'm goin' to workout, and then watch American Idol to cheer on Hailey Reinhart!! She is from my town!! Who is your favorite remaining AI contestant? I also like James :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: PTI - Fillable Frames #11; Stampin' Up! - Heart from Mon Ami set, Newsprint Alphabet; DeNami - Three Line Border

Cardstock: PTI - Rustic Cream
Ink: SU - Apricot Appeal, Green Galore, Groovy Guava, So Saffron; Tsukineko - Jumbo Java; Ranger - TH Distress Pumice Stone

Other: PTI - Fillable Frames #11 die, SU-Square Lattice Embossing Folder, PTI Buttons, Dimensionals

DeNami Girlie Girl Blog Hop

2011-05-08T08:00:00.107-05:00

Welcome to your next stop on the DeNami blog hop! You should have come from a super cool blog by Michele Gross, but if not and you want to start at the beginning, check out the DeNami blog HERE!

Since the theme this month is "Girlie Girl", I thought what better stamp to use than a Mimi stamp!! My friend Jen let me borrow hers, and I just adore it! I used PrismaColor pencils, some Star Dust stickles for the flowers, and to *bling* it up even more, stickles were added around the edges of the Nesties label die cut. Black Diamond Stickles were used on Mimi's shoes, and to fill in the Mini Heart that was stamped on the sides of the Ribbon Banner. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do the bling justice -*sad face*. You can see a little more detail if you click on the photo to enlarge it. It really adds that finishing *Girlie* touch and looks so fun IRL!!! The black cardstock in the background was embossed using a CB Floral Fantasy embossing folder. I thought this would be nice for a bridal shower card, or even a wedding card. Hope you like it!!

Be sure to leave me a comment, as well as every stop along the way to have a chance to win a DeNami gift certificate! Thanks for hopping along with us today!!

YOUR NEXT STOP ALONG THE HOP IS THE VERY TALENTED

PAM WENDT!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Mimi with Flowers, Mini Heart; Stampin' Up! - Warmest Regards (sentiment)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black, Mellow Moss; PTI - White
Ink: StazOn - Jet Black

Other: Nesties Labels Four, SB Ribbon Banners, SU Corner Rounder punch, CB Floral Fantasy embossing folder, Prismacolor pencils, Stickles: Star Dust, Black Diamond; Dimensionals

Embellish Magazine & Card Patterns Challenges

2011-05-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

Hello there. I finally got around to making a Mother's Day card! I still have 2 more to make.
This is for two challenges:

Embellish Magazine Square Cards Color Trends

and

Card Patterns Sketch 113

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Delightful Doilies, Simply Stationery, Tiny Tags

Cardstock: PTI - Rustic Cream; SU - Kraft, Baja Breeze; DCWV

Ink: SU: So Saffron, Regal Rose; Tsukineko - Jumbo Java, VersaMark Dazzle - Frost

Other: PTI - Delightful Doilies die, Nesties Scallop Circles, SU Twill Tape, Lace - Joann's, Dimensionals

DeNami & Totally Hues Challenges

2011-05-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

Hello blog friends! I have a card that I made for two challenges:

Totally Hues Color Challenge #6

and

DeNami Design Sketch Challenge #8 by Wendy

My husband's co-worker has a brand new baby girl, so I made this card to give to him and his family. Can't go wrong with pink, right?! The elephant, polka dots, and the plaid pattern I created (using the Three Line Border) are all from DeNami Design. The sentiment is from PTI. The flowers are accented in the centers with Liquid Pearls. Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Polka Dot Elephant, Polka Dot Background, Three Line Border; Papertrey Ink - Signature Greetings

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Pink Passion; PTI - White
Ink: SU - Pink Passion, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Certainly Celery

Other: PTI - Raspberry Fizz Satin Ribbon, SU - Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, SU Brads, KaiserCraft Flowers, Ranger Liquid Pearls - Platinum Pearl, Dimensionals

Cardabilities Sketch #30

2011-04-30T07:30:00.081-05:00

Welcome to the next design team reveal over at Cardabilities!! The sketch for this one is pretty awesome, don't you think?! I love it because I would have never done a layout like this on my own!

I used one of my favorite new stamp sets, PTI's Delightful Doilies, and the coordinating dies. There are lots of layers to this card, which I don't do that often, but I still love the outcome! The cs piece the sentiment is on is actually more of a brighter green, Certainly Celery. I used some Whisper White pigment ink to lightly apply the ink to the cs so it matched the patterned paper more closely.
I would love to see your take on this sketch! Stop over at the Cardabilities blog and see the rest of the awesome design team creations to get more inspiration, and then upload your card to the new Gallery (you will need to register, but it's free and quick to do).

I would love to hear what you think about my take on the sketch!

If you're new to my blog and like my work, I invite you to become a follower!
Have a GREAT weekend!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink -Delightful Doilies; SU - Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: PTI - Rustic Cream; SU - Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla
Patterned Paper: DCWV - Luxury Stack

Ink: SU: Perfect Plum, Sage Shadow, Whisper White

Other: PTI - Delightful Doilies die, Fillable Frame #11 die, Scalloped Border die, PTI Ribbon, Prima Flower, Brad from Joanns

Papertrey Boys to Men Blog Hop

2011-04-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

Hello! This is a quick post to share my "man" card for the Papertrey Boys to Men blog hop! We were to create a masculine project for a male of any age! I made this card to give to my father-in-law for his birthday. Hope you enjoy it! I had fun making it! Thanks for visiting!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink -Banner Builder; DeNami - Polka Dot Background

Cardstock: PTI - White; SU - Baja Breeze, More Mustard, Handsome Hunter

Ink: SU - Baja Breeze, Apricot Appeal, Always Artichoke; StazOn: Black

Other: PTI - Banner Builder dies, Dimensionals

Easter Card

2011-04-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

Today I have an Easter card to share. My intention was to make this a CAS card, but I didn't like my original idea, so it evolved into this! The colors are very different than I typically use. I'm all about the bold gemstone colors, but thought the pastels would be appropriate for Easter. I added some Old Lace Glimmer Mist to the Large Label piece, but it's hard to see in the pic.

I entered this in the ABC Easter Card Challenge. You still have a few days to enter, so check it out if you have any Easter cards to share!

Supplies:

Stamps: EK Success - Brush Alphabet; PTI - Giga Guidelines

Cardstock: Stampin' Up -Very Vanilla
Patterned Paper: DCWV - The Luxury Stack

Ink: SU - Mellow Moss, TH - Pumice Stone

Other: Dies: Spellbinders - Ovals, Large Labels, Fleur De Lis Motifs; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Old Lace, PTI Ribbon, TH Ink Blending Tool, Dimensionals

CR84FN24 & SSD#72 Challenges

2011-04-18T17:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday to you! I have a pretty card to show you today! I decided to combine two challenges:

CR84FN24

and

Skipping Stones Design Sketch #72.

I love the soft colors and I thought the sketch was great!

I may be biased, but I absolutely love this! I've seen so many vintage and shabby styles on so many blogs, and have really admired them. Been wanting to try it, but for awhile didn't have the tools or supplies to create something! So...does this count as shabby or vintage?! I really need your opinion since I'm so new to this! I would LOVE to hear feedback...whether it's positive OR constructive criticism...I can take it, LOL! :)

The three pieces of patterned paper, the card base, and the butterfly were inked and then distressed (except the base & butterfly) with the distressing tool. The sage frame is a Nestabilities die. I placed two dies close in size in the machine at the same time, then embossed it to create the frame! The little Enjoy sentiment and the tag are both PTI Tiny Tags. Finished it with some lace and twine!

THANKS FOR CHECKIN' OUT MY PROJECT! HOPE YOU VISIT AGAIN SOON!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! -Bliss; PTI - Tiny Tags

Cardstock: Stampin' Up -Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow
Patterned Paper: DCWV - The Luxury Stack, The Garden Party Matstack

Ink: SU - Sage Shadow, Baja Breeze; Tim Holtz Distress - Pumice Stone

Fibers: Twine - May Arts; Lace - Hobby Lobby

Other: Dies: Nesties - Scalloped Circles, PTI - Tiny Tags; Distressing Tool, TH Ink Blending Tool, Dimensionals

Cardabilities Sketch #29 = My FIRST design team post!

2011-04-15T07:30:00.001-05:00

I am so excited today!! It's time for the next sketch reveal over at the Cardabilities blog, and it's also the first reveal for the new design team...which I am THRILLED to be a part of. A special thanks to Karan Gerber (owner of Cardabilities/Sketchabilities) for recognizing my talent and accepting my DT application!! It means so much to me to be a part of this fantastic group!

Ok, so here is what I created for this sketch. When I sat down to stamp, I was studying the sketch and first thought about what I could use for the little heart/flower embellishments. How perfect is the Papertrey Tiny Tags set for this?! The options are ENDLESS with this set, as there are a ton of sentiments and lots of different tag shapes to pick from! It's a clean and simple card that I hope you like!

Another new exciting thing that is being launched today is the Gallery!! Anyone that makes a card for the sketch (and future sketches) will upload their card right to the gallery! This way you can see all the entries in one place! Come check it out and see what all the other design team members have done!

I would love to hear what you think about my creation!

If you're new to my blog and like my work, I invite you to become a follower!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink -Tiny Tags, Boxes, Bags & Tags

Cardstock: SU - Cherry Cobbler, Black; PTI - Rustic Cream

Ink: SU: Cherry Cobbler; StazOn: Black

Other: PTI - Tiny Tags die and Scalloped Border die, Twine, Dimensionals

DeNami & Wee Memories Challenges

2011-04-14T22:22:00.001-05:00

Hi! I'm here to show you a very fun little card. This one is for two challenges: DeNami Boy Theme Challenge, and Wee Memories Scrappy Saturday Tangled Up (using twine). It's been about a year now since I've discovered DeNami stamps, and I did not own ONE single Chickie stamp until very recently! Don't get me wrong, they are the cutest little things, but I tend to lean toward the elegant/girly stamps, so the chickies were lower on my priority/wish list, lol. When I saw the Pirate Chickie for the first time, I thought I just had to get it because my husband gets such a kick out of pirates. I can't wait to give him a card with the pirate chickie, whether it's this one or a different one! I know he will just smile and laugh once he sees it--and who doesn't like to see their honey smile? ;-)

Ok, so here's what I did. The ship base is made from a Spellbinders Nesties Label Four die, cut in half the long way. Then I dry embossed it and inked up the edges slightly. For the ship's masts, I just hand drew the shapes and cut them out. I stamped each one with the DeNami Mini Starlet (it needed something--it was too plain with nothin' on 'em), and inked the edges. The light blue piece was dry embossed with a wavy folder. I glued the twine on that piece, then adhered the boat, then each mast was popped up with dimensionals. The chickies are colored with Prismacolor pencils, cut out and popped up. The finishing touch is the twine around the edge!! This was so fun to make! I hope I inspired you today :) I would love to hear your feedback--thanks for stopping by!

--- Be sure to come back Friday for my debut on the Cardabilities Design Team! ---

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Pirate Chickie, Mini Starlet

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue
Ink: Tsukineko - Jumbo Java

Other: Nesties Labels Four, Tiny Mosaic and Just my Type Embossing Folders, Cappuccino Twine-The Twinery, Prismacolor Pencils, Dimensionals

DeNami Design Monochromatic Blog Hop!

2011-04-10T08:00:00.005-05:00

Good morning! If you came from Lori's blog for the DeNami Blog Hop, you are on the right track! If you just came across my post, and you want to start from the beginning, check out the DeNami Blog for the complete list of hop participants!

Ever since the new Polka Dot Elephant stamp came out, I have LOVED seeing it used on so many cards! It is just one of the cutest things ever, dontcha think?! Kind of ironic though...cuz IMO, elephants really aren't cute, are they?!?!?!? LOL Anyway, I wanted to pair it up with more polka dots, so I used one of the hearts from the Hearts Petit Fours stamp set, and the Polka Dot Background. To add some more interest, I stamped the Mini Heart over some of the polka dots...creates a totally new background look!! The front of the card is embossed, and the finishing touch is a large bow! I love this monochromatic baby card! I hope you enjoy it as well, and gave you some new ideas to inspire you the next time you get out those stamps!! THANKS FOR VISITING ME!!! :)

YOUR NEXT STOP ALONG THE HOP IS THE VERY TALENTED

COLLEEN DIETRICH!!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Polka Dot Elephant, Hearts Petit Fours, Polka Dot Background, Mini Heart

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Baja Breeze, Whisper White
Ink: SU - Baja Breeze, Taken with Teal

Other: Nesties Labels Eight, SU-Baja Breeze Grosgrain Ribbon, SU-Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Papertrey March Blog Hop!

2011-03-25T09:02:00.000-05:00

Good morning and HAPPY FRIDAY!! I'm very excited to share a card with you today for the Papertrey March Blog Hop! What can I say--I AM OFFICIALLY HOOKED! I recently ordered a bunch of stamp sets from PTI, and I'm loving everything I've played with so far!

This could get REALLY dangerous for me, LOL! Such fun stuff ;-)

Anyway, this month's challenge is to use embroidery floss in a fun and inventive way on your project. This could include stitching, wrapping it around and tying it like ribbon, braiding, accenting tags, embroidered patterns or anything else you can dream up!

I just got the first stamp set Modern Basics, that Maile Belles designed--she's one of my favorite designers. Just LOVE her clean and simple style! Well, that's what I used for this card, and I really love how it turned out. This was so fun to make--I'm really glad I got this set. I know I'll be playing with it again soon--there are so many things you can do with it!!

If you look closely, I used embroidery floss to stitch around the edges of the middle butterfly. I used a paper piercer to pierce the holes, threaded the needle with the floss, and stitched away. I think it's a neat look. Maybe if I used yellow floss instead, it may have "popped" more against the black ink.
I WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS!
THANKS FOR MAKING A STOP AT MY BLOG ALONG THE HOP!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Modern Basics

Cardstock: PTI - Rustic Cream

Ink: SU: Cool Caribbean, So Saffron; StazOn: Black

Other: Buttons-PTI, DMC Floss, Paper Piercer & Needle-Stampin' Up!, Dimensionals

Paper Therapy Challenge #25 - Sketch

2011-03-21T15:20:00.000-05:00

Hi there. Today is another Paper Therapy challenge, and it's a sketch! Join us this week if you can!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Background Basics: Diamonds, Mat Stack 2 Collection

Cardstock: Stampin' Up -Very Vanilla, Regal Rose, Going Grey
Ink: SU: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink; Tsukineko: Pumice Stone

Other: PTI Mat Stack 2 Die, Nesties Squares, SU Twill Tape, PTI Button, Divine Twine, Colorbok Rhinestones

Play Date Cafe Color Challenge! - PDCC73

2011-03-18T22:31:00.002-05:00

I have a card I'm proud to share with you today for the Play Date Cafe challenge! These colors are AMAZING together! I think Julie Ranae did a fabulous job choosing them, don't you?! What I love about color challenges is that I get to use color combos that I would have NEVER put together myself!

Be sure to check out the design team's projects using these colors...there are some GREAT ideas there! Also, DeNami Design is sponsoring this challenge, and their design team also made some awesome cards for this challenge, so check them out HERE!! A $25 Gift Certificate is the prize for this week. For my card, I used PTI's Delightful Doilies set, a Spellbinders Label Die, some PTI ribbon, and a few fun embellishments. Thanks for taking a look---I love my blog visitors! ;-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Delightful Doilies, Mat Stack 2 Collection (sentiment)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Whisper White
Ink: SU: Lavendar Lace, Purely Pomegranate. Tsukineko: Pumpkin Spice

Other: Nesties Labels Four, PTI Scarlet Grosgrain Ribbon, Michaels - Purple Ribbon, Creative Impressions - Sheer Flowers

Great news!

2011-03-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I want to share some exciting news with you! I will be on the Cardabilities Design Team starting with the April 15th reveal! I am SO honored to be chosen for this team, and very excited to start making my cards for it too! If you aren't familiar with Cardabilities, check out the challenge blog HERE! The 1st and 15th of every month a new sketch challenge is revealed. The sketches are just GREAT! I hope to see some of you participate in the challenges ;)

Paper Therapy Challenge #24 - Color

2011-03-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

-----If you are here for the DeNami Blog Hop,
please scroll down to previous post!-----

Good morning! It's the start of a new week and that means another Paper Therapy Challenge! These colors are really great together, don't you think?! I decided to create a Quilted Card using THIS SCS Tutorial. I wanted to change up the quilt pattern, so I found one HERE and used the one called Blocks and Stars. It took a little time for me to figure out which color cardstock I was going to use in which part of the quilt, and then where the patterned paper pieces would fit in. I think it worked out pretty good though! This was a fun card to make, and it reminded me so much of my Grandma while I was making it because she has made BEAUTIFUL quilts for years and years.

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Warmest Regards

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Naturals Ivory
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Tsukineko - Jumbo Java

Other: SU 1 3/8" Square Punch, Embossing Folder - CB Victoria, DeNami-Button, Twine-May Arts

DeNami Floral Frenzy Blog Hop

2011-03-13T08:00:00.070-05:00

Hi there! If you came from Libby's Blog for the DeNami Blog Hop, you are on the right track! If you want to start from the beginning, check out the DeNami Blog for the complete list of hop participants!

I colored the flower images with PrismaColor Pencils (which I dug out from my OLD college art supplies!), and had such a great time! I love the look of it :)
I made two small scallop windows on the front of the card, and stamped the flowers on the inside. The ribbon was pulled through both windows and tied into a pretty bow. That rich purple just gives it that extra pop! I hope I've inspired you today! Get out those DeNami stamps and start stamping and coloring! Thanks for hop hop hoppin' by! :P

Don't forget to leave me a comment and to comment on every blog in the hop to increase your chance of winning a DeNami Design gift certificate!! More details are on the DeNami Blog!! Have fun!!
NEXT STOP: JULIE MURRAY

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Elegant Floral Wreath, Elegant Floral Blossom

Cardstock: PTI-White; Stampin' Up - Bashful Blue
Ink: Staz-On Black
Colored Pencils: Prisma Color

Other: Nesties Scallops, Nesties Circles, Ribbon-unknown, Rhinestones-K&Company, Colorbok

Paper Therapy Challenge #23- Monochromatic Card

2011-03-07T10:21:00.000-06:00

Hello! This week's Paper Therapy Challenge is to make a Monochromatic project! You can choose any color to work with. I went with browns for this one...I was going for a Chocolate feel. This was such a fun card to make. For the top, to create the look of an ice cream shop awning, I used a solid circle stamp and stamped repeatedly to get the scalloped look. I added Liquid Pearls on the Nesties die-cut, and finished it off with red Stickles for the cherry! Hope you enjoyed seeing my card today!
Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Ice Cream Cone, Heartfelt Greetings Stamp Set; Stampin' Up! - Riveting (circle), Polka Dots & Paisley (dots)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Kraft
Ink: SU Whisper White; Tsukineko - Jumbo Java

Other: Nesties Labels Four and Ovals, Ribbon-SU, Liquid Pearls-Platinum Pearl, Stickles -Xmas Red, Dimensionals

Reject Blog Hop

2011-03-05T14:03:00.001-06:00

You might be confused by the title of this post, but it actually makes me laugh a little bit! Yesterday could have potentially been an extremely exciting day for me, but I didn't get a "Happy Email". What is a "Happy Email" you ask? Well, it's an acceptance email from Paper Crafts Magazine informing you that one of your cards/projects has been chosen to be published in their magazine!! It is one of my goals to be published, and I've submitted 7 cards throughout the past several months, and for this particular Go-to-Sketches Call, I submitted 6. The sketches were just absolutely awesome, and I had such a great time creating for this call! I made a few things I would have NEVER come up with on my own. Well, I sure am not the only one who has cards that were rejected. With 2,760 submissions, and only 288 spots, that leaves A LOT of leftover rejects! So, Amber has been so sweet and kind enough to start a Reject Blog Hop on her blog HERE! I think it's such a GREAT idea! I'm so excited to see what other people created, and see if any are the same sketches that I did! How fun!

As always, I'm grateful to have you spend a couple minutes with me today!

Oh---and yesterday may not have been my Happy Email day, but today is!!
Stay tuned next week for an announcement I can't wait to share with you!! :)

Cardstock: (Very Vanilla) Stampin' Up!; Clear stamp: (Delightful Doilies, sentiment from Mat Stack 2 Collection) Papertrey Ink; Dye Ink (Elegant Eggplant, So Saffron) Stampin' Up!; Accents: (cream button) Papertrey Ink; (natural twine) May Arts; (Doily) Hobby Lobby; Die: (circle) Spellbinders

Paper Crafts Color Inspiration Challenge #2

2011-03-04T16:58:00.001-06:00

It's Friday! Woo hoo! Let the weekend begin! This simple, one layer card is for the Paper Crafts Color Inspiration Challenge #2. All stamps are PTI...I ordered a bunch of stuff that came on Monday and I've been in heaven playing with my new goodies! ;-) Thanks for taking a peek!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Background Basics: Diamonds, Simply Stationery, Banner Builder

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Kraft, Mellow Moss

Other: Prima Flower, PTI Button, Twinery Twine

Wedding Card

2011-03-03T09:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Thursday y'all! I have some cards I made several months ago for some publication calls (that were not chosen), and I'm finally remembering to start sharing them here on my blog! I made this one for a friend's wedding. I really like the layout and the colors! Hope you enjoy it too!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Ever After

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Dark Blue is unknown
Ink: SU Bashful Blue, Versamark

Other: Nesties Circles and Scallops, Ribbon-Michaels, Pearls-Recollections, Sparkle 'n Sprinkle, Embossing Powder, Paper Piercer, SU Round Corner Punch

Paper Therapy Challenge #22 - Sketch

2011-02-28T09:34:00.000-06:00

Hi! Happy Monday to all of you! I hope you had a great weekend. I sure am ready for spring, how about you?! I can't believe tomorrow is March 1st....doesn't that mean Spring is a little bit closer?!?!?! Ah well...at least the sun is shining here today.

I have a cute little card to share for Paper Therapy's Sketch challenge. Paper Therapy is an online forum and gallery for paper crafters. It's a great group of women and a fun place to hang out to discuss stamping and scrapbooking! So, my friend Jen was kind enough to lend me her DeNami Design stamps for a couple weeks! She has such a great stash, so I've had fun looking through and picking out ones I want to use. These little turtles are just TOO CUTE, dontcha think?! They just make me smile :-) I paired the Mini Turtle and the Mine Side-view Turtle with the Medium Dot Circle Frame, made a striped background with the Three Line Border, and finished it off with a couple sentiments from Heartfelt Greetings Stamp Set, a rhinestone, and some striped ribbon. I hope I have inspired you today to either play along with the challenge, or make a cute 'kid' card! As always, I appreciate you visiting me today, and would love to hear your thoughts about my card! Be sure to visit again on Thursday -- I will have another card to show you!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Mini Turtle, Mine Side-view Turtle, Medium Dot Circle Frame, Three Line Border, Heartfelt Greetings Stamp Set

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Tempting Turquoise, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink: SU Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Versamark

Other: Nesties Circles, Ribbon-American Crafts, Rhinestone-Colorbok

Baby Tag

2011-02-23T10:51:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law asked me to make a Baby Tag for a shower gift. She sent me a picture of the gifts, and asked if I could match it. Of course I could....matching is one of my best talents, lol!! Pink and brown towels with multi-color polka dots. Well, I just so happened to have the perfect patterned paper for it! Tags are just so cute and so fun to make! I hope I get more requests like this in the future!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Fun and Fast Notes

Cardstock: SU - Very Vanilla

Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up!

Ink: SU - Chocolate Chip

Other: Nesties Labels One and Circles, SU Ribbon, Creative Imaginations Rhinestones, Crop-o-Dile, Dimensionals

Paper Therapy Challenge #21 - Technique

2011-02-21T10:17:00.000-06:00

Good morning and Happy President's Day! It's time for the next challenge over at Paper Therapy! This week it's a technique challenge. Use the Negative part of a die-cut on your project. There are many possibilities for this. I would love to see you get creative and join us!

My brother recently graduated from college, so I needed a Congrats card. I chose my color palette, decided to use an embossing folder, and then cut out the die-cut from that. So, first I cut the vertical strips of cardstock, arranged them, flipped it over, and taped them together using Scotch tape. Then I ran it thru the Spellbinder's Wizard to cut out the die shape in the center. After that, I ran it thru again using the Tiny Mosaic Embossing Folder! It was so fun to watch the background come together! A couple buttons and some Baker's Twine are the finishing touches to this masculine card. I would love to hear your feedback. Thanks for visiting me today!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Cap: Year After Year; congratulations: Hugs & Wishes

Cardstock: SU - Very Vanilla, Kraft, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue

Ink: Tsukineko VersaMagic - Jumbo Java

Other: Nesties Large Labels, Tiny Mosaic CB Emb. Folder, Buttons-SU, Twinery Twine, Dimensionals

CR84FN15 & DeNami Button Challenges

2011-02-17T11:03:00.000-06:00

Good morning friends! I have a card to share today for two challenges: CR84FN15 and the DeNami Button Challenge. It's my first time participating in the CR84FN Color Challenge, and I just loved it! Color challenges are one of my favorite kinds. I will definitely keep an eye on this particular challenge blog! Looks like great stuff! I am also entering this in the DeNami Button Challenge. In case you missed it, last Sunday and Monday was the Beautiful Buttons Blog Hop, and they are doing something new this time. If you add a project using buttons to the inlinkz on their blog, you have a chance to win a spot in the next blog hop, AND you'll get to

choose a few stamps of your choice!! HOW COOL IS THAT?! :)

Ok on to my card. I used 2 DeNami stamps - Leafy Vine & Flower Vine Swirl, and the sentiment is Stampin' Up! I most likely NEVER would have come up with this color combo, but I think it's just stunning! They go SO well together! A prima flower, large DeNami button, and some lace is the perfect way to finish off this card! What do you think? I would love to hear your feedback...it's ALWAYS appreciated! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami Design - Leafy Vine, Flower Vine Swirl; Stampin' Up! - Hugs and Wishes

Cardstock: SU - Very Vanilla
Patterned Paper: The Paper Studio - Poteeka Souffle

Ink: SU - Taken With Teal, Certainly Celery, So Saffron

Other: Nesties Labels Eight, Prima Flower, DeNami Button (Aqua Boutique Buttons Pack), The Twinery - Twine, Lace - Joann's

Paper Therapy Challenge #20 - Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!

2011-02-14T09:05:00.001-06:00

***If you're here for the DeNami Blog Hop, please scroll down to the previous post***

...HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!...

Whatever your day might bring, I hope you have some extra special time to spend with your Valentine and those you love. Dave and I celebrated on Saturday night and went to a new restaurant. It was great food and it was just nice to go out for a lovely dinner together since we haven't done that for awhile.

How appropriate is it that this week's Paper Therapy Challenge is to make a Valentine?! I put together this card last week right after I spent a few hours mosying through Hobby Lobby. I tend to forget to shop there! They really have some good stuff! I had a list of things I needed (ok ok....Wanted), and I was able to get a lot of it! So, this is my Valentine's card. I am so proud that I 'put aside' my perfectionistic ways on this one, and was able to layer some paper on an angle, in no specific, 'just straight on' way. Does that make ANY sense at all?!?! I really had so much fun making this card. I love trying out new techniques and supplies. :) I hope you enjoy it and have gotten some inspiration from it!

I am so glad you stopped by today! Let me know what you think!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - French Script

Cardstock: SU - Pink Passion
Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up!

Ink: SU - Whisper White. Tsukineko Versa Magic - Jumbo Java

Other: Hobby Lobby- Doily, Ribbon, Pearl Brad. Liquid Pearls - Platinum Pearl

DeNami Beautiful Buttons Blog Hop!

2011-02-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

Hello and welcome to your next stop on the DeNami Beautiful Buttons Blog Hop!

You should have come from Tenia Nelson's blog. If you are lost or want to start at the beginning,

just visit the DeNami Blog to get you started!

Buttons are definitely one of my favorite embellishments to use. For this card, I used the Decorative Crest and the Congratulations Script--which I think work SO well together! I decided I wanted one crest to be highlighted on one layer, showing through a die-cut circle. The top layer of cardstock was stamped 3 times at the top, and then the Congratulations at the bottom. I put a lot of dimensionals between the card base and the top piece of cardstock. To finish it off, the buttons were aligned horizontally, and some white lace added to the bottom. I really love this card! I think it's perfect for a wedding! I hope I've inspired you in some way! Leave me a comment letting me know what you think...you have a chance to win a DeNami gift certificate...you must leave a comment on EVERY blog on the hop in order to be eligible. Good luck and thanks for stopping by today! :)

Your next stop is Amy Smidebush!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami Design - Decorative Crest, Congratulations Script

Cardstock: SU - Whisper White

Ink: SU - Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Sage Shadow

Other: Nesties Circles, Green Buttons - DeNami, Dimensionals, White Lace - Maya Road

Paper Therapy Challenge #19 - Color

2011-02-07T08:40:00.000-06:00

Good morning blog followers! I have another card to share with you today for the next Paper Therapy Challenge! It's a color challenge, and in my opinion, a GREAT combo of colors,

especially for this time of year!!

So of course I had to do a Valentine card. It's one of my favorite holidays to make cards for. I have

been on a clean and simple kick lately, and I am just loving this card! I stamped the heart three times, and cut them out. I die cut 3 squares using SB Nesties, and then ran them through the Wizard again with embossing folders. Then, I used a Tim Holtz Ink Blending Tool to apply ink to the raised part

of the embossed pieces. So fun! Lastly, I stamped the sentiment "from the bottom of my heart"

in a straight line across the middle of the card!

I really appreciate you taking the time to visit me today!

I would love to know what you think about my card! Any feedback is greatly appreciated ;-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Hearts: Love It; from the bottom of my heart: A Light Heart

Cardstock: SU - Whisper White

Ink: SU - Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Lavender Lace

Other: Nesties Squares, Just My Type CB Emb. Folder Border, Tiny Mosaic CB Emb. Folder, Ink Blending Tool, Button, Twine, Dimensionals

PTI Tag Download Challenge

2011-02-06T15:03:00.000-06:00

Hi there! I have another quick post today. This is for Papertrey Ink's Tag Download Challenge.

"The randomly selected winner that is chosen from the entries in this contest will win the opportunity

to be our Guest Stamp Designer. This person will be able to help conceptualize a stamp set

with me (Nichole), allowing their "dream" stamp set to come to life!"

I never thought there would be an opportunity like this...how cool, and what an amazing experience it would be! For more of the details, check out the blog post HERE.

Here's the mini card I made with the downloadable tags!

A quick, cute card I will send to my friend that could use some cheering up!

Thanks for visiting me today!

...Fingers, Toes, Arms, & Legs are ALL crossed!...

2011-02-05T11:37:00.000-06:00

Why, you ask?! Because I am hoping, wishing, and praying that I will be the winner of
THIS AMAZING ULTIMATE Card Kit from Papertrey Ink! Wouldn't it be FANTASTIC!?
What a dream come true for stampers and paper crafters!!

I just recently discovered PTI last July when I went to CHA in Chicago. I walked through their booth and immediately was sucked in by their coordinating cardstock, ribbon, buttons, and more!! I bought my first two stamp sets and some ribbon. They are the first clear stamps that I have owned, and I was a little hesitant to use them at first. But they are just WONDERFUL! I've been stalking the PTI website and Nichole's blog quite often. I love the style of their stamps, AND all the work the design team does with them. Such ENDLESS ideas and possibilities!
Be sure to check out the blog post to see how you can have a chance to win too!

One way to enter is to look through YOUR PTI projects from the past year, and pick your favorite
and post or re-post it to your blog, and add the direct link to the project to the Inlinkz list HERE.

My favorite is the tag I created for the November PTI Blog Hop.
It was the first tag I created in about 4 years, and it opened my eyes to the realization
that I can make much more than just cards with these supplies! Here is the tag.

Well, I'm off to do some crafting today! I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys time with friends and family at all those Superbowl parties! I will be rooting AGAINST those Packers, lol!

I'm actually looking forward to all the food tomorrow! I'm trying two new recipes: Guacamole Salad and Coconut Macaroons. MmmmmmmMmmmmmm!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Giga Guide Lines

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Confetti White, Purely Pomegranate

Embossing Powders: Sparkle N Sprinkle - Silver Pearl, PK Glitz - EP Max Burgundy

Other: Ribbon - PTI Raspberry Fizz, SU Silver Cord, Nesties - Standard Circles Small, Big Scalloped Circles Large, Labels Eight, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Crop-o-dile

Update and News

2011-02-03T16:05:00.000-06:00

I have a quick post today with a few updates about what's happening with me.

Remember how I made it past the first round of the Spellbinders Design Team call? Well, unfortunately I didn't make it past the second round. My assignment was to create a 12x12 scrapbook layout. I have done minimal scrapbooking thus far....my passion is card making, but I REALLY want to get going on some albums because I have tons of pictures from 3 vacations that just need to be scrapped!
It just seems to be an overwhelming project, so I'm avoiding it :)
But after you read my next piece of news, maybe now is the time to do it!?!

After several months of waiting and wondering the fate of the company I work for, it has resulted in unemployment for me and several dear co-workers. A new agency was chosen to take over the account that I worked on, resulting in absolutely no other work for me and several others. Ironically, this also happened with my last job, almost exactly two years ago! It's been quite an emotionally and mentally exhausting few months, but I'm glad all the waiting and drama is over! I believe everything happens for a reason (although sometimes it's hard to understand WHY), and I truly believe there are better things to come! I'll be sure to update again if anything changes with my employment status.

In the meantime, you just might see me posting creations more often!

Have a great rest of your week!

The Play Date Cafe Challenge - PDCC66

2011-02-01T20:33:00.000-06:00

Hello! It's my first time playing along with The Play Date Cafe challenge...and WHEW,
I've only got a couple hours to spare before the deadline! I saw the colors and COULD NOT
pass this up! I LOVE purple, so I was very excited to make a card for this challenge.
You have to use black & white, and a SPLASH of lilac/purple. Just gorgeous!

This is what I created. I. LUV. IT. I'm such a sucker for girly, pretty, romantic-y designs.

This was a very simple card to make. The lilac part is one stamp from the Papertrey set Giga Guide Lines -- I stamped it twice right next to each other, and put a white pearl in the center.

The patterned paper is actually flocking, so it gives it some extra texture!

Thanks so much for visiting me today!
If you are new to my blog and like my work, I invite you to become a follower :)

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Giga Guide Lines

Cardstock: Stampin' Up -Whisper White, Basic Black
Patterned Paper: me & my Big ideas
Ink: SU - Almost Amethyst

Other: Nestabilities - Labels 9, White Pearl sticker, Dimensionals

Paper Therapy Challenge #18 - Border Punches

2011-01-31T09:23:00.000-06:00

Good morning everyone! It's time for another challenge over at Paper Therapy! This time it's to use border punches in a non-traditional way. You may not be able to tell what punch I used,
so here is a picture of it used as an actual edge.

So what I did was punch a bunch (LOL), then cut off each individual leaf and arranged them to form a heart shape! It was a bit tedious, but I like how it came out. We would love you to join us this week for the challenge! You should check out the great cards the design team created HERE. Thanks for visiting me today! I will be back with at least 1 or 2 more posts this week--
some news updates and some crafty stuff! :)

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up - Noteworthy (love)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Very Vanilla; DCWV - The Mariposa cardstock stack
Ink: SU - Cranberry Crisp

Other: EK Success border punch - Acanthus Leaf

Paper Therapy Challenge #17 - Color

2011-01-24T08:00:00.002-06:00

Good morning and welcome to the 17th challenge at Paper Therapy. This week is a color challenge.

Mine is a pretty simple card this week. Hopefully it brings you some Spring-like feelings, ha! It feels like spring is sooooo far away! Anyway, the fiber at the bottom was knotted over and over to give it a little something extra. Hope you like it...and thanks for stopping by today! :)

Made with Heart Valentine Blog Hop!

2011-01-21T06:00:00.094-06:00

Happy FRIDAY and welcome to the Made With Heart Valentine Blog Hop! I am so excited to participate in this hop. My crafty friend Kristin from Paper Therapy has done all the hard work to organize this, so I thank you for that Kristin, and also for inviting me to join in on the hop! :) There are 16 designers whose blogs are listed below, and if you'd like to start from the beginning, click below on Kristin's link, and then you can make a complete hop through everyone's blogs! Some are offering blog candy, so I encourage you to check them ALL out! Thanks for stopping by, I would love to hear your comments, and if you're new to my blog and like my work, I invite you to become a follower!

I have seen many cards in blogland using a Kraft and Red color combo, and I think it is just beautiful. I used a Spellbinders Impressability called Fleur De Lis for the embossed pattern in the background. To make it pop more, I used a sponge to apply some white craft ink over it. I really like that look. It's so fun playing around and trying new techniques. I love learning new stuff! ;-)

If you're hopping in order from the list below, then your next stop is PAULA'S BLOG.

Kristin: http://lilsweetpeasplace.blogspot.com

Stacey: http://staceyscreativecorner.blogspot.com

Nicki: http://idreamcreateinspire.blogspot.com <---------THAT'S ME!!!

Paula: http://ponderingsofpaula.blogspot.com

Jenny: http://jennysscrapsoflife.blogspot.com
Nikki: http://nikkistamps.blogspot.com

Kimberly: http://hellocutiecrafts.blogspot.com

Janneke: http://myblog-jannekescreations.blogspot.com

Tabitha: http://zippity-do-dah-tabitha.blogspot.com

Liza: http://pinkcandystripes.blogspot.com

Jessi: http://themyersmemories.blogspot.com

Joey: http://joeysworldofstuff.blogspot.com

Emily: http://branchoutdesigns.blogspot.com

Patricia: http://thinkingofinking.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com

Kate: http://ippitysimplicity.blogspot.com

Dee: http://sprytebyrd.blogspot.com

Supplies:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Kraft, Real Red
Stamp: Inkadinkado - Bouji

Ink: SU White Craft Ink

Other: SB Impressabilities: Fleur De Lis; SU Corner Rounder Punch, Twine, SU Cream Button, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Sponge

Paper Therapy Challenge #16 - Shape-a-licious!

2011-01-17T08:00:00.023-06:00

Good Monday morning to you! I have lots to talk about today, so let's get started!

First up is an announcement about a blog hop that starts this coming Friday, Jan 21st and runs through Sunday night Jan 23rd. It's called Made with Heart Valentine Blog Hop, and there will be 15 Bloggers participating, including me! You will see many different projects, all Valentine's related! ;-)
I would love for you to check back here on Friday morning to see my project and the details of the hop! Some of the participants will be offering blog candy, so it's really worth it to
check out each and every blog along the hop!

Next is the new Paper Therapy challenge for the week...Shape-a-licious! Make a card using a shape other than a rectangle or square. There are so many possibilities...I would love to see what creative shape you use! Upload your card to the current Paper Therapy challenge thread HERE.

You have until Saturday night to get your entries in!

I used a Spellbinders scalloped circle die to cut out the base shape of my card. Then I embossed the front with an embossing folder. The circle piece was the most fun part to make! I used the emboss resist technique. I die cut the shape, stamped the triple heart stamp using Versamark Ink multiple times to create rows. I heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. Then I sprayed it with Scarlet Glimmer Mist and let dry. Using a kleenex, I gently wiped off the excess mist from the embossed hearts, and underneath are some shiny white hearts! Such a cool technique! To finish it all up, I used a smaller die from the same scalloped set, stamped a little sentiment, sponged the edges, and punched a hole in it and attached it with some pink and white baker's twine! This was such a fun project to make...I loved the shape challenge!

Last but not least, I have to mention the fun Dave & I had yesterday at the Chicago Bears playoff game! We are both big fans, and were so grateful to attend such an important game.
Here's a pic I snapped of us with my phone.

GO BEARS!! These smiles are because the Bears were playing great and WON!!
Don't think we were COMFORTABLE sitting in the 22° weather, HA! I'm not even kidding you...
I wore 3 layers on my legs, 5 on top, AND a one piece ski suit on top of all that!
Next week we face the GB Packers for a HUGE game!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Rose Red, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark, SU Rose Red

Ribbon: Michael's, Baker's Twine

Other: Nesties: Big Scalloped Circles LG, Standard Circles Small; Cuttlebug Emb. Folder - Floral Fantasy, TA Glimmer Mist - Scarlet, Clear Embossing Powder, Dimensionals, Sponge

Paper Therapy Challenge #15 - Sketch Challenge

2011-01-10T08:00:00.022-06:00

***If you are here for the DeNami Blog Hop, please scroll down to the previous post***

Good morning and welcome to another Paper Therapy challenge. If you are not familiar with Paper Therapy, it's an online forum for card makers and scrapbookers to share their work, chat about crafting and life in general. There are also swaps and challenges too! Every Monday there is a new challenge posted in the forum HERE. You have until the following Saturday night to upload your project based on that week's challenge. The first challenge of every month will receive a prize and a blinkie. We would love to have you play along! It's a very fun community of crafters!

This time around is a sketch challenge. I struggled with this one at first, and just didn't like what I had started with. So I picked new paper and stamps, and decided to flip the sketch. And it worked!!

I guess that's why it's called a "challenge" right?! Sometimes you just have to start with a

clean slate and it all works out! :)

I hope you enjoy my card. How do you think it turned out? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for visiting me today!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Giga Guide Lines

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Natural, Chocolate Chip
Patterned Paper: the Paper Studio - Poteeka Souffle

Ink: SU - Whisper White, Sage Shadow

Ribbon: PTI Hawaiian Shores

Other: Nesties: Labels One, Standard Circles Small; Dimensionals, Sponge

DeNami Design Simply Scallops Blog Hop

2011-01-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

Good morning! Welcome to the DeNami Simply Scallops Blog Hop! If you started from the beginning, you should have come here from Vera Yates' blog and you are right on track! If you didn't, no problem, you can head to the DeNami blog HERE and you'll see the whole list of participants! You will definitely want to visit and comment on EVERY blog in this hop because you could win a $20 DeNami Design Gift Certificate! Not only that, but they are giving away THREE of them - 1 to a participant, and 2 to people who comment along the hop!! :)

I have two cards to show you. The first one is a very CAS (Clean and Simple) card....
hence the SIMPLY Scallops Hop! The second one has more detail, but very few layers.
I used my Spellbinders Big Scalloped Circles Large Nesties for both. Love them!!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog for this hop!! Your next stop is

Annette Holleger.

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Elegant Floral Solid Flower, Elegant Floral Blossom, Three Line Border

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Kraft, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Mellow Moss

Ink: StazOn - Jet Black, SU - Chocolate Chip, Rich Razzleberry

Other: Love My Tapes - Brown Striped Adhesive Ribbon, Embossing Powder-Sparkle N Sprinkle Black, Spellbinders Big Scalloped Circles Large Nesties, Glitz Stickles - Sequins, Black Pearl Stickers - Recollections, Dimensionals

...Is This For Real?...

2011-01-07T21:50:00.001-06:00

Boy do I have some EXCITING news to share with you today! I still can't stop thinking about it, and probably won't stop for awhile! I bet you are curious now, huh?!

AFTER APPLYING FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2011 SPELLBINDERS DESIGN TEAM, I WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SECOND ROUND!! HOLY SMOKES!! I REALLY AM SHOCKED!

------> You can check out the whole list of fabulous ladies on the SB blog HERE <------

I of course submitted my project on the very last day, was very happy with it, and thought to myself,

"I want this SOOO bad, but I will be happy just making it past the first round". I am just ecstatic!

Now I want to go ALL THE WAY! So I have to submit a second project, and my mind is just working overtime thinking of ideas. Can't wait to create again :-)

I hope to be back here with another post sharing more good news in the near future....wish me luck!

Paper Therapy Challenge #14 - CASE Card

2011-01-03T08:00:00.002-06:00

Hello all my blogging buddies! I have the next challenge over at Paper Therapy to show you today. Kristin was kind enough to give the design team a break last week so we could focus on the holiday and our families. I hope EVERYONE had a wonderful Christmas and a VERY Happy New Year's Celebration!! Dave and I had a really nice time with our families. Lots of good food, gifts, and quality family time :-)

This week is a really fun challenge and a way to showcase your favorite craft artists. The challenge is to CASE (Copy And Save Everything) a project from your favorite blogger and share it with us. Be sure to include the name of the original artist and leave a direct link of where we can see the original project.

I chose to CASE a card by Maile Belles. Here is the LINK to her original. I really love Maile's clean and simple style. I think the layouts she creates are just so unique. The concept of "Less is More" really works to her advantage! I chose to make a New Years card, and just had to break out the Almost Amethyst cardstock for this one. One of my favorite stamps is DeNami's Decorative Flourish, so I used it to create the background design. I think it ended up working out perfectly for this card...it kinda reminds me of confetti...great for a New Years celebration!! I used a Spellbinders Nestability for the sentiment, which is stamped in silver ink. The stars were stamped in silver as well, and cut out and popped up with dimensionals. The finishing touches are the black and white twine and the purple buttons! This was such a fun card to make....I am really happy with how this one turned out. What about you? I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami Design - Decorative Flourish, Stampin' Up! - Happy: Polka Dots & Paisley; 2011: Short Order Numbers; Larger Stars: Love it; Small Star: A to Z Accents

Cardstock: SU - Basic Black, Almost Amethyst

Ink: StazOn - Jet Black, Tsukineko - Starlite Silver

Other: Nesties, Buttons, Twine, Black Marker, Dimensionals

5...4...3...2...1...

2010-12-31T18:19:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year's Eve! I have one last post to share with you before 2010 comes to a close and we ring in the new year! Over on PSA's blog HERE, there is an Inspirational Photo of the Week -- you'll see it on the right side at the top of the blog. This week is a pair of champagne glasses. I really had fun creating this card! It's something I would probably never create just on my own without a photo to inspire me!! I drew the shape of the glass, colored it with a Zig Emboss Writer pen, then heat embossed the gold part. I added Star Dust Stickles to the top for the foam. Then cut out the shape and adhered to the cardstock with dimensionals. I used the 'celebrate' stamp several times to form the stem of the glass. For added bling, I put more gold EP to frame the card!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I wish you and your family a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR ahead! I will be back on Monday with another New Year's card for the next Paper Therapy Challenge!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami Design - Petit Fours Party Time (the bursts); Stampin' Up! - Everyday Flexible Phrases (celebrate)

Cardstock: SU - Very Vanilla, Basic Black, So Saffron

Ink: Sweet Stamps - White Dye inkpad

Other: PK Glitz - Honey EP Max; Stickles - Star Dust; Zig Emboss Writer pen, Dimensionals

Paper Therapy Challenge #12 - Christmas!

2010-12-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

Hello....it's the last Monday before Christmas! WOWZERS! Time never really slows down, does it?!? Well, I hope you have all your Christmas shopping done and wrapped (my shopping is done...still need to wrap!) so you can enjoy the final days before the BIG day.
This week at Paper Therapy, the challenge is to make a Christmas project. I made a CAS card for this one. I just love that patterned paper! I used a shimmery paper for the embossed leaves, and finished it with some PTI ribbon and the 'be merry' sentiment. Thanks for visiting today...I know it's a busy time so I appreciate you spending a few minutes with me! If I don't get a chance to post anything else before the holiday....I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS with all your families and friends!


Just have to mention my husband took this picture for me. He put the card in our Christmas tree for an extra festive look. He did a great job, huh?! Love those lights in the background!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Warm Words

Patterned Paper: Cloud9 Design Paper Pad - Harvest Holiday, Cream Paper - Unknown

Other: PTI Spring Moss Ribbon

Paper Therapy Challenge #11 - Snowflakes!

2010-12-13T09:38:00.001-06:00

Good morning and welcome to another challenge at Paper Therapy. If you are not familiar with Paper Therapy, it's an online forum for card makers and scrapbookers to share their work, chat about crafting and life in general. There are also swaps and challenges too! Every Monday there is a new challenge posted in the forum HERE. You have until the following Saturday night to upload your project based on that week's challenge. The first challenge of every month will receive a prize and a blinkie. We would love to have you play along! It's a very fun community of crafters!

This week is very simple -- make a project with a snowflake on it! I wanted to change it up a bit this time around, so I decided to make a paper snowflake! I found this tutorial online, and tweaked it to be my own. I had some Stampin' Up! double-sided DSP, so I thought it would look great for this project! It was pretty simple to do -- you just have to plan ahead. I ended up waiting to unravel the paper from the pens after two nights of it being wrapped just because I didn't get a chance to finish it before then. I think it worked out good because the paper is still pretty curly. I think this would be a great project to do with your kids (if you have any, lol!). I think I will be hanging it on a doorknob at my house.
Thanks for popping in! Have a great week everyone!

Supplies:

Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up!

Accents: Colorbok - Clear Rhinestone; SU - 1.25" Circle Punch, Embroidery Floss

Other: Glue or tape runner, stapler, 6 pens, scotch tape

Triple Challenge Day

2010-12-12T13:48:00.000-06:00

Hello! I've got another Christmas card to share with you today! I combined three different challenges: DeNami Product Challenge - Punches, Sweet Sunday Sketch, and The Color Dare #88 - Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, and Neutral of Choice. It's a pretty simple card. I just HAD to add some red Stickles to give it some bling ;-) It's so great of you to stop by! Let me know what you think of my card!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami Design - Decorative Flourish, Three Line Border; SU - Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: SU - Real Red, Old Olive, Naturals Ivory

Ink: SU - Real Red, Mellow Moss

Other: EK Success Edger Punch - Daisy Scallop, Stickles - Xmas Red, Dimensionals

Wee Memories Holiday Music Inspiration & PPA Challenges

2010-12-10T17:37:00.018-06:00

Friday is HERE!!!! I am so happy the weekend is about to begin...I have another extended weekend and I am SOOOO glad! Work has been rough lately, so it will be nice to have some extra relaxing craft time...and of course finish my Christmas shopping! :-)

Today I have a card to share with you for both the Wee Memories Holiday Music Inspiration Challenge and the Pals Paper Arts Fashion Inspiration Challenge. I thought it was so clever to use a holiday song as the inspiration for a card! I had a bunch of ideas for it, and ended up with the card below, using White Christmas as the inspiration--perfect for the 'winter whites' in the PPA photo. I absolutely LOVE color, so an all white card for me is quite a change! But, I really love it! As you all probably know, pictures sometimes just don't do the card justice....especially in this case. I added Stickles to select areas of the embossed design (click on picture to see more detail), but it sure doesn't show the fun intensity of the *sparkle* that appears in bright light. It reminds me of fresh fluffy snow when it first falls. DeNami Design is sponsoring the Wee Memories challenge, so if you participate, you'll have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate! There is a mystery prize for the PPA challenge, so you might want to check that one out too! I want to thank you for visiting my blog, and I would love to hear your thoughts about my creation for these challenges. Have a great weekend everyone!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Christmas Script

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Whisper White

Ink: Tsukineko Pigment Ink - Starlite Silver

Ribbon: Unknown (from a wedding favor!)

Other: Embossing Folder -Sizzix Textured Impressions Damask #3, Stampin' Up! Corner Rounder Punch, Silver Cord - SU, Stickles - Star Dust

Paper Therapy Challenge #10 - Sketch

2010-12-06T09:34:00.000-06:00

Good morning and a Happy Monday to all of you! This week is a sketch challenge over at Paper Therapy. Use the sketch below to create a card or a tag for a scrapbook layout!

Here's my result of the sketch challenge. I needed a male birthday card, so I used my new stack of s.e.i. Black Orchid papers for this card -- so fun! I added some white ink around the edge of the large teal piece in the background, added a button with some baker's twine for an added accent, and used dimensionals to pop up the Happy Birthday oval.

I am really glad you made your way to my blog today! It's always so great to have visitors ;-)
Make sure to visit again later in the week....I will be posting a Christmas card!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! -Warmest Regards

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Certainly Celery
Patterned Paper: s.e.i. Black Orchid

Ink: Staz-On - jet black, Sweet Stamps - White Dye

Ribbon: SU- Black grosgrain

Other: Button - DeNami Design, Twine - Divine Twine, Marvy Uchida 1.5" circle punch, Nesties: Classic Ovals Large, Dimensionals

Paper Therapy Challenge #9 - Buttons and Bows

2010-11-29T08:45:00.013-06:00

Hello and welcome to another Paper Therapy challenge! I hope you all had a great long holiday weekend! If you are not familiar with Paper Therapy, it's an online forum for card makers and scrapbookers to share their work, chat about crafting and life in general. There are also swaps and challenges too! Every Monday there is a new challenge posted in the forum HERE. You have until the following Saturday night to upload your project based on that week's challenge. The first challenge of every month will receive a prize and a blinkie. We would love to have you play along! It's a very fun community of crafters!

This week's challenge is to create a project using a button AND a bow/knot. I chose to make a birthday card since birthdays are the cards I need/use the most! I really love how this one turned out...do you?! I recently got a pack of patterned paper that is so yummy - such great colors! So I decided to use it on this card. I found a butterfly stamp from my 'early' stamping days to use as well...seems like a good match to the paper. I finished it off with some PTI ribbon, a DeNami button, and some thin SU brown ribbon. I hope you like my creation and I'm so glad you stopped by today! :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Sincere Salutations, Rubber Stampede - Small Butterfly

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, (green is unknown)
Butterfly Patterned Paper: the Paper Studio - Poteeka Souffle

Ink: SU - Regal Rose, Always Artichoke

Ribbon: PTI Berry Sorbet, SU Ribbon Originals - Seaside

Other: Button - DeNami Design, Nesties: Labels Four, Classic Ovals Large, Paper Piercer, Sponge

Papertrey November Blog Hop Challenge

2010-11-25T09:44:00.002-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

I hope you are having a WONDERFUL
day with family and friends.

Today I have a project to share with you that is for the Papertrey November Blog Hop. The challenge this time is to design a holiday tag or two (you must use at least one PTI product). Sooooo....here is my tag! I used one stamp from the Giga Guide Lines stamp set that resembled a snowflake. I randomly stamped and embossed it on the base with Silver Pearl EP. I also embossed the image using Burgundy EP Max as the focal point. Add a scalloped circle behind it, a pleated ribbon, and some silver cord, and you have yourself a pretty tag! Ok ok...I admit it. I am smitten with this tag!!! I'm pretty new to making tags and now I can tell you that I will definitely be making MORE of these soon! I had so much fun making this! Yippeeeee!

Thank you for stopping by! I love receiving comments so please be kind and let me know what you think about my creation. If you like my work, I also encourage you to become a follower ;-) Have a great holiday weekend! *Click on photos for a larger view*

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Giga Guide Lines

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Confetti White, Purely Pomegranate

Embossing Powders: Sparkle N Sprinkle - Silver Pearl, PK Glitz - EP Max Burgundy

Other: Ribbon - PTI Raspberry Fizz, SU Silver Cord, Nesties - Standard Circles Small, Big Scalloped Circles Large, Labels Eight, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Crop-o-dile

Paper Therapy Challenge #8 - It's a Guy Thing!

2010-11-22T08:30:00.003-06:00

Hello and welcome to another Paper Therapy challenge! If you are not familiar with Paper Therapy, it's an online forum for card makers and scrapbookers to share their work, chat about crafting and life in general. There are also swaps and challenges too! Every Monday there is a new challenge posted in the forum HERE. You have until the following Saturday night to upload your project based on that week's challenge. The first challenge of every month will receive a prize and a blinkie. We would love to have you play along! It's a very fun community of crafters!

This week you must create a project for a guy (child or adult). I am a girly girl and love making cards with flowers and cutesy stuff, so sometimes it IS quite a challenge to come up with a card for a guy. I have recently done some dry embossing because I finally got the right plates to use my Cuttlebug folders in my Spellbinders Wizard. So I wanted to play with the Tiny Mosaic folder. I love how much texture that embossing brings to cards. Makes it so interesting, in my opinion. Ok, so here's what I did on this. I stamped a large background stamp on a piece of vanilla cs with distress ink. It is kind of a blurry/abstract stamp, and with the ink, it just kinda looked like a mess, lol! After that, I embossed it. Then I took an ink applicator and applied cool caribbean ink and the distress ink in random places, while still letting the vanilla cardstock show through in some areas. Very fun technique! I really liked doing this. Very easy, and the possibilities are endless with multiple colors, different embossing folders, etc! For the sentiment on the oval nestie, I used the ink applicator to add just a little color on the inside edge of the embossed oval. Also added a touch of the chocolate chip ink on the outer edge of the oval. It's a simple design, but can be adapted for any occasion or recipient. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Supplies:

Stamp: Stampin' Up - Eat Cake

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, (other is unknown)
Ink: SU Cool Carribean, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Tea Dye, SU Chocolate Chip

Other: Nesties Classic Ovals Large, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Tiny Mosaic, Ink Applicator, SU Corner Rounder, SU - Twine

Paper Therapy Challenge #7 - Thank You

2010-11-15T10:20:00.001-06:00

Good morning everyone! Today is a day for another challenge over at Paper Therapy. Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, the challenge this time is to make a Thank You card or a "What I am Thankful For" Layout. We would LOVE for you to participate with us over at Paper Therapy. You have until Sat night, Nov 20th to upload your project to this thread.

I just LOVE how this card turned out! The patterned paper is so fun and colorful, and I love the embossed pattern. I tried to make a fall themed card with the colors. Thanks so much for stopping by, and like always....I would love to hear your feedback!!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up - Noteworthy, Carte Postale

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Perfect Plum, Marigold Morning, (others are unknown)
Patterned Paper: Cloud9 Design Paper Pad - Harvest Holiday
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum

Other: Nesties Labels Eight, Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Texture Fades - Regal Flourishes, Button - Stemma, Green Fiber - Adornaments by EK Success, SU - Twine, Dimensionals, Sponge

DeNami Christmas Blog Hop

2010-11-14T10:00:00.016-06:00

Good morning bloggers!! I am very excited to be a part of another blog hop with DeNami Design! It's one of my FAVORITE stamp companies. If you are not familiar with them, you MUST check out their website and blog for adorable stamps and lots of card ideas! While commenting on the projects along the hop, you have the opportunity to win a DeNami gift certificate...so be sure to start at the beginning of the hop HERE to get the details! If you already have, then you should have come from the very talented Wendy Elliot's blog. I'm so excited to have you!

I chose to do something a bit different than my usual 5.5" x 4.25" card size. I picked a square shape because the Elegant Floral Circle stamp I used is so beautiful that I wanted it to be the main focus of my card, and I felt that the best way to showcase it would be on a square card. It's a very simple design, but I think elegant too! This was such a fun card to make. It's the first time I used Copic markers too! I just had to buy some red and green colors to try with this stamp. I also added some red and green Stickles to the image for that finished *sparkly* look. Oh, and a few rhinestones too! I hope this card has brought some Christmas inspiration for you. If you haven't started thinking about your Christmas cards yet, this is the time to do it! It's creeping up on us so quickly!!! Gotta get my butt in gear and start crankin' on mine -- LOL!

In this close up, you can see the *sparkle* better around the edges of the flowers and leaves.

Your next stop along the hop is Amy Smidebush. Be sure to hop on over and leave her a comment on her creation! Have fun!!!

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Elegant Floral Circle

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla
Ink: SU Chocolate Chip

Other: Nesties Labels Nine, Copic Markers, Stickles - Xmas Red, Green, Cuttlebug Embossing Borders - Just My Type, Paper Piercer, Rhinestones - Colorbok

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #164

2010-11-13T15:16:00.002-06:00

Happy Saturday! Today I have a quick post to share with you. For the first time, I decided to participate in the Mojo Monday challenge! The sketch this week is really great. Today is my husband's birthday, so I used the sketch to create a card for him. I hope it's masculine enough! I finally used some of my Papertrey Ink stamps I bought over the summer. I just love the Giga Guide Lines set. You will probably see more cards using this set soon! I'm thinking of making some Christmas cards with it.
I hope you like what I created! If you are new to my blog and like my work, I would love more followers! ;-) Be sure to stop by again tomorrow (Sunday) for the awesome DeNami Christmas Blog Hop!!! There are 22 designers this time, so you will surely get a good dose of Christmas inspiration!!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Giga Guide Lines

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Basic Black, Whisper White
Patterned Paper: Me & My Big Ideas - Black and White Free Spirit Specialty CS

Ink: Staz-on - Black, Brilliance - Starlite Silver

Other: Ribbon - SU Black Grosgrain, Nesties - Standard Circles Small, Classic Squares Small

Paper Therapy Challenge #6 - Ad Inspired

2010-11-08T09:17:00.001-06:00

Good morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend! It's time for another challenge over at Paper Therapy! This time it's an Ad Inspired challenge. Make a project based off of the inspiration you’ve gotten from the ad pictured above. Isn't it such a unique and interesting ad?! I sure spent a lot of time just studying it to see how I wanted to use it as inspiration for my card. And here's what I did! I'm pretty happy with it.

I used the brown color of the stockings, the black patent leather of the shoes, and the skin tone of the feet for my main layout. I tried to simulate the lines of the stockings by creating vertical lines with the embossing border (I had to run it through the machine 5 times since it was just a single squiggly line). I wanted to create the same shiny look from the shoes, so I took a piece of black cardstock, and embossed the whole thing with clear embossing powder. There must have been some pieces of white ep mixed in with the clear because you can see the little speckles in it, lol! Oh well....I think it gives it some extra character. I punched out a black scalloped circle and made a cut to the center where each scallop is. Then layered a prima flower, a button from DeNami Design, and finished it off with some black thread. I also added a touch of distress ink to the edges of the creamy caramel and vanilla cardstock. I hope you like my creation! I would love to hear any feedback you may have for me! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Small Script

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Creamy Caramel, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Kraft

Ink: Staz-on - Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Tea Dye

Other: Orange Prima Flower, Button - Denami, Black Thread - Magic Scraps, Marvy Uchida Round Scalloped Punch, Rhinestones - Colorbok, Cuttlebug Embossing Borders - Just My Type

CASE Study Challenge #13 - CSC13

2010-11-07T20:42:00.001-06:00

I decided to participate in the CASE Study Challenge #13 this week for the first time. I've seen a few of the previous challenges, and the design team has SUCH wonderful work. I'm excited to join along this time! I needed a card for a baby shower I attended today, so this is what I did for the challenge. Simple, but I'm happy with how it turned out. The couple is having a girl, so of course I had to go the pink route! I would love to hear your comments! If you enjoy my work, I also encourage you to become a follower! THANKS SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Noteworthy, Bodacious Bouquet

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Blush Blossom
Patterned Paper: the Paper Studio - Poteeka Souffle

Ink: SU - Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink

Ribbon: American Crafts

Other: Prima Flower, BasicGrey Brad

Paper Therapy Challenge #5 - Holy Moly! (and SCS CC287)

2010-11-01T08:29:00.018-05:00

Good morning! Hope everyone had a great Halloween! This week's Paper Therapy challenge is a fun one! Holy Moly...you must create a project with a hole in it somewhere. How you choose to do it is up to you! I was excited about this challenge because I really haven't made many cards with a 'window' in the front, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try it out. I also used a previous SCS Color Challenge CC287 for the colors on this card. I kept it simple, and this is what I came up with. It's a little difficult to see where the window is, but the edge of the orange trim is where the hole is. The DeNami Design "BIRTHDAY WISHES" sentiment and balloons (which I masked) are stamped on white cs and layered on eggplant cs, then attached to the inside part of the card with dimensionals. To keep with the circular theme, I used another DeNami stamp Medium Double Circle, to create the pattern around the window. I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to help me out with that one! Luckily, I only had to do it once! At the bottom is a piece of eggplant cs, with thin strips of certainly celery and groovy grava layered on top. I used my Crop-o-dile to punch the small holes. I intended to use this as a male birthday card, but now I'm not sure. Would it be appropriate for a guy? Or do you think it's too girly?! Let me know what you think! Have a great week! :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Birthday Wishes Circle, Party Time Petit Fours Set, Medium Double Circle

Cardstock: SU - Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant, Groovy Guava, Whisper White
Ink: SU - Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant

Other: Nestabilities Standard Circles Small, Dimensionals, Crop-o-dile, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Paper Therapy Challenge #4 - Scraps

2010-10-25T08:05:00.001-05:00

Today kicks off the next challenge over at Paper Therapy! Dig out those cardstock and ribbon scraps and use them to create something beautiful! It can be anything, as long as you use only scraps (the base can be a full piece of cardstock). Check out the design team projects here in the Challenge #4 thread...there are some really great ways to use up your scraps! I encourage you to come participate in this challenge. You have until Saturday, October 30th at 11:59 CST to upload your project to the thread mentioned above. We would love to see what you can create with your scraps! Thanks for stopping in! Hope you visit again!!! :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampendous - Pearl Beadwork

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Elegant Eggplant

Ink: SU - Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry

Dies: SB Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large
Ribbon: SU - Rich Razzleberry dotted grosgrain

Other: Pink Pearls - Kaiser, White Pearl - Recollections

DeNami Design Theme Challenge #4

2010-10-24T16:34:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday! Today I have a card to share for the current DeNami Design Theme Challenge: CHRISTMAS!! I've been busy making Halloween cards lately, and haven't made Christmas cards yet...until now. I just can't even believe November is just around the corner.

Here is the card! I used the Curly Garland Border (one of my favorites because it's so versatile), and stamped it twice to form the shape of a Christmas tree. I have to give major credit to my Stamp-a-ma-jig for perfect alignment! ;) I used the little bursts from the Petit Fours Party Time set to be the tree topper...it's kinda hard to see because of the yellow color on the vanilla cardstock. At the bottom, I used the present from the same set. To add some more interest, I used red and green Stickles as ornaments, and gold for the topper and presents. The edge of the red cardstock was punched using my new EK Success edger punch called jewel. More bling was added to the edge with dots of green Stickles!

So what do you all think?! I would love to hear your feedback! I am thinking of doing something a bit different this year for my Christmas cards. I've always just designed one layout and sent everyone the same card. But I would love to play around and make 5 or 6 different ones to keep it interesting. I might even do another variation of this card. I'll be sure to post them all :-) ***SO GLAD YOU STOPPED BY!***

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami Design - Curly Garland Border, Petit Fours Party Time

Cardstock: SU - Kraft, Real Red, Handsome Hunter, Very Vanilla

Ink: SU - Real Red, Handsome Hunter

Other: EK Success Edger Punch - jewel, Stickles - Xmas Red, Green, & Golden Rod, Metallic Trim, Dimensionals

Paper Therapy Challenge #3 - Color

2010-10-18T09:56:00.003-05:00

It's time for another challenge over at Paper Therapy! This week is a color challenge. I love color challenges. I tend to use similar colors over and over again on my cards, so it's nice to be forced to change it up! I immediately thought of Halloween when I saw these colors. I've been having a great time creating Halloween cards the last few weeks.

So this is my card! I am sooooo excited about this one! I LOVE IT! hehe. It's different for me, and that's a good thing. I tried out a new technique I saw when I had watched a few videos about the SB Wizard. It's so easy and I think it has such an awesome look. See how the edge of the die cut shape is white, but there is color on the inside? Well, all you have to do is place the actual die on top of your cut shape, then use a sponge to add some ink to the inside edge of the shape!
The black and white paper in the center is part of a DCWV stack...with glitter! It's a little difficult to see in the pic, but it adds some nice detail. Also, the green cardstock is completely made of glitter! So fun! I finally got a chance to use that sharp black and white ribbon that I've had for probably a year. I love it! Anyway...you must check out the rest of the Paper Therapy design team projects HERE for this challenge! I'm telling you....they are AWESOME! We would LOVE to have you play along with this challenge! It's a perfect way to get a Halloween card done! Thanks for stopping by :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Stamin' Up - Holiday Best (Trick or Treat), Year after Year (Pumpkin)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie. DCWV (Latte CS Stack)

Patterned Paper: DCWV (The Glitter Stack)

Ink: Black Staz-on, SU - Only Orange, So Saffron

Dies: SB Nestabilities Labels Eight

Other: Brads - BasicGrey, Ribbon - Michael's, Sponge

Paper Therapy Challenge #2 - My First Stamp

2010-10-11T07:00:00.028-05:00

***If you're here for the DeNami Autumn Blog Hop, please scroll down to the previous post.***

Good morning! I hope everyone had a great weekend. It sure was unseasonably warm here in Chicagoland - in the mid '80s and full of sunshine! What a treat for October. I wore shorts and a t-shirt while watching the Bears game, lol! That's a rare sight! ;-)

It's time for the second weekly challenge over at Paper Therapy. Click here to see the challenge post and the design team's cards! Everyone did such a great job. This week is quite a unique challenge...to use the very first stamp you ever purchased on your project! Well, mine is a Thank You sentiment that I bought probably about 15-20 years ago while shopping with my step-mom! I remember being with her in the store, and I picked out the stamp so I could make my own Thank You cards for birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, etc. I also got one of those Colorbox rainbow ink pads, with like 5 different colors in it! Who knew that years later rubber stamping would be my passion and that I would still have it!!

This is a very simple card. The main Thank You is embossed with black EP, and the diecut is a Nestie. I stamped the black cardstock repeatedly with the sentiment, and embossed it with clear EP. For the red accents, I added the ribbon behind the diecut, and the brads in the corner.
Thanks for stopping by! Like always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Supplies:

Stamp: Rubber Stampede - "Thank You"

Cardstock: SU - Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: VersaMark

Ribbon: SU - Real Red Grosgrain

Other: Nestabilities Large Labels, Red Brads - unknown, Black EP, Clear EP

DeNami Autumn Blog Hop!

2010-10-10T10:00:00.086-05:00

Hello, good morning and Happy Sunday! I am so excited to be a part of the DeNami Autumn Blop Hop today...it's the first blog hop I've ever participated in! Woo Hoo!! If you've come here from Amy Smidebush's blog, then you're on the right track! If not, then you'll want to make sure you start at the beginning on the DeNami blog here, so you don't miss a thing! Leave a comment on EVERY blog in the hop, and you'll be eligible to win one of two $20 DeNami gift certificates. You have until Monday, October 11, 11:59 PST to leave your comments. Sweet deal, right?!

As the name suggests, this hop is all about Autumn. So I decided to use the ADORABLE Jack 'O Lantern Trio stamp as the main focus for this card. I just love that stamp. I used chalks to color them in...gives it such a nice, soft look. I also used the ZigZag Stitch Border around the edge of the brown cardstock using VersaMark. Lastly, the Flower Vine Swirl was stamped twice at the bottom for a little added detail. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope I have inspired you to go and do some Autumn stamping! Enjoy the rest of the hop. Your next stop is Tina Covington's blog.

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami Design - Jack 'O Lantern Trio, ZigZag Stitch Border, Flower Vine Swirl

Cardstock: SU - Really Rust, Creamy Caramel, More Mustard, Natural

Ink: SU - Chocolate Chip, VersaMark

Ribbon: BasicGrey

Other: Nestabilities Ovals, SU Eyelets and Button, Stampin' Pastels

Paper Therapy Challenge #1 - Sketch

2010-10-04T07:00:00.040-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend and were able to spend some time making cards for World Card Making Day.
Today is an exciting day. It's the first day of the weekly challenges over at Paper Therapy, and I'm proud to be a member of the design team. Yeah! This week happens to be a sketch challenge, and it's such a nice sketch, don't you think?! Kristin did a great job with it. We would LOVE to see what you can come up with for this challenge! There happens to be a prize for this one (the winner of the 1st challenge of every month gets a prize)! You have until this Saturday, Oct 9th at 11:59 pm (CST) to post a picture of your finished project as a reply to this week's challenge post.

Sooooooo...here's the sketch...

...and here's what I came up with!

I needed a card for my good friend Sara's baby shower. They don't know the baby's gender, therefore I had to make it neutral, so I used both blue and pink. I think it turned out so cute, what about you?

I would love to hear your feedback and comments, so feel free to do so!

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up - Year After Year, A to Z Accents

Cardstock: SU - Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Blue Patterned Paper: Colorbok
Ink: SU - Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue

Ribbon: American Crafts

Other: Nestabilities Standard Circles Small, EK Success Open Scallop Edger Punch, SU Brads, Sponge

DeNami Sketch Challenge 4

2010-09-30T22:15:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! Today I have a card for the DeNami Sketch Challenge 4, which you can find here. I really love this sketch that Sherry created. It's simple, but interesting at the same time! I decided to make a Halloween card because I haven't made any yet this year. And you know what? I actually haven't made ANY Halloween cards since 2006!!! I never really owned any Halloween stamps...but that changed when I bought this adorable Jack O'Lantern Trio stamp from DeNami Design at the CHA show this year! I just love it! It's so cute! I also don't have too many markers, so I don't do a whole lot of coloring in images. Maybe one of these days I will get a few Copics to start a collection. Uuhhhh...so many things I want to buy, buy, buy.....

I am very happy with how this turned out. The orange patterned paper is something I found in my stash that I had bought years ago. I don't have too many embellishments that match this color scheme, so I created my own by spelling out the words "BOO" and "EEK"! I used a small circle punch to make the green circles, stamped the letters on each one, and used purple Stickles to accent the edges. I also used dimensionals on each one to give them some extra oomph! Hope you like it. I would love to hear your feedback :) Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, and be sure to stop by again on Monday, Oct 4th. It's the first day of the new weekly Paper Therapy challenges! I will have my first Design Team card posted here on my blog, and on the Paper Therapy site. Come check it out! We'd love to have you participate! There will be a prize for this one ;-)

Supplies:

Stamps: DeNami - Jack O'Lantern Trio, EK Success Image Tree - Brush Alphabet

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Basic Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive

Patterned Paper: Unknown

Ink: Black Staz-on

Dies: SB Nestabilities Standard Circles Small, Big Scalloped Circles LG

Other: SU 1/2" Circle Punch, Lavender Stickles, Dimensionals

Announcement!!!

2010-09-26T22:29:00.001-05:00

Hello fellow bloggers and paper crafters! I have exciting news to share with you today! I am proud to announce that I've been chosen as a Paper Therapy Design Team member! If you aren't familiar with Paper Therapy, it is an online community where stampers and scrapbookers gather to discuss paper crafts and general, everyday life. There is a gallery section where you can upload pics of your projects, and starting Monday, October 4th, there will be a new challenge every week! The first challenge of every month will have a prize! Let me tell you...these are going to be fun challenges! And what I really like about it is that you can use any brand of product for these challenges, so anyone can participate.
If you haven't checked out the site yet, I encourage you to register (it's free). Just click the grey "SIGN UP" box at the very top of the page. Then introduce yourself in the "Intros" forum. I look forward to seeing you there!

Color Cue {8} and Cardabilities Challenges

2010-09-20T23:40:00.001-05:00

I needed an anniversary card for my in-laws, so I decided to combine the Color Cue {8} Challenge with the Cardabilities Challenge. I love how this card turned out! Perfect fall colors!
Isn't the patterned paper just gorgeous?! I couldn't believe how perfectly it matched the colors for the challenge, so of course I had to use it. The yellow vertical piece of cs is made with a stamp from the Double-Line Doodles SU set. I love my Frames with a Flourish SU set, but haven't used it all that much. I thought it was a nice complement to the patterned paper. Finally, the polka-dot ribbon ties it all together. Thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear your feedback! :-)

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up - Frames with a Flourish, Everyday Flexible Phrases, Double-Line Doodles

Cardstock: Stampin' Up - Whisper White, So Saffron, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive

Patterned Paper: Heidi Grace Designs

Ink: Stampin' Up - Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke

Ribbon: Joann's Papercrafting Ribbon

Other: Dimensionals

Embellish Magazine Color Challenge with Squares

2010-09-09T13:27:00.012-05:00

I've got a quick post today. This is my card for the Embellish Magazine Color Challenge with Squares. This is such a great color combination, I couldn't pass up submitting a card to the challenge! I punched out a few squares and decided to rotate them so they actually look like diamonds. I made this for my stepmom to cheer her up since she's been in a lot of pain lately due to a bulged disc in her lower back. Her favorite color is purple, so it worked out very nicely :-) Thanks for stopping by and as always, I'd love to hear your comments!

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin' Up -Doodle That, Around and About, Fun and Fast Notes

Cardstock: SU - Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Ink: SU - Perfect Plum, Basic Black

Ribbon: PTI - Spring Moss

Other: Nestabilities Labels One, SU 1 3/8" Square Punch, Stickles-Lavender, Dimensionals