Wishes to Spring......

I am sending my wishes to mother nature to bring on Spring!

Here is my card to her (LOL)

The image is called MotoDog.  Unfortunately, I have this image in my "summer" file and don't have the artists name listed (before I became artisit conscious) 

Doesn't this scene just scream SPRING at you!  LOL

The sentiment came along with the image, thus I don't know who wrote it either.... :(

Recipe:

Image and sentiment:  Unknown artist

Coloring:  Copic Markers

Flower border:  Memory Box Die

Border Punch:  Fiskar border punch

Die Cut:  Spellbinders die

Dragon Fly Die:  Magnolia DooHickey

DP:  DCWV photo stack

Stuff:  Glossy Accents, Sakura white gel pen. misc. cardstock pieces

Challenges:

Crafty Catz Weekly:  Punches and dies

Fussy and Fancy:  More than words

Sweet 'n Sassy:  Dogs and Cats

Wags 'n Whiskers:  Spring break (travel or spring, I chose spring)

CC Monthly Challenge:  Spring

Creative Craft World:  Spring

CCEE Stampers:  Create a spring scene

Do You Stack Up:  Things with wings

The SisterHood of Crafters:  Anything goes

Crazy Amigo Challenge:  Cartoon character

Creative Card Crew:  Humor

Creative Craft Challenge:  Boys will be Boys

Cup Cake Craft Challenge:  Boys and their toys

My Craft Spot:  Make us laugh

Paper Cupcakes:  Critters (use an animal)

The Crazy Challenge:  Anything goes

Kenny K's Krafty Girlz:  Spring Zing

The Craft Place:  Anything Goes



Candy winner

So, Rhonda has nicely let me know that she already had this stamp and has requested that I draw a new name to receive the stamp and embellishment goodies.
Random draw tells me that the new winner is......................

MacKenzie Pearce  of Crafting with Doodle.


Congratulations! 

:)  Gale

Congratulations to Ronda from BumbleBee Creations!

You are the winner of my little blog candy.

You will recieve the Fresh Brewed Designs stamp

'Cutie Pie Mermaid' along with some embellishment goodies to play with!

Thanks for all the wonderful comments.

:  )    Gale

FBD Blog Hopping (with candy)

The BIG MOMENT has arrived...

the one we have ALL BEEN WAITING for...

Fresh Brewed Designs FIRST Rubber Stamp Release for 2012!

And we are celebrating with a three day hop, so you will have until February 27th to get in on the fun!

If you are getting here from Stacy's blog, then you are right on track.

If not you will need to go back to the start of our hop at the blog of our very own Fresh Brewed Designs artist and designer, Heather.

She also has a lot of fun and useful information for you that you will NOT want to miss! So be sure to go back and start there.

We have been so excited about sharing these new stamps with you!

I chose to create with BOTH of our new stamps for my project!

First I used 'Crafty Girl' to may a birthday card for my best 'crafty' friend!

Happy Birthday Danna!

Inside I used this wonderful sentiment from Yolanda over at Just Yolie.  What a great way to say Happy Birthday to a friend who has the same paper addiction that I do!  LOL

Next I got out 'Work out Girl'.  Now, she is one tough chica! 

Her outfit is paper pieced with scraps.  Love to use those scraps!

Check out that flower DP.  If you buy both stamps, you will get some of this cardstock to play with!

CANDY ALERT! CANDY ALERT! CANDY ALERT!

One lucky person will win this rubber stamp!  (and a few little add-ons)
Cutie Pie Mermaid

This is one of the stamps from a Fresh Brewed Designs summer release.  I figure that since I am praying for warm weather and summer days, why not stamp for summer too!  LOL

To win this stamp. (I will mail anywhere the winner lives) is really easy.

Leave a comment here on this posting.

Follow this blog (but only if you want to!  LOL)

Have fun visiting all the blogs in our hop!  :)
I will pick a random winner on Tuesday.  Good Luck!

Heather is having a special deal on the NEW stamps and other goodies for this release.

You can get this special package for $20. That is a savings of $10!!!

You can only get this package for this price during the hop { last day is Feb. 27th}

Find out more about this deal in the shop HERE

It is now time for you to hop on over to the next hop stop at Yolanda's blog.

I am sure you are very eager and excited to see what she has created!

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Have a very HAPPY day!

: )  Gale

Here is the hop list in full in case you get lost.

Heather: http://joemamainks.blogspot.com/

Vanessa: http://vanessaspapercreations.blogspot.com/

Stacy: http://impressionsofaribbonaddict.blogspot.com/

Gale: http://galevarland.blogspot.com/

Yolanda: http://www.justyolie.com/

Celeste: http://www.touchedbyabutterfly.com/

Stacie: http://hestiashelper.blogspot.com/

Rhonda: http://bumblcreate.blogspot.com/

Linda: http://stamperstouch.blogspot.com/

Kenzie: http://kraftyhugzz.blogspot.com/

Sheryl: http://butterflykisscards.blogspot.com/

Recipe:

Images:  Rubber stamps from the February release for Fresh Brewed Designs

Sentiment:  From Yolanda at 'Just Yolie', Whimsey ticket stamps

Coloring:  Copic markers

DP:  American Craft Letterbox - Yours Ever

Die Cuts:  Spellbinders. Whimsey ticket die
Border Punch:  Fiskars

Stash:  Ribbon, brads, tickets, flowers and 1/2 pearls.  Crafty sparkles from OCL.

Challenges:
Card Makin' Mamas:  Happy Birthday (1st card)
Crafty Ann's Challenge:  Bold and bright (both cards)
Guylous's Inimitability:  Girly, girly (1st card)
Poodles Parlour:  Mothers day or for a female (both cards)
Delightful Challenges:  Patterned Paper (both cards)
MAWTT:  Lots of layers (card 2)
Paper Crafting Journey:  Make it Cute
SJ Paper Crafts:  Flower, bonus if it is red or pink (1st card)
Inky Impressions:  Bright colors, esp. yellow, pink and green (both, esp. card 2)
Crafty Sentiments:  Use 2 different DP (both cards )

Fire me, I forgot!

So, today is the start of the new challenge at Fresh Brewed Designs.  I remembered to make my card!  I remembered to post to the FBD blog.  I forgot to post to my own!  I think I need to be fired!  LOL

Actually, I had an amazingly horrible day at work yesterday and had nothing left when I came home.  I checked my email, had a drink (yep) and went to bed.  One of the few drawbacks of 12 hour shifts is that there isn't alot of time between them when they run 3 days in a row!  Gotta admit, the 4 days in a row off is pretty cush though!

On to the challenge..... Use 2 of something.  "Double it",  How easy is that!

Hop on over to Fresh Brewed Designs and check of the wonderful images that Heather has in the shop.  So many things to try out.

I chose to work with a stamp called 'Beach Bums'.   It started out as a joke as she obviously has

2 "cheeks" and would fit the challenge without adding anything else!  LOL

So, I have my 2 'cheeks', 2 sets of birds and 2 palm trees on this card.  Pretty easy challenge, makes for lots of fun time in the craft room.

The background is just inked with sponges.

Challenges:

Fresh Brewed Designs:  Double it!
Sassy Cheryl Challenge:  No embossing
Lollipop Crafts:  Anything goes

Recipe

Images:  Fresh Brewed Designs, Our Craft Lounge

Sentiment:  Our Craft Lounge

DP:  DCWV photo stack (sand paper)

Coloring:  Copic markers, Momento inks

From the stash:  some old kitchen twine, glossy accents

It's a sketch challenge

I found this sketch site (through another bloggers site) called iSpy Sketches.

Definitely not easy sketches, mind you!  This was a challenge and I loved doing it!

I can't wait to try another one.  Now, I just had to pick the image......Let me see......

whose images have I been playing with all month....hmmmm.  Oh well, here it is, another Mo Manning image.  They are just too cute.

Love the little banners in this sketch.  I haven't played with them much (if at all?)  and the sketch really made it easy to incorporate them into my card.

Challenges: 

iSpy Sketches:  check out the sketch on the blog

Crafty Boots Challenge:  Food glorious food. (does cotton candy count as food?)

Netty G's digital gems:  Your showcase (my coloring)

Crazy Challenge:  Dies or punches



Recipe:

Image:  Mo Manning

Coloring:  Copic Markers

Die cuts:  Spellbinders

Extras:  Sparkly Fluff from Our Craft Lounge, twine from The Twinery

From the stash:  DP is DCWV photo stack, cardstock, brads, eyelets.

It's a zoo....

It's officially a zoo over at GingerLoft Challenges!  Tami wants to see all your animal theme projects!

She has lots of animals in her digi shop.  Many are for sale and lots are free.  Just go in and look around.  The freebies are all mixed in.

I love the pandas that she has in the shop.  This one was just begging me to play with him!

Isn't he beautiful!  Really easy digi to work with.  Color the bamboo and a little shading around the image.  Then just embellish the card.  All of the papers here are from my stash! (bonus)

I think it ended up being a fairly elegant card.  The inside has a simple white panel with "Hello" for the sentiment in the center.

Challenges:

GingerLoft Challenges:  It's a zoo - animal theme
Hiding in my Craft Room:  Use glitter (striped glitter paper)
Card Crafters Circle:  To die for - die cuts that is
Hot Shot Craft Blog:  One for a boy
DYSU:  Layers
Paper Play Challenges:  Critter/s
Sarah Hurley Challenges:  Die Cuts

Recipe:

Image:  GingerLoft Designs

Stash:  Papers, Atiyou spica glitter pen

Coloring:  Copics

Die Cuts:  Spellbinders

Happy Valentine's Day

So, the challenge starting today on Fresh Brewed Designs is "Red Hot".

Easy.   It's valentines day, time to get a card done for DH.  Also easy!

TaDa!

Isn't this a great stamp.  Heather really rocks the coffee chicks in her digis and stamps!

Paper pieced the dress with a tiny snip of glittery red paper that I found in the bottom of my stash pile.

Obviously, I added a handwritten sentiment on the inside......no need to bore

you with that!  LOL

I hope that everyone had a great Valentine's Day!

Challenges:

Whimsical Designs:  Red, white and one other color (black)

The Sisterhood of Craft:  Valentines day

Celebrate the Occasion:  Valentines, mush use a heart

Crafty Sentiments:  Love

Crazy Amigo:  Hearts

Die Cuttin Divas:  Use at least 2 of these colors-Red, white, pink and black

Scrap Creations:  Layers

Papertake Weekly:  Black, white and red all over

CPS:  Sketch

Recipe:

Image:  Fresh Brewed Designs

Colors:  Copic Markers

Embossing:  CB hearts folder

Punches and dies:  Fiskars heart border punch, Spellbinders square die

Stash:  DP, Neenah solar white paper, black mirrored paper, Sakura clear star glitter pen.

Everything is Groovy - It's a Really Rad Blog Hop

Hey! Here's the skinny. Fresh Brewed Designs has been preparing something totally funkadelic. I mean, it is RAD man. I am totally diggin' it and know you will too. First, you have to make sure you aint trippin and are starting at the right pad. Your first stop is at Heather's Coffee Break. If you are getting here from Celeste's blog then you are right on track man!

We have all been so stoked about this hop! The team and our jive guests have created some projects that are out of site! I mean they are totally off the hook bro! So get down and boogie with us.. feel tha funk and get ready for some total SWEETNESS

Now I got to play with this really hip image from Heather.

Add some flowers and some really funky colors and you have a perfectly groovy card.

And, if that wasn't enough.....I played again.  The same image, some new funky colors and some tripping swirls all on a gate-fold card to brighten up someones day!

Go inside and the brilliant stripes jump out to get you!

After all,   It's All Groovy!

Far Out right?
It is time to take this party to the next stop. Boogie on down to Linda's blog and check out her hip to the groove creations. Be sure to leave a bit of love (a comment) on each hop stop for your chance to win all of the digis released today!

Peace Man! I will catch you on the flip side!

: ) Gale

Here is the WAY COOL hop order:
Heather: http://joemamainks.blogspot.com/
Celeste: http://www.touchedbyabutterfly.com/
Gale: http://galevarland.blogspot.com/
Linda: http://stamperstouch.blogspot.com/
Stacie: http://hestiashelper.blogspot.com/
Rhonda: http://bumblcreate.blogspot.com/
Yolanda: http://www.justyolie.com/
Stacy: http://impressionsofaribbonaddict.blogspot.com/

Kenzie: http://kraftyhugzz.blogspot.com/
Vanessa: http://vanessaspapercreations.blogspot.com/
Sheryl: http://butterflykisscards.blogspot.com/

Recipe:

Image:  Fresh Brewed Designs

Coloring:  Copic Markerss

Twine:  The Twinery

Stash:  Cardstock, DP, buttons, brad and ribbon

Sentiment:  Hand written and doodling

Die Cut:  Spellbinders

Dry Embossing:  Cuttlebug Divine Swirls folder

MMM means more Mo Manning!

Just can't get enough of these adorable images.  Although I have shown you a few, I have not shown you the number of each image that I have colored!  LOL    Good thing for you I think!

This is another one of the child images from Mo's large collection of art.

And guess what, you get to see 2 different versions of coloring!  HA!

and inside.......

Version 2, trying for a more male version here.

and inside #2....

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Pink Gem Challenge:  Fairies

Send a Smile 4 a Kid:  Anything goes for a kid

Alphabet Challenge:  A is for animal

Fairy Tale Challenge:  Love, love, love (2nd card)

Hot Shot Craft:  One for the boys (2nd card)

Charisma Cardz Challenge:  Things with Wings

Crafty Ribbons Challenge:  One for the boys (2nd card)

MAWTT:  Cute Critters

Paper Crafting Journey:  Fairies or angels

Crafts and Me:  Use a new image

Crafty Creations:  Swirly whirly (flourish)

Creative Card Crew:  Fantasy Creatures

My Time to Craft:  A is for Adorable

Polly Craft Challenge:  Chill Out

The Crazy Challenge:  Fairies

Truly Madly Crafty Challenge:  Ribbon and bling (1st card)

 

Recipe:

Image:  Mo Manning

Main die cuts:  Spellbinders

Flourish die cut:  Marianne's dies

Coloring:  Copic Markers

Stamping:  Memento ink and Ranger distress inks

Sentiments:  1st card - unknown, 2nd card Our Craft Lounge

DP:  DCWV photo stack

Extras:  Atyou gel pen, clear star.  CB embossing folder, bubbles.  Glossy accents.

Stash:  Ribbon, cardstock, charms

: )  Gale

Love you a Latte

New challenge over on Fresh Brewed Designs today!  It is a photo inspiration.



Doesn't that look just yummy!

It also made for a really easy choice of images from FBD!  I had to used the

cupcakes digi called 'Heart Cake' and a new to me digi called 'Coffee talk'.  Apparently it is one of Heather's first digi's, don't know how I missed it!

Since she is sitting, I just HAD to make another 'shop front' card.  Looks like she is sitting outside the shop window.  She is enjoying her caffeine and trying really hard not to order one of those beautiful giant cupcakes! (as I am typing this, I realized how far off my scale is! Or, maybe I just think all cupcakes should be bigger than my head!! LOL)

Coffee talk girl was colored, cut out and placed in front of the store with dimensionals.

Inside is a sentiment, also from FBD.

Love these store front cards.  There is a tutorial for making this style card here

on my blog.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Fresh Brewed Designs:  Photo inspiration

Crafts & Me Challenge:  Use a new image (coffee talk girl)

Digi Stamps 4 Joy:  Love

Diva's by Design:  Love

Fab n' Funky:  Love is in the air

My Mums Craft Shop:  Love

The Sisterhood of Crafters:  Valentine

Digital Tuesday Challenge:  Red or pink. (I did both)

TSB Challenge:  Valentine

Crafty Boots Challenge:  Valentine

CupCake Craft Challenge:  Pink and Red

Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge:  Valentine

iCopic:  Hearts and copic markers (Yahoo!)

The Shabby Tea Room:  Candy hearts (use food theme and hearts)

Crafting When We Can:  Valentine/Love

Dream Valley Challenges:  Valentine

Stampin Sisters in Christ:  Show some love

One Stitch at a Time:  Show some love

Two Sisters Challenge:  Red, pink and white

CMC Copic Challenge:  Colors of love

Crazy 4 Challenges:  Make a scene

Drunken Stampers:  Use something new (coffee talk girl image)

Hiding in my Craft Room:  Red, pink and white

 

: ) Gale

Recipe:

Images:  Fresh Brewed Designs, Coffee Talk and Heart Cake

Sentiment:  Fresh Brewed Designs

Papers: Xpress Blending card, Martha Stewart Valentine holiday pack, Neenah solar white and

DCWV Luxury pack

Ink:  Memento, spun sugar (on inside sentiment)

Stash:  Ribbon, red card stock

Accessories:  Copic Markers, SU work punch, Spellbinders fancy tags, Sakura clear star glitter pen and clear glaze pen.  Crystal hearts from Crystal Stickers, Fiskars border punch and half-pearls from Creative Charms.

(Thanks toTammie E.  I cased your actual blog to decide how to set up my web pages. )

           

Love

While we are all so interested in Valentines and Love, GingerLoft has jumped right into the middle of the bandwagon with their own challenge.  It runs for 2 weeks (as usual, LOL).

Whiile you don't have to use a GingerLoft digi to play, why not go check out the store and find the perfect image for this challenge!  Tami has great images that are just waiting to be colored.

I am playing with her 'Love postage stamp' today.

and inside.........

The postage stamp was printed out 4 times, each in a different color on X-press paper from copic.  The shading is done with copic markers.  No real coloring on this one! 

The twine is from The Twinery.

The heart button and ribbon is from my stash.

The DP is from a MS holiday pack.

The sentiment is from Create with TLC

: )  Gale

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

GingerLoft Challenges:  LOVE  (DT card)

2 Sisters Challenge:  Pink, Red, White

Digi Designs:  Valentines

One Stop Craft Challenge:  For the one I love

My Sheri Crafts:  Love is in the air, must use at least 2 hearts.

Annabelle Stamps:  Say it with hearts.

CardmadFairy:  Hearts

Crafty Ann's Challenge:  Love is in the air

Delicious Doodles:  All loved up

Fairy Tale Challenge:  Love, love, love

Fussy and Fancy:  Polka dots (back DP, red with pink polka dots)

Sweet n' Sassy:  Valentines Day (with a digi)

Bling it on:  Love

By the Cute and Girly:  Love is in the air

Cute Card Thursday:  Buttons and Bows

Digi Doodles Shop:  Love is in the air

MAWTT:  Have a heart

Shelly's Images:  All tied up

Love train coming through!

February 1, 2012.  Can you believe how fast January flew by!  LOL

Valentine's day will be here before you know it!  We had a great blog hop with Fresh Brewed Designs in mid January.  I decided that the love train needed to keep on chugging!

Heather designed this 'Oh so Cute' little train, pulling a wonderful car full of love just for the blog hop.  Since this wasn't my image to play with on the hop, I am back today and using it!

I added the great (and quite appropriate) sentiment on the inside.

Die cuts are from Spellbinders.  Border punch is Fiskar.

Coloring is copic markers.

Papers and ribbons are from my stash.

Sakura 'clear star' glitter pen on train wheels and tracks.

Go by FBD and join in the new monthly challenge "LOVE".

Also:

With a new month comes a new Special Brew at Fresh Brewed Designs. On Monday, February 6th, our darling little Cutie Pie in Clouds rubber stamp will be on sale for $3.95. If she sells out before the day is over, a new rubber stamp will replace her at that price! Fabulous! There's always something brewing at Fresh Brewed Designs.

Have a great rest of the week!

: )  Gale

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Cooking it up with Katie:  Hearts, punch, emboss

Creative Belli:  Valetine/hearts

Little Red Wagon:  Valentine/Love
Paper Pretties:  Ribbon or Twine
Truly Scrumptious:  Love/Valentine

Cotton Candy anyone?

Yet another image in my Mo Manning marathon!  Don't you just love it when you find an artist that does images that make to smile, and smile and smile.  These are those kinds of images!

This is a valentines card for a 'sweet' little girl that I know. (I only have boys)

Gorgeous outside today.  Took this picture out on my table on the deck.  Could figure out why all the photos had those shadings on the white.  It'ss the crinkly glass on the table. LOL  Oh well, you will just have to trust me that it is just plain Neenah solar white paper, smooth!

The DP is from my stash.

The butterfly is a Die-namics stacking die set.

Twine from The Twinery.

Sentiment from Meljens Design.
There is cotton candy Sparkly Fluff from OCL on the cotton candy.  Doh!

The stick on half pearls are from Creative Charms (won them in a blog hop!)

The die cut around the sentiment and along the edge of the image are from Spellbinders

Colored with Copic Markers, edges distressed and some paper piercing in the corners finish it off!

I got the idea for the coloring, "Pink, Green and a pop of Purple, Pierce and Distress" from a challenge that I found on line at Joan's Gardens  and thought it would be perfect for this card.  She also has one of the most complete grouping of dies available for purchase that I have seen anywhere.  Alot of dies that I haven't found elsewhere or had to order from the UK (with ridiculous shipping fees!)

Have a "SWEET" weekend.

: )  Gale

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Joan's Garden: Pink, green and pop of purple (shirt and butterfly).  Must pierce and distress.
Craft Your Days Away:  Distressing
Drunken Stampers:  Use something new (Wonderful new digi!)
Mark's Finest Papers:  Layers, at least 4
My Sheri Crafts:  Use something new (Mo Manning digi)
Send a Smile 4 Kids:  Anything goes for a kid
Card Crafters Circle:  Friendship
Crafty Ann's Challenge:  Use something new (Mo Manning digi)
Sweet and Sassy Digi challenge:  Dessert/Sweet (I'd say I have both of these covered!  LOL)
Mo's Digital Pencil:  All my favorite things (copics, dies, these Mo Manning images!)
Color Create Challenge:  Pink and Green


Card Makin Mamas:  Use something old (everything but the digi is at least a year old)

More Mo Manning!

Back for another post with another amazing Mo Manning image!

I got so many projects done on Saturday during my all day session of Playing with Paper!

This is just one of several to come.

This is just how I feel about my computer sometimes.  I just can't seem to put it down!  LOL

I colored her with copic markers.  She was die cut using 'out of the box' method and a Spellbinders die.  The heart puch is also a Spellbinder border die.  The DP and the pearls are from my stash.  The ribbon is some more of the ribbon I stole from Danna (shhh........).

On the inside,

All the same stuff plus this wonderful sentiment that I got from Bethany at

Elegant Word Art.   She has a wonderful blog that tells all the stories of her life and that of her family.  At the end of every daily post, she has a wonderful freebie word art posted. 

You can also go to her store and her work art packs are their for the purchase.

Back in a day or two with another project from my Saturday of playtime!

:)  Gale

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Whimsey Stamps Challenge:  Pearls or bling

My Time to Craft:  Favorite embellishment (ribbon)

Oldie but a Goodie:  Have a heart (DP is at least 3 years old)

Brrr.......It's cold outside

Apparently Mr. Blogger was not playing nice this morning.  I am sorry for the late posting on this card.

BRRRRR.................It's cold outside! 

Fresh Brewed Designs is starting it's new challenge today and this is the topic!

So easy with one of the cute digital or stamp images from Heather at Fresh Brewed Designs.

I made my card using 'Winter Giraffe' (I call him Geoffrey).  I doubled up my image for this card.

This card is colored with copic markers.  The border punch on the inside is a MS snowflake punch.

The sentiment on the outside is from Our Craft Lounge.  The one on the inside is computer generated.  The ribbons, brads and pearls are all from my stash.

I used sparkly fluff from OCL on both of the hats.

Be sure to be checking on the Fresh Brewed Designs blog for a special price on a special stamp!  It will be the 'shop special' for Feburary and I just know you will love it!

: )  Gale

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Fresh Brewed Designs:  BRRRR..........It's cold outside (DT card)