Sunday, January 30, 2011

Pay it Forward

Have you watched the movie 'Pay it Forward'?   Well, crafters have taken up the call.  I have seen several sites and responded on one (to start with) to Pay it Forward.  The rules are simple.  The first 5 people to sign up in the comment section of my blog will receive one handmade card from me this year.  They will also copy to pic posted below and post on their blog about this 'challenge'.  They, in turn, will also forward something that they make to their first 5 responders, and so on.

My posting is in response to accepting the challenge from Scrappy at It's a Scrappy World.
Check out her blog, she has some wonderful art on it for all to see.  And, please join in to "Pay it Forward".

Friday, January 28, 2011

Do I hear SKETCH CHALLENGE - at the Lounge

Our Craft Lounge is doing their Friday thing!  This week is a sketch challenge.  Easy as pie (or watermelon)!
Here is my read on the sketch.
Use an OCL stamp set, follow the sketch and load it up.  A free stamp set from OCL goes to the lucky random winner.

Image & sentiment:  Our Craft Lounge 'Life's a Picnic
Die Cuts:  Spellbinders
DP:  DCWV
Coloring:  Copic Markers
Ribbon, twine & bling:  from my stash

This card may be entered in the following challenges:
Our Craft Lounge:  Sketch
Everybody Art Challenge:  Do what you love (coloring with copics)
OLLCB:  Three of something (pearls)
Simon Says Stamp:  Animal Antics
Stamps R Us:  Animal
One Stitch at a Time:  As you Like It.
The Sisterhood of Crafters:  Anything Goes
PaperPlay Challenges:  Layer it up
The Res-Q-Challenge:  In a Line (my ribbon, the pearls)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

My 2nd baby card It's a Girl!

My neighbors son and his wife are having a girl!  Lynsay is 30 wks along (and looks great).  The baby shower is this weekend, so, I decided not to procrastinate any longer and got onto making the baby card.  The first one that I ever did is posted here and even won an award for it from the blog "Raise the Bar".   How cool is that!  LOL. 
So this is my second entrance into baby card making.
and the inside..........

Isn't that baby image just too cute?  The feet, right hand and pacifier are all printed twice and pop-dotted up for dimension.  I just got a Bow-Easy (wow is all I can say).  This beautiful bow took about 10 seconds to make using the bow-easy.  I even figured out how to run the ribbon through the bow when tying it to use for fastening around the cardstock.  Easy-peasy!
Image:  Bugaboo Digital Images
Sentiment:  Bugaboo
Coloring:  Copic Markers
DP, ribbon & bling:  from my stash
Die Cuts:  Spellbinder nesties
This card may be entered in the following challenges:
Alphabet Challenge Blog:  L is for Ladies  (little lady here, lol)
Do it with Digis:  Pink and Girly
Do You Stack Up:  Think Pink
Raise the Bar:  NEW (nestie, embellishment, white)
Stamp Something:  Cute something
The Crafty Pad:  Something Girly
Totally Papercrafts:  Add a Heart (see the ribbon)
The Pixie Cottage:  Who do you Love
My Time to Craft Challenge:   Spots and Dots (see my DP)
Digi Doodle:  Anything Goes
Paper Cutz Challenge:  Any theme, any color
Pile it On:  Love is in the Air
Tellen's Place:  Dot, dot, dot (see my DP)
Stamp-and-Doodle:  Dress it up
Cutie-Sunday:  Anything goes
Totally Stampalicious:  Pink and Red
Meljens DT and Challenge:  Pink and Red
Creative Inspirations Paint:  Shades of favorite color
Creative Craft World:  Cute and Cuddly
Really Reasonable Ribbon:  Ribbon and heart
Paper Play Challenges:  Back to Black (all DP is backed with black cardstock)
Karber Challenge Blog: Stripes and dots (Isn't my DP perfect!)

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Gingerloft Challenge-Things that Fly

Sunday is the start of the newest 2 week challenge at GingerLoft Challenges.  This time the theme is 'Things that Fly'.  Tami has a  multitude of images, both free and for sale, that are in her store.  Go check it out, pick something out and give it a try.  Seems like there are more entries every challenge and we would love to have yours be one!  We try to visit all the entries and leave comments, please feel free to check out our blogs as well!. 
For this challenge, I used the GingerLoft image 'Sunflower Collage'.  What an amazingly versatile image.  I proved this by my use this challenge. 
My neighbor of 20+ years passed this week.  Clara will be missed as a staple of our neighborhood.  I made this card for her family on the day of her funeral.  I didn't think to take a side picture of it so I will try to describe the dimensions in it.

The image was printed twice.  The first copy was cut out in  a rectangle, colored and then crumpled up.  I hand smoothed it out and then used Memento london fog ink and rubbed the pad over the white area to pick up the color on the wrinkles.  With the second copy, I again colored the flower and the butterfly.  I cut both of them out.  With the butterfly, the center is directly on the background, the wings are up on pop dots.  Tiny pearls are placed on the body.  For the sunflower, I curved the petals of the flower out as much as I could.  The center of the flower was  mounted directly on the background image and the curved petals were left curved up.  Pearls at the top and on the sides, a black ribbon bow and a SU sentiment finish off this sympathy card. 

Image:  Sunflower Collage by GingerLoft
Sentiment:  SU
Die Cut:  Spellbinders
Colors:  Copic Markers
Stamp/sponge ink:  Memento Ink
Pearls/Ribbon:  my stash

This card may be entered in the following challenges:
GingerLoft Challenges:  Things that fly (DT card)
Stampin' Royalty:  Things with wings
Paper Cutz Challenge:  Any color and theme
Stamping Vacation:  No tags
Papertake Weekly Challenge:  Ribbon and/or pearls


Catch the Bug wants to see it in WHITE!

So, after an entire week of Catch the Bug challenges, we have a new Catch the Bug challenge!  LOL
This week, Catch the Bug wants to see your 'Winter Whites'.  They want a mainly white card, touches of color are ok but keep it minimal. 
Who doesn't want sweets for Valentines Day! 
Oh, see that beautiful lace on the side of the card?  Do you remember hearing the cardmakers proverb about there being no mistakes, just opportunities for embellishing.  Well, I punched the side of the card with a border punch........it tore on the last punch!  So, I cut it off straight and found this lovely lace to attach to the side.  I think it looks better than it would have with the punch!
Image:  Bugaboo
Colors:  Copic Markers
Die Cuts:  Spellbinders
Embossing:  CB folder
Ribbon/lace:  My stash
Sentiment:  Computer generated
Glitter:  SU dazzling diamonds
Clear glaze (lips and cherry):  Sakura clear glaze pen

This card may be entered in the following challenges:
Delightful Challenges:  Celebrations
Totally Papercrafts:  Add a Heart (hearts embossed on the background)
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge:  Use a forgotten or not lately used stamp (I've never used this one)
Southern Girl's Challenge:  Totally Loved up
Hodge Podge Shop Challenge:  White on White
Theme Thursday:  Love!
Fresh Brewed Designs:  Spread some Love
Penny's Paper-Crafty:  Anything Goes
Really Reasonable Ribbon:  Add Hearts (heart embossing on the background)

Friday, January 21, 2011

OCL CAS challenge

This is my last card today (it isn't quite midnight yet)  LOL!  Our Craft Lounge has their weekly challenge posted today.  Another new one for them!  Do a CAS card with a heart theme.  So........hearts, valentines etc. are not OCL stamps sets that I have (and I have alot of them).  So.....I went digging through the sets that I had and found only 2 that had hearts in them.  I ended up choosing 'Sunshine Cheer'. 
CAS (clean and simple) is not easy for me.  I love to use layers, and ribbons and flowers and glitter and brads and, well,,,,,you get the idea.  The thought of one layer and nothing making my card cost more to mail almost gave me hives!   Heh, heh.
The ribbon is glued on flat, no bow.  The random hearts are brads with the legs cut off and the tops glued on.  The images and sentiments are simply stamped and colored.  The embossed lines are done with an embossing board to keep the lines straight.
The inside has 'Valentine's Day' hand written.
The best part of doing a CAS card, it only took about 15 minutes to complete!

Images:  Sunshine Cheer from Our Craft Lounge
Sentiments:  Sunshine Cheer from Our Craft Lounge
Color:  Copic Markers
Ribbon:  Michaels
Brads:   My stash
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

This card will be entered in the following challenges:
Our Craft Lounge:  CAS with heart theme
Stampin' Royalty:  Anything with wings
Aly's Sunday Challenge:  Things with wings
Fresh Brewed Designs:  Spread some Love
Lexi's Creations:  Say it with Love
Bunny Zoe's Challenge: Love is in the Air 
RRR:  Hearts and ribbon
Little Red Wagon:  One Layer

Friday at Bugaboo (I'm all caught up)!

It is really Friday, and I have an entry for Friday'a mini challenge at Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.  Todays challenge is simply "Anything Goes".  The easiest challenge of all....as long as you have some imagination!
Doesn't this look like the perfect bubble bath.  A lemontini (or 2) on the side and bubbles everywhere.  Makes me want to hop right in!  LOL

Image:  Bugaboo Stamps
Sentiment:  I think Create with TLC
DP:  DCWV
Glitter:  SU
Colors:  Copic Markers
Die Cuts:  Spellbinders

This card may be entered in the following challenges:

Catch the Bug:  Anything Goes
Delightful Challenges:  Celebrate
Digi Doodle Shop:  Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-crafty Challenge Blog:  Anything goes
The Sisterhood of Crafters:  Birthday
Paper Cutz Challenge:  It'a your choice


On to Thursday's Bugaboo Challenge: Birthday Theme

Thursday brings us back to the 'Birthday Theme' at Bugaboo's weeklong birthday celebration.  Grab a Bugaboo image and get coloring!
I say if the greatest wizard in the world is giving you a magical wish,, TAKE IT!  LOL
Love all the Harry Potter images from Bugaboo but I think that Dumblydorr is the funnest (is that a word) to work with.  Great accessory images are available also-just check out that caldron and the shelf  of goodies.

Image:  Bugaboo
Sentiment:  Hand written
Die Cuts:  Spellbinders
Border cuts:  EK success, Martha Stewart
Coloring:  Copic Markers
Glitter:  SU
Ribbon:  Michaels

This card is entered in the following challenges:
Catch the Bug:  Birthday Theme
Delightful Challenges:  Celebrations
Sisterhood of Crafters:  Birthday
AiFactory:  Anything Goes
Robyn's Fetish Challenge:  Blue
Miami Doodles:  Use mostly blue
Creative Inspirations:  Celebration

Bugaboo Sketch Challenge

Bugaboo is continuing with their week of mini-challenges!  Today (actually Wednesday but I am behind because I have been doing my 12's at work) the challenge is a sketch.  Check out the challenge blog and getting "sketching"!
Isn't she just awesome!  A figure to die for I'm sure!  LOL
Bugaboo images are always too easy to color.  I think  I have done this one atleast 8-9 times and not done the same colors twice.....yet!
And that sentiment, I live by it-only I drink diet pepsi not coffee.  Oh well, not to many stamps out there with someone drinking diet pepsi.  Heh, heh.


Image:  Bugaboo stamps
Sentiment:  Don't know, if any one does, please leave a comment.
Die cuts:  Spellbinders
Border die:  EK success
Coloring:  Copic Markers
DP:  DCWV Winter combo
Ribbon:  From my stash.

This card will be entered in the following challenges:
Catch the Bug Challenge:  sketch
Penny's Paper Challenge:  Anything goes
Pile it On:  Anything goes
AIfactory:  Anything goes
SSDS:  Anything goes

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Bugaboo Tuesday!

Bugaboo Tuesday is here!  Todays mini-challenge is to use the freebie from the 'Catch the Bug' challenge site and bling her up!  How much fun is this.  As I work 12 hr shifts, I am up way before the butt crack of dawn to get this post on.  I won't be off shift til well after the 7pm eastern deadline, LOL.



Isnt she cute.  The dots are all bright glittered colors.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the colors to lighten up in the photograph.  Oh well, LOL.  She was great fun to color.
The image:  Bugaboo
The coloring:  Copic Markers
Papers, ribbons and buttons:  from my stash
The ticket stamp/punch:  SU
Die cuts:  EK success, Spellbinders
Embossing:  CB embossing folders

Card may be entered in the following challenges:
Catch the Bug  Challenge:  Use the freebie and bling her up
Creative Inspirations:  Birthdays
Totally Papercrafts:  Birthdays
Oh La La Creations:  Birthday
Res-Q-Challenge:  Color Therapy - bight and bold colors

Monday, January 17, 2011

Our Craft Lounge - ribbon challenge (post #3 today)

The challenge at Our Craft Lounge for this week is to use 2 ribbons or trims.
Easy as, well, ribbon!
I used ribbon threaded through the holes in the die cut.  I also used twine that I tied in a sailors knot.
There are easy to follow instructions here.  The turtles head and front leg were stamped and extra time, colored and pop-dotted for dimension.  The whole thing is mounted on a 5x5 black card.


The image is from Our Craft Lounge
The DP is DCWV
Image stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Colored with Copic markers.
The flower is a die cut from Island Paperie
The main die cut is Spellbinders
Glitter is Dazzling Diamonds by SU

This card may also be entered in the following challenges:
Our Craft Lounge:  2 ribbons or trim
Wee Memories:  For the love of Ribbon
One Stop Craft Challenge:  Card for a guy
Pattie's Creations Design:  Anything Goes
Res-Q-Challenge:  Bright Colors
Stamp Something:  Stamp something - anything goes

Bugaboo post #2

So the mini challenge for Bugaboo Monday is to use mainly Blue and White for your project. 
Has to be posted in just a bit (7pm eastern) so this will be short and sweet.


Really cute image, makes it easy to put a card together!

The image is Bugaboo
The coloring is Copic Markers
The papers, ribbon, buttons & bling are all from my stash.
Die cuts by Spellbinders
Embossing with CB folders

This card may be entered in the following challenges:
Catch the Bug:  Blue and White
I Did it Creations:  Blue (optional 'cold')
The Crazy Challenge:  Buttons
Digistamps4Joy:  Button Up
Stampin' for the Weekend:  New (this image) and Blue
Tellen's Place:  Ribbon
Totally Gorjuss:  Cuddly

Bugaboo is 1 year old

Bugaboo is having it's 1 year birthday.  All week they are holding mini challenges.  Their regular weekly challenge is also going on.  For the main challenge, make a birthday card!  Easy Peasy.

Happy Birthday Bugaboo!
The image is Bugaboo
The sentiment is from Create with TLC
The colors are Copic Markers
DP is My Minds Eye
White is Neenah Solar White
Embossing with CB folder
Ribbon is from my stash

This card may be entered in the following challenges:
Catch the Bug Challenge:  Birthday Card for Bugaboo
Stampin B's:  Use a die cut
Totally Paper Crafts:  Birthday
Paper Crafting Journey:  Lets Get Digital
The Sisterhood of Crafters:  Birthday

Monday, January 10, 2011

A new twist at Our Craft Lounge!

Our Craft Lounge is starting 2011 off with a new twist.  Instead of doing just it's weekly sketch challenge, they are going to do different types of challenges.  This week is a color challenge!  So.......lets get started!

RED     BLACK      KRAFT

Use these colors and a stamp/stamp set from Our Craft Lounge to make your project. (Doesn't have to be a card).  Post it to Mr. Linky on the web site here .  At the beginning of each month, one crafter is picked from the submitted projects.  This person gets to pick an OCL stamp set of their choice as a prize.

Since I just won the 'Botz family' set last month in their month long daily giveaway, that is the set I used for this challenge.
This set is just TOO CUTE!  I had to use a flash to show the black springs against the black cardstock.  (Sorry for the glare)  Doesn't he just make your heart spring!
Mr. Robot was stamped, colored, cut out and put p on pop dots.  His stamped antenna were cut off and replaced with some black coated wire that I wrapped around a toothpick to create the spring.  I then (this sounds so brutal!) cut out his heart, attached it to another piece of wire made into a spring and then put the start of the spring into his chest.  Now his heart really springs!

Recipe:
Image and sentiment:  Our Craft Lounge, 'the Botz family'
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo black to stamp, Copics to color
DP:  Costco special from years ago
Border punch:  EK success
Embossing Powder:  Zing red glitter embossing powder
Stickles:  Ice clear
Brads:  from my stash

This card may be entered in the following challenges:
Our Craft Lounge:  Red, Black and Kraft
My Partner in Crafting Crime:  Anything new (brand new stamp set that I won)
Fab N Funky:  Anything Goes
Stampin B's Design Team:  Old favorite and Something brand New (DP paper I hoard, new stamp set I won)

Friday, January 7, 2011

GingerLoft Challenges-Celebration!

GingerLoft Challenges is getting ready to start their next challenge.  The theme for this one is 'Celebrations'.  Now, you don't have to use a GL image, but......Tami has a bunch of beautiful ones posted on her website.  Many of them are freebies to "try before you buy".  There is a little bit of something for everyone as the digi images are of a broad scope.  Some are fairly simple (fun to color!) and others are amazingly detailed.  Check them out in the store
On to the 'Celebration'!
As you can see, I am celebrating Valentine's day.  I don't often vary from cards or scrapbook pages.  The instructions for this paper cup on the Scor-Pal website just made it look so easy!  (They actually have pages of directions for many boxes, bags, envelopes, etc.)
This image so reminded me of my friend Marsha and her husband.  This is truely how I see them.  Probably helped that they came to our halloween party as a 20's flapper and her guy!  After making this, I promptly gave it to Marsha for her to give Steven at Valentines.
The image was printed twice, the heads were cut out on one and placed over the intact image using pop dots.  The edge of both layers was embossed and dots of glittter to the black background as stars.  A heart tag and some ribbons and the cup was complete.  I added a celophane bag of macadamia nut hershey kisses in the cup completed the project.
Ingredients:
Image:  GingerLoft designs:  The Kiss
Embossing:  Zing brand, Red Glitter Finish
Glitter:  SU Dazzling Diamonds
Ribbon:  Michaels
DP:  DCWV, The Luxury Stack
Macadamia Nut Hershey Kisses:  Curteousy of our vacation in Maui!  LOL

This project may be entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp:  Your newest stamp
My Time to Craft:  Something New (new stamp, new type of project for me)
Drunken Stampers Challenge:  Use something new (new stamp)
Sparkles Forum Challenge:  Something new (new stamp)
The Crazy Challenge:  All Things New (new stamp)
Craft Your Passion:  Anything Goes
Scrapbook Sisters:  Anything Goes
Anything Goes Challenge Blog:  Starts with 'C' (celebration!)
The Creative Cottage Challenge:  Something new  (new stamp)
Stamp-n-Doodle:  New Years Resolution (add romance to my relationship)
Moving Along with the Times:  Out with the old, In with the new (old paper, new image)
Cute Card Thursday:  Out with the Old (old DP and ribbon)
Crafty Purple Frog Challenge:  Lets see your new goodies or new techniques (new image, new style project - the cup)