Think Snow!

For the Fairy Knoll sketch challenge #9 this week I used Winter Dance. This is a FUN image! With the heat of summer, it was fun to think snow! Come play with us!!!

After printing the image I colored it in with my markers. I used my nesties to cut it and the scallop circle out. The snowflakes are a combination of Quikutz and a punch. The cent of the flakes and design on the circle are all done with my Viva Decor gloss pen in White. I loved not having to decide if my accents were the right size or count if I had enough. I just made them!!! This is so freeing, I love it!

Challenges:
Fairy Knoll - sketch #9

She's BACK - and HERE!

Aurora is back and BETTER THAN EVER!

I am sooooooooooo excited that this month's New Release at SCACD is another set of Aurora stamps designed by Victoria Case exclusively for SCACD. I hope you are enjoying ALL of the previews you are seeing on the hop. If you didn't arrive at my blog from Jacquie's blog you will certainly want to go to Follow You Heart for the full listing and see them ALL!

So- without any further ado- I present "Nuts For You- The Sequel"


Now- before I give all the details on how I made this card, I want to be certain you know about the extra bonus for getting the whole sheet of stamps rather than a couple of images. Besides the obvious that you will not have to go through the difficult process of trying to chose which ones and saving money, you will also get the most adorable bonus image! Sprite is just cute as can be! Check her out in the set at the store and see if you don't agree!

First think I did is ink up this fabulous stamp with Momento ink so that I would have NO issues with the ink running or smearing when I colored it with my markers. Then I selected this background paper from Basic Grey . Once the paper was decided, I selected the marker colors to use that would coordinate. As I was putting it all together I knew it needed a little "something". After trying a bit of this and that, I put my hands on the perfect thing with this Prima rose. I just love that I can get everything for the perfect card all from Susana at SCACD. It comes with the best service too!!!

We are super excited to have the DT from Quixotic Paperie joining us again to showcase this release. Next stop on the hop is Rowena Barnard from QP. Please go see what she made and leave her some love!

Teddi and Friend - TIO"T" Day #78

Our challenge this week on the Follow Your Heart Blog was to use an animal. I got a two for one with Teddi and Friend from the Hearts and Hugs Summer collection by Victoria Case exclusively for SCACD.

My favorite thing about this image is the way his tummy is the shape of a heart. It is all about the tiny details.

After stamping the image with Momento ink, so it won't run, and coloring it with my markers I put the card together using some of my favorite embellishments from SCACD.

The "brad" on the ribbon is actually created with the cream Pearl Pen from Viva Decor. It is SO much easier to just make my own brad and have it be whatever size I want right on the spot. No making a hole or worrying about the fold over part of the brad being visible inside the card. LOVE IT!

The butterfly is one of the Maya Road chipboard elements. I love that this set comes with both the open and solid shapes. They can be used together or seperately! For this one I used my finger to apply a couple of colors of acrylic paint to the chipboard. Once it was dry, I outlined the chipboard with a marker and then added some bling with the Viva Decor Glitter Liner in hologram. Viva me baby!

Be sure you stop by the store blog so you can see what the rest of the Design Team created. They are one extremely talented group of ladies and you do not want to miss it!

Just Because

Just Because is from the first set of stamps by Victoria Case exclusively for SCACD called the Hearts and Hugs collection. I adore this ENTIRE set, but this one is definitely near the top of my favorite ones.

I decided it was time to PLAY and enter a few challenges for fun!

Flutterby Wednesday #115 - Open
Papertake Weekly - Sketch #45
Creative Inspiration #71 - Animals
Pile It On #29 - Stretch That Plastic

Tickled Pink

Barb at Stamp-It-Crazy is celebrating!!! There are lots of occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and to celebrate she is giving US the presents!!! She is having a blog candy give-away. In order to be eligible you need to make something with Stamp-It-Crazy stamps and link it to her post!

Now, I absolutely ADORE the Stamp-It-Crazy Gothic and Halloween stamps. However, for celebrating such joyous occasions, I decided to use one of her new fairies and sentiment instead :)

Happy Everything Barb!!!! MWAH!!

QKD - Tuesday BLOG HOP

Welcome to the Queen Kat Designs Stamp Co. Blog Hop. You should have arrived from the Dark Ink Sorority Blog. If not, thank you so much for stopping by my blog. If you would like to see the entire hop it begins at the Queen Kat Designs Royal Blog.

This week was an inspiration photo. I look and saw- PINK and WHITE!


I am sharing Marmalade by Che Gilson with you again. She was part of a class kit earlier this year and I hope you got your hands on her. She is just lovely and fun to color!!!

For a sentiment, I used the new Happy Stixx by QKD. These are the COOLEST things EVER! This is a brand new product that the Queen herself is making for us and I am in loooooooooove! So versatile, so fun, and so different! Grab yourself some when you are in the store, you will not regret it!

Your next stop on the hop is Anita's BLOG. I know she has something absolutely amazing to share, she always does, so please hop over, check it out, and leave her some love!

She's BACK.......

She's back and better than ever! Who you ask? Well, I'm not telling! LOL! That said you have THREE fabulous chances at blog candy to win her!!!

Follow Your Heart

Victoria Case Stamps

Quixotic Paperie Inspirations

After you have entered for all that BLOG candy- you need to have a little pick me up and go shopping! Susana at SCACD has just the thing you need. There are lots of new items, but the top of my list are the new templates from Crafters Workshop. Check these out, and these are only a small sampling of what is available!!!






I can not wait to get my hands on some of these and GET MESSY!!!

Friends Having Fun - with GLEE!

This month for the Pop Culture Challenge at Friends Having Fun, you are challenged to create something around Glee! For those of you who live on Saturn, this is a newer television series based on a Glee club at a high school. It has taken off and become a true pop sensation. My favorite character is Sue, just because she is so awful you have to love her. Well, not love her, but she does make you laugh! LOL!

Now, on to my creation! For this challenge, I decided to pull out Milo the drummer mouse and You Rock My World sentiment stamps from PMS and create this card.


The background paper is from the DCWV rockstar stack. The image is stamped in Momento Ink and the drums are colored with Copic Spica glitter pens so they sparkle, shimmer and shine, just like they would in real life. I love the expression on this little guys face, his is just rockin' out!

How does Glee inspire you? What will you create for the Friends Having Fun Pop Culture challenge?

Bubbles

This is the image Bubbles by Lisa Victoria for Sweet Pea Stamps. I just love these dragons Lisa Victoria draws. They are whimsical and fun. I put glossy accents on the bubbles so they had a bit of shine. The papers are from the Pink Paislee 365 Degrees collection and the flowers are the jeweled florettes by Petaloo. The seemed to be the little finishing touch it needed. These flowers are one embellishment I am actually going to run out of and need to buy MORE!

Cathrine the Vet -TIO"T" Day - #77

Our Try It Out "T"day challenge this week is a great sketch!!! To view the sketch and the creations by the rest of the Design Team please visit the store blog here.


I used the wonderful image Cathrine the Vet from Anki's Sweethearts #1 for SCACD. This image has always been one of my favorites. Look at the little bandaid on that puppy! How many of you have fond memories of playing with animals when young? I know we used to dress the cats and puppies up in doll clothes and wheel them around in the buggy. Oh yes we did!!! I am surprised they didn't truly scratch our eyes out, but they all just took it and complied with out wishes.

The background paper is the absolutely PERFECT Max & Whiskers from Basic Grey. It doesn't matter if you have a cat, dog or neither, this paper is still a must have! The colors and patterns are wonderful and not all of them have animals on them. They DO all coordinate fabulously though!!

Now- got see what the rest of the DT did with this sketch and then stop by SCACD for a bit of shopping!

QKD - Tuesday BLOG HOP

Welcome to the Red White and Blue Queen Kat Designs Stamp Co. Blog Hop. You should have arrived from the Dark Ink Sorority Blog. If not, thank you so much for stopping by my blog. If you would like to see the entire hop it begins at the Queen Kat Designs Royal Blog.



I chose Marmalade by Che Gilson for QKD to work with. It was fun to pull out the bright red and royal blue to work with. My favorite part is the knee socks and her red shoes.

Your next stop on the hop is Anita's BLOG. I know she has something absolutely amazing to share, she always does, so please hop over, check it out, and leave her some love!

Through the Window - TIO"T" Day - #76

Our Try It Out "T"day challenge this week is Clean and Simple. We are to use primarily white or cream with just a pop of color.

My first thought was that I MUST use one of the Lockhart Window stamps. I LOVE these. All the different scenes and seasons that are represented with such detail, but still so simply just astound me. I am gradually collecting them all :)


After stamping and coloring I then cut out the image and mat with Nesties. I made the card base, background and mat for the image all out of white cardstock.




I then used the same white cardstock to punch several different flowers and leaves. The centers of the flowers are done with the Viva Decor Glitter Liner in Sapphire.

Be certain you check out all of the recent new additions to SCACD. There are new Websters Pages and Basic Grey papers, Lockhart and Kraftin' Kimmie stamps and many other wonderful items!!

QKD - Tuesday BLOG HOP

Welcome to Tuesday edition of the Queen Kat Designs Stamp Co. Blog Hop. You should have arrived from the Dark Ink Sorority Blog. If not, thank you so much for stopping by my blog. If you would like to see the entire hop it begins at the Queen Kat Designs Royal Blog.

This week we have another sketch challenge. This is the sketch we are using.

I decided to play with the Mermaid Stamp by Che Gilson for QKD.

Obviously, I changed things up a bit from the original sketch. I am very pleased with the end result and the sketch was a great way to start brainstorming. That, am I usually select the patterned paper I want to use before I start coloring or cutting. This paper is from the Kaisercraft Utopia line which just has some wonderful unusual colors at work. I layered to colors of cardstock and also used them to punch out and layer the flowers on the side.

Your next stop on the hop is Anita's BLOG. I know she has something absolutely amazing to share, she always does, so please hop over, check it out, and leave her some love!

Silk Dance

I decided to combine two challenges for the card I made using the image Silk Dance from Sweet Pea Stamps. It is sketch from the Sketch Saturday challenge #111 and the Caardvarks July challenge of a Birthday Card. The background paper is Basic Grey Marrakech.

Look what starts tomorrow!

Want this badge?

Can I get a WOOT WOOT!?!?!??!

Beginning tomorrow and every Monday at the Follow Your Heart blog there will be Messy Mondays. This is SO exciting for me. If you follow my blog you know that I can be a bit messy at times and that it is a direction I have been working for some time. I can hardly WAIT to see what the talented ladies and SCACD have in store for us!!!

Fairy Knoll

It is time for the Fairy Knoll challenge again! This is week #6!!! WOW! This has gone FAST! Brandi gave us a fabulous sketch again this week. I modified it just a bit (it is ME after all) and used Heartstrings.


I decided not to use any stickles or glitter this week because I think this will be a fabulous card to forward to Operation Write Home. In fact, I printed out Heartstrings a bunch of times, and am going to make many more cards with her for OWH. I used the Basic Grey Sugar Rush paper. The banner saying I cut out of the patterned paper and has a 'forever' above the You + Me.


Grab a Fairy Knoll image and play along with us!!! If you put your card in any public galleries- please tag with FK6.

TIO"T" Day #75 - Crazy Quilts

We have been challenge for Try It Out "T"day to create something quilted, stitching, etc. We were told it could be real or faux. Me- faux all the way baby :)

I decided to use Gone Fishing from the Elisabeth Bell Sampler Edition #5 exclusively for SCACD. This image reminds me of fishing with my Dad. As the mom of two sons it should make me think of them. However, since neither of them is big on fishing, it takes me another direction and that is actually a pretty good thing!


As a finishing touch, I pulled out one of the new Maya Road mini chipboard buttons. I colored it by rubbing on the Momento Rich Cocoa Ink. It soaked up the ink and matched the matting perfectly! So simple and such a great embellishment.

Here is a picture of my Dad with some big fish HE caught :) Love and miss you Dad!

The Silentness

As a mom- the name of this stamp "The Silentness" just sounds fabulous to me. I can imagine a million different things.

However, The Silentness is an image drawn by ©ching-chou kuik's for Sweet Pea Stamps Fantasty Art Collection. This beautiful sentiment is also on the same plate #57 with the image.



I created this card in the same manner as most others. I selected the image, them the paper then began to color. Once that was finished, I just began to put it together and see where I ended up. I did refer to a sketch to start this time. I have this card sitting on my mantel, and am enjoying looking at it. I will put it in my next box of cards to Operation Write Home, but until then, I am just enjoying the peacefulness it gives off.

Challenges:
Card Patterns- #71 sketch
ETSY Inspired - #95 these buttons- the colors
If The Shoe Fits - #40 Spread Your Wings
FBW #112 - Open use butterfly, fairy or angel
Pile It On - #26 My Favorite Things- FAIRIES- of course!!! :)

QKD- Tuesday blog hop!

I hope you are enjoying yourself on the BRAND NEW Tuesday edition of the Queen Kat Designs Stamp Co. Blog Hop. You should have arrived from the Dark Ink Sorority Blog. If not, the hop begins at the Queen Kat Designs Royal Blog.

This week is a sketch challenge. I love working with sketches. I sometimes follow them better than others, but I do use them as my jumping off point.

For today's hop I am bringing you, once again, Kadona. Why? Well, just look at him! You know you need this stamp too. I used Basic Grey Capella paper for the background. I selected that before I began to color him and used it as my guide. He and the background are both double matted in dark brown and kraft. The ribbon is from my stash. My FAVORITE addition, it the Happy Stixx with the sentiment. I added the dots to it to coordinate with the image. However, the sentiment comes already wood burned onto the Happy Stixx. It is FABULOUS!

Your next stop on the hop is Anita's BLOG. I know she has something absolutely amazing to share, she always does, so please hop over, check it out, and leave her some love!

Also for challenge:

The Burtonesque Dolls - #10- Burton Boys - really- do you SEE the spider and web on his top hat?

Marvelous Monday!

I am excited to share not one, but TWO different challenges with you today! If you are looking for Wink Wink Ink, scroll down, but I would LOVE for you to check them both out!

First up is the Friends Having Fun color challenge. The colors for this week are vintage red, white and blue.



This is Carousel Dreams from the Elisabeth Bell Sampler Edition #5 exclusively for SCACD. This is not a very ornate card, but the image is so detailed and stunning, I really wanted to keep it as the focus.

Join us in the color challenge so I can see what YOU create. Also, while you are there, a DT call for the Recipe Challenge team is going on. Check it out!~


Next up, I am VERY excited and honored to tell you I am the Guest Designer for the Wink, Wink, Ink challenge this week! WOW! How cool is that? I was pretty stunned myself when I got the email :)

Wink, Wink, Ink is a digital stamp company with a fabulous variety of images. They have a forum on CDAC asking for challenge ideas. If your idea is selected, you win a free image and the opportunity to be a guest designer for your challenge. FUN!

So- your challenge for this week is to include a 'handmade embellishment- made by you of course"!



I created a joyfold card using one of my very, very favorite Wink, Wink, Ink images, Falling Apart. This one just is so sweet and softens my heart every time I see it.

My handmade embellishment is the flower used to hold the flap on the joyfold closed. The flower is made by cutting different circles from patterned paper. I spritzed them with water and crumpled them up. I will admit that the first batch, I got too wet and it was a mess. However, batch two, just right. After I uncrumpled them, I rubbed them with brown ink and used a mini stapler to hold them all together. A button in the middle finished it off. After putting it on the card, it felt a bit lacking. I grabbed the remaining green scrap and cut a couple of leaves and repeated the process. THAT was just what it needed :)



I used Basic Grey June Bug for the main body of the card and the flower was a combination of different papers.

I hope to see something YOU make in one, or both of these challenges!

Have to share ...

Let's talk paper. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE paper. I have some exciting paper news to share. Susana just got in a BUNCH of stuff at SCACD!!!

Have you SEEN the latest papers from Webster's Pages?

Basic Grey's new Oliver and Olivia?

Now talk to me of STAMPS! Do I really need to explain?

Kraftin' Kimmie Mermaids!!!!!

New Lockharts, including another WINDOW! I love the windows!! LOVE them!!
Another ADORABLE apron!!!

What are you doing still here? You should be at SCACD shopping! GO!!! and then PLAY!

Comfort Afghan sent

This was sent recently to the Mother of a friend of mine. I know that they all could use some extra love right now. I have not met this woman, but she raised a wonderful daughter in my friend and I have no doubt that she is an amazing lady. I hope she knows there are many people thinking of her and praying for her.

Fairy Knoll Challenge #5

This week is a super fun sketch at Fairy Knoll challenges. I flipped it on the side and love the result.



I decided to use Samantha this week. She is one of my favorites! I added stickles to both her dress and her wings and love the shimmer. I tried some new colors on her hair, and will have to try these again. Now- trying to decide who I should pop this card in the mail to. It needs to brighten someone's day!

Grab a Fairy Knoll image and play along with us!!! I can't wait to see what YOU come up with!

TIO"T" Day #74

This week we were challenged with a sketch. You can see the sketch and what the rest of the DT created at Follow Your Heart.

When I saw this sketch I grabbed Go Green from the Elisabeth Bell Sampler Edition #5 exclusively for SCACD. She kept telling me when I was grabbing colors that she was feeling very pink and purple, so I listened. Since one of my all time favorite papers is the Kaisercraft Lilac Avenue, it was easy to bring things all together.



I used Flowersoft in Fuchsia for the flowers both on her bonnet and in her hands. For the spray on the side of the image, I used Kaisercraft pearls and Flowersoft in a custom mix I made with Baby Pink and Lavender. That is one of the wonderful things about Flowersoft. Not only do they have great pre-mixed colors, but I can make up my own with the solids!