Jingle Bells...

Hi there! It's Monday and that means back to work for me, but not the rest of my family...the kids are off school (for the first day of hunting season...believe it or not!) and dh is working from home today.

So, are you ready for a fun challenge? I'm the hostess at The Shabby Tea Room this week and I am challenging you to "Get Into Shape" - by using anything but a square or rectangle that is! Yep, NO SQUARES OR RECTANGLES! Our fabulous sponsor is JustRite Stampers this week and you will definitely want to play along for a great prize!

For my project this week, I chose to make an ornament shaped tag using the Spellbinders 2010 Heirloom Ornaments dies. I started by cutting the largest size in a burgandy cardstock and topped it with a BoBunny script paper in the next smallest size. The edges are inked with Memento Rich Cocoa. I colored my JustRite image from the Sparky and Friends Cling set with Copics and cut it out, mounted it on green cardstock, cut it out again and popped it up on pop dots. There is so much dimension on my image...I used Diamond Stickles for the cuff and hat pom-poms and I used dimensional snow paint on the trees and foreground. I love that stuff!

Peeking out from behind is a big snowflake using the Our Daily Bread Designs snowflake die set and a felt snowflake on top. The sentiment is from the same JustRite set as the image and is stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa on a piece of white cut from the smaller ODBD snowflake die and backed with a piece of aqua cut with the same die. A sweet little bow and a tiny button make this little ornament shape ready to use as a tag, attached to the front of a card base or as an ornament by adding a hanger.

Be sure to stop by the other Shabby Girls' blogs to see what they have created for you!

Debbie Marcinkiewicz - {TSTR Creator} - Simple Treasures

Cathy Clark-Santie - Papier Girl
Lisa Golzbein - Oh So Cute By Lisa
Nicole Segnere - My Craft Room Creations
Clare Buswell - Clare's Creations

Challenges:
Crazy 4 Challenges #65 - Script paper
Just Us Girls #61 - 3-D Embellishment
Crafty Creations #95 - Christmas is Coming
Really Reasonable Ribbon #12 - Christmas
Meljen's Challenge #35 - Buttons and Bows
Sweet Stampin' Challenge #54 - Buttons and Bows
Create: Blog Spotting - Christmas with Buttons
Simon Says Stamp - Let It Snow
Top Tip #11 - Layers
Our Creative Corner - Tag You're It
Flourishes Christmas Spirit #7 - Gift Tag

Thanks for stopping by!

Sweetest Holiday Wishes...

Hi there! I'm so happy to share this card with you...it's my first Whimsy Stamps Digital Design Team card!

I just love the Meljen's images available at Whimsy Stamps and as soon as I saw this one, I knew I had to use it! It's called Christmas Cupcake! There are so many things I love about it...the scalloped top on the wrapper and the ribbon running through it...and the swirls of frosting topped with a few sprinkles! Who doesn't love sprinkles! And the little holly sprig gives it the perfect touch!

I colored my image with Copics and layered up the background with a scalloped and smooth circle cut with Spellbinders dies atop this sparkly dp from My Minds Eye. This week's Meljen's challenge is Sparkle and Shine, so I got out my Diamond Stickles and "frosted" my frosting! I followed the Card Patterns sketch this week, so I added a little ribbon, a Prima flower, a Doodlebug candy brad and some Making Memories felt holly leaves! The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Holiday Button Bits set.

Whimsy Stamps has a great week in store for you too. Right now at the Whimsy Inspiration Blog, you can join in on the Fan Favorites Week festivities by linking your own Whimsy creations...you just might be chosen as a Fan Favorite! Check out all the details...HERE!

Challenges:
Meljen's Challenge #34 - Sparkle & Shine
Card Patterns #91 - Sketch
Crazy 4 Challenges #64 - Circles
Creative Cottage #27 - Someone Special at Christmas
Stampin' Royalty #46 - Patterned Paper
Totally Gorjuss #57 - Not So Traditional Christmas Colors
Simon Says Challenge - Sparkle

Thanks for stopping by!

Sending love...

It's time for another Creative Inspirations challenge and this one is sure to get you ready for Christmas. Our theme is Christmas or Winter and our sponsors are Softpencil and Crafty Pad.
If you haven't started on your Christmas or Holiday cards yet, now is a great time to get some Creative Inspiration!

I chose this adorable image from Softpencil called Michu is giving gifts away! I colored the image with Copics and cut it out. I mounted it on pop dots atop some vellum and a blue Bazzill Bling cirlce cut with a Spellbinders die. I layered up some Doodlebug and BoBunny snowflake papers and inked all the edges with red ink before I added some snowflakes cut with McGill and Martha Stewart punches. A little snowflake ribbon ties it together and a couple of irridescent snowflakes dotted with red pearls give it a little something extra!

My sentiment is from the new Cling collection from JustRite Stampers. I used the Sparky and Friends set and cut out this cute mitten, colored it with Copics to match my image and popped it up on some more ribbon!

Be sure to check out the other Creative Inspirations Design Team blogs to see what they have for you this week!


Challenges:
Crazy4Challenges #63 - Christmas Card
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Snowflakes
Cute Card Thursday #138 - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Bunches of Love

Just a quick post to share this sweet little card with you. Using the Color Throwdown colors, I used a sentiment from the Flourishes Berry Sweet stamp set. As you can see, I distressed all the edges with a Heidi Swapp edge distresser and inked them up with ColorBox Chestnut Roan ink. Ranger Barn Door was used to ink up the Heidi Swapp heart and I added some berry 'bunches' and a tiny bit of lace around one of my favorite ribbons tied into a bow. I love this Graphic 45 paper too...it's very reminiscent of Fall's cozy colors.

Challenges:
Color Throwdown #114 - poppy, chocolate, pear, saffron
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #88 - Distressed and Inked Edges
Little Red Wagon #50 - Something Old (lace), Something New (berry bunches)
Crazy 4 Challenges #59 - Fall/Autumn

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget about my Follow Me blog candy...you can find it HERE...until later today!

Autumn is...

Good morning! Only one more day until my birthday and that means blog candy for two lucky people!

Today I am sharing another Fall inspired creation which will be displayed in my home for the Fall holidays. I love the sketch this week over at 2 Sketches 4 You and they are looking for new DT members, so I had to give it a shot! It would be an honor to work with their team. And, JustRite Friday Challenge is for Fall colors! Put them together and this is what you get!

I used one of the sentiments from JustRite's Autumn Blessings set and cut it out using Spellbinders dies. Then I inked it with Ranger Distress Tea Dye ink, popped it up and surrounded it by all these wonderful Fall colored Prima leaves. I really love using this fabric as a background too...it's so natural and earthy! A little gingham, which always reminds me of Fall, and some grosgrain ribbon and it's done. I think less is more with this card!

Challenges:
JustRite Friday Challenge 040 - Colors of Fall
2 Sketches 4 You - Kazan's sketch #63
Crazy 4 Challenges #59 - Fall
Pixie Dust #44 - Fall into Fall
Sweet Stampin Challenge #48 - Ribbon
Cupcake Inspirations #80 - photo inspiration

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget about my Follow Me blog candy...you can find it HERE...until October 17th!

Hello Cupcake!

Edit: This card won at Moxie Fab World's Perfectly Placed Pleats challenge!

Hi again! Just popping in to post this one before it's too late!

I love birthdays and cupcakes and this card has both! It doesn't have to say Happy Birthday on the outside to be a birthday card...but this little cutie has it on the inside!

I'm getting down to scraps of this pretty MME Abbey Road collection of dp's...so sad it's going away. I'm sure I'll get hooked on a new collection soon. I was going to go out shopping today, but it's cold and rainy and I just don't feel like it. That's just more 'me' time in the craft room! (the green plaid dp is from DCWV)

The layout here is for the Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge and I also made this work for the Moxie Fab World Perfectly Place Pleats challenge too! The stamps are Waltzing Mouse Roses in Bloom. I had this idea to make them into cupcakes one night while I was trying to fall asleep. I'm so glad I remembered it! I used my Scor-Buddy to make my pleats on my kraft paper and I had to paper-piece the rosebud leaves. The sentiment is a $1 stamp from M's and it had a cupcake in between the words which I didn't want on my tag, so I lined it up the best I could and tada'! The ends of the sentiment tag are cut with a Fiskars punch. I love how the cupcakes look like they are popping off the card! That's all for now!

Challenges:
Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge #18 - sketch
Moxie Fab World - Perfectly Placed Pleats
Crazy4Challenges #58 - Birthday

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget about my Follow Me blog candy...you can find it HERE...until October 17th!

Grandma's Birthday Card...

Hi there - before I head out into the terrential downpours we are having here, I just wanted to share this card with you! I had to wait to post it since I spent the evening in the ER with my dd again...sprained ankle this time (woohoo) and yes, I am cheering because it isn't broken. She has broken both her ankles in the last two years. So a few days on shiny new crutches and she'll be fine!

This card is for my MIL whose birthday is two days before mine. We are going out to dinner that night and this is for my kids to give her. I used the Waltzing Mouse sketch and if you look closely, you will see that I stamped over the flowers in the dp with the rose from the WM Roses in Bloom set. I also used the "Grandma" sentiment from that set. I wish you could see how shimmery this card really is...Glimmer Mist in pearl all over card and the edges of the sentiment die cut and the butterfly are both covered in Diamond Stickles!

Challenges:
Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge #16 - sketch
Flutterby Wednesday #124 - sparkle and shine (and wings)
Crazy 4 Challenges #56 - bling
Wild Orchid #6 - Ribbons and bows
The Creative Cottage #24 - bling

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget about my Follow Me blog candy...you can find it HERE...until October 17th!

A Snowflake that's JustRite!

Today at The Shabby Tea Room, we have a special treat for you! That's right...it's a JustRite Stampers sponsored challenge! Our theme is Pearls and Pastels and our fabulous design team is showcasing some of the new Christmas stamps at JustRite Stampers! Pearls, pastels and Christmas you say? Why of course...once you take a look at all the design team samples, I'm sure you'll see what I mean! And did I mention that JustRite Inspiration blog is one of my favorites!


I started with this beautiful inspiration photo and the Pearls and Pastels theme in mind. This bracelet is so beautiful...even the shape inspired me! My project was made as a wall hanging, but could be used as a large ornament as well! You can just see the bit of pink silk ribbon hanger at the top of the snowflake...for photographing purposes, it was left to drape behind the project.

I chose to use the lady snowperson from the Groovy Snowman set since I was using pastels. She is stamped with Memento Sky Blue and colored with copics to match my pink and aqua blue dps. I cut her out with Spellbinders Std. Circles Lg., inked the edges in blue and then mounted her to the dp cut with the new Spellbinders Eyelet Circles set. The edges of this piece are inked with Memento pink. The border stamp around my image is from the same set and was heat embossed with pink embossing powder and dotted in the centers with Diamond Stickles.

The snowflake is cut using the Cricut Joys of the Season cartridge. I cut the "flake 3" at 5" on both the shadow and regular settings. Again, edges are inked in pink. I hand cut off the spiky part of the regular cut snowflake and layered it on top of the shadow cut for more dimension. Then I used my Sizzix Bigz Die - Hello Kitty Flower Bouquet (it's just flowers, stars and swirls) to cut the swirls out of the aqua blue dp, attached them under the first layer of snowflake and added some Diamond Stickles to match the other sparkly papers. I used the Stickles on my snowlady's cuffs, hat flower centers and star flower too!

The small snowflakes are cut using the Martha Stewart snowflake punch and layered on top of each other in various combinations of the two dps and a shimmery blue. Queen & Co. pearls were added all around the eyelet circle and in the centers of the small snowflakes.

I know it sounds like a lot of steps, but they were easy...I had machines doing most of the cutting work! I think I'll be keeping this for myself and hanging it on the door to my craft room during the holidays!

Please visit the other "Shabby Girls" to see what they have created!

Debbie Marcinkiewicz - {TSTR Creator} - Simple Treasures
Cathy Clark - Papier Girl
Lisa Golzbein - Oh So Cute By Lisa
Nicole Segnere - My Craft Room Creations
Clare Buswell - Clare's Creations

Other Challenges:
Raise the Bar # 37 - Bundle Up

Stampin' Royalty #38 - Anything but a Card
Crazy 4 Challenges #56 - Bling

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! Don't forget about my Follow Me blog candy...you can find it HERE...until October 17th!

you brighten my day...

Good morning! I have a card to share before I go to work today.

This one is for a few challenges and I just love the fall colors people are starting to choose for color challenges these days (although I'm a pink girl at heart!) So, I decided to play for the first time at Curtain Call. I love Stacy's choices in color combinations and I finally made a card in time! I had so much fun with inking up edges and combining different elements on this one!

I have to leave, so I'll just give you the deets!

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspirations #71 - photo
Curtain Call Act 42 - green, peach, brown, vanilla
Crazy 4 Challenges #49 - cupcake!
Sketch For You to Try - sketch!

My Crafty Recipe:
Stamp: Lockhart floral cupcake, Hero Arts sentiment
Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa and tuxedo black
Paper: MAMBI Fashion District and glitter paper
Spellbinders: Classic Lace Border, Standard Circles Lg.
Copics: E11, E13, E57, G82, R22, YR000, YR02, W3
Other: Fiskars eyelet edge punch, K & Co. bling, pop dots, metal "delight" from stash

Thanks for stopping by!

I just love you...

Hello - I'm back again...just trying to fit everything in to this one day before I go on a mini vacation! I have always been a fan of Cicely Mary Barker's flower fairies and I completely forgot that I got this great kit featuring her fairies some years ago...until I happened upon it in my craft room today. Well, it just called my name and I had to use some of it!

I started with some of my favorite Bazzill piglet and layered it with a vintage greenish and pink collage paper I found in my stash. Then came the layers of yummy lace, embossed pearly paper and of course the fairie embellishment! Isn't she so cute. I'm using pink and green here because pink is my favorite color (for the Flutter by Wednesday challenge) and the Cupcake Inspirations photo is pink and green...a great color combo! The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #70 - photo (pink/green)
Crazy for Challenges #48 - sketch
Flutter by Wednesday #116 - wings plus your favorite color!

My Crafty Recipe:
Stamp: Papertry Ink
Ink: Memento tuxedo black, studio g pink
Paper: Bazzill piglet, dps from stash
Other: Spellbinders Std. Circles Lg., Prima flower, Recollections pearls, Wright's lace, Flower fairy and flower from kit

Thanks for stopping by again!

CPS, PPC and C4C...what?

Hi - I can't sleep...so here I am...sharing another card with you! I fell under the spell of the magical craft room (as discussed in an earlier post) and lost track of time...I thought I would not be able to fit in the PPC challenge this week, but as it turns out I am going to make it so I guess there's one good reason I'm not sleeping! psst...I do dream about cards...sometimes I get a really great idea while I'm laying in bed right before I go to sleep and sometimes right before I get out of bed!

Challenges for this card:

Card Positioning Systems #176 - sketch
Picture Perfect Creations #21 - colors in photo above
Crazy 4 Challenges #46 - buttons!
KL Stampin N Scrapping #39 - ribbon!

Crafty recipe:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa and ColorBox Chestnut Roan
Paper: BG Bittersweet, BoBunny double dot, Bazzill
Copics: E13, E37, R22, R46, RV11, RV14, RV21, RV23
Other; Recollections mini rose, handmade pin, buttons and ribbon from my stash

Ok, I'm really going to try to go to sleep now! Thanks for stopping by!
Goodnight!

sweet...

this is my second post tonight...just catching up...scroll down for more!




Ok, I almost forgot to post this one...and I really don't want to miss the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge using the photo above. Here are the challenges for this card:

Cupcake Inspirations #67 - photo
Simon Says Challenge - Let's Get Fruity
KL Stampin N Scrapping #39 - ribbon
Crazy 4 Challenges #46 - buttons
Raise the Bar #27 - old = papers, new = stamp, borrowed (gifted) - flower, blue= ink

Recipe:
Stamp: Dollar bin from Michaels, both leaf/stem and Sweet
Ink: Martha Stewart green and Memento blue sky, ColorBox chestnut roan (edges)
Paper: Making Memories Garden Party
Other: Prima flower, buttons and ribbon from my stash

I hope you think it's sweet too!


Have a great night!

Merry Christmas in July...

It's time for Christmas in July! I really challenged myself on this one because I combined the Christmas in July challenges with a color challenge of Red, Black and White!

Challenges include:
Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge #5 - awesome sketch!
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #74 - Christmas in July
Fussy & Fancy Friday Challenge 14 - Christmas in July
Crazy 4 Challenges #45 - Red, Black and White
Little Red Wagon #36 - Nestabilities
Paper Sundaes Challenge #26 - Lots of Layers

I started with a cool Inkadinkado Christmas postmark stamped in Memento tuxedo black and matted it with Art Warehosue Red Star and black cardstock cute from Spellbinders Labels One. The Autumn Leaves Rhonna Ferrera dp was perfect for this...then I broke out the Diamond Stickles and oh my! I made my own glitter paper and then highlighted the cut edge of the stamp, the bells and the 15 cents with it. I added a layer of red organdy ribbon topped with black velvet and a few Queen & Co. red pearls and I finally decided it was done!

I hope you like it!

Today I Celebrate You...

Hi there - I'm back from vacationing in Riviera Maya, Mexico and I cannot tell you how happy I am to be back. I really missed so much while I was gone. And then there's the fact that I came back with a head and chest cold, and landed to hear about the sweltering heat in the Northeast... and let's not even begin to discuss the fact that the A/C is broken at work...but at least I have my papercrafts and I truly did miss it!

Tonight I have a card for you...I'm catching up on some challenges and way ahead on others...

JustRite Friday Challenge #25 - Inside and Out (decorate both inside and outside of card)
Just Us Girls # 40 - awesome sketch!
Pile It On #26 - My favorite things - Holly Hobbie, birthdays, bling, shabby, pink, shall I go on!
Crazy 4 Challenges #44 - Use two or more ribbons on your card! pink and brown!
Sweet Stampin' Challenge # 33 - Pearls and Pins
Caardvarks July Challenge - birthday!

I started with this adorable new KaiserCraft paper line called Hey Birdie! I just love the little details and the colors too! I used my JustRite Birthday Sentiments Stamp Set in Memento Rich Cocoa. Then I cut them out with Fiskars circle punch. The Holly Hobbie stamp is one of my favorite things - I still have my original Holly Hobbie ragdoll in the attic. I stamped her with Rich Cocoa and colored her with copics to match the dp. The pink scalloped circle was handcut from the papers and the green and ivory are cut with Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Circles large set.

I got some of this great pink lace at my local scrapbook store as well as the light pink silk ribbon...so yummy! A JoAnn's pink leaf and a pearly pin finish off the bow! A little Recollections bling and the front is complete.

And since the JustRite challenge is called Inside and Out...here is the inside of the card!
Another sentiment from the Birthday set, a little more paper and a little more ribbon to finish it off!

I hope you like it - thanks for stopping by!

I love you...

This card got an Honorable Mention Cup of Tea at The Shabby Tea Room!



It's late, but I had to work again today...I just wanted to share this little girly, oh so shabby card with you. It's for a number of challenges which I will list below. I just love these yummy colors of pink, vanilla and chocolate, don't you! I used Basic Grey Porcelain papers...the flower, bumble bee, pink chain link border and brown lace border are paper stickers from the collection's elements page top the ivory lace...they don't look like paper! I used light pink, french vanilla and brown Bazzill papers and a striped paper also from BG give it that cozy cottage feel. I used my new (to me) pink bubblegum shabby seam binding which I purchased from Debbie at her Etsy Shop...it's so yummy...you can find it here! I love how it looks with all the other textures!

I just had to add a little bling...so I filled in the flower center with Recollections pearls and topped off the ribbon with a pin through some of the inspiration colored buttons. The sentiment is from Verve's One Person stamp set...I used Memento Rich Cocoa as well as to ink up all the edges of the papers. Another paper flower in the center gives it the finishing touch!

Challenges:
Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge #3 - Sketch
Just Us Girls#38 - Colors - light pink, chocolate, vanilla
Crazy 4 Challenges#42 - Paper Flowers
KL Stampin n Scrappin #35 - Let's Get Shabby
The Shabby Tea Room #15 - Cottage Comfort - stripes
Meljen's Challenge #12 - Fiber, Ribbon, Lace
Pile It On #24 - Stickers

I hope you like it...goodnight friends!

forever and ever...

I told you I would be right back...but even I didn't think it would be that fast! I stayed up late last night and this is what you get...crafty goodness!

This card is for another combo of challenges...I used the Sweet Sunday Sketch #73, The Crazy for Challenges C4C41 color combo, and the Cuttlebug Spot and Caardvarks June Challenge and Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #71 are all looking for embossing! I used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder for this one...it's really become my 'go to' pattern. Have you seen the new embossing folders yet? I have one of them, but I can't wait to get the rest!

I think this will be one of those cards that I will leave blank inside until I need it. It can mean so many things...forever and ever...as in, I'll love you... or we'll be friends..., or I'm here for you... you get the idea! So, I have to take care of a few things, but you never know...I might be in my craft room tonight again being busy!

Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill Basics - grape jelly dot, parakeet, pink, K & Co. Gypsy Baby paper pad
Stamp: Lockhart daisies, dots and roses
Inks: Memento tuxedo black, studio g pink
Copics: RV11, RV14, RV21, RV23, V12, V15, BG32, Y02, YG17, G24
Spellbinders: Classic Scalloped Circles Large
other: lilac organdy ribbon, Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder

Have a great night friends!
Hugs,