It's a Boy!

I just finished the invitations for my friend's shower and got them into the mail today. I think they're adorable and the train themed cards were special editions for the family (her hubby is an avid model train'er.) I'm really looking forward to the shower - too bad we have to wait until February! But, if the beginning of 2010 is anything like the end of 2009, it will be here really fast!

Thanks a Bunch

I decided to play along with this week's Mojo Monday Challenge (hosted by the brilliant divas at Verve) and came up with this fun card. Am I allowed to say that I totally love it? :)

I've had this stamp set for eons and finally just used it for the first time today. I stamped the monkey and the tag first but had to let it sit for a while because I was stumped. Then I remembered I had that great vine ribbon and it just came together after that.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Chocolate Chip, Barely Banana, Whisper White - Stampin' Up!
DP - DCWV
Stamps - Monkey Businss - Stampin' Up!
Ink - Barely Banana, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery - Stampin' Up!, Versamark
Embossing Powder, Vine Ribbon - PTI
Nestabilities - Tags, Scallop Circle

Santa's Workshop!

I am so pleased to have my first commissioned order! A lovely customer saw this card on my Etsy site and asked if I could make 30 for her to send in time for Christmas. If my craft room didn't resemble Santa's workshop, it sure does now! There is glitter, pretty ink, silver twine, snowmen, and ornaments all over. What fun!

I am so honored and excited to do it for her - I sure hope she likes them!

Thanks So Much

This card was made for a friend who needed a thank you card for her grandmother. I've found a dash of extra inspiration when making cards either for people or with people in mind. I was skeptical when I saw the color combo from Dawn's challenge but am really pleased with how it came out - particularly the aqua and chocolate. I've always liked those colors together but haven't ever played with them.


Supplies:
Cardstock - PTI, SU!
Stamps - PTI
Ink - SU!, Versamark, PTI
Punches - Marvy Uchida
Twine - PTI
Button - PTI
Embossing Powder - PTI

Busy Bee

You wouldn't know it by the amount of (er, lack of) attention I've paid to my blog lately but I've been really busy in the craft room! I'm getting ready to walk out the door on my way to Arizona for work for the next few days but wanted to share some of the great Thanksgiving cards we're going to send to family this week.

The Lycee Winter Fair went really well - sold over 20 cards and several sets of gift tags but most of all had a great day with my friends - the hubbies even showed up for a while and a grand time was had by all! (I think the salami/pate vendor across the room didn't hurt business either - he sold out!)

I think I over made for the fair and have a wonderful collection of cards I'll be adding to my Etsy shop over the next week or so but am really taking a break. Aside from my regular challenge sites, I'm booked up working on our Christmas cards and some baby shower invites. I can't believe that the holiday crafting window is closing and it will be spring-themed cards before we know it.

Happy crafting and I'll see you in a few days!

Published!!

Okay, remember how just a few days ago, I was saying how I wanted to try to get published after all of the holiday hubub? Well, I got an email last night that one of my cards will be featured in the "New Arrivals" section of the April 2010 edition of CARDS Magazine! Yay! I am still in shock as I carefully bundle up the little guy and ship him off. Wow! This card (which I had to remove from the blog and can't show you until next May) was born of my friendship with Beth and the boy that will bless their lives next March. I was working on shower invite prototypes and, well, the rest is history. Or, is it the future? April is a long way off... :) I am over the moon, forgive me if I make absolutely no sense for a while...

Happily Ever After

I'm sorry to post and run but it is almost deadline time for the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge! Eeek, where has the week gone?

This week's challenge was to create a wedding card with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as the inspiration. What a great movie! My Netflix queue is filling up with all of the ones Sankari and Brooke are reminding me I love! :)

I chose the colors inspired by the Greek Flag and tried to keep the card simple and elegant. Maybe too simple? I tried adding a leaf garland a la the olive branch wreathes of the ancient Olympians (ya, maybe I was taking the Greek thing a bit too far...), but I couldn't find a color that went well wiht the blues.

Supplies:
Stamps - Verve, PTI
Cardstock - Stampin Up!, PTI
Ink - SU!, PTI
Ribbon - Crafta
Rhinestones - Martha Stewart
Embossing Powder - PTI

AWOL

Hi everyone! I feel so awol lately, I just had to check in to say hello and that I'm alive and well and looking forward to playing in blog-land a bit more in the near future.

First of all, I have been a busy bee crafting up a storm for the Lycee Francais La Perouse Marche d'hiver this Saturday!! While I'm sure I can think of a million things I wish I would have made in time, I'm happy with what I have to show and hope that will generate some business for my tiny shop and maybe even some custom orders. This fair is open to the public and if anyone is local and wants to stop by, I'd love to meet you!! Here is a bit of what I've been working on lately...

REMOVED FOR PUBLICATION! WHAT?!?!!?

Speaking of custom orders, I'm still plugging away on our Christmas cards (which got Claire's blessing, woo hoo!), and working on baby shower prototypes for my friend. Busy busy!

I'm not sure where the post-fair season will take my crafting. Aside from the two big projects, I'd like to re-stock my shop, participate more regularly in the challenges I love, and start working on some magazine submissions. Getting published would be a hoot!

Tribute to Heroes

I just found out that I had this card featured in the Etsy Greetings blog on Tuesday! I made that card a while ago and love it as much today as I loved it the day I made it. Such a simple yet powerful sentiment!

Thank you, Silvercloud07, for creating such a beautiful treasury! What a great tribute to all of those amazing men and women who have fought for and defended our country over the years.

As we draw closer to Veteran's Day, I'd like to offer a simple, but heartfelt, "thank you."

Mojo Monday 111

Just another Mojo Monday....da da, da da da da.

Alright, moving on from my really bad singing pun and onto the challenge at hand! Julee has come up with another amazing sketch for us to use this week and I'm thrilled to be able to play along.

I knew I wanted to do a "red and green"/traditional Christmas card, and the holly paper from Anna Griffin just leaped out at me. I found a great dark green base and a coordinating lighter green paper and ink. The sentiment is stamped on confetti cardstock and there is a fun, felt poinsietta as an accent. Fairly simple to make but I don't think you'd know it to look at it.

Supplies:
Stamps - Verve
Cardstock - SU!
Ink - SU
DP - Anna Griffin
Poinsettia - Hero Arts

Think Pink!

This week's Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge movie is "Legally Blonde." What fun!

The few things that come immediately to mind are the "bend and snap" scene, Bruiser Woods, and pink. I just got my newest goodies from Verve and had to use the new "Believe" set for the encouraging or uplifting sentiment.

Breast cancer awareness is near and dear to my heart as two family members have battled breast cancer and and won! I am so thankful!

Here is my card, inspired by the pink of the movie and the pink of the cause that means so much to me.

Supplies:
Stamps - Verve
Cardstock - SU!
DP - DCWV
Ink - SU!, Versamark
Pearls - Hero Arts
Ribbon - Crafta
Nestabilities - Label 8
Filigree Clear Embossing Powder - PTI

Giveaway Day!

Remember that giveaway I mentioned a week or so ago? Well, today is the day!!

All you need to do is go to the Etsy Greetings Team blog and leave a comment on the post with my giveaway! I will pick one winner randomly and announce it on Saturday morning!

Thanks for playing! :)

Hocus Pocus

This week's Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge was to make something Halloween-y based on the movie "Hocus Pocus." I've never seen this movie but the responses I've seen about it made me put it in my Netflix queue. Too bad it isn't available to "play now"...

It is funny, or not, depending on how you look at it...Halloween, though not even here yet, feels over! Being a cardmaker, I'm pretty much at least one holiday ahead of the one that is closest, lol. I think I finished my Halloween cards in early September and have moved on to Christmas - full speed ahead!!

My challenge within a challenge was to make a Halloween card out of whatever was still out in the scrap pile - not allowed to pull out anything that had been put away for the year. Luckily I had a sentiment stamp set out that had a Happy Halloween greeting and one set that has fall leaves/Halloween images. The rest of the card is a hodge podge of paper scraps and cute stamped images. I'm really happy with how it came out and look forward to making a bunch of cards from the scrap pile. That will be my own personal challenge from now on!
Supplies:
Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - PTI
Paper - SU!, DCWV, Paper Source
Punch - Fiskars

Verve Release Day

Last week was sneak peek week (say that fast three times...) at Verve for the big release party on Friday night. All week long, we were treated to wonderful peeks at Julee and the other designers' creations with 7 (!) new stamp sets. Part of the fun that Julee's come up with for release week is a 5-layout (or color combination) challenge. The cards in the photo below were my entries:

The card in the front is my favorite of the bunch. I used the Dutch Girl packet from Cosmo Cricket which matched perfectly with the Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist paper and the Riding Hood Red paper from Stampin' Up! I was trying to get away from holiday cards but I just think those colors look holiday. Meh, what can you do? I am really happy with how they came out no matter how I use them. You can see them up close at my Splitcoast Gallery.

Friday night's release party was crazy - those things move so fast, I don't know how to keep up! But, I ended up winning two stamp sets and can't wait to get them! Thanks, Julee, for being such an inspiration - I love your sets and they send such an amazing message!

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #18

Wow, two color challenges in one week - color me one happy camper! Ba dump dump! :) I was excited to see this and challenged myself to make something other than a holiday card. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays! But, I've been so preoccupied between deciding what cards we were going to choose for our own this year (making them is a whole other thing!), and getting cards made for the shop, I needed a bit of a break this week. Voila!

I had a bit of a hard time getting the layout determined for this card with a few wrong turns along the way. I'm pretty happy with how it came out and finally found a use for those pink Pima flowers I've had knocking around for a while. Yay! And, I can't finish this post without saying just how much I love the Beautiful Blooms stamp set from Papertrey Ink - use it all the time!

Supplies:
Stamps - On Your Birthday - SU!, Beautiful Blooms - PTI
Cardstock - Kraft, Chocolate Chip - SU!, Raspberry Fizz, White - PTI
Ink - Glorious Green - SU!, Black, Tea Dye - PTI
Nestabilities - Labels 8
Misc - Pima flowers, Fiskars border punch, Hero Arts pearls

Our Christmas Cards!

It is always so exciting to come up with the card to send friends and family for Christmas. For years I have purchased said cards and loved every minute of it. Last year was the first year I actually sat down to make them (my SU consultant had been trying to get me to do them for years prior, lol) and had a blast. What to make to follow the success of that card? It took several tries (and the holly I'm featuring for the giveaway was a close 2nd) and we finally decided on this one...



REMOVED FOR PUBLICATION
(if this keeps up, I'm going to need a graphic...)



I am just in love with the stamp set from Waltzing Mouse and the paper from Cosmo Cricket. Too cute!!

My Bear!

This week's CSCC is a color challenge based on "Finding Nemo." What's not to love? I love, love, love that movie and I love, love, love color challenges! :) This movie is about adventure and relationships and I've been loving (can I say "love" more in one post?) the adventure of life that my husband and I are on. What a blessed journey!

This week is Glen's birthday. For whatever reason, I have not managed to get birthdays, anniversaries, etc, on the calendar in a way that I will remember to make cards for the people that are important to us! Note to self, you really must figure that one out - desk pad? Hang one up next to the craft table? Anyway... Glen was on a motorcycle ride yesterday so I wrapped his gifts and all of a sudden it dawned on me that I didn't have a card yet. I don't usually like tying personal cards into a challenge format but sometimes it is a good way to get the crafty juices flowing. The birthday card I made Glen was a wonderful departure from all of the holiday cards I've been making lately for my shop and upcoming fair:

This card features the navy blue, aqua, white, and two variations of the salmon/orange - a pale version on the designer paper and the twine, and a deeper version in the buttons. I sure hope he likes it!

Supplies:
Verve - Beautiful You stamp set
SU! - Brilliant Blue cardstock and ink
PTI - Aqua Mist cardstock and ink, white cardstock
DCWV - Be Mine Stack
Twine - Martha Stewart
Nestabilities - Labels 8
Buttons from my stash

Giveaway!

I'm so thrilled to be a part of the Etsy Greetings Team - a wonderful group of artists I have the pleasure of being inspired by every day!

At the end of this month, the 28th to be exact, I will be featuring the following giveaway on the Etsy Greetings Team blog:

This little set I made features one card and four coordinating gift tags (the front and back of the tags are shown above.) Make sure you check it out!

Back in the Game!

Or games? Dunno but I think my crafty mojo is coming back! I've been away from the "studio" (or office or dining room...) for a while and got to spend last night and some of this evening reacquainting myself with my stamps and paper and ink! Ahh, feels good!

So, this week I wanted to make a point to play along with the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge - it has just been too long! This week's movie is "Elizabeth: the Golden Age" and wow, did I love Cate Blanchett in that! Well, I love her in everything. I have to say that, as far as films go, I liked the first one better, but I thought Cate was amazing in this one and who doesn't love Clive Owen? I'm just sayin'...

Anyway, the requirement was to use a crown and I just got these great crown stamps from Etsy so figured it was the perfect time to get them inky. I loved the designer paper, too, reminded me of brocade fabric, and the glitter...well, they didn't call it the "golden age" for nothing, right? ;)

Supplies:
Stamps - Terbearco (Etsy Shop)
Paper and ink - PTI
DP - DCWV
Glitter - my stash
Nestabilites - Labels 8

The First Christmas Card

This week has been stressful - my sister found out her cat, Sampson, had lymphoma and had to put him to sleep Friday. Needless to say I haven't felt much in the crafty spirit. I did break out some supplies and tried to made the first of several Christmas cards. I'm not really in love with any of them right now but there seems to be some time to get them right.

This card was made for Mojo Madness 107 - a great weekly challenge by the wonderful designers at Verve.

I'd write more but we are off to see "Star Wars in Concert" - a fun evening with my hubby and pretty nerdy to boot, just like us! :)

World Card Making Day 2009!

Even though this post is a bit late, I celebrated World Cardmaking Day (10/3/09) by making this card for my wonderful hubby!

I was inspired by Dawn McVey's Color Challenge and once I found the patterned paper with the aqua print, I was off and running.

This past week has been hectic - work travel, and lots of stuff going on at work and home - just feeling really busy. Saturday was no exception as we were going to meet my family in Berkeley for the USC vs. Cal football game. Okay, we live in SF but I went to USC so I am always happy to cheer for my boys live whenever they come this way. I made the mistake of holding onto all 5 tickets and thought we could just call and meet up whenever/wherever. As the day wore on - the game started at 5pm - I started to get more worked up over where and when we would meet and how we would find them and all that jazz. Well, as you all know, whenever one half gets nervous or stressed, it is very normal for the other half to get nervous as well. Anyway, Glen was a champ! Even texting me that he loved me "ALWAYS" from the barber shop as he was getting his hair cut. Awe... Anyway, our love story is precious to me and he is my rock.

This is the first card I've actually made for Glen and I think he was touched. Even though I have an Etsy shop, the most inspired cards I've made have been those with people in mind. The love and friendships I have in my life mean so much to me and, well, that is what life is all about isn't it? :)

Supplies -
Stamp Set - PTI
Paper - SU!, DCWV
Ink - SU!
Embossing Powder - PTI
Misc - Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Ribbon (Amazon.com)

Here Kitty, Kitty

I've updated this post in honor of the first ever The Cat's Pajamas Customer Blog Hop! May I present the first card I ever made using TCP stamps...

I just got some fabulous new stamps from The Cat's Pajamas, had to get them inky, and this card was the result! There's a lot going on here - from the new technique of using one stamp to create the background pattern, to heat embossing it, to the cat "collar" of the fuzzy spotted trim, the rhinestone, and the fun cat stamp and kitty paws around the sentiment. I had a coworker in mind as I was finishing it up - she loves cats and has also been really supportive of my card business. When I gave it to her on Monday, she just loved it.

This week is busy for me and I'm getting ready to travel for my "real" job so won't be able to participate in a few challenges I had hoped to. Looking forward to what next week brings!

Harvest Festival

This evening I packaged up all of my cards - 3 plastic shoe boxes full!, made table signs, business card flowers, and stamped my Etsy shop info onto a bunch of bags all in preparation for the Coyote Valley Elementary School Harvest Festival tomorrow! This is the first time I've "shown" my cards to the general public and I'm both nervous and very excited at the same time!

If you don't see a link to my shop on the left-hand side of this blog, it is becuase the shop is on vacation for the day so I don't accidentally sell any of the same card in real life and online at the same time. Yikes! Not to worry, though, it will be re-opened this weekend with lots of new goodies - I've been a busy bee getting ready for the fair tomorrow so whatever I bring home will be available for purchase! Here is a taste of some new items to come...

New Challenge Site

Saturday Spotlight with Hidden Potential
To kick off their new challenge site, there will be a huge giveaway this Friday the 25th with the very first challenge going live this Saturday! The end of this celebration blog candy is Friday, September 25th, and will announce the winner on their blog the next day, Saturday, September 26th (the winner will have LOTS of goodies to play with for several challenges to come!) Spread the word!

Pretty Woman

This week is the 50th challenge on the Cinema Saturday blog and the movie is Pretty Woman! I remember seeing the movie at the theater when I was in college and loved that it was set in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. 'SC wasn't too far away and it was a nice change of scenery to hang out on Rodeo Drive, lol. My best friend, Jeannie, and I used to "shop" for splurgy $20 Chanel lipstick which was absolutely the only thing we could afford!! I've seen it a number of times over the years and quite recently on Encore.

The black, red, and white colors of the card were inspired by the black tie evening Edward and Vivian have in (my favorite city, but I'm biased...) San Francisco. The paper piercing and the rhinestones symbolize the beautiful necklace Vivian wears on that date. The diva stamp is one I treasure as it was a gift from my husband when I first started getting back into stamping this past Christmas. I always think of her along with the "You're absolutely fabulous" sentiment from my Stampin Up! set so thought it would be the perfect addition to this sassy card. This film is a great reminder to all of us that we are fabulous, no matter what cards life has dealt us and deserve only the best!

This evening I was encouraged by my wonderful hubby when I was feeling insecure about something. He is so precious to me and and he reminded me that I am absolutely fabulous and should never forget it! My very own Edward - man I love that guy! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock - Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White, SU!
Ink - Basic Black, Real Red, SU!
Stamps - (I forgot the brand of the diva and will update asap!)
Rhinestones - Martha Stewart
Twine/Glitter - my stash
Nestabilities - Labels 8

Birthday Boys!

September is a special month since it is both my dad and my little brother's birthdays! My hubby and I bought back some special gifts from Europe and while I was getting the box ready to send this week, I realized I didn't have cards for them! How can I call myself a card maker if I don't have cards for my brother and my dad? I sat down immediately and made these two cards -


This card is for my dad and I think he'll really like it! I had to spend some time going through my supplies looking for "man card" stuff, lol. I think we all suffer from "man card" syndrome at one time or another. After looking through the stash for a birthday card for my husband's best friend, he commented that was what I needed, and boy, was he right!

The card below is for my little brother (he'll be 14 - I can hardly believe it!!) and I'm wondering whether it still may be too girly. The only items I have are some pirate stamps that feel way too little boy (though they would have worked for my dad!) or the super manly dad/grandfather type stuff like boats and trees. Definitely not for a teenager! So, teenager stuff is still on the list though I already have more than I know what to do with!


Happy birthday, Dad and Wade! I love you both very much!!

What Fun!

I know it has been forever since I've posted but needed something to do since I've had to stay hush-hush with my latest post (draft format only until tomorrow!) Last week I found out I had won the Audrey Award with my interpretation of Forrest Gump from the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge and was asked to be a guest designer this week! The movie is a secret until tomorrow but check back and you will see my card featured. What an honor - thank you so much Sankari and Brooke!!

I've also been busy crafting up a storm for the Coyote Valley Elementary School Harvest Festival on the 25th. I've never "shown the goods" at a craft fair before and I'm nervous but excited to show my creations in public. Here is one Thanksgiving card I made that I like a lot - I scalloped the lower edge so it shows a bit of the confetti lining and the decorative paper at the top is fuzzy!

I am having such a ball making these little cards and am very thankful to have a hobby that brings inspiration every, single day!

Guest Designing from Helm's Deep!

I am so honored to be a guest designer this week! When Sankari asked me, of course I said yes, but there was true panic as I wondered whether I could honor this movie, this challenge, and you all with my creation this week.

When I think of LOTR: The Two Towers, there are a few things that come immediately to mind - the big battle scene, Aragorn's attraction to Eowyn, in spite of his love for Arwen, and the dichotomy of Frodo and Sam's mistrust of Gollum but their understanding of the need to follow him. All of that on one card...including embossing...what to do? I know! Black and white to show the character struggles and something metal for the battle.
I knew immediately that for the black/white, I wanted to try a new trick my friend Maya showed me - to emboss white powder on black cardstock and black powder on white cardstock. I chose an image that spoke Elven to me (I really don't have very many options here, lol), cut the strips of paper, taped them together then stamped the image in Versamark ink and heat embossed them. My husband thought they looked like a gate and I made my first attempt at a

tri-panel card. I'd never made a card with this layout before and wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I really like it!

Depicting the Battle of Helm's Deep was tough! I tried to represent the metal of the armor and weaponry by using embossed aluminum foil! I simply took a sheet of foil from the roll in the kitchen and ran it through my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder. Voila!
My final zhuzhes were adding the ribbon tie to close the card, a vellum interior liner, and ruby rhinestones. Fun!

Thank you all for your continued inspiration and for the honor of being a guest this week! I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #16

I am actually really pleasantly surprised at how this turned out and I actually kinda like it!! (insert sheepish grin here) When I saw the colors for Dawn's Challenge this week, I thought "cool, I'm working in that color scheme already" as I've been making a bunch of fall-themed cards for a harvest festival I will be attending at the end of the month (yay, my first craft fair!!) Anyway, as I pulled the stock from the stash, I have to admit the kraft threw me for a loop and I wasn't sure how to pull it in. Anyway, long story short, I used it as the base and used the orange as an accent color. I'm not sure how well you can see them, but I have some great orangy rhinestones I used to zhuzh up the stars in the witch's vapor trail.

Supplies:
Stamp Set - All Hallows Eve (Inkadinkadoo)
Cardstock - Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla (SU!)
Ink - Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie (SU!), Tea Dye (PTI)
Misc - Nestabilities Labels 8, SU! Dimensionals, ribbon and gold rhinestones (my stash)

Taming the Wild Beast

I have really been trying to tame my craft supplies but to no avail! Every time I get anything out to use it, it invariably stays on the table resulting in the large pile of papers and goodies you see here:
I end up with the tiniest little stamping area you see over the paper pad (I love using these inexpensive easel pads for my glitter and stamping spill-over. And, they are perfect for backing up the paper piercing tool, testing stamps, ink colors, etc. Cheap!) and have more topple-overs than I care to admit. :)

This past weekend, my hubby and I went to Home Depot and bought some shelves to try to tame some of the clutter. I actually have a great storage nook but without shelves, I run into the same leaning tower of Pisa problem. Grab something that is supporting something else and, look out!

Soon I will be the proud owner of three new shelves and I am so looking forward to some better organization and clutter management. One day we will have a bigger house, too, where I just may have a whole room!

Two-fer

Until this weekend, I've tried to make one card per challenge but this time I just couldn't! I found the Viva la Verve challenge via Julee's blog this week and couldn't pass it up! I also found out that this week's Cinema Saturday challenge was "Forrest Gump." I really wanted to play in both sandboxes but knew that, with other projects I have lined up, couldn't spend very much time in the studio mulling over two separate ideas. So, one card it is!

As soon as I saw what the movie was, I knew I wanted to use something to represent the innocence of the early 60s as well as that of Forrest himself. I just got a great set of sayings from a DCWV stack which is where the "Gee, you sure are swell" came from. I was also inspired by "the movies" themselves and made a movie curtain look to the scalloped borders of the decorative papers. I debated using the buttons but since the ones I found reminded me of movie reels, and worked with the Verve challenge to use round things, how could I pass it up? Finally, I heat embossed the chocolate cardstock with the PTI Polka Dot Basics set. I really like how it turned out, like the movie theme, and like that I was able to pull in some fall colors. Fun!

Supplies:

Cardstock - Chocolate Chip, Barely Banana, SU!

DP - Indian Summer, DCWV

Ink - Versamark

Stamp - Polka Dot Basics I, PTI

Ribbon/buttons - my stash

Drat!

So, I've been wondering what happens since I submitted card ideas to Cards this month for the January issue - do they email everyone? Just those who are "in"? No idea since this was my first time.

Lo and behold, I found the following on the Cards Magazine blog the other day:

Guess what, guys — I have one itsy bitsy big huge favor and I hope you don’t mind. Our January submissions were due tonight, but my computer had a weird glitch and lost all the email submissions that were sent from today back to August 4th. We have submissions that were sent on the 3rd and before. (And now my email is working just fine, whew!)

So if you submitted during that time (since last Tuesday), pretty please resend them to us at cards at northridgemedia dot net! We are extending the deadline until tomorrow night, August 11, at midnight, so that gives you some time to forward on all the beautiful submissions you have already sent.

I wish I could spell that sound Bear Grylls makes when he falls - cooohghgh. Meh, close enough. If you couldn't tell from the sound, it is that my submissions were members of the cast of Lost and I didn't realize it until it was very much too late. Cooohghgh.

Next.

I'm in...

This past week while blog-hopping, I found out about a new challenge site - the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge (we'll just call it CSCC for short.) Given how much I love movies, this one seemed to be a natural but isn't necessarily turning out to be so. I've looked at past challenges and they seem pretty hard. I mean, it feels easy enough to churn out a Christmas card for a Christmas-themed movie, or a... See, that is the problem! Sounds easy, most certainly is not!! Big props to all of you who have the courage to play along and for those of you Audrey-winners out there.

This week's movie is (drumroll please...)

Gak, red stitching? I don't have a sewing machine!! Off to see what I can muster. Wish me luck, all!!

Okay back again Thursday evening (nothing like waiting until the last minute, right?) with my entry for my very first CSCC! Five ideas scrapped and one last minute base color change (my husband - "honey, it isn't baseball-themed if it isn't red and white") later and this is what I came up with:

I just love the little hearts popped up and the tag is cute even if it is a bit "homemade" looking (I need practice with puffy paint! It has been a long time since the 80's!) You can see the hearts better in this view:

Thanks for letting me play and I'll see you again soon!

Supplies:
Cardstock - PTI, SU!
Stamp Set - Out on a Limb Sentiments, PTI
Ink - Real Red, SU!
Colored paper - DCWV
Paint - Tulip
Die Cuts - Cuttlebug
Twine - Martha Stewart

Grommets - my stash and so old I can't remember

Raspberry Suite #15

I know it has been a week since I've posted anything and it was certainly not my intention to abandon my blog for this long. It has been an odd week - lots of crafting but just not a lot to say about it.

I had a feeling another color challenge would happen this weekend so I checked Dawn's site today and found the colors above. Drat! I still don't have anything that is really melon-colored so have to go in search of it with patterned papers and other embellishments. One day I will have a full suite of colors, but for now I make due. Hope you like it! Off to order Chinese for dinner - yummy!!

Supplies:

Cardstock - Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Regal Rose (SU!)

Ink - Regal Rose, Old Olive, Certainly Celery (SU!)

Misc - corner rounder (CM), vanilla ribbon and buttons (my stash), flower punches and twine (PTI)

Maddie's Birthday Card

I was having trouble coming up with an idea for a birthday card for my friend's daughter - I'd been procrastinating all week. But, since the party was yesterday and I still didn't have a card as of Friday night, I knew I had to get cracking! :)

I sat down at the craft table after watching the Giants lose in NY (boo!) and found the leftover supplies from the last Raspberry Suite challenge were still out - perfect for a 2yr old! So, what you see above is what I came up with. It really isn't RS#14 part deux because I used Chocolate Chip ink for the cupcake paper though I suppose I could have used the burgundy. Fun! Since gifts weren't opened for hours yesterday, I missed the reveal. I sure hope you liked your card, Maddie! And, you are just as cute as can be! There is a great pic of me and her mom (my great friend, Aileen) from the party that I'll share as soon as I get it off of my iPhone. Yes, I am technologically challenged sometimes which is ironic because I am an IT auditor...but, my hubby is great (and patient) and helps me out! Love him!!

Supplies:

Stamps - Polka Dot Basics I (PTI), Big Bold Birthday (SU)

Cardstock - Pink Passion, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White (all SU)

Ink - Pixie Pink, Chocolate Chip, Orchid Opulence, Summer Sun, Versamark (all SU)

Embellishments - Nestabilities, glitter, Filigree Embossing Powder, vanilla ribbon

Raspberry Suite #14

This one was fun and I can't wait to get the new purple buttons! I swear, my list for the August PTI release just keeps getting longer and longer - I am especially looking forward to the Scattered Showers additions from Dawn. That is probably one of my favorite sets (though my Every Day Button Bits is getting some love lately...)

I had a tough start to this color challenge - got out four pieces of cardstock on Monday night and they just sat and sat and sat until last night when I came up with this card -

This is probably the best bow I've ever tied - satin side up all around! :) It is hard to see in the photo (I'm still trying to figure out how to get the photos on my blog to look like the photos in iPhoto but I'm new to blogging and new to Mac so it may take a bit), but I embossed the burgundy cardstock with polka dots - tres cute!

Supplies:

Stamps (Papertrey Ink) - Every Day Button Bits, Polka Dot Basics I

Cardstock (Stampin' Up!) - Pink Passion, Orchid Opulence, Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla

Patterned Paper - DCWV

Die Cuts - Nestabilities Circle and Scallop Circle

Ink (Stampin' Up!) - Basic Black, Orchid Opulence, Versamark

Misc - buttons and ribbon from Michaels (labels long gone), Filigree Embossing Powder and Rustic Cream Button Twine (PTI)

What is Blog Candy?

I'm trying to catch up on all of the crafty lingo! :)

I found my way to Stephanie Castro's blog today and Stephanie is giving away a $150 gift card of appreciation - to any store you want! I can't pass up this opportunity for more goodies (can we ever really have enough?) All you have to do is tell everyone about it on your blog and then go over an put your address in Mr. Linky!

Here is the direct link.

Submissions

Yikes, I'm submitting four cards to Cards Magazine for the January issue! I wish I would have had the confidence to look for submission guidelines sooner because the deadline for January is tomorrow! I have all of the supplies for their Style Challenge, too, drat! Anyway, the February issue's deadline isn't until September so I'll have a bit more time to make some cards for that.

I've been crafting up a storm lately and am so happy with the way some projects are turning out. There is quite a difference in the cards I made when I started and the cards I'm making now. Each and every one of them has a bit of a personality and I just love seeing how they turn out. Kinda reminds me of what I heard about Michelangelo - how the figures existed already in the marble he worked with and he felt his job was to bring them out.

Anyway, I'm trying to get my Etsy shop up to date, get my Facebook fan page (I'm Crafty) up an running, participating in challenges, and just making cards for friends and family. Wow, feels like a lot! I am still behind on making a card for a birthday party this coming weekend - for my good friend's 2-year old daughter. One thing I definitely don't have in the masses of supplies I've found myself with...kids stuff! I'll make sure to post a pic of whatever I put together. Wish me luck! :) Oh, and I'll be back later this week with my answer to Dawn's latest...

Mojo Monday - Week 98

What fun!

I participated in my first challenge last week and had a ball - there are so many talented crafters out there!! If anyone happens back on my blog, I loved looking through all of your cards and am inspired by each and every one of you!!

This week I wanted to keep challenging myself and decided to participate in the Mojo Monday layout challenge (see the sketch at right.) I started pulling colors together last night and got my stamping done, then finished it up tonight and, well, here it is! My husband helped me understand something which I don't think I've realized in the past as I've tried to finish cards the same day I make them. Sometimes they need to sit for a minute to get that extra zhuzhing they need. :)

Supplies:

Verve Stamps - Beautiful You

Stampin' Up! - Old Olive, Apricot Appeal, and Confetti Kraft cardstock, Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip ink, vintage brads

Nestabilities - Circle, Scallop Circle, and Label 1

DCWV - Summer Mattstack

Various - vanilla ribbon, paper flowers, and pearls

My First Challenge!!

Today I finally had the nerve to complete my very first color challenge - Raspberry Suite #13! Note to self - learn how to use blogger so I can upload the challenge color photo! :)

I wanted to participate last week but didn't have any of the colors. Thankfully, my Stampin' Up order came yesterday and everything I used came in my new box (except the white ribbon and the red buttons.) I used the new "Thoughts and Prayers" set, certainly celery cardstock and ink, and rose red cardstock (that was the closest I could get to the idea of berry without going too far into orange territory.)

Anyway, this was a great first for me and I hope to participate in many more!! Thanks Dawn!