Friday, July 31, 2009

I won at USE IT Challenges and I got another award :)


What a wonderful way to start the weekend! I won Use It Challenge # 20 and I received this circle of friends award from lovely Alysabeth of Layin' Rubber Ink. I adore Alysabeth's blog and her creative style. Go check her blog out and click on "follow"; she's that fab :)

The sweetest part of receiving blog awards is passing them on. I would like to send this award on to Lauren, Leslie, Kristie, Deanna, Silke K., AlienAnessa, KathyJ (Wattle), Chrissie, Chris, Debbie, and Madonna Dunn.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

BasicGrey Challenge blog has re-opened!

BasicGrey Challenges is back! To celebrate, Martine (BG blog owner) is offering this lot of blog candy.

What do you have to do for a chance of winning this scrummy lot?
  1. Go to BasicGrey Challenges. Post your name and blog address into the Mr Linky widget (for those new to Mr Linky the instructions are here),
  2. Make a post on your blog or put a picture in your sidebar linking back to our blog candy.
This blog candy will end on Friday the 21st of August at 10.00pm UK time, and the winner will be announced the following day when the new BasicGrey Challenge is posted :)

I will continue my guest designer position at BG Challenges (yea, me!)
Martine used the new BG June Bug collection in the blog banner and new blinkies. Some of my family and friends call me "June Bug". Coincidence? LOL!

I hope that you enjoy the new BasicGrey Challenges :)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Be Inspired # 42 - National Friendship Day




This week's challenge at Cuttlebug Challenge blog is to create a gate fold card. Do you ever have trouble getting your folds to come together at the center? Then you need a Score-it ;) I'm just here to enable...LOL). It creates perfect score lines and it is easy to use.

I stamped this frame stamp and colored with markers. I cut the frames apart using my metal ruler and Xacto knife. I glued the largest frame and center square only on the left side, and glued the center frame only on the right side. I created the center embossed rectanlges using Score-it. (Click last picture to see better.) I was inspired by the new Cuttlebug journaling embossing folder.

I often use belly bands to hold my gate fold cards closed. Using a frame stamp used this way is another option; the frames hold the card closed, if you don't embellish too much on the inside of the card.

On the inside left and right panels I used my Victoria Cuttlebug embossing folder. So what do you think?
Supplies:
Cuttlebug embossing folder: Victoria
Stamps: Magenta (frame); A Muse (Queen for the day)
rub-ons: KI Memories
card stock: SU! Whisper White, Old Olive, Barely Banana, Pink Pirouette
markers: Copic (E00); SU! Apricot Appeal, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie (sorry, Kristie!), and Regal Rose

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Hello, Cupcake :)

I made a card! I have missed being able to go in my craft room and just play for the sake of playing. This is a virtual birthday card for a lovely blog friend, Chrissie. Happy Birthday!!!

My sweet blog friend, Kristie, stamped and sent this Magnolia image for me. This is a well-traveled cupcake! All the way to the U.S. from the land down under. Kristie also totally enabled me to buy this ribbon she used on her card here. I was also inspired by blog friend Leslie, who was showing some of her lovely cross-stitch pictures on her blog here.

My supplies:
Stampin' Up!: Candy Lane dsp; Real Red & Pretty in Pink markers; Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon; Chocolate Chip & Pink Pirouette card stock; paper piercing template; dimensionals
Bic Mark it pen: brown
DMC floss: #898
Diamond Glaze: (on hearts)
Stickles: (on frosting)
Nestibilities: Labels Two

I used Julee's Mojo Monday sketch Week #96. I also was inspired by Use It challenge #20. Here are the Use It guidelines:

1. An unusual item (my DMC floss). I have not used this floss in years; 20+ years ago I was into teddy bears. I cross-stitched pictures, pillows, etc. with brown teddy bears. They are all stashed in a closet somewhere...
2. One stamp (check that off!)
3. One die cut or embellishment

This is a cross-stitch afghan I made that is in dd's bedroom. I made this before they were born.

I started this right before I became pregnant, and finished in time for the girls' fourth birthday :)

Happy Sunday!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Three Awards



The lovely Heather awarded me with these lovely awards! Heather makes stunning cards; each unique and all are beautiful. Please check out her blog: Rica's Haven. Thank you, my sweet blog friend! I have been away from blogging and creating for so long, I was worried you all might stop visiting.

I am *mostly* caught up on visiting blogs. If I missed leaving a comment for you, I sincerely apologize and I blame my dd's. I actually think the girls purposely double team me ;) One will need me to get her a drink, snack, or help with something, and the other will close the blogger comment window. Acck! I think I hit everyone in my blog reader, but if I missed you, tell me, so I can come by and leave you some love :)

I can't wait to get back in my craft room to create something, anything. I forget how hard it is to create when school is out for the summer. I have thoroughly enjoyed the cards and projects from all my blog hopping the past two days.

Enough blather from me...I pass these awards to:
Lauren, Leslie, Kristie, Deanna, Silke K., AlienAnessa, Anjou, KathyJ (Wattle), Alysabeth, Chrissie, Chris, Debbie, Rebekah, and Shauna.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Be Inspired # 41- Anything but a card

I finished this project late Friday night before leaving for the beach trip. Put your thinking caps on and create or alter something for this week's challenge at Cuttlebug Challenge blog! I purchased some acetate from my Design Diva pal, Deanna. I embossed the edge with my Cuttlebug embossing folder. The wooden clothes pin is from Nicole Crafts.

I painted the clothes pin with white acrylic paint, then covered both sides with 6x6 BasicGrey Lemonade papers. I cut a piece of chipboard and covered that with more yummy BG papers, attaching the acetate with four DCWV mini brads. I think this will make a great "Honey do" list for the kitchen desk...I just need to find my Vis-À-Vis pens. Acetate is not just for teachers and overhead projectors any more :)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

I'm Baaaaaack & BasicGrey Wisteria



We are back home safe and sound from our family beach trip. It is always so much fun to be with dh's cousins, aunts & uncles, but great to be home and in our own beds too :)

I have suffered P.P.W. and B.F.W. (patterned paper withdrawal and blog friend withdrawal). I have not been to visit ANY blogs in several days. Please be patient; I will come by to "see" you soon! I am now caught up on my laundry, bills, and (most) e-mails. I still have some phone calls to return. Today I made 5 cards (two of the top card and 3 of the bottom card.) They are now ready to send, so I am now caught up on thank you notes and get well cards. Tomorrow I hope to make birthday cards and be caught up on those.

Tomorrow I will post a project for Cuttlebug Challenge #41, so please come back in the morning :)

**Both cards came from a BG card kit purchased at 7 Kids College Fund (click on the icon on my right hand side bar to go shopping!) I have found they have the cheapest price even after shipping if I take into account my time and gas money to drive to my nearest stamp store that carries them.

**For the "get well soon" card I followed the instructions exactly. The second card looked a little flat, so I Cuttlebug debossed the bottom layer. It still needed more, so I used a fine tip black journaling pen to trace around the faux layers. I used a black ink pad to lightly distress the circles. The "Thank You" is an American Crafts rub-on.


Wednesday a.m. I am heading to the post office to send these 5 cards out to some special people.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Monday, July 13, 2009

Annual Family Beach Trip

If you are wondering why I am not posting this week, it is because I am at the beach. The trip involves dh's mother & her siblings, their spouses, and their children & grandchildren. This year only one person was not able to attend, so in this pic you see the 51 of us.

I will be posting a card on Wednesday for sure, for Cuttlebug Challenge Be Inspired # 40 Challenge. Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Friday, July 10, 2009

Be Inspired # 40 - Sketch

Cuttlebug Challenge blog has a sketch challenge this week. Yep, Maggie added a voting poll to the blog, and followers voted for sketch challenges. So perhaps once/month she will have a sketch challenge. This sketch was a challenge for me because I did not know how I was going to work the ribbon across the sentiment/image. I went through my drawers of stamps and found this stamp "Floating Softly" by Stamps Happen, Inc. I have had this stamp for at least 8 years and never used it. I saw her hands balancing her body, and decided she wanted to balance on the ribbon. I used an Xacto knife to cut around her right hand and slid the ribbon under her hand. I colored her with colored pencils. It did not show up in my picture well, but I have a layer of acetate over the stars decorative paper, and I embossed both with my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Give the sketch a try; I can't wait to see what you come up with! I am heading over to my 'bug DT sisters' blogs (on my right side bar) now to see their creations :)

Happy Wednesday!

Recipe:
embossing folder: Swiss Dots
decorative paper: BasicGrey Oh Baby Boy!
star brads, ribbon, blue cardstock: Stampin' Up!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Happy Birthday, Kristie!!!


My wonderful friend, Kristie Morrison, is celebrating her birthday on Saturday, July 11th. I am participating in a blog hop as a surprise for sweet Kristie. It is already Friday morning in Queensland, Australia, and Kristie is probably fixing her morning coffee right now :)

If you would like to see Kristie's other virtual birthday cards, start here, at Madonna's website (Kristie's lovely sister). If you have arrived from Lauren's blog, you are in the right place.

In my mail yesterday I received a card from Kristie with some Magnolia stamped images. This cute little Tilda was one of the stamped images Kristie sent me. I colored her with copics, Bic markers, and SU! markers. Last night ~7pm the FedEx man brought me my new BasicGrey Lemonade papers. I coordinated the papers with some Bazzill card stock (pink is Kristie's favorite color), and Kristie's virtual birthday card is born!

Now hop on over to see what Leslie has for the birthday girl.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Be Inspired Cuttlebug # 39

This week the Cuttlebug Challenge blog is having a color scheme challenge with woodland creatures. Feel free to add a twig or leaf from your yard, but no snakes, please :)
I made this card 10 days ago. I was really happy at how well it turned out! I just realized when I went to post this card, that I used the same color scheme on my card yesterday morning. I guess my subconscious really likes these colors together. I used Cuttlebug Birds & Swirls embossing folder; ribbon from my stash; an SEI button; all papers are from My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow; the critters are all Colorbok Friendly Forest; the scallop border punch, dimensionals, and scallop circle punch are SU!. The tree is hand drawn based on LFL's blog banner (lovely friend Lauren.)

Happy Wednesday!!!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Caardvarks Sketch Challenge

The 'Varks is having a sketch challenge and the prize is a gift certificate to ShortCuts (pick me! pick me!)

I kept it simple; I blew the dust off of my Magenta stickers (what? stickers? so old school), and mounted them to white card stock, and cut out. The window/aperture was cut using the SU! curly label punch, as were the two top note dies. The ribbon is from Michael's, and the "hi" is Thickers chipboard.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Who is the president of the United States?

Card-wise I have nothing to show you. I haven't even been in my craft room since Saturday :( Hopefully soon?

I do have a funny dialogue to share with you involving my dear daughter and her speech therapist that took place today:

ST: Who is the president of the United States?
DD: George Washington.
ST: George Washington was the first president. Who is president right now?
DD: Abraham Lincoln.
ST: He was the sixteenth president. Who is president right now, Barack ____?
DD: o-lee

Get it? Broccoli. She is so funny...I suppose we need to work on our history a little more :)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Hello and Happy 4th of July :)

Happy 4th of July to my American friends :)
AND happy birthday wishes to my DT sister, Meda!

I used the same papers from my Wednesday Cuttlebug Challenge Be Inspired card, but this time I added some Stampin' Up! rub-ons (the sentiment and a few stars on the decorative papers). The oval punches, build-a-brad, and dimensionals are also SU! The large circles are Nesties. And of course I used my Cuttlebug swiss dots folder :)

And now for some fun...head over to Cuttlebug Challenge blog for a super fun blog hop sponsored by SNR Card Universe!

Be safe and enjoy the fireworks.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Good Friends are Priceless

This is my first MFT purchase ever, and today is the first time I've used it. I couldn't decide which decorative papers to use...so many choices...and I decided my 6x6 BasicGrey Wisteria had not had enough love. I tried to match my Bic markers to the paper, but it came out bolder than I thought it would. Oh well :) I also used Julee's sketch again, but modified it just a little.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Enabler Alert! Core'dinations card stock...

I had a couple of errands to run yesterday and while I was out I needed to buy more adhesive with my 40% coupons. I stopped in at JoAnn's, grabbed my adhesive, and was headed towards the register when I noticed their 12 x12 card stock is 16 cents per sheet this week. I normally ignore this aisle, but I need kraft card stock now that it is back in vogue. No luck finding it, but I noticed some open stock paper I knew was not Bazzill nor DCWV, and it was...Core'dinations!!! Can you believe it? I grabbed 3 sheets...I know, big spender, right? I just wanted to try it out, and JoAnn's has a rainbow of colors in this amazing paper. I try not to buy online unless I can't buy it at Michael's, JoAnn's, ACMoore, or Hobby Lobby with a 40% coupon, and even then it needs to be a good price. So I have resisted the urge to buy Core'dinations, and now I can get it anytime I want, and just 2 miles from my house. Wahoo!!!

This is my first card using Core'dinations (check 'em out..."Black Magic" is particularly scrummy!) If you are not familiar with it, this is why it is so special: the core is not the same color (like Bazzill) nor is it white (like DCWV). It comes in varied colors. So just sand or tear it to unveil the yummy colors hidden beneath the texture. I sanded the papers to reveal the core color.

My base card (red) is DCWV; the easel is a 3D sticker by Make it Special (Dollorama); the sentiment is CTMH; and the circle, scallop circle, and dimensionals are all Stampin' Up!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Be Inspired - Cuttlebug # 38

This is my first official card as a Cuttlebug Design Team member. The theme for this week's challenge is red, white, and blue and to use buttons. Some of my DT sisters have the not-yet-released stars embossing folder; I used my all-time favorite swiss dots.

I created an aperture for the sentiment using a rectangle Nestibilities and I popped the window panel up on dimensionals. (I know it looks flush in my picture.) I was trying to come up with an Independence Day sentiment. I thought of "you light my fire cracker", but then thought that sentiment would be more appropriate for mature audiences. This blog is rated G :)

Head over to the Cuttlebug Challenge blog to see what the other DT girls have created. Maggie has some wonderful prizes in store for this challenge. Don't forget to check out the Cuttlebug Challenge blog later this week...there is something really special planned...that's all I'm gonna tell you for now (she says with a big cheshire cat grin on her face!)