Be Inspired #85- Pennant

I love challenges because they motivate me to try something I might not normally try or they simply inspire me to use papers or products that I own but I have neglected. This week's pennant challenge at Cuttlebug Challenge blog motivated and inspired me! I have never participated in a pennant challenge nor have I ever used a pennant on a card or scrapbook page. I was inspired to scrapbook this birthday picture of my twin girls from nearly two years ago. I made my pennant like a birthday streamer, "We R 6". I used the Provo Craft Cuttlebug embossing folder Bloom Dots on Core'dinations WhiteWash card stock. I fussy cut a few extra bloom dots and placed on 3 pennants to divide up the sentiment and to tie in with the bottom of the page.

Other supplies:
QuicKutz font Olivia and Paige (number 6)
DCWV patterned paper
Martha Stewart border punch

Hop on over to Cuttlebug Challenge blog or to cricut.com to see even more inspiration for this challenge. You won't be disappointed, I promise!

Pure Innocence meets the Boyfriend

One of my favorite blogs (I follow ~175 craft blogs) is Jackie Pedro's The Scalloped Edge. My card today was inspired by this card that Jackie made. I don't own any of those cute October Afternoon papers, so I went to my LSS to buy some about 2 weeks ago. I came home with this sweet girl holding the apple (MFT Pure Innocence "Apple For You" stamp set). She has been on my stamp table as a reminder that I need to start getting ready for end-of-year teacher gifts.

It dawned on me this morning that my Cosmo Cricket the Boyfriend papers might work for my card. Three hours later, I now have 3 cards like this for the 3 core teachers :)

Supply list:
card stock: SU kraft, cream, red linen
Cosmo Cricket: the Boyfriend
MFT stamps: Pure Innocence "Apple For You"
Memento black ink
Spellbinders Nestibilities ovals
1 1/4" square punch
copic markers: W1, W5, YG95, R02, R29, E00, E21, E29, B41

3-2-1: DCWV, Sew happy, & Scrappy Birthday

My DCWV Garden Party has been much neglected. I thought I would try to use these glittery papers for a card. Jacksonbelle has a sketch challenge this week, so I used their sketch. I made 3 cards like this.
My mom likes to sew. She has made several outfits & jackets for my niece and nephews when they were younger. My niece is now 18yo, but passed down some of these outfits for my dds. While we waited for the bus yesterday morning, I followed the girls around our front yard trying to snap pictures. Here is Kathryn in her zebra jumper she wore to school yesterday.
And this is Julia (who was in constant motion) in a cute plaid dress. They are sew cute!
And from the scraps of my 3 cards I eeked out one more card...
Happy Saturday!

Be Inspired #84- Photo

I hope you will join us this week for our photo inspiration challenge at Cuttlebug Challenge blog. This photo of me and my girls inspired me to buy a sheet of embossed images nearly 7 years ago. The flower in the bottom left-hand corner came from that sheet; I knew it matched the flowers on the girls outfits and I had to have it. That embossed sheet and the two different yellow sheets of card stock and the picture have been in a plastic shopping bag in my closet until now. I finally sat down and made the scrapbook page I had planned so long ago :)

I added a Provo Craft Cuttlebug butterfly die (donated by Provo Craft...thank you!) I cut him out of 2 colors of card stock and embossed the wings with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. Then I layered on white and fussy cut.

Supplies:
American Crafts Boutique ribbon
My Mind's Eye vellum quote
Embossible Designs "Build A Flower"
I created my title to coordinate with the Embossible Designs "Oh Happy Day!" panel by using a SU 3 flower punch and coordinating SU card stock. The font I used is "Olivia" by QuicKutz.

Create any card, layout or project inspired by a photo and link it to Cuttlebug Challenge blog. Don't forget to mention that June sent you :)

Let's hear it for the birds/ A tweet for you

I made this card using sketch #3 from Cardabilities. I used scraps of SU dsp, SU 2 step bird punch & border punch, primas & rhinestone stickers from my stash, and old olive card stock. The sentiment is by Cornish Heritage Farms, and the squares were cut using Nestibilities dies.

I love taking stamping classes. It is a fun social event to meet people who enjoy crafting. My SU rep, Sue, always prices her classes very reasonably. For some of her classes, if she has to use a lot of a particular dsp, the entire pack of paper is included in the cost of the class. You know what that means...scraps! This dsp came from I class I took from her in April.

I also have extra dsp from a previous Sue class. I was able to eek out these cute birds for one card and my CAS go-to sketch:
Honestly, I have never been a bird fan, except for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, but that doesn't count ;) But I now am the proud owner of quite a few cute bird stamps. I can't resist the birds in this SU dsp too. I love my SU 2 step bird punch; I wouldn't call it "cute" but I think she is so pretty! Never say, "Never." I guess I am a bird fan after all...

CAS Happy Graduation

I made this CAS (clean & simple) card for this week's "CAS" challenge at Jacksonbelle Embellishments and for this week's "celebrate something" challenge at Stamp Something.

I found this designer paper (from Hobby Lobby). I knew it would be perfect for a little mass production of graduation cards. I layered it on black card stock and red linen, then mounted on a white card base (Value Pack/Recollections from Michael's). I stamped the quote on white card stock and used my ticket punch (all SU!), then layered on black card stock and ticket punched opposite corners. I wanted to mimic the red ribbons in the designer paper, so I fussy cut one from a skinny scrap of red linen card stock. I added dimensionals to this panel for interest. From two sheets of this 8.5"x11" designer paper I eeked out 8 cards :)

I am on a roll...off to make some more cards. Happy Saturday!

Birthday, Butterflies & BasicGrey

This week's challenge at Jacksonbelle Embellishments is to make a CAS (clean & simple) card. That is right up my alley, don't you think? The past few months it has been difficult for me to create. I think I am turning the corner because I have made a lot of cards this week! When I get stuck, this is my "go to" sketch. I need to make some graduation cards, so I may enter this CAS challenge again...

Have you seen the embosslit dies by SU? This one is called Beautiful Wings and it cuts and embosses all 5 of these butterflies at once. I have been dying to try mine out; I still have my BasicGrey Lemonade papers on my craft space, so I used those :)

Happy Friday!

Be Inspired #83- Cards for kids

For a girl and...
for a boy.

I hope you will join us for our weekly challenge! Create a new card or project for a child, use a Provo Craft product, upload it to Cuttlebug Challenge blog Be Inspired #83, and leave a comment to let them know June sent you. I used Provo Craft Cuttlebug embossing folders:
D'Vine Swirls (girl card), Spots & Dots and Diamond Plate (boy card.)

I purchased the products to make these cards last summer and I am finally using them :)
Other Supplies:
Girl card - SEI Lovebirds, Bazzill bling (brown), ribbon (unknown), Stampendous stamp, Nestibilities, and copic markers: E21, E29, E33, RV10, V12
Boy card - Bazzill bling, silver specialty paper (unknown), Making Memories eyelets, Disney Cars puffy sticker, and Nestibilities.

BasicGrey Lemonade embossed quilt card

I have had very little time to go into my craft room lately. It seems when I try to make a card, it doesn't quite come together, so I create a pile of coordinating paper, card stock, ribbon, or other embellishments and set it aside. As of this morning, I had several little "piles". These piles clutter my craft room and block my ability to create. Can you create in clutter? I think some people are probably inspired by the clutter and are able to create fabulous cards and projects with the supplies strewn around them. I cleaned up some of the piles, refiling the card stock and decorative papers and embellies. As I cleared some work space, I came across a handful of BasicGrey Lemonade die cut flowers and chipboard pieces leftover from the card kit. I pulled out scraps of BG Lemonade papers from my 6x6 pad. I tried a new idea for my quilt card (tutorial here): I dry embossed the entire top note die and front of base card (DCWV). The card truly looks quilted in real life; so soft and feminine. What do you think? My tag die is QuicKutz and the sentiment is a SU stamp. Both the top note die and die cut flower are popped up on SU dimensionals.

Be sure to come back tomorrow morning for my weekly Be Inspired cards...it is doubly good :)

Be Inspired #82- Mother's Day

Mother's Day is rapidly approaching...are you ready? Is there a special mother you know that you wish to remember? Create a card or project for her Cuttlebug style and link your project to Cuttlebug Challenge blog Be Inspired #82. I used Provo Craft Cuttlebug Bloom Dots embossing folder. I embossed the light green grid designer paper, then lightly sanded the paper to let the white core show through.

My papers are BasicGrey Origins and the chipboard, punches, top note die, and sentiment are all SU. I painted the sides of the chipboard with white acrylic paint and added the Martha Stewart half back pearl for the eye.

Hint for your significant other, friends, or other family members: Make a wish list then send them to:
http://www.cricut.com/shop/
I will be asking dh to shop there. He will be happy to shop online and not at a mall :)

I hope you will stop by Cuttlebug Challenge blog to see all of the lovely Mother's Day cards and projects. If you leave a comment, don't forget to mention that June sent you!

Gypsy giveaway, Blogoversary candy & a Baby Bug

Gypsy Giveaway:
Cuttlebug Challenge blog is giving away a Gypsy. All you have to do is:
1. Become a follower of Cuttlebug Challenge blog, and
2. mention that June sent you in a comment me on this Cuttlebug post.

Blogoversary Candy:
My blogoversary is rapidly approaching. On June 1, 2010, I will be celebrating my 3rd blogoversary. Who knew I would have so much to say? (DH, don't answer that!) I will be amassing blog candy. I will announce the winner on June 1st. Here is what you need to do for a chance to win:
1. Go to Cuttlebug Challenge blog and leave a comment mentioning that June sent you. The more posts you comment on for the entire month of May, the more times I will enter your name.
2. Become a follower of Cuttlebug Challenge blog.

Cricut Baby Bug:
Maggie, owner of Cuttlebug Challenge blog, is giving away a Cricut Baby Bug to the DT member who has the most number of people visiting from her blog. Will you help me? I do not own a Cricut, but I would love to have one to help me make teacher gifts and my weekly Be Inspired Wednesday cards for Cuttlebug Challenge blog.

My card:
I was inspired by my wonderful blog friend, Corie. Please visit her blog, Creations by Corie. Corie is one of my first blog friends. I love to peruse her beautiful cards. See the card that inspired me here.

If you have question about the contest, please leave a comment or email me. Thank you!!!