Just For You, Sweet Stop (& Blog Awards)

Do you have craft piles? I have 3 piles right now...I start to make a card and then it just doesn't come together. I gather the coordinating papers and add them to the pile. When the pile begins to teeter totter, I start a new pile. I am challenging myself to eliminate my piles. I had some BG papers in the pile and made my Springtime in Paris card. Today I went in search of a sketch for these stripe and floral papers (by atd) and found it at the Sweet Stop:
For my main image I used 2 SU stamps (Sweet Dreams set), the sentiment, and SU markers to coordinate with the papers. The button, ribbon, and brad are from my stash. I used an SU punch, Boho blossoms, behind my button. Pile #3 is getting smaller!

Blog Awards:

Thank you, Rae!

Thank you, Roberta!

Thank you,
Candy, Paula, and Beth!

I am a little late thanking these ladies for these thoughtful awards. The award rules: list 7 things about myself you may not know and pass the award on.

1. I am a total Gleek. I re-watch episodes of Glee while I craft. I love my dvr!
2. My other favorite show is Burn Notice. I *heart* Michael Westen, Sam Axe (aka Chuck Finley), and Fiona Glenanne.
3. My favorite musicals are: The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and Wicked.
4. 7 is my favorite number and red is my favorite color.
5. I love to read murder mysteries (not too gory).
6. I started taking tap dance classes at the age of 37.
7. I am married to the love of my life, dhDH (dear husband Doug Houck aka "Hottie") for nearly 20 years and our twin girls are almost 9yo.

Happy Thursday!

A Penny From Heaven

Pennies from heaven...I have always picked up pennies I have found outside, though I was completely unaware of the this poem:

I found a penny today
just laying on the ground,
But it's not just a penny
this little coin I've found.
Found pennies come from heaven
That's what my Grandpa told me,
he said angels toss them down
Oh, how I loved that story.
He said when an angel misses you
they toss a penny down,
sometimes just to cheer you up
to make a smile out of your frown.
So don't pass by that penny
when you're feeling blue,
it may be a penny from heaven
that an angel has tossed down to you!

I computer-generated the poem and used it on the inside of my card. The little penny pocket is created with acetate and dual duty thread. I included the poem on the inside of my card. I used CardPatterns Sketch 108 for inspiration.

I am anxious to see how you are inspired by pennies from heaven. Link your heavenly creations at Betty Bee's Buzz :)

The Holly and the Ivy

My brain has been working on this week's Jingle Belles theme since Friday morning, but I just wasn't sure what to do. I finally decided to CASE myself from last month's shape card. In keeping with the "holly and the ivy" theme, I stamped, colored the leaves, added gems for the holly berries, and popped up holly leaves using SU old olive marker (also used on "dec. 25" with SU chocolate chip marker).

The sentiment is a rub-on, the mutli-colored ribbon and chocolate chip card stock are both SU. The green ribbon is from my stash.

This is my 10th Christmas card for 2011! Thank you, Jingle Belles :)

Celebrate Up, Up, and Away!

I have been completely enabled by my friend, Deanna, to buy the Cricut Summer in Paris cartridge. The cartridge arrived shortly before I went to Utah to visit my cousin, Scott. I did not abide by the 50% rule (don't buy if you don't think you will use 50% of the images on the cartridge.) I was in love with only one image on the cartridge, one dress form. (Click here for some fab Deanna inspiration! **WARNING*** You will want to buy the Summer in Paris cartridge too.) Surprisingly enough, I have used the cartridge for two cards in a row, and neither one using the dress form!

When Scott took my scrapbook shopping at several Salt Lake City stores, I bought 4 sheets (3 shown here) of 12x12 American Crafts scrapbook papers. I decided to use the hot air balloon images from the Summer in Paris cartridge. My ribbon came from a care package sent by LFL (lovely friend Lauren). I added a rub-on sentiment (also American Crafts.) The light pink card stock under my balloon is SU pink pirouette. I also used my Cuttlebug Houndstooth embossing folder on the pink and the smaller solid balloon.

My inspiration came from:

• Fantabulous Cricut "Celebrations"
• Paper Cutz "Use 3 Patterned Papers"

Happy Saturday!

Welcome, Springtime in Paris

Amore! Last weekend my cousin Scott treated me to dinner in a romantic restaurant in the mountains 8,000ft above sea level. There was a gorgeous view of the snow covered mountains overlooking Salt Lake City, Utah. This paper doily was under my cup of soup. I snatched mine (and Scott's) and carefully placed them in my purse to recycle for a card.

BasicGrey Challenges current challenge is "Recycled." I had these BasicGrey 6x6 Wisteria papers on my workspace for months; I just couldn't make a card come together. Today I challenged myself to make a card with those chosen papers.

Then I went in search of a sketch for inspiration. I found a "Sketch and Sparkle" challenge at The Pixie Cottage:
I used a SU gem brad for my sparkle (dot of the "i" in "Paris.")

And the inspiration did not end there...
Order of the Opus Gluei challenge is "Springtime in Paris"
Paper Cutz challenge is "Use 3 Patterned Papers"
Die Cuttin Divas challenge is "Spring is on the Way"

I recently purchased a Cricut cartridge called "Summer in Paris." I used that cartridge for the first time today to cut both the Eiffel Tower and "Paris" from two different BG papers. I used a spring floral BG paper as the background.

Another Sketchy Holiday - Jingle Belles challenge

This week's guest designer at Jingle Belles is the fabby Allison Fillo. I recently found Allison's blog through another blog friend. It is called Stampin' When I Can and she has link to sketch challenges around the blogosphere, newly discovered blogs, challenges list, and freebies found on the web. Here is Allison's sketch:
I used a sheet of 12x12 Creative Imaginations paper. I cut it in strips, which I thought were perfect for the strips in the sketch under the circle and for the left edge. I fussy cut both trees from one strip, and popped one up on top of the other for dimension.

Other supplies:
Spellbinders die (scalloped circle)
circle cut from Cricut Accent Essentials cartridge
Cuttlebug Seeing Spots and Snowflakes embossing folder
blue ribbon (from my stash)

Twine it Up!

Our challenge for you this week at Betty Bee's Buzz is to use twine on your card. I used mine to hold my pennants, but I cut my pennants so large, you can only see my ties. Yikes. The cute birthday girl and sentiment are a MFT Pure Innocence stamp set. I colored with copics and layered Bella Blvd "Sweet Celebration" papers on a yellow-orange Bazzill card stock and SU whisper white card stock. The shape is a Spellbinders die and the border punch is by Martha Stewart. The glittery card base is by DCWV and the red gems are from Michael's. I popped my girl up on dimensionals. So cute!

You're Sew Lovely!

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge has a fab sketch challenge this week and it is sponsored by MFT (a personal fave of mine...I have a Flopsey card posting tomorrow! *edited: I auto-posted and it is showing as the previous post. ACK!) I actually used a Lawn Fawn stamp set for today's card. I have never used a Lawn Fawn stamp set, but I purchased 4 sets last October. I forgot about them, but I think you may be seeing more Lawn Fawn in the future :)

Other supplies: Cricut Plantin Schoolbook circle, Cricut Accent Essentials scalloped circle, SU oval punches and dimensionals, copic markers, Making Memories scrapbook papers, EKSuccess border punch, glue dots and buttons.

Happy Ides of March!

Sweet Shop Sweet Stop MFT Buzz

Isn't Flopsey so sweet with this wonderful cupcake? I was super motivated to make this card...

• I fell in love with this yummy sketch from The Sweet Stop sketch challenge blog
• Daring Cardmakers "Home Baked" challenge to make your own embellies (I cut the 2 gray flower layers beneath my pink prima and white daisy)
• Die Cuttin' Divas "Unused and unloved" I have never cut ovals from my Plantin Schoolbook cartridge, nor have I ever cut the scalloped flower (2 gray flowers beneath the primas) from my Accent Essentials cartridge. I doubt these cartridges will be neglected again! Great images!!!
• Betty Bee's Buzz color challenge:
  

More details on my card are at Betty Bee's Buzz for this week's HoneyBee Showcase :)
Take our color challenge this week, and you could be the winner of 20 yards of stunning Offray Ribbon! You have until March 23rd to enter.

New Trick tutorial and Cool Yule

I just learned how to use a frame embossing folder to make a smaller frame! I have been wondering how to do this, and my SU rep, Sue, taught me how on Wednesday. The current challenge at Order of the Opus Gluei is Show Us Some New Tricks. My tutorial to make this 4" square embossed frame (SU Framed Tulips) is below. I also made this card for this week's Jingle Belles challenge: Cool Yule (tri-color challenge kraft, white, and pale blue.) Their guest designer this week is my lovely friend Leslie, aka The Crooked Stamper (my fave snarky blog!!!)

Framed embossing tutorial:
I cut a 4" square of kraft card stock, lined it up at the top, and ran it through my Big Shot:
Then fit the embossed tulips into the concave side of the folder, lining up at the top:
***Here's the trick: emboss this edge only!!!! Crank clockwise until the top edge just barely goes through, then crank counter-clockwise and take it out. Voila!

Other Supplies:
Ribbon and all papers are by SU. The sentiment stamp is by Memory Box and the snowman is by Inkadinkadoo.

Happy Friday!!! Don't forget to link your creations or share good news today at Betty Bee's Buzz for Buzz, Brag, and Bee Happy Friday :)

Home for the Holidays Tall Card

I am still a newbie at this whole cricut machine dealio, but I do still love it :)

I didn't quite get my little sled guy just right, but the process is more important right now than the finished project. I was in a doodling mood, but perhaps I went a little crazy. It was fun, just playing around with my cricut and creating a winter scene. I messed up the tree measurements...still not sure how to do that correctly...but I used the 5 extra trees that cut too large on the left side of the card (under winter).

Today I was trying out my newest cartridge, Winter Frolic. I am combining two challenges:
Cricut Cardz: 9"x4" tall card
Jingle Belles: Home for the Holidays

My fondest memories of being home at Christmas time is if we had snow, sledding down the street up one block from our house; it was a monster long hill and awesome to sled down!

It's a wrap! (Spirelli technique aka string art)

This was my first try with spirelli. My DT sister, Rosemary, has a great tutorial here. This was a completely new technique for me. It reminds me of my Spirograph I had as a kid :)

I went searching through my stash for something fun and fine to wind, and I came across this variegated fiber. I chose an image from my Accent Essentials cricut cartridge and cut it twice. I glued the two cut images together for support so that the card stock would not warp as I wrapped.

I accented the center with navy linen card stock with a daisy punched in the center. I layered over a brown paper lunch bag that I spritzed and crinkled several times. After the lunch bag dried, I painted the lunch bag with Lumiere paint. I layered on a circle of mirror paper.

This was a quick and easy technique. I hope you'll give it a twirl! Link your creation to this post at Betty Bee's Buzz.

Other supplies: 3D glue dots, augusta green linen card stock (base), ponderosa pine linen card stock, Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy embossing folder, silver paint pen, and a dragonfly charm by Embellish It!

Limelight Sketch (Pearls) Fantabulous Cricut Shape card

Spring is nearly here! Mandy has a wonderful sketch this week at Limelight Papercrafts and her challenge is to use pearls. I added tiny half-back pearls to my butterflies. This week's challenge at Fantabulous Cricut is to make a shape card. This is my first shape card using my cricut :) I used the Accent Essentials cartridge to cut my flower base and my circles. The theme at The Paper Players this week is"Spring has Sprung!"
This is the inside of the card.

Other supplies:
Cuttlebug Spots & Dots embossing folder
SU scallop circle punch, butterflies embosslit, whisper white cs and chocolate chip cs
DCWV card stock (aqua)
Bazzill card stock (burnt orange) and brown prima
Dashes, Dots & Checks ribbon (Michael's)
Colorbok gems (ACMoore)
button & floss (stash)

Framed! It's all about the birds and the Bees...

My DT sister, Roe, gave each of us a frame to decorate as we wished to frame a picture of all of us at our first annual HoneyBee Swarm in Orlando, FL last week. (The arrow is pointing to Roe.)

I stamped my mat using blue ink and a Hero Arts polka dot background stamp. I used brown ink and a "friends" stamp too. All the flowers, birds, and leaves were fussy cut from a sheet of scrapbook paper. I think the fussy cutting was time well spent because my birds and leaves are hiding the water bottles and chairs that were on/by the table in front of us :)

I am entering my frame in this week's challenge at Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - You've Been Framed!

I hope you will stop by Betty Bee's Buzz today too and see what my DT sisters did with their frames. They are all unique and beautiful!