Candid Candace

{Meljen's Designs} Challenge #94

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there!!

There's a new challenge at Meljen's Designs today! The challenge is to use hearts on your card.

I decided to make my grandmother a Valentine's card. She loves to sew just as much as I love to make cards. I was so happy the other day to see that she had all of the cards I've ever made for her on display in her sewing room. I used the Love is Sewn image for my card today, and since it has hearts in it, this image fit the challenge perfectly.

This card isn't my favorite at all. I have been really sick lately. This asthma is just really giving me a hard time, and the card-making mojo just hasn't been there for me lately, but I hope my Mema likes it! :)

Be sure and hop over to the Meljen's Designs blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Authentique

Stamps: Love is Sewn (Meljen's Designs)

Ink: Copic markers

Embellishments: ribbon (ribboncarousel.com), silver brads, glitter, handmade stick pin

Tools: sewing machine, Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities

I Can't Thank You Enough

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there! I have a quick and simple thank you card to share today.

I used the Polka Dot Greetings set by MFT Stamps. I adhered the patterned papers from the Crate Paper Random collection to black cardstock and stitched around all of the edges. I love the pop of the black thread!

I stamped my sentiment in the bottom corner and accented it with some black rhinestones. Then, I adhered this panel to a Kraft cardstock base. Easy peasy, right?!

Now, I can add this card to my stash because it seems like I never seem to have thank you cards and birthday cards.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, True Black (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Crate Paper Random

Stamps: Polka Dot Greetings (MFT Stamps)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: black thread, black rhinestones

Tools: sewing machine

So Sweet

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Do you ever make cards and forget to share them on your blog? That seldom happens to me, but it does happen to be the case with this card! I made it awhile back and just completely forgot to share it!

I made this card using the Bit of Stardust set by There She Goes. I love this sweet set for baby cards! The patterned papers are from the My Mind's Eye Dwell collection, and I paper-pieced the onesie with some of the paper.

I embossed the pink circle with the Polka Dots embossing folder. The Kraft border was cut out with the Dainty Lace Border Dienamics by MFT. I stamped a sentiment in the bottom corner and added a ribbon and two pearls to finish it off.

Thanks sooo much for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, Sweet Blush (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Dwell

Stamps: Bit of Stardust (There She Goes Clear Stamps)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: ribbon, pearls

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, We R Memory Keepers corner chomper, Cuttlebug Polka Dots embossing folder, MFT Dainty Lace Border Dienamics

TSG139 - Back to Nature

2012-01-22T16:45:00.000-06:00

Hi there! I'm popping in again today to share this card for you. I'm squeezing it in before the deadline tonight! This card is for this week's There She Goes Challenge #139 - Back to Nature.

I used the stamp set, The Fairy Best. I colored my image with Copic markers. This layout is from an older MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge.

The patterned papers are from the My Mind's Eye Stella Rose - Gertie collection. I punched the cream scalloped border with the MFT Simply Scallops Border Dienamics. I did a variety of stitching on this card.

I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black directly onto the patterned paper. It's a little hard to see in the photo. My grandmother made me some crocheted flowers, so I added one of those with some ribbon, twine, and brads to finish this card off.

Thanks sooo much for stopping by! It's back to work tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get some more card-making time this week!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill, Choice Buttercream
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Stella Rose - Gertie
Stamps: The Fairy Best (There She Goes Clear Stamps)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: crocheted flower, ribbon, twine, silver brads, Jody boosters, cream thread
Tools: Simple Scallops Border Dienamics (MFT Stamps), sewing machine, Classic Rectangle Nestabilities

CCC8 - Coloring

2012-01-22T02:01:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Today I have a card to share with you for this week's Christmas Card Challenge! The challenge is coloring.

My favorite coloring medium is Copic markers. When I first started stamping, I used some cheap watercolor pencils, but I wasn't very good with them. Maybe it's because they were cheap. LOL! Over the past few years, I've been buying Copic markers here and there. I still don't have as many as some people have, but I have enough to give me a fairly decent color selection. Now, I just need to work on my technique with them. I want to get better at using them!

I used Ugg Leah by Whimsie Doodles. I love their images, and I don't use them nearly enough! She is so cute! I added a little Liquid Applique to her boots for the pom-poms. I fussy cut her out and adhered her to a white oval that I embossed with the Polka Dots embossing folder.

The patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket Holly Jolly. I love those non-traditional colors! I did stitching all around the patterned paper edges. I finished my card off with a pink ribbon and a ghost snowflake...love those snowflakes for my Christmas cards! I put my sentiment on the inside.

Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see what the rest of the design team has to share with you today. Thanks sooo much for checking out my card! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Kraft, Raspberry Fizz (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket Holly Jolly
Stamps: Ugg Leah (Whimsie Doodles)
Ink: Copic markers
Embellishments: Liquid Applique, ribbon (PTI), ghost snowflake (Heidi Swapp), kraft-colored thread
Tools: sewing machine, Classic Oval Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Polka Dots embossing folder

{Meljen's Designs} Lovey Pup

2012-01-19T19:38:00.001-06:00

Hi there!! I hope you're having a great week! Mine has been pretty good. I was sick last week, but I'm doing much better this week. I am super happy that tomorrow is Friday!!

Today I have this sweet Meljen's Designs card to share with you. I used Lovey Pup. Isn't he just the sweetest little image? I colored him with Copic markers and added lots of sparkle.

I embossed both the yellow and the green cardstock with my favorite embossing folders - Polka Dots and Seeing Spots. I also did lots of stitching. The stamped sentiment is from Mega Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink, and I just stamped it three times across the bottom of the yellow cardstock panel.

This layout is Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #150. I will admit that I was a little intimidated by this one because of the banner element. I never can cut those so that they look decent. I really need to invest in a die that does the hard work for me! I decided to use that part of the sketch for my ribbon, and I love how it turned out! :) I'm glad I took on the sketch challenge and did something a tiny bit out of my comfort zone.

That's it for me today! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill, PTI Stamper's Select White
Patterned Paper: Little Yellow Bicycyle Cupcake Love
Stamps: Lovey Pup (Meljen's Designs), Mega Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: Jody boosters, Dazzling Details (Stampin' Up), ribbon
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, sewing machine

Christmas Card Challenge #7

2012-01-15T02:01:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Today I have a quick and simple card for you for this week's Christmas Card Challenge #7! The challenge is to use flourishes on your card.

I was actually running a fever and feeling awful Friday evening as I was making my card, so I decided to go the super-simple route. I actually love how this turned out, and I think I'll be duplicating this layout in the future!

To make my card, I stamped the image and sentiment from the Holly Jolly stamp set by There She Goes Clear Stamps onto Vintage Cream cardstock and cut it out with the coordinating die. I adhered a piece of patterned paper from the Authentique Wonder collection to a Kraft cardstock base and rounded all of the corners. I added the red ribbon and tied a simple knot and then added a pearl flourish. I finished the card by adhering the diecut piece with some foam tape.

It just doesn't get much easier than that, and I still think it turned out lovely!

Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team! I hope you'll play along with us this week! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Authentique Wonder
Stamps: Holly Jolly by There She Goes Clear Stamps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: ribbon (ribboncarousel.com), pearl flourish (want2scrap), foam tape
Tools: We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

Sweet On You

2012-01-14T21:45:00.001-06:00

Hi there! I just love There She Goes Stamps, and since I had some free time today, I decided to get stampy and create a card for this week's paper-piecing challenge over at the TSG blog.

I was inspired by several of the TSG design team members, who I've seen using the Freeze the Moment set to make Valentines cards.

I stamped this little cutie from the set in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored parts of her with Copic markers. I paper-pieced her dress. Now, let me tell you about the disaster part. It seems like this one particular disaster happens to me ALL the time. I had stamped her onto a rectangular piece of cream cardstock. I got her all colored and paper-pieced and then....swish! I didn't realize I had black ink on my finger and it smudged on the cardstock! I wanted to cry ! I was just about to throw the whole thing in the garbage when I decided to salvage my image by fussy-cutting her out. It worked, and I actually love the look I got from my "mistake." Mistakes in card-making are just opportunities to embellish, right? :)

These adorable papers are from the Love Me collection by My Mind's Eye. I added a border with the Simply Scallops Border Dienamics by MFT and also cut out some felt hearts with the Hearts-a-Plenty Dienamics. I topped off the hearts with a wooden button and some twine.

That's it for me tonight! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Love Me (My Mind's Eye)
Stamps: Freeze the Moment (There She Goes Clear Stamps)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: felt, twine, silver brads, Jody boosters, clear Glaze pen
Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities, Simply Scallop Border Dienamics, Hearts-a-Plenty Dienamics (MFT Stamps)

{Meljen's Designs} Challenge #92

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there!! There's a new challenge at Meljen's Designs! This week's challenge is anything goes.

I decided to use this week's Split Coast Stampers Sketch Challenge #367.

The image I used is Daisy Pitcher. I colored it with Copic markers and added lots of Tiny Twinkles to it...love all that bling! :) The papers are from the BasicGrey Sweet Threads collection. I finished it off with a ribbon and flower combo and a silver brad in each corner.

Be sure you hop over to the Meljen's Designs blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team! I hope you'll join us in this week's challenge!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Choice Buttercream

Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Sweet Threads

Stamps: Daisy Pitcher (Meljen's Designs)

Ink: Copic markers

Embellishments: Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), ribbon, flower, brads, twine

Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities

Christmas Card Challenge #6

2012-01-08T02:01:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday! This weeks' challenge at Christmas Card Challenges is to use lace on your card.

I used this month's Sketch for You to Try combined with the Star of Wonder stamp set by Papertrey Ink for my card.

I stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa and cut it out with Circle Nestabilities. The patterned paper is from the Authentique Wonder collection...I finally got my hands on some Authentique paper! I did LOTS of stitching and added some lace trim and a twill ribbon. I finished it off with three pearls in the bottom corner.

Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team! Thanks for stopping by today! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Authentique Wonder

Stamps: Star of Wonder (Papertrey Ink_

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), lace, pearls, Jody Boosters, cream thread

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, sewing machine

{Meljen's Designs} Lovin' Turtle

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Here's my first card of 2012! I'm not a big resolution maker, but I definitely do want to make more cards this year, and I spent yesterday making this one! :)

I made this card following the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #149.

This sweet little turtle is Lovin' Turtle by Meljen's Designs! Cute, huh? :)

I was in the mood to make a Valentine's card, so this is what I came up with. I added lots of sparkle to the hearts on the turtle's shell. The sentiment is from A Year of Sweet Sentiments by Taylored Expressions. I embossed the yellow cardstock with the Seeing Spots embossing folder, and I did lots of stitching! Some ribbon, brads, and liquid pearls finish this card off!

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, PTI Stamper's Select White

Patterned Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle Cupcake Love

Stamps: Lovin' Turtle (Meljen's Designs), A Year of Sweet Sentiments (Taylored Expressions)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: Flamingo Liquid Pearls, silver brads, Jody Boosters, ribbon, white thread, Dazzling Details (Stampin' Up)

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Seeing Spots embossing folder, sewing machine

Christmas Card Challenge #5 - Thank You

2012-01-01T02:01:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday to you, and Happy New Year, too!! I wish all of you a blessed year!

Now that Christmas is over, it's the perfect time to make some thank you notes for those gifts or acts of kindness that you received, and that's what this week's Christmas Card Challenge #5 is! Create a thank you card!

I decided to go the clean and simple route with this card. I was sitting at my desk spending WAY too much time trying to figure out which paper to use as my background paper (sound familiar??), and since I couldn't decide, I decided to NOT use one! lol :) I love how it turned out! I said "clean and simple," but when I got done, I counted all the dies I used - seven! Ha! I guess for me this is CAS because it doesn't have a lot of layers.

I used an older CardPatterns sketch for my card layout. I stamped "thank you" from the Sentimental Thank You set by There She Goes Clear Stamps in Memento Rich Cocoa and cut it out with Circle Nestabilities. Then I sponged around the edges a bit with Memento Cantaloupe to soften it up. I like to do that when there is a lot of "white space" because I felt like all of that cream cardstock showing was too bright and too much.

I layered that panel onto another circle and then again onto a circle cut out with the Lacey Circles Nestabilities, a gift from my sweet friend, Karen!

The strip of patterned paper is from the Authentique Wonder Collection. I cut out the border with the Simply Scallops Border Dienamic by MFT Stamps. I also used a few more MFT Dienamics - Rolled Scallop Flower, Let it Snowflake, and the Fancy Flourish - on this card. I cut out the flower and snowflakes with some felt and the flourish with cardstock. I actually cut two of the snowflakes and layered them. I like that look! I finished my card off with some Kaisercraft red pearls up in the corner.

Be sure you check out the rest of the design team inspiration at the Christmas Card Challenges blog. I hope you'll join us for the challenge this week! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Authentique Wonder

Stamps: Sentimental Thank You (There She Goes Clear Stamps)

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Memento Cantaloupe

Embellishments: red and cream pearls (Kaisercraft)

Tools: Nestabilities - Small Circles, Large Circles, and Lacey Circle Nestabilities; MFT Dienamics - Fancy Flourish, Rolled Scallop Flower, Let It Snowflake, Simple Scallop Border

Top Ten Cards of 2011

2011-12-31T20:51:00.002-06:00

Hi there! It has been a wonderful year! I want to take a moment to wish all of you, sweet friends and readers, a wonderful 2012! May your lives be filled with blessings, love, and joy!
I want to thank you so much for coming along on my paper-crafting journey with me! I love making cards, and your comments always mean so much to me!
Here are my Top Ten Favorite Cards of 2011...in no particular order!

Happy New Year!

TSG Challenge - Many Thanks

2011-12-29T17:14:00.000-06:00

Hi there!! Today I am sharing a card that I made for this week's There She Goes Challenge #136 - to make a thank you card.

I wanted my card to be a little Christmasy, but honestly, I am so tired of red and green cards, so I used another new paper pad from my happy mail package from earlier this week - My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas! I followed a MFT Stamps Wednesday Sketch Challenge from a few weeks back.

I stitched around my background papers and added a silver brad to each corner. I used a sentiment from Sentimental Thank You by There She Goes Clear Stamps and stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black. Then I cut it out with Oval Nestabilities and layered it on the Hawaiian Shores cardstock that was cut out with the Polka Dot Greetings Dienamic by MFT Stamps and embossed with the Cuttlebug Polka Dots embossing folder. I must have a thing for polka dots, ya think? :) I popped it up with some Jody Boosters.

I felt like my sentiment needed something to make it "pop," so I added some Flamingo Liquid Pearls around the edge of the oval...LOVE that look! Last, I used my MFT Loopy Bloom Dienamics to create a puffy flower with some of the best felt I have ever used. Let me tell you about the felt! Corinna recommended this felt, and I was very unhappy with the cheapo felt I was using. My dies wouldn't cut through it cleanly. It was awful. So, I ordered some felt from this Etsy shop - Benzie Bazaar. IN LOVE WITH THIS FELT! It is sooo smooth and the dies cut perfectly through it. Also, the shipping was fast, and it was packaged so cute that it made me feel so special when I opened it! Check her shop out! I will be using felt a lot more on my cards now that I have nice felt to use!

That is it for me today! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, Hawaiian Shores, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas
Stamps: Sentimental Thank you (There She Goes Clear Stamps)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: Flamingo Liquid Pearls, felt from Benzie Bazaar, silver brads, Jody Boosters
Tools: Cuttlebug Polka Dots embossing folder, Classic Oval Nestabilities, sewing machine, Loopy Bloom Dienamics (MFT Stamps), Polka Dot Greetings Dienamics (MFT Stamps)

{Meljen's Designs} Challenge #90

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I certainly did! I get incredibly blessed every year, not just by material presents, but my time with my family as well...and you can't forget all the good food, either. Ha! :)

Now comes the part of putting away all the Christmas decorations and preparing for a new year. I have mostly everything put away except for the tree...saving the biggest for last, I suppose!

Enough of my chatter...I do have a card to share with you today! This card is for this week's new challenge at Meljen's Designs. The challenge is to use blue in your card. There is not a new image release this week, but don't worry, they'll be back next week! :)

Oh, and I got in some happy mail this week from Simon Says Stamp. I highly recommend them because I ordered this December 22, and it came in December 27 - and there was a holiday in there! Fun new paper for me to play with! See that Echo Park Winter Park collection? That's what I used for the "blue" on my card today!

My card sketch is Mojo Monday #221. I colored my image with Copic markers and accented it with some Liquid Applique, Dazzling Diamonds, and White Opal Liquid Pearls.

The border was cut with the Simply Scallops Border Dienamics by MFT, and I added some Liquid Pearls to that as well, just to make it pop. I added a ribbon and a snowflake brad, and it's kinda hard to see, but I also added some super pretty and sparkly White Metallic String from Ribbon Carousel. I felt like my card needed "something," so I channeled Jessie and added a silver brad to each corner.

Hop on over to the Meljen's Designs blog and check out all the amazing inspiration from the design team!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Stamper's Select White (PTI)

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Winter Park

Stamps: Caroling Snowmen by Meljen's Designs

Ink: Copic markers

Embellishments: White Opal Liquid Pearls; Dazzling Diamonds (Stampin' Up); white ribbon (Papertrey Ink); white metallic string (RibbonCarousel.com); silver brads (Hobby Lobby)

Tools: Classic Square Nestabilities; Simply Scallops Border Dienamics (MFT Stamps)

Thank You Card

2011-12-28T07:59:00.001-06:00

Hi there! I just wanted to pop in today and share with y'all a super quick and simple thank you card that I made.

I honestly wish I could tell you what brand of patterned paper this is, because I love it, and if I knew what it was, I would buy a truckload of it. However, I received a few sheets of this paper in a RAK I won once, and it's almost all gone, and I don't know the name of it. I'm really thinking it's My Mind's Eye because it has the same texture (kinda grainy) as some other MME paper that I have. If anybody out there knows, please leave me a comment and tell me! :)

Updated to add: I found it!!! It is the My Mind's Eye So Sophie Graceful collection!! Lovely!

Anyway...I stamped my sentiment directly onto this beautiful paper! The stamp I used was from the Signature Greetings set by Papertrey Ink. I embossed my sentiment panel with the Polka Dots embossing folder. I did some stitching and adhered my sentiment panel with Jody Boosters.

I finished it off with a cream ribbon, some twine, and a pretty purple rose. Hindsight tells me that this card needs some pearls. Oh well...it has already been sent out!

That's it for me today! Now time to tackle taking down the Christmas decor...

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye So Sophie Graceful

Stamps: Signature Greetings by Papertrey Ink

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Embellishments: ribbon (PTI); flower (Wild Orchid Crafts); twine (RibbonCarousel.com), Kraft thread; Jody boosters

Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities; sewing machine

Christmas Card Challenge #4

2011-12-25T08:11:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! I want to take a moment to with all of you a very Merry Christmas! May your holiday be filled with peace and love and lots of family time! I am getting ready for church this morning and then we'll have our family Christmas later on this afternoon.

Today, there is a new challenge at Christmas Card Challenges! Challenge #4 is a sketch challenge, and you can see the sketch over at the CCC blog.

I created this card using some paper from the Echo Park Season's Greetings collection, and I did some stitching around the edges of the patterned paper. The image is a digi stamp, and it is from Paper Makeup Stamps.

I cut out the sentiment with Classic Circle Nestabilities and layered it on a scalloped circle. I popped that up with Jody Boosters. I accented the circle with my Viva Cream Paper Pen and added some Red Striped Cotton Twill Ribbon from Ribbon Carousel. I finished it off with a green button.

Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see all the inspiration from the design team and to see the sketch as well!

Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful day! Much love!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Season's Greetings
Stamps: The Spirit of Christmas (Paper Makeup Stamps)
Embellishments: Viva Cream Paper Pen, ribbon (RibbonCarousel.com), button, twine, Jody Boosters, cream thread
Tools: sewing machine, Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities

{Meljen's Designs} Cozy Winter Owl

2011-12-19T09:06:00.001-06:00

Hi there! I have another quick Christmas card to share with you today. I have already sent out all of my Christmas cards for the year, so I think this will be my first card for next year's Christmas cards! That's ambitious, huh? :) If you want to make Christmas cards all year round, too, so that you don't have to make them all right before Christmas, you should check out Christmas Card Challenges!

I used Meljen's Designs Cozy Winter Owl to make this card. I've had this image for a long time and always wanted to use it, and I finally got a chance! I think he's such a cutie...or maybe it's a she owl. LOL! I colored my image with Copic markers and accented it with some glitter and Liquid Applique for a snowy effect.

The layout is Split Coast Stampers Card Sketch #363. The patterned papers are from the Echo Park Season's Greetings collection, and I did some stitching around all the edges. I stamped the "Merry Christmas" sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black directly on my patterned paper. That stamp is from the Holly Jolly stamp set by There She Goes Clear Stamps. I finished my card off with a few red pearls in the upper right corner. I really wanted to add a ribbon and played around with adding one, but then I decided I liked the way it looked without one. I'm trying to teach myself that it's okay to not put a bow on a card. :)

I have a few more gifts to wrap and some Christmas treats to make to take to work, and then I'll be all finished and ready for Christmas. It actually feels like Christmas today because it was a little colder! I love that!

Thanks for stopping by!! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Season's Greetings

Stamps: Cozy Winter Owl (Meljen's Designs); sentiment from Holly Jolly (There She Goes Clear Stamps)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: white thread; red pearls (Kaisercraft), Dazzling Diamonds (Stampin' Up); Liquid Applique; Jody Boosters

Tools: sewing machine; Classic Rectangle Nestabilities

Christmas Card Challenge #3

2011-12-18T02:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Are you ready for Christmas yet? I think I almost am! I spent Friday night and half the day Saturday shopping! I finally finished all of my shopping, and I have all but a few gifts wrapped. Now I just need to make some Christmas sweet treats to hand out at work, and I'll be all done! We are winding things down at school this week, and I'm looking forward to my vacation!

One thing I am glad that I didn't have to spend time doing was making a bunch of Christmas cards! Thank goodness for Christmas Card Challenges! That brings me to this week's challenge! The challenge is to use non-traditional colors on your card...basically anything except red/green/blue/silver. I LOVE the papers in the Holly Jolly Christmas line by Echo Park, so I reached for that when I made my card.

This little Pure Innocence girl is a cutie-pa-tootie! She is caroling away! Fa la la la la!!! The paper I chose to go with her matches just perfectly! I stamped her in Memento Tuxedo Black and paper-pieced her dress. I used Copics to color the rest of her and added a little Liquid Applique to make her boots furry!

I stamped the sentiment in Memento Rich Cocoa and accented it with some Tiny Twinkles. I finished my card off with a chocolate bow tied with a button and some twine!

Thanks sooo much for stopping by my blog today! Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team! Have a GREAT day!! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Raspberry Fizz, Kraft, Stampers Select White (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Holly Jolly Christmas
Stamps: Pure Innocence Christmas Caroler
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Rich Cocoa, Copic Markers
Embellishments: ribbon (PTI), Tiny Twinkles, button, twine, Liquid Applique
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities

Meljen's Designs Challenge #88

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there! There's a new release at Meljen's Designs today! Check out these CUTE digis!

I used Cozy Winter Wolf Pup for my card today, but I can't wait to use that sweet little raccoon! Today's challenge is to use green on your card.

Here's the card I created with Cozy Winter Wolf Pup!

I colored him with Copic markers and accented my image panel with some glitter and Twinkles. The patterned paper is from the Echo Park Holly Jolly collection. I punched out the border with the Taylored Expressions Scalloped Eyelet Border die. I added some twill ribbon and then adhered my sentiment with foam tape.

This was a quick little card! I had a lot of fun coloring this sweet image, too!

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure you hop over to the Meljen's Designs blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team using the newly released digis! :)

Have a great day!!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select White

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Holly Jolly

Stamps: Cozy Winter Wolf Pup by Meljen's Designs, Holly Jolly by There She Goes Clear Stamps

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: Dazzling Diamonds (Stampin' Up), Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions) twill ribbon (Walmart), Jody Boosters, clear Glaze pen

Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scalloped Eyelet Border Die (Taylored Expressions), Classic Oval Nestabilities

Ippity Wednesday

2011-12-06T23:51:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! I apologize for being so late in the day posting my Ippity card! I stayed up waaayyy too late last night watching The Help. I still didn't finish it. I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer, so I just decided to do my post today.

Anyway, I used Gingham Christmas Greetings to make this fun and simple Christmas card! As it gets closer to Christmas, I am all about some simple Christmas cards! I finally had some photo Christmas cards made last night just because I know I won't have enough of handmade cards to send around. Oh well. There's always next year, right? :)

This is such a fun little stamp set to use. I stamped the tree in Memento Rose Bud and cut it out. I stamped the sentiment in Memento Rich Cocoa and accented it with some Tiny Twinkles. I embossed the white background with the Snowflakes embossing folder and did some zig-zag stitching with my Janome Sew Mini. The cute patterned paper is from the Echo Park Holly Jolly collection

I hope you've had a chance to head over to the I Heart Ippity blog and see all the inspiration from the fabulous design team!! Go leave 'em some love! :)

Okay, that's it! Gotta go finish cooking supper! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Raspberry Fizz, Stampers Select White, Kraft
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Holly Jolly
Stamps: Gingham Christmas Greetings by Ippity
Ink: Memento Rose Bud, Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Tiny Twinkles, sewing machine, kraft-colored thread, Snowflakes embossing folder, Cuttlebug

Happy Birthday!

2011-12-05T06:11:00.000-06:00

Hi there!! Today is my hubby's birthday, so here is the card I made for him! I decided to keep it simple and go with lots of bright colors. I just love the colors in the Fly a Kite collection by My Mind's Eye.

This sketch is an older MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge sketch. I used the It's Your Birthday a la carte stamp by Taylored Expressions, and this is the perfect stamp to have on hand for birthday cards...especially masculine birthday cards! I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it with Copic markers. I used a clear Spica glitter pen over all of the image elements and then went over that with a Clear Glaze Pen to give it some shininess...even though you can't tell it in the photo!

I stitched around all of the edges and finished it off with some twine, a button, and a couple of sparkly brads. It's okay to put sparkle on a masculine card, right? :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Orange Zest, Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Lime Twist Fly a Kite (My Mind's Eye)

Stamps: It's Y our Birthday (Taylored Expressions)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: orange twine, white twine, clear Spica glitter pen, clear glaze pen, white thread, orange glittery brads (Karen Foster), button, foam tape

Tools: sewing machine

Christmas Card Challenge #1

2011-12-04T02:10:00.000-06:00

Hi there! It's time for Christmas Card Challenge #1! If you aren't familiar with what Christmas Card Challenges is, we start in December making one Christmas card a week so that by next December we have 52 cards ready to go! I think we all know that December is one of the busiest months of the year, so I love this concept of getting my cards finished throughout the year! The weekly challenges are for inspiration, and the only real rule is that you make a Christmas/holiday card.

We are also debuting our newest design team members this week, so be sure you hop over to their blogs and give them some love!

This week's challenge is a one-layer card. Now, if you've been to my blog before, you know that I tend to be a lots-of-layers kind of girl, so even though it's less work, it was a tiny bit of a challenge for me. Here's what I came up with!

So do you think this is a one-layer card? I hope so! I actually made two different ones and then tried to decide which one had the least layers. Haha!! I actually really liked how this card turned out, and I also love that it's completely flat for mailing, so I may crank out some more of these for those few extra Christmas cards I need!

I love this beautiful nativity silhouette image. It's from the Star of Wonder set by Papertrey Ink. I stamped it in Memento Rich Cocoa and cut it out with Circle Nestabilities. I added a strip of patterned paper from the My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Christmas collection and did a bit of stitching. The border was cut with the Open Bracket Dienamics by MFT. Lastly, I stamped the sentiment and rounded the corners. So easy!

Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team. We'd love to have you play along with us this week!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Christmas

Stamps: Star of Wonder (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Accessories: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, sewing machine, cream thread, MFT Open Bracket Border Dienamics

{Meljen's Designs} Inspiration

2011-12-01T06:58:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I have some exciting news today! I am now back on the Design Team for Meljen's Designs! I took a break after school started because I was so overwhelmed with everything, but now I seem to be doing better with time management, and I'm so happy to be back on this team!

There's a new challenge today over at the Meljen's Designs blog. The challenge is "Inspired by a Christmas Song." Be sure you check that out....oh yeah, and don't forget about the new digis being released today! You'll love 'em!

Today I have a card to share with you using an older digi called Cheery Lights Mailbox. I think this is the cutest little image. It was super easy to color, too! I cut out my image with Classic Oval Nestabilities and added lots of sparkle and snow (Liquid Applique) to the image. I used a Clear Glaze pen on the lights. To make my image pop out, I used White Opal Liquid Pearls around the border of my image.

I think the lights patterned paper from Echo Park went perfectly with this image. I finished my card off with some brads, a ribbon, and a simple Christmas sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by today! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Holly Jolly by Echo Park
Stamps: Cheery Lights Mailbox by Meljen's Designs, Mega Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: White Opal Liquid Pearls, Liquid Applique, Martha Stewart glitter, white brads, red ribbon, Clear Glaze pen, foam tape
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, Tag Trio Nestabilities

Ippity Shaker Card

2011-11-30T10:13:00.001-06:00

Hi there! It's been awhile since I've posted to my blog, so before I get to my card details today, I'll give you a little update about what's been going on in my life!

I got sick about two months ago and went to the doctor. I was coughing and wheezing very badly, but I had no other symptoms. I was told that I had bronchitis and was treated accordingly. I didn't get any better, and I even went back to the doctor several times over the past few months for different medications.

The coughing and wheezing continued to get worse. I started sleeping sitting straight up on the couch at night because I couldn't lie down, or I would cough even worse. In fact, it got so bad this past Saturday that I could not do anything without getting short of breath. I couldn't even walk to the restroom! It got bad enough that my husband took me to the emergency room. Because I had been so sick for so long, they admitted me and kept me in the hospital for two nights. I had never stayed overnight in the hospital before! While I was in there, I saw a lung specialist, and he confirmed that I have developed asthma. I'm glad to know what the problem is and how to treat it. I was released Monday afternoon, but I can't go back to work until next week, and I have to follow up with both my lung specialist and my Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor next week.

So, if you haven't seen much on my blog lately, it's because I simply haven't been able to fulfill my design team requirements over the past week or so. I am back on track now! Also, so many of you stopped by my Facebook page and left words of encouragement and your thoughts and prayers. THANK YOU SO MUCH! That lifted me up while I was in the hospital!

Now, moving on to my card for this week! This card uses the Ippity set Warm Wishes. Ever since I got this set, I knew that I wanted to use it to make a shaker card. I had never made a shaker card prior to this, and let me tell you, it can be a little intimidating if you've never done it before, but I think I got it!

I stamped the snowflake from the Warm Wishes set in white pigment ink and embossed it with some snowflakey embossing powder. I added some Martha Stewart glitter to the bottom of the shaker circle.

This fun, wintery patterned paper is from last year's Wintertime collection by Echo Park. I finished it off with some ribbon and a snowflake brad.

Thank you sooo much for stopping by my blog today! Hop over to the I Heart {Ippity} blog to see what the other fabulous ladies have to share with you today, and as always, you can buy this stamp set and more from Miss Heather!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Wintertime

Stamps: Warm Wishes by Ippity

Ink: White Daisy pigment ink (Close to My Heart) , Winter Wonderland embossing powder (Stampendous)

Embellishments: ribbon, snowflake brad, foam tape, clear acetate, Martha Stewart glitter

Tools: We R Memory Keepers corner chomper, Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities

Christmas Card Challenges Blog Hop

2011-11-26T06:31:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone!! Christmas Card Challenges is doing something new and fun today! We are having a blog hop to announce the new Design Team for the first term of 2012!!

If you hopped here from Alanna's blog, then you are in the right place. If not, then please hop back to the Christmas Card Challenges blog and be sure you don't miss a single link because one lucky commenter along the way will win a prize!

I am SO happy that I have been asked to stay on with Christmas Card Challenges! We also have a few returning designers, and six new designers, along with 6 new guest designers. Along this hop, you'll be able to meet each designer and learn a bit about them! They'll also share a project with you! Unfortunately, I don't have a project to share with you today. I am so sorry for that! I have been very sick lately and just haven't felt like making cards. :(

Now, hop on over to Peggy's blog!

Have a great day, and I hope you join us for tomorrow's challenge at Christmas Card Challenges!!

Christmas Card Challenge #51

2011-11-20T08:21:00.001-06:00

Good morning! Happy Sunday to you! Today I have a card to share for this week's Christmas Card Challenge. This week's challenge is to make a black and white card.

I decided to keep this card super simple and not use any patterned paper at all. I embossed my white background with the Snowflakes embossing folder and rounded all my corners. I stamped the image from Sparkle and Cheer by Taylored Expressions in Memento Tuxedo Black. I cut it out with Circle Nestabilities. I layered that circle on a scalloped black circle.

For my sentiment banner, I used the It's a Banner Day 1 and Banner Holidays stamp sets, also by Taylored Expressions. I cut out the banner with the Banner Day 1 die and then traced around the outer portion of the die onto some black cardstock to make a background for it so that it would pop off of the white cardstock.

I finished off my card by adding a little Frosted Lace Stickles to the dove, and I added a border of White Opal Liquid Pearls on the edge of the circle. I also put a black pearl in each corner, and that was it!

Hopefully I'll be able to make a lot more cards to share with you this week since I am off all week for the Thanksgiving holidays! Yay! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team inspiration over at Christmas Card Challenges!

Supplies:
Cardstock: PTI - Stamper's Select White, True Black
Stamps: Taylored Expressions - Sparkle and Cheer, It's a Banner Day 1, Banner Holidays
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: black pearls, Frosted Lace Stickles, White Opal Liquid Pearls
Tools: Snowflakes embossing folder, Banner Day 1 Die, We R Memory Keepers corner chomper

Clean & Simple Thank You

2011-11-18T21:45:00.001-06:00

Hi there! My brother, Aaron, had to attend a scholarship dinner earlier this week and needed a thank you card for his scholarship donor. Since the donor was a man, I attempted a masculine card for him.

I used an older sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping - my go-to site for CAS sketches! I embossed the Kraft background with the Seeing Spots embossing folder to give it a bit of texture. I stamped the sentiment from Signature Greetings by Papertrey Ink in Memento Rich Cocoa onto Vintage Cream cardstock.

The bit of patterned paper is from the A Beautiful Life collection by My Mind's Eye. I finished it off with a couple of Kaisercraft pearls.

I asked Aaron if his donor liked his card, and he said, "I guess." LOL...boys!

I love making layered cards, so sometimes I feel awkward making cards like this...like something is missing, but I also enjoy it, too. They're so much quicker. I made this card in about 10 minutes!

Today was our last day of school before Thanksgiving vacation. We are out all next week. WooHoo!! I plan to get in lots of card-making time!

Thanks sooo much for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Blueberry Sky, Kraft, Vintage Cream
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye A Beautiful Life
Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Signature Greetings
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: Kaisercraft pearls
Tools: Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder

{Ippity} Dream

2011-11-16T17:16:00.001-06:00

Hi there! I'm popping by real quick to share with you this week's Ippity card!

This was a really simple card to put together. I used the Make Your Mark stamp set. I added my patterned papers and did some stitching on them. I stamped the sentiment directly on the patterned paper. I stamped the flowers and did a little sponging and cut that out with Oval Nestabilities. I added a bow and some pearls. That's it!

Remember to hop over to the I Heart Ippity blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Plum Pudding, Vintage Cream

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye A Beautiful Life

Stamps: Make Your Mark by Ippity

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Memento Cantaloupe

Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), pearls (Kaisercraft)

Tools: sewing machine, Oval Nestabilities

My New Blog

2011-11-14T19:33:00.001-06:00

Hey y'all! I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know about my new blog!

Now that I'm a Scentsy Independent Consultant, I would love to do posts about Scentsy products; however, I don't want to do that here on my card-making blog. I know you guys would get sick of that! So, I created a blog just for my Scentsy business. I would love it if you would check it out and become a follower because...well right now, I have none. LOL! Yes, that sounds pretty pathetic, right? :)

From now on, I'll post all my Scentsy stuff over there and not here!

Be sure and check out my Scentsy blog at Scentsational Candace! I'll be posting about new products, my favorites, special promotions, and more!

Christmas Card Challenge #50

2011-11-13T07:35:00.001-06:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday! This card is for Christmas Card Challenge #50 - to use holly or a wreath on your card.

I love this pretty wreath from the Seasons Greetings stamp set by There She Goes, and I'm sure you've seen it on several of my Christmas cards so far this year, and I reached for it again.

I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it with Copics. I cut it out with Circle Nestabilities and layered it on a scalloped circle. The image is popped up on the card base with some foam tape.

These pattterned papers are from the Echo Park Seasons Greetings collection. I cut the scallop with the MFT Jumbo Scallop dienamic. I finished this card off with a few pearls and a ribbon, twine, and button.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Be sure to pop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papetrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Season's Greetings
Stamps: Seasons Greetings by There She Goes Clear Stamps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: Kaisercraft pearls, PTI ribbon, button, twine (Ribbon Carousel)
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, MFT Jumbo Scallop Dienamics

My New Venture

2011-11-11T21:13:00.001-06:00

Hi there! A few days ago I posted that I was having a Scentsy catalog party. Well...I did so well with it and LOVED the products so much that I decided to sign up as a consultant! Yup! I am so very excited about this new venture! I'm having so much fun with it, too!

I'd love for you to check out my personal Scentsy website. Just click here! If you have any questions, please let me know! I'd love to tell you all about these amazing products!

Oh, and I promise not to turn this into my "Scentsy" blog. I think I'm actually going to make a blog just for that so that I can keep this all for card-making! :)

{Ippity} Wednesday

2011-11-09T22:17:00.001-06:00

I have two hours of Wednesday left! Better late than never, right? :) I started trying to make this card last night, and I goofed it up three times. Does that ever happen to you? I just wasn't feeling the card-making last night! I finished it up this evening and wanted to pop in and share it with y'all before I head to bed.

I kept this card super simple! I used one of the brand new Ippity sets, Warm Wishes. This set is gorgeous! You seriously have to have it! I love the pretty font in the sentiments and the beautiful snowflakes!

Be sure you head over to the I Heart {Ippity} blog to see what the rest of the design team has for you today!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Christmas Card Challenge #49

2011-11-06T07:20:00.004-06:00

Hi there! Good morning! Did you remember to set your clock back last night? I don't really feel like I got an extra hour because I stayed up entirely too late! :)

This card is for this week's Christmas Card Challenges #49 - a sketch challenge. I changed the sketch to a square card to fit my image. I recently got this Worship the Lord set from Our Daily Bread Designs, and I just could not wait to use it!

I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black and cut it out with square Nestabilities. Then, I set about coloring it with my Copic markers. Next, I masked the church and used the Cloud Border Die by Taylored Expressions to sponge a sky background. That was my first time at attempting a sky like that, but I love how it turned out!

I added lots of liquid applique, glitter, and white flower soft to get that snowy look. I also stamped my image again and cut out the two trees and popped them up with foam tape for just a little dimension.

The patterned papers are from the Echo Park Season's Greetings collection, and I did a little stitching on them. I wanted to add a sentiment, but I was running out of room, I stuck it up at the top. I stamped it in Memento Rich Cocoa, cut it out with Nestabilities, popped it up with foam tape, and accented it with a few pearls.

I finished my card off with a bow I made from Pure Poppy ribbon.

That's it for me today, but be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog so that you can see all the inspiration there :)

Have a great day!

Supplies:

Cardstock: PTI - Pure Poppy, Rich Avocado, Stamper's Select White

Patterned Paper: Season's Greetings by Echo Park

Stamps: Worship the Lord by Our Daily Bread Designs

Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa; Colorbox Ice Blue; Copic markers

Embellishments: Pure Poppy Ribbon (PTI), white Flower Soft, Liquid Applique, Crystal Fine Martha Stewart glitter, red pearls (Kaisercraft), cream thread, foam tape

Tools: Classic Square Nestabilities, Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities, sewing machine

With Sympathy

2011-11-05T21:49:00.003-05:00

Hi there! Here I am again with another sympathy card. It seems like I've had to make too many of these lately. I need to do another one lately. There's so much sadness going around! I just lift these families up in prayer each time I make one of these cards!

This morning I had printed out this week's Sweet Stop Sketch, SSS133, and it was lying on my desk, so I used that my for my card layout.

I used my go-to set for sympathy cards - Care and Comfort by Taylored Expressions, and I stamped the sentiment in Memento Rich Cocoa and did a little sponging. It was cut out with Classic Square Nestabilities and layered on a scalloped square. I popped this up with some foam tape.

I really wish I could tell you the name of this patterned paper! Do any of you know? I found a few sheets of it in my paper stash, and I have no idea where I got it...maybe in a RAK or something? I love these beautiful colors! I've probably had it so long that it's discontinued!

I added a border with the Dainty Lace Border Dienamics by MFT and did lots of stitching. I got in an order from Ribbon Carousel this week, so I used some of my ivory vintage seam binding and a little natural twine. I did a lot of stitching on this card and finished it off with a few pearls and a Wild Orchid Crafts flower.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! Remember to set your clocks back tonight...gotta love that extra hour! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (PTI)
Patterned Paper: ??
Stamps: Care and Comfort by Taylored Expressions
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Cantaloupe
Embellishments: flower (Wild Orchid Crafts), vintage seam binding, twine (Ribbon Carousel), foam tape, pearls (Kaisercraft)
Tools: sewing machine, Classic Square Nestabilties, Scallop Square Nestabilities, MFT Dainty Lace Border Dienamics

{Ippity} Christmas Greetings

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! It's time for today's Ippity card share. I've been trying to put a dent in my Christmas cards, so I used the Gingham Christmas Greetings set.

I opted to not put a sentiment on the front. I'll put one on the inside (yes...will...not finished yet!). These beautiful patterned papers are from my favorite paper company - Echo Park! This is the Season's Greetings collection. Since I didn't do any sewing or a bunch of die-cutting on this card, it came together so quickly! That's important when it comes to Christmas cards.

I stamped the musical image and cut it out with Circle Nestabilities. I added some Vintage Cream ribbon, a lovely cream flower, and a couple of Christmas tree stick pins to finish it off.

Be sure you hop over to the I Heart {ippity} blog to see what the rest of the design team has to share with you today.

As always, thanks so very much for stopping by my blog! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Kraft and Vintage Cream
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Season's Greetings
Stamps: Ippity Gingham Christmas Greetings
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: Vintage Cream ribbon (PTI), stick pins (Maya Road), flower (Wild Orchid Crafts)
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities

Thanks for All You Do!

2011-11-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I just love There She Goes Clear Stamps, and I try to play in their weekly challenges as much as I can. I made this card for this week's challenge, TSG128, au naturale - use twine, burlap, etc. on your card. I also made this card for this week's Ribbon Carousel Challenge, RCC27 - anything goes.

I used the October SFYTT (yes, a day late, but it fit my image perfectly) and made it into a square card. I stamped this beautiful window from the Art is the Window stamp set by There She Goes and colored it with Copics. I also sponged around the edges with Memento Cantaloupe ink. I paper-pieced the curtains and cut out the flower box and popped it up over the window with foam tape. I added some Clear Glaze to the window and did lots of stitching on this card. I added a ribbon, some {au naturale} twine, and a button to finish it off.

I didn't take a photo of the inside, but I stamped "thank you for all that you do," a sentiment from the same stamp set.

Thanks sooo much for stopping by my blog today! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Georgia Pacific white

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Life of the Party

Stamps: Art is the Window by There She Goes Clear Stamps

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Cantaloupe, Copic markers

Embellishments: ribbon, twine, button, foam tape, Clear Glaze pen

Tools: sewing machine, Classic Square Nestabilities

Candy Corn Cupcakes

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I'm not real big into Halloween. I do decorate for Fall, though, and when I saw these adorable Candy Corn Cupcakes over at The Girl Who Ate Everything, I knew I had to make them just for fun!

My layers didn't turn out as even as hers. I think I used way too much orange. However, these did turn out just delicious! I used her cake recipe and frosting recipe, and they were perfect! I always doctor up my cake mixes, but I'd never added milk before. These cupcakes were so light, fluffy, and yummy!! I will definitely use that method for doctoring up a cake mix again!

Click here to get the recipe!

Hope you have an extra *sweet* day!!

Christmas Card Challenge #48

2011-10-30T03:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday! I hope you're having a good weekend so far! I did some shopping with my Mama yesterday, and since we're enjoying some nice, cool weather, I've got a pot of Corn and Crab Chowder going on the stove this morning. I can't wait to get into that when we get home from church! :)

This week's challenge at Christmas Card Challenges is to use liquid applique on your card. I just love using this on my cards!

I got a new stamp set this week - Wings of Joy from Taylored Expressions. This is one that has been on my wish list for awhile! I inked up this cute birdhouse and colored it with Copic markers. I added the liquid applique to the image and coated it with a little glitter. I always like to do that to my liquid applique for some sparkle. I went over the Christmas lights with my Clear Glaze pen. I cut out the image with Classic Circle Nestabilities.

I stamped the sentiment directly onto the patterned paper, which is from the Echo Park Seasons Greetings collection. I did lots of stitching on this card, and I used this week's CPS Sketch #241. I finished it of with some pearls in the right corners and since I couldn't find a place to put a bow, I stuck one on a spiral clip! Love that!

Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team. Thanks sooo much for stopping by :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: PTI Pure Poppy, Kraft, Vintage Cream
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Seasons Greetings
Stamps: Wings of Joy by Taylored Expressions
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: pearls (Kaisercraft), Vintage Cream ribbon (PTI), Liquid Applique, Clear Glaze Pen, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter, foam tape
Tools: sewing machine, Classic Circle Nestabilities

Ippity Wednesday!

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! It's Wednesday, so it's time to share this week's Ippity creation with you. I wanted to participate again in the Hope You Can Cling To challenges on Split Coast Stampers, so I decided to use HYCCT119 - pressure embossing again.

The Shine, Shine, Shine set by Ippity has the perfect sentiment to give to a cancer patient - "there is light at the end of the tunnel." I followed Split Coast Stampers Sketch 354. I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black on my white cardstock and embossed it with the Polka Dots embossing folder.

The patterned paper is from the Echo Park Be Mine collection....love those pinks!! I also stamped the lamp directly onto the patterned paper and cut it out with Oval Nestabilities. I added the little border with the MFT Dainty Lace border and finished it off with a few black pearls. Love this simple and sweet card! I pray that it blesses someone at MD Anderson!

Thanks sooo much for stopping by today! Be sure you hop over to the I Heart {ippity} blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Be Mine
Stamps: Shine, Shine, Shine by Ippity
Ink: Memento Stamp Company
Embellishments: pearls (Kaisercraft), foam tape
Tools: Cuttlebug Polka Dots embossing folder, Classic Oval Nestabilities, MFT Dainty Lace Border Dienamics

Winners of my Blog Candy!!

2011-10-25T20:50:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I forgot. Oops! I'm so sorry about that!

I used random.org to pick two winners of my blog candy.

The winners are:

#6 Amity Knight

and

#5 Liliana

How funny that the numbers were right next to each other!

Congratulations, ladies!! If you will please email me at candylou48@gmail.com with your mailing address, I'll be sure to get those out to you.

Thanks everyone for being such sweet readers. I'll try and offer some blog candy again soon! :)

Christmas Card Challenge #47

2011-10-23T03:00:00.004-05:00

Good morning! It's time for this week's Christmas Card Challenge #47. This week's challenge is a recipe challenge - 2 designer papers, 1 ribbon, and 1 bird.

I decided to go very non-traditional. I LOVE these *cute* patterened papers from the Echo Park Holly Jolly Christmas collection!

For my bird element, I used the dove from the Sparkle and Cheer stamp set by Taylored Expressions. I stamped it in Memento Rose Bud and Memento Pear Tart...even seen a pink dove? :) I layered my image panel on several panels of Oval Nestabilites and accented it with Liquid Pearls. Of course, I did some stitching, too!

I used my new Oval Tab Dienamics from MFT Stamps and stamped the sentiment on it with Memento Rich Cocoa. I added a border with the Jumbo Scallop Border Dienamics, also by MFT Stamps. I finished it off with a bow!

Be sure to head over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see all the inspiration from the design team!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Holly Jolly Christmas

Stamps: Sparkle and Cheer by Taylored Expressions

Ink: Memento Rose Bud, Memento Pear Tart, Memento Rich Cocoa

Embellishments: White Opal Liquid Pearls, ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Frosted Lace Stickles

Tools: sewing machine, Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities, MFT Jumbo Scallop Border Dienamics, MFT Oval Tab Dienamics

HYCCT Challenge at Split Coast Stampers

2011-10-22T20:42:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Have you had a chance yet to participate in any of the Hope You Can Cling To Challenges at Split Coast Stampers? There's a new challenge everyday, and card-makers are encouraged to send their cards to the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center...what a good cause! I've been wanting to play along all month and finally got some spare stampy time this evening. Hopefully I'll be able to get a few more cards made to send.

I used Deb's Give 'em a Squeeze, HYCCCT1119, challenge. The challenge was to use dry embossing on your card. I hate that you can't see the embossing on my card because I actually used FOUR different embossing folders - a different one for every piece of patterned paper I used!

I thought this sentiment from Angel Mail by There She Goes was a perfect, uplifting sentiment....just reminding a cancer patient to take it one day at a time. I cut out the sentiment with Label Three Nestabilities.

All of the pretty pink paper is from the My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Madison Avenue collection. I did lots of stitching and added a border with the MFT Open Bracket Border Dienamics. A polka dot ribon and some pearls finish off this card!

Oh, I also used the Viva La Verve October Week 3 sketch! Loved this sketch...so many layers! I pretty much followed it to a "T." :)

Thanks sooo much for stopping by my blog today! Have a GREAT weekend! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Pink (PTI), brown (Bazzill)

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Madison Avenue

Stamps: Angel Mail by There She Goes

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Embellishments: ribbon, pearls (Kaisercraft)

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Label Three Nestabilities, sewing machine, MFT Open Bracket Border Dienamics, Victoria, Script Texture, and Polka Dots embossing folders (Cuttlebug), Intricate Swirls embossing folder (The Paper Studio)

Sharing in Your Sorrow

2011-10-20T21:29:00.002-05:00

Hi! Today was a good day. It was so nice and cool all day; I got a new haircut and style, and I got in some stamping time! Stamping is always good! :)

Unfortunately, today I made a sympathy card. It was for some family friends who lost their loved one yesterday, so I made this one with a heavy heart. Why, oh why don't I keep these kinds of cards on hand? They're always so hard to make!

I used CardPatterns Sketch 137 for the layout. These pretty papers are from the My Mind's Eye A Beautiful Life collection. The border trim is the Dainty Lace Border dienamics by My Favorite Things. I just ordered some dies from them, and I LOVE their dies! They are just fabulous!

I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black and did some sponging with Memento Potter's Clay. There's lots of stitching on this card! I added a Vintage Cream ribbon, a Wild Orchid Crafts flower, and some pearls to finish it off.

That's it for me tonight. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink - Kraft, Vintage Cream

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye A Beautiful Life

Stamps: Care and Comfort by Taylored Expressions

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Potter's Clay

Embellishments: Vintage Cream ribbon (PTI), flower (Wild Orchild Crafts), pearls (Kaisercraft)

Tools: MFT Dienamics Dainty Lace Border, Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities

{ippity} Wednesday!

2011-10-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hi there! You know what I love about Wednesdays? That means there's only two more days until the weekend! Another thing I love about Wednesdays is getting to share my weekly Ippity card with you!

This card was so easy to make. I used a sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping, FTL162. I wanted to sew on this one really bad, but I stayed strong and stuck to the clean and simple look! I did do some embossing though!

I stamped my image and sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black. These stamps are from the Ippity Make Your Mark collection. I embossed the smaller panel with the Polka Dots folder and the bigger panel with the Victoria folder. I rounded the corners at the bottom and finished this card off with three black rhinestones. Easy!

Shockers about this card - no patterned paper, no ribbon, and no Copics!! :)

Be sure you hop over to the I Heart {ippity} blog to see what the rest of the design team has to share with you! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Stamps: Make Your Mark by Ippity

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: Tiny Twinkles, foam tape

Tools: Cuttlebug, Polka Dots embossing folder, Victoria embossing folder, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I have been enjoying making fall-themed cards lately, and I have another one to share with you today. This one uses the Bountiful Blessings set by There She Goes. I love these beautiful, classic fall images!

I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it with Copic markers and cut it out with Classic Rectangle Nestabilities. The Kraft background is embossed with the Moroccan Screen Cuttlebug folder. I stamped the "Happy Thanksgiving" sentiment on the Kraft cardstock before I embossed it. The strip of patterned paper is from the My Mind's Eye All Spice collection. I finished the card off with a PTI Dark Chocolate ribbon, some lace, and a few pearls.

Even though I didn't use MFT stamps, this follows the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #41.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Kraft, Dark Chocolate, and Vintage Cream

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye All Spice

Stamps: Bountiful Blessings by There She Goes

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), lace, pearls, Bisque Liquid Pearls

Tools: Cuttlebug, Moroccan Screen embossing folder, sewing machine, Classic Rectangle Nestabilities

Handmade Stick Pins and a Giveaway!

2011-10-17T07:00:00.004-05:00

Hi there! I am participating in a swap on Split Coast Stampers for handmade stick pins. I love to use stick pins on my card, but it's hard to find pretty ones, so I was really excited to find this swap. This was the first time I made my own. I made five sets to swap, and then I made a bunch of others just to have on hand. They were so easy and fun to make.

I got these pins at Michael's. They are corsage pins. Hobby Lobby has corsage pins also, but theirs have more of an oblong pearl on top, and I liked the round pearl on the pins at Michael's. I shopped both craft stores for beads that were 50% off. Oh, and I also picked up some of the clear earring backs from Michael's (Hobby Lobby didn't have these), to put at the end to keep someone from getting poked.

My favorite beads were some I swiped from my Mama. :) It's okay...she said I could have them. Ha! It was a box of multi-colored pearls that she got at Walmart for around $9. They made the prettiest stick pins! They are the ones I used in the teapot pins below, but they made beautiful pins just by themselves. They come in different colors and sizes.

To make these pins, I just arranged my beads on the pins. Then, I added the earring cap. This kept my beads from falling off the pin. I actually did a whole bunch and then went back later and used my adhesive to attach the beads to the pins. I used Glossy Accents to attach the beads to the pins. I slid the beads down, used Glossy Accents in between each bead, and then slid the beads back up. Then I pushed up my earring back to hold it in place while it dried. I let them dry overnight just to be on the safe side, but I really don't know how long it actually takes to dry. You could use Super Glue to adhere the beads, and I did try this, but I liked the Glossy Accents better. If some of my adhesive seeped out a bit, it dried perfectly clear, whereas if the Super Glue seeped out, it dried white on the bead.

Again, I can't say enough how much fun these were. I made so many different styles and color combinations. I can't wait to make more, and I think you'll be seeing a lot of them on my cards!

Here are four of the five sets I made to swap. I even made a Christmas one! Oh, and check out those teapots! Aren't those precious? I got the teapot bead caps on ebay. Just search "teapot bead cap" and several different ones will come up. They're very inexpensive.

Because I had so many extras, I want to do a little giveaway here on my blog!

All you have to do to enter to win is leave a comment here on this post. I'll pick two lucky commenters on October 24.

I'll be giving away a set of stick pins and a 6x6 BasicGrey paper pad to each winner! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Christmas Card Challenge #46

2011-10-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday! It's time for this week's Christmas Card Challenge #46!

This week's challenge is to use stickers. I had fun making this clean and simple card using SRM Stickers.

This card was super simple to put together with the stickers. I embossed both the white and red cardstock and added the Kraft border that was punched with the Scalloped Eyelet border die by Taylored Expressions. I added a ribbon and twinkles to finish it off.

Be sure to stop by the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team! Also, head back over to my blog tomorrow for a fun giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Embellishments: ribbon, foam tape, Tiny Twinkles, SRM Stickers Merry Quick Cards

Tools: Cuttlebug, Polka Dots embossing folder, Snowflakes embossing folder, Scalloped Eyelet Border Die (Taylored Expressions)

Bountiful Blessings

2011-10-15T08:35:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I am loving that fall is here! I have our house all decorated for fall, so I decided it was time to start making some fall cards as well.

Before I get into telling you the details of this card, I have to share with you this cute story about paper! I'm a bit obsessed with paper! I told my husband that I *needed* some fall paper because I did not have any at all! So, I ordered the new My Mind's Eye All Spice paper pad. Then, I found last October's Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients kit in my craft closet...full of fall papers and embellies! Oops! :) Oh well. A crafty girl can never have too much paper, right? :)

I made this card using the Mojo Monday 209 layout.

This adorable stamp is one of my new favorites. The bucket is from the Buckets of Love set by There She Goes, and the scarecrow image is from the Buckets of Love Holiday Additions set! I just love how these two sets work for all the holidays throughout the year. I stamped the image and colored it with Copic markers and cut it out with circle Nestabilities. It's layered on a circle cut out with Scallop Circle Nestabilities. I used Bisque Liquid Pearls to frame my image.

I stamped the sentiment onto the green patterned paper and added the blue scalloped border. I did lots of stitching and finished it off with an orange ribbon and some pearls.

This one is now for sale in my Etsy shop as well as lots of other cards if you're interested! :) Also, be sure to like my Facebook page, Polka Dot Paperie, where I post coupon codes for my Etsy shop!

That's it for me today. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: Imaginisce - Apple Cider

Stamps: Buckets of Love, BOL Holiday Addtions (There She Goes)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: ribbon, pearls, Bisque Liquid Pearls

Tools: sewing machine, Cuttlebug, Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, MFT Jumbo Scallop die

You're So Thoughtful

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I have a thank you card to share today. This card is pretty simple for me because there's not a ton of embellishments, sewing, or ribbon! Shocker, right? :) It's always fun to go simple sometimes.

I used an older Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients kit to put this card together as well as the Sentimental Thank You stamp set by There She Goes.

The patterned papers are from my favorite company...you guessed it...Echo Park! :) This is the Walk in the Park collection. I embossed the Kraft cardstock with the Seeing Spots Cuttlebug embossing folder and the orange border was cut with the Jumbo Scallop die by My Favorite Things. I finished it off with a few butterflies from the TE kit, and added some pearls to their bodies.

That's it for me today!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Walk in the Park

Stamps: Sentimental Thank You by There She Goes

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Embellishments: punched butterflies, pearls

Tools: Cuttlebug, Seeing Spots embossing folder, Jumbo Scallop border die (MFT)

Ippity Wednesday - My True Joy

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! Only two more work days after this and then we'll have a weekend. Can you tell I love weekends? :)

Since it's Wednesday, that means it's time to share my Ippity card for this week. I chose to use the My True Joy set because it's been awhile since I used that one. I paired it with one of my favorite paper collections - Echo Park Country Drive...okay, so pretty much ALL Echo Park is my favorite!!

I colored the flower image and cut it out with Copic markers. I added the scalloped border to my patterned paper and stitched around all the edges. I finished my card off with two cordoroy brads, a ribbon, a little twine, and one of my handmade stick pins I've been making. I just love making those and using them on my cards!

Pretty soon I'm going to be doing a giveaway of some of my stick pins that I've made...as soon as I get enough energy to sit down and take pics of all of them! Be sure to check back in the near future for that.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention...this card follows the Viva la Verve October Week 1 Challenge on Split Coast Stampers. I love this sketch!!

That's it for me today, but be sure to hop over to the I Heart {ippity} blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team!

Before I go, I do want to say how excited I am that I reached 150 followers on my blog yesterday! I want to thank all of you so very much for being interested enough to follow and read my blog. You, my readers, are so important to me, and your comments always encourage me! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft, white (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Country Drive

Stamps: My True Joy by Ippity

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: Clear Spica glitter pen, Sakura glaze pen, cordoroy brads (The Paper Studio by Hobby Lobby), ribbon (Papertrey Ink), twine (Etsy), stick pin (handmade), foam tape, Polka Dots embossing folder, Houndstooth embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Classic Square Nestabilities, sewing machine, Scalloped Eyelet border die (Taylored Expressions)

Sending Encouragement Card

2011-10-10T19:33:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Columbus Day! I had to work today, but lucky for the students, they got the day off. It was nice to get caught up on some work in peace and quiet, though.

My aunt asked me to make a card for a friend who is going through breast cancer, and since I didn't have any appropriate images, I Googled "free breast cancer digi stamp" and found this sweet image as a freebie from McMahon Five Designs.

I used Split Coast Stampers Card Sketch #353 for the layout, except I changed the square to an oval. I colored my image with Copic markers and cut it out with Oval Nestabilities. I layered it with the cardstock cut out of Scalloped Oval Nestabilities. I used lots of Stickles to make her wings extra sparkly. The paper is from the my Mind's Eye Lost and Found Market Street collection. I just love these pinks! I embossed each piece with two different embossing folders. I combined them with some Kraft paper, and I did some stitching around the edges.

I added a pearl to each corner and finished it off with a cream bow and pink rose. I just love how this card turned out, and I hope it brings a bit of encouragement to the recipient!

I am also going to enter this card into this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge (anything goes).

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Market Street
Stamps: Breast Cancer Angel by McMahon Five Designs
Ink: Copic markers
Embellishments: pearls, ribbon, rose (Wild Orchid Crafts), Stickles
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Intricate Swirl embossing folder (Paper Studio), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug) sewing machine

Christmas Card Challenge #45

2011-10-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Happy Sunday! It's time for Christmas Card Challenge #45. This week's challenge is to use this photo as inspiration.

I took a bit of loose interpretation from it, but I was inspired by the wreath, so I decided to make a card with a wreath on it. I used the Seasons Greetings stamp set by There She Goes.

The patterned paper is from the Tinsel and Twig collection by The Girls Paperie. I embossed

the papers with two different embossing folders. I stamped the "Seasons Greetings" sentiment before embossing the green cardstock.

This layout follows an older Mojo Monday sketch. I colored my image with Copic markers, cut it out with Circle Nestabilities, and sponged around the edges. I finished my card off with some red pearls, a ribbon, and a stick pin that I made myself! I've been making a bunch of those for a Split Coast Stampers stick pin swap I am doing.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to check out the rest of the inspiration at the Christmas Card Challenges blog! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill (green), Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy, Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream

Patterned Paper: Tinsel and Twig by The Girls Paperie

Stamps: Seasons Greetings by There She Goes

Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black and Cantaloupe

Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), stick pin, red pearls, foam tape

Tools: Intricate Swirl embossing folder (The Paper Studio), Snowflakes embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Classic Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug

With Sympathy Card

2011-10-08T11:53:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I hope your Saturday is going great! I've got a pot of Gina Neely's Spicy Corn Chowder on the stove and I've been up making a card this morning, too.

I actually made this card awhile back, and I can't believe it, but I forgot to post it to my blog, so I decided to share it today before I forgot about it again.

The sentiment is from Care and Comfort by Taylored Expressions, and I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and sponged it with Memento Cantaloupe. I cut it out with Circle Nestabilities. The background was embossed with the Textile Texture embossing folder, and the patterned paper is from the Crate Paper Restoration collection.

I rounded all of the corners and popped my sentiment up with foam tape. I finished it off with two different kinds of ribbon, some twine, a fancy brad, and some pearls. I love how this turned out. It may be a sympathy card, but the colors in it sure bring a lot of cheer.

Thanks for stopping by today!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Choice Buttercream, Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Crater Paper Restoration
Stamps: Taylored Expressions Care and Comfort
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Cantaloupe
Embellishments: ribbon, brad, pearls, foam tape
Tools: Cuttlebug, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, Textile Texture embossing folder, Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities

Ippity Wednesday

2011-10-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hi there! It's Wednesday Wowzer time over at the I Heart {ippity} blog, and here's my card!

I used the Where You Should Be set and stamped my image directly onto some patterned paper from the My Mind's Eye Life of the Party collection. I cut it out with Nestabilities Labels Three. I used some Tiny Twinkles to frame the image with bling. This was super easy to do with the use of my Embellie Gellie! I love that simple little tool!

The layout is this month's Sketch for You to Try.

I popped my image panel up with foam tape, rounded two of my corners, and finished it off with a ribbon and some twine.

This was a super easy card! Be sure to hop over to the I Heart {ippity} blog to see the rest of inspiration from the design team!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Life of the Party
Stamps: Ippity Where You Should Be
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: ribbon, twine, Tiny Twinkles, foam tape
Tools: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Labels Three, Embellie Gellie

Christmas Card Challenge #44

2011-10-02T07:36:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday! Today's Christmas Card Challenge is *tags.* Some of our DT members used tags on their cards, whereas others actually made tags. I chose to do make a set of gift tags. These were so simple to put together, and I like how they turned out.

I cut out the Kraft base with the Cricut using the George and Basic Shapes cartridge with the shadow function. Then I cut out my patterned paper tag without the shadow function so that there would be a nice Kraft edge. I cut the patterned paper tags in half so that I could have two kinds of paper on my tag, and I added a little white ribbon to them.

The paper is Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly - an older collection but still one of my faves. The gingerbread panel is a stamp from the Just for You set by There She Goes. I stamped my image multiple times so that I could paper-piece the image with the Kraft paper. I popped the image up with foam tape on the tag and tied some twine at the top. That's it!

Be sure to hop over to the Christmas Card Challenge blog to see all the inspiration there. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Kraft

Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly

Stamps: There She Goes Just for You

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: twine, white ribbon, foam tape

Tools: Cricut, George cartridge

Ippity Wednesday - Christmas Greetings

2011-09-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! It's time to share my latest Ippity creation with you.

I made this card using the new Gingham Christmas Greetings set. This is such a beautiful, old-fashioned type set. I can't wait to use the music image in the set.

I kept this card pretty clean and simple. I just stamped the tree image in Memento Rich Cocoa and popped it up on my card with some foam tape.

I added some lace, ribbon, and twine to finish my card off. The patterned paper is some older paper from Stampin' Up.

Be sure you hop over to the I Heart Ippity blog to see the other beautiful cards! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up
Stamps: Gingham Christmas Greetings by Ippity
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: brad (Stampin' Up), twine, ribbon (Stampin' Up), lace
Tools: Classic Square Nestabilities, Scallop Square Nestabilities

Happy Fall Y'all!

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Now that I have my own home to decorate for the holidays, I've been eagerly searching for a fall wreath for the front door. I couldn't find anything I liked, and if I did find something that I kind of liked, it was very expensive! So, I decided to make my own wreath! I love the deco mesh wreaths, and I was able to purchase everything to make my wreath at Hobby Lobby for 50 percent off! Now, I'm not very good at things like this, but I think it turned out pretty good for my first time. I can't wait to make one for Christmas. Here is my fall wreath for our front door! :)

I don't have a tutorial, but the wreath form is just a simple grapevine wreath. I looped the orange deco mesh around the wreath and secured it to the wreath with floral wire. The floral stem was all one piece and I just hot-glued it to my finished wreath. That's great because I never would have been able to figure out how to put all that together in a pretty way. Some of my wire was showing, so I went around the wreath with the brown ribbon to hide the wire, and I really like the touch that gave my wreath. My Mama made the bow at the bottom for me because I have no idea how to make bows like that. I probably need to learn!

I've seen deco mesh wreaths sell for anywhere from $50 to $100, and I purchased everything to make my wreath for around $25, and I made it in less than 30 minutes! If I can do it, you can, too! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Card Challenge #43

2011-09-25T07:41:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Happy Sunday to you! Here is my card for this week's Christmas Card Challenge #43.

The challenge is to use handmade flowers on your card. I have several different sizes of the rolled rose dies by My Favorite Things, and I don't use them nearly enough. I don't know why because I just love how my felt flower looks on this card!

I used the newly released Gingham Christmas Greetings Ippity set. This card layout is from an older Mojo Monday sketch. I loved it so much, so I saved it to use on future cards, and I thought it would make a nice Christmas card. The patterned papers are from the Echo Park Merry Christmas line. I did lots of sewing and embossing on this card and finished it off with a ribbon treatment, some pearls, and my felt flower. Because I used ribbon and twine on my card, I am entering this into the challenge at the Unity blog - to use ribbon and/or twine!

Be sure you hop over to the challenge blog see the rest of inspiration from the design team! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, brown (Bazzill), Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Merry Christmas
Stamps: Gingham Christmas Greetings by Ippity
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: pearls (Kaisercraft), ribbon (Papertrey Ink), twine, button, brown felt
Tools: sewing machine, Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder, The Paper Studio Intricate Swirls embossing folder, MFT Jumbo Scallop border die, MFT Mini Rolled Rose die

{Ippity} The Lord is My Strength!

2011-09-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

Hi there! It's Wednesday, so that means I have an Ippity card with you! I'm pretty late posting it, but it's not quite midnight yet, so better late than never, right? :)

I used the Devoted set by Ippity. I just love using Bible verses on cards because they fit so many different occasions. I made this card with a heavy heart because I am actually using it as a sympathy card for a dear family who lost their loved one this week.

I kept my card pretty clean and simple because I was making it at the last minute, and I followed this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. Well, I kind of followed the sketch. ;) After I got my card done and I glanced at the sketch again, I realized the bottom part of the circle was supposed to stick out under my rectangle panel. Oops! Oh well! This was still a really fun and easy sketch to follow.

Whenever I'm pressed for time, I love to use sentiment stamps because they don't require any coloring. I just stamped this verse and cut it out! All of my papers are from the My Mind's Eye So Sophie collection. I added a cream border punched with an EK Success border punch and finished it off with soem pearls and a ribbon treatment.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to hop over to Heather's Ippity blog to check out all of the other design team inspiration! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye So Sophie
Stamps: Devoted by Ippity
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), button, twine, pearls, foam tape
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, EK Success Deco Scallop border punch

Christmas Card Challenge #42

2011-09-18T08:06:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday!

I have a card for this week's Christmas Card Challenge #42 to share with you today. The challenge is to use the sketch provided on the challenge blog. When I saw the sketch, I knew that this tree from the Sparkle and Cheer set by Taylored Expressions would fit perfectly on the oval panel. I stamped it in Memento Pear Tart for the tree and Memento Rich Cocoa for the trunk. I went around the image panel with Bisque Liquid Pearls. That's a technique that I love, and I'm getting much better at it! At first I was throwing away perfectly colored images! :)

I added the sentiment to the bottom and accented it with pearls. This patterned paper is Twinsel and Twig by The Girl's Paperie. I finished it off with a ribbon treatment with a crocheted flower and some pearls up in the left corner. Oh, and there's lots of sewing on here, too!

That's all for me today, but be sure to hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the sketch and the rest of the inspiration from the design team!

Have a great day! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Tinsel and Twig by The Girls Paperie
Stamps: Sparkle and Cheer by Taylored Expressions
Ink: Memento Pear Tart, Memento Rich Cocoa, Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: Bisque Liquid Pearls, twine, button, crocheted flower, ribbon, pearls, foam tape
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, sewing machine

{ippity} You are Fabulous!

2011-09-14T06:45:00.001-05:00

Good morning! I'm flying by this morning to share my Ippity card with you.

I used the Where You Should Be set and paired it with papers from the Victoria Gardens collection by Echo Park. My card follows this week's sketch challenge at The Sweet Stop. Since I used a sketch and Kraft cardstock, I am entering this week's challenge at The Kraft Journal.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to hop over to the I Heart Ippity blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the design team! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Victoria Gardens

Stamps: Where You Should Be by Ippity

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), crocheted flower (Etsy), twine, button, pearls (want2scrap), White Opal Liquid Pearls, foam tape

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Paper Studio embossing folder

Christmas Card Challenge #41

2011-09-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I have a card to share with you today that I used absolutely no stamps or ink on. Can you believe it?! I can hardly believe it myself.

This week's Christmas Card Challenge #41 is to make a vintage card. My style isn't normally vintage, but I've had this piece of patterned paper in my stash for several years. It had this gorgeous, vintage Santa on it. I've always wanted to use it, but I never really knew how I could showcase it on a card because it was rather large. I decided that a square card would work best.

I trimmed out the Santa part and just adhered it to my card. I punched the snowflake border with the Fiskars snowflake border punch. I finished it off with a bow and three pearls at the bottom.

This was such a quick and easy card!! Be sure you pop over to the Christmas Card Challenge blog to see what the rest of the design team has to share with you. We'd love to have you play along with us this week!

Thanks for stopping by!! :)
Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Signature Christmas Holiday Glitter stack
Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), pearls (want2scrap)
Tools: Fiskars snowflake border punch

TSG Paper Doll

2011-09-10T17:24:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!

There She Goes Clear Stamps is having a fun birthday celebration this week, and one of their challenges was to make a paper doll. Here is my paper doll!

Isn't she a little cutie? She is from the Freeze the Moment stamp set, and I paper-pieced her dress with Country Drive by Echo Park.

There are also other challenges this week to take your paper doll to a variety of locations.

I had to run to Walmart, and of course, she wanted to go see what kind of crafty things Walmart had. Look what she found!

Here is my doll outside enjoying my flowers. I think they blend with her dress perfectly! :)

She wanted to go to a party, and since it's still a little warm here, we went to a pool party!

Last, I chose to "spotlight" her with this American flag, but later on when looking at the picture, I realized you kinda can see a light coming through on the right side...like a spotlight! :)

That's all for my paper doll adventures today. This was a lot of fun! Thanks for these fun challenges, TSG! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Christmas Card Challenge #40

2011-09-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there from a super rainy South Mississippi this morning! There's nothing like staying inside and stamping when it's raining so much outside!

This week's Christmas Card Challenge is a color combo challenge - chocolate, cream, and cranberry. The colors in the new Lost and Found Christmas collection by My Mind's Eye work perfect for this challenge!

I kept my card pretty simple and stamped this beautiful nativity scene image from Christmas Blessings by Taylored Expressions in Memento Rich Cocoa. I used Liquid Pearls around the edge of the image to make it pop.

I stamped the sentiment and cut it out with Classic Oval Nestabilities. I added some pearls and a cream ribbon to finish this card off.

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and Labor Day! I'll be staying inside until all the rain is gone. It's a good thing I brought home some essays to grade. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Kraft (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Christmas
Stamps: Christmas Blessings by Taylored Expressions
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: pearls (want2scrap) Bisque Liquid Pearls, ribbon (Papertrey Ink)
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities

{ippity} Where You Should Be

2011-08-31T06:00:00.001-05:00

Hi there! It's Wednesday, so that means I get to share a new Ippity card with you today! Today I used a set that I haven't used before - Where You Should Be. I just love the quotes and simple images in this set.

I used this week's Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge #123 for the layout. This is also for the current 1-2-3 challenge on the Ippity Challenge blog - 1 stamped sentiment/image, 2 colors of cardstock, and 3 patterned papers. My card fits perfectly!

I stamped my image in Memento Tuxedo Black and did some sponging around the edges. I layered it on a scalloped square. This beautiful patterned paper is from the My Mind's Eye A Happy Heart 6x6 paper pad. I love these papers!!

I punched out the border with the EK Success Arbor border punch, and I added some Papertrey Ink ribbon and some felt flowers that I made using the My Favorite Things rolled roses dies. I was afraid my flowers might look a bit out of place there, but I was trying to follow the sketch, so I hope it turned out okay!

I know that the other lades on the I Heart {ippity} design team have beautiful things to share with you today, so be sure to hop over there and see all of the inspiration. Don't forget to check out Heather's {ippity} stock while you're there!

Have a great day!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Cream and Smoky Shadow (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye A Happy Heart
Stamps: Where You Should Be by Ippity
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Cataloupe, Memento Tangelo
Embellishments: pearls (want2scrap), ribbon (Papertrey Ink), twine, button, felt
Tools: Cuttlebug, Rolled Rose Dies (My Favorite Things), Arbor border punch (EK Success), Classic Square Nestabilities, Scallop Square Nestabilities

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hellooo!! This is a card I made last weekend, and I'm just now getting around to posting it on my blog. I actually made it with last week's Sweet Sunday Sketch, but didn't get it posted in time to share for that.

I don't know about y'all, but I can never have enough birthday cards in my stash.They're the kind of thing that you just need to have on hand all the time, and I never do! I have St. Patrick's Day cards, though! Go figure. ha! :)

I stamped this super cute Moka Taylor onto Choice Buttercream and colored her with Copic markers. I paper-pieced her dress with patterned paper from the My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Madison Avenue collection. I actually picked up this paper pad at my local Hobby Lobby. I was so excited to see they were carrying some of the MME 6x6 pads because now I can get them 50% off when Hobby Lobby puts their paper on sale!! :)

I sponged around the edge of the image panel and all of the card edges with Memento Desert Sand ink. I matted my image panel on a scalloped Kraft rectangle. The scalloped cream border was cut out with the Scalloped Eyelet Border Die by Taylored Expressions. I finished this card off with three pearls at the bottom. I cannot believe there is no ribbon at all on this card! I just couldn't find a place to put it. It looks naked to me. Ha!

Thanks for stopping by today!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink), Choice Buttercream (Taylored Expressions)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Madison Avenue
Stamps: Moka Taylor (Taylored Expressions)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Desert Sand
Embellishments: pearls (want2scrap)
Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Scalloped Eyelet Border Die (Taylored Expressions)

Christmas Card Challenge #39

2011-08-28T07:51:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Happy Sunday to you! I must say that while it's been beautiful weather here, I've been much in prayer for my East Coast friends as they are enduring Hurricane Irene. I don't wish hurricanes on anyone!

Today's Christmas Card Challenge #39 is to incorporate a photo into your Christmas card. I'm really bad about taking a lot of pictures and never printing them, so the only recent prints I had were of our wedding. I decided that would be appropriate since it was a big event that happened this year. However, it's not a very Christmasy looking photo, so I decided to pair it with the BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses patterned papers, since those have shades of pink in them.

I embossed the Kraft background with the Snowflakes embossing folder and stamped "Merry Kissmas" from the Kissmas and Mistletoe set by Ippity directly on the Kraft. My picture is matted on a scalloped rectangle, and I finished my card off with a ribbon and a pink button. Simple!

Be sure you hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the design team's creations! We'd love to have you join us this week. Remember, the challenge is optional.

On another note, last night I went to one of thos events where you get to paint the canvas. It was so much fun! At first I was kinda aggravated because I kept messing up, but then as I started getting towards the end, I really loved how it turned out. Also, if you stand about five feet away from it, you can't even see my mistakes. *grin* It's hot pink, but it looks more red in this photo. I have it hanging in my craft room!

That's it for me! Have a great Sunday! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink), white (Georgia Pacific)
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses
Stamps: Kissmas and Mistletoe by Ippity
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), button, twine, foam tape
Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Snowflakes embossing folder

{Meljen's Designs} My First Card!

2011-08-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!! Meljen's Designs is doing things a bit differently today. Meljen's Designs has some great news coming up soon, and so we are blasting back to the past today as we prepare for the big news! This week's challenge is to share with us your very first card made using a Meljen's Designs image.

This is my first card using a Meljen's Designs image!

And just for fun, here are a few more of my all-time favorite cards I've made with Meljen's Designs images!

Be sure you pop over to the Meljen's Designs blog today to check out the rest of the inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

{Ippity} Books a Flutter

2011-08-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! As you know, every Wednesday, I get to share an Ippity creation with you! Be sure you check out all of the inspiration on the I Heart{ippity} blog!

I'm using a new-to-me set today - Books a Flutter. I *love* to read. In fact, I've been reading all summer long. I've almost ready everything written by Colleen Coble (just over the summer)! She is such a good writer. Also, I'm an English teacher, so I try to instill an appreciation for literature in my students.

Anyway, I decided to do something a little different with this card. I stamped the image on Kraft cardstock and colored it with my Copic markers. I love how the image turned out, so this is definitely a technique that I'll try again someday. I accented the image edges with White Opal Liquid Pearls. The black border was punched with the EK Success Deco Scallop border punch. I also stamped the sentiment on Kraft, and I finished off my card with a bow, button, and some red twine. I also added two black pearls to the top left corner.

Speaking of twine, I've been wanting that sampler from The Twinery for awhile, but I just couldn't see paying that much for some twine. I'm cheap, so I found a great sampler of twine on eBay for less than $10 - lots of colors and good quality, too! :)

That's it for me today. I'm so glad you stopped by my blog, and I hope you enjoyed seeing my card! Again, remember to check out the inspiration at the I Heart {ippity} blog. Have a great day! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft, black (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: For the Record by Echo Park
Stamps: Books a Flutter by Ippity
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: White Opal Liquid Pearls, red twine, black ribbon (Papertrey Ink), button, black pearls (want2scrap), foam tape
Tools: Classic Square Nestabilities, Deco Scallop border punch (EK Success)

Christmas Card Challenge #38

2011-08-21T07:51:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Happy Sunday! This week's Christmas Card Challenge #38 is to use glitter on our card.

I haven't made a Christmas card with a snowman on it in a long time, so I decided to use this adorable image, Caroling Snowmen, by Meljen's Designs. I colored it with Copic markers and added LOTS of glitter to it. My glittery cards never photograph well. :( I promise, it's there! I added lots of glitter with my Clear Spica Glitter pen and then I used the Liquid Applique along the brim of their hats. I dusted it with Crystal Fine glitter before heating it to make it puffy. I also added lots of Stickles and Tiny Twinkles.

I layered my image on a scallop square. The patterned paper is from the Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly line, and I stitched around the edges.

I added a super shabby bow with a button and some twine.

That's it for me today, but be sure you head over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the rest of the design team samples. I hope you have a great day!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft (Bazzill), Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly
Stamps: Caroloing Snowmen by Meljen's Designs
Ink: Copic markers
Embellishments: Clear Spica glitter pen, Yellow Stickles, Diamond Stickles, Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Liquid Applique, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine glitter, seam binding (Prairie Bird Boutique), twine (Papertrey Ink), button, foam tape
Tools: Classic Square Nestabilities, Scallop Square Nestabilities, sewing machine

{Ippity} Shine, Shine, Shine!

2011-08-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

Hellooo! Happy Wednesday! I can't believe it's already mid-week. We had Open House at the school last night, so afterwards I whipped up this card for today's Ippity post. I just love the vintage lamps in the Shine, Shine, Shine set.

I paired this lamp with some patterned paper from the October Afternoon Thrift Shop line. I stamped my image in Memento Tuxedo Black onto Bazzill Kraft cardstock and cut it out with Classic Oval Nestabilities. I layered it on a black panel cut out with Scallop Oval Nestabilities.

I stitched around the edges with black thread. I love how the black thread just "pops" off of the blue striped paper. I stamped the sentiment, "it's your time to shine shine shine shine shine" at the bottom and added two black pearls to opposite corners.

I added a sheer, black ribbon and then attached my image panel with foam tape. Last, I used Bisque Liquid Pearls to accent my image panel. I love how the Liquid Pearls just frame the lamp!

Be sure you hop over to Heather's I Heart {ippity} blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has to share with you today. I know they have some awesome creations!

Thanks so much for stopping by!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill Kraft, black (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon Thrift Shop
Stamps: Shine, Shine, Shine by Ippity
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: black pearls (want2scrap), Bisque Liquid Pearls, ribbon, foam tape
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities

Christmas Card Challenge #37

2011-08-14T02:10:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Sunday! I've been winding down this weekend after a very busy first week at school. I cleaned up my craft room and made a few cards and other than that, I did as little as possible!

It's time for a new challenge at Christmas Card Challenges, and this week's challenge is Christmas Cheer (drinks, etc.), so I decided to make a card with this cute C.C. Designs Cocoa Emma image that I've had forever and never used. I think she turned out so cute on this card!

I embossed the blue background with the Polka Dots embossing folder and rounded all of my corners. The patterned paper is from the BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses collection. You probably didn't notice, but now you will since I'm going to point it out, but after I photographed my card, I realized I adhered the Christmas three paper UPSIDE DOWN. Geez. I'm praying the recipient of this card won't notice. I thought it was too cute to toss in the trash, and there wasn't really a way to fix it. It's just one of those "oops" moments. :)

I colored Cocoa Emma with Copic markers and used Liquid Applique dusted with Crystal Fine glitter on the furry trim of her clothes and boots. I went around the edges of the image with Liquid Pearls. That's a technique that I love but am still trying to get right. My dots are still uneven, but it's much better than my last attempt!

I stamped a sentiment tag and then added three silver brads and ribbon, twine, a snowflake, and a button to finish my card off.

Hopefully I can get a few more cards made this afternoon. Be sure to pop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the beautiful inspiration from the design team!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses
Stamps: C.C. Designs, Sparkle and Cheer by Taylored Expressions
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: silver brads (The Paper Studio) ribbon (Papertrey Ink), twine (Papertrey Ink), snowflake (Heidi Swapp), button, White Opal Liquid Pearls, Liquid Applique, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine glitter, foam tape
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities, Tag Trio Nestabilities, We R Memory Keepers corner chomper, Cuttlebug, Polka Dots embossing folder

{Meljen's Designs} Little Alligator

2011-08-10T23:00:00.002-05:00

Hi there!! Happy Thursday! Thank goodness...only two more days until the weekend. :) Thursday means that there's a new release and a new challenge over at Meljen's Designs, so I want to show you these cute new digis! Check out these sweet jungle animals! The little gator reminds me of the show Swamp People on History channel. My family *loves* that show!! This week's challenge is to use black in your card.

I used "Little Alligator" for my card, and I kept it super simple. I used Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #129. I colored the little alligator with Copic markers and cut it out with Rectangle Nestabilities. I stamped the "hello" sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink. I used a simple piece of green patterned paper and finished it off with a black ribbon treatment and some Twinkles. Super simple.

Be sure you pop over to the Meljen's Designs blog and see the rest of the awesome inspiration from the Design Team and get the challenge details. While you are there, be sure to notice the amazing new blog layout that Melissa has been working so hard on!! I personally love it! Thanks for stopping by!! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky

Stamps: Little Alligator by Meljen's Designs, Mega Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: twine (Papertrey Ink), ribbon (Papertrey Ink), button, Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions)

Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Jumbo Scallop border die (My Favorite Things)

Clean & Simple Ippity Card

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! I have an Ippity card to share with you today using one of the newer sets - Shine, Shine, Shine. This is such a fun set!

I decided to go with a clean and simple look, and I'm entering this card in two challenges - Clean and Simple #152 and the Clean and Simple Challenge on the Ippity blog.

I stamped one of the lamps from the set in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored the base with a Copic marker. I stamped it again on patterned paper so that I could paper-piece the shade.

The patterned paper is from the My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Gertie collection, and I cut out the shapes with Nestabilities. I just popped up the white panel with a little foam tape. I stamped the sentiment at the bottom with Memento Tuxedo Black.

Soooo simple!

Hop over to the I Heart {ippity} blog where you can see the rest of inspiration from the amazing design team and check out all of Heather's {ippity} stock. She can help you with all of your {ippity} needs...because you know we all need more stamps! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Gertie
Stamps: Shine ,Shine, Shine by Ippity
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic marker
Tools: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities

Meljen's Designs - Back to School!

2011-08-08T20:12:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! It's Back to School for me today! I had a great day, but I'm exhausted and there are soooo many new names to learn - around 130 of them! I'm looking forward to a great year with my students, though! :)

I wanted to make some little "happies" for my fellow teachers, and I knew this Apple for Teacher digi by Meljen's Designs would be perfect for making gift tags.

I started by sizing my digi to fit in the upper portion of the oval and typing a sentiment underneath it before printing it out. I cut it out with Classic Oval Nestabilities and colored it with Copic markers. I added a strip of patterned paper and accented it with some gingham ribbon, twine, a button, and three red Twinkles.

I attached the tag base to the red cardstock, which was cut out with Scallop Oval Nestabilities. I put an eyelet at the top to reinforce the hole.

I tied the tag to a bag filled with Lemon Crinkle cookies. These are such a delicious and easy cookie to make, so of course, I'm going to share the recipe with you!

Lemon Crinkles

1 box Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix

2 cups Cool Whip, thawed

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, Cool Whip, and egg. Mix until well combined. Chill the dough several hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form one-inch balls and roll them in the powdered sugar. Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet several inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes until the cookies are set but not browned. Cool on wire rack.

A couple tips that I've learned from baking these a lot:

-Mix the batter with a wooden spoon. It is WAY too thick to mix with a mixer.

-Yes, you must chill the batter. It makes it much easier to roll the cookies into balls. I stick mine in the fridge for about an hour, or if you're really impatient, try the freezer for a little bit.

-My medium-sized Pampered Chef cookie scoop is the perfect size for these cookies! I just scoop and drop right into the powdered sugar.

-10 minutes is the magic number for me in terms of baking. I like a soft cookie, though. They may look like they're not done, but after letting them sit for awhile, they'll firm up a bit. Everyone's oven is different, though.

These are soooo simple to make! Try them with pecans, or try different flavors of cake batter such as chocolate or strawberry. There are lots of possibilities!

That's it for me tonight. No one has to make me go to bed...I'm tired! Have a great evening!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon Report Card
Stamps: Apple for Teacher by Meljen's Designs
Ink: Copic markers
Embellishments: Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), ribbon (Walmart), twine (Papertrey Ink), button, eyelet
Tools: Classic Oval Nestabilities, Scallop Oval Nestabilities

Christmas Card Challenge #36

2011-08-07T07:23:00.001-05:00

Good morning! It's time for Christmas Card Challenge #36! This week's challenge is "recyle." Remember that the challenges aren't required to participate, though. Oh, and because it's the first Sunday in the month, this week's challenge is sponsored by Sparkle Creation Rubber Stamps. One participant will be a lucky winner! :)

For the "recyle" part of my card, I decided to use aluminum foil. I took a piece of foil and embossed it in my Cuttlebug with the Snowflakes embossing folder. This is a really fun technique to do, but you just have to be careful that you don't tear it. I love this effect, though! Because I used aluminum foil, I am also entering this card in the Sew Many Challenges #63 - to use foil on your card.

I stamped the dove and sentiment, both from the Sparkle and Cheer set by Taylored Expressions, in Memento Lady Bug and Memento Bamboo Leaves. I cut out the image panel with Classic Circle Nestabilities and layered it on the cardstock cut out with Scallop Circle Nestabilities.

I embossed the green background with the Polka Dots embossing folder, and the patterned paper is from the Tinsel and Twig Collection by The Girl's Paperie. I finished it off with a couple pearls in opposite corners, and a ribbon, button, and twine.

Be sure to hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see what the rest of the Design Team created for you.

I plan on doing a little more stamping this afternoon after church. I had a busy week at work last week preparing for school to start tomorrow. We're ready for the students! I'm so excited! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Tinsel and Twig by The Girl's Paperie
Stamps: Sparkle and Cheer by Taylored Expressions
Ink: Memento - Lady Bug and Bamboo Leaves
Embellishments: pearls (want2scrap), ribbon, button, twine
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Polka Dots embossing folder, Snowflakes embossing folder
Other: aluminum foil

{Ippity} God's Love

2011-08-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday to you! Today is my second day back at work/school. I enjoyed my first day back yesterday. We had a really informative workshop, and I picked up a lot of great tips to use in my classroom. I love it when I get something out of those workshops!

Since today is Wednesday, that means I have a new Ippity creation to share with you! I used the What Matters Most set for this card, and I followed Sweet Stop Sketch 119 for the layout.

I stamped the sentiment - "God's love is in the way of the trees, songs of the breeze, and the flutter of our hearts" in Memento Rich Cocoa. I cut out the squares with Classic Square Nestabilities, and I embossed the background with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I did lots of stitching on the layers and added a bow and a button tied with twine. I finished it off with a few pearls in each corner.

The little bit of patterned paper I used is from the My Mind's Eye Life of the Party collection.

Remember to head over to the I Heart Ippity blog and check out the rest of the awesome inspiration I know the design team has for you, and check out Heather's stock of Ippity stamps while you are there!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Life of the Party
Stamps: What Matters Most by Ippity
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: pearls (want2scrap), ribbon, twine (My Mind's Eye), button
Tools: Cuttlebug, Classic Square Nestabilities, Swiss Dots embossing folder, sewing machine

Christmas Card #5 - Penguin Santa

2011-07-31T08:02:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Happy Sunday to you! This week's Christmas Card Challenge is a sketch challenge. My fellow design team member, Peggy, provided this great sketch.

I've had the sweet Penguin Pals set from There She Goes for awhile and hadn't yet inked up this little cutie, so I decided to use him for my card today. I colored him up with Copic markers and cut him out with Classic Circle Nestabilities. I added Liquid Applique to the Santa hat and along the bottom for snow, and before I heated it, I dusted it with Crystal Fine glitter. You can't really tell it in the photo, though. I added the Twinkles to represent snowflakes.

I used my favorite Christmas paper - Everybody Loves Christmas by Echo Park, and I embossed the background with the Snowflakes folder. I added some red Papretrey Ink ribbon and tied a twine bow on my white button. I finished it off with the white brads.

Be sure to hop over to the Christmas Card Challenges blog to see the inspiration from the design team!

I hope y'all have a wonderful Sunday! It's my last Sunday of freedom. I go back to work Tuesday, but I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to enjoy church this morning and then later today hit up some of the good sales at Walgreen's today. :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Echo Park Everybody Loves Christmas

Stamps: Penguin Pals by There She Goes

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: ribbon (Papertrey Ink), twine (Papertrey Ink), button, white brads, Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Liquid Applique, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine glitter

Tools: Cuttlebug, Classic Circle Nestabilities, Snowflakes embossing folder

Mejlen's Designs - Knitting Mouse

2011-07-28T07:42:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! Good morning to you! Today there is a new release and challenge over at Meljen's Designs. Let me show you these super-duper cute new digis. Love!! I love anything that has to do with sewing stuff even though I don't sew, except on my cards. My grandmother, on the other hand, is a very talented seamstress. I think that gene missed me. This week's challenge is "Frame It." That means use a Nestabilitie shape or something similar to "frame" your image. Now don't you go and do like I did. I made my card, photographed it and everything, and then realized I didn't include the "frame" part, so I had to fix it by adding the circle background. I hope that counts!

I used Knitting Mouse on my card. That little cutie was just calling out to me! I colored him with Copic markers and cut him out with Circle Nestabilities. All of the papers are from the My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Mabel collection - a paper pad I've had for who knows how long and just opened last night! The scallops were cut with the MFT Jumbo Scallop border die. I stamped the sentiment from Crafty Expressions by Taylored Expressions and accented it with a few pearls. I stitched around all of the edges and added a ribbon, crocheted flower, button, and twine to finish it off.

That's it for me today. Be sure to hop over to the Meljen's Designs blog to see the rest of the inspiration from the Design Team! As for me, I'm off to my classroom today to do some more work to get ready for the new school year. Have a great day!! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Mabel

Stamps: Knitting Mouse by Meljen's Designs, Crafty Expressions by Taylored Expressions

Ink: Copic Markers, Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: ribbon and twine (Papertrey Ink), pearls (iwant2scrap), crocheted flower, button, foam tape

Tools: sewing machine, Classic Circle Nestabilities, MFT Jumbo Scallop border die

{Ippity} Trust in the Lord

2011-07-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello there! It's Wednesday, so that means it's I Heart {Ippity} day here on my blog and time to share my latest Ippity creation with you.

I used Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for the layout...super simple!

The patterned paper is from the My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Hattie collection. I just love the blue and yellow combo! I embossed my Kraft background with the Polka Dots embossing folder. I stamped my sentiment from the Devoted set with Memento Rich Cocoa. The white borders were punched out with the Scalloped Eyelet Border die by Taylored Expressions. I finished my card off with lots of shabby ribbon, a button and twine, and five little pearls.

Be sure to hop over to the I Heart Ippity blog to see the rest of the design team creations, and don't forget that you can purchase these wonderful Ippity stamps directly from Heather!

Thanks for stopping by!! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Stella Rose Hattie

Stamps: Devoted by Ippity

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Embellishments: shabby ribbon (Prairie Bird Boutique), pearls (want2scrap), twine, button, foam tape

Tools: Cuttlebug, Polka Dots embossing folder, Scalloped Eyelet Border (Taylored Expressions)

Christmas Card #4 - Christmas Cupcake

2011-07-24T02:10:00.000-05:00

Hellooo! Happy Sunday! It's time for this week's Christmas Card Challenge, and the challenge this week is to use plaid on your card. I used a strip of plaid patterned paper from the BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses line. I just love that line and it's non-traditional colors. I guess you don't see too many Christmas cards that are pink and green instead of red and green, but I like to be different every now and then!

I think we all know by now that I just *love* cupcakes, so I especially loved using this adorable Christmas Cupcake digi by Meljen's Designs for my card! I colored it up to match my plaid paper and made it extra sparkly with Twinkles and Stickles.

I embossed my pink background with the Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder, and I added a Papertrey Ink ribbon with some twine, a clear snowflake, and a button to finish off my card.

I wasn't crazy about this card at first. In fact, I thought it was rather ugly! I guess I'm just a red/green girl, but it's growing on me! Love that cupcake! :)

Be sure to check out the rest of the design team inspiration on the Christmas Card Challenges blog.

There's not much going on here today - just church, relaxing, and getting ready for school to start back soon! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses
Stamps: Christmas Cupcake by Meljen's Designs
Ink: Copic markers
Embellishments: ribbon, twine (Papertrey Ink), snowflake (Heidi Swapp), button, Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Diamond Stickles, Ruby Red Liquid Pearls
Tools: Cuttlebug, Classic Square Nestabilities, Snowflakes embossing folder

{ippity} My True Joy

2011-07-20T07:23:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! It's time to share my {ippity} creation for this week! I used the My True Joy stamp set, and I used Cardabilities Sketch #35 for the layout.

I stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa and cut it out with Classic Circle Nestabilties. However, I felt like the starkness of the white stood out too much, so I did some sponging around the edges with Memento Cantaloupe and Memento Tangelo. I think that helped it blend in with the card much better.

This fabulous patterned paper is from the Echo Park Walk in the Park collection. Did y'all see the new sneak peek of the Echo Park releases yesterday? I fall in love everytime they release something new! They have some fun Christmas lines. I digress...sorry!

Anyway, the pink background was embossed with the Perfectly Paisley Cuttlebug embossing folder. It's a cute one, but not one I use very often. I get stuck on my polka dots! The green border was punched with the MFT Jumbo Scallop Die-Namic. I did some zig-zag stitching around the edges and finished it off with my bow, twine, and button. Oh, and I added a couple pearls, too!

That's it for me today, but I hope you'll hop over to the I Heart {ippity} blog to see the creations from the other design team members. Have a great day!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Echo Park Walk in the Park
Stamps: My True Joy by Ippity
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Memento Cantaloupe, Memento Tangelo
Embellishments: pearls, ribbon, twine, button
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, sewing machine, Cuttlebug, Perfectly Paisley embossing folder, MFT Jumbo Scallop Die-Namic

Christmas Card #3 - Spirit of Christmas

2011-07-17T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! It's time for this week's Christmas Card Challenge! This week's challenge is "faith," and we are being sponsored by Paper Makeup Stamps! They are donating a prize to a winner. Thank you, Paper Makeup Stamps!

I used one of their images on my card today, and I followed an older CardPatterns sketch. This card was pretty simple to assemble since it didn't require any stamping. I just cut out my sentiment with Classic Circle Nestabilities and then layered it on a Kraft circle that was cut out with Scallop Circle Nestabilities. I accented that with a few red pearls.

All of my papers and cardstock are from Stampin' Up...sorry, I don't know the name of the paper line. I embossed the green background with the Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder. I added a bow, some twine, and a brad to finish it off.

Be sure to pop over to the Christmas Card Challenges to see the lovely creations the rest of the design team has to share with you today!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up
Stamps: May the Spirit of Christmas...by Paper Makeup Stamps
Embellishments: ribbon (Stampin' Up), brad (Stampin' Up), twine (Papertrey Ink), red Kaisercraft pearls
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Snowflakes embossing folder

Home Renovation: Craft Room Reveal

2011-07-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all! It dawned on me today that I've showed y'all before-and-after pictures of almost all of the rooms in my grandparents' house that we've remodeled except the room you would probably be most interested to see - my craft room!! I can't believe I almost forgot! Since we had an extra bedroom, I wanted to make one of them into an office/stamping room.

Here is the before photo.

Here's the after photo - view from the doorway. I went with a neutral color on the walls and decided to do pops of color in my curtains. I wish I had taken an up-close photo of them. The fabric is sooo cute. I got it at Hobby Lobby, and it has bright colored buttons, pin-cusions, scissors, measuring tapes, sewing machines, flowers, hearts, and more. It's just precious!

I've had this desk for awhile. It's a trestle desk from Target, and I just love the big tabletop. The polka dot bins are also from Target, and I love just being able to toss things in there (and then put them away later...it gives the illusion that my desk is clean. lol!)

Here is the view of the computer desk. It's a great little desk - small, but it has lots off drawers and compartments. It's just perfect for us. I wish it was white, but they discontinued the white one right before we ordered it! :( Oh well! Oh, and that chair was orginally in my grandmother's bedroom. Andrew painted it white, and I recovered it with some black and white checked fabric.

This is my Jetmax cube wall. I have all kinds of stuff stored in those - stamps (organized by manufactuer), ink pads, chipboard, bling, adhesives, flowers, and more! They are so perfect for organizing! Oh and the Cropper Hoppers hold my 12x12 patterned papers and cardstock. I also have my Making Memories embellishment center on top of my cubes. I used to keep my ribbon jars on here, but now that I have a new method for that (see below), I'm not really sure what to put on that empty shelf. Any ideas?

This is the inside of my closet! I am sooo blessed to have this nice closet to store everything! My uncle had this shelf, and he didn't need it, so he gave it to us to put in the closet. I got the purple bins at the Family Dollar store for just $2 each, and they hold my 6x6 paper pads perfectly! I've cleaned it up a bit since I took this pic, but this gives you an idea.

Another hand-me-down from my uncle is this shelf. It is an old microwave cart the he had for a long time. I got so excited when I saw the cubbies up top. I knew my ribbon would look so pretty in there! Andrew painted it white to match my desk and added some new cabinet knobs to it. I love this!! I added my Cuttlebug and sewing machine to make a little station so that I could leave those things out all the time.

The black magnetic folders hold all of my Nestabilities dies, and the purple bin holds all of my Cuttlebug embossing folders and accessories. The 3-drawer bin has all of my sewing machine stuff. I put my Cricut and cartridges on the bottom.

Here's a close-up of the ribbon. These are just those plastic jars that Making Memories makes. I wind my ribbon around wooden clothespins that I got at Hobby Lobby and secured the ribbon with a pin to keep it from coming off. I love this storage method for my ribbon. You may notice that I also have some ribbon on my Making Memories embellishment center. I use that for ribbon that I have lots of, or my Papertrey Ink ribbon. I don't remove my PTI ribbon from the spools.

That's it! I hope you've enjoyed a peek into my crafty place. Oh, and I'd just like to say, I cleaned up for these pictures. :) It's not always that neat!

Have a great weekend!

There She Goes Fabric Challenge

2011-07-14T21:49:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I have a card to share today for this week's There She Goes Challenge #115 - use fabric on your card.

I decided to keep my card super simple and let the focus be on the fabric. I used some pink satin fabric and cut out three different sized circles with my Scalloped Circle Nestabilities. I cut two of each circle. Then, I used a lighter to slightly burn the edges to make them curl up. I stacked the circles together and glued them with hot glue. I added a pearl, some black tulle, and a few feathers to embellish my flower. If you attempt this flower technique, here's a few tips - use a long lighter to keep your fingers away from the flame, hold your fabric with tweezers (for the same reason), and have a glass of water nearby (just in case!). Oh, and I've made these before with the regular circles, and they work just fine. I just wanted to try it with the scallops.

I've seen lots of these flowers on Etsy lately, mostly in hair accessories. I have some black satin, and I'm thinking I might make me one and stick it on a clip to wear in my hair. :)

Anyway, back to my card. I embossed the white background with the Polka Dots embossing folder, and cut the black strip with the MFT Jumbo Scallop Die. I embossed it with the Perefectly Paisley folder, even though it doesn't show in the photo, and I rounded the corners. I stamped "happy birthday" from the Make a Wish set by There She Goes, and that's it! It took me longer to make the flower than it did to assemble the card. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Stamps: Make a Wish by There She Goes Clear Stamps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: pink satin fabric, black tulle, feathers, black pearl
Tools: Cuttlebug, Polka Dots embossing folder, Perfectly Paisley embossing folder, We R Memory Keepers corner chomper, My Favorite Things Jumbo Scallop Die, Scallop Circle Nestabilities

{Meljen's Designs} Sympathies

2011-07-13T23:00:00.001-05:00

Hi there! It's Thursday, so that means it's time for a new release and a new challenge at Meljen's Designs! Here's a peek at today's new release.

Sweet digis, huh? This week's challenge is to use buttons and bows on your card, and that was definitely no problem for me since I tend to always do that. :)

I chose to use Sympathy Flowers for my card today because like birthday cards, it's always good to have a few sympathy cards on hand. They're certainly not fun to make, but what better way to send our heartfelt condolences than with a handmade card? This simple little digi from Melissa is perfect for that. It was a breeze to color, and I just added some pearls to the image to give a little elegance to it.

The patterned paper is from the Crate Paper Restoration line, and I used Split Coast Stampers Card Sketch Challenge #340 once again. I did some stitching around the edges. I added two bows - one made with shabby seam binding and one with regular ribbon and then a button that was tied with a twine bow.

You could make up quite a few of these simple cards to have on hand for those tough times. In fact, I should do that.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure you pop over to the Meljen's Designs blog to see the challenge details and the inspiration from the design team.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream

Patterned Paper: Crate Paper Restoration

Stamps: Meljen's Designs Sympathy Flowers

Ink: Copic markers

Embellishments: seam binding (Prairie Bird Boutique on Etsy), ribbon, button, twine (Papertrey Ink), pearls

Tools: sewing machine, Classic Oval Nestabilities

{ippity} Begin to Live

2011-07-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

Hi there! It's time for today's I Heart {ippity} card! Today I'm sharing a card today using an encouraging sentiment from the Delightful Little Things stamp set.

I used the Split Coast Stampers Sketch Challenge #340 for the layout. This was a fun and simple sketch to use. One of my favorites! The patterned paper is from the Crate Paper Brook collection, and I did some stitching all around the edges. I stamped the image in Memento Rich Cocoa and cut it out with Rectangle Nestabilities. Then, I tried a technique that the fabulous Danielle Lounds does a lot...using Liquid Pearls around the edges. I've tried this technique before, and it never really turns out right. It's hard for me to get the dots the same size, but I guess practice makes perfect! I think it came out kinda okay this time. I love the look. It just adds a little "something" to the card. :)

I finished my card off with a bow and a butterfly embellishment.

If you'd like to purchase the set I used on my card today, you can click here to visit Heather Flaherty's {ippity} page and see all of the wonderful sets!

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Crate Paper Brook collection
Stamps: Ippity - Delightful Little Things
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Embellishments: ribbon, butterfly, Bisque Liquid Pearls
Tools: sewing machine, Classic Rectangle Nestabilities

Make a Splash!

2011-07-10T20:48:00.002-05:00

Hi there, y'all! I hope you had a good weekend! I know I sure did. I've been living in my pajamas and bummy clothes all summer, but the reality is that school starts in just a few weeks! You know what that means right? New clothes! Andrew and I went and did some shopping, and I lucked up because a few of my favorite stores were having major sales, and everything I got was 50 percent off or more! I got lots of great deals! Then, we went to Michael's, and can you believe that I didn't buy a single thing?
Well, I didn't. I had two coupons, too. I must have been ill. :)

Anyway, after church today I did some stamping and made this sweet little card. I just love this Make a Splash set from There She Goes! These are my first-ever mermaid stamps. I used my June Taylored Expressions kit for the papers and ribbon. I'm still lovin' the BasicGrey Hello Luscious papers!

I colored this cutie up with Copic markers and cut her out with Rectangle Nestabilities. I added LOTS of sparkle with Twinkles, Stickles, and my clear Spica glitter pen. She's super sparkly up close! I embossed the background with the D'Vine Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder because I thought the swirls looked kinda sorta like waves. Okay, maybe not really, but it was the closest thing I had! :) I finished it off with a bow.

I'm entering this card in three challenges:
Sweet Stop Sketch #115 - I used the sketch but flipped it upside down to work with my image.
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #97 - what works for you - I almost always do embossing on my cards. It works for me!
There She Goes Challenge #114 - Glitter, Glitz, and Bling - I'm getting it in just in time with 58 minutes to spare! ;)

That's it! See ya next time! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Sweet Threads
Stamps: Make a Splash by There She Goes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: ribbon, Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Lime Green Stickles
Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, D'Vine Swirls embossing folder

Christmas Card #2 - Armful of Wishes

2011-07-10T02:10:00.002-05:00

Hi there! It's time for Christmas Card Challenge #32! This week's challenge is to do paper-piecing on your card.

Since I went more traditional last week, I decided to go with these FUN not-so-traditional papers from the Everybody Loves Christmas collection by Echo Park. Have I mentioned lately how much I just *love* Echo Park? ;)

This cute little girl is from the Wrapped in Joy set by There She Goes. This is such a fun set to use because it can be customized for either Christmas or birthdays...gotta love that versatility! I paper-pieced her dress and then colored the rest of her with Copic markers. I cut her out with Rectangle Nestabilities.

The green border is actually a sticker strip that came with the patterned paper kit. I love how it looks like a punched border! I stamped the sentiment - "A great big armful of Christmas wishes is being sent your way" in Memento Tuxedo Black and accented it with some red twinkles. I finished my card off with a ribbon and a Heidi Swapp clear snowflake. Love those, too. :)

Now, be sure to hop over to the Christmas Card Challenge blog to see all the design team inspiration! We hope you play along with us this week!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink), white (Georgia Pacific)
Patterned Paper: Everybody Loves Christmas by Echo Park
Stamps: Wrapped in Joy by There She Goes clear stamps
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: Heidi Swapp snowflake, red ribbon (Papertrey Ink), red Twinkles (Taylored Expressions)
Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities

Eat Cake!

2011-07-08T12:59:00.000-05:00

Who wouldn't want to eat cake? :) Today I am sharing with y'all a cute little gift card holder I made this week. I used this template, and it's my go-to gift card holder template because it is just SO easy to make!

I have had this cutie of a robot, CakeyWatt by Stamping Bella, for quite awhile and he's never seen ink. Isn't that sad? So, I inked him right on up for my card. I colored him with Copic markers and used my clear Spica gliter pen to add a touch of glitter to the cake. Then, he was cut out with Classic Rectangle Nestabilities.

These fun, bright papers are from the My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Fly a Kite line. I just love those bright colors! I added some baker's twine and a button and then a SRM sticker to finish it off.

Here's the inside. Yes, that's a "Congratulations" gift card and not a birthday one. LOL. You go with what you've got for the photo prop, right? :)

This one is for sale in my Etsy shop if you'd like to have it! :)

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend!!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Fly a Kite

Stamps: CakeyWatt by Stamping Bella, "Eat Cake" sentiment from SRM Stickers

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: baker's twine, button, foam tape, clear Spica glitter pen

Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities, EK Success, Deco Scallop border punch

When I said "I do"...

2011-07-07T07:37:00.001-05:00

Hi there! I have a fun and simple card to share with you today! This card just cracks me up. I used the Loads of Fun set from There She Goes.

I colored my image with Copic markers and cut it out with Classic Square Nestabilities. I also used the Nesties to cut out the other two square panels. This layout follows a Sweet Sunday Sketch from a few weeks ago. I stamped the sentiment on the white cardstock and embossed it with the Swiss Dots folder. The patterned papers are from the October Afternoon Report Card line. I wanted to use lots of color. I finished my card off with three red pearls at the top. Then, I showed this one to my husband. LOL! :)

Because this is a rather simple card compared to the lots-of-layers that I usually do, I am going to enter this into this week's challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ - to make a clean and simple card. I hope it qualifies as CAS...it is for me! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a great day!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: October Afternoon Report Card

Stamps: Loads of Fun by There She Goes

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: red pearls (Kaisercraft)

Tools: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folderClassic Square Nestabilities

{ippity} My True Joy

2011-07-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hi there! I have another exciting announcement today! I have been asked to be on the I Heart {ippity} Design Team! In case you don't know what {ippity} is, it's a line of stamps put out by Unity Stamp Company that you can only get from an authorized {ippity} seller. Heather Flaherty is one of those sellers, and the rest of the design team and I will be showing you samples each week of what you can do with these fabulous stamps that you can buy from Heather. You can visit the I Heart {ippity} page to see all of the stamp sets and get information on ordering.

For my first {ippity} card, I decided to use the "My True Joy" set. I stepped outside my box/comfort zone/whateva you wanna call it and went really clean and simple. In fact, I followed an older sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping. I wanted the focus of my card to be on the flower. I typically don't buy flower images because I'm scared to color them. I'm always afraid they won't look right because I have no earthly clue how to use a Copic marker properly. So....I decided to conquer my fear, and I really like how my card turned out! I actually colored two flowers, cut one out and popped it up with some foam top on top of the other one. I added a few black Twinkles to the center.

I stamped the sentiment on the white cardstock and then embossed it with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I added a strip of patterned paper by Making Memories and rounded the edges with the We R Memory Keepers corner chomper. I layered the flower on some circles cut out with Classic Circle Nestabilties and called it done! Easy peasy! I think I'm getting better at my clean and simple cards. Y'all know I usually struggle with those!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Making Memories

Stamps: My True Joy by {ippity}

Ink:Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: Tiny Twinkles

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder, We R Memory Keepers corner chomper

God is my Refuge

2011-07-05T09:26:00.001-05:00

Hi there! I hope y'all had a very Happy 4th of July! Let me tell you what I did. I made cards all day. Now I just need to get motivated to get them all on my blog. At least I have a good week's worth of blog material now!

It's been too long since I made a card featuring God's word, and I really want to start making more scripture cards. I used the Our Refuge set by Sweet n Sassy Stamps - my favorite place to go to for scripture stamps. I also used this week's Sweet Stop Sketch, SSS115, except I made an A2-sized card instead of a square card. I made a square card with the sketch the other day, so I wanted to do something a little different. I also swapped the image panel to the other side of the card.

I stamped the scripture in Memento Rich Cocoa and cut it out with Classic Rectangle Nestabilities. These beautiful papers are from the Lush collection by My Mind's Eye. I embosed the cream background with the Textile Texture embossing folder, and the border was punched with the Martha Stewart Arch Lattice border punch. I added a ribbon and accented the bow with a brad from the Lush collection, and I adhered a few punched butterflies to finish my card off.

This one is up in my Etsy shop if you'd like to have it!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a great day! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Choice Buttercream

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lush collection

Stamps: Our Refuge by Sweet n Sassy Stamps

Ink: Memento Rich cocoa

Embellishments: My Mind's Eye Lush decorative brads, ribbon

Tools: Cuttlebug, Textile and Textile Texture embossing folder, Martha Stewart Arch Lattice border punch, Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

{Meljen's Designs} Birthday Cupcake

2011-07-04T07:00:00.002-05:00

Hi there! I've been trying to make up some birthday cards here lately because my stash is always in need of those.

I just *love* all of the cupcakes that Melissa Jenkins designs. They are all SO CUTE! I love that she puts lots of extra frosting on them. :) This card features Birthday Cupcake.

I colored this sweet cupcake up with my Copic markers and added lots of sparkle and bling to it with my clear Spica glitter pen, Diamond Stickles, and some pink, clear, and blue Twinkles! The image panel is layered on cardstock that was cut out with Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities.

This fabulous patterned paper is from the new BasicGrey line - Sweet Threads. Isn't it just yummy?! I embossed the background with the Seeing Spots embossing folder. I rounded all the corners and added a tag that I stamped with a sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink. A ribbon and three little twinkles on the bottom finished it off!

Oh, and the paper, cardstock, and ribbon came from my June Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients! I think this one is my most favorite Key Ingredients!

Thank you SO much for stopping by my blog today!! :)

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill, white (Georgia Pacific)
Patterned Paper: BasicGrey Sweet Threads
Stamps: Birthday Cupcake by Meljen's Designs, Mega Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
Embellishments: ribbon, Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Diamond Stickles, clear Spica glitter pen
Tools: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scallop Rectangle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Seeing Spots embossing folder, We R Memory Keepers corner chomper, Tag Trio Nestabilities

Christmas Card #1 - Reindeer Joy

2011-07-03T02:10:00.000-05:00

Hi there! I am so excited to be able to share with you now that I am on the Christmas Card Challenges design team!!

I'm excited about this for several reasons - first, I just love Christmas. The whole spirit of Christmas makes it my favorite time of year. Second, I am one of those people that waits to the last minute to do everything, and now I can make one Christmas card a week and have them all ready at Christmas-time! You can do that too by playing along in the challenges each week.

This week's theme is: Twas the Night Before Christmas. However, you do not need to use the theme to play along. You can make any Christmas card. I chose to use the pretty reindeer from the Sparkle and Cheer stamp set by Taylored Expressions, because it makes me think of this part of the poem -

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

I paired my stamped image with papers from the Tinsel and Twig collection by The Girl's Paperie. I love the classic colors. :)

I stamped the reindeer in Memento Bamboo Leaves and the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black. I cut it out with Classic Circles Nestabilities. The scallops were cut out with the Jumbo Scallop Die by My Favorite Things. I finished my card off by adding a bow with a Christmas tree stick pin and accenting the sentiment with some red pearls.

Be sure and check out the design team inspiration at the Christmas Card Challenges blog! Thanks for stopping by !! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill, Choice Buttercream

Patterned Paper: Tinsel and Twig by The Girl's Paperie

Stamps: Sparkle and Cheer by Taylored Expressions

Ink: Memento Bamboo Leaves, Memento Tuxedo Black

Embellishments: stick pin, ribbon, pearls (Kaisercraft)

Tools: Classic Circle Nestabilities, MFT Jumbo Scallop Die

The Best Thing Since Sprinkles

2011-07-02T16:08:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all!! I had a quiet Saturday morning to myself, so I decided to make a card. I've been wanting to play in this week's There She Goes challenge - to use three dies or punches on your card, and I finally got a chance.

I paired this adorable little girl from the Freeze the Moment set from There She Goes with this equally adorable paper from the My Mind's Eye Happy Go Lucky collection.

I colored the little girl with Copic markers and paper-pieced her dress with some of the patterned papers. I even cut out the tiny little pieces for her collar and the bow. Wow, that took patience! I added some Cotton Candy Stickles to her ice cream cone...my version of sprinkles. :) I cut out my image with Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, and accented it with some Twinkles.

After adhering all the papers, I added a ribbon and some twine. I also used the button dienamics from My Favorite Things - one I've had for awhile and never used! What a shame. Then, I stamped the sentiment directly on the patterned paper.

My three dies that I used to qualify this card for the TSG challenge are: Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scalloped Eyelet Border die by Taylored Expressions, and the Dienamics Button Quartet by My Favorite Things.

Oh, and my card layout is this week's Sweet Stop Sketch, SSS115. I'm also entering this card in this week's Cupcake Crafts Challenge - to make a card that is cooking related.

On a side note, this card didn't start out like this. In fact , it was a complete domino-effect disaster. Everything I did to it just went wrong! I kept cutting things crooked, smudging ink all over the paper, adhering everything crooked, running out of ribbon, sticking my finger in the Stickles and getting it all over the image panel, etc...Do you ever have one of those days? I had to redo a lot of stuff and wound up wasting some of that super-cute paper! I'm really happy with the way it turned out, but it got to a point where I just had to walk away for awhile! I'm sure every crafter goes through that, but wow, it can be frustrating!

Anyway, I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July! May God bless you, and may God bless our military!

As always, thanks for stopping by!! :)

Supplies:

Cardstock: white (Georgia Pacific), Kraft (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky

Stamps: Freeze the Moment by There She Goes Clear Stamps

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: ribbon, twine, (Papertrey Ink), Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Cotton Candy Stickles

Tools: Cuttlebug, Classic Rectangle Nestabilities, Scalloped Eyelet Border die (Taylored Expressions) Dienamics Button Quartet (My Favorite Things)

{Meljen's Designs} Challenge #65

2011-06-29T23:00:00.002-05:00

Hi there! If you've been visiting my blog for awhile, then I think it's no secret that I *love* sweets! Not only do I love sweets, but I especially love anything with cupcakes on it, so I was super excited about this week's from Meljen's Designs! Check out that patriotic cupcake! How fun is that? I wanted to use that one, but I've already made several patriotic cards here lately, so I thought I would use Sweetheart Cupcake.

The challenge for this week is to use the provided sketch. I loved the diagonal panels...such a fun sketch to work with! I colored up "Sweetheart Cupcake" with Copic markers and added lots of Stickles and Twinkles to the cupcake. I love sparkle! These papers, Cupcake Love by Little Yellow Bicycle, were so perfect for this image! They are extra sparkly papers with lots of cupcakes and candies on them!

I cut the image out with Classic Square Nestabilities and layered it on a panel I cut out with Scallop Square Nestabilities. I stamped the "happy birthday" sentiment on the yellow cardstock and cut it out with Ribbon Tag Trio Nestabilities. I added some green and white striped ribbon to finish my card off.

I just love how blingy this card is!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Be sure and hop over to the Meljen's Designs blog to see the sketch and all of the lovely design team inspiration!

Supplies:

Cardstock:

Patterned Paper: Cupcake Love collection by Little Yellow BicycleStamps: Sweetheart Cupcake by Meljen's Designs, sentiment from Birthday Basics by Papertrey Ink

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Embellishments: Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions), ribbon, Diamond Stickles

Tools: Ribbon Tag Trio Nestabilities, Classic Square Nestabilities, Scallop Square Nestabilities

{In the Kitchen} Christy Jordan's Cinnamon Rolls

2011-06-26T15:17:00.001-05:00

Have y'all heard of Christy Jordan over at Southern Plate? I just love her. She is all about some good, down-home, Southern cooking. Which each recipe she posts, she tells a story that goes along with it, and I just love the way she can tell a story. It makes you feel like she's right there in the kitchen with you. I bought her cookbook, and I use it all the time. Christy cooks the kind of food I was raised on...no fancy stuff here! Now that I'm married and am making a feeble attempt at learning to cook, she's right there helping me along. I've always been good at baking, but cooking takes work for me. Christy says that anyone can cook as long as they have the right recipe. Well, let me tell y'all, her cookbook is full of the right recipes! :)

I recently made her Homemade CinnaBuns. These are so easy because they're made with frozen bread dough. These were soooo yummy, oooey, gooey, and delicious. What made them especially good was the frosting - cream cheesy, buttery, powdered sugary, cinnamony yumminess! Christy put cinnamon in her icing, so I did, too! I'd never had a cinnmon roll with cinnamon in the icing before, but it was a perfect touch!

Now before y'all go on and try these, I must confess. Mine did not come out right at all on the first batch. In fact, they came out like this. I think if you Googled "Epic Fail of Baking Cinnamon Rolls," you would find this photo. BURNED!! That black stuff is the burnt junk on the bottom of the pan. The pan is supposed to be silver. The recipe said to bake them at 400 for 15 minutes or until done. Well, that's what I did. I think they're done alright.

So, I had my heart set on these CinnaBuns, so I tried again. This time I baked them at 350 for 15 minutes, and they came out like this...much better!

Even better with some of that yummy icing on top!!

Head on over to Southern Plate where you can find the recipe for Christy Jordan's Homemade CinnaBuns and many more wonderful Southern recipes!