Studded Sympathy (CIC254)

It's time for another challenge over on the Cupcake Inspirations blog.

Our sponsor this week is Core'dinations!

Core'dinations is generously offering a fabulous prize to our randomly drawn winner!

Thank you for sponsoring this challenge!

Here's is this week's inspiration cupcake. Our color challenge is to use lemon, white, and pool.

Fun Cupcakes from Country Living 

A mommy that I am getting to know on Wednesday nights (while our daughters are in ballet class), got a call this week during class that she is very close to losing her mother to Alzheimer's. Having lost my Grannie to this horrible disease a little over a year ago, I wanted to make her a card to share my condolences. 

I've never really had the opportunity to play with Core'dinations cardstock and I must say, it's like magic. (Though my pictures aren't doing the paper justice, it was actually raining when I took this.) I love how the subtle textures become something completely different when you sand or paint the embossing. I took my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die and cut out multiples of all the flowers in the challenge colors. I sanded them up and crumpled them as well. I stacked and added a button as my center. The studs are from iCrystal, and I also used their setter to adhere them to my card front. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Teeny Tiny Wishes set stamped in Going Gray ink.

My friend is very rock 'n roll and I think that even though its a sympathy card, it's very personal and a reflection of who she is. I hope she knows that I am thinking about her and her family during this time.

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Creative Knockouts #30 - Texturize It
Allsorts Challenge #252 - Use Dies
4 Krafty Girlz #14 - Anything Goes
Craftitude #61 - Anything Goes w/ Brad or Eyelet

Natural Roses (PIO #13)

This week at the Pile It On Challenge, our sponsor is Crafty City. 

They are offering our winner 15% off their purchase. Wow!  

Thank you so much for sponsoring our challenge, Crafty City.

Our challenge this week is 'Floral Fantasy'. You can go just about anywhere with this. :) Come join us. 

You have already seen THESE roses, so I decided to keep them in their natural state for this card. I used a My Favorite Things Chevron die and basically the Stampin' Up Brights collection in its entirety. I haven't put a sentiment yet because though I made it as a 'Welcome Spring' card, I've completed my spring cards. So I thought it would make a good birthday or thinking of you card as well. I really like how the roses pop on the bright background. 

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks #187 - Spring
Cute Card Thursday #314 - Floral Delights
Going Gray w/ Scrap Creations Challenge- Spring
MilkCoffee - Welcome Spring
Penny's Challenge #170 - Favorite Color Combo (rainbow)
Word Art Wednesday #125 - Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter #151 - Spring
Party Time Tuesday #165 - Anything Goes
Deep Ocean #74 - For a Friend
Pinspirational #100 - Anything Goes
Cut It Up #41 - Anything Goes w/ diecuts
Cute Daisy May - Spring
Wags N Whiskers #125 - Rainbows
Krafty Hands: March - Easter
My Creative Moments: March - Anything Goes
Createlicious #61 - Easter
Artistic Inspirations #84 - Anything Goes

My Little Helper (SACC#50)

It's time for a new challenge over at Sister Act, where every challenge is ANYTHING GOES. 

So, come on over and share your creativity with us. :)  

Our Sponsor this week is Digi Darla. Thank you so much for sponsoring our challenge. 

I used Digi Darla's Helping with Groceries. I think this little girl is just adorable. She reminds me of my little helpers and most of the young ladies that hang around with my daughters. Couldn't help creating a card for a young helper in my life. 

I colored her up with my Prismacolor pencils and (traced and) cut her out with my Nestabilities oval and scalloped oval dies. Matted her with black cardstock and a Sahara Sand card base. The sentiment is from a My Favorite Things 'Teacher's Pet' and stamped in Versafine Black Onyx ink. I rounded the corners with my 1/4 inch chomper. 

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy. 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Artbymiran Challenge #2 - Anything Goes
Card Makin' Mamas #83 - Photo Inspiration
The Squirrel and the Fox #66 - Inspired by a Book (Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon)
Pattie's Creation Challenge #88 - Anything Goes
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes

How does your garden grow? (CIC253)

Our sponsor this week is DRS Designs!

DRS Designs is generously offering a $10 gift certificate (WOW!!) as our fabulous prize to our randomly drawn winner!

Thank you for sponsoring this challenge!

Here's a little background info about DRS Designs in their own words:

DRS Designs - a family owned company since 1950 - boasts hundreds of original rubber stamp designs. All images are available fully mounted, completely unmounted or mounted on cling cushion and are proudly hand crafted in the USA. Our rubber stamp collection includes a wide assortment of images including sentiments for all occasions, easy background designs and fun technique stamps such as our stained glass and plaid designs. The DRS Designs website features a huge card sample gallery, online demos and tips, a secure shopping area and more. Be sure to visit our daily blog with posts from our fantastic design team for inspiration and ideas.

Now to the challenge! Here's is this week's inspiration cupcake. Our challenge is GARDEN.  

Flowerpot Muffin Cases from Lakeland 

I decided that what better way to honor my mother than calling her the sunshine that helped me grow. Here's my take...

I used Harvest Garden and You Are My Sunshine from DRS Designs. These came unmounted, so I got to mount them just the way I like. They stamp like a dream. Even on watercolor paper there were no issues. 

I decided to try watercoloring for this challenge because I think it just naturally lends its self to gardening, and plants in general. This is the first time I have used the watercolor pencils I got from Terri. There is a learning curve but it was super fun to do. I took a couple days to get this card looking the way that I wanted it to. I layered the colors after the water dried from the previous coloring. I really like to bright colors I was able to achieve without losing the "watercolor-ness" of the medium on the image. (I'm making up words here.) 

I fussy cut my image out. I wanted this to be a one layer card but needed to use watercolor paper and I couldn't get the look I wanted without the fussy cutting. I stamped the image and my sentiment on my card front with Memento Tuxedo Black ink to use as a guide when I returned my image to the card front. I outlined the bouquet with my Copics hoping to create a lifting effect. 

Last, I added Diamond Stickles to the bow. I haven't added a sentiment on the inside because, though this would be a perfect card for Mother's Day, my mom's birthday is next month and it's perfect for her too. :) It's going to her either way. Sorry to spoil the surprise, Mom. (Maybe she won't read this far...)

Thanks for looking! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Moving Along with the Times - Photo Inspiration
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Glitter It
Inky Impressions # 151 - Think Spring
Divas by Design - Flower Power
Crafting for all Seasons #73 - No Designer Papers
Word Art Wednesday #124 - Anything Goes
Sweet Stamps #161 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - For a Mom/Female
Pinspirational #99 - Spring
Catered Crop - Celebrate Spring
Sunshine Mail - Anything Goes
My Sheri Crafts #129 - Celebrate Spring
Curtain Call - Farm Fresh
Crafting by Designs: Monthly - Anything Goes

Look out, World!! (SACC#49)

It's time for a new challenge over at Sister Act, where every challenge is ANYTHING GOES. 

So, come on over and share your creativity with us. :)  

Our Sponsor this week is Digi Stamp Characters. Thank you so much for sponsoring our challenge. 

 I used Pure Innocence - Graduation Girl colored with Copics. The die cuts are Shapeabilities (that I have had forever and have never used...GASP). My banner is from a Stampin' Up punch. All the paper is from Echo Park's Cut and Paste collection with the exception of the base layer which is Sahara Sand. 

For the inside, I used Stampin' Up's Celebrate Everything and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Versafine Black Onyx ink. 

Thank you for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy. :) 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Hobby Cutz #39 - Shaped Card
Artistic Inspiration #83 - For the Kids
Pumpkin Spice #63 - Anything Goes
Oldie But Goodie #18 - Bunting (The dies have been in my possession for years, and this is the first use.)
Addicted to Stamps #87 - Make Your Mark
Lexi's Creations #112 - Use Your Punches and Dies

Adventures in Running: In-between a race and a ???

So ever since the half marathon in January, running has come few and far between. It's hard to keep it up diligently as when I am training for a specific event. My friends and I are throwing around words like "mini-triathlon" and "fun runs". What do you do during your in-between times?

Painting the roses rainbow... (GD Gig #1)

I earned myself a guest design spot this week over at The Crazy Challenge. The theme is Flower Frenzy and this is what I came up with.

I am using paper roses from Crafty City. I sprayed them with Dylusions Inks in Pure Sunshine, Sweetened Orange, Bubblegum Pink, Postbox Red, Crushed Grape, London Blue, and Cut Grass. Can you tell yet that I'm not lyin' when I say that rainbow is my favorite color? :) The sentiments are from the Simon Says Stamp March Card Kit and stamped in Versafine Black Onyx. You can't really tell from the pictures but the flowers are so dimensional!!

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create #64 - Flowers and/or Mother's Day
Inkspirational #52 - Photo Inspiration
A Gem of a Challenge #115 - Mother's Day or For a Female
Fantasy Stampers #6 - Rose Garden
The Friday Mashup #151 - Rainbow and/or Sketch
The Shabby Tea Room #210 - Anything Goes
Ooh-La-La #152 - For a Special Lady
Card Makin' Mamas #82 - Splish Splash

Make-a-Card Monday: Going Green

So, this is the card that I went on and on about HERE. This is for my neighbor's Irish (like FROM Ireland visiting) mother. I think she will appreciate the gesture.

I used Hamlet Pigwit Think Spring (and the sentiment) from From the Heart Stamps. I colored him using my Prismacolor pencils. I die cut him using my Nestabilities and Stampin' Up punches. The striped designer paper is no name that I had hanging around my scrap bin. The cardstock is SU's Garden Green. It's been the perfect green for the last couple cards I've made. The inside sentiment is from SU's Teeny Tiny Wishes (forgot to take a picture of the inside).

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Sweet Stamps #160 - Lucky
Snarky Stampers #3 - P is for Paddy
From the Heart Stamps - March Challenge
Come and Get It - St. Patrick's Day
The Corrosive Challenge #195 - Go Green
Sentimental Sundays #198 - Cute and Cuddly
Sketch Saturday #301 - Sketch
The Paper Girls #52 - Lucky Charms

This next card is for the same neighbors as above. The Irishman got married on St. Patrick's Day. I love it!! Lucky 13!!

I used Whimsie Doodles Holding Hands. I used Copics and Prismacolor pencils, the same unknown striped paper from my stash, and vellum stamped with the Teeny Tiny Wishes set. Loving how it came out!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
CMC Copic Challenge #89 - Show Some Skin
Whimsie Doodles - Seeing Spots
4 Krafty Girlz #13 - Anything Goes
ABC Challenge - H is for Hair
Glitter N Sparkle #76 - Some Green
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Lucky

Then the smart @$$ in me just had to make this one...

First of all, I am VERY disappointed in the pictures I ended up with. They are terrible! And I couldn't figure out a spot that would make it any better. The colors look so good together on the actual card. I'm so mad about these pictures. I took the ones above at the same time and they came out great (or so I think.). :P

I used a Studio G Dollar spot set. The inks are all Stampin' Up in Old  Olive, Wild Wasabi, and Certainly Celery. I stamped each color once and then again to create a shadow-ish effect. Did the same with the sentiment on the inside. The vellum is stamped with the Old Olive. The paper is unknown from my stash.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
CAS-ology #86 - Roots
4 Krafty Chicks #185 - Trees
RetroSketches #106 - Sketch
A Creative Romance #20 - Seeing Double
Craft Your Passion #205 - Go Green

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

The Perk-fect Pair (CIC252)

Time for a new challenge over at Cupcake Inspirations!!

Our sponsor this week is Fresh Brewed Designs! 

Fresh Brewed Designs is generously offering THREE images as our fabulous prize to our randomly drawn winner! Wow!

Thank you for sponsoring this challenge!

Here's is this week's inspiration cupcake.
Our color challenge is to use espresso, cream, and chartreuse.  

Irish Coffee Cupcakes by Mandy Mortimer 

Here's my take...

The Prismacolor Pencils on the cupcake look much brighter than in real life. The name on the pencil was 'chartreuse' so I figured it should work. *wink* The card base is Stampin' Up Whisper White and the scalloped circle is Chocolate Chip. The green is from a Big Lots stack my mom got a hundred years ago and contains two or three sheets of fifty different colors. It matches perfectly even if it doesn't look it in the pictures. The 'hello' is from a Stampendous set called Flower Chat and stamped in SU's Green Galore.

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

The Card Concept #5 - Lime, Expresso, and White
The Crazy Challenge #166 - Coffee and Sweets
Just B Creative Crazy: March - Just Because
Just For Fun - Anything Goes
The Crafting Cafe: March - Clean and Simple
Just Keep on Creating #1 - Anything Goes
Addicted to Stamps and More #86 - Anything Goes
Penny's Challenge #168 - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers #27 - Anything Goes

DUDE. (PIO #11)

Time for a new challenge over at Pile It On!
Our sponsor this challenge is Dr. Digi's House of Stamps. 

They are offering our winner their choice of two digital stamps. 

Thank you so much for sponsoring our challenge, Dr. Digi.

Our PIO challenge this week is 'For a Man'. Oh, there's so many different ways to take this but I stuck to an actual man on my card. Love it. This will make the perfect card for my dad's birthday in April. 

I used Anglin Andy found in the Dr. Digi's House of Stamps. My dad is a big fisherman so I couldn't help poking a little fun with the sentiment. I used Stampin' Up Garden Green and Whisper White cardstock, rounding the opposite corners with my 1/4 corner rounder. I popped up the image on dimensionals. The sentiment is spell out in 'Adorn It' green letter stickers. The only thing I don't like about these stickers is the lack of punctuation, which I had to write in myself.

I colored Andy up with Copics and Prismacolor pencils. I have found that this a great (and economical) choice for me as I don't have all the Copics I would need to finish an image like this but by combining the mediums, I end up with all the colors I need. I don't quite get the perfect blend with the pencils as with the markers but I think that's pretty normal. I don't find it to be a big deal but I would love to know what you think. Can you tell the difference? Is it odd looking, the different mediums? 

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Pile It On #10 - For a Man

Crafty Creations #258 - Happy Birthday
Digi Stamps 4 Joy #87 - Add a Happy Birthday Sentiment
Without Words - And Relax: Hobbies and Leisure
Craftin' Desert Divas #26 - Birthdays
Wags N Whiskers #124 - Sports
Craftitude #60 - Anything with a Little Green
Inky Impressions #150 - Go Green
Loves Rubberstamps #94 - Shades of Green
Artistic Inspirations #82 - Anything Goes/St. Patrick's Day/Green
Fussy and Fancy #109 - Birthday
Get Inky #9 - Green
Crafty Catz #222 - Boys and Their Toys
Fusion #6 - Shades of Green and/or Sketch

Pause Dream Enjoy #5 - Any Sketch
The Crafty Bloggers Network: March - Nature
Delicious Doodles #79 - Mainly Green
The Squirrel and the Fox #65 - Autumn or Spring
Flat Friends #18 - Cards for Men
Card Mania #42 - Something New (My new digi and a new Copic marker skin combo.)
Ladybug Crafts Ink - One for the Boys
Nutcrafters #63 - Boys, Boys, Boys

Rainbow is my favorite color. (SACC#48)

It's time for a new challenge over at Sister Act, where every challenge is ANYTHING GOES. 

So, come on over and share your creativity with us. :)  

Our Sponsor this week is Papers and Petals. Thank you so much for sponsoring our challenge. 

I know there's many versions of this card floating around the blogosphere but this Simon Says Stamp Card Kit this month lends its self to these bright and friendly cards. Couldn't help myself doing a rainbow. Have I mentioned my favorite color is rainbow? :) If you ask my kids what mommy's favorite color is they will answer Rainbow. It's pretty funny.

I love this kit. It's like it was made for me. I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink to stamp and my Prismacolor pencils to color my crayons and Versafine Onyx Black for the sentiment. I'm trying to decide if I like the word "color" over to the side. I'm a very symmetrical person and my OCD is trying to rear its ugly head. Also, there were some scratches on the cardstock that I couldn't see until I started coloring  my purple over them. It's driving me crazy that they're there. :)

I made this with the intention that one of my children will give it to their teacher. Don't have an actual occasion but sometimes things just creep up on you. Or you just like to surprise someone. I do plan to stamp a couple of these cards and let the kids color them.

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you healthy and happy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Sugar and Spice #1 - Rainbow
Just Keep On Creating #1 - Anything Goes
Pumpkin Spice #62 - Rainbow
Crafting From the Heart #9 - Anything Goes with your Favorite Colors
Craft Your Passion #204 - Young at Heart (Crayons were the first thing I was able to create with as a child.)
City Crafter #202 - Rainbow
Clear It Out - Kid theme with Bright Colors
Your Next Stamp #10

She's FIVE!!!

My baby girl turns five years old today. I can't hardly believe it. I have been through so much since her birth, which left me with severe postpartum depression. It was a hard journey back but we are all doing better now. :) We will be celebrating her birthday with a party this weekend.

Here she is through the years...

First Birthday Party

One Year Old

Two Year Old

Three Years Old
Rainbow Party Details HERE

Four Years Old
 (And a canceled 'art' party because she broke her dominate arm)

We are looking forward to making up for last year, no real celebration because of a couple broken bones, and giving her a blowout. :) I think Husband and I might need to do a 'take turns kind-of' birthday celebration so that we don't blow their college funds on birthday parties before their eighteenth birthdays. Ha!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!! We love you so very much. :)

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

Make-a-Card Monday: I count myself lucky...

I am well aware that St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and, being half Irish myself (maiden name of McCormick), I do recognize it by wearing the customary green. But when it comes to actually sending out cards for the day, not so much. I have close friends that have a St. Patrick's wedding anniversary (which is made funnier by the fact that the husband is from Ireland) and so I will be making them a card in celebration. The coolest part about this day this year is that Irishman's mom is in town...from IRELAND! So I'm going to go all out for her. All that being said, that is not this card. :)

I made this card with St. Patrick's in mind but subtly. I feel like I could send this next week or a month from now and it would be okay either way.

I used an image from ArtbyMarin called Fashionista. Love her. I colored her using both Copics and Prismacolor pencils. Shakin' things up a bit. :) I fussy cut her out and added her back on my Nestabilities oval dies cut in white and Green Galore. The embroidery floss is from Terri's stash and I combined all three greens to create the bow. I used Green Galore ink to stamp the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp 'Card Exchanging Friends' set. I continued the clover on the inside. Didn't want to go overly St. Patrick's Day but the card is about being lucky.

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Scrap Creations #25 - Go Green
3 Girl Jam: March Challenge - Green, Yellow, or Orange
The Sketchy Challenge #68
Open-Minded Crafting #5 - Use Green
Sunshine Mail - Anything Goes with a Shamrock
That Craft Place - Anything Goes
Colour Q #231 - Basic Black, Basic Gray, Gumball Green, Glorious Green, and White
Ruby's Rainbow #74 - Monochromatic Green
Fab N Funky #206 - Heat Stroke
C.R.A.F.T. # 249 - Mother's Day/For a Female
ArtbyMiran #1 - Anything Goes
Catch the Bug: March - Feelin' Lucky
Red Carpet Studio #65 - The Lucky One
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes with Irish sentiment
Aud Sentiments #101 - Any Sentiment for a Girl
The Pink Elephant #241 - Photo Inspiration

You give me butterflies. (CIC251)

Time for a new challenge over at Cupcake Inspirations!!
Our sponsor this week is 7 Kids College Fund! 

7 Kids College Fund is generously offering a fabulous prize to our randomly drawn winner! 

Thank you for sponsoring this challenge!

Here's is this week's inspiration cupcake.
Our challenge is BUTTERFLIES.  

Butterfly Cupcakes by Lisa Parks 

Here's my take...

Husband and I didn't have much in the way of a "dating" relationship. We went straight from friends to engaged within 18 days. I told him from the very beginning that he gave me butterflies and it's kind-of been our thing. (Yes, ANOTHER one!) So when I saw this challenge and this die (which I got from 7 Kids College Fund), I knew that I wanted to do a card with him in mind (even though it might not go to him).

After die cutting the front panel, I used Purple Stickles on all of my butterflies. My matting panel is Wild Wasabi textured cardstock. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up's Short and Sweet set and stamped in Wild Wasabi as well. Once my card was dry and adhered all together, I carefully pulled all my wings up so you can see the green beneath. Love that look.

Thanks for looking! I hope this finds you happy and healthy.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
7 Kids Challenge Blog #94 - Anything Goes
As You Like It - Favorite 3D Texture (I love die cuts like this because it make the butterflies look like they are about to fly off the card. So cool!)
Sparkle N Sprinkle: March - Anything Goes w/ Glitter
Inkspirational #51 - Purple, White, and Green

A Gem of a Challenge #114 - Anniversary
Stampin' Celebration #7 - Purple and Green
Artistic Inspirations #81 - Anything Goes w/ Sparkle
Ooh La La #151 - Happy Anniversary
Sunday Stamps #71 - Wisteria Wonder, Wild Wasabi, and Baked Brown Sugar (I used white instead.)
Brown Sugar #84 - Make It Sparkle