Paper Sweeties July Release Sneak Peeks!

Oh My Gosh! I just realized that summer is half over! How did that happen? That old saying, "Time flies when you are having fun" certainly applies in my case. We haven't done anything extraordinary this summer, and our summer vacation was just a few hours away, for my daughter's bowling tournament (she WON in her division!), but this has been a wonderful summer for us. I hope you are enjoying the summer, too!

I just love word dies! Do you? Paper Sweeties' July New Release includes a fantastic "Wish" Sweet Cuts set with two word dies, as well as a coordinating stamp set. I used the "Wish" die for this card. (I'll have another card soon using the "Love" die from the same Sweet Cuts set.) 

For the "Wish" layer, I heat embossed the "Wish" stamp with clear embossing powder onto a piece of watercolor paper, then used Color Bursts (links below) to create the colorful background. This was my first experience with Color Bursts and it didn't turn out as dark as I expected, so I added the blue "Wish" die cut over the embossed area for better contrast. I also stamped the "upon a star" sentiment from the "Wish" stamp set onto a star die cut from the same colored paper. The bottom of the card is glitter paper. And, I just had to add some shiny Cookie Dough Paper Sweeties sequins. If you haven't seen Paper Sweeties sequins in person, let me tell you, they are like none I have ever seen before. The colors are AMAZING! And, the scalloped/flower shape is beautiful.

On the inside of the card, I glued the tiny stars from the diagonal die cut on the front, and stamped a "Good Luck" sentiment from the So Sweet of You stamp set.

You are not going to want to miss the cards the rest of the DT has created using this month's new release stamps and dies! These ladies are SO talented!

Angel Johns 
Cheryl Lea - That's Me!

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Emily Frasier 
Jill Norwood 

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Mynnette Kitchen

Nancy Penir

Have you played along in this month's Red, White, & Blue inspiration challenge yet? You've still got time to join us, and you just might win a Paper Sweeties Gift Certificate!

Paper Sweeties Inspiration #33 – ‘Red, White & Blue’

And, last, but not least, here's a head's up for what's coming up in August. PARTY!!!

Thanks for stopping by, and have an awesome week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create Challenge #132: Create Your Own Challenge (A2/Encouragement/Watercolor & Sequins)
Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Celebrate
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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Mojo Monday 400 Contest and Designer Search!

Mojo Monday is celebrating it's 400th sketch challenge this week! Whoo Hoo! Congratulations Julee!!! I have a special fondness in my heart for Mojo Monday. It was the very first challenge I entered when I started making cards 4 years ago (ok, I put a link to that first card, but be gentle with any comments; I was brand new at cardmaking). A few months later, I kicked off my own blog with another Mojo Monday challenge entry. So, while I haven't been with Mojo Monday since it's beginning, Mojo Monday has been with me since mine!

To celebrate this Mojo milestone, Julee is doing two things: using her very first sketch for this week's challenge, and offering two participants a spot on the Mojo Monday DT! Exciting!!! I had a blast creating my own embossed background paper for this card, using the Verve Bloom & Grow stamps, probably my most used Verve set. 

I love how the background turned out, and it was so easy to make. I just spritzed a piece of white cardstock with water, then used Dylusions Ink Sprays to add color. After drying it completely, I stamped the leaves from the Bloom & Grow set in Versamark ink and heat embossed them with copper embossing powder. To give the ink sprays a softer look, I sprayed water over the entire sheet one more time after embossing, then let the paper air dry in a book press so it would dry flat. The sentiment, heat embossed in copper, is from the On Occasion stamp set

The inside of the card has a simple message, from a Penny Black stamp set, which might seem odd for a Father's Day card, but it is perfect for my husband. Our sweet, sweet daughter is with us today because eleven years ago my husband was willing to trade in his long-anticipated, quiet, peaceful, golf-filled retirement days for my tiny, newborn granddaughter. And, he didn't just agree to adopt her, he insisted on it, and I am grateful for that selfless act every single day (even when I'm ticked off and want to lock him outside of the house!) ;)

I hope that the next time I post a Mojo Monday card it's as a member of the DT, but even if I'm not one of the lucky winners of a DT spot, I'll continue to enjoy Julee's sketches and challenges, both at Mojo Monday and Viva la Verve. 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a Mojo-filled day!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday 400
Simon Says Wednesday: Make it Masculine
613 Avenue Create #126: Anything Goes
Sugar Pea Designs SPD16: Hey Dude!
Corrosive Challenge Blog #225: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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One Sheet Wonder Boxed Card Set with Wisdom

I hope y'all had a wonderful holiday, and are, perhaps, still enjoying it. In the words of the world's most famous fictional trespasser, Christmas at our house wasn't too crazy, it wasn't too tame...it was "just right." Well, all except for the flu bug we've had for over a week! But, that's almost run it's course, too, so all is well.

A couple of posts ago, I made a set of cards for a One Sheet Wonder Challenge at Viva la Verve, and I decided to give it another go, this time making a hinged lid box for the set, too. You can see the spine of the box here.

I used mat board to construct the box, and I wanted it to be really sturdy, so I glued 2 boards together to get a nice thickness. The box is actually large enough to hold the envelopes, too, but I forgot to put them in for the photo.

I've always loved making and decorating boxes, and have made lots of different ones, usually out of heavy cardstock or chipboard. And, having a Silhouette has certainly made boxmaking much easier, but I see more boxes like this one in my future. Between the gorgeous, heavy papers and the super thick boards, this box has a nice, substantial look and feel to it that I like, and it's definitely worthy of gifting! Now here's a look at the cards that are inside:

The Words of Wisdom stamp set from Verve is one of my all-time favorite sentiment sets. The sentiments are encouraging, and appropriate in so many instances, and the bold and varied fonts are just plain fun! I stamped those in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I colored the Crackle embossed layer and the sentiment circle with copper and turquoise Inka gold and edged them with Black Soot Distress Ink. For just a little more texture, I added one line of stitching to each sentiment, leaving threads dangling, and also stitched on one other piece on each card. The colored dots were mini pony beads in another life. For Christmas, my daughter gave me a toaster oven for my craft room so I can make embellies without having to heat up the big oven upstairs. It works great except for the stench from the melting plastic! I may carry the oven to the back porch before I try that again! (The 6x6 paper I used is from the My Mind's Eye Reunion pad).

The inside of the cards are all similar. I used a white, tilted personalization layer with distressed edges, added two 1" circle punches from an extra sheet of the cardstock (remember, I used the entire 6x6 sheet for the front of the cards, so there wasn't any waste there), and used opaque Souffle pens to do just enough doodling to brighten everything up.

And, that's all for now! Thanks for visiting, and have an awesome week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve December 2014 OSW Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create Challenge #104: Anything Goes
Sugar Pea Designs SPD12: Anything Goes
Robyn's Fetish Challenge #244: Anything Goes
TSC Challenge #61: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

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Tiddly Inks DT Call!

I'm finally back to blogging! This has been a busy month for me, but August always is, with school starting again. But, I just HAD to get back in the groove because Tiddly Inks is having a DT Call! I took a DT break after Flourishes closed up shop, but Christy's images are so cute, I decided to throw my proverbial hat in the ring and see what happens. ;)

I just love images with little girls and their books. It always makes me think of my DD. This digital image, called School Girl, really is cute as a button, isn't she? I printed the image on Copic x-Press paper. She was so much fun to color with Copics, and I added some dots to her dress with a white paint marker. The layout came from the Viva la Verve August 2014 Week 1 sketch, and I followed their color challenge, too. The flowers and sentiment are Verve images that I colored, then fussy cut and rounded with a stylus. The floral strip on the gray dp is Washi tape, and you can't see it in the photo, but I used a clear Spica pen on the flower for a little sparkle.

On the inside, I used PTI dies to cut a few dp buttons, to coordinate with the sentiment on the front of the card. 

Well, I'm down to the wire on the DT Call, so I better pop over and get this baby entered! Thanks for stopping by today, and enjoy the rest of your week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Tiddly Inks DT Call
Viva la Verve August 2014 Week 1 Sketch Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Make it Sparkle
Freshly Brewed Challenge--August Challenge #1: Buttons
Paper Issues: Mix Tape with Hazel & Ruby

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Fresh Brewed Guest Designer

Did you notice anything new when you got here today? I spent the past few days revamping my blog for a fresh look. My friend, Deborah, helped me get going, and soon, she's going to help me add a few other new features, too! I can hardly wait!

But, in the meantime, I've been anxiously waiting for today to get here. I'm the Guest Designer over at the Fresh Brewed Designs Challenge Blog today! I found Fresh Brewed a couple of months ago, and I'm so glad I did. Heather, the owner of Fresh Brewed Designs, has both rubber and digital stamps in over 30 categories, as well as digi paper, in a wide variety of cute designs. When she asked me to be a Guest Designer for this month, I had my pick of three images to use for my GD cards, and I have to tell you, it was tough to narrow my choices down! You'll see what I mean! ;)




Heather has a Brew of the Month Challenge every month where you can choose your challenge of either a sketch, a photo inspiration, or both. (There's still time to enter this month--you have until March 31). For my first card, I used the sketch. And, as I seem to do with every sketch I use lately, I turned it on it's side.

For my first card, I used this sweet Watermelon Girl digi image. Is she not the cutest thing? :) I colored her with Copic markers and used a piece of terry cloth and Colorless Blender on the watermelon to give it a little texture. I also added Black Liquid Pearl to the seeds, and Glossy Accents to her little ponytail holders and her shoes. I got out my Gelatos again, and made the watermelon paper. The "seeds" were added with Inktense pencils. After cutting it with a Labels 25 die, I sponged Black Soot ink around the edges. I used the Opulent Ovals die set to cut a black frame for the colored image, and I backed it with the same green paper that I used as the bg. The "Sweet" flag was cut with a Verve flag die, then I spritzed it with Fresh Lime and Vibrant Turquiose Dylusions Ink Spray, and sponged Mowed Lawn Distress Ink around the edges before attaching it to the framed image with a floral brad. The textured strip across the middle was cut with a Simon Says Circle Border die, and I used strips of black cs to border the die cut.

I used the scraps from the watermelon paper on the front to give some color and interest to the inside.

For my second card, I used the photo inspiration from this month's FBD challenge, and did a little computer manipulation to the digital images first...

The minute I saw Bob and Betty in Heather's store, I knew I just had to have them! They are actually completely separate digital images, but by making the "sky" transparent, I was able to merge the images together. Heather did such a great job drawing these images, they went together perfectly! I didn't even have to do any resizing! I paper pieced Bob and Betty's swimsuits, then colored the image with Copics. I have to tell you, this was a blast to color. Can you see their sunburns, and Bob's farmer's tan? And, don't you just LOVE the expression on Bob's face? He's definitely "Living in the Moment," isn't he? ;) I used a cloud stencil for the sky, sponged in the sun, added in some white highlights to the water, and drew in the birds in the background. I used a Wink of Stella pen to add shimmer to the sun, and a little "sweat" to Bob and Betty. The rims of their glasses were colored with gold and silver Spica pens, and I used Glossy Accents on their lens, and also on the chocolate on the ice cream cone. 

For the layout of this card, I used Sugar Pea Design's very first Sugar Sketch. I used a weathered wood dp, distressed the edges with a Distrezz-it-All, cut two flags out of the same dp I used for the paper pieced swimsuits, stamped a tag with a Live in the Moment sentiment, which I traced with a gold Spica pen for sparkle, added a little twine, die cut the image and another circle for a mat and put it all together. And, I have the perfect couple to send this card too! ;~D

I kept the inside a little plain, with just a strip of the weathered wood dp, some sponging around the rectangular panel, and a couple of gold lines drawn with a Spica pen.

Thank you, Heather, for featuring me this month on your blog! It's been a real treat for me! 

Be sure to check out Heather's Freshly Brewed Challenge Blog for her monthly Choose Your Challenge and Blog Candy Giveaway, as well as her Fresh Brewed Designs Shop for her darling images!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a SWEET day!

I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

Watermelon Girl:

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Farm Fresh

613 Avenue Create Challenge #64: Anything Goes

Bob and Betty:

Sugar Pea Designs Sugar Sketch Challenge #1 (SPDSS01)

Verve March 2014 Diva Dare: "Do the Polka"

Simon Says Wednesday: Glitter It

Simon Says Monday: Transparent

~Hugs,

 

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Watermelon Girl:

Bob & Betty:

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Song In My Heart

We had upper 70s weather here today! YAY! I think Spring may finally be here! And the card I have today feels like Spring, too. 

I am having a heck of a time getting my cards posted in time for challenges lately! So, I'm going to be short and sweet before I miss another one! :)The challenge I missed this time is Mojo Monday--one of my favs! :( I used the Mojo Monday 335 sketch for this card. It's a great sketch, even if I did miss the challenge! The birdhouse and music note dies that I used, and the sentiment, are from The Cat's Pajamas (I recently won a Cat Cash Code from TCP--Thanks, Alma!). The tag is a Verve die. For the birdhouse and the note, I cut each one 5 times, layering the die cuts to make them more dimensional. I put Glossy Accents inside the heart on the birdhouse, and used a Wink of Stella pen on the note and the little gingham heart on the sentiment. 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
TCP Tuesday #259: "March" to the Beat of a Different Drummer
Verve Spring Has Sprung March 2014 Inspiration Challenge
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Tag It
613 Avenue Create Challenge #62: Anything Goes
Freshly Brewed Challenge March 2014: Choose Your Challenge
Paper Issues Challenge: Tip-Toe Through the Tu-Lips

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You Go Girl!

Hello there! I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I am really enjoying the warmer weather. Yesterday I was even able to wear short sleeves outside without a jacket. It was great! Hard to believe we have a freeze warning for tonight, though. Weird weather lately, that's for sure. ;) I hope wherever you are, you are safe and warm--especially if you are in the path of Winter Storm Titan! But, you're not here for a discussion on the weather, are you? ;) So, on to my card...

I am an ardent admirer of a good CAS card. I love the flatness, the clean white space, and the simplicity. But, I think what really attracts me to them is the illusion that a CAS card is easy to design. I look at CAS cards and think, well, I can do that. And, yes, I could copy anyone's design, but coming up with my own CAS design is a whole 'nother ballgame! So, being one who can't pass up a good challenge, I have decided to make a conscious effort to make (or at least attempt to make) more CAS cards. 

For this CAS card, I used Taylored Expressions new stamp set, Doodle Alphabet. The letters are so fun and girly! Having a young DD, going through the ups and downs of growing up, I like to keep a stash of girly encouragement and congrats cards on hand, and this alphabet is perfect for that. I stamped the sentiment on the right side of the card and colored each letter in fun, funky colors, added subtle shading with a C1 Copic, then added a little sparkle with Stickles and my new Wink of Stella pen. The card looked ok with just the sentiment, but being new at the CAS game, I had to add a little something more, so I used 3 different flower-shaped Spellbinders dies and dry embossed them "randomly" in the white space, and added a big magenta rhinestone in the center of the largest one. I think I could have let it be at that point, but...naaahhh. It needed just one more thing. ;) So, I used two teeny tiny stamps out of Verve's Poppy Birthday stamp set to add "random" gray dots on the card. Then, I was able to call it done! I could easily make this card again in under 30 minutes, but this particular one took me about 5 hours, from conception to completion! I'm really pleased with the final result, though! Hope you are, too! :-)

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have yourself a CAS week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
CAS-ual Fridays  CFC129: Shades of Gray (2 shades of gray: C1 Copic & Pumice Stone Ink)
613 Avenue Create #61: Anything Goes
Challenges 4 Everybody #39: Anything Goes

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Groovy!

Happy Saturday! I needed a light, cheery card today, so I went way out of my comfort zone, and used colors that are borderline pastel.

The layout is from the Viva la Verve February 2014 Week 2 sketch, and the stamps are from Verve. I stamped the Verve flowers, which are two-step stamps, with Memento inks, then shaded them with Prismacolor pencils. The white highlights are an acrylic marker (best white pen ever!), and it's hard to see in the picture, but I used several Atyou Spica pens to add sparkle. I stamped the top part of the sentiment in black, then inked up the bottom half with Angel Pink. "Groovy" is outlined with a Pitch Black Spica pen, and I went over the rest of the sentiment, too, for a little more groovy shine! ;)

I used a really sweet multi-patterned dp (Hello Spring by Little Yellow Bicycle--discontinued) for the bg on the inside of the card, and positioned the sentiment layers so that the cute scene at the top wasn't covered up. I was a little concerned about not having enough space under the sentiment to write anything personal, but the pink strip on the bottom would work for that, too, so it's cool. ;)

I hope "you make everything Groovy" this weekend, you "Wild Thing!"

I know, I just dated myself. ;~D

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve February 2014 Week 2 Sketch Challenge
TCP Tuesday: Spring Time
613 Avenue Create: Anything Goes
Paper Issues Challenge: Color by the Numbers
Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Cozy Quilt

~Hugs,

 

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Timeless Tuesday #259: Polka Dots

Flourishes's Gambler's Sale is up to 50% off--STOREWIDE! Better hurry, as things are flying off the shelves! But, for now, let's talk Timeless Tuesday!

This week, Jenny is our hostess, and she has given us a fun, but simple challenge.  Just use polka dots! See...Easy Peasy!

I had so much fun making this card! I did some stamping with two different Flourishes stamp sets, some heat embossing, paper piecing, distressing, and sewing, and used six different dp's, including, of course, a cute polka dot pattern, and came up with a sweet card to surprise a friend whom I enjoy coffee with after we drop the kids off at school. Well, sometimes it's just coffee, but often it includes breakfast, maybe a trip to the mall, occasionally even lunch, before the "morning" is over. ;) She's a great friend, that's for sure, and I love spending time with her! The Viva la Verve February 2014 Week 1 sketch, turned on it's side, was perfect for this card, as I thought the two circle layers looked like coasters. I used the So Distressed stamp set (still in stock, so hurry, if you want it!) to add coffee rings and a few splotches to them in Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. For the cups, I first cut them on my Silhouette, using Flourishes Grab a Cup Silhouette Cut File, and stamped the image (unfortunately, already out of stock) in Rich Cocoa Memento Ink. Then I stamped the cup images onto 2 different dps in Rich Cocoa ink, fussy cut the pieces and glued them to the white stamped base. The cute little coffee cup "logo" on the cups is part of the stamp set. I just colored it with Copic markers. It's hard to see in the photo, but I used CollAll 3-D glue to raise just the outer edges of the cups to give them a little bit of dimension. I stamped the coffee beans, also in the Grab a Cup set, multiple times on the newsprint dp, and heat embossed the "COFFEE" text in brown ep, adding the ellipsis with a Versamark pen.

On the inside, I stamped the sentiment with Rich Cocoa ink, adding the dots with a Sharpie marker, then punched zig zag strips from four of the dp's to jazz it up a bit. I sponged Vintage Photo ink around the edge of the panel, and over the exposed white edge to the left of the zig zag strips.

So let's all get DOTTY! ;D  You don't have to use Flourishes stamps, but if you do, you get two ballots toward the weekly prize! You can find all the details for the challenge here.

Want to see how DOTTY the rest of the team is? Well, just check them out here:

• Allison Cope
• Cheryl Lea...that's me!
• Deborah Anton
• Jenny Gropp
• Katie Sims

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve February 2014 Week 1 Sketch Challenge
Verve February Diva Dare: Perk Up
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Get Krafty
MFT Stamps Color Palette Challenge 2
Freshly Brewed Challenge February 2014: Choose Your Challenge (Photo Inspiration)
613 Avenue Create: Anything Goes w/Optional Twist--National RAK Day (a friend)
Corrosive Challenge #193: In Stitches

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Ballerina Birthday

I was visiting the Tuesday Morning Sketch blog and they have a sponsor this week who has the most adorable digital images--All Dressed Up. The images are sold on Etsy, but they also have a blog. This is my first encounter with these little cuties, but it won't be my last!

Abi Ballerina is one of All Dressed Up's freebies. Isn't she adorable? :~) I colored her with Copics and used this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches sketch for the layout.

I used a new-to-me Spellbinders die set on the inside, sponged Spun Sugar Distress Ink inside the die on the white sentiment layer, and stamped a Verve birthday sentiment in Peacock Feathers. I ran out of the dark pink dp that I used on the front, and wanted to use it on the inside, too, so I decided to try to duplicate it. Since you could only see the edges of the dp on the front of the card, I think it turned out pretty close. I used a fiery red cs, spritzed it with Bubble Gum Pink Dylusions Ink Spray, then stamped it with an old Inkadinkado stamp (I think it is called Heart Blossom Square) in Frost White Colorbox pigment ink. A word of caution on Dylusions Ink Sprays...rather than take the time to get out my spray box when I sprayed the ink, I decided to just hold the die cut over a trash can and spritz it. BIG MISTAKE! Here's what happened:

You can't see it in this picture, but my thumb, including the nail, is completely pink on the other side, too, and it won't come off! Oh, I know it will eventually wear off, but for a few days I'm stuck with this! I've tried soap and water, baby wipes, stamp cleaner, Staz-On cleaner, and even mineral spirits. Nothing works! I'm used to having ink stained hands, but never anything this vivid or permanent. It would have taken me all of 15 seconds to set up my spray box. You know I won't skip that step again! ;)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge #236

613 Avenue Create Challenge #58: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

 

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