My time to Color Challenge - MTCC05

Happy Saturday!!! It's that time again for another awesome My Time to Create challenge. This weekend it's a color challenge! Check out these colors that Pam chose and the cute graphic she made!!

I love the spring vibe with this palette. It's so fresh and pretty. I thought of the new Stampin' Up! In Colors as soon as I saw her graphic, even though her choice of hues are a little lighter. I chose to use Lovely Lilac, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay and Barely Banana. This is my card:

I used PTI's new Everyday Button Bits set, but instead of using buttons on my balloons, I chose to use DP and a shiny rhinestone brad :) I used different sized hole punches to cut the "balloons" and sponged the edge of one in Melon Mambo and the other in Craft White. I embossed the baskets and the Mellow Moss ground and sponged the background with Soft Sky before adhering the balloons. I stamped the sentiment right on the main image, and added the brad by trimming the prongs with wire cutters and using a small hole punch to cut the right sized dimensional for the back.

I punched a small hole where I wanted my flower and adhered to the embossed and melon cs layer. I added the ribbons and tied a bow using the buttons and craft thread. Everything else seems self explanatory :O)

Be sure to check out what the rest of the team came up with! They are an amazingly talented group of ladies who inspire me constantly!! Links to their blogs are listed in my left sidebar <---

Also, add a link directly to your creation using Mr. Linky on Lauren's blog so that we can check out what you did. If you post in any of the online galleries, be sure to use keyword MTCC05 so that we can look at all of the projects in one place :O)

Can't wait to see what this awesome color palette inspires YOU to do!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Everyday Button Bits
Paper: Stampin' Up! Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Barely Banana, Whisper White, and DSP; Papertrey Ink, DSP
Ink: Stampin' Up! Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Mellow Moss, Lovely Lilac, Craft White, and Versa Mark
Accessories: Papertrey Ink, Raspberry Fizz Ribbon and Vintage Buttons; Primas; Michaels, Glitter Brad and Yellow Ribbon

Exciting News!!!

First I have to share my story (go figure, right?)... I've been trying to play along with the Color Throwdown challenge (CTD54) since WEDNESDAY last week! If you can't see them in the image above, the colors for the challenge were Basic Gray, Blush Blossom, Pumpkin Pie, and Really Rust.

I don't know what my hang up is, but I truly have one with the color orange (I don't own Pumpkin Pie, so translation in my head = orange). Don't get me wrong, I like and use several variations of orange (rust, coral, etc...), but orange itself, I avoid like the plague!

I tried multiple images (from different companies) I've been wanting to use, switching the colors to see what worked best, tried a clean look, distressed look, several different techniques...you name it, nothing felt right. BUT, after all of my trial and error for almost a full week, I finally figured something out last night....this card:

It's hard to see in the photo, but I stamped the image in Blush Blossom first, then in Really Rust. When I embossed with clear powder and then heat-set it again with Dazzling Diamonds, some of the rust flowers turned orange! COOLNESS...now I had all my colors :O) I also added an orange flower and velvet brad for good measure!! LOL

I knew I wanted a clean background to really make the colors pop, so I went with white and a little Cuttlebug embossing. I sponged the edges of both white panels with gray to give it a little more dimension, yet keep the clean look. Oh...and I didn't take a picture of the inside but it says, "So glad you're in it". Isn't that the cutest gee-whiz sentiment to put on a card for someone you hold near and dear? I just loved it when I read it. Lisa Johnson comes up with some of the most amazing Papertrey Ink sets! I just love her style :O)

I uploaded it to SCS around midnight last night! Yes, I was up late on a work night stamping, but I really wanted to come up with something for this challenge since it was so challenging to me! I was bound and determined to create a card with these colors!! LOL

Fast forward to my exciting news! My card led to my selection as the Featured Stamper this week!! Woohoo!! I couldn't BELIEVE it when I saw my card featured!!!! How awesome is that? Totally, right? I am on cloud 9!

Last but not least, I can't forget to mention my layout. It came from Mercy Kerin's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (MTSC33) last week. I'm trying to catch up now that I've been introduced to her sketches. I just think they're so fun and easy to work with :O) You should really check them out if you haven't already!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my exciting news! Supplies for my card are listed in my SCS gallery post. Hope you're having an amazing week!

My Time to Inspire Challenge...MTTI05

Happy Saturday!!! Today is Lauren's My Time to Create Inspiration Challenge (MTTI05)! I LOVED this inspiration piece as soon as I saw it and had a million ideas that day.

Well, it's a month later and I didn't double check Saturday's inspiration piece until Thursday. I made the card Friday night but I REALLY struggled for some reason! I don't know if my mojo flew south to be with my dad, or whether it's sleeping on the job, but it was so hard for me today :( Where did all those ideas go? Do you ever have stamping days like that? I'm sure I was just tired, and I ended up creating a card I don't hate, so all is good...but it was frustrating there for a while. This is what I came up with...

Sooo...my hope for you is that you find this post at the peek of your creativity, whether it be morning, midnight, or lunch time, and you can whip up a project in no time! The colors are soooo vibrant and fun and the patterns were so happy, it shouldn't be too hard!

I know my colors are a little off, but it was sort of intentional :] I realized on Thursday that my Wednesday card had almost the exact colors from this inspiration piece! Fortunately, it's an inspiration piece and not a color challenge, so I figured there was room to be flexible...and I was :) I tried to incorporate the patterns I liked by using a SU! marker to create criss-crossed lines on the leaves and stem of my plant, and using polka dotted and flowered DSP. I stitched two flowers that I crocheted directly to the panel, and I paper pierced the main and the background panels. I used Papertrey Ink buttons and ribbon, and a Martha Stewart punch to create the butterfly.

Oh, and before I forget. The layout came from a blog I happened across today called, Lord Have Mercy! She seems to be a VERY popular lady so many of you probably already know her...but I don't :( Anywho...apparently she has a sketch challenge every Tuesday called "Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge" (MTSC32). The sketch I was directed to is the one I used for my card even though the post was dated 28 Jul 09.

I'm sooo tired right now, I'm going to update this post tomorrow to list the supplies (I know...lazy). Fortunately, we have a fabulous team of talented designers who undoubtedly created some amazing papercraft eye candy to keep you occupied until then :O) You don't want to miss what these ladies have to share...why not share your thoughts with them when you stop by their blogs?? I'm sure they would love to hear from you!

Lauren

Alicia
Dana
Jennifer
Kendra
MacKenzie
Maria
Odette
Tamara
Tracey

If you play along, please be sure to link your project using Mr. Linky on Lauren's blog. Oh, and don't forget! Lauren will be posting the Top 5 projects each week in the "My Time to Shine" spotlight with links to each designer's blog! You don't want to miss out! The My Time to Shine team from last week are already listed on her blog!!! Also, don't forget to use keyword MTTI05.

Thanks for checking in! Hope you have a relaxing, craft filled weekend :O)

Belated Birthday Wishes...

I realized when I got home from vacation that I totally missed one of my CLOSEST friend's birthdays while I was gone!! In fact, her birthday is one and the same as my nephew I bragged about yesterday. His birthday is going to be my excuse for forgetting my friend, Tiffani's special day :O)

Anywho...while I was supposed to be cleaning my craft room yesterday, I made a card for Tiff (go figure). I used the color palette from the Color Throwdown (CTD53) and the layout (err...skewed result of the layout) from Taylor VanBruggen's sketch challenge (TECC76). This is the end result.

It's hard to see in the photo, but I stitched two random areas of the circular layer with white craft thread. I wanted it to be subtle so I stuck with white :) I added a small pink bow over the stamped bow and sitched the buttons directly to my cardstock. I'm sure everyone has their own style with stitching buttons on, but I find that positioning the buttons first and poking the holes before stitching helps to line the buttons up perfectly and creates a guide to thread on both sides of the cardstock.

I crocheted the flower during the drive to Ohio. My plan was to create tons of crocheted flowers while driving to Ohio and Michigan, but I quickly found that I forgot to bring the flower pattern with me! So, on the first leg of the trip I was left to my own devices. I just started making up my own "flowers". This one really is an over-crocheted circle, that just happened to pleat just right to make it look like a very full flower :O) So, I'm calling it a flower. Yes, I finally wrote down the pattern when I got to Michigan and had a few minutes of internet time, and I created a flower in every color of craft thread I owned on the drive back to Virginia. I'm sure you'll be seeing more crocheted flowers in the future blog posts!

The Color Throwdown has a new challenge today! I haven't even checked it out yet :( I'm off to do that just as soon as I publish this post! Don't forget to stop by again on Saturday for the next My Time to Create challenge! Lauren is starting a new "My Time to Shine" segment on her blog each week. The top 5 participants will be highlighted with links to his/her blogs the following Saturday. If you are selected as a "My Time to Shine" designer, let me tell you...your blog activity will more than double! Lauren has over 10,000 subscribers to hers :O) So, show your stuff and let us recognize your talent! It's an inspiration challenge this week that you don't want to miss!!

Hope to see you Saturday :O) I'm back to work tomorrow...tear :( BUT, a two day work week is alright with me!! Hee hee

Vacation Cards...i.e. LIMITED Supplies!!

Okay, so I planned on posting the cards I made while I was on vacation yesterday, but I ended up doing things around the house instead.

So, here goes. Let me explain my situation so that you fully grasp the struggle it was to come up with these meager cards! LOL I was on vacation in Ohio when I made this first card. My husband's family is from Fort Recovery. Never heard of it? Well, that would make sense since it's such a small town in Ohio. Oh, and taking into consideration the size, you can probably imagine the lack of internet connectivity around there. Let's just say we had NONE at his dad's house. Which ended up being just fine. It was actually nice living a simpler life for a few days.

Here's a look at his dad's property (and my lame attempt at creating a panoramic photo). So serene...

Here's a better shot of his dad's gorgeous pond!

This is Carl and his dad sitting on the swing his dad made. Carl is the one not cooperating for the photo :]

Anywho. Carl's aunt owns a scrapbooking store in the "bigger" town nearby. I picked up a few things to make a card for my nephew's birthday when we stopped by. Notably, a stack of patterned paper, a pack of rub on transfers, one foot of ribbon, one button, some glue (to use with my paper quilling), a mini paper piercing tool and three pieces of cardstock. Notice I didn't mention any tools other than the paper piercer and NO INK?! Zippo. What to do?! I'm a gadget girl...everything rests firmly on the tools I have at hand and I can't recall many cards I've made without ink!!

Well, back at the ranch I decided to make this card for Carl's stepmom who left well before I woke up the day we left, which means I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. I sifted through his dad's kitchen drawers and found a few tools to use on her card.

In this picture you're looking at a pair of pinking shears, scissors, a tape measure, and a pack of thumb tacks. I used the thumb tack cardboard to back my panel while I pierced it. Looking at this photo it occured to me that I could have used the thumb tacks as my piercing tool :O) In the end, I think the card is pretty in the simplest way!

I created this next card for my 2-year old nephew, Jaden :] What a sweetie pie he is!! I could just eat him up. This card was mediocre at best considering my tools and limited supplies. Not to mention the glue (vs my normal adhesive) warped the card considerably. I figured it didn't really matter since my active 2-year old nephew would probably demolish it within 10 minutes :O) As you can see I also forgot to mention that I bought some foam adhesive shapes at my husband's aunt's store also. I loved this cute little elephant! My daughter wrote the sentiment for me, and I used the mytimess34 sketch as my layout. I LOVE this sketch and totally plan on using it again for a MUCH better card! LOL

If you haven't had a chance to play along with the challenge, please do! Be sure to link your card using Mr. Linky on Lauren's blog! From now on, Lauren will be highlighting the top five cards on her blog each week! The top five will be known as the "My Time to Shine" group and she will link to each designer's blog. You don't want to miss out! Lauren has over 10,000 subscribers to her blog alone. Let's share your awesome talent with them!

Here's a shot of my cutie patootie nephew opening the ball we bought him :O)

You can't tell in this picture but he has the sweetest blue eyes! I adore this monkey sooo much! And he totally loves his "Aunt Krikky" (my family calls me Krissy). I can't wait to see both of my nephews and my sister again...and we just left on Sunday! LOL Those of you with close familys know what I mean...

Needless to say, neither of these cards will be posted in my galleries! Ha ha. I hope to create something more my style today or tomorrow. I'm REALLY hoping to play along with the Color Throwdown! Did you see the palette this week? Sooooo inspiring and girly :O)

Until then...thanks for checking in! Hope your week is going well. I'm back to work on Thursday :(

Home Sweet Home!

Okay, so some of you may have figured out that I was on vacation this past week :] We headed to Ohio for a visit with my husband's family and a reunion. Afterward we were off to my hometown Oscoda, Michigan. The visit to MI was a double surprise so I couldn't announce my absence on my blog until now. One surprise was for my mother who celebrated her 56th birthday (she's going to kill me if she reads that!) and the other was for a family reunion on my father's side of the family.

My dad ("Dave"...hence, "Dave's Crew") is #2 of 9 kids, I'm 1 of 29 grandkids, and my daughter is 1 of 40 great grandkids! I tell you this to give you an idea about the size of this reunion! It was GINORMOUS!!! There were at LEAST 150 people there and yes, they were surprised to see us :O)

Here's a picture from the reunion. Pictured from the left are my older sister, Kelly...my daughter, Tia...me...and my husband, Carl. It started raining shortly after this photo, but the party continued on! It was soooo great to reunite with relatives I haven't seen since I was 11, and to meet relatives I didn't know I had! This was also the first time most of my relatives had a chance to meet my husband of 3 years.

All in all it was a FANTASTIC vacation :O) I will have a new post for you tomorrow sometime to show you the two cards I made with VERY limited supplies while I was away! Definitely not my best work but proof that you can whip up a card with just a few supplies :]

Until tomorrow...have a great night!

My Timeless Template Challenge...#4

Today is the My Timeless Template Challenge!! The rules are simple:

1 - Use one of Lauren Meader's templates at Papertrey Ink.

2 - Use the colors in this image...kind of like a challenge within a challenge!

I have a TON of Lauren's templates and I LOVE them all! She really inspires and excites me every time I see what she creates with her line. I feel that the $5 templates are inexpensive considering you can use the template forever and make thousands of different projects with each one...BUT, I also understand how bad the economy is. I'm in the Air Force so I have a secure career, but not everyone is so lucky. Folks are cutting costs everywhere they can. If you are one of those people trying to save money, my project is for you! I used one of the two amazing FREE templates! Yes, I said, FREE!! No strings attached. Just download it from Papertrey Ink!

I created a baby bootie for a good friend I've never met in real life :) LOL Funny, eh?

I wanted a vintage looking bootie, and buttons, and patches...and stitching. I also wanted the cuff to have some added interest, so I used a border punch. I adhered the buttons using glue dots and I stitched the patches right onto the cs. I stitched the edges of the heel and toe before adhering to the bootie. Notice I sponged the edges of the white cs with Tim Holtz's Antique Linen Distress Ink, and the blue cs with white craft ink...after I embossed with the Swiss Dots folder.

I covered the inside of each bootie with light blue polka dotted dp to cover the stitching. The box inside seemed a little boring by itself, so I embossed the sides and trimmed the tops with the same border punch. I finished it up by adhering two buttons (with craft thread) on both sides.

I found a cute little travel pack of Johnson and Johnson supplies that fit perfectly inside my bootie! Oh, and the travel pack was less than $3! How awesome is that?! I plan on adding a gift card as well, but if you needed to give a simple something to an acquaintance, this would be the perfect, thoughtful gift!

I'm head over heels in love with this cute little baby bootie! I think it's so adorable...and don't forget, FREE!!! So, no excuses not to play along! There are two free templates...be sure to check them out and show us what you can do!

If you play along, link your project on Mr. Linky over at Pam's blog, she's hosting this week! Use keyword MTTC04 in the online galleries so we can look at all of your projects in one place!

Don't forget the ultra talented design team! They are SURE to inspire you! Here's a sneak peek of their creations ~

<-------Links to their blogs are on my left sidebar.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a FANTASTIC, extra long weekend :O)

My Timeless Template Challenge...SNEAK PEEK!

Tomorrow is the My Time to Create Template Challenge #4! Here's a peek of my project! Hope you can join in the fun tomorrow!! My post goes live at midnight tonight so be sure to check back! Can't wait to see what you create! I love the template challenges :O)

Hope you had a fabulous week and best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

OMG...I HAVE to share!

I found out today that --> this card, was featured on the Color Throwdown for challenge #51! I'm BEYOND excited!! Had to share my cool, new blinkie :O) I'm now in the running to be the September guest designer!! Sooo exciting!

BIG thanks to the amazing Color Throwdown Design Team!! I'm honored.

Hope your week is going as great as mine! Thanks for checking in.

Mother's Tulips...MOJO96

What a great Monday!!! Seriously...I had a tiring day, but for some reason I was completely inspired to make this card for my Mom's birthday next week. The MOJO sketch (MOJO96) definitely stirred up my mojo!! LOL I absolutely LOVE the layout! It ended up being perfect for this card :)

After I created the main image, I found the DSP I wanted to use - Razzleberry Lemonade! While it doesn't have Pomegranate in the design, I thought it looked awesome with my tulips, so I went with it :) I thought there was too much space behind the three matching panels to go with plain cs, so I used some linen I picked up at WalMart for just over a dollar the other day. I hand-stitched it on the cs and frayed the edges, which used up the white space perfectly.

I used two different stamps to create the sentiment - PTI, Quilter's Sampler and Wishing You. They fit beautifully on the main panel (thank goodness because I stamped them last :O). Lots of dimensionals later, and the ribbon formed into a bow...I had assembled my card. I LOVE how it turned out! The style is sooooo "my mother"! I hope she likes it...and isn't keeping up with my blog! Ha ha

Hope you had an equally AWESOME Monday, and an even better week!!

Supplies are listed in my SCS gallery :O)

Thanks for Always Being There

I was flipping through Paper Crafts Stamp It! magazine (from Aug 08) and I came across a card on page 28 by Kim Frantz that just jumped off the page at me. So I CASEd it but instead of using a stamped or stenciled image, I created a flower using a techinque I learned about on Lauren Meader's blog. I have a stack of Martha Stewart patterned tissue paper that I've been wanting to use and I thought this was the perfect opportunity! I really love how it turned out!! Soooo simple, yet it really pops!

For the card, I punched the bottom border of the front and back of the card. I traced a flower Nestability, drew the border, and inked the scalloped bottom and the holes using a black SU! marker. I cut black cardstock an eighth of a inch wider than the ribbon I used and adhered both to the card.

I layered the cs and the tissue paper flowers (offset), pierced holes through the button, the tissue and the cardstock then sewed the button on using craft thread. I pinched the flower tissue together like Lauren taught on her blog, then adjusted each layer to make it full. Next, I adhered the red buttons on the ribbon using glue dots and added the rub on sentiment. DONE! How easy is that?!

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! I'm working on a project and a couple of birthday cards today :O) My favorite kind of Sunday...

My Time To Inspire Challenge...MTTI03

Good morning! Today is the My Time to Create Challenge! This weekend we are hosting an inspiration challenge based on this piece:

I couldn't get my mind off of the layout if you will...with the three different squares on the left, the pretty flowered side on the right and what looked like a rustic flower in the middle. I went with it! I used a brand new stamp from SU! to create the flowered panel. I pressed the entire stamp in Kiwi Kiss, wiped some of the flowers clean and colored with markers before stamping the paper in a random pattern. I die cut the edge with my new Nestabilities to give added interest.

I created the flower using a technique that Dawn McVey demonstrated on her blog. I really LOVE how her flowers turn out, so I thought I would finally give one a shot :] I like the result even though I missed a pertinent step (curling the flowers inward). I left the ties loose and semi-untrimmed on purpose...kind of going with the inspiration piece.

I wasn't as inspired by the geometric patterns, so I used complimentary colors of flowered patterned paper instead. The sentiment on the top tag is a rub on. I think the card looks romantic. It reminds me of my aunt who always decorated her house and gifts in a pretty, Victorian style. It would be such a neat surprise to send this to her, but I created it with someone else in mind :O) Soooo...I'll be sending it to another special person (who follows my blog, so I'm not saying who).

Hope you can play along this weekend! Be sure to check out the rest of the team's creations! Their peeks look amazing!! I can't wait to see what they came up with :O)

Lauren
Alicia
Dana
Dawn
Jennifer
Kendra
Lisa
MacKenzie
Maria
Odette
Pam
Tamara
Tracey

Be sure to post your creations using Mr. Linky on Lauren's blog if you play along! We love to check out your interpretation of the challenges! Have a wonderful weekend :O)

Supplies
Stamps: SU! Razzle Dazzle
Paper: SU! Melon Mambo, Bordering Blue, So Saffron, Kiwi Kiss and DSP; PTI, White
Ink: SU! Melon Mambo, Bordering Blue, So Saffron, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: SU! Square/Scalloped Punches, Sizzix Tag Die and Dimensionals; Michaels, White Twill Ribbon, Button, Rub Ons and Craft Thread

My Time To Inspire Challenge...SNEAK PEEK!!

Here's the My Time to Create Team's sneak peek for the inspiration challenge (MTTI03) tomorrow! Be sure to stop back by at midnight or tomorrow for my sample and a look at the team's gorgeous creations!!

Color Throwdown Challenge #51

Wow it's LATE! I had to finish my Color Throwdown card though...I was on a mission :) I really love the soft, summery colors for this week's challenge, CTD51:

I also used the MOJO Monday sketch (MOJO95) for the layout:

...and this card is my interpretation of both challenges:

I watercolored the main image using markers and an aqua painter (sadly, no Copics yet, LOL). The bird was stamped on the DSP in Lavender Lace and on a separate piece of white CS in black...cut out and layered using a dimensional to give it depth. I love this PTI set!! It has so many uses with the cute images and sentiments. I think this sentiment is perfect for someone who just moved into a new home or is going through a difficult time. I take "nest" as a house or a family :O)

Okay, I have to work early, so I'm keeping this short! Stop back by tomorrow for a quick sneak peek of our My Time to Create Inspiration Challenge!

Hope your week went well, and your weekend goes SLOOOOOOOW!! :O)

Color Throwdown Challenge #50

Happy Sunday! I spent a good hour yesterday looking at the Paper Crafts, Card Creations, Vol 7 magazine I bought a week ago! It's packed full of gorgeous creations and I just couldn't get enough. I really admire the simple, yet WOW cards that people like Nichole Heady and Dawn McVey portray with their creations and I think that's what inspired my most recent project.

I bought some felt months ago with the intent of making my own felt flowers. I didn't have a flower punch strong enough to cut through felt (even after stiffening the material), I have a Sizzix machine but I don't own any Sizzix flower die cuts... I've been on the look out for just the right flower die at all the craft stores since I bought the felt and low and behold, I found the perfect flower die at the Hobby Lobby in GA! It's from Spellbinders and it's a daisy to boot! My FAVORITE flower :O) So, I finally cut my felt flower last night using my Sizzix machine and the new die. I used Kiwi Kiss cardstock to cut the petals. The button is from Papertrey Ink.

This week's colors from CTD50 were Real Red, Tempting Turquoise and Kiwi Kiss. I've had this green and turquoise ribbon for almost a year now and I've NEVER opened it! What a perfect complement for this project :O) Oh, and don't let me forget the sentiment. How perfect of a match are these colors?! This is a rub on from a scrapbooking set I bought CHEAP on clearance at Target. Cool, huh?

So, talk about clean, simple and easy peasy. I typically take twice as long as most crafters to create my cards (I'm a perfectionist which seriously hinders my production time :O) but this one was whipped up in about 30 minutes! That's SUPER fast for me!! LOL

Thanks for stopping by! I'm happy I was finally able to play along with the Throwdown again. It has been a while and it's one of my favorite challenges!