Color Throwdown Challenge #76

Welcome back to some of my mindless creativity.  Today's post is a picture perfect representation of that.  I semi-cased a set of cards in the Jan Card Maker magazine, that designer, Daniela Dobson had published, but added my own twists and decided not to make a box (err...ran out of time :).  First and foremost, lets check out Tammy's AWESOME color palette this week!  I must say I love a nice green with a great red or pink hue...flowers usually come to mind instantly; BUT, today I went Valentine-y hearts ♥

Here are my six cards piled on my Longaberger shelf with my little bird cage and ceramic bird I picked up at Michaels.  Aren't they sweet?  I thought they would make adorable little Valentine cards ♥

Here are some shots of the similar colors paired together. 

These were super quick and easy if you can't tell by looking.  First of all, ANY card that I create in one day (no coloring prior to, or using a partially created card, no stitching the day after, etc.) is a QUICK card for me.  These were all started and finished tonight after a full day of work, picking my daughter up from school after she failed her concussion test, taking her to dinner and to her gymnastics meet anyway to support her friends, and picking her up.  Oh, and I walked the dogs :O)  LOL  If I had more time, I likely would have added some stitching or at least some faux stitching...and I probably would have figured out a way to use some ribbon (my fave embellishment)...BUT, I think they're just fine how they are now, so, no added flavor!

Check out the rest of the Color Throwdown DT's projects!  They're SURE to inspire you. 

Tammy Hershberger

LeAnne Pugliese

Broni Holcombe

Cathy Indelicato

Barbara Anders

Danielle Kennedy

If you play along, remember you don't have to have the exact colors listed, you just need to come close (and refrain from adding a rainbow of additional colors :).  Upload before 11:59pm EST on Sunday and add a link to your post using Mr. Linky to be in the running for our Featured Stamper spot.  We sure hope you can play along!  Can't wait to see how YOU inspire ME!

Have a great (and hopefully SHORT) week!  Thanks for stopping by ♥

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! Short and Sweet and Warm Words; Martha Stewart, Flourishes
Paper: Stampin' Up! DSP; PTI, In Bloom and Select White; Cosmo Cricket, Girl Friday and Ever After
Ink: Memento, Tuxedo Black; PTI, Raspberry Fizz and Fresh Snow
Embellishments: Creative Memories, Heart Punch; Stampin' Up, Scalloped Border Punch and Rounded Corner Punch; EK Success, border punches; Marvy Uchida Daisy Punch; Michaels, Brads and Buttons; Martha Stewart, Lace Border Punch, and Frond Punch

Just Us Girls Challenge #16

Ahh...it's Saturday :)  And the beginning of a long weekend...what a nice thought.  First of all, I have to send out a big thank you to all of you who kept my daughter in your thoughts and prayers.  I assure you she is doing MUCH better and her memory seems to be intact.  Her energy is slowly returning and I think she'll be 100% before we know it.  It was very heartwarming to receive so many well wishes ♥

On to a more light-hearted subject, welcome back to another Just Us Girls challenge!  This week I'm hosting a color challenge and I selected what I believe to be a fantastic, albeit typical, Valentine's Day palette:

Here's what I came up with using a really fab heart cut file...keep an eye on the My Time Made Easy TM LLC release on 1 Feb for more about that :]  I simply resized the heart in SCAL to a 1/4 inch smaller than what I cut out of my Pretty Printables Fluttering-by definition paper and positioned it using the SCAL software precisely where I wanted it on my burgundy cs.  I have to say it again...THANK YOU Canda (from candacraft.com) for your generous offering of the SCAL software to Lauren's DT!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE using it!!  You have opened a whole new world to me...a world that I'm totally comfortable in.  I doubt I'll buy another die cut shape again!

 

If you have a Cricut and don't use SCAL, GO SEE CANDA at candacraft.com!  You will NOT regret it!  She has the best prices around and the cut files you can buy online are soooo much cheaper than the die cut shapes you can buy at the store.  Oh, and storage?  No cluttering your craft space...keep those babies on your computer!

 

I distressed and sponged the inner and outer edges of the definition panel (though you can't really see it in the photo), adhered to my card and did a little faux stitching.  I added lots of pretty primas and fab brads and stamped one of the All A Flutter Sentiments inside the heart window on blush cs using London Fog Memento ink.

 

Pretty simple when all was said and done.  I staged it on an awesome, vintage bench I picked up at Michaels today!  You should see the spring stock they put out!  OMG...I was in love with everything!  Like most of you, I was ready for something other than Christmas! 

We sure hope you can play along with us this week!  I'm so looking forward to the amazing creations that come in.  Be sure to link your post using Mr. Linky over at JUGS and use keyword JUGS16 in any online galleries. 

Speaking of amazing, check out what our FAB DT and guest designer, Gabby Arriaza came up with this week!!  They had my jaw on the floor checking out their beautiful projects ♥  [<---  DT blogs are listed in my left sidebar]

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful weekend! 

Color Throwdown Challenge #75

Hi all!  I'm back with another Color Throwdown challenge...finally ;]  I'm posting almost a day late because I procrastinated on making my card and didn't start it until last night.  Well, I didn't quite finish before I left to pick up my daughter from gymnastics practice, but planned to when I got home so that I could upload in the nick of time.  Wellllll....life doesn't always go as planned.  Last night was a prime example of that.


On my way to practice, Tia's coach called me.  Let me tell you, when you are on your way to pick up your gymnast, and practice isn't quite finished, you NEVER want to receive a call from her coach.  It rarely is a good thing.  So, when I talked to her she asked me if I was almost at the gym and said I should come inside when I got there.  I immediately asked what was wrong and she told me that my daughter fell while doing her series on beam.  [Her series consists of two back handsprings.  You can view it in her routine HERE if you're interested in seeing what I'm talking about.]  I would say that is a mother-of-a-gymnasts' worst nightmare, BUT, I know it's not...there are MUCH worse things that could happen.  So, I sped to the gym, parked and ran inside.  ALL of the other gymnasts were leaving and crying walking toward the door.  I asked if they were crying because of Tia and they said yes.  My heart sank.  Tia was in the gym with her coaches and when she saw me she asked, "Who are you?!" in a very confused, almost scared way.  We told her I was her mother and she said, "You're my mom" then started trying to identify other people around her.  She was speaking very slowly and deliberately, and would burst into tears asking us to "help her" or "fix her" and wondering what was wrong with her.  That tore me up.  I asked her coach to call 911.  She was definitely not herself.  She would identify me, look away to say something to someone else and look back at me and not remember who I was for a second.  Let me tell you, that is SCARY.  My kid is very bright, outgoing, funny, witty, you name it.  Totally down to earth.  This was NOT her and she was NOT faking it.  She was frustrated and very scared. 


The ambulance ride was scary as well.  Several times she told me she didn't want to die and asked if she was going to die and if they were going to fix her.  She held my hand, cried on and off and told me never to forget her.  Needless to say, that was scarier than the episode at the gym.  Fast forward through the ambulance ride to the emergency room visit.  Once we got to the ER she slowly started to act more like herself.  Like the clarity was ebbing its way back into her mind.  A gentleman named, Jose transported Tia to the Radiology department to do a CT scan.  While she was being x-rayed, I chatted with Jose.  I mentioned what happened and somehow got onto the subject that she knew Spanish pretty well.  I asked him if he would say something to her in Spanish when he took her back to her room, and he agreed.  He came through and asked right away if she was okay in Spanish.  She immediately asked, "Am I okay?"  as in, 'are you talking to me?'.  What a relief it was to know she comprehended what he was saying without even thinking about it.  I don't know why that sticks out in my mind, but it does. 


Okay, so the CT scan came back negative for any bleeding, or anything else they look for.  The doctor said it was quite possible that she suffered from a mild concussion even though it didn't show on the x-ray, but only her symptoms would tell.  By the time we left, she was exhausted and just wanted to get to her bed.  She was a lot more like herself and by this morning she was definitely my Tia again ♥ 

Sooooo....I didn't finish my card last night.  Turns out I HATED the card I was making anyway, and started all over today.  I like this one MUCH better!  I know my colors look a little off with my lighting and especially compared to the other girls' photos, BUT, I didn't have any Mellow Moss, so I used Spring Moss from PTI and I swapped Garden Green with New Leaf from PTI. 

I reverse masked/sponged Mellow Moss using Lauren's My Time Made Easy TM LLC butterflies from the Flutters and Flowers© cut file.  I stamped the Irish Blessing sentiment from the All A Flutter Sentiments© set in New Leaf.  I also stamped the same sentiment on several (8?) pieces of tissue paper using white craft ink.  Heat set briefly, then die cut with my Nestabilities Blossom Die.  I sewed a button on and scrunched the tissue paper just like Lauren showed us in her video tutorial last June.  I also stiched the flower to the ribbon after I tied it to the card.  I adhered the buttons on the butterflies with glue dots.

Last but not least, I stamped the full sentiment on the inside of the card and added a butterfly that I offset the outline on using Lauren's "fluttering effect" :) 

Please swing by the other team members' blogs to see their STUNNING creations!  My jaw was on the floor looking over them all...they are GORGEOUS :) 

LeAnne Pugliese

Broni Holcombe

Cathy Indelicato

Tammy Hershberger

Barbara Anders

Danielle Kennedy

Deb Horst ~ January Guest Designer

Oh, and today is Kisa's birthday!  Kisa is the awesome CTD graphic designer who makes all of the cool badges and banners.  I'm sure she would love it if you stopped by her blog to leave her some birthday wishes ;]

If you play along this week please remember to add a link to your post using Mr. Linky over at the Color Throwdown and use keyword CTD75 in any online galleries. 

Hope you get a chance to give these colors a whirl!  I'd love to see what you come up with ;]  Enjoy the rest of your week!

Just Us Girls Challenge #15

Hi all!  It's finally Saturday which means Just Us Girls are celebrating our 15th challenge!  Today Mona is hosting and challenged us with adding stitching to our project, whether it be machine, hand, faux...digi...you name it.  If we see stitching, your project qualifies!  LOL 

I almost went with digi stitching but my computer locked up on me so I figured it was a sign.  Instead, I chose to make my time easy by adding faux stitching to my card.  I literally sorted through all of my digi paper scraps from the recent My Time Made Easy TM LLC release and trimmed them down to fit a typical 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card.  I adhered the scraps evenly on my card front, and ran it through my Cricut. 

I created a cut file to cut this card from my Cricut.  [Keep an eye out for a special "release" at My Time Made Easy...you just might see this cut file I created sooner than later ;]  Oh and I MUST thank Canda again from http://www.candacraft.com/.  Canda is SUCH a sweetheart!  She is just one of those generous souls!  Out of the kindness of her heart she offered the SCAL software FREE to Lauren's DT!!!  So, I went to work straight away...I ♥ new techy stuff ;]  If you're not familiar, the SCAL software is designed to interact with your Cricut and allows you to cut svg images from your computer...vs purchasing the $89 cartridges!  For instance, our Flutters and Flowers Pretty Pieces Cut File is only $2.50 at My Time Made Easy TM LLC!!  $2.50!  I can't even buy a jar of prima flowers for $2.50, but now I can have all the daisies I want in ANY color I run through my Cricut, ANY size, for a mere $2.50 purchase price.  Not to mention the butterflies! Who needs a butterfly punch when you can cut them out with your Cricut and use Lauren's coordinating stamp set to stamp wing prints or the thick, outlined border...OR just cut from patterned or solid cs and make your own unique design. $2.50 is a STEAL!

Check out these posts to see my projects using the Pretty Pieces Cut File Accents.

The Cricut didn't cut through the double layered paper (with the scraps) but it cut the base sheet so I had a great guide to trim the rest.  I poked my holes, used a SU! Chocolate Chip marker and ruler to make my "stitches", added some primas and another scrap.  The glittery, outline of the butterfly you see in the center is a SCRAP!  I created it for a project earlier this week and it just didn't fit, so I set it aside and salvaged it tonight!  Cool, ehh? 

The butterfly is only 3 3/4 inches wide, but it still fits a perfect little sentiment on the inside.  Oh, and I definitely poked through the base cardstock...I chose not to cover it because I think it looks so neat!! 

Here's a close up of the All A Flutter Sentiments saying that I used.

Isn't it sweet?  I am in LOVE with my butterfly card!  I hope it's not just me.  Normally when I really like a card, nobody says anything, but when I post a card I HATE, everyone LOVES it!  I hope that doesn't ring true in this case ;]  Ha ha

Please be sure to visit our JUGS DT (links are in my left sidebar) and dear, Gabby Arriaza, our super talented Guest Designer for January, for some incredible inspiration !!  These girls just impress me more and more each week with their projects.  They are AMAZING!

Also, please visit Lauren and Catherine for some added My Time Made Easy inspiration today!  You don't want to miss their projects!!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I really do appreciate all of your feedback, congrats and well wishes!  I WISH I had 20 more hours in the day (where I don't feel like taking a nap) so that I could just blog surf and pay the comments forward better than I have been.  You all are my constant inspiration! 

Can't wait to see what you come up with for the challenge!  Be sure to link your post using Mr. Linky over at Just Us Girls and use keyword JUGS15 in any online galleries.

Thanks again for swinging by.  Have a wonderful weekend!

My Color Throwdown Time Made Easy ;]

My Color Throwdown Time Made Easy?!  What?!!  How in the...?  Yep, I understand...it's confusing :)  This is HOW...  The WONDERFUL Color Throwdown team asked ME to join their design team!!  I was soooo excited I was giddy when they asked!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this team and always have, not only for their spectacular color challenges but because the team is AMAZING in so many ways (talent, humor, intellect...)...I just love these girls!  I'm so excited and honored to be working with them!  I will do my best to make them proud :]  I recognize the talent that plays along each week so it's very humbling to me as well as exciting.  THANK YOU again, ladies ♥

Today I am hosting the CTD74 challenge...the FIRST one of the new year.  Naturally, I wanted to use the colors from the patterned paper I designed for the first official My Time Made Easy ™ LLC release.  So, Lauren agreed to sponsor the team and offer not only they paper, but two templates as well!  Here are the colors:

I used two of the digi papers from MTME for this project.  I stamped one of the sentiments from the All A Flutter Sentiments© set down the left side of my Regal Rose panel and embossed in clear powder.  I then stamped a solid white butterfly from the All A Flutter© set randomly over the top of the text.

The daisy is also from My Time Made Easy ™ LLC...the Pretty Pieces Cut File Accents.  I created the daisy cut file because I LOVE LOVE LOVE Gerbera Daisies!  LOVE them!  I have a set of flower pens proudly displaying the tops of several, beautiful Gerbera Daisies and brightening my desk. Well, one day I got to thinking that a true Gerbera Daisy template would be sooo cool!  So, I made one.  I personally LOVE this daisy!  It turned out exactly like I had imagined.  For this card I cut three of the large daisies and two of the smaller daisies from the Fluttering-by multi-colored gingham paper.  I layered them after turning the leaves UP (vs curling them down like in one of my previous posts), and I LOOOOOOOOOVE how it turned out!  The pics don't do it justice...it really is full in person :O)

I layered pink definition paper on the main chocolate panel, added some GORGEOUS polyester, brown ribbon (that I think I got at Michaels in the dollar bin), a button and layered butterfly, pierced the corners and DONE!  Easy card tonight :O) 

My layout was inspired by Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #55.  She truly has some of THE best sketches, I've just been extra busy lately so I haven't had a chance to play along like I wanted to!  BUT, today I knew right away what I wanted to do when I saw her challenge! 

Need some more color inspiration?!  Welllll, check out Lauren and Mona's posts (heck, ANY and ALL of the My Time Made Easy DT's blogs...left sidebar), my most recent posts (Yesterday and Sunday), and of course, the fabulous Color Throwdown girls!!!

Bar

Broni

Cathy

Danielle

LeAnne

Tammy

Deb Horst - January Guest Designer

Don't forget, you are only eligible to win if you play along before midnight on Sunday and post your project using Mr. Linky over at the CTD74 post.  I cannot WAIT to see what you come up with!!  I LOVE this color palette and it's a nice break from the typical and popular, atypical holiday colors!

Hope you have a wonderful new year!  Thank you for stopping by :]

My Heart's All A Flutter for My Time Made Easy ;]

**Updated!  Edits are in blue font ;]**


Today is my day to preview both the first release at My Time Made Easy™ LLC!  This will be a quick post for me, but I'll try to come back and add deets around lunchtime tomorrow ;]

PROJECT #1:

The first project I'm sharing is an All A Flutter©  template I made into a purse with a young girl in mind.  This purse is all frill and fun with the Maribou I adhered to the wings ♥  Oh, and girly shouts pearls so I used some leftover "berries" from Michaels' Christmas decorations and adhered them to form the body of my fancy butterfly!  Girly also shouts jewelry, so I decided to create some earrings using the All A Flutter © Stamps ;]

Yep...those were made from stamps.  Remember shrinky dinks?!  Well, I've had a stash for over a year that has gone untouched.  I finally decided to use it and I'm so glad I did!  The butterflies turned out so vibrant!!  I stamped the outlined version of the butterfly and colored the outside edge with Copics...and after baking, the hue darkened consideraby which I was thrilled about!  I just couldn't seem to get them dark enough when I was coloring.

I printed the Pretty Printables© Fluttering-by© paper double-sided in the same pattern for the front and back panels, and used a different pattern from Shutt-erfly© for the side panels of the box.

Speaking of...these side panels are designed to "cave" in or form a solid "box".  I chose to score mine and have them cave in to give it a real purse effect.  I attached the double satin ribbon handle using hodgepodge hardware and a brad.  I love how this turned out (it's hard to see in the pic...sorry).

I also created a tag to go with my purse.  I cut the label from my pearl colored Bazzil paper, from one of the tag shapes in the SCAL software for the Cricut.

PROJECT #2:

For my second project, I made a pretty Shutt-erfly© box to house some Reese's Turtles (err...something like that) and  3.5 x 3.5 inspirational card to go with it.  Oh and I must point out that an entire bag of these Reeses minus two individual pieces filled the box!  The size is AWESOME!!!

On the template, you'll see that I added a butterfly to the satin ribbon.  I stamped the image onto Dusty Durango cs and embossed in white.  I used more Pretty Printables© Fluttering-by© and Shutt-erfly© paper from the My Time Made Easy ™ LLC store on the template and the card!!  Isn't is gorgeous?!  I love it!!

For my card, I layered my own hand cut butterfly that I stamped and colored with Copics to the label from the stamp set and adhered glitter to the flutter trails using glue.  Quick and easy but CUTE!  I think so anyway ;]

Okay, like I said, sorry so short, but I MUST hit the hay!  It's sooo late for me!!  That's what I get for trying to do too much...  Be sure to swing by Lauren and Mona's blogs for some AMAZING...JAW DROPPING previews of this release!!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you take advantage of this incredible release at My Time Made Easy ™ LLC...especially before these beautiful stamps are sold out!  You will NOT be disappointed...everything coordinates so perfectly and the stamp quality is seriously top of the line ♥

My Time Made Easy Release!!

I'm so excited to share the announcement that My Time Made Easy TM LLC had it's first official release last night!!  Lauren is offering a full line of coordinating products to make your gift giving EASY and versatile!  You HAVE to check out the adorable stamps she created that are soooo HER!  The stamp line, Pretty Impressions, is offering two sets this month: All A Flutter and All A Flutter Sentiments! These sets are all Lauren!  If you know anything about her, you KNOW how much she loves butterflies...this set is all about whimsical, versatile butterflies and amazing sentiments like you've never seen before!  Seriously, the sentiments are poetic and meaningful and LONG which I love!!  You can do so much with the lengthier sentiments when it comes to making them the focal point of a project.  I'm so happy to be working with these and can't wait to put them to use on all of the projects floating around my mind!

As most of you know, Lauren is also the template queen!  She always comes up with amazing, functional templates and this month is no exception!  She is offering the Shutt-erfly and All A Flutter templates from her Pretty Packaging line for only $5 at My Time Made Easy TM LLC!! 

Remember that everything coordinates over at her store, so of course we have a few extras to offer as well ;]  This month we are selling two full sets of Pretty Printables digital paper that complement her Pretty Packaging and her Pretty Impressions perfectly!  We used a unique color combination of Red clay, Pink, Brown, and White.  Not a typical palette by any means, but very striking and pretty!!  You have to check out our Fluttering-by and Shutt-erfly digi paper packs.  They are sure to wow you!!

We are also proud to offer a 100% Lauren, signature line of digital patterned paper called Color Me Pretty!  This paper is designed in black and white patterns and opens up a massive array of possibilities!  You can print the paper on white cs and color the patterns by hand, you can print on colored cs of your choice, you can print over another piece of patterned paper to create your very own design, etc etc etc....the list is endless!  Be sure to check out this month's pack - Flutters and Flowers!  It coordinates beautifully with all of the products being released this month!

Last but certainly not least, we are also offering Cut File Accents in our Pretty Pieces line that offers a sampling of cut files that complement the release this month!  Remember the daisy I shared yesterday?!  Well, that is one of the cut files you can purchase this month along with her butterfly cut files and some pretty leaves she created.  I for one normally want my butterfly cut out and now I can have my Cricut do it for me!  I just stamp on it afterward or cut it on patterned paper for a cool effect. 

Which leads me to my projects for today (finally!! LOL).  The first utilizes the All A Flutter template, All A Flutter and All A Flutter Pretty Impressions stamp sets, and the Fluttering-by and Shutt-erfly Pretty Printables digital paper collections.  I just LOVE this plaid with the multi colored polka dots (you'll see the dots in my second picture below)!  I think it gives a very "preppy" look...which is what I was going for ;]

I used the multi colored dots paper for the box of the template and the reverse side of my bookmark. 

I used a SU punch to create the top and bottom frame for my sentiment. I stamped the pink butterfly on our pink definition paper. Isn't it cute?! Oh and check out my antennaes...that is a floral spray from the wedding aisle at Michaels ;] Clever ehh? Ha ha This box fits the travel size lotions and sprays from Bath and Body Works perfectly! This project will be going to a teenage girl so I thought lotions and sprays...and a bookmark since she loves to read :)

I took the solid butterfly stamp and stamped off in our three colors, climbing up the side of my bookmark.  Added a pretty sentiment and a die cut layered butterfly (you can see I made the brown base a little bit larger than the plaid butterfly), tied it off with ribbon and that was all there was to it!  This was really a clean and simple project, but I LOVE the end result!  That preppy, girly look is totally what I was going for.

Now, onto my second project for today.  For this project I used...  My intent was to show you that you don't have to stick to our color palette with this collection.  You can extract one color of choice, pair it with your own complementary colors and make a totaly unique project!  I chose to focus on the pink from our collection and paired it with Kraft and White. 

Let me tell you, this template is HUGE!  It can hold a ton of stuff...seriously.  I chose to have it hold a candle that complements my colors :)  Doesn't the polka dot paper go beautifully with the definition paper?!  Two of my absolute FAVES this month!  I envision using it over and over again for a long time to come!  The definition paper uses the signature font you see at the My Time Made Easy store...it's so whimsical and fun!  LOVE it!!  For my box, I added a pretty, vintage looking flower to the top using my Nestabilities Blossom die.

I also added a sentiment on one side of the box and a butterfly on the other (where I stamped the outline of my butterfly on the definition paper and cut it out and layered a kraft colored butterfly underneath).  OH and that GORGEOUS ribbon you see is actually Martha Stewart Craft Seam Binding.  LOVE LOVE LOVE that stuff!  So much so that I went to Michaels during one of their holiday sales and bought all the colors they offered :) 

Last but certainly not least is the cute little card that inspired my Shutt-erfly template :O)  I don't do shabby chic, but I think this kind of has the feel of it!   

I can't wait to share my other projects using these templates!  There are just so many possibilities!!!  You won't be disappointed ;]  Be sure to check out the storefront and all of the new products, and also, swing by the team's blogs to see the jaw dropping projects they put together!  They seriously have me in awe of their talent!

Lauren

(Mastermind and Owner)

Catherine

Katie

Mona

Pam

Tracey

If you create anything using the paper and/or the cut files, I would love to see your work!  Please feel free to email me anytime and share ;]

Thanks for stopping by!

Just Us Girls Challenge #14

Hi all!  I'm back with what has turned into a weekly post!  Just Us Girls is being hosted by sweet Lisa who came up with this amazing sketch:

I'm sooooo thankful for the easy, inspirational layout, let me tell you!  I had to whip my card up in about 45 minutes.  Anyone who knows me well knows that a good card from me normally takes at least 3 hours.  BUT, I LOVE how this one turned out!  It has to be the color...that deep red is my absolute FAVORITE!  I think it reminds me of my favorite wine, Syrah ;]  LOL  Today, it is representing my cute little teapot (PTI) though!  I stamped the teapot in Scarlett Jewel (PTI) on DP from SU!, cut it out and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I popped it up on dimensionals.

 

Here's a close up of the card.  How about that daisy, huh?  I LOVE LOVE LOVE gerber daisies...my all time favorite flower.  Naturally I wanted to pair this awesome daisy with my favorite color and make it kind of a second focal point for my card.  Let me explain how I came about owning this pretty little daisy...

Ms. Canda at http://www.candacraft.com/ GENEROUSLY offered Lauren's DT members' free SCAL software the other day!  I was one of the lucky members who hadn't purchased it yet, so I went home and downloaded it to my computer straight away.  I have an OLD Cricut, mind you, BUT, after a day or so, I figured out that I need to upgrade the firmware on my machine in order for it to communicate with the SCAL software and to begin cutting files from my computer.  Let me tell you...I cannot believe I have had a Cricut this long that I haven't put to the use it should have been put to!  I WILL be upgrading to a Cricut Expression THIS MONTH!  Yes, Lauren...I'm jumping into the 21st century ;]  LOL  The SCAL software is sooooo user friendly, AND it comes preloaded with a bunch of cute images and tags...and an alphabet.  I haven't even figured out all of the bells and whistles, but it has been a God-send this week! 

Soooo, here's a HUGE THANK YOU to sweet Canda at http://www.candacraft.com/ for making my life less stressful and more productive!!  Oh, and I see around blog land where everyone promotes a specific company that sells SCAL, but I don't quite understand why when Canda sells it for about $20 cheaper!  CRAZY, right?!  Oh and I'm a day late and a dollar short but Canda is also offering a coupon for $3.50 off of the purchase of a SCAL through midnight tonight (yeah, yeah...I know...thanks for the notice :). 

Oh wait, I was supposed to be telling you about my daisy.  Welllll, after checking out some free svg files on the web, and some other files for sale, I thought...how hard can it be to make my own?!  Not very...let me tell you.  I decided to whip up a gerber daisy for the heck of it and see if it would work, and it DID!  Yay!!!  So, here we are with a gorgeous daisy adorning my card.  I have three other layers, but I needed a big enough center for my label, so I left the extras off (even though they make it look sooo full and pretty!).  Anywho, keep an eye out for more details on my daisy ;] 

Okay, boy that was long winded.  Oh wait, I have to give props...the striped and polka dotted paper are from the That Hit the Spot© and Throw Me A Line© collections I created for My Time Made Easy ™ LLC.  Don't they look pretty with my daisy and my teapot?!  I love how this turned out!

Please be sure to stop by the JUGS team blogs to spread some love and gain some amazing inspiration!  Their links are in my left sidebar <-----  This month JUGS is welcoming our very first Guest Designer, Ms. Gabby Arriaza!  Please give her a special welcome and extend a big congrats!  Her work truly is unique and beautiful every time.  She is also a sweetheart with a GREAT sense of humor!  Do you know she was soooo thoughtful this Christmas, she sent me the card she made when I selected her as Chic of the Week!!  It's even MORE beautiful in person!!!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope you find time over this holiday weekend to play along!  If you do, be sure to leave a link to your project using Mr. Linky over at Just Us Girls and use keyword JUGS14 if you upload to any online galleries!  Happy New Year to you and yours, I wish you all peace, love, and prosperity ♥