Just Us Girls Challenge #51

Well, the week is finally over and we are rolling into the weekend with an awesome color challenge over at Just Us Girls.  Kathryn is our hostess this weekend and she kept the palette simple and open for a little interpretation.  Red, Green, Black...and Neutral...your choice of hues!!

This is the card I came up with for the challenge:

I kept this one pretty clean and simple because I ran short on time this week, but I like how it turned out.  Thought this would be prtty just sitting on someone's desk as a motivational piece :]  My green is from Couture Cardstock and it's called Thistlestock.  Kind of a nice, sage colored green...I thought it looked pretty against the black base.  I incorporated red by sponging my flower petals (Spellbinders, Blossom die) with SU! Riding Hood Red ink.  My neutral is the vellum butterfly (MS punch) :]

I stamped the circular, leafy pattern under the flower using a MTME Killer Curves Fancy Frames stamp and SU! Mellow Moss ink.  The sentiment is from the MTME All A Flutter Sentiments set.  Leaves and button are from my stash.  I trimmed the base with the same Spellbinders dies that I used on my main panels (I have very limited internet connectivity on my weekend trip in GA, so I can't look up the die I used or link my stamps...sorry!)

Okay, that said, I'll point you to my sidebar to look at the rest of the team's creations (if this post even publishes tonight!  Crossing my fingers :)  Be sure to check out our guest designer, Lynn Mangan also!  Her projects are fab!!  I'll try to come back and link everything after the internet comes back up or I get home on Sunday evening.  In the meantime, you can find Lynn's blog link on the JUGS blog.  This is also where you can link your projects when you join us for the color challenge!!  Can't wait to see what you come up with :]

Hope you're having a fantastic weekend!

Color Throwdown Challenge #110

Hi all...today is Wednesday which means it's time for another Color Throwdown challenge (CTD110).  Sweet, LeAnne is hosting and she chose a really cool palette for you this week.  Check it out:

Isn't it inspiring?!  I love it!  Here is my take on her color palette:

Okay, so if you saw my JUGS card this weekend, you may notice I used the same color base.  I realized yesterday while making this card, that I used Rich Razzleberry on Saturday and not PTI Scarlett Jewel like I had thought.  Oops.  So, if the colors seem similar, they ARE :O)  LOL  Anywho...I stamped my MTME Killer Curves floral image three times with white Staz On (thank you, LAUREN!  ha ha) on a transparency cut to the same size as my Razzleberry base panel.  I then blotted on Pebbles Pearlescent chalks, let it dry and wiped off the excess chalk.  I popped up my scalloped squares on dimensionals and adhered my transparency with glue dots hidden behind my blooms.  You can kind of see how I layered it in this photo:

The dp is SU!, and the sentiment is from the MTME So Sentimental set.  See the vellum tag I used???  WELLL...that little "flag" is courtesy my friend and fellow CTD teammate, Laura Pryor!  She created her very first stamp set, "Sentiment Flags" and coordinating flag die.  You HAVE to check them out on her site:  http://shoplilinker.blogspot.com/. 

The stamps are so cute and versatile, they will come in handy time and time again.  She does have an ADORABLE birthday sentiment and several flag outlines, but I wanted my sentiment to be kind of fancy (vs cutesy), so I used the one I did instead.  The outline stamp would have overlapped my letters...hmm...unless I stamped it first in white or on the reverse.  Shoot...timing is everything isn't it?  Why didn't I think of that while I was in my craft room?!  DUH.  So, next time I'll be using her sentiments and outlines...they are super cute! 

My layout came from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge (SSSC85) this weekend.  Cute, ehh?

Okay, I'm sure you can't wait to play along with us this week, so be sure to post a direct link to your project on the CTD blog and use keyword CTD110 in any online galleries.  You don't have to use this exact color palette, just try to come as close as possible.  Swing by the dt's blogs for a healthy dose of inspiration to get you started:

Bar

Broni

Danielle

Laura

LeAnne

Tammy

Silke Ledlow ~ September Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you are having a fabulous week :]

Just Us Girls Challenge #50...Just Rite :]

Well, the week is over and it's Saturday.  I'm sooo excited about today's challenge because Just Us Girls has an awesome, very generous sponsor today - Just Rite Stampers!  I couldn't wait to get crafting with their stamps!  In fact, I made two cards this week, but I'm only sharing one, because I didn't care for the first one that much and set it aside before I added the finishing touches.  Maybe I'll finish it this weekend and share ;]

Our technique today is one that I've never tried until now - Cracked Glass!  It was actually fun after I got it right :]  LOL  You'll see what I mean at the end of this post. 

I kept my card somewhat simple, but I must say, the coloring took a minute!  I make it no secret - I'm a novice at coloring...especially with Copics.  I colored the bells on my Christmas Joy - Small Oval stamp a very pretty light shade of pink, but they kind of got washed out with the cracked glass effect. 

I used clear embossing powder instead of UTEE, so I had to add several (3 or 4) layers on my image before freezing it.  I froze it for about ten minutes, took it out and cracked away!  I sponged the scarlett ink on the cracks and wiped off the excess...hence my pink bells virtually disappearing.  I used large oval nesties to cut out my ovals.  I cut out the images after stamping them because it seemed easier to line up.  I also embossed an oval directly on my card base to create a subtle frame.

I stamped the sentiment (from Christmas Nested Sentiments & Verse) and embossed it in silver.  Speaking of silver embossing...I initially thought it would be a good idea to emboss the bells and the frame in silver before coloring the image.  So I did...then I added my layers of clear embossing.  Don't try this at home...(I know, DUH)...each layer resulted in a more blurred image.  It just kept melting the silver more and more with each reheat. This is what I ended up with (no, this is NOT a blurry photo...it's the same resolution as the other photos in my post).  Nice, huh?  LOL

Okay, that's all I have for you today.  HUGE thank you to Just Rite for their generosity...I really enjoyed using the stamps and can't wait to use them some more :]  If you play along with JUGS this week, be sure to add a direct link to your project on the JUGS blog, and use keyword JUGS50 in any online galleries!  You don't want to miss what our DT has to share either!  Check out their amazing projects:

Alicia

Andrea

Dana

Kathryn

Lisa

Maria

Pam

Lynn Mangan ~ Our September Guest Designer

Hope you have a relaxing, yet productive weekend...that's what I'm hoping for :]

Color Throwdown #109

Hi all!  It's Wednesday already!!!!  You know what that means...time for another Color Throwdown challenge (CTD109).  This week Tammy is your hostess with the mostess...she chose a vibrant palette for you to work with:

I have to admit I STRUGGLED with this palette.  I see cutesy immediately when I look at the colors and if you know me and my style, I am HORRIBLE with cutesy stuff!  LOL  Thankfully Lauren released some CUTE stamps this month that I could choose from. So, I stuck with the gumball machine from the MTME On Display set.  Easy way to incorporate all of the colors this week :]  I kind of feel like I cheated!  Here's my card:

I kept the layout super simple and leaned toward the pink (of course).  I used my MTME digi paper from Darling Dots and Picket Fence for the canopy and the tablecloth in the window I stamped using the MTME Shoppe Window set.  I colored the gumball machine with ink from my SU pad and a blender pen, and I colored the underside of the canopy and window frame with Copics.  Oh, and I couldn't forego a bow on top of my canopy...it was stuck in my head that I needed one, so here we are. A pink bow topping off my "window" :]

It's really hard to see in my photo especially with the transparency grid layer on top, but I used Crystal Effects on the "glass" part of my gumball machine.  It looks pretty cool in person :]  I used a small hole punch to create the gumball in the opening and added buttons to resemble gumballs at the bottom of my panel. 

Here's a snapshot of the inside.  Won't this be a cute card for a young girl's birthday?!  Hope someone has one soon or it's getting stuck in a box with all the others!  Ha ha

Okay, so naturally you'll want to play along with us.  I mean, you all need to show me how to REALLY put this palette to use!!  If you don't have these exact colors, no worries!  Just try to come as close as possible without making us wonder whose challenge you are actually playing along with :O)  Make sure you use keyword CTD109 in any online galleries.  Also, be sure to post a direct link to your creation on the CTD blog and check out my CTD sistahs' projects as well!  They manage to create the most unique cards every week, making me wonder why I couldn't think of that! 

Bar

Broni

Danielle

Laura

LeAnne

Tammy

Silke Ledlow ~ September Guest Designer

Hope you're having a fab week...it's already half over!  Can't beat that!!

Just Us Girls Challenge #49

Wow, I must say this week was very productive but boy was it LOOOONG!  I'm so thrilled we have a long weekend!  Tia goes back to school on Tuesday, so it will be nice finishing up school shopping and hanging with her. We have a girl's night out tonight with two of my friends from work :]  We're headed to the Melting Pot.  I've never been so it will be quite the experience for me ♥

So, since it's Saturday, that means it's high time for another Just Us Girls challenge (JUGS49).  My dear friend, Alicia is hosting with a fun sketch challenge!  Check it out:

Here's my take on the sketch:

The patterned paper comes from one of the new packs I designed for this month's release at My Time Made Easy.  I used three of the four sheets in the Diamonds and Pearls collection.  I had a wedding theme in mind when I created it, but it worked nicely with my Thinking of You sentiment today.  Oh and how beautiful is that ribbon I paired with the paper?!  I picked it up yesterday at AC Moore...I couldn't resist :]

Okay, so for my card I created my bloom from the MTME Rambling Rose cut file.  I followed Lauren's tutorial on the rose, and sponged the edges with distress ink.I adhered my layers with glue dots and added a flat backed pearl to the center.  I stamped the flourish on the So Sentimental Frame cut file and used gold embossing powder to really make it shimmer on my striped paper. 

It's hard to see, but I stamped a small flourish on my vellum All Tied Up - Oval tag with shimmery white pigment ink before I stamped my sentiment and embossed it in gold.  I think it just adds to the elegant look ♥  I printed the floral pattern on some beige cardstock I picked up at Staples.  It resembles faux parchment paper and absorbs ink beautifully!  I cut the strip of floral paper using the MTME Border Builders Elegance cut file.  My flourish and main layers have Soft Suede as a base layer...and I think the rest is self explanatory ;]

Don't forget to check out the projects the rest of our amazing DT prepared for you today! 

Alicia

Andrea

Dana

Kathryn

Lisa

Maria

Pam

Lynn Mangan ~ September Featured Designer

After you check them out and receive a good, healthy dose of inspiration, why not try your hand at the sketch?  Let us be inspired by you!  Be sure to post a direct link to your project on the JUGS blog and use keyword JUGS49 in any online galleries.

Thanks for swinging by today!  Hope you have a fun, safe, LONG Labor Day weekend ♥

My Time Made Easy September Release and Color Throwdown #108

**UPDATED POST a/o 3:00pm, 1 Sep**

So, I'm back from the original post this morning with all the deets!  Today is the September release for My Time Made Easy as well as the Color Throwdown #108 challenge!

First off...here is the palette for the challenge Laura is hosting on the CTD:

And my card:

When I first saw the stamps that Lauren is releasing today to coordinate with her new MEGA template (Shop Around), I immediately thought of how perfect the images would be for cards!  I know, I know...they're MADE for the template, but seriously, they work beautifully on cards also!  SO easy to use because they're adorable and versatile!  Something that My Time Made Easy prides itself on...  I needed a thank you card for a friend, so I used one of the cupcake images and the "Hope your day is as sweet as you are!" sentiment.  Both are from the "On Display" stamp set.  I stamped the cupcakes in Timber Staz On, paper pieced the cupcake holders with the Nomad Darling Dots (scaled and printed at 2"x3"), colored the icing and cake with Copics...I then used clear embossing powder to give the icing a little shine (I can't find brown embossing powder anywhere around here).  I used flat backed red gems for the cherries.  Everything else is pretty self explanatory.

You've gotta check out what Tammy is doing with the images on her cards also...she's our newest team member and is whipping up cards left and right!  All in the nick of time mind you (since we got the products to her JUST before release time)...this girl works amazingly well under pressure :]  If you missed my previous sneak peeks at our paper, you can view them HERE and HERE.

I will be making a shop very soon!  I have everything printed and cut, I just need to assemble :]  I've also been inspired by both Tammy and Lauren to make a card using the window from the Home Improvement stamp set or Shoppe Window.  Their cards were soooo adorable!  I want to CASE them :O)  The rest of the team has created some very unique cards and templates as well.  You DON'T want to miss their projects!!

Lauren

Dawn

Katie

Lesa

Lisa

Pam

Silke

Stephanie

Tracey

Tammy

Two MTME design team members will be selected to give away a $50 gift certificate to the My Time Made Easy store, so be sure to comment on everyone's blogs!!  Winners will be announced on Lauren's blog on 3 September.

You'll also want to take a look at all of our new PRODUCTS and our awesome new GALLERY that Sara got up and running :]

Okay, not to outshine the Color Throwdown, these ladies whipped up some BEAUTIFUL projects today!  Check em out:

Bar

Broni

Danielle

Laura

Tammy

Silke Ledlow ~ Our September Guest Designer

Thanks for hanging around today...while I eventually got my post typed up appropriately :O)  Hope you enjoy all of the inspiration!  

Just Us Girls Challenge #48

Hi everyone :]  I just got home today from Lauren's house, and I have to say the past week was the BEST vacation I've had in a LONG time.  We are definitely cut from the same cloth and we get along in person just as well as on the phone.  I adore her and her sweet family and cannot wait to go back for a visit!  We had so much fun!!!!  I'm already missing them :[  Oh, and YES, stamping with her was amazing!  She has so much knowledge that I wish I could just absorb by being in her home...but I had to settle for the few things she showed me while I was there :]

Okay, onto my JUGS post!  Today our JUGS team is being sponsored by Clear and Simple Stamps.  We used their Halloween set called "Spooky Sweets".  I decided to go completely against the grain and create something that did not look like a typical Halloween project, and this is what I came up with. 

I used the free Basket of Thanks template, and filled it with some saltwater taffy.  The paper I used on the outside is actually a sneak peek of one of the digital paper packs I'm releasing on 1 September at MTME :]  I printed it double sided with the pink Ga Ga for Gingham sheet.  I stamped the Sweet Treats sentiment in SU Always Artichoke, and used two of the "star" stamps to create a pink (SU Pretty In Pink) background of sorts.  I stamped "Got Candy" several times and punched them out using the same SU label punch that I used on the main sentiment.  I also stamped them with the pink star images.  Afterward, I adhered them to individual pieces of candy to make the presentation a little more personalized. 

Wouldn't this be cute at a dinner party either as place settings or arranged around the room for guests to partake?  Or, as a thank you "favor" for the guests to take home!  I think it would be adorable :] 

It was really quick putting this together...soooo simple!  I punched some Couture Cardstock Blushing cs for the panel under the main sentiment (SU punch), add some pretty coordinating ribbon I stole from Lauren (sorry, I didn't write down the brand), added a paper rose, and adhered everything!  Not much to it, but it sure is pretty.

So, now the challenge is on you!  Create a template, any template, and remember, CSS offers free template downloads on their site, and post a direct link to your project on JUGS.  We love to see your projects each week ♥

Don't forget to stop by our very talented JUGS DT blogs!  You'll definitely be inspired to get crafting :] 

Andrea

Dana

Kathryn

Lisa

Maria

Pam
Jo Westfoot ~ August Guest Designer

Thanks for swinging by today!  Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

Color Throwdown Challenge #107

Happy Wednesday everyone!  I'm happy to announce I'm the hostess with the mostess of the Color Throwdown challenge (CTD107) today.  Check out our palette...so fresh:

Here's my take on my colors...

I was inspired by this patterned paper collection, but I don't own it...so, being a paper desinger, I created a collection that I could use :]

This is a SNEAK PEEK of a pack we're releasing on the 1st, so I can't link to it. I used the Killer Curves stamp set (again :), and the So Sentimental set for my sentiment on the front and the inside. 

For the main floral image, I stamped the silhouette flower in white Staz-On on textured acetate (Print Works) and colored them with Pebbles Pearlescent Chalks.  HUGE thanks to Lauren for the idea and the supplies :O)

My layout came from the Mojo Monday sketch (MOJO153)...and I took the liberty of modifying it slightly...but it totally worked for my card :]

Please be sure to swing by our CTD sistah's blogs and our sistah of the month, Chupa.  You're sure to be inspired!

Bar

Broni

Danielle

Laura

LeAnne

Tammy

Chupa

Sure hope you can play along with us this week!  If you do, please post a direct link to your project using the InLinkz widget on the CTD blog.  You don't have to use the exact colors in the palette...just try to come close :O)

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll be back on Friday for our JUGS challenge...

Just Us Girls Challenge #47

TGIS!  LOL  I'm so happy it's the weekend.  This was a tough week at work and at home.  BUT, it's Saturday...my day to sleep in, my day to organize, and clean, and PACK to go see my very dear friend, Lauren Meader tomorrow!  I'm so excited :]  We talk all the time but we've never met in person, so FINALLY we can hug and talk face to face...and craft together.  I can't wait to soak up her ideas and learn a bunch of the techniques that she uses (that I never have).  I also cannot wait to meet her sweet family ♥

So, onto today's JUGS47 challenge!  It's a color challenge hosted by Lisa that took me out of my comfort zone!  I don't think it's a secret that I favor an earthy palette...so check this out and imagine how challenging this was for me:

I figured it out by using some cutesy paper I created months ago (MTME Fun Flowers and Darling Dots) that ended up working well with the Mojo Monday sketch (MOJO152).

 

I primarily honed in on the pink and lime colors...so much so that I almost forgot to add my contrasting, teal butterfly :]  The pretty bloom is the Rambling Rose cut file I created a while back for MTME.  I used white cs and sponged Pink Pirouette 1st, then Regal Rose, and finally just around the edges of each petal, Melon Mambo (all SU colors).  My sentiment is framed using the So Sentimental Frame cut file that Lauren created (I shrunk it to about 2" wide).  The sentiment is from the MTME Sensational Sentiments stamp set.  The oval panel and the scalloped border on the Fun Flowers paper are also cut files I created for MTME called All Tied Up - Ovals and Border Builders Elegance Scallop.  Ribbon is from May Arts and the embossing folder is from Cuttlebug.

We hope you can join us this week and show us what you can do with the fun palette!  Be sure to post a direct link to your project over at JUGS and use keyword JUGS47 in any online galleries.  Check out the rest of the team's awesome projects also!  You're sure to be inspired :]

Alicia

Andrea

Dana

Lisa

Kathryn

Maria

Pam

Jo Westfoot ~ August Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll be back throughout the week while I'm visiting Lauren :]  Have a fantastic weekend!

Color Throwdown Challenge #106

Happy THURSDAY everyone!  Yes, the day AFTER the Color Throwdown challenge...CTD106 to be precise :]  I'm a day late simply because I could not switch creative gears yesterday from designing paper to designing a card.  I know it sounds like it would be easy enough to do, but I just overthink everything when I get to that point.  So, today I struggled again with coming up with something and was stumped...until I called Lauren and started chatting.  She must have passed some creative juice through the phone because I at least thought of an idea and finished a card!  LOL 


This is the fab color palette that Danielle chose!

And...my card. 

I used the new SU! paper on my card...mostly because I just received it and it's adorable, but secondly because I don't have Soft Sky or Certainly Celery cs :[  The stamps are from MTME (Tending the Garden and So Sentimental), ribbon is from May Arts, and the button is from my stash.  Faux stitching was done with a Signo gel pen.  Layout is from a card I remember seeing in the blogosphere a while back, but I can't remember where!

Okay, sorry for the short post but I MUST go to bed...it's another late night.  Hope you all can play along with us this week.  It's a fun color combo!!!  If you do play, please be sure to link your creation to our InLinkz widget on the CTD blog and use keyword CTD106 in any online galleries.


Don't forget to check out the rest of the team's amazing creations!  They will definitely get your creative juices flowing! 

Broni - Splashes of Watercolor

Tammy - Stamp Happy

Barbara - Paper Pursuits

Danielle - Wild Dragonfly Designs

Laura - Lil’Inker

LeAnne - Wee Inklings

Chupa Palamountain - Random Acts of Creativity ~ August Guest Designer