Papertake Challenge - HB!

This must be the day for new challenges because I haven't ventured to this website before...until now! This week was an unusual sketch and I was up for the challenge. I knew I wanted to use my crossword puzzle stamp from Michael's! and I think it works here!

It's a birthday card for my Aunt (who always remembers to send me a card...and I always forget hers!!) We are only 1 day apart, so I will send it out tomorrow. Of course I made this card and then realized that I didn't have a big enough envelope...doh!

recipe:

all patterned paper: CTMH; solid (?)

stamp, brads: michaels

ribbon: SU

cuttlebug

red sharpie

Cardalicious - Circles, Stars and Stitches!

My first cardalicious challenge! Very excited...I always love finding new challenges to keep me cardmaking! This one was fun - stars, circles and stitches!

I got this new paper from Cosmo Cricket (very fun!) from K2 and paired it with some solid paper. This card took me a long time just because it wasn't really looking right...but I like it in the end.

I love me some stickles! lol!

recipe:

paper: patterned - Cosmo Cricket; solid - SU in colors

punch: fiskars treading water

embroidery floss: joann fabrics

stamp: Michael's/Amy Butler

stickles

chipboard

Whatever Challenge #3

WHATEVER CHALLENGE #3!

Christy, Naomi and I finally sat down and had a discussion about the "Whatever Challenges"...we came up with a calender so we would know exactly what to do each week. This week is a MANLY CARD!


I have some awesomely cute paper from Joann's (rock star). Jim picked it out :) It reminds him of his favorite place to shop...Express Men/Structure...I love him for his wonderful sense of style yum.











Check out Christy's card (she used the new super-fun EK Success border punch!)
And Naomi's card is sure to be awesome, too!

I like the way this came out - it doesn't have to be a birthday card necessarily, it can be a thank you, congratulations or a thinking of you...! Simple and fun.

Rock on!


recipe:

paper: patterned - Joann's Rock Star, solid - SU in colors
cuttlebug - distressed
ink: SU chocolate chip
chipboard star - (?)
dots - Joann ($1 bin)

KWCC 47 - Happy Birthday Friend

Great colors! So it's a quick post tonight because I've got to pack for our trip tomorrow to Orlando. My friend Christy and I have celebrated our birthdays together for a couple years now (hers is March 28th - tomorrow, and mine is the 31st!).

So I hope Christy isn't reading this....but I'm sure she is....but I wanted to something really fun for her card and make a gift card holder. When I saw these colors, I just knew it was going to be great!

Our friend Naomi already gave us our b-day presents because she CAN'T GO to Orlando. Geez Na. But she got me the POLKA DOTS from PTI - aaah I've been obsessing...I love love love love love. I used them for the brown polkas on the GC holder and in orange-y ink on the little flowers.

Happy Birthday Christy (and me!!) :) Can't wait for Orlando!!

Night All!

recipe:

brown and peachy cardstock (?)

SU cardstock (in color)

SU white blooms

cuttlebug - spots

creative cafe - brown buttons

kaiser craft pearls

SU chocolate brown ink

michaels - sticky letters

SU rub on

PTI - polka dots!!

TPE - THX

Thanks Pink Elephant for another great challenge! I love the sketch challenges, so this was right up my alley. And I just got some SUPER-di-DUPER pom poms (in like every color...thanks Joann Fabrics!) I found myself dreaming of them...

I used the cuttlebug "thank you" embossing folder and pink SU paper and distressed with SU chocolate ink and a sponge. The flower is from Michael's along with the chipboard THX. The patterned paper is from Target.

I hope you all enjoy my happy little card.

THX for looking at my blog!! lol

Double Challenge - Makes me "Smile"!

I accomplished two challenges in one card - woah! I'm so proud of myself, lol...I used the Hero Arts sketch challenge as a base from Caardvarks. Then, I saw a new challenge from CuttlebugChallenge which was to "create using punches in unusual ways, and your Cuttlebug of course". So, I used the circle scallop from SU, the tab punch from SU for the wings, the slot punch from sU for the head and cuttlebugged both (body with swiss dots, wings with textured textile) and I used the swirls embossing folder and cut out the raised parts to create the antennae. All of the paper is from The Green Stack (Michaels). The border towards the bottom is spiral punch from SU. Smile stamp is PennyBlack (got it from Terry).

KWCC 46 - Congrats!

Fabulous colors! For me, they scream BABY CARD! lol.

I started off knowing I had to do some kind of transparent card and the ribbon technique from Kristina Werner's A Year in Cards. Except I didn't have thick black ribbon...so I used cardstock and it worked great!! I wanted to keep it really simple and pretty, and I really like the way it came out!

I hope you all enjoy! Can't wait to see what everyone does for this week's challenge. Thanks Kristina!

transparency: naomi (staples)

cardstock: su!

cuttlebug embossing folders

punch, glue pen: martha stewart royal butterfly

paper: target

stamp: su! absolutely fabulous

brads, staples: michaels

glitter: doodlebug

Mojo Monday - Happy as a Clam :)

Wow, I actually did Mojo Monday on Monday! Crazy!! (even though it's ...almost...Tuesday). Whatev! So this is my FAVORITE card I did tonight (out of 3) and I am really, really excited to share it with you all.

When I saw the sketch, I knew I wanted to use the "Many Happy Returns" SU stamp set. It comes with 3 of these really big sayings. I didn't know which I wanted to use though...then I wanted to use my new "In Colors" cardstock from SU...the green and bright blue (gorgeous). Then, what pieced it all together was this Amy Butler paper I've had since I first started scrapbooking...I got it from Michael's. And since it was underwater-like, I remembered one of the sayings said "happy as a clam" and there was a clam-like picture on the paper! PERFECT! So I cut that out because I was going to 3-d it and put it on top. I used coordinating CTMH markers for the stamp and only wanted the "happy..." saying in red to match the clam. The striped pattern paper is from a different set from Michael's. I finished it all with a couple pearls to go with the theme.

I'm pretty proud of myself (normally I am satisfied with my creations, but this one really gets me "happy"). I really hope you like, and I hope I have the opportunity to send this to someone soon!

Good night and talk to you all soon. I love hearing feedback on any of my cards and to know what you like or don't or what you would do differently. Thanks in advance!!

Julie

SFYTT Challenge - Pop on By!

Card #2 was super fun to do. I knew I wanted to use a stamp from my new "Comfort Food" set from SU (that I got for free for being a hostess) yeah! So I used the "pop on by" stamp and used a couple different colored markers from CTMH. Then I stamped the kernels again because I wanted to 'pop' them up...haha.

Then I paper pierced the little dots under the kernels. The border I used was Fiskars Treading Water on some really fun paper.

All the patterned paper was from some set from Target I think...sorry I don't know.

At the bottom instead of some buttons or anything I wanted to do more little kernels!! lol, I thought it was really cute and I paper pierced a little more to go along with above.

Hehe, I hope you all like! Be sure to throw a SU party so you can have this fun little Level 1 set. It has 3 other stamps (a loaf of bread "I loaf you", a donut with a frown face "donut be sad" and a milk carton "feeling sick? milk it") haha!

TPE Button Challenge - I'm There For You

Ooh it's Monday which means there are tons of challenges out today and since Jim had a dinner meeting tonight, I figured..."great! I can get a few cards done!!" lol...he met with his friend Marc and ugh, Mike Alstott from the Tampa Bay Bucs (ya know, only a huge celebrity...). I would have been sweatin' bullets but hubby's got a great composure.

Anywho, this card started off the night.

I really wanted to use all blue...so I found a couple different style papers that I liked and I knew I wanted some flowers to use some flower buttons.

The little scallops on the side is just my scallop circle punch from SU in half...just a technique I think might look cool - and I really like it! Then I went over the shape with a white gel pen. I used the "I'm There for you" from the "Absolutely Fabulous" SU set. (love that).

And it was a pretty simple card but I like it!

Enjoy!

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

You've got to visit these sites! They are inspirational...and giving away great blog candy! What's better than that?? (But hurry!!)

Made for Keeps
Naomi's Space

Enjoy and Good Luck!

J

U-R-A Delight

I love pink and green - so when I saw the challenge at The Pink Elephant, I knew I had to do it! And I wanted to use my new (FREE) stamps from SU! There is a definition for each letter of the alphabet and some word the coincides with it. The d was delight. I think that just summed up these fun bright colors! BUT after I was all finished, I realized the challenge was pink, green and BROWN. So, I brillantly added in some brown using my slot punch (SU!) and brown ribbon (CTMH) and some cardstock to accent the little (pinchers? I don't know what those are called.) and a brown button over the green button.

I love the other little punch called the Spiral Punch from SU! which I recently found out you can get a similar one from EK Success at Michael's...more expensive though - even with a 50% off coupon.

The U-R-A is from an alphabet stamp set from CTMH and I went over it with Martha' Stewarts glue pen and Doodlebug's flock.

I don't know who I am going to give this to, but I hope they love it when I do!

Side note: this card took me just as long as the other one...well, 20 minutes less - and that was with the brown-add :) Why is my creativity taking so long tonight? I'm done for the night, gotta rest up and hopefully I will be a lot quicker with these cards another night!

Can't wait for hubby to come home! (He's DJing...again) I miss him, but he should be back very shortly! YEAH :)

Nite!

Loopdie-Doop Cupcake!

I've been searching the web like crazy today since I was home from work (sick...not as much fun). And I came across yet another challenge: Sketch For You To Try. This really gets me going - however, since I don't have any color scheme to work from, it takes me a tad longer ...say TWO HOURS! Why? I dunno, maybe its me not feeling my best or that I have a creative block or that this paper was way too cute for me to use because I wanted to keep it for myself! lol, but I can't be a paper hog.

This card is my cousin, Amber, who is turning 16 (oh my gosh) tomorrow. I'm going to her party :) One of the many traits I love about her is that she is not a girly-girl. She's a little bit of a rocker-punk-pretty girl. (and not to mention she is very, very technologically advanced, even when she was younger! She's such a smarty pants!)

So, it took me a little bit more time - and I just got in my free hostess set "Hand Drawn Bundle" including the little cupcake from the stamp set "It's a Loop Thing" and the patterned papers. YUM.

I stamped the cupcake on some transparency with brown Staz-on and glittered it with Doodlebug (love that stuff). The "Seize the Cake" is from Hero Arts and the ticket corner punch is from SU! and the brads from Michael's. The green paper was run through the Cuttlebug (one of my fav toys) in the Tiny Bubbles embossing folder.

I think it looks pretty enough to eat...and it took me longer than it would if I would have just made her cupcakes. LOL. ...she better enjoy this!

Mojo...Friday? Beep Beep!

I didn't get my mojo until Friday...but at least I got it...unlike Naomi last week, lol.

I made this for my nephew. He turns six on July 3rd. I'm a little early...I know. ha. I showed my husband and asked him if I should put "beep beep...happy birthday" or not and he said "hun, I think we have enough time for you to decide that later". HAHA You sure? Well, I have REALLY wanted to use this paper - it's from Joann Fabrics and it's called All About Boys. Super cute, huh? I used the screwdriver brads on the side from Michael's. I've had them for a while and wanted to use them. My friend Christy also likes them, (obsessed with them).

I used a paper piecer from CTMH for the sides and my scallop circle punch from SU! then a 1 1/2 reg. circle punch from Michael's. Then the fun part - I used my doodlebug glitter (I know, not really for boys, but he's my nephew, he's not going to say anything!) and covered it with Glossy Accents...because as you will find out, my husband lovingly says "Glitter......the herpes of the craft world". LOL I love him - but he doesn't get it. What girl doesn't love glitter?

KWCC 45 - Wedded Bliss!

It's wedding season again and I have 2 friends getting married soon (yeah!) Kristina Werner's color challenge this week is not only fabulous but perfect for this occasion. AND we got in our SU! orders this past week and I have been dying to use allllll of my stuff...because I got a ton (and most of it was FREE - thanks girls for letting me be the host this past party and thanks Sale-a-Bration!! woo hoo....look at all the free stuff I got below...ya its pretty stinkin' crazy that I got that much for free!)

Anywho, the card I think is pretty-pretty - I think someone will be happy to receive it, right?!

I didn't know what I wanted to do - but I did know that I wanted to use all of my new stuff. Including the awesome Fleur de lis punch new from EK Success that I spotted at Michael's and almost peed my pants (I am in love with all the new stuff Michael's is carrying = DANGEROUS!)

The stamp at the top is the "Polka Dot Punches" from the Sale-a-Bration stamp set (going on till the end of this month) which coordinate with SU's punches...like the scallop circle punch that I have (thanks Terry!) The "congratulations" sentiment as well as the "welcome to the wedded bliss club" sentiments are from the Sale-a-Bration set "congrats" which I embossed in silver.

I stamped the polka dot circle with Grey Wool from CTMH and the "welcome to the wedded bliss club" over it in black from CTMH.

Then I finished off the little dots in the center of the polka dot circle with some glitter glue (I recommend stickles, but I only had an off-brand on-hand).

By the way - check out Christy's uber-cute key card for this week's challenge! Naomi - get to posting we don't see your card yet!!

Caardvarks Critter - Toad-ally Hoppy for You!

Yeah! Another Caardvarks challenge - I love these :) I got this new frog paper from K2 - which I cut the little guy (girl...she has eyelashes) out and with my Top Note Die Cut from SU I cut a little piece in blue to symbolize the water and the yellow cardstock was run through the cuttlebug - I think it was the forest branches embossing folder...something like that. I made the "toad-ally" with a combination of 2 CTMH fonts - the first is the Doodlebug (retired) and the other was a free set with purchase. The "hoppy for you" is part of the Very Funny set from SU - I just got this and I'm REALLY excited...their so cute with their play on words.

Oooh speaking of SU - I can't wait until TUESDAY when we get our SU order in from Debbie! I am excited for the Sale-a-bration stamps and the corduroy buttons!! Woohoo!

Focus: ok so I used my handy-dandy crop-o-dile to do the eyelets and hung it with some twine (I got the twine in a big bundle at Wal-Mart for like $5.99 - I don't think I'll ever run out...but it's nice, I like it - it almost has a waxy coating). So I "hung" this sign from the edge of the die cut paper - it can move back and forth. I just made sure to secure the corner of the paper with a glue dot so the sign didn't come off completely.

I wanted to add like a little fly or something, but I didn't have a stamp or a picture of a fly, and I think the card might be busy enough as is. But, this is Jim's favorite card so far :) He's so sweet.

That is all for tonight...I've been a busy card-makin' girl! I hope you enjoy them - please leave feedback, I'd love to hear if you would add or remove anything, I'm always curious to see how other people would re-design my card. Oooh that would make for a good challenge. I'll have to let Naomi know!

Good Night/Morning!!

Mojo Monday (or Saturday...) - Hang in There

Obviously I didn't get to this challenge on Monday because it's Saturday...well kind of Sunday now since its almost 1am.

This is my first Mojo sketch Challenge - I really like these! I was intimidated by it because I'm not always the greatest with measuring...lol. So my sizes may look a little different than what it's supposed to be.

I have been wanting to use this Chandelier stamp from Michaels ($1. Duh) which I embossed with silver and the "hang in there" sentiment that I got from my friend Terry (check out her blog! She's incredible!).

I really love this gold-orange/silver/black color scheme I have going - I think the patterned paper sums it up nicely :) It's from that awesome pack at Michael's. I wish I had the name, but I don't know if they sell it anymore. Sorry.

I finalized the candle things with some glitter glue (off-brand stickles)...I prefer stickles, but unfortunately I don't have it in silver.

Na's Whatever Challenge - Stitching - TOY

So this weeks's FANTASTIC "Whatever Challenge" by Naomi is....da da da da....Stitching! For Christmas, Na got us a ton of different colored embroidery floss. Our challenge was to do something with it. This pretty little flower is from a large paper set from Michael's and I wanted to middle to be something that catches your eye but not overdone. I didn't realize that would take almost 20 minutes to stitch...gosh. But I think it looks pretty.

The TOY sentiment is from a $1 stamp set from Michael's as well...I messed up a little but as they say "a mistake in scrapbooking is an embellisment opportunity" - I love that! I thought it needed some pearls.

I'd love to hear what you think!!

Verve Release Sketch Challenge - Hope

What a day...it started off Jim and I being late to our nephew's first ever baseball game...and of course, he was first at bat and scored! Well, we finally got there and he played awesome! Then, we went home because Jim wasn't feeling well and I decided to clean (a little) around the house. I started looking around and got in one of those moods where I needed to FIX everything and I ask Jim how I get on the roof. HAHA that got him right up off of the couch! He was up there cleaning out the gutters while I was removing the moss hanging from our ooold oak trees. I got a sunburn...then came inside and did 2.5 hrs worth of work (a project my boss put me on at 4:30 on Friday...). Then I made this card before I was going to go out with my girls from work on Siesta Key. I finished the card and got ready for going out....I asked my friend Tina where they were and they told me the bar - so I drove allll the way out there (about 15/20 min) and realized my phone was dead. Dang. I walked inside and asked if there was a big group there...nope all old people - excuse me, elderly people. Obviously not the crowd I was with tonight! lol. So I tried to remember my friend Tina's number by heart. Nope got some lady named Kathryn, I think. Drove ALLL the way back home and charged my phone enough to get Tina's number and call her on the home line. She was like "where the heck are you" and I couldn't stop laughing...because I'm really tired from today...and I have an inkling that my phone dying was a sign I shouldn't go out. So I'm going to be a bum on Saturday night (like I always am :) and not go out). She's going to be mad when I tell her because we've been planning this for weeks. Ugh.

Anywho...back to the card: 6x6 choc brown cardstock with "The Green Stack" paper and those Michael's chipboard and lime green "floss"

Oh and the rub on at the bottom is from Joann fabrics in the $1 bin. Gosh, I'm a budget card maker! Go me!!

Crossing my fingers to win my first set of Verve stamps!! I don't remember which blog I first saw it on, but I just love the "Beautiful You" set...which of course is now SOLD OUT! I am cursed today!!

Well, I can't wait to see the new stamps that are arriving and hopefully I'll win something one of them - good luck everyone!

Hope you all have a less stressful day than I have...at least I have my amazing hubby who comes to my rescue and cleans my gutters :)

See ya!