PMS Sponsors 2 Sketches 4 You !

I'm so excited! Not only because I actually made a card and posted it, but because I made it for this weeks 2 Sketches 4 You Challenge !! And I'm even more excited that Paper Makeup Stamps is the sponsor :0)

I love working with Kazan and Laura's sketches. They always inspire me. I used some fairly new images from PMS for this card. The flowing haired girl is a single image. Just love the light airy feel she has. The sentiment and the lip image are from a set called Kiss & Makeup. So fun and perfect for the teenage girl or valentines day. I used some glittery swirls to add to the light airy feel and of course to add some sparkle :0)

I can't wait to see what other PMS creations the 2S4Y DT comes with! You too can play along with this week's sketch for the chance to win a $25 prize package from PMS!!

It's just about time for PMS release week with lots of fun new images so stay tuned!

Hope your day is light and airy!

Love Monkey

Here's a card I made for a swap with some of my stampin' buds. The challenge was to use a stamp set we haven't inked yet :0) I bought this Love Monkey set from Verve with the best intentions of making Valentines with it, but never got them done in time. So, I decided to break it in using this week's 2 Sketches 4 You challenge. Lots of layers on the circle, but other than that pretty simple!

Hope you have a happy Thursday! Only one more day left and boy am I ready for the weekend. We've got a whole lot of nothin' planned which is fine by me :0) Maybe I can get some craft spring cleaning done! My stamp cave is in desperate need!

Recipe
Stamps: Verve
Paper: SU!, Basic Grey Scalloped Border
Ink: Black Staz ON, Copics
Accessories: Ribbon, puffy heart sticker (Michaels), Nestabilities
Technique: Sewing

Cogsmo Loves 2S4U !!

It seems like forever since I've participated in a 2S4U challenge!! Not this time!! When I saw the circle card challenge, I knew I HAD to find time to play along.

I fell in love with Cosmo Crickets Cogsmo line at first sight. Maybe it had something to do with having 3 boys :0). Anyway, the black chipboard cogs and wheels fit in perfectly with this challenge!

All of the paper is from the line and the little robot dude and his buddy on the inside were just cut out of the paper. (Please excuse the messy sewing - fast moving sharp things and corners just don't work well with me)



You can go over to the 2S4U blog and see TONS of other fabulous examples.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

BooBoo 4 U

Although multi-tasking isn't always a good thing, when I can cover several challenges with one card I am happy :0). This card used this weeks 2S4U sketch as inspiration for the layout and the Paper Makeup Stamps release party challenge for colors and other specifics!

This "Boo Boo Monster" and sentiment are new releases over at PMS - isn't he the cutest? I created little band-aids to use as part of the design elements from the sketch layout.
The release party challenge was to use the colors, black, pink, white, a little bling, and texture.

And what's this?! a bonus card!! I created this card for the second PMS release party challenge to CASE a card in the PMS gallery. I loved this quilted card concept from Michelle as soon as I saw it and really wanted to try the quilted technique.

I punched a bunch of the same size squares out of coordinating paper from a small Basic Grey pad I had. I glued them to my card base and ran the whole thing through my CB and labels Nestability. I used a white gel pen to draw in the stiching, but wished I would have used real stitching instead. Oh well, I still think it achieved the look I was going for.

It's been a really crazy week here. 3 day training class at work - with homework :0( Hubby out of town :0( And some extra-curricular activity every night of the week. I haven't been able to blog hop as regularly as I like and it bums me out that I may be missing some awesome creativity !! Hopefully I can catch up with you all soon :0)

We're almost to Friday - yippee!! Have a happy Thursday everyone!

2S4U is Just Rite!

Happy Saturday everyone! I have been drooling over this weeks 2S4U sketch challenge all week and was determined to get this in by tonight's deadline. Why? Well first of all I LOVE Kazan's sketch. I had this idea in my head as soon as I saw the layout. And second, the challenge prize up for grabs is a $100 gift certificate to Just Rite Stamps!!! I've been seeing soo many gorgeous cards done with these stamps lately and they just look so versatile and fun that I NEED to try them :0) So why not try to get them for free!



I made the little center pumpkin by folding punched scalloped circles in half and gluing them together to give the 3-D effect. The little stem and leaf was ripped off some of my fake fall foliage I had laying around :0). The chipboard circle actually started out as black and white. I used a sponge and Ranger distress ink to turn it brown and better coordinate with the gorgeous Coffey background papers.

I decided to tie this card in with the Moxie Fab Challenge by adding a ruffled ribbon border above and below the center panel. I used a wire ribbon and just slid the ribbon on one side to create the ruffles. The ribbon is a nice copper brown and really shimmers IRL. Finally I added some 1/2 pearls in a nice coppery brown color to tie the panel and sentiment together.

I couldn't decide which picture I liked better so I posted both. I asked my oldest and he wasn't much help :0) I like the background in the first one, but I think elements of the card stand out better in the second one. Which do you prefer?


Well, hope the rest of your weekend is Just Right !!

Recipe:

Stamps: SU!

Paper: K&Co., SU,

Ink: Ranger Distress Ink, Staz On brown

Accessories: DCWV Chipboard, Recollections pearl stickers, Michaels Ribbon, scalloped circle punch

I Love you Mower!

A quick card and a quick post today. I made this card with the 2S4U sketch in mind.

I got this cute little stamp from Whipper Snapper. I stamped right on the pp and used Copics to color it in. Papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Lil' Man collection - Love em! The base is Soft Suede from SU! This color is growing on me "mower and mower" everyday!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day today - weekend is almost here!

NOT Going My Way!

Hello there! It's been a busy week trying to get back into the swing of things. The boys are having a hard time getting up and out the door in the morning. It seems the newness and excitement of school have worn off and the monotony has already set in . . . and it's only been 3 days :0) I was able to stay up late a couple of nights and created this card for this weeks 2Sketches 4U and CAARDVarks challenge to use black, pink and white.
This ended up being one of THOSE cards. You know, the ones you keep fiddling with and just can't seem to get right. I paper pushed, cut, glued, recut, reglued for what seemed like hours!! One of the best things for me to do when that happens is to just leave it, let it sit and come back to it later. Usually I either decide that I like it or know exactly what to do to change it. That didn't happen with this card. Maybe it was because I was stuck trying to incorporate both challenges - not enough room to change things.

Anywhoo. It's done. Either tell me what you like about it and make me feel better, or tell me what you don't like about it and how I should improve it :0)

Thanks for stopping by. I've got a couple of posts coming up this weekend, including Sketch Girl 4 on Sunday.

Have a great weekend!

Hey Batter Batter!

My oldest son just finished his baseball season for this year last night. It's always a bitter sweet ending. The boys (and parents) who barely know each other come together for just a few months and form this bond with a common goal. The parents cheer them on from the sides and struggle with the highs and lows together and then it's all over . Each family goes their separate way, some to never meet again. I always admire the parents that volunteer their own personal time to help these boys succeed. They are mentors and teachers and truly giving.

I made this card for one of the coaches. I used this weeks 2Sketches4You layout. All of the papers are from Cosmo Crickets "Lil Man" line. SOOO CUUTE!! The papers, images, stickers and border sayings in this pack are all awesome and have a slight vintage feel. You gotta check them out. I used an embossing punch at the bottom by Martha Stewart. I liked it better than the scallop punch. It reminded me of the shape of home plate :0). The button and chipboard tag were from my stash. I added the rub-on sentiment from SU!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a great day!

Recipe:Stamps: None

Ink: None

Paper: Cosmo Cricket Lil Man, Su!

Accessories: Twill ribbon- Basic Basic, Button - Paper Studio, Chipboard tag-? ,

Martha Stewart border punch, SU! Rub-on

2S4U - Top 20 Sketch!!

I can't believe I am posting my card for Laura and Kazan's 2 Sketches 4 You - Ultimate Card Showdown - Top 20!! To say I am thrilled would be an understatment. Lil ol me and my lil piece of blog world in the same league with some amazing artists with amazing talent. This is just too fun!! So here's the sketch we had to work with this week . . .




And here's my card and interpretation of the sketch! Anyone who knows me knows that I am am a notorious procrastinator. So, with Father's Day just the day after the challenge deadline I thought it would be very PROactive of me to create a card that served both purposes :0)

I decided to created a card with a belly band and use the band to fulfill the design elements of the sketch. Plus, I just love to watch the recipient (usually a non-cardmaker) try to figure out how to open the card and then the "Wow!" factor when I show them :0)

I tried to go with a vintage meets modern theme. For the vintage feel I used some gorgeous papers from Teresa Collins Spooktacular, and Tis the Season line. I just loved the look when I added some distressed Ranger ink in sepia. I also used stamps from Clear Art Stamps Crafty Secrets, Favorite Fellas. I love their vintage images, they are so fun! Finally, I used some not so great stitching! My sewing machine is on the fritz, so I had to pull out my $6 battery operated Crafty Stitcher. Not so good, but it definitely gives that one of a kind look! I must say, however, that after using it I had the strong urge to bake a cake in my Easy Bake Oven!!!

Here's a view of what the front of the card looks like with the belly band removed. The green letters are actually glitter rub-on's. These letters, the bright colors and the texture would be the "modern" elements of the theme.

And finally, here's a view of the inside. I don't normally get around to doing anything on the inside, but I thought the Teresa Collins ledger look paper was perfect! I heat embossed another Favorite Fellas sentiment and image in black. I thought they just went perfect with the look and feel of the card.


And that's it! I hope you like it and wish me luck for the next round!! If I don't make it, it was super fun playing. I wish all the best to the other Top 19. I have been inspired and awe'd by all of your creations!!


Recipe:

Stamps: Clear Art Stamps Crafty Secret Favorite Fellas

Paper: Teresa Collins, Su! , Bazzil

Ink: Staz On Black, Versamark, Tim Holtz Ranger Distress ink - Vintage Photo

Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, crimper, EK Success scallop border punch, American International Letter rub-ons, Crafty Stitcher, Basic Basic Ribbon

2Sketches4You - Ultimate Showdown Week 2!!

This week has been crazy fun!! I was beyond ecstatic when I found out MY card was selected as one of the Top 30 in the 2Sketches4U - Ultimate Card Showdown! Then my head and stomach both started turning, wondering how I was going to be able to come up with something creative enough to be in the running with the other 29 awesome artists! The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the large circle was the moon, so I stayed with that idea. AND it just so happened that I had just got these two awesomely adorable stamps from AMUSE!!

To create the moon I used an amazing technique I learned from Amy Sheffer to emboss your dry embossing! First, I cut out a circle and ran it through my Cuttlebug with the embossing folder. Next, I flipped it over and lightly coated it with VersaMark ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder - being sure not to let it get into the recessed circles to give the "crater" look :0) . Finally, I sponged the edges with a grey chalk ink and layered a silver circle of the same size underneath it to give a shadow effect. I used a clear piece of polka-dot vinyl sheet for the scalloped edges - love this stuff! It cuts so smoothly and has a nice weighty feel to it.

Well, I hope you like the card! I have to thank my stamping pals for their creative criticism and support. It's hard for me to look at a card and say "I'm Done". I don't envy the judges. From what I've seen so far, they are going to have some pretty tough decisions to make :0) Thanks so much for stopping by! It makes my day :0)

Recipe:
Stamps: AMUSE
Paper: SU! silver, black textured CS, Neenah White, PP -Kewl Strips Imaginisce, Sheer delights polka 2 K&I Memories
Ink: Versamark, Copics, StazOn black
Accessories: Offray ribbon, paper studio button, blue twine, white glitter star, silver brad, star punch

2 Sketches 4 You Top 30!!

I am still all giddy about the exciting news I received on Sunday! My submission for the 2 Sketches4You Ultimate Card Showdown made it to the top 30!! I was so amazed by the talent and creativeness of ALL of the entires and I am just so very humbled to be considered in the top 30 with some women whose blogs and cards I've admired for awhile now :0) Laura and Kazan did an awesome job of creating a great challenge! Now for the next card . . . the wheels are turning and my stomach is churning !! :0)

You can click on the 2Sketches4You link on the side bar to check out all of the fabulous entries!


Here's a quick little card I made to give to my sons teachers. My youngest graduated from Preschool this weekend and my oldest is leaving his grade school to enter Junior High! I got this cute little cookie cutter stamp at the $1 store. I thought it went well with this box of cookies. I hope they taste as cute as they look :0) I loved the little bluebird in a nest on top of the box!

This 4x4 card was made using SU! DP, Cardstock and Anna Griffin Ribbon. I colored it with Copics.

Thanks for stopping by and HAVE AN AWESOME DAY!

2Sketches Showdown!!

2 Sketches 4 You is having the Ultimate Card Showdown. They are celebrating their 1st Anniversary in a BIG way with BIG prizes!! I have never participated in the challenges before because the talent in the group of participants is absolutely amazing!! But with so much good stuff and so many opportunities to win, I thought I would give it a try :0)

This card came together as a result of recent purchases :0) First I made a trip to a local outlet store and found some scalloped DP "on sale", then when I got home there was some DP in the mail from SU! I found the butterfly in my stash - already precut in a coordinating paper!! And that's how the paper pushing, fuddling and fidgeting began. I used a SU! rub-on for the sentiment and then decided to add some more black and interest by adding more rub-ons to the DP - not sure if that was a good move, but it's growing on me. I thought this would make a nice wedding card.

There are some AWESOME interpretations of this sketch, so go check them out or even better yet, play along - you've got until midnight tonight!!

Have a great weekend, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, they always make me smile.

Recipe:
Paper: SU! Urban Garden, Making Memories 5th Ave die cut stack, Neenah white
Accessories: Offray Rribbon, Paper Studio buttons, Making Memories brads, Making memories chipboard frame, SU! Rubons, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dot embossing folder, SU! butterfly die, hemp twine