JENerally Speaking

Gouda For You!

2012-02-29T09:37:00.001-04:00

Hi all! Just popping in with another entry for the CAS-ual Fridays Just for the Pun of It challenge. I used the little mouse from Paper Smooches' Santa Paws set and balanced some cheese on his nose to make this congrats card. I'm not a big fan of cheese but I just couldn't resist this little pun. Tee hee!

I also need to post the winner of my blog candy! Thanks to all of you who suggested bloggers for me to check out. I've had a blast discovering more fabulous cardmakers! I know I've posted the actual random number generator before but it is not cooperating with me this time. So drum roll please!! The winner is:

#1 - Lindsey!

Whoop whoop! I've never had a #1 come up before. Send me your snail mail address, Lindsey, and I'll get your package on it's way. :)

*ETA: Simon Says Stamp is having an Anything Goes challenge so I'm linking this up!

Cardstock: (White) Gina K
Stamps: (Mouse, cheese & dotted line from Santa Paws, "for you" from Word Up, letters from Alphadots) Paper SmoochesInks: (Memento Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko, (More Mustard) SU
Copics: C-5, C-3, Y38, Y17, RV10

Typing Flowers

2012-02-28T06:45:00.001-04:00

I've been stalking Laurel Seabrook's Inspired By Challenge for a while now and after seeing this week's picture I couldn't put off playing any longer. I went pretty literal with my interpretation and used some long neglected stamps and papers. The stamps are Hero Arts and because it's a friendship-themed card I'm entering this in the Hero Arts Monthly Challenge. The four patterned papers are from a paper pad I picked up in Walmart in Toronto back in 2008 and they make this eligible for Simon Says Stamp's challenge to use 3 different papers.

*ETA: So I missed the HA challenge deadline by 5 whole days! I think that's a new record for me...

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Basic Grey) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Le P'tit Bloc) TogaStamps: (Typewriter & flowers) Hero Arts
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Bravo Burgundy) SU
Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger
Stickles: (Cotton Candy, Burgundy, Orange Peel, Yellow) Ranger
Font: (Traveling Typewriter) Dafont.com

Just Popping In

2012-02-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

Good morning everyone! It's a beautiful day here and I've just gotten done Facetime chatting with Jenny from Crafting in the Country! Isn't technology brilliant? Not only have I met all these wonderful people through blogging and the internet but now I get to talk to them face to face! Now all we need are those Star Trek "beam me up" transporter things and we'll be set!

Okay, onto the card. I was so excited to see that the theme at CAS-ual Fridays is Just For The Pun Of It. I love a good punny card! And the colour story at the Play Date Cafe gave me a brilliant idea for it. I love the colours and was inspired by the bottles - some of which I figured were soda pop bottles and there you have my pun. :)

Off to the Craft Cave for some more carding and I'll be back later with a blog candy winner!

Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI, (Marina Mist, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Bottles from August 2011 KOM - What I Know) Unity Stamp Co
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger
Font: (Traveling Typewriter) Dafont.com

Hexagonal Hello

2012-02-26T16:01:00.000-04:00

Luis has been busy earning his son-in-law points this weekend by painting my mom's kitchen and living room. I offered to help but Luis has no faith in my painting skills so I didn't argue when he said no thanks and scooted into the Craft Cave instead! :) I made this card for two challenges: The Colour Throwdown and Paige's quilt-inspired card challenge over at the Create blog. This is another one of those Unity stamps that I'd been admiring in my collection for ages but hadn't yet managed to ink up. One day (like in a hundred years) I may have actually inked up every one of my stamps. Uh huh...

After yesterday being 75 and so humid that the paper in my printer was soggy, today is cold and windy! I really wish this weather would make up it's mind. It's been such a strange winter. Going to have to bundle up when we walk the hounds later and then we'll be hunkering down for the Oscars. At least I will - Luis will spend the evening changing the channel every time he thinks I'm not paying attention!

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Yellow) Pacon, (Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Basic Grey) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Hexagons from July 2010 KOM - Happily Ever After) Unity Stamp Co, (Sentiment from Little Bitty Bird) PTI
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Pumpkin Pie) Stampin' Up
Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger

Be Whoever You Wanna Be

2012-02-25T21:50:00.001-04:00

I was a lucky winner during Market Street Stamps' last release and the new Make A Memory set finally popped up in my mail box a few days ago. It arrived just in time for me to play along with the MSS Block Party! This will be my first MSS challenge card that doesn't use images from Hippie Chic! (Although the sentiment is from that set - I can't abandon it completely!) I thought the colours from this week's ColourQ challenge would go along perfectly with what I had in mind. I love that Dusty Durango colour - too bad it's retired. I used Terracotta from ColourBox as a substitute and although it looks rather red in my photo it's actually a pretty good match. Originally I planned to make a one layer card and mask all the cameras but I smudged it of course. So I ended up popping up the Terracotta camera. I also tried again and made a one layer card without smudging it but in the end I preferred the one with the popped up image. So glad that sometimes mistakes can be so handy!

Cardstock: (White) Gina K

Stamps: (Camera from Make A Memory, Sentiment from Hippie Chic) Market Street Stamps
Inks: (Terracotta) ColourBox, (Baja Breeze, Basic Grey, Lucky Limeade) Stampin' Up
Gems: Doodlebug

Copics: E08, YG23

Blog Award and Blog Candy!

2012-02-24T21:46:00.000-04:00

I have been lucky enough in the last month to be gifted with the Liebster Blog Award by not 1 but 4 lovely fellow crafters! What is the Liebster Blog award? Here is a quick explanation. 'Liebster' is German for 'dearest'. The award is a 'share-the-love' arrangement, given to inspirational bloggers with less than 200 followers (based on Google followers).

Here's the to-do list of any Liebster award recipient:
1) Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you
2) Reveal your five blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
3) Copy and paste the award on your blog (see above)
4) Hope that those you award forward it to their favorite bloggers!

A big thank you to the following lovely ladies who were kind enough to pass on the award to me. If you haven't checked out their blogs before then you must - they are all super talented and super sweet and supportive.

JJ of Ribbon Girls - I found JJ when two of her cards were winners in the Moxie Fab Championing Award Medallions Challenge - a Moxie Fab first! She has a fantastic CAS style and a super cute pooch named Cooper!

Noelle of Paper & Ice - Noelle is on the DT of one of my favourite challenges - ColourQ - and I love her bright, cheerful cards and paper crafted creations.

Jen of The Sparkle Within - Not only are Jen's cards super cute but she has inspired me with her personal challenges such as not purchasing any new craft supplies until making 100 new cards. She's also a huge supporter of Operation Write Home.

Jane of Create and Show - Jane makes cards but is also an avid scrapper. I love her fun layouts of her boys and especially the ones that are inspired by magazine ads - so cool!

There are about a million people I'd like to pass this on to but we're supposed to keep it to people who are relatively new to blogging or have under 200 followers. Here are my Fab 5:

Lindsey of Bashful Blogging - Not sure why she's bashful because her cards are gorgeous! She's also such a supportive bloggy friend and a fellow book lover.

Jessi of OneCraftyMama - Jessi is hilarious. I always stop to read her comments on other people's blogs because I know I'll get a good giggle from them. She is also the most prolific crafter I know and is the anti-Jen as she loves her patterned paper and isn't afraid to use it!

Joyce of Cards-by-the-Sea - Joyce has only been blogging since last August but you'd never know it's been such a short time given her gorgeous cards and many challenge entries. I love that she's always ready to dive in and try something new!

Michelle of Amusing Michelle & Happy Snap Michelle - You get double the creative fun with Michelle as she has a crafty blog and a photography blog both of which are spectacular!

Jackie of Rockwell Designs - I love Jackie's bright and cheerful CAS designs many of which have found their way into my CASE file!

And now onto the blog candy as promised in the title! This week I reached 100 followers! Whoop whoop! I remember when I started blogging and thinking of that as an unattainable number but here it is! And I know it's not cool to care about how many followers you have but you know what? It makes me happy. So there. :p To celebrate I've got a little stash of blog candy to give away. There are Hero Arts, Stampin' Up and Unity stamps and some Maya Road flowers. In keeping with the theme of sharing the love, leave me a comment and tell me about a fabulous blogger that I should check out. I'll draw a winner on Monday!

Thanks to everyone who comes to visit! I am so grateful for the wonderful friends this blog has bought to me and for all of the amazing inspiration I find from fellow bloggers. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Black & White Flashback!

2012-02-24T09:51:00.001-04:00

I wanted to play along with Amy Tsuruta's Flashback Friday Challenge which this time around involves sharing your first black and white card. After scrolling through my entire blog it turns out that the first black and white card I made was just a few weeks ago! Not much of a flashback but you can check out the original post here. If you've never played along with Flashback Friday before then now is definitely the time to join in on the fun as Amy has amassed a whopping prize package in honour of this being the 20th challenge. Scoot on over there and hop along with all the past designers for some fun and a chance to win!

Get Well & Sympathy

2012-02-22T15:43:00.000-04:00

**This is my second post for today. Please scroll down or click here for my CAS-ual Fridays/Jay Gee's Nook post.***

Almost missed the Paper Smooches Sparks deadline again but I am sneaking in the last few hours. I was inspired by the grey and peachy pink colours and the heart. The mug is paper pieced from some textured Bazzill paper although you can't see it too well in the picture. I had a few different ideas for this picture but I didn't have time to get to them today as I ended up making a couple of sympathy cards for clients at work. Not my favourite job but Darwin and Jeter were pretty special dogs and I wanted their owners to know that their sweet boys touched us too.

Supplies for Get Well card:
Cardstock: (White) Handy Hippo, (Grey) Bazzill, (Calypso Coral) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Mug, shadow and swirls from Hot Concoctions, Heart from Falling for You, Sentiment from Chit Chat) Paper Smooches
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Calypso Coral, Basic Grey) Stampin' Up
Copic: R22

Supplies for sympathy cards:

Cardstock: (Kraft) Gina K, (Early Espressol) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Single paw print & sentiment from With Sympathy: Loss of a Pet) PTI, (Multiple paw prints) Bouji
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Die: (Swirly alphabet) Cuttlebug, (Block Alphabet) PTI

Fabric, tag & twine - Craft supply

Bright and Fuzzy

2012-02-22T09:49:00.000-04:00

I think this is now the third time I've paper pieced a Purple Onion Designs image for a CAS-ual Fridays challenge. I really need to change it up a bit but when I made this card on Monday I was in need of bright cheeriness and this card did it for me! The challenge this week at CAS-ual Fridays is to use ribbon. That is something you rarely see on my cards despite the large quantities of it that can be found in the Craft Cave... However, I pulled out this fun red fibre to add to the plant pot. I love the fuzziness of it! And since I needed bright cheeriness I knew that the challenge at Jay Gee's Nook was perfect as the inspiration photos are full of rainbow goodness.

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill
Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Cherry Cobbler) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Cherry Cola, Orange Cream, Lemon Drop, Fuzzy Navel, Deep Blue from Lime Rickey collection) Basic Grey
Ribbon: (Adornments Fun Fibres) EK Success

A Splash of Pink

2012-02-21T06:52:00.000-04:00

Here's card #2 from Monday's battle with my mojo! I decided to play along with the Play Date Cafe's colour splash challenge. This is quite an old Unity stamp (from 2009!) that has never seen any ink. I thought of it immediately when I came to this challenge and was glad to give it a chance to see the light. I used some Liquid Pearls in the centres of the flowers - so excited to finally have some of that stuff. I embossed the tree and the sentiment and didn't spill a drop of embossing powder at all during the making of this card! Whoop whoop! :)

I also wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for their sweet messages on yesterdays post. You all sure know how to make a girl feel better. :)

Cardstock: (White) Gina K, (Melon Mambo, Basic Black) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Tree from May '09 KOM - Another Sweet Day) Unity, (Sentiment from Think Big Favourites #5) PTI
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaMark) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder: (Clear, Seafoam White) Ranger
Dies: (Nesties Standard Circles Large) Spellbinders
Other: (White Opal Liquid Pearls) Ranger

Battling My Mojo

2012-02-20T16:55:00.000-04:00

Last week was one of those weeks when everything at work was an emergency. Sometimes we have days where it seems like all we have happening are basic things like vaccines, nail clips, spays, neuters, dentals, etc. Then there's weeks like last week when nothing is basic - GDVs, broken limbs, pancreatitis, bite wounds, RTAs, etc. Just when we thought we were getting under control something else would turn up. The vets and nurses were going straight through from 7:30am - 7pm not even stopping for lunch breaks. It was nuts. And it was heartbreaking as we lost several battles. I was totally fried by Friday night and more than a little depressed. I know that we can't save everything and you have to have a level of stoicism for this work but sometimes it wears you down. Needless to say my mojo was NOjo this weekend. Didn't get any crafting done at all. Just tidied the house, hung out with Luis and the hounds and spent Sunday doing my best impersonation of a sloth. When I woke up this morning I was still feeling a bit blah but I was determined to get that mojo kick started. It was a struggle but I pushed through and got 3 cards made. Nothing amazing or wildly imaginative but I got something accomplished so I'm feeling a lot better.

So this card is for the Just Add Ink colour challenge - a sweet spring colour palette. Unfortunately the gale force winds outside are not exactly spring-like today but I found this lovely image from Unity that definitely is. :)
Cardstock: (White) Gina K, (So Saffron) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Flowers from Jan '11 KOM - To The Moon & Back) Unity, (Sentiment from Everyday Sayings) Hero Arts, (Bit of Burlap) Market Street Stamps

Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaMark) Tsukineko

Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger

Punch: (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida

Copics: Y21, YG63, G21, BG10, BV23

You Hold The Key

2012-02-15T17:27:00.000-04:00

Popping in with one more challenge card today. This month's challenge at Young Crafters Unite is a sketch challenge and I broke out some new PTI stamps to play along. It took a lot of fussing and rearranging and colour changes before I came up with something I liked but I'm glad I didn't quit because it means I've conquered yet another sketch challenge! They'll probably never be my favourite challenges but I'm definitely feeling more comfortable with them.

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Melon Mambo, Basic Grey) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Banner from Bannerific) Lawn Fawn, Sentiment from Lock & Key) PTI

Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Melon Mambo) Stampin' Up

Dies: (Heart Prints, Lock & Key) PTI

Sweet Lil' Boy

2012-02-14T23:02:00.000-04:00

I needed a baby boy card for a friend and wanted to use this sweet Purple Onion Designs stamp. They have a whole series of these little framed doodles which I think are so cute! I dug out this fun paper pad by Deja Views that I've had since late 2007. I remember very clearly that I REALLY wanted this paper collection and ever since I got it it has looked lovely on my shelf! :) Now it finally gets to see the light of day! I'll be entering this in the Love You to Pieces challenge at CAS-ual Fridays and the patterned paper challenge at Lily Pad Cards.

Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Patterned Paper: (Pear Collection) Deja Views
Stamps: (Bear Framed Doodle) Purple Onion Designs
Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Hello Hello

2012-02-14T06:11:00.000-04:00

I've got a multi-challenge card for you today. I started out with the colours from the Play Date Cafe. I love their bright and cheery colour story this week. Susan of One-Layer Wednesday has challenged us to use more than 5 circles on our card and Chrissie and Mandi at Less Is More are looking for one-layer cards with stripes. I figured there must be a way to combine these and I ended up using my new (to me) Background Basics: Retro stamps from PTI which incorporate stripes and circles! Using the PTI stamps also made this eligible for A Passion for Papertrey's stripes challenge. A CAS four-challenge wonder!

Cardstock: (Rustic white) PTI

Stamps: (Background Basics: Retro) PTI, (Hello) Woodware USA

Inks: (Pacific Point, More Mustard, Night of Navy) Stampin' Up

Gems: (Bumblebee Assortment) Doodlebug

Unique Chic

2012-02-13T16:20:00.000-04:00

I've had a lovely and productive day in the Craft Cave but now I have to dash out and pick up Luis as his bike has broken down. Doh! Hope it's not too expensive to fix but at least the hounds will enjoy going for a ride. Anyway the first card I worked on today was one for Market Street Stamps' Paint the Town Challenge. And guess what set I used? My trusty Hippie Chic set! I actually won a set from the latest new releases but it hasn't arrived yet so I'll have to use it for the next challenge. For now though, I'm still enjoying the Chic!

Cardstock: (Cream & white) Pacon, (Grey) Bazzill, (Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Guitar and sentiment from Hippie Chic) Market Street Stamps

Ink: (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Daffodil Delight) Stampin' Up, (Wild Hare) ColorBox

Embossing Powder: (Black) Ranger

Gems: (Sunflower Yellow Ice Rox) Queen & Co

Chick Chat

2012-02-12T22:40:00.000-04:00

It's been a cold, windy, wet and wild weekend here and we're bracing ourselves for temperatures in the mid 50s tomorrow. Brrrr! A good day for bustin' out the space heater in the Craft Cave and gettin' my card on! I got a couple of special order cards sorted out this weekend and one challenge card for the Colour Throwdown. I was so happy to see a colour palette that didn't include red or pink. :) I used the sketch from Skipping Stones Design and a few stamps from their cute Chick Chat set. Now off to watch the rest of the Grammys - don't want to miss Adele's performance!

Cardstock: (Cream) Handy Hippo, (Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Chick and sentiment from Chick Chat) Skipping Stones Design

Ink: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Embossing Powder: (Seafoam White) Ranger

Impression Plate: (Polka Dot Basics II) PTI

Dies: (Nesties Standard Circles Large) Spellbinders

Punches: (2 1/2" circle) Marvy Uchida, (3/4", 1", 1 1/2" flowers) Woodware, (1/8" & 1/4" hole punches) McGill

This Time Last Year...

2012-02-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

... we were here!

"One. Million. Dollars!"

Fancy Schmancy Forever

2012-02-09T20:18:00.000-04:00

Cath has picked out some Fancy Schmancy cakes to get our creativity whirring for the latest Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie Fab World. I was inspired by the colours of the cakes, the ruffled cake liners and the doily they're sitting on.

Since there's a lot of PTI happening here I'm going to enter this over at A Passion for Papertrey where the challenge is to use stripes. I'm also going to join in with Simon Says Stamp's Love Is In The Air challenge.

If you have 45 seconds to spare then watch this short video on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBTQw7I5zBE
The guy in the yellow jacket is Dr. Neil Burnie, one of the partners at the veterinary practice I work at. He was on holiday in Jackson Hole, WY last week and just happened to be snowboarding in the right place at the right time to help someone out. I talked here about what an amazing guy he is and now he can add Hero to his lengthy list of accomplishments!

Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI, (Cream) Pacon, (Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Mega Mehndi Medallion, Think Big Favourites #11) PTI
Ink: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder: (Seafoam White) Ranger
Dies: (XL Rickrack Border) PTI

Patterned Paper Thanks

2012-02-08T19:24:00.000-04:00

***This is my 2nd post for today. Please scroll down or click here for my CAS-ual Fridays/ColourQ/Lawnscaping post.***

I made a super cute card for the last Paper Smooches Sparks challenge but when I went to post it I was 2 days late! Doh! Not gonna miss it this time though (even if I have waited until the last minute). As usual Kim has provided us with a fun image that opens the door for all kinds of crafty possibilities. I was inspired by the colours and the flower and combined stamps from Pretty Phrases and Friendly Flowers to come up with my card. I kept it simple with some patterned paper, fussy cutting and a bit of bling. And thanks to the paper I'll also be entering it over at the patterned paper challenge at Lily Pad Cards.

Cardstock: (Kraft) Paertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: (Branch & Ripple from Brook collection) Crate Paper

Stamps: (Sentiment from Pretty Phrases, Flower from Friendly Flowers) Paper Smooches

Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger

Gems: Doodlebug

Love Is All Around Us

2012-02-08T14:43:00.002-04:00

My two favourite movies are "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Love, Actually". I realise that this is a pretty random pairing but well, I'm a bit random myself! :) CAS-ual Fridays has asked for cards inspired by movies this week. "Silence" is not a particularly card inspiring film especially when I got stuck on the "It puts the lotion in the basket" quote. Creepy, yes. Cardworthy, no. So I decided to go with "Love, Actually" as my inspiration. I used the colour palette from ColourQ and I'm also going to enter it at Lawnscaping's Valentine's inspiration challenge.
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill Basics, (Regal Rose, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Letters from Smitty's ABCs) Lawn Fawn

Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Dies: (Block Alphabet) Papertrey Ink

Punch: (Heart) Unknown

Amy Butler Butterfly and a Jemmy Burrito!

2012-02-06T18:53:00.001-04:00

Good evening, all! Hope you had a lovely weekend. Friday was Luis' and my mom's birthdays so on Saturday night we went to a fantastic restaurant and had one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Super yummy stuff! Luis spent most of the weekend playing with his birthday present (tools for Mr. Carpenterman) and I did a bunch of sorting and tidying in the Craft Cave. I have a huge bag of stuff that I'm giving to my friend who's a teacher - I think she'll be able to make good use of it. :)

As you can see I used up some more patterned paper for today's card. It's stuff I've had for ages too - Amy Butler for K & Co. Yeah, I had to blow the dust off of it first! The card is for the CASE Study challenge. After Jen Rzasa's stint ended I promised myself I'd still play along even if the next muse wasn't quite as CAS. Don't get me wrong - I find these shabby/vintage cards beautiful but I'm just not so good at pulling them off myself. So I focused on the colours, the butterflies and the banner and came up with something a little more me. I'm also going to enter this over at Lily Pad's patterned paper challenge.

I thought I'd share a couple of photos of Jem who apparently was a little chilly the other morning! I don't know why I bother to make the bed because Jem rolls himself up like a burrito and completely undoes it all!

Cardstock: (Night of Navy) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Amy Butler Belle collection) K & Co

Stamps: (Doodle from Happy Trails) PTI, (Sentiment from Wish You Were Here) Hero ArtsInks: (Night of Navy) Stampin' Up

Dies: (Butterfly, Double-Ended Banner) PTI

Punch: (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida

Gems: (Nightfall Ice Rox) Queen & Co.

Birthday Mushrooms

2012-01-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

This was the last week that Jen Rzasa was the muse over at CASE Study which is a real bummer as I love her work. She was part of the reason I finally got around to playing along with CASE Study at all. I think in the past I've found a lot of the cards very busy and was unsure how to CASE it in my style (which is silly really because there are/were several great CAS cardmakers on the DT like Cristina Kowalczyk, Christina MacLaren, Amy Wanford and Debby Hughes). I'm going to try and stick with it when the new muse comes along though no matter what her style! I'm also going to enter this card over at the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge - who couldn't use a SSS gift certificate these days?
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill Basics
Stamps: (Mushrooms from Forest Whimsy) Paper Smooches, (Sentiment from Think Big Favourites #7) PTI
Inks: (VersaMark Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Real Read, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo) Stampin' Up

Publications!

2012-01-29T21:06:00.000-04:00

Since I'm catching up on things these days (like RAKs), I thought I'd also do a little horn tooting and show you guys my first publications! The above card can be found on page 44 of the January/February 2012 issue of Paper Crafts. Interestingly, it was the first idea I had when I read the call for submissions. I couldn't seem to get it right though so I made and submitted a bunch of other cards instead. Then at the last minute I gave it one more try, sent it in and this was the only one to be chosen. Funny how things work...

I also had two cards published in the December 2011 issue of Cards.

Please excuse the appalling photos!! These were taken way back in April or May when my photography skills were still extremely raw (ie non-existent). I'm grateful they chose them despite the photography!

I also wanted to thank both Jen of The Sparkle Within and Jane of Create and Show for passing the Liebster Blog Award on to me. You should stop by their blogs and check them out if you haven't before. They both have lots of gorgeous cards and layouts on show!

Very Belated RAKs

2012-01-28T23:24:00.000-04:00

I spent a lot of time at the beginning of the month merrily scrolling through people's Christmas RAKs and thinking about how I must post mine. But have I done it yet? No. Why? Because I'm a bit useless really and not a very good bloggie friend!! I was at the point where I wondered if posting them now would be insulting but I decided I was going to post them anyway so everyone else can enjoy them too.

The first Christmas card I received was from Emily of Art From The Heart. I love the non-traditional colours of this card and the subtle touches of colour on the leaves. So sweet! (Excuse the holes in the corners of the card. I pin them to the board above my desk in the Craft Cave so I always have inspiration on hand.)

Next up are more fabulous non-traditional colours from Amy of Tsuruta Designs. Her stitching always blows me away as well as her bold and bright style.

I won some blog candy from Lindsey at Bashful Blogging and she sent it along with this sweet little mini card. How cute is that polka dotted penguin??

This card came with some stamps that I bought from Amy (again of Tsuruta Designs). She's trying to dehoard so I thought I'd be a pal and take a few items off her hands! :) More lovely stitching and polka dots on the house! Love me some polka dots!

Hope you enjoyed seeing these fabulous cards and if you haven't checked out any of these ladies' blogs then you must take a minute and do so. That's an order! :)

Rainbow Chick

2012-01-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

I've really been enjoying Jen Rzasa's Runway Inspired Challenge despite the fact that I am so completely fashion challenged - jeans and a sweatshirt all the way for me thank you! I love seeing everyone's interpretation of the pictures and it's forcing me to examine things more closely and with a more open mind. Always a good thing. Anyway this week is this totally cool chick in a fabulous rainbow dress so where did my brain go? To a rainbow feathered bird of course! I've had the feathers kicking around for a while so I was pleased to put them to use along with a few more scraps of patterned paper and some more Purple Onion Designs stamps. :)

Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Patterned Paper: (Quince and Smoke from the Ambrosia collection) Basic Grey
Stamps: (Curly Bird, sentiment from Flower Framed Doodle) Purple Onion Designs
Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Copics: R29, BV23

White Bulb

2012-01-25T09:22:00.001-04:00

CAS-ual Fridays is celebrating Penguin Awareness Day this week with a black and white challenge. No other colours invited to this party! I busted out the white embossing powder for my card and guess what I did AGAIN??? Yep, I spilled that entire pot o' powder. Thankfully this time I spilled it on my crafting mat and not all over the floor. *Phew!* Crisis averted (although I still said a few naughty words in that initial moment of panic). Maybe I need to have mellower music playing so there's less bopping about...

ETA: I do have extra pots of white EP - I ordered 3 after the last disaster - but no matter how many I have I still hate to spill it!

Cardstock: (White) Pacon, (Basic Black) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Lightbulb from Faith, Hope, Love...Live By It) Unity Stamp Co, (Sentiment from Giddy Bugs) Paper Smooches
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder: (Seafoam White) Ranger
Punch: (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida

Bright Butterflies

2012-01-24T06:27:00.000-04:00

For this week's CASE Study card I followed the Cristina Kowalczyk method of CASEing a card - I looked at the card then walked away from it and wrote down what struck me about it. I remembered squares with rounded corners, bright colours, brown matting and a thank you. And above is what I came up with using my list. More patterned paper (courtesy of a blog candy win from Lynn - thanks, Lynn!), some bright Modern Basics butterflies and a Think Big sentiment. I'm pretty sure this is the first time those MB stamps have seen any ink. Hopefully it won't be the last!

Cardstock: (Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Pacific Point, Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Confetti Cake from Life of the Party collection) Basic Grey
Stamps: (Butterflies from Modern Basics, Sentiment from Think Big Favoutires #3) PTI
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) TsukinekoPunch: (Corner punch) Marvy Uchida

Birthday Birdies

2012-01-23T11:53:00.004-04:00

I had a few hours to get crafty yesterday while Luis was building a little shelf for our cookbooks. This is one of the cards that I made and I played along with two challenges for it. I used the colours from the Play Date Cafe and the sketch from Skipping Stones Design. It's the first time any of these stamps have been inked up and I also used some patterned paper (from Basic Grey's Nook & Pantry collection) so I'm continuing to forge ahead with using up my stash!

We actually managed to get some odds and ends accomplished this weekend which I feel pretty good about. We measured out several outdoor areas that need tiling and chose the tile. We also took some artwork to get framed. I had bought it in Mexico on our honeymoon last February with the intention of making my own frame for it. Fast forward to now and it was still sitting on top of our bookshelf unframed so I broke down and took it to the framers. It would probably be cheaper to do ourselves but if we haven't done it in all this time I don't foresee it happening any time soon and I'd rather get it up on the wall where it can be enjoyed. I wish I was more of a do-it-yourselfer but alas, I am not.
Card Base: Handy Hippo
Cardstock: (Always Artichoke, Early Espresso, Basic Grey) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Waffles from Nook & Pantry collection) Basic Grey
Stamps: (Bird from Everyday Blessings, Sentiment & music notes from Heartsong, Background pattern from Grunge)
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Embossing Powder: (Clear) Ranger

Be Whoever You Wanna Be

2012-01-22T18:06:00.000-04:00

The last time I entered a Market Street Stamps challenge I said I really had to get some more stamps from them besides background stamps as Hippie Chic was the only non-background set I had. Despite much temptation I haven't gotten around to ordering any others yet so it's more Hippie Chic for me for January's Paint the Town Challenge. I was pretty liberal with the pink on this card but there's a touch of sherbet on the lower patch on the dress and an aqua patch as well as the aqua sentiment.

We took the dogs for a swim this morning but Jem was not diggin' it. Atti would swim if there were icebergs out there - as long as there's something to fetch he'll go overboard. Jem, however, is not appreciative of the chilly water and figures if we aren't going in then he sure as heck isn't either! Since he didn't get much of a swim he's bouncing off the walls now so it's off for a walk. Have a lovely evening!
Cardstock: (White, Dark Pink, Sherbet) Bazzill, (Pool Party, Regal Rose) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Hippie Chic) Market Street Stamps
Inks: (Melon Mambo, Pool Party) Stampin' Up
Punch: (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida
Copic: RV02

All Roads Lead To You

2012-01-21T09:27:00.000-04:00

I'm determined not to miss anymore deadlines so I'm posting this card for the Map to Your Heart Challenge in the Moxie Fab World 3 days ahead! Whoop whoop! I had an extra copy of the Bermuda Yellow Pages Book of Maps on hand so I cut some arrows out of it and matted them on grey cardstock. I used PTI's Linen and Canvas impression plate on the turquoise cardstock for some texture. The sentiment is computer generated and the heart is a PTI die. I have one sheet of Thickers and have been hoarding them for ages but this is the year of giving my supplies their moments to shine so I finally broke them out. Love the dimension they add!
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Poppy Parade, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Grey) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Bermuda Yellow Pages Book of Maps
Impression Plate: (Linen and Canvas) PTI
Dies: (Double-ended Banner, Heart Prints) PTI
Sticker: (Daydream Thickers) American Crafts

Tiny Dots

2012-01-20T20:17:00.001-04:00

Hello, my friends! Today I'm playing along with LeAnne's colour combo at the Paper Players and also linking up to Unity's Friends With Flair blog hop. If you look closely at the centre of the flower you can see that it's paper pieced with Blushing Bride paper and then I punched 1/16" holes from the Pear Pizzazz paper for the dots. They were certainly a bit fiddley to stick down but I got them in place eventually.

Any big plans for your weekend? I have a growing (and long neglected) list of odds and ends to do around the house so I'm going to attempt to cross a few things off of that list. Maybe. I'm afraid the siren call of the Craft Cave may prove to be too much to resist...

ETA: Doh! I missed the Paper Players deadline!!! :(

Cardstock: (White) Gina K, (Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Flower from Cuckoo Clocks, Sentiment from April '11 KOM - Small Things Matter Most) Unity
Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Punches: (1/16" hole punch) McGill, (Corner punch) Marvy Uchida
Gems: Doodlebug

So Long, Wee Memories!

2012-01-20T12:25:00.001-04:00

I'm really sad to see the Wee Memories challenges coming to an end although I understand Jenny's reasons for making the decision. Wee Memories holds a special place in my heart as it's the first challenge that I ever placed in! My ribbon flower was chosen as one of the Fab 4 last January. I was so excited to finally add a challenge blinkie to my sidebar. :) Anyway, the final challenge is a sketch challenge which almost sent me running in the other direction but I was determined to suck up my sketch fear and not miss out on this special event. I didn't really think about this before but I guess it's kind of appropriate to have made a sympathy card for the passing of the challenge! And look at all that patterned paper up there! It's from Basic Grey's Origins collection - yes, I have a lot of oldie goldies in my stash... The stamps are Hero Arts. My thanks to Jenny and the design team for all the fabulous challenges and inspiration and I look forward to seeing what comes next for you all! :)
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Authentic, Sea Salt, Paraffin from the Origins collection) Basic Grey
Stamps: (Leaves from Delicate Leaf Clusters, Sentiment from With Sympathy) Hero Arts
Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Early Espresso) Stampin' UP!
Dies: (Nestabilities Labels 10) Spellbinders, (Medium scallop border) PTI
Punch: (1/16" hole punch) McGill
Twine: Craft supply

Pensive Bluebird

2012-01-19T19:22:00.000-04:00

Less Is More is another challenge that I haven't played along with in a while so I thought I'd join in their latest - a one layer card with the subject of birds. I had a completely different card to start with but couldn't quite make it work so I started again and ended up with this which uses a pensive little bird from Paper Smooches' Forest Whimsy which I was lucky enough to win because I used the phrase "Whoop whoop" in my comment! I knew that would come in handy one of these days... :)
Cardstock: (White) Gina K
Stamps: (Bird from Forest Whimsy) Paper Smooches, (Sentiment from Everyday Sayings) Hero Arts
Ink: (Memento Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
Copics: Y17, BG01, BG05

Little Blue Elephant

2012-01-19T06:55:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Popping in with a baby card for Kathy's Lily Pad Palette Challenge over at Lily Pad Cards. The elephant stamp is from an old PTI collection that I just recently got my hands on and the sentiment is from Hero Arts - it's definitely my go-to baby card sentiment! I coloured the two smaller buttons with Copics and they've come out a lot lighter in the photo than they really look... Must check these things more carefully at the time! Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Bashful Blue, Night of Navy) Stampin' Up, (Grey) Craft supply
Stamps: (Elephant from Sweet Baby) PT, (Sentiment from Baby) Hero Arts
Inks: (Bashful Blue, Night of Navy) Stampin' Up
Dies: (Elephant and Double-Ended Banner) PTI, (Nestabilities Blossom) Spellbinders
Copic: B29
Buttons: Craft supply

Framed Flower

2012-01-18T12:06:00.001-04:00

I haven't given my Purple Onion Designs stamps much love lately and I knew the Flower Framed Doodle stamp would be perfect for this week's CASual Fridays challenge to use scallops. I paper pieced it with Basic Grey's Lime Rickey papers - score one for using more patterned paper! :) It's rather Courtney Kelley-esque I think. I love her paper piecing and I discovered POD thanks to her fabulous work on their design team. Off to throw the ball for the hounds now. I can't take their "I'm so neglected" eyes any longer!

Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI
Patterned Paper: (Cherry Cola, Lemon Drop, Fuzzy Navel, Deep Blue, Hoboken from Lime Rickey collection) Basic Grey
Stamps: (Flower and sentiment from Flower Framed Doodle) Purple Onion Designs
Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Basic Grey Butterflies

2012-01-17T19:05:00.001-04:00

One thing I am determined to do this year is use up some of the ridiculous stash of patterned paper that I have acquired. It really is a bit scary how fast it has multiplied. I swear it's been breeding when I'm not looking because there's no way I could have actually bought all that is there?? Anyway, however it got there it must be used and tah dah! Today I have used a whole fifth of a sheet of 12x12 Basic Grey Indian Summer paper. Only 2 million sheets to go... As with last week I didn't stray too far from Jen's inspiration card over at the CASE Study challenge. Tone on tone cardstock, die cut butterflies and bright coloured paper behind them. If it ain't broke... :)
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up

Patterned Paper: (Cedar from Indian Summer collection) Basic GreyStamp: (Sentiment from Mat Stack 1 Collection) PTI
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko

Embossing Powder: (Clear) RangerDies: (Butterfly) PTI
Punch: (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida

Gems: Doodlebug Design

To Love and Be Loved

2012-01-16T17:56:00.000-04:00

Another week of struggling with the colours at the Play Date Cafe. I don't know why they are giving me such a hard time but I am determined to conquer them! After much pondering of supplies I decided to play with some PTI stamps for this card. Since A Passion for Papertrey's current challenge is Valentine's I went for a love theme and ended up with a 2-challenges-for-the-price-of-one card. After several design attempts (see below for an alternate) I was finally happy with this one. I used my Sew Easy tool for the first time and I think I'm going to like playing with it!
It's even colder today than it was yesterday - hasn't gotten out of the 50s. Brrr! Gonna have to bundle up for Monday Night BBQ!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Gina K, (Cherry Cobbler, Elegant Eggplant) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Birds and sentiment from Happy Trails, Heart from Tiny Treats: Valentine) PTI
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, Elegant Eggplant) Stampin' Up
Dies: (Mat Stack 3, Layerz Mat Stack 3) PTI
Punches: (Arch Lattice) Martha Stewart, (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida
Embroidery Floss: (Deep Red) Making Memories

Quilted Numbers

2012-01-15T18:26:00.000-04:00

It's a cold and blustery Sunday here - a perfect day for crafty time! :) I finally sat down to work on my entry for this week's Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie Fab World. This is another one of those cards that's been percolating in my brain for a while. Sometimes I'm hesitant to sit down and try and make them because I'm afraid they won't turn out like what's in my head. Thankfully I'm thrilled with how this one came out! I die cut numbers from the white panel and then from coloured paper and then put them all together. Then I took my embossing stylus and made little indents around each number to mimic the quilted look. Now, I'm not sure if you're supposed to enter a card in more than one Moxie Fab challenge but I'm going to give it a try as this card qualifies for two other challenges that are running at the moment for Cool Tools Week: the Embossing and Debossing Challenge and the Die Cutting Challenge.

Now I'm off to cook some good hearty comfort food for this chilly night and then snuggle up on the sofa with the boys. Have a wonderful evening!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pacific Point, Pool Party, Pretty in Pink) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Smitty's ABCs) Lawn FawnInk: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Dies: (By The Numbers, Double-Ended Banners) PTI

Punches: (1/4" hole punch) McGill

Other: (Glossy Accents) Ranger

Celebrate with Stripes

2012-01-13T13:08:00.001-04:00

There are so many awesome cards at the Runway Inspired Challenge this week. Go check them out if you have a chance. I've had an idea floating around in my head for it and thankfully I squeezed in some crafty time this morning. Obviously I was inspired by the black and white stripes but what also caught my eye was the model on the very edge of the picture. I liked the idea of bookending something with stripes and thought of this Unity bracket stamp that I have. The stamp actually has polka dots inside the brackets which I didn't want so I stamped them on the back side of my striped paper and cut them out. Now, this might be a stretch, but I'm also going to join in with Unity's Friends with Flair blog hop with this card - I did use a Unity stamp even if I only used it's shape. :) This card also fits in with Simon Says Stamp's Spots &/Or Stripes challenge. Off to work now. Have a wonderful day!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Black, White) Pacon

Patterned Paper: Doodlebug Designs
Stamp: (Bracket) Unity
Stickers: Scenic Route

Old School

2012-01-11T21:27:00.001-04:00

The desk cleaning project that I began yesterday got a little out of hand and I spent most of today trying to get it under control - hence why this post is so last minute! Today's card is super clean and simple and made for 3 challenges - CASual Fridays' Chip Off the Old Block challenge, Young Crafters Unite's clean and simple challenge and the chipboard challenge at Lily Pad Cards. I used to love to play Atari! As impressive as some of today's games are sometimes I wouldn't mind a simple round of Asteroids or Centipede! :)
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI, (Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive) Stampin' Up
Stamp: (Sentiment from My Type ) Hero Arts
Inks: (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Chipboard: (From The Boyfriend collection) Cosmo Cricket

CASEd Kites

2012-01-10T20:47:00.000-04:00

CASE Study is another one of those challenges that I've looked at every week since I started blogging but have never played along with. I figured what better time to finally join in than their first challenge of the new year. This month's muse is Jen Rzasa and here's her gorgeous creation:

As you can see I stuck pretty closely to the design and colour scheme of Jen's card. Perhaps in future challenges I'll get a little more adventurous...
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Kites from Up, Up and Away, Sentiment from Birthday Bash Sentiments) PTI
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaMark) Tsukineko
Punch: (Threading Water Edge punch) Fiskars, (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida

A Tweet Birthday

2012-01-09T22:12:00.000-04:00

The colours at the Play Date Cafe this week really did my head in! My first two efforts got chucked out and I finally decided to go easy on myself and keep it really CAS. I broke out some more unused Skipping Stones Design stamps so this card is also headed for the Simon Says Stamp New Something challenge. Now I'm off to dig out my desk. I started sorting it today and it always seems to get worse before it gets better. I barely have enough room to move my mouse around but I had to take a little tidying break to write up this post. :)
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Cream) Pacon, (Certainly Celery, Pool Party) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Everyday Blessings) Skipping Stones Design
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Certainly Celery) Stampin' Up
Gem: Doodlebug Design
Impression Plate: (Linen & Canvas) PTI

Musical Rainbow

2012-01-08T22:12:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been away from crafting for awhile and then really struggled to get back into it? Since we got back from our Christmas trip I've really been trying to find that awesome groove that I had going before the holidays. It has not been easy and today's the first day I finally got something made that didn't make me want to scream. It's for the sketch challenge at Skipping Stones Design. Can't believe I'm starting out the year with a sketch challenge! Maybe this will be a year full of changes... I'm also going to enter this over at Simon Says Stamp's New challenge as this is the first time I've inked up this set of stamps.

And here's the view from our hotel on our trip. Any idea where we were? :)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Music notes and sentiment from Heartsong ) Skipping Stones Design
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Gem: Doodlebug Design
Twine: (Stone) The Twinery

Work it, girl.

2011-12-22T21:23:00.000-04:00

When I saw the sassy poses of the ladies on this Unity stamp I thought of the phrase, "Work it, girl!" And, whenever I look at the Runway Inspired Challenge site, that RuPaul song, "Supermodel" pops into my head - "You better work! Work it, girl!" So what better challenge to use the phrase for than the RIC challenge! Aside from RuPaul, my inspiration for the card came from the colours in the picture (green bag, mustard strap, purple sunglasses, white and beige dress) and the graphic background. I couldn't find any stripes I liked so I went for the blue grid instead in keeping with the graphic feel. The dots around the ladies are highlighted with lavender Stickles and the ladies themselves are covered in Glossy Accents (that green bag looks kinda shiny to me...). I'm also going to enter this over at the Wee Memories Anything Goes challenge.

I know my posts have been sporadic lately but I'm now officially going on a blogging break for a week or so. Got a lot going on and am not going to be seeing the inside of the Craft Cave any time soon. So before I go I just want to wish you the very happiest of holidays and sent out big festive hugs to all!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Kraft) PTI
Stamps: (Image from Nov 2011 KOM - Take Your Time) Unity Stamp Co, (Sentiment from Smitty's ABCs) Lawn Fawn, (Grid Background) Hero Arts
Inks: (More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Wisteria Wonder) Stampin' Up, (Jardin Moss) Palette
Gems: (Lavender Ice) Queen & Co
Glitter: (Lavender Stickles) Ranger
Other: Glossy Accents

'Tis the Season

2011-12-21T15:49:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I last posted. Just like everyone else I've been busy busy busy trying to get things done during this crazy time of year! Also, most of last weekend was spent finishing up that 72 card special order and I was more than happy to finally hand it over on Tuesday! Today I'm supposed to be doing some cleaning but instead I snuck off to the Craft Cave to get a little carding done. So much more fun than vacuuming... :)

Today's card is for 4 challenges. The colours are taken from this week's Just Us Girls challenge which I had to play along with because my buddy Lynn is the hostess! :) (Hope it's okay that I snuck some yellow in there...) My inspiration is from the photo collage at Jay Gee's Nook (in particular the gift bag in the lower left hand corner). I also wanted to play along with the Inkspirations Christmas Creations Challenge as, sadly, this is their final challenge. And last but certainly not least I'm joining in with Use It Tuesday's Holiday challenge. I've had that poinsettia die in my stash for a few years now and I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've used it. That music background also had quite the layer of dust on it when I pulled it out too! That's it for now. Later, gators!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Pcaon, (Kraft) PTI, (Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Music Background) Hero Arts, Banner from Bannerific) Lawn Fawn, (Sentiment from Boughs and Bells) PTI
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Die: (Poinsettia) Marianne Design Creatables

Fashion Inspiration

2011-12-15T21:32:00.000-04:00

Have you seen the latest challenge blog on the block? It's Jen Rzasa's Runway Inspired Challenge. I wasn't sure if I'd play along since I'm not much of a fashionista but I am trying to push myself a bit more in the challenge department so I thought I'd dive in. I thought the sentiment was appropriate as fashion is supposed to be fabulous! :)

I had hoped to work on some cards tonight for tomorrow but I'm knackered and I'm working a long shift tomorrow too so hopefully I'll be back on Saturday! Until then...

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Daffodil Delight) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Obviously Orange Grid) Doodlebug Design
Stamps: (Sentiment from Birthday Sayings) Hero Arts
Inks: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder: (Butterscotch) Adirondack
Die: (Star) PTI

Let's Hang Out

2011-12-15T06:15:00.000-04:00

I managed to avoid the call of the Angry Birds long enough to get 4 cards completed yesterday including this one for the Embellish Banners Colour Trends Challenge. I made my banner out of flowers and leaves. Don't think I've made too many banners out of flags actually. I tend to make them out of other things like this one and this one.
Gotta jet to work - it's my long day today. Hope you all have a wonderful one! :)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Garden Green, Soft Suede) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Tree, leaf and sentiment from Hang Ups, Flower from Friendly Flowers) Paper Smooches
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Garden Green) Stampin' Up
Punches: (Flower) Woodware Craft Supply, (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida
Gems: Doodlebug
Copics: YR16, V06

Colourful Vines

2011-12-14T20:59:00.003-04:00

***This is my second post of the day. Please click here for my Paper Smooches Sparks / Young Crafters Unite card.***

I sat and stared at this Just Add Ink inspiration photo for ages and actually nearly gave up on it. I didn't want to go the purse route as I made a purse card just last week and I don't have much silver stuff kicking around at the moment. That left me with the colour palette which I found a bit scary! However, after going through just about every stamp set I own I settled on PTI's Background Basics: Vines set and the coordinating die. Despite my initial colour fear I ended up having fun with the card and with breaking in the stamps and die. And speaking of dies, Young Crafter Unite, here I come with one more entry! :)

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Melon Mambo, Poppy Parade, Pool Party) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Vine border from Background Basics: Vines) PTI, (Sentiment) Hero Arts
Inks: (Lucky Limeade) Stampin' Up
Dies: (Leafy Vine Border) PTI

Punch: (Corner Punch) Marvy Uchida

Thanks Ever So Much

2011-12-14T15:22:00.000-04:00

I've got 2 posts for you today and I am determined not to forget them like I did my Play Date Cafe post yesterday. Doh!! Major blond moment but I have an excuse as I got an early Christmas present - an iPad! I was very excited and more than a little distracted so I totally spaced on my post. It's not going to happen today though (even if those Angry Birds are calling my name...) Okay, onto the card. This is only the second time I've managed to play along with the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge. I love the inspiration photos Kim provides and I must play along more often (add that to the New Year's Resolution List!). I'm also going to enter this little number over at Young Crafters Unite's die cutting challenge.

I was thrilled today to have my twig and ribbon card featured on Freehand Scraps' Ten Fabulous Christmas Ideas post. Pop over if you have a chance because they have some super cute ideas. :)
Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill, (Bashful Blue, Pacific Point) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Flower from Friendly Flowers, Sentiment from Pretty Phrases) Paper Smooches
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Fresh Snow) PTI

Embossing Powder: (Butterscotch) Adirondack
Die: (Nestabilities Labels Seventeen) Spellbinders

Impression Plate: (Linen & Canvas) PTI

Gems: Doodlebug

Read the Directions!

2011-12-12T12:14:00.003-04:00

This project ended up taking ages as I didn't read the directions properly for 2 challenges! I loved the colours for last week's ColourQ challenge and decided to make a card with a book theme for the Celebrating Hobbies Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. Luckily I stopped by Christina's and Kasia's blogs and it finally sunk into my thick skull that we were supposed to make anything BUT a card. So change of plans. I decided to stick with the theme but I'd make a bookmark instead! Brilliant! So I made my bookmark and was very pleased with it until I reread the rules at Moxie Fab - "Create a paper crafted card". DOH!! So I came up with a little card to tuck my bookmark into but by that point the ColourQ deadline was way past so now I'll only be entering this puppy over at Moxie Fab. Moral of the story - don't get distracted by the pretty pictures - read the fine print! :)

Before I go I want to share a couple of pictures from this year's Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday night. Over 70 boats took part and it was a perfect, clear, calm evening for the event. This boat was my favourite:

They had the Star Wars theme blasting and everyone on the boat was dressed up like characters from the movie. (Sorry the photo's not so great - had trouble figuring out what settings to use!) A few other cute ones:

Oh no! De po-po locked up Santa!

Charlie Brown kind of looks like a cyclops in this picture...

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Kraft) Gina K, (Poppy Parade, Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise) Stampin' Up

Stamps: (Image and sentiment from Books a'Flutter by Ippity, Sentiment on bookmark from Oct 2011 KOM - Faith, Hope, Love...Live By It) Unity Stamp Co
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Poppy Parade) Stampin' Up

Embossing Powder: (Seafoam White) Ranger
Die: (Half & Half) PTI

Ribbon: Craft supply (Think it was from some Doodlebug packaging)

Leopard Print Girlfriend

2011-12-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm so excited to rejoin the fun of Friends with Flair over at Unity. I've missed hopping along and seeing everyone's creations each week. I used the colour palette from this week's Colour Throwdown challenge and made a girlfriend card for the Celebrating Realtionships Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. Can't go wrong with purses and leopard print when it comes to your girlfriends! Okay, going to try and get one more card made before I head off to work. Have a great day!
Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (Old Olive, Bravo Burgundy, Soft Suede) Stampin' Up, (Cream) Craft supply
Stamps: (Purses and Sentiment from Oct 2010 KOM - Take Time To Laugh, Leopard print from Mar 2011 KOM - Just You) Unity Stamp Co
Inks: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Bravo Burgundy) Stampin' Up
Dies: (Mat Stack 3, Double-Ended Banners) PTI

Gems: (Round) Doodlebug, (Square) Craft supply

Copics: R59, YG95

Joy Joy Joy

2011-12-08T06:21:00.000-04:00

Take note: A Tuesday Trigger post that isn't going up at the last minute on Sunday night! Whoop whoop! I recently won a gift certificate to Lil' Inker Designs and my Jingle Joy sentiments and dies arrived just in time for this challenge! The baubles made me think of the Lil' Inker bell so I cut them from origami foil to get that shiny look. I was also inspired by the floor boards in the picture and used some woodgrain embossed card for the background. Since the stamps are Chrismasy, but all that grey is not something I'd usually equate with Christmas, I'm going to enter this in the non-holiday colours portion of the challenge at The Paper Players. And with all those dies how could I not enter it in the latest Young Crafters Unite challenge?

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (White) Bazzill Basics, (Basic Grey) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Jingle Joy Sentiments) Lil' Inker Designs
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko
Dies: (Bell & letters) Lil' Inker Designs

Impression Plate: (Woodgrain) PTI

Growing Up Without Getting Old

2011-12-07T21:10:00.000-04:00

***This is my 2nd post of the day. Please click here for my Inkspirations/Create post!***

Back again as promised and this time with a card for CAS-ual Fridays and Young Crafters Unite. CAS-ual Fridays is back with their super fun Tic Tac Toe board and YCU wants us to use die cutting on our cards. I went for a diagonal choice on the board and came up with scallops, kraft and aqua. I diecut a scalloped rectangle frame from aqua paper and used it to highlight this great Frank Lloyd Wright quote. I used Hero Arts' Flourish background behind the sentiment and cut the legs off the star brad and popped it on with a Glue Dot for a little shine.
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI, (Tempting Turquoise) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Flourish Background) Hero Arts, (Sentiment) Cloud 9
Inks: (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Die: (Nesties Classic Scalloped Rectangle Large) Spellbinders
Impression Plate: (Linen) PTI
Brad: Craft Supply

Christmas Birdie

2011-12-07T14:55:00.000-04:00

Hello hello! Just popping in with my first of two posts today! This card uses the colours from this week's Inkspirations challenge and as it's a Christmas card I'm entering over at the Create blog. I used the Hero Arts Magical Background on the card base to give it a bit of interest but kept everything else pretty simple with some paper piecing and a touch of bling.

I feel like I've been away from Blogland forever! It's been a crazy few weeks with getting ready for Art in the Park, puppysitting for Franklin, extra shifts at work, naughty doggies and the beginning of all the holiday socialising - dinners, open houses, work parties... It all seems to happen at once! I've really missed playing with challenges and visiting everyone to see what they're up to and I'm working on catching up with everyone at the moment - so many gorgeous projects out there! I've been so excited to come back to find a few challenge recognitions too! Thanks to Lily Pad, Market Street Stamps, A Passion for Papertrey and Moxie Fab! I also have a card published in the December issue of CARDS (my first pub!) and since it uses Unity stamps I received $25 and a free stamp set from them as part of their publication incentive program. Not too shabby huh? It's like Christmas has come early! Off to do a bit more work but I'll be back later with another post and more catching up.
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill Basics, (So Saffron, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Bird with Holly, Magical Background) Hero Arts, (Sentiment from Pretty Phrases) Paper Smooches
Inks: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Wild Wasabi) Stampin' Up
Gem: Doodlebug
Copics: Y21, R46, R85

Red, White & Green

2011-11-22T22:18:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to get some card sets made up in preparation for the Art in the Park event in a couple of weeks and this week's Just Us Girls challenge to use red, green and white came along at just the right time to help me out. In my Christmas stash I found some red, green and white Pebbles stickers so I paired them with the sentiments from PTI's Tremendous Treats and some Nestabilities to make a cute set of coordinating cards. I even had two sets of the stickers so there's 2 sets of cards done and dusted!

I spent the afternoon hanging out with Franklin. He's moved out of the sleepy puppy phase into the manic toddler phase! And he's getting so big!

Peace Love Joy

2011-11-21T21:46:00.001-04:00

Today I finally pulled out my Christmas paper stash. For someone who doesn't use much patterned paper, it's a pretty big ol' pile o' stuff! After much fussing and hemming and hawing I managed to use two different pieces of patterned paper on my card! (Pausing to receive pats on the back...) At this rate I might use it all up before I start collecting a pension! :) Anyway I used it to create a card for A Passion for Papertrey's Christmas challenge. I used the Christmas Tree die and a sentiment from Stylish Sentiments: Holidays. I also broke out my long neglected Distress Inks and used Vintage Photo on the edges of the kraft cardstock and Peeled Paint on the tree. I really must remember to use them more often...
Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a set of Christmas cards. I'm working in the morning and puppy sitting in the afternoon so it'll be busy one!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Kraft) PTI, (Pear Pizzazz) Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: (Forever Christmas Cards Paper Stack) HOTP
Stamps: (Sentiment from Stylish Sentiments: Holidays) PTI
Inks: (Vintage Photo & Peeled Paint Distress Inks) Ranger
Dies: (Christmas Tree) PTI, (Star from Die-Namics Stacking Stars) MFT
Glitter: (Goldenrod & Xmas Red Stickles) Ranger

Harvest Berry Thank You

2011-11-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

***This is my 2nd post of the day. Please click here for my Tuesday Trigger/4 Crafty Chicks post!***

The solar lights are set up (way easier than I expected), the dogs are swum and dinner is on the stove! Luis is feeding the hounds while I type this up and then they are sure to conk out. Tired dogs = peaceful evening. :)

The card is my entry for The Colour Throwdown. I got the Harvest Berries stamps and dies in my last PTI order and am finally putting them to use after seeing them everywhere. They really are pretty versatile. Hoe you all had a lovely weekend!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Cream) Pacon, (Basic Grey, So Saffron) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Leaves from Harvest Berries, Label and sentiment from Mat Stack 1 Collection) PTI
Ink: (Basic Grey, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron) Stampin' Up
Die: (Harvest Berries, Mat Stack 1) PTI

Lollipop Trees

2011-11-20T14:16:00.001-04:00

I love this Unity birds and trees stamp. It's the reason I bought this set. It immediately came to mind when I saw the picture for this week's Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie Fab World. How awesome is that bag? Love those little lollipop trees all over it! I'm also going to enter this card over at 4 Crafty Chicks for their paper piecing challenge.

I'm hoping to get in some more crafty time later today but first Luis and I are going to put in some solar lights along the driveway and then take the hounds for a swim. Enjoy your day!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill Basics, (Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Trees from April 2009 KOM - Fresh Beginnings) Unity Stamp Co, (Sentiment from Mat Stack 3 Collection) PTI
Ink: (VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Die: (Nestabilities Labels Ten) Spellbinders

Embossing Powder: (Seafoam White) Ranger

Blog Candy Winner!

2011-11-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.

Okay, as you can see above, Random.org is not cooperating with me today. The Result number showed up when I was writing this post but when I went to preview it the result was blank. Huh? I'm assuming it's going to stay blank when I post this so you're going to have to trust me when I say that the winner is #16!

Congratulations to Robin from Bosenberries! Please send your snail mail address to LilJen1 at northrock dot bm and I'll get these in the mail to you! Have a great weekend everyone!

Mix It Up!

2011-11-18T13:08:00.000-04:00

***This is my 2nd post for the day. Please click here for my Friends With Flair/Paper Players post!***

I thought I'd have time to post this after I got home from work but I just realised that one of the challenges closes in only 4 hours! This card is for the Wee Memories Birthdays & Parties challenge and also for the Use It Tuesdays cooking challenge. I love the Cosmo Cricket Early Bird and Garden Variety collections and have been hoarding them for ages now. I also have a million Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type stickers that I use very sparingly. I really don't know what I think I'm saving all this stuff for. I'm sure all my stash would be much happier to find itself on a card than collecting dust in the Craft Cave. Thanks, Use It Tuesday for kicking my butt into gear and getting me to put this stuff to use! Okay, really gotta dash now - back later with the blog candy!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Real Red) Stampin' Up

Patterned Paper: (Sunday Picnic from Garden Variety collection, Image from Early Bird collection) Cosmo CricketStickers: (Tiny Type) Cosmo Cricket

Dotty Tree

2011-11-18T12:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Friday means it's Friends With Flair day over at Unity and it also means it's deadline day for the latest Paper Players challenge. I've used Unity stamps and the Paper Players' colours for my card as well as some Nestie and impression plate action.
I'll be back later with another card and also the winner of the blog candy! For now though it's off to work. Hopefully it will be a better day than yesterday which started off with an excited Great Dane peeing all over my leg! The joys of working with animals! :)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (White) Bazzill Basics, (Almost Artichoke) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Tree from Gingham Christmas Greetings by Ippity, Sentiment from Christmas Bough) Unity Stamp Co
Ink: (Riding Hood Red, Almost Artichoke, River Rock) Stampin' Up
Die: (Nestabilities Labels Ten) Spellbinders
Impression Plate: (Polka Dot Basics II) PTI
Gem: Doodlebug

Hang in There Tag

2011-11-16T21:57:00.000-04:00

***This is my second post of the day. Please click here for my Lawnscaping / Simon Says Stamp post.***

Back with one more card for today and this one is a Triple Threat. I wanted to make a card for the Pay It Forward Challenge at the Moxie Fab World - specifically one for National Day of Encouragement. I paired the theme with the colours from the Lily Pad Palette Challenge and the tag made it eligible for CAS-ual Fridays Tag You're It Challenge. Off to get lunch and stuff ready for tomorrow. It's my long day at work and I'm going to take Franklin for a walk on my lunch break. Busy busy!

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (White, Yellow) Bazzill Basics, (Tempting Turquoise) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Sun from July 2009 KOM - A Pocket Full of..., Sentiment) Unity Stamp Co
Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Riding Hood Red) Stampin' Up
Die: (XL Rickrack Border) PTI
Eyelet: We R Memory Keepers

Twine: (Maraschino) The Twinery

Banner Thanks

2011-11-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

I was back to puppy sitting for Franklin today so I didn't get much time in the Craft Cave. I haven't played along with any Lawnscaping challenges in a while but I recently got the Quinn's ABC's set which I love and thought I'd put to use. The challenge this week is Thanks and at Simon Says Stamp the challenge is Thanksgiving/Thanks so I thought I'd enter this over there as well. Please forgive the rather appalling photo. Didn't realise just how bad it was until right now! Ack!
Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Stamps: (Birds from Bannerific, Letters from Quinn's ABC's) Lawn Fawn
Ink: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko
Twine: (Stone) The Twinery
Other: Glossy Accents

Colour Issues!

2011-11-15T06:17:00.000-04:00

I'm taking part in an Art in the Park event in a couple of weeks as well as trying to finish up an order for a lady who wants two sets of 36 cards (all different!) for her daughters for Christmas. So, not much time spent on challenges today but I did manage to complete an entry for the Play Date Cafe. My orange is a lot darker than the orange on the colour picture but I'm going to blame that on my printer. I think I've mentioned that my computer is at the other end of the house from the Craft Cave. So, for challenges, I print out the colours or sketches or what have you and take them with me to work from. My printed copy of this week's colours showed a rust colour - hence my use of Cajun Craze on my card. I should have learned my lesson after last week's PDC debacle. I printed my colour picture and made a card that I was really pleased with and excited to enter. I gleefully wrote my post and added my pictures and then added the PDC colours. That's when I realised I had a problem. Last week's grey, pink and yellow came out from my printer as grey, pink and green! Doh!!! It wasn't until I was writing the post that I realised the error. In future I really have got to remember to double check what my printer spits out!
And, Katie, if you're reading this, please send me your e-mail address as I have been unable to respond to your comment!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Cajun Craze) Stampin' Up, (White, Black) Pacon
Stamps: (Tree & sentiment from Funky Foliage) WPlus9
Inks: (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Cajun Craze) Stampin' Up

Sunshine Love

2011-11-14T14:15:00.001-04:00

There's an awful lot of pink and purple going on in Market Street Stamps' Paint the Town Colour Challenge. Between the colours and the inspiration photo all I could think of was flowers. However, I have no MSS flowers. I have a number of their background stamps but only one set of stamps. (Note to self: Remedy this situation!) So working with the Here Comes the Sun background and the Hippie Chic set I came up with this. Funnily enough, when I then went over to the MSS blog I found that Sarah had created a card with the same two stamp sets! Go figure...

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: (Pale Pink Bazzill Basics, (Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant) Stampin' Up
Stamps: (Here Comes the Sun background, Sentiment from Hippie Chic) Market Street Stamps
Inks: (Blushing Bride, Certainly Celery) Stampin' Up
Die: (Skittle De Do alphabet) Sizzix