Lollipop Trees

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   

Lonely Pear

Both CAS-ual Fridays and 4 Crafty Chicks have challenged us to colour in stamped images this week.  There are a lot of crafty people out there who can work wonders with their Copics (check out this bucket by Karen Baker for a jaw-dropping example) but I am not one of them so I kept my colouring pretty simple.  I used the Play Date Cafe colours for my palette and this lonely looking Unity pear for a simple Thinking of You card.  

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill Basics &  Gina K, (Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Old Olive) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Pear  from July 2009 KOM - A Pocket Full Of...) Unity Stamp Co, (Sentiment from Mat Stack 2 Collection) PTI
Ink:  (Memento Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
Copics:  YG63, YG95, Y21, V06

The End of the Ban

Good evening, all!  Just wanted to pop in to share my entry for this week's colour challenge at 4 Crafty Chicks.  I've been wanting to paper piece this Unity flower image for a while and since I need more birthday cards I paired it with this birthday sentiment.  I also added some Stickles to the flowers for a touch of sparkle and some Glossy accents to the "Happy" for some shine.  


Oh, and remember the shopping ban?  So much for that...  When a shopping ban ends for me, it ends with a bang! Being forced to order more white embossing powder seems to have opened the ordering floodgates.  I am currently awaiting goodies from:

Scrapbook.com

Simon Says Stamp

Papertrey Ink

The Twinery 

Market Street Stamps

I also tried to put an order in with Skipping Stones Designs but was having problems with checking out.  My messages to them asking for assistance have gone unanswered which I'm unimpressed with.  After experiencing such fantastic customer service from other companies (Unity, Woodware USA, Purple Onion Designs) maybe I now have high expectations.  However, given the economic tough times we're going through, what company would ignore messages saying, "Please help me give you my money"??  Their loss and I'm sure there are plenty of other companies who would be happy to help me out.  

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill Basics, (Rose Red, Old Olive, Baja Breeze, Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Image & sentiment from May 2009 KOM - Another Sweet Day) Unity Stamp Co
Ink:  (Early Espresso) Stampin' Up
Other: ( Cinnamon Stickles, Glossy Accents) Ranger, 

Monochromatic Trees

***This is my 3rd post for today!***

Click here for my Play Date Cafe / Wee Memories post

Click here for my Use It Tuesday post

Click here for a chance to win a Print Candee gift certificate

Just a quick post as I've already had more than enough to say today.  :)  This card is for several challenges.  4 Crafty Chicks is hosting a monochromatic challenge and over at Just Add Ink the theme is Just Add a Die Cut.  I'm also going to enter this in the Hero Arts monthly challenge under the holiday cards theme.  Have a lovely evening!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Garden Green, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Pear Pizzazz) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Trees from Merry Christmas Trees set, Sentiment from Holiday Sayings set) Hero Arts
Ink:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko, (Garden Green) Stampin' Up

Embossing Powder:  (Clear) Ranger
Dies:  (Nestabilities Labels Seventeen)  Spellbinders
Gem:  Craft supply

You Make Life Bright

I like to use bright colours on my cards but this one hits a whole new level of bright even for me!!  I used the colours from PaperCrafts Connection's Colour Inspiration Challenge #9 and decided to just go big! I love that Woodware flower punch and it seemed to go with the crazy colours.  (Going to enter this in the 4 Crafty Chicks and Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenges too.)
Despite the ridiculous humidity, I went for a run today for the first time in ages and I have a feeling that I'm going to be pretty darn sore tomorrow.  Not sure what possessed me but hopefully whatever it was will strike again sooner rather than later!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry) Stampin' Up, (Purple) Craft Supply
Stamp:  Unity Stamp Co
Inks:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Die:  (Nestabilities Label 17)  Spellbinders
Punches:  (Pop Flower)  Woodware Craft Collection
Gem:  Queen & Co.

Paper Piecing Throwdown

***This is my 2nd post of the day.  Scroll down for my Tuesday Trigger post!***

Another card from my WCMD weekend. This was made using the colours from the Colour Throwdown challenge.  I used a Woodware USA stamp and did some paper piecing. This works perfectly for the Wee Memories challenge this week as we are to use our favourite technique on our project and I love me some paper piecing.  :)  And, surprise, surprise (say it with me now!) - I'm going to enter this in the 4 Crafty Chicks and Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenges.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and managed to squeeze in some crafty time.  I've had a blast checking out what everyone has been up to - so much amazing inspiration!      

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill Basics, (Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade, Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Image) Woodware USA, (Sentiment from Asian Fusion) PTI
Inks:  (VersaMark & VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko

Embossing Powder:  (Seafoam White) Ranger

Delightful Randomness

Hello!  Just popping in quickly with another card from yesterday's day of bliss in the Craft Cave.  This card is inspired by this week's Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie Fab World.  I love the gingham envelope, the sweet turquoise birdie and the buttons in the picture and I based my card around them.  All three stamps are seeing ink for the first time with this card even though some of them have been hanging around the Cave for quite a while!  The shopping ban is definitely not fun but it is forcing me to use what I've got so it has it's merits I guess.  I'm also entering this card into the 4 Crafty Chicks and Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenges.  Have a great Sunday!


Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill Basics, (Green) Pacon, (Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise) Stampin' Up
Stamps:  (Sentiment) Hero Arts, (Bird from Fun and Fast Notes) Stampin' Up, (Plaid stripe from April 2011 KOM - Small Things Matter Most) Unity Stamp Co
Ink:  (VersaFine Onyx Black) Tsukineko, (Melon Mambo) Stampin' Up
Copic:  YR31
Buttons:  Craft supply

It's A Celebration!

Happy World Card Making Day everyone!  Luis is at work so I have had the whole day to myself to spend in the Craft Cave!  Whoo hoo!  (Soooo glad I got the cleaning done yesterday.)  It's also a perfect crafty day as yet another hurricane (Ophelia) is passing nearby so it's rainy and humid outside.  I've got lots I want to get done today and one of those things was my entry for this week's ColourQ challenge.  ColourQ is celebrating their 2nd anniversary (or would it be birthday?) and the challenge is to CASE a past ColourQ Queen.  I had so much fun going through all the past Queen cards and ended up with a shortlist of 6 that I wanted to CASE.  After much deliberating I finally chose to CASE this fabulous card by Nina:

I did lots of punching and die-cutting for mine and I added Glossy Accents to the centres of each star and Stickles to the centre of the main star (although you can't really see it).  I was thrilled that I had matching twine (thanks, Emily!) as I really didn't have any other ribbon that would work.  I like that sentiment as it works for so many occasions - including WCMD!  I'm also going to enter this over at 4 Crafty Chicks and at Simon Says Stamp as they are both running Anything Goes challenges.  Now back to the Craft Cave for more craftiness!  :)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill Basics, (Early Espresso, Old Olive, Pool Party, Rose Red) Stampin' Up

Stamp:  (Sentiment from Birthday Bash Sentiments) PTI

Ink:  (VersaMark) Tsukineko

Embossing Powder:  (Seafoam White) Ranger

Dies:  (Die-Namics Stacking Stars) My Favourite Things 

Punches:  1" circle punch (EK Success), (1/4" & 5/16" hole punches) McGill

Twine:  The Twinery

Other:  (Ranger Distress Clear Rock Candy) Stickles, Glossy Accents

Play Date Chicks

It feels like I haven't been in Blogland for ages!  I have lots of blog surfing to catch up on.  I hate feeling like I'm missing out on what everyone's been up to.  I had lots of extra work shifts last week and several special orders to take care of but hopefully this week I'll get back to playing along with challenges.  I'm starting today with an entry for the Play Date Cafe's colour challenge and 4 Crafty Chicks' Fall/Autumn challenge.  All the stamps on this card are from the August 2010 KOM - All You Need.  

Yesterday was a gorgeous day.  Luis and I spent the morning putting together our new BBQ - the old one was totally falling apart and really was a death trap.  I was a little nervous about the task as the last time we put a BBQ together the day nearly ended in divorce (and we weren't even married yet!)  However, things went a lot more smoothly this time around and I can't wait to fire up the new grill tonight!  Later in the day we took the hounds for a really long swim.  Unfortunately Jem took in way too much water and was feeling pretty horrible for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  He wouldn't even get off the sofa to eat his dinner!  Thankfully he's back to his wild self today and I'm considering getting him a life jacket which should keep his head higher out of the water in future.  He looked so pathetic and sorry for himself last night that I don't want him to go through it again.  

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (Green, yellow) Bazzill, (Kraft) PTI

Patterned Paper:  (Adeline Ave from Garden Grove collection) Scenic Route

Stamps:  (Images & sentiment from Aug 2010 KOM - All You Need) Unity Stamp Co.
Inks:  (VersaMark & VersaFine Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko, (Garden Green) Stampin' Up
Embossing Powder:  (Clear) Ranger

Winter Wishes

I wanted to have another go at one of the sketch challenges over at the Moxie Fab World so this is my entry for the Horizontal Sketch Challenge.  I'm also going to enter it in the Less Is More CAS Anything Goes challenge.  The LIM ladies are attempting to get 1000 entries so I am happy to lend a hand and help them reach their goal!  :)  This week's challenge at 4 Crafty Chicks is to use embossing so I am posting this puppy over there as the snowflake and sentiment are both heat embossed.  And, of course, I can't forget my friends at Use It Tuesdays - here's 5 more previously uninked stamps!

Also, today is Monday and time to announce the winner of my Unity blog candy!  (You thought I'd forget didn't you?)  Not too many comments on that post but I didn't really advertise the blog candy.  I wanted it to be for people who not only were followers but who actually look at my blog regularly.  I hate the idea of having a bunch of people suddenly become followers just do win some free stash.  I also enjoyed reading what products people are enjoying these days although asking for that was a bit of self torture given the shopping ban!!  :)  Okay, let's get to the part you really want to read - without further ado here's the winner!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:2Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Commenter #2 is Jenny from Crafting in the Country!  Congrats, Jenny!  And thanks again to  all of you who stop by and say hello and who in turn inspire me with all your amazing creations.  :)  

     

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  (White) Bazzill, (Black) Gina K Luxury Cardstock
Stamps:  (Flower, sun, leaf from Friendly Flowers) Paper Smooches, (Snowflake from Winter Swirls, Sentiment from Holiday Button Bits) PTI
Ink:  (Memento Tuxedo Black & VersaMark) Tsukineko
Embossing Powder:  (Silver & Seafoam White) Ranger
Gems:  Doodlebug

Punch:  (3/4" square) EK SuccessCopics:  R27, YR68, Y17 / Y08, Y38 / YR04, YR07, G99

Crafty Chick Birthday

Some cute little birdies came along this week with a sweet colour combination at 4 Crafty Chicks!  I used some Hero Arts stamps and a PTI sentiment to make a birthday card which I'm also going to enter over at this week's Create challenge.  Lots of fussy cutting here and more background stamping.  I love the subtle effect of stamping with Versamark.  I'm also loving my Doodlebug gems lately.  Each colour comes in 4 different sizes which is so handy. Gonna have to place an order for some more soon.  *Sigh*  A crafter's shopping is never complete!  :)   

Supplies: CS: Bazzill, SU; Stamps: Hero Arts, PTI; Inks: VersaMark, VersaFine; Gems: Doodlebug

The cleaning frenzy is still ongoing.  We worked on the kitchen yesterday.  Pulled everything out of every cupboard - cleaned all the cupboards, weeded out stuff we don't need.  It's scary how fast things accumulate and how quickly you forget it's even there. We've got a ton of stuff put aside to take to The Barn (our local charity shop) and a few things for the dump and I'm feeling good about streamlining.  Luis keeps asking when I'm going to have a clear out in the Craft Cave!  Ha!  Silly boy...  

Merci

This seems to be the week of colour challenges which is fine with me - they're my favourite. This card is for this week's 4 Crafty Chicks challenge.

Supplies:  CS: SU; Stamps Unity: Ink: VerdaFine; Gem: Doodlebug; Dies:  Nesties Labels One

This is my first attempt at making a shaped card and I think it's kinda cute.  The flower is from Unity's Bella Fiori set and the sentiment is from their Sept 2010 KOM.  Love that fun font!  

Mother's Day Mouse

Surprise, surprise.  Guess who missed another challenge?  I really thought I was on the ball this week but I guess the whole Monday thing really threw me off.  *Sigh*  I had intended to enter the 4 Crafty Chicks sketch challenge but it's already closed.  Doh!  However, I also used the colour combo from Inkspirations Challenge #62 and I think I still have a few hours to spare before that one closes on me too!  :)   

Supplies: CS: SU Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Whisper White; Stamps: Papercraft Essentials Magazine, Elzybells, Hero Arts; Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Regal Rose; Other: Nesties Labels Four, Copics

This cute mouse stamp was a freebie with Papercraft Essentials magazine.  I love his big nose - it was calling out to be coloured pink!  I can't remember where those white flowers came from - WalMart maybe?  I found them in one of my ribbon containers.  Love finding little surprises in the Craft Cave!    

4 Crafty Chicks & Inkspirations

I've been making note of a lot of challenges for the last couple of weeks and not actually getting around to creating anything for them.  Part of the reason is I feel like I've been inundated with sketch challenges!  I find that I really struggle with them and tend to avoid them.  Colour and theme challenges are my favourites.  However, I decided to push myself today and combined this week's 4 Crafty Chicks colour challenge with the sketch challenge at Inkspirations.

Here's what I ended up with:   

Cardstock: SU Basic Grey, Pretty in Pink & Concord Crush; Stamp: Fiskars; Ink: VersaMark; Other: Ranger embossing powder, Basic Grey gems, Cuttlebug EF and PTI IP, Diamond Glaze

I'm not much of a pink girl usually (especially a pale pink) but I fought my anti-pink tendencies and went for it!  I embossed the pink cardstock with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, punched out purple circles to fill in some of the dots and then added Diamond Glaze to them.  I also added a DG border around the sentiment.  It's a start but I still have a long way to go with these sketch things.  I find I take them very literally and have to try and relax and let myself play with them a bit.  Guess I'll just have to make more cards to practice...  :)   

Just Add Ink, Off the Wall & Crafty Chicks

I've made a card for 3 different challenges today, including two challenges I've never entered before.   I'm using Off the Wall Craftiness' inspiration colours, Just Add Ink's sketch and a recipe from 4 Crafty Chicks.

4 Crafty Chicks

RECIPE:

1. Ribbon

2. Brads

3. Pattern Papers.

Card Blank: Handy Hippo; PP: Kaisercraft Offshore; Stamp: Hero Arts; Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, ColourBox Cyan, Palette Orangerie;  Other: American Crafts brads, PTI die, Copic (YR68), misc ribbon, Glossy Accents

I love this patterned paper from Kaisercraft - called Offshore.  I've used it on a few different cards now and I feel like the papers are so bright and fun that they don't need much embellishing.  I got to break in my new banner die from PTI and I coloured 2 white brads with an orange Copic.  (Those Copics are so darn handy!)  I seem to be using that HA sentiment stamp a lot recently.  I guess it's my attempt at warding off all the cold, gloomy days we've had lately!