Stampin' Around Philly...with friends!!!

I'm back from Philly, and boy did I have fun stampin' around!  LOL  I seriously did though.  I am so fortunate that I got to meet two really good blogging buddies while I was there, Tammy Hershberger and LeAnne Pugliese!  I LOVE those ladies!  Just as much in person as online!!  I roomed with LeAnne and a sweet young lady who I met when I arrived - Jackie Rakoski!  Two great roommates IMO...which we all know isn't always easy to come by when you're rolling the dice.  Here's a picture of the two of them:

LeAnne (left) & Jackie (right)

We only stayed overnight so most of our time together was in the stamping room.  Here's a shot of me and Tammy there:

...and me and LeAnne:

This next picture was taken in the dining room while Tammy and I pretended to be gazing into the skylight...which was actually a large porthole window...and I couldn 't help but laugh.  Did I mention that Tammy is hilarious?!  She cracks me up online...you know she has me rolling in person!  Ha ha  I made this into a "vintage photo" just for fun...  Kind of looks like a post card to me ;]

If you read Tammy or LeAnne's blogs (...Mona?? :) you probably saw a picture of the three of us...with me squinting in the sunlight!  LOL  Well, this photo was taken at the same time just turned around and out of the sun. 

Sooooo...Tammy and LeAnne aren't only sweethearts and a hoot to be around, they are very thoughtful also!  LeAnne brought me the cutest little treat box she made filled with gourmet chocolates from a local chocolate shop!  Oh, and I'm sitting here devouring the chocolates at midnight because I'm starving...and they aren't just chocolate, but chocolate with PEANUT BUTTER!! I'm thinking someone read my blog post where I mentioned PB cups are my
FAVORITE!  Gourmet chocolate with PB is like royalty to PB cups!  DELISH!  Thank you, LeAnne!!  Isn't this box the cutest?

The frame is another gift she brought me for my birthday.  She bought the frame and used rub ons to glam it up!  I LOVE how it turned out and those colors are PERFECT for me!  Totally my style...it will go beautifully in several rooms of my house...but I suspect I'll keep it in my craft room ;]

Tammy brought me a pack of Basic Grey patterned paper wrapped in kraft paper and tied with ribbon with a cute little tag attached!  I didn't take a picture of the wrapped present, but you can view them on Tammy's blog ;]  You can also check out some of the Basic Grey paper from the pack on these two thank you cards I made (Thank you, Tammy!!):

One for Tammy and the other for LeAnne.  Pretty simple really as I just used rub ons, did some layering and tied a pretty ribbon.  Oh, and I used Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge from two weeks ago for my layout (MTSC45).  Isn't it the best?  She has FAB sketches.  Funny thing is when I tried tackling this sketch the week before last, NOTHING came to me and I really struggled to put something together...eventually throwing it aside.  Last night, it took me about an hour to throw these together (without adhering...I did that tonight)...no doubts, no failing elements...everything just WORKED.  IMO anyway!  I love how they turned out.

Okay, I'm writing this with TIRED eyes, so hopefully I didn't miss anything or fail to mention something.  I'll share more Philly pictures soon...sharing some of the projects we made and another pic of me and Becky Oehlers.

Swing by on Thursday for a special post!  You DON'T want to miss it!

Just Us Girls Challenge #6

Hi all!  Today marks the 6th week over at Just Us Girls and today Maria is hosting a fab sketch challenge!! 

This is my take on the sketch:

I love these colors together and couldn't get them off my mind for some reason!  So, I went with the palette.  I really love how it turned out!  I hope to never need this card, but we all know the circle of life and I expect that it will come in handy when I least expect it. 

I colored the tree by using a red marker first to color the leaves, then I used the brown marker to cover the trunk and branches and any stray red marks...huffed and pressed it to the cs.  I originally stamped the sentiment using Sahara directly under the tree, but it was a little off, so I restamped on cs and trimmed it with a curved rectangle nestie, pasted it under the tree and cut my circle.  I used a Martha Stewart punch for the brown and vanilla flowers on the left and used a red brad to hold them together.  I adhered to the cs using a glue dot.  I think the rest is pretty self explanatory, so I won't go into too much detail ;]

Looking for more inspiration?  Check out our fabulous DT members' blog!  They're sure to wow you!

Dana

Lisa

Mona

Maria

Pam

Tracey

 

If you play along this week, be sure to post your project using Mr. Linky on the Just Us Girls blog and use keyword JUGS6 in any online galleries :O)

Hope you can play along!  We love seeing your gorgeous creations, and just by playing you will be in the running to be our next Chic of the Week!

Have a great weekend.  I'll be in Philly...Stampin' Around :]

A Birthday Wish

Happy Monday everyone!  Today is a very special day for me...and my mother I suppose ;]  It's my birthday!  I'm officially 36 years old today...wow.  I am closer to 40 than to 30!  Weird to think considering I don't feel a day older than 25. 

Many of you already know that today is my birthday thanks to my wonderful friends and JUGS teammates who planned a surprise blog hop in honor of my special day!  They made me feel so good that they did that :]  Each team member was sweet enough to make a card just for me (and a magnet from Maria :)...so if you arrived here after hopping along each team member's blog, thank YOU also for taking the time to help me celebrate my special day!  If you didn't, you definitely want to pop on over to the Just Us Girls site so that you can see the BEAUTIFUL projects the girls made for me :O)  I'm so lucky to be a member of the fabulously creative team!  These ladies are the BEST in my book ;]

Okay, since we're on the subject of birthdays, let me share a birthday card I made for a dear friend of mine...before I go through the list of birthday goodies I received :O)

I used the Color Throwdown challenge (CTD66) for my palette:

...and I used the Limelight Sketch challenge for my layout, featuring Celebrity Guest Designer, Lauren Meader (part of the challenge is to incorporate butterflies in your project):

I stamped PTI's Background Basics, Text Style on the Bordering Blue cs and layered it under my main panel. I also punched my Martha Stewart butterfly from the stamped cs.  I used PTI's Wishing You set on my main panel.  I popped up two of the larger tulips using dimensionals, added a couple of pearls to the layered butterfly (can you see the razzleberry butterfly under the folded one?), and tied a bow using some satin white ribbon.  Easy stuff, but hopefully worthy of my good friend's special day! 

Onto my birthday goodies... :O)

My sweet husband bought me a new camera to replace the one that kicked the bucket a couple months ago.  I've been using his and was so surprised by how well his camera photographed my projects compared to my old camera, it was almost a blessing in disguise that mine quit working.  I used to STRUGGLE to capture a good shot before and would take like 20 pictures before I would settle on one I deemed good enough to post.  With his camera, I can take one picture and it's good!  He bought me the same brand and make so hopefully I will be equally successful with mine :)

My daughter, Tia, and her friend, Hazel, made a birthday poster for me and Tia bought two sets of stamps, some Rochelle candy and LOTS of peanut butter cups (my FAVORITE)!  Her stamp choices were sooo sweet...she decided on the "Family" set from Stampology (awwh...tear).  She also bought a cute sentiment set that I will be using repeatedly, I'm sure!  Oh, and the basket she picked up to display my goods is extra cute and I can definitely use it to store some craft supplies ;]

My mom sent me my Great Grandmother's Swedish Bible that I have been requesting for years.  It is by far one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received.  The Bible is leather bound and intricately engraved on the front, back and spine, and it's written entirely in Swedish.  There is a date written on the front page with her name and what I believe is the name of her Pastor, along with a raised seal.  I believe the date signifies my Great Grandmother's first communion.  It is dated September 17th, 1911, which means she was just entering her teen years when she owned it.  What I find REALLY neat about the Bible is that she tucked a few things inside the book that she treasured.  I found two pressed flowers, one unique blade of grass (or what almost looks like it could have been baby's breath), a tiny card with a heart shaped sticker and her mother's name written on it, a scrap of newspaper or phone book type paper that I assume was simply a bookmark for her, a small leaf, and a lock of her hair.  My daughter was creeped out by the lock of hair, but I find it fascinating!  It's almost as if a part of my Great Grandma is with me...still as thick and pretty as it was when she used to brush and curl it :]  Just warms my heart.  Oh, and don't let me forget that my mother also sent me a gorgeous pair of birthstone earrings!  LOVE them!!

My sis bought me a PTI stamp set that I've been wanting but putting off forever!  The Fancy Flourishes set :O)  I can't wait to get my hands on that one!!  -->UPDATE:  No sooner did I type what my sister ordered from PTI did the mailman arrive with yet another package from my sis!  She bought me a ton of stamps, embellishments, patterned paper and a scrapbook!!  She also sent money...she's in soooo much trouble when I get a hold of her!!  LOL

Last but not least, my friend, Dan (who is actually my husband's best friend) bought me a hand painted wine glass titles "Queen".  It has a bunch of tiaras and crowns on it, rhinestones and glitter!  It's so unique, I love it!  I even used it last night already ;]

I hope I didn't forget anyone...though if any of you made it this far, I'm sure you're bored out of your mind by now!  LOL  Thanks again for sharing my special day with me, and thank you for all the well wishes!  I'm having such a wonderful day :O)

Just Us Girls Challenge #5

Happy Saturday everyone!!  Today I'm hosting the Just Us Girls Week #5 Wild Card challenge (JUGS5)! The Wild Card week is where the hostess chooses any challenge she wants, be it color, sketch, technique, 3-D/template...or any old thing that comes to mind.  Well, I actually didn't think up today's challenge...Alicia did!  I asked her if I could use her idea today and she agreed :O)  Sooo...here are the deets:

Fun right?!  Oh, and EASY!!!  I PROMISE. 

Here is my card:

Please keep in mind you can use a real photo of someone you know, a photo taken from a magazine, a picture found online, or one of those black and white staging photos from a new frame!  Whatever you choose!  You'll see the team changed it up and used different things.  I chose to use a school picture of my daughter...simply because I normally send her school photo with my Christmas cards to family and friends.  Now it has a sweet little photo holder on the inside of the card ;]

I drew the lamp post image and my friend, Chris Barr was such a God-send...he made it digital for me!  I now know how to create digital images (limited...but learning quick) so the next one you see will be my work :O)  I also created two sentiments to go with the set, and the very talented Tammy Hershberger wrote the "Happy Holidays" sentiment you see on the front of my card.  Her hand writing is so beautiful!!  Oh, and I DID make her written sentiment digital.  That was harder than it sounds :O)  LOL

I paper pieced the wreath and I printed the image twice and colored both bows.  I cut out one of the bows and popped it up just a little bit by layering my glue dots underneath.  I didn't want it too high, just a little higher than the other paper.  I colored the bow and the light in (and surrounding) the lamp with Copics.  I colored the lamp post with black ink from the ink pad lid and a blender pen.  I then highlighted the post with a white gel pen. 

Pretty simple really...just would be nice if I had a real collection of Copics so that I can stick with one technique!  I trimmed the Happy Holidays sentiment and curled the edges using my wire coiler from my jewelry tools and adhered it with glue dots under the curled paper.  Notice I left the middle raised gently for added dimension.  I think it turned out so pretty!

I really hope you can play along this weekend!!  If you DO play before the deadline (5 Nov @ 9 pm), be sure to link your card using Mr. Linky on the JUGS blog and send an email to Just Us Girls with a link to your card and your email address.  We'll send you your free, Happy Holidays digital stamp set!  Created by yours truly (Kristin Bueter) featuring Tammy Hershberger!  I hope you like it and USE it! I loved checking out the DT's projects using the set...it was so exciting for me :O)  Speaking of...make sure you check out their fantastic projects!!  They are SURE to get your creative juices flowing!

Dana

Lisa

Mona

Maria

Pam

Tracey
Our Guest Designer
Tammy

Use keyword JUGS5 if you upload to an online gallery.  Okay, now it's your turn.  Hopefully you understand why I've been MIA lately.  This computer work takes a lot of time and a different type of mojo!  I hope to learn how to do both without adversely affecting the other.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Just Us Girls Challenge #4 - JUGS 4

Hi all!  Today is the day for our latest and greatest JUGS....errr...challenge!  LOL  Challenge #4 to be precise (JUGS4) ;]  Today our challenge is a 3-D/Template challenge hosted by our dear Mona!

The twist to our challenge?  Well, just like the graphic says...create a 3-D flower!  Mona made an awesome video sharing how she created the beautiful flower on her card that landed her the Featured Stamper title on the Color Throwdown!  You can use her tutorial and make a gorgeous tissue paper flower with her method (like all of the design team did) OR you can create your very own 3-D flower to share with us!  We love learning new techniques!!  Please be sure to link your project to Mr. Linky on the JUGS blog either way!  We adore your eye candy ;]

I kept my card kind of clean and simple...yet not.  Meaning the flower wasn't clean OR simple and the stitching by hand (which is STILL for the birds!) is never simple, but the rest of the design is.  I have to say I was totally inspired by so many amazing entries in last week's challenge!  We are very fortunate to have generated so much interest already and we are always inspired by everyone else's projects!  For some reason the CAS cards really jumped out at me as I went through all of the entries this week.  Alas, my card was born!

I used the same technique that Mona teaches in her video, but I made my "flower" into a wreath!  I'm not sure it looks as much like a wreath as I had hoped, BUT I'm standing my ground that it IS a wreath!  LOL  I considered adding some "berries" to my wreath, but I didn't want to overdo it (or ruin it!).  Instead, I left it a fluffy green wreath with a pretty satin bow.  I used the Snowflake Cuttlebug ef for the white panel that I stitched to the pomegranate panel.

The layout is loosely based on the Crazy 4 Challenges (C4C7) sketch (though not to scale...as usual) and the color palette is from my dear friends over at the Color Throwdown (CTD65)!

I love the colors Danielle chose and was DETERMINED to use them.  I missed last week's challenge despite a couple of tries and it was a WONDERFUL combination.  BUT, my mojo took a hike in cyberspace and STILL hasn't returned.  All because I have been dedicating more time to graphic design (err...kind of) than paper design.  You will see the result of one of my projects next week when I host the Wild Card Challenge (that's a hint!!).  Oh and I should mention that everyone who plays along next week will be a winner ;]  Be sure to swing by the JUGS blog!!  I'm super excited about the challenge (and "prize")!!

Okay, on to the last chapter of this novel.  We really hope you can play this weekend!  You have LOTS of flexibility so hopefully nobody feels limited in their ability to play along...just make something with a 3-D flower ;]  If you do play along, post a direct link to your project on Mr. Linky over at the JUGS blog before Thursday at 9 pm!  Then you will be in the running not only to be the "Chic of the Week" but also for Mona's blog candy!!  You can read about it at JUGS ;]

Check out the wonderful eye candy the rest of the team has for you!!

Dana
Lisa
Mona
Maria
Pam
Tracey

Thanks for stopping by!  Can't wait to see what you create this week.  The diverse, immense amount of talent we have seen so far is INCREDIBLE!!  Thank you for making our new challenge such a success!!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Just Us Girls Challenge #3 - JUGS3

Welcome back to the 3rd Just Us Girls challenge!  We are so excited to have captured the attention of 101 followers since we launched our blog just over a week ago!  That's fantastic!!  Everyone seems to be having fun with our challenges so far, which I'm so happy about!  Our group is so excited to offer diverse creations for our unique challenge line up.  If you haven't checked us out yet, be sure to hop over to JUGS and see what we're all about!

Today is a color challenge hosted by our sweet Dana Gustafson!  She selected an awesome combination of Aqua, Red, and Cream. 

I used Papertrey Ink's Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy and Select White (I don't own their Vintage Cream cs yet).  For some reason my card looks a lot greener than the other girls...I think it's just the lighting and the camera settings though ;]

I used red for my topiary thinking of a poinsettia....even though I turned this into a birthday card!  I really need focus in my life :O)  For the full part of my topiary, I punched five daisies x 2 different sizes and used the 3-D technique I used for my ornaments on this OLD card.  Lauren also posted a tutorial on this technique that you can view HERE.  Think basically of folding all but the base flower in half and adhering together.  Once 4 of the 5 are adhered together, adhere the bunch to the base flower.  Then just randomly move the petals around to make it even bushier.  I used glue dots on the centers only (not the petals).  My shadow was created using a VersaMark Pen.  I added some hand stitching, patterned paper and a LOT of dimensionals, and done!

I STRUGGLED with this week's card!  I think it was due to the shift in my mojo over to the graphics side of my creativity.  I had a HARD time shifting it back to paper!  My loss of mojo WILL be your gain though during the Wild Card week!!!!  Be sure to keep an eye out for what I have up my sleeve :O)

Hope you can play along with Just Us Girls this weekend.  Be sure to post a direct link to your card using Mr. Linky over at the JUGS site and use keyword JUGS3 in any online galleries!  Oh, and don't forget to check out what our fabulous team came up with!

Kristin
Dana
Lisa
Mona
Maria
Tracey

Thanks for stopping by today! It's so rainy and cold here, I think I'll craft some more and maybe organize my craft room this weekend.  OH, and help my daughter get ready for her Homecoming dance tonight :O)  Have a great weekend!!

Please VOTE!!! ...and another thank you :]

Before I bring you to my eye candy, I need to solicit your vote if you haven't already cast one.

SCS has selected it's finalists for the Scrapbox giveaway and wouldn't you know our dear friend and fellow DT member at JUGS, Tracey Cuccia, was selected as a finalist!  She has BIG, SELFLESS plans for her scrapbox that I can't disclose right now, but she's in third place and we REALLY need your vote to push her to the top again!  Trust me when I tell you that you will be PROUD you voted for her when you find out what she's doing with her Scrapbox!!  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote for Tracey if you haven't already voted:

You can vote HERE
Tracey is known as cuccicoo1002 on SCS
Deadline to vote is 16 Oct 09 at noon CST!!

Feel free to pass this along to everyone you know and/or post on your own blogs!!  LOL  We will announce her intentions with the Scrapbox over at the JUGS blog if she wins!!

Okay...onto my card.  Wow...well, I'm only a few days late in posting this card!  My intention was to do it on Monday, but I focused on commenting on our JUGS entries instead (we have way more than we expected which is AWESOME) :] Then Tuesday, may daughter had a Powder Puff football game that I attended (and froze my butt off at!).  So, it's now Wednesday and long overdue...as are my comments on the rest of the JUGS design team's cards!

I needed two more thank you cards to finish the batch I set out to make a while ago.  So, one more now that this one is done!  I used the Color Throwdown challenge (CTD63) for my color palette:

...and Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (MTSC42) for my layout:

Which brings me to my card:

Clean and simple, but I love how it turned out!  You should see what I was working on for the CTD challenge before I finally tossed it aside and went with this.  It was ridiculous!!  LOL  I was trying way to hard to make a certain image fit the colors and it just wouldn't come together.  After multiple attempts I knew I was trying too hard.  So, I cleared my head and started over.  30 minutes later my card was done and I was pleased with it!  Funny how that happens sometimes, isn't it?

**Update 10.15.09: I meant to post that this card also qualifies for the Crazy 4 Challenges...uhh, challenge (C4C6), to create a card with a thankful theme!

So, that's it for today.  Please remember to vote for Tracey!!  Thank you so much!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Out On A Limb Revised; Stampin' Up! Short and Sweet
Paper: Papertrey Ink, Kraft, Dark Chocolate, and Select White; Stampin' Up! DSP
Ink: Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry, Old Olive, and Chocolate Chip
Accessories: American Crafts, Medium Brown Brads; Cuttlebug, Swirl Embossing Folder

Thankful Life...

Ahhh...a long three day weekend :)  I hope you have Monday off like I do!  I spent some time today stamping and ended up finishing a couple of thank you cards I needed to get to.  I'm sharing one today:

My layout came from Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (MTSC41):

The sponged ink and the stamped plants make this eligible for Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply challenge (ssnotime106) from two weeks ago!  Yep...I'm a little behind with my challenges...but working hard to get back on track! **Update 10.15.09: I meant to post that this card also qualifies for the Crazy 4 Challenges...uhh, challenge (C4C6), to create a card with a thankful theme!

I have to say this card took FOREVER to finish!  Mainly because of my own indecisiveness but also because of the stitching.  I finished my panels a while ago and set it aside to await my hand stitching, where it waited, and waited....and waited.  Then finally today I stitched her up!

Thanks for swinging by today!  Hope you've had a chance to join Just Us Girls already ;)

Have a great week!!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Life and Background Basics, Text Style; Inkadinkado, Round Frames

Paper: Papertrey Ink, Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Select White, and Green Tea Leaves

Ink: Papertrey Ink, Pure Poppy; Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip and Mellow Moss; Tim Holtz, Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Accessories: Papertrey Ink, White Vintage Buttons; Primas, Antique Brass Brads, Craft and Sewing Thread from my stash

Just us Girls Challenge...JUGS2

Happy Saturday everyone!  Well, to update those of you who come to my blog looking for the My Time to Create Challenge by Lauren Meader, sadly she had to stop doing the challenges in order to keep up with her ever growing commitments.  On a HAPPY note, if she is getting busier, you can bet it will be to our benefit sometime in the future in the form of an amazing product to offer!  So, we wish her all the best in continuing to achieve her goals!! 

On an even HAPPIER note, some of us girls joined forces and decided to take our JUGS1 challenge from last week and create an official, new challenge site with the same name!  So, we have been hard at work this week creating a new blog, a blinkie for you to use on YOUR blogs, a badge for our "Chic of the Week", and lining up challenges for the next two months.  You can read a little more about how Just Us Girls came about on THIS POST. 

This week we offer you a technique challenge.  Here are the deets:

EASY stuff, right?!  Here's my card:

I paper pieced my fairy's dress.  Isn't she cute?!  This birthday card is for my friend's daughter who became a big ONE YEAR OLD recently!  They live in Hawaii where the first birthday is celebrated like the kid is royalty!!  So, I thought the "Birthday Princess" sentiment was totally appropriate.

I colored her with Copics and sponged the oval using Memento pink ink.  I added glitter to the end of her wand and a rhinestone to her pony tail for added interest.  I die cut a number "one" using my Sizzix and tied it to the flower and green panel with hemp.  The tag was a complete accident!  LOL I was trying to cut my cardstock using the other tag on the same die, but it wouldn't cut through the paper all the way.  The die I used cut perfectly, yet along the edge of the paper. I thought it looked cool so I added the sentiment, adhered it and stitched the top to the cs.

This card is also my LATE submission for Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply #107 challenge last week, AND I used our very first sketch challenge as my layout!  I did that purposely to direct you back to the sketch if you haven't played along yet...please feel free to do so at any time!  It could work to your advantage in the end!  **wink**

If you didn't catch wind of our challenge blog before today, you probably didn't notice our first "Chic of the Week" who was selected yesterday.  Please extend a warm congratulations to Tammy Hershberger!  Her card was amazing!  I just loved it :O)

Okay designers!  I hope you can play along with our challenge!!  We have some exciting things in store for YOU this month :]  Oh, and we will be inviting a monthly guest designer from our featured Chic of the Week designers.  So try to play along each week for a shot at that!  Our first guest will be invited to design with us in December!  If you play along be sure to use keyword JUGS2 in the online galleries, and post your project to Mr. Linky on the JUGS blog.

Hope you have a LOOOONGGG weekend like me and find time to create something!!!  Can't wait to see what you come up with :O)
 

Just Us Girls Challenge...JUGS1

Well, it's Saturday and normally that would mean it's time for a My Time To Create challenge, BUT this weekend we're not having a My Time challenge so we decided to offer a different challenge to you all! In honor of "Just Us Girls" playing along today and the fact that we are kicking off breast cancer awareness month, we decided to host a "JUGS" challenge :O) ...pun INTENDED! LOL

Today we offer you a sketch...check it out:

Fun and easy, right? I really like this one! Here's my card:

As you can see, I flipped the sketch (so I wouldn't have pink on pink :). I was kind of going for my typical clean look but also tried to incorporate a shabby chic feel...which isn't my forte. I like it though! I'm adding this one to my collection of thank you cards I'm creating.

I cut the flower using the Nestabilities Blossom dies and sponged white, acrylic paint around the edges. I added a punched circle of the PTI Green Tea Leaves paper for the center and used one of Martha Stewart's Flourish stamps for the stem.

I pierced around the oval, the dark chocolate middle panel and the base kraft panel then used a white, chalk marker to connect the holes and give a good, faux stitching look. I hand stitched the pink patterned paper to the cs and sponged the edges with white, acrylic paint also.

For the middle panel, I stamped the script text from PTI's Background Basics, Text Style using Tim Holtz' Antique Linen Distress Ink and then sponged the edges using the same ink. I adhered everything with either regular adhesive or dimensionals...LOTS of dimensionals!!

**Update:  My card also fits the Crazy 4 Challenges "Sew Happy" challenge today (C4C5) which is to stitch on your card, be it machine, hand or faux.  Two of three aren't bad!**

We soooo hope you can play along with our sketch!! We're so excited to be able to offer a fun and simple challenge on World Cardmaking Day! Be sure to use our totally appropriate keyword, JUGS1 if you upload to an online gallery so that we can view all of the beautiful creations in one place.

Also, don't forget to add a direct link to your creation using Mr. Linky below! We WILL be by to check out your work...and we ARE cooking something up so stay tuned for more news in the upcoming weeks :)

Check out the following designers' blogs for some great eye candy using this sketch...and a lot more inspiration!

Pam
Odette
Lisa
Maria
Dana

I'm so happy you stopped by today and would LOVE to know what you think of our "JUGS" challenge and our sketch! Oh, and if you have a breast cancer story you would like to share, please DO! My mother is a survivor :)

Hope you can play along this weekend!




**UPDATE 10.10.09**

All links from Mr. Linky have been copied and pasted to the Just Us Girls challenge blog. There is also a new Mr. Linky to add a link to your project if you still want to play along!

Color Throwdown Challenge #62

Well, today is the day...my last day as the Color Throwdown Team's September Guest Designer :( I have to say, this was SO much fun! I'm still VERY humbled that they selected me, and super excited that I was able to create alongside such talented designers! These ladies are top-notch in my book! LOVED this month with them! Thank you again, ladies :O)

Today's awesome challenge colors were selected by Ms. Broni! Aren't they great?

Our sponsor this week is Louby Loo. I was so lucky to be able to sample their Wilma the Witch and Spooktacular Sentiment for my card! Isn't she the CUTEST?! The sentiment actually came to me with black font and border...I decided to change it up. I found the Razzleberry graphic on Stampin Up and picked up the color in my image editing program, GIMP. I used it to recolor the background and I changed the font and border to white. I like it girly...remember?

I used the watercoloring with markers technique on my image. I added glitter to the band on her hat and stickles to her shoes...though it's hard to tell in the photo. Oh, and can you see the eye shadow I added to Wilma and her pet spider? Cute, ehh? I hand stitched the panels in three different styles and used a LOT of dimensionals! Again... :O) I think the rest is pretty self explanatory.

Be sure to check out the rest of the team's amazing creations! They are SURE to inspire you :O)

Barbara

Broni
Cathy

Danielle

LeAnne
Tammy

Don't forget to upload your creation to Mr. Linky on the CTD blog and use keyword CTD62 if you upload to an online gallery! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

I'll end with saying it truly has been my pleasure designing for the Color Throwdown this month! I'll be playing along each week on the CTD blog, so I won't be far :) Thanks for supporting me over the past five weeks! It means so much to me!

Happy Wednesday!

Very Tweet Thank You

***UPDATE***
Shortly after I posted this, I found Dawn McVey's Raspberry Color Suite Challenge #17 had the SAME exact colors! So, I posted it on her blog as well. How odd that the palette was identical! I never luck out like that :O)

So, my intent with this card was to submit it for a publication call...which I did last night. 8 minutes after the deadline :( I doubt it's eligible for the call, so I'm sharing :)

I'm stocking up on some thank you cards and this is the first of several. A few weeks ago I hit a GINORMOUS clearance sale at Michaels. I found a TON of rub ons for like 26 cents. I stocked up and even shared some :O) I love the vibrant colors...especially on this particular image.

If you know anything about me in this paper crafting world, you know I don't own a sewing machine, nor do I know how to use one. Tragedy...I know. I am left to hand stitching EVERYTHING. I've been wanting to stitch more and more frequently recently. I usually use craft thread (i.e. embroidery thread) but I wanted something more delicate on this project so I used regular old sewing thread! I love how it looks though! Just the thought I had in mind :O)

That's it for now. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my last (*tear*) Color Throwdown challenge as their September guest designer!

Oh and have you heard? Most of you know that Pink Cat Studios released a new line of digital images, right? Welllll....Melissa is now looking for a digital stamp design team! You can read about the application process HERE.

Have a great week! Mine starts tomorrow...

MOJO Monday Challenge

I was finally able to play along with one of my beloved challenges...MOJO Monday. It has been a WHILE! I thought the sketch this week (MOJO105) provided a great layout to use my new Papertrey Ink, Peaceful Poinsettia set.

MOJO105 Sketch

My Card

I stamped the poinsettia three times in Pure Poppy ink. Oh, and I have to tell you, I realized again while stamping the poinsettia multiple times that quality cardstock makes ALL the difference in the world!

I first stamped it on Stampin' Up! Whisper White, but this cardstock has a smoother texture and doesn't "grab" the stamp as easily. This causes the stamp to slide just a little bit, which gives the image a fuzzy appearance. Switch over to the AMAZING Papertrey Ink white cardstock and experience a 180 degree difference! It immediately grabs the stamp and results in a crystal clear image...the way the stamped image is supposed to look. Keep in mind, I'm using a very steady hand on both attempts. In fact, I repeatedly attempted to use SU! cs and had the same result.

Here's an example of the two images stamped on the different cardstock: Awesome, right?!

Stampin' Up! vs Papertrey Ink Cardstock

The color even photographs better using the PTI cardstock. I didn't realize that until I did this comparison. Mind you (and my SU! Demo friends) I don't think SU! cs is all bad...it's just not my favorite for filled images (vs the outlined images).

Okay...back to my poinsettia. After I stamped it three times, I cute one layer using Nestabilities Large Square dies, and cut out the medium and small layers of the poinsettia on the other two. I layered it using dimensionals (pay close attention to lining up the layers...they differ a little bit on each point), and added a pearl rhinestone that matches my patterned paper.

Close Up of Poinsettia

I punched 1 1/2" circles to create my scalloped layers and added red satin ribbon. I cut the tag die and sponged Fresh Snow ink around the edges before removing it. I then stamped the sentiment using Memento, Tuxedo Black ink. I decided to keep the sentiment simple with white satin ribbon and no bows! Soooo unlike me...I love a great bow on a card...it usually adds so much. But, I thought "less is more" on this card...in an effort to keep it elegant.

Close Up of Sentiment and Rhinestone Pearls

I added some more rhinestone pearls between the scalloped circles...though it's hard to tell because they kind of get lost in the patterned paper. I still think they suit the overall card :O)

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week :]

My Timeless Template Challenge...#6

Ahh...the week is finally over - let the weekend begin! I'm getting mine started with a My Timeless Template Challenge (MTTC06) by Lauren Meader. Today's challenge is to use one of her Timeless Templates from Papertrey Ink to create your own packaging for candy!

I chose to use the Get A Handle On It template for my package. I know this is the "Halloween ghouls and goblins" time of year, but I've never been a fan of the typical Halloween themed cards or projects. So, I decided to make a package that suits my taste and add Halloween colored candy to it :O) LOL...I have issues, I know! My vision (probably based on the challenge graphic) was to create a package suitable for gourmet candy. While I didn't use gourmet candy to fill my box, I think the box is pretty enough to house some :] I used two of the candy wrapper colors in my package as inspiration for my project colors, and completely ignored the other two!

Okay, so once I made this fancy bow out of some dual colored ribbon I had on hand that matched perfectly, I decided I didn't want any other embellishments. Not even a tag! Though it probably should have a tag! Here's a shot of the empty box with and without the ribbon:

As you can see, I made a clear box with a simple base and added a matching lid. Please note, I made the lid on my own...this didn't come with the template design. To make the striped base, I used PTI's Lavender Moon and Plum Pudding cs. I cut 2 pieces of the Plum Pudding cs to about 1 1/2" x 7 1/8". To make the stripes I used the SU! Word Window Punch on the Lavender Moon. I ran the punched pieces through my sticker maker and adhered to the folded cs. I then cut the top and bottom of the cs to 3/4" x 7 1/8" (to trim the rounded edges). I added a black piece of cs (1" x 7 1/8") and the Plum Pudding cs (1 1/4" x 7 1/8"). Here's a shot of the box with the lid off. I lightened the photo to try and show the black scalloped oval on the handle. I love that little touch!

For the lid, I stamped medium sized dots from PTI's Polka Dot Basics set using VersMark ink. I think I started the lid at 5 1/2" x 5 1/2", cut my corners to make the center 3 5/8", and trimmed the edges to where I thought it looked good on the box. Sorry I don't have exact dimensions. I then scalloped some Plum Pudding cs and trimmed it to fit so that t just peeked out from under the lid (I think it was about 7/8" x 7 1/8").

I adhered almost everything with Scor Tape. Including the two strips of the acetate box that run up two of the corners. Notice you're only getting one angle on the photo? That's to hide my mistake. I should have used glue dots like I did on the base of the project. They look better than tape...more professional. I'll use them next time for sure!

Okay, so now it's YOUR turn to create a package for candy! You can use any template, including the FREE Stocking Stuffer or Recipe Wrap Up! We just want to get your creative juices flowing and give you a great gift idea! Be sure to visit the other team member's blogs to see what they've come up with! Their talent never fails to amaze me :O)

Lauren - Team Leader

Alicia

Dana

Kendra

Lisa

MacKenzie

Maria

Odette

Pam

Tamara

Tracey

Don't forget to post a direct link to your project using Mr. Linky on Lauren's blog and use keyword MTTC06 in any of the online galleries! We can't wait to see what you do with your Timeless Template! ...and remember, you might be selected as a My Time to Shine Top 5 designer this week!

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you have a craft-filled RELAXING weekend :O)

Color Throwdown Challenge #61

Happy Wednesday!! Happy Color Throwdown day! LOL Check out the amazing color palette that Tammy chose:

Awesome, right?!

This week we're so lucky to have Gina K. Designs as our sponsor. I used the versatile "Are We There Yet" stamp set for my card:

I can think of 10 different occasions this year that I could have used this set for! I can't wait to try out the rest of the images!

On my card I used the watercoloring with markers technique. Oh and I promise I used all of the colors! See the mustard on the headlight and tail light of the scooter? :) It's there! I kind of cheated on the scooter...I don't have the Regal Rose marker so I used Rose Romance (along with Rose Red). To keep the white sections of the scooter, I watercolored using the ink from the Sahara Sand lid...I did the same for the shadow under the scooter. I used PTI's artichoke Bitty Box Basics on my base layer (it's very close in color to Olive), and I used about a hundred dimensionals! I think the rest is pretty self explanatory.

I used Jen Del Muro's SFYTT sketch for my layout. It's not to scale (as usual) but this is the general idea :) Don't forget to check out the rest of the team's eye candy!

Barbara
Broni

Cathy
Danielle
LeAnne

Tammy

They are such a talented group of designers! I've really enjoyed creating alongside them this month!

If you upload your project to an online gallery be sure to use keyword CTD61. Don't forget to put a direct link to your post using Mr. Linky on the CTD blog...as soon as you do, you will be in the running to be named this week's featured stamper! You will also be entered into the random drawing for goodies from Gina K. Designs!!