Wednesday, February 29, 2012

{YNS/SFYTT} Sticky Fingers

Hi- a quick post for this months SFYTT...thankfully it's a leap year, cuz apparantly I *needed* this extra day in February!! lol
I am combining Jen's sketch with the sponsor this month, Your Next Stamp...which I happen to design for:) No shortage of cute YNS rubber to choose from here!
Here is the sketch:

I used this sweetheart from the Yummy Jam set.....I coloured her with copics, making her sweater look like a strawberry and added glaze pen to the details. Black Tiny Twinkles (TE) were added to the hair flower. The felt flowers were made using an MFT rolled rose die, and 2 colours of felt for each flower. Simply layer the felt together and roll as normal.


This really sticks out, so it's definitely not one for the postal system;)


Here is a close-up of one of the felt 2-tone flowers.....it's kind of a fun technique, as no two flowers are alike!


And here is the inside....I really love this sentiment! It's so true:)


See you back here on Friday with another YNS/ iSpy Sketch Challenge:)

{TSG145/ CTD181} Flying By....

Ah, my last week as part of the There She Goes DT;( Kinda sad, but excited for all the new talent that is stepping up for another term:) Thanks so much Jessica, for the opportunity to design for such a great company and work with an amazing group of talented and supportive ladies! I have truly enjoyed my time with TSG and all of the stamps....oh my! And did I mention the wonderful friends I've made?? Truly the best part:) I'll be playing along with challenges just to keep my cute collection of TSG stamps inky! So thanks again!!! It has been a great ride:)

So now that I am half teared-up, lets get on with my card for this weeks sketch challenge. I combined the sketch with the Color Throwdown Challenge, which coincidentally, is my last  challenge as the February Guest Designer! Thanks for a great month CTD girls! And thanks to my friend Lori, for everything:)
This week is another gorgeous colour combo! Check out this inspiration photo:


And our TSG sketch:

Here is my card, using the sweet TSG mini-set Flying By.




Link your card up to the TSG blog, for your chance to be our weekly winner....and don't forget to play along with CTD...heck, make it a two-fer like I did!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

{TCPTUES199} Hey Buckaroo!

Hi there! Time for another challenge from The Cat's Pajamas! This week Susan is our hostess and she has a stamp/cutup assignment for us. With spring on the horizon, Susan has challenged us to use any stamp featuring the 'The Great Outdoors' and the Cloud Cutup die!
Fun, right?!


I created a fun scene with everyone's favorite lil buckaroo Ride 'em Ronnie and some cacti (is that the plural form of cactus??:).....airbrushed a cloudy sky background with the cloud border die as my mask and stamped the sentiment on two clouds that I cut apart from the cloud strip.
The denim dp border was cut using the Circus border cutup and the western theme was continued adding metal 'studs' using brown brads.
The little handmade star button was purchased at a quilting shop....I covered up the button holes with the twine lasso glued to the front.

 
I couldn't throw the DP scraps away, so I finished the inside, adding a birthday wish for the special boy. Another Ronnie was stamped next to the sentiment, using distress ink.


I had so much fun making this card! I can't wait to give it to the special boy that I made it for:):) I have a feeling he's gonna think I hung the moon with this one!


Supplies: Stamps- TCP; ink- versamark, memento, distress ink; DP- October Afternoon: Sasperilla; CS- SU!; Dies- TCP; button- unknown; twine- walmart; brads- Recollections; Copics and airbrushing system
Sketch- MOJO230

Want to play along for your chance to win this months Swanky Stamper? Check out Alma's blog for details!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Finally, a winner.

Hi there! How was your weekend? I went on a roadie down south, to help my cousin make her wedding invites! Thank God she is the furthest thing from a Bridezilla you can get.....I couldn't handle it! I watched 'Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids' the other day...well, actually I could only watch about 10 mins before I'd had enough with all the psychos. It truly shocks me that someone even would want to marry those nutbars.....anyway, when Sue and I went dress shopping, we went to ONE store and she tried on FIVE dresses and bought the 4th....I picked a dress off the rack, ordered it (yes, I'll admit that I would have ripped the size 4 sample to ribbon shreads if I had tried it on) and she picked the colour. We were like a pair of dudes in there!!! LOL! That's how we roll!
So anyhow, with the excitement of my Dominican trip and then being gone and coming back to life, I completely forgot to draw my blog candy from the beginning of end of January! So here it is:

The winner is marose6@comcast.net
Congrats!
I'll email you straightaway so you can get your TSG Puppy Love stamp set:)

Thursday, February 23, 2012

{ISSC04/TCP} Hoppy Easter Basket


Hi there! Time for another week with a new iSpy Sketch Challenge! You can see which artist inspired us this week, their card and Kim's sketch, as well as more inspiration from the DT on the iSSC blog:)

I combined the sketch with this weeks The Cat's Pajamas colour challenge from Lori:

 
Loads of diecutting on this card, with very little stamping! I used the following TCP Cutups dies: Eggs In A Basket, Grass, Cloud Border, and Apron. The sentiment is from the set Sugar, Sugar.
Both the sheer pink ribbon and the pink rustic twine are from the Ribbon Carousel. I machine stiched around the border and 'hills' with white thread. The eggs were cut from all of the paper I used, and the grass in the basket was cut from felt. The sentiment circles were punched using SU circle punches.


Play along with us this week for your chance to win TCP Catcash, as well as a chance at the title of Swanky Stamper of the Month! Just upload your colour creation to Alma's blog or SCS using the keyword TCPTUES198!

{TSG Release} Egg-stra Special



A-tisket a-tasket a green and yellow basket…Melyssa has created the most darling Easter stamp set! This mini-set will be sure to please that egg-stra special person. The sentiment fonts are so whimsically fun and you’ll enjoy coloring these Easter eggs. This is a must have set.

Egg-stra Special is a 3x4 set that includes a total of 9 stamps and will sell for $7.00.





Supplies: stamps- TSG; DP- Authentique; CS- Xpress It blending card, SU; button- October Afternoon; twine/ ribbon- Ribbon Carousel; dies- MFT (lacey oval), Spellbinders (oval), The Cat's Pajamas (butterfly); Copics; sewing machine/thread; dimensionals;

Would you like to win the new Egg-stra Special stamp sets? Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps!

The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday February 25th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

{TSG Release} Every Child


 

Crayons, paint, canvass, and paint brushes are the tools of every great artist and Torico has created a set that will release our inner child. This set promises to bring out the artist in you. The darling line art in this set will having you pulling out all your favorite mediums and reconnecting to the ‚grown-up‛ artist that you are.

Every Child is a 4x6 set that includes a total of 14 stamps and will sell for $15.00.

I have combined todays preview with a fun, but challenging (hehe) colour combo from The Color Throwdown (play along using the below keyword and upload your card to the CTD blog):


 

I absolutely LOVE this sentiment (all the verses in the set are great)...this is sooooo TRUE! I just know this is going to be a go-to set for me, both for cardmaking and scrapbooking! This is one you are going to NEED people!



Supplies: Stamp (TSG); DP- Authentique; CS (SU); buttons (SU); cream rustic thread (Ribbon Carousel; Border Die (MFT); copics; sewing machine and thread; swirly EF

     Sketch: Papertrey Ink (anniversary sketches from this month)
Would you like to win the new Every Child stamp set? Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps!

The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday February 25th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

{TSG Release} Birthdaybot/ Numbered Days




Hey everyone, and welcome to our second night of Blog Hop Challenges! Tonight, we have two new sets for you to see, so let's get started!

We have all had a loss for words…but have you ever had a loss for numbers? Torico’s new illustrated set brings the numbers to the forefront. With two sets of numbers to color, paper piece, or be creative with ink Numbered days is the set for you to send those birthday and anniversary wishes.

Numbered Days is a 4x6 set that includes a total of 37 stamps and will sell for $15.00.


Friendbots, Lovebots, Nursebots, and now Birthdaybots. Torcio has been hard at work to bring us another fabulous bot! Is this bot ever cute. What a fabulous way to send out birthday wishes to your little bot.


Birthdaybot
is a 3x4 set that includes a total of 4 stamps and will sell for $7.00.


I made my littlest one his THIRD birthday card!! Where has the time gone?! It's not his birthday for a couple of months, but I figured that I'd just get it done now. I added the little '3' from Numbered Days in the top cluster of stars.....




I'm also entering this in the Ribbon Carousel's challenge this week, RCC41: Inspiration challenge. I think all my bright colours should qualify:)



Supplies: Stamps(TSG); DP (MME Lime Twist); CS (SU); buttons (green and blue-PTI, red- unknown); red and cream rustic twine (Ribbon Carousel); Dies- Stacking Stars (MFT), spellbinders; Paper-piercer; denim thread; silver brads (SU); Copics; spica glitter pen
Sketch- The Deconstructed Sketch #39

Would you like to win the new Numbered Days and Birthdaybot stamp set?
Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps! The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday February 25th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.




Saturday, February 18, 2012

{KKS New Release Blog Hop} Lulu and her Teddy

Do YOU know what day it is??? It’s Krafty RELEASE Day at Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps!!! And we’re celebrating with a KRAFTY HOP!! There are SO many incredible new stamps to SEE, so let’s get started!

Over the last few days in our Krafty Peeks, we have shared lots of AMAZING new stamps from all our artists! We’ve got something for everyone!! Lulu is back from Cheryl Alger.....we know how much you love her!! So we have a new set called LULU AND FRIENDS! We also have TWO fantastic sets of feathered images from Emilie Goulet called TWEETS AND TWITTERS 1 and TWEETS AND TWITTERS 2!!! And of course we have an amazing new set of six SUPERHEROES from Annie Rodrigue! And don’t forget the perfect new set to work with ALL your stamps.....IN STICHES!!

You will get to see most of the new images today as you sit back and enjoy our FEBRUARY Krafty Hop! If you want to start from the beginning, just head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie Challenge Blog! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of these incredible stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!

And of course, as always, we have our Gimme Kimmies Kits available for those of you who ‘need it all’!! The stamps are grouped together by artist and are available at a discount, but only for a limited time!!

You shoud have arrived here straight from the Krafty Challenge Blog....and if you get lost somewhere along the way, the hop list is posted in all it's glory;)

I am using one of the sweet Lulu images for my hop card today...these little girls are just so darned sweet...I can't resist them:)


Okay- be gentle on me! I rarely colour African skin tones, or anything other than caucasian, but I felt like trying something out of my comfort zone! Let me know what you think! I used E13.15.17 for her skin, as well as some R85 for her cheeks.....hair is cool greys. What is your favorite copic combo for coluring darker skin tones? I'd be interested to pick up any tips;)
The teddy was paper pieced and her arms and hands were stamped once more, and popped up on top of the teddy dp.
I did lots of sponging with distress inks and added some wonky chocolate stitching around the outside of the card front. The flower embellie was created with an MFT die and topped with an OA button, threaded with SU linen thread.
I used some thin cardboard (the kind that backs your 12x12 paper packs) for the flowers and leaves, as well as the open scallop oval nestie...since the cardboard is thicker than the turquoise DP, and I didn't want it cut all the way through and loose all the little bits out of the scallops, I used the rubber embossing pad in my Bigshot, rather than the second cutting pad.


Here is a little close up of little Lulu....


Okay, next on the Krafty Hop is the super-talented Krafty Girl Alice...this girl colours ground like no one I know!!! I need a lesson Alice;) Go check her out! And don't forget to leave comments along the way..You might just luck out and win some amazing prizes!

{KKS Release/ Challenge 116} Superstar!

Yep- it's Saturday and that means we are sneaking some peeks of  the AMAZING Annie Rodrigue's Moonlight Whispers.....and Annie has created a team of everyday superheros!
As most of you probably know, I am a mama to 3 boys, so superhero's are something I know all to well;) We are also combining our previews with another Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge. Michele is our lovely hostess, and she has drawn up a pretty fabby sketch!


I used Superstar for my card and paired her with some fun 'comic book' style DP, as well as star themed accents (MFT dies).


I stamped the sentiment that comes with Superstar, using black craft ink and irridescent ice embossing powder. I then chopped up the sentiment and mounted it onto MFT's sun dienamic, which I thought looked like POW bubble. Normally, she is pointing at a stamped cluster of stars, but when I cut her out, I cut out those stars and have her pointing at the sentiment instead.
I coloured her up with copics, and added some shimmer to her costume with spica pen, as well as copper stickles to the stars. She is popped up on dimensionals onto the galazy patterned paper. I added some Taylors Tiny Twinkles (in black and copper) here and there, and a strip of copper glitter netted ribbon.


In retrospect, I think she is wearing knee high boots, but I coloured her to look like she is wearing some funky kneepads.....I think next time I'll go with a boot look! It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the team interpreted the boot/ bareleg/ tights question;)


And I had a perfect little scrap of this cool DP, so I didn't want it to go to waste...so I finished the inside on this one!


Alrighty then, head on over to the Krafty Blog to see what the other girls have come up with...I'm sure they will amaze you! And play along with this weeks sketch for a chance to win one of Annie's new images!! Link up your card to the KKS blog:)

Thursday, February 16, 2012

{ISSC03 & KKS Release} Tweets & Twitter

Thanks for joining me for another day of Kraftin' Kimmie's peeks! Today we are showcasing stamps by our Krafty artist Emilie Goulet...this month, Emilie has focused her artsy skills on our feathered friends!
Since I have a sweet little boy that loves all kinds of birds, including parrots, I decided to go with this fun stamp......This parrot is from the set Tweets and Twitters 2 (there is also a Tweets and Twitters 1).

I used some fun SU ribbons, a bunch of bright buttons from my stash, threaded with TCP divine twine. The sentiment was chopped up and adhered to the MFT banner dies with dimensionals.
I applied glaze pen over his beak and feet, clear spica to bits of the blue feathers and silver spica to the chain and wire hanger.


Wondering where I came up with this fun layout? Well, I didn't! It's the latest sketch installment from the new sketch challenge iSpy Sketch Challenge! Here is the sketch that was inspired by a card made by Sean Fetterman. Check his card out, as well as what the other Special Agents came up with on the ISSC blog!

And don't forget to leave comments on all the Kraftin' Kimmie designers today, for your chance to win! There is a complete list of designers previewing today on the Krafty blog!

{KKS Release} Lulu's

Today the Kraftin' Kimmie Krafty Girls and Guests are showing the newest Lulu's by artist Cheryl Alger.....I love these cute little girlies! They are so adorable:) See what I mean?


My sewing machine was threaded with black thread and honestly, time was short today, so I went for an oldie, but goodie....Paper-piercing! I hardly ever do this technique, and I'm not sure why, cuz I do love it, and it couldn't be easier to add a little somethin-somethin to your card!


Here you can see some dimension...the umbrella is popped up on one side with dimensionals. I added 3 baby brads where her coat clasps were. Crystal Effects was applied to the umbrella, puddle and glaze pen was added to the raindrops, frogs eyes and tongue. I used dimensional pearls for her hair 'baubles' (that's right Michele, baubles! lol;). I covered the umbrella handle with silver spica pen and green spica jazzed up Froggy! I used silver on her boot buckles as well. Loads of little details on this otherwise simple card!
Little SU! blue buttons were threaded with linen thread bows and anchor the sentiment strip.


Okay- now skidaddle over to the Krafty Blog for links to the complete list of designers previewing today....and don't forget to leave some love along the way....some lucky commenter is going to win Cheryl's new Lulu set! See you tomorrow for another KKS preview and a brand new iSpy Sketch Challenge!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

{CTD179} Happiest Birthday

Hi there! I am back from my vacation and I am glad to see that Blogger came through for me and everything I pre-posted went live when it was supposed to!!!! Yay! You never know with Bloggers frequent mood swings......she can be a testy one;)
It's Wednesday, and that means another fabulous colour challenge from the talented ladies at The Color Throwdown....

And I just so happened to get some new Stampin' Up! goodies and it's been too long since I made a project using only SU products! I knew this new DP from the occasions mini would be perfect, as well as the sweet little button and spanky new stamps and steel dies (HELLO! these are nice- cut like buttah!)....


I stamped in Crumb Cake and coloured the flowers a tad with copics and added some adhesive pearls. Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon and the blush button tied off with a linen thread bow add a little softness:)



If you want to play along with this weeks CTD challenge, use the keyword CTD179 if using online galleries and link up your creation to the CTD blog.