BBTB2/PDDU/Genie Lamp

ANNOUNCING A WINNER: I am pleased to announce the winner of my felt flowers blog candy. Congrats to CelesteB ... Please email me with your addie, Celeste, and I will mail the flowers.

Happy Monday.... This is month end and we are always so pleased to say "it's BLOG HOP time"... I hope the visitors to BBTB2 take that blog hop tour to visit all of the designer's sites. There are wonderfully designed cards to inspire you, and even some blog candies offered too.

I hope that you have come my way by the blog of Theresa here. Our challenge for this week was to use the Paper Dolls Dress Up cartridge, and we are to design using the Genie Lamp. I turned my little card into a Arabian Nights scene with the big wonderful castle, the lamp and the titles of DREAM and WISH. The lamp and the castle are from PDDU, and the sentiment titles are cut from Stamping (one of my faves). I set the Genie Lamp upon some layers of Nestie shapes.

Do visit BBTB2 and enjoy the designer's cards. In the tradition of our wonderful blog hop, I am now sending you that awesome wonderful designer Donna.

Now....for my blog candy I am offering up five colorful layered felt flowers, with a button to retain the layers. I use these for scrapbooking, greeting cards, gift wrap, and even on my sewing projects of purses and totes, a cute little floppy brimmed hat, on a belt. If you would like to be in the draw, please leave a comment on my blog and I will draw the winning name on July 2 after 2:00. If you see your name as the winner, please email me quickly and I will mail the flowers to you. If I do not hear from the winner by July 5th, I will draw another name. Thanks for visiting... I truly appreciate you and I treasure your comments.

Cards&Cards&Fun

For those who visit me, in the past you have seen some fun photos that entail friends getting together for 2-1/2 days to create cards, share knowledge, techniques and inspirations. In February my Tucson friends drove to my house. It was my turn to drive to Tucson so on Friday I left with a packed car full of papers, tools, plans and excitment. Sandy was our hostess, and we had the best time. And I am so so pleased to say that I met Heather Binnie who heads up our Bitten By The Bug2 Team. Here we are...gathered on Sandy's stairway to post for this fun photo. I made cute little white hats with an embroidery dragonfly for each of the gals. I gave mine away when someone complimented it. Sandy and Deb do not have blogs (yet) but I'd love it if you visited Kris and Heather.

TFL.... see you tomorrow when our BBTB2 posts appears magically at 8AM Arizona time.

Cutting Cafe/Best Wishes

I needed to make a quick card for a friend who has some exciting news in her life. What easier way than to grab up one of Regina's printables from Cutting Cafe here.
I had a negative square that was left from cutting a pretty flower, I placed some pretty pattern paper behind it, mounted the white embossed flower square on a black Nestability scalloped square...I added a cute red checkered ribbon, and I used my EK Success border punch for the scallop and a strip that I used to make a hinged card. Regina's framed sentiment was placed on red cardstock for the card base. All in all, I love how this turned out. TFL...

BBTB2/Rainbow

Good morning and happy Monday. Joanna is our hostess and she has selected the Once Upon A Princess cartridge for our challenge. We are to design with the rainbow. I do not have that cartridge but since we can alternate the cartridge, I used my Hello Kitty cart for the rainbow.

I made a door hanger. After a rain shower, I love to see a beautiful rainbow radiating across the sky and this door hanger is a little reminder that to get that rainbow, we have to have a little rain in our days now and then.

I cut the die 5-1/2 inches and added some Stickles and jewels... I punched a hole in one of my Nestie shapes to feed ribbons through for the hanging needs. From the cloudy sky I attached a little message from 3 ribbons. The little message says "Just remember, Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make the colors appear"

To see some delightful takes on the rainbow challenge, visit BBTB2 and enjoy the cards the designers presented.

Cutting Cafe/Word Book

I have always wanted to do a "word book" but I never settled down long enough to use the Design Studio program to do the various pages. I figured it would be a battle to get them sized correctly. Well, Regina has solved my little problem by releasing a new Word Book printable here. This is the book in total... I actually added a little backdrop to each page by cutting black cardstock. I used my various Cricut cartridges to add critters, words, and die cuts. I opted to use the Bind It All for my binding technique but Regina has implemented 3 round holes for other binding options. I added red, yellow and orange ribbons to the Zutter wire.

Page two... the U for Summer.
Page 3, the first M. Hmmmm, ice cream. Mmmmm.
Page Four...the second M. Have a marvelous little pool party.
Page Five.... picnic fun for the E page.
Page 6, the final page for the R.
Thanks for taking a peek. I always enjoy visitors and I love it when you leave a comment.

Hope you like my very first Word Book. My next one will have a little better planning but I was so excited to get started, I created this in a bit of a hurry.

Cutting Cafe/Arrows

I love this card. I like the papers that fell into my hand, I love the arrow that points the way,

I adore the little Cuttlebug embossed elephant who peeks over the hat all to say Happy Birthday.

TFL...and take a peek at the arrow set at Cutting Cafe here.

BBTB2/CampOut/Fish

Happy Monday to all.... Today is the day we post our weekly challenge. This challenge was to use the fish from CAMP OUT. I do not have that cartridge and thankfully we can substitute the die cut for a similar image. I love the fishies on Life Is a Beach so here is my design. I love the little pucker-up on the fishies so what could I do but cite a song. "Gimme A Little Kiss" is a song of yesteryear (I am old so I am certainly a yesterday kinda gal) so I printed off a background sheet with the entire song on it. I play piano so I just sorted thru my stack of old old music books. I added the two fishes (flipped one so they would be facing) and I cut the wave from LAB as well, and added some sparkly blue jewels. Fishies have been embossed to add texture... The sentiment (song title) is cut from Jasmine.

Thanks for looking, and please pop over to BBTB2 and dunk yourself into the fishy waters.

Giftie Cards

Most of us can sit by the hours and make greeting cards of our own designs and creativity... What a wonderful feeling when we receive a handmade card from a friend, a messageboard friend, a design team sister. I recently was given two cards from two special friends. I cherish the friends and I shall treasure these cards.

Vicki Purdham is a friend from the Cricut Messageboard. Last year Vicki won a few of my froggy blog candies and because she loved frogs so much, I sent her a few more hand sewn items with darling little froggies on them. When Vicki posted this cute card on the messageboard, she said it was a monkey called Gene who was dancing in the rain. I commented that I had just watched Gene Kelly in "Dancing In The Rain". Vicki knows I will hold her card in a special place so she sent it to me. Isn't this the cutest???

Recently, I sent my friend and design team sister a white tee shirt upon which I had embroidered a butterfly. We had quite a laugh because I actually had to do 3 shirts to get one, and even that one had those surprise flaws. I told her "here's the shirt, but you can only wear it at home".

Sandi has that unique designer mind that never stops. The little butterfly had some puckers between the wings and Sandi saw the potential to create a little painting on the shirt that would hide the flaws. In the package I tossed in one of my wonderful little wristlet camera cases that I sew, and she saw a cute packaging for her iPod. Here is the card and little bookmark that I received from Sandi.
I feel so so so very special.

BBTB2/Doodlecharms/Sweet&Sassy

This week at BBTB2 Sweet & Sassy Stamps sponsors our challenge. We were given some printables to work with and I selected the little mouse reading under a giant flower and the sun peeking overhead. Heather added the Doodlecharms Cricut cartridge to the mix and asked us to add the cute sun on the project. Here is my card. There are three layers for the mounts and each have been scalloped with the EK Success scallop punch. I added a pretty ribbon just cuzzzzz..... and the sun has some Stickles glitter. The printable has been colored with my Copics. TFL...and do visit BBTB2 and see the designer's concepts on this challenge.

Cutting Cafe/Gift Tags

I love this new set from Regina's Cutting Cafe. I have a friend who is celebrating her birthday and I have added 3 of these great little tags into her gifts. One is a tag to hang on a gift for a birthday, another is just one of those "just because" gifts, and then of course one always needs a gift to say congratulations. I think she will enjoy using these cute tags. I printed off the tag on a soft yellow paper, trimmed them to their shape shown, I added a black square with a square Nestie scalloped goldish plaid paper, then I popdotted a star and added a gold jewel. I took a small round Nestie scallop and cut them in half, punched a hole and glued the half circle on the back of the tag. This allows the tag to open freely instead of having a hole punch through both layers with the ribbon. TFL....

Ready Set Create Pub'd card

Toot, Toot....I'm published.

Well, first off, let me toot my horn. Once again I am so pleased to announce that 11 of my cards are published in the June/July 2010 issue of the eZone, Ready Set Create. I try to get at least one card in for each issue. In 30 days, I can show those to you.... meantime, since thirty days have passed since the prior issue, I can toss in a set of cards that were in the April/May issue.
I love these delicate little pink cards. Each one is embossed with the script embossing folder from Cuttlebug, The card shape is from Wildcart Cricut cartridge, the sentiments are from the same, and the little die cuts on each card is a punch to match the sentiment. TFL...

BBTB2.Sweethearts/Nest/Blog Hop

The winner of the School Themed Quiltie is: StephanieD2. Stephanie, Please email me quickly so I can mail the quiltie to you. Thanks for playing along, and to each of you who visited and left your name, I truly appreciate your visits.

It's Monday and it's month end...and I am always so excited to post my challenge card, and in the mix toss in some blog candy. Perhaps you started at the beginning of our challenge at BBTB2, perhaps you are visiting from my design team sister and so so talented Donna and her blog. I am glad you are here. All of us at BBTB2 are just so appreciative of our followers, and those who visit us on a regular basis or now and then.

This week the talented Jeri is our hostess and she asked us to design from Sweetheart cartridge and to use the Bless This Nest cut. This is a really wonderful cartridge and so much to choose from. I had fun making this little card and it's most made up of papers just laying around.
I embossed the sentiment, the nest and some of the mounts. There are 3 metal charms that say HOME, HEART and ABODE. I added a little blue flower because any smart blue bird would build a nest near the pretty blossoms.


Now, since this is a blog candy kinda day, I am once again digging around in my sewing projects and I am offering up a little 27-1/2 x 20-1/2 wall hanging or quiltie that is sewn in red and green fabrics and the embroidery work is of a school theme. There is a sweet teddy bear holding a pencil, two sets of books, and a tote.

Perhaps this would make a sweet little quilt for a favored teddy bear friend, or even make a nice wall hanging in some classroom. If you want to be in the draw for this quiltie, please leave your comment and on June 4 I will put your name in the draw. The winner will be announced at the very top of this post. If you see your name, please email me quickly. If I do not hear from the winner by June 8, I will select another name. Thanks so much for visiting me and now in the tradition of the blog hop, please hop over to the oh so talented Marina to enjoy her challenge.

Cutting Cafe/Long Sentiment Tags

Another card using one of Regina's long sentiment tags from her line at Cutting Cafe here.

These tags are just so awesome to use for any little sentiment you would want to convey in a card to a friend or someone in the family. For me...it's sending a card inviting up a coffee date.

A cup of coffee with a neighbor or a friend long long ago was just pouring some java in a pretty cup, sipping and gabbing. Now I drive past the coffee haunts of today, the tables and chairs are full of friends taking a break in life, they are cherishing a visit, and although the coffee is mostlikely in a cardboard cup, the coffee somehow seems so much better. But then again, in those long ago years, I never put in chocolate and whipped cream, a dab of this and a dribble of that in my coffee.

Here's my card.

BBTB2/ForeverYoung/DressForm

Our challenge at BBTB2 this week was to use Forever Young as the cartridge, and to design with the dress form. I had this grand idea of dressing the dress form but it didn't work out...so it's just standing there looking pretty. I added another cut with one of the silhouette chickies and dress and she seems to be reading the titles which say "glitz, trendy, couture and glamour". I added a little purse from the same cart just to bring in another subject. The edges are from MS and EKSuccess edge punches. And I also added a ribbon and some gold jewels.

The dress form, cute little girl and purse have been popdotted, and they all have been embossed for added texture.
Thanks for looking and do visit BBTB2 to see what the designers have presented for this challenge.

I thought I would add the little card I did initially. I kept looking at it and wasn't happy so I put it aside and did a second card. Nonetheless, here it is...in all its purpleness.

Cutting Cafe/So Tweet

I love working with Regina's Cutting Cafe background printable stamps ... no matter what kind of card you need, she has a background printable that fits your needs. This background "So Tweet" is from this set here. The set also includes some round sentiments and I have added one to the card which has been mounted on two Nestie round scallops.

The decoration punch is a MS, and that darling bird is from my Give A Hoot cart. Both the sentiment circle and birdie have been embossed to add texture. TFL...and check out Regina's Cutting Cafe because I know you will find something you need.

BBTB2/HannahMontana/Ready2Rock

Our hostess for this week at BBTB2 is that most talented Enfys. She selected Hannah Montana as the cartridge, and the "ready 2 rock" sentiment as the die cut. I don't have Hannah Montana so I used Stamping cart for my guitar, and the Ready 2 Rock sentiment came from myBlackletter calligraphy cartridge. My papers are from a wonderful paper pack that has no designer name cover because I used it to make a card. (Waste not, I always say.) Be sure to hop over to BBTB2 and take a peek at the wonderful creations from the designers. I created an Easel Card to display the design. I love making this design. Actually Margie confirmed for me that the paper is from K&Co. pack. Love this pack ...the papers are so beautiful.

This is a sideview of the Easel design.
I really love this guitar die cut from Stamping cartridge. I got this cartridge from Cricut using my Cricut Reward points. I had a stack of different colored ribbons trying to decide which color would decorate the guitar and I finally decided on this dark red ribbon.
The number 2 sits nice and high. I cut out 5, and used pop dots under two of the cuts. The flower has been enhanced with a fabric brad.

Another graduation card

My dear friend Claudia has a lovely granddaughter who is graduating from high school. The graduation card is 5-1/2x5-1/2 in size and was created using two pattern papers folded in half. These were connected by a pink ribbon weave. This gave me 7 pages to decorate. The front of the card has a Nestie mount in white embossed cardstock, the hat and graduation sentiments are from my Wild Card cartridge, and the year is from my Blackletter cartridge. Inside there are photographs of this girl taken in 1995, and pages of die cut sentiments. I've added some yellow flowers here and there. The white card represents a gift of a lapquilt I made, and the sentiment is from my Stamping cartridge. TFL.

Cutting cafe/Graduation Background

I love this set that Regina released a wee while back. I have 3 graduation cards to create and get in the mail. Two girls, one fella and this is what I came up with for the fella card. I used the background printables inside the card and a circle sentiment that topped the cap. You can view the set at Cutting Cafe here. I added a Nestie mount inside along with a wonderful metal charm. TFL....

BBTB2/TBB&M/Tag

Serenity at Sea

This week's challenge is sponsored by Peggy Loves Vintage. This site has some of the cutest vintage images ever. I snapped up this ocean scene in a heartbeat because I have always loved the ocean. I could stand on a cliff or on the seashore and feel a wonderful sense of serenity. So, that is what I titled this card. We were asked to use Tags Bags Boxes & More for our cut and the first row of tags was our playground. Here is my card. I cut the tag in 3 sizes, embossed each tag, added a ribbon and stacked them. The 3 seagulls are from Life Is A Beach cartridge. TFL, and do visit BBTB2 and enjoy the designer's creations.

Here is the card I did initially and although I was okay with it, I decided I really wanted that sea scene with the sailboat.

Cutting Cafe/Giveaway

We have a winner. I am pleased to announce the winner of the draw is Mona Pendleton of Cupcake's Creations. I cannot wait to see what Mona does with some of these printables.

Thank you to all for leaving a sweet comment and playing along with our Cutting Cafe Printable Images giveaway.

That Sweet Regina is sharing again... She is letting us do a giveaway with printables of our own choice. I have chosen the long sentiment tags shown here. Here is my card. There are so many tags to choose from ...I love them all but I selected this one for my card because I wanted to be able to put a red x in all of those wonderful reminders. The frog and the die cut sentiment are from Give A Hoot cartridge. This cartridge has the cutest cuts on it... I love the harlequin background paper, the flower has a fancy fabric brad in the center.

Anyway, my friends, here is the deal. Leave your name in the comments and I will draw a winner on May 14, Friday. Please check back after 2PM to see if your name appears and if you are the winner, I will ask you to email me so I can make arrangements to get the printable to you. If I do not hear from the winner by Monday May 17, I will draw a new name. TFL, ...

Cutting Cafe/Happy Earth (Day)

As they say, better late than never....Here is the card I did for Earth Day. I did two cards, as usual, and I sent one to a friend. I used Regina's Cutting Cafe background printable here. I love the background sentiments that Cutting Cafe offers . The earth die cut is from Give A Hoot Cricut cartridge, and Earth sits upon a blue Nestie round scallop. I edge punched with Martha. TFL...and do visit Cutting Cafe.

BBTB2/LAB/Leaf1

This week's challenge comes from Life's A Beach cartridge, and we were asked to design with the Leaf1. This is our new "Reader's Choice" pick. I am afraid I came up with a makeshift card for this challenge. I just had no ideas smacking my brain on what to do with this leaf. So...I made a birthday card, a flower here and there and that leaf. Such as it is...! TFL, and do visit BBTB2 to see the designer's presentations.

Cutting Cafe good news...

I would like to mention that Regina is having a 2 for 1 special at Cutting Cafe to celebrate National Card Making Day. For each file you purchase, you can get a second file free of equal value or lessor value. The special is for all day tomorrow until midnight (Pacific Standard Time). Go... check it out... if you are a customer of Cutting Cafe, you will delight in this offer. If you've never been to Cutting Cafe, you will delight in the many many printables that Regina offers.

Cutting Cafe Delights

I love love love anything Cutting Cafe.... I always get great delight in working with the printable images and the lovely and always appropriate sentiments that Regina creates. You just can't find rubber stamps to cover all of the words this lady allows us to use. Here are two cards that I did recently using some of the Cutting Cafe delights.

This is the coffee series. I used the coffee printable as well as the circle sentiment. This card will be just the ticket to send to my coffee-sharing friend. I even sewed a wee bit on the card, and as always I did the Cuttlebugging. Gotta love my sweet Cuttlebug.

This card has been designed with the butterfly shape card. It's so easy.... the card just designs itself. Here is the Cutting Cafe link to view the printable. I used a pattern paper that actually has butterflies on it, and I cut a small one out to sit above the main body. Oh those jewels.

Gotta love the bling.

BBTB2/Sentimentals/Bee/BLOGHOP

The Winner is:...Cuttlebugcourt. Congrats to this visitor to my blog ...she has won the white embroidery tee shirt. Thanks to everyone who visited and left sweet comments.

Month end. I love month end because that is when we are able to do a blog hop along with our weekly challenge for BBTB2. This challenge is hosted by that oh so wonderfully talented Donna Mundinger. She has chosen the Sentimentals cartridge and we are to design our creations with the bee.

I do not have the Sentimentals cart but I do have a lot of bee die cuts to select from. I went to my old standby of so many years (BC..before Cricut), my Sizzix dies. This bee is one of my favorite cuts.

Now, if you began this blog hop at BBTB2, you were directed to sweet Lori to see her project on the challenge. Lori has directed you here to my blog site, and I will direct you to Julia's blog here. Do do do visit all of the designer sites to see what they have created, and to participate in the blog candy they are offering.

Here is my card: I have quite a few Lasting Impressions patterned cardstock which I used to use for the Lasting Impressions Brass embossing dies. I took one 8-1/2x11 sheet of the gold plaid paper and I made two cards from this. I added two sizes of my Nesties and ran them through my Cuttlebug embossing folder. The bee, of course, is from my Sizzix die, and the sentiment was cut from my Just Because cartridge (page 56). I tried the bee die on that page but wasn't thrilled with the final die. I added a jewel for a wee bit of bling for Ms. Bee.

For my blog candy offering, I always dig into some sewing project or some embroidery work. I have this Size SMALL white tee shirt that bears a pretty orange rose design. If you wish to be part of the draw, please leave a comment. I will draw a winner on Friday, April 30. Please check back after noon to see the name of the winner and if your name appears, please email me quickly so I can make arrangements to mail the tee shirt to you. If I do not hear from the winner by May 4, I will draw another name. TFL to each of you, and hop on now to Julia's blog.

Cutting cafe/Faith In You

I had so much fun making this silly little card with a pickle on it. The pickle is from my new Just Because cartridge. I cut the pickle in 3 different layers, ran it through the ever-so-wonderful Cuttlebug embossing folder as well as the card base. Inside you will see a very appropriate sentiment from Regina's Cutting Cafe. I actually love this little silly card. You can see the Cutting Cafe set here.

All About Boys/Cutting Cafe

I was asked to make a few cards for little boys and what better to grab up some of Regina's Cutting Cafe printables. You can a wee portion of this set here, and I have used a few from different sets she offers. Here are the cards. A little of this, a little of that, but I think each one is very cute.

BBTB2/FMK/Card

Happy Monday to each of you. This week's challenge was selected by our design team sister, DeeDee, and she chose From My Kitchen cartridge and we were to use the card cut on page 59. That would be the ice cream sundae key, with a shift and "tabs" feature. Here is my card.

The base of the card has blue paper that had great texture, and then I put it through the Cuttlebug embossing folder to get those pretty scattered flower impressions. The FMK card cut is pink, and I used the negative flowers to add along the lower rim of the pink card. I put a few jewels on the pink buds, added two pretty blue ribbons, and the sentiment "Spring" is from my Blackletter cartridge. I love print that has a calligraphy feel to it and this cartridge does the trick. I found a wee butterfly laying in a tray and I just added her to the scene. Please pop over and visit BBTB2 to see the cards the other designers presented. You'll love them as I do.

BBTB2/Plantin Schoolbook/Rick Rack

Winner of the Cat Check Book Cover: I am pleased to give the winner of the draw for the fabric checkbook cover. Congrats to a BBTB2 DT sister, Beth Moore. When we do a regular blog hop at the end of the month for the BBTB2, naturally DT sisters are exempt from the draws on the blog candy. Since this blog candy was a "just because" kinda thing, I tossed the name of all visitors into the draw and up came BETH. So email me, Beth, and I will get this little cat thing mailed off to you.

It was my week as hostess on BBTB2 and I went to one of my fav carts. Plantin Schoolbook. It has so many cute cuts on it, and one that I use frequently is what I call the rick rack cut. This is my card. I used snippets of papers from my scrapbin, I used a sweet Cutting Cafe printable, my wonderful and cherished Cuttlebug for embossing, a punch heart with some buttons, a ribbon adorning the neck of my cute little green and white checkered giraffe (from New Arrival). TFL, and be sure to visit Bitten By The Bug2 for inspiration.

Now, this is a just because Blog Candy offer. I am knee deep in making cute little checkbook covers and camera case wristlets and a few other fabric goodies. Sometimes there are little imperfections in the finished product and this is the case concerning this cute little cat checkbook. If you don't mind carrying a little checkbook that has a wee tiny little blip in it, then leave your name and I will put you in the draw on April 15th. Please check back after 2:30 that day and if your name shows as the winner, please email me with your addie so I can mail it. If I do not hear from the winner by April 17th, then I will draw another name. TFL...

Cutting Cafe/Trees

I love this simple tree from Cutting Cafe. Once I printed out the printable, I simply added some gold jewels and a MS tree leaf. The edges are scalloped with an MS punch, that white base is mounted on a black base and then onto a preprinted gold harlequin Lasting Impressions cardstock which is cut at the A2 size. For some more printables in this set, please see Cutting Cafe here.