Play Date Challenge #2

Play Date Cafe is on their 2nd challenge...and here is my take. The color challenge is to capture the colors of autumn with brown and/or black coupled with orange and yellow. I had some papers that I was given at one of the latest scrapbook crops and the paper was 5x7 in size. I find these papers are fantastic for making cards rather than scrapbooking. This is a glimpse of just two of the cards which are seriously layered with Labels Eight from Nesties. On the white card base I have placed the largest label in black, and to that the next 2 smaller sizes with some of the pattern papers, and finally the next small size of label in a solid cream cardstock. The layers were all glued together and then I ran it through my Cuttlebug embossing folder. I wanted to make 4 cards to place into a Card Folder and so I selected the Indie Art Cricut cartridge. Below you will see the darling bee and the ladybug on two of the cards.

This shows the Card Folder and the 4 cards.
The Card Folder is simply a 12x8 piece of patterned cardstock which has been scored with a 2 inch strip in the center. The two sides are folded up, and two small side strips are glued to the front and back panels. The sides of the Card Folder are open except for the small "tabs" holding the folder in place. I edged the front of the Card Folder with a Martha punch, and I've added more labels, a flower and a dragonfly die.
Here are the four cards. Each card has a different die from Indie Art Cricut cartridge...a bee, ladybug, dragonfly and butterfly. I also made a score line around the layering by scoring with my Scor-It board.
This will make a handy gift for someone, donchathink???? TFL... Now, why don't you visit Play Date Cafe and join in on their challenge?

BBTB/SYI/Tag

Congratulations to the winner of the felt flowers. Carol of Carol's Cards. Please email me at least by November 4th so I can make arrangements to get the flowers mailed to you. Thanks to all for playing along.

Happy Monday and not only are our design team cards up on the BBTB site but it's a wonderful blog hop as well. If you are here, I hope you came to my blog from Regina's wonderful creations. Our task from Regina was to create from the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge and to use the Pointed Tag. A little additional rule: Make this a Halloween theme. Easy to do since I am in the Halloween time of year spirit. Here is my card. I used the SYI cart all the way on this... I cut the tag with the orange checkered paper snippet from my scrapbin, added some background paper in the theme of things, and then cut the pumpkin and two spiders as well. That cute brown ribbon with white polka dots came from my ribbon stash. I added my trade mark harlequin corner and a jewel for pumpkin's eye. Thanks for looking and now in the heart of a blog hop, you will dash over to DeeDee's blog to see her wonderful creations. I love DeeDee's cards, she puts her heart into each one. Also please let me direct you to Shelly's blog...she has a darling card for you to admire.

Here is a little bit of blog candy. These are my felt flowers. They are cut out from felt on my Sizzix die cut machine ...and the die offers variations in the size of flower so they are great to just stack up, add a felt die cut leaf, sew a little button on. These are great for most anything: cards, scrapbooking, purses, totes....

There are five being offered in colors of red, orange, and bright pink. Leave a comment that you would like to be in the drawing. On October 31st I will do the draw, so please check back after 4PM AZ time and if you are the winner of the draw, please email me so I can get mailing instructions. Thanks for looking. I love all comments. They make my day....

Just Us Girls Challenge

I've found a wonderful blog and I am going to enter my card for their challenge at Just Us Girls. This DT does the most awesome projects. The current challenge is to do a 3D flower....and this is the card I've created.

This view is the inside of the card. The pattern paper has been run through my Cuttlebug Embossing folder for Swiss Dots, and the white sentiment base has been shaped with my Nestabilies and Cuttlebugged. I have added a dimension flower which was created with my Cricut Machine with the Walk In My Garden cartridge. The green leaf has been cut by hand with decorative scissors and the leaf has been distressed with my chalk pad. The sentiment is a rubber stamp.

The card style is a Gate Fold and one of the issues I seem to have with this style is the inability to close the card and keep it closed. You will notice that I have made a little strip of paper on the lower flap, and there is a small tab that slips into it. Aha, a closed card at last. The flaps have Cuttlebugged papers that are also edged with Martha Stewart's Doily Punch. The base for the flower are Nestabilities, two sizes and they have been Cuttlebugged. Oh how I lovezzz m' Cuttlebug. The flower was cut in 4 graduating sizes from Walk In My Garden cartridge and of course, each flower was put through my embossing folders before stacking. I've curled the petals, added a center and a sweet little Martha Stewart butterfly. Just for some additional color and embellishment I've added two wine colored ribbons.

This is a view of the card slightly open.

Play Date Challenge #1

This is so much fun to be on the Play Ground Floor for the first challenge on the Play Date Cafe Design Team. The challenge is a color challenge, and I have selected autumn colors for my entry.

I used Cricut Basic George cartridge to cut a 5-1/2" capital O to get an open frame. I switched to the Stretch Your Imagine cartridge to cut out the word "autumn" and the wonderful leaves. I selected pattern papers with the two changing colors of the season, I doodled on the leaf and then ran it through the script Cuttlebug embossing folder. Stickles have been added here and there. Some of the leaves have been lifted with popdots. I have some wonderful velum sentiments which I had added to display in the center of the open frame. I like the way this turned out and I hope you do as well. TFL, and do visit Play Date Cafe to see the wonderful creations from the designers. My friend Sandi is one of the designers and I am always entranced by her projects. The whole team is very very talented.

BBTB/CN/Sign

It's Monday...It's Monday and I love this day because that means Regina has loaded up the cards and projects from we designers on BBTB. This challenge she asked us to design with the Sign die cut from the Christmas Noel cart but we were to use a Halloween theme. You must go see the darling cards the gals did...simply awesome Halloween eye-candy. Here is my take. I used the sign, but it isn't the center of attraction. I love this little skeleton, the ghostie, and the bat and cat (from PDDU cart) and the poem is one of my mind creations. I've written poems and children's stories for years and years.

TFL and do go visit BBTB.

30,000 Blog Hits Blog Candy

Thank you all, I have hit that wonderful 30,000 hits and I am so happy. I always appreciate every single visitor and I love comments. They make my day. Now...to announce the winner of the red Mickey/Minnie Mouse SweatJacket. The winner is......LILLIE. Email me, girl, and I will get that jacket off to you poste haste.

You ARE awesome...!

Here is a little deal for ya. I am approaching a wonderful 30,000 hits on my blog and I want to do a bit of celebrating. Here is a red sweat jacket I made and it is embroideried with Minnie and Mickey mouse dancing. It is a size medium sweatshirt that I cut down the center, created a red and white polka dotted placket.

I am offering this as blog candy. All you have to do is sign up to be a follower and leave a comment on this post that you are my follower and you would like to win the sweat jacket. When my blog count rolls up to that 30,000 count I will do a draw. Keep an eye out...and check back to see if you are the winner. If you are, I will ask you to email me so I can get the deets on mailing this jacket to you.

My Friend Sandi

I am so happy to announce some great bloggy world news! My wonderfully talented friend, Sandi Kelly (Celtic Woman) is the guest designer for 2 weeks on Die Cuts R Us, AND she is now on a new Design Team called Play Date Cafe. I plan on playing the challenge on October 22 so be sure and check the site and play along too. Check out Sandi's blog here and she'll lead you the way.

BBTB/PD/Monster

Aaaaaack, as my friend Sharon would say when she sees something sooooo cute.... Regina asked us to design with Paper Dolls cart and to use the monster cut. Well, I had so much fun with this cut, I did TWO. You must go to BBTB and see the designer's take on this challenge. After I cut two sweet Monsters, I added the spider web and spider from the PDDU cart. TFL...

Heartfelt Thanks

This is a Thank You Card and I made it to present to those messageboard friends on Cricut. Yesterday I lost a treasured friend. She had been fighting her cancers and the effects of chemo. So many wonderful people on the Cricut board sent prayers and good thoughts and 52 sent lovely cards to Carole. There just is no way to describe how she cherished those cards, and as her health declined, she still took the cards and looked thru each one. I received many emails from Carole's sister and she never failed to tell me how Carole was so enormously heartwarmed at the caring. Carole is free now from her nightmare pain and I know she is happy and healthy and smiling. I am very sad to lose my precious friend.

50th Wedding Anniversary

A friend needed a card for a 50th Wedding Anniversary so I offered to make one of my cards that I love to make... This is actually 6 folded cards, stacked and bound with the Zutter BIA. I've added a lot of ribbons on the wire, and each page is embossed, die cuts are added, there are pockets to hold messages and sentiments, ...the die cuts come from Storybook cart and the sentiments are from Celebrations, Wedding Solutions. I've added jewels and more ribbons, and my little Cuttlebug embossing folders were very very busy. I didn't photograph every page but these will give an idea of how the card looked.

The last page is much like this page. It has a pocket to hold a tag that is a "to and from" tag. This page has a pocket to slip a lovely anniversary sentiment into.

My favorite part of the whole card is the front cover. I used the Fleur de Lis Spellbinders die as a base for the Wedding couple to stand on. The edges of the folded cards were punched with the large scallop punch. I love the effect...

TFL.... These are great fun to make and well received.

Black/White/Red Card

I love this color combo. Anything with black and white paper is a winner, add a wee bit of red and I love the end result. Have you ever noticed the little bird on the Lyrical Letters cartridge from Cricut. I just found this darling critter and had to make a card. I had paper left over so what could I do but make a second card....The ladybug is an MS punch. The sentiment is one of Regina's special Cutting Cafe printable sentiments. TFL.

BBTB/HA/Chandelier

Regina's challenge for us was to use the Home Accents cart, and to design with the chandelier cut. The card top was cropped short so that the chandelier would "hang" off the edge. I used scrapbin papers, added some gems on the various globe areas. The sentiment is from Opposites Attract (one of my fave carts). Hope you like it.

Please drop over to BBTB and see the wonderful designs from the team. I am so proud to be on this team with such talented designers who always spice things up with their imaginations and new designs. TFL....

Cutting Cafe Giveaway!

A WINNER.... Congratulations to LOUISE who has won the draw for the Cutting Cafe giveaway. Please email me, Louise, so Regina can get that set right to you. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to leave a sweet comment. I appreciate each of you.
Regina is letting us designers offer a wide range of giveaway printables from her Cutting Cafe site I have chosen to make a card using When I Count My Blessings. Here is the card.

The sentiment, of course, is a Cutting Cafe printable from When I Count My Blessings, I've used border punches from Martha Stewart, a pretty red and white polka dot ribbon tied with a wooden heart that I painted at least 10 years ago. I found this little treasure in one of my "buttons n' stuff" stashes in my craft closet.

Leave a comment on this post and I will draw a name on October 7th. Please check back by October 10th after noon for the winner and if you are the winner, I will ask you to email me with your particulars so Regina can get the set emailed to you. TFL, and thanks for stopping by.

YouTube Yippy

Well, Regina has done it again. She has created something fantastic to put a spotlight on her wonderful Printables and the designers who worked with them. You must visit Youtube and see this great gallery of wonderful cards using Regina's Cutting Cafe Printables. My little ole' Boo Crew card is about 40 seconds or so into the video. Yayyy, Regina...and thanks for highlighting my card. I enjoyed seeing all of the wonderful cards the designers created.

Published me...

I am always so pleased to say that 5 of my cards are published in the October/November issue of Ready Set Create. Please see here for information on purchasing an issue.

Resignation

Just a note... I have resigned immediately from the Die Cuts R Us design team. All is fine....It was just something that I needed to do for myself.

BBTB/GS/Priceless

I HAVE A WINNER: JAN FARNWORTH...please email me with your addie so I can make arrangements to mail the Apple dish towels. Congrats to Jan, and to each of you who played along, I thank you so much. I appreciated each visit...
Well it's fun fun fun time because Regina lets us do a blog hop each month end. I so enjoy these and I hope you do as well.

We were asked to use Cricut's Graphically Speaking cart and to design with the "priceless" die. I was at a loss on how to even make this work and then I ran across this treasured photograph of my son at age 16, all spiffied up for his first high school prom. He looked so handsome in his tux and that blue cumberband ... so I took the photo and made it part of a greeting card.

It is a tri-fold card with the photo on the left, down the center is "always remember" cut out from some scrap bin papers. I've used Nesties on the right side of the card and added the words "first prom" just above the Priceless cut. I love the way this card turned out and I've mailed it to my 40 year old son to chuckle over.

Leave a comment and you will be put into a drawing for the two little handtowels that I have embroideried with an apple.. One towel is a smaller size..I will draw the winner on October 6, so check back after 4:00 AZ time that day. If you are the winner I will ask you to email me so I can make arrangements to mail the towels to you. If I do not hear from the winner by October 9, I will draw a new name. Now, you must blog hop to Michelle's blog and see her wonderful work.

Felt Flowers

I love making Felt Flowers.... The tub of felt was put in a closet and forgotten so yesterday I hauled it out, cut bunches of flowers from my Sizzix dies, sewed the stacks together, topped the flower with a button. Adds a bit of pizzaz to a card, I think.

I suspect some of these will end up in packages on my Etsy Shop. TFL.

BBT/CampOut/Dragonfly

It's Monday....and that means BBTB has the challenges up and as always I rush to see what the gals have done and as always I love every single project. I am just so so proud to be on Regina's design teams... We were to design from Cricut's Camp Out cartridge...Here is my take on that dragonfly. I cut her out on blue polka dotted paper twice, and then added some emphasized eyes. A little ribbon ties around her...waist? Dragonflys do have a waist I think.... The flower is a Cricut Walk In My Garden cut 5 times in 1/2 inch size differences. I've added embossing from Cuttlebug on both the card base and the flower. The sentiment is a rubber stamp and it is mounted on the lower left of the inside. The card top has been cropped and scalloped and the flower hangs off. TFL and do visit BBTB to see the wonders...

Cutting Cafe/Coffee Date

I so love Regina's Cutting Cafe printables...and

this sentiment in her new release coming up struck my fancy. I hope you will take a peek at Cutting Cafe to see the wonders that she offers for us all to create with. I had fun making this card and decorating the little coffee cups from Beyond Birthdays Cricut Cartridge.... I ran papers through the Cuttlebug embossing folders, I sewed a wee bit, I added a ribbon,. TFL...

DCRU Tuesday Challenge/Media

Here is my take on the current DCRU challenge to use other media on a card...like embossing, shading, gel pen doodling. We all know Carole loves to doodle on her die cuts, right?

TFL and go here to see the challenge by Gwen. I used my Quickutz dies for the dog, cat and flower, and the sentiment is Opposites Attract cartridge from Cricut. The base card has been run through my Cuttlebug with the Quickutz Embossing folder for big polka dots.

Tie Dyed Flowers

My friend Diane did a wonderful tutorial on tie dyeing paper using shaving cream and inks....  It's right here. (Scroll down to Friday, September 11 post)
This is my version of a tie dyed paper.  I scooch (izzat a word?) Marvy ink pads all over white card stock, blending in one color after another.  I love the final result.  For this card, I used  Walk In My Garden Cricut cart for the flowers and leaves.  I cut the flowers out in graduated sizes, decreasing by 1/2 inch with each cut, stacked them, curled the petals and doodled on the petal for final effect. The card base has been polka-dotted with the Quickutz Polka Dot Embossing folder which I ran through my Cuttlebug.  TFL... 

Regina's Cutting Cafe News

You must check out here..... Regina is having a special on her wonderful printables.  You will see some wonderful "all about Cupcakes" printables... Please....go see...  I have made some of my cutest cards using her sweet images.  

Happy Holiday

I took one look at Regina's Holiday Background Printable for Happy Holidays and I just had to make a card.  I am now in the process of trying out several holiday cards so that I can decide which styles I want to do for my mailings at Christmas.  I love this simple card and this is probably going to be among the choices.  Regina's Cutting Cafe is sooooooo neat and she has absolutely wonderful designs to choose.  This is the entire site, and if you want to see the background I've used on my card here, just scroll down.  You will see so many wonderful things to love. 

Now...onto my card.  I printed off the Holiday background and then I ran red and green cardstock through my wonderful Spelllbinders Fluer de Lis die cut, (bought that from Die Cuts R Us..check out their store right here)....I added a wee little snowflake in the center along with a clear jewel.  And I was so pleased to stumble across the red and white checkered ribbons to add. 

DCRU Tuesday Challenge/Pop Up

Today was my post on DCRU for the Tuesday Challenge, which followed my Monday post for a Main Tutorial ...and the subject was Pop Up Cards. Simple ones. There are so many styles from quick and easy to detailed, laborious wonderful pop up cards. Here is a Blooming Flower Pop up showing the inside which opens to a flower that literally blooms right before your eyes. It is an easy card to make. See the DCRU tute for details.
Here are two simple pop up cards. The front has been decorated with Cricut's New Arrival cartridge for the baby theme, and I have used several rubber stamps and a Sizzix die cut for sentiments on the outside. And oh how easy to use pre-printed pre-made cards.
This is a sample of the inside ... a small insert has been glued to the inside of the base card that has a "shelf" and it is on that shelf the pop up art is placed. I have added some alphabet letters as hang off sentiments.
Thanks for looking and I hope you will read my article on the Die Cuts blog.

BBTB/Pooh&Friends/Present

Regina was early in posting our cards for the BBTB team so I am early in posting mine.  I was so excited when I saw that the challenges were up on the site because it's always such a delight to see what my design team sisters have created.  Absolutely wonderful stuff.  Go see here. 

When I was in Tucson, Deb shared some of her Tilda images with us and I found this darling Tilda holding a tag.  So what better to pair her with than the Present challenge?  Here she is...colored with my new Copics from Die Cuts R Us.  I cut the Present out with scrapbin papers, and I've added 3 Martha Stewart jewels to the bow.  The sentiment is done from the Calligraphy Collection and I absolutely love the cut out letter available.  Tilda sits on a strip from a MS punch. The base card has been run thru the Cuttlebug embossing folder.  Thanks for taking a look, and I hope you will visit Bitten By The Bug to take a look-see on the designer's cards. 

lookie lookie, ETSY UP..

Hooooray.  After weeks of messing with it, my Etsy Shop is up and running.  I stressed over it and thanks to my friends Sandi and Diane, it all came together.  I have about 10,000 cards (at least) to add over the months, and there are some of the hurry-up-and-sew-them totes.  As time marches on, maybe one of my quilts will show up too.  So take a look here, and see how cute the Etsy mini-show looks on my blog over to the left. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll take a look-see at the Etsy shop.  Took me long enough...!!!!

DCRU Thursday Blah blah blah

On Thurs we designers write about mini-topics....sort of capturing some of the trends in the card making/scrapbooking market.  Love to have you jump over to Die Cuts R US and take a read on my post about sewing on cards. It is one of my most fav things to do ....  Thanks.... see you there. 

DCRU Tuesday Challenge

Today is Tuesday and that means challenge day at DCRU blog. On my prior post I spoke of Diane's inspiring article on using negative scraps. Today was the reveal of the cards the designers submitted for Diane to show. There are some really wonderful cards, great ideas and Diane's ideas gives many an inspiration for doing a project using that part of the paper that might get tossed. Here is my card, and for details, please see Diane's post. TFL.

DCRU Tutorial/Negative scraps

Diane, One of my talented design team sisters on Die Cuts RUs has a spiffy tutorial on the blog today about using negative die cuts. The card she shows is wonderful. Negative hearts placed over beautiful themed paper that fits perfectly. It is so easy to just toss aside the papers after we've cut dies out, and sometimes they end up on piles of other paper. Now and then I take time to go through the stacks and I come up with papers that match perfectly and make a wonderful card or project which features the negative cuts. Take a look at Diane's post. She does a great job of inspiring. And check back tomorrow too because you are likely to see some other samples.

BBT/PP/Ribbon/Blog Hop

UPDATE: The winner has contacted me and her towel will be mailed on Monday.

We have a winner: 4Furbabies.  Please email me soon and I will get the handtowel mailed to you. Thanks to everyone

who played along and congrats to the winner. 

If I do not hear from the winner by September

11, I will do another draw.  
Oh yay, this is month end and time for our

end of month blog hop that mixes so wonderfully with our BBTB challenge for the week.  Regina asked us to design with Paper Pups and to use the ribbon cut.  Here is my card...a cute little dog posing for his dog show and that ribbon.  My blog candy is (oh no another hand towel) a flower design in orange and white on the towel.  Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at the card and the blog candy, please leave a comment if you want in the draw.  I will draw the winner on Thursday September 3, after 4:0o PM Az time.  Please check back then, and if you are the winner, please email me so that I can make arrangements to mail the towel.  Now to continue on with the blog hop fun, do do do go to Donna' blog and see her absolutely wonderful work and her blog candy ... Oh, and PS, check out that frog birthday card on Donna's blog that she did for lil' ole' ME for my birthday in July. 

I cherish this card.... 

DCRU Giveaway

I am proud to announce that I am the sponsor for the DCRU giveaway. Go here

and follow the instructions if you care to be in the running for the froggy towel I am giving away. Now...if you follow ME, you know how I feel about froggy.. so for me to offer up one of my froggy towels is a special thing.

Cutting Cafe/Thank You

Regina at The Cutting Cafe has released some new sentiment stamps.  I love this Thank You sentiment circle, and I made the card bright n' cheery.  Do visit her site here...and see the cutest sets. 

Thanks for looking. 

DCRU Organization Tips

One of my DCRU design team sisters, Diane, has written a wonderful article

about organization tips on scrap papers. We all know what a challenge this part of working with paper can be. I've had so many organization systems, I could write a book. With each new system I evolve into a better tidy clutter but I have so many steps left to go. Take a look here, read this wonderful article. Perhaps you will see yourself, nod your head, and get some great ideas.

DCRU Tuesday Challenge

At Die Cuts R US the Tuesday challenge was to create something using a date as the main focus. I selected August 22 and on my calendar that date is highlighted by a tiny blue heart. It's a very special date, indeed.  My son was born the end of July, but he was a preemie, a wee tiny little guy who couldn't come home to us until August 22.  And although his true birthday is a special day this date is a date that the world became a lot brighter.   The details are on DCRU so be sure to stop and see all of the cards and projects the designers made.