I Need Your Help!

I just received an e-mail from Scrapbooks, Etc. that one of my layouts is currently in the running to be the weekly winner!!  Yippee!!  I also noticed that the fourth item you can vote for is one of my projects - my Valentine's wreath.  WOWZERS - what an honor!!

I need your help to vote for me!  The link is is HERE.  Thanks so much for your help!

The Studio

Time for a new challenge over at The Studio!  This week we are challenging you to use a sketch:

I liked this simple sketch and created a very simple card that would be perfect for a little boy.

I used DCWV papers Recollections stars, and CTMH waxy flax and button.  Easy peasy!!

Now it's your turn to enter. Link your entry to The Studio website and you could win a 3-month membership to Masterful Scrapbook Design!!

This card also fits the "Kick Your Winter Blues" challenge at Scrap Fit (Green- Yellow-Orange- Red – White)!

Once Upon a Springtime

Every week in February I have been posting an idea for home decor at the Sassy Lil Sketches forum.  Have you joined yet?  There are some fun people over there - and some of the best smilies for posting!!

Anyway, I created this next project because I am really tired of the snow.  We had another 14" earlier this week, and the driving was horrendous.  I am just so anxious for spring this year!  Last time I was at Archiver's I picked up a few sheets of Graphic45's new Once Upon a Springtime.  I had a coffee can in my recycling craft box, so I went to work with that as the base.  Here's what I came up with:

Don't you love those colors?  They are just so pretty and spring-y!  I made the shreds by cutting 1/16" strips from one of the sheets of paper.  I put buttons in the center of the pinwheels for a little accent.  Not much to this, but I sure like the feeling it gives!

Be the Change

This is my lastpost for Sarah Hurley Challenges.  I have enjoyed working with Sarah's images and am excited to see what new DT members will do!  I set this week's challenge, and it is to create a round card.

I used Woodland Whimsies 2 to create this card.  The background paper, stacked butterflies, and clouds are all from that CD.  I noticed that this CD is on sale on Sarah's website for $9.99 (pounds) and delivery is free.  CD includes over 1500 printable images including designer papers, greetings, toppers,digi-stamps, decoupage pages, embellishments, buttons, ribbons, and bunting.


You do not have to use Sarah's images to play (but she always likes when you do).  I see a lot of round cards when I am reading blogs, so enter yours in this challenge!

Life is Beautiful

Regina created some new images over at The Cutting Cafe, and I was thrilled to be able to play with them!  For this card, I used the Beautiful Flowers set which has 77 images.  I especially like this set because it has matchng background paper.

I painted the flowers with Ranger clear rock candy distress paint, and used a gold star gelly roll pen to color the center.  The faux stitching was done with a yellow glaze pen.  Such beautiful spring colors!!

My Last Projects with Memory Works

I can't believe that my this is my last post for Memory Works! I have truly enjoyed being a guest designer for them, and I have loved playing with the Express Kit!

Now I want to talk you through a little tutorial. Rosettes are all the craze right now. Scrapbook Update has put rosettes on the trend watch list, and I love that! Not only are they a flower, but they are a great circle embeliishment. I was going to take pictures for you while I was creating, but I thought I'd explain a little and let you hook up to Scrapbook Update's link. They have fabulous pictures, and I think you'll really enjoy what you learn there!

Start with a piece of paper that is 1" x 12". Of course you can adjust this if you'd like a bigger circle. Accordion fold at 1/4" increments. At this point I bring out my hot glue gun and adhere the two ends together in a circle. The rosette wants to pop up rather than stay in it's pretty little circle. Punch a 1" circle and adhere that to the back with your glue gun. It will hold the rosette in placeso that you can decorate the front any way that you wish! I made one and used it as the focal embellishment on this card. As you'll notice, I stacked a couple of buttons and a gem and glued that to the center of my rosette.

I had so many embellishments and paper left from the Express Kit that I created a few more cards for your enjoyment.

As I said, it has been such a pleasure to work with Memory Works this month! After working with this yummy-licious February Express Kit, I can't wait to see what March holds!!

Memory Works Items Used: February Express Kit Love Potion; Zva Bling; My Mind's Eye Union Square "Perfect" Stamp Set

Sassy Lil' Card Sketches

It's time for another fabulous sketch from Cherie at Sassy Lil' Card Sketches!  Have you found the forum yet for Sassy Lil Sketches?  You must go - there is so much fun over there!!

I used an old paper packet and stamp set from CTMH for this card.  That flower is so lovely, and it fit the center focal point so well.  These colors are so rich and warm - smokey plum, olive, and bamboo. 

All right, now it's your turn to play! Remember, if you feeling like participating in a layout challenge, too, you can go to Sassy Lil Sketches for a great sketch.  Here are the details:

Card Sponsor:

Layout Paper Sponsor:

Layout Digital Sponsor:

To be eligible for the February card sketch prizes, your card must be linked below by March 5th at 11:59 PM EST. To be eligible for the layout sketch prizes, your layout must be linked at the layout sketch blog.

Also, I have to tell you that I am passing my torch over at Amber Inklings.  I chose to pass it to someone whose creativity really amazes me, and that is Jennifer!  Be sure to head over to Amber Inklings and check out her story (and all the other new torch bearers).  Have fun, Jennifer!  I know you are going to do a great job!!

Twig

Just a short post tonight. I wanted to share this month's sketch challenge at Little Yellow Bicycle.  This sketch was created by Liz Qualman:

Liz always creates such nice sketches that are fun to work with.  Here's what I came up with:

I created this layout using the Twig collection.  That chipboard twig is so cute!  It actually came with five circles hanging off of it, but I took it apart a bit in order for the words to match the layout.  This is one of our favorite places to walk.  It's so gorgeous and lush.  Considering we are expecting 8-12 inches of snow tomorrow (UGH), it's nice to have these lovely green pictures to scrap!

Winner, Winner!! Cutting Cafe Images!

I used the random generator to pick the winner for The Cutting Cafe images.  The lucky person receiving 3 wonderful sets is..............

Scrapgramm said...
Very nice! Happy St. Pattys' day to you!
February 18, 2011 4:35 PM

Please send me an e-mail at girlygirlrose43@msn.com, and I will give Regina your information so that you can get started with your lovely digital stamps!

It's All Fine and Dandy

 I wanted to play along with both of the challenges this month over at My Mind's Eye.  Let me tell you, I got my entries in just in time!  I had the hardest time deciding which collection I wanted to use.  However, when I started looking over my Fine and Dandy papers, I knew that I wanted to work with that paper sunshine! 

Really, aren't those colors amazing?!

Between the card and layout, I used a lot of the matching chipboard.  It's so much fun - the clouds, banner, owls, sunshine, buttons, etc, etc.  I don't always use a lot of chipboard, but this was just too cute to resist.  I grabbed that picture of Shane from Facebook.  He's blond right now, and I love his new Dolce and Gabbana glasses.  Very fun look!

All of the product used was MME except for the CTMH sticker letters ("this") and Juniper Waxy Flax.

Blessings

I just wanted to share a simple card I made a couple of days ago.

I've used CTMH textured cardstock in desert sand as my bases.  I am hoarding my textured cardstock from CTMH because they are not making it anymore.  I am so sad about that!!  There is no textured cardstock quite like they made.  I don't hoard very often, but this one I'll admit! ;)

The houndstooth paper is Webster's Pages, and the stamps are Penny Black (tree) and Stampendous (sentiment).  Just a simple card, but that houndstooth gives it a lot of pop!

Have a great Wednesday!

No Artwork, Just a Couple of Yippees!

Well, I am just now sitting down to type you a note so that you can hear about some exciting things in my paper crafting life! I love when I get to share "yippees"!!!

First of all, Paper Crafts e-mailed me last week to tell me that they accepted one of my cards for publication!  WOW!  The card will be going into the Stamp It! Volume 8 edition.  What amazing news!  I've only submitted my work once before, so I was really excited!!  Paper Crafts gives excellent tips for getting published, so give it a go.  You just never know!

My next piece of exciting news is that my work for Memory Works was featured on an online site called Scrap Scene.  I didn't even know that one of my MW friends, Lacey, had submitted it, so imagine my surprise!  It is such a fun place, and I had never even heard of it!  Thank you Lacey and Scrap Scene!!

Now on a work-related note, I was named the employee of the month at our JCPenney store!  What an honor!! 

To top it all off, two of my sisters and one of my nieces are going to a Close To My Heart charity crop with me on Saturday.  I am so looking forward to spending time with them and hearing everything that's going on!

It's been a good February!!  Thanks for letting me share my good news!!

Love Potion Memory Works Express Kit

I have been anxiously waiting to show you some projects from the February Memory Works Express Kit Love Potion.  This kit is FULL of yumminess from Making Memories, Fancy Pants, October Afternoon, and much more!  It is fabulous, and I hope the projects I am showing today will inspire you!

I used the Walnut Cream cardstock and Pink Paislee Pretty Lace for the first layout. I conserve paper by cutting out the base portion that is covered with patterned paper, so I had enough paper to mat my picture and die-cut the phrase "love." By cutting the Pretty Lace paper down, I had enough left to cut all my circles.

Fancy Pants Love Birds is such a fun collection! When I saw those flowers and birdhouses, I couldn't help but cut some of them out for this layout. The letters are the backside of one of the sheets, so it was easy to cut them out and give this layout a title. Take a close look at the birdhouse area. Those are are elements that are included in the kit. I've used sequins in a couple of places, and I thought they were a fun addition!

This is such an easy gift! I cut the flowers with a Tim Holtz die and then painted them with Ranger distress paint in clear rock candy. If you don't have that product, get a hold of your consultant to purchase some! When it dries, it gives you the wonderful ability to curl the petals. I stacked a gem and button to create the center.

I didn't want to forget the guys! This is just a 4-pack of root beer. It only took one sheet of paper (Farm Fresh October Afternoon) to cover the box and make it just a little more special. The stickers are not in the kit, but are Fancy Pants Happy Together and can be found in the MW catalog.

Next week, I am going to bring you some cards using the Express Kit and a tutorial for something that is really trendy right now. I'll see you then!!

Memory Works items used: Love Potion Express Kit; Crate Restoration Stickers and Chipboard; Ranger Clear Rock Candy Distress Paint; Fancy Pants Happy Together Stickers. Bo Bunny Mam-Razzi Buttons; American Crafts Chestnut Memory Marker; American Crafts Dimensional Dots Adhesive; Mini Glue Dots; Tombow Mono Dots Roller
Other items and and tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Circles; Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die; Bazzill Paper Flower; Slice Words & Expression Design Card; Jute; Candle

Love and Metal at Scrap Tiffany

It's time for another challenge at Scrap Tiffany!  For this second challenge of the month, we are using metal or craft wire.  What can you come up with?  Here's my example for you:

I've used a metal scalloped circle form CTMH as the focal point of the card.  The paper, letter stickers, and gems are Bo Bunny, and the ribbon is May Arts.  Now it's time for you to dig out those metals or that craft wire that's hiding in your craft room.  Hop on over to the Scrap Tiffany blog and play along for your chance to win!

Bee Mine

Here it is- my last post for Amber Ink.  It's been such a pleasure to work with the gorgeous digi stamps and iPaper!  Amber and Pam are such wonderful - and fun! - people!   Next week, it will be time to pass the torch, and I can't wait to introduce you to the person I chose.  I will just hint and say that you will lvoe her artwork!!  The background paper and image for this card are in the Amber Ink shop. 

I hope you all have a love-filled Valentine's Day! 

The Studio Card Challenge!

(If you are looking for my blog candy post, click here!  If you are looking for The Cutting Cafe, click here!)

It is the first card challenge over at The Studio today - and my first post as a design team member!  The inspiration is just awesome this week, and I know you are going to love the creative way the DT put their cards together based on this week's challenge.  What is the challenge?  Well, it is the 13th today, so the challenge is to use 13 of something on your card!  Such a clever idea!!  Here is my card using 13 squares of Artsy Urban paper from GCD Studios.

You should see what you can come up with!  The prize this month is a 3-month subscription to Masterful Scrapbook Design.  Isn't that awesome?  I look forward to seeing your cards!!

Going Green with The Cutting Cafe - and a Giveaway!!

Every month The Cutting Cafe brings you monthly inspiration using the absolutely wonderful files.  This month we were challenged to use green, and The Cutting Cafe is doing a giveaway!  Yippee!!  Don't you love giveaways?

Comment on this post for the opportunity to win the three sets I've used on this card:

The sets I used are:

• Cup-Shaped Card (I've used a sentiment from the set)
• Fun with Hearts (that's the clover!)
• Words of Love (background paper - I changed it to green)

I will be drawing for winner on February 19th!  Check back to see if you've won these amazing sets!!

Fun and Easy!

I love the new Animal Crackers paper from Imaginisce!  It's so bold, bright, and cheery.  I showed you a couple of other ways to use it in this post.  Today I wanted to show you something fun that is so easy and perfect for a party.

I hope it's not so cold where you are today.  It's -14 degrees here today.  Yes, I did say minus.  Oh, it's cold.  However, I think once you hit -5, everything feels the same - just plain cold!  It sounds like we'll warm up to 6 degrees by tonight, so that will feel like a heatwave!!  Now do understand why it was time to pull out some warm, bright and sunny colors?!

Blog Candy

I love blog land!  I absolutely love visiting blogs and finding inspiration from all of you.  And I love reading comments that you leave me.  Every single word and comment is so appreciated!  We meet a lot of friends this way, don't we?  Not to mention all we learn from each other!  I noticed that I am nearing 300 followers, and that is so humbling to me.  I so value each and every one of you!

In honor of my love and appreciation, I am giving away some blog candy!  A wide variety of product - and what you don't see is the handmade cards that I am adding to the package!! 

How do you get entered in this drawing?  Share this blog candy news on your blog in a post or on the sidebar or you can share on Facebook.  Come back here and let me know in the comments that you have shared.  Be sure to have people let me know that you have led them to me.  Each time your name is mentioned, you will gain another entry.  By letting me know that you have shared, it will give me a chance to visit your blog and see what you are up to!

Now, I have never been one to force followers.  If you are visiting me for the first time, I hope that you like what you see and that you'll want to follow me.  Either way, you are still eligible for the drawing just by letting people know that I am having a blog candy giveaway!

I will draw a winner on Tuesday, March 1st!!

My Scrap Space

Today at Memory Works, I am sharing a little about my scrap room and what I do to organize my space.  My space for crafting isn’t designed beautifully, but what it lacks in a good paint job and wall décor, it makes up for in functionality. I have only half of a 15x10 room, so I’ve got to stay organized. First I’ll show you my desk. It’s a big Ikea desktop that I can fit a lot of things on while I work.

This shelf holds so many things, and they are right at hand while I’m working. Small things are in jars, buttons are sorted by color family, and other products are grouped together. The turntable and ink pad holder are also placed so that I can work efficiently.

One of my favorite organizational tools is my Clip-It-Up. It stores so many things, and it keeps them right in the open. I forget I have things if they aren’t in the open! It sits immediately to the left of my desk for easy reach.

This shelf holds so much! I’ve got all my photos and tools in this shelf. It also sits to my immediate left. I love my ribbon tags! It’s a great way to store ribbon in order to keep it from getting wrinkled. I keep all of my larger ribbon reels in the skinny drawer of the shelf.

Finally, this is the shelf where I keep all my paper, finished cards, and albums in progress. This shelf is on the wall to the right of my desk. I keep my patterned paper in cropper hoppers, and my cardstock in trays.

Everything is within reach form my table, and I love that. I don’t always have a lot of time to craft so organization is key.  It’s been a pleasure to have you visit my craft room today!

Yippee!!

I was blog reading and found out I won the Life Documented kit from Simple Stories!  I am psyched and can't wait to share projects I make with it!!

Sassy Lil Sketches

Time for a card sketch at Sassy Lil Sketches!  I'll be bringing you a new card on the 7th and 21st of every month using one of Cherie's fabulous sketches.  You can play along and gain entries for the prize for the month.  Here's the sketch for today:

I used Cosmo Cricket's Circa 1934:

Have you seen this paper in person?  Oh, it's just such "old" paper - I love it!  I cut images from this paper to make the flower.  I inked up the edges, gave them a little clearn rock candy crackle paint, and put them together with a cordouroy brad.  The sentiment is from Unity.

Why don't you play along this month?  For the card challenges, the sponsor is Cosmo Cricket, and they will be sharing some of their product with the winner!

Project #5 - Amber Ink Torch Bearer

I've got another project to show you today using some wonderful product from Amber Ink!  When I saw this cute butterfly (digi stamp), I knew I had to create something with it!

The background papers are from the Shot Throught theHeart line, and I've used Black of Night and Hot Lava.  I doubled up the butterfly on the card.  The wings on all the butterflies are covered with pink glitter.  I just love the projects I've been able to make with the digi stamps and iPaper!  I have one more project to do and then I'm passing the torch!

I opened up the mailbox yesterday, and look at the gift I found from my sister Shelley and her husband!  What a nice way to think of us! 

I lvoe Valentine's Day!  I am spending today filling out my Valentine's and I'll get them in the mail tomorrow.  Such a wonderful holiday of love and friendship!

All You Need is Love

I am just squeaking by to get into the All Things Unity challenge which is to make an easel or tri-fold card.  I decided I wanted to do a triangle tri-fold because I think it's such a fun little card for people to open!  Frosted Designs wants to see red, pink, and white and Let's Ink it Up is looking for romance/Valentine's cards.  It was easy to hook these three up together!

I used two Unity kits of the month - April and August. Don't you love the hearts and saying?  My paper is Bazzill and my ink is CTMH.  I randomly popped up those hearts for a bit more interest.  Here's the inside and you can see a little bit how it opens.

Hope you are having a happy crafting day!

Yippee!

I just saw that this card was featured on the CARDS (Create:) blog!

By the way, there is a new challenge blog in town.  Click on the "Be Inspired" blinkie on the left sidebar and read all about it.  You are going to love the uniqueness!!

A Little Animal Crackers

I picked up a few sheets of one Imaginisce's new releases Animal Crackers.  It's such fun, bright, and cheery paper.  I couldn't help myself and had to make a couple of cards right away! I grabbed the sketch from CPS (see sketch here) for the first card.

Such a great sketch, and this turned out to be such a fun card for a 1 year celebration or birthday!  Those are i-rock gems, and the foam number and waxy flax are CTMH.

I liked the sketch over at Get Sketchy, too, so I used that one as well (see sketch here).  One of my favorite things to do is to test a paper for it's versatility.  Animal Crackers works well for adults, too!

The white flowers, button, and waxy flax.  The red flowers were cut with the Tim Holtz tattered floral die.  That's got to be my favorite die cut flower.  It is well used in my crafting room!

I don't have a sample for the Sarah Hurley challenge this week, but be sure to stop by and see what the design team members did with die-cuts!

Amber Ink - Project #4

I can't believe how fast my time as a Torcher Bearer for Amber Inklings is going.  I have had so much fun working with the iPapers and digiStamps!  Today I am showing you some 3x3 cards with a matching little tote.

Martinis come in so many fun flavors now.  I thought this was a great image from the More to Love Pajama Party collection.  I colored the martini glasses with watercolor pencils to match them with some Melody Ross paper.  Cute and simple!!

Memory Works

I've got some exciting news!  The team from Memory Works contacted me in early January and asked me to be a guest design team member for Febuary.  How fun is that?!  I am always so happy to share!  I hope you'll check out their blog and see what other exciting things are happening at Memory Works!  These are the first projects I am sharing using My Mind's Eye Union Square paper and embellishments.

Come back next Tuesday when I share another post for Memory Works that includes pictures of my scrap space and some of the ways I organize!