Girls can do anything!

You bet we can! Even make a card with no embellishments! That's this week's challenge over at the Kraftin' Kimmie blog. Now, I quite often make cards with no embellies - especially if the papers are image are particularly pretty. Funny thing is, when challenged to make a card without embellishments, I suddenly WANT to! But, I prevailed and this is the card I made:

card details:

• finished size: 6x6 inches
• stamped image and sentiment: Lavinia from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, coloured with Copic Markers (E50, E43, E42, E0000, E000, E00, E93, E04, E07, E08, E09, E30, E31, E33)
• patterned papers: Bo Bunny Timeless
• layout: Cute Card Thursday Challenge 175

additional challenges for this card:

• Sew Many Challenges #62: Anything Goes!

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

A PWCO Recipe with a Cutie Patootie!

Hi folks,

well, I DID play with a different Cutie Patootie image from PaperWorksCo today - for this card it was "Swimmingly Yours".

As it turns out, my image and paper choices qualify this card for one of the recipe challenges over at PaperWorksCo. In fact, it was Recipe Challenge #5

• any diecut shape (as it turns out I used Spellbinders Petite Circles and Classic Rectangles on this card)
• Polka dots (from the Cosmo Cricket Snorkel papers I used)
• a summer image (I think this one counts!)

Now, while this was a pure coincidence, if YOU want to play along with one of the PWCO sketch or recipe challenges from July, you have until midnight July 31st to perhaps win yourself a couple of PWCO rubber stamps or the July papercard kit.

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 5 inches
• stamped image: "Swimmingly Yours" from the PaperWorksCo Cutie Patootie Collection, coloured with Copic Markers (BG0000, BG000, BG07, BG05, BG02, Y19, Y17, E000, E30, E31, E33, E35, E93, E01)
• sentiment: CTMH Dream Big
• patterned papers: Cosmo Cricket Snorkel

additional challenges for this card:

• Papertake Weekly Challenge #58: Sketch challenge
• Paper Sundaes #79: Beachy or Summer

Phew...and that's it for me for me! I'm pooped after all that crafting!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Three strikes and you're out!

Well, I HOPE not...even though this is the third card with this image and papers today.

I used PWCO SS#89 (shown below) for the layout

And here's the card:

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches
• image: Batter's Up from the Cutie Patootie Collection from PaperWorksCo, coloured with Copic Markers (YR21, YR23, Y24, W00, W0, W1, W3, W5, YG21, YG23, YG25, B32, B34, B37, B39)
• sentiment: CTMH Say it in Style
• patterned papers: Echo Park Paper Co "Little Boy"
• Spellbinders: Classic Rectangle
• Martha Stewart Border Punch

Don't forget, you have until midnight July 31st to enter at least two of the July challenges over at the PWCO blog for a chance to win two of PWCO's rubber stamps or the July PaperCard Kit!

Thanks for stopping by!

Batter's Up with PWCO SS#89

Hi folks,

as promised, I'm back with another card featuring the same Cutie Patootie from PaperWorksCo!

This time I used this sketch, PWCO SS#89, from PaperWorksCo.

Don't forget you have until midnight July 31st to play along with any of the July challenges from PaperWorksCo. If you do and you are selected as the monthly challenge winner, you have your choice of two PWCO rubber stamps or the July PaperCard kit!

Anyways, here's my card!

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches
• image: Batter's Up from the Cutie Patootie Collection from PaperWorksCo, coloured with Copic Markers (YR21, YR23, Y24, W00, W0, W1, W3, W5, YG21, YG23, YG25, R08, R05, R02)
• sentiment: Verve "Small Phrases"
• patterned papers: Echo Park Paper Co "Little Boy"
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles

I'll be back shortly with the third card  I made with this image and papers!

Thanks for stopping by!

PWCO SS#88 with a Cutie Patootie

Hi folks,

well, I gave myself permission to have some me time today in my craft room and wound up making four cards with my as yet uninked "Cutie Patootie" stamps from PaperWorksCo.

As luck would have it, there have been some great sketches during the month of July over at the PWCO blog so I printed off the three that worked with the images I had coloured up and had some fun making cards.

Here's the first sketch I used, the PWCO SS#88 sketch (don't forget you have until 11:59PM July 31 to play along):

And here's my card!

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches
• image: Batter's Up from the Cutie Patootie Collection from PaperWorksCo, coloured with Copic Markers (YR21, YR23, Y24, W00, W0, W1, W3, W5, YG21, YG23, YG25, R08, B32, B34, B37, B39)
• sentiment: CTMH Say it in Style
• patterned papers: Echo Park Paper Co "Little Boy"
• Spellbinders: Classic Rectangle

additional challenges for this card:

• Paper Sundaes #79: Beachy or Summer (well, what says summer more than one of the "boys of summer" playing ball!)

I'll be back shortly with another of the cards I made (using the same image and papers!)

Something Special - TGF Fairy Chloe

Hi folks,

ahhh....it feels good to get crafty again. Dearly beloved wanted to go out and about yesterday on his new toy - and I figured he should have a day of motoring about on his own. Free to go wherever he wanted, without me getting a tired bum sitting on the back of his bike.

So, I stayed at home, happy to fill in the rest of my Copic chart (I'm only missing one now!) and also happy get this card made for his niece for her birthday this weekend.

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches
• image and sentiment: The Greeting Farm "Fairy Chloe", sentiment from "Special Autumn"
• copic markers used: E000, E00, E01, E93, V20, V25, V12, V15, V17, YG13, YG23, YG21,  YG00, YG0000, YG01
• patterned papers: Cosmo Cricket "Pixie-Licious"
• from my stash: sparkly gems, button and ribbon

Challenges for this card:

• Farm Fresh Challenge: Mystery Monday with Mercy
• Corrosive Challenge #126: All About Kids
• Use it Tuesday #12: It's a two-fer: two hoarded items from your stash. Guilty as charged - I have an unreasonable number of ribbons and buttons so that's what I used on my card. The ribbon on this card must have been in my stash for at least three years now...
• Sew Many Challenges #62: Anything Goes!

Oh so I have to share this funny little story: When dearly beloved got back from his motorcycle ride, I told him that the rest of my Copics arrived. He smiled, laughed and asked "So, which is worth more - your markers or my new motorcycle?" I had to think about it but his bike was more expensive. Now...MY motorcycle vs the copics. It's a coin toss. I think the markers MAY have cost me more. Expensive hobby, no?

Anyways, thanks for stopping by...hope you all have a lovely day ahead!

Viva La Verve - July

Hi folks,

well, I found my way back into the craft room to finish up a set of four masculine birthday cards for the July Viva La Verve Challenges. Rather than publish them all separately, I've decided to put them all into one post. So here you go!

For the week 1 sketch:

For the week 2 sketch:

For the week 3 sketch:

And finally, week 4:

card details:

• papers: Graphic 45 "A Proper Gentleman"
• stamps: Verve "Big Wish", "Birthday Bash", "Wordy Birds"

challenges for these cards:

• Verve July Diva Dare: Sentimental About Paper: these papers from Graphic 45 are among my faves. If you are a frequent visitor you know I have used them on lots of my masculine cards this year. And paired up with the sentiments from Verve, they may great, quick cards with a classic feel.
• Sentimental Sundays #65: Focus on the Sentiment
• Magical Monday: Let's Layer (for card #3 there's a whopping 9 layers of paper - not counting the card base!)
• Tuesday Throwdown #59: To create a matching set (I think these four masculine birthday cards count as a matching set don't you?)
• Papercraft Star: Anything Goes
• Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge: No Markers. In fact, there was no colouring at all on these cards. Just stamped sentiments!

Thanks for stopping by folks! Hope you are all having a lovely day!

WOYWW - July 27

Hi folks,

I know I haven't played along with What's on your Workdesk Wednesday in what seems like ages. To be  honest, I haven't been feeling all that creative so there has not been much to see in "ye olde crafty chaos". I did get into the craft room today and made one card and started on another. But then we got a phone call that this baby was ready for my dearly beloved to pick up from dealer so I thought I would share THIS photo instead of one of my craft room....

He is sure to get a lot of teasing from friends, family and coworkers. The OTHER two motorcycles in our garage (mine and his) are both sport bikes. This one is a cruiser. Honestly, it is a LOT more comfortable for two people than a sport bike. And to test it out, we did our annual pilgrimmage for....

Yep, for the first time in a couple of years, I was back to being a passenger. Must say, I enjoy riding along on the back of my sweetie's bike.  Especially with a burger, fries and lemonade as my reward!

Maybe I'll get back to the craft room tomorrow as he plans to go out riding....I'm still feeling a little nervous myself about getting back onto my own bike (a wee little Honda CBR 125 for those that might be curious). Maybe by the end of the week, maybe not until the end of summer....who knows?

Now, if you would like to take a peek at some actual crafty spaces, be sure to hop back over to Julia's blog, The Stamping Ground, for the full list of players!

Hopefully I'll be back later this week with some crafty creations!

PaperWorksCo and Rachelle Anne Miller are pleased to invite you

to the first wedding at PaperWorksCo!

And it is a lovely one indeed - right up there with William and Kate!

If you have not done so already, you must stop by this post over at the PaperWorksCo blog to start your trek through all the wonderful photos of the happy day. To make things fun for everyone, EVERY member of the design team is hosting a blog hop challenge based on their own (or dream) wedding colours so you can win your very own copy of the full wedding release. How sweet is that! Nine chances to win if you play along with each challenge! PLUS Peg has another of her fabulous digi frame images available for free so you will have another image for playing along with PWCO challenges.


And of course, it wouldn't be a PWCO release without Peg's usual wheelings and dealings! There is a special discount code in effect until end of day Monday, July 25th for 10% off all PWCO stamps (not just this release) AND there is a special price on the full release bundle (which you know I have already ordered - plus an extra for an upcoming blog candy on my own blogarooni!) Just check out this post from the end of the blog hop for all the details!

Sketch n Stash #66

Hi folks,

Well I FINALLY cracked open my Bo Bunny Gabrielle Collection pack that I picked up from Tina's Scrapbooking Creations back in May at our Crop for the Cure. I figured I had hoarded it long enough and I needed to make a birthday card for a dear friend of mine and wanted to use something I had not yet used before and was pretty.

I actually wound up making FOUR cards as I REALLY liked the sketch that I used (this week's layout from the Sketch 'n Stash challenge blog). You will notice I didn't add any embellies. When I do floral cards I prefer to let the image stand on its own.

Here are the other three cards I made:

The two flower stamps are a couple that I picked up at Heather's Stamping Haven the last time I participated in one of Tanya's card classes.

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches
• stamped images: Spring Flower and Curly Flower from Heather's Stamping Haven. Coloured with Copic markers (YG00, YG01, YG61, YG63, YG67, YR000, YR00, YR02)
• sentiments: Verve Wordy Bird, Big Wish, Amazing Wishes, Love Story
• patterned papers: Bo Bunny Gabrielle
• kraft cardstock
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles

additional challenges for this card:

• Clear it Out Challenge: Anything Goes
• Kraft Journal: My Favourite Things (I love using floral images on cards - and of course my Verve sentiment stamps and Copic Markers)

Anyways, that's it for me today. 

I'm taking a much needed break from work next week and hope to relax by doing WHATEVER THE HECK I WANT!!!! A much shorter than usual summer vacation for me - only one week instead of the usual four but long overdue and very much needed. I may decide that "whatever" is just sleeping!

Hope you all end your week on a high note!

Coming this Friday....

PaperWorksCo has a new release on Friday - be sure to check it out!

Verve July Diva Dare

Hi folks,


I'm back today with a card I made for my great Uncle using the July Sketch for You To Try from Jen Del Muro at i{heart}2stamp

The card:

I also did this card for the July Diva Dare over at Verve Stamps. This month's theme is Sentimental About Paper. No stamped images allowed - just sentiments and patterned paper.

Now, if you are a frequent visitor, you know I love my Verve stamps. They make the best sentiment stamps, hands down. You also know I love my patterned papers. In particular, you have seen this paper from Gartner Studios on a LOT of my recent masculine cards. I may have to see if I can find a few more sheets of this to use/hoard. I've also been on a bit of a kraft paper kick lately - probably because it goes so well with these patterned papers.

Oh, and not sure how many of you have noticed but .... the sentiment? It's stamped on wood! Yep, wood. I have some wood veneer business cards that my other half picked up at one of our fave places to shop, Lee Valley Tools, many, many moons ago. I thought that one of them would be make a perfect sentiment panel on this card.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches
• stamps: Verve Big Wish
• patterned papers: Gartner Studios
• card stock: Recollections Kraft, CTMH Barn Red
• buttons, butcher twine and wood veneer business card from my stash
• layout: July 2011 SFYTT

additional challenges for this card:

• Sentimental Sundays #64: for the men in your life
• Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes

Hope you are all having a lovely day! Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Graffiti filled birthday for MMSC112

Hi folks,

well, for once I was a bit stumped about making a card for a boy - I think it was the age range that was giving me difficulty this time. Eight to twelve year olds are a bit difficult for me -- too old for cutesy, too young for a bit more teenager style.

However, this is what I came up with:

card details:

• finished size: 5 x 6.5 inches
• stamped images: StarvingArtistamps Doodlefactory Urban "Guaco" and "Sprunk", coloured with Copic markers (YG21, YG23, YR15, YR16, YR18, R29, C3, BG32)
• patterned papers: Echo Park Paper Co "Little Boy"
• sentiment: computer generated using a free graffiti font I found on the interwebs
• Spellbinders: Small Deckled Rectangles
• layout: Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #112 (but I flipped it)

Additional challenges for this card:

• Use it Tuesday #11: You're an animal (Sprunk is definitely a skunk, I'm not sure what Guaco is!) and also
• Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge: to use animals on your card
• Simon Says Challenge: Anything Goes
• Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #120: Animal antics

thanks for stopping! Hope your week is off to a great start!

Hello .... Kitty!

No, this isn't going to be a post featuring my cats. This is the card I made for my dearly beloved's niece for her fourth birthday. She seemed pretty excited yesterday with everyone in the family being there for her birthday. They are so cute at that age - just old enough to understand the significance of everyone getting together because of their special day AND to be REALLY cute when opening presents and having cake.

You can't really tell in the photo above but - there's lots of layers as you can see below.

card details:

• image: Hello Kitty Birthday Coloring Page (found on the interwebs here). Tip of the day: if you ever have to do a card for someone feauturing a licensed character, just do an internet search for " whatever character coloring pages" (or if you are like me you would say colouring).
• Coloured with Copic Markers (RV14, RV13, RV11, R0000, R000, R01, R11, Y38, Y19, Y00, Y02, Y04)
• patterned papers: Echo Park Paper Sweet Summertime
• layout: Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge #117. It's sketch with a spin week and the theme is Christmas so OBVIOUSLY I won't be submitting my card to the challenge. I just liked the simplicity of the sketch and thought it would be good with this card.

challenges for this card:

• Birthday Sundaes: Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes

Anyways, hope you are all having/had a lovely weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Mojo 199

Hi folks,

Found some time (and a little mojo) to finally get back into the craft room to make this long overdue card for my Uncle's birthday.

I kept this VERY simple - only one patterned paper, simple plain circles and minimal embellishment. The image itself is simply die cut out of the patterned paper. No colouring at all! I LOVE making masculine cards.

card details:

• finished size: 4.25 x 5.5 inches
• stamped sentiment: Verve "Big Wish"
• patterned papers: Gartner Studios "Bon Voyage - Map"
• Martha Stewart Border Punch
• button ctmh
• butcher twine
• Spellbinders Petite Circles
• layout: Mojo Monday 199

Thanks for stopping by!

A TGF card for WOW #7

Hi folks,

well, I got back into the craft room on Sunday to make a card for my niece for her upcoming birthday.

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches
• image: The Greeting Farm Creeper Crew Leslie, coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E93, E34, E35, E37, B0000, B91, B93, B95, B97, YG21, YG23, YG25, YG00, BG32)
• patterned papers: "Indie Girl" by Sassafras
• sentiment: Verve "Big Wish"
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles, Pinking Circles
• Buttons: Basic Grey Marjolaine
• layout: Farm Fresh Challenge Blog: WOW #7

Challenges for this card:

• Kraft Journal: Something borrowed or something blue (let's see, blue jeans, blue papers....)

Thanks for stopping by!

Finally back in the craft room

Hi folks,

well I finally made my way back into my craft room to create a card. Today was the third birthday of the cutest little girl - youngest daughter of dear friends of ours - and she's REALLY fond of dinosaurs. Luckily  for me, I had the perfect set of stamps in my collection to make her card.

Pretty colorful huh? Mostly all paper-pieced, with just a little Copic colouring to highlight the spots, toenails and plates on the dinos. The teeth were coloured with my white Zig chalk marker.

And for the banner - no fancy die cuts or punches (though I am planning on getting the new Stampin' Up banner punches soon). I drew on my quilting skills to cut them out of the DP in a most efficient manner!

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 7.5 inches (I know... a big one for me! I had to make my own envie!)
• stamped images: StarvingArtistamps Doodlefactory Sweets 'n Hearts (cupcake) & Prehistoric (dinos and background cave-etchings)
• stamped sentiment: CTMH Doodle Alphabet
• patterned papers: Recollections Hallowe'en (I know -- not JUST for Hallowe'en! I wanted bright colours with a bit of a textured pattern to reflect the skin textures and these were perfect)
• Copic markers used: RV06, BV02, V04, V09
• ctmh black waxy flax (for the banner string), googly eyes from my stash

Challenges for this card

• Ribbon Carousel Challenge #10: Paper Piecing
• Papertake Weekly Challenge: Anything Goes
• Pollycraft Monday Challenge #100: Celebrations
• Sentimental Sundays: Anything Goes

Anyways, thanks for stopping by! Hope you are all having a lovely weekend

Some digital image news to share

Hi folks,

just thought I would pass along the following tidbits:

Over at PaperWorksCo, Peg is sharing a gorgeous digi frame. Why you ask? Is PWCO dipping into the digi image stamp world? Nope. The rules are changing for the PWCO sketch challenge and, for those of you who don't yet own your own PWCO stamps, Peg is giving you a chance to snap up a PWCO digi to use in the challenges! How cool is that! So be sure to stop by the PWCO blog post here, to grab yourself a lovely frame digi!

Psst...and here's a little secret...I've been building a little blog candy since March (it was supposed to be for my birthday but....well, life got in the way) and once I dig out my craft room (yet again), I'll hopefully find all the bits and pieces. I KNOW I've picked up a stamp or two from each of the last couple of releases with the intent of adding them to the blog candy so.....stay tuned. I'm hoping to get organized and have a bit of candy for you soon!


And tonight, I see that Mo Manning has a sweet fund-raising digi up on her store. Now, you all know that I'm a cat person but I just had to buy the digi - Bronte Kisses. It's for a good cause, and only $1. To be honest, the sweet puppy looks an awful lot like my youngest cat - we actually call him our "sweet little puppy" because he follows us around the house giving us "puppy dog eyes" all the time.


anyways, that's it for tonight. Still nothing crafty from me. I DID bake though - mmm, rhubarb coffee cake.

If you happen to see my card-making mojo, please tell it to come home. I need to make a ton of cards and am not feeling at all motivated to head upstairs to the craft room.

ta ta....thanks for stopping by!

WOYWW - July 6th

Hi folks,

sorry but there is no peek at my desk this week (I have something better!). I have not been in my craft room since LAST Monday. So what you saw last week, well, it's still there!

We had a busy holiday weekend here in Canada. We hosted a barbeque for 19 people at our house on Friday (Canada Day) and then I spent the weekend recovering. No crafting time. Well, except in the kitchen where I made MORE JAM! This time Strawberry-Rhubarb

I still have lots of rhubarb so I'll be hitting the local farms again this week to pick up more strawberries for jamming.

But here is the really good part of this week's WOYWW post! My PIF from the ever so talented Neil Walker arrived on Tuesday!!!

I am the lucky recipient of one of his lovely journals and beautiful tags!

Like the lady in the vintage image on the journal, I am swooning at the beauty of this piece. And yes, if you look in the bottom right you can see WOYWW!

And here is the lovely tag that Neil enclosed with this lovely PIF.

I am so very envious of all of you out there who are so skilled at the vintage/distressed technique. I SO want to learn this method of artistic expression - I REALLY wish there was someone local who could give me  tips and pointers on where to start. sigh....

Anyways, a truly HEARTFELT thanks to Neil for this lovely PIF. Be sure to drop over to Julia's blog, the Stamping Ground, to see who else is playing along with WOYWW!

I really am hoping to get back into my craft room soon - I DO have a birthday party to attend on Saturday so I need to make that special little birthday girl a special birthday card.

PaperWorksCo New Release on July 23rd

Woo hoo!!!


Have you seen today's post over at the PaperWorksCo Blog? It's time for a new release featuring the artwork of Rachelle Ann Miller! Grabbed from the PWCO blog.....

When:  July 23, 2011 @ 9AM MST
Style: Blog Hop
What’s there to see:  STAMPS, PROJECTS, IDEAS,  AND of course PRIZES!!!!
PRIZE: A chance to win the Entire Collection AND a PaperCard Ki
 

    So be sure you are following the PWCO blog and the blogs of the design team, as they will be featuring sneak peeks in the days leading up to the release!

   And don't forget to like the PaperWorksCo Facebook page. For every 25 new fans, Peg is giving away goodies! And there are more sneak peeks there as well!

Third card from Tanya's 2 Cute class

Hi folks,

I'm back today with my third card from Tanya's 2Cute class at Heather's Stamping Haven.

This card features the image "Penguin Fun" from 2 Cute Rubber Stamps. We coloured it with Copic Markers (BG10, BG23, BG32, E35, R29, YR07) and I used some bling on the centre of the stars.

Challenges for this card:

• Bling it on: Anything goes!
• Lollipop Crafts: Anything goes!

If you are in Canada or the United States I hope you are having a nice holiday weekend. Here in Canada we had our Canada Day (Dominion Day) celebrations yesterday. My other half thought it would be nice to have his D&D pals and their families over yesterday for a BBQ that had been talked about last summer but never came to be. All told, there were nineteen of us. Phew......it was fun but boy am I tired today. I'm a bit of a control freak so I do all the prep and cooking (yes, even on the Q - in our house it's "Queen of the Q" not King).

Thanks for stopping by!