First Valentine of 2012

Hi folks,

while I was making the birthday card for our youngest cat, I was inspired by something that I saw Kelly is  challenging herself to do - use up some stuff! Images that are already coloured, supplies that should be used or should find a new home...that sort of thing.

Now the papers are new to me but the image is one I had sitting in a pile on my desk and, though it is actually part of the Get Well Abby collection from PaperWorksCo, I think it is perfect for all sorts of occasions. With Valentine's Day coming up, I took the opportunity to whip up a quick Valentine's Day card for one of our nieces. No need to spend a couple of hours colouring, no need to ponder over papers. It matched wonderfully with the papers already on my table for Newton's card! I even used the same sketch!

card details:

• finished size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches, CTMH Chocolate cardstock base
• stamped image: "Get Well Abby" from the PaperWorksCo "A Day in the life of Abigail C" collection, coloured with Copic Markers (E000, E00, E01, E93, BG000, BG01, BG45, BG49, Y04, R22, R21). Sadly, PWCO closed their doors on January 1st but if you are interested in getting this stamp, stop by the store site and drop an email to Peggy at the email contact left in the post on the main page. I'm sure if she has the stamp in her left-over stock she would be happy to hook you up.
• sentiment: CTMH Seasonal Celebration
• patterned papers: My Mind's Eye: Lime Twist - Life of the Party
• Spellbinders: Petite Circles
• EK Success Scalloped Scallops Border punch

additional challenges for this card:

• Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge #20: Love is in the air

Another sad day, another store closing

Hi folks,

as some of you know, some time ago I was one of the design team members over at PaperWorksCo.

I just wanted to pass along the sad news that as of January 1st, Peggy and Mike have decided to close up shop. There is a post over at the shop's main page announcing the decision. I know it was a hard decision for them to make and I will certainly miss getting cute new stamps from PaperWorksCo. But just because the company is closing up shop, it doesn't mean that you will stop seeing PWCO stamps on my blog.

In fact, I went to the store site this morning (since it was easier than getting into my craft room at the moment!) to check out the R.A.M. wedding release as I need to make a congratulations on your wedding engagement card for my little bro and wanted to see which one I could use. So....yep, I'll still be using them you can bet! And you all know that Harriet the Hippo is still my all time fave PWCO stamp - way back from the first stamp release!

Anyways, please join me in wishing Peggy and Mike all the best in all their other endeavours (they've left a contact email on the main page of the store site at which they can be reached).

Now...where did I leave that box of kleenex? sniff sniff.

ETA - since the store is closed now, I've updated my sidebar links. The link on the alumni PWCO DT blinkie now goes to my PWCO gallery on SCS so you can see my past and future creations using my PaperWorksCo stamps.

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!)

Exciting news at PaperWorksCo

Hi folks,

so have you been following along with the DT announcements over at the PaperWorksCo blog this past week? Lots of new and returning members!

Well, I'm lifting today's post because Peg has made some changes to how PWCO runs their challenges.
-- Excerpted from the PWCO blog:

"We’ll be switching up the posting schedule, so it’s going to look something like this:

• Magnificent Kit Mondays - We’ll be showcasing all the amazing things you can do with our PaperCard Kits!  Stop in for some inspiration! 
• Wonderful Sketch Wednesdays - Our Sunday Sketch is moving!  These great sketches are still going to be designed by Bella the Sketch Goddess, however, we thought y’all needed more of a mid-week pick-me-up!  Play along with at least 2 sketches per month, and be entered to win 2 stamps of your choice – OR that month’s PaperCard Kit!  (If you combine OUR challenges, it only counts as entering once; you’re welcome to combine our challenges with anyone else’s, though!)
• Fabulous Recipe Fridays - Our same great Recipe Challenges, designed by Danielle the Recipe Goddess; now on Fridays for some weekend fun!  Play along with at least 2 recipe challenges per month, and be entered to win 2 stamps of your choice - OR that month’s PaperCard Kit!  (If you combine OUR challenges, it only counts as entering once; you’re welcome to combine our challenges with anyone else’s, though!)
• Super Anything-But-A-Card Sundays - Another new feature here at PWCO, an entire day devoted each week to Anything-But-A-Card projects!  While we all love looking at and being inspired by cards, we thought it was high time we really mixed things up – check in on Sundays for inspiration in the form of bags, tags, scrapbook pages, altered items, 3-D items….and whatever else the talent on this team can come up with!

There’s a new bonus with our challenges, too – you’ve got ALL MONTH to participate!   I don’t know about you, but in my house, I don’t have the opportunity to craft whenever I want to – I usually wind up staying up way past ‘way too late’ and crafting like a crazy lady – and I only get to do that about twice per month.  That generally means I don’t get to play in many challenges, simply because by the time I get to craft, I’ve missed all of the deadlines… SO, I thought if we gave you until midnight MST on the last day of the month to play along, then it should be no problem at all to play with at least 2 sketches or 2 recipe challenges!

Also, if you haven’t already, make sure to ”Like” PWCO on FaceBook - you never know what sort of sales, secrets, or sneaks could show up over there!"

-- end of PWCO blog post excerpt

You now have ALL MONTH to play along! Now, I know some of you are lucky enough to get to craft on a daily basis, but for some of us, that's just impossible. I typically only craft on the weekends as I just don't have time on weeknights to make it into the craft room.

Singing in the rain

Hi folks,

look who is stopping by again today!

It's Abby - happily splashing in the spring puddles. And lookie - she's not coloured with BG Copics! She has a little green rain-coat this time!

I'd happily put on my own green rain-coat and join in the fun. Yes, I HAVE a green rain-coat. My Mom got it for me when I went off to university. Yep, it's that old and I still have it. Want to hear a funny story? It's reversible. Bright yellow on the inside. And my Mom wrote my name on it on the "inside" at the back of the collar. Yes. For her 18 year old daughter. Was she thinking I was going to get lost and forget my name? Oh, and REVERSIBLE? Not so much with my name written on it!!!!  Maybe the next rainy day (probably tomorrow!), I'll put it on and jump in the puddles in our back yard and get my sweetie to take pics.....mind you, I don't have any rain boots (I'm planning on picking up a pair though!)

Anyways, here are the card details:

• stamped image: "Singing in the Rain" from the "A Day in the life of Abigail C" collection from PaperWorksCo, coloured with Copic Markers (E33, E35, E37, E000, E00, E93, YG11, YG13, YG17, Y06, B000, B02)
• patterned paper: Echo Park Paper Co "A Walk in the Park"
• Spellbinders: Classic Rectangles
• button from my stash
• baker's twine from "The Twinery"
• layout: There She Goes Clear Stamps Sketch Challenge #98 (by the way, I got two lovely sets of stamps from TSG in the post on Thursday - they will definitely be making an appearance here soon!)

Additional challenges for this card:

• CCEEStampers: Challenge CCEE1111: to use a cutie patootie image (critter or person) wearing something GREEN (doesn't have to be the main color.)

Hope you are all having a lovely day - thanks for stopping by!