2 Sketches 4 You...

I applied for the 2 Sketches 4 You Summer Design Team- their deadline to notify their choices was today... I didn't get the call :( but did end up with 2 super cute cards to add to my file for future use!

There were two sketches to follow:


And here are my submissions, this first one I decided to use a stamp I almost forgot I had!

Supplies: Birds (Magenta), Floral Screen embossing folder (Cuttlebug-Provocraft), Copic markers

This second card I decided to also enter for the Hero Arts "mayflowers" challenge.

Supplies: Thoughful Messages (Hero Arts), Bazzill Basics Swiss dotted paper, Pearl gems, Copic markers

Thanks for stopping in!

Chocolate Truffles- WSC78

Hello again!

I decided this MFT set wasn't seeing enough ink and thought it was a perfect fit for Sharon Harnist's weekend sketch challenge!

Here is her sketch:


And here is my card!

Supplies: How Sweet It Is (My Favorite Things); Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Scallop border punch (Stampin' Up!), Argyle embossing folder (Cuttlebug-Provocraft), Bazzil Basics Swiss Dotted paper, Felt flowers (Maya Road), Copic Markers

Thanks for popping in!

Under Distress!

Hello! Hope you all are enjoying your weekend! Enjoying a beautiful day here today.. doors wide open letting some fresh air in and being lazy on the couch enjoying it all!

The Hero Arts challenge this week was all about distressing. Although, I do own a few different shades of Tim Holtz's Distress Inks- I'll be one to admit that distressing really isn't my thing, and why I only have one card to share, I inked AND roughed up the edges of my card:

Supplies: DesignBlock Birthday; Heart-winged Butterfly (both Hero Arts), pearl gems, buttons, string, Copic Markers

I have some other cards in the works too - hope to get to those before the weekend is over!

Thanks for peeking in!

One More Message...

Happy Sunday!

I decided to squeeze in one more post before the weekend is over! I had been fidgeting with this card for the Hero Arts challenge for a few days and wasn't exactly sure where it was going- so I set it aside for bit until something "came to me." I had the background and the owls stamped- but the message was where I stumped- then this popped into my head!

I used the letters of 'happy birthday" and randomly stamped them to make the background...


and used three different sentiment stamps to make the message:

Supplies: WHOO Loves You; All Occassion Messages; Birthday Messages; Designer Alphabet (all Hero Arts), Scallop border punch (Stampin' Up!), Ribbon, Buttons (Fancy Pants), Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping in- have a wonderful rest of your weekends!

My fabulous Saturday!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent the day at the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention that was in town. My sister and I love these conventions and can't wait until each one travels thru.. they are so much fun and it is so great to just get lost among aisles and aisles of crafty stuff!

Well, this time I decided to participated in the PaperCrafts card contest they were holding. The category was to create a birthday card- I had known about the contest for about a month leading up to the convention, but somehow that month flew by and I was up til the wee hours of the night yesterday putting this together!

Supplies: Four Dolls, DesignBlock Birthday, All Occasion Messages (all Hero Arts), Bazzill Basics swiss dotted cardstock, Scalloped circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Prima flowers, Copic Markers

I was quite happy with the way it turned out that I had debated on entering it in the contest at all- I wanted to keep it to myself! But I'm glad I did enter it because I won FIRST PLACE!!!! I couldn't believe it! I was so excited!

This is the stack of goodies I won:


- Scrapbooking with Lisa Bearnson kit, Book 3
- A Designer's Eye, by Ali Edwards
- Decorative Journals: uncharted territory by Donna Downey
- Simple Scrapbooks: Digital Designs for Scrapbooking
- Stacy & Friends: 40 Techniques for Making Cards

I can't wait to sit down to crack open these books to see what great ideas they're filled with!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mixed Messages...

Happy Saturday night! Hope your weekends got off to a great start- mine sure did I spent the day with my sister at the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention that was in town! (but more about that in my next post...)

This card is for the Caardvarks 'fantasy' challenge and the Hero Arts challenge!

For Hero Arts we were supposed to use multiple word sets to create our own messages. I decided that I wanted to use my 'go-to' stamps of these Japanese dolls- I can't wait to get my hands on their newly released Chinese Dolls! I wanted to something a little different this time... I inked up a butterfly stamp & gave her wings!

For the message part of the card, I only inked the sentiment portion of the round Special Messages stamp in versamark ink. I think stamped each word separately (it's originally 1 line) from the "sending warm wishes" sentiment to get an overlap effect.

So here is my fairy doll!

And a closer look at the sentiment

Supplies: Four Dolls; Special Messages; All Occasion Messages; Heart-winged Butterfly (all Hero Arts), KI Memories paper lace, Scalloped circle nestabilities (Spellbinders), Prima flowers, Pearl gems, Copic markers

Color Inspiration #49

I had just enough time this morning for one more post this weeked for Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration challenge! These challenges are so much fun- they give me the opportunity to do a color combination that I wouldn't think to put together myself!



Using another Penny Black stamp- they are so cute and fun to color!

Supplies: Nap Time! (Penny Black), Scalloped square diecut (Nestabilities-Spellbinders), Scallop border punch (Stampin' Up!), Copic Markers

Thanks for peeking in- hope you are having a wonderful Easter Sunday!

Awww.... babies!

Seems like everyone is having babies around us recently.. we were at a baby shower today for some good friends who are having a baby girl in May. I just love these Sweet Pea stamps from Pink Cat Studio- they are so adorable!



My sister-in-law also just had a baby boy last month (and I'm a little late getting this to her) I think the cuteness of this one will make up for that!


Supplies: Sweet Pea (Pink Cat Studio), Scalloped Circle diecut (Nestabilities-Spellbinders), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug-Provocraft), Scallop border punch (Stampin' Up!), Prima flowers, buttons, Copic Markers

Scroll down for my second post for the Hero Arts challenge..

Beyond Paper

Last post for the night... This week at Hero Arts the challenge was to stamp on something 'beyond paper' after the previous week I was happy to layer again! I didn't go too out there for a submission this week, but have some ideas to try on my own later when I have the time.

For this card, I decided that I wanted to use the "Faux Silk" technique. I can't remember right now where I learned this technique, I think on SCS. The bamboo image is stamped on tissue paper (like what you wrap gifts with). I also stamped the background with a design in Versamark ink- but it may be hard to see. And for those of you curious the red square stamp in the bottom corner is my name in Chinese- its a stone 'chop' seal my dad made for me.

Supplies: Decorative Bamboo; Asian Frames (Hero Arts), Staz-on & Versamark Dazzle Inks

Until next time- Happy Stamping!

Shake, Shake, Shake!

Happy Friday!

A few weeks ago, Hero Arts had a windows challenge and featured a video on how to make a shaker card. I knew I wanted to try to make one, but didn't get around to it until the other night. And with a request from my 3 year old niece who wanted a bear card that was pink & green (how am I supposed to say no to that?) it was a perfect opportunity to try it out! I had this cute bear already colored just sitting and waiting to be used too- I added the grass and sky and voila!


Here is a look at the beads inside the window box that make it a shaker card

Supplies: Straw Hat Bear (Penny Black), All Occasion Messages (Hero Arts), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug-Provocraft), Scalloped Square diecut (Nestabilities-Spellbinders), Prima flowers, American Crafts ribbon, Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Inspiration #48

I just had to participate in this week's Color Inspiration on Kwerner when I saw the color combination! Its one of my favorites- and looks like many others too! And as much fun I had with last week's one layer challenge, I couldn't wait to get my hands back into my paper stash!


I wanted to use another one of these cute Penny Black stamps from my sister, they are just too cute and so much fun to color! Who doesn't like snuggling up with a good book and a nice frothy cup of hot cocoa???

Supplies: Bibliophile (Penny Black Inc.), Spiral Edger punch (EK Success), Scallop border punch (Stampin' Up!), Liquid Applique (Marvy Uchida), buttons, Swiss Dotted paper (Bazzill Basics), Copic Markers

Thanks for looking!

Happy Birthday Hero Arts!!

This week was the 1 year blog celebration over at Hero Arts! I can't believe its already been a year since the blog started and almost a year since I started my OWN blog!

To celebrate the challenge this week was to create one layer cards- other than embellishments and ribbons- no pretty patterned papers, no extra layers of cardstock etc. This was super tough for me- had a couple of re-dos before I came up with cards that I am happy with in the end!

I decided that I wanted to keep these one layer cards as simple as possible. For the first one I did knew I wanted to use these two elements together:

Supplies: Four Dolls; Asian Frames, All Occasion Messages (all Hero Arts), Prima flowers, Pearl Gems (Q & Co.), Copic markers, Scorpal- for gridlines

This second card I used a nestability to frame out the center and embossed the outside using a Cuttlebug embossing folder using this "trick" found here.

Supplies: So Sweet; Tree, Bird & Messages (both Hero Arts), Scalloped Oval diecut (Nestabilities-Spellbinders), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug-Provocraft), Prima flowers, Flower gems (Hero Arts), Copic markers

Now... this card was one that had me re-doing a few times over! I had this idea and really wanted to work it out and on the third try I think it was- finally worked out for me! Again, I used a rectangle nestability to emboss the center, stamped & masked the butterfly & floral background.

Supplies: Heart-winged Butterfly; DesignBlock Outline Flowers (both Hero Arts), gems, pearls, Stickles, buttons, Copic Markers

And after that- this idea popped into my head and was able to throw it together faster than any of the others since it didn't require and coloring!

Supplies: Patterned Hearts; All Occasion Messages (both Hero Arts), gems, buttons, Ribbon (American Crafts)

Thanks for stopping by!