CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #26–Sketch Challenge!

Hola Peeps!

I’m back today with this week’s CAS-ual Fridays Challenge and I KNOW you’re going to love it as much as I did.  This week’s challenge is to create a CLEAN AND SIMPLE design using Laura Davis's brilliant sketch in the above graphic.  I am a sketch challenge FANATIC – somehow my mojo just flows when I have a sketch to work from, so I hope you have as much fun with Laura's sketch as I did.

This week’s fabulous sponsor is Lawn Fawn Stamps, and Kelly Marie (the owner) has very generously provided the Girl Fridays with some yummo images for us to work with!  AND she has also offered up an outstanding prize for this week’s TGIF Club Winner – I so hope it’s you, because I know you’re going to love it!  But you have to head on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is.  And while you’re there, be sure and check out the eye candy that the other Girl Fridays have cooked up for you all!  Thank you, Lawn Fawn!!

Did you know that Halloween is next Monday?!!  Oh my goodness!!  I can’t believe that it’s already the end of October!!  My kids will be visiting us for a few days and arrive on Halloween, so I thought I’d whip up a little cutie patootie Halloween card for my grandson.  I chose to work with Heebie Jeebies.  I don’t know what it is about that adorable little spider, but I just fell in love with him.  Cute, right?!!

PRODUCTS USED:
STAMPS:  Heebie Jeebies (Lawn Fawn Stamps), Background Basics: Retro (PTI)
INK:  VersaMark (Tsukineko), Blackberry (A Muse Studio)
PAPER:  Snow and Raven CS (Bazzill), Green Polka Dots (Memory Box)
ACCESSORIES:  Self-adhesive Rhinestones (Kaiser Craft), Charcoal Baker’s Twine (The Twinery), White and Black EP (Zing/American Crafts), Classic Circle and Pinked Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Stampin’ Dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Okay, friends, that’s all I’ve got for you today.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!!

Dressed or Undressed?!

 

Hahahaha!

 

I’m sure you’re asking yourself, “Okay, what the heck is she talking about now?!”  LOL  I’m just wondering your position on “dressed” or “undressed” buttons!  I have such a hard time adhering buttons without something “dressing” the holes of the buttons.  How about you?!  Do you think they should be dressed or undressed?!

So I wanted to really quickly share a card that I made this afternoon for this week’s Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger.  Cath always has the most interesting inspiration pieces for her Tuesday Trigger challenges and this one is no exception.  I was inspired by so many aspects of this photo.  Of course the gray and turquoise color combo goes without saying – SWOON!  But I also loved the eyelet lace, as well as the empire waist – to me that set the layout.  Oh, and don’t forget that amazing damask flourish on the front of the dress – DELISH!!  Please notice that my button is NOT nekkid!  LOL

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Flourishes (Stampabilities), Undeniably You (Unity Stamp Company), Signature Series: Dress Form (PTI)
INK:  Provincial Gray (Fresh Ink), VersaMark (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Tempting Turquoise and Basic Gray CS (Stampin’ Up!)
ACCESSORIES:  Tempting Turquoise Embossing Powder (Stampin’ Up!), Satin Ribbon (Midori), Edgers #2 Collection Die (PTI), Stampin’ Dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!), Button (PTI), Silver Cord (A Muse Studio)

I hope to do LOTS of stamping this week, friends, so I’ll be back very soon to share more schtuff with you!  In the meantime, have a great week!

Autumn Blessings . . .

Good Morning, Stamping Friends!

Popping in really quick to share a card that I created for two different challenges:  The CARDS Gallery Challenge (fall cards), and the A Muse Studio Challenge (buttons).  I received some new A Muse Studio stamps yesterday, and just had to immediately get them inky.

PRODUCTS USED:
STAMPS:  Autumn Beauty (A Muse Studio), Dash Pattern (Hero Arts), Fillable Frames (PTI)
INK:  Chocolate, Nutmeg and Mango (Fresh Ink), Pumpkin (A Muse Studio), VersaMark (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Kraft and Vintage Cream CS (PTI), Pinecone CS (Bazzill)
ACCESSORIES:  Acorn Die (Lifestyle Crafts), Thanksgiving Baker’s Twine (Trendy Twine), Button (stash), Stampin’ Dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!), Canvas Impression Plate (PTI)

That’s it for me today, kids.  I’m off to run some errands and then back for more stamping!  Have a great day!

A Super Fun Opportunity to Win!

 

Hola Peeps!

I WILL have something creative to share with you some time today, but right now I wanted to share a really fun promotion with you from Clear & Simple Stamps.  See that cute blinkie on my right hand sidebar?  Well, Clear & Simple Stamps is having a contest, and if you play along, you have the chance to win a Limited Edition Crafty Bonus Stamp Set!  How sweet is that?!  All you have to do is use the HTML code below to add the CSS blinkie to YOUR side bar, and leave Clear & Simple Stamps a message with a link to your blog, and they'll randomly select (3) blogs featuring the CSS blinkie to win the Limited Edition Crafty Bonus Stamp Set.  This contest closes on Thursday, 10/27/11 at midnight (EST).

BLINKIE HTML:

<br><a href="http://www.clearandsimplestampsonline.com"><img src="http://www.clearandsimplestampsonline.com/cssbadgeanim.gif" /></a><br>

 

Easy and fun, right?!  I'll be back later - just had to share that fun little tidbit with y'all!

Have a great day!

Tap, Tap, Tap . . . Is This Thing On?!! LOL

 

Hello My Sweet and Patient Crafty Friends!

 

I suppose you’ve gone away and found other crafty peeps to visit, since it seems like I fell off the face of the earth.  Dang, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted here on my blog.  Pleeeaaassseee forgive me!!  My life got a bit frantic following my father-in-law’s funeral.  The day after we returned home from that, we packed our belongings and drove to AZ for the winter.  We arrived in AZ last Thursday, and I promptly came down with some kind of flu bug that kept me away from my creative schtuff until yesterday.  I did spend all day yesterday creating, but can’t really share any of what I made with you . . . just yet. 

I do, however, have a card that I would love to share with you, especially in light of the fact that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Cancer sucks, no doubt about it – and sadly it has touched us all in one way or another.  I’ve witnessed the courage and perseverance of two dear friends as they suffered with this horrible disease – and conquered it!!  My father-in-law died from Mesothelioma – a form of lung cancer that very often is caused by exposure to asbestos.  My stepmother is also in the midst of battling breast cancer, and we pray every day that she, too, has kicked cancer’s hiney!!  In fact, she recently completed chemotherapy and radiation.  My dad really wanted to have a party to celebrate the fact that she had completed treatment and has gotten great reports from her doctor.  He asked me to design an invitation for this soiree that he wanted to throw, and this is what I came up with.

 

I knew I wanted to use the negative of a ribbon die cut (created using my Silhouette and an imported ribbon clipart design) – I just love that look,don’t you?!  With my computer and printer, I created a block of several words that describe those that so bravely persevere through this disease – I singled out one word and made it a brighter pink.  I then placed a panel of those words behind the die cut negative, putting dimensional tape between the two panels for added texture.  I chose the word “Celebrate” as the focal sentiment because it was to be a celebration of my stepmother, and the fact that she had completed treatment and was hopeful of a successful result.  Think positive, right?!!

 

The party didn’t happen because she decided that having a party would be just a bit “too much” to handle in the midst of still really recovering from a pretty big year of treatment.  But I thought that this design might inspire someone else to “celebrate” someone they know and love who is fighting this horrific disease.

 

I WILL be back on Friday (really Thursday, for my west coast peeps) with the latest CAS-ual Fridays Challenge.  Man, am I glad to be back!!  Thanks again for your patience with me.  Hopefully you’ll come back again real soon to visit!

World Card Making Day–Happy Holidays!

 

Hurray! Hurray! It’s World Card Making Day!

 

I’m thrilled to bits to be a part of the Paper Crafts Magazine World Card Making Day Blog Tour.  I wish that I was home creating cards all day long today as I had originally planned, but I’m out of town for a family funeral.  But I so wanted to be a part of today’s events, even if it’s in this small way.  So, I decided to use today’s blog tour to get an early start on my holiday card making.

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Birch Trees (Impress Rubber Stamps), Polka Dot Basics (PTI), Merriest Wishes – sentiment (Hero Arts)
INK:  Provincial Gray (Fresh Ink), VersaMark (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Ultra Smooth Solar White CS (Neenah Classic Crest), Enchanted Evening CS (PTI), Wild Cherry CS (French Poptone)
ACCESSORIES:  Silver Satin Ribbon (Midori), Birds & Branch Die (Taylored Expressions), Stampin’ Dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!), Silver Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts)

 

How will you be celebrating World Card Making Day?  Do you have fun plans with your crafty friends to crop all day?!   If so, I’d love to hear all about them!

 

I can’t wait to visit the rest of the World Card Making Day bloggers on today’s Blog Tour – I hope you enjoy them, too!  Thanks so much for stamping by today!  Have a great day!