Fond Farewell to PPC...

Welcome back everyone!  This last Monday of February is a bittersweet one for me as it is my last week as a member of the DT over at Picture Perfect Creations...*sniff*  I want to start off by saying THANK YOU to Megan and the rest of the gals over at PPC - you are all AMAZING and I am very honored to have been a part of the team for the past eleven months.  Here's this week's color combo:

I found this great sketch over at the My Favorite Things forum over at Splitcoast and decided to use it and dig out my new Die-namics set I bought a few weeks ago:

Stamps: Textile Rectangles with coordinating die (MFT)  Ink: Early Espresso, Pretty in Pink, Peach Parfait  Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Pretty in Pink, SU! DSP  Accessories: Apron die (TCP), Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, twine, button, paper piercer

I hope you will come and join the fun over at PPC - I hear there might be prizes up for grabs to celebrate our 50th combo.  Enjoy your Monday!

Anything Goes at Sentimental Sundays!

Hi everyone - are you enjoying your weekend?  It has been a snowy, blowy weekend here so I've been hunkering down and enjoying not having to go anywhere.  I did manage to get some crafting done, though...  :)  This week's challenge over at Sentimental Sundays is one EVERYONE can participate in - "Anything Goes!"  Just make a card (or two) and don't forget your sentiment!! 

I combined this challenge with the Play Date Cafe's color combo - a bright, springy one this week...I love it!

I also used the Stampin' Royalty sketch as my jumping off point but as my card evolved, it ended up being *slightly* different than the sketch:

Stamps: Ewe Complete Me (TCP)  Ink: Versafine Onyx Black  Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, various DSP scraps  Accessories: Buttons, sheer ribbon, scallop oval punch, oval punch, sewing machine, Seeing Spots embossing folder

As always, thanks for stopping by - it's always so much fun to read your comments and see where you're all visiting from.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend - see you tomorrow!

I {heart} Fridays!!

Hi everyone!  Are you as glad as I am that it's Friday?  This week has just seemed to d-r-a-g so when the alarm went off this morning, I hit the snooze button and rolled over to enjoy a few more minutes of yummy sleep.  After getting the boys off to school I came home to start the ever-growing-and-multiplying piles of laundry and then sat down to make a card.  Earlier in the week, I tried to make a card using The Cat's Pajamas color combo but I just wasn't *feeling* it so I put the papers off to the side to revisit it later and this morning they were calling me...

Another reason to {heart} Fridays is because that means it's time for new Viva la Verve Sketch.  This week Amber has given us a fun one to work with:

I have been using soooo much Verve lately that I thought I'd better be an equal opportunity stamper and give some of my other stamps some love and attention...I got this new set a few weeks ago from The Cat's Pajamas but haven't inked it up -- what better time than now?

Stamps: Ewe Complete Me (The Cat's Pajamas)  Paper: Pretty In Pink, Chocolate Chip, Taken With Teal, SU! DSP, Whisper White  Ink: Taken With Teal, Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories: Nesties (Rectangles and Scalloped Rectangles), Copics, paper piercer, adhesive pearls, Apron Border Die & Flower Buttons Die (The Cat's Pajamas), Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, button, twine, heart brad

I hope you are enjoying your Friday - any big plans for the weekend?  I think we are going to take it easy and enjoy some family *togetherness*... DH just called and said he bought "Megamind" so I think we'll probably pop some popcorn and curl up in the couch to watch that tonight.  Have a great weekend everyone - see you on Sunday for a new Sentimental Sundays challenge!

An Inspiration Challenge at the 4 Crafty Chicks!

Hello again everyone!  I'm back with another fantabulous challenge from the 4 Crafty Chicks!  We had an amazing number of participants last week so let's see if we can top it this week.  This week's hostess with the mostest is Lori (who hasn't been feeling well so if you have time, pop over and leave her some love) and she has given us this yummy picture from Bed, Bath and Beyond... look at all those awesome colors:

Of course, color isn't the only inspiration you could get from this photo - the floral design, the clean lines, maybe you could get a sketch out of it??   I decided to go with the colors (are you surprised?) but went with the softer side of the colors - I was also inspired by the floral pattern. 

This is my final week as the Guest Designer over at Paperworks Co. and I wanted to use a RAM stamp I haven't used yet...Sugar and Spice.  It's a super-cute image so off I went to find some DSP that would work.  HA!!!  Easier said than done.  Eventually I decided on Basic Grey's Curio collection... it is a bit "flowery" for the image but I'm OK with how it turned out.  I also used Jen's February Sketch for You to Try:

Stamp: Sugar and Spice (PWCO)  Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Early Espresso  Paper: Early Espresso, Whisper White, Groovy Guava, Curio DSP (Basic Grey)  Accessories: Button, baker’s twine, Nestabilities (Lacy Circles & Circles), Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder  Copics: Colorless blender, E00, E11, E31, E33, E35, E37, E47, YR02, YR18, YR21,YG63, YG67, YG95,Y32, BG01

Thanks for peeking today - have fun with this inspiration challenge!  I'm excited to see what you all come up with.  Later, gators!

It's Color Dare Wednesday!

Are you ready for it?  Over at the Color Dare, Riley had given us a lovely combination to work with - Perfect Plum, Always Artichoke, and a neutral of your choice... I decided to use Kraft & Whisper White.  I know that's TWO neutrals but I don't count the white *wink*.

I immediately thought of flowers and leaves and wanted to use my 3-D Flowers die from Sizzix so in search of a suitable sketch I went.  I found a great one over at Mojo Monday - Mary Fish...you rock!

Stamps:  Petals and Stems (Verve)  Ink: Perfect Plum  Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum  Accessories: Scallop Edge border punch, Nesties, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Script embossing folder, Crumb Cake seam binding, paper piercer, 3-D Flowers die, adhesive pearls

I hope you will find some time to play along with us this week over at the Color Dare!  See you tomorrow for a brand new 4 Crafty Chicks challenge!

Happy Anniversary at PPC!!

I'm so excited today!!  Wanna know why?  Of course you do.  :)  Today marks the one-year anniversary of challenges over at Picture Perfect Creations!!  I cannot believe it has been a year already...where does the time go?  I have had so much fun designing for Megan and working with the rest of the DT - they are an absolutely fabulous group of gals.  Do you think you have what it takes to be a PPC Creator?  Megan is on the lookout for some new DT members so let's see what you've got!

Let's get down to this week's special challenge - it's our regular color challenge with a 'twist' ~ we want you to make an anniversary card to help us celebrate!  Here's the combo to inspire your creations:

For my card, I used Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch - rotated 90*:

Stamps: Happily Ever After (Darcie's)  Ink: Basic Grey  Paper: Whisper White, Garden Green, Basic Grey, SU! DSP, DeLovely DSP (Cosmo Cricket)  Accessories: Paper piercer, White satin ribbon, sponge dauber, Lacy Circles Nesties, Circle Nesties, adhesive pearls

I hope you will play along to help us celebrate this week - I've heard there might even be prizes up for grabs...  :)  Have fun!  See you later!

Another Verve-filled Friday!

Hello crafty peeps!  Are you as glad as I am that it's FINALLY Friday?  I look forward to Friday all week - it's my day off and I get to do whatever I want!  I've got the kids home with me today because it's yet another PD Day at their school so I figured I would let them sleep in while I got up early to CRAFT in relative peace and quiet.  :)

This week there's a fun new challenge over in the Verve Splitcoast forum called "Get Your Diva On" and it's one challenge I would LOVE to win..."The winner of the challenge will get to be a Guest Diva in an upcoming release AND will receive all of the stamps/dies for that release for free! They will also get to play along with the Divas during the pre-release Spotlights as well as at the Release Party!!"   Ummmmm...HELLO???  Can you believe that?  I'd get to play along with the Divas...the amazing group of crafters Julee has assembled???  How freakin' awesome is that?!  The inspiration picture that Charmaine has chosen this week is so pretty:

I went with the pinks and white with a splash of silver and glass/reflection and ran with it.  The new Viva la Verve Week Four sketch is up - beautiful one, Andrea - so I also used that for my card:

Stamps: Love's Flower (Verve)  Ink: Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette  Paper: SU! DSP, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Kraft  Accessories: Sewing machine, paper piercer, Nesties (Labels Fourteen and Labels Sixteen), white satin ribbon, adhesive rhinestones, filigree brad, silver cord

Thanks for stopping by today - I hope to have time to make a few more cards today.  I am going to go and do some baking now...some more Loaf Potion #9.  Yummy....  :)  See you later!

Paperworks Co. Guest Designer - Take Two!

*If you are looking for my 4 Crafty Chicks post, please scroll down.  Of course, please feel free to peek at this one before you scroll... ;)*

Hi everyone!  Welcome to the second installment of my Guest Designer spot at Paperworks Co.  This week I got to use my very first RAM stamp I ever bought - he's so freakin' cute!  I figured that I might as well make it a Paperworks two-'fer and use this week's Sketch Challenge... but it's not a sketch challenge - ha!  All you have to do is make a heart shaped card or use hearts on your project.

Since I didn't have a "real" sketch to use, I found one perfect for my image over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Of course I had to change it up a little bit and make it a square so that the image would fit, but I think it turned out pretty OK:

Stamp: Surprise Cheer (PWCO)  Paper: Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler, Pretty in Pink, Bo Bunny Crazy Love DSP  Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Pretty in Pink, Cherry Cobbler  Accessories: Labels Sixteen, sponge dauber, corner punch, clear embossing powder, Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, heart brads, button, baker’s twine  Copics: R11, R32, R39, R85, R89, RV000, RV32, RV34, E25, E31, E47, C1, C2, C5, colorless blender

Thanks for stopping by - see you soon!

Butterflies, Fairies and Angels...Oh My!

Here we are again - another Terrific Thursday - and you all know what *that* means... a brand-spankin' new 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge!  First off, I want to thank everyone that played along with my Valentine's Day challenge last week...you made picking a Top Three very difficult.  This week's challenge is brought to you by Tamie, the hostess-with-the-mostest, and she wants to see butterflies, fairies or angels on your projects.

I absolutely {LOVE} Stacey's Curtain Call Color combo this week...reds and neutrals...what could be better?

And a fabulous color combo *has* to have a perfect sketch to go along with it, right?  So, off I went to Mojo Monday and found this beauty.  A little shout-out to the Verve gals for picking my Mojo card from last week as one of the top twenty-one entries...not too shabby when there were over 300 entries!!  Thank you!!!  Now back to this week's sketch:

Stamps: Beautiful Kindness (Verve)  Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Real Red, Crumb Cake  Paper: Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, SU! DSP  Accessories: Real Red grosgrain ribbon, sewing machine, Nestabilities (circles, scallop circles, Labels Fourteen, adhesive pearls, sponge dauber

I hope you will join us for Tamie's challenge - the more the merrier, I always say!  Don't forget to stop back in a few hours for my second week as Guest Designer over at Paperworks Co. - I've got a really cute card for you!  See you then!

Color Dare & Viva la Verve Week Three

Hi everyone!  This week's Color Dare is a good one - calm and soothing - Night of Navy, Marina Mist and River Rock.  My first instinct was to make a boy birthday card but I decided to make a sympathy card instead.  One of the families in our community is grieving the loss of their husband/dad who passed away unexpectedly last week while on a family vacation in Mexico.  It is incredibly sad and yet thought-provoking at the same time... it sure made me want to hold my family a little closer and not take them for granted.  This card will be going to them this week.

I used the Week Three Viva la Verve sketch - another wonky panel...

Stamps: Forever in Our Hearts (Verve)  Ink: River Rock, Night of Navy  Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Marina Mist, SU! DSP  Accessories: Paper piercer, Marina Mist satin ribbon, Leafy Branch embossing folder, Nesties, sewing machine, Beautiful Wings embosslit, adhesive pearls, paper piercer

Thanks for stopping by today - I'm glad you did.  :)  See you tomorrow for a new 4 Crafty Chicks challenge!

PPC Specialty Challenge - Valentine's Day!

Hey everyone!  Happy Valentine's Day to you all - I hope you will all be able to enjoy some time with the ones you love.  :)  We've got a Specialty Challenge for you this week over at Picture Perfect Creations and it's...wait for it....wait for it... a VALENTINE'S themed challenge!  Go crazy showing us your V-Day-inspired creations!

For my card, I used the TCP Tuesday Sketch from a couple of weeks ago - don't you love it?

I *had* to use one of my new TCP stamps for this one - this little penguin dude is just the cutest - and I got to try out the whole "image outside of the nesties" thing.  Took a bit of figuring but I think it turned out OK:

Stamps: Got Love (TCP)  Paper: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Melon Mambo, DeLovely DSP (Cosmo Cricket)  Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, Versafine Onyx Black, Melon Mambo  Accessories: Copics, paper piercer, Nesties, sponge dauber, clear embossing powder, dimensionals, sewing machine, Kassie's Brocade embossing folder

Thanks for stopping by - I've got a busy day planned after I get home from work this afternoon and, yes, it does include crafting.  ;)  I hope you will take a few minutes to play along with us at Picture Perfect Creations - we love it when you do!  See you later - enjoy your day.  :)