4CCC-90 {Graduation}

What a great week this has been!  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous and we are looking at a LONG WEEKEND!!  WOOHOO!  Now, normally we will take off and go visit my parents for the weekend but not this weekend...no siree!  This weekend is my first 10K run of the season.  ACK!  My fellow Chick, Lori, and I are going to run this one together.  I will admit that I haven't been diligent in my training so not looking to have a smoking time but I *am* looking forward to spending the time with my peep. :)

But you came to see my card, right?  This week's 4 Crafty Chicks' hostess-with-the-mostest, Tamie, has challenged us to make a graduation-themed card/project.  I don't usually make grad cards so this was fun to do and now I have one on-hand "just in case."

For my card I used this lovely inspiration photo from Crazy 4 Challenges as well as Jen's May Sketch For You to Try.  I loved the colors in the bowl of balls and all of the different patterns really jumped out at me.  For Jen's sketch, I flipped it on it's side, used an awesome Verve sentiment, and there ya go:

Thanks for stopping by today - hope you all enjoy your weekend, wherever you are!!  If you have time to stop by on Sunday, please do. I am so excited to be Karen's Guest Sweet Stamper over at the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge this time around!  It's a fun one.  :)  Later, skaters!

 

Color Dare #91

Hello, hello, hello!  Here we are at Wednesday which means it's time for a brand new Color Dare!  This week's combination is Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, and Tangerine Tango.  I made my card before Christmas in an attempt to get ahead a bit and these colors were a fun departure from the "Christmas-y" colors in abundance this time of year.  :)

I was able to use a sketch from Crazy 4 Challenges:

And voila!  I have been trying to find an occasion to use this stamp for awhile and thought it would work perfectly for this sketch:

Stamps: Attitude sentiment (Clear & Simple Stamps)  Ink: Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise  Paper: Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise, SU! DSP  Accessories: Square punches, sponge dauber, Twizzle embossing folder, Nestabilities, Tangerine Tango grosgrain ribbon, buttons, silver cord

I hope you will have a few minutes this week to play along with us - we love to stop and see what you create. :)  See you tomorrow for a brand new 4 Crafty Chicks challenge!

An Inspiration Challenge at the 4 Crafty Chicks

Welcome back, everyone!  I have an inspiration challenge for you this week at the 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge.  Take a peek at this fabulous photo from Better Homes and Gardens:

Now, you can use whatever you want from the picture as your inspiration...it could be the colors, the shapes, the theme, the textures ...whatever!  Pretty much anything goes (within reason, of course!  LOL)

When I first saw this picture, I was immediately struck by the light fixture and the hanging "mobile"  and the very modern feel of this dining area.  Of course, as my card evolved, it ended up being NOTHING like I envisioned it would!  LOL  I thought the colors reminded me of So Saffron (for the rectangle on the wall), Pumpkin Pie (for the place mats on the table) and then Kraft and Espresso (for the wood).  The table looks like it could be set for a celebration of some kind so I went with a birthday card.  I found one of my Pure Innocence girlies and discovered that Taylor's Sketch would be perfect for it:

 

Recipe - Stamps: Birthday Princess (MFT)  Ink: So Saffron, Early Espresso  Paper: Early Espresso, Whisper White, Kraft, SU! DSP  Accessories: Adhesive pearls, Scallop Edge border punch, Kassie's Brocade embossing folder, paper piercer, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon, staples, Nesties, Copics

Over at Crazy 4 Challenges, it is Silke's birthday this month so she's asking us to make a birthday card - how perfect!  :)

So let's see what you can create using this picture for inspiration - I know we will ALL take different things from it and that's the beauty of an inspiration challenge...  :)  Make sure you go back to the 4 Crafty Chicks blog when you are done to link us up so we can come and see how clever you are.  Have fun!

Challenge #6 at the 4 Crafty Chicks!

Welcome back for another fun-filled 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge. This week's challenge is brought to us by Leanne and she wants to see some distressing on our cards.  I must admit, this isn't a technique I use very often so it was fun to give it a go for this card.

I found an awesome color combination over at Crazy 4 Challenges and immediately knew I wanted to use it...and there's a prize up for grabs this week - a $25 VERVE gift certificate!!  WOOHOO!  One can never have too many Verves, in my opinion.  :)

Laura and Kazan over at 2 Sketches 4 You have a sketch that is very open to interpretation and I definitely took liberties with it:

Stamps: Prima Clear Stamp  Paper: Kraft, Basic Black, Wild Wasabi DSP   Ink: Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories: Chipboard swirl, clear embossing powder, felt flower, button, twine, So Saffron striped ribbon, paper piercer

I inked my chipboard with Onyx Black Versafine and then sprinkled clear embossing powder on it to give it some dimension so this card also qualifies for Tuesday Throwdown's challenge to use chipboard.

I wasn't sure about all of the empty space on the Kraft panel but, against my instinct, I left it alone.  I *so* wanted to emboss it or paper poke it or something...

I hope you will join us over at the 4 Crafty Chicks for our distressing challenge...we love to see what you create!

Wanna See Scarlette and her JUGS?

Well, OK... I'm stretching it a little.  No one's going to see anything they shouldn't on this-here blog...no siree.  Yes, there's a bathtub and yes, there are a few bubbles but...  What I *was* referring to (not very eloquently, I might add) is the fact that the Scarlette stamp I used for this card was combined with the Just Us Girls color challenge.  I also used the Crazy 4 Challenges sketch and this week's Totally Stampalicious challenge to use three different ribbons on our project.

Recipe - Stamps: Bubble Bath Scarlette (Totally Stampalicious)  Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Wild Wasabi  Ink: Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories: Silver brads, various ribbons, oval punch, Nesties, clear embossing powder, Copics, Twizzle embossing folder (Sizzix), twine

Thanks for stopping by today - can you believe we are almost at the end of September?  ACK!  I really need to see the sunshine for a *few* more days...enough of this rainy stuff.  See you again soon!

Totally Stampalicious - Pregnant JJ with a Splash of Red. . .

 . . . but as you may be able to guess, my card has a *bit* more than a splash!  LOL  Red is one of my favorite colors and to ask me to just use a splash of it is like asking a kid not to eat the cookies!  :)  SO, this week's challenge over at Totally Stampalicious is to make a card with whatever colors you want but make sure there's a *splash* of red on your card.  Easy peasy, right??  Lucky for me, the challenge over at Crazy 4 Challenges this week is to use black, white and red on your card so I was able to kill two birds with one stone!

Peggy's sketch challenge over at the Paperworks Co. blog is to make a circle card.  Again, sounds easy, right?  Let me tell you, not as easy as it sounds!

So, after figuring out how big of a card I could make, and then sizing and resizing my digi image, I came up with this:

Recipe - Stamps: Pregnant JJ (Totally Stampalicious)  Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black, SU! DP  Accessories: Nesties, Hodgepodge Hardware, paper piercer, Copics, taffeta ribbon, button, silver cord

Have fun with this challenge - red is a fabulous color and you can make so many great color combinations with it!  Enjoy!

Sunday Three-in-One 3-D Challenge

How much fun have I had???  I am not usually this ambitious but I was inspired by the JUGS gals to give it a shot.  Their challenge this week is to use any template of our choice.  Well, I don't own any templates but I thought I could come up with something all by myself...and that new slipcover box that Lauren is releasing April 1 is *mighty* cute...

I thought the Play Date Cafe's color combo would make a PerFeCT box set:

So I got out my scrap paper to sketch out some dimensions, decided on colors (Sahara Sand, Rose Red, Bashful Blue) and started cutting.  In hindsight, I should have made the top cover's back the same size as the front but now I know. : )

I made the box and then went in search of a sketch I could use to make four cards that was fairly clean and simple so I could reproduce them quickly and found this beauty from Crazy 4 Challenges:

Et, voila...

Whaddaya think??  Super cute, hey?  I'm very pleased with how this turned out and will definitely make some "tweaks" to my template before I make more. 

Thanks for stopping by this Sunday morning - make sure you go over and check out the Curtain Call's new color combo - it's a beauty!  Later, peeps!

8-in-1 Monday!

Wow...I sometimes shock even myself!  I don't think I've ever done a card that incorporated eight challenges at the same time.  Of course it helps when so many challenges have the same theme the same week.  :)

So, here are the challenges this card qualifies for:

• Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog gave us the theme "Spring is in the Air" and told us to interpret it however we wanted to.
• Crazy 4 Challenges also asked us to think "Spring."
• One more... Our Creative Corner Challenge's theme is "Spring/Easter."
• Paper Sundaes challenged us to use paper piecing somewhere on our project.
• Pile It On's theme: "Furry Friends."
• Wags 'n Whiskers is challenging us to "pop it up" and use dimension somewhere on our card.
• My sketch comes courtesy of Pals Paper Arts:

• And last, but not least, my colours are thanks to Just Us Girls:

I just received this cute image from Wags 'n Whiskers as part of my Sketch Saturday win a few weeks ago and thought it would be perfect for all of these challenges:

Recipe - Stamps: Some Bunny Loves You (Wags 'n Whiskers)  Ink: Versafine Onyx Black  Paper: Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Assorted SU! DP, Whisper White  Accessories: Clear embossing powder, Argyle embossing folder, Copics, Bashful Blue satin ribbon, buttons, hemp twine, slot punch, paper piercer, dimensionals

I paper pieced her dress and hair bow, the flower and his shirt and tie.  I used dimensionals to pop up the flower as well as the entire image panel.  I will admit that this image is a bit more "cutesy" than I normally use but I think it makes a really nice spring-y card.  :)

Don't forget to stop and check out The Shabby Tea Room's new challenge as well as The Curtain Call's Color Challenge!  See you tomorrow!

Saturday Morning Three-'fer

Hey Everyone!

For the first time in a LONG time, I was able to sleep in until nearly 10:30 this morning!  It was SOOO heavenly... *sigh*  After I got out of bed, I did some tidying in the kitchen, threw some bread in the bread machine and then sat down to peruse the blogs.

Yet another color combo has been sitting on my desktop since the beginning of the week and when I found that Crazy 4 Challenges' challenge was to make a masculine card, I knew I could finally use Samantha's Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Combo:

I also used Papertake Weekly's sketch (but I flipped it 90 degrees...):

I dug through my stamps and found one from the Little Paper Shop that I had NEVER inked up and thought it would be perfect for a masculine card.  The sentiment is from LPS too:

This is one of my more plain (aka BORING) cards but I know it has to be for a man... only the chosen *few* appreciate buttons, bows and pearls.  *wink* 

I just put supper in the oven so hopefully I'll have time to make another card.   Thanks for stopping by - enjoy the rest of your afternoon!

P.S.  Don't forget about the new Curtain Call tomorrow, The Shabby Tea Room on Monday and Megan's search for DT members over at the Picture Perfect Creations Color Challenge.

Tuesday Morning Fun

 

I've been busy this morning trying to get a couple of challenges done while trying not to listen to the eldest son throw up incessantly... *sigh*  Knock on wood, though, I think he's fallen asleep for now.

I waited very patiently for Arielle to post her Colour Q Challenge and then spent at LEAST 20 minutes looking for something that would pass for Apricot Appeal (yet one more colour I don't have!):

 

 

I found this sketch on the weekend at Crazy 4 Challenges but haven't used it yet - I love all the layers!  You're surprised by that, I know...*wink*

It was tough - 'specially with that Green Galore thrown in - but I think I did OK:

 

Don't you just love this Bella?? Her hair flowing behind in the wind, her snazzy hubcaps... makes me smile!

I've got one more card to post and then I need to do some *stuff* around the house.  See you in a bit!

HaPpY NeW yEaR!!!

Welcome to 2010!  I have a feeling it's going to be a good year.  :)

I spent yesterday chillin' out and I didn't get a chance to craft so I woke up this morning and got right to it.  I was able to combine 3 challenges with this card:

1. Viva la Verve - The first sketch of the year is a great one and Amber has added a {twist} this year: "Every month this year we'll walk through a different room and every week I'll bring you some inspiration pictures of different rooms."  She gave us some pictures for inspiration but you could use inspiration from your own home if you wanted to.  I was drawn to the clean, crisp lines of this picture:

 

Surprised?  This picture is SO not my house, nor is it how I would decorate if given a bazillion dollars but I LOVE the colors and look - for someone else.  ;)  Here's the sketch:

2.  Crazy 4 Challenges - This week's challenge: "Let's have some Polka Dot Fun! Design a card/project using polka dots."  Easy.  :)

3. Our Creative Corner Challenge - "A new month brings a NEW hostess, Joycelyn will start off the new year with a new year's resolution "Clean and Simple". We will leave it to all of you to decide what clean and simple means to you...whether you go with less layers, or maybe no embellishments... whatever you decide."  I think this card is about as clean and simple as I've done for awhile...no bow, no buttons, no adhesive pearls (GASP!)  Yes, I do still have layers but, for me, if a card can fit in an envelope and NOT need extra postage, it's "clean and simple."  *grin*

Without further ado:

Recipe - Stamps: Give Thanks Plain Jane (Verve), Flower Lines (SU!)  Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Night and Day DP  Ink: Real Red, Versafine Onyx Black  Accessories: Nestabilities, paper piercer, Swiss Dots embossing folder, clear embossing powder, circle punches, ribbon

I really like how this turned out.  And for all you "sketch purists" out there: yes, I turned the sketch and yes, I realize it is supposed to be a square and yes, I know the sketch doesn't call for ribbon but I was really struggling with the "space" at the bottom and thought the ribbon was perfect for the "feel" of this card: clean, classic and a bit retro.  It's a girl's creative license to change it up a bit, right?

It's another chilly one here today so I'm guessing we will be sticking close to home today - which means more crafting!  YAY!  I need a coffee or something - my fingers are chilly.  :)

Catch ya in a bit!