Got the Blues

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Hello!  Just wanted to pop in to share a quickie I made for this week's challenge over at The Play Date Cafe.  Color challenges are my favorite kind -- and TPDC never fails to deliver!

Having said that, this week's palette was certainly a challenge...  It just felt weird to be playing with these colors in the middle of the summer -- (it reminded me of the year my dad thought it would be great to change out all our traditional Christmas decorations for blue and silver ones -- pretty in theory {and in the department stores} -- but just not right in our home!!)

Alas, this is meant to be a challenge, after all...  So, here's what I came up with:

   

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #137

Thanks for popping in!  I always look forward to and enjoy your sweet comments!  Have a great rest of the week!  :)

Banner-ific!!

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TGIF!  Happy Top o' the Weekend to you!  :)

Just a quick post to share a card I created based on another of the Hero Arts sketches for this month and using the color o' the week from CAS-ual Fridays -- PINK!

I wanted it to be colorful and girly (I know -- shocker!!! :) and I wanted needed to use up some scraps of random papers!  (I am the world's worst about throwing paper bits away -- I seriously need some guidelines here -- like, hoard ONLY if the paper is THIS size or bigger....  any and all suggestions are welcome!  :)

Anyway, here's the sketch my card is based on...

And before you go....  It's officially summer, so I thought I'd share a fun video of Emmitt with you!  Crazy mutt would willingly give his own life for watermelon and avocados  :)

Have a fantastic weekend!!!  I know I plan to!!  :)

Thank You "Clearly"

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Seriously, have you seen the color palette over at The Play Date Cafe this week?? Simply gahhh-geous!  :)  How could I not play along??  And I had the perfect set of stamps I was dying to ink up just for the occasion!  :)

Just so we're "clear," (ha!) I have used acetate again on this card to create a window to house my sentiment.  So fun, but I didn't have the right color Staz-On ink, so had to stamp and heat emboss my sentiment on the "inside" of my card...  I like it anyway!  :)  Hope you do, too!  Thanks for stopping by!

But before you go, thought I would share some sage advice my mom passed on to me and my sisters, just for fun!  :)  You know, moms always know best!  

Thanks, Mom!  :)  Haha!

Color Me Happy!

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Hello and Happy Monday!  I'm here today with a card that is, quite frankly, a bit of a stretch for me -- just something completely different than my usual -- and that, my friends, is the fun of it!  :)

I was inspired by two challenges this week -- the sketch over at RetroSketches and the challenge to use acetate (or vellum) on a card at CAS-ual Fridays.  I love the card by N@ Ali that was the inspiration for the sketch at RetroSketches and was drawn to not only the way she layered her shapes and embellishments, but also the COLORS (!) she incorporated.

I knew I wanted to be as bold with my color choices as she had been with hers -- and what better way than with alcohol inks??  Enter the acetate.  Perfect.  :)

Here's my take on both challenges:

I love the chunks of color and the Maya Road wood veneer butterflies (I colored them with alcohol inks and then coated with Diamond Stickles for shimmer!) are the perfect accents!  Super fun and very different, no??  Hope you like it!  :)

Thanks for stopping by -- here's hoping your week "promises" to be a colorful one!  :)

(can't help the cheesy -- rainbows are promises, after all!  :)

Giveaway Winner!

Pin It Congratualtions to Heidi, the winner of my first-ever giveaway!  :)  

Heidi, please email me your address so I can get your goodies in the mail!  :)

Junk in the Trunk :)

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Wanted to show you what I've been up to the last several days!  There's a sweet little seven year old I know who is about to head out for her first-ever week of summer camp and needed to be going in style!  :)  And whooooo doesn't love a happy little owl (or a couple??  :)

Thanks for stopping by ---  I just couldn't resist sharing pics of this colorful little trunk!  :)  Hope you like it -- and that Cammie will have the best time at camp!  (don't you remember how fun summer camp always was???  why do we have to grow up??  :)

Also, don't forget -- today is the last day of my First-ever Giveaway!!!  All you have to do is become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment letting me know you are (I'd love to visit your blog, too!) by 11:59 pm CST tonight to be entered in the drawing for the goodies below!  :)

Just Because...

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***Before I get into today's post, I wanted to shamelessly plug, er, uh...  remind you about my first-ever giveaway I have going on this week!  You can find the details in this post, but really it's simple -- all you have to do to be entered is become a follower of this blog (if you aren't already!), and if you do, please leave me a comment so I can take some time to visit your blog and say "hi!"  I will run this thru 11:59pm CST Friday night, June 15th and announce a winner on Saturday, June 16th...  

Thank You and Good Luck!!!***

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming!  :)  


The card I'm sharing with you today is my take on this week's color challenge over at The Play Date Cafe -- which was a real bugger, btw!  :)  If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I heart my patterned papers and rarely do a project without them.  Well, the good folks over at TPDC must have had other things in mind when they chose this color scheme, 'cuz I had nuthin'!  I was gonna have to do a lot of stamping and coloring!  I also had in mind to use one of this month's sketches over at the Hero Arts blog as inspiration for this card -- Circles!

So here's what I came up with:

 Was hoping you'd be able to tell more about the different levels on this detail shot...

I'm pretty pleased with it, especially since (promise you won't tell anyone --  this is just between us...) this was my first time ever stitching on a card!  Ha!  :)

Anyway, thanks for stopping by!  I would be super-honored if you would consider following this blog -- again, the giveaway is still open for another couple of days!!!  :)  Hope your week is starting off famously!

  

DeNami Designs Blog Hop & A Giveaway!!!

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***  You have arrived at the DeNami Blog Hop (and my first-ever Giveaway -- see below!)!  For my Hero Arts "90-Minute Scramble" post, please click here or continue to scroll down. ***

Good morning!  I am thrilled today to be participating in the latest Blog Hop for DeNami Designs -- and with a theme that has challenged me like none other, to boot! -- "Cards for Guys" -- oh my good golly!  I don't know about you, but guy-cards are some of the hardest cards for me to make!  I, ummm, just don't think like they do!  :)  More on that in a moment.

First, the details:

• The hop begins at 6:00am PDT Sunday, June 10th, but you until 11:59pm PDT on June 11th to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a fun prize from DeNami Designs)
• DeNami Designs is giving away TWO $20 gift certificates to lucky commenters -- so be sure to leave your comments all along the hop to be entered as many time as possible!  :)
• Have fun!  And be inspired!

You should have arrived here from the blog of Annette Holleger, who I'm sure had a rather crafty something for you to see!  If you get lost along the way, or just want to start over from the beginning, just head back to the DeNami blog to get back on track!

Without further ado, here's my card:

Haha!  I love these little guys!  I combined the Rocketship, Friendly Robot, and the Outer Space Stamp Set in making this card.   (I don't know why, but I have that Daughtry song in my head every time I look at this card -- "I'm going home, to the place where I belong..."  Hmmm...  Go figure!  :)

Hope you like it...  I'm about to send you hopping on along, but before I do, I wanted to let you know that I am happy to be giving away a little prize pack of goodies myself!  All you have to do is: (1) Become a new follower (if you're not already!) and (2) Leave me a comment!  Be sure to let me know if you're a new follower so I can take a moment to check out your blog!  :)   Here's what I'm offering up  -- and yes!  open internationally!  :)

DeNami Outer Space Stamp Set, stamps fromTechnique Tuesday and Papertrey Ink, Prima flowers, twine from Doodlebug Designs, 6x6 paper pad from Teresa Collins, Stickles, ribbons from May Arts, buttons, chipboard and felt embellies, washi tape, and maybe a few more goodies!

Thanks for stopping by -- now off you go to visit the super-talented Glenda Wyatt!  Hope you enjoy the Blog Hop -- I know I will!  :)

This is How I Roll

Pin It Just a quick share...

This morning I participated in a "90 Minute Scramble" hosted by the Hero Arts Flickr group.  This was not my first time participating, but it was my first time participating rather successfully!  :)  (my first two attempts resulted in near-panic attacks -- trust me: NOT pretty!!)

I had so much fun -- and even had the opportunity to practice my cleansing, deep-breathing techniques in the final 7 minutes, when after completing my card, I realized I still had to photograph it and -- another deep breath here -- forego the photoshop editing and get it uploaded.  IN. SEVEN. MINUTES!!!


Well, needless to say, this would not be a post about me basking in the glow of post-scramble euphoria (ok, maybe I'm overstating a smidge...  sue me!!!) if I didn't have a card to share...  So here it is -- remember I only had 90 minutes to conceive and give birth and photograph this baby for posterity, so be kind!  :)

Thanks for stopping by -- be sure to come back Sunday morning and check in for the DeNami Designs Blog Hop (and maybe a giveaway -- my first!  woo-hoo!  :)

You've Got (bird-)Mail!

Pin It So, I've been doing this blog thing for a couple of months now, and while I'm still the "newbie" in most areas of the blog-o-sphere, there have been a few people who have not only offered words of encouragement and support, but who have also provided an endless amount of inspiration.  Virginia Lu of "Yes, Virginia" (which my mother tells me is from a song! :) is one of those people.

I originally was introduced to her work thru the Flickr Hero Arts group and quickly became an admirer.  Virginia shows no fear in attempting new techniques and her approach to blogging is honest and real and (often) very funny.  I appreciate that!

Anywho, Virginia often features pics and anecdotes of her super-talented kids and recently decided to host a challenge on her blog inspired by some photos her daughter had taken.  Check out the post here.  The challenge is a Rainbow theme.  I decided to use the color theme and send some encouragement of my own  -- so here we are --  Yes, Virginia....  I'm Inspired!

Thanks for stopping by...  I appreciate you and your kind words and I will be back later today with another little something I'm super-excited about!  Wishing you clear skies and much happiness today!  :)

ETA:  My mom thinks this looks like one of the "Angry Birds"  -- haha!  There will be no sling-shot dive-bombing attempts made on you or your residence as a result of viewing this post!  :)

Supplies:

• Papers: Echo Park "Hello Summer," Neenah "Solar White" cardstock
• Inks:  Memento "Rich Cocoa," Copic Markers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Vintage Photo"
• Dies:  Spellbinders Nestabilities "Labels 8"
• Stamps: Stamps by Judith (bird and envelope), Hero Arts "Everyday Sayings" (sentiment)
• Prima Flowers, ribbons by May Arts, seam binding, buttons, adhesives, "Diamond" stickles

Carry on!!!

Pin It I feel like this today....  

Here's hoping your day has been better!!!  :)

Spot On!

Pin It I was so excited to get a little crafty-time in the other day that I was able to knock out two cards in one session!!!  (Those of you who can "knock out" waaaaayyyy more than that in a single sitting, please keep the snickering to a minimum!  :)

I am excited to be playing along with the latest RetroSketches challenge, 'cuz it's a simple one (my favorite kind) which leaves it open for interpretation (woo-hoo! :)  This one was a lot of fun for me -- I got to play with a couple of fun techniques and I really kinda like how it all turned out...  :)

Wanna see?  Ok, here it is:

It's kinda cute, no??  :)  I just love this giraffe and by "masking," I think I was able to give her quite a little personality!!

Here is the inspiration sketch:

As you can see, I made mine a tall, skinny card (3.5"x9") and moved the sentiment along the left edge, but left everything else where it is on the sketch....

I hope you like it -- clearly it was a fun one to make!  Thanks for stopping by!


Supplies:

• Stamps:  Giraffe, bow, square window - Stamps by Judith; flowers - Hero Arts "Layered Flowers"
• Inks:  Memento "Rich Cocoa," Copic markers & sepia multiliner 
• Papers:  Neenah "Desert Storm," Copic Xpress It Blending Card, My Mind's Eye "Fiddlesticks"
• Dies:  Memory Box "Round Buttons," Sizzix Bigz "Flowers 3-D"
• Ribbon, Glossy Accents, Rock Candy Stickles