Happy birthday April!

Last night while perusing some of my favorite blogs I came across a new (to me) digi stamp

company called The Ocotpode Factory, you can find

these fabulous stamps here.

I was so inspired that I snatched up a couple and got to playing!

I am entering this fun birthday card into their challenge

which is "Words" you can find that challenge here

I am also super excited about the Hard Core Crop that's being sponsored by co'ordinations 

you can find all the Crop challenges here.

This card is being entered in the Recipe challenge being hosted by Andrea

at I'm livin on scraps

her recipe is akin to chocolate chips cookies,

(from her posting)

BROWN SUGAR - Page must contain some type of Core'dinations Kraft or Kraft Core (Tim Holtz collection) cardstock, OR you may use any color of Brown Core'dinations cardstock that you may have on hand!   (I used the kraft core)SUGAR - Page must contain some type of Glitter, Embossing powder or Bling.  (I embossed the sentiment, and I then sprayed it with sparkly mist!)

CHOCOLATE CHIPS - Page must contain Polka Dot embossing, (either Tillie or Jillian Spotted Core or Core cardstock that is embossed with a dotted folder).  (I embossed a scrap piece of core paper and then I distressed it!)

CHOPPED WALNUTS - Page must contain some "distressing technique".  (well it didn't show up very well, but I distressed the edges of the kraft paper, and I also added distressing to the raised embossing on the heart and the polk a dots!)

Here is my close up of this fabulous digi! 

I wanna send a shout out to my good friend April, it's her birthday!

And this fun creation is for her! 

Also entering this card into the challenges at:

Pause Dream Enjoy: Forgotten Stash (for my kraft paper! how could I forget that???)

Pile it on: Anything but a Christmas Card

Shopping Our Stash: Odds and Ends (literally everything on the card is odds and ends.. well except the image)

Tuesday Alchemy: Anything Goes

and of course:

The Octopode Factory: Words

A stampendous Christmas card!

                         It is still very hard to believe that it's almost December!

Today I was at the park in shorts and a tank top yet again! 

I know I live in Arizona, but I want it to feel like Christmas!

Soooo I made this pretty  Christmas card when I got back from my work out!

I'm playing along with the challenge over at the Stampendous Blog who is teaming up with

coredinations for a hard core Crop!

The challenge is to use a stampendous stamp (that would be Santa!)

And also to use coordinations color core Cardstock

The black with the red paper is coordinations, and the green background paper is also

coordinations! 

I embossed the black paper with my Tim Holtz embossing folder,

which made the paper crack, I then sanded it with my sander, and cut the edges with my

pinking sheers. (yep, I've used them before, and I'll use them again!)

For the green cardstock I also cut the top and bottom edges with my pinking sheers,

I then ran the edges thru my sewing machine

I then cut a piece of gold ribbon and added an antique button (estate sale find)

Here is a close up of Santa

as you can maybe see, I paper peiced the middle of him.  I love the little

added detail this brings!

I'm sure if you've been following my work at all you are getting super sick of this

same green color over and over... I have great news... Today I bought 2 new copic's

both in green!  I'm super excited to try them out tonight! 

I hope your Christmas Crafts are all on track! 

I am also entering this into:

Creative Inspirations: Traditional Christmas Colors (this is my second entry, if that is no acceptable please delete my prior entry thank you!)

Crafty Sentiments: Red, White, and green (and in my case black as well)



12 tags of Christmas tag 6

So as you may know, I've been playing along with the 12 Tags of Christmas
Challenge that is being hosted by Linda at The Funkie Junkie
this is my rendition of week 6!
You can find her creation here
I was inspired by her bow, and the coloring on her tag!

I have to be honest, I really struggled with this tag!

the top part feels too heavy to me!

And the bottom half a little bare...

Oy... so I wanted something shiny, so I tried embossing my pretty cut out

and it turned out ok, and then I did a little embossing on the edges of

the little tag I made as well!

Definitely not my favorite tag, but it was definitely challenging!

If you remember this fabulous challenge is being sponsored by Linda's store

The funkie Junkie Boutique

also entering this into Creative Inspirations: Traditional christmas colors challenge

The crafters cafe challenge

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Today I have a card to share with you for the design team at The crafters cafe challenge

Where the challenge is thanks 

I colored up this fun image from The stamping boutique

I also wanted to challenge myself to make a card quickly!
That is the challenge at Pretty pink posh where they've challenges us to make
A card in 10 minutes or less...
I came in right under the wire at 9:43
And that included coloring the image!
I know right??

I also of course wanted to play along with the challenge at Simon says stamp

Where the challenge is a sketch..

Here's a close up f the coloring, I think not too bad for a 10 minute

Card! 

Hope you're having a great week!

Ink Stains Altered Altoid Hop

Welcome to my very first blog hop! 

I am lucky enough to get participle in this Altered Altoid Tin hop

Which is a celebration of Miss Roni's 5th year of blogging!

Wow all I can say is wow!

I can only hope that I'm still at this four years from now..

Sooo to celebrate there is this fab hop,

If you wandered in here, then there is a blog hop list at the bottom, or head straight to Roni's Blog

To check out lots of great projects

Ok, so this is my altered altoid tin

I'm in a winter sort of mood (even though I'm currently in shorts and a t-shirt)

First off I covered the top with modeling paste and let that dry, 

Then a coat of paint and some snowflake stamps in black

I then applied some crackle paint and after drying

I tried to get some white in the crevices

Finally I added different colored glitter glue to the wood veneer snowflakes,

And then covered those in glossy accents

I added some white glitter to the edges for a little snow effect

Here's one more view

So I hope your enjoying the hop so far

Here's the rest of the hop, there's lots of prizes up for grabs,

And at the very least lots and lots of inspiration!

12 tags of Christmas: week 7

Good Monday morning!

Today I have another Christmas tag for the 12 Tags of Christmas 

That I've been playing along with at The Funkie Junkie 

I was inspired by Linda's bow! Oh you gotta go check out that bow!

Mine certainly doesn't do it justice... (Linda what was the secret?)

But I tried...

If you remember this challenge is being sponsored by Linda's 

Shop Funkie junkie boutique which is currently closed as Linda and her husband are in the

Process of moving! 

But she'll be back up and running soon! 

I hope you've enjoyed all these tags, I've got them all hanging up in the craft room!

It's feeling at least a little festive in here!

Anything but a card challenge 7

Good morning!

Today is a new challenge day at Anything But a Card
Where you are challenged to make anything but a card, and this week you can be inspired by this fab picture

At first I was tempted to try to do a painted umbrella,
but alas I live in Arizona, and umbrellas seem to be pretty hard to come by here!
(who knew!)
Sooooo I had this awesome Saturated Canary image and since

my inspiration from the picture was the umbrella, I ran with it!

Yep, I haven't had an altered composition book in a while!

Ok, so here's the back story, when my parents were out 2 weeks ago we decided we were going to do a family weight loss challenge.  So we got a number of family members on board, and we've been doing our best to keep eachother accountable, and as I'm sort of spearheading the operation, I am offering some prizes. 

This is the prize going out to my sister in law in Florida. 

Hopefully she will stay inspired to keep up the good work!

Plus since I seem to always be winning things, and it's so much fun for me to get these fabulous prizes in the mail I thought I should return the favor! 

Here is a close up of the little sentiment on the front cover....

I love this!  I got a pack of clear stamps at Joann's black friday/saturday sale

they are all very inspirational, and I really cannot wait to use some more of them!

Finally, here is a close up of my colored image

yes, I used my copics,

and yes, I was also inspired by some other challenge blogs that I play along with

Please head over to the Anything but a Card blog and join in our biweekly challenge

or at least check out all the creations from this super talented Design Team!

Entering this into:

Saturated Canary Challenge: Challenge 31: a sketch

Just Us Girls: Photo Inspiration (see below)

Diva's by Design: use 2 or more patterned papers

Pinspirational Challenges: photo challenge (I was inspired by the wood of the swing, and also that in the picture there is a pen/ paper/ envelope, and my creation is a comp book)

Tuesday Alchemy: Anything But a Card
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge: Anything Goes

Dilly beans ATC

Sooo I said I was busy in the craft room yesterday, and I wasn't joshin ya!

This little offering is an ATC I made for the Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge

which is mythical creatures...

The image is of course from the super talented Megan at  Dilly Beans who was

gracious enough to work with me when I totally screwed up my order there this week

(thanks again Megan if you're reading!)

Ok, so on to the ATC, I started with a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" piece of white cardstock

I then used my new distress stains to ink it up mostly blue with a little bit of green!

(The challenge at Fussy and Fancy is feeling blue!)

I painted on some seaweed, and stamped the "keep swimming" on the bottom

This saying is totally me right now!  I feel like I just have to keep on keepin on!

Or like the duck that looks all calm but is really paddling like all get out under the water!

Oy, anyways, so the challenge of mythical creatures sorta stumped me

well it stumped me cause other than the elf with his tush stickin out I didn't really have anything mythical

So I got in on the 40% special at Dilly Beans (it's now 30% off through the etsy store use code BLACKFRIDAY30 and it's good til Monday)

So I colored up the mermaid, and then I used my glitter glue on her tail to make it look

more like fishy scales. 

Don't you just love her??  My new moto!

Entering this into:

Dilly Beans: Anything Goes

Wicked Wednesdays ATC challenge: Mythical Creature

Fussy and Fancy Fridays: Feeling Blue

Sweet nothing's thank you

Good evening all my bloggy friends!

Today I was busy in the craft room all day long!

I worked on some DT stuff, but also some stuff I can share with you right now!

I got this free digi from Sweet Nothings Stamp Co

So I have decided to play along with their challenge which is to

use this picture for inspiration

So I got to work making a neutral card!

I added the paint spatters on the background paper as I'd like to play along with the challenge at designed to color and can I just say that man did it feel like it took a long time for those paint spatters to dry!

As they were drying I cut out the digi and backed it with some old sheet music

Here's her close up!

The lace was hand dyed and hung to dry,

I then went to work arranging some buttons on the corners of the card

And I added the numbers and the "thanks"

which was backed with some of the wood looking paper that I had left over

All in all a cute and girly card ready for when I need a thank you on the fly!



Entering this into:

Designed to color: Paint Splatters

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge: Thankful/ give thanks

Crafty Sentiments: Thanks

Cute card Thursdays: Girls only

Sweet Nothings: November Challenge: neutrals

DYSU Challenge: Numbers

 

Funkie junkie tag 10

I know! Two posts back to back??

I've been hard at work on both of these tags for the last day, and 

They seem to have come together at nearly the same time! So here goes!

This tag is also for The funkie junkie 12 tags of Christmas challenge

This is for week 10. 

Remember this great challenge is being sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique

Where Linda is offering a fabulous prize!

I was most inspired by her brick wall background!

I had a fabulous time trying to recreate it!

I also tried to do the icicles, but alas I left them on my work table

And koa kat got to them overnight!

It's ok, it gave me a chance to break out my new washi tape from Freckled fawn

I'm also playing along with the challenge at Cut it up challenges which is

Ugly Christmas sweater... Use up your ugly papers!

This green paper definitely fits the bill!

I can only imagine what was going through my head when I bought it... And I bought two of them??

Seriously what was I thinking??

Here's a close up!

I tried my best to make the leaves look better!

Sort of looks like snow??

I also made a glittery ornament out of a die cut circle that I covered with glossy accents

And then some silvery glitter..

This is for the challenge at Crafty catz where the challenge is to sparkle it up!

Hope your crafting instead of stressing today!

My tag also fits in the challenge at Desert island crafts challenge #42

And includes Christmas, red and green, twine, and sparkle!

Funkie junkie tag #9

Happy day before Thanksgiving

Are you all prepped and ready for the craziness??

I know I am! Lucky me I don't have to do all the cooking... 

I work Thanksgiving night, and we all bring a part of the meal! Yeah!

I'm soooo looking forward to Steph's green bean casserole,

And I'm trying out my Great Aunt Jewell's chocolate divine dessert... Mmmmmm

Ok ok, enough jabbering on.. 

This post is actually another Christmas tag from The funkie junkie week 9

Hop on over and see what Linda created! 

Then you'll see I was inspired by her layout, and her background

This challenge is being brought to you by her store The funkie junkie boutique

Where she's having a moving sale!  Yep, she's headed to Gainesville from South Florida!

Sooooo for the background I cut a piece of scrapbook paper with that wood!

I then die cut all the hearts out of some distress papers

Then I used my new distress stain to ink up the hearts

I was also inspired by the button on Linda's creation with the twine 

I only had a super small piece, so I made it work

Then I added the ticket, the number 4 and the bow on top!

The leaf is also a die cut that I grunted up with my sanding block

Here's another look!

I also am playing along with: 

Seriously creative challenges: Wood

Shopping our stash: Leaves

Cut it up challenge: Buttons everywhere

Quickie thank you

I fell in love with these butterflies when I was in the store, and the background paper

Was perfect with the butterflies!

So, it's a super simple card, but I love it! 

Hope your crafting today!

It's a great way to relieve the stress of the holidays!

Entering this into: 

Flutterby Wednesdays: Thank you

The corrosive challenge: Flutter by

Crafty sentiments: Thanks

Simon says Stamp and Show: Thank you

The Pink Elephant Challenge: Thank you 

A yellow thank you

Just a quick yellow post this afternoon as I am 

Headed back not the studio for more creating!

Yellow, oh sweet yellow... My favorite color!

I know it's a little odd, but it's always happy, 

Never pretentious, and looks fabulous on its own too!

Today I whipped up this little ATC, using my yellows (and maybe some orange!)

The little flower digi stamp is from dilly beans,

The yellow inspiration from (pin)spirational challenges, 

And of course the ATC is for wicked Wednesdays challenge!

I love grouping them all together! 

I can guarantee some more thank you's in the near future! 

Entering this into: 

Wicked Wednesday: Be thankful

(Pin)spirational challenges: Challenge 33

Dilly beans challenge: Thanks challenge

Simon says stamp challenge: Thanksgiving/ thank you

Anything but a card

Hello fellow bloggers!

Today I am excited to share with you my latest Design Team creation

for anything but a card where the challenge is

faux stitching or a stitch in time

I used both... or I tried to at least!

Ironically, about 6 years ago when my hubby bought me a sewing machine

I got into sewing, I had tried my hand at a crazy quilt that never really turned out!

So I wanted to give it a try again.... however not with my sewing machine!

but with the top of this container!

Last weekend when my parents were in town we were able to hit up a few

estate sales, and as I have been getting low on my button supply, I was super

excited to get a slew of them for super cheap!

However I then of course needed somewhere to house them.

So I cleaned out a mayonaise jar and embossed some aluminum tape (I promise I'll give the tape a rest soon!!!)

But the embossing folder is one of the only things I own that has a clock on it!

So I inked the aluminum tape with blues and purples, and then ran it thorough

the embossing folder, and then ran my black staz-on over the raised parts,
Finally I added some numbers around the edge of the top

of the jar... Sort of feels a little more clocky (maybe not a word?? he he)

Don't forget that this is the last week to get your creations in to

anything but a card!  Next week I'll be back with another fab creation (I hope!!!)

Have a blessed Sunday!

Pink Christmas

Happy week before Thanksgiving!

I have a Christmas card to share with you all today...

A pink Christmas Card.. My mom will love it I'm sure as she LOVES

all things pink!

I won this cute as a button Stampendous stamp a few weeks ago from

Designed to Color

and I thought this was the perfect time to use it!

Aren't those elves just so adorable???

I wanted to add the stars but could not for the life of me figure out how to make them

a banner... Finally I just popped them on with pop dots and added the twine behind them... It turned out cute right??

For the Heart I die cut it and then I used my new

Distress Stains to make the pretty mottled background, I stamped

the "merry christmas" with my staz-on black, and added a start inside the heart as well..

The December is a Tim Holtz embossing folder and again the heart was a die cut!

I'm following along with a number of challenges with this card

Bearly Mine Challenges: Pink Christmas

By the Cute and Girly: Twinkle Twinkle little star

Crafty Sentiments Design: Christmas

Cute Card Thursdays: Starry Night

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge: Anything Goes

Tuesday Alchemy: Anything Goes

Diva's by design: Anything goes

Funkie junkie tag 8

I'm getting this tag up just under the wire for the challenge over at 

Little darlings where the challenge is to make a tag using a saturated canary image

I'm also of course playing along with Linda over at 

The funkie junkie this is for tag number 8

I know I'm out of order but I had to try out my new distress stains!

I was inspired by Linda's layout

And of course the distress stains (aren't they amazing??)

Join up with the funkie junkie challenge for a chance to win an awesome

Gift card from Linda's shop 

The funkie junkie boutique

Here's one more shot of this fab tag!

Entering this into:

Simon says Stamp and Show: Stamp without ink (I used glue to stamp for the snowflakes!)

Crafty Sentiments: Christmas

Alphabet Challenges: T for Tags

Crafters cafe: giving thanks

Good morning all my crafty friends!

Today I have an offering for you of a fun card I created for my DT assisgnment at the crafters cafe challenge

their challenge for this month is thank you 

I got the opportunity to use some of my die cuts (especially that boarder!)

I have had that background paper for quite a few months, and thought

it fit just perfect with the gingerbread man!

Soooo if you've been working on a thank you card, or a thanksgiving card, hop on over to

The Crafters Cafe and join in the fun!

Entering this Card into:

Cut it up Challenges: Give thanks with a Twist

Card Makin mama's: Thanks or Thanksgiving

Craft Room Challenges: Punches and die cuts

Desert Islands Craft Challenge: 3, 6, 9, 10

Christmas tag #5

Good Monday morning!

Today I'm sharing my newest installment of the 12 tags of Christmas

I've been following along with miss Linda at The funkie junkie

This is my 5th installment! 

However I am still 4 behind! Ahhh will I ever catch up?

I certainly hope so as Linda's store The funkie junkie boutique is sponsoring this 12 week challenge,

And there is a fab prize at the end..

So, here is my tag

I was inspired by many things on Linda's tag, but most of all

I tried to reproduce the snowflakes on the background

They were stamped and heat embossed with clear 

Embossing powder, which as many of you know makes a resist

I was then able to ink over them with vintage photo distress ink

Voila! Plus I got to use some of those used holiday stamps

I have laying around!

Hope you like, and that you're getting your craft on this wonderful Monday!

A princess and a reminder

Happy Sunday all my blogger friends!

Usually today I would be posting my DT creation for Anything but a Card 

However I had my parents in town this week, and there are some finishing touches I need to put on my creation! Sooooo hop over to anything but a card and check out their new challenge....

"A stitch in Time" where you can submit anything but a card that includes either time or stitching! 

Super fun challenge!

So today I'm sharing with you all the beautiful card I got to make with my mom!

She just loves hanging in the craft room when she comes, and we made this fab 

birthday card for my cousin.

Over at the Saturated canary challenge blog the newest challenge is "fairy tales"

This beauty reminds me of a princess, and I think she is a perfect fit for the

Challenge! Mom wanted this relatively clean look, (I did talk her into the flower)

The threading of the ribbon through the paper was her idea, and I will most likely be doing this

Technique again!  It was a little time consuming, but it's a really pretty effect!

Here is the princesses close up!

And on the inside we just had use this paper with the dresses! 

Wanna hear something super fun? The side with the sentiment is embossed using white embossing powder that mom gave me a few years ago.... 

Which she had bought years and years before when we lived in Idaho! 

So literally 25 + years ago!

I love how the card turned out!

Entering this into:

Saturated canary challenge: Fairytales

Chocolate, coffee and cards: Stripes

Thinking of you!

Hello lovely blogger friends!

I apologize for the brief hiatus!

Mom and dad flew into Phoenix on Saturday, and we've been going going ever since!

Today mom and I were able to spend some time in the craft room!

I always love miss Megan's creations at Dilly Beans

Her drawings are just fabulous!

This is a close up of one of her girls... All colored up and on this

Fun card I made for my sister in Pennsylvania

Here is the whole card... I just love that polka dot card!

Which by the way I've had in my stash for about three years!

I may covet them a little!!

I'm also playing along with the challenge over at 365 cards

Which is thrifty! Use something you've had in your stash for over a year... The cards, and also something you got on sale... This is silly for me! As I buy only on sale!!

I added the thinking of you sentiment

And the burlap die cut heart!

Here is another close up!

So I hope you've had a great week! Tonight mom and I are off to meet with

My art group for a make and take!

Also entering this into the thinking of you challenge at Simon says stamp stamp challenge

Anything but a card Sunday reminder

Happy Sunday everyone! 

Just stopping in quickly today with a reminder that this is week two

Of the "use black" challenge at Anything but a Card

Today I'm sharing with you the anniversary present that I made for my hubby

Here is a close up!

So stop by the blog and share your black creations! 

Card of a different shape

I won this fun SC digi a few weeks back from miss Mary for a fun blog hop!

You know how much I love these images, and the kitty is just so freakin adoreable!

I colored her gray just like my Koa cat (who wears a gray and white tuxedo)

The challenge over at Saturated Canary Challenge

is to make a non square card...

Which is also the challenge at Simon Says Stamp challenge

So I pretty much just straight edges at an angle to make this card...

yep, that's right, I'm not very good at making shaped cards so this works for me!

Isn't this a fab digi??

I needed to make a thank you for my dear friend in Florida who was so nice as to

send me and Hubby a 2nd anniversary present!

Who wouldn't love this fun shaped card??

Here is a close up of miss kitty! Don't you just love her green eyes??

Also entering this card into:

365 cards: day 243 certain sentiment (thank you)