My Time to Craft Challenge #240 - Mother's Day (or cards for a special lady)

Hi there - so happy that you've popped in to visit me today.  I have some exciting news that was announced last week...the lovely ladies at My Time to Craft Challenge Blog asked me to stay on as a permanent DT member.  I can't start full-time until September but I'm SO EXCITED to be part of this team.

This week for MTTC #240 we'd like you to make a Mother's Day card - or a card for a special lady

I chose to make a Mother's Day card - take a look:

I am lovin' this woodgrain stamp (it's so realistic looking)!  I used a die cut to make the hole in the tree for the owl to peek out of.  I took the piece I cut out and put it behind the main panel to continue the wood look.  Then I used a sponge dauber to make it look a bit darker from the inside.  Pretty CAS and sweet. I think my Mom will like it :o)

The lovely ladies at MTTC have made some wonderful creations for your inspiration this week. Please pop on over and say "hi" to them (here).  I hope you will decide to join in the fun this week. I can't wait to see what you make!

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #186 - No Patterned Paper

Papertake Weekly - for Mum (or a Girlie)

Til next time friends...hugs and happy crafting! D

52CCT - March Stash Challenge - Paper Flowers

Hello friends and followers!  

Time for another weekly challenge at 52CCT.

This time it's a stash challenge

and our DT hostess Patricia

wants us to use paper flowers.

Here's my DT card:

This card is made almost entirely from parts and  pieces of my stash. 

The flowers (large and small) and light green squares were from  previous ideas that didn't materialize.

I decided to make a quilt looking pattern. 

Probably the closest I'll ever come to making a quilt

with my very limited sewing ability :o).

After putting the pieces all together I added some lovely buttons 

and a few candy dots and viola - it was done.  

Oh boy does it feel good to have used up some of my bits and pieces!

I hope that you will shop your stash and play along this week at

52CCT March Stash Challenge - Paper Flowers.

My lovely 52CCT DT buddies have made some gorgeous
Christmas creations using paper flowers.  

I'm also delighted to tell you the we still have our March Guest Designer, Scraplady, with us.
 Please go visit the 52CCT DT and say "hi".

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D

ATS&M Challenge #87 - Make Your Mark

Hello lovely friends and followers!  Time for a new weekly challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More! 
But before I tell you about the challenge I'd like to say a big WELCOME to our guest designer for the next two challenges - Anni.  Love, love, love her fresh fun style, and I think you will too.

Now, back to the challenge at hand.  ATS&M Challenge #87 is "Make Your Mark".  For those of you who are just finding our challenge - Make Your Mark means we want to see you use some sort of coloring medium (other than just an ink pad) such as alcohol ink markers, gelattos, watercoloring, crayons, colored pencils, chalks, etc.   I have made a springy creation to share with you using one of my favorite forms of coloring, markers applied directly to a stamp to create different sections of color
 - and I added a new twist and did a little watercoloring on it as well.
Take a look please:

This is a long and skinny card - measures 3 1/2" x 6".   I've been playing around with different watercolor techniques the last couple of weeks to teach my card class.  I colored my stamp with markers and then spritzed with water before stamping on the watercolor paper.  I repeated this several times, as you can see, to create the flow of flowers across the card. I used two different colors of both the peach (Calypso Coral and Peach Parfait) and the green (Lucky Limeade and Gumball Green)  On the stamp the sentiment is actually right next to the bottom of the stem  on the flower bunch.  I inked it up separately with a marker and put it at the top of the card instead.  I was nervous about spritzing too much so I used a light touch and then went over the edges of the image after stamping it with a watercolor pen every so lightly as well to pull a little more of the ink out and create the watercolor effect. Really pleased with how it turned out :o).

This week at ATS&M, we have a fabulous sponsor - STAMPlorations.  

I don't currently have any of their stamps, but after seeing what some of my fellow DT members have made (for this challenge and at the STAMPlorations challenge site) I don't think it will be long before I'm the proud owner of a few - hehehe.  The STAMPlorations March Challenge is Stamps and Spring.  Since my card fits perfectly into that category, I'm going to join the fun over there too :o).

I hope that you will decide to join us this week at ATS&M for Challenge #87 - Make your Mark.  My wonderfully creative design teamies have made some amazing creations to share with and inspire you as well.  Please go visit them and say "hi".
Til next time friends...hugs and happy crafting! D

My Time to Craft Challenge #239 - Charming (use a charm)

Hello dear friends and followers - so happy you've decided to come visit me today!  Time for another weekly challenge at My Time to Craft Challenge Blog.  For MTCC #239 the DT want to see you use a charm somewhere on your creation.  Here's my Guest Designer card to share with you this fine weekend:

I used a starburst technique that I taught my card group a while back on this card.  It's a great technique to either showcase or use up some of your patterned paper stash.  I wish I could tell you that this paper was from my stash but the truth is I fell in love with the flowered paper when I saw it and then searched to find the perfect image to use with it.  Come on admit it... I bet some of you have done it :o).   The blue jean looking paper is from my stash though so I'm not completely hopeless - lol.  

I hope you will decide to join us this week at MTTC Challenge #239 - Charming.  The MTTC DT ladies have made some gorgeous creations to share with and inspire you. Please take a moment to go visit them and say "hi".  It's always nice to spread a little love don't ya think?  

I am also entering this card in the following challenge:

Creative Card Crew - 57 Charms (use a charm)

Sister Act Card Challenge #57 - Anything Goes

Til next time friends...hugs and happy crafting! D 

Seeing Stars - 52CCT March 2014 Theme Challenge - Stars

Hello friends and happy weekend to you!  Sending a special howdy to my newest follower - so happy to have you along in my crafty journey.   Not sure about the rest of y'all but I am very glad that it's the weekend.  Time to recharge my mental batteries - ahhh :o)

It's also time for another great challenge at 52CCT and it's a good one.  This third week of March 2014, our hostess, Patricia, has chosen a terrific theme challenge for you - Stars. That's right, we want to see Stars on your Christmas creations this week - preferrably more than one as it is plural - just saying :o).

Here's my card to share with you this week:

Lots of stars in the paper and I added a few punched ones as well. 

Isn't this image just darling?  She makes me smile.  

I hope that you will decide to join us this week at 52CCT for the March Theme Challenge - Stars.  The other lovely DT ladies have made some gorgeous Christmas creations to share with and inspire you.  Go check it out and and say "hi" while your there. We also have our guest designer, Scraplady, with us again. She makes some lovely creations!  Hope you see your card in the gallery this week.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

Your Next Stamp (YNS) Fun Friday Challenge #10 - sketch

Papertake Weekly - bingo (used the middle row)

Twisted Tuesday Challenge #71 (2TC71) - Clean design with Twist of color Green

Crafty Hazlenut's Christmas Extra challenge - March Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me today! Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D     

ATS&M #86 - Anything Goes

Hello friends and followers, so nice of you to stop by to visit me today!  Time for another weekly challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  This week Darnell is our guest designer - love her work and so glad to have her with us :o).  Oh and did I mention...she is darn funny too?

ATSM #86 is the ever popular "Anything Goes" - whoot woo!  You know you love it and we definitely love seeing what you come up with.  Here's my Anything Goes to inspire you to play along with us this week:

This is my second birthday box card.  I decided to go "springy" this week for a special friend in mind.  Here's a couple more views:

I used a combo of 4 different stamps and 3 different die sets and 2 punches to make this card.  

I LOVE this new watercolor wonder designer paper.

Short post for me today as it's early in the week and already a bit crazy for me.  I didn't sleep well last night. I think it's that darned leap forward time change.  Kicks my fanny every year for about a week afterward - just seems to throw everything out of whack.  I am however, really looking forward to spring and the pretty flowers that will start poking their pretty faces out of the ground. That thought makes me happy!

I hope that you will decide to join us this week at ATS&M Challenge #86 -"Anything Goes".  My lovely DT buddies have made some gorgeous creations to share with you and our new sponsor this week is (drum roll please) is STAMPlorations.

Thanks so much for stopping by friends, I'm sure glad that you did. Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D

You're so Sweet...Bashful Buttons Boo

Hello lovely followers - happy, happy weekend to you!  I have a sweet card to share with you today that I made using a digital image I got for free from Lacy Sunshine.  Heather gave her Facebook fans and members a special deal to get one of two very different images for free to use. She called them her "dark side"- Amelia and  "light side" - Bashful Buttons Boo, images.  I absolutely couldn't resist this darling Bashful Buttons Boo image as she reminded me of my own sweet daughter many years ago. So I choose the light side :o)

How perfect is this paper with the image?  I guess that there are some definite advantages to being a DSP paper hoarder from time to time (that is if you are willing to cut it up - lol).  From time to time I take all my little scraps that really would be useful on a card (but I just can't seem to throw away) and punch out (or die cut) a bunch of small shapes to keep for future use - such as flowers, hearts, stars, small circles, snowflakes, butterflies, and buttons. Yep...buttons. And I used several of those on this card today (yay me -  using up some bits and pieces!) :o).

I might have mentioned that I am learning to be better at coloring skin and hair on my digital images.  Still not an expert by any means but I think I'm getting better all the time.

I am entering this card in the following challenges (in addition to posting to the Lacy Sunshine gallery).

Lacy Sunshine's Challenge 28 - Use Spring Colors

Alphabet Challenge Blog - B for Buttons and Bows
House of Cards - Cute/Fun & Add a Button (I have several paper buttons)
and

Sweet Sunday Sketch #209 (oops - missed the deadline on this one, but it's a great sketch).

Looking forward to a weekend of catching up on all the things I didn't get done during the week.  I know that sounds really odd - but I like order and neatness and right now chaos is reigning in my home and life, so I need to take charge.  Not sure if I'll have much time to craft (big sad face) - but I'll feel much better when order is restored.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me today.  Til next time...hugs and happy crafting! D