Celebrate!

It is time for another Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge! This time it is based on a picture. Isn't this a complex photo? Lots going on. I need a masculine card, so I avoided the fluffy cupcake image (they just aren't manly, are they?) and I went instead for the great texture of the paper (I used my paper crimper - kind of tough to see in the photo).

 Here is what I came up with. Lots of texture and very "manly"! I used "Sentiment Sampler", one of my favorite collections. I sanded the cardstock after using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The flag element is popped up - also a bit difficult to see.

Thanks for dropping and and have a great day.

Circles and Balls

Some of you may remember that I recently took part in a 2-week+ long job doing product testing - testing chewing gum. I am not permitted to discuss it, but suffice it to say - all the chewing, describing and analyzing..... it took a big bite out me!

This morning I wanted to make a card for one of my co-chewers and I saw the current CAS-ual Fridays Challenge to use 2 circles (and twine - it is sponsored by the Twinery). One might say that this card has lots of circles, if you count the gum balls and the scallops, but I am counting only the two big buttons.

This is another great stamp from Lockhart Stamp Company. They have such fun designs and they are located right here in California! I colored it up with my Prisma colored pencils.

I am looking forward to a great weekend (it is a rare one because we are staying home) - I sure hope yours is wonderful. I plan to get the red, white and blue bunting on the front porch, get the strawberries picked and get my bicycle decorated for the 4th of July!

Parade of Stars

One more star-spangled card before the big holiday! This one was made with my wonderful friend and teacher, Bibiana. She is such a special lady.

Hero Arts "It's A Parade" (G5469) is used with a technique called "Shadow Effect". I found this link with details on this heat-embossing technique, if you are interested. I love the vintage effect!

The other stamps here are Inkadinkako's "Flag Map" and Penny Black's "Damask" (for the tone-on-tone background).

This is for Lily Pond Cards SSS Challenge, the current Simon Says Stamp Patriotic Challenge, and I found a new place for fun challenges, called "Shopping Our Stash" - don't ya just love it? - or, SOS. Their current challenge is for red, white and blue or stars and stripes.

Thanks for checking in and wishing my fellow Americans a Grand and Glorious holiday!

Rock Star

I love stars (almost as much as I love hearts - I am just not on the hexagon wagon - sorry!) and the Simon Says Stamp Star Challenge at Lily Pad Cards has had me seeing stars for days now. This little number features a great set by Papertrey Ink called Star Prints. I love all the different stars and sentiments. The other stars are Hero Arts (A1498 & A1493), oldies from 1998. Stars never get old! Just ask Mae West.

The background is a Cuttlebug embossing folder done on aluminum foil - I love the look! Lots of shine.

This also qualifies for the Simon Says Stamp Sporty or Patriotic Challenge! Cuttlebug products are even featured. Fun!

Just a fun little card for a super-star.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Other Than A Card #2

Sometimes challenges just fit right into what I want to make (sometimes they don't!). I have one more entry for the Simon Says Stamp "Anything But A Card" Challenge.

I need a necklace to wear for the 4th of July, and I really don't have time to get out my beads and wire and make one. But, I did have time to color up one of my favorite Lockhart Stamp Company images (she has a series of tiny dear stamps called "Itty Bitty's") and drop it into a  beveled glass locket.

So, here is my Blueberries Necklace! The bevel on the locket is quite deep, so it was difficult to photograph, but I am ready for some fireworks!

Take good care and thanks for dropping by! Have a great day.

Quick Party Favors

I wasn't going to even post these quick little party favors that I made, but I was tempted by the current Simon Says Stamp challenge to create anything but a card. These are simple little notebooks that I got on clearance for 25 cents. I used Stampin' Up's classic "Cool Cat" for the cat lovers and, for the tropical gals (that's me!), the hula girl from Me & My Big Ideas (Inkaadinkado). Added a little paper, bling, ribbon, pom-pons and that's it!

Thanks for looking and have a fun week!

Just a loud note

I hoped that we would return today from our little trip to the Napa Valley in time for me to play in this week's Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge - and we did! This week it is a color challenge, with the colors of PB&J. Fun.

I knew what I wanted to to with this adorable hippo from Zoo Crew. Doesn't look like he is belting out a song? Is it Motown or Pavarotti?

I used a technique with Glitter Ritz and Be Creative Tape that I have used for years (and is so aptly demonstrated by Jennifer here) to make him sparkle. The sentiment is from Sentiment Sampler.

Just a quick and fun little note card to make someone smile like a hippo! Hope you have a great week. See ya soon.

Gelatos for Summer!

Sorry no! - Unfortunately, I do not mean Italian ice cream.

These Gelatos are great creamy pigment crayons by Faber-Castell. I was the lucky winner of some of these fantastic colors at dear Nancy's blog. I had such fun with them this weekend.

I embossed the Hero Arts Zig Zag stamp (CG422) with white, silver and black and rubbed (with my fingers - messy!) the Gelato colors on the strips. The background is subtle - silver Gelato on white-embossed Magical Background stamp (CG211).

The sentiment is CL272 - I thought the softness of this font provided nice contrast to the hard zig zag pattern. And I found a clear (the card already had so much color!) vintage button with a texture like the zig zag.

I encourage you try these fun color-packed crayons! Thanks again, Nancy!

I used a Hero Arts Blog Monthly Contest sketch for this card. You still have lots of time to play along.

Summer Sunflower

I have been struggling with "Clean and Simple" designs, so when I saw that the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays was to use vellum, I had to give it a try. Vellum has always stymied me. I find it difficult due to its translucent (as opposed to transparent) property and because you can't attach it without adhesive showing through. And, you must watch out for smearing.

Other than that....ha! I love this old (2006) Hero Arts stamp (H4049). It reminds me of the great Marimekko fabric designs from the 1960's. I colored the back of the vellum to slightly highlight he sentiment (CG262). Very simple, eh?

I also will be entering this in the Hero Arts Blog monthly contest for "thinking of you" cards and the Simon Says Stamp Joy's Photo Inspiration challenge.

Lightening Bugs

or Fireflies? Whatever you call them, they are so enlightening. I just love this image from paper Smooches. I have never seen fireflies in California, but I remember them from my childhood in Pennsylvania - memorizing!

This week's Paper Smooches Sparks challenge is a Designer's Draft sketch. For this card I used an image is from "Giddy Bugs". I did a little masking, added some Stickles and my favorite - googly eyes. The sentiment is from "Sentiment Sampler".

A perfect summer card! So, I am also entering it in the current challenge at the Simon Says Stamp challenge - with inspiration provided the amazing Joy!  Check out here blog, Less Is More.

Daddy's Girl

Have you played in the Flashback Friday Challenge? It is kind of fun because you must re-post your first ever card in a certain category. It is hoped that you will take ownership of your design in the present day. This time the category is masculine cards.

This design is pretty basic - not even any stamping! My Dad has Alzheimer's, so I hoped that this old photo of me would bring back some memories. It did, and he really loved it!

Thanks for this walk down memory lane. Happy Father's Day to everyone!

Hero Arts June Contest

Happy Wednesday! Have you checked out the June contest on the Hero Arts Blog? One of the three challenges is to use a sketch. Another is to make "Thinking of You" cards.

I combined these two in this card with a clock theme. I broke out some washi tape (thanks, Julie and Lisa for the inspiration to play!), a Sizzix embossing plate and Hero Arts set CL579. Can you see that I punched out an acetate circle for the clock face? Thanks for looking - it's "time" for some fun!

Whirlwind Monday!

Hello there! What a day this has been!

The card-making class I taught on Saturday went well - the ladies did a great job. Here are the cards they made. The center one is another Pocket Slider card (Hero Arts CL576, Wish Big) that I learned about from the amazing Julie in the "Fold It, Pop It, Flip It, Zip It" class at Ellen Hutson's. The other two cards feature Memory Box supplies. Big Fun!

Before I cleaned off my crafting desk from the card I made for last week's Paper Smooches Sparks challenge (Which I won! - I just soo very tickled and honored! Kim's stamps are uniquely cute!), I made another card with the same papers. This time I used 1-inch squares. I really like this technique for patterned paper!

One of my post-retirement part-time jobs is product testing. For the next couple of weeks I will be testing chewing gum. My jaw already hurts! Can you believe it? My Mom always said that chewing gum was not "lady-like" - sorry, Mom!

Take good care and have a great day. Check it out, my wonderful blogging buddy and great gal Virginia Lu is this week's Moxie Fabber! Yay!!!

Prints Are Charming

Hello and Happy Friday!  My crafting & water aerobics pal Kathleen recently took a class on iris folding and shared this cool paper technique with me. I thought it was perfect for the  current challenge at Paper Smooches Sparks to use printed paper.

I punched several 3/4" squares and played with them until I got a design that pleased me. For some reason I had a difficult time getting a sharp photo this morning - sorry!

The stamp is from Paper Smooches "Word Salad" set. Kim Hughes has such a unique and fun style, doesn't she?

Have a wonderful weekend - we may actually get some summer weather here. Yeah!

Yes, Virginia.....

you've inspired me once again! Have you all gotten to know one of the card-making blogger world's most wonderful talents? Virginia Lu has been inspiring me and others for years. She is not only super-talented, but lots of fun and she has a HUGE heart.

Virginia recently posted a great photo taken by her daughter of her son's cello group - is there talent in those genes or what?! She challenged us to use the colorful photo as inspiration for a card.

For my card I got out another of my treasured Lockhart Stamp Co. stamps, combined it with Prismacolor Pencils, some sheet music and an SRM Sticker (from Virginia!). Great colorful fun. Thanks for ALL you do, Virginia - you are a real gem! Have a great day.

Stars and Stripes

Since we celebrated Memorial Day last weekend I have been feeling especially patriotic. Just perfect for the current challenge to use stars at (the recently retired) Lily Pad Cards, presented by Simon Says Stamp. Check it out and play along!

I am taking (yeah, I am tardy to class - it technically already ended, but it is wonderful!) the "Fold It, Pop It, Flip It, Zip It" class at Ellen Hutson's presented by Julie Ebersole who is not only extremely talented, but a total kick in the pants! This card design is called the Pocket Slider. I hope I can properly capture it for you so you can appreciate how fun it is. The inside pops up when you open the card.

I used an old CHF stamp set called "America the Beautiful" which was designed by the whimsical Kim Hughes (who now has Paper Smootches) and a Hero Arts star (A1499).

I am also submitting this to the current Simon Says Stamp Blog Challenge, "Anything Goes", where we are asked to use twine. This jute twine is from May Arts.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Baby Quilt

Lockhart Stamp Co. #2024, HA CL144

There is big news in the crafting world! Jennifer McGuire and family have welcomed a new little soul - Lila Grace (don't you just love that name?) who was born on Mother's Day. Jennifer's friend Jana is organizing a card-making event to welcome the little sweetheart. Everyone is welcome to join in. Jennifer is such an amazing talent and loving Mom. The crafting world is blessed to have her.


I am not really a quilt maker, but I have this wonderful stamp from Lockhart Stamp Company that I have been wanting to use. I am also just NOT a baby pink person, so I used one of my favorite color combos. Too bright for a baby? I don't think so!

Congrats to Jennifer and Ken and the wonderful big brother and sisters - what joyful news!

Some of the quilt squares are gingham, so I am entering this in the Moxie Fab World Card Creations Week "Gingham Challenge".

Have a great weekend - we are off to our Hideaway!