CFC #127

I am not sure how I feel about this card really. Sometimes you can't predict how a card will turn out and lately I am so inspired by Wilna Furstenberg and this card is dedicated to her. I am not sure how much she is going to appreciate the dedication, but oh well! Wilna is not a clean and simple designer, but she IS AMAZING!

The theme this time for the Casual Fridays Challenge: 

elements that extend beyond the base of the card.

*2 week challenge*

The Prize this time around is CASUAL FRIDAY STAMPS!!

Supplies: 

Fox Stamp-Hero Arts Sentiment-Reverse Confetti

Banner-October Afternoon

paper-Pink Paislee

Guest Designer of The Paper Crafters Library

Today I am guesting at the Paper Crafters Library! Here is a little about them in their own words...

Paper Crafter’s Library (PCL) was launched in January 2011 with the goal of creating a video-based website that provides an all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters. The sheer number of different manufacturers, products, tools, techniques and project ideas is so overwhelming that we wanted to make learning how to paper craft more approachable.

With over 1000 videos in our library to date and over 50 videos being added each month, we are the largest and most comprehensive online resource for paper crafters worldwide. What makes us different from everyone else – whether it’s online communities, classrooms, craft review sites or blogs – is that we have organized and indexed all of our videos into a video library, so that everything is all in one place, making it easy for consumers to find what they are looking for.

Since our launch - through both our membership and public platforms - we have developed an audience of over 20,000 subscribers to our weekly newsletter, over 6,800 Facebook “Likes” and over 7,000 subscribers to our You Tube Channel. 

I made 2 cards. Here are the sneak peeks :)

This one has a picture tutorial.

and this one has a video tutorial. It is a take on a Christmas card I made a while back.

I hope you will check it out!

Winner!

Thanks for all the encouraging words out there on my recent post about my blogging journey and good news on joining Crate Paper Inc. I was so encouraged to read that you have been there a time or two also and were soul searching and wanting to pursue your dreams as well. It's nice to know I am not alone :)

I am going to also leave you with this pin I found on Pinterest...it makes me laugh.

HERE is the official announcement from Crate Paper.  And the winner of my Crate Paper Prize?

Mary Dawn!! I will be contacting you shortly!


*Hugs*

Wida

Guest Designer for Top Dog Dies and a Giveaway

I have been asked to make some projects from Top Dog Dies and well I was happy to do so!

Top Dog Dies is a new online store that offers their own brand of wafer-thin and steel-rule dies, along with dies from brands you already know and trust, including My Favorite Things, Sizzix, Savvy Stamps and Cheery Lynn Designs. Top Dog Dies is also the leading U.S. retailer for Tattered Lace, a new line of intricate dies designed by U.K. designer Stephanie Weightman.

I have 2 projects today. The first is a wedding card using a monogram with the Vintage Alphabet dies.  The Madison Doily cut beautifully (that's patterned paper, Amy Tangerine Sketchbook pack). I did poke some of the holes with a piercer but they pieces fell off easily. 

This card was an evolution. Let me show you how it started:

 I seem to always go for the cream card stock, so I wanted to try something different. I die cut the doily and alphabet from patterned paper and rounded the corner.

And then just stared at it.

 It didn't "feel" right. What do I do with these elements? So off to talking to Elena to figure it out. Elena is the creative genius behind JUST ME PRINTS. She gets me, and what I am trying to achieve, and is my GO TO person for help when I hit a wall with a card.

Sometimes she tells me to walk away.

Sometimes she tells me try again.

And she is ALWAYS right!

She didn't like the black and didn't like the paper. Yeah, she's tough, but it's worth it. We work well together. She suggested a monogrammed look and showed me a sample HERE.

So I sent this one below. (I kept the black and the paper, I liked it myself and well sometimes you gotta stand up for your designs)  ;)

Her reply?

"It's better than it was, but the focal point isn't strong enough for me and where is the rosette??"

So I went back and added the rosette like I should have in the first place. And that's how I got the final card folks!!

For my next project, I was asked by Crate Paper to make a mini album. I had lots of ideas, but nothing was as easy or as cute as the circle mini album by Top Dog Dies.

 Here are just a few of the pages. To see the album in full, check out the Top Dog Dies Blog HERE. 

I used some old cardboard and backing to 12x12 paper packs to create the album and then die cut the paper with the die as well. It was so easy then to glue together. 

For this one, I die cut half the die and stitched the bottom.

All supplies by Crate Paper Oh Darling Collection. 

Top Dog Dies has generously offered a gift card for one lucky person. To be eligible for the giveaway, you need to register on THIS page, but you can get extra entries by both commenting on my blog post and following them on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/topdogdies

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/topdogdies/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/topdogdies

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TopDogDies

Deadlines to enter the giveaway will be Sunday, Jan. 26 at midnight.

Thank You so much for visiting. I appreciate it so much :)

CFC #126

This is my THIRD post of the day! 

For my Penny Black post (with video), CLICK HERE.

For my Reverse Confetti Guest Spot, CLICK HERE. 

Tip: to break the fibers of the paper, so it will bend in the shape of a flower, use alcohol. 

Sometimes you need an inspiration to jumpstart your creativity... I got mine from this photo (see below).

This is a *2 week challenge*. The prize sponsored by Casual Friday Stamps! Won't you join us? 

Reverse Confetti January Color Challenge

This is my second post of the day, to see my Penny Black card and video, click HERE.

Hi Everybody! Today I am guesting for Reverse Confetti and participating in their color challenge. I used the Whole Lotta Hearts stamp set to create a background using the chosen color combination.  To make it more interesting, I stamped on patterned paper. I chose a light gray honeycomb with horizontal lines to help keep my stamping straight (and a stamp press). 

A little signature twine and I was all set! The sentiment is from SWEET THING stamp set.

I hope you will play along! If you want to enter my giveaway, click HERE.

Guesting on the Penny Black Blog and a CARDIO (a card+video)

I think I have been VERY clear about my admiration of the Penny Black Inc.

I LOVE MIMI and those dies cut with the pretty font, well they make me a happy crafter!

I have the pleasure of guesting on their blog today so please stop by and check it out. I give some tips on this card :) Sometimes my designs get in a rut...paper, stamps, twine. yes yes. But after a while, I think to myself, I gotta do something more!

So today I have turned to watercoloring. You don't need to be super perfect to get a super card! Score! 

Supplies: Penny Black Love Expressions Die and For Mimi stamp

I even made a video!

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by! If you would like to enter my giveaway, click HERE. 

"What Do You Want?" a Winner and a Giveaway

Blogging is such a personal experience. I started blogging because I wanted a creative outlet and thought it would be fun. It has become so much more than that. Over time, I kind of followed what everyone else was doing because I thought that is what I wanted too. Somewhere along the way I got lost in it and confused about what the goal was. Was it to have fun? to make friends? to be creative? a friendly competition? 

I wasn't sure.

I did know that I loved the art of it. I did know that when I made a pretty card I felt happy. And the people were the nicest and became real friends to me. But I didn't really know more than that. One day I spoke to Joscelyne Cutchens (my Gallery Idol pal and winner for 2012) who asked me a simple question: WHAT DO YOU WANT?

And I didn't know the answer.

I thought the best solution was to back away from it for a while and "Operation Fade Out" began. When each of my design team term finished I happily removed it from the sidebar and then waited for the next one to be completed. The goal was to be free so I could think about what I wanted to do with my time and the blog. I didn't want to just make cards. I wanted to read and spend more time with my kids and exercise! Things that I used to do more of, but got replaced with cards. 

When I really thought about it, there were a few companies who were on my love list. and Crate Paper was on top of that list. I have said many times on my blog that the Maggie Holmes collection is my favorite of all time. So I made a mental note to myself that this was the company that I wanted to stay for, love, and work for. The whole time thinking there was no stinking way they would EVER notice me. It was my hail Mary idea as I continued Operation Fade Out. 

Over the Christmas break, I got an email that changed my whole blogging life. I was asked to join Crate Paper.

me?

ME?!

Hooray for wishes and dreams and goals. 

I am a Crate Paper Girl!!

In celebration for my dream come true, I made my own GIFF. I fell in love with Maggie Holmes version HERE.  Sometimes my girls and I like to take photos together in my craft room. This was a few months ago. Next time I will put my make up on and look more fancy, but I had to use what I had! I am also giving away one Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper paper pack and some other CP doodads. Leave a comment for a chance to win. Deadline is Monday January 20th at midnight EST.

And finally the winner of my Reverse Confetti stamp set is: AMY TSURUTA!!

I will be contacting you shortly Amy!

You can see some cards I made for Crate Paper for CHA HERE.

On The Corner Blog Hop

My blog pal and funny lady Miriam Prantner designed this cool stamp and she has invited some of her pals to showcase what this magical stamp set can do! 

Well I am last on the hop, "HI" *waving* if you came from Nina's Blog...I don't know how I am going to measure up after all those ladies, but here it goes.


I made 3 cards!! I took these in the morning and they gave off a weird light...Not sure if I am loving the photography today folks, but time was running out so you get this dream like effect.



This first one uses my favorite paper pack of all time by Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper. I paper pierced the stamp. Some wood veneer stars for an edgy vibe.

Miriam is a big fan of scrapbooking, so I created a scrapbook inspired card. I found this quote online and decided to write it directly on the card. THAT WAS NERVE WRECKING...way worse than putting splatter on a card! This was my 4th attempt...

For the third card I stamped the image and then watercolored it with watercolor crayons and an aqua painter. The skyline die is from Penny Black. Inside the sentiment says "Fantastic & Super".



A close up of the coloring.


And here is the amazing stamp set. I have never seen anything on the market like it. It's original, versatile and fun. Miriam is a genius!

Get your set HERE! or Leave a comment for 2 chances to win!  Comments will be open through Saturday January 18th with winners announced on Monday the 20th.

Reverse Confetti Blog Hop and Giveaway

It’s a new year, and what could be better than to start it off with a brand new shiny release from REVERSE CONFETTI?! Love is definitely in the air with the 6 new stamp sets (including our new QuirkyCuties line) and 3 new Confetti Cuts Dies. We invite you to hop along with the Confetti Crew, Challenge Crew, and a few other friends today as we share our cards and projects using the new products. We think you’ll fall in love over and over with this release!

The hop started over on the Reverse Confetti blog, and you should have made it here from Laurie Schmidlin’s blog. It would be worth your while to start at the beginning of the hop, so you don’t miss a thing. We have tons of inspiration for you to see using all the new Reverse Confetti stamp sets! (Insert extra project pics, info you’d like to include, store and product graphics and links, etc. here) I hope you’ve enjoyed hopping with us today. Be sure and hop with us on the 8th of EVERY MONTH for more REVERSE CONFETTI inspiration! Now it’s time to hop on over to Laurie Willison’s blog. If you get lost along the way, you can find the hop order and list of all the participating designers over on the Reverse Confetti blog.

A few things before you hop along though, just to keep you “in the know”…

January’s SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY is open for you to play along. Click HERE for a chance to win. AND, be on the lookout for a NEW COLOR challenge we will be introducing on January 16th and another way to win! I will be joining in on the fun too!

This card was made using the Reverse Confetti sets:

    

and my Silhouette files Peppermint Candy Design ID #34362 and the Nested Circle Card Design ID #45180

(the candy at 1.385x0.68 inches  and the card is 11x5.9 inches)

Below is a close up! It gives a fun effect. I stamped the front before gluing everything together. 

I know that Reverse Confetti is giving away stamps this week, but I thought I would too. Jen has graciously given me the entire release to play with and I would like to pass on the generosity by giving away the Frieda Fox set to one person who follows my blog (if you want to, it's optional) and leaves a comment on this post!

thanks so much for joining me today!!

Reverse Confetti Guest Designer

Hi Everybody!

For the months of January and February, I will be guest designing for Reverse Confetti Design Co! With Valentine's around the corner, I thought the new release was perfect timing to send someone a snail mail Valentines card using the new set Crushin' which will be released on January 8th!

For a chance to win, leave a comment on the RC blog and Facebook page! There will be a $15 gift certificate up for grabs. You need to leave a comment on each sneak peek post for each designer. Comments will close at noon CST on January 7th and the winner will be announced at 5pm on January 7th.

Here is a side shot of the card so you can see the layering of the little envelope dies.

Supplies:

Paper pack is by American Crafts Amy Tangerine Sketchbook Collection
Dies: Wplus9
ink: Neon cubes from Hero Arts

See you tomorrow as I get to join in on the fun of the entire release blog hop with more giveaways!

I Love My Family A TON!

A little MIMI Jumbo Love by Penny Black...

Instead of a resolution, choose a word that describes what you hope for the new year.

maybe it's love if you want to work on your relationships, or do if you want to challenge yourself to something, or laugh if you want to lighten up, etc.

Use that word on your card.

*2 week challenge*

prize sponsored by Casual Friday Stamps!!





A close up of the puffy hearts made with glossy accents...

My word is LOVE...love of my husband, children, and my extended family and how much I want us to be together  in 2014...I love them a ton ;)