A GIFF

I am on the Hero Arts blog showing you the inspiration behind this card and how I made it! Would appreciate it if you stopped by HERE!  (Sometimes when I take photos, my kids like to have fun with me. This is Anya surprising me with a photo bomb!)

Inspired by Bloggers and Handwriting analysis

OK one of my favorite, is being inspired by people's who's blogs I visit. This is my attempt to make a card a la Jocelyn Olson. I tried to make it kinda random by using patterned papers that were randomly placed. I stamped  Hero Arts Decorate a Tree paired with Bird and Branch Christmas. I love the way Hero Arts inks stamp, the yellowish looking one is NEON CHARTREUSE. Chartreuse is my favorite color :)

I am going to enter this in the latest Hero Arts Challenge: Holiday using white space, metallics, Tags, or in my case...HOLIDAYS anything goes!

And for a fun addition to the post, I will leave you with THIS article on handwriting analysis which was pretty dead on for me. let me know if it was for you too!

New Stuff Old Stuff

I made this card while hanging out with the girls in Virginia. The thanks die is JJ Bolton's. She has all the latest greatest stuff. Kinda feel bad for my sad craft room after visiting her space. I think we have the same taste in things because I would have bought all the same things she had :)

I bought these watercolor roses and postage stamp die a while back and am finally able to use them. What a happy feeling! I feel bad when stamps just sit around. I am entering this in Runway Inspired Challenge this week. Here is the image:

Have you heard about MISTI? Well thanks to Vicki Dutchner, I finally got one. (They sell out quickly) They work great! HERE is a video showing how MISTI works. Been using it to make my mother in laws Christmas cards and it makes the process so simple. 

SUPPLIES:
Stamp: Altenew Painted flowers
Dies: MFT postage stamp die, Serendipity thanks die, Wplus9 leaf die
Ink: Fresh Inks

Winner, and Entering a New Challenge

Hello! I have come to announce the winner of my giveaway! I hope to have more giveaways here on my blog as a way to thank you all for visiting....after all, I DO have LOTS of other burning questions! It's the least I can do ;) Sometimes, an RAK too.

To sum it up, people DO like to know how things are made AND what the products are :) Now I know!

Ceal! It's you! I will email you shortly.

I am also entering a challenge today which I am so excited to say because I have wanted to enter this challenge forever but finally got to do it after having a craft night with my blog pals in Virginia. I am entering the Waffleflower challenge which was this image or white space.

I used the Waffleflower flower  circle die to create this card:

The leaf is from HERO ARTS called Scattering Leaves, it sparkles because I put some diamond stickles on it after stamping it in Green Hills Ink by Hero Arts. The banner is a similar banner stamp called Happy Thanksgiving stamped in Brown Bark ink. The font on the sentiment is so trendy!! The tine wood veneer heart is by Studio Calico...

Ok later friends!

Mama Elephant October Anniversary Stampede!

For the second anniversary of Mama Elephant, I made a card "collection"...blame Project Runway...I have been watching too many episodes!

To create this card set, I used:

• 2 sheets of 6x6 Christmas paper from Crate Paper
• 1 Walzingmouse die
• 1 type of twine
• and the fabulous stamp set from Mama Elephant called Alpine Carolers

Nothing says happy like Christmas lights! I colored these with copics and put them on 2 pieces of the the patterned paper. Pretty easy and timeless layout. 

For this card, I used the die cuts on patterned paper. I colored this mini cutie with copics and stamped part of the sentiment for a banner.

Here is a close up of the little guy!

I kept the same color scheme on each card. For this one, I *cough**Jocelyn Olson*cough**colored the purse.  She reminds me of a girl who loves a little retail therapy!

Join in the fun by leaving a comment for a chance to win!

SALE
* There will be a 10% discount code active for the 3 day blog hop (HAPPY2ME)
* Purchases over $100 will receive the HAPPY EVERYTHING stamp set free.
* Purchases over $150 will receive the HAPPY EVERYTHING stamp set and HAPPY SCRIPT die free.

GIVEAWAYS
* We are giving away THREE $25 gift certificates each day of the Stampede, 9 winners total. 
* Exclusive prize giveaways on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, 3 winners total.

* Winners will be chosen and announced by us Monday, October 20th on the ME blog. 

MAMA ELEPHANT BLOG
Laura Bassen 
Lisa Spangler 
Lorraine Marasigan 
Iwona Palamountain 
Heather Campbell 
Wida Miller 
Paulina Nakamura

Meeting People You Already "Met"

You know blogging begins with a sharing of self and somewhere along the way, it becomes sharing with others who then become friends. A comment turns into a conversation. A conversation becomes a FaceTime chat. Each connection grows with more than talk about card stock or color. You begin to talk about personal challenges and kids and so forth. And then, if you are lucky you get to meet these folks that become part of your world.

Recently I spent time in Virginia visiting my dear friends JJ Bolton, Tessa Wise, Miriam Prantner, and Jocelyn Olson. What were they like? Exactly as they were in those many conversations. It was easy, comfortable and like I was visiting my dear friends on an ordinary day. We knew common folks (all you bloggers out there) and chatted about our families. I had a great time eating and laughing and making cards! We stayed at JJ's house (a wonderful host)! I had such fun, I forgot to take photos! Here is the single blurry shot of the mantle with some our cards of the time together.

Want to see a few of the cards I made while I was there? CLICK HERE! 

I know I know, not a SINGLE group photo. WTH?

Giveaway!

I couldn't leave this card alone...I just kept adding and adding!  Of course this little Hero Arts globe called BETTER PLACE was the star of the card show!

I can't tell if people care how I make my cards... So it got me thinking...why do you visit a blog and do you care how people make stuff?

I am giving away Crate Paper Oh Darling wood veneer ephemera  and Hero Arts Ink pad! Leave a comment here telling me:

Do you care about HOW people make a card and if so, HOW you want that information delivered. You have until Thursday October 16th. 

Thanks so much!

I am on the Crate Paper blog with Glitter Splatter!

Hello Everybody! On the Crate Paper blog I show how I made my card for today using my favorite metallic--> GOLD and my favorite technique, GLITTER SPLATTER! 

STEP 1: Glitter splatter on card stock base. This technique can best be seen HERE. 

See the finished card HERE! 

I hope you will check out how I finished the card. 

Our family is going through some challenges with the move.  In these times, I think of this quote.

Staying (mostly) positive, no matter what!