Gone Scrapping and Studio Calico

Today I wanted to share another project that I completed for Gone Scrapbooking that was recently published at Examiner.com.  With the exception of a few items, I made the layout using products from the July Studio Calico Kit.  I just recently ordered a six month subscription and when I received this kit (my first) I have to say that I was MORE than DEEEE LIGHT EDDDD! I mean come on, I can't believe all the stuff I got in that kit...good, yummy, stuff and lots of it!  Thank you Studio Calico!  You'll be seeing more projects using this kit and I am hardly waiting for my August package to arrive in the mail... whoot whoot.  You can buy the August kit right here.

Okay... anyhow, here's the layout... wouldn't you know however, that RIGHT after I finished this project, I found a THIRD photo that I took at the same time as these two were taken... and it was the best one of the three (go figure)...but everything was STUCK down already and I wasn't going to change it, guess I'll have to think of something to do with the third photograph...  got any ideas?

The journaling says, "NOTES: since the 2 of you were old enough to walk and talk you have had a serious 'puter' addiction. You love to sit at my desk (Jack in my reading glasses) to play the learning games I buy for you and watch fun videos on Youtube. You love to watch Monster Trucks, and big machines at work...but even today, nothing makes you laugh more than the Moo-Moo cow song and Jurassic Fart. I just love you so much... my little 'puter' addicts. Nanie. Photo taken Fall 2009. Journaling written July 2010."

Okay then, that's all for now, except for of course the details... and they are...

Supplies Used:

All products are from the Studio Calico July 2010 Kit except:

Maya Road

Library Card Envelope

Provocraft

Cricut Expression, Cindi Loo Cartridge

Delta Creative

Acrylic Paint, Cream

Fiskars

Apron Border Punch, Top Crest Border Punch

Just for Fun Friday - Challenge 22

Get your paper, glue and scissors out and join us at Just for Fun Rubber Stamps for your chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate to the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps online store!  Link your project up at the JFF blog and visit all the Design Team Color Challenge projects for inspiration Designer links are at the JFF blog and on the left sidebar here at Runs with Scraps! Remember, you don't need JFF stamps to play along, just use these colors for your project inspiration!

 

This week I made a quick and simple card featuring Just for Fun stamps.  The rest of the supplies are from Papertrey Ink.

Using Seven Things on One Project

It's time for another hot challenge over at Practical Scrappers...whoot whoot... and this is yet another fun one that is sure to get you crafting!  We want you to use seven different things on just one project!  I had a great time creating this card for the challenge and although I didn't use my Cricut like I normally do for my projects at Practical Scrappers (because I am part of the Wednesday Cricut team)... I did pull out my Cuttlebug and one of my newer embossing folders. Cricut... Cuttlebug... I love 'em both!

The seven things I used to create this card were, in no particular order: Cuttlebug with Embossing Folder, Ribbon, Pearls, Diecuts, Patterned Paper, Cardstock and Inked Stamps.  What seven things are you going to use?  Whatever you may chose, don't forget to link it up over at Practical Scrappers to join us in this challenge! 

Supplies Used:

Papertrey Ink
Vintage Cream and Hawaiian Shores Cardstock
Hawaiian Shores Perfect Match Hybrid Ink
Beautiful Blooms Die Cuts
Pine Feather Press Fillable Frames #4 stamp and die cut
Hawaiian Shores Twill Ribbon
Rustic Stripes Stamps

ProvoCraft
Cuttlebug with embossing folder

Zva Creative
Pewter Pearls

BBTB2 Ice Cream Cone Challenge

What I wouldn't give for an ice cream cone right now.... and wouldn't you know that this week over at BBTB2 that's just what we are doing... making ice cream cones! Yep. Pull out the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge and on page 33 of the manual there is a sweet little cone just to cool you off on a hot summer day.

I opted to make a "sweet" card (pun intended by the way) with that ice cream cone. A vintage twist with not a lot of fuss and I think this turned out to be a card suitable for boy or girl!

Now head on over to BBTB2 and cool off while you create something sweet for this week's SYI ice cream cone challenge!



Supplies Used:

Cardstock: (Simply Chartreuse, Kraft) Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: (Fly a Kite Collection) October Afternoon
Fiber: (Simply Chartreuse) Papertrey Ink
Ink: (Sepia) Archival Ink, (Antique Linen) Tim Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger
Other Tools:  Cricut Expression and SYI Cartridge by Provocraft, Cuttlebug, Swirls and Argyle Embossing folders by Provocraft, Clear Embossing Power by Ranger, Gimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, (Pewter Pearls) Zva Creative

Blog Winner and a Card

I'll start right off with the good stuff.  The winner (chosen at random.org) of the $20.00 My Favorite Things gift certificate for the Papercraft Star Christmas in July Blog Hop is Goatesgirl. 

She said, " love this card...I did the sports themed challenge last week and I have an idea circulating in my head now for this weeks circle challenge if I can find the time to do it...thanks" 

Congratulations on your blog candy win Gotesgirl and please send me your email address (send to bethcat at sbcglobal dot net) and the certificate will arrive directly to your Inbox!

I would like to sincerely thank all of you for participating in our big Christmas in July Blog Hop!  I hope that during the hop you had a chance to stop by all of our Design Team's Christmas projects and to look around the Papercraft Star blog as well. Maybe you even joined our Forum that is growing with each passing week.

At Papercrarft Star, we roll out a new challenge (posted weeks in advance on the sidebar of the blog) every Wednesday.  On Saturdays the public is allowed to vote for their favorite project and the winner is awarded with a Papercraft Star People's Choice Award button for their blog as well as some sweet prizes every now and again.  And if that isn't enough... every three weeks the Judges (that's me and Kristina) choose our favorite from the previous three People's Choice Winners to receive the Paper Craft Star Winner button. We hope you'll join us for our next challenge that officially begins on Wednesday July 28.

In other news, my last Gone Scrapbooking Creative Team project to hit cyberspace on Examiner.Com is a "Life Sweeter" card.  I created this for my Aunt. She does so many sweet and thoughtful things for my family and me. I just love to create paper crafts for her to let her know how much she is appreciated!

I loved how the Papertrey Ink Hawaiian Shores color that makes me so happy came together with the Basic Grey's Basic Manila paper. I used some new WPlus9 Design Studio stamps for the sentiment. It's a darling set and one of the first I ever purchased from them. The little banner I cut using the Cricut Calligraphy Collection.

Okay...now I'm off to try and walk in the footsteps of my beautiful Aunt and make someone else's life sweeter! Have a beautiful day and create something fabulous!

Product list

Basic Grey
- Basics Manila Patterned Paper
Hero Arts
- Flourish Background Stamp
Papertrey Ink
- Hawaiian Shores Twill Ribbon
- Vintage Cream and Hawaiian Shores Cardstock
Rick Rack Die Cut
- Beautiful Blooms Die Cuts
- Pine Feather Press Fillable Frame #4 Stamp and Die Cut
- Rustic White Button Twine
Provocraft
- Accent Esstentials Cartridge
- Calligraphy Collection Cartridge
- Cricut Expression Machine
Ranger
- Antique Linen Distress Ink
- Sepia Archival Ink
WPlus9 Design Studio, LLC
- The Birds and The Bees Stamp Set
Zva Creative
- Pewter Pearls

Christmas In July Blog Hop!

Merry Christmas in July and welcome to the first ever Papercraft Star Blog Hop!  If you arrived here from Dawn's blog then you're on the right track, if not, then you don't want to miss a thing... so go ahead and start right here at Papercraft Star to begin the hop! There are lots of Christmas (in July) inspiration pieces and chances to win some sweet blog candy all along the way that you don't want to pass by! Once you return to my blog... you can finish this post and enter to win the candy here!

I have to admit that I don't even have air conditioning here (gasp, sputter, hiss), so it was very hard to think "cold" winter months and the holidays... but a trip to a favorite scrapbooking store provided me with just the inspiration I needed to complete this card. (In other words they had Christmas cards there that gave examples of the embossing folders for sale at the store, so I lifted the idea to create my take on one of the cards I saw there).

I actually used 12 x 12 cardstock that was in the wedding section - but it looks shiny and holiday-like to me!  I cut the cardstock down to 8 x 8 to create this monochromatic 8 x 4 card.  The trees I cut using my Cricut and some winter cartridge that I can't for the life of me think of the name of (it's Winter Woodland!) and I forgot to write it down... ooppsss...  At any rate, you get the idea.  Three trees, embossing, scoring, some ribbon, some pearls and WHA-LA...it's Christmas in July!  Whoot Whoot! On second thought, I guess it could also be an outdoor wedding in July if it weren't for the snowflake embossing on the center tree... hmmm?

Anywhooo.... on to the Blog Hop... The blog candy I have in store for you here is a $20.00 gift certificate to My Favorite Things (I just love their fun stamps and they have lots of other wonderful papercrafting goodness there too!). 

All you have to do to win this blog candy is leave a comment on this post and tell me when you are going to participate in a Papercraft Star Challenge!! (grin) (if you aren't a follower yet and you wanna do that... I'd love that too... but you don't have to be a follower on my blog to win!!)
Once you have left your comment for your chance to win... it's time to move onto your next Papercraft Star Christmas in July Blog Hop Stop (say that fast three times...geez!)....

Now off you go to visit Christy's blog!

Just for Fun Friday Challenge 21

It's Just for Fun Friday and that means another exciting color challenge at the Just For Fun Rubber Stamps blog.  The colors for this week are blue, gray and yellow and I hope these colors inspire you to join us for Challenge 21.  Your entry of any project inspired by the use of these colors will make you eligible to win $50.00 worth of Just for Fun Stamps! How cool is that?

This week I chose to combine Tim Holtz patterned paper with my Just for Fun stamps for a perfectly coornidated card.  The stamps I used for this card can be found at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps line store right here.  Additional supplies included cardstock and ribbon from Papertrey Ink and Sepia Ink from some manufacturer who's name is escaping me right now... ooppsss! :-)

At any rate I hope you join us for this challenge and don't forget to visit the Just for Fun Design Team inspiration pieces.  Their links are available on my sidebar as well as on the Just for Fun Stamps blog right here.

Use Up Your Old Supplies!

Before I start my post about the challenge this week at Practical Scrappers, I just want to stop and wish my mother a very happy birthday!  Born in the summer of 1942 (have you seen that movie?) my beautiful mother (and best friend in the world) turns 68 today! I hope that I can wear that age as well as she does!  Here is a photograph of my mother with my youngest grandson (her youngest GREAT grandson) taken back in April.  She has both of my grandsons call her "Granny" (so they don't get grandmothers confused) but she doesn't look like the sterotypical "Granny" to me!

Okay, now on to the business at hand.  I love the challenges at Practical Scrappers because they encourage you to use all of your supplies.  This week's challenge is especially useful because we're asked to use supplies that are at least a year old.  Although I truly hate to admit it, I've got plenty of stuff to choose from too!  Anyhow... I looked through my old Creative Memories organizer and found some gorgeous stickers that to tell the truth, I simply can't imagine why I hadn't used them before now! They are that pretty and they are over a DECADE old... yes, that's right. I have had these stickers for more than 10 years and hadn't used them yet!  Geez, another 10 years or so and they would be vintage wouldn't they?... lol.  Anyhow, I created this tag with some not so old paper and as I said, some very old stickers...

Speaking of stickers... many of you know how much I love ProvoCraft, even though I must admit, I didn't know much about them before the Cricut was introduced... but I learned a bit about the company's history when I attended the Demo Army Training for Provocraft, and found out that they were first known for making scrapbooking embellishments and STICKERS.... and 'lo and behold after I made this tag and started writing down my supplies list I was blown away to find out that these stickers were manufactured by none other than ProvoCraft! LOL. Way... back in the day. :-) Go figure.

Okay, enough of the chit-chat now... here is a close-up of the tag featuring these 10 year old (or more) ProvoCraft stickers. 

On this close up you can also see (sort of) that I finished the tag off with a few sprays of Glimmer Mist to give it some sparkle and aged the tag ever so slightly with some Antique Linen Distress Ink. I created the tag using my Cricut and the Sweet Treats Cartridge too by the way!

P.S. Don't forget that a new challenge starts today over at Papercraft Star! This week you are challenged to create a project using "Circles" as your inspiration! Join the challenge right here. 

Supplies Used:

Paper: Kraft, Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink (Tim Holtz)
Fibers: Aqua Mist Swiss Dot (Papertrey Ink) Twine (Wal-Mart)
Cricut Carts: Sweet Treats
Embellishments: Vintage Button in Aqua Mist (Papertrey Ink), Memo Pin (Tim Holtz) Nature's Way stickers (ProvoCraft & Novelty Inc.) Old Lace Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels)
Other Tools: Cricut, Cuttlebug and Embossing Folders

Gone Scrapping CT Project

It's official my first project for the Gone Scrapping Creative Team was published at Examiner.Com today.  You can see the article right here along with other scrapbooking related news, information, and even digital freebies.

The journaling says, "May 2010 - Just before Jack's 3rd birthday we asked him what he wanted as his birthday gift from us. "A park," he replied with conviction....and that's just what we did! Together with Poppa and Grandpa, we built Jack (and Seth too) a park in our backyard and it's been a big hit with both boys ever since."

Have a great evening! 

Supplies Used:

Cosmo Cricut

- The Boyfriend Ribbon Collection
Cri-Kits
- Regular and Neon Black Gel Pens
Fiskars
- Top Crest Border Punch
Horizon Group USA
- Hemp Cords
Jillibean Soup
- Coordinating Old World Cabbage Stew Paper
Martha Stewart
- Royal Butterfly Punch
Papertrety Ink
- Simply Chartreuse
- Softstone Cardstock
Provocraft
- Cricut Machine
- Plantin Circut Cartridge
October Afternoon
- Journaling Card, Fly a Kite Collection
Ranger
- Tea Dye Distress Ink
Tim Holtz Idea-ology
- Note Pins
- Tiny Attacher
- Tiny Attacher Staples
Zva Creative
- Pewter Pearls

BIG Blog Hop Announcement!

Howdy!  Hope you had an awesome weekend!  I just wanted to take a moment to let you know what we are cooking up for this coming weekend over at the Papercraft Star Challenge Blog so you can mark your calendars!

Friday July 23 through Sunday July 25 the Judges (myself and Kristina) along with all 11 of our Papercraft Star Design Team will be hosting a big blog hop complete with lots of papercrafting goodness prizes to give away.

Make sure to visit the Papercraft Star blog on Friday July 23 to begin the hop!

Weekly Calls for Publication...

I hope you are all having a beautiful weekend thus far... I just wanted to stop in today to give you a little bit of information... as I mentioned in a previous post (July 8 to be exact), I was honored to join the Creative Team for Gone Scrapbooking. As a member of that team all the Designers are published weekly in the Examiner Scrapbooking column.  The daily articles are written and published digitally by Irene Swain.

My first layout for the Creative Team is scheduled for publication in the Examiner sometime over the next several days or so.  Once it is published there, I'll include it in a post here on my blog as well.  But what the hay... here's a little sneak peek (mainly because it is odd for me to create a blog post without a photograph! :-)

Now, if you are interested in an opportunity for your work to be published on this national scrapbooking site, there is a weekly publication call posted every Monday (on the Gone Scrapbooking website). The call is open to both digital and traditional scrapbook layouts. The winning layouts (chosen by Irene and members of the Creative Team) are published on Saturdays (digital) and Sundays (paper).

You won't want to miss the daily column at the Examiner either that is filled with information and inspiration written and created just for you by Irene and all of the members of the Gone Scrapbooking Creative Team (including myself). The names and blog links of the other eight members are below. I've had the honor of joining a very talented group of Designers and I know you'll be inspired by reading their blogs and seeing their work as well!

Jackie Anderson
Karen Garbicek
Ashley Hamm
Tanisha Long
Amanda Sevall
Kathleen Summers
Keandra Perkins-Willis
Pat Yahner

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and don't forget your sunscreen!

Just for Fun Friday Challenge 20

Are you ready to win $50.00 in free stamps at the Just For Fun Rubber Stamps online store?  It's so easy to do, I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to join us.  Just create a project inspired by Color Challenge #20 and enter it at the Just For Fun Rubber Stamps blog right here.  That's it, your entry makes you eligible to win some fantastic stamps. 

I loved this Just for Fun Rubber Stamp I used for this color challenge as it reminded me of a clock tower (but only if you stamped it upside down like I did here...otherwise it is actually a column.)  To create this clean and simple card I used Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest cardstock and Orange Zest Ribbon from Papertrey Ink.  The patterned paper is from Basic Grey and the Pearls are from Hero Arts. You can purchase the stamp, product # F2406 "The Column" right here.   And if you want... I'll even let you use the stamp right-side up! :-)

Okay... what are you waiting for?  Go create something yummy and link it right here.

Practical Scrappers Embossing Challenge

Practical Scrappers has something fun in store for you this week! In fact, it's so much fun that I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to create a fabulous project and join us for this super-sweet embossing challenge.  Whether you like to emboss stamps, dry emboss or something in between, get out your paper, glue and embossing folders or powders and join us at Practical Scrappers!
 

I started this project by creating some pretty poppies inspired by Lisa Johnson a Designer for Papertrey Ink (my all-time favorite store for paper, stamps and even dies I use in my Cuttlebug!).  Lisa provided an excellent tutorial so you can make these sweet flowers, it is on her blog right here. I opted to use gems instead of ribbon as the flower centers... a small difference from the actual tutorial. I loved how these blossoms turned out and plan to use them in other projects again and again!  In fact, I loved Lisa's project so much I even ordered the leaf ribbon from Papertrey Ink that you can find right here and as shown below on this close-up shot of the flowers and ribbon.

Now, since this was actually an embossing challenge and not a flower challenge (grin), I did a lot of dry embossing with my Cuttlebug and used several different embossing folders.  I even embossed the flower blossoms before I used Lisa's technique to create them!

You've still got plenty of time to join us at Practical Scrapper's for this challenge... hope to see you there! I'm one of the three Designers who will select the winner for this week's challenge and I simply can't wait to see what you all design.  For more inspiration and ideas by all the Designers, visit Practical Scrappers!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Beautiful Blooms collection (Papertrey Ink)

Cardstock, Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Stamps: Fillable Frames #3 (Papertrey Ink - Pine Feather Press), Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink)

Fibers: Fresh Snow Twill, Leaf Ribbon (Papertrey Ink)

Other Tools: Fillable Frame 3 die cut (Papertrey Ink - Pine Feather Press), Cuttlebug, Embossing folder

BBTB2 Challenge - Owl Cut

This week's challenge at Bitten by the Bug2 has our participants using the Owl cut from the Storybook cartridge (located on page 34 of the manual).  I opted to create yet another shaped card for this challenge (yep, I'm just unique like that...bahaha). 

However...before I began this challenge I had to text my BBF (Best Blog Friend) Kristina for some input on color use.  Kristina is known for her ultra-cute cards (especially those featuring adorable little critters) and I just love her style anyhow, so she's my go-to gal for advice on things such as this!  As always, she provided me with a wealth of ideas and using that information I chose to start my project with some yummy Orange Zest and Dark Chocolate paper from Papertrey Ink.  With a color scheme decided upon, I pulled out my Gypsy and welded two images of the Owl shadow for the card base using Orange Zest. I cut the top layer of the owl in Dark Chocolate. I also cut a couple of branches from the same cart on page 35 (right below the owl page). Actually I cut four branches, two in green and two in brown and then cut the brown leaves off and adhered them to the green branches for a layered look in order to create a kind of tree limb for the owl to "stand" on.  I could have went through my carts to find a branch that was already layered...but to be honest, I was too dang lazy... I figured I had this cart up and running already so I just stuck with it!  Then I added the layered sentiment from the Give a Hoot cart.  Finally, I added a little embossing here, a gem there and some twine tied up in a bow and ended up with this little guy....

Now it's your turn to create!  Join us at BBTB2 for this cute Owl challenge...and if you don't have the Storybook cart... find another owl (there is an adorable Owl in the Give a Hoot cart) on any other cartridge and enter your project for your chance to win the challenge and a super sweet blog button as well!

Now for ultra simple deets...

Supplies Used:

Cricut Carts:  Storybook and Give a Hoot

Paper: Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Orange Zest (Papertrey Ink)

Fibers: Baker's Twine (Martha Stewart)

Embellishments: Gems (Hero Arts)

Other Tools: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder

Good-Bye Kiss for Kristina

I can't even begin to tell you how much it meant to me to have Kristina here at my home in Michigan this past week.  We laughed, talked, planned, crafted and just plain had fun together! She was a real trooper too... helped with the little rascal raccoons, opened doors for the dogs (a million or so times), boldly defended her food from the cats and even broken the wine opener (she just might be Wonder Woman... I mean how do you break a METAL wine opener?? LOL).

Anyhow on Friday she helped me "check-in" a new raccoon into our rehab.  Raider is a very tame little guy who is going to need a lot of help learning how to be a raccoon before his release, but he took to Kristina right away and as a going away present... on Saturday, he gave her this kiss good-bye... so sweet.

It was so hard to send her off on the plane to return home.... we'll all miss her... and just wish she lived closer!

Just for Fun Friday Color Challenge

It's Just for Fun Friday and time for Color Challenge 19 at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Blog.  Colors for this week include Light Blue, Brown and Cream.  This Friday also means that it is the last FULL day that I have my BBF Kristina from Kristina's World and co-founder of Papercraft Star here with me at my home in historic Ionia County (Kristina is laughing as I type this.).... she also indicated that it is the last day she will be here to craft with me, hang out with me, watch movies with me AND BREATH IN CAT HAIR with me! (her words...not mine, and is it funny...and sadly...so TRUE! :-)  Hey, I WARNED her long before she EVER got here about all the hair... remember that post about the alternative fuel??    OH....ummm, Kristina just reminded me that I am SUPPOSE to be doing a color challenge here...so ummm, okay... here are the cool colors for this week!   (oh and hey... go to Kristina's blog right here and check out her new blog look....I just LOVE it!)

Okay... here's my card for the color challenge.... (finally)

Now don't forget to try your hand at this color challenge, you don't have to have JFF stamps, just follow the color guide and enter your project over at Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog for your chance to win a whopping $50.00 worth of rubber stamps of your choosing at the Just For Fun Rubber Stamps online store! Whoot Whoot (Kristina said that) :-)

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper:  Girl's Paperie on Holiday.

Cardstock:  Spring Rain, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)

Stamps: Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Product F2405 (Rendering) and UMS7005 (Correspondence Unmounted)

Ribbon: Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Coffee (Ranger)
Embellishments: Pearls (Hero Arts) Brad (From Stash)
Other Tools: Copic Marker

Creative Team Representing Gone Scrapbooking and Examiner.com

I'm honored to announce that I've been asked to join the (first ever) Creative Team for Gone Scrapbooking and Examiner.Com. Irene Swain, a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area hosts the Gone Scrapbooking.com website and writes for both the  local and national scrapbook columns at Examiner.com.

As a member of the Creative Team that consists of eight other designers I will provide a weekly layout or card featured at these sites and included in the weekly columns at Examiner.com. These projects will also (of course) be posted here at Runs With Scraps on a weekly basis as well, with links to the current challenges and articles at Gone Scrapbooking and Examiner.Com.

You can learn more about our Creative Team and the othe members by visiting this link.

Oh Boy it's Practical Scrappers!

It's time for another challenge at Practical Scrappers! This week we are asking you to create a project using Animation or Cartoons.  I had great fun using my Cricut and Disney's Mickey Mouse Font cartridge to create the always adorable Mickey Mouse face.  He is layered with black, white, cream and red papers from Papertrey Ink (me, using PTI...can you imagine?... ha-ha). 

I also cut the seniment "Oh Boy" using that same cartridge and embossed it with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and my Cuttlebug to give it some fun texture that repeats the pattern in the polka dot paper from the Beautiful Blossoms patterned paper pack by Papertrey Ink. To add interest, I used a border punch on one side of the patterned paper. Finally, I edged the card with black ink for a finished look.

Now before I give you the details, I just want to remind you that you still have time to enter this challenge!  By the way, they've invited me to join them for another term on their Design Team and I am so happy and honored to continue serving with the other talented Designers at Practical Scrappers. See you there!

Supplies Used:

Patterned Paper: Beautiful Blooms (Papertrey Ink)

Cricut Carts: Mickey Mouse Font

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Other Tools: Corner Chomper, Cuttlebug, Cricut, Swiss Dots embossing folder, Fiskars Top Crest Border Punch

Going Places BBTB2 Challenge

Pull out your Cricut and get ready for another challenge over at Bitten By the Bug2. This week we are challenged to use the Cat or Dog cut on page 88 of the Going Places cartridge.  In the event that you do not own that particular cart, just pick a dog or cat from any other cartridge and join the challenge for your chance to win a sweet Winners blog button from BBTB2.

Since I am known in certain circles as the "Crazy Cat Lady"... I naturally had to pick the cat cut for this particular challenge.  It also just so happened that I needed to send a thank you note to my Aunt (who is a kindred spirit, as well as a Crazy Cat Lady herself), so I made the purrrrrr-fect card to send to her from one cat lover to another. :-)

I chose patterned papers from Cosmo Cricut's Material Girl collection trimmed them, bordered punched the red checked paper and then sewed a straight stich (with my machine) down each piece. Then I cut the cats out using the same paper and adhered them to the card base.  The sentiment was also cut with the Cricut.

Super simple, very quick card that I know my Aunt will enjoy.  Now whether you like cats or whether you are a dog person, dust off that Cricut and get crafting!

Supplies Used:
Patterned Paper: Material Girl collection (Cosmo Cricut)
Cardstock: Stampers Select, Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink)
Cricut Carts: Going Places and Wild Card (ProvoCraft)
Other tools: sewing maching and white thread, Fiskars Top Crest Border Punch

PS Sketch & Audrey Pettit

One of our talented Sketch Designers at Practical Scrappers put together this ultra snazzy and super fun sketch that inspired me to create a layout using photos of my mother with my youngest grandson.

It worked out perfectly that my mother happened to be wearing a black top in these photographs, as I had some very pretty paper from October Afternoon's Thrift Shop collection that I was anxious to use.  I also FINALLY used some of my Webster's Pages Bloomers that I've had for months but simply was afraid to use - I just couldn't seem to apply them in a way that looked attractive to me even though they are so very pretty. That said, I get a whole lotta inspiration from stalking...errr, umm, I mean FOLLOWING Audrey Pettit's blog and it was really her that inspired me to finally use them on my page after seeing the gorgeous projects she put together with Bloomers. Thank you Audrey!  I think these blooms were a perfect addition to the layout and if it weren't for Audrey, those pretty Bloomers would still be in the package for sure! I found Bloomers inspiration from Audrey right here and here (just for starters).

Anyhow...my goal when creating this page was to end up with something feminine because it really is a layout focused around my mother, but I didn't want it so girly that my darling grandson looked "out of place" on the page either. I think I accomplished my goal by using these yummy Thrift Shop papers and fonts for the title that were more relaxed. (I used my Gypsy to weld the letters in the title and subtitle together).

Now before I give you the deets on this layout don't forget to skip on over to Practical Scrappers and join us in this weekend's sketch challenge! 

Supplies Used:

Cardstock: True Black, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Thrift Shop Collection (October Afternoon)
Stamps: Fancy Flourishes (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink (Tim Holtz), Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Cricut Carts: George and Calligraphy Collection
Embellishments: Journal Card (Maya Road), Bloomers (Webster's Pages), Pearls (Hero Arts), Distress Tool (Tim Holtz)

Just for Fun Friday Color Challenge!

Hi-dee-ho Neighbor!

(geez, I always wanted to start one of my blog posts by saying that...and by golly... now I did!)

Okay, on to the busy-ness at hand.  It is FRIDAY!  What does this mean?  It means that it is Just for Fun Friday at the Just for Fun Rubber Stamps blog and time for Color Challenge #18!  Have you played along with us yet?  If not, why? It's so much fun and in the process you also get a chance to win $50.00 worth of free product from the Just For Fun Rubber Stamp online store right here if your project is chosen as this week's winner! I'm just sayin'.  Besides, I'm really looking forward to seeing your creations using these colors because...

For me, this was a REAL challenge! When I first started planning this project for the Design Team, I sorted through my stash and while I did find some really pretty patterned papers in purple and greens... I just didn't find a thing that struck my fancy when I tried to match the blue up...so instead I decided to just ink up some vintage-inspired stamps from Just for Fun Rubber Stamps using these colors...and ta-da... like MAGIC (only umm...much slower) my finished card was born...

I loved how the Prima flower finished off last week's card that I made for Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Color Challenge 17, so I decided to add a white one to this card.  I'm so glad I did as I think it was the perfect finishing touch to these awesome stamped images. 

Now, you don't need to use Just for Fun Rubber Stamps to join us in this challenge just use the colors we've chosen for you to create a project... BUT should you decide you just gotta get these stamps for future papercrafting, start by shopping right here.  All three of the stamps I used to create this card can be purchased right here, and what's really great is that they are all included in the unmounted "Correspondence" sheet.  Sweet.

Now for the fine print...

Supplies Used:
Stamps: UMS 7005 Correspondence Unmounted Sheet (Just for Fun Rubber Stamps)
Cardstock: Stampers Select (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Perfect Match Hybrid in Plum Pudding, Spring Moss and Enchanted Evening (Papertrey Ink) Distress Ink in Tea Dye (Tim Holtz)
Embellishments: Flower (Prima), Stick Pin (Jenni Bowlin Studio)
Other Tools: Nestabilities (Spellbinders)