A Shaped Card

I created this card for the new challenge over at Card Cupids. The challenge is to create a card that was a shape - something outside of the normal square or rectangle. I used the Balloon Kaylee image from Some Odd Girl stamps and it just made sense that she would be on a balloon shaped card.

I designed the card on my Gypsy where I selected the balloon image from the George and Basic Shapes Cricut cartridge. I welded two balloons together to create the card. I colored the Some Odd Girl image with Copics Markers (R81, R83, R85, V12, V15, V17, E25, E27, E29 & G12). I also used Spica pens (Lilac, Pitch Black, Blossom) to color in the pupils of her eyes, the balloons and the top layer of the red flower. I *HEART* these Spica pens! They have so much glitter in them! I tried to get a picture of it but I don't think this does it justice.

I love the way the Pitch Black Spica pen really makes her eye's sparkle. If you haven't checked out Spica pens you definitely should. You'll be seeing more of these pens from me in the future! Be sure to check out the challenge over at Card Cupids - one lucky person is going to win 3 digital stamps of their choice from Some Odd Girl. I also have some projects to share later this week so be sure to check back!

Design Team Call!

So you have all heard me talk about Card Cupids and all of the great work they do. Well, now you have the opportunity to get even more involved! Card Cupids has issued a Design Team call. I cannot tell you how much fun I have had being a member of the Card Cupids Design Team! It is not a huge commitment so don't be afraid that you will be tied up with some cumbersome commitment. You can read all about the requirements HERE. We would love to have you on our team so don't delay and apply today!

A New Challenge!

Well, it's a new week and that means a new challenge over at Card Cupids! I love creating a new card each week - it keeps me and my ideas fresh and it gives me a goal. This weeks challenge is sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and the winner will receive 7 digital stamps from their store. I cannot tell you how much I love these stamps! I never used (or even heard about) digital stamps until I joined Card Cupids and I would be lying if I said I wasn't totally scared of them at first. Now that I have tried them I am totally addicted!

The challenge this week is to create a card using buttons and/or ribbon. Cards for boys can be so hard so I have really tried to focus on creating boy cards lately. This is the card I came up with.

I think this is my favorite card that I have created lately. It turned out so well and I love the way the coloring looks! I ended up sending this card to my step son in his Valentine's Day package we mailed to him. I think he liked it too (pretty high praise from a 10 year old boy!). The brown background paper is from DCWV and I ran it through my Cuttlebug to add the sticks embossing. The patterned paper is from the BasicGrey Curio collection. I hand wrote the "Howdy" on a piece of scrap vanilla paper and attached it with eyelets to a piece of blue DCWV paper that I cut out with my Cricut using the Storybook cartridge. The string is something that I've had in my stash for forever but the colors went together really well and the brown button on the corner has also been in my stash for forever. Hope you liked my card and I hope that you will enter the Card Cupids challenge this week. You have until 11:59 PM on Sunday February 27 to enter so get busy!

A New Challenge!

This week's challenge over at Card Cupids is to create a card using Red, White and Blue. When I first saw this I thought "It's a little early to be thinking about Independence Day, isn't it?" but then I thought about it and I decided that there were lots of ways to use those colors. Here is what I came up with:

The cute little pirate if from Bugaboo Stamps who is also sponsoring the Card Cupids challenge this week. The winner of the challenge will receive 7 digital stamps of their choice from the Bugaboo store! I really do like their stamps - they are all so cute and so fun! So be sure to check out the challenge and enter your card - I can't wait to see what you make!

Valentine's Day Wrap Up

I just wanted to share a few more Valentine's Day projects with you and then I promise I'll move on to something else! I didn't want to post these until after Valentine's Day just in case my hubby checked my blog - then his surprise would be ruined!

The first project I want to share is this altered can.

This is a soup can with a pop top lid. I used one of those "break-the-seal-don't-cut-the-metal" can openers and opened the can from the bottom. This left the pop top intact. I covered the can with paper from DCWV. The flower is cut from the George and Basic Shapes Cricut Cartridge and it is also cut with DCWV paper that I inked up with some Distress Ink. I used some ribbon and vellum I had on hand to finish it off. For the inside of the can, I individually wrapped some organic chocolate truffles and tied them with a ribbon and a "Reason Why I Love You". I put everything into the can and then reattached the bottom using some metal glue. Tinker and I took this too her Daddy at work yesterday - we took the time to stop and get a balloon to tie to the can as well as Daddy's favorite coffee.

Next, I made this exploding box from We R Memory Keepers paper.

Each sleeve has a tag and most of them have something written on them. I bought Hubby a gift card for Valentine's Day and I put it in this box to give to him.

So, remember this tag I made? Well, I ran out of time yesterday (Tinker and I had a Mommy and Daughter breakfast out, then we went to our favorite Cupcake Boutique for a special cupcake and then some last minute shopping) to create the Valentine's Card I had in my head and I really loved this tag so I quickly put it to use and made this card for Hubby.

I really love how it came out! The red paper is from Stampin' Up, the background paper is leftover from the can I covered, the brown paper is just something I had in my stash that I ran through the Cuttlebug with one of my new embossing folders. I used a little Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo) on the embossed paper to really bring out the embossing and the "Forever and for Always" is a rub on I have had for I don't even know how long! I think it all came out wonderfully and Hubbs really seemed to like it.

And what Valentine's Day would be complete without flowers and chocolate!? I woke up yesterday morning and Hubby had left this little surprise on the dining room table for me.

Then when he came home he gave me a box of my most favorite chocolates! He also made a wonderful dinner of shrimp scampi with linguine, salad and steak. I supplied the dessert, it didn't turn out as pretty as the picture on the recipe but it was darn good! 

I hope each of you had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Now, let's talk about St. Patrick's Day and SPRING!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my blog friends! I hope you have a wonderful day!

If you are looking for the Card Cupids Appreciation Blog Hop, click HERE!

I just wanted to quickly share a card I made. Actually I made 4 similar cards. These are the Valentine's that my daughter sent to her Nana, Papaw, Mamaw and Great Grandma.

The background paper is from Core'dinations and is embossed with the Cuttlebug "Seeing Spots" embossing folder (I also used the Cuttlebug "Spots and Dots" folder on some of the cards). The heart paper is from We R Memory Keepers "Be My Valentine". The flower is cut from Core'dinations card stock using the Cricut Cartridge George and Basic Shapes. I cut three of these flowers (using the Gypsy I hid the hole in the center), one from each color of paper, then bent the petals in and up to create dimension. I also cut a heart out of the We R Memory Keepers paper to add to the center. The scallops are cut from the Cricut cartridge Storybook and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up and stamped in Stampin' Up Pink Passion Ink.

I hope you like this card and I hope the grandparents do too! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Card Cupid's Appreciation Blog Hop

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Card Cupids Appreciation Blog Tour! 

 If you have just hopped on the tour, please go to the first stop Card Cupids (www.cardcupids.org).  If you have arrived from Stephanie's Blog - Mrs. BZB Creates or Radwa's Blog - Steps to Walk then you are in the right place. Thanks for stopping by!  

Remember when you started the tour at Card Cupids and we only showed you the first part of the prize? And then you went to Stephanie's blog and she showed you part two of the prize? Well I have part three! Want to know what it is? Here it is:

So if you have been keeping check, that is 1 Card Cupid Tote Bag, 8 Card Cupid Exclusive Digital Stamps and 9 Copic Ciao markers! How awesome is that! All you have to do to win is: 

1. Be a Card Cupids follower.
2. Leave a comment on the Card Cupids blog letting us know that you completed the Blog Tour.
3. Email all of the "Secret Words" you find on the Blog Hop to Card Cupids (info@cardcupids.org) by 11:59pm EST on February 14.

For a few extra chances, leave a comment here on my post and become a follower of my blog and I'll make sure you get 2 extra entries into the grand prize drawing! You do not have to comment here or become a follower to have a chance at winning - this is only for extra chances to win.

Card Cupids mission is to provide encouragement and joy by sending Card Cuddle Care Packages to children who are facing difficult challenges in their young lives regardless of their economic background. Card Cupids believes that every child needs to know that they are loved. A stuffed animal to hold, along with cards that share a positive message can help lift the spirits of children that are faced with difficult challenges. Card Cupids collects handmade cards to be sent to children along with new stuffed animals, coloring books, activity books, crayons and markers. Card Cupids hopes to provide numerous Card Cuddle Care Packages to children in hospitals, foster care, homeless shelters as well as children facing difficulties.

The theme for today's blog hop is Valentine's for Kids. My sister in law and I try to get our kids together at least once a week. For Valentine's Day we are planning a Valentine's Party for them. The play date is really for our girls who are 2 and 3. We will be talking about the letter "V" and making Valentine's Crafts. I wanted to do something special for them all so this is what I came up with:

I have one for my daughter, my niece and my nephew (he's 5). I'm still working on something for my other nephew - he's 13 so it's much harder to come up with something for him! I plan to fill the buckets with some of their favorite snacks and maybe some little toys. I have to admit I scrap-lifted this idea (or maybe it's just heavy inspiration?) from Jean's Crafty Corner. I loved her shovels but I thought the kids might get more use out of a bucket too and since they are only a $1 who could resist! You can't really see them but each bucket also has a shovel.

This is a close up of the card. Each one is just a little different but the design is the same on each. I cut the shovel, bucket, sand and letters from DCWV card stock and used the Cricut Cartridge "Life's a Beach". I used my Gypsy and just sized everything to fit on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card. I attached the layers with my Pink ATG and then I attached the bucket and the shovel to the card using foam squares to add dimension. The background paper is from Echo Park's "Sweet Summertime" line. I LOVE this paper! I picked it to do all of my vacation photos from last year.

I made this for my nephew. This is a metal board and the X's and O's are on magnets. The metal comes in sheets of 5"x7" with VERY sharp corners. I started by putting down a thick layer of Modge Podge then putting the BasicGrey paper on top to dry. Once it was dry I trimmed the edges and cut a piece of cork (I bought a roll of self adhesive cork at the home supply store awhile back) to fit on the back. Once I applied the cork, I cut 3 strips of black card stock to create the Tic-Tac-Toe board. I glued the black strips down with my Pink ATG and then I Modge Podged the top. I used my computer to print out the X's and O's on card stock then I cut them out and put them on a sheet of self adhesive magnet and cut them out. Once everything was dry, I used my Corner Chomper to round off the corners to get rid of those sharp corners I was telling you about. I also used my Big Bite to punch two holes at the top and set two silver eyelets. Tie a little ribbon and TA DA! Instant game perfect for the car!

My daughter and niece aren't quite old enough to understand or play Tic-Tac-Toe so I made them a plain magnet board that they can put their letters and other magnetic toys on. This will be perfect for my daughter to take on long car trips! I hope they like them!

Thanks for stopping by today! The secret word from my stop is CUPIDS.  Remember, to win the Blog Tour prize you have to email the secret sentences toinfo@cardcupids.org by 11:59 pm February 14 with subject: Blog Tour Prize.

Card Cupids is collecting handmade cards, new stuffed animals, coloring/activity books, crayons and markers for Absolutely Incredible Kids Day on March 15 as well as cards for Kate and Christopher and their siblings.  If you would like to donate handmade cards or care package items, please visit Card Cupids for more information.

Now hop back on the tour bus to visit your next stop with Christy on her blog Hobby Hopping. Come back and visit real soon!

A New Challenge!

A new challenge has been posted over at Card Cupids! This week the challenge is to create a "Boy Themed" card. I'm such a fan of all things girlie (pink, flowers, sparkles etc.) that most of my creations have an overly "girlie" feel to them. It was great for me to focus on doing something not pink for a change. Here is the card I came up with:

The little digi images if from Fresh Brewed Designs, which is also the sponsor for this weeks challenge. The polka dot paper is from 3 Bugs in a Rug, the blue and orange papers are scraps but I believe they originally came from a DCWV stack and the letters are BasicGrey. To color the little monster I used Copic Sketch G17, G14, G12, Y17, Y15 and Y13.

I also wanted to tell you all that Card Cupids is hosting a Valentine's Day Blog Hop starting Saturday February 12th through the 14th! There will be some great prizes offered so be sure to check it out!

Papertrey Ink

I've been following Papertrey Ink through email for awhile now. Their products are awesome! I want one of everything! Which is the very reason why I have been unable to make the first purchase. Everything is so amazing I don't know where to start! Anyway, they are celebrating their 4th anniversary and they are hosting a variety of contests so check it out. They are also giving away some great freebies. Yesterday they gave away some very cool tags created by their designers. Earlier this week I found THIS POST on the Papertrey Ink blog and made this little criss cross box. I thought the tag made the perfect embellishment.

  The paper is BasicGrey "Curio" and the ribbon is something I've had forever in my scraps jar. Hope you like it!

An Easy Little Notebook Project

I make lists. LOTS of lists. For everything, all the time! I have an unbelievable mess of paper around my home of lists I have made. To Do lists, Grocery lists, Cleaning lists, Lists of Lists I need to make. It's sad really because with so many lists you would think that I would be super organized but I so am not. So when I saw a pack of six spiral bound note pads at my local grocery store for only $1 I shrieked with joy (you should have seen the look on the stock boy's face). They were varying colors of red, blue and green and totally unattractive but I fixed that. Here are a few of the notebooks I prettied up.

They were super easy to cover. First I tore one sheet of paper out of the inside. Then I cut a piece of patterned paper to the same dimensions as the cover. I used the sheet of paper from the inside of the book to mark the holes where the spiral binding went. Using a hole punch I punched out each of the holes and then I used scissors to cut a slit from the short side of the paper into the center of the hole. This made it possible to put the paper over the holes. Once I glued the paper down, you couldn't even tell that I had made cuts! Then I just embellished.

I Just Love a Good Makeover, Don't You?

It really doesn't matter if it's a "What Not To Wear" makeover or one of those makeup infomercials, I sit in dumbfounded awe every time I watch a makeover. "OH, wow! That's so amazing - how did they do that?" It's a sickness I think. Anyway, this is one makeover that I am totally over the moon about and if you could see the dumbfounded look on my face you would know it's true. MemoryWorks has done a little work on the existing Life Documented and ele.ment.ary collections from their Simple Stories line and oh my goodness is it amazing! Just check it out:

Life Documented - NEW Designer Cardstock

Life Documented - NEW Cardstock Stickers

ele.ment.ary - NEW Designer Cardstock

Life Documented - NEW Cardstock Stickers

I just can't stop drooling over all of the amazing things that Simple Stories has to offer this year! If you would like to learn more about these lines or about the Simple Stories System, you can read all about it and see all of the pieces to each kit HERE. I've been so excited about this release and I hope you are too! Remember, you can order Simple Stories by emailing me at the "Contact Me" button above and all orders can be safely paid through PayPal.

Let's Go On A Trip!

Because this new line from MemoryWorks Simple Stories is so amazing! The new line is designed to document all of your travels and if you don't have some vacation pictures waiting to be scrapped, you are going to want to take a trip just so you can use this amazing kit! The new line is called Destinations, it was introduced at CHA this past weekend and without further ado, here is is:

The Destinations collection kit includes: {6} sheets of 12x12 double sided, designer cardstock paper, {1} 12x12 sheet of fundamentals cardstock stickers, {1} 12x12 sheet of expressions cardstock stickers, {30} signature pre-designed, double-sided cut-apart element pieces in a variety of sizes including 4x6, 6x8, 4x4, 2x12, 4x12 & 6x12, and {6} bonus 4x6 transparency photo overlays exclusive to collection kit.

Element Pieces

Designer Cardstock

Cardstock Stickers and Overlays

Each kit contains 2 of each of these Overlay Designs

Amazing, right? I should be able to begin ordering this new kit around the end of February or the first part of March. The kit retails for $20.99 (plus tax and shipping) - what an awesome deal for all of that scrappy goodness! Email me today to pre-order your kit!