Delivery!!

Hello All!!  Its been a while, but the Holidays, work, my etsy sales, and life in general have gotten in the way of my crafting for fun.  I had a cousin's baby shower to go to, though, and decided I needed to get some creative juices flowing!  I pulled out my Spectrum Noir Markers and found a baby image to use.  This one is courtesy of Anne Bodil .  

 I would love to enter this card in the following challenges:

Little Red Wagon- Totally Teddies #173

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 194-5

Beautiful Bride

Well, I do have to say that this is my current favorite card that I have ever done.  A friend from work is getting married and I made this card for all of my work gals to sign for our group gift.  The image is a freebie from Saturated Canary called "Fancy".  I colored her with my spectrum noir pens, embellished her with crystals and old fashioned glitter.  The sentiment is from Close to My Heart.  (I am a consultant, so click the link if you are interested :) )  I used flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. And lastly, some lace to finish it off.  The paper is from Walmart, lol.  Isnt it Beautiful?!!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges...

Challenge Up Your Life #75 Anything Goes

Our Creative Corner Bling Bling

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #197 Gifts

Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge Go Floral

Sparkles Monthly Challenges Wedding

2 Sisters Challenge #103 Anything Goes

Divas by Design #46 Flowers

Paper Crafting Journey Anything Goes

Wonderful News!!

I made this card using the awesome image A Big Whoop! from Mo's Digital Pencil to celebrate the news that my uncle's scan was negative for cancer.  I thought her expression showed my elation perfectly.  Colored with my spectrum noir pens, cut out with a circle spellbinder die.  Just some cheapo letter stamps from Michaels for the sentiment... 

I would love to enter this card into the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog #146-Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T challenge #166-sketch challenge
Digi Doodle Shop Challenges #119 Ribbons and bows
Paper Crafting Journey Anything Goes

Watermark

Well, I never thought I would have to worry about my images being taken and used as someone elses.  Little ol' me?  Who would want to use my images as their own????  Well was I wrong...  I was doing a search to see if my infant sock corsages on etsy would come up during a search.  Well I found one pic of mine, but it was linked to SOMEONE ELSES page!!!!  And this person seems to be a very successful crafter, even does segments on tv!  I have asked her to give me credit for the use of my pic, we'll see if she does.  Lesson learned, I will be watermarking my images from now on.

The Perfect Pair

I have two wonderful boys prancing around my house everyday.  When i saw this image on Mo's Digital Pencil I had to have it!!  Well a coworker saw it, and she thought it was just as cute as I did.  This card is for her daughter.  It is colored with my Spectrum Noirs.  The image is cut out with a spellbinders die.  The card is cut with my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  

I would love to add this card to the following challenges:

DP2 Challenge #144- Hugs and Kisses

Card Crafters Circle #32 - Children

Phindys Place #114- Button-it

Peggy

I just had to show another version of Peggy from Sylvia Zet and Wee Stamps.  Once again, she is colored with my Spectrum Noir markers, cut with a spellbinder and my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  I dont have enough digis yet to not reuse them, and with images as cute as this, why wouldnt you want to???

Pink bows and buttons

Another cute stamp by Sylvia Zet and Wee Stamps today.  I colored it with my spectrum noirs.  The image was cut with a spellbinders die.  The card was cut with my Art Philosophy cricut cart and embossed with my cuttlebug.  Finished off with bakers twine and buttons.  So cute!!!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Friday Sketch Challenge #19  roughly based on the above sketch

Crafty Anns Challenge Blog #67- Its a Girl Thing

Whimsy Stamps Inspiration Challenges #43- Buttons and Bows

Just Glowing

I LOVE this stamp by Sylvia Zet and Wee Stamps, her name is Peggy.  I have colored her with my Spectrum Noir pens, and I really like how she has turned out.  I saw someone on another blog use yellow to highlight their image, and I thought the effect was stunning.  Unfortunately I cant remember whose blog that was, because her work was beautiful.  Anyway, I really like the end result here too.  She is one of my favorites, I think...  The flowers are again from my Art Philosophy cartridge.  The card base is also from the same cart.  I used my spellbinders to cut out the image and her mat.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Whimsy Stamps Challenge #41- Bingo - Pearls, image, flowers (the pearls are in the flowers and buttons of her dress)
Wobble Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

For You

Well, its better late than never, right?  This card was presented to my mom for Mothers Day.  I just havent had time to post it yet.  It is using an image from Sliekje Digi Stamps, colored with my Spectrum Noir markers.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Patties Creations Challenge #44-recipe-  Ribbons, flowers, glitter, gems
Phindys Place #107- 1,2,3 1 image, 2 design papers, 3 embellishments

Pinky Penguin

My nanny is graduating from college and I had to come up with a card for her grad party.  She LOVES penguins, so I had to make a card with this adorable little penguin.  This free digi stamp is from Melonheadz.  I colored her with my Spectrum Noir markers.  The pink and yellow flowers are from my Cricut Art Philosophy cart and the black one is from Walmart, lol.  

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Digi Doodle Shop Challenge 109: Lets Go Spotty  -the penguins bow is spotted, and the yellow paper is spotted :)

DYSU Challenge Blog #73: A Little Birdie Told Me-Penguins are birds, right?

Southern Girls Challenge #45-Dying to Die-Cut-The background of the penguin is cut with spellbinders dies, the pink and yellow flowers are Cricut cuts

Creative Inspirations #164- Anything Goes

Happy Nurses Day

Yesterday was Nurses Day, and the kick-off of Nurses Week.  I am a nurse on a postpartum, pediatric, and special care unit.  I get to play with babies all day!  What more can you ask for? :)  I found this digi stamp on Mo's Digital Pencil.  I colored her up with my new Spectrum Noir markers.  Isnt she adorable??  The flowers are from the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.

I have already presented this card to one of my former coworkers and best friends.  

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges.

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ anything goes

http://mosdigitalchallenge.blogspot.com/ anything goes with Mo

Lollipop Girl

Well, I have been practicing with my Spectrum Noirs, and I put together another card with one of the digi stamps.  This one is a cute girl with her lollipop from http://sliekje.blogspot.com/  Isn't she adorable??!!

I even used the Spectrum Noirs to change my gems to the color I wanted them! Her ribbons are glittered, and I used bakers twine for the 1st time!  The flowers are from the Art Philosophy Cartridge.  Small Stamp sentiment is from CTMH.

I would love to enter her into the following challenges:

http://stampwithfun.blogspot.com/  challenge #159 Decoration
http://trulyscrumptiouschallenge.blogspot.com/  #79 Distress and Die cuts/punches
http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/ #131 April Showers bring May flowers
http://jellyparkchallenges.blogspot.com/ Girly Girl
http://prairiefairyfridays.blogspot.com/ for your inspiration

Just Ducky Blog Candy

Lori over at Just Ducky justsoducky.blogspot.com has some awesome blog candy that she is giving away.  I am just getting into the stamp coloring and the Magnolia stamps are soo cute!!  I would love to win them :)  You can too, the drawing is May 12th... But you really dont want to go there, do you?  (if you dont, my odds are better, lol.)  just kidding!

My New Toy!!!

So I have been oogling over all of the wonderful cards and projects made with alcohol markers, ie Copic Markers, but my cheapo brain couldnt wrap my head around the expense and choosing colors was daunting.  Weelll, that all changed when I received an email from www.hallmarkscrapbook.com about Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.  I was hooked at 1st glance!  Of course, i resisted for a while, doing my research, but ultimately I had to have them.  It ended up being $112 for the intial set of 72 markers.  Not bad if you have ever priced out Copic Markers.  So far, i love them.  In my research, i found lots of people doing comparisons between the different alcohol markers.  Copic people say they dont blend as well, and they like their brush nib better....  Well that may be true, but im never gonna know the difference, lol!!!    I do have a couple minor complaints.  The colors are supposed to go 1= lightest, 9= darkest...but some dont make sense that way.  I downloaded and filled out the color chart, so I can figure it out, just wish it made sense.  The other thing is that the barrel falls apart on some of the markers.  The "ink well" can go flying and wreck your project.  However I have found a fix for that...  I did make a little video that I will post below this, and you can see my fix...  I will also say that I consider myself a "crafty" person, and not so much an "artsy" person.  This goes much more into the "artsy" realm, so I will be PRACTICING!!!  Oh darn, lol...

The 1st card I made.  The digital stamp is from http://linnie-whoopsiedaisy.blogspot.com/.  I have been using Georgia Pacific paper from walmart.  Once I get better, I will venture into some spendier paper...

 And some of my other practice pieces.  The fish, duck, bird, and ant are all from www.doodlepantry.com

The rest of the images are from http://sliekje.blogspot.com/

Thinking of You

I a card this weekend for my uncle who is in the hospital after surgery for colon cancer.  He also happens to have a totally unrelated 2nd cancer, lymphoma that he will have to battle simultaneously.  And to top it off, his wife had surgery this week, too!  It is a tough time for them and I just want them to know they are on my mind and in my prayers...

I used some papers from a Walmart stack, inks from CTMH, a chipboard shape from CTMH, and matching cutout from Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  Hemp tie to finish it off...

From My Craft Room Blog Giveaway

Wow, Ive been looking at my blog list that I follow and I have been truly inspired!  I expecially love this blog From My Craft Room.  She has this awesome tutorial on a round side step card that I am totally going to try!!!  And, she has a giveaway for her 3rd anniversary going on.  Follow the link in the page to go to it, ... or on second thought, no dont go there, I want to win!!!  LOL

Shabby Chic

I have been inspired lately by all the shabby chic cards and layouts I have seen.  I am impressed by how a card or LO can almost be more of a work of art than "just a card".  It has never been my style, but I am a good faker, lol.  I decided to try my hand at the shabby chic style, and this is what I came up with.  It is a birthday card for my mother-in-law.  I really like how it turned out.  Luckily she saves every card I have made for her, so the effort is not lost on her!

I used lots of distress ink, the lace is dyed with distress ink.  The flowers are hand-cut because I dont have a flower cart yet.  There are real pearls in the center of the flowers.

Card Swap

I joined a Birthday Card Swap on the Cricut Messageboard.  I have to create a set of man, woman, girl, and boy cards.  The card in my last post was used for the woman card.

I found the man card on Pinterest.  The coolest part about it is that the pocket can fit a gift card in it!!  LOVE IT!!!!

The boy card is from the Batman Cricut Cart.  

And the girl card is from the Smiley Cards Cart.  I only have this one in digital form on my gypsy, so I overlook it  a lot, but it is SO CUTE!!

http://mytimetocraft.blogspot.com/

I scraplifted this card idea from the cricut messageboard and this blog, A Time to Craft.  

Imitation is the best kind of flattery, right?

Easter '07

Here is an Easter layout for a LOAD challenge over at Storytellers.  I cant decide if I am going to add more of a title, or stick with just the journal tag...  what do you think?

Feb Storytellers Challenges

Here are a couple more challenges from the Storytellers blog.  Really loving these kits and having some inspiration to get things done!!!

Feb Technique Challenge - Storytellers

This page was for the Ink-y Heart Challenge at Storytellers.  I inked the hearts and then I stamped the word LOVE on the large heart in the center.  I love the challenges.  Makes sure I actually get stuff done!

On a Card Roll...

Heres another kiddie card.  I had already pieced the puppy together earlier, from the Create A Critter Cricut Cartridge.  I completed the card for Connies Card Challange on the Storytellers Club Forum.

Cindy Loo Card from Custom Crops

So I saw on Pinterest a super cute card made with the Cricut Cindy Loo Cartridge.  Pinterest linked back to Custom Crops (I love CC!!).  http://www.customcrops.com/article_info.php?tPath=2&articles_id=429  The author created a .cut file for the card, but I havent switched my copy of design studio to my new laptop, so I did it myself with my gypsy.  Here is my copy of the project.  I think I will make more of them and play around with the colors.  

Scrappy Scrappy!!

Here are a couple more LOs of Tommy, i will get caught up some day, lol!!!

1st, one of Tommy with my sister, Auntie Colie.  Using the Storytellers Kit Urban Expressions...

The 2nd one is Tommys 2nd Birthday party, an Elmo Party!!!

Cards and more cards!

My grandma was talking about never having a card when she needs one, so I made some cards for her to have on hand.  I made 3 copies; one for her, one for my mom, and one for me.  

I also made a Valentine Card, well actually 2.  I couldn't decide whether to use the heart with vellum overlay as an element on the card, or "the card" so I did both, LOL...

I am using this 1st one for a Valentine Card Challenge on the Storytellers forum.  www.storytellers.lefora.com

This one is going to be uploaded for a Fabulous Friday Challenge and Blog Hop at Frosted Designs.

http://frosteddesigns.blogspot.com/2012/01/winter-wonderland-blog-hop-fabulous.html