Go fly A Kite

I almost didn't post this card.....

just not a favorite....

but after letting it sit around a few days....

it kind of grew on me "a bit"....

I did this for the challenge at "Simply Less Is More" using a sketch....

the background was done using "shaving cream and re-inkers".....

One day I played around with that technique and came up with some awesome color combo's...

I thought this simple blue one reminded me of a sky...perfect kite "weather".....

the kite stamp is from a Unity kit of the month...

I used my Tim Holts distress tool to give the edges a bit of definition.....

this will be a cute card to send "just on a whim"!!

Look at my post below to see a beautiful Valentine......see ya!!

Love Is In The Air & You've Got Mail

Edited to add..my card was featured on the Creative blog HERE
 I love Valentines Day....

it is one of my favorite times of the year....

I love hearts and flowers.....

but I tell my hubby I want card making supplies....

real Romantic aren't I....LOL....

I try to fit in as many challenges a week as I can....

I really enjoy doing them.....

this week I choose "The Shabby Tea Room".... and City Crafters

the challenge is "Love Is In The Air at the Shabby Tea Room....
and You've got mail at City Crafters

....perfect...

My card actually turned out a lot different then I had originally planned....

I ended up "turning" it on its side...I liked it that way....

I made the "pocket" with the Sizzix die "card/petal".....

see my tiny little envelope in the pocket??

I cut it out with a Quikutz...and stamped the postmark on it...

I love how it turned out, but wish you could see it "in person"......
I am also entering this into
Create For Cards...at least 6 hearts

Some Fun Stuff!!

Hi Everyone,

Thought I would do a fun post today to show some new goodies I bought and also a few things I won...

plus a super cute Valentine card I received in the mail!!

I did a challenge at Flourishes and my card won (not random either) me the ENTIRE Flourish January

release......wow...was I ever excited to get these...look how beautiful they are.....

and if that wasn't enough I also won a mystery package from Flourishes as well....

look at all that was in it...

beautiful trim~Basic Grey brads~Webster fabric stickers~Prima 6 x 6 pad of paper~

and to top it all off....TWO stamp sets...yes that's right.....

I received Sweet Nature & Swan Lake.....

 I also have been doing a bit of shopping both online and in the stores.....

hey, I just am trying to help out the economy...right??

Just going to show a few things today....

first are these "to die for" Prima Flowers....just one word to describe...YUMMY!!

I am going back for more of these at Hobbylobby!

Then I found these cute buttons...the ones on the right are from Walmart...for a mere $1.....and you all know my love for gingham....how cute are these??

The buttons on the left are from Hobbylobby...cute!!

Next are my new Valentine ribbons......bigger spools are from Michael's...smaller ones are again $1 from Walmart......

My last thing to share is the cutest card I received.....hope you enjoyed this "different" post!!

Around The House Challenge At Moxie Fab World

I took the day off today from "housework".....

I have spent the morning creating....

I saw this challenge over at "Moxie Fab World" and it looked like fun!!

The challenge is to use something around the house to create with...

since I have spent the entire week cleaning "stuff" out, I came across the perfect "tool"

little bubble wrap!!

I put my acrylic block inside and stamped with SU Melon Mambo & Daffodil Delight...

the "perch" the owl is sitting on is from Marianne Dies....

the owl is a SU punch....

I love the brightness of this cutsie card!!

Move Over Tim The Tool Man!!

When you think of tools, you think of guys.....

but move over "Tim".."us" girls are taking over!!

Don't you just love all the "tools"  made for our papercrafting??

I do...and I get great satisfaction "collecting" them!

Today I am showing you a card made with a few of my "tools"

The doily die...oh my, you think you are in "heaven" with this one...

it cuts like butter.....from Cheery Lynn Designs......

as well is the Flourish of leaves....

this one I actually cut wrong  side up for another project and it worked perfectly for this card.....

Punches....I would be embarrassed to tell you how many I own.....

this one is an Ek Sucess one to make a "carnation"....

so easy peasy...you cut 2 12" strips, lay one on top of the other, overlapping by half of a petal....

glue them together, roll them up...and you have this gorgeous med. size flower!!

I am entering this card at "The City Crafters Challenge Blog" using the sketch shown.....

and also at....

 "Moxie Fab World"......using "cool tools"......

I will be back later in the week to show more of my "cool tools"!!

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop

Papertrey Ink is having a challenge....

to put it in their own words....

This month, in honor of the New Year, we are challenging you to pick your favorite project from 2011 and share it with all of us. To take it a step further, you are challenged to create a second card that is inspired by the favorite project you select. Your new version of an old favorite could carry over the color scheme, the layout or the stamp sets. We look forward to seeing your best creations from 2011, as well as your first projects from 2012

I choose a card I made for Memorial Day that I just loved!!...you can see the post HERE

I pretty much used the same colors, but changed it up a bit with a Valentine embossed background and stamping the banners with Friendship Jar Spring Fillers...cute eh??

Papertrey items used:

stamps: Friendship Jar Spring Fillers

Dies:..Banners collection

Casual Fridays Challenge~Black & White

This week at Casual Friday CFC36 it is all about black and white.....

and you should see some of the entires there..wowzers...they are fantastic!

I used a combination of things....some black and white Artisan Tape from Pink Paislee...

That wonderful label stamp and punch again from SU....

and a $1 stamp set for the camera and word "smile"....

the camera is actually stamped on a piece of white cs that opens like a tag.....

how do you like my little crown I set my card on?

do you think it distracts from the card?

I purchased it at Michaels for my cards, but am not sure??

Less Is More Challenge "Cut It Out"

This weeks challenge at "Less Is More" is "cut it out".....your card must have some type of hole or aperture...

For my card, I chose to use a watercolor paper as my cardstock......

A round Nestie was used to cut the hole, which then was pierced around using my piercing tool...

The umbrella is one that I have had in my stash for over 10 years.....

I sprayed it with Tattering Angels Coffee Shop and Iridescent Gold, it does have a nice shimmer to it which you can't really see in the photo...

I used a stamp I have had forever....

 "April Showers Bring May Flowers"......

I love how it has turned out!!!

Birthday Give Away from Melissa at Creating From The Heart

It's "Melissa's" birthday at Creating From the Heart...go and wish her a happy one...she has some great goodies she is giving away for her birthday.....enjoy!!

Spring Bunny Pop Up Card

I am really excited to share my latest "pop up" card with you today....

But....it looks 100 times better "in real life"...yep...it does!!

I had so much fun creating this......

the inside is such a surprise, as you would never expect it from looking at the outside....

which is why I am entering it in the City Crafters challenge "Pretty Inside and Out
and in the Moxie Fab World Cool Tools Challenge
die cuts!!

I once again used my Sizzix Scalloped Circle pop up die....

along with my Cricut cartridge Kate's ABC'S, a Cheery Lynn die (the flourish of leaves).....

the front of the card has a flower cut from the same cartridge...

I used a favorite label stamp and matching punch from SU...called "Four Frames".....

I am sure you will be seeing more of these from me soon :>)

Link Up Love Party With K Andrew

I came across a "new to me" challenge today....

Link Up Love Party with K. Andrew...a way to meet new friends....visit new blogs... and find some wonderful inspiration!  Her blog is called "Getting Cricky"..full of inspiring Cricut projects!!

I am so excited to show you my "Pop UP" card.....

this is the first of many I am planning on making...

the die I used is a Scallop Circle pop up die from Sizzix...

the "pop ups" were cut on my Cricut using the "Love Struck" cartridge....

Can you just imagine the possibilities with the Cricut and this pop up die.....

I will be back tomorrow with another card and a different pop up die....

both dies were purchased from Joan's Gardens.....

Non Traditional Colors Valentine Card Challenge & Moxie Punch Challenge

This week at Joan's Gardens she is having a non-traditional colors Valentine challenge...
and Moxie Fab World is having a punches challenge.....

I chose purple and yellow for my card....

the base of the card is made of a deep purple CS, though it looks black in the photo...

I used one of my "new" Cheery Lynn Dies for the leaves, called Fanciful Flourish....

the Rose was made using an owl punch and a spiral....I sponged  plum ink on, then used a bit of yellow stickles...I think it has a rather vintage look...

the key was cut with my Cricut from the Teressa Collins cartridge called "Sophisicated"...

and last the hearts are a MS punch......

notice how the little leaf seems to "tucked" behind my lace trim...well, I "fixed" that...and was too lazy to take a new photo...lol!!

Tweet Tweet Little Birdie

This week the challenge at Less Is More is "birds and one layer".....

the only hard thing for me this week was deciding "which" bird stamps to use!!

I had some fun with this one....

I stamped the bird first on my white cardstock...

stamped him again on some scrap paper to make a mask...

then I used the negative of a heart cut out and sponged TH distressed ink (Victorian Velvet)

the bird was stamped with SU Chocolate Chip...and the bird stamp...it was $1 at Michaels...

I stamped the little "Love" sentiment in the blank part of the "envelope"...

I squirted a bit of red Stickles out and used a pin to apply in the shape of a heart for a bit of "bling"...

let me know how you like it.....

Catered Crop Challenge

I came across a "new to me" challenge called Catered Crop....

they give you a "recipe" to follow...fun..

this week it is "buttons".....

I used one button on my card....

the glove stamp is HUGE..it is one I purchased on Ebay several years back...

the paper I stamped on is called "Flea Market"..

funny thing about this paper is I saw it last year on another blog and just "had to have it"...

I found it at Joann's and this is the first I have used it!!

The sentiment stamp is from Flouishes.....

Noon Challenge Part 2

This is my very simple card I made for the Fourishes Noon Challenge Part 2....

Challenge was 2 colors....

zero bling....

1 embellishment and 2 layers....

I used Flourish stamps called Friendly Reminders.....

I cut the doily with a die......

ink is SU Old Olive as well as the cardstock

I cut the tiny hearts from velveteen ribbon...

and the little envelope is also a die....

we are getting quite a snowstorm.....ugh!!!

The Year of The Dragon Noon Challenge

Flourishes is having a "Year of the Dragon"  Wed noon time challenge....

this is my first time doing a noon  time challenge....

I used my favorite banner set from Flourishes again..called "Birthday Pennants".....

I stamped my pennants with SU Tangerine Tango and Poppy Parade....

want to play along?....you have til 5pm Friday...the link is above...thanks!

Thank You ~ Thank You ~ Thank You

I made 3 little "thank you" cards this morning....

they are going to my sister, daughter, and niece....

we had a Christmas countdown this year...

we each bought each other 8 gifts....

so we ended up with 1 a day for 24 days....

it was so much fun and I received some wonderful gifts....

kept them CAS so they will easy to mail....

check out the blog candy on my sidebar, too!!

Purple Peace

This is my second card I did for the Less Is More challenge to use PURPLE....

I had started with this card first before I did my patchwork heart card and decided I might as well finish it...

I actually like it now that it's finished.....

the "swirls" of exhaust are a Unity stamp......the car is from Reflections....

I added a tiny peace charm to finish it off.....

I even managed to finish the inside of the card......

Growing Houses

I am participating today in the Papertrey Ink Make It Monday challenge....

use a border die to make a background.......

most of my border dies seem to be Christmas, so I choose this TH Alterations die of houses....

I added the sentiment from a new Papertrey Ink stamp set Garden Variety.....

I thought the sentiment was perfect for my flower houses "Plant A Seed - Grow a dream....

I was lucky to receive the entire stamp set with all the matching dies for Christmas...woowho!!

The New Year Challenge

Nothing like getting yourself motivated in the New Year like a great challenge!

Flourishes is having a "New Year Challenge" with father time or baby new year.....

as they describe it "a fight between old and new"...how fun is that??

I opened up a new pack of cardstock called "Blushing Bride" from Su....

embossed with a clock embossing folder from the TH Alterations line....

added some soft "baby" lace....

now for the fun part....

My little baby image is one I printed and cut out from a vintage New Years postcard....

the "celebrate" banner is from my Flourish set "Birthday Banners"....now if you knew me, you would know that banners have  first place right now in my stamp collection..

I love this set and use it over and over!!

I colored in my banner with markers and then went back with a silver glitter pen to add a bit of "bling"

The roses I made from a quill set I had picked up at Hobby Lobby...

I added Frosted Lace stickles to the petals...

the leaves were cut on my Big Shot using a Sizzlits die.....

Less Is More Challenge ~ Purple~Patchwork Heart

This card is what you might call "hot off the press".....

I just finished it for the challenge at "Less Is More"....

this week the challenge is Predominatly Purple....

I am not a purple person...though my flower gardens are full of purple....

after much thought (and a few trial and errors) I decided to do a patchwork heart....

I punched several one inch squares, adhered them to a lightweight cardstock....

then cut a heart with a heart die in my Cuttlebug....

I embossed my main cardstock with a SU embossing folder....

stamped a label image called Labels Four..also from SU

the sentiment itself is stamped with SU Concord Crush....

because it is a Valentine, I added some pearls to the embossed flowers....

that's it...hope you enjoy it!!

Valentine Tag

Have you been seeing all those wonderful dies on various challenges and blogs??

Do you wonder where to get them?? 

One great place is Joan's Gardens.....

she always have the newest ones available...plus 100's of other goodies as well!

I remember the first time I realized I lived close enough to visit her shop and classes in person...

I was thrilled to see and purchase all the goodies......in fact I went there In November

and when the credit card bill came, my hubby said.."What did you buy at a garden shop this time of year"....

haha......silly man...but she does have gorgeous flower gardens, too and is the nicest person!

 I am entering this into her challenge this week.....make a card/and/or tag using hearts, embellishments,

some type of embossing...pink/red....think I will enter a card next!

I made a tag using an embossing folder I love with doves, hearts, flowers.......

at the bottom of the tag I added the cutest little chipboard disc with a cupid.....I love to make Valentines!!

Simply Less Is More Challenge "One Word"

I am doing the challenge at "Less Is More"......and getting it in by the seat of my pants so to speak!

This time it is to use one word......a hard challenge for me as I had way too many to choose from !

I chose my Hampton Art set with the word "Home"......

the inside is finished and says "is where the heart is"....

I kept this very simple...all black and white...and a bit of red.....

I off stamped the word so it would not be so "bold".....

I love the way it looks...more soft....

the house I stamped full black...a nice contrast I think.....

I wonder what challenge will up tomorrow...can't wait!!

Happy Birthday Line Up

Nothing like a second post on the same day....

I made this birthday card using Hero Arts set called "Clear Design Birthday Mess"...

If you look close, you can see I use this set all the time...it is major stained!!

I am doing the "Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Clear Take N" Make Challenge".....

The challenge is going on thru the 15th...so get over to "Ellen's" and enter....

I am hoping to enter a few more times, myself!!

My Type of Friend

Well, Happy New Year To You All!!!

Did you all Make Resolutions??

Not me...but I made some "goals"!!

They are all about "me"....to take better care of myself for a change....that about sums it up!

More on that later, but right now is my first challenge of the year.......

I am a bit "rusty" and need to get in gear....anywho...

I am doing the "Ellen Hutson LLC Hero Arts Cling Take N' Make challenge!

For this project I used my Hero Arts cling set "My Type".......

I can't wait to use it again for Valentines....the idea's are endless!!

Head on over to "Ellen's" and do the challenge yourself...it is going on thru the 15th.....

and you just might win a "prize"!!