Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Weekly Challenge | Must Use Flowers!

Good Morning! What a wonderful spring day and for this week's Delightful Challenges, your creation must use flowers!!
For my 6×6" card I did a masking technique in the freeware program GIMP to place the bride and groom inside the oval frame. I accented the frame and the bride's veil with ultrafine glitters. The flowers are punched from Stampin' Up punches and burnished with a large ball embossing tool. They are adhered to the card with 3D Zots and blinged out with crystal bling and flower brads.
Thank you for looking! I hope you enjoy!
True Love Bride and Groom Card with Digital Images by Digital Delights by Louby Loo
CS AND PAPERS: Bazzill Basics and Spring Weave Digital Paper Pack
MARKERS: BIC Mark-its
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Chalk, Glitter, SU Punch, bling, brads
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES:  Masking with GIMP

Join us at Delightful Challenges because you could possibly win and be able to purchase your own adorable stamps and papers at Digital Delights by Louby Loo as this weeks challenge is sponsored by:

Challenge #54 Truly Scrumptious | A Sketch--Guest Designer Challenge

I have the extreme honor of participating as a guest designer with the team at the Truly Scrumptious. They have a bi-weekly challenge on Wednesdays that you can use any image you want.
This week they have a sketch challenge. I chose to use Digital Delights by Louby Loo sets  and GIMP software to make this adorable Easter Card.
Happy Easter Scalloped Circle Card
ALL DDSTAMPS USED: Easter Basket Snuffles [Snuffles and Snookie Easter Set], Happy Easter [Circle Sentiments Set], Scallop Circle [Scalloped Background Set]
CS AND PAPERS: Bazzill Basics Cardstock
INK: Distress Ink
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Diamond Glaze, Brads,Circle punch, ribbon
COLORING TECHNIQUES: Masking with GIMP [layered Scallop Circle and Snuffles], Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol to blend and color.

Here is the sketch for this challenge:

Digital Delights is the sponsor for this challenge. They have a fabulous range of digi images and papers on their website so do pop over and have a browse through their fabulous store. The lucky winner will receive three digi stamps from the Digital Delights Store.

Thank you Truly Scrumptious for letting me play with you!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Invitations for the Crafty Birthday Girl | Sam's 5th Birthday

This weekend is my daughter's 5th birthday party and she decided she needed a Crafty Party. There will be lots of crafts for her friends to do. Her daddy is making her a special crafting table and some of her favorite crafts have been collected for her birthday celebration! She had creative control of how her birthday card came together and she was quite pleased with the final result. I will be adding a scribd document here next week with complete instructions on making the cuts and folds on this card and possibly a video that will show how it can be modified for other shapes.
Front of Birthday invite closed
The card features Bazzill Basics and DieCuts With a View Cardstock and Miss Elizabeth pattern Paper. The paper doll is a Sizzix die as are the accessories [clothes, shoes, hair] The heart punch is Stampin up and the Swiss Dots texture is from a Provocraft emboss folder. The font for the card is called US and is free on DaFont.com. At her request, I wrote in hand "i love crafts" all the way around the cover of the card. The face was hand-drawn using the same Micron Pen and accented with brown marker and pink ink on an eraser for cheeks!

Birthday card opened and lying flat

Card upright to see the special fold out
Thank you for looking! I hope you enjoy! Check back for links to video tutorial and scribd download!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Weekly Challenge | Pastels & Ribbon

Today there is a new challenge at Delightful Challenges. 
For this week's challenge we want to see you use
PASTELS
&
RIBBON

Happy Easter Peyton!

ALL DDSTAMPS USED: Easter Egg Peyton, Happy Easter Sentiment [inside]CS AND PAPERS: Bazzill Basics Cardstock, Easter Kids Digital Paper Pack, Easter Fun Paper Set
INK: Stampin Up Soft Sky
MARKERS : BIC Mark-Its
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Ribbon, Chalk, Diamond Glaze, Queen & Co. Brads

Happy Easter Peyton Card opened
This week's challenge as our Fabulous Sponsor for this week is none other than.....


One lucky player will win a $10.00 Gift Certificate to the Really Reasonable Ribbon store.
Now you don't have to use a Digital Delights image to play along with our challenge but if you do you get to an extra entry.
Right now we have our March Madness Sale going on, so lots of great images at a Fabulous price.
Don't forget to visit the Delightful Challenge and Digital Delights blogs to see some AMAZING creations and more inspiration using Digital Delights images.
Thank you for looking! I hope you enjoyed!

Weekly Challenge #14 | Walk the Line

This week at the I am the Diva Zentangle Challenge, Laura challenges us to use ONLY STRAIGHT LINES in the Walk the Line Challenge--details here.
Walk the Line
The name immediately took me to the Man in Black's hit Walk the Line. This was an interesting challenge for me because as you all know I LOVE circles which are well curvy...not straight. I did my best not to deviate from the challenge requirement. I would say that dots...well they walk the line that fine line between circle and a stroke of a pen. In any case I really like the look of this tangle. I hope you do too! Enjoy Johnny Cash and his hit Walk the Line!
Thank you for looking!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Come2Chat Craft Challenge | Cardboard Classic

This weeks Come2Chat craft challenge is the Cardboard Classic. Amanda Marks of the Creative Edventures team chose this fun theme and challenges us to make something practical--that can be used! As soon as I saw that cardboard was involved, I knew I had to try Wenche's Book Tutorial! Wenche, a Norwegian blogger,  has many amazing projects on her blog Wenches Kort og Papir--take the time to translate her blog and experience the beauty of her work!

Above is my 1st attempt with Wenche's tutorial on her book/box. This one I've made to keep my son's merit badges in until I get them sewn on his sash. they will be in one spot and he can add to them as he earns more. The bookplates on the cover are only glued on the bottom so my son can add a title to his book and slip them in behind the bookplate frame.

I used chipboard as the skeleton of my book, cardstock to form the faux pages in the accordian method that Wenche describes in her blog. The cover of the book is more cardboard--this time corrugated cardboard with the outer cover pulled off to expose the corrugations. The easiest way to accomplish this is to dampen the layer to be pulled off--I wiped it with a VERY damp papertowl and let the cardboard sit for a minute. Once moistened, the top layer will pull off VERY easily and leaves behind the cool textured look! I added diecut embellishments for the cover.

I hope you enjoyed my project! Thank you for looking! Be sure to check Wenche's blog for amazing inspiration on what you can do to decorate these fun book/boxes.

Next week's Come2Chat Craft Challenge can be found here.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Just a tanglin'

Happy Sunday!

I was just hanging out with my husband on his night off watching some episodes of a favorite series and decided that I would doodle while we watched. The following makes me smile when I see it! :) I hope you enjoy it too!
Tanglin on a Saturday Night!

Weekly Challenge #13 | Non-Dominatrix

This week's challenge at Laura Harms' I Am the Diva Blog is is to complete a tile or Zentangle inspired piece using ONLY your NON-DOMINANT hand. Complete details can be found here. While it was feared that this challenge might strike fear and horror in us regulars, I embraced the challenge slowly and happily.

My family carries the gene that makes the use of both hands equally, easier.

ambidextrous [ˌæmbɪˈdɛkstrəs] adj 1. equally expert with each hand 2. Informal highly skilled or adept.

My grandfather on my mother's side was the first one to show this skill in his welding. He could weld equally  well with both hands. My abilities to play the piano and the violin and my ability to do lots of things around the house with both hands I attribute to my grandfather passing the gene down to me. My son has these abilities strongly--he can bat on both sides in baseball, he was able to [and probably still is, I just haven't quizzed him lately] write equally with both hands.

So, fear of doing the challenge was not an issue...failing to show my ability to do the above described feats of genetic skill became my fear. You see, I always have found this fascinating, but have not maintained my genetic skills, which like anything is only good if you practice! So off I went, left-handed, drawing doodles on my little designated square. I like what I ended up with...not too wonky for the left-hand. I hope you agree!

Thank you for looking!
Weekly Challenge #13 | Non-Dominatrix

Saturday, March 19, 2011

It's My Birthday Blog Hop Winner Announcement!!!

Congratulations to Kathy at Kathy's Kreative Spot!!! Her number was drawn by Random.org to receive the gift certificate to cutnpastememories.com!!
Thank you Jennifer for hosting this amazing Blog Hop! I had a great time participating and seeing all of the inspiring birthday cards. I hope you all enjoyed viewing mine as well!
Thank you for looking!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Weekly Challenge | Show Us Some Green

This weeks challenge over at Delightful Challenges
is to Show Us Some Green! While today is St. Patrick's Day, my green card is a Hero Card That I will be creating several of to send to Operation Write Home for Heroes to send back to their families. I colored Private Peter with BIC Mark-Its and Chalk highlighting his goggles and eyes with Diamond Glaze. I created a Missing You sentiment with the Blank Ticket on the Ticket Sentiments Set.
Thank you for looking! I hope you join our challenge!
Hero Card with Private Peter by Digital Delights by Louby Loo

details
ALL DDSTAMPS USED: Private Peter, Ticket Sentiments Set [Blank]
CS AND PAPERS: Bazzill Basics Cardstock
INK: Frayed Burlap Distress Ink
MARKERS : BIC Mark-Its
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Chalk [face], Diamond Glaze, Bazzill Basics Mini Brads, Eyelets, Hemp Twine, Sizzix Texture Fades, Bazzill Buttons, glitter pen

Check out the wonderful designs from the DT.

You do not have to use a Digital Delights image to play but if you do you will receive two entries.
Just add your card twice to inlinkz
to enter twice you need to when you use a Digital Delight image
1st entry use your card link,
2nd entry use your blog address and add 2nd entry after your name
**Please be sure the card you link follows the challenge and the rules or it will be removed**We have a wonderful sponsor this week,

This weeks challenge over at Delightful Challenges is sponsored by

is offering a $10 certificate to her store

Come2Chat Craft Challenge | Upcycled Spring Toilet Paper Rolls

Come2Chat is a live interactive chat time at Creative EdVentures where guests can chat live with artists working in their studies and share ideas, ask questions, show what they're working on or just chat about fun stuff. It's weekly Monday Wendnesday Friday at 11:00 a.m. CST
With March being Craft Month, Come2Chat decided to kick the fun up a notch with a weekly craft challenge. The first challenge was as follows:

Our first Challenge is : Upcycled Spring with Toilet Paper Rolls
Challenge due date :  14 March 2011
The Rules :
1. The object needs to be UPCYCLED. Upcycled "the practice of converting waste materials into products of greater value, is a philosophy that transforms the way we conceive of waste"
A great article about upcycling can be found here: http://www.digitaluniverse.net/upcycling/

2. The object needs to include TOILET PAPER ROLLS or some other cardboard tube--wrapping paper, paper towels, aluminum foil core.

3. The theme of the crafty is SPRING. I know with 2 kids in school and everything abloom outside our house has MAJOR spring fever...show us your Spring Thing!

4. HAVE FUN BEING CRAFTY!

The following is my contribution to Upcycled Spring Toilet Paper Rolls. I hope you enjoy!


Next weeks challenge is a Cardboard Classic. Details can be found on the Come2Chat group in Facebook.
Are you up for the challenge!?!? Get Crafty!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

It's My Birthday Blog Hop 12-15 March 2011 | Card #3

Welcome to the last day of Jennifer Restivo's It's My Birthday Blog Hop! This celebration of Jennifer's birth runs from Saturday March 12-15th! There are 40 crafters with lots of cards to look at! Some will be showing more than one project during the hop, including me [this is my 3rd post--my 1st post can be found here, and my 2nd post may be found here.], so be sure to check back for new inspiration!
If you came to this hop from Laura's blog then you're in the right spot! If you wish to start from the beginning hop over to here.

For my final card I used Digital Delights by Louby Loo's new Pop-up card!!! What a great new cutting file for use with all sorts of electronic cutting tools. If you are like me and do not have the nifty electronic tools, there is also a PDF that makes making this card SUPER easy. I printed out one of the papers from the Birthday Paper Pack and then sent my cardstock back through the printer to print the template on the back. The Celebration Charlie Digi Stamp and the Celebrate It's Your Birthday Sentiment are both also by Digital Delights by Louby Lou!

CS AND PAPERS:  Birthday Paper Pack
MARKERS (if any): BIC Mark-Its
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Bazzill Jumbo Brad, Ribbon, Bazzill Buttons, Diamond Glaze

Thank you for looking!

Be sure to check below if you get lost on the hop. Lucy's blog is next on the list! Hop on over there to see her wonderful birthday creations!
Details on my giveaway and a complete blog hop list can be found on the post with my first card here.

Closed Pop-up Card

Sunday, March 13, 2011

It's my Birthday Blog Hop 12-15 March 2011 | Card #2

Welcome to Jennifer Restivo's It's My Birthday Blog Hop! This celebration of Jennifer's birth runs from Saturday March 12-15th! There are 40 crafters with lots of cards to look at! Some will be showing more than one project during the hop, including me [this is my 2nd post--my 1st post can be found here], so be sure to check back for new inspiration!
If you came to this hop from Laura's blog then you're in the right spot! If you wish to start from the beginning hop over to here.
Basic Grey Happy Birthday Card
This card was created on a base of Kraft with layers from the Basic Grey Euphoria Kit. The letter stickers were also part of that kit. Edges of the layers of paper were inked using Tim Holtz Distress Ink. The buttons are Bazzill Basics buttons and the fiber is from my fiber stash. The flower is from a Hydranga silk flower from the dollar store.
I hope you enjoy my card. Thank you for looking!
detail
detail

Be sure to check below if you get lost on the hop. Lucy's blog is next on the list! Hop on over there to see her wonderful birthday creations!
Details on my giveaway and a complete blog hop list can be found on the post with my first card here.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

It's my Birthday Blog Hop 12-15 March 2011 | Card #1

Welcome to Jennifer Restivo's It's My Birthday Blog Hop! This celebration of Jennifer's birth runs from Saturday March 12-15th! There are 40 crafters with lots of cards to look at! Some will be showing more than one project during the hop, including me, so be sure to check back for new inspiration!
If you came to this hop from Laura's blog then you're in the right spot! If you wish to start from the beginning hop over to here.

My 1st card for this birthday celebration uses a cute House Mouse stamp and wonderful Paper Studio Birthday Extravaganza  Paper Stack and Bazzill Basics Cardstock.  I colored the stamped image with prismacolors and used the blending pencil to blend the colors. I used the Quickie Pen Glue to add ultrafine glitter touches to the flowers. A Stampin' Up Birthday sentiment and EK Success Circle Punch created the Happy Birthday wish. Basic Grey Bling matched the colors of the paper and of the Stampin Up Soft Suede ink that I used when distressing the edges of the stamped image.
I hope you enjoy! Thank you for looking!
Be sure to check below if you get lost on the hop. Lucy's blog is next on the list! Hop on over there to see her wonderful birthday creations!

In honor of Jennifer's Birthday I am offering a $15 gift e-certificate to my favorite paper crafty store cutnpastememories.com! To enter the drawing, leave a comment and your email below. Please become a follower if you like what you see!


Roll Call
8 Nicolette (Beyond Scrapin) www.beyondscrapin.blogspot.com
9 Ellen Jarvis (Cardmonkey) www.cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com
10 Kellie (Crafty Baskets) http://craftybaskets.blogspot.com/
26 Leslie Rahye http://leslierahye.blogspot.com/  <--you are here
28 Michelle (Scrappin with my Bug) http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com/
33 Scraps to treasure www.scraps2treasure.blogspot.com


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Weekly Challenge | Pastels/Butterflies & Digi Day at SNR

Today is a wonderful day at Digital Delights by Louby Loo! Not only do we have a FABULOUS new challenge at Delightful Challenges, but it is also DIGI DAY at Scrapbook News and Review!! So, for you I have 2 cards today!! I hope you enjoy what you see!


For this weeks challenge at Delightful Challenges, you are to use Pastels and Butterflies! I chose to use the adorable Fairy and created a mushrooms with Stampin' Up's owl punch! The Butterflies are diecut from the Embossing Sizzlet from Stampin up. The beautiful Plaid Paper is from Digital Delights~~Easter Fun Paper Pack!
Weekly Challenge: Delightful Challenges~~Fairy Flutterby Wishes Card
ALL DDSTAMPS USED: Fairy, Circle Sentiments Set
CS AND PAPERS: Easter Fun Paper Pack, Bazzill Basics Cardstock, Coredinations Whitewash Stack
MARKERS (if any): Sharpie
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Sizzix Embossed Butterflies and Grass Dies, Provocraft Emboss Folder, Stampin Up owl Punch [mushroom], Glitter Pen, Quickie Glue and Ultrafine Glitter, Foam Tape, ZipDry Glue
COLORING MEDIUM (if any): Chalks

Check out the wonderful designs from the DT.
This weeks challenge over at Delightful Challenges is sponsored by The Cutting Cafe and you could win a wonderful prize

For Digi Day, Wendy has created this CUTE Shamrock Bongo Digi for you to use FREE. You can create a card or scrapbook page with Bongo and post your creation for inspiration in the SNR Group! Head on over and join our group so you can be ready to join in the fun and games.  We would love to see you there



Digi Delights Shamrock Bongo St. Patrick's Day Card
ALL DDSTAMPS USED: Shamrock Bongo Digi Day
CS AND PAPERS: DCWV, Bazzill Basics
MARKERS (if any): Stampin'up [grey]
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Bazzill Basics Brads, Quickie Pen, Prisma Glitter, Perfect Pearls, Buttons Galore Buttons, Hemp string, silkflower, 3D Glue Dots, SU Tab Punch.
COLORING MEDIUM (if any): Prismacolors & Gamsol

Thank you for looking!! I hope you enjoyed my cards!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Weekly Challenge # 12 | Something Blue!

In honor of her Mother's Birthday, Laura Harms choose this challenge to incorporate some of the beautiful blue--seen in a picture of her mother by the ocean in Jamaica--to help chase away the winter blues and welcome in Spring!! You can view the details of the challenge at Laura's website.
This is the first time I've ventured past the normal color of Black. When I finished it was just my normal zentangel but BLUE. I then reached for another blue pen and proceded to put highlights on the circles and alsong the bold lines of the tangle. It took on a whole new look. I think I like it! I hope you like it too! Thank you for looking!
Something Blue!

OWH Bunny Hop Candy Winner!!

The Blog Hop was AMAZING! Such an honor to be in a line up with over 130 talented cardmakers!
I am pleased to announce that #3 commenter MARILYN WEB is the winner!! Congrats Marilyn!! You have one a $10 Gift Certificate to my favorite papercraft store: cutnpastememories.com!
Thank you all for your wonderful comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the cards--I really enjoyed sharing them with you all!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Operation Write Home's Bunny Hop Blog Hop

Welcome to the Operation Write Home's Bunny Hop Blog Hop! I am so honored to be part of this organization's wonderful hop! There are 135 stops in hop--if you came here from Kelly's You and your Big Dreams, you are in the right place. If you would like to start from the beginning, go here.

Operation Write Home is an amazing organization and helps connect soldiers with home in many ways. One of my favorite ways to connect is by using the printables for young people to color and to write letters and notes to the soldiers abroad. Here you can download and print off writing color pages that children [or adults] can write letters of appreciation to their soldier heroes. I use these mainly with the cubscouts in our Pack. The boys love coloring the images and writing letters to their heroes.

Below I have made 2 spring themed cards! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed making them!

Bloom & Grow Spring Card

 Bloom & Grow Spring Card:
Paper:  Basic Grey Cardstock and Green at Heart Kit and Paper Pad.
Tools: Big Shot Express and Cuttlebug Texure Folder, Stampin Up Owl Punch
Embellishments: Flower petals, brads, 3D Glue Dots



Think Spring Card
  
Think Spring Card:
Paper:  Basic Grey Cardstock and Green at Heart Kit and Paper Pad.
Tools: EK Success Circle Punches, House Mouse Stamp, Circle Sentiments Digi Stamp by Digital Delights by LoubyLoo.
Embellishments: Basic Grey Bling, 3D Glue Dots
Coloring Technique: Chalk


To continue on your blog-hop-way, hop on over to Sharon's Desert Rose Stamper!

Blog Candy!!


Today I am offering a $10 Gift Certificate to cutnpastememories.com online store! They offer all of the amazing products that I used today and are a great store for all your needs!

How to enter for the drawing:
1. Leave a comment below with your email address.
2. Become a fan if you are not already by following me!

I will draw on Monday using Random.org and post and email the winner! Thank you so much for looking and commenting! It really makes my day!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Delightful Challenges | Welcome Spring

It is Release Day at Digital Delights and a new challenge here, and we would like to.....

WELCOME SPRING
I made a buckle card using the newly released Dylan Bunny in his cute bunny suit and slippers and the Easter Accessories!! Also featured on my card is the Happy Easter Stamp from the Circle Sentiments Set and the NEW Easter Fun Digital Paper Pack !
I hope you enjoy my card! Thank you for looking!
Dylan Bunny Easter Card with DigitalDelightsbyLoubyLoo

CS AND PAPERS: Stampin Up Cardstock and Digital Delights Easter Fun Digital Paper Pack
ACCESS. AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Crystal Bling, Michaels' Ribbon, 1-3/8" Circle Punch EK and SU Word Window Punch, Foam Tape
COLORING MEDIUM (if any): gamsol and Prismacolor Pencils

The new challenge theme is:
WELCOME SPRING

Photobucket
You do not have to use a Digital Delights image to play but if you do you will receive two entries.
Just add your card twice to inlinkz
to enter twice you need to when you use a Digital Delight image
1st entry use your card link,
2nd entry use your blog address and add 2nd entry after your name
**Please be sure the card you link follows the challenge
and the rules or it will be removed**

We have a wonderful sponsor this week
This week's prize is a $20.00 Gift Certificate to their store.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Weekly Challenges #10 & #11| The Space Between & Monotangle

Wow! Where did last week go!?!? It was a GREAT week, just full of activities! I remember looking at Monday and thinking, what a great tangle challenge! And then it was Monday again! So after a great weekend of enjoying the outdoors with the family--we've had BEAUTIFUL weather here--my tangle feels earthy to me for Challenge #10| The Space Between.

Challenge #10| The Space Between

  This weeks tangle for Challenge #11|Monotangle brought me back to one of my favorite tangles Ixorus! Every time I look at this one it makes me smile. :) The challenge was to use ONLY ONE tangle for the whole tangle...so inside my base ixorus, i did ixorus again--kind of an ixorus squared if you will! It feels like a spider web to me--which always brings me great pleasure! I hope you enjoy it too!

Challenge #11 | MonoTangle [Ixorus]
Among the fun I was having last week, I had the extreme honor of joining Roberta Birnbaum on Robi @ Night through Creative EdVentures. She was doing a demonstration on Zentangling and asked me to demo some tangles. I showed several tangles and how they could be used to fill in line drawings and stamps. In this video playback from the show, you can see me using a Digi Stamp to fill in with tangle patterns. Lots of fun! I hope you enjoy my video tutorial!