CardMaker Magazine :0)

It was a happy mail day yesterday! The new issue of CardMaker Magazine was in my box!
And in this issue I have been blessed enough to have two cards accepted :0) First is one of my favorites - The Spring Butterfly Surprise! Used a Gillian Roberts image and lots of butterflies!

Then in the Mother's Day section I have one of my favorite older Sarah Kay images - Picnic Time - Had fun with a more vintage look with this one.
And while doing this post I realized with all the excitement of CHA I never did scream about the March issue of CardMaker Magazine!

They chose a fun bright colored Tina Wenke Easter Parade image card -

And then another Tina Wenke image Mouse in a nutboat. I ADORE how this card turned out... it is a woven and sewn card, has that cozy quilt feel to it.
I feel like I won the lottery to see my cards in one of my all time favorite crafting magazines!!! I had quit sending in for publications for a while, no was getting hard to hear. But then all of the sudden I decided to start trying again... and then I had some chosen! So that is where the saying "Never Give Up" comes from huh?

HUGS and have a great Thursday!

SMILE - a new Gillian Roberts Image "Fiona"

Hello -
Quick post today to show you one of the samples I made for Stampavie's CHA booth - A Gillian Roberts image called "Fiona" - just love this little gal -

 

This card came together so quick! I think it was one that was just meant to be - I first colored my image with my copics and had some fun with those polk-a-dot tights Fiona is wearing - and then I went a bit nuts with those daisies! The papers are from my scraps - all sewed down and the flowers and words were down deep in my stash from my days of scrapbooking. So glad they didn't find their way into my donation box, cuz they were just perfect for this card! 

Has been a bad week here at our house.. computer wise - opened up my computer to work on Tuesday and a NASTY virus was going to work... a million pop ups and fake security warnings going crazy! Over 9 hours later I finally had it out of the system, and ran a virus scan through the entire computer - two different kinds of scans. Then Wednesday I downloaded a new program, and ran it as well... Would you believe that it found things that the first two did not! I think my computer is clean now, and seems to be working like normal. But my house and my head have suffered the long hours at the computer... Could have handled that many hours surfing blogs and having fun, but the stress of the virus was a different type of computer work! LOL 

So here it is Thursday and I am physically still back on Tuesday morning with my work and chores! Double time today for me! Gotta get lots done today so I can go to lunch with my BFF Tracey and do our girlie pedicure time on Friday :0) Don't want to miss that so I am sure I will be a working crazy person today! LOL 

HUGS and have a wonderful day!

A Stampavie CHA 2011 - Gillian Roberts Sneak Peek!

Hello! I know that Saturday's are normally Animal Crackers Day--- but for the next couple of weeks with me going and gone to California to CHA it will just be nearly impossible for me to get my children photographed. AND I have so much to show you with all the new CHA images there is lots to share and show off! Today I am running around like a mad woman, Stuart and Heidi arrive this afternoon from France to spend some time here in Texas before we leave on Tuesday.

So how about one of those peeks of a new image from Stampavie. This is from Gillian Roberts and it is called "Texting". How perfect is this image for the Teen Girl in you life? Heck most of the adults too.. Heck even my Mom is learning to text now! LOL

I cannot even tell you how much this looks like my Niece... she got her first phone for Christmas - times have changed, I think at 12 I was still asking for dolls. But nope now they need tech stuff. I colored her with my Copics and then cut her out.

For my card, I went with a quilt look.. well sort of. I used a Martha Stewart all around punch, then layered three layers of pattern papers from Basic Grey. Sewing each layer. I pop dotted my Texting Gal, and then went to look for a sentiment... and then thought ... HEY I need to use "Texting" words. LOL So because I am not the "coolest" at texting my self I Googled up some texting terms and used bubble letters to add them to the front of my card.

Hope you like her as much as I do... I think she is just too fun!

Please make sure to join me this week as I blog my trip to California... I leave on Tuesday!
HUGS and

Stampavie Gillian Roberts Bear and Robin Christmas Gift Bag -

Have you seen these Paper Mache Gift Bags? I LOVE THEM! They are hard sided and just wonderful to decorate and alter. They are really more like a box they are so sturdy. And even better... this one retails for $1.99 and we all know how often the box stores run 50% off on things so I got this one for 99 cents!

 I used Modge Podge and attached one 12 x 12 sheet of My Minds Eye Pattern Kraft Paper to the bag. I love this paper, it is just so rich looking, and matches these paper mache items perfectly. To make sure the handles come through properly I cut the handle knot from the inside off, and pull the handle off of the bag, glued the paper, poked holes where the handle is to be put back through and then re-knot. Red Satin Ribbon is attached around the top and bottom of the bag.

Then for the "decoration" I colored the Gillian Roberts Bear and Robin image with my Copics, then used a Marvy Uchida Snow Marker for the fur on his hat and a snow base. I have had this pen for over a year now, and I am just now using it correctly! Helps when you read the instructions. I have always heated it to make it dry and "pop" and never got the effect that others did. I was suppose to be letting it dry naturally... once completely dry then heat it with the heat gun. And WOW it really puffs up then! I then layered it with rounded corners on lots of layers of kraft paper and red card stock. One layer of the red card stock is cut out with the new Nestie Lacey Squares. I inked the edges of all the layers. And then attached to the front of the bag.

I started to add lots of flowers, and embellishments, and then decided I really liked it more simple. The paper is so luxurious that I don't think it needs more. And really as a gift bag, to much on the outside, makes it really hard for me to get it anywhere and not destroy it. I am really hard on things when transporting... LOL


Hope you enjoyed. I am going to run out this afternoon and see about getting a few more of these box/bags for Christmas Gifts...

HUGS and

Spoon Full of Sugar - Enjoying the Sunshine!

Today is Spoon Full of Sugar Day and the theme this week is all about the sun! The team is asking for anything that makes you enjoy the sunshine, whether that means your image shows enjoying the sunshine or you use colors that feel the warmth of enjoying the sun - me I did both :0)

My card starts off with a bright yellow Bazzil Bling card stock.. yes BRIGHT yellow huh? I then pulled three pattern papers from the DCWV Songbird collection, love the warmth of this collection - perfect for the challenge. And they have bling.. :0)  I matted with the dark orange pattern, then the flower pattern - sewed together. The green glittery pattern paper is used as a large band, bordered with EK Success border punch and more of the yummy dark orange paper. Again Sewed. The satin ribbon might be a bit brighter than the rest of the card, but I think I like it. And the sentiment is from the DCWV Collection, cut from one of the patterns.

My image - I think the Stampavie Gillian Roberts Looking at You image is a perfect enjoying the sun image - what better than lounging in the grass stretched out admiring a gorgeous summer butterfly? I colored with Copics and then doodled around the edge, trying to go along with the doodle look of the floral pattern.

Hope my card brought warmth to you and you enjoyed it.. for more Enjoying the Sunshine visit the Spoon Full of Sugar Blog and then join us for a chance at a great prize -

HUGS and-

Spoon Full of Sugar - Floral Delight!

Tuesday  - means a Time for A Spoon Full of Sugar! And pull out all your favorite flowers this week the challenge is to use flowers on your project! YEA! We all love our flowers! Whether punched, pattern papers or adding yummy Mulberry flowers..

I started with Stampavie's Gillian Roberts Daisy Chain image, Flowers in my image :0) I colored with my Copics - and then cut out with Nesties.

My card - Starting with a light yellow card stock with a light purple mat- I found that the Heidi Grace Pattern Papers were perfect colors to match my image. And fun colors too - I sewed them down with a zig zag stitch. And then more flowers with the new EK Success Daisy Chain punch... FITS THE IMAGE HUH? This was my first time to use this punch.. and not the last :0) Really love this punch! placed two runs of the daisies along the edge of the pattern papers as a band.

Mulberry flowers are added for some fun - and for the challenge!! With some Martha Stewart Frond leaf punches.

The sentiment is a Sizzix Card Makers Die - Love that too :0) And because I really do love it a close up of that Daisy Chain punch again :0)


Hope you enjoyed my Floral Daisy Chain card  - now pop on over to Spoon Full of Sugar and see more flowers and join us!

mmm Baking a Treat - -

Hi! I actually got to craft last night! My hand is feeling better, I just have numbness from time to time, and last night wasn't too bad so Yea I got to color! I am not a happy camper if I can't color! :0)

I needed a simple Happy Birthday card, and this one really came together very quick... And it has chocolate in the the bowl so yummy!

This is Stampavie's Gillian Roberts "Baking a Treat".... I just love it! How adorable are these two bakers? I have colored with my Copics, and then added just a bit of Spica Glitter pen to the Chocolate in the bowl, and some white gel pen high lights. Then cut out with a Nesties Label and used a Copic to create a Mat look.

Now seriously, this card came together so fast. I needed it to be flat - (easier to mail) - I layered the yellow card stock base with a dusty pink and white card stock - then used one piece of K&Company Cut and Paste collection paper, I love the scattered layer look of this pattern paper - and again you don't need a lot when using it as it already looks like lots of different papers. And this one was perfect for a Birthday card as it has old recipes for Cakes on it! I sewed it with the mats. Then I cut out Happy Birthday from the pink card stock with a Sizzix Car Makers die, the cupcake is a part of that die... wasn't going to use it in the beginning and then I realized that the top corner was empty looking, and well... the cupcake fit perfectly. I colored the die cut with Copics and then Spica Glitter pens.

Again this was a fast one, but I so love how it came out - great image with the perfect paper helps a whole bunch!

Have a wonderful day - And don't forget my Candy I have going now.. link to the left :0)
HUGS and-

The MichJay Challenge is popping out!

Today is a personal challenge! The MichJay Challenge. Just to fill in what that challenge is....

Let me explain for you - My buddie Jay Jay and I were talking last year that we both had this "fear" of making 3-d items. We needed a push to help us get into the swing of doing things other than plain flat cards. So we started up the MichJay Challenge! 

Sorry if that was a re-run for some :0)   But it is an odd challenge with an odd name, so I just feel I have to explain each time so people understand. 

For this month's challenge we decided to go for a Shadow Box Card - I used the tutorial from Stempeleinmaleins was super easy and came together much quicker than I thought. 

For my card my main image I wanted to focus on the Stampavie's Gillian Roberts "Being Together". I love the sweet innocence of this image. It is just so... well ... sweet.  She and her Teddy bear are colored with my Copics and then cut out.

Then I followed the tutorial to create the front and back of the card. Cutting the hole in the middle with my Nesties, now I wasn't so good at cutting the pattern matted paper out to create a shadow... darn it I need just one size larger on this Nestie Label set! For the inside of my shadow card I found a stamp of some pretty flowering trees - by Northwoods Rubber Stamps. I believe I purchased this at a craft show and colored with my Copics again. 

Both pieces are put together, and the really cool thing about this card is not only the "shadow" effect, but that it squashes down and easily goes into an envelope for mailing, the pops back up and can stand on it own. For added embellishments, I punched out some EK Success mini Retro flowers, Martha leaves, and then pearls for the centers.

The sentiment is one of my favorites! I love the dictionary style of this stamp! It is from Rubber Stampede.

Now I can't wait to see what Jay Jay made! :0)  

Have a great day!

A Spoon Full of Sugar - One for the Boys!

This week A Spoon Full of Sugar has the challenge for make a card for the boys, guys... men in our lives. Now that is a hard challenge!! LOL Seriously.. men cards are tough! What no flowers, no frilly ribbons, no bling??? OH my!

Well here is my plain boring guy card...

I broke the no bling... both of my pattern papers have a sparkle to them. I just love these DCWV, and My Minds Eye papers, and you know ... I think they can look "manly" too!!  I sewed them down with a dark brown thread - My image is one of Stampavie's Gillian Roberts new images, this is Soccer Crazy. Note a boy in the image! and doing a sport..  I found a ribbon in my stash that says The Soccer Star - works well with the image, and then I cut out the sentiment - a Sizzix die from the card sentiments collection. I have had this collection of dies forever, why haven't I been using them? I don't know.. but will start again!

Now I know I would have normally added some flowers and other embellishments. But guys just normally don't have that do they? Oh well..  But I still think my card is ok, maybe cuz "I" still see that bling on the papers. LOL

Now pop over and see how all the Spoon DT came together with all of the different GUY cards. Love them! Then join us and make a card for a man in you life... hint hint... great prize this week... :0)

HUGS and-

A recipe for this weeks Stampavie Challenge!!

Stampavie DT Challenge! And today the challenge has a list of ingredients for a wonderful Recipe! I will admit when I sat down to make my card, I thought wow... that is an odd list of ingredients, I sure hope I can get them all in... but it really wasn't to hard at all. :0)

Now here are your ingredients for your recipe to a good card:
- 5 flowers
- 2 different ribbons
- At least one punch/shape/die cut
- Anything pink or blue

And here is what my recipe cooked up :0)

Now I may have stretched the ingredients a bit... I mean turquoise is a shade of blue Right? and my die is what I cut my image out ... love my new Spellbinders label die. Perfect to use the SU ribbon slit punch to run a ribbon through :0)

Ok, so let me back up a bit, a dark brown card stock for my base. Then the two pattern papers are from My Minds Eye and both have a pretty glitter to them. I sewed them down with a dark brown thread in a random stitch. My first ribbon is used as a band between the two patterns. My image is colored with Copics - This is Stampavie's Gillian Roberts Teddy and Me - adore this image!

I really tried hard to give the teddy bear some texture... how? I colored and shaded as normal. Then I took a paper towel and dabbed it with the blending solution on the bear. I like how it came out, and hope to try it more with different textures. It is then cut out with the labels die, and then I took one my BG10 Copic and shaded around the edge. Punched the SU ribbon slit and ran my second ribbon through.

I added the 5 flowers stacked in to the bottom corner attached with jewelry spacers and mini brads and decorated with Martha Stewart branch punch.

My sentiment is an epoxy sticker from Cloud 9, i think .. Love it, I stuck it to a white card stock and left a border around it, then colored the edge with the same Copic BG10.

Now lets see what the other DT cooked up at the challenge here and then please join us and cook up your own card!

Have a wonderful Monday! HUGS and-

The MichJay Challenge is back!

Ok... I know many of you are scratching your head and saying "HUH? MichJay Challenge?" 

Let me explain for you - My buddie Jay Jay and I were talking last year that we both had this "fear" of making 3-d items. We needed a push to help us get into the swing of doing things other than plain flat cards. So we started up the MichJay Challenge! Due to the holidays and the CHA we put it off for a few months. But we are back! And for our first challenge for 2010 we decided to Spring into things and make a POP UP card! Now I have never made one of these before, and I really don't know what Jay Jay has made, but me... I think I went a bit different. The easy way I think, but it is cute and different!

Here is the front...  Looks like a "regular" card I know. I used the Stampavie Gillian Roberts "Looking at You" image. One because it is one of my favorite Spring images, and two because that little butterfly fits the inside of my card :0)

I used a light blue card stock for the base, matted with a very light pink card stock mat. The Pattern paper is from K&Company's new Specialty Paper pad, lots of enhanced papers in this stack, foil, bling and flock!   I wanted the paper to be just a bit simpler so the image would stand out on the front and the "pop" in the inside. I sewed down the papers with a zig zag stitch and then ran piece of antique lace, with pink dotted ribbon as a vertical band, then matted my image with a Nesties Label cut blue mat. Then I added three pink mulberry roses, and Martha Frond leaves punches.

Now for the INSIDE:

Simple... I know... but I was trying to make the actual Spring be the focus! The inside pattern papers are the same as the front, layered with pink mats card stock, and sewed down. Here is a better view of the Spring...

This was soooo easy! I saw this on a blog a while back. Sorry I don't remember where, I so wish I could give credit, cuz it is a great simple idea!   I used my extra large Fiskars Circle Squeeze punch, then I cut in creating a spring. I attached the inside part of the circle to the top inside of the card, and the outside part of the circle to the bottom. I just used scotch tape here cuz I wanted it to hold, and I knew I was covering it with my sentiment.

On my Spring I attached lots of Martha Stewart Butterfly punches, that I added Stickles to for some pretty bling. My sentiment is one of my new favorites... from My Sentiments Exactly. I got it at Hobby Lobby on clearance. I layered matching card stock for the mat. And done!


It was fun and something different! Thanks so much Jay Jay for the challenge this month! Now I can't wait to "POP" over to your blog and see how you "popped up"!   Please visit Jay Jay HERE and see too! And if you would like to join us in our challenge please do, and the comment and let us know so we can come and see your pop up!

HUGS and-

New Stampavie Gillian Roberts image with LOTS of butterflies!

Wow what a long stressful Sunday! Our neighbor has some beautiful horses, one of them was hurt Saturday night. Was lame and three legging it. I think everyone knows that is always scary with horses (or donkeys)! But after a long day, and taking this beautiful 17 hands high horse to an emergency equine hospital, he looks like he should be ok. He still has a few days a head of him before he is really "ok", and then can be put back out with his friends. But it is looking like he will be saved and not have to be put down. And really in the grand scheme of it all that is the most important thing. Saving him.. I didn't do much, but what I could do was stay with our neighbor and just support her through all of it - long story to let you know why I was MIA yesterday, and my post is late today - :0)  So here is my card today!

 

First my image - here is a look at one of the brand new Stampavie Gillian Roberts images! This is Looking at you - I just love it! fun to color, and a butterfly! You'll see why I was so excited about that butterfly in just a second... :0)   I colored with my Copics, then used a bit of the Spica glitter pens on the butterfly and her shirt. Can you see that? I don't think so... darn it! Trust me it really is sparkly... 

Now why I was so excited about that butterfly! I just got a small stack of the new DCWV Mariposa papers!!!! Oh my have you seen these papers? Do you have them yet? Ok you are really gonna have to have these if you don't have them!!!! GORGEOUS Butterfly papers!! I have to now find me a 8x8 stack and a 12x12 stack.. this 4x6 stack is just not enough of these.

The orange paper is a really pretty graphic looking print.. but if you look really close it does have a butterfly pattern to it. The turquoise pattern has some larger really beautiful butterflies spread in one corner of it. But I think my favorite is the print with the millions of sparkling tiny little butterflies! Really lots of bling and gorgeous!  I cut my image and a mat with my Nesties labels dies. I used a Fiskars Border punch for a lacy band across the bottom, topped with a piece of satin ribbon.  The sentiment was just too perfect!! I found this stamp on clearance over a year ago at Hobby Lobby. I have never used it! But the 2.50 price tag on the side was well worth it when I saw it for this card! I cut it and matted it with the same Nesties labels dies. I felt the card needed something more.. so out came my Diamond Stickles and I dotted around the entire card. I like it! 

Hope you enjoyed my butterflies.. and the look at the new Stampavie image! Lovin these new stamps!!! And they are going to be in your stores right away!!! (hint hint.. they are starting to be shipped out to stores this week!)

HUGS and have a great Monday!

Sneak Peak of Stampavie's Gillian Roberts!

Hi - As promised I am showing a couple of sneak peaks for Stampavie's Artist Gillian Roberts - This is part of the 40 days of Samples of the CHA releases at the Stampavie DT Blog.

This is only two of the FABULOUS images that are being released here at CHA.

The first card to show today is the image called "Crush on You" - I just love it! How sweet are these two? I colored with my copics - and I wanted to go with a denim feel for this - so I used lots of blues and red, just felt so right for them. Dark Blue and Red cardstock with my mat cut with my Nesties label - I doodled around a few pieces for some fun. and found some red satin ribbon for bands across the middle. The flowers are EK Success Retro punches, highlighted and "sewed" with buttons. The leaves are Martha Stewart frond leaves. I just love the Denim and red theme.

Here is a close up of the image - :0) So Sweet!

My second card:

The image is called "Picking Cherries"

 

 Good name huh? She is too cute as well and I love the cherries -I was amazed at how many papers I had with cherries on them.. LOL But I really loved this one from DCWV - I colored her with my Copics, and then went to work on my card starting with a green cardstock base, and white mat. I then layered a gingham green and white, with the cherries. I decided to sew everything down with a zig zag stitch - But I wanted some larger cherries for an embellishment.... So I punched two circles and then hand cut the stems. The leaves are Martha Stewart. The sentiment is a Stampavie Rachelle Ann Miller. 

Here is a close up of the image:

I hope you liked my two sneak peeks.. and I hope you are enjoying the 40 days of Samples of CHA on the Stampavie DT BLOG... if you haven't been visiting the site and seeing the wonderful creations from the DT and all the wonderful new images... POP over and catch up and then follow us for more!

Now back to CHA... :0)  HUGS and-

A Spoon Full of Baby's First Christmas

Hello and whew... the past two days have been unreal busy! We spent the day Sunday getting the goats, and then yesterday getting their pen set up and shelter for them. But I think other than getting them somethings to climb on, they are all set up and I think they are happy. But wow.. they really made my week fall behind. LOL But I tell you they are funny and I really could waste a ton of time watching them. But I have so much to do... I have to let them be today. Well most of the day, gotta go in and spend some time so they will bond with me you know. :0)

Today is Tuesday and that is Spoon Full of Sugar day! YEA! And this week we were asked to do a card for Baby's First Christmas. Now this is a tradition in some places of the world. But new for me.

 I started with the Stampavie Gillian Roberts image Bear and Robin  I just love this image, and it seemed really perfect for a baby's Christmas card! I colored with my copics and then used Stickles lace for the snow and Stickles diamond for the fuzz on the hat.

For the card I started with a light blue card stock and then found a double sided Basic Grey paper that I just loved the colors - I didn't want to cover too many of those snow flakes up, so I went with just a small band of the back side of the paper with a really cute Making memories ribbon that reads "Santa * Joyful * Merry" over and over. For the corners of the snowflake paper I punched with Martha Stewart Lace punch. I am loving that punch!

Now it is a simple card, and I wanted to have just a touch more, so I used the Stickles Diamond and "blinged" each of the snowflakes! Really does add a lot to the card.

Now for some REALLY cute baby Christmas cards, please visit A Spoon Full of Sugar and see all the other DT cards!! Then play with us!! This week our sponsor is Nikki of Bunny Zoe's Crafts. One lucky player this week will win the new The Greeting Farm stamp - Flapper Anya.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
HUGE HUGS and -