Circles Challenge at LTC

Good morning friends

Today is another challenge filled day over at Love to Crop.  I just love Amy and her blog challenges...  Have you seen some of her explosion boxes?  WOW.  She is so gifted and I am always honored when she wants ME to guest design.  Well, every other Friday she hosts a challenge on her blog and this week it's all about "CIRCLES".  Easy, right?  So here is my take on the challenge and I hope you like it, cuz this was probably the easiest card to create.

I started with my circle Halloween paper as my background

and punched 3 circles each in black and orange.  I inked around

the edges of the orange circles in black and using my alphabet

stamps I embossed the words BOO with gold embossing powder.

I used my glitter gel pen and traced around the black circles

then pop dotted the orange circles on top of the black ones.

I added my "faux" bakers twine that I colored both

in orange and black and tied a knot in the middle.

Then I added a few rhinestones to keep with the circles 

challenge  that I colored orange with my bic markers. 

I just love making all my own embellishments...easier on the pocket book

Lastly I added one of my Creative Paperclay® ghosts (you can see my tutorial on it here)

See, super easy and quick!!!

Now go and create a project using "CIRCLES" and head on over to LTC and enter Amy's challenge.  I believe the challenge is open until November 3rd, but check out her blog for more details, plus she also has some blog candy you could win for entering.

Halloween Card with a file giveaway

Good morning guys...


I wanted to show you a quick card I made using one of Adamsacres files.  As you might remember, I am a designer over there.  She's been moving into her new house and hadn't done much, but she's back and I'm ready to show you a simple Halloween card.  

Isn't this cute?  I added some stick pins to the bow.

I heat embossed his little face and distressed his belly 

a bit and pop dotted two layers shadowed.

I also added some rafia around the stem of the pumpkin.

and of course it's a wobble

see the homemade wobble?  If you have

never seen my wobbles, go here,

I have a tutorial and a video on how to make them.  

Now, head on over to Adams Acres and 

enter to win this adorable file or you can go 

here to purchase it, it's only $1

Everything I used for making this card was out of my scrap bin.  I'm so trying to use up all my scraps and therefore I am also entering this card over at LTC for her "Let's scrap it" challenge

LTC "Scrap It"

Good morning

***If you are looking for my Festive Friday's card, please scroll down***

 welcome to another day of challenges over at Love to Crop.  I'm so excited to be back for another LTC challenge guest designer.   Amy is such an inspiration and when she asked if I would again help out with the challenge I was more than pleased to assist.  This actually came at a perfect time because I was going to "challenge" myself sorta.  I showed a layout yesterday for Paper Secrets and I have been trying to use up any scrap paper and such when I've been working on projects recently.  I have a ton of paper, but I also have a ton more of scraps and creating more scraps is not really what I want.  Well, this particular layout was not happening without "new" papers...so, needless to say, more scraps...When Amy and I got to talking about this challenge and she told me her plan, I decided to challenge myself also.  So this is the scoop...when I do a layout, I obviously have all the "scraps" laying on my table, so when I've completed the layout...make some cards.  I know this is probably not a new concept to a lot of you, but a light bulb went off and this is what I am challenging myself to do from now on.  I make at least two layouts a week for one DT I am on, Lasting Memories, and then the PaperSecrets challenge.  So you know I probably have more scraps than I know what to do with and this way I might get some extra cards made right away.  So here is the layout I had made if you missed it yesterday...

All the papers here were either a 8 x 11 or 12 x 12

papers to begin with.  As you can see, I didn't use a lot

of the paper, but scraps were created anyway.

Then I created this card

and these notecards...they are 3 x 3 quickies

still yet some more of the same paper 

plus some extras from my scrap bin

and a left over flower I created for a fall project.

I just love how they turned out and you never 

know when you will need a quick "thank you".  

Plus it saves my scrap bin from growing even more.  

So, I hope I've inspired you to create some cards after 

making a layout to avoid a over flowing scrap bin.

Now the next time you create a beautiful layout,

use your scraps right away and make some quickie cards

and head on over to Love to Crop and link up your "Scrap It" project.

Wedding Cake

Good morning my dearies,


I'm sorry I haven't been here much this week, but my personal life is a bit crazy at the moment and I've just had a lot going on.  I am hoping I can get out of this stuff soon and get back to normalcy...is that even a word?  I won't bore you with all the details because I really want you to come back to visit...hahaha.  I do think that crafting is my therapy and I needed to dig into something time consuming so that I would be able lose myself in a project and this is what I came up with.


My friend Amy at Love to Crop has a challenge for the Decorate to Celebrate blog.  The theme for this challenge is WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS, and BRIDAL SHOWERS!!  So we want to see all of your decorations and party supplies celebrating everything fantastic about the UNION of two people in LOVE!!   I just couldn't resist in creating this beautiful Wedding Cake.  Now as I said, this was very time consuming, but I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how it turned out.  So here we go, (picture heavy):

Here is the cake....

doesn't that just look nummy?

The cake was cut with the Tags, Bags,

Boxes and more cart on my cricut

at almost 7 inches

I inked the edges with a soft 

pastel pink for definition.

If you want to know where I got the idea from the Roses

head over to Penny Duncan's blog.

The rose for the slices were cut on my E-craft from

white copy paper at 1.5 inches.  I misted the flowers with my 

homemade glimmer mist before assembling them. 

 I did not coat each flowers to it's fullest to give it highs and lows shadows.

The roses for the center were cut at 1 inch and the

green leaves were cut from glitter paper also on my E-craft.

The slices open up.

I embossed each piece of cake with my cuddlebug

and the Textile texture folder.  Isn't this just gorgeous?

The lace was from my stash, but I believe it came from

a yard sale or maybe a thrift store.  I have tons of this stuff.

It looks so real.

I used my E6000 glue to glue the plate onto a candlestick

One last look.  I am so happy with how this turned out.

Before adding this to my blog I had shown some of the pictures to a friend the other night.  Her daughter is getting married on 9-10-11 (what a cool wedding date) and she commissioned me to make one for her with teal and brown.  As soon as I've completed it, I will post it on my blog.  

I am also going to etch the last name and the date onto the plate.  

That will be my "gift" to them.

So now hurry on and create something for a Wedding, Engagement or Shower and enter the challenge.

I am also linking this up over at Sew Woodsy.

It's a Jungle out there

Hello again

***If you are looking for my Festive Friday's card, please scroll down***

I know, I've been absent the last couple of days and here I am with 2 posts in one day....geesh.  LOL  

My very good friend Amy over at Love to Crop asked me to be a guest designer for this week's challenge on her blog.  I was thrilled that she asked me because she is such a wonderfully talented person.  Have you seen some of her stuff?  Amy and I have been blogging buddies for quite some time now and when she joined the Getting Cricky DT we became even better friends.  She is such an inspiration so you better hurry on over there and check things out.  When she told me the theme was going to be "It's a Jungle out there" I was even more thrilled.  As most of you know my favorite animal is the Elephant; I have such a collection of them from the tiniest stone carving to the biggest wood carving.  I love them so much that I even have a tattoo of one.  I know, a bit obsessive...But the one thing I didn't have was a wall hanging...so this is what I came up with.

Isn't this cool?

 The base is made from foam core, covered 
with some elephant print paper.  I cut the elephant
head with my E-Craft and the file I got here.

 I cut the head out in 3 layers each shadowed a bit larger

 I inked the base layer and the top layer for dimension

 and then popdotted them on top of each other

I also used an svg tag, but I'm not sure where I got

it from and stamped the sentiment with the Amazing You

stamp set from Getting Cricky and inked around the edges also.

Now make sure you head on over to Amy's blog and link up your "jungle themed" project and you just might be a winner.

• You may enter as many NEW projects as you would like as long as they fit in the challenge theme.
• Please include a link to www.lovetocrop.com so that others may play along.

I also have a winner to announce from a previous blog hop, but that will have to wait until tomorrow...sorry for the delay, but life has gotten in the way of things this week. 

Getting Cricky Blog Hop and U-stream Day 3

***If you are looking for my Lasting Memories layout, scroll down.***

Wasn't the U-stream and stamp release fabulous on Friday night?  What, you missed it?  Well, you can click on the link below and watch what you missed.

.

Each of Kristal's stamp sets benefit charity. At least $1 per stamp set goes to benefit the charity noted on the stamp set package. Kristal is donating to the following charities: Cancer Angels, Storefront Shelter for Homeless Children, Intrepid & Fallen Heroes, E. Glaser Pediatric AIDS  Foundation, Doorways Shelter for Women & Children (Domestic Violence), Wayside House for Women, Camp Good Days & Special Times, and Autism Research Institute. Kristal will donate $1 for every stamp set sold, retail or wholesale to the charity noted; and over time believes this will add up to some wonderful miracles for these special people. So you can feel good that each time you purchase a K Andrew Designs art stamp set, someone around the country is receiving some good help!

K Andrew's stamps are all made and assembled here in the USA, which is very important to Kristal. This ensures all product materials are safe and that jobs are being provided and maintained here in America.  You can learn even more about Kristal's stamps (and pick some up for yourself) by visiting her online store:

For my project, I'd like to share the "Sympathetic Sayings" set...

It's time for a new release--a sentiment set jammed pack with inspirational sympathetic sentiments and it's a larger set also! Each one just right to send out to someone going through tough times: death of a loved one, death of a pet, divorce, miscarriage, and other tough spots!
All preorders will ship by August 31'st.  

ALSO

Kristal will be offering FREE shipping this entire weekend for our ustream/hop! 

Also for everyone who spends $20.00 or more they will receive a special small 

stamp set FREE: Merci pictured below

No Onto My Project for the hop

This card was my favorite to make.  Don't get me wrong, I love all of them, but you know how one card can just jump out at you?  Well, that's this one for me.  I love my other cards also, but this one spoke volumes to me.  I used my cuddlebug and embossed the black background.  The flower was cut on my E-Craft in SCAL 3 and the sentiment fit perfectly on it.  I added some ribbon that I cut with my edges scissors and added a gold strip of embroidery floss.  

I also added another stick pin.

I'm also entering this card over at my friend Amy's blog at LovetoCrop for her ribbon challenge.  You have until August 25th to enter, so hurry on over there.

So now I've shown you all 3 different cards with the 3 new stamp sets and I hope you've enjoyed them. 

On Tuesday, I will be giving away the Fashionable Friends stamp set, so be sure to leave a comment on EVERY post this weekend starting with Friday night's and yesterday's and today's.  

That will give you three chances to win the stamp set.  

You MUST be a follower and of course comment on all 3 cards.  
I would really like it too if you would follow me on facebook or on twitter, but that is NOT a requirement.

Paper Box and Day 1 of BWCA

Good morning


I am starting this morning out with quite a few pictures of our trip.  These pictures are all about entering Boundary Waters and setting up camp so if you are not interested, scroll down to see my project for the day.

My nieces and brother in law

My oldest son and sister in law

The youngest.

It's tradition to stop at Subway before entering so that we all 

have a full belly before we get on the water.  You never know how 

long it's going to take to find "camp" and get set up.

Canoe on top of the car.  Those poor tires.  I secured my camera

in my waterproof container for the paddle in, so I don't have any pictures showing

the paddle in, but if you continue to come back you will see us coming out.

Setting up camp.  Yes, the hammock is already up and 

that is where the oldest son spent most of his time.  

He went to BW with a sprained ankle, but he did very well with it.

Designated firepit

Rugged terrain

Tenting site.

The walk way to the facilities.  No I will not show you

the hole in the ground in this segment.  hahaha

Beautiful evening sky.

The Tree...I will explain this in a future post.

NOW onto my project:

Amy over at Love to Crop is a fellow DTM  at Getting Cricky and she has some of the neatest tutorials and projects.  While I was on vacation she had a guest designer who made this super cute box card.  I couldn't wait to get home and try it and here is my take.  AND there is also a challenge going on and it will be open until 8/11, so hurry up and check out my box card and then go and make one yourself and enter the challenge.


You can also see a video tutorial as I needed this to complete it.  Once you watch the video it's as easy as pie.


I started off with 2 pieces of scrapbook paper that complimented each other.  I cannot believe I don't have any two sided paper left.  I used a spray tac and glued them together and let it completely dry.  Then I cut it down to 8.5 x 11 size.

For the belly band I used the left over strips of the papers and glued the flower pattern on top of the checkerboard paper.  I also used a strip to make the rosette.  I have this flower punch from Marvy Uchida and inked around the edges in purple.  Then I stamped the sentiment from the Positive Thoughts stamp set from Getting Cricky also in purple.  It just fit so perfectly inside this flower punch.

I also added a white border punch to the outside edges. 

Added a gift card inside and there is a perfect little gift.

This is the back side.  I just love how this coordinated so well.  So now I hope I've inspired you to make a card box and to join in the challenge over at Love to Crop!!!