papertake weekly challenge

I feel all out of sorts. I have been busy working on house/fall projects and let my craft room go. I have so many challenges that I would like to do, but really need to sort them and do the ones that I think are more managable. The challenge today at Papertake Weekly, Black& White and One other color. I chose yellow. I have had the scraps and stickers on my table since last week when I posted a card I CASED from Papercrafts magazine. I actually ended up making 3 cards in the same color palette, using up the stickers and the yellow patterned paper. No leftovers! Yeah! If you would like to see all 3 cards together, stop by on Saturday- World Cardmaking Day and see what I have in store! The Unscripted Sketches team are all posting their projects on blogs and some of us even have some candy to win..... speaking of which, did you see my Halloween candy up for grabs! Click on the photo on the right of my blog to take you to the link. Leave me a comment by 10/5 to enter!

If it quacks like a duck....

I think this is the cutest duck! Precious, quirky, fun and oh,the designs you could make with it!! LOL! The stamps are Pond Friends from Sherrod Studio, commissioned by artist Kelli Ann. The sketch today is #6, from Unscripted Sketches. I love the diversity of our design team. Each of us has created some project that is just, so, so,....... UNBELIEVABLE! Check out the blog site, leave a comment or 2, but join in and create!

3 Challenges in one card!

Don't forget to enter your chance to win some blog candy- Halloween styled! See photo on right of blog, click to take you to the link, enter! That easy- what are you waiting for?


This card was inspired by the cover of July/Aug Papercrafts magazine. The artist used greens and browns to stay with the "green" theme, but I couldn't pass up using yellow! I just love how my card turned out!!! I did NOT stamp one single thing onto this card. It is all computer generated. I did use RE chipboard letters that I colored in black (my version of recycle!) The rhinestones were from another craft kit (reuse) and I used scraps (reducing waste!)

I was able to complete 3 challenges:
1) 365 CArds- Tuesday Triplets. I used 3 orangey rhinestones, 3 chipboard elements, 3 "RE" words and dotted 3 corners of the card.
2) Cute Card Thursday- #79 Buzz Off. To make a card using black and yellow
3) Pile It On #15- black, white and a pop of color (yellow)

Thanks for stopping by! I am going to try to figure out the BEST recipient for this card....LOL!!!!!

Christmas is 3 months away!?!

Did you enter into my blog candy for Halloween? No? What are you waiting for? Click on the photo on the right of my blog to take you to the link for how to enter to win! Good luck!

Since my sister and I are doing a Vendor Fair/Craft Fair in Novemer, I thought I would best be prepared by making some holiday cards. This card took a few days to make- LOL! This card is for 365 Cards- Patterned Paper. To make your own. First I started with a sheet of 8.5x11 cardstock and typed a poem onto my computer in Word. Erased all of the margins and picked a small font and fancy print type. Then I stamped the poinsetta images randomly. I sponged in the background with cranberry ink to get rid of the white background. Then I heat embossed the berries in gold all over. I HATED to cut this piece of paper! But, you have to admit, it made a gorgeous card!

Quick card with scraps. Black, off white and vineyard berry (CTMH color). Matching vintage ribbon and simple small sentiment. The flourish is stamped with a background set that CTMH offers.

This card is for Christmas Stampin' to make a NON traditional Christmas card. Found this site today on Daily Dare. Brown and green are certainly non traditional! Flourish stamp on the background, CTMH stamps and colored in with my waterbrush. Aren't they darlin'!?

Have a great friday!

Trick or Treat, Give me something....

Would you like to win this package of Halloween Treats? To celebrate Fall (cause I am so not a halloween person!) I have this great supply of Halloween products that I would love to give to you. What do you have to do? Tell me you favorite Halloween story. This will remain open until 10.5.09, so you will have it in time to create some great fun cards or projects with this paper. What is in it? 2 packs of 6x6 paper by Flair and Reminisce, BoBunny rub ons, ribbon, stickers and Jolee dimensionals. The paper shown is a representation of the paper included.

Rules:
1) Open to US residents only (sorry Canada and international)
2) Leave a comment by 10.5.09 12AM EST telling me your favorite Halloween story.
3) On your blog tell others of my candy that is up for grabs, linking back to this post.

I am looking forward to reading your comments! Thanks for stopping by and playing!

hugs, Kelly

You make me happy!

Again, the ducks are from Sherrod Studio, Pond Friends. The sketch that I followed for this card is from CPS #133, this week, but..... I had to fix a mistake. My mistake was I put glue on the RIGHT side of my card instead of the wrong side. So, luckily, I only put the adhesive on the sides of this card. In order to fix it, I had to cut my punched 1/2" trim to fit my sides instead of the top/bottom like the sketch. Don't you just hate the simple mistakes that we make....???UGH! So, I used my artistic interpretation of the sketch to finish my card (don't you love my justifying???!)

Cutie Patootie ducks, you and me, him and her- how ever you say it, well, you just make me happy!

Circles in a Square sketch #24

You see, my husband and oldest daughter are square kinda people. Everything follows a rule, has boundaries, a specific way of doing things. Me, and my other girls, well we are circle kinda people. We go with the flow. Rules are changed to fit our needs. Life is meant to be explored FREELY, not with boundaries. This card is to honor all of us.

Welcome to sketch #24 of Unscripted Sketches. 9 Circles. My sister kindly gave me these felt cupcakes from Martha Stewart (have to get some more of them...!) and they worked perfectly for this card. I think the sun gave these colors a little washed out look, but you get the general idea LOL! Celebrate today and every day- all of the differences of your loved ones, that make them lovable and unique. Embrace those differences!

Ducky Day #2 of sneak peeks

She is the cutest thing! Sherrod Studio new stamps are debuting this week, purchase them this Saturday at Sherrod Studio store! Pond Friends also has a boy duck, duck sayings, dragonfly buzzing, and other great images. I sometimes get stuck on making a card and use sketches to help me along. This sketch is from Card Patterns, #32. The flowers are a gift from Kris, she lucked out at the dollarstore for them. Very nice dimensional chipboard and sticker image.

Have a ducky day!

Don't forget to stop by the Sutdio and leave a comment. Your name will be entered into a drawing to win a free stamp set. Speaking of stamps, Kim has been working with a new designer. Here is what she has to say:

Hello, I have been working with a new illustrator in the last couple of months to bring you some new designs. Her name is Kelli and she is an absolutely talented illustrator and designer. She designed the set called Pond Friends that we will be releasing on Sept. 19th. Kelli will be joining us Sept. - Nov. to help us promote her new stamps

Kelli's blog is: http://kelliannie.blogspot.com

Run Run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I am the gingerbread man!

Jan Brett does the most incredible adaptation of this story. The pictures are great, follow along on the sides of the pages of what happens in a secondary story..... It is one of my daughter's favorite holiday stories.

This is a sneak peak of one of the newest stamp sets premiering at Sherrod Studio this weekend. Fresh Baked has these cute gingerbread men in a solid image as well as an outline, decorate him/her with a vest, skirt, buttons, make a fresh face, different sayings to compliment the set, etc.... Can you say KA-YUTE?

Paper is Anna Griffin, lace from Joann's, red fiber, rhinestones, all make this card pop!

Come back tomorrow for more cards. By the way- check out the other team members cards while you are at it! Links are found on the left side of my blog under Sherrod Studio!

Crazy 4 Challenges and 365 Cards

I found this new site last week, Crafty 4 Challenges, and didn't have a chance to get my first card in for their first challenge! So, busy me created 2 cards last night (for this week and last weeks sketches!). The top card is last weeks sketch and I used DCWV paper that I picked up in BigLots! Other cute papers, but, not sure who was the one that combined these papers- there certainly isn't any rhyme or reason, nor color scheme going on. It was like a grab bag, only was able to see this sheet on top and was surprised when I got home! The other papers are cute- chocolate and cupcakes (a few of my favorite things!).

This card uses a bunch of scraps and it is Sketch #2 at C4C and 365 Cards- mosaics. Seems that quite a few of the challenge blogs chose to highlight mosaics or grids on the sketches. Funny how you can find common themes! Daisy D swirls, rhinestones, $1 store butterfly sticker and flower, wood stamp sentiment.

Off to do laundry and have a coffee date with a dear friend of mine!

Design Team Call for ABC-Challenges

I found this new site, ABC-Challenges on The Daily Dare 2 weeks ago. I love the alphabet usage of ideas to make a card! I joined in with "c" for circles and last week, "d" for diecuts. They both were fun to make, but the "d" one really stretched me. You see, I made a halloween card using bats and I HATE halloween. I like the kids having fun so they can dress up in something FUN, not scary. We don't get too many trick-or-treaters on our street, but in about an hours time the girls have collected tons of candy. Not good for me, I love sweets. Not particular about what kind, just sweet!LOL!. Click on the links to see those cards.

For my style, really anything goes! Whatever I have on hand, sitting on my desk calling my name is usually how I get started. The card is a creation that really takes on a life of its own! Once I have the papers chosen, I work at creating it like you would put a jigsaw puzzle together. One piece at a time, work from the outside in. Wish me luck! I am so excited to have this opportunity- amazing how a world of possibilities opens to you through the web!

As for this post, I am tossing my hat into the Design Team Call. Exciting!! Choosing 3 of my favorite cards is IMPOSSIBLE, I have 3 files in storage full of cards that I have made, but I chose these as part of my TOP 10. I hope that you enjoy them! I would love an opportunity to make cards or a project highlighting a letter- E is for Embellishments....hmmmm I have a HUGE stockpile: chipboard, ribbon, brads, stickers, clips, etc.... Better check out the table to see what is pulling me forward!

2 for tuesday....

I really need to make a better effort and cleaning the rest of my house, not just my scrap room!!!! The dog hair is flying around on the hardwood floor- lol! I could knit another dog! Just kidding (somewhat ;0 ), but have had fun and made some progress by getting rid of some papers that I thought I would use and just haven't. Hoping to sell a bunch of things at a flea market coming soon.

This card is called "Pumpkin Patch". Don't you love my title? The pumpkin is patched together just like a quilt. See, I saw something similar a bit back on someone else's blog and said to self "I must find a stamp like that and try that." Self actually was out shopping and came across this cute stamp by Clear G Studio $1.00. Love It!! Never did self think that we would find such a stamp! I created the card for 365 Cards, Day #198, Mosiac. Each square is 1", still a standard sized card, pumpkin is 2.5" sq. Prima flower, misc embellies and distress ink finish the card.

And this card used up the last of a kit from CTMH, Amore, I think.... The challenges were from 1) Lord Have Mercy #39 was a sketch and #2) Card-a-licious #27 to use flowers, ribbon and the color red. Check all 3. I love how the scallop scissors create the illusion of a large flower on the card to go with the smaller flowers on the bottom.

Off to vacuum the dog bunnies (haha!) and to get ready for back to school night for the 2nd day in a row....

Come back tomorrow for some sneak peeks from Sherrod Studios new stamp line which you can purchase on Saturday!

spooky

I don't do spooky. I don't do Halloween- never have gotten it, but my kids enjoy the whole dressing up bit. Nothing spooky or scary, plain ol' fun. As a teenager, my BFF at the time decided we should dress up and trick or treat. I think my dad wanted to put an end to the shinanagins and took us to a haunted house afterwards. Big Mistake. I was scared 'poopless'! Not funny, not remotely close to laughter, just plain old scared out of my pants. Think that is why at 28 my hair turned early gray. So, I don't embrace the holiday. I am in the minority.

This card was made in honor of a customer of mine. She requested a card with bats. Now, remember my story.... I don't have stamps except pumpkins. Kris to the rescue. She just bought some Mindscape stamps. If you look closely, the bats are made up of other images. COOL huh? See the cats, spider webs, and the skull? She stamped out some images for me, Jenn will be thrilled when we do her card workshop!

Now, the challenges that this card completes are:
1) Twisted Thursday #24- use purple and orange
2) Our Creative corner- make a fall card- Halloween is in fall, orange is a fall color
3) ABC- Challenge- D is for Die Cut, to cut out shapes: bats cut out, oval is cut using my cricut and I used my zigzag for the edging and I cut out the flag for the sentiment.

Thanks for coming over today!

It's starting to look a bit like Christmas....NOT!

I am on a mission. Not only do I want to create cards for challenges, not only do I have to build up "inventory" for some craft shows that I have entered with my sister, but I am determined to dwindle down my stash. It is so out of hand that I get nervous when I walk into my dining room. Too many things to look at, at once. Too many wonderful supplies calling my name, that I don't know where to begin. So I made a decision to clean. To purge. To move it out of here, in one form or fashion (have you ever thought about that phrase and what it really means??)

So, these cards were made with 2 challenges in mind. First, Cute Card Thursday. Challenge #77, Strawberry Mint Julep is the title. To make a project using the colors pink and green. The second challenge and my second posting entry is for Caardvarks, to use one of 3 sketches provided, I used all 3 sketches to make this cute gift set.

The Christmas papers are a retired set from Anna Griffin. I love the lime greens, holiday reds and bright pinks in this palette. The Christmas tree stamps are CTMH, Evergreen- using sweet leaf and black inks, and using rhinestones also from CTMH. The green glitter is a bargain from Martha Stewart that I picked up at Walmart. Miscellaneous pieces of ribbon to complete the look.

The sparkle and shine, the true colors really get lost on a computer screen. Front window shots help, but this coastal storm we have been in for the past 2 days doesn't help my lighting.

Thanks for stopping by today. I am off to work on more purging- speaking of which, ever check out Use It! ? This site offers a challenge each week, with 3-4 requirements to complete your project and to help you move out your hoardes. This week, my cards don't fit the criteria, but I kept it in mind as I was crafting!

Sherrod Studio Sketch Challenge #1

Welcome to the first sketch challenge of Sherrod Studio! The designers are excited to show you how easy it is to incorporate these stamps into any project that you want to complete! I chose to use Gracie. She is holding a flower and wishing you a happy birthday! I used papers from Debbie Mumm (believe it or not, these come from the Baby Boy Set!). Scrap ribbon and stickers finish off my card. Love orange lately! Summery color, bright and cheerful (wouldn't wear it, but love to drink an Orangecicle...:0) Check out the rest of the DT to see what they came up with!

The names of the team on are my sidebar to the left.

Unscripted Sketch #23

Oh does it feel good to work on a layout! She inspired me to create on evening (11pm to be exact!). I was flipping through some packs of photos and came across this one. I remember the day back in March of this year, at her Grandparents. The kids (ours and cousins) playing Ollie Ollie in Free out back. I was sitting in the kitchen drinking tea with the "gals" and heard tons of laughing and screaming. Luckily the camera was on the table and I started snapping away. Through a glass window. I posted an earlier shot of my youngest and the nautral stance of the girls was unbelievable! No posing for mom, no typical shot to scrap, just pure unadulterated fun that kids have. I absolutely love how I was able to capture the "real" M in each of the shots. This one is so typical of her. She always has a smile on her face, fussing with her hair, dressed in layers (why are kids always so hot???) and always is having a good time.

So, what is your favorite photo? Did you scrap it? If not, what are YOU waiting for? Get out some papers and follow along with the sketch if you need inspiration! And don't forget to post it.......

Supplies: CTMH cardstock, Flair patterned paper, walmart rhinestone flourish, prima flowers, misc ribbon and buttons, tiles from Joann Fabrics, scoring tool and sandpaper, hemp and alpha stamps with staz-on ink, fiskars punch.

totally thursday

Thursday. One more day to get through before the weekend. School holidays are really messing with my head, can't keep the schedules straight! So, back into a groove and trying to get some creating done. Today, I actually completed a sketch that is about 2 weeks old. Love this site, Twisted Thursdays (aka s2gcraftingchallenges.blogspot.com)- this was a sketch challenge with a twist of red being the primary color of the card. Used a digi stamp of theirs, fruitcake angel. Can't really see the sparkle of the angel wings, but they are there! Papers are Flair, generic red cardstock and I think bobunny ribbon (scrap).

This card is a sketch challenge at Caardvarks. One of 3 to choose from, I went with this sketch #2. The image is a digi I won from Soft Pencil (cute cute cute stuff!), colored in with markers. My eyesight ain't what it used to be and even with my glasses, have a hard time getting those small places! LOL!!!. Sentiment from CTMH, prima flowers. Glitter on her wings and the dust on the flower. Papers are from Debbie Mumm, Baby Boy pack. Now, to pick up my kids from the bus, library for research, dinner, homework, and some time with hubby.

Have a great evening! See you tomorrow. Don't forget to come back on Saturday for a new challenge from Sherrod Studio and next week we have some sneaks of new stamps arriving in the store on 9/19. They are AWESOME!!!

Unscripted Sketches #22- Love Birds

Sound corny? But that is what we are. This was taken last year for our 14th anniversary. We took the day (our first date without the kids- they were in school! No babysitter, all day togetherness!) and went to a local town we had never been to before. Shopped and ate a wonderful lunch outside along the Delaware River. Don't know what we will be doing this year, the big 15! But, after all of these years we can still be "love birds" and get all mushy gushy. Even the dogs try to get between us, bad enough the kids are always pushing us apart!

Supplies: basic grey bird paper, ctmh heart stamp, bird saying on border, black chipboard letters, buttons, fiskars punch, tiny rhinestones.

Fun Friday

2nd and last post today. While waiting for everyone to wake up this morning and to wish me Happy Birthday wishes, I made this really cute b'day card AND it qualifies for 6, yes count them 6 challenges! wooohhooo, hubby said that was being efficient!

1) Dannisdreamscrafts.blogspot- to create a b'day card using butterflies or fairies (and we share the same b'day "Happy Birthday Danni, this card is for you!"
2) 2 sketches for you #34 sketch
3) ABC-challenge.blogspot- C is for circles, used a 1/2 circle and full circle for my fairy image and paper with polka dots!
4) craftycreations.blogspot- use 3 or more patterned papers
5)Inky Impressions #13, to create a b'day card using a II stamp (fairy was a free download from them a bit back)
6) Pile it on- to use round on your card (circles count!)
enjoy!

It's my birthday...

and today I made myself a card! LOL! What really happened is last night my wonderful DD wanted to make a card for me. She left a bunch of scraps on the table (not too happy about that 'cause I can't find my things!) and found this great scrap piece from SEI. It has glitter all over the flowers, raised dimension, and I love this purpley-blue color it is. So, the challenge on 365Cards is to use felt on your card (which the pink flowers are) and I used the sketch at Fridays Sketchers. Just moved the text box over to be under the flowers since I didn't want to hide more of the DP paper than necessary. Hubby brought home a big bouquet of flowers yesterday with a HUGE kiss and I Love You's. So, today, I will take time for the flowers and enjoy the bouquet and spending time with my kiddos bowling!

Enjoy your long weekend!

time to play....

I am so behind in my challenges! This is for CPS #131, cute sketch that I turned on its side. cut out the surfboards, stamped the ocean waves, added liquid applique and glitter.

Created a set of boy cards, using 365 Cards Day #185, feeling blue. To use 3 shades of blue on your cards. I used indian corn blue, baby blue, dark blue ribbon/bazzil die cut stickers. Fun cards for that young man- nice to do them instead of girl cards for a change!

thanks for stopping over today.