Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hi all! I have more Halloween stuff for ya today. I just love Halloween...so many possibilities.
First up is a card I've made for Jordan to send to Nana & Papa. It's a very simple design but I'm quite happy with the outcome. The inspiration comes from 2 challenges. Waltzing Mouse stamps provided the sketch and the theme/color inspiration is from the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World.  Here is the picture inspiration:

And here is my take on the photo:

The colors are much richer in person than in this photo.  If you click on the photo to enlarge I think you can get a better feel for the colors. I used black card stock for the base and my squares were done using olive green card stock that I blotted with paper towel soaked in bleach.  I then distressed it using Tim Holtz distress inks in walnut, cracked paint green and then black chalk ink.

Stamps used are Waltzing Mouse stamps and 1 stampin up stamp- the little rip headstone on the tag.  I used the Tim Holtz green distress ink on the stamped pieces.  I used orange raffia just to give it a little splash of color.

Next up are a sample of some of the favors Jordan will be having at his halloween party.  I let him pick out 5 different favors from Oriental Traders.  Here is the 1st of 5 and of course I had to turn it into a craft project, lol. I've made 8 of these for our little ghouls.

These were a breeze to make! I found the template at MyGrafico  from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff.  It comes as an svg file and I was able to use my cricut- makes life so much easier! My test tube dp is from Cloud 9 and is perfect for this project.  The stamps are from Waltzing Mouse.  These test tubes are a hoot!! And yes, that is a finger in the green tube- made of marshmallow.  The green liquid (corn syrup) is green apple flavored and just awful but Jordan thought it was awesome, lol!

Challenges:
Tuesday Trigger: photo inspiration
Waltzing Mouse: sketch challenge
A Spoon Full of Sugar:  Boo!
Cupcake Craft Challenge:  Boys & Their Toys (hope this counts, the test tubes-definitely a boy thing!)

Have a great Sunday!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Hello all! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  The weather here is just gorgeous! Bright and sunny and and in the low 70's.  Perfect fall weather! I love being able to finally open the windows for some fresh air.

I started bright and early in my room today and I think I finally have my mojo back!  This was the first week in several where I finally was able to make a few cards.

My card for today is for the Etsy Inspired Challenge.  I love playing along with inspiration challenges and their challenge is fun because you get to see etsy shops that you may not otherwise come across.  I have found several treasures from visiting their challenge.  Todays challenge is sponsored by Stilettoheights and they specialize in art prints and collage sheets.  My card was inspired by this piece:

This card immediately reminded my of some cardstock I have had in my stash for ages...and I mean ages.  It came in a scrapbook kit that I used to subscribe to.  It is perfect for this inspiration piece- yes I tend to take
inspirations very literally.

Isn't this great card stock! I stamped my rose directly onto the card stock and colored with my prisma color pencils.  They're my favorite medium...even more than copics!  I stamped the left hand corner with the rectangular dotted stamp and then stamped my sentiment inside. Both stamps are from Waltzing Mouse stamps. I distressed the edges in 2 shades of distress ink- vintage photo and antique linen-both from Tim Holtz for a bit of a vintage look.

I am also entering this in the Charisma Cardz Challenge for this weeks theme of vintage.

I'll be back a little later with more projects made for our spooky halloween party.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Good Morning!! Well Jordan is back to school today and I'm off to work so just a quick post for you. Today, as I mentioned yesterday, I am featuring the Halloween Party invitations I've made for Jordan's party. The party is only a week away and I really need to step it up! Yesterday his package of goodies arrived from Oriental Traders. We got some really spooky loot, lol.

My favorite are the test tubes- some really icky looking liquid candy. They come in 3 colors and each have something grotesque floating in them- eyeballs, worms or a finger. Ok, so the fingers are my favorite- bloody stump and all!  I will be back tomorrow with picture of the test tubes.

My card was really quite simple to make and I love how they've turned out.  My stamps, both the sentiment and the bats are from Waltzing Mouse Stamps.  I've had several sets on my wish list and picked up 3 of them.  Claire's stamps are wonderful!
The rod iron fence was made by my new favorite punch from Martha Stewart.  The skeleton was made on my cricut using the Paper Doll cartridge.  The skeleton dp is from The Paper Studio.

I am entering this in several challenges- everyone is now in Halloween mode.  First up is the Etsy Inspired Challenge.  This week they are featuring Capturing Creativity and my card was inspired by the halloween kit.  I love card kits!

Join me tomorrow for more halloween madness!

Challenges:
Etsy Inspired
Dutch Dare:  Halloween
Fab&Funky Challenge: things that go bump in the night

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Good morning all!  It has been ages since I've posted a thing but I assure you I have not been idle, lol!
I am home today with a sick child.  Jordan's allergies have gotten the best of him today but while he rests I am at work...in my craft room, yippee!!!

Today I'm sharing a little halloween project I've made.  I just love halloween!  Jordan is having a party so I am busy creating little trinkets for the party.  This will be the prize awarded for best costume.  Every little ghoul needs a trinket box- where else would they keep their glow-in-the-dark fangs, lol.

The top portion is a variation of the stair step card technique and the bottom 2 layers contain my drawers- there are 5 drawers in all. I've decorated my box using various halloween themed papers-some digital and some from Graphic 45's Alice in Wonderland line.

From this view you can see I've created a little grave yard scene. My tree was made using my cricut and the paper dolls cartridge. My headstones are wonderful little sticker embellishments from Jolee's and my rod iron fence was made with a Martha Stewart punch. This punch is fabulous!!
The drawer pulls were made using skeleton buttons and ribbon.  The front drawer pull on my large drawer is from 7Gypies and is a brass knob with a checkerboard pattern.

My spider web ribbon is from a kit I bought at No Time To Stamp.  Sharon puts together the greatest kits! I just love her site.  My circle stamp is from The Cutting Cafe and I embellished the center with a spider button- it came with skeleton buttons purchased at Joann's.

No halloween would be complete without some scary characters. I've used the Munster image from Sunshine and Giggles, colored it with my copics and framed with my nestie frame set.

I'll be back tomorrow with the invitations I've created for our spooky halloween party!

Challenges:
Stamp Something:  Halloween theme
Stampin For the Weekend:  Halloween/Fall
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge:  Halloween

Monday, September 20, 2010

Good morning all!  After a long absence I am finally back.  I have been putting in lots of overtime at work (quarter end-UGH!) and school work, cub scouts and now fall is here. With fall comes allergies in over drive!! I managed to make 1 card this weekend and worked on some altered paint cans for my upcoming craft show-between naps.  My allergies are real kicking my butt!

Todays cards uses my new stamps from Gina K.  I've been admiring her stamps for sometime and went a little crazy with my 1st order- I ordered 4 sets!! My card today features a couple of stamps from the You are Not Alone set.  This set is beautiful.  I love the sentiments in this set!

My card is for this weeks challenge over at the Etsy Inspired Challenge.  This week they are featuring Pegasus Maiden shop which specializes in some very pretty hair accessories.
My inspiration comes from this piece:

I love this piece! It's in my favorite
colors-black & white!








Here is the card it inspired-
Very clean & simple- 1 dp, 2 colors card stock-black & white. I've used my cuttlebug and the dots folder, my Martha Steward lace doily punch and my nestie circle die  The black & white ribbon is from Making Memories.  I used black rhinestones in the flower centers to give it a little touch of glitz.

Thanks for taking a look and I hope to be back again soon, lol! Enjoy your week.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Good morning all!  It seems like ages since I made a card but I finally took the time last night, after homework and reading time with Jordan.  We are reading a John Grisham book- yes my 2nd grader and I are reading John Grisham's newest book which is geared to ages 8-12!

My card is covering several challenges but I will start with the challenge that inspired the overall look- the sketch.  Todays sketch comes from Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge.  They provided an awesome sketch:

And here is my take:

Now it is a little difficult to see but there is a circle underneath the image and all thos flowers!  My cute little bride comes from Digi Stamp Boutique.  I've colored just her flowers, hair & skin with prisma color pencils and just lightly chalked her dress and veil.  I cut my circle and image with my nesties and my heart was made with my cricut using the accessories cartridge.  My flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.
And isn't it wonderful how the camera picks up every faux pas and amplifies it, LOL.  I thought I would add a  little shimmerz to my heart and then decided to take it off- that's why you see some specks of glitter.

Challenges
Sweet Sketch Wednesday:  the sketch
Charisma Cards:  Die cuts
Stampin for the weekend: anything goes
Stampin B's Design Team:  a die cut, circle and flowers
Fab & Funky Challenge: Flower power

Thanks for stopping in on my little corner of the world- and hopefully my entries will be a little more frequent!
Janice

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Good morning.  Hope your weekend is going well.  I have finally got my mojo back and have been crafting like crazy!  My wedding invitation project is almost complete- way ahead of the dead line of September 1st!!!
Friday was the 1st day of school for Jordan and we got all his school supplies this weekend and his cub scout uniform so we are soooo organized!!

In honor of finding my mojo, lol, my card today is for several challenges, the first being MOJO Mondays.
They provided another great sketch:


















My other big inspiration came from this weeks Etsy Inspired challenge.  This weeks featured shop is Cathy Walters.  I took my inspiration from these 2 pieces of jewelry.

I must say I am very pleased with the outcome of my card.  These papers are some of my favorites but I don't get much chance to use them but they were perfect for this etsy challenge.

All the dp is from the same pad- Paris Nights by GCD Studios.  My image is called Bee Tile and is a digital stamp from Sugar Creek Hollow.  I just love this image.

Challenges:
Mojo Monday: the sketch
Etsy Inspired:  paper & image
Cute Card Thursday:  whateva!
Simon Says Challenge:  Sing it Baby! Our Last Summer by Abba

Thanks for stopping by...come back a little later and I will have a 2nd post!!  I am working on my Wild Orchid Craft challenge- a new fave for me!

Monday, August 2, 2010

IWow! I can't believe how long it has been since I posted!! I am in the midst of an order for 75 wedding invitations and have been devoting most of my time to that.  I designed 4 different invitations and the selection has been made.  So far I have all 75 invitations cut and inserts printed and have started the assembly process.  Then I have to do the 75 response cards.  It's been very time consuming but I am loving it!

My card, the first in 2 weeks, is for the Midnight Madness Sketch challenge.   It was a great sketch and a little challenging and for my card I decided to go with a bit of a grunge look- ok it's my version of grunge, LOL.

My digi image is from the Kenny K line.  These are super cool images and fun to color!  I decided to make this an easel card so I could fit in that great guitar.  I love this dp.

My rock star paper is by Creative Imaginations and my zebra print is from Anna Griffin.  And don't you just love those pins- they are by Tim Holtz.  I colored my image with prisma color pencils and then added a little ruby red stickles to her sneakers.


I have no idea who the crystalled flourish is by- it was in my stash.  I distressed my edges, although bit hard to tell in this photo and I also used Tim Holts distress ink in fired brick around my image.

Challenges:
Midnight Madness: the sketch
Kenny K's Krafty Girls Challenge: On the dark side
Cupcake Craft Challenge:  distressing
Papers Scissors Rocks: use hardware
Daring Cardmakers:  It's a girl thing
Cute Card Thursday: Texting crazy- I did provide a sentiment and if you look closing there is text running through the dp
Dutch Dare:  anything goes

Ok that is it- be back soon!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Hello all.  I have a very quick post.  I think I am actually getting this card in late but I am never sure of time zones, lol.  Mr Linky says I have 23 hrs but I don't think that is right. So I'll either get in under the wire or I won't.  The sad thing is this card has been sitting on my desk completed for over a week!

I have been commissioned to make 75-100 wedding invitations!! So I have been very busy.  I completed 4 sets of samples that I will be taking to the bride this weekend.  I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew, lol!!  At least she is into a very simple, clean style.  Black & White!! My favorite.

Ok on to my card.  It is for this weeks Midnight Madness challenge.  I loved this weeks sketch!!

My papers are all by the Paper Studio and this is one of my faves from them. I love the black & gold.  My image is from Digital Design Divas.  Her name is Princess Vera and I just love her regal look.  I am afraid I didn't do her little skirt much justice though, lol.  I used a metallic gold pen on the swirls of her skirt before I colored black and the colors just didn't blend well.  Oh well, I still love her.

Ok gotta run and get this entered!  Have a great evening.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Good afternoon all! Well I have had a very productive weekend! Mind you there has been little housework done but it will still be here tomorrow (the dirt) lol.  Last evening I went to a scrapbook sale and what a sale it was! My friend Sonia has decided to downsize her entire line of everything!!  She hasn't scrapped in over a year and her new found "obsession" is sewing.  I picked up quite a few goodies-punches, ribbon, scads of paper and all for a song.  I thought it was rather sad.  When you see it all laid out on tables it's astounding to see how much stuff you acquire.  I know I am the same way-tons of things still in their original packaging. Like she said half the fun is the shopping!

My card today is for 2 challenges.  Tuesday Morning Sketches is celebrating their 1 year anniversary- already!  The challenge this week is to select any 1 of the 52 sketches from the last year.  I selected this one:

I am also playing along with this weeks etsy inspired challenge.  I love this challenge for 2 reasons- I love to find different inspirations and it's a great way to discover some really cool new stores.  This weeks store is called Octavia & Brown and their specialty is vintage glassware. I took my inspiration from these 2 different styled glasses.

For my card I went with the color scheme in the 1st glasses and the shape in the 2nd glasses

My little froggy image is from the new line of stamps from the Princess & the Frog line at Sunshine & Giggles.  This image is called bachelor pad.  He was colored with prismacolor pencils and chalked with color box blue chalk. All the dp is from Stampin Up and I can't tell you who the dp is from- it some I got last night at Sonia's and no name to be found on it.
Ok I am back to work- I am almost finished with my card for the Midnight challenge for next week- I love that she gives sneak peaks of her sketches!





See ya later,

Friday, July 9, 2010

Happy Friday to you all!  This was a short work week that just seemed to go on and on, lol.  I have a fun card to share with you today and quite different from my normal style.

I love challenges that offer inspriation, be it from a photo, a color challenge, or a sketch challenge.  Especially a sketch challenge!!  I've gotten to where I don't know if I could come up with a layout on my own.

My card today was inspired by a sketch of sorts.  The challenge on Moxie Fab World was to design your card around this scrapbook layout:

I love the multi tiers in this and that is the inspiration I took for my card.  I also threw in a few circles.  For my colors I went with a photo inspiration.

Isn't this a fun image!! This photo was provided for inspiration for this weeks challenge on 365 Cards.

I wanted a bright, cheery card to go along with all that great candy!  My wonderful floral cupcake is a digital from Michelle Perkett Studio.  As soon as I saw this image I thought of my dp from Basic Grey- it's a perfect pairing with the cupcake.

Thanks for checking out my little corner of the world! Hope you have a great weekend!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Good morning all! I have a very quick post for you today.  My card today was made using this weeks Sweet Wednesday Sketch.  I jumped on this one in a hurry, lol.  I just loved the sketch and am very pleased with the outcome.  My color scheme was inspired by the challenge over at etsy inspired challenge.  This week they are being sponsored by this store-Kimmiprout.  She specializes in polymer clay buttons and they are too cute!! I may have to pick some of these up!

Here is the picture that inspired my color scheme and my selection of papers.

Aren't they great!  She has lots to choose from and some pretty amazing colors. 

I love this image!! It is called Resting Swallows and is from Delicious Doodles. My sentiment stamp is from KLM Digistamps but is actually a real stamp.  All cardstock is from Stampin Up and my dp is Me & My Big Ideas.

 
Challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday: the sketch
Etsy Inspired: the color theme
Charisma Cardz: watch the birdie

Ok that is it for me today- running behind.  Have a good day!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Good Morning to you all and Merry Christmas!! LOL It's Christmas in July all over blog land.  My card today is for several challenges with a Christmas Theme.  This is a first for me on a few fronts- 1st time in forever that I am not following a sketch- (I think that's why it is so sparse!) It is also my 1st aperture card.  I know, I know, they've been around forever!

I decided to go shabby chic with a distressed look for this card.  I am challenged with the coluzzle- always have been but I think the distressing made up for the poor cutting, haha.

This really looks so much better in person-the colors are much richer looking.  I can't wait until tomorrow when my light box arrives! I "won" it on e-bay and it really was a good deal.  My winning bid was $39 and the "stated" value was $149.00!! 

My stamps are all from Stampin Up.  I embossed the snow flakes and for the image I stamped it on ivory cardstock in Tim Holtz vintage photo.  I distressed the card with 2 inks-1 generic-there's not even a color label on it and the 2nd again in vintage photo.  The dp is from the Christmas Glitter pad from My Minds Eye.  This paper just sparkles-but again hard to tell in this photo.

Challenges:
Stamptacular Sunday:  an aperture card
Cards for Men: Christmas in July
Corrosive Challenge: Christmas
Fussy and Fancy: Christmas in July
Paper Makeup Stamps: a window card

Ok that covers them.  Have a wonderful day.

Tuesdau, July 5, 2010

Good morning! Well it's back to the daily grind...ugh!  It was a great weekend while it lasted but they never last...they go by in a shot and then the weeks seem to drag.  I think I am ready for retirement, haha, just wish my husband would agree!

My card today is for Sweet Sketch Wednesday and they provided a really good sketch but now that I look at my card I notice I missed  a detail...oops.  I also changed it up a little and added a sentiment.  So much for following the sketch but I think you can still see it, lol.

Since SKW is being sponsored by Bugaboo stamps I thought it only fitting to use one of my bugaboos.  This is not to say I want to be ruled out from the running....I can't get enough of their images!

Isn't this the cutest little man!  I love this image and is perfect for a thank you.  So can you see what I missed?!  I wanted to keep this clean & simple- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, lol.  All my dp is from October Afternoon.  I just love their papers!  My image was colored with prismacolor pencils and the blue and green is color box chalk inks.  The cardstock & ribbon is from Stampin Up. The sentiment is from KLM Digistamps and is actually a clear stamp. I cut the sentiment using my Stampin Up window punch and finished it with green brads.

Challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday:  the sketch
Craftalicious Challenge: Cute
Have a good day!