Thursday, May 31, 2012

Laundry Day...


Looking for my newest Sugar Bowl card?
Please scroll down . . . just a teensy bit!

Alrighty then . . . here we are again . . . thank you so much for stopping by! It's Thursday, and you know what happens on Thursday, right? Of course! It's time for another fabulous challenge at Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog! Once again, the lovely and very talented Elaine is our hostess this week . . . and she's chosen another fun theme! Elaine would like to see projects that are . . .

"Weather Related"

So . . . here's what I came up with . . . 


This sweet Mo Manning image is called "Mummu's Laundry" . . . and you can find it HERE in Mo's online store. I have to say, this image so reminds me of when I was a kid, helping my mom and gramma with laundry. They both had "Wringer" washing machines . . . aacckk! (They WERE kinda fun, though!) And no dryer, of course . . . just the sun and fresh air! I tell ya, there is no better smell than fresh sheets straight from the clothesline! Here's a sort of side view . . .


My card "recipe" . . . 
Image printed on Cryogen White  Paper
Sage Shadow & Blush Blossom cardstock: Stampin' Up
DPs: "Follow your heart" by My Mind's Eye
Nestabilities: Spellbinders
Corner die: Whimsy
Flowers, lace, & pearls: My stash
Sage shado gros grain ribbon: Stampin' Up
Sentiment (front): High Hopes
Copics & Prismacolor pencils

A peek at the inside . . .


And last, but not least . . .


I hope you enjoyed my "take" on this week's challenge!! Now, you'll definitely want to pop on over to Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog HERE to check out the stunning projects created my talented DT sistahs! They're "out of this world" . . . literally! Then, please join the fun this week at Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog! Just remember to use one (or more) of Mo Manning's images (you can find them in Mo's online stores HERE and HERE). Oooh . . . and don't forget . . .  Mo is giving away one $5.00 shopping spree at Mo's online stores for every 25 entries! (selected by Random.Org, of course).

Thanks so very much for stopping by . . . and for your kind comments! Until next time . . . Hugs!

"Shades of Violet" at the Sugar Bowl . . .

Hello there my sweet peas! I'm so excited because it's time for another fun challenge over at the Sugar Bowl!! For this fortnight's challenge, we have this fun sketch from our clever fellow DT Sweetie, Kiki . . .


With the optional theme of . . .
Shades of Violet!!

Fun huh?! Sooooooo, here's what I came up with . . .


This sweetheart is called "Hello Little Friend," and she's from the "Home Grown" collection of Sugar Nellie stamps! Aaackkk! I just checked Funky Kits, and it seems this stamp has been hugely popular . . . because it's currently out of stock! But, no worries, she's on order . . . so keep checking! Here's another pic . . . sort of a side-view . . .


Now, I have to admit, I am sooooo NOT a "purple" person! But, for some strange reason, I have lots and lots of purple and violet supplies! Go figure, huh?!

My card "recipe" . . . 
Perfect Plum & Very Vanilla cardstock: Stampin' Up
DPs: Maja (from my sweet friend and DT "partner in crime", Elaine)
Sentiment: Whimsy
Edge and corner punches: Martha Stewart
Butterfly die: Memory Box
Corner: from Paola, my darlin' friend in S. Africa
Flowers & crown pins: Wild Orchid Crafts
Ribbon, pearls, lace: my stash
Inside tag dies: Marianne's Designs
Copics & pencils on Cryogen Paper

. . .  a peek at the inside . . . I added a little pocket for that tag sentiment and/or a gift card or money!


And, of course, the "artsy" view . . .


Now it's time to pop on over to the Sugar Bowl and take a peek at the fun "Shades of Violet" creations by my fellow DT Sweeties. Then, come join us for this fortnight's challenge! One lucky participant will be randomly selected to win a fabulous prize from Sugar Nellie. Once again, our prize for this Sugar Bowl Challenge is:
.
. . . . your choice of FOUR Sugar Nellie stamps
(increasing to SIX if we have 100+ entries!) . . . .

Remember. . . you can't win if you don't play!!
And invite your friends to play too!

Thanks so much for stopping by. . . and thank you for your sweet comments! Mwahhhh!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

My newly decorated "studio" . . .

Looking for my Sassy Cheryl DT Post? 
Please scroll down!


Hey there, my sweet friends! I finally finished re-doing my "studio" and wanted to share some "before" and "after" pics with you. Be forewarned, the "before" photo is painful to look at! hehe!! 
So . . . here's the BEFORE . . . aacck!

And, thanks to my sweet, sweet husband (who painstakingly assembled the new furniture . . . including my gorgeous new Martha Stewart "Craft Armoire" which was delivered in FIVE huge, flat boxes, aacckk!) . . . here's my new and improved studio . . . I'm taking a drawing class, so here's where I practice . . .

And, the AFTER . . . YAY!!

Here's my Martha Stewart "Craft Armoire" . . . it's a thing of beauty . . . and so practical!


Take a look at these drawers . . . they're HUGE! 4 kinda thin drawers for my wood-block stamps . . . and 4 drawers below that are a bit deeper for art supplies . . .


Here's where I keep my cardstock . . . 6"x6" DPs are stored in those small draw units . . .


And this is where I keep all of my Wild Orchid flowers . . . they're organized by size rather than color . . .


 As we continue around the room, you can see my storage closet . . . that's not quite finished . . . eventually it'll hold more art and craft supplies!


And here's my workspace . . . clearly I'm between projects . . . notice how neat and clean it looks! Oh . . . that skirt around my worktable is actually 3 pair of cafe curtains that I hemmed and attached with velcro!! My dogs' bed is underneath . . . they keep me company while I work!


A close-up of my Copic storage . . . and some of my pencils. These are Prismacolor pencils . . . I keep my Faber-Castell and Caran d'Ache pencils in the bookcase. I'm saving those for other art projects . . .


And there ya have it . . . sorry for the plethora of photos! I just had so much fun, new stuff to share! Thanks so much for visiting!! I'll see you sooooon! Hugs . . . .



Sassy Princessa!

It's Tuesday, it's Tuesday! I do sooooo love Tuesdays!! And of course you must know why! Because it's time for another fantabulous challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog, of course! And this week, our very own sweet and sassy Miz Jackie has given us this fun new sketch to work with . . . 


  
Awesome, huh?! And did I ever have fun with this one!! Here's what I came up with . . . 


Today's card features another one of Sassy Cheryl 's newest images. I do soooooo LOVE when Sassy Cheryl is busy creating new images . . . just for ME!! hehe! This little cutie patootie is Sassy Sally, of course!! And the digi image is called "Sassy Sally's Funky Dance Routine"!! I gotta tell ya, I just love her wonky facial expression!! Totally cracks me up!! And that pose! bwahahaha!! You can find this darlin' HERE at Sassy Cheryl's online store. Here's another view . . . .


I decided to try something a little different. It's been a long, long time since I made a side-opening card like this. But it seemed to perfectly fit Miz Jackie's clever sketch!


And a peek at the card fully opened . . .


My card "recipe" . . .
Bashful Blue and White Cardstock: Stampin' Up
DPs: "Enchanted" by Imaginesce
Nestabilities Dies: Spellbinders
Edge punch: Martha Stewart
Pretty in Pink ribbon: Stampin' Up
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Charm & pearls: My stash
Sentiment: C.C. Designs
Copics & Prismacolor pencils

And one last pic . . . the "you know what-sy" view . . .


And that's it for me. Now you will definitely want to pop on over to Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog to see what my sweet and talented DT "sistahs" have created for inspiration! Then, please come join us for this week's challenge! Just remember to follow Jackie's fun sketch! And don't forget . . .

One lucky participant, selected at random, will win . . .
TWO Sassy Cheryl Digi Images!

Thanks sooooo much for visiting . . .  and for your very kind comments!! Mwahhhhh!


Friday, May 25, 2012

"Country Cousins" Blog Hop & Release!

Well, well, well . . . we made it to Friday!! Whoohoo! That means that you're in for a real treat today! That's right . . . today is our last "mini" blog hop showcasing the new "Country Cousins" stamps which are on sale NOW over at Funky Kits!


But wait . . . before you go shopping, I'd like to formally welcome you to my blog and to to DAY FOUR of Sugar Nellie's "Country Cousins" Mini Blog Hop!

If you've arrived here from my lovely and talented Design Teamie, Tiets, then you're in the right place! If not, then you'll want to start this fabulous Sugar Nellie "mini" hop HERE . . . at the beginning!! OK . . . here's my tag card showcasing "Skool Days"!


I decided to make a "tag-card" with this little cutie! I think she may very well be my favorite of the new stamps . . . although I do love them all! This one just reminds me of when I was in 1st grade . . . our school uniforms looked very much like this, although without the tie! And instead of that cute hat, we had a beanie! hehehe! I was quite the fashionista back then, I tell ya! LOL!

My tag-card "recipe" . . . 
Night of Navy Cardstock: Stampin' Up
DPs: DCWV "Playtime"
House border: Tim Holtz
Flower, mesh, & raffia: My stash
GrandNestabilities Labels #23: Spellbinders
Primitive star die: Sizzix
Sentiment: Stampin' Up
Copics & Prismacolor pencils

One more view  . . . 


Please remember to leave my talented DT sisters lotsa love (i.e., comments) along the way . . . because several lucky blog hoppers (selected at random from the comments) will receive fabulous Sugar Nellie prizes!

Your next stop along the way is the delightfully sweet and talented Anita!!

Thanks so much for "hopping" by! And have fun shopping!! Hugsssss . . . .




Thursday, May 24, 2012

World Travelin' at Mo's

Whoohoo! It's Thursday . . . and it's time for another fun challenge at Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog! My sweet and talented DT sister, Elaine, is our hostess this week . . . and she's chosen the coolest theme . . . especially as we head into the summer (at least in my part of the world) and are busy planning summer vacations!! Our theme this week is . . .

"World Traveler"

See? I told you it was gonna be a fun one!! Elaine always comes up with the best themes, doesn't she?! And here's what I came up with . . . hope you enjoy . . .


This sweet Mo Manning image is called "Fan's Cricket" . . . and you can find her HERE in Mo's online store. I have to tell ya, this is my very first attempt at Asian skin tones. I used quite the conglomeration of Copics and pencils (Prismacolor, Faber-Castell, & Caran d'Ache) for this image!! I think I did a pretty reasonable job with Fan's skin and with her outfit (which I tried to match to the seam binding) . . . I decided to have the light source coming from the left front angle . . . so her face and body are a bit more shaded on her left side (my right as I'm looking at her). Here's a sort of side view . . .


My card "recipe" . . . 
Image printed on Cryogen White  Paper
Espresson & River Rock Cardstock: Stampin' Up
DPs: "Gossamer" by Memory Box
Birdcage die: Memory Box
Nestabilities: Spellbinders
Butterfly punch: Martha Stewart
Flowers, lace, & metal filagree corner: Wild Orchid Crafts
Seam binding: The Ribbon Girl
Inside sentiment, pearls, brad, & feather: My stash
Copics & Prismacolor pencils

A peek at the inside . . . which I kept very simple . . . 


And one more view . . .


Now, you'll definitely want to pop on over to Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog HERE to check out the stunning projects created my talented DT sistahs! They're "out of this world" . . . literally! Then, please join the fun this week at Mo's DP2 Challenge Blog! Just remember to use one (or more) of Mo Manning's images (you can find them in Mo's online stores HERE and HERE). Oooh . . . and don't forget . . .  Mo is giving away one $5.00 shopping spree at Mo's online stores for every 25 entries! (selected by Random.Org, of course).

I've decided to enter this cutie into the following challenges:
Wild Orchid Crafts #50 - Anything Goes
Sketch Saturday #208 - I rotated the sketch a bit
Craft Your Days Away #45 - All creatures great & small (mine's a cricket)

Thanks so very much for stopping by . . . and for your kind comments! Until next time . . . Mwahh!!



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

"Country Cousins" Mini Blog Hop Day 3

Happy Wednesday, my lovelies!! Are ya havin' fun with our "mini" blog hops?? Well, guess what? We're havin' another one today . . . and one last "hop" on Friday, May 25th . . . a.k.a. "Country Cousins" RELEASE DAY at Funky Kits! So don't forget to mark your calendars!!


Alrighty . . . let's get right to it, then, shall we? Welcome to DAY THREE of Sugar Nellie's "Country Cousins" Mini Blog Hop!

If you've arrived here from my lovely and talented Design Teamie, Tiets, then you are definitely in the right place!! If not, then you'll want to start this fabulous Sugar Nellie "mini" hop HERE . . . at the beginning!! OK . . . here's my card showcasing little "Lei-La"! Isn't it such fun to see so many fabulous DT cards and projects using the same image? Kind of a "same but different" approach!


I decided to make a "cross-over" card with this little cutie "front and center"!! My photos aren't the best, I'm afraid. :-(  I will tell you that these DPs are kinda peachy . . . and I've edged everything that wasn't crawling away from me with Vintage Photo Distress Inks . . . although as I look at the photo, the edging looks kinda greenish! Ruh roh! hehe!


My card "recipe" . . . 
Blushing Bride & Very Vanilla Cardstock: Stampin' Up
DPs: My Mind's Eye "Be Happy"
Ribbon, pearls, brad: My stash
Martha Stewart & Stampin' Up punches
Copics & Prismacolor pencils

One more view  . . . 


Please remember to leave my talented DT sisters lotsa love (i.e., comments) along the way . . . because several lucky blog hoppers (selected at random from the comments) will receive fabulous Sugar Nellie prizes!

Your next stop along the way is the delightfully sweet and talented Anita!!

Thanks so much for "hopping" by! And don't forget . . . we have one last "Country Cousin" image to share with you . . . on Friday, May 25th!! And that's it for me! Mwahhhh!



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

"Fave Color Combo" at Sassy Cheryl's

Please scroll down for today's Sugar Nellie "Country Cousins" Mini Blog Hop . . . . 


Hey kiddos . . . are ya having a great week?! I've been busier than a one armed paper hanger! But busy crafting is such a fabulous problem to have, isn't it?! hehe!! So . . . it's Tuesday . . . and that means there's another fun challenge at Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog! And I do believe that "yours truly" is hostessing once again this week! And for this week's challenge theme, I chose an easy peasy one . . .    

Your Favorite Color Combo!
(Mine is peach and green . . . well, at least today it is! LOL!)


Today's card features another one of Sassy Cheryl 's newer images.  You may recognize her . . . it's Avery, of course!! The digi image is called "Avery's Big Flower"! Don't 'cha just love those pigtails?! hehe! You can find her HERE at Sassy Cheryl's online store. Care for a bit of a side view? Here ya go . . . .


I have to tell ya, I just discovered the coolest "stitched-looking" digi DPs at Bearly Mine Designs! Whoohoo!! Here's a peek at the inside . . . you can see the DPs pretty well in this photo. Fun, huh?!


My card "recipe" . . .
Very Vanilla & Always Artichoke Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Digi DPs: Bearly Mine
Nestabilitieis Dies: Spellbinders
Trellis &butterfly punches: Martha Stewart
Flowers, charm, & brads: My stash
Metal corner (embossed w/white embossing powder!): Wild Orchid Crafts
Copics & Prismacolor pencils

And one last pic for your viewing pleasure . . .


And that's it for me. Now you will definitely want to pop on over to Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog to see what my sweet and talented DT "sistahs" have created for inspiration! Then, please come join us for this week's challenge! Just remember to follow this week's "Your fave color combo" theme! And don't forget . . .

One lucky participant, selected at random, will win . . .
TWO Sassy Cheryl Digi Images!

Thanks sooooo much for visiting . . .  and for your very kind comments!! Hugs  . . . until next time!



"Country Cousins" Blog Hop Day 2

Hello there my "sugar" lovin' friends!! Wasn't yesterday's "mini" Blog Hop such fun?! And have you already fallen in love with yesterday's little cutie, "Telltale"??! I know I have!! Well, get ready 'cuz today is Day TWO of Sugar Nellie's "Country Cousins" Mini Blog Hop. **Note: We're also having mini blog hops tomorrow and Friday this week!! AND, these little cuties go on sale at Funky Kits on Friday, May 25th!! So make sure to mark your calendars!!


If you've arrived here from my lovely and talented Design Teamie, Tiets, then you are definitely right where you're supposed to be!! If not, then you'll want to start this fabulous Sugar Nellie "mini" hop HERE . . . at the beginning, as they say!! OK . . . are ya ready to meet "Cat Sitting"? Here she is, with her little cat too! (ahhh-choo! Sorry, I'm allergic to animals of the feline persuasion! hehe!)


I decided to keep this card clean & simple . . . well, clean and simple for me, at least! These papers are so delicious and create the perfect backdrop for this darling image. I love the pastels too, so I purposely kept my coloring quite subdued.

My card "recipe" . . . 
Barely Banana & Pretty in Pink Cardstock: Stampin' Up
Digi DPs: Bearly Mine Designs
Ribbon, pearls, and tulle flower-ette: My stash
Sentiment: Stampin' Up
Copics & Prismacolor pencils

One more view  . . . 


Now I hope you've been leaving my talented DT sisters lotsa love (i.e., comments) along the way . . . because several lucky blog hoppers (selected at random from the comments) will receive fabulous Sugar Nellie prizes!

OK . . . your next stop along the way is the delightfully sweet and talented Anita!!

Thanks so much for "hopping" by! Hugs . . . until tomorrow . . . when I'll be back with another darling new "Country Cousin" to show you!!