It's All About the FOURth!

I had the pleasure of hosting Friday Night Challenge over at SOC last night. We did some 4th of July trivia and made three cards. Most of the instructions revolved around the number 4. **I don't send 4th of July cards, but wanted to keep the theme since the holiday is around the corner.**

Here is my take on the instructions I provided:

Challenge #1

Create a card that contains four different colors, four flowers, bling or pearls, and a sentiment of your choice.  All the rest is up to you. (This was a shameless scraplift from Pinterest.)

Challenge #2

Create a card using paper/cardstock of your choice + 4 different “inchies” stamps, ribbon or twine, bling, and a sentiment of your choice.

Challenge #3

Create a card (shape and size your choice) using a sponge and only TWO colors of ink to make a background on white or off-white cardstock.  You may use one or more stencils if you wish.  Then stamp one or more images on it using a RUBBER stamp and BLACK INK ONLY.  Add a sentiment.  You may mat your sponged cardstock if you desire; however, NO PATTERNED PAPER OR ADDITIONAL EMBELLISHMENTS ALLOWED!

That's it!

Thanks for looking!

WrinkleFreeDiva

May 2014 Brings May Flowers

Despite the sadness going on in my life right now, I managed to complete a Mother's Day card for my mom, and thus complete my 50 Project challenge. This means that all bets are off and it's on and [craft] shoppin' until I decide to take up the challenge again. **Blitsy here I come!** Craft shopping is therapy, right? This girl is really in need of some intense and immediate therapy right now.

I made my card to participate in the "May 2014....Brings May Flowers" over at SOC. We were supposed to make a project using our state flower, which for Arizona is the Saguaro Cactus Blossom (Carnegiea gigantea).

In 1901 the saguaro’s blossom was adopted as the official territorial flower, and later, in 1931, it was confirmed as the state flower. The saguaro cactus typically blooms in May and June. It is one of the most unique state flowers, and is characterized by having a waxy feel, but fragrant aroma. There may be hundreds of flowers on a saguaro cactus that bloom just several at a time over a period of more than a month. The saguaro flowers have a short life; they open at night and close permanently during the next day. Many of the blossoms will become pollinated and, later in the summer, the flowers become red-fleshed fruits that are enjoyed by the local bird population.

And here is my card...

The flower and label are from Silhouette Online Store cut files. I used Flower Soft with a little Distress Stickles mixed in for the flower center. Patterned Paper is from the DCWV Haute Pink stack.

Thanks for looking!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Projects #22 through #25

Yesterday and the day before, I referred to Projects #26 and #27. But what happened to #22 through #25? Well, #22 was a card made for my Aunty Narvalee's birthday during an impromptu FNC over at SOC hosted by Mary Joyce. My dear aunt turned 88 on March 9th.

Image by up and coming artist K. Kristoff

Projects #23-25 were cards made at a class I took last week taught by Jennifer Dove. She is one of the most creative Copic users I know and I was fortunate enough to be able to take her Copic Build-A-Book class. Now if I could just get in more Copic practice time I would be pretty darned good! All of the cards used House Mouse stamps and were designed by Jennifer. I just love those little critters, don't you? (**CFF Sharon, DON'T answer that question!)

I enjoyed making these cards and am feeling just a little bit more confident with my Copics.

Thanks for looking and I'll be back soon!
WrinkleFreeDiva

Friday Night Challenge Cards

So here I am, 19 days into a self-imposed challenge to use my stash in all of my creations; the goal being to make 50 projects prior to buying any craft items other than adhesive. Below are projects #9 and #10. (If I buy anything, then I have start counting all over again!)

I was able to participate in Friday Night Challenge over at SOC on Friday hosted by Mazella. I created both of these cards. The first card was supposed to be all black and white, include bling or pearls, and a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King.

The flower rub-on came from my Clip-It-Up and was purchased at Big Lots many years ago.
The black and white paper is from my stash and is also many years old.

The second challenge was to create a birthday card with lots of flowers. (Now that I look back at everyone else's pictures, I think I was supposed to use some ribbon too LOL! Oh well...)

The foil chipboard flowers came from Tuesday Morning several years ago.

Stay tuned for my next projects!

Thanks for looking!

Classes, Prizes and Fun!

Classes, Prizes and Fun

Classygirl from Scraps of Color is celebrating her 9th anniversary of being a scrapbooking and card making innovator, leader and creative visionary! The celebration starts Aug. 23-26. I am looking forward to the pajama party crop that starts tonight at 8:30 est. So head on over to her Blog and participate in the festivities. Share this information on your blog and you might be eligible to win some free online classes.

However, for now we are continuing with another UNBELIEVABLE giveaway! Today only…yours FREE! You can receive a FREE One Year Membership to the Creative Circle! This is an unbelievable value! Over $450 in education and fun! Woohoo! That’s right you’ll get an entire year of workshops, classes, books and more FREE! And winning is easy. All you need to do is share this post on your blog and your friends can share it on their blogs too! Be sure to link to the Creative Circle page here and be sure to leave a comment here along with your blog address and email address (comments must be approved before they appear…so you are good once you hit enter!) There’s a good chance that you just might win! Add post to your blog by Monday, August 26, to be eligible to win!

Hey and if you are not a blogger but you just don’t want to miss any of the crafty fun, just use code: soclassy at checkout to save $20 on YOUR 1 year membership NOW! Good on flat fee membership only.

JUST DO IT! (or My Video is Done!)

Pudder says "Hah hah...gotcha!"

I bet you thought you were going to check in today and see my video(s). Not! I just wanted to let my faithful followers know that I had taken the first step thanks to Angela B. over at Scraps of Color. I was chatting with her this morning and told her that I was dragging my heels about making this video. Why? Not because I didn't want to make the video, but because it was just something new and different (I've never EVER used a camcorder before) and I was afraid. She said... JUST DO IT! So I wanted to let you know that it's done but I need to do some editing and figure out how to upload it. Hopefully, it won't take me too long and you'll get to see the fruits of my labor within the next few days.

Until then...STAY TUNED!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Challenging Myself

On Friday, June 14th I hosted FNC over at Scraps of Color. I love Friday Night Challenges because they really help me to hone my crafting skills. I especially enjoy hosting because it forces me to try different techniques in order to prepare fun challenges for the participants.

The challenges and my projects were as follows:

Challenge #1 - Create a card (shape and size your choice) using a sponge and two or more colors of ink to make a background on white cardstock. Then stamp an image on it using a RUBBER stamp. Add some bling, ribbon, a corner punch and a sentiment. You may mat your sponged cardstock if you desire; however, NO PATTERNED PAPER ALLOWED!

Challenge #2 - Create a card (shape and size your choice) using white cardstock, two or more background stamps and no more than two colors of ink. If you don’t have any background stamps, you can sponge through a template onto the cardstock as well.Then stamp one or more images (they can be the same or different) on it using a RUBBER stamp and BLACK ink. Add ONLY a sentiment and mat to the white cardstock. No bling, ribbon, brads/buttons or other embellishments. Again, NO PATTERNED PAPER ALLOWED! (I got this idea from Stampers Sampler Take Ten magazine and managed to make two cards for this one!)

Challenge #3 - Use the following sketch to create a Father’s Day card. That’s it…added touches are up to you!

And finally, there was a challenge that participants had a week to complete. They were to use one of Classygirl's sketches to make a layout. I struggled a lot with making my pictures fit the sketch, but that's the beauty of sketches, you can rotate or flip them to suit your needs. And sometimes, the sketch really is just a jumping off point that gets your creativity cranked and cookin'!

If you've read this far, sorry... I have no profound lesson today. Just me and my sketches in this post!

Thanks for lookin'!

WrinkleFreeDiva

Don't Be Hasty

Lately, I’ve been purging in my craftroom and have toyed with the idea of getting rid of my Copic markers, among other things. I admire all of my crafty friends who are able to perform magic with their Copic markers. Sad to say that even after several online classes and hanging out at YouTube University, I am not one of them.Then I got an email from a local scrapbook store that beginning in April, they will be hosting a series of Copic classes taught by someone featured in several of the Copic books on the market. So my interest was peaked and I mentioned it over in the Copic group on SOC. Alice challenged me to dust off my Copics, just get to colorin’ and the skill would come. So I let out a big sigh, dusted off those markers and got to work this past weekend.

My “adopted” Granny is turning 90 tomorrow (the same day my maternal grandmother would have turned 110 had she still been living) and I needed to make a card and get it in the mail to her by Saturday morning. She's still sharp as a tack and when she goes out, more often than not she's in leather pants with boots that coordinate! I ordered this digital stamp from Robert Jackson and had it in about five minutes. I used a sketch and the card went together rather quickly. I had intended to color the boot more of a red/maroon, but my first attempt with those colors didn’t go well. I struggle with blending the reds. So I switched to using some of the browns.

Yesterday, I spent my birthday EXACTLY the way I wanted to, scrapbooking at Michaels. I was the only person who showed up, so it was just me and the Michaels staff member. That’s okay with me… more room to spread out and work! I was able to get this card, which also contains a Robert Jackson image, completed while there. This one was for an impromptu challenge over at SOC and is a birthday card for the science teacher on my team whose birthday is on Tuesday. I used another sketch, paper from a Recollections stack, cardstock scraps, Glossy Accents for the flowers, and Stickles.

We as crafters are ALWAYS buying stuff especially when a new technique or crafty fad hits the market. Every now and then we have to purge to make room for the new stuff. If you’re an organization nut like me, you sometimes want to give away stuff that you haven’t used in awhile not thinking about the investment (can we say Cricut and its many cartridges???) and the fact that as soon as you give it away, you’re going to wish you hadn't.  Several of my scrappy friends said DON’T get rid of your Copics; you’ll be sorry! They are probably right, especially since I have so many. Can’t quote the number here (‘cause my momma reads my blog and I don’t want her eyes to bulge) but suffice it to say, I have about 2/3 of the Sketch markers available.

I actually found some therapeutic value in coloring this weekend and know that after I get my hands-on training and practice, practice, practice; I’ll be so glad I hung on to them.

So the lesson is this, before you get rid of your crafty stuff, think about what you’ve invested in those items and consider whether or not they are things you might want to use again one day when you have more time or experience. If you've searched your soul and know that you’re moving on and you never want to revisit that technique or those supplies/embellishments/tools again, then by all means remove them from your craft space forever. 

And now, I must get some rest and prepare to deal with my little darlings for this last week before Spring break. Thanks for reading and y’all pray for me!

WrinkleFreeDiva!

Don't Be Intimidated...

Last Friday I was not prepared to participate in the Friday Night Chat Challenge over at Scraps of Color, but I was bound and determined to make the Waterfall Card that was one of the challenges issued. The hostess was kind enough to point us to these links here and here. And as complicated as the card looks, it was actually quite simple to make.

When I told my honey-do that I was going to go make a card, he asked me who it was for. I told him “I dunno, I just want to try the technique.” So he said, “I know! You can make a card for my son…his birthday is in eight days. Maybe you can include pictures of his dog!” So off I went to make a Waterfall Card, with a masculine theme and a picture of a dog!

Last Friday I heard a lot of people say that it was really fun to make and actually quite simple. It really was. I had a lot of fun making it although had I taken time to really look at the pictures, I might have used some different patterned paper, but oh well…c’est la vie. I’ll know next time!

And here is my Waterfall Card!

Our simple lesson today is: try not to be intimidated when it comes to trying a new technique. Sometimes, something that looks really difficult really is quite simple. But you won’t know that unless you try! So take a chance, you just might be surprised and have fun while doing it!

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for looking!!

A Quick Post with a Quick Lesson

In the spirit of not neglecting my blog for too long (and after being inspired to post by looking at several of the blogs I follow) I'm going to do a quick post with some projects completed not too long ago. **There is a quick, but oh so important, little lesson that I just learned today that has nothing to do with this post so make sure to read to the end!**

I hosted Friday Night Challenge over at Scraps of Color on October 12th and the theme was Celebrate the Eight! in commemoration of SOC's 8th birthday. The week-long challenge was to celebrate YOU! Make a layout (single- or double-page) that highlights EIGHT things you love about you! Here is my take on the challenge:

The challenges that Friday night were to:
1)   Make a square card with eight squares on it. (Square cardstock or patterned paper bases do not count as part of the eight squares.) Include one or more stamped images, a sentiment of your choice and some bling.

2)  Create a card using only one piece of plain cardstock to mat your design and at least 8 different patterns and/or colors of washi/decorative tape. Your card base does not count as your piece of cardstock. 

3)  Complete a one- or two-page layout using the following sketch. Use 8 DIFFERENT embellishments on your layout.

Thanks for looking, but don't leave without your quick lesson for today!

DON'T leave new rubber stamps (or old ones for that matter) where the puppy can get to them. They will be rendered useless!

Karen

P.S. Don't forget to vote on Tuesday!

Scraps and Sticky Ribbons

I got a chance to participate in another Friday Night Challenge over at SOC, this one hosted by our very own Classygirl. We were given three card sketches *y’all know I was ALL over that* and were required to post our creations prior to midnight ET on Sunday. This gave me a little time and breathing room. I was able to get started on Sketch #1 Friday during the chat, but had to leave not too long after to take care of other things.

So, when I came home I threw the sketches (but no paper or cardstock) for the other two cards in my bag *determined to get started on them*, along with about seven or eight layouts in varying degrees of doneness. Even though my crop time was going to be short, due to having to go to a meeting first, I was determined to be productive while I was there.

I did as much as I could with the layouts I had brought with me, and then pulled out the card sketches.  I looked through my layout folders and pulled scraps from several of them. I had gotten this idea from Tiare (Classygirl) who once said that she doesn’t really have scraps because when she finishes a layout, she immediately makes a card(s) from the scraps that are left. I was able to make a good start on laying out the cards and would wait until I got home to add the sentiments and embellishments. Good thing too… cause I took out the clear stamps for the “Happy Thoughts” card and lost the matching sentiment (it says, “are coming your way.”) for the inside. It has to be here on my craft table somewhere but I’ll be darned if I can find it! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr……

While I was at the crop, I got a wonderful idea from one of the ladies there. She works with ribbon a lot and said that she often uses her Xyron to put adhesive on her ribbon. Having tried different kinds of adhesives for ribbon, including the ribbon glue made by Hobby Lobby *it dries out too quickly*, I thought I’d give it a try. I used my trusty Xyron “X” to adhere the ribbon on all three of my cards. The application was so smooth I wondered why I hadn’t tried it before. Thanks for that helpful hint Susan!

Anyway… here are the three cards I submitted for FNC…

Sketch #1 - Used scraps from my drawer and a flower from  Petaloo found at Tuesday Morning.
The ribbon and bling are from my stash.

Sketch #2 - Scraps from layout (coming soon) and flowers from  Petaloo.
The 2-in-1 punch used for the border is from EK Success. Ribbon and fiber from my stash.

Sketch #3 - Scraps from layout (coming soon) and flowers are Color Me Crazy  from Petaloo. Used  Glimmer Mist and Stickles on them as well as pebbles (small flower centers) and the Epiphany Shape Studio for the large epoxy pebble.

My tips for today…

1. Take your leftover scraps for a layout or other papercrafting project and make one or more cards. Eventually, storage of scraps will cease to be an issue.
2. Try using the Xyron for ribbon application. Makes ribbon go on nice and smooth.
3. When using those itty, bitty clear stamps, take out one at a time and put it back when you’re done. Then, hopefully you won’t lose any like I lost mine!

Thanks for visiting… I am Still Young and Croppin’!

Maximixe Your Crafting Time

A few weeks ago I was chatting with my CFF *Crafty Friends Forever* Sharon S.  over at SOC. She had recently posted a card on her blog where she used spray mists. It was absolutely beautiful! As we were chatting she encouraged me to use my Glimmer Mists of which I have many. So I chose a few colors and began misting away. 

Wanting to get the most out of my “misting experience,” I decided to spray a 12 x 12 sheet of white cardstock and cut it so that I could make four cards. Sadly, I’ve needed quite a few sympathy cards lately, so since I was making one card that was fairly simple in design, I figured it would be just as easy to make four cards that were similar. When I make a card it is usually because I need it for something specific and so haven’t really built up a go-to stash of cards for all ocassions. This is what I came up with:

This card was also used for the Use Your Stash Challenge over at Scraps of Color. 

Most of the paper is from my scrap drawers. For the flowers I used the Insightful Meadows set from the Unity Stamp Co. and the "With Sympathy" stamp is from the Best Wishes set from Close to My Heart. I also used Distress Embossing Ink and Ranger gold embossing powder.

So my lesson for today is this…

1. If you’re making a card, and taking the time to ink, paint, mist, or stamp a background, why not just make it worth your time and do it on a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock and net yourself four cards instead of one?
2. When making cards and time allows, try to make duplicates so that you can build up a stash that you can pull from when you need a card but don’t have time to make one.

Thanks for looking!

Karen aka “WrinkleFreeDiva”

It's Okay to Give Them Away...Cards That Is!

After taking about six hours to make one card, I decided that I wouldn't give my handmade cards to just anybody. (You know that feeling. You send the card to the person, they look at it, maybe display for a few days and then throw it in the trash.) It would have to be someone who would truly appreciate the time and craftsmanship that went into making the card, someone who would save it forever and ever; usually those are select family members and other paper crafters. But then I found myself participating in Friday Night Challenges over at Scraps of Color and developing a stockpile of handmade cards that I didn't want to give away.

A few weeks ago, I had an "ah ha" moment. When I was spending $5+ for a greeting card, I didn't care what the recipient did with it. When I was taking the time to design and print them with my computer software, I didn't care what the recipients did with them. If the joy comes from the crafting, why stress over what happens to the card once its sent? Just a thought.... So here are just a few that I've been hoarding that I vow to send out in the next couple of months.

 

Thanks for looking!!!!

Extreme Makeover: Scrapbook Style - Mr. President

Last week I took part in another Friday Night Challenge over at Scraps of Color. Most of the time we do cards, however this particular Friday night included a 45-minute layout challenge. You got it...45 minutes to do a layout! Me...the slowest scrapper in the land... the scrapper who takes hours and sometimes days to design and create a two-page layout. Not only were we to do the layout it 45 minutes, but we also had to follow certain parameters: Create a two-page 24x12 LO of President Obama.  Your color scheme is Red, Black, ONE PAPER MUST BE PATTERNED and a color of your choice as an accent. Your design must use a "star". It must have a minimum of 4 photos. One photo must include show "Black Love."  There must be bling. There must be the words "OBAMA" and "44." There must be a space for journaling. Let me repeat...this had to be done in 45 minutes. I really didn't think I could do it, but I was determined to try. Thankfully we had been told earlier in the week that we needed to have several Obama photos so in that regard I was prepared.

I grabbed one of my trusty sketches books, "Page Patterns...Just Plain Simplicity," found a simple sketch that contained four photos and got to work. Pulled out some cardstock and found some OLD 4th of July patterned paper that contained stars and the word FREEDOM at the bottom (I cut that off)! In the middle of working my ATG ran out of adhesive...grrrrrrrrrrrr....!!! So I had to make do with some Zots and other things in the meantime. I didn't quite make the 45 minutes; I think it took me between 50 and 55 minutes and I wasn't quite thrilled with the layout that resulted. But I posted it to the gallery anyway.

Two days later, I decided to change up some things. I found some old chipboard letters (with a design on them) and numbers and covered them with glitter using the technique you can find here. Since I used red glitter I changed the color of the background they were on from the red patterned paper to blue. I added some more rhinestone flourishes (stay tuned for my next post about a great way to adhere them without having them tangle) using them to cover some of the punching mistakes on the blue frame. I added a star made from the red patterned paper and a couple of blue stars with some added bling. Finally, I added some typed journaling.  I tried to write on the American Crafts transparent journaling box but none of the pens I had would write well on it, so I ended up printing it on cardstock and adhering it over the journaling box. What you see below is the result.

So, today's lessons are these:

1. If you aren't pleased with a layout that you did, let it sit and "marinate" for a bit, and then come back to it. Taking a break from it and coming back to it with fresh eyes, may help you see where you can add some improvements.
2. If nothing about the layout pleases you, don't be afraid to go back to the drawing board and start over.
3. This one bears repeating yet again...try sketches!
4. Find a way to fix or cover little "boo boos." You really don't have to start over or re-cut something just because it has a flaw in it.
5. Setting a time limit for creating a layout will force you to think quickly and you may be surprised by the results.

Hope you enjoyed my musings for today. Thanks for looking!

Making Progress When Challenged - Some Cards

I've recently begun taking part in Friday Night Chat Challenges over at Scraps of Color. A different member hosts each week. A digital image is sent out at the beginning of the week and we use it to make a project of our choice that has to be posted on Friday evening. During the chat on Friday evenings, we are presented with challenges that almost always involve making a card (according to certain parameters) AND posting it within 30 minutes. And...we usually do that THREE times during the course of the evening. That is part of what has gotten me in organization mode here in my scrap space...simply so that I can put my hands on tools and supplies quickly. Since I'm also still fairly new to cardmaking, the entire process forces me to think and move quickly...and if you've been following me for awhile, you know that I am very slow when it comes to papercrafting. It takes me an hour just to choose paper sometimes.

So I'd like to share a few of the cards I've completed and share what I've learned through the process of creating them.

This card was created with the image that was sent to us at the beginning of the week. I'm very new to the world of Copics though I've acquired quite a collection. My coloring leaves a lot to be desired but that's okay because I am a work in progress and have long ago given up on being perfect.

For this card, the instructions were to make a two-layer all-white card with just one small pop of color. I had a great idea in mind and intended to put a layout on there using one of my Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page punches. Only problem was, since acquiring all seven or eight of them (I bought them when Oprah gave out the 50% coupon) I had never used one. I chose to test it out during a 30-minute challenge. Not too smart. I should have tried them out AND learned how to use them as soon as I brought them home. As you can see, I had some issues with the corner punch. (Which reminds me; my Cinch and Creatopia arrived last week. Better take them out of the box and try them out!)

For this card...we were given a sketch to follow and instructed to make it monochromatic (shades of one color). You know me...I love sketches! Not quite monochromatic, but almost!....

For my last card, we were supposed to create a card using stamp of our choice, rhinestones or pearls, fringe and a sentiment. I kind of misread the directions and used the stamp as my sentiment. I also didn't have any fringe in my stash. I suppose I could of made some fringe out of paper but I didn't want to since I was in a time crunch. I found some fiber stuff in my stash that I had forgotten I had. Decided to use that instead.

So here is what I've learned going through this process...

1. Progress, not perfection, is the name of the game.
2. When you go out and spend your hard-earned money on new scrapping tools, get them out and learn how to use them as soon as possible. You've spent the money; no use having them just sit there. You might just be surprised at what you can create with your new toys.
3. This one bears repeating...when you've lost your mojo or are in a creative rut, use a sketch!
4. Don't be afraid to substitute one product for another.

Thanks for stopping by....

My Blog's Got Attitude!

My dear friend Helen was sweet enough to bless me with the "My Blog's Got Attitude Award!" I feel so honored...this is my third award and three is my lucky number! But before I forget, I must tell you, Helen's work is out of this world, and she is what I strive to be in my crafting endeavors. If I can create just one-fourth of what she does with her flair for creativity, I will have done a good job. So please, when you are finished browsing here, take a peek at her blog A Taste of DC and leave her some love.

This award requires me to tell three things that make me different from other people.

1.  I was a late bloomer in the motherhood department. I had my only child, "Skootch!", when 

I was 41. He is now in the 4th grade, so you do the math!

2.  I can organize the heck out of anything, hence the reason I don't create as much as I'd like to. I come in my craft space to make something and then see something that I would have better access to if it were in a different place. This usually leads to a complete overhaul in one or more sections of my craft space and crafting during that set aside time.

3.  I was once photographed by Annie Leibovitz. At the time, I didn't realize what a celebrity she was. Her sister, Barbara Leibovitz, was making a documentary movie called "Salvaged Lives." I was there with one of the people who was being profiled for the movie and Annie was doing the photo stills for the promotional posters and what-not, and took several pictures of the two of us together.

Now I have to pay it forward and nominate five bloggers for the award who have A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E. So, here are the five bloggers who I am nominating for this blog award.

1. Trell is fairly new to the Sistas Scrap Too! message board over at Cricut.com. His work is phenomenal and is going to probably necessitate our changing the name to Sistas AND Brothas Scrap Too! Please check him out at Polka Dots, Paint and Cake Batter. Even the name of his blog denotes fun and creativity!
2. BDMommy is another one of my sisters over at the SST message board. She is all kinds of creative and posts something new almost everyday. I can't imagine with her job and her little one when she finds time to create, but somehow she does and everything she makes is stunning! Go visit her at Riley's Custom Creations.
3. YayaPhilly is also on SST. She creates some AMAZING dimensional projects and is the master at handmade flowers. You can see her beautiful work over at YaYaPhilly Scrap Spot.
4. Michelle is on SST as well and is all kinds of talented. Plus she has the cutest blog. You must go see it at Now Stamp This!
5. Sanura is another one of my friends over at SST and SOC. This sister has cardmaking on lockdown! She said that one of her New Year's Resolutions is to keep her blog updated. Maybe if she knows people are coming to see her over at SanuraScraps she will. Frankly, I don't know how she has time to create the beautiful cards that she does considering she's a mom with three children AND a teacher, just like I am!

Please enjoy your blog awards. With this award, you are now entitled to enjoy a $5 gift certificate from the  Digi's With Attitude store.

NO CRAFT SHOPPING FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY!!!

I know...long time, no post. I've been much too busy organizing my craft space (yet again!) so that I can put my hands on something and make the time spent in my craft space more productive. Just in time too!!! 


Over at Scraps of Color, folks LOVE to issue challenges! A "No Craft Spending" challenge was issued as a result of many members viewing this video.

The rules are: 

*No shopping in any store-Michael's, AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, Archivers, etc. 

*No online shopping

*No window shopping

*No HSN shopping

ONLY USE WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR SUPPLIES!!!!!

Remind yourself with a note on your page, ask a family member to help you to not to shop, check in with your SOC friends by saying "NO SHOPPING TODAY!"

The "no window shopping" part is fairly easy since my nearest M's is starting to bore me and my nearest J's is over twelve miles away. The online shopping part...not so easy since I am on so many mailing lists and message boards that are full of enablers. My dear son was THRILLED to hear that we would not be going to any craft stores in February since he would much rather play outside than ride with mom on yet another browsing expedition in a craft store. 


I confess that I placed quite a few online orders towards the end of January, so withdrawal hasn't set in yet because yesterday my Cinch arrived in the mail, and the day before my Creatopia (both from HSN) came a knockin'.

So...we'll see how this plays out. It's Day Four and so far I'm not tempted! Since this blog is about what I learn through my crafting experiences, I hope there is a lesson here! Stay tuned....

Celebrate You

So I finally decided to try another challenge over at Scraps of Color. I decided that it was simple enough that I could get it done in one evening (remember...I am a very slowwww crafter). The challenge was to use kraft cardstock, eight squares of patterned paper, a verse/sentiment (stamped or rub-on), and a piece of ribbon (didn't specify how much). Easy enough, right? When I sat down to work, I actually had a totally different design in mind; one that came to me while I was on the freeway yesterday and which I sketched out on a piece of scratch paper in the parking lot at JoAnn's. When I got home and tried to make it work, I couldn't...so this is what I resorted to. For some reason in the scan, the colors don't look very true (or like they even go together) even though all of the paper came from one paper pack. I assure you that the colors are much more vibrant than what you see.

I had something totally different in mind with the ribbon that would have used much more of it, but the ribbon that I had in the right color was too wide and would have tampered with the balance of the card. So what I learned is that starting with a sketch or idea in mind is great, but it's okay to switch up in the middle of creating. The results just might surprise you. Oh yes...and that I also need to add more ribbon to my ribbon stash! TFL.

Birthday Card using Inchies

A few weeks ago, a challenge was posted on the Scraps of Color group to create a card using at least three "inchies" and a flower. My soror's birthday was coming up so I decided to use that challenge to make a card for her. The first thing I had to do was get some "inchie" stamps. I'd never heard of them before...they're simply rubber stamps that are approximately one inch square. I went to Michael's where they really didn't have much of a selection, so I ended up with Fiskars Squarely Sentimental clear stamps, which thank heavens were on sale for 40% off. I also ended up with the flower stamp (also 40% off) and for the first time tried my hand at adding a little color to a stamp using some very old EK Success pencils that I have. Pulled out my trusty Forever Young cartridge for the image and some old Creative Memories paper. I just could not tie a nice, neat bow so ended up tacking the ends of the ribbon behind the background. The ink used was Studio G and Technique Tuesday. Note to self: Start a Copics collection and learn how to tie ribbon! Thanks for Looking!