Season's Greetings

Hi all!  Another week closer to Christmas and I've been a busy little card maker- how about you?  I love the Some Odd Girl portrait images because they are so universal, you can use them for pretty much anything- including Christmas cards!  So that's just what I've done here with Demure- so pretty in classic colors of red and green.  Not a color combo I use that much, even during the holidays, but it works perfectly here!

Now make sure that you hop on over to the Some Odd Girl shop to check out the digi bundles on sale this week- Demure can be found in one of them!  And for more inspiration don't miss a stop at the Some Odd Girl blog too.  Plus there's still time to share all those awesome SOG projects you've been working on with us in the December Linky party in the sidebar of the blog :)

As always, thanks so much for stopping by to visit me- I hope you've enjoyed my little make!

All I Want for Christmas

Hiya crafty peeps!  There's some wonderful things going on over at Some Odd Girl this week- like the fabulous Hol-Odd-Day hop- as well as some special digi bundles!  Here I'm showcasing a little Christmas card I made using the digi stamp Holiday Pup that you'll find in one of the bundles this week.  It also has on it a sentiment from the Gingerbread Kaylee clear set...I love mixing and matching my different sets together :)

Now make sure you hop on over to the blog to see all that's on showcase there and also pop on into the shop to check out the special digi bundles.  And once you've made a little holiday make of your own with a Some Odd Girl image then make sure you link up in the Hol-Odd-Day hop and show off your skills!  Thanks for stopping in to visit me!

Give Thanks

Hiya crafty peeps!  Happy Monday- hope everyone's week is off to a good start :)  I'm just popping in to share that there's a new featured digi over at Some Odd Girl starting today which means you can pick this cutie- Indian Tia- up for 35% off...now that's a steal!  I colored her up with my Copics and then paired her with some papers and embellishments from Doodlebug Designs- I just love their fun graphic style.  I hope you like my card- make sure to stop by the SOG blog to check out some other fun projects showcasing this cute image...and don't forget to stop by and pick her up for yourself while she's on sale :)  Thanks for stopping by!

Copics:

Skin- E000, E00, E11, E13, E17, R30, R32, BV34

Hair- N1, N3, N5, N7, N9, 100

Clothes- E81, E84, E87, E89

Headpiece- Y21, Y23, Y26, Y32, Y35, YR27, BG70, BG72, BG75, BG78

Supplies:  DP- Doodlebug Designs; Banner Sticker- Doodlebug Designs; Bling- Recollections; Washi- my stash

Forest Goddess

Hi all!  It's a pretty fabulous Tuesday- lots going on- so I'd like to take a moment and introduce you to a brand new digi that's being released over at Some Odd Girl today- Forest Goddess.  Isn't she GORG?!?  I had soooo much fun coloring her up with my Copics and she's perfect for this time of year- I can just see her on a harvest or Thanksgiving card.  I hope you love her as much as I do and if you want to pick her up for yourself just stop on by the SOG store....while you're there check out the new clear stamps being released this week too!  And this beauty isn't the only new digi- check back in with me later this week for a peek at the other image being released today :)

Copics:

Skin- E50, E000, E11, R30, R32, BV31, BV34

Hair- YR20, YR21, YR24, YR27, YR18, E19, E29

Clothes- E41, E42, E43, E81, E84, E87, E89, YR000, R11, R12, YR02, Y23, Y32, Y35, Y38, Y26

Owl- E41, E42, E43, E44, E47, E49, Y32

Leaves/Branches- E53, E55, E57, E59, YG61, YG63, YG67, YG97, V99

Supplies: Cardstock- Bazzil; DP- We R Memory Keepers, Graphic 45; Chipboard Frame- Little Yellow Bicycle; Twine- The Twinery; Pins- my stash

Bring On the Cake

Hi all!  Can you believe that it's November already?  I mean, where the heck did last month go!  Well one nice thing about starting a new month is there's a new challenge over at  Some Odd Girl- now that's something I can get excited about :)  This month we want to see you use Speech Bubbles on your projects!  Super easy to do but if you want a little helping hand Kristy has some Speech Bubble cut files in the store that should do the job.  I don't have a fancy die cut machine (yet!) so I settled for a wood veneer speech bubble that I paired up with Mae Antoinette.  I went a little more clean and simple with the card cause I really wanted my image and the speech bubble to stand out.  I hope you like my card and that you'll stop on by the SOG blog to see the other amazing projects that the team came up with.  And then you've got all month to play along so I hope to see some familiar faces there!  Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend :)

Copics: 

Skin- E000, E00, E11, R30, R32, BV31, BV34

Hair- RV10, RV11, RV34, RV69

Feathers- BG11, BG53, BG57, BG78, Y32, Y35, Y38, YR27

Supplies: Carstock- Bazzill; DP- MME; Bling- Recollections; Enamel Dots- MME; Ink- Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Wood Veneer- Studio Calico

Just a Note

Hi all!  Just popping in to let you know that there's a new featured digi over at Some Odd Girl- up for grabs at great discounted price is Bookish Tia!  Now, I don't have kids going back to school but I can't help but think she's perfect for those that do. With that in mind I created a little bookmark that would be a great new teacher gift or an awesome little surprise for someone's first day of school :)  And with a fab price tag it's hard to pass her up!  I hope you'll pop on over to the SOG blog to see some more great creations- and don't forget to stop by the store and get one of your very own before time runs out!

Copics:

Skin- E000, E00, E11, R30, RV32, BV34

Hair- E21, E13, E15, E17, E18, E29, E49

Clothes- E41, E42, E43, E87, E89, BG10, BG53, BG57, BG75, BG78

Bag- YG01, YG03, YG93, YG97, R46, R889, YR04, YR07, Y13, Y17, B45, B99, V25, V28

Supplies: DP- Simple Stores; Tag- Pebbles; Washi- We R Memory Keepers; Enamel Dots- MME

Happy Day

Hi All!  So the wonderful thing about taking part in the different card challenges out there is that sometimes you get pushed out of your comfort zone and have to take on a completely different style than you're used to.  That's what happened to me this week in the Tickled Pink Stamp Challenge.  This week their challenge is to do something Vintage and their DT had some amazing projects to take inspiration from.  Now I like to incorporate vintage touches in my projects but rarely have I ever done something that is completely vintage.  I tend to go for more clean lines and and crisp designs.  So this completely lived up to the 'challenge' title!  I used the sketch from Friday Sketchers which helped take layout off my plate and let me really get into making everything as vintage as I could...can I just say I don't think I've ever spent this much time on one card! 

I used 20's Evie from the Tickled Pink Stamp Store because she seemed the perfect fit for a vintage card.  I colored her up with my Copics and the proceeded to distress the heck out of her and every paper on my project :)  I also got to use my brand new distressing tool from Imaginisce and I'm sure glad I had it on hand because it made the distressing much easier!  I know that there are some amazing designers out there who take Vintage to a whole new level but for my first time I'm pretty happy with the finished project!  I think I see more Vintage in my future :)
The card is being entered in the following challenges: Tickled Pink Challenge Blog- Vintage; Friday Sketchers- Sketch; 2 Sisters Challenge Blog- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (use a female image)
Supplies: Card- Truly Yours Archivers; Stamps- 20's Evie digi stamp- Tickled Pink Stamps, Sentiment- MFT Ala Mode Time To Celebrate; Copics, Ink- Momento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Ink- Frayed Burlap, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist- Creme de Chocolat; DP- Jillibean Soup- Kraft, Little Yellow Bicycle- Blue Brocade, Websters Pages- Vellum Cards Beautiful You; Ribbon- Recollections; Flowers- Prima, Recollections; Tim Holtz- Key and Keyhole 

Be Yourself

Hi All!  I wanted to share a new card with you...it's inspiration is one of my favorite quotes as the challenge over at the Tiddly Inks Challenge blog is to use a favorite quote on your card.  "Be yourself.  Everyone else is already taken. ~Oscar Wilde"  When I was growing up I always wanted to fit in and be just like everyone else- have the right hair cut, the right clothes and hang out with 'cool' crowd (I think we all struggle with this at some point).  I grew to realize that what truly makes us special are the things that make us uniquely ourselves.  I have this quote up in my bathroom as a daily reminder that the world would be a boring place if we were all the same and who I am as an individual is something I should celebrate not try to change.

This image, Aisha (which you can find here) from Tiddly Inks, seemed the perfect complement to my quote and as a bonus was a total blast to color up!  Its hard to tell from the pictures but I made her sandals and some of her bracelets gold with my glitter pen and used a jewel for her bindi.  I really like the finished product and I loved being able to combine my love of quotes with my love of card making.  When I'm having trouble finding my mojo in the future I think I'll remember this challenge and try finding inspiration in a quote!
I'm entering this card in the following challenges: Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog- Quote Me; Fab 'n' Funky Challenges- Delight In Your Digi; Totally Gorjuss- As YOU Like It; Crafty Catz- Flowers; Stampin' For The Weekend- All Warmed Up
Supplies: Card- Truly Yours Archivers; Image- Tiddly Inks; Quote Card- Hallmark; Color Medium- Copics; Ink- Momento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Ink Frayed Burlap; Flowers- Roses Recollections, Pink flower Green Tara; Pearls and Gem- Recollections; DP- Bo Bunny Sophie Tickled Pink and Rae; Inspire Tag- Tim Holtz 

Around the World- Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge

Hi All!  I was hopping around some challenge sites that I haven't participated in before but wanted to and came across the perfect challenge at Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge Blog- Around the World.  Now the hardest thing for me was how to interpret this challenge.  My sister has been to about 25 different countries (all before the age of 25 might I add!) and even lived abroad in both Madrid Spain and Madagascar when she was in the Peace Corp.  So suffice it to say I've done many cards over the years that found their way to her where ever she might be and almost all of them have had something to do with different cultures and traveling- plus all of her stories give me endless inspiration!  However, when I read the title of the challenge, and saw the DT's inspiring work, what actually stuck out for me was a completely different take on the challenge at hand.

I was recently asked to make a card for a couple who had just sent announcements out that they were adopting a baby girl from Africa.  The announcement itself had a scripture from the bible on it, so I knew instantly that was important to the senders, as well as the baby girls African name and it's translation which happened to be 'beauty'.  I knew instantly that I would find at Mo's Digital Pencil the perfect digital stamp for this occasion having just browsed through the whole section of the shop entitled 'We Are All Colors' a few days earlier.

I colored up Zola with my Copics since she just seemed the perfect fit for this card.  It had to go through the mail so it couldn't have to many bulky things on it so I used a DP that had plenty of detail on it's own and found a quote online that seemed to meld all the different elements together I was going for.  It may be a simple card but I think the meaning of it shines through...
Supplies: Card Base- Truly Your's Archivers, DP- Bo Bunny Sophie, Copics, Ribbon- stash, Sentiment- printed quote from Word, Tools: medium corner rounder

I {Heart} U

Hi All!  I've got a sweet little card for you today that's going to go into a few different challenges!  But first things first...
I have to admit that I've been a little obsessed with coloring images in black and white with my Copics lately....I don't know what it is but when I look at an image I see it two ways- one in color and one in black and white.  Maybe it's the simplicity or the classic look B & W brings but I couldn't resist making a challenge card at least once with a black and white image (and who am I kidding?  there will probably be many more to come!), here I've used the digi stamp Lil' Valentine Luca, who you can pick up here, from Tickled Pink Stamps

This card was fun because I got to use a couple of brand new things I picked up at the store...the rolled rose from Michael's (love clearance finds!) and the Kiss word stick by Tim Holtz.  The card itself came together pretty easily, just a few ribbons here and a couple flowers there :)  The biggest challenge ended up being taking pictures for the blog since the heart, with the I {heart} U sentiment is actually a mirror.  Try getting a picture of a mirror up close without actually getting your image in it- wasn't easy but I eventually prevailed! 
This card is going in the following challenges: Tickled Pink Challenge: I {heart} You, Copic Creations: Anything New and Stamp Something: Anything Goes
Supplies: Image- Digital Stamp Lil Valentine Luca Tickled Pink Stamps; Copics- W0 W1 W3 W5 W7 W9; Xpress Copic Paper; Card base- Truly Yours Archiver's; Kiss Word Stick- Tim Holtz; DP- We R Memory Keepers Merry January Scarf; Cardstock- Bazzill Basic Paper Fawn Small Scallop; Flowers- Paper rose- Recollections Michael's, Blue and white paper- Green Tara; Distress Ink- Frayed Burlap; Lace Embellishments- Recollections Michael's; Heart Mirror- Heidi Swapp; Pearls- my stash

Tickled Pink Stamps New Challenge Blog!

Hi All!  I've been dying for Tickled Pink Stamps to have their first challenge on their new challenge blog and it's finally here!  It's a pretty easy one to get things started- Anything Goes...

As a gift for a friend who loves to journal I decided to make a Journal in a Jar.  She loves funky vintage clothes so I couldn't resist using the Lil Fashionette digi stamp 30's Lylah from the Tickled Pink Stamp Store because I could envision her in that fabulous coat clutching a sweet little purse just like Lylah is. 

The jar was empty when I took the picture but I filled it with journal prompts that I printed in different fonts from my computer before I gave it to her and added a journal to finish.  I had so much fun putting this together, and especially coloring this amazing image.  I'm happy to say the gift left her speechless which was a huge compliment.  I'm already trying to think how I'm going to top it next time!
Supplies: Digi Stamp- 30's Lylah Lil Fashionette- Tickled Pink Stamps; Copic Markers; Clear Paint Pail- Michaels; Green Velvet DP- SEI; Jillibean Soup DP- Cup of Yak; Classy Red Pearls- Queen and Company; Paper Flowers- Green Tea Flowers in White, Colored with Copics; Sentiment- Printed from Computer

My Sister's B Day!

Hi All!  I feel like I've been slacking in the blogging department...but with the holiday's I'm sure I'm not the only one :)  My sister was home for almost two whole weeks and I'm sad to see her leave tomorrow.  But I'm glad that we were able to celebrate her birthday while she was home.  She's usually pretty easy to get gifts for; I know a gift card will go a long way- she's an Americorp volunteer so she can always use something that allows her to play since she doesn't make much money.  Plus, there was the bonus that I got to pull out some new product I purchased from Denami Design, a gift and favor template, to make the gift card holder.  I purchased a digital stamp from Kenny K a while ago named Kitty Katastrophe and colored her with my Copics and I loved her so much I just hadn't found the perfect thing to place her on...so when I was looking through my stash of colored images I just knew she'd be perfect!  A girl can always use a little sass on her birthday :)  Since the gift card holder was pretty small there wasn't much need to do anything else once I had the image adhered with pop dots but it was missing just a little something to balance it out so I sifted through my ribbon stash and found a simple little scrap of ribbon that added that final touch.

I'm happy to say that my sister loved the holder as much as the gift cards themselves which is exactly why I love making cards...I always say that when a card is handmade it ceases to be 'just the card' and magically becomes a part of the gift...and who doesn't love that?

What a Wonderful Time of the Year

Hi All!  I wanted to share a coupon book that I made for my mom for Christmas...had to wait till all the gifts were opened before I could share :)  I took a small 7 Gypsies chipboard album and covered it with Little Yellow Bycicle Poinsettia laser cut border paper which is simple but pretty and attached a digital stamp from Tiddly Inks aptly named Check My List Twice, which I adore!

I colored her with Copics and added some Stickles on her dress and hat for a little bit of sparkle and dimension.  The cover still needed a little something so I pulled out some pearls from my stash and randomly attached them to the center of a couple of the poinsettia's...add some little red knots in ribbon to the binding and it was picture perfect!

Once the cover was done I took some Bo Bunny Christmas paper from last year in a few coordinating patterns and cut some squares that would fit nicely on each page for a background.  With my computer I printed out what the coupons would be and attached those to each page with Pop Dots for dimension.  Then on each page I went back through and added a little bit of bling, as was appropriate, and the project was complete.

My mom loves handmade gifts, and anything that gives her time with her daughters, but this year was extra special because, as some know, my mom suffered a house fire this summer and her house had to be rebuilt.  She had mentioned that they gave her back the gift I gave her last year but it did have water damage...so I was so glad that I could make her something new to hold on to.  And after a wonderful holiday spent in her newly redone house it was an extra special Christmas this year...it truly is a wonderful time of the year!

Let It Snow Tiddly Inks Challenge

Hi all!  I've been a fan of Tiddly Ink images for some time now...Cristy Croll knows how to strike the perfect balance of cute and quirky!  And they are all so much fun to color :)  One of the main reasons I started a blog was so that I could start entering challenges and participate in all the wonderful creative outlets that are provided care of the internet.  Since I already love coloring these images I figured it was the perfect maiden challenge!

The challenge is a 'Let It Snow' theme which is perfect because it's been warmer at home and all the beautiful snow that we had has mostly melted away- and I LOVE snow so this put me back in the spirit!

I used my Copics to color up Santa's Helper, you can find it here in the Tiddly Inks Shop, which I fell in love with when I first saw him!  Then, to coordinate with the red in his suit, I used some Echo Park double sided design paper for the contrasting background.  I love when paper is double sided- it takes out all the guess work!  Add some self adhesive ribbon from JoAnn's and some bling (cause you always gotta have a little bling) and the cards complete.

Please check out the Tiddly Inks Challenge blog to play along next time!

Just a quick one...

Hi All...just a quick post today as I'm still not feeling so well.  We are putting together a little gift for my supervisor at work so I offered to make the card.  I came across this adorable image of an angel on a star by Mo Manning and it reminds me of her grandbaby so I couldn't resist.  I just colored it with copics and added some stickles to the wings for a little punch of glitter.  Then I added a couple of design papers that complement each other, the yellow snowflake paper from Graphic 45 and the red snowflake paper with the postage stamp border from Making Memories and it didn't take long to pull together.  I love using the yellow/cream color palette for a change from the traditional christmas colors.  I placed a few yellow gems in the center of the snowflakes because I always like to use a little bling and the cards complete.  Not to challenging but I still think it turned out pretty...I hope she loves it!

Busy, Busy Weekend!

Well, this weekend didn't exactly go as planned...not been feeling so hot so missed ALL the fun stuff I had planned and ended up doing lots of work to make my deadlines!  I've done cards for these customers the last 3 years so I knew what to expect- they always get 20 gay themed cards which are both fun and challenging to do and 10 general cards.  The gay cards always incorporate the rainbow and I'm always trying to top what I did the year before...

For the first card I used both the Bo Bunny design paper and matching clear stamp for the tree.  Once colored with my Copics as a rainbow it just took a few same colored gems and a little star at the top and the card was done.  It actually looks much cuter in person!

Second card I used the berries on the holly to do my rainbow, and as always, a little bling is always a good idea :)  Some Making Memories Fa La La La design paper and the base of the card was done...not to difficult.

The last set of cards are just general Christmas cards.  I found this digital tree stamp from Gingerloft.blogspot.com and it's just so pretty!  I took some muted Copic greens and brown and colored it in lightly.  Then I used a little stickles in Frosted Lace for the snow on the boughs of the tree.  It makes such a gorgeous image.  A little red suede paper from JoAnn's to mat the image and some more of that Little Yellow Bicycle green snowflake paper and it was complete.

So, a successful weekend of work, here's hoping I start feeling better because my 9-5 job starts bright and early tomorrow morning!

Staff Meeting Goodies

Hi All!  We have our monthly staff meeting at work tomorrow morning (by morning I mean the incredibly early 7am- it should be illegal!) and, in my infinite wisdom, I offered to make a set of cards to be raffled off.  Normally this is really no big deal but with all the Christmas card orders, and other misc orders I'm falling behind on, it was probably not my best idea ever!  But, luckily, I had a delightful new digital stamp from Mo Manning at http://digitalpenciltoo.com aptly named 'Door with Wreath' that was just the thing to make a simple but pretty card.

I had some Little Yellow Bicycle patterned paper that's green with embossed snowflakes from a year or two ago and it was the perfect thing to mat the stamped image, which I'd colored with my Copics, to make the wreath pop.  I added some Stickles in Frosted Lace for a little accent of snow as a finishing touch.  Once the cards were done I just used a simple ribbon to tie it all together and I think it's a nice little set.  I'm so in love with how the image turned out I think I might have to make a few more cards for myself to write my thank you's after the holidays!