February PTI Blog Hop!

it's time for my 2nd PTI Blog Hop! woohoo :D


here's the challenge from Nichole...

Since we just finished up our 3rd Anniversary Festivities, we thought we would do something extra special for this month's Blog Hop! Design Team Appreciation Day! Your challenge is to go through the Design Team gallery or any of the Design Team members' blogs and find a project that is especially inspirational to you! Then recreate the project with your own spin, making it unique! Be sure to share a link and photo of the original project that inspired you! And you can also use this opportunity to thank the team for all their contributions this past year! I know they inspire ME daily and I never seem to thank them enough! We look forward to seeing your projects!

well, i was SUPER excited to participate, because there are SO many awesome creations by the design team ALL THE TIME... i seem to visit the DT blogs at least once a day... i think i'm addicted :) i wish i could make a card based on everyone's creations, but i don't have the time :/

BUT, knowing i couldn't do that, i made do--i actually made 2 cards based of a compilation of DT cards (i couldn't pick just one!)

so the first card i made is based off of Dawn McVey's type of card--complete with polka dots, ribbon, and a simple style.

here are the cards i used as a starting point-->


and here is my recreation based off of the above cards... i used some polka dots, a scalloped felt edge, and a butterfly. then, because i love Dawn's handwriting (don't you? it's so FUN!) i thought that the sentiment would be perfect if i used her "So Sweet of you" stamp from the Signature Greetings set.

oh yes, and i made sure to use several shades of pink--something we all know Dawn loves, right? :D


my next card is based off a couple of cards created by Melissa Phillips... they're always so soft and feminine... so i used bits and pieces of each of the following-->

(the butterfly from this card...)

(the strips of patterned paper from this card, along with the Maya Road flowers...)

(and the purples, light green, and lace from this card...)

and here's mine:

i'm going to use this as a sympathy card, which i always thing are harder to make--i used a smattering of things from my stash (especially because not all my craft things are out because of my recent move) a vintage button, another butterfly plus one detail-cut from a DCWV paper pad, MM patterned paper, and more. this card features the Big and Bold Wishes set from PTI.

anyway, thanks for looking, and i hope you have a lovely time hopping along to see all the creations :D

Caardvarks Challenge--stickers :D

so... here i am with another post for a challenge! woohoo... it's a fun one too. it comes from the Caardvarks website :D

The Challenge
Create a *new* card and be sure to use stickers! Link your entry to us by March 2nd at Midnight, PST.

The Prize
A huge SRM Stickers prize package including Quick Cards Stickers, Sticker Sentiments, Seasonal Stickers, Baby Stickers, and More!

so, i actually have a couple of cards here that feature stickers of one kind or another (i know they're not the SRM sort, where they're clear, etc, but they're stickers nonetheless!)

this first card is super super simple... some chipboard stickers from Basic Grey (Lemonade Collection--SUPER YUM!) and a little gem for the bird's eye, and some ribbon + a button. don't you love it when things come together so quickly and easily? literally i just pulled out a scrap of ribbon, a button, and VOILA! :D

i think it would work well for an 'all occasion' card, but i'll probably convert it to a thank you because i need to send some out to the AMAZING people who helped me move :)


then, here's another card featuring a few different stickers...

see that cute little owly? he's a Sassafras Lass owl i got from my friend Paulina for Christmas--oh what GREAT present :) and then there's some MM alphas, and the 'sweet' panel is cut from a DCWV sheet in the Girly stack... love it! there's even paper with bobby pins and lipstick on it... hehe :D so me.

anyway, it was fun to play along--thanks for stopping by, and hope you enjoyed.

and for those of you who were wondering... i have *almost* unpacked all the boxes in my new place. i absolutely LOVE all the pink around my apartment--it's perfect. if you want to see the dresser i painted again, check HERE... it's the same color for 4 bookshelves i have around the house too :) hehe, can you tell i'm somewhat girly??

LOL, thanks for visiting!

drama queen! + w00t = 2S4U

can i just say WOOT! WOOT! for making the Fab 5 over at 2sketches4you... i am so honored :D i love all the different cards that people come up from just one amazing sketch.

also, thank you so much everyone for your well wishes with my move... it went *mostly* well. suffice it to say, it's a long story and it involves wet carpets, semi-rude landlords, and having TONS of friends help me out! (THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!)

well, as a single person moving into a 2 bedroom apartment, i got SOOOO many comments about the amount of stuff that i own--whether it was in regards to my clothes (eek!) or my crafting supplies, or all the free furniture that i got from friends. anyway, i think that all 14 of the people who helped me move think that i need to 'rethink my life' (as my brother Peter put it). but hey, what can i say? i'm a crafter!

i know you all understand (hehe, at least a little.) i got some unpacking help after the move, and as i was explaining how the tank tops were to go in the drawers, somebody mentioned that they thought i was a tad OCD about the color coding and folding... but i honestly think that the color coding is SMART, and it comes from my crafting habits :D what about you? do you categorize your clothes similarly to your crafting supplies?

okay, on to my card... it's based off of Kazan's sketch #46 at 2Sketches4You (love these designers and EVERYTHING!) i flipped this sketch again, and actually made my 1st SHAPED card! :)


i made this using a whole bunch of different supplies... not everything is unpacked (and may not get much attention anytime soon), so there's a smattering of all types of things on here. Sassafras, some rub ons, SEI, K&Co, Fiskars border punch, and buttons and poms :D

i LOVE how there's an eclectic mix of just about everything on this card... stickers, bling, etc. i thought that Kazan's sketch was just perfect for a shaped card too.

the above is a picture of the inside of the card, i can put a message around it.

then, here's the whole card at a glance... see that 'turn that frown upside down' rub on? i almost forgot the 'turn' part of the rub on >> that would have been interesting :D

i thought it was a sweet detail to have the clear 'bling' where the camera flash would be. can't you see yourself giving this to a loud, personality filled friend 'just because'? i personally would love to have something this obnox... i mean, LOVELY... fits me perfectly :D

thanks for stopping by, i LOVE reading your comments :)

happy valentine's day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

here's a quick couple of cards i'm giving to my friends daughters (ages 7 & 5)... they'll love the Basic Grey fruits with the googly eyes :D simple, but sweet...



i hope your day is filled with love!

moving + Moxie Fab + 2sketches4you!

somehow i feel like a lot has happened since i shared with you last... oh wait--there HAS been some busyness over here :D hope you haven't missed me too much!

first, i wanted to post a little about what i've been doing on the NON-crafty side of life, so if you just want the cards, scroll down a bit to get to those.

okay, so i've been seeing a lot of movies... not the kind that you get on DVDs, or see on TV, i'm talking the movie theater kind. most of the following were good, and some i *might* be embarassed to say i watched depending on the crowd i'm in, but really, you're such a great crowd, i'm not affected at all... i'll give you a score out of 5 stars for each of the following movies that i've seen recently (last month and a half):

3.5/ 5. if you're a twilight fan, this was MUCH better than the first one, but it's not my favorite movie EVER.

2.5/ 5 ...it was cute, but for kids.

5/5 AWESOME. i LOVE Robert Downey Jr.!

3/5 ...again, cute, but for kids.

3/5 *sigh* romance... but could have been better...

5/5 acting was the highlight. i mean, it has MORGAN FREEMAN and MATT DAMON. so yeah, 'nuff said.

4/5 John Travolta was great :D i like action movies

4/5 it was really long, and i was getting sick... so i'm sure i would have liked it more... but it WAS good. i would recommend it.

so there you go. i've been busy watching movies. BUT, don't blame me--it was definitely a stress-reliever. and recently there's been WAY more than the normal load of stress in my life.

you see, i'm MOVING.

yes, moving. (you're like, "i could tell that from the title of your blog post... DUH." haha, that's what my 9th graders would say.) moving means i've been packing, painting, and generally not sleeping enough, and not having enough time (well, enough for the movies :D)

now, i used to live 45 minutes from school. which meant i had a long commute. now i'll be +/- 20 minutes away from school. i'll have my own apartment (i've been renting from my parents, one room) with my OWN STUDIO :D and doing things all on my own... like cooking, cleaning, running errands, etc...

let me tell you. it's exciting, but it's scary too.

i've been making numerous shopping trips and doing all sorts of things to prepare. my move date is THIS SATURDAY, the 13th. it happened that i have an extended weekend from school because of President's Day in the U.S. so yeah, i'm packing all my stuff (and oh my LORD, i have a TON of stuff... clothes, furniture, basically a whole kitchen, crafty things, and more clothes...) and getting some friends to help me move.

i said that i've been painting... i got some furniture for free, and it just needed a facelift, like some new hardware and some lovely high gloss shine...

so, i present you with, my DRESSER!

(she looks like she's smiling, almost, don't you think? the pink paint color is Behr's "Orchid Rose" and it's AWESOME... bright and cheery, just like i LOVE it :D i got it from Home Depot)

because of this move, i've been absent from the blog-O here... my apologies. but, i'm back, at least for a little bit before i figure out my new apartment and get my bearings (and figure out where/ when i'll be getting internet!)

i'd love to hear about any "living on your own" advice that you have... from favorite recipe websites/ cookbooks, tricks about shopping, to how to speed clean your kitchen (:D), etc... just leave it in the comment section--it would help a lot!

anyway, here's a little yummy-ness compliments of the Taintor-tude Challenge at Moxie Fab World. i really enjoyed this challenge with looking for just the right combination of vintage images and sentiments with *SASS*.

isn't this the greatest sentiment? "Nope, not busy AT ALL!" hehehe! (kind of how i feel at the moment...)

i used some Sassafras and some cool lace i got from a local fabric store... i think i'll be hoarding this for a bit :D i think i know exactly who i'm going to give this card to though --> the sentiment fits perfectly!

and here's a little something i whipped up to go with the 2sketches4you sketch this week. it's Laura's #45, and it's pretty fabulous :D

as you can tell, i've rotated the sketch, but i still think it works... don't you love those pom poms and more of that lace? :D

anyway, i hope you have a great weekend, whether it's extended or not, and that your Valentine's Day is filled with love, in all sorts of forms!

thanks for stopping by :D