Day 183 - Super Sketchy Sunday

i got to make a card based on Pam's sketch over at 365 Cards. what a fun sketch!

i love these circle stickers with berries! the green was fun to play with (DCWV, Bazzill, and BoBunny) especially with the purple :D

(this is the back... there's room for my "designed by" stamp & signature)

(here's the inside corner--i used DeNami Design stamps)

i hope to play along with the upcoming challenges this week--school starts next week and i won't have the same kind of spare time.

thanks for looking :D

365 Cards days 182 - 180

here's another load of cards that i made for the challenges over at 365 cards :D

Day 182 - Sporty Saturday

i found some sweet sporty paper from a DCWV stack (Grade School pack), and added a fun puffy sticker from SEI along with some orangeness (ribbon, button, twine). the challenge was to use something with a ball on it. see that football and baseball? :D

Day 181 - White Space

(my sister took this picture, and i think she did a great job with the composition... probably gonna try this spot again :D thanks Cece!)

i couldn't just submit one card for this day's challenge. i'm not quite sure i met the criteria, either--these cards don't have any "white space" but they do meet the principle, just with a different background color.

i pulled the same riboon trim for both cards as well as the chipboard accents (from Colorbok, i think) and flower border (from K & CO).

Day 180 - Going Vintage

i had a lot of fun with this card. i used October Afternoon (the red and white pattern), and then tore out a page from a book i use for cards. i cut out that sweet little vintage bird cage from a Hambly transparency--i think i'm going to savor that "paper" for as long as possible.

oooh, and don't forget--to add to the vintage "touch" i put some velvet ribbon and houndstooth paper on there. and i free-hand stamped the sentiment "fly free..." overall, this is a sweet card, don't you think?

a little bit of Ecuador and a lot of cards...

oh my goodness. i had a wonderful time in Ecuador! i spent 2 weeks working with my church group doing some short term missions, and i got to spend the majority of my time working with 8-10 year old Ecuadorian kids. my group was the best, and i got really attached to a few of the cuties... here are just a FEW of the pictures i took (and i literally mean, a few. i had a total of 650 + all the videos i took.)

this is me with Joselin at our first VBS (we went to 2 locations a day for a week. that meant i told stories for 2 very different groups of kids [in numbers and dispositions] and did skits twice a day as well. fun stuff!)

here i am with Daniel... who could resist that little face? he was something of a trouble maker, but i really loved being around him and his smiles. he loved giving me hugs and showing me his coloring. too adorable. wish i could give him a hug right now just thinking about it.

anyway, i made a WHOLE bunch of cards today after i went to see the movie Julie & Julia with my friend Paulina (totally recommend it for EVERY blogger out there... so hilarious and TRUE!) we were cracking up the whole entire time, and totally felt a connection with the Julie and her blogging obsession :D we also had some lovely lunch (with my sister, Cecelia, as well) at The Cheesecake Factory. can you tell i was spoiled today? i was going to come home and nap because i'm still getting over a sickness from Ecuador, but was coughing too much and just decided to make some cards for 365 cards. i'll be posting more later, but here's what i have:

Day 177 - Monogram Monday

i stamped the background on the white CS, and actually embossed a bit too. the rest is Basic Grey and some rub-ons :D

Day 178 - Back to School

oooh, October Afternoon papers are lovely, eh? i used a DCWV panel for the "A+" part. plus, the pom poms make the grade, eh? :D

Day 179 - Checkerboard Background

here i used some more DCWV Indian Summer paper. i paired it up with my Martha Stewart punch, AC ribbon, random button, and some Bazzill CS. i distressed the edges of the purple panel to add some interest.

thanks for looking :D

thanks a bunch + i'm back!

hey guys, i'm back home! whew, it feels good, but weird. i'll post pictures and tell stories from my trip later, but FIRST, today's card is really dedicated to you, my blog readers. thank you for leaving all your sweet comments on my posts while i was away in Ecuador, and also for your well wishes--they meant a lot to me! glad you didn't have to miss any cards while i was gone, though :D

but really, thank you!

well, here's a card i made using only Cricut cuts... from the "thanks" sentiment, to the flower stem, to the flower itself. it looks really neat all layered and put together, don't you think? i LOVE that "thanks" font--cute stuff.

the only "non-Cricut" elements used were adhesive (foam tape, quickie glue pen, and ATG adhesive) and the button/ twine in the center of the flower.

this card fits into a business size envelope, so it's a "long and skinny" card. hehe. i love how i can just cut out pieces for cards, and assemble and voila--there's a beautiful card!

thanks again, and check back soon for news on my trip :D

i didn't know they had buttons!

here is a SUPER quick and easy card i made with some pretty patterned paper from a huge value pack... just cut the card to the preferred size, cut down the patterned paper (1/4" smaller), and find embellishments to match! you may recognize the same paper from *THIS POST* a while back...

in my case, the embellishments i pulled out matched the paper perfectly, and were super fun too! (who doesn't love orange :D) i layered some Prima flowers, and tied them all together with some orange twine and an Yves Saint Laurent button. yes, a button! i didn't know they made/ had buttons (i mean, i KNOW they had them on clothing, but i bought the button pack from Michael's that contained this orange cutie...) anyway, i was like, wow!

and there ya go. nothing fancy today, just the basics. i'm coming home today--from Ecuador (read about it in THIS POST). i'll be super super super busy the next few days transitioning into teaching/ coaching from summer, and i'll be re-adjusting to having my sister, Cecelia, home too, but never fear--i've actually pre-scheduled a post for tomorrow, so come back and check it out!

winter wonderland!

ooh, my first Christmas card finished! yay!

i used: ribbon from Costco (leftovers from last years wrapping), The Paper Company "Winter Wonderland" stamp, Fresh Ink in Chocolate, Cricut cut--Accent cartridge, *snowflake*, DCWV Downtown Stack, corner rounder, and red, cream, and kraft cardstock.

like, love it? tell me :D

you're a sweetie + ice cream chickies

look at these sweet DeNami Design stamps! ah, so cute :D here i used the ice cream chickies (and colored them pink! my favorite :D) and then i used the sentiment "you're a sweetie!" to compliment the image.

i used some K&Co paper (super colorful... you can even see some unicorns back there) and my Martha Stewart border punches. the *bright* pink dotted paper is from Bazzill. oh, and that sweet label/ frame shape? that's a Cricut cut. i love it--super classy, and the best part is--you can downsize/ upsize it to fit ANY of your projects.

that's all for today, hope you enjoyed it :D

sending you wheelbarrows of love!

look at those cute little wheelbarrows! they're the sweetest ever, right? i love the elegant touch the pearl strand adds (a value buy from Jo-Ann's)...

well, these cards (i made 6 of similar design, color, etc) were a blast to make. i busted out my Cricut again for the flowers/ wheelbarrow--this time using the Walk in My Garden cartridge. it's full of garden images, and really beautiful flowers... perfect for those embellishments for cards or page layouts. i think i'll be making a garden card for my Dad soon--he's the one who's always in our backyard making things look fantastic. in fact, he even has his own blog where he posts new projects and pictures from his favorite "changes." you should check it out :D

oooo, and that sentiment "sending you love" is one of my favorites from DeNami Design--i recently went to a show where they were selling and ended up walking away with a TON of new stamps... they just came out with a new line, you really have to go check them out for the sweetest/ cutest/ most versatile stamps ever. did i mention they were cute?

i used paper from AC and (agh, can't remember the green pattern!), as well as some black ric-rack. the green paper was to "ground" the Cricut images... like grass :D oh, and that border punch, Martha Stewart style, is fast becoming a favorite... scallops tend to trap me!

well, thanks for stopping by, and hope you have a wonderful day! i'm just loving reading all your comments!

ummmm? and butterflies...

ummm? well, what can i say? haha. this card uses a unique mix... from patterned papers (DCWV floral mat stack & the stripes from another company) to the lacy border punch and extra layer of *real* lace on top... then the image. :D makes me smile just thinking about it. this stamp comes from the DoodleFactory line from Starving Artists. i turned this cute little guy into a zombie in a previous post HERE. this card has a very different feel, though, than the zombie one. it was a happy day, just not something "normal." :D

anyway, here's a sweet card. it's the same design/ elements/ everything as THIS CARD, but the patterned paper changed. still a really sweet card--don't you LOVE the Martha Stewart butterfly punch?

thanks for looking, and have a wonderful day!

you light up my life...

here's a sweet card... :D kraft paper, some Bazzil pink dotted cardstock, stitched ribbon, Cricut scalloped square, a little glitter bling (DeNami Design), and a couple stamps from Impress...

i love that little sentiment, "you light up my life," don't you? it's kind of an all occasion card, but almost 100% likely for a girl... don't know many guys who'd like this one--hehe! i don't normally stamp in brown, and you can tell the middle of the chandelier didn't get inked all the way. i've done better images since, but oh well. you win some, you lose some. :D

thanks for looking and leaving your lovely comments, they make me smile, or shall i say,

"You light up my life..."

whale of a tale!

check out this cute little whale punch from Martha Stewart! i think it just screams "baby" card to me... and i *have* made a baby card with it, but for these cards, i broke out some blue/ teal, and yellow paper... and here i have a semi-sophisticated look using this darling punch. the first card is super simple--layered shapes, small strip of patterned paper, and two buttons with orange stickles in the middle (they sank into the holes when they dried).

and for this card, the ribbon, flower, and tiny bit of bling add to that sophisticated look on this card, eh? i LOVE the loops on this ribbon... perfect detail. i also added a few touches of orange stickles to the patterned paper to add some interest around the flowers.

i think i'll be breakout out this punch again (along with the scoll-like curvy square punch from McGill)... they make a great team! thanks for checking this out, i'll keep you posted with more cards soon :D

(also, my apologies to my blog readers et. al. for not commenting on your awesome cards lately, i'm actually out of the country... in Ecuador, for a church missions trip. fun stuff! just means i can't look at and "oooh" and "ahhh" over your beautiful creations. i'll make up for it later, promise!)

sweet stuff (DeNami Style!)

here's a colored image from DeNami Designs... i've seriously fallen in love with their lovely stamps... just about every single stamp i see i want! agh! keep my wallet away :D hehe. well, i punched out the image with a McGill curvy punch, and then there's some DCWV Sweet Factory paper in the background... cutest cupcakes EVER!

super simple with the buttons, paper, and punched out image. no ribbon even! well, i'm keeping this post short, but thanks for looking :D

i've been in Ecuador for about 5 days now... i probably look somewhat haggard and don't smell as pretty as i do at home, but i'm sure i'll be having good times no matter what!

smile :D

here's a card i made a while back with my WildCard Cricut cartridge. it's got so many cute, fun, happy features, that i haven't even begun to make half of the cards i've thought of... this smile made me think of a good "feel better" kind of card--you know for those people who've had it rough lately, or just aren't feeling good... or just for bdays :D

there's some sweet sassafras paper (mini hearts... gotta love em) and of course a butoon and simple grosgrain ribbon. i inked up the sides, smile, and eyes on taht cutie smiley face so there'd be some more definition...

i'll definitely be breaking out this cut again... it's perfect! thanks for looking, and hope you're enjoying your summer :D

and for those of you who want to know about how Ecuador is treating me: it is SUPER! i love it. i have had a chance to teach at a conference already and am looking forward to sharing Bible stories with tons of little children next week :D

so very hip!

i've recently become obsessed with embossing. i say recently because i didn't have a heat gun or any powder until maybe three weeks ago. the reason why i didn't have one was because i was worried that it would take a long time to add to my cards, and that was a reasonable concern, because sometimes my cards take a long time to make... too long. but! with this card, i only used one stamp (awesome purchase from Impress!) and i embossed using clear powder (i stamped in red). embossing this totally adds to the look...

it's just "so very hip" hehe :D i bought the Retro-Mod stack of paper from DCWV, and it has these coolio sentiments all on one sheet! so i cut one out, layered it atop a Bazzil flower (HUGE one!) and put pom poms along the edge. kraft, white and red look great together, don't they?

loving this card, and the simplicity. embossing doesn't take forever like i thought... good thing too, cause i really *am* addicted.

movies, masking, and more!

yay, i got to participate in the 365 cards challenge blog again! it's been forever since i submitted a card! day 163's challenge was to try a technique; masking!

i've masked before, and i loved the results. this time i cut out two different trees from my Cricut Wild Card cartridge and stamped all over the negative space on the solid green area on my card. i used different ink colors, and placed them at different heights.

here's the cute little sentiment i made up using my mini alpha set and a "Birthday" part from another stamp. i added MM brads and some twine to the edge.

here you can see the trees layered, masked, and stamped, as well as the cute little owl. (i know Amy loves owls... hope she likes this one :D)

oooh, and tonight i'll be seeing this movie, G.I. Joe, for the second time tonight, with my good friend, Paulina. i've seen it, loved it, and know she will too! (it has Channing Tatum in it ;) hehe) despite many poor reviews i read before watching it on Saturday, i still liked the movie--it was action and adventure, and a lot of fun.

anyway, i really am going to pack now, so i've gotta go!

retro happy birthday + 2S4U Laura's #32

here i have a post the day before i leave for Ecuador--ah! (no, i haven't started packing, but that's what i'm doing IMMEDIATELY after this post :D) this week over at 2sketches4you, Laura had a really cute sketch, and since i haven't played in a while, i thought i'd submit my card before taking an almost 2 week absence (don't worry, i've scheduled posts for when i'm gone--promise!)

here's the sketch:

as always, i tend to change the sketch to "make it work" for me, so this card wasn't any different.

for this card base, i decided to use kraft. i LOVE kraft paper... it's so *neutral* and *versatile* :D with all the loud colors i used on this card, i think the neutral was needed...

well, this is the first time i've ever done faux stitching on a card... not too bad, eh? (well, at least if you don't look closely.) i actually really like the composition of this card... it's the colors i'm somewhat iffy about, but still, i like trying things at least once.

so here's a shot of the embossed sentiment attached with a cute little clothespin + ribbon. oh, and the bling & pinking sheared edge are great too, huh? i like 'em!

and here's my finished card! the red behind the stacked squares looks really orange in this picture, but IRL it's not... don'tcha love that ruffly ribbon? i got it in a random bag pack from Impress Rubber Stamps in their clearance bin. oh! and that purple scalloped square is a cut from one of my Cricut cartridges. somehow i end up using one or two elements from Cricut cuts to make my cards... which is good for me. i just know that some people make cards ENTIRELY from cuts they've made with their Cricut.

the coolio patterned paper comes from DCWV's Mod-Retro stack (or is it Retro-Mod stack? can't remember), and isn't it a great 70's flashback? not that i was alive to know... but! see that print behind the button? the words? that's part of a page i ripped out of a book.

it's a cool card. i like it. i'll have to find a special recipient. what do you think? nice or meh? thanks for commenting, i love reading 'em!