10 Minute Craft Dash #4

hi everyone!  it's the first wednesday in october, so you know what that means...

time for the 10 Minute Craft Dash Challenge #4!  super excited about this one, mostly because the colors include red, and also because when i was creating cards with this color palette, i just couldn't stop!  i actually made three cards--one of which you'll see today, and the others later on :D

we also have an awesome prize up for grabs for the winner of this challenge, so make sure you get your entries in before the deadline, you don't want to miss this!

Paulina and i are so lucky to have such awesome sponsors for our challenges, so make sure you show them some love yourself, and head over to WPlus9 to check out all the awesomeness you could buy with your $20 gift certificate! (or you could just buy the awesomeness anyway :D)

so anyway, on to my card...

i think i must be getting better at this challenge (hehehe) because this card only took me 7 minutes and 29 seconds.  that's a new record for me.  i pulled out some 6x6 papers, had my twine and washi tape ready (don't think i've made a card or project without washi tape for a long long time), and started my timer!  one thing that definitely helped in this challenge was having the chevron bag... i like putting those on my cards because it's perfect for slipping another little note in, or a gift certificate even!

so there you have it, hope you enjoyed!  if you haven't been to Paulina's blog yet, you need to check it out, she has all the details for how long the challenge runs, and also the spot to LINK UP your own project.  so what are you waiting for? :D

thanks for stopping by, xoxo!

10 Minute Craft Dash #3

hi there!

Paulina and i are super pumped because the third challenge for the 10 Minute Craft Dash is here!  check out the colors on this one... so fun and happy :D

in our first challenge, all you had to do to participate was create a project in 10 minutes or less, post the time on your blog/ photo space of choice, and link up to our page.  well... if you missed our second challenge (which was TONS of fun!), we've introduced a new element.  colors!  you're more than welcome to use neutrals along with the above colors, but we would LOVE to see what you can create within 10 minutes using the picks above as your guide!

now, i must confess, i was so excited when i saw our sponsor, Lawn Fawn (eek!), and even more excited when Kelly sent us some goodies to play with for this challenge.  couldn't help but snag the "Sunny Skies" stamp set and the 6x6 "Bright Side" paper pack.  awesome stuff i tell you!

and if that wasn't enough, Lawn Fawn is also sponsoring our giveaway!

you're not going to want to miss this... whoever our winner is will be one lucky duck!  (oh: and if you missed the WINNERS POST for challenge #2, then make sure you follow the link and head over there to see who Paulina and i picked for winner and favorites!)

okay, so you already know the details/ guidelines... i'm here to show you what i created in (get this!) NINE MINUTES and 18 SECONDS!  **i think this is my fastest card yet, but i'm not sure how, i kept thinking "why hasn't the alarm gone off yet?" hahaha**

washi tape was my best friend on this one.  i still can't get over the fact that i was able to fussy cut my sun, pop his face up, AND get a stamped banner in there... *phew* i was pushing my luck!

haha, anyway, i totally enjoyed myself (as always), and if you're here without first visiting Paulina, then you need to scoot outta here to check out her awesome creation--don't miss it!

so happy you've popped in here... hope to see you playing along.

i'd love to know what you think! thanks for stopping by, xoxo

my brain isn't always logical...

hey everyone! long time, no see, right?

well, i wanted to share a few things with you, but beware! they're in no particular order and aren't necessarily crafty:

• my friend Paulina has an awesome fitness blog and she's having a GIVEAWAY that you can still get entered in
• i recently joined PINTEREST and have become quite addicted. thankfully i'm busy right now, so my time on the site is limited, but BOY oh BOY!
• my co-teacher Jen and i are heading to Seattle this weekend for our twice yearly scrapbook retreat... we're going to be experimenting with paperbag scrapbooks, so it should be fun... oh, and we'll also be making sure that we just relax and enjoy ourselves, maybe have a drink or two :D

• i'm going to be joining a band in the next week... i know what you might be thinking, a BAND?? really? well, it's not a rock band, and i'm not going to be singing... i'll be playing one of the two instruments i know--the tenor saxophone (i've played the clarinet for longer, but don't enjoy it as much). i'll be in a community band (about 40 people, aged 16-70+) that practices once a week and plays concerts throughout the year. it seems like it's laid-back, which is perfect for me since i won't be able to go to every single practice, you know? BUT, one thing you should know. i am SUPREMELY excited about this. in my college search back in HS, i specifically looked for a college that had 3 things: water polo, marching band, and a good education program. i was blessed to have found one that specifically met my requirements :D so yes, i have "band camp" stories, and they're actually hilarious. i loved playing ALL FOUR YEARS in my college marching band. in fact, if i could afford it, i'd go back every single year and play in the alumni marching band performance they have every fall. music for me is almost like crafting... it relaxes me, and i love being a part of a group. does anyone kwim?
• i'm currently reading "To Kill A Mockingbird," and i really love it. i somehow missed reading this in HS or college, and i'm so glad i picked it off my shelf recently.
  
  (photo courtesy of Amazon.com)
• my birthday is coming up, and i recently discovered the Amazon Wishlist feature. does anyone else use this? i think it's awesome because you can post anything from the internet to whatever wishlist you want, and it puts it all in one place. amazing.
• the library system in my county now has free music downloads through a resource called "freegal." the music you get can even be downloaded to an iPod, etc. how cool is that?? :D

• i'm decorating birdhouses instead of making cards or scrapbooking. i mean, i'm not going to stop doing either of the other things (tongue-twister there), but for RIGHT NOW, i've been making some decorative birdhouses that will go around my apartment.
  
  
  (note to self: still must share apartment photos. after i do 4 loads of laundry. *le sigh*)

and that's it, i think... oh, please come back for the DeNami Design Blog Hop on sunday...

because it will be awesome... thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments :D

welcome December! & vintage love

hi everyone! it's December now, and it's my favorite time of the year--Christmas! :D i've been so excited about Christmas for the last few weeks (or maybe even months) that i know i've had several dreams about my decorations, how things will work out when family comes to visit, etc.

are you getting excited for the season too? i sure hope you are... it's coming sooner than we know! :D

so i know a lot of people have been talking about doing a December Daily scrapbook album, and i've actually planned ahead to join the fun. in mid-November I made all my foundation pages and sparsely embellished some of them, so i'm all set to go! i can't wait to have a daily record of the things i do in December... whether they tie into Christmas or not!

so, i also have a card for you... it's sort of a vintage shabby card, and it would be perfect for a wedding or anniversary. the sentiment reads 'happily ever after' but it's hard to see in the picture. speaking of 'ever after,' during the snow storm here last week, i had a friend and her family come over to wait for traffic conditions to get better, and we watched that movie. a SERIOUS favorite of mine :D

oooh, see that doily peeking out? i'm loving doilies (just like everyone else :D) and thought it matched perfectly. there are also some Sassafras papers (not on the bright side of things like i normally do) and a graphic 45 tag too. i got to borrow a PTI set from Paulina for the sentiment, and i used some DeNami Design grosgrain ribbon for that sweet little bow :D

this card just makes me sigh... now if only i could find a man ...hehehe! :D

well, i think that's it for now... go and enjoy your first day of December--things will get crazy soon!

sweet smile :D and blog award!

hey there!

happy friday to everyone... hope you're planning on having some fun this weekend.

i just got my hair cut (it's the same way i normally do it, just... shorter!) and i tried to re-create the salon look that my hairdresser did for me yesterday. does anyone else have the problem where it doesn't look quite like it did when you left? haha... i tried really hard, i really did :D but anyway, i'm planning to have some fun this weekend. i'm going to see "The Other Guys" with my friend Paulina (seems like we haven't met up in FOREVER!) and i'm ready to have some laughs :D

tomorrow is an 'open day' for me which is good because i won't have many more of those left before school starts. let me just tell you... teachers don't want summer to end!! *le sigh*

but there is some more fun planned... at church on Sunday night i'm going to be going to an ice cream feed... who doesn't love ice cream??? :D

and here i am to share with you some sweetness... i love this paper from DCWV Sweet Stack, and it's perfect for these girly shabby chic cards :) yummy enough to eat, right? hehe :D

there's some lovely lace layered on top of a Fiskars apron lace border punch strip... then there are some roses and May Arts ribbon with PTI buttons, Colorbok sentiment circles, MS punched butterflies topped with rhinestones, and then some Colorbok strawberry buttons on top of MM white glitter flowers. and don't forget the doilies! i cut them in half and layered them behind the middle portion--you can see them peeking out from the sides. i also used PTI's Big and Bold set for the pink scroll image stamped up at the top of the card.

essentially, both of these chock full of goodness! such fun to make, and i'm so happy to share this yumminess with you. hope you enjoy! (calorie free... hehe!)

so a while back (actually a month ago) the sweet Amy gave me a blog award! Amy has a super unique and lovely style that inspires me every time i visit... she has truly mastered the art of using her Cricut to add something special to just about every project she makes (you've made me jealous of your savvy Amy!!) go check out her blog and leave her some love...

and now... i would like to pass this blog award on to the following 5 people for their fabulous blogs that always inspire me... (there are seriously so many more blogs out there that i frequent like a stalker :D hehe! but for this i'm just passing it on to five lovelies!)

Paulina of PrettyPinkPosh

Heidi of VanLaar Designs

Amy of Tsuruta Designs

Andrea of Creative Paper Trail

and Karen Baker of The Bald Dragonfly

(and an honorable mention/ shout-out goes to my sister Cecelia of Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia... but she doesn't fully count for this blog award since she doesn't paper craft :D unless you count devouring hundreds of books in a short amount of time--hehe!)

so that's a wrap... you would be doing YOURSELF a favor by dropping by these blogs to check out their latest and greatest... serious eye candy happening at every single one :D

thanks for stopping by and checking everything out. now go out and enjoy your weekend! XOXO

dusting off the camera

so it's been a few days since my last post, and it's not for lack of projects to share... *le sigh*

i just haven't been photographing things! so i rectified the situation and got some photos taken and edited to share with you. these cards feature an Impress flower stamp (that i received as a bday present from the lovely Paulina a few bdays ago) or an Impress damask stamp, PTI Signature Greetings stamp set, as well as PTI's Polka Dot Basics II, and some ribbon.

simple simple.

you may notice these cards from the teaser i gave you last week...

i made a whole bunch of these in different colors and with different sentiments. i cut the circles with my Cricut, and attached them directly to the card base after i embossed the flower/ damask stamp. makes a great statement without too much work!

thanks for stopping by... i'll be getting some more cards edited to share with you soon!

happy bday + CPS #175

whew, quick post today.

first off, i would like to wish a fellow blogger, and great personal crafting friend, Paulina, a happy birthday! she's an awesome girly, and i love her constant inspiration and sense of style. heck i even love her spontaneity :D

you should hop over to her blog and leave her some love today as she turns ...well, i'll let her tell you ;) hehe

okay, now to the card. here's the sketch, with the gallery to be found HERE:

and my old fashioned, girly card...

i had a really fun time with this card. more Hambly frame overlay for this, PTI buttons, wrinkle ribbon, a rosebud, Graphic 45 patterned paper and die cut paper shape, DCWV brown flocked silhouette paper, and then brown AC ribbon ruffled around the back of the Graphic 45 lady in pink :D

thanks for stopping by--i've been loving reading all your comments, they cheer me up so much :D

ROY G. and mustard?

happy wednesday! it's soo nice outside today--mid-80's in Washington, and the Mt. is out, and i had breakfast at a fav. place... omygosh, it's gonna be a good day.

PLUS, i get to have a crafty friend over (the one that was supposed to come Monday and then before that was supposed to come last week... but 3rd time's the charm, right? ;) hehe)

okay, so you may be wondering about the blog title... remember how you were taught in kindergarten what all the colors were? ROY G. BIV, like a guy's name? stood for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet? yeah, well, my tags today don't go all the way through the rainbow, but they sure are pretty :D

so the first set is a maroon bunch... i like them, but really, i was stretching myself in an effort to create something with this color... but i think the end result is pretty cool. i used some SU! flower stickers, buttons, and even a few MM die cut shapes (the guitars and POW! and "sweet" sentiments).

next up is the orange... geez, a whole smattering of stuff slobbered on here :D mostly leftovers. SEI ribbon and paper, Impress stamp, Graphic 45 die cuts, buttons, a MM travel dog tag, a poofy flower, and even a PTI sentiment thrown in there.

it almost reminds me of "I Spy" books... like: can you find the clothespin? hehe :D

oooh! YELLOW!

these tags are probably in my top favs. for the bunch. i used PTI stamps (tiny treats that i bought from Paulina, polka dot basics II), AC gingham orange ribbon, some ric-rac, and then DCWV grade school stack paper :D DUDE >> these are SOO cute :D

with sentiments and images to match, they'd be perfect for gift tags for little kids, boys, or just about anyone. i love the plane image with "love is in the air..." hehe!

okay, i know you may be sick of the green tags by now, but i cut out 3 different kinds of green tags, and i really liked playing with all the shade variations. again, it's a smorgasbord out there :D

some of the tags got a little bit more attention than others, and that's okay--sometimes less fuss is good.

and btw, i'm not even going to try to list off the supplies i used. EEK!

okay, lastly, i have MUSTARD tags for you. oh, these tags made me shudder a little, until i found some awesome paper from K&CO that i had stashed away (it's the floral in the fancy square punch shape), and then paired it with BG's Indian Summer 6x6 pad and some Bazzill card stock. super fun!

plus, those roses are perfect, and the AC ribbon is AWESOME, and the polka dots! like i said, i'm in LOVE.

so different and happy, and i never thought i'd say this, but i like the mustard tags :D

okay, so i don't want to prolong this too long... here are some cards i made for a special order from a teacher at school. they're ones she wanted 'copied' from previous cards she'd seen on the blog...

can never go wrong with owls, right? :D

ooh! then look at more colorful goodness! these are going to be used as a thank you set, i think, and i monogrammed them for her. don't they look awesome like this?

i used the fancy punch again, some pearl stickles things (i know they're not stickles, but can't remember...) different papers from all over to match the card stock colors, and then a 'C' from a Technique Tuesday set that i own.

well, what do you think? it's been fun sharing these tags with you, and i do have a few more to show, but i think i'll save that for later. i want to show you my scrapbook page (good guesses, btw, although i think it wasn't that hard to guess) tomorrow.

so, stay tuned. love to hear your comments! XOXO

july ramblings

hello!

how are you all? i've been seeing some of your lovely creations and reading about your *busy* lives and i just love it. i really enjoy peeking into the window of your life, and i'm glad that you care enough to look over here :D

tonight i'm going to bring you some ramblings. no cards or layouts right now, although i'm working on that. just some fun tidbits about me :D

so here are some random pieces of whatever about me/ my life/ my loves...

• i hate being in the only bathroom stall in the whole building that doesn't have any toilet paper, and just so happens to not have anyone in the bathroom to GIVE you any... ahh! so annoying!

• i am quite addicted to books... i really like reading them but sometimes can't allow myself to get sucked in. you know what i mean? like, i know if i start a book, and i get into it (which i always do), i'll want to keep reading and i'll be up forever? yeah. last time i did started reading a new book at night i went to bed at 5am. no joke.
• my necklace collection rivals my tank top collection. which is saying a LOT. i mean, hello? i need them in all different COLORS... gosh! ;)
• i am currently addicted to watching "america's got talent." i LOVE seeing the horrible auditions, the great auditions, and mostly, howie mandel's reactions :D

• i cleaned up last night. there was a mostly full sink of dishes waiting for over 1 week and i finally did them and put some in the dishwasher. do you ever wait a really long time? or am i the only one who can get away with that because i'm single?
• annoying people and making them laugh is one of my goals in life. i love to do it simultaneously if possible. today, i showed a motion-sensored, light-up GRUB to my vice principal at school. kinda like those dancing/ singing fish? the ones where if you walk by they start moving and making noise. yeah? it was AWESOME. i was getting 'prepared' for next year... HA! (p.s. i love being a teacher on break :D)
• while drinking water tonight i burned my tongue. i have a sinus infection (from AGES ago... it's been lingering, i've been in denial, i've been hacking up a lung recently but am now on the getting better/ on antibiotics side of things) and i wanted to drink some warm water, so i put a cup in the microwave, and ended up setting the time for too long. burned. OUCH!
• i LOVE to scream on roller coasters and amusement park/ fair rides. i.LOVE.it. i chaperoned a field trip to an amusement park recently before the end of school, and i think i enjoyed myself more than my kids.
• here's a random facebook post i made the other day:

Virginia Larsen hasn't been to a dance recital in who knows how long... go jewett girls! :D

• i learned (and taught) a two-part harmony during a long car drive/ ride the other day. even though i was sick and didn't have a voice, i thoroughly enjoyed it. and i discovered that i'm not actually all that bad once you teach me the part. i used to think that since i was a band geek in HS and college (all four years in both HS and college... i was in the marching band... tenor sax... i went to band camp) i couldn't really sing/ harmonize. but omygosh! i like it! :D
• i love my brothers. they're awesome. all of them. and my SISTER??? don't even get me started on how cool SHE is :D hehe!
• my family dog 'cookie' back at home HATES 4th of july fireworks, and sometimes, i have to agree with her. don't get me wrong, i love seeing the shows, and the awesome displays, and an occasional sparkler... BUT >> what i really don't like is trying to sleep at night on the 4th... it's WAY.TOO.LOUD. anyone with me here?
• current music obsession is Ke$ha... i could literally dance all night *BIG SMILE*

• current flavor obsession is... give me some cream cheese + jam on some toast or a bagel. plain and simple. that, or americanized asian food :)
• current movie obsession is anything funny. like i just watched tom sellack in 'quigley down under,' and although it's an action movie, there are touches of humor that i LOVE.
• current smell obsession is just.washed.laundry. i love my detergent.
• lastly, i love reading blogs. i love reading blogs that people update frequently, and put an effort into (unlike me most of the time... boo! i know, i should, and i try, but recently it's seemed as if everything needs my attention more, and that really makes me sad.) so a few of the blogs i LOVE to read are as follows, and are TOTALLY worth checking out. do yourself a favor, and hop on over...

Amy Cecelia Christine Dawn Heidi Mish Paulina

so that's it for me tonight! i hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend (if you're in the USA!) and that you stay safe :D go eat lots of yummy potluck/ picnic food!

'thank you' for spring break!

omgosh! i've had such a busy and fun weekend...

let's see what i've done:

• started spring break on friday afternoon *yahoo!*
• DIDN'T coach any water polo on friday after school *DOUBLE YAHOO!*
  
• hosted an egg coloring party which was as i'd say, a HUGE success on friday night... first real party at the apt.
  
• slept in late on saturday, went to my parent's house and had some yummy breakfast
• colored more eggs (yes, more. this time with my mom)
• had some KRISPY KREME donuts! AHHHH! i LOVE them. you see, i think this might be a downfall for me... i live RIGHT next to a KK place... and they're so cheap and delicious. i will have to resist a LOT.
• met AMY at Jo-Anns to give her some Sassafras goodies that we split up :D sooo fun and awesome--i'm so lucky to have met/ talked with her. (and WHY did i not get a picture with her? grrr...)
• saw my friend's baby AGAIN (he's so cute!) and took her daughters to the library. we checked out some Bill Peet books that my sister Cecelia featured a while back on her blog, and also some Fancy Nancy books... can't go wrong with those, can you?
  
• had chile relleno casserole (oh how i LOVE that dish... will have to steal and make the recipe myself) YUM
  
• went to ANOTHER party that night... ate TONS of fruit, enjoyed friends and fellowship--stayed late.
  
• slept through my alarm on Sunday, so went to 2nd Easter service and listened to a great sermon. thanks Pastor!
  
• after church went to ANOTHER party at a family friends... they have 10 kids and are just so real and down to earth--can't even imagine :D
• ATE WAY TOO MUCH
• took a nap at said friends house
• went home
• finished one decoration for the wall
• watched a new suspense movie
• went to bed
• SLEPT UNTIL 12pm!!!!

so you see, i've been busy. but it's been amazing. this week will be full of nothingness/ hanging out/ doing whatever. it will be my 1st spring break not at my parents house, so i'll be able to do WHATEVER and sleep till WHENEVER. (maybe you've wondered what teachers do during their breaks... same things the kids do.) i'm planning on seeing the movie "Date Night" featuring Steve Carrell and Tina Fey with my friend Paulina this weekend, but i think i'll be making some time for a few movies that i've wanted to see too... $2 movie theater, here i come!

anyway, my cards were super fun to make, and i made them within a batch of cards... flowers, MM little blue flower, carolyn gavin epoxy sticker, bigger Prima flowers, MM/ DCWV/ WRMK paper, PTI sentiment, and some cricut cuts. ah, some bling there too :D

anyway, i think tonight's dinner is going to be Costco style... so cheap yet yummy :D

thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely Monday!

March PTI Blog Hop

i have a fun post for you today, because it's the 25th, and time for...


here's the challenge from Nichole this month...

This month we're calling all button lovers! Now's your chance to explore the world of possibilities that buttons hold! From borders to backgrounds, accents and embellishments, or even incorporating them into stamp images like any of our Button Bits stamp sets. From paper projects to home decor to jewelry and more, the sky's the limit! We want to see all your very best creations using buttons and the inspiration we will gain from each other should prove to be truly enticing!

now this challenge was actually a little harder for me than i thought it would be... not because i don't use buttons, but because i had to pick what to DO with them--limiting it all down to one or two projects. sheesh! there's so much you can do with buttons!

so, i present you with project #1:

i think this paper from Sassafras Lass is my new addiction... i LOVE the Nerdy Bird line! i think that the cute little clouds/ sunshine, and arts/ crafts images are sooo cute... and they're so cheery and fun--perfect for a baby boy gift, don't you think?

i have a friend who's expecting any day now, and i've already made a baby girl card in case she has a girl, but she kinda has a "feeling" about this kid--she thinks she'll have a boy. :) i don't have any experience with having babies, but i hear that womens intuition is fairly accurate... is that so? her family doesn't like to know the sex of the baby before it's born, so i'm in suspense waiting to find out! the blues on this paper were perfect for a boy gift, so i'm hoping i get to give it to her!

can you see the "congrats on your new little bundle" sentiment from Dawn's Signature Greetings set? ahh, so perfect for the front of the envelope


so here's a cute little bottle full of pom poms that i might give her--or i might just fill it with some sweets that she's been craving lately :D the bottle has a cute Sassafras sticker and a button topping the center. then right up next to the bottle and lid is a close-up picture of the buttons that i stamped in random colors and added some real buttons too :)


this is a shot of the back of the envelope--i added a 'baby' stamp from DeNami Design, and put a gem like a little asterisk on the side... it's the little details, right?


ahhh! here's one of my favorite parts! the 'smile' letters are from American Crafts, and i put a little button instead of the dot on the 'i' :D but do you see below that? the row of rainbow buttons? the AWESOME rainbow buttons from Studio Style? so so so fun! slightly time consuming, but TOTALLY WORTH IT! i used 14 different stamp inks for the row of buttons... the middle sized button with 4 holes seemed to be the perfect one to use for the border above the ribbon, and i can't wait to do this again!


it's almost too cute to give away, but i think i can handle it :D

project #2:

here i decided to make some of my own button background paper, and i did it using Dawn McVey's stamp set Studio Style. i just love these buttons, and the fact that you can stamp them in any color you want. i love shabby chic cards, and i decided to make one here. i used mostly pink ink and then some Tim Holtz distressing ink to give the paper a softer look.

i paired this PTI hop with an awesome sketch from DeNami Design that was created by my friend Paulina. i also made a card using this sketch earlier this week. you can see it here.


anyway, i used some Basic Grey Lemonade paper from a 6x6 pack, and some book print i had stamped and added a button to to make a cute little flower like the ones that Dawn has made.


i thought that since the ric-rac die came out from PTI this month too, it would work to use some here too (with lace of course). i added some gems, and my sentiment 'sweet friend' is stamped on the flower leaves, and it comes from DeNami Design as well. here's the close up of the focal point...

do you like it? :D

and project #3:

for this card i used some WeRMemory Keepers paper... it's got tons of glitter in all the right spots, as well as some distressing. :D i paired it up with Making Memories "just chillin'"paper (the orange and white w/ stars). then i used my Cricut to cut the oval shapes, which i rarely do, i usually use circles... and pulled some flowers out of my stash (Prima). the buttons in the flower centers are topped with gems, and there's a sweet flourish made of gems :D can never have too much bling, can you?


i decided to use the Big & Bold Wishes set for this card... such a great set for sentiments, and it really packs a punch on this card that is kind of busy. what do you think of all the bright colors? did you notice i grouped another set of buttons along the side, orange ones from DeNami Design (tutti frutti pack)


like i said before, i couldn't narrow it down to one project! which one did you like the best? i kinda liked all of them... :D thanks so much for stopping by--i'm so looking forward to seeing everything that you've created!

happy hopping!

DeNami Sketch Challenge #1

i think i know what you're thinking...

either it's--omgosh, why is she doing ANOTHER sketch challenge,

OR

it's--yay! so glad she's showing me something pretty :D

i'm hoping the latter is the case.

so--here's the deal. DeNami Design is having a lot of fun over at their newly remade blog, and they're really amping up the fun... they're hosting a challenge twice a month on the 5th and the 20th, and all you have to do is follow the guidelines--either use the colors, sketch, theme, etc.

AND here's the best part (for me at least)... my good friend Paulina is on the DT, and she *MADE* this sketch! how COOL is that? :D

anyway, awesome sketch Paulina... here's my creation.

i was definitely in a summery mood... i've got the 'yum yum' stamp in light green ink in the background along with the small polka dot stamp paired with the watermelon slice image... all from DeNami.
the sketch is really sweet and simple--perfect for a newbie, or really just anyone. no excuses not to play, right? :D *ha, like we need excuses to make cards, right?*

so yeah, i added the lace from my LSS, the BG watermelon chippie (from the lemonade line) along with some b/w SEI paper and some bling along the bottom of the watermelon rind.

so what do you think? gonna play along? if you don't then AT LEAST go and look over at Paulina's work, or the others from the blog :D

have fun this week... i'm definitely going to be busy. i have 3 polo games to coach this week, so i'm sure i'll be really tired all the time. i can't wait for a friend of mine to have her baby--can't wait to meet him or her! :D

well, have an awesome week, thanks for stopping by!

Papertrey Blog Hop + bridal shower invites

okay, so this is my first PTI blog hop, and i think it's the perfect one to show you the custom order from Etsy of bridal shower invites i made for my sister Cecelia who's the maid of honor in her college roomie's wedding.

the blog hop challenge was to create a card that incorporated the "whole" deal... i.e.: front + inside of the card + envie decoration. well, this was a lot more fun than i anticipated! :D let's look! (note: apparently i'm SUPER late for the blog hop, but if you're stopping by anyway, THANK YOU!)

i was a little cautious regarding the color choices for the wedding--cantaloupe orange, rose pink, and ivory. well, let me tell you--working with these lovely colors, i honestly couldn't love them more... and they look FABULOUS together :D i love how i was able to get different looks each and every card (not too different) just by switching the paper colors a tad, or the ribbon choice, etc.

here's the first one--it uses the Big and Bold stamp set from PTI as well as some Heidi Swapp images (the little couple, and the heart border). i got to play with the inks for these stamps and vary the colors a little more than i did with the paper and the ribbon--i think that a little bit of bright on these goes a long way, don't you? plus, Liz (girly who's getting married) is a really sophisticated gal, and i thought that these would work for her shower just perfectly.

see what i mean? the invite looks completely different just by moving some things around. i really love the patterned paper i used--by the paper company, and all the cardstock was from coredinations (minus the stamped panel).

oh, and here's the cutest idea i had for the whole card... see that little car with the gifts on the inside? another Heidi Swapp stamp, plus the "and they lived happily ever after" from PTI. ahh, it's just perfect for the inside of the card. this is at the very bottom, because i needed to leave room for my sister to write out the shower info details above it.

ooh! these are the coordinating envies i stamped quickly before i shipped the twenty invites out. *yes, i said 20--but i didn't get bored with this project... i wish i had more custom orders!* isn't that little touch on the flap so perfect?

here's a group shot of some of the invites... omgoodness--i seriously had the greatest time making these, and almost wish i knew someone who needed something similar so i could keep on making some! hehe.

also, beware! i will be posting more of these cards (they're all different, like i said) so prepare yourself :D

also, if you haven't been over to my friend Paulina's blog, you should TOTALLY check out her version of the blog hop--SUPER cute :D

well, thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful night! :D