Drop and run!

Look, here are those two cards I made earlier, that I told you about in my last (very short) post. I know, I know....just say it...FINALLY.

This first one was for a wonderful friend's amazing daughter, for her birthday.

This is such a cute Maggie. I don't own her, unfortunately. I got her in a card kit swap through the Magnolia-Licious group on Yahoo. I colored her up with my copics and used this adorable lady bug die cut (also in the card kit). I added my own ladybug button from my stash. I wrote a note to Kyra in the card and sent her birthday present off in good faith that our USPS would deliver it. Alas, they did not. The package has been lost for over a month now. Sigh...

 

Anyway, this second card went to my gram following a surgical procedure that kept her in the hospital for a few days. She may be in her 80's, but she's strong and stubborn, so now she's home and recovering with aplomb. Purple is her favorite color, and she likes feminine touches, flowers, and birds. This is another image that I don't own and was supplied to me in a card kit. She was so much fun to color, though, that I might have to hit Diana's store.

 I've gotten a bit closer to making more cards than just these two. I've colored some images and signed up for a crop in November. Yeah, I haven't gotten much further than that. Baby steps, right? Christmas is fast approaching, though, and I've got to make a few cards for those people that won't ever shut up if I don't. LOL. Thanks for stopping by and I'll just hope to have more to show you in the upcoming weeks.

So sweet, I can't believe I forgot about her!

Look at this cutie. I don't know how I did it. Maybe it was the insane amount of stamps that I have. Maybe it was that I purchased her so long ago, when she was first released (before her retirement). Maybe it was my fascination with my newer stamps. I don't know what insanity possessed me, but I forgot that this little sweetie was hanging out in my collection until Whimsy released their new stamps this month. She came out of retirement to be one of them (lucky girl!), and it just sparked my befuddled brain. I thought, "hey, wait! I think I have that one!" and sure enough, I found her hanging out with my other Elisabeth Bell stamps. Of course, I've got so many of them, she just got lost in the shuffle, poor little thing. Anyway, here she is, resurrected from the little stamp storage area in my scrap room. Isn't she darling? You can find her now at Whimsy stamps.

I colored her with copics. More specifically, E42,41,40 and R85,83,81 for her outfit, with a red stardust pen for some bling. I added pink frantage around the image, made my own little rosette out of lace, stuck pink rose ribbon through with a hatpins, added some old crochet, a vine die, butterflies, leaves, a charm, and a gingham ribbon, then perched her on some paper I made myself out of scraps. I love the look of patchwork, so I took a bunch of my scraps and made my own.

Sorry for the rather washed out picture. I'll try to get a better one later, before I gift her to a coworker on Monday. She needs the uplift; she's been dealing with some health issues and a bit of homesickness lately. Since she makes my days at work more fun, I decided I needed to do something for her, too.

This card is for the following challenges:
Whimsy Inspiration Challenge Blog - shaped card

Whimsy Stamps New Release Day 3

Hello and welcome to the Whimsy Stamps June Release Review Day Blog Hop! Woot Woot! In case you can't tell, I've been bouncing off the walls and super excited to join the DT for this month's release. I think I drove poor Simonne crazy, but she was too nice to say so.

Anyway, yesterday (June 19th) Whimsy Stamps released this month's new rubber designs, Shapeology dies and Whimsy Designer Paper packs. From June 18th until today the Whimsy Stamps DT and Special Guest (that’s me! yippee!) are showcasing these fabulous new goodies with a daily blog hop and I am part of today's hop! Each blog hop has a prize of 2 new release stamps hidden somewhere along the way and you have 24hrs to enter each prize draw. To be entered into today's blog hop prize draw, be sure to leave a comment on ALL of the DT's posts listed on the Whimsy blog by 12.00PM EST tomorrow. All winners will be announced on the Whimsy blog tomorrow!

For my blog hop card, I inked up the adorable "Sweet Sparkle" by the very talented Sylvia Zet. I love these images because they are so cute and so easy to color. Here's what I did with her this time:

For my last card with this image, I went a bit brighter. This time, I toned things down a bit for a softer look. I colored her with copics and added some sentiments from the new release called "Seashells by the Seashore". Papers are Graphic 45. I used punches to make the butterflies, photo corner, and grass, as well as my cloud die from Spellbinders and a Sassafras Lass flower to mimic the sun.

Remember that the entire new release is available to buy right now from the Whimsy Stamps store along with all your Whimsy favourites. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you’ve enjoyed the new release!

I hope you're not tired yet! It's the second day of hopping along with Whimsy's New Stamp Release

Hello and welcome to the Whimsy Stamps June 2013 Release Day BLOG HOP! It's day 2, baby! Lots of good stuff from the talented Whimsy DT (I'm so honored to showcase my work alongside theirs. How cool is that?), plus fabulous new goodies in the Whimsy store. In case you missed it, Whimsy Stamps has released some brand new Rubber Stamps, Stamp Sets, Whimsy Shapeology Dies and Whimsy Designer Paper 6x6 packs. These new goodies are available to buy right now from the Whimsy Stamps store along with all your Whimsy favourites. Please visit the Whimsy blog for a full reveal of this month’s new release.

Today we are holding a New Release blog hop to share creations made with some of the brand new Crissy Armstrong, Elisabeth Bell, Meljens Designs and 2 Cute Ink stamps. Each blog hop during our new release has a prize of 2 new release stamps hidden somewhere along the way and you have 24hrs to enter each prize draw. To be entered into today's blog hop prize draw, be sure to leave a comment on ALL of the DT posts listed on the Whimsy blog by 12.00PM EST tomorrow.

Now let's get to the cuteness, shall we? For today’s card I used Elisabeth Bell's Tweetest Friends. Regular visitors to my blog know that I have been a huge fan of Elisabeth Bell for a long, long time. I can't even begin to count how many of her stamps I have inked up and loved, and I am happy to add this beautiful little girl and her birdie friend to my collection. Check her out:

Isn't she precious? I colored her with copics and then cut her out with some trusty Spellbinders dies. The sentiment is also from the new release; it's a set called "Seashells by the Seashore". I added some seam binding and a few other bits of eye candy before finally declaring this card to be done.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Don't forget to come back tomorrow to check out the final day of the new release. We've got good stuff in store. I promise!

 

As an aside, I'm entering this card in:

Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge (6/22)

We're hopping for Whimsy's Newest Stamp Release!

Hello everyone! I am beyond excited (dancing around the room, hollering like a banshee), thrilled, happy, and whatever similar adjective you can find to be the Special Guest for this month’s Whimsy Stamps release! Today is the first day of the Whimsy Stamps 3-day June release event and we are kicking things off with a Sneak Peak Blog Hop! To be entered into today's blog hop prize draw of 2 new release stamps, be sure to leave a comment on ALL of the DT's posts listed on the Whimsy blog by 12.00PM EST tomorrow. All winners will be announced on the Whimsy blog on Friday.

Today we are excited to share sneak peeks of some of the brand new Wee Stamps, Kenny K and Momas Collection stamps that will be available to buy from the Whimsy Stamps store TOMORROW! For today’s card, I inked up Sweet Sparkle by Sylvia Zet. I'm a huge fan of her images, because they are just too cute and so sweet. Plus, they're just such a pleasure to color. Ok, I'll shut up and show her to you. Here you go:

Doesn't she just make you want to smile? I decided to give her really bright hair, so I made her outfit a bit more neutral so it didn't clash. She's colored with copics, but I know you're not surprised to hear that. For those of you who visit this blog, you know that's my favorite medium. Anyway, after I colored her up, I just started tossing things at the card to see what would stick. There's some dies, some seam binding, pearls, a metal, and a few different types of flowers thrown in there. I finally decided it was done. What do you think? You want to own this little stamp, don't you? Go ahead, go get her. She's available tomorrow. And wait for tomorrow, because I know you'll like that stamp, too. Cuteness!

Don’t forget to stop by again tomorrow for the full reveal of the new release and the New Release Blog Hop! Thanks so much for stopping by and happy hopping!

Mingling!

I'm involved in various groups for various things. One of those is a yahoo group focused on creating with the adorable Magnolia and Wee stamp lines. As part of this group, I participate in a "mingle" where you make a card for another group member and mail it to them. I was late this time around and got my card in under the wire. Here she is:

This is just a quick post to drop my card and run. I am trying really hard to get some other cards created tonight. Mr. Mojo is being a brat. He wants to take a nap, but I'm trying to wake him up. I already gave him a bath in glossy accents. He's all pretty and shiny now while he naps, the little brat. Wish me luck on waking him up, so I can finish the cards I started at a crop yesterday!

Just because I felt like it

It seems like I usually make cards with a specific person in mind, which means I'll pick the image just for them. You know, one that speaks to me and says something like, "so-and-so would love her!". Then I might color that image in the proposed recipient's favorite colors and find papers to match, then set about making the card. And then there are other times when I just color an image because I like to color and I just make a card with that image because I like to create. Monday was one of those times. I was waiting for a friend to visit and I was too pumped up to sit and read or watch tv, so I got lost at my craft desk once again. This is what emerged after I was done, amidst the sea of paper scraps, half empty embellishment packets and ribbon pieces:

Luckily for me, I know several people with special occasions coming up who would love her, even if yellow is not their favorite color. I mean, who wouldn't love a little girl with a toddler chub tummy and stocky little toddler legs, loving on her teddy bear? She is illustrated by Elisabeth Bell for Belles N Whistles. I colored her with copics. For now, she'll sit in my stash and wait for that special person to call for her. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Oh, yeah. The challenge list before I forget. This card is for the following challenges:
Challenges 4 Everybody (6/7)- Anything Goes
Clear it out (6/3) - Critters (teddy bear fits, I hope) and earth tones (lots of yellow in my card)
Creatalicious Challenges (6/13) - for the girls
Cute Card Thursday (5/29)- Tie it up
Elisabeth Bell's World (6/22) - new beginnings (I think this would make a cute baby card)
Elphine House (6/12) - Welcome, Little One
Kaboodle Doodles (6/2) - Anything Goes
Oozak (5/31)- Anything Goes with Earth Tones
Simon Says (6/4) - Anything Goes
The Squirrel and The Fox (5/31) - Here come the girls
Sweet Stampin'  (6/1) - Doilies and Dies

Third time's the charm!

Or wait, is it the fourth time for me? Hmmm....I can't remember. Anyway, I'm trying out once again to be a GDT on the Whimsy Team. There's a multitude of reasons to give this spot another shot, but I'll just give you a few: 1) they're talented, which means it'd be an honor to have my work showcased with theirs; 2) it's a chance to express my creativity on a wider scale; 3) I love Whimsy's products. They have wonderful artists designing for them, with things like adorable stamps, pretty papers, and fun dies. It'd be fun to play along with all of the cool new products!

I made this card below with one of their newer stamps, illustrated by the immensely talented Elisabeth Bell. As you know, I've been a fan of hers for a really long time. My dear friend Sara blessed me with this stamp for my birthday. Isn't she too cute? And even though she has a little bunny and chick friends, I think she's great for occasions other than Easter. In this case, she's showcased on a Mother's Day card:

In real life, the colors are a little brighter, but it's too dark right now to get a picture in natural light and I won't have a chance to do so before the DT call is over. Darn work, expecting me to be there during the day! LOL. Anyway, this cutie is called Strawberry Swing, and you can find her HERE. I colored her with copics. Flowers are Prima and the Dollar Store. Papers are Fruit Stand from Doodlebug. The bow is seam binding. I used  die to cut the vines and I got the doily in a lot off of ebay. I think that about covers it!

This card is also for the following challenges:
Critter Sketch: use buttons
Cardabilities: sketch #73
7 Kids Challenge: April Showers bring May Flowers
Simon Says: Anything Goes
Totally Gorjuss: Ribbons and Pearls

As always, thanks for looking. I hope you had a fantastic weekend! (Oh, and wish me luck, please!)

Edited to add: Many thanks to those of you who clicked on the link to my card for the Cardabilities challenge. Thanks to you, I was a featured designer. You rock! THANKS!

A little sassy, A lot sweet

My friend Danni's birthday is coming up later this month. Danni is a bit of a sassy chick, with a wicked sense of humor and brutal honesty just when you need it, all wrapped up in sweetness. She's a wonderful friend to have who is always quick to help when needed and jump to my defense even when I'm too oblivious to recognize that I need a defender. I was visiting at my aunt's this weekend, where I got the chance to not only see my family but also to color some images while my aunt scrapbooked. I colored this adorable image with Danni in mind, illustrated by Krista Smith for Sugar Nellie as part of the "Simply Sassy" line. I've had this stamp for ages; it was about time I pulled her out again.

As usual, I used copics. Unfortunately, I didn't note down the colors. Sorry about that! I chose the colors based on Saturated Canary's color challenge here.

The sentiment is kind of hidden at this angle, but it says, "May all your dreams come true." Seemed pretty fitting for a birthday card, as well as this cutie sitting in her pillows. The cream colored flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts and the pink ones are from my stash. I think I got them at AC Moore in the wedding section. The big flower is actually a hair piece where I removed the bobby pin used to hold it. Papers are Bazzill (cardstock) and Neopolitan by Recollections (Michael's). Pearls are from Michael's, as well. The felt corner is Heidi Swapp and I think long since retired. I'm working through my stash of them.  I guess that's about it!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Saturated Canary - color challenge
Sugar Bowl - anything goes with Sugar Nellie image
Oozak - anything goes with your fave color(s) - pink is my fave
Sunday Sketch and Stamp - sketch #141

Now to figure out the perfect gift to get for a friend who is both sassy and sweet!

FYI, it's my friend Tracy's birthday today (you can see her card a few posts below). Tracy has been with me through a lot of hard times and has always been supportive and compassionate. She makes me laugh, which is always a great quality to have in a friend. Please visit her blog and wish her a happy birthday.