City Crafter Spotlight Artist

Just wanted to share a little excitement with you. My Pink, Purple, and Pearls card won a Spotlight Artist spot at City Crafter Challenge Blog! YAY! I had fun making this card. Sometimes I think too hard and all the fun goes out of it, but not his time.
Right now I have settled on about four card challenge blogs and one tag blog to participate in. So you'll be seeing more cards and tags here. I've got a few miscellaneous projects to share and I am in the process of creating a new mini, which I'll also share here as well as on my YT channel. Got a couple of giveaways in the works so you can be on the look out for that too.
And of course you'll find my weekly Design Team creations for Papercraft Star here. Just a little reminder also that tomorrow starts the new challenge at Papercraft Star. Come join us. This week's challenge theme--4th of July/red, white, and blue/Americana opens up all kind of possibilites for creative genius! Let us see what you've got!
Blessings!

Today's the last chance to vote!

Today is the last day you can cast your vote for the submissions at Papercraft Star so please pop in there and help us choose a winner for our first challenge. While you're at it whip up something to enter for our second challenge--4th of July/red, white, and blue/Americana. We'll be accepting submissions for that challenge starting Wednesday and we'd love to have you come and play with us.
Have a blessed day!

Papercraft Star Challenge #1

It's the opening week of the brand new Papercraft Star Challenge Blog and this is my first project as one of it's Design Team members. Here's the beautiful color inspiration image we were given to work from for Challenge #1, and this is the card I was inspired to create. The flower image is from the Digi Doodle Shop.

This challenge is open for submissions through 12:00 noon(EST) on Saturday, June 26. Public voting opens after noon and runs through early Tueday morning, June 29. The winner will be revealed on June 30 and the next challenge will begin. We hope you've decided to play along with us as we start this new crafting journey, but if you didn't please visit the blog and vote for one of the submitted projects.

Instructions

1. Digital image was printed on watercolor paper and then embossed with Nestabilities Square die and cut out.

2. Image was matted on slightly large square that had been inked with Barn Door Distress ink

3. Background was embossed with Cuttlebug embossing folder and added to card base

4. Sentiment was stamped, cut out with Nestabilites Oval die and inked with Barn Door Distress ink

5. Bottom of card was adorned with red satin ribbon and pearl beads which were sewn on by hand

Supplies

Paper: Strathmore 90 lb. Watercolor paper, white card stock

Stamp: Papertrey Ink sentiment

Ink, etc.: watercolor pencils, Barn Door Distress Ink, Stazon Black, Crystal Stickles

Tools: Cuttlebug Argyle Embossing folder, Nestabilities Classic Squares Large(S4-126), Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large (S4-110)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed day!

Pink, Purple, and Pearls

Try as I might I couldn't get a photo of this card to come out true to color, but this is pretty close. The pink glitter on the butterfly looks a little too dark and the purple bow is a more transluscent sheer ribbon.
The card was made for the City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 10. They wanted us to use pink, purple and pearls. Not hard colors to work with for a vintage lovin' girl like me, but I didn't go in a vintage direction with this card.
My mind just automatically thinks of hydrangeas when the word purple comes up and I LOVE this hydrangea stamp. I got to practice some more with my watercolor pencils, and even tried a little shading to keep the image from looking so flat(if you look closely you can see the light blue around the bottom of the flower and the leaves). I watercolored the bottom layer of the butterfly also. I've still got a lot to learn, but it's fun experimenting.
I've been trying to use my Cricut more lately. I actually bought two of the new Cricut Lite cartridges and used one of them (Bloom) to cut out the sweet little butterfly. The picture frame was cut using the Cricut too. I had used some puff paint on it originally and added some diamond dust while it was still wet, but it was just too dark for the card, so I cut out another frame and used watercolor pencil and Perfect Pearls on it.
My mojo seems to be getting back on track. Thanks to all of my wonderful friends who left comments and gave me a jump start. Two projects and two posts in one day!

Supplies
Paper: DCWV, white cardstock, Strathmore Watercolor paper
Stamp: Rubber Stampede Hydrangea
Inks, etc.: Derwent Watercolor Pencils, Ranger Perfect Pearls, Cotton Candy Stickles
Tools: Cricut, Cricut Lite Bloom cartridge, Storybook cartridge, Martha Stewart Punch, sewing machine
Miscellaneous: Michael's ribbon, Hobby Lobby ribbon and Pearl trim, Recollections adhesive pearls

Hope you like the card!
Blessings,

Airmail to Paris

The challenge at Tag Tuesday this week was to use postage. The beautiful Eiffel Tower image is from The Graphics Fairy. This is a very simple tag but I love the image.
My love for things French has a lot to do with my ancestry. The French first landed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1699 and established the very first French settlement of the Louisiana Colony there. After the later establishment of New Orleans, those who braved the immigration from France to the new colony began to spread out in all directions. My ancestors settled for the majority on the Mississippi Coast with a few over near Mobile in Alabama. Can you tell I'm a genealogy/history buff? LOL Flanders, Bordeaux, Avignon, Moulins, and Paris. Those are only a few of the birthplaces of my ancestors. I doubt I'll ever get to visit France but the connection to my family history just draws me to all things French. My husband can claim French ancestry also, but I doubt our respective families would ever have crossed paths. LOL He can lay claim to pretty much every royal family from just about every European country and my kin were regular ole hard working peasants. Didn't know you were going to get a history lesson today did ya?

Supplies
Paper: making Memories Vintage Findings, white card stock
Inks: Black Soot, Vintage Photo, and Mahogany Distress Ink
Miscellaneous: Prima rose, lace trim, fibers
Hope you like the tag. Have a blessed day!

The Shabby Tea Room Week #15

This week's challenge at The Shabby Tea Room was to make a card using warm colors or stripes. This is the first card I've had time to make in the last week or so. My mojo isn't completely working yet, so I'll be honest and say this card is okay. I have to be zeroed in on a project when I'm working on it and my mind just wasn't clicking for this one. I have a huge list of things I need to make for some special friends and a special mini that I want to start so badly, but haven't yet. I'm trying to balance out my card making with my scrapbooking and I feel like I'm letting my YouTubers down.
I wonder sometimes if I will ever discover how to prioritize and figure out where I need to focus my crafting as well as balancing it out with family time. If any of you have learned how to do that please let me in on the secret. LOL I don't know about ya'll but when I get into a project everything else just comes to a screeching halt. There has to be a middle ground.
One area that I am focused on though is the Papercraft Star Challenge Blog. Being a part of the Design Team is so exciting! Tomorrow is the official start day and I think those of you who have checked it out and decided to play with us will really enjoy yourselves.
Don't forget about the Forum too. The message boards have some great info on things like the Cricut, SCAL, Copics, and there's even a Forum to ask any questions you may have about the Design Team projects that will be posted every day. Kristina and Beth really want this to be a great source of sharing crafting information for everyone. So take a look!
My card is pretty simple in design. The hardest part was painting the chipboard and then hitting it with my heat gun to make it bubble up for texture, and tacking the beads onto the ribbon. Pretty easy.

Supplies
Paper: Bazzill, My Mind's Eye, The Paper Studio
Stamp: Stampabilities The Grace of Our Lord
Inks, etc.: Versafine Vintage Sepia, polymark Medium Gold Irridescent Dimensional Fabric Paint, Caramel Apple Glimmer Mist, Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic Gold Gel Pen
Tools: Marvy Uchida Heat Tool, Nestabilities Classic Squares Large (S4-126)
Miscellaneous: Offray Ribbon, Prima E-line Flowers, beads, feathers, chipboard

Have a blessed day and send me a little mojo if you've got some extra. :)

A Little French Vintage ATC

Well, I've survived my week as Vacation Bible School director. We had a great group of kids and everything actually went pretty smoothly, but I've got so many things to catch up on.

Hubby and I spent the morning putting up a garbage bag full of fresh green beans. We LOVE green beans so I can't complain about the extra added chore for today.

I've been slowly working on two swap projects for Your Paper Pantry this week. If you haven't been to this awesome place of craftiness go check it out. I'm a member of the ATC group and the Collage Melange Group, but there are several other different kinds of crafting groups you can join.

Our ATC swap this month was kind of a freebie. You got to make your cards in your own style. Ya'll know that I love my vintage/shabby chic/French stuff so that's what I did for my card. It's pretty simple although it uses several different kinds of media as you can see from the photo above.

The card base is watercolor paper. The background was colored using watercolor crayons. After it dried I stamped it using a script stamp. Two vintage images, some lace, and one of my little handmade roses finish it off. I hope my swap partners like it. I had to make ten of these and I finished them up this morning. One project I can check off the list. :)

Supplies:
Paper: Strathmore 90 lb. Watercolor paper, Great White Imaging
and Photo paper--matte finish, white cardstock
Stamp: Inkadinkado Script stamp
Images: French Label from The Graphics Fairy; can't remember
where I got the little girl
Inks, etc.: Faber-Castell Watercolor Crayons; Frayed Burlap,
Vintage Photo, and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink; Creme de Rouge and Garden Fairy Glimmer Mist

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Papercraft Star Reminder

Hope everyone's week is going well. Mine is jam packed since I'm trying to juggle regular daily things I need to do with being the director of this year's Vacation Bible school at our church. I'm not getting much crafting time in and IT'S KILLING ME! LOL

I did manage to get my project for the first challenge at Papercraft Star done. You won't get to see it until next week, but I wanted to give you all a reminder that the official launch and first challenge will begin on June 23. You can pop over there all during this week and meet all the new Design Team Members.

I've already explained the unique "public" voting system this challenge blog will have, but I also want to tell you about the unique set up of the challenges. When you visit the blog you'll find challenges for the next few months already posted on the side bar. That means you have tons of time before each challenge to develop and create your projects. You'll find a whole assortment of different kinds of challenges too.

I'm really excited about this new challenge blog and my part in it as a Design Team Member. I think you will be too, so come play with us. You still have a whole week before the first challenge starts. See what you can come up with using the following color challenge.



Thanks for stopping by.

A Few of My Favorite Things

This week at Tag Tuesday Challenge #55 Louise challenged us to use our favorite things or things that are kind of signature items in our creations. I love making tags. They may be small but they open the door for a lot of creative imagination. This one includes some of my handmade flowers and one of my dryer sheet butterflies. You can find a tutorial on how I make these on my YouTube channel.

Here are the favorite/signature things that I included on my tag.

1. a vintage image--I LOVE any and everything vintage

2. wrinkle distress--gotta make it look old and worn

3. pink and brown color combination--these colors just make me think of something that has been loved and well worn from repeated use, like a love letter that you read over and over

4. distress ink--nothing compares to the look of distress ink

5. ribbon--love the soft touch it adds, most of my stuff has a definite feminine element to it

6. French script--this just adds a little romantic flair. You can't go wrong with anything French

7. butterflies--they just always seem to add the perfect little accent

8. my handmade flowers--anyone who's looked at my previous work knows that I LOVE to make my own flowers and I incorporate them a lot in my work. They take a lot of time but I never regret putting them on a project.

Supplies

Images: ballerina from The Graphics Fairy; French script letter from

Paper: manilla folder, copy paper, photo paper, black and white cardstock

Ink: Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint, and Tattered Rose Distress Ink; Tsuninko Galaxy Gold; Vanilla Breeze and Creme de Rouge Glimmer

Tools: Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large (S4-110)

This was a really fun challenge. Thanks Louise!

And thanks to everyone who left me a sweet comment about my place on the Papercraft Star Design Team. If you don't know what I'm talking about check the previous post for today.

Thanks for popping in.

I'm a Papercraft Star Design Team Member!

Hey Yall! I've got a little announcement today. I have been blessed to be one of the crafters chosen to be a Design Team member for the brand new Papercraft Star Challenge Blog! This is my first time on a design team and I'm so thankful that I've been given the chance to try my hand at this. I'm so excited about this new adventure and about getting to work with all the other team members.

The blog is the brainchild of Beth Moore and Kristina Harmon. They have some awesome challenges coming up. Cards, 12 x 12 layouts, color challenges, sketch challenges--there's quite a mix. One really unique feature of this blog will be the way challenge winners will be chosen. Beth and Kristina have elected to set up a public voting system so that everyone can cast a vote for their favorite project. There's also a great message board for sharing ideas.

We all hope that you will find this a fun place to come and play so please pop over there and check everything out.

Have a blessed day!

A Vintage Father's Day

The week #13 challenge at The Shabby Tea Room was to make a Father's Day or masculine card. Masculine cards are hard for me. I love all the soft colors, flowers, ribbons, and lace--all the feminine things--when I'm crafting. Paring it down for a card that a man wouldn't cringe at was a challenge. At least I was able to stick with the beautiful vintage images I love so much. This was another Graphics Fairy image. LOVE that blog!
This card is very simple. I didn't do much extra to the papers except on the red background. The color was solid and it just needed a little something so I stamped the swirly pattern on with some distress ink. A little machine stitching and voila!

Supplies
Paper: Bazill, My Mind's Eye, white cardstock
Ink: Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Tools: Nestabilities Labels #2 (S4-162), Martha Stewart punch
Stamps: Stampabilities Ornate Textured background
Thanks for stopping by.

Papercraft Star Warm Up Challenge

Just a little reminder that voting has begun on the Warm Up Challenge at Papercraft Star Challenge Blog. Please pop over there if you can and cast a vote. I know Beth and Kristina would love to have you visit and check out the new site.
Have a great day!

Papercraft Star Challenge Blog Warm Up

The new Papercraft Star Challenge Blog is hosting a Warm Up challenge this week. The official opening is June 23 but Beth is letting us play early. Here's the sketch we were given to work off of.


This card really didn't come out like I would have liked at all, but I did use up some of my humongous box of scraps. LOL
The challenge blog is set up so that the public gets to vote on the entries, so if you've got an extra minute tomorrow after noon (12:00 p.m. EST) when the voting opens up, pop over there and vote for me or one of the other entries. I know my pal Steph has got a gorgeous wedding card entered.

Supplies
Paper: Bazzill, My Mind's Eye Laundry Line, white card stock
Embellishments: Prima flowers, hemp, jewel brads, large acrylic rhinestone
Inks, etc: Uniball Signo White Gel pen, Crystal Stickles
Tools: Cricut, Storybook Cricut Cartridge

Off to make some more cards, so there may be another post later today.
Have a great day!

Everything's Just Peachy Won at City Crafter Challenge Blog!

What a wonderful surprise I got today. I won the Week #7 challenge at City Crafter Challenge blog!My little peachy ballerinas were a hit. Kudos to Karen at The Graphics Fairy blog for offering the beautiful vintage image! I've got a lot more in reserve to use later. A special thank you to everybody who left a comment on my post for the card. I really appreciate your support and encouragement.
Blessings,

Tag Tuesday Challenge #54--Music

It's been a while since I have made a tag and I've been seeing the Tag Tuesday Challenge on several blogs I've visited. I thought I would put together an entry for the TTC #54-Music this week.
Both the base and the background were cut from manilla file folder. The background was stamped with a musical score and embossed with Ranger Distress Embossing powder in Vintage Photo. I crumpled the paper and added a little Distress Crackle paint in Walnut Stain. Base and background were inked with Vintage Photo. The flowers are some of the little Prima knockoffs I've been making lately. They are colored with Vintage Pink and Caramel Apple Glimmer Mist.
The tag came together fairly quickly (more than fifteen minutes though Jan, LOL) and was fun.

Supplies
Paper: manilla file folder, white cardstock
Image: vintage ephemera from internet
Inks, etc.: Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Walnut Stain Crackle Paint, Vintage Pink, Garden Fairy, and Caramel Apple Glimmer Mist
Stamping: Stampendous Music Score, Versamark, Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder
Tools: Martha Stewart butterfly, EK Success Mini Retro Flower, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher
Miscellaneous: Decorative paperclip, lace, string pearls, Recollection adhesive pearls, brown satin ribbon

Hope you like it.

Everything's Just Peachy!

This adorable little ballerina image from The Graphics Fairy is gracing the front of my card for both The Play Date Cafe #32 and City Crafters challenge blogs for this week. CCCB Week 7 asked us to use a bow and a button and PDC gave us this beautiful palate to work with. If I could get my hands on that cake it would disappear in the blink of an eye. :)



All the flowers are handmade. You can find tons of tutorials on the rolled rose buds. The other two flowers are Prima knockoffs that I learned how to make from the very talented Jules. You can find her tutorials on YouTube. Her YT name is jannaviles. I had a blast making the flowers. It takes a little while but I love the look of handmade flowers.

Supplies

Papers: peach and yellow card stock, Provo Craft Mini Slab III

Embellishments: lace, peach ribbon, pearl trim, Winter White Vintage Shabby Seam Binding, button, DMC Pearl Cotton embroidery floss, Prima acrylic accents, Hematite acrylic accents

Inks, etc.: EK Success Metallic Writer, Versafine Vintage Sepia, Vintage Photo and Pumice Stone Distress Ink, Fairy Garden and Vanilla Breeze Glimmer Mist

Stamps: Papertrey Ink

Tools: Nestabilities Fleur De Lis Pendant (S4-204), Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Ovals Large (S4-111), Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large (S4-110), EK Success Empressor Rolling Ball Embosser, Martha Stewart Leaf Punch

Thanks so much to all of you who leave me such encouraging comments. I really appreciate each and every one of them. Thanks for stopping by!

Papercraft Star Voting System Trial Run

Beth and Kristina are moving right along with getting everything in order for the official launch of Papercraft Star. I told you about their new challenge blog a little while back. The official startup date is June 23. If you haven't checked them out, give it a look. Right now they are trying out their new inlinxz voting system. You can go to the blog and cast a vote for your favorite of the submissions that have been entered. Maybe you have a submission of your own to make. Voting will start at 10:30 a.m. June 2, 2010 and run through the same time on June 4, 2010. There's even a little blog candy to sweeten the deal.
Blessings,