Winter Wonderland w/ Alecia!

Hello there! This week at AiFactory, we are releasing Alecia! A cute little girl drawn by Mia, the owner of AiFactory! As soon as I saw this image, I knew what I wanted to make! An ice pond for Alecia to skate on! I took her image on my Paint program and flipped her and turned her upside down so that I have her reflection. Then I ran her through the xyron and adhered her to the underside of vellum. Very easy!!!!

Along with using Alecia for this week's challenge, we were also supposed to use something that we have been hoarding. So, pulled out my little snowflakes, and I found this cute little ice skate charm! Perfect for this card!!!!

If you would like to participate in our challenge, go to the AiFactory challenge blog here: http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/. You could win Alecia for free!!!!!

Have a wonderful day!
Happy Stamping!!!

Etsy Inpsired Challenge!

Hello there! Today I just wanted to show a layout that I did w/ my Tim Holtz stamps! I have been hoarding them for a while, and thought I would play around w/ them to see what I could come up with! I really wanted to use the harlequin background and build off of that!

I decided to do vintage because I wanted to create a project for the Etsy Inspired challenge this week! You can visit them here: http://etsyinspired.blogspot.com/. Each week they choose someone's etsy store and the challenge is to create something that inspires you from that particular store! Well, this week the challenge was for a store that sells vintage type jewelry!

I love vintage stuff, so I HAD to partake in this challenge!

Have a great day!

Happy Halloween Crafty Secrets Style!

Hello there! Today I'm sharing a card I made for my weekly ABC Toys and Crafts dt submission. It seems like everyone is doing Halloween, so I had to do it as well! I just bought this Halloween Fun by Crafty Secrets, and haven't had a chance to ink it up! Well, tonight, I brought it out and have had so much fun w/ it! You should get it! You'll love this set too!!!! Well, here's a little enabling. If you would like to purchase this set, go over to www.abctoysandcrafts.net and use my code ABC15E and receive an instant 15% discount!!!!

Anyway, back to the card! I used my spiderweb CB folder, and cut the little girl out and popped her up on dimensionals. The tag is really a chipboard tag and I peeled off the top so I could make it work w/ my card! I love how it turned out! I added some ribbon and buttons for some color and detail. I think my little button spider is cute too! Don't you?! ;)

Well, off to bed! Have a spooky day! Haha!
Happy Stamping!!!

AiFactory Challenge Number 4!!!!

Hello there! Today I am sharing with you some versatility in the new Haunted Series Halloween Sentiment Tags! Well, I'm calling them tags! You can find them over in the AiFactory Store!

Our design team has created some fabulous creations using these tags! It's my week for the AiFactory challenge! I challenged the design team to create a unique item to show the versatility in this set. And now I'm challenging YOU! There's also a color challenge thrown in just for fun! ;) Go over to the AiFactory challenge blog and check it out!!!! Click on the link beside this post!

Today I'm showing a tag/bag and belly bands for the chocolate bars. These bars are minis! You don't need glasses! Honest! When I was trying to find a cool thing to make, I spied my Tim Holtz tags and thought about making a bag out of them to hold chocolate.

So, my versatility is to put a tag on the outside of a gift, and then make a belly band out of them!

What do you think? Can you make something cool with your Halloween stamps?! Let's see your best work!!!!

Submit your awesome creation by Monday night over on the challenge blog and I'll choose a winner and post it Tues. morning!

Happy Halloween Stampin!!!!

A gift for a godmother

Here's the bottom front done, not sure what to do w/ the top!

Ah! After some help from some stamping friends (you know who you are ;), I was able to finish the top!!!

I am really happy w/ the way it turned out!!!

Detail shot of the first part of "Recipes"

Detail shot of the second part of "recipes" Here's the inside tabs that I made! Labels One nestie (smallest)
I made 20 large recipe cards to go w/ the recipe box!

I couldn't stop!!!! I made these last! There's 10 of these. No sentiment, she

can use them however she wishes!

Once I finished the recipe cards, I got started on these cards.

I am still inspired from Linda Beeson's card using this Nesties from Labels One. Plus, can you find a card like this at Hallmark?!

I made two different versions, 5 each, so that she has a little variety!
And here's the whole ensemble together!

Ok! I'm done with the pictures!! LOL!

Elizabeth is getting baptized this morning, and I wanted to make a special gift for her Godmother, my cousin. I played around w/ several alterable ideas, and settled on a recipe box and some cards. My mom told me that if I'm making a recipe box, it would be nice to include recipe cards! DUH!!!! That WOULD be a nice addition! Good thing SOMEONE thought of it! And they were a piece of cake to make! I made 20, and it probably took me a total of 2 hours. I had to draw the lines. :( Only bad part!

For the box itself, I covered it in paper from Paris Nights - g c d studios. I found it at Michaels and thought it would be perfect! It's actually a tougher material than cardstock, which I found both easy to use, and very unique! I used some of my nesties to create the letters for "recipes", to add some cool details, and ribbon on the front to make it elegant.

For the cards, I used a bird from a Tim Holtz collection, and the flower from Fifth Avenue Floral. These cards came together really well and quickly! Good thing as I hit the wall last night at 3:30 AM!

Well, I have to finish the fruit salad and get some other stuff together.

Have a blessed day!

Happy Stamping!!!

Scary, yet funny Halloween card!

Hello there! Last week I wasn't really impressed with my card that I submitted for the ABC Toys and Crafts Design Team. Not a whole lot of inspiration for you! So, I pulled that circle flower stamp back out, as well as the flowery branch (both are wooden Inkadinkado stamps), and went to work! I drew the gravestone and wrote the epitaph. I had to do funny. I can't do sad. The "fog" is torn vellum, brushed w/ black inked sponge.

So, is this better than last week's? I surely hope you think so!
Have a great day!

AiFactory gets Witchy!

Hello there! It's Halloween time at AiFactory! This week our challenge is to work w/ this Little Witch! Isn't she cute! Well, I think she is! LOL! And the nice thing about her being digital is that you can change her size to make her super big like I did above in the belly band, or make her really small for this treat box!

I have to say that I totally "cased" SU!'s idea about the candy holder that they feature in the mini catalog! I figured out my own dimensions and did my own thing. But, I stole their idea. So, I really can't take credit for it! Haha!

I had these cupcakes sitting on my hutch for a few days and my kids wanted to eat them, and I kept telling them no because I knew that I could do something crafty with them! Then, when we received the Little Witch image, I knew what I was going to do with those cupcakes! I sound like Phineas and Ferb! "I know what we're going to do today!" Can you tell that I have kids in my house?! LOL!

Now, the little candy holder I had to adjust because I made that at night, and SO didn't feel like running to the store to get some candy. So, I made it into an "adult treat" and put tealights in there instead! So, just another idea for a teacher gift or something for an adult who would treasure it a whole lot more than a child would! Haha!

Well, hop on over to the challenge blog! The link is the second item down on my sidebar! I would love for you to come and join us! You don't HAVE to use digital stamps, although AiFactory offers free stamps! Easy to download too! Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it!

I forgot to add that if you win, you win this stamp! I used it above in the treat box! Again, resizable and easy to use! Good luck to you all!!!!

Happy Stamping!

I'm SCARY!!!!

Can I just start off by saying that my camera is making this picture look really grainy. I think I might have to start researching cameras. :( I really hate to shop! Especially big ticket items.

Oh well! You gotta do what you gotta do I guess....

Anyway, so this scrapbook page was made for the MFT Sketch Challenge. Natalie Dever created a scrapbook page for this challenge. Well, she does a lot of scrapbooking for MFT. And I finally decided that I need to work on my scrapbooking as well as my cards. So, I went through my Halloween pictures and I came across these pictures of me that were taken before I went to work on Halloween. My boss had issued a challenge to everyone in our office that he would pay us if we dressed up. So, I scoured the internet looking for the perfect Halloween outfit and came across the idea for a Prom Queen Reject!! I think it turned out pretty cool! LOL!!!

I enjoyed making this page today! My son was looking at these pictures and told me that I needed to brush my teeth more so that I don't have those teeth! Hahaha! I told him that they were fake!

Happy Stamping!!!

AiFactory Challenge Blog

Hello all!

I just wanted to give a little exposure to the AiFactory Challenge Blog!! Go here to check it out: http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/

Every Tuesday, we post a new challenge. All you have to do is create a card based on the challenge requirements (like all other challenges!), and post to your blog and link it on the challenge blog so we can all oohh and aaahhh over it!!!! And, if we choose YOUR fantastic creation, you get a free stamp set! How about THAT little incentive!!!! This week we are giving away, that's right, GIVING AWAY Sweet Bugs in the Garden!

Now, these images are digital, and some are clipart. But, seriously, the cliparts are cool because then you don't even have to color them! The hard part is already done for you! What could be better than that??!!!

To participate in the challenges, you don't have to use AiFactory stamps. Use whatever you have on hand!

And, another reason to do these challenges is that I am now one of the Challenge Coordinators!!!! So come on over and join us each week for some inspiring challenges and maybe YOU could win some free sets!

Mia, the owner of AiFactory also has free digital images that you can download/unzip any time! It's always changing! You can find those freebees here:http://www.aivault.com/store/category/freebies.html

She also has a special going where, if you purchase $8.00 in stamps, you get a stamp set free! Not a bad deal there!

So, go check them out! And come and do some challenges with us!
See you over at the 'factory'!
Get stampin'!

Sew Seeds of Love

Hello there! Well, I finally had some time to do some stamping just for me! I decided to do the Card Patterns sketch for this week starting today. You can find their site by going to http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com. Every Sat. they post a new sketch! And they give away blog candy too! Fun fun site! Anyway, so I finally had some time, and I just received my One Click package from My Favorite Things for the September Release! This stamp set is called Sew Seeds of Love. It's designed by Annie LaPointe.

I was really inspired by this set when I saw was Amy Scheffer did w/ it HERE. Simply fantastic! So, those colors were on my mind as I began to design this card in my head. It really helped having a sketch to help lay the card out. Thank God someone invented that!!

Anyway, I colored everything in w/ Copics. I'm really trying to teach myself how to shade. It's hard when you don't have all 300+ to choose from! It really helped though using the MFT Panels! W/ my regular cardstock, I can't blend the Copics. But, with the panels, they blend SO well! Thank you Kim for designing those! They are wonderful!!!! I also used black, white and Brilliant Blue (SU!). Oh, and the leaves are Mellow Moss (SU!). I have no idea where I got the ribbon. Like everything else that I have acquired, it's just there! I can't remember when or where or how they accumulate! I just counted 52 My Favorite Things stamp sets that I own! 52! Holy cow! I think I'm addicted to MFT! I'm not saying that out loud to brag. I was just amazed that I had acquired that many!

Well, anyway, the main purpose of this card was for the sketch! So, thank you Card Patterns for another awesome sketch! I wish I could do these EVERY WEEK!!!! I started w/ the first one and then my life got a little busy!

Happy Stamping!

Oh, and I can't forget to give you my plug for the 15% off at ABC Toys and Crafts the whole month of Sept. if you use my code ABC15E!

Catcha later, gators!

Eeek! Halloween cards already!

Can you believe that people are already creating Halloween cards???!!! I feel like I missed the beginning of school! I'll have to create some apple-y type stuff to put on here! THEN we can get back to Halloween!

I was looking through my stamps yesterday to find something to stamp for my ABC DT day (Thursdays), and when I saw the Inkadinkado flowery circle, I thought that it could be a decorative moon! That's about the only part of this card that I like. My "spooky tree" doesn't even begin to describe the image that I had in my head. It was more along the lines of MFT's new tree in Too Cute to Spook. I just grabbed my swirly stencils and my black copic and started making a tree. I don't know, maybe it's the flowers on the bottom. But, something just isn't right on this card. This is SO not my usual style! I must have been too tired last night to think straight!

I promise to make better cards from now on! This is just a lapse!

Hope you have a better stamping day than me! LOL!

Garden Animals!

Hello there! Today I am featuring a new set from AiFactory called Garden Animals! These images are already colored in! The only thing you have to do is download them to your computer and print them out! It seriously takes so much time off from designing your card! A very nice incentive for those that don't have a lot of time but still love to make homemade cards! What I like about digital stamping is that I can type up my little sentiment and print it out along w/ my images! Before getting into digital stamping, it was just too much of a pain to print something out. But, since I'm printing my images, it makes sense to just add a sentiment along with it!

Anyway, I chose to work w/ the sunflower and little ladybug! I got the ribbon from SUInks and More when they were in Pittsburgh for a show. It really has white spots, but I colored them black to match the ladybug. I got this idea from Jody Morrow who colored her cream and black ribbon w/ her copics and made it white and black. Thanks Jody!

Well, go on over to the AiFactory store and check out all the cool images!!!

The challenge this week is to make a card for this sweet little girl Kate who is battling cancer. You can read about her here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

How wonderful would it be to receive all kinds of wonderful handmade cards from the heart to cheer up this sweet little girl?!

Enjoy your children today! I fully intend to do that with mine! And thank the Lord that mine are healthy.

Hugs friends!

Recipe Box # 2!

Hi all! Just wanted to share w/ you my newest recipe box! This one was fun to make! More thought went into this one than the first one I made. I, of course, can't make the same thing twice! So, I made this one completely different. And it was a lot easier! I didn't fold corners, or have any hassle w/ STIFF CARDSTOCK!!!! UGH! So, this was very nice! And can I tell you how much I LOVE my Xyron 900!!!! That thing ROCKS!!!! If you don't have one, go out and BUY one! You have to have one! It's the best sticker maker EVAH!!!!! (as my Olivia would say! LOL!)

Anyway, on to the box! I could not figure out what I wanted to do for the top of the box. So, I was looking at this one stack of Crafty Secrets paper, which ABC Toys and Crafts sells! I saw that the front had a harlequin type front. And thought that would be cool to do on the top! But, then I noticed that there's writing on the black part in between the pictures. So, I wrote down all kinds of food and drinks w/ my white Souffle pen. The c/s on the front is Core'dinations. I am so in love w/ that paper! I ran the top part through the cuttlebug and then sanded it so the beige color comes out.

Well, I'm really tired. Have a great day!

PS: Get on over to ABC Toys and Crafts and get your 15% off by using MY code! ABC15E!!!!

Teenage Birthday cards

Hi All! This will be a quick post, as I am absolutely exhausted! I have stamped every day for the last week. Well, I stamp every day, but I have been literally living in my craft room for a few days, trying to get everything done that I can get done. I feel like all of my deadlines have converged into 1 big day! Labor Day! And, the kicker is, we are having a family reunion this weekend, and so I'm going to be away from my stamps for 2 days. And I still have stuff to do! Yikes! Oh well. It always ends up getting done!

Anyway, the other day I posted 6 cards that I made for my cousin (who is buying these cards!!!). Well, I finally finished the other ones! I was asked to make a few teenage girl birthday cards, as her son is often invited to birthday parties, and never has a card ready to go. So I made these 4. I'm so glad that I bought that glitter paper! It totally came in handy today!

Well, I'm outta here. If there's anything that you would like to know, i.e. recipe, just leave me a comment and I'll get back to you!

PS: I'm just going to remind you to go shopping at ABC Toys and Crafts!!!!! Seriously! They have TONS of cool stuff! Plus, you can get 15% off your entire purchase using MY code! ABC15E

www.abctoysandcrafts.net

Happy Stamping!!!

Ornate Christmas

Hi all! Merry Christmas early! I just received this set Ornate Christmas by Inkadinkado from ABC Toys & Crafts! I just had to test it out! It stamps beautifully!

The paper is from Life's Journey from K&CO. I destressed the sentiment to look like the rest of the top panel. I did a little faux stitching to get a certain look!

Well, I'm off! But.....before I go, let me tell you how you can save somey! From now until Oct. 19, you can purchse anytime and your total will have 15% taken off!!! PLEASE USE CODE: ABC15E.

Go shopping!!! Have fun!!!!

Howdy Pardner!

Howdy folks! Today is western day! Didn't you get the memo?! This stamp set, Little Cowboy, from AiFactory is this week's challenge set! If you create a card, scrapbook page, whatever, and submit it, you could win the whole set for free!!!! Go HERE for all the details!

So, to talk about the card: These images are all digital! And you know what? They are SUPER easy to use! Another nice thing about digital stamps is that you can make an image ANY SIZE YOU WANT!!!!! Oftentimes when I'm stamping, I wish I could make an image smaller or larger. Well, w/ digital stamps, you have that option! Print your images on your favorite cardstock, and you're ready to craft! I put two copies of the cactus on 1 page, and made one bigger than the other. Once I colored them, I cut them out. Yes, spikes and all! I was on the phone, so the time went very quickly! If you're a regular to my blog, you know that my exacto knife is my favorite tool of all time! ;)

The little cowboy is just so sweet! I enjoyed coloring him and making him come to life! I drew a paisley pattern on his bandana and hat. What's a bandana without it?! And I did not misspell "Pardner" in the sentiment! I thought this card could go to someone from my son Jack. He's 5, so some of the things he says aren't quite right! He loves to go after imaginary bad guys, and gets all his gear on, and he'll say, "Mom, I'm going after those 'roberts'! They stole your jewelry!" So, I thought this would be perfect for him! The star brads at the top are just a detail to tie in the stars on his hat and belt buckle.

Don't be a cowpoke! Get stampin'!

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

Ok, I just have to share because I am SUPER excited!!!! I was just asked to join the AiFactory Design Team!!!! Who you ask? This is a fairly new digital stamp company, and they have their own community, similar to Paper Craft Planet. Their images are really neat and I look forward to doing some digital stamping! This is all new to me!

You can find their website here: http://vectorvault.ning.com/

Their store here: http://aivault.com/store/

Their regular blog here: http://www.visualbitts.com/

Their weekly challenge blog here: http://aifactorychallenges.blogspot.com/