Black & White plus One...

If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads. -Anatole France
It's Friday! Friday means Blogger's Challenge and this week the challenge was to use Black, White and 1 other color. While I was trying to figure out what to do I saw this week's Crazy 4 Challenges Inspiration picture and the Polka Dots Jumped out at me, I have had this piece of Black and White Polka Dotted paper on my desk for Ages so I decided to play with it! It is actually a piece from a Prima Package (I think it was Prima?) I decided to go CAS and just add a splash of pink...kinda feels 50's Sock Hop to me! LOL :)

Supplies: Stamps: None Paper: White & Sweet Blush CS (PTI,) Piece of Packaging Ink: None Misc: Prima Rose, Stardust Stickles, Grosgrain Ribbon

Challenges:
Crazy 4 Challenges :
Blogger's Challenge: Black & White + One
Daring Cardmakers: Girl Thing
Paper Play: Anything Goes
Fussy & Fancy: Pink & Black
Etsy Inspired:
Dutch Dare: Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time: Black & White + One
Simon Says: Going Dotty
Stampavie & More: Black & White + One
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle: Clean & Simple

Thanks for stopping by!!

Wedding Gift Cookbook...

A co-worker of mine was recently married at Mammoth Lakes, CA. One of the ladies in our office thought we should contribute to a cookbook for the newly-weds, since they cook dinner together every night. They asked me to make the cover, since it couldn't be Too girly I agonized over it for a month and finaly I came up with this...

(Please excuse the bow, I had to tuck it out of the way to
get a good pic, IRL it is a really nice bow made of
3 ribbons that match her wedding colors.)

I added section tabs for Main Dishes, Sides, Drinks, Desserts and Just For Fun... Here is a look at what the pages look like...

The Bride and Groom really seemed to like it when we presented it at a little pot luck here at work (people broght in one of the dishes they submitted to the cookbook!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Woodware USA...

Hi there! I am so excited to be able to tell you all some fun and exciting news!!! I was chosen as one of the First Ever Design Team Members for Woodware USA!!!! If you have been stamp shopping in the UK you probably know who Woodware is, if not, you are about to find out!! Woodware stamps will now be available in the US and you can find all the super cute, excellent quality clear stamps at the online store!
For more information about Woodware and to get updates on the newest releases, blog hops and Candy (yes, there will be candy...I'll tell you about that in a minute!) Follow or Subscribe to the Blog!

The inaugural Design Team is a super group that I can not Wait to get to know better as we play along with the upcoming releases, challenges and blog hops! Check out this amazing list of ladies!!!

Anne Harada

Rachel Hope Thats me! :)

Harriet Skelly

Bonnie Rose Kempenich

Piali Biswas

Kerry Urbatch

Dawn Knight

Nancy Bush

OH, candy, I was going to tell you about Candy!!! :) The Design Team will officially kick off on Aug 1st with a Very Special Blog Hop and there will be a chance to win some Woodware Stamps! Keep you eyes open for the Hop here and on all the DT Blogs on Aug 1st!

DeLovely is DeBright!

A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable. -William Wordsworth
WOW...Cosmo Cricket DeLovely paper...is...well, it is Lovely, but it is also BRIGHT! :) I am not normally a Bright color kinda gal, but in the interest of Stretching my boundaries, going outside my safe zone and growing my creative talents I grabbed it anyway...so put on your sunglasses and get ready for the Brightness!

I used a LOT of the Dirty Dozen "Dare to Get Dirty" Challenges on this card (I will list them at the bottom of this post) including a sketch by rainy, I was tempted to flip the sketch, but I decided to go with it as it was and I like how it turned out, I was afraid it was going to be a little top heavy, but I think the flowers along the bottom evened it out. I Paper Pieced the swimsuit Finna is wearing and colored the rest of the image with Copics. See that Gorgeously wide twill ribbon??? That came off a T-Shirt I bought that was wrapped and tied up. I took it off and ironed it months ago and decided to pull it out for this card and now it fits for this week's Blogger's Challenge "Recycle It!" :)

No sentiment would fit on the front, so everything went on the inside...
Supplies:
Stamps: Finna (Mo's Digital Pencil,) Birthday basics (PTI)
Paper: Textured Card (DCWV,) White CS (PTI,) DeLovely (Cosmo Cricket)
Ink: Printer, Copics, Tuxedo Black (Memento Ink)
Misc: Prima Roses, Zva Roses, Twill Ribbon, Stardust Stickles, Gems, Zva Felt Flowers, MSCrafts Butterfly Punch

Challenges:
rainy's DTGD Sketch:
Blogger's Challenge: Recycle It (Twill Ribbon from packaging)
No Time To Stamp's DTGD Challenge: Passionate About Patterns
FlowerGal36's DTGD Challenge: Winged Things
gbedwright's DTGD Challenge: Strut UR Stuff (New Digital Image)
DeborahLynneS's DTGD Challenge: Piece Offering
craftycaro's DTGD Challenge: All That Glitters
DP2 Challenge: Paper Piecing
Allsorts: Summer Days

Wee Memories: Summer Fun

Stampavie & More: Anything Goes
Secret Saturday Crafter: Summer

Stamp Something: Flowery
By the Cute & Girly: Warm Days of Summer
Bunny Zoe's: Days of Summer

Thanks for stopping by!!!

U R Sweet...

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~Sam Keen
I added some black gems to a chipboard watermelon slice many many months ago while I was sitting at my laptop watching an old Supernatural episode. It has been laying on my desk ever since waiting for me to Do something with it, so tonight I decided I was going to do it!

I used Tracy's sketch from Eat Sleep Stamp and then went a little crazy with the embellishment. :)

Supplies:
Stamps: None
Paper: Lemonade (Basic Grey,) Textured Card (DCWV)
Ink: Printer
Misc: Lemonade Chipboard, Zva Swirl, Zva Black Gems, PTI Vintage Button, Prima Paper Flower, Thickers Alphabet Stickers

Challenges:
Eat, Sleep, Stamp Sketch:
Anything Goes: Sparkle & Shine
Allsorts challenge: Summer days
Stampavie & More: Anything Goes
Stamp Something: Digital (Sweet part of the sentiment)
Ai Factory: Flowers
Lucy's Cards: Buttons
Going Grey: 3 embellies (Button, Gems, Swirls, Flowers)
StampInsanity: Rockin' Rhinestones
Crazy4Challenges: Buttons
Wee Memories: Summer Fun
Secret Crafter: Summer
Cutie Stampers: Summer
By the Cute & Girly: Warm Days of Summer
Bunny Zoe's: Days of Summer

Thanks for stopping by!

A little late...

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. -William Arthur Ward
Oops, I meant to post this last night, but I was Forced to go out on the town with a friend of mine and didn't get it up...Sorry!

This is my card for this week's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge, which is being sponsored by Raindrop Echo Designs...have you seen the Awesome sentiments they have??? So many wonderful choices!! AND it is ALL 25% off thru the end of July!!!

I went thru my Digital stamp files and found one of Ann's sentiments so I decided I had to spotlight it for my card today, not to mention I am working on a pile of Thank Yous and Birthday cards for my Grandma, so it worked perfectly!

Supplies:
Stamps: Sentiment by Raindrop Echo Designs
Paper: Indian Summer & Sultry (Basic Grey,) Lavender Moon, Vintage Cream & Scarlet Jewel (PTI)
Ink: Printer, Copics
Misc: Pearls (Colored with Copic Marker,) Ribbon, Stickles, Sizzix Swirl Die Cut, Nesties Label Die Cut

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #68:
Etsy Inspired:
Clearly iStamp: Thank You
Stamp Something: Digital Something
Wild Orchid: Say it with Flowers
Stampman Challenges: Anything Goes
Rosie D's Challenge: Burgundy, Pink & Cream
Papertake Weekly: In the Garden
One Stitch at a Time: Digital Image
AI Factory: Flowers
Anything Goes: Sparkle & Shine

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hey Cupcake...

Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world. -Anonymous

I recently found a few leftover ATCs from a swap I participated in. I decided one might make a nice main panel for this week's Blogger's Challenge sketch. It also came in handy for a very special birthday coming up on Saturday...I am sure this card will be late, but I am sure the recipient won't mind.
I love my Papertrey Birthday Basics set for the inside of cards...
Supplies:
Stamps: Birthday Basics (PTI,) Hey Cupcake (a muse,) Cupcake Trio (Studio G)
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Cool Carribean (SU,) White (PTI,) Stardust, Cupcakes (Bella Blvd)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento,) Copic Markers
Misc: Gems, Stickles, Ribbon, Prima Flower

Challenges:
Blogger's Challenge:
Paper Sundaes: Lots of Layers
Charisma Cards: Pink
AiFactory: Flower
Hanna & Friends: Celebrating

Thanks for stopping by!

Redkelp and Otter...

Listen to me: the human world is a mess. Life under the sea is better than anything they've got up there! -Sebastian
I have been dying to grab one of the new Sweet November Mermaid images...this week's Cupcake Inspiration made it a Necessity!!! I went with Redkelp because of her cute little otter friend...the Office Manager at work's last name is Otter, so this will be a perfect image for her Birthdays!! I went with the colors of the cupcakes and the mermaid, of course.

This week's Etsy Inspired challenge is a shop with some Amazing vintage items...I picked out some Shell Napkin Holders and even though there aren't many shells in the paper or image I used the detail of the shells to inspire me for coloring the mermaids tail with lots of little dots...

The inside uses more of this gorgeous paper...

Supplies:
Stamps: Redkelp (Sweet November)
Paper: Seaside Retreat (Webster's Petite Papers,) Melon, Sunrise, Gable Green CS
Ink: Printer, Copic Markers
Misc: Satin Ribbon, Stickles, Edge Punch, Dew Drops

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspiration #67:
Etsy Inspired:
Sweet Sunday Sketch:
SCS Free 4 All ~Show us What You've Got (New stuff you haven't used...Webster's Petite Papers)
Aud Sentiments ~No sentiment
Paper Sundaes ~Lots of Layers
Stampavie & More ~Sparkling
Easy Craft Projects ~Summer
Crafty Calender ~Summer
Fresh Brewed ~Summertime
Stamp Insanity ~Water

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hey...

In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different. -Coco Chanel
So this week's Blogger's Challenge is an Inspiration Photo...of a very bright fun bedding set...I looked around for furniture images in my stamps and found that I have none...so then I decided to go with the colors...and I am Not a bright color person! I see a lot of geometric shapes in the bedding, so I wanted to so something graphic and bold. For those of you that visit often you know I am more of a flower, fairy, butterfly kinda gal...but here is my Outside my Normal Comfort Zone card...I painted a chipboard circle with Making Memories Acrylic paint, then stamped the sentiment with Memento Ink, then covered it with Crystal Effects so it shines...

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Stamps: Free Spirit (Waltzing Mouse,) Talk Loud (The Greeting Farm)
Paper: Delovely (Cosmo Cricket,) Brown, Orange, White CS (PTI)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Misc: MM Paint, Crystal Effects, Stardust Stickles, Pop Dots

Challenges:
Eat Sleep Stamp Sketch:
Color Cue(Late):
Blogger's Challenge:
Stampavie & More: Sparkling
Meljen Designs: Circles Galore

Sweet Fairy Birthday...

Love is to the heart what the summer is to the farmer's year. It brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul. - Billy Graham
Hello there! Long time no post, I know! I was out of town for the holiday...and while I was gone I had a bit of an accident on a Wave Runner that has made stamping nearly impossible...but a couple of bruised ribs couldn't keep me from the rubber and ink for long! :)

Here is my card inspired by this week's Cupcakes...

Besides the obvious color choices I was inspired by the little mushrooms on the cupcake at the far left...I know there are no mushrooms on my card, but fun mushrooms always make me think of fairies and sprites!!The inside was decorated...I try to do this with all of my cards these days...and this week's challenge at Party Time Tuesday was to make sure the inside is prettied up too!

Supplies:
Stamps: Fairy on Tiptoe (Lili of the Valley,) Birthday Sentiments & Friends til the End (PTI)
Paper: Green at Heart (Basic Grey,) Blue Bayou, Riding Hood Red (SU,) White (PTI)
Ink: Copic Markers, Memento Tuxedo Black & Rich Cocoa, Blue Bayou (SU)
Misc: Stardust Stickles, Prima Rose, Ribbon, Pearls


Challenges:
Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #66:
Sweet Sunday Sketch:
Color Throwdown #100:
Fairy Fun Challenges:
Stampavie & More: Sparkling
Craftilicious: Cute
Crazy Challenge: Up in the Air (she isn't flying, but she could....not sure if this counts)
Pile It On: My Favorite Things (Fairies)
Party Time Tuesday: Outside In
Flutterby Wednesday: Fairy