Just playing around....

Hello!  I have a card to share with you and this is a result of watching You Tube videos.  The card design is something I learned from Dawn Griffith and the technique is from Splitcoast Stampers.  I'm playing along with The Kraft Journal Challenge - Inside and Outside.  I take that to mean to decorate the inside and outside of a card.

The picture is awful and if I can, I will retake it with better lighting.  My card features stamps from the now closed There She Goes stamps.  These were the only stamps in my collection that were open flowers.  Most of my stamps, which I'm discovering are not many, are mostly solid.  I've also decided that embossing powder and inks have a shelf life.  But it's a cool technique and a unique card.

Have a great Monday!

Silhouette Sunday

Good Morning!  Happy Sunday.  I hope the weekend is going well for you.  It's not too bad for me, my two youngest children are off to the beach with their dad, Brendan will hole up in his room all day, so essentially I have the house to myself.

This week's Silhouette Sunday share is a really cute cut design by Lori Whitlock.  This is an easel card with gift drawer box.  I made this for my daughter's friend who had a birthday party yesterday.  Really cute!!  Now I did watch Lori's assembly video and you know how after you watch a video more related ones will pop up?  Well, I saw a bunch of cards just like this so it's not a new design, Lori just made it easier and letting the Silhouette do all the hard work.

I did have to think a bit to identify pieces and plan the cutting, but I referred back to the video a lot to do that, that was very helpful.  I guess the drawback of buying from the Silhouette Online store is that you don't get instructions with it.  Oh well!

The drawer is perfect for a gift card and in this case, there's a box with a new belly button ring for the birthday girl.

The cut file also comes with a gift box for presentation.  I did find that when closing it up it didn't fit so well, but I got it to work and she probably won't keep it, so it's OK.

So there you have it.  Fun, easy and it's a great presentation.  Have a great day!

PS - I don't think I made the design team.  I didn't get an acknowledgement of my application and selectees were to be informed Friday.  :0(   Maybe next time.

Delightful Challenges Thursday

Hello everyone.  Super quick post today, the challenge is up at Delightful Challenges and this week....

Out like a Lamb

(include an animal)

I liked this challenge because it gave me an opportunity to use one of my favorite sentiments available at Digital Delights by Louby Loo.  Animal Crackers (No. 2) and I also used Dilly Duck & Lady Bug - so stinkin' cute!

My card is a clean and simple one, I used the sketch from Sunday Sketch and Stamp.  I think Dilly Duck is absolutely adorable and I am pleased with the pastel palette.

Head on over to Delightful Challenges and join us!  Happy Thursday.

Tuesday Morning Sketches #242

Good Morning!  It's Tuesday already and I cannot wait to show you what I created with this week's sketch.  It's a loose interpretation but that's what I like about it, it's basic enough that you can go almost anywhere with it with almost any kind of project.

Our sponsor this week is Creative Classroom.  I'd still like to take one of their classes, they sound like so much fun!  I'm sure they have one on 3D art and that's what I created.

I really love making simple desk calendars.  This one is for one my carpoolers.  She likes pink and bling.  Now that can really go over the top but I decided to keep it classy.  There's a bit of pink and a bit of little bling and it earned a compliment in the elevator this morning.  I created the tent base myself out 110 lb weight card stock.  Then I cut the other pieces from cut files that I got at the Silhouette Online Store.  There was another piece to the flower but I omitted it mostly because I ended up putting my card stock in the wrong place and ended up cutting my mat.  I fixed it with a piece of packaging tape, but I'm going to have to break down and buy another mat.  I've owned this machine for 3 months and this is the 2nd mat I've used up.

Anyway, head on over to TMS to join us and to see what lovely cards my team created to share with you.  Have a fantastic day!

Silhouette Sunday

Hello Everyone!  Welcome to new series on my blog.  I call it Silhouette Sunday.  Nope, I'm not on their design team (although I applied... crossing fingers and toes), I don't sell their products - I just love my Portrait and hope to have a Cameo in craft corner soon and I love playing with it.  So I decided that I needed to have a weekly or bi-weekly blog post showcasing these projects.

I'm kicking this series off with a wedding card and a baby card.  First the wedding card.  This was actually inspired by a You Tube video series I stumbled on during one of my nightly You Tube video viewings.  Yes, I actually watch You Tub videos every night.  I curl up in bed with my Kindle and watch something inspiring.  Whether it's Mary from SVG Cuts putting together one of their newest kits  (generally ones I can't make because they never make much for the Portrait size) or Dawn Griffith or Angie Juda, the only Stampin' Up! commercialists I'll watch.... that is until I found Connie Stewart and her Flash Cards 1.0 and 2.0 series.  Great concept!  Here's the card that inspired mine ---> here.

Following her method, I created the cake.  I cut out a really cute svg border that provided the scalloped decoration on the cake.  Flowers I created from an old punch and then added the banner that I also cut from an svg.

And here's the baby card that is {almost} entirely made using the Silhouette, bear and card base found in the online store.

The doily behind the bear is a die cut from MFT Stamps.

I am very pleased with how my cards turned out and they were VERY WELL received by the recipients.  Couldn't ask for more than that!  Well, happy Sunday.  Thanks for stopping by.

Scrapbook Saturday with Deedee's Digis

Hello Everyone!  Happy Saturday.  I'm alive.  Still coughing deep hacking coughs but the fever is gone!  I still tire very easily, too, but I'm feeling more like myself again.

It's Scrapbook Saturday with Deedee's Digis and this is what happened to my sister this past week.  Seems something had it against my sister's and I this past week.  My oldest sister is sick and this is poor Theresa.....

She got dizzy and took a spill in her bathroom, hit her head and broke her foot.  But the girl is sporting her ace bandage and splint with class.... look at those pretty red toes.  Great pedicure!

My layout is pretty simple, featuring paper, sentiment and image from Whole Latte Love.  I added just a couple of embellishments that were in the MyMemories Suite software.  I really like how all these happy elements make something as dismal as a broken foot bearable.

Delightful Challenges Thursday

Good Morning friends.  I do hope you're doing well today.  I'm happy that we're one more day closer to the weekend.  My kids will be on Spring Break next week so you can imagine they're counting down the days this week, too.

This week's challenge at Delightful Challenges is up and ready for you to play along.  It's an easy one....

Wearing of the Green

Now I'm not into St. Patrick's Day and as a kid I really hated it.  I would invariably wear green the day before and then get pinched all day the day of.  Not fun!  So I wanted to do a Mardi Gras theme and realized I was too late for that, too.  But that didn't keep me from creating a party invitation to a Masquerade party. Something I'm trying to talk Hollyanne into for her sweet 16.  She is still pretty set on going to Disney World.  But here's my card featuring the Mardi Gras Set.

I created the sentiment myself on the computer.  I colored the mask with various Copic colors in the BV, YG and C families.  Then covered it in diamond glaze.  Of course I added rhinestone and used a gold pen for the bling over the eyes.  I'm really happy with how this turned out.  I do wish I had had some real feathers though - that would have been cool!

Anyway, head on over to the Delightful Challenge blog and play along with us.  I'm sure I'll be seeing lots of leprechauns.

Wonderful Wednesday featuring Kelleigh Ratlaff Designs

Hello everyone,

Happy Wednesday - we're half way to the weekend.  I'm looking forward to this one since my last one was virtually non-existent.

So I shared last week a few of the projects that I made using Kelliegh Ratflaff Designs, both cut files and digi papers.  Today I'm sharing her BEAUTIFUL roses cut file.  This finishes off the care package I've been making and will be sent off to my Texas friend this afternoon.

The card base is a cut file I found on the Silhouette Online Store.  I then cut a panel and embossed it.  The roses were so super easy to make and Kelleigh posted a pictorial tutorial on her blog to walk you thru step-by-step to creating these beautiful blossoms.  This is a relatively simple card since my Silhouette Portrait did most of the work.  I used a hot glue gun to put the flowers together and adhere to the card.

I do hope you like my card and it inspires you to create something beautiful.

Tuesday Morning Sketches #240

Hey y'all - Happy Tuesday!  I have posted a really sketch on Tuesday Morning Sketches for you to play with and it's the Judged Challenge week, so we have a great twist.  3 B's.... this could mean black, blue, buttons, bows, brads or three bees.  You just have fun with it.  I sure did.

One of my "b's" is our sponsor - Bugaboo!  Jodie and Tammy have become sort of a fixture with Tuesday Morning Sketches.  Jodie is always willing to sponsor and always so generous!

I love how this card turned out!  I purchased a journaling card from the Silhouette Online store, and resized it.  It was perfect for this card.  I just love that sentiment and it makes me happy.

Please head on over to TMS to join in the fun.

Scrapbook Saturday with Deedee's Digis

Good Morning friends,

It's a busy day today.  It started before the sun came up!  Hollyanne is performing in Jazz and High Kick for the last competition of the season.  I'll need to head back soon so I can be in the ticket booth for 5 hours.  Yay.  And today is my son Brendan's 19th birthday.  His last year as a teenager.  So hard to believe!

So I was going to try to do birthday page, but since the birthday festivities haven't started yet, I'll do that for the next scrapbook share.  This week's page features my children when the were little enjoying a bit of summertime fun.

The paper and images I used are from Rainy Day.  This is one of my absolute favorites.  I just love the papers and ducks are so cute!  They aren't on this page, but the dripping clouds were perfect for the title.  The embellishment did come from the scrapbook program that I use.

I hope my page inspires you to create one and that my babies made you smile - I did.  I can't believe how fast they've grown.  Happy Saturday.

Delightful Challenges Thursday

Good Morning!  It's time for another fun challenge at Delightful Challenges.  And it's a new release - whoo-hoo!!  New images!

This week's challenge is Color Crazy.  So in this challenge we're to use colors we don't use very often.  I picked bright pink.  There's a reason I don't use it, I'm not good at it.  My daughter's reaction to the card... "that's obnoxiously cute, Mom."  LOL

I did find this fun shaped card on the Silhouette Online store and for the 2nd time this week I am showing off the super, fantabously adorable Dolly Bunny.  I also got on a kick of watching You Tube videos on hand-made butterflies, so I made a couple.  This one I honestly can't remember who did it - so sorry person.  I'm mean, I apologize, but I do remember the person just rambling on and on to finally show how to make these in the last minute and thirty seconds of the video.

Anyway, I'll be nice now.... it's a fun challenge that is really a challenge especially for me and hey, my card is cute in an obnoxious sort of way.  Gotta love Hollyanne.

Kelleigh Ratlaff Designs - Yay!

Hello everyone,

So I was supposed to get this post published this morning but last night I just didn't have anything left in me.  I am now feeling the effects of my promotion, getting clients and my team losing a couple of people.  I'd had enough!

I have been lucky enough to have been put on a team that is absolutely amazing!  Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs.  You know how much I love digital scrapbooking and my Silhouette Portrait and playing with svgs.  Well, I get to put it all together.  I can create fun scrapbook pages and I can play with cut files for some pretty fantastic hybrid art.

I have also been working on an idea for a stress kit.  A very dear friend of mine is under a lot of stress so I felt the need to put together a care package for her.  Although I don't have everything photographed to show you what I did, I do want to share with you how I used Kelleigh's amazing digital papers and cut file.  First let me show you the ensemble....

All my projects feature digi papers from the Count the Ways digital paper pack.

I'll tell you about each project individually.  Up first is an svg file by Kelleigh, it's a soap box.

I printed out one of the textured solid papers and then put it on my cutting mat and cut out the box.  I then printed out the patterned paper and only cut lid flap to layer over the base.  I did embellish the box with a border die from SNSS and flower die by Spellbinders.

Apparently I forgot to photograph the little box in front.  Again, printing the digi papers by Kelleigh, I used a cut file by Lori Whitlock.  And then printed another couple of sheets to make the tea box, which I did on my own following the instructions of many You Tube tutorials.

The label is an svg cut that found on the Silhouette Online store and the font is one that is already on my computer.

For the top I decorated it with die cuts by MFT (rose, flourish and doily) and the lace flower I made.

So as you can see, Kelleigh's papers really helped me to create a lovely set.  Now, why is it a stress box.  Inside the box is a yarn and a crochet pattern book, a jar of homemade lavender/almond oil bath salts, the tea box holds chamomile tea and the two boxes hold chocolates.  I found a beautiful box at Michaels which sort of matches, but is just as serene with a lovely quote from the Bible about patience on it.  It's going to be perfect.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope that I've inspired you.

Tuesday Morning Sketches #239

Good Morning!  It's Tuesday and there's a fantastic sketch created by Debbie posted on the TMS blog ready for you to play!

This week our sponsor is Digital Delights by Louby Loo - so yes, you'll see two card shares featuring Wendy's adorable images.  And since it a new release, I'll be using the adorable Dolly Bunny for both.  She can found by clicking on her name.

Who's ready for Spring?  I know I am!  And we've had Spring like weather the last couple of days, it's been gorgeous... but I hear we're in for more storms and that'll make it colder again.  Phooey!  And just a reminder, those states that participate with Daylight Saving time - Sunday we set our clocks ahead.  I'm not ready to lose that hour, we just got it back recently.

Anyway, my card features Dolly Bunny, an appropriate sentiment by CC Designs and some wonderful paper that I've had in my stash for years.  Please head on over to TMS to join in the fun.

The Doctor is in....

Good Morning and Happy Monday,

Today is my day to post on the The Stamp Doctor blog and it's a new month, so we have a new theme.  I chose the color theme - Green.

I am so excited about today's card, let me tell you!  Dr. Mechele surprised me with some dies and coordinating stamps this past week and I was doing the happy dance playing with them yesterday morning.  What fun!  And so easy!

My card features Pop-a-Top 17, Simple Sentiments 2, Simple Sentiments 3 and Bottle Cap/Flower die set.  All can be found on HERE.

Pop-a-Top 17 & Simple Sentiments 2 coordinates perfectly with Spellbinders Labels 17, which I don't have, but I was able to use the Pop-a-Top die, make my cut and the flip it matching it up as best as I can and running thru my machine again.  It worked!  So I was able to cut the mat out of olive green card stock to fit perfectly on the popped top.  Then I stamped the sentiment and hand cut it out.

And I am a genius.... OK so Mechele probably did this on purpose, but I discovered the spirograph flowers (both full and half) in the Simple Sentiments 3 set fit the larger zig-zag die in the Bottlecaps/Flowers die set.

Then I decorated the inside.....

Well, that's it.  I am so happy with my card share today.  I hope you lovey it, too!