Time for fall!

I am SOOO ready for fall- the change in temperature, the turning of the leaves, long sleeve shirts, football games and hot apple cider!  Fall has always been my favorite season so I thought I'd see what I could do to incorporate it with this week's Woodware Challenge!  We were asked to use 3 PAPERS, 2 EMBELLISHMENTS and 1 IMAGE.  


I wanted to see if I could use Mary & Friends for a fall theme, rather than the spring-y colors I would normally gravitate towards.  I figured paper piecing her outfit would be a good way to incorporate some fun patterned papers and warmer colors.  I started off with some pretty new papers by DCWV (Harvest Gathering Matstack) and used those same papers to paper piece Mary's dress, hat and kitty.  (Who doesn't love an argyle cat?!)  I colored the rest of Mary with my Copics and cut her out with my Nestabilities.  


Next, I die-cut a leaf with my Cuttlebug die, roughed it up a bit and inked it around the edges with some Chestnut Colorbox ink.  I added a red button for a not-so-obvious embellishment.  For my second embellishment, I pulled out some dark sage ribbon from my stash.  It was all wrinkled but I kind of liked that- it reminds me of fallen leaves.  Instead of stopping at 2 EMBELLISHMENTS like we were supposed to, I got out of control and couldn't resist adding two brads by Basic Grey.  That turquoise panel looked lonely without them!  <>  ;)


To finish off the card, I stamped the stampingscrapping.com sentiment with more Chestnut ink.  There's a lot going on here, but hopefully this card isn't TOO busy.  I hope it inspires you to start making fall cards!  If you get a chance to play along, we'd love to see your creation!  Link up here:


Woodware Challenge #41


Thanks for stopping by!
-Suzanne :O )

Just buzzin' by...

Hi everyone!  Just wanted to share the card I made for the Anything Goes challenge over at 2 Cute Rubber Stamps' Design Team blog!  I used this adorable bee digital stamp and colored her with my Copics.  I meant to add glitter to her wings, but forgot to do that before I took the picture and then decided to let it be.  Well, let it "bee", I should say.  ;)  I die-cut the image with my Nestabilities and matted it with black cardstock.  I pulled out some old Basic Grey papers and stamped the Hampton Arts sentiment next to the image.  It's pretty small, but it says "just buzzin' by to say hello..."  I had a tough time finding a coordinating sentiment, but with all the stamps I have, it would have been really disappointing not to have a bee-themed sentiment!  :)  


I hope you'll play along with us over at 2 Cute Rubber Stamps!  You have another week to link up your card and a chance at winning free stamps!  See the challenge here:


2 Cute Rubber Stamps Anything Goes Challenge


Thanks for stopping by!
-Suzanne :O )

PTT #30: Back to School!

Hi everyone!  Today is the start of PTT #30- Back to School!  Here's some info about the challenge:

The Party Planners want to challenge you to make your kiddos, grandkids, favorite teacher or that special teacher in your life a card. We want to see those school themed stamps and embellishments put to work!   Please click HERE and you will be taken straight to the PTT blog where you can enter your card via Mister Linky.  Hope to see you there!
Our sponsors this week are:

Chi Chi Memories is the labor of love of talented artist and illustrator Natalie Tong. Natalie's background in graphic design has helped her create the very happy world of Chi Chi Memories. Her line of digi images centers around kids Jordy and Candace and their world of animal friends such as Freddie the elephant and Teddy the bear, among others. Natalie's designs are meant to spread happiness and cheer around blogland. You can visit Chi Chi Memories at http://chichimemories.com where you will find the shop (where you can find FREEBIES), the blog and challenges. There is also a Papercraft Planet group for you come share your work with Chi Chi Memories images and chat. Chi Chi Memories is thrilled to be able to sponsor Party Time Tuesdays!

The winner will receive 3 digis of his/her choice from Chi Chi Memories!

Creations By AR
I'm Adela and I live in sunny Southern California with my
husband and our two teenage girls! Crafting has been a passion
of mine since I was a little girl. I love to sew, crochet, knit,
draw, paper craft, stamp... I love anything related to crafting!
With encouragement from many people, my love of paper crafting
in 3D has led me to open a website which allows me to share some
of my template designs. I feel so blessed and I truly believe that
God has given everyone their own special talents and it is our
privilege to share it with others.


The winner will receive 2 templates of his/her choice from Creations by AR!


I have to tell you I was a little intimidated by the caddy template when I first saw the directions, but it was really easy to put together once I got started!  I embellished the caddy with some paper by DCWV, a scalloped circle (to cover where the 12x12 paper left a gap) and some chipboard apples from Target's Dollar Spot.  I didn't have anyone in mind for this caddy so I left it empty, but it would be SO cute filled with crayons, pencils, erasers, etc.  :)


For the tag, I used an image by CCM which was cut out and colored with my Copics and added to a chipboard branch from Colorbok.  I embellished with a sentiment sticker from Joann's and some gingham ribbon found in my stash.  


I'm so happy with how simple but cute this caddy project was- I'll probably use this template again for Halloween treats or Christmas gifts!  I hope you enjoyed my project, thanks so much for stopping by!


-Suzanne :O )

Thank You/Sticker Resist

Hi friends!  This week's Woodware challenge is to use a new (to you) technique.  I thought it would be fun to use some of my peel off stickers for a resist technique.  It's not often that I get my hands messy, but for this card I did and I love the results!  This card was SO easy to make since it was only one layer.  First, I laid the sticker down where I wanted it and made sure each detail was stuck down.  Then I pulled out my Colorbox inks and gently swirled them around in rainbow order, blending colors as I went along.  To my surprise, I found this rainbow ric rac in my stash, and the colors aligned almost perfectly with my card, so I stuck that down on top and stamped the sentiment from Wedding Words.  To complete my card, I pulled off the sticker and voila!  A perfectly white chain of daisies!  :D


I hope that you'll have a chance to play with us this week- I always love learning about new techniques, even if I don't have time to try them!  :)


Woodware USA Challenge #40


Thanks for stopping by!
-Suzanne :O )

Mr. Crabby

Hi friends!  Just popping in to share the card I created for the Sunday Inspiration over on the 2 Cute Rubber Stamps Design Team Blog.  Head over there for more deets! 


-Suzanne :O )

Doodlebug Giveaway

Hi friends!  Just wanted to share with you that Doodlebug is giving away one of their Summertime Essentials Kits:  

Check out their blog for a chance to win!

-Suzanne :O )

Party Time Tuesdays sketch challenge

Hi friends! This week's Party Time Tuesdays challenge is to use this sketch:

I flipped the sketch since the image I was given to work with was more vertical than horizontal, but sketches are always open for interpretation!  This super adorable image is by Paper Shelter and that little girl totally reminds me of me!  lol  I used to stay up all night (seriously, 'til 5 or 6 am!) during the summer reading The Babysitters Club series.  I loved devouring books then and still do, though I can't pull all-nighters reading for pleasure anymore!  :) 


I colored the image with my Copics and matted it with some blue cardstock.  The DCWV purple paper was cut into banner shapes and layered on top of yellow cardstock.  The sun was in my miscellaneous drawer (we all have one, right??) so I pulled it out and added a swirl from a deeper orange sun.  I wanted it to sparkle, so I dumped some Doodlebug Sugar Coating on top and added it to my card with foam tape.  Here's a closer image:

To finish off my sketch, I stamped the Studio G sentiment.. ahhh, what a perfect summery card.  :)  I hope you enjoy my card and have time to link up!


PTT #29


Thanks for stopping by!


-Suzanne :O )

Merry

Hi all!  Are you ready for another Woodware USA challenge?  This week, we're using another fabulous sketch made by Kerry:

I've been gearing up for Christmas lately, and I interpreted the sketch as an ornament, so I pulled out my Traditional Christmas Greetings set and started off with the wreath.  I colored that with my Copics and then stamped the "merry" sentiment with Cranberry Colorbox ink in a circle.  I layered that on some scraps from my Christmas stash- love using them up!  :)  For the bunched up ribbon, I ran some adhesive from the circle to the top of the card, and then kept bunching up the ribbon in a messy pleat.  It was easy to do but adds a whimsical touch.  To finish off the card I added a bow instead of a star.  I'm not sure if it wound up looking like an ornament, but I love the way this card turned out!  We'd love to see your interpretation of Kerry's sketch- link up here:

Woodware Challenge #39

Thanks for stopping by!

-Suzanne :O )

2 Cute Rubber Stamps Lace & Pearls Challenge

Hey there!  This is my first 2 Cute Rubber Stamps challenge as a DT member and I'm still SO excited to be a part of this team!  For this challenge, we were asked to incorporate lace and pearls so I started with this super cute butterfly-bear image and colored her with my Copics.  I die-cut the image with my Nestabilities and traced around the shape for the mat.  I used some coordinating scraps from my stash and matted them with kraft cardstock.  The crochet lace is from my Etsy shop and I added some pearls from Queen & Co. to finish off my card.  We'd love to see what you create, so head on over to the DT blog and enter your card!


Lace & Pearls Challenge


Thanks for stopping by!


-Suzanne :O )

Party Time Tuesdays photo inspiration challenge

Hi friends!  Party Time Tuesdays is challenging everyone to use this photo as inspiration:

I was given this really gorgeous mermaid image by Crafts and Me to use, and I have to say, I was a little intimidated by all of the detail!  :)  I used my Copics for the mermaid and watercolor pencils for the water.  Mermaids make think of pearls, so I dug through my stash and found this little strand that I curled into swirls and adhered with glossy accents.  The glossiness was a bit apparent, so I sprinkled some Prisma glitter on top to cover it up!  ;)  I die-cut the image and mat with my Grand Nestabilities ovals and added that to some MME patterned paper and blue cardstock.  I wanted to keep this card simple so the image would take center stage.

If you feel inspired, link up!  Check out the other DT cards here:

PTT #28

Thanks so much for stopping by!

-Suzanne :O )

Noel

Happy Monday!  It's time for yet another Woodware USA challenge, this week we're using Kraft, Red and another color of your choice!  I chose green so I could start making Christmas cards!!  These little penguins from Penguin Fun are a favorite of mine.. I've had a thing for penguins ever since the movie Madagascar came out. :)  

I colored these cuties with my Copics and added a little glitter for the snow.  I cut them out with my Nestabilities and matted them on kraft cardstock.  Next, I embossed some deep red cardstock with a Sizzix embossing folder and sanded it so the sentiment would show up (not sure if I succeeded there, but it says "merry christmas" repeatedly).  I matted that with white and kraft cardstock and added some green DCWV patterned paper on top of that.  To finish off the card I added my focal piece, stamped the sentiment from Traditional Christmas Greetings and added 2 brads from Making Memories.


I hope you'll have time to play along with us this week.. you can choose any color you like to go with Kraft and Red.. can't wait to see what you pick!


Woodware challenge #38


Thanks for stopping by!
-Suzanne :O )

Friends make life a little sweeter

Hi all!  I'm back again to share some more exciting news- I made the design team for 2 Cute Rubber Stamps!!  Heidi's images are adorable, and I am so honored that she chose me to be a part of her team!  This little cutie above is called "Penguin Fun" and you can purchase him as a digital image in her Etsy shop.  I have him in rubber but I don't know if there are any left.  I wanted to play along with the most recent challenge at 2 Cute Rubber Stamps, to use this picture as inspiration:

I really loved the purples, blues and greens, so I used lots of scraps with those colors, and a pop of yellow (seen in the light fixture).  I colored Mr. Penguin with my Copics and used a sentiment by Clear & Simple Stamps.  The rectangle, scalloped rectangle and grommet tag are all Nestabilities/Shapeabilities.  The sketch is this month's SFYTT:

I added a couple of glitter brads by Making Memories but otherwise let the patterns in the papers provide interest.  I hope you like this card and you'll be seeing lots of other super cute images when I post on Sundays. :D Thanks for stopping by!

-Suzanne :O )

Love binds...

Hi friends!  Hope you're all having a great weekend so far!  Last week one of my best friends got married so I wanted to make her an extra special card.  Her colors were navy blue and white, so I used navy blue cardstock and patterned papers by Making Memories for the backdrop.  The sentiment is by Fiskars.. I usually have a tough time with wedding cards, so to ease my difficulty, I just used a sentiment as the focal point.  To embellish, I used two flowers by Prima that I had just picked up at a yard sale.  (I got six of these flowers for $1... I'm guessing they were at least $3.99 at Michaels, but I'll have to check the next time I'm there.)  I took a close-up of the flowers- hopefully you can see some of the chunky glitter:

This card came together very quickly, but I think the flowers really made it stand out.  Chris and I had a great time at the wedding!  We took some pictures outside of the restaurant, which was right on the Hudson River.  Apologies for my normally straight hair- it was really humid that night!  :)

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

-Suzanne :O )

Celebrate!

Hi friends!  Today is my dad's birthday, so I'm sharing with you the card I made for him!  I went to CKC Valley Forge on Saturday and picked up some Simple Stories papers I had been eyeing online for a while.  This card was SO easy to make since their papers include 4x6 pieces that only need a touch of embellishing to look finished.  I matted some Imaginisce patterned paper (green) on kraft cardstock and layered the Simple Stories block on top of that (it includes the red polka dot part!).  Then I colored in a super cute image by Pink Cat Studios with my Copics and cut those little guys out.  (Don't they look like the just got caught doing something naughty, like eating the entire birthday cake?! LOL)  I layered the dinosaurs with foam tape and added some orange brads by Making Memories and that was IT!  Aside from the coloring, this card probably took me 10 minutes to make, but it looks so much more complicated than it is!  I have another scrapbook show at the end of this month, so if I see more SS papers, I'm going to snatch them up- I LOVE them!  :D  


I hope you enjoy my cute little card, thanks for stopping by!
-Suzanne :O )


PS- The inside was stamped with a starving artistamps sentiment- "have a DINO-mite day!"  hehe :)

Party Time Tuesdays Blog Hop!

Well hello there!  I finally get to announce that I have joined the Party Time Tuesdays design team!!!  It's such an honor to be among such a talented group of card makers and I'm so exciting to delve into the world of digital stamps!  To get the party started, PTT is doing a blog hop with some fun prizes:

Welcome to the Party Time Tuesdays Blog Hop

If you love birthdays this hop is for you!  It is also the inspiration of
our challenge.  So in order to see the inspiration, you have to HOP!
Plus, you will have a chance to win one of 2 prizes- a $25 gift
certificate to The Robin's Nest or a $10 gift certificate to Paper Make-up
Stamps.

In order to be eligible, you have to leave a comment on ALL DT members' PTT
posts for today.  We will then randomly "draw" 2 winners!

Here is the hop order:

http://www.partytimetuesdays.blogspot.com Party Time Tuesdays

Blog

http://www.renlymatsworld.blogspot.com Renee

http://d-dazzled.blogspot.com Danie

http://shewhomuststamp.blogspot.com Paige

http://www.southernyankeecrafter.blogspot.com Nancy

 http://justcoffeepleasestampsribbonspaper.blogspot.com Jen S.
http://papermoments.blogspot.com Jackie
http://www.cardgarden.blogspot.com Suzanne  <--- YOU ARE HERE!
http://www.mystampinhide-away.blogspot.com Mary
http://thenuttycardmaker.blogspot.com Peggy

I was given these ADORABLE images by Chi Chi Memories to work with, and now I can see why digital images are addictive!  I have to work on coloring hair a little better, but I love that card making always poses new challenges to conquer.  I used lots of cardstock scraps, my Grand Nestabilities Labels 4 and my polka dot embossing folder.  The stamp is Hero Arts and the scalloped circle is a Stampin' Up! punch.

Thank you so much for welcoming me and the rest of the new DT. 

Here is this weeks challenge...

This week it's all about birthdays!

Our DT was lucky enough to get some fun images from 

Pink Cat Studios

and Chi Chi Memories

So show us your best birthday creations!!  

We can't wait to see what you come up with!
Remember, to see the DT inspiration and be eligible to win any of the wonderful prizes...you must go forth and HOP!  Good luck!

Your next stop is Mary's blog.  I hope you have fun checking out the DT inspiration and we hope you'll have time to "party" with us this week!  

Thanks so much for stopping by!

-Suzanne :O )

Thinking of you

Hi friends!  It's time for another Woodware USA challenge- I can't believe how fast July went by!  This week it's anything goes, so make sure you link up:

Woodware USA Challenge #37

I dug out some super old Basic Grey paper for this card.  I think this paper was actually from the first Basic Grey pad I ever bought back in 2006- I really need to work on finishing up my old(er) papers!  The image is from Mary & Friends and was colored with my Copics.  The sentiment is from stampingscrapping.com and my sketch was based loosely on this week's Sweet Sunday sketch:

I had a super busy weekend- wedding on Friday night, a scrapbook convention on Saturday and a bridal shower yesterday... I love seeing friends and of course, the shopping for more supplies, but I'm exhausted!!  :)  I got some new papers by Simple Stories- the kind I love so much I'll probably never use!  LOL  I also got quite a few stamp sets, so I'll be breaking those out soon.  I hope you all have a great week and will have some time to enter one of your creations over at Woodware USA!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Suzanne :O )