Digital Tuesday Challenge: Funny Guy

I'm always short on cards for the guys...Now I'm not sure about you, but I'm masculine card challenged...I mean gosh, no glitter, no frilly ribbon, NO BLING!?! So this weeks challenge for The Digital Tuesday Challenge (make a funny, masculine card) was perfect for getting my "manly" creative side going...
Not only that...pretty cool prize too...digi images from Dustin Pike...he's got some GREAT boy/man images (trucks, dragons, etc...), so please be sure to check him out!
Now let's discuss this card, I actually started with my sentiment for inspiration and chose my image around that...(which I found in my All That Scraps folder, Gingersnaps Celebrate. Now who says girly stuff can't become more masculine?) Anyway, I colored my main image in with Copics, airbrushed the edges and added chunky glass glitter on the rim... so easy...and actually I may have to do more manly cards...it went together quickly...since I didn't add buttons n bows n all that frilly stuff!...so now it's YOUR turn, I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Recipe

• Digital Image: All That Scraps Gingersnaps Celebration
• Nestabilities: Circle and Pinking Circle
• Paper: (scraps...sorry...cute though, isn't it...I DO remember I got it at Archiver's...)
• Other: Chunky Glass Glitter, Copics, Copic Air Gun, Pop Dot, Glue (for glitter)
  
  

Digital Tuesday Challenge: Birthdays

This week on the Digital Tuesday Challenge, our challenge was to make something for a BIRTHDAY...now that's a refreshing change from Christmas! Our sponsor this week is Ildi Co ....go take a peek at what some of the DT did with their adorable images!

My image this week is one of Mo Manning's freebies...to me this image screams PARTY! I colored my image in using the Copics and the following colors:

• B00
• E00
• E02
• E31
• E33
• YG11
• YG06
• RV11
• R32

Of course I had to add some "bling" to my card with glitter on the pinking edges of both the image AND the sentiment. To do this, I ran my pinking circles through my Xyron, adhered my image/sentiment, then sprinkled glitter on the rest! I thought this was just kind of a fun card, and a fun change...hope you enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Thanks for visiting today!

Recipe:

• Digitial Image: Mo Manning
• Stamps: Party by Studio G, Celebrate by Papertrey Ink
• Paper: Paper Studio
• Other: Xyron, Copics, Glitter, Pop dots, Rhinestone

Digital Tuesday Challenge #14: Sweet Birthdays

This week on the Digital Tuesday Challenge I'm the hostess...and my challenge this week is SWEET BIRTHDAYS! The stipulation is to use at least one digital image and create something sweet with birthday's in mind, it could be a cupcake card or it could be a candy bar wrapper decorated in a birthday theme, let your imagination go WILD!

I decided I would do a cute lollipop birthday bouquet, this is a really simple and quick project with sooooo many possibilities! I decided on Have a Sweet Birthday for my theme and used Tootsie Pops (tropical flavored I think) for my lollipops (really I just loved the colors...pink and purple!). I purchased my flower pot at Hobby Lobby on sale for $1.50, put some florists foam in (I had on hand) and then started sticking my lolli's in it. I then added some curling ribbon and my topper and a little ribbon for a finishing touch...
This has so many sentiment possibilities:

• How about for a teacher so she can "share" her bouquet with her students?
• Great for a major birthday... you could put a topper in it that says 50 (or whatever age) SUCKS!
• Also great for co-workers...inexpensive (mine is under $5, even with two bags of lollipops) and pretty to boot!
  

Thanks for joining me today and be sure to join in the Sweet Birthday fun...this weeks sponsor is MY GRAPHICO and they are giving away an entire digi stamp set to the lucky winner, so be sure to enter, I can't WAIT to see what you come up with!

Recipe:

• Stamp: Digi Stamp by CC Designs Penguin
• Dies: Nestabilities Circle and Scalloped Circle
• Other: Lollipops, flower pot, florist foam, curling ribbon, Copics, Skewer (for topper) and ribbon

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge: You PARTY Animal!

This week on the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge the theme is PARTY ANIMAL!
For this challenge your projects must include at least one animal. Let's try to get wild and crazy with this challenge and make something out of the ordinary...you know, something that fits the "Party Animal" theme! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

So here's my version of a party animal...well...maybe this is an "after the party" animal! LOL... Anyway, I decided to do another cake, but this time instead of a wedding cake, I decided to do a birthday cake, I embossed my layers on the cake with my cuttlebug folder and I pop dotted the last two off the card for just a hint of dimension, I added some ribbon and some punchie flowers with rhinestones...hope you enjoy and thanks for looking today! Recipe is below:

Recipe:

• Stamps: House Mouse, Studio G
• Punch: EK Succes (flower), Nestabilities (oval and scalloped oval)
• Other: Copics, Pop dots, rhinestones, cuttlebug embossing folder swirls.
  

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge, OH For the LOVE of Chocolate!!!!!

What a SUPER FUN week at the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge...the challenge is CHOCOLATE!!!!! YUMMY!!!

Now for anyone that knows me REALLY well, knows that I have an OBSESSION with CUPCAKES!! My husband can attest to that because I'll eat just about ANY cupcake...in fact we recently went to Wal-Mart and there were a DOZEN cupcakes in the day old bakery aisle for less than 1/2 off...I snapped those things right up! He tried to bury them in the bottom of the cart...WHY? you may ask...because they had Hannah Montana rings on them...LOL...and we don't have any children or nieces/nephews...LOL...apparently Hannah Montana was an embarrasment to him, but it didn't stop him in partaking in their delicious goodness once we got them home...LOL...I personally didn't care WHAT was on top...I was getting a delicious treat!

So, after looking at most of the other DT members fantastic chocolate creations I was STUMPED...and then I got to thinking...I could make a chocolate cupcake and then the lightbulb went off to a video I watched months before that made CUPCAKES with socks! Ha, PERFECT! (and non-caloric too {wink})

So this is what I came up with FAUX CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE socks! There are 3 pairs of ladies socks here, 2 socks each for the "chocolate" and 1 sock for the wrapper (this is PER cupcake)... Go to the "how to make a cupcake" video by Lauren Meader to learn how easy these cupcakes are to make! Once you get the hang of it they go really, really fast!

I then made the little carrier to put them in. These have been so popular with everyone I show them to I just automatically make them as Birthday gifts... So...I've got about $3 in socks for a birthday gift...easy peasy! I think these would be great for birthday favors and wouldn't they be fun to present to a girls sporting team with their school colors?...lots different that the usual goodie bags...well, I'm sure you can think of lots of great uses for them too!

Thanks for looking and be sure to drop by the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Blog, our prize sponsor this week is Diecut Dreams!

Recipe:

• Cupcakes: (for both), 2 pair of dark brown socks, 1 pair of white socks, ribbon and chunky glitter
• Carrier: Brown cardstock, DCWV Sweet Shop DP, Martha Stewart Lace Punch, SU Scallop Punch, EK Success Circle Punch, Nestabilities, CC Designs Stamps, Copics, Adhesive and Organza Ribbon
  

HEL-LO! Is this thing ON??????!!!!!

Where IS everyone???? Anyone else notice that the blogs, message boards, yahoo groups are getting quieter? Everyone must be enjoying the spring, digging around their gardens, going outside more, the sun is staying out later and then "oh heavens, IT's X o'clock already!"...I know that's what's going on in my neck of the woods...LOL...

Well, for the few of you that do manage to make the rounds, I've got another Dustin Pike image that will be released TO-DAY...this is the Party Elephant...and he's got PLEN-TY of friends that like to PAR-TY too! You should see the whole zoo of them...they are all this cute!

I decided since I was releasing a new image, I was also going to join in a few challenges, so I decided that my Creatively Cute Blogging Group challenge was good (something old, something new...use something you've had a long time, the birthday paper and the ribbon, and something new...the image!) AND I used Amy Rysavy's sketch this week...

I colored with Copics and cut out my Party Elephant and stickled his cupcake and hat, did my layering and then added my sentiment:

Outside: An elephant never forgets...
Inside: ...but, I occassionally do, Happy Belated Birthday!

Well, thanks for looking, recipe and photos below!



Recipe:

• Stamp: Party Elephant by Dustin Pike
• Paper: Reminisce Happy Birthday to You
• Other: Nestabilities, Stickles, Ribbon, Corner Rounder

Another Sneaky Peaky from Dustin Pike!

It's WEDNESDAY and you know what that means...FREEBIE digi stamp day from Dustin Pike AND we've got some sneak peaks for tomorrows NEW unveiling...Dustin sure knows how to keep his DT busy...Thursday (the 21st) is NEW RELEASE DAY, and these are some adorable characters he's drawn this week!

I chose this hilarious monkey...I just LOVE him, doesn't he just make you GRIN? :D And SINCE he's a happy chap, I decided he needed happy and BRIGHT colors (did you bring your sunglasses?) I layered him on DCWV's All About Boys dp and decided to cut him out with my Nestabilities and pop dotted the hat and the gift to make it more 3-D. I stamped my "happy birthday" with my NEW Just Rite stamps that I won from Fun Frilled (I'll have to photo that pkg later... $300 worth of stamps = about 16 lbs! oh the rubber goodness!)

Well hope you enjoy and make sure you drop by Dustin's Blog, you've got 11 chances to win his images! Go take a look to see all the rules! Recipe below and thanks for looking!

Recipe:

• Stamp: Birthday Monkey by Dustin Pike, Sentiment by Just Rite
• Paper: DCWV All About Boys
• Punch/Die: Martha Stewart Border Punch, Nestabilities Rectangle
• Other: Ribbon UK, Present Hobby Lobby, Pop Dots

Digital Tuesday Challenge: Tag, you're it!

This weeks challenge at Digital Tuesday Challenge is to use a tag or tags somewhere on your project. Now I have to admit this is try #2...I made a card and my tag just didn't "look right"...it was too much...LOL... so this is my second try and it IS A tag...

That gorgeous flower is from the Dahlia Flower Kit from Fred She Said, it's a digi image with several sized flowers and leaves and you color and cut out...super simple and really went faster than you'd think...I then layered it in pop dots (leaves too)...too really give it a 3-D feel! I'm pretty sure I'm going to use this tag to enhance a plain lavendar gift bag when the time comes... thanks for joining me today and please take a look at the other dt members projects...they are all really super this week! Recipe below...
Recipe

• Stamps: Fred Flowers V4 from Fred She Said, Sentiment by CTMH
• Ink: Memento
• Punch: Martha Stewart Lace Border
• Nestabilities: Label 1
• Other: Rhinestone, Organza ribbon, all paper by Joann Fabrics

Release Day at Dustin Pike...If the bill fits....

It's new release day over at the Doodle Dragon (aka Dustin Pike) and you should see what the DT has been up to with all the delicious new releases from Dustin! Each of the DT membes were assigned one image and then got to "pick" one image, yesterdays image was my "pick" and today's image was assigned, and I couldn't have asked for a better "assignment"... isn't this pelican comical? I love his eyes, just cracks me up!

He was colored with Copics, and I added a life preserver as my embellishment, which is just two Nestabilities circles, I then added at the bottom a sailors knot (and admittedly I had to go look at ask.com to figure out how to tie one, but I think it gives it that finishing nautical touch!).

Recipe and more photos below...and be sure to stop by Dustin Pikes blog, it's release day today, so lots of projects are on his blog and of course he's got a "freebie" image there (you don't want to miss...it's called CODE MONKEY...). Thanks for looking!

Recipe:

• Stamp: Pelican by Dustin Pike, sentiment computer generated
• Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip by SU, Chateau Stripe Scrapbook Walls by Chatterbox Inc.
• Other: Nestabilities Circles, pop dots, string, Copics

Party Squirrel

Hi! I know you've missed me (wink!)...I've had a super busy week and I've been busy crafting, but unfortunately nothing I can share on my blog...yet.... I've been working on a few things to submit to a few publications, and of course am not allowed to share!

I also made the DT for the NEW Digital Challenge Blog, Digital Tuesday Challenge! I'm sooo excited to be part of such an amazing new DT! So I've been feverishly working on a thing or two for that also! Be sure to drop by there, there are challenges going on right now with prizes for the taking!

ANYWAY...I decided to join the "Just Christmas and Birthday Cards" blog challenge and they had a wonderful sketch this week (see photo below card). I've been a little shy on the masculine type cards, so thought I would do a card a little more masculine this week... I decided to use the Party Squirrel image from Digital Stamp Oasis, I colored him in with Copics and then added stickles to the balloons..the rest was just layering and tying...and for those wondering how I got two perfectly in-sync tears ... I used my tearing ruler from Creative Memories. Hope you enjoy!



Recipe:

• Stamp: Party Squirrel from Digital Stamp Oasis, Happy Birthday from HOTP
• Paper: SU Kraft, Chatterbox Small Sky Argyl, Red is scrap
• Other: Foofala Buttons, Twine, Memento Ink, Copics

Card Sketch A Day: Popping Up to Say Happy Easter! & Make a Wish!

This is another sketch I was assigned from the Card Sketch a Day blog...I just love that blog...one of my favorites! I always love the sketches Susan assigns me...this one I REALLY loved, I knew from the get-go EXACTLY what I wanted to do...a little bunny popping up out of his hole one frame at a time...
Now searching for a bunny right after Christmas seemed darned near impossible...I mean I looked at several big box stores, several lss's...and no one was thinking Easter (I mean snow on the ground, Christmas Trees still up, come on people, I've got OTHER holidays to stamp...LOL!) However, persistance paid off and I did manage to find this adorable little guy!

I drew my hole with the help of my nestabilities oval die and colored it in, I then drew and colored my "grass". I added the butterflies, stickled them and added their flight "path". All on top of Fiskars Treading Water lace punch and for the final touch I stamped Happy Easter (from Paper Trey Ink)...the recipe is below for all the "deets".

Recipe:

• Stamps: Bunny by Inkadinkdo, Butterfly by Doodlebug Teen Girl, Happy Easter by Paper Trey Ink
• Paper: Nana's Nursery (boy) by DCWV
• Ink: Tim Holtz
• Punch: Fiskars Treading Water
• Other: Stickles Artic Ice, Colored Pencils, Micro Pen

Here's another card using the same sketch...I couldn't resist the MS cupcake punch the moment I saw it...and the paper (Sweet Shoppe by DCWV) went just perfectly with it! I took the colors of my card from the dp. This is mostly a punchies card, but I still think it turned out cute! I just love the glittered frosting and the little hearts on each cupcake! Below is the recipe...

• 

Recipe:

Punches: MS Cupcake, CM Squares, Fiskars Threading Water

Paper: DCWV Sweet Shoppe

Stamp: Sentiment by Studio G

Hearts: by K & Co.

Other: Organza Ribbon, Pop-Dots, Stickles

Limited Supplies Challenge

Have you ever had paper you just coveted? You can't bring yourself to use it because it's soooo pretty! And of course you ONLY BOUGHT ONE SHEET? Well, this rose paper by IOD I only bought ONE of, on one of our "away" trips...and I have coveted this ONE PIECE for-evah! I finally broke down and used it for this card though...

This card was made for the Limited Supplies Challenge on Split Coast Stampers, our limit was that we were only allowed to use ONE sentiment stamp...no more stamps...so that left paper and embellishments. Since I was in a "flowery" mood from my Princess Bride card (see previous post) I decided to continue in my floral mojo with this one and I planned the entire card around my coveted rose paper. I also FINALLY inked up this Birthday stamp that I've had for awhile... This card is pretty straight forward...no secret stuff going on here (wink)...so below is the recipe and have a great weekend!

Recipe:

• Stamps: Paper Inspirations Birthday Calligraphy
  Ink: Tim Holtz Antique Photo
• Paper: IOD, MME
• Punch: Martha Stewart; Branch, Butterfly, Lace Border
• Other: Robins Nest Dew Drops, Flower, Ribbon, Charm

Happy Birthday House Mouse

This is a dual challenge card, I decided to do the Split Coast Stampers Sketch Challenge 213 and the House Mouse Challenge (piercing was this weeks theme). I traveled away from my "comfort" colors and went for something a little bright and bold (at least for me), it seems very "birthdayish" at any rate! I pierced the sides of the plaid paper and added a simple sentiment at the bottom with SU's Think Happy Thoughts set and added a candle punch to the center and stickled the flame (I did that with the cupcake also...stickled the flame). This is a fairly simple card, it came together really quickly. Hope you enjoy and the recipe is below it! Have a "stampy" day!
Recipe:

• Stamps: SU Think Happy Thoughts, House Mouse Make a Wish 02
• Paper: My Minds Eye
• Punches: All by EK Success
• Other: Stickles, Paper Piercer, Pop Dot, Colored Pencils

Furball Fluffles

Isn't Fluffles just one smart alec cat? I just love him...wise guy after my own heart! (BEG!) Anyway, I decided to try one of Lauren Meaders Saturday Sketches. I decided to flip it so that Fluffles was looking to the inside of the card instead of outside of the card and added some balloons and stickled those. Of course the card had to be...you guessed it...PINK (are we seeing a theme here? LOL) Anyway, enjoy...and recipe (as always) is below...
Recipe:

• Stamp: Furball Fluffles by Stampendous
• Paper: The Paper Group (bought it at Big Lots...had never seen it before!)
• Punches: Cricut George Cart 1 1/2", Nestabilites Circle and Scalloped Circle
• Other: Pop Dot and Stickles
  

Make a Wish House Mouse, SCS211

FINALLY, warm weather...ok, warm"er" weather for us. What a week this has been! It has been BRUTALLY cold here and this I know because the cold water pipes in the HEATED part of the barn froze! They have NEVER done that before...the coldest it got was in the minus teens, but with the wind chill was in the minus 30's....brrrr...and that makes for some COLD mornings going to feed the horses...brrr.... I know when I walk into the heated barn and I can see their breath, and BOTH of the heaters can't keep up...it's COLD! So now we are in the teens, and let me tell you what a difference 20ish degrees makes, wouldn't think when it got that cold you could feel a difference, but you most certainly can! Anyway, onto today's card...

I decided to enter Split Coast Stampers sketch challenge this week (go HERE for the details). I actually had this image colored and cut for another sketch challenge and it just wasn't working! I think it works great for this sketch though...I again used my favorite yummy paper from the Sweet Shoppe DCWV stack, and a cupcake punch (Martha Stewart) to finish this off...and of course had to use one of my favorite color combos...pink and brown...yummy! I added stickles to the flame and all of the cupcakes...gotta have some bling in there somewhere! Below is the recipe...
Recipe:

• Stamps: House Mouse Make a Wish 02, Sentiment by Studio G
• Paper: Sweet Shoppe by DCWV
• Punch/Die: Martha Stewart Cupcake, Rectangle Nestabilities
• Other: Stickles and Pop Dots