Cooking anyone?

Hey there everyone... wowza... this month has totally flown by.  Talk about making a card at the last minute for this month's SFYTT... Oops.... And of course, I decided to use this cutie pie Lollipop Chef from Lori Boyd Designs. I've had this DP from Little Yellow Bicycle for awhile now and it was just waiting for the right image and I think I hit the nail on the head for this one.  I've watercolored the image with my Tombow Markers and kept the card relatively simple. 

I'm off to watch the hockey game. GO CANUCKS GO!!!!

TSG Sneak Peek - Blossom by Blossom

Welcome back to Day 3 of this month's sneak peeks for There She Goes upcoming release. Hasn't it been fabulous?  Loving the sets this month!!! I'm the first official stop on the hop after the TSG blog (just a reminder that there will be a master list if there is a break along the hop).  

Are you ready for another Torico-illustrated character set? I hope so, because we are in love with her latest release that showcases sweet little ladies enjoying the pleasures of spring along with some of their favorite spring creatures and blooms.

Isn't she a little cutie pie?  (SORRY about the slightly blurry pic - Blogger has been doing this a lot lately and the clearest of pics is coming out blurry...).  I've watercolored this cute girl from the Blossom by Blossom set with my watercolor pencils and then sponged a litle bit of grass with  some Studio G ink from Michael's.  I attempted clouds... yes I say attempted (twice!!!) on two images (that ended up in my trash) and wasn't liking how they were turning out so I decided that cloudless was the way to go.... 

Blossom by Blossom is a 4x8 stamp set that includes a total of 22 stamps that will sell for $18.

Now how head over the the amazingly talented Ann!!!

Would you like to win the Blossom by Blossom stamp set?  Here's how... Here’s what you need to do- go to each of the Trendsetter’s Blogs and leave a comment on their Blossom By Blossom Blog Hop Challenge post. After you have finished checking out the eye candy and have left some love, return to the TSG Blog and add your name to the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this Blog Hop Challenge post. A winner will be chosen randomly using a random number generator to receive their very own Blossom By Blossom stamp set. The winner will be announced Saturday (Apr. 30th) during the Release Party Chat.

TSG Sneak Peek - Lighten Up

Know someone who takes everything too seriously? Or maybe you know someone who needs a little pick-me-up? This set illustrated by our fabulous Torico will "brighten" anyone’s day! There are not only a variety of lamp bases and shades, but there are also some heartfelt and humorous sentiments to coordinate perfectly with the images. There She Goes is coming out with some absolutely fantastic sets this month and this one is one of my faves!!  I'm the first stop on the hop today so grab your coffee and sit, relax and enjoy the eye candy we have for you today. 

As soon as I saw this set, I thought retro.... So I searched through my mounds and mounds of DP (yes I have a DP addiction) and found this Basic Grey DP from the Marjolaine line.  I loved the circle patterns throughout it so I decided to mimic that with my layout as well. The image was watercolored with my Tombow Markers (surprising right? LOL).  This week's challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is to make a card with circles and looking at my card... there's a lot of circles there. What do you think?

Lighten Up is a 4X6 stamp set that includes a total of 20 stamps and will sell for $15.

*** The next stop on the hop today is Ann.  Check out what amazing eye candy she has in store for you.

Would you like a chance to win "Lighten Up"? Here’s what you need to do- go to each of the Trendsetter’s Blogs and leave a comment on their Lighten Up Blog Hop Challenge post. After you have finished checking out the eye candy and have left some love, return to the TSG Blog and add your name to the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this Blog Hop Challenge post. A winner will be chosen randomly using a random number generator to receive their very own Lighten Up stamp set. The winner will be announced Saturday (Apr. 30th) during the Release Party Chat.

TSG Sneek Peek - Confidential and Garden of Life

WOW!!! Another month has flown by and it's time for this month's sneak peeks for There She Goes next release. I'm the first official stop on the hop so grab your cup of java, sit down and enjoy a great week of sneak peeks!!. If there is a break anywhere in the hop, be sure to head to the TSG blog as there will be a master list there.

For my first card, I've used the main image from this new set as well as the vase.  Isn't that a fabulous sentiment?  There are so many of us with jobs that we don't always like and sometimes you need a pick-me-up to make it through the day and this set is sure to do just that. As you know, I've always been a fan of Jeanie Whitmer, so of course I had to make cards with Kraft for her "That's Krafty

Thursday" (and both of my cards today have it).

Have a bad day at the office? Or maybe you have a bad office every day?

 If either of these pertains to your situation, you will definitely enjoy this tongue-and-cheek set illustrated by Jessica…nd anyone would be happy to receive a creation using this hilarious set!

Confidential is a 4X6 stamp set that includes a total of 12 stamps and will sell for $15.

Once again Chris Dark has amazed us with a whimsical and spring-inspired stamp set. Who wouldn’t want to be outside enjoying the scenes of spring as everything comes to life? This set is a celebration of exactly that! Garden of Life is a 3 x 4 stamp set that includes a total of 7 stamps and will sell for $7.  

For my second card, I decided that clean and simple was the way to go.  I'm not sure why but this image just screamed clean and simple to me.  I've sponged the edge of the image with some yellow ink (from Michael's - Studio G) and then some Dandelion Memento Ink. 

The next stop on the blog hop is the talented Ann Kranitz. 

Would you like a chance to win the Confidential and Garden of Life stamp sets? Here’s what you need to do- go to each of the Trendsetter’s Blogs and leave a comment on their Confidential / Garden of Life Blog Hop Challenge post. After you have finished checking out the eye candy and have left some love, return to the TSG Blog and add your name to the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this Blog Hop Challenge post. A winner will be chosen randomly using a random number generator to receive their very own Confidential / Garden of Life stamp sets. The winner will be announced Saturday (Apr. 30th) during the Release Party Chat.



A better place

Each week I check out the Paper Players blog and each week I think I need to play along and then live gets in the way and another week passes by.... but this week... I wasn't going to let their sketch pass me by.  And I'm so glad I didn't!!! Although I added a little bit of my own flair, after all, it wouldn't be me if I didn't take a few liberties right? LOL!!! Call me a goof! I've had this K & Company Sweet Nectar DP for a few months now and believe it or not... I totally forgot I had it.  (That must be a sign I have too much DP... but then again, can you ever have enough DP?).  I was instantly inspired by it and I got to work (just a few simple cuts, a little bit of lace trim added under the one panel, a felt flower that I already had, a bit of ribbon, a great sentiment from Verve's All about You) and Voila... card done! Easy peasy! Quick and Easy!

TSG103 Monochromatic Magic

This week’s challenge at There She Goes is brought to us by our Trendsetter of the Week, Karen. She wants us to create a monochromatic card. In order to do that you would choose ,  one or more shades of one color along with ONE neutral color to use in your creation. We can’t wait to see what you come up with! As you can see... I kept to the challenge pretty much... as long as the base isn't considered my neutral... I must remember to look at the challenge a bit more closely before I go ahead and make my card. As soon as I saw this week's challenge, I remembered the Graphic45 DP that I bought on my trip to the US.  I hadn't used it yet, so of course it was ready to get used.  The colors remind me of vintage and with the look of the new Tulip set from TSG they were a match made in heaven if I do say so myself.  I've stamped the tulip in Versafine Vintage Sepia and then embossed it with clear embossing powder.  To add a bit of dimension, I used a Pastel chalk pencil in brown and tried blending it a little bit. The layout for my card is from this week's Unscripted Sketch challenge which I have flipped onto it's side. This week at Sugar Creek Hollow,  their challenge is to create a card with a monochromatic scheme which this card is perfect for. Wahoo!! Love their challenges! 

To be eligible for the giveaway, you are to create a card that utilizes monochromatic coloring, and then come back to the TSG Blog. By participating in this challenge, you may also find yourself in the Trendsetting Spotlight that shines on the TSG Blog every Thursday. We will be on the look out to find challenge cards that stand out and show Trendsetting qualities. You can simply add the URL link from your project after it has been uploaded to your online craft gallery. If you upload your card to an online craft gallery, please use the keyword TSG103 so we can check out your beautiful work!

Thanks for popping by today!!

Be my Honey bunny

Hey there Honey Bunnies!!  Over the weekend, Lori Boyd released some super cute Lollipop Easter images just in time for Easter and I fell absolutely in love with this cute Lollipop Bunny.  As soon as I saw this image, I knew I wanted to pair it with the Basic Grey Kioshi line (I really need to use up some of my older DP's).  The Kioshi line just seems to scream Spring with it's great pastel colours.  I've watercolored the image with my Tombow Markers and chose to keep the coloring very simple. I then sponged a little grass with some Old Olive ink.  The layout is from this week's Get Sketchy Challenge which I love!! I also paired this challenge with this week's Wee Memories challenge which is to create something "adorable" and I think this bunny is too adorable...My card also works perfectly for this week's challenge at Picture Perfect Creations which is create something Easter inspired.

I have a lot of exciting stuff happening over the next couple of weeks with the TSG release, and a new fun exciting adventure (more to come on this new adventure May 1st). I'll be still posting things over the next couple of weeks while I work behind the scenes on some fun stuff to share with you.  

Spread your wings

The sun is shining... wahoo!!! It's so nice out that I think I may spend some time out there.  It's still a little chilly though... if you can believe it - it was trying to snow just a few days ago.... I live on the West Coast -so that's just wrong!!! Oh wait...you're here for my card aren't you?  Oops...  A few days ago, I was checking out the colors for this week's Color Throwdown and I was inspired but didn't have time to make anything until I sat down last night to play.  I've used my new favorite TSG set called "Spread your Wings" (I've used it on a few cards lately) and my fave butterfly from the set. I've stamped the image in Versafine Onyx Black and then embossed with clear embossing powder. And guess what.... I pulled out my ever faithful Tombow Markers.  Surprised aren't ya??? LOL!  The layout for my card is this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge.  Love it!!! I know that I'll be using this sketch again. 

Stella's Triple Play

I'm not sure what's happened this week but my mojo has been flowing...  I guess I shouldn't complain should I?  I need to keep it for those times when I'm not in a card making mood (yes... I sometimes don't feel like making a thing).  I was toodling around in blog land the last few days and as soon as I saw this week's Tuesday Trigger at the Moxie Fab World Blog (I've included a pic of the inspiration pic below) I knew I wanted to play.  I've stamped this cute "Peekaboo Stella" from Stamping Bella in Versafine Onyx Black and then watercolored each of them in Tombow Markers.  I then added Yellow Stickles to the crowns and Fruit Punch Stickles to Stella's gorgeous lips.  I think of all the Stamping Bella Lines that Stella is my fave (although those cute pixies will be coming home with me at some point in time).  My layout for this card is this week's sketch at Card Positioning Systems and I've used twine on my card to add a bit of extra dimension (it was looking a little bare on the left hand side of my card) which is also for this week's Wee Memories Challenge to use twine on your card (it could be Baker's Twine or Jute Twine).  I've been a long time fan of Jessie Rone and when I saw that she had started "Forgotten Stamp Friday" I knew I had to participate at some point as we all have so many stamps that never see the light of day.  I swear I could open up my own store with all the stamps, ribbon and Designer paper I have.... 

I love the sassy face Stella has....seems kinda like she's hiding something. 

Have a great day everyone!!!

Got Storage?

I'll admit it... I'm a ribbon whore... Yup! I said it.  I'm one of those people who loves ribbon.... I swear I'm drawn to it like a magnet.  I have so many rolls of it...  so when my good friend Corinna came out with her Ribbon Carousel, I knew it would be the perfect solution.  This 4 post carousel holds up to 96 rolls of ribbon and soon, she'll be coming out with an 8 post carousel for those smaller rolls of ribbon we all have.

 One of the things I absolutely LOVE about the Ribbon Carousel is the fact that it is 100% US made (not one piece of it is from overseas).  To me, that really says something about Corinna and her product. She really understands the importance of supporting her local economy (check out this page on her website about the story of the Ribbon Carousel). 

I know Corinna has some exciting things planned for the Ribbon Carousel... very soon!!  (And I'm incredibly excited about it). 

Make sure you check out the Ribbon Carousel Facebook page as well.  You never know what amazing things you might find there.

It's a Rainy day...

Hey there everyone!!! I know my title suggests rainy days... but it's finally not raining here. Wahoo!! Just an overcast day so far.  Thank goodness!!! I've had this cutie pie from Lori Boyd Designs for a little while now and this week's CAS challenge at SCS is an inspiration one and I chose to go with stripes.  I used to love jumping in puddles as a child so when I saw that this week's challenge at Paper Sundaes is "Childhood memories" I knew that this image was perfect.  I've watercolored the image with my Tombow Markers and then used Glossy Accents on the girl's boots, puddle, frog and the blue polka dots on the umbrella. I also used a bit of Yellow Stickles on parts of the umbrella.

Thanks for dropping by today!!! Enjoy the sunshine!!

Challenges I'm entering card into:

Paper Sundaes - Childhood Memories

If the Shoe Fits-  Spring

CAS114 - Inspiration at SCS

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge



TSG102 Celebrate you Today

Hello there everyone! Who's ready for Spring?  I know I sure am!!! This weekend we had endless amounts of rain... I swear we're going to float away soon.  And it was one of those weekends where you plan to get a million things done and none of it happens.... So early this morning I decided to get a little crafty.  This week at There She Goes, Marisa (our Guest Trendie) came up with a challenge for us to use vellum on our cards.  Vellum scares me.... I'm not sure why but it does... so of course I had to go on a trip just to buy some.. Sad I know!!  Over the weekend, I noticed Iwona had her new Sketchbook Saturday up and the sketch totally spoke to me.  I instantly thought of these Prima flowers I had as well as the TSG set called Sentimental Birthday.  I've been trying to create some more shabby chic style cards because I've always loved the look but have a hard time achieving it.  So off for more inspiration I went... and I found two great challenges - Shabby Tea Room (this week's challenge is to use lace or doilies on a card so I used black lace) and the Cupcake's Creation Color Challenge (to use light pink, black and cream). 

We'd love for you to join us over at There She Goes for our challenge this week!! All you need to do is create a card using vellum in some way.  Then go to the TSG blog and add your link.  If using an online gallery make sure to use TSG102 as your key word.  Don't forget that by participating in the TSG challenge, you have the opportunity to win $5 to the TSG store or be in the Trendsetting Spotlight. 

Challenges I'm entering my card into:
Cupcake's Creation Color Challenge (light pink, black and cream)
The Shabby Tea Room (use lace or doily on a card)
Iwona's Sketchbook Saturday
Friday Mashup (butterflies with dimension) - new challenge blog!!

Have a great day!!!

BLD April Release - Springtime Daisy

Hey there everyone!!! Welcome April's New Release at By Lori Designs!!  We're so excited to be bringing new images for you to play with. 

I'm the first official stop on today's hop so grab your coffee,  sit down and enjoy the eye candy we are treating you to today. 

Today I had the chance to play with "Puddle Jumper Daisy".  Isn't she just too precious?  I've watercolored her with my Tombow Markers and then went with a simple layout to show off this little cutie pie.  I heart the Puddle Jumper line... who am I kidding?  I love all of the lines! 

Lori's a sweetie and is offering a $10 Gift Certificate to the BLD store to one lucky commenter so make sure you comment on everyone's blogs. 

Now hop on over to Arielle's blog.

I've also listed the order of the hop just in case there is a break in the hop along the way.

Angela
Arielle
Jacquie
Jane B
Jayne M
Jen S.
Jennifer
Joni
Kadie
Krista
Linda
Mercy
Sheri
sherryann
Silvia
Tracy
By Lori Designs

Just Ducky...

Hey there!!!  Yup... that's me in that puddle... It has been raining so much here.... and it's supposed to rain the rest of the week.... wahoo... I have my Bogs out (awesome rain boots!!!) - mine are a slightly different pattern.  Rain jacket... check!!! Aren't these ducks just way too cute?  They're from the set called "Puddles of Fun" which are an exclusive Rachelle Miller stamp from Paperworks. The image was watercolored with my Tombow Markers and as you can see, I've gone with a simple layout that I'll be sure to use again. 

Well... I have to run... have a busy day ahead of me.  See ya soon!!

MFTGUESTDT0411 Oh baby!!!

Oh baby.... I'm channelling my inner Amy Sheffer aka Pickletree for this shabby chic card.  Amy has been a long time inspiration of mine so when I saw this month's guest designer challenge at My Favorite Things, I knew if I could channel Amy, then I could do shabby chic.  It's not my normal style but wow..... I loved it!!! I must admit, I slaved over this card for one too many hours though....  My inspiration for my card came from the new Basic Grey DP "Hello Luscious" and the My Mind's Eye Stella Rose (I took three of the four papers from the various lines in Stella Rose).  I've had the a la Mode "Oh Baby" since shortly after came out but with my schedule this is the first opportunity I've had to use it.  I think it's a fabulous  go to stamp for a baby shower or for a person newly pregnant.  I watercolored the image with my Tombow Markers and then added a bit of white gel pin for highlighting.  Each layer of DP and cardstock was distressed and then I sponged the edges with Crumb Cake and Close to Cocoa inks.  I had the most fun with all of the embellishments: some crinkly ribbon, rhinestone swirls, button, linen thread, pebbles and crocheted lace... Love it!!!

Another source of inspiration for me is the amazing Jeanie Whitmer aka "the spotted chick" who also loves Kraft cardstock so I'm also entering this into her "That's Krafty Thursday" challenge.  Thanks Jeanie!!!

Thank you for dropping by today!!! Hugs!!!

High in the Sky

I had a bit of free time on Friday morning and was in a bit of a card making mood but the severe headache I had.... well that didn't lend itself to fancy cards, so clean and simple it was.... 

As soon as I saw this week's Fall to Layout, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Out came my MS Butterfly punch, a bit of Echo Park DP, some Rose Bud Memento Ink (that I sponged around the edges of each butterfly) and the TSG stamp set called "Spread Your Wings".  I've had it for months and finally used it...You'll be seeing it again soon I'm sure. 

For my second card, I used last week's Fall to Layout, the TSG stamp set "Aim for the Clouds", the MFT Kite Die-namic and easy peasy... a fun, simple card.

Are you a fan of There She Goes?  Want to partcipate in the "Mother of all Blog Hops"?  The hop will happen over two days (May 7th and 8th) and there are over $400 in prizes?  We'd love for you to join us for this annual event!! All of the details are on the TSG blog (in the MOABH link just above). 

Thanks for dropping by!!!

It's a ladybug kind of day

Dream big!!! Isn't that we should all do?  But how many of us really do?  I swear my life has been full of chaos lately but hopefully things are finally going to settle down.  I had a bit of free time yesterday so I decided to make a card using this cute Lollipop Ladybug from Lori Boyd Designs.  I printed the image into watercolor paper and then watercolored with watercolor pencils.  I decided to give my Tombow Markers a break.... Surprise Surprise right?  LOL...  I used scraps of Designer paper from Echo Park and Bo Bunny.  If you could see my scrap pile... it's huge... oh wait... that would be my stash of Designer paper as well...  The layout for my card comes from the current "Pink Elephant" challenge which is a sketch that I'm sure I'll be using again... Love it!