Firecracker Blog Hop

Hello all!

Welcome to my first FirecrackerDesigns by Pamela Blog Hop! (whewww. that's a mouthful!) This month's theme is to be inspired by book covers.

The inspiration could be color combos, sketch design, title treatments, etc. Whatever we liked about the cover.

Here's the book I was inspired by:

I chose this book for several reasons. One, I have a really difficult time putting red and green together without it looking holiday-ish, and two, I LOVE the author and wanted to highlight her! I mostly used the colors to create my card. Red, pink, green and brown.

 I used Daisy Tops on my card, aren't they cute with brown felt flowers and Basic Grey papers?

BLOG HOP DETAILS:

This is a “circular blog hop” where the only beginning is wherever you start!!  You will know you are at the end of your blog hop when you’ve come back to the blog you’ve started from (here).

The winner will be chosen from a mystery blog hostess …so you’ll want to leave a comment on EVERY blog, so you don’t miss out!

**To find out if you’ve won… you will be contacted by Pamela via e-mail (so be sure to leave it with your comment.) and you can also find out on Pamela’s blog after the blog hop ends on Mon, at 8:00 PM EST.**

Now, to continue the circle, you will need to hop on over to Boni's blog

and keep going until you’ve come back to where you’ve started!  Thanks so much for playing along with us and we hope you have a great time!

Hey there!

Last week I was attempting to design a BD card for my best friend, Mary. We've been BFF since we were 2 and 3 years old, (SHE'S older *grin*) so I sort of know what she likes by now! After I put this one together, I realized it wasn't "right" so into the stash pile it went.

Stamps used: Giga Guidelines, Fillable Frames #6, Paper Tray all by PTI, and Very Vintage Labels no. 4 by Waltzing Mouse Stamps.

You wouldn't think I could use 4 different stamp sets on one relatively simple card, but there you have it! *chuckle* Raspberry Fizz and Harvest Gold.

Thanks for stopping by today, love you guys!

Birthday Wishes

Good morning all! Just a quick pop-in today. This is for Sasya's Sketches...can you believe we're already up to no. 24?! I know, right?

(Somewhere in blogland there is a similar card...I saw it forever ago and it stuck in my head, so if it was yours, let me know and I'll give proper credit!)

This was the first time I've ever made those tiny roll up flower buds. I don't recall where I learned them, but I just cut out a simple swirl, like this one (only thicker), 

and started rolling up from the inside. When I got to the end I glued it and stuck a pearl in the center. Simple and easy!

Stamps include script background from TAC, Turning a New Leaf and Mixed Messages from PTI.

Join us for this week's sketch at Sasya's sketches!

Thanks for stopping by! 

*Mwah*

A little birdie told me...

...that I needed to update my blog! *chuckle* I needed a few days off from blogging but thanks for all the emails asking where I was! It's nice to be missed.

Today's card is for the Tuesday Throwdown challenge of "more than one fold." Now, I have to tell you that I made several cards for this challenge, but none of them worked for me. So I gave up making the card base have many folds and decided to fold down a corner ON the card! That counts doesn't it? *fingers crossed*

The bird image is from Robyn's Fetish digi images. I just love her cute stance and open beak! I stamped the sentiment with Fresh Alphabet from PTI, and added some musical notes from the Birds of a Feather set.

If you want to play along with us this week, upload your card with more than one fold to Tuesday Throwdown!

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to my friend, the talented, Melissa Ladd! Go wish her a good one!

Baby goodies

 Good morning all! Sleep well?

I'm popping in today to show you the baby card I made for my newest great-niece, Evelyn. I finally inked up Night Night Moon by PTI. Love this set, so many fun elements. Oh and I also used a fillable frame for the first time too! (no.5 I think...)

Here's a close up of the bib I stamped.

I first stamped the tiny bunny rabbit from Bitty Baby Blessings on some Sweet Blush CS and colored it in with a white gel pen. Then I inked up the bib image with Dazzle Versamark and stamped over it, then covered with clear e.p. and heat set.

When my nephew's wife was pregnant, we planned a baby shower for her and I and my BFF Mary, made 80 tiny paper shoes to give as favors. Unfortunately the weekend of the shower I got really ill and couldn't travel so no one went home with a baby shoe (and I'm stuck with them!).

However, I DID make a special set just for the mom-to-be, and here they are.

Aren't they sweet? I stamped them with a flourish from Turning a new Leaf.

Thanks for stopping by today folks, Have a great FRIDAY (the 13th)!!!!!

Fun in the sand

Hey everyone, hope you guys are well! Just wanted to pop in and post this fun card I made last weekend.

I actually tied that bow last MONTH and ended up not using it, so it was sitting on my desk, calling my name! All I had to do was find some fun papers and stamps to go with it!

Definitely not my normal mode of card making. Starting with the bow that is. *wink*

Don't you love that row of bubbles along the bottom? They are a FCD stamp that I just fell for! Adding the highlight with a white gel pen really made them pop. *groan* Bad pun, sorry.

The image is actually comprised of 2 different stamps, Pail and Shovel, also by FCD. I stamped them together and colored them with Copics. They make me long to go back to the beach!

Sentiment (and ribbon) by PCD from the My Beach House set. All other supplies are PTI.

Thanks for stopping by today, I hope it's a good one for you!

Blue skies...smilin' at me...nothin' but blue skies

I'm late posting this morning. I want to to go back to bed. It's only Wednesday and already I'm clambering for the weekend!

The sketch this week at Sasyas Sketches is so different, I had a hard time with it, I'll admit! But once I fiddled with it enough I made it work for me and this beauty (if I do say so myself) was created.

Yes, that's another paper rose! I left it white this time and absolutely love it. Everything else is PTI except the orange snaps in the corner which are MM.

I hope you'll play along with us this week because I'd love to see what you come up with using this sketch! Can you believe this is sketch no. 23????

Asian spotlight

I really like pink with kraft lately if you couldn't tell! *smile* 

This is for the Tuesday Throwdown challenge this week to try spotlighting as a technique. Although I knew what spotlighting was I had never tried it. I sort of reversed my spotlight because I forgot what I was doing and just started coloring my cherry blossom branch! lol! When I realized what I had done, I decided to just make the spotlight B&W instead. I think it works!

If you want to give spotlighting a try, join us this week at Tuesday Throwdown for a chance to win a fabby prize.

Thanks for stopping by today, do something creative!

Delicate branches

So did everyone have a good weekend? We actually didn't have to BE somewhere for the first weekend in quite a while, so it was nice to just relax and do fun things for once! I spent a lot of time in my studio, we went to the community pool, for a family bike ride, and my hubster took our youngest to the county fair for rides, fun food and a monster truck show.

Today's card is simple and sweet. I finally inked up some stamps I've had for a while, Delicate Branches by Inkadinkado. I embossed them in white on kraft, sponged on some pink ink and used a white gel pen to outline the image. Then I mounted the panel on a rustic white CS base and added a bow using May Arts pink twill from the Practicing Creativity Designs store. I added the raven in black on a pop dot, and a sentiment from YOF: Sweet Peas by PTI.

Thanks for stopping by today friends!

Paper rose wedding card

 Happy Saturday everyone! I plan on spending some quality crafting time in my studio today while my husband participates in a triathlon in the State Park. (He's crazy in the head *wink*)

So I used Glimmer Mist (Sugar Maple) for the very first time on this card! Yes, on the scrunched ribbon, but also on the paper rose I made too!

Here is a photo tutorial on how I made the rose using a flower die from PTI.

I know the pics are small, so if you would like more detailed instruction, please email me (see the "About Me" page at the top left of my blog for address), and I will send you full instructions and larger photos.

This is also the first time I've inked up my Wedding Day stamps from PTI. I even had to take them out of the box and put them into the CD case first! What a slacker I am! Sentiment is from Giga Guidelines, also from PTI.

So what do you think? Is the card too simple? Too bold? Give me some honest feedback, will ya? *grin*

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your weekend!

Tricycles galore!

I couldn't resit showing you another card I made using The Whole Cycle and Chatterbox from PCD. 

Actually, this is the FIRST card I made when I got my DT package in the mail!

That little tricycle is just so cute and I wanted to color it pink very badly. I also LOVE the "kiddo" stamp from Chatterbox, because I use that and "munchkin" frequently for my own boys.

So this is a simple card, but with a lot of impact. I can't wait to give it to my new great-niece who was just born 2 days ago! Her parents didn't know if she would be a boy or girl, but I dreamed about her and KNEW she was a girl! I can't wait to meet her. Her name is Evelyn Carol. Named for her 2 great-grandmothers (Lyn and Carol) and her Uncle Evan. So sweet!

(I've been a Great Aunt since I was 18 years old, and have 10 great-nieces and great-nephews!)Yep.


Thanks for stopping by today, have a good one!

Happy news!

Did you get your new stamps from PCD at midnight? I heard they were selling out quickly!

In other news, I am now on the Design Team for Firecracker Designs by Pamela!
I'm so excited because they have some really unique stamps. Not only do they have unmounted red rubber, they also have clear stamps and digital stamps too! A little something for everyone!

This is my first post using FCD stamps, and I really loved the sea shells. They were deeply etched red rubber and gave a very crisp image. I like how simple yet intricate they are. Some Copic markers helped give dimension.

I was going for a masculine card that had a nautical theme, but in the end it could be used for anyone, really.  Instead of using PP for the top half of the BG I decided to stitch lines down it with my sewing machine. I LOVE this look! With a few antique brads and some twine I called it done.

Stay tuned for some more fun stamps from FCD in the coming weeks.

This card also qualifies for the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World! This will be the first time I've ever entered anything there, so I'm super excited to be participating!

Thanks for letting me share in my exciting news with you all, you're the best blog readers ever!

PCD sneak peek day 3!

Welcome to day three of the new release peeks from Practicing Creativity Designs! Today the DT members are showcasing a project instead of a card.

Yes, I made a card too, but only to go along with the fun wagon I made!

Okay, so the wagon in the new set, The Whole Cycle, was so stinkin' cute I had to try to make one myself! I fiddled around and came up with a great template to make my own little red wagon. (I hope to have the template up soon on this post, so check back in a few days and see if it is here)

I used the wheels from the large bicycle and just colored in a larger rim using a black Copic Multi-liner pen and added some shading with a Copic marker in grey. A quick handle made it just like I remembered when I was a kid, only I filled this one with Yummy Earth Organic candy drops in Hopscotch Butterscotch! I added the sentiment "Happy Birthday" with one stamp, and the popped up "Little One" with another.

One of the things I LOVE about The Whole Cycle, is that you can add things to the wagon bed! I stamped the stack of gifts three times (masking twice) to look as if the wagon was FULL of presents. SO fun!


Go see what Courtney, Karen and Paulina have created too!

Are you as excited as I am about these two sets from PCD? They will be available at midnight tonight at the store, along with some other new goodies like Glimmer Mist, fabric tape, and Heidi Swapp screens! 

See you there!


(scroll down for my Sasya's Sketches post today!)

Metallic hearts!

It's time for another Sasya's Sketch!

 I really had fun playing with this one and made several before deciding on this one for my DT requirement.

I just love how the BG layer looks like real embossed metal! All I did was emboss a piece of black CS using a CB folder and then sponge silver pigment ink on top. The small piece of colorful PP is from a pad I earned 5 years ago from TAC, and I embossed silver hearts on it using Background Builders: Hearts from WPlus9. Sentiment is from Heartprints Sentiments by PTI.

Here's the sketch if you want to play along with us this week. I know there are fabulous prizes to be randomly won, and recognition for top 5 works also. This is also the first week for the new Design Team too, and now there are three of us girls from the states on the team! Myself, Diane, and now Sherry! Join us for the fun!

Thanks for stopping by, 

(scroll up to see another sneak peek at the newest releases from PCD.)

Seriously!

Welcome to the second day of sneak peeks for Practicing Creativity Designs! I hope you've been checking out all the peeks that Courtney, Karen, and Paulina have been posting. Are you as excited as I am about these new sets? I am seriously in love.

This card uses the antique bicycle from The Whole Cycle, and some sentiments from Chatterbox. I also dug out some old CS from the 1990s because it matched the May Arts celedon ruffly ribbon perfectly!

Go see what the other DT members have created, you will be amazed! Courtney has really outdone herself with this release. She's amazing. And she is giving away one of EACH of the new sets to one lucky commenter!

These two sets will be released on August 5th, and will retail for $12.99 each.

For today's Tuesday Throwdown post, please scroll down!

Thanks for stopping by today friends!

Monochromatic Tuesday Throwdown!

Okay, I'm breaking ALL the rules with this card! *chuckle* 

This is for the Tuesday Throwdown challenge this week, to create a monochromatic card. 

I made mine a masculine card, but yes, that is satin ribbon and a bow on there. And yes, I added some butterflies too, and even rounded corners! But hey, butterflies can be male too after all, right? *grin*

All stamps are WPlus9 Designs, from the Woodgrain Silhouettes set.

I love monochromatic cards, and this one is no exception. Join us this week for the Tuesday Throwdown challenge!

For today's PCD sneak peek, scroll up!

Thanks for stopping by,

Wanna go for a ride?

So today is the first day of sneak peeks using the two new sets from Practicing Creativity Designs! I know I say this each month, but these are my favorite sets so far! You will LOVE them!

I used the large bicycle image for this card, and colored it with white gel pen. Although it's hard to see, I also used the oblong "ground" stamp underneath the bicycle so it wasn't floating. I added the basket (paper pieced) and flowers for a touch of whimsy. Isn't this adorable?

Be sure to stop by Courtney's, Karen's, and Paulina's Blogs too, for even MORE peeks at the new sets!

I have so much to catch up on because I was away, but I can't wait to see all the fun projects I missed of yours, dear readers. Expect several comments from me in the next few days!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Guessing game for PCD

Hello All! I'm back from vacation and I had a wonderful time with my family and my in-laws. I'll share some fun pictures from our trip in a few days when I've had a chance to look through them!

Today starts the countdown for the August release at Practicing Creativity Designs! I'm SOOOO excited about this month's release for several reasons. The first being that we have a new DT member, Karen Baker! I'm sure you have visited Karen's blog, The Bald Dragonfly before, and have witnessed the incredible, out-of-the-box designs she creates. So much talent! We will miss Alice and her incredible coloring though *pout*. She was so sweet and fun to work with.

The second reason being that this month PCD is releasing TWO stamp sets! Woohoo! I was tickled pink when I got them in the mail! I just know you will love them too!

Now for the guessing game!

 Each of the design team members has a
photo on our blogs with a clue in it for the next stamp set! (See mine at the top of this post) Start at Courtney's blog and look at each one of our photos and then head back to her blog to leave your guess.

Courtney

Karen

Paulina

Me

Make sure to leave your guess on Courtney's blog, and you might be the lucky winner of the set!

My photo above was taken the day we were packing for our vacation, so I'm pale, but after spending almost a week in the sun (with natural sunscreens) I'm strangely brown and my hair has turned blondish! EEEK!

Have fun guessing and good luck! Be sure to stop by tomorrow to see a sneak peek of the new sets!