color chef challenge #12

In honor of the upcoming 4th of July holiday, I thought we should use some red, white and blue for our cards this week.

Color Chef Challenge #12
red (I used CTMH Holiday Red)
white (I used a glossy stock from my paper stash)
blue (I used CTMH Outdoor Denim)

My card recipe:

paper- outdoor denim, holiday red- CTMH, glossy white- from my paper stash
ink- holiday red and outdoor denim- CTMH
stamps- Green Thumb- Paper Tray Ink
other- white daisy brads-CTMH, EK Success Wave Border Punch

*** And....I had an awesome blog reader create a grab button if you would like to put it on your blog for the Color Chef Challenge....it is off to the right right under "followers". Simply copy the code and put it into your blog template as an HTML gadget. How fun is hat???

Upload by Sunday at 7PM (CST) using Mr. Linky. If you have questions about the rules, please refer to this post. **Remember you can use any brand ink colors (I happen to be using CTMH).

I hope you will play along. Can't wait to see what you create! Have a great week.

color chef callenge #11 winner

Look at this Fab-U-Lous card that Sarah made for the color chef challenge #11...I love the sketch as well!

Thanks for playing, Sarah!


Color Chef Challenge #12 coming in the morning!!

In Dawn's Spotlight

Picture it: Sicily 2009 (there is my Golden Girls reference for the day).... But seriously...Imagine my delight when I sat down with a cup of coffee and my google reader last week and came across Dawn's In The Spotlight, only to find my card as one of Dawn's top picks for the challenge!

Here it is again....
Thanks for a great color challenge, Dawn.

And, for the peeps who participate in my color challenges, I am sorry about last week. I'm on top of my game again and am putting the finishing touches on Monday's color challenge. I hope you'll stop back!

color chef challenge # 12 coming

I will launch the color challenge tonight!!

you like me! You really like me!

You ladies are just the best! I am catching up on my blog and have been blown away at the awards you ladies have sent my way.

I want to sincerely say thank you. You can't imagine how happy this makes me that I have more than my aunt and my parents reading my blog. When I started it, I just thought it would be fun to join the blogging world. I am honestly blown away that you not only visit my blog but you take the time to leave comments! I find that I can't go a day without checking in and checking all my favorites. I draw so much inspiration from all you gals.

It is so heart-warming to me that people who share a common interest can live all over the world, yet feel connected through blogs and each others work!

Thanks again. What a beautiful way to end the evening!

From Chrissy and Iona and Janelle and Leslie



I think that is everybody who left me an award. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

color chef callenge #11

Color Chef Challenge #11

white
tan (bamboo)

Goodness, my internet browser keeps freezing up on me... thank you for bearing with me. I also had some blog template issues, so unfortunately, i wasn't able to look at the results of my poll asking if you prefer me to select the winner of the challenge or if you are fine with random.org selecting the winner. It was a close race and I haven't decided if I will change the method quite yet.

I liked the clean colors of pottery barn bedspread and I thought it would translate beautifully into a color challenge.

My Card Recipe:
paper- bamboo, white daisy- CTMH
stamps- endless friendship, happy birthday- both CTMH
ink- bamboo- CTMH
other- cuttlebug, cuttlebug dots folder, adhesive pearls


Upload by Sunday at 7PM (CST) using Mr. Linky. If you have questions about the rules, please refer to this post. **Remember you can use any brand ink colors (I happen to be using CTMH).

I hope you will play along. Can't wait to see what you create! Have a great week.

color chef #10 winner

Hi ladies...I am so sorry about this delay. I've been having internet issues but am finally able to get this updated for you.

Let me say that i am so excited that so many of you are accepting the color challenges. I have fun putting them together and am tickled pink that you want to play along!

I drew a number using random.org and the lucky winner of the prize package is......IONA!! She created a beautiful card.

Iona- if you send me your mailing address I will get your prize in the mail to you!!


Again, thank you everbody for playing. I love how the love of papercrafting and the internet brings us all together. I feel like I am friends with you ladies.

Next up- color chef challenge#11

I'm still here. Color challenge & winner coming...

Hey folks. Sorry for the delay.

First, for those of you who also have had the blog problems with the free templates, she is fixing the problem and hopes to have it resolved Tuesday, so hang tight. I am switching my blog back just as soon as the problem is fixed!

Second...I will be posting the winner of color chef challenge #10 in the morning, as well as the next color challenge. I am so sorry for the delay. I hope you will come back to play! I sooo enjoy seeing all your creations!

Have a good night!

blog problems

Hi folks. I woke up to a photobucket error all over my blog today. I was using simplyfabulousbloggertemplates. Anybody else experiencing problems?

I've wasted some time trying to figure this out this morning so I may be delayed in getting the new color challenge out because now I have to get ready to leave for work.

last one for the night

Dawn threw a beautiful color challenge together. I created the pattern on the left with a stamp that I repeated three times. Then I created another paper layer with the flower image and decided to finish it off with some adhesive rhinestones. I like how it is heavy on the left and then plain the rest of the card.

Don't forget to play along with my 10th color challenge! There is a prize involved. Details HERE

Well, this stamper is headed to bed.

Card Recipe:
stamps- tickled pink, boutique border- both CTMH
paper- cream from my paper stash, black- CTMH
other- kaisercraft adhesive rhinestones

happy birthday card

Stacey had a great color challenge. I love this endless friendship set of stamps and am struggling just a bit to use it so I decided to get creative with it! This is what i came up with. Wasn't sure what I was going for so I just stamped. I love card sketch challenges but sometimes I find myself just wanting to go with the flow and see what happens with the stamps.

For the focal image, the stamp is a single leaf (see the circles on either side of the center image) and I stamped it 4 times in topiary, then filled in with the sweet leaf. I inked the edges of each circle with sweet leaf, after embossing them with the cuttlebug. The center circle is mounted.

Don't forget to play along with my 10th color challenge! There is a prize involved. Details HERE

Card Recipe:
stamps- endless friendship, happy birthday- both CTMH
other- 3m foam mounting tape, cuttlebug, nestabilities, Me & My Big Ideas Adhesive Rhinestones

SFYTT Saturday

I varied slightly from the sketch because my sentiment was too long for it to be the other way.
I like this tree stamp that could be turned into limes or lemons and decided it could possibly work for a father's day card.

On a side note, I have been playing around with the settings on my camera because I want more detail and vibrancy than what I have been getting...it's been fun and I totally noticed the difference when I edited this card.

Card Recipe

paper- DP is from my stash (brand unknown)
stamps- H & M Stamps- Peaceful Decor, CTMH Say It In Style
other- prisma colored pencils


Don't forget to play along with my 10th color challenge! There is a prize involved. Details HERE

saturay challenge: border punches

I took the OCC challenge today and used one of my favorite border punches to create this simple card. I am preparing to sell my cards at an Art Splash on Saturday and am trying to load up on Father's Day cards for those last minute shoppers, since Father's Day is the day after the Art Splash.

I thought the argyle border stamp would be appropriate for a father's day card so I stamped it as the focal point of the card.

hope your weekend is going great! It's a beauty today where I live.
Don't forget to play along with my 10th color challenge! There is a prize involved. Details HERE

Have a fab day!

Card Recipe:
paper- cream from my paper stash, gingham paper from DCWV Nana's Nursery
stamps- fancy pants all fall, CTMH say it in style
other- EK Success Dotted Wave Border Punch

a paradise of color inspiration

Loved Kristina's color challenge for this week. Truth be told, there aren't too many combo's that she come sup with that I don't love :)

I have been doing variations of this exact card and couldn't help myself again because the colors called for it.

I layered all the pieces of the flowers for the card and nearly was perfect on lining up my boutique background stamp. You can see in the closeup of the last pictures, how i'm off a bit, reminds me of when I would go to press-checks for the catalog I worked on and the registration was off slightly.

Hope your week is going great! This is my last full day off before I begin working full time on Monday. I'm kind of depressed about it but going to make the most of a day off!

Card Recipe:
stamps- boutique borders, extreme happiness- CTMH
paper- white daisy, sweet leaf- CTMH
ink- ocean, breeze, sweet leaf, orange- all CTMH
other- nestabilities label 1, cuttlebug, 3M foam tape,

letting the paper speak for itself

My friend Kim gave me a huge, and I mean huge, stash of scrapping supplies. I used a sheet of the paper to make two cards that I needed this week. I decided to let the paper speak for itself in both card instance because I thought it was so pretty. The card on the right shows off that the fact that the black is shiny, for an embossed look. Awesome!

So, one is used as an anniversary card and the other a thank you, which are stamped accordingly on the inside of the cards.

Thanks again, Kim!

P.S. Notice anything different about my blog?? I loved Amy's so much that I ended up chosing the same free template that she is using. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?! I love it, much prettier to look at. hope you enjoy it too!

Card Recipe:
DP: White Knight Blue: Stemma

color chef challenge #10- contest

Color Chef Challenge #10
Black
White
Punch of Color- your choice!

Happy Monday! Since it is the 10th color chef challenge, I thought it appropriate to involve a bit of a twist... by letting you chose the punch of color that you will add to the black and white color combo. I also thought it would be fun to give a prize for this color challenge. It will be a grab bag of various stamping items. For my card, I chose my punch of color to be ocean.

My card recipe:
paper- black, white daisy, ocean- all CTMH
stamps- tickled pink- CTMH
other- Cuttlebug argyle folder, cuttlebug, itty bitty brads- CTMH

Upload by Sunday at 7PM (CST) using Mr. Linky. If you have questions about the rules, please refer to this post. **Remember you can use any brand ink colors (I happen to be using CTMH). The evening of Sunday, June 14th, I will use random.org to select the winner of the prize for this color chef challenge!

I hope you will play along. Can't wait to see what you create! Have a great week.

color chef challenge #9 winner

Ann's gorgeous card was randomly drawn as the winner of challenge #9.
Thanks for playing along Ann!

Don't forget to check back Monday for Color Chef Challenge #10. There will be a prize to go along with this weeks color challenge!

dinner tonight....

This is sure to be a winner so I'm going to share it before I even make it for dinner tonight.


Picked up a Kraft recipe booklet at Sam's Club this past week and it is full of great, cheap recipes. I am making the pasta carbonara for dinner tonight.

PREP 20 min.

MAKES 4 servings

COST PER SERVING = $0.94*

what you need

½ lb. medium-size pasta

4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped (I substituted turkey bacon)

4 oz. (½ of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

½ cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

¾ cup milk

1 cup frozen or canned peas

½ tsp. garlic powder

make it

COOK pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large skillet until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.

ADD remaining ingredients to drippings; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended and heated through.

DRAIN pasta; place in large bowl. Add cream cheese sauce and bacon; mix lightly.

sweet sunday sketch #21

Karen's sketch was meant to be for me today. I just purchased the square punches this past week during a 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby! New supplies always make me want to get crafty!

This card was easy. I used the 1 1/14" punch for the bottom square and 1" punch for the top squares. I alternated the papers. Created bigger squares for the focal point and finally stamped, cut and mounted the Alfresco image.

I am selling my cards at an Art Fair the day before Father's Day and I think I'm going to replicate this card and add a Happy Father's Day sentiment to the bottom of the card for the Art Fair.

P.S. Hope you'll play along with my COLOR CHEF CHALLENGE tomorrow- it is the 10th challenge and there will be a prize awarded!

Card Recipe:
paper- cream- from my stash, DP from The Paper Studio
stamps- alfresco-CTMH
other- EK Success Whale of a Punch square punches in 1 inch and 1 1/4", 3m foam mounting tape

just give me stamps #84

Ever since I started blogging, I've always admired Laurie's blog. I decided to play along with her EASY PEASY sketch today to get me warmed up for a day of crafting!! I am on a roll with my scrapbooking and am going to keep going while I've got the gusto today!! We all know how hard it can be sometimes to really get into your pages and today seems to be the day for me!

The card really was easy. I used some orange paper from my DCWV mat stack and an oldie but goodie DP from SEI- I absolutely love this particular pattern and found some scraps that I could use for the card today.

I stamped on scrap paper the flower image and decided to go for some bright colors. The flower is mounted for some height and interest.

Hope your weekend was great!

P.S. Hope you'll play along with my COLOR CHEF CHALLENGE tomorrow- it is the 10th challenge and there will be a prize awarded!

Card Recipe:
stamps- Extreme Happiness- CTMH
ink- citrus leaf, orange and ocean- CTMH
other- SEI paper, DCWV Mat Stack, White Daisy card base- CTMH

2 Sketches 4 You: 1st annual ultimate card showdown

There is a really fun challenge going on over at 2Sketches. I used a color combo from earlier this week. I love these 4 colors together.

I really like the sketch as well. I have to admit, I love cards that have something hanging off, but i've never understood how you can mail something like that. Perhaps the "hanging off" qualifies it to be more of a masterpiece than just a card.

To get the glitter on the flower, I stamped it on paper then attached a piece of Peel N Stick to it and cut them both out together, then I adhered the Prisma Glitter. Love that stuff and it's been awhile since I've used it.

Wish me luck in the contest! There is a great prize package attached to this one.

Card Recipe:
stamps: Boutique Borders, Tickled Pink- CTMH
ink: ocean, grey flannel- CTMH
other: prisma glitter, peel N Stick, cuttlebug, nestabilities label 1, 3m foam mounting tape, cuttlebug dots folder

the cats pajamas color challenge

Can you believe i've never played along with TCP challenges before? I luh-huved the color combination for this week and knew that I had to play....This card was super simple to make. I ran my brown stock through the CB and adheared to the card front.

On a white piece of scrap paper, I stamped the boutique border stamp three different times, lining them up each time to make the DP. Finshed it off with a glitter sticker for my "touch of red" that was also permitted for this challenge.

I put a half label under this DP paper and stamped on it.

Hope your week is going well! Think I'm going to share some random pictures my hanging baskets and potted flowers! I'm so excited to have them bloom.

Card Recipe:
ink: honey, ocean- CTMH
paper: brown from my stash, white daisy- CTMH
stamps: boutique borders, for every occasion- CTMH
other: glitter stickers from K & Company, nestabilities label 1, cuttlebug, cuttlebug dots folder

Tuesday's Monday MoJo

I decided to play along with the mojo challenge this week.

I used my color challenge for the card today. I also decided to add the earthiness of the embossed branches and then "frilled" it up a bith with the stamped image of the scallop/dots as well as the main image that is honey and black. Once again, I made my own background paper and I repeated the stamped images repeating them in black and honey ink.

The flower image is cut out and mounted

Card Recipe:
stamps- Boutique Borders and Extreme Happiness- CTMH
ink- honey, black and holiday red- CTMH