Just Us Girls Challenge #5 Wild card challenge!...{holiday photo card}

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

what?!   Or, er, HALLOWEEN!  Happy Halloween everyone!  Before I hop right into the JUGs challenge, allow me to share my dear featured with his "deer"....

This pumpkin perfection was custom made with my hubby in mind by none other than the amazing and ultra talented, and Halloween obsessed ;), Elise of Mamacow Creations!  Take a bow, girlfriend!  You are the queen of pumpkin carving!

Now that we've gotten our halloween fix, how about a challenge with Just Us Girls?  Super sweet and talented, Kristin Bueter, is hostessing our Wild Card Challenge this week.

I chose a super cute and easy template by Kelleigh Ratzlaff to make a holiday door hanger using Kristen's digi stamps and a photo of my girls.  You can find the Door Pouch template at the Digichick Boutique.

Look at those cute little elves on my front lawn!

The door pouch has enough room to add some festive stuffing and a homemade treat, gift card, personal, note, etc.  I hand colored Kristin's lamp image with brush tip markers after printing it on white cardstock.  I echoed the raspberry and bright green colors of the KI Memories holiday DP.  A little glitter, ribbon and a button and we are ready to leave some cheer on a special friend's door.  These would also be cute hanging on a christmas tree branch...a fun alternative to the money/gift card in an envelope on the tree, dontcha think?

Want to get a jump start on your holiday photo greetings?  Check out the amazing inspiration and details at the Just Us Girls designer blogs:

Kristin Bueter

Pam Imholz

Maria Levine

Tracey Cuccia

Lisa Kind

Mona Pendleton

Guest Designer, Tammy Hershberger

We hope you'll get a chance to play along with us this week.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Digital Stamps: Kristin Bueter!

Paper: Papertrey Ink, KI Memories, Georgia Pacific

Punch: CM and SU!

Glitter: Martha Stewert

Button : Papertrey Ink

craft supply: embroidery floss, ribbon and Zig brush pens

Just Us Girls Challenge #4 Technique...{thinking of you today}

Thinking of someone special today as I type this post for Just Us Girls Challenge #4 and the Moxie Fab Ruffles Challenge.  Fabulous JUGs girl Mona Pendleton is hostessing a technique challenge this week and you will not want to miss her VIDEO tutorial on making layered tissue flowers!

Thanks to Mona's gorgeous example, I came up with this hot pink flower using some recycled gift bag tissue.  It got me thinking along the lines of collage/shabby chic.  Once I had my flower, I looked around my *messy* craft table and grabbed up my ruffled houndstooth ribbon and asked myself "what can I make with these?".  I'll not hide the truth, I grappled and shoved and stamped and inked and layered and distressed until, at last, out popped this card.  Then I went to bed to sleep on it and gave it the once over this morning and said, "hmmmm, not bad...I think I like it, yeah I do!".  So Mona's fabulous challenge REALLY pushed me into a creative space I haven't played in for a while and, I discoverd, I like it there.  :)  Thanks to all of you for indulging my creative whims too!

Soooo, how about that challenge?  Want to try Mona's flower technique?  Or perhaps you have one of your own tissue flowers to show off.  Either, way, pull out some tissue and start flower making and join us at Just Us Girls this week, won't you?  You can find all of the challenge details at the Just Us Girls Blog along with the video link.  Also, check out the individual blogs of the JUGs girls for all the juicy details on their flower projects this week:

Kristen Beuter

Pam Imholtz

Maria Levine

Tracey Cuccia

Lisa Kind

Mona Pendleton

Thanks so much for stopping by here today.  I can't wait to see the tissue flowers make!

Blog Hop with Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs...{the wave box goes Halloween}

It's thursday and that means all new releases over at the Digichick Boutique.  Kelleigh Ratzlaff has a brand new template releasing today in her shop that is called the Wave Box.  When printed in the largest size, it holds 3x5 cards and has a cool wavy tuck in flap closure!  Check it out...

Thanks to the Halloween Challenge over at Papercrafts Magazine, I decided to go all monster mash with my wave box and grabbed this fun DP from BoBunny.  Kelleigh's box template was built with plain black cardstock and then I added detail panels of DP and swiss dot embossed and inked purple cardstock.

I also thought it would be fun to add a handle and a large handmade monster cupcake using the DP as inspiration.  You can see "baby" monster cupcake on the DP to the far right.

After cutting the flap slits as indicated on Kelleigh's template, I went ahead and embellished with buttons and an orange scalloped strip.

I wonder what is inside......

What's not to love about a well designed template?  I love accenting my gift boxes all the way around, up and down.  It really makes the gift extra heartfelt when it comes in something so custom. 

Want more?  Some of Kelleigh's designers, including Kelleigh herself, are blog hopping today.  Check 'em out for tons of inspiration:

Kelleigh

Julie

Sunghee

Visit Kelleigh's blog and leave a comment to be entered for a PRIZE!  Thanks so much for stopping in today.  That was way nice of you!

Supplies:

Template: Kelleigh Ratzlaff

Paper: Georgia Pacifc, BoBunny, CM, SU!

Stamp: SU!

Ink: SU!

Punch: SU!

Embossing: Cuttlebug

Craft supply: buttons, makeup sponge

My heart flips for you...

Just a little expression of L-O-V-E today.  No frills no fluff just *cuteness* from My Cute Stamps and the Circus Animal set.  This set has so many wonderful animal and sentiments in it making it perfect for birthday cards, baby cards, a scrapbook page and now, a card to say I love you :)

The sweet seal image has been watercolored and detail cut before layering it onto the circus bucket included in the set.  I stamped the "for you" sentiment onto the bucket by curving it onto my acrylic block so it would fit the curve of the bucket when stamped.  A hand held mini hole punch and white sharpie pen add fun details to the scalloped red matting circle.

So glad you stopped by today.  Come back soon for a fun halloween project using Kelleigh Ratzlaff's latest template.  You won't want to miss it!

Supplies:

Stamps: My Cute Stamps and Studio G

Paper: Papertrey Ink, Georgia Pacific and DCWV

Punch: SU! and fiskars

Tools: Coluzzle and cricut

Ink: SU!

Embossing: swiss dots by cuttlebug

Craft supply: Ribbon, fine red glitter, white sharpie and zig brush pens

Silver Lining

Hey sweet friends!  You know the old saying...every cloud has a silver lining.  I am a believer!  The clouds are a major pain, BUT, I try and keep my eye on the silver lining to help me get through any tough times and to s-q-u-e-e-z-e every precious bit of joy out life.  For instance, the silver linings for me the last couple of days...a precious new baby boy in our extended family, a fun weekend scrapping and crafting with some super sweet girlfriends, two little girls in my house who had a dress rehersal today and are going to make lovely flower girls this coming weekend, time with my hubs and parents and so on.  Stuff like that makes the hard things not worth worrying over. 

I made this fun little card for a girl who is truly a silver lining in my life.  I had fun with some CUTE paper from TPC Studio!  It is a 12x12 sheet full of clouds and cutie pie birds!  I used a coluzzle to partially cut a cloud and bird pair out of the sheet. 

Ahhh buttons and embossing plates...two of my favorite ways to up the texture on my cards these days.  Love the contrast of embroidery floss on the buttons too!

And...a little bit of eye candy above...these flowers are up for grabs as blog candy over at the Just Us Girls blog.  I'll hope you'll join in the challenge.  Check it out!

Thanks for coming by today.  You all are a super bright part of my everyday silver lining!!! 

Supplies:

Paper: Papertrey iNk, TPC Studios

Embossing plate: SU!

Buttons: Papertrey Ink

Punch: SU!

Craft supply: ribbon and embroidery floss

Just Us Girls Challenge #3...let's get some color on!

I am thinking of YOU, my bloggy friends, and a new challenge at the Just Us Girls challenge site!  This week it's a color challenge hosted by lil ol me!  I hope you'll play along with us..

Yummy!  I love this color combo!  Red, aqua, and cream can be so many different genres when they play together.  I can't wait to see what you make with them.  Link your creation up on the JUGs site in the Mr Linky to be entered for a teeny bit of custom blog candy and the opportunity to be the next Chic of the Week!

Here's my shot at the color challenge.  Some Papertrey Ink products mixed with bling, a vintage button and a handmade fabric flower!  Do you like the flower?  I hope so!  Want some?  I hope so!  :)  All you have to do to earn a chance at a some of these babies in various fabrics is make something for our challenge.  You can see all the details at the Just Us Girls blog.

Mmmm hhhhmmmm, yep!  That is some FUN with FABRIC right there!  OK, perhaps I have been hanging out too near my stash of liquid adhesives, but I am just tickled by that sassy bloom :) 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  You can find all of the JUGs girls projects at the blog but for the juicy details, check out their amazing personal blogs as well:

Kristen Beuter

Pam Imholtz

Maria Levine

Tracey Cuccia

Lisa Kind

Mona Pendleton

Supplies:

Paper: Papertrey Ink

Stamps: Papertrey Ink

Punch: Stampin Up!

Craft supplies: fabric, button and craft gem

Home is Where Your Heart Is...

HI everyone! Just a quickie to direct you over to The Hybrid Chick blog today for a tutorial using shrink plastic!   It's just as fun as you remember it from childhood.  If you have a moment, please check it out.

Have a great day!

{Just} for you....JUGs 2 challenge and cps136!

Hi bloggers!  It's time for the Just Us Girls challenge!  After a trial run last weekend, Kristen and Pam and the whole team has worked to develop a new challenge site for weekly inspiration.  AND, we really want you to participate...there's a $25 Papertrey Ink OR Gina K gift certificate up for grabs to tempt you....just sayin'... *wink*!

the challenge:

my project:

I also used the current CPS sketch to inspire my layout.  Check out CPS 136 here.

I rotated the sketch for my card.  :)  It worked great!  I loved all the layers inspired by the sketch and all the scallops inspired by the DP.  Lots of corner rounder fun here too :)  I scored with a cute scalloped leaf green button in my stash too!  I love when I can find my supplies! ;) 

Although you can't really see them, this little owl is four layers deep!  Stamped once on the yellow DP base paper (legs), once on PTI pink bitty dots (wings), once, on PTI raspberry fizz (outer body) and once on pink and white polka dot from the my little shoebox DP (inner body).  This is paper piecing, simple layers that have been detail cut to bring your stamped image to life!  The My Cute Stamps images, in general, are great for coloring or paperpiecing.  This stamp set is Little Forest Friends and includes the owl and the sentiment you see here.  It's one of my favorites! 

So are you ready to use pink and paper piece something?  Head on over to the Just Us Girls blog...you can click on the JUGs blinkie in my side bar to get you there. :)  You can get your own chic blinkie at the JUGs site and check out the buckets of inspiration from the JUGs girls this week.  I can't wait to see what you make and good luck on the blog candy!  Be sure and check out the rest of the JUGs blogs for endless inspiration:

Alicia Weiman

Maria Levine

Kristen Beuter

Tracey Cuccia

Pam Imholtz

Lisa Kind

Mona Pendleton

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Supplies:

Paper: Papertrey, October Afternoon and My LIttle Shoebox

Stamps: My Cute Stamps

Ink: Papertrey

Punches: SU, Martha Stewert and CM

scissors: fiskars

embossing envie: cuttlebug

Other: button, ribbon and zig writer

For My Sweet Pops...Monday Mojo 105

Happy friday everyone!  It's October 9th and it's my dad's birthday today.  I decided to go with the light-hearted Sweet Kawaii set from My Cute Stamps and a customized sentiment for my sweet Pops!  He has a bit of a sweet tooth lately so we'll be bringing some frozen treats to share along with our card. My layout was inspired by this fun sketch from Mojo Monday.

the sketch:

my card:

Isn't that happy little frozen treat just so cute??  I stamped the popsicle on the white cardstock using brown and blue ink and then restamped in blue ink on Papertrey grid paper to paper piece layer over the original stamped image on white.  The sticks and the popsicle shadow were colored with Zig brush markers.  The large scallops at the bottom are made simply with a circle punch and lined up carefully to look like scallops.  The "pops" letters were stamped and then detail cut.  I am loving the look they have when detail cut!  Oh, and one final tip, the "for my sweet" letters were stamped on white cardstock.  Instead of cutting each one out individually, I just snipped in between each letter and then fanned them as I adhered them to the side of the scalloped oval.  MUCH easier than placing them one at a time. 

A layer of sponged Pacific Point blue on pretty much everything enhanced the frozen chill on this card ;)  Once I start inking, it's sometimes hard to stop!

Thanks so much for coming by today.  I'll see you tonight at midnight PST with a new Just Us Girls challenge!  We've decided to move forward with fun challenges from the girls at JUGs!  Tune in...there is a challenge, some blog candy and fabulous blinkies to be had by all!  And check out who was Kristen's  "Chic of the Week" for last week's challenge..could be YOU next week!  Hope you can come play with Just us Girls!

Supplies:

Paper: DCWV, SU! Papertrey

Stamps: My Cute Stamps, Provo and SU!

Ink: SU!

Punches: CM, SU! and Nestabilities

Craft supplies: zig markers and ribbon

Kitchen Sink and a {girl's night out}

Whew doggies!  Would I love a girl's night out?!  Yes indeedy :)  Girl time is such a joy.  You know what else is a super fun?  Making cards out of junk mail!  Enter, the Everything but the Kitchen Sink challenge! 

And here's my junk:

A Sally Beauty flyer and a wayward joker card from one of the kid's decks of playing cards= girl's night out card!

Fun huh?  Sooo, who wants some girl time?  wahoo!  hee hee.  Thanks so much for stopping by today :)

Supplies:

Paper: Papertrey Ink and Georgia Pacific

Flower: Prima

Sticker Letters: Doodlebug

Embossing envelope: Cuttlebug houndstooth

Craft supplies: junk mail, playing card, craft gem