best friends EVER!

a few years ago I met this group of ladies on an online scrapbook site called Crop Chocolate.  We arranged
for a meet-up in Colorado, and since I didn't personally know any of them, I dragged along my very good friend Wendy with me.  The following year, we met up in Utah with a couple of the original group not going but we met others who fit right in our little group.  Last year (aka 2013) we met in Kansas, just the 10 of us.

Inkspirational#47 & Just Us Girls#222

Flash forward to Christmas & we decided to buy each other 10 of our favorite things, mail those items to our group's Mrs. Santa and she sweetly waited until all packages had been received and sent everything our to each person.  What amazing items we got!  Today I received my box o goodies, Wendy & I (via Skype) opened our goodies together!  What an amazing time we had, laughing and goofing around.... I even almost ate some soap that looked like chocolate.  I must learn to READ packages before attempting  to eat it!

Of course, I HAD to break-in the crafty supplies ASAP.... these are what I made with just some of those goodies!

Printed Papers - Primma Engravers 6x6 paper pad (GIFT)

Vellum - misc stash... aka really old

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Music of My Heart

Floral Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Feel the Joy

Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot

Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot, sprayed with Tim Holtz Adirondack Color Wash in Espresso, splashed with Tim Holtz Reinker in Scattered Straw & edge distressed using Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Pumice Stone

Brads - The Paper Studio

Butterfly Chippies - UmWowStudio Butterfly Confetti (GIFT... ok this one was from me to everyone cuz this IS my very favorite crafty item)

Here comes Peter CottonTail

When I was very little, I received a Velveteen Peter Rabbit, baby blue was his fur with a black velvet jacket... he was so very dapper and I loved him my whole life!  I still have him with those few precious toys I cherish from my childhood

Printed Paper - misc

Rabbit & Grass Stamps - Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Spring Sprung

Black Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black & Colored with Blue Copic Marker

Green Ink - Tim Holtz Peeled Paint

Mulberry Paper in Cream

Ribbon - Making Memories Celery

Eggs - using CTMH Cartridge Art Philosophy with CTMH Cardstock and CTMH Inks in Amethyst, Key Lime & Blush

Stamps on Eggs - Unity Stamp Co. Bee Happy Hexagons


oh so many Challenges to do and Thankfully lots of them are "Anything Goes" this time so I get to play along with several at once... which is really good because these cards (I made a dozen of 'em) took a several days to get finished!

Sketch - Operation Write Home #204
Anything Goes - Inkspirational Challenges #46, Tuesday Morning Sketches #130, Ribbon Carousel RCC88

GIVE

no it's not Christmas yet, but Operation Write Home needs to get these cards early to re-distribute them to our soldiers world wide

Card Challenge - 4 Crafty Chicks of Squares

Sketch Challenge - Inkspirational Challenge #35 (ok so I rearranged it a bit but I think you can still tell it's was inspired by Inkspirational)

Printed Papers - Basic Grey Nordic Holiday

Stamp Set - Unity Stamp Co. Gifts Galore (snowpeep Nicholas)

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Colored with Copic Markers

Twine from The Twinery

While Embelly - Fabric Paint in White

Sympathy Card

Some times things happen and we lose people in our families, this recently happened to us with the loss of our oldest nephew, Tom. For our 20th Wedding Anniversary, we drove to Odessa, Texas to my husband's brother's house, the next day we attended Tom's memorial service the following day was just relaxing, some shopping for the girls while the guys took all the kiddos bowling, yesterday we drove home.  I didn't have time before heading down to Texas to make a card for my sister-in-law but after we got unpacked I sat at my desk last night remembering the pictures of Tom and knowing his love for green and Shamrocks. One of the things said during his service was about being lucky and finding a four-leaf so trying to bring the positive back in, I created this card.

Challenge - Inkspirational #26 Sketch

Plaid paper & darker green cardstock - very old Creative Memories

Light green Cardstock - Misc

Green Gems - Queen & Co.

Shape cut from CTMH Cartridge on Cricut

Cricle Punch from Creative Memories

Shamrock - 4 Confetti Hearts from UmWow Studio, painted white then sprayed with Tattered Angels Chalkboard in Fern

Sentiment Stamp - CloseToMyHeart Card Chatter-Sympathy

Ink - CloseToMyHeart New England Ivy

Inside the card

The Sketch

thinking of you

Inkspirational Challenge#25 has an inspiration photo of a card which I pretty much lifted although I did change the colors a bit



Embossing Folder - Lifestyles Crafts

Flowers - Making Memories Flower Shoppe

Brads - The Paper Studio

Washi Tape - Downtown Tape

Sentiment Stamp - CloseToMyHeart Card Chatter-Sympathy

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Juniper

The Inspiration:

A light in the Fog

although I'm not sure how well my "fog" came thru on my cards but I definitely tried



I made these for the following Challenges:
Freshly Made Sketches #90 - which I just couldn't make square & I left off the sentiment but I added mating so I'm calling it even
Inkspirational #24 - a Photo Inspiration (see at bottom of post)

Stamp - VivaLasVegas Stamps Plate#923

Stamped with Memento in Black & colored with  various Copic Markers

Yellow Glitter Pen from Portafolia

Chipboard Stars - UmWowStudio Star Confetti

Topped with CloseToMyHeart White Daisy Pigment ink then coated with Stickles in Crystal

Music in Me

apparently I really like this color combo from Inkspirational because I've now used it twice, not remembering that I had used it the first time!

Inkspirational #23 Color Combo: Orange, Star Fruit & Melon

Sketch - Operation Write Home #176

Striped Paper & Orange cardstock - Fancy Pants Summer's End 6x6 pad

Solid Cardstock - Stampin' Up

Ribbon - CloseToMyHeart Colonial White

Stamp Set - Unity Stamp Co. Cassette Tape Tunes

Ink - Tim Holtz Distress Ink Black Soot

Flowers - Stampin' Up

Bling - Imaginisce

Spark

one of my scrappy friends, Miwa, is hosting a challenge over on 2 Broke Girls to fussy cut a flourish & use it on a creation. I paired it up with the current color combo from Inkspirational Challenges #23 and Love to Scrap's Challenge#7 to Rubber Stamp.  I'm so happy with how it turned out too!

Lightbulb Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Lightbulb Moment

Stamped with VersaMark, embossed with Zing in Sliver

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Undeniably You

Stamped with Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick

Flourish Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Believe in Fairytales

Stamped with Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick, CloseToMyHeart Sunset & Sunkiss Yellow

Background Paper - Creative Memories Yellow Collection (very old)

Lightbulb colored with Copic Markers

Bling from CloseToMyHeart

music

ahhh, summer... my boys & I are starting this summer off right, by going on walks down our hilly dirt road each morning. Ok, really I walk and they ride bikes but we're doing it together so that makes it special.

Today I felt the need to craft right after returning from said walk.  I grabbed Freshly Made Sketches #88 and got busy, I ended up making four pretty much just alike.

I'm also entering this in Inkspirational#22: Anything Goes

Purple Cardstock - Recollections

Printed Papers - Basic Grey Euphoria

Edge Punch - Martha Stewart

Image - Papiersalat

Partially colored with Copic Markers

happily ever after

I've been wanting to play with this sketch from Inkspirational #21 but I've had a seroius lack of TIME recently, I did change a few things about it but I'm very happy with the results!



Printed Paper - Fancy Pants Park Bench 6x6 pad

Hexagon Punch - Creative Memories

Butterfly Punch - Creative Memroies

Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Heartfelt Sentiments

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Crystal Blue

Bling - CloseToMyHeart Stardust Glitter Gel

the inspiration Photo

Happy Birthday Michele!

I made a friend (shocking, I know) on Crop Chocolate back in the days when we were on the Design Team together.  We fell into an easy, laughy, funny friendship... and I just love her sweetness but I really love her when she gets sassy!  Hope you have a fantastic birthday today sweets!


I also created this for the current Inkspirational Challenge #19


I die cut the balloons from Glossy paper using my Cricut with the Smily Cards Cartridge

Sprayed the Balloons with Tattered Angels in Purple, Peach Delight, Sun Sisters, Churb Pink & Oriental Poppy

The sentiment is a 3d sticker from Provo Craft Christina Cole Stickers

sometimes it's just not in the cards...

I set out this morning, did some work for an architect... about 2 hours and was so proud of myself for getting it done early. Then I decided to take on this Inspirational #17 Challenge and I had high hopes, very high hopes for how it was going to turn out but it didn't, not at all, not even near what I thougth this was going to look like... how disappointing.


Printed Paper - Fancy Pants Park Bench 6x6 pad

Stamp - Unity Stamp Co KOTM Follow Your Own

Zing Embossing Powder in Chestnut

Ranger Perfect Pearls in Red & Green covered with CloseToMyHeart's Liquid Glass

Seam Binding







The Inkspiration - >


which I did change up a bit, I don't care for the postage stamp edges so I left those off & changed out the sentiment for a ribbon

Sincere Thanks

such pretty inspiration from the current Inkspirational Challenge#16




I forgot who makes this printed paper, I've had it in my stash forever thinking "it's too pretty to use".  The cardstock is in the same boat, that old miscellaneous pile LOL

Edge & Corner Punches - Martha Stewart

Stamp - CloseToMyHeart Card Chatter-Sympathy

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Pacifica

Stain Ribbon in Cream

Going Places

It's Lori's week to host over on Our Creative Corner & she says "Make a card or project inspired by travel and/or transportation. Use at least two different designer papers."



I used two different papers from Fancy Pants To The Moon 12x12 Kit plus this awesome rocket overlay, I wish my boys were still small enough to use this on a scrapbook layout but they've gotten big on me :-(

Sentiment Stamp - CloseToMyHeart Piece of Cake

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Pacifica

Brads - Making Memories

Ice Stickes in Crystal

I used the current sketch from Inkspirational #13 for this card

i miss your face

yep, it's true... some people you just miss pretty much all the time when they aren't with you, I've found this true of certain friends (let's just go with... you know who you are) because a lot of my friends I've never met face-to-face (and you know who you are too!)


This challenge is from Inkspirational: Challenge #12, a CASE

Stamps - Unity Stamp Co. KOTM Love in an Instant

Ink - ColorBox Pigment Black

Embossing Powder - Firefly (no clue who made it, I have a pill bottle sample from my step-mom)

Bling Dot & Ribbon - Making Memories Paper Reverie Noir

Turquoise Spot - Scribbles fabric paint

Ribbon - Robert Stanley Collection (Hobby Lobby)



The challenge:

make it green!

these look so much better IRL....

So I took the Inkspirational Challenge #10 (Shades of Green) and mixed it up with Operation Write Home's Midweek Throwdown of TicTacToe to get this simple cards


Printed Paper - Making Memories Flea Market 8x8

Cardstock - Stampin' Up

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. co-brand with Echo Park single

Ink - Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn

Distress Ink - Tim Holtz Peeled Paint

Twine - The Twinery

Brad - Basic Grey

Bling - Queen & Co. Go Green

a Dozen Thank Yous!

that is what I made today!  Each just a little different from the next just to keep them mixed up a little



Color Combo came from Inkspirational Challenges #6

other challenge is from Simon Says Stamp Challenge... Heart



Cardstock - All Stampin' Up

Ribbons - CloseToMyHeart Organdy

Sentiment Stamp - Stampin' Up Thank You Kindly

Ink - Tim Holtz Chipped Sapphire

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug, & Lifestyle Crafts

When I was sorting thru my cardstock to decide which color was the best choice for the "plum"  I couldn't decided between the more reddish Rich Razzleberry or the more purplish Perfect Plum so I made five with each then made two in the kraftish color of Crumb Cake

Dear Old Glory

when I first came across this digi, I fell in love with it!  This is the first time I've used it and I still love it... you'll be seeing more of it

Sketch is from Operation Write Home Sketch #157

Inkspirational's challenge this week is "Anything Goes"



Red Cardstock (base) - Creative Memories

Blue & Layered Red Cardstock - Stampin' Up

Twine - The Twinery

Stars Stamp - Stamper's Best OWH Valentine Collection

Stamp Ink - Tim Holtz Faded Jeans

Easter too

ok so the first round of Easter cards I made today really left me feeling *blah* as a paper crafter so I'm trying to make up for ugly crafting ;-)

These cards were inspired by Inkspirational Challenges #4

and I'm going to go ahead & link this over to Operation Write Home's Midweek Throwdown

Printed Papers - Fancy Pants Time for Spring 6x6 pad

Shaped Trimmer - Creative Memories

Digi Image - Dearie Dolls Digis (how fun, it was already colored for me!)

Love Green

yes, yes I do... very much which works nicely for me today in that Operation Write Home's Midweek Throwndown is to use GREEN!

I also combined it with Inkspirational Challenge #3 which is  a CASE


You know me... why make one when you can make three!

Image - Unity Stamp Co. I Will Give You My Heart (first time I've used this new cutie!)

Colored with Copic Markers

Paper & Cardstock - Creative Memories (super old)

Ribbon - Craftsmart

Embossing Folder - Lifestyle Crafts Bloom

Distressing Ink - Tim Holtz Mowed Grass