Elephant with Flowers (Gerda Steiner image)

Hello, everyone!  Gerda Steiner Designs is having a 72-hour weekend challenge with this adorable Elephant with Flowers.  He's carrying a little gift too!  Gerda herself is going to choose her favourite entry, and the winner will receive either a clear stamp set of their choice or a $15 coupon code.  The sweet elephant is provided for free for this challenge!  Well I would LOVE to win Gerda's new kitty stamp set so I had to play along!

I started my card with a watercolour background, which I mounted on yellow cardstock. I was inspired by the colours in Colette's Cosmic Colours Challenge # 13 (see below).  I coloured the elephant with Prismacolor pencils and fussy cut. Using Nellie's Multiframe Tags, I die-cut a tag out of vellum and tied a bow with blue hemp twine.  I heat-embossed two sentiments in white on black scraps and affixed them to the vellum tag, along with some grass die cuts (Impression Obsession), which were left over from a previous project. The birthday greeting is from Clearly Besotted A Little Sentimental clear stamps, and the special day sentiment is a wood-mounted rubber stamp from Stampendous, I popped up the cute elephant with foam tape and added a number of green sequins and a single yellow flower sequin.

Here are the inspiration colours:

I would also like to support these fun challenges:  613 Avenue Create Create Your Own Challenge (Col.1-image,bling, Col.2-sentiment, watercolour, die cuts, Col.3-solid colour paper, embossing, Col.4-flowers, Col.5-hemp) 1/3; Allsorts Happy Birthday 2/3; Aud Sentiments Cute Plus Sentiment 2/5; Come and Get It Tic Tac Toe (die cut, sentiment, flowers) 1/3; Cosmic Colours Challenge # 13 (TOP 3); Creative Corner AG 1/3; Creative Fingers AG 1/3; Creative Inspirations AG Option Sketch UE; DL.ART May AG UE 1/day; Die Cuttin Divas Must Include a Flower 1/3; Dragonfly Dreams Lauralcraft How does your Garden Grow UE; Fan-Tastic Tuesday AG No Patterned Paper 2/4; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Little Claire's Outdoors 1/3; Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday 1E; Love to Scrap AG 2/3; Not Just Cards AG UE; On a Stampage Mynn's Birthday Bash Giveaway UE; Open-Minded Crafting Fun Inspired by a Song (Happy Birthday) 2/3; Our Creative Corner April Showers Bring May Flowers 2/3; Penny's Paper-Crafty AG 2/3; {PIN}spirational Inspired by Colours 1/5; Pixie's Snippet Playground Snippets are left over grass die-cuts and black scraps 1/3; Scribble and Scrap AG 1/3; Scrappy Moms Stamps Animals UE; Scribbles Designs B is for... birthday, blue, black, bow 3/3;Send a Smile 4 Kids AG 4 Kids 3/3; Simon Says Stamp Work-it Wednesday Yellow 2/3;Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; Stamp and Create May Flowers 2/3; Stamping Sensations Flower Power 3/3;The Corrosive AG 1/3; Whimsy Stamps Anything but Square 1/3; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 2/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

P.S. I have candy!  Check out my 2-year Blogiversary celebration post here.

Happy Graduation

Hello, everyone!  A warm welcome to my lovely new follower - wlt27 / Wendy L - so happy you joined me!  You're my 300th follower - Woohoo!  So excited to have 300 followers now - I can't believe it!  You all know I'll be thinking about some celebration candy - I'll wait until after my blogiversary candy is over, so stay tuned!

I am back again today with a graduation card.  I was so happy yesterday to find some triple-shred fringing scissors for $3 that I couldn't wait to try them!  I've wanted them for a long time and finally saw them for a great price and now they're mine! I fringed all along the bottom of the black cardstock as well as made a homemade tassel in gold.

I fell in love with the black and gold colour combo used on the Camera Mug over at Jennifer Grace Creates - Focus Your Craft and Soul Event. If you haven't already checked out Jennifer's awesome event, you don't know what you're missing!  Head on over - I know you'll be inspired too!

The glittery gold alphabet stickers are from EK Success and I heat-embossed the graduation word (Newton's Nook Simply Sentimental) in Gold Tinsel (The Artful Stamper), which contains gold glitter.  It's much more sparkly in real life than in the photo.

I would like to join the Totally Tassel challenge again over at Curtain Call - I hope I'm allowed to enter a second time!  Here is the graphic for the Curtain Call challenge:



I would also like to support these 5 challenges:
Craftin' Desert Divas Graduation UE
Craft Stamper Take a Stamp 2/3
Fan-Tastic Tuesday AG No Patterned Paper UE (TOP 3)
Jennifer Grace Creates Focus Your Craft and Soul The Challenge to be Inspired (I was inspired by the black and gold colour combo on Jennifer's Camera Mug as mentioned above) UE
The Paper Girls Party Time 2/3



Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

Happy Birthday Bright Eyes (High Hopes stamp)

Hi, everyone! Before I share my card, I would like to extend a warm welcome to two lovely new followers - rcraddock910 and Rebecca Sandy - thank you for joining me!

Today I have a birthday card to share.  The adorable bunny stamp is Hare's My Heart from High Hopes Rubber Stamps.  I've heat-embossed him in white on kraft cardstock and coloured just a few parts with Tombow markers. The birthday sentiment is a wood-mounted stamp from The Old Island Stamp Company, which I've stamped in Ancient Page Cardinal.  I used Spellbinders Scalloped Borders Two for the decorative edges.  The words "Bright Eyes" are made with tiny alphabet stickers.

I was inspired by the challenge over at Scrap it with a Song.  The pop song is Art Garfunkel's Bright Eyes and the video shows a group of bunnies as they go about living their lives; it's quite enchanting yet poignant.  I really like the song and have returned to the blog to play it several times.  It's timely because we have been visited by a bunny in our yard for the last few weeks, and he seems to enjoy our clover so that's what we've called him.  Here's a photo of Clover. Sometimes he brings a friend to frolic with!

"Clover" is a wild bunny who visits our yard to munch

I would also like to support these fun challenges:  

Allsorts Happy Birthday and Blog Hop 1/3; Aud Sentiments Cute Plus Sentiment 1/5; Craft Stamper Take a Stamp 1/3; Craft Your Passion AG 2/3; Creative Card Crew Embossing Heat or Dry (I used heat) 2/3; Creative Inspirations AG UE; DL.ART May AG UE 1/day; Fan-Tastic Tuesday AG No Patterned Paper 2/4; Fashionable Stamping Old Favourites (the forgotten favourite is the wood-mounted sentiment stamp) 2/3; High Hopes Stamps AG w High Hopes 1/3; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Love to Scrap AG 1/3; Not Just Cards AG UE; On a Stampage Mynn's Birthday Bash Giveaway UE; One Crazy Stamper May AG 2/5; Open-Minded Crafting Fun Inspired by a Song (Art Garfunkel's Bright Eyes as described above) 1/3; Papertake Weekly With a Heart 1/5; Party Time Tuesdays AG 3/3; Penny Black and More Dies and Punches 1/3; Penny's Paper-Crafty AG 1/3; Scrappy Moms Stamps Animals UE; Scribbles Designs B is for... birthday, bright eyes, bunny, border die 2/3;Send a Smile 4 Kids AG 4 Kids 2/3; Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 1/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

P.S. I have candy!  Check out my 2-year Blogiversary celebration post here.

Kitty Index Card

Hello, everyone!  I have been inspired by AuntBecscreations' ICAD challenge (ICAD = Index Card a Day) and wanted to play along because the requirement is to feature a cat!  You all know how I love kitties! I have never made an ICAD before so this is my first one.

I decided my Paper Smooches stamps and dies would be purrfect so now I can join the Paper Smooches SPARKS Anything Goes challenge!  First I sponged a sky background directly onto the index card with Broken China and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  I used a cut-up kitchen sponge to do my inking. Then I made my own cloud stencil using Paper Smooches Clouds dies and a piece of red acetate.  I like how it turned out!  I used my homemade stencil with embossing paste for the clouds.  The grassy landscape was made with Memory Box Stitched Landscape dies.

DIY Cloud Stencil

I stamped the sentiment from Paper Smooches Nine Lives clear stamps and then die cut the kitty and mouse with Paper Smooches Cat Icons dies.  I wanted my card to be cheerful and fun so I went with a purple cat and a pink mouse! The sun was die cut with Joy!crafts Sun and Moon.

Here are the banners from the Paper Smooches SPARKS Anything Goes challenge:

I would also like to join The Craft Garden's Yorkshire photo inspiration challenge since I was inspired by the landscape and sky in their photo:



Thank you for looking at my index card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

P.S. I have candy!  Check out my 2-year Blogiversary celebration post here.

Edited May 30:  Becky received the kitty index card today and posted it on her YouTube channel, along with other entries received today.  Here is a link to her video - mine is the last one she opens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZgoS4rZx30

Edited June 3:  I was the lucky winner of the first prize - so excited! Here is the video of Becky doing the draw on her YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfaxtk-vSMM

Tassel

Hello, everyone.  Something a little different for me today!  I saw a fun Totally Tassel challenge over at Curtain Call and decided to join in. This is my first time playing there!  I had some tassels in my stash that I found at a thrift store many years ago and this is the first time I've used one of them.

I heat-embossed a gold design along the left edge of burgundy cardstock and another gold design on the graduation cap. These background stamps are unmarked/unknown but I've had them for many years. I added layers of black, gold, and cream cardstock under the cap, along with a torn piece of handmade cream-coloured paper, and also added the tassel.  I stamped the sentiment in black, which says Double Happiness.

Here is the graphic for the Curtain Call challenge:



I would also like to support these 5 challenges:
Craftin' Desert Divas Graduation UE
Fan-Tastic Tuesday AG No Patterned Paper UE
Fashionable Stamping Old Favourites (the forgotten favourites are the background stamps)
Mod Squad Mix It Up (the sentiment stamp is from an Asian set and the background stamps are unmarked/unknown)
One Crazy Stamper May AG 1/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

2-Year Blogiversary Celebration - I have Candy!

CLOSED

Hello, everyone!  I have my 2-year Blogiversary coming up on June 21, and I thought it would be fun to celebrate! Woohoo! I can't believe I've been blogging for almost two years! You know it wouldn't be a celebration without prizes! I have two wonderful - and very generous - sponsors, plus a prize that I'm sponsoring. Here's the card I made with items from my two lovely sponsors; you can read all the details about my card here.

Check out the fabulous prizes that are up for grabs in my candy giveaway:

CREATIVE BUG DIGITALS

I am a proud mom of 2 amazing boys. I am in love with motherhood and love life to the fullest (although you know we all have our days, wink wink) I started out as an avid scrapper (not the fightin’ kind) which led to making cards, then I found my true passion “Creating Digital Images”. I have been sketching people throughout my life yet could never draw an animal; for example, a bear would end up looking like a mouse.   In 2009 I took a Graphic/Web Development course that enabled me to hone in on my creativity so today a bear looks somewhat like a bear, lol. I enjoy making websites with Dreamweaver CS4 and learning more each day about HTML and CSS. We all have our favourites  to work with when we get the “Creative Bug”, mine is without a doubt working with stamps. My favourite tool would have to be the scoreboard which I use to make envelopes, boxes and creative designs on the edges of my cards. I am a working mom, a social butterfly  (I am told) and love to sing, play guitar and compose music but most of all I am a loyal friend, a little eccentric at times, sincere, honest and love love love to have fun!! There is always  laughter in my home, I believe life is what you make it for it is in the way we perceive every little thing.

Unfortunately, as I am busy doing other things, my blog is currently inactive.  Additionally, I am unable to keep up the costs for the cart associated with the store.  HOWEVER, my partner in crime, Lisa D., is still actively promoting Creative Bug Digital SnapShots through challenge sponsorships and blog milestone celebrations so you'll still be able to find my digis out there in cardland.  To check out my digis head to: http://creativebugdigis.com.  To contact Lisa for sponsorship opportunities, email her at: cbd_sponsorship {at} outlook {dot} com.  

The prize is 5 images from Creative Bug Digitals.

DÉCOSSE'S DYNAMITE DOODLES

Are you interested in digital sentiments, papers and other embellishments?  How about a badge made especially for your blog?  If these are items you are interested in, you are going to want to check out Décosse's Dynamite Doodles.  My name is Lisa and with over 175+ posts of  freebies to choose from, and new ones added often, I just might have what you are looking for.  Along with the freebies I offer, I also create blog badges and am in the process of putting some kits together.  Additionally, I'm so excited to now be sponsoring giveaways and challenges at other blogs.  

So, if you have the time, come and take a look.  There is always inspiration to be found among my many different features.   I'd love for you to pop by and visit me.  I hope you have a blast!

The prize is this gorgeous Flower Power Kit from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles, and there are are 4 different prizes up for grabs:

Prizes:

*one person wins full kit

*one person wins patterned and textured papers

*one person wins all three elements sets (brads, frames, stickers)

*one person wins the word art kit 

The third giveaway is sponsored by me! I won a $10 gift voucher from Yours or Mine Paper Crafts and I would like to pass it along to one of my lucky followers. Please note: This prize might be better suited for someone residing in the U.S. as the shipping costs can be a bit high if ordering from outside the U.S.

How to Enter:

1. Be or become a follower of my blog with Google Friend Connect (your little photo must appear under Followers).
2. Post a photo of my candy badge (shown below) on your blog and link back to this candy post.
3. Leave a comment below and include a link to your blog.  Please state whether you live in the U.S. so I will know you want to be included in the drawing of the third prize. If you live outside the U.S. but would still like to win the third prize, please indicate in your comment.
4. Deadline to enter is Saturday, June 20.  Candy to be awarded June 21.

Candy badge:

Thank you for helping me celebrate my 2-year Blogiversary!  Good luck in the candy draws!

Hallie Hippo (CBD image)

Hello, everyone!  Today I'm sharing a birthday card I made with an adorable image called Hallie Hippo from Creative Bug Digitals.  Isn't she cute!  If you would like a chance to win 5 images from Creative Bug Digitals, check out my Candy Giveaway!

I coloured the sweet hippo with Prismacolor pencils and then added a precoloured bouquet of heart balloons (freebie from Pixel Scrapper), tied to Hallie's tail with a digital bow that was in a kit from Far Far Hill. The image is popped up with foam tape.

Check out the gorgeous Celebrate background paper!  It's a freebie from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles and you can find it here.  Make sure you thank Lisa and tell her that Kitty sent you!  Now if you'd like a chance to win one of four fabulous prizes from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, see my Candy Giveaway!

The panel behind the hippo is embossed with Cuttlebug Cross My Heart; the cardstock was in my scraps folder, left over from a previous project.  I heat-embossed the sentiment from Clearly Besotted Flight of Fancy in white on a black scrap and affixed it with foam tape. Lastly I added three black sequins.

I would also like to support these fun challenges:  All Sorts No Squares Allowed 1/3; Clique Kits AG 3/3; CRAFT Birthday Blog Hop 1/5; Craft Your Passion AG 1/3; Crafting by Designs May AG 3/3; Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper May UE; Creative Card Crew Embossing Heat or Dry (I used both) 1/3; DL.ART May AG UE 1/day; Doodle Pantry Any Digital Goes 1E; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Incy Wincy Exotic Animals 1/5; Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday 1E; Love to Scrap AG 1/3; Loves Rubberstamps Add a Sentiment UE; Natalie and Amy's Animals 3/3; Not Just Cards AG UE; On a Stampage Mynn's Birthday Bash Giveaway UE; Party Time Tuesdays AG 2/3; Pixie's Snippet Playground Aqua and black cardstock are snippets 1/3; Scribble and Scrap AG 3/3; Send a Smile 4 Kids AG 4 Kids 1/3; Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; The Paper Girls Party Time 1/3; The Ribbon Girl Aqua UE; Wags n Whiskers Lots of Layers 2/2; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 2/5; Your Scrapbook Place May AG 3/3

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!