Colour Q 117 and Just Us Girls 117 {Just for You}

The last day of the year is here and with it comes the need to make at least a couple of resolutions. I hope to keep my craft room better organized! That is a BIG one for me. I spent about 5 hours tonight, cleaning and purging my room of creativity!  It feels much more zen and clean!!!  I just love having a tidy desk to work on!!! LOL!

The Colour Q has a wonderful colour combo of Black, White and another colour. My favourite colour from Stampin' Up is "Poppy Parade" and I was excited to use some of my new goodies that I received over the holidays!!!  I took inspiration from the photo Arielle provided. The damask really caught my eye!

Just Us Girls, has a challenge to use felt on your project. Cool huh!!! So I went into my newly organized crafty drawer and found some red felt. Using the Big Shot and my Prima Donna Petals die from MFT, I cut out the flower base. Then I cut the other parts of the flower in regular Poppy paper. The centre of the flower has a pearl.  The sentiment and the French Script background I used on the rectangle, are from two different Inspired by Stamping sets Ahoy Matey and All Year Wishes II. 

Thank you for stopping by!!! Happy New Year to all of my blogging friends!

Smiles,
Lesley

Hero Arts Contest and Colour Challenge 354 {Thanks a Bunch}

Only a few more days until Christmas and although I have many tasks left to complete like wrapping and baking, I also need to create some cards for my mother in-law. I will be sending them to her as a late Christmas Gift, I have just had no time for stamping! 

I found the challenge at Hero Arts to use one of the three sketches below and also the colour challenge at Splitcoast Stampers to use Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade.  I went to work with a brand new Hero Arts Stamp I just picked up today!!!  It is called "Large Flower Background" and if you like to colour like me, this stamp is a dream come true!

I inked up the floral stamp with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then coloured with my Copics. I added some pearls and the Hero Arts French Script stamp for the background.  This stamp worked perfectly with the background colours!!!

Thank you for stopping by!!!

Smiles,

Lesley

Scrapbook Essentials Challenge #3-{A Colour Challenge} and MOJO 220

Happy Tuesday!!! Today at Scrapbook Essentials we are offering up a Colour Challenge that I hope you will be able to join in with!  This week's challenge will last for two weeks, so you have plenty of time to join us over the holidays until noon on January 1st!

I decided to create a feminine Thank You card, using the set called "Seaside Gulls and Shells".  This time I inked up the shells in the set and added a Hero Arts Script stamp to it to create a background for the sketch. The sentiment comes from an old retired stamp I have in my stash.  

I used the awesome sketch over at the Mojo Monday Challenge blog.  I hope you get the chance to join us this week at Scrapbook Essentials and you should check out the sketch at the Mojo Monday!


Thanks for stopping by!!!
Lesley

Pals Paper Arts and Just US Girls {Thank You}

My father in-law asked me to make him a Thank You card.  I wanted to create something clean and not too feminine since it was coming from him to a good friend.  So I went to the Pals Sketch this week, which was perfect for my clean-lined vision and I also joined in at the Just Us Girls Colour Challenge to use Red, Olive, Kraft and White.  

I went with one of my favourite Stampin' Up sets called "Just Believe" and inked up the flowers with my markers in Old Olive and Red.  The sentiment was also inked up and stamped in two lines to fit in the circle.  The background script is from Hero Arts. The designer paper is from the December 25th Kaiser Kraft Pack.

Thanks for stopping by!!! 

Enjoy your day!

Sweet and Sassy {Tag You're It} and Colour Q {Just 4 You}

It's official! I am on my two week holiday and I am SO excited to have some down time to stamp, colour and create!  I purchased a digi from Sweet and Sassy Stamps a couple of months ago but with family stuff and life in general, I had not the time to play with the digital stamp!  I peeked over at Arielle's colours for this week and was excited as an idea began to form in my slightly exhausted, over shopped brain...Christmas is wonderful but can be pretty overwhelming!  I have been wrapping all week and needed some tags...well I made one and I am pretty sure it will go on my sister's gift. She loves snowpeople!

 

So I saw the challenge at Sweet and Sassy was to make a tag and the colours at the Colour Q were so much fun and a REAL stretch for me! I coloured the image with my copics and then fussy cut her out.  She is popped up on dimensionals. I thought her little scarf was so cute and would look good in the two green hues.

Today's challenge is:

“Tag! You’re It!”

Make any type or theme of a tag/tags.

Thanks for stopping by!!!
Lesley

Freshly Made Sketches #15-{Thanks}

 

This week at Freshly Made Sketches, Cindy Hall is our hostess and she has come up with a fabulous sketch for us this week!  I decided to flip the sketch and make a long card, with the panels being on the long side, rather than the short side.

I used an old SU! set that I had wanted for a LONG time!  I missed it when it came out and retired but a good friend recently gave it to me.  I was over the moon when she did that! Thanks Jane!  I loved the colours over at Create with Connie and Mary and I also wanted to play along with the Scrapbook Essentials Challenge to use Wet or Dry Embossing.  The red panel is embossed with the Finial Press Embossing Folder from SU!

We hope that you will join Freshly Made Sketches this week!  Please be sure to visit the other DT Members to see their wonderful creations!  This is also our last week with Lauri Ingrams and Christy Q. Thank you ladies for your hard work and wonderful creations!!!

Freshly Made Sketches Design Team

Lesley Croghan

Linda Callahan

Cindy Hall

Lauri Ingram

Tui Nathan

Christy Q

Jennifer Timko

Rita Wright

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Lesley

Scrapbook Essentials BC-Challenge #2 {Wet or Dry Embossing}

This week at Scrapbook Essentials BC, we are challenging you to use Wet or Dry embossing on your project!  I choose to use the Seaside Lighthouse Set, which is one of my favourite sets from Essential Stamps!  I love the way this set stamps, and I coloured it with my Copics.

I hope you can see the Cuttlebug Swirls embossing folder I used on the background piece of my card, I thought it looked like swirling air...what do you think?  I also finished it off with a button, to add a little interest.  My designer paper is from Kaiser Craft, the "Vintage Timeless" collection.

We hope you will get the chance to join our challenge this week which will go live at midnight.  Get out your embossing machine, be it heat gun or cuttlebug, and get bossy!!!

Remember, participants do not have to use Essential Stamps to join us.  Just play along with what you have!  If you do use our stamp sets, your name will be entered into a draw at the end of the month for a FREE Essential Stamps Set.  How cool!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

The Paper Players #76-Colours from Ann

This week at the Paper Players, the talented Ann Schach is hosting a fabulous colour challenge!  She is asking for some festive creations with Cherry Cobbler, Gold and Very Vanilla.  I used a stamp set from Inspired by Stamping for my card, it is called Christmas Cheer. 

The stocking is inked up with gold ink and then heat embossed with gold embossing powder.  The sentiment comes in two separate words so I could position the sentiment exactly as I wanted it!  I have used a pretty paper from Kaiser Craft.  The music notes are gold on the cherry paper.  They are really shiny but the photo just cannot capture that unfortunately!

I hope you get the chance to join us in our final challenge for the year!  This challenge will run extra long for 2 weeks!  So make sure you come and join us!  A special thank you to our talented Fall Team!  Julie Marshall, Tara Bilbao, Rita Wright, Susan Joyce, Cindy Hall and Sandra Conner!  What a quick Fall time it has been!!  You were all so lovely to play with!!  Please be sure to visit the Paper Players team to see their elegant creations!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Julie Marshall

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Tara Bilbao

Rita Wright

Thanks for stopping by!!!
Lesley

Inspired by Stamping Release Day!! {Soar to New Heights}

I wanted to play along with the Mojo Sketch and the Colours at the Colour Throwdown this week.  I had to use Cherry Cobbler instead of Bravo Burgundy for the paper.  I am all out of Burgundy!!  I loved the inspiration that these challenges gave to me!

Today is the official release day at Inspired by Stamping!  This week I have been showcasing the brand new stamp set called "The Sky's the Limit" and today it is available for purchase.  In fact, there is also FREE SHIPPING today!  The promo code for the FREE SHIPPING is BALLOONS (which is case sensitive).




Here are the other cards I created this week with this set! My focus technique this week had been Paper Piecing.  I went for an earthy feel to all of my cards this week when it came to colours.

I hope you have enjoyed my week of samples. I truly had fun using this set and creating these cards.  To visit my fellow design team members, please click on their names below. Be sure to join the Mojo Sketch and the Colour Throwdown this week.

Amber Goble

Deb Hickman

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Gini Williams Cagle

Irit Shalom

Jennie Garcia

Joanna Munster

Kendra Sand

Kassi Hulet

Kim Score

Lesley Croghan (that's me...you are here)

Susie Moore

Thanks for stopping by!!!

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: The Sky's the Limit (Inspired by Stamping)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Black, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive(All SU!), Retired Christmas Paper from Stamping Up

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Bravo Burgundy

Tools/Extras: Snips, Dimensionsals, MFT Dienamics (Medium Scallop Edge), Big Shot, Scallop Rectangles, Rectangle Nestabilities, Twine

Inspired by Stamping Sneak Peek Day 2 {Happy Birthday Glen}

Welcome to Day 2 for the Inspired by Stamping Sneak Peek Week blog hop!  Once again, I am showcasing the awesome "The Sky's the Limit" stamp set which has 15 stamps in it!  This fun stamp set will be available for purchase tomorrow and there will be FREE shipping!  I paper-pieced the balloon and the clouds, to create a colourful and masculine card!

I wanted to create a Birthday Card for my dear father in-law Glen!  It is his birthday today, (65 years young).  He always encourages me with my card making and often comes to visit me in the craftroom.  So I had to create some extra special for him!!  In keeping with a masculine theme, I kept this card clean and adornment free. I love that this set can be used to create a masculine card!  I just added a wee button, for another punch of colour! 

The inside of the card is also completed, with a lovely sentiment...I sure hope he likes it!  The sketch for this card came from Our Creative Corner, I loved the sketch and the fact that I could "decorate" it as I wanted to!  I hope you have the chance to visit the blogs of my teammates and to share some commenting love!!  To continue on the Hop, please visit Susie Moore.

Please remember that this set "The Sky's the Limit" will be available to purchase tomorrow on Saturday, December 10th and there will be FREE SHIPPING tomorrow too!  To see the other sets Joanna has already released at Inspired by Stamping, please CLICK HERE.

Amber Goble

Deb Hickman

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Gini Williams Cagle

Irit Shalom

Jennie Garcia

Joanna Munster

Kendra Sand

Kassi Hulet

Kim Score

Lesley Croghan (that's me)

Susie Moore

Thanks for stopping by!!!

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: The Sky's the Limit (Inspired by Stamping)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Black, Riding Hood Red (All SU!)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black

Tools/Extras: Snips, Dimensionsals, MFT Dienamics (Medium Scallop Edge), Big Shot, Lacey Circle Nestabilities, Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Folder (Distressed Lines)

Inspired by Stamping Sneak Peek Day 1 BLOG HOP {Flying by to say Hi!} and JUGS Sketch Challenge

Today is my very first Sneak Peek for the Inspired by Stamping Design Team. Yippee! I am so honoured to be on this talented team! Joanna Munster has a brand new stamping line called "Inspired by Stamping" and her stamps are amazing! If you are here, you have arrived from the blog of Kim Score. 

I was so excited to see that the first set we would be using is filled with Hot Air Balloons!  This set is called "The Sky's the Limit". The set has 15 stamps in it and will be released in Joanna's online store two days from now on Saturday, December 10th!  The BEST news is, she will be offering FREE SHIPPING on Saturday!!! Yahoo!

I inked up the balloons in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and stamped them directly onto my "Away We Go" designer paper from My Mind's Eye.  Then I stamped the balloons on to the cardstock and carefully cut them out, to paper piece each balloon.  The sentiment fit perfectly onto my MTF Label Tab and I used the Medium Scallop Edge dienamics from MFT to create the bottom scallops.

I used the terrific sketch from the JUGS Challenge site.  I loved the clean lines of it and thought it would be perfect for the balloons.  The Inspired by Stamping Design Team has some wonderful samples to share with you from today's Sneak Peek Blog Hop!  Be sure to visit them and leave them some comment love!  Be sure to visit Susie Moore on your next stop in the hop!

Amber Goble

Deb Hickman

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Gini Williams Cagle

Irit Shalom

Jennie Garcia

Joanna Munster

Kendra Sand

Kassi Hulet

Kim Score

Lesley Croghan

Susie Moore

  

Thanks for stopping by!!!  Please join me again tomorrow for another "Sneak Peek" of this fabulous set!  I am so excited to share what I made!

{Supplies List}

Stamps: The Sky's the Limit (Inspired by Stamping)

Papers: MME-Away we Go, More Mustard (SU!), Really Rust (SU!), Very Vanilla (SU!), Black

Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Tools/Extras: MFT Dienamics-Medium Scallop Edge, Label Dienamics, Big Shot, Button, Paper Snips

Freshly Made Sketches #14 {Peace}

Today is Wednesday and that means it is time for another Freshly Made Sketch Challenge!  Jennifer Timko is our Sketch Designer this week and she had come up with a wonderful sketch for us to play with! I also found a new blog called "Young Crafter's Unite" and they are looking for die cutting on a project.

I recently purchased this wonderful die for my Big Shot called "Deer Trio" from Memory Box.  I cut out the deer in Soft Suede and paired it with some Saint Nick Fancy Pants Designer Paper.  The sentiment comes from Inspired by Stamping as is inked up with Early Espresso ink.  The snowflake comes from the My Favorite Things Snowflake Trio Dienamic. 

We hope that you will join Freshly Made Sketches this week!  Please be sure to visit the other DT Members to see their wonderful creations!

Freshly Made Sketches Design Team

Linda Callahan
Cindy Hall
Tui Nathan
Jennifer Timko
Rita Wright
Christy Q
Lauri Ingram
Lesley Croghan (that's me)

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Scrapbook Essentials BC Challenge Blog Sketch Challenge #1-{Whimsical Butterflies}

Today is the first challenge for a brand new Design Team I am on called ""Scrapbook Essentials BC Challenges"!  Yeah!  I am so excited to be on this design team with my blogging pals!  We are sponsored by the online crafting store "Scrapbook Essentials BC" and we will be featuring the products they carry in their online store, especially their new stamp line called "Essential Stamps".

Today I am showcasing one of their cling rubber stamp sets called "Whimsical Butterflies 1".  I used the smallest of the three butterflies and inked it in black on Aqua and Pink Paper.

The butterflies were then cut out and popped up on dimensionals for some "lift".  I used some My Mind's Eye Designer paper from the 6x6 pack called "Lost and Found-Blush".  The rhinestones come from "Kaiser Crafts" and I used my Big Shot and Nestabilities to create an oval for the circle shape on the sketch.  I also wanted to play along with the gals over at CR84FN and use their awesome colour combo for my butterfly card!

Come and join us at "Scrapbook Essentials BC" and play along with our sketch this week!!!  I sure hope you do!  And be sure to visit my Design Team pals and their blogs to see what they created!  Participants do not have to use "Essential Stamps" on their projects, but if you do use one of our stamps, your name will go into a draw to win the featured Stamp of the Month! We will draw one name per month. We will ship the stamp set to anywhere in Canada and the US.

Angela Thomas

Lesley Croghan

Nina Forsyth

Stacey Rumsby

Teresa Winstone

 

Thanks for stopping by!!!