Merry Monday Reminder

There is still time to join in on our current Merry Monday Christmas card Challenge!! 

Please CLICK HERE to join us!

The Alley Way Stamps Be Inspired, Paper Issues and 4 Crafty Chicks {It's a TWEET}

Oh my! It is much too late and I have been paper crafting since I got home from work. Needless to say, I am a little giddy.

I sat down to play along with the Alley Ways Stamps Be Inspired Challenge and as I was finishing off my TAWS inspired Easter Treats Gift Baggie, I realized I did not have an Easter sentiment from TAWS for my project! Hmm!

Then I looked at the set I was using called Priceless Joy and saw the single words..."it's", "a" and "tweet" and then I started to laugh my head off! Giggling like crazy...because I made my mom an Easter treat baggie that says "it's a tweet"!!! 

Yep, still laughing as I write this! Will it be as funny tomorrow morning? Probably not, but right now, it is pretty hilarious!

This "Tweet" for my mom is filled with buttons right now, but tomorrow I am off to the store to get some chocolate eggs for this little baggie. I was inspired by the Polka Dots in the Inspiration photo...isn't it a great photo?!! I love it!! Hope you have as much fun creating as I did!! This is also for the the "Up in the Clouds" theme challenge over at Paper Issues. Love that wee birdie! I picked up these baggies from Scrapbookin' Adventures and saw them embossed by the shop owner Jennifer Edwardson-so I thought I would try embossing my bag too!

  

I am also linking this up to:

4 Crafty Chicks - #135 Easter

Paper Issues-Up in the Clouds Theme

Seize the Birthday {Cowboy}

Another week at Seize the Birthday! Wow, 11 weeks with this challenge already! Thank you to everyone who joins us each week and plays along!! This week we are looking for Masculine cards! 

This month we are thrilled to be sponsored by the Uniko Studio. They are offering the sweet set Bright Butterflies to our winner! Thank you so much to Beverly for sponsoring our challenge for the month of March!

I was excited to ink up a new stamp set from There She Goes called Giddy Up. I inked my sweet cowboy in Memento tuxedo black ink and went to work, colouring him with my Copics. Then I paper pieces his bandanna. The same paper is also on the inside of my card and on the front like little flags. I used my woodgrain embossing folder and kept the whole design clean. The sentiment Happy Birthday is from Paper Smooches and the "Cowboy" sentiment comes from the Giddy Up set. I stamped him out of the panel and then stamped another top of his hat on a separate piece of paper. Then I cut out the second hat and paper pieced it on my main panel, so that his hat would stick out.

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: There She Goes Giddy Up

Inks: Copics and Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Papers: Kraft, Black, White and Snap Vibe Designer Paper from Simple Stories

Extras: Woodgrain Embossing Folder and Big Shot

We hope you can stop by and join us this week at Seize the Birthday!! I am also entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge.

Paper Issues, Simon Says & Deconstructing Sketch {Wishing You Sunnier Days}

I wanted to play along with a couple of challenges today! The first was the "Up in the Clouds" theme challenge over at Paper Issues. I have a cute cloud embossing folder from Darius that I picked up in San Diego this Christmas. I thought this umbrella would look fun paper pieced and popped up on top of the embossed clouds.

The Deconstructed Sketch #94 was the main inspiration behind my layout. I decided to elongated the side panels and added the oval shape to the bottom of the layout as the sentiment.

I also wanted to play along with Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge, it is their Umbrella stamp set called "Sunnier Days" that I used. I was drawn to the Snap "Colour Vibe" Paper from Simple Stories. 

      

Hope {Celebrate Today}

Just a clean and simple card I made tonight, using a sweet set from Verve called "Joyful Blooms". I love the simple, pretty flower. I choose the sentiment because of the CASology Challenge word-HOPE. I think Hope is about living in the moment and celebrating today! I kept my card clean and simple for CASology...no designer papers or heavy layers, I just went simple. I used the sketch from Mojo Monday and the colours from the Colour Q.

 

I finally opened the light tent my sister bought me for Christmas. Wow, what a difference! Although I do think I could still use it better...need a few tries to figure it out.

Washi Meets Vintage {Paper Smooches and Moxie Fab World}

Just a quick post tonight as dinner is cooking away!! Ack!!! I can smell it close to being well done!

The inspiration photo over at the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge is so pretty and so I went to work! I also wanted to play along with the Moxie Fab World's Washi Tape Challenge. I inked up the sweet set called Sentiment Sampler. I love the fonts in that set!

I am excited to be using Washi Tape for the very first time!!! I added a line of vintage ribbon trim to the bottom of the Washi. So I am mixing vintage with new? Does it work? I am almost afraid to post this card but hey, life is about taking chances! That inspiration photo truly inspired me!

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler

Inks: Crumb Cake

Papers: Crumb Cake, Vanilla

Extras: Washi Tape, Buttons, Trim, Embossing folder, Big Shot

Merry Monday #55 {Tic Tac Toe}

Welcome to my weekly Christmas card Challenge called "Merry Monday"! Each week, I post a challenge to inspire you to create a Christmas card for your Christmas card stash! I have a design team of 10 lovely ladies and we are all working on getting a Christmas card done each week! This is our last challenge with Tracey McNeely!! Tracey has made such adorable Christmas cards this month, I love her work! Thank you so much Tracey!

Our challenge this week is a TIC TAC TOE Challenge, where you get to choose any three squares in a row-up/down/diagonally! This week I decided to ink up a stamp I bought a few months ago but have not had the chance to ink yet from Impression Obsession called Santa Horses. I love these two horses and think it is such a sweet image. I used some scraps from my DSP bin and managed to add some ribbon, also from my stash! 

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: Impression Obession {Santa Horses}

Inks: Black and Cherry Cobbler

Papers: MME, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso & Vanilla

Extras: Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, White Twine, Ribbon Scallop Punch

Welcome to our Guest Designer this week Donna Eckols!! She won our challenge a couple of weeks ago! She also made a 2nd card that I will post later on this week. Would you like to be a Guest Designer? Be sure to play along, as our weekly winner is our next Guest Designer!

LeAnne Pugliese	Bonnie Klass	Nina Forsyth
Wendy Aungst	Vicki Burdick	Sue Joyce
Sherry Eckblad	Tracey McNeely (FD)	Narelle Farrugia
Donna Eckols (GD)	Margaret Moody	Allisa Chilton

Challenge Rules (to keep things fair):

1. You must use the challenge and make a Christmas card.

2. Please add a direct link to your blog or to an online gallery.

3. Feel free to combine other challenges or for a stamp release, it doesn't matter, as long as you add this challenge link to your post.

4. Any offensive posts or cards that do not follow the guidelines will be removed out of courtesy to fellow bloggers and myself.

5. As always, please have fun and make the challenge your own!

This linky will close at Noon (PST) on the Sunday before the next Merry Monday Challenge.

1. Louise	2. shelia	3. Shelly	4. Sari	5. Kim S	6. Carol L
7. Susan B	8. Kristie Goulet	9. anja curvers	10. fabiola	11. Kelly Szafron	12. LisaJ
13. Linda S.	14. fabiola	15. Michelle M	16. Janet Kay	17. Kim Badelt	18. carol aka krillsister
19. Jen Mitchell	20. Joan Jeffery	21. Katherine R.	22. Jenny Engelke	23. Kim Heggins	24. Margo S.
25. Greta H	26. Katie Tate	27. JoAnn B.	28. Katherine Elliot

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Merry Monday Winners

Thank you to everyone who joined us this week at Merry Monday!!! Who knew there were so many adorable snowmen images out there! Whew! Your cards were all outstanding it and was challenging to choose a winner!!! The design team has also been busy, choosing honourable mentions as well!! We just loved all of your cards!  

Colleen F

This week's Top Pick is Colleen F!!! I just loved the mix of papers she used and her sweet snowman! Congratulations Colleen! We hope you will join us as our Guest Designer for Monday, April 1st. Please email me by clicking the envelope icon at the top of my blog. Be sure to put "Merry Monday Guest Designer" in the subject line.

And our Honourable Mentions were voted on as well, if you received a vote from a design team member, your card and link is below. Congratulations! We hope you will display your badge with pride! If you are viewing this in Google Reader, you may have to visit the blog to see the actual cards that are linked below.

Please be sure to click on each of the photos to see the winning projects!

1. Kathy Straw	2. Dawn Easton	3. Katherine R.
4. Lisa Johansen	5. Lynne	6. Jill Norwood
7. Carol L	8. Shelia

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Feeling Springy

My Spring Break is over...oh so sad but I had a magical week. I wish I could be home more. My house is shining and I feel great! 

I wanted to play along with the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch. I truly believe it is this challenge which has given me the courage to explore the CAS world of card making! I also wanted to use the gorgeous colours at the Play Date Cafe. Those colours remind me of my Grammy, which is a nice memory and bittersweet. She would have loved this card as she loved flowers and purples. I am also linking my card to the Simon Says Stamp: Easter/Spring Challenge.

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: Simon Says Stamps-Flower Friend and YOU

Inks: Garden Green, Certainly Celery, Opulent Orchid and Ellegant Eggplant

Papers: Garden Green, Opulent Orchid

Extras: Pearl

The Alley Way {Be Inspired} Challenge

Wanted to share a card I made Friday night for the current The Alley Way Be Inspired Challenge. I recently ordered some new goodies from TAWS and was excited to ink up "Petal Pushers" and "Tiny Treasures".

Here is the inspiration photo:

My background paper was inspired by the colours in the photo. I also loved those maps and chose the colours for my pinwheels and because there were 3 map, I had three squares as well. The chair had a shiny look to it, so I added the pearls to the centers of my pinwheels.

Merry Monday Reminder!

There is still time to play along with our "Snowman Theme" Challenge at Merry Monday!!! The linky closes at Noon (PST) on Sunday!!! 

To play along, please click HERE.

The Beary Best {CTD, FMS & TSG}

I wanted to play along with a couple of different challenges, so I inked up this new set from There She Goes. I just love the adorable bears illustrated by Torcio and the sentiments in this set are so sweet. My card was made for the Color Throwdown, the There She Goes-Anything Goes Challenge and I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. There is sponging on my card, so it is not "clean" so I won't be linking it up at FMS but I LOVED Jen Mitchell's sketch!

One area I would like to work on with my card making is using ribbon, I am trying to use it more because I have piles of it! But I always struggle with placement and bow tying. I love this ribbon from May Arts and decided to give it a whirl, I only wanted a little red for the accent. The paper is from My Mind's Eye, a nice vintage looking pack that is so pretty!!