Merry Monday Reminder and Meet Ann Schach

Another Monday in July and we are still going strong with the Merry Monday "Anything Goes" Christmas challenge we have on for this month! Wow, such gorgeous submissions!

Each Monday in July, I am excited to be featuring a Guest Designer or two! This week I am thrilled to welcome my dear friend Ann Schach. I asked Ann to share a bit about herself and she created a gorgeous Christmas card to re-inspire us!!! I LOVE Ann's cool style! She knows how to bling it up and create such beautiful pieces of art!

Ann Schach-Guest Designer

A retired chemistry and physics teacher, Ann began stamping four years ago when she bought her first Stampin' Up! stamp set at a yard sale.  She currently serves on the Design Teams at Pals Paper Arts and The Paper Players, and is a Splitcoatstampers Dirty Dozen alum.  An Iowa gal, Ann Schach hails from the heartland, where she shares her home with her husband, Kim, and three beautiful Boxer show dogs...Muffy, Brody, and Lexi Lou!

Thank you so much, Ann! We are thrilled to have you join us!!!

To play along with our challenge this month, 

please CLICK HERE.

Sweet Stamp Shop {Inspired by Pinterest}

Happy Saturday!!! I am up on the Sweet Stamp Shop blog today, sharing how I was inspired by a photo on Pinterest! Do you love Pinterest too? 

Please come on by and see how I was inspired...

CLICK HERE

There She Goes Stamps {Just Playing}

Sharing a card I made a while ago. I went into my UFO box (unfinished items) and found this coloured There She Goes image. I created a quick layout and added the image to a tag. We are off on holidays. I will be offline (I hope) for a couple of weeks, but I have lots of posts pre-scheduled. Lots of fun stuff coming up! I hope you like it!

Not playing with any challenges but just getting inky for the fun of it! It is so nice to play for fun. 

Merry Monday Reminder and Meet Two Inspiring Guest Designers!

Another Monday in July and we are still going strong with the Merry Monday "Anything Goes" Christmas challenge we have on for this month! Wow, such gorgeous submissions!

Each Monday in July, I am excited to be featuring a Guest Designer or two! This week I am thrilled to welcome Darnell and Leah. I asked these ladies to share a bit about themselves and they each created a gorgeous Christmas card to re-inspire us!!! Welcome ladies!! I am so excited that you could share your talent with us this week! Be sure to click on their name below their photo to visit their blogs.

Darnell Knauss-Guest Designer

My name is Darnell Knauss (pronounced Ka-nouse). I am so honored to be asked by Lesley, one of my favorite card artists, to be a Guest Designer for her wonderful Merry Monday challenge! In addition to my hobby, I'm a contented grandmother, wife, and mother. I still work on-call as a Legal Assistant when it doesn't interfere with my card making. I started this hobby in 2002 after attending my first paper and stamp crack party ~ I mean craft party, featuring Stampin' Up! products. I have never looked back. After ten years making cards for family and friends from inside the disgusting garage, we had the backyard landscaped and I became the envied occupant of my sweet crafty Playhouse. I also began to surf the computer for card inspiration. I was so inspired, I gathered my courage skirts, took a huge leap, and started my own blog (djkardkreations.com). I am having the time of my life sharing my cards, playing with words, and connecting with delightful people from all over the world!  The online card-making challenges keep me interested, active, and mentally sharp (wait, what?) and the stamping community has given me incredible love, encouragement, and years' worth of inspired works of card art. I am grateful for every bit of that and all the friends I've made and continue to make. Mwah!

Leah l'Orange-Guest Designer

Hey chickens! I'm Leah l'Orange, and I'm so pleased to have been invited to guest design for this Merry Monday Challenge! I am a card making enthusiast whose interests are all over the place... Foreign and indie films, music (experimental, classical, retro, industrial, etc.), FOOD (espesh ethnic foods with lots of spice), puzzles and games. I'm a grammar nazi, a Scrabble buff, a Canadian import (living in NJ) and popcorn is my cryptonite. Big big thanks to Lesley for having me - I always complain that I don't start my Christmas cards early enough, so this was just the remedy! Check me out at The Chronicles of Orange (http://thechroniclesoforange.blogspot.com) - I love visitors!

Thank you so much, ladies! We are thrilled to have you join us! 

To play along with our challenge this month, 

please CLICK HERE.

Guest Designer for the Shabby Tea Room {Mr. & Mrs.}

Sweet Debbie of The Shabby Tea Room made my day when she asked me to be a Guest Designer! EEK!! I LOVE the inspiration that comes from The Shabby Tea Room blog and from Debbie and her team. 

Shabby Tea Room Challenge #176

Our inspiration this week, comes from this wonderful photo. I was tempted to use the mason jars as a focus but I decided to focus on the colours and the soft feel of the photo. The challenge is to use the inspiration photo and to create a card or project inspired by the photo using white/cream, aqua, soft pink with lace and flowers.

I used a brand new floral set and punch from Stampin' Up called Flower Shop Bundle. I used this set to create my floral, which I stamped in Smoky Slate Ink (SU!) and then I added some pretty Stickles to the centre of the bloom. 

The sentiments on the card and the pillow box are from SRM Stickers. My pillow box is also from SRM Stickers and I ran it through the embossing folder first. The lace is from my stash, finally have used it all up and the die cut leaf is a die I have in my kit but I cannot remember the brand. I love this die, it cuts so well.

I hope you will join in Shabby Tea Room Challenge #176 and play along this week!!! I am also linking this up to the current Paper Issues Challenge "Nature Walk".

Getting Nautical {Waving Hello}-Paper Smooches, Curtain Call Inspiration, Freshly Made Sketches, Simon Says Stamp

So I think I have pulled a muscle...while crafting. Although not a sport, crafting still is a rigorous activity and without rest, one can obviously hurt themselves! Insert "Eye Roll"! The pull is in my shoulder/chest. It is so painful. Advil does thankfully dull the pain but it is difficult to sleep or do anything productive! Luckily, I have stamped ahead and got some cards done on the weekend and earlier this week. Whew. This is the last card I will create for a while. I am taking a break!

Today I am playing along with Freshly Made Sketches, Paper Smooches, Simon Says Stamp (By the Sea) and the new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge. It felt good...albeit painful, to play along just for fun! I have missed playing along with challenges! I used the stamps from Paper Smooches called "Wicked Nauticool". The red panel of my card is stamped with the chain and anchor images. I stamped them red on red to create a "nauticool" background. The bottom of the boat is paper pieced.

Supplies Used:

Stamps: "Wicked Nauticool"

Inks: Real Red, Memento Tuxedo Black, C3, C1-Copics, Smoky Slate (waves)

Papers: Real Red, Brocade Blue, White, Smoky Slate, Whisper White

Extras: Red Baker's Twine, Circle Punches

Edited to add: Have added this to the Simon Says Stamp Challenge.

Whimsy & Stars Studio {July Release #2}

Welcome to another stamp release for Whimsy and Stars Studio. Today, Mabelle is releasing this adorable stork stamp called "Sweet Arrival". It is fun to colour and absolutely perfect for the baby cards you need for your stash!

I decided to create two cards...one for a boy and one for a girl! I am also playing along with the MOJO Sketch Challenge. Both cards are created from this sketch.

I kept the design fairly clean and simple, using some light embellishments. The paper is My Mind's Eye, the sentiment comes from SRM Stickers, the ribbon is some Sage Shadow 1/4" grosgrain from my stash and the button was also in my stash.

I created a "girl" baby card, in traditional pink but I love how soft the pink looks matched with the Smoky Slate Paper. I love this new paper! Gah! Anyway, I once again used the Mojo Sketch and tried to keep my card light and uncluttered. 

The paper is from my SU! stash, the ribbon is retired 1/4" grosgrain Pretty in Pink. The rolled flower was in my stash, from a discarded project. Once again, I used an SRM Sticker for the sentiment.

 

CONTEST ALERT: Would you like to win this stamp or one of Mabelle's other sweet stamps? Be sure to visit the Whimsy and Stars Blog and leave a comment there. One random winner will be drawn to win one digital image of their choice.

I would also like to link up my cards to the following challenges:

Anything Goes Challenge #97

Song Bird Challenges-Use Ribbon on your Card

Tuesday Throwdown #156

Merry Monday Reminder and Meet Nance Leedy

Another Monday in July and we are still going strong with the Merry Monday "Anything Goes" Christmas challenge we have on for this month! Wow, such gorgeous submissions!

Each Monday in July, I am excited to be featuring a Guest Designer or two! This week I am thrilled to welcome my dear friend "Nance Leedy" of Canopy Crafts. I asked Nance to share a bit about herself and she created a gorgeous Christmas card to re-inspire us!!! I LOVE Nance's unique and sophisticated style! 

Nance Leedy-Guest Designer

Hi there, friends of Merry Monday!  I was thrilled when my dear friend, Lesley, invited me to be a Guest Designer.  I have admired Lesley's work--and abundant energy(!)--for many years and enjoyed working with her on The Paper Players design team.  I've been a Stampin' Up demonstrator since 2009 and love sharing paper crafts with friends, family and through my blog, Canopy Crafts.  Thanks for stopping by Merry Monday!

Thank you so much, Nance! We are thrilled to have you join us too!!!

To play along with our challenge this month, 

please CLICK HERE.

Sweet Stamp Shop "How to Design a Card"

Today I am thrilled to be sharing a set of square cards I made for my post over at the Sweet Stamp Shop!! Here is a wee peek of the card set I made...I am focusing on using colour this week at the Sweet Stamp Shop! 

Click HERE>>>>>> to Stop on by!

Seize the Birthday and Color Throwdown {Bunches of Birthday Wishes}

For the next month, we are having an Anything Goes Birthday celebration at Seize the Birthday!!!! This will only be for this month and then we will be back to our bi-weekly schedule and we will also be introducing our new design team! To apply for the design team, please CLICK HERE and do not forget about our new sister challenge blog called "Seize the Sketch" which starts on August 6th!! 

From July 11th until August 6th, we are hosting a...

"Anything Goes Birthday" Linky Party!!! 

You are free to use any sketch and any colours,

as long as you share a birthday themed project!!

I wanted to play along with the current Color Throwdown Challenge. It is their 250th challenge and their 5th year running! 

When I first started blogging and making cards in 2009, this design team gave me a lot of encouragement!!! I played their challenge all the time and I still play along when I can! I met one of my bestie blog friends through this challenge too...LeAnne Pugliese! 

I decided to ink up some new goodies I ordered from Lil' Inker! LOVE the new balloon dies and I bought the matching stamp set too! I just recently discovered their fun designs.

Whimsy and Stars Digi Release "Together Forever"

Wedding bells are ringing for Whimsy and Stars Studio!!! This month, Mabelle has created the perfect wedding themed digital stamp for all of those summer weddings! I wanted to play along with a few challenges and found a great sketch over at Tuesday Morning Sketches . I also played along with Clear It Out to use something sparkly on your project, finally got out some of the silver glimmer paper I hoard and used it! Thanks for the inspiration to use it!

I used a SRM Sticker for the sentiment...it worked perfectly!! Be sure to visit the Whimsy and Stars Studio Blog to see all off the lovely projects made using this new digital stamp! Mabelle is also offering a free stamp to one lucky person, who leaves a comment.

I am also playing along with a few challenges:

• Bearly Mine Challenges W, 2E, SIO - #94 Summer Weddings
• Tuesday Morning Sketches W- SKETCH*- #206 (4 to choose from this time!)
• Clear It Out 2W, 3E, Must use stash item - Challenge: Make Someone's Day  Stash Item: use something sparkly (Week 2) (I used some glimmer paper from my stash!)

Week 2 of the Merry Monday "Anything Goes Christmas" Challenge {Meet Two New Guest Designers}

Welcome to Week 2 of the month long Merry Monday "Anything Goes Christmas" challenge! Over 60 entries so far and wow, there are such stunning Christmas creations!!!

The linky will be open for the entire month of July until August 4th. 

Play along and create some Christmas cards for your stash!!! 

This week I am excited to have two fabulous Guest Designers and friends, joining us! Rose Miller and Danni Bindel are here with us this week, sharing some Christmas goodness! I asked these ladies to share a bit about themselves and to create a Christmas card! I just LOVE their cards!!

Rose Miller-Guest Designer

Hi, my name is Rose and I am married to a wonderful man that not only supports my crafty obsession hobby but encourages it. We are empty nester's with just our two spoiled fur babies Precious and Q left at home.

I am thrilled that Lesley has asked me to be her Guest Designer on Merry Mondays as I love making Christmas cards all year long.

Danni Bindel-Guest Designer

A little about me-- I started scrapbooking about 15 years ago and then about 8 years ago I was introduced to stamping and cardmaking--I was hooked. I love to get creative and also love the blogging community.  

Thank you so much ladies, for sharing your cards with us!!! 

To play along with us, 

please CLICK HERE to link up your Christmas card!

SRM Stickers {First Official Design Team Post!}

Hi everyone! Exciting day today as I am up this morning on the SRM Sticker Blog, sharing my first official Design Team project I made using one of the SRM purses and some sweet stickers!!! Please come on by and check it out!!

To view my entire project, please CLICK HERE.

Merry Monday Reminder

There is still lots of time to play along with us at Merry Monday!!! 

We are playing Anything Goes Christmas ALL month!!!  

To join in the fun, click the link below:

Anything Goes Christmas