Inspired Stamps Birthday Celebration

Inspired Stamps is celebrating their first birthday!

Antoinette asked if I'd like to join in their celebration and show some of the cards I made while I was on her Inspired Stamps design team and you know I said yes!

I had a hard time choosing just one so I have an assortment for you!

Inspired Stamps come as acrylic stamp sets.

She has a nice selection of Bible verses as well as cute characters.

Perfect for Christmas cards...

Operation Write Home cards...

Or any other occasion you like to make cards for.

There's also a sale going on to celebrate Inspired Stamps first birthday!  Through November 30, 2011 you'll get 40% off your highest priced stamp set in your shopping cart!

Thanks for the opportunity to celebrate with you Antoinette and Inspired Stamps!

Challenges:
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - Embossing
Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes
Hooked On Crafts - Dies & Punches

Clear Dollar Stamps Fall Birthday Critters

Welcome to our "Celebrate Life Blog Hop" in honor of our friend Katie who passed away November 7th after a long battle with cancer.  If you've arrived here from Trudy's blog you're on the right track.  If not and you'd like to start at the beginning please click here.

My birthday card today was made for one of Katie's twin boys.

I used the Clear Dollar Stamps Fall Birthday Critters pre-colored digital stamp set and one of the digital papers that comes in the set.  It was a quick, cute, fun card to make!

The next stop on our hop is the fabulous Barb!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
The Hybrid Chick Card Caravan Challenge #6 - Birthday Theme

Tiddly Inks Something Warm

I've been having a great time coloring images that I've had for awhile but haven't had time to play with!  This cute little snowman is a digital image from Tiddly Inks called Something Warm.  He's colored with Copic markers pictured below. 

My layout is from I Heart Sketches November 2011 and I broke out some of my Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses patterned papers too.  The sentiment is from my computer, I looked for just the right one in my stamps and didn't find it.  I'm spoiled I made my own.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Tiddly Inks - Anything Goes
Moving Along With The Times - Let It Snow
Shelly's Images - Anything Goes
I Did It Creations - Snowmen
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Pollycraft Monday - Christmas Fun

The Paper Shelter Crocodile Love

I have another fun calendar page to share with you today!

I've been working on a small desk calendar for 2012 and this is my February layout.  I merged two images Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar and The Paper Shelter's Crocodile Love to fit the sketch I wanted to use and went to work.

The scalloped border is a new Spellbinders die I've acquired but haven't used much yet.  The cardstock colors are SU Taken With Teal, Basic Black, Neenah Red Pepper Linen & Mohawk Bright White.  I added a strip of black and white gingham ribbon and punch the holes I'll need with the bind It All.

Have a blessed day -

Challenges:
Crafty Ribbons - Anything But A Card
Squiggles & Giggles - Anything But A Card

Whimsie Doodles Snowman Soup Tag

I have a fun card I made with the Whimsie Doodles Snowman Soup digital image.  I plan to enter my card into their "Tag You're It" challenge which also has the possibility of winning a chance to be their guest designer for January 2012.  I'd like that! 

I colored this cute image with Copic markers and have the colors pictured below.  

I've been using a lot of BG70 - BG75, I have a ream of cardstock and Basic Grey Offbeat patterned papers that matches so nice!

I also used Spellbinders and Sizzix dies and colored white organdy ribbon with my BG75 Copic marker so my ribbon would be a perfect match. 

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Whimsie Doodles - Tag You're It ****
Tuesday Throwdown - Circles
Top Tip Tuesday - Tags
CCEE Stampers - Use 2 Die Cuts or Punches
Moving Along With The Times - Let It Snow

Clear Dollar Stamps Tall Trio

I'm not on the Clear Dollar Stamps digital design team anymore but I still have so many of their wonderful images I haven't had a chance to play with yet!  My card today uses the digital stamp set Tall Trio, there are two other images that come as line drawings and pre-colored that are really CUTE too!  

I had a little boy's birthday card in mind and thought the elephant would be perfect.  I also used the striped digital paper from this set along with SU Brilliant Blue, Via Vellum Leaf Green, Neenah Red Pepper Linen & Mohawk Bright White.  For a little texture I embossed the Leaf Green panel with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  Now I just need to figure out what goes on the inside...  

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Wee Memories - Birthdays & Parties
I (heart) To Stamp - Sketch
City Crafter - Four Legged Friend
Paper Minutes - Children's Birthday
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Red & Green
Paper Crafting Journey - Embossing

Yolanda's Car

Since I'm not on as many design teams right now I've had more time this month to make cards using images I've collected but been too busy to do anything with.  Today's card is one of those (:  This fun image was made by one of our Operation Write Home blog admin team Yolanda and is a freebie she has on her blog Imagine Make Share.

The image is colored with Copic markers in the Blue Green family most likely BG11 - 13, the designer paper is digital by My Time Made Easy, the sentiment is from a Papertrey Ink acrylic stamp set and my layout is Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge #355.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Dilly Beans Framed Girlie

In my travels around blog land recently I found Dilly Beans Stamps and I'm captivated!  If you've visited my blog very often you know I like to color people with big eyes and fun hair.  

I re sized my Framed Girlie digital image to fit a card front so I could make a one layer CAS card with her.  I must say the hair is a lot of space to cover at this size and was challenging for me.  I don't feel like I got all the lines of demarcation gone to my satisfaction but I can print this image as many times as my heart desires and keep practicing because it's digital.  I do like the size of her eyes though - so it's a trade off.

She's colored with Copic markers and I added eyelashes to her eyes using Copic multiliners and a white gel pen.  Megan K. Suarez is the talented artist of these images and in her paintings her ladies have fabulous eye lashes so I thought I'd give it a try.

My card today also works for our Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown challenge - the theme is "Any Occasion" with no sentiment.  She's going in my OWH box (:

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Any Occasion No Sentiment
Creative Craft challenge - Minimalistic

Bug A Boo Stamps "Make It Snappy" You Are My Sunshine

I'm back with another Bug A Boo Stamps "Make It Snappy" image today, I think these are so cute!  This one is called "You Are My Sunshine", how fun!  

If you've read my blog for any length of time you might think I like coloring "sunshine" and you're right - I do (:  The Copic markers I used for my image are pictured below.

My layout is Operation Write Home's sketch #93, I used three different Cuttlebug embossing folders and a little Stickles Ice with Glossy Accents over it for super shiny teeth.  The cardstock colors are Copic X Press It, Mohawk Bright White, Discount Cardstock's Royal Blue and Astro Brights Galaxy Gold.

Totally fun card to make today!  Thanks for visiting my blog -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #93
Challenge Up Your Life - Friendship
Paper Crafting Journey - Embossing
The Pink Elephant - Embossing

Crafty Sentiments Vicky

We have a new challenge starting today at our Stamps R Us challenge blog, the theme is "Bling It On" and our sponsor is Crafty Sentiments!

Our team was given four of their digital images to work with and boy are they cute!  My first choice is "Vicky", she's colored with the Copic markers listed below.

My layout is Operation Write Home's sketch #93, I used a couple of scraps of Basic Grey Off Beat designer paper as well as Nut Brown, Copic X Press It & Color Mate's Mist cardstock.  The sentiment is from the Stampendous Birthday Assortment acrylic stamp set.  

For the "bling" on my card I added three clear rhinestones, the Color Mates Mist cardstock has a little sparkle in it but it's kind of hard to see in the pictures.

I hope you'll stop by our Stamps R Us challenge blog and see all the sample cards our design team has made using the cute Crafty Sentiments digital images and enter into our challenge too!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #93
Crafts and Me - Birthdays
Charisma Cards - Cutesy

Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar

Last Sunday Clear Dollar Stamps had a Year Round Calendar blog hop to show all the fun things we can do with their digital stamp set.  I was so totally inspired when I was finished hopping I started working on a year round calendar to give as a gift.  

I'm making my calendar 5 1/2" X 5 1/2" square.  For my January page I used the Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar set and the Clear Dollar Stamps Snowman Cheer pre-colored digital stamp set and digital paper I used from a different Clear Dollar Stamps set.  I changed the color of the gingham digital paper.  The warm winter wishes sentiment was made on my computer and the snowflake is a Martha Stewart punch.  I have my calendar page punched with my Bind It All, when all the pages are done I'll make a cover and bind my little calendar so it will sit on a desk.  I'll show you more as I have them ready!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
2 Sisters - Anything Goes
Squiggle Stamps - Anything But A Card
Inspire Me Friday's - Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes - Digital Images

Local Veteran's Day Parade

Happy Saturday, I thought I'd take a moment to share photos of our local Veteran's Day parade on the main street of our little town.  We were waiting for the parade to start in the first couple of pictures.

My husband Rick in his shorts and jacket.  Is Arizona in November the only place you can wear a jacket and shorts?

I've always worked on Saturday's so I think this is my first parade in Parker.

Jenny was in the marching band, she's behind the band director in every photo...

My husband's grandson was "most beautiful tot - boy", this is a photo of his son, granddaughter and grandson.

Are you bored yet?!

I was so I started taking pictures of the kids running after the candy...  Have a great weekend!

Inkadinkado Angels

I've had my eye on this stamp set by Inkadinkado at my friend Linda's Sugar Shack in Lake Havasu for several months now and finally gave in and bought it.

I've made two cards with it so far that I'll show you today.

I really like the swirly flowing yet simplicity of the images.  They might just be good for a Copic coloring class, who knows?

For my first card I wanted to try Blues in the Copic markers and for my second card I used Blue Greens.

I like them both but I'm more inclined toward the Blue Greens because that's my favorite Copic color family.  I also like the wings more on the second card, just a hint of color. 

I also looked through my digital sentiments and found several nice sentiments that would go with the angels.  

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Stamp -n- Doodle - Emboss It
iCopic - Thankful
Crazy Challenge - Something With Wings
Crazy Amigo Challenge - Swirls
Crafting For All Seasons - Texture
Ruby's Rainbow Challenge - Things With Wings
 Dutch Dare - Punches & Dies

Veteran's Day 2011

Happy Veteran's Day -

There is an Operation Write Home Veteran's Day blog hop that starts today, you can click the badge above to take you to the first stop on the OWH Stars & Stamps blog.

My cards today were a fun project the for the Girls Ministry at our church.  I was asked by our Girls Ministry leader if I'd like to do a project with the girls for Veteran's Day.  She knows I love to make cards and support Operation Write Home...

In an effort to keep it simple for all age groups I chose to use one of Sandy Allnock's fun digital images of her dog Ciara for the girls to color.  I printed the image and sentiment on white card stock and cut them apart and scored them.  That's what the two cards in the photo are on.  We will also be writing "Any Hero" letters in our cards.

  I colored two of the cards to use as examples with Copic markers:  R29, R27, R24, B24, B28, E04, E02, YR21, E34, E35, T5, T3, T1. 

All the cards we colored will be going to Heroes at the VA Hospital in Prescott Arizona.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Celebrate The Occasion - Veteran's Day
The Stamping Boutique - Home of The Brave
Just Inspirational Challenges - Remembrance Day

Doodle Pantry Cute Quail

I have a fun card to share with you today made with Doodle Pantry's Cute Quail digital stamp set.  I used the pre-colored Quail and both digital papers that come in this set and paired it with Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch #93 from October 30th.  

I printed the Quail and swatches of the digital papers on one sheet of  Stampin' Up! Vanilla card stock and used Stampin' Up! Garden Green and Astro Brights Jupiter Java to coordinate with these fabulous digital papers.  I also used a strip of Stampin' Up! organdy ribbon as a finishing touch.

I really like how this card turned out using the Cute Quail digital stamp set and the sketch.  It was quick and fun to put together and it fits the Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown challenge this week as a Valentine card.

Quail you be mine?!

I have a secret to share with you about this stamp set too (:

For a limited time it's a free with purchase set at Doodle Pantry!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Valentine's

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #93
2 Sisters Challenge - Ribbon
Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes with brown
Crazy Challenge -  Something With Wings
Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes

Doodle Pantry 12 Days of Christmas blog hop winners!

Our blog hop winners!!

Winners from the blog hop are announced today.
THANK YOU to all those who took the time to view and comment and enter our hop.  We hope you were inspired to go to your craft areas and create some holiday cheer!

 

For the $10 coupon prizes, Random.org chose linky entries    2,   11,   15,   20,  and  21

......who are........

SiskiyouSue,    Peggy T.,     IKE,     -Anne-,    and   Riette  And the TWO BONUS $15 coupon winners are chosen from the following blogs: Cat Spicer from commenting on Vicki's blogandSandy from Lorianna's blog
  

Congratulations!!!

D.A.I.S.I.E. Comany Jacki's Hearts & Sweets

Our Midweek Throwdown challenge at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps is to make Valentine/Love themed cards.  I know it seems kind of early but the deadline isn't that far away!

For my card I used a pre-colored digital image from D.A.I.S.I.E. Company and a sketch that I C.A.S.E.d from an OWH friend of mine.  This card is kind of hard to give you details about because it's not in front of me anymore, it went out in my last box of cards for Operation Write Home.  It was a fun card to make though and I hope you'll have time in your busy week to make a card for the OWH Midweek Throwdown challenge.

Thanks for visiting my blog today - 

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Valentines
One Stitch At A Time - Use a Digi

Clear Dollar Stamps Happy Fall Y'all

We have a winner for our Clear Dollar Stamps Happy Fall Y'all blog hop!  I'm happy to announce from Barb's blog, Barb's Best Creations, the winner is Kathi from Golden Paper Dreams.  congratulations Kathi, enjoy your goodies from Clear Dollar Stamps!

House Mouse Sunflower

My card today has been waiting it's turn for a blog post.  I colored the cute House Mouse stamped image this last summer but didn't have a nice sketch/layout for it.  Last month Splitcoast Stampers had the perfect sketch #355 and I had lots of fun making the card but didn't have a spot for it with design team and fund raiser stuff going on so today's the day.

I'm sorry I couldn't find the scrap of paper I wrote the Copic marker color numbers on.  That's one of the pitfalls of setting aside a colored image.  The patterned paper was a scrap I'd air brushed with Copic markers and stamped using Copic blending solution and a background stamp.

The other cardstock colors are Mohawk Bright White, Neenah Solar White, Stampin' Up! Pumpkin Pie & Garden Green and Astro Brights Galaxy Gold (the closest I could find to the retired Stampin' Up! Summer Sun).  The sentiment is from a Papertrey Ink stamp set called Signature Greetings and is cut out with Spellbinders Mega Ovals and Mega Scalloped Ovals.  I added three color enhanced (G28) Dew Drops for balance and the embossed panel is made with a polka dot Cuttlebug 5 X 7 embossing folder.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Inspire Me Friday's - Anything Goes
Challenge Up Your Life - Friendship
Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
Heart Song Designs - Anything Goes
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Bug A Boo Stamps "Make It Snappy" Happy Birthday

I have a fun card to share today using a Bug A Boo Stamps digital image that I thought was really neat.  It's called a "Make It Snappy" image & I would imagine is for making a quick simple one layer card.  You know I struggle with that...

I had a great time coloring this fun birthday image with Copic markers and have a supply list pictured below.

 

I thought I'd share a little of my card making process with you.  Sometimes I feel like I'm always using the same colors so I get out my Stampin' Up! color wheel for a little inspiration.  After getting out my color wheel I'll pick markers I think look like the colors on the wheel and test them out on a scrap of white cardstock I'll be using.  

And I have a picture of the papers I was thinking of using, Stampin' Up! Apricot Appeal, Ballet Blue, Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss & Basic Black.  I'm not sure if these colors are retired or not, I gave up trying to keep up to date with Stampin' Up!

I also used a Sizzix dots embossing folder, a stars embossing folder that came from Hobby Lobby, a little Stickles Ice and 3 D Crystal Lacquer - fun!  I like the ease of use and sparkle of Stickles but I don't like the way it feels or that it might come off for my Operation Write Home cards.  The solution to that problem for me is 3 D Crystal Lacquer or Crystal Effects.  After the Stickles is dry I add a generous layer of 3 D Crystal Lacquer and let it dry, my bling is then nice and shiny and smooth too.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes

Birthday Sundaes - Birthday Wording
Kenny K's Krafty Girlz - Celebration Time
Paper Sundaes - Rectangles

Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar

Hello and welcome to the Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar blog hop!  If you've arrived here from Lorie's blog you're on the right track.  If not and you'd like to start with "January" click here.

Our hop today is about inspiring you with different ways to use the Clear Dollar Stamps Year Round Calendar digital set for fun gifts and maybe a little something for yourself too.

This wonderful set sells for $3.50.

I chose to work with the month of May, you might be able to see in the picture that there is a darker yellow circle on the 14th of the month for my daughter's 12th birthday.  I sized my calendar page to fit in my vintage Rolodex V546 which takes 4"X6" file cards.  I colored the flowers and background with Copic markers Y17, Y15, Y13, Y11, B0000, BG000, B21, B23, BV0000, BV000, BV01, G28, G40, G82.

Here's a top view of the calendar page and the Rolodex file it's in. 

There's a prize package being offered by Clear Dollar Stamps so be sure to leave a comment so you're in the drawing to win this versatile digital stamp set!  There will be two winners -

The next stop on our hop is the fabulous Dawn!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Doodle Pantry Twelve Days of Christmas

Welcome to our Doodle Pantry Twelve Days of Christmas blog hop!  

If you've arrived here from Lori's blog you're on the right track, if not and you'd like to start at the beginning please click here.

I should warn you that I really, really like circular sentiments - I used Splitcoast Stampers sketch challenge #356 for my first card layout as well as one of the digital papers that come in this stamp set.

Each of my cards and tags today were made with Doodle Pantry's Twelve Days of Christmas digital stamp set and digital papers.

This fun digital stamp set sells for $4.75.

Be sure to enter your name, e mail, etc. in the linky on the Doodle Pantry blog to be eligible for fabulous prizes...

Prize winners will be announced Wednesday, November 9th on the Doodle Pantry blog.

The next stop on our hop is the fabulous Donna!

A quick note about our Doodle Pantry blog hop prizes:

HOW DO YOU ENTER and
HOW MANY PRIZES WILL WE HAVE?:

• Just enter your name, email, (and blog link optional) in the linky at the bottom of the post on the Doodle Pantry blog.
• If we have 59 linky entries or less, we will use random.org to select 5 winners for a $10 coupon prize from the entries in the linky.
• If we have more than 59 entries in the linky, we will have random.org choose 8 winners for a $10 coupon prize!!

BONUS PRIZES:

And to top all that off, we will be selecting TWO BONUS commenters from all the comments left on two of our Design Teams blogs to win a $15 coupon prize...... no one knows which blog from our blog roll list I will randomly choose a winner from, so just comment on them all to increase your chances at winning a bonus prize!

 

In case you need help finding your way:

BLOG ROLL LIST:

1. Doodle Pantry Blog HERE (enter linky at bottom)
2. Dawn
3. Lorie A
4. Sarah T
5. Kristine
6. Karen
7. Patti P
8. Elizabeth
9. Kathy
10. Lori Z
11. Jan <--- You are here (:
12. Donna
13. Pat D
14. Amy
15. Vicki D
16. Glenda
17. Sharon
18. Sarah N

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
Floweret - Christmas
Fun With Shapes & More - Christmas Animals
Mami Doodles - Christmas
Sweet & Sassy - Christmas

Tiddly Inks Always The Flower Girl

My card today uses a cute digital image from Tiddly Inks.
My crafty friend Dagmar spent some time with me the other day and we colored one of these cute "Always The Flower Girl" images with Copic markers. 

While she was here I thought it would be fun to make a card for the finished images and this is what came to mind.  We used Spellbinders circles, Cheery Lynn Designs French Flair & French Flair scalloped dies as well as a wood mounted rubber stamp for the sentiment made by Paper Impressions.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks - Die Cuts
Paper Crafting Journey - Use A Digi
Tiddly Inks - Anything Goes

A Day For Daisies Playing In The Pumpkin Patch

I think it might be time to celebrate!  It's November in Arizona - finally :)  Our temperatures are cooling off, yea!

My card today is one I colored this last summer when I needed to feel cool, I love A Day For Daisies digital images and I love to color pumpkins! 

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Crafty Contagion - Pumpkin
Come and Get It - Anything Goes
Celebrate The Occasion - Fall - must have a pumpkin

Doodle Pantry Quirky Armadillo

It's time for Doodle Pantry's new releases today and there are so many cute new digital stamp sets to choose from!

For my new release project I picked Quirky Armadillo and I just LOVE the colors in this set.  If I were a Copic marker this deep blue green would be me :)  I did not do any coloring on this cute armadillo though, it was all pre-colored for me.  This is one of the Doodle Pantry digital stamp sets that come pre-colored with coordinating digital papers and if you really do want to color it yourself there are line drawings of the images for you.

I love to color but I also love to make quick, fun, beautiful cards with pre-colored digital images.  I have a friend in mind that is going to love this, she has a thing for armadillos!

You must stop by Doodle Pantry today and see ALL of the wonderful new releases and sample cards from our fabulous design team!

One more thing before I let you go today!

We have a Doodle Pantry blog hop scheduled for this Saturday, November 5, 2011 you won't want to miss.

See you then... 

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes
Pollycraft - Anything Goes
Paper Crafting Journey - Use A Digital Image
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Anything Goes