Butterfly Style for Our Creative Corner

Hello there! OK, I have to admit...this card has been made since early last week. Our Creative Corner is having a Design Team call to "show your style" and that was my motivation for putting this one together. I have been SO hesitant to submit it, because after all was said and done...I just wanted to make sure it was good enough to submit. So...no looking back...I'm going to "just DO it"! Eeek! :) 

When it comes to "my style", I'm still trying to determine what that really is. Usually, I think it has a lot to do with those cards that come together really easily when you make them, or the ones that make you happy when you finally see the finished product. This card did both for me. I made two cards a while back with a color combo that I loved and a sketch that immediately inspired me when I saw it. This card is a "hybrid" of both of those cards. Click HERE and HERE to see them. 

I know, I KNOW...I'm really using that butterfly punch I recently purchased. I promise, this will be the last card with the butterflies for a while. 

So, back to that style-thing...I guess mine includes fun colors, lots of shapes and textures...and bling! I love details. Sometimes I obsess over them. But that's not necessarily a BAD thing, is it? :) I knew I wanted to make this card for the DT call and as I got it finished, I liked it so much and decided to make 7 more of them to share with a swap I participate in every month. I used a recently retired set, Punch Potpourri, simply because I was hooked on that stinkin' butterfly. Haha!

Here is the inside of the card, with another stamp from the same set:

So, there you have it. Thank you so much to the gals at Our Creative Corner for the opportunity to apply to their great team. If you have never visited their site, go there NOW! There is some awesome inspiration there. Thanks for stopping by to visit. Have a very HAPPY day! :) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Punch Potpourri and the sentiment from Apple Blossoms (both ret. hostess sets)...also Itty Bitty Backgrounds (ret.) for the corner of the inside of the card 
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and Tempting Turquoise Classic ink 
Paper: Vellum, Greenhouse Gala DSP, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry card stock
Accessories: Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder, Square Lattice Embossing folder, my beloved Butterfly punch,  Boho Blossoms punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding, Signo Uni-Ball White Gel pen, Basic Rhinestones, Sticky Strip and Stampin Dimensionals
Non-SU! Accessories: circle and scallop circle dies

Paper Players Challenge #44-Lesley's Sketch Challenge

Happy Easter Sunday! 

Today at The Paper Players, we are kicking off a new weekly sketch challenge, hosted by the lovely Lesley. We hope you will give it a try and play along with us. Feel free to flip it, rotate it and/or change up the shapes. The important thing is to just have some FUN! 

For my card, I used one of my favorite color combos. If you have visited me before, you may have already heard about how much I love the color PINK! Haha! ;) At first, I stamped the main image on white card stock and it just didn't really "work" like I had planned. So, I snagged some striped DSP and tried again.

I also used a favorite stamp set (Apple Blossoms, Hostess, Level 2) for the main image. It's tough to see but the main flower and the sentiment were both heat embossed for some added shine. I added some layers to the flower with two of the flowers from the Boho Blossoms punch. What goes better with pink...then BLING? The pink, punched flower was heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. Then, I broke out the trusty Basic Rhinestones to add a bit more flair. 

Here is how the finished inside of the card came out, with room for a personal message: 

Head on over to The Paper Players blog to see what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have whipped up this week. Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you enjoy your Easter Sunday, if you are celebrating the holiday. Please leave a comment to say hello before you leave. I always enjoy hearing from you. Have a great day!! :) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Apple Blossoms (level 2 hostess) and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Pretty in Pink DSP, Pretty in Pink, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Basic Black Craft ink and Versamark (for the punched, pink flower)
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Basic Rhinestones, Basic Black 5/8" Satin ribbon, Boho Blossoms punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Circle from Itty Bitty Punch pack (inside), Curly Label punch, Scallop Trim Border punch (inside) and Stampin' Dimensionals 

Swap Cards and a Very Important FYI

Hi there! I want to say a BIG thank you for all of the well wishes through comments and emails this week. :) Unfortunately, this cold of mine is still lingering but luckily, I am starting to feel more like myself again. Today, I thought I would share a card I created for a demo swap that I sent off earlier this week. After the card, I have another share for you, of a non-crafty nature. Please stay with me! For the swap card, I CASED myself! I made a similar card a few months ago and decided to change up a few things and recreate it for the swap.  Here is a photo of the original, with the revamped card:

I used the color combo of So Saffron, Rose Red and Always Artichoke for the new version, along with some DSP from the Sew Suite collection. I also used a clear button backed with more of the same DSP to tie the patterns together. Finally, here are all the cards before being packed up to send off, on Monday: 

Before I go today, I wanted to share something with you. No doubt, you are very aware of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The tragedy that the country continues to face is ongoing with concerns of the radiation threat and the harsh weather that has descended upon the northern part of the country. Much is needed to help the thousands of people affected. Tomorrow, I will be joining many others in a Blogger's Day of Silence to both acknowledge and respect the devastation Japan is currently facing. If you would like to participate, please visit HERE, for more details. 

Also, as part of this day, you can also give. *HERE* is a link for some more information about how to donate to a wonderful organization: ShelterBox. Any amount you can share will help to rebuild lives. That's pretty special!


ShelterBox was one of THE first organizations asked by Japan to help and were on hand on the Saturday after the quake.  Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.  Please consider doing whatever you can to give shelter to Japan through this organization or another of your choosing. 


Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this. I really want to do whatever I can to spread the word so that somehow (hopefully) we can make a difference. Have a good evening, be thankful for all that you have today and please stop by again soon. :)

Early Morning Crazy Mojo

Howdy friends! It's finally Friday...but in the case of this week, it came all too soon. I had some creative mojo early this morning, (why I was up at 6:30am is beyond me) so I decided to try to combine a color and a sketch challenge because I haven't done it in a while. 

I REALLY like this week's color challenge at The Paper Players, which features this warm and rich mix of colors: 

The card design is based on this fun sketch from Mojo Monday this week:

Maybe it was the early morning creative vibes, maybe it was the 2 1/2 cups of coffee I drank, or maybe it was my new favorite station on Pandora (Mumford & Sons Radio...LOOOOOVE it!), but this one came together pretty quickly for me today. As I was looking through my stamp sets, I stopped on the Apple Blossoms set and it all seemed to work out. I love this set so much, I don't ever get tired of using it! 


I popped all of the layers up to give some dimension. Then, ran my brayer over the polka dot embossed layer with some Cajun Craze ink to make the dots stand out more. Finally, I added some white dots on the scalloped circle with the Signo Gel pen, to tie the colors together. Have I also mentioned that I am infatuated with seam binding and jewels? I have? Ok then...moving on... 

I decorated the inside, but left it blank, as this card can be used for a lot of different occasions.  When the time comes to use it, I will add the sentiment then. :)

Thanks for stopping by to visit today! If you would, please leave a comment and say hello. Now, I'm heading out to buy a pretty pink Bumbo seat, a sassy diaper bag and maybe some diapers...NOT for me, EEEK! ;) We are headed to a couple's baby shower tomorrow for some dear friends and I have put off the gift until almost the last possible minute. 


But before I go, I thought I would share a photo I snapped of little Emmitt earlier today. He and Ozzy (oh, and my husband, too) have been very patient with me while I have been learning my new camera. The lens kind of scares him, so we only take a few shots at a time. I just love his sweet face in this photo! Have a great day today! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Apple Blossoms (hostess, level 2)
Ink: Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip Classic ink
Paper: Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Whisper White card stock
Accessories: Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Brayer, Basic Rhinestones, Scallop Border punch (inside), White Signo Gel Pen, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig and Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding (Occasions Mini)
Non SU! Accessories: circle and scalloped circle die cuts

Apple Blossoms and Brownies

Happy Saturday! It is a gorgeous day here in Texas..finally cooling off a bit! Hey, anything less then 95 degrees is a sign that fall is approaching here. For some reason I woke up UBER early today. I decided to get moving, take my little "pupster", Ozzy, for a walk (it was 77 degrees this morning...YAHOO!!), then snag a little "creative time" while I had it. 

I have been wanting to create something with the new color combo at The Color Throwdown blog, since Wednesday. I love their color challenges. Maybe it's my recent addiction to my SU! Color Coach, but I am HOOKED on playing with new color combos lately. How FABULOUS is this color trio, by the way?? It makes me think of two things: fall and brownies! HaHa, not kidding...think peanut butter brownies with walnuts. Hmmm, just me? Okay, moving on...   

While searching for a sketch to pair up with this delicious color mix, I came across The Sweet Stop blog this morning (kind of ironic, don't you think?). As soon as I saw this sketch I IMMEDIATELY knew what I wanted to do. I love when that happens, when an idea just "clicks".

I adore the bold, solid images in the Apple Blossoms (hostess) set. I think this set is going to see a lot of ink in the future. It has quickly become one of my new favorites! The gold accents were my hubby's idea. He knows how much I love the *bling* and said the card "wouldn't be complete without something shiny"...oh, how I LOVE this man! He knows me too well! :)

Oh, and since I was so inspired, look what made their way into our house this afternoon...BROWNIES! Soooo yummy! Ozzy and I have a few more walks in our future because of them, but they were SO worth it!

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Apple Blossoms (level 2 hostess set), Short and Sweet

Ink: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft) classic ink

Paper: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Whisper White cardstock, Tall Tales DSP (retired) 

Accessories: Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (retired), hemp twine, mat pack, paper-piercing tool 

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: button, gold accents

 Hope YOU are having a great weekend! :)

Mojo and Apple Blossoms

As I looked around my stamp room the other day, I came to the realization that I have more then a few stamp sets from the new catalog that need to be broken in! Whenever I am in need of some creative inspiration, I know can always find it over at the Mojo Monday blog. It's been a while since I've made anything for the challenges, so it was time to crank up the ol' iPod and get crackin' on a new creation. 

I love the Apple Blossoms Hostess Set and thought this sketch would be the perfect opportunity to ink it up for the first time. For the color combo of Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzazz and Tempting Turquoise, I looked no further then the SU! Color Coach. I love, love, LOVE that little tool, as I probably never would have put those three colors together, ever! 

This is one "chunky" little card! Two things I'm absolutely infatuated with right now are: (lots and lots of) layers on my cards and (lots and lots of) Stampin' Dimensionals. It's pretty bad when every time I have seen my cat recently, he has those little papers from the backs of the Dimensionals stuck to his paws! After all was said and done with this one, I determined it will be a very tight squeeze in a regular-sized envelope and I'm 100% certain that this will require a wee bit of extra-postage. Oops, I might have gotten a little carried away!  HaHa! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List:

Stamps: Apple Blossoms (Level 2 Hostess Set)

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry classic inks, Basic Black craft ink

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black, Whisper White cardstock, In-Color DSP (Level 1 Hostess choice)

Accessories: Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Scallop Border punch, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, clear embossing powder, Rich Razzelberry 1/2" polka-dot grosgrain ribbon (retired), glue dots, OODLES of Stampin' Dimensionals

Non-Stampin' Up! Supplies: oval and scalloped oval dies, black button, little "shiny bling"

Have a great day,