Purple Wall Hanging for Word Art Wednesday

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel

Well, once again I am late getting my post up for the Word Art Wednesday challenge. so very sorry about that. I'm sure they are happy that my guest designer time is up with them. I've not been a very good guest since my last 2  posts were late on my blog. at least I had the projects finished on time. :)

for my final project I decided to make a wall hanging with the beautiful scripture that they provide. you can find it on their blog. I added a lovely piece of vintage art from Create with TLC and printed it all out on a piece of watercolor paper. I do apologize for the rubbish photo. it was hard to capture all of the shine from the sparkle of the paints with the glare from my lights. I am terrible at photo editing, as you can tell.

I used gelatos as well as ink refills to color the background. this was adhered to a chipboard piece that was painted with acrylic paints and distressed. various ribbon & trims were added, in addition to sequins plus a bit of rubber stamping. you know I had to add a vintage button! it's a gorgeous mother of pearl button, too.

I gave this to Tyler's girlfriend at the end of summer so she could either have it in her room at home or take it with her to school. she ended up hanging it in her new apartment at school.

I do apologize for not being around. still fighting the migraines and seizures. I really hope they go away soon so I can get back to crafting. I have another post to share in the next few days with all of you. thank you for your patience! :)

love to all of you and enjoy your week!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Fairy Tale Ch - make a decoration
Creative Moments - Anything Goes w/wedding or anniversary twist
Sunny Day - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Craft-Dee Bow-Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Ooh La La - girly
Ecletic Ellapu - gifts (wall hanging I gave to my son's girlfriend)
Creative Fingers - anything goes
ATG with TLC - anything goes with a Create with TLC digi

Message in a Bottle Mermaid

Crafting By Designs Spotlight
World Wide Open Design Team Favorite

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Hello to all of you! the weekend is just around the corner! can you see signs of it yet? ;)

We have a new challenge over on the Aud Sentiments blog with an 'Under the Sea plus a sentiment' theme. our sponsor is the ever so lovely Aurora Wings, and we all know you want a chance to win that prize! there are some gorgeous projects on the blog to inspire your creativity, so go take a looksie!

I am using the beautiful 'Mermaid's Wish' image on my card today. isn't she gorgeous? the paper is some I had made originally for Mick's set of octopus cards. I made enough knowing that I had this beauty to create, too. ;) they were made with gelatos, glimmer mist, and SU! ink refills on watercolor paper. doily is sprayed with a lovely glimmer mist mixture as well.

flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts & Petaloo, a Martha Stewart fern punch was used to replicate coral and seaweed, dies are both by Spellbinders, and buttons are from my vintage stash. sentiment, cheesecloth bg stamp (hard to see on the handmade paper), and my ever fave little banner punch are by SU!

moss mini ric rac ties a bow made from foxglove hand dyed silk ribbon and natural burlap string. I had to add some little shells to complete the card. they seemed the perfect touch for this undersea world! :) touches of shimmerz paint and the wink of stella glitter pen were added to the main image for some extra shine and sparkle.

thank you so much for stopping by! enjoy your day!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Aurora Wings - a touch of class
Classic DT Open Ch - anything for a DT
Crafting By Designs - once upon a time (I think mermaids work with a fairy tales, don't you?)
House That Stamps Built - use 2 or more stamps (3 here - digital main image as well as sentiment and cheesecloth bg stamp on handmade paper)
World Wide Open DT Ch - anything goes
Emerald Faeries - anything goes
Paper Shelter - sentimental
Crafty Creations - tic tac toe (sentiment, image, tag)
Digi Choosday - add a sentiment
Craft Dee BowZ - anything goes with a bow
Use Your Stuff - color challenge
Ribbon Girls - any card with ribbon
Cupcake Inspiration - photo inspiration
Pile it On - tic tac toe (twine/ribbon, image, tag/ticket)
Creative Craft Cottage - fave color combo (I am really enjoying using these jewel tones lately)

Under the Sea Octopus Card Set

Winner at Crafty Ribbons
Winner at The Male Room

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Macadamia

Today begins a new challenge over at the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog, with a theme of 'Masculine plus ribbon or trim.' the DT has created some gorgeous projects to inspire you, so stop by to see their pretties! :)

since our son, Mick, was heading off to Canada for a work/study program, I wanted to make some cards for him to take along from me - notes of encouragement and filled with love. :)  his course of study is Wildlife Resource Management, so nature themed cards are always a hit with him. for a while, he was fascinated with the octopus, so when I came across these vintage postcard digital downloads in the Cameo Shoppe, I snapped them right up. I paired them with the seashell domino prints from the same store.

I made the paper for each of the cards using gelatos, SU! ink refills, and glimmer mist on watercolor paper.  each card also uses the same 2 1/2" natural cotton ribbon, sometimes cut into smaller strips. this is one of my fave of all the ribbons in the RRR store! :)

a Martha Stewart fern punch works well to mimic coral or seaweed. cardboard that has been torn and inked creates the perfect texture and backdrop to the vintage postcards. miscellaneous octopus embellishments include charms that I distressed with various inks as well as wood veneer from Michael's. one of my big finds while out on an antique adventure with hubby was a jar of seashells. perfect to use on these cards!

other ribbons used include: natural burlap string, brown burlap string, moss mini ric rac, orange plaid ribbon, and brown wrinkled ribbon. this last card shown also has tiny beads and Prima micro beads added to it for even more fun. Tim Holtz clips were added to several of the cards. all of them have vintage buttons.

I hope you have enjoyed the cards I sent along with Mick. I sure will miss that guy, but I also know that he is going to have a once in a lifetime experience! :)

have a most amazing weekend, dearest friends! love ya & thanks so much for stopping by!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafts and Me - anything goes with optional shabby chic/vintage theme
Creative Craft Cottage - include an animal
Lunagirl Moonbeams - Fathers/Grandfather/Brothers or for a man (my son)
Our Creative Corner -  A Beautiful Mess (handmade watercolor paper)
Petal Lu - anything goes
Southern Ridge Trading - masculine
4 Crafty Chicks - masculine
Crafty Ribbons - masculine or transport with ribbons
DL Art - boys and/or men
Male Room - critters and/or bugs

It WILL Be Okay

Top Pick at Path of Positivity
Voter's Choice Winner at Path of Positivity
Most Inspiring Winner at Path of Positivity
Design Team Delight at Path of Positivity

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato

Hello, everyone! I hope you are doing well! sorry I've been hit and miss around here lately. still dealing with not feeling so whippy and this nasty headache/migraine that has been plaguing me since the first of the month. makes it so difficult to be on the compy. hope you can understand. I don't mention things like this often 'cause I know y'all don't want to listen to me moan and whine.

so let's get to the crafty stuff, shall we? that is much more fun! :)

today begins a new challenge of 'Anything Goes + a sentiment' over at Aud Sentiments as well as it being Oldie But Goodie day over on the Bugaboo blog where I am still doing my Guest Designer stint. I hope you will pop over to both blogs to see what everyone has created to inspire you! :) there are just so very many talented crafters! :)

for my card I started with the Bugaboo image, 'Frame It Greeting It'll Be Ok.' the bg was created with a stencil by The Crafter's Workshop, embossing paste, gelatos, and glimmer mist on watercolor paper. decorative paper is from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection. Lyndsey crochet lace ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, aqua chrysanthemum is from Wild Orchid Crafts, wood veneer is from Lawn Fawn, and buttons are from my vintage stash. accents with the wink of stella glitter pen were used on the main image.

I'm sending this card to my cousin who has been taking care of her parents for almost her entire life. sadly, my uncle has just passed away. her mom has dementia, so her caretaking days are not over. I just wanted her to know that she is not alone.

thank you so very much for stopping by! see you tomorrow as we start the weekend! :)
have a most amazing day!

Challenges:
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - anything goes
Country View Ch - use a stencil
Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media - shine (glimmer mist, metallic gelatos, wink of stella glitter pen)
Path of Positivity - empathy

It's All About the COFFEE!

Winner at Fresh Brewed Designs

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

This is a double Guestie post, since today I have the honor & privilege of being a Guest Designer over on the Coffee Loving Cardmaker Blog as well as my position through July with Bugaboo.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when Amy asked me if I would be interested in being a guest for her on the CLC blog. I'm a member on their Facebook group and play along in as many of the seasonal hops as I possibly can, but to be a guest designer?! whoa nelly! that is big time!!!

so of course I said YES!, spilled my coffee all over the place, brewed another cup, and then started planning what to make. could I stop with one project? heck no. had to make 2! :) 'cause that's just how I roll....

as soon as I saw the image that was going to be this week's Friday Freebie at Bugaboo, my twisted sister mind went all googly and came up with this sentiment. so I typed it out on my compy and got busy crafting! isn't this "I'm Cute" monster just so much fun?

bg was created by stamping an old coffee bean bg stamp from Rubbernecker Stamps on watercolor paper with versamark. I embossed it with copper ep. then I went to town with my gelatos and watercolors using lots of bright, cheerful colors. spritzed it with an overcoat of glimmer mist. paper is from the Basic Grey Highline collection.

burlap doily is from Hobby Lobby, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, vivid pink seam binding (distressed with several shades of ink) & pink burlap string are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and wood veneer coffee cup is from Latina Crafter. buttons are from my vintage stash. Starbucks coffee cozy and clothespin were painted with acrylic paint and then sponged with inks.

next card is made using a template from The Cutting Cafe and papers from the Basic Grey Grand Bazaar collection. I simply adore this coffee themed digi set from Bugaboo! made me smile the first time I saw it! meet 'Ruby Tidbits - Coffee.' :) isn't she a hoot? Bugaboo has lots of great coffee images!

bright pink swiss dot grosgrain & plum grosgrain ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon and floral sequins are from Paper Sweeties. button is vintage and coffee cozy & stirrer are re-purpsed from a Starbucks trip. :)

thank you so much for stopping by! and thank you again to Amy for asking me to be a guest with the Coffee Loving Cardmakers!

I have several posts on my blog today, so grab a cuppa and stay a while if you'd like. :)

Challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - food or drink
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Cr8tive Hands - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - embossing (top card - embossed bg)
Crafting for all Seasons - add some embossing (top card - embossed bg)
Double Click Skittles - something yummy (for me it is ALWAYS all about the coffee!!!)
Fresh Brewed Designs - coffee (wooooo hoooooo!)

Watercolor San Antonio Riverwalk

Winner at Eureka Stamps
Cards in Envy Favorite

Coffee of the Day - Dulce de Leche

I've been playing around in my craft room with my gelatos, watercolor paper, and digital images. it's so much fun to just get into an inky mess sometimes. :)

Problem is that photographs, at least mine, can't capture all of the sparkle, texture, and color of the actual image. in real life (irl) it is sooooooo cool!

I printed the San Antonio Riverwalk digi image from Eureka right onto my watercolor paper then went to town with both regular and metallic gelatos. I added details with my watercolors. the water has such a gorgeous shine that is hard to see in the photo.

papers are from the Basic Grey Dear Heart collection, linen thread and banner die are from SU!, sentiment stamp is from a company that is no longer in business, and sequins are from Lawn Fawn. ribbon snippets and vintage buttons are from my stash. acrylic paint edges the card base.

hope your weekend is off to a most fabulous start! thanks for stopping by! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Eureka - add some bling (metallic gelatos, sequins)
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - mixed media
A Beautiful Mess - anything goes
DRS Designs - it's a new day
Sisterhood of Crafters - birthdays
Cards in Envy - birthday
Dragon's Lair - anything goes

Be Original - Be YOU!

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato ( a brown sugar, butter cream taste. yum!)

I finally was able to get my card done for the new Anya, Oddies, and Others challenge blog, but please forgive me for the horrid scan. my regular scanner crashed today, so I had to use our regular printer. it's great for printing digis, but scanning - not so much. as you can see, photos are not clear and crisp at all. :(

good news is that I think I can repair my old scanner. I did some internet searching this evening and have found a few troubleshooting sites that just might  have the answers! I sure hope so, because I love my scanner! we all know I can't take pix worth beans any longer since I shake so much. really hope this works!

remember that you can click on any of the tabs across the top of the page on the blog. under each heading you will find not only the criteria for each stamp company, but also the linky tool for your own projects!

since I am working with Unity Stamps, my criteria for the challenge were to use at least one of the following:  blue, wooden embellie, butterfly, sticker. I am using blue and wooden veneers.

I stamped the elephant from 'Original You' onto a piece of watercolor cs that I created with gelatos and several spray mists. there is a lot of sparkle on this irl. the sentiment is part of the stamp set. the card base was stamped with 'Vintage Passport' in Versamark ink. I've not used that ink in FOREVER!

after fussy cutting the elephant, I went back over some of the little black dots with a black spica glitter gel pen. I used the same glitter gel pen to add accent dots across the top of the banner. little flower is Petaloo, enamel dots are homemade, wood veneer flowers are Studio Calico, baker's twine is Webster's Pages, little kraft bag is re-purposed, and I'm sorry I don't know mfg of washi tapes.

Tip - as many of you know, I save all kinds of things to use on my craft projects. even something as simple as a little paper bag can easily be used on a card!

for easy directions on how to make your own enamel dots, click here. once my dots had cooled, I then added them to sheets of mini glue dots so that they were ready to go! :)

I do hope you will play along with us!
Enjoy your weekend! :)

Challenges:
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Mema's Crafts - anything goes
One Crazy Stamper - blue, white, plus embellies (no digi)
Seemacrafts - anything goes
Bloggers Ch - reuse/recycle (paper bag)
Crafty Catz - anything goes
QKR - anything goes
Divas by Design - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Top Tip Tues - make your own (enamel dots)

A Frosty, Snowy Penguin Tag

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Well today is going to be a busy one for me with lots of baking going on. how about you? how are your preparations for Christmas going? I still need to wrap gifts, too, but that can wait another day or so. ;) we always have someone wrapping a few on Christmas morning..... grins!

I have a fun little tag to show you this morning using a happy little penguin image from Scrapper's Delights. They have a challenge in their Facebook group to use this image on either a tag or an ornament. I love to make tags, so it was an easy choice for me.

I created the bg on the tag using a mix of gelatos (this really shines and sparkles irl!!) and white Mr. Huey's spray mist. the drifts were hand cut from glittered tissue paper. pom pom trim, baker's twine, button, sequins, and a mini white sisal tree complete it all. :)  oh yes, I added stickles to our penguin friend's hat and some polka dots with a white gel pen.

be on the lookout for some fun and new things happening here on my blog in the new year. not only am I trying something completely new for me, but I am getting my toes wet again in the DT arena after my hurtful experiences this year. can't let a few unfortunate people keep me from doing what I enjoy, that is for certain! life is way to short for grudges and bitterness, folks. gotta keep it in the rearview mirror! ;)

enjoy these last few days getting ready for Christmas! don't forget to stop every once in a while and enjoy the beauty of all this season stands for. :)

Challenges:
Scrapper's Delights - anything goes
Animal Friends - anything goes w/an animal
Crafting Musketeers - bling (bg, sequins, stickles, glittered tissue)
Ladybug Crafts - It's Cold Outside
Inky Impressions - Winter Wonderland
Milk Coffee - Make it Sparkle (bg, sequins, stickles, glittered tissue)
Add A Little Dazzle - anything goes or photo inspiration (a bit of both - tree & sparkle from photo)
Hambo Hoedown - Winter Fun
Simon Says Stamp Wed - Winter Inspiration
Mema's Crafts - Cold Winter Days
Cosmic Colors - color inspiration (see above - cookies)
Crafty Ribbons - Penguin Pals
DRS Designs - color inspiration (see above - skates)
Crafter's Cafe - Animal Friends
House That Stamps Built - Think Snow
Crafty Sentiments - Winter
Inky Chicks - Winter Wonderland
Robyn's Fetish - Christmas tags

Coffee Addicts, I mean, Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

I am soooooooo excited to be taking part in this great blog hop of fellow coffee addicts, I mean, aficionados! tee hee! I do enjoy a proper cup of tea, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing quite like a big hot cup o' joe to make my heart go pitter pat! :)

You will see so many fabulous projects on this hop, so be sure your cup is filled to the brim. I'll be more than happy to give you a refill while you are here!

I had big intentions of making several projects for today, but a wicked fever had other designs on my time. so instead I have only one card to show......

I used the great coffee sentiment from Deep Red Stamps, stamped onto watercolor paper. gelatos and clear shine Mr. Huey's spray mist were then used to add color. I love using the clear shine mist rather than water for the beautiful sparkle it adds!

papers are Basic Grey Spice Market, flower is Petaloo, burlap ribbon is by May Arts, seam tape ribbon and border punch are SU!, and buttons are from my stash. you know how much I love to re-purpose my Starbucks coffee goodies! they add such a fun touch to this card! :)

We were also asked to answer the following questions:

1. When did you start drinking coffee? my dad introduced me to this lovely concoction called 'coffee milk' when I was a little girl. funny, it's still the way I drink my coffee, only now I call it a 'latte'! ;)
2. What is favorite brand (you can name up to three). when I am out, I pretty much only drink Starbucks. at home, our fave company is called 'The Coffee Fool'. they have the most delightful flavors in decaf! we get them through Amazon. 
3. What is the most amazing coffee that you had? what I make in my French coffee press. it is really the very best for making coffee. even beats the Keurig. 
4. If I don't drink my needed coffee, I will...not be a happy camper, so let's just not go there, okay? ;)

thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:
Fresh Brewed Designs - lots of lattes
Inkspirational - beverages/drinks
Snarky Stampers - D is for Distressing
Alphabet Ch - Q is for Quadruple (4 buttons)
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Docerela Creations - anything stamped goes
Sister Act - any card goes
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with buttons & ribbons
Red Rubber Inspirationals - focus on the stamping
Simon Says Wed. - anything goes

I Zentangled.... and I'm a Dragonfly! :)

I have a new Design Team to announce to you this evening..... I am a Crafty Dragonfly! you'll have to bear with me as I adjust to the time zone difference between here and the blog location. I'll have to remember to post on my blog Tuesday evenings from here on out.... grins!

anyhow, I know this challenge blog is going to stretch me in ways I might fuss about, but boy will I ever learn some great new techniques! the new challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies this fortnight is Zentangle. Our sponsors are Bugaboo and Eureka.

I admit I had never tried this before. never really cared for the look all that much, but I put those brave boots on and jumped right in! if you've never tired Zentangling before, I think it's pretty important to have a fine point marker. I was using an extra fine point Sharpie, but that wasn't really as fine as I think it should be if you are going to do this very often.

I originally made 2 ATCs, but then was reminded that this challenge was for cards only, so I added the ATCs to card bases. some distressing and doodling on the bases helped keep the focus on the main images.

This ATC and card uses the Bugaboo 'Beauty Butterfly' image. bg for both ATCs was created with the Crafter's Workshop Mini Fish Scales stencil, black gelato, and graphite glimmer mist.  this one was also sprayed with Mr. Huey's white mist. each card was matted with a distressed piece of black cs. the butterfly is popped up on foam tape, mounted over vintage black lace next to a Prima rose. handmade black enamel dots simulate the flight of the butterfly. the same graphite glimmer mist was sprayed on the white card base.

This ATC and card uses the Eureka 'Stained Glass Sun' image. small leaf flourishes, May Arts ribbon, and a Prima flower were added to the ATC. handmade enamel dots and some doodles on the card base finish the card. sentiments on both were created with my label maker.

I do hope you will give this new technique a try. I have SO MUCH respect for those artists who can do this. sadly, I am not one of them. tee hee!

Challenges:
Wicked Wed. ATC - black, white, and one other color (ATCs only - grey/silver is other color)
Outlawz Greeting - monochromatic (cards)
Fan-tastic Tues - anything goes (cards)
TTCRD - anything goes

O Holy Night - Progressive Christmas Challenge

Hello again!
I am trying to finish up my entry for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy Progressive Christmas Challenge.

Everyone who played along last month was sent the image of this Christmas paper. (I used it for the bg) I also added another DS4J image, '3 Kings' to my card. things started off in an interesting way when I ran the Basic Grey paper through my printer. my lovely printer must be possessed by the same gremlins that inhabit my Yahoo email account, because it grabbed the printer all wonky and printed the image out crooked. since this paper has long been discontinued, I only have the one sheet of it. I was gonna have to use it wonky! as I used to tell people taking classes from me, there are no mistakes in crafting, only opportunities for whimsy. well you are staring whimsy right in the face here. ;)

I sprayed the paper with walnut gold glimmer mist and then used a gold metallic gelato to highlight the words 'O Holy Night'.  papers are from the Basic Grey Figgy collection, lace trim is vintage, pretty flower is from Hobby Lobby I think, (picked it up while visiting Ryan in Indiana since we don't have HL near us.) little tabs are made from a SU! punch that was cut in half. stickles and shimmerz paint were added to the crowns on the 3 Kings image.

edited to add new photo. went back and re-made card. really didn't like the other one at all. the free image given printed very pixel-y. took the elements from the other card and came up with this one. new sentiment is from an old Shady Tree Studios stamp set. snowflake dp is what was left from previous printed piece. much happier with this one! :)

Challenges:
Digi Stamps 4 Joy Progressive Christmas Challenge - use image
Christmas Challenges - sketch
Chcolate, Coffee, and Cards - glitter (shimmerz & stickles) and lace
Completely Christmas - anything Christmas goes
Scrapping 4 Fun - lace and buttons
Winter Wonderland - kraft (card base)
Crimbo Crackers - anything Christmas goes
Fab 'n Funky - Christmas
Fan-tastic Tues. - anything square goes
Holly Jolly Christmas - bingo:  snowflakes (bg paper), free space (glimmer mist), blue

Thank You So Much, Little Ladybug!

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Macaroon

Coolio news - I am a March Guest Designer over at the Love To Scrap Challenge blog! I was so excited when Leslie asked me if I would be interested. well yeah! of course! :)

The new challenge starting today is a really fun one. it's called 'Back it Up' and the idea is to create your own background using no patterned paper for the bg. wow! challenging, yes, impossible, not really. grins! Sponsors are Bugaboo (prize is 7 images) and Eureka Stamps (prize is 5 images).

I used the cutie Bugaboo image 'Lady Bug Flower Pot' on my card.  the bg was made with a mix of red and pink gelatos. I have found that I like to spray mine with a frosty glimmer mist rather than plain water, as this gives the entire piece an all over shine. once this dried, I used the inside of a padded envelope to stamp in white craft over portions of the card base. 

the few paper scraps I used are from the Basic Grey Serendipity collection, flowers are WOC, brads are SU!, and sentiment sticker is from SRM Stickers. little accents were made with both clear & black spica glitter pens and then stickles on the lady bug's dots.

I hope you will play along in this fun challenge by trying something perhaps new and different from your usual style. it's always neat to mix it up every once in a while! :)

Challenges:
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Come and Get It - flowers
Glitter 'n Sparkle - add a sentiment
Robyn's Fetish - anything goes
Allsorts - spring is coming
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Cards Galore Encore - use a stamp or digi
Ladybug Crafts - anything goes
Natalie and Amy's - flowers
Crafts 4 Eternity - texture
Sister Act - anything goes
The Stamping Boutique - use glitter (stickles, glitter pens, glimmer mist)
Fan-tastic Tuesday - anything goes that is square
Card Mania - use a sentiment

Vintage Easter Bunny Tag Set

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

I have fun news to announce to all of you today - I am on the brand new Doodle Garden Challenge Design Team! I am so excited, since I have long been a fan of Jennifer Nilsson's art. I have actual stamp sets going back a few years! ;)  You can not only find her cute digis in her Etsy store, but her stamps at My Favorite Things, Latina Crafter, and Sugar Pea Designs. She is one talented chica, and I am very honored to be part of this team! :)

Our first challenge is 'Anything Goes'. There are a few cutey freebies available on the site if you would like to use those to play along. We ALL love freebie images, but please do respect Jennifer and her art by not sharing these on other forums or with other crafters, but instead directing people back to the blog. thanks! :)

I used the adorable 'Billy Bubble Bunny' and 'Betsy Bubble Bunny' images for my tags.
tags were first watercolored using gelatos and then embossed across a portion with the SU! vine folder. papers and postage stamp stickers are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection. I am so thankful to Basic Grey that I won this collection from them! what a happy  happy dance! it has such pretty colors and designs! :) the little bingo cards are from a vintage Milton Bradley game board image I found online. flowers on boy bunny tag are vintage and from girl bunny tag are Wild Orchid Designs.  her little heart is covered in rock candy distress stickles. some enamel dots and buttons were added to finish.

Please be sure to pop by to wish the rest of the team a big congratulations as well as see the pretty things they have made! I hope you will play along, too! :) enjoy your weekend!

Challenges:
Alphabet Ch - B is for buttons and bows
Challenges and Candies - spring around the corner
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - spring
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - ribbons and buttons
Milk Coffee - emboss it (hi to my old teamies!!!)
Little Red Wagon - spring
Allsorts - spring is coming
Paper Shelter - animal magic
Paper Pretties - try a new technique (playing with gelatos!)
TTCRD - anything goes
Craft My Life/All Crafts - anything but a card
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes/use flowers
Floral Fantasies 5th Anniv - fave item: buttons

It's Your Birdday!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

Happy Friday!  wooo hoooooo! it's the weekend! isn't that such a wonderful feeling? Tyler came in this afternoon to help work at Camp this weekend, and Ryan comes home next weekend for a long Spring Break. doing some cooking for my guys, which always makes this momma happy! hopefully Mick can get here for a day or two when Ry is here to visit, too. :)

I have a very special bird-day card to share with all of you today. I have started back up on Facebook again, in case any of you weren't aware. several friends invited me to 'like' a page about a special young man celebrating a birthday in just a few weeks. I knew I wanted to make him a birthday card, and when the new image was sent out for the 'From the Heart' progressive challenge, it was absolutely perfect!

I also used the sketch from this week's i {heart} sketches challenge. papers are Basic Grey Cupcake, bg was made with gelatos and Mr. Huey's white spray mist. I also used the gelatos on the edges of the main image. these little gel sticks are fun, fun, fun! :)  since the card is for a young boy, I wanted it to be something to hopefully make him happy, so I added the candle and balloons for the primary embellies. shimmerz paint accents the candle flame.

sorry the card scanned a bit wonky due to the bulk of the candles and balloons.
have a most wonderful weekend! :)

Challenges:
From the Heart progressive Ch - use required image
i {heart} sketches - use sketch #54
Sister Act - anything goes
Outlawz Greeting - animal planet
The Stamping Boutique - punch or die (Spellbinders die)
4 Crafty Chicks - things with wings
Aud Sentiments - bingo: 3 word senti, die cut, texture (candle & balloons)
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - happy birthday with balloons
Paper Pretties - ribbon (on the left under my watermark)
WAW - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Loves Rubberstamps - use a funny sentiment
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything with wings
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/masculine
Eureka - animal friends
Melonheadz - for the boys
613 Avenue Create - RAK for someone who might not expect to receive it (the boy doesn't know about the card drive)
Floral Fantasies 5th Anniv - fave item: buttons and Spellbinders dies