Making time to create this week......

Do you have time to create, but don't do it??  That is how I have been lately.  I honestly have quite a bit of time to sit down an play with my paper crafting "stuff".  BUT I find my time getting wasted on the internet, between blog hopping, searching for ideas and new techniques or just talking to my friends and family on Facebook.  Then there is the laundry that calls out to me, or the dog that wants to get played with or those darn kids when they get home from school wanting me to help them with school stuff and what not.

This week I have had to force myself to create something each day.  I chose to create cards.  What I really need to be doing is working on a unit meeting project that I am having a hard time coming up with an idea for.  I am running out of time to submit my idea and project dimensions......guess I should get to working on that next!

I am still working on papers from CTMH's Fanfare Level 2 Paper Pack and the coordinating embellishments.  The colors Pacifica, Cranberry, Sunny Yellow and Sky with bits of Black are SO BRIGHT and CHEERY to work with and I am having the best time playing!

The guitar is from Star Power.  I stamped it first in Black on the White Daisy background paper, then stamped it in Cranberry then cut and pop dotted just the guitar over the black.  If you click on the photo you should be able to see the dimension a bit better.  The brad in the center of the guitar is from the Fanfare Level 2 Assortment.

Supplies used:
Paper: Fanfare Level 2 Paper Pack, Black CS, Sunny Yellow CS and Cranberry CS
Stamp Sets: Star Power, Say it in Style
Inks: Black, Cranberry
Embellishments: Red Sparkles, Fanfare Level 2 Assortment (brad)
Tools: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Sand Paper, Edge Distresser and Corner Rounder (to create scallops)

Thanks SO much for stopping by!!

I hope that this has inspired you to make more time to create.  Get off your computer and get your stamps, papers, embellishments and scissors out and PLAY!!  As soon as I am done with this post, my computer is going off......at least for a while.  LOL

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

Jen

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge, Heart 2 Heart,Papercraft Star and Color Me Monday

It has been a while since I have played with any of the sketch challenges lately.  So, I sat down this afternoon and checked out the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge and Color Me Monday on Jeanette Lynton's blog.  Heart 2 Heart Challenges and Papercraft Star are also holding challenges and my card fit in to BOTH of those as well.  Heart 2 Heart Challenges is having an embossing challenge while Papercraft Star is accepting Thank You submissions.  So what the heck?  I entered this little owl in the 3 that I could!

I REALLY liked the sketch and loved the colors that Jeanette picked for this week.  I have yet to get out all of the NEW colors that were introduced in the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book and thought it would be fun to play with them.

If you would like to play along with the sketch challenge, click on the Mojo Monday banner on my sideline.  The colors for the Color Me Monday were Gypsy, Pear, Lagoon and Cotton Candy.  I ended up using just the Pear and Lagoon on my card, so may end up playing a bit more with the other colors in the challenge.

Supplies used:
Paper: ALL CARDSTOCK Lagoon, Pear, Black and White Daisy (no wonder it is so heavy!)
Stamps: Say it in Style, Hot Diggity
Inks: Black, Pear and Lagoon
Embellishments: Lagoon Sparkles (blue and green sparkles assortment) Black Ribbon, Lagoon Mini Medley Accents and Black Hemp.
Tools: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and Nestabilities, 3/4 Circle SU! Punch

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hope this has inspired you to play along with some of the challenges out there!  It is a lot of fun and helps stretch your creativity a bit!

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

Jen

Another GREAT sketch from Taylored Expressions!

As I was creating the last card, I saw that Taylored Expressions had posted another sketch! This time, they are celebrating a year of Cupcake Challenges and have 9 sketches all together to participate in. The best part about it is there is a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the Taylored Expressions store!! If you head on over to Taylored Expressions blog, you can read all about their awesome give-aways this week!! I will be trying my darndest (is that really a word?) to play along with all 9 sketches.......we shall see how the week goes! LOL

Here is the sketch that I followed, or tried to follow for my card.....


Here is my take on the sketch using CTMH's Magic Moments paper and Whimsical Wings......


I was not a huge fan of the Whimsical Wings stamp set until I saw a card made using this stamp set in the Spring Idea Book. After seeing the way they made the butterfly's 3D, I knew that I NEEDED the stamp set! I created the dual colored butterfly by inking the image first in Sunflower and then the edges in Hollyhock. After that I took the edge of my ink pad and randomly put marks on the Sunflower ink. When I first stamped the image onto my paper, I HATED it. But I did not throw it away and for some reason it grew on me and I ended up thinking it was actually pretty cool! I added Prisma Gitter for bling!

All supplies are CTMH:
Stamps: Whimsical Wings, Say it in Style
Paper: Magic Moments
Embellishments: Hollyhock Ribbon, Cocoa Ribbon, Prisma Glitter

I hope that I have inspired you to think outside of the box and try something new!

Thanks for stopping by!! Please come back and visit!!

Jen

Introducing Pam and Buster and Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge

In my search for sketch challenges, I found this awesome blog called Mojo Monday Sketch Blog. The weekly sketch challenge actually started out at Poetic Artistry and was recently moved to it's own blog. Since this is the first Monday of the month, this is a judged sketch challenge contest and the winner of the contest wins their choice of any Verve Stamps set up to $24!! I hope it is ok to post the sketch here......If not please let me know!! Here is the sketch.....

And here is my submission......... My image was larger than I thought it was going to be for this sketch, so i had to improvise a bit with what I was working with. One would think that it would have been easier to just use a different stamp.......but NO I was bound and determined to make Pam and Buster work for this card. LOL



For this card I used the retro Pam and Buster stamp from InStyle Stamps. These little ladies are so fun to paper piece, so I paper pieced Pam's dress and headband and Buster's coat. I colored Pam's hair using my Buttercup ctmh marker (since I don't own any copics YET)and her shoes and lips are Blush marker. Buster is colored with a Desert Sand marker and his nose it Bamboo. The little Baby Pink flowers are Edge Anchors from CTMH that are broken in half. pop dotted and have a sparkle on the top. I am not sure if this in my favorite card I have created lately.....but I thought it was sweet enough. It actually looks better in person. You know when you create that WOW card and you really don't care if anyone else likes it?? Well, this is NOT that card. LOL

Supplies for this card:
Stamps: Pam and Buster InStyle Stamps and Say it in Style CTMH
Inks: Blush, Buttercup, Baby Pink, Bamboo, Desert Sand and Smokey Plum
Paper: Basic Grey, Sugared
Embellishments: Cottage Baby Pink Edge Anchors, Just Blooms ctmh, Baby Pink organdy ribbon, and sparkles from Archiver's
Other supplies: Nestabilities, Stampin' Up! punches

Hope you have found some kind of inspiration today!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jen

Whimsy Stamps Design Call

I am so sorry that it has been several days since I last posted!! With the kids and the hubby home since Thursday, I have not had time to create anything new! Since we have been on the go ALL week, we all decided to take advantage of the fact that we had no plans today and that we were all going to take it easy and do NOTHING! Well, nothing for me means a day to "play" with my stuff. I was able to get my club pages done for January (yeah) and create a couple of cards using Close to my Heart's new paper pack Daydream.

As I was browsing SCS today I ran across this post for Whimsy Stamps design call. So, I thought I would give it a shot and enter a card for the January guest designer position because I think that their stamps are simply adorable! The requirements for the card were to have at least 3 layers and 3 embellishments with an animal image or an image from Whimsy Stamps. Plus I had to post this card to my blog and announce their design call and do this ALL before tomorrow! I know there are more than 3 layers and I hope that the 8 sparkles and the ribbon count for the 3 embellishments, the only problem is I am not sure if they will see this in time. Even if I don't make the guest designer position, I will still be buying a few of their stamps!!

Here is a close up of the layers. I pop dotted the matting and the bunny. Also, it is hard to see in this picture, but I stamped the bunny onto the background paper with the dots and stars and cut out the inner part of his ears and his nose.



All supplies on this card came from Close to my Heart.
Stamps: A Birthday With, Say it in Style
Paper: Daydream (new in the Spring Idea Book)
Ink: Black and Blush
Embellishments: Sparkles and Sweet Leaf Ribbon Rounds
White Gelly Roll Pen

Well, thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Jen

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #47

I LOVE the weekly sketch challenge over at the Taylored Expressions blog! If you are up for fun challenge, head on over and check it out! Once again, I don't have cupcakes on my card, but I did use this darling little lamb from the stamp set A Birthday Wish from CTMH!! I have been looking at this stamp set for some time now and finally broke down and bought it and now I wish I had not waited so long to purchase it! The patterned paper that I used is from the Key to my Heart paper pack.



I stamped the lamb onto Bamboo cardstock and then again onto Colonial White cardstock. I added Liquid Applique to the head of the Bamboo image and sponged it with Bamboo ink and added 2 black Bitty Brads for his eyes. I then cut around the mouth of the image stamped on colonial white, sponged the edges with bamboo ink and pop dotted it onto the bamboo image for dimension. I then cut out the body from the colonial white with the exception of the hands and feet and sponged it with bamboo ink and adhered. It is hard to tell from the picture, but I used my Stardust glitter pen on the necklace on the lamb. The flower in the lamb's hand was stamped onto colonial white and colored with Baby Pink marker, cut out and then adhered to his hand.





Most supplies are CTMH:

Stamps: A Birthday Wish, Say it in Style
Paper: Key to my Heart, Cocoa and Colonial White CS
Ink: Bamboo, Cocoa and Baby Pink
Embellishments: Sorbet and Creme Brulee Ribbon Round Collections, Black Bitty Brads, Liquid Applique and Stardust Gelly roll pen
Nestabilities: Circle, Scalloped Circle and Rectangle
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

Thanks for stopping by!

Jen