TropicLuv, Cards In Paradise

SWEET TILDA SENDING LOVE LETTER

2012-02-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

Hope you are enjoying the weekend. I have been busy creating, my favorite thing to do! Here is another version of my new Tilda stamp. It has lots of pearls and flowers. I made the beaded pin, and she was colored with my Copics. I added some cheese cloth and lace, computer generated the ticket and cut the oval with my cuttlebug. Then I used a lot of distressed ink to give it a bit of a vintage look. The papers are by DCWV and called

"The French Country Stack".

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

EASTER PURSES

2012-02-15T19:12:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you, but I LUV second hand stores, resale and thrift shops! You never know what great finds you will come across. I just found a new consignment store in my neighborhood and went in for a "look-see". I found a great fun deal! It is a pack of paper by K&Company that has 32 pre-cut purses with all the little flowers and pieces to make them! I know the stack sells in the craft stores for about $18, but I got this pack for $4! WOOO HOOO, super deal! Today I put a couple of them together (SO EASY!) and then added some embellies from my stash. They came out so cute! I stamped Happy Easter on the tags and want to use them to put chocolate in for my gal pals at Easter.

So the next time you see a thrift shop or consignment store, stop in and take a look around. No telling what treasure you may find!

Happy Shopping!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

2012-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

I am sending a big hug to all of you this Valentine's day. I hope that you and your special someone are sharing a wonderful day. AND if there is not a special someone in your life, be special to yourself today! I really appreciate all the wonderful comments and support from all of you. It means a lot to share our passion for paper crafting and card making. From the wonder of the blog world I've met so many great ladies who I now call friends!

For today's cards I used a technique that I recently learned. It uses lace, sticky adhesive paper and fine glitter. The end effect is so beautiful. I tried several pieces of lace with different patterns and the ones shown here are the ones I liked the best. All three are about the same but in different colors and with different embellies. This look would be perfect for so many different types of cards; love, thank you, thinking of you, sympathy, etc.

The bottom edge of the lace is where the card opens. You can see the difference on the following card.

The word "Love" was cut with my Cricut and all the embellies are from my stash. I love the effect the lace gives, so lovely.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!

SKETCH # 12 FOR CARD SKETCH TUESDAY AT FROSTED DESIGNS!

2012-02-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a great response we had for our last Card Sketch Tuesday! THANX so much for the great turn out! Your creations were awesome! We loved them all! We hope you come back and play along often.

Now it's time for another wonderful sketch at Frosted Designs by Jenny Evans! This is really a great one with sooooo many wonderful possibilities! I know I will use it again and again. Thanx Jenny! Take a look:

The background paper I used is a piece that I've had for a while and didn't use. It jumped out at me when trying to decide what to use for this sketch. It just says FUN to me, and I wanted to do something light hearted. So here it is, simple but fun. Cuz lets face it, girl time is fun time!

Now hop on over to Frosted Designs and see all the great inspiration that our DT has for you. Then join in the fun and post your take on our sketch. We would love to see your lovely creations! Happy Tuesday!

FRIENDSHIP

2012-02-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

I love blog land! I know I've said it often, but it's SO true! We see so many awesome talented people who inspire us, make great friends, connect with so many amazing new ideas, etc., etc! This card was a product of all of the above. A super blog friend, the VERY talented Christine, did a great post on a technique she got hooked on that she saw on another ladies blog, Kitty. Kitty does FAB and AMAZING things with paper! Just check out her flowers!!! I visited her blog and I was hooked too! I just ordered the Martha Stewart punch to make the incredible hydrangeas she shows in her tutorial. While visiting Kitty's lovely creations, this one really grabbed my attention. I wanted to make this card!!! So, here is my spin of her fab design. It is not nearly as lovely as hers, but I love it all the same. MAHALO to all of you out there who keep us inspired!!!!!

I used some different things as I didn't have the exact ones Kitty used. I also added some pearls and a little butterfly. I like her printed paper much better, but again, I used what I had. THANX so much Kitty for sharing your AWESOME creations and your fantastic tutorials! Your work is FANTASTIC!!!

FROSTED DESIGNS "LOVE IS IN THE AIR" BLOG HOP!!!

2012-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

ALOHA!!!! SO HAPPY you have joined us for this FAB blog hop!!! LOVE IS IN THE AIR!!! WOWZA! So many fantastic creations! If these gals don't get your mojo workin', I don't know what will!!!

If you just came from visiting the talented Ann, then you are on the right trail! If not, you can get started at the beginning by clicking HERE. It will take you to the home page of Frosted Designs where all the fun begins!

OK, lets get to it! I created this easel Valentine's card. It's done with an adorable Magnolia stamp I just purchased called "Tilda Sending Love Letter". I was so excited to use it, and of course you know how we love to frilly up Tilda!!! The fancier the better! I colored her with my Copics and used a lot of embellies, cheesecloth, lace and other various goodies from my stash. The patterned paper is from a set called "Granny's Kitchen" by cei. The border and around the corner hearts were done with a punch by Martha Stewart, and the plain papers are by Recollections. I computer generated the Hugs & Kisses ticket and made the pin with the beads and bow. The sentiment frame was cut with my Cuttlebug and the sentiment stamped and heat embossed. I think that's all the details. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

If you are looking for the "secret" words for the phrase to win the hop prize, my words are "With Love This". Remember, to win you must join in the challenge and collect all the words that make the phrase. Submit the phrase to danica4us@yahoo.com

Now it's ONWARD for more beautiful inspiration! Your next hop is over to see the lovely creation that LYDIA has for you. I'm so glad you came by and we all thank you for your wonderful support of Frosted Designs. I am so happy to be a DT with all these SUPER gals! Aloha!

I want to add a big MAHALO to all of you for your very kind comments! It is so nice to have you visit and glad to know you are enjoying the hop! HUGS!

CHALLENGE 6 at CHOCOLATE, COFFEE & CARDS CHALLENGES

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! TGIF!! At Chocolate, Coffee & Card Challenges we are at it again! And this time we have a super challenge! We have a great color scheme for you of brown, orange and teal ~ isn't it a great combo!?!

Our wonderful sponsor this week is the awesome Bugaboo! I used their adorable digi called Bugaboo Cowboy - Fence 2. He is way too cute! I tried something new on this card that I have never done before, I used stitching! It was a lot of fun and I was pleased with the result. The image is colored with Copics, I stamped the sentiment, then added the embellies that are buttons.

Be sure to check out the great inspiration of our wonderful DT.

Now it's your turn to join us and show us what you can do with this great color scheme!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MINDI!!! XOXOX

2012-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my daughter's birthday! I can't believe how time flies. Seems like only a very short time ago she was just a little girl. But now she is a lovely grown up young woman. She is a cat lover like me ;-) and has been wanting me to do a card for her with a cat. Well, I finally did. This is the adorable Fluffles the cat and the image is called "Full Fluffles" by Stampendous. I love this image, it always makes me smile! I colored it with my Copics and mounted it on a background cut with my Cuttlebug and raised it with pop dots. Then I added the bow, charm and pearls.

I'm happy to say she loved it! I LOVE YOU MIN!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

BEE MINE

2012-02-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

Are you spreading the love for Valentine's Day? I finally got mine finished and in the mail (a bit late I fear. . . ). I sure had a lot of fun doing them. This is one that I did using an SVG file from MyScrapChick.com. It was a great freebie! Those of you who use SVG files can sign up for their news letter and receive a free cut file every Friday. They have a fantastic selection. This one sure is a little cutiie!

I covered his wings with fine clear glitter, used red wire for his antennas and pasted little hearts on the ends. I also put glitter on the red hearts he is holding. I put a bit of cheesecloth behind him before I put him on the card. The ticket was computer generated and the sentiment stamped on. Then I added the bee and hive that are tiny buttons.

Entered in the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' ~ The One I Love
Come and Get It Challenges ~ Love Is In The Air
Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes
The Pink Elephant ~ Pink
Little Red Wagon ~ Valentine's Day or Love
The Cuttlebug Spot ~ Hearts and a Stamp

STELLA ICU

2012-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday all. We've just about gone through another week. How time flies! I'm starting off the day with this adorable image of Stella by Bugaboo Stamps. She is one of my absolute favs! She has a joke for everything. My favorite Uncle is in the hospital and he needs a laugh. I know he will enjoy this. The image is colored with my Copics, double mounted and raised with pop dots. I added a bit of ribbon to set it all off and also some cute tiny buttons. Simple and uncluttered, back to my usual style, lol! Enjoy your day!

LAVENDER VALENTINE

2012-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is on its way, and I am busy getting my done. I have 23 people that I send cards to for every holiday, (and each one's birthday!) so I have to keep busy all the time ~ and I love it! Here is one of the Valentine's I did. For some reason I am on a binge creating fancy and lacy cards, lol. Not my normal style, but I am sure having fun doing something different. I guess it's true what they say, "Variety is the spice of life!" Well, "whatevers" as they say in Hawaii! I love using the cheesecloth! I never would have thought of that myself. When I saw it I thought it was so clever!

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #11

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope your week is going well. Today is a good day for our next Sketch Along Tuesday at Frosted Designs. Look at this lovely sketch we have for this challenge , done for us by our talented Jenny Evans. Thanx Jenny for this great layout! I see LOTS of great possibilities here!

I chose to do a card that is monochromatic with cream and gold. The background paper was already embossed when bought (nice!). I added the gold gilded paper down the side, laid some lace over the top, then put on three lovely silk and pearl embellies. I gold heat embossed the butterfly, it's underlying background and the sentiment, and added the rhinestones.

Pretty simple, but is works!

Now it's your turn to join in and show us what you can create with this great sketch! Hop on over to Frosted Designs and post your project, we'd love to see what you are up to!

ALSO, Frosted Designs is having another GREAT Blog Hope on Feb. 10th! Save the date to share in some great fun, super prizes and lots of fab inspiration by our DT members!

CHALLENGE 5 at CHOCOLATE, COFFEE & CARDS CHALLENGES

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

First off I have to shout out a HUGE MAHALO (thanx!!) to all of you who played along with us for our last challenge!!! What a FAB response! We had over 100 great followers make fantastic creations! AWESOME & THANX!

Now it's time for our next card challenge at Chocolate, Coffee & Card Challenges! As always it runs for two weeks, so come join us. This time we are doing a theme of "Thinking of You or Miss You" and have TWO great sponsors, MilkCoffee and DearieDolls. The image I used is called Teddy Bear In The Chair by MilkCoffee and is sooooo cute! Be sure to come see the lovely creations our wonderful DT have done with the great digis provided by our gracious sponsors.

On my card I stamped the sentiment with individual letters and raised them with pop dots, colored the image with Copic's and raised it with pop dots also, used a border punch, some string and a few small rhinestones.

We'd love to have you play along with us at Chocolate, Coffee & Card Challenges. Put on your creative hat and join in on the fun and maybe win a great prize! And again, mahalo nui loa for your support!

INITIAL "D" BIRTHDAY CARD

2012-01-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday all, I hope it's a good one leading into the weekend. I also hope you get the time to do some weekend crafting. I'm busy working on Valentine cards, lots of fun! But I also have some birthday cards to get done. This one is for my favorite cousin. Flowers with lots of sparkle and bling! Feminine and girly, just like her, a real lady!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #10

2012-01-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday and time for another great card sketch at Frosted Designs! This time our lovely sketch is by Jenny Evans, and our generous sponsor is

Lily of the Valley.

I must admit I struggled with this one. I made three different cards until I was satisfied. I couldn't get the colored papers I used to look right! So, I went to white on white and it came together. Whew, I guess my mojo just

wasn't working, lol!

We'd love to have you join us for our Card Sketch Tuesday at Frosted Designs. Get your mojo working and give this great sketch a try!

FUN TIME WITH SNOOPY

2012-01-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday everyone! I was in the mood for making a FUN card today, and I thought Snoopy was a perfect way to spread some smiles! I colored him with Copic's and used new scallop circles from a set I just got. I ordered a bunch of goodies on sale from O My Crafts. It's so fun to use new things for the first time, so today was a treat! I will be sending this to my BFF in Hawaii who adores Snoopy! She knows who she is!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

CHALLENGE 4 CHOCOLATE, COFFEE & CARDS CHALLENGES

2012-01-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Another wonderful challenge is starting today over at Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges! This time our theme is to use glitter, oh yeah! Lots of sparkle! Our sponsor is Sassy Studios and I absolutely love these two digis that we were given to use! So feminine and pretty, they are from the I'm Every Woman Collection. I loved working with them and I know I will use them a lot!

This first image is called "Bubble Bath" and is so cute. There is glitter on the background paper polka dots and I put glitter on the soap bubbles. Also the ribbon has a glittery sparkle to it. I colored it with my Copic's.

The second image is "Pedi Party". So fun to color, with my Copic's. I added glitter to the edges of the flowers and on the soap bubbles. I also added some rhinestones to glam it up. I wanted it to be feminine and full of sparkle!

We are waiting for you to join us and share your glittery creation! Stop by and join us for another fun challenge at Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges!

FOR 2 GREAT FRIENDS

2012-01-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

The husband of my BFF has been having some serious health issues and she has been very busy taking care of him. They both needed some love and hugs sent their way, so I did a card for each of them. Hers is girly and fancy, his more "man" like. Both of them were fun to do and I sure hope they bring a smile to their faces.

The top card is entered in the following challenges:
The Pink Elephant
Let's Craft and Create
Stampalot Challenges
Little Red Wagon
The Paper Shelter Challenge Blog

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #9

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another great Card Sketch Tuesday at Frosted Designs! I am loving this sketch done for us by Diana Gonzalez. What a great layout! I had bought some new paper a while ago and have been saving it for a special project. When I saw this sketch I immediately went for that special paper. It's a bit Paris vintage and has a Deco look. This is what I came up with:

I used distressed ink on the newspaper flowers, added glimmer mist on the feathers (wish that showed up better), Martha Stewart fine glitter on the frame and border trim, then added the fleur de lis and brads.

Come by and join in the fun challenge at Frosted Designs. Our generous sponsor this week is It's Always Fabulous who are offering our prize for our winner. Have fun and try this awesome sketch! Then post your great creation, we are waiting for you!

Happy New Year!

CHALLENGE 3 CHOCOLATE, COFFEE & CARDS CHALLENGES

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about this challenge for Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges!
Look at this wonderful sketch that is our theme for the next two weeks!

Then on top of the super sketch, we had FAB digis to work with from the super Digi Doodles. The one I chose is called "All Dressed Up", and she is TOO ADORABLE! What little girl doesn't love to dress up in Mommy's heels and a hat! I wanted to make it very feminine, so I used pearls, flowers, rhinestones and a bow. The blue circle was cut with my Cuttlebug, the flower borders were done with a Fiskar's border punch, and the image is colored with my Copic's.

Hop on over to Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges and show us

your card project!!! We're waiting to see what you do with our great sketch!

WEDDING CARD - YES IT REALLY IS!

2011-12-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine has a son who is getting married. She wanted me to make a really different kind of card for him. He is a boat Captain and his wife to be is 2nd Mate and cooks in the galley. They take folks on charters in the Caribbean. She picked up several packs of stick on embellies at Micheal's and wanted them put on a card. Well, it was quite a challenge trying to get most of it on along with the name of their boat, their names and congrats on the wedding! It ended up being quite a lot of stuff! It is a cute card, but not at all in my usual style! But, we have to please those that want the card.

I decided to make a tri fold card because I figured it would give more places to put all the embellies. I cut the oval with my Cuttlebug and computer generated all the script writing. The rest of it is all stick on except for the picture which is of where they sail.

HOLIDAY HAVOC 2011 BLOG HOP WINNER!

2011-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Aloha everyone! I want to thank all of you who visited me on your way along the hop and left such lovely messages. Every one was VERY appreciated!
I have the winner of my blog candy; drum roll please!
Taaaaaaaaaaa Daaaaaaaaaa,

SCRAPPERJULIA!

Please email me at tropicluv@aol.com and give me your address so I can get them in the mail to you! Congrats Julia, and I hope you enjoy the goodies!

SIMPLE GIFT CARD

2011-12-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it's hard to believe that Christmas is only two days away! I have so many last minute things to do, and this gift tag was one of them. I kept it very simple, as there are too many other things to do! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Mahlo nui loa to all of my wonderful followers and blog buddies who are so supportive of my fun paper crafting! I value every one of you and am grateful for every visit and response on my blog. You lift my spirits and inspire me every day! MERRY, MERRY!

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #8

2011-12-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

It's time for another Card Sketch Tuesday at Frosted Designs! And what a FAB group of cards our designers have done for you this week! Be sure to stop by and be inspired! We can't wait to see your lovely creations of this week's sketch. And here it is! It was done by our talented Diane Gonzalez.

For my take on this card sketch I decided to do an easel Christmas card. The stamp is a cute penguin by Stampendous. I colored it with my Copic's, added some glitter on the star, and some Liquid Applique on his hat for fur. Then some embellishments of rhinestones, a present, ribbon and candy canes. The background paper was embossed with a folder in my Cuttlebug, and the sentiment is a stamp by "Studio g".

So happy you stopped by! I hope you join us for our Card Sketch Tuesday at Frosted Designs!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

HOLIDAY HAVOC 2011 BLOG HOP

2011-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Aloha and welcome to Craft Your Passion Challenges

"Holiday Havoc 2011" Blog Hop!!

If you have hopped over from Emma's lovely blog,
then you are in the right place! If you just happened to stop by and would like to join our hop from the beginning, please go to Craft Your Passion Challenges and follow along for a chance to win some AMAZING blog candy along the way and PRIZES at the end.

All Craft Your Passion DT members are going to be playing along in the hop with some very special guest designers.

Each designer along the way is featuring a project that showcases a digital image from at least one of our amazing Blog Hop Sponsors.

What’s more exciting is you can participate too by creating a project and linking it up over at Craft Your Passion Challenges for a chance to win one of several prizes.

But, there’s a twist. Be sure to visit all the stops and leave a comment (we will be checking). Once you have finished the hop, we would like you to create a HOLIDAY project using at least one digital stamp and enter it with our Linky tool.

While you are hopping, be sure to check out the blog candy the designer's have to offer you. You don't want to miss out on any of it!

This is the card I've done with an adorable digi from Bugaboo Stamps called "Merry Christmoose". The paper is from a Christmas stack called "Merrymint" by AC Patterned Paper. All the layered rectangles are raised with pop dots. I colored Mr. Christmoose with my Copics and put some Liquid Applique on his beard and hat. Then I added the ribbon, sprig of holly and some Stickles on the snowflakes.

I am offering some sweet goodies for blog candy. Some cute stamps, a mini album, tags and ribbon. Good luck!

Next stop on the hop is the amazing Gemma! Hop on over to see what she has in store for you today.

Remember, once you have hopped to all the stops and left your comments (we will be checking), it's your turn to show us your "Holiday Havoc" project.

Make sure to include a digital stamp somewhere on your project, and link up your project over at Craft Your Passion Challenges by Midnight CST December 23 to be eligible for the prizes. Winners will be announced on our Monday, December 26th Challenge post.

MERRY CHRISTMOOSE EVERYONE!

TAG IT! CHALLENGE 2 at CHOCOLATE, COFFEE & CARDS CHALLENGES

2011-12-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

It's FRIDAY, and you know what that means? Another great challenge at Chocolate, Coffee & Card Challenges! What a FANTASTIC response we had for our 1st challenge! Thanx SO much to all of you for joining us! You made our first challenge and our blog a big success! Come back OFTEN!

This week we would like you to design a card and "Tag It"! In other words, include a "tag" on your card. Our choice of images this week for the DT was provided by the wonderful Crafty Sentiments. They are also offering our weekly prize!

Look at this adorable digi I chose! Just too, too sweet! It's called "Snowman Couple".

I used lots of glitter paper, Cut the large snowflake with my Cricut, punched the border and small snowflakes with Martha Stewart punches, crystal pieces and ribbon from my stash. I added a touch of Liquid Applique for the snow drift at the bottom. The snow couple was colored with my Copic's. The little tag has the initials of me and my sweetie inside the heart, ahhhhh, isn't that cute! It will be his Christmas card this year.

Pop on over to Chocolate, Coffee & Card Challenges to see all the great creations the team has done this week and join in on the fun! Aloha~

VACATON IN THE SNOW!

2011-12-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

My sweetie and I are up in northern Arizona in the White Moutains at a place called Bison Ranch and it is really snowing! We are loving it! We are snuggling in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate and watching the flakes swirling outside, and it is beautiful! Earlier today we took a walk in the snow and it was so awesome. We are supposed to have 16 to 24 inches by Wednesday, wooooo hooooo! For an island gal this is really quite exciting! Here are a few pics!

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #7

2011-12-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go, I can't believe we are ready for another Card Sketch Tuesday at Frosted Designs! This week our talented Diana Gonzalez has done this lovely sketch for us:

Sassy Studio Designs is our generous Sponsor this week, and the digis they gave us to work with are FAB! My choice is called "Cocoa". I wanted to make it into a Christmas theme as the holidays are nearly here! And to me a cup of cocoa in front of a fireplace all snuggly and warm is what this image made me think of.

I used my Cuttlebug to cut the scalloped edge circles, colored the image with my Copic's and cut her out and raised her up with pop dots on the blue inner circle. The sentiment was done on my computer. Then I added a lot of "glitz" from my Christmas stash, and the rhinestones.

Be sure to come and join us at Frosted Designs for another inspiring challenge. Our designers have made some beautiful creations for you. Also, drop by Sassy Studio Designs and check out their great digis!

CELEBRATE!!!!

2011-12-02T07:00:00.001-08:00

Today is the first day for a BRAND NEW BLOG!!! Welcome to Chocolate, Coffee and Challenges! Talk about a perfect combo, I can think of none better! And I am so excited to be one of their first Design Team Members! Challenges will run every two weeks starting on Fridays. Today we are kicking off our first challenge with the theme of CELEBRATE! Anything you would celebrate, a wedding, birthday, holiday, new baby... You get the idea!

Our first sponsor is the awesome Bugaboo Digi Stamps. What a wonderful selection of digis they have! There is something for everyone. For me, it's Stella! I love her! I used one of her titled "Eat More Cake".

I colored her with my Copic's and used paper from a stack by DCWV called

"Latte". Lovely, rich colors of chocolate and purple. The side punched border was done with a punch by Martha Stewart. Then I added a little ribbon and a few brads to set it all off.

Be sure to come and join us in celebrating our first challenge. There will be lots of amazing inspiration from the very talented Design Team, and of course the chance to win some super prizes! Drop by and see what the gals have for you!
See you there!

CHRISTMAS CANDY CANE HEEL

2011-11-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me well know that one of my "loves" is high heels. Today I made this one to sit on my dressing table for the holidays. I sure wish I could find a REAL pair like this! Merry, Merry!

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #6

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

E komo mai! That means welcome! It's time for another great Sketch Along Tuesday at Frosted Designs. This week we have a lovely sketch designed by our Jenny Evans, and our sponsor for our prize is Paper Loves Glue.

My design this week is done in soft shades of pastel pink. I used lots of pearls and a bit of lace. It is definitely a soft, feminine look.

Come on over and join us for a fun challenge. There is always something new to be found and lots of inspiration to feed your creative need!

CHRISTMAS IN ARIZONA

2011-11-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

I really like this image. It sure represents a desert Christmas! I have relatives that are huge fans of Arizona, so I thought this would make the perfect card for them this year. It was very simple, all that I really did was color it with my Copic's and put it in a frame type card with the sentiment which was computer generated. Merry, Merry!

BEARY CHRISTMAS

2011-11-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy!!! It's that time of year and I see from visiting others blogs you are in the same situation! Like I told one of my best blog buddies, "A day at a time, a task at a time"! Yeah right, she probably thought, LOL! But it's the only way I can stay focused. One card at a time and enjoy the pleasure of making it. Don't forget to enjoy the pleasure of creating your projects!

This one was really fun as I adore this little polar bear. He is too cute. He is colored with Copic's, The paper is from a Christmas pack I got last year called "Merrimint". I used my Nestabilities for the back frame on him and the sentiment. I added a little holly sprig, ribbon and a little piece of wire I twisted into a spiral. And there you have a Beary Christmas!

O HOLY NIGHT

2011-11-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

Aloha all. I hope you are having a good week. I have been busy working on quite a few projects. One of them being this card that I've done 20 of for a customer. She wanted something religious and also she said she loves the star of Bethlehem. Well, I think this stamp really filled the bill! The embossing was done with a file by Cuttlebug. The image is embossed with Versa Mark and ultra fine gold embossing powder. Simple but rich looking.

The inside verse is also done in gold emboss:

THANKSGIVING

2011-11-13T23:28:00.000-08:00

Aloha! It's been a while since I have posted a new project. I have been so busy with making cards for three different Design Teams, doing commissioned cards, not to mention the 30 Thanksgiving cards I did to send to my family and friends! Also I've had a lot of errands and chores to get done as I am going in for some surgery this Tuesday. Whew, it's been busy!

These are just a few of the cards I did for family and friends.

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #5

2011-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's our first card sketch at Frosted Designs for the month of November! And it sure is a lovely one done for us by our talented DT member Karin Astacio. Super job Karin!

Our generous sponsor this week is Digi Doodle Shop. They offer some super digis that you really need to check out! Their artwork is beautiful and the digi's have wonderful details.

The lovely digi I used is called "Vegie Cart". With it being so near to Thanksgiving it immediately took on that holiday for me. It was really fun to color, and the Autumn colors are my favorite. I Separated the lager pumpkin that was sitting below the front of the cart and printed it twice to make it fit into the sketch. That's what I love about digi stamps; you can alter them to fit the size and shape you need for you layout. So much diversity and endless possibilities!

As you can see I rotated the design sketch. I colored the images with my Copic's, cut them out with a bit of the background paper still showing. I wanted them to stand out against the background paper and the ribbon. I stamped the sentiment, added a bit of the ribbon on the side and adhered the corn which was a button. Then I cut the leaf and swirly vine pieces with my Cuttlebug and glued them on.

We would love to have you join us for this fun challenge at Frosted Designs. Stop by and see all the wonderful creations by our Design Team, they did a FAB job and I know you will get plenty of inspiration!

SYMPATHY

2011-11-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

It's always hard for me to to do a sympathy card. The loss of a loved one is such a hard thing. This one is for my dear SBC who lost her mother-in-law this past weekend. She was a lovely lady and put up a brave, four year battle with cancer. They told her four years ago she only had six months to live ~ boy did she prove the doctors wrong! She was so grateful every day for one more day of living, and she lived them well. Harriett, I know that your family will miss your deeply.

CHOCOLATE, COFFEE AND CARDS CHALLENGES

2011-11-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

WONDERFUL NEWS!!! There is a great new blog starting called Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenges! Could there possibly be any better combination?!?!! They had a DT call and I am on board as a DT Member! I am so excited to join the new group and help promote their card challenges. They will sponsor bi-weekly challenges starting December 2nd. Their first sponsor is the awesome Bugaboo site, home of my adored Stella! I love their stamps and can't wait to get started on my first project! I'm also anxious to get to know all the talented DT members and see their wonderful creations. So be sure to stop by Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenges and see what is happening! Fun challenges and lots of great inspiration will be headed your way!

Here is a list of of the Design Team! Lots of talent for sure!

Amy

http://cavycouturecrafts.blogspot.com/

Christine

http://happyscrapper-sweetpeacards.blogspot.com/

Gemma

http://gemslittlecreations.blogspot.com/

Jenny

http://cookieadventures.blogspot.com/

Torrey

http://left-field-studio.blogspot.com/

HAPPY 25th ANNIVERSARY

2011-11-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

My sweet SBC (sister by choice!) asked me to make a special anniversary card for her sister and her husband for their 25th Silver Anniversary. I was anxious to use some of the crafting goodies that I purchased on my trip to Oregon, and the sheet of paper I used for the background of this card was perfect. The design is delicate and subtle without being too feminine, and I also really like the neutral colors.

The cutout design on the side was done with a Martha Stewart edge punch. I stamped my image on light cream colored card stock cut out with my Cuttlebug, and it is heat embossed with fine detail silver embossing powder. The sentiment was done in the same way. Both are raised with pop-dots off of the dark gray background. I added the paper roses, a tiny bow then the rhinestone swirls for some bling. I found a lovely verse on line for the inside and printed it with my computer. When I delivered it today it was received with lovely smiles. So glad she likes it!

WITCHES TREATS

2011-10-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone! Hope you all get lots of treats and no tricks!

These are some goodies that I made for my friends to celebrate Halloween. They are a witches shoe filled with candy. I bought the pattern and pieces from a craft magazine. It made six of them. It's really nice because I figured out that I can "tweak" the pattern to make a variety of types of shoes, fun! They are simple and lots of fun to do! I added the tags that are a Halloween stamp I purchased for ninety-nine cents at Walmart. I punched a hole in the op of the tag and put in an orange eyelet and tied them to the bags.
Voila, witches treats!

Have a SPOOKTACULAR Halloween!!!

Entered in the following challenges:

Paper Play Challenges

Basic Grey Challenges

Dream Valley Challenges

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenges

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge

Tip Top Tuesday

JUST A NOTE

2011-10-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are having a good weekend. Mine has been very enjoyable so far, but that's because I have been crafting all day! I did this card for a friend and it was a delight to color. I used my Copic's, put on the soft, white bow and the sentiment, added the tiny dragonfly and the watering can which are buttons and called it good.

This card is entered in the following challenges:
Totally Gorjuss
Make It Monday
The Paper Shelter

I'TS ALL ABOUT THE CANDY CORN

2011-10-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to admit to a stupid thing I did. I made all my Halloween cards, got them mailed in time and then realized that I didn't take pictures of hardly any of them. I was so busy getting ready for my trip and getting things in order for my Dad while I was gone, that it just slipped my mind. Fortunately I can share this one because it was for my Dad!. He LOVES candy corn and has already eaten 3 bags of it since the beginning of October! So he really liked his card.

The paper of the little candy corn guys were run through my Cuttlebug for some texture, applied rub on stitches, then I added some brads for the eyes and drew on the face. I computer generated the sentiment and added the polka dot bow and pumpkin which was a button. Fun card!!!

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #4

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back for another great Card Sketch Tuesday at Frosted Designs! This week our talented Debbie Burns has another wonderful sketch for us.

Our generous sponsor this week is PaperPretties. Be sure to check out their great selection of digis and stamps, they have a super selection. I am using this adorable digi called "Oh So Tropical", isn't he just too cute!!

I colored the image with my Copic's and cut it out and raised it with pop-dots. The flourishes are files from SCAL and cut out with my Cricut. Then I added some Stickels on the fruit pieces and flourishes. The circle was cut and embossed with my Cuttlebug. The sentiment comes with the adorable digi along with several others that you can use with it, such a deal!

Now it's your turn to create a card with this super sketch! As always. I really am anxious to see your FAB designs. Join us at Frosted Designs for

Card Sketch Tuesday! And, a BIG MAHALO to our sponsor this week, Paper Pretties!

ALOHA!

2011-10-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

Don't know if anyone has missed me on here lately, but I am up in Oregon visiting my daughter. She is having some health issues and really needed my support. I did manage to spend a day with a friend who took me out to the Oregon Dunes and we went dune buggy riding, what fun! Thought I would share a couple pictures with you. I'll be back to my usual routine this Wednesday and I am really looking forward to doing some card making. I really miss it when I am away!

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #3

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, time is just flying by! It's time for another card challenge at Frosted Designs. This week our sketch was done by the lovely Debbie Burns, our Layout Sketch Coordinator. This sketch is amazing, I had so many ideas pop into my head that it was hard to decide what I wanted to do!

This week Robyn's Fetish is our generous sponsor. I just love their digis; in fact I had just bought the little praying mouse when I received our digis to choose from for this challenge! For the challenge I decided to use this one, and it is SO CUTE!!! It's called "Pies For Sale". My son-in-law is a chef, so it was a perfect choice for me!

All the coloring was done with my Copic's. I cut out the digi stamp and raised it with pop-dots. The ovals were cut out with my Cuttlebug. The strip across the center was done with a Martha Stewart border punch and then I added the ribbon. The background paper with the polka dots and pies was a fun project. I used my paint program to select just the "pies" from the digi and arranged them here and there, then printed them onto the polka dot paper. Whew, it was a job, but worth the result!

I invite you to stop by Frosted Designs and join us in another fun Card Sketch Tuesday. And THANX so much to Robyn's Fetish for being our fab sponsor this week! See you soon ~ Aloha!

KIND THOUGHTS

2011-10-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

Aloha all, hope you are having a good week. I have a friend who is going through a tough patch at the moment and I wanted to send her a card to try and cheer her up and also to let her know that I am thinking of her. Sometimes receiving a card can really help a person ~ just letting them know they are not alone and being thought of is a bit of comfort.

I strayed from my usual "plain" style and went a bit fancier than normal. It was fun to do something a bit different. The background paper is from blog candy I won from Paper Craft Planet. It's such pretty paper by Riddersholm Designs. I added part of a doily that I inked, a pearl and rhinestone flourish, a bit of lace, paper roses, a spray of pearls with a ribbon and a sentiment stamped on card stock cut out with my Cuttlebug.

Enjoy the rest of your week, and send someone a card to let them know you care!

Entered in challenges at:

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge

Dream Valley Challenges

Papertake Weekly

Lexis Creations

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge

Touched By A Butterfly

THE LIME LIGHT, TASK 18 CARDS FOR OUR TROOPS

2011-10-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got all the cards together for our latest task over at The Lime Light and I sent them off to Afghanistan for Julie and all her troops. She said they were delighted to receive them and have some card to send home to family and friends. Here are some of the ones that I did.

AUTUMN

2011-09-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am really ready for cooler weather and Autumn to arrive. It's my favorite time of year. Next week I will be traveling to Oregon for a visit with my daughter and son-in-law, and I can't wait! Leaves changing colors, wood smoke in the air, some rain and hiking in the woods! AHHHH yes, I am ready!

So in honor of my favorite season I have been busy with my Thanksgiving cards. This one was done with a Cuttlebug folder for the embossing, then some leaves stamped on a lighter shade of paper, a bit of ribbon and a rhinestone sentiment from Micheal's. It came together pretty well for such a simple design.

Entered in the following challenges:

Freshly Brewed Challenge

I Brake For Challenges

Little Darlings Challenges
Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT challenge Blog
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog
The Play Date Cafe
Paper Pretties
Whimsical Wednesday
Incy Wincy Designs

FROSTED DESIGNS CARD SKETCH TUESDAY, SKETCH #2

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's time for another FAB sketch for our Card Sketch Tuesday! This week we have a wonderful sketch designed by of our Tutorial Coordinator, Diana Gonzalez, and it's a really FUN one!

AND, please welcome our sponsor for this challenge, SQUIGGLEFLY! What GREAT DIGIS they offer! Be sure to take a look at what they have, there is something for every occasion. I just love the digi I selected! It's called "Beehive", too adorable!

Here is the result of combining this super sketch with the adorable digi! My faithful Copic's did all the coloring, the left edge under the image was done with a Martha Stewart border punch and I added a touch of distressed ink on the edges. Then I added some ribbons, sunflowers and little stick on bees.

So hop on over to Frosted Designs and join us for a fun card sketch and a chance to win some great digis by Squigglefly! I can't wait to see your creations with this great sketch!

MORE TRINKET BOXES

2011-09-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend all, hope you are having a fun and relaxing one. I have been busy making projects for the church sale in December. Today I really accomplished a lot! I made three trinket boxes and a half dozen cards, whew! I like this first box so much I want to make another one for myself! It matches my colors and goodies in my bedroom. I used some distress inks to give it a bit of a vintage look, especially on the lace trim and roses.

I call this one the "Cupid Box".

I didn't take pictures of the third box, but will try to soon!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Aloha.

I'M PRAYING FOR YOU (Yes Dan, I am!)

2011-09-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

Coincidence is a funny thing! This digi stamp at Robyn Fetish really was one for me. I was wandering around out in "blog land" looking at all your fabulous creations, and I came across a FAB blog of a very talented gal named Tammy who used this ADORABLE digi. I followed her link to Robyn Fetish and bought it! I made this card and not five minutes after I finished it I got an e-mail from Ann, my head DT for our Card Sketch Tuesday at Frosted Designs. She was sending us digis to choose from for an upcoming challenge. And much to my surprise there was THIS digi! (I decided not to use it for the challenge because I scrap lifted the design layout from where I saw it, and it was not original by me.) ANYHOW, I thought it was a funny coincidence none the less!

All coloring was done with my Copics, the ovals with the sentiment were cut with my Cuttlebug, the square behind the digi was an SVG file cut with my Cricut. Then I added the buttons with the thread and called it done. Be sure to check out the digis at Robyn Fetish, they are GREAT! I saw several that I am going to HAVE to HAVE!!! AND visit Tammy's blog, her work is amazing!

Entered in the following challenges:

Paper Play Challenges
Dream Valley Challenge
Oh La La Creations
Cards For Men
Paper Pretties
A La Card Monkey

GOLFING GUS

2011-09-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

I just adore the character Stella from Bugaboo Stamps. Well, here is her counterpart, Gus! I have an elderly uncle who has a birthday soon, and being an avid golfer with a great sense of humor, I know he will love this. He's probably heard every golf joke ever, but I couldn't resist this when I saw it. I laughed out loud, I hope he does too!

The background paper is from a book of paper I recently found in an old bookstore. It's called "Papers Papers Papers" by Crafthouse Press. I colored the digi with my Copic's, mounted it on some Bazzil card stock then put in the eyelets. The sentiment is accented with a small golf ball on tee charm.

MY 1st DT CARD FOR FROSTED DESIGNS - CARD SKETCH #1

2011-09-13T01:06:00.000-07:00

Aloha all! So glad you stopped by. I am SO excited! Today is the posting of my 1st card as a DT for Frosted Designs! Come join in on all the fun for our Sketch Along Tuesday Card Challenge! If you need some inspiration you are sure to be inspired by our amazing Design Team, what a wonderful and creative group they are! I am so happy to be in this group! This is the lovely sketch we are working with this week designed by our great Layout Sketch Coordinator, Debbie Burns:

Its beauty is its simplicity that has endless possibilities! Here is what I did with the sketch:

I embossed the background with a Cuttlebug folder then added the ribbon, circle with the flowers and LOTS of pearls. I tried to keep it simple, but a bit glamorous. I hope I succeeded!

So get your creative juices flowing and come join us at Frosted Designs for our Sketch Along Tuesday Card Challenge. See you there!

JOB STRESS

2011-09-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

I made this card for my daughter a while back and forgot to post it. Her job gets pretty stressful and I wanted to cheer her up during an especially hectic time. The computer parts are from my old laptop that I "murdered!" (never mind! - long story) The stamp is Crabby Cathy from Bugaboo Stamps, she is too cute! It was colored with Copic's and mounted on a scallop circle cut out with my Cuttlebug.

FLOWER BIRTHDAY CAKE

2011-09-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Another birthday card for a friend. Seems like I am making a lot of them lately! This one was fun because it was the first time I used this set of stamps. They are from a set of six stamps by Stampin Up, and I found them in a second hand store in their original box for $6.00!!! Sure been finding some good bargains lately too! I embossed the background paper with my Cuttlebug, colored the images with my Copic's, used a bit of pink paper behind them, then added the bow, pearls and yellow Stickles on the candles for some sparkle! It's simple and tailored.

CARDS FOR SOLDIERS BLOG CANDY WINNER!!!!!

2011-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who responded to our invite to send cards to our troops. All of us at The Lime Light appreciate you taking part. We thank you for your support, the cards you made will surely bring a smile to someone when they receive it. Our lucky winner is:

Kalesta!!!!!

MAHALO NUI LOA!!!!! These goodies will be on their way to you soon!

CHIRP

2011-08-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

My favorite Aunt that I do so many cards for had an awful accident. A dog got away from it's owner and jumped on my Aunt sending her down on the ground and broke her upper shoulder and arm socket. Poor gal is in so much pain, and is having to move into rehab for about 4 to 6 weeks. Needless to say she really needs some long distance hugs and love from me. This is the first card I have made for her, and I want to make one for her at least once a week. I sure wish I could go and visit her, but I have my hands full here with my Dad. Sometimes life sure can be a mess. I try to remember to be thankful every day for all the GOOD things in my life. I know it could be a lot worse.

CHA-CHING! I SCORED!!!

2011-08-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you who follow my blog know how MUCH I LOVE to find a GOOD BARGAIN! Especially when it's crafting supplies! Well, today I was shopping at the 99 Cent Store ( where everything is 99 cents each) and I came across a SUPER deal! Scrapbooking paper by Colorbok, with eight sheets in a pack, each a different design! Also, a great set of eleven clear acrylic stamps by Stampology!!! WOW, I got so excited. The papers are usually about $4 a pack and the stamps $7 to $8. No wonder I about jumped up and down with joy! Now I need to get some crafting done!

If you have a 99 Cent Store near you, check it out!

Have a wonderful weekend!

TRINKET BOXES

2011-08-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

Aloha all, how is your day going? Mine is going pretty well, I'm having fun trying another "NEW" project. In the beginning of Dec. our church is having a chili, pie and craft sale. I volunteered to do some goodies to sell. I decided I needed to make a variety of things, and so, this project! I bought some of the small paper mache' boxes at Micheal's and covered them in different papers, then added some flowers, rhinestone flourishes and ribbon. I didn't have a pattern, but just traced the shapes and cut them out. It was quite easy really and I was surprised at how quickly they went together. I also realized the endless possibilities for decorating them! Since I did the vintage card and enjoyed it so much I think I will try one in a vintage style next!

Entered in the following challenges:

Ooh La La Creations

Incy Wincy Designs

Paper Playtime

FLAMINGOS RULE

2011-08-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine is in the hospital and needs a bit of cheering up. He LOVES all things flamingo, so this little guy was perfect. He was colored with my Copic's, mounted on a cut done with my Cuttlebug called "Beaded Squares" by Nestabilities. That is mounted on top of the dark pink paper I ran through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder with a swirl design. I added the button and the leaves cut with my Cricut from "Life's A Beach"

I sure hope it makes him smile!

Entered in challenges at:
Basic Grey Challenges

Cards For Men

The Paper Shelter
Craft Us Crazy
Papertake Weekly

DYSU Challenge Blog

BON VOYAGE

2011-08-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today with this card I feel like I really accomplished something - let me explain. For the past 4 years I have been visiting hundreds of the great card and scrapbook blogs all over the world. I LOVE the look of the beautiful vintage cards so many of you create. I have wanted to try one for so long, but for some reason they really intimidate me! I think it's because they are so far from my comfort zone of neat and tailored, lol. Well, today I jumped in and DID ONE!!! My cousin is going on an all girlfriends cruise to Nova Scotia and I wanted to send her a bon voyage card - it was the perfect chance to try some vintage! I had a blast!!!! I think Tim Holtz would laugh at how much of his distress inks I used! I really got a bit carried away, but oh what fun! Please leave me an honest opinion on this. I need guidance and advice. Over all, I think it's pretty good, but not too sure if there is enough on it , or too much. In any case, I'm not afraid of vintage any more!

SMOOTH SAILING

2011-08-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

Aloha everyone! Hope you are having a good weekend.

I did a new card for my favorite Uncle, his birthday is coming up soon. The stamp I used I just purchased on E-Bay. I really like getting stamps on there, you can find some good bargains! I kept it pretty simple and clean - you know it's for a man!. It's colored with my Copic's then added the brads. I colored the "rope" with them too, they sure come in handy for all kinds of things. I put on the little anchor and the inside scroll work from SVG files cut with my Cricut, and then the button. The inside verse was printed with my computer.

Sail on!

FROSTED DESIGNS DT MEMBER~!!!!!!!

2011-08-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

WOW, am I ever excited!!! I have been accepted as DT for FROSTED DESIGNS!!!! They are a FAB site with lots of great challenges, projects and tutorials. You MUST go visit them and see all the wonderful things they are into! When I started doing challenges some time back they were one of the first sites I really liked and had the nerve to join in on their fun! So don't be shy, hop on over and see what's going on. Be sure to check out all the wonderful, talented, new DT members and their awesome projects. You won't be disappointed!

SASSY HIGH HEEL

2011-08-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well, they say it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, so peeps, that's what I did! Instead of making my next paper template project the bird house, I made this ADORABLE shoe! Oh my goodness. I think this template is just too cute! AND I couldn't believe how easy it was to make! It came out so adorable I even surprised myself LOL!!!

I got the template from a new company in the UK called "Cut and Craft Templates". I subscribe to the Paper Planet, and received their news letter promoting this company and an offer for a FREE template of my choice! Unbelievably it came the day I finished the watering can, my first template project - karma?!?! WHATEVER, I chose mine fast!

The "zebra" paper is from The Paper Studio called "Adhesive Simplicity". It has a peel off backing that made it very easy for this project. I added the bow, rhinestones and then designed the "Sassy label" with my SCAL. I just designed another pattern like this one, but, in miniature. Now I can do all the cuts with SCAL! No hand cutting, pretty cool huh!!! Sure hope you like this project, I just adore it!! Can't wait to make the mini ones!

FLOWERED WATERING CAN

2011-08-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Aloha, I hope you are all enjoying the weekend. I've been busy crafting while it is still to hot for me outside - good excuse!

Yesterday I started this project and it was the first time I ever have used a template! I know, I know, a lot of you probably use them all the time, but me being the happy "card" maker had never ventured in that direction! Well, I decided I need to keep expanding my horizons with my paper crafting and bought a template pack from Oriental Traders. I receive their catalog and was really intrigued. So here is my FIRST attempt!

All of the flowers and flourishes were cut with SCAL, I added some punched leaves and also SCAL file ones, touches of Stickels and rhinestones for some pizzaz and topped it off with a bow. It's a little rough around the edges, and some practice will help a lot! It sure was fun and now I wonder why I waited so long to try this!!! I'm anxious to get started on the next one!

MARTINI STELLA

2011-08-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

I Love the "Stella" character over at Bugaboo Digi Stamps! This stamp of her in a martini glass cracked me up! I love the sentiments that go with it too. I think sometimes we all have a day like this that we just want to say the heck with it and have a drink and relax! I colored the image with my Copics, added some rhinestone swirls and called it good!

Entered in challeneges:

Let's Craft and Create

Craft You Passion Challenge

WIPER CARD

2011-07-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Aloha all!

Over at The Lime Light we are having a DT challenge with the theme of trying something new. I went on line to YouTube and looked at some card tutorials for ideas. This one that I choose is called a "Wiper Card". When it's opened a "flag" pops up sort of like a windshield wiper, cute idea huh! Go here to see the video, it's oh so easy and fun!

I entered this card in the following challenges:
Paper Play Challenges
Dream Valley Challenges
Stampavie and More
Paper Pretties
Divas By Design

Whimsical Wednesday

JOANNE'S BLOG CANDY!!!!!

2011-07-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

As many of you might already know, I am a DT member for a great site called The Lime Light. We do "tasks" of making various cards and paper crafts that are donated to different charities and organizations. I have decided to do my FIRST blog candy to help our current project. We are making cards of all kinds for soldiers in Afghanistan that they can send home to their families and friends; miss you, birthday, thinking of you, etc. Here is what to do if you would like to participate:

1. Become a follower of my blog if you aren't already (thanx!)

2. Follow this link to The Lime Light and become a follower there (thanx! again!)

3. Post the picture of my candy on your page along with the following link to my blog to spread the word! (http://bigislandlady.blogspot.com/2011/07/joannes-blog-candy.html)

4. Make a card (or as many as you would like!) for a soldier and please leave it BLANK inside

USE NO GLITTER ON YOUR CARD, Stickles may be used.

5. E-mail me at cardsforourtroops1133@hotmail.com and I will send you my address of where to send your card

ALL CARDS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 1st!!!!!

I will do a random drawing for the winner and you will win the goodies! So join in and HELP SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!!

Here is what is up for grabs!

2 fairy stamps

2 butterfly stamps

1"reach 4 the sky" stamp

1 hot air balloon stamp

1 elephant with balloons stamp
(all appx. 2" x 2")

1 small bottle fine purple glitter

1 small bottle fine pink glitter

1 small bottle of purple sprinkles

1 small bottle of pink sprinkles

Multi colored brads

1 bottle mixed green "dew drops"

1 roll black & white flowered ribbon

1 roll sheer light lavender ribbon

"Shine" rhinestone phrase

Butterfly rhinestone stick ons

Rose rhinestone stick ons

Black & crystal flower and swirl rhinestone stick-ons (in first pic at top)

Flower buttons

Heart buttons with heart stick-ons

THANX, and GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!

CUPCAKE SURPRISE 2

2011-07-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I mentioned that my grand-daughter and grandson had birthdays coming up. I did the guitar card for him and posted it below, and now, here is the one for the little lady. I again used the cute cupcake mouse stamp and did the card this time in shades of green. It's a bit softer and not quite as bold, but cute just the same. I used all the same supplies, but didn't put the pop up cupcake inside this one.

CUPCAKE SURPRISE

2011-07-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Aloha all, hope you are having a good day. Mine was delightful! Went shopping with my BFF and she treated me to lunch. We had fun checking out a new second hand shop we had not been in before, and it was so fun!

On to the serious stuff! This card (another easel card...) was for another great friend of mine. A very special guy. I wanted to do something fun for him and this was the result. I loved the combination of the bright orange stripes and polka dots. The image was colored with my Copic's, I used Applique on the cupcake for the frosting with some Stickles for decoration. The background piece behind the image was as SVG file cut on my Cricut. The sentiments were inked on the edges and both framed with a Nestabilities piece from

"Fancy Tags".

On the inside the cupcake pops up and has the same decorations but with a candle added cut from another SVG file. I did the balloons in my paint file and imported them as as SVG file and cut them with the Cricut also. I added some orange and yellow thread to them to look like a string. I also stamped the striped paper with a cupcake stamp so it didn't look too plain. Glad to say he really liked it!

WITH LOVE FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY

2011-07-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Can't believe this week is about half over already! I have no idea where the time goes. I have been busy on some projects and I get so engrossed that the days just fly by! One of the projects is this card that was for my favorite Aunt. I'm into the easel cards at the moment, seems like I've been doing a lot of them lately.

The butterfly on this card was colored with Perfect Pearls then cut with my Cricut from an SVG file. It needed something to make it "pop" so I added the silver Stickles and it really glitzed it up! The little butterflies are brads and the corner pieces are chip board covered with glitter that I bought. The large butterfly is raised with pop dots. The sentiment on the bottom part of the card which is framed with a tag by Nestabilities is also raised with pop dots, and then I added the ribbon.

Thanx for dropping by and visiting!

YOU ROCK!

2011-07-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Aloha everyone, I hope you are having good weekend. Supposed to be 107 degrees here - HOT!

My grandson and grand-daughter both have birthdays coming up real soon. The boy is a teenager and into computers and rock music as most teenagers are, so that gave me some room for getting my brain moving! I found a Vector file of an electric guitar and manipulated it my paint program, then imported it into my SCAL program turning it into an SVG file. I was very happy with the result. The guitar is very glossy - I did a double coat of clear embossing on black paper. The background paper is from a stack called "Punk". I gold embossed the letters on the little square pieces and the inside greeting. The most tedious thing was adding the black thread for the guitar strings. I wish the picture showed the colors better.

I used three colors of distressed ink on the inside, all by Tim Holtz; Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo and Antique Linen.

THE LIMELIGHT TASK 17

2011-07-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our task for The Limelight for the months of May & June has come to a close. Our task was to do cards for St. Anthony's, Family Shelter. As you can see by the pics, I did a variety of cards. It was fun and so worth while!

SKY ROCKET!

2011-07-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here is another of the cards I did for the 4th of July. I saw this card in one of my card making books and really thought it was a great card. I decided to do the design for my 4th of July cards. Well, I ended up only doing 4 of them as they were pretty labor intensive with all the wire and bead work, lol. I had 19 cards to do and I knew that it would take way too long to get them all done if I did just this design. Maybe if I had started sooner . . .

My version of the card is a bit different than the original. I made mine into an easel card. It's such a cute design, I felt it needed to be able to be shown better. The silver stars were ready made goodies, the wooden piece is a match stick, and the rocket is raised with pop dots. On the bottom piece the the greeting frame is cut from "Tags" by Nestabilities and I used some Stickles on it for sparkle. I then added some red, white & blue rhinestones to hold the card open. Fun card!

HAPPY 4th OF JULY EVERYONE!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

I entered this card in a challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room. Their theme is Happy 4th of July.

4th OF JULY

2011-06-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe the the month of June is gone - where did it go so quickly!!??!! Summer is really speeding right along. I know a lot of you are ready for celebrating the 4th with family and friends, picnics and fireworks. A wonderful way to celebrate our freedom and the good and simple things we treasure. I made 19 Independence Day cards this year! They were a lot of fun, but I must admit I'm ready to do something that does not include red, white or blue, lol.

Here are just a few of them. These first two were simple and easy as the goodies on the front were bought already made. The little hearts and stars are on gold thread and are made of balsa wood, and so is the sign that says, "I Love America". They both have a kind of "country" feel to them. I added the rhinestones for a bit of sparkle.

Inside

This next one was just layers of different paper. I added the box cut from an SVG file with my Cricut and put on the heart which is covered in clear glitter and raised with a pop dot. It is also an SVG file. Last I added the ribbons, e-z p-z!

Inside

GIRLFIREND BIRTHDAY

2011-06-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

It was my BFF's birthday on Saturday!!! Happy Birthday Betsy! I had to wait to post this as she is on here checking out my creations. The stamp is by Stamping Bella and I love it, so cute! It was fun to color, and as usual I used my FAB Copic's. It's an easel card with retro looking papers by Recollections called "Mom's Diner". I loved the colors! The shaped pieces were cut with my Cricut using an SVG file in SCAL and the tag was from my Nestabilities. I added the bow, flowers and rhinestones for some girly glam!

PRINCESS

2011-06-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It was darn hot here - 112 degrees. They are saying it will be 115 on Tuesday - geeez, I just can't wait - NOT!!!

With the weather as hot as it is I am indoors a lot. So glad I have my card making to keep me busy. This card is for my BFF's neice. She loves all things fairy tales and princesses. It is a pop up card and all the pieces were cut with my Cricut using SVG files in SCAL. The Princess Crown is from My Scrap Chick and is one of their great dollar downloads. The castle is from SVG Cuts and is called "Fairy Tale Castle". It was really a fun project with lots of pop dots to give dimension. I used distress ink on the castle pieces then added LOTS of sparkle using rhinestones, glitter and Stickles.

HOWDY COWBOY

2011-06-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

My BFF has an adorable nephew and niece who love to get mail. She asked me to do a couple of cards to send them "just because". The little guy is into anything cowboy! So here is what I came up with for him. It was SO MUCH FUN to do. It was great having my Cricut up and working and being able to use my SVG files again. I forgot how much I enjoyed working with them.

The boot and letters were cut with my Cricut. I used my Copics to color the string and make it look like rope, and used distress inks on the lighter color of the boot:

I used my paint program to design the fence, hitching post and horsehoes, then imported them into my Make The Cut program and cut them out with the Cricut. I used distress inks on them and also my Copics. The fence is on "pop up" pieces to raise when you open the card. The horse was a bought piece by Jolie. I added the grass, rope and horseshoe on the fence. There are LOTS of pop dots everywhere:

On this last piece I left space for her to write a little note. The Sheriff's badge was a piece I found in my stash that I've had for years - I have no idea where it even came from but it sure came in handy for this!

Here is a side view of the popped up area:

SPOTLIGHT!

2011-06-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Aloha all! I am excited and honored - my card (scroll down) titled "Remember When" using the stamp "Little Best Friends", was showcased today over at Digi Bells! The cards on their blog use all the beautiful stamps done by Elisabeth Bell. I love her creations!!! Thanx so much for the recognition, it is much appreciated!

3 BOOKMARKS

2011-06-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back on the bookmark binge! I had a few requests for more of them so I am busy, having fun doing soething a bit different. Both designs used my Cricut to cut svg files, they are layered and then added the ribbon, beads and charms. I did some of these a while back and I forgot how fun they are to do! I entered these at Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge for their theme of bookmarks.

DADDY

2011-06-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

Only 1 week till Father's Day! This was the last card for the gentlemen on my list. When I was in PA there were several wonderful get-to-gethers with family, all super fun. At one of them I snapped this pic of my cousin's son and his adorable little girl. When I went through my pictures I knew this one was a special one that I needed to do something with. Of course, a Father's Day card for him!

The papers are from a stack by DCWV called "Latte". I cut the letters and layered frrame from an svg file with my Cricut (it is up and running great with my Designer software - they had to send me a new machine! I sure have missed it!) I raised the letters with pop dots added the buttons and some faux stitching on my letters, voila!

I entered it at Paper Play Challenges, their theme "Father's Day/Man's Card" and Dream Valley Challenges, theme "Father's Day".

LOVELY LAVENDER

2011-06-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of all things Gina K. and Stamp TV. I think it's because my style of simple and tailored is similar to the things she does. I love all the videos she puts out on so many different techniques, and her stamps are adorable too. This card is take on her "Paper Pieced Floral Dress" card using a stamp from the "Retro Boutique" set. I colored the fiber butterfly with my Copics, added the tiny pearls to the dress and the roses. The background circle was cut from my Nestabilities. It was simple and lots of fun to do.

FATHER'S DAY

2011-06-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

Another week and another Monday, hope yours is going well. Mine started off with a very successful trip to The Hobby Lobby. Picked up a few great finds; stamps, ribbon, charms and a new flower punch, fun, fun, fun! So what do I do... I make a card that has none of the new supplies on it, LOL! Oh well, there is still the rest of the day!

This card used recycled pieces and scraps of left over paper. The ties on the front piece are the scraps and the large tie was on a card my Pop received a couple years ago. He always asks me if I can use any of the cards he gets, and sometimes I sure can, thanx Pop! Of course this card isn't for him, that would be just TOO tacky! It's for my Uncle in PA, and he'll never guess it was made from recycled goodies!

I've entered this in the challenge at Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge where their theme is a card for a "Man or Boy". Check them out for some fun!

TIME TO RELAX

2011-06-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the wonderful summer time! My BFF in Hawaii is a very busy lady working on finishing off her new home. She is a real "do it yourselfer" and is burning the candle at both ends. I want to send her this card and let her know she needs to take some time off to regenerate her "batteries" so to speak! This image sure says it all! I used my Copic's to color it, inked the edges after being cut out with my Nestabilities then raised it with pop-dots. I used quite a few layers and added the flowers for a little glam.

I entered this in the weekly challenge over at DYSU, the theme is "Orange", Paper Play Challenges, theme "Citrus Splash" and Pear Tree Designs, theme "Summer Delights".

JUST FOR YOU

2011-05-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday all! I hope you are having a good one wherever you are.

Today's card was done with a layout that I found on a great site called CPS Card Sketches. It fits my style of simple and tailored. Check them out for some great inspiration! The stamp I used is called "Sooo Big" by Little Darlings and I think it is a darling one! It was colored with my Copic's, raised with pop-dots, added the flower with a tiny button and brads. Easy-smeasy!

I entered this in a challenge over at Paper Play Challenges. Their theme is "Blossoms and Blooms", Stamptacular Sunday Challenge where it is "Bugs Or Boys".

The great layout:

IT'S A BOY!

2011-05-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

I don't get the chance to do many baby cards, in fact this is only the second one I have done, and the first one for a boy. It was a lot of fun but for some reason I had a bit of problem getting my mojo going for it. I think it was because I had too many choices on supplies. I had to go buy goodies and I got quite a few different things in blue for a baby boy and then I felt overwhelmed. I finally narrowed it down and got it done!

The stamp is a digi download by Jessica Weible and is called "Baby Angel On A Cloud", too cute. I colored it with my Copic's, added a bit of sponged ink on the edges, put glitter on his wings, used some Liquid Applique' for the puffiness on the clouds then raised it with pop-dots. The sentiment was another dollar bin find at Micheal's and is also raised with pop-dots. I added several kinds of ribbon and the silver safety pin charm. All in all it came out ok for not being able to make up my mind on what to do, lol!

I entered this in a challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room where their theme is "Sweet Baby".

REMEMBER WHEN

2011-05-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Aloha everyone! Are you getting geared up for the Memorial Day weekend? I hope yours is a happy and safe one!

I geared up by making a VERY FUN card! Yesterday I came across some great digi stamps by a wonderful artist named Elisabeth Bell. Her art is so great, I love their softness and story they tell in a glance. When I saw this one, I knew it had MY name on it, lol! It's called "Little Best Friends" (buy it here). I bought it, downloaded it and got right to work on a great new project! I used LOTS of layers and pop-dots, 5 different patterned papers, pearls, ribbon and fun charms. The image was colored with my Copics, the sentiment computer generated and mounted on a Nestabilities Fancy Tag. After the card was finished, I thought it needed something, so. . . . I added some real beach sand from Kailua Beach over on Oahu that I've had for years (I have a collection of small amounts of sand from all the beaches I go to!).

The term "easel" card is a super one because I always feel like when I finish one it's like a little mini piece of art. For me, this one really fits that definition! I entered it in the following challenges:
Digi Bells, SCAD Friends With Heart Challenge Blog, Elisabeth Bell's World, My Grafico Monthy Challenge, Crazy 4 Challenges, Paper Playtime, Cooking It Up With Katie.

I can't tell you how much FUN this card was to do, and MAHALO Elisabeth for such a wonderful image to work with!

FOR THE GRADUATE

2011-05-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting a very sweet young woman who is the daughter of my cousin, the "Rock Star". She is intelligent, beautiful and off to conquer the world! To wish her all the success she can find I made this card for her. The stamp is a lovely one by Paper Inspirations which I cut out with my Nestabilities, added some background layers and then raised with pop-dots. I added the scroll work down the left side, glued on the rose tied with tiny red ribbon from my stash, and then the diploma from a set of fancy graduation brads.

ROCK STAR!

2011-05-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I have a cousin who really IS a rock star! His birthday is next week so I needed to get a card done for him. Over at Tuesday Morning Sketches they have another great layout for their challenge. It is simple but has lots of possibilities and decided it would make a great card for hiim.

The guitar paper is from a pack by Pressed Petals called Punk. I embossed the stamp (yes, another great find in the dollar bin at Micheal's, lol!) in silver, sponged on some silver ink to the edges, raised it with pop-dots, cut out the stars from silver glitter paper and popped them too. Then added the little silver stars from my stash - but they were gold, so I had to spray paint them silver to match...

Here is the layout:

WHAT'S COOKIN?

2011-05-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

I think I'm on a food kick lately! First the cake and now the little chef! I got this stamp some time ago and hadn't used it. Well, I did today and I must say I think he is so cute! He's by Vicki Schreiner (but no, it wasn't in the dollar bin, lol!). He is colored with my Copic's and raised with pop-dots, added the ric-rac and buttons and the little tag. Simple but oh so fun to do. I entered this in the challenge over at My Grafico Challenges.

PIECE OF CAKE!

2011-05-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday all, and yes, we are all still here - no end of the world for us today! Not sure where folks come up with this stuff, but I'm sure glad they were wrong. ANYHOW, I did this card last night just for fun. I wanted to use the largest size of my new Nesties set and this is what I did with it. As usual my design is plain and tailored, but I did add some pretty pearls and a lovely flower for some glam. The stamp is new also and is by Kolette Hall for Studio G. I found it in that great dollar bin at Micheal's! it was colored with my Copic's the the whole frame is raised with pop-dots for some depth.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Aloha!

WEDDING CAKE

2011-05-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

June is on the way and it's that time of year when weddings are really happening! Over at The Hot Spot there is a challenge where the inspiration is wedding cakes, fun! Such beautiful pictures of wedding cakes of all colors and styles. Here is mine, a bit traditional I'm afraid, but just a little funky, lol.

BIRTHDAY

2011-05-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month I discovered this layout and really liked it. I did it again using sthe same stamps but different papers. This time it is for a woman's birthday and I used papers from my new stack, Garden Party by DCWV and added some ribbon for a feminine touch.

SPRING SNOW!

2011-05-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

These two pics are from the one day of snow we had while in PA. When we woke up my, Aunt said, "Why haven't you girls opened the blinds yet? Get up and open them up!" Well, we did, and this is the beautiful view we saw! She laughed and laughed, she had already seen it and wanted us to see it too. She knew how excited we would be, and we were!

PURSES GALORE!

2011-05-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Love this layout! I am doing cards for our new Lime Light project and needed some ideas. What better way than to enter a challenge with a layout for the theme. It's such a good way to get your creative juices flowing! This is over at Tuesday Morning Sketches and is sketch #93, really a fun one! I used stamps from Sweet and Sassy, a set called "Trendy Girl", so cute! The paper is from my new Garden Party stack by DCWV, love them! Colored the stamps with my Copics, raised the image with pop dots, used my Nesties to cut out the sentiment and background circle, and added the trim from a set by K&C called "Wild Raspberry".

2nd SCRAPBOOK PAGE

2011-05-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

I sure am having fun doing this album! I love having lots of pics taken with a digital camera, but I miss having the good old fashioned photo albums! There's just something about being able to just pick it up and flip through the pages and letting the memories wash over you. So having tried making the scrapbook pages has really filled that need for me!

This page is pics from my cousin's daughter's first La Cross game of the season. It was SO cold that day and we were all really bundled up against the wind! It was a super game, her team won, and a great time was had by all in spite of the cold!!!

LET'S GO ORIENTAL

2011-05-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

You all know I love doing oriental cards. There is just something about their simplicity I love. I did this card for a challenge over at the CD Sunday Challenge Blog. I hadn't done an Asian style card in a while so it was fun to do one again. I kept it very plain and simple, and like the result.

JUST BECAUSE

2011-05-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

I love doing black and white cards. They can be so simple yet very classy. I did this one for my Aunt to send along with the beads in the picture. She loves them, and when I saw these they had her name on them! The bird stamp and the branch were in the dollar bin at Micheal's as was the sentiment stamp. I find the the cutest stamps in there! I kept it all in black and white to match the beads. The bottom punch trim was done with a new punch I picked up on my trip to PA. It's by a company called "ek". I really like it and love to use the punched out little pieces on the inside of the cards.

AH, MEMORIES . . .

2011-05-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer of 1964 I was between my freshman and sophomore year of high school. Ahhh, the 60's, what fun! I spent that summer in PA staying with all my cousins and aunts and uncles, it was FAB! My "kissin cousin" as I call him, had a Corvette just like this one and he took me cruzin all over the place. We had so much fun! Well, flash forward and it's over 40 years later, LOL. He is having surgery today and I wanted to send him a card to cheer him up. He is still a HUGE Vette fan and owns a real beauty. It's not this older classic anymore but a new, shiny special edition one.
Boys never out grow their toys!

His new Vette

A pic of me and My Kissin Cuz taken last month when I was in PA.

Take care and mend well Ronnie!

SIMPLE THANK YOU

2011-05-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

A guy friend of mine sent me an unexpected gift in the mail recently. I wanted to drop him a note to thank him and needed something simple. This was the result. I used my brand new Shapeablilites by Spellbinders called "Fancy Tags" for the background of the sentiment. I love them! They are going to get used a LOT!