Cocoa cards on their way to college ;- )

     Well, the cards have been on their way for a few days now, but my husband believes in sharing and shared his nasty cold virus with me (which may have some home from college in the first place with our son, but he doesn't usually get very sick.) There are 14 cards in total, but only 10 were still here for there photo shoot ;- ) The cards for the guys all use the same pattern paper, while I use a few different pattern papers on the ones for the gals.

     The image is from Bugaboo Digi Stamp and I won it during a blog hop from Cely (Creating in Carolina) back during Christmas in July. I colored it digitally, which sure makes making multiples easy ;- ) and cut them out with the large oval nestability. The pattern papers are all from DCWV Holiday Collection Christmas Stack. The mats are a Bazzil paper from Archiver. The ribbon was scavenged from boxes of Godiva Chocolates over many years ;- ) (Yea! Hubby) I used Viva Decor Pearl Pens, to add the pearl dots, on the sentiment, which is from Hero Arts Big Hugs (stamped with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and clear embossed) and also Sickles on the hearts for the gal cards, but only Stardust pens by Sakura to the hearts on the guy cards. Oh, and of course there is inking! The oval for the sentiment was cut on the Cricut using the Gypsy and Accent Essentials, after making sure the keep proportions was unchecked. A friend came over the first day and helped me cut our all of the images, mats, paper and card bases, so a special shout-out to Diana for her help!!!! Her daughter will get her card this week ;- )

     On the first cards, which went out before I took photos, I used pattern paper on the inside, but realized that the sentiment inside covered so much, that it was a waste, so I then just used more of the Bazzil card stock to mat the sentiment. The fonts in the sentiment are LD Penelope (from Lettering Delights) and Kingthings Christmas (the snowy font, available as a freebie Here or at dafont, but dafont was down for maintenance when I went to link to them.) I had added a post-it to the cocoa, because it required the addition of milk instead of water and I wanted to be sure they noticed that. I embossed a stamp from Inkadinkadoo's Warm Holiday Wishes with silver glitter finish.

     Sorry, about the photo, but the sun came out from behind the clouds and I usually photo after the sun is well past this window, but they needed to get into their envelopes. I created eveloboxes with The Ultimate Crafter's Companion for each of these cards (sorry, I didn't photo them), so there was enough room for them to fit. My son said his college treated his card like a package and sent him an e-mail when it arrived and he had to pick it up from the package person.

     Hope your week is full of inspiration and warm weather. We are expecting great weather here ;- ) Thanks for stopping by and I'd appreciating hearing from you! Your comments mean so much to me. Feel free to ask me any questions too!

Easel card for a challenge.

     Hey, long time no see >.< Sorry about that. I have been working on a card for my college students and three have been mailed, but I forgot to take photos of them (hurrying to get those out the door, my son comes home on Friday, Yippeee!) Should have more of them done soon and then I'll post those (only 11 more to go, hee hee.) They are cocoa cards.

     Today's card is for the Progressive Challenge over at Crafter's Digital Art Center (here.) This is the last leg of this group of the Progressive, so you can get in the next round, if you would like to join. We get they greatest images to work with and the next group is free as long as you use one from the current group in a project within the challenge period (usually 2 weeks.) The first group is free and if you missed the first group you can join in for $1 and as I said we will be starting with a new first group on March 1st.

     From the title, you can tell todays' card is also an easel card ;- ) You are a quick group!  I used the image provided by A Day For Daises which is perfect for a card for my best friend from grammar school's daughter. I colored in in PhotoShop Elements. The only thing fancy was a multi-bristle brush you would find in the Assorted Brushes at the bottom left. It kind of looks like half a squiggly doodled spider, LOL. I used that with hair highlights and lowlights and dabbed or stippled with it on a base colored hair to make the hair look more realistic. I just kind of messed around with it until I got something I liked. You have to love that undo button. Only remember with doing this dabbing you can only undo so far (depending on how many levels of undo you have set) and you might dab a lot of times, if you use a small brush which will look better.

     The solid color papers are from Core'dinatiions and the pattern paper is from Paper Studio's Four Seasons paper pack, which is available at Hobby Lobby and has so many great patterns. I cut the scalloped circle with Quick Kutz Nesting Circle Dies, but I cut the circle with the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter, because I didn't want a circle as large as the one that came with the Quick Kutz set. For the oval sentiment I used Nestabilities Large Oval and Large Scalloped Oval. I inked the card edges and the image with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. The image also has some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink on it. I wanted to know back some of the starkness of the white. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Sweet Wonderful You and is stamped with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. The ballet slippers with the bow is a free SVG from SVG Cuts, which I used Sure Cuts A Lot 2 and my Expression to cut. They have lots of free images and the ballet slippers are still available here.  You can check out SVG Cuts here. There is a link to the Sure Cuts A Lot software on my sidebar. I inked the edges of the ballet slippers and the bow with a Copic to give it more dimension and popped up the bow.

     Thanks for fluttering by today. I'm really glad that you were here. I do love reading your comments. Please leave one before you go ;- ) Have a wonderfully creative week!

Progressive Challenge for chocolate and book lovers.

     Today's post is another bookmark using a Bugaboo freebie image from Creative Digital Arts Center's (CDAC) Progressive Challenge. You can join this series for $1 here and as long as you participate, the next set of images are free. I colored the image in PhotoShop Elements and got the reflective effect on the glasses by using the plastic wrap effect that's available in the Filters in PhotoShop. The print fabric was made by using the Abstract Flower brush which comes in PhotoShop. The background paper is Jenni Bowlin's Brown and Cream Collection from Core Impressions. I sanded it to bring out the design. The sentiment was done digitally in PhotoShop as well using the font SNF Jester Curls. You can find Scrap N Fonts here. I inked both the image and the sentiment (the sentiment more heavily) to knock down the whiteness of the paper with Tea Dye Distress Ink. I think this will make a great gift for a friend, shhhh ;- )

     Thanks for dropping in and checking out my newest challenge entry. Hope you had a great day. Please leave a comment before you go. they really make my day ;- )

The Outlawz freebie challenge - a day early ;- 0

     Today's post is a bookmark using Anne's image from The Outlawz Freebie Challenge here. You can find Anne's blog here. I colored the image in PhotoShop Elements. I added appropriate romantic titles to the book spines (fonts are Love Store in Nickelodeon, Love Poems in SNF Infinity and Sonnets in SNF Sunday Alternate - Nickelodeon (a freebie) can be found here and Scrap n Fonts can be found here (about $5, but they go on sale))  and added artwork using PhotoShop brushes that I'd picked up as freebies. The one on the top book (which is hard to see and you might want to click the photo to make it bigger to see any of this ;- ) is from the Heart brush set by Pop the bubble wrap, the middle book (on the spine) Heart brushes by Cassie and the bottom one by Hero Arts at 2peas Background stone etchings. The best way to find them would be to google Photoshop brushes + hearts or do browse over at Brusheeezy or deviantART. I added Diamond Lace stickles to the heart. The square mat was sprayed with Crafters Companion Spray and Sparkle Iridescent Glitter Varnish. The pattern paper is from Paper Studio. I experimented at the bottom and used a scalloped circle die from Quick Kutz to cut the edge. I added some card stock to the area above where I didn't want it cut, in case I went to far when I put it throughout the Big Kicks. I had just wanted a softer end on the bookmark.

     The nice thing about doing the image digitally is that I can make multiples. I'm thinking of using this to make some note cards for my librarian friend, with maybe a change of titles. She works in a school library, so I'll change them to children's lit ;- ) This one is for me though.

     Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a relaxing and creative weekend. I will be back soon with the other image and another bookmark. please leave me a comment before you go.

A Second Penguin Waddles Out.

     A friend of mine came over t make a card for her niece's 2nd birthday and her niece likes penguins. I had already used the gypsy to make the file for a shaped card of a penguin using the Create a Critter cartridge. She said she thought the penguin would look cute with a hat, so we added a hat from the Everyday Paper Dolls cartridge. It is the headwear for the winter girl. We cut the hat twice in both pink and white and paper pieced it and added Martha Stewart glitter. My friend had brought the paper, so I'm not sure what we used. We added wiggle eyes to the face. We hid all contours on the cuts on the Gypsy.

     By the time we got to the inside, we were really pressed for time if we were going to go to lunch and she was going to make it to school on time to pick up her son (ok we were pressed for time throughout it all ;- ) We had some Church website things to work on before we were able to work on the card to begin with.   Sooo, we cut out the body again as a mat for the sentiment. We used Printshop to create a sentiment using  Calibri and NewWGL4 as the fonts. Then, I test cut another body piece in order to get the placement and lined up the piece with the sentiment on it and put it on the mat and by a wondrous act of God, my sentiment was cut in the cent of the body ;- ) We also cut a balloon from Create a Critter (it's the shift of the snake) and the number 2, because she's advanced and can recognize her numbers according to her dotting Auntie (from Birthday Bash.) 

     I thought of a few things I might change or enhance as we went, but we didn't have time, so I might have to CASE myself soon, ha ha. I think a know a young boy who likes penguins, at least he did last year. You may be seeing the updated version of this card in a month or so ;- ) If you'd like the Gypsy file for this, just let me know (with a way to get in touch with you) and I'd be happy to send it to you.


     Thanks for stopping by. Your comments mean so much to me, so if you have time, please leave me one. Have a great weekend!

2nd Challenge in one day ;- )

     The freebie challenge is from The Outlawz and you can find us here. It looks like I goofed up though. I thought both challenges had given us extra time due to the holidays, but it appears the deadline was Jan. 1st for this image and I missed it. Oh well, here is my card anyway. I used one of the cupcake images that Anne Fenton created and colored it in Photoshop. I paired it with 2 patterned papers from Paper Studio and added ribbon from Michaels. I underlined the Happy Birthday on the one paper with a white gel pen and added an embellishment from Creative Charms (added - It's called Groovy Petals) that Diane from Capedia Designs sent to me. You can find a link to her wonderful blog here or on my side bar. I cut out Judy's name using my Gypsy and the Opposites Attract cartridge. Now, Judy does read my blog and I'm kind of bummed that she is going to see her card, so I'm not going to show the inside. We're not going to question whether or not the inside got finished in time. We are just not going to go there. Let's just say, her birthday is still a ways away and I don't want to spoil the surprise. 'nuf said OK!

     Thanks for dropping by and please leave me some feedback or a kind word ;- ) Have a wonderful weekend!

Elves have been sighted ;- )

     Elves have been getting busy. One is working on the tree and the college elf has been spraying glitter for the Christmas cards and has learned to use a corner rounder ;- ) Amazing growth, that college brings, ha ha. However, today's item, is still not our Christmas card. Instead, it is a square tag that I made using the image from the Freebie Challenge at The Outlaws due, surprise, today!

     The image is from Anne's Digital Design by Anne Fenton. You can find her blog here, where she often offers some great freebies. I colored it digitally in PhotoShop. The red cardstock is from Core'dinattions and the pattern paper is from DCWV Holiday Christmas Stack. I just happened to pick up the ribbon this week from Michael's this week, on sale. The sentiment is from Inkadinkado and I embossed it with Kaleidoscope embossing powder.  I went over the sign with a glitter gel pen and added Diamond Glaze to the berries (it appears it's not dry >.<) A nice, very simple tag, where you can put the To: and From: info on the back.

     I'd like to go back to cutting down our tree next year. Just shopping for it, as we have the past couple of years (partly due to the surgeries) causes us to go out for it later and the pickings are slimmer and I don't get to enjoy looking at it as much.  Hope your holiday preparations are coming along on schedule. Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Please leave a comment before you dash off. I really appreciate them. Have a holly, jolly weekend ;- )

I think I'm ahead, only to find I'm behind ;- (

     I started out thinking I was doing so well. I had finished a tag for the Progressive Challenge at Crafter's Digital Art Center on Saturday, but it was dark when I took the photo and I never got one taken on Sunday and by the time we got back from taking my son back to college, I was too tired to post, so I just figured I re-take the photo during the day today. Still, it isn't due until the 30th and I was done on the 26th and could have gotten it there if I had to. Such an accomplishment. That along with finishing my Aunt's card, mailing her gift and working like crazy on the house, because we have a huge Christmas party coming up on Sat. and my hubby is still recuperating and can't lift over 15 lbs. (How heavy are your Christmas boxes? Mine are a lot heavier than 15 lbs.) Now, I know my neighbor just had a death in the family and that will be 3 cards to make, but I have a bit of a grace period on that, so I think I'm doing pretty good and then.... I remember, just before writing this, that today is the anniversary of some dear friends of ours, so dear that they are coming all the way from Kansas to the Christmas party (Kansas City to Chicago is a looonnng way for 1 evening's visit.) Not only that, tomorrow is another friend's daughter's birthday. I didn't miss the birthdays of either of her sisters :-0 Wait .... what happened, everything was going so well? Maybe this is why the tag is done early!!! and my house is partial decorated!!! and my family room has been dusted!!!

     The tag uses an image by Tracy from Sugar Creek Hollow and the challenge and info on it can be found here. She reminded me of a partridge. I colored her digitally and printed her twice, cutting off her tail, legs and top feathers for the top image. The top image was edged with Zig Gold Painty marker and  sprayed with Crafter's Companion's Iridescent spray, which of course doesn't photograph well. The tail and top feathers on the bottom layer are actually inked with Distress Inks. I hadn't colored them because I didn't know I was going to cut it out like that until I did ;- ) The pattern papers are both freebie papers from Papercraft Inspirations. They have lots of great freebies. check out there site here. The tree came from issue 91 and is called Crafty Orchard and the music paper is from issue 93 and is All Join In. The golden yellow cardstock is Core'dinations and it was embossed with Birds and Swirls by Cuttlebug. The sentiment is from Clear Dollar Stamps and was sprayed with Yellow Daisy Glimmer Mist. My favorite part is the ribbon, which you can barely see. It's very shimmery and silky. I was inspired to do a tag by Sue at http://scrumplescrunch.blogspot.com/ who was doing the 12 tags of Christmas Challenge. Now she is in a class way beyond me, but that's where inspiration comes from ;- )

     Now on to my Aunt's card. I'll re-fresh your memory with the outside photo, but you can go here for the info on it. I just wanted to show you how I finished off the inside.

     The stamped and embossed image at the top is actually an unmounted stamp. I wanted to give a tip that to use one, that you hadn't gotten around to mounting (I'm not sure that ever has happened to anyone ;- ), but you can use re-possionable adhesive on the mounting block to attach the stamp. That stamp was a gift with purchase and isn't marked so I don't know whose it is. The Happy Birthday is from Scrappy Cat. After I took the picture, I added a gift stamped with blue chalk ink in the huge white space. The gingerbread men were colored over with a glitter gel pen.

     And finally, (I know you thought this would go on forever and it's not over yet) here are a few photos of the gift I sent my Aunt. We found this at a craft fair in Sept.  and this artist had so many lovely pieces in a huge variety of sizes. This is made of clay and the petals are very soft. 

      Thanks for making it through today's post. I'm sure you  have so much to do too ;- ) If you have any time left, please leave a comment. It means so very much to me to know you were here. Have a great week and remember to do something creative that you enjoy!  

Sweet Birthday.

     This card is made for my Aunt. I used one of the images from the Crafter's Digital Art Center's (CDAC) Progressive Challenge. We're in the 5th round and this image is by SSBS Design.  This post is going to be short, because I have to be up at 4am to get my husband to the hospital for his surgery and I just got back from driving my sone back to college. I colored the image in PhotoShop using a few patterns on the basket, the gingerbread men and her dress and headband. You really can only see the one on her headband after the image was sized to fit my card, though the gingerbread men look a bit more cookie-like ;- ) I mixed and swirled colors to make her hair. There is Diamond Glaze on her shoe to make it look like patent leather and glitter gel pen on the gingerbread men. I used Broken China Distress Ink. The papers are DCWV Holiday Collection Christmas Stack from last year. The gems are from Hero Arts as is the sentiment and the flower from Archiver. If I had more time, I probably would have cut out more gingerbread men and popped them up (I may still her birthday is in December, but the challenge is due today ;- ) There is no inside sentiment yet, so when that is done, we'll probably review this card, LOL.
Maybe I'll remember it.

     Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment. Thank-you so much to those of you who do. they really are much appreciated ;- )