Monday, May 31

Blushing Olives and Chocolate Chips!


How's that for a title?? HA! 

It 'sort of' describes this week's Color Challenge at Picture Perfect Creations anyways!  I used this same color-combo in yesterday's post, too, I LOVED it that much!  I also decided to make myself an ankle bracelet for the summer, too!  You can't wear flip flops and sandles and not make them look UBER cute with an anklet and nice pedicure, right??

Above, I used 6mm round and 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals and sterling silver beads to make this anklet.  The blush color could go peach or pink depending upon what I am wearing.  Of course the dark brown is a neutral, and to me, so is the green.  Green, in this olive color, will give any outfit a nice accent!!



Here's my card from yesterday... see the details in this post HERE!


Be sure to POP on over to the PPC Challenge blog and see all of the gorgeous creations by the deliciously talented DESIGN TEAM {HERE}!!  There's also a prize to be won each week, so don't miss out!

ENJOY YOUR MEMORIAL DAY

and

Thank a Veteran or Military person today!

BLOG HOP TOMORROW!


Don't miss out on tomorrow's SWEET 'N SASSY STAMPS
BLOG HOP !!!

We are celebrating Sweet 'n Sassy bringing back
CLEAR STAMPS

AND there are PRIZES, of course!!

Be sure to see our glorious creations and get in on the chance to win!!

See you tomorrow!!

Sunday, May 30

Cardabilities No. 4 Release

CARDABILITIES released their latest sketch today!  As always, the 30th and 1st of each month reveals an awesome new sketch from Karan Gerber!  No. 4 {HERE} and below is a fun conglomeration of circles and squares and scallops!  And you know me, I LOVE my Nestibilities, so I was only EAGER to get to this one!

I used a newly released digi by SWEET 'N SASSY STAMPS called 'Anemone Flower' for my card!  And as you can see I switched up the center section and put it on an angle.  I had originally planned to follow the sketch, but then as I was putting it together it got knocked this way and I was like, "WOW, that's cool!!" ; It is sized just right for a 5 x7 envelope, too, and I didn't even plan it that way!  Don't you just LOVE happy accidents? 

I hope you face Challenge No. 4!

Enjoy you Sunday!

Saturday, May 29

Red, White and Blue!

WOW, was this a crazy week or what!??? OH MY GOSH, it went so fast!  Summer is upon us, thank goodness, and with this week's challenge at Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays, I decided to make a summery fresh looking card!  This week's challenge is a COLOR challenge to use RED, WHITE and BLUE!  I didn't take it quite so literal and used aqua, light red and cream! 

This image is by the sponsor of this week's challenge 'Creations by Penny' and you could choose this top-selling 'Strawberry Cupcake' image if you are lucky enough to be drawn as this week's winner!!  Actually if you win, you get to choose EIGHT DIGIS of  your choice!  That is awesome!!


Be sure to play along!  BUT, before you do go see the rest of the creations by the Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays Design Team {HERE}!!

Details on my card: Papers by Basic Grey and layout was inspired by last week's sketch challenge at The Sweet Stop Sketch Blog!!
SEE YOU TOMORROW!!

Friday, May 28

Last Day of School!

Last Day of School today!  WOOHOO!  Let the sleeping in commence!  Here's pics from this morning and I think my Isaac is going to miss having me all to himself!  Ya think??  Sorry that I have no new card for ya today.  I still need to run to the Awards program and pick up a gift for the bus driver and a few others!  In addition to my second-year-student at IUPUI (JOSH, who got all A's and one B second semester WOOTWOOT!) I will have a third grader, a second grader and a KINDERGARTNER (SIGH!) as of 3pm!  SNIFF!

Toodles and see ya tomorrow!

Thursday, May 27

Challenge to earn FREEBIES!

WOOHOO, it's Thursday!  Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is having another brand new challenge today!  Go to the SNR or PCP forums to get the details on how to play to win some freebie digis that are normally in the STORE HERE!

I am having some computer issues and can't share the watermarked images, but if you click on the links above, they will take you to the challenges with clear details and pictures, too!

ENJOY!!

MD Release with a Memorial Sale PROMOCODE!

Another awesome release today from Meljen's Designs!  This release comes straight from the heart and means so much to Melissa, the genius illustrating mind behind Meljen's Designs.  Her father was in the military and has since past and with Memorial Day coming up, she wanted to create some images in the theme of "Remembrance" in honor of him.

New Release #10 - "In Loving Memory"
We also have some "Extras" that we don't want you to miss out on as well!
All of these images are available in the Meljen's Shop {HERE} as singles or you can buy the full "In Loving Memory" Pack for a special pack price {HERE}!  Also, as a special treat for you, Melissa is having a special Memorial Day sale this weekend only!

Along with a NEW RELEASE comes a NEW CHALLENGE!  You could just be picked to win some freebie digis of your choice!  So play along!  This week is Silver and Gold!

You may interpret that in many ways, just play!!   I used the challenge in my card (AT TOP) by making the dog-tags look silver and the stars look gold!  My card is using 'Loving Memory Word Art' and 'Stars and Tags' and was inspired by the latest Card Patterns Sketch here!

Be sure to head on over to Meljen's Designs BLOG HERE to see a few more creations using this New Release!  I am so happy you stopped by today!  I hope your Memorial weekend is sweet and you take a moment to remember those who mean so much to you, especially those who have served to protect or freedom.
May God Bless You!

Tuesday, May 25

Meljen's sponsoring Tuesday Morning Sketches !

{{{ ABOVE CREATED BY SHANA DAHL!! }}}


Tuesday Morning Sketches {HERE} is an AWESOME Sketch Challenge Blog that Meljen's Designs is sponsoring beginning today!  How cool is that??  Below is Sketch #47 to use for inspiration at your craft table this week!  AND if you play along, you may just be drawn to win four (YES, FOUR!!) images of your choice FREE from the STORE!
At top, our Meljen's Designs Designer SHANA pulled a FABULOUS card together using the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge AND a MD image called 'A Girl and Her Kitty'.  See the details of Shana's card {HERE} at her blog, Two Cute Little Monsters!
A HUGE Thank You to Melissa Craig for giving us the opportunity to sponsor her awesome challenge blog!  We hope we can do it often!

We hope you face the challenge!!

Monday, May 24

Color Challenge and a Poodle!

Anyone UP for a COLOR CHALLENGE??  Well, does Picture Perfect Creations have one for you to try!!  This week you need to use Handsome Hunter, Ballet Blue and Cameo Coral (or similar colors if you don't have these exact papers).  I used a cutie patootie image by Meljen's Designs called 'Prancing Poodle' which was just released last Thursday!

And of course there is a prize to be had, which Megan will post later this week, so put PPC in your favorites so you don't forget to check it out!   Be sure to see all of the pretty creations made by the PPC Creators Design Team HERE on the Challenge Blog!  Their cards and layouts each week just amaze me!!

Enjoy your day!

Saturday, May 22

PollyCrafts and a Sketch Challenge

HAPPY SATURDAY!

Another awesome challenge is facing you over at Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays!  This week's challenge is a sketch that I offered Regina to use this time!  I always think it is so very cool when I see one of my sketches come to life in so many talented ways by artists and paper-crafters!  Please join us and enter to win a prize with this week's sponsor POLLY CRAFTS!  If you are lucky enough to win, you will get five freebie digis of your choice from their STORE HERE!!

Below I used their Patchwork Elephant, ain't he cute??  I have to say that I came up with the sketch weeks ago and just made my card YESTERDAY!  And it came together rather quickly, so it must be a half-decent sketch, right?? HA!  I used some great papers by My Mind's Eye along with some Prima and Kaiser Bling!  Copics for coloring, of course!  This card is a 5x7 size, so I added extra flowers to the sketch!  Let me know what you think!!
I hope you join us over at

Thursday, May 20

Let's go outside!


WOOHOO, it's Thursday!  New 'Bitty Bugs' (above) from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps are perfect for the brand new challenge today!  Go to the SNR or PCP forums to get the details on how to play to win the digi below and another of YOUR CHOICE in the STORE HERE!

Get details on my card {HERE}!



Enjoy your day!

Seeing SPOT, UH, SPOTS!

OH MY GOODNESS, some adorable digis with a DOGGIE THEME are available NOW from MELJEN'S DESIGNS!  Aren't these cute??

CLICK HERE to see the new challenge and to see some awesome creations made by the Design Team!!

Back with another post!

Wednesday, May 19

TEXTING!!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!! WOOHOO!  Half-way through the week! WHEW!  I am spent already!  I have to say that those baseball games in the evening are tiring, but MAN can my Eli play ball!  He hit the ball at his finest last night, I CAN NOT even begin to tell you!  AND he got a crucial opponent OUT at home plate, too!  WOWSERS, for a 45 lb. 8 year old, he is AWESOME! 

ANYHOO!  Today is Whimsie Wednesday CHALLENGE DAY at the PCP Forum HERE!  This week's challenge is to use plaid!  So come on out and play!  I used the Texting Teen by WhimsieDoodles.com to make a fun card for the daughter of a friend of mine... shh!  I hope she likes it!

ENJOY YOUR DAY! 

The weekend is in sight!

FOLLOW PPC to WIN!

My fellow PPC Creators and I would really LOVE to get more particpants and followers at Picture Perfect Creations, which is a color challenge blog that I am a 'Creator' on!  SO, we've decided to have a....

'Follow PPC' Contest!

We want to reach at least 150 followers by Monday, May 24th, and we NEED your help!


All you have to do to win is become a follower of PPC-CC AND submit a design this week for the #13 color combo challenge {below}!  See my card using this color combo HERE!!  A random drawn-winner will get 12 yards of Shabby Vintage Seam Binding donated by our very own PPC Creator, Debbie!!! The contest ends at 10am EST on Monday, May 24th.


Debbie is also running a challenge special for us this week ... when you make a card or project using the Week #13 colors and post it at PPC, THEN go to her site, Simple Treasures and leave her a comment on her PPC #13 post HERE  letting her know that you want to be entered into her blog contest!! One lucky participant will win two yards of the colors of your choice of her Shabby Vintage Seam Binding, as well!!  There are 15 colors viewable in her Etsy Shop!   Hope you join us!


Have Fun and Good Luck!

Tuesday, May 18

COLORING EYES!

See the new TUTORIAL on how to color EYES with COPICS!  AND even get a freebie Practice Sheet of EYES to download, compliments of MELYSSA, creator of Whimsie Doodles. Com!!

to learn to do this: 


ENJOY YOUR DAY!

Monday, May 17

BLOG CANDY


My Friend LISA is holding a BLOG CANDY CELEBRATION for her 29th Birthday, see below and then CLICK HERE to see how to enter!

SUPER DAD!


Good Morning!  Today marks my official countdown to summer!  Just 10, YES TEN!!, more school days until the kids are out of school and the sleeping in can commence! HAHA!  That's actually not true, as I still plan to get up before everyone else to get a quick work out accomplished, but at least the kids will be able to sleep in and get some extra sleep!  BOY are they grouchy in the morning!!

ANYHOOO!!!  Here's my card for your viewing pleasure! ;o)  I used this week's new Picture Perfect Creations color combo #13 for my card!  When I first saw these I immediately figured I would make a masculine card and knew EXACTLY which digis would be perfect for this!  HAHA, these SUPER DAD DIGIS HERE  and HERE by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps are ideal for this color combo!  The green galore is so cute for this super hero's outfit!!

I used plain cardstock for my card and used versamark ink to make a watermark of some stars on the gable green cardstock.  I didn't want to add too much, being a masculine card and all, ribbon and glitter wouldn't have probably suited my hubby, but the black Kaiser pearls look okay, don't you think?  Well, I hope you join us over at Picture Perfect Creations!  There's always a prize to be won each week, so I hope you face this challenge and try to win some goodies!

GOOD LUCK!

WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Deedee's Digis BLOG HOP WINNER IS....

#33
MIAMIKEL!

Kelly, contact Deedee ( amiste@sonic.net ) to choose your favorite digi from her STORE HERE!

Saturday, May 15

A MANLY SKETCH!


WOW, we are just zipping through these challenges this week!  I don't know about you, but I LOVE a good challenge!  And this one surely didn't disappoint!  Today's card is a COMBO challenge!!  Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays' challenge this week is to make something MASCULINE!  Fresh Brewed Designs is sponsoring this challenge and has a prize for you to win!  So CLICK HERE to see those details and other Masculine creations by the SSDS Design Team! 

I also combined the Masculine challenge with the LATEST and GREATEST sketch from Cardabilities to make this birthday card for a boy!!  How's that for tackling the challenges??

I used a super cute image from Meljen's Designs to whip this one up!  Some really cute jungle inspired papers by Die Cuts with a View along with a Stampin' UP! sentiment make this one so fun for a boy to receive on his big day!  Be sure to join in on these challenges if you lose your mojo, I know it always helps me!!!

Come back tomorrow
for another NEWBIE!

Friday, May 14

Deedee's Digis BLOG HOP!


Deedee has been designing digis for Korin at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps for some time, so some of these images may be familiar to you!  However, Deedee has decided to answer God's call to support her family by starting her own digi-line!!  Please help the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Design Team send her off in style today with a blog hop celebration of the grand opening of "Deedee's Digis!" You'll find fun, creative inspiration at each stop, along with several chances to win freebies from Deedee's new store {HERE}!!

Hope to “see” you at the party!!!











Nicole (ME!)




Here's a collection of my cards using some of Deedee's images!  This first card is a new one using 'Little Things', which includes the sentiment, too!  I used some Die Cuts with a View papers to create a scene to highlight Deedee's bear!  So cute, I love how this turned out!  I entered this into the CardPatterrns Sketch challenge this week, too!!
The next four cards are some cards I created last fall and winter and are still some of the ones I still hoard today, except for one that I sent TO DEEDEE! LOL!  This one is using Deedee's 'Pick of the Harvest' digi!  Coloring the leaves is so fun!

This gingerbread house is part of 'Gingerbread Holidays' which is a set of this house, a gingerbread COUPLE and some sentiments, too!

This cutie patootie bear is from the 'Leave Me Smiling' set which also includes four sentiments (ALL for just $3.00)!!  Doesn't he look like he's getting ready for a long winter's nap!?? HEEHEE!

And finally, here's one of my absolute favorite images by Deedee because of the scene it creates!  'Noses 4 Sale' is just uber cute and will surely bring a spark to anyone receiving a card using this image!!

Leave a comment here on my blog to win a FREE DIGI of your choice from Deedee's store!  To see what you have to choose from, CLICK HERE!  THEN be sure to go through the entire BLOG HOP list and leave comments on the other designers' blogs as well for even MORE chances to win!  OH, and the final STOP has a freebie digi to grab and has the GRAND PRIZE posted there too, so don't miss that!

GOOD LUCK!

Thursday, May 13

ANOTHER Garden/Flower Challenge!



HAPPY THURSDAY AGAIN!!!!! 

Here's another challenge for you today!  I made for this week's Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps CHALLENGE!  This week's challenge is 'From the Garden'!  I am sure this means you can use veggies or flowers or whatever is in YOUR garden!  Do you have a gnome or a frog or a butterfly fluttering around in there?  Then be sure to enter into this week's challenge! There are prizes to be had, too, don't forget about that!!  Be sure to check out this week's challenge at PaperCraftPlanet {HERE} and/or Scrapbook News and Review {HERE}; there is a great prize to be earned and many friends to be made!

My card above is using Lilacs for Cocoa on some bright and fun paper by Die Cuts with a View!  I coordinated the Melon Mambo pink papers with some ribbon to make this one bright!  The border punch is by Fiskars and the sentiment is from the Ice Cream set by Sweet 'n Sassy, too!

If you play along by midnight tonight (eastern time), you will get the BerryCocoa image (above) FREE!  That's right, I will email it to you myself!   But, if you don't have time today, then don't fret, you can still get this cute watering can FREE by playing along by next Wednesday!  You have a whole week for this one!   Oh, and I guess I should clarify, if you play by tonight, you get BOTH images for FREE!  Gotta LOVE that!
To see the latest digis released at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, CLICK HERE!  Korin has been putting out digis weekly, if not, daily!  So be sure to check out the store!!  Hop on over to the challenge forums and join in the fun!!

Blessings on your day!

Anyone up for a Flower Challenge??


Happy THURSDAY!!  Another busy day here on the blog, my peeps!!  Today marks yet another new release at MELJEN'S DESIGNS, along with a NEW challenge, too!!

My card is using the new GARDEN BIRD HOUSE image with some perfectly coordinating Die Cuts with a View papers and Old Olive Stampin' UP! ribbon.  The sentiment is from the Cheery Chat Stamp set by Stampin' UP!, but I believe it is retired now. 

CLICK HERE to zap on over to the MELJEN DT BLOG to read all of the details of the newest challenge and to see even MORE creations using the new Garden and Flower images that Melissa released today!!

ENJOY YOUR DAY!!

Monday, May 10

RAGGY PUPPY Color Challenge




GOOD MORNING!!

and

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY
to Josh!

Yes, I am feeling a bit old today.  I officially have a child in their 20's! AGK!!  I think this is where it starts downhill! LOL!  Yesterday was KayLee's 7th birthday, guess I could have posted something about it, huh?  Mother's Day was crazy busy with celebrating both events yesterday and of course today is crazier!  I still need to make cookies for KayLee's class today and also a cheesecake for Josh, too!  But, before getting to those things, I had to make a card for ya!

Today's card is using the new color challenge at PICTURE PERFECT CREATIONS!!  Challenge 12 is to use Bravo Burgundy, Sage Shadow, Perfectly Plum and Soft Suede.  Well, I did pretty good with three out of the four, but bringing in that plum just didn't work!  I LOVE the color combo, but just couldn't pull it together!  SO, when all else fails, ADD BLING! LOL! 

My RAGGY PUPPY image is by Meljen's Designs that you can see HERE in the store and the sentiment is from Whimsie Doodles and is a RUBBER stamp you can see HERE.  The patterned paper is from Die Cuts with a View (Linen Closet line).  I used a Stampin' UP! stamp to add in the burgundy hearts and SUP ribbon in the Soft Suede, you know I have to have RIBBON in my cards! 

Be sure to check out ALL of the designers creations using this color combo on the main PPC Challenge Blog HERE!  And be sure to join in for a chance to win this week's prize, too!!

ENJOY YOUR DAY!

Saturday, May 8

KayLee UPDATE

Not sure if you heard (or read yesterday's post) but KayLee broke her arm at school on SILLY HAIR DAY!  Here's what she looked like before she left for school, then here's the way she looked yesterday after getting some vampire teeth at the doctor's office for a check up!  AND of course, Isaac went along and helped himself to the treasure chest, too! LOL!  She's doing well, yet still very swollen and on good medication with codeine; I think I need some of that!! 

She's gonna be fine, but required ALL of my attention yesterday.  SO, I didn't have a chance to get my creation ready for this week's Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturday CHALLENGE HERE!  Be sure to check it out and play along, there's a great prize to be won!!  Hugs and Thanks to all who have prayed for KayLee!  We all appreciate it!!



Blessings to you!

Howdy!