Friday, April 29, 2011

Wink Wink Ink's 'Pup and Boots'

Hello! Today I have a Wink Wink Ink card to show you that uses the Spring Image 'Pup and Boots'. This is one of my favorite Wink Wink Ink images because I love spring, I love that cute puppy, and tulips are one of my favorite flowers! My sketch is this week's Splitcoaststampers Sketch (SC330). The paper is Prima 'Sparkling Spring'. The sentiment is retired Stampin Up! Here's a close up of this cutie pie for you:


Have a great day! Amy


Thursday, April 28, 2011

Fusion Flair Debut: Pink Peony

Hello! I have exciting news today! Studio 313 and McMahon 5 Digital Images have merged to create a new line called 'Fushion Flair'! Here's how it works: Shawne, of Studio 313 takes one of Sue's , of McMahon Digitals, images and creates coordinating digital paper to use with the image. So if you look at my card below, the big peony was designed by Sue, and Shawne made the beautiful papers to go with it. I love it! It's always so hard for me to find the perfect paper to go with an image, now I don't even have to think about it! Be sure to check out the McMahon Five Designs Blog to see all the rest of this week's releases, and while your at it, check out my fellow design team members blogs too! Their links are listed in my sidebar.

Have a great day! Amy

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Penny Black "Black, White, plus One'

Aaack! Three posts in one day! That's a first. Sorry, I was just about to go to bed since I get up at 4:00 a.m. on Thursdays, when I realized I never posted my April Penny Black Challenge Card for the Allsorts Challenge Blog, which closes tomorrow. The challenge this month is to create a card using Black, white, and one other color. I chose pink since it goes so well with black and white! My image is from 'Garden Friends' and the sketch is from Mojo Monday. The paper is DCWV. I promise, no more posts until tomorrow! LOL!

Have a great day! Amy

Too Much of a Good Thing is Wonderful!

I don't normally post twice in one day, but after my Easter Basket Centerpieces post went live this morning, I realized I needed to post my Mo Manning card before the challenge deadline was over: so, two posts in one day! I already missed out on the MFT challenge this week, and I'm really bummed about that. It was just a busy week with the weekend holiday. I wish some of these companies would have considered that and extended the challenges. Oh Well, here is my card for this week's Mo Manning Challenge ''Carnival". The image is called 'Cotton Candy' and is available right now for only $1.00 and ALL the proceeds go to the Make a Wish Foundation. I love Cotton Candy and I love this ADORABLE image. My sketch is by The Sweet Stop (SSS95), paper is Stampin UP!, flowers were cut with the Cricut Expression. I put Stickles on the Cotton Candy.


And here is a close up for you where you can really see the Stickles.
Have a great day! Amy



Easter Basket Centerpieces

Hello! Today I am showing you something other than a card. I know, SHOCKER! When I first started my blog 2 years, I use to have a lot of variety in my posts, but now that I work full-time I don't have as much time as I'd like to be creative. Anyway, in addition to doing the card ministry at my church, I am also the church's official decorator. I was asked to make 10 centerpieces for the Easter Morning Pancake Breakfast. I wanted to come up with something really quick, easy, and cost-effective, but in the end, I don't think I accomplished any of those goals. Well, maybe the cost-effective one. They took a lot longer to put together than I thought they would.

I found these adorable baskets at the Dollar Store. I thought they were perfect not only for Easter, but I could re-use them again and again. I decided to go with Annual Bedding Plants because I know this time of year everyone wants to see 'REAL FLOWERS' and not artificial ones, but I also wanted something I could 're-use' and wouldn't be thrown away a few days later. I figured, I could use the Bedding Plants for the breakfast, and a few weeks later just plant in them in my own garden or the church's flower beds, when the weather warms up. Hence the cost effectiveness! Here's a side view of the basket. Next, because the centerpieces were for a church on Easter Sunday, I wanted a religious aspect to them, so I made these crosses. They are two pieces of pre-cut foam that I found in the Kid's Crafts Section of JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts. I glued them together with a Popsicle stick in between. I then traced the cross onto designer paper, glued it the foam cross, sanded the edges, and sponged the edges with ink. The sentiment is a freebie from McMahon Five Designs The shape behind the sentiment is a half rosette which was cut with a die from MFT. The butterflies were made with a Martha Stewart punch, and they have a crystal on each head. Each cross I made was different. They all had different Easter Colors and papers, but the same sentiment, rosette, and butterflies. I am only showing one of the ten crosses.





Here is a close up of the cross. Part of the sentiment is covered up by the foliage in this picture, but you could see the whole thing very well in real life. I also tied a big bow on the side of each basket handle. The colors of the bows were all Easter colors: yellow, light blue, lavender, pink, etc. and the color of the bow matched the color of the cross in the basket.






The baskets were a huge hit! Everyone loved them and I got a lot of compliments, which made it all worthwhile since I knew they brightened every one's day.






Have a great day! Amy





Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Digital Tuesday Challenge 'A Sketch Challenge'

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge. This week's challenge is a Sketch Challenge! Simply make a card using the sketch pictured below and be sure to add at least one digital element.

Our sponsor this week is Spesch Designer Stamps and they are giving away 3 digis to one lucky randomly winner.



To make my card, I use the Spesch Stamps image Spring Strawberries Digital Stamp designed by Star. My paper is Stampin Up! Riding Hood Red. The sentiment is computer generated. The main image panel and the sentiment panel are mounted up on dimensionals.

Here is a close up of this adorable, SWEET, image!





If you'd like to play along with us this week, simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.


Have a great day! Amy



Friday, April 22, 2011

McMahon Five Designs April Breast Cancer Awareness Image

Hello! McMahon Five Designs has their newest Breast Cancer Awareness Image Freebie available now. All you have to do is your monthly exam, and then pick your image up HERE.

Here's the card I made with this pretty image. I used the Sunday Morning Sketch as my inspiration. The paper is Prima "Melody". I put Stickles in the flower centers. The sentiment is from JoAnn's in the $1.00 bins.


Have a great day! Amy

Thursday, April 21, 2011

McMahon Vintage Digitals 'Mommie's Hat'

Hello! Today I have another vintage card to show you using the image 'Mommie's Hat' from McMahon Vintage Digitals. The paper is Prima 'Botanicals', the sentiment is retired Stampin Up! 'Happy Harmony', and I used Prima Flowers and a leafy ribbon for embellishment.

Here's a close up of this adorable little girl.


Be sure to check out the McMahon Five Designs Blog to see the rest of this week's new releases. Also, check out my fellow design team members creations, they are EXCEPTIONALLY AMAZING this week. The links to their blogs are listed in my sidebar.


Have a great day! Amy


Wednesday, April 20, 2011

My First Mo Manning Challenge

I've been itching to do a Mo Manning challenge for awhile now, and finally decided to jump in and join the fun without a minute to spare! The challenge is 'Start of Something New', whatever that means to you. Well, SPRING is the start of something new to me, it's my favorite time of the year, even though it seems as if we will not have Spring in Northern Wisconsin this year. It snowed yet again today. However, I did hear Easter Sunday was going to be lovely, so I hope to get out and enjoy the weather. Anyway, since Spring is New to me, I made this spring card. I hope you enjoy it!





The paper is Cosmo Cricket. Have a great day! Amy

MFT Sketch #15

I really liked the My Favorite Things Sketch again last week, so I decided to play along. I cut the grass with my Cricut Expression, but the clouds were cut with the MFT cloud die. The sentiment is Stampin Up!. I colored the sky with chalks and a stencil. The paper is Cosmo Cricket. The image is digital from Heather Ellis. I know MFT sells the 'stamped version', but I always prefer to work with digital images, so I purchase them directly from her. They are much cheaper that way too!

Well on a personal note, I've had one of the most difficult days at work than I had in a long time. I think everyone is just cranky because even though it's April 20th, we are expecting yet another Winter Snow Storm. I had one upset customer after another, which finally culminated in the 'customer of all customers' who felt it necessary to verbally heap upon me all my character flaws and 'lack of professionalism' especially for a woman 'my age'. I don't know what bothered me more, her long list of my character flaws, or the reference to my age. I think driving home from work I must have looked at myself in the rear-view mirror 5 times to see 'how old I really looked'. Funny, until today I thought I looked pretty good; especially since I just worked my butt off to lose 20 lbs. Now I feel old, ugly, and worthless. It's amazing how words hurt.


I hope you all had a better day than I did! Amy

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Digital Tuesday Challenge: "Pretty Punches"

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge. This week's challenge is "Pretty Punches", simply use punches on your card or project and be sure to include at least one digital element. Our sponsor this week is Digital Delights by Louby Lou. To make my card, I used the Digital Delights image 'Briley' and an old Splitcoaststampers Sketch (SC327). My paper is Cosmo Cricket 'Togetherness'. The punches I used are the Stampin Up! 'Scalloped Border Punch' and the Martha Stewart 'Butterfly' punch. The tree was cut with my Cricut Expression Machine. I mounted the digital image 'Briley' up on dimensionals. Here is a close up for you:
If you'd like to play along with us this week, simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instruction.


Have a great day! Amy

Monday, April 18, 2011

Happy Birthday Shelly!

Happy Birthday to Shelly, one of my fellow McMahon Five Design Team Members. I worked all weekend, and just checked my emails today to discover it was Shelly's Birthday, so I didn't have time to make a card. Sorry Shelley. But I hope you have a wonderful day! Be sure to drop by Shelly's Blog to wish her a Happy Birthday! Have a great day! Amy

Friday, April 15, 2011

Hats Off to You!

Hello! Today I played the color challenge on the Crafter's Digital Art Center. The sponsor this round is Doodle Pantry and they are giving away this cute hat image and sentiment to everyone who plays the challenge. The colors they chose were blue and yellow, but I cheated a little and added some pink. My sketch is by Verve, and the papers are retired Stampin UP!
I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but it sure is cold again here in Wisconsin. I had to restart my wood stove just to warm the house up. I heard its suppose to snow tomorrow. Geez! Will this winter ever end?


Have a good day! Amy

Thursday, April 14, 2011

McMahon Vintage Digital 'Easter Angel'

Hello, today I have a beautiful Easter image to show you from McMahon Vintage Digitals called 'Easter Angel'. I didn't do too many 'extras' with this card, because I just wanted the image and sentiment to be the focus; after all, it already says's it all! Christ is Risen! I used paper from Prima 'Botanical', and I cut out the main image since it already had such a nice frame, and popped it up on dimensionals. Here is a close up. I actually sprayed Tsukineko 'Sparkle Shimmer' on the image after I was done coloring. It looks so pretty in real life, but you can't see the shimmer in a photograph.

Be sure to check out the McMahon Five Designs Blog to see the rest of this week's new releases, and while your at it, check out my fellow design team members blogs too! They are listed in my sidebar.


Have a great day! Amy

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Wink Wink Ink 'Kitty Temptation'

Hello! It was another beautiful Spring day here in Northern Wisconsin. I heard it was going to get colder again starting tomorrow, so I made it a point to get out in the garden and enjoy myself for a few hours after work. My daffodils are all starting to bloom now and are looking so pretty. I hope they don't 'freeze' with the colder weather. Today I have an old Wink Wink Ink image to show you called 'Kitty Temptation'. I had the hardest time coming up with a sentiment to go with this image. I finally settled on 'delicious' by Hero Arts, but if anyone has a better sentiment idea, I'd love to hear it. As always, the image is available pre-colored and in black and white. I colored the image myself with Copic Markers. The papers are Cosmo Cricket "Togetherness" and the sketch is by The Sweet Shop. Here is a close up of this mischievous kitty.

Have a great day! Amy

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Digital Tuesday Challenge 'Little Women'

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge. This week's challenge is called 'Little Women': simply make a card or project with a female image on it and use at least one digital element. Our sponsor this week is Robyn's Fetish. To make my card, I used the Robyn's Fetish image 'Leslie in the Garden'. My sketch is an old Midnight Madness one (MMSC44), my paper is DCWV 'Pocket Full of Posies', and the sentiment is retired Stampin Up! 'Blooming with Happiness'. I put Stickles on the inside of the flowers, and added Primas, brads, and ribbon for embellishment. Here is a close up for you.
If you'd like to play along with us this week simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.


Have a great day! Amy

Monday, April 11, 2011

Doodle Pantry Winter Birds

Hello! I'm playing another Doodle Pantry Challenge today. Last week I was chosen as one of Doodle Pantry Top 3 card designs when I submitted my Iris card. I won a free digi as a reward, and since you all know I make Christmas Cards all year long, I chose Winter Birdies! This week's Doodle Pantry Challenge is simply to make a card or project using a Doodle Pantry image, and you get a Free "Spring Day Digital Paper Pack" just for playing in the challenge. I used my free Winter Birdies image and a Mojo Monday Sketch (134) along with some Cosmo Cricket paper to make my card. I added a Prima Poinsettia, and ribbon for embellishment. I put Liquid Applique on all the birdies clothing and Crystal Effects on the Holly Berries. Here is a close up of this cute trio.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my Christmas Card today, even though I know winter and Christmas is far from all of our minds as we enjoy this beautiful, warm Spring weather.


Have a great day! Amy

Saturday, April 9, 2011

MFT Sketch Challenge

Hello. Today I decided to play the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge on Splitcoaststampers for the very first time. I've been wanting to participate for awhile, but with working full time and all my design team commitments, I just never found the time. But I really liked this sketch, so this time I played along. I love MFT images, and own a lot of them, but unfortunately, most of them have never seen ink. I keep buying them because I'm so drawn to them, but then I never have the time to use them. 'Birthday Flopsey' is one of those images that I've never used, and since I'm always in need of more birthday cards, I decided to finally ink him up. I stamped the image 3 times and popped the head and cake up on dimensionals. The main image panel is also up on dimensionals. There are Stickles on the candle flame. The paper is 'The Celebration Stack' by DCWV. Here is a close up for you:
Well I FINALLY got outside today for the first time this Spring. It was actually quite discouraging seeing the amount of work that needed to be done in the garden, and all the weeds, and wondering how I'm ever going to accomplish it all. I worked steady for about 5 hours pulling weeds, chopping old foliage down, and carrying lots and lots of Stick's to throw into the woods. I didn't accomplish much, for my yard is about an acre of flower gardens, but I did what I could before my tired old body said 'Enough for today'. It's suppose to rain tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to get outside again till Monday after work. It's really hard getting up at 4:00 a.m., working all day, and then coming home and working in the garden, but I'm going to have to make myself do it or I'll never catch up and get everything done. Willpower and discipline. That's what I need right now. Unless I get rich enough to hire a gardener. LOL!


Have a good day! Amy

Thursday, April 7, 2011

McMahon Vintage Digitals 'Gift of Spring'

Hello! Today I have another Spring/Easter card to show you; after all, it is that WONDERFUL time of year, isn't it? Today's card features an image from McMahon Vintage Digitals called 'Gift of Spring'. I used a Mojo Monday Sketch to make my card, and paper from Prima 'Sparkling Spring'. I kept my card sweet and simple, just like the image, and only added a ribbon and a few rhinestones for embellishment. Here is a close up of this sweet image:
Be sure to check out the McMahon Five Designs Blog to see all the rest of the new releases this week, and while your at it, check out my fellow Design Team Members blogs too! They are listed in my sidebar.


Have a great day! Amy

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Digital Tuesday Challenge 'Easter Parade'

Hello and welcome to another Digital Tuesday Challenge. This week's challenge is 'Easter Parade', simply make a card or project that has an Easter Theme. Our sponsor this week is Pixie Dust Studio. To make my card, I used an Easter Image from Studio 313 called "The Egg Hunt" and digital paper called "Easter Bunny DP'. I added Primas and Bunny Buttons for embellishment. Here is a close up so you can see the image better.


I am also submitting this card for The Hotspot Challenge. This month, in honor or Earth Day, they want to see your 'Trash Art": simply make a card or project 'recycling or reusing' something. My recycled objects in the paper grass tucked inside the Primas. It's from last year's Easter Basket.
If you'd like to play along with either of these challenge, simply click on the logos in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.


Have a great day! Amy

Monday, April 4, 2011

Wink Wink Ink's 'Button Bear'

Hello! Today I have a new Wink Wink Ink card to show you that uses images from two different sets: 'Button Bear' and 'Birthday Necessities'. 'Button Bear' is available pre-colored in blue, pink and in black and white. I chose to use the pre-colored pink version since I have so many card for baby boys in my stash already. I printed the present from 'Birthday Necessities' separately and cut it out and glued it to the oval panel. The sentiment is Stampin Up! 'Best Yet', and the paper is K & Co. 'Small Wonders Girl'. I added ribbon, dew drops, and a button and floss for embellishment.

Have a great day! Amy

Friday, April 1, 2011

March Christmas Cards

Yay! I finished my March Christmas cards just in the nick of time! I had them done on Thursday, March 30th, I just couldn't post them till today. As many of you already know, I participate in the Christmas Card Challenge on Splitcoaststampers where we make Christmas Cards all year long so were not stressed out at Christmas trying to get all our cards done on time. I've committed to making 4 per month, that's only one card per week, so I'll have about 48 cards at the end of the year. Below are my Christmas Cards for the month of March. All the cards feature paper from the same Basic Grey pad 'Eskimo Kisses' and all the images are from the digital image set 'Traditional Christmas Stamps' from Blackleaf Studios, sold at MyGrafico. For my first card, I used the sleigh image from the set. I cut it out and popped it up on dimensionals. The Sketch is from 'Sunday Morning'. I put Stickles on the stars on the sleigh. My second card uses the tree image from the set. The sketch is from Splitcoaststampers (SC322) The sentiment is embossed with black glitter, and the main image panel is up on dimensionals.
My third card uses the Stocking image from the set. I put Liquid Applique on the cuffs and toes of the stockings. The sketch is from Clean and Simple.
And my last card features the bell image from the set. I did get the sketch from somewhere, but don't remember where. The ribbon on the bell is mounted up on dimensionals and I put Crystal Effects on the berries.

Thanks for looking at my Christmas Cards today. I know were all sick of snow and winter and really do not want to think of Christmas right now. I just heard on the radio that it is suppose to snow here in Northern Wisconsin again tonight. Ugh! It has been the LONGEST winter ever. Whatever happened to global warming? LOL!


Have a great day! Amy