Paper and Pawprints

SFYTT

2012-01-30T21:29:00.001-06:00

Whew! I finished my card in time to participate in this month's SFYTT (Sketch for You to Try) and the Inspiration Photo challenge on the Dancing in Pajamas blog. I have to admit, I really struggled with this sketch.

I adapted the color scheme (red/white/dark brown) and hearts from the TCP Inspiration Photo:

Here's my card after several re-designs:

Here's a closeup of cute little Angel Yappy:

I popped him up with pop dots, added some glitter to his wings and pink to his nose. I popped up the heart accents with just some foam tape, so they are not as puffed out as Yappy, giving him center stage. :)

And speaking of dogs, I got great news today - my foster dog, Tinkerbelle, got adopted over the weekend. Yay!
Lisa

A Sweet TSG Card

2012-01-29T19:59:00.004-06:00

This week's challenge on the There She Goes blog was "Love is in the Air", so TSG's "Puppy Love" stamp set was the perfect choice! (Of course, I think "Puppy Love" is just about the perfect choice for everything because I love dogs and I love Torico's designs!)

And, speaking of Puppy Love, here's my "puppy love", Dixie. Isn't she the cutest dog in the world? My kids will warn you that you may as well shake your head and say "Why, yes, she IS the cutest dog in the world." because I would refuse to admit otherwise. ;-) She's my baby!

From Dixie and me - Have a wonderful week! See you soon.
Lisa

Spotlight on Kraftin Kimmie Stamps

2012-01-27T21:16:00.001-06:00

Here's my entry into this week's Kraftin Kimmie challenge - In the Spotlight!.

Kimmie's design team had so many inspiring samples of this technique! I decided it was perfect for this KK image, Chrissy Armstrong's Bird Fairy. (Kimmie and Chrissy should be honored - DH saw me photographing my card and declared this "a cool stamp". Normally, like most men, he's pretty oblivious to my crafting efforts.) I also chose this stamp because it reminded me of my foster pet, Tink and the saying "If you love something, set it free." (There's more to the quote than that, but that's the appropriate part.) It was hard to bring her back today but I am hoping she will find her forever family this weekend. The poor baby had puppies, ran away & was hit by a car, was given up by her owner and had to have her rear left leg amputated. She is a spunky, happy little thing, though. I just want her to get the great new family she deserves. Here she is last night, all curled up asleep on my floor, so peacefully.

I hope you are sleeping well tonight, Tinkerbelle! We miss you.

Lisa

Pearls and Lace

2012-01-26T21:05:00.000-06:00

Oh Cathy, head mistress of Totally Papercrafts, you are killing me with this week's challenge - Pearls and Lace! ;-) I'm strictly a blue jean & sweatshirt kind of gal - frilly stuff is not my thing. But, in the name of being a good DT member (LOL!), here is my card:

I must admit that I do like this Martha Stewart lacy border punch, though, and it was a good excuse to actually use some of the pearls I've somehow managed to collect. :)

I wanted to combine this week's challenge with a few other challenges, so I chose the colors to go with the BV color challenge on the iCopic blog (I used BV00, BV02 and BV04). And I chose a Miss Anya stamp because this week's Farm Fresh Challenge also called for lace. I'm also submitting this card into the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" challenge (you can find the Anya stamps in their shop), Cute Card Thursday's "You're a Gem!" challenge and into My Mums' Craft Shop's "Flowers" challenge. (I didn't add any flowers to my card, but there are flowers on the DP.) My layout is based on an old sketch (#114) from the Card Patterns blog. (I love their sketches.)

Be sure to head on over to the Totally Papercrafts challenge blog to check out the other DT members' cards and to play along yourself. You could win a gift certificate from the fabulous Emma of Crafty Emma's Store.
Lisa

What a Stitch!

2012-01-24T21:36:00.003-06:00

The challenge this week at Mo Manning's DP2 Challenge blog is "Stitching (Real or Faux)". I've mastered straight stitching on cards with my sewing machine, so I decided to go for it and try using zig zag stitch on my card:

One of my bosses is having surgery next week to remove some plaque from his carotid artery. So, most "get well" images didn't fit - he didn't have a stuffy nose, or a headache and he wasn't going to come home from the hospital with a cast. And anything "cutesy" definitely wasn't a fit for my Mr. Outdoors, Mr. Fixit, Bill Nye the Science Guy boss. (He's the head of our high school Science dept.) Ever since he and his wife had a new home built a few years ago, Dan has a never ending list of home projects. So, I chose this Mo image and typed up an inside sentiment of "Hope the doctor gets you all fixed soon!". Obviously, girly extras were out, so I used some hardware and twine to embellish Mr. Fixit.

I also made a second card for his Biology Club kids to sign:

Our school colors are purple and gold, hence the color scheme. :)

I'll be back on Friday with a new Totally Papercrafts challenge card. See you then!
Lisa

One More For the Road...

2012-01-22T21:57:00.002-06:00

I managed to get a lot of cards done this weekend, so I decided to squeeze in just one more starring these two cuties from There She Goes stamps (Puppy Love).

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
There She Goes - Back to Nature
Top Tip Tuesday - Sketches
Paper Sundaes - Paper Piecing

This last challenge reminded me of what I love and hate about paper piecing. I love how it looks! I hate to do it. :)

My Top Tip Tuesday tip for making your own sky background - start at the top of your white cardstock and work your way down. Slightly overlap and tilt your cloud template as you work down the page, slowly adding more blue ink and overlapping any sharp edges. Give it a try - it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it!

Lisa

Color UN-favorites

2012-01-22T12:39:00.004-06:00

This week's Tiddly Inks challenge was to use green, yellow, orange and blue in your project. I immediately remembered this scrap of Scenic Paper I'd bought years ago. I bought the only sheet of this paper and I have been hoarding leftover bits of it (reverently) for years. Don't ask me why. I hate green AND I hate orange. So, how could I love this paper so much? A true sign of a very serious paper addiction. :)

Coincidentally this week's iCopic challenge was to use your "unloved colors". Well guess what? Orange and green qualify for me! I did, however, get to use one of my very LOVED Tiddly Inks images, Wryn. She is just the cutest!

Since the paper was rather, um, busy (to put it mildly!) I kept my embellishments to a minimum. Just a few Prima flowers with brads, a sprig of a Martha Stewart leaf punch and an old TAC sentiment stamp cut out with a Nestabilities die.

Hope you found some time this weekend to get crafty!
Lisa

A Spike in Productivity...

2012-01-20T22:36:00.002-06:00

A third post for today. Whew! If you're looking for my Totally Papercrafts card, please scroll down to my first post of the day. :) Thanks!

My image is the adorable Louie from DigiStamp Boutique and my card was inspired by this beautiful sample from my fellow DSB dt member, Jenny. For my layout, I used this week's sketch Sketch Saturday. Another great sketch from this challenge blog! I'm also entering this into My Mums' Craft Shop - favorite color combo and Pile It On Challenge's Furry Friends challenge.

Have a great weekend!
Lisa

Winter Wonderland

2012-01-20T20:28:00.000-06:00

Yay! I finally got a chance to play along with a Lawnscaping challenge! I have been in love with Lawn Fawn stamps ever since I discovered them while bloghopping. (Bloghopping it so dangerous to my finances, lol!) This week's challenge was "Winter Wonderland", which is a pretty fitting challenge right now. After an usually warm winter, we are finally getting a real taste of winter. (I will gladly take those 50 and 60 degree days back in exchange for the freezing temps we're getting now, thank you very much!)

Isn't this Winter Fox stamp just too cute? This was my first time inking her up. It's also the first time I used this cool swirly Sizzix Sizzlet die. I am loving my clean craft room. I have rediscovered so many goodies! :)

I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:
The Sweetest Thing- sketch (I love this sketch!!)
Paper Sundaes - choose your favorite challenge*
*I chose the "Out with the Old, In with the New" challenge. My papers are old leftovers from my time on the PaperWorks design team. The sweet Winter Fox stamp is new.

See you later this weekend. I am on a cardmaking streak and loving every minute of it! :)
Lisa

Totally Papercrafts Challenge

2012-01-19T02:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to another Totally Papercrafts challenge! This week's challenge is to make your own flowers. I made mine using a couple of punches. I tried to come close to matching some of the flowers in my dp. I *love* this dp from My Minds Eye.

I love this little Ketto stamp from Stamping Bella so I'm also entering this card into this week's SB challenge - use your favorite SB image as well as the following challenges:
Deconstructed Sketch - sketch 31
The Poodles Parlour - Button up

Have a great weekend filled with lots of stamping time!
Lisa

Keeping It Simple with Mo

2012-01-16T21:50:00.000-06:00

So much for having lots of time over the 3 day weekend to stamp. Ha! However, I did get the bulk of my craft room clean up done and could even vacuum it today, I don't normally get excited about vacuuming, but in this case, it was an exciting accomplishment! ;-)

I did, however, have time to put together a quick card for this week's Digital Pencil/Mo Manning challenge - Clean & Simple. This has always been one of my favorite Mo images, yet I've never made a card with it. However, as part of my craft room clean up, I challenged myself to only use an image I'd already printed/stamped and to only use paper from my scrap stash. (Believe me, with as many scraps as I have this was not a hardship! lol!)

This project started out as a birthday card. However, while going through my word stamps, I found this old phrase stamp from The Angel Company and I thought it fit this image so perfectly. So, now it's a thank you card with "Thanks!" typed on the inside. :) I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sundays - Ribbon (and a sentiment)
Crafts and Me Challenges - Anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - You're Having a Laugh

Well, no more fun in my nice clean stamping room tonight. (And, yes, I did clean up after myself!) Back to work tomorrow - yuck! At least it's a short one.

Have a great week!
Lisa

Friends are the Flowers of Life - Tiddly Inks Blog Hop

2012-01-13T12:30:00.001-06:00

I actually have two posts today. (Shocking, but true! LOL) If you're looking for this week's Totally Papercrafts challenge, scroll on down. After you check out my entry into the Tiddly Inks blog hop, of course. ;-)

I'm so excited to be participating in today's blog hop. I've been a fan of Christy Kroll's work ever since I "discovered" her through her work for Stamping Bella. I love, love, love the new Wryn character. She is just too sweet - but you can see she has a fun and maybe even a slightly spunky side to her, too. She reminds me a lot of my youngest daughter. (Even though my own little Wryn is now a teenager and taller than me!)

Without further ado (or blabbing from me!) here is my "Friends are the Flowers of Life" blog hop entry. I used this week's Sweet Sketch Wednesday sketch for my layout. I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed making it.

I can't wait to see all the other great cards along the blog hop!
Lisa

Spots and Stripes

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

It's Friday so that means it's time for another fun challenge from Totally Papercrafts. This week's challenge is "Spots and Stripes". While cleaning out my craft room, I found some cute yellow and aqua spotted Amuse notecards. (Not sure when or where I bought them. Eek!) I was anxious to use of one my new Your Next Stamp (YNS) stamps, so I decided to pair the YNS chick with a yellow Amuse notecard. I had to cheat a bit on the stripe part of the challenge - if you look carefully at the mat behind the little chick, you'll notice the subtle stripes in this Wild Asparagus paper.

Other challenges I'm entering:
Cupcake Craft Room - anything goes
My Mums Craft Shop Challenges - something new (the YNS chick)

I've recently rediscovered my Prismacolor pencils. As much as I love my Copics, I do still love the feel of laying down colored pencil on paper. And I love the shading I can get when I use OMS (odorless mineral spirits) with the pencils. I guess I never did outgrow my love of coloring. :)

I"m also happy that I think I've finally figured out a good arrangement for my light box and light. I am plagued with a house that doesn't have a single good place to photograph with natural light. I found a tip online to use clamp on work lights from the hardware store along with full spectrum light bulbs (GE "Reveal", for example). Ta-da - lighting success! I hardly had to fiddle with Photoshop at all!

Head on over to the Totally Papercrafts blog and check out the other Spots and Stripes samples. And be sure to play along for a chance at a great prize from Alota Stamps!
Lisa

The Sweetest Thing

2012-01-12T22:13:00.000-06:00

We had a snow day today so I got to spend lots of time in my craft room - yay! I finally got a chance to participate in the current sketch challenge at The Sweetest Thing blog.

I used the adorable Valentine Willow from the current DSB offer of the month. Other supplies include dp from The Paper Studio (HL), Scarlet cs (TAC), Fiskars scallop border punch, Creative Memories cutting system, Copics, glossy accents (on balloon) and rhinestones (Michaels).

I'll be back tomorrow with two posts - the newest challenge from Totally Papercrafts as well as my entry into the "Friends" Tiddly Inks blog hop. See you then!
Lisa

January Images Are Up!

2012-01-09T20:30:00.001-06:00

There are several new releases available over in the DigiStamp Boutique, including a cute new Valentines image collection. (You can buy the images separately, but the collection set is an awesome bargain!) I used the little Valentine bunny image for this card:

Supplies: Valentine bunny (DSB), bitty dots dp (PTI), Copic markers, border punch (Martha Stewart), ribbon, Hibiscus Burst cs (PTI), red and light pink cs, oval pattern Custom Cutting System (Creative Memories), scalloped die (Nestabilities), pink glitter, white fun flock (bunny's tail) and "I love you" sentiment stamp (TAC).

Isn't he sweet? I'm entering him in the "Something New" challenge over at the My Mums Craft Shop challenges blog.

Head on over to the DSB store to see the rest of the new releases including a fun birthday animal set, the Snuggles.
Lisa

Meet Wryn!

2012-01-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

I'm a fan of Tiddly Inks images and love this new character, Wryn. She is just the sweetest! I am entering my card in this week's Tiddly Inks "Celebration" challenge.

I've been spending a lot of time cleaning out my craft room and am very committed to using up some of my stash, especially my paper scraps. I did have to cut a new sheet of cardstock (boo hoo!) for the brick colored background layer but I'm proud to say all the other paper was from my scrap collection. Yay!

Have a great week!
Lisa

Welcome back!

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

After a holiday break, I'm back with the new challenge from Totally Papercrafts. This week's challenge is a sketch challenge:

My take on the sketch:

I'll admit I'm not usually a big fan of the criss-cross in the middle type of sketch but I did have fun with this one. I bought this Miss Anya Lounge set ages ago and haven't used it, but I thought one of the Anyas would be just perfect for this card. This week's Totally Papercrafts sponsor is the awesome Simon Says Stamp, which carries this and other stamps by The Greeting Farm as well as the Bo Bunny Snowfall paper that I used.

I am entering the beautiful Miss Anya in the following challenges:
TGF Farm Fresh Challenge blog - blue + white + one other color (brown)
Pile It On - Anything Goes
Crafts And Me - Anything Goes
iCopic - Smooth, shiny hair

Head on over to Totally Papercrafts and check out the other great DT cards. And be sure to play along for a chance at a great prize from Simon Says Stamp!

Lisa

Off to a Sweet Start!

2012-01-04T13:39:00.001-06:00

The Lili's Little Fairies challenge blog is offering up some wonderful blog candy to start out the new year, including a gift voucher to the Lili of the Valley store. I love their stamps - they are so cute!

There are several other vendors' prizes being given away. Definitely check out the challenge blog!
Lisa

Happy New Year! Happy New Sale!

2012-01-01T17:38:00.002-06:00

For one week only, all images in the DigiStamp Boutique are on sale - 30 percent off. Head on over and pick up some great images like this cute Hattie and her dog:

I'll be back soon with another card before I have to head back to work (blech!). Hope your holidays were good ones!

Lisa

New Year's Eve Party!

2011-12-27T09:34:00.002-06:00

The Sentimental Sundays challenge blog is having a New Years Eve party that promises to be a lot of fun - including prizes! I'm planning on participating, so come and join in on the fun.

See you there!
Lisa

More Torico!

2011-12-24T22:35:00.000-06:00

Since my daughter used the last one right away, I wanted to make another card with this cute birthday pup by Torico:

You can find this cute image and many other at Torico's Etsy shop, Birdie Brown. I colored him in with Prismacolor pencils and OMS and used more of that great Lime Twist 6X6 paper that I found at Archivers. (It is seriously a good thing that I do not have an Archivers anywhere near my house! LOL.)

Well, I'm off to play Santa. To those of you who celebrate - Have a very Merry Christmas!

Lisa

I Made a Card!!

2011-12-22T20:30:00.000-06:00

OK, most of the time that is not big news. But lately - ? Eeek! I haven't made a card since the last Totally Papercrafts challenge. (BTW, are you playing along? You have until the end of the month to join in while the rest of the DT and I take a little break for the holidays.)

I've been a big fan of Torico ever since I discovered her work at There She Goes stamps. Torico also has a little Etsy shop where she sells some of her work in digital form. My oldest daughter needed a birthday card tonight so I whipped out this new image that I just bought. I love dogs so I just couldn't resist! And I used my brand new Lime Twist 6X6 pad that I bought the last time I was at Archivers. I really think great paper just makes so much difference in your cards! (The colors are a bit off. I had to take this in my bathroom - sadly the room in my house with the best lighting - and then try to adjust for the artificial light with Photoshop.)

The layout is borrowed right from Torico's sample card in her Etsy shop. Embellishments are a computer generated sentiment and a ribbon scrap. (Did you notice the word "celebrate" on the ribbon?) I colored in the image with Prismacolor pencils and OMS.

Now that I'm off until the New Year, I hope to be back soon with another card!
Lisa

Partying with Totally Papercrafts!

2011-12-16T08:01:00.002-06:00

Welcome to this week's Totally Papercrafts, Time to Party! Our sponsor this week is Karen's Doodles. I chose this adorable giraffe image. It's not your typical "party" image, but to me those giraffes look like they are having an awful lot of fun together! I made this card for my oldest daughter who loves giraffes and loves singing in her school choir. (In fact, she went to a carolling "party" last week where they surprised their choir director by showing up at his house to sing.)

At first, I was worried about what paper I could possibly use for a Christmas card with this much brown and yellow. Fortunately, I bought this Bo Bunny 6X6 pad the last time I was at Archiver's. The brown dots go with the giraffes nicely and it already had the swirl design printed along the bottom edge of the paper. The snowflakes were cut with my Cricut using the Winter Woodland cartridge.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
http://blog.icopic.com/ - holidays
http://mymumscraftshopchallenges.blogspot.com/ - cute and funky Christmas
http://cupcakecraftroom.blogspot.com/ – Christmas Traditions

Be sure to head on over to Totally Papercrafts to check out the rest of the DT's cards. TGIF!!!!
Lisa

Totally Exciting News!

2011-12-14T21:51:00.004-06:00

Did you notice that things look a little different? Yes, you've come to the right blog! I've just decided it was time to "winterize" my blog with a new look to herald some other changes. :)

I've enjoyed my guest DT spot with the gals at Totally Papercrafts and was bummed that my temporary gig was about to end. But Cathy from TP emailed me over the weekend and asked me to become a permanent member of the team. I immediately said yes! You can now see the little blue Totally Papercrafts badge proudly displayed in my right sidebar. :)

I've made a few changes to my blog schedule. Since my Totally Papercrafts posts will be on Friday, I've decided to discontinue my Fab Fridays, instead just posting links and tips when I find something too good not to share. I've also decided that I would no longer have a weekly (Sunday) timeslot for my DigiStamp Boutique posts. This way I can post when a new set of images is released and not feel tied to a schedule.

Wow. It's been tough getting to the computer lately to share my news with you. My kids have been needed the family computer for school so my computer time at home has been pretty limited. Only one more week of school, though, until break. Yay!

I do have a card to share with you today. I wanted to use my Cricut Winter Wonderland cartridge and came up with this card:

You can kind of see it in the photo, but I added some glitter to the "snow" using my glue pen and some ultrafine glitter. You can see it a little better here, although I have yet to master the art of photographing the sparkle:

They were fairly quick to make. I also decided to type the greeting and "signatures" inside my card. They're dated, too, so all I have to do is write the names of the people I'm sending the card to. My handwriting is pretty terrible, so I figure not making people read it is sort of a Christmas gift in itself. ;-)

See you on Friday with my first Totally Papercrafts post as an official TP Design Team member! I can't wait! :)
Lisa

Totally Papercrafts

2011-12-08T18:24:00.001-06:00

And now for something really different... After weeks of making lots of Christmas cards, snowy cards, etc., this week's Totally Papercrafts challenge is "Anything but Christmas". (I think the girls were just a little overwhelmed by all the "snow" entries last week, lol!)

We are being sponsored this week by Meljen's Designs. Since I never seem to have enough birthday cards, I chose this cute birthday cupcake from Meljen for my card. I think it looks cute with this scrap of cupcake paper from my stash. (I am really trying to use up my scraps!)

Today's Fab Friday tip: If you're a fan of Meljen's designs, be sure to join her group over on Paper Craft Planet. She occasionally gives out free images only to members of the group. It's also a great way to get the latest Meljen news and meet other fans of her images.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming... (of Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!). :)
Lisa

Candy Everyone Wants

2011-12-05T10:37:00.001-06:00

No, I'm not talking about the 10,000 Maniacs song. :) Tracey is giving away some wonderful candy over at her blog, BrossARTaddiction. It's very easy to enter. Just visit her blog for details. Here's a peak of just some of the goodies that will be included in the prize:

Check out the blog candy section of my sidebar (lower right hand side of the screen) for some more changes for goodies!
Lisa

New December images

2011-12-04T16:41:00.001-06:00

Yay! There's a big batch of new images up in the DigiStamp Boutique store, including this cute new Jasper with pudding. For this month only, he's part of a specially priced set of two images called Christmas Jasper. (He'll still be available in January, but the images will be sold separately and no longer at the special set price.)

Supplies: Christmas Jasper (DSB), Copic markers, sentiment (TAC), border punch (Fiskars), pink bakers twine (Lime Twist), papers from my scrap stash, button (All My Memories).

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday - Sketch #184
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Raise the Bar - It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Be sure to stop by the shop and see the rest of the December images. There are some cute Valentines Louie images, if (unlike me!) you are on top of your Christmas cards and are ready to get set for Valentines Day.

Lisa

Merry Christmas, Tilda

2011-12-03T14:32:00.001-06:00

It's damp and drizzly today and somewhat warm for this time of year, so it's not feeling very Christmas-y out yet. This little Tilda card, though, should put me in the mood:

I bought this Christmas Party Tilda a while ago and haven't inked her up nearly enough. She's so cute!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Just Magnolia - Anything Goes
Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Red and White
Pile It On Challenges - Sugar and Spice
2 Sisters - Punches or Dies
Crafty Cat Weekly Challenge - the colours of Christmas

Lisa

Let It Snow

2011-12-02T07:44:00.001-06:00

Well, not really. I personally am in no rush to see the white stuff, having endured a blizzard and several other large storms last winter. However, it is fun to look at some snow-inspired cards as part of this week's Totally Papercrafts challenge Let It Snow! Our sponsor this week is Mandi Moore, who is a rep for Stampin' Up. I have a few SU! sets and my favorite is probably this snowman set:

I am also entering this cute little guy in the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - Winter Wonderland challenge

Copic Oz - Christmas challenge

Craft Your Days Away - Buttons or Bows

Crazy4Challenges - use snow

DSYU - ribbon

Designed2Delight - Snowmen!

The papers are from a My Minds Eye 6X6 pad that I bought at Archivers called "12 Days of Christmas". I just love using those pads for cardmaking - the scale is always right and they take all the work out of matching your patterns. So, that's my Fab Friday tip to you.: :) You can find them online, in chain stores like Archivers and Hobby Lobby and at your favorite local scrapbook store.

Now head on over to the Totally Papercrafts blog and check out the other design team members' snowy creations! :)

Have a great weekend! TGIF!
Lisa

DSB Deer

2011-11-27T22:01:00.001-06:00

Wow, this long weekend went by fast! The next 5 days are going to seem very, very long. :sigh:

Well, as usual I didn't get as much crafting time as I'd hoped, but I did find time to play with this cute Winter Rudi image from DigiStamp Boutique:

I also did a little more cleaning and organizing in my room. I participated in a local crafters' garage sale last week and it really helps to simply have less stuff to put away! That is one of the advantages of digital stamps - no storage (other than the computer you use to purchase them) to worry about. :)
Lisa

Totally Papercrafts Christmas

2011-11-25T09:57:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday! Welcome to another Totally Papercrafts challenge! This week's challenge is an easy one - just create a Christmas card or project. Easy peasy! Our sponsors this week are Simon Say Stamp and DigiStamp Boutique, so I created this card using a recent image from DigiStamp Boutique. He's part of the Snow Peeps collection.

The layout is based on this sketch from the Sketch Satuday challenge blog. Sketches like this always give me a good excuse to bring out my trusty Creative Memories square punch. And that's my Fab Friday tip for the day - in a design like this use a square punch or die rather than try to cut the squares with your cutter. It's really hard to get all of your squares exactly the same size and, in a layout like this it's really helpful if your squares are completely identical in size and shape.

I'm off to brave a little belated Black Friday shopping. (My youngest daughter needs a coat or I probably won't be bothering right now.) Have a great weekend and, if you go out shopping too, be careful. (There are some pretty crazy people out there!)

Lisa

Sunday Santa

2011-11-20T18:14:00.001-06:00

It's Sunday so it's time for another DigiStamp Boutique card! I am using that cute Santa and Rudoph image again - it's my favorite new Christmas image! You can find this Santa along with a bunch of other Santa images in this month's Cute Santa Collection.

Supplies: Santa and Rudolph (DigiStamp Boutique) colored with a combo of Prismaolors and OMS and Copic markers, scallop border punch (Fiskars), rhinestones (Michaels), circle cutter (Creative Memories), paper from my scraps stash, white fun flock (on beard and hat) and gold glitter (on belt).

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!
Lisa

Black and White.... and pink!

2011-11-18T09:20:00.000-06:00

Hi! Welcome to another fun Totally Papercrafts challenge! This week's challenge is "Black and White". Of course, I had to cheat a little and sneak in just a bit of my favorite color, pink. :)

Supplies: Always the Flower Girl (Tiddly Inks), pink ribbon (Michaels), flowers (Prima), papers from my stash

This week's fast Fab Friday tip... when coloring with dark colors (like the grey on the bottom layer of her skirt), always start with a lighter shade marker than you think you will need. You can always apply more color or add in shadows with a darker marker. But once you've colored in too dark, it's hard to lighten things back up.

Lisa

Santa Claus is Coming To Town!

2011-11-13T21:27:00.001-06:00

Well, not yet. :) But this cute new Santa has appeared in the DigiStamp Boutique shop this month. He's part of the Cute Santa Collection. They're all cute but the image with Rudolph is my favorite. :)

I'm really trying to use up my paper scraps, so today's card uses bits and pieces from my stash. Santa and Rudoph are colored in with a combination of Prismacolor pencils with OMS and Copic markers. I've added some dimension with ribbon (Michaels), a holly "button" (Jesse James), some white Fun Flock on Santa's hat and beard and some gold Stickles on his belt.

Santa and Rudoph are playing along with the following challenges:
DYSU - Inspired By Song
i{heart}2stamp - November sketch
Samuel Taylors - Christmas cards
2 Sisters - anything goes

Thanks for visiting! Have a great week!
Lisa

Totally Papercrafts Victorian challenge

2011-11-11T00:30:00.000-06:00

I wasn’t sure what to do about my Fab Friday posts during my guest designer tenure with Totally Papercrafts since those posts are also Friday posts. I really didn’t want to have two posts every Friday and I didn’t want to move Fab Friday (and have to rename it, lol!). So, I’ll be incorporating Fab Friday type tips and links into my Totally Papercrafts challenge posts - the best of both worlds!

First up is my card for this week’s Totally Papercrafts Victorian challenge. Finally a use for that set of vintage clip art CDs that I bought years ago and never used. I just love this little Victorian girl. I'm going to enter her into the Christmas challenge over at the Really Reasonable Ribbon challenge blog, as well.

Supplies: Victorian clipart (Memories of a Lifetime), dark green dp (EK Success), pine dp (Daisy D’s), snowflake dp (Jovial by BG), red cs (HL), ivory cs (TAC), white fun flock, ultrafine glitter, Candy Cane stickles Sakura glue pen, Burnt Umber Palette ink (TAC), ribbon, buttons, holly leaf “button” (Jesse James/Michaels).

Here’s a closeup. Hopefully you can see the glitter and the white fun flock that I added to her outfit.

Now, on to the Fab Friday portion of my post! I did some searching online and came up with a list of sites where you can find free printable vintage clipart. The first one has wonderful clipart for all sorts of holidays!
Vintage Holiday Crafts

I couldn’t resist taking a peek at these adorable animal themed vintage cards:
Animal Christmas Cards
I just know I’ll be downloading and printing off a bunch of those!

I’ve visited this site before and usually find something fun!
The Graphics Fairy

I found this site a little overwhelming (JMO) but there is a TON of images here to look through:
Karen’s Whimsy

If you haven’t visited Pinterest before, think of it as a way to share your favorite browser Bookmarks. Here is a link to their printable downloads. Lots of fun stuff there!
Pinterest – printable downloads pins

Now that you have all those wonderful FREE resources, be sure to play along with the Victorian challenge this week at Totally Papercrafts!
Lisa

You'd Better Believe...

2011-11-06T19:31:00.001-06:00

Sally-Ann just released some cute new Santas in the DigiStamp Boutique shop today. I remembered seeing a stamp that said "When you stop believing in Santa, you get underwear for Christmas", so I changed it up a little bit to fit this cute new Santa:

Inside:

It doesn't show well in the photo, but I used some white Fun Flock to give Santa a fuzzy beard and fuzzy trim on his hat. The layout is based on this week's sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

Head on over to the DigiStamp Boutique to see the rest of the new releases!

Lisa

Keeping you in stitches!

2011-11-04T08:20:00.001-05:00

No, not the laughing kind - the real kind! I'm starting off today's Fab Friday with an announcement - I will be the Guest Designer on the Totally Papercrafts blog for November and December! I'm excited to join this group of talented ladies.

This week's challenge on Totally Papercrafts is "Stitch It!". So, with that in mind I've decided to share some tips for adding stitches to your cards.

For those without a sewing machine or who simply dread the thought of actual sewing, here's a link: Frantic Stamper's faux stitching tutorial

Here's an interesting tutorial on using your sewing machine without thread: Stitching Without Thread

Finally, Hero Arts has some wonderful samples with actual stitching , as well as a link to the video below, here: Hero Arts: Adding Stitching

Happy stitching! Be sure to check out the wonderful stitched samples at Totally Papercrafts, including this card by yours truly. :)

Lisa

One Krafty Card

2011-10-31T18:03:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when Kimmie decided to celebrate KK's 2nd birthday with the chance to be a Krafty Girl! Even one day earning a spot as a guest designer would put me over the moon! Deciding to play along with the challenge was the easy part. Choosing my favorite KK stamp was the hard part! Which to choose? The graceful Bird Fairy? The swimmingly beautiful Arianna? Wild and wacky Charlotte? Beach beauty Eleanor? Too many favorites – only one contest! So, I had to go with my heart and pick my sentimental favorite - Eleanor. Eleanor has always made me think of my Nana, Evelyn.

I created this card using the current Kraftin Kimmie challenge – Monochromatic. Like Kimmie herself, I did sneak a little blue into my card. While creating my card, I stumbled across these beautiful Madeline papers from Prima that I had purchased a while ago. They were perfect for the vintage look I was going for and nicely accented the flowers in Eleanor's swim cap.

The coloring on this card is, admittedly, quite different from my usual style. I was inspired by this Faux Charcoal tutorial from the Deconstructing Jen site. It made me think of this photo of my grandparents when they were young:

(I joke that my grandfather had better legs than my grandmother, lol!)

Whether I make the KK team or not, I had a lot of fun making this card. :)

Lisa

Barney and Present

2011-10-30T16:37:00.001-05:00

Today's DSB features an older image but one of my favorites - Barney and present. This little pup is just so darn cute. He'll always be one of my favorites (probably because he reminds me of my dog, Dixie.)

Supplies: Barney and present (DSB), papers from my scrap stash, green brads (Michaels), sheer ribbon (Michaels), Prismacolor pencils and Copics.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
Lisa

Fast Finnish Fab Friday!

2011-10-28T07:57:00.001-05:00

Today's post is a super quick one. I ran across these directions for a Finnish star. This looks like a fun Christmas project to make with the kids!

Finnish Star tutorial

Enjoy!

Favorite Mo

2011-10-26T16:45:00.001-05:00

This week's challenge on the Digital Pencil Challenge blog was a simple one - use your favorite Mo Manning image and a sentiment. As the mom of two girls, I'm not normally drawn to boy images. However, this has to be one of my favorite Mo Manning images because it reminds me of my dog, Dixie, when she thinks she can guilt trip you into sharing a treat with her:

The image is called Bronte and Louis and it makes me smile every time I see it. :)

The layout is based on the current sketch over at The House That Stamps Built

I'm also entering this card into the "Free For All" challenge on the Wee Memories blog.

See you on Friday for a Fab Friday post! (Whew, this week is going by quickly!)

Lisa

Alison the Witch

2011-10-24T20:27:00.001-05:00

My youngest daughter is named Alison, so whenever I find a stamp named Ali or Alison, I just have to buy it! I recently purchased Alison the Witch (we're also big fans of Halloween at my house), so I was thrilled when I saw this contest - New Fall Images and a Grand Idea - on the Tiddly Inks blog. I couldn't wait to play with Alison and make my Fall card! For my layout, I chose this week's sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday. I like to pop in on Arlana and the rest of the SSW design team. :)

I can't ever seem to capture the pretty effect of glitter in my photos, but here's a close up so you can get a better look at this cutie anyway:

Supplies: Alison the Witch (Tiddly Inks), orange polka dot paper (Halloween stack by K&CO), Goth pumpkin dp (Recollections from Michaels), Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Halloween ribbon (Michaels), border punch (EK Success), circle Cutting System (CM), glitter, rhinestones.

In addition to the Tiddly Inks challenge, I'm submitting this card to the challenges listed below. (There are A LOT of Halloween/Fall challenges out there this week!)
All Sorts Challenges - Halloween
ABC Challenge - B is for Boo
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch
Creavil.com - Halloween
C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Autumn
Little Red Wagon - Fall
Wags N Whiskers - Fall colors
If the Shoe Fits - Spooky Fall
Really Reasonble Ribbon - Fall
PaperCrafting Journey - color challenge (orange/white/black)
Paper Play Challenges - use black

Now that the Fall sports season is coming to a close, I'll be able to stamp (and post!) more often. Yay!
Lisa

More Cute Christmas

2011-10-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today's DSB post features another image from the Cute Christmas collection. This one features Jasper and his cute bird friend. For my layout, I used this week's sketch at the Try Stampin' On Tuesday challenge blog:

Now, here's Jasper and his little friend:

Supplies: Jasper from the Cute Christmas collection (DSB), kraft, brown and red cardstock (TAC), Holly Jolly "Jingle Bells" dp (My Minds Eye), Copics, Prismacolor pencils, button, twine, glitter.

I'm also entering my card in this week's PileItOnChallenge, "Be Happy". I certainly think Jasper is one happy little mouse, don't you? :) Jasper's also getting entered into the following challenges:

Secret Crafter Saturday - Wrap Up Warm
By the Cute and Girly - Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts - Layer upon Layer

Hope you had a great weekend!
Lisa

Get Your Kraftin' Mojo On!

2011-10-21T20:30:00.002-05:00

If, like me, you are a huge Kraftin' Kimmie fan then I have great news for you! (Or since this is Fab Friday, I should say I have FAB news for you!) Kimmie is offering up the chance to be a guest designer for Kraftin Kimmie in the month of December. You have until October 31st to enter here: Challenge 100. It's a super easy challenge, too - just use your favorite KK image. Easy peasy!

Well, maybe not completely easy. How do I pick ONE favorite KK stamp? So, here's my first attempt, using this week's sketch from the Card Positioning System blog.

Here's a closeup so you can (hopefully) see the glitter I put on her tail. (I have the worst time trying to photograph glitter!)

I'm going to try my hand at another KK card or two this week and see which one is my absolute favorite. I'm also partial to my Bird Fairy and Eleanor KK stamps. Hmm... Oh heck, I love them all! :)

I'll be back on Sunday with another DigiStamp Boutique card. I have to work all day tomorrow (boo!) but will definitely make some time for stamping on Sunday!

Have a great weekend!
Lisa

Holiday Hattie

2011-10-20T17:25:00.001-05:00

Yay! I finally got to post a card! Today's card features the adorable new Hattie from the Cute Christmas Collection, one of the October releases at DigiStamp Boutique.

I'm entering this cutie into the following challenges:
Wee Memories - Holiday Madness

Tip Top Tuesday - Layer It

If you like Hattie, be sure to check out the other Hattie images at DigiStamp Boutique. There are several more winter/Christmas Hatties as well as a very "bewitching" Hattie! :)

Lisa

In Memoriam

2011-10-19T22:29:00.000-05:00

I've actually had a finished card for two days now. However, we've had a very sad event in our house this week. My daughter's rabbit, Chrissy, passed away last night while my daughter was away on a school trip. So, last night was spent at the vet's and tonight was spent with my daughter who just got home today. We let her share the excitement of her trip this afternoon but then we had to break the bad news. It has not been a cheerful time in the Thompson household.

So, tonight's post is in memory of Chrissy, another one of our foster-turned-family pets. She was a great rabbit. So pretty and soft. Sweet, liked to be held, never bit. In short, the best bunny a little girl could have. We will miss you, Chrissy.

Cute New Hatties

2011-10-16T19:58:00.002-05:00

Eek! Another week without a new DigiStamp Boutique card. But Sally-Ann has just posted two new adorable Hattie images as part of the October release.

First up is the adorable Halloween Hattie:

And then there's my fave Hattie and Buddy:

I'm off to finish the Hattie card that I'm working on. I'll be back later this week with at least one new card!

Lisa

Fab Friday Freebies!

2011-10-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

Another fast Fab Friday post.... Hop on over to the Gina K site for some wonderful FREEBIES!

Enjoy!
Lisa

A Frosty Fab Friday

2011-10-07T22:08:00.000-05:00

Today's Fab Friday is also a FAST one! :)

Check out these cool 3D Snowflakes over at Pine's blog. I just love her stuff!!

See you on Sunday with another DigiStamp Boutique card!
Lisa

Meet Louie!

2011-10-06T20:34:00.003-05:00

As promised, here's a card with one of the images from the second release at DigiStamp Boutique. This cute little guy is named Louie. Doesn't he just melt your heart?

Supplies: Louis (DSB), birthday dp (Imaginisce), Copics, corner punch (SU) and kraft cs (TAC)

Of course, I'm entering this little cutie in several challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Time for Cake! (there are cupcakes on the dp)

Anything Goes - Diecuts or Punches

Crafts for Eternity - Anything Goes

My Sheri Crafts - Think Pink

HIMCR - Pink!

Come back on Sunday for DSB card featuring an image from the first October release, Cute Christmas.

Lisa

New Images in the DSB Store!

2011-10-05T20:19:00.000-05:00

Go check out all the new images over at the DigiStamp Boutique store. They are sooooo cute!

October images

I'll post a card or two Thursday night. :)

Lisa

Snap It Up Fast!

2011-10-02T17:51:00.002-05:00

Check back later in the week for my DigiStamp Boutique card - I'm waiting for Sally-Ann to release the new October images. But, in the mean time, do snap up the September freebie. It's the great Halloween accessory set pictured below. Grab it before it's gone!

Have a great week! I'll see you in a few days with a new card.

Lisa

Fab Friday Quickie

2011-09-30T16:21:00.004-05:00

I'm still in crafting mode getting ready for tomorrow's big craft sale, so this Fab Friday post is a quick one! I stumbled across this site the other day:

Design Seeds

It's simply a blog of beautiful photographs with accompanying color palettes like this:

Great for color inspiration in all your cardmaking and scrapbooking projects. Enjoy!
Lisa

My First Easel Card

2011-09-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

I made my first easel card this week. I don't know how many more I'll make of these, but it was fun to try (and succeed) and making one.

I was inspired to try this because of several easel/fancy folds challenges this week. I'm also entering this card into several other challenges, so I included a Magnolia stamp (my fave Standing Fall Tilda), a "Thinking of You" sentiment and an autumn-ish color scheme, as well as giving Tilda some auburn tresses.

Pile It On Challenge - #39 Fancy Folds
Bows and Berries - anything goes
Delightful Challenges - Fall
4 Crafty Chicks - Fall
One Stop Craft Challenge - easel card
Paper Pretties - Fall
Paper Shelter - anything goes
Scrapbook Sisters - Fall
Stamp With Fun - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown – Thinking of You
Incy Wincy – Fancy Folds
Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
http://blog.icopic.com/ - red hair due on Sunday
http://magnoliadownunderchallenges.blogspot.com/ - fancy folds
http://justmagnolia.blogspot.com/ - Fall/back to school

Lisa

Birthday Jasper

2011-09-25T19:10:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my weekly DigiStamp Boutique (DSB) post. It turned out to be good timing that I hadn't prepared my card in advance. Sally-Ann, owner of DSB, just released some new images, including this cutie, Birthday Jasper:

Supplies: Birthday Jasper (DSB), teal polka dot paper (Tim Holtz), Salsa 6X6 scrap pad (Junkitz), sentiment (computer generated using Segoe Script type), Copics, buttons (Paper Studio), Scrapper's Floss (TAC).

I'm putting this little guy to work and entering him in the following challenges:
Stampin' for the Weekend - Challenge #17 What a Cutie!
Crafty Sentiments Design - Happy Birthday!
Southern Girls Challenge - Anything Goes!
Delicious Doodles Challenges - Challenge #2 Cute as a Button

If you're interested in checking out the other new images in the shop, head on over to the new releases page. There's Jasper with flower and Sketchy snow person. All are equally equally adorable! :)

Lisa

Milk Carton Box Tutorial

2011-09-23T10:52:00.003-05:00

As promised, today's Fab Friday post is a tutorial for a milk carton box. Let me give credit where credit is due. I totally stole , um I mean, was inspired by this milk carton on Kerry's blog. Kerry has a wonderful tutorial on her blog. But, unfortunately the measurements are all in centimeters. Not much for those of us on this side of the pond. ;-)

Supplies:
8.5 X 11" piece of cardstock
Scor-Pal
printed paper, stamped image, etc. for decorating
ink & sponge (optional)
small binder clip
adhesive

Directions:
Along short side of paper, score at 2.5", 5.5" and 7.5"
Turn paper and score along long side at 2.5", 5", 7.5" and 10". Cut out bottom right hand corner and notch bottom tabs as shown in photo below. Add 1" scores halfway between 2.5" & 5" scores and halfway between the 7.5" and 10" scores, as shown below

To find the half way point, align your scores along the 3" and 5.5" marks as shown below. Score at the 4.25" mark. repeat for other 1" score.

Using your bone folder, go over all of your score marks. This will make your box much easier to assemble!

If you're going to ink the edges of your box, the easiest time to do this is before assembling your box. Also, this is the easiest time to add any decorative paper and/or images. Cut your printed paper to 2.25" X 2.75".

Next, add adhesive as shown below. I recommend using a dry adhesive since it grabs right away and you don't have to hold or clamp the box together while a wet glue dries. The second section is the best one to place your image on. The first and third panels are notched to form the sides of the box. The panel all the way on the right is where the sides of the paper are joined to form the box. This is best hidden at the back of the box.

The fourth bottom section has adhesive on the other side. This is the bottom flap of your box.and will cover the other flaps.

How to assemble the box is a matter of personal choice. I find it easiest to adhere the 3 inner bottom flaps to each other as I fold my paper into a box shape, then adhere the side seam of the box, leaving the last bottom flap as a final step. Some people may prefer to adhere the long side first and then worry about the bottom. (Kerry does it this way.) Experiment with how the box folds together before trying to glue it.

Use a binder clip to hold your box closed. You can find decorative ones in the store. Or, use your paper scraps and some adhesive to cover your clip. (This is a great way to use up any super skinny strips of paper.) Add a bow, if desired.

Voila!

Image: Penny Black
Paper: River Rock (SU!), My Minds Eye dp, pink cs (Bazzill)

One last tip. If you are making a lot of these, I would suggest scoring all the pieces of paper in one direction (i.e., along the short side of the paper or along the long side of the paper) and then score all of them again in the other direction. Once you get into the groove of scoring at certain intervals (no pun intended) it's easiest to keep scoring all the papers that way and then score them all in the other pattern. (As opposed to score, turn, score for each piece of 8.5 X 11 cardstock.)

Give these a try! They are a lot of fun.

Lisa

Kraftin Kimmie Christmas

2011-09-22T08:05:00.002-05:00

That Kraftin Kimmie is really making me work hard for those challenges! ;-) First, there was the Halloween-inspired "Make It SPOOKY" challenge. I didn't have any KK Halloween stamps so I came up with this card using the slightly creepy Charlotte.

Then came this week's challenge - Christmas in September. Guess what? No KK Christmas stamp. So I once again put on my thinking cap (after blowing off the dust, lol!) and came up with this card using Lavender the Quilter:

I thought the "Warmest Wishes" sentiment tied together the quilt theme along with the holiday theme. And I used some of my Basic Grey Jovial 6X6 pad along with a red and green color scheme to complete the holiday feeling.

Of course, I won't have to worry about not having the right stamp for the next Christmas challenge. I was one of the lucky winners of the most Holiday Krafty Hop! Lucky, lucky me! :)

See you tomorrow for the milk carton box tutorial!
Lisa

Fall Tilda

2011-09-21T14:47:00.001-05:00

It's starting to feel like summer days are on the wane and autumn will be here soon. It certainly is a good excuse to dust off one of my favorite Magnolia stamps, Standing Fall Tilda. (She must be a lot of other people's favorites, because she's currently sold out at the Magnolia-licious store. I'm sure Diana will be getting more in stock soon, though.)

I'm entering Tilda in quite a few challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
Anything Goes Challenges - Anything Goes
Outlawz - Wednesday's Sketch Challenge
Magnolia-licious Highlites - Fall or Back to School Challenge
Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Fall colors challenge

Whew, Tilda is really getting around today. :-)

Don't forget to stop by on Friday for my tutorial on making a milk carton box with your Scor-Pal.
Lisa

A Party and a Prize!

2011-09-21T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Outlawz challenge group is celebrating having 1000 members with a party. And there's a great prize up for grabs - a $25 gift certificate to Paper Temptress and a large assortment. I *love* paper and can always use some new ribbon so this sounds like a great prize to me!

So, head on over to the Outlawz site and join if you're not already a member. Then, help spread the word and get your entries in for this great prize!
Lisa

Freakishly Fun!

2011-09-18T14:01:00.001-05:00

Today's DSB card is actually a project. A milk box carton, to be exact. I was inspired to make one of these after seeing the adorable Halloween treat box that Kerry made.

Here's the side view so you can see all the cute papers that I used. :)

This little creature is from the September release, Cute Halloween Collection. The sentiment and bat are part of this month's freebie. I took advantage of the great "Buy 3, get 2 free" deal over at Crafty Chaos Designs to buy these fun "Eye of Newt" digital papers.

I am entering this project into two challenges: the monthly challenge over at Jillian Vance Designs' Freaky Fridays challenge and the "Happy Fall Y'All!" challenge over at Love to Crop! (I'm assuming fall colors includes Halloween colors.)

Kerry has a tutorial for the milk carton box on her blog. However, it is in centimeters and my Scor-Pal doesn't have metric measurements. So, come back on Friday for my Fab Friday post with inch measurements and a few tips I picked up while making today's project. (I loved making this so much that I plan on making a bunch more to sell at the upcoming Hatton craft show!)

Happy Stamping!
Lisa

The Big 13

2011-09-16T06:00:00.015-05:00

Today's the big day in our house. My youngest daughter turns 13 on Sunday and she's having her birthday celebration with friends tonight (dinner out and a sleepover). While bloghopping the other day, I ran across this great inspiration her birthday card: Teenage Birthday. (Coincidentally, Terri was one of my team mates on the Sweet Sketch Wednesday design team.) My daughter is also into the Goth look. Must be the preteen/teen thing, probably thanks in part to the "Twilight" series.

I really liked the papers she used, so I checked out the Crafty Chaos Designs website. I fell in love with so many of the papers! I wound up buying "Halloween Bride" for Ali's card. I knew I wanted to use this cute Pinky image from Tiddly Winks and thought these papers were a good fit for the image - girly yet Goth. Here's the finished card:

Supplies: Halloween Bride digital paper (Crafty Chaos Designs), Pinky (Tiddly Inks), Labels 4 Nestabilities, Palette Noir ink, sponge, Copics, black and pink cardstock scraps, ribbon, black brads, Cricut with Winter Woodland cartridge.

Isn't she sweet? (In a Wednesday Addams kind of way! lol!)

Go check out Crafty Chaos Designs! I'm not sure how long the sale runs for, but right now if you buy 3 items, you get 2 items free! Just be sure to use the code "CCDbonus" during checkout. See site for details.
Lisa

DSB Sunday - New Images!

2011-09-11T18:52:00.000-05:00

Sally-Ann has released a new set of images today, entitled Cute Nativity.

And now for today's card:

Supplies: Cute Nativity (DSB), kraft cardstock (TAC), twine, Copic markers, chalk (sky background), circle punches (CM), star punch, paper scraps, sentiment (computer generated).

Lisa

Fab Friday: World Cardmaking Day Contest

2011-09-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

Wow, check out the prize package over at PaperCrafts World Card Making Day contest page!

They're looking for cards in five different categories:

a. Birthday

b. Christmas/Season's Greetings

c. Hello/Thinking of You

d. Love

e. Thank You

Cards must be postmarked by October 10th, so you've got plenty of time to enter! Get stamping! :)

Lisa

The Office

2011-09-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a relaxing Labor Day! Ironically, one of the things I did on my day out of the office was to participate in the Kraftin' Kimmie "Let's Go to the Office!" challenge. :) We had to use a paper clip or other office supply in our project. (I used a spiral shaped paper clip.)

I love, love, love this KK Bird Fairy stamp! It doesn't show up in the picture, but I used glitter on her wings. She came out so nice and sparkly! Her little bird friend is just the cutest, isn't he?

See you tomorrow evening for a Fab Friday post!
Lisa

A Flurry of DSB Cards

2011-09-05T16:02:00.001-05:00

Wow, how did it get to be September already?! If you're looking for new DigiStamp Boutique images, like my "DSB Sunday" cards, they're going to be a little late... :) Sally-Ann is hard at work and promised to get us some new images soon. In the meantime, here is this week's flurry of cards. (Well, OK, maybe 3 is not a flurry. But it's still a lot in one day!)

First up is this cute new Henry image, part of the August Offer of the Month - Zoe and Henry Christmas collection. I love that polka-dot paper behind Henry. It's "Jingle Bells" from the Holly Jolly collection by My Minds Eye. I love their papers!

Next up is this friendly and frosty fellow from the July release Snow Peeps. I love using non-traditional colors on my holiday cards. This dp is from a great Creative Memories "Additions" kit, Cheerful Winter, which I bought it from my friend and CM consultant, Jill. (Just in case you're looking for a CM consultant of your own!) The layout is based on Sketch TECC57 from the Taylored Expressions Sketch Book.

Last, but certainly not least, is this adorable Poppy image, Ice Skating Poppy. I used more My Mind's Eye paper and another sketch, this one from the Mojo Monday 2009 Sketch Book (Week 74).

Have a great week!
Lisa

Fab Friday For the Books!

2011-09-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

It's September, which means back to school time (for those lucky souls who weren't already back in August!). And back to scool makes me think of BOOKS. so this week's Fab Friday has a book inspired theme.

On my Cricut yahoogroup, one talented crafter posted a link to this beautiful bookmark:

Check out Christie's blog, Creations by Christie, for more beautiful bookmarks! Bookmarks make wonderful gifts so many people - teachers book club buddies, etc.! I'm inspired to try making one of these myself.

Lisa

Sunday with Barney

2011-08-28T06:11:00.000-05:00

Hi! Welcome to another DSB Sunday! Today's DigiStamp Boutique card features one of my favorite images, Barney with flower.

Supplies: Barney with flower (DSB), Copics, pink floral dp (Hobby Lobby), pink stripe dp (My Minds Eye), ivory and kraft cardstock (TAC), border punch (Martha Stewart), flowers (Prima), sentiment (TAC), brown cs, stick-on pearl, Palette Noir ink - used for sentiment (TAC).

Hope you have a relaxing Sunday!
Lisa

Fab Friday: Paper Bag Albums

2011-08-27T22:18:00.001-05:00

It's back to school time for many of us. And don't brown paper bags remind you of school lunches? So, this week's Fab Friday is all about paper bag albums. Remember those? They were really popular a few years ago. They've had sort of a rebirth, apparently, and all I can say is - wow, paper bag albums have come a long way! It's hard to tell that some of them are actually made from paper bags.

This is one of the best tutorials I saw:

This is a different variation of the album. Supposedly this is easy enough for beginners - she certainly makes it look easy! I may have to try this one.

Have a great weekend! Hope you find some time to do something creative. I'll see you on Sunday with another DigiStamp Boutique card.

Lisa

Krafty and Creepy!

2011-08-23T19:12:00.001-05:00

OMG! I love, love, love the new Halloween release over at Kraftin' Kimmie stamps! It's my husband's favorite holiday and I love all the fun indoor and outdoor Halloween decorations. So, I just absolutely, positively, had to find time to participate in this week's Make it SPOOKY challenge on the KK blog.

I don't have any Halloween Kraftin Kimmie stamps, but I didn't let that stop me! I bought this Charlotte stamp because she's just a little off-kilter... She's cute but yet just a little creepy, and definitely a little "spooky"!

Supplies: Charlotte (Kraftin Kimmie), Simply Spooky dp (The Angel Company), Copic markers, Nestabilities Label 1, Noir Palette Ink, bat eyelets, purple fiber, black and orange cardstock.

I'm glad Charlotte finally got to see some ink and that I had the perfect project for this dp from The Angel Company. It was always one of my favorite TAC papers. Sadly, The Angel Company has closed its doors today. My thoughts go out to Mischelle Smith and all the Angel demonstrators.

Lisa

Pink Pops

2011-08-21T16:57:00.002-05:00

Yay! There are new images over at the DigiStamp Boutique shop! Today's DSB Sunday card features one of the new images from the Lil Pops Collection.

Isn't she sweet? You could use this image on so many cards - birthday, get well, thinking of you, congratulations, and many more! You can see the rest of the collection by clicking on the thumbnail below:

Whew! Getting back to school and work has been so stressful! I haven't had any time or mojo to stamp. So, I was so happy to not only make a card today but I already have next week's DSB Sunday card done and photographed. Now that everyone's settled back into the school routine, I hope to be posting again soon.

Have a great week! (Does it really have to be Monday again already?!)
Lisa

Fab Friday Tutorial

2011-08-12T23:24:00.001-05:00

Yikes, what a busy yet unproductive day! Took Ali to her clarinet lesson - with drive time, 1.5 hours. "Stopped' by work - left 1 hour later. Took Jess to her 1:30 doctor's appointment - he was running late, so we didn't get out until 4:00 PM. Went to work picnic - had a great time, but was gone 2 hours. I did walk the dog and color my hair. (Just would've been nice to remember before 10 PM that I planned to color it tonight!)

So, without further ado, here is my promised tutorial for making my mini-notepads. Excuse the photography - it was late so I had to use flash.

Supplies needed:
cardboard/chipboard
printed paper for covers
cardstock for matting image on front of notepad
paper for notepad pages (I buy copier/printer paper when Staples has it on sale really cheap)
adhesive (I prefer some kind of tape runner or other dry adhesive)
stamped image or other decoration
binding equipment (I use a Bind It All and o-rings)

1. First, cut your covers, printed paper and inner pages.

What sizes? Well, assuming your cardboard is an 8.5 X 11" sheet, cut that into quarters (4.25 X 5.5") for your covers. Your covers determine the size of everything else. General rule of thumb:
- inner pages should be .25" smaller on both sides (e.g., 4 X 5.25" for our 4.25 X 5.5" covers)
- the paper for covering your covers should be 1" bigger on both sides (e.g., 5.25 " X 6.5" for 4.25 X 5.5" covers)

2. Place adhesive on cover, then center on the back of the printed paper. Miter corners as shown below.

3. Use adhesive to glue down flaps. Then cover the back with a piece of paper (cardstock or printed paper, it doesn't matter) that is 1/8" smaller on both sides than the cover.

4. Punch both covers and all of your pages with your Bind It All or other binding system. I don't have a set amount of pages that I include. Your pad's thickness will be determined by what size o-ring (or other fastener) that you use. My pads are usually approximately 1/4" thick.

5. Assemble your cover and pages and bind them together. If you're using a Bind It All and have trouble remembering what order to put your covers in before you bind them, check out this great tutorial: Bind-It-All Basics Part 2. In short, put your pad in order of the finished order (front cover on top of pages on top of back cover), flip the back cover up on top of the top cover, then insert your o-rings.

If you're using a Bind It All, remember these 4 things:
- pull out the black "T" on the back of the BIA. It serves to stabilize it against your surface as you pull down on the lever
- make sure your using the right setting based on the size of your o-rings (that's what those white lines on the binding surface are for - they correspond to o-ring sizes)
- be sure to hold your o-rings flat against the surface of your BIA to help ensure that your rings close evenly/properly
- occasionally clean out your BIA (there's a little "hatch" on the side) because it doesn't punch well when it gets full

6. Next, add your desired image and any embellishments to the front of your notepad. Voila!

I used this cute little Olivia image from DigiStamp Boutique and colored her with Copics (of course). The dp is from the "Simply Delightful" stack by My Minds Eye. It's a great stack because it has so many different patterns and color schemes!

And don't forget that Sally-Ann is still running a 20% off sale at the DigiStamp Boutique site. The discount is good on all the images in the shop.

Lisa

DSB Sunday

2011-08-07T17:36:00.001-05:00

For today's DigiStamp Boutique project, I actually have two samples. I've started working on some things to sell for an upcoming craft show (the Hatton Craft Show in October). One of my best sellers are these little handmade notepads. (Leftovers make great little gifts for teachers, etc., too.)

First up, this one features a fairly recent release, Barney with flower. Barney is just so sweet! You can see the rest of the Barney images here: Barney images.

Next up is a slightly older - but equally cute release - Isabella. I just love that she is so dainty and cute!

Both projects were made with papers from the "Simple Delightful" 12X12 stack from My Minds Eye. (I just love that paper stack! Tons of paper in a variety of prints and colors.) The images were colored with Copic markers and the pads were punched and bound with my trusty Bind It All.

If you like these little notepads and want to try making one, be sure to come back Friday afternoon for a Fab Friday tutorial where I'll share my tips for making these handy little notepads!

Lisa

Fab Friday Find

2011-08-05T14:42:00.000-05:00

While checking out the stamping and scrapbooking section of my public library, I ran across this book: The Encyclopedia of Greeting Card Tools & Techniques by Susan Pickering Rothamel.

In addition to the great info, there are lots of inspiring samples. You can a lot by reading the book but you'll also be inspired just looking through the samples. There are also biographical entries for several stamping professionals (including Dee Gruening, whom I used to watch on the Carol Duvall show years ago) which also feature examples of their work. The book also includes tips on card composition and card submissions.

Check it out!
Lisa

DSB MIA?

2011-08-04T23:19:00.000-05:00

Wow, how did it get to be August already? Back to school is just around the corner for us now. If you're looking for the new August images from DigiStamp Boutique, there aren't any at the moment. In the meantime, Sally-Ann, illustrator and owner of DSB, is offering all the images on her website at 20% off. Also, be sure to check out the Retiring products page, as there are several Christmas/winter images available. Perfect for getting an early start to your holiday cards!

Here's a card using an older DSB image, Ruby. (Ruby is retired, which just goes to show that you should always pick up your favorites while they're still available!)

Come back tomorrow for a Fab Friday post!

Lisa

Surf's Up!

2011-07-26T20:06:00.001-05:00

I'm back from my whirlwind, two week vacation which included 3 days at the beach! We didn't do any surfing, but still, I couldn't resist using this cool new Tom image, part of the July Offer of the Month.

And now that I've jumped back into cardmaking, I wanted to participate in a few challenges. So, I'm entering these two card challenges:

Pink Elephant - Fun in the Sun
Craft Your Days Away - Summertime

And here are a few pictures from one of my days at the beach:

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!
Lisa

One for the Road

2011-07-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

We leave in about an hour for our trip, but I wanted to leave you with one last card. I searched for Red, White and Blue challenge on the 4th of July and was halfway through making the card before I realized that the challenge was from May. Oops! lol! :)

Have a great weekend!
Lisa

A Fun Fab Friday

2011-07-08T23:16:00.000-05:00

This week's Fab Friday is a free find - this month's freebie image over at DigiStamp Boutique.

Coincidentally, I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow morning. I hope to be doing a little swimming of my own (i a hotel pool) by tomorrow night!

Have a wonderful two weeks!
Lisa

New July images over at DigiStamp Boutique

2011-07-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

Sally-Beth has posted some great new images over at DigiStamp Boutique! Included are these two "offer of the month collections":

From snow to sand, one (or both!) of these collections is sure to come in handy for your next cardmaking or scrapbooking project!

Come back tomorrow for a card or two featuring these new cuties!
Lisa

Fab Fourth Fab Friday

2011-07-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

This week's Fab Friday post has a 4th of July theme. I recently signed up to receive emails from Bo Bunny (love their paper!). I received an email today promoting their free desktop calendar themed wallpaper. This month's wallpaper has a patriotic red, white and blue theme. Great! They even have a detailed PDF file with instructions on how to upload your own photos into the wallpaper template. Fun! I can't wait to try it out! Here's the link:

Bo Bunny Freebies

Today's card isn't exactly Fourth of July, but it does feature this Kraftin Kimmie bathing suit beauty, Eleanor. For me, Fourth of July means hot weather and swimming at the lake! (Oh, and fireworks, too, of course!) I am so happy to finally have time to participate in one of Kraftin' Kimmies challenges again. And this week's challenge is "Make a Splash". This was perfect as I own three swimming themed different Kraftim Kimmie stamps.

For all those in the U.S. - Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Lisa

DSB Sunday

2011-06-26T19:55:00.000-05:00

Whew! My 12 year old had five friends over this afternoon to tie-dye shirts and then hang out. OMG, I forgot how much noice six 12 year old girls can make! LOL. Once they cleared out, it was finally safe to come down to my craft room and create in peace. :)

Supplies: Oscar and flower (DSB), flower dp (My Minds Eye), polka dot paper (CM), aqua cs (Bazzill), ribbon (Michaels), border punch (EK Success), Copic markers.

See you later this week!
Lisa

Fab Friday

2011-06-24T19:37:00.000-05:00

I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream! The There She Goes blog always has the cutest projects in their Dollar Find Fridays posts and this week's ice cream themed project is no exception. I haven't been to Michael's in forever, but I'm going to stop in this weekend to see if my Michaels has these ice cream cups, too.

See you on Sunday for a brand new DigiStamp Boutique card!
Lisa

A Present from Polly

2011-06-23T16:56:00.001-05:00

As promised, here's today's card featuring one of the new Polly the penguin images. I love this new series of penguin images from DigiStamp Boutique! Penguin stamps are usually male or "gender neutral" - it's fun to see a girly penguin. :)

Supplies: Polly the penguin (DSB), aqua mist polka dot paper (PTI), aqua (Bazzill) and black cs, Copic markers, black ribbon (HL), black brads (Michaels).

I love this polka dot paper from PTI, so that inspired my color scheme. With this aqua and black color scheme, you could use this as a winter birthday card (or a very non-traditional Christmas card!).

Check back tomorrow for a Fab Friday post! :)
Lisa

A Wingless Wednesday

2011-06-22T22:07:00.000-05:00

After a lot of deliberation, I've decided to hang up my "wings" and deactivate as an Angel for The Angel Company. So I will no longer be posting any Wednesday with Wings cards.

On a happier note, Sally-Ann has released several new images over at the DigiStamp Boutique shop: Zoe Driving, Henry Driving and Wedding Doodles. Be sure to check out the Wedding Doodles soon as they are discounted until this Sunday.

Check back tomorrow evening for a new DigiStamp Boutique card, featuring one of the adorable new Polly the penguin images, one of the June collections of the month.

See you tomorrow night!
Lisa

New DSB Images

2011-06-12T22:22:00.000-05:00

Hi! Welcome to DSB (DigiStamp Boutique) Sunday! I don't have a card for you today, but instead want to share some cute new images that Sally-Ann just popped into the shop. First up is Judo Sammy, followed by his alter ego, Pirate Sammy. Thar she blows!

And my favorite new image is actually this month's freebie - Polly Penguin. Isn't she just the cutest?!

Go and grab her soon as she's only available until the end of this month!
Lisa

June Release at DSB

2011-06-09T20:05:00.000-05:00

Yay! New digis are now available on the DigiStamp Boutique site! One of the new collections features an adorable dog named Wallace. Dog images always make me think of my dog, Dixie, so of course I couldn't resist making a card with this new DSB doggie! :)

Head on over to the DigiStamp Boutique site to see the rest of the June images!
Lisa

Caught a Bug?

2011-06-05T20:07:00.000-05:00

One card I somehow never make but need is a get well card. While deciding which image to use for today's DigiStamp Boutique card, I came across this past freebie:

I just love those little bugs! They aren't available anymore, but you can still nab this month's freebie here: DSB Dino. And, if you'd like to see some other cute bugs, check out the Love Bug collection on the DigiStamp Boutique site.

See you later this week with another card!

Lisa

Grad Card Number ????

2011-06-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted any cards lately because every card I've made in the past few weeks has been a hastily made graduation card -- usually dashed off while Jess got ready to go to (yet another!) graduation party. This time, I actually had the card made before she came home from work. :) Whew, that was a lot less stressful!

The image is from Pink Petticoat. It's from a collection of owl images. It was possibly the first digital image I ever bought! The sentiment is a stamp from the dollar stamp bin at Michaels. I don't find myself buying many others, but I do like the dollar bin for sentiments.

I'll be back tomorrow with my weekly DigiStamp Boutique card. See you then!
Lisa

Fab Friday Giveaway

2011-06-03T19:04:00.000-05:00

I found the coolest blog candy today! Pink Paislee and Glimmer Mist have paired up to offer one great prize package on the Create blog.

Does these colors say "Summer" or what?

So, head on over to the Create blog and enter yourself!

Lisa

DigiStamp Delay

2011-05-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

Just a quick heads up that the June DigiStamp Boutique offer will be delayed a few days. Later this week I'll be posting a card with one of the current images. As soon as the new images are released, I'll post a link to them in the shop and try to get a card up on the blog within a day or two.
Lisa

Fab Friday Freebies!

2011-05-27T22:02:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted a Fab Friday post and even longer since I posted links to some free stuff. So, here are some goodies for you. :)

Are you into digital scrapbooking? Or maybe you wanted to try it, but didn't want to invest a lot to find out if you liked it? Check out ShabbyPrincess, home of free shabby designs for scrapbookers

This next site has been around for a long time - you can find just about any template imaginable on Tami Matta's site.

And you only have a few more days to grab the cute Dino freebie over at DigiStamp Boutique.

Enjoy the freebies!
Lisa

Crawling from the wreckage...

2011-05-15T20:11:00.000-05:00

I feel a lot like that old Dave Edmunds song! Between allergies, end of the year crush at work, camera problems and just a plain ol' creative funk, it has been forever since I posted. The lure of cuteness in this image from DSB's offer of the month, Olivia and Archie, finally called me out of my funk and into my craft room. (Unfortunately, it was a rainy day here so the lighting was poor. I think PSE saved the day again.)

They are 2 cute kitties! :)
Lisa

New Releases at DSB

2011-05-01T21:52:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday, so not only do I have a card to share for "DSB Sunday" but it's also May 1st so there's also a new release! :) I just love these new Archie and Olivia images! They are soooo adorable!

I chose the adorable Miss Olivia for today's card:

The papers are from a stack by My Minds Eye. I love using stacks because you know that you always have several prints that will go together!

Be sure to stop by DigiStamp Boutique to see the rest of the May release!

Lisa

SFYTT - April

2011-04-30T20:02:00.001-05:00

OMG, it's been so long since I posted. Whew, I'm so glad to be back. :) I"m, glad, too, that I was able to finish my card in time for the April SFYTT challenge. I love Jen's sketches and have been trying to play along all year.

Note: updated photo (better light)

This month's sponsor is Unity. I only have one Unity set, which I used to stamp the stems for my flowers. (Sorry - I bought this set used and have no idea what it is called.) I really wanted to use this floral paper from My Minds Eye on my card. None of the flowers in the stamp set matched my paper, so I used some Primas that better mimicked the paper.

I'm off to battle my allergies (ugh!!). I'll be back tomorrow with the May release from DigiStamp Boutique. If you love kitties, you'll love the May release. :)
Lisa

Fab Friday for the Frantic

2011-04-22T23:05:00.000-05:00

Peter Cottontail will soon be hopping down that bunny trail. If you haven't had time to make your Easter cards yet, check out some digital options.

Sally-Ann has a cute new Easter collection available at the DigiStamp Boutique shop.

(And, yes, the card on the DigiStamp site is one from yours truly!)
I'm also a big fan of one of last year's releases, Spring Coco and friends.

If you're looking for religious Easter images, try TAC's Digi Design House: Easter images. TAC's own Mabelle Ramirez-Ortiz also has some cute Easter images in her Etsy shop, Whimsy and Stars Studio.

Time for me to hop off to bed! I'm serving Easter dinner for 12 on Sunday and I still have a lot of cleaning and cooking to do.
Lisa

Worth Dye-ing For!

2011-04-20T22:36:00.000-05:00

Tonight was time for that annual family ritual - the dyeing of the Easter eggs! Even DH joined in on the fun, but of course, my kids had the most fun. (And were the most creative!) Here's our collective efforts:

Now, since this IS a Wednesday, I wanted to be sure to include something that featured a stamp or other product from The Angel Company. In the spirit of Easter, I hid this one a bit.... :)

Here he is - the cute little bunny from the "I Love Easter" set:

I stamped him onto some sticker paper with Versafine, dried the image a bit with my heat gun and then cut him out. Ta-da! A custom Easter sticker. :)

I'm hopping off to bed now. See you soon with another Easter project!

Lisa

Flower Girl

2011-04-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

A quick post tonight since I had to work late today and have to be at work early tomorrow. (7 AM meetings should simply be illegal!)

Normally, this girl from the Fall Harvest set makes me think of, well, Fall. But I thought she would also look cute in pink & blue along with this Lily Anna paper. (Apologies for the photo - I had to use flash since I didn't get to photograph this before dark. Blech.)

Lisa

A DSB Wedding

2011-04-10T19:49:00.003-05:00

I'm back with my weekly DigiStamp Boutique card. This features the adorable Bella and Oscar Get Wed and is based on this week's sketch (#213) from the Card Positioning Systems blog.

The red and cream paper is some older (discontinued) Stampin' Up paper. I like how the circular pattern mimics the designs of Bella's rose bouquet.

See you another day or two with another new card!
Lisa

Fab Friday

2011-04-08T19:13:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I ran across a terrific tutorial for combining digital images. Check it out:
Creating a Scene

And for some great tips on recoloring digital images, check out this tutorial:
Modern Flowers
(Although this tutorial uses Page Plus, you could achieve similar effects with Photo Shop or whatever picture editing software you own.)

I'll be back soon with another card!
Lisa

I'm ba-ack!

2011-04-06T18:52:00.000-05:00

Good news: Spring has finally arrived!
Bad news: Spring allergies have also arrived!

Ugh, I have spent the past 3 days feeling miserable! It was a really busy time at work so no time to take a day off and rest up, either. So, I am way, way behind on stamping (nevermind blogging), but I finally have a card for you today. Forget my usual schedule. I'm just glad to have something to post today.

In honor of spring (which I do love despite the accompanying pollen), I created a card featuring this cute Spike with flower from DigiStamp Boutique. At least Spike can enjoy smelling the flowers. :)

I even took advantage of the beautiful spring weather and took my photos outside on my deck. :)

I have been "collecting" challenges and hope to back with another challenge card soon!
Lisa

Welcome, Spring!

2011-03-31T22:34:00.000-05:00

Old Man Winter has slowly (oh so slowly!) been releasing his grip on the weather these past few days. It's still pretty chilly, but my daffodils are blooming and there's green sprouting up all over my flower beds. Yay! I'm so ready for spring and Sally-Ann has released the cutest little Easter/spring images just in time!

Isn't this spring chick the cutest? The layout for my card is based on this week's Sketch Challenge over at the Outlawz Challenge site. If you've never visited the site, I really recommend it. The ladies there are super nice and there are new challenges every day. There's always a challenge to inspire you!

Lisa