Curling Up with a Good Book

Another snow day, another card. :) I also curled up with a good book part of the day - The Dead Shall Not Rest, a murder mystery set in 18th century England. (I love historical fiction!) So, it's fitting that today's card features the book loving Lucy from Kraftin' Kimmie.

Supplies: Lucy (Kraftin Kimmie), pink swirl dp (Paper Studio),

heart dp (Basic Grey), Close to Cocoa ribbon (CM), small roses (Recollections - Michaels),

burgundy rose (Paper Studio), Copic markers, rhinestones (Paper Studio),

Winter Wonderland cartridge (Cricut), sewing machine.

This week's Kraftin Kimmie challenge was fussy cutting. Coincidentally, the Sunday Showcase challenge on the Designed to Color FB page was to fussy cut part of your image. (I've fussy cut around her feet and around the book at the bottom.) And while browsing through my KK stamps, I found this Lucy stamp which I had completely forgotten that I'd purchase. And guess what the current Simon Says Stamp challenge is? Yep, use a stamp that hasn't seen any ink in a while. I'm entering my card into all of the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show - A stamp you love but don't use
Kraftin Kimmie - Fussy Cutting
Oozak - Anything goes with favorite colors (my favorite color combo is pink and brown)
The Sweetest Thing - sketch 178
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - use your favorite color (pink)
Addicted to Stamps and More! - anything goes but must use a stamp
7KidsCollegeFund Challenge Blog - anything goes (you can find Lucy here)

I was really glad to get a chance to play along with Karen's sketch. I always check out her sketch on FB but somehow never manage to find time to join in. I guess there's a silver lining to all those snow days!

Well, it's back to work tomorrow for at least a few days.  (The weather forecasters keep taunting us with the threat of another snow storm and we are all hoping they are completely wrong!!) Stay safe and warm wherever you are!
Lisa
P.S. If you're wondering how I used the Winter Wonderland Cricut cartridge on my card - the swirls on either side of the rose were antlers on a deer. They make pretty good swirls, though, don't they? :)

I'm Back!

Another snow day, another birthday card. :) For this one, I used Party Dog from the Birdie Brown Etsy shop. This is one of the first digis I bought from Torico and it's still one of my favorites. It's a fun image and I love coloring it in!

Supplies: Party Dog (Birdie Brown), Lime Twist 6X6 paper pad (MME), 

brads (Paper Studio), Copics, sentiment (Paper Studio).

I'm entering this party animal into the following challenges:
Inky Chicks - Birthday or Mothers Day
Card Makin Mamas - Its Birthday Time!
One Stop Craft Challenge - For the kids

Thanks for stopping by!
Lisa

With Sympathy

Recently DH asked me for two sympathy cards to send friends of the family. I didn't have any already made, so I went off to my newly cleaned (thanks to the snow days) craft room. For both of my cards I used the poppy from the Sketchy Flowers set, the current offer of the month from DigiStamp Boutique. These beautiful flowers would be suitable for all sorts of happy occasions (birthday, Mothers' Day, anniversary, etc.). However, their stately elegance also makes them appropriate for more somber occasions such as this.

Frou-frou isn't my thing anyway, but I kept the layouts simple, the colors muted and the embellishments to a minimum. I don't like to see a lot of bling on a sympathy card and I wanted these to go travel through the US Postal system safely.

I am submitting my cards into the following contests:

Sentimental Sundays - Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes

Pink Gem Challenge Blog - Add a Bow

Penny's Challenges - Anything Goes

I'm still working on birthday cards and plan on getting together with a friend later to work on some spring themed cards. So there will be more cards coming...

Lisa

Birthday Cards

Since I've found myself with extra time this weekend, I've decided to restock my stash of birthday cards. This card came together really quickly thanks to a great sketch on the Operation Write Home site. (I'm planning on donating some cards to OWH, as well.) It was also a great sketch for using up all those skinny paper scraps! This image from DigiStamp Boutique was quick to color in, too.

Supplies: Birthday Candles (DSB), Lime Twist - Life of the Party 6X6 pad (MME),

brads (Paper Studio) and Copic markers

I'm entering my cards into the following challenges:
Card Makin Mamas - Birthday Time
One Stop Craft Challenge - For the Kids
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Metal-ology (brads)
Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes
Loves Rubber Stamps - Lots of Layers
Through the Craft Room Door - Always Anything Goes
Inky Chicks - Birthday or Mothers Day

I'll be back with more birthday cards soon!
Lisa

Hope for Spring!

The theme of this week's Totally Papercrafts Challenge is "Hope for Spring". Let me tell you that right now I am REALLY hoping for spring. This was the view out my window on Thursday. :sigh:

This week we are sponsored by J&C Creations and Crafty Sentiments. For my card, I chose this adorable Crafty Sentiments digi stamp, Lilly with Flowers.

Supplies: Lilly with Flowers (Crafty Sentiments), Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky 6X6 pad (My Minds Eye), pink cs (DCWV pastel stack), ribbon, Copics. Prima flowers, brads, leaf die (Memory Box).

I am also entering this sweet girl into the current CMC Copic Challenge - Girly Time!

Hope your weather is better than mine! But regardless of the weather, be sure to visit the Totally Papercrafts blog, leave the DT some love on their wonderful cards and join us in this week's challenge!
Lisa

Candy for a Cause

Chris, one of my teammies at Totally Papercrafts, is offering up a sweet prize to help raise awareness/funds for a little girl named Stacey.

Stacey is fighting neuroblastoma, a form of cancer, which has not responded to the treatment she's received in her home country of England. Stacey and her parents need to travel to Germany so that she can undergo a more intensive treatment. You can learn more about Stacey here:

My Blog Candy for Stacey

Please consider making a donation or blogging about this candy in a post or in your sidebar. Donations can be made here:

Stacey Mowle Appeal

Thanks!
Lisa

All You Need is Love

Every time I say I'm not going to make any more Valentines related projects, another heart/love/Valentine challenge pops up that I just have to say "yes" to! :)  The latest is Meljen's All You Need is Love challenge. I used this adorable Meljen image - Bulldog's Bear. Aw!

I'm also entering him in the "Love" challenge on the Paper Crafting Journey challenge blog.
Lisa

Happy Valentines Day!

I just had to squeeze in a few more Valentines Day projects. :)

First up is the card I made for my daughter. (She has a pet rat. There aren't too many Valentines rat images out there, so I went with this cute Valentine Mouse instead.)

Louie is my favorite bear and one of my favorite DSB images, so of course I had to make one more card using the Louie Love set. (The circle sentiment is from the Simply Valentine Greetings set.) All images are from the DigiStamp Boutique.

I'm entering these in the "Love" challenge over at Paper Crafting Journey as well as the "Anything Goes" challenge at Charisma Cardz.

Hope you had a SWEET day!
Lisa

Sweets for Your Sweetie

I've been making lots of Valentines Day projects lately! My daughter asked me to make some of these candy boxes to give to friends/coworkers at school. This box is my favorite - lots of PINK (including the sweet digi paper) and this adorable little Louie from the Louie Love Set (DigiStamp Boutique).

Supplies: Louie Love Set (DSB), Heartfelt paper set (DSB), pink cs (HL), Copics, white grossgrain ribbon (Bags and Bows), Copics, mini-binder clips (Walmart)

Here's a close up of the little guy. I used E41, E42 and E43 Copic markers and left some of the area white. (I don't have a true off white Copic yet - they're all too dark/yellow/brown.) I used short strokes to try to give the feeling of fur.

I'm entering my project into the following challenges:
CMC Copic Challenge - Texture (fur)
Inky Chicks - Valentine or Anniversary
Paper Crafting Journey - Love
Charisma Cardz - Love
Milk Coffee Challenge - Valentine
Oozak - Anything Goes with favorite colors (pink!)
Love to Create - Feelin' the Love

Here is a group shot of all 6.

images: Archie and Olivia (DSB)

If you're a regular visitor to my blog, no doubt you've seen these candy boxes before. However, if you're new and would like to try your hand at making some of your own, check out my tutorial: Milk Carton Boxes. These boxes are truly the easiest 3d paper project I've ever made.
Lisa

Whimsie Doodle Sketch Challenge

The current Whimsie Doodles challenge is one of my favorites - a sketch challenge! I used this adorable image (Mailed My Heart) from the freebies page. (I can't believe this cutie was free!) To make her fit the sketch, I cut out just part of the image and mounted her on top of a circle cut from printed cardstock.

Supplies: Mailed My Heart (Whimsie Doodles), blue polka dot dp and sentiment (DigiStamp Boutique), polka dot and heart dp (Paper Studios-HL), Valentine sentiment dp (Martha Stewart), heart brads (Recollections-Michaels), organza ribbon (Bags and Bows), red cs (Hobby Lobby), scallop edge punch (Fiskars), white CS (PTI), circle cutter (Creative Memories) and Copic markers.

I'll be back soon with some more Valentines related projects. :)
Lisa

TSG

This week's challenge at There She Goes stamps couldn't be more perfect! This week's challenge was to make a card or other papercraft project based on this fun inspiration photo:

My 18 year old issued a challenge of her own. She needed a Valentine card for her boyfriend using the TSG set, Puppy Love (my fave!). And, oh by the way, would it be possible to drop the card off to her at college tomorrow? Along with the 6 candy boxes I was already working on? Um yeah, sure, kiddo. Nothing like a little pressure to kick you into creative mode!

The inspiration photo was perfect for a masculine card - the grey and metal elements were easy to incorporate into my card and gave it a "guy card" feel.
Lisa

Crafty Sentiments New Release

Note: If you're looking for my Totally Papercrafts challenge post, please scroll down below.

Suzette, my Totally Papercraft teamie and owner of Crafty Sentiments is releasing some adorable new stamps in her store. She graciously shared her artwork with us so that we can help celebrate!

This sweetheart is called "Just Dance". She's so adorable, isn't she?

I'm showing her off in a couple of different challenges. :)
CMC Copic Challenge Group - Texture (her hair)
Oozak.com - Favorite Color Combo (pink and brown)

Head on over to Suzette's store to see the rest of this great new release of stamps!

Lisa

Be Mine, Valentine!

Happy Friday! Have you started making Valentines yet? If not, here's a good incentive to get going! This week's Totally Papercrafts challenge is "Valentines or Love".  We are sponsored by Squigglefly, who kindly provided us with some adorable Valentines/Love related images. For my card, I chose this adorable image entitled "Oh Please Be Mine!".

This image is so detailed with lots of shading, so it was easy to get this painted look with less Copic markers than you would expect. I kept my card simple to put the emphasis on these two sweeties.

Come join us this week and make a Valentine or love related card or other paper project! You could win your choice of digis (like this one!) from Squigglefly! And, of course, don't forget to stop by Totally Papercrafts to see the other ladies' great samples!
Lisa

Tied up with a Bow

Whew! This Kenny K image is sweet - but smokin'!

Supplies: "Bow" digital stamp (Kenny K), cream seam binding (Ribbon Carousel), 

Copic markers, light pink rhinestones (J and C Creations), heart punches (CM and Paper Shaper), 

paper piercer (Making Memories), and assorted paper from my scrap stash.

I am submitting my card into the following challenges:
Delightful Inspiration -sketch
Bearly Mine Challenges - Hearts Galore
J and C Creations - Something Old and Something New (old=pink rhinestones, new=Kenny K image)
Colour Q Challenges - pink/primrose/raspberry/espresso/vanilla
Paper Crafting Journey - For a Girl
Charisma Cardz - Pink and Brown
Cute Card Thursday - A Different Corner
Milk Coffee Challenge - Valentines

Pink and brown is my favorite color combo, so I had a ton of fun making this card! Hope you find time to do something fun and crafty this weekend, too!
Lisa