Sentimental Journey

I love Pinterest, don't you?!  So much inspiration, and you can save the projects you want to try yourself, or store all the glorious landscape photos to dream over, or try out those scrumptious recipes...
I found a fun project there the other day and had to try it.  It was an altered matchbox.  Now, I received a new release digital image from Squigglefly that I thought was PERFECT for my own altered matchbox, BUT...I couldn't find a matchbox in the house to save my life (or create my project).

So I made my own matchbox, but it became more of a square box card than a matchbox, but who cares, the image fit perfectly and I didn't think you'd mind! LOL  Instructions for making your own boxes out of patterned papers or cardstock abound on Splitcoast Stampers, PaperCraftPlanet, and YouTube, but it's a simple matter of knowing how big you want your box, then making it a half inch bigger on all sides.  Then you score a half inch in from each side and fold in, snipping the inside score line from the edge to the next score line on the top and bottom edges.

When you fold your edges in, your paper forms a box with four small tabs on which you can place a glue dot to hold the box together.  Once finished, I covered my box on the inside with patterned paper.  The outer sleeve of my "matchbox was cut to match the size of my box and then I really just eyeballed the folds by placing my handmade box on the strip of paper and marking where the folds should be, scoring later (I made my sleeve a tad bigger than my box). I covered the sleeve with the same patterned paper that I used on the inside box and then glued it together, making sure the box slipped in and out easily.

On to the design part...This week starts a new Squigglefly Challenge on their blog, to use sentiments somewhere on your project, either from Squigglefly, or a stamp, or from the computer, or your own!  So the front of my matchbox card uses the sentiment that comes with a fun digi image from artist Diana Garrison called Feelin' Froggy?.  I love images that come with their own sentiments, don't you?
I jazzed up the patterned paper and the sentiment with Stickles, Liquid Glass and Liquid Pearls, and added a 3D flower for the "O" in Froggy.  To help the recipient of my card with opening it up, I threaded raffia through a couple of punched holes in the box side, as well as a button, then tied the raffia into a bow.

So, when you open my matchbox card, you see the image from the Feelin' Froggy set (the cutest little tree frog) along with the sentiment "Hang in There".  I colored my froggy with Copics, Liquid Glassed his eyes, and shimmered his skin with Stickles.  I adhered him onto the inside of my box with dimensional tap and attached the limb on which he is perched with glue dots.

I hope you like my card, and understood my directions for making it.  Again, the internet is loaded with video and photo tutorials if I just confused you LOL.

Do you put sentiments on your cards?  If not, you should try it!  Not only will you have a specific card when needed, but you can join the Squigglefly Challenge for a chance to win some of their digital images free.  Don't have any yet??  Click HERE for freebies! And have fun!

The Color Purple

I fall in love with colors!  How about you?  Today it's the many moods and shades of purple, which works perfectly for Queen Kat Design's Orchid Wyvern Dragon by artist Teal Newcombe on my card.  It practically blooms with the purples and orchids in my project.

Besides the patterned paper and cardstock, I stamped the card background with another QKD stamp called Fight the Flame, all in shades of purple.  Next I colored my image with my Copics, adding the teal color for contrast, while coordinating it with my cardstock card base.
I had the most fun picking out the shiny embellishments from my "can o' leftovers" from previous projects.
FYI:  According to Wikipedia, "A wyvern...(pronounced why-vern w/accent on first syllable) is a legendary winged creature with a dragon's head, reptilian body, two legs (sometimes none), and a barbed tail. 

Just thought you'd want to know.  I did, as it has caught my fancy this last month!
For more Wyverns and Dragons and fantastical beasts, check out the Shop!!  You're sure to find something that catches your fancy!

Mixed Media Just Because card

My crafting has mood swings.  Sometimes I'll enter a CAS period where less is better, and clean lines and white spaces are beautiful.
Then there are my periods when I use up a certain embellishment, like lace, or flowers, or buttons.  And let's not forget color obsession.  I was on a Teal kick for weeks!
Well, today I was inspired by Jean Blenkhorn's artwork, and tried my hand at a multimedia card.  It's 5x7, because if I'm going to throw on all the elements that move me, my card has to have room for them!

I started with a Queen Kat Designs stamped image called  Porcelain Mermaid by Terra Bidlespacher.  I colored her before even looking for a theme or patterned paper to use.  I just wanted my muse to take me wherever it wanted.
Once she was colored with my copics, I found a piece of amazing seashell patterned paper.  I built on this base, weaving raffia to look like a net, adding tiny seashells and ocean-themed buttons.  I ink-distressed the image, the sentiment and the card base with both Distress Inks and chalks.
I found a Tim Holtz embellishment--a tiny corked bottle, and cut and rolled some printed paper to stuff inside it.  The bow is tied brown netting, and the seagull perched on the sentiment?  Another ocean-themed button.
I'm not used to throwing everything but the kitchen sink on a card, but the embellishments called to me.  Who knows?  From this project I might start using paint and mod podge and all sorts of items.  Or I might go back to simple, pretty, whimsical, clean.
Wherever I go, it will be to follow where my muse leads.
Where does your muse lead you?  If it takes you to the beach, then Terra's Porcelain Mermaid is a great starting point.  You can find her and her salty friends HERE.

It's a Girl!!

At least that's what the ultrasound says about the baby that my girlfriend's daughter is having very soon now. Her baby shower is tomorrow, and my two girlfriends and I are putting are money together to help her buy the most awesome crib/changing table/dresser/bassinet/washer/dryer/oven...well, maybe not the last couple, but it is definitely multipurpose-grows with the child-minimum space taking furniture ever made!

So my girlfriend asked me to make a card for the baby shower, and I love the presentation that a tri-fold shutter card makes.  Here's how the front of the card looks like open.  I had just organized my collection of stickers, so I pulled out my folders of baby and flower stickers, all leftover from previous projects!  Then I reached for the folder labeled sentiments and got a few baby words.

Then I found a beautiful quote online about how a mother carries a baby in her womb for nine months, in her arms for three years and forever in her heart.  I printed it up, diecut it with my Nestabilities Lacy Scallops die and adhered it onto the card.
I finished the card with leftover jewels, pearls, flowers, then doodled with my Sakura white gel pen and finally inked the edges.
So, I have good news and bad news:  The good news is that I'm going to a super fun crop all day tomorrow.  The bad news is that because of the crop, I can't go to the baby shower!!  So I won't get to see all the cute gifties she'll get for her baby girl, but I know she'll love the card.

Holy Card, I Mean, Hole-y Bookmark

I liked paper piercing so much that I had to use it on another bookmark I made for my sisters.  This one uses the Squigglefly digi image Sassy Sally Likes Birds from artist Cheryl Alger.  I like the design of this bookmark, as it is CAS, so it fits nicely inside a book or magazine, and I can easily slip it onto the top of the page where I left off by designing it with a circular cut at the top.  It's easy peasy, it looks great, and it won't slip out of place like some loose bookmarks can.
Anyway, here is  my project for this week's Squigglefly challenge, which is to try Paper Piercing (not piecing) on your project.  You try it too, it's addicting!!!  Here I just made freehand "photo corners", and also pierced the little banner-shaped bottom edge.   The sentiments are from TLC Quik Words Rub-Ons, "Moments" collection.  They read: "Imagine the Perfect Day".
And now that I look more closely at my image here, I see that I forgot to color her shoes!!  ROTFLMAO  I will definitely fix that before I gift this bookmark out to family!!

Happy crafting, and keep cool!!

Holy Card

I don't do a lot of paper PIERCING--paper PIECING, yes, but PIERCING?  Where's my straight pins?
So I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and met the new Squigglefly challenge this week, and poked holes in my card, and you know what?  I like it!!

I used a new Cheryl Alger digi image called Sassy Sally and Bella Play Hide and Seek.  I used my trusty Copics for coloring the image, then matted the image on the same colored cardstock as the card base.
For the Piercing, I had a leftover piece of patterned paper with various sized swirls and flourishes.  So I used a few of them as templates for my hole-piercing.  A sticker sentiment and a flower embellish my card (with a little inking of the edges thrown in) and I'm finished!!
Now I'm on the lookout for more patterned papers that offer "templates" for paper piercing, with shapes like butterflies and flowers and, well, almost anything!!
Now it's your turn to poke fun, I mean holes, at your creativity!  Don't forget to use a Squigglefly image and you will have a chance at some free digi's, like Cheryl's new image using one of my fave girls, Sassy Sally!

There Be Dragons Here

The lovely Queen Kat Designs image, Orchid Wyvern Dragon by artist Teal Newcombe, inspired my passion for purple today!  I made a trifold card measuring 4x4 and cut a window in the front piece using my Creative Memories Circle cutting system.

The second piece of my card showcases mt Copic-colored image, stamped black on white cardstock.  The colors are more purple and violet and orchid, but lighting and a cheap camera just won't capture this today.

I used Stickles to make him shine, framing him with a smaller circle of coordinating cardstock.
The very inside piece of my card holds my sentiment, "Life is Good".

Orchid Wyvern Dragon is a QKD July release and ready to be stamped and colored for your crafting pleasure.  You can find him at the SHOPPE!!

Moonlight Persuasion

I love looking out to sea.  I love watching the waves dance and following the ripples of moonlight as the water moves.  I love how the moon looks so enormous over the water, taking up so much of the sky.

I decided to give my card that "midnight on the ocean" look by using these dark blue patterned papers from CTMH.  The dotted swirls almost look like waves, so I added some clear diamond Stickles to some of them  to imitate the moon's shimmer.
The image was stamped using a Queen Kat Designs stamp from artist Terra Bidlespacher called Porcelain Mermaid.
I printed the quote on my computer, taken from quotegarden.com.  It reads, "Take your shoes off," purred the ocean waves.
Then I stepped back and looked the card over.  It was sooooo plain!!  I like a clean and simple card, but it was sooooo plain.  So I added the midnight blue fiber across the sky, and I can stop there and call it finished.
Do you have any mermaid stamps that you can play with?  You'll find bunches of them over at Queen Kat Designs, along with fairies and elves and dragons and all the fantasy characters your heart desires!!  Have fun, and keep crafting!!

Life is a Paradise When You're in Love

And so the theme for my son and future daughter-in-law's wedding is tropical.  It will be a small affair, about 40 people, performed near our local lake, with guests dressed comfortably in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops.  The luau is going to be at my house (what was I thinking?!).

Meanwhile, I just finished and mailed the invitations.  Chase's fiance, Camille, loves my cards and asked me to make these.  After discussing styles and wording, she told me to choose the final draft and mail them---she trusts me to make the very best!  I love her already!!

They're doing a small civil service now, and then when my son returns from his deployment, they will celebrate the sacrament of marriage at our local church, with the big Catholic wedding and a hundred or two guests and a honeymoon after.

Did I mention that the wedding will be in just 28 days????  Tell me when to freak out!!  Too late, I'm already there! LOL  Let me say a little something about the invitations, maybe that will calm me down a little.  I bought a package of black cardstock cards with the circle already cut out (from Michael's), but ran out and had to make my own in addition to those I bought.

I embossed the palm tree with white pigment ink and white embossing powder from Stampin Up.  The border embellishment is from EK Success, also purchased at Michael's (40% off!).  Doesn't it look like frosting on a wedding cake??  I didn't buy enough, so I used some gem borders I found in my file drawer of stickers.  Yep, I emptied the whole drawer and organized them all into labeled folders taped on their sides into pouches.

The black and white is so formal, so I adhered some purple (bride's fave color) paper onto the inside of the card and popped a pair of flip flops to be framed by the circle cutout.  On the inside is the invitation sentiment, along with a poem that describes their relationship:  "Time flies so fast, so too does life. You work, you play, and then some day...Love happens!"

I also added the informal dress code by quoting: "Love makes life a paradise, so wear your Hawaiian shirt and flip flops"  Hopefully, we'll have enough photos taken so I can show my crafting buds the luau I have planned for this event!!  Meanwhile, keep crafting!  I'll be a little busy for the next month, but will try to manage a few posts here and there.

Yummy Card from a Recipe Challenge

Squigglefly has done it again--challenged me to step out of my comfort zone with a recipe!!
This week the challenge on the Squigglefly Challenge Blog is to use one of their digi images and the following "ingredients" of the challenge recipe:
1 - Ribbon or fiber
2 - Brad or eyelets
3 - diecut
Today I printed and colored a Squigglefly digi image from artist Mike Eustis called "Something's Fishy".  Isn't it cute?!
I made a Z-fold card and used bright summer colors.  The patterned paper is from an old (2008) Page-a-Day scrapbooking calendar.
I made my ribbons into bows, added two brads and used a diecut journal box for the birthday sentiment.
I hope your crafting taste buds have been tickled, and you had a delicious time here.  Now it's your turn to cook up a card using a Squigglefly digi image and the recipe ingredients for a chance to win free digi's.

Christmas Kisses

I'm on a roll here with my collection of 2012 Christmas cards, thanks to the Queen Kat Designs July stamp release!!  This time I made an easel card with Kissletoe, a gorgeous image by artist Trish Shufelt.

The cardbase is from the Holiday Collection by DCWV.  All the diecuts and embellishments are leftovers from previous projects.

What I love about this card is that I fussy-cut the image, and it wasn't too difficult!  That's because I found a new tool that has become my go-to tool for fussy-cutting my images.  Here's a photo of the tool that I picked up at my local scrapbooking store.

It looks like  tweezers, and all I have to do is squeeze the handle end and the scissors end cuts.  It gives me so much precision!!

Meanwhile, back to my card, I like it better open, like above, but it looks pretty good closed, too, which is how my sister and her husband will see it  when they open the envie.  Here's what it looks like closed.

So now I have two Christmas cards-only twenty-two more to make!!  I know a lot of crafters who choose one design and make all their cards the same, but I am lucky to have quite a few Christmas stamps, so I like to mix it up a bit every year!!  How about you?  Less time on the same cards, or more time on a bunch of different ones?

Cool Bookmark for a Summer Read

Hello, crafters!  I have been trying to take time out to make this awesome bookmark, and I finally decided to skip the dishes and lock myself in my craft room until I finished it.  I found my inspiration while flipping through the yellowed pages of a cast off book from a rummage sale.  There was a receipt card in its pages that was dated 1985 (that was the year my son was born).

It had a semi-circular cut at the top that a reader could slip the top edge of the page into that she wanted to save.  I thought what a clean, simple design for a bookmark, and so I inked up my Queen Kat Designs "Snowball" stamp, designed by artist Terra Bidlespacher.  After coloring her with Copics (the image, not Terra), I tore it to create a natural frame.
Being a bookmark, I had to keep my project flat, so I used a winter-themed patterned paper, a coordinating blue patterned paper and a strip of leftover white cardstock to bring my snowflake border to life.  I colored another leftover strip of the white cardstock to place behind my image as a sort of ribbon embellishment, coloring it with the pink-shaded Copic with which I colored her outfit.
The tiny snowflakes that were punched out with the punch I used for the border were rescued and adhered to my "scene".  For the semi-circular cut that holds the bookmark in place, I used the medium-sized circle template from the Creative Memories Circle Cutting System.
Now I can keep my cool when my reading is interrupted, and know that I can get back to my summer read without losing my place!
I have a girls' day out coming up soon with my mom and sisters, and they are all avid readers.  I think a little handmade goody is in order, don't you?!  I just picked up a few Christmas romances from my local Goodwill store, and I can slip the bookmarks into them for a little "Christmas in July" giftie!
If you like what you see, leave me some love.  If you like the image, check it out HERE along with Terra's other offerings.

Paper Piecing Blog Challenge

Time for another card using paper-piecing, just in time for the new Squigglefly Blog Challenge.  Today I used  a recently released Squigglefly digi image from one of my favorite artists, Suzanne Urban.  It's called Coffee Angel, and I can just see him fluttering along to St. Peter at the gate, bringing him his steaming cup o' joe.
I printed my image three times (yes, I said three!)--once on white cardstock, once on a brown-patterned paper, and again on a light teal and violet patterned paper.  The last I used as the background for my card.  I cut out his angel robe from the brown paper, and pieced it onto the white cardstock, after coloring that image with Copics.  Then I cut out my coffee angel with a few clouds and dimensionally adhered him onto the image I printed on my background paper.
I inked the edges of this paper before popping it onto a depp purple card base.  Then i ripped the sentiment off the white cardsstock and placed it under my angel.
Finally, I added acrylic stickers to highlight the heavenly notes sung in praise of God and caffeine that angels sing every morning.
If you haven't tried paper piecing yet, the new Squigglefly challenge is a perfect time to do so.  Have fun, and happy crafting!!

Crafters' Companion Anything Goes Challenge

Who doesn't love an Anything Goes challenge, especially from a great company like Crafters' Companion?!  I love, love, love what I did with this challenge, and I hope you will too!

I have been experimenting with mixed media lately, and today I took it to the next level, upcycling a rummage sale find into craft room decor.  And the bonus is that it serves as an organizational tool!  I can store little doodads by color, or hide little bottles of Stickles, or a hundred other little things.

So let me show you how I got from this: 

To this:

The first thing I did was to use my manly skills and sand the wood smooth, getting rid of all the old nasty paint, dust and dirt.

While letting my pot of creativity simmer in my head, I used acrylic paints and gave all the baskets a splash of color.  That wasn't enough, so I added some Stickles on the front and the handle.

At first, I had thought to paint the wood a dard color and try out my new bottle of Tim Holtz Crackle Paint.  But I wanted something a little more crafty.

So I painted the wood white, and started to use ModPodge to decoupage some patterned papers onto it.  There was an assortment of papers, but what I finally decided on was the red roses paper.  It was a steal of a deal, a "book" of wrapping paper for only $2!!  I have the tiniest amount of this one pattern left over, after lavishly tearing and gluing it onto my new storage bin.

Besides the paint, the glitter and the patterned papers, I used a red paper doily to frame the first of my Crafters' Companion stamped images.  She's a fairy from the Fairyopolis Autumn collection.  
Just like the patterned papers, I slapped some ModPodge onto the surface and stuck the doily and then the image on, then painted more ModPodge over it all.

I did the same with the next stamped image, a cute little fairy from the Fairyopolis Spring collection, without the doily frame.  I added some tiny Prima flowers all over the top of my box, along with bits of Stickles here and there.

I thought I was finished, but after putting the baskets in their slots, it didn't look right.  So I pulled out my acrylic paints and splashed some red on the front of the box.  While my brush was still wet, I swiped some strokes into the top of the box and the edges.

And that took me to the ends of my box, the "sides. I couldn't help it, I had to use a favorite image from the Humphrey collection, called Best Friends.  I SO love Humphrey.  If I had the money, I would own them ALL!  Mwahahahaha!!

And now my project is complete, dry and placed strategically in my craft room.  I've been doing a lot of cleaning out and organizing in there, and I am making headway.  I finally discovered the best way to store my cling stamps, at least for me.  I got a bag full of cd cases, the thick kind.  Once you pop out the cd holder, it fits quite a few stamps.I bought four CD stands from our local church's rummage sale this year, and am in the process of placing them all in the cd cases.

So here's what my crafting table looks like now, complete with my upcycled shelf of baskets.  I still haven't decided whether or not to keep the box frames on the wall, but for now they make good storage and don't take up any table room!!

Keep cool, everyone, and keep crafting, and if you've a mind to it, go on over to the Crafters' Companion Challenge Blog for inspiration and a chance at some awesome prizes.

Only 170 Days Until Christmas!

Have you started making your Christmas cards yet?  Well, have I got a treat for you!!
Queen Kat Designs is releasing some sweet Christmas stamps so you can start early, just like Santa's elves!!

Speaking of elves, here are two taking a break and I think they kinda like each other.  Their caps are twisted  together and how fortunate that there's a tiny bit of Mistletoe hanging from their cap ends!!
This newly-released stamp is called KISSLETOE and is designed by artist Trish Shufelt.  The detail of the two holiday sweethearts is fantastic!  I decided to circle-cut the image and distress the white background with Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distress Ink and my blending tool.  I applied tiny green "wreath branches" around the circle that were punched out from assorted green cardstocks, and added tiny red jewels for berries.
The card base is from DCWV's Holiday Collection box of cards.  I ink-distressed the edges.
I finished off the card with a cardstock sentiment sticker.
Ah, young love, especially during the holidays!!  Since my son is getting married this summer, I will send this card to him and his new wife, as it will be their first Christmas together.  Sweet!!

For some great inspiration, check out the QKD Facebook Page.  And try to keep cool while you're crafting!!

Feelin' Cool on a Summer Day

Some people eat ice cream to cool off on a hot summer day...others sit in front of the fan in shorts and a halter...still others jump into the pool.  I create a card with a winter theme (okay, in an air-conditioned house).

Today I'd like to introduce you to Snowball, a Queen Kat Designs Stamp designed by artist Terra Bidlespacher.  The first QKD stamp I ever colored was designed by Terra, and I love her fantasy-themed girls.  In fact, Terra's Night Forest was on the very first card I created as a new Royal Stamping Maiden for the QKD Design Team!!

I colored Snowball today with Copics, my preferred method if inking.  Stickles make the snowflakes shimmer.  I framed the image with cardstock and an inked paper doily.  I used CTMH double-sided patterned paper for my background, then used a strip of it turned around as embellishment under the diecut snowflake border on the side.  I embellished a snow-white slide mount framing a couple snowmen with a coordinating bow and metal sentiment.  I scattered a few punched stars onto the card to finish it off.

You can find all of Terra's stamps, including Snowball, and a whole shop filled with fantastical, cute, funny, sexy and whimsical stamps at the QKD SHOPPE.

Happy Birthday America and Wendy!

Today, on the day the country celebrates freedom, we celebrate my daughter's birthday!!  One year, when she was about five,we signed up to be in the Fourth of July parade.  We cut out assorted sizes of circles from large magnet sheets and placed them on our red VW Bug, turning it into a Lady Bug, and taped a poster to the front with the words, HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDY!
Today she turned 17, and parades are viewed with her friends, picnics are far and few between, but we still take her to see the fireworks.  She requested a birthday dinner of corned beef and cabbage, with purple mashed potatoes (from trader joe's), and we secreted away in the fridge downstairs a delectable strawberry shortcake from our local grocery store.

Our presents are wrapped, including one in the box I made, pictured here.  I love the Squigglefly image used here, called Thistle by artist Diana Garrison.  I had to bring up a photo of thistle, as I am not a flower person.  I wanted to know how to color it, and it seemed to have pale shades of green and purple.  So I thought how pretty it would look on a gift box holding some sweet treats for Wendy's birthday.
Squigglefly's new challenge is a monochromatic theme of a summer color.  Summer is sweltering with hot purples, neon purples and pale purples.  Isn't the thistle the national flower of Scotland?  LOL, I've always wanted to visit the country, even if I don't play golf!!
Meanwhile, you should check out the challenge over at Squigglefly.  There's a prize of free digi's for a random player.  Who doesn't like FREE?
Have yourself a safe and happy holiday!!

Hambo's New Challenge is Cool Beans!

What's better than a handmade card?  A handmade card with a surprise!!

Today I made a Ribbon Pull Card.  I used the Hambo Stamps digi image called Kangaroo, colored it with my Copics and framed the image on cardstock.

I used my ScorPal to fold the card into a box and embellished the front with a border diecut and some small white roses.  I used CTMH Liquid Glass to put a little shine on the balloon.

I left my card base long enough to actually have a front that opens to an inner page.  That's where I placed one of the four sentiments that come with this digi purchase.

So, how did I get the gum in the box card and when the ribbon is pulled, it comes up through the top?

I punched holes in the front and back of the box.  I placed my ribbon around a package of gum, down the front and up the back, and then stuck the package into my box with the ribbon ends sticking out the top.

All I had to do then was pull each end of the ribbon through each hole, tying a bow to keep the gum in place.  So, when you pull up on the bow, the package of gum comes up with it!!

I was sorting through my birthday cards, trying to find a special one for my daughter, who turns 17 on the fourth of July.  She is my baby, my gift from God.  I lost my dad in 94 to lung cancer.  I hadn't taken birth control since my son was born nine years previously.  So, I lost him, and I got pregnant -- unexpectantly, joyously pregnant.  She was born in the Zodiac sign of Cancer.  That's why I know God gave her to me to replace my dad.

Back to my card.  My daughter loves this gum, so this card is the one for her.  We're celebrating her day the usual way, with fireworks and parades and a BBQ!!  That's what happens when you're born on your country's day of independence.

Go play at the Hambo Hoedown this week.  The challenge is to use a Hambo digi and a card with a pocket in it.  Happy holiday, crafters!

Summer is Sizzling with Color

The season of summer is full of vibrant color.  The sky is a clear blue, the grass is a lush green, the sun burns white hot.  I love the pinks of summer flowers and slow sunsets.  

Squigglefly has a new challenge this week.  It's to use a Squigglefly digi image and your favorite summer color.  Not just use it, but make it the main color of your card, in all its shades and tints.

So I took my love for summer pink and made a card using a Squigglefly new release from artist Cheryl Alger called Sassy Sally Queen of Mean.  Isn't Sassy Sally too cute?  She looks a little disgruntled.  Maybe it's the heat.  We seem to be enjoying (?) a rather hot summer.  Or maybe her backyard pool sprung a little leak.  It could be a number of reasons, OR it could be nothing.  After all, she is the Queen of Mean!!

I came back from an all day crop on Saturday and knew that I had to do some cleaning, some cleaning out, and some organizing if I wanted to make this card.  So out came everything in my closet, which is the biggest craft catch-all in history!

While being totally ruthless, I found my stash of feathers.  And that humongous butterfly!  And a handful (okay, it was a stack about 2 inches thick) of patterned papers.

So after my closet was put to rights, after I threw out two trashcans full of garbage, after I placed the donation bag in the trunk of my car, after I set aside some items for my Yahoo Group members...I made this card!

Sassy Sally is featured in several other digi images at Squigglefly.  If you love her here, you're going to love all the others as well!!  Happy shopping, crafters!!
Other Blog challenges entered: 
Sassy Cheryl's Blog - Anything Goes

Is It Hot Enough for You?

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in Chicago, summer started about mid-May!  We've already broken a few high temp records, with more I'm sure to come.  So much for biking to work!  By the time I get off, it's almost 100 degrees.

So, although I used this gorgeous Queen Kat Designs image by Teal Newcomb called Orchid Wyvern Dragon,  the weather drove me to light him on fire!  The hot reds and oranges of summer days crept into my card with a vengeance.

Of course, I had a little help with another QKD stamp called Fight the Flame.  I stamped that in red and heat-embossed it all in red again.  I also used a piece of DCWV patterned paper from the Fairy Tale line, cutting some excess flames and treating it the same way.  Then I made it pop out with dimensional dots.  Catch more July releases and plenty of inspiration at the QKD Main Blog and on Facebook!

Above the flames I highlighted my fiery dragon, added the sentiment "Hot Enough For You?" and added a jagged corner "just cuz".  So, how hot is it?

It's so hot...I melted on my way home and had to wait two hours before the paramedics scraped me off the sidewalk!!  Where's autumn when you need it??

Let Freedom Ring!

It's that time of year when watermelons are chillin', grills are heating up, firecrackers are ready to light, and Americans celebrate with "Star-spangled happiness and banner waves of pride" (Cherishe Archer)!

Welcome to Your Scrapbook Place Patriotic Blog Hop!  

The theme is love of America and the color RED.  If you've come from Teresa's blog, you're hot on the trail!  If not, start at Your Scrapbook Place, and if you get lost the blog hop order is below.
Leave a comment on each blog, and you get a chance to win an awesome digital image, along with a patriotic-themed goodie bag!

My card is made with the digi, an original work of art by the talented Pammie Lehto.  I colored her image with my trusty Copics, added a little distress ink to tone down the white background, and framed it with blue cardstock.
I colored a mini paper doily with my RED Copic and slipped it behind my image.  I found the beaded trim in my holiday stash.  I finished my card off with a diecut dogtag sticker and leftover strips of white cardstock folded into little "ribbons" that I stapled onto the image's sides.
I hope you like my card.  I have a lot of embellishments for 4th of July and Army because my son is in Army Reserves, and I just finished updating his Army album.
Now, it's time to hop on over to Shannon's blog, where she's sure to have an awesome project for you.  Remember to leave a little love before you go!

Blog hop order

Melissa:

Karissa

Carolyn

Linda

Teresa

Pat

Shannon

Sue

Anna Nikander  

Pammie

Your Scrapbook Place