A Ton of Fun This Weekend

Got a fun weekend planned with my mom and sisters, but I wanted to make sure I created a new card for the Hambo Hoedown before I left. Every week they offer a new challenge, and ALL players in the challenge receive a free digi! This weekend is extra special, as they are hosting a blog hop. I made some special movie-themed cards for the hop, so be sure to check them out tomorrow HERE.
Meanwhile, I wanted to share this funny card with you. I used Sumo-digi image from Hambo Stamps. This week's challenge was to use a Hambo image along with a sentiment, and use CHIPBOARD. I colored my chipboard black with Copics and framed my image with it, as well as using a small circle to frame out the sentiment. I am in love right now with all shades teal, so my card has teal, black and browns. I colored Mr. Sumo with the following Copics: 100; E00; YR61 & BG10. His, uh, fig leaf (?), is two layers of colored image. I had an ATC (in teal, how convenient is that?) in an oriental theme, so used it behind his image. I also had a leftover lantern from a Cricut swap I was in. I glammed up my chipboard frame with punched hearts and Black Stickles. I used some paper from a Card makers kit, as well as leftovers from my stash. I penned in some faux stitching between the solid and striped background papers.
I have a wooden purse box with a bamboo handle that I'd like to use him on and make a gift for a friend who loves the asian theme, but I didn't have time to put that together (yet). Maybe when I get back next week!
Meanwhile, don't forget to check out two great blogs this weekend. The first is Hambo, and the second is Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. I've authored two posts this week over there, and hope you get a couple good ideas on saving money as you craft.

The Nurse Scared the Patient Back to Health...

Got a friend who's looking at some surgery soon, and so I thought I'd cheer her up with this Get Well card. Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog has a new challenge this week. This card uses a new (to me) technique called Bricks. It has a kind of a mosaic look to it. I decided to "lay" my sentiment like bricks as well. I've never tried this before. That's why I love challenges. It introduces a crafter to new techniques, images, color combos and sometimes pushes her out of her comfort zone!
Come join us at Scrapbook Place Yahoo Group and meet some new friends!

Fairy Friday (extended)

Just had to create one more card for the Crafter's Companion May Challenge! I managed to make three cards this month using my Fairyopolis stamps, and they're all different! Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog is a great place to get inspiration and pull yourself out of a crafting slump, if needed. Here are the card's deets:

Fairy image and butterfly images from the Crafter’s Companion Fairyopolis collection; fairy stamped and colored twice with Copics: E00,08,35; Y11,15,17; YR02,16,61; G21,94 & BG10, pieced together using dimensional tape; butterflies colored with Copics: Y11,17; YR02,07 & R29 and glitzed with Yellow & Christmas Red Stickles.
Patterned paper from DCWV “Once Upon a Time” collection
Cardstock Paper Trey “New Leaf”
Embellishments: Pearls and Cuttlebug diecut in black from leftover stash, paper doilies colored with Copic G21, crocheted flower from KaiserCraft
Sentiment quoted from The Quote Garden, printed in Microsoft Word using Mistral font.

Fairy Friday

Another week leads to another weekend! Hurray for weekends! Besides, groceries, housework, taking the granddaughter to dance class and a list of to-do's from dear hubby, I can spend my free time(what free time?) in my craft room. I have been buirning the midnight oil, creating cards for several challenges. The carde pictured above is for the Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog, featuring one of their Fairyopolis Spring collection fairies. Isn't she sweet?
I love the detail of this and the other fairopolis stamps. I colored her with Copics, of course and the flowers are handmade by the very talented Anna Nikander. Other than that, everything else was from leftovers and rummage sales! The patterned papers didn't even have a mfgr's name on the back! I love those roses in the background! I think my fairy is ready to move in for good!
So this is my second card for the Crafter's Companion May Challenge. There is some sweet blog candy for a random winner this month, a Crafter's Companion Tool collection. If you love fairies, then you'll want to go straight from their blog to their store---I know I did!

Challenge Card Sails Along with Color

As Hannibal would say (A-Team), "I love it when a plan comes together."
I love this card, when all the patterned papers, paper piecings and bright colors are put together! Using another Hambo Stamps digi-image, BALLOON, I arranged CTMH and Paper Pizzazz patterned papers on a square card base. I then used Copics to color three layers of my image. The first layer is pure Copic-colored; the second image is on top of the first, and includes patterned paper-piecing on the balloon; the third layer is of the high-flying girl and the basket, all Copic-colored. The layers are put together with dimensional tape, and all lie on a multi-colored star cut from another piece of patterned paper and outlined in black.
I embellished with MS grossgrain ribbon bow, a colored and shaped paper clip, pearls that form tails off the background stars, and finally, an unused cell phone charm!!! The sentiment comes with the digi-image, which you can find at HAMBO STAMPS.
When you visit their blog, be sure to check out their challenge of the week. Just by entering the challenge, you will receive a free digi. If you win the challenge, like I just did, you get a prize(I got to choose an image from their store--LUCKY ME!).
If that isn't enough, you can always check out the challenge blogs on the right sidebar. Have fun!

Shades of Teal

I am truly loving the CardMaker's Kit of the Month CM008 that I received from a crafting friend a while ago. I love all shades of teal, and when coordinated with brown, the outcome is always pleasing.
Of course, having a great image to color is another plus whn making cards, and I couldn't be more happy to use the ice cream man digi-image from HAMBO Stamps. Except for the ribbon and paper doilies, all papers and embellishments came out of the kit! How easy is that?
I colored my chillin' friend with Copics: 100; C1,3; E00,13,35,37; G00; BG10,15; B02,12. I glitzed his umbrella with Crystal Stickles. The sentiment was typed in Word and says "Never trust a skinny Ice Cream Man".
Hambo Challenge Blog offers challenges every week, and all who enter win a free digi image! On top of that, there's a random winner of prizes, and right now, they are offering a design team call, so go check them out HERE!

Happt Nat'l Scrapbooking Day

Happy National Scrapbooking Day! My life has been very busy since the first of the year-family issues, work schedule-that I have not scrapbooked since the first of the year! OMG, I hadn’t counted the time until just now! How could I have left off all those lovely memories in the form of photos, keepsakes and notes?!
My day was again very busy, having five places to go in one day and all at practically the same time. But I managed to steal minutes (yes, I said minutes) in my craft room here and there, and made a card and two layouts. Not much—I would have fared better if I had been able to go to a crop and devoted all my time to my craft—but it’s all I had, and thankful for even the smallest amount of time.

The first page is this year’s Easter Day. My granddaughter and her mom came for breakfast, and of course Bella had to hunt for the Easter eggs she had colored that Friday night for the bunny to hide! I used My Mind’s Eye and Cosmo Cricket patterned papers; Paper Trey cardstock in Hawaiian Shores color; hand punches for the flowered journaling; teal ribbon from EK Success; and foam Easter embellishments. The journaling is handwritten.

The second layout is from the last Girls’ Day Out with my sisters and mom, when we drove up to Port Washington. We had to edit our plans because the car started sputtering as we got off the highway and by the time we got off the exit and pulled into the Wal Mart parking lot, it shuddered its last breath. It was after noon on a Saturday, and we were all wondering if we would have to stay until Monday to get it fixed. Luckily, there was a dealership next door. Not only did they stay open until the car was fixed, but they gave us a loaner to use until we could pick it up!
I use an 8x8 album for the Girls’ Day Out trips. I cut a burgundy file folder to use as the background base, and blew up a photo of the wine rack of our fave winery, Vines to Cellar to use as patterned paper. The journaling is on diecut wine goblets, and I made homemade “wine glass charms” out of round paper clips and Nostalgiques Alphas from EK Success. The butterfly sticker is from Multicraft Corp.
I wish I had had more time to craft, but maybe since tomorrow is Mother’s Day, I’ll get more time to do what I love the most. Lord knows I have enough photos to keeop me scrapping for YEARS!!!