Magical Monday!

Welcome to another Magical Monday! I must admit that this is my favorite Magical Monday YET! :D This week Nina has challenged the design team to create a gate fold card using this gorgeous image which is called "Beached Boat". Isn't this image just fantastic? I love all of the detail that she put into it. It's perfect for a masculine card! If you would like to snag this digital image for free then head on over to "There's Magic In The Air"! Nina is giving it away free this week only! :D Also, if you decide to play in the challenge, you too can be entered to win a yummy prize! All you have to do is use this image and create a gate fold card, post it online, and link it to the challenge post!

For my card I printed the image on water color paper and colored it in with my Stampin' Up! markers and blender pen. I sponged the edges with some Tim Holtz Antique Linen distress ink and applied a SU! rub-on to the bottom left corner. I then cut and folded my card stock and layered on some BasicGrey paper. After attaching my image I stuck on a button that would hold the card shut and paper pierced around both panels. The twine was a final little touch that I felt really tied the whole look together!

Well that's it for me today! I am enjoying my last two days of freedom before I have to go back to school! I will be back tomorrow with another Jbelle challenge so don't miss it!

It's a Rainy, Dreary, Day!

Today's card is using this week's Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge! I used my sweet Rachelle Anne Miller Lily & Milo stamp on my card and watercolored it with my Stampin' Write markers and blender pen! After I was finished with my water coloring I then added some dazzling diamonds to certain areas for a little bit of sparkle! The patterned paper I used is my new SU! Cottage Wall paper! I LOVE purples and thought this paper was absolutely gorgeous when I saw it in the catalog. Well now that I have it in my hands I have realized how right I was! :D Ok, so I changed the sketch a little bit. The sketch includes a rectangle that hangs off the lower right side but since my image wouldn't allow it I put it on the upper right side! :D

Well, that's it for today's card. Make sure you stop by Taylor's blog to see her card as well as this week's featured sampler: Julie Lacey! I can't wait to see what you create with this week's sketch!

Want to see more? Sure you do! Make sure you check out the rest of the fabulous Cupcake Samplers! They're sure to be great!

Jami Sibley: More is More
Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge
Donna Baker: Serenity in Stamping
Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme
Ana Wohlfahrt: Ink a Stamp
Vicki Chrisman: This Art That Makes Me Happy
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper

A Loving Hip Hop!

Hehe! I just couldn't resist! Since today's Hip Hop is featuring the fabulous new August Incentive Kit "Sending My Love", I decided to dedicate this post to just that...LOVE! If you sign up to be a Unity Kit of the Month member during the month of August you will get this kit free! Before I move on, you should have hopped over here from the very talented Robyn. If you didn't, make sure you start at the Unity blog!

Ok, now onto the details! I have two fun projects to show you today! The first project is this card. I used the ADORABLE mailbox as my main image and I paired it with some Honey Pie dp from Cosmo Cricket! The arrows on the paper reminded me of cupid so I just knew that I needed to use it! :D Anyway, I stamped the image on watercolor paper and then used my SU! markers and blender pen to color it in. I added some stickles to the flag, butterflies, and grass since I didn't want them to be black. I then sponged the edges of my paper with some Tim Holtz Antique Linen ink. I sewed around three edges of the card and threw in a button for some added texture.

The next project I have for you is a little gift bag that compliments the card! I used my Fancy Favor Bigz Die to punch out the bag, put it together, and closed it up with some ribbon. I then stamped the sentiment and punched it out with my circle punch. I stamped the envelope on some dp, cut it out, and popped it up on dimensionals. The circle was then layered on some chocolate chip card stock and I applied rhinestones around the entire thing!

Well, that's it for my projects! Next on the hop is that very creative Heather! Now, since I decided to dedicate this post to LOVE I am going to share some of the things I love with you!

My husband!

My family!My friends!
My job!
The mountains!4-Wheeling!

and...STAMPING!

Now that's not ALL I love, it's just a short list. Now you have a glimpse into my life and I hope you enjoyed it!

Your Next Stamp 1st Design Team Call

Ok, I am definitely going out on a limb here but I have found a new stamp company that I just ADORE and they are currently searching for a new design team so I thought..."Why not?" You can find their dt call here! The company I am talking about is called "Your Next Stamp" and it's name is perfect! Haha! If you don't know what I am talking about, check it out yourself! SUPER CUTE! They just opened up a couple of weeks ago and I can already tell that they are going to be a huge hit!

Ok, so their requirement for us was to post two of our favorite cards. Now, I have lots of favorites but I decided to focus on two that showcase different coloring skills that I use (most of their images require coloring) so I decided to show off my prismacolor pencil technique and my watercolor technique. I am not sure that you will agree that they are my best but I definately feel that they are two of my very favorites! :D

OH MY WORD!

I just happened to stumble upon a couple of blogs that are giving away some fantastic loot this week! You need to go see what is up for grabs because it is HUGE! I have decided to start a category in my sidebar for all of the fabulous candy I stumble upon so that you guys have the chance to win as well! :)

Here are the two that I currently have listed:

Steph's "Thank You" Candy (which is some of the best I have seen yet)
&
Bev's AMAZING Candy (which is LOADED with stuff)

Jacksonbelle Tuesday: No Stamping Allowed!

Well good morning everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your week so far. I have spent a lot of my time in my classroom since I have to go back in just 8 short days! Now, I am kind of excited to start back up but I know that once I do, I will be missing my stamping time. Thank goodness we still get Friday's off! :)

Anyway, today's Jacksonbelle Tuesday challenge was to create a non-stamped card! Now, for some this may seem kind of tricky but I actually quite enjoy making cards this way. It's a lot less pressure (in my opinion) because you don't have to worry about smudging any ink or coloring out of the lines! :D Besides, this week's featured product at the Jacksonbelle store is Shimmerz and I had been DYING to use my new Shimmerz Spritz! For my card I pulled out two flowers from my SU! Pretties Kit. I sprayed some Eucalyptus Shimmerz Spritz on the big flower and painted some Hottie Pink Shimmerz Blingz on the smaller flower! I also added some Hottie Pink Shimmerz Blingz to the plaid paper as well so that it had a little bit of sparkle. The designer paper that I used is BasicGrey's Leomande pack and the ribbon is May Arts Ivory Satin ribbon! I finished the card up by using a Stampin' Up! rub-on as well as some Daisy D Rhinestones!

Well, that's it for today's card! Make sure to check out this week's challenge details on the Jacksonbelle blog as well as the other Jacksonbelle girls!

Kristine Breach ~ Ink Something

Tobi Crawford ~ Tobi’s Place

Mitzi Koons ~ Stamps Jubilee

Loretta Lock ~ Love to Create

Jimmi Mayo ~ Stamping & Shopping

Bethany Paull ~ It’s Not All Black & White

Michelle Philippi ~ Inside My Own Private Idaho

Carly Robertson ~ Paper in Bloom

Shemaine Smith ~ Scraptastic

Lynda Benden: Stamp Act

Melissa Bove: Keepsakes By Melissa

Jennifer Buck: The Buck Stamps Here

Jill Dunn: Ink Genious

AJ Otto: The Willow Garden

Heather Lee-Reppen: Ink on my Ear

Lindsey Botkin: Embellished

Introducing Kacey!

Isn't she cute? This is one of the newest releases that Nina has designed and her name is Kacey. You can pick her up in digital form over on the "There's Magic In The Air" blog! Trust me, you will want and NEED her! :D Don't forget that there is also a challenge that you can participate in! This week's challenge is a really fun sketch. All you have to do is create a card using the sketch Nina has created and include Kacey and you will be entered into a random drawing to win an not yet released digital image! Head over to the blog to see what the other designers have done as well! I will post more about this card a little later. A couple of friends are on their way to stamp with me this morning so I need to get ready for them first! Thanks for stopping by!

My First Hip Hop!

Welcome to my very first Hip Hop! I am this month's Unity Guest Designer and I couldn't be more excited! :D I have loved Unity since I first saw their Giggle Grove set and now have a serious addiction! You should be hopping over from the very talented AJ (whom I met at CHA and let me tell you, not only is she hilarious but she is super sweet)! If you did not come to me from AJ's blog, make sure you start here! This week's Hip Hop is featuring the fabulous new Store Kit of the Month 100% Happiness! You can only pick it up in stores so if your store doesn't carry Unity, make sure you ask them to...actually...just go ahead and beg! :D To see current store locations click here.
For my first card I used Jen's Sketch For You To Try. I used some Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper for the background and can't decide whether I think it is too busy or not! I also decided to sew every strip on and it kind of tones it down a bit (I think). Haha! I used the sweet strawberry image for this card and punched them out so that it would fit in the circle. I colored them with my markers and blender pens and then added some crystal effects and stickles over the top. I tied some cute gingham ribbon over the top of the card and then popped my strawberries up over it. The sentiment was then stamped and punched out with my word window punch!

My second card uses this week's Mojo Monday sketch challenge. I used some fabulous Nouveau Chic designer paper for the background and sewed around the edge of it. I then tied on some Sage Shadow ribbon as well as a little piece of Basic Grey ribbon. For some detail I then used my ScorPal to create some scored lines next to the ribbon. I stamped the fun start twice and popped up the Apricot Appeal one for some added dimension! As a final touch I then added some pearls to the corners of the smaller square!

Now hop along to see what Maren has cooked up for us! I'm sure it will be amazing!

There's Magic In The Air! :)

Sorry for not having this information sooner but I didn't have any internet access since we are still away from home. We arrived in Iowa from Florida yesterday evening and won't head back to Colorado until tomorrow afternoon.

Anyway, this is my first card as a designer for "There's Magic In The Air" and I couldn't be more excited! Every Monday someone from the design team will host a challenge and today's challenge (which is hosted by Nina) is to create a celebration card. The challenges will also focus on a new image and today's card is featuring the first image from "There's Magic In The Air"! He is called Orson with cake and he is just so cute! I must admit that I was giggling the whole time I colored him! I just couldn't get over how cute he looked! He is a digital image that you can pick up for FREE! Seriously, go get him! Also, if you decide to play, you will be entered to win a prize! Check out the blog for more details!

Well, that's it for me! We are going fishing this afternoon and I am so excited! Enjoy your week! My regular posting will resume in no time, I promise!

Jacksonbelle Tuesday: Pink Paislee!

Good morning everyone! It's a beautiful morning here in Orlando! :D We are headed to Sea World today! It's going to be exciting!

Anyway, today is Jacksonbelle Tuesday so I am sharing this card with you! The challenge this week is to use either Pink Paislee paper or October Afternoon paper so I picked out some Pink Paislee Enchanting, Pleasant patterned paper and Pink Paislee Office Lingo, Lunch Hour patterned paper from the Jacksonbelle store! I just love these two pieces together! They are absolutely beautiful! The stamp I used is the Lizzie Anne Cupcake set. I colored it with my Stampin' Up! markers and blender pen. I then added some Hottie Pink Shimmerz Blingz to the sprinkles. I also sewed the edge of the strip and added a rub-on to the ribbon!

Well, that's it for today's card! Make sure to check out this week's challenge details on the Jacksonbelle blog as well as the other Jacksonbelle girls!

Kristine Breach ~ Ink Something

Tobi Crawford ~ Tobi’s Place

Mitzi Koons ~ Stamps Jubilee

Loretta Lock ~ Love to Create

Jimmi Mayo ~ Stamping & Shopping

Bethany Paull ~ It’s Not All Black & White

Michelle Philippi ~ Inside My Own Private Idaho

Carly Robertson ~ Paper in Bloom

Shemaine Smith ~ Scraptastic

Lynda Benden: Stamp Act

Melissa Bove: Keepsakes By Melissa

Jennifer Buck: The Buck Stamps Here

Jill Dunn: Ink Genious

AJ Otto: The Willow Garden

Heather Lee-Reppen: Ink on my Ear

Lindsey Botkin: Embellished

Yippee!

Yup! It's true! :D My new stamping friend Nina has recently emailed me and asked me to join her as she starts a new chapter in her life. She is a talented artist who has decided to throw her fabulous designs into the stamping world! I must warn you though, you are going to love these images! They are so fun and whimsical! :D

There are some fantastic people joining me on this new adventure too!

Here are some details on what is to come! You can read more about this new stamp line as well as the designers on the "There's Magic In The Air" blog! Go check it out!

- Free weekly limited original digital stamp

- All images are original by Nina May @ There is Magic in the Air and can't be found anywhere else.

-"Magical Monday" This is the day that the free image and challenge will be released .

for the week. Also, the DT & GD's work will be revealed for inspiration.

- Weekly random drawing for a small free giveaway for participants posting in the challenges.

- Stay tuned for future digital stamps for sale as well as photo polymer stamps.

- Free blog candy give away for July 27th and August 27th.

You Inspire Me!

I made this card for today's Taylored Expressions Cupcake Sketch AND for the Unity Hip Hop Hangover! For this card I used the Bevy of Butterflies stamp set and the new July KOTM from Unity. I paired it with some new Stampin' Up! paper as well!

Well, I have to keep this post short because we are on our way to Florida for vacation. I apologize for the fact that my posts will be pretty sporadic this next week and a half! You know where I will be though! :) I can't wait to share pictures from our trip AND CHA! Woohoo!

Before you go, check out the Unity blog for the other Hip Hop Hangover gals and then check out Taylor's blog for this week's sketch!

Want to see more? Sure you do! Make sure you check out the rest of the fabulous Cupcake Samplers! They're sure to be great!

Jami Sibley: More is More
Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge
Donna Baker: Serenity in Stamping
Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme
Ana Wohlfahrt: Ink a Stamp
Vicki Chrisman: This Art That Makes Me Happy
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper

It's Jacksonbelle Tuesday!

And this week I want you to know that Inkadinkado is on sale! :) This is one of my very favorite Inkadinkado sets because it is all about cupcakes! :D It is even called "Birthday Cupcakes"! Hehe! This week's challenge over on the Jacksonbelle blog is another sketch and it is definitely a fun one! I had no trouble putting this card together and I must admit that I love the end results! To create this card I used Pink Pirouette for the card base and layered on some Pink Paislee "Pop Fashion" paper with Almost Amthyst card stock. After cutting out the image panel with my Nestabilities I then sponged the edges of my paper for some added depth. I colored the cupcake and hearts with my colored pencils AND added some yummy Hotty Pink Shimmerz Bling to it! :) I then tied on some Stampin' Up! ribbon and adhered three pearls to the corner!

Make sure you stop by the other girls' blogs to see their gorgeous samples AND visit the Jacksonbelle blog so that you can play along! I am off to my Stampin' Up! workshop today! It is going to be a fun one! I will update you on the details tomorrow! Have a fantastic Tuesday everyone!

Kristine Breach ~ Ink Something

Tobi Crawford ~ Tobi’s Place

Mitzi Koons ~ Stamps Jubilee

Loretta Lock ~ Love to Create

Jimmi Mayo ~ Stamping & Shopping

Bethany Paull ~ It’s Not All Black & White

Michelle Philippi ~ Inside My Own Private Idaho

Carly Robertson ~ Paper in Bloom

Shemaine Smith ~ Scraptastic

Lynda Benden: Stamp Act

Melissa Bove: Keepsakes By Melissa

Jennifer Buck: The Buck Stamps Here

Jill Dunn: Ink Genious

AJ Otto: The Willow Garden

Heather Lee-Reppen: Ink on my Ear

Lindsey Botkin: Embellished

Clifford!

Good morning! I wanted to take the time and share this card with you. I made it for one of my good friend's little boy! He is 3 and he is OBSESSED with Clifford! Haha! I have had this My Favorite Things set for quite some time now and every time I see it I think "Someday I am going to color him red." Well, that day came and after a lot of chuckling I did it! I used last week's SCS sketch challenge as well as the My Favorite Things challenge which was to create a kid card. Yup, this is definately a kid card! ;) I colored the image in with my colored pencils and OMS and combined it with this fun paper from My Mind's Eye. Other than that, I think everything on this card is pretty self-explanatory!

I have a workshop tomorrow that I need to finish getting ready for so I suppose I should get back to work now! I am going to have a super busy week because Nick and I are leaving for vacation on Thursday and I have a ton of upcoming projects! Ok, I guess that means I had REALLY better get going or else I am going to get overwhelmed! Have a great day!

Whiff of Joy

Good morning! I wanted to share this quick post with you today! As of right now you can pre-order the fantastic Whiff of Joy Fall Kit and to celebrate they are giving away two free kits! All you have to do to win is show their blinkie on your blog and link back to the store! Easy peasy huh? Well of course I had to try! :D