Design Team Call Alert!!

My very favorite online craft supply store - i {heart} papers - is having a design team call!!

I am honored to be a part of this team in my social media coordinator position. I would LOVE IT if you joined the team, too!! Kate, the owner, if such a kind person, and great boss! And the store carries so many great goodies!! Kate gives you a gift certificate, and you can chose what you'd like to work with during your term on the team. How great is that??

Check out all of the design team call details HERE - I hope you'll apply!

A Mellow Yellow Graduation Card

My niece Alicia recently graduated from the University of Michigan. If you're keeping score, you may recall that I went to Michigan State University. This of course means that University of Michigan is my nemesis!! Making a yellow and blue card is just about the very last thing I'd ever want to do. BUT - my niece is awesome and we are very proud of her, so I put aside my distaste for all things UM and made her a little card... ;-)

Hambo Stamps had the perfect digi for my card - Wee Henrietta Grad. She's so cute! I just colored her with my Copics. The little UM logo on her collar was an image I found online & printed. Stickles was added to the diploma - because really, who wouldn't want a sparkly diploma??

This card is also my Quickfire creation for the latest Catered Crop Recipe Swap! Linda's Mellow Yellow challenge asked up to use yellow on our cards. Done and done!

The Recipe Swap is open until June 8 - plenty of time to link up your yellow creation! Join us!

Thanks for stopping by,

Stamps: Digi - Wee Henrietta Grad from Hambo Stamps, Great Expectations from Verve Stamps
Paper: White cardstock, blue cardstock, patterned paper
Ink: Tsukineko (Memento Tuxedo Black), Copic markers, printer ink
Other: Washi tape, My Favorite Things Die-namics (Blueprints 1), Stickles, machine stitching

SDC102 - it's clear to me!

Welcome to another Stampotique Designer's Challenge, and this week *I* am the happy hostess! I've challenged everyone to use transparent elements on their projects! Here's what I came up with:

I used some transparency sheets I've had in my stash forever. After die-cutting, I added Distress Paint to the acetate, spritzed with water and squeezed together with a die-cut piece of vintage book page. The technique I used was found on Splitcoaststampers. The image, Roc's Angel, was stamped, colored & trimmed, then attached to the card. I love the "Sometimes" message - so awesome. Washi tape, sequins & Stickles finish it up.

I hope you'll pull out something clear - acetate, perspex, glass - whatever! And join us this week at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge!


Stamps: 2414 Roc's Angel, 3069 Sometimes I Pretend from Stampotique Originals
Paper: White cardstock, vintage book page
Ink: Tsukineko (Memento Tuxedo Black), Adirondack (Archival Jet Black), Copic markers
Other: Ranger (Salty Ocean, Broken China, Mowed Lawn, Chipped Sapphire Distress Paint), transparency sheet, die (Spellbinders), washi tape, sequins, Stickles, staples

A Very Happy Birthday to Tami!

Earlier this week my friend & colleague, Tami Hartley, celebrated a birthday. Today we're sending her belated birthday greetings over on the Hero Arts blog. This is the card I shared for her. Not really a traditional birthday card, but I had fun making it!

The background was created by dabbing Distress Paints all over my cardstock, then spritzing with water. I played with one of my very favorite Hero Arts stamp - Skyline! I just love this cute little cityscape! The message is one of my favorites too. Stickles on the buildings and a little Glossy Accents on the punched out heart finish it up.

Happy Weekend!


Stamps: K5736 Skyline, C5645 Happy Gram Script from Hero Arts
Paper: Hero Arts (Grass), white cardstock
Ink: Hero Arts (Green Hills Mid-tone Shadow Ink, Black)
Other: Ranger (Salty Ocean, Broken China, Mowed Lawn, Chipped Sapphire Distress Paints), Stickles, Glossy Accents, heart punch, marker

SDC101 - Text!

Today Sarinda is hosting the Stampotique Designer's Challenge, and she's challenged us all to use text on our creations! She says it's a fun way to get texture without a whole lot of work. She has a fab background technique on her blog today, be sure to check it out! And here's my card for the challenge...

I used one of my favorite stamps from Stampotique's last release - Village, designed by France Papillon. I trimmed just a bit off of it to fit on my card, and colored it with my Copics. The book page was a recent purchase from Michelle Wooderson's shop. I stamped over it with the Stampotique Polka Dots background, and dabbed the edges with my Mowed Lawn Distress Paint dauber. The Happy New House message is on a great die cut I just received in the mail from sweet Cindy. Since everything's better with glitter, I added a bit of Stickles to the houses...

I rather love this card, I'm not gonna lie. Now I just need to think of someone with a new home to send it to. :-) I hope you'll join us at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge this week, and thanks for stopping by!


Stamps: Village, Polka Dots, Happy New House from Stampotique Originals
Paper: Hero Arts (Tide), vintage book page (from Michelle Wooderson), white cardstock
Ink: Tsukineko (Memento Tuxedo Black), Hero Arts (Bubble Gum Mid-Tone Shadow Ink), Copic markers
Other: Ranger (Mowed Lawn Distress Paint), cloud die (Lil' Inker Designs ~ Rainbows & Clouds), scalloped edge die (PTI), banner die (Simon Says Stamp), sequins (Neat & Tangled), Stickles, washi tape

Tour de Cure!

This past weekend I had one of the most amazing experiences! I participated in the Tour de Cure bike ride, raising money for the American Diabetes Association. My amazing friends and family donated to support my ride, and in all I've raised $1,398.44 for the fight against diabetes!! (And, my fundraising site is open for another month if you'd like to donate, you can find it here. ;-) ) I'll share more about my ride, but first, a card - a big THANK YOU for all who donated! I am so humbled by everyone's generosity!

I inked up this fabulous Roll With It set from Avery Elle, which I found at i {heart} papers. I stamped the bicycle on Sticky Back Canvas - fun! The bows are Hemptique cord, also found at IHP.

Speaking of i {heart} papers - Kate, the owner, is such an amazing person! She heard about my bike ride, and decided not only to make a personal donation, but then followed it up with a company donation - she held a sale during NSD and donated a percentage of all sales that weekend to my ride. I still can't believe she did that - I am so thankful!

I used the colors from the current Play Date Cafe Challenge - which I thought was rather fitting because they are also pretty much Avery Elle's colors! :-)

As for the ride itself - let's just say I'm not the most athletic person in the world. But you all know how much I *love* bikes - and I do love riding my own bike - but I don't do it nearly enough. I mostly just watch other people riding bikes...! But there was a poster at my gym for Tour de Cure, and every time I walked past it, it called out to me. "Do it! Do it!" So one day I decided to go for it. I signed up. I was terrified. I hadn't been out on my bike much. I had never done a big group ride. I am scared of riding out on roads with cars. But the minimum distance was 14 miles and I thought I could  handle that. Hopefully...! And then I realized there was a $200 fundraising minimum to be able to ride. I didn't think I would meet it. Boy was I wrong about that!! There are so many generous people in my life. I am just floored by how much I raised! But I know why - it's because diabetes just touches so many lives. So many people have family, friends, loved ones living with that rotten disease. Or are living with it themselves. It's a cause worth supporting!

The night before the race I was a ball of nerves. Rain was in the forecast. I had gotten up to 20 miles in training, but would I be able to handle the hills? I had only trained on a mega-flat trail. Ugh!!

On the way to the ride, it was absolutely pouring at my house. Thunder, lightning. All of it.

But the race was ~45 minutes away, and when I got there it was overcast but not raining! Here I am lined up at the start of the 28 mile ride. I had been planning to ride 14 miles, but I just felt like I needed to go the extra mile after everyone was so generous with the donations. Or the extra 14 miles as the case may be. :-) So I went for it. Can you tell how nervous I was at this point?

Once I got out on the road - I loved it!! I truly LOVED it. Everyone was so nice along the way. People riding with diabetes had special red bib numbers, every time I saw one I yelled "Go Red Rider" - how awesome is that? When hills were hard, anyone going by me would be encouraging - "just a little bit more, you're almost there". Nice men on motorcycles would drive by to make sure I wasn't having cardiac arrest, LOL. And there were rest stops. I had no problem taking a moment at them to drink some gatorade and eat a banana!!

At the rest stops were signs showing where we were at. I took the ride in small chunks... only 4.8 miles until the next rest stop... I can do that...

They even put a sign up on the road just for me! So sweet!! :-) I cracked myself up over this sign, but it also shows the gorgeous Georgia roads we were riding along. A few of the roads had "Georgia Scenic Byway" signs posted. Not a bad place to ride a bike!!

Right when I arrived at the third rest area, Mother Nature decided to turn ugly. An absolute downpour began, with strong winds, lightning, thunder...! All of us who were there huddled under an overhang and waited it out. Officials came by and said the National Weather Service advised them to close the route down, and they were arranging transportation to get everyone back. But at this point, I didn't want to stop riding!!  There were ~10 more miles to the finish, and I wanted to complete all 28! Once the storm had (mostly) passed over us, many of us got back on our bikes and continued on.

So, I did it!!! I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud of myself. It's the farthest I've ever gone on a bike, and it was certainly NOT flat. And I raised a good chunk of money for ADA. In honor of my mom, and my mother-in-law, and my uncles, and my friends, and friends' family members. Far too many people living with diabetes!

Thanks for stopping by and listening to my story. :-)


Stamps: Roll With It from Avery Elle
Paper: Hero Arts (Pool, Tide), October Afternoon (Modern Homemaker), Ranger (Sticky Back Canvas)
Ink: Hero Arts (Punch Chalk Ink), Ranger (Aquamarine Archival)
Other: My Favorite Things Die-namics (Blueprints 1), Hemptique hemp cord, machine stitching

These are a few of my favorite things...

If you know me at all, you can probably name two of my very favorite things on the planet. Yes that's right. Bicycles. And Texas Bluebonnets. Both things make me so happy! Wellll would you believe Texana Designs now carries a stamp combining them?!?! Yes, I am happy.

I created a panel with the Texas Bluebonnets Background stamped lightly, then stamped the Jam'n Bicycle with Bluebonnets over top. The background of the card was a lot of fun to create - I finally played with my Distress Paints! I just made pools of paint on my craft sheet, then ran the paper through them. I added Distress Ink around the edges once the paint had dried. The Enjoy the Ride sentiment is also from Texana Designs.

And speaking of bicycles - I have some exciting news! I am riding in my very first big group bike ride this weekend! I'm participating in the Atlanta Tour de Cure, to raise money for the American Diabetes Association! Diabetes has had a personal impact on my life - so many family members (including both my mom and my mother-in-law) as well as friends have to live with this rotten disease. I'm rather proud of myself for doing this, raising a chunk of money, and actually getting my butt out on a bike instead of always watching bikes on tv, or stamping them....! :-) If you'd like to donate to my fundraiser, I would be absolutely honored - the link is RIGHT HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,

SDC99 - Summertime

Today I'm sharing a card for the latest Stampotique Designer's Challenge, and the theme is Summertime. I found my inspiration from using bright, summery colors.

I finally tried out my Distress Paints - I just spent some time playing, making different backgrounds with them. I love the bright colors in this one, and decided to pair it with Bird Princess from Stampotique - isn't she gorgeous? I colored her with my Copics and trimmed her out before attaching her to the card. I love this sentiment from Stampotique, too! I turned Seaweed on it's side and added glitter. To add a little somethin-somethin to the background, I sprayed it with IMAGINE Crafts® GooseBumps™ Texture Spray. This stuff is so cool! I can't wait to play with it some more. 

I hope you'll join us at the challenge this week!

Mother's Day Inspiration Blog Hop

Today I'm here to hop along with some of my blogging friends, sharing inspiration for Mother's Day. You should have landed here by way of Lalo Ik. If not, you can head over to Donna Bowman's blog to begin at the very beginning. I made a simple card to share:

The flower is one of my very favorite recent Hero Arts stamps - Painted Flower. I colored it with my markers, directly onto the stamp before stamping it down on the paper. The background is from Hero Arts too - Antique Flower Background. And for the message - I couldn't actually find a "happy mother's day" message, even though I *know* I have a few somewhere in this mess of a stamp room - so I decided to use the "I love you" from Year Round Sentiments instead. I figured it's appropriate for Mother's Day, too. :-)

I played along with the color splash over at the Play Date Cafe. Oh how I love a color splash!

And now about this blog hop! I'm hopping with a group of friends I've done blog events with before. We decided to give ourselves a name, so we are now officially "The Inspiration Crew". How fun is that?

This is just a one day Mother's Day Inspiration hop. We hope you find some inspiration in the projects shared. And this time we even have prizes!! Leave comments along the way on the hop to be eligible to win, by midnight EST on Monday, May 6. The winners will be announced on Donna's blog on Wednesday, May 8.

Now hop on over and see what the amazing Barb Murphy is sharing today!

Happy Stamping,

Starry, Starry Night...

So how does one go about starting a blog post when it's been nearly a month since last one blogged? Does one apologize, or just jump right in and start sharing? I'm never quite sure. So hey, check this out:

I've been wanting to do this for ages, and I finally took the leap! I started my very own art journal. YAY!! Since my creative juices have been... uh... dried up lately (!) I decided to get out my beloved Studio Paints and just play. This isn't exactly being creative since it's a big ol' Van Gogh copy. But boy does it make me happy. I decided to add a little cobbled bike path at the bottom corner as well as a Studio Calico veneer bicycle on that path. The words are from a Dylusions set - I figure believing I will one day ride my bike under a Van Gogh-esque Starry Night sky is rather absurd. So why not believe it could happen? :-)

I think glitter and sequins make anything better so of course I had to add them too. The yummy royal blue sequins are from i {heart} papers.

I had this method for recreating a Van Gogh fresh in my brain because a couple weekends ago I went to one of those we'll give you step by step for painting a canvas, you bring your own wine places with a few friends. It was great fun, and the canvas that night was, you guessed it, Starry Night.

Have I mentioned this is my very favorite painting on the planet? Ah yes, I have. :-)

So now you've seen my very first foray into the world of art journaling. I plan to learn lots of fun ways to add texture and layer paints and inks and whatnot, but I am happy with this foot in the door...

Thanks for stopping by,