Rise and Shine

Here is Sketch #5 from Simply Scrapping card sketches. I used Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird" paper, 3 Bugs in a Rug "Blossom Brads". Rise and Shine sentiment is part of the "Early Bird" paper line. I liked the way the sketch worked better for me by turning it on it's side.

Kiss a Frog Today!

This week's card challenge is a color challenge over at Simply Scrapping. Check out the beautiful colors! The card can be for any occassion and you can use any sketch on it.
BUT..... the card must include:
* colors from this color combo
* at least 2 different patterned papers
* ribbon
* bling (rhinestones, stickles, etc)

The paper is from Bo Bunny "A Gift of Love". The image is from Simply Sassy Design Studio and it's a digital sticker. I colored her hair black (was brown) because it went better with the card. I also added make up on her and used a small piece of ribbon on her head band then added bling to that and to each heart. The eyes on the frog have little black bling too. I colored her shirt a little darker pink then it was and then I Stickled it. Although these digital stickers can be used "as is" when printed, I couldn't resist adding a little color of my own. : )

Here is the first challenge for this month over at Simply Scrapping. There is a great prize up for grabs!

Wow! It's July already! Well here is your first challenge for the month of July:Use the following sketch to create a card inspired by your favorite sorbet! Since it's summer time I figured it was fitting to feature a fab frozen sweet treat! (Sorbet (pronounced /sɔrˈbeɪ/ sor-bay) is a frozen dessert made from sweetened water flavoured with iced fruit (typically juice or puree), chocolate, wine, and/or liqueur).

Complete this challenge and you will be 25% of the way towards the June Card Prize Pack:A June Bug Card Kit by Basic Grey:

The June Bug Card Kit includes enough June Bug patterned paper die-cuts, printed and scored cardstock, rub-ons, printed chipboard, and envelopes to create 8 unique cards.

Just remember the rules to be entered into a drawing for the monthly prize:
1. Participate in ALL 4 challenges
2. All work must be brand new as of the challenge post
3. Art created for the challenge is for that Simply Scrapping challenge alone...not to be posted on any other blog challenge or site.
Deadline: July 31st

Here is my take on the challenge. I used Making Memories "Spring" 8x8 paper pack. The colors didn't turned out as well in the picture as I would have liked. The background paper is a pale yellow with white polka dots.

Just a Note

Here is my card for Simply Scrapping Sketch #15-B, it's a "B" because there is already a #15. : ) The paper is a mix of Scenic Route "Sonoma" and Fancy Pants Designs "All Fall". I used a 1" square punch to punch out the 6 squares. Pretty easy card to make. I can see where this would be an easy card to mass produce for a card gift set. : )

Free on Fridays - Vintage Pics

I'm doing a vintage card swap right now over at CafeMom. Here are the cards I made. I got the paper from a monthly kit that I got from A Memory To Scrap the paper is Graphic 45.

I don't do vintage much but I do really like it. So I thought for the freebie this week I would put up links to where I have found some great vintage pics that you can use for cards, altered art or other crafts.

Above the Mark

Antique Clip Art

Art Freebies - this is a blog where she offers vintage pics almost daily. Be sure to scroll back through and see all the fabulous pics she has offered.

Art-e-zine - 24 different links to vintage images of women, families, children, ephemera, cowboys, geishas, retro 30's - 60's images and more
Free Vintage Images - gives links to other sites with vintage images

Graphics Fairy Blogspot - tons of free vintage pics Graphics Fairy Gallery

Outside The Margins - vintage pics

Outside The Margins - vintage ephemera
The Saurus Press - vintage patriotic and war images
The Vintage Moth
Vintage Holiday Crafts - vintage images for holidays

Have fun with all the images you find. If you end up using some in a project I would love to see what you made.

I want to wish you all a Happy 4th of July!! Have a great weekend full of fun, food, family and fireworks!!

July Prize @ Simply Scrapping

Check out this awesome prize package up for grabs over at Simply Scrapping.
All you have to do is complete the 4 challenges in July and be put in the drawing for this awesome pacakge from Basic Grey. Here is the first LO in the July challenge.

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On a different note over at Simply Scrapping in the card forum, here is my take on Card Sketch #10. I used Kaiser Craft "Bird Song" for the papers and after I stamped the bird I just couldn't leave it without color but knew that markers wouldn't look right so I ended up using some chalk to color the bird in some. I liked it much better after I added the chalk.

Live Big

Here is the card challenge over at Simply Scrapping.

You must use the color pallette displayed above. A Combination of 2 or more colors. They must be a summer theme.Each Card must have the following items on the cards--Ribbon__Gems or Glitz ( whether it be prepackaged or Stickles, Pearls, and some type of Medium)--Some where on the card must be something hand written or drawn. (either the journaling, doodling, etc.

Here is my take on the challenge and sketch.

I used Paper Studio paper pack "Pink Armadillo" and it has glitter on it. I did do some doodling, well very little but it's on there! I used the Doodle Genie from ChatterBox that I got from Judy. The pink paper already had the dotted swirls so I then used the template to follow the swirls from the pink on to the green paper. I used my glitter pen on top of the black to make it sparkle some. I also added some sparkle to the swimsuit with the glitter pen. I took some very small bling and added it to make it look like she was wearing diamond earrings.

Free on Fridays

FREE FONTS!!!
I do most of my journaling for my scrap pages on the computer so I like to have fun and unique fonts to use. Here are some links to get free fonts for your computer. You can also use them to make sentiments for cards.

ScrapNfonts offers 3 free fonts if you sign up for their newsletter. Then every so often they offer free fonts in their newsletter. Also Lettering Delights you get 4 free fonts when you sign up for their newletter and they have free downloads as well. Another place is Kevin & Amanda have a lot of free fonts and some pretty cool ones at that. Here are some other links that provide free fonts.

1001 Fonts
1001 Free Fonts
Acid Fonts
dafont
Daily Free Fonts
Fonts 101
Font Face
Font Freak
Font Reactor
Font Space
Font Stock
High Fonts
Jabaroo
Simply The Best Fonts
Urban Fonts

Whew! That's a lot and there is even more out there. : O This should keep you busy for quite a while though. Have a great weekend!

Simply Scrapping Card Challenge

Here is the card challeng going on at Simply Scrapping right now.

This an easy color challenge for a card. Fourth of July is right around the corner so lets do Red, White and Blue colors in a card. Even those not living in the USA can participate because the card doesn't have to be a July 4th card and it can be any shade of these colors.I did make a July 4th card and I plan on sending this to a friend for her birthday that is close to July 4th just to mix it up a bit and not send a traditional bday card. Susan, I hope you are seeing this!! : ) I used Simply Scrapping card sketch #6 for this also.

Free on Fridays

Well it's Friday again and I have some freebies for you. Since Sunday is Father's Day I thought I'd list a few sites where you can get free printable Father's Day cards. But of course, we are all making our fathers and husbands cards RIGHT??!!!! ; ) But just in case try these out.

Family Crafts

Parenting Teens

Kaboose

Family Fun - Also has home made gift and dessert ideas

Free Coloring Pages 4U - This also has tons of coloring pages that you could use as stamped images



Now for an actual digital stamped image that you can get for free. It's from a new company called Whimsie Doodles and on her blog there is a turtle on the right hand side that you can download for free. Here is the image and you also get the sentiment too. I printed it on white cardstock but it just didn't look right since there really wasn't any white in the card so I took my red cat eye chalk ink and tapped it over the paper so it wasn't white any more. I used Simply Scrapping Card Sketch #1. The paper line is the Evelyn collection by Scribble Scrabble and the brads are from 3 Bugs in a Rug "Blossom". I used my SU Top Note on the Big Shot - for the first time YEAH!! I pop dotted the turtle and sentiment. The turtle is colored with Copics and Bic markers.

Simply Scrapping - Card Challenge

HERE IS THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE OVER AT SIMPLY SCRAPPING.

This week's card challenge is nothing too complicated...a sketch with a little extra! Use the following sketch to create a card!

Now for your little extra...Your card must also feature POLKA DOTS! Have fun...can't wait to see what everyone does. Don't forget all participants of the June Card challenges are in the running for a $15 grab bag compliments of Judy and Simply Scrapping!

Here is my take on the sketch. I used paper from Scribble Scrabble - Evelyn's collection. There were so many polka dots in the papers so I knew I had to use this line for it.

A Little Monkey Business

Changito and Sock Monkey that is. Here is another set of goodies that I sent out from the blog candy RAK. The stamped image is a Changito and the paper is from Daisy D's it was an 8x8 pad. I used the Cricut - Doodlecharms to cut out the cupcake shape, then I used the ScorPal to make the lines in the cupcake wrapper.

Free on Fridays

I'm going to start posting every Friday with something free that I have found on the internet or maybe something you have at home that you can use in scrapping or cards that would be free basically because you already have it. Today I have several freebies. First is summer titles from Scrap N Fonts. The next one is from Lettering Delights, it's a Father's Day card bundle and Father's Day candy bar wrappers that you can print out. While you are there you can also get a couple very cute candy bar wrappers for free too. You can sign up for newsletters from each of these companies and get emails from them when they have freebies OR...... you can just get them from me when I post them on Fridays!!

I'm really wanting to try and pick up the activity on my blog and I figure freebies are one good way. So pass the word along to your fellow friends and bloggers. : )

Color Challenge at SS

Over at Simply Scrapping there is a color challenge one for LO's and one for cards.
I found this was definitely a challenge because I really don't have a lot of blue paper. I used an acetate overlay that I attached to the blue polka dot paper. I just put glue dots behind the flower and leaf to hold it on. I really like the saying and have never heard it before. It says "To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." It's kind of funny and true too.

Cards and Altered Matchbox

This is some of the Blog RAK stuff I sent out to the ladies who signed up for it about a month ago. They should have all received their stuff by now so I won't be spoiling any of the surprise for them. I made these cards and the altered match box out of this really fun paper pack I bought at the garage sale from the LSS were I teach. I did really well and sold $212 myself and then only spent about $42 in buying other people's stuff. So I still came out ahead! There wasn't a ring on this girl's finger on this image. The way she is holding her hand and then the other two looking right at it, I thought it needed to be her showing them a ring. I just popped a small piece of bling on there and ta-da it looks like it was suppose to be that way. I used Copics to color both of these images.

This is just a little 3x3 card. These are so fun to make. Isn't this scooter too cute?!

My Little Secret is Out

I said I was going to share a secret with you and I guess it's about time. But before I do I wanted to let my Blog RAK ladies know that their goodies were sent out on Monday. Ok, now for my little secret. Well it's not really a secret it's just a little something I found out and I'm probably not the only one who know this but I'd like to think it was all my idea. ; ) Have you ever bought digital stamped images? I haven't but they are a lot less expensive than the stamp. With a few draw backs you can't just stamp anywhere you want, you'd have to print the image out and I guess then you could cut it out and put it where you want. So what about free images? Oh yes there are FREE images out there to be found, printed and colored for a beautiful stamped card. Here is one I found:
Are you sitting there saying "WHAT??!!! Isn't that a Sara Kay stamp?" Yes it is Sara Kay but it actually a coloring page I found online for free. I just reduced the size and printed it on the cardstock I usually use for my stamped images. It is colored with Copics and I didn't have any problems with the ink bleeding. So you want to know where to get these cool images? Ohhhh I bet you do!! Guess what else I found? How about some Strawberry Shortcake images, Holly Hobbie, Hello Kitty, Bratz, Barbie, Groovy Girls and just about any Disney character from any of their movies and so much more. Here are some of the coloring page sites that I found that have some great pages.

Funny Coloring - Dora, Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, Nemo, Paddington Bear, Teletubbies, Spongebob, holiday pages, Bible pages, animals and much more
The Coloring Book - This one has Sara Kay pages, Groovy Girls, Littlest Pet Shop, Minnie Mouse, Stanley, Backyardigans, and TONS more
Kids-n-Fun - Bambi, Bratz, Barbie Pippi Longstocking, Cars, just way too many to list.
The Coloring Spot

You can also check out clipart. Of course, you need to make sure these are royalty free and all that good stuff. Sorry, I don't know all the rules of uses images.
Clipart ETC

I mentioned one of my favorit bloggers the other day Mel Stampz well she posted something about this about a week or so ago. So HERE is her post about some freebies she found and also some free images she has on her blog.

There I did it! I shared my secret. I may never have to buy another stamp again!! Yeah, right!! I hope you like this info and find it as awesome as I do. Also feel free to share this information with all your fellow stampers and I would love a link back here to this post. You know, so they too can show me some love. : )

SU Tag Punch Idea

One of my favorite blogs is Melz Stamps. She is so ultra talented and comes up with the most incredible ideas. She puts so much detail in each project she does. This is just one little quick tip that she had for using your SU tag punch.
Isn't that brillant?! I love the idea and will definitely be trying this sometime. Be sure to check around her blog for all the templates, techniques and ideas that she has. You could spend hours just browsing the wealth of information that she has on her blog.

I hope to post another great idea in the next day or two. It's one of the those ideas that you think "Do I really want to share this with the world or keep it my own little secret?" But I do want to share it with my readers which I know are few but I do appreciate those of you who do come to see what I've been up to so I will pass on this golden nugget to you. Hmmmm....are you curious yet? : ) Have a wonder Memorial Day!

MME Penny Lane Papers

Here is a LO I did from a sketch off Simply Scrapping. It's sketch #15 and you can find all the sketch from Simply Scrapping HERE. I used My Minds Eye - Penny Lane paper - just the patterned paper also the "our family" title and paper flower on top. I loved this paper and had plenty left over so I made cards using the rest of it. I think I used up just about every last little scrap of it.
The sentiments - thanks a bunch, hi there and happy birthday all came from a package I got on clearance at Target in their card dept. They already had pop dots on them. I just rounded the corners and inked them. The colors went great with this paper and I didn't have to use any stamps on them. The Thank you card above is a 4x4 card and the Hi There below is a 3x3 card.On the happy birthday one below the bird also is part of the MME Penny Lane series. It is a clear acrylic piece. I backed it with the green paper and adhered it with glue dots behind the eye and on the tail so you can't even see how it is attached.

I can't remember the size the the "hello" card below. I used Copics to color the image and sanded the heck out of all the paper and even over the image.

This last one is my favorite. I used Copics to color the image. I ended up totally screwing up the grass area. I still can't figure out out to make it look right. So I just put a big ole' flower on one side and the corner punch on the other. You would never now the icky mess that lies beneath. : ) The "thinking of you" was just a rub on that I had.

Twilight with Cheeseburgers??

I have become a HUGE fan of the Twilight series. I could go on and on about it but I just had to share this video. I laughed all the way through it.

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

A couple of weeks ago we had teacher appreciation day and I'm the homeroom mom for the special ed class that has one teacher and an aid. Here are the snack baskets that I put together for them from the class. I had fun putting these together because I got to use my new Scor Pal. The little box with the truffles I made and HERE is the pattern I used for it. I had a little trouble with the cellophane but just ended up wrapping it like a present and taped the sides. I was in a hurry and didn't get a chance to look around for much for the cellophane. I just bought a roll of it at Target in the gift wrap section. I barely used any of it for these. Now I'm going to have to find some more projects to use this stuff for because I have a lot of it.

Below is a water bottle with Crystal Light packets. I put a whole box of the mixes in this pouch and HERE is the template I used. The only thing is that this template uses a scalloped card from SU for the front and I didn't have any of those. I ended up just making the front on my own. I used my Friskars punch to cut the scallops and then folded it down then just copied the measurements from the other piece to make it work. After I made these I found another tutorial to make these and this one is a little simpler and holds just one packet very nicely. HERE is the link for that one.

I also included 3 packages of microwave popcorn. There isn't a template for this. I just stacked the popcorn up and folded the paper around it. I did attach the popcorn together with repostionable tape so the stack wouldn't fall over. Once I figured out where the folds would be I used my new favorite tool the Scor Pal to make the creased. I also used a coordinating band of paper around the middle about 2" wide then wrapped it with tulle and then tied a small piece of ribbon in the middle of it to give it just a little more color.

This last box holds 2 boxes of gum. You could put all sorts of stuff in this. HERE is the template for this box. I really hope to get to do more of the stuff. It was fun. Maybe this will inspire you to go and make something for someone you'd like to show your appreciation.