Our Little Inspirations

It'll Be Okay :)

2012-02-19T11:37:00.000-05:00

Hello and a very happy Sunday to everyone! I have a couple cards to share with you today. Here is this week's Stars & Stamps sketch #109....

and here is my card. I used an image from MFT Pure Innocence, colored with Copics and used matching scraps of blue and embossed yellow card stock to put this together. The sentiment is from the same stamp set, and I just added a tiny snippet of yellow gingham ribbon to finish this simple card!

This is the 2nd card I wanted to share. It was made for the SCS QFTD100, to honor Lydia/aka Understandblue. I cased this gorgeous card in her gallery and made a similar version, using a CHF chicken wire background stamp along with a sentiment from Northwoods. The floral image is SU!'s fabulous flowers, and it was colored with CTMH markers and hand-cut. The center flower was popped up with foam tape, adding a gemstone brad to the center. I never thought of coloring this flower blue until I saw her card, but I love how it turned out!
That will do it for me today, so I wish you all a great Sunday, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Getting Back to Some Challenges Again...

2012-02-18T09:47:00.000-05:00

I haven't played with Crazy 4 Challenges in ages, but decided to make a card for their C4C124 to use polka dots and stripes. I used a Stamp Fairy digi image, colored it with Copics and made a simple Easter card for one of my granddaughters. I used Recollections striped dsp, along with some scraps of bubble gum pink, and a piece of some matching polka dot ribbon I've had for a long time. The sentiment was done with a G Studio stamp ($1 at Michaels) and 2 Spellbinders ribbon tag dies. I'm thinking this might look cute if I add some glossy accents or glitter to the egg Toby just painted! I keep forgetting how the little ones like sparkle!
Have yourself a great Saturday and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

SNSDC41 Inspiration Challenge

2012-02-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC41 challenge, which is to use this photograph for inspiration.

I made a little 3x3 gift card using early espresso and some metallic pink card stock. I colored this Cocoa's Gift digi image with Copics and added a snippet of matching ribbon. The sentiment is from the SU! So Many Sayings stamp set and was stamped using Ranger vintage photo ink. I added some white gel pen accents to Cocoa's cheeks just for fun.
You don't have to use a SNSS image to play along, but you do need to use a digi image. There's always a generous prize randomly drawn at the end of the month for those who have played along. When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creations with SNSDC41, and link them up here on the SNSDC blog.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great Friday!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa Challenge #37

2012-02-15T23:10:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the C4C37 challenge. This week it's an "anything goes" challenge. There's no particular theme, so just have fun with it. I'm using SNSS Cocoa's candy apple digi image, and colored him with Copics. I added a couple pieces of Cosmo Cricket dsp, and embossed one side with a CB ef. The ribbon is Aqua Mist from PTI and the sentiment was computer generated.
If you play along, please tag your creations with C4C37 when uploading to the galleries.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great Thursday!

Carol

A New Challenge

2012-02-15T08:12:00.000-05:00

I found a challenge that intrigued me simply because of the name, so I had to play along. It's called Shopping our Stash and I'm always looking for ways to use the abundance of supplies I have in my stash. This week their challenge #39 is "metal mania" to use metal on your card. I used a metal clip I've had in my stash for a long time, and I thought it was the perfect accent for this great Inkadinkado horse image. I created the background by doing the herringbone technique with BoBunny timepiece dsp, early espresso and cherry cobbler card stock. The image was stamped on crumb cake cardstock with Ranger vintage photo ink, sponged with antique linen ink, and edged with a brown marker before cutting with a Spellbinders labels eighteen die. The cherry cobbler mat was outlined with a white gel pen and hand cut. The metal tab has a snippet of early espresso ribbon from SU! For this one, I'll put the sentiment inside, because I think it would make a great birthday or father's day card.
Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a wonderful Wednesday!

Carol

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T08:50:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I made a square card (something I rarely do) for this special day using this fun free digi image I found at A Surcee Life. I can't find a direct link for the image, so it may not be available any longer, but you could search for it and see if you have better luck. It's called "Love at first sight." I made the computer generated sentiment using the kidS Written font because the "O's" looked like tiny eyeballs to me. I colored the image with Copics and added some Viva Pearl Pen accents for the lady's buttons and hat embellishments! I love when a card goes together so quickly and simply, so this one's for you folks, and it comes with a very happy Valentine's day wish for each and every one of you!
I hope your day is a special one!!

EDIT: Here's the link for this free digi image!

Carol

Make Wishes Come True

2012-02-13T08:24:00.002-05:00

My card today is for the House-Mouse & Friends challenge #113 to use the theme "make wishes come true." They've graciously invited me to do a couple February guest design spots, and I'm very happy to join in the fun!
I used the "balloon ride" image for this, coloring with Copics, and sponging the sky in with tumbled glass ink. I cut the image using a top note die, and added a computer generated sentiment {I wish I could fly} with a flower and gemstone in the center. The dsp is from Pink Paislee and I used scraps of pink and blue. This little guy looks like he's getting the flight of his life doesn't he?
Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a great Monday!

Carol

Our Last Stamps R Us Challenge

2012-02-13T07:10:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the last Stamps R Us challenge. With sadness, the Stamps R Us challenge blog will be closing on February 27th after a winner is chosen. Life always gives us new challenges, and sometimes those situations force us to reorganize our priorities and move in a different direction. You'll still see all of the SRU DT around blog land, so we're not going too far away!
And now on to the challenge. This week Digital Delights by Louby Lou is our sponsor and there's a generous prize awaiting the lucky winner who is randomly chosen. The challenge is "anything goes." I'm using the Angel Donita digi image. I colored this little cutie pie with Copics and cut it out using Spellbinders labels 18 dies. I used a smaller labels 18 die for the sentiment and added a few pink gemstones. The bubble gum pink cardstock was from my scrap pile and I embossed it with a CB swiss dots ef. The panels were outlined with a Tombow marker before cutting just to add a little interest.
You'll have 2 weeks to upload your creations to the Stamps R Us blog, and then after our winner is drawn on February 27th, the InLinkz and blog will close. We appreciate your loyalty and participation with the Stamps R Us challenges! Thanks too for stopping by and make it a great Monday!

Carol

Stars & Stamps sketch challenge #108

2012-02-12T09:57:00.001-05:00

Here is this week's sketch #108 for the Stars and Stamps blog...

and here is the card I made. I added another panel because I just couldn't seem to make the sketch work otherwise. I used an Inkadinkado cardinal image, colored with Copics, sponged with Antique Linen ink, edged with a black marker and then die cut using Spellbinders labels eighteen. The music background was done with a $1 stamp I found at Michaels, and the sentiment was done with a Northwoods stamp in Cherry Cobbler ink. The card stock is a cream-colored textured linen beauty that was sent to me by my friend Heidi last week. I embossed the horizontal panels with a SU! square lattice ef, while I made the vertical border with a MS arch lattice punch. A little snippet of ribbon finished this card.
Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Wrapping up the S&S VCMP Challenges

2012-02-11T21:12:00.003-05:00

Here's my card for the VCMP rainforest color challenge#11 to make a card using shades of green with a splash of color. I'm not sure if I like this one or not, but it's done, and hopefully someone will enjoy it. I used Spellbinders fancy tags two, foliage, and Sizzix bricked ef. The flowers were done with a MS hydrangea punch and dotted inside with a Viva pearl pen.

Here's my card for the VCMP Boats & Ships challenge#12 to use an image of a boat or ship on your card. I made this one generic so it could be used for a birthday, father's day, or just for a masculine card in general. I used the SU! Open Sea image along with chocolate chip, and some retired Parisan Breeze dsp. The brown panel was embossed with a Sizzix plaid ef and the borders were done with a SU! fancy scallop punch, and an EK zig zag (chain) punch. The image is on a piece of Baja Breeze card stock and cut with a labels eighteen die.

For the final challenge VCMP#13 - embossing - I'm using a stamped image I made when stamping with my friend Mary Anne quite a while ago. It's a GinaK image, and it was created by coloring the stamp with markers before stamping. I cut the image with Petite Ovals Nesties, and used the SU! square lattice ef on the piece of blue card stock.
That does it for the Stars & Stamps VCMP challenges, and I managed to finish them all! Now to get back to my normal routine once again :) It's snowing pretty good here in PA this evening, so I suppose I'll be home-bound and stamping tomorrow again :)
Thanks for all your visits and wonderful comments during this week-long event! I really appreciate your taking time to stop by and say hello!

Carol

Stars & Stamps VCMP Challenge #10 - Vintage

2012-02-11T14:32:00.001-05:00

Here's my take on S&S VCMP challenge #10 to create a vintage card. I printed this Doodle Pantry vintage car image on Crumb Cake card stock and sponged it with Antique Linen ink. I embossed a scrap piece of cardstock with some gold EP and punched out a few word window tabs and adhered them with some mini brass brads. The dsp is by BoBunny Timepiece. I was going to color the image, but decided it looked fine as it is. The colors look better IRL, but it's a cloudy day here in PA so the lighting isn't very good, sorry.
I have a few more VCMP challenges to catch up on, so I'd better get busy:)
Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Stars and Stamps VCMP challenges 8 & 9

2012-02-10T20:27:00.002-05:00

I rushed to finish the S&S VCMP challenge #8 to create a jungle-themed card, and completely missed the part where the card was supposed to be for kids! DUH!! Oh well, I'm sure this will be a good card for some "older" kids, or even adults. The image is a digi from StampNDoodle that I've always liked. I printed it on white cardstock and only colored the eyes with 2 yellow Copics and dotted the centers with a white gelpen. The sentiment was computer generated and I added some black gemstones for interest.

This is for the S&S VCMP challenge #9 to "cut it out" - use dies and punches. I used a SNSS border die, cutting one in white and one in dark blue, and swapped out all the punches pieces for a little contrast. I embossed the lower panel with the square lattice ef and added a piece of bashful blue ribbon to the top. The sentiment is by SU! sincere salutations.
That's going to do it for me for today, but have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

SNSDC40 Hats Off to You!

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

The challenge over at the SNSDC40 this week is to use a hat image on your card. I chose this Chef Cocoa digi image to make my card and colored it with Copics. I used the Fleur de Lis punch, border punch, and spellbinders die in keeping with the theme. French chef, get it?! *wink* I used some scraps of blue and dsp from the wedding stack by MM, adding a grommet tag die cut for the sentiment. I stamped the sentiment with wooden stick stamps - the kind you get in a set for $1 at Michaels, and added a couple brads along with a Fleur de lis negative punch.
You aren't required to use a SNSS digi image to play along with our challenge, but we sure like seeing them when you do! When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creation with SNSDC40.
Have a fabulous Friday and thanks for dropping by! Hat's off to ya :)

Carol

VCMP Challenge #7

2012-02-09T22:55:00.002-05:00

Challenge #7 for the VCMP over at the stars and stamps blog is to make a CAS card. They don't get more CAS than this one! I used one of those small embossing folders that came with a larger one and added a black mat and sentiment! SNAP! Done!
And now I'm off to bed! Thanks for checking in :)

Carol

More OWH Challenges

2012-02-09T09:20:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the VCMP challenges over on the Stars and Stamps blog, this card is for challenge #5 to make a birthday card. I've had this stamped image in my folder for a long time, so I colored it and made it into a masculine birthday card. I used taken with teal and early espresso card stock to accent the image and sponged tumbled glass ink to create the sky. Sentiment is by Inkadinkado.

This card was made for the VCMP challenge #6 to use the colors of blue and tan to represent sand and sea. I'm using a digi image from the very generous Sliekje who offers all her images for free. I colored this with Copics, and added a sentiment from the SNSS Your Friendship stamp set. The background was embossed with a Sizzix ef, and the sentiment panel was done with Spellbinders grommet tags. A few brass brads and ribbon, and this was done.

Lastly, this is my card for the Stars and Stamps mid-week throwdown to make an Easter card. The image I'm using is a free digi image from OWH that Sandy made. I had it colored for a long time and now I finally made a card with it. I didn't think this card needed any sentiment, because the cross and lily image pretty much speaks for itself. The colors used were pale plum and plum pudding, and the die cut border is from SNSS and was threaded with some ivory satin ribbon to match the ivory cardstock used for the image.

There will be two new challenges posted later this evening, and hopefully I'll be able to play along again and finish a few more cards that will fill up my box so I can send it to OWH soon!

If you're looking for the Crazy4Cocoa challenge, it's one post below this one:)
Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Thursday!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa36 ....Use 3 gems

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the Crazy4Cocoa36 challenge! This week the challenge is to use at least 3 gems on your cards. I'm using the SNSS A Donut for Cocoa digi image for my card and I colored it with pastel shades of Copics. I'm also using a SNSS scalloped border die and I used Close to Cocoa cardstock to fill in the die cut holes on the border. I used Spellbinders blossom dies for the image, outlining with a black marker. The gems are swarovski crystals, and the dsp was a gift from a friend so I don't know who makes it.
In order to play along, all you have to do is use a Cocoa image or any other critter image from SNSS (like Rhubarb or Bethany Bunny, etc) and use it to make your card. When uploading to the galleries, please use the keyword C4C36 so we can find your cards!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Carol

OWH's VCMP Challenges continue

2012-02-08T09:50:00.001-05:00

Here's my card for the OWH VCMP challenge #3 to make a funky fold card. Here is a tutorial for those who never tried this type of fold before. This is my first attempt, and I love how it turned out! I used all Pink Paislee dsp and ribbon, and the 1 in a million circle is a metal sticker, also from Pink Paislee. The sentiment is by Verve.

This is my take for the OWH VCMP challenge # 4 to make a "beachy thinking of you" card. I opted to go with the Beach Bum sentiment because this is such a whimsical image. It's a digi image from SNSS called beachball Cocoa and I colored the ball with flourescent Copics. The sand was stamped with 3 colors using a SU! image, and the sentiment and flipflops are from a set of unmarked wooden stampers. I added some clouds with tumbled glass distress ink, and embossed the background with a Sizzix diamond folder.

Ok, now I'm caught up with the VCMP challenges until later this evening when 2 more challenges will be posted. Check it out and come play along and send your cards to OWH. Our heroes will appreciate your cards!

OWH VCMP challenges 1 & 2

2012-02-07T14:17:00.002-05:00

There is a cruise week Virtual Card Making Party going on over at the Stars and Stamps blog this week while Sandy and her comrades are on the OWH cruise! (lucky dogs!) This card is for the first challenge VCMP#1 to use hot Tropical colors of pink, green, & yellow. I used a SNSS digi image, coloring with flourescent Copics and used Recollections dsp for the colorful panels. Sentiment is by SNSS.

This card is for the VCMP#2 challenge to create a masculine nautical-themed card. I used SU's Open Sea set for this one, adding lots of distress inks, torn panels, an embossed background, and I made a sailor's knot with several strands of crochet thread. Colors are Taken with Teal, Baja Breeze, and Crumb cake, while the manifesto sheets are from the BG kraft and white pads.
There will be two more challenges posted each day until the cruise is over, so grabs your stamps 'n ink and come play along with us! There's lots of prizes to be won, so what are you waiting for? Our soldiers serving overseas would love to have your cards to write home to their loved ones:)

Carol

Catching up with Challenges

2012-02-06T10:11:00.000-05:00

I made this card for the Stars and Stamps sketch challenge #107. I was able to make a masculine birthday card by using up a couple scraps from my bin. The black panel was done with a Sizzix ef, and I used Copics in 3 shades to add some gradient color to the sentiment. The ribbon slide was cut with my Quickutz die and embossed with silver ep. I added some faux stitching and turquoise ribbon for the finishing touch.

This card uses the same sketch as the card above, but I flipped it and made a card for Mother. This is for the Stars and Stamps ODBD challenge to use ribbon. I used a piece of polka dot dsp and embossed it with the petals a plenty ef from SU, dotting the flowers with a spica glitter pen. The image is sweet peas from Flourishes and I did a little paper piercing around the outside edges. The sentiment is by Verve stamps, and the ribbon is one of those little bobbin ribbons I picked up at JoAnne's. I tied a knot to the vertical ribbon first, and then added a separate bow done with the Bow Easy - fastened on top with strong tacky glue. The dsp and card stock is all from SU!

And here is one more card that meets 3 challenges. I used the Serafina Heart die by MB along with some Cherry Cobbler card stock for the main image, and made a border using diagonal strips of Cherry Cobbler & BoBunny Crush dsp. The tiny tag from SU was hand written and I used a tiny punch-out heart from the SNSS hearts and stars border dies. This card is for the Stars and Stamps CAS skip challenge, as well as the TLC363 to make your own stripes, and the CAS156 to make a CAS card using hearts.

That's going to be it for me today! Thanks for stopping by and if you missed it, be sure and check out Heidi's February calendar page below this post! You'll be glad you did :)

Carol

Heidi's February Calendar

2012-02-06T07:21:00.000-05:00

Here's Heidi's February calendar page that she made for me! In case you're wondering what the frog is for - it's a leap year! How clever eh? I love how that frog is holding the tiny glittered heart over Valentine's day too! Honestly, this calendar just gives me a big smile every time I look at it, so it was truly a gift that keeps giving!! Thanks for another fun page {{Heidi!}}
I'll be back with more a little later......

Carol

House Mouse & Friends Challenge #112

2012-02-04T07:53:00.000-05:00

I made this card for the House Mouse & Friends Blog Hop challenge #112 which is to make a love-themed project using more than one heart. This adorable little image always makes me smile, so I decided to use it for this challenge
I colored the image with Copics, and cut it out using a Spellbinders labels 10 die, then hand cut the red mat underneath, edging with a white gel pen. The next layer was done with a labels 18, and that panel was edged with a black marker. It's all layered on a top note die cut that was embossed with SU!'s square lattice embossing folder. I added 2 white heart brads, along with a tiny red rose and a few ferns done with a MS punch. Lastly, the background was embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder from the curlique and hearts set. The sentiment is from SU!.
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Carol

SNSDC39 It's time for Valentines!

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC39 where we're making Valentines for the challenge. I'm using the SNSS Be Mine digital stamp and I colored the image with Copics. I used a piece of textured pink card stock and added a panel of sheet music with an arch lattice border punch by MS. The 3 tiny black stars were done with the SU! owl punch. I used a Spica glitter pen on the tiny red heart on the envie. The bow was done with the bow-easy.
If you play along with us, you aren't required to use a SNSS digi image, but we love seeing them when you do. If you play along with the challenges all month, you might be the lucky winner of a great prize, so what are you waiting for?! Grab those digis and make a Valentine! When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creation with SNSDC39 and don't forget to check out the rest of the DT's amazing creations right here!
Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Moxie Fab's going Fancy Schmancy!

2012-02-02T13:34:00.001-05:00

Here's the inspirational photo for this week's Moxie Fab Fancy Schmancy Tuesday trigger challenge.

And here's the card I made. I went with a CAS design, using a SNSS Scalloped border die and SU!'s square lattice ef. I chose PTI Berry Sorbet cardstock and saddle-stitched ribbon, along with Close to Cocoa and Early Espresso card stocks. I cut 3 borders from all 3 colors, and swapped out the tiny punches with alternate colors just for a little interest. The sentiment is from the Sincere Salutations set from SU! and that's all there was to it! I made a few more cards like this for my next OWH box, because I like the simple design. I'll share them another day.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you add a touch of "fancy schmancy" to your lives soon :)

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa#35 - You're a Star!

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the Crazy4Cocoa & Friends challenge #35. This week the challenge is to add some stars to your cards or creations. I added lots of stars to this card, and I used the SNSS Cocoa loves football digi image because the Superbowl is being played this weekend! To be fair, I'm using red, white & blue to represent both the Giants and Patriots. They're both good teams and each deserves to win, but I only watch the Superbowl to see the funny commercials, so I don't really care who wins :)
I used the SNSS Hearts & Stars Scallop Border die for the vertical border, cutting one in red, one in white and one in blue, and then interchanging the tiny stars for interest. The 3 stars on the right were cut with the SNSS stars die set.
The background was embossed with a CB ef and the sentiment was computer generated. I'm sure you die-hard football fans remember that song, and you'll probably be singing it for a few days like me :)
Please use the keyword C4C35 when uploading your cards and have fun watching the Superbowl everyone!

Carol

Die Cuts and Punches

2012-02-01T11:11:00.002-05:00

The mid-week challenge over at the Stars and Stamps blog this week is to use dies and punches. This card was a snap to make for the challenge! I used a die cut, a punch and a sentiment stamp - and that's it! The tree was done with a Memory Box Arboscello tree die, and the bottom was done with a leafy EK border punch. I put a strip of matching cardstock behind the punched strip to add a little contrast. The sentiment was done with Cranberry Crisp ink, and I used some heavy, glossy card stock that was given to me so I don't know who makes it.
Quick and easy for me today! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your Wednesday!

Carol

Valentine Treat Boxes for the Grands

2012-01-31T11:27:00.000-05:00

I made these little 4x4.5 treat boxes for the grandkids and filled them with Valentine M&M's. One bag of candy fills 4 boxes this size, so I'll make one for my DH at a later time :) I used BoBunny Crush and Crazy Love dsp for all 3, adding scraps of red, pink, and bubblegum pink card stock. I added a double heart on each one, made with Spellbinder's Classic Hearts dies, and punched a tiny tag for each one, hand-writing the girls names and adding a tiny heart. The 2 boxes on the left have a brad in the center, and the one on the right was a little glittered heart that came in an order as a freebie, and it perfectly matches the glittered ribbon I used.
I'm entering these boxes into the Tuesday Throwdown #83 which is to use "hearts." I think each of these treat boxes meets the challenge :)
Enjoy your Tuesday and thanks for the little visit today :)

Carol

Love is in the Air!

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, happy Monday, and welcome to another fun Stamps R Us challenge! This week we're challenging you to make love-themed or Valentine cards, and Robyn's Fetish is our sponsor. She's generously provided the DT with some great digi images to use for our challenge, and the one I'm using is called "I Toadily Luv U."
I colored this with Copics and mounted it using Spellbinders square and scalloped square dies, along with some Cherry Cobbler card stock and Basic Grey dp. The female frog looked a bit distracted from the male frog's presenting his heart to her, so I stamped a few flies swarming around her head just for fun. She seems to be thinking "hmmmm.........tasty flies or love?" LOL The twin hearts on the sentiment panel were done with a Tonic paper punch.
I hope you'll have time to play along with our love/valentine theme, and as always, you'll have 2 weeks to upload your card. Don't forget to check all the great inspiration you'll find from the rest of the DT's creations right here.
Thanks for stopping by and I wish you all a love-filled day!

Carol

OWH Sketch challenge #106

2012-01-29T10:27:00.004-05:00

I made this one for the OWH Sketch challenge #106 found here. I used SU's Extreme Snowboarder image and stamped it with Versamark, adding clear detail ep to give it a little shine. I sponged the background clouds with Ranger tumbled glass ink, and added some sprays of stickles to the sides of the board to look like glistening snow. The cardstock base is Rustic Cream from PTI and I embossed it with a Sizzix Snowcap ef. The black border on the side is from the SNSS Hearts & Stars scallop border dies. I tweaked the sketch a little bit and added a sentiment from the SU! So Many Sayings set, because the bottom of the card just looked unbalanced. I frayed the ends of the ribbon just to coordinate with the sporty theme of this card.
I always enjoy having you spend a little of your day here with me, and I appreciate your taking time to leave comments too! Have a fabulous Sunday!

Carol

SNSDC38 Dessert Element

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy TGIF day and welcome to the SNSDC38 challenge to add a dessert element to your card. I don't think there's a better dessert around than a yummy sundae, so I'm using Cocoa's Sundae digi image for the challenge. The image was colored with Copics, and I used a MS goo punch for the drippy borders, and a SU fancy scallop punch for the top border. The little heart was made with my Cricut and the dsp was given to me but I don't know who makes it. I used a spica glitter pen and some glossy accents for the cherry on top just for a little fun.
You do not have to use a SNSS digi image to play along with us, but you must use a digi image. As always, there's a nice prize to be won if you play along with us all month! Please tag your creations with SNSDC38 when uploading to the galleries.
Have a fun Friday and a great weekend too! Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Tuesday Throwdown #82 - Charms

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

I made this card for the Tuesday Throwdown #82 challenge to add a charm to your card. I also used the SSS142 sketch with a spin to make a non-traditional Valentine. With the colors of purple and green, I'm sure this can be considered non-traditional ;)
I'm using a SNSS digi image and sentiment for my card, along with some polka dot dsp from Recollections. I matted the panels with PTI new leaf card stock and added some matching green ribbon. The key charm is from 7Gypsies, and the purple ribbon I've had forever. The purple twine came from a now-closed online store (stampersdream) and the mint green background was embossed with the seeing spots ef by CB. I used Copics to color the image.
If you're looking for the C4C34 challenge, it's right here, or one post below this one.
Wishing you all a wonderful Thursday, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa Challenge #34 - One for the Girls

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Good Morning Cocoa fans and friends! It's time for another Crazy4Cocoa challenge, and this week the challenge is to create a feminine card. I used the Sweet Stop sketch #SSS142 for my card, along with the PamperMeCookie digi image and made a feminine card for a "sister" by adding the tiny tag. The image was colored with Copics, cut with a spellbinders square die and matted with black. The pink and polka dot dsp's are scraps from my bin, and the background was embossed with a Sizzix powdered sugar folder. The ribbon is from my stash and I used the Bow-easy to create the bow.
As always, please keep in mind that if you play along with the challenge, you can use any Cocoa image or one of his critter "pals" from the SNSS store. When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creation with C4C34 so we can find it!
I'm also entering this card into the SCS WT359 challenge found here.
Thanks for stopping by and have a Cookie & Cocoa kind of day :)

Carol

SC369 I {heart} you

2012-01-25T10:10:00.000-05:00

I played along with the SC369 challenge today over on SCS and decided to use some blue color instead of the traditional reds I'd usually use with a heart image. I printed the SNSS Rhubarbs's heart digi image, adding a printed sentiment to the inside of the heart, and colored with Copics. I used 2 different Sizzix embossing folders for this - the curlique & hearts set, along with the Valentine set of 2. I used a scor-pal to score the turquoise panel, and a SU! fancy scallop punch for the horizontal border. The image was cut with a Labels 2 die and edged with a navy marker and 4 white mini brads were added to the corners. Those 3 tiny hearts along the side were punch-outs from the newest SNSS hearts & stars scallop border dies, done in the same cardstock as the diagonal panel. A little piece of SU! turquoise ribbon wrapped up this card for the final touch.
I hope you're having a wonderful day today and thanks so much for stopping by!

Carol

For a Beloved Pet

2012-01-24T08:49:00.003-05:00

Friends of mine lost their beloved dog recently, so I made them this card. I used a PTI stamp set for the sentiment and paw prints on the heart. This was done with white and cool caribbean card stock, adding a spellbinders fancy tag die for the sentiment panel, along with 2 small punched hearts. The embossed hearts background was done with a Sizzix ef, and I used the Scor-pal for the lower panel. The dog bone clip is from my stash.
Losing a pet is such a sad time, especially when you've had a companion for many years - which was the case here. I hope this card brought some comfort during such a difficult time.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Carol

A Wedding Card for the TLC361

2012-01-23T15:14:00.000-05:00

The TLC361 challenge today was to create a Belleek Pottery inspired card. I know I'll be needing a wedding card in a couple weeks, so this technique looked perfect for what I had in mind. I used a CB ef (I think it's called Victorian) and brayered the top with Ranger antique linen ink, then ran it through my machine to get this cool look. I started with PTI vintage cream card stock and left the sentiment panels plain for a little contrast. The sentiment is from SU! Ever After and I embossed it in gold. I edged the labels eighteen dies with a Marvy Deco gold paint pen, and did the outside edges of the card base too. The bow was made with my bow-easy, and the flowers w/pearls came from Walmart. Sorry for the wonky-colored photo, but this looks so much better IRL. It's very dreary today and artificial light just doesn't work very well for me :)
Thanks for stopping by and have a sunny day :)

Carol

Stars & Stamps Sketch Challenge #105

2012-01-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

Here's my entry for the OWH Stars and Stamps Sketch challenge #105. I had pieces left over from an old Atlas map page I used to create a card earlier this week, so I used them for this sketch. First I stamped a piece of crumb cake card stock with elements from the SU! Open Sea stamp set in antique linen and faded denim inks, then sponged around the edges. The sentiment is from SU! and I sponged that while it was in the die, and edged it with a black marker. Quick and easy!
Now I need to work on a few more cards so I can get them mailed to OWH soon as there is a real need for them right now!
Have a great Sunday, and if you're a football fan, I hope your team wins!
As for me, I'm patiently waiting for NASCAR to resume next month :)

Carol

Another Birthday Card

2012-01-22T08:34:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to my friend Heidi! Today is her special day, and she's already received this card, so I'm safe to post it now. This is a 5x7 card, done with a SNSS Rhubarb's balloons digi, and an awesome free digi sentiment from bluebirdflats. I used the labels ten dies from Spellbinders, edging them both with a silver paint pen before cutting. The balloons were embossed first, and then punched with a MS balloon punch which perfectly fits right over the image. I added some PTI enchanted evening card stock and ribbon along with some bashful blue card stock and an unknown piece of striped dsp from my stash. Both the upper and lower panels were embossed with CB embossing folders. The top was done with the birthday ef, but I'm not sure of the name of the one I used for the lower panel, sorry. The image was colored with Copics and sponged around the edges with Ranger tumbled glass ink while it was still in the die.
Happy Birthday Heidi - I hope you're having a fantastic day - even if you're shoveling tons of snow out there in snow country!

Carol

Celebrating 6

2012-01-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

I had a friend ask me to make a birthday card for a little girl who's turning 6 today. She gave me a picture of her and asked me to include the photo on her card, so this is what i came up with. I cut the photo and scalloped circle with Spellbinders circle dies, and added some PTI berry sorbet card stock. I embossed the bottom panel with the CB birthday embossing folder, and added some tiny tags that say "you're 6" underneath the bow. I made the "6" and the corner accent with my Quickutz and then embossed it with the square lattice ef. The glittered chipboard is from a stash I bought from QVC years ago and I thought it added a nice festive element for a little girl's birthday card. What little girl doesn't like glitter? The dsp was a scrap from my stash. The birthday girl sure is a cutie isn't she? {for the record, I have permission from her parents to post the card here}
I'm entering this card in the Speedy Fox & Friends challenge #91 to make a birthday card.
We got some snow here in PA overnight and the hubs is outside snow-blowing right now. I guess winter really arrived now :)
Have a great weekend!

Carol

SNSS January Release Blog Hop

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and a very happy Friday to everyone. Welcome to the Sweet'n Sassy digi challenge #37 and combination blog hop. This week, we're adding a little more fun to our regular challenge!

The Sweet 'n Sassy digi challenge ladies are bringing you a fun BLOG HOP for our January digi release, and you'll want to hop to each DT's blog and leave them a little love. Why leave a comment? Because there's a great prize hidden on one of these blogs, and your comment just might be the one that makes you the winner of the entire January digi release! How sweet is that!? The winner will be announced here on Friday January 27th.

And now on to the challenge. We're challenging you to make an easel card. If you've never made one, you can find a tutorial here.

For my card I'm using a new SNSS digi image and sentiment from the You and Me digi set, and it's colored with Copics on a Labels 18 die. I matted it with some Peach Parfait card stock and matching dsp. I used a piece of PTI new leaf green and cut it with a SU! top note die, then embossed it with a Sizzix ef then and lastly added some ribbon and a few black pearls.

And here is the easel card opened. I wove some matching ribbon through the button, and added a fancy tag die cut for the sentiment, also from the You and Me digi set.
So there you have it. Now it's time to hop to each blog listed below and see their wonderful creations. Don't forget to leave a comment on each blog to increase your chances of winning the entire January digi release! Good luck, and have fun!

Carol Longacre {you're here}

Ceal Pritchett

Harriet Skelly
Korin Sutherland

Jerusha Borden

Jessica Stockmeyer

Kim O'Connell

Makiko Jones

Margo Smith

Stephanie Serrano

Stephanie Wright

Carol

MFW Map to your Heart Challenge

2012-01-19T18:32:00.000-05:00

I'd been wanting to play along with this challenge ever since I saw it posted over on the Moxie Fab World blog. The challenge is to use road maps in an innovative way. One of the sample cards has a heart on it, and I also used a heart, but mine has a different twist. Mine was inspired by the song "I Left my Heart in San Francisco." I put a heart brad underneath the town's name and added a few tickets to indicate travel. The background is PTI Soft Stone card stock, and I stamped it with an element stamp from the SU! Open Sea set in Pumice Stone ink, masking and turning every which way. {click the picture to enlarge it to see the detail} I added a cool piece of mesh and stamped the sentiment on a piece of Crumb Cake card stock that was torn & sponged with antique linen and vintage photo inks. For the final touch, I added a couple tiny star stickers on the coral ticket. This is going into my next OWH box and I think it's perfect for someone who's far away from home, especially one who might live in San Francisco!
If you have any old road maps you're not using, why not play along with this challenge? If you click here, you'll see some incredibly innovative ways the participants used road maps for their creations!
Enjoy your evening :)

Carol

C4C33 Use those Punches!

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the Crazy4Cocoa & Friends challenge #33. This week we're challenging you to use a punch on your creations.
I'm using the SNSS Cheerleader Cookie digital stamp for my card and it was colored with Copics. I used 2 SU! punches for the sentiment panel along with a couple of eyelets. I used the word window punch for the sentiment itself, and then the fancy label punch for the 2 mats, splitting the red one into 2 pieces. The background was done with the Sizzix plaid ef and I dabbed gray and red inks on the squares and then ran it through the die cutting machine. I also used a Marvy silver paint pen to color some of the strands of the pom poms.
I'm looking forward to having you play along with us and use those punches! When uploading to the galleries, please tag with C4C33.
Thanks for checking out the challenge and have a fantastic day!

Carol

House Mouse Black & White Challenge #111

2012-01-18T15:23:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to use some of the older stamps in my collection that haven't seen any love in quite a while. This stamp was given to me by a friend several years ago, and this is the first time it's seen any ink! It's probably a collector's item by now, but it was time to put it to use and have some fun with it. I decided to play along with the House Mouse Challenge #111, which is to use only the colors of black and white.
I made the herringbone background with strips of dsp scraps in black & white, and just stamped the image in versafine black ink. I added a sentiment from Melanie Muenchinger's Hoppy Birthday set which seemed to work perfectly with this image since it's called "pogo." I added some Viva white pearl pen accents on the scalloped punched sentiment border, and added a little snippet of knotted ribbon to the corner of the image.
That's my take on the black & white challenge :)
Make it a great day!

Carol

Tuesday Throwdown - Neutral Colors

2012-01-17T15:54:00.001-05:00

I'm playing along with the Tuesday Throwdown #81 for the first time, and the challenge is to create a card using neutral colors. This one pretty much meets that challenge. It's done in SU! crumb cake card stock and I used a piece of vellum for the accent. I started with the SU! Fabulous Flowers stamp set and stamped the image on the card stock and again on vellum with Versamark. I embossed the vellum with white ep and hand cut it and placed it over the stamped image on cardstock. I added some ribbon, blush pearls, a sentiment and a bow done with the Bow-easy. The smaller panel is popped up on foam tape.
It's been raining here in PA today, so it was a good day to stay inside and stamp! Thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Stamps R Us Challenge - Just Kidding Around!

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! Welcome to Monday and another Stamps R Us challenge. This week our sponsor is Bugaboo stamps and they've given the DT our fun images to work with. I chose this cute little Fireman Sunbonnet Truck image to work with because our challenge this week is to make cards for kids. I paired this image up with some Basic Gray Wander dsp and colored it with Copics. I punched some pieces of the dsp with the word window punch and added brads to make tabs. I used a ticket punch for the sentiment panel, punching 3 of them and adding a Happy Birthday To You sentiment. This card is all about boys and what little boy doesn't like to play with trucks and trains?!
I hope you'll swing over to the Stamps R Us blog to see the fabulous creations my fellow DT members have made to inspire you. If you play along you have the chance to win a very generous prize from Bugaboo, so what are you waiting for? It's time to get kidding around!

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a great week ahead!

Carol

2 Sketch Challenges

2012-01-15T13:13:00.004-05:00

Here is this weeks sketch challenge #104 from the Stars and Stamps blog....

And here is my card. I used the SU! Cute by the Inch stamp set for the images, and added black and red card stock. I embossed the background with a damask ef by Sizzix and added a simple ribbon and bow made with the Bow-easy.

And this is the sketch for this weeks Sweet Stop Challenge #141.

I used some of my very-well-loved-and-hoarded retired SU! Afternoon Tea dsp for this one. I used a SNSS scalloped border die for the Wasabi panel at the bottom and before you say "oh no she didn't,"........ Yes I did! LOL I cut 3 panels from the Wasabi, Soft Sky, and Groovy Guava and swapped all those tiny flowers and dots into the holes for some added interest. I also used 4 of the flowers for the cross-stitch effect on the top panel. Sometimes I find tedious work like that relaxing, and today was one of those days. I used a SU! set called Echoes of Kindness for the image and colored it with Copics. I added some Soft Sky ribbon and a tiny tag with the word "Mother" which was computer generated. The center panel was embossed with a Sizzix diamonds folder, and the image panel was cut with a Spellbinders labels eighteen die. This will be going into my next OWH box for Mother's day, or simply for a card to send home to mother.

I think that's going to do it for me today. I have a friend stopping by in about a half-hour, so it's time to leave the craft room :)

Make it a great day!!

Carol

Pride

2012-01-14T10:18:00.000-05:00

Good Morning everyone! I made a card that I'm entering into the Speedy Fox and Friends challenge #90 to use a border punch. I'm in need of some masculine cards, so I used a StampNDoodle digi image called Pride for this card. I used a MS fence border punch, and wove a few strands of hemp through the fence posts just to add a bit more of a masculine touch. I used a SU! slit punch to make the image "holders" on the sides, and added some brass brads. The sentiment panel has a couple matching brads too. The image was colored lightly with Copics, and I used Taken with Teal, Crumb Cake, and Black card stock for this one.
I hope you're all enjoying a pleasant weekend so far. Thanks for stopping by and take good care!

Carol

Cool Tools Week - the Punches Challenge

2012-01-13T14:50:00.001-05:00

I have another card today that I'm entering into the Punches Challenge in the Moxie Fab world! The challenge is to use your punches in an innovative way. I embossed a piece of white cardstock with a Cuttlebug star embossing folder and then used a punchAbunch star punch to cut the stars for my card. The punch fit the embossed stars perfectly, and I think the embossing gives these stars a little extra punch! (no pun intended) I've always loved the red, white, and blue color combination, and use it often for my OWH cards, so this will be in my next box for them. The sentiment is from the SNSS Poppies & Greetings clear stamp set, and was done in Memento Danube blue ink. I scored a couple lines for placement for a piece of red gingham ribbon. The blue squares were done with a SU! square lattice embossing folder and a SU! square punch.

It's cool tools week over at the MoxieFab blog and there are several challenges there which encourage us to use the wonderful tools we have on hand. It's all to celebrate the release of the new Cool Tools magazine and you could win a copy by playing along!

Thanks for stopping by for my 2nd post today :) Make it a great Friday!

Carol

SNSDC36 A Monochromatic Challenge

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday and welcome to the SNSDC36. This week our challenge is to create a monochromatic card. I'm using the SNSS Rhubarb's balloons digi image and he's done in earthy tones of kraft, early espresso and brown. The dsp is from a Basic Grey pack, and I used a punch for the balloons, doing one in matching dsp, and the other one embossed with the swiss dots ef. The sentiment panel is a large circle folded in half and stamped with a birthday sentiment from the Poppies & Greetings clear stamp set, done in Vintage Photo ink. I added 2 mini star brads and a punched border, along with some matching ribbon.
You don't need to use a SNSS digi image to play along with us, but we love seeing them when you do. Grab those digis and come play along with us and you just might be the lucky winner to snag 3 free digis for playing along! You'll get one entry for each card you enter in January, and if you use a SNSS digi, you'll get 2 entries for each card! Good luck and have fun. Remember to tag your entries with SNSDC36 when uploading to the galleries.
Enjoy your Friday and have fun!

Carol

C4C32 So What's New?

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

So what's new with all of you Crazy4Cocoa fans and friends?

This week as we move forward into a brand new year, the challenge is to use something "new" on your cards or projects. Use a new stamp, digi image, die, designer paper, punch, ribbon.........anything new that you have or may have received for Christmas or bought for yourself this year.

I'm using a brand new clear stamp from a set called Love From Rhubarb - just released this month from SNSS! I colored Rhubarb with Copics and added some BoBunny Crush designer paper. The Spellbinders labels eighteen die was edged with a fine black marker before cutting. I like that I can edge my dies like this, because it eliminates having to make another layer. The sentiment is from the Valentine's Day digi set and I added a tiny heart brad for fun.

I hope this card inspires you to get some Valentines made and play along with us! Please tag your creations with the keyword C4C32 when uploading to the galleries! Have fun and have a great week!

One Card - Two Challenges

2012-01-11T10:08:00.002-05:00

Today I have a card that meets two challenges. It follows the SC367 sketch challenge over on SCS and it also meets the Stars and Stripes mid-week Floral Fantasy challenge to use flowers on your card. My flowers were made by using a SU! 3-flower punch, and I added some pink gemstones to the centers. The image is a SNSS digi image called Cocoa's Chocolates and I colored him with Copics and a Spica glitter pen. The embossed panel was done with a Sizzix ef and the sentiment is from a SNSS clear set called Christmas tags.
That will do it for me today, so thanks for stopping by and have yourself a fantastic day!

Carol

Die Cutting Challenge

2012-01-10T11:11:00.000-05:00

This is my 2nd post today! I'm on a roll :) I made this card for the Moxie Fab World Cool Tools Week Die cutting challenge found here. It's a fun challenge and all you have to do is use a die cut in an innovative way on your project! I'm using a new Memory Box Serafina Heart die that I bought with some Christmas cash. I cut the heart using a scrap of some heavy shimmer paper that was given to me so I'm not sure who makes it. I made a border using an EK punch, and put a piece of matching card stock behind it. The sentiment was done with a $1 stamp from Michaels and a Close To My Heart marker, and I added a tiny white heart-shaped brad just for fun.
Go here and check out the challenge because you have a chance to win a copy of the new magazine Cool Tools, and that looks like a must-have magazine! You have until February 13th to play along. Have fun!
That will do it for me for today! Thanks for stopping by and make it a great day!

Carol

For my Princess

2012-01-10T09:17:00.000-05:00

I found this adorable free digi image here at MilkCoffeeStamps, and she's not only giving away this cute freebie, she's also having another giveaway if you use the digi to make a card and link it up there! Check out her blog for more free digis and also her Etsy shop! Her images are really CUTE!
This image has a caption of "Nice to meet you ladies" but I thought she could be dancing too, so I added some music paper that I made with a $1 stamp I found at Michaels. I colored this image with Copics, and added some tiny Viva pearl pen accents to her shoes, hair, and the computer-generated sentiment panel. The red dp was a scrap from my stash and it's been around a long time, so I'm sorry I don't know who makes it. This card will go into my next OWH box, and I know some little girl will really enjoy getting this from her Mom or Dad!
Thanks for stopping by today and make it a great Tuesday!

Carol

You & Me

2012-01-09T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here is this week's sketch #103 for the Stars and Stamps blog...

And here is my take. I used BoBunny crush dsp along with the SU! bird punch. I added a heart-shaped glittered button that I coated with glossy accents to seal the glitter, and added some baker's twine. The sentiment panel was done with the SU! So Many Sayings set, and I stamped the background first with a G Studio heart stamp in Memento angel pink ink. If you click the picture, you may be able to see that stamping better. Two pink & red heart-shaped brads, a snippet of ribbon, and this was done.
I'm also linking this up to the OWH Stars & Stamps Our Daily Bread Designs challenge to use 3 designer papers. ODBD will be making a shipping donation based on the number of cards linked up, so please consider playing along and linking your card up here for this worthy cause! ODBD is also giving away two $25 gift certificates for prizes, so grab those designer papers and come play along! It's a win/win situation for OWH and our soldiers, and maybe for you too!
Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

2012-01-08T11:16:00.002-05:00

I recently posted these cards in my gallery over on SCS so I thought I'd share them here too. This card was made for the sketch challenge SC366, and I used this cute SNSS Berry Sweet Cocoa image with Echo Park dp and some bling. The vertical panel was done with an EK punch and some scraps of yellow and green. I tossed it a little bling just for fun. The inside says "you are berry berry special."

This card was done for the SNSS January Release Party challenge #2. Cathy challenged us to a tic-tac-toe challenge, and I chose red, hearts, and ribbon from the grid. DP is by Recollections, along with SU! crumb cake and black. Sentiment is by SU! and I used a square lattice ef on the squares.

This card was made for the QFTD94, wendybell. I cased this card from her gallery, changing the colors, ribbon placement and adding a sentiment. I used retired BG two scoops dp for the entire card, adding a punched border done with an EK punch, and embossing with Sizzix Valentine set and SU! square lattice efs. I added a few touches of a Viva Pearl Pen for interest.

This card is for the SNSS January Release Party challenge #3 to do paper piecing. I needed a sympathy card, so I chose some softly colored SU! retired dp, and stamped the flowers from the SNSS "Your Friendship" set with versafine ink, and embossed them with gold ep. I added some gold micro beads to the centers, then embossed the MSE sentiment with gold embossing powder too. I edged the Spellbinders labels eighteen with a Marvy gold paint pen before cutting and added some cream colored satin ribbon.

And last, I made this quick and simple Valentine card by using strips of left-over ribbon. This was for the SNSS January Release Party challenge #1 to make a card with black & white and one other color. Check! All this needed was a little pop of red and it was done.
Thanks for staying with me for this extended post. I hope your Sunday is fabulous!

Carol

House Mouse - Something New

2012-01-07T13:38:00.000-05:00

I had some time to finally play along with the House Mouse Challenge #110 to create a card with something "new." Well this little mouse clearly has a new hat and slippers, and it looks like Momma mouse is knitting a new sweater to match! I added a felt & card stock snowflake with a mini star brad and a sentiment that describes a chilly day. I sponged the sky with Ranger broken china ink and colored the image with Copics. It's just a C&S card, and these cute House Mouse images really need no sentiments, but I added one just for fun!
Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you all have something "new" to enjoy in new year!!

Carol

A Calendar Gift from Heidi

2012-01-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

I had to share this amazing calendar page I received as a gift from my friend Heidi. Some of you might remember, we started this blog together, and then she decided to give up stamping and moved on in a different direction. Well she clearly hasn't skipped a beat in all this time, because this calendar is so amazingly detailed that I can't stop staring at this page every day! She made pages for each month which I'll share with you as this year unfolds, but this is the first and I think it's adorable! Don't you just love that awning with snow on it? Thanks Heidi, and I'll treasure this forever.......long after the year is history! Maybe we'll be seeing more creations from you again soon?!! (fingers crossed)
I'll have more later...........

Carol

SNSDC35 - A Recipe Challenge

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC35. This week our challenge is a 1,2,3 recipe. Use 1 number, 2 embossings, and 3 colors. I decided to make a birthday card for my DGD who turns 2 in a couple months, so I used Party Hat Cocoa and colored him with aqua and purple Copics to match the Echo Park dsp. I added a 3rd color of Melon Mambo just for some eye-catching fun. I used the birthday ef on the bottom panel, and a circle ef for the top. The chipboard number is one I got from QVC several years ago in a glittered chipboard package. I used an EK ticket punch for the sentiment and square Nestabilities for the scalloped mat.
You don't have to use SNSS digital stamps to play along with our challenge, but we sure love to see them when you do! Check here for details on the prize package you can win just for playing along and to see all of the other fabulous DT creations that were made for your inspiration. If you upload your creation to the SNSS connection, please use keyword SNSDC35.
Have fun and have a fantastic Friday!

Carol

C4C31 A Color Challenge

2012-01-05T06:21:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first Crazy4Cocoa challenge of 2012! This week the challenge is to use the colors of red, pink, and brown. I'm using some BoBunny dp which has all 3 of these colors, but I also used some red card stock for the sentiment panel. The image is Cocoa's Heart digital stamp, and I hand cut Cocoa and placed him on another piece of DP that was paper-pieced to fit the heart. That was a lot of work but I love the way it turned out. The border was done with an EK punch and I added 2 tiny heart brads to the sentiment panel. The sentiment is from the SNSS Valentine's Day Greetings set, and I added a snippet of ribbon from my stash.
So how about playing along with us this week? We'd love to see your creations and all you have to do is use the keyword C4C31 when uploading to the galleries.
Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a fun Thursday!

Carol

Stars & Stamps MWT - Anything Goes

2012-01-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

The mid-week challenge over at the Stars and Stamps blog this week is to use something crafty that you got for Christmas and/or make an any occasion card. I won a Pink Paislee Vintage Vogue paper & embellishment pack that arrived a week before Christmas, so I'm using all my new goodies from that package for this card. The figure of the woman is a chipboard piece that was included among the embellishments. I made the chevron strip by following Jennifer McGuire's tutorial. I thought the chevron would be too tedious to create, but I found it very relaxing and a lot of fun to see the final result. I'll be doing this more often I'm sure! The card stock base is SU! Pale Plum (retired) and the sentiment is from SU! Upsy Daisy stamp set.
That will do it for me today, so thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Carol

More Thank-you Cards

2012-01-03T08:59:00.002-05:00

I have a couple more thank-you cards to share with you today. First up is one that uses some dsp from the Bella Blvd Christmas Wishes pack. I paired it with some black and white card stock, and wove some dark gold ribbon through the Sweet 'n Sassy lacy border die cut. I added a few tiny gemstones to the sides, and some Marvy gold paint pen edging around the Spellbinders labels eighteen dies. The sentiment is from Verve and was done with Versafine Onyx Black ink.

This card was made with papers from the Red/Black Line Extension II from Jenni Bowlin. I paired it with some real red card stock, and Spellbinders labels eighteen, and labels four dies. I edged both dies with black and red markers before cutting, and added a SU! sentiment along with some tiny black Kaiser pearls. The scalloped borders were done with a SU! punch.
The designer papers used on both of these cards were from a prize package I was very fortunate to win by leaving a comment on the Moxie Fab blog back on World Card Making Day!
Winter is here in PA today and it's a balmy 25 degrees at the moment! Brrrr!! Wishing you warm sunshine and a great day! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Carol

Stars & Stamps Sketch Challenge #102

2012-01-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

This is my 2nd post today, wow! I'm on a roll :) Here is the sketch for the Stars and Stamps challenge #102 and here is my card........

I dug into my stash of unloved dp and used some coordinating papers from PTI. The stamp sentiment and circle design are stamps from JustRite that have been hiding in a drawer and not finding much love either. I have been making a real effort to use the supplies I have first before buying so many new items. I know I will still buy that embossing folder I just have to have, or one of those new release dies that look so fabulous, but I was proud of myself, because I didn't even walk down the paper aisle at the craft store today - I completely skipped it! That was a biggie for me :)
Anyway, back to the card. I used PTI vintage cream and SU! chocolate chip, adding a few tiny hearts made with the SU! owl punch. It just needed something extra and I like the way they look. The sentiment was stamped with chocolate chip ink and I used 2 circle punches along with a Spellbinders die for the largest circle. I like this easy sketch so much that I might make a few more in different colors!
Thanks for hanging out with me for a little while, and I wish you all a great week ahead!

Carol

Anything Goes for Stamps R Us

2012-01-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to 2012 and a new Stamps R Us challenge! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and you're ready for some stamping fun. The Stamps R Us challenge is being sponsored by the Stamping Boutique this week and the theme is to show us what you got for Christmas, and if you didn't get any stamping goodies, then anything goes! I'm using the picnic basket image which just puts me in the mood for warm weather. Winter just began here a week or so ago, but I can dream can't I? LOL I colored the image with Copics, and used Blossom dies for the image and mat. I used a lacy eyelet border die from SNSS and wove some PTI berry sorbet ribbon through it for interest, adding a separate bow to the bottom of the image panel. The dp is from the wild asparagus pad and I added some spica glitter pen accents to the flowers and heart on the tag, along with some white gel pen accents on the apple and grapes.
So now that the holidays are behind us, grab those new goodies and show us what you got with this challenge! As always, you'll have two weeks to upload your creation and there's always a generous prize from our sponsor. Be sure to check out the fabulous cards my fellow DT members have made by clicking right here.
Thanks for dropping by and have yourself a wonderful kick-off week to the new year!

Carol

A Year of Reflecting

2011-12-31T09:21:00.002-05:00

The Stars and Stamps blog is asking us to post our favorite top ten cards we've sent to heroes in 2011, so I'm just going to post the photos without explanations since they've already been posted! Seeing these cards has given me some new inspiration to create more OWH cards again. Mission accomplished :) Enjoy!

A Birthday Card with Bright Colors

2011-12-31T08:52:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! I had a friend ask me to make a birthday card recently, and for this one I used some punched circles made from scraps. I used a glue stick to adhere them to the black card stock and then ran it through the Big Kick with a square lattice embossing folder. I matted the panel with some green galore card stock and added some satin ribbon in a matching color. The sentiment is a digi from SNSS. It was pretty quick and easy to make, and yet I love the festive look of it.
Speaking of festive, I wish everyone a happy New Year's eve celebration, whether you're going out to party or spending a quiet evening at home. Every year I fight sleep to stay up and watch the ball drop in Times Square NYC, and then wonder why I tried so hard to stay up and watch it? It's the same thing every year, KWIM? LOL Nothing changes at all, except I have to remember to write the new year on my checks in January :)
Thanks for stopping by and have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012!

Carol

SNSDC34 CASE a DT members project

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC34 challenge. This week the challenge is to CASE a DT member's creation. For mine, I found this adorable card on Makiko Jones' blog. I added a sentiment where she has a punched border, and I added a wider vertical strip and eliminated one punched corner accent. I just love this little Rhubarb's Punkins image and colored it with Copics. The paper is by BG and I used scraps of brown and blue card stock with orange brads and an EK border punch.
If you play along with us, you aren't required to use SNS digi stamps, but we sure do enjoy seeing them when you do!
Thanks for stopping by and I wish you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year in 2012!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa30 Anything but a Card

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Crazy4Cocoa challenge #30! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! This week, the challenge is to make "anything but a card" so I've made a recipe card. I printed the Chef Cocoa image, colored him with Copics, and hand wrote the recipe. I've been making ranch/garlic/dill pretzels for several years now, but in the past year I experimented with taco flavors and this recipe seems to be the most popular. Just recently I saw packets of "hot & spicy" taco seasoning, so I might even play with this recipe a little bit more.

Here's the recipe:

a 16 oz bag of broken sourdough pretzels

3/4 cup oil

1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning

1 tsp. red pepper chili powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 250. Mix all ingredients together and let sit up to 3 hrs, stirring every 20-30 minutes. Pour onto a baking sheet and bake 40 minutes, stirring once after the first 20 minutes.

If you play along with us this week, be sure to tag your creations with C4C30 so we can find them!

Have a fantastic day and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Another Thank-you Card

2011-12-28T10:18:00.001-05:00

I have another thank-you card to share today. This one uses Echo Park Victoria Garden dp along with a Spellbinders Labels Eighteen die. I edged both dies with a Marvy silver paint pen before cutting to make them stand out. The sentiment is from SU! and I added a flat "bow" just for fun. This dp is from another pack of DP I won on the Moxie Fab Blog back on WCMD. Isn't it gorgeous? I'm a huge fan of all the Echo Park papers, and this music paper is one of my favorites!
I'll have a couple more cards I've made with the beautiful papers I won in the coming days, but this might be one of my favorites.
I'm also linking this card up with the OWH Stars and Stamps mid-week challenge to make thank you cards in honor of OWH's former shipper Dixie as well as our heroes. I made 2 cards like this, so one will go to OWH.
Today we're celebrating our 43rd wedding anniversary and all I can say is WOW! Where did all those years go?! It just doesn't seem possible that we got married that long ago! We're leaving shortly to go visit my great aunt Kathryn who is a cheerful and very wise 106 years old! For me, going to see her is a great way to celebrate longevity, whether in marriage years or life years. We are all so blessed in so many ways!!
Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic middle of the week!

Carol

A Stripe-tastic Challenge

2011-12-27T06:44:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by. I hope you all had a great Christmas and that you can find a little time to do some stamping now that most of the festivities are over.
I found this Stripe-tastic challenge over on the Moxie Fab World blog and wanted to play along since I love stripes.
I'm using dp and chipboard from Pink Paislee and the colors of this card are much prettier IRL than my photo. The card base and top panel look grey, but they're actually Cool Caribbean card stock. I used a Sizzix embossing folder to add a little texture to the striped panel, and then used a clear spica glitter pen to add a little interest inside those tiny grooves. I added some PTI plum pudding ribbon and ink for the SU! sentiment and this card was done. I wanted to mention also that this fabulous dp by Pink Paislee called Vintage Vogue was a prize I won on the MoxieFab blog back on world card making day. The papers and embellishments are gorgeous, and you can see the true colors of the dp I used by clicking here.
I'll have a few more thank-you cards to share with you in the coming days, but that's it for me today. Make it a great day!

And here is the trigger photo for the Stripe-tastic challenge.

Carol

2011-12-24T16:27:00.002-05:00

I don't have a card to share today - just a link to a video that I dedicate to those who won't be able to make it home for Christmas. For all of those brave men and women serving in our armed forces, I dedicate this song to you and hope that you'll have Christmas in your hearts, even if you can't be with your loved ones! Merry Christmas to each and every one of you who are reading this, as well as to my treasured friends and family! Thanks for being a part of my life!

I'll be Home for Christmas

More Christmas Creations

2011-12-23T11:58:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd share a few more Christmas cards I've made. This one used up some retired SU! dp to make this origami tree. I used Spellbinders Labels 18 and Labels 4 die cuts, along with some Marvy gold paint pen accents around the edges.

This image is from Spyder's corner called the Chilly Penquin, and I did the herringbone technique for the background using SU! dp. I added 2 tiny tags with "Very Merry" and a little bit of stickles to look like ice around the edges. I also added some liquid applique to the hat fur and ear muffs. Click the photo to see that detail a little better.

Last but not least, here is a wine bottle tag I made. I saw this catchy phrase in a store recently, so I used one of Marlene's Fanny images and colored it with Copics. Unfortunately Marlene has given up blogging and her blog has been removed so I can't link you up.The lettering was done on the printer and I colored the letters in with Copics also. The stamped grape clusters are from Kitchen Sink Stamps, done with Memento inks. I hope the recipient gets a kick out of this without being offended :)
Two more days........are you ready yet?!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa29 = Make a Christmas Card

2011-12-22T07:30:00.003-05:00

It's time for another Crazy4Cocoa challenge, and this week it's an easy one. Make a Christmas card using any Cocoa image or cute critter image from the SNSS store. I'm using Rhubarb's Stocking and he was colored with Copics. I used some fine point markers to make the criss-cross stocking, and added some liquid applique to the fur on the stocking. No sentiment was needed as the BoBunny dp did all the work for me. It says "In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there." Rhubarb is ready for Santa to fill his little stocking with goodies:) I added a tiny piece of gold glitter ribbon and did some edging around the die cuts with a Marvy gold paint pen.
When uploading your Christmas cards to the galleries, please tag them with C4C29 so we can find them :)
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck finishing those last minute Christmas cards!

Carol

More Christmas Cards

2011-12-20T07:21:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share some more Christmas cards I've made this year since they've all been sent out and most likely received. I had to get in on that front-door card craze that's so popular this year, so here's my version. I sponged all the edges with antique linen ink, and added a sentiment by Verve. I used some red smooch and some viva pearl pen dots on the wreath for interest. If you click the photo, you can probably see that detail a little better.

This card was started last year and finally completed it this year. I used a free digi image by Kim McFarland and added a sentiment from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. A little ribbon and some scalloped edges finished this one.

This is an older Sweet 'n Sassy image I lightly colored and paired with some Jingle dp from Lilly Bee. The ribbon is Cherry Cobbler and the sentiments are from the same stamp set, done with the tiny tag punch and some gold cording.
I just can't seem to find time to enter challenges lately, but hopefully that will pass after the holiday festivities are over. My brain just might be on overload for now. I got the OK from my doctor to drive again on Friday, and I haven't been sitting still much ever since! I hadn't been able to drive since the first week of November, so now I have a new lease on life again :)
Have a fantastic Tuesday and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

I've Been Using Scraps

2011-12-19T08:42:00.001-05:00

I recently received a copy of the Paper Crafts Holiday Cards magazine that I was extremely fortunate to have won on the Moxie Fab blog during World Card Making Day, and I've hardly put it down since it arrived! I found a card that I immediately wanted to CASE, and this is that design by Windy Robinson. I love using kraft as a base, and what a great way to use up those tiny bits of scraps! For this card, I used a current dp (holiday bouquet maybe?) from SU! and a sentiment from G Studio. I added faux stitching with a red marker, and popped up the stars with dimensionals.

For this card, I used some retired dp from SU! along with chocolate chip, rose red, and olive green. Instead of the faux stitches, I added some gold nailhead stickers.

And for this card, I used PTI soft stone card stock, and I cut up a panel of the herringbone technique I'd done with retired Basic Grey dp to get the squares. I added some gold dew drops (remember them?) to the centers of the stars. This one might just be my favorite! For all the cards I used 1-1/2" squares and a small star punch.
Just when I'd normally be ready to pack away all the Christmas stamps for next year, I think I'll be making more in the near future for next year. This magazine has been so inspiring and has filled me with new ideas!
Wishing you all a wonderful and creative week, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

SNSDC33 Make a Tag

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC33. This week we're making tags and I've made one for winter using this adorable SNSS Bundled Up Snowman image. I colored with Copics, and added a few scraps of dp to the side, and added some frost stickles to the bottom torn layers to resemble snow. I punched the blue snowflake dp with a SU! fancy scallop punch, and added a felt snowflake with a sparkly sticker in the center. I used PTI cardstock and ribbon for the base, and added a piece of matching ribbon along with some silver cording. The tag and mat were cut with my Cricut.
I hope you'll check out what the rest of my DT members have created this week, because it might just inspire you to make some of those last minute tags you're going to need!
Thanks for stopping by and I'll be looking for your creations, so have fun!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa Blog Hop

2011-12-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Crazy 4 Cocoa blog hop! We all adore Cocoa and thought it would be fun to showcase him all month long. Today, as part of the fun, the Sweet 'n Sassy Design Divas have joined together with a few of the talented Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge ladies to bring a great Cocoa Mouse blog hop to you! Make sure you've got your warm drink and some chocolate...let's get ready to hop!

I'm using this Cookies for Cocoa digi image and I've colored him with Copics. I always put my sentiments on the bottom of the card, but I decided to try something different this time and put the sentiment at the top. The Spellbinders fancy label die was used, and the sentiment was printed using Chocolate colored ink. The cardstock and ribbon are both Chocolate Chip too, and I used some Echo Park Vintage Garden dp for the background. This sort of makes you hungry for some chocolate doesn't it? That's a good thing, because the C4C28 challenge found on the SNS Connection this week is to create a card using "chocolate." Use an image with a chocolate theme, or some papers, card stock or embellishments using chocolate colors. While all the Cocoa Mouse digi images and clear stamps are on sale during December, this is the perfect time to grab those cute Cocoa mouse stamps you've been wanting!

And here is the list of those participating in the blog hop today:

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Carol Longacre {you're here}

But wait...there's MORE!!! We want YOU to hop along with us! All you have to do is make a card or project featuring Cocoa Mouse and add your direct link to the linky tool below. One participant (drawn at random) will win their choice of ONE free Cocoa Mouse clear stamp set or FOUR free Cocoa Mouse digis! You have until Saturday, December 17 at 11:30 PM EST to add your direct link...go get stamping!

Don't forget, during the month of December we really are Crazy 4 Cocoa. The entire line of Cocoa Mouse clear stamp sets and digi images are 10% off!

Valentine's Last Call for OWH

2011-12-14T18:56:00.003-05:00

There's a last call for Valentine cards over at the Stars and Stamps blog today. Valentine cards must be received by the OWH shippers by December 31st in order for them to reach our soldiers in time to send home. I sent my small package of Valentines earlier this week. I didn't get to make quite as many as I wanted to, but I sent what I'd completed.
This card uses that herringbone technique I posted on Monday's card. I cut strips from the design and thought they looked pretty cool with an embossed heart panel, so this was a very simple and quick card to make. The dp is from BoBunny & Bella Boulevard, and the sentiment was done with an unknown wood stamp I've had for quite a while.

I made this sample card for the S&S blog today, using Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, and Early Espresso cardstock. I embossed the die-cut heart with a swiss dots ef and the red background with the SU! square lattice ef. The white card base was done with a hearts ef. The heart and keys were done with a MS punch and coated with glossy accents, and the keys were attached with a sparkly red brad.
Thanks for stopping by today!

Carol

Good-Bye Marlene

2011-12-13T07:09:00.004-05:00

During the past year I've been following the hilarious blog called "Disguised as a Grown-up" and I learned last night that she's no longer going to blog! Bummer! Marlene has a great sense of humor and I really enjoyed the hilarious digi images she offered, as well as her cutting edge sense of humor that she shared in her daily posts.

The woman on this card is one of her Fanny images, and when my husband saw this, he asked me to make a birthday card for his sister! She always sends him gnarly birthday cards depicting bad habits and body functions, so this seemed like the perfect pay-back card for her. Her birthday is next week, and my husband can't wait for her reaction to receiving this. The inside says "At your age you should never trust a fart." LOL Just for the record, I also made her a "nice" card too! Hey, at our age, we all need a good laugh as those birthdays start piling up!

Thanks for all you've shared Marlene, and I wish you happiness and best wishes as your life takes you down a new path! I'm really going to miss your blog!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic day!

Carol

Stamps R Us Angels Among Us!

2011-12-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome to another Stamps R Us challenge! This week our sponsor is A Day for Daisies, and our challenge is "angels." There are lots of cute angel images from the ADFD store, and I chose this "love angel" for my card. I colored the image with Copics and added some MS tinsel glitter to the wings for some sparkle.

For the background, I used this tutorial called the Herringbone. It was done with papers from the BoBunny Crush collection. I found this technique to be fun and relaxing to create, and it really makes for some unique looks. The sentiment is a free digi I downloaded recently, and I named the file with the site I got it from, but I'm unable to find a link for it, so if anyone knows who created this, please share it with me and I'll edit this post to give credit to the artist.

As always, our sponsor will be offering a generous prize package to a randomly drawn winner, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by playing along! Please click here to see the rest of the DT's fabulous angel creations for some inspiration!

Have a fantastic week and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

OWH Sketch Challenge #99

2011-12-11T11:47:00.003-05:00

I haven't been playing too many challenges lately, but I'm starting to get back in the groove again gradually. This is for the Stars and Stamps sketch challenge #99 found here. This went together quickly, and it's a good thing, because I'm trying to get another package sent to OWH with some Valentines before the deadline........along with finishing up all those Christmas projects! I used some BoBunny crush dp along with some black and white cardstock. The heart was done with a SU punch, and embossed with a hearts embossing folder. I hand wrote the tiny tag sentiment and added a punched red heart to hold it in place. If my package doesn't make it for the OWH deadline, they can still use this as a "love card" since I didn't use a Valentine sentiment.

That's it for me today, but thanks so much for stopping by! Have a fabulous day!

Carol

Woven Ribbon Ornament

2011-12-11T07:40:00.003-05:00

I've been seeing cards made with the ornament punch using pretty paper behind it, as well as ribbon weaving, and I knew I had to give it a try! I just punched out the ornament from PTI white cardstock, and wove a 2" panel of cardstock with red and white ribbons and adhered it to the back. The sentiment is from SU's Contempo Christmas done in red. I used the Bow-easy to make the tiny bow. Once the ribbon weaving is done, this card goes together very quickly, and I love the clean look! The ribbon is from RABOM (ribbons and bows oh my!)

I may have more later today so thanks for stopping by! Have a great Sunday!

Carol

Pink Flamingo Decked out for Christmas

2011-12-10T15:25:00.005-05:00

I have a friend who absolutely HATES pink flamingos, so when I saw this digi image I knew I had to make a card for her as a gag! LOL I'm sorry, the artist didn't add a name to this free digi image, so if anyone knows who created this, please let me know and I'll edit the post to give credit where it's due.

I ran a piece of metallic pink card stock through the Big Kick with a Sizzix snow globe embossing folder, and then colored it with red & green Copics to match the image. The image was matted with green galore, and the "jingle jingle" sentiment was computer generated and punched with a tiny tag punch. I added a tiny jingle bell to the Santa hat he's wearing, which is why I decided to go with jingle jingle for the sentiment. I know this will make her laugh, because every year for her birthday or Christmas she gets something with a pink flamingo just for fun!

I hope you're enjoying your weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

EDIT - Thanks to Marlene for letting me know this is a Digital Delights image by Louby Loo......and most likely retired.

It's a Tea Party at the SNSDC32

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week over at the SNSDC32 challenge, we're having a tea party! We're using any digi image that holds a beverage. I had this cute little Cocoa's latte image printed and ready for coloring, so since there are folks who enjoy coffee as much as tea, I decided to use this for the challenge. I'm smack dab in the middle of Christmas card-making mode, but for some reason, this card just evolved into a Valentine card!

Here in PA and surrounding states, we have convenience stores/gas stations called WAWA, and their take-out coffee cups are colored much like this. Once I had the image colored, I just couldn't seem to make any Christmas dp work with it, so I pulled out some BoBunny papers from the Crazy Love collection, and things just fell into place. Those are tiny pink Geo Sparkler stickers on the cup, and I punched some tiny hearts using the SU owl punch for the band around the cup. The ribbon is from my stash and has tiny hearts which worked perfectly with this card!

I hope you'll grab those digi images and come play along with us during our "tea party." You're not required to use a SNSS image, but we love seeing them when you do! When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creations with SNSDC32.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic Friday!

Carol

Christmas is Coming!

2011-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the C4C27 Crazy4Cocoa challenge! This week the challenge is to use a combination of a rectangle and a circle. They're simple shapes but work well together for a quick and easy card, and like most of us, I'm sure you're busy trying to finish up those Christmas cards to get them in the mail. I'm using Cocoa's Ornament digi image for this card, and it's colored with Copics. I pulled out a scrap of bright green cardstock and embossed it with a SU! square lattice folder, and added some red cardstock. The sentiment is from an older SNSS clear set called Christmas Candle, which is a little different from the current Christmas candle clear set in the store today. This card was quick and easy to put together, and I can make several of them in no time! It's also flat, which means it will only require one stamp to mail!

As always, you can use any Cocoa image, or any of the other cute critter images from the SNSS store. When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creations with C4C27, and thanks for stopping by!!

Carol

Making a Fun Background

2011-12-07T12:36:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! I found this adorable free Valentine Mouse image from Spyder's Corner and had to make a Valentine's day card with it. I used a technique called the "herringbone" for my background, and the tutorial is right here. The challenge over on the Stars & Stamps blog today is to create your own background, so I'm entering my card in that challenge. I used all papers from the BoBunny Crush paper pad and I have to say making this background was very relaxing for me. It's time consuming, but I love the results. I colored the image with Copics, sponged with antique linen ink, and layered on Spellbinders labels 10 dies. The sentiment is by SU and was done using the word window and fancy label punches.

It's a rainy day here in PA so I hope to get a little more stamping time in today. I've been making cards but I'm waiting for a sunny day to photograph them all! Thanks for stopping by and have yourself a fabulous middle of the week!

Carol

Christmas Easel Card

2011-12-05T08:11:00.003-05:00

I recently made this card for a customer who asked for traditional Christmas colors on her cards and only the sentiment "Merry Christmas" inside. I used a tree image from Flourishes and after stamping with Versamark, I embossed it using Winter Wonderland ep. I dotted the tree with gold stickles that match the white & gold trimmed ribbon. You may be able to see the gold highlights better by clicking the photo to enlarge it.
Here's a view of the card that shows how it stands up for display. I used Nesties labels four and the top note die from Sizzix. I embossed the top note with a Sizzix Snowcaps ef. The inside was stamped in matching red & green using the snowflakes from the SU! Snow Swirled set. The card base is PTI soft stone, and I added a panel of that beneath the fold for writing the message and signing.
If you've never tried making one of these cards, the tutorial is here. The instructions are for a 4-1/4" square card, but I made mine the size of an A2 card. It fits perfectly in an A2 envelope, but will require extra postage because of the thickness. I rarely make square cards because I don't know where to buy square envies to mail them and who has time to make envies all the time!

I hope you're having a great Monday, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Carol

Christmas Poinsettia

2011-12-03T07:41:00.003-05:00

On my last trip to my favorite LSS, I found this great December Poinsettia stamp set from SNSS. I made this card for a VSN challenge on the SNSS connection recently and thought I'd post it here too. I love the pop of the red flowers against the all white background.
I made this card for another VSN challenge to use a different fold. I made a gate fold card and used PTI berry sorbet card stock and ribbon along with a sizzix embossing folder. The inside image was stamped off once for a subtle look, and the sentiment is from a SU! set. If you click on the picture, you can probably see the detail of the stamping inside a little better.
Thanks for stopping by today, and I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Carol

SNSDC31...Make a Gift

2011-12-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC31. This week we're making gifts using our SNSS digi images. I made a set of gift tags and a little box to hold them. I love to give these out at Christmas and it's so much fun to make them! Using digi images makes this a snap, because you can make the images any size to fit any need. These are very tiny, but aren't they cute?! I used Cocoa's Gift and colored him with Copics, and used some Bo Bunny dp along with some really red card stock.
Here is a picture of the box and four tags. I used red eyelets on the front of the tags and used gold cording for attaching them.
And here is what the inside looks like. Just enough room to write the TO: and FROM: inside, or to just sign it.

And now it's your turn to create a gift of your own choosing. When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creations with SNSDC31. Be sure and check out the rest of the DT's beautiful gifts they've created too by clicking right here.

Have a fantastic Friday and thanks for stopping by!

Carol

C4C26 Traditional Christmas Colors

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to another Crazy4Cocoa & Friends challenge! We've been seeing a lot of challenges using non-traditional colors lately, so let's go with the traditional red & green Christmas colors this week! I'm using Cocoa's Christmas Tree digital stamp for my card and I colored him with Copics. I edged the die cuts with a gold paint pen for interest and cut two borders in red and green using some Cheery Lynn dies I bought from SNSS. I'd give you a link, but I don't see them on the website, so they must be sold out for now. After I cut the green border, I took the tiny flowers and put them into the red border for a little contrast, and I like the way it turned out! All dp and cardstock is by SU, along with the quilted satin ribbon.

I can't wait to see your creations using traditional colors! Keep in mind that you can use any cute critter image from SNSS.......it doesn't have to be Cocoa! Ok, now it's your turn to break out the red and green and tag your creations with C4C26 when uploading to the galleries!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great Thursday!

Carol

An Embossing Challenge

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Stamps R Us challenge where we're asking you to add embossing to your cards. This week 's challenge is sponsored by Sketching Stamper Digi Stamps where you'll find some lovely and unique digi images for your card making. I'm using the poinsettia image, and I colored it with Copics. I used Cherry Cobbler, Wild Wasabi, and Early Espresso cardstock. I embossed a piece of dp with a sizzix ef, and then did the sentiment with a Spellbinders fancy label and a SNSS sentiment. I added some baker's twine in a criss-cross pattern and added some crystals to the center of the poinsettia and the sentiment panel.
This angle shows the crystals a little better than the other photo.

I hope you'll get those embossing folders out and come play along with us, because our sponsor is offering a generous prize to a randomly drawn winner.

You can find all the details here, along with the other gorgeous creations by my fellow DT members.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Carol

SNSDC30 Use your Favorites

2011-11-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

Hello and welcome to the SNSDC30! This week the challenge is to use your favorites. This means your favorite stamp, paper, embossing folder, ..........whatever happens to be your favorite stamping item. This card has mostly all of my favorites! It's my favorite SNSS digi image and the first one I ever bought. It's Cocoa's Santa Hat and the sentiment is from the clear stamp set. Purple is my favorite color, so that's why I'm making a purple Christmas card. The embossing folder is SU! square lattice and my very favorite ef, and the die cut I used for the image is Spellbinders labels eighteen and for the time being, it's also a favorite of mine. I lined the edges with a silver paint pen, and added some liquid applique to the fur on Santa's hat. For those of us out there who really like purple, this card is going to be OK for Christmas giving :)

I hope you'll grab your favorites and make a card and share it with us! You don't need to use a SNSS image, but we love to see them when you do! When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creation with SNSDC30. In addition to the regular monthly challenge prize, during the month of November, one participant, chosen randomly, will receive 4 free digis each week!!! You do not have to use SNS digi stamps to play along.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous Friday!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa & Friends C4C25 - Dry Embossing

2011-11-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Crazy4Cocoa & Friends challenge #25. This week we're dry embossing our cards. I stamped the top inside portion of my snowglobe embossing folder with pear pizzazz ink and ran it through the big kick to create the background. I'm using the Santa's Helper Cocoa image that was colored with Copics. I added some liquid applique to the fur on Santa's hat, and added a sentiment from the Christmas Tags stamp set. I added some ribbon and die cuts with a labels 4 from Spellbinders, and my card was done!

I hope you'll play along with us and get some of those Christmas cards finished for your stash, so grab your Cocoa or cute critter images (like Rhubarb) from SNSS, and let's get started! Ready, set, emboss!!

When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creations with C4C25.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Carol

I'm Back.........somewhat :)

2011-11-21T21:21:00.002-05:00

It feels good to be home again. I'm sure many of you weren't aware that I had hip replacement surgery on the 7th of November, so I'm gradually getting back into the swing of things while I recover. It's still difficult to make cards because I can't lean forward in the chair to reach for things like the phone, punches, stamps, etc. so the stamping will be a sporadic thing for a few weeks to come. I hope you'll all be patient with me while I go through the process.

It took me nearly 2 days to make this card for a friend who's celebrating her birthday next week, but I did it! I snipped random pieces of autumn dp and adhered them to a scrap of cardstock randomly, after running it through the Xyron. I left spaces in between them almost like cobblestone, and then added gold embossing powder and heat embossed it. For the final touch I embossed the whole piece using a snowcap ef. It's unusual, but I really like how it turned out. I used a border die from SNSS to make the crumb cake border and wove a piece of early espresso satin ribbon through, then added a sentiment using the Sincere Salutations set. This friend buys a lot of cards from me, so I wanted to make something she's never seen before. I think this one will surprise her because it's unique and also has the colors of autumn......which is the time of year she was born.

Thanks for all the well wishes and cards while I was away. I've missed everyone and really missed stamping, but in time I'll get back in the swing of things again.

Did anyone catch the NASCAR championship race on Sunday night? My favorite driver (Tony Stewart) won the race and the Sprint cup championship! I was in a state of euphoria and still don't think my feet have touched the floor yet! LOL What an exciting way to end the season! I think it might have been the best race I've ever seen.........but then I must admit - I'm one of Tony's biggest fans :)

Have a great week and for those who celebrate, have a fantastic Thanksgiving! We all have so much to be thankful for!

Carol

SNSDC29 A Bird Image

2011-11-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another SNSDC where this week we're using a bird image for our cards. I'm using the SNSS digital titmouse image today, and I colored it with Copics. I guess the way I colored the bird looks a little strange, and I don't even have an explanation, other than I simply colored him the way I felt like coloring him :) I used all retired SU colors, papers, and ribbon for this one, and added a SNSS digi sentiment from the helping hand set and added a snippet of ribbon and a pearl. The butterflies were done with a MS punch and the lower panel was embossed with a Swiss Dots ef. The image was cut with a Spellbinders blossom die and sponged with Ranger ink.

If you play along with us, please tag your creations with SNSDC29 when uploading to the galleries.

In addition to the regular monthly challenge prize; during the month of November, one participant, chosen randomly, will receive 4 free digis each week!! You do not have to use SNS digi stamps to play along.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa & Friends C4C24 - Non-Traditional Colors

2011-11-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hello, happy Thursday, and welcome to another Crazy4Cocoa & Friends challenge! This week we're challenging you to make a Christmas card and use some non-traditional colors! I went way out of the Christmas color boundaries for this card, but I think some little girl will really enjoy receiving this because it has pink on it! I'm using Rhubarb's Candy Cane digi image for my card, and he was colored with Copics. The dp is a soft mauve color with snowflakes, so I colored Rhubarb to coordinate with the paper, and added pink and brown accents. The sentiment was done with the Christmas Tags clear set. I added a mat and some satin ribbon in early espresso colors, and 3 pink buttons with bakers twine.

If you want to play along with us, all you have to do is choose either a Cocoa image, or any of Cocoa's critter friends in the SNSS store and create a card with non-traditional colors! When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creations with C4C24!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

Carol

Stamps R Us - Bling It On Challenge

2011-11-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Hello and welcome to another Stamps R Us Challenge. This week our sponsor is Crafty Sentiments, and I'm using this adorable Flopsy in the Rain image. I colored the image with Copics and added lots of glossy accents to the puddle and raindrops that looks much better IRL. The white panel was embossed with a CB Swiss Dots ef, and I added some turquoise gemstones to "bling it up."

I hope you'll grab your bling and come play along with us. There will be a great prize for a randomly drawn participant, so be sure to join in the fun!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Carol

SNSDC28 Paper Piecing

2011-11-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

Hello and happy Friday! My card today is for the SNSDC28 to use paper piecing on our cards. I printed this Rhubarb's Heart digi image on white cardstock and also on some BoBunny dp. I cut the heart from the dp and pieced it onto Rhubarb's heart. The sentiment is from SNSS's Valentine's Day Greetings and the image was colored with Copics. I added a few black gemstones and added some oval layers in black and crumbcake and outlined the labels four die cut with a gold paint pen.

If you play along with this challenge, you might just be the winner of a nice prize! In addition to the regular monthly challenge prize; during the month of November one participant will be randomly chosen to receive 4 free digi stamps each week!! You do not have to use SNS digi stamps to play along.

Thanks for stopping by today and make it a great Friday!

Carol

Crazy4Cocoa & Friends C4C23 - Honor a Vet!

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to another Crazy4Cocoa & Friends challenge. This week in honor of Veteran's Day on November 11th, we ask you to honor a veteran by making a card for him or her! Use whatever supplies Veteran's day means to you. When I think of Veteran's Day, I think of patriotic colors, so I used red, white, blue & kraft along with this Patriotic Cocoa image for my card. The background was done by cutting out stars from some BoBunny Liberty dp, and embedding them into the kraft layer by lightly gluing them on and then embossing everything in one pass through the machine. I colored Cocoa with Copics and added a sentiment that's perfect to honor a veteran. We owe all of our veterans a note of gratitude for their efforts in serving our country. This will be an "Any Hero" card I'll put into my next shipment that goes to OWH.

Thanks for checking in today and if you want to play along with us, you can use any Cocoa, Rhubarb, or any of those cute critter images from SNSS to play along! Use clear stamps or digis - it's your choice! When uploading to the galleries, please tag your creation with C4C23.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and we look forward to seeing your Cocoa cards!

Remember to thank a veteran!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Carol

I'm Taking a Blogging Break

2011-11-07T00:01:00.002-05:00

Hello crafters and a very happy Monday to everyone. I wanted to let you all know that I need to take some time away from the computer and blogging for a few weeks, but I'll be back soon! I've pre-scheduled my posts for the SNSDC, Crazy4Cocoa, and Stamps R Us challenges, so you might not even notice that I'm gone.........except for the fact that I won't be able to leave any comments for you. I'll catch up when I get back, promise!! Happy Stampin' everyone and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Carol

Release Party Challenge Cards

2011-11-05T09:13:00.003-04:00

During SNSS's recent November release party, there were 3 challenges issued and I found time to finish them all. (Yay!) First up is Taylor's sketch challenge SNSSNOV11RP01. I used some vintage cream cardstock and a scrap of DP, along with a felt snowflake, embossing folder, and some Geo Sparkler stickers for this one.
This card was done for Holly's SNSSNOV11RP02 monochromatic challenge. I used the basic Rhubarb digi image and scraps of pink card stock and dp. I used labels eighteen dies for the image and added a tiny tag with a small pink gemstone, and of course a tiny white satin bow.
And this flowercake digi image was given as a freebie to all who attended the release party. This card was made for Monika's SNSSNOV11RP03 challenge to use 2 dies or punches. I used 2 dies and a punch for this, along with some Viva Decor pearls and glossy accents on the cake image. The dp is by Recollections and the green card stock and ribbon is PTI. The sentiment was computer generated and the embossing was done with a TH/Sizzix damask ef.

That's about it for me today, so thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Carol

SNSDC27 Make a Christmas Card

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the SNSDC27 which is to create a Christmas card! I'm using this adorable festive penguin digi image for my card that was colored with Copics and cut out using spellbinders circles and scalloped circles. I matted it with some BoBunny dp and Cherry Cobbler card stock using labels 18 from Spellbinders. The background is a single sheet of BoBunny dp, and since it said Jingle Bells, I decided to add a couple of tiny jingle bells to the ribbon with some silver cording. I just love those tiny bells :)

You can never start making Christmas cards too early, so this is your opportunity to get some into your stash by playing along with our challenge. In addition to the regular monthly challenge prize; during the month of November, one lucky participant will be chosen randomly to receive 4 free digi images each week! You do not have to use SNS digis to play along.

You can link your cards up here, and tag them with SNSDC27 when uploading to the galleries.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous Friday!

Carol

Sweet 'n Sassy Release Day Blog Hop

2011-11-03T08:00:00.004-04:00

Hello and welcome to a blog hop in honor of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps release day! This month we're doing something really fun! The Design Divas and the Digi Team are hopping together to celebrate the fabulous clear stamps, digis, and dies being released tonight! You'll want to grab your favorite drink or snack and get ready for some amazing eye candy! Tonight we kick off our release party at 8:00PM EST in our member company forums over on Splitcoaststampers.com and we have a great party planned! There will be full reveals of all of the stamp sets, digis and dies, plus challenges and prizes!!

And speaking of prizes.....be sure to visit each blog on the hop and then leave a comment on the SNSS blog letting us know which set is your favorite! There is a fabulous prize up for grabs and it's the ENTIRE NOVEMBER RELEASE!!!!! How exciting is that! The winner's name will be randomly drawn from those comments at the release party tonight, so be sure to join us there tonight after you're done hopping!

If you arrived here from Holly's blog, then you're on the right track. If you just happened to pop in, you'll want to start at the beginning on the SNSS blog and follow along from there. You won't want to miss any stops along the way! I also have the complete list of bloggers at the end of this post for your convenience.
This is a brand new digi being released called Snowman Soup! Don't you just love this cute little snowman sitting in the cup?! There's a Snowman Soup poem sentiment that perfectly coordinates with this sweet image too! If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you should be able to read it. I made a tag for the sentiment and added a little ribbon and some silver snowflake stickers. I colored the image with Copics and popped it up on dimensionals after lining the outside edges with a Tombow marker. There are some matching snowflake stickers on the border of the cup, and I added some liquid applique to the fur on the hat. The background is called recessed diamonds and was done on my Scor-pal.

And now your next stop on the hop is the fabulous Taylor Usry. If you get lost along the way or find broken links, here is a list of all the bloggers participating in this hop.

SNSS Blog
Kim Schofield
Sandy Domelle
Ceal Pritchett
Mary Faus
Janette Olen
Makiko Jones
Kim Singdahlsen
Jessica Fick
Stephanie Wright
Dina Kowal
Holly McMillen
Carol Longacre - you're here
Taylor Usry
Cathy McCauley
Margo Smith
Bridget Finlay
Harriet Skelly
Monika Davis
Korin Sutherland

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic day hopping!

Carol