Sites of the week

At the beginning of the year, I resolved to do more SCS challenges. So far, I am a **little** behind on that resolution, but I did find time today to do the sketch challenge…YAY ME! Recently, I was blog hopping and came across stamps from a new company called My Cute Stamps and I totally fell in love with this lil’ smiling donut and all his other little smiley friends. I actually need a card for the lady at our local donut store. She is always so kind and Ellie just absolutely LOVES her. With that, I paired the want to do and SCS challenge and the need for a sweet card and came up with this…

Detail shot…

I started off with a base of Raspberry Fizz paper from Papertrey {one of my new favorite colors} and then added Chocolate Chip, Kraft and Pretty in Pink {SU!}. I definitely think that I am going to keep this color combo on hand for more cards! The DP is from Paper Studio found at Hobby Lobby.

I meant to take today off of blogging, but I just **had** to put this up. I’m cutting myself off here so I can go get some stuff done during naptime. Have a great day!

Happy TCP Tuesday! Today Susan is going to be your Hipster Hostess with the Mostess with a color challenge for you. She kindly is “subbing” for me, as I was not sure if I was going to be back from AZ {I am!}, etc. Thanks, SusSus {pronounced “SoozSooz”…what Ellie calls her}.

I’m all into the bright colors right now; which, I have mentioned is a deviation from my normal comfort zone. I am getting better at reaching for bright colors and pairing them. Here is my card for the challenge…

Can I just go ahead and say that this is one of my favoritest {yep, it’s a word} cards that I have done in a long time!?!? I love the colors and I am so happy that I finally figured out how to use my pinked circles. Kinda fun lil’ shapes when you make ‘em into a sun!

So, wanna play along with the TCP Tuesday challenge?…EVERYONE can! Here’s what you are gonna want to know…
1. Each a week one of the The Cat’s Pajamas DT Members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, color, theme/inspiration, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until {this} Saturday night to complete the challenge.
4. Link your project on this week’s hostess’ challenge announcement. This week you will link your project on THIS post on Susan’s blog.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. When uploading to SCS, please use the keyword TCPTUES53 for this challenge.
8. Alma will post the entries from the week the following Monday on her blog.
9. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the first of the month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.
10. Oh yea…HAVE FUN!

This sentiment cracks me up!…but, so true!

I made this card for last week’s Bellarific Friday challenge. BTW, I am so IN LOVE with all the submissions {see ‘em HERE}! When I first saw that the challenge was to use these super bright colors, I was excited and maybe a little intimidated. I am not one that always uses bright colors, but these are so fun and fresh that it was hard not to love them from the beginning. This is the color inspiration pic…

Here is my card using Charlotte Ketto {loveee the new Kettos!}…

Emily will be posting another challenge today with all the deets on the Bella blog. It’s a chance to break out those Bellas {and Buggs, and Kettos, etc.} for an opportunity to win some $$ to spend on the Bella store.

Well, gotta run for today…off to catch a plane back home. We had a great time in AZ, but I really do enjoy the comfort of my own home. See you tomorrow for another color challenge…bright and fun, just like this one!

Ok, so a few weeks ago Taylor asks me if I was to try out one of the new alterable items that she is carrying…a wooden purse by Kaiser Craft. I first painted the purse with acrylic paint and then covered the large “oval” portions with DP from My Mind’s Eye. I added on some bling {Swarovski crystals} and a flower made from my Slice machine {topped with a Prima flower and a rhinestone}.

Detail shot…

The center of the purse is divided into 2 sections, making it a great pen/marker holder or a cute little treat container. The purse itself comes unassembled in 6 pieces: 2 sides, 2 scallop decorative pieces {I love how these were separate}, a bottom and a piece that needs to be divided to create the sections {these fit like a puzzle into the bottom piece}. Since there are no instructions in the packaging, I was a little intimidated at first, but it became pretty obvious that you had to break apart the pieces and assemble them to create the dividers. I used E6000 adhesive, but I am sure a strong glue such as Zip Dry or any wood glue would work like a charm.

I also have another card to show you using some of the new stamps that are being released today. This card is sweet and simple and I chose to eliminate a sentiment so that I could use this for any occasion. I rarely go without a sentiment, but I saw a cute package of blank notecards the other day that reminded me that I don’t always have to put one on a card. I have really been into “more is more” lately, so departing from that approach was a little difficult, but I do like the outcome.

You can see from this shot that I popped the flowers up on dimensionals…

Want more samples from the Taylored Expressions DT. Well, check ‘em out!
Ana, Charmaine, Denise, Jodi, Laura, Karen, Dawn, Donna, Karen, Laurie, Sankari and, of course, Taylor!

WOW! Lots going on today! First, greeting from AZ! We are enjoying a quick family getaway at my parents house in Surprise, AZ. The weather is BEAUTIFUL and we are having a great time! I am sure that I will have pics to share next week.

First, the winner of the paper flowers from last week’s participants is… {drumroll, please}
#44 Joan Ottevanger with THIS card.
{winner chosen through random.org}
Joan, please email me {link under my pic} your address and I will get these off to you next week.

Next up, I get to announce this month’s Designer of the Month. It is none other than KIMBERLY CRAWFORD! Please give her a warm welcome!

A little about herself:
Thank you to Jen for asking me to be her guest designer for April! I am so honored and cannot wait to work with all her wonderful sketches!
I am a SAHM to a 3 year old boy and have been married to my husband for almost 10 years. I work and teach classes at my LSS very part time, but being a former elementary teacher, I love to get to teach!
My husband got me started in stamping. Yes, its true. We were doing our wedding invitations and I wanted a certain look. He suggested trying this “stamping thing” his mom did. The rest is history and I remind him often! I got away from stamping for years, but then last January, I remembered how much I loved to stamp and the addiction started up again.
I am currently on the design teams at Stamper’s Dream, Friends of Flourishes, and ScrapLovers, and will be joining the Spellbinders Paper Arts team in May. I have had the privilege of my work being published in Paper Crafts, Cards, Scrapbook Trends, Simply Handmade, and Paper Trends.
Being a part of the online stamping world has been amazing! I have been fortunate to make many friends who share a passion for paper crafting!

This week’s sketch…

Here’s my sample, which also doubles as a sneak peek for the Taylored Expressions stamps that will be released tomorrow. I LOVE this Sweet Shop image, and the sentiment is just perfect. Yep, whomever said that money can’t buy happiness apparently never shopped at a See’s or Godiva store!

For more sneak peeks, check out the rest of the Taylored Expression DT’s stuff…
Ana, Charmaine, Denise, Jodi, Laura, Karen, Dawn, Donna, Karen, Laurie, Sankari and, of course, Taylor!

Here is Kimberly’s GORGEOUS sample…

Want more samples? Check out the SFYTT Sisters…
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Susan Liles
Carole Burrage …she’s already warned us that she is gonna be late with this one
Kelly Lunceford