Fab Friday is HERE!!

Not long after Convention, I was asked by my good friend (and equally-as-vertically-challenged running buddy), Mindy Backes, to be part of her soon-to-be-launched Fab Friday Challenge Blog Design Team. How on EARTH could I say no to her OR her "Fab" idea ... so with NO hesitation, I was in!!

The challenge blog will be posting every other Friday ... sketches, color challenges ... we're gonna have a GREAT time, and we would love to have you join us!! Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Jason Casper
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

I'm excited to see what y'all come up with!!

Stamps: Wonderfall, Create a Cupcake
Paper: Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, Orchard Harvest DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, More Mustard
Accessories: Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Folder, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Word Window Punch, Finishing Touches Edgelits Die, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain Ribobn

Hugs and Happy Friday!

2012 Artisan Award Winning Blog Hop - Project 10

TA-DA!!! We DID it!! We are finally on DAY 10 of our 2012 Artisan Award Winning Blog Hop (I STILL have to look that up every time I hafta type it!! You'd think after 10 days I'd have a handle on it!!). Once more, if you have been hopping around the block, you would have just come from the superlative Sarah Sagert. That girl just rocked EVERY. SINGLE. PROJECT!!

I am moving on to my second 3-D item ... and the thing about which I am most proud ... my MDS diaper bag!! Yep!! You read that right!!! I made this baby (for a baby!) using My Digital Studio!!! I created some patterned paper in MDS ... then, I printed it out on iron-on transfer paper ... then, I ironed it to some plain-colored fabric ... THEN, I cut it out with the Perfect Pennant Bigz Die!! PRESTO!!! I made my own fabric!! I was pretty happy with how this came.

Y'know how ONCE in a while something you visualize actually comes out BETTER than you visualize it??? That's how I felt about this ... VERY tickled with how it came out. Now, we'll just hafta make sure that whoever ends up using it doesn't spill on it ... EVER ... Bwahahahahaha!!

Stamps: None
Paper: None
Ink: None
Accessories: Summer Smooches Designer Fabric, Perfect Pennants Die, Soft Suede 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Night of Navy Denim Ribbon, Brights Buttons, Linen Thread, My Digital Studio (Adventure Awaits Stamp Brush Set), Miscellaneous Fabric/Felt, Ink Jet Light Fabric Transfer Sheets, Sewing Machine, Teddy Bear, Baby Pacifier, Sticky Velcro Dot

One last hop-skip-and-a-jump on over to the artistically-amazing Amy Bollman!! Sooo much beauty in everything she makes!!

2012 Artisan Award Winning Blog Hop - Project 9

We are still lookin' fine on Project Day 9!! Aren't you just INSPIRED by all the TERRIFIC stuff posted thus far?? Did you just come from the imaginative and creative goodness of Sarah Sagert's blog??? If not, follow the "click here" buttons all the way around and you'll get back to her (or just click on her name above and it will take ya back). Super-duper!!

This is the first of my two 3-D projects. This is another hybrid project made with paper punches AND MDS. I took this photo of them and was so thrilled with the joy I was able to capture, that I was thrilled to be able to use it for this framed art piece.

I used an overlay stamp from MDS to made this photo of my niece and nephew look kinda "antique-y" ... also added their names and the date they got married. I {{heart}} this photo.

I also had fun making this array of flowers to accent the oval frame (as soon as I saw this frame in the craft store I knew I HAD to use it for an Artisan entry. I am VERY happy with how this one came out. I used the 5-petal flower punch to create some gardenia-looking flowers to add the "bouquet". Kinda sad to see that punch retire ... but happy I got to use it for this project!!

Stamps: Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Very Vanilla, First Edition Designer Series Paper, Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper, Soft Suede
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: 5-Petal Flower Punch, Fancy Flower Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Blossom Punch, Little Leaves Sizzlets Die, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Pearl Basics, Large Pearl Basics, Victoria Crochet Trim, Paper Crimper, My Digital Studio (Vintage Overlays; Smitten Alphabet Punch, Love Birds Alphabet & Numbers; Get It Done Stamp Brush Set), Oval Frame

Last day at Disneyland (and it's my BIRTHDAY!! I'm 29 ... again ...)!!

Amy Bollman is up next!! I am learning SOOO much from her creativity and style!! She has done some things I would never DREAMED up!! FANTASTICAL!!

2012 Artisan Award Winning Blog Hop - Project 8

Day 8 ... here we are again!! Thanks so much for visiting again ... didn't you just LOVE what Sarah Sagert posted today?? (Don't you just LOVE what she posts EVERY day?? Click on her name to go back and see if you didn't just come from there.)

One more scrapbook layout. This darlingly BEAUTIFUL baby girl is my grandniece, Eisley. Can you believe I took this photo with my PHONE? She is the sweetest, most darling and adorable girl ... such a sweet disposition and a happy personality. I love having so much of my family in such close proximity ... we have such great relationships. What a blessing to be surrounded by those ya love!!

Stamps: Wedding Sweet
Paper: Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Twitterpated Designer Series Paper
Ink: Blushing Bride
Accessories: Circle Scissor, Blushing Bride Pleated Ribbon, Neutrals Buttons, Subtles Buttons, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Pretty Postage Punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Naturally Serif Sizzlets Die, Corner Rounder Punch, Pearl Basics, My Digital Studio (Greatest Moments II - Circles; Love Birds Alphabet & Numbers - Flower Circle; Perfect Label Punch; Blushing Bride Polka Dots Designer Series Paper), Dimensionals

I'm off for another day of fun at Disneyland. LOVE this place!!

Go check out my other lovely Canadian friend, Amy Bollman!! She really is AWESOME!

2012 Artisan Award Winning Blog Hop - Project 7

 

Day 7 ... here we are!!! What a crazy week!! Welcome back!! (or welcome aboard??) Didn't you LOVE what Sarah Sagert posted today??? So thrilled to be on a team with so much talent!!

Today's scrapbook layout was, by far, my favorite. And it seems pretty appropriate considering that by the time y'all are reading this I will be walking around Disneyland (is it weird to say that I am looking forward to the FOOD as much as anything???). Too-TOOO fun!! My son is such a funny guy ... I asked him to stand next to this picture of Goofy so I could take a picture of HIM (because Goofy has always been his favorite!), and he just automatically struck the same pose as Goofy ... it STILL makes me happy every time I look at it.

I made a discovery about doing "banners" on layouts (or cards, for that matter) while creating this. I sewed all the little banner bits (circles) together before placing them on the page. This made it SOOOOOO much easier to lay everything out!! Not only was feeding the little circles through the sewing machine a SNAP (worked WAY more smoothly that I thought it would), but laying them out on the page was ALSO a breeze ... they weren't wandering all over the place, the sewing created a more natural curve, and they were much easier to adjust when I was ready to stick 'em down!! I really had a LOT of fun creating this one!!

And here is a close-up of the little half-rosette that I made to accent the "filmstrip" of photos I created ... like I said, I had WAAYYY too much fun creating this layout!



And I have a few elements from MDS on here as well ... the oval behind the text, the ticket border and the filmstrip border were ALL created with it ... loveloveLOVE the things I am able to create in MDS to add to my projects! The whole "hybrid" thing has opened up a LOT of creativity for me!!

Stamps: Sweet Shoppe Alphabet Lower Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Summer Smooches
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1⁄2" Circle Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, My Digital Studio (Candid Frames & Attic Boutique Embellishments), Crop-a-Dile, Scallop Circle Punch, Simply Scored, Flower Brad (Brights), Silver Brads, Rhinestone Basics, Dimensionals, Sewing Machine

Now ... back to Canada and the wonderfully-creative Amy Bollman! Check it out!

2012 Artisan Award Winning Blog Hop - Project 6

We're already more than halfway done with our parade of Artisan-Award-Winning projects!! Can you believe it?? It's been really fun sharing with all y'all ... thanks so much for all the kind comments/emails ... I appreciate it more than you know!!

Once again, if you are following the hop around in a circle (for that IS how they work, isn't it??), you have just come from the ever-fantabulously talented Sarah Sagert. Once again, beautifully done!!

I have shown you all the cards that I made for the Artisan Award contest, so I am now moving on to my scrapbook pages. Scrapbook pages are where I got my start in papercrafting (and I hate to admit that I still own a whole toolbox full of those crazy, decorative scissors!). I love traditional scrapbooking ... and I REALLY love adding digital elements to my layouts (the only digital component on this page is the date under the photo). My daughter actually took this photo of herself while we were having a great weekend up at Bear Lake. It has long been one of my favorite photos of her!! Actually, one of my favorite components on this page is the little bit of crocheting I did on the trim next to her photo with some baker's twine ... it was just so much fun!

Stamps: Happiness Shared
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Scallop Circle #2 Bigz Die, Circle Scissor, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Serif Essentials Bigz Die, Naturally Serif Sizzlets Die, Neutrals Buttons, Regals Buttons, Fleurettes, Linen Thread, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, Tasteful Trim Bigz Die, My Digital Studio (Lauren’s Letters and Smitten Alphabet Punches), Dimensionals, Sewing Machine, Crochet Hook

I am heading out of town for a few days to spend a little time at Disneyland (yes, yes ... AGAIN!! Gotta get some use out of my Annual Passport!! And it IS for my birthday, so I feel like it's okay!). No worries, though ... I'll make sure and schedule some posts to go up so that I can finish the last few days of the blog hop, so stay tuned!

Check out what Amy Bollman has posted today ... you are gonna LOVE it!!

2012 Artisan Award Winning Blog Hop - Project 5

Thanks for joining us (again!) on our Artisan Award Blog Hop!! If you are following the links around, you would have just come from the AMAZING blog of the AMAZING Sarah Sagert. Sooo much talent!!

I am sharing the last of the cards I made with my entry ... and this one is kinda clean and simple (I have had this thing for very-white cards this past year!). Funny story about this card ... one of the first things I did after I found out during Convention that I had actually WON a spot on this team (besides cry and jump up and down, that is), was go over and check out my display board. VERY humbling ... and exciting and FUN!! First thing I noticed, however, is that they had this particular card hanging SIDEWAYS on the board!! YIKES!! What's a girl to do??? I put my stuff down on the floor, straddled over the partition and proceeded to remove it from the board, rotate it and stick it back on!! Then I jumped (kinda!) back over the partition ... problem solved!! A little embarrassing, but I didn't want this poor baby hanging SIDEWAYS all during Convention!! Sheesh!!

Stamps: Fabulous Florets, Create a Cupcake
Paper: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Ink: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Lucky Limeade
Accessories: Simply Scored, Whisper White Baker’s Twine, Small Oval Punch, Pearl Basics, Mini Library Clip, Pearl Basics, Dimensionals

Time to move on again to the gorgeous creation made by Amy Bollman!!

2012 Artisan Award Blog Hop - Project 4

I think I am enjoying this Blog Hop just about as much as anybody!! I have really loved seeing the projects of my fellow Artisans. When I read how they went through the creative process to come up with their brilliant creations I am even MORE amazed!! You should just have come to this blog from the blog of my friend, Sarah Sagert. I am loving EVERYthing she has been posting.

It is kind of hard to tell from the picture, but the focal image on this card (the pear) is recessed down into the card. AND it has my new favorite old thing, Crystal Effects. I am having so much fun adding it to things. In fact, I think it was THIS card that got me all jazzed about it again. And I haven't been doing a lot of coloring lately, so I figured it would be good to show Stampin' Up that I actually knew HOW ... on at least ONE of the things that I submitted!!

Stamps: Faith in Nature
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso, Watercolor, Summer Smooches DSP
Ink: Black Stazon, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Simply Scored, Antique Brads, 5/8" Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon, Word Window Punch, Crystal Effects, Blender Pen, Sewing Machine, Dimensionals

Once again, it's time to move on to Amy Bollman's blog. MORE brilliance from her as well!

2012 Artisan Award Blog Hop - Project 3

Hooray for Day 3!! Even though I had seen all of the projects my friends are posting while I was at Convention, it has been SOOOO much fun to see them more up close and personal (and I love learning tips/tricks and hearing about the creative process behind some of them!). If you are following this hop through, you just came from the ever-so-talented Sarah Sagert. Super creative, that girl!!

Here is card #3 from me ... I was trying to step away from the flowers, which is ALWAYS a challenge for me. I probably most definitely own more flower stamps than anything else! I created the waves for the "water" by using the "negative" from some paper I cut out with the Tasteful Trim die ("negative" meaning the leftover parts after cutting it out). I stamped the duckie image with Whisper White on vellum and then embossed it with Whisper White embossing powder. Then, I colored the image on the back of the vellum ...

Stamps: Easy Events
Paper: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Big Top Birthday, Vellum
Ink: Whisper White, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder Punch, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Tasteful Trim Bigz Die, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Clips Assortment, Flower Brad (Brights)

Now hop on over and check out some more creative genius from my friend, Amy Bollman!

2012 Artisan Award Winner Blog Hop - Project 2

Here we are on Day 2!! I am sooo excited that I FINALLY get to share the projects I did for my Artisan Award entry with all y'all!! Once again, if you are following the hop "around", then you should have just come from the ever-so-brilliant Sarah Sagert!! Love EVERYthing that girl made for her Artisan entry!!

I musta been NUTSO when I dreamed up this card!! Rolling those pieces of DSP into "straws" was a bit labor intensive (especially trying to keep them from unrolling while I tried to adhere them "shut"!) Then I went a little more wacko with all the stinkin' buttons ... I would hafta mail this baby in a BOX, man!!! Kinda thick, but I like how it turned out!!

Stamps: Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Mocha Morning DSP, Regals Patterned Paper, Red Glimmer
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Stripes Textured Impressions Folder, Heart Punch, Regals Buttons, Neutrals Buttons, Linen Thread, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Small Oval Punch, Needle & Thread

And heading back "north" (as I AM sandwiched between two VERY talented Canadian Sistahs), check out the Amy Bollman!! You go, girl!!