Butterfly Flutterby ...

This STILL has to be one of my most favoritest butterfly dies ... EVER!! In fact, I have used it sooo much that I actually wore it out and had to get another one!! (I know, right??? Didn't even know that was possible!!)

White-on-white is also one of my favorite things to do on a card ... it always looks so clean and elegant.

Got a fun weekend planned. We are doing a lot of fun things and a service project with the youth from our church. I love hanging out with teenagers (but why is it that OTHER peoples' teenagers always seem to like me more than my own???)! Teheheehee!

Stamps: Short and Sweet
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Bride DSP, Vellum
Ink: Basic Gray
Accessories: Quickutz Monarch Butterfly Die, Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Folder, Marvy Double Scallop Corner Punch, Small Oval Punch, Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon

New Challenge on SCS

Well, I got together (cybernetically, of course!) with my fellow LSC (Limited Supply Challenge) hostesses over on SCS and had a serious discussion about the LSC. We unanimously decided that its hey-day had come and gone and that it was time to shake things up!! As of today, the LSC has been RETIRED and a NEW fun challenge has taken its place - Free for All!!

The whole idea of this challenge embodies what Forest's mama always told him ... "Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get!" Each Friday we plan to mix it up with something new ... a sketch challenge, a color challenge, a combo challenge (sketch/color, technique/inspiration) ... who KNOWS??? It's going to be a "Free for All" each and every Friday!! I am SOOO excited about this!!

Soooo ... to kick this off I started the first one off (F4A1!) with a challenge I called "Textures, Colors and Patterns" which basically means what it says ... to use textures (embossing, ribbons, 3D embellishements), colors (okay, well, I asked everyone to create something using at least ONE color that they typically avoid!), and patterns (an optional part of the challenge to incorporate some patterned paper). Pretty easy, eh?? The gallery is already starting to fill up with some pretty impressive stuff!!!

I NEVER use Gable Green, yet I have used this color combo TWICE in the last week!! What is UP with THAT????

Stamps: Good Friend
Paper: Gable Green, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Gable Green
Accessories: Tiny Bubbles Cuttlebug ef, Retro Diamonds Quickutz ef, Perfect Polka Dots SU ef, Beautiful Wings embosslits die, leaves sizzlits die, wide oval punch, whisper white satin/organza ribbon, pearls, pinking hearts border punch, paper distressing tool

With All My Love from ISC

Here are a couple of samples I made featuring a new stamp sheet from ISC called "With All My Love." I had soo much fun creating this card ... I have always had a weak spot for anything heart-shaped - I have been collecting heart-shaped jewelry items since I was a little girl, and I hate to admit how many stamp images I own that are hearts!! Seems we never get tired of them, eh?

Stamps: With All My Love by ISC
Paper: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, With All My Love Digi Paper by ISC (for the largest heart)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Pinking Heart border punch (SU), Heart Punch (SU), Sizzix Damask embossing folder, Cuttlebug Spots and Dots embossing folder, rhinestones, linen thread, pop-up glue dots

And sample #2 ... I tried going for a more manly-man color combo, but I am afraid I couldn't stop myself from adding a bow ... so not as "dude-like" as I had planned. Sigh ...

Stamps: With All My Love by ISC
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Distressed Warmth Digi Paper by ISC
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Accessories: EK Success Fluer-de-Lys border punch, basic black grosgrain ribbon, Quickutz Retro Diamonds embossing folder, pop-up glue dots

And once again, you can check out the January New Releases at the following links:
I Heart for You!
With all My Love

And also don't forget to visit the ISC Blog. For even more inspiration and how each design was created stop by and each of the Creative Architects blogs:

Kathy Tucker
Connie McCotter
Sabrina Jackson
Joanne Grzelak
Julie Warner
Karen Dunbrook

Starting the New Year with something different…. introducing ISC Digi-Paper. A downloadable file!

With All my Love Digi Paper
Distressed Warmth Digi Paper

Have a great day!

More of the Same Colors!...

I liked the colors I used on my last post so well that I decided to make ANOTHER Christmas card with them (and, as I mentioned before, they WERE for a color challenge - CC248). There are also some layout similarities, but I also am loving the new SU scallop trim corner punch and couldn't resist using IT again, either!!

I just got these Quickutz embossing folders a couple of days ago, so I was really excited to put them to use. And, once again, I used the pinecone from Autumn Days with the Martha Stewart branch punch ... just LOVE how they look together!!

Today I decided that it would be a good idea for me to make a list of all the things I would LIKE to get done before Christmas (maybe that way I can actually REMEMBER what they all are, instead of letting them swim around inside of my brain where they seem to be colliding with one another all the time!)!!

Hope you have a great day and get LOTS of things accomplished on your own "to-do" lists!!

Stamps: Autumn Days, Small Script
Paper: Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Rich Razzleberry, Barely Banana
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Martha Stewart Branch Punch, Large and Small Oval Punches, Quickutz Retro Diamonds and Christmas Embossing Folders, Doodlebug Sticker Jewels (Cotton Candy), Pop-Up Glue Dots

Challenge Cards Again!

I really like doing "challenges" . . . challenges over on SCS, blog hop challenges . . . pretty much anything that helps me to get my creative juices flowing in a direction I may not otherwise have gone. These two cards are both from challenges over on SCS . . . one was last Friday, and the other was yesterday's Featured Stamper challenge.

I have been having way too much fun with my Cricut the last few weeks. I figure it is about time to start using my investment (and NO, I'm not EVEN gonna tell ya how many Cricut cartridges I own!!). I gathered dust for a little too long, but I am trying to get back into the swing of things with it! This card was for last Friday's LSC - LSC233, which I combined with last week's sketch challenge - SC241 (and we KNOW that I LOVE the LSC, since I get to hostess it every fourth or fifth week!). I made a card with this little crabby dude wearing shades waaayyy back in the day. The theme was to do a card that was a "goodbye to summer" sort of a deal. My fam spends several weekends every summer up at the family condo by Bear Lake (Utah/Idaho border). We have not known a summer in 25 years without the lake. We love it there. And while I have NEVER seen a crabby dude with shades (okay, well, maybe that guy who was sleeping on the beach and awakened when we shook off our sandy towels . . . HE was a crabby dude!! Can't remember if he was wearin' shades, though), we do spend many-an-hour building sand monsters, castles, creatures AND the Bear Lake Monster himself!! Good times!

Stamps: Crab and Company, Shore Thing, Summer Fun
Paper: Kraft (PTI ad Provo Craft), True Thyme, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango
Accessories: Cricut Life is a Beach Cartridge, modern label punch, word window punch, 1" circle punch, soft suede polka dot ribbon, paper distressing tool, clear embossing powder, versamark pen, pop-up glue dots

I was stopped DEAD in my TRACKS by Emily's (aka Stamp Muse - FS132) butterfly card that inspired my recreation here:

Butterfly Medallion by Emily

I used one of my fave butterfly dies on this one, too! I love how BIG and GORGEOUS it is!! And I would know about butterfly dies . . . and stamps . . . and doo-dahs, right???

Stamps: Medallion, Small Script
Paper: Basic Black, Summer Sun, glittery black, vellum, whisper white
Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Quickutz Monarch Butterfly Die, Interlaced Corner Adorner punch by EK Success, shimmery white organza ribbon, white polka dot Organza ribbon by May Arts, large oval punch, white embossing powder, brayer, dimensionals

STAY TUNED LATER THIS WEEK. THE FREAKS BLOG HOP IS COMING ON THURSDAY AND YOU WON'T WANNA MISS IT!! (Okay, sorry for shouting . . . I'm just excited, can't you tell???)

Me & Mini Me!

I saw a card of Jennifer Meyer's several weeks ago (she is Lovetostamp6 on SCS) that I knew I just HAD to attempt myself! I totally and instantly fell in love with it! It's awesome! I had the chance to "case" this card and put my own twist on it last week for a combined challenge I did. I used SC203 and WT193 (to use pearls or something pearly). I LOVE how it turned out!! Here is Jennifer's card:

Christmas & Snowflakes

I may just use this as NEXT year's Christmas card!!

Stamps: Winter Post
Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Shimmery White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White craft
Accessories: Cuttlebug Snowflakes, Snowdots and Christmas Village embossing folders, designer label and 1 3/8" circle punches, Emaginations snowflake punch, single stitched choclate chip ribbon (SU Seaside), May Arts brown polka dot organza ribbon, pearl stickers, iridescent ice embossing powder

So then, after case-ing Jennifer, I cased myself yesterday for the technique lover's challenge - TLC196 - a pop-up gift card holder. But, instead of using it as a gift card holder, I made a little pop-up surprise!

This card is officially card #65 in my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge. I CANNOT believe I have done that many!! (See the link on the sidebar to the right if you want an explanation as to WHY I am doing this!)


I changed the colors a little bit from the previous card. I used Ruby Red and Blue Bayou instead of Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze (not a HUGE difference, but subtle changes are good!). I really like this idea, though. If I end up giving out any gift cards for Christmas I will definitely use this!! It's hard to see in the picture, but both the snowflakes and the white parts on the butterfly are done with sparkly-glittery white paper. It really does look COLD!! Brrrr!!!

Stamps: Fancy Flexible Phrases
Paper: Kraft, Ruby Red, Blue Bayou, Chocolate Chip, Dazzling Diamonds white
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White craft
Accessories: Cuttlebug Snowflakes and Christmas Village embossing folders, Quickutz Butterfly die, Martha Stewart arctic snowflake punch, word window punch, May Arts light blue polka dot organza ribbon, single stitched chocolate ribbon, rhinestones, iridescent ice embossing powder

Believe It or Not . . .

. . . I'm still here!! I swear if I NEVER do another nasty typing project for someone it'll be too soon!! I am about 3/4 of the way through with this nasty thing (have I already used that word??)!! I can't WAIT to be through.

In keeping up on my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge, I made this card for Devan a couple of days ago (see the link on the sidebar for more details, or just watch the slideshow!).

And this really pretty butterfly diecut from Quickcutz . . . once I saw it I knew I HAD to have it. I used a brayer and some Pumpkin Pie ink on some vellum to create the wings. The black "veins" were punched from some old black diamond dust paper I had. I think this is such a cool butterfly!! It just says "WOW" to me! LOVE it!! (And isn't it cool that I can use Quickutz dies in my Spellbinders Wizard??? That baby is just so versatile!!) I just hope Devan appreciates all this girly-girl cards I keep sending him!! What can I say?? Butterflies are girly!!

I also got the layout from last week's sketch challenge on SCS - SC177. I like it a lot and may have to use it again!

I hope to be through this nasty (there's that word again!) typing project in the next couple of days. Then, I need to do my monthly projects for Spellbinders (which I am kind of excited for since I actually have some fun ideas swimming around in my head). I know I have to do at least one butterfly card this week, so I hope to be back in the next day or two!

Hugs to y'all for a happy day!

Stamps: So Swirly jumbo wheel, So Many Sayings
Paper: Basic Black, Barely Banana, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Black Diamond Dust, Vellum
Ink: Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, So Saffron
Accessories: Quickutz Monarch Butterfly Die, Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug ef, Black/white polka dot Organza ribbon by May Arts, Family Treasures Daisy punch, 1/4" circle punch, rhinestone jewel sticker by Doodlebug, crop-a-dile, brayer, dimensional