Read, Relax, Repeat...Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #277~Make Your Mark

Hello,

I've been at my my mom's since Jan. 19th, on a 'working' visit to mark diploma exams. We're on Day 9; two more to go! Long days...bleary eyes...and a grateful heart to have after-hours time to spend with mom and, of course, my cutie-patootie niece and nephew!  On the other hand, I miss my husband and the crafting withdrawal? Oh myyyyy! Hope I remember 'how' to craft once I'm back home *grin*

Welcome to Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #277~Make Your Mark.

I've had the My Favorite Things Our Story set for ever so long, but my colouring skills have held me back from using it. I just can't get skin tones and hair highlights/blending 'right' on the adorable little girl and boy. Fortunately, the current challenge at FUSION Card Challenge~Coffee and a Book, sparked an idea.

Rather than fretting over my issues with colouring the big images, I went with some smaller ones...the stack of books, the little coffe cup and the wee dresser. Purple, blue and green, with a pop of red and soft brown felt like 'cozy' colours...as did the knitted embossing folder...

Will be working on colouring the rest of the images once I'm back home...practice, practice, practice!

Please visit my teammates to see their wonderful *make your mark* creations.

Looking forward to seeing your cards/projects in the gallery!

Also sharing at:

CAS on Friday Challenge #125~Colour Me Pretty Hope it's okay that my 'white space' is kraft...

Stempelkuche Challenge #87~Embossing (Dry or Heat)

Thank you for dropping by!

LOVE That I Know You...Inkspirationation Challenge #153~Word Prompt - Attachment

Hello,

Hope you're having a great week! As for me: currently on Day EIGHT of zero crafting, due to marking diploma exams (we mark over 10 consecutive days; no stopping even for weekends)! Withdrawal symptoms? Oh yes! On the plus side, I'm staying with my mom, so after-hours time with her and, of course, with my niece and nephew, keeps me happily occupied!  NOTE: a thousand apologies for falling behind in commenting...long days of marking essays after essays after essays is taxing! I'll make up for it once I'm back home!

Welcome to Inkspirational Challenge #153~Word Prompt: ATTACHMENT. Isn't that a great choice?

Talk about a vast range of interpretations, as you'll see from my wonderful team: Sandie, Shauna, Kylie, Marina, Nonni, Yvonne

With Valentine's Day *this close*, I chose to interpret the 'strong bond' definition of attachment; and what bond is stronger than that of LOVE! Perfect 'rational' to use my new Concord and 9th's Love You So stamps and dies, as well as my Memento LUXE Love Letter ink that I've had - unopened - for ages! 

Here's a trio from the total of seven made...they'll be in the mail to special friends once I'm back home (and more to be made and sent; this set is such fun!!).

This one wanted a close-up...and despite the way it appears, everything is aligned straight in real life. Sheesh!

Looking forward to seeing your interpretations of *ATTACHMENT*!

Also sharing at:

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #376~Anything Goes

Mod Squad Challenge~Valentine/Love All the cards feature Memento LUXE Love Letter ink

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Layer It Up

Thank you for dropping by!

Bear on a Bike (Today is a Good Day..)....Just Us Girls Challenge #425~Photo Week

Hello,

Hope you're having a great week! As for me: currently on Day EIGHT of zero crafting, due to marking diploma exams! Withdrawal symptoms? Oh yes! On the plus side, I'm staying with my mom, so after-hours time with her and, of course, with my niece and nephew, keeps me happily occupied!  NOTE: a thousand apologies for falling behind in commenting...long days of marking essays after essays after essays is taxing! I'll make up for it once I'm back home!

Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #425~Photo Week, where Maria has chosen this marvelous image for us. Oh, to have such a keen eye for home decor!

My attention went directly to the trio of bikes-and-flowers prints on the wall (those would be perfect in my house!!) which inspired me to *finally* colour up my Waffle Flower Happy Days bear on a bike.  My copic colouring needs wayyyy more practice and given that I'm a bike racing official (excited for the season to begin!), I'll just *have* to colour up a bunch more bears. Isn't he the most adorable-est-est EVER? And his little wagon...and the flowers...and the butterfly? ACK!  I used my MFT Clouds stencil and STAMPlorations Hills dies to create his surroundings. I may keep this card just for me...for a while...

Cathy McCauley, aka Cathymac, is joining us once again as our GD, with another amazing card!  My teammates have some incredible inspiration happening, too; please drop by their places and leave them some love:  Sue, Angie, Vicki, Ina, Bobby, Nancy, Lisa, Maria.

Excited to see how this fabulous photo inspires you!

Also sharing at:

Creatalicious Challenge #131~Anything Goes (optional twist: Cute)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Layer It Up

Thank you for dropping by!

Butterfly Thank You...Just Us Girls Challenge #424~Colour Week (Teal, Mustard, Orange)

Hello,

Hope my post finds everyone doing well and managing to stave off the January "blues." If you're in need of cheering up, though (I know I am...blechy weather!), - or just want a 'something different' to tickle your creativity buds -  then come play along with us at Just Us Girls Challenge #424~Colour Week. Our wonderful Ina has selected Teal, Mustard and Orange for this week's palette.

This is definitely not a combination I'd come up with on my own (thank heavens for designers with far more ingenuity than I), but after an initial 'oh my stars, what to do?' panic, I dialed in and away I went...

Ahhh...butterflies! These, from Concord & 9th, are some of my favourites! I think they make a pretty teal-mustard-orange trio. Hope you do, too!

Cathy McCauley, aka Cathymac, is joining us once again as our GD, with another amazing card!My teammates have some incredible inspiration happening, too; please drop by their places and leave them some love:  Sue, Angie, Vicki, Ina, Bobby, Nancy, Lisa, Maria.

Excited to see where this wonderful colour combination takes you!

Also sharing at:

Allsorts Challenge #451~Butterflies

Thank you for dropping by!

Tattered Rose and Lattice Love...Uniko Challenge #45~Something Old, Something New (optional twist: LOVE)

Hello!

Welcome to Uniko Studio Jan/Feb Challenge #45, where we're inviting you  to draw inspiration from this prompt:

The beautiful photo, the something old-something new theme, the optional twist of love: plenty of 'sparks' for you with this challenge AND the fact that it spans five weeks is even more enticement to play along. And then, there are the prizes...more on that later!

Joining our talented team is our incredibly creative Guest Designer, Anita. Her chic, stylish card has my CAS-loving heart swooning. Please drop by her blog, as well as those of the DT, to see the lovelies they've created and, while you're visiting, please leave a comment. I know they'd be tickled pink if you did.

My first card features two 'something news' (Pure Florals: Rose and Lattice stencil), paired with a duo of 'somethings old':

• colouring with prismacolour pencils and blending with gamsol (that's the "old" part). I'd forgotten how easily gamsol smooths out lines and softens colour; definitely keeping it right next to my pencils from this point forward!

• using Tattered Rose distress ink to stencil; I've moved it forward in my little collection of inks,  as it's so very pretty (as is Victorian Velvet, which was another oldie-find).

Because I had some watercoloured roses left over from a previous project, a second card happened (not sure why my leaves are so yellowy; in real life, they're pretty Peeled Paint green).  The 'new' somethings are, again, the roses and stencil; the 'old' is the sentiment from All Occasions Sentiments #5. With Love as the twist, you will certainly be seeing this set in action! It's filled with amour in a variety of ways!

That's it from me! 

Looking forward to seeing your inspirations in the gallery!

THE PRIZES

• Main Winner Chosen By the DT - £25 eGift Certificate
• Random Uniko Stamps Winner - £4 In Stock Clear Stamp Set of Winners Choosing
• Top 3 Chosen By DT - 150 Loyalty Reward Points

You've got plenty of time to play along with this month's challenge. The deadline for submission is midnight (GMT) on Friday, February 23rd,  2018 (7.00pm EDT).

Thank you for dropping by!

Warm Winter Birthday Wishes...STAMPlorations CAS Card Challenge~Anything Goes (optional colour twist: SILVER) Reminder Post

Hello,

Hope you're having an excellent week!  Right now, we have a chinook blowing through our region, bringing warmer temperatures and crazy winds, gusting from 50-80 km/h! I need to venture out to run some errands; hope I won't be tossed and twirled into another province!

Joining my fabulous teammates with a reminder post for the STAMPlorations January 2018 CAS Card Challenge #22~Anything CAS Goes (optional colour twist: Silver).

Today, I'm bringing you a hot cup of cocoa, rich with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick! Hope it wards off the chill of winter and makes you feel all warm and cozy....

Coffee for all Seasons
Joyful
Blossom Overture

Please head over to the main blog to see the incredible cards created by my wonderful team. You'll be dazzled and, I know, inspired to play along!  The guidelines are simple; the rewards for joining us, wonderful:

• Players can link up to 3 CAS cards.
• Players can enter a CAS card with or without the optional color twist.
• Non-STAMPlorations products are OK.

• Prizes: $10 GC for the winner; $5 GC to the top picks.
• If there are 50 or more entries: 1 random winner of product of choice (3x5 stamp set OR 2 standard size stencils OR 1 CUTplorations word/phrase die).

Easy and so inviting!  

Looking forward to seeing your CAS creations in the gallery!

To receive 20% off STAMPlorations stamps, stencils and dies, I invite you to use my code: STAMPGIRLCAROLM. The code applies to regular and sale-priced products, but cannot be combined with other discount codes you have. Happy shopping!

Thank you for dropping by!

For smiles and inspiration head to: STAMPlorations blog | STAMPlorations shop

Shimmery Joy....Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #275~Photo Inspiration

Hello,

Welcome to Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #275 with a most dazzling, elegant mood for inspiration. Dramatic and gorgeous, all that black and white, with shimmery gold accents...swoon!

So many choices, as I mentioned in a previous post, can be overwhelming; solution for me is to narrow my focus, as you see here with my simple design:

The deer and joy are cut from sparkly gold cardstock, which the photo doesn't capture. In real life this panel shimmers and shines!

Please visit my teammates to see their stunning creations.

Looking forward to visiting your glamorous photo-inspired cards/projects in the gallery!

Thank you for dropping by!

Flowery Birthday...STAMPlorations CUTplorations January 2018 Challenge Reminder Post

Hello,

Happy middle-of-January (eek!)! Joining my wonderful team with a STAMPlorations CUTplorations January 2018 Reminder Post, where we're drawing inspiration from this oh-so-pretty wintry sunrise scene...

Yes, plenty to spark creativity here - as you'll see from the amazing cards my teammates created -  however, too many choices sent me into the 'overwhelmed zone.'  When that happens, I really need to narrow my focus (or I accomplish nothing!) and in so doing, I wound up with a minimalist card. As in ultra-minimalist. Purple, blue and the 'shape' that I see in the clouds - the pinkish flower-ish shape that appears in the sky towards the right side, about about a third of the way from the edge, just above the horizon...with the result being this...

Flowers 2 Stencil - Sanna Lippert Designs

Birthday CUTplorations, Happy Birthday Clear Stamps

Crazy Double Running Stitch Nesting Dies 

Simple card that, I hope, will bring someone a smile...hope you'll be one of those 'someones'!

Please visit the rest of my talented teammates to see their wonderful CUTplorations creations, then bring your STAMPlorations dies out and play along with us! Prizes to be had, my friends...fabulous prizes! Please check out the CUTplorations Challenge Rules here. The linky is open until the end of the day January 31.

If any of the products you see here catch your eye, I invite you to use this coupon code (click to make larger):

Thank you for dropping by!

For smiles and inspiration head to: STAMPlorations blog | STAMPlorations shop

UNIKO January 2018 Design Team *Revisit* Blog Hop & GIVEAWAY!

Hello,

I'm delighted to share a trio of cards for the UNIKO January 2018 Design Team Blog Hop & GIVEAWAY - and what a showcase we have in store! Just for a bit of background, our lovely Bev, who's kept incredibly busy with her 'twin beans' as well as handling - solo - all things Uniko (and that's heaps of behind the scenes dedication, ranging from blogging, designing, packaging stamps/orders, offering stellar customer service..and who knows what else!) usually releases new products every other month. 

On non-release months, we revisit previous releases - and that's essentially the theme of this Blog Hop. BUT, this one comes with a twist! 

Rather than selecting a specific product/month's release, Bev gave us carte blanche to choose ANY of the new products released through out 2017! We're talking a total of 5 releases, which distills down to 24 stamps set, 5 stencils and 2 designer die collections!  Talk about choice - for us AND for you!

So, because you have plenty of hopping and commenting to do, let's roll with my showcases....

My first two cards feature products released in February 2017: Block Party Birthday and 

Explosion Additions.  I so enjoyed creating shakers (I wound up making 5, total, for local friends who saw them on IG!) with the Block Party Christmas (October 2017), that I used a similar style for this bright, cheery birthday card....

 A certain niece, who loves rainbows, will be getting this on her birthday (she'll be 8 in March! EEK!)

I fell for the Explosion set when it was first launched way back when, so when Explosion Additions appeared last February, well...you know what happened! Perfect set to make cards for my *superhero* nephew. This one is neon green and blue, which fit those of his current favourite hero, Green Lantern. He'll be 6 in March, but I'm not sure I can wait that long before giving it to him!

Of course, revisiting these previous releases to make cards for my niece and nephew sparked all kinds of warm fuzzies, so I made a third card, filled with a whole bunch of love, hugs and kisses to send their way, too! This one features two sets from the December 2017 release: Large Background Scattered Polka Hearts and BIG & BOLD Hugs

Okay, enough from me. Please visit Bev and the rest of the team; hope you're prepared to be dazzled!. We encourage you to leave comments along the way to be in the running for an eGift Certificate

Bev
Carol - me

Deborah
Izzy

Jane

Lindsey

Rahmat

Sarah

You have until Midnight (GMT) Sunday, January 21st, 2018 to comment.  ENJOY!!

Also sharing at:

CASology Challenge #282~Hugs

Seize the Birthday January Challenge~Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #152~All About Occasions

CAS on Friday Challenge #124~Love/Valentine Card

Thank you for dropping by!

Birthday Roses...Inkspirational Challenge #152~Photo Inspiration

Hello,

Welcome to Inkspiration Challenge #152~Photo Inspiration (our first challenge of 2018! WOW!), where we have an elegant, gorgeous image to spark your creativity! Violin, roses, pearls, lace...oh. my. stars! So much beauty to capture....

Joining us for this challenge is Charlotte aka Lady Joyful; her card, along with those of my fabulous team - Sandie, Shauna, Kylie, Marina, Nonni, Yvonne - are are awe-mazing!  Head over to see...you'll be dazzled!

I LOVE the white, the pink roses, the pale greens and the 'shape' of the violin, so that's what I tried to reflect in my card....I even 'sort of' water coloured - and held my breath with every stroke of the brush!

UNIKO - Pure Florals Rose (this set is timeless!!)

UNIKO - Simply Said

Studio Katia - Dotted Pattern Frames

NOTE: Honoured and thrilled to be selected as a Watercooler Rocker for the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #152~All About Occasions.  Thank you soooo much!

Looking forward to seeing your interpretations of this stunning image; I know that a gallery of gorgeous is sure to unfold...

Also sharing at:

CAS Watercolour January 2081 Card Challenge~Birthday

Seize the Birthday January Challenge~Anything Goes

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #152~All About Occasions

Thank you for dropping by!

Believe in the Magic....Just Us Girls Challenge #423~Trend Week - Galaxy Backgrounds/Night Sky

Hello, 

Another week has zipped by and a cold one it was! We hit -43C one night! Forecast is for much warmer weather (well...anything is warmer than -43C!) over the weekend and into next week. Sure hoping so; I need some outdoors time!

Speaking of 'night'...Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #423~Trend Week, where DT Sue is inviting us to create Galaxy Backgrounds or a Night Sky for our cards. Very trendy, indeed - and they can be made in such a variety of ways, from alcohol inks, to distress inks, to paints, to...well, whatever most of us have on hand!   

Cathy McCauley, aka Cathymac, is joining us once again as our GD, and her card, along with the those of my team mates - Sue, Angie, Vicki, Ina, Bobby, Nancy - is stellar!  You're in for some amazing "star-cases"!

If you've followed me for awhile, you'll know that water-colour and I are NOT friends, so no fabulous rich, deep purples/blues, star-studded galaxy for me. I went with distress inks and perfect pearlized water droplets to create a softy night scene for my shimmery fairy.  I think we all need to believe in 'magic' sometimes, don't you?

Please visit Cathy and the rest of the gals; they'd love to have you drop by at their places and be dazzled by where this theme has taken them.

Excited to see where Galaxy/Night Sky backgrounds takes you!

Thank you for dropping by!

A Herd of Reindeer Shaker Tags...Happy Little Stamps January 2018 Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Hello,

Welcome to Happy Little Stampers January 2018 Anything Goes with Dies Challenge.

Today, I'm sharing the Mama Elephant/Hampton Arts shaker reindeer tags - using Studio Katia Dotted Shaker Tag 2 -  I made for my niece's Grade 2 class; we are talking a LOT of die cutting!

Here's a glimpse of part of the full herd of 27.  Such fun to make, although my copic colouring of the sweet reindeer certainly needs work! Aren't the images cuties, though?

Looking forward to seeing your creativity in the gallery; always a joy and inspiration to see what YOU have designed!

Our winner for this challenge will receive a $20 coupon to spend at the shop! Check out all the details HERE.

Thank you for dropping by!