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CPS207 - Academy Awards

Quick post tonight because we are busy watching the Oscars (so very, VERY boring tonight- let's have Hugh Jackman again next year - 'kay?  Besides, you mean to tell me that the lady that took out ads to win the Oscar had no speech?!)  Enough of that - this card is based on the current sketch from Card Positioning Systems and the 3 squares challenge from Less is More - Frankly, this card reminds me of tonight's Academy Awards - it has some glitz (pearls and silk ribbon) but nothing really that special - maybe it was enough to be nominated. . .

GS#76 - Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger: Flower Power!

This card was inspired by this week's Tuesday Trigger from the Moxie Fab blog - That is a super cool, funky fresh pillow but a bit bright for my "taupe loving" self!  Dug out my SU! Fifth Avenue Florals to stamp the flowers, colored them in with Copic markers and then followed the layout from Get Sketchy.

Everything was going fine (once I got the big 14 year old to stop kicking the table laughing while I was attempting to color - really though, I can't blame him - we were watching Jimmy Fallon and that show cracks us up - we tape it every night) until I went to cut my fabulously colored panel into fourths, then disaster struck!!  One half of 3" is 1 1/2" NOT 1 1/4" - AARRGGHH!!  What a stupid mistake!

All was not lost - I quickly cut the other side "wrong" and ended up with some Moxie Fab funky fresh lines on my squares that my husband complimented me on but you and I both know were a desperate attempt to "fix it - just fix it"!! 

BABY - Papercrafts March/April 2011

This card managed to make it into the current issue of Paper Crafts magazine - I like to point at it and sing "Baby" by Justin Bieber to make my older son crazy!!  I mean really - if you can't torture your children - why have them?!  LOL!

PDCC70, OLW42 - I've Got the Music in Me

This week's One Layer Wednesday Challenge is called - I've Got the Music In Me!! - Jennifer says, "This week’s challenge is to make a one-layer musical themed card. Anything to do with music. Sheet music, musical instruments, an image of someone singing; anything that in some way relates to music." 

I pulled the colors from this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge - the inspiration picture was taken from Julie Ebersole's house!  Don't you just want to stop by and have a cup of coffee with her?!

This big music note stamp (Stampabilities) has been intimidating me for some time now but seemed perfect with the Tiny Bird from A Muse!  Love a little bird with a BIG song!!

Spring Chrysanthemum -

"Spring is in the air" - do you believe it?  Wishful thinking!!  This card is based on the Clean and Simple Stamping's FTL128 sketch pictured below and the colors are from the Play Date Cafe Challenge (PDCC69).

Took my time coloring the Chrysanthemum from A Muse with my Copic markers for the Stamp It! Techniques Week: The Stamping with Markers Challenge.  The Less is More blog's third week challenge is the theme - spring.

I kinda dig how the twine looks like it popped up and tied itself around the flower - Patterned paper is from Basic Grey; glitter from Martha Stewart; Charcoal Baker's Twine from The Twinery; sentiment from A Muse. 

A Muse Studio - "The Early Bird Catches the Worm"

You are my sunshine, Bird

Life has conspired against my crafty time this past week - so to make up for lost time this card fulfills the requirements for FIVE challenges - Get Sketchy #75, PTI's Make It Monday #2 - Vellum Sentiment, Embellish Magazines Color Challenge with Birds, CARDS Challenge Gallery, and last but not least, Moxie Fab World Challenge:  Get Daring with Decorative Tape!  Whew - that's some productive multi-tasking!

 To "get daring" with tape I used two different blue tapes and layered them diagonally on a piece of cardstock -

Lifted every other strip and wove the tape until I ended up with a kind of fun plaid (I love plaid and argyle - I have on argyle socks right now - slippers and sweat pants too but it is late and I should be in bed, so no judging!) and used the Tim Holtz Caged Bird die by Sizzix to cut out the bird.  I also used Tim Holtz Decorative tape to make the musical background behind the bird so I should get brownie points for using tape twice (right, Cath)?!

Anyhoo, a stamped sentiment (Papertrey Ink - Fillable Frames #3), Cappuccino baker's twine (The Twinery), glitter (Martha Stewart) and a few buttons from my stash finish up this card - Sleep tight!

A Muse Studio - "Out to Lunch"

Moxie Fab World - Stamping with Shimmer Sprays Challenge

So how do you like the fabulous giftbag that somehow, from a distance, looks like a big box of tissues?  Maybe that is why it didn't make the Paper Crafts cut when I submitted it a few months back for the shimmer call - Trust me - it is fabuloso in real life!  So fabulous that I feel justified in submitting it to the current Stamping with Shimmer Sprays Challenge!

Two colors of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist were used - Key Lime Pie and Iridescent Gold.  Buttons, sentiment and silk ribbbon are from Papertrey Ink.  Sparkles from A Muse.  Wrought Scroll stamp from Stampington.

I used the leftover part from a Cosmo Cricket chipboard sheet to spray the green leaves onto the White Gloss paper.  After it dried I added a few mists of the Gold Shimmer.  Pulled out all the stops on this bag - even did some sewing! 

Doesn't it look even better with a "dog in a sweater" posing with it??!!  Lily couldn't resist a photo shoot but then was distracted by something outside - just like trying to take a picture of one of my boys!!

A Muse Studio - Phase One: Infiltration

Moxie Fab Blogger of the Week -

Want to know why today is a red letter, A++, Super Fantabulous - MOXIE FAB day??!! - Click HERE to see.

PDCC68, GS74 - Moxie Fab World Challenge: The Appearance of Cameos

This card is for three, count'em three, challenges!  The Get Sketchy 74 and Play Date Cafe Challenges pictured below and the Moxie Fab World Challenge:  The Appearance of Cameos.  I put off playing the Cameo challenge for a few weeks because I had nothing that would work - that is until I looked more closely. . .

Did you know that A Muse makes some silhouette stamps?  Actually, they do but I don't have any of those but what I did have were "Mikey" and "Flower Girl" - once they were colored in with a marker it was perfect!!  Once I looked outside the obvious I had just what I needed!

Gobs of fabulous Basic Grey papers make up the background.  Finishing touches include pieces of a Zva Pearl Swirl and some hand-dyed crinkled seam binding.  I do believe that I will save this card for our anniversary this year!!

Guess what my mom did yesterday afternoon?  Broke her left wrist playing Volleyball?  YUP - you heard that correctly!  I was at the hospital until after midnight last night waiting to hear that she was out of surgery and in recovery - gonna head down there today to see what I can do to help - mom is NOT going to like being incapacitated - she is a "doer" not a watcher!  She is also a total leftie so that was not the wrist to break. . .

OLW40 - Two for the Show

One Layer Wednesday time - I tried to read the instructions a little more closely this week since I neglected to read the "no sentiment" part last week. Here are the deets on this week's challenge hosted on Jennifer Styles blog - Make a one-layer card using two and only two image stamps. You may heat emboss and/or colour your images with markers. You may not use any additional embellishments. Yes, I am mean. - her words, not mine.

Once the card was completed I decided to make a set of 12 for my MIL since she told me last week she is out of handmade cards. 12 cards mean mass production - here's a tip - Score your entire 8.5"x 11" cardstock before you cut and then you won't have to score twice. Embossing a frame on your cardfront with a Nestabilities die adds instant elegance!

When it is time to stamp I lay out all my stuff and watch videos online. I finished my Donna Downey Inspiration Wednesday video and then looked for something else to watch - look what I found. . .

Kristine’s top picks for the February/March issue of Simply Handmade magazine. The project that she is pointing to is mine!! What makes this particularly sweet is that my 14-year old hates that project and always would say to me, "I like the frame, mom" (which meant that it was the ONLY thing that he liked). So it was with great enjoyment that I forced him to listen to Kristine say nice things about it!! You can hear her too if you click here - feel free to watch the entire video but my part starts at 1:53.

Here they are - all 12 cards with matching stamped envelopes! These fabulous images are from A Muse!

Art Journal -

WHOO HOO- My first art journal page done completely on my own!  I think it turned out pretty cool for a first timer!  I started by adhering torn old book pages with Mod Podge then spraying a tad of Blue Skies Glimmer Mist (hard to see unless you are close).

Used lots of fun goodies - Tattered Angels stamps and matching Glimmer Screens for the butterflies - I used Ranger Metallic Paint Daubers on the screens and then stamped with the stamps.  The wings are from River City Rubber Works and I picked those up in Nashville, IN a couple years back during a road trip with Kim.

"Hurry - Fly to new destinations"  - that's what I am trying to do with my art journal and am constantly in a hurry to try the next thing/technique but I have to slow down at watch the paint dry - literally and figuratively!

Look in the butterfly bodies - this is kinda supposed to say, "Why not fly?" - Get it?  Neither did my family - but I'll forgive them - THIS TIME!  Stay tuned - I am finishing up my next page which is an ode to Donna Downey and her wonderful "drippage" - FUN stuff!

FTL126 - Papertrey Tag

Today's card is based on the current Clean & Simple Stamping FTL126 sketch below.  I decided to use another of the free download Papertrey Ink tags - this one was designed by Dawn McVey, one of my favorite-est PTI designers!

Do you see what gives this card its "fabulosity" (please tell me that I am not the only one out that has stumbled across Kimora:Life in the Fab Lane)?  Fine, I will say it now, "Hi, My name is Michelle and I have an unnatural tendency to watch too much reality TV" - admitting is the first step, right?

The "fabulosity" is supplied by my new stash of TWINE!!  WHOO HOO - I finally broke down and bought a rainbow of the stuff from The Twinery - happy sigh. . .

 The week's challenge from the CARDS blog is doilies so I used one of my Martha Stewart lovelies.

Patterned paper is from Basic Grey and sentiment is from A Muse.

OTHER NEWS - I have finally rescheduled the Fabric Flower Pin class at Make Time to Create in Newburgh, IN - Just click on the picture to see the details - THANKS also to Dolly for getting my butt in gear - she is awesome!

Papertrey Ink Tag Download Challenge

Today's card is for the Papertrey Ink Tag Download Challenge - If you didn't know, Papertrey Ink is celebrating their 4th anniversary with some (not surprising) wonderful prizes and fun challenges.  After downloading the tags page into my computer I picked Alli Miles' tag as my favorite since I LOVE graphic flower images -

I tinkered around in PSE7 until I had made a little background paper with the image and printed it out on white cardstock.  Black, white and pink are the colors for the first challenge at the new Less is More blog, I'm sure they would appreciate your support so check them out.  A sentiment from PTI Spiral Bouquet set and a flower cut with the Beautiful Blooms II #1 Die Collection finishes up this card. 
Corey has his cronies here watching the Superbowl in the family room so I've been watching the commercials and stamping - Whenever they scream I'm tempted to shout out, "I KNOW - Isn't this the cutest card ever?!!"

GS73 - Embellish Color Trends Challenge with Hearts

Lots of patterned papers make up this "miss you friend" card - Three Gypsies, Basic Grey and Memory Box.  I figured 5 different patterned papers was enough for this card - but who knows, maybe one day I'll make a card with 6!!  That's how wild and crazy I can get -

This card is based on the two challenges above - Get Sketchy #73 and the new Embellish Magazine Color Challenge with Hearts.  Cut my hearts with my Nestabilities dies and finished off with one of my favorite touches - a Zva Pearl Swirl.

Our older son has been home sick the past two days so things have been a bit off-kilter.  It is supposed to snow tonight - have to admit - I am getting sick of winter!  Usually I am a big fan of winter but it seems to be dragging on this year -

OLW39 - Inspired by Vanessa Menhorn

OLW39 time - This week's One-Layer Wednesday Challenge is to use 1) an image, 2) a border stamp (or stamped border), and 3) bling (rhinestones or glitter).  Now that I am rereading the challenge I realize that I may have cheated in adding that rectangle stamp but thems the breaks, right?

Got to use some of my big A Muse stamps for this card - the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink. 
I've started back to work part-time but that part-time seems to be my crafting time - not fair!  Since when it is more important to have food on the table, taxes/bills paid than to play with paper/ink?  Since always - Drats!!

Art Journal - Christy Tomlinson

I recently professed my love of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer so you can imagine my delight to see her featured on Christy Tomlinson's blog!  Christy Tomlinson is a new love of mine too - so much so that my first Art Journal page is completely, totally and unabashedly lifted off her recent tutorial.  I am so new to this type of craft that I didn't even feel guilty copying her design since I need to start somewhere, right?  Also very excited about the class she will be teaching  - The She Art Workshop!  It will be a blast learning all these fabulous techniques.

Basic Grey Basics made up my background -

 I like the look of that paint palette - makes me look "artist-y" - in my mind, anyway!

Grow is my word for 2010 - I am trying to grow in creativity (not in size!!) - trying new things - stretching in my perspective - step out of my box!  My family had mixed reactions to this page - my older son and husband nodded their heads and said the appropriate things but my younger son LOVED it (he is a very smart boy).