a wonderful Christmas

Hi!  Our Lego Robotics team participated in the state championship yesterday and they did so well!  Out of over 200 teams that participated in qualifiers, 56 teams were invited to the championships.  Out of the 56 teams that participated, our team placed 4th for robot performance and won a 2nd place Lego trophy for innovative solution.  I was so shocked!  Ha!  Not that I didn't have faith in our kids but the competition can be tough and we felt so lucky to have gotten so far.  I was even more impressed when the principal congratulated the kids and told them that was the best a team from their school had ever done at a Lego robotics state tournament.  Wow, what a proud moment!  The long day (waking up at 5:30 in the morning with the final awards done at 4 pm) was totally worth it!  Still feeling excited about it.  But I will finally share my card.  Hehe.

I made a card to be entered in the following challenges:  Paper Sundaes--Sundae Bar (color red and used die cuts), Wee Memories--Free for All, and Young Crafters Unite Challenge #4--use dies.

After Cheryl had posted her card using Sister Stamps Shimo-san, I wanted to use mine too!  I think I will make a bunch of these to give to the kids' Nihongo teachers.  I used Spellbinders rectangle die and the lattice rectangle that Cheryl gave me a little while ago.  Thanks!  I took this picture under our tree.  I actually wrapped some presents this morning!

The sentiment is from Wild Rose Studio.  I added some stickles to the snow on the ground and around the snowman.  Some liquid accents on his nose.  I also used a my black Prismacolor pencil and Copics for their hair.

Thanks for reading!

Where are my googly eyes?!

Hi!  I've made another card for PTI's Make it Monday #34 Thick Chipboard accents.  I like making cute stuff for kids so I really wanted to use one of PTI's Boy Basics mini stamp sets.  After going back and forth between the trucks or the rocket or the frog, I finally settled on the frog.  And I thought an interactive card would be fun for a kid and thought the chipboard idea would work well since the many layers really make the die cut pretty sturdy.

So here is PTI's Boy Basics Frog Hop.  I thought a spinner card would be fun.  You can find a tutorial HERE.  I just made an arch instead of a straight path using my old Coluzzle. 

I used PTI's coasters instead of boxes I had around the house.  I layered 4 of the die cut frogs and then the Echo Park DP frog over that.  So the layers kind of make it heavier so it doesn't spin much but it's easy for the child to manipulate and make the frog hop over to the other pad.  Papers over the lily pad die cuts are also from Echo Park.

There he goes, concentrating on that fly.  I couldn't find my googly eyes for the longest time.  I really wanted the frog to have some googly eyes cause he looks so much better with them.  So of course I had to go and buy more though I know I must still have some from before.

Made it safe to the other side. 

I think it would be cute to make similar cards with the trucks and rockets too.  There's so much you could do, make winding roads for the cars or have a race and it could be much larger than a card.  And the same with the rocket too.  This reminds me of my days making speech therapy materials for my kids.  So many concepts you could work on!

I'll also be entering this into Wee Memories Challenge #69, Simon Says Stamp Challenge--Anything Goes, and Paper Sundaes Challenge #88--Anything Goes.

Thanks for reading!

Rainbow 10!

Hi!  I didn't feel like cleaning much today (I'm sure I'll be paying for it later).  Instead I made a simple corner bookmark/card for my daughter who will be turning 10 soon.  I can't believe she is in the double digits now--there's no turning back!  Sigh, where does the time go? 

So I thought I'd use the rainbow colors inspiration from TGF's Which Card Wednesday.  And also will be submitting this into Paper Sundaes Challenge #88-- Anything Goes.

I used TGF's Birthday Anya 2 who is such a cutie.  My daughter loves her.  I colored her dress pretty simply in rainbow colors and tried to make rainbow colored sprinkles on her cupcake.  Added some stickles too.  The numbers are die cut from PTI's numbers set.  The kraft cardstock is embossed with Cuttlebug's birthday folder.

I like making these bookmarks for my kids' birthdays.  They are simple and fast and my kids can use them too.  I usually write a little note on the backside.

Thanks for reading!

Wild Sprout Miko

Hi!  Hmmm, couldn't think of a title for this post especially since the card I made has no sentiment.  I made a card for this week's TGF's Mystery Monday using Miko from the Roll Call set.  She's only the 3rd one I inked up so far from that set.  Hopefully I'll get to everyone.

I aimed to make a softer, more feminine card.  Less bright colors.  Miko's dress and hair accessories are paper pieced with some copic marker coloring on her dress and bows.

Added some flowers and pearls on her dress.  Used some ribbon and stick pins too.  Hopefully no one gets poked.

I'll also be entering this into Paper Sundaes Challenge #77--paper piecing.  My second entry!

Thanks for reading!

April 2012

Hi!  So I'm a little behind in making my 2012 calendar scrapbook using the Pure Innocence year of flowers stamps.  I thought I'd better get on it again before it's too late.  Again, I used the weekly sketch from My Favorite Things.  They are already on sketch 27!  I haven't been too good at keeping up with them.

Just the left side follows the sketch.  The right page has my computer generated calendar.  The space above it is reserved for a photo and some journaling.

The stamp is Pure Innocence Crazy for Daisies.  I paper pieced her dress and then had to add her arm as well over her dress.  I always think of daisies as white but when I did a search for them on line, there were so many different varieties and colors so I made the daisies pink of course.

Close up photo.  I used PTI's picket fence die and the daisy on the right is from MFT.  I like how this daisy die cuts and embosses so you can see details on the leaves and the little yellow center.  Too cute!

I'll be entering this in:
My Favorite Things weekly sketch 27
All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge--Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes Challenge #77--Paper Piecing

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Wishes

Hi!  I know Cheryl titled her most recent post Wish so I called this one Wishes.  Hehe.  I think I'm getting the hang of using digis especially now that I have a heat gun to set the ink.  It works so much better than my hairdryer!  Though I think I tend to size them a bit on the larger size but it's easier for me to color.  Anyway, thought I'd try the current challenge at Saturated Canary #17 -- May Flowers and Paper Sundaes Challenge #120 -- Things with Wings.

I know this looks kind of bright.  Haha.  I think I wanted to try using colors I don't use often like orange and then blue hair.  Plus I had matching blue and orange flowers, so why not?  This image is Fairy from Saturated Canary.  Love her long flowy hair.  So then I chose simple papers.  I added lots of flowers, maybe I may have over did it?  It was kind of hard to stop adding flowers here and there.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

Added stickles to her wings of course, some butterflies and rhinestones too.  Oh, I did use my Perfect Layers rulers to mat the image too.  And I am trying not to be too dependent on sketches.  It takes me a long while to think of my own layout, but the process can be fun as long as I don't over think where I should put things.  Hopefully, I don't get too frustrated.

Thanks for reading!

Butterfly Lucy

Hi!  I made a card for Flutter By Wednesday's 200th and last challenge.  I'll miss the challenges! 

Here's the sketch for the last challenge.

I decided to go with CC Designs Butterfly Lucy.  Isn't she sweet?  I love the flower border too also from CC Designs.  I got the grass die even though I have one from MFT because this one is a bit shorter and fits the flower border nicely.

I added some glossy accents on her hair accessories and the dots on her dress.  No, she's not eating the butterfly like my husband had first thought.  Geez, I don't understand him sometimes.

I also used the little saying from CC Designs Spring Logos and stamped it onto a cloudy background.  The butterfly is from CC Designs Butterfly Border that I love. 

I'd also like to enter this into Paper Sundaes Challenge #118 -- Ribbon and Pearls, Stamp and Create April Challenge -- Spring, and Ribbon Carousel Challenge 50 -- Anything Goes.

I had a nice day today with my daughter.  We got her hair cut and styled straight which she just loves.  Usually her hair is a bit wavy.  We had lunch and did some shopping.  But now I'm feeling a bit lazy to do the usual house chores.  Oh, and I'm trying to finish reading the Hunger Games books.  I'm on Catching Fire but it's slow going for me.  I don't know how my daughter read all 3 books.  Reading makes me sleepy so every time I read a few pages, I just want to close my eyes and sleep.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Butterfly Butterfly

Hi!  Wow, how often does Blogger change their "look?"  Trying to get used to the new one.  I'm feeling a lot better today.  Thanks, everyone!  I thought I'd play along in Flutter By Wednesday's Challenge #199 which is to case Danni's first card.  This is almost the last challenge as Danni will close the challenge blog after the 200th challenge.  I didn't get to play too long but it was fun. 

I followed the basic layout of Danni's card and the blue colors.  But I did add the bow and the circular die cuts. 

I used CC Designs Ima Butterfly.  She's such a cutie too!  I paper pieced her dress and colored the rest of her with Copics.  I added some highlights with a white gel pen.  I also masked in the clouds in the background using PTI's cloud die.  I really like the look of the clouds.

The sentiment is also from CC Designs which I heat embossed and cut out with a Spellbinders circle die.  The blue die cut is from PTI as is the ribbon.  The flower shaped button is from Stampin' Up!.   

I'll also be entering this into Paper Sundaes Challenge #117 -- Let's Get Cute and Oozak's Challenge #1 --Anything Goes.

Have a great week and thanks for reading!

Imagine

Hi!  I thought I'd better get a start on some thank you cards and teacher gifts for the end of the school year.  I made a little thank you card for the school librarian using kind of an older TGF stamp set, Never Ever. 

I just used the girl image (and the Imagine sentiment from the Never Ever set) cause she looks like my daughter.  Glasses, long hair and her nose in a book!  My daughter loves to read!  And I know a lot of kids like reading but she loves it!  Every free minute she has, she's reading.  According to her school, she reads up to the 11th grade level now though she is in the 4th grade. 

I also used PTI's library card stamp and the library pocket die.  The large leaf is from PTI's Turning a New Leaf die set.  The flower and button are also from PTI.  I stuck a little heart stick pin (from Maya Road) through the button.  I saw this from Danielle Flanders blog and thought it was a cute idea.  I wrapped some lace around and also a doily in the back.  I also added some liquid glaze on her glasses and paper pieced the girl's book and fingers.  The small heart felt is cut from PTI's Tiny Tags die set. 

I also made a metal bookmark (from PTI) that I'll place in the inside of the card.  I put another library pocket die cut on the inside to hold the bookmark.  The metal bookmark tutorial can be found HERE.

I almost forgot to mention the distressing part!  The edges of the paper, cardstock, leaf are ink distressed and also used my distresser tool to give the edges some texture.

I'll be entering this in TGF's Farm Fresh Friday Distressing Challenge and Paper Sundaes Challenge 65 (texture).

Thanks for reading!

Hello and Hi!

Hi!  Me again.  This is my second project for PTI's Make It Monday Challenge to partially emboss/deboss.  Above is the frame I created using 6 mm fun foam and PTI's Beautiful Blooms 2 dies.  You can read about my foam frame and embossing obsession in my previous post HERE. 

I ended up adding a cardboard piece over the fun foam to lessen the markings I get in the middle where I want it to be smooth. 

After running the sandwich through with PTI's Book Print impression plate (it's the only one I have), I got this.  I stamped the flowers from PTI's Beautiful Blooms 2.  And the words and exclamation point are from MFT's Say What stamp set. 

I colored in the petals with my red copic after I stamped the flowers.  The stamping was kind of spotty so I thought about restamping it but didn't want to risk it getting crooked.  

I added some rhinestones and twine.  I really like how happy this card looks.  And happy too for PTI's challenges that make us think of new ways to create things.  I actually have 2 more projects I want to share later.  I can't help it.  Sometimes I get crazy like this and have to make a bunch of stuff. 

I'll also be entering this in Paper Sundaes Challenge Keep it Simple.

Thanks for reading!

A Simple Birthday

Hi!  I wanted to make a simple birthday card that took minimal coloring and time.  I followed the current sketch from My Favorite Things. 

Maybe I followed the sketch a bit loosely but I think I have the major components on there.  I used the cute little girl from Pure Innocence Hello Cupcake.  I wanted to try coloring on kraft cardstock.  It took less time and I kind of like how it's a bit muted.

There's some glaze on the cherry and some stickles too.

This card is for the following challenges:
All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge (Birthday)
My Favorite Things WSC11
Paper Sundaes Challenge Blog (Keep it Simple)
Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog (Birthday)

I've been a little obsessed lately with embossing/debossing from PTI's challenge.  I'll hopefully share some of that tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!