Pink United 2012 Raffle Items

This post is LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG overdue!!!  Sorry ladies.  It's been such a crazy last six months, and my internet connection at home doesn't like blogs (I keep having to reset the connection due to all the pictures).

So without further ado, here are the items I had made for my SGK team (Pink United) to raffle off to raise money so they could walk.  I took the year off from walking, and crewed the 3-Day for the first time.  As a crew member, there is no obligation to raise money, so I decided to help my teammates instead.

I made five cards to make a set, dabbled with making matching earrings and bracelet, and made two framed quotes.  I even threw in a baby-sized quilt I had made for a friend a few years ago, but the baby outgrew it before I finished it (OOPS).

Here are the cards: 

Here is the jewelry: 

The first quote is: Everyone deserves a lifetime.  It's one of SGK's most recognized quotes (and my favorite).  Our team captain ended up "winning" this one, and all the team members wrote little sayings of thanks to her which I added around the perimeter.

The second quote was one I saw on Facebook first, and decided I needed to use it.

And the quilt:

Hope you enjoyed them.

OWH Blog Hop Challenges

Starting last weekend, the design team at Crop Chocolate has held a blog hop spurred on my National Cardmaking Day as well as Operation Write Home.  A couple months ago, on CC's message board, there was talk of making cards for OWH, which is an organization that collects homemade cards to send to the troops so that they can in turn write to their friends and families.  Everyone there thought this was such a great idea, and so the DT decided to host a blog hop for it, which they made coincide with National Cardmaking Day (which was this past weekend - Oct. 6).  And of course, as with most of CC's blog hops, their were challenges involved.

Usually I attempt to make something for all challenges, but I had challenges myself in my schedule.  The weekend that the hop started, I was sitting in a booth at a craft fair trying to sell my wares.  Then this past week was my DD's 4th birthday so I was busy cleaning the house and getting ready for my parents to visit and for the party.  I also had to work on a special order I received at the craft fair (more on that later).

All that being said, I was able to fit in some crafty time and made some cards.  Also, some of the cards that I made within the last couple of weeks in order to add to my inventory for the fair fit a couple of the challenges.  So I am going to enter them also, as my thought was to send whatever didn't sell to OWH anyway.

So enough talk, and now to show off what I did get to make.

First off, for Amber's challenge, she asked us to follow a sketch and use embossed solid paper, two different patterned papers, and some sort of twine, ribbon or trim.  And to make as many as we could.  The sketch she gave us was very simple and easy to use.  I didn't mix it up much LO wise, but did use different colors.  I managed to make 16 of them. 

Products used:  EP Victoria Gardens 6x6, EP Times and Seasons 6x6, MM celery ribbon, Bazzil blue cs, SU always artichoke, crushed curry, naturals ivory and ballet blue cardstock, Cuttlebug embossing folders, SU tag time stamp set, SU cranberry crisp and buckaroo blue inks.

Next up was Michelle (by belle)'s challenge.  She also picked an OWH sketch for us to use, and she wanted us to make as many as we could.  I ended up with 12.  I also combined this with CC's weekly challenge last week (to make a project and put step-by-step instructions on instructagram.com).

Products used:  Teresa Collins giving thanks paper, EP Be Mine 6x6, MME Ooh La La For Her 6x6, SU regal rose, naturals white, crushed curry, sage shadow wild wasabi and ballet blue cardstock, MM embossed metal silver hearts, MM embossed copper butterflies.

Next I did Brit's challenge - to use up those scraps.  All of the scraps I used for this one were from one pack of paper - EP's Happy Days 6x6.  I made some thank you's and some happy birthday cards.  One of them actually uses EP Springtime (can you guess which one?). 

Products used:  EP Happy Days 6x6, EP Springtime 6x6, SU regal rose, naturals white cardstock, MM vellum tags, Recollections adhesive embellishments, Recollections adhesives shapes, Deja View Wonderful words rubons, MM eyelets.

I also did Miwa's challenge, which was also to use up scraps.  She gave us some sketches she used as examples, but I decided to not use them and used others.  So I used EP's Springtime 6x6 pack for hers.  Also a combination of birthday and thank you.

Products used:  EP Springtime 6x6, SU regal rose, naturals white, and sage shadow cardstock, Sassafrass blossoms - modpods, Recollections adhesive embellishments, SRM sentiment stickers, Mrs. Grossman's sentiment stickers, mm vellum tag, MM embossed metal heart, BG fabric flowers bloomers.

Between the two challenges, I made 20 cards (10 of each paper pack).

I also managed to do Nina's challenge.  She asked us to pick out one paper pack and use it up.  For this one I chose EP's For the Record.  When I first bought it, I wasn't sure about it, but it has really grown on me.  I made thinking of you, Happy Hello's, congratulations, get well, and sympathy cards.

Products used:  EP For the Record 6x6, SU crushed curry, naturals ivory, and wild wasabi cardstock, misc cardstock, Mrs. Grossman's sentiment stickers, sassfrass blossoms, MM vellum tags, MM eyelets, MM Chloe's Closet brads, SU circle circus stamp, Sassafrass paper whimsies.

I managed to make a total of 23 cards from this pack.  I still have some scraps left and could probably squeeze a couple more out.

Finally I made a few that fit Kathy's one challenge.  She asked us to use "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue".  I only got 6 done for this one, but I really like them.  They are get well and sympathy cards.

I used MME's Ooh La La For Her 6x6 pack, Imaginisce bitty blossoms and itty bitty blossoms, MM mini pewter circle brads, Sassafrass blossoms, SRM sentiment stickers.

I hope you enjoyed looking at what I made.

Paper Girls #13 - Birthdays

So after a tough challenge last time, Paper Girls decided to go easy on us (well at least me) this time.  They are at #13, and they went with a theme of Birthdays!!!  Now who doesn't need to create a birthday card or LO.  I know I have quite a few cards I need to make.

So I decided to make 2 cards.  However, these two are going to be another part of the raffle I mentioned last time to support my Pink United team.  So because of the cause, I had to incorporate pink in them.

The first card uses the following products:
Recollections white cs, EP Be Mine 6x6, velum, Deja View Wonderful Words rubons-birthday, Imaginisce to love and cherish flowers, Tattered Angels sunflower glimmer mist, BoBunny All stuck up brad, Bazzill paisley chips, TH iced spruce distressink, TH adirondack raspberry alcohol ink.

The second card (which I happen to like better) uses the following:
Recollections cream cs, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, MME OohLaLa for her 6x6, SU corner punch - ticket, MM celery ribbon, Deja View Wonderdul Words friends and birthday, vellum.

Well, I hope you enjoyed looking.  Come back soon for more items for the raffle.

Paper Girls Challenge #11

Wow, I can't believe The Paper Girls are at #11 already.  I feels like they just started these.  They have been so much fun that I haven't missed one of them.  This week's challenge was to use some of those rub-ons we've had laying around collecting dust (well, maybe your's haven't, but mine have).  So I decided to use some of them to create some thank you cards.  These cards actually fulfill an order my chiropractor placed from me.  There are nine cards here, and only one of them does not use a rub-on (can you guess which one that is?).

 For these four cards, I used the following products:  SU crushed curry cs, BG offbeat 6x6, MM vellum tags, Deja View Wonderful Words rubons, MM Chloe's Closet burtton brad, 3/4inch square punch, star brad, corner punch, MM wedding mettalic epoxy alpha.

Then for these five cards, I used these products (some of which are the same):  SU crushed curry cs, BG offbeat 6x6, MM vellum tag, Deja View Wonderful words rubons, MM celery ribbon and slide, EP For the Record 6x6, AC mini marks accent rubons, misc cs scraps, MM mini silver circle brads, SU ballet blue cs, maaschino cherry baker's twine, SU brilliant blue ink, EP Times and Seasons 6x6, MM fresh anthology picot daffodil ribbon, K&Co fresh paint chipboard frame, SU naturals white cs, Sizzix - TH Alterations - embossing folder - swirl, Cuttlebug, pop-up dots.

Subway Art and 3-D elements

So this past week's challenge at Crop Chocolate was to create a project with a 3-D element, using a mix of masculine and feminine patterned papers.  And for challenge #9, Paper Girls Challenge Blog wanted us to use Subway Art on a project.  Since I had never used subway art, I had to look it up and then decided to combine the two challenges (yes, again).

I also decided to use my new Cameo, as they had subway art files.  I chose one for dad's since it's almost father's day (and I needed a card for my CH anyway).  Here is the final project (I think it's kind of simple, so I might add something, but I'm not sure yet):

Besides my Cameo, I also used my EP Happy Days 6x6 paper, SU crushed curry cardstock, and MM crystal brad.  I'm not happy that the cut out is crooked, but it is what it is (my mantra is "If it was perfect, it wouldn't be homemade").  The 3-D element is the pinwheel, which is also cut by my Cameo.  I think I scaled the file a little too much, but I did get it to work.

Hope you enjoy (and I hope my DH does too).

Another Paper Girls Challenge - chipboard

This week's Paper Girls Challenge was to create a project using some of that bare chipboard that is stashed away in your craft room.  I love chipboard, but sometimes I don't know what to do with it.  Do I ink it, cover it with paper, use it plain...so many options.  Well, this time I decided to ink it with stamping spot.

The chipboard is a set from OT, with all sorts of shapes and frames.  Then I used SU's Tempting Turquoise, which went perfectly with the paper from EP's Happy Days.  The cardstock is from one of SU's In color lines (I don't remember which year though), and the twine is SU's early espresso.  The sentiment is a rub-on from Deja View.

This was really easy to put together.  I hope you enjoy.

Paper Girls Challenge

So this week's challenge on Paper Girls Challenge Blog was to use this sketch to create a project. 

Normally with a sketch like this I would create a layout, as I have soooooooo many pictures I am behind on.  However, due to time crunch and the fact that I needed some thank you cards for the Sunday School teachers at my church, I decided that this sketch could lend itself very nicely to a card instead.  Here it is:

I used the following to create it:

EP Happy Days 6x6, MM Dilly Dally alpha shimmer, MM creative letters - funky - aquamarine, QuicKutz - Paisley & Diamond Icing Rubons, Recollections cream cardstock, and AC minimarks accents rubons.  It's hard to tell in this picture, but the striped strip is folded/corrugated.  This ended up being pretty easy and quick to put together.

Focus group challenges

So I have been a little remiss in posting my Crop Chocolate Focus Group projects over the last few months.  I just haven't been very consistent about getting them up here.  Shame on me!!!!  Heehee!!!

Well, here you go.  For February's challenge, we were given a recipe of items to use in a project:  a pinwheel, 2 trims/ribbons, 3 colors, and staples.  We didn't have to use them all, but I tried to.  Howeever, I don't own staples that are safe, so I skipped that part.  Instead I used a brad.

CC Products used:  EP Happy Days 6x6, Mm celery ribbon, M fresh anthology picot daffodil ribbon, MM brad - paper reverie metallique.

 Non-CC products used: white cardstock and Mrs. Grossman's stickers.

March's challenge was a photo inspiration.  Amber's DH had made a comment comaring getting excited about scrapbooking to getting excited about a sunset, so she decided that would be our inspiration for that month's challenge.  At first this one was tough.  Of course, I could not find the pictures from the shore (that's about the only place I get the chance to take pictures of sunsets), so I decided to use the colors as my inspiration.  But I went with a somewhat subdued set of colors, which reminded me of MME's So Sophie Graceful set.

Then as I was going through some pictures I had to scrap, I decided to use the pictures of Sam's first days of Kindergarten.  As the basis for my LO inspiration, I used Sketch Inspiration's sketch #310 from due March 10.  For the challenge for SI, I used the sketch pretty much as was and documented Sam's first bus ride to school.

CC products used:  Bazill chips - paisleys, MME So Sophie Graceful paper and journal card and embelllishments, and FP It's the Little Things alpha.

Non-CC products used:  1, 1.25, 2.5 and 3inch circle punches, and SU more mustard ribbon.

Then, for the other half of the LO, which documents Sam's first day at school, I turned the sketch 90 degrees so that the shaped paper looked like a sun setting over the shore (similar to the photo). 

CC products used:  Bazill Chips - paisleys, MME So Sophie Graceful paper and journal card and embellishments.

Non-CC products used:  3inch scallop circle punch, 1inch circle punch, SU elegant eggplant ribbon, K&Co fresh paint die cut chipboard frame, SU tempting turquoise stamping spot, AC thickers - regards - patterned.

More focus group projects soon!!!

A photo and a recipe

Okay, so you're probably getting tired of me saying that I love to combine challenges.  Oh well, I do!!!!  It saves me sooooo much time.  This time, I once again combined the weekly challenge from Crop Chocolate and the bi-weekly one from The Paper Girls Challenge Blog. 

The one from CC this week was to create a project that followed a short recipe:  spring themed, 3 folds, and 2 different paper lines (these can be from the same company though).  Hmmmm....does the fold for the card count?????

The challenge from The Paper Girls was to use the following photo as inspiration.  Amber (one of the Paper Girls) found it on Pinterest and it's from Martha Stewart.  Now normally I don't like MS, but I kind of like what she did here with the grid on the wall.  It is also very springy with all the yellow.

So I decided to make a card, and to use the grid on it.  I also added some yellow ribbon to it to get the color and "fabric" feel to it.  Also, something about the pillow make me think rosette (there's one fold).

I also knew one of the paper lines I wanted to use - EP Springtime.  It's kind of my go to line right now for cards, and I have some small scrap pieces that will lend to the grid.  Now I just had to come up with a design and how to incorporate the rest of the folds.

Well, last night (yes nothing like the last minute) while I was watching my DS at soccer practice, I was looking through the SU catalog and reviewing the retired list.  In there they always have some awesome card ideas.  Well, something struck me with one of them, and made me think of flaps on the front of the card.  So I sketched my idea, and then whipped up the card this morning in an hour.  So without further adoo, here's the finished product - nothing really fancy, but I think it's cute and elegant in a way.

So I used:
spring like paper, and the rosette kind of looks like a flower
2 different paper lines:  EP 6x6 Springtime and EP 12x12 Life is Good (these are both from CC).
3 folds: rosette and two flaps.

I also used MM fresh anthology picot daffodil ribbon (also from CC), AC regards thickers, Recollections cream cardstock, and SU scallop oval punch.

When the flaps are lifted, the card reads "thinking of u".

The 2nd {unofficial} Crop Chocolate Blog Hop

Welcome to the first day of the Second {unofficial} Crop Chocolate Blog Hop.

Crop Chocolate is a one-deal-at-a-time website that sells AWESOME(!!!) scrapbooking/paper crafting supplies at reduced rates.  The selection is amazing, and the people there are great.  It's like a little family.  You should check them out also if you haven't already.  You can use the link to the right.

The theme of this blog hop is "bountiful borders", and we had to use some sort of border making tool to create a fancy edge on at least one side of our project.  Since I needed to make some thank you cards anyway, I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity.  And by doing this, I could make multiple cards, each one using a different border punch that I have. 

Here they are: 

The border punches are all ones that I've had for awhile, but are fairly classic in style.  So they fit a lot of different themes and types of projects.

Card #1 (upper left hand corner) was made using Bazill swiss dot cardstock, EP Springtime (I just love the colors in this set), The Twinery maraschino cherry baker's twine, MM oval vellum tag, Mrs. Grossman's stickers, and Fiskars lattice edge punch.

Card #2 (upper right hand corner) was made with Bazill swiss dot cardstock, EP Victoria Gardens, MM fresh anthology picot daffodil ribbon, MM rectangle vellum tag, Mrs. Grossman's stickers, and Martha Stewart butterfly edge punch.  If you look at the closeup, you can see that on this edge punch only half of the butterflies are fully punched through the paper.  The other half are simply outlined.  To emphasize this and give your project a little more depth, you can gently pull the wings out and fold them up a little bit.

Card #3 (lower left hand corner) was made with Bazill swiss dot cardstock, EP Springtime, Mrs. Grossman's stickers, corner punch, and SU scallop edge punch.  This is such a simple card, but the edge gives it that extra oomph (I was going to say punch, but figured that was obvious).  LOL!!

Card #4 (lower right hand corner) was made using SU sage shadow cardstock, EP Victoria Gardens, MM fresh anthology picot daffodil ribbon, MM oval vellum tag, Mrs. Grossman's stickers, corner punch, and Fiskars doily edge punch.  I don't think it really is the "doily" punch, but I don't remember the exact name.  That's just what it reminds me of, so that's what I call it.  LOL

I also added some faux stitching on this one to imitate a quilt, as that is what the design reminds me of.

If you like this or want to make comments about this project (or my blog in general), feel free.  You can also become a follower so that you can keep up with what I am doing next. 

If you comment on ALL the blogs in the hop, you are eligible to win some blog candy (12×12 Hello Spring Mini Theme Kit by Echo Park and another is a 12×12 Fourth Of July Mini Theme Kit by Echo Park (generously donated by Echo Park Paper Co.)).  What awesome prizes!!!!  You will have until 8am MDT on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 to comment to be eligible to win.

If you happened across here, but haven't seen the blogs previous to mine, you can start at the beginning - at mommyx2's blog - http://craftylove4mytwins.wordpress.com/

To continue with the blog hop, please visit Paula at http://craftycutsbypaula.blogspot.com/
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.  HAPPY Spring Everyone!!!

Two challenges in one project

I love it when I can use one project for two challenges.  It totally saves me time, which I definitely need.  This time I was able to use a card I made for the CC challenge that was due on Tuesday (3-13) and the HIMCR scraps challenge due today.  The CC challenge was a recipe that required: 3 die cuts, 3 brads and something that sparkled.  The HIMCR scraps challenge is just that - use your scraps.

So I used some MME So Sophie Graceful paper scraps from a layout I recently did (I will post that later), and the die cuts that matched.  I also used MM fresh anthology picot daffodil ribbon, MM mini gold circle brads, my corner punch, MM crystal brads - circle clear (my sparkle), and Mrs. Grossman's sentiment stickers.  I realized afterward that I had double the brads needed, but I already had the gold ones in when I realized I needed sparkle.  And I couldn't find a different sparkle I like for this project.  Oh well!!!

Enjoy!!!  I think this will be going in my stash to use as opposed to sell.

HIMCR #35 - spring challenge

This week's challenge at Hiding in My Craft Room was to create something spring - like.  Usually by now I would have jumped on this much faster since I look forward to spring, but this year for us, the winter has been very mild.  So it was a little harder to get my spring paper out and use it.  But I did it, and actually combined this challenge with the current one on Crop Chocolate right now (see below).  Enjoy!!!

CC challenge Leap year

So this week, it was my task to create the challenge on CropChocolate.com!  Well, since it was leap day when it came out, I decided to try to incorporate some leap year trivia.  I found out that in the way olden days, it was determined that the woman could propose to the man on leap day (and only then).  So I decided to word the challenge as such: 

"According to folklore and tradition, Leap Day is thought of as the time when the woman can propose to the man. Of course, things have changed a lot since then. But sometimes, this still happens (luckily we don't have to wait for a 2/29 to occur). So create a project that depicts how you would have proposed (or would like to) to your significant other, or create an extra special birthday card for someone who has a 2/29 birthday. Use twine and some sort of leaping or hopping (animal, action, etc). Must use 50% CC product!"

Here is the project I made as an example.

I used EP 6x6 Victoria Gardens, bakers twine in lemondrop yellow, and France Meyer stickers (frog).  I fussy cut some slots in the peachy paper to insert the printed paper.  And I also cut out around the pattern in the yellow paper.  Then I sewed a jumping motion for the frog and popped the frog up with 3-d dots.  Then I added my engagement ring and hung it on a wine bottle.

Since I had a little trouble coming up with something to say and do, I figured others might also.  So then I added the birthday part to make the challenge a little less restrictive.  It still caused a little uproar amongst the ladies on CC.  So a lot of the other members of the design team have been helpful to make some really great projects to help others along with brainstorming.  I decided to make another project also.  This time I made a birthday card.

 I decided to go with a "springing" action.  As the squares twist, they also pop off the paper.  It's hard to see on this picture, so I added a closeup from the side.

For this one, I used EP 6x6 Victoria Gardens, SU cardstock in sage shadow, MM metro mini shimmer alphas in gold, and baker's twine in lemondrop yellow.