Angie Cortes Designs

Paper Maniac ~ 1ST Birthday Celebration Blog Hop

2010-09-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

TGIF!! The Paper Maniac is TURNING ONE and we are to celebrate with an awesome blog hop!! You are going to love all the fabulous eye candy and PRIZES waiting for you!

If you arrived here from Amy C's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to Paper Maniac Store Blog and start at the beginning!!

In honor of this awesome celebration , I decided to make Happy Birthday Banner using the Echo Park Sweet Summertime Kit, Scallop and Circle Nestabilities and a little metallic ribbon!! I just LOVE how this turned out!! The Echo Park papers are AMAZING and I will definitely be ordering more just as soon as I can!!

Here is a quick rundown of all the fabulous PRIZES up for grabs. Be sure and check the Store Blog or Patti Olson's Blog - for COMPLETE details on all the prizes!!

****Big Blog Prize****
One Random Blog Hopper will receive a DELUXE Prize Package - Must leave a comment on each of the participating blogs by Sunday evening.

****Friend Prize****
Sign up as a Friend of Paper Maniac on Facebook and win a package of papers and stamps!!

****Wish List Prize****
Everyday between September 10th and 13th a customer wish list will be randomly selected and wishes will be granted (up to $25.00)

****Free Gift w/Purchase****
All purchases between September 1oth and 15th will have a gift included!!

Now head on over to see what the FABULOUS Dana Grothaus has in store for you!!

Your chance to win some COPICS and CSN certificate, plus new digis from SOME ODD GIRL!

2010-09-08T06:30:00.003-04:00

Head on over to Some Odd Girl and check out the new look and take a second enter this awesome contest......

NAME THE MONKEE!

Click on the blinkie to get the details at Some Odd Girl and if you are lucky enough to suggest the name we choose for this sweet little guy, you will win...

***a $40 gift certificate to CSN stores****

****a set of 8 Copic Ciao markers from iCopic!****

****FULL SET of new MONKEE digis - that's 5 adorable images****

You have until October 17th to submit your names and make sure you complete all the steps found here to be eligible. GOOD LUCK!!

TCC September Release Blog Hop

2010-09-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hi all!! Welcome to The Character Cafe September Release Blog Hop! You are going to love all the fabulous eye candy waiting for you along the hop!!

If you arrived here from Lola's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to The Character Cafe and start at the beginning for a chance to win some amazing prizes!!

The new releases this month are just TOO Cute!! As soon as I saw Trix-E, I knew I wanted to make a few Halloween bookmarks for my DD and her friends. I used word to add the "Hoppy" Halloween sentiment and cut them out with the PTI bookmark die. The borders are are stickers from Echo Park's Halloween kit.

Make sure and comment on all the DT Blogs for a chance to win the Grand Prize

(2 New Release Images and a $5 Gift Certificate for The Cafe Store).

We’d love for you to become a follower of our blog, or member of The Café Store, however, this is just a request, not a requirement to win anything. We know that once you try TCC, you’ll want to join us. Check back later this week for all the details on the upcoming DT Call!!

Now head on over to see what the fabulous Georgia has for you!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Bugaboo OBG ~ Best Witches

2010-09-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Today is Oldie but a Goodie Thursday at the Bugaboo Challenge Blog. This is a chance for the DT to showcase some of their favorite Bugaboo stamps.

I just LOVE these Hoppy Occasions digi stamps. These little frogs are just perfect for so many cards! I decided to make a Halloween card with my new favorite paper from Echo Park. The little broom was just something I had laying around and the plum ribbon is from PTI. The black candy dots are from Pebbles Inc.

This card is also for Cupcake Craft Challenge 106 ~ Let's Get Digital!

Now head on over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see all the Design Teams amazing creations.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Sweet x2

2010-08-31T06:44:00.003-04:00

This week for Paper Maniac, I have a super sweet card made with a bingo stamp, recycled blue jeans and a stitched ribbon flower. I just love this bingo card from the Unity December Store Kit ~ Sweet Affections. I stamped it twice and cut it out to use as my background. The finish touches include using a white pen to faux stitch around the blue jean heart and adding a little circle around the I love you square.

Stamps: Unity

Ink: Memento

Paper: Select White and Pure Poppy CS

Accessories: Stitched Ribbon, Felt Buttons

Remember to mark your calendars for the Big Birthday Bash on September 9th!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo CTBC ~ Dog Days of Summer

2010-08-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well the first week of school is officially over and now it is time for the hectic world of soccer and cheerleading! Today is a new Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge and this week we are celebrating the Dog Days of Summer...use any animals (not just dogs) and the color challenge is to use Neutrals (white, ivory, kraft/brown, or black) + 1 extra color of your choice.

I just love this Summer Dog cruising along in his convertible!! My neutrals are kraft and white and I used orange for my extra color. The dsp is from Joy Ride by Cosmo Cricket and the sentiment is Enjoy the Ride from PTI.

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 7 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Odd Girl Style Challenge #6 ~ A Sketch

2010-08-26T10:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Thursday everyone!! Hope this post finds you all happy and healthy! It has been a great week so far in the Cortes house. The kids love being back to school and can't wait for the weekends activities (cheerleading and soccer).

Anyway, It is time for this weeks Some Odd Girl Style Challenge #6 and this week we have a great sketch for you.

For my card, I choose the adorable Balloon Kaylee for my card. I printed her out and colored her with Prismacolor markers. The dsp is from October Afternoon and the ric rac ribbon is from American Crafts. The fabulous birthday bingo card is from Jenni Bowlin. I used the new Just the Ticket stamps and die from PTI for my sentiment.

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Some Odd Girl Challenge Blog.

Remember that you don't have to use Some Odd Girl images on your projects, but if you do (and there's always a FREEBIE for the taking!), you'll get TWO entries into the challenge. Be sure to link back to us on your post, and do it by Wednesday, September 8th at midnight EST for your chance to win!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Back to School

2010-08-24T06:00:00.003-04:00

This week for Paper Maniac, I have kind of an unconventional Back to School card to share with you. It is the first day of school for my kids today. I am going to slip this card in my sons book bag as a little surprise (you can see my daughters card here). When I make cards for my son, I always try and go with a less is more theme so this card is pretty CAS. The sentiment is computer generated and I used the Fiskars notebook punch for the edge of the notebook paper.

Stamps: Unity

Ink: Memento

Paper: Cosmo Cricket ~ Joy Ride

Accessories: Pebbles Candy Dots

Remember to mark your calendars for the Big Birthday Bash on September 9th!

Here is a quick back to school pic of the kiddos!!

Thanks for stopping by,

TCC Feature Friday ~ Dimensional Glaze

2010-08-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hi again!! Aren't you glad it's Friday?? I am so excited that I have nothing to do today...LOL! Which really means I will be be busy all day trying to get all the household chores caught up!

Today is Feature Friday at The Character Cafe and this weeks challenge is to use a Dimesional Glaze on your card/project.

For my card, I am using one of this months new releases at the Character Cafe - Witch Olga. She is really freaky and perfect for your Halloween cards. I used diamond glaze on the the bubbling cauldron but it is not really showing up in the pic! I just got this new Halloween dsp from Echo Park and I LOVE it. The witch feet charm is from Making Memories.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the Cafe Blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by next Thursday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

A Couple Challenge Cards

2010-08-19T20:42:00.005-04:00

Happy Thursday everyone!! A huge thanks for all the well wishes concerning my foot. It is healing nicely and the stitches come out Saturday...YEAH! It has just been crazy this week! Why is it that everything has to start back up at the same time...school, soccer, cheerleading...it is just so hard to get back into the rhythm of running all aver place again.

Anyway, I have a couple cards for a few different challenges to share with you. The first card is using the adorable Bugaboo Brat image of Skye and her scooter. The color scheme on this card is quite different from my norm. I was trying to challenge myself to think a little outside of the box and I really like the way it came together.

The cs is pomegranate and kiwi from Stampin' Up! and the dsp os from Cosmo Cricket and October Afternoon. The border was cut with my Cricut and the sentiment is from PTI. This card is for the following challenges:

Mojo Monday ~ Sketch 152
Craft Your Passion ~ Anything Goes

The second card features the super fun Dancin' Mae from Some Odd Girl. I LOVE this image, it reminds me so much of my daughter when she is dancing around with her iPod. I love it when she really gets into it and forgets we are there and starts singing out loud. She gets so embarrassed
when she realizes we are watching her!!

The dsp on this card is Teen Scene from American Craft. I cut the stars with my Cricut and added a ton of glitter to them. For the mat the images is on, I cut one big circle and then a bunch of little (one inch) circles and glued them along the edge of the big circle. I added some silver pearls and black rhinestones and the sentiment is from PTI. The card is for the following challenges:

My Time to Craft ~ Glitter and Glitz
Crafty Pad ~ Glitz and Glitter
Pile It On ~ Get In Shape (use at least 5 cutouts on your project)

Well that's it for me today. Be sure and come back tomorrow for my Character Cafe Feature Friday card.

Thanks for stopping by,

SFC62 ~ Use HOT Colors

2010-08-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it is Monday already!! The kids go back to school in just 10 days! It is going to be so weird not having them home all day. They are starting to get excited though. They usually do when we starting buying supplies and getting everything ready.

Today's Squigglefly challenge is to use Hot Colors (red, orange, yellow) on your card or project. I knew this would be the perfect card to use my Hippie Chic paper from DCWV, it is all about HOT colors LOL!! And what goes perfect with Hippe paper? A Hippie Queen of course!! I paper pieced her dress and the sentiment is computer generated. All the patterned paper was really busy so I decided to keep the embellishments to a minimum.

Now it is your turn to play along! Head over to the Squigglefly Challenge Blog and link your card and you could win a prize!

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Odd Girl Digi Day

2010-08-14T13:09:00.004-04:00

Hi all!!! Today its Some Odd Girl Digi Day over at SNR...Please stop by and join us for lots of challenges, games, freebies and discounts!!

I have an element challenge to use at least 5 things from the list below for your cards. It is way easier than it sounds...I promise!!

Stitching (real or faux)
Orange (little or alot)
Masking or Paper Piecing
Embossing

Oval
Diecut (can be nesties, punches, etc...)
Distressing

Green (little or alot)
Inked Edges
Ribbon
Lace

If you wanna play along...head over to SNR. Kristy has generously offered a 40% discount for this digi day as well as an adorable freebie... you can get them here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back to School with Bugaboo

2010-08-14T08:17:00.003-04:00

Wow!! It has been one crazy week! I apologize for my lack of posting and commenting this week. I was in my craft room on Wednesday and stepped on a scallop blade for my cutter (one of the interchangeable ones), I couldn't get the bleeding to stop so I went to the ER. Well I had to get 5 stitches and a Tetanus shot...ugh!! Then to top it off...Wednesday night I woke up with the worst headache of my life, fever, chills...the works!! Turns out I was having an adverse reaction to the Tetanus shot and this lasted for about two days!! Just crazy!!

Anyway, I am feeling much better now and it is time for this weeks Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge and this week we are going...Back to School!!

This adorable Bugaboo Brat from the Teacher Mini Set is just perfect for your back to school projects/cards. I made this card to slip into my daughters book bag on the first day of school. I do this every year and my kids love it!! The apple dsp is from October Afternoon and the library card is from Cosmo Cricket. The sentiment and ticket stub are from PTI.

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 7 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Butterfly Kisses

2010-08-10T10:24:00.004-04:00

**If you are hopping along with The Character Cafe, you'll find my card here**

This week for Paper Maniac, I have an adorable circle card to share with you! I just love the Pink Cat Studio images available in the store! Once you use them, you want to buy them all!! They are amazingly easy to color and so versatile!!

Stamps: Lily Butterfly - Pink Cat Studios
Ink: Memento
Paper: Flutter - Making Memories

Accessories: Scallop and Circle Nesties, Kaisercraft Hot Pink Pearls

It is Week 11 of the Summer Saving Spectacular at Paper Maniac and you will definitely want to check out this weeks sales and grab this weeks free calendar images!!

Every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale and a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 9th!

Thanks for stopping by,

TCC August Release Blog Hop

2010-08-09T00:31:00.003-04:00

Hello again!! My camera is finally fixed so now I can share my card using Sam and the great sketch from 2 Sketches 4 U . You should have arrived here from The Character Cafe and your next stop is the uber-talented Audrey.

I printed Sam out on Select White cs and colored him with Prismacolor markers. The dsp is Cosmo Cricket's Joy Ride and the sentiment is computer generated. The border punch is from Fiskars and the "graph paper" is actually a strip of printed paper tape from Pink Paislee.

Remember, each of DT Members will be offering up the image they worked with to one
lucky hopper and our Grand Prize winner will receive the entire August New
Release Set. Plus, we're also having a SALE right now, the entire inventory has been marked down 40%!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Woohoo!! I'm an Odd Girl!

2010-08-04T10:01:00.001-04:00

I have just been bursting to share this awesome news!! I am so excited to be joining the Some Odd Girl Design Team.

Today the new DT members are all sharing their Debut Projects with you. For my card, I choose the super cute Baker Kaylee for my card. I printed her out and colored her with Prismacolor markers. I used October Afternoon dsp to paper piece her apron and hat and added a little glitter to her cupcake. I used the new Just the Ticket stamps and die from PTI for my sentiments.

Now head on over to the Some Odd Girl Challenge Blog and check out all the Odd Girl's Debut projects!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Thank You!

2010-08-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac we are saying Thanks!! I just had to pull out the DeLovely Chipboard and DSP from Cosmo Cricket. I used a paper piercer to add a little flourish for the birds "chirp" and the sentiment is from PTI's Signature Greetings. A super cute and easy card for saying thanks to someone special!

It is Week 10 of the Summer Saving Spectacular at Paper Maniac and you will definitely want to check out this weeks sales and grab this weeks free digi images!!

Every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale and a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 9th!

Thanks for stopping by,

It's Bugaboo ABaC Monday!

2010-08-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

This is my 2nd post for today. Please scroll down for my Squigglefly Challenge Card.

It is Anything But a Card Monday over at the Bugaboo Challenge Blog You may remember my project from two weeks ago where I posted these adorable magnets made with Mini Skulls for my DD's locker. Well this week, I made an altered notebook and RSVP pen to go with them.

I just printed out the Mini Skulls background paper and glued it to a Composition Notebook. The measurements and instructions for the pen can be found here.

Now head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see what else the DT has for you. Don't forget to swing by the store for the 50% off sale and stock up on all the awesome digis!!

Thanks for stopping by,

SFC60 ~ Use Ribbon

2010-08-02T03:00:00.000-04:00

Where did the weekend go? I can't believe it is Monday already!! Summer is just flying by and I can't believe August is already here!! We spent the weekend getting ready for a yard sale and did some back to school shopping!

Today's Squigglefly challenge is to use Ribbon on your card or project. I needed a boy card for my neighbor so I decided to use the awesome Space Adventures set. This is a huge set of 15 digi stamps.

Now it is your turn to play along! Head over to the Squigglefly blog and link your card and you could win a prize!

Thanks for stopping by!

Friends + Coffee = Perfection!

2010-07-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac we are celebrating Friendship. What goes perfect with friends?? Why coffee of course LOL!! There is nothing better than taking time out of a busy day to sit down with a friend to chat over a great cup of coffee! My image and sentiment are from Fueled by Caffeine by Our Craft Lounge. The dsp is Nutmeg from Cosmo Cricket and I used circle and scallop nesties to make the cuts for my image.

It is Week 9 of the Summer Saving Spectacular at Paper Maniac and you will definitely want to check out this weeks sale....Copic Packaged Sets in Sketch or Ciao and Atyou Spica Sets 15% off, Ribbon and Cosmo Cricket 25% off, Cling Mounted Rubber Stamps 20% off.

Every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale and a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 9th!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo CTBC ~ Sweet Summertime

2010-07-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge theme for this week is...Sweet Summertime

This adorable image from Bugaboo is definitely sweet and there is nothing better than spending a summer day at the beach! I colored the image with Prismacolor markers and cur it out with circle nesties. The green scallop ribbon is from Cosmo Cricket and the flower embellie is Making Memories. The sentiment is from PTI's Scattered Showers.

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

We have a fabulous sponsor this week...The Character Cafe is offering one lucky winner a $10 Gift Certificate. This is in addition to usual Bugaboo prizes!!

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 7 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

TCC Feature Friday ~ Pocket Cards

2010-07-22T23:30:00.004-04:00

Hi all!! Any big plans for the weekend? We just spent two days at Cedar Point so I am going to be using the weekend to get everything caught up. It is amazing how far behind you get in just a couple days. Today is Feature Friday at The Character Cafe and this weeks challenge is Pocket Cards.

For my card, I decided to reuse on of my favorite Character Cafe images - Suzie. She is just so cute and I love her crazy hair. The measurements for my card are 9 1/2 by 4 1/4 and then scored at 5 1/2 and 8 1/4. I used pop dots only at the top of my image so it could slide over the edge of the card. This way it works for both the card and the tag.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the Cafe Blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by next Thursday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Emboss Resist

2010-07-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

I am so excited about this weeks featured technique at Paper Maniac. Using emboss resist creates such an elegant touch to even a simple card. For my card I used clear embossing ink and powder on my flower image from Unity. I created mask with a circle nestability and used blue ink to cover the image and circle. The sentiment is also from Unity and I finished it off with some stitched ribbon and a white button. I created this card after seeing this card by Karen Dunbrook on SCS.

It is Week 8 of the Summer Saving Spectacular at Paper Maniac and you can check out my tutorial for making flowers out of stitched ribbon.

Remember every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale. There will also be a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 9th!

Thanks for stopping by,

It's Bugaboo ABaC Monday!

2010-07-19T10:04:00.005-04:00

This is my 2nd post for today. Please scroll down for my Squigglefly Challenge Card.

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Sorry for the delay in posting today, We had some storms last night and my internet decided to take a break.

It is Anything But a Card Monday over at the Bugaboo Challenge Blog and I am so excited about today's project. My DD is going to Middle School this year and she is most excited about getting her own locker. When I saw this adorable Mini Skulls I thought is was perfect for some little magnets she can hang in her locker. I really hope she likes them!!

Now head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see what else the DT has for you. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for New Release Tuesday!!

Thanks for stopping by,

SFC58 ~ Beautiful Blooms

2010-07-19T00:27:00.003-04:00

Hi all!! Sorry this post is so late...We finally got some much needed rain here but the storms that came with it knocked out my internet and of course my post were still in draft form. It is finally back and since more storms our on the way I better type fast LOL.

Today's Squigglefly challenge is Beautiful Blooms. I thought this adorable image called Bicycle Ride was just perfect for this challenge. The dsp and flower embellie are from Basic Grey's Kioshi line. I used my SCAL software to cut out the ric rac border and the sentiment is from PTI.

Now it is your turn to play along! Head over to the Squigglefly blog and link your card and you could win a prize!

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks for OWL you do!!

2010-07-15T23:24:00.003-04:00

Woohoo! It's finally Friday!! It has been such a crazy week and I am so hoping for a nice, relaxing weekend! A girl can dream right...LOL!

Today, I want to share a card I made using the cute Owlies from The Character Cafe. The dsp is from Olivia paper pack. This has got to be my favorite release from Basic Grey! I just love the gorgeous color combos in this collection. The sentiment is a freebie from Pink Cat Studios.

Make sure and head over to check out the Feature Friday challenge at the Cafe Blog today. This weeks challenge is to make a rectangle card (8 x 8 1/2 which would be scored at 4) and the DT has come up with some amazing creations to help inspire you!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo OBG ~ Wishing You Sunshine

2010-07-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Today is Oldie but a Goodie Thursday at the Bugaboo Challenge Blog. This is a chance for the DT to showcase some of their favorite Bugaboo stamps.

All the Bugaboo Stamps are amazing but I just can't get enough of the Bugaboo Brats! They are just sooo cute!! I have had little Isabella colored and ready to go forever. I actually colored her at friends using her Copics and I am definitely going to have to start purchasing these to go along with my Prismacolors!! The dsp was from my scrap box and the sentiment is from PTI's Scattered Showers set.

Now head on over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see all the Design Teams amazing creations.

Thanks for stopping by,

CWC012 ~ It's SIMPLE

2010-07-14T10:35:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday!! I just can't believe it is the middle of July already! This summer is flying by. Any big plans for the weekend? I think we are just going to at home and maybe have a cookout.

It is time for another challenge at CAS-tastic Wednesdays. This week our challenge is SIMPLE...your card should use at least 3 of the following:

Stamped (or printed) Image
Inked Edges
Masking
Paper Piercing
Lace
Embossing

For my birthday card, I used a stamped image, paper piercing and embossing. I finally got to ink up my Enjoy the Ride set from PTI. I used some great flowered dsp to paper piece the car and the sentiment is from Signature Greetings.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize head over to the CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog and link your creation by 9:30 pm EST Tuesday July 20th.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Love Potion #9

2010-07-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday everyone!! I am so excited about my card today!! I just love that it kinda looks like a love note you might have doodled and passed in school! When I was looking for something to recycle for this weeks card, I stumbled onto a pile of paperclips and this piece of notebook paper and the rest just kinda fell into place. The dsp is from the Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend line and the stamps are from the October Unity Store Kit.

It is Week 7 of the Summer Saving Spectacular at Paper Maniac. Remember every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale. There will also be a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 9th!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo CTBC ~ Christmas in July

2010-07-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

The Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge theme for this week is...Christmas in July

It is never to early to get a jump on all your Christmas cards and this is the perfect challenge to do just that!! For my card, I used one of the too cute Marshmallow Snowmen. The dsp is from the Eskimo Kisses paper pack by Basic Grey.

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 7 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bugaboo Tutorial Wednesday ~ Cloud Background

2010-07-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

**This is my 2nd post for today...Please scroll down for my CAS-tastic Wednesday card**

Hi all!! It is tutorial Wednesday at Bugaboo...so today I am going to show you how to create a cloud background like the one in this card.

All you need is a scallop nestie (or a scallop punch would also work), blue ink and a dauber.

1. Use your scallop oval nestie to cut out a thick piece of cardstock for your template....

2. Lay your scallop template onto to a white piece of cardstock and use blue ink and a dauber to lightly ink around the top edge....

3. Lift up your scallop template and move it down on the white cardstock and again lightly ink around the top edge. You will want to tilt your cardstock in different directions as you go....

4. Continue moving and tilting the scallop template down the cardstock and inking lightly around the top edge until you have reached the bottom.

5. Your finished cloud background should look similar to this....

Easy peasy right? I would love to see your cards using this technique...if you create one please leave a link in my comments so I can come check it out!!

Thanks for stopping by,

CWC011 ~ Kraft-y Kreations

2010-07-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!! Hope everyone is having a great week so far. We are having quite the heat wave in Ohio this week! We are headed to the water park today to try and keep cool!!

It is time for another fun challenge at CAS-tastic Wednesdays. This week we our sharing CAS cards using Kraft. My mom needed a last minute Graduation card so I used my For the Graduate set from PTI to whip one up real quick.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize head over to the CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog and link your creation by 9:30 pm EST Tuesday July 13th.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Using Paint

2010-07-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all!! For this weeks project at Paper Maniac, I have an altered notebook utilizing acrylic paint to share with you. I also used my favorite Cosmo Cricket line...DeLovely for the dsp and chipboard element. The acrylic paint was used on the spine of the notebook. The sentiment is from Unity. My DD asked me to make her a notebook for her "to do lists" so I hope she likes it!

It is Week 6 of the Summer Saving Spectacular at Paper Maniac. Remember every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale. There will also be a digital download of worde art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 1st! You won't want to miss a thing, so make sure you are registered in the store to sign up for the newsletter.

Thanks for stopping by,

SFC56 ~ Anything Goes

2010-07-05T03:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all!! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and if you celebrated it an awesome 4th of July! We had a great time hanging out with family and friends!

Today is my first challenge as part of the Squigglefly Design Team and I couldn't be more excited!! For the this weeks challenge the theme is Anything Goes. When I saw this awesome fishbowl image called Fintastic Friend, I knew I wanted to make the bowl large enough to be the entire card. The ability to make the images as large or small as you want is one of my favorite things about digital images. I colored the image with Prismacolor markers, popped up the fish and added some diamond glaze to the bubbles. I finished it off with some twine and the sentiment.

Now it is your turn to play along! Head over to the Squigglefly blog and link your card and you could win a prize!

Thanks for stopping by!

TCC July Release Blog Hop

2010-07-02T00:47:00.004-04:00

Hi all!! Welcome to The Character Cafe July Release Blog Hop! You are going to love all the fabulous eye candy waiting for you along the hop!! PLUS, you can buy any SIX images for just $5 until July 1oth at the store!!

If you arrived here from Fink's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to The Character Cafe and start at thebeginning for a chance to win some amazing prizes!!

The new releases this month are just amazing!! I was got to work with Thief Gerrard this week. I printed him out and colored the image with PrismaColor markers. I used Max and Whiskers dsp and finished the card off with a little paper piercing and a computer generated sentiment!! I will be drawing a winner from my comments to win a copy of Thief Gerrard.

Make sure and comment on all the DT Blogs for a chance to win the Grand Prize

(2 New Release Images and a $5 Gift Certificate for The Cafe Store).

Enter a creation using a TCC image at the Cafe Blog for a chance to be Guest Designer in August!

Now head on over to see what the fabulous Lola has for you!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Bugaboo CTBC & Love is in the Air Blog Hop

2010-06-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hi all and welcome to The Bugaboo Catch the Bug Challenge and Love is in the Air Blog Hop!

If you arrived from Alison's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to Jodi's Blog and start at the beginning so you don't miss anything!!

The new challenge theme is Love (Weddings, Anniversaries, Friendship, etc...) For my card, I used the fabulous I'm Cute - My Little Monster. The way he has his arms spread was just perfect for the I Love You This Much sentiment!

There will be the normal prizes for the Challenge winners so make sure and check out the challenge blog for a chance to win, but first....

Head on over to Jenny's Blog to see what she's created!!

Thanks for stopping by!

U ROCK...

2010-06-25T12:41:00.002-04:00

TGIF! It is such a beautiful day in Ohio, not too hot and a gorgeous blue sky!! Just perfect to head out and check out the annual yard sale weekend in our development!

Today, I want to share a card I made using Robbie Raccoon from The Character Cafe. This is such a versatile image...can be used for birthdays, Valentine's Day, really just about anything! The dsp on this card is from DCWV and the sheet music was printed from a freebie. The sentiment was computer generated.

This cards also qualifies for a few challenges:

Digi Doodle Shop's Best ~ Anything Goes
The Crazy Challenge ~ All Things Spotty
Sentimental Sundays ~ Your Favorite Sentiment

Make sure and head over to check out the Feature Friday challenge at the Cafe Blog today. This weeks challenge is to use vellum and the DT has come up with some amazing creations to help inspire you!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations and CWC009 ~ Colors of Summer

2010-06-23T23:04:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!! Hope everyone is having a better week than me! It started out awesome but has since gone downhill. My card today is for CAS-tastic Wednesdays and Paper Maniac Inspirations (both of which are late...ugh). My internet has been absolutely wacky since it stormed here on Monday night and I have been unable to upload anything!! It finally seems to be back to normal as of about an hour ago so I am typing this post as fast as possible in case it crashes again!

Anyway, this week at CAS-tastic Wednesdays we have a color challenge...Blue, Yellow and a Neutral and at Paper Maniac we are celebrating Summer!! For my card, I used the Could I Be Any Cuter set from Unity and the dsp is from Cosmo Cricket's Delovely.

It is Week 4 of the BIG Summer event at Paper Maniac. Remember every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale. There will also be a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 1st! You won't want to miss a thing, so make sure you are registered in the store to sign up for the newsletter.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize at CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog head on over and link your creation by 9:30 pm EST Tuesday June 29th.

Thanks for stopping by,

TCC Feature Friday ~ Paper Piecing

2010-06-17T23:20:00.001-04:00

Hi all!! Today is Feature Friday at The Character Cafe and this weeks challenge is Paper Piecing.

When I saw this amazing image in the Cafe Store called The Dock, I knew it was perfect for the spotlight technique! I just LOVE how it brings the focus to the father and son!! I used Max and Whiskers from Basic Grey to paper piece the shorts and shirts. The sentiment is from PTI's Star Prints and I finished it off with a little twine.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the Cafe Blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by next Thursday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

CWC008 ~ Father's Day

2010-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!! Hope everyone is having a great week so far. Besides get a little too much sun at the waterpark yesterday, it has been a really nice week so far. Almost drama free LOL! Anyway, It is time for another awesome challenge at CAS-tastic Wednesdays.

This week we our sharing CAS cards with a Father's Day theme. I still had the Max and Whiskers paper laying out on my table from my last card and decided to use it again for this card. It just so perfect for masculine cards!! This adorable image is from our sponsor this week - Di's Digi Downloads. Isn't is just too cute and perfect for Father's Day? I colored the image with Prismacolor markers and cut it out with an oval nestie.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize head over to the CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog and link your creation by 9:30 pm EST Tuesday June 22nd.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Father's Day

2010-06-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Today, I want to share a super quick and fun Father's Day card. Masculine cards are definitely my nemesis so I was thrilled when this turned out just as I envisioned!!

I used my nesties to cut a circle out of Basic Grey's Max and Whiskers dsp. I adhered some chipboard letters and used my Scor-Pal to make score lines around the sentiment from Unity's December store kit. I finished it off with some Pebbles Black Candy Dots.

Today is week 3 of Paper Maniac's BIG Summer event. Remember every Tuesday until Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale. There will also be a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to the Big Birthday Bash on September 1st! You won't want to miss a thing, so make sure you are registered in the store to sign up for the newsletter.

Thanks for stopping by,

It's Bugaboo ABaC Monday!

2010-06-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Today is Anything But a Card Monday over at the Bugaboo Challenge Blog.

I am working on a gift basket for my cousins baby shower and I am making her a few altered onesies. She saw a card I made with the Bugaboo Brat Bugs and she just loved all the images. So here are two of the onesies I made using the BBB Caterpillar and BBB Snail. I printed the images on transfer paper and ironed them on the onesies. I used my Prismacolor markers to color the images and then ran the iron over them again to heat set the ink.

I am going to do onesies with all the bugs and a few other projects to complete the basket so stay tuned!!

Now head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see what else the DT has for you. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for New Release Tuesday!!

Thanks for stopping by,

SSDS Week 44 ~ Pockets

2010-06-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

** This my 2nd post today...Please scroll down for my Catch the Bug Challenge Card**

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we are making Cards with some sort of Pocket!!

When I saw the theme for this weeks challenge, I immediately thought of my son. When he was little he loved to wear his denim overalls and he always had something stashed in the front pocket.

I really wanted to replicate that on my card. I used denim dsp and added some faux stitching and brads to look like a pocket on jeans. I finished it off with an escaping frog. The Hoppy Birthday sentiment is computer generated and attached with twine.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize package head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo CTBC ~ Show Us Your Team Colors

2010-06-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge theme for this week is...Show Us Your Team Colors. Make a card or project that features:

The team colors of the country that you want to win the World Cup
The colors of your national flag
The colors of your favorite sports team (i.e. brown, orange & white for the Cleveland Browns)

So I know my sentiment on this card may seem a little odd, but anyone who is a fan of the Cleveland Browns would completely understand. After many disappointing and heartbreaking years the only way to continue to be a fan is if you never give up hope. After all...There's always next year!!

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 7 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

This Little Piggy...

2010-06-11T00:39:00.003-04:00

TGIF!! Wow...what a crazy week!! I think I am just about all caught up with everything!! On a happier note...our puppy is quickly recovering from her surgery and is almost back to her old self!!

Today, I want to share a card I made using This Little Pig from The Character Cafe. I have been trying to increase my stash of birthday cards so this image was just perfect. All the dsp is from Fly a Kite by October Afternoon. I used my oval nestie to cut out the Birthday sentiment which is from Darcie's.

This cards also qualifies for a few challenges:

Mercy's Tuesday Sketch ~ MTSC77
For Fun Challenges ~ Happy Birthday
Kaboodle Doodles ~ 3-2-1 Challenge

Make sure and head over to check out the Feature Friday challenge at the Cafe Blog today. It is a a Father's Day challenge and the DT has come up with some amazing creations to help inspire you!!

Thanks for stopping by,

CWC007 ~ Button, Button...Who's got the Button?

2010-06-09T06:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!! It has been another crazy week here! Can you believe my dog had to have emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction!! Ugh...I am so glad that is over! With that and all the end of school activities I have been running around like crazy! Anyway, It is time for another awesome challenge at CAS-tastic Wednesdays.

This week we our sharing CAS cards using Buttons. I have to tell ya...I am a button junkie!! I have an insane amount of buttons!! My favorites are from PTI and I used a ton of them to make my CAS card. The tree image and sentiment are both from Unity's Could I be Any Cuter set. The ribbon is in my new favorite PTI color Hawaiian Shores!!

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize head over to the CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog and link your creation by 9:30 pm EST Tuesday June 15th.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ ConGRADulations!!

2010-06-07T06:10:00.000-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac, we are sharing projects for Graduates. I have a super quick and slightly unconventional Graduation set to share with you. I don't have many supplies for Graduations so I really had to think outside the box for this weeks theme!

For my favor bag and card, I used a firework and sentiment stamp from Unity's March Store Kit. I added a little bling to the center star on the card and used Copics to color the rest. The favor bag is filled with Graduation mints from a local craft store. Easy Peasy!!

This is the first week of Paper Maniac's BIG Summer event. Every Tuesday between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there will be a different deep discount sale. There will also be a digital download of word art or an image for your use. The whole event will lead up to our Big Birthday Bash on September 1! You won't want to miss a thing, so make sure you are registered in the store to sign up for the newsletter.

This week you will want to stock up on Graphic 45 and Pink Paislee. Everything in the store from these two companies is an amazing 40% off!! Also, you can download a FREE sheet of Father's Day Sentiments here!

Thanks for stopping by,

TCC June Release Blog Hop

2010-06-04T00:20:00.003-04:00

Hi all!! Welcome to The Character Cafe June Release Blog Hop! You are going to love all the fabulous eye candy waiting for you along the hop!! PLUS, you can use the coupon code summer to receive 25% off at the store.

If you arrived here from Georgia 's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to The Character Cafe and start at the beginning for a chance to win some amazing prizes!!

The new releases this month are just amazing!! I was thrilled to work with Hillary Hippo this week. I printed her out on Select White and colored the image with PrismaColor markers. I used KI Memories Surprise Confetti dsp and finished the card off with a very fitting sentiment!!

Make sure and comment on all the DT Blogs for a chance to win the Grand Prize (4 New Release Images and a $5 Gift Certificate for The Cafe Store).

Enter a creation using the TCC freebie on the Cafe Blog for a chance to be a Guest Designer for the month of June!

Now head on over to see what the fabulous Lola has for you!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Remembering America's Heroes

2010-05-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac, we are celebrating Memorial Day and I have created a card to not only remember all our Fallen Soldiers but also to thank our Veterans and all the brave men and women currently serving in the Armed Services.

Having served four years in the United States Army myself, this is a very emotional weekend for me and my family. I have many friends and family still in the service and many of them are in Iraq or Afghanistan and I pray daily for their safe and speedy return to their loved ones.

For my card, I used Pure Poppy and Enchanted Evening ink from PTI to repeatedly stamp the star (minus the flourish) from the August Unity Store Kit onto white card stock. I stamped the sentiment from the September Unity Store Kit in Tuxedo Black ink from Memento and finished it off with some Kaisercraft red pearls.

This week at the Paper Maniac store...All Tim Holtz/Sizzix Dies are marked down 15%. Plus awesome deals on past Basic Grey collections...Check it out here!

This card was also created for this weeks Red, White and Blue Color Challenge at SSDS. To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize package head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you all a safe and happy holiday weekend!

TCC Feature Friday ~ Rhinestones, Ribbon and Red

2010-05-28T00:05:00.003-04:00

Hi all!! Today is Feature Friday at The Character Cafe and this weeks challenge is to use Rhinestones, Ribbon and Red.

When I saw Lisa's Special RAK Event for her sister Jayme, who was sadly diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. I just knew what I was going to do for this weeks challenge. Jayme loves frogs so the Pond Frogs from TCC were just perfect for the card I wanted to send!

I used GIMP to make a frog background of sorts and colored all the frogs green except one. This was perfect for my computer generated sentiment ~ One of a Kind. I cut the sentiment out with my nestabilities and inked the edges with Pure Poppy Ink. I finished the card off with Pure Poppy Saddle Stitch Ribbon and some green rhinestones.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the Cafe Blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by next Thursday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

CWC005 ~ A Touch of Green

2010-05-26T08:01:00.005-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!! It is time for another fun challenge at CAS-tastic Wednesdays.

This week we our sharing CAS cards using a Touch of Green. I just LOVE this adorable Daddy's Girl digital image from Tiddlyinks. It is just the perfect image for a Father's Day card. I printed the image on Select White cs and colored her with Prismacolor Markers. The sentiment is from PTI's Star Prints and I finished it off with some silver pearls.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize head over to the CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog and link your creation by 9:30 pm EST Tuesday June 1st.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge

2010-05-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge theme for this week is...Male Call and a Sketch. Your card or project must use this weeks sketch and use the masculine theme.

I used the adorable Bugaboo Brat Sean and his dog for my card. I colored Sean with Prismacolor Markers and cut him out with my circle nestabilities. The dsp is from Cosmo Crickets Joy Ride Line and the sentiment is from PTI.

This card qualifies for a few other challenges:

DU2DS ~ One for the Boys
Daring Cardmakers ~ Boy Zone
Stamp Something ~ 2 of Something (used 2 arrow embellies)

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 7 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ DeLovely Chipboard

2010-05-22T06:01:00.001-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac, we are sharing projects utilizing chipboard. I could not wait to use the new Cosmo Cricket DeLovely line. I am totally loving this new line! The papers and embellishments are so bright and colorful and just perfect for summer.

I used Raspberry Fizz from PTI as my card base and the dsp and chipboard rainbow is the from the new DeLovely line. The sentiment from the PTI's Scattered Showers stamp set.

Paper Maniac LAST MINUTE WEEKEND SALE. Every single stamp in the store is on sale this weekend with the coupon code WEEKEND20. This code will get you 20% off each and every stamp in your shopping cart, including those already marked down. If it is in the stamp section, it is on sale! Limited to stock on hand and ends Monday morning 6:00 AM central. Don't miss it!

This card was also created using this weeks sketch at SSDS. To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize package head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo Stamps ~ Freebie Friday

2010-05-21T11:05:00.003-04:00

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far! We had a blast in NJ/NY but I am so glad to be home! Stay tuned for some great pics! I am still trying to get caught up on emails and May is jam packed with end of year activities for the kids so I will be around to see everyone so!!

It is Freebie Friday at Bugaboo Stamps and here is a peek at one of the adorable new images available today. If you like Ruby Chocolate then you will want to head over to store to see even more stamps like her. This freebie will be available for one week so get it while you can!

I printed Ruby out and cut her out with my circle nestability and used brown ink to distress the edges a bit. The dsp is all from Ki Memories Sweet Stuff line.

Thanks for stopping by!

TCC Feature Friday ~ Recycle and Reuse

2010-05-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hi all!! Today is Feature Friday at The Character Cafe and this weeks challenge is to Recycle and Reuse ~ recycle an item from around the house and reuse it on your project. My recycled item is the peace sign charm from my DD's broken bracelet.

When I was at Archivers this week I saw this great 70's paper from Little Yellow Bicycle and it is just perfect for the adorable Dayzee image. I printed her out and colored her with Prismacolor markers and paper pieced her jeans. The cardstock and satin ribbon are Raspberry Fizz from PTI.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the Cafe Blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by next Thursday evening.
Thanks for stopping by,

CWC003 ~ CAS Cards with Circles

2010-05-12T06:30:00.001-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!! It is time for another fun challenge at CAS-tastic Wednesdays.

This week we our sharing CAS cards using Circles. I printed these great flowers from the Cutting Cafe's Sentiment Stems and Flower Tops directly onto Raspberry Fizz cardstock and then cut them out. The sentiment is from Unity set Could I Be Any Cuter. I added black candy dots to the flower centers and finished it off with a little bling!

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize head over to the CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog and link your creation by 10:30 pm EST Tuesday May 18th.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo Stamps ~ New Release Tuesday

2010-05-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far! I am super busy trying to make sure everything is done before we leave for New York on Thursday!

It is new release day at Bugaboo Stamps and here is a peek at one of the adorable new images available today. If you like Princess Charlie then you will want to head over to store at Noon CST to see even more stamps like her.

This card qualifies for a few challenges...

HFO 27 ~ Just a Little Dottie
PaperPlay ~ Digi & Bling
Stamp Something ~ Birthday
Crafty Creations ~ Magical
Dare U 2 Digi ~ Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by! I am off to do a little last minute shopping!

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Alter It

2010-05-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac, we are sharing altered items. We are driving from Ohio to New York on Thursday evening and I am hoping to surprise my kids with these altered tins filled with snacks, games and anything else I can find to keep the boredom at bay.

I covered the tin with an old street map and thought Billy on his bike from Pink Cat Studios was the perfect image for the theme! The chipboard letters are from Scenic Route and I used the "You are Here" rub-on from Cosmo Cricket's Boyfriend line to finish everything off.

I am planning on using Lily from Pink Cat Studios on the tin for my DD. I thought I had two of these tins but could only find one in my stash so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will find one tomorrow!

Also head over to the store to check out the May Unity store kit. Plus the new collections from Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket are now in the stock!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo Catch the Bug Challenge

2010-05-08T07:00:00.002-04:00

** Click HERE for the AiFactory Blog Hop **

** Click HERE for The Character Cafe Blog Hop **
** Click HERE for SSDS ~ Anything But a Card **

The Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge theme for this week is...Flower Power. Your card or project must be inspired by the theme.

I think I may have went a little flower crazy with my card but then again you can never have too many flowers LOL!

I used another Bugaboo Brat Bug for my card. I colored the adorable butterfly with Prismacolor markers and cut her out and popped her up on an embossed panel. The flowers and dsp are from Making Memories. The sentiment is a freebie from Pink Cat Studios.

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 7 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

SSDS Week 39 ~ Anything But a Card

2010-05-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

** Click HERE for AiFactory Blog Hop **

** Click HERE for Character Cafe Blog Hop **

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we are making Anything But a Card!!

Our sponsor The Stamping Boutique was kind enough tp provide the Design Team with images to use for this challenge. I need to make some princess invitations so I chose the adorable Princess Gwendolyn image. I used my Cricut and SCAL software to cut out the invitations using Favorite Frames 2 from Two Peas in a Bucket.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize package head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

AiFactory ~ You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello Blog Hop

2010-05-08T00:01:00.006-04:00

** Click HERE for my Character Cafe Blog Hop post **

Today we are saying goodbye to our departing Design Team and introducing you to the New AiFactory Design Team!!

If you arrived from Monica's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to the AiFactory Challenge Blog and start at the beginning for a chance to win some awesome prizes!

I just love this image from the Future Rock Star digital stamp set...Isn't she just the cutest? I used my Cricut and SCAL software to cut out the stars and the sentiment is from PTI.

What to win an awesome prize?

Just leave a comment on each of the blogs you visit. We will randomly pick one commenter from one the Design Team Members Blogs to win a $20 AiFactory Gift Certificate. Which DT Member is a SECRET...so make sure you comment on them all!! (Drawing will be at 11:30pm EST on May 14th)

Scrambled Word Prize...Each DT Member has been assigned a letter...To win you have to unscramble all the letters and send the correct phrase to me (angievcortes@gmail.com) in an email and I will draw a winner from all the correct entries for a $10 Gift Certificate (Have You figured out mY letter Yet?)

PLUS Random freebies are scattered throughout the hop!! Like this one :-)

Now head on over to Fink's Blog to see what she's created!!

TCC May Release Blog Hop

2010-05-06T23:50:00.003-04:00

Hi all!! Welcome to The Character Cafe May Release Blog Hop! This our first hop with our new DT and you are going to love all the fabulous eye candy waiting for you along the hop!! In honor of the new Design Team, you can use the coupon code newDT30 to receive 30% off at the store.

If you arrived here from Audre y's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to The Character Cafe and start at the beginning for a chance to win some amazing prizes!!

The new releases this month are just too cute!! I was so excited to work with the adorable Suzie this week. I printed her out on Select White and colored the image with PrismaColor markers. I used Basic Grey's Sugar Rush dsp for the four squares and finished the card off with a crocheted flower and plum pudding button.

I will draw one winning name from my comments on May 13th to win a copy of Suzie!! Make sure and comment on all the DT Blogs for a chance to win the Grand Prize (4 New Release Images and a $5 Gift Certificate for The Cafe Store).

Enter a creation using the TCC freebie on the Cafe Blog for a chance to be a Guest Designer for the month of June!

Now head on over to your final stop The Cafe Blog

Thanks for stopping by!

CWC002 ~ CAS Birthday Cards

2010-05-05T06:56:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!! I am so excited about today's post. This week we are officially kicking off my new challenge blog ~ CAS-tastic Wednesdays. These challenges are all about keeping it clean and simple!

Our challenge this week is our first challenge with our AMAZING Design Team!! This week we our sharing our CAS Birthday Cards. My card was inspired by this card that I saw on Splitcoast and just loved the layout! I printed the adorable Birthday Ivy from Wild Flower Kids directly onto my card base and colored her with Prismacolor Markers. I used my Cricut and SCAL software to cut the scallop border out of Basic Grey Green at Heart and covered that with some Raspberry Fizz satin ribbon from PTI. I finished it off with a little bling in the corner and Voila...easy peasy Birthday card!!

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize head over to the CAS-tastic Wednesdays Challen ge Blog and link your creation by 10:30 pm EST Tuesday May 11th.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Mother's Day

2010-05-03T05:00:00.001-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac, we are celebrating Mother's Day. I have an elegant yet super quick Mother's Day card to share with you. I have seen so many cards using layered scallops and just love how they look. It adds so much dimension to your card without adding a lot of bulk.

For my my card I used my Cricut to cut five scallop borders out of Basic Grey's Kioshi. I layered the scallops on the card and added a Plum Pudding saddle stitch ribbon to the top layer. The sentiment is from Flourishes Strawberries Set. I used a rub-on to fill the space above the bow.

Also head over to the store to check out the May Unity store kit. Plus there are a ton of new items and companies in the store!

Thanks for stopping by,

AiFactory #34 ~ Use Buttons

2010-04-29T15:24:00.004-04:00

This week at AiFactory we are featuring some adorable baby digital images, which you can check out here. For a chance to win your choice of these sweet sets, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog and add your project. This week we are challenge you to use Buttons.

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

For my baby card I used the Baby Line Set. I printed the images out on white cs and on Basic Grey Sugar Rush dp and paper pieced the images for a cute set of baby clothes. The Welcome Sweet Baby sentiment was computer generated. The pink panel, oval and scallop were all cut out using nesties. The satin ribbon is Sweet Blush from PTI.

Please visit the DT Blogs to see all their fabulous projects....

Carole
Cheri
Kerry
Penny
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Laurie
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, May5th at 10:30pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

It's Bugaboo ABaC Monday!

2010-04-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Today is Anything But a Card Monday over at the Bugaboo Challenge Blog.

I am working on a series of calendar pages using Bugaboo images and today I want to share the one I did for May. I used one of the new Bugaboo Brat Bugs and colored her with Prismacolor markers. I added a some Primas to the corner and finished it off with a cut little ladybug brad.

I am still working on the rest of the months so stay tuned to see more fun calender pages!

Now head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see what Scrappy has for you. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for New Release Tuesday!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Krafty Kreations

2010-04-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac, we are showcasing cards and projects using kraft paper! I love to use kraft for making masculine cards. I usually have a really hard time with masculine cards so I was thrilled that this card came out exactly how I wanted it to!

I used a star stamp and sentiment from two different Unity Store Kits. I stamped the stars in enchanted evening and chocolate chip ink onto white cardstock, used the Heidi Swapp edge distressing tool to rough it up a little bit and added a little distress ink. I used a Fiskars star punch on the kraft cardstock and popped it up to add a little dimension. I used a paper piercer to add the row of dots in the upper right corner.

Don't forget about the Paper Maniac online Garage Sale. Dozens of sellers, hundreds of papercrafting items, all in one place and a single shipping charge! It all starts May 19.

Also head over to the store to check out Tim Holtz Idea-ology, all in its own section. Plus Daisy Bucket stamps and Shirley's 2 Girls reduced 20%.

Thanks for stopping by,

Team MACCK Needs your Votes!

2010-04-25T18:35:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone...We have made it to the final round of the Royal Battle!!!! Team MACCK needs your votes!!! The voting is only lasting for 24 hours....Please visit the blog HERE to cast your vote!!!!

Cabio did an incredible job!! Her project is just beautiful!!

This is the final round!!! Your support will be very much appreciated!

Thanks everyone for your support during this competition! You are all awesome!

Bugaboo Catch the Bug Challenge

2010-04-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Bugaboo Catch a Bug Challenge theme for this week is...April Showers with a Sketch. Your card or project must be inspired by the theme and be based on this sketch.

When I think about April Showers, I immediately go to May flowers. So for my card, I used JJ Hobbies Gardening. This image was perfect for the Garden Variety dsp from Cosmo Cricket. The sentiment was just made for this image and is from PTI.

I found this adorable ceramic watering can at the dollar store and knew it was a perfect little gift for my Grandma. So I added some flowers seeds, funky garden gloves and a spade to make a great little gift set to go with the card!

To play along with this weeks challenge and checkout all the amazing DT creations, head over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog.

You may use any stamp you choose however if you use a Bugaboo stamp you get two entries per card. We will pick winners with random.org for the following:

1st Place ~ 8 images of choice
2nd Place ~ 4 images of choice
3rd Place ~ 2 images of choices.

Thanks for stopping by!

AiFactory #33 ~ Anything But a Card

2010-04-22T10:18:00.002-04:00

This week at AiFactory we are featuring some fabulous printable pages, which you can check out here. For a chance to win both of these printables, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog and add your project. This week we are challenge you to create Anything But a Card.

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

For my cupcake gift set, I used the Yum Stuff printable page. I printed the images out and used my circle nesties to cut them out. The Happy Birthday circle sentiment was created using word art and the cupcake wrapper was created with my Cricut and SCAL software. I stamped around the wrapper with Polka Dot Basics II from PTI. We technically weren't supposed to create a card but the this weeks CAS challenge at SCS was just perfect for these cupcakes so I couldn't resist LOL!

Please visit the DT Blogs to see all their fabulous projects....

Carole
Cheri
Kerry
Penny
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Laurie
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, April 28th at 10:30pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac ~ Peace * Love * Recycle

2010-04-19T05:00:00.000-04:00

This week at Paper Maniac, we are celebrating Earth Day! I was immediately inspired by one my daughters tees to create this card. There isn't much to it but I think it is a great card for Earth Day and I am definitely going to send these to a few friends!!

I used my Cricut and SCAL software to cut the symbols from Basic Grey's Green at Heart dsp. I used pop dots to add a little dimension and the sentiment is computer generated.

A little birdie told me that if there's 150 followers on the Paper Maniac Inspirations Blog by Saturday morning, Patti will draw a random number and the winner will receive a $30 gift certificate!

Thanks for stopping by,

Please Help Team MACCK go to the FINAL round!!

2010-04-18T10:34:00.002-04:00

Good Morning Everyone!! Thanks a million to everyone who voted for us last week. Team MACCK, Maylee Pham, Crystal Irwin, Kerri Michaud, Cabio Tse and myself have made it to Round 4 and once again need your help! All you have to do is visit the TGF Galleria and leave a comment on this adorable candy box made by Crystal. You have through Tuesday to do it and it will only take a second!

You do have to be registered to vote. To do this:

Go to http://www.tgfllc.com/galleria/

Click on Register and fill out the form.

You will be sent confirmation info to your email and you must click the link to officially be activated. If for some reason you do not receive it, just email Marie at thegreetingfarm@gmail.com and she will manually activate your registry.

Once you are activated, go back to http://www.tgfllc.com/galleria/ and login.

Once you are logged in, go to Contest/Challenges > TGF ROYAL BATTLE > Week 4

Leave a comment on our entry !!! Thanks soooooo much!

SSDS Week 36 ~ Buttons, Bows & Bling

2010-04-17T03:00:00.005-04:00

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we have a recipe of sorts...You must use Buttons, Bows and Bling!!

For my card, I couldn't wait use one of the new Bugaboo Brat Bugs...besides this adorable snail, there is also a caterpillar, a butterfly, bees and ladybugs!! I printed out the sweet little snail on Select White cs and colored her with PrismaColor markers. I cut around her legs before I used my oval nestie so that the legs hung over the edge just a bit. The dsp is from My Mind's Eye, the flower from Basic Grey 's Green at Heart and the ruffled ribbon is from Pink Paislee.

This card is for a few other challenges also:

Mojo Monday ~ Sketch 134
My Time to Craft ~ Pretty Pearls
Kaboodle Doodles ~ Digi Girl

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize package head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Cards in Distress

2010-04-12T05:00:00.001-04:00

A few quick updates...

**Starting a new challenge blog for all you CAS lovers called CAS-tastic Wednesday and we are looking for a few DT Members....Check it out here!!

** Team MACCK needs your help to move on to Round 4 of The Greeting Farm Challenge...Please vote for our scrapbook layout here...It is Tu-Tu Cute!!

**If you are hopping along with Bugaboo...my card is here!

Now for the good stuff! This week at Paper Maniac, we are all about distressing and showcasing the wonderful Tim Holtz products now available in the store! I do not normally do a lot of distressing on my cards so this was quite a challenge for me. I decided I would create a CAS card and use the scraps from Cosmo Cricket's Garden Variety that were scattered all over my table.

I cut the scraps into small rectangles and after they were all together I used distress ink all along the edges of the dsp and the Martha Stewart garden trellis punch. I also used the distress ink along the edge of the card. I finished it off with a sentiment from the Unity stamp set Could I be Any Cuter?

Make sure and swing by the store and check out all the Tim Holtz products. Also, if you haven't already check out the Garage Sale info here!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo Catch the Bug Challenge and Blog Hop

2010-04-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all and welcome to The Bugaboo Catch the Bug Challenge and Blog Hop!

If you arrived from Sandye's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog and start at the beginning so you don't miss anything!!

The new challenge theme is Bugs...Your card or project must have a bug on it somewhere!! For my card, I used the adorable Jesse Bear with his Bug Jar. The dsp is Garden Variety from Cosmo Cricket and the sentiment is computer generated. I will draw one winning name from my comments to win a copy of Jesse Bear!!

There are several ways to win some fabulous Bugaboo images, including the newly released Bugaboo Brat Bugs. Here is a peek at one of them. Isn't he just the cutest?!

Plus, there is a scrambled letter “phrase” hidden on the DT Blogs. You must go to each blog, take down the letters (only some blogs will have a letter) and send Rae Anne an email at huera90@gmail.com
for a chance to win 3 Bugaboo images.

There will also be the normal prizes for the Challenge winners so make sure and check out the challenge blog for a chance to win, but first....

Head on over to Jenny's Blog to see what she's created!!

Thanks for stopping by!

SSDS Week 35 ~ Birthdays!

2010-04-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we are challenging you to create a Birthday card or gift.

Our fabulous sponsor this week, Glitz Design, provided the DT with some amazing goodies to play with this week. As soon as I saw the dsp, I knew it would be perfect for this Skelekinz image from Bugaboo Stamps. I printed her out on Select White cs and colored her with PrismaColor markers. I cut the image out and popped it up over a fabulous scroll rub-on from Glitz Design. The sentiment is computer generated and stapled to the circle.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize package from Glitz Design, head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bugaboo Stamps ~ Oldie but Goodie Thursday

2010-04-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all! Today is Oldie but Goodie Thursday at the Bugaboo Challenge Blog. This is a chance for the DT to showcase some of their favorite Bugaboo stamps.

For my card, I just had to use one of the Bugaboo Brats....this little cutie is Desiree. I printed her out on select white cs and colored with Prismacolor markers. The dsp is from Basic Grey's Sugar Rush paper pad and the border was cut with my Cricut using SCAL and the Scallop Dot cut file available at My Time Made Easy.

I thought the sentiment from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps was just perfect for this card. I used my nesties to cut out the sentiment and the pink scallop layer.

Now head on over to the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see what the other Design Team members created.

Thanks for stopping by,

AiFactory #31 ~ Mother's Day

2010-04-08T00:00:00.004-04:00

This week at AiFactory we are featuring some truly adorable Mother's Day images. For a chance to win your choice of two of these cute images, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog and add your card. This week we would like to see cards or projects for or inspired by Mothers!

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

For my card, I used the fun bird image and colored it with Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol. The dsp is from Cosmo Cricket's Garden Variety paper pad. The saddle stitch ribbon is pure poppy from PTI.

Please visit the DT Blogs to see even more beautiful cards using the Mother's Day images....

Carole
Cheri
Kerry
Penny
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Laurie
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, March 14th at 10:30pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

Going Retro with TGF

2010-04-07T12:59:00.003-04:00

Hi all! Just wanted to drop in real quick and share a card a made awhile ago but never got a chance to post. I just love this digital image from The Greeting Farm and I love how this card turned out!

The dsp is from My Mind's Eye and the border was cut on my Cricut using SCAL and DigiKit - Borderlines - Set 1 from Two Peas.

Hope you have a great day, I am going to go enjoy the last day of warm weather in Ohio before we go thru a little cold spell :-(

Thanks for stopping by,

New Release Tuesday at Bugaboo

2010-04-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!! I was so excited when I made the Bugaboo Design Team and now I get to share my first official card as a DT Member!! Every Tuesday, Jodi releases new images at Bugaboo Stamps and today's images are as cute as ever!!

For my card, I used the beach crab to create a fun Birthday Card. I printed the image out on select white cs and cut him out. I popped him up on a little beach scene. The striped dsp was in my scrap pile so I am not sure who made it.

This card qualifies for a few different challenges:

Simple Doodles ~ Layers
Charisma Cardz ~ Animals
Our Creative Corner ~ Buttons

Now head on over to Bugaboo Stamps to see the rest of the new release and be sure and check out the Catch the Bug Challenge Blog to see what the other Design Team members created.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ CAS Cards

2010-04-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend and for those that celebrated it a Happy Easter. It was beautiful in Ohio this weekend. It has been a long time since we've had such nice weather on Easter!!

This week at Paper Maniac, we are sharing some Clean and Simple cards with you! I absolutely adore CAS cards and I was thrilled when I saw they were the theme for this week! For my card, I used stamps from the Unity store kit for March and the polka dot dsp is from the Sassafras Lass Sunshine Lollipops wee bundle.

Make sure and swing by the store and check out all the new products. Also, Patti is having a Garage Sale where you can sell some of your extra stuff for either a store voucher or cash!! Get all the details here!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Vote for Team MACCK!!

2010-04-04T10:25:00.003-04:00

Good Morning Everyone and HAPPY EASTER! As many of you are aware there is a fun competition over at The Greeting Farm and our team needs your votes. Team MACCK, Maylee Pham, Crystal Irwin, Kerri Michaud, Cabio Tse and myself, really want to move to the next round and you can help....All you have to do is visit the TGF Galleria and leave a comment on this card. You have through Tuesday to do it and it will only take a second!

You do have to be registered to vote. To do this:

Go to http://thegreetingfarm.com/galleria/

Click on Register and fill out the form.

You will be sent confirmation info to your email and you must click the link to officially be activated. If for some reason you do not receive it, just email Marie at thegreetingfarm@gmail.com and she will manually activate your registry.

Once you are activated, go back to http://thegreetingfarm.com/galleria/ and login.

Once you are logged in, go to Contest/Challenges > TGF ROYAL BATTLE > Week 2

Leave a comment on our card!!! Thanks soooooo much!

SSDS Week 34 ~ Flights of Fancy

2010-04-03T02:46:00.003-04:00

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we are challenging you to use Wings ~ use angels, fairies, birds, butterflies...anything with wings.

I just had to use this bee-utiful digi stamp and sentiment from Pink Cat Studios. I printed her out on Select White cs and colored her with PrismaColor markers. I used my oval, circle and scallop nesties to cut everything out. I also added some white satin ribbon and a few Prima's to finish it off.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and meet the NEW SSDS Design Team, head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

AiFactory #30 ~ Anything Goes

2010-03-31T22:59:00.007-04:00

Hello everyone!! I am so sorry for my lack of blogging this week! My camera has been on the fritz since Sunday. We still can't figure out the problem, so I finally went and borrowed one while mine is out for repairs! I have some exciting news and a few cards to share now that I can take pics of them so stay tuned!!

This week at AiFactory we are featuring some elegant and very versatile clipart flourishes. For a chance to win this fab set of images, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog and add your card. This week we are having an Open Challenge ~ You can make anything your heart desires!!

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

My card was created almost entirely using GIMP, I layered the background, flourish and sentiment and then printed them out onto white cs. I used lemon tart cs and ribbon to add a little color to the black and white. I also used two butterfly punches as well as the Martha Stewart trellis punch to finish everything off.

Please visit the DT Blogs to see even more beautiful cards using these beautiful flourishes....

Carole
Cheri
Kerry
Penny
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Laurie
Michelle
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, March 7th at 11:00pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

Make a Wish with The Character Cafe

2010-03-26T13:07:00.004-04:00

TGIF! Can you believe it is snowing in Ohio? We have had such nice weather and then out of no where the snow is just coming down.

This is the current Character Cafe Design Team's last Friday together and I would like to say goodbye to all the ladies who have chosen to move on. Billie, Heather, Piali and Diane...I wish you all the best of luck in everything you do!! Since, this is this teams last Friday, Kelly and Kendra are having a STOREWIDE SALE.... everything for $1...Plus don't forget to check out the DT Call, you can get all the details here.

Today, I want to share a card I made using the adorable Fairy Jocelyn digi image from The Character Cafe. How perfect is she for birthdays or really anything girly!! I colored her with Prismacolor markers and cut her out with my nesties. The dsp is from Cloud 9 Designs and the cs and ribbon are plum pudding from PTI.

This card is also for a few challenges:

The Diedrich Dare Sketch Challenge
Penny's Challenge ~ Birthday
Pollycraft ~ Sparkly Things

Make sure and head over to check out the Feature Friday challenge at the Cafe Blog today. It is a recipe challenge and the DT has come up with some amazing creations to help inspire you!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Challenge 29 ~ Make an Easel Card

2010-03-25T01:42:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone!! Hope this post finds you all happy and healthy! It has been a very long, stressful week around here but things are finally starting to look up. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel LOL.

This week at AiFactory we are featuring another darling image from the Ella Collection. For a chance to win these fab images, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog. Your challenge for this week is to Create an Easel Card.

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

For my project, I colored Ballerina Ella with one of my few Copic markers. I am slowing adding a few Copics to my collection. The double sided dsp is from imaginisce and the sentiment is a rub-on. I am going to give this card to my DD before her dance recital so the sentiment fits perfectly. I also used the Martha Stewart lace punch and so spring rain satin ribbon.

Please visit the DT Blogs to see even more beautiful cards using Ella....

Carole
Cheri
Kerry
Angie
Penny
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Laurie
Michelle
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, March 31st at 11:00pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Scrapbook Layouts

2010-03-22T06:01:00.003-04:00

Hi all! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! The weather was amazing in Ohio so we spent a lot of time outside soaking in the sunshine! Around here we have to enjoy whenever we can as it has been known to snow in April!!

This week we at Paper Maniac, we are scrapbooking!! I gotta tell ya it has been awhile since I have made a scrapbook layout so I was a little wary about this challenge LOL. I happened to stumble on this great blog for scrapbook and card layouts called Got Sketch? and saw this awesome sketch and from there it went smoother than I expected.

This picture of my DD watering flowers at Grandmas was just perfect for the Material Girl designer paper from Cosmo Cricket. I also used my circle Nestabilities and my favorite punch from Martha Stewart called Garden Trellis. I finished it off with some prima flowers and a rub-on quote that says "Play is really the work of childhood."

Be sure and swing by the store and check out all the new things as well as some great clearance items!! Patti will also be announcing our newest DT members so stay tuned to the PM Blog!!

Thanks for stopping by,

SSDS Week 32 ~ Tear It Up

2010-03-20T06:01:00.001-04:00

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we are challenging you to Tear It Up ~ use some form of tearing on your card or project.

I just had to use this adorable digital images from Bugaboo Stamps. This image is just one of many from their Skelekinz Collection. I printed her out on Select White cs and colored her with PrismaColor markers. I used black ink to grunge up the edges of the image and adhered it over a piece of paper punched with the notebook border punch. My tearing was along the edges of the black and pink polka dot paper and I used staples and glue dots to do a "ruffle" treatment with the pink polka dot ribbon. The sentiment is an Urban Lily rub-on and was cut out with circle nesties.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and meet the NEW SSDS Design Team, head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

TCC Feature Friday ~ Color Challenge

2010-03-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hi all!! Today is Feature Friday at The Character Cafe and this week Kendra has a fabulous spring color challenge for you ~ Use shades of Purple, Yellow and Blue.

I just had to use this perfect spring image Bertie N Friend. I printed the digi image out on Select White CS and colored it with Prisma pencils and OMS. I used a dauber to add blue ink around the image for the sky and used circle and scallop nesties to cut it out. The purple DP is from inque boutique's and the yellow polka dot was in my scrap bin. The sentiment is from PTI's Everyday Button Bits.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the Cafe Blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 11:59 pm (EST) Thursday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

AiFactory #28 ~ Make a Pirate Scene

2010-03-18T00:01:00.001-04:00

Ahoy me hearties! I be Ivan the Pirate here, given' you yer next challenge! The challenge I be speakin' about is makin' somethin' with me in it! Or any of my piratin' friends! And yer booty after you make and share yer treasure with us? You get ME fer free! No gold doubloons, just little ole' me.

For a chance to win, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog.

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

For my project, I used GIMP to merge Ivan the Pirate with a few digi stamps from Dustin Pike as well as some free coloring pages to make my pirate scene. I printed the image out and colored it with Prismacolor Markers. The treasure map is digital paper from Designer Digitals.

Please visit the DT Blogs to see even more beautiful cards using Ivan the Pirate....

Carole
Cheri
Kerry
Angie
Penny
Erin
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Michelle
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, March 24th at 11:00pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Wishing for Spring!

2010-03-15T06:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend. It was cold and rainy here so we really didn't do much. I'm not complaining though, I will take rain over snow any day.

This week at Paper Maniac, we are celebrating Spring! I for one cannot wait to see flowers blooming and leaves on all the trees. Until then, I will have to settle for flowers on my cards! There is nothing more spring than the new Making Memories Flutter paper and embellishments. I also used my new favorite punch from Martha Stewart called Garden Trellis. I really love that you can just the edge, as I've done, for an entirely different look! The sentiment is from PTI's Scattered Showers stamp set.

This card is for quite a few challenges:

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #60
Treehouse Thursday ~ CAS
Secret Crafter ~ Anything Goes
Stampin' B's ~ Spring or Easter
Rosie-D's ~ Think Spring
Crafty Calendar ~ Flower Power
By the Cute and Girly ~ Spring is in the Air
Tanda Stamps ~ Simply Spring

Make sure and swing by the store and check out all the new products. Also, Patti is looking for two new DT Members, one specializing in the Tim Holtz Idea-ology lines and the second is a for a Copic Certified Designer, you can get all the details here.

Thanks for stopping by,

SSDS Week 31 ~ Recipe Challenge

2010-03-13T06:01:00.002-05:00

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we have a recipe challenge for you...

-Use Pink or Purple
-Use Ribbon
-Use Button(s)

I recently stumbled on these amazing digi images from Meljen's Designs. I really could have bought all of them! If you have not seen her images you are really missing out!! I printed out A Girl and Her Overalls and colored the image with Prismacolor markers. The dsp and flower (I added the button) are the new release from Making Memories called Flutter. The sentiment is from PTI's Scattered Showers stamp set.

This card is also for a few other challenges:

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #104
Flutter By Wednesday's ~ Open
Paper Cutz ~ Anything Goes
My Time to Craft ~ Kidz Kardz
Crafty Cardmakers ~ Feminine Celebration
Cupcake Craft ~ Flower Power
Meljen's Designs Featured Stamper Challenge

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by,

To Kiss or Not to Kiss.....

2010-03-12T09:48:00.004-05:00

TGIF! I am so ready for the weekend! I am hoping the sunshine will come back for awhile so we can do somethings outdoors this weekend but even if it doesn't at least it is warmer!!

Before I get to my card ~ I liked to announce the winner of Riley Leprechaun from the TCC Blog Hop... Congratulations craft_princess!! Please send an email to angievcortes@gmail.com and I will send your image right over!

Today, I want to share a card I made using the adorable Piper n' Prince digi image from The Character Cafe. I just love this image and will definitely use it many times for all the little princesses in my life. I colored her with Prismacolor markers and cut her out with my nesties. The dsp is from imaginisce and the cs is Kiwi Kiss and Pink Pirouette from Stampin' Up! I also used Friday Sketchers sketch #93 to help get the card started.

Make sure and head over to check out the Feature Friday challenge at the Cafe Blog today. It is a sketch challenge and the DT has come up with some amazing creations to help inspire you!!

Thanks for stopping by,

AiFactory #27 ~ CLEAR and SIMPLE

2010-03-10T23:57:00.009-05:00

This week at AiFactory, we are featuring the Lily Collection Digital stamp set.

For a chance to win these gorgeous images, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog. The challenge this week is to incorporate something CLEAR into your SIMPLE card or project:

1. the clear item must be something that remains on your finished project (clear stamps are not considered a clear item for this challenge)
2. your card or project should be somewhat simple, making your main image the focus of the creation.

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

For my card, I used the Lily of the Valley image. I colored the lilies with Prismacolor markers and pencils. I used the oval and scallop nestabilities to create a frame on the card front and adhered the image to the inside of the card. My clear items are dewdrops and flower pins.

Please visit the DT Blogs to see even more beautiful cards using all the gorgeous Lilies.

Carole
Ch eri
Kerry
Angie
Penny
Erin
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Laurie
Michelle
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, March 18th at 11:00pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Luck of the Irish

2010-03-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was beautiful in Ohio this weekend! We had lots of sunshine and a nice little warm up in temperature! The kids were actually able to play outside and even ride their bikes!

This week at Paper Mania c, we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day. I have very few supplies in my stash for St. Patrick's Day, so I decided to create a clover using my Cricut to cut three hearts out of Basic Grey Origins designer paper.

The green cs is New Leaf from PTI and the stem is hand drawn. I also used my oval nestabilities, the Making Memories paper piercer and the sentiment is computer generated.

Make sure and swing by the Paper Maniac Store and check out all the new products. There are tons of new items arriving daily! You will also want to check out the Paper Maniac Blog everyday this week for even more Irish Inspiration from the Design Team!

Thanks for stopping by!

SSDS Week 30 ~ Anything Goes

2010-03-06T06:01:00.001-05:00

Hi all! It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week Anything Goes ~ you are free to create anything your heart desires.

For my card I decided to use the absolutely adorable Leah Bunny digi image from Whimsie Doodles. The image is printed on white cs and colored with PrismaColor markers. The double sided DP is from Sassafras Lass and the cs and satin ribbon is Berry Sorbet from PTI. I also used some pearls and flowers pins to add a little bling!

This card is also for a few other challenges:

Friday Sketchers ~ Sketch #92
DU2DS ~ Use Pearls
Digital Tuesday ~ Use Scallops
Cupcake Craft ~ Use Circles

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

TCC March Release Blog Hop

2010-03-05T00:24:00.004-05:00

Hi all and welcome to The Character Cafe March Release Blog Hop!

If you arrived from Angie E's Blog then you are on the right track!

If not, you will want to go to The Character Cafe and start at the beginning for a chance to win some amazing prizes!!

The new releases this month aresimply amazing!! I was so excited to work with Riley Leprechaun this week. I printed him out on Select White and colored the image with PrismaColor Markers and pencils. I cut him out with my nestabilitities and put him on a altered box filled with chocolate coins!! I am going to make two of this and sneak them into my kids lunchboxes to surprise them on St. Patrick's Day! The double sided DP is from The Paper Company and the sentiment is from Stampendous.

I will draw one winning name from my comments on March 12th to win a copy of Riley!! Make sure and comment on The Cafe Blog and let us know what you think of having all sketches for challenges next term or if you'd rather us mix it up a little and you could win the entire March Release as well as the opportunity to be Guest Designer for any or all of the remaining Feature Fridays in March!

Enter a creation using a TCC image into Mr. Linky on the Cafe Blog for the opportunity to win a $10 gift certificate to the store and again, a chance to be a Guest Designer for any or all of the remaining Feature Fridays in March.

Now head on over to Lola's Blog to see what she's created!!

Thanks for stopping by!

AiFactory #26 ~ "B" Challenged

2010-03-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week at AiFactory, we are featuring the stunning Trinity.

For a chance to win these gorgeous images, head over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog. Your challenge for this week is to "B" Challenged....

~ Use the color Blue (a little or a lot...entirely up to you)
~ Add a Bow
~ Finish it off with some Bling

As always, you are not required to use AiFactory images but if you have them we would love to see them. We also have quite a few Freebies available at the store.

For my project, I colored Trinity with Prismacolor Markers and used my oval nesties to cut her out. The scalloped oval frame was made using my new Cricut and SCAL software...I LOVE this software, so much easier than my Wishblade!

Please visit the DT Blogs to see even more beautiful cards using Trinity....

Carole
Cheri
Kerry
Angie
Penny
Erin
Monica
Fliss
Fink
Carlie
Laurie
Michelle
Lola

To play along visit the AiFactory Challenge Blog and upload your creation by Wednesday, March 10th at 11:00pm EST.

Thanks for stopping by,

Paper Maniac Inspirations ~ Think Spring

2010-03-01T07:35:00.005-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend. I was able to get a ton of things on my to do list completed this weekend so I am hoping to keep that momentum going throughout the week.

This week at Paper Mania c, we are celebrating Spring! February in Ohio was back to back snow storms so I am more than ready for some flowers and sunshine!! I really wanted to keep my card clean and simple this week and I was browsing the SCS gallery and was inspired by this card by Miss Boo.

I stamped the flowers and sentiment from the Unity December Store Kit ~ Sweet Affections directly on my card base. I used a strip of Basic Grey Origins and finished it off with some Lemon Tart satin ribbon from PTI.

Make sure and swing by the store and check out all the new stuff arriving daily as well as the Unity Store and the Copic Coloring Club kits for March. You will be so glad you did!!

Thanks for stopping by!

SSDS Week 29 ~ Let It Sparkle

2010-02-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. We are getting another snow storm here so we are pretty much house bound. So far my internet is holding up, so maybe the third time is the charm LOL.

It is time for another awesome challenge from Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday. This week we want you to let it sparkle ~ use glitter, shimmerz, bling etc. Our sponsor this week is Digi Stamp Characters. If you haven't been to her Etsy store you are really missing out on some adorable images!

For my card I used the new Fairy Sweet Jolinne stamp from My Favorite Things. I stamped her in Memento Tuxedo Black on Select White cs and colored with PrismaColor markers. I used circle and scallop nesties to cut her out and the DP is from KI Memories. I used Crystal Stickles on her wings to add a ton of sparkle! I also used Friday Sketchers #91 for this card.

To join in on the fun and be eligible for this weeks fabulous prize and check out all the fabulous creations from the Design Team. Head over to the SSDS blog and link your creation to Mr. Linky by 10:00 pm (EST) Friday evening.

Thanks for stopping by!