Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Magazine Special Thanks! Blog Hop

Hello blog readers and crafty friends.

Today the paper loving, stamp crazy, make it yourself world is weeping and celebrating the end of an era.

I think we were all shock to hear of the end of our favorite "Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking" Magazine.  The news hit my heart with sadness for so many reasons.

I feel like I'm losing a friend.  A friend that introduced me to ALL my other crafty friends.  From participating in their blog hops and joining their groups and challenges, I was introduced to so many awesome paper crafters.  Some who I now consider personal friends.  Like sweet Shelly from Sweet Greetings.  Who sends me cards and has witty conversations with me on Facebook.  Friends like Donna from "Donna's Crafty Place" who always lets me join her on her crafty adventures.  And who also sent my new baby boy the cuties handmade art  (Thank you Donna).  So many many lovely people who stop by and leaves comments on my blog post, wish me well on Facebook and like my pictures on instagram.

I feel like I'm losing a muse.  The magazine was full of endless inspiration for me.  From learning and improving techniques to finding fresh trends.  All you have to do is flip open the cover and skim the pages.  Yes I'm one of those that NEVER threw out a magazine...NEVER.  I love looking back at old issues and seeing how the craft has grown.  So although I will miss it I still have something to  reminisce with.  They gave me goals.  First to be published.  And when it did that was SO exciting.  Every publication call brought out the best in me and I never felt bad not be picked up.  It was challenging, it gave me something to look forward to.  Then came all the challenges and oh did I look forward to those challenges.  I feel so fortunate to have won two titles with some awesome people.

I feel like I'm losing my favorite hangout.  All the places PC&S is, is the place to be.  The funnest people are their.  The conversations are awesome and always encouraging.  Can't say anything more.

I feel like the end of a chapter in my life.  I started crafting when my daughter was born.  I wasn't in school and didn't work.  I just became a stay at home mom.  Not long after that I found Paper Crafts Magazine and blogland.  They became my social group.  Where I looked forward to checking in everyday.  The people I chatted with daily.  As I now have five children and a job I feel like crafting and blogging and the great group I was apart of for so long is less of a presence in my life.  PC&S and all the people I have met during this time will always have a special place in my life just now it will be a different one.

Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Magazine
Our friend, our teacher, our inspiration, our hang out.

Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you all for everything you have done for us.  For all the things you have done knowingly or not.

This one is for you.

That's enough of my story.  I know I rambled but really I feel like I can't even convey what I'm feeling with this chapter closing.  Okay now on to the next PC&S lover.  A super talented lady that I'm lucky to call a Stamping Royalty sister  Katie Gehring.

Practicing my coloring and TGF

 Hi!

I have got the copics itch again and had the urge to do some coloring.

I'm a little rusty with my alcohol pens so please excuse my lack of Copic awesomeness.  Also a little "unknown to all" fact.  You can't get Copics shipped to Oahu...WHAT!?!  Yes it's true, don't ask me why because I have no idea and it irritates me to the max.  So in short, get new Copics is a hassle or cost a whole lota mullah so I just work with what I got.  In other words I'm in need of face colors...as you can tell.

 Sorry about the Copic rant and on to the card.  I use this cute The Greeting Farm stamp to practice my coloring and a little paper piecing.  Also plying with their plaid challenge theme this week.

You are the best fusion card

 It's a flower and lines fusion card!

 I got all inspired by this super cool Fusion Card Challenge mash up.

 The pretty red and orange flowers, the two tone blue lines and that lovely V cut on the sketch.  I think that all adds up to one make one cool theme.

Alright.  I'm off to camping this weekend so you all have an awesome weekend!

It's your birthday banner card

In my hunt for card making inspiration I found a fun blog "Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge".  I just saw the image and new I had to play.  So I did and here it is.

It's a Birthday Bash and their super fun inspiration photo just make me want to throw a party.

See this weeks challenge HERE!

 

  I LOVE that banner and all the colors so I tried to duplicate the image with flower stamps.

You fill my thoughts ...with stars...

 A card totally inspired by a challenge.

Pure and simple, clean and graphic.

There's a new challenge in town and I'm up for the games.  "The Cutting Edge" is a challenge totally dedicated to die-cutting.  While I don't have much die-cuts I do love playing with them.  And I'll be the first to admit that they are under used.

Here's the super cool inspiration card by Jackie Rockwell for The Cutting Edge Challenge #1.

I was inspired by a star being the focus and used that as the jumping off point.  For the background I went with a printed vellum that gave the look of her background.  Also laid the sentiment over the focal point.

AEIHeartU Golds and Watercolors

 I'm feeling extra trendy with this card.  Something my fashion lacks big time but that's another story.

 I started by thinking of gold "yummy", then embossing gold "ooh", then watercolors "ahh"!

Loving the combination of the soft watercolors with the earthy golds.

I saw Avery Elle's AEIHeartU challenge #10 and I had to play.  GOLD it's everywhere and oh so pretty!

 One would think it comes in just one shade, but not on this card.  I used a gold embossing for the top image that gives off a more earthy darker hue.  Then stamped the sentiment and tiny leaves in a softer more yellow gold.  Both different but both lovely!

 (All stamps from Avery Elle, Gold ink Brilliance in "Galaxy Gold", Gold embossing powder is a generic from the craft store, Watercolors from Crayola)

CASE Study 195

 What happens when everyone in your house goes to bed and you're up by yourself?

You stay up till 1:00 in the morning making a card and watching TV.

Yup that was me last night.  No one told me to go to bed so I didn't.  Watched a little TV, got inspired by a couple of blogs and then made this card.

 As I was blog surfing I came across a number of CASE Study #195 entrees based off of this lovely card from Pamela Ho.

 Went a little artsy with my interpretation of this design.

 Alright hoping for a nap and then more card making today...not tonight!

Hola Amigo

 With all the boys running around my house (three of them plus one man child), you would think making a masculine card would be easy.  But for me it is not.  So I decided to take the challenge on and make a manly man card.

 This card is for Avery Elle's AEI(heart)U challenge "Father's Day/Masculine".

I went all witty because that's the kind of people we are.  We're not the mushy type so this card will be perfect.  The sentiment and banner stamps are from their "Papel Picado Banner set" and the tag die-cuts are from "Simply Tags".

 Have a great week and don't forget that voting is still open for Gallery Idol so if you haven't voted for this round yet, hurry and do so!

The MMMC #1

Hello!

Today is a great day as I start a new journey with some awesome friends.

The first challenge at Mixed Media Monthly Challenge is live and I'm excited to bring you my creation as part of their design team

This month's challenge is SPRAY INK!

We all got a little (some of us a lot) of spray ink in our stash so bust them out and join in the challenge.  I'm a total newbie to mixed media so don't be intimidated by not knowing how to approach it.  Just go for it and be happy.  This is the perfect way to jump into the Mixed Media world.

My favorite part of this card is the background.  Here's a quick look at how it was created.

Sprayed it, stamped it, embossed it, then sprayed it again.

Don't forget to check out all the awesome inspiration from the whole DT and to join the challenge at Mixed Media Monthly Challenge.

40 thank you cards

When my day job collides with my "me time aka crafty me" I make 40 thank you cards!

I work with parents in an elementary school and wanted to send thanks to all the ones who came out to participate in the activities I held.

I wanted it to be simple and easy for me to just bang them all out.  I mean I had to make 40 and I didn't want to spend 40 hours making them.  But it still had to clean and adorable.

I went with a cute retired Stampin' up image and framed it with some Avery Elle "Laurels" stamp foliage.  I personally wrote thank you messages in each one.

I really depend on these involved parents and family members and appreciate their time and energy.  This was just a small gesture to show my gratitude and I hope they enjoy it.

(Don't forget there's still time to vote in this years Gallery Idol.  My card is number 13...a good luck number I hope.  There's a link in my sidebar.)

Gallery Idol round 2

It's here, It's here!

Gallery Idol round 2 is up and posted for the world to vote.

Please register and go vote HERE.

I was so nervous with all these questions and doubts running through my head.  But in the end I came up with a happy card that I really liked and that I gave my best to make.

"Lucky Stars" card

 I cut six panels in a rainbow of colors and die-cut Lawn Fawn's puffy star dies into each one.  Each star layered smaller so you can see each panel color.  To get a uniform look I started with the top white and used that as a guide to line up the die for the next cut (this one being the red).  Just keep repeating the process until the last star is cut.  Then glue the panels together.

 Thank you for all the love and support!  I'm really humbled to be amongst such awesome card makers.  From past Gallery Idols I know how being apart of the voting process can be such fun.  Now I get to be voted on.  Cool and anxious inducing all at the same time.

If you like to vote hop on over HERE!

Gallery Idol 2014

So extremely overwhelmed with all kinds of crazy emotions this week.

GALLERY IDOL 2014!

Yes I can't believe I get to complete in this years gallery idol.  I have tried out for the open auditions for three years and I guess the third times the charm because here I am.

This years audition theme was washi.  When it comes to washi my stash is small and well loved so I had to make what I have W.O.R.K.

Here's the card that made it.  Washi plaid!

 I used a Tim Holtz ruler to help me lay down the washi tape evenly on a paper panel.

SO fun!

I also adored the other card I made for open auditions.

A washi bow card.

 I'm taking this saying with me today as I take on the next challenge round...Die-Cutting!

I have ideas but feeling nervous about so many things.  Will I chose the right card to make?  Will people like it?  Is it innovated enough?  SO many thoughts running through my head.

Today I make the card.  Tomorrow the world gets to judge it.

OWH and May Arts Memorial Day blog hop

Sometimes a simple card means so much more then the catchy saying written and the picture on the front.  A card from a loved one far away is like that warm hug you can't have, that "I love you" you can't hear everyday.  If one of my cards can help convey that powerful feeling, then I'm more then happy to share it.

 May Arts ribbon has joined Operation Write Home is their Memorial Day blog hop.

The ribbonistas are putting ribbons to cards in all different themes and bring it to you on the May Arts Ribbon blog.  Here is my stary ribbon card "love/thank you card"

 The stamps used here are perfect for this hop and are from a OWH and Hero Arts collaboration set.  The ribbon used are May Arts 1/4" Chevron Twill and 3/8" Double Faced Satin.

Don't forget to stop stop by the May Arts Ribbon blog and join the ribbonistas in making ribbony cards for OWH.

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge introduction

 Something fun and inky will be coming to the paper crafting community!

With all the paper crafting, ink loving challenge sites out there you would think there was something for everyone and every style.  Not so.  But now there is and I'm talking to all you Mixed Media makers and admirers.

I introduce to you the

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge blog!

What's more fun is that I get to be on the DT...what...me...mixed media?  Yes yes I may not be known in the mixed media world and I confess I'm a total newbie but I love to get messy with it.

Here's a card I created for the grand opening of the new challenge site.

 A little bit of this, a little bit of that and a whole lot of love went into this card.  Dedicated to Donna Bowman, Rachel Kleinman (the creators of the site), all the other wonderful people on the DT and all you who will be playing with us monthly.

 Right now the challenge site is having a massive giveaway as we make our introductions.  Hop on over to the blog and check them all out.  Also don't forget to be inspired every month starting in June!

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge