Doodle Dragon Challenge

The challenge this week at

"Pike's Playground"

is to use

PRIMARY COLORS!

That means only RED, BLUE, and YELLOW!

Don't look too hard, because I think you'll find specks of

green and orange in my paper!  It's really hard to find pattern paper with

only primary colors!

In this case it was the pretty "Celebrations", from Die Cuts with a View!

Even though trapped in the balloon, this little guy seems really happy!

Check out the rest of Dustin's images at

the Doodle Dragon store HERE!

I hear there are sneak peeks for sale -

Christmas in July June!

Have a wonderful, colorful weekend!

DYSU Challenge #78 - Clouds!

Our sponsors this week:
Crafty Sentiments - http://craftysentimentsdesigns.co.uk/
* Winner's Choice of 4 Images



The Paper Shelter - http://www.thepapershelter.com/
* $20 Gift Certificate



Gecko Galz - http://www.geckogalz.com/
* Entire July Collection (The Digital Paper Pack "Great Adventures", 6 different collage sets including Vintage Travels & Wild West dominos, and a digital stamp set "Mermaids Garden" a prize pack worth $30)


     This was a tough one because I was so excited choosing my "Gecko Galz" image,

that I totally blocked out the fact that our challenge was to, in some way, incorporate "blue skies" or clouds!  There have been a few times I have gotten a card started and realized that, in the excitement of using an image, paper or color,
 I've forgotten to consider the challenge requirement.
At that point, you just have to laugh and start over! 

Thankfully, nothing was glued down when I decided to go with the
heat embossed clouds.

This card was made to commemorate the U.S.'s fight for freedom

and why we celebrate July 4th.

I usually like to stay away from the typical bright red, white, and blue, but these muted papers and the subtle, vintage image won me over!

These Gecko Galz sheets are so beautiful, I want them all!

And if you want to know how the little banner was made, I printed the image a second time much larger, and cut the banner flags from a section of the printed image!

I had, only yesterday, received these little flowers from Wendy Robinson in a prize box from a Zva blog hop! Perfect timing, Wendy! I tinted them with my Copics to coordinate with  the print and quickly had a sweet embellishment!

Have a wonderful weekend and, for those of you stateside,
have a fun and safe upcoming
Fourth of July 
celebration!

Skipping Stones Sketch Challenge!

My card for the challenge at

Skipping Stones Designs:

and the sketch I followed:

I used the SSD stamp set, "Always Here".

I love the way the gorgeous butterflies and dragonfly heat emboss so clearly.

I dug through my older stash and the papers, flowers,
and even the black pearls were all from Prima Marketing.

The vow I made today is to educate myself more on my camera and the lighting process that causes the colors to look entirely different from what they are IRL.

It was frustrating today to try and get a photo when the yellows and golds were showing up differently on the embossed butterfly than on the ink stained flowers.

I had plenty of natural light in my little photo alcove and the white backdrop seemed bright enough. And it was too da!#&%#  hot in Phoenix to stand outside to

take a picture!

I found a great tutorial posted today by Debbie Carriere at My Favorite Things that I think addresses that very issue.  To see for yourself, go HERE!

In the meantime, I'm still working on the hubby for a new camera. If anyone has any suggestions for a good point and shoot SLR, please send them!
I am rather unhappy with my 3 year old Nikon Coolpix...constantly having to replace the AA batteries (doesn't use a special battery with a charger) and the settings are resetting themselves on their own.  hmmm...a haunted camera maybe? 

Well, based on the many number of times I've entered the SSD challenges,

the odds should be on my side to win soon! 

Wish me luck!

DCWV June Card Sketch Challenge!

The monthly Stack-A-holic card and layout sketch challenges at

DCWV

go until the end of the month,

so hurry and get yours in!

Here's my card!

I can truly call myself a "Stack-A-holic"!

DCWV papers are my "go-to" papers 90% of the time! 

They have a stack for almost any occasion!

Thanks for looking!

I must have food on the mind...

WOW!

Two posts in a row about eating!

I may want to look into that! LOL!

"Stampendous Impressions"

is having their monthly challenge, "SUMMER" for June,

and I HAD to stop what I was doing (laundry, housecleaning, cooking, etc.)

and make a card!

Isn't she adorable?

You can't really see it in the photo, but I glazed the melon with Glossy Accents so that it looks nice and juicy!  Yumm...like I said earlier, food on the brain!

Enjoy your summer, and check out the challenge at

Stampendous!

I just realized that it's after 12 noon.

Maybe that's why all the thoughts about food!

Gotta grab a bite!

Seafood craving?

It may be the heat of the summer,

or just that I've been dreaming of going back to

The Crab Pot in California for the past few weeks,

but this JustRite image was calling to me!

So, for the color challenge at

JustRite Inspirations,

I created this card.

(And yes, I would eat these adorable little guys in a heartbeat!)

I stamped the little crabs three times on my card piece and then stamped a fourth one to fussy cut and pop up on the corner.

 I used a combination of pattern papers and then spritzed the white cardstock with Distress Inks.

I added texture with the mesh, eyelets, and twine.

Supplies:

Stamp;  JustRite, "Oceanside Oval Medallion"

Papers; Graphic 45, "Botanicabella"; DCWV, "Tradewinds"

Markers; Copics

Inks; Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Entered into the challenge at
Stamptacular Sunday (color)
Totally Papercrafts (color)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading my post today!

Introducing my fellow NEW Stampendous Blog Stars!

Ta-da-da-da!   Drum roll, please!

 

Rhea Weigand

Passionate Paper Creations.

Tobi Crawford

 Tobi’s Place.

Asia King

Under a Creative Spell,

I am so excited to be working with these terrific gals, as well as the other members of the Stampendous teams!

Go to the Stampendous Impressions blog

to read more about these talented girls!

Great news!

I have something really terrific to announce!

I have been chosen to serve as a

Blog Star 

for

Stampendous Stamps!

This is something I have been wanting for some time!

I am so appreciative that Laura and the Blog Stars team are welcoming me as one of the four new design team members!

I will be posting more information later,

along with links to the other new girls' blogs!

You have seen me use many of the Stampendous products on my projects before.  They have the most gorgeous glitters and embossing powders, along with stamps, stickers, and storage! 

Just one of their amazing stamps, "Rose Corset"!

More to come!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jan

It's Show & Tell at Pike's Playground!

This month I have chosen to showcase (ta-ta-da-da!) one of the images from

Dustin Pike's new

Circus 12 release!

I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could use the very humorous, somewhat silly and adorable characters from Dustin's digital sets paired up with the more glamorous, vintage papers from Graphic 45. 

I hope you like it as much as I do!

The funny part is that the whole time I was coloring this image and designing my layout, I had the music from Madagascar 3, "Afro Circus", playing in my head...

Oooh, the trials and tribulations of having a 7 year old grandson!

The ornate headpiece that "Dumbo" is wearing is part of the scrap piece of trim that I used on the banner.

I had no idea when I purchased these little bicycle charm pieces what

I would use them for! Tied onto the tag with the twine,

it adds a bit of pizzaz to the card,

don't you think?

Hope you enjoyed sharing this self-imposed challenge with me today!

If you want some of Dustin's magnificent, hilarious, over-the-big-top

"CIRCUS 12 with Bonus images",

go here and grab them. 

At this price, you could make dozens of wonderful cards, no two alike!

Or better yet, become a Monthly Member,

and get everything as soon as it is released!

This card has been entered in the challenge at
Oldie but Goodie Challenge (Banners)
Crafter's Companion (Embellishments)

Inspired by "Sex in the City"!

This week's challenge at

"Do You Stack Up"?
is
"At the Movies"!

 OUR SPONSORS:

The Alley Way Stamps - http://www.thealleywaystamps.com/
* $20 Gift Certificate 



Tiddly Inks -  http://tiddlyinks.com/
* $12 Gift Certificate

I chose Alison's stamp, "Kitchen Gadgets" from The Alley Way Stamps

and wanted to portray the feeling of a

"GIRL'S NIGHT IN"

just like so many scenes from "Sex in the City"!

Grasshoppers all around?

I went with a more casual CAS card than my usual style, and really had fun with it!
I stamped and popped-up the blender, cutting the pitcher portion from some clear packaging and adding clear Glossy Accents to the glasses.

If you want to get this stamp set, just go to

"Alley Way Stamps"

where you can find all sorts of fun little sets!

And join in the challenge at Alison's blog to be eligible to win a free set of stamps!

Thank for joining us at DYSU!

Beach, anyone?

Greetings from Paradise!

As the temperatures here in Phoenix have been over 100 off and on for the past few weeks, we aren't getting out of our homes anymore these days than those of you who were stuck in 2 feet of snow last January! 

I trip to a beach, anywhere, sounds good to me right now!

I used the sketch this week and stamps from

Skipping Stones Designs

and made this card to send to someone JUST IN CASE I ever make to a beach! 

Yes, this is a "gloating" card!  As if I'll ever get the opportunity to send it!

I used the bra (bikini top) from the "Bras Volume 1" set,

 and my little beach bag is from "Birthday Purses",

which I understand is back in stock! 

I love embossing and paper piecing these little images.

I know Gucci isn't hunting me down for design ideas, but it's fun to pretend!

Notice the little matching beach throw hanging out of the bag, along with the white towel?  Hey, a girl has to be fashionable and well-protected from the sun!

I doubled-up on the tags so that the second could be personalized in some way,

(perhaps the name of this MYSTERY beach I well be visiting soon!)

Thanks for looking and, PLEASE, send some cooler weather!

I know many of you are asking for sunshine! Oh, but if only we could trade a bit of

sunny, hot weather for a bit of rain!

Supplies used:

Paper:  DCWV, "Citrus" matstack

Stamps:  Skipping Stones Designs

Tags:  K & Company

Ribbon:  JoAnn's

Embossing Powder:  Stampendous

Twine:  The Twinery

Take care, and have a Happy Father's Day!

Doodle Dragon's all tied up!

Yep, this week's challenge over at Dustin Pike's Playground is

"Tie me up!"

Now this could be taken in so many directions, and I'm sure many of you will seek out a very creative way to demonstrate this... haha! 

But this is what I came up with...

(I was feeling rather conservative today)

The card base is a step card that made it so simple to assemble once I had the image colored.  I trying to stick to my 10 minutes or less coloring rule...seems I do as well when I don't "over-think" it!  Thanks, Jennifer!

 This is definately a CASUAL card I made for a very casual couple!
These two folks are hilarious!

I LOVE the little monkey's puffy cheeks!

Another view of the step card layout.

I would suggest making up some of these bases in various colors,

and having them "at the ready"! 

They go together so quickly!

Well, have to get this one in the mail!

Go check out the rest of Dustin's hilarious images!

The new Circus set is the most adorable yet! Look for my post on Wednesday showing how a cutesy little elephant image pairs up nicely with Graphic 45 papers!

DYSU Challenge #76 - Man, oh Man!

 Our sponsors this week:

$15 Gift Certificate

Winner's Choice of 7 Images

Winner's Choice of 5 Digital Stamps (not from Sets)

My assignment image this week was from Wonderstrange.  They are a new sponsor for us, so it took me a bit of time to consider how I wanted to portray

 this stately gentleman.

A portrait was exactly what I decided upon!

I paper pieced his jacket and hat, and attached a "belt" with the clock tied onto it with black twine.

You can better see the background mat here:

I ran the black cardstock through my Cuttlebug with the Paper Studio embossing folder, "Croc Texture", and then clear heat embossed the entire thing to give it the masculine look of crocodile hide.

I felt that this would still make a fine Father's Day card, since Dad's everywhere truly are seen as the "man of the hour"!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!

Please leave a comment and become a follower, if you aren't already!

 I'm trying to make it to that 100 mark!

And go over to check out the rest of the DT's projects at

Do You Stack Up?!

And because of the specialty of the occasion, this card is entered in the challenges at

Art Impressions (Father's Day)
Fab n Funky Challenges (Father's Day)
Sentimental Sundays (Special guy)
Card Makin' Mamas (Father's Day)
PaperPlay Challenges (For a man/twine)
Crafty Creations (Use a charm)
Perfect Sentiments (For a Man/Color Challenge)
Crafts4Eternity(Dashing Dads)
Delicious Doodles (For the Fellas)

Rock On!

Hey, Dude!

I am so very proud of my grandson! 

He not only has continued his guitar lessons much longer than "Granma" would have thought, but he was in his first guitar recital a few weeks ago!

To get up on stage and perform in front of, well, dozens of people, is fantastic!

I felt that a card was in order to show him how happy and thrilled I was that he had continued this far!

This little image is from Some Odd Girl,and I think it perfectly represents my grandson and the pride he has in himself!  He loved it!
The metal embellishment is one I purchased at a scrap convention 2-3 years ago, never anticipating that I would have my own little "rock star" so soon!

Proudly entered in the challenges at
Sentimental Sundays (For a Special Guy!)
My Mum's Craft Shop Challenge (Clean and simple)
Ribbon Carousel (Sketch/applied to a step card!)
Here Come the Boys (More than one fold)
Some Odd Girl (Color)
Our Craft Lounge (Color)
Charisma Cardz (Male Card)
Delightful Challenge (For the Boys)
S J Crafts (All About the Boy)
Crafting for all Seasons (For a Man)