Thursday, April 29, 2010

Order of the Opus Gluei Celebrates Full Year of Challenges!

Stamp: Stampendous sentiment. Cardstock: Paper Studio DP, GP 110 white. Ink: Melon Mambo, Lovely Lilac. Accessories: Oval Nestabilities, SU scallop border punch, Stardust glitter pen, Melon Mambo dotted grosgrain ribbon.

Have you visited with the fun gals Jana and Rosemary (otherwise known as the Poobahs) over at the Order of the Opus Gluei yet? Every week they host a new challenge, often unusual and usually slightly off-the-wall, but always guaranteed to be a blast! How could they not be with the first line of the Opus Gluei oath stating, 'I hereby promise to avoid conventional thinking regarding the processes for the creative processes'?

This week's anniversary challenge #52 is to 'Make Something'. Take that challenge as you will; I went literally and finally posted this Braces Survival Kit I created from a Cutting Cafe Pencil Box template. I've been brainstorming the conversion ever since I won this fun template from Charlene (Paper and Ink Playground)'s blog months ago, actually completed it a few weeks ago, and finally posted it here!

Contents include tootbrush and mini tootpaste, chapstick, brush flossers, and a treat to ease the pain -- pixie stix!

Join in the fun by 'making something', admire other Opus Gluei groupies' creations, and be prepared to giggle your way through the Order of the Opus Gluei!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Midnight Madness Sketch #51: Dreams Take Flight

Once again, Midnight Madness Sketch #51 is "YOUR PICK". Make it fancy, clean and simple, or somewhere in-between. Remember to click on the sneak peek button on the side bar for the following weeks sketch each Friday.

"YOUR CHOICE"
Fancy:

CAS:

Enter one style or both this week.

Just have fun and come play with us :)

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

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Our MMSC50 Gold Star Award goes to...
18. Sue Drees

Our Remarkables Award this week goes to...
2. Valarie Florer
25. Leigh
35. charlene
37. Risa
39. Holly Miller
43. America

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Our MMSC50 Weekly Bonus Winner is...
22. Angela

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

Our MMSC51 weekly Bonus sponsor is.....


D' Amour Allure

Prize Details:

Vintage Vanities – Arabella Stamp

Vintage Vanities – Let the Trumpets Sound Stamp

Zva Creative – Fountain Crystals


D' Amour Allure stamps include vintage styles to character art.

Please browse the collections at our exclusive retailer, http://www.mcmahonfivedesign.com/

Thank you again Jeni for your wonderful prize :)

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

**Our April Monthly Sponsor is....

Sunflowers & Dragonflies
Click HERE to see this fabulous prize worth
well OVER $100
(this week is your last chance for this prize)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For this week's sketch, I went with the CAS version, but added a few extra touches like the popped up doves and Flowersoft accents. There's no punches, though -- the lace border is part of the DP!

Stamps: D'amour Allure 'Arabella', Papertrey 'Pond Life Sentiments'. Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, My Mind's Eye 'Garden Party' DP, GP 110 white. Ink: Copics. Accessories: Flowersoft, Stardust glitter pen.

Be sure to stop by the other Midnight Madness Design Team's blogs to admire their take on the sketch:
Carol
Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris

Darsie
Denise
Jeni
Linda
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Tracy




Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge# 43: Make a Wish!

Stamps: Digi image Lia Stampz 'Twink', Heidi Grace sentiment. Cardstock: Bashful Blue, black, My Mind's Eye 'party time' SP, GP 110 white. Accessories: Long rectangle Nestablilites, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, white flocking.

Tuesday Morning Sketch Challege #43 is sponsored by a brand new digi image company, Lia Stampz. Here's this week's sketch:


I had fun dressing up 'Twink' in flocked PJs and adding sparkle to coordinate with the glitter DP:

Be sure to admire the TMS Design Team's versions of this recipe:
Melissa
Theresa
Gabby
Angela
Hollyanne
Genetta
Then link up your creations HERE so we can admire your take on the sketch!


Thursday, April 22, 2010

Thanks, Mother Earth!

Cardstock: DCWV 'Eco Stack'. Accessories: coffee cup sleeve, scrap twill, SU sizzlit die 'Many Thanks'.

Happy Earth Day!

We've made several 'green' adjustments in our household over the past few years -- window film, replacing bulbs with CFLs, paying for recycling services, as well as the trying follow the eco mantra 'reduce, reuse, recycle'. This card covers a few of those recommendations:

Reduce: I decreased the layers and embellishments; who needs a lot extras with this gorgeous DP?

The twill is also a scrap I scavenged from another project. Here's a photo of my scrap bin; it's messy, but functional:



Reuse: the textured brown strip actually started out life as a coffee cup sleeve (made with recycled content). I know it would be even more green to bring my own mug, but there's a limit to how many items I can remember to bring while running errands!

Recycle: can you believe this DP is made with 70% recycled paper? I also keep a tub under my crafting desk to capture those paper bits too small to use; this gets emptied into the recycling bin when full.

Today also marks my last contribution to the Divine Influence blog. In honor of Earth Day, I've chosen to showcase one of my favorite eco-minded crafting blogs, Going Green Crafters & Artists. Be sure to stop by the Divine Influence to get a sample of the potential of the 3R's in the crafting world!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Midnight Madness Sketch #50: Celebration Cupcake!

**Be sure to check out this week's Tuesday Morning sketch HERE**
If you've visited my blog before, you already know that I am a fan of the Midnight Madness Sketches, so imagine how excited I was to be chosen as member of this amazingly talented Design Team! For the next three months, I'll be playing along with these gals and showcasing Priscilla's wonderful sketches!!

Also joining the team this month is Gunn of Ms. Plum's Place, so be sure to stop by her blog and admire her MMSC creations, too!


So let's jump right into Midnight Madness Sketch #50!!


Once again, it's "YOUR PICK" Make it fancy, clean and simple, or somewhere in-between. Remember to click on the sneak peek button on the side bar for the following weeks sketch each Friday.

Fancy:
CAS:
"YOUR CHOICE"
Enter one style or both this week.
Just have fun and come play with us :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Our MMSC49 Gold Star Award goes to...
28. America

Our Remarkables Award this week goes to...
1. Loz
26. pam124
29. Jorunn
36. Holly Miller

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our MMSC49 Weekly Bonus Winner is...
20. Peggy Elms
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Our MMSC50 weekly Bonus sponsor is.....
Gurlee Girl Craft Store has expanded to include the latest Magnolia Stamps, Prima Flowers, and of course my Gurlee Girl Stamps for your crafting need. Chelsea is looking forward to adding more wonderful craft products we all love to use on our projects. She only stocks a limited number of inventories for each item, and they will not be re-stocked, so please make sure to stop by and check out the latest items available now in her store now. Chelsea is giving our MMSC50 weekly bonus winner a $20 voucher for her store. Thank you Chelsea..we love your products and images.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Our April Monthly Sponsor is....
Sunflowers & Dragonflies
Click HERE to see this fabulous prize worth
well OVER $100
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My card ended up somewhere between the fancy and CAS sketch versions; I used the extra circles of DP, but bling was minimal -- just a bit of sparkle on the candle flame and word 'wish'. The daylight even cooperated to place a sunbeam right on the candle flame!

Be sure to stop by the other Midnight Madness Design Team's blogs to admire their take on the sketch:
Carol
Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris

Darsie
Denise
Jeni
Linda
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Tracy

Tuesday Morning #42: More April Birthdays!

Stamps: Magnolia 'Fairy Tale Tilda', Papertrey 'Green Thumb' sentiment. Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Old Olive, PTI 'Berry Sorbet', white, glitter DP. Ink: Memento, Copics, Melon Mambo. Accessories: Circle and oval Nestabilities, Sheer flower, gem, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, sheer ribbon, googly eyes.

This birthday celebrates the day my youngest daughter made her appearance; it's so hard to believe she is already nine years old! Although this Tilda is perfect for her (she's the type of kid who would dress up to go catch frogs), I couldn't quite get past the fact the original frog image had no eyes. The solution: add googly eyes and create an even more kid-friendly card!


Special thanks going out to my wonderful Secret Sis on Splitcoast Stampers, Momma Patti, who spoiled me with the majority of supplies used on this card!


Here's this week's Tuesday Morning Sketch:

This sketch was created by our very own Design Team member, Theresa, who is also sponsoring this week's sketch!

Be sure to admire the TMS Design Team's versions of this recipe:
Genetta
Then link up your creations HERE so we can admire your take on the sketch!

Last week was a slow blogging week due to family obligations, but today there will be two posts. Stay tuned for more exciting news! And just in case you didn't believe the comment about DD being a toad fan, here's a photo of her with her fellow amphibian fan:





Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tuesday Morning #41: Thanks a Bunch!

Stamps: Doodle Palace 'Teddy with Flowers', Hanna Stamps sentiment. Cardstock: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, 'Afternoon Tea', GP 110 white. Ink: Copics, Chocolate Chip. Accessories: Square Nestabilities, Martha Stewart Pink Sand blanket binding.

This week's challenge, hosted by Doodle Palace, is a recipe challenge to create a project featuring soft hues, ribbon, and flowers. Thanks to the Doodle Palace gals' generosity, I have this sweet digi bear image complete with flowers (thanks, Robin and Dee!). The Midnight Madness CAS sketch challenge #49 inspired the quilted background of 'Afternoon Tea'. Soft blues and peach in the DP coordinated perfectly with a Martha Stewart ribbon binding that also doubles as an almost-sheer ribbon!

Be sure to admire the TMS Design Team's versions of this recipe:
Genetta
Then link up your creations HERE so we can admire your take on the recipe challenge!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Christmas Sparkle in April?

Stamps: SU 'Snowflake', Papertrey 'Signature Christmas'. Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Basic Grey 'Figgy Pudding'. Ink: Real Red, Cool Caribbean, Versamark. Accessories: Winter Wonderland EP, Ribbon.

Spring has officially sprung and yet here I am creating Christmas cards! My goal is to keep ahead of the holiday crafting rush, so you'll have to forgive my winter theme.

Inspiration came from these awesome challenges:

1) Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge, week #18. The inspiration photo was cookies decorated as snowglobes (hence my snowflakes) and in a red and light blue color combo (isn't Cool Caribbean a holiday color??).

2) Order of the Opus Gluei challenged us to sparkle and shine with challenge #49, so I used my favorite sparkly EP (Winter Wonderland)



and fun, iridescent ribbon.

3) Last but certainly not least, is Fall-To sketch #85 with their always versatile and inspiring CAS sketches!

Now I'm off to enjoy some of this wonderful Spring weather!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Happy Birthday, Hollyanne!

Stamps: Sew Many Cards digi 'Toga Birthday', Papertrey 'Birthday Basics' sentiment. Cardstock: Melon Mambo, DCWV 'Party Time' glitter DP, Bashful Blue, GP 110 white. Ink: Copics, Melon Mambo. Accessories: Rectangle Nestabilities, SU Word Window punch, Martha Stewart scallop border punch. Melon Mambo dotted grosgrain ribbon, Stardust glitter pen.

Tuesday Morning Sketches is throwing a virtual birthday party for Melissa's daughter, Hollyanne, who is turning 12 today! You may have already seen cards by this talented gal featured on Tuesday Morning Sketches; she now has a blog of very own. Be sure to visit I {Heart} to Stamp to admire her work and wish her a very happy birthday!!

Here's this week's sketch:

There are even more reasons to celebrate today -- Melissa invited me to extend my March Guest Design Team to a full-time position. Congratulations also going out to Angela (Just Monkeying Around) who is joining the team!!

Be sure to join in the virtual birthday celebration and admire the TMS Design Team's versions of this sketch:

Then link up your creations HERE so we can admire your take on the sketch!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Peep Jars for Easter Gifts!


Need a quick hostess gift for Easter? Try these peep jars that kids love to help assemble. Here's the recipe; you just add each ingredient in order to a 1 quart canning jar:

1 sleeve of graham crackers, reduced to crumbs (fun with a rolling pin!)
8 bunny peeps, facing out
1/3 cup brown sugar (spoon inside bunny ring)
Fill remainder of jar with M & Ms

Attach label with baking directions:

Directions: Empty the jar contents into a bowl. Snip the bunnies to bits with kitchen shears or cut up with a knife. Return the bunny bits to the mixture and mix well. Melt 1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp. butter, add 1tsp vanilla. Pour over dry mixture; mix well. Pat into greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15 -25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Option 1: Leave bunnies whole; combine remaining
ingredients and place the bunnies on top. Bake as directed.
Option 2: Omit vanilla, bake and serve warm over ice
cream or use blender to mix with ice cream like a Blizzard.



Decorate the jar as desired; I used an image from my stamping buddy, Angela (Just Monkeying Around), that was colored by 13 year old DD for the topper. Didn't DD do an awesome job with the pencils and gamsol?



Goodbye, Saturday Spotlight!

As you may have noticed, there's no new Saturday Spotlight challenge today; that's because Miss Vicki, our amazing leader, has decided to take a blog break to focus on her family and family projects. Not only is a she talented and dedicated lady, but she also has her priorities in the right order!

I'll miss working with this wonderful Design Team. It's been an honor and a boatload of fun playing with all these talented, supportive, and friendliest-ever gals, but I (and you!) will be seeing them around -- there's way too much creativity and energy in this crew to stay hidden!

Take a peek at these blogs and see what these ladies have in store: