Enabler Alert

Hi All,

I don't have anything to show you today. Still working on some things. But, I wanted to share a few tips today. First, I just found this website for a new sketch challenge called Card Patterns. They are giving away a set of unity stamps that is pretty awesome. But read down on the post farther and you can see the awesome thing that Unity stamps is doing. They have a kit club for $24 a month. There is no obligation to buy each month either. PLUS they are giving away a free stamp set if you sign up for June's Club Kit. Pretty cool.

BUT.....that's not all. Go check out The Bubble Bin at My Favorite Things. They have 15 items in the bin this week. The Build a Bouquet starts it off at only $5.50. That's almost a $12 savings. Plus they have some other cute things. No purchases for me, but I wanted to pass on a bargain to my friends. Enjoy!

Let's Hear It.....

FOR THE BOYS! That is the challenge over at Stamptacular Sunday Challenge today. Make a card or project for a special "boy " in your life. I have to be honest and say that I didn't make this card with any special recipient in mind. OOPS! But I just loved this image from Digital Delights by Louby Lou and knew I had to use it. My card was super fun to make. I think I'll have to make another so that I can give this one away:) I almost gave this to my son's friend last night at his birthday party. However, it was a POOL party. The very thought of this getting wet.....ah...shivers. So I picked another card. Geesh! That sounds so selfish.


Here are a few things to note about this card. I used some digital paper called Beware of Boy over at The Digichick. Super fun papers too. My image is colored with prismacolor pencils, as well as, watercolor pencils. I paper pieced the base of the cupcake with some DCWV textured cardstock. My medallion at the top was created using this tutorial HERE. Those stars were from a set called Starring You by SU. I just stamped them in White craft ink, let them dry, then cut them out. They are filled in with stickles. Those wild, whirly things springing out from under the big star are just slivers of scrap paper that I wrapped around a pencil before adhering.

Here are the deets:
Stamps: Digital Birthday Ridley, Starring You, Short and Sweet
Ink: Basic black, White Craft
Paper: Artichoke DCWV, Kraft, Digital Beware of Boy
Other: Stickles, Scallop Circle Punch, Star Punch, dimensionals, ric rac, prismacolor pencils, watercolor pencils, baby oil


Now, don't forget to check out all the other Design Team members' cool projects. And most importantly have fun!

Our Sponsor this week is The Cutting Cafe. Good Luck!

Hope you have a beautiful day! Don't forget to check back with me this week. I've got a fun box to share:)

Another Post!

I just had to try and make another card for Dawn's Raspberry Suite Color combo. I was not happy with my original and ended up making TWO...count em'...TWO more cards. The one doesn't "qualify" really since I changed the vanilla color to white. However, it's my favorite card of the bunch.


Stamps:Verve Plain Jane and Anniversary Birds, Small Sayings (SU)
Ink: Choc Chip craft, Rose Red
Paper: Me and My Big Ideas DP, Kraft, Vanilla
Other: Scallop Circle Nesties, Cuttlebug, paper piercer, ribbon, Flowers, Build A Brad, dimensionals

Stamps: Say It With Scallops
Ink: Pink Passion, Choc Chip
Paper: Kraft, MMBI DP, White
Other: Buttons, American Crafts Brown Grosgrain, Embroidery Floss, Ric Rac, Signo Gel Pen, Scallop Square punch, dimensionals, scalloped edge punch

For this last card, I created my own scalloped rectangle and then mounted it on a scrap of folded kraft that was left over from my very first card. Love using scraps. That brown ribbon on the top card is also a scrap. That just makes me happy. What will make my husband happy is if I emerge from the basement and head outside. Funs over:) See you tomorrow!

Raspberry Suite 8

Good Morning All! It's so beautiful today! We have plans to spend the day outside in the garden. After popping popcorn for about 5 hours in a basement yesterday, I am ready for the sun:) I had to make this card though. I actually had an idea as soon as I saw this color combo. So this morning I woke up thinking about this card at about 5am. Yep....on a Saturday. So down I headed to the basement and as usual the idea didn't come out like I thought. My card is so simple. However, it took me about 2 hours. CRAZY! Nothing worked for me today. I had the card almost done and I made a wrong cut and had to start over. I had to start this card over about 4 times. If I had originally had this sketch in my head I'm sure it would have only taken me a half hour. The great thing, though, is I got to really ink up my new stamp set from SU. Almost every stamp got inked. Not all of it appeared on this card necessarily. Also, I decided to send this to my sister. She is in the process of buying her very first home EVER! So excited for her. I know she will appreciate my labor of love.

Here is the "simple beast" I created for the Raspberry Suite Color combo


Stamps: Friends 24-7 (SU), Inkadinkado's Chelsea sentiments
Paper: Kraft, Rose Red, Vanill
Ink: Rose Red, Creamy caramel, Choc. Chip, Sahara Sand
Other: Nesties Labels 4, sponge, aqua painter, ribbon (walmart), Fiskars punch, stickles, dimensionals

Hope you have a great weekend. Check back tomorrow for a STAMPTACULAR SUNDAY CHALLENGE!

Flowers For You

Hey there! Thanks for stopping in today. TGIF!!! Today is "popcorn day" for me. I'm heading to the school this morning to pop popcorn for the elementary school. It's my last "volunteer" thing for the school year. Woohoo. It's really a pretty easy fundraiser. I've affectionately become known as " The Popcorn Lady." ( there are worse things to be called, I guess) The perks are: 1. I always know that I have a secure future working for a movie theatre 2. The kids LOVE me 3. My husband loves popcorn and me smelling like it, well....let's just say it isn't a bad thing;)

Speaking of movies, I have been to the theatre 3 times in a month and TWO of those movies were actually "adult films." No, not like THAT! I just mean they didn't have animated characters. I really can't remember the last time I have been to the theatre for something over the age of PG-13.

So let me give you my review:

1. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.....wait for DVD


2. Angels and Demons....this was really entertaining for me. I enjoyed it and it's not really
"my kind of movie." It's worth a trip to the theatre.

3. UP...... this is a MUST SEE. Such a sweet, emotional, funny story. Believe it or not, it may make you cry. This was my favorite flick out of the three. I guess I should just stick to the animated films. I'm really just a kid at heart anyways.

Ok, that's my week in review. Now onto my card. Super simple best describes this card.


I got this digital paper for free last week when I donated to the "Stamp Out Alheimer's" fun. I got several free things. I wish I had been able to have more fun with that great fundraiser, but free digital paper was a bonus. My family has been affected by this awful disease. It's hard to witness on all levels. This event raised over $6,000! This paper was called Flip Flop. I was unable to locate it. The website is Sweet Shoppe Designs. They have some cute digital paper. I have a few other things to point out. I used Shimmerz on the flowers that were stamped twice and cut out. I also added stickles to each flower center on the DP. This card took about 30 minutes to make. The longest part was waiting for the stickles to dry and I didn't do such a great job of that:) I also embossed the white base with my cuttlebug just along the bottom edge.

I think I've jabbered enough this morning. Hope you have a beautiful day!

Stamps: Floral Symphony (Verve), Sweet Chocolate (My Cute Stamps)
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Summer Sun, Choc Chip
Paper: White, Digital, Wild Wasabi
Other: Soft Subtles Brads, Stickles, Kaiser Pearls, Shimmerz. horizontal slot punch, dimentionals, scalloped edge punch, paper piercer, Wild Wasabi ribbon, swiss dots embossing folder, cuttlebug

Mojo Monday Sketch Congrats!

Please check out my post HERE to see how you can Make A Child Smile and win some blog candy:)




It has been ages since I have actually finished a Mojo Monday Challenge card.....on time! Even this one doesn't make me very happy:( I really liked it til I decided to distress the edges. I got a little heavy handed. Do you ever do that? Get a card done and add one more thing.....and then ruin it? I wanted to make another one, but I don't have enough supplies. I know sometimes people rip theirs apart and start over. How do you do that without ruining the stuff is what I want to know. I put so much adhesive onthere is no way the whole thing could be dismantled intact. So, here is what we have. It's still cute though. How can you not love those bunnies from VERVE. This card is for my neighbor. She just had a little girl. I now officially have all the things I need to head over and see her cute little bundle of joy.

I used some free paper by The Digichick called Sugarplum. I also tried my hand at watercoloring again. Still working on that. I was hoping to give this card a bit of a vintage feel.

More details:
Stamps: Practically Perfect
Ink: Brown Memento, Taken with Teal, Pink Pirouette, Rose Romance, Creamy Caramel, Choc Chip, Tim Holtz Distress ink
Paper: Sugarplum, Watercolor, White, Vanilla
Other: Kaiser Mocha Pearls, MM Lace, Sizzlet Swirl, Cuttlebug, Stickles, Aqua painter,Sponge, paper piercer, Button, organdy ribbon, embroidery floss

Make sure you check out the Mojo Sketch this week cause they have some free Verve stamps up for grabs. Good Luck!

Blog Hop Challenge Winner and Some more Challenge Blog Candy Available

Good Morning! Sorry for such a late post. Things just didn't happen the way I planned today. I'm sure you can relate. First, I wanted to thank you all for participating in my challenge yesterday! Wow! It sounds like we had around 50 cards that were made to be sent to Make a Child Smile. That's truly AMAZING! I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's comments about their summer fun.

I found out this morning that Michelle was the winner of my blog candy. Michelle, Congrats! I will get that in the mail to you ASAP. Enjoy and thank you! You can view Michelle's card to Kole HERE.

Her card is so stinkin' cute!

Michelle's comment about her summer fun is this:

Michelle Redman said...

Hey Nikki, I have a card in mind I am going to create take make a child smile!! What an awesome thing to do!!

My fav summertime thing to do is hanging out with my girls!! Going to Disney, Adventure Landing (our waterpark here in Jacksonville, Fl), the pool, the beach, etc. If you can't tell we enjoy being out in the sun all summer!!

Awesome cards!!
Have a great day!!
Michelle

Now, don't get upset if you didn't win yesterday. I have more blog candy up for grabs today.


The SU container holds a bunch of embellishments. I just filled it with an assortment of buttons, brads, bling and chipboard elements. So continue making the cards this week for Make a Child Smile and add your link to the card you made on your blog here so we can all check it out and smile. Don't forget to read the Do's and Don't Section on the Make a Child Smile website . Only fun, cheery cards, ok?

FOR ALL YOU INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWERS: You may choose a similar site for your area if you like. Just let me know what the site is in your post and link your card back here. One in the UK is Postpals.




You have until MIDNIGHT ON SATURDAY, JUNE 6th. You can enter as many times as you like. Just make sure you have a NEW card each time. Cards made for yesterday's challenge will not be allowed to enter this chance at blog candy. Have fun and Good Luck! I will post the winner next Sunday:)

Here is the card I made for Kole.

I used some digital paper and a digital stamp by Dustin Pike that you can download for Free Here. Image is colored in with Prismacolor Pencils and baby oil. I also like to take my SU ink and a blender pen over the top to add some depth. I hope you have a fabulous day!