Cuttlebug Challenge : "Butterflies and Hearts - Be Inspired #32"

Was I ever happy and excited to see the Cuttlebug Challenge this week at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog...because I am loving my Sizzix Beautiful Butterflies die...

I have been enjoying participating in Ruths's All White Swap ...and together with my SCS pal Sue...we have enjoyed ourselves so much that we currently have 11 spots in the swap..

When you are using only white..detail and interest come from layering... texture..embossing...dimension...

Being involved with this swap has been inspiring..and has led me in the direction of exploring the possibilities that exist when you incorporate a mixture of embossed patterns...using die cut shapes..and embossing them as well..layering them..and using dimensionals ....all of which can create depth and interest without the use of color...I think that the greatest tool for creating all white cards is the Cuttlebug...

When I'm not creating all white cards...my Bug gets a daily workout...but since my involvement with this swap..my poor little Bug is working overtime...and so have all of my folders..

For this particular challenge (#32), I went back to a card that I created for Ruth's swap...I played with it a bit..switched things up....more butterflies..less butterflies...small butterflies..a larger butterfly....thoughts of using heart(s)...this embossing pattern and folder/that embossing folder..different border and corner punches...
you name it..i tried it...
but I kept coming back to my original sketch and details...because nothing felt as "right"...

and so this is my Cuttlebug Challenge #32 card....

it was as much fun to make this time around..as it was the first time...

Wow! Where did this week go?

Wow!

I have no clue as to where this week has gone to...

I have been TRYING to de-clutter my crafting life..(specifically my card-making life).....and spent much of this week, so far, puttering around with my "things"..cleaning up...cleaning out..and reorganizing a bit..I've made significant progress..but as my friend Louise's dad would say....my accomplishment is "a bucket of sand out of Coney Island"

and so...the "job" continues..one bucket of sand at a time...

I did find time to make a few cards...and have been relaxing..coloring some images....using the watercolor pencil and baby oil technique....(of which i am a HUGE fan of..by the way...)

Gary has been busy too..and so this week's Inspirations Video is a few days late...but well worth waiting for...because I think that the cards that my niece Simone provided for this weeks video are gorgeous!...I think that you'll agree...

Thanks to my niece Simone..for providing the cards for the video.....and thanks to Gary for putting together another fun video....xoxo
*Don't forget to scroll all the way down to turn off the playlist sound so that the music doesn't override the video music

Thanks for visiting....Enjoy!

Last of the White on White Swap Cards

Whew!

I FINALLY found some time for cardmaking...and thought I'd utilize the time to make the #10 card for Ruth's All White Swap...

I recently ordered/received the Sizzix Bigz XL Baby carriage die and wanted to use it....and so this Baby Carriage Card is the first things I've created with this die...
(I am already having visions dancing in my head for the next time I use this die...and am thinking of using some pretty prints to piece together the carriage..

It's always fun mixing embossed patterns on one card...and so I used the CB Textile Textures and Swiss Dots embossing folders (my 2 all time fav folders I think) .
I also used this card as an opportunity to make and use some little flower buds that I enjoy making with a quilling tool and punched out circles of card stock....they're easy to make...and the possibilities are endless with regard to colors and patterns etc..
in this case tho...I was doing an all white card...so the flowers are white as well..and have a dab of Crystal Stickles in the center (hard to see in this pic..I know)

If you're looking at the carriage hood and wondering which embossing folder that is(?)...
well..it's one of the new embossing folders from Quickutz...I recently ordered 10 of them..and have to say..they're ALL very oo-la-la-ish!

And finally..I wanted to gussy up the carriage a little bit...beyond embossing..yet didn't think that *bling was the way to go...so I added tiny drops of ranger Liquid Pearls...in Opal... to the embossed pattern on the carriage hood.

This being my last All White Swap Card..I am now looking forward to working with color again...and some of the gorgeous DSP that I have ..that has been neglected lately!
But I can't let this post end without saying that the All White Swap was so much fun...and has left me knowing that all white cards will always be part of my repertoire... something that I enjoy creating...

Thank's Ruth for a fun swap that really nurtured creativity!

Cuttlebug Challenge Blog Entry

OOooo-la-la...

Have you visited the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog lately? (it's one of my fav hangouts!)

Challenge #30 is a "Weddings Challenge"...

This card is my entry...

I had made this card for the White on White swap I am doing...and it immediately came to mind for this Challenge...
When I made the swap cards..I forgot to make an extra card to save for myself....so I made another..following the sketch etc of the card I did for the swap...

I am a Cuttlebugging lunatic..so it was fun making this card again...especially after not making cards for about a week...

By the way..I still have card #10 to do for Ruths All White Challenge..

...if you are liking the look of all white cards..come and join us at that swap..and don;t forget to visit the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog..the inspiration you'll find there is amazing!

Happy Mother's Day (a day late!)..and a Weekly Inspirations Video

This past week was a hectic one for me...with little time for creating...or posting to my blog...and little time to browse my favorite blogs to see what everyone else has been up to...

so...although a day late...I'd like to say...Happy Mothers day to everyone..
I hope that your day was as nice as mine..
Gary and Chelsea truly made my day special...(they totally indulged me with taking me to a local LSS a few towns away..
I'd never been there before..and loved browsing and treating myself to more than a few goodies!....then...we had dinner out..and then a nice relaxing night at home...

I would like to take one moment and a small piece of my blog to remember my mom who passed away on March 29th...this was our first Mother's Day without my Mom...without her insisting that I do not buy her a gift....without her appreciating a card..or mini scrapbook of cherished pictures I'd made her....or (pretending) to be upset that we DID buy her a gift...and the first year of me not stopping at my favorite little nursery here in town to pick up a beautiful plant for my Mom..who had the magic touch with plants and flowers...(I obviously DID NOT get that gene from her..because I am dubbed the "plant murderess"...in other words..if it's green? and alive?....and you'd like it to stay that way(?)..you won't want to give it to me..
This was also a Mother's day without me (jokingly)reminding my Mom that she is the luckiest Mother in the world..because I am her daughter (haha)....to which her response would always be.....

"Oh I'm the luckiest Mother twice..because I have 2 beautiful children"...(meaning my brother Michael and I)....I'd then say..."you're right Mom..but I was the cuter baby"...we'd crack up laughing and then she would always follow by reflecting and reminiscing about where the years had gone..because she felt like it was just yesterday that she gave birth to her children...

I guess this was our little "thing"..because we had this conversation for years...

but despite the huge void left by my Mom's absence..my day was a nice one...and for this..I am grateful..

...thank goodness....my niece Simone is continuing to "save the day" for me by generously providing pics of her cards for the Weekly Inspirations video...

Each week she wows me with what she has created...and with so little time to make cards myself..seeing what she has done makes me REALLY wish I had a block of time to get out my "things" and immerse myself in some card making...

so... for now..I'll enjoy seeing what Simone is making..and will grab some inspiration from her....as I hope you do, when you watch this video!

..and as always..thank you Simone for providing the card pics...and xoxo to Gary..for taking the time to put together the weekly video..

**remember to scroll down to my Playlist and mute/turn off the volume so that the Playlist music doesn't override the video music

Keeping Busy.....and saying Thank You

It's so nice to be back and posting on my blog...after a few days of being side-tracked with lots of other things...

...sadly I haven't had time to create...but I have been working on the Card-a-Thon...and reorganizing my own "stuff"...

The donations for the Card-a-Thon have all been wonderful! Every package , box and envelope that I have received has been filled with so many wonderful, beautiful and useful donations for the Card-a-Thon...

It's been a while since I've posted a donation pic..and said thank you...I've got quite a bit of catching up to do with regards to words of thanks..and pictures...

So today I'm sharing what Joan (a scs friend) has donated...

Joan!...everything that you sent is fantastic!..so many great embellishments..ribbon...and the BIG stack of card fronts will be so useful in helping give a "head start" to volunteers who aren't card-makers ..so that they , too, will be able to put together some terrific cards that day!

Thanks so much Joan....your donation is super! Your name is now added to the sidebar over here ~~~> ....where you will be listed in the good company of others who have generously donated to the Card-a-thon!

I've also received such nice little surprises from some scs friends who have added a little something extra to the things they are sending me for swaps and PIFS etc....so I'd like to say thank you to...Sue..Mary...Ellie and Manda...

Thanks so much for the embellishments! They're all wonderful!..and it's with pleasure that I add your names to the right sidebar...( over here~~~>)
with others who have been so kind in sending in donations!

If you're thinking of sending a donation for the Card-a-Thon...please email me at LovesStampin@aol.com..

The specific needs right now are:

Adhesives
(DS tape in dispensers...runners..runners and refills
dots of all sorts..small mini large 3-D)

A2 cards: cut and scored...made from light colored cs

Stacks of cut DSP and cs...all colors and styles..cut to 4 x 5 1/4 (for base mat layers on card fronts

COLORED IMAGES: matted on a Nestie mat or a punched mat layer of cs

This Weeks Inspirations Video

It's Sunday!

Which means it's time for the Weekly Inspirations video!

You know the drill....

Scroll all the way down to my play list...turn off the music on my blog so that it doesn't override the video music...

Then sit back and enjoy this weeks Inspirations...

Simone... what you've created for this weeks Inspirations.....is absolutely beautiful! Thank you!

Thanks for visiting...enjoy the video..and thank you Gary, as always, for doing a great job!

The Cutest Little Purse You've Ever Seen!

Is this purse not THE cutest little purse you've ever seen?

This Sizzix die cuts the purse (without embossing..of course), as well as an insert page.
It makes a great little purse-card...or if you use multiple insert pages..you can make a mini book...

I cut the purse in SU So Saffron cs and them embossed it with one of the Texturz plates
The vine is also a Sizzix die...cut in Certainly Celery..and the flowers are layered with DSP punches from the SU Boho Blossoms punch...(I'm always making these flowers it seems...probably because with a little DSP..you can make flowers to match your project in a flash!)

This was a fun and different card project to make.....and so... I'm going to share it with the ladies at next weekend's Workshop/Crop..and allow them the opportunity to have fun using the Big Shot....Texturz plates...dies and punches to create their own purse card!

(For some reason..the color of the purse in the insert pic is wayyyy off.....the photo of the purse is a better reflection of what a beautiful color co So Saffron truly is.)

Jackie's Wonderful Blog and Candy too!

When you have a sec..take a spin to Jackie's Blog....to see what she's created.....post a comment..and have a chance to win her terrific Blog Candy...

You'll love her layouts...her beautiful cards...pics of her adorable kids..and her blog tunes...

...so scoot....skidaddle....go....now....

You'll be glad that you did!

Wow! What a Wonderful Surprise!

A few weeks ago ...a SCS friend, Heidi, invited me to join a Paper Craft Planet Group... KL Stampin n Scrappin Girls..and suggested that I enter one of my cards in a challenge there...

I have to say..PCP intimidates me..for some odd reason I know my way in and out of SCS....and I zip from place to place on SCS without a problem....but I just cannot find my way around PCP at all..I have a hard time navigating that site....and...IF I DO find something I was looking for..chances are...I won't know how to find my way back to it...I have no sense of direction on PCP...

I did join the group tho..and i DID need some guidance from Heidi with uploading my photo of the White on White Flower Pot to the correct challenge folder.... (suffice it to say..she is a kind and patient person.)

Well....the cards in the challenge were ALL absolutely wonderful...the kind that "knock your socks off"....I found them to be inspiring..as well as beautiful...and I also liked the group itself..nice chatter..friendly atmosphere....

and so I've been visiting there often..and have begun to find my way around PCP..

This morning..I found out that my White on White Flower Pot card is the winner of the April Challenge that Heidi was hosting there...the prize.......a Magnolia Stamp (YAY!!) and a Cuttlebug Folder (YAY!!).....were offered by Kelly of KL Stampin n Scrappin Store

So off I went to their website...where I had coincidentally filled a shopping cart last night (while I was up all night because I couldn't sleep).....filling a cart wasn't difficult with the stamps they have in stock and some wonderful adorable pro-order items....everything that Kelly offers at her web store is fantastic!..so if you haven't been there yet...go HERE..to see what she has to offer!

Thank you Kelly for choosing my card as the winner this month for a fun challenge...its always fun winning and receiving goodies...but for me..the true elation comes in knowing that something that I have created is loved and appreciated by others....

Thank you Heidi for inviting me to the group and the challenge...and Kelly for acknowledging my creativity!