Basic Jess

Hello Deerie

2012-01-08T12:09:00.003-05:00

Even after the holidays I find myself reaching for Punch 312. The snowy season has barely started where I live so why ignore the punch until next Christmas. On this card I punched the corners of a small square piece of paper to create panel for mounting my stamped images on. Combining the punched and stamped snowflakes adds extra interest and as I often do I highlighted the images with a touch of bling. I admit the colors are a little Christmas-y but I know a few people who would enjoy a winter pick me up hello like this.

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T17:34:00.005-05:00

I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season and wishing you a wonderful new year! As a teacher this season has been especially busy, helping the kids prepare gifts and holiday items to share with their families. Also I've been battling a cold for well over a month. Luckily I have the next week off so hopefully I can rest up and maybe do some crafting. The card above was made with Kreaxions Punch 312 and Basic Grey Nordic Holiday.

Happy Winter

2011-12-09T12:17:00.001-05:00

I hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly. I have some shopping done but not much else. I won't be getting my tree until next weekend but one of the most fun parts of the season is pretty much complete. Making Christmas cards! I used 312to create two different borders for the card above. The top border is technically the "trash" left over when you punch the bottom border, but why let such a pretty detail go to waste. I even added the negative from the border as a snowflake embellishment on the picture card. I love that elements created with Kreaxions punches can add detail and intricacy to cards even when they aren't the focus of the design. Remember punches are one sale and at $11.99 Punch 312 would be a great companion for winter card making this year and every year to come.

Happy Black Friday

2011-11-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! For everyone who went black friday shopping I hope you got what you wanted. For my card today I used Punch 311 to make a simple Thanksgiving card. I decided to go with a bit of an unconventional color scheme but I love the way Punch 311 goes with the Stella Rose collections.One way I like to draw attention to the beautiful patterns of the punches is to add gems or glitter.

Lawnscaping Challenge 21

2011-11-16T21:13:00.004-05:00

I got my first Lawn Fawn stamp sets about a week ago using some birthday money. I don't usually order scrapping goodies online but I've been eyeing Lawn Fawn stamps for so long and the shipping is quite reasonable so I finally broke down and bought two sets. I treated myself to Critters in the Forest and Critters in the Snow because well her critters are too cute. I used both sets here and created the card for the Lawnscaping Challenge to make a thank you card. I was inspired by guest designer Jennifer McGuire's card that used a snowman since it snowed here even before October was over. I also used Kreaxions new Punch 312 which features snowflakes. Paper is Cosmo Cricket's Mitten Weather.

Circle Cutter to the Rescue

2011-09-15T19:48:00.002-04:00

I used to dread and avoid any card sketch that used circles. Before the Kreaxions Circle Cutter, I always cut circles by hand because I had never found a circle cutter I liked. However when I saw this week's CPSsketch I was not intimidated at all. My circle cutter made it super simple and the Crown Punch 611 was a perfect embellishment. I love how the standalone punches can make a quick accent that coordinates with the paper line you're using.

Punches to Match Your Style

2011-08-07T08:58:00.006-04:00

Sharing my Kreaxions post from Friday...

With so many great Kreaxions punches to choose from it may be hard to decide which one to add to your collection next. While I love my wide collection of punches I think that some punches lend themselves to particular styles really easily. For instance the punch I used on today’s project (Punch 916) is perfect for vintage and shabby chic styles. Punch 306 is perfect for fun and cute styles and Punch 907is perfect for people who have a clean and simple style. Of course there are punches like Punch 604 which work for every style but matching punches to your style will mean they are well loved and well used. Explore the shop to find other punches that work with your style.

In this post I've added the inside of the card as well. It does not feature Kreaxions punches but has some lovely bird stickers and a pop up feature.

A Special Birthday Card

2011-08-03T20:48:00.004-04:00

I wanted to create a special birthday card for my younger cousin who turned 19 on Monday. I fell in love with Trin Harreita's cupcake card when I first saw it and I thought it would be fun to recreate for my cousin. I tried to put a bit of my own spin on it by folding the paper for the cupcake liner and adding a bling cherry to the top for a fun finishing touch. Summer is quickly coming to an end. Next week I'll be finishing up my summer job and then be back at school to start setting up my classroom. Where did the time go?!

Two Cards from One Awesome Prize

2011-07-29T15:18:00.004-04:00

I was extremely lucky to win a prize hosted by Sassafras and Vicki Boutin at Moxie Fab that contained the Ellie's Tale line. I love elephants and Sass and so this huge generous prize package really brightened my day last week. I sat down to create with it and made the two cards you see here but also a LO which I might share in the future (so much more work to take a pic of those). One card is made with the CPS sketch and the other with the Card Patterns sketch. You can see that things got a little messy when I tried to add enamel accents to the elephant's eye and I tried to fix is by adding eyelashes but it's still pretty messy. But handmade cards are subject to human error and I think the elephant's cuteness makes up for my mess.

A Card to Share

2011-07-26T22:43:00.001-04:00

I created this card with this month's kit from my local scrapbook store Scrappers Cove. Love their $5 kits because you get a great value and a chance to play with things you might not have bought otherwise. This month featured the Twig line from Little Yellow Bicycle. I made this card with last week's CPS sketch.

I recently visited the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA. I got to meet Eric Carle himself and get a few books signed. I loved his books as a kid and love to teach with them still so it was a pretty exciting day for me. I made a quick collage in the museum's studio to share with my kids when we study Eric Carle in the fall.

Mail-able Cards with Kreaxions Punches

2011-07-24T17:17:00.003-04:00

Like many of you cardmakers out there I love to send handmade cards. Unfortunately it can be quite expensive to mail them and cards with any dimension often mean a special trip to the post office to make sure you have the right postage and if you mail in a square envelope it will cost you extra as well. I don’t say this to discourage you, but instead because I think Kreaxions punches offer opportunities for us cardmakers to add great detail while still keeping cards easy and cheap to mail. On my card I’ve used Punch 916, Punch 604, and the circle cutter, but have done a fair bit of layering to add dimension without the bulk that requires extra postage. A few other tips for mail-able cards. Faux stitching will keep your card flat and is much faster. Also, I find it best to make a few cards for each occasion that are flat for mailing so that way you don’t have to worry about being inspired during crunch time because mailed cards always need a few extra days to get there. Have fun adding dimension without bulk with your Kreaxions punches!

Clean and Simple Stamping 148

2011-07-12T19:29:00.001-04:00

I love the idea of clean and simple cards but I also love to use lots of patterned paper so sometimes its hard to achieve. I have tried with the sketch from Clean and Simple this week. The papers are My Mind's Eye and the stamps are Hero Arts.

Card Patterns Sketch 123

2011-07-12T19:22:00.001-04:00

It's been great to have some time off although I do have a part time summer job. But still I have time for scrapping and for catching up on some reading. My card is for the Card Patterns sketch and uses papers from My Mind's Eye. I know that many manufacturers are releasing new lines but there are still ones from last CHA that are new to me like this one that I'm excited to have.

Can't Use Just One

2011-07-08T09:56:00.001-04:00

When I started this card I had just planned to use the star template and Punch 305 but unsurprisingly when you have all the lovely Kreaxions products sitting out in front of you it’s hard to use only a few. I wound up layering the punched star template on a circle cut with the circle cutter and then on the base of the card I punched the corners with Punch 916 and punched a butterfly for an accent. I love that their products are designed to work so easily together. I encourage you to play along with our July challenge. On my next post later this month you will see my take on the challenge.

Happy Summer Everyone!

2011-07-08T09:54:00.002-04:00

The school year finally ended last Thursday. I loved the experience I had and am so excited to be teaching kindergarten next year but I never did get the hang of maintaining my crafting or my blogging while dealing with the job and commute. I’m hoping some summer downtime will allow me to play along in a few challenges and catch up on some fabulous bloggers. I’m still designing for Kreaxions and you can see some of their fabulous products featured in my cards today but unfortunately I had to leave my spot with Die Cuttin Divas because I just didn’t think I was giving them my best. Anyway, happy summer everyone! I look forward to sharing with you and checking out your blogs.

Just Imagine/Kreaxions Blog Hop

2011-06-11T00:01:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Just Imagine Crafts / Kreaxions Punches BLOG HOP

Date: Saturday June 11th 12:01am EST - Sunday June 12th 10pm EST ***all day Saturday and Sunday. Winner to be chosen by Monday PM

That gives you all weekend to join us, blog hop and play along with the amazing DT who are ready to inspire you especially now that we are well into June... kids almost done school, flowers popping, planning those special summer holidays... and our Theme: Summertime ( anything goes) will be so much FUN.

Be sure to have a scrap of paper while you hop to write down the number of your favourite Punch.. when you finish the hop and return to Just Imagine Crafts you get an additional ballot when you list it in the comments section. We would love to hear what you think.

My project for the hop is a simple summer hello card using Kreaxions Punch 913 and the Kreaxions Circle Cutter.

Be sure to join and comment on my blog for a chance to win the punch I used. Punch 913.

Also if you play along and follow our rules for the June Challenge (add link) and post your project this weekend during the blog hop time allotted ... you get an extra ballot to the main draw.

If you didn't start at the beginning of the blog hop be sure to because you don't want to miss out on any of the added fun surprizes.

Order of hop:

1. Just Imagine Crafts

2. Angela

3. Barbara

4. Ginni

5. Jess you are here

6. Linda

7. Lisa

8. Stephanie

9. Valerie

10. Wendy

11. Gina

12. Bev

13. finish at Just Imagine Crafts

Hope you had fun ... we sure enjoyed having all of you visit us. Thanks everyone and have a great weekend.

Now you should go and finish off at Just Imagine Crafts.

A Card from a LO Sketch

2011-06-10T18:55:00.001-04:00

Bev provided us with an awesome sketch for the June challenge. Even though the sketch was meant for a LO I adapted for my card. I created this card using Punches 913 and 907 along with my circle cutter. I adore the way 907 adds an ever so subtle touch to the corners of panels. I used the border feature of 913 to create the simple little tabs from the sketch.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 17

2011-05-31T19:01:00.004-04:00

I hoped everyone has enjoyed Memorial Day weekend. This week challenge at Die Cuttin Divas is to use creepy, crawly things on your project! I used Garden of Words cartridge to create this super simple bookmark.

CPS #219

2011-05-28T19:02:00.000-04:00

Loved the simple but timeless sketch at CPS this week. I interpreted the sketch wide. Here’s my take with some new to me Sassafras Applejack papers.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 16

2011-05-24T18:09:00.001-04:00

This week at Die Cuttin Divas we want to see some celebration cards! Such as a party hat or a gift cut. My card was created with the Sweet Treats cartridge and features Krexions Punch 907 as well.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 15

2011-05-17T18:10:00.004-04:00

Here's my card for this week's Die Cuttin Divas challenge. This week's challenge is to use a "Masculine" cut on your card! Fishing, ATV's, BBQ, etc... be sure to use masculine colors too ladies! I can't wait to see all your lovely projects this week. Also this week I'm happy to tell you there's a few new additions to the Die Cuttin Diva's DT Team and I encourage you to check out their work on the blog.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 14

2011-05-11T19:04:00.000-04:00

Here is my card for this week's Die Cuttin Divas challenge. The theme this week is travel cuts. I used Cosmo Cricket's Joyride collection for my card. Can't wait to see what you make!

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 13

2011-05-04T20:19:00.003-04:00

Here's my card for the latest Die Cuttin Divas sketch challenge. The blog may be changing hands but the challenges will keep coming and be just as fun so come play along. The punched elements along the card was created with Kreaxions Punch 907 and the little flowers are from Punch 913.

Jingle Belles

2011-05-02T16:50:00.004-04:00

As some of you may know this week's challenge at Jingle Belles is mine and so I had a card done a few weeks in advance but I didn't get to play along last week. I was cleaning out my cabinet when I discovered this printed cardstock that was inserted in a bath gift set as part of the packaging and thought immediately of the Jingle Belles recycled challenge. I like the green and the classic design so I cut a simple tag with my Cricut and then layered some stickers and ribbon with the tag to create a simple card. I have enjoyed looking at the cards for this week's challenge so far and know its going to be hard to pick only a few cards to highlight. Remember because the whole idea behind this challenge is I have too many Christmas embellies, I am offering a pack of rub-ons for a random participant.

Jingle Belles 18

2011-04-29T09:22:00.001-04:00

This week I'm honored to be guest designing for Jingle Belles. I've loved playing along since the beginning (though recent weeks I've been a little late with getting there). So here's my prompt, I’ve loved playing along with Jingle Belles and each week looking through my Christmas crafting supplies I realize I have lots of random embellishments that I bought during after Christmas sales that don’t necessarily match up with patterned paper, but I still adore. So I thought why not make a card with just embellishments and no patterned paper and my challenge was born.

Looking through my Christmas embellishments I decided to play with these Maya Road rub-ons which I have a hard time using with patterned paper because of the color palette. I thought they would really stand out on the silver cardstock and added some gems from Studio 18 to accent the rub-ons. The background, sentiment and snowflakes are all separate rub-ons combined to create the design of the card. I know you all have fabulous and gorgeous embellishments that can shine without patterned paper so take this as an opportunity to use them.

I can't wait to see everyone who plays along in my no patterned paper just embellies challenge!

Kreaxions Window Frames

2011-04-28T21:27:00.003-04:00

Happy Friday! As April is quickly coming to an end I hope you've gotten a chance to play along in a few of our challenges at the Kreaxions Just Imagine blog. I recently got to play around with the circle templates to create the window effect which is another big way that Kreaxions punches stand out to me. No where if my collection of die cuts can any device create this unique window element. I think this element is especially great for stampers because it really adds a lot of interest yet can become a rather neutral background that shows off the stamps. One my card I feel the stamped sentiment becomes the focus due to the beautiful frame. So all you stamp lovers out there I urge you consider getting the circle templates and positioning pieces to add to your Kreaxions punches to really high light your beautiful stamping designs. Also Punch 913 used in the card is a great all purpose stamp for this technique.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 12

2011-04-23T17:09:00.002-04:00

This weeks' challenge at Die Cuttin Divas is to make a card for mother's day with flowers and flourishes. It shouldn't be too challenging since most women appreciate the beauty of flowers and flourishes. I created this card for my grams for Mother's Day. I used the Tinkerbell and Friends cartridge and Cuttlebug die. Papers from Cosmo Cricket's Pixielicious. So take this chance to get those mother's day cards done and share your creation with us!

Playing Along Some More

2011-04-23T17:00:00.002-04:00

By now you know all about the Kreaxions challenges happening this month. Bev has issued a challenge to use handmade flowers on a card. I love the ides of making my own embellishments and so I used some scraps from Punch 306 to create the tiny flowers on this card.

Create a project featuring handmade flowers and using a punch. Then you can use InLinkz on the blog to post your creation and be eligible for the April prize. You get one chance at the prize for using any punch and two chances for using any Kreaxions punch! Use this link to post your creations.

Playing Along

2011-04-23T16:47:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter! On my last post I let you know about the Kreaxions challenge I am hosting this month but all the DT members are hosting challenges and I thought it would be fun to play along. Bev has issued a monochromatic challenge and I will admit I was pretty intimidated because that usually means mixing lines and you know I tend to stick to coordinating products (its my challenge even). But I needed some more easter cards and I had this little chick already cut out so I went with it.

The fun background the chick is placed on is created using the star template. I traced it once for the background and then I traced it again and punched it with Punch 306 to create the doily effect. I've also created this for the Pile It On use a rubber stamp challenge and the Easy Craft Projects Easter Challenge.

Create a monochromatic project using a punch. Then you can use InLinkz on the blog to post your creation and be eligible for the April prize. You get one chance at the prize for using any punch and two chances for using any Kreaxions punch! Use this link to post your creations.

Kreaxions Challenge

2011-04-23T16:41:00.002-04:00

I love working with products that are meant to be worked with together. Some may say its less creative, but for me this hobby is about having fun with great product and if I don't win any 'most unqiue' contests I'm ok. The Kreaxions products are all designed to work together and that makes creating a fun card element so easy to do. I simply cut two circles of the same size with the cutter. I use the star template and Punch 913 to create the fun bold red accent and it will layer onto the other one seamlessly. No guess work or recutting involved.

So based on my card today I am issuing a challenge on the Kreaxions blog. Create a project using only the papers from one coordinating collection. You can use InLinkz on the blog to post your creation and be eligible for the April prize. You get one chance at the prize for using any punch and two chances for using any Kreaxions punch! Use this link to post your creations and I can't wait to check them out.

Jingle Belles Catching Up

2011-04-20T14:23:00.005-04:00

As I've mentioned before I recently got a full time position working at an elementary school and on top of going to school "full time" i.e. 4 classes, I've been feeling a little stretched. However the kids have off this week for Easter so now is my chance to get ahead on some school work, relax a little with the family, and even get some crafting done. So here I am with three cards to catch up on the Jingle Belles challenges.

First up the Jingle Belles Batman Smells challenge. This was actually the last card I made and the only what that I really like from today. It was clear that my mojo needed some time to kick in.

This next card is for the current challenge, Christmas cards to DIE for. I kept it really simple using a precut die cut, a rub-on sentiment, and a touch of bling.

This last card is for the Ghost of Christmas Present challenge I tried to use up some fun stickers I had. I love how stickers look in the package but they don't always end up as cute as I hoped. But hey its a fast card that is flat for mailing.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 11

2011-04-19T13:50:00.003-04:00

This week at Die Cuttin Divas we have a fun and easy challenge. Simply use a tag die cut as the focus of your project. I cut this diploma tag from A Child's Year and paired it with paper from The Boyfriend Line. I'm thinking this would be a great gender neutral graduation card. Can't wait to check out what you've made for the challenge!

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 10

2011-04-13T19:15:00.003-04:00

It’s time for a new challenge at Die Cuttin’ Divas!This week our challenge is to use at least 2 different cuts from two different cartridges. My cuts are from A Child's Year and George and papers are Cosmo Cricket. We'd love to see your take!

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 9

2011-04-05T17:09:00.003-04:00

Die Cuttin Divas has a new sketch up! I love these sketches because it means any one with any die cutting system can play along no matter how small their die cut collection is. For my card I played with the brand new Cosmo Cricket Salt Air collection and my turtle was cut from the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. I started a new job today even though I've still got a few weeks left of school. So if my posts are a little sparse I'm probably busy or exhausted or a mix of both. But the new job is a challenging but positive opportunity so I welcome the additional stress it might mean.

Kreaxions Circle Cutter LO

2011-04-01T20:05:00.004-04:00

Using lots of circles on a layout can make for a really fun playful look. Unlike with most punches the Kreaxions Circle Cutter allows you to cut a variety of sizes with just one compact easy to store tool. I used my circle cutter for the pictures as well. Circles are especially fun with water layouts because they remind you of bubbles. So whip out some photos from the pool last summer or maybe those embarrassing tub photos that are oh so cute to parents and play with circles on your layout!

CPS #211

2011-03-31T13:56:00.003-04:00

Here's a quick card for this week's CPS sketch. I used Cosmo Cricket's Hello Sunshine adding a stamp to the element panel. I love how their element panels help me make quick clean and simple cards! This is also for the Use It Tuesday challenge to use Red in honor of Japan. They are giving away a donation to the Red Cross which increases depending on the participants this week. I urge you to make a red project to increase awareness and to bolster the donation efforts of Use It Tuesday.

Jingle Belles 13

2011-03-30T11:19:00.004-04:00

I whipped up this super flat easy card from scraps for the Jingle Belles challenge this week. The challenge is to use Christmas foliage. The Christmas foliage is from a Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather element and the papers are also from Mitten Weather.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 9

2011-03-29T09:34:00.000-04:00

I know Easter is not for a few weeks but I also know that its good to get a head start on holiday projects especially if you're like me and wind up doing things last minute. This week at Die Cuttin Divas we challenge you to make an Easter card. Use any die cutting system with a fun Easter cut to make any kind of project and share it with us. Papers and stickers are Cosmo Cricket and the cut is from A Child's Year, seems to be my go-to cartridge.

Etsy Inspired Challenge 132

2011-03-26T19:02:00.005-04:00

Etsy Inspired is featuring a fabulous shop called Fresh Metal Jewelery that sells beautiful jewelery. When I created my card I was inspired by this necklace, the colors and the shine of the metal. The stamps are Basic Grey and papers are Pink Paislee. This weekend should be full of schoolwork, crafting, and a hike. I'm not doing too bad with the homework but my crafty mojo doesn't seem to be around.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 8

2011-03-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

Does it finally feel like spring where you are? We had a pretty rough winter but with some warmer days and I'm excited for spring. The challenge at Die Cuttin Divas this week should help get you in the mood for spring. We have a gardening theme. I love this little girl with a wheelbarrow full of flowers. The cut is from A Child's Year and papers are Cosmo Cricket Pixielicious.

Jingle Belles 12

2011-03-20T18:29:00.004-04:00

Jingle Belles has a sketch challenge this week. I admit, I was at first thrown off a little by the sketch, but I went through my stash hoping to be inspired. I found the oval sticker from the Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses collection and it all came together from there.

You can see above a closeup of the little cross shapes along the side. These are from my Kreaxions Punch 913. I love that this one punch create two borders, two corners, and a little cross shape and that's before the accessories are added which open up the possibilities even more.

Easy Craft Project #34

2011-03-20T18:20:00.003-04:00

When I saw the challenge at Easy Craft Projects to create something for your mom I thought immediately of Basic Grey's Ambrosia because of the gorgeous butterfly paper. My mom loves butterflies and I used my Kreaxions Punch 913 to add some other creative butterflies to the card. I used the punch with the A inserts to create a border and then added some pen details to make the cut outs look like butterflies. I'm not sure this will be a mother's day card but it can't hurt to have a card for mom on hand.

CPS #209

2011-03-19T11:34:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick card for CPS 209. Made with Cosmo Cricket Delovely papers and a cardstock elements. Added some random bling and scraps of ribbon. My spring break is just about over and so I'll need to be getting to some school work this weekend, but it was nice to have a few days off to just be with my family. I went with my aunt and cousins to NYC to see the tapings of two TV shows and today I will be out with my mom and sister. Hope you're having a great weekend!

Give Scraps New Life with Kreaxions Punches

2011-03-18T16:40:00.003-04:00

I’m sure when using your punches you find yourself with lots of tiny little scraps many in great shapes like flowers, hearts, or butterflies. Using Kreaxions Punch 913 I had lots of little flowers left over when punching borders and corners and want to share so ideas on how to use these scraps.

On my first card I wanted to get creative. I used my star template to cut out a window for a shaker card. I placed some clear plastic under my window cut out. Tip: Old packaging works great. Then I placed a bunch of “scraps” inside before covering it again with the blue background paper. It may be hard to tell from the picture but in real life you can shake this card to move around the red and green flowers. I cut a small circle to add embellishment as well.

On my next card I simply used them as embellishment adding glitter to the centers to emphasize their flower shape. The circle sentiment base was made with the circle cutter of course. Also the pastel colors of this card are perfect for The Pink Elephant springtime challenge.

So pull out your punches or refresh your stash with new ones at Just Imagine and remember to use even the little scraps.

Jingle Belles 11

2011-03-17T14:43:00.003-04:00

So I missed the deadline for Jingle Belles this week and if I'm honest I think my blue is a little off but I'm dedicated to playing along each week. I had a bit of kraft that I used for the base and layered some rub-ons and pearls to create this look.

Etsy Inspired Challenge 130

2011-03-16T17:04:00.004-04:00

The Etsy Inspired challenge is based on Artwork by Lori. I found this cool print and was inspired to use lots of strips of patterned paper to make a design they way she combined patterns to make the hair on the print. Best part is I wound up using lots of rather small scraps. Paper is Basic Grey Kioshi.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 7

2011-03-15T09:16:00.000-04:00

A new challenge is up at Die Cuttin Divas. This was a hard one for me which is understandable because the challenge is to use a die cut that doesn't appeal to you. I admit this cell phone cut turned out pretty cute but it didn't really appeal to me when I saw it in the Paisley book. However I think this will be a cute card to send away to a card drive perfect for a teen. Can't wait to see what you come up with this week and hopefully you'll wind up liking the cut a little more in the end.

CPS #208

2011-03-12T12:45:00.002-05:00

I used some older Get Happy by Cosmo Cricket to make a card based on the latest CPS sketch. The birds stamp is from Autumn Leaves and the little flower is a scrap from my Kreaxions 913 punch.

Card Patterns Sketch 105

2011-03-11T19:56:00.004-05:00

In my opinion this isn't one of my better cards but I love the cute Kioshi patterns and the border created by my Kreaxions 913 punch. I used the latest Card Patterns sketch on this one.

Practicing Creativity Sketch

2011-03-11T10:54:00.002-05:00

Practicing Creativity stamps has a great sketch challenge posted. I recently won a set from Winter's Card Drive and this was the perfect opportunity to ink it up. This Nature's Wonder set has some fabulous sentiment combinations but also some beautiful nature motifs. I combined teh stamps with some Basic Grey Boxer papers.

I decided to keep playing with the stamps for another take on the sketch inspired by Dana's card.

I made one last card using the set that doesn't use the sketch to use some scraps created by the first two.

Basic Grey Challenge: Wings

2011-03-09T11:03:00.003-05:00

Here's two super simple cards I made for the the Basic Grey Challenges Wing Challenge. I cut this old Periphery paper to feature the birds and added the BG thank you stamp.

Who's the Best?

2011-03-07T12:15:00.003-05:00

Tiffany Johnson posts some great sketches over at her blog on Sundays. Loved this sketch and knew I had the perfect American Crafts rub-on to go with. Added a cutie owl and a pun infused sentiment with Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie papers. Thanks for the fun sketch Tiffany!

Jingle Belles 10

2011-03-06T06:40:00.000-05:00

I've got my card for the latest Jingle Belles challenge. The challenge is to use the song Home for the Holidays as inspiration and I started looking through my Christmas stuff when I stumbled along this sentiment sticker. I paired it up with some Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather papers. I also used my Kreaxions 913 Punch to create the border along the bottom.

Some Rejects

2011-03-05T12:38:00.005-05:00

Amber from Damask Love had the awesome idea of hosting a reject blog hop. It sounds strange at first but its really quite awesome.

There were over 2700 submission to the latest Paper Crafts call but only 288 cards published which means lots of lovely cards that were rejected for one reason or another.

I submitted seven cards and none got picked up :( but it does mean I can share them with you now.

So if you have some rejected cards link them up so they can get some love anyway.

Just Imagine/Kreaxions

2011-03-04T17:48:00.004-05:00

I’m so excited to be a member of the Just Imagine/Kreaxions Design Team. I am lucky enough to own the circle cutter, Punch 913 and the star template and was determined to use them all right away. I began by tracing and cutting out the star template. Then as in the video tutorial I punched around the star template to create the doily centerpiece of my design.

Card Patterns Sketch 104

2011-03-03T08:58:00.001-05:00

I'm always thinking about cards that will work well for the various card drives I know about and simple hello cards that work for boys are always good. I created this simple card with the latest Card Patterns sketch. I'm loving that collage paper even more broken up into tiny squares. The paper is Cosmo Cricket The Boyfriend and sentiment is their Tiny Type stickers.

Here's a few more simple cards I made at the same time to build up my stash for sending.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 6

2011-03-02T21:13:00.006-05:00

Challenge #6 is up at Die Cuttin Divas. This week the challenge is to make a baby card and include an animal cut on it. I used up some scraps of an old Colorbok line cutting the letters from A Child's Year and the bunny from Winter Woodland. I love that the cartridge includes cuts that can be used all year long. So hop on over to Die Cuttin Divas for a little more inspiration and then show us what is sure to be your super cute take on this challenge.

CPS #207

2011-03-02T16:51:00.005-05:00

I'm excited to share with you all that I was chosen for the new DT at Just Imagine Crafts distributors of the fantastic Kreaxions line of punches. I love their punches because of the unique 4 in 1 system that allows a single punch to have two corner and two border designs. They are priced similar to many border punches I've seen but offer 4 times the function perfect for someone who likes to get a lot of bang for their buck. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about these punches from me soon but I wanted to share a card using the most basic feature of the punches. I created this rather simple card for the latest sketch at CPS using one of the corner features of the 913 Lilly Punch. I punched three small square on each corner creating fun decorative squares that were easily finished off with gems and a sentiment.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 5

2011-02-27T00:18:00.004-05:00

The new challenge is up at Die Cuttin Divas! This week is a sketch challenge so if you have any type of die cutting system play along by following the sketch and including a cut. I'm loving all the participants' takes and I can't wait to visit your blog when you play along.

SEI Layout Challenge

2011-02-26T10:22:00.004-05:00

This month SEI issued a layout challenge to go with their end of the month link party. I decided this Easter picture went great with the Bridgeport collection and fit the sketch cause I had just one photo. I was fortunate to win this collection from Paper Crafts over a year ago and I received the stickers, chipboard, rub-ons, letter stickers, and papers so this LO came together super easy. I'm excited to visit the others on the link party!

Just a reminder: Die Cuttin Divas has a super easy and very fun silhouette challenge that ends Monday so pull out your die cut machine and get to work.

Jingle Belles 9

2011-02-25T23:03:00.003-05:00

The Jingle Belles "Text Me" challenge came together quite easily for me when I remembered this great frame rub-on with the text feature. I layered on some more fun rub-ons cause I want to use them before they get old (I've lost some rub-ons to age). The sentiment is fun text too with the mix of big and little and the curve plus I added a gem to make the word element stand out.

Cardabilties Sketch #25

2011-02-23T12:06:00.003-05:00

I created this card for the latest Cardabilities sketch. The papers are Cosmo Cricket Pixielicious and the cuts were made with the Cricut Winter Woodland cartridge

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 4

2011-02-22T09:36:00.000-05:00

Die Cuttin Divas has a fun and simple challenge this week. Simply use a silhouette on your project. I loved how this meant I could use almost any image from any cartridge. I'm in love with the A Child's Year cartridge. This cartridge is perfect for card makers especially because it has every holiday and also other occasions. I chose this fun cupcake silhouette because I could always use another birthday card. I used Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday papers and a Hero Arts sentiment. I'll be looking out for what you create for this challenge. I've been blown away with the great entires over the past few weeks and enjoy visiting all the blogs to comment.

Bo Bunny Layout Challenge

2011-02-21T05:44:00.000-05:00

Bo Bunny has issued a LO challenge. The pictures I had printed from my birthday a few years ago fit well so I went with it though the colors are a little off for the pictures in retrospect. I've been creating quite a few LOs lately and some I've been much more happy with than others. I never seem to be as critical of my cards but I guess its probably cause I expect the LOs to last longer and can imagine family members in the future thinking "What the heck was she thinking?!?" But I love looking through my scrapbooks so I guess that's all that matters in the end.

Creative Scrappers #143

2011-02-20T17:38:00.004-05:00

I made this LO for sketch #143 at Creative Scrappers. Unfortunately I'm not totally in love with the results. The photos weren't the best to begin with and the LO wound up too busy for my taste. In retrospect I would have used a solid paper in place of one of the patterns but what's done is done and I got some more pictures scrapped so that's good. I used my Cricut to cut the stars on this LO which would fit in perfectly with the Die Cuttin Divas current seeing stars challenge. Remember we welcome all die cut systems and any papercrafting project, come join us!

Crate Paper Sketch Challenge

2011-02-19T15:51:00.005-05:00

I only have a few sheets of paper from Crate Paper but I still wanted to play along in their latest sketch challenge. So I used my Cricut to cut out embellishments. I added a second picture even though the sketch only had one, but I still think its sticks close enough to the sketch. Love that its such a simple design but had high impact and lets the pictures shine. Like I said before, I used my Cricut to cut the stars on this LO which would fit in perfectly with the Die Cuttin Divas current seeing stars challenge. Remember we welcome all die cut systems and any papercrafting project, come join us!

A few LOs

2011-02-19T15:16:00.005-05:00

Here's a few LOs I've made based on sketches some of which were old and others where I've simply missed the deadline. I have a hard time taking photos of LOs and I'm really trying to get better at it. I recently discovered a function on Gimp that has made the editing process easier but as you can see for some of these the lighting is still off but I just wanted to get photos taken and uploaded before I missed any other deadlines. The first LO uses Sassafras papers and is of me and my sister in NYC.

This LO used Basic Grey Origins papers and stickers. The pictures are from the local Raptor Trust where they care for birds of prey that are sick, have been injured, or are abandoned. It is next to a large wildlife preserve that we like to go bird watching at so we sometimes stop by the trust as well.

This LO was made for the Scrapbook.com Cosmo Cricket sketch challenge. I used the Joy Ride collection and some pictures from Universal Studios Florida from a family vacation a few years ago.

This last LO was for this month's My Mind's Eye sketch challenge but the challenge closed on Thursday and while I made it made before didn't take a pic in time, opps!

Jingle Belles 8

2011-02-18T19:36:00.003-05:00

The new Jingle Belles challenge is a two for one challenge with Sketchy Thursdays. You make one card from the sketch and can then enter it into both challenges on each blog. Love the sketch and decided to play with my Mitten Weather papers again. The Joy sentiment is cut from an element. I layered a Cosmo Cricket chipboard snowflake over some Primas.

Etsy Inspired Challenge 126

2011-02-17T15:18:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I've played along at Etsy Inspired but I loved how the Etsy shop this week was all about making some simple and functional with great patterns. So I look through my patterned paper to find a piece that I thought was beautiful on its own. This is an MME paper I simply added jewels and a sentiment. I was inspired by the shop generally but the colors of this piece.

Jingle Belles 7

2011-02-15T17:41:00.005-05:00

The Jingle Belles challenge was to use "No Red." I knew the Mitten Weather line from Cosmo Cricket had a lot of great holiday papers without red. I used up some scraps in a block design then added snowflake rub-ons and faux stitching with a gel pen.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 3

2011-02-15T10:29:00.001-05:00

You all have been rocking the challenges at Die Cuttin Divas. Time for challenge #3. I'm loving the new challenge at Die Cuttin Divas to use stars. It's a great challenge because you can make any type of card with it. I went for a card that could be used for a boy or a girl. I used some old DCWV Rock King papers. I cut the stars with my Cricut from George. I'd love to see your take!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T12:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day. Here's a card and some other little goodies I made.

I made a banner and these fortune cookies with some old cheap DCWV papers so that way when they got cast aside at the end of the holiday I wouldn't feel like I wasted goodies.

In My Thoughts

2011-02-12T20:18:00.002-05:00

Here's my card using the latest CPS sketch. It's made with BG Ambrosia and stamps. Keeping this short because I have to get some homework done but needed a crafty break.

Cards for Dudes

2011-02-11T11:43:00.004-05:00

I've been working on making some boy cards for a card drive. Get Happy by Cosmo Cricket is perfect for this project. I used the Card Patterns sketch for these two.

Below are a few more designs I've recently made for no particular challenge. I used a lot of different stamp sets; Sassafras, Imaginisce, Basic Grey, Inkadinkado, and Making Memories on these cards but they were all with Get Happy papers. I made about three of each design so this has been a great way to use up my stash.

Scrapbook and Cards Today Valentine's Feature

2011-02-10T12:55:00.004-05:00

This card is for the Fantabulous Cricut to include the word "love" somewhere on your card and is being featured today on the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog. I created the card with October Afternoon Thrift Shop papers I cut the large heart from George and the smaller heart is a Basic Grey stamp.

Jingle Belles 6

2011-02-08T13:11:00.003-05:00

When I saw the new Jingle Belles prompt to use felt or winter clothes images I thought of the few felt stickers I had. I had already used the mittens from the package which would have been perfect but this tree image still worked and I knew it would match well with BG's Figgy Pudding. The snowflake sticker is from the line as well. The sentiment is a K and Company rub-on. Not sure if the beating I took while skiing contributed, but I've come down with a nasty cough so my plan is to finish up some school work and then rest up most of the day. I have an interview for a substitute teaching position tomorrow as well so hopefully all goes well on that front. Have a great day!

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 2

2011-02-08T07:23:00.000-05:00

We have a super fun challenge at Die Cuttin Divas for you this week. Make a card with a valentines theme and hearts (bonus for a shaped card). I cut my card and the bird from A Child's Year and the circle from George. Both were cut from some Prima papers. I stamped the sentiment from BG. If you need another valentine please join us, I can't wait to check out yoru creation!

Just Because

2011-02-05T11:24:00.003-05:00

I recently found adorable free digi images from Sliekje and fell in love with this cute digi. Unfortunately this little kitty reminds me of my self lately. I created the card for the Stamp Something digi challenge with GCD Studios papers and a BG sentiment stamp. Yesterday I was the opposite of this laptop kitty though and went skiing. Unfortunately I'm a bit more out of shape than I would like and so I'm quite sore today (could also be the fall I took towards the end). It was fun though and hopefully I can do it again this season.

Cardabilties Sketch #24

2011-02-04T20:05:00.005-05:00

I won some fab blog candy from the wonderfully talented Heather Ruwe including BG Amborsia papers and chipboard. I decided that even though it was so pretty I didn't want to hoard these fabulous goodies too. So using the Cardabilities Sketch #24 I went wild using all kinds of paper and chipboard from the collection.

Die Cuttin Divas Challenge 1

2011-02-02T17:20:00.000-05:00

I loved seeing all the entries into the bonus challenge, great job ladies! Well, today the first official challenge at Die Cuttin Divas went live, woohoo! I'm in love with the concept of this blog and so excited to be part of the design team. At Die Cuttin Divas a general challenge is issued, such as a sketch, and then you can use any die cut machine to complete the challenge. I'm sure there are a lot of you like me who love all the possibilities of your die cut machine but don't use it as much as you want. Well these challenges are perfect for you. So dust off your die cut machine and play along with our sketch challenge (bonus for adding bling or sparkle).

Here's my card for the challenge. I used my Cricut to cut the crown (Paper Doll Dressup) and oval (George). I used some older DCWV papers, Stickles, Studio 18 bling, a BG stamp, and some Thickers to finish off the sentiment. Can't wait to see what you all make!

Flashback Friday 7.0

2011-01-31T22:10:00.004-05:00

Since I don't have any new projects ready for posting I thought it'd be a great time to link up to Flashback Friday. The latest Flashback Friday challenge is to post your first glitter card/project. Well my third post was this sparkly number made for my cousin's graduation. Love that Sassafras stamp set and still do. As you can see my love affair with owls is at least several years old. The paper came all glitter up like that. I think its funny to look back and see all the things I was discovering when I first started. Like inking chipboard, rounding corners, and coloring. So repost and link up your first glitter project (if you dare) for a chance at some super cool unity stamps!

Jingle Belles 5

2011-01-30T13:12:00.007-05:00

The super talented Amy is a guest sketch artist and designer at Jingle Belles this week. She create a super fab and easy sketch. I made my card is less than five minutes. The bling isn't strictly part of the sketch but I wanted a bit more of a punch and well I love bling. Paper and sticker is Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses.

Here's an LO I'm sharing for the Basic Grey Challenge blog challenge to use flowers. I have flower paper and stickers. Me and my two cousins made with Basic Grey Lemonade paper and stickers.

Cardabilties Sketch #23

2011-01-30T13:08:00.003-05:00

Quick card using Cardabilties sketch #23 and Sugar Rush papers by Basic Grey. Tried to make a little more boy-ish card this time. Didn't turn out quite that way but I still like it.

Sketchabilties Sketch 39

2011-01-28T13:43:00.006-05:00

Since I have some extra time now I wanted to make sure I started to scrap some photos. I have a large stack of photos and and even larger stack of paper that needs to be used. I want to be a person who uses stuff faster than I buy it but its hard especially knowing new collections are just around the corner. I used some KI Memories Posh line for this photo and the Sketchabilties sketch #39. I was happy to use some flowers and thickers. I feel like I hoard these things but rarely ever use them. The picture is my cousin and my cat. My cat lives with my family because I can't have her in my apartment. So my cousin will take random photos and videos of the cat with her cell phone. This is one such picture. My cousin also gave my cat another nickname BEC (pronounced 'beck' and standing for bug eyed chubber because she apparently eats a lot and has large eyes)

Some Cards- Lucy's Sketch Week

2011-01-27T11:24:00.003-05:00

I forget how I found Lucy's blog but it was when she was challenging her readers to make cards from her fantastic sketches. I loved a lot of the sketches and here are a few cards made with them. First up Sketch 6. I used some K and Company die cuts. I moved the bow in sketch to the top of my embellishment but I think it still works pretty well.

Next Sketch 4. Not a big fan of my card. I was trying to use the big Prima flower I got as part of a grab bag. I know many people love fancy flowers like that but its just not my style. Rather than letting it just be bulky and take up room in my stash I was determined to get it used up.

Last card is made with Sketch 2. Again I used K and Company Die Cuts. Layered two, added some ribbon, a BG rub-on and some faux stitching. Thanks to Lucy for the great inspiration. I will be saving her other sketches for future use. I encourage you all to head over and take part.

Butterfly Valentine

2011-01-26T13:05:00.006-05:00

This card started with the beautiful Cricut butterfly from the Tinkerbell and Friend cartridge. I had two challenges in mind when I picked out that cut. Fantabulous Cricut asked us to use a neglected cartridge. I just got my Cricut and month ago and many of my cartridges only two weeks ago so none is really neglected, but I did write off this cartridge as one I would rarely use (gotten as a gift). Bitten By the Bug 2 wanted to see butterflies so I went searching the Tinker Bell book to see if I could combine the challenges. It took awhile to cut and assemble all the pieces but I'm quite happy with the butterfly in the end. I then created the rest of the card based on the CPS sketch and using some Bo Bunny paper. If you love working with your Cricut or other die cut machine I want to remind you to come join us at Die Cuttin Divas. This week the simple fun challenge is to create a winter card and the prize is a beautiful camera strap cover.

Cosmo Cricket January Challenge

2011-01-26T06:18:00.000-05:00

This month of January has been great in the amount of time I've had to craft, but rather slow and boring in many other ways. I'm waiting for all kinds of paperwork to process in order to get my substitute teaching license. I've applied to a few other jobs as well. I'm sure once I'm working I'll miss the slow days of January. Class has started again and I have lots to do for classes. It's hard to get motivated to read paper after paper and then to write paper after paper. Gudrun from the Cosmo Cricket blog similarly thinks January always gets a bad rep as well so she challenged us to create a project for this little loved month. My card featuring Mitten Weather and some cuts from my Cricut A Child's Year cartridge is made to cheer up someone in this super snowy dreary month. I love to warm up with hot drink (usually coffee for me) so I think its the perfect image for a hello card for January. I know that at the beginning to the year Julie resolved to use her Cricut more (or at all) so Julie consider this inspiration about how the Cricut works with your super cute Cosmo papers. Other lovers of Cosmo Cricket there is still time to join in and make your own January card or LO.

Card Patterns Sketch 99

2011-01-24T23:17:00.005-05:00

Here's my card for the new Card Patterns sketch 99. I turned it on its side to better suit my needs. Used some fabbie Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday papers. I've followed the lovely Amy for quite awhile and now that she's on the DT I'm always reminded about the sketches and hopefully I'll actually participate from time to time. This card is also for the Paper Sundaes distressing challenge (inked up edges).

Die Cuttin Divas BONUS Challenge

2011-01-24T14:44:00.008-05:00

I'm so excited to share that I made the DT over at Die Cuttin Divas. Its a fab new challenge blog dedicated to suing your die cutting machine no matter what die cutting machine you have be it a Cricut , a Sizzix, a Cuttlebug, or anything else. Since my goal is to use my Cricut regularly this is a great way to help with that commitment. To help kick off this cool new challenge blog Die Cuttin Divas, we have a bonus challenge to make a winter themed card. Easy peasy, use any die cut machine to make a card with any kind of winter element. Our official challenges don't start until February but we were too excited to wait. So please join us and link up your project soon. If you can let us know what machine, cartridge or die you used. The best part is the fabulous Carla is offering a BG Origins Camera Strap Cover for one winner. This card is also for the Cricut Cardz challenge to use a snowman.

Jingle Belles 4

2011-01-24T12:01:00.002-05:00

The new Jingle Belles challenge was surprisingly tough for me. It was a simple challenge, use light pink, dark pink, and lime green. I may not be as big of a fan of pink as my mom but I thought for sure I had some in my Christmas stash. Well after digging through my Christmas stash I did find ribbon, bits of a paper design and some stickers in the colors. I cut and layered the paper tree bits and added some bling. I affixed the stickers most closely matching the colors and tied on some of the ribbon. Its more of a tag than a card, but at Christmas time I use tags to double as cards on smaller gifts so I thought it might still fit the challenge. Even if this one is a little tough I'm determined to keep up with the Jingle Belle challenges so I can use up this stash and be prepared for next December.

A Layout (shocking I know)

2011-01-23T18:55:00.004-05:00

So I do occasionally scrapbook as well. Cards are so much easier and less intimidating to make but I really want to use all the fab goodies that I have to preserve some memories as well. I don't always share what I scrapbook because sometimes I can't (pictures of my students) or because the project wasn't made for a challenge or because the photos of the LOs are never to my liking. I completed a mini album this month, another simply needs journaling and I made 4 LOs. I'm happy to have the memories recorded. I figured I'd share one I made with a Pagemap from January. I made the LO with Sassafras papers and some bling. I love that Sassafras papers are bold, but then some are perfect for pages with a border already in place. I also love the borders that come at the bottom of the papers. It like having a bonus embellie. The picture is me and a crafty friend from college selling our wares at a local craft show.

Two Cricut Cards

2011-01-18T15:05:00.007-05:00

First a brief plea... Hey Crafty Friends! If you appreciate my cards I'd appreciate it if you followed this link and left a comment saying I, Jess Moyer, would make an excellent addition to the Cosmo Cricket Design Team!

This card/tag was made for the Cooking with Cricut glittermania challenge and the Fantabulous Cricut challenge Sweet Shop (ie use candy, ice cream, cake, etc). I cut this cake from Sweet Treats. I cut all the pieces from DCWV glitter cardstock and then mounted it on some more glitter cardstock so it would be extra glittery. I figure this will make a cute personal addition to a gift bag.

I made this card for the Cricut Cardz challenge to use black, white and red. I cut the ladybug from the Paisley cartridge and then added the cute little stamp. Thanks for stopping by!

Jingle Belles 3

2011-01-17T22:55:00.004-05:00

Now onto my card. I made this card using Cosmo Cricket's Mitten Weather for the Jingle Belles challenge to use acrylic paint. I painted the star and the edges of the label. I love the purple and gray in Mitten Weather. Such a fresh take on Christmas colors. The sentiment and snowflakes are a new set from Studio 18 that I picked up during the 80% Christmas clearance. I didn't need new stamp sets but I have a hard time resisting at only 20 cents. I picked up quite a bit of bling at that price as well because I love to add gems to pretty much everything. This card is also the the Sentimental Sundays to use a winter theme and have a sentiment. Lots of snowflakes on this card and of course the winter sentiment "Let it Snow."

Luv Ya Valentine

2011-01-17T11:19:00.004-05:00

I created this valentine with Card Patterns Sketch #98 and for the White, Black, and Pink challenge at the Paper Variety. I was lucky enough to win a prize pack from a Scrapjazz challenge and I used some brand new goodies to make this card including the Bo Bunny paper, Adorn It sticker, and American Crafts Remarks letter stickers.

Card Cupids

2011-01-15T20:51:00.005-05:00

Card Cupids is hosting a valentine card drive for hospitalized kids. I made these valentines a few weeks ago when I first heard about it but just packaged them up to send (missed the prize deadline, oops). I made the simple cuts with my Cricut so I could whip up 8 cards. They are collecting cards through Feb 4th but you can enter to win a great prize package by Jan 17th. The prize package consists of Cricut Fun Volume 2, 8 Pearl Pens, Mini Monogram Cricut Cartridge, 6 exclusive Card Cupids Digi Stamps and an exclusive Card Cupids Tote. There are three ways to enter for the prize package.

Three Ways to Enter:

1. Post about our blog candy and what you need to do to win the prize. Leave a comment on this post with a link to your post.

2. Create Valentine’s Cards for Card Cupids and add your link to the post below. Each time you create a post with new cards, you can add a link. So if you do a weekly post with new Valentines Cards, that’s 4 entries, biweekly that’s 8 entries and so on.

3. Send in the cards you created to Card Cupids to be given to the children at The Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel. For each card you send in, you will receive 1 entry. Be sure to include a note with your name, email address, and blog address (if you have one)]. For this challenge, the cards will need to be received by January 17. Please note that the actual deadline for Valentine’s cards is not until February 4.

Card Cupids has ongoing drives as well. I'm sending 7 cards for boys from my stash for their general drive as well. Please hop on over to the blog and see how you can help!

Happy Spring Card

2011-01-13T09:44:00.005-05:00

I'm loving this October Afternoon Thrift Shop pad I just got. It has great colors for spring and I'm trying to think ahead and get some Valentine/Easter cards done. I made this card with the CPS sketch. CPS is being sponsored by Flowersoft this week and I just got my first jar in a grab bag this weekend. I really need to make a point to try it out, I've seen such pretty cards made with it. Also since I made it a goal to participate in more Cricut challenges, I made this card for two Cricut challenges. Bitten by the Bug 2 asked for hummingbirds but other birds were ok if you didn't have hummingbirds. I'm still only working with two cartridges (though lucky me more are waiting at my Grams house) so I didn't have a hummingbird. I used this cute little chick from Stretch Your Imagination. The Jitterbuggin' challenge was to use birds as well so it worked out quite easily.

Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week: Bright and Bold Challenge

2011-01-12T19:33:00.006-05:00

Here is my card for the Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week: Bright and Bold Challenge. The challenge was to use colors similar to the Bazzill Basics Paper equivalents for Beetle Black, Lily White, Pink Fairy, and Tangelo Blast. Please check out the Moxie Fab World and play along, there are even fab prizes to be won!

Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week: Jewel Tones Challenge

2011-01-12T19:25:00.005-05:00

Here is my card for the Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week: Jewel Tones Challenge. The challenge was to use colors similar to the Bazzill Basics Paper equivalents for Sugar Cookie, Sunshine, Pansy, and Blue Calypso. I usually use papers from the same collection, but this challenge made me be more creative and mix patterns. The blue is from GCD Studios and the yellow from October Afternoon. I was happy to find some patterned paper that fit into the challenge because I definitely prefer to scrap with patterned paper. Please check out the Moxie Fab World and play along, there are even fab prizes to be won!

Tuesday Trigger Bright Spot

2011-01-12T13:24:00.006-05:00

Loved the Tuesday Trigger this week and knew instantly what I wanted to create. I wanted to create a banner card with circles like in the photo, but add a valentine twist so I replaced a circle with a heart. Then I added some stitching and a simple stamp. The papers used are from October Afternoon's Thrift Shop. I was so lucky to receive the 8x8 paper pack from the Secret Santa exchange this weekend and I also got the We R Memory Keepers Crop A Dile Corner Chompers. I have already broken two of the cheap corner rounders and avoid using them because I didn't want to invest in another. However if the Corner Chomper is anything like the original Crop A Dile it will be heavy duty enough for me. I encourage you to check out the Trigger and play along.

Gray is the New Black Challenge

2011-01-10T19:46:00.004-05:00

When I first read about the Moxie Fab World Gray is the New Black challenge, I felt a bit stumped, but then I received the brand new card kit from my LSS Scrappers Cove. It contained some beautiful Pink Paislee Parisian Anthology papers, gray and turquoise Bazzill, chipboard, shiny gray ribbon, a charm, and some Mermaid stickles. If you make a card using all the ingredients from the card kit the LSS enters you into a gift certificate contest. But I made the card with the Moxie Fab World challenge in mind and tried to keep the focus on the gray. I encourage you all to check out the contest details and try your hand at using gray.