Little Captain -- A New Release at All Dressed Up Stamps

 It's never too early to start teaching children respect, right?  That's what I thought of when I saw this new image from Wendy Burns at All Dressed Up Stamps.  It's one of 3 new releases this month, available in the All Dressed Up Stamps Etsy Shop. 

Here's my take on Little Captain: 

I think this would be a darling "Just like Dad" image for Father's Day, too.

I colored Little Captain with a combination of Copic and Olo markers.  I desperately need to spend a day refilling my Copics, so I fill in with Olo markers where I need to.  

The designer papers are old, old, old.  I remembered I had some patriotic papers from long ago.  The company is Authentique.  Are they still around?  They are from my scrapbooking days.   I cut them out with some stitched dies from Taylored Expressions. The stitched star dies are from Pink & Main. 

You can see more great inspiration from all three cute releases in the All Dressed Up Stamps Facebook group and on the All Dressed Up Challenge blog.  Check it out.  You'll be glad you did! 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft -- ATG

Crafter's Cafe -- Masculine

Send a Smile For Kids --Summer Fun cards 4 Kids

Avenue 613 -- For the Guys

You Make Me Happy -- for Scrapbook Stamp Society

It's good to be a little bit sassy!  I'm on the Scrapbook Stamp Society blog today, and I love this Sassy Pants digi!  

This is Lil Miss Sassy Pants image 819, colored with Copic markers.  

You'll find her -- any so many other wonderful digi stamps -- in the My Besties Shop. 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

D.L. Art -- March Linky Party

AUD Sentiments Challenge Blog -- ATG with a sentiment

IDCB -- ATG

Word Art Wednesday -- ATG

Alphabet Challenge -- 'Y' is for your choice

Colour Crazy Challenge -- ATG with coloring

Crafting with Friends -- ATG

My Besties 3D & More Challenge - ATG with a Bestie

My Bestie Aussie Challenge -- ATG with optional Easter Theme

My Besties International challenge blog -- Girls with Big hats/Hair pretties

My Dutch Besties Challenge Blog -- ATG with optional birthday theme

Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge Blog -- ATG/optional butterfly

Hold a True Friend with Both Hands -- for The East Wind

It's New Release day at The East Wind.   Once again, Unky has come up with a brilliant image for us to create with.  I love today's new release - Bunnyholic!

I colored Bunnyholic with Copic markers, attempting to shade each rabbit a bit differently. 

Designer papers and the sentiment for this card are from Authentique.  The card base and the foil tape are from Close To My Heart. 

Check out what the other designers did with this New Release in The East Wind's Facebook Group.

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
TTCRD -- ATG
D.L. Art - October Linky Party
Word Art Wednesday -- ATG

It's all Aboat the Good Times -- for Crafty Sentiments

I'm excited!  It's another new release day today at Crafty Sentiments Designs, and today's rubber stamp was soooo much FUN!!   This month, the new releases are all about Josh.  Today, I'm debuting 'Josh in his Boat':

This rubber stamp is big, and fun to color!  I colored Josh in his Boat with Copic markers, then used a Banner Die cut Set from Craftin' Desert Divas to construct the rest of the card.  The papers are from Authentique.  They have a definite nautical flair to them.  The compass charm is from Tim Holtz. The sentiment is from Joy's Life Pun in the Sun.

Check out the Crafty Sentiments Inspirations blog this week to see all the New Releases.  They are so delightful!  I can't wait to get my hands on ALL of them!  The rubber stamps will be available in the Crafty Sentiments Designs Store on August 23. 

A Breath of Spring -- for Fitztown

Happy Easter, everyone!  It's the fifth of the month, so it's time for a new challenge on the Fitztown Challenge blog.  The challenges are always Anything Goes.  This month's optional twist is -- use Leaves or Flowers.  If you follow my blog at all, you know I love to color flowers! And butterflies! So, I used both.

I used two Fitztown images on this card -- Garden 16 (butterfly image).  The rose image is retired.  Both are colored with Copic markers. 

This side step card is a Sizzix die.  I used 2 sizes of Spellbinders dies to cut out the Rose image.  The butterfly image is cut out with a punch.

There's some Autumn Splendor Timeless Twine wrapped around the base of this card.  Papers are from Authentique. 

Life's Better with a Patriotic Dog

It's Friday, the 4th of July, and Friends With Friends! Happy Independence Day, American friends!

Today is a big day in my little town. Our town of 2000 people swells to 10,000 in the summer with all the tourists.  On July 4th, we have 20,000 people in town for the parade, the family beach party, and the fireworks.  It's pure craziness!

I do have a quick card I made this week for Unity Friends With Flair, 'cause I have to connect with my Unity friends!

I used an adorable Angie Girl stamp to create this:

This delightful image is "Shari Girl", and the sentiment is part of the stamp set.  I went for Patriotic colors and papers, using Authentic Glory 12x12 paper on the card.  I colored "Shari Girl" and her dog with Copic markers. The Kraft borders are by Close To My Heart.

Do you have big plans for the holiday weekend?  I broke my big toe last week (tripping over a dog pillow, of all things), and after working all week, I'm ready to rest it a bit and keep it elevated more, hoping to get some of the swelling to go down.  

   I have a giveaway going on, celebrating several events: I wrote my 500th blog post last week, I just reached 400 followers on my blog, and I have over 100 "likes" on my Facebook page, Muddy Paws & Inky Fingers.  To celebrate all those things,  I'm having a giveaway:  I have some Timeless Twine, some 3 Girl JAM ribbon, a Unity stamp set, a Close To My Heart stamp set, some Pinque Peacock embellishments, a 6x6 paper pad, and various embellishments that I need a home for. I also have two generous sponsors:  DigiStamps4Joy is giving a $10 gift certificate to the store, and The Cutting Cafe is offering any 3 sets.  WOW! If you'd like to be eligible to win, please leave a comment on any of my blog posts between June 27 and July 6.  I'll draw a winner on my birthday.  It's my day, and you get the present!  I'd also love it if you "like" my Facebook page and follow my blog, if you don't already. 

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

D.L. Art Thankful Thursday -- Patriotic Challenge
Craftin' Desert Divas -- Craft It Up and Link It Up red, White, and Blue party
A Creative Romance -- Shows Us Your Colors (colors of your flag)
Bloggers Challenge -- Red, White, and Blue
Graphit Markers -- ATG with markers
Polka Doodles Challenge -- Red, White, and Blue

Julie's Second Blogoversary Blog Hop! It's HERE!

I've been blogging now for 2 years, and oh, how my life has changed.  Online friends, Facebook, design teams, challenges -- I had none of this before my blog.  Now it's all a part of my daily life.  To celebrate it all, I've gathered some of the friends I've made, and we're celebrating.  The theme?  Friendship! Of course!

Here's the hop order, in case you get lost along the way.

Julie - http://muddypawsinkyfingers.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-second-blogoversary-blog-hop-its.html

Rebecca - http://www.bloomingpink.blogspot.com/

Brenda - http://centralnyscrapper.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-celebrating.html

Paula - http://scrapaddictsattic.blogspot.com/2014/03/happy-happy-blogoversary-julie.html

Kary - http://karyg.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-blog-hop.html

Erin & Ruth - http://celticcrafters.blogspot.com/

Miwa - http://miwannascrap.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-celebration-of.html

Angeline Choo - http://scrappyscrappy.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-blog-hop-friendship.html

Chris- http://thriftysisters-chris.blogspot.com/

Regina   http://reginaeaster.blogspot.com/2014/03/so-lucky-to-have-friend-like.html

Kathy - http://www.upinthenightwithkat.blogspot.com/

Donna  http://createdbydonnak.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-friendship-hop.html

Gwen -  http://windchimesandlilacs.blogspot.com/2014/03/fwf-julies-blogoversary-hop.html

Rachel -  http://kitchentablescrapper.blogspot.com/

Polly - http://pazasproductions.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversary-blog-hop.html

Lucy http://littlescrapsoflucy.blogspot.com/2014/03/julies-blogoversaryfriendship-hop.html

Corrie - http://corriescrafts.blogspot.com/

Mary - http://www.mkbugs.blogspot.com/

Maria - http://riacreations.blogspot.com/

Karen - http://karey2005.blogspot.com/2014/03/friendship-blog-hop.html

And, here's the prizes you can win:

2 $10 gift certificates from Unity Stamp Company (donated by Unity!)

3 sets of winner's choosing from The Cutting Cafe (donated by Regina Easter)

A ribbon bundle from 3 Girl JAM

Timeless Twine -- Rainbow Party Pack (donated by Timeless Twine)

Close To My Heart Stamp Set

Close To My Heart Stamp Set

$15 Gift Certificate from Pinque Peacock (donated by Jessica Shelton-Buffa)

Embossing folders (2)

 2 $25 Gift certificates for My Scrap Chick store (donated by My Scrap Chick)
Websters' Pages 6x6 Sweet Notes pad, an embellishment set and a Websters Pages Stamp set, plus a Unity Cloud background stamp -- donated by Lucy Evans
A background stamp from Flourishes and 3 Aqua markers -- donated by Ruth & Erin Carnes

Now, for my projects:

The first one, I'm also posting on The Pinque Peacock blog today.  I have 2 friends that I try to get together with several times a year for some quality "girl time."  We've got a few days planned next month.  We gather ourselves and our 4 legged friends, find somewhere that lets us have all of us, and just enjoy each other's company.  I made this card to honor that friendship.

I used a Unity stamp set, "Vicki, Catherine, and Leica Girls", coloring the image with Copic markers, using hair color and clothing choices that match our styles.  Papers are from Authentique.  I love the Blue Jeans papers.  And that 3/4 inch fabric covered button from Pinque Peacock is the perfect match!

The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Project # 2 --

This may look familiar.  I made a card very similar to this.  My BFF saw it on my blog and commissioned me to make her a 5x7 framed art piece just like the card.

Again, I used a Unity Stamp Company stamp set, "Choose Joy with a Heart", heat embossed with white embossing powder. There's some Umwow Studio Chipboard on it, Tuxedo Black Timeless Twine, and Carta Bella Wildflowers 12x12 papers.  The frame is one that my BFF got at a thrift shop for me.  She knows I use them for projects, so she collects them for me.  Now, she gets one of them back! 

And, the final project is another card, with a sentiment I really like. It seemed perfect for today's hop, and the friendship theme...

The sentiment is from a Unity Stamp Company sentiment kit, "Here's My Thought".  I love the Unity sentiment kits, they are so versatile! This card uses Carta Bella Alphabet Junction paper, UmWow Studio chipboard that's been heat embossed, and a flower that was crocheted for me by an online friend, Sharon.  She made a whole bunch of these little lovelies for me and gave them to me when I met her in person this summer!

And now, for how to win the prizes, please follow this blog, "like" my Facebook page (it's NEW!), visit every stop on the hop, and leave comments there.  The prizes are hidden along the way.  You never know which blog will have a prize.  If I can get to 100 "likes" on my Facebook page, I will pick another winner - this will be for a giant box of 12x12 scrapbook paper, ribbon, twine, embellishments, a Unity Stamp Co grab bag, and whatever else I can fit in the shipping box.
I want to thank each and every one of you, my friends, for hopping with us, and a special thanks for my friends who went to the work of making a project to hop with me.  Where would I be without my friends? I treasure each of you!

Thanks for hopping with us, have fun, off you go to the uber talented Rebecca's blog.

We're thinking a bit masculine this week at The Cutting Cafe

Welcome Friends With Flair! I'm editing this post to include all of you!  I've been out of town for several days and won't get home until late this evening, so no time for new creations, but this post has some Unity in it, so I'm linking it up.  I wanted all of my FWF peeps that like SVG files to know about The Cutting Café.  If you comment on The Cutting Cafe's Blog post each Thursday, Regina generously gives away any three sets from her store.  I won several times before I made the design team and it's a great way to add to your SVG collection.

Happy Wednesday everyone! I'm heading across the state for a work related conference today.  I'll be there for the next 3 days.  The good news?  I get to spend tomorrow evening with my BFF and her Golden Retriever puppy.  Yeah!

This week at The Cutting Café, we're bringing out the masculine projects.  And what could be more manly than a pair of bib overalls?

I chose to work with this Overalls Shaped Card file from the Cutting Café Store, and cut it out on my Silhouette Cameo. What do you think? Are they "all boy"?

 

Authentique Papers have some great denim patterns, and that's what I used on this card. There's also red cardstock from Close To My Heart.  The "Cool Guy" sentiment is CTMH as are the buttons.

 

As I was working on the first card, I was trying various things, and ended up with some leftover pieces.  I decided to assemble another card, just for fun. This one has a decidedly more "girlie feel" -- at least on the outside. But wait.  There's a surprise.  Snicker, snicker.

 

 

Again, the designer papers are from Authentique, on a Kraft base.

This one has a sentiment inside, from Unity stamp company.

 

 

Bwahahaha!  You weren't expecting that were you? Enjoy your day, everyone!

 



Pile It On Challenge with Whimsical Design

It's time for another Whimsical Wednesday Challenge over on the Whimsical Designs blog. This week, our theme is "Pile It On".  Layer on the paper, the bling, the embellishments.  Our sponsor again this week is The Paper Parade, giving a $15 gift certificate to the challenge winner.

 

 

The Paper Parade was also kind enough to furnish each design team member with papers and embellishments.  I got some Authentique and Fancy Pants supplies that were SO fun to create with!  In my FAVORITE colors!

 

Here's my "Pile It On" card for some inspiration...

 

 

I used the sentiment from Whimsical Designs "Whimsical Fun -Volume 1" stamp set.

I combined papers from both Authentique Seasons (Spring) and Fancy Pants Baby Mine collection.  The card base is Close To My Heart lagoon.

I have to tell you that I cheated on the butterfly.  It is a stamp by Close To My Heart.  You know exactly where to place each button and gem (also CTMH) by following the template of the stamp.  Easy peasy.  I added a Studio Calico chipboard butterfly, and some  twisted teal Trendy Twine to finish off my card.

That's it for me today.  Now it's your turn to "pile it on" and join our challenge.  And don't forget to visit the rest of the talented Whimsical Designs team! 

 



Whimsical Wednesday Challenge -- favorite colors

Hello, and happy Wednesday! This is the last day of the work week for me.  I am leaving tomorrow morning for a 4 day scrapbooking retreat.  I've never done anything like this before.  I'm driving 3 1/2 hours to a retreat center, meeting up with 7 other ladies I've only ever met online.  If I don't post next Wednesday, please send out a search party, LOL! My husband wonders how I know they are all trustworthy.  I feel I know them all quite well, and have no misgivings.  Well, except for Sharon Does Baskets.  She's a Chicago Bears fan.  That has me a little worried :)

Back to the challenge!  It's a new challenge at Whimsical Design, and it's gonna be a REALLY fun one! Everyone loves to work with our favorite colors, right? Well, this week, we get to do just that.

Our sponsor is the Paper Parade.

The winner of the challenge will get a $15 gift certificate to their great store!

Do your favorite colors change with the seasons?  Mine do.  In winter, I lean towards blues and browns.  Spring, is more soft pastels.  Summer finds me craving bright colors, and by Fall, I'm leaning towards greens, oranges, and browns.  So, when I was asked my favorite colors so our sponsor could send some product, I had to think about it for a bit.  I requested bubblegum pink and teal.

Here's the card I created with my wonderful papers:

 

 

The paper, from our sponsor, The Paper Parade, is Authentique Spring (from the Seasons Collection).  The image is a My Favorite Things stamp, Puppy Girl.  The sentiment, is of course, Whimsical Designs.  I love this font.  I love how crisply it stamps! It is the "With Love" stamp set, found HERE.

 

 

I colored the image with Copic markers and sponged around the outside with Tim Holtz distress ink in Spun Sugar.  The 3 Girl JAM ribbon is the cream ribbon from the coffee bundle. I used several Spellbinder dies on this card. And, a little bling from my stash.

This card was given to a friend when she got a new puppy.  Two friends got new puppies within a couple weeks of each other.  You saw one of the cards last week, and this one this week.  No puppies next week, I promise!

Pick out your favorite colors and join us at Whimsical Wednesday Challenges. And, visit the rest of the design team.  They're amazing!

 

 

Let's Celebrate!

Happy Friday!  I hope all you USA followers had a great Independence Day yesterday and a happy belated Canada Day to my northern friends.

 

Today, I'm starting a celebration, and I've got lots of reasons to celebrate!  It's Friday, I'm part of the fantastic 3 Girl JAM design team and we're starting a new shaped card challenge today, with inspiration on the challenge blog, it's Friends With Flair, my father, suffering from pneumonia and blood clots in his lungs is improving rapidly, AND tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY!  See? Lots of reasons to celebrate!

 

I absolutely LOVE shaped cards.  They are one of my favorite things to create, and are so easy to do with either a Cricut or a Silhouette.  For this particular card, I used my Cricut Expression 2 to create it.

 

 

And, of course, it uses 3 Girl JAM ribbon.  This is Baby Girl ribbon from the Baby Bundle, found in the 3 Girl JAM store.

 

I tell crafters that if they only want to own one Cricut cartridge, buy the Close To My Heart Art Philosophy cartridge, available here. It is my all-time favorite cartridge.  I used it to make the card, the card front, and the flower on this project.  The ribbon slide is a Spellbinder die. I used one of my all-time favorite Unity sets to stamp the sentiment, "Happy Everything". Papers are Authentique Delightful 12x12. The chipboard butterfly is from UmWow Studio.  Some Trendy Twine and a CTMH pearl finish off the card.  All the edges were inked with CTMH whisper ink.

 

Do you like making shaped cards, too?  Then link up on the 3 Girl JAM challenge blog.  Our own Carri, from Double Click Connections is sponsoring the challenge, giving away 3 packages of her fabulous homemade skittles. There's also a $10 Gift Certificate to the 3 Girl JAM store AND a guest designer spot.  YEAH! See, the celebration goes on and ON!

link up here:

 

Snail Mail

A sad, sad thing has happened.  My favorite place to buy scrapbooking supplies, and one of my favorite places to hang out on the internet, cropchocolate.com, is closing their online business at the end of May.  I just found out yesterday.  I feel like a piece of me is being left behind as well.  I have been a part of the CC community since the company began in 2009 and have made many friends on the site.  We're brainstorming ways to keep the friendships going. When their online business ends, so does my design team assignment.  I spent Saturday working on my next assignment for them.  It's no longer needed.  So it goes.  With that in mind, I'm hoping to get on a new team or two, to fill the gap, and mend this slightly broken scrappy heart of mine.  I've put out some feelers, and I'm hoping for results.  One of the possibilities that I'm very excited about is with a Challenge blog!  I love challenges!  Everyone at Crop Chocolate can tell you that I've entered every single week of challenges there.  I've never won one (it's why I don't gamble.  The winner is chosen from a hat -- literally), but I've entered every week of their 60 challenges ever offered.  Stuck On Us Sketches Challenges is adding some team members, including members for a new die cut challenge.  YES!  I would SO LOVE to be on that TEAM!  With my Silhouette, my 3 Cricuts, more cartridges than I can admit to, a Bigshot and a Grand Calibur and lots and lots of cutting dies, I'm set!  I rushed home from work today and whipped up this card, just to enter it in the challenge and let the powers that be see my style.  Here it is.  I hope you like it!

The challenge theme this time is crustaceans.  My scientist husband says, "yes, a snail qualifies as a crustacean."  I cleared it with him before I launched into the card.  I used a Lifestyle Crafts cutting die to make the window in the front of the card, and then a smaller one to stamp the snail on.  I mounted the snail on an adhesive spring (CTMH), to make it even more fun for the recipient when they open the envelope. The cardstock is Close To My Heart.  DP is Authentique Fresh 6x6 Collection.  The Snail stamp and sentiment are from the Unity Feb, 2009 Kit of the Month. I colored the snail with Copic markers, then used a little Creative Inspirations paints in Fairy Dust to give it a little lustre.  It shows up better IRL.

I have some blog candy I'm giving away this week in celebration of a very busy week of blogging for me.  I have a tutorial and post on The Crop Tuesday, April 30, and a post here on my blog, a blog hop with my 3 Girl Jam DT sisters on Wednesday celebrating the release of some gorgeous new ribbon colors and a SALE!, a blog post on the 3 Girl Jam challenge blog on Thursday, and a post here on this blog,  another blog hop on Friday with some art journal peeps.  We're the Mixed Media Mix Up, or the Mixed Up Media Girls, or something like that.  It's Friday-Sunday -- tons of fun, and I have a post here on Saturday for All That Stickles using Icicle Stickles.  So, to celebrate all this inspiration, I'm giving away a 6x6 paper pad, some Pincque Peacock stick pins, some twine, Stickles, miscellaneous bling, and some ribbon.  To be eligible to win, follow my blog and comment on this post, then come back each day this week and comment again to increase your chances of winning.  I'll announce the winner early next week when I've recovered from all this scrappy mojo.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Stuck on You Sketches -- die cut crustaceans
Simon Says Stamp -- anything goes
Sister Act Card Challenges -- anything goes
Creative Inspirations Paints -- anything goes
Great Impressions Stamps -- Pastel Colors &/or Polka Dots
D.L. Art -- anything goes

Thanks you so much for visiting my blog! I love your comments.