Sketch Girl Flower Power

Hey everyone!  Here's what I came up with for the latest Sketch Girl challenge.  I hope you don't mind but the card took a life of it's own and I had modify the sketch a little bit.

First I picked out the fabulously colourful pattern paper then decided to accent with the canvas sticker letters that Jessica sent me a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't want to do plain squares and my sewing machine was packed away so I came up with the rounded corners. I then remembered those mod flowers I've seen on other blogs in recent months. Not really very original is it? but those cheerful papers really make it pop. I decided to put the sentiment circle right in the middle to make that flower.  A sketch really is just a starting point isn't it? A place to gather inspiration? And the end result is your take on that inspiration.

For greater details I also added the pattern tracer texture around the card base another fantastic gift from Jessica.  It's an inexpensive tool but adds such nice texture without overdoing it.  Those canvas stickers also do a fantastic job of adding texture.  

With this post I also wanted to let you know about Ann's Blog candy giveaway: A $25 gift certificate to PAPERTREY INC.!! Yes PTI!  All you have to do is leave her a comment letting her know what your plans are for this summer....oh and you might want to look over her fabulous work.  I call her the Queen of CAS (Clean and Simple).  Her designs are so simple you often think "why didn't I think of that?" but she knows exactly how to put wonderful in her cards with only 3 letters W-O-W!

Steps:

1) Make 5.25" card of cardstock (CS)

2) Cut four 2.25" squares of CS; round two opposing corners

3) Cut four 2" squares of pattern paper; round two opposing corners; adhere to CS squares

4) Adhere squares to card to form petals

5) Punch 1 3/4"circle; cut 2" circle with coluzzle; adhere circles

6) Punch 1/4 circles and adhere around circle

7) Adhere letters to circle; adhere to card

8) Use pattern tracer to frame flower.

Elements:

Paper: Razzleberry Lemonade dp (SU!), Kraft, Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Raspberry Fizz (PTI)

Accessories: Canvas letter stickers (Making Memories), Pattern tracer, 1 3/4" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch, large corner rounder punch, coluzzle circle tool.

Blogger Gifts

Good afternoon!  Hope all of you are enjoying your last day of 2009!  Tonight the family and I are enjoying a quiet New Years Eve at home.  We had a busy week or so and are just looking forward to hangin' out at home.

Before I continue on with my day of relaxation I just want to take a moment to share with you some small paper gifts that my blog candy winner Melisa sent to me.  It was a great surprise to see in my mailbox.  I'm so happy that she's getting use out of the goodies. The gift tags in those little wax baggies are a wonderful idea and the ribbon was long enough to nice wrap around the neck of a wine bottle.  Her thank you card is beautiful!  I love the nested buttons.  I keep telling her she needs to start her own blog (even if it's anonymously) because she has such wonderful talent she could be sharing.  Thanks so much Melisa for sharing with me.

On another note, and a sad one,  I was very sad to hear about  Maureen's mother passing away this last Tuesday evening.  Even with a heavy heart she was able to create an amazingly beautiful card that brought tears to my eyes. I just want to offer out a big hug to her and hope that maybe you could do the same.  It still amazes me how much encouragement and friendship the blogging community has to offer.

Amazingly I will have more to share in the coming days so I hope you'll come back for more.  Here's to a fabulous and hope filled 2010!!!

O Christmas Tree

Hi Ladies.  I apologize for the delay in announcing the blog candy winner.  First I want to thank you for all of your lovely comments and I'm so happy to meet each one of you.  I'm always looking for other people to inspire me but also people that I can encourage.   Giving encouraging words to others is the one of  the things I like most about the blogging community.  I want to thank my new followers as well as my faithful followers who are always there with a positive note for me.  

Anyhow, I have had a busier weekend than I was anticipating.  We were given tickets to go see "My Fair Lady" at our local theater and it was awesome!  Then my husband remembered that we had a kids Christmas party to attend this afternoon (an hour after it began).  I have a huge calendar on the fridge to use but for whatever reason my husband forgets what it's there for.  I wonder if he really even knows its there? We also put up our lovely Christmas tree.  It's the first time we put up a fake one and I do love the convenience of it.  It's not the same but I recall last year trying to find the perfect tree a couple of years ago by myself in the cold two days before Christmas because we (by that I mean my husband) had procrastinated for too long.  It was a charlie brown tree that year.   But here's our tree this year!  What do you think?  Pretty good for having the three little ones giving me a helping hand.  I'm so happy that they have those unbreakable ornaments now.  It takes the stress out of decorating.

Well now, here's what you really want to know.  The winner of my blog Candy using random.org is lucky number 7.... Melisa Hunter.  Can you please send me your address so that I can deliver it for Christmas :-P

I will be back tomorrow (I mean it this time) with a bunch of Christmas cards I was busy making all week.  I will also follow up on any comments that you've sent me as I like to keep in touch and I will be sure to check out your blogs.  I apologize to my blogging friends for not taking any time to view your lovely art work this.  I haven't been on my computer.  Take care and keep in touch!

Blog Candy Giveaway

Sorry this is late ladies!!  I knew I should have prescheduled this.  Life happens and last night my sister came over with her boyfriend and we played a very long yet fun game of monopoly and I had one two many glasses of wine.  Two glasses would have sufficed...at least that's what my head is telling me this morning.  Anyhow here's what's up for grabs.

1) Three sheets of double sided Basic Grey (BG) paper from the NEW Nook 'n Pantry collection

2) Three sheets from the fabulously cute BG Eskimo Kisses collection

3) Four sheets from the Three Bugs in a Rug Playtime collection.

4) 3Bugs Playtime alphabet die cuts

5) Two Sheets of 3Bugs Snips 'n Snails paper.

6) Five Sheets from the Fancy Pants Wildhearts Collection

7) FP Wildheart diecut sheet

8)  Two Sheets of this beautiful butterfly paper.  I believe it's MME.

9)  One sheet of scrapbooking butterfly stickers.

10) Eight sheets of Stampin' Up! Delicate Dots dsp. 2 sheets of 4 designs.

11) Two Sheets of SU! Wild Wasabi textured cardstock

12) Two Sheets of SU! Soft Sky textured cardstock

13) Two Sheets of SU! dsp


14) Three full sheets of SU! cardstock quality stickers to match the above.

15) Side Stitched ribbon in Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, and Blue Bayou

16) One yard of stripped grosgrain ribbon in Wild Wasabi

17) One beautiful yard of Purely Pomegranate ribbon.  That's all I could part with.

18)  New Pair of scissors

19)  Old Olive Stamp pad

20)  Stampin' Up! Hostess Set "Holiday Best"

So, what do you think?  Is that enough for you to play along with me.  The only thing I want you to do to enter for this is leave a comment on this post answering one (or both) of the following questions:

1)  What's your favourite tool, product, colour, etc. that you just couldn't live without?

2)  What kind of advice would you give to new paper crafters/stampers?

Anyhow, please let everyone you know about my little celebration giveaway.  I'll be posting my Card Patterns guest designer submission as soon as I can or you can just hop on over there and see it for yourself.

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend.  I do apologize again for not getting this posted sooner.  I did promise it would be here.  Good luck to you all!  I'll be announcing the winner December 5th.

Blog Candy Excitement

Good Morning!!  Just wanted to let you in on the chance to win Alex's blog candy over at California Stampin'.  She's a fellow SU! demonstrator who has reached 100K hits on her blog and wants to celebrate by giving away a bunch of scrappin' goodies.  So if you're interested in winning some great supplies hop on over to her blog .  She also has some fabulous projects using SU! product.

Anyhow, hope you are all doing well.  I'm looking forward to having the holiday right in the middle of the week. After having a long weekend with just me and the kids, I'm looking forward to having a whole day with the family together and not have to go anywhere.

Sketch Girl Blog Candy

I just want to share the loot I happened to win by participating in the Sketch Girl #6 challenge.   I was expecting maybe a few small things but definitely not the big box that arrived.  Thanks Leigh Ann !  Look at all the stuff she sent me!!!

1)  Blackboard Flirt Album (Cosmo Cricket)

2)  You are My Sunshine stamp set (Gina K).  I really needed a beach set and the title of the set is meaningful because that song is my daughters favourite.

3) PTI vintage buttons.  A girl can never have too many buttons right Maureen ?

4) Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery twill ribbon.  This is retired so I'm going to savour every bit of it!

5) SU! Delicate Dots dsp. (Retired) A whole pack! 16 sheets!  4 of 4 designs!  Way to much for me to use so I'll just have to take half and give the other half away when I pay it forward with my own blog candy.

6) SU! Glue stick.  Always handy to have extra adhesive.  It's a pain when you run out of the right adhesive isn't it?

7) A Classic SU! ink pad in Old Olive.  One of my favourite colours and therefore already have but I'll be sure to find it a loving home .

8) And finally, a box (actually a mini magazine holder) with a bunch of beautiful handmade cards.

This was really so much more than I was expecting for participating in using such a wonderful sketch.  I used their latest challenge sketch for the card in my last post.  And you should check out the other ladies who participated. Such fantastic and inspiring ideas.

I'll be posting a card later  on in the day so be sure to check back.  Have a wonderful afternoon!