Don't pass out - it's a card!

I finally got my new camera!! Granted, this was the 2nd one I got since the first was defective (it wouldn't even turn on when I opened the box). I'm very happy with my purchase though & hopefully this will get me back into blogging.

A friend of mine requested a card with a "beach or tropical theme" & wouldn't you know it? I had no beach or tropical stamps. So.....I really did *have* to buy this set from Papertrey Ink, right? It's not like I had a choice or anything. That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

I lucked out & found some "sand" paper in my stash so I ripped it kind of unevenly hoping that the white remnant would look like the foam waves make when they come up on the beach. Mission accomplished? It's not perfect, but I'm happy with it.

Thanks for checking in!
--Janet

$20 Amazon.com gift card for $10?

Living Social has a daily deal going right now where you can get a $20 Amazon.com gift card for $10! Click here to purchase (if 3 people do....I get my gift card free!), plus refer your friends. If 3 of your friends purchase, you'll get your gift card free! The deal is only good for about 9 more hours though - so get cracking! Happy shopping!

Papercraft Star Giveaway & Camera Issues...

Papercraft Star is having a giveaway to celebrate reaching 1000 followers - they're not quite there, but they're awfully close! Winner gets a $25 gift certificate to Papertrey Ink or My Favorite Things....oh I hope they pick me!!

I have a card made & ready to post, but....I'm waiting for my new digital camera to arrive. It actually came yesterday, however it was a dud. *sigh* So disappointing. Darn thing wouldn't even turn on. Thankfully, the lovely folks at Dell are sending me a replacement camera and I can't wait!! Keep an eye out for that card soon.......

Don't forget to check out Papercraft Star for that generous giveaway!!

Over a year?! That's awful!

I just happened to pull up my blog today to tell you about an awesome new blog I found. And I see that it's been over a year since I posted here. Awful! Not that I've ever been a good blogger, but it's pretty bad that I posted on here to let you know that I'm still breathing & then backed it up with....well....nothing. My plan really is to do lots better - doing challenges helps me with inspiration & then gives me something to post, so I'll have to get into some kind of routine. Then maybe I'll actually make some cards, rather than just thinking about it!

Anyway, I found Paulina's blog Pretty Pink Posh through the Papertrey Ink forum. She's giving away a $40 gift certificate & you can choose from a list of seven places to buy your goodies! Not only is this a completely awesome giveaway, but her blog is completely awesome as well -- her cards are so cute! Paulina's got a new follower as of today! So, I hope you'll take some time to click on the link below & check out her blog. Come back here soon too! I will have some cards to post soon! (As soon as I find the charger for my camera battery.......It's always something with me)

I AM alive!

I know I haven't been posting on here but I promise to try to do something about that soon! Just a quick note to let those of who are (still) checking in know that yes, I am still alive.....just busy. I'll be off work Friday & my grandmother has requested some cards, so hopefully I'll have something crafty to post this weekend!

My very first Tilda

After months of coveting all these cute Tilda stamps, I broke down & bought some from Simon Says Stamp. They were so quick with their shipping & the Tilda's are so undeniably cute, that I placed a second order too - I think I may need help! So today I proudly present to you my first Tilda card! My friend Trina just lost her favorite cat & I wanted to make something to let her know I was thinking about her & this is what I came up with.

Front:

Lollipop flowers:

A close-up at an odd angle:

I know the last picture is at a funny angle, but this one shows the true colors of the card much better. For some reason the other two kind of wash the colors out. You can also see the 3-D aspect of the kitty's head here.

This card fit the bill for a few challenges: first, I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday which had the added twist of a pet theme (quite fitting). The ABC challenge for this week was "E is for embossing" & the whole front of the card is embossed with birds & vines. I tried my hand at making lollipop flowers (I think that's what they're called anyway) which qualified it for Just Magnolia's challenge of handmade flowers. Magnolia Down Under challenge this week called for buttons which are there on my flowers. Crafty Cardmakers wants to see ribbons & fibers - don't know if they'll count my measly little white satin ribbon, but since it was there I figured why not? It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I've used a little foamie to make the kitty's head 3-D & Charisma Cardz theme for the week is decoupage - does that tiny kitty head count?

Usually, except for the sketch, I make the card & then see what challenges it may fit so it's fun to see how many I can squeeze in there. This week, though, the Just Magnolia challenge inspired me to try making these cute flowers. I've seen other people make them before &, although I definitely need more practice, I like the end result.

Supplies:
Paper: Lavender from my stash, DP from Basic Grey Wisteria
Stamps: Swing and Tilda with Kitten by Magnolia, sentiment from the $1 bin at Michael's
Ribbon & buttons from my stash
Other supplies: Marvy scallop circle punch, Cuttlebug and birds & vines embossing folder, colored pencils

Thanks for stopping by!

Buggy full of bunnies baby card

It's been forever since I posted a card on here but I finally got my act together! This is a card for a friend who looks like she's about to pop any day now. Four babies in the buggy is just about perfect - no, she's not having quadruplets but she is having baby #4.

Speaking of the #4, there were 4 challenges that worked with my card this week. I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday but changed it a tiny bit to suit my materials. Creative Card Crew's challenge this week was to decorate the inside of your card and, since that's something I've never done before, I decided to give it a shot. House Mouse and Friends Challenge is to pick your favorite challenge from the last year. I was so excited to see that because a while back I missed their white on white challenge - everything on the card had to be white except your image - and I really liked the effect. Finally, the challenge at Die Cut Dreams is to use ribbon your card & I just happen to have a velvet ribbon on the front & a satin-y ribbon inside.

Front:

A little more in-close on the image:

Inside:
I had to take like 13 shots of the white on white inside before I finally got this one!

Supplies:

Paper: the card is a pre-made card I got in an 8-pack for $1 at Michael's, other paper from my stash
Stamps: Happy Hoppers Bunny Buggie from Stampabilities, sentiment from the $1 bin at Michael's
Other supplies: colored pencils, Martha Stewart lace border punch, Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder, and for the first time ever (!!!) my new Spellbinders Nestabilities