Berry Best sketch challenge!

Hello! I made this card for the sketch challenge over on SCS. I really struggled with this one, at first, but that is why they call them challenges, right?! I am pleased with the end result. The stamps are from Artful Inkables. I am going to plug this stamp company because they have some wonderful stamps, and don't get the recognition they deserve. These stamps are deeply etched red rubber and are packaged THE BEST! I am all about great packaging! I know exactly where they are and when I am done I just stick them right back in the snap container! I have included some photos of the packaging. This set was only $9.95! There prices are really reasonable. They just came out with some new releases, and I can't wait to get some new stamps from them! Go check them out HERE.

See what I mean about the packaging! FABULOUS!

Have a great day!

Emily

Clean and Simple card and vote for my friend Ashley!

Here is a card I made for today's CAS challenge over on SCS. We were to use the rock & roll technique. Haven't done that one in awhile! I inked up this set from SU for the first time! This also works for Danni's Flutterby challenge. I used more mustard and tangerine tango. I stamped the sentiment in black and addeds some bling and ribbon! I am so glad to be stamping today! I had a rough weekend at work! Glad it is over!

Now...on to my friend Ashley! She is a finalist in Unity's anniversary challenge. If she wins, she will get one whole year of KOTM's from Unity for FREE! Is that an awesome prize or what? Below you will see Ashley's fabulous jungle cake! Isn't it the coolest! To vote for my sweet friend, click HERE. You will want to vote for the Unity Celebration Inspiration challenge! I think she is in the lead, but every vote counts!

Also, scroll down for my blog candy! I will pick a winner on Friday!
Have a marvelous Monday!

EMILY

Yo-ho-ho!

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! I made this card today for the sketch challenge over on SCS. You can find the sketch HERE. I love the blocked panels in this sketch. I used DP from K&Co.'s Daydream collection. I cut out the part of the paper with the waves, since it went perfectly with my little pirate mouse image. This is another image given to me from Michelle (MishB). The mouse pirate image is from Art Gone Wild and the sentiment is from 3rd Coast. I colored the image with prisma pencils and blended with OMS. I sponged the edges of the image and sentiment banner with brown ink. I added some antique pewter brads to the corners of the image and some hemp twine at the top.
Remember to scroll down one post if you want some free digi images from The Digi Shack! They will only be available until the end of the month!

Emily

Rest, Relaxation, Retire!

I made this card for the featured stamper challenge over at SCS. This fun image is from my SCS bud, Michelle (aka Mishb). She sent me a bunch of pirate images after my son fell in love with one of her pirate cards! Thanks Michelle! I thought this image was perfect for a retirement card! The image is from 100 Proof Press and the sentiment is PTI's Mixed Messages. I colored the image with Prisma Pencils. The paper is all from my scrap pile!

I will have another card tomorrow for the CAS challenge!

Emily

The Digi Shack GRAND OPENING!

In honor of The Digi Shack's GRAND OPENING, we are giving away THIS free image for you to download! That’s right! Today you will have the opportunity to download the sketch challenge image for FREE... and to sweeten the deal, if you want a chance to win 5 FREE downloads, use this FREE image along with this Sketch and enter our sketch challenge contest!

Entries MUST include this image and some variation of this sketch. You may use any paper, embellishments or other items you choose but the main focal point has to be this image. You must include a link to your card on The Digi Shack site, to enter.

A winner will be chosen on April 22nd, so you must upload your card by April 21st. If you are uploading to SCS, use the key word TDSSC1. I would love for you to leave me a link to your cards too!

Also, in celebration of The Digi Shack grand opening ALL downloads will be 50% off today! That's quite a deal!

Have fun with this image and sketch!

Emily

The Digi Shack Sneak Peek!

Hello! Here is a sneak peek of what is in store at The Digi Shack! Remember...tomorrow is the realease party! We will be having a sketch challenge with a free download! You will love the free download! It's BEAUTIFUL!

My card base is close to cocoa. The DP is a digi paper that will be available at TDS. My image is colored with copics and matted with Ruby red. The sentiment is from PTI's mixed messages. I added some primas and brads. I think this giraffe is a hoot! Couldn't wait to color him in!

I hope you guys play along with the sketch challenge tomorrow and come to get your free image!

Emily

Unity Flowers CAS

Happy Monday, everyone! I worked all weekend, so it is a very happy Monday for me! Crazy busy at work, so I couldn't wait to get home and check out the CAS challenge for today. For the CAS we were to make a monochromatic card.

I chose black and white. The image is from Unity's March KOTM. I CB'd the white panel with the Stylized flowers embossing folder. I added a black satin ribbon down the middle and the image is mounted on a scalloped rectangle (nestie).

This was a quick and easy card to make. Thanks for stopping by today!

Remember to save some time on Wednesday for The Digi Shack's release party! There will be a sketch challenge with a free upload for the challenge. If your card is picked, you will get 5 free uploads! Fun, fun, fun!

Emily

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone! I made this bunny card several weeks ago, but wanted to save it for the big day! I downloaded this image from Plumpurdy.com, after seeing Mutnik's cute card HERE. I fell in love with this image. I colored it with my prisma pencils and used OMS to blend. My card base is perfect plum, and the swiss dots CB'd strip is green galore. I added some green buttons at the bottom. I wanted to keep the layout simple, since the image was so big.

Thanks for stopping by today, and keep watching! The Digi Shack will be having their release party on Wednesday! There will be a sketch challenge, and you will be provided with a free image to download! All images will be 50% off on Wednesday, too! Hope you can come and play! I will have more details the next couple of days!

Have a wonderful Easter! Don't eat too many jelly beans, or chocolate bunnies, or peeps, or eggs.....!

Emily

The Digi Shack Design Team!

Well...my exciting news is that I am on the DT for The Digi Shack, a new digi stamp company! I am super excited! I made this card with one of the images that will be available very soon. They will have images, sentiments and digi papers!


Stay tuned for more about the release date. I will also have a free download available soon, only for the month of April! It is super sweet!


image: The Digi Shack

paper: tempting turquoise, black, real red DSP

accesories: stickles, ribbon, black brads, prisma pencils, OMS, blending stumps

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in my good news!

Emily

Cafe' Window

OH....what a morning it has been! Max had some testing done this morning and then off to find prizes and snacks for Will's school Easter party! Max and Luke were not very well behaved in Target, to put it mildly! I am sure everyone at Target was very glad to see us go! I wish I was sitting at that little table in the cafe' window, drinking a latte'...in silence! I will have to settle for a cup of joe at my kitchen table, while watching Sid The Science Kid! LOL!

I made this for the color challenge on SCS yesterday. Close to Cocoa, So Saffron and Bashful Blue. Love it! I had been wanting to paper piece that little cafe' window from Unity's March KOTM. I used the Delicate Dots DSP from SU's SAB catty. I added some rhinestones to the fringe and at the bottom. The sentiment is from Unity's Simply Said kit. The ribbon is So Saffron by SU and the brown is by May Arts.

I have had some people ask me how I tie my ribbons so the good part is in the front. I will have to try to think of how to do a tutorial on that. Hmmmm....might have to get hubby's help!

I hope you all have a wonderful day! No more snow here. It's beautiful and sunny, but only 45 degrees! I will take it over snow any day! LOL!

Emily

Simple & Sweet!

I know...another project with Friendly Forest DP! I am so in love with the stuff! This card was so super easy to make. The card base is chocolate chip and is 4.25" x 4.25". The DP is actually from a little mat stack that matches this line of paper. All of the sheets in the mat stack have a little critter in the lower corner. I just cut my paper 4" x 4" so that the squirell was in the lower corner, and then stamped the sentiment on some very vanilla. I distressed the edges of the paper and added some faux stitching.

Super quick and easy to make! The ribbon I used is by May Arts. I hope you all have a wonderful day! We have snow flurries right now! AAAHHHHH! I need spring to REALLY be here. No more 70 degree day "teasers"!

Emily

Lollipop Flower/Paper Posie tutorial

I made this card for the TLC215 found HERE. I just adore this little flower pot card!

I made this card for this week's CAS09 over on SCS. We were to use distressing on our card. I love to distress, and thought a lollipop flower as the focal point of a card would make the perfect CAS card with distressing.

Lolipop flowers are so easy to make so I have attempted a quick little tutorial to show you. All you need is some scraps of DP, a distressing tool or scissors, and a water spritzer! Here it goes!

Start out by cutting out square shapes from you DP. Think of how you want the colors to layer. The bottom layer will be your largest square, and then work your way up. You can do as many as you want. I am just going to show you three here. They do not have to be perfect squares, in fact, you don't really want them to look perfect! That's what makes them distressed and vintage looking!

Next you are just going to cut around the square. Notice that these are by no means perfect circles. Not to worry...they will still nest nicely when you are done!

Now you are gong to take your distressing tool or scissors, and go around the edge of your circles. If you tear them a bit, no worries! The rougher the edge, the better in my opinion!

Next you will lightly mist them with water. While your circles are damp you can scrunch them, bend up the ends, or whatever you want. They dry fairly quickly, but if you are impatient like me, you can use your heating tool to dry them faster!

Now you can stack them up and either add a brad in the middle or a button! Voila! Your very own paper posie!

Hope this is helpful! Let me know if you have any questions!

Emily

Lily & Milo

I made this card for the sketch challenge on SCS this past week, but I forgot to post it on my blog! I bought this stamp a while back, but have never inked it up until now! I stamped the image on watercolor paper and used my reinkers, SU markers, and an aqua painter to color. The paper is Delicate Dots from the Sale-a-bration catty. The ribbon is So Saffron (also from SAB catty). I matted the image on So Saffron paper. Added a stick pin with ribbon and a prima with a dew drop center!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Emily

Babies, Leaves and a Hip Hop Hangover!

Hello! I made these cards for the Unity challenges for Hip Hop yesterday. We had to make a baby card. I thought this chick and this sentiment from the March KOTM were perfect! I distressed all of the edges with a distressing tool and sponged some brown ink on the edges and even on my ribbon. I used some SU markers to add faux stitching around the borders. I was going for a vintage, shabby chic look. I think it turned out super cute! The ribbon is so saffron and the DP is delicate dots, both are from SU's Sale-a-bration catty.

For this card, the challenge was to use no more than three layers, and no more than three colors on our card (neutrals didn't count). My card base is kraft, and I framed the stamped images on chocolate chip. I stamped the images with baja breeze, chocolate chip and kiwi kiss. I added some antiqued brads in the corners and some jute twine at the top. I distressed the edges on this card too.

Hope you have a fabulous Friday!

Emily

Sending Happy Thoughts

I made this card for the CAS challenge over on SCS. I love making CAS cards! I made this card in 5 minutes! My son picked out the paper as we were getting him ready for school! I chose a sentiment and added the buttons and ribbon.

stamps: Unity March KOTM

paper: kraft, DP from Colorbok's Friendly Forest collection

accesories: brown buttons, May arts ribbon

Tomorrow I will have a tutorial on how to make the A2 box from my Unity blog hop post.

Have a fabulous day!

Emily

Jazzy Inspiration Challenge!

This is a card I made for Tenia's Jazzy Inspiration Challenge. The colors were Pacific Point, Ridinghood Red and white! You can see the album cover above that was used for the inspiration piece. This has been a go-to layout for me recently. I used a Billy stamp from Pink Cat Studios. I think Billy is so darn cute, and his counter part is Lily, if you prefer a girly image! My oldest son loves when I make anything with Billy on it! He also likes to color in the Billy images. I colored the image with SU reinkers and markers. I CB'd the red panel behind the image and matted everything in black.

Saturday is Unity's World Record blog hop! It should be fun to check out everyone's creations. I will be participating!

Have a great day!

Emily

Wind Down!

Today's Color Challenge over on SCS is Pretty in Pink, Kiwi Kiss, and Baja Breeze. I love this combo! Such a feminine color combo! I made this card with one of my new stamps from MFT. Have you checked out their Bubble Bin? Some really great deals! I can see where I am going to have to restrain my self from buying every week!

When I was growing up, my grandparents had a bathroom in their house that was completely tiled in Baja Breeze colored tiles. I LOVED that bathroom. I can still visualize it to this day. I loved taking baths in that big blue tub and can remember tracing the tile designs with my fingers along the walls. It is such a vivid memory that I can remember the smells of my grandfather's aftershave and the faint smell of bleach from my Grandmother's always clean as a whistle house! Just had to share that with you all! Thanks for listening!

I stamped my image in Momento's tuxedo black on watercolor paper. I used my reinkers and an aqua painter to color the image. I used a gold gel pen to color in the claw feet and hardware on the tub. Card base is Pretty in Pink, and I also used baja breeze and kiwi kiss to mat. The dp is from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie collection. Added some gold brads in the corners to tie in the gold hardware on the tub. The ribbon is pretty in pink taffeta.

Thanks for stopping by today! I always enjoy your comments! Have a great day!

Emily

Inky Impressions 1st Design Team Call!

Hello! So I have decided to put in for Inky Impressions Design Team. Here are the cards that I made for the call. Above I colored this image from Sugar Nellie with copics and prisma alcohol markers. I also colored the sentiment letters to match his shirt. The DP is from Cosmo Cricket's Cogsmo line. I added some black circles with brads in the lower left corner. I gave this card to my nephew for his birthday last night because I knew that Grandma was buying him guitar hero!

Below is a card I made with MFT's Hoppy Easter set. I colored the image with my prisma pencils and used the gamsol magic technique to blend. I added some stickles to the egg and sponged the sky with soft sky ink. This is a 4.5 x 4.5 card. I used the swiss dots embossing folder on the lower white panel and my card base is Baja Breeze. I layered the image on So Saffron and pretty in pink paper. The ribbon is taffeta. The sentiment is stamped on so saffron paper and punched with an oval punch and layered with a pink punched oval. I think I may do this as my Easter card this year. I really love the soft colors and the way it turned out!

Good luck to all of the very talented ladies who have submitted for this design team!

New Artful Inkables set!

Wow! What a week! I haven't gotten much stamp time in, but I did manage to ink up this new set I got from Artful Inkables. I love this set because it reminds me of berry picking in Michigan's UP with my sisters as a child. Wild blueberries and rasberries...YUM!
I colored my image with copics, prisma pencils and used my soft sky reinker and aqua painter for the sky. I was really impressed with how large the images were in this set and they stamp like a dream! The price is great too...$9.95! Here is the link to Artful Inkables. I also bought some awesome ribbon!
I have been on a spending spree as of late...Artful Inkables, Unity Kit Of The Month, My favorite Things, my Stampin Up mini pre-order.... I better get busy and start using it all!
I will have some more projects for you this weekend!

Emily

Tweet Trio

Hello! I made this card for this weeks CAS challenge on SCS. CAS stands for "Clean and Simple" card. We were to get our inspiration from the Robeez children's shoes site. How fitting that my birdies are wearing little soft soled shoes! I bet they bought them from the Robeez site! LOL! The bird stamps are from Studio G ($1 bin at M's). The sentiment is PTI's mixed message set. I colored my birdies with copics and used the swiss dots CB folder for the ridinghood red panel. I have been using my CB folders alot here lately!

Enjoy the day!

Emily