S.W.A.L.K.

Now I've always seen it as S.W.A.K. I actually had to pop back over the the Teddy Bo site to see if the "L" was loving or little. (It's loving, btw.)



Makes for a pretty darn cute digi either way.

For:

Teddy Bo: anything goes
Allsorts: one or more hearts
Craft Your Days Away: distressing
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle: anything goes
Sweet Stampin': animals
Crafty Ribbons: love is red & black
Shelly's Images: text me
Paper and Such: non-traditional colours
The Stamping Boutique: Valentine's
Top Tip Tuesday: Valentine's
Tuesday Throwdown: use hearts
Use It Tuesdays: all about love - My hoarded supply is the hearts. They came from a fabric fat quarter I bought close to a year ago.
Craft Your Passion: beary sweet
Daisy Doodles: hearts
Lollipop Crafts: anything goes
Catered Crop: print
Dream Valley: animals
The Crafty Pad: Valentine
Anything Goes: to the one I love
City Crafter: envelope
Die Cutting Divas: anything goes
Crafty Sentiments: punches or dies
Ladybugs Crafts: he loves me, he loves me not
The Spotted Chick: kraft paper
The Kraft Journal: so romantic

Winter Wonderland @ Little Red Wagon

This week at



Joanne challenged us to make a card with a Winter theme. I don't know how the weather has been where you live but here in SW Ontario, we've had it pretty darn easy this winter (so far).

Still, I felt that this card was in order.



(Digi sign was a freebie from Shelly's Images. The words were added in...well...Word.)

Embellished with loads of Liquid Applique and Diamond Dust glitter, you'd almost think it's gonna melt into a big puddle all over.

So, why not grab your mukluks and trudge on over to Little Red Wagon to enter the "Winter Wonderland" challenge? And be sure to check out what the other Girlfriends created.

And remember this little tip about winter (which was also what I was considering putting on the sign), "Never catch snowflakes on your tongue until all the birds have flown south for the winter."

Sage advice, my friends, sage advice.

And Baby Makes 3

Though not here. No baby and we're already 5 and planning on staying at that number. But my oldest son's teacher, who is now on maternity leave, had her first baby just recently so I made this for her.



Digi is from Lori Boyd.

I'm really hoping y'all think that looks like a pretty rose coloured flower made out of a gorgeous piece of trim at the top of the card there and not a pink pot scrubber with a brad stuck in it.

For:

Sentimental Sundays: sentiment + die cuts (made with nesties)
Cupcake Inspirations: photo inspiration
Totally Papercrafts: make you own flowers - Top flowers is handmade, bottom ones are not (obviously ;-) )
Do You Stack Up?: patterned paper
Bling It On: new beginnings
By the Cute and Girly: new beginnings
Scrap-Creations: die cuts
Crafty Sentiments: anything goes
Ooh-La-La: new beginnings

Halfway Inspiration @ UnstampaBelles

Well we're a little more than midway through the month so there's still lots of time to enter the "Anything Goes" challenge at UnstampaBelles. So any kind of papercraft goes......just don't use any stamps.

Here's what I made:



(Yes, I do actually make cards that aren't just for boys turning 9.)

This one was pretty simple, just some cardstock, stickers and some paper doll- type cut outs. Also, if you look close you'll see that I used my bone folder to make random lines in the card base.....so it looks like quite the hockey game was going on (which is what actually will be going on for the aforemetioned boy's birthday).

So, why don't you shove those stamps aside for just one card and and enter the "Anything Goes" challenge at UnstampaBelles. You have until February 3rd to do so and you'll have the chance to win a great prize package from Merry Made Store.

And if you need some more inspiration, head over to the challenge site and check out all the great projects the other dt members have come up with.

Also for:

Charisma Cardz: clean & simple
Lexi's Creations: anything goes

2 Different Ribbons @ Little Red Wagon

This week at



the challenge is to use at least two different ribbons on your project.

I've been meaning to try this technique for awhile. This is a great way to use up your ribbon scraps....unless you're like me and don't seem to have any scraps in the colour you need and then you end up having to cut pieces off larger pieces of ribbon and you just know that when you go to use that ribbon on another card that it's going to be a-l-m-o-s-t long enough and it will end up being exactly the amount you used on this card too short.



Yeah, it's not the most fabulous looking Valentine ever but the technique is still cool.

So, why not gather up your ribbons and head on over to Little Red Wagon to enter the challenge this week? And be sure to check out what the other Girlfriends created.

I know their cards will definitely be fabulous.

Friends Are the Flowers of Life - Tiddly Ink Blog Hop

Hey everyone, welcome! At the last minute I decided to participate in the Tiddly Inks Friends Are the Flowers of Life Blog Hop.

(Just for the record I'm trying to think up something pithy to include in this post but there's an argument going on behind me as to which one of my sons is going to accompany their dad to the Storm game he has tickets to and that's totally wreaking havoc on my witty mojo.)

Alrighty then, here's my card.



I used Light Up My Life, an absolutely wonderful image for those masculine cards.

I know it's not the best picture, it got dark here fast so I rigged up a makeshift light tent. (Okay, "light tent" is a bit misleading. I grabbed a lamp from our living room and ordered my 6 year old to hold it above my card so I could take photos. Hey, it was a small lamp.)

(Edited to add: It's daylight again so I changed the picture. This is a lot less yellow than the other one.)

(If I start typing, "It's not fair, it's not fair" over and over again, just ignore me. I'd just be channeling what being mumbled into my arm by the loser of the Storm ticket argument who's head is now buried there. Hey, I'm typing one handed while I comfort him.)

Thanks for looking!

Also for:

Anything Goes Challenge: anything goes
Card Makin' Mamas: something new - digi & metal
Crafty Catz: use something new - digi & metal

Itsy Bitsy Tweeny Weeny....@ Little Red Wagon

And the rest of that title should read......Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini. :-D

This week at



the challenge is "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." hee hee It makes me giggle every time I read or type that. So, we want to see card that incorporate any or, if you want to really challenge yourself, all of that title from that golden oldie by Bryan Hyland. (Yes, I had to use Google to find the artist. 1960 was a bit before my time.)

And you know how much I love challenges so I did my best to make sure I got all the components in there.



So, let's check 'em off.

Itsy Bitsy? - This card is only 3.5" x 3.5" so √
Teeny Weeny? - Those roses are pretty tiny so √
Yellow & Polka Dot - That's pretty obvious so √ and √

"Where's the bikini?" you're probably asking yourself. Well, in the interest of being a good example, I mean I am on the LRW Design Team after all....I donned a bikini when I took my pictures of the card.
















Bwah hahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Oh so, NOT! I take my card pictures right beside a large window. Don't want to completely freak out the neighbours.

So I guess 4 outta 5 ain't bad.

But hey, if you want to put on your bikini and head on over to Little Red Wagon to enter the "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini" we'd think that was awesome. And be sure to check out what The Girlfriends created.

I'm sure they didn't chicken out on the whole bikini thing.

Oh, Kraft....

.....you truly are my friend. And I vow, from this day forward, (make sure you're reading that in the correct voice. You should sound very noble and dignified, like you're a Royal Herald....and if you could manage a British accent, that'd be great.) I shall colour on you much more often.



Digi is another Wryn from Tiddly Inks.

For:

Tiddly Inks: celebrations
Scrapbook Sisters: anything goes
Simon Says Stamp: something new - playing with the oval nesties set I got for Christmas
Craft Us Crazy: something new - nesties & digi
Southern Girls: show us your sparkle - it's hard to tell but that's sparkly black felt behind the image
Simply Create Too: more than two layers
If the Shoe Fits: old stash - dp & pearls
Jellypark: old year/new year - old pearls & dp, new nesties & digi
Card Makin' Mamas: new - nesties & digi
Cupcake Crafts: something new - nesties & digi
Hooked On Crafts: try something new - my new nesties
The Kraft Journal: favourite colours - I love me that kraft, black, red combo
Stamp and Create: anything goes
Stamps R Us: what you got for Christmas - nesties
The Crazy Challenge: pearls
The Pink Elephant: hearts
Dream Valley: anything goes
CES Challenges: anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday: anything goes
Papertake Weekly: die cute special
Ladybug Crafts Ink: anything goes using new stash - digi & nesties

Working Ahead

Yep, that's what I've been doing with my crafting since the big Christmas crafting rush ended, working ahead. This card all started when I saw that Tiddly Inks was having a sale on their new character Wryn. And since I couldn't possible choose which one of her to buy, I bought the whole set.

Then, I mistakenly printed out (birthday) Wryn instead of Wryn - Close To My Heart which I was planning on using for a Valentine's Day card. So instead, I ended up making a birthday card for my daughter whose birthday isn't until April.

And I used to be a total procrastinator. (Well, I totally still am when it comes to housework.)



Hmmmmm.....some crafters are so darn good at clumping (Yes, clumping doesn't exactly convey an image of prettiness I know, but that's what I refer to it as. Keep reading and you'll see that "clumping" ain't so bad.) together embellis. I'm decidedly not. My attempts always seem to look more like my embellishment basket ralphed on my card. *sigh*

For:

Tiddly Inks: celebrations
If the Shoe Fits: old stash - all the paper
Simply Create Too: layers, layers and more layers
Art Impressions Stamps: anything goes
Aud Sentiments: any sentiment + use your scraps
Some Odd Girl: bling
My Mum's Craft Shop: something new - digi
Stamp-N-Doodle: anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday: anything goes
The Pink Elephant: anything goes
Truly Madly Crafty: anything goes
Cupcake Craftroom: anything goes
Critter Challenge: celebrations
Pollycraft: punch it
Sweet Stampin': spots & dots
Challenge Up Your Life: bingo - lace, buttons & pearls OR flowers, buttons & sparkle ;)
One Stop Craft Shop: bingo - distressing, lace & flowers OR distressing, pearls/gems & embossing OR pearls/gem, die cuts/punches & OR embossing, die cuts/punches & flowers (Yep, I'm being a show off. ;) )
The Squirrel & The Fox: something new - digi
CES Challenges: anything goes
One Stitch at a Time: 3 embellishments
Sentimental Sundays: blue & glitter + a sentiment
Gingerloft: anything goes
Catered Crop: buttons
Dream Valley: anything goes

Warm & Fuzzy @ Little Red Wagon

*squeal* I got picked as one of the new members for the Design Team at.....



I was just a tad bit excited about that. I have been entering LRW challenges for, like, ever. In fact, it was LRW's DT member Dee who was one of my first followers (if not my very first) who said, and I quote, "Well let's see a card then... :)" way back on my very first post that kick-started my whole cardmaking, challenge-entering junket that's been going on for two years (!) now.

And, like she said then, I'll get right to the card showing.



So, the challenge this week is "Warm & Fuzzy" which means to use either felt or flocking on your project. As you can see, I used some delish sparkly felt for the clouds.

Digi AND SENTIMENT is from Bugaboo Stamps.

You'll notice I put "SENTIMENT" in capitals, and there's a reason for that. I'm positive that Jody the artist of Bugaboo Stamps put that glaring grammatical error in on purpose. Kinda like, "Aw, poor little Skelekinz. She's so sad she can't even remember that she should have put you're instead of your." (And really, being a skeleton and all and therefore having no brain probably doesn't really help one to develop proper linguistic skills anyway.)

So, it's way cute and all but it's also a big pet peeve of mine. I actually broke out in a sweat the time my finger was a millimetre away from clicking send on an email when I saw I had inadvertently made that you're-your mistake myself.

Long and the short of it (though I think the ship sailed on short about three paragraphs ago) I need you to know that I know that the "your" in the sentiment should actually say "you're".

Whew! Now that that's all out of the way, you can head on over to Little Red Wagon and enter the "Warm & Fuzzy" challenge yourself.

And just so you know, grammatically incorrect cards are always accepted.

Anything Goes @ UnstampaBelles

I was quite happy when I learned that I had made the Design Team at UnstampaBelles Challenges. It's a good fit for me seeing as a lot of the cards I make don't actually have stamps on them. And that's what UnstampaBelles is all about, papercrafting without using stamps.

And, it's easy! There's lots of ways you can make cards without stamps. I do it all the time. (For some examples check out this post, aptly titled "UnstampaBelles" from July of last year.)

And how did I do it this time? Why just like this:



See some pp, twine, Thickers and star embellies and I've got a stamp-free birthday card for my son who is celebrating his 9th this month.

So, why not turn your craft desk into a stamp-free zone for one card at least and enter the "Anything Goes" challenge at UnstampaBelles? You have until February 3rd to do so and you'll have the chance to win a great prize package from Merry Made Store.

And if you need some more inspiration, head over to the challenge site and check out all the great projects the other dt members have come up with.

Also for:

4 Crafty Chicks: something new - got that twine for Christmas
Charisma Cardz: anything goes
Moving Along With The Times: music/retro related
Shopping Our Stash: tie it up
Top Tip Tuesday: anything goes
If the Shoe Fits: use up your stash - old star embellis...like close to 2 years old!
Pile It On: anything goes
The Squirrel & the Fox: something new - twine
Here Come the Boys: rock 'n roll

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is enjoying there first day of 2012 (or their second day for my Australian friends). A lot of craftin' bloggers out their are posting their Top [insert # here] projects of 2011. And that's awesome, I love to look at those posts but for me, I find it difficult to pick my "Top." I often make cards and love 'em when their done but when I go back and look at them later I think, "Eh. It's okay I guess."

So, rather than posting my "Top [insert # here] It's Okay I Guess" projects from 2011 I thought I'd do something different. So here it is.......

Top Six Crafting Points Learned in 2011.

Number 6

Dogs don't care for raw rice.

Found this out when I was making my Sock Snowmen. I was filling the first sock when the bottom let go (I obviously hadn't tied the elastic tight enough) and managed to pour about 2 cups of rice onto the floor. And it scattered like you wouldn't believe. My dog (and she's a lab so you know she's not picky when it comes to eating stuff) tried a grain or two and left it alone. Made clean up a bit more of a chore for me but then I didn't have to worry about not letting her drink any water. *snicker*

Number 5

I must be the only left-handed crafter in the world (or left-handed crafter who can't use right-handed scissors) because trying to find a pair of left-handed craft scissors is bloody well impossible.

Checked eBay, Goggle searched "lefty store", inquired at a few different stores and nothing. Closest I've come is spying a pair, getting all excited only to find out they're out of stock. I either need a new pair, or need to find somewhere that can sharpen my old pair.

Number 4

Liquid Applique doesn't care if you run it through the Cuttlebug.

Nope, if you forget to cut out your image before hand, and even forget you had already applied the Liquid Applique, and run it through it comes out the other side just fine. The Cuttlebug doesn't care either. Though I guess I should say that this occurred after the Applique was heated with an embossing gun and completely dry. I don't think I could make the same claim if the Applique was wet.

Number 3

No matter how well you think you've applied the foam tape on your frame for your shaker card, it's still going to leak.

For real, I think it's an unwritten law or something. And you'll be left frantically trying to patch up spots with more foam tape, glue dots or Glossy Accents (and sometimes all three) to keep it from leaking. This will even occur if you use one of those plastic Shake It cheaters (though that's more the fault of the crafter than the material).

Number 2

No, everything doesn't get better with glitter.

If a card is well on it's way to hideousness, applying liberal amounts of glitter and/or Stickles will not bring it back from doom, it will only waste your glitter and/or Stickles as you'll have to pitch the card anyway.

and the Number 1 Crafting Point I Learned in 2011.......

How thankful I am for all of you.

I've mentioned before that I'm an introvert, which means I don't make friends easily (or well). And the friends I do have have no interest in crafting. So that makes me appreciate you all the more. So, once again, thank you.

Okay, that's it for the list. Finally, I'd like to make a little announcement. I was chosen for two Design Teams for the beginning of this year, Unstampbelles (look for my post later today) and Little Red Wagon (look for my first post as a designer on Wednesday). I was thrilled to get the opportunity to work with both teams.

So, Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you much time to get your craft on in 2012.