Fantabulous Cricut Top 5

Check out who made Top 5 at the Fantabulous Cricut "Love Is In The Air" challenge!  Check the cool blinkie I get too...woohoo!  I LOVE Top 5 honors because it means my item was chosen from the 134 entries as one of the 5 best.  That makes you want to run create more.

Here's the card that won...

Button Freebie...

I'm just loving this new button craze in cardmaking and papercrafts and wanted to share a link I thought my visitors would enjoy. Check out this cool vintage-looking button card which is a freebie from Dana at Paper Daydreams... Be sure to visit Dana's blog to see the wonderful card she made with hers!

I'm off and running today to try to finish up a tutorial I'm making...wish me luck!!

Tilda Valentine...

Can you tell I'm loving this new Tilda stamp? It's so versatile...I just love it! So today's card is a Valentine destined for one of the precious little gals I love.


This was one of the first times testing out my Zutter Distrezz-It my kids gave me for Christmas. It sure beats those handheld numbers but takes some getting used to. I went hog-wild with the distressing using some packaging from Christmas packaging as a base on top of the kraft cardstock. Coupled with lots of yummy ribbon & cluny lace from May Arts, this was a fun Valentine card to create. The DP is by Making Memories from the the Je T'adore collection. The cute hugs coupon stamp is one of those $1 clearstamps from the craft store. I added tiny punched hearts and faux crystals for fun.
I'm currently on the road and don't have my Copics with me so I can't list them but can tell you the flesh is the same as below in "Mellow Yellow". Brunette hair - E000, E50, E33, E99. Pinafore - O, C1. Dress - R??? (will update soon.)
I'm entering this in the following challenges:
All That Scraps - Queen of Hearts (ends 2/13)
Totally Tilda's Challenge - #15 Lots of Hearts
Challenge #14 7 Kids Kollege Fund - I{heart}U
Simon Says - Love Is In The Air
May Arts for the Love of Ribbon Challenge

HUGE Thanks to Danielle and ABC Design Team...

What a surprise! I'm very humbled and honored...please thank the academy, etc. AND definitely Fitter Twit who nominated me back at Christmas time. Be sure to visit her fun blog too.


My cute little handmade treat/coffee/etc. bag took First Place over at ABC Design Team for the January "Baby It's Cold Outide" challenge. I'm really honored and thankful!!

Amazing New Stuff...

Cosmos Cricket has introduced a wonderful new product I can't wait to get my sticky little fingers on...they are GLUBERS!! They are large circles of glue that are perfect for making things like ribbon flowers and those accordian pleated rounds I love.
Be sure to visit their blog for a cute video on them and join me in patiently waiting for our favorite suppliers to start carrying them. Sheesh...I'm not so good with patience but I'll try. Here's a photo of the package I snagged from their website so you'll know them when they start popping up.

Amazing Paper Dies in the UK

Rarely comes along a new gadget that I don't fall in love. I am definitely dazzled by new fangled things so I know in my heart of hearts that my son, Justin, got this gene from mom! Our love of tools is a little different but they are implements aka tools non-the-less. Check out this die...
I was visiting the amazing Suzanne Dean's blog to see her DT card for Copic Creations and was gobsmacked (the tool is English) by the beauty of the pine bough diecuts used on her card. Thankfully, she tells us they are Marianne D dies and are available at Bunny Zoe's Crafts in the UK. I'm going to have to consider getting some of them soon.

Speaking of Copic Creations...the challenge theme is "sparkle" and it runs until January 14th. The prize is a wonderful bunch of stamps from Just Rite Stamps.

A Fun Site for Paper Crafting

A fellow papercrafter from a blog I belong to posted a devine gift set she made for a friend's birthday today. She provided a link to a super site that's definitely worthy of a visit asap. Do yourself a favor and check out Creations by AR soon. That giftbag that looks like a purse is adorable!


THANKS to all who visited during the Veteran's Weekend bloghop sponsored by OWH. Just a reminder - you can still enter for a chance at my Christmas candy. Be sure to check out the blog hop post from November 13th for the deets!

Flutter By Birthday Greetings & Challenge #120!

HUGE birthday greetings to Danni at Flutter By Wednesday!! Danni's birthday blog candy is unbelievable so be sure to check it out.

My contribution is a surprise pop-up card. Photo 1 shows it closed, the others show it opened, which is done by pulling out the bow-tied tag:


This was a lot of fun and a feat of engineering that I am not accustomed to in cardmaking. I made it from a fun tutorial at Split Coast Stampers. The papers are from K & Co. with 2 vintage Wordsworth clear stamps, the inside greeting is by TPC. I haven't figured out yet how to get a good impression from TPC stamps. I paper pieced the cupcake bottom with Copic markers for the top. A scrap of irridescent blue ribbon was added to the pull-out tag at the top, a few pearls & a mulberry flower with Sultan center by Prima finish things of nicely. My card is a mirror image of the sketch below because of the orientation of the cupcake stamp!

Here's a peek at the cool sketch by Mercy Kerin provided by Flutter By for this special weekly challenge.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

This week's theme at Simon Says is "GIFT", not a hard one since I was planning to make this for a friend who is retiring at the end of the month.

I made Dona a set of 12 note cards and box figuring she'll need some extra thank you notes. This is the first time I've tried making flowers and was surprised it is easy. I used a punched 1.5" scalloped circle for these. Each flower is antiqued with a lavendar cat's eye stamp pad and has a faux crystal center. The cardstock is mostly SEI's Bridgeport collection. I folded the box with my MS board and was disappointed that the cardstock split when folded on the long sides which I tried to disquise it by antiquing the edges of the box. The decorated flap conceals a small circle of self-adhesive velcro.

Hero Arts Challenge and a Day of Memories

(Click title above to visit the Hero Arts Flickr challenge and scroll through to see mine and all the great comments.)

Today, I felt as if I was channeling my inner Mom...my mother to clarify. I busied myself with making this card rather than allowing myself to feel sad on this the 6th anniversary of her tragic passing. Time does heal and this was the first year I can say I didn't feel down while remembering her. It seems like just yesterday when I saw her last and am so very thankful for the time and healing the years have provided.

My Asian card I have titled "Thank you with love!" The little charm was stamped with the Chinese symbol for love. My beading box tipped over today and it tumbled out...how perfect! I made the charm several years ago for a charm swap and it made the perfect, unexpected embellie for this sweet card.

Since I have travelled & worked in many countries in the Far East and am married to a long-time teacher & student of Tai Chi, this little set of Hero Arts stamps really spoke to me and I'm sure will get lots of use. I thought the SEI Dill Blossom papers had just enough Asian feel for the design I envisioned. Thanks for stopping by to see it!

Cardmaking Magic

Goodness papercrafting friends...have I ever found a terrific spot for you to visit! This blog is beautiful! I should be so talented. Anyway, you'll want to see Irina's blog and sign in for your stake at a chance to win this week's blog candy. Its a grab bag full of terrific goodies and a Tilda stamp...aren't you like me, dying for a Tilda stamp? Please be sure to visit and with any luck my blog will improve and I "pinch" ideas from Irina. Be sure to cut & paste into your browser if the link doesn't work here http://everythingpapercrafts.blogspot.com/.