Playing Along with Chicka Challenge #1

I really like playing along with different challenges, as it forces me to try new layouts and dig out stamps that I might have neglected for awhile. I saw Dawn and her friend Jane have started a new weekly challenge on their blogs, and thought it would be fun to participate. This week's challenge is to make a black and white food-related card.

Grilling is one of my favorite things about summer, and as the season is drawing to a close, I realize the days are numbered to enjoy this fun summer treat. (I do know some people who have their grills out year-round, but to me being able to sit outside on the warm deck and enjoy a fresh-off-the-grill burger is far better than standing outside in the rain or snow and shivering while waiting for the meat to cook!) So, my card is a tribute to all of the fun summer barbecues! This card would be perfect to send out an invitation to the last BBQ hurrah for the season.

Thanks for looking, and have a great week!

Card details:
Note card, black and white harlequin paper, stamps by A Muse; Copic and Spica markers; Memento ink.

Playing Along with Dawn's Color Challenge

I've been wanting to try Dawn McVey's color challenges, and I finally got the opportunity to play along this afternoon. This week's challenge was to make a card with these colors pictured here. I had plenty of PaperTrey Ink supplies to choose from for the Melon and Hibiscus colors, but I only had a few of the Moss papers in my stash.

I was really pleased with how my card turned out, I only wish my picture captured it better! This features two of my favorite PTI stamp sets, Friends 'Til the End, and In Bloom.

Thanks for looking! Have a great week!

Card details: Stamps, ribbon, ink and designer paper and cardstock by PaperTrey Ink.

Good Times with Rhonda

Today Rhonda and I met up for a long overdue stamping play date! While she worked on samples for her upcoming class, I completed several cards that were on my project list. Several of these fit the current challenge on the A Muse lounge, which is to make a card using a stamp or stamps that you haven't used before.

First up is a baby card I made for a friend, who is expecting her second child around the beginning of October. She is having a boy, so I used the traditionally masculine blue and green colors. The crib stamp is fairly new for me, and I hadn't used it before. I wasn't overly excited about the card once I was done, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. All products by A Muse.

Next up are a series of thank you notes I made for several friends who served as personal references for me during my job interview (yes, I got the job, and I start next week!). I am really pleased with how these turned out, and they were super quick to make. Those rounded corners were made with the Corner Chomper, from We R Memory Keepers (the same company that makes the Crop-A-Dile). That is my new favorite tool! It "chomps" corners in two sizes--1/4" and 1/2", and it will cut through several layers of cardstock, chipboard, etc. Great tool, and I highly recommend it. Note cards and flower stamps by A Muse; Merci stamp by Ann Keenan Higgins for All Night Media.

My dad's birthday is coming up next week. He is a coffee fiend, so I often turn to my coffee related stamps when I make him cards. Stamps and note card by A Muse; patterned paper by Stampin' Up!

One of my dearest friends has a birthday at the end of August. She is currently in Japan for a five-year work stint with her husband. I made this card and a set of note cards for her birthday. The color combination was inspired by two little packs of designer papers from Jenni Bowlin Studio. I wasn't intending for a patriotic theme, but this certainly could work for a 4th of July birthday! I do like how this one turned out. Stamps, note card, ribbon by A Muse; patterned paper from Trendy and Front Porch collections by Jenni Bowlin Studio.

Finally, this card is for my next bumper card exchange, and it was also inspired by the Jenni Bowlin papers. The Front Porch collection made me think of vintage kitchens, so I pulled out my baking set stamps. I hadn't used the apron or the circle dot border before, so decided to use those. The sentiment is an A Muse wood block stamp from several years ago--it may be retired? The final touch was a strip of decorative apple ribbon. Stamps and note card by A Muse; patterned paper from Front Porch collection by Jenni Bowlin Studio; ribbon from Recess collection by Imaginisce.

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks Rhonda for the fun time today! Let's get together again soon!

Calendars!

Sorry to disappoint you if you've come here looking for a card, as my craft room has been overtaken by calendars! Yes, it's that time again. For about 12 years now, I've been making calendars as a Christmas gift for some special family members and friends. They were such a hit early on, that it's become an annual tradition, and if I don't make them, boy do I hear about it! There was one year I didn't make them because I didn't care for the template the store came out with; I made biscotti instead. The cookies turned out great, but they sure weren't my usual gift that lasts the whole year. Yes, biscotti are supposed to be hard, but I cringe to think about eating them 6-12 months after they were made. I did put a disclaimer on my tag that accompanied them saying that the cookies were intended for dunking in coffee or wine, and that I was not to be held responsible for any dental bill that resulted from ignoring my instructions! LOL!

Anyway, I've been hard at work on my calendars for next year, and hope to have them finished this week before I start my new job next week. Up until about two years ago, I was buying the calendar templates my local stamp store released each year. They worked great, but they were very time consuming. Then, I took a calendar class at the same store two years ago, which featured this really cool 6 x 6 format. I decided right then that would be my new format. It's much easier to mass produce (I make 12), and I could use some of my favorite larger stamps on them that I wasn't able to do with the smaller calendars. For the past two years, I was actually generating my own calendar months on the computer, printing them out, and cutting them apart. That got old really fast, and became my most dreaded part of the whole process. This year I decided I would buy the pre-made little calendar booklets (the ones that come on a tablet and you can tear each individual month off) and use those. A stroke of brilliance! So much better, and I'm enjoying the whole creative process again.

Last year I ended up making I think five different versions of calendars (a glutton for punishment, I tell you!). I was smart enough to remember to take pictures of three of them, the others were sent off and escaped the camera. So, the three photos you see on this post are samples of what my recipients are looking at this month.

I've got three months left and the cover to do for next year's version (I'm hoping I can stick with just the one, maybe two versions at most this time!). I also finally broke down and invested in the Bind-It-All, so I can try binding my own. I really hope I don't botch them up. It was so convenient taking them to Office Depot and letting someone else tackle the hard part!

Thanks for looking, and have a great week!

Sunny Days

Here we are, already at the end of July. This month has gone by in a blur. The Pacific Northwest has been experiencing a string of super HOT and sunny days recently. We aren't used to these high 90's and low 100's degree temperatures. Personally, I find anything above 75-80 degrees too warm for me, and I get cranky! I am so thankful I invested in a heat pump several years ago. Now when I come home from work and open the door, I am greeted with a wave of nice, cool air. Aaahhh!

Speaking of work, I have some exciting news--I accepted a new position with another company and am leaving behind the stressful sales job that I've held for three and a half years. My new job is a complete departure from sales and the transportation industry. I will be doing project management and customer service within the health care field, ensuring clinical research trials are conducted ethically and the well being of the research participants is protected. I know this will be a much more fulfilling position for me, and I am really looking forward to starting later in August!

I leave with you with three cards I made recently, the first which I sent as my A Muse bumper card for the month. I was able to make the three cards with one sheet of the 8 x 8 hibiscus designer paper. It's from the "Destination Paradise" paper pad from Me & My Big Ideas. All of the stamps are by A Muse, except for the large hibiscus stamp on the second card, which is by Impress.

Thanks for looking, and hope you're having a great summer!

Pajama Party Challenge #4

The final challenge was to make a card inspired by a favorite movie. One of my favorite movies is "French Kiss" with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. It always brings a smile to my face when I watch it. Of course, I love anything where France is the setting! For this card, I broke out my beloved Eiffel Tower, Ooh La La, and Kissing Couple stamps. I even got to try out the new banner die from the Studio Essentials Slice cartridge. I had to cut out the red banner free hand since my Slice machine didn't seem to be calibrated right, but I didn't have time to try to troubleshoot it.

Paper, stamps by A Muse; Memento ink; Copic markers; Spica marker; Slice machine and cartridge.

Pajama Party Challenge #3

The third challenge was to make a card for a girlfriend. I have several girlfriends that I like to meet up with over coffee, so this card came together easily. I even broke out my new brown polka dot ribbon!

Paper, stamps, ribbon by A Muse; Memento ink; Fiskars small heart punch; Spica pen.