Thursday, April 30, 2009

Cuttlebug Challenge

Hi! I'm cleaning up my studio right not......see I'm not really here ;)

As I was cleaning up just a bit ago, I decided a great challenge, okay, it would be a GREAT challenge for me! I'm going to challenge myself to make something with only the papers and embellishments that are on my desk top! I think that might make it easier to clean up....well, if I made about 10 projects maybe :)

Anyway, the Cuttlebug Challenge for this week is to make a Mother's Day card with a coordinating envie. FUN! This is mine.

Here are the supplies:
Stamps: Happy Mother's Day - stampendous
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia, SMOOCH ink - siren (this stuff is so much fun!!!!), chestnut roan chalk ink
Papers: Pink Paislee - Captivating Collection, brown cardstock
Other: Maya Road suede flowers, May Arts satin ribbon, cuttlebug die, gems, pop dots

Our quote for the day: "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. ART is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Banana Split Sunday and lots of new stuff...

Good Morning! I hope Spring is being wonderful to you! We've had alot of rain for the past couple of days and although it's not fun sitting in it for softball, the grass and the plants have LOVED it :) More softball this morning so this will be short.

It's Banana Split Sunday on the 2RedBananas blog. The challenge for this week is to use stripes on your project. There is a fun prize to be won as well. The My Mind's Eye - Bloom paper pack :)

Here is my card for the challenge. I used the Sarah Kay Country Girl stamp. She is just so adorable!! I also used the new Pink Paislee Fetching papers. There papers are really nice, very heavy weight!
Supplies:
Stamps: Country Girl - Sarah Kay
Ink: Versafine Onyx black
Paper: Pink Paislee Fetching collection, Bazzill, and kraft cardstock
Other: May Arts Burlap string, prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits, distressing tool


This card was made for the Limited Supplies challenge on SCS. The challenge was to use the colors of a room in your house on your card. I used the colors in my studio (which are also the colors in my kitchen :) Khaki walls, deep red desk, black accessories.
Supplies:
Stamps: Quotes - 2RedBananas
Ink: Versafine Onyx black, Memento Rhubarb Stalk (new color for me and I LOVE it - look for it in the 2RedBananas store soon :)
Paper; cardstock - kraft, deep red, black
Other: nesties, prima flowers, cuttlebug embossing folder (which I inked with the Memento ink BEFORE I embossed the kraft cardstock with it - very fun technique), brads, dew drops, gems, sheer ribbon

This one was made for another SCS challenge. This challenge was to use mostly white or all white. I used a technique for the background that I just LOVE. With the Essentials glue pad, you stamp a background stamp with glue and then sprinkle loose glitter over it. It creates a glittered background for you, very cool! My flowers started out white and I airbrushed them with the Copic airbrush system. I sponged the ink onto the sentiment and then added a few red embellishments.

Supplies: Stamps: Quotes - 2RedBananas, Abstract leaves backgrounder - Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink: Essentials glue pad, warm red chalk ink, Versafine vintage sepia


Paper: Bazzill, plain white cardstock


Other: nesties - lables four, primas, crystal brad, May Arts velvet ricrac, corner rounder, glitter

Our quote for the day: "It is not JOY that makes us grateful; it is GRATITUDE that makes us joyful." - Brother David Steindl-Rast

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful spring day!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Banana Split Sunday and a PSA

Hi! It's Banana Split Sunday and today's challenge is called "You're an Animal" so we are challenging you to use your favorite animal stamp on your project. This is my most recent animal stamp from Rachelle Anne Miller. It's called "Going Fishing". I love this little guy. I used him to make a baby card here, but you could also use him for so many other things!


Supplies:
Stamps: Going Fishing - Rachelle Anne Miller
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Chalk Ink Creamy Brown
Paper: Bazzill, Imaginisce Baby Powder Collection
Other: Nestabilities Labels One, May Arts blue Twinkle ribbon, prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits, Making Memories star flocked brad

Now for my PSA and if your child plays softball PLEASE read this. I would think this could pertain to baseball as well, but this happened at a softball game this morning! Sara plays softball and has played since she was about 5 years old and she is 15 now, so all the girls playing softball this morning knew what they were doing, what happened was NOT because they were inexperienced!!!! Our pitcher and 3rd basemen wear protective masks on their faces, I'm not talking about batting helmets when they are hitting, but protective masks when they are in the field. The opposing team's 1st base coach casually asked one of our coaches why our pitcher wears that, if she had gotten hit in the face before, and our coach told him that no, she had not, but she wears it for protection. Well, about 3 innings into the game, a line drive was hit solidly right back to the other team's pitcher and was hit so hard, that she didn't have time to move or get her glove up, so the ball hit her in the nose and eye socket! One of the dads on the other team is a doctor so he ran out there along with the coaches and they were all trying to control the blood. The ambulance came and they secured her head and body to the gurney and took her to the hospital. I asked one of our coaches what the dad doctor said, and our coach told me that although he did not examine her out on the field, he thinks she possibly shattered her eye socket and broke her nose. Let me tell you it was the scariest softball pitch that I've ever witnessed. Here is a link to a company that sells the facemasks and has testimonials of why at the very least the pitchers and 1st and 3rd basemen should wear them. http://www.gameface.com/truestories.asp

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now, I just can't express how fast this happened.

Edited to add: Sara has received word from one of our coaches, that the pitcher did not shatter her eye socket - yeah!!! Her nose is broken as is the top part of her cheekbone where it meets her eye, but her vision at this time looks to be fine :) Please pass along this experience because it is so important to keep our kids safe and although the chances of it happening are slim, it does happen!

Our coach has gotten a more detailed update on the injured player. She is out of the hospital and our player who hit the ball has called her and spoken with her. The injured girl has been in good spirits! The injuries are a broken nose, fractures to her nasal cavities and also orbital fractures in both eyes. BUT, things are looking good for her :) Once again, I can't tell you what an impact this had made on me. Sara plays outfield, she's a center fielder at heart and loves it!!! But, my heart just goes out to that pitcher! I can't even imagine what her parents have gone through emotionally with this. So, once again, PLEASE, if your child or some child in your family plays infield on a softball field, pass this story along with the link to the facemask. THANKS!!


Our quote for the day: "Hold a true friend with both hands." - Nigerian Proverb

Thanks so much for stopping by and go hug your child/children.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Coffee or Cocoa - Thank You

Good Morning! I have two challenge cards to show you today!

Both were done for the SCS Challenges with the first card being for the HouseMouse challenge as well.

The SCS challenge for this one is a sketch challenge, and the House Mouse challenge is to use more than one HouseMouse image. I love these little guys and just wish I was sitting in a cup of warm coffee or cocoa either one although the cocoa might be a little stickier :)

Supplies:
Stamps: HouseMouse - Morning Kick Start, Lip Smackin' Relaxin'
Ink: Memento Tuxedo black, French blue chalk ink
Paper: MAMBI modern milan paper stack, Bazzill
Other: prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits, glitter, pop-dots, May Arts celery grosgrain ribbon, Dymo label maker


This challenge was to use frames. I chose to 'frame' my flowers, which are CTMH stamps that I won from Christi's blog candy :) Thanks so much Christi, I love them!! I 'framed' them with Making Memories tags. I don't use those tags enough, so I enjoyed doing this.


Supplies:
Stamps: CTMH- Treasure Life, Hero Arts - Thank You Messages
Ink: Colorbox Chalk inks, Versafine Vintage Sepia
Paper: Imaginisce-A Shore Thing-Sweet Summer Breeze, Bazzill
Other: MakingMemories Tags, pop dots, May Arts celery grosgrain ribbon, May Arts velvet ricrac - rose, Dew Drops - soil, glitter

There are still a couple days left to participate in the 2RedBananas Banana Split Sunday challenge. It's a sketch challenge this week and you could win your choice of one of the newly released sets! Jump on over there and check it out!


Our quote for the day: "Be strong, go with your heart, and believe in miracles because anything....anything can happen." - Marlo Javidando

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Just a bit of Fantasy

Hi! Did I catch you with the title? Well, it's probably not what you were thinking :) The card I'm showing you today was made for the Caardvarks challenge to create a card with a fantasy theme :) Is that what you were thinking???

2RedBananas is now carrying some Sarah Kay and Rachelle Anne Miller stamps and Lily - Magic Fairy is one of them. They are just so adorable!!! So, when I saw the Caardvarks theme, I knew this is the stamp I would use. I have been using alot of glitter lately, which is different for me, it used to be that I never used glitter, now I love the loose kind!!

Another thing I love is the Nestabilities labels. On this card I used Labels Four. Denise (Peanutbee) has a matting with Nesties suggestion on her blog today and I used it for this card - thanks Denise!!! Not to mention that her creations are AMAZING!!



Supplies:
Ink: Memento Tuxedo black, SU Bliss Blue, Colorbox Papaya Cream
Paper: WeRMemoryKeepers
Other: Nestabilities Lables Four, May Arts blue Twinkle ribbon, glitter, prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits, EKSuccess punch, gems


Our quote for the day: "Do your part to make this world a cuter place to live in." - Susan Branch


Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Banana Split Sunday and Meet "the Early Birds"

Good Morning! Today we are starting the Banana Split Sunday Challenge at 2RedBananas a day early because of Easter being tomorrow. It's a sketch challenge and we would love for you to play along. You even have a chance to win one of the newly released stamp sets! You can see the sketch as well as all the projects that the dt made on the 2RedBananas blog.

My card not only uses the sketch, but introduces you to the new set "the Early Birds". I love these little guys, especially the one peeking out of the shell :) So cute! Jami's sketch is a great one, and I'm sure I'll be using it again!

Supplies:
Stamps: the Early Birds - 2RedBananas
Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia, Chalk ink Chestnut Roan
Paper: October Afternoon - Hometown collection
Other: May Arts ribbon, prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits, Inkssentials white pen, pop dots, Fancy Pants chipboard flourish

Be sure to check out all the dt members blogs to see what they have created with this fun sketch!
Deb, Jami, Maraya, Teresa, Wendy

The new stamp sets will be released Monday, April 13th, only a couple more days!!

Our quote for the day: "A bird does not sing because he has an answer, he sings because he has a song." - Joan Walsh Anglund

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful Easter tomorrow filled with God's blessings!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Hawaiian Chicken :)

Good Morning!

Today's sneak peek just makes me smile every time I look at him - he also makes me a little jealous because I want to be where he is, but that's another story :)

This is "Hawaiian Chicken" illustrated by Jami Bova. I just love all the details that she puts into her stamps. Check out his straw hat and the hibiscus on his shirt! There are 4 different sentiments in this set! I colored with Copics and then airbrushed the background :) I also put stripes on the surfboard with an Inkssentials white pen. You could also paper piece the surfboard - I think that would be way fun!

Supplies:
Stamps: Hawaiian Chicken - 2RedBananas
Ink: Memento Tuxedo black
Paper: DCWV Summer stack
Other: Copics, Inkssentials white pen, Dew Drops - Fresh Mowed Grass, EKSuccess corner punch, primas, glitter brad

Be sure to check out the 2RedBananas blog for more news on the 2RedBananas store.
Also visit the dt blogs for more sneak peeks :)
Deb, Jami, Maraya, Teresa, Wendy

Our Banana Split Sunday Challenge will be on Saturday this weekend because of Easter so check it out tomorrow :)

Our quote for the day: "Forget your mistakes but remember what they taught you." - Dorothy Galyean

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Welcome Spring.......(anytime now :)

Good Morning! Well, not as early as I had hoped to post.....but you know how it goes sometimes :) Kind of the same way Spring is taking it's time coming to the midwest!

Today's 2RedBananas sneak peek is a set called "A Spring Thing" illustrated by Abbey Westemeyer. The flowers in my yard aren't quite this vibrant, but I do have some daffodils open and some trying to open. I love spring and I LOVE the starry flowers that Abbey has included in this set. The little girl's dress is so simple, it's VERY easy to paper piece and make it match whatever papers you are using!


Supplies:
Stamps: A Spring Thing - 2RedBananas (to be released Monday, April 13th)
Other: Prismacolor Pencils & mineral spirits, Inkssentials white pen, Imaginisce flower, Hero Arts flower, May Arts grosgrain celery ribbon, glitter, Dew Drops - Island Blossom, dymo label maker


Be sure to check out the 2RedBananas blog as well as the dt member's blogs.
Our quote for the day: "Happiness walks on busy feet." - Kittie Turmell


Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful spring day!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Welcome Little Chick

Good Morning! The sun is shining and I can hear the birds singing outside my window....really I can :) I love to hear them!

This morning I want to introduce you to Chicken Dumpling :) Isn't that just the cutest name in the world? I have to tell you, I just LOVE these Chickens, they are so much fun to play with! Jami is just so incredibly talented - her 'doodling' as she has called it is just amazing! Today's sneak peeks are of Chicken Dumpling and Sgt Chicken. I haven't made a card with Sgt Chicken yet, but Wendy did and it is just ADORABLE! Okay, back to my Chicken Dumpling. I paper pieced this one and also colored it with Copics. These images are so much fun because you can use so many techniques to color them.


Supplies:
Stamps: Chicken Dumpling - 2RedBananas
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx black
Paper: Imaginisce Baby Powder line
Other: May Arts grosgrain ribbon-celery, pop dots, Inkssentials white pen, MS border punch, Copic markers

Be sure to check out the 2RedBananas blog as well as Jami, Wendy and Teresa's blogs for more examples of these adorable stamps sets!

Our quote for the day: -"Babies are bits of stardust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a STAR." - Larry Barretto

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

April Journaling Spot

Good Morning! Before I get talking about the new stamp set we're sneak peeking today, I have a cool story for you.

Both Ben and Sara are taking French classes at school. Ben is in his 4th year and Sara in her 2nd. Last year, Ben went to France with school and this year we are hosting a French student in our home. His name is Jules and he does speak English, which is a good thing because I speak absolutely no French. We picked him up yesterday and Ben, Sara and Jules along with about 10 or 12 other kids and their French friends all went out to eat together. This morning I asked Jules what he ate last night and he said, "A burger, an All-American burger." :) I just thought that was so cute!!! It's going to be a great week and maybe I'll learn a little French!

Okay, to my card. I love journaling blocks and I love to use things for something other than what they are intended so with April's journaling block, which is actually a raindrop, you can also use it as a balloon :) Everybody needs more Happy Birthday cards right?


Supplies:
Stamps: April Journaling Spot-2RedBananas
Ink: Versafine Onxy black, Chalk ink-French blue
Paper: Basic Grey-cupcake
Other: Dew Drops - Flame collection, EKSuccess corner punch

Wendy and Teresa also used this set and we all used different elements of the set, so be sure to check out their blogs.

The 2RedBananas Banana Split Sunday Challenge is about altering or making something other than a card. It's a great challenge, we hope you'll play along!

Our quote for the day: "Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen carefully." - Littlefoot's mother, The Land Before Time

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Starting "Week of Peeks" for 2RedBananas

Good Morning! Today starts our "Week of Peeks" for 2RedBananas. On Monday, April 13th we will be releasing 9 new sets. 6 of these sets will be Chickens :) Jami has created the cutest chickens doing things that are just too much fun.

This first card uses the Birthday Chicken. I love how easy they are to color! This is just one of 3 sentiments that are included with this little guy!


Supplies:
Stamps: Birthday Chicken -2RedBananas
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers, Chalk Ink - yellow & French blue
Paper: BoBunny, Coordinations, Bazzill

This second card is made with Cajun Chicken. What fun he is!!! This one has one of five sentiments that are included with him! Lots of room for bling on this chicken :)

Supplies:
Stamps: Cajun Chicken - 2RedBananas, fleur de lis-stampabilities
Ink: Memento Tuxedo black, Chalk ink - Chestnut roan, Versamark Shimmer -Champagne
Paper: kraft cardstock base, BoBunny
Also check out the 2RedBananas dt blogs to see what they have created! Deb, Jami, Maraya, Teresa, and Wendy
It's going to be a great week so check back each day to see more of the new stamps that will be released :)
Our quote for the day: "As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think BIG." - Donald Trump
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Banana Split Sunday - Not a Card

Good Morning! Are you ready for another Banana Split Sunday Challenge? This week's challenge is "Not a Card" - We were challenged to either alter an item or create one from scratch. I decided to alter a small tablet. I've done these before and I just love them because they're small enough to keep in my purse and then I have paper ready whenever I need it and it's not the back of receipts :)

I made one for my sister a LONG time ago and she requested another one a couple years ago and I have been "re-designing" them and making more ever since!

Can you tell I'm ready for summer with this project??? As I'm typing this, it's snowing outside....yes, snowing! And to think, Sara had a softball game scheduled for today!

One of the nice things about this paper, other than the fact that it's just so darn cute!!! is that it has glitter already on it so you don't have to use as many embellishments :)





Supplies:
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Chalk Ink-French Blue


Jump over to the 2RedBananas blog to see what the dt has come up with for this challenge and then play along yourself, it's a fun one!!


Remember too that our Week of Peeks starts tomorrow, so be sure to check back :)


Our quote for the day: "A fellow who does things that count, doesn't usually stop to count them." - unknown


Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great and warm day!!!!

Friday, April 3, 2009

An Easter card for the Our Creative Corner Challenge

Good Morning! I'm not being a very good blogger lately. Sorry about that, but I have been working hard on getting new products up on the 2RedBananas website, so I hope that helps :)

Silke Ledlow, who does AMAZING work, asked me to be a guest designer on Our Creative Corner for today. The challenge is to make an Easter card using your favorite Easter stamps. Well, my favorite Easter set is Jami Bova's "the Gift" set. I absolutely love this set and how there are so many different ways you can use it with the bunnies and the birds. And you have a chance to win it, so be sure to go to the OCC blog.

I used lots of fun stuff on this card. I started with a cream colored card base and then layered some purple polka dot BoBunny paper, then some Webster's Pages Purple Majesty paper. I used my Nestabilities Labels Two to cut the purple layer and the image layer and added lilac shimmerz to the border. I colored all the images with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and then added Inkssentials white pen to make the highlights. I added Angel Wings Shimmerz to the white cloth on the cross. I also added white flocking to the bunny tails :) The bunnies are up on pop-dots to make them higher than the cross layer. The strip of paper that the bunnies are 'standing' on is more of the BoBunny paper with a strip of the opposite side of the Webster's Pages paper then a length of May Arts violet velvet ribbon (which is also on the clip at the top). To finish the front I added purple dew drops from the Grapes and Leaves collection.





The second picture is the inside of the card where I put my sentiment and some embellishments too :)




2RedBananas has donated "the Gift" stamp set for a prize for this challenge so be sure to go to the Our Creative Corner blog and link your Easter card to be entered to win. All the details are on their blog :)




Our quote for the day: "He has made everything beautiful in its time." - Ecclesiates 3:11




Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!