Paper Sweeties April 2017 New Release Party!

It's the weekend!

Happy Saturday!

Today is Release Day

at

Paper Sweeties!

New Stamps/Sweet Cuts:

You add color to my life
You add color to my life Sweet Cuts

Love you to pieces

Scallop Squares Sweet Cuts

Here's my card:

Visit the rest of the Design Team and see what they've created with the new proudcts:

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jill Norwood
Karen Letchworth  

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lisa Bzibziak
Lori Turner
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michele Henderson
Michelle Bala

Nancy Salkeld (You are HERE!)

Our monthly inspiration challenge is still going on also.  It's just halfway through, so you have lots of time to play along with us!  Paper Sweeties supplies not required, but if you have some, we would love to see them on your project.  Click on the graphic below and it will take you to where you can link up!

For Following Challenges:

The Heart Desires Challenge #11

Paper Sweeties Blessings!

Paper Sweeties April 2017 New Release Sneak Peeks

Happy Good Friday!

It's Friday, it's a holiday weekend,

AND it's 

Paper Sweeties Release Weekend!

Come see what is new 

at 

Paper Sweeties 

this month!

What's New

You add color to my life
You add color to my life Sweet Cuts

Love you to pieces

Scallop Squares Sweet Cuts

Things have been super hectic around here the last couple weeks and I have not had much time in my craft room as I have needed.  So I did a CAS card.  The crayon and brush were stamped on watercolor smooshed  paper, then I die cut them out.  I also die cut them out of the inner square of the scallop square and inlaid the "colored" ones.  So I guess  did a double inlay.  The scallop square was also cut from watercolor smooshed paper.  

Hop through the Design Team list below and check out all of their wonderful, colorful Release projects:

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jill Norwood
Karen Letchworth  

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lisa Bzibziak
Lori Turner
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michele Henderson
Michelle Bala

Nancy Salkeld (You are HERE!)

Our monthly inspiration challenge is still going on also.  It's just halfway through, so you have lots of time to play along with us!  Paper Sweeties supplies not required, but if you have some, we would love to see them on your project.  Click on the graphic below and it will take you to where you can link up!

Come back tomorrow and check out more inspiration because also tomorrow the new stamps/sweet cuts will be available in the Paper Sweeties Shop!  Woohoo!  Shopping time!

For Following Challenges: 

Stamping, Inlaid Die-Cutting, Sprays, Smooshing

Paper Sweeties Blessings!

4CC #346 - Babies Of All Kinds {Nance}

Good Morning Thursday!

HAPPY 23RD BIRTHDAY TO MY YOUNGEST, 

BENJAMIN TAYLOR SALKELD!

You make your momma proud!

Ok, brag moment done, onto business ---

It's time for a new challenge at 

4 Crafty Chicks!

I'm your hostess this week 

and

seeing how it's spring and almost Easter

with the air of renew/new, 

babies seemed like a good category.

4CC #346 - Babies of All Kinds

Here's what I created ---

I used a digital stamp by Doodle Pantry, Baby Bird.  She's just so sweet.  I printed her on watercolor paper and then colored with distress and aqua markers and water brush.  The pink strip I used a stitched scallop die from Your Next Stamp and cut both sides of the paper.  The flower dies are Perky Posies Die Set from Lil Inker Designs.  I used a wonky stitched square die for the image square and larger square.  For the background woodgrain, I used kraft paper and an impression plate from Taylored Expressions.  The pattern paper is American Crafts, Hello Spring.

Stop by the Hen House and check out the rest of my teamies' adorable and fun projects, including our April Guest Designer, Christine!  Welcome, Christine!

Once you're on inspiration overload, get to crafty work and create your own "Babies of All Kinds" project and share it with us using the Inlinkz.

For Following Challenges:

4CC #345 - Flowers

Good Morning, Thursday!

Mother Nature is being menopausal again here in NC --- it started out in the 70s this week, hit 83, in the 60s today and by Friday it will plummet into the 40s!  Your typical spring in the northern part of the South!  LOL

Anyhoo, it's Thursday and time for a new challenge at 

4 Crafty Chicks!

Leanne is our hostess and since it's now spring, 

she has chosen our theme to be:

4CC#345 - FLOWERS

Who doesn't love flowers?  Even people who are allergic to flowers (I know a couple) like to look at them, at least from afar!

For my card, I decided to use a floral stencil by Tm Holtz that I recently received as a gift from my crafty friend, Bonnie Klass, aka Stamping with Klass.  We got together recently at my house for some chit chat and stamping and she brought me a few little crafty goodies!  Thank you, Bonnie!

I also decided to finally try out the Tim Holtz Distress crayons I have had for a couple months.  I used them on watercolor paper to color in the stencil and then use water to move the color around in each section.  I like how it came out, it has a very textured, painted feel to it.  I wanted to keep it pretty CAS so  just added the green stitched oval die from My Favorite Things and a sentiment from Lil Inker Designs.   I matted it on a bubblegum pink cardbase.

Stop by the Hen House and check out Leanne, Tamie, & Lori's fabulous projects as well as the one from our April Guest Designer, Christine!  Visit their blogs and leave them some blog love, we designers love comments too!

Then, come play along with us and share your flower projects with us.  We love being inspired by you as well!

For Following Challenges:

Crafty Chick Blessings!

Thanks Hydrangea

Happy Sunday!

Well, at least for a bit longer.

I've been messing around in my craft room today.  I tried some new to me techniques, settled on creating a card using the Distress Ink Lifting technique on the hydrangea tag.  I used the tutorial by Jennifer McGuire. 

The hydrangea stamp is by Winnie & Walter, the sentiment die is Stamplorations.  I used Broken China, Blueprint Sketch, Mowed Lawn and Picked Raspberry Distress inks by Tim Holtz. The pattern paper is from Co'ordinations.  The polka dot paper is plastic patterned paper from Michaels.

You will notice that after I die cut the tag, I fussy cut the rest of the hydrangea and leaves and adhered them slightly under the tag for a little added effect.

I was inspired by two different challenges for my card ---

I drew inspiration mainly from the layout and tag.

Muse Card Challenge #209

I was mainly inspired by the hydrangea and vellum.

Spring Blessings!

Paper Sweeties Challenge - April 2017 Anything goes!

Happy April Fool's Day!

It's April 1st, a new month means 

a new monthly challenge

at 

Paper Sweeties!

Check out this gorgeous inspiration photo:

I drew my inspiration from the top layer with those adorable mason jars of tulips.  Sooo pretty!

Now check out the rest of the Design Team's beautiful projects:

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties

Jill Norwood 

Julie Tucker-Wolek
Karen Letchworth

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lilian Forsyth  
Lisa Bzibziak
Lori Turner

Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michele Henderson
Michelle Bala
Nancy Salkeld (You are HERE)

Now go get inky and crafty and create something using our inspiration photo and link it up and play along.  You have all month to play, play more than once, with a new project each time.  

Remember to come back April 13-16th for Paper Sweeties' Release Week.  Lots of new goodies you will want to see!

For Following Challenges:

4CC #344 ATG/Crazy Egg - {Leanne}

Happy Thursday!  

It's time for a new challenge at 4 Crafty Chicks!

Since it's the 5th Thursday in the month, you know what that means ---

4CC #344 - Anything Goes/Crazy Egg Challenge!

Leanne is our hostess this week.  

Create ANYTHING your crafty heart desires!

Before I get to my card,

I want to wish our Tamie a 

VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

Have a fabulous, Crazy Egg kind of birthday, Girl! 

So with that, here's my card ---

STAMPS:  Image and Sentiment - Water Animals (Inky Antics); Ballons - Happy Cake Day (Paper Sweeties).
PAPER: White cardbase; Watercolor paper (Strathmore);  Patterned Paper -Sweet Sunshine (My Favorite Things).
INK: Versafine Black Onyx; Spectrum Noir Aqua Markers.
EXTRAS: Stitched zig zag circle die (My Favorite Things);  Balloon Die - Happy Cake Die Sweet Cuts.


Now go over to the Hen House and check out the rest of the Chicks' fabulous projects!  Wish Tamie a Happy Birthday! It's also Danielle's last week with us as Guest Designer, so give her some super blog love!  So glad to have you with us this month, Danielle!

And don't forget to link up your Anything Goes project with us to share and play along!

For Following Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations #400 - Birthday Challenge/Use  Previous CI Challenge -- 

I chose #299 - Cute Critters

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafty Chick Blessings!

Easter's On It's Way

Happy Sunday!

Boy, am I exhausted!  So much excitement this weekend!

A baby blog hop yesterday

and 

a VERY important Tarheel Basketball game today!  LOL

Tarheels are going 

to the FINAL FOUR NCAA Tournament!  

WooHoo!

No, I'm not excited ---- I'm ecstatic!  I loooove my Tarheels!  

I have to admit I love them more than I love my crafting!

Yes, I said that!  LOL

That is why I am posting a card so late this evening, but at least I got it finished BEFORE the game!   ;)

STAMPS: Sentiment - Hippity Hoppity (Paper Sweeties)

PAPER: White cardbase; Plaid Patterns (My Favorite Things)

INK: Black Onyx (Versafine)

EXTRAS: Bunny die (Impression Obsession); Egg and lamb dies -Hippity Hoppity Easter Wishes (Paper Sweeties); Stitched zig zag border die(Avery Elle Dotted Border Elle-ments).

I had my 7 month old niece in mind when I made this card.  I originally wanted to inlay the felt critters more, kind of like the "Pat the Bunny" style but it made the card look too dull to me.  I still cut out the shapes in the plaid paper and just laid the felt shapes on top so they are inlaid a bit.  I was inspired by the layout from the Muse card this week.  

For Following Challenges:

Muse Card Club Challenge #208

Use More Than One Die or Punch

Easter Critter Blessings!

It's A Girl Blog Hop For Little Miss Croghan!

SURPRISE LESLEY & COREY CROGHAN!

HAPPY BABY SHOWER BLOG HOP!

OMG!  I Can't believe the day is finally here!  

I've helped keep this secret for almost two months now!  

Lori Turner, one of my fellow design team friends and crafty friend from afar, approached me in January about helping her organize some kind of online baby shower/hop for Lesley and Corey and it was a no brainer, I didn't hesitate in agreeing it had to be done!  Lesley is such a creative inspiration and fabulous crafter/challenge administrator in our cardmaking world, Lori and I thought a baby card blog hop just had to be created for her and her hubby, Corey.  We also knew everyone who knows her would be thrilled to not only join in creating a baby card for her and mail it to her.  

So, we started getting the word out "secretly" to everyone we knew in cardmaking blog world and told them to "secretly" pass the word on.  Lori really should get all of the credit, she set up everything, the FB Event page, the blog hop on her blog, Caffeinated Creativity.  I just helped bounce initial ideas around of what/how to do it.  Then, everyone mailed their cards, along with either $$ or some other gifts, to Lori who then boxed them all up and mailed to Lesley and Corey to open up this morning!  

We need to also give a shout out to Nance Lempinen-Leedy too for her fabulous blog hop banner she created just for today!  Thank you, Nance!

If you don't know Lesley O'Connor Croghan, she's another card making crafty friend online to many of us card makers. I met Lesley when she asked me to join her design team for The Challenge in 2014.  She is one of the sweetest ladies I know even though we've never met in person since she resides in Canada and I in NC of the U.S., kind of a norm in our hobby world of creativity.  Anyhow, she's a very talented crafter, creator and owner of several card challenges, along with her day job as a teacher, wife to Corey and fur mom to Penney and Rolley and now Mother-To-Be as well!  Everyone who knows her is so thrilled for her and her husband, Corey, that they are expecting a baby girl in April!  YAY!  

Of course most of you know all of that so now here is my card that I made and sent to Lesley:

My card is a CASE of this baby card I found on Pinterest. I thought it was just so adorable.  I chose to cut my stockings from felt and added some lace for socks and a couple sequins for buttons.  I used dies from Stampin Up' (stocking die), Pretty Pink Posh (label die), Lil' Inker Designs (stitched rectangle and word die) and WPlus9 (Scallop rectangle frame).

Inside of Card

Click on the Hop image or Lori's name to get to the blog hop on her blog and check out all the wonderful baby cards that are linked up and that were mailed to Lesley and Cory!

Here's to a healthy and happy delivery for Lesley, Corey and Baby Croghan in April! 

Entering These Challenges:

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Layer It Up

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Use 1+ Punch/Die

Healthy Baby Croghan Blessings!

Just Us Girls #386 - Photo Week

It's the weekend!  YAY!

A little bittersweet as it is my last post as Guest Designer with Just Us Girls.

I have to give a shout out to all the Just Us Girls Design Team.  All of you gals are so sweet and fun!  I've had a blast guesting and hope I get the opportunity to do so again in the future.  

Now onto this week's challenge, 

which is a photo inspiration  

and 

you're going to love it!

Isn't that the prettiest tea pot?

Here is the result of my creative take on it:

STAMPS: Paisley Peacock (Catherine Pooler/Stamp of Approval); Teapot (Paper Sweeties); Sentiment (Stamplorations)

PAPER: White cardstock, watercolor paper (teapot)

INK: Peeled Paint,    Blue (Tim Holtz Oxide Distress); Citron, Festive Berries,   Mowed Lawn, Scattered Straw (TH Distress Inks); Black Onyx (Versafine)

EXTRAS: Teapot die (Paper sweeties); Peacock/feathers dies (Catherine Pooler); Emboss folder (Spellbinders).

I decided to go for a somewhat literal interpretation of the photo.  I just adore this peacock stamp set!  So fun and versatile. 

Stop by the Just Us Girls blog and check out all of the Design Team's gorgeous projects!  Don't forget to link your own project inspired by our photo this week.   You could be their next winner!

For Following Challenges:

"Just Us Girls" Blessings!

4CC #343 - Dies & Punches {Lori}

Happy Thursday!

Hope you are having a good 

1st Week of Spring!

It's time for a new challenge

at

4 Crafty Chicks!

Lori is our hostess 

and

she has chosen a theme of Dies/Punches ---

4CC #343 - Dies/Punches

I have to admit I loooove dies and punches ALOT!  So I went to town on this challenge ----

STAMPS: None

PAPER: White (Coordinations 110lb). Modern Homemaker (October Afternoon); Soft Sky (Stampin'Up).

EXTRAS: Crazy double stitch rectangle die (Stamplorations); Lace scallop circle die (Spellbinders); Stitched Zig Zag Circle (My Favorite Things); Banner - Lovely Flowers & Banners Set (Catherine Pooler); Thanks die (Taylored Expressions); Mixer die set (Spellbinders).

I found that cute Spellbinder mixer die set at Michaels and just scooped it up!  I decided to go a little retro too with my colors and patterns, using an old paper pad from October Afternoon.  The blue cardstock is Sky Blue by Stampin'Up.

Make sure you check out my fellow "Chicks" blogs as well to see their beautiful projects:

Leanne

Tamie

Lori

Danielle (March Guest Designer)

Then, link up your own project using dies or punches or both over at the Hen House.  We love seeing your creations!

For Following Challenges:

Sunday Stamps Weekly #148

Simon Says Wed Challenge - More Than One Die/Punch

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Layer It Up

Crafty Chick Blessings!