Thanks for making me smile!

I love this saying! It's so versatile! It's perfect as a traditional *Thank-You* but it also works great for one of those *just because* cards. You know, the one where you just stick a hug inside and mail it for no reason other than to mail it.



I used a Beate sketch for this and it needed a little something more than a button in the corner. Digging in my massive miscellaneous 'bellie container I came across a metal flower. Remember those? They were all the rage a few years back. LOL! Resurfacing old 'bellies is a good thing, right?



So... thanks for making ME smile today!

HB



Supplies
Stamps: Whipper Snapper Designs, SU!
Paper: SU!, PaperTrey Ink, Scenic Route
Ink: Palette Noir, Copic markers
Misc: Nestabilities, ribbon, metal flower, sewing

Party Penguin!

The other day I stopped over at my friend Lana's blog and she had made this adorable card using a penguin image I had sent her. I had totally forgotten that I even had that stamp! (please tell me you've done that... forgotten that you have a stamp! lol). Anyway, I dug it out and decided he looked like he was up for a celebration!

And what better day is there to celebrate than the 4th of July? A little picnic... a little cold beverage... some fireworks and you've got yourself a party! My friend Mishie has a huge 4th of July party every year! It's her favorite summer time event!

Speaking of Mish, she's celebrating her one year blog anniversary this month and is giving away lots of prizes. Today she's hosting a fun scavenger hunt!
If you want to play along and be entered for the prize drawings, check out her blog HERE.

There are 13 questions that you have to answer correctly and Mish has selected 13 of her blogging friends, including me, to each post one of the answers to her questions.
So if you're playing along, you've come to the right place.
You'll find the answer to question #11 above.


So anyway... I got carried away on all the party talk. The layout for this party card is inspired by the awesome Beate. Her card just knocked me out it is so cute! The measurements are 4.5 x 4.5 square, with a 2 inch strip trimmed off the front.


Once I colored in the party pengquin, I added a bit of shimmer to his *cocktail* with a GellyRoll Stardust pen and then finished up by highlighting around the entire image with a B000 Copic marker. Gives him a bit of a chilly feel don't you think?


Thanks for stopping by! Best of luck if you are on the *Mishie Scavenger Hunt*!





Supplies
Stamps: Art Gone Wild, Studio G Clear Stamps
Paper: SU!, CTMH, Sweetwater
Ink: Palette Noir, Copic markers
Misc: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug star die, ribbon and brads (JoAnn Essentials)

A Challenge...

One of my very best girlfriends, Bevie Pearl issued a challenge to a bunch of us yesterday. She said "send a card to somebody........just because you have a stash of cards and they are collecting dust and it will make someone's day."

And THEN she said "if you don't do this in the next 24 hours your papers will fade, your ink will dry up, your fur baby will hide your buttons, you will run out of adhesive, nobody will visit your blog, and your rubber will harden."

YIKES! How could I not accept this challenge? Of course I didn't really want to just go to my 'ol stash, so instead I whipped up a special card. (LOL! If you knew me better you'd know I don't really "whip" anything up fast!)

Little miss Elzybell is now on her way east. I hope she's a good surprise for the sweet friend who's mailbox she's heading for.

Will YOU accept Bevie's challenge and mail a card to someone special today?

Supplies

Stamps: Elzybells Art Stamps, Penny Black

Paper: Chatterbox, SU! (old olive), PaperTrey Ink

Ink: Palette Noir, SU! (old olive), Copic markers, Copic mulitiliner pen

Misc: Nestabilities, piercing tool

Use it up!

My friend Mishie always says "use it up!". If you have a piece of paper on your desk, use the whole sheet in one sitting and then you won't have piles of scraps everywhere! So, I am taking the advice of the pro! Ok ok, so I didn't use a FULL sheet, but a half sheet is way better than a small strip, right?

I found this layout over on Splitcoaststampers as part of the Sketch Challenge (#147). It worked perfectly with the tulips and was so easy peasy to put together!

However, once I was done with the card it seemed to need one more thing. That one thing to make it pop. And there on my work table was my new Posies for You set. (see, sometimes it pays to not put things away... as is evident by the background of my picture! LOL).




The little butterfly was the perfect addition! I stamped it on the back of my designer paper, which is yellow and then created polka dots using my Ranger opaque white pen. Then I attached it to my card with just a speck of glue so the wings are loose, and added a dotted line to show it's little flight path.


Thanks for stopping by!



Supplies
Stamps: Hero Arts, Posies for you (Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper Designs), SU!
Paper: Chatterbox, PTI, SU!
Ink: Palette Noir, Copic markers, Copic multiliner pen, Ranger opaque white pen
Misc: Nestabilites, brads, sewing machine

Beate's weekend challenge

At the end of each week, Beate posts a sketch on her blog for us all to use to create something fabulous with. I LOVE this weeks layout! I've really been in a rut with my layouts lately and this was the perfect sketch to get me out of it!

Plus, I received my *Posies for You* set from Anna Wight last week and I haven't had time to put any ink on the rubber yet.

So, I put these two fabulous things together and this is what was born! LOL! I think it looks like Spring (and after the 5 inches of snow we got today, this may be the only way I'll get to see it! pfffft).

Supplies
Stamps: Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper Designs, PaperTrey Ink
Paper: Scenic Route, PaperTrey Ink, CTMH
Ink: Palette Noir, Copic Markers, CTMH
Misc: Nestabilities, sewing machine

Thanks for stopping by!

The amazing Ms. Vic!

A year or so ago (maybe 2? time just flies by lately) I was blog hopping and happened upon Lisa Strahl's blog. She had a link to this amazing blog called *This art that makes me happy!* I was so totally blown away by the phenomenal artwork! It soon became my first stop with my morning coffee.

After months of bruising (from falling off my chair after seeing the what this woman creates), I sent her an email telling her how much I loved her art! That was the start of a wonderful friendship with Ms. Vicki Chrisman.

So last week Vicki posts a challenge on her blog. She says she is going to send an envelope of items to the first 10 (ended up being 20) who sign up. I got in on the challenge and when I got my envelope I thought *OMWORD! What am I gonna do? YIKES!

There was 3 pieces of cardstock/paper, a white base card, a piece of ribbon, rickrack and lace along with 3 buttons and 2 brads. The image, called Bunny Love, is adorable! All the cardstock/paper and the image are Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage. The image is from the Seasonal Booklet.

So here is what I created. The backside of one of the sheets of paper has a gorgeous vintage flower pattern, so I cut out one of the flower bouquets, covered it in Crackle Accent and that became my bow (on the right). The button looked so lonely at the top, so I stitched the lace with a running stitch, pulled it tight and made a flower. Between the button and the lace is a circle of the vintage flower paper covered in Matte Accent.

This was so much fun! Thanks Vic!

Be sure and visit Vicki's blog to see what everyone else created.


Supplies
All paper/cardstock and image by Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage
Ink: Ranger Crackle Accents and Matte Accents, Tim Holtz Distressing Inks in Brushed Corduroy and Antique Linen
Misc: sewing machine, needle & thread

Plant Your Dreams!

My friend Bethie (MyPrecious) hosts the Featured Stamper challenge each Sunday over on Splitcoaststampers.

Since I don't feel so good, and my brain doesn't work when the rest of me feels like crud, I decided to take the challenge and create something using the Featured Stampers art as inspiration. This week's Featured Stamper is BeckyTE and she has a beautiful gallery.

This tulip stamp by Hero Arts is one of my all time favorites! It seems to surface each year about this time(Spring fever?). I love how I can color them with any medium (markers, watercolors, pencils, etc) and make them any color to match my papers. This time I chose Copic markers, which blend so beautifully.

The sentiment border was created by using a small, embossed Nestabilities square. I then made a mask for the center and using my Copic Airbrush System, I sprayed pink and yellow around the edge. It almost has a rainbow effect IRL.

Copic markers and the Airbrush System can be found at Eclectic Paperie and Ellen's Store! (I love those girls!!!)

Thanks for stopping by!

HB

Supplies

Stamps: Hero Arts, Savvy Stamps

Paper: Fancy Pants Designs, PTI

Ink: Palette Noir, Copic markers, Gelly Roll shimmer

Misc: Nestabilities, Copic Airbrush System, Cuttlebug, American Crafts ribbon, KaiserCraft rhinestones,