SCC1 - Rainy Day

Thanks to Lori Boyd, I discovered the Saturated Canary digi images.  They are beautiful and whimsical and if you love to color, you will love them!  Tonight I am participating in the first Saturated Canary Challenge which is a sketch challenge.   

I love how her beautiful hair is blowing in the wind.  I decided to have it blow right out of the image panel.  The DSP is from the Honey Cake paper pad by My Mind's Eye.  I paired it with PTI melon berry and kraft card stock.  I am pretty happy with that combo of copics for her dirty blond hair.  I used E35, E53, and E51.  I have a sneaking suspicion that I am going to be a frequent flyer over at the Saturated Canary shop!

Here is the sketch:

FLASH SALE - 30% off at Whimsie Doodles!

QUICK!   Head on over to Whimsie Doodles!  Everything in the store is 30% off!  The coupon code is SEPTSALE30 and  it good JUST FOR TODAY!  I've been showing off some Whimsie Doodles images on my blog lately.  Love them!  Go and get some for yourself now at 30% today while you can!  When October 1st comes, the sale is OVAH as we say here in the Boston area!

Tick tock tick tock tick tock......

PDCC101 and DSAC02 - Harvest Gatherings

Paper and Such is sponsoring this week's challenge over on the Play Date Cafe so I was happy to play along as a member of the Paper and Such DT.  Here is the inspiration for this week's color challenge:

And here is my card:

I loved the papers from the DCWV Harvest Gatherings Paper Pad and I thought they tied in nicely with the color scheme for this week's challenge. I went with a rusty color more so that a deep red so I could use this DSP,  but I think it still counts, right?   I used the Paper and Such Fall Flowers stamp set.  I colored the image with copics an added some twine and tied a bow to balance the card. 

If you haven't yet discovered Paper and Such, head on over to the store and check out not only their exclusive line of stamps, but all the other supplies we crafters hoard like the hottest and newest DSP packs,  beautiful ribbon, and baker's twine in all sorts of yummy colors!   Be sure to play along with the Play Date Cafe Challenge because a $20 Paper and Such Gift Certificate is up for grabs!

I am also entering this card into the Dolce Stamps and Cards challenge #2  which is to use fall colors.  Thanks to Heather from the Princess Scrapper Stamper  from the Dolce Stamps and Cards DT for encouraging me to enter!

Guest DT spot at the Frosted Designs

This is my 2nd post of the day.  If you are here for the Paper and Such recipe challenge, scroll down of click HERE!


Today I have the honor of being the guest designer over at the Frosted Designs challenge blog.  This week's sketch challenge is being sponsored by Squigglefly Digital Stamps.  As a member of Squigglefly's DT, I was happy to strut my stuff and show off one of the Squigglefly images.  I chose to play along with Beehive  by Diane Knott

I colored the image up with copics and paired with that honey comb DSP from the Country Drive paper pad by Echo Park and the striped DSP from the Honey Cake paper pad by My Mind's Eye.  I matted the image and DSP with PTI dark chocolate CS and mounted it on a PTI kraft card base.  I added some jute twine and a  PTI dark chocolate button for an embellishment.  It's hard to see in the pic, but I added some clear spica pen to the bees' wings and the red heart. 

Here is the sketch:

 Now hop on over the Frosted Designs blog and play along with us!   

Paper and Such Recipe Challenge

It's that time again!  Time for another Paper and Such Challenge!  This time it is a recipe challenge!  Pick three things from the list below and include them on your card or project.

I went with designer paper, twine, and 3 brads for my card.  

I decided to play along using this ca-YUTE Milton with Lilly Stamp by Wild Rose Studios.  I colored him up with copics and went with the out of the box technique so the petals of the lilly would sneak outside the image panel.  I paired it with some PTI white, kraft, and dark chocolate card stock as well as some DSP from the Vanity Fair  paper pad by My Mind's Eye.  

Now it's your chance to play along!  You can use any image you'd like.  You can only enter twice.  That is the one an only rule.  We're not big on rules at Paper and Such.  Rules shmules.   Hop on over to the Paper and Such Design Blog and link up your creation!   Up for grabs is a "winner's choice" stamp set from the Paper and Such store!   The winner chosen by the Design Team.  You will also be able to snag a cool badge to display on your blog for your win.    Be sure to check out my fellow Design Team members' blogs for some additional inspiration!

Janice - http://inkeepaws.blogspot.com/

JenMarie - http://taylormadebyjenmarie.blogspot.com/

Amber Hillman - http://www.ambersantics.blogspot.com/

Pattie Goldman - http://pattie-g.blogspot.com/

Julie Smith - http://paperandsuch.blogspot.com/

SSSC136 - Fight Like a Girl

Next month is breast cancer awareness month and Whimsie Doodles  has several great images in honor of this.  You can see them HERE and HERE.  The best part about these images is that 100% of all sales are donated to breast cancer research!  How great is that?!  Today I am using "Fight Like a Girl" to play along with the Sweet Sunday sketch challenge. 

Here's the sketch:

I am also entering this into the Paper Sundaes challenge - Anything Goes

Stamps:  Whimsie Doodles Fight Like a Girl  Ink: SU pretty in pink  CS:  PTI kraft, white, enchanted evening  DSP:  My Mind's Eye Vanity Fair  Tools:  SU XL flower punch, 1.5" circle punch, white gel pen  Accessories:  PTI enchanted eveing saddle stitch ribbon

Happy Fall Wishes

This is my 2nd post of the day so if you are here for the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge, scroll down or click HERE!


I have been itching to color up one of the cute Rhubard images by Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps and since there are few Fall card challenges out there right now, I chose to use the Rhubard Scarecrow digital stamp.  I think he is so sweet!  

I'm hooked on adding some clouds to the background of my image panels after seeing Shannon White  use this technique on her cards.  I've been getting questions on how I do this so let me fill you in.  Just take a strip of card stock and cut one edge into a the shape of rolling clouds to use as your template.  Place it on your image panel and use a sponge dauber to sponge on some ink.  I used SU ballet blue here.  Move the template down a bit and to the side and sponge again.................and repeat until you you've covered your panel.  Easy Peasy!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

The Kraft Journal - Welcome Fall

Sketch 'N Stash - Free Choice Sketch (I chose #64)

Crafty Catz - Autumn

The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

Stamps:  Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps Rhubarb Scarecrow  Ink:  SU ballet blue  CS:  PTI kraft, dark chocolate, white, and orange zest  DSP:  PTI Autumn Abundance  Accessories:  baker's twine and a PTI dark chocolate button

SSS127 - New Nest

Happy Saturday!  It's time to play along with another great Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge! I got some new goodies in the mail this week so I decided to put them to good use for this challenge!  

I got my new Taylored Expression Key Ingredients Kit so I used some DSP from the October Afternoon Campfire paper pad and some TE saltillo canvas texture CS .  Those pretty flowers are an MFT Dienamics Die.  I don't see it on their website currently so I can't link to it and I can't even tell you what it is called because they don't label it on their packaging.  Wish they did!  The image and sentiment is from the "Owl always love you" stamp set by Gina K. Designs.  Here's the sketch:

Now be sure to check out my fellow Sugar Babies' cards before you head on over to the Sweet Stop challenge blog to link up your own creation!  

Korin Sutherland 

Shannon White

Monika Davis

Janice Melton

Cathy McCauley

Shelby Goolsby

Wendy Ramlahkan

Lori Ames


I am also entering this card in the Crafts and Me Challenge which is to use stripes on your card.

FMS3 - Thank Heaven for Little Girls

Last night I started a card for one sketch challenge and I completed the image panel, but then I just couldn't pull something together that I liked with the sketch. I hate that.   This morning I woke up to the new Freshly Made Sketch Challenge and knew it would work perfectly with my image panel.  I was able to easily pull together this card this morning.

  Here's the sketch:

I am also entering this card in the Creative Card Crew Challenge.  

The theme is "Babies." 

UPDATE:  This card was a winner at Freshly Made Sketches!

Stamps:  PTI Hanging Out  Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black, SU Melon Mambo, SU Ballet Blue, Momento Baboo Leaves  CS:  PTI white, raspberry fizz, and sweet blush  Toos:  SU polka dot embossing folder, SU eyelet border punch, PTI Hanging Out die  Accessories:  prisma flowers and brads

SFC116 - Birthday Bear

It's Monday.  Boooooo!  The only good thing about it that there is another Squigglefly Challenge up and ready for tackling and this time it is my favorite kind.....a sketch challenge!  Here is my card:

I chose to play along with this sweet image named "Lisa" by Susan Spiller.  I colored her up with copics and the kept her the oval nesties while I sponged some Tim Holtz tea dye distressed ink around the edges of the panel.  I added some paper flowers for dimension.    

Here's the sketch:

Now it's your turn to play along with us!  You can use any image to play along, but to be eligible for the prize you must use a Squigglefly image. Head on over to the shop, or check out our freebies! If you're the winner you get to choose any Squigglefly image (including sets!) as your prize!  Be sure to check out my fellow DT members' cards on the blog and then link up your creations for a chance to win!

SSSC135 - Act Like a Witch

Sunday means it is time to play along with the Sweet Sunday Sketch so I used this great sketch to show off one of the newest Whimsie Doodles images called Act Like a Witch.  You can buy it for $3 in the Whimsie Doodles online store, but if you join the Whimsie Doodles group on Facebook, you can download it for FREE!  

Speaking of FREE, I downloaded that cool DSP by Grafico HERE!  I paired it with PTI black, white, orange zest, and royal velvet CS and added some baker's twine to embellish.  

Here the sketch....which I flipped vertically:

Hydrangeas

I was asked to create a boxed set of thank you cards for a bride-to-be to give to her bridesmaids.  The bride said she is having a winter wedding and the girls are all wearing black.  Her centerpieces are white hydrangeas with birch twigs.  So, I tried to pull together the theme of her wedding with these thank you cards and went with a black, white, and kraft color scheme with white hydrangeas and twine to tie in the natural look of the birch.  

Stamps:  Delicious Doodles "Hydrangea," sentiment from the PTI Mat Stack 1 Collection  Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black  CS:  PTI kraft, black, and white  Tools:  Copics (C3, YG97, YG95, YG93) Accessories:  jute twine 

CAS Birthday Wishes

This is my 2nd post of the day so if you are here for the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge, scroll down or click HERE!

I needed to quickly throw together a birthday card so I hopped on over to the Clean and Simple Stamping Sketch Challenge Blog and decided to use sketch #148 for my inspiration.  Here's what I created in a just few minutes!

Stamps:  PTI Think Big Favorites #7, PTI 2011 Birthday Tags  

Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black, SU Real Red

CS:  PTI white and black

Accessories:  Stickles, clear Spica pen

SSS126 - You're my Hero

Happy Saturday!  It's sure starting to feel like fall around here! Sportin' some jeans and cozy sweatshirt as we head out to the kids' soccer games this morning!  Saturday not only means it is time for soccer games, but also time for this week's Sweet Spot Sketch Challenge!  It's the 3rd Saturday of the month which means there is a sketch with a spin and prize is up for grabs!  The spin is "Starstruck!"  You can interpret that any way you'd like!  

Here's my card:

When I saw this newest MFT a la mode stamp set called "Blue Without You," I thought it was perfect for this challenge!  I colored up the image with copics and cut her out.  I adhered her to a oval kraft panel using foam dots after distressing and inking the edges of the panel and adding some faux stitching with a white gel pen to mimic the stitching in the PTI enchanted evening saddle stitch ribbon.   That DSP is digi paper from the Doodle Panrty "Stars and Stripes" paper pack.  I matted the DSP with PTI enchanted evening CS and distressed the edges.  I blinged up the star with some glitter glue.

Here is the sketch which I flipped vertically:

Now come and play along with us.  You can use any stamps you'd like.  Don't forget the "starstruck" spin to be eligible to win the prize!  Hop on by my fellow Sugar Babies' blogs for some added inspiration!

Korin Sutherland 

Shannon White

Monika Davis

Janice Melton

Cathy McCauley

Shelby Goolsby

Wendy Ramlahkan

Lori Ames

Sending You Sunshine

I have some new PTI goodies that I have yet to ink up. I love sunflowers so I had to order the Simple Sunflower mini stamp set and I LOVE that it only cost $5!  BARGAIN!   This week on the CAS-ual Fridays challenge blog, the challenge is create a mini card no larger than 4x4.   I used the sketch from the new Freshly Made Sketches challenge  for inspiration.

Stamps:  PTI Simple Sunflower mini stamp set  Ink:  Momento rich cocoa, SU summer sun, Momento bamboo leaves  CS:  PTI kraft, harvest gold, white, dark chocolate  Accessories:  PTI dark chocolate button and Green Apple Devine Twine 

MFTWSC37

I had to have "Blue without You," one of the newest MFT a la mode stamps as soon as I saw it!  And now that my mail was kind enough to deliver to me, I decided to ink it up to play along with the MFT Wednesday Sketch Club #37.

Here's the sketch:

I am also entering this card for this week's challenge on at the Kraft Journal which is to use a sketch. 

UPDATE:  This card was a chosen as a top three challenge winner on the 

The Kraft Journal! 

Stamps:  MFT "Blue without you"  Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black  CS:  PTI kraft, white, pure poppy, enchanted evening  DSP:  digi paper by Doodle Pantry "Stars and Stripes"  Tools:  white gel pen. copics, glitter glue  Accessories:  PTI enchanted evening saddle stitch ribbon  

Meet the Divas Blog Hop

Welcome to the Whimsie Doodles "Meet the Divas" Blog Hop!  Today I make my debut as part of the Whimsie Doodles newest Design Team know as the Doodlelicious Divas!  I have been a fan of these whimsical images so I'm thrilled to have been invited to be part of the DT! If you have made it here from Julie's blog, you're in the right place.  You can always start from the beginning at Emily's blog, too!


As part of my introduction, I've been asked to share
5 Doodlelicious Things about Me:

1.  My first papercrafts project was home made Easter cards with my kids.  I bought a $1 clear stamp set from the clearance center at Michael's............then my stamping supplies multiplied like bunnies since then.

2. When I'm not paper crafting, I enjoy blog surfing and stalking my favorite fellow paper crafters in the blogosphere.

3.  My favorite Whimsie Doodles images are "Tooth Fairy Girl" and "Tooth Fairy Boy."  I have made the cutest tooth fairy tins with them that you can see HERE!

4.  My favorite papercrafting technique is paper piecing!  I feel like I get to play dress up with the images when i paper piece.

5.  My favorite embellishment is twine.....jute twine and baker's twine in all sorts of yummy colors.

Now on to my card!  I decided to show off one of the Halloween themed images from the new September release of images called Frankie!

Isn't he great!?!  I decided to distress and ink the edges of the card stock and patterned paper to match the tattered look of his shirt.  I hand drew that spider web an added then added some clear spica pen to it to make it shimmer.  I printed the sentiment from my computer in "chiller" font.  Oh, and that cool patterned paper is actually digi paper from a FREE Halloween digi paper pack that you can download HERE!

Be sure to head on over to Whimsie Doodles and check out all of the fun images!  If you love to color like I do, you will love these images! And don't forget to check out the Whimsie Doodles Blog where you will find video tutorials, challenges, and additional inspiration from the DT!  

And now I have the honor of introducing you to my fellow Doodlelicious Divas!  Your next on the hop is Kindra!  Please hop on by the blogs to check out all of  these talented ladies blogs!!  

Emily Martina 

Helen Lillieborg 
Joy Stagg

Julie Elak  

Kim O’Connell  (That's me!) 
Kindra Snelling

Laura Nehring

Marlene Gomez

Min Kwiatkowski 

Paula Riley

Tracy Shultz
Whimsie Doodles Blog

Paper and Such Tic Tac Toe Challenge

It's time for another Paper and Such challenge!  

This time we're playing tic tac toe!  

Pick three in a row and design a card!

I chose flower - designer paper - twine.  Here's my card:

I inked up the "Song in my Heart" stamp set by Paper and Such.  

Isn't it so pretty?!  

Now come and play along with us.  You can use ANY stamps you'd like so there's no reason not play!  Hop on over to the Paper and Such Design Blog and link up your creation!   You can submit up to 2 entries.  That's the only rule.  Just that one.  Up for grabs is a $10 Paper and Such Gift Card to the winner chosen by the Design Team.  You will also be able to snag a cool badge to display on your blog for your win.    Be sure to check out my fellow Design Team members' blogs for some additional inspiration!

Janice - http://inkeepaws.blogspot.com/

Taylor - http://taylorusry.blogspot.com/

JenMarie - http://taylormadebyjenmarie.blogspot.com/

Amber Hillman - http://www.ambersantics.blogspot.com/

Julie Smith - http://paperandsuch.blogspot.com/

Stamps:  Paper and Such "Song in my Heart," Verve Stamps "Sunny Days"

Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black

CS:  PTI white, black, enchanted evening, orange zest

DSP:  No idea.....left over scraps!

Tools:  Copics (B37, B45, B41, YR18, YR15, YR12, C7, C5, C3, C1), SU eyelet border punch

Accesories:  baker's twine

Oh the places you'll go!

Just a quick post to share a card I made for one of my co-workers is moving on to a new opportunity.  I colored up this sweet  digital image by Mo Manning called Bye Bye Boy.  I thought it was such a cute image for a goodbye card

I added some glossy accents to the tricycle.  I really wanted the image to take the spotlight so I stepped away from my stash of patterned papers and just went with a simple PTI dark chocolate band over a PTI kraft card base after mounting the image in PTI pure poppy.   

SSSC134 - Happy 1st Birthday

We are heading to a 1st birthday party today.  I found this cute digi set called Birthday Years (boys) over on the Digi Wed Studio for just $1.  I had colored up the image last night before going to bed.  I was hoping I could use the Sweet Sunday Sketch this morning for some layout inspiration and I was.  I just needed to change the card to a 5x5 square to accommodate my image panel.  

And here's the inside:

That image originally had a few graphics on the #1, but I erased them using Photoshop Elements and then paper pieced the #1.  Here's the sketch:

Stamps:  Digi Web Studios "Birthday Years (boys)", PTI "Birthday Bash Sentiments", PTI "2011 Birthday Tags",  

               Verve Stamps "To the Moon"

Ink:  Inkadinkadoo Indigo dye ink

CS:  PTI white, pure poppy, enchanted evening, kraft

Tools:  Copics  (E11, E00, E000, R20, B37, B45, B41, R29)

Accessories:  PTI pure poppy buttons and baker's twine