Seize the Birthday!

My friend Amy T. introduced me to Seize the Birthday and I have been wanting to play one of their challenges over there for quite a while now.  Somehow though, I always have just missed the challenge deadlines except once.  Not this time though, I've been making way more cards lately, so I get to play over there, wahoo!  It is an anything goes birthday celebration over there (and will be going forward, you can read more here), so I can use any sketch and/or colors.  I combined it with a few other challenges so I made up my own layout.  The other challenges that helped me pick out the elements for my card were The Cats Pajamas Tuesday Challenge (July TCP Tuesday), featuring tags and The Pink Elephant Challenge 207 (TPE207) featuring woodgrain.  I have also wanted to play these challenges and this is my first time with them too! :)

I made this card specifically for a friend who's birthday is coming up in August.  She LOVES hot air balloons, so I had to oblige of course. I used the cutest, cute bunny in a balloon from The Cats Pajamas. I used my Dear Lizzy paper pack to paper piece the balloon, bunny, etc.  Yes, it was a LOT of fussy cutting.  This paper pack is one of my faves.  It totally makes me feel like I am using a J-Crew catalog for my DP though- lol! You can obviously see the tag and woodgrain stars.   I am super pleased with how it turned out and I think she will love it.  Wahoo!  Here it is, what do you think?

So I have to get ready to take my daughter to the International Fountain at the Seattle Center to play and then to the Rat City Roller Girls roller derby match, should be tons of fun!  I hope you enjoy your Saturday too!

PS- I've decided I like asking you all questions and seeing the answers is so fun, so I am going to have a "Question of the day" for all of my posts that you can answer if you like.  Today's question of the day- have you ever been to a roller derby match and do you like it?  If not, what is your favorite sport to watch?


7/14/13 Edited to Add- I fully intended to enter this in the Moxie Fab World birthday challenge as well but forgot- so here goes!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer Birthdays...

...really are the best!  Being a summer birthday myself I really know.  As a child growing up near Coeur'd Alene Lake I spent just about every single birthday there!  Even if the weather isn't great, kids are still happy to go to the park and beach AND it is FREE!  Wahoo!  I didn't appreciate that part at the time but as a parent with a child who has a winter birthday I sure do now!  Our space is small and we can't do a party at home so if we have one we always have to go somewhere in the Seattle area and you can't have a party for less that $250 with a handfull of kids!  Anyway, I've always felt blessed to have a summer birthday to be able to enjoy the sun and outdoors.

Today's card is one for a summer birthday.  In fact, I think it makes a perfect invitation for a summer birthday party because it is a summer icon...the flip flop!  BTW, I LOVE flip flops.  In fact I probably wear them about 7-8 months out of the year (even at work).  I just love having my little toesies free!  Anyway, wouldn't you just love to get this invite in the mail?!  It would be a fun birthday card too for a little girl.  I just imagine her giggling at the sight of it!  

I wanted to play this weeks Color Throwdown Challenge #250 because these colors are so bright and fun!  Of course you might think I went with the obvious here, direct interpretation of the picture, but it was easier said then done.  I hand drew the flip flop shape and I am not the best at drawing so that might have been the most difficult part!  And of course since I have the Here's the Scoop set from Lawn Fawn, how could I not use it?!  I colored and highlighted using the exact challenge colors with a few extras for tone variation.  Once I had the front done I though how and I going to get the toe holds?  I have some Melon Mabo ribbon from SU! in my stash and it was perfect.  I used eyelets for the holes to secure the ribbon as I didn't want the paper to tear.  Here is a pic of how I held the ribbon down (do you like my super fancy technique?  heh!)  Then I used a bunch of foam dots to mount on my thick layer of card stalk back.  Wahlah!  Because I think this makes the perfect party invite OR birthday card, I am entering it into the Moxie Fab World Party Invitation Challenge and the Birthday Card Challenge.  Ihope that Cath and the gang over there likey!

OK so the question of the day is do you have a summer or a winter birthday and what do you love about it?  Thanks for stopping and if you do comment I can tell you that I appreciate it and love reading them!  

Seeing Stars

Hello-

Today I wanted to share a card with you for a couple of challenges (I know you never would have guessed)!    But before I do, lets go back to my post from Tuesday, Soda-pop, an Evolution of Terms.  Though I know there are cultural and regional differences in terms, I was mostly being silly because...well, that is what I do.  But people really chimed in with their opinions.  First thank you for actually reading my post and second for leaving your comments. :)  Anyway, Kara Lynne commented about drinking fountains versus bubblers and I want to know  more about this.  I think I have only heard of a bubbler once before, is this an East Coast term?  Are there other names for drinking fountains out there?  Educate me people!

Now to the card.  I have a card made for three challenges.  First, the 10 Minute Craft Dash- featuring Stars, second the Little Tangles Challenge for any old birthday and last CAS-ual Friday's Challenge- Material girl.  I originally used the CAS(E) this sketch #35 for the layout but knew I wouldn't make the challenge deadline- go figure! For the Craft Dash, I made my card in 7 minutes and 55 seconds.  For the Little Tangles I used my  Neat & Tangled Sunburst Stamp and for the CAS-ual Friday I used ribbon for my material (hope that counts, I wasn't sure).  Anyway, here are the photos.

 I love these colors and the DP from BasicGrey Kneehighs and Bowties.  You may have noticed I've been using that paper a lot lately!  As I said, I used the Neat & Tangled Sunburst stamp that I love and this is my first time using it.  I also used my CAS-ual Friday Exclamations set for the "Squeal" part of the sentiment.  This set adds fun for just about any card.  Finally I used my new Avery Ellie set Party Animal for the rest of the set and the stars.  I wanted to add the balloon dog too, but I thought it would take too much time for the craft dash AND it wouldn't be CAS anymore, so I didn't.  Not to fear though I will be using that balloon dog elsewhere. :)  Here is a close up.

Okey-doke folks, thanks for stopping and I hope you have a good day!

PS- I am participating in the DeNami Blog Hop on the 15th, so please be sure to stop by for that. :)

paperclips, staples and tape, oh my!

Are you afraid?  Well don't be, because office supplies are a paper crafters veritable paradise!  These common, everyday supplies (such as paper clips, staples, notebook paper, envelopes, post-it notes, binder clips, tape, rubber bands, postage stamps, mini calendar, etc.) can be used in all kinds of ways on your cards and other paper creations.  AND....it just so happens that this weeks Hambo Hoedown challenge is Office Supplies!  Wahoo!  So go dig among those drawers my friends, if you keep it in your office then you can use it!

The card I made for this weeks challenge has a whole slew of office supplies.  As you can see I've got some corkboard, a mini binder clip, and notebook paper (I didn't have any actual paper, so I used a notebook paper die but would have used it if I did).  I've also got some supplies that might be found in an office such as washi tape, twine and stick pins. 

Ooh, ooh, speaking of washi, did you know you can make your own washi tape with masking tape and stamps!  Take a few of your Hambo Stamps (if you use rubber) and stamp them right on that tape, feel free to color them in too- wahlah!  I've cooked up an idea that I haven't tried yet but want to, I am imagining putting masking tape on paper and printing the digis there with the hopes the paper doesn't tear after printing- there might even be some type of masking tape paper that you could print directly onto- wouldn't that be cool?! 

Anyway, I digress...but obviously I enjoyed being creative with office supplies for this challenge. :)  For my digi from Hambo for this weeks challenge I used the set Bailey Flower.  Isn't this dog just the cutest?!?  I know I was going on and on last week about Hambo and pigs- obviously they like pigs, but they clearly like dogs and other animals too!  There's a whole farmyard of animals over there, so be sure to check it out and come play with us in this weeks challenge.  We can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by!

Soda-pop, an evolution of terms

What is your preference, Coke or Pepsi?  It is funny, I grew up with Pepsi, but my personal preference is Diet Coke (I don't like how regular coke tastes).  People sure do have their drink preferences, not only that but a preference of what they call that drink.  I grew up calling it pop.  When I spent a few of my college years in the South (Baton Rouge) they called every dark drink cola.  I can't remember what they called clear or other colored drinks (thinks like Sprite or Squirt).  My question is when you call everything cola then how do you distinguish one from the other?  Maybe you just don't care.  There is also the soda camp.  Which one do you fit it and why?  These days, I call my caffeinated brown cola of choice soda-pop.  I am not sure when or why that transpired, but it did.  So there you have it, the most exciting thing you've read all day! HA!

Why do you care?  Well there is a good chance you don't...and I am ok with that.  :)  It is simply the jibber jabber that was in my head when I made today's card.  Here is the card, which uses my three brand spankin' new PS stamp sets- Think Fast, Briny Blue (bubbles) and Slang Gang.  When you look at it you might know why that was the course of my thought process...  It makes you feel like you are in the middle of a Pepsi commercial with the colors right?!  I even used some velumn on the cup lid to emulate an actual fountain drink cup lid.  Anyway,  this is probably the most boring post ever- sorry!  Moving on, I made this card for this weeks PS SPARKS Challenge sketch shown here.  (Hopefully they don't dock points for boring posts- lol!)

That is what I have for you today, now go chillax and

enjoy an ice cold soda-pop, or whatever it is you drink!

PS- That reminds me, do you remember the superbowl commercial a few years back for Pepsi- aka Brown and Bubbly- worst soda commercial ever!  http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/1581.html    

Swine Devine

Happy Saturday all.  I hope you are enjoying the weekend.  It is lovely here in Coeur'd Alene.  We have been having lots of great family time and are hoping to take Sophie to the beach and park today for some fun.

Just a quick share today so I can get out in the sun.  I have a fun birthday card I made using another Hambo Digi.  I love this devine swine, so very fabulous!  I used my new 5th and Frolic papers from Dear Lizzy and bunch of elements from BasicGrey Bowties and Kneehighs that went well with it.  For the layout I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch.  I specifically picked this sketch because my it has banners in it and my friend Stacey over at Stacey's Stamping Stage LOVES banners.  She is having a birthday linky party over at her blog until July 10th, go check it out!

Happy (early) Birthday Stacey!

Something exciting to announce...

For the month of July I am Guest Designing over at Hambo Stamps for their weekly challenge blog- the Hambo Hoedown!  I   am sooooooo excited!!!!!!  Hambo has some super fabulous and fun stamps and they come in rubber and digi. I myself like both, but there are always folks who like one version and some who like another and they have both...as they say, variety is the spice of life!

One of the other things I am coming to love about Hambo is the sense of humor they have over there, it is totally up my alley!  They crack me up with their Talk to the Ham blog and Bacon Bits DT!  LOL! I am not sure I've ever told you this but I love bacon, so this is a match made in heaven! :)

So look at the date on the calendar...can you guess what this weeks challenge is?  I'll give you a hint, think patriotic...  If you haven't guessed it yet, spoiler alert, I am telling you now- Red, White and Blue!  Each week they release a new digi that correlates with the challenge theme.  Most of the DT will be using that image for the challenge but I get to use any image.  Since nautical stuff is so hot right now and perfect for summer, I chose the Lighthouse digi for my creation.  I had so much fun creating this card.  I really enjoy coloring for one, so that was perfect and I also used these little star charms that I have been holding onto for a looooooooong time, they were waiting for just the right occasion and here it is!

Thank you so much for joining me for my my big announcement today.  I have been wanting just such and opportunity and I thank Hambo Stamps
for providing it.  Be sure to check their fun stuff out and be sure to come back next Wednesday for the next challenge!