Crafty Gals January Challenge

1st post of 2013!! I probably should have been here a couple of days ago with my 2013 crafty resolutions, but I don’t know what they are yet, so there wasn’t much to post!!

The last few days I’ve been feeling low on the craftiness, but it seems to have come back today. Which is great, because it’s just in time (or perhaps a touch late) for the Crafty Gals challenge, which is posted on the 5th of every month.

We’ve had some changes in our Crafty Gals group. Athina, Patty and Jackie felt that 2013 were bringing them new challenges and they decided to leave our happy bloggy family. Sob! I’m going to miss them.

But, Melina put a call out for new members and we have FIVE new Crafty Gals. Joan, Sharon, Zella, Monica and Laura are joining us and I’ve updated my Crafty Gals blog roll with their blogs.

With all the changes, it’s been pretty busy, so Melina decided to make our January challenge an “Anything Goes” challenge! Her exact words, “show us what’s on your desk right now”.

Okay, so here’s my desk:

Pretty messy. Yup, I need to clean up. So, that’s why today you get two Thanksgiving/Fall cards. Way out of season, I know. But, I had this REALLY great card kit with awesome images and papers. I don’t want to put it away and forget about it, so I needed to clean it up. I colored the images just after Christmas and today I sat down to make them into something pretty. Here are the two cards I created:

I have to thank Claire, who happily played with her toys in my room for awhile and let me play with my toys.

I’ll see you next month for the next Crafty Gals challenge!!

Crafty Gals December Challenge – Copy Cat

Today I have for you the December Crafty Gals Challenge.

It’s a special challenge this month because the 11 of us are celebrating 1 year together! Can you believe it!? Our wonderful leader, Melina has been so good at keeping us on our toes, chatting and posting regularly and playing along with these monthly challenges. I really appreciate this group and their comments. It’s been so much fun!

This month, we didn’t have a specific challenge hostess. We agreed as a group that this month we would celebrate each other CASEing a card from another group member. For those of you who don’t know, CASE is basically Copy And Share Everything. Usually when you CASE, you change something on the card to make it your own and then give credit to the original person for the design idea.

Now, who I select to CASE was entirely up to me, but I had to pick one of their March posted projects. I would tell you who I picked, but that’s part of the fun! We get to GUESS who everyone picked.

Here is the project I selected…can you guess who made the original one?

I’ll come update the post in a couple of days to tell you my changes and give you a link to the original card. I’d tell you my changes now, but it might make it too easy for my fellow Crafty Guessers!

Crafty Gals November Challenge – Gratitude

Well, it’s the 5th again, time for another Crafty Gals Challenge

What?….What did you say??……..It’s what?????….It’s NOT the 5th!?!?…Oh, where on earth does the time go!!!

Actually, I knew I was late with this. I was finishing up the HYCCT challenges and just didn’t get this created and posted in time. But, the upside to it is that it gave me a couple more days to really think about what I wanted to do and I’m grateful for that because I really like my project.

But first the challenge. This month was Jackie’s choice and she selected a challenge she called “Fall Blessings”. She said “November is for Thanksgiving & we all have so many things to be thankful for. So my challenge for you this month is to create a project to showcase our Blessings. I also want you to use a Fall theme for your creations.”

Well, the thing I’m most thankful for, and blessed to have, is my family. While all of them are special to me, I focused on those closest to me and did a scrapbook layout of my wonderful husband and sweet baby girl.

This picture was taken when Claire was less than an hour old. She’s changed so much in the last 8 1/2 months. Both of us appreciate her each and every day!

My Fall theme is a bit loose, I admit. But, I think the colors are kind of fall-ish with the mustard, yellow and browns and this pattern is one of my favorites that SU has put in awhile, which I think came from the catalogue last fall.

To all my Crafty Gals, thank you for your patience in letting me get this up late. I am also grateful for all the support you provide to me (and each other) in our crafty endeavors and I look forward to continuing our celebrations together.

Next month, the Crafty Gals will celebrate one year as a group. Can’t wait for that challenge (I promise it will be on time).

 

Crafty Gals Blog Group – September 2012 Challenge

The 5th of the month means another Crafty Gals Blog Group challenge. The Crafty Gals are a group of 11 of us on SplitCoast Stampers that chat together and encourage each others crafty endeavors with supportive comments on each others blog. Each month, another member of our group hosts a challenge that we all play in.

This month it was Jeanette’s turn. Here challenge was to “Get Punchy”. Her challenge had a “simple” and an “advanced” version. The simple version was to use punches. The advanced challenge was to make some punch art, in other words, use punches to make something other than what it was intended to be.

I’ve been so busy that there were moments I thought I might bail on the Crafty Gals this month. But, I knew that was not very good of me, so then I thought I’d just do the simple version…but again, taking the simple way out is not my way! So off to the internet I went to find some neat (but not overly complicated) punch art. I ended up finding this punch art pumpkin and decided to use it.

I felt I needed some extra inspiration this week, so the sketch is also from this week’s Mojo Monday.

Please visit my other Crafty Gals to see what they made. Their blogs are linked on my sidebar to the right —–>

And, come again another day to see what else I created (maybe I’ll even have some more punch art for you!).

100 Card Challenge: 84/100

Crafty Gals Blog Group, August 2012 Challenge

It’s time for another Craft Gals challenge!!

The Craft Gals is my SplitCoast Stampers Blog Group. We’re a group of 11 who chat and check out each other’s blogs on a regular basis and encourage each other to keep crafting!! I can’t believe it’s been ALMOST a year since we joined together and I just love this group.

This month, Carolina picked our challenge. Her challenge was to make a birthday card using an animal character and four shapes of any sort. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also asked us to incorporate the colors red and blue somewhere on the card.

I took this dragon image out of my RAK image stack and colored him up. Then I found these green and red papers and paired them with some retired Ballet Blue cardstock. Just as I was bemoaning not having ribbon to match, I remembered I DID have some ribbon in EXACTLY the right color in the bottom of my desk drawer.

I wasn’t sure whether Carolina meant four shapes the same or four different shapes, so I went the “different” shape route. Excluding the actual card shape itself, I have a circle, starburst, triangle and rectangle on my card. Can you find them all?

The Crafty Gals are listed in my links on the right hand side of my blog. Take a few minutes to check out their cards and see how they interpreted the challenge.

100 Card Challenge: 57/100

Crafty Gals July Challenge

Patty made me do it. But I forgive her.

What did she make me do? CAS!!!! How many times have I mentioned that I don’t do Clean and Simple?!?

But, nevermind. Patty loves them. Melina loves them….and I know Athina is out there sympathizing with me ’cause she’s a layers girl too. (It helps to have someone that shares your pain).

Yes, the July Crafty Gals challenge, hosted by Patty, was to make a Clean and Simple Christmas Card…Christmas in July!!!

But, like I said, I’ve forgiven Patty, mainly because this card rocks! It might be a bit fussier than your usual CAS and I’ve still managed to sneak my favorite layers in there, but it is a lot simpler than most of my cards and I’m quite happy with it….not to mention the fact that I managed to use my christmas rub-ons, which have been accumulating dust. Isn’t it purty!?!

And, in honour of Patty, who is a talented and devoted SU demo whom I greatly admire, I also tried to stay with just Stampin’ Up materials on the card. The only exception is those two glitter gems, which I couldn’t help but add at the very end.

Patty, loved your challenge. Love your beautiful creations. Love your Crafty Gals friendship.

I’m also entering this card at a couple of challenge sites this week (once again, thanks to Patty!). Paper Players is having a Christmas in July challenge this week and it’s Anything Goes Week at 52 {Christmas} Card Countdown.

100 Card Count: 30/100

Crafty Gals June Challenge

Check out the Use It Tuesday Design Team Call! Closes Jun 17/12.

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Hey everyone, small detour from my Card Kit addiction. As I mentioned at the start of my 100 card challenge, my “regularly scheduled programs”, as I so nicely called them, will count towards my 100 cards, so occasionally my 12-step addictions will be set aside momentarily for other stuff. Let’s face it, 100 cards is a lot. I need all the help I can get, so as if I’m NOT going to count my regular stuff.

This month’s challenge was created by Barb. Here is her challenge to us:

Many of us will be taking a summer trip someplace, if even just for a weekend. So, your challenge is to create a card that shouts summer fun! Shows us an image that highlights a summer experience you have had or are planning to do in the future. Please include some patterned paper on your card, along with an additional embellishment or two. And, share on your blog post a fun experience you have had on a vacation. 

Well, as usual with these challenges, my first response was “Ugh! What am I going to do!?!”. But then I take a few days, wander around the house, think about it while I’m feeding Claire, poke at my paper and stamp stash…and come up with an idea that, in my head, sounds pretty darn cool.

And, once again, my trusty Riley’s to the rescue.

My husband and I both grew up camping with our families and we both have fond memories of our family trips. With Claire here now, everything in life takes on a new perspective as we see her discovering her world for the first time. We’ve had a  few conversations about how we can’t wait to get out and show her camping…..and tents, and trees, lakes, mountains, fires, s’mores…..all of it!!

So my card contemplates those future family trips (she might be a tad young to fully enjoy it this year). Here are baby Claire Moose and Mommy and Daddy Moose in the forest. See their little campfire?

I’m also entering this card in the Riley and Company challenge this week, which is to use both Riley and Sophie on a card.

And, this makes my fifth card posted in a row for my 100 card challenge (yay me!!), This one wasn’t a from a card kit, but hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow with a card kit card for you.

100 Card Count: 5/100

May Crafty Gals Challenge

Happy 5th of May! Time for another Crafty Gals challenge.

The Crafty Gals are my blog group over at SplitCoast Stampers. We’ve formed as a group back in November 2011 and I’m impressed that we’re still going strong!!! It’s great to have their inspiration and support.

Every month, we have a group challenge, created by one member of the group. This months challenge was designed by Tracie. Tracie wanted us to “Celebrate Those Who Love Us” with a card for someone special. Our card was to include: 3 layers, 2 embellishments and 1 sentiment.

I decided to make a Mother’s Day card. Not sure yet which Mother will receive the card (my mom or my mother-in-law), but both are tremendously important women in my life and have been extra-awesome helping us out since Claire arrived. I have a whole new appreciation for Mothers Day this year, not just because I’m one now, but because I have a stronger understanding of the love Mothers feel for their children. It’s pretty awe-inspiring.

 

There are 11 members of The Crafty Gals blog group and links to all their blogs are in the menu on the right-hand side of my blog. Take a hop, skip and jump through their blogs and check out their projects too. I promise it will be fun and inspiring!! They’re a pretty crafty group!!

April Crafty Gals Challenge

Can you believe it’s April already? And that means it’s time for another Crafty Gals Challenge!

The Crafty Gals is my blog group on SplitCoast Stampers. We’re a group of 11 who provide support and encouragement to each other through regular blog visits and some nice conversation and chit chat in the SCS forums. We also do a monthly challenge on the 5th of each month, hosted by a different member of the group each month.

This month Diane hosted the challenge. Her challenge title was “April Showers Bring May Flowers” and here are the details of the challenge:

Since April is supposed to be a rainy month in most of the country, I thought we would try a “water” challenge. My challenge to you is to incorporate water in some way on your card. It can be rain, puddles, ocean, sea, beach, lake, bathtub or anything else you can think of. In addition to the water, I want you to use ribbon, brads and patterned paper on your card.

My first thought was to reach for one of my many (too many) rainy day/umbrella stamps. Yes, I have a slight addiction to them. But then it just seemed too difficult to have to choose between them. And, while I was standing by my stamp shelf trying to decide, I noticed the box of my OTHER addiction (card kits) was a little….um….overflowing? So, I decided to see if there was anything in the box that I could use for the challenge.

I ended up finding three kits that could be used for a “water” theme and decided on a mermaid themed kit. This image is kind of out of the box for me, but I like the way the card turned out.

There are a few things I love about this card. Those fish brads. Cute, no? I love cute shaped brads, but can never find the right place to use them. I like how these ones fit on the card. I also love how I left the mermaids tail slightly elevated to give it some depth and also raised the fish from the back of the card. The use of the oval behind the mermaid was different for me and I ended up applying orange ink to the embossing to try to mimic the coral of the patterned paper.

Thanks for stopping by. If you’re not busy, check out the Craft Gals Blog list on the right hand side of my blog and check out the other projects for the month.

Take care!

Don’t ask me how long I’ve had this kit. Your guess is as good as mine!!

Baked with Love..Crafty Gals February Challenge

It’s the 5th, which means time for another Crafty Gals Challenge!

A quick refresher…the Crafty Gals is my blog group on SplitCoast Stampers. We’re a group of 11 ladies who support each others’ crafty awesomeness with regular chit chat, blog visits, supportive comments and monthly challenges. You can see a list of the Craft Gals in the menu bar on the right hand side of my blog. If you’ve got some time, check out their challenge projects. It will be fun, I promise!

This month Lela hosted our challenge. Her challenge was as follows: February is the month of LOVE and what could be better than showing off our idea of a “ReCipE for A VaLEntiNE”. Last year DH made me chocolate dipped strawberries. He found the recipe on-line and they were fabulous. It was wonderful but a surprise as usually he gets me roses. What makes the perfect VaLEntiNE surprise? Is it candy, flowers, love notes? Let’s see your ReCipE for sharing LOVE. Don’t forget to add a Heart or 2 on our project.

I admit, she totally had me stumped!! Did I need a recipe with this? In the end, I went with what I “felt” and that was this card.

As much as I love flowers, treats and gifts, it’s the little things that count. More important to me than those special gifts for special days is the every day moments…my wonderful husband and I spend plenty of time together and I have to say, that’s what I love the most. I never get tired of spending time with him, whether we’re doing something specific or just hanging out.

Those who know me and read my blog know that our lives are about to change in a few weeks and I’m so excited! predict plenty of joy, tears, laughter and happy memories. And, I’m excited to “hang out” and share this with him!

Love you, sweetie!