October Scrap Club

We are going to learn two techniques (soot stamping and coloring ribbon) this month at our October Scrap Club ladies! This layout will take a little while to finish. I am only giving you a sneak peek of one of the two pages and a close up of the soot stamped haunted house. I hope you will like this one. I sure had fun creating it!

I used the Everlasting paper, which is on the retired list. If you like it, you better grab it. Once it is gone.....there is no more. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

The Halloween title is done with the soot stamping technique too!

Soot stamped haunted house

Two of the three sets I used are retired, but I just had to use them. Here are the two stamp sets I used on this page: Halloween Dingbats, Happy Haunting.

Happy Stamping!

Back to Digi Scrapppin'

I took the time to digi scrap with Jen Tapler at Paper Craft Planet called Scrappy Sunday. Jen has a new digi sketch for us to play with every Sunday. I have been neglecting my scrappin' and want to get back to getting my pictures in albums. I decided to start again with the picture I posted of Baby Madison. The kit I used The Cat's Pajamas by Libby Weifenbach from Sweete Shoppe Designs.

It is fun to take a scrapbooking sketch like I do with my cards and create my page using all my digi goodies. For my CTMH scrapbooking club, I use CTMH scrapbook programs to create a page for my club members. It is fun to see the different layouts made from the same starting point. Check out this week's sketch by clicking the link above.

Take time to create!

i miss you

When I saw this image All Smiles at DZ Doodles I knew I wanted to use it for a "i miss you" card. I miss Madison and knew this would be a perfect card to send someone, who I missed. I used my warm gray Copics on this image. When I walk the boys to school we see a cat, Dusty, almost every day and pet him. He is a combination of gray and brown, so I used those colors for this image. Madison had green eyes, so I wanted to use the same color for this cat, which made me think of this pattern paper from Emporium (CTMH). The other paper (baby pink, white daisy and sweet leaf) are from CTMH, but the warm gray is custom made. Yes, it is the first digital paper I made myself. I have been watching some videos on YouTube and I could not find the right color of gray to match my cat, so I made my own.

I purchased a digital swatch guide from Sally Lynn MacDonald, Inky Heart, and used the color W5 - Warm Gray to create my own texture paper.

Here is a close up of the warm gray paper I created. Isn't it cool? The only way you can tell it isn't textured, is to touch it. Love it!

Materials used:

Paper - Emporium (CTMH), baby pink, sweet leaf and white daisy cardstock (CTMH), W5 - Warm Gray texture (digital paper by Kim), Solar Crest white (Neenah)

Stamps - All Smiles (digital stamp by DZ Doodles), Say It In Style (CTMH)

Ink - Copics, black (CTMH)

Accessories - classic ovals and scallop oval nestabilities (Spellbinders), bigger brads (CTMH), pink gingham ribbon (CTMH), hologram glitter glue ( Stencil Scrapbook Collection), pop dots (SU)

Take time to create!

Bright Friendship

You will need your sunglasses for this one. I used the Whoops-A-Daisy paper from CTMH. It is on the retired list, so if you want a pack...get one now! When I first saw this pack, I didn't think I would ever buy it or use it. Then I started coloring Shelby images by DZ Doodles and I use it all the time. It is perfect for pinks, purples, and blues. I used three of the patterns on this card. The image is called Shelby Shy. I didn't see her as shy on this one. I thought of her as telling someone a bit of news and then giggling.

The sentiment reads "Thinking of You...Friendship...365 days...24.7".

Here is a close up of Shelby, the sentiment and the ribbon accent. See the photo clip hanging from the ribbon? That used to be white. I used my Copic airbrush and sprayed it with one of the colors I used for Shelby's dress to match the card. Love it! Then I used a rub-on from Doodlebug Design, Inc. Did I tell you how much I {heart} my Copics and airbrush system? Oh, Yeah...I did!

I would like to thank all of you for your sweet comments to me regarding Madison. It is nice of you to take the time to leave me a comment. It helps to know people care. I will start scrapping some layouts with him in the near future.

Materials used:

Paper - Whoops-A-Daisy Level 2 paper (CTMH)

Stamps - Shelby Shy (digital image by DZ Doodles), Circle of Friendship (SU)

Ink - Copics, bubblegum (CTMH)

Accessories - pink crystals (Mark Richards), purple grosgrain ribbon (Hobby Lobby), concave punch (EK Success), 1" & 1 1/4" punches (EK Success), 1 3/8" punch & circle scallop punch (SU), white gel pen (SU), colonial white waxy flax (CMTH), photo clip (CTMH), rub-on (Doodlebug Design, Inc.), pop dots (SU)

Take time to create!

We Love You, Baby Madison!

Today, was a sad but inevitable day. Our cat, Madison, has been sick for a while and his health has been slowly failing. I thought we would have one more day with him, but he didn't eat all day and was wandering around trying to get comfortable. I called my DH earlier in the day and told him that I thought he wasn't going to make much longer. Luckily, he told me to take today to pet him and comfort him, so I did.

He was such a loving cat. We got him about 11 years ago from a family in my home town, Fort Madison. Hence the name...Madison. They kept him in the basement as a mouser. Can you believe they left him in their basement? Well, they knew he needed a better home and I had just told my mom I wanted a cat like him. She called them numerous times until they called back. They said there were a lot of calls on their caller i.d., but no one called as much as her. Thanks, Mom!

We have estimated that Madison is between 17-18 years old. The family had him for five years and they got him after he was a kitten.

I thought I was more than ready for this day, but it became reality today and I am sad. I will miss him sleeping by me and crying for his tuna treats every day. We call him Baby Madison, because he is littler than Tanner. Tanner liked to refer to him as the baby. My DH would always joke with Tanner and call him "Big Madison", but Tanner would always correct him and say, "No, Dad! It is Baby Madison!"

Good bye, Baby Madison! We will miss you and we love you!

Hug your pet today!

Star Cupcake

Our group DZ Doodles at Paper Craft Planet is having a sketch challenge this week. You could win a free image of your choice at DZ Doodles online store. With the latest releases, you will have a hard time picking just one. In addition, if you join our group there are three (3) free images celebrating our new member contest. Check it out!

The sketch for this week was created by our Doodles Dozen, Valerie Urtiaga. Thanks, Valerie!

I chose the Star Cupcake image to play with this week. I love cupcakes, so it was fun coloring. This time I chose my paper and then found copics to match. The paper is from the Key to My Heart promotion CTMH had earlier this year. It is not available now, but could be a future paper pack. Now, I want to buy some cupcakes!

Materials used:

Paper - Key to My Heart paper (CTMH)

Stamps - Star Cupcake (digital image by DZ Doodles), Happy Birthday (CTMH)

Ink - tulip (CTMH), Copics

Accessories - sorbet designer ribbon (CTMH), classic and scallop circle nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Take time to create!

She Needs No Introduction

DZ Doodles has released more images today. This is one of my favorites...Virgin Mary. There is not much I can say about this image. SHE speaks for herself. The ultimate Mother!

I decided to use my prisma pencils for this image. I wanted to keep the color soft. I used my oval nesties to frame HER and my copic airbrush system for the soft background.

You could use this for your Christmas cards, but I wanted to create a card for any occasion. There are so many people I pray for and I know they would love a card like this. The sentiment is from Comforting Thoughts by CTMH. I used my copic airbrush system to mimic the oval shape from the outside to stamp my sentiment.

Materials used:

Paper - dutch blue and colonial white (CTMH), solar white cs (Neenah)

Stamp - Virgin Mary (digital image by DZ Doodles), Comforting Thoughts (CTMH)

Ink - dutch blue (CTMH)

Accessories - classic oval and scalloped oval nestabilities (Spellbinders), filigree designer brads (SU), crystal stickers (Mark Richards), blue grosgrain ribbon (American Crafts), Textile embossing folder (Cuttlebug), pop dots (SU), prisma pencils

This card might look familiar. I made this card earlier this year. I pulled it back out to show you one of the Santas that Diane has just released. I am so glad the All About Santa images are on this release. It is perfect time for you to start working on your Christmas cards.

I used retired CTMH paper, my copics and liquid applique. The stamp set for the snowflake is called So Many Scallops (SU).

Last but not least, I am the host at Paper Craft Planet for the Sketch Saturday. It is my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary today! YAY...Mom and Dad! I used the card from earlier this week, "great pear". You can see my sketch and the gallery here.

Happy Stamping!

Great Pear

I love pears (green ones), so I wanted to use the pear image from DZ Doodles when I saw it on the new releases last weekend. I needed two cards for annivaries this month and this card idea came to me while I was helping my DH build our fence. I was in deep thought (about my addiction, of course) and my DH would say, "Kim!" I would reply, "Oops...sorry!". It is funny where I am when I come up with card ideas. I am thinking about them all the time and some times when I am not supposed to be (right, Patti?).

I thought that the sentiment "Great pear...after all of these years. Happy Anniversary." worked well with this image. I am bummed that you can't see the coloring as well as I wish you could. There is a lot more yellow mixed in with the green.

Wendy, can you believe I used kraft paper again? I love this stuff! I didn't want to add more paper to the front, so I wrote the words great pear myself. I am no Ali Edwards or Becky Higgins with my handwriting, but I think it turned out okay.

Here is the rest of the sentiment inside. I did use CK Ali Edwards font for the inside. I didn't want to risk writing too much. You can download her font at Creating Keepsakes website for free.

I wanted to give you a heads up about the DZ Doodles group at Paper Craft Planet. You should join the group, because if you are a member you get free images when Diane offers them...AND there are contests and challenges too. Just click on groups and put DZ Doodles in the search. It will take you there.

Materials used:

Paper - kraft cs (SU), brown bag cs (CTMH), Boom Di Ada level 2 (CTMH), solar white (Neenah)

Stamp - Pear (DZ Doodles)

Ink - Copics

Accessories - antique flower brad (Paper Studio), seafoam organdy ribbon (CTMH), pop dots (SU), classic oval and scallop oval nestabilities (Spellbinders), Ali Edwards font (CK), brown My Legacy Writer pen (CTMH)

Take time to create!

Good News for Two

My friend and fellow Design Team sister, Jen Tapler teamed up with digi designer, Libby Weifenbach, and created a pack of ready-to-print Halloween Hybrid goodies using her latest kit, Jeepers Creepers. I'm so excited to introduce you to the Jeepers Creepers Hybrid Printables kit for sale NOW at Sweet Shoppe Designs!! Below is a card I made with this great kit. The only things I added to this card are the bigger black brads and the sentiment "Boo To You". The bright colors are perfect for Halloween! This card was so easy to make and now, I need print the goody box for treats. Then I will be ready for teacher gifts.

Here's the preview of our Hybrid Kit:

The other good news I have is regarding my nephew, Nic (my sister's oldest son). He is the handsome, talented, man on the right of this billboard. Yes, a BILLBOARD that is up in Topeka, KS. He is the Sports Director for KTKA News. He graduated from college in December 2008 and this is his first job as a Sports Broadcaster/Director. It is so fun to see my nephew on TV and in print. I remember when he was born in 1985, and I used to hold him in my arms. I am a proud Auntie! Way to go, Nic! {You can click on this picture to enlarge it.}

Have a gerat day!

Take time to create!

Are You Ready?

I AM!

DZ Doodles is celebrating their NEW RELEASES today!

Head on over to their online store and see all the new images under the New Releases section. Before you oogle over the great new digis, check out the front page and see what the Doodles Dozen have been creating to inspire you. Their blogs are listed on the front page to take you to their fabulous artwork. Each of them chose an image they like and made a card to motivate you to start your projects today. I got to see all of their cards yesterday and I was so excited to see the new images come to life.

In addition, I asked my fellow Design Team member, Tammy Hershberger, at Paper Craft Planet, to create something with Toby the Turtle, who is new today. I love Tammy's cards and she has made some awesome cards with turtles. Check out her blog, Stamp Happy, to see Toby! Wow! Tammy rocked this one too!

Now, it is time to show you the image I chose for this release. The name of this new digi is "Witch Note". I love Halloween, so I knew I needed to play with one from Diane's Halloween collection. This one caught my eye, because I wanted to use the sentiment "witcha doin". I opened this image in Photoshop and added my sentiment to the poster before I printed it, so I could size it exactly how I wanted. Isn't she the cutest? You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Here is a close up of my image. I cut out the poster with the sentiment using my craft knife and popped it out from the image. Then I popped the image from the pattern paper. I wish you could see this in person. It is soooo 3D! If you look to the right of the image you can see her hand underneath the top hand to see what I did.

Since one of the pattern papers has spiders on it (see above by her boot). I decide to use my Boo To You embossing folder (Cuttlebug) to add my own spider to the card. Notice how I put google eyes on him. The embossing folder had one big eye and one little eye and I just so happen to have a bunch of google eyes...perfect for this spider! I put him at the bottom of my black ribbon to mimic his spider web trailing from his body. Of course, I had to add some punches first.

Here is the inside of my card. I had more embossed images left, so I wanted to add one to the inside. Tate, my bat expert, helped me with him. I added bitty brads for his eyes; however, he didn't show up that well. Tate thought I should add white gel pen around him and the embossed circle to make him stand out, especially since he is all black.

Check him out! The white core paper came through right where his fangs would be. Tate says this is a vampire bat, because it is the only bat that has fangs. I know he knows more than me about bats, so I am going to go with that...and it fits my Halloween theme.

I hope you can visit DZ Doodles and see what Diane has been drawing. She is one talented artist, who has something for everyone.

Materials used:

Paper - sunflower cs and black cs (CTMH), muli-stripe (by David Walker, creative IMAGINATIONS), spider pattern and orange polka dot (Frances Meyer, Inc.)

Stamp - Witch Note (digital image by DZ Doodles)

Ink - Copics

Accessories - black grosgrain ribbon (CTMH), Boo To You embossing folder (Cuttlebug), black bigger brads (CTMH), black waxy flax (CTMH), orange bling (Michaels), google eyes (unknown), 1 1/4" punch (EK Success), 1 3/8" punch - SU!, scallop circle punch (SU!), white gel pen (SU!), pop dots (SU!), font - Spook Show (dafont.com)

Take time to create!

Best Wishes & Thanks

Tonight I have some bittersweet news to share. One of our Paper Craft Planet Super Novas, Melanie Muenchinger, is leaving the Planet. Melanie has been on the Paper Craft Planet Design team since the ‘Planet launched last year, but with mounting family and designing commitments, she needs to scale back on her other teams to focus on illustrating for Gina K Designs. But since this is not really “goodbye”, the PCP ladies are throwing a little going away "Best Wishes" bash in
the form of a blog hop today featuring two sets designed by Melanie: "A Year of Leaves” or “School, Sports,Spirit!”

Gina K is sponsoring a challenge this week on Paper Craft Planet with a chance to win one of Melanie’s newest sets! Upload a new project you create with a"Best Wishes" or good luck theme to the PCP gallery by Monday night 10PM EST, with the tag GKDBW. (Here is a tutorial on adding pictures to the gallery, if you need it.)

A winner will be announced Tuesday, that person will win their choice of “"A Year of Leaves” or
“"School, Sports,Spirit!”> Hope you will play the challenge!

I chose the set A Year of Leaves, because fall is my favorite season. When I saw lesson 2 at Paper Craft Planet was on spectrum color ink pads, I remembered I had the perfect Kaleidacolor ink pad called Cappuccino that would make great autumn leaves with this set Melanie designed.

Melanie, I have always been inspired by your work and have you in my Google Reader, so I won't lose track of what you are creating. Thanks for all the inspiration you have given me and I can't wait to see what you are going to illustrate next. Good luck and Best Wishes!

Here is my card I made with Melanie's fabulous stamp set "A Year of Leaves".

For the front of my card, I used my brayer with the Cappuccino rainbow ink pad on white daisy cardstock (CTMH). Then I used this same technique on white daisy textured cardstock (CTMH). I stamped my leaves in Versamark and used Copper embossing powder by Whisper. You can see below how the leaves shimmer in the light. Next, I cut out the leaves from the textured cardstock and crinkled them a little. Those are adhered to the front with pop dots.

I stamped the sentiment from this set by Melanie on one of the darker colors of the rainbow pad and punches it out with a small oval punch by SU!. I punced a larger oval (SU!) in penny metalic paper by DCWV that matches the paper behind my leaves.

The card base is barn red cardstock and the goldrush buttons (CTMH) match the ink color perfectly. Of course, I used waxy flax (garnet) for the thread. I doubled the organdy ribbon, goldrush and sunflower (CTMH) to finish the card.

For the inside of my card, I stamped the acorns on another piece of cardstock where I used my brayer and Cappuccino ink pad. I cut them out and adhered them to colonial white cardstock (CMTH) with pop dots. The other paper is goldrush cardstock (CTMH) and more of the penny metallic paper by DCWV.

Here is a closer view of my leaves both cut out and on the cardstock that I embossed in copper.

Please see more beautiful samples the Supernovas created with these new sets here:

Adela Rossol

Lynn Mercurio

Kim Burmeister

Wendy Price

Jen Tapler

Tammy Hershberger

Erika Martin

Lori Tecler

Jessica Fick

Sankari Wegman

Susanna Boyd

Melanie Muenchinger

Check out our challenge gallery for Melanie!

Happy Stamping!

And the Winner is.....

#3 - waiseone

Who wrote:

I love the snowman hat - it would look great with some fun flock.

Happy Birthday Tanner!

Please email me your name and address at stampfest@cox.net.

Thanks for all the great birthday wishes and DZ Doodles favorites!

Tomorrow night (10 PM CST), I will have a blog hop from Paper Craft Planet. New release for

??? Check back and see!

Happy Stamping!

Trick or Treat

YAY! I finally got the free image Jack w/cat finished. See the post below for yours free image. We have been rebuilding a fence around our backyard, so I am creating in between working with my DH.

Isn't this kitty cute?

There are new things I tried with this image and boy, oh boy, I need practice on this first one. I see on other blogs where they use a white Sharpie marker or gel pen and accent their images. I tried and failed. Yes, I do not like how it turned out, but I plan on practicing and getting better at this. I found out that less in more. I should have just highlighted the cat's hat and maybe once on the pumpkin, but I went gel pen CRAZY!

The second new "thing" that DID turn out was using my new Bow Easy to tie my bow. If you have followed my blog at all, you know I am bow challenged. This makes it so easy! Get it...Bow Easy! Now, if I can do it, anyone can. It took me a couple of tries and I did watch Suzanne Dean's video on YouTube. I am a visual person, so I needed this.

I wanted to tell you about Kristy Ketterlin's blog, Kuttin Kards. She is having a challenge on her blog with this free image. You can win another free image of your choice. Check it out!

Materials used:

Paper - orange, black, colonial white (CTMH), striped pattern paper (unknown)

Stamp set - Jack w/cat (DZ Doodles)

Ink - copics, clover meadow and hydrangea (CTMH)

Accessories - bigger black brad and black organdy ribbon (CTMH), Halloween ribbon (Michael's), bat punch (Martha Stewart), oval and scallop oval (Nestabilities), Pumpkin Harvest embossing folder (Cuttlebug), concave punch (EK Success), Trick or Treat charm (unknown)

Happy Stamping!

Free for a limited time!

Just a quick note to let you know...

Diane at DZ Doodles is offering this free digi image for a limited time. It is called Jack w/ cat. Click on the link to her site and you will see the latest post that tells you about it. You can download it free for a limited time!

Don't forget about the blog candy below!

Have fun creating!

Happy Stamping!

Happy Birthday TANNER!

It is my baby's birthday, today! Tanner is five today and he is so excited about his birthday. We will spend the day spoiling him, so I won't be creating. To celebrate his birthday.............................

I have some blog candy for you!

The blog candy includes:

• D sized CTMH stamp set - You Got Flair
• Five popsicle birthday cards and envelopes
• Various ribbon
• CTMH bling frames
• Green buttons
• Cuttlebug tag dies
• Various slideshow frames
• Paint markers
• CTMH Just Blooms
• Jo Ann Fabrics adhesive bubble thank you accents

What do you need to do to be entered into the drawing?

Go to my friend, Diane's, digi store DZ Doodles and tell me what is your favorite image. Leave your answer in the comments section and I will draw the winner on Wednesday, September 9th. I will use random number generator to draw the winner.

Happy Stamping!

Watering Can

Here is another new image by DZ Doodles you can find under the summer section in Diane's store. I have had this image colored with my Copics for a while and felt like a pink and gray card. It is raining "big time" here today and the grass is so green and flowers have been vibrant.

The pink pattern paper is from CTMH; however, it is retired. I just can't part with some of my paper even though it retires. I used my Cuttlebug folder Stylized Flowers on the gray cardstock and tied bubblegum waxy flax around it. The sentiment is an adhesive bubble word I bought at Jo Ann Fabrics eons ago. The yellow with brown "Thanks" goes perfectly with my yellow and brown flowers. I love it when I find treasurers in my stash.

DZ Doodles is preparing for launching some new releases. I check you updated.

Happy Stamping!

Challenges

Are you ready to accept a challenge? You should be, because Paper Craft Planet and Copic Buzz have wonderful challenges for you this week with FANTASTIC prizes!

First, is the Stampendous - Back to Basics challenge at Paper Craft Planet. Click on the link and it will take you to the group, so you can play along.

They will be having a challenge each week to go along with each lesson. To play along, make a card, scrapbook page or 3D item using the simple stamping technique featured. This week it is basic stamping. Tag your photo b2b1 (this week) so they can pull your project into their gallery. Next Wednesday, they will pick one lucky random winner from the challenge players for the generous prize pictured at the end of the tutorial. Holy Moly!

I am hosting this week's challenge, so head over and check it out! Here is a card I made with Stampendous cling rubber stamps. The images are named Lift Spirits, Rooco Reach and Pumpkin Grin. I was inspired by Lynn Mercurio's card for my Rooco Raccoon.

The second challenge for you this week is being held at Copic Buzz and is sponsored by my friend's store, DZ Doodles. Diane is very generous this week by offering this free scarecrow image and for those of you who play along will have the chance to win gift certificates to her store. Wowie! Click on the Copic Buzz link to play along.

I colored my scarecrow with copics and used my copic airbrush system to spray the background I attached him to. The paper is a retired pack from CTMH and I used my Nestabilities for the long rectangle and scalloped rectangle.

Happy Stamping!