Fussy and Fancy BLOG CANDY!

Hello, I have some exciting news--some friends and I are starting a new challenge blog called Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge! Here are the details, but please go there and become a follower and sign up to win our blog candy:

What’s all the fuss about, you ask? Do you fancy a new challenge blog in the New Year? Come back on New Year’s Day 2010 to play along in our first challenge!

In the meantime, we’re looking for followers and sponsors. What’s in it for you? How about some delicious Holiday blog candy? To be eligible to win the goodies, please:

Become a follower here at Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge
Link your blog with Mr. Linky by Dec. 10 at midnight PST (GMT-8)
Post our Holiday Candy photo in your sidebar

Our sweet candy contains:

Martha Stewart 2009 Holly Edge Punch
Inkadinkado Large Clear Block for use with unmounted stamps
Inkadinkado Small and Medium Clear Blocks for use with unmounted stamps
Greeting Farm “Keep Cozy” set
Penny Black “Sweet Nativity” Slapstick Stamp
Penny Black “Winter Swing” Slapstick Stamp
Penny Black “Caroling Trio” Slapstick Stamp
Penny Black “Holly Day Critters” Transparent Stamp Set
Penny Black “Jolly Follies” Transparent Stamp Set
Papermania “Home for Christmas” 8” x 8” Paper Pack
Papermania “Deck the Halls” 8” x 8” Paper Pack
Holiday Printed Grosgrain Ribbon, four spools, each containing three yards

Plus, this candy will be updated when the postman brings us more...come back later to see what we add! We will draw our winner using Random.org on Dec. 11, after which we will post yet another Blog Candy! We will draw that winner on New Year’s Day 2010, when we post our first challenge—a new challenge for a new year!

Text Mice

There is a fun challenge at PaperPlay this week called "read all about it," which is to use something with text. Our challenge this week is sponsored by Alison Spelman of Stretch 'n' Bubbles, a digi image store, and she is offering 4 free images to our random winner. I hope you will play along with us at PaperPlay this week! This is my DT card for this challenge:

PaperPlay Challenge Week 42, Read All About It

I'm also entering this card into these challenges:

• Creative Inspirations Challenge 36, Sparkle--red gems on wreath
• Friday Sketchers #78--this great sketch--my mice form the corner elements around the central element, the wreath
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge 75, Christmas for the Guys--no girly stuff here!
• Simon Says Challenge, Animal Antics--my favorite PB mice!
  

This stamp actually has each of the mice perched on pine boughs. I cut out the mice and put them on a wreath made from punched pine branches and holly leaves. I was inspired by this gorgeous wreath card by Anusch, and I give her the credit for this great idea!

Images: Penny Black 1523K Sharing Christmas, stamped with black Versafine ink and watercolored with SU inks; SU sentiment from Christmas Punch set.

Supplies:

• Paper: DCWV, SU card stock, Arches watercolor paper
• SU ribbons, charm from The Charm Barn, gems by Creative Imaginations

Tools: Nesties, Martha Stewart branch and holly punches, Cuttlebug embossing folder

Thank you for looking, and have a great day!

Roses for Mother

There is a brilliant new sketch by Anusch at Everybody-Art-Challenge today, and you should go see the gorgeous cards the Design Team has made! I feel so honored to be included in a group of such talented artists. This is my DT card for Everybody-Art-Challenge #66, my first easel card, and a card for my beautiful mom's Dec. 6th birthday.

I also made this card for these challenges:

• Creative Inspirations Challenge 35, New or Neglected Stash--more about the supplies I used below. I bought most things within the last few months and have been hoarding all these rose-themed supplies to use together with this Tilda image!
  
• Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge #24, Let's Celebrate--a "big" landmark birthday or anniversary.

I give credit to my friend Juanita for the paper doilies on this card. At our last Stamping and Tea Party I had small paper doilies on the plates, and she suggested that I use them on cards--genius! I remembered this when I was contemplating the semi-circles in this sketch, and voilà!

I looked at several easel card tutorials online before I chose this one by Suzanne J. Dean of Magnolia-licious Highlites, because it’s for a 5.5 inch card, and it had the most clear and simple instructions. I need clear and simple!

Image: Magnolia #329 "Loving Tilda," stamped with versafine black ink, watercolored with SU inks

Supplies:

• Paper: doilies from my stash, Paper Pizazz paper from Jo-ann (distressed it a bit), SU card stock, Arches watercolor paper
  
• Prima roses from 7 Kids College Fund (I sponged ink on the edges of the petals), charm from The Charm Barn, crocheted flowers from Needle Creations, pearls by K & Co., ribbon from Michaels (I had to run over there with scraps of these papers to find the perfect match), pearly rose buttons from my button box full of treasures.

Tools: Nesties, Cuttlebug embossing folder, SU oval punches

I must say that I'm not sure my mother would like being reminded of her age, so I may have to make a change there before I give this to her...!

Thank you for looking, and have a great week!

Snowflake Recipe

Hello, I have more exciting news--I've been chosen to be on the Design Team at PaperPlay Challenges-- I'm so grateful for this honor! By the way, isn't PaperPlay a great name for a challenge blog, since we all love to "play" with our stamps and papers? Anyway--this is my first PaperPlay DT card, for this week's challenge, which is a fun recipe:

PaperPlay Challenges Week 41, Recipe:

2 Patterned Papers
1 Ribbon
3 Buttons

I used the sketch at Sketch Saturday again; I love it so much that this is my second card this week with it, and I may use it again for more Christmas cards! I also made this card for these challenges:

• Belli Challenge #78, Christmas Embellishments
• Cupcake Craft Challenge 65, Snow Much Fun
• La-La Weekly Challenge #12, Getting Punchy

I had "snow much fun" using my Martha Stewart snowflake punches, and I was surprised and pleased that they were able to punch through thick glitter card stock. That glitter paper was the only thing I bought at a scrapbooking expo last month--not because I was being thrifty, but because it was too crowded! I could hardly move, let alone actually see anything. I paid for my purchase and then made my way out of the crowded building--whew!

Images: Penny Black 1873H "Xmouse Ornament," SU sentiment from "So Many Scallops" set.

Supplies:

• Inks: black Versafine, watercolored with SU inks


• Papers: Doodlebug, Best Creations glitter card stock, SU card stock, Arches hot press watercolor paper
  
• SU buttons, ribbon and brad from Michaels, charm from The Charm Barn

Tools: Nesties, Martha Stewart snowflake punches, Martha Stewart snowflake edge punch, Sizzix snowflake die, SU scallop circle punch, Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Thanks for looking, and I hope you're having a good week!

Gingerbread Cookies

I am so thrilled and honored: Everybody-Art-Challenge chose me to a member of their Design Team! Everyone on their team is so talented--I hope I can measure up! This is my first DT card, and the challenge this week is Distressing. I've never made a distressed card before, and I tossed out several pieces of paper and one finished card (minus the image), before I settled on this design. I decided it was rather fun curling up the corners of the paper. My husband says it looks like I baked the card in the oven because the edges of the paper are brown and toasty--I guess that goes with my gingerbread theme! I used this month's sketch at Magnolia-licious Highlites. I made this card for these challenges:

• Everybody-Art-Challenge #65, Distressing
• Just Magnolia, Distressing
• Magnolia-licious Highlites, DT Sketch
  

Images: Magnolia #391 Chef Tilda, #516 Rolling Pin; SU sentiment from Cute and Curly set.

Supplies:

• Papers: DCWV Christmas Stack, SU card stock, Arches hot press watercolor paper.
• Inks: watercolored with SU inks, stamped with black Versafine ink, SU markers used for some details.
• Charm from The Charm Barn, ribbon from Wooten's, brads and buttons from Michaels.

Tools: Nesties, Martha Stewart gingerbread edge punch and snowflake punch, SU curly label punch, Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you all have a great week! I'll be back soon with more DT news!

You've Got a Friend

I made this card to send to Jaimie. I love this sketch--it's from Sketch Saturday. I also made this card for these challenges:

• La La Land Weekly Challenge #11, Pink
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 74, Song Title/Lyrics
• Sketch Saturday, Sketch #76
• Stamp Something for Jaimie
• Stamp Something, Recipe for Love

I call this card "You've Got a Friend," for the song by Carole King. This little mouse and bee are friends, but I was thinking of Jaimie, and hoping she will be surrounded by loving family and friends who will help her through this "darkest night."

Image: Penny Black #3206J "Gifts for You," SU sentiment.

Don't you love the cute polka dot brads? I made them with my I-Top tool! I put them in the centers of two fun flower buttons that I've had in my button box for years. By the way, in real life those buttons really do match all the other pink elements--just not in this photo!

Thanks for looking, and I hope everyone sends Jaimie a card!

Pumpkin Bread

I've been really sick with the flu since last Friday, and now I'm finally able to get back to doing what I love! I want to thank my new followers, and thank everyone for all the lovely comments--you kept me company in my misery! I felt too awful to make cards or even leave comments on your blogs, but I was able to read!

Tilda is going to bake Pumpkin Bread with her huge pumpkin! This is going to be a birthday card for a red-haired friend who loves to cook. She is a very dear friend, and also my trusted hairstylist--a very important person! The sentiment is "happy birthday" in German. I made this card for these challenges:

Everybody-Art-Challenge #64, Sketch from Tina
PaperPlay Challenge Week 40, Parlez-vous (any language other than English)

Images: Magnolia #391 Chef Tilda, #412 Pumpkin and Leaves, stamped in Versafine black ink, watercolored with SU inks, some details done with SU markers.

Supplies:

• Papers: "Pumpkin Parade" by Reminisce, SU card stock and green DP (I paper-pieced her dress with this, too), Arches hot press watercolor paper.


• Charms from The Charm Barn, brad and ribbon from my stash (I hope you can see the pretty orange pumpkins and leaves printed on the ribbon!).

Tools: Nesties Labels 4, Martha Stewart leaf edge punch, Cuttlebug Vintage corner die, Cuttlebug embossing folder, SU oval punches.

Thank you for looking, and I hope you all stay well!

Mouse o'Lanterns

This will be my last Halloween card for this year; I hope I'm not too late for a couple of these challenges! So many time zones, so little time! I used the great sketch from Friday Sketchers, and I made this card for entry into these challenges:

Allsorts Challenge 24, Furry Friends
Friday Sketchers 75
Penny Black Saturday Challenge, Halloween
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #55, Orange Plus One Other Colour
Stampin’ for the Weekend Challenge #21, A Haunting Good Time
Stamp Something, Halloween Somethings

These cute jack o'lanterns are from Magnolia, and when I first ordered them I planned on using them with this Penny Black stamp--I think they go together well, don't you? Anyway, I mention this because I want Jacqui on the Penny Black design team to know I didn't really copy her cute idea! They say great minds think alike, right?!

Images: Penny Black 2253K, "Witchy Mouse," Magnolia #442 "Halloween Pumpkins," SU sentiment. Stamped with Versafine black ink, and watercolored with SU inks.

Supplies:

• Papers: "Jack" and "Jack Stripe" by Reminisce--I love them! SU cardstock, Arches hot press watercolor paper.
• Ribbons from Michaels.

Tools: Nesties, SU oval punches, EK embossing tool.

I couldn't resist posting more pumpkin patch photos from our trip! The photo above was taken at an apple orchard in Solvang.

This was taken at Avila Barn near San Luis Obispo. These pumpkins are still on the vines, waiting to be picked!

Happy Halloween, and thanks for looking!

Apple Crisp

Tilda is baking Apple Crisp with the apples we brought home from our recent trip to the central coast! I know what you're thinking, yet another card with that fence punch, and another card with apples! I can't help it--it's my "Autumn in the country" phase! In fact, I think I'll post a couple more photos from our trip. I made this card for entry into these challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 75, Kitchen/Cooking
Everybody-Art-Challenge #63, Autumn and DT Call
Just Magnolia Week 28, Martine’s Sketch
PaperPlay Challenge Week 39, Favourite Embellishment and DT Call

Supplies:

• Images: Magnolia, watercolored with SU inks.
• Papers: Reminisce ("Apple Orchard"--perfect--I love it!), Making Memories (gingham), SU card stock, Arches hot press watercolor paper
• Crocheted Flowers (my favorite embellishment): Needle Creations
• Measuring cup charm: The Charm Barn
• Ribbons from Michaels (thanks Mindy), Prima rose.

Tools: Nesties, MS fence and leaf punches, Cuttlebug embossing folder, EK embossing tool.

We bought several varieties of apples at this orchard near San Luis Obispo.

I love the vivid colors in this vineyard near Paso Robles.

Thanks so much for looking!

Trick or Treat in the Pumpkin Patch

We just returned from our annual Autumn vacation up the coast, where we visited several farms with pumpkin patches (see my photo at the end of this post). At one of the pumpkin patches there were some cute little kids in their Halloween costumes—that’s the inspiration for this card. I know my Halloween card doesn’t look very spooky, but I’m certain these little Penny Black mice think the cat in the ghost costume behind them is quite scary indeed! My husband says it looks like the mice are about to be eaten by that cat! I made this card for these challenges:

• Cupcake Craft Challenge Week 62, Things that Go Bump in the Night
• Everybody Art Challenge #62, Halloween
• Paper Play Challenge Week 39, Favourite Embellishment
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 71, Sketch
• Pile It On Challenge #19, Ready for Halloween

The sketch is from Penny Black; I rotated and flipped it—I hope that’s okay! They are looking for guest designers, so I’m hoping they like what they see—there are Penny Black images on most of the cards in my blog! I love Penny Black mouse and bunny stamps!

For the Paper Play Challenge I used my favorite embellishment--these crocheted flowers. I also love to use polka dot ribbon and my picket fence punch, so I guess those are also favorite embellishments! I love paper roses, buttons, charms, gems, and brads too, though—oh it’s so hard to pick a favorite!

Image: Penny Black 2241H, “Cheese Treat,” stamped in black Versafine ink on Arches hot press watercolor paper, and watercolored with SU inks. I made the sentiment using Word, and printed it onto kraft card stock. I paper pieced the treat bags with kraft; they look like the brown bags used at the farms and apple orchards we visited. The gems—well, they needed some bling! The cat’s whiskers are DMC polyester floss.

Supplies: I love these pumpkin papers by Reminisce—I’ve used both sides of “Pumpkin Parade” from the Autumn Forest collection. (There are several other cute designs: apples, jack o’lanterns, forest animals—I bought those, too!) The gingham paper is Making Memories—I love gingham! The card stock and button are SU. The crocheted flowers are from Needle Creations. I found the pumpkins (sold by the yard) at a local store where I also bought the paper. The ribbons are from Hip Girl Boutique (they have polka dot ribbon in every color at a great price!). I didn’t have the right shade of green, so I sponged olive green ink on some bright grass green ribbon, and voilà! I used a lot of foam tape dots to pop up the image and other elements, too.

Tools: Nestabilities, Martha Stewart picket fence edge and leaf punches, EK wave flourish punch and embosser, SU oval punches, Cuttlebug embossing folder.


Isn't this an amazing pile of pumpkins? This is at Avila Barn near San Luis Obispo, and is the inspiration for my card.

Thanks for looking!

"Fall-ing"

You know...autumn = fall = falling leaves...okay, please forgive my pun! I made this card to fit these challenges:

• Cupcake Craft Challenge Week 60, Thanks a Bunch
• Daring Cardmakers, Autumn Purple
• Paper Play Challenge Week 38, Mandy’s Sketch
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 70, Buttons and Bows
• Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #53, Autumn Colours

I found this great sketch at Paper Play—nice and simple, with lots of room for piling on goodies and showing off all the lovely leaves in this paper.

This card is all about gorgeous autumn colors. I hope I used enough purple for the Autumn Purple challenge at Daring Cardmakers. I especially like the purple leaves in this paper, so I tried to highlight them by using purple card stock several times. I wish I could have found a purple leaf button! Also, I hope just one big button and one big bow qualifies this for Buttons and Bows at the Penny Black challenge! The Cupcake Craft challenge theme is Thanks a Bunch--instead of a bunch of flowers, I've used a bunch of autumn leaves!

• The image is Penny Black 1873H Xmouse Ornament. I cut away the snowflake and replaced it with a maple leaf, which is original artwork by my husband! I didn’t have a maple leaf stamp, so I asked him to draw one for me. I heat embossed the outline with gold embossing powder, then watercolored the image.
• Gorgeous autumn paper is by SU, cardstock and inks also.
• I used my new Nesties Labels Five, and my new Martha Stewart leaf edge punch—I love them both!

Thanks for looking, and have a great week. We're going on our little trip to the Central Coast area, so I won't be posting again until next week.

Candy Cane Heart

Yep, more snowflakes and candy canes—my two favorite Christmas motifs! I made the candy cane heart from two candy canes cut with a Sizzix die. This will be one of my husband’s Christmas cards. I need to stop making cards for him and make all our Christmas cards for everyone else!

• Cute Card Thursday Challenge 81, So Charming
• Pile It On Challenge #18, Three Dimensional
• Pollycraft Monday Challenge 25, Snowflakes, Sparkle, Stripes, Swirls
• Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #52, Celebration
• Sketch and Stash Challenge 20, Sketch

This is my second entry this week in the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. They are having a Design Team call, and I really would like to be on their team. I hope it's okay to enter more than one card--I noticed I'm not the first to do so. ; )

This great sketch design is from Sketch and Stash--I really like it--nice and simple, with room for piling on lots of stuff! For their challenge, I’m also supposed to mention what I’ve used that’s new, never used, or neglected. Almost everything on this card is new and used for the first time!

• The image is Penny Black 1590F Loving Mice, stamped in black Versafine ink on Arches hot press watercolor paper, watercolored with SU inks. I raised the candy canes and mice up with foam tape dots.
• Ingredients: Doodlebug paper, SU card stock and inks, ribbon from Michaels, Making Memories charm and brad. I sparkled it up with Stickles in Star Dust; I tried to show this in the photo, but it didn't work too well. : (
• Tools: Scallop heart nestie, Sizzix candy cane die, Cuttlebug Ice Crystals embossing folder, EK Success snowflake edge punch and wave flourish punch, Martha Stewart snowflake punch.
• Edited 10/10/09: a friend asked about the candy canes. They are sort of paper-pieced. For each candy cane, I cut out one red and one white cane with the Sizzix die. Then I cut up the red cane on the perforations, and glued red stripes on the white cane. I sponge-distressed the edges with red ink, and added the white highlights with a white Signo pen. I think a Tilda would look cute sitting in a candy cane heart, don't you? I'll put that on my to-do list!

Thanks for looking, and have a great weekend!

Cherish

This is another birthday card for my husband, to be given to him on our trip next week. I made this card to fit these challenges:

• Allsorts Week 21, Kraft
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 69, Autumn
• Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #52, Celebration
• Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge SC249
• Stamp Something, Something with Apples

My previous post showed my husband's birthday card which was inspired by the Apple Farm Inn--well, here's another one in the same theme. I really wanted to enter an apple card in the Stamp Something Challenge to use apples, since they are one of my favorite motifs. This card makes me think of the line from an old song, "don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me!"

• The image is Penny Black 3343H, Snuggle. The apple is from the Tart & Tangy set, the sentiment stamp is from the Baroque Motifs set, both by SU. The branch is from the SU Cheep Talk set. I glued two layers of brown card stock together, stamped the branch with brown, cut it out, and popped it up with foam tape that I colored brown with a marker.
• The papers, card stock and inks are SU, except the gingham is by Paper Patch. I found the ribbon at Michaels.
• The picket fence and leaf punches are by Martha Stewart.
• I tried to show the 3D effect in my photos--I used a lot of dimensionals and foam tape on this card!
• Edited Oct. 9: I added the button and twine (from my stash)--it needed something else. Also I used a white pen to stitch around the Top Note piece.

Edited: I made the Top 5 at Stamp Something! Woohoo!

Thanks for looking!

Apple Farm Birthday

This card is for my husband’s birthday on October 6. The “CAKE” message is sort of an inside joke. He really likes cake, and has this silly way of saying “cake” every time he sees some! The design was inspired by a country inn called the Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo; later this month we’re going to spend a few days there. We go up there every autumn to celebrate our September anniversary and his birthday, and to enjoy the beautiful Central Coast area. We always go to a nearby apple orchard called Gopher Glen to buy freshly picked apples. Autumn--apple season--my favorite time of year! I’m entering this card into these challenges:

• ABC Challenge, E is for Embossing
• Allsorts Challenge Week 20, Autumn Days
• By the Cute and Girly, Autumn Glory
• Creative Inspirations Challenge 29, Letters/Numbers
• Pile It On Challenge #17, Let Them Eat Cake
• Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #51, Animal Antics
• Simon Says Stamp, Colour Combo: Red and Green
• Splitcoaststampers WT238 Challenge, Say It With Pizzazz

• It may look like a chocolate cake, but this is his favorite applesauce spice cake with cream cheese icing! That’s me on the left, giving him the cake, and he’s saying, “cake!”
• The image is Penny Black 3197J, “Let’s Celebrate;” the apple stamp is SU “Tart and Tangy.”
• I embossed the white oval with my favorite Cutttlebug Love Language embossing folder. The picket fence is my favorite Martha Stewart edge punch.
• I stamped the “CAKE” letters on the paper before making the brads with my I-top brad maker by Imaginisce.
• Card stock, papers, and inks by SU, except the gingham paper is by the Paper Patch. The apple tree button is from my stash.
• Edited: I gave this to him early because he saw the photo as I was working on this post. He laughed out loud and said he loves it! I asked him if he thought I should add the white corner designs at the top, and he said yes, because it reminds him of the Apple Farm Inn!
• Edited Oct. 4: Someone asked how I made the corners--it's from a cuttlebug die set called Vintage, which includes 4 different gorgeous corner designs.

Edited Oct. 20: this card made the Top 5 at ABC Challenge! Woohoo!

Apparently tomorrow is World Cardmaking Day, so...Happy Cardmaking Day to all you cardmakers, and have a lovely weekend. Thanks for looking!

Joe Cool Snoopy

This is for my dad’s birthday on Oct. 1. He has always liked Snoopy cards, so I’ve begun collecting Snoopy stamps to make cards for him. In fact, this Joe Cool stamp reminds me of photos of my dad from the 1950’s! I really like this sketch; symmetrical sketch designs are my favorite. It was last week’s sketch at Everybody Art, which I wanted to use but I missed the challenge. This card is my entry into these challenges:

• Paper Play Challenge Week 36, “Spot This” (spotty things)
• The Pink Elephant Challenge #34, Something with Dots, Punch, Tag
• Stamp Something, Favorite Sketch

When I bought these retired SU papers on eBay, I thought they looked sort of menswear-ish and would work for masculine cards, but now that I've used them in a card they look more feminine. I guess I'm better at making feminine and frilly, "fussy and fancy" cards, as my stamping friends know, lol!

• The image is F1078 Joe Cool Snoopy by Stampabilities.
• Inks, papers, card stock, button and ribbon by SU.
• Brads made with i-top brad maker and the same papers.
• I made the sentiment in Word, then printed on card stock.
• Dotted Wave edge punch and Wave Flourish punch by EK Success.

"Cool," says the tag, and the inside of the card reads, "...that's you, Dad! Happy Birthday! We love you!" I hope he will like it--I think he will.

Thank you for looking!