Tropical Summer

Well....that's what it will sure feel like for tomorrow. They are forecasting roughly 92-93 degrees before the heat index. With it, 100-102+ degrees - can you say HOT!!!!!! Although I really shouldn't complain because it has taken so long for summer to finally get here : )

I haven't been posting alot lately, hoping to change that this long holiday weekend. Nothing special planned, and if it remains hotter then a you know what, I will camp out in the a/c house making cards!!

Still not sure if I am 100% happy with this card or not. I guess I envisioned it a little differently then what it actually came out to be.

I had a great time last Saturday w/my BFF's scrapping and gossiping! I think we each only made about 3 cards after catching up and exchanging 'stories', but that's ok! We have been taking turns at each others house for a day every other month and I really enjoy it. I am the next 'host' and can't wait for the girls to come here! Suppose I should clean up my scrap room huh???

Well, I hope you like the card and please feel free to comment if you like. I always enjoy hearing them : ) Hope to see you back here real soon!!

TOODLES!!

Michelle

Challenges:

PaperCrafting Journey - Anything Goes http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/

Alphabet Challenge Blog - H for Half a Dozen http://alphabetchallengeblog.blogspot.com/

Mary, Mary...........

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

This weeks newest image from Designed 2 Delight is "Mary, Mary". Isn't she just adorable tip-toein thru the garden watering her flowers? I hope you had a chance to go get her and make a card, so that you get next weeks image free!! If not, don't worry...just hop on over to Faith's store and pick her up.

Here is my 'spin' on this weeks image:

Bet you can't figure out what my fav color is...lol !!!! As soon as I seen her I knew she had to be in purple : ) I hope you like it and I always enjoy your comments!!

Thanks for stoppin' by......

Michelle


Designed 2 Delight's store ~ http://designed2delight.com/prestashop/

Challenges:

Totally Stampalicious ~ Anything Goes http://totallystampalicious.blogspot.com/

Masculine Cards~NO flowers

This weeks challenge @ Designed 2 Delight Card Ideas, is to create a Masculine Card with NO flowers . With Father’s Day approaching, we would like to see a creation for that special guy in your life. This is not limited to Father’s Day cards only. Feel free to make a Love, Birthday, Thinking of You, etc. card/creation.

This is one of the creations I have made so far. I still have 3 more to make yet - YIKES!! I have to make cards for my dad, my father-in law, my step father-in law and my son - WHEW!!! And Faith's masculine images pretty much have me covered!! The image I used on this one is "Catch of the Day"

You really must check out the wonderful masculine images - they are FAB!!! http://designed2delight.com/prestashop/
I must tell you a quick story! My husband will be going on his yearly fishing trip up north in a couple of weeks. So I have been accompanying him to various stores to get ready for his trip. On a recent trip to Mill's Fleet Farm, - they had a canoe in the middle of the aisle with marked down fishing supplies. At first I was like"Great...he will be here looking thru this pile of 'crap' forever". Then as I was wading thru the pile I came across the tiny spinner blades that I used on my card. And all of a sudden~LIGHT BULB~I could use these on my Father's day, masculine cards! BINGO....all of a sudden that pile was like gold. My husband just shook his head and laughed at me when I told him what I was going to do with them. I actually walked out of the store with more fishing items them him...LOL!

I hope you like it, and will to post the rest soon! Till then...........

Michelle

Challenges:

Cupcake Craft Challenges~ Things with Tails http://cupcakecraftchallenges.blogspot.com/

Craft Your Passion ~Anything Goes http://www.craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.com/

Lexi's Creations~Father's Day/Masculine Card http://lexiscreations.blogspot.com/

Come and Get It Challenges~Happy Father's Day http://www.comeandgetitchallenges.blogspot.com/

Here Come the Boys~Father's Day/Hubby/Partner http://herecometheboysblogchallenge.blogspot.com/

Craft Your Days Away~Father's Day/Special Man http://craftyourdaysaway.blogspot.com/

**A couple of Happy Birthdays**

Both my son & nephew's birthdays are in May and only a couple of days apart. So I had fun making cards for each of them.

They both are into racing - my son cars, my nephew quads (4 wheelers). The 1st card was for my son and I thought AJ the Race Car driver from The Stamping Boutique http://www.thestampingboutique.com/ would be perfect for him.

For my nephew...I went a brick wall and graffiti look.

For both, I used the Sizzix folders from Tim Hotlz Alterations line. I really like these folders cuz they just pop on the card. I used the Checkerboard for the white card and distressed it with some black chalk ink. For the other, I used the Brick folder on some Color Core paper and then sanded it down to make the bricks come thru more. And then I used some Metal Gears from Little Yellow Bicycle on them.

I think they both enjoyed them!!

Michelle

Challenges:

Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central~Masculine

http://stampingscrappingchallengecentral.blogspot.com/

Scrappy Frogs Challenge~Birthday

http://scrappyfrogschallenge.blogspot.com/

Hello again!!

Boy, it feels like months since I last posted, but it really wasn't that long : ) Just so many little things to get done around here lately, busy at work training summer help, and of course the holiday weekend. Speaking of which~ I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I know we did!! We celebrated my son's "Golden" birthday which was actually the 25th, and the holiday as well. And we had wonderful weather too.

The card I am posting tonight is actually one that I made for the All White +One other color challenge over @ Card Ideas. I never got to post my card and they have since moved onto the next weekly challenge. I really like the way this card turned out, so I will just post it here on my blog anyway. I went classic black & white and, I didn't want to overpower the image, so I kept it very CAS.

I hope you like it!! Oh.....and I couldn't resist posting a pic of my beautiful granddaughters!! The oldest~Evyon~ came running out to me today when I got there yelling "Grandma, Grandma Grandma ....then gave me a HUGE hug!! She then told me she graduated Head Start and gets to go to Kindergarten in the fall. Seems like not that long ago I was taking my son to Kindergarten....where does the time go?

Well, goodnight for now. I will be back soon...I promise : )

Michelle

Skater Boy

Faith has really been busy with new images. And this latest one is AWESOME! It's called "Skater Boy" and will be fabulous for boy cards. I couldn't wait to get started on it. I was out the other day and bought some Tim Holtz embossing folders and, I thought the Bricked one would work great for this.

I didn't want to make it appear 'to dark and gloomy' so I added some bright green and blue to make it pop a little. I then used Color Core cardstock from the Flower Power pack in gray and ran it thru the Cuttlebug. I then distressed it by sanding it down some so the Bricked affect would come thru. I also distressed the edges too. Then, awhile back I had seen a tutotiral on things to use for boy/man card besides the bling and ribbons. One of the suggestions was using a washer. WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! Very inexpensive, but yet still looks very cool on the card. So, I took and stamped w/my Polka Dot Background stamp to make look as if the washer was 'used and greasy' looking. StazOn black ink works great for this!


I have a few other ideas yet that I would like to try. I plan on doing these for Father's Day and I am hoping they turn out in 'real life' as well as I have them pictured in my head : ) All I can say is my husband thought I was 'crazy' the other day when I told him what I wanted to use these 'things' for. SO.... keep watching as it gets closer to Father's Day!!

~ENJOY~

Michelle

Challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs ~ Clean & Simple http://incywincydesigns.blogspot.com/

Divas by Design ~ Anything Goes http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.com/

A Spoon Full of Sugar ~ Anything Goes http://aspoonfullofsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/

Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central ~ Birthdays http://stampingscrappingchallengecentral.blogspot.com/

Corrosive Challenge ~ Birthdays http://corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com/

Paper and Such Design ~ Birthdays http://paperandsuchonline.blogspot.com/

One Stitch At A Time ~ Anything Goes http://onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.com/2011/05/challenge-62-anything-goes.html

Flowers!!

The Challenge: http://designed2delight.com/blog/2011/05/may-flowers-saturdays-dt-challenge/

This week’s Saturday Challenge is hosted by Design Team member, Kathy Curry.
We all have heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers”. We want to see some of those pretty May flowers used on your card or project this week. It’s easy to buy all sorts of flowers at the craft store, but using those wouldn't be too challenging, so we have got a twist for you. We would like to see handmade flowers this week. You can make them anyway you like, as long as they are made by you (not store bought). Some examples of easy ways to create flowers are punching, rolling, die cutting, crocheting and crumpling tissue (the possibilities are endless). Check out what the design team has created for some inspiration. Hope you will join the fun and make some lovely flowers this week.

Here's my card with my homemade flower. VERY simple ~ I just layered a scalloped 1-7/8" circle, then 1", then a 3/4" circle together after crumpling them and then 'distressing' them w/ink. I added a gem to the center and made my own leaves from regular Green cardstock. I free hand cut the leaves, then coated w/Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze Icicle. Hope you like it!!

Michelle