Well I guess now Im in a lovey mood! LOL! I love hearts! 😀

So decided to do a LOVE card.

This card was simple and fun.

Pomegranate was the perfect color cause its not red, and its not pink. Its like a deep LOVE shade! LOL!

The tag was punched using a Marvy Giga Tag. I stamped the hearts image from Celebrations II by Lizzie Anne. I didn’t re-ink it, I just stamped it 3x’s. I also used the alphabet set-Olivia, and Sketched Sentiments (the YOU on the tag).

I used the Cuttlebug  Embossed Hearts folder, for the heart on the left side of the tag. My color spritzer provided the slash of black, which I like for a little pop.

The heart snap is by Making Memories. Just alittle extra touch.

Dont miss the sneak peek over at Lizzie Anne!!! Keep checking back here as you will soon see some samples POP up!

And………MFT is releasing a new set the end of this month! So in 1 week you will see a little peek at that too!

Now I want to show you my Hawaii Smilebox. These are some of the photos from our Honeymoon. Keep in mind I never thought I would be posting them for the world to see LOL!

You have to watch it cause the way this “show” is presented is awesome!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

This particular style has not been released yet. I was able to test it and give my feedback!

This one was my favorite! I’m really liking the slideshow styles most.

The EXCITING news-

SmileBox has asked me to be a part of their Avaitor program! What this means is I will work with SmileBox, have input on new designs , ask what I would like to see, and I get to rate, and help with new designs before they are released to the general public!

How cool is that?

Let me know what you think 😀

Want to see a little peek at what is coming from Lizzie Anne Designs in September?

Click HERE!

I do have a Lizzie Anne sample to share so check in tomorrow 😀

And wait till I get my rubbah greedy hands on these new sets-the ideas are flowin!!!

Oh, and wait till you get a peek at the other sets-one word comes to mind “MUST” (as in must have)!!!!

Trust me, I know what Im talkin about 😀

Here I go again!

I LOVE butterflies. I love whimsical. I love black. I love rhinstone stickers. I love dimension. I love 3D images. I love flower everything. I love when one color makes a card POP. I love paper piercing. I love single layers. I love simple. I love when it just falls together.

THAT being said I LOVE this card! I love Garden Whimsy. I love my stamps! LOL!

I love that despite the fact I can’t draw a stick figure that is recognizable, stamps can make me the artist my own skills won’t allow! Dont you love that too?

I use to not be able to do CLEAN. I use to have every little area covered in some image or with something. That was LONG ago-like first few months learning to stamp. As I got more comfortable with myself and developed MY STYLE (which Im not sure has a name or distinct look that fits a category, other that its MINE) this look became easier. Its not forced, or over thought. Now I like cleaner simpler looks. I have changed.

These clear “ghost shapes” by Heidi Swapp ROCK! I had them for OVER a year and am finally using them, and now cant stop. Its sad to think how long I have neglected such a cool item.

Its one of those purchases that I said “I dont know what to do with these but they are cool” Since that time my stamping has evolved (as it continues to do regularly-I think) and now I know HOW to make’em work.

I LOVE that the flowers are CLEAR and dont obstruct my beautiful butterflies. Although you can paint these or layer paper behind them- I love them being clear.

I love that everything isnt so PERFECTY aligned, and it goes off the card.

Sometimes you just LOVE it all. And it all just works.

I love the funky whimsical font from my accidental purchase- Absolutley Fabulous. I was determined to get some good use form a $22 mistake! And I am!

Well I hope you liked this one, and it inspires you in some way. Enjoy the day.

Well my wedding anniversary isnt till Thursday, but due to the babysitter thing we celebrated early! I bought these stamps by The Cat’s Pajama’s especially for my anniversary card (good excuse huh?). I always try to do a Hawaii themed thing since that is where we got married! It was AWESOME!

Anyway, the COOL thing about this hula cat is she actually HULA’s!

YUP! Those kitty hips shake side to side!

 See the skirt is cut/layered. Just tilt the card from one side to the other and the skirt goes left to right, right to left! SORRY the fuzzy photo-I never claimed to be a professional with a camera!

Not sure I can share my “how to do this”,  yet…………….sorry. If and when I can I will do a tutorial to SHOW you how, cause Im really awful at “explaining” things-as Im sure my regular readers will attest to! LOL!

I’m very visual and hands on. I myself dont read directions, I just look and pick it apart and figure it out. I get totally confused reading lenghty stuff. Im better off just doing it. That being said I dont “explain” things clearly, and probably confuse people! LOL! SORRY.

Anyway-

I did the “sand” by using the Terrfic Tape, and Martha Stewart glitter. Its a shimmery (obviously glitter duh!) pinkish brown with orchid-ish specks. Take my word for it, its cool and a great match to the paper.

The paper is by K & co. Thought it was Hawaiian enough without going overboard. Added my flower, and rhinstone.

Sentiment is from So Many Sayings.

I of course colored with my Copic Markers. LOVE them and am happy to report it was money well spent. I haven’t hardly used anything else to color with since getting them.

Well thanks for looking-see you tomorrow 😀

I like to be different. Use sets in different ways.

I LOVE my butterflies. Garden Whimsy was my #1 pick from the SU! Catalog. I had been on a SU! Cold spell till I got my new goodies, and now its HOT! The HAPPINESS is from So Many Sayings (the Holiday Happiness minus the holiday). I NEEDED something in that corner but couldnt add another flower-that would be too much and off balance.

When I say BALANCE what I mean is you want your design to flow, so the eye should travel in a triangle-

 HERE IS MY TRIANGLE-butterfly, flower to the left, then flower to lower right, back up to the butterfly.

 Its something you dont “notice” but it helps keep projects pleasing to the eye! ALSO remember in design ODD numbers are almost always more pleasing to the eye-keep these in mind when you look at the FLOW of your design.

So while playing around I made it little more funky by using these colors. These colors together are like my favorite fun combo with black Lavender Lace, Pixie Pink, and Tempting Turqoise-LOVE THEM!

I happened upon my American Crafts Green House Foam Shapes (aka the flowers here), while making this and was like BINGO!

I love how this turned out. The butterfly is also stamped on vellum and cut out. I LOVE my vellum cardstock-love it.

No real cool thoughts today-just a simple card, that came together from nothing other than 3 strips of paper.

I originally planned on the card going horizontally-but hey-things change, and sometimes what we set out to do, and what happens is totally different. Sometimes that BAD, and others its better than the original idea!

Have a great day!

Meet Sellabella. Isn’t she HOT!

I bought her MONTHS ago! Now I am not a Realtor. But I thought she would make great cards for people who just moved, bought or sold a home, or even WELCOME to the neighborhood! Dont I sound like a sweet neighbor?

In all honesty I could barely tell you my neighbor’s names, and I dont really even say more than HI to most! Awful isn’t it? Especially since we live in a tiny town. I like to think I could be the June Cleaver of the neighborhood, but I honestly am not. (If you dont know who June Cleaver is, then I have totally dated myself EW!)

NOTE to self-get to know your neighbors.

We do make sure we check the pedophile list every month! Having children that is a must. We live in walking distance to the schools so the good news is they aren’t SUPPOSE to live within a certain distance! But you NEVER know.

After checking I do know they all live near our town Post office! Weird! Its like this street put up a sign-ALL Pedophiles MOVE HERE! OK enough of that.

SOOOOOOOOOO When my good friend AmyR moved I got inspired to dust off my pretty un-inked Bella and make a card. I will send this to her as soon as I get some goodies to add with it. Maybe it will cheer her up, considering she isnt in love with her new home.

I used the same paper in my post yesterday. Piggy Tales! Cute huh?

She is colored with my Copic Markers.

The ribbon is by CTMH, as is the sentiment (Welcome to the neighborhood set). Hinge and key was from JoAnns Craft essentials. Brads by SU!

Well thanks for looking! Tomorrow Jason and I are off to out get away! One overnight date-kid free! WAHOOOOO!

Its Saturday! YEAH!!!! That means it Sketch time.

This week we are once again putting our images at a slant! I have no idea WHY, I’m SO stuck on this idea  lately, but I am, and I think its a fun way to place your images for a change.

 click to enlarge sketch-hard to see a little.

This week I did 2 again. One more simpler and cleaner that the other. But both still fabulous! I really like the versatility in the sketch.

  Pomegranate Perfection

OMG! I LOVE this card. Its clean, and simple, yet so elegant. I love that this set can give you many looks. Im totally falling in love the the Bohemian style many companies are coming out with. It seems to be a hot trend.

So I used True Friend by SU!, natural ivory, purely pomegranate, old olive, and choc. chip ink/cardstock. Wide satin choc chip ribbon which is just gorgeous!

This was the first card I did for the sketch, and it easily just fell together. Another quickie card. Maybe 15 minutes.

Next up SAY CHARGE! Not such a quickie card.

 OMG! Don’t you wish you could get your hubby to smile like that not only while you shopped, but while he carried your bags! LOL!

We have to go Back to School shopping and I can promise Jason will not be smiling. He STILL hasn’t realized that we have THREE kids, who GROW, EVERY year, and that clothes are NOT $1.99 for shirts and $5.99 for pants! SERIOUSLY! The looks I get when the cashier hits the TOTAL button, is just SCARY!

This is Retailfellabella! AmyR sent her my way (thanks girl!) and I LOVE her oodles! Wait till I show Jason this card-he will just die.

So my slanted layer to the left is suppose to be like a charge card! Cute huh? The sentiment is from Say Charge, as is the purse in the upper corner (partially covered by the bella image). The floral strip (in place of credit info) is by The Paper Salon, simply ribbon set.

I was so inspired by this paper by Piggy Tails called Little Red Riding Hood (this one is The Forrest) that it was the inspiration of this card. Images are of course colored with my COPIC markers, which I think Im getting better with.

These colors match SU! Soft Sky, banana, and pomegranate. The darker blue was my by fave person-Martha Stewart! I mean that in a crafty way not a lifestyle way. The stitched ribbon was also from Stampin Up!.

I love the flower Ghost Shape by Heidi Swapp on the lower right of the card. Its the shape as the flowers in my paper. Added some bling by K & co, and was done.

So I hope you get to try the sketch. I think weather you have a simple style or like to layer and get mor involved, as my samples show, then this will be a great sketch for you!

If you try it send us a link! We’d love to see your ideas  for it.

Tomorrow more with the Bella’s! Im dusting one off that has gone un-inked for months! YIKES!

Challenge yourself to use an uninked, neglected stamp this weekend. I know I have plenty that fit that category!

While blog hopping I found  a fun game here-on Dawn’s Blog 

The object of the game is like Scattegories! You have to think of answers that start with the first letter of your FIRST Name!

I would love for you all to play!

Here I go!

Your Name: Lauren

Famous Artist/Band/Musician: Lee Ann Rhymes

4 letter word: LOVE

Vehicle: Lexus ( I used to drive one)
TV SHOW: LOST (yes Im a Lost fanatic!)

City/Town: Lowell (Im from here originally)

Boy Name: Logan

Girl Name: Lexie ( I was going to call Alexa this but opted she was NOT a Lexie)
Occupation: Lawyer   

Something you wear: Lingeri  

Celebrity: Lindsay Lohan

Food: Licorice (I LOVE Twizzlers)
Something found in a kitchen: Laddel

Reason for Being Late: Locked keys in car

Cartoon Character: Linus (from Charlie Brown)

Something You Shout: LOSER!

Now its your turn. Not as easy as you think!

Check out my opinions and ribbon tutorial over at Craft Critique!

My first article for them 😀

Let me know what you think.

HAPPY FRIDAY! YEAH!!!

Should be a good weekend here. A few things to share today- 

I am very excited to be a part of the Scor-Pal Team! I now have have 2 tutorials you can find there!

Window Box 

I was quite proud of this project. It uses the Make A Wish set by Gina K. $7 from the sale of EVERY set goes to the Make A Wish Foundation! A great way to give a dream to a sick child 😀

SUPPLIES: Obviously the Score-Pal. The paper is a stack by K & co. Ribbon is Martha Stewart (of course), and the Make a Wish was colored with Copic Markers. The star is a cuttlebug die cut, and the paper is DCWV Glitter stack. My magnetic closures are by Basic Grey. Go take a looksie.

This Window Box is a gusset box with a closeable flap that can easily house 4 cards (A2 size) and envelopes, as well as perfect use for whatever else you decide to fit in there! I love that you can peek at what is inside.

Read the tutorial linked above, for more info.

My next project features a perfect formula so you can quickly make your OWN envelopes in any size you want! Just use the formula. Once you get it down, you will whip up your own envelopes in minutes.

Make your own envelope formula

 Here are a couple different sizes made using my formula.

I would love to get any feedback on the tutorials! That includes tutorial’s you’d love to see put on the site, or any other comments/questions you may have. I will answer any questions here on my blog for all to read, if there are any.

 I hope you try them out. If so, send me the link 😀

Thanks for looking.

EDITED FOR QUESTIONS

Julie asked:

These projects look SO GOOD! I have a question about the scor-pal: It looks like it would be easy for me to ’swerve’ off of the scoring lines and mess up my project since there is no flat edge to run against. Do you ever have any problem with this?

Julie thats a great question. Have you used the Scor Pal yet? I ask because you mentioned it “looks like it would swerve off”. If not RUN! Go try it! LOL!

The grooves are deep, so that when you start scoring, your tool stays in the groove. I have had no problems with mine at all. I found it super easy to use. Let us know if you try it out and what you think.