Dream Valley Challenge #8: Stamp Something

Good evening (although it's almost midnight here, I guess good night? I wouldn't know how to greet someone at this hour!) I haven't been here in so long, and it has been soooooo hard. Crafting is my life, and when I am not able to do it due to my duties as a mom, friend, or wife, I just don't feel myself.

I am late posting this challenge due to some personal issues that came up in the life of a friend, but I'm happy to announce that I'm back on track. This Dream Valley Challenge is sponsored by:

Our challenge this time around is to use a stamp. Simple, and perfect for this busy time of year. I decided to make myself a pretty little box to store my pens, pencils, and glue sticks in. I was using a baby food jar for the longest time, I think about 8 years or so, and decided it was getting cramped. I pulled out my Ultimate Crafter's Companion tool and Boxer Board to make a little box. I just love how easy that little thing is! I even sized it up to the proper dimensions all by myself *gasp*

After I made the box, I adhered ribbon to the bottom edge, and stamped flowers on cardstock, finishing them off with some Stickles. I love sparkle, so of course I'll love this on my desk :)

That's all for now, but tomorrow I have a really cute creation to share. You have until the 11th to enter over at Dream Valley Challenges, so get your creation entered today!

WINNER!

*Finally* announcing the winner of my My Mind's Eye Totally Girl paper pack giveaway! You're probably thinking I forgot! Nope, life is just insanely crazy right now, as with every softball season :)

The winner:

Kim said...

Love your LO! I became a follower!

May 16, 2011 11:41 AM

Congrats, Kim! Email me your shipping information by Saturday the 27th.

Colorful Creations Blog Hop

**Apparently my auto post did not auto post...sorry to those who stopped here and didn't find this post! Problem solved!**

Good morning, and I hope you've been enjoying your hop along the participating members' blogs. If you came from Kathleen's blog, you're on the right track. If not, go to Nicolle's blog to start off in the right place :)

We were asked to showcase our favorite things for this Colorful Creations anniversary celebration, and I had no question as to what I would choose! As a design team member for Crafter's Companion, I was introduced to the papercrafter's best friend, the Ultimate Crafter's Companion. What can this thing NOT do? It makes envelopes and cards, boxes, enveloboxes, does dry embossing, makes special-fold cards, and much much more.

I have been using this tool non-stop since receiving it, and decided to make a little box for my daughter. She has ADHD and through learning to manage it, we give out little rewards. Now I have a neat way to give her the rewards, with boxes made cheaply and quickly by me :)

I used Lime Twist papers from My Mind's Eye, American Crafts Remarks alpha stickers, and Petaloo flowers. Simple and quick, but the recipient will never know it! The Ultimate tool makes it super easy!

Your challenge: either create or alter a box or container to place a gift inside. Use any size box you would like, made out of any material (tin, cardboard, cardstock, plastic, etc.). It just has to have room to place something inside. Father's Day is coming up, maybe you could alter a box for that special dad in your life. Use your imagination, and show me your altered box! You do not need the Ulitmate tool for this challenge, as you can just find any random box/container around the house. Or, find a tutorial online (there are MANY) and make your own box. It is simple to do, as long as you have a scoring blade on whatever cutting tool you use.

So, there you have it! Hope you get the chance to hop around and play along for your chance to win the amazing Nikki Sivils prize being offered for our grand prize winner. If you are a follower of my blog and complete my challenge, you have a chance to win a small RAK from me. I will draw the winner on Wednesday June 1. Don't forget to find all the words along the way (mine is CURE). Leave your name in the linky tool below to qualify for both prizes!

Happy hopping, Jenessa is your next stop.

Spring is in the Air Blog Hop Challenge 3

**If you are looking for the blog hop post for the sketches4all

Spring is in the Air challenge, go to this post.**

Today is my challenge over at the s4a Spring is in the Air blog hop. There is a small prize for the winner, randomly chosen, and ways to earn additional entries. Just head over to the forum post here for details and to enter your own layout. The only rules: you must upload your layout into the gallery using the proper tag listed in the discussion thread, it has to be new as of May 11th, and you cannot combine this challenge with any other challenge for this blog hop. (You can, however, combine it with other challenges at other sites. I'm entering it into the Craft Us Crazy current challenge, something new. My something new: 3 of the new alphas on this page are brand spankin' new in my collection. I have an extreme love for alphas!)

Here's my example layout in this challenge, which I've dubbed the Challenge of 5's. May is, after all, the fifth month :) I used these adorable pics of my son back when he was 8 months old, eating his Arrowroot cookie. His dad was hanging out with him this day and took these hilarious pics of him, and I couldn't wait to scrap them! I used Cosmo Cricket Hello Sunshine and Cogsmo for the patterned paper. Part of my challenge: use 5 or more patterned papers. I used 6 :)

Another aspect of my challenge: use 5 or more alphas on your layout. I used 7!

The last part: use 5 different color buttons EXACTLY. No more, no less.

So head on over and see how you can be in the running for a great prize (which will be ordered especially for you by me) and how to earn extra entries into the drawing.

I have a very busy day...finish up some writing assignments, hope that my computer allows me to make it through the day to do that! Show an apartment from 4 until 5, take Rileigh to softball if she chooses, and then take Andraia to her concert this evening (she plays trombone, and Rileigh really wants to see her sister's concert. She has until after school to decide whether she's going to her game or not!) If I'm lucky, we'll be home by 9 tonight. Spring is certainly busy!

Get scrapping, and hope to see you over at sketches4all!

sketches4all Spring is in the Air Blog Hop!

Spring is undoubtedly one of my favorite seasons, so of course I was all over this blog hop! What is not to love about spring? The air warms up, the flowers bloom, and the trees begin to grow their leaves that will later in the summer become shade for the kiddos to take a break from the hot sun. Hope you enjoyed the hop so far, you should have come from Fia's blog.

Over at sketches4all, we are celebrating spring's arrival with a blog hop and special events going on in the forum from today, May 11th, until May 18th. If you would like to join us, you need to go back to Stacy's blog to begin in the proper place. You should start from the beginning anyway, as hidden along the hop are 5 words you need to collect. After you find all of the words, email them to Fia (DO NOT post them in the forum at s4a!) at scrapmiep2@hotmail.com AND use the 5 items in a layout using this sketch:

Here's my take on the sketch, which I thought was great just the way it was. I chose no journaling, as I didn't want to hide that awesome Graphic 45 Playtimes Past - I Think I Can paper. I've had that piece ever since I saw it in the LSS after taking this train ride on summer vacation in 2008. It's Patryk's 2nd train ride, and I thought it would be perfect for the pics!

I used a lot of Cosmo Cricket pieces leftover from other projects. This page features Hello Sunshine (Berries), Lil' Man (Silly Sam, Dapper Dan, and Jumping Jack), and 3 different pieces of Webster's Pages from a petite pages stack. I inked the edges of all the squares making them match the background paper better. Wish I had used blue, but for some reason I grabbed black...

Prima flowers, Recollections brads in the center. The cute little ribbon word on the pic is actually a Crafty Secrets Vintage Die Cut. It's hard to tell, but on the 2 pieces of ric rac I've adhered Colorbok rhinestones. Can't have too much bling :)

Those are Webster's Pages Spring Market alpha stickers, and I used a combo of thick glitter (the "ric rac" below the title) and Diamond Stickles (next to the striped strip...doesn't really show up well in the pic I guess. Sorry, it's been raining here the past couple of days, making it hard to get a decent shot of anything!)

So let's see what you can do with the sketch! Collect all 5 words (I have a word! It is RIBBON) and use the items on your layout for an entry into the grand prize drawing. Upload your layout into the discussion thread for this challenge, which you'll find in the forum. If you email the words to Fia, it's another entry! Participate in the DT challenges that will be running for the duration of the event over in the forum, and get a shot to win even MORE prizes!

What a sweet grand prize it is! You will receive:

1 Pink Paislee Hometown Summer Collage Paper pack of 24 dbl sided cardstock papers

1 Maya Road Sheer Scroll Frame Album

1 pkg of Prima Marketing E Line Flowers in

1 pkg of Doodlebug Design (2 yards) of yellow rick-rack in Bumblebee yellow

3 homemade crocheted yellow flowers

red/white Bakers Twine - approx. 2-3 yards

1 pkg S.E.I. Designer Brads - Mimosa

1 pkg of Studio G i-clear stamps

1 sm roll of lime green polka dot ribbon

1 pkg Pink Paislee Hometown Summer Punchouts (20 pieces)

1 pkg Pink Paislee Hometown Summer Rubber Charms (6 pieces)

1 pkg Prima Marketing Arco Iris Flowers

Pretty awesome if you ask me! I, too, am giving away a little something. I've recently cleared out my craft room, but it just wasn't enough! So I have MORE paper to give away :) If you want a chance to win this:

just become a follower or let me know you are one already. Then post this on your blog, either the picture or just a link. Comment on THIS POST for your entry. If you want an extra entry, get a friend to follow my blog as well, having them tell me they were sent by you in the comments of THIS POST. Simple stuff here, folks! This paper is from the My Mind's Eye Totally Girl stack, and it is one of every single piece of paper contained within the stack. I adore this paper! I will have a link to this post up at the top for the duration of the hop.

So get hopping! The next stop along the way is Nicolle's blog. Hope to see you over at sketches4all, especially on my challenge day (which happens to be tomorrow!) Happy hopping!

A couple of challenges

Good Monday morning, and let me tell you, I'm lovin' the gorgeous spring day today! After planting some flowers with the kids this weekend, Patryk and I had a fun time outside this morning watering them as they were on the wilt-y side, and then he and I (after some sidewalk chalk fun) headed up to the craft room.

I am celebrating the return of my mojo today by crafting as much as time will allow, you never know when the ol' mojo will disappear again! I finished up this layout, which I had started last night. Another sketch-less layout, and I am entering it into the current Craft Your Passion challenge #56 :) I had so many pics of Patryk's first outing at Short Sands, I had a hard time deciding which one to scrap...and then I realized I could scrap them all! We all have such a hard time scrapping multiple photos (well, at least I do!) and I think I did a good job showcasing each of them. Not a one of them competes for attention, as they are all the same size. All I had to do was throw them in a pleasing arrangement and find some patterned paper to use (which isn't hard with the Cosmo Cricket grab bag I've been playing with lately!)

I chose to use the Cogsmo line here, more specifically Cogs (the background sheet), Striptease (the 2 strips in the center), and Mr. Roboto (the red piece for the title).

I think my favorite shot is the one of his sandy little feet there in the upper right corner :) Those letters are Basic Grey Two Scoops alpha stickers, they coordinate so well! I chose to distress the edges of the photos as well as the paper elements. I love distressing :)

"because I can" is Scenic Route Grafton chipboard.

The ticket is MME, it also coordinates.

Those are button die cuts from the We R Memory Keepers Teen Angst line.

After this layout, I decided to make something for Rileigh's teacher (this is teacher appreciation week, after all) as I made Andraia's teacher a card back in October. I chose to use the Webster's Pages petite papers combo collection of Hollywood Vogue and WonderFALL that I got in a blog hop. Love these papers!

The Chip Chop Shop for that fab doily, sentiment features Fiskars edge punch (the only edge punch I own, sadly), inking, and some baby blue baker's twine. Of course I used pop dots. Dimension rocks!

Gathered lace ribbon (thank you, Glue Dots micro squares!) also received in a giveaway. I have a mess of lace and fabric from that one, so happy :)

This, too, I will be entering into the Craft Your Passion challenge. You can enter as much as you want :) Why not? Anyway, I'll be back to the craft room this afternoon, but I won't be able to share my creation...it's top-secret DT stuff. Don't worry, it'll be revealed in time :)

Momenta product review

If you are looking for the current Dream Valley challenge, click here.

For this month's Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog challenge, click here.

I have been meaning to post this, but every time I tried up until today, something would happen to pull me away from the computer. I think this lazy Sunday is just what I need to get this post done!

A while back, I received Momenta's new Design Your Own Stickers in the mail. It seemed like a great product, but I just didn't have the time available to check it out. Boy, am I glad I finally got around to it! Momenta is a company from my home state, formerly American Traditional Designs. I have driven by the corporate headquarters on many a drive, my house is probably a mere 30 minutes away. I dream of one day working there :) HA.

For the layout featured here, I used item ST-4522. It's quite simple to make these stickers your own, and I'm going to walk you through it step by step.

Head over to the web address listed on the package (www.mymomenta.com.) Choose the appropriate template (in this case, ST-4522). Then comes the fun part: making the stickers your own. There are THOUSANDS of possiblities here, as you can choose from colors or premade patterns. You can even download the template and use your own photos or images if you have Photoshop or a similar photo manipulation program! They also include a selection of stickers that feature multiple colors/patterns which all coordinate with one another.

I was using Cosmo Cricket papers for this one, the Jack's World collection (Blankey and Playtime, more specifically) and loved that I could make stickers for my title to perfectly match my papers. I had a hard time deciding, but used this red/pink design. I'll also have you know that the color that shows on your computer screen is exactly what you get. I was worried about that, but it all worked out for the best :) *whew* After your design is chosen, print away! It's that easy!

To assure proper printing, they include two test sheets, which I intend to use for more letters LOL I just love torturing myself with fussy cutting (and I'm addicted to the ease with which my pages can come together when I control what is on my letter stickers!)

Another thing I wondered: as I'm using my own printer, will the colors bleed if you get them glue-y? Answer: NO! I used some Diamond Stickles around the letters to test this. I predicted that if it was going to happen, the colors would change around the edges of the letters. As you can see, this did not occur.

This is a fantastic product! Can't wait to play with the other designs I've printed out!

Featured at the top of the page: embellishments from American Traditional Designs I've had in my stash for a couple of years (they just recently changed their name to Momenta), from their Welcome, Baby Boy collection. That butterfly up there is a fabric sticker accented with Stickles, as is the sun sticker. That's my little guy (who's 3.5 now, not so little anymore) on his first outing to the beach.

Daisy Hill circle epoxy sticker and MM word stickers that have been in my stash waaaay too long.

So I would highly recommend this product, especially if you live somewhere far away from a supply store. VERY cool product, well worth the money!

CCCB Challenge 2: Something for Mother

Good morning! If you are looking for the current Dream Valley challenge, click here.

Today, Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog is looking for your Mother's Day projects using a Crafter's Companion stamp. Up for grabs:

Yeah, you want it, don't you?! What exactly is contained in this package? Well, glad you asked. This huge package includes:

The Ultimate Crafter's Companion Tool

The Boxer

Envelobox Creator

Ultimate Advanced Techniques DVD

Total Retail : $100.80

The Boxer, Envelobox Creator, and Ultimate Advanced Techniques DVD have not even been released yet! These products can make so many things it's incredible. Here's more about them.

Envelobox Creator

Add the finishing touches to your three-dimensional hand crafted cards by packaging them in matching envelopes! This tool can be transform any sheet of regular or patterned cardstock or paper into any one of hundreds of different envelope sizes ranging up to 8” x 8” and up to 1” deep! Perfect for custom cards or as an unusual alternative to regular gift boxes. Designed to work with your Ultimate Crafter’s Companion Tool, but can also be used as a stand-alone product.

The Boxer
Measure, score and fold accurately with this innovative Boxer Board. One side includes imperial (inch) measurements up to 8 inches in 1/8” increments, and the reverse side features metric (cm) measurements up to 20 cm at ½ cm increments. The lines at each edge are engineered differently to enable you to create custom size boxes with ease. Simply use two identical size pieces of cardstock, and this board will make your lid slightly larger to fit perfectly over your box base. Designed to work with your Ultimate Crafter’s Companion Tool, but can also be used as a stand-alone product.

Ultimate Advanced Techniques DVDThis inspirational DVD is crammed full of crafty tutorials for advanced construction techniques using the Envelobox Creator and Boxer boards in conjunction with the Ultimate Crafter’s Companion tool. The DVD features 12 step-by-step projects including stepper cards, tea light holder card, accordion file box, swing cards, treasure chest, hinged box, set of drawers and more. 2 ½ Hours of instruction and projects!

You won't see my card on the CCCB site :( Apparently there were some technical difficulties and my card was not posted, but that's ok :) Our DT coordinator went out of town, so I'll forgive her ;)

For my card, I used the Sheena Douglass As Scene On Screen - Wouldn't It Be Lovely 1 stamp set for this. I just loved that cheerful bunch of flowers sitting in the wagon. As my mother is an avid gardener, this image is perfect for her. I colored it with my run-of-the-mill colored pencils (I dream of Copics!). I thought that Webster's Pages Spring Market paper was a lovely fit, complete with these FloraDoodles red flowers.

Isn't that image to die for? It is so detailed and it was a joy to color.

The sentiment (wish I had manufacturer info, but alas, I do not. I've had it for about 13 years now!) is stamped and the heart is red glitter, accented with some green bling :) What mom doesn't love sparkle?

So there you have it, grab your Crafter's Companion stamp, or head over to their online store to buy one, and show us your Mother's Day project!

This is also being entered into:

Charisma Cardz Challenge

Prairie Fairy Friday

Crafty Calendar Challenge

Craft Us Crazy

Scrap Creations

Dream Valley Challenge 6: Flowers

Good morning, everyone! Where have I disappeared to lately? Well, to the craft room of course, working on top-secret DT assignments :) Today I can finally share one with you all, as it is the big day over at Dream Valley Challenges! Did you win the last challenge? Check this post to find out.

Before I get to my creation for this challenge, who's our sponsor? None other than One Stop Card Crafts!

I received a 50 sheet grab bag of Cosmo Cricket papers in the mail recently from Scenic Route (it was a ridiculous deal, by the way), and had been dying to play with them! I am still stuck in 2006 in Rileigh's album, but that all changes with this layout! We've moved on to 2007 after this :) Contained within the grab bag was the Jolly by Golly line, and I decided to use Sweater Weather and Play Day to make this. I started by hand-stitching around the edge of Play Day (still have yet to figure out that sewing machine!) using a greyish DMC floss. I used a Punky Scraps sketch, although I forgot to enter it in the darn challenge! Hate when that happens!

I used the sheet of scrap strips that coordinates, cutting out this great red holly paper, and rolling up the edges slightly for that wonderful dimension I love so much.

That cute little ribbon up top is actually a repurposed shoelace. My father works for Puma corporate in MA, and knows how much I love strange items for crafting. He gave me 3 packages of ridiculous shoelaces, knowing I could put them to good use.

Here's the journal spot, cut with my Cricut (the Heritage cartridge).

A banner made from a pearl strand, a chipboard bird inked with blue dye ink, beak colored with black pen, and bread tags sprayed with my red acrylic paint mist. When don't I use that stuff? Well, when it's as inexpensive as it is, why not!?

Those small rosettes are Prima flowers, and the large one is handmade by moi using lace with a green glitter brad in the center :) That little transparency: the Prima flower packaging I just couldn't throw away! I sprayed it with adhesive and then glittered it. One can never have too much sparkle!

So that's it, now get over to Dream Valley Challenges and enter their flower challenge. Card, layout, altered item...whatever your little heart desires, just be sure to use flowers somewhere on your project. Have a great day, and bear with me...it's a DT post kind of day. Lots of stuff to share :)