These boots were made for Splashin'

It's time for another 7 Kids College Fund challenge... 

~ Flowers or Showers ~

(you choose)

Well, it was an easy choice for me...Showers!!  I have a huge weakness for any image with an umbrella.  I have no idea why... because I'm not fond of rainy days at all.  LOL  It seems my weakness is spreading beyond stamped images though because both of my little one's received rain boots in their Easter baskets this year!!  

When the new Ben and Nora images came out at Whiff of Joy I had a hard time liking them, but this little guy has totally won me over!!  This is Ben in the rain and you can of course get him at 7 Kids College Fund.  

I used my all time favorite DP from My Mind's Eye.  I'm finding that I just can't go wrong using any of the paper pads from their new line, Stella & Rose.  The colors and patterns are so easily used for both masculine and feminine cards.  Here I've used the Hattie paper pad for the card and to paper piece his umbrella and rain boots.  I added some fun cork that I cut using a MFT scalloped die, machine stitched the paper panels and paper pierced around the image.  It's difficult to tell from the photograph but I created a "dome" with the umbrella by cutting down the thickness of a foam dot and then gluing down the edges of the umbrella around it.  Such a cool effect when looking at it in person.  :)

The sparkle I used on the water was my own little mixture of Shimmerz (Pixie Dust) and Stickles (Waterfall & Aqua) which was then painted on with a paint brush.  I also used my new Spica pen (clear) to add a little shine in his hair, raincoat and on the frog.  And the sentiment was computer generated using the Chalkduster font.

Challenges:

Stamptacular Sunday = #108 Pile it One (5 Layers)

Pollycraft Challenge = #90 Fun & Games

Creative Card Crew = Child's Play

All Sorts Challenge = #100 April Showers

Bunny Zoe's Crafts = #11 One for Boys

Let's Ink it Up = #13 Stitching

Crafty Calendar Challenge = April Showers

So choose your favorite...Flowers or Showers and join us at 7 Kids College Fund.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sweet 16

I've made this card for my niece Courtney (aka ~ my clone) who just had her Sweet 16 last month.  She has always looked so much like me that even my sister says she doesn't know how she gave birth to my child, but that I need to start coughing up some child support!!   LOL

It's such a bittersweet time.  So happy for her to have reached this special milestone, yet sad that she really is no longer a little girl.  I know that the next few years from 16-21 will be huge decision making years that will shape her future.  But all I can do is continue to pray for her and hope the wisdom her parents have poured into her will help her make good choices.  

This being a Sweet 16 card, I couldn't think of a more perfect image than Whiff of Joy's, Willow with Champagne.  She looks all grown up, but one look at that face and you know she's still just a girl.  :)   It's the perfect blend of sweetness and glamour.  Speaking of her face...I had to do a face transplant.  Just as I finished coloring the entire image I accidentally smeared black ink across her face.  So I colored her face again and cut it out and pasted it on top.  Shewww...crisis adverted!!!  LOL

I've used Basic Grey's, Cappella designer paper and distressed the edges with Antique Linen and Peeled Paint distressing inks to give it a vintage feel.  The background script stamp is from Inkadinkado and was inked with Peeled Paint which I stamped off on a scrap piece of paper first to give it a faded look.  Both the Spellbinder die (Labels Ten) and the stamped image are popped up using foam tape for dimension.  The lace ribbon is from May Arts and the crocheted flower is from Prima.

I want to say a BIG "thank you" to my friend Chris, for being so sweet and sending this image to me plus the gorgeous lace ribbon I've used  :)

Challenges:
Corrosive Challenges = #106 Going Green
The Crafty Pad = #111 Use Ribbon
Gingerloft = #113 Use Those Flowers
All Sorts = #93 Card for Teenager
Little Claire Designs = #2 Flowers
Make it Colorful = #9 Make it Shine
Card Makin' Mama's = #16 Something Green
Crafty Ann's = #35 Birthday
Crafty Catz = #72 Special Birthdays
Totally Papercrafts = #56 Pearls and Lace
Paperplay = #9 Shabby Chic/ Vintage
The Rubber Cafe = #7 Sew Fun

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!
I'm going to go hug on my 2 year old baby girl...she's growing up way to fast too!!
Wendy

Supplies:
*  Stamp: Whiff of Joy, Willow with champagne
                Inkadinkado, Script
*  Ink: Memento, Tuxedo Black
           Tim Holtz Distressing Ink, Antique Linen & Peeled Paint
*  Paper: Basic Grey (Cappella)
*  Die: Spellbinders, Labels Ten & Classic Oval
*  Ribbon: May Arts
*  Pearls: Recollections
*  Flower: Prima
*  Rhinestone Flourish: Recollections
*  Pop Dots
*  Copics:
    Dress:  G99, G94, G82, G40, G20, YG21
     Hair: Y21, E35, E31, E47, E57, E49
     Skin: E11, E00, E50, R02, R00

Christmas Planner

It's time for another monthly challenge at Elisabeth Bell's World.  

This time we'd like to see a gift for someone with a card or a gift bag.  I might have cheated because I made this for ME!!  LOL  Although if my mom and sister see this they will try and steal it for themselves so it might be a gift after all.  

Last year I made VERY elaborate Christmas planners for my mom and sister.  They were spiral bound books (made with the Bind-It-All) with lots of tabs for Calendar pages, Wish Lists, To Do, Meal Planning, Etc..  It was so pretty that I never even wrote in mine!!

Well, as much as I would have liked to have done that again, I simply did not have the time this year.  So instead I covered a little notepad and will use it for all keeping track of all of those holiday Things to Do, Buy and Bake.

Inside I created a little pocket for receipts, etc and a ribbon loop for my pen.

I've used Shopping Willow and  gave her festive Christmas bags by paper piecing them.  Now, if only I could look that fabulous while out shopping.  LOL

Challenges:

Creative Inspirations = #88 Color Scheme (Red, Gold & Green) - There is gold in the DP

A Spoonfull of Sugar = #131 Anything Goes

Lollipop Crafts = #11 Christmas

Pile It On = #46 Winter means....Christmas shopping!!

Stamptacular Sunday = #86 Time for Giving

The Crafty Pad = #98 Red & Green

Copic Creations = #39 Shading Paper Piecing

Bunny Zoes Crafts = #6 Christmas - Anything but a Card

ABC Christmas - X is for Xmas

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the States!!  My family and I are at my Mom's today enjoying a yummy Thanksgiving dinner, taking naps, writing out our Christmas lists and decorating her tree.  That's my family's Thanksgiving tradition and I'm going to enjoy every second of it!!

I am very blessed and have SO MUCH to be Thankful for ... My sweet little family, my health,  my faith, and my friends.  That includes all the the new friendships I've made because of this little blog of mine.  I know that I always say "Thanks for stopping by", but I want you to know just how much I really mean it.  I know that there are millions of blogs out there and I am very thankful that you have come by to visit ME!!  :)  

So THANK YOU from the bottom of my HEART!!!

Wendy

xoxo

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues" - Cicero

WOJ - Distress it!!

Sadly, this is my last challenge with Whiff Of Joy Challenges Design Team.  It's been a lot of fun, not to mention a HUGE honor for me to design for them.  But all good things must come to an end, and now I'll have a little more time to devote to my family and other interests.  

The challenge this fortnight is to DISTRESS IT!  

Perhaps I went a little crazy with this one, but it was SO MUCH FUN!!  I chose some MME papers from my stash and distressed and inked the edges with Vintage Photo.  My image is Fall Willow Catching Leaves stamped with Walnut Stain on PaperTrey Inks' Vintage Cream.

First,  I've always wanted to try stamping flourishes along the outside edges of image like I've seen around blogland.  It just has that added that extra something.  This is my first time trying it and I LOVED IT!!  It turned out so much better than I was expecting.  

Second, I made my own backgound paper with the script a script stamp.  I've had this stamp FOREVER and I've never used it.  I came across it while hunting around in my supplies and thought I should find a way to add this element to the card.  It was stamped with Walnut Stain and then the edges were inked with Vintage Photo

Third, I also made my own paper rosette which was so unbelievably EASY and I was so tickled over how it come out.  I even distressed the edges of my Rosette.  I'm going to have to refrain from adding them to all my cards.  LOL  I added a Making Memories decorative metal brad to the center to finish it off.  

Just in case you've never made one before...

12" strip of paper that is 1 1/2" wide

Cardstock circle about 1" wide

Score at every 1/4"

Accordion fold (like you would to make a fan)

Turn the ends towards each other and glue - Hot glue works best

Glue the circle onto the back of the Rosette to give it stability

Embellish the center

I just love this card because it has three new to me elements....and they turned out!!  LOL  Not a huge fan of the coloring (don't scold me, I know I'm my worst critic) but I could not get the right shade of green no matter how hard I tried.  The DP has a blue/grey green that I could not replicate and it was just starting to turn into a muddy mess so I had to stop and call it  "good enough".

Challenges:

The Crafty Pad = #93 Distressed

Pear Tree Designs = #22 Free For All

Pixie Dust Studio = #44 Fall into Fall

Craftalicious = #10 Anything Goes

Paper Cutz = #63 Anything Goes

Stampin For The Weekend = #49 Halloween/Fall

Totally Paper Crafts = #38 Autumn

Crazy 4 Challenges = #59 Fall/Autumn

Bunny Zoes Crafts = #5 Autumn Love
Cards Addicted = Love Letters (Script/Newspaper)

Copic's Used:

Dress: G99, G94, YG95, C5, C3, BG18 (It's a mess don't try it, LOL)

Skirt/Hat: E43, E42, E41

Apron/Bow: R89, R59, R20

Hair: E49, E29, E47, E57, E59, E35, E31 (Way more than necessary, LOL)

Skin: E11, E00, E50, R20

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Wendy

Recipe:

Stamp: Image -WOJ, Fall Willow Catching Leaves

Stamp: Script - Inkadinkado (Dawn Houser)

Stamp: Flourish - Heidi Grace (Marina Drive)

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo & Walnut Stain)

Paper: PaperTrey Ink (Kraft & Vintage Cream Cardstock)

DP: My Mind's Eye (Wild Asparagus)

Brads: Making Memories

Whiff of Joy Thank You

  We are celebrating our 2nd anniversary this week at the Whiff of Joy challenge blog.  So this week we as a team are saying thank you to so many people: our followers for making the challenge what it is, our past and present design team members for all their beautiful creations and our generous sponsors, Simon Says Stamp and of course Katharina the owner of Whiff of Joy for her continued support of the challenge blog.

 I chose to use Willow with Cookies as my Thank You image.  I've just always thought of "thank you" whenever I've seen this sweet girl offering a big warm plate of yummy cookies.  I also think it would make a great tag attached to some homemade goodies.     Please join us and make your own thank you card using a Whiff of Joy image and you could win a $25 Gift Certificate from Simon Says Stamp.  Make sure to check out the other gorgeous work created by our very talented DT.

Since this is such a special thank you, I really hate that this is one of my least favorite cards ever.  The coloring is just a mess and I really should have recolored this image but I was simply too tired and running short of time so I had to use it. Not to mention the card design just never would turn out the way I was picturing it in my head.  But I do love that big flat bow!!!  I'm going to do more of those.

Sorry no close up....I just didn't like it!!  :(

And I'll update later with the Copic's and the Recipe.  

Again I'm doing this really late, and I need to get to bed!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Wendy

Recipe:

The Last Rays of Summer

 Like most of you, my cards will begin to take on those warmer and deeper earth tone colors with the change of season.  However, here in Florida it's not even close to Autumn, regardless what the calendar says.  But for those of you who have already began to feel the crisp and cooler days of fall; I give you my little Florida girl, soaking up the last rays of summer!!  Isn't her outfit adorable?!?!  Both the butterfly and the half pearls were both originally white.  They were colored to match my card with my Copic markers...don't you just love that you can do that?!?!?  

The Whiff of Joy Challenge Blog's new challenge this week is to use LAYERS.....at least 2.  Come on now, most of us use 2 or more with every card so this challenge will be super duper easy!!  I hope you will come over and play along with us.

Challenges:

Stamptacular Sunday = #75 Distress It
Pile It On = #35 Pile on Layers
Our Daily Bread = #28 Forgotten Embellishments (butterfly)
Color Throwdown = #109 Turquoise, Melon, Pear & Daffodil
Sir Stampalot = September Challenge -All Distressed

Copic's Used:

Hair: E29, E47, E57, E35, Y26, E31, E50

Skin: E11, E00, E50, R00, R20

Jeans: B97, B95, B91

Top: Y26, Y21, Y11, YG17, YG23, YG01, Y16, YR21, G07, YG03, BG0000

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Wendy

Recipe: Stamp: Whiff of Joy (Willow in the Summer Breeze)

Paper: October Afternoon (Thrift Shop)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up (Yo-Yo Yellow), VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Pumpkin Spice)

        Tim Holtz (Vintage Photo)

Nestibilities: Oval and Scalloped Oval

Pearls: Recollections (Colored orange with my copics)

Butterfly: (Unknown - colored orange with my copics)

Attn: Whiff of Joy Fans!!

If you're a Whiff of Joy fan you don't want to miss our challenge this week.  The Whiff of Joy Challenge blog has a faboulous sketch for you AND we are having a DT Call.  Isn't that exciting?!?!?  So ink up those gorgeous WOJ images, enter the challenge for a chance to win a gift certificate to Simon Says Stamp and apply for the DT.

I've used Willow with Flower Basket along with some older MME Wild Asparagus DP.  This card has all the fun elements that I love playing with.  Stitching, Ribbon, Distressing, Border punches, Making my own flowers and ink sponging my sky background.  I gave this card a good distressing and even grunged up the ribbon and bow leaving the frayed edges.  LOVE IT!!!   I don't know why, but anytime I use any image that has been drawn by Elisabeth Bell, I just feel it calls for distressing.  

Challenges:

Lollipop Crafts = #4 Ribbons and Buttons

Bee Crafty = #36 Ribbons n Bows

Stamp Scrap & Doodle = Kraft

Totally Papercrafts = #30 Summer Fun

Stampin for the Weekend = # 45 Anything Goes

Paper Cutz = #55 Anything Goes

Colour Create = #51 Ivory, Duck Egg Blue & One other color (Maroon)

Copic's Used:

Hair: E47, E57, Y26, E50

Skin: E11, E00, E50, R20

Shirt: E43, E42, E50

Jeans: B95, B91, B41

Shoes/Basket: E29, E25, E35, E31

Headband/Sash:  R89, R59, R20

Leafs: G07, YG03

Outline: C1

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!

Wendy

Recipe:

Stamp: Whiff of Joy, Willow with flower basket

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMagic Chalk Ink (Tea Leaves, Aspen Mist), Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)

DP: MME (Wild Asparagus)

Flowers: Cricut (Accent Essentials Cartridge)

Stickles: Scattered Straw

Flowersoft: Heather

Buttons/Ribbon: My stash

Shhh...Baby Sleeping

Today is my first post as part of the Whiff Of Joy Challenge Blog design team!!!!  

(Still can't believe it!!) And the challenge this week is to create a Door Hanger.  

  I was really nervous about this challenge because I'm not a big fan of door hangers, I think I don't like the long shape.   But then I realized that it didn't have to be long....it could be square.  Things went easier for me from there.  LOL  I knew right away that I wanted to use my Willow with Toddler stamp and make a door hanger for a baby's nursery.  I am over the moon happy with how this came out.  

I tried faux stitching again.  This time using a softer surface when piercing the paper and I didn't get a cramp in my hand this time.  I also got to play with my new Bow Easy.  If you don't have one...it's so awesome, easy and fun to use!!!  (You can win one if your one of my followers.  Click here to see my Blog Thank You Candy details that ends August 31st.) I made a sweet little double bow with very long tails to use as my hanger.  The hanger base is heavy weight chipboard covered in cardstock.  The scalloped square was made using my Cricut.  I had meant to distress the paper edges, but remembered only after I had adhered it all down.  :(  I used tiny little half pearls as the button on her gown.

Challenges:

Alphabet Challenge = O is for Ovals

Sentimental Sundays = #15 Anything Goes

Lollipop Crafts = #2 Baby

Raise The Bar = #30 Pearly Whites (Lots of little pearls)

Simple Doodles = #23 Out of the Box

Bee Crafty = #35 All About the Image

Craft Your Days Away = #1 Favorite Things (Fav Color Combo, Fav Baby Stamp)

Bunny Zoe's = #3 Vintage

Papertake Weekly = Something Old, New, Borrowed & Blue
All That Scraps = Die Cuts (Oval Nesties)

Copics Used:

Gown: B95, B91, Colorless Blender

Willows Hair: E57, E35, Y26, E31

Baby's Hair: E35, Y26

Skin: E11, E00, E50, R00

Baby's Clothes: E43, E42, E41

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wendy

Recipe:

Stamp: Whiff of Joy (Willow with toddler)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

DP: MME Wild Asparagus

Cricut Cartridge: Storybook

Nestibilities: Oval & Scalloped Oval

Ribbon: from my stash made using Bow Easy

Accessories: MS Punch (Arch Lattice); Pearls (Recollections); Ticket (Tim Holtz), Dimensionals

Sentiment: Computer generated (Adine Kirnberg)

Somebody Pinch Me!!!

I was asked to join the Whiff of Joy Challenge Design Team !!!

So glad you all can't see the dorky happy dance I've been doing all week!!  :)

Sorry to be so short and sweet today, but I'm trying to get some DT cards done AND get the kids ready to spend the weekend at Nana's!!!  Can't wait to spend some time alone with my hubby!!  :)

Next week I'll have a picture of my blog candy up....I think you're really going to like it!!

(Don't forget to re-sign up to be a follower - that's the only way you can win the blog candy)

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Wendy

Shopping Willow Gift Card Holder

This has got to me one of my most favorite projects ever!!  I really needed a gift card holder that would be large enough for me to use this adorable Wiff of Joy, Shopping Willow stamp that I've been dying to use.  Every template I had was too small for the image.  After I stopped pouting about not having the Stamping Up Top Note die, I got to looking around at what I do have.  I tried different but similar shapes with my Cricut cartridges, but didn't like the results. So I pulled out my new and never used before Nestibilities Label 8 and played around with it until I came up with this!!  

It holds a gift card PERFECTLY!!

Yesterday was my niece's 18th birthday party.  And it gave the family a chance to get together and see her before she leaves for college in a few weeks.  I really wanted a pretty way to present her gift.  And I was so happy with the way it came out, that when I was finished I had a hard time giving it away.  LOL

I used my favorite paper, (DCWV Linen Closet) and also had my image coming out of the frame again.  (That is such a fun technique.)   And I paper pieced her bags and added a little Shimmerz to the tissue paper too.

I'm thinking about doing a tutorial on how I made this gift card holder.  And may also do a tutorial on the image coming out of the frame technique too.  If that sounds like something you'd be interested in seeing, would you PLEASE leave me a comment. 

I tried to color my Willow to look like my Niece.  :)

Copic's Used:

Hair: C9, C7, C5, C3, C1

Skin: E34, E33, E30, RV32

Dress: BG72, BG11, BG10, BG0000

Boots: E43, E42, Y23, E50

Outline/Shadow on bags: C1

Challenges:
Pixie Dust Studio = #32 Gift Card Holder
All That Scraps = Anything but a card
Craftalicious = #4 Birthday
Stampavie = #102 Anything Goes
Whiff Of Joy = #83 and DT Call :)
Paper Romance = #8 Color Challenge (Brown, Teal, White)
Crafty Creations = #77 Happy/Sweet
Creative Inspirations = #39 Anything Goes
Gingersnap Creations = #62 Supplies - Markers
Charisma Cards = #29 Anything but square


Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Wendy
Recipe:
Stamp: Whiff of Joy, Shopping Willow
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: DCWV Linen Closet, PTI Cream Cardstock
Ribbon: American Crafts
Accessories: Nestibilities (Labels 8) Shimmerz (Pixie Dust)