Christmas with a Twist

Yesterday I posted my version of "Holiday Dough" that I made for my family. Here's a card I made for my hubby that is "Holiday Dough" with a twist!

 

 

 The tag with the poem adapted to use with lottery scratch-offs...

 

 

The inside with the lottery scratch-offs...

 

 

The cute gingerbread men from SU's Scentsasional Season were perfect for my card. I loved how it turned out. The twisted card is easy to make and has a big WOW factor. It can be used for giving money or a gift card too. Check here for video instructions for making the twisted card.

Scentsational Christmas

Stampin'Up's Scentsational Season was one of my favorites this Christmas. It was perfect for making the "Holiday Dough" that I saw on Pinterest. Here's my version...

 

 

 Here's a close-up of the bag topper with the poem...

 

 

I made these for my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughters and put them in their stockings. They loved them. It was a fun way to give money.

Party Time!

I am excited to announce that I am a Party Planner aka a member of the Party Time Tuesdays Design Team! PTT is a challenge blog owned by the very talented Jenn Cochran. I've worked with Jenn before on other design teams and I am so happy to be working with her again. If you like doing challenges you'll love PTT . There's a new challenge every Tuesday. Click HERE to hop on over to the blog and check it out. My term starts in January, so be sure to come back join the party with me!

Front/Back Late Birthday

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did...family friends, food and fun! Speaking of friends, I have the best, most talented group of friends that I stamp with. One of my friends, Gloria, lent me her Art Impression front/back stamps to play with. I made this card for Jane, another of my stamping friends. I think she's received it by now so I can post it. Here's the front...

 

 

 Here's the inside. It's hard to see in the photo, but the window is cut out.

 

 

Happy Birthday Jane...a little late. Hope you had a wonderful day!

A Hoedown Birthday Challege

Happy Birthday Tim!

  

The Hambo Hoedown Challenge this week was to make a project to toast ( or roast!) Tim. Tim is the amazing and zany Hambo illustrator, and husband of owner Monica! For your creation, you had to use any Hambo image, rubber or digital, and create a project that showed:

 

    1) burned edges or soot technique OR

2) checkboard or gingham patterns

 

I used Hambo's rubber image Caveman with the sentiment Back Then. I tried to burn just the edges. One corner burned a little too much, but I liked the shape and it inspired my layout. The Bone stamp in the corner is a discontinued Hambo stamp. To make them stand out more, I used a glaze pen on them. I used the last of my animal print ribbon for the perfect embellishiment for my cave-manly card. 

 



Whoo...

I made this card for a Paper Smooches Trends Watch Challenge.  The challenge was to take inspiration from this image. Follow it closely or use it loosely and think of everything in the woods and all woodland creatures!

To make my card I generated the sentiment on my computer, printed it onto the cardstock, and then added the cute Paper Smooches Owl and Branch digi.

 

I've used this layout before and really like it for a clean and simple look. In fact it's from CAS Challenge 171 on SCS. Here's another card I made with this sketch back in May. It uses Hambo Stamps Skunk and It Stinks.

 

 

Caught a Bug?

This week's Hambo Hoedown challenge is all about CIRCLES.  The challenge is to use the digi Cells or any other Hambo image, rubber or digital, and create a project that incorporates circles.  When I saw the sentiment "Caught a Bug?" with the digi image, I knew what I wanted to make...a Get Well Kit. My inspiration came from a kit made by Carolyn King that I saw on her blog, Kings on Paddington. Here's my version using Cells and circles! 

The outside...

The inside (sentiment from Hambo's digi Doghouse Blues) ...

The kit includes tissues, cough drops, chapstick and teabags, all things to help someone with a cold feel better. Add a crossword puzzle book and/or a paperback book and I'm all ready to cheer up any of my friends or family that are under the weather.

Happy Birthday Mom

 Today is my mom's birthday! She turns 91!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

 

 

An Older Challenge

I made this card for an older Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge. I used the free digi Flower Bunch.

 

My inspiration came from this picture...

 

 

I got my color scheme from the rich colors of the plate and fruit. The smooth plate and grid on the fruit cones gave me the idea to add texture  by scoring the background but leaving part of the card smooth for the sentiment. The blackberries gave me the idea for the flower centers. 

This was a great picture with lots of inspiration. I had fun making it and I love how it turned out.

Cool Shades Cupcake

The third week of each month is always a COOL SHADES challenge at Paper Smooches. Here are the colors for this week's challenge...

 

Here's my card using those colors and a  free Cupcake digi from Paper Smooches...

 

 

The sentiment is from the Stampin' Up set Sweet Little Sentiments. I think it's perfect for this cute little cupcake.

Hambo Hoedown

This week at the Hambo Hoedown the challenge is all about watercolor. I decided to use watercolor to make a background for my card. The technique is call Watercolor Wash Background and you can find the directions at the Techniques Zone. Basically you scribble water based markers on a non-stick surface. (I used wax paper) and spritz over it with water. Then place your cardstock on top of the water spritzed marker colors and rub gently with your fingertips to make your background. Here's my card...

I was going to water color the image too, but decided to paper piece it instead. I think it looks better against the background. I used Hambo rubber stamps Duck Umbrella and Sunshine & Happiness. This was a fun challenge and I tried a new to me technique!

Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge

 

I've discovered a new stamp company...Paper Smooches. Their stamps are so cute. I see an order in my furure! Paper Smooches also has weekly challenges. I decided to play along with the sketch challenge for this week. Since I don't own any Paper Smooches stamps yet, I used some free digi stamps that they offer. Here's the the sketch...

Here's my card...

I flipped the sketch and used the free digi Sun and sentiment Hello-Sunshine. Check out Paper Smooches stamps and challenges. You'll love them.

Hoedown #84

It's sketch week at the Hoedown! Here's the sketch...

Here's my card...

I used Hambo's Halloween Checklist. Here's a close up of the list...

 

 

This is exactly what happens at my house, so now hubby hides the candy until Halloween night!

Hambo Blog Hop

Welcome to "Broadway Bound!" sponsored by Hambo Stamps! Today Hambo customers and the Bacon Bits Design Team are bringing you fun creations that depict Broadway show titles! It might be our favorite, or just one that was fun to design. If you arrived here from Deanne's blog you are in the right place! If not, you might want to start back at the beginning at the Hambo blog to make sure you are eligible for the hopper prize!

 A prize will be awarded to one participant whose Broadway-themed creation  tickles the Bacon Bits’ fancy in a hammin’ jammin’ way!  Another prize will be awarded randomly to a hopper who comments on all of the blogs along the way. The winners will  be announced on the Hambo company blog, Talk to the Ham, on Tuesday, September 25. We love comments anytime, but the deadline for prize entry comments is Sunday, September 23 at 5 PM CST. Don't miss it!

My card depicts the musical The Full Monty. The Full Monty is about six unemployed steelworkers who decide to present a strip act at a local club after seeing their wives' enthusiasm for the Chippendales. They declare that their show will be better than the Chippendale dancers because they'll go "the full monty" — strip all the way!

I used one of my favorite Hambo stamps, Flasher. I just love this guy in his trench coat! Today he's not flashing. He's in the spotlight dancing and going "the full monty"! I thought the sentiment What's Up? was perfect to make this card a little on the naughty side!

Hope you enjoyed the show. It's not over yet. Dance over to Loll's blog for another great Broadway hit!

I'm Back at the Hoedown!

I didn't plan to take the summer off, but I was so busy that I just didn't get around to stamping & posting. It was a great summer though...time with my granddaughters, time at the beach and an amazing time with my family on an Alaskan cruise! Now that things are back to normal, whatever normal is, I hope to get my mojo back & start stamping!

I've really missed playing at the Hoedown with the Bacon Bits so I'm glad that I had a chance to play this week in the Hambo Hoedown Challenge #82 - Show Us Your Gifts. The challenge is to use a Hambo image, rubber or digi, to show your gifts...so anything goes!

I love to make special fold cards, so I made a pop up card for the challenge. My card was inspired by LeeAnn Greff's card that you can see here. I used Party Sheep and Get This Party Started to show my "gifts", which are inside of my pop up card too!

Here's the front

Here are my "gifts".

It was fun dancing at the Hoedown. Stop back on Friday to see what I made for Hambo's "Broadway Bound" Blog Hop.

Locked Out!!

I have not been posting because I've had all kinds of problems signing into Google! Hopefully all is fixed! I'm planning on posting this week & next then it's off on a cruise to Alaska. I started packing today. Looking for a new camera. I want a digital, but not a SLR.  Anyone have any suggestions?

Time to Go Home

Vacation is over! Heading home tomorrow. I'll miss the beach, but it will be nice to get back to some stamping.

A Whimsie DOOdle BlOg HOp

Thanks for stopping by and joining in the blog hop. My card was inspired by my recent mini vacation. Can you guess where I went? (and I'm going back next week!)

I used Beach Hat Ava to create my beach scene card. The waves and sentiment are from a retired Lizzie Anne Designs set called Shore Thoughts and the sand castle is a High Hopes stamp.

Now visit all of the following blogs (in no particular order) and retrieve a special letter from each one. Check my blog title to guess my letter. Then unscramble the letters to make a 3 word phrase!  The phrase will be your special discount code for the Whimsie Doodles store and this super cute image will be yours! The code will be good until midnight Friday!

Visit these Divas to collect your letters and see some super inspiring projects!

Emily

Julie

Kim

Laura

Marlene

Melyssa

Min

Nikki

*Paula * - You are here!
My letter is O (in case you didn't figure it out)

Hoedown Time

Back from the beach just in time to play at the Hambo Hoedown. This week's challenge is to make a black & white card. I used one of my favorite images, Skunk.  Here's my card...

The sentiment is also a Hambo stamp called It Stinks. It's perfect for this image and for a fun late birthday card.

Other challenges:

Stamp N Plus Scrap N Challenge #1 - Black & White

Whimsie Doodle News

It's time for some new Whimsie Doodle images! It's the June release with some cute images just in time for summer. Here's my card made with the adorable little girl eating watermelon called Yummy.

Click {HERE} to go to the Whimsie Doodles website to see the other images and add them to your collection, today!

Whimsie Doodle Catch-up!

I've been neglecting my Whimsie Doodle images lately...so many images, so little time! LOL! Anyway here are a two cards I made with a few of the May images...just a few days late!!

The first one used the Flowers image along with a paper piercing pattern from Fred She Said.

The next one uses Buzz in the Air. It's hard to see in the photo but I used a Friskar's honeycomb texture plate to emboss the background (click on it to see it better). It looks just like a beehive!

Be sure to check back in a few days and see the new images in the June release...very cute and summery!

 

It's time for the biggest blog hop on the internet! Operation Write Home holds this blog hop every year and it is always full of great inspiration. OWH is a wonderful organization that sends cards to our soldiers for them to use in corresponding with their loved ones.

The challenge for the hop is to make a card using one of OWH's sketches. I used sketch #81 flipped upside down. Here's my card...

I used an image from Hambo Stamps Hop Art Designs called Trena with Heart . Proceeds from sales of the images in this collection  benefit Operation Write Home by helping with postage and supplies. The paper piercing design is from Fred She Said. My card also fits this week's Hambo Hoedown challenge to use paper piercing.

Have fun visiting the blogs this weekend. I'm sure you'll be amazed. Enjoy the holiday and remember to thank our Veterans and their families for their service past and present.

It Stinks!

Today's Clean and Simple challenge on SCS is a sketch challenge inspired by DT member Tilly. You can see her card here.  Here's mine...

Last time I used Hambo's Skunk I couldn't seem to get him as dark black as I wanted. Duh!! He needed embossing! Isn't it funny how we sometimes forget some of the basic techniques? Well the embossing really made him pop! I stamped the first part of the sentiment from Hambo's It Stinks three times on the left and the rest of the sentiment on the right. My favorite part is the mini clothespin I found in my embellishment stash. Isn't it perfect for holding his cute little nose? I love how this turned out! I think I need to make more CAS cards!

Channel Surfing with Hambo Stamps!

Welcome to the "Channel Surfing" Blog Hop sponsored by Hambo Stamps! Today Hambo customers and the Bacon Bits Design Team are bringing you fun creations that depict TV show titles! It might be our favorite show, or just one that was fun to design. If you arrived here from Sandy's blog you are in the right place! If not, you might want to start back at the beginning at the Hambo blog, Talk to the Ham, to make sure you are eligible for the hopper prize!

A prize will be awarded to one participant whose TV-themed creation tickles the Bacon Bits’ fancy in a hammin’ jammin’ way! Another prize will be awarded randomly to a hopper who comments on all the blogs along the way. The winners will be announced on the Hoedown blog, as well as on the Hambo company blog, Talk to the Ham, on Wednesday, May 23.

So which came first...the TV title or the stamp? For me it was the stamp. One of my favorite Hambo stamps is Skunk . I love the expression on his face! The sentiment that goes with it Phew and Far is perfect to depict the TV show Friends.

But who can do just one? In fact a I heard that a certain Bacon Bit did three! I used Ballerina Hippo and Tutu-ly Fun to make my other TV inspired card. See if you can guess the show.

Dancing with the Stars!!

Now for a chance to win a prize, leave a little luv and then dance on over to Carolyn's blog for another great TV show!

Caveman Love!

The challenge this week at the Hambo Hoedown is to use Monster Yell, or any Hambo image, and the posted sketch to create a project. Here's the sketch...

and here's my card using Caveman and Me Love You ...

 

The animal print ribbon that I found in my stash was the inspiration for the color scheme of orange, yellow and dark brown. Besides I thought it worked perfectly with Caveman! Let's see your take on the challenge. Remember you can use any Hambo image.

REMINDER!!! Upcoming Blog Hop!!

We have a fun customer-inclusive blog hop coming up on Friday! Our jammin’ theme is “Channel Surfing.” Participants will use a Hambo image to create a project that represents and depicts a TV SHOW title! Be sure to visit each blog and leave some luv...you might win a prize!

Hi From Emma

 My name is Emma Riley. I've been doing crafts since I was little. Now I'm 9 years old. I like to craft with my Nana aka Hey Hey Paula! My favorite crafts are drawing and painting. I make cards with my Nana. Here are some cards that I made.

I used the Cuttlebug to cut the shapes and to make the design on the turtle card. The turtle card is for my friend Sydney for her birthday. The duck card is for my teacher. I hope you like my cards.

THAT'S IT!

Tutu-ly Fun

This week's Hambo Hoedown Challenge is flowers, flowers , flowers! The challenge is to use Catching Butterflies, or any Hambo image,  to create a project with flowers! For my card I used the adorable 1722 Ballerina Hippo and 1521 Tutu-ly Fun sentiment.

I used an old SCS sketch, # 184. I paper pierced around the large square and in the corners. I'd planned  to pierce around the smaller squares too, but forgot.  The DSP, the tutu, and Hippo's eyelashes have some glitter on them, so IRL this cards SPARKLES!

My hubby has planned a PopPop day with each of our granddaughters. Tomorrow is Emma's day and next Monday is Aislinn's turn. I think this is the perfect card to give to Emma tomorrow .Now I'd better get busy and make one for Aislinn!

Reminders!!

Sign up for Hambo's Surfing the Channels Blog Hop! Details here.

Hambo is having a design team call. Details here

Hambo Happenings

It's not too late too late to get a free digi stamp from Hambo Stamps. Just make a card using any Hambo image and the color scheme orange, purple and hot pink! I used Hambo's #2514 Chick Tower...

Hop on over to the Hoedown and join in the fun. You might win a free digi. Click here for details.

I've also submitted my card to Party Time Tuesdays Challenge to use two or more ribbons.

Hambo Stamps is having a customer Blog Hop

The theme is “Channel Surfing.” Using any Hambo image, either rubber or digital, create a project that represents and depicts a TV SHOW title! Maybe it’s your favorite program, or maybe it’s one that you don’t even like! Whatever it is, we want to see your TV Show creations!

The hop is scheduled for Friday, May 18, and is set to go live at 7:00 AM CST. All blog hop posts must stay at the top of the page for that whole day. A prize will be awarded to the customer whose TV-themed creation tickles the Bacon Bits’ fancy in a hammin’ jammin’ way! The winner will be announced on the Hoedown blog, as well as on the Hambo blog on Wednesday, May 23.

If you are interested in participating, please email Judy at hambodesignteam@gmail.com by 11:00 PM CST on Wednesday, May 9. Sample blog copy for the hop will be available after you sign up, if you desire to use it.

Come channel surf with us.

Winner!

The Cutting Cafe Blog Hop winner is Amy Jones! Amy wins the Summer Fun Printable Stamp Set. Congratulations Amy! I sent you an email telling you how to claim your prize. Thanks everyone for all of your nice comments. I hope you'll stop by again sometime.

Card Cupids

I'm very honored & proud to be one of Card Cupids' guest designers for April. Card Cupids, with the help of numerous volunteers, provides Card Cuddle Care Packages to children in hospitals, foster care, and homeless shelters as well as children facing difficulties, regardless of their economic background. If you'd like to learn more about this wonderful organization and how you can support their efforts check HERE.

Card Cupids also has a Birthday Bundles Program that provides ongoing support to a homeless shelter in the Northern Virginia area. They provide each birthday child with a goodie bag filled with a bundle of cards and a new toy, game, or book.

Here are two of the cards that I designed for Card Cupids for their birthday project. The first one uses a cute image from Whimsie Doodles called Birthday Turtle.

This one uses Silly Monkey from Hambo Stamps.

I'll be sending both of these cards to Card Cupids, along with some others that I've made.

Thank you Card Cupids for the wonderful job that you do and for choosing me as a guest designer.

I am also submitting my Silly Monkey card to Party Time Tuesday's Anything Goes + Kraft challenge.

Hoedown Recyle Challege

I bought this craft frame on clearance for 50 cents. Actually I bought 2 planning to let my granddaughters color them. Well it never happened and they've outgrown coloring premade projects. They would much rather use my stamps and stuff and design their own. Yeah!! So they've been in my stash for ages...perfect for this week's Hoedown challenge to use Goat or any Hambo image and a sentiment to create a project that incorporates something recycled.

Here's my desk calendar made from the recycled craft frame...

Wouldn't checking this calendar for the date give you a chuckle?

When I saw this sentiment that comes with Goat digi, I knew it would also go perfectly with Ham on the Run.  This little piggie and his cute smile and bare butt just crack me up!

It was easy to turn this frame into a base for a desk calendar. I sawed off the crayon point sticking out on the side so both sides were straight. Then sanded the edges and sponged the edges with Old Olive ink. I added papers, calendar (thanks, Angie), felt flower recycled from a birthday decoration, and ribbon along with the image and sentiment.

Check your stash. I KNOW you have something you can recycle. Then come over and play with us at the Hoedown.

I've also submitted my desk calendar in the Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Time or Steampunk...a calendar is time, right?

Fun Background

I enjoy doing SCS challenges but haven't try one recently, so I decided to do the Ways to Use It Challenge today. The challenge was to Get Inky by using reinkers. There are quite a few techniques for using reinkers in the Resources forum on SCS. I decided to try the Rolling Marble Background because it reminded me of rolling marbles in paint and then on paper which I used to do with my preschool classes. Basically it's the same thing except you use reinkers instead of paint. I changed the technique a little because I didn't have any marbles. I raided my hubby's golf bag and used golf balls instead! So here's my fun background for a fun-gal!

I love this punny stamp and sentiment. They're Hambo Stamp's 2902 Mushrooms and 2909 Real Fun-gal. There's also a sentiment for Real Fungi. I also used the spotlighting technique for the first time. I think it worked well and added just the pop of color needed for this fun-gal!