Birthday Elegance

Hello! I hope your week is shaping up well--only 2 more days til tgif! My card today is for 5 challenges:
 My Craft Spot Monday Challenge #45, BIRTHDAY SHAPED CARDS! Wow, you should totally check out their blog! The DT has some supah cute shaped birthday cards that truly inspire and send your creative mind spinning!
The Paper Shelter Challenge # 52- ADD A SENTIMENT! Ooolala, these ladies make some fancy cards! I love the Paper Shelters stamps but sadly, I yet to own any. However, this blog encourages all peeps to join in the fun anyway, so cool!
Paper Sundaes Challenge #108- BIRTHDAYS! My second entry for this challenge, with Birthday as the theme I had to submit it here too Yippee!
Craft Your Days Away Challenge #39- PAPER PIECING! Be sure to check out this one just for the super fun challenge or if you're interested in applying for the CYDA Design Team--there's an open call!!
Card Makin Mamas Challenge #39- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! This is my first time playing at Card Makin Mama's! These ladies are fun, creative and super inspiring!
I decided to work with my Cricut to create some fancy flourishes and scrolls as well as the base of the card's shape.  I don't have any nesties, big dies or anything like that so my Cricut serves as my only tool to create a look similar to those I see all over that I'm so in love with.  Still working with old flower stickers (here Anna Griffen) and dies to substitue true primas and expensive fabric flowers lol. Hey, that's why were called paper crafters and scrappers right?! ;)

 Stamp set Gina K. Designs- Sent With Love

My birthday cake is paper pieced!

Thank you for visiting me! Have a wonderful evening friends! New Survivor tonight, woot! woot! :)

A Shabby-Chic Spring Birthday

Hello friends, I hope your weekend has been a wonderful one...before the grind begins yet again! ;) I got a late start to my craft room today but once I gazed at all the awe inspiring creations from the design team ladies of the 5 challenges I've entered at the end of my post, I had get crafty too! Hope you click on the links to play along--there's just so much stunning inspiration, fun challenges and goodies too! Gotta love it :) Also, I've been itching to ink up my brand new My Creative Time "Hello Spring" stamp set, one of Miss Emma's most sensational stamp sets to date--- so here it is!

 I'm actually quite pleased with my card because I've been in awe of many ladies cards I've seen lately that have this amazing shabby-chic feel and seem to be chocked full of glorious flowers, ribbons and gorgeous trims, lace and have an all-around beautiful vintage-style feel to them. But my budget is tight at the moment and I'm not able to splurge on all of these lovely, yet expensive embellishments--soooo I decided to try to create my own with supplies I already have--and Lord knows I have enough! I used some Fresh Cuts images from Rebecca Sower that I've had for seriously, like 10 years for my flowers. I had some kind of fun distressing and sponging the flowers and leaves and tried to create more dimension with buttons, brads, lace trim and twine.

I'm trying hard to improve my coloring skills and along with my limited budget (ugh, I hate that word lol) I have a limited amount of Copic markers, which can make blending difficult when creating that look you really want with depth and dimension. So I'm working with what I have right now and after watching Annika Ryan's coloring tutorials over at Kenny K. Downloads, I tried to apply some of her tips, which I've accomplished at only a very elementary level. Annika is a master at coloring, a true artist, and she explains the the process with easy-to-follow steps as she's coloring an image, showing each copic color (this is how I know that I need ALOT more Copics! Lol) Anyway, she's just amazing and so humble--she actually says during her tutorial that her way isn't necessarily the right way and someone else's is probably much better......pshhhh WHATEVA!!! If you wanna watch a master at work, check her out--just sayin cus I learned alot just by watching those and I stink at coloring! But practice makes perfect, I suppose! :) I really enjoyed creating my card today, I found it very soothing and I hope you have enjoyed taking a peek too!

Chicks in egg from MCT Hello Spring, Birthday sentiment from MCT All Around Birthday. You can't really see it in the picture, but the chicks are attached with homemade "wiggle wire" and adds a lil extra fun. I made my first wiggle wire card recently using Amy's blog "Love To Crop" and her wonderful Wiggle Wire Tutorial. Totally addicted now! :D You should visit Amy's blog for some supah sweet inspiration, she rocks my crafty world!

I've entered this card into the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes Challenge #108- BIRTHDAYS!

 Card And Scrap flow challenge #26-BUTTONS

Crafter's Companion #21-ANYTHING GOES

Repeat Impressions DCC215 Designer's Choice Challenge-LEFTOVERS!

Truly Scrumptious Challenge #74- All Things Great and Small

Thanks for stopping by my blog and I'm sorry for the long ramblings tonight lol!!! Big Hugs and Crafty Dreams to all!!! xoxo

Winter Blues and Sundae Bar

Hi, here's a card I made for 2 blog challenges that are new to me and I want to share the info in the hopes that you might play along too because I just had so much fun

Paper Sundaes challenge #107

"This week we have opened the "Sundae Bar".  Our toppings include the colour cream, blue, distressing,

and pearls.  To play along you just need to use at least two of the four toppings!  If you prefer, you can use three or even all four!"

The Paper Shelter Challenge Blog challenge #51 "Winter Blues"

"We want you to use one of The Paper Shelter's images on your card and if you do you will  receive the whole amount of $20. But even if you dont you will still receive 3 digi images of your own choice!"

Since I don't yet own any TPS digi images, I decided to ink up one of my very favorite images from the Sweet Kids stamp set by Crafty Secrets. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and win my first TPS images, hehe! I have to give a shout to one of my dearest blogging friends Stacy (aka: Twinshappy) for sending me that lovely ice blue satin ribbon, which I cherish so much, I rarely use it lol! I think it's so pretty and perfect for this wintery card. Luv you Stacy! I cuttled the blue base with divine swirls embossing folder, dp is Basic Grey, diamond stickles, Jolee's snowflakes and pearl accents for my "sundae" toppings. Images base sponged in SU! bashful blue.  Thanks so much for visiting me, hope you have a wonderful and creative day!