It's almost Halloween!

It's time for our Halloween challenge over at Dream Valley this week!  Normally I don't send any Halloween cards, but it is a good excuse to play with a fun color combination!

I have used black and brown inks on this orange paper to try to create a spooky halloween card.  The skull is from Stampin' Up set From the Crypt and the sentiment is from Close to My Heart's set Wicked.

I love the pictures that my eight year old took of this as well.  I thought they really fit the card and helped create that spooky look!

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:
Catch the Bug - Bingo (ribbon, orange, players choice-sponging)
A Gem of a Challenge - Spooky
Ribbon Carousel - fall/halloween

Please play along with our challenge at Dream Valley, and have a great week!

Buttons, buttons, buttons!

Good morning crafters!  Today at Dream Valley we have a new challenge!  We would like to see buttons on your creations!  Our challenge is sponsored by Freckled Fawn!  One lucky winner will receive a $20 Gift certificate to their online store!

For my project I have made a flower pot card!  The directions for this card can be found HERE on Splitcoaststampers.  

The solid color paper is from my stash, but I believe it is all from Stampin' Up.  The patterned paper is from K&Company and the buttons are from my mom!  Thanks Mom!

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Flowers

Delicious Doodles - shaped cards

Don't forget to play in our challenge at Dream Valley!  I can't wait to see your button creations!

Autumn Challenge at Dream Valley!

Welcome back to Crafts and Cravings!  It has been way too long since I have posted here!  It has been a busy time back to school and work.  Between that and my kids' sports schedules I have been BUSY!  We had our first craft fair this weekend.  While it wasn't a great showing, we at least made back out table fee and got some idea of what people are looking at this year!

To get you in the crafty spirit we have an Autumn challenge at Dream Valley!  Get your creative juices flowing and come and join us!  One lucky winner will get a $20 gift certificate to THE PAPER SHELTER!  Awesome!

For my card I have used some paper from Close to My Heart, a sentiment from Stampscapes, and some ribbon from my stash.  I hope you enjoy the season!  I'll see you again soon!

Eekk, I'm late!

I can't believe I totally forgot to write up my post!  Ahhh!  It's been a little busy lately, with the kids going back to school, new baseball teams starting, and me going back to work that it totally slipped my mind!

Good news is that the card was ready!  Phew.

Today at Dream Valley Challenges we are challenging you to make a card for a child.  My card uses two Stampin' Up sets.  It's a fairly simple card with the image being colored with water colors.

Unfortunately the lighting was pretty poor when I tried to photograph it, so it seems fairly dark.  I need some suggestions on how to photograph indoors in the evening....

It's going to be a busy week here, I hope you all enjoy yours!  Don't forget to play along with our challenge at Dream Valley!

Monochrome

I can't believe that two weeks have gone by already!  Where is the summer going?  We are already in August, and I am not ready for the kids to go back to school yet!!!

Okay, rant over.  At Dream Valley Challenges today our challenge is to make a card or a project that is monochromatic.  I especially like making monochromatic cards when I use my Stampscapes stamps.  The scenes lend themselves so well to a single color scheme.

Here I have used Stampscapes stamps:  Lakeside Cove, Reeds Lg, Oak Branch Sm.

Oh, by the way, when you enter our monochome challenge at Dream Valley you will be entered to win free digis from Robyn's Fetish!

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:

Stampin' With the Dragon - one color

Brown Sugar - Anything goes

HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR SUMMER!

Baseball....

I have to say that this is the perfect timing for this challenge and the card I made for it!  The challenge at Dream Valley Challenges is to create something having to do with your "Summer Days."  My card is about baseball....

You probably haven't seen me blogging much recently because it's been a little crazy around here!  At one point we were going in all directions because between my two kids there was 4 different teams that they were on!  Eeek!  My daughter made the U8 All-Star Softball team which ended up getting second place in the state tournament!  My son made the U10 All-Star Baseball team and are still playing with a current record of 9 wins and 5 losses.  They have one more tournament to go.....and then swim lessons and fall baseball and soccer starts! Oh boy.

So anyway, my card is about baseball, which is how my summer days have been!  It works out wonderfully because our sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo Stamps!

One random winner will get to choose their own digis with $21 to work with!  Awesome!

My card uses Gus Baseball from Bugaboo Stamps.  You can find it HERE.  

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles - Summer Time

Kitty Bee Designs - Summer

Dream it up - Summertime, Sparklers, and S'mores

Happy Campers - Summer

HAVE A GREAT WEEK, AND KEEP ON SWINGING, OH, I MEAN STAMPING!!!

Early Christmas

Good morning everyone!  We have a new challenge for you over at Dream Valley today.  This fortnight's challenge is to make your own flowers and/or embellishments.  

I have used an image that I had colored a while ago (try 6+ months lol) when I was using some watercolors. You all know that I don't use a lot of flowers or embellishments on my cards, but I thought that this image needed a little something.  

I used a cricut cartridge from Close to My Heart and cut out two flower patterns.  The flowers then had to be rolled and held together with some glue dots.  I found glue dots to be the easiest this time around because the flower was so small and glue dots don't ever let go!

The next step was to use some Cherry Splash from A-muse Studios.  No, I'm not brand specific, I'm an equal opportunity crafter! LOL  I topped the flowers and the image off with a little bit of glitter.

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:

Crimbo Crackers - Christmas + how long?

DRS Designes - Letter B - Bird

Cute Card Thursday - fly like a bird

Ruby's Rainbow - things with wings

Have a great week!  Happy crafting!

Father's Day/For a Man

Hello!  It's been a long time since I have blogged!  We have a new challenge today at Dream Valley.  In honor of Father's Day the challenge is Father's Day, or something for a man.  

I have to say I did the for a man bit!  This is a thank you scrapbook page that I made for my daughter's softball coach.  I won't show you the signatures, but all of the girls signed the back.  Sorry for the picture, I was trying something new with a tripod and ended up cutting off the top!

I also wanted to say a very Happy Birthday to my daughter!  

I hope you have a great week, and please play along at Dream Valley!

Good morning!

Today at Dream Valley we have an animal challenge!  It can be any type of a project, but it has to have an animal on it!

Our sponsor for this challenge is Robin's Fetish:

For my project I have made a Stampscapes scene and colored it in with my copics.  This was done on regular white paper where I usually have my Stampscapes scenes on glossy. I wanted to see if copics were conducive making a nice scene.  What I decided is that the color schemes work really well with it, but I really prefer the glossy scene as it really makes the colors pop.  

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:

The House That Stamps Built - masculine card

One Stop Craft Challenge - Anything goes

Our Creative Corner - anything goes

I hope you have a great week and can join in our challenge over at Dream Valley!

Toes in the water, toes in the sand....

Love that song!  The challenge at Dream Valley is NO SQUARES ALLOWED.  Yup, you need to have a card or project that isn't a square or a rectangle.

I am so very much enjoying the warm weather we are having!  So much so that I wanted to share a beach scene with you!  This image is from Saturated Canary called Toes in the Sand.  I was trying to come up with something that wasn't too normal of a card for me, so I chose to use a scalloped half-circle cut from a cricut cartridge from Close to My Heart (thanks Di for letting me borrow it!).  The green patterned paper panel was cut using the big shot with a spellbinders die.  I was going to add more details and bling to it once it was all adhered, but decided to let the image speak for itself.  She just looks so bold, beautiful and confident!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

The House that Stamps Built - Shaped cards

Di's Digi Designs - Anything but square
Totally Papercrafts - Don't be square

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing this week, make it a good one!

Things with Wings at Dream Valley!

Well it seems that spring has finally decided to make an appearance around our parts!  I'm so excited!  In celebration of that we at Dream Valley would love to see wings on your project.  Things with wings is the official title.  Our sponsor for this winged challenge is Digital Delights with Louby Loo:

For my card I decided to do some emboss resist.  I embossed using one of my favorite Stampin' Up sets called Doodle This.  The flowers on the background are embossed in clear and then sponged over using Tempting Turquoise ink.  The finished product was also backed in tempting turquoise and then mounted on a white card.  

After finishing the layers it was time to add the wings!  I punched out these cute butterflies and glittered them up!  The butterflies are only adhered to the card by their bodies which allows the wings to elevate off of the card to add some dimension.

I hope you run on over to the Dream Valley blog and leave my awesome teammates some love!  Their creations are just SWEET!

Have a great week!

Birthday Challenge at Dream Valley

This week at Dream Valley our challenge is to make a birthday card or project.  Bugaboo Stamps is our sponsor for the challenge.  The lucky winner will receive seven digi images of their choice!

For my card I have used a Bugaboo image called Gus Birthday Recount.

Head on over Dream Valley to check out the rest of the design team's creations! 

I would like to add this to the following challenges:

Bugaboo - anything goes

One Stop Craft Challenge - birthday 

Have a great week!

My kind of vintage....

Here is a card I made a few weeks back while I was digging through some older stamps. This fence from Art Impressions is such a versatile image and I thought it would be a great accompaniment to the old truck from Stampin' Up.  I stamped them together to make a scene and used watercolor crayons and a blender pen to color them.  I really wanted the image to stand out so I kept it a simple background with earth tones to compliment the coloring.

This was a just for fun card, so I hope you like it!  Because this is such a long card, be sure to click on it to get the full view.  Blogger just wouldn't let me format it any larger and still fit on my post! 

I would like to add this to the following challenges:

Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Boys Only

Wags 'n Whiskers - Go green

Creative Corner Challenges - Go green

Card Makin' Mamas - Green

Pause Dream Enjoy - For the Boys

Creative Inspirations Paint - Green

Art Impressions - Anything Goes

Have a great day!

Mother's Day in the UK

Good morning!  I hope everyone is having a great weekend!  I know I am!  The temperature was in the 50's yesterday and the whole family went out ice fishing.  Unfortunately, I ended up with a sunburn, but we caught some fish so everyone was happy!

Here's a picture of my 10 year-old...the boy that is, not the fish! LOL

And my 7 year-old:

Okay, on to crafting!  The card I have for you today is a Mother's Day card.  Mother's Day isn't until May in the States, but in the UK it is this month, hence the challenge at Dream Valley this time is Mother's Day!

This card idea actually came about when I was cutting out flowers for another card.  I love that one project can come from another.

I hope you can join us at Dream Valley and play along in our Mother's Day challenge.  One lucky player will win a prize from FRECKLED FAWN!  Be sure to check them out HERE!

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:
Joanna Sheen - Mum's the word
Crazy 4 Challenges - use the negative of your die cut
Totally Gorjuss - Mum

Have a great week!  I hope to be back later in the week to show you some scenic stamping I have been doing!

Ribbon and Bling at Dream Valley

Good morning!  It has been a long time since I have updated my blog, but at the moment I am only on one design team and haven't had the time to make any cards just for fun.  Boohooo.... I am hoping to get crafty here soon and work on some CAS cards and some scenic stamping.  

Speaking of hoping, or is that hopping?  I have this cute frog here for you today!  I have used Meljen's Frog Prince for my card for the Ribbons and Bling Challenge we are having at Dream Valley this fortnight!

Here is the card:

I'm loving the bright colors, bring on spring!  LOL  Don't forget to check out our sponsor for this challenge:  Crafty Ribbons.  The lucky winner of the challenge will receive a bag of ribbon!

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:

Art Impressions - Show me the love (hearts)

Meljen's - All you need is love

Have a great week!

Meljen's Valentine for Dream Valley

Good morning!  Today at Dream Valley Challenges we are sponsored by Meljen's Designs!  They have given us (the DT) some awesome images to play with!  I have chosen to use String of Hearts for my Valentine's Day Card.  Oh yeah, did I tell you?  The challenge is Valentine's Day!  LOL  I'll get all the info in one of these times!

Here's my card:

I printed this digi large and colored it in with purple Copics.  I found the purple heart gems in my bling box and added some sheer ribbon to the ribbon on the digi.  It's hard to see it, but the dark purple background is dry embossed.  There's also glitter on the swirls and around the hearts, and crystal effects on the middle heart. 

Have a great week!

Show us your sketch at Totally Stampalicious

I can't believe another week has gone by!  Totally Stampalicious has another challenge for you.  This week we would love to see your favorite go-to sketch.  Show us the sketch, then show us your card.  

I have to confess, I don't usually use sketches.  I don't have a favorite.  I do however, have a whole board dedicated to them on Pinterest!  LOL  I decided to look at those and pick my favorite to show you.  Here it is, from Sweet Sunday Sketch:

And here is my card:

I have used Stella Peeker Another Drink that you can find HERE at the Totally Stampalicious store.  I have of course tweeked the sketch a little bit.  I decided not to have the banner/ribbon down the middle of the card, and I have also added some buttons.

I would like to add this to the following challenge:
Joanna Sheen - 3papers 2embellishments 1image

I hope you are able to play along with us this week, I'm looking forward to seeing all these new sketches!

Paper Piecing at Totally Stampalicious

Good morning and happy Monday to you!  The kids have a day off of school today, so we are working on cleaning their rooms and making the place spic and span!  I am happy to have gotten caught up on paperwork and errands this weekend, so if we can get the house clean then I will be ahead of the game!  Go me! LOL

Monday means it is time for another challenge at Totally Stampalicious!  This week we would like to see some paper piecing on your card.  I love this new set Stella Wine, and the first thing I said when I saw it was that it would be awesome for paper piecing.  Stella didn't let me down! LOL  Doesn't she look amazing!

I would love to add this to the following challenges:

Bugaboo Bingo - No DP, Bugaboo Image, starts with P (polka dots)

Alphabet Challenge - Y is for yummy

Sweet Pea - CAS no embellishments

Don't forget that all stamps are currently $5 in the Totally Stampalicious Store!  Get them while they last!

I hope everyone has a Stampalicious Monday and a wonderful week!

Girls, girls, girls at Dream Valley!

Good morning!  We have another challenge for you at Dream Valley Challenges.  This week we are looking for a girl's theme.  I have chosen to make a card with flowers, because every girl loves flowers now and again;  at least I do!

Make sure you check out our sponsor for this challenge:  Robyn's Fetish!  Robyn's Fetish has donated five digis to the winner!  Awesome!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Stampin' Up French flair, Delight in Life; sentiment from Stampscapes

Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Paper:  Stampin' Up Confetti Cream, White

I would like to add this to the following challenges:

AllSorts - flower power

Card Crafters Circle - layers

Favorite 3-color combo!

It's a Totally Stampalicious Monday!  Thanks to all who participated in our new release blog hop last week!  Be sure to check the blog to see if you are a winner!  Today's challenge is to show us your favor three color combination.

My color combo is light blue, pink and gray.  For my card I am using one of the new release stamp sets.  This one is called Balloon Critters and you can find it HERE in the Totally Stampalicious store.

I stamped and colored this cutie with copics first.  Next step was to use an embossing pen and heat emboss what I had colored in clear.  I made two masks for clouds out of scrap paper and sponged in the blue sky.  I mounted the panel to straight white because I didn't want to detract from the image.

I would like to add this card to the following challenges:

Quirky Challenges - something new with pink (new stamp, pink balloon)

The Squirrel and the Fox - anything goes

Addicted to CAS - embossing

Check it out!

Bugaboo Stamps is having a blog hop!!!!  Totally Stampalicious is one of the stops, so make sure you pop on over, join in, and comment for a chance to win prizes!

Here's a little card to get you started:

Have a great weekend!

Welcome to the 6th Stop of the Totally Stampalicious January New Release Blog Hop!  

If you came here from Lori's blog you are on the right track.  If not then make sure you start at the beginning on the Totally Stampalicious blog so you don't miss any stops!

Totally Stampalicious is releasing four new stamp sets from the Bugaboo Stamp line by the amazingly talented Jodie Mackrell!!  That's not it, however!  We always have prizes!  

1st Prize:  All four new sets!

2nd Prize:  $15 gift certificate

3rd Prize:  $5 gift certificate

Make sure you comment on all of the blogs in the hop for a chance to win!

The new sets that I will be showing you are :

Super Dottie

Johnny Guitar

Now head on over  to Joanne's blog to see her beautiful  creations!

Here's the whole line-up in case you lose your way:

Totally Stampalicious

Laurie

Angel

Leanne

Lori

Kendra (me!)

Joanne

Becky

Joycelyn

Oh, but wait!  If you shop now at the Totally Stampalicious store all of the stamp sets are $5!!!  Yes, that's it!  Just $5 per stamp set!  Totally Stampalicious will be retiring some of the sets, so they are having a HUGE Inventory Blow Out Sale!  Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity to get some of the sets before they are gone!

Buttons and Bows at Totally Stampalicious!

Today at Totally Stampalicious we are starting a whole new year of challenges!  Our very first one of 2013 is to use buttons and bows on your cards and creations!  

I have used the JJ Desperate Housewife set that you can find HERE at the Totally Stampalicious store.   The buttons, ribbon and paper are all from my stash.  I am trying to use it all up!

Make sure you join us on Thursday at 9pm EST for the Totally Stampalicious January New Release Blog Hop!  There is sure to be some awesome cards and prizes!

I would like to add this to the following challenges: 

The Sweet Stop - sketch

Catch the Bug - anything goes

Totally Gorjuss - anything goes with a ribbon

Dream Valley's first challenge of the year!

Welcome to Dream Valley's first challenge of the new year!  I hope you all passed the holidays with friends and family and had an awesome time!  I know I did!  Our challenge is quick and easy this time around, it's ANYTHING GOES!  

Our sponsors for this challenge are:  Digital Delights by Louby Loo and Washi Tapes!  Make sure you head on over to Dream Valley to see what the prizes are!

For my card I used MY NEW CRICUT!!!!  Yes, I received one for Christmas and I was so excited!  I practiced using it by making these one by one squares and decided to make a quilt card with them!  I also cut out the tag with it!  The sentiment on the tag is Totally Stampalicious.  The ribbon is from my stash.

Have a great week and stop by tomorrow to see another fun creation!