Anysoldier Summer Card Swap

I decided since I had so many cards on hand I wouldn't make any specific ones for the Anysoldier.com card swap that I would just use cards I already had made. I was just a little shocked at how many I have made and have on stash. A crazy amount!  I just started making cards a little over a year now!

What your favorite image?

It's that time again for the Greeting card challenge at THE OUTLAWZ! This week it's time for your favorites!

True Love

Greeting Card Challenge is up at THE OUTLAWZ

Do you know what day it is? MONDAY!!! Time for the Greeting Card Challenge at The Outlawz! 

So far three posts in one day! Wowza! 

Here's the card I designed for this challenge theme of "Let's Hear It For the Boys!" We hope you come and join us in some fun challenges at The Outlawz!

Monogramming CAS Style

Here's my card for Sunday's CAS Challenge at The Outlawz! 
The letter B was cut using vinyl on my Cricut machine.

Hello to my Scrap booking friends!

This image was in one of the first sets of rubber cling stamps I purchased. I actually did all the coloring and stamping when I first bought the stamps and the heat embossing tools. I needed to use it on something and the Scrap booking challenge at The Outlawz was the perfect place when I seen the challenge photo.

Spring in Your Step!

Today I created this card for the Copic Challenge at The Outlawz!! Come join the fun here!

Thank You Gift!

What is it you may ask. It is a tea bag holder with a tea bag for a cup of tea. Isn't it such a wonderful idea!! One of the ladies in the Anysoldier Card swap sent me one as a Thank You gift  for hostessing the swap and I had to continue this! It is such a great idea!!

CDAC Beaded Stick Pin Swap

 I love the look of these pins on a card in a bow or in a scrapbook. I haven't tried using one myself but it really adds a beautiful touch. This is my first time ever making beaded stick pins and my first time swapping something other than cards. I hope I do not make the other ladies in the CDAC swap disappointed, I really know nothing about bead quality.

 I found these bags in the jewelry making section at my local craft supply store. They were useful!

 Letting my alcohol inks dry. A piece of craft Styrofoam that I stuck in my craft supplies for who knows how long became useful!

A few finished packages for the pin swap, plus some!

Sketch Challenge with Freebie Digi Challenge

 This is the card I created for the Sketch challenge at The Outlawz! The flowers are a free digi from CDAC.

This card was entered in these challenges:

1. CDAC Freebie Digi Challenge

2. Sketch Challenge at The Outlawz

 Yes, I had a tad of retail therapy this week. I deserved it! Lol! Above I found these cute Halloween stamps at Anita Be Stampin. 

 Aren't these Christmas stamps I picked up from Oozak adorable! I know it's not even summer yet but these were the cutest! Ofcourse I couldn't pass up on the $4 Copic Markers!

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!

Here's a free digi stamp I picked up at  Designed2Delight digital stamps. I crocheted the clover this time last year and needed to use it for something, and this is what I decided.

Oozak shipment has arrived!!!

Oh Yippee skoodly doodly day!!! My day has been a stressful one to say the least. To brighten up my stressful day my door bell rings and it's my 1st  Oozak order!! I have been having lots of problems with my fiskar cutter giving me the rough worn edges, okay it looks good for some projects but I think I am just picky and want a clean cut most of the time and I am not getting that with my fiskars unless I keep a stock supply of blades. I just tear up to much paper for those blades, I guess.

I asked for suggestions and the above cutter was suggested to me from Jody another one of the ladies I design with at The Outlawz and boy, oh boy is it nice!! It is taking a little getting use to a rotary blade putting pressure when I have been trying so hard not to apply pressure on my old cutter. But I like it!!! Plus 10 more design blades!! Fun fun fun!!

As you can see I also purchased a few Copic markers as well. We had a challenge at The Outlawz that week and it made me take a look at my collection of markers and realize.. I need these colors!!! Lol!

Color Challenge - Shamrock Green

Here's what I created between last night and today... I entered this card in these challenges. 

1. Stamp Fairy

2. The Outlawz
3. Critter Sketch Challenge
4. Squigglefly 

Greeting Card Challenge is up at THE OUTLAWZ

Welcome to my new team The Outlawz Greeting Card Challenge.  This week the theme is an Animal  so be sure to include your favorite stamp, photo, or digi stamp animal on the front of the card along with your sentiment.  Here's my card for this week:

So come on over to The Outlawz and create some greeting cards with us!!

Scrapbook Sketch Challenge

Here's a scrapbook page I created with a sketch from Emily.

CAS Challenge

This card I submitted for the CAS Challenge at The Outlawz but I am not so sure it meets the requirements of Clean And Simple. But it was still fun to practice with my Copics and my stamp pads framing the image.

Transparent Copic Coloring at The Outlawz

For the Copic challenge this week at THE OUTLAWZ it is to color a transparent image. I am really new at using my Copic markers, I don't think I have 6 months under my belt. So when I found a YouTube video on how to color transparent images with Copic markers and the tutorial is free well you can guess what a happy crafter I was! I worked on this card today for the challenge. I really like the effect I will definitely use this technique when possible. Ready for my next challenge.. {giggles

Stick Pin Bead Container

Here's my part of a project at CDAC for their Beaded Stick Pin Swap. This is the container I created to store the pins in just poke through twice and the point is inside the pocket. Do not leave the clothes pin on to long they will stick!! 

The finished project, yet to come after I have mailed my pins to the hostess! I want them to be a surprise!! :D

Sketch Challenge at The OUTLAWZ

I started with rainbow colored dotted background paper and a BIG red bow.. But something turned me to another design for my birthday themed card. I colored the image from Dustin Pike with Copic Markers and then put specks on the dinosaur's back with my colorless blender! Now if I can only find a cutter that doesn't fray the edges even when new!

Office work ALL MORNING...

My day so far reminds me of a card I made for a challenge last fall. This card says it all! 

I think I can finally concentrate on fun things like the beaded pin swap I joined. I haven't finished up my packaging and so far I have one finished and it is so very cute!!! I can't wait to send them to the ladies at CDAC!!

Orange & Pink Color Challenge

One last card of the evening.. I finished one more challenge by the Outlawz Girlz. The theme for this challenge was to use orange & pink as well as flowers on your card. For my card I dug into my craft box and found wire roses, that I colored using my Copic markers and the sprig of pearls. The tassle cording is something I had added to my daughters vinyl shades before we changed them out with  faux wood blinds. I new I could use it for something some day!! :D

CAS Challenged by Outlawz Girlz

Sunday's challenge at OUTLAWZ GIRLZ is the CAS challenge. CAS stands for Clean and Simple. This weeks theme was to use three colors that were provided two shades of green and a yellow. My hardest part of this challenge was finding coordinating paper in the right colors. I never thought it would take me so long to get this card together I had set my whole day up to spend on my challenge and finish some other projects I've started and set aside, by the way it is typical of me to have half a dozen projects started and finish the ones I want to do first like play in the crafts!!. The boss (My Dearest Husband) was a bit needy today so I had to do some office work for the business as well as run a few household errands., you know grocery shopping and the usual stop at the post office. All in all, by 2:30 I had my card done! Time to finish a project and get more glue on my hands. Wish me luck that I keep my hands from sticking together! :D

Think Spring at OUTLAWZ GIRLZ

Another wonderful challenge under my belt at Outlawz Girlz! The themes of these challenges are so creative and fun! This theme is Think Spring and for Spring I think of  butterflies, flowers blooming, frogs croaking, and we are usually planning our first fishing/camping trip of the year.

Color Challenge

Another super fun challenge at Outlawz Girlz This challenge we were to use Copic markers to create either Black & white or Sepia colored image. I was driving down the Oklahoma Kilpatrick Turnpike when all the sudden it hit me! What stamp I was going to use for this challenge!! I wanted to turn around and head back home but I had a 30 minute drive to go pick up my daughter from a friends and then drive back home. As soon as I returned home I started on my card.. It was rearranged only a few 100 times, sentiment or no sentiment just when I thought I would add a sentiment I smudge the ink on it.. and decided to go with the bow. The dress I created using my colorless blender making little circles on it and it created a flowered lace look in my opinion. 

Also entered into the Cupcake Craftroom Challenge

Sketch Challenge at The OUTLAWZ

Here's what I came up with for the sketch challenge at Outlawz Girlz for March 2nd entry. I really had something else totally in mind for this challenge but just not the right stamp to use. I need some retail therapy!! It is taking a little more effort to get my creative bug juices flowing again...:) End on a positive note I had more practice using my copic markers!

I'm on a Design Team!!

I am so honored to be asked to be a part of a VERY TALENTED group of ladies over at The Outlawz! Wow what a rollercoaster ride the last 24 hours has been!  The turn of events have been ever so wonderful! Even better than I could have imagined. The ladies at the Outlawz are who I looked up to for my crafty guidance for the past 8 months, who taught and inspired me to take part in challenges. I would have never have been brave enough to submit a card I made if it weren't for their enthusiasm over the extremely creatively themed challenges they put on! You will not be disappointed here. They are very active with their members! Very sweet, courteous, and a respectful bunch of women! Your questions never go unanswered! These ladies and I have to include them all because there was not just one being respectful and helping out a newcomer. They all try to make sure you feel like your a part of their crafty "family." They even share where to get the best deals for your craft supplies! I could have never bought Copic markers for $3.95 at those online Ebay stores. These ladies have turned me into a true paper crafter by the looks of the supplies I have accumulated  and the stacks of cards I have made since I joined the challenges these ladies put on! I am very honored to even be considered for The Outlawz Girlz Design Team, I really look up to these ladies and I will honestly say I am with a group of the MOST TALENTED crafters ACROSS THE INTERNET! 

Anysoldier.com - Spring/Easter Card Swap Update

The due date for the Spring/Easter card swap was March 1st 2011. This was the second time I volunteered to be the hostess with the most-est!! My first swap to host was the Thanksgiving card swap. Being that it was my first time I was so nervous I wouldn't get 20 peeps to sign up and boy let me tell you I was panicked to the end. This time around I had my 20 lined up, but 2 went MIA. It happens sometimes, but why me? No really it was no big deal I was lucky enough to have one person send me a set of blank cards in a package and another person sent me 5 extra cards in their bundle so I was still able to make a set for each of the MIA gals in case they pop in within  the next day or two, their sets will be shy a few since I had to make up the difference for the other swappers sets but they will still get an assortment. And if I do not hear from them, you ask? Then I will enclose the sets I have set back for them in my next care package out to the units I randomly selected to help at Anysoldier.com. It is a win, WIN! I ended up dividing out over 400 cards! So glad I decided to buy that long white folding card table!

When all else fails put a bandaid on it!

Oh WHAT A MESS!!! I finally bought some Aleene's jewelry metal glue for my beaded stick pin swap I joined recently! I couldn't get the darn  thing out of the package for the life of me. I know I am getting weaker in the arms now that I am doing office work (mostly crafts..but don't tell my boss) but I couldn't get the glue out of the packaging. So yes I did it, I broke out the scissors. Had the package open and then noticed glue everywhere I thought at first that I had bought a defective package but then the package was stuck to my hands. This stuff dries fast!! I had a mess on my hands, literally! I ran around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to find my alcohol hoping it will work... then when I looked where it should have been I remembered my new kitten was climbing around over there and sure enough behind the nightstand. With glue all over my hands and paper stuck to one as well I had to stretch over the chest and behind to get this bottle and then when I used it.. no luck. I tried everything finger nail polish remover, my husbands Fast Orange which cleans engine grease off your hands nothing worked. I can tell you I can't stand the feeling of glue on my hands.  What a weird feeling. Either I am use to it now or it has worn off some today but it isn't as bad now. After I realized my hands were going to have glue on them there's nothing more I can do at that moment I used what glue I could salvage from the mess.. I know I am so thrifty! I used what I could to glue some beaded stick pins. When finished I sure was disappointed thinking I have to buy another bottle of glue I ruined this one it will be all dried up. Then I had this brilliant idea to put a band-aid on it! It worked the glue is still good today. Maybe it's sealed itself off? I am hoping to get a lot more beaded stick pins together out of this bottle!

Think Beads!!

Not going to show you my beaded stick pins till I mail them off the CDAC pin swap hostess!! But this is a hint of what some of the beads will look like!

The Outlawz Girlz - Color Challenge

This weeks Tuesday Color challenge at The Outlawz Girlz was to use the colors coral, black  and white. At first I went through my sea shell stamps but I kept wanting to use baby blues & coral. Finally I decided to emboss this chandelier with my Cuttlebug and then I took a small 1x1 stamp in a coral color and lightly rubbed it across the raised image. Afterward, I used ruby slippers stickles all over the chandelier to make it glisten. on the tibs of the candles and on the glass beads that would hang from the chandelier I used icicle stickles. I embellished with different sizes of pearls to give it more dimension.

Simple Birthday Card

Just something simple I whipped up for two separate challenges today. First challenge was to use something bright, the word or colors I guess...lol! I wasn't exactly sure. At The OUTLAWZ GIRLZ the theme is to use a ribbon or string, with a circle and the birthday sentiment. This is one of the few times I have ever posted the same card for two challenges but I figured since I was behind a week or two on the challenges I might as well whip up something fast!

Beads, beads, and more beads!

Beads on pins reminds me of what we use to call friendship pins when I was in middle school. Friendship pins were safety pins with beads on them and you would put them on your shoe strings and what not. Your friends were to make them and the more pins you had the more friends you had. I loved those friendship pins! :D Recently, I was invited to join a beaded pin swap for Crafter's Digital Art Center. The theme of the swap

CDAC SPRING FEVER

The beaded corsage pins are to have a Spring Theme. I have made over 34 pins, have my 18 already but as I sit and look at them more and more and  I read about all the ways to make these pins even more customized. I find myself taking them apart and making them even better! I have been searching for ways to package them into 3's. If you have any blog links or video tutorials to share feel free to post in my comments! Keep your eyes open for the finished pins to be posted soon!