Pick a sketch, any sketch!

It's time for the Tuesday challenge from DZ Doodles, and today it's a sketch. But, you get to choose which sketch you would like to use. There are so many fabulous sketch challenges out there, and you are welcome to use any of them! Just be sure to use a DZ Doodle image to be in the running for the free digis. If you don't have any, you can watch for freebies from the DZ Doodle Store. Diane normally posts a new one every Friday night. While you're there, check out all of the cute images in the store!

For my card, I used the Mum Blossoms image. I chose the sketch from Sketch Saturday (they always have awesome sketches with fabulous prizes!) Did you notice the ribbon on my card? I'm sure you did! It is some wonderful vintage seam binding that I won from Deb's Simple Pleasures. She hand dyes this yummy ribbon in the most shabby of colors. She also runs a great challenge, The Shabby Tea Room. I added glitter to my flower and sentiment (the sentiment was a freebie from Shirley's 2 Girls). Oh, and I used a fancy stitch from my sewing machine to add the scalloped border. The paper is Veranda from CTMH.

So here are all of my challenges for this card:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Delightful Sketches- Buttons and bling
Copics Colour Challenge - YR16, BG 49, E18
Charisma Cardz - Thank you
Shirley's 2 Girls - "Merci"
Sew Many Challenges - Stitching
Stamp Something - stitching
Oh, Alice - Flowers
One Stitch at a Time - Torn, distressed or shabby
Corrosive Challenges - texture
Sophisticat - So Distressing
Shabby Tea Room - It's Hip to be Square
Alota - 1,2,3 (1 image, 2 colors of cardstock, 3 DP)
Copic Creations - Flowers
Tuesday Morning Sketches - soft colors, flowers, ribbon

It's a Sketch Challenge!

Have you seen the adorable new images Karen has added at Karen's Doodles? Wouldn't you like to win some of them? Then get busy and enter this weeks sketch challenge! Each week, Karen awards prizes to 3 random winners - how great is that?

Here's the sketch - easy, breezy!

For my card, I used the Love at First Sight design. Isn't she so cute? She is colored with copics. My paper is from CTMH.

Here are the challenges for this card:
Simon Says Stamp- card for a child
Quixotic- Joys of spring
Sew Many Challenges - stitching
Stamp Something - stitching
Oh Alice- Flowers
Cupcake Crafts - Childhood Memories
Kaboodle Doodles - digi girl

Remember, you can't win unless you play!

Bloomin' fun with the Beary Scrap

Don't you just love spring? I hope you have enjoyed seeing all of the gorgeous Bloomin' Fun from the Beary Scrappy Gals this week - and it's Saturday, so I'm finishing off the week for you.

I just got this new Magnolia stamp, Tilda with Flowing Hair, from the Beary Scrap. I just think she is so adorable. I wanted to try something a little different with my ribbon, so I used my Scor-pal to emboss lines where I wanted the ribbon to go, and then laid down very narrow scor-tape to adhere the ribbon. The papers are from Basic Grey's Kioshi line - which is just so cheerful and springy!

The flower is a Prima (sorry, I don't remember which collection!) I added "leaves" by punching using the Martha Stewart branch.

Starting Monday, we will have a new theme for the week - and on Saturday it will be my turn for a tutorial. I have some fun things up my sleeve, so you won't want to miss it!

Here are my challenges:
ISB - flowers, buttons, ribbon
Quixotic - Joys of Spring
Roses on Paper - layers
Just Magnolia - Punch it Out
Color Throwdown - soft olive, grey, pink

You Light Up My Life

I made this card for the MFT's challenge this month, which was to make a card that was for a man/boy and metallic. That set the gears turning in my head ,(pun intended!) for this card. I used the robots from MFT's, colored with copics and spicas. The really fun part came when I decided to use a circuit board from an old computer as one of my layers of matting. Also, to add to the metallic bling, I ran some thin metal through the cuttlebug using the diamond plate folder. For another layer, I sprayed black gold Glimmer Mist on corrugated card board, and then ran that through the cuttlebug, to smoosh it down. The gears are from a CTMH set - Gear Up - and were stamped and heat embossed, and then cut out. The little screws on my corners were actually from the circuit board. I glued them into holes that I had punched.

Since this card is heavier than usual, I used an entire 12 x 12 sheet for the base, and folded it into quarters. This gave me the chance to make a window for the inside of the card, where I put another piece of metal that was stamped with Staz-on ink. I used the black gold glimmer mist on the kraft paper with a glimmer screen to make the patterns.
This was a really fun card to make!

Here are the challenges for this one:
Crafting Life's Pieces - sketch
Alota - 3,2,1 (3 gears, 2 ribbons, 1 circuit board)
Pollycraft- Anything goes
Crazy 4 Challenges - Kraft
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
Clearly Delightful- dry embossing and some yellow
Lexi's Creations - altered
A Spoon Full of Sugar - one for the boys
ABC - "r" is for red
Belli - color spray
Simon Says - A card for a child
Paper Play - shiny, happy people

Black + Lime + Flowers

This week, Easter kind of changed the blogland schedule a little bit, so today is the day for a new challenge from Creative Inspirations. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to make a card with black, lime green and flowers.

I used Gabrielle from Kraftin Kimmie stamps (colored with copics). The flowers are made using mulberry paper and nestabilities. I manipulated flat lime ribbon with both machine and hand stitching to form the cute little borders. The paper is Bayberry Cottage from Pink Paislee (which is now in at the Beary Scrap - yay!)

We can't wait to see your creations!

Here are the challenges for this card:
Kraftin Kimmie- punches or die cuts
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Stamptacular Sunday - Sugar and Spice (girly)
Alota - 3,2,1 ( 3 stripes, 2 ribbon embellies, 1 image)
Cupcake Craft Challenges- make your own flower
Pollycraft - anything goes

Break out the lace!

It is Tuesday, so there's a new challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio Challenges. This week, we want to see a favorite color combination, lace and pearls, along with one of Michelle's fabulous images. I chose her Amore Fairy for my card this week. I paper pieced her dress and flowers - and for the flowers in her hair, I popped up the flowers using paper tole.

We can't wait to see what you come up with!

My card is for these challenges:
Truly Scrumptious - sketch
Simon Says- So Distressing
Colour Create - pastels
Stamp, Scrap, Doodle - wings
Stamp Something - pink
Stampin for the Weekend - Ribbons and Bows
One Stitch at a Time - Anything goes
Stamptacular Sunday - Sugar and Spice (Girly)

Something Old, Something New....

It's another fun challenge from Karen's Doodles! You've all heard the expression, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." You may interpret that any way you wish.

For my card I used Tulip Bunny.
Something old - vintage plastic glittery jewelry cabochons
Something new - One of Karen's newest images
Something borrowed - the sketch from Paper Sundaes
Something blue - the tulips and DP

We can't wait to see what you come up with - and remember there are always some great prizes for 3 random winners!

We hope that you enjoyed hopping last week with Karen's Doodles Easter Egg blog hop - and I know everyone is waiting to see who won! The lucky winner, from Random.org was #5, which would be Shannon! Way to go girl! For a complete list of winners, please visit Karen's Doodles.

This card is also for these challenges:
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
Alota - 1,2,3 (1 image, 2 colors of cardstock, 3 cabochons)
Papertake Weekly- open
Paper Sundaes - sketch
Simon Says- So Distressing
Charisma Cardz - Animal Magic

Have a Blessed Easter from the Beary Scrap

It's Saturday, so that means it is time for me to wrap up this week's theme from The Beary Scrap - Easter Inspirations. As usual, the Beary Scrappy Gals have provided such delightful projects all week long!
I know most people use very "springy" colors for their Easter creations, but I wanted to do something a little different. I have always been inspired by Sacred Russian art, and wanted to do a card based on those influences. I fell in love with this limited edition set of Crosses by Spellbinders, and knew they would be perfect.
I cut the layers of my cross out of red (Brick) Bazzill cardstock, that I covered in composition gold leaf, before cutting/embossing. (If you look at Russian Icons, there is often a red paint that shows through some of the gold. ) I then sanded some of the areas of the cross with a sanding block to expose some of the red underneath. I used dimensionals to build up my layers and glued red Swarovski crystals as an embellishment.
I placed the cross on a layer of SEI velvet paper, that I had embossed with a cuttlebug folder. I added another piece of the velvet paper, that had been punched using the Treading Water punch. I stitched my layers with gold thread to add to the opulence.

The sentiment was printed from my computer onto Bazzill cardstock, and cut out with the Fancy Labels from Spellbinders. I wanted to have an "antiqued glitz" to this as well, so I rubbed Distress Stickles in Frayed Burlap and Antique Linen over the top. If you haven't tried the Distress Stickles, they look completely different from normal stickles. They really do give a nice worn look that I love. Finally, I added the pearls at the bottom.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter and gets to spend time with those you love! Be sure to come and visit us next week for more fun!

Here are my challenges for this card:
Sketch and Stash - sketch (new cross spellbinders/old velvet paper)
Corrosive - Easter
Incy Wincy - Sewing
Lexi's Creations- Easter
Papertake Weekly- open
ABC - "R" red
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Penny's Challenges - Easter
Simon Says Stamp - So Distressing
Cute Card Thursday - Easter
Shirley's 2 Girls - Anything goes
Fussy and Fancy- Easter

Kraftin' Kimmie - Eyelets

I just love Kraftin' Kimmie stamps! I have some pre-ordered from the Beary Scrap, and can't wait to get my hands on them! Now eyelets are not my favorite things to use - I've got a crop-a-dile and have to re-learn how to use it every time I break it out. But, that being said, the challenge at Kraftin Kimmie was to use eyelets, and heck, if it means a chance to win some KK cuteness, then I'm up for it!

Here are the other challenges for this card:
Midnight Madness - sketch
Flourishes -Picture inspiration
Papertake Weekly - open
Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
Simon Says - So Distressing
Oh Alice - Fine Print
Incy Wincy - Sewing

Karen's Doodles Easter Blog Hop is Here!

Welcome to the Team USA - Karen's Doodles Easter Blog Hop! You should have arrived from the very talented Kelly's blog. If you just happened here, you will want to start at the beginning with Sandy's blog. Each DT member got to choose their favorite image to use (and give away!). My problem is, I love all of Karen's images, so my favorite is always changing. But for today, I chose one of her newest - Sailor Boy for my card. I used the sketch from Friday Sketchers, and think he turned out so cute!
This card is also for:
Simon Says- So Distresing
Flourishes - Picture inspiration
Papertake Weekly - open challenge
Crafty Creations - anything goes

Be sure to read all of the details of the hop below -there are so many prizes being given away, you won't want to miss any chances!

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To celebrate Karen's Doodles more than 1000 Blog Followers, we are having Easter Blog Hops. Yes, I said Hops! There are 4 separate Hops going on....

Netherlands Challenge Blog

Scandinavian Challenge Blog

United Kingdom Challenge Blog

United States Challenge Blog

For each individual hop, visit all the participating members blogs and you will find an Easter Egg with a number on it. Collect the numbers and add up the total. Be sure to leave a comment while you are visiting, as each Design Team member will be choosing one person from their comments to win the Karen's Doodles image they have used. There will be 4 Grand Prize winners, one for each blog Hop, chosen from the visitors who send in the correct total of the eggs for that particular Hop.

The winner will get their choice of 4 Karen's Doodles images.

For this hop, please send your answer to Easter Blog Hop

Wait, there is more, anyone visiting all the blogs for all 4 Hops can enter to win a

Super Grand Prize of 4 Karen's Doodles images plus an autographed

Karen's Doodles original piece of art.

Just visit all 4 Country's blog hops, collect the numbers from the eggs and send the grand total to Karen's Doodles Grand Prize The Hops will close on Saturday, April 3 at midnight EST. Winners will be announced on each Challenge blog before their weekly challenge.

Here is the hop order, in case you get lost.

Sandy Hulsart

Callie Zenner

Cindy Royal

Dee Morris

Zoe McGrath

Erin Bailey

Kelly Schelske

Gini Cagle (you are here)

Tracy Jackson

Lori Aragon

Shana Dahl

Lori Ng

Have fun hopping!