Finished - New Game of Card Tag!!

**this post will stay at the top of the blog until the game is over. please scroll down for newer posts**

Okay, I have had so much fun playing games of "Card Tag" over the last couple of weeks, I wanted to hostess another.

Basically the rules are... You are sent a card via email and have 24 hours to create your own card, using inspiration from the card you received; and email it back to me. Your card is then sent on to another player, who creates their own card, and on, and on...

At the end I would post all of the cards, in order, on my blog and then you all would be free to post your creations. Up until that point you could only post a small sneak peek on your blog.

If you would like to play, just leave a comment. If I don't know you personally, please make sure to leave your email address in your comment (you can add spaces, if you want).

I will take sign ups until 10 people have joined.

Please Note: Follow through, is aMUST. If you will not be available over the next couple of weeks, to create a card quickly, please wait until next round to join.

Give it a try, it is fun!!

Playing so far:
1. Alicia - Finished
2. Sue W - Finished
3. Liz W - Finished
4. Lisa - Finished
5. Ann - Finished
6. Barbara - Finished
7. Heather - Finished
8. Katie - Finished
9. Denise - Finished
10. Nikki - Finished

A sneak peek at the June issue of SheetLoad!!

Make sure to visit the SheetLoad of Cards blog today, for a "peek" at the June issue.

Here are peeks at a couple of the creations I have in the upcoming issue.

Make sure to download the latest issue, when it becomes available on the 1st of June.

Have you seen...

... the new look at SheetLoad?!

I gave it a little makeover last night and am loving it. You can read all about it here.

Wanna "follow" me?

I just realized tonight (thanks Joy) that I didn't have a "Followers Gadget" on here... No longer is that the case. Sign up on the right so you can keep track of my every blogger move ;)

My new "motto"...

Okay, on a totally random note, I have decided the new "motto" for my housekeeping..

My house isn't dirty, it's DISTRESSED!!!

Appropriate for a craft fanatic, right? :)

Card Tag Sneak

My latest game of Card Tag has officially begun. I can't show you the whole card, but here is a sneak peek at what I created to get the party started...

Look at this Yummy Blog Candy!!

Memorial Day Blog Candy!!! Does it look "yummy"?! Hurry over to the Paper Hugs post to see how you can get signed up for a chance to win!!

May '09 SheetLoad - Just a Note

Time to share another set of cards from the latest issue of SheetLoad of Cards - May '09 - Sponsored by There She Goes Clear Stamps...

I created this set using a ShortCuts Frosted Card Blank. This material gives you a "hint" at what is inside.


To add some dimension to the front, I used 3-D foam dots to adhere a 2nd copy of the drawer front onto the desk. Sticking out from inside the desk is the sentiment. Kinda makes it look like an open drawer.



You can see what the other artists created for this issue by downloading the latest issue - May '09.

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Supplies:
Stamps: There She Goes (Friendship Flowers); Cardstock: Unknown (Kraft); Die Cut: Spellbinders (Nestabilities - Labels Three); Edge Punch: EK Succes (Notebook); Gems: Bride’s (Champagne Bling); Flowers: Bride’s

My new "look"

You may have noticed that my blog has gotten a makeover. What do you think?!

Last weekend I discovered Summertime Designs FREE digital scrapbooking kits. I immediately had to start "stalking" their blog. :)

Today I noticed the special Easy Breezy kit they had available. They are asking for donations in honor of Bree, a beautiful little girl who is fighting cancer, and from all of the pictures, is doing it with a smile.

If you are a digital scrapbooker, I hope you will stop by and consider making a donation for this little girl.

I used said kit to create my new blog look, digi kits are so versatile!!

Another 2S4Y Card

I had so much fun playing along with the latest 2 Sketches 4 You sketch earlier this week, I just had to give it another go.

For this card I used a ShortCuts Frosted Card Blank. Because the material is "cloudy" you get just a hint at what is inside when the card is closed. This is different than the Clear Card Blanks; which are totally transparent.

Speaking of clear, I created my own clear journaling tag by using StazOn and a journaling stamp on a piece of ShortCuts' Clear Full Sheets. You can use these sheets just about anywhere that calls for cardstock. So handy and a wide variety of uses.

Make sure to check out the cards that my wonderful ShortCuts Design Team Members created using the 2S4Y sketch this week.

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Supplies
Patterned Paper: Making Memories (Whimsy); Cardstock: ShortCuts (Clear & Frosted), Stampin' Up! (Orange); Stamps: Autumn Leaves (For the Record); Ink: StazOn (Jet Black); Markers: Deleter; Ribbon/Fiber: American Crafts, The Beadery (Hemp); Brads: Paper Studio; Die Cut: Spellbinders (Labels Four); Buttons: Unknown

Card Tag - Round 3 - Is Completed!!

As I mentioned in this post, I played another round of Card Tag over at Kim's blog. All of the cards are completed, so now I can reveal the entire card.

Head on over to Kim's blog to see all of the cards created in the game.

May '09 SheetLoad - Butterflies

It is time to share another set of cards I created for the May '09 issue of SheetLoad of Cards!



For this set I created 3-D butterflies to add some dimension to the fronts of the cards.



To create the 3-D effect... First I stamped the butterflies in black, on the green paper strip, and then again on a patterned paper. I trimmed the butterflies out of the patterned paper, used a glue-line on the center of each butterfly, adhered the cut-out butterflies on top of the stamped ones, and folded the wings up. Ta-da!

Supplies:
Stamps: There She Goes (Butterfly Happiness); Patterned Paper: Target; Die Cut: Spellbinders (Nestabilities - Labels Three); Ink: StazOn (Black)

ShortCuts & 2 Sketches 4 You

I am sooooo excited that ShortCuts is sponsoring this week's sketch over at 2 Sketches 4 You!!! It is always to see what their talented design team creates with our products.

Here is the card I created based upon this week's sketch...

I created a mini card inside the Clear Card Blank. This will allow for my message to the recipient to stay hidden from the front.

Make sure to head over to the ShortCuts and 2 Sketches 4 You blogs to see what each design team created and learn how you can win ShortCuts products!!!

Supplies

Cardstock: ShortCuts (Clear Card Blank), Wausau (Off White), Stampin' Up! (Orange), Unknown (Green); Patterned Paper: Making Memories (Whimsy); Stamps: All That Scraps; Flowers: Bride's; Gems: Darice, Die Cut: Spellbinders (Ovals & Scalloped Ovals); Ink: Ranger (Sepia)

An Amazing Blog Candy at Nikki's!!

I was checking out my DT member blogs and ran into this awesome opportunity from Nikki!!

Awesome Feature: LinkWithin

I was over at Katie's blog and saw these fun thumbnails under each of her posts with link to other posts on her blog. I had to try it out for myself.

If you would like to add the feature to your blog, click here.

It is FREE, works with many blog platforms and was super easy to install.

Another Card Tag!!

Kim posted another game of Card Tag on her blog, so I had to get in on the action again.



Here is a sneak peek at the card I created for this round. I can't wait to share the full card with you and see what all of the other players created.

May SheetLoad - Out On A Limb

Here is the first set of cards I have in the May '09 issue of SheetLoad of Cards.

For this set of cards I used a Clear Card Blank from ShortCuts and rotated the scrapling sketch from the issue. The sentiment is actually on the inside of the square card, but because of the clear front, it can be seen when the card is opened and closed.

To see what the other SheetLoad artists created for the issue, make sure to download the May '09 issue. There will even be a chance to create your own set and win some great There She Goes Clear Stamps!

Supplies:

Stamps: There She Goes (Branching Out); Patterned Paper & Gems: Target; Cardstock: SheetLoad ShortCuts (Clear), Unknown (White); Inks: Stampin’ Up! (Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Perfect Plum); Glitter Pen: Sakura (Stardust Clear); Flowers: Bride’s

Are you a "fan" of SheetLoad?

Are you a fan of SheetLoad of Cards?! Why not make it official and add yourself to their list of followers?!

Check out this blog post and find out how you can win the following stamps from There She Goes Clear Stamps...

&

"Polka Dot Hello" & "What's Up"
Stamp Sets from There She Goes Clear Stamps!
Retail Value $10.00

Tell your friends about this great opportunity, as well.

Card Tag Results

Wow, what a fun, fun game!! The first game of Card Tag that I was the hostess for is over and here are the results...

I started the game off with this card, which you might recognize from yesterday's post...

... on to Melyssa my card went. She used a clear card blank as well, and used the LO for inspiration.

When the card was passed on to Lisa, she used a ShortCuts product as well, but chose the frosted card blank.

After seeing the above card, Joy decided to stick with the theme of owls, and created this trio. I just love the REAL twig on her clear card.

Next up was Denise, and she seemed to be inspired by the layout and coloring of the previous card. I HAVE to find out who made that purse die-cut.

Heather stuck with the pink/brown combo as well for her card (did you know that pink/brown is my FAVORITE color combo?!?!).

The card was then passed on to Ann, who utilized the same color palette and floral theme for her card.

And last, but certainly not least, is Barbara's card. She flipped the sketch, but kept the ribbon across the front.

Beautiful cards, ladies!!! Thank you all so much for playing - I love seeing the metamorphosis from my card to Barbara's.

Happy Mother's Day!!

I hope you all are having a wonderful Mother's Day. My day started off great. I got to sleep in and was awoken by my 3-year-old who presented me with my favorite breakfast (in bed) -- a McDonald's Breakfast Biscuit and a Large Diet Coke. How awesome.

My husband helped my daughter made me a card and they wrapped up the markers I ordered for myself as a present. May as well get something I can use, right?!?! ;)

I thought I would share the cards I created for a couple special women in my life.

First off, here is the card I created "voor mijn schoonmoeder" (for my mother-in-law - who is Dutch). Her name is Paula and she lives in Sittard, The Netherlands. She raised her 2 children, my husband and his sister, mostly by herself as her husband died when the children were very young. I have to say she did an excellent job.

The next card is for, in my opinion, the best Mom a girl could have. I have always loved my mom a lot, but I don't think it was until I became a mom myself, that I truly appreciated all she has done. It is amazing how much it takes to be a Mom, let alone a GREAT one - like my mom, Gloria. She has always been there for me and is seriously the best Grandma I could ask for for my daughter.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

New SheetLoad Artists

Make sure to head over to the SheetLoad of Cards blog today to "meet" the new additions to the Design Team.

Design Team Card Tag - It's on!!!

ETA: The game is over and I will reveal all of the cards tomorrow (Monday the 11th) on my blog!!

Okay, after being invited and joining Kim's Card Tag, I just had to give it a try myself!! I decided to invite artists from both of my design teams (SheetLoad of Cards and ShortCuts) to play in this first round.

The game will start Monday, May 4th, and the players are...
1 - Alicia/Me - Completed
2 - Melyssa C - Completed
3 - Lisa M - Completed
4 - Joy S - Completed
5 - Denise W - Completed
6 - Heather S - Completed
7 - Ann S - Completed
8 - Barbara D - Completed

Game on!!!!

Inspiration Challenge at ShortCuts

I have a fun Inspiration Challenge going on over at ShortCuts. I hope you will check it out and join in on the fun! You can win FREE PRODUCT!!

My Garage Sale Find...

While perusing Craigslist late a couple nights ago, I saw an ad for the Scrapbooking & Garage Sale of the Decade! Who could pass that one up, right?!

I called my friend, Barbara, up early on Thursday to tell her all about the sale. She was game to meet me in less than an hour to go and behold the wonders of this sale.

Unfortunately, it was cancelled (with no notice on Craigslist) because it had rained overnight. I only found this out after calling the number and inquiring as to why there was no sale at the address given. The guy in charge ended up opening up later that day, so I headed back over with my cranky 3-year-old in tow.

The sale was definitely not as "awesome" as described, and if it was a SB store going out of business -- it had went that way a while ago.

But not all hope was lost as I was able to score 6 of these cabinets for $5 each!!!!



They are so nice even my husband wants to take 2 from me!! :) When I went to pick up the cabinet, I figured the drawers had to be full of stuff, they were so heavy. Turns out these are actually very nice quality - not made of cheap, thin, lightweight material. Score!!!!

The drawers do have these labels on the front, which I am going to remove...


...but I was surprised at how cleanly they came off without much effort on my part
(view of drawer front after I tore a label off)

Even if the drawers don't come completely clean, I am thinking of using some Mod Podge to cover the fronts with pretty SB paper. The good thing is the handles are put in with screws, so those can be removed for covering the drawer fronts.
(inside view of drawer - knobs are put in with screws, yay!)


A couple things that caught my eye was the detail on the side of the cabinet and the fact that the drawers can be removed and the inside would make a nice shelf - it is all finished!

Now to get my husband to hang these on the wall using the hangers that were already on it!!

Some dimensions:

Overall cabinet - 13.75" x 16"

Inside of drawer - 3"w x 4.25"t x 5.5"d

Drawer opening - 3.5"w x 4.2"t x 6.25d

Jealous yet?!?! hee hee

May '09 SheetLoad - Lose An Eyelet

One of my favorite crafty sayings is "It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eyelet". I even have a t-shirt with the sentiment on it.

That is why when There She Goes Clear Stamps came out with their Crafty Taglines set, I had to have it.

I used the sentiment on this set of cards for the May '09 issue of SheetLoad of Cards. I even broke out my "old school" eyelets to add to the square card - I thought it kept with the theme.

Download the latest issue and start creating your own fabulous sets. If you do create one, make sure to check out May's "Show Us Your SheetLoad" so you can win some There She Goes Clear Stamps of your own!!

Supplies:

Stamps: There She Goes (Crafty Taglines); Patterned Paper: Target; Cardstock: Unknown; Ribbon: Miss Elizabeth’s; Eyelets: Making Memories; Marker: LePlume (Cherry); Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots); Hemp & Button: Unknown

"Shout Out" and Win!!

Head on over to SheetLoad of Cards to find out how you can win the following...



A $15 Gift Certificate to ShortCuts Online Store!
You can use your credit to purchase any of our handy products, including Gift Card Holder Folders, Clear & Frosted Card Blanks or Full Sheets, and Limited Time Buys* (*when applicable).

May SheetLoad - Beyond the Card

For my May '09 "Beyond the Card" piece I decided to create a covered mini notebook with matching pen.



The cover of the notebook was inspired by the "scrapling" sketch in the issue and for the pen, I just rolled up a scrap piece of the flowered paper and inserted it into the barrel of the pen. A quick, easy, gift.

To see what the other Artists created that was "Beyond the Card", check out the May '09 issue of SheetLoad of Cards!!

Supplies:
Stamps: There She Goes (Friendship Flowers); Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants (Fancy Botanical - Daisy); Cardstock: Bazzill; Inks: Colorbox Chalk (Tangerine), Ranger (Sepia); Gem: Darice; Pen: Pentel (R.S.V.P.); Notepad: Unknown

Kim's Card Tag - Reveal

Okay, I can finally share the card I created for the game of Card Tag over at Kim's blog.

I was sent Amy's card and I decided to use her layout, but flip it left-to-right. I had just gotten the brand new paper from The Greeting Farm in the mail, so it had to be used on my card in some way.

It was so fun to see the first and last card, and how it slowly morphed along the way. Kinda like the game "operator", but for adults who like to craft ;)

Head on over to Kim's blog to see the entire set of cards!!

May '09 Show Us Your SheetLoad!

Do you just love the new sketch for a SET OF CARDS in SheetLoad of Cards?! Would you love to have one of the stamp sets shown below?! Why not make a set of your own and be entered to win one (1) of the following stamp sets from There She Goes Clear Stamps...

Slow and Steady (Retail Value: $15)

or

Year Round Sentiments (Retail Value: $10.00)

Head on over the SheetLoad Blog post to find out how to enter!!

Cuttlebug Challenge Tutorial - It's time!!!

As I have mentioned before, ShortCuts was asked to play along in Cuttlebug Challenge Blog's "Spa Retreat Weekend"!!

The tutorial, created by DT member Melyssa Connolly, is now up over at their blog.

You will find out how to recreate one piece from this fabulous "Caramel Apple Kit", including FREE digital files to help you along.

You can also find out how you can play along and win a $50 Gift Card to William Sonoma!!!

Do you play "tag"?! A sneak peek

Have you ever played a game of Tag that involves card making?! I just finished a card for the first game of Card Tag I have ever played; but I don't think it will be the last.

Kim invited me to play along in Round #2 of her card tag and it sounded like so much fun, I just had to try it.

During Presleigh's nap today I received the challenge and finished my card. Here is a sneak peek at what it looks like.



Check back early next week (probably) for a full view of the card and a link to Kim's blog where she reveals everyone's creations.

ShortCuts and Cuttlebug Challenge Blog - This Saturday

I am so excited!!! ShortCuts was asked to participate in Cuttlebug Challenge Blog's "Spa Retreat Weekend" Celebration, in honor of National Scrapbooking Day!!




Make sure to stop by the Cuttlebug Chalenge Blog this Saturday - May 2nd - for an awesome tutorial from ShortCut's DT member, Melyssa Connolly.

Here is a little sneak peek to whet your appetite...

May '09 - SheetLoad of Cards - Sponsored by There She Goes Clear Stamps

I know I say this every month, but I do mean it -- The May 2009 issue of SheetLoad is one of my favorite issues yet.

Head on over to the SheetLoad blog to download your FREE copy today!!

Also, check back here later this month, as I share full preview of the cards I created using the new sketch.