Color Me Beautiful Challenge #14-Holiday Tints and Goodbye...

Hello! I'm running a little behind on today's post, but I do have a good report on my Dad! His carotid surgery yesterday was successful and he is already resting comfortably in his recliner this evening! We knew he was going to be OK when he complained about his clear liquid diet for dinner last night. Seems the ICU unit frowns upon steak and potatoes after major surgery...

On a sad note, I am posting the very last challenge for Color Me Beautiful.  I have really enjoyed being a part of the design team and the ladies are absolutely fabulous!  It has also made me step out of my comfort zone several times as I used colors I don't normally gravitate towards.  The good news is that everyone who plays along this time is a winner (not that you weren't already winners in my book!).  So without further ado, here is the last inspiration photo...

and the lovely Stampin' UP colors...

I fudged the rules just a bit and added quite a lot of silver glitter and shimmer.  I really was drawn to the silver trim on the ribbon and thought my Christmas card needed that special touch.

The swirly tree just cried out for a bright silver star and some silver dazzling details, and my layered snowflake (leftover from my ornaments!) really needed a silver brad to bling it up a bit.  Of course when I was almost done, I just HAD to put a few spritzes of vanilla shimmer over the whole thing! My picture does nothing to show the shimmer and shine that really appears on the card! I could use this baby to guide Santa in for a landing!! Hee!Hee!

I really would love to see you play along with our final challenge and link up your own version of Holiday Tints!  All of the team members have made some amazing things and would love if you popped in for a little visit!!

Well, that's it for me tonight!  The girls and I are going to get some much needed cleaning done tomorrow so we can start decorating for Christmas.  I'll be back on Sunday with my Beside the Sea project for ABAC that doubles as a little Christmas gift!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-primrose petals, baja breeze, crumb cake, sahara sand, Ink-rose red, Stamp Set-Snow Swirled, Accessories-snow flurry die, silver glimmer brad, rose red seam binding, silver dazzling details, vanilla shimmer smooch spritz

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #13 Christmas Sweets

Hello! I hope all of my blogging buddies in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving and didn't overindulge too much!! We are back, a day late (took a holiday!) with a new challenge at Color Me Beautiful!

**Warning!  The next part of my post relates to my creation for the design team.  It is a little lengthy... If you want to bypass the back story and scroll down to the challenge and my project, I will not be offended!** 

On Thanksgiving day, my Mom and her sisters gathered their families together for our traditional dinner.  It is A LOT of people, A LOT of food, and A LOT of fun!  When I was little, we would also get together for Christmas, as well, and draw names for a gift exchange.  As the families grew and our lives grew busier, we stopped doing the Christmas celebration but kept the Thanksgiving dinner.  About 15 years ago, we decided to add a bit of fun and festivity to the celebration with an ornament swap.  Each person wanting to play along brought an ornament (or two) and then played the Sneaky Santa game (nothing like stealing gifts to put you in the holiday spirit!!) to see which ornament would go to each person.  After a few years, I stopped participating because I already had so many ornaments, and being sentimental, couldn't part with the ones that were special and from family...  Fast forward to 5 years ago and my girls REALLY wanted to be a part of this.  So we went out and bought ornaments and they played along.  It was a lot of fun for them and they wanted to continue the tradition. 

Now, anyone that knows me, knows that if I can take something simple and make it more difficult, I usually do! So the next year, I suggest that instead of 'buying' their ornaments, we could 'make' them.  DD#1 already had better sewing skills than me so I thought this would be a fun thing for us to do.  So we searched online and in books for the perfect ornaments and found some very simple felt ornaments that the girls could make.  My aunts and cousins went crazy! As soon as they found out the girls made their ornaments, the battle to go home with the handmade ornaments was on!! So unwittingly, I started a tradition for my girls and a bit of a headache for me...  With each year, the girls would find a fabric/felt ornament to create, get supplies, and then torment me to 'help' them finish the ornaments on time.  Well, this year, I had a brilliant idea!  DD#1 was getting tired of sewing every year, and DD#2 (who has skills like her mother) was frustrated that her stitches never looked as nice as #1.  Enter brilliant plan...  If you have seen the Holiday catalog for SU, you have seen the beautiful paper ornaments shown in the photos.  Now THIS was right up my alley!  So we decided that this would be the ornament design for this year (not the really fancy one on the front, but the more simple ones inside...) and tried to decide on a color.

Now... If you are still with me, Bless You! Because this is where the CMB challenge finally comes into the story.  I wanted to play with these colors as soon as I saw the fabulous inspiration photo.  I mean, who doesn't love a box full of gorgeous, yummy cookies????

And I just knew these colors would make something equally fabulous and less fattening!

So without further delay, here is the ornament that I made as part of my girls' ornament exchange gift...

and the back w/ a picture of the lovely sisters...

AND... Drum roll please................................................................... From the 2012 collection of C&C Creations, I present to you....... The Paper Ornament!!

They each made one, but silly Mom only took one picture, so I will be trying to pass this one picture off to both of them as their ornament! Quite honestly, I don't remember which one I used for the picture, so technically it could be either one...right???? 

If you are wanting to recreate these, I must give you a tip.  They are NOT difficult at all, very easy to put together as a matter of fact.  After all, if a 10 year old can do it, so can you!!  However, if you are looking for something really quick to throw together, this is NOT your project!!  The cutting alone took quite a while and then we scored the middle of each ornament to make folding easier.  But it was a lot of fun and my girls enjoyed playing with my toys for a change!  The assembly was a matter of looking at the picture and copying it for me, but if you want details, please leave a comment and I will share the 'how to'.  There are three stamped images for each petal and six petals on each flower.  If you want the back to look more 'finished, add an unstamped ornament image as the base for each petal.

We would LOVE to see what you can do with these colors, so please feel free to link up your creations!! The other ladies on the design team have done some fantastic things with these colors as well (even a super cute card for a boy!!!), so be sure to stop by the blog and leave them some love!!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today and especially for sticking it out through my long winded post!! Have a wonderful weekend and amid all of your shopping, find some quiet time to be crafty!!

Project Recipe:  Cardstock-primrose petals, crumb cake, wisteria wonder, Stamp Set-Ornament Keepsakes, Ink-basic gray, Accessories-old olive button (brights collection), snow flurry die, linen thread, Holiday Ornaments Framelits, 2 1/2" circle punch, 2 3/8" scallop circle punch, Tombo glue

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #12 Ornamental Greens

Hi there! It is time for a new challenge at Color Me Beautiful.  This week has one of the most beautiful color combinations using lots of green, and the team has made fabulous creations showing the colors off!  I am taking the week off, but promise to come visit and comment on your card if you link up! Pinky promise!!

Here is the beautiful inspiration photo (although it doesn't have to be Christmas)...

And the wonderful featured Stampin' Up colors...

While the colors would most definitely make a gorgeous Christmas card, I think they would be perfect for a masculine card too!  We would love it if you would play along this week and show us what these colors inspired you to create!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!!

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #11-A Christmas Flashback

Is it really Friday?! This has been the craziest week and I don't feel like I have accomplished anything, even though I have been running around like a chicken!!  I also realized that the annual arts and crafts festival that we attend is in a week!! That means Christmas is WHEN?!  I am not going to count the days because then I would really start to worry!!  But enough of my whining...

The challenge at Color Me Beautiful, this week, is sure to inspire the Christmas spirit!  Although... if you are not moved by the Christmas spirit, you could easily use these colors for any other project as well!

Try as I might, I could not get primrose petals to cooperate with the other colors.  Who knew it could be such an anti-social color... :p   But I DID use some Spice Cake DSP!! Go figure! 

I'm not sure that I'm finished tweaking this card... A little too much 'space' for my liking, maybe another stocking? The other ladies on the design team managed to succeed where I struggled and are sharing their fabulous creations at the challenge blog, so be sure to go visit them. And if you are so inclined, we would love to see what you can do with these beautiful colors!!

I managed to pull out some retired goodies for this card and it's Friday, so I'm calling this my most recent Flashback Friday card!

Today I am baking cookies for DD#2's fall festival, but I'm hoping to multi-task and get some creating done as well!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and find some time to be crafty too!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-sahara sand, real red, soft suede, very vanilla, red glimmer paper, Spice Cake DSP (ret), Stamp Set-Bells and Boughs, Ink-soft suede, Accessories-1 3/8" circle punch, scallop oval punch, stocking punch (ret), linen thread

Color Me Beautiful #10 I like it a latte for Christmas!!

It is Friday and that means it's time for a new color challenge at Color Me Beautiful.  I REALLY love these colors (must be the coffee junkie in me) and had a card in mind shortly after putting the papers together.  I saw a really pretty card on pinterest using the woodgrain folder and the coredinations paper and really wanted to pull that element.  That card also had a pine tree branch, but since there is no green in this week's challenge palette, I decided to change things up a little bit!! So here are the wonderful inspiration photo and color palette...

and here are my 'Country Christmas' cards...

At first glance, they appear to be the same, but I left the pearls off of one and only sprayed the ornaments with the smooch spray on that one.  I can't decide which version I like better!

There are so many possibilities with the wonderful earth tones.  It amazed me how different all of the fabulous design team cards were! I hope you find a little inspiration and I hope to see your creations linked up at the challenge blog!

Have a fabulous weekend and happy crafting!!

Color Me Beautiful #9-Fall for fabric

Fall is in full swing in Indiana!  The leaves seemed to explode in color about two weeks ago and now, just a short time later, many of the trees are bare.  While I am sad that the gorgeous color show is coming to an end, I am thrilled that our unbearable hot and humid temperatures are a thing of the past.  In case you haven't picked up on it yet, fall is my absolute favorite season! Time to pull out the sweatshirts and sweaters, build campfires for family cook outs, go on hikes in the woods without being eaten alive by bugs, and snuggle in on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good book.  And don't get me started on the joys of Thanksgiving!!

It's no wonder that this week's challenge at Color Me Beautiful made me so happy!  Just look at those gorgeous leaves  inspiring us to use the wonderful Stampin' UP colors!!

When I saw the In Colors for the first time, Summer Starfruit was probably my least favorite...for about a week.  Then I started combining it with other colors and realized that it was incredibly versatile, picking up shades of orange, yellow, and even brown, depending on what was next to it.  As a matter of fact, when I saw the challenge colors, I looked for my source of Summer Starfruit first and then built my card around the beautiful strip of fabric I rolled into a flower (have I mentioned how addictive these things are??).

While it's not really a 'fall' card, I think it still has the feel, if that makes any sense!!  Plus, it uses all of the colors.  As much as I would love to take credit for the layout, the original design for this card can be found here.  Sandy also has a great tutorial on how to make these flowers at the same spot.  Be sure to visit her blog, and check out the gorgeous creations made by the design team at CMB!  Who knows?  Maybe you will be inspired to share your own creation with us!!

To help put you in the fall mood that currently surrounds me, I'm sharing a few pictures I took last weekend while the girls and I went for a walk.  The leaves were already beginning to fall, but there was still plenty of color.

I hope this has put you in the mood for fall and maybe even to play along with our color challenge! Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-chocolate chip, crumb cake, very vanilla, Orchard Harvest DSP, Subtles Stack DSP, Stamp Set-Wacky Wishes, Ink-chocolate chip, Accessories- Comfort Cafe fabric, Jumbo Sticky Rounds, Framed Tulip embossing folder, Little Leaves Sizzlit, Big Shot

Color Me Beautiful inspired

Well, if you happened to see my post yesterday, you know that I was taking full advantage of my first day of fall break.  I did manage to spend a good part of the day in my jammies.  It was rainy and chilly so the weather was perfect for this.  I did several loads of laundry, blog stalked and started getting caught up on my emails, and most importantly, I crafted!  I even managed to tidy up my crafting space a little bit before starting, not that you can tell anymore! Teehee!

I managed to get a few scrapbook pages completed for upcoming DT projects and found some time to play with the colors from this weeks challenge at Color Me Beautiful.  I already had the paper on my table, so it wasn't too difficult to get started!  After pulling out a variety of DSP patterns, I knew I wanted to make a quilt card...um...make that two!

Such an easy way to play with all of the colors and now I have two more birthday cards for my stash! Well, I have quite a busy day planned-bridal shower and a family reunion, so there won't be much crafting today, but there's still two more days left of my fall break!! Woo! Hoo!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe:  Cardstock-river rock, soft suede, Comfort Cafe DSP, Brights and Subtles collection DSP stacks, Floral District DSP, Stamp Set-Curly Cute, Ink-soft suede, Accessories-square lattice folder, big shot

Color Me Beautiful #7 and a scrappy page

It's Friday!!! Yippee!!! We have survived another week and it's time for a new challenge at Color Me Beautiful. I absolutely loved these colors as soon as I saw them and the wheels started turning when I saw this wonderful blue boat!! 

  

Doesn't that picture just make you want to pack a picnic and set off to your own little private island?!

I have always been something of a 'water baby' and love spending time anywhere near the water.  The colors for this week's challenge felt so aquatic and I really wanted to stay with the watery inspiration.  I also have a ton of pictures begging to be scrapped and after a quick look through the box, I found pictures from a pool party we attended this summer. BINGO!!  My next problem was trying to fit 5 fun filled photos onto one page...  I hunted through some old Page Maps sketches and found one with hinges on the bottom picture.  So rather than making the hinges simply decorative, I made a little mini album to house the extra pictures.  This also gave me a perfect place for journaling too!

I managed to use all of the colors in the challenge and found that I really love these colors together!  I even managed to find some old alphabet stickers in my stash that fit the theme and used them for my title.  

I hope you have a fantastic weekend, find some time to be crafty, and maybe even accept our color challenge and link up your fabulous creation!  Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Page Recipe: Cardstock-sahara sand, old olive, river rock, bashful blue, pacific point, Ink-old olive and pacific point markers, Accessories-2 1/2" circle punch, modern label punch, perfect polka dot embossing folder, metallic brads,stickers from long ago, 2 bowls for making larger circles

Color Me Beautiful-An unlikely card...

Well hello! It's Friday again and that means a new color challenge at Color Me Beautiful .  We have some beautiful, soft colors to work with this week!  I really liked the inspiration photo and was doing some serious thinking about a soft, pretty, floral card using Reason To Smile.  I ended up doing something completely different and then had to laugh when another team member used this set for her card. Great minds!!  There are some wonderful creations made by the design team to get your wheels turning and we would LOVE it if you linked up and joined our party!!

So here is the wonderfully springlike inspiration photo...

and the corresponding SU colors...

After a little thought, I took these colors in a totally different direction.  I already have a lot of flowery, girly cards in my stash, and while I send out quite a few, I didn't really need another.  What I will be needing is Christmas cards.  Hmm...  I tend to play it safe with colors for Christmas, lots of reds and greens, with the occasional browns added for a more vintage feel.  But today I threw caution to the wind and made a Christmas card using these colors and GASP! a non-traditional stamp as well!!  Quite the 'wild child' today (insert eye roll here!)!! Somebody stop me!!

Quite simple and quite non-traditional... After inking the wreath image from Apothecary Art, I pulled out my pastels to add some color. I actually fussy cut the image and then used the framelit to cut the basic gray layer.  I added some sharpie colored rhinestones to balance the card. This is a pretty flat card, so it will mail nicely to someone on my list.  I need to check my stash of Christmas cards and see how many more I need to make.  It will be here before I know it...  My sister actually has a Christmas countdown going on her facebook page.  I lovingly remind her how much I hate it about twice a week!!  Let me know when it's less than 10 days!  Then I'll be interested, and panicked!!

Today I am spending the afternoon with DD#1 and her bestie to hunt for Halloween outfits.  They have an idea in their head and need to find the clothes to make it work, so we will be hitting all of the thrift stores.  I just might have to take a peek in housewares and see what I can find to alter or dress up.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that no one tells you how many days til Christmas!  Happy crafting!!

Card Recipe:  Cardstock-always artichoke, basic gray, whisper white, regal rose and pink pirouette DSP from the color family stacks, Ink-basic gray, certainly celery, Stamp Sets-Apothecary Art, Curly Cute, Accessories-pastels, rhinestones, Labels framelits

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #5 and a Flashback Friday (sort of)

It's Friday again! Funny how they keep coming around isn't it?! Although I have to say that this week's Friday couldn't have come at a better time! It has been one crazy week at work and that usually means very little crafty time for me!  We have been expanding our programs at work until we no longer have any room to grow and were blessed to have a building donated to us for relocation.  Unfortunately, this wonderful gift has been sitting empty for years and needed MAJOR renovation.  Most of this was completed by skilled laborers who donated their time, but now we are at the painting and finishing stage and that means all able bodies get to do some volunteering during their off time.  I painted my NEW classroom yesterday with my wonderfully understanding DH who has been so awesome through all of my stressed out and worn out days!  I am so glad that we are finished with that lovely project!  My next volunteer project will be the playground and landscaping-way more fun!!  But enough of my chatter... On to the Color Me Beautiful challenge!

And what a gorgeous color combination it is!! I really don't know where Carole and AnnMarie come up with these wonderful inspirations, but I want to visit all of the photo locations!!!

Doesn't this make you feel so peaceful?  I can only imagine the incredible scent of lavendar that would come from a field like this and just listen to the wind swishing through the wheat... Ahhhhh......

and here are your colors to play with...

I knew as soon as I put these colors together that my card would have a nature theme.  I hate to admit that I do not have river rock OR sahara sand inks... Must remedy that! That left out a lot of stamps that I considered using and then I remembered my retired butterflies.  I know that many demos sell the stamp sets once they retire, but I have several that I refuse to part with because they are just so versatile and wonderful.  Butterfly Prints is one of these sets. Guess this kind of makes my card a Flashback Friday too!

This card is something of a double CASE. I made a card extremely similar to this here and that card was inspired by my upline Kelly's card.  My photography for this one is horrid! It was pouring down rain and my indoor lighting does nothing to enhance the beauty of the vanilla smooch that is spritzed on the entire card (looks more like blobs, here...) and the river rock layer is stamped with the flowers from another stamp set using versamark. You can barely make them out if you squint, get really close to the screen, and stand on one leg! LOL!

Well, I hope my terribly photographed card has encouraged you to visit Color Me Beautiful and see the better quality photos of the rest of the team! Quite a talented bunch, and I am amazed at the gorgeous creations that get linked up each week!! So if you have some time and want to play, we would love it if you would join in the fun!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend full of lots and lots of crafty time!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-sahara sand, river rock, wisteria wonder, elegant eggplant, whisper white, Ink-elegant eggplant, wisteria wonder, Versamark, Stamp Sets-Butterfly Prints (ret), Language of Friendship, Accessories-butterfly punch (ret), eyelet border punch (ret), elegant eggplant scallop dots ribbon, Vanilla Shimmer Smooch spritz

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #3

Hello! It's Friday! My favorite day of the week! Not only does it mean the weekend is here, but it's also time for a new color challenge at Color Me Beautiful! I am having so much fun playing with the wonderful color combinations and this week is no exception!

Check out these yummy colors...

and our color palette...

Anyone else hungry for eggplant Parmesan, or is it just me?!  

When I originally saw these pictures they really called Halloween to me.  So I made a Halloween card, but me and my nitpicky, wishy washy ways, I wasn't loving that card.  It wasn't horrible, but I really wanted something better to share, so I went back to the drawing board and made a new card...

Nope, not Halloween... but I like this one a lot more! Plus, it gave me the excuse to pull out some new toys and play with them!!  AND I have another Christmas card completed!! Bonus!

Have I mentioned that I love the bundles in the Holiday catalog?! As if coordinating stamp sets and framelits weren't wonderful enough, you also save money when you purchase them together!! How could I NOT buy them????

I hope the inspiration picture, color palette, and my little ol' card have encouraged you to pull out these SU colors and some SU stamps and play along!! I'll be patiently waiting to see your wonderful creations!

Be sure to check back later this week and I'll share my first attempt card with you.  Like I said, it's not horrid and I like it, but it just wasn't WOW like I wanted it to be.

Card Recipe:  Cardstock-basic gray, lucky limeade, whisper white, rich razzleberry, tempting turquoise, Ink-rich razzleberry, tempting turquoise, basic gray, Stamp Sets-Teeny Tiny Wishes, Ornament Keepsakes, Accessories- Holiday Ornaments framelits, white bakers twine, basic rhinestones, snow burst embossing folder (ret), Punches-modern label, word window, 1" circle, scallop oval

Challenge #2 at Color Me Beautiful!

Hello all! I am so far behind today, I think I passed myself twice trying to catch up!! I had every intention of having this post scheduled for first thing this morning, but ended up going out to eat with family last night and then completely forgot.

But anyway, my creation today is for the DT at Color Me Beautiful.  I actually did not have to make a card for this week since I'm on the second team, but the colors were just too pretty not to use, so here I am!  Take a look at the lovely inspiration photo...

and the list of colors...

and finally... My card!

 

I loved the gorgeous flowers in the photo and thought the wildflowers image from Just Believe would work to recreate them. Using markers to color the image made it easy to pull 3 of the 5 colors into my card. While I still think it might need a little something, I have yet to decide what it is and will just have to see what I come up with later.  There's a good chance it will grow on me too!

So if you think you might like to join me in the challenge, head over to the blog and check out the other design team members' lovely creations and get the details.  Remember, you do NOT have to use all 5 colors to qualify!  I was so happy to see a blogging buddy link up during last week's challenge and hope many more will join this week!!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Very Vanilla, Raspberry Ripple, Ink- Always Artichoke, Raspberry Ripple, Calypso Coral, Stamp Set- Just Believe, Accessories-square lattice folder, word window punch, modern label punch, Victoria crochet trim

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #1 and new toys!

Hello! I am so glad you stopped by to visit today! I am bursting with excitement about the new color challenge at Color Me Beautiful!  I have to admit that all of that purple threw me a little, and I debated skipping a shade, but I kept thinking of a dear blogging friend who adores purple and thought "What would she do?".  Well... she would put every bit of purple in there!  So I did!!

I am thrilled to be a part of this group of very talented crafters and hope you stop by the blog to check out their amazing work as well!

This is our beautiful inspiration piece...

and here is my very first color challenge piece!

I recently ordered the stamp set Daydream Medallions and the coordinating framelits, Floral Frames.  I thought this would be a great set to use all of these pretty colors together. And of course, it also allowed me to play with new tools!!  This came together so quickly, which was a good thing since I was working under the gun to get it done on time!  It's hard to tell from the picture, but each layer is popped up with dimensionals and the edges are curved a bit too.

Well, I'm off to enjoy the long weekend with my girls.  We were planning to have an outdoor family reunion today, but the rain had other plans, so now I have a free Saturday to be all crafty! Rainy days are perfect for that!!  Although...there is also the distinct possibility I may just take a nap!  Rainy days are great for that too!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and happy Labor Day to all who are celebrating this holiday with me!  Make some time to be crafty and I hope to see your wonderful take on these colors at Color Me Beautiful!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-rich razzleberry, basic gray, perfect plum, lucky limeade, wisteria wonder, Ink-perfect plum, lucky limeade, wisteria wonder, Stamp Set-Daydream Medallions, Accessories-Floral Frames framelits, vintage wallpaper folder, lucky limeade ruffled ribbon, wisteria wonder bakers twine, neutrals buttons