Hello Fabrika Fantasy fans.  I am super late with my project this month.  It has been a super crazy time for me lately, and I completely forgot I had a project due!  Then, my week was so busy, that even after I realized, I didn't have any time to work on one!  If you are ever in need of a quick project, I can recommend using one of Dimitri's pre-colored images!  The theme of our challenge this month is anything goes.  I can't wait to see yours.


This is Happy Chipmunk and he was beautifully colored by Dimitri.  All I did was print the image and use the Silhouette Cameo to print it out.  The die cutting of the clouds, sentiment, and background paper took longer than the image itself!  I used the Rubbernecker Stamps Small Cloud Stitch and Clouds dies to cut some white glitter paper.  The sentiment die is from Echo Park.

You have a chance to win some Fabrika Fantasy images for playing along.  You don't have to use a Fabrika Fantasy image, but if you do, you will be in a special drawing just for those projects using a Fabrika Fantasy image.

Card measures 5.5"  4.25"
Echo Park Sentiments Word die set
A Muse Studio landscape dies

We have another wonderful anything goes challenge over at the Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends challenge blog.  I decided to try something a little different for me.  Last time I did something different, it was over the top shabby chic, soooo....how about a little CAS for a change?!


This image is Texting Diva from Kenny K.  I thought she was perfect for a "keeping in touch" kind of card.  I cut an alphabet collage background using my Silhouette Cameo.  I wanted it to kind of blend into the background to keep it simple.  I always struggle with these cards.  I never feel like they are finished and always feel like something is missing.  As I write this...I still feel like something is missing!!  I guess CAS just doesn't come naturally to me!

We have three wonderful sponsors for this challenge. (Clicking the picture will take you to each shop.)

I joined Mo Manning's Facebook group, Bella and Bronte's Clubhouse, a while ago.  It is full of inspiration and wonderful people who are always ready to encourage!  It has been a great source of inspiration and courage!  If you are a fan of her art, you should pop over and join too!  Because of the group, I am actually going to enter my first-ever Mo's challenge!  Wouldn't you know, it is to create a CAS card?!  It could have been worse...it could have been a masculine card.  No actually, I think CAS is harder for me!


I am so pleased with the way this turned out.  I used Thanks! and colored it with Copics.  I am not sure I breathed the entire time I was coloring it!  The image was printed directly on the card base and I was so afraid I was going to have to start over!  I was so happy when the last marker stroke was completed!

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Stampin' Up! Banners Framelits
Stampin' Up! Banner Blast stamp set
American Crafts ribbon

The challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is Words with Friends.  Use something with a lot of text in your project to join in on the fun!  It could be a page from a book, a stamp, or an embellishment!


I used the image Story Keeper Gnome and colored him with Copics.  I stamped a script stamp on the front and back of some paper that looked like parchment.  I cut two strips and layered them on the right side of the large piece leaving the right corner free of adhesive.  I rolled each layer over a pencil to create the look of curled pages in a book.  A simple sentiment stamp and ribbon finished off the card.

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Hero Arts Sentiment Stamp
Hero Arts French Script stamp
ribbon from my stash

Our Design Team theme this month is inspiration at Meljen's Designs.  I pulled out my inspiration file, to find some inspiration for my post.  My inspiration file is full of things that grabbed my attention in one way or another.  I have a half page from a catalog, a flyer that came in the mail, and other assorted bits and pieces.  Most people would have thrown them away, but I saved them because of the color combinations on them.  In fact, I even had this tag from a pair of jeans in my file.


This pair of jeans is long gone, but as soon as I saw this tag, I knew this was the color scheme for my inspiration post.  I loved the colors then and I still love them now!


I even borrowed the basic layout from the tag as well.  I used Mailed With Love for the image and colored it with Copics.  It is a great image when you just want to let someone know you are thinking about them.  I used Sending You Smiles from DeNami Design for the sentiment.

I am inspired by color.  I have even been known to take a picture of pillows at the store because I loved the colors on them!  Start your own inspiration file so that when Mr. Mojo is having his temper tantrum, you can fight back with a little ready-made inspiration of your own.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Crystal Stickers Mosaic squares
Stampin' Up! So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon

Keep it simple...those are words that make me cringe.  Clean and simple cards are so hard for me.  Those that can manage to pull them off amaze me!  But that is the theme for our challenge at Meljen's Designs.  I had to work really hard to remember to keep it simple!


I used Love Letter from the recent release and colored it with Copics.  Well...shaded it with Copics really since the image is mostly white!  A little faux stitching and some twill ribbon and it is done!  Whew!  I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out.  Now to go back to my regular crafting style.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Sentiment by DeNami Design
ribbon from my stash

Oh my gosh!  I forgot to schedule my challenge post for this week!  I can't believe I forgot.  There are so many things happening here right now, that I seem to be chasing my tail most days!


I used Sunflower Buggies, Stitched Hello, and Little Bug Line.  The images were colored with Copic Markers. I cut the card using my Cricut and the Wild Card cartridge at 5.5".  The flower was created using a punch and I shaped the petals using an embossing stylus.

Card measures 5.5"
Stampin' Up! Key Tag Punch
BossCut Scroll Die
Stickles Glitter Glue

The challenge this week at Pike's Playground is Anything Goes.  After missing the chance to play in the last two challenges, I was determined to get a card done in time this week!  I had cards done...I just got the challenge ending times wrong.  So frustrating!


I dare you to take one of his apples!!  I colored the image using Prismacolor pencils.  I used a few dew drops by The Robin's Nest and a paper flower with a tiny brad in the center.  Not many embellishments.  I loved the image and wanted it to be the center of attention.

Card measures 4.25" x 5"

I am so excited because I have been asked to be a guest designer at Meljen's Designs for the month of August!  I couldn't believe it when I got the email.  My family couldn't figure out why I fell out of my chair at the computer!

I have been thinking about how to use up some of my many scraps.  I had been thinking about making some 3 x 3 mini cards and thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.  All of the cards shown below measure 3 x 3 and were made using scraps of cardstock, paper, and ribbon.  No new pieces were harmed in the making of this blog post!  I love the fact that I could resize the images to fit the mini cards perfectly.


I have shown each of the cards in more detail below along with the list of supplies used for each card.  All of the images were colored using colored pencils and baby oil.


Left:  I used the image Little Layered Flowers-Stitched Lotus and Stitched Leaf.  You can get these images as part of a set or individually.  I printed the Stitched Lotus twice to layer it and folded the top flower petals slightly for some dimension.  I embossed the brown cardstock with D'Vine Swirls.

Right:  I used the image Little Bug Line.


Left:  I used the image Johnny Bird Boots and the freebie sentiment Friends.  I used some paper flowers and pearls in addition to some baker's twine from the Twinery.

Right:  I used the freebie image Giraffe's Necktie, which is available in a freebie pack you can download here, and the freebie sentiment Stitched Hello.  I cut the border using Lattice Rectangles from Spellbinders.  The polka dots were stamped using the Polka Dot Background from DeNami Design.  The image was punched out using a punch from Stampin' Up.


Left:  I used the image Double Scoop Ice Cream and the freebie sentiment Sweet (available in the freebie pack).  The rhinestones were colored to match using Copic markers.  The ovals were punched with punches from Stampin' Up.  The scalloped circle was cut using a die from Lifestyle Crafts.  The mat pieces were punched from a piece of cardstock embossed with the Tiny Bubbles embossing folder.

Right:  I used the image Cuddle Bug and the freebie sentiment Thinking of You (available in the freebie pack) printed inside the freebie Little Stitched Cloud.  The background was embossed using the Flourish Texturz Plate from Stampin' Up.


Left:  I used the freebie image Stitched Country Heart and the freebie sentiment Thinking of You (available in the freebie pack).

Right:  I used the image Simple Little Butterfly.  The background was stamped with the steam curl from the Espresso Stamp Set from DeNami Design.  The small button brads are from the Paper Studio.


Left:  I used the image Smile Flowers.  The blue strip was punched using the Pinking Hearts border punch from Stampin' Up.  The yellow flowers were punched using a mini punch I got in the dollar bin at Michaels.

Right:  I used the image Little Pocket Mice.  The background was stamped using a stamp from the Sprinkles stamp set from Stampin' Up.  The circle and scallop were cut using dies from Lifestyle Crafts.  The button brad is from the Paper Studio.

Whew!  That was a really long post!  Thank you for sticking with me until the end of this post.  I hope I have inspired you to create your own mini cards!

The Embellish Magazine blog has a nautical theme for their challenge.  I decided to play along.


I used the image Sail Away Sailor from Meljen's Designs.  I colored it using colored pencils and baby oil.  The sentiment was a freebie on the Meljen's Designs blog.  You can find it here.  I used an embossing folder with Core'dinations cardstock and sanded it to make the weathered wood background.  The button came from a can of buttons that I have had for years!

Card measures 5.5" x 4.25"
Cuttlebug emobssing folder-Forest Branches

The challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is a sketch challenge with a layout created by talented design team member, Dianna.


Here is my card for the challenge.




I used the Paper Craft Planet 400 member freebie image.  The group has over 1000 members now and there is a freebie at each 100 member mark!  Come join the group at Paper Craft Planet!  I colored this image a while ago, but I think I used colored pencils blended with a colored pencil blender from Artist's Loft.  It looks like a brush marker and has blending solution in it.  I bought it before I started using the baby oil, which I like much better.

Card measures 4" x 4" 
Flower brad-Stampin' Up
Seam binding from my stash

The challenge at Pike's Playground is to use his recent freebie of Dudley and his power wheels.  He has also asked for cards for a little boy named Dylan who is undergoing treatment for an inoperable brain tumor.  For more about dylan, visit his blog.  This card is for the challenge and will be off to Dustin in tomorrow's mail to be passed on to Dylan.


I colored Dudley and his wheels with colored pencils and blended them with baby oil.  I created the background panel using several mini stamps.  The "hello" and the Teeny Star are from DeNami Design.  The "hi" and the smiley face are from MorningStar Stamps.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Stampin' Up Build-a-Bear Workshop designer paper
Divine Twine Marachino Cherry

Whew!  Now that Blogger has returned to normal and my posts have returned from cyberspace, I can post my entry for the DeNami Design sketch challenge.  I posted it through Flickr, but didn't post all of the details.  The sketch was created by Wendy, one of the fabulous design team members. 


When I created my card, I decided to flip the sketch upside down.


I used the Large Flower Spray and the "hello" stamp from the Assorted Greetings set.  I stamped the flower spray in VersaMark ink and embossed them with Stampin' Up Winter White embossing powder.  The diecut is actually from one of the Stampin' Up label dies, and was given to me by a friend.  I used a white Signo gel pen to create the stitching on the perforation created by cutting the die.  The brad on the bow is also from Stampin' Up.  There are small rhinestones in the center of each of the flowers, but they are really hard to see in the picture.  I also added a bit of detail to the flowers after I colored them with the white gel pen.

Card measures 4.25" x 5.5"
Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder
Stampin' Up So Saffron and Really Rust cardstock
Ribbon from my stash

The challenge this week at Meljen's Designs is to create a business envelope sized card.  It had to measure at least 9.5" x 4".  Mine ended up 9.5" x 4.5".

I used Sunflower Buggies as my image and colored it with colored pencils blended with baby oil.  I also used a Flourish Inchie from Rubbernecker Stamps and the hello stamp from DeNami Designs Assorted Greetings petit four.  The butterfly is from the Stampin' Up embosslits die Beautiful Wings. 

Cuttlebug border embossing folders-Frills
Ranger Liquid Pearls-Platinum Pearl
Ribbon from my stash