look how she sparkles

every now and then i feel the need to go utterly nuts in a cardmaking sense. ok, ok, truth be told, i do that most days. but sometimes i go reeaalllllllllllllly craaaaaaaazy and pile on layer after shiny, sparkly, shimmery, day-glow, super-embellished layer. *THIS* was one of those times:

(glossy clipart image: anahata katkin; patterned paper: mustard moon, karen foster and vintage sheet music and a bit of hindi text from a bollywood film magazine; glossy black cardstock: ranger; diecut border & tag: k&co; flowers & flourishes: prima; rub-on sentiment: rusty pickle; eyelets: making memories; pink gems & heart charm: michaels; inks: colorbox; other: pilot paint pen, misc. jump rings, 3m foam tape, uhu gluestick, tombow mono adhesive)

it's a thank you card for the lovely stef. i hope she'll feel pleased to have gotten something made specially for her, which comes straight from my exuberant--if hyperactive--crafty heart, and not that she has been the recipient of a frankensteinian art-based lab experiment! but worse comes to worst, i think this thing is capable of giving off several kilowatt hours in the event of power outages in central iowa. :)

(ps: the eagle-eyed may note the presence of a dangly charm-n-tag combo similar to the one i showed you the other day. this is actually the *first* of my tag experiments; the card was already halfway finished when i stumbled on the blogpost with the cool tag-based jewelry, but stef and i *both* loved them, so i was DETERMINED to have a go and work it into my design!!!)

good thing i'm not on a diet

because JUST LOOK at the delightful super-abundance of deeeeeeeelicious blog candy which just arrived from the lovely and thoughtful miss kristie! you see, a couple of weeks ago, kristie was asking for new blog name suggestions, and gave once chance in the candy draw for each idea. since some of us greedy types will sit and think up 3 or 4 names at a go...well, let's just say that i had a better than average chance at winning!!! :)

seeing as how the "spring" weather here in central new jersey is warm...but alas NOT SUNNY...my pic is a bit less lovely than it ought to be. so i will tell you that featured in the above photo there are loads af *FAB* basic grey 6x6 papers...glitter rub-ons...probably (for me) a lifetime supply of gorgeous ribbons and trims...chipboard & cardstock die-cuts...brads in at least 10 shapes...and loads & loads of colorful buttons! WAHOOOOO! if you'll excuse me, i need to go MAKE SOMETHIN'...NOW!!!

oof, i nearly forgot to show you the very VERY best thing in the whole pack of goodness:

yepper: an amazing, stamped, flourishy, ribbon-bedecked kristie morrison creation!

thank you thank you lovely friend!!!

(and i hope you are well and truly ON THE MEND!!!)

could i *BE* more conceited??!

nope.
I LOVE THIS CARD!!!!!
love.
it.
wanna keep it.
seriously.
i'd quite like to frame it and hang it above my desk.
yes, i am that pleased with myself and my creation.
so there.
somebody smack me.
(thank you)


of course the inspiration for my card--and the template for the delicious dessert item you see before you--was the cool sheer cupcake mini album stef sent me. *IT* is verrrry cool, and SHE is very, VERY cool indeed...so probably the thing came pre-loaded with fabulousness and i could not have gone wrong on anything i made using it!!!

(patterned paper: prima, dena by creative imaginations, crafty secrets, sei; cupcake template: clear scraps; very expensive scalloppy velvet ribbon i now wish i'd bought A LOT more of...and also rub-on sentiment: american crafts; sticky pearls & gems: kaiser; other: colorbox inks, zig pen, 3m foam tape)

i hardly ever do close-up "detail" photos...heck, i have a hard enough time snapping a pic which makes the thing i am showing you look like the thing i am showing you! but this time i could not resist the temptation to better depict the little white "ruffle" (of copier paper cut with decorative scissors) between the circle and the scallops...and the teeeeeeeny stick-on pearls in the center of each scallop (i used the smallest size from TWO PACKS of kaiser pearls!) ...and the way each layer is inked and faux stitched and left a little bit loose around the edge to give it more dimension...and how the cupcake is popped on a layer of foam tape with the cherry on a second layer:

of course, i won't be keeping it or framing it. it'll be niece madeline's birthday card, in may. afterall, a gal only turns five *once* and the occasion needs to marked in a very special way! the nice thing about being done so early is that i can keep it around a bit longer before sending it on its way. the not-so-nice thing is that i'm early because i've been playing with cupcakes when i oughtta be working on deadline-based items. sigh. back to work!

and now for something completely different!

edited & reposted, thursday 3/26:

HOLY MOLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the card below, with the bird on the branch, which i sent in to the "SPRING" card contest on the hero arts blog... (at the suggestion of a lovely lady called vera from the flickr group; thanks, vera!) ...well, it won the "fresh face" for this week!!! holy moly, how exciting is that?!

'scuse me whilst a do a little ♥ HAPPY DANCE ♥ next to my desk!

(and now back to the original post, from sunday...new stuff tomorrow, though, honest!)

***********

actually that's a lie. once again i'm fixin' to show you MORE cards from the hero arts gallery we caardvarks made to go along with the current challenge*. on the other hand, whilst the theme is the same, the *CARDS* really are completely different. does that count?? (just nod & smile, ok?! thanks. i owe ya one!)

so far i've mostly showcased the asian frames set...but the all occasion messages may well be one of the most flexible...and just downright useful...stamp sets i've ever seen. it has *twenty* different phrases--covering a whole range of occasions and sentiments--plus eleven adorable teeny images: a sweet tiny bird, flowers, hearts, stars...i'm pretty sure this is a set that a CARDMAKER invented, actually!



the first thing i thought of when i saw this set is how cool the phrases looked all lined up together on the sheet. i wondered if i could leave them ON THERE and stamp a multi-greeting text panel. turns out, yepper, i could; and i think it came out pretty well! wanna see?

(hero arts stamps: all occasion messages; patterned paper: american crafts, we r memory keepers, creative imaginations, sei, floral origami paper; flowers: prima; flower sequins: queen&co; eyelets: hot off the press, making memories; other: fancy pants & heidi swapp chipboard shapes used as templates for bird & wing, tiny nail gems from terrie, colorbox inks, zig pen, 3m foam tape)

the "greeting panel" is inside the card, visible through a cut-out cloud on the front. this was accomplished using a craft knife and mat--the ultimate sacrifice if one has carpal tunnel issues--but well worth the trouble, i feel!

of course you don't have to use the phrases en masse. here's a set of mini-cards--made to fit some cool veterinary envelopes debb sent me--using individual phrases. in fact, sometimes i didn't even use the whole phrase; to fit on the rabbit card, i only inked "warm wishes" on the "sending warm wishes" stamp; and all the envelopes read for "you" using just that bit of the "just for you" or "you make me smile" stamps.

(hero arts stamps: all occasion messages; patterned paper: imaginisce, creative imaginations, love elsie, sei, dcwv, anna griffin; other: ranger & colorbox inks, tiny nail art stickers, tombow markers, 3m foam tape)

remember, the actual prize-eligible caardvarks challenge involves making a card from heidi's fabulous sketch, which can be found several posts below, and also on the caardvarks site! the last few challenges have been almost *overwhelming* in terms of how many--and HOW COOL--the cards submitted are; i cannot wait to see what everyone makes this time!

the card that didn't wind up being the card i thought it'd be

over the weekend i came across these realllllllllllly cool tags; the artist calls them "narrative charms" and they are properly made bits of jewelry, with glass covers, fancy findings, metal bezels, and so forth. there is even a class one can take to learn how to make them. since i am a cardmaker rather than a jewelry enthusiast, i wanted something that LOOKED like these lovely examples, but lighter, quicker, and less technique-intensive.

basically, i wanted to *cheat*.

so i did!

(tags: k&co; charm: psx; eyelets: making memories; gold paint pen: pilot; other: jump rings, mini safety pin)

i made the bits above using premade items from my stash, (including some tags from k&co's madeline collection...with which i am seriously enamoured!) it didn't take long, and i was realllllly thrilled with the way they came out. then i decided to build a card to feature them. but somehow, i wound up with this instead:

(cardstock: hobby lobby (thanks, stef!); patterned paper: daisy d's plus vintage sheet music & a page from a vintage french quidebook; rub-on& chipboard border: my mind's eye; diecut butterfly & flowers: k&co; florals: prima; sticky pearls: michaels; vintage eyelet (thanks, debb!); other: colorbox inks, 3m foam tape)

don't get me wrong, i really LIKE this card...it's got more bits from the madeline collection, and pretty flowers, and fun trimmings...but do you notice what it doesn't have?

uh huh: NO TAGS!!!

(sigh)

somehow, i just couldn't get them on there. ah well. i'll have another go later. in the meantime, i figure am halfway through my mother's day cardmaking duties. another one in a similar style, and i'll be all set! maybe that one will have dangly tags on it! :)

52Q: 11

hello and welcome to last week's entry for emily falconbridge's year-long 52Q mini-journaling project. i am REALLY having fun with these. until now, i've been doing them all by hand in a really low-tech way...but for this one i needed to download a hamster photo, & it just seemed a easier to put the text on before printing the thing out. well, hey, if we've GOT the technology, we might as well use it, right?!

question 11: what keeps me awake at night?

(hamster pic from t'internet, printed on kodak premium photo paper, 3 hour tour font, colorbox ink; reverse: notebook paper, mary englebreit sticker, uniball pen)

answer: "i may be part hamster"

text below reads, "...at least, i've always been semi-nocturnal. it doesn't take much to keep me up at night: too much caffeine or sugar...stress...excitement...or even just my own innate hyperactivity!"

hero arts, day 2

and now, a couple more cards from the awesome extended gallery we caardvarks assembled, using the divine hero arts goodies i showed you yesterday! remember, *the challenge* this time is to make a card using heidi's sketch, which can be seen in the post below or on the caardvarks site; but in the meantime, here are some additional non-sketch cards i made using my cool new stamps.

of course you know it never takes much for me to want to go off in a "far east" sort of direction...so a stamp set called asian frames was never going to be difficult for me to use, was it?! (btw, our hero arts products were selected by the company; it is the purest coincidence that by i only received things i'd've happily chosen--& paid for--myself!) i like that there are a range of sizes & shapes and that the smaller stamps are accents taken from the larger ones!

(hero arts stamp from the asian frames set, plus a line of clear gemstones; cardstock, gold damask & bamboo paper: the paper co; patterned paper: scenic route, best creation inc, plus a page from a japanese language workbook; chipboard flourish: maya road; embossing ink & powder: psx; other: tombow markers, clear stickles, colorbox inks, 3m foam tape)

this *might* be my favorite card of all...mostly because my "what's black & white & pink all over" gene is never completely dormant. (nor is my "more is more, embellish-till-ya-drop" gene for that matter!) believe it or not i built the whole thing around a piece of trash--see the paper behind the butterfly? that's a piece of scrap i used to clean off excess ink from the flower sprig stamp as i switched between black and pink ink; it made such a neat design that i wound up using it as patterned paper! (you can't really see it here, but i placed one butterfly right on the paper, and then stamped, embossed & cut out a second, to layer over top; irl it's much more dimensional-looking!)

(hero arts heart-winged butterfly, sprig of flowers from the asian frames set, and line of clear gemstones; glossy cardstock: ranger; patterned paper: karen foster, hambly, plus a page from a japanese workbook; rub-ons: basic grey; flowers: prima; flower eyelets: making memories; ribbon: michaels; embossing ink & powder: psx; other: colorbox chalk inks, 3m foam tape)

there are still a few MORE cards left for me to show you; back with those tomorrow!

heroic *AND* artistic!

hello and welcome to a very special caardvarks challenge! what's so special about it, you ask? well, this time our sponsor is hero arts, makers of awfully fabulous rubber stamps & accoutrements. they were kind enough not only to offer the prize, but they also sent along some verrrrrrry cool products for the design team to try:

hero arts goodies galore: all occasion messages, asian frames, heart-winged butterfly and gemstones;

so of course we have a bigger-than-usual gallery crammed full of glorious eye candy: cards, projects, all sorts of great stuff! in addition, we are honored to have a celebrity guest designer, none other than ms. jennifer mcguire!

but what IS the challenge? you have until midnight april 3rd to make a card based on this rather gorgeous sketch by my massively talented fellow caardvark, heidi van laar:



is that a great sketch, or what? so simple, yet elegant...you could do ANYTHING with that baby, dontcha think?! i know i couldn't fit all my ideas into just ONE card...i had to make two!

(hero arts stamps: asian frames and heart-winged butterfly and gemstones; glossy cardstock: ranger; patterned paper: crafty secrets (stamped with the bamboo from asian frames) provocraft, anna griffin, plus a page from a japanese workbook + glossy textured origami paper; lg florals: heidi swapp; flower sequins: queen&co; diecut border: k&co; embossing inks & powders: psx; other: millinery pearls, foam tape)

(hero arts stamps: asian frames, all occasion messages and heart-winged butterfly; plus clear gemstones; cardstock: basic grey plus a page from a japanese workbook; diecut flowers & tag: k&co; embossing ink & powders: psx; other: colorbox inks, foam tape)

for complete details & more info...such as pics of the prize, design team sketch cards, links to the expanded gallery, and instructions on how to link up your creations...visit the caardvarks site! tomorrow i will be back with more projects featuring my hero arts swag!

have you ever seen a prettier baby quilt?

than this one, i mean:

because i sure haven't! lest you think that the entire universe has changed course and the earth has shifted on its axis: NO, I HAVE NOT LEARNED TO SEW! wouldja believe i *won* this lovely lovely item??! remember a month or so ago when missus trash was having her fabulous craffle to benefit the australian redcross' bushfire appeal? well, of course i donated to that worthy cause, but i never dreamed i'd walk away with one of the amazingly tasty prizes. this quilt was made--& donated--by the astonishingly talented and super-generous katy of i'm a ginger monkey. it is gorgeous and soft and beautifully crafted and has the most mouth-watering array of pink floral fabrics in a field of white, with a reverse of what my sister calls "sky blue pink" on the back.

wouldja like a closer look? (thought so!) here ya go:

want to hear the very best and most awesome part of this whole thing? i have just won a beautiful pink baby quilt less than a month before my best friend's baby girl is born!!! talk about your excellent timing, eh? along with said quilty confection, katy sent a very sweet and deliciously scented lavender sachet...which i am keeping for myself! (shhhhhhhhhhhh!)

thank you, ginger monkey!

thank you, missus trash!

this is not...

...one of my captions from i has a hotdog, but since it literally made me spit out my coffee the other day, i figured i'd share it with you anyway. if *you* are presently drinking coffee--or any other hot beverage which might stain--don't say i didn't warn you, ok?! :)

is it just me, or does a pomeranian dressed as a pirate almost not even NEED a caption??

of course i am sidestepping the two really big philosophical questions that this photo raises: #1: who buys pirate costumes for pomeranians? (!!!) and #2: who SELLS pirate costumes for pomeranians?? (?!?) but do feel free to discuss these amongst yourselves!

♥ happy wednesday, darlings!!! ♥

52Q: *10*

wahey! we're into double digits already!!!

which aside from being cool on the 52Q front, surely means that SPRING cannot be far away either, right?

RIGHT??!

it *IS* gonna be SPRING SOOOOOOON, isn't it??!??!?!
(just checking!)

in the meantime, however, at least we have

question 10: name 5 movies that inspire you creatively...

(film camera & slate cut from a magazine, sei numeral sticker, mambi bling star, jenny bowlin & ki rub-ons, sharpie pen; reverse: fill-in form from an investment mailer, provocraft roller stamp, mrs. grossman star stickers, bazzill & ranger inks)

seeing as how i've been trying to use this project to practice working quickly...and a bit "looser"... i decided to just start stamping my answers on the card without any tedius measuring.

(ahem)

as you can see...they didn't all fit in the "free space" and whilst it looks kind of cool to let them overlap the picture, they are completely un-read-able there.

(ah well)

so if you're interested in knowing my top 5 creatively inspiring films, they are, in no particular order:

curse of the golden flower

(saturated color...not to mention spectacle!!!)

breakfast at tiffany's

(audrey hepburn! new york city!!! what else do ya need?)

amelie

(the distilled essence of paris...ok, it's a fantasy paris...what's your point?!)

devdas

(perhaps the "bollywoodiest" of all bollywood films; certainly one of the most impressive.)

rivers and tides

(perhaps the BEST EVER glimpse of an artist & his process captured on film.)

...and yours are...???

my mail carrier loves me!

wanna know how i can tell??

'cause the other day, she brought me THIS:

of course, she just deliverd it. the reallllllllllll love comes from my fellow caardvark, blogging mentor, and card-makin' heroine STEPHANIE SEVERIN! that lady knew i was on the lookout for REALLY *krafty* kraft cardstock and got me a pack of the absolutely marvellous stuff they sell at hobby lobby! but stef being stef, she couldn't just send it on alone. noper! there was a lovely handmade greeting, and a DELICIOUS acrylic cupcake mini-album! because she KNOWS ME, does stef...oh yes...she knows me WELL!!!

thank you thank you thank you oh generous and thoughtful one!!!

the card that time forgot!

ok, it wasn't time who forgot so much as *me*!
but it's from quite a while ago, and thus i've decided to hold TIME partially responsible! :)

(vintage: slide mount (thanks debb!) ledger paper & sheet music; patterned paper: scenic route leaves, crafty secrets crown; cardstock scallops: a bit of packaging from fancy pants chipboard; glittery transparency frame: k&co (thanks, jolene!) tag: sei; chipboard bird & hearts: sassafras lass; bling frame: heidi swapp; rub-ons: polar bear press; other: colorbox inks, 3m foam tape)

as you know, i am photographically challenged at the best of times and waaaaaaay worse when it comes to taking pics of anything reflective--such as a transparency--so you will just have to trust me when i tell you this card was actually quite a bit cooler in real life!

when i was little...

...i thought all fairy tales began with the same long word,

"Wunsaponnatime"

in the intervening years, i've gotten a bit better at spelling, and discovered that i even occasionally enjoy a story which doesn't start out that way. other than that, however, not much has changed: i still like to have stories read to me... (these days i call 'em "audiobooks" but it's the same concept!) ...i still like cupcakes and tiaras and coloring and a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

so i figure this is a perfectly appropriate photo to use for my new avatar, right?

plus, it has the added advantage of:

NO VERTIGO!!!!!!! :)

the crooked tagger

so my lovely and hilarious blogging friend leslie...aka the crooked stamper...tagged me last week. i don't *always* do tags, but this was one i hadn't seen before and some of the questions were really interesting, so i decided to play!

first the rules (not that i will necessarily *follow* them!):

Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

(lauren sez: ok, fine, i can do that!)

Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people

(lauren sez: yeah...i'll probably cheat on this one!)

*******************

and now the tag questions:

What are you wearing now?
work clothes (jeans, tank top, cute hoodie)

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading?
dictation: a quartet by cynthia ozick (for reading group) and art journaling by somerset studio; both are excellent in completely different ways

Do you nap a lot?
hardly ever

Who was the last person you hugged?
lovely husband jeff...who, in addition to his many other talents, is an EXCELLENT hugger!

What’s your current obsession/addiction?
well paper, obviously, and makin' stuff out of it...also i have eaten a pack of these every single day for about the last month...and at the moment, if NCIS is on, i am probably watching it...there are more, but i'll stop now...

What was the last thing you said aloud?
a very very naughty word indeed; directed at my currently slow as something-slower-than-molasses-in-the-arctic internet browser

What websites do you always visit when you go online?
hotmail, caardvarks, i can has cheezburger, i has a hotdog

What was the last thing you bought?
toilet bowl cleaner and drain-clearing stuff (just one of my many glamourous duties at work!)

What are you listening to right now?
i-pod on shuffle; current song: life of riley by the lightning seeds

If you could have any super power, what would it be?
I would love to be able to lose weight without exercising or counting calories. (lauren's note: i have stolen this answer, verbatim, from leslie; if there is a better super-power anywhere, i have not heard it!!!)

What is your favorite weather, and why?
warm, but not hot. breezy, but not windy. sunny, but with a few pretty clouds in the sky for decoration. if all of this were to align in the vicinity of a beach...so much the better...

What time do you usually get up?
7:40 am...whether i need to or not, at this point (sigh)

What is your most challenging goal right now?
i'd say "losing weight" if i was actually WORKING at that; for the moment is more like a *WISH*! (see the third question above this)

Say something to the person who tagged you:
hi leslie! hope the kitty is ok! any good word veri's lately??

If you could have a house – totally paid for, fully furnished – anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?
a *free* house???!? DUDE!!! it can be any-frickin-where they want!

Favorite vacation spot?
i like to go somewhere different every time. ideally, i'd like to travel MUCH MORE than we do. i'm quite fond of beaches, generally, though...

Biggest decision every day is:
ugh. what to wear. yeah, i know, i wear jeans and a black top every day, but which jeans? and what top? and do they need to be ironed?? and is that a SPOT on my brand new cardigan??!

What is your favorite item of clothing?
do pajamas count??

What is your favorite outdoor activity?
we like to ride our bikes on the canal towpath near lambertville; in the nice weather i will walk 2-3 miles near our house instead of the treadmill at the gym; playing with the nieces is always fun; if it's a nice day & i'm outside, everything else is gravy!

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you:
ice cream. or chocolate. sweets, generally, i suppose.

Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to over and over, even though your closet is overflowing with a zillion others:
my closet isn't actually overflowing with a zillion pairs of shoes, actually; i have 3 or 4 pairs of reeboks, though, and they are the most common thing to find on my feet

Name one thing you cannot live without:
♥lovely husband jeff♥

What time is bed time?
ideally i try to lie down around 10pm; i need to read for an hour or so before i fall asleep

My added question:
which picture of daniel craig is currently your favorite?
this one:

******************

finally, the tagging:

rather than picking eight individuals, i'm going to do categories. therefore, i hereby tag everyone reading this who is:

1. wearing orange (yes, underwear counts!)

2. playing hooky today (well sheesh...you've got time then, right?!)

3. over six foot tall (so AMY is safe, then!)

4. currently eating a chocolate biscuit (b/c i am JEALOUS!)

5. belgian (either by birth, inclination, or geography)

6. in the mood to be tagged (hey--dig in!)

7. smoking a cigarette right now (see--those things have ALLLLLLL kinds of negative side effects!!!)

8. employed as a spy or clandestine operative of any kind (in which case, you probably *shouldn't* link back, lest it blow your cover!)

*****************

right. i think my work here is done.

happy wednesday, darlings!!!

lovey dovey sketchy wetchy*

thus i have created THE WORST POST TITLE in the entire history of blogging. in fact, i think it may well turn out to be the worst post title in the entire FUTURE of blogging, also. which means for the rest of you, the pressure's off. forever. (you're welcome!) ♥

ok, so i started out (very late, of course) using kazan's sketch #21 (from last week) over at 2S4Y:

and then...my card sort of morphed away from the sketch...you know, the way my cards tend to do...and then it morphed back a bit. (like many of my midweek creations, the process stretched over a couple of nights; often it's 8pm before i even get to sit down...but i like to do a little *something* at least) eventually, i settled on this. i used a transparency, some rubs, a ghost heart and a bunch of embellies, so it's fairly flat, while still having LOTS of layers. i'm kinda proud of that, actually.

oof, at some point i should probably SHOW the card, right?! sorry. here ya go:

(patterned paper: bo bunny; cardstock, border sticker & border rub-on: basic grey; glossy black cardstock: ranger; transparency: hambly; diamond rub-on, fuzzy flower rubs & ghost heart: heidi swapp; blingy flourishes: prima; grungeboard wings: tim holtz (they are inked & painted w/glossy sealer); other: colorbox inks, sharpie pen, 3m foam tape)

unusually for me, i even got a bit fancy INSIDE the card: i stamped, i inked, i colored...heck, i ever tried *shading*!!! i was inspired by miss kristie, amongst others, whose sterling work recently reminded me HOW COOL a decorated inside-of-the-card is!

(journaling spot & happy stamp: heidi swapp; clear sticker: CK; winged heart stamp: pink paislee; other: colorbox & ranger inks; tombow markers, prismacolor pencils)

i *might* even stamp a bit on the envelope, as well, but we will see how long my ambition lasts!


*if you happen to have seen my favorite doctor who episode, "blink" you might realize that i have stolen a line from that...adapted it to papercrafting...and made it even sillier than it already was. (which is saying something!) yes indeedy, it's an achievement i shall cherish for many years to come! :)

giftbags are my bag, baby!

custom-decorated giftbags, that is.

with dragonflies...or possibly monstas?

you know, like THESE:

(yes, you guessed it, there was a great $1 sale on paperchase stuff at borders, including these cool cloud bags that i decorated for my parents-in-law!)

(paperchase giftbags & giftwrap from which monstas were cut, dragonfly cut from a magazine, rhinestones from michaels, letter stickers: sei, chatterbox, miss elizabeth, zig pen, 3m foam tape)

happy sunday, darlings!

52Q: 9

hooray for being officially caught up on 52Q! now i can read emily falconbridge's prompt each week, make my card, and post it with everyone else. you know...until i get BEHIND AGAIN... (which i will at some point!) but for now, i am enjoying one of my rare but coveted visits to the lovely and magical

kingdom of

caughtuptonia!!!!!!!

question 9: what was the last brave thing i did?

(page from a vintage children's book, gin-x rub-on letters, colorbox ink; reverse: basic grey paper, heidi swapp chip arrow, uniball pen)

text reads, "it only counts if we define BRAVE as, "really REALLY scared, but doing it anyway"...and even then it's totally lame: i am brave twice a year when me and my giant phobia (& a whole lotta xanax!) go to the (waaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!) DENTIST!)

pigs & geese & ducks better scurry...

...on over to CAARDVARKS!!!

are you ready for a new challenge?? well, i am...especially *this* particular challenge, because it's super-FUN...with an unbelievably fabulous prize! so let's get right to it, shall we?

the challenge: make a card with a CRITTER on it!!
(how cool is that?!)

the prize: awesomeness from label tulip

(told ya it was fabulous!)

the deadline: midnight, march 18th

(there's nothing i can add to this one, is there?)

the place: CAARDVARKS!!!
(where you can find all the details, a place to load your creation, pics of the prize, and a gallery of amazing DT cards!)

and now all that's left is to show you MY cards...yepper, two of 'em...because this challenge was just too much fun to fit on ONE CARD!!! :)

(transparency: hambly; iridescent lace cardstock: ki memories; diecut frame: bam pop; amazingly cool & versatile frankie the flamingo stamp: tyggereye art (thanks, gina!!!) flowers: prima; epoxies: love elsie, susan branch, michaels; plastic swirl stickers: sandylion; metallic lines of bling: michaels; other: ranger ink, tombow markers, 3m foam tape

(patterned paper: american crafts, creative imaginations, we r memory keepers, current; self-dahesive fabric: decor art; chipboard deer & frame: sassafrass lass; letter stickers: making memories, doodlebug; rickrack from debb (thank you!) lines of adhesive studs: michaels; other: martha stewart butterflies punch, colorbox inks, 3m foam tape)

judging by the design team's many awesome, gorgeous, hilarious cards, i think this challenge is going to be A BLAST! (and i just cannot wait to see what you will make!!!)

52Q: 6, 7, 8

ok, this is the last day of 52Q catch-up pages; tomorrow there will be pretty greeting cards, honest! oh yeah, and a new CAARDVARKS challenge.

question 6: if i could do it all again, would i change anything?

(photo from my sophmore year in high school, mrs. grossman's photo corners, manual typewriter; reverse: notebook paper, uniball pen, unknown woodstock sticker)

text below reads, "my do-overs would be practical: i'd've taken calcium in my 20's & been religious about eyecream...i'd've saved more money & spent more time with my grandparents...i wouldn't have sunbathed... (or smoked!) ...and i would never, ever, have gotten *THIS* haircut!!!"

question 7: what would you do if you knew you could not fail?

(vintage tally sheet, illustration & cut out words from an old children's book, provocraft roller stamp, scrapworks rub-on letters)

text below reads, "i have been pondering this for days and i still have NO IDEA! if it was, 'given unlimited funds'...OR...'with a perfectly reliable back' i could probably come up with a scheme or two. i guess i worry more about logistics than i do about failure. i suspect i will keep thinking about this question for a while."

question 8: what was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

(making memories & bam pop papers, making memories rub-ons, provocraft roller stamp; reverse: pic from "i can has cheezburger" printed on kodak premium photo paper)

52Q: 3, 4 & 5

hooray for more 52Q questions and answers!!!

question 3: do you believe in fairies?

(anahata katkin clipart, mrs. grossman's wand sticker, k&co alphas, manual typewriter; reverse: notebook paper, colorbox ink)

text below reads, "i believe in all the things fairies represent: magic, imagination, random acts of kindness (or mischief!) the way that good and bad fortune arrives or departs with no rhyme or reason, and especially the very human desire to believe in something we cannot see which is more powerful than we are."

question 4: when i look into my eyes, i see _________.

(picture from a magazine, dymo label, folk art paint; reverse: scrapbook wizard paper, colorbox ink)

text below reads, "hmmmmmmmmm...i don't really spend all that much time gazing into my own eyes, but hopefully others see an honest, kind person who laughs a lot."

question 5: how do i feel today?

(picture from a calendar, manual typewriter; reverse: picture from a bulb catalog)

text above reads, "today was a cold, grey day in the middle of a cold, grey, lonnnnnnnnnng winter... (& i have had a rotten cold for two weeks!) ...so today i feel..."

text below reads, "really, *REALLY* ready for spring!!!"

a couple more questions tomorrow, and then on thursday there will be a brand new CAARDVARKS challenge!!!