i have no idea what it is...

...but i think i kind of like it!

(almost everything here is either current or vintage ephemera & 95% of it was sitting on my desk waiting to be put away...the chinese text & picture were from a michaels' collage pack; the postage & trading stamps plus sheet music & silver foil paper are vintage; the fabric & buttons are from a gym shirt i recently "retired" to the rag bag; the fruit stickers were on the apple i ate immediately after finishing my collage...the brand in question is a "pink lady" which i found quite hilarious in the circumstances!; rubber stamps: stampin' up; flowers: prima & michaels; gems: mambi; ribbon & feather: michaels; adhesives: uhu gluestick, gluedots, staples)

yes indeedy, i have said it before (LOTS of times!) and i will no doubt say it again (LOTS of times!!!) and yet here i am saying it now (just the once!):

art play is *NOT* a luxury!!!

at least, it isn't for me. sometimes it's an absolute necessity for me to sit at my desk & spend 45 minutes furiously & randomly stamping and glueing & stapling bits of paper & fabric & buttons & flowers to each other with no goal or destination in mind.

note to self: get yourself back to daily art journalling.

second, more emphatic note to self: stop *saying* that and actually DO IT!!!

third, and completely unrelated note to self: it wouldn't kill you to dust more often, either! :)

two cats in one week??!?!

yeah i know, i've been quite shockingly neglectful, for which i apologize. i've just finished a very large, rather complicated (& MASSIVELY time-consuming) project for the next caardvarks challenge (which will feature a special sponsor & some rather fancy items from the DT, so tune in june 5th, folks!) and it has pretty much meant that this week was a washout for any other creative endeavors.

on the other hand, this photo from i can has cheezburger TOTALLY cracked me up the other day. i think it's the spelling. if they had just typed the ordinary words, it would still be funny...but somehow the "kitteh speak" almost seems to give the cute little guy a voice, rather than just a caption. plus, seriously, how can you look at that little face and NOT smile?!

i do hope all of YOUR "moovin roks" turn out to be turtles!

♥ happy weekend, darlings! ♥

is it fab...or is it moxie?

it's moxie fab world!!! a rather fab (well, duh!) site belonging to papercrafts magazine that's pretty much crammed full of inspiration. at the moment they're having a citrus-y color challenge which lasts until midnight, june 1st. i haven't done very many color themed projects...though i am completely inspired on a regular basis by the cards made for the kristina werner challenge, amongst others. i don't tend to use very much yellow, either. so it seemed like this would be a CHALLENGE in the true sense of the word. count me in!

first the inspiration:

and here's my card:

(lemon image cut from a magazine; india paper: the paper company; patterned paper: my mind's eye; cardstock: staples; florals: heidi swapp; inks: colorbox; adhesives: uhu gluestick; 3m foam tape; karen foster brad (unseen, but holding all the flowers together); other: vintage buttons, paternayan persian needlepoint yarn)

my finished card didn't turn out *exactly* like i envisaged, but i had a lot of fun drawing and pasting and cutting and sewing! plus, it meets the challenge...and it's kind of growing on me... (hey--it's a sunflower--they grow ANYWHERE, right?) ...so i'm gonna call this operation a (modest) success.

also not one of mine

cheezburgers, that is.

but quite funny nonetheless.

i do hope your plan for "wurld dominashun" is going well.

or, at least, that you have a

♥ happy tuesday* darlings!!! ♥

*because YES, it is tuesday; a fact that those of us who worked on the holiday yesterday feel no compunction about reminding you, so just keep those, "oh i'm very tired today because i had sooooo much fun yesterday while you were working!" stories to a minimum, ok? thanks.

52Q: 19

sometimes i need to really ponder these. sometimes i have no idea what i'm going to say until i sit down to write my card. this wasn't one of those times. when i read last week's 52Q question, i felt absolutely no ambivalence or hesitation; in fact, not only did i know what i wanted to say, i knew the image i'd use, as well. but i'm getting ahead of myself.

question 19: what gives me hope?

(software: broderbund printshop; poster image downloaded from the internet; flag clipart; fonts: brushstroke 26 & arial)

ok, so not to be mushy (or repetitive...i know i've mentioned it before!) but i *LOVE* our president. last year, for the first time in my adult life, i felt 100% excited and enthusiastic about a candidate...which was very nearly cool enough on its own...and then he actually WON! since i may never be this politically content ever again, i want to savor the next four years.

as soon as the word "HOPE" and the idea of obama met inside my cranium, of course i knew i wanted to use that iconic campaign poster. since i was downloading the image, it seemed easier to fit the words on digitally, and then make a "flipside" to match.

this is what's FAB about a year-long journaling project, you can have a page with your to-do list right next to one which records a completely historic national event. go 52Q!!!

because you can never have too many cupcakes!

in a papercrafting sense, that is. one of the great sadnesses of real life is that in a dietary sense, you actually CAN have too many cupcakes; as the waistbands of my summer trousers will attest. (sigh)

luckily, then, it is in fact the papercrafty variety of cupcakes i wish to discuss today! because i've got some NEW ONES, and they are *fabulous*!!! see, the prize last week at 2sketches4you was an amazing--and amazingly generous--selection of files from the cutting cafe. not only was i given the entire package the design team received, i was also allowed to *choose* some files, too! how cool is that?! (hint: it is very very cool indeed...but also quite hard b/c the cafe's selection is awesome!)

i got some neat patterns for making pillowboxes...and these astoundingly cool shaped sweets cards (which would, amongst other things, make the best thank you notes EVER, imho!) and obviously i could not resist these adorable cupcakes, which come formatted with fun greetings as A-2 cards so that you needn't even cut them out--just print, fold and color!

for this card, i did cut mine out, however; in fact i paper-pieced them with--if i do say so m'self--rather cool results! but i'm getting ahead of myself, as usual. first, let's look at laura davis' glorious sketch 26 from this week at 2S4Y:



*NOW* we can see my paper-pieced cupcakey card. unusually for me, i used papers that were all from the same line; i finally got to properly break out my making memories 6x6 "sabrina" pad. boy oh boy does it streamline the production process to have18 coordinated patterns in the perfect size for card-making!!!

(cupcake pattern: the cutting cafe; patterned paper: making memories, doodlebug; glossy black cardstock & black stickles: ranger; chipboard letters: k&co; bling: heidi swapp, michaels & teeeeeeny nail gems from the lovely terrie bailey; ink: colorbox; pen: zig; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, 3m foam tape, judikins diamond glaze)

can i just say one more big thank you to the wonderful folks at 2S4Y and also to the very lovely regina easter at the cutting cafe? being COTW was a total blast and i am most appreciative!!! ♥♥♥

gettin' sketchy with it!

a few weeks ago, BR-T from unscripted sketches invited me along to see their cool new sketch challenge site. they post a new design every saturday, and you can make a layout, a card, and atc...whatever format you enjoy...in whatever size you'd like. they're currently on sketch #6 and it's a goodie...see?!

i have to confess that this is not the most literal sketch-to-card translation i have ever done, but i feel like "the bones" are there...and i hope the "unscripted" folk will understand. having said that, i am fairly pleased with the finished product, which is a rather funky anniversary card for my (rather funky!) aunt and uncle. :)

(patterned paper & pink border sticker: basic grey; kraft cardstock: bazzill; chipboard & cardstock diecuts: k&co; eiffel tower stamp: hero arts (stamped on a page from a vintage french dictionary; rhinestone flourish: prima; acryllic stickers: heidi swapp; rub-ons: creative imaginations; inks: colorbox; pens: sharpie & zig; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

it's time to get in shape for summer!

hahahaha! just kidding!!! :)

hey, i know--let's make ♥SHAPED CARDS♥ instead! yeah! then we can enter them in the new CAARDVARKS challenge, which starts today and ends at midnight on june 3rd. we'll have to make *NEW* cards, of course, but they can be any shape we want them to be...just not rectangular or square. so we could make something basic that's round or triangular...or get really fanciful and make...oh...i dunno...maybe a ♥GIANT CUPCAKE♥ or something??!?! nahhhhhhhhhhh...mebbe not...i mean, afterall, who'd be that silly??!?!

...apart from ME, obviously...

(patterned paper: prima, scrapbook wizard, making memories; flowers: prima, doodlebug; fancy brad: making memories; inks: colorbox; letter stickers: oriental trading co, crative imaginations; other: paternayan persian needlepoint yarn; adhesives: xyron, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

it's hard to tell from the angle of the pics, but this thing is BIIIIIIIIG--slightly over 8 inches tall, when closed. i made the horizontal trifold base on a 12x18" piece of index stock, using a very VERY enlarged page from a clear scraps cupcake-shaped mini album (which the lovely stef got me!) i'll put a few more details of the process in a separate post, below, for those of you who like that sort of thing...and for anyone else who may be suffering from insomnia! :)

here is a very very bad photo of what the card looks like open. i am quite proud of those hinges, which manage to be rounded-looking, but are still straight enough to hold the card together. those of you who know me will realize that engineering is NOT my strong point. lovely husband jeff (who knows me rather well) was *shocked* (in the nicest, most supportive way) that i pulled this off without help! and hey, nobody was more surprised than ME!!! :)

you know how i say, for every single challenge, "be sure to go over to the CAARDVARKS blog and see the design team's magnificent work--it'll knock your socks off"?! well, it's *always* true...but this time...♥HOLY flippin' MOLY♥. you might want to take the precaution of removing your socks first, that's all i'm saying. seriously. (WOW!) while you're there, you can check out the details of the prize from SNR card universe, and learn how to upload your own creation via mr. linky! enjoy!

ps: if you want to see the template & instructions, there's a separate post, below!

probably the only "left brain" post you will ever see on this blog!

i am NOT an engineer, folks. i am very nearly alllllllllllll right brain. actually, this might explain why i have serious chiropractic difficulties with my neck: my head may well be unevenly weighted in consequence! :)

however, i did make the giant tri-fold cupcake you see in the post above, in one GIANT piece, in pretty much one shot. since nothing remotely like this will ever happen again, i'm sort of proud. mind you, there was quite a bit of cheating involved. i mention this in the spirit of fairness, and also to cheer up anyone else who is as NOT-engineer-ish as myself: there's almost ALWAYS a way to cheat...and that's where the right brain comes into it's own, baby!!!

1. trace small cupcake onto scrap paper. scan & enlarge cupcake 280%. print two copies onto index stock & cut out.


2. trace giant cupcake onto a folded sheet of 12x18" index stock so that the cupcake top overlaps the bottom by several inches. make sure to allow for a hinge of several inches at the top and bottom folds. cut out.


3. decorate inside and outside of cupcake with coordinating patterned papers. allow one sheet on front and one sheet on back to overlap each hinge for reinforced strength.


4. use letter stickers to place greeting inside card. adhere basic grey magnetic closures on the inside of top and bottom portion of card so they line up and hold the card closed.

5. cut an additional cupcake top from decorative stock-weight patterned paper. use a large prima crystal flourish to trace "icing swirls" on back. pierce swirls and handstitch with needlepoint yarn. add layered flowers and decorative brad to top of cupcake. mount panel to front of card. (see pictures of finished card in post above.)

i wish this was one of *MY* cheezburgers!

(sadly, it is not.)

it does make me laugh uproariously about 90% of the time, however. the other 10% of the time, it makes me laugh rather ruefully. because some days, i am the cat...and some days, i am the goldfish! :)

whichever YOU are today...i hope you have a rather fabulous tuesday!!!

♥♥♥

52Q: 18

i am still very much digging emily falconbridge's 52Q project. i don't always get to make my card during the week each question debuts, but i enjoy thinking about whatever the current one is, and planning what i will do when i have the time. the week before last was a goodie! i learned from paper adventure last year how cool it is to "freeze" a little moment of everyday life now and again, as a reminder of what you were doing right then.

i started out with my genuine, used, crumpled, green-postie-note "to-do" list from a random day that week, but sadly it met with a little accident when i thought i could adhere paper to both sides of the playing card and only cut out once. (HA!) i probably should have photo-ed the result, because it was kind of hilarious! you know that i rarely take a "do over" on personal projects, but this one really was just a bit too helen-keller-meets-edward-scissorhands for my taste, so i decided to start again, from the beginning!

question 18 - what's on your to-do list this week?

(many papers all in teeeeeeeny scraps...clockwise from top left: origami, dcwv, bg, mme, bg, christina cole, scrapbook wizrd, sei, bgX2, creative imaginations; letter stickers from an office supply shop, "liberated" from work

and yes, it's easy to make a perfect starburst if you just measure and mark around the perimeter...but for some reason...i just tend to eyeball and cut wedges! old dawg...new tricks...so forth & so on...

& kazan *ALSO* rocks! :)

ETA sunday afternoon: HOLY MOLY...i cannot believe it...i'm card of the week!!! wow!!! you cannot possibly imagine how excited i am...just to be in "fab five" with the quality of cards that people make over there...i am truly honored!

♥♥♥thank you thank you thank you kazan and laura!♥♥♥

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

as does miss laura. in fact, i've yet to come across a person involved in any way with 2sketches4you who is not indisputably cool. which is why i was extra-specially happy, after a bit of a sad absence from said fabulous challenge site, to able to do *BOTH* sketches this week! so without further ado... (because i cannot wait to show you this!) ...may i present:

kazan's sketch 26:

and my card:

(patterned paper: american crafts, love elsie, bam pop, plus vintage sheet music & a birdie cut from an old guidebook; glossy white cardstock: ranger; alphabet rub-ons: k&co, making memories; tiny flowers: prima; stick-on rhinestones: mambi; ribbon: we r memory keepers & vintage metallic silver; rhinestone buckle: making memories; inks: colorbox; pen: zig; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, uhu gluestick, gluedots, 3m foam tape)

lori's sketch (WOOHOO!)

i'm sure by now it's not news to anyone that my fellow CAARDVARKS are one talented lot! case in point, our new crew member lori roop is also on the summer design team at 2 sketches 4 you. this week was her turn to provide the bonus sketch and she totally ROCKED IT...see??!

of course i was dying to take it for a test drive, so dug out my old favorite marah johnson "love struck" embellies (still a big fave in these parts!) and made an anniversary card for my sister-in-law and her husband.

(cardstock: bazzill; journaling card: teresa collins; patterned paper & flowers: prima; cardstock stickers & rub-ons: marah johnson; flourish stamp: rhonna farrer; ribbon: michaels; inks: ranger, bazzill, colorbox; other: chipboard hearts, vintage sheet music , cardboard, staples; adhesives: tombow mono adhesive runner, gluedots, 3m foam tape)

if you get a chance, run on over to 2S4Y and give m'colleague her props! oh yeah, and there's still time to get in on the caardvarks "don't quote me" challenge. while you're there, you might like to check out the announcement on the top right hand corner of the blog...i don't want to spoil the surprise, but if you aren't already a 'varks follower, it might just convince you to become one!

all hail, opus gluei! :)

ever since i met my lovely new blogging friend rosemary, i have been longing to do one of the challenges on the fun site she runs with her friend jana, ORDER OF THE OPUS GLUEI. (where the motto is: adhevium funnum!) the other night i finally had a "window of opportunity" and i dodged over there, hoping i'd be in time for the current theme. and i was! and it's a goodie!

challenge #8: IN REACH

Use what is visible at this moment. Don’t reach into any drawers or cabinets. Just turn and look around you at this moment in time. Reach out and grab what you see. Use it in this week’s project.

ok, so lemme see if i've got this right: you get to make any type, size, or theme of papercrafting project...and...you're meant to use the stuff that's all over your work table and in your junk bowl, rather than clean it up??!? does this challenge scream, "LAUREN" or what??! :)

i had a BLAST with this, partially because at the moment i am so stressed and overbooked that i have not had any extra time lately for "art play". and see, it turns out, in my case..."art play" is NOT a luxury. (note to self: MAKE time!!!) i had a whollllllllllllle bunch of clutter on my table...including a couple of pre-covered atc's, already cut-out stamped images, punched shapes and paper scraps...so i was spoiled for choice!

i started out with a monsta atc. when in doubt, i go with monstas, cupcakes or birds. there were no cupcakes or birds on my table, so the choice was clear:

(page from a japanese workbook & text from a children's story; monsta & heart stamps by gina cunningham, tyggereye art; sassafras cloud stamp; colorbox inks; tombow marker)

the other blank atc card had a map on it, so why not add the eiffel tower, eh? (technically, it's a map of moscow, but let's not get bogged down with silly details!)

(pages from a russian atlas & a french dictionary; hero arts stamp; prima flower; doodlebug sequin; mambi gem; colorbox & ranger inks)

lately i am loving the *negative* shapes left when i use my paper punches; this butterfly was just the right size to go in the 1 1/2" scallop frame. i mounted the "window" on foam tape for a little more dimension. i don't know what i will do with the result, but it's kind of cute, right?

(making memories patterned paper; core'dinations cardstock; marvy butterfly & scallop square punches; zig pen)

for the last one, i cheated just a teeny bit; the folded scrapling-sized transparency was not on my table, but everything else was, and when i remembered i had it i snuck to my scrap file and grabbed it up.

(hambly transparency; scrapbook wizard & craft secrets patterned paper; hero arts stamp & gem; gin-x coaster; colorbox ink; zig pen)

thank you rosemary and jana for a fun evening--i'll be back! :)

awards-a-go-go

my simply elegant friend june houck has given me a rather wonderful blogging award, it's called the gift of love. since june is one of my oldest and dearest online friends, and has always been particularly generous with her friendship and support, this is especially cool and meaningful to me! thank you june, for all you do!

he's cute, he's furry, he brought flowers.

in the spirit of reciprocation, i figured it was only right to make a little award of my own that i could offer back to june and the rest of my blogging friends, old and new. i call it the gift of lust. here it is now:

he's cute, he's furry, he doesn't need the flowers.

so if you're reading this, and in the mood to get an award, please accept one of the above! enjoy them separately, or together...pass them along, or keep them all for yourself! but no matter what you do today, be sure to have a very...

happy tuesday, darlings!

sweet cupcake

here's a card i made over the weekend, based on kazan's sketch 25 over at 2S4Y. i didn't finish it by the deadline. i actually didn't even start it by the deadline. but i LOVE this sketch--so much so that i printed it to save in my "print and save" notebook. i'll use it again, i'm sure of that.

you cannot tell from the (even crappier than usual--sorry--but it was a dark & rainy day) photo, but the star, the strawberry and the chipboard alphas are all glitter encrusted. i could get photos where you could tell the glittery bits by the big honkin' glare-y light bounce...or ones that were a bit dark and made all the papers look plain and dull. i went with the latter. believe it or not, this was a no-brainer! :(

(patterned paper: creative imaginations, making memories, prima, doodlebug, mustard moon; glitter cardstock: doodlebug; glossy white cardstock: ranger; fuzzy rub-ons: heidi swapp; glitter thickers: american crafts; pearl flourish: prima; other: paternayan persian needlepoint yarn, strawberry glitter rub-on from the dollar store, colorbox inks; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape & doublestick tape)

you will just have to trust me when i tell you that this card is easily 37% cooler in real life. maybe even 39% cooler. here is an equally crappy detail pic, which at least shows how the (exceptionally elderly) heidi pink fuzzy flower rub-ons give a frosting-like (in my head, anyway) effect on the cupcake top. and, for that matter, how the cupcake top is not plain pink, it's actually the reverse of a prima "angelique" paper with a subtle text print. see that strawberry rub-on? it's from the dollar store...i got a whole pack of glittery strawberries and cherries...they are meant to decorate your cellphone. and i have finally used the last bit of pearl flourish leftover from baby isabel's card. it required serious surgery to fit where i wanted it and point in the right direction, but i got there in the end!

hope your day has a bit o'cupcake in it...either a real one, or the paper-crafty variety!

♥♥♥

52Q: 17

flicking through my increasingly full ring of 52Q cards, i happened to notice that the last *four* cards in a row were various shades of tan, beige, brown and rust. i really like to keep journal-type-books full of a variety of colors and styles, so they stay interesting; but when you work with found images and ephemera, sometimes you just have to go with what you've got. still, imagine my joy, when i read last week's assignment and realized super-bright primary colors were called for. HOORAY!

question 17: what is my super power?

(materials on front: miscellaneous glossy red paper, superhero cut from magazine, lid of a ben & jerry's ice cream cup, k&co and scrapworks rub-ons, sharpie pen; materials on back: scrapbook wizard & sei papers, sharpie & uniball pens)

text reads, "i think my super power is that i can see the funny side of just about *ANY* situation. whether you want me to or not. whether *I* want me to or not. whether it is appropriate or not. i do TRY to use my power for good and not evil."

vintage may flowers

here's another one of those cards that really REALLY didn't come out how i thought it was going to...but in this case...i think i kind of like it better.

i made it for last week's hero arts' challenge--"MAYFLOWERS". although it turned out more vintagey than stamp-based, i actually have worked in *3* HA stamps; admittedly in pretty subtle ways: the large prima flower is stamped with the houndstooth background & clear embossed (an idea stolen from my new lovely blogging friend brit--thank you, ma'am!); the flower's center is stamped with the text stamp from the artistic windows set; and the swirly green vines are stamped with the flourishes from the same set and also clear embossed. all of these details are much more obvious in real life...but i still think it looks ok in the photo.

(background from a vintage garden planning book; layered flowers under the prima are ones i drew and cut out; patterned paper: basic grey, prima, jenni bowlin & dena; diecuts and tiny gems:k&co; inks: colorbox; other: vintage millinery pearls, marvy butterfly punch, zig pen; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

you can quote me on that

hello and happy cinco de mayo to you! of course, that's not the only reason to celebrate today--not if you like cards and/or prizes, that is! nope, the new CAARDVARKS challenge starts today and it's quite a clever one, i think: make a card with a quotation on it! of course by now you'll realize it needs to be a *new* card...and that your deadline will be midnight on may 18th...and that the 'varks blog has all the details you could possibly need!

our sponsor this time is unity stamp company. they were kind enough to supply the design team with some of their fabulous unmounted rubber. the focus is on their cool--and quite beautiful--quotations. here is mine:


in addition to the product itself, i absolutely ♥LOVED♥ the package my stamp came in...that neat kraft envelope with the brown scalloppy frame which displayed the stamped image. as soon as i saw it, i started to think about how i could incorporate *IT*...as well as the stamping...into my design. here's what i did:

(rubber stamp & cool cardstock frame: unity stamp co; patterned paper: sassafras lass, all my memories, prima, basic grey; cardstock: core'dinations; florals: petaloo, stampin' up, doodlebug; diecuts: k&co; butterfly punch; martha stewart; stick-on pearls: prima; rub-on border: making memories; other: vintage ribbon & button, tiny safety pin, gold charm, paternayan persian needlepoint yarn, teeeeeeeny flower-shaped nail gems; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, glue dots, 3m foam tape)

i peeled the label off verrrrrrrry careful and then cut out the scalloppy frame. it already had a cool faux sewn border, so i pierced the dotted marks and stitched along them using needlepoint yarn, et voila: i had the perfect frame for my quotation. then i made a card to hold the frame...then i accented the stamped flowers with gems and tiny paper blooms and a few teeny punched butterflies...and then i added an extra embellishment or two...just to be on the safe side!

and yes, since you've asked...i am still REALLY into those little dangly charms and tags. so i had to work one of those in, as well. i thought the center of a stacked flower would be a pretty good place, and i am pleased with the result. and thus, another challenge--and the second half of my mother's day cardmaking requirements--are met!

head on over to CAARDVARKS to see the rest of the awesome DT cards...details and pics of the prize...and if you haven't checked out the posts from the gala READERS' WEEKEND yet, you have a real treat in store!!!

they know...it's only rock-n-roll...but they LIKE it!

(scroll down to next post for blog candy winner!)

you probably remember that last week i showed off the awesome monsta stamps the amazing GINA (of tyggereye art) sent me...i was frankly not sure anyone could ever make *ANYTHING* half as cute as gina's ATC's...but i had to try.

i planned to use some fun (old!) sassafras "scrumptious" diecut tags; you know the ones they are bright blue & white & pink & red...and really cute "pop art" designs--hearts and apples and things--the perfect vibe for a couple of adorable monstas to express their happiness in a new home, right? well, that's what*I* thought, certainly, but before i could make such a card, the monstas SOMEHOW got into my marah johnson "rock star" stash...and they absolutely REFUSED to be on any card which did not reflect their cool new image.

so, without further ado or additional fanfare... (it only encourages them, you know!) ...may i present, for the first time on any stage...ladies & gentlemen:

ROCK MONSTAZZZZZ!!!

(monsta stampz by gina cunningham, tyggereye art; patterned paper: fancy pants, basic grey; black glossy cardstock: ranger; chipboard letters: heidi swapp;cardstock stickers & rub-ons: marah johnson, creative imaginations; other: colorbox inks, tiny nail gems (thank you terrie bailey!) sakura pen; adhesives: tombow mono adhesive runner; 3m foam tape; judikins diamond glaze)

ahem...the lads would like me to mention that they'll be hanging out backstage after the show...cute girl monstas between the ages of 18 & 25 are invited to join them... (valid i.d. or parents' permission required) ...alternately, chihuahuas between the ages of 3 & 7 are welcome...hmmmmm...i don't like the sound of this...i think i'll just go check on them...

candy, candy, CANDY!!!!!!

and the winner...as determined by the random number generator at random.org is:

NUMBER THREE!!!

c'mon down

♥MARJOLEIN!!!!!!!!!♥

email me with your address and i shall be off to the post office, post haste, and a wholllllllllllllllllle lot of stuff will be on its way to you!!!

many thanks to all who participated, and for all the fabulous input on your likes, dislikes, and ideas for challenges! i assure you every comment has been noted and considered! i hope you enjoyed the CAARDVARKS readers' weekend...if you haven't gotten over there yet, do go and have a look, because there were some AMAZING cards--and cardmakers--featured over the course of the three days!

and now, it's back to real life--happy monday, darlings!!!

***frenzied spring-cleaning blog candy giveaway gala weekend spectacular!!!***

and the prize goes to the first person who can say that three times, fast!!! (~lol~)

nope, as is customary on these occasions, the winner shall be picked randomly from the comments made on this post between now (friday may 1st--happy may day, btw!) and midnight on sunday (may 3rd). but i seem to have gotten just slightly ahead of myself. let's start over, shall we?!

if you are here as part of the CAARDVARKS gala reader weekend, may i extend an extra-special

HELLO!

and

welcome!

i'm so pleased you stopped by and hope you are having a lovely time! be sure to come along to CAARDVARKS on tuesday to check out the new challenge, it's a good one, with a prize you will *love*!

speaking of PRIZES, let's talk about the candy now, ok? first off, you might be thinking, "hey lauren--why is it called the FRENZIED SPRING-CLEANING blog candy giveaway?" i'm so pleased you asked! it's called that because, while 10% the things in the photo are current product bought (on sale, mostly) with a view to being blog candy; the other 90% have been gleaned from a recent, long-overdue, clearout of my stash. everything here is in "brand-new" condition: it's unused... it's full sheets... it's unopened packages...but...most of it is *OLDER* product. so in other words, if you are a strict "latest-and-greatest" sort of supply person, this will probably not appeal to you!

there are LOADS of stickers, a whole bunch of rub-ons, a couple of little clear stamps, some prima flowers & paper birds, a box of heidi swapp colored pencils, a cute chipboard mini-album that's shaped like a house, some iron-on thingies, a set of unopened (but the plastic's yellowed with age, and i have NO IDEA where they've come from) hero arts flower-border stamps which may have come over with the pilgrims on the mayflower...

lemme sum up: there is A LOT of stuff here, and i think it all reallllllllllllly wants to come and live at your house!!!

(the STUFF: in real life, this is a 2 foot by 3 foot of my dining room carpet. don't worry, the carpet is not included. but everything else is ALL YOURS!!!)

right, so you've read this far, and you are undiscouraged. so now you are probably wondering, "hey lauren--how can i become eligible to *WIN* this enormous assortment of only vaguely appalling old stuff?!" i'm so pleased you asked! since this *IS* the CAARDVARKS gala reader weekend...and since we are all about making the CAARDVARKS card challenge site even more fun for our lovely readers...i'd love to hear your thoughts about challenges!

leave me a comment telling me the best challenge you've entered...whether it was at 'VARKS or elsewhere: why was it best--great theme, cool prize, exciting DT examples?

OR
tell me your LEAST favorite challenge--one that you just COULD NOT figure out how--or maybe WHY--to do it! was it too specific? too "far out"? too vague? spill the dirt...but in a NICE way, ok?!

OR

tell me a challenge that you keep *hoping* to see, but no one has ever done yet! wanna make cards based on pink floyd lyrics? hoping for a dried-macaroni-collage invitational? we are always on the lookout for something new!

there's a lot of scope here, folks. tell me something about art challenges generally, and you shall be entered in the drawing! you may enter as many times as you like, but you have to leave a pertinent comment each time. i will ship world-wide. if i can figure out how to close the comments at the end i will, but if not we will just go with midnight on sunday, US eastern standard time.

thanks for stopping by

and good luck!!!

~♥♥♥~