Plaid and Stocking Mouse

Got some free time...finally...and decided to play with my watercolors and create

that fun plaid pattern that Kristina Werner did in her Holiday Card Series.

Talk about completely inspired and totally fun to do!

This is how it started out...

I was not too happy with it in the beginning but was inspired by the latest

Curtain Call Challenge

so I pushed forward!  I knew my lines were a bit uneven and of course not straight, so 

I used some vellum to mute it a bit (wink, wink).  I used the Tim Holtz Holiday Words Script

to die cut DCWV Gold Foiled Cardstock.  

I felt like it needed some cuteness and there's nothing cuter than 

the Lawn Fawn Merry Christmouse set from Simon Says Stamptember colored in copics.

and a closeup...

I wanted the stocking to look like it was hanging from the "g"

so I snipped the letter to insert the Lawn Fawn image.

So that's my card today.  I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Now to go create more holiday cards!

Mahalo for stopping by!!

Please Send Coffee and GIVEAWAY

TGIF friends!!!

ok and just to clarify my first favorite F-word is FREE...hahaha!

Okey dokey, down to the wire to get my second card in for 

I was totally having a blast with hopping around and was so happy to see

 Halloween cards (my fave holiday!) so I decided to make one myself!

The background was stamped with the latest Hero Arts Kelly's Coffee and Donuts

For us coffee lovers this set is a must have with such fun sentiments and cute images!

I thought the little Lawn Fawn Franken-boo (colored in copics) 

from the set Booyah, would be perfect for the sentiment

"please send coffee."

The oval was embossed with an embossing folder and

then I used a new-to-me item StazOn Studio Glaze!

It's a pretty cool medium in that it highlights the embossed areas

and gives it a cool glazed/glossy look for a bit of shine.

I just used a palette knife to spread over the entire surface and it dries pretty quickly!

For a bit more color I added on the orange polka dot panel from 

Lawn Fawn's Let's Polka in the Dark and added some 

Lawn Trimmings in Spooky which is a hemp twine with 3 different colors...so fun!!

Here's a closeup...

I totally giggled at this card adding all the little details.

Do you like the little spider on the mug?!

All right folks...that's it for me!  

I would love it if you would follow me here, on Instagram, and/or Flickr

and in return I have a $20 gift code

GIVEAWAY to A2Z Scrapbooking

(one of the sponsors for the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop)

I fully support this store as proceeds go towards 

auto immune disease communities such as

Behcets and Celiac Disease.  

Don't want to wait for the giveaway? 

Go to the store by clicking on the link above

and use code Nicki15 for 15% off your entire order!

Mahalo for stopping by!!

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

and 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Tag Turned Card

Can you believe it?

I'm back again,

this time to join the fun over at 

Tag You're It!

Unfortunately I need to restock my stash of sympathy cards and

I'm absolutely loving this Studio Calico set

(sorry for the bad photo, I was in a hurry)

I've used the sentiments quite a bit for thinking of you, encouragement,

get well and now for sympathy.

Here's the tag by itself turned into a card...

I used some left over pattern paper from my stash

and then stamped the bloom right over it with Lawn Fawn Deep Sea ink.

The sentiment was heat embossed in Zing embossing powder, apricot.

I loved the color elements and the scallop edging from the challenge.

To finish the card I used a Martha Stewart edge punch 

and ran some washi in similar colors to the tag.

I also punched out some butterflies for embellishment.

I also saw the Curtain Call challenge 

inspired by the blue background and blooms!

Mahalo for stopping by!!

P.S.-  Did you see my giveaway?

Click HERE for details.

Day #7 and 8 More Holiday Card Inspiration

5 Days til Christmas and...

my Christmas GIVEAWAY!

Mahalo for your comments and joining me daily, 

winners will be announced the day after Christmas

for gift certificates (yes that's plural)

 to 

Butterfly Refections Ink!!

My apologies about missing yesterday, 

so today I'm catching up!

I wanted to enter the latest 

Curtain Call: Candy Cane

 

Lawn Fawn Peace, Joy Love paper, Lawn Fawn Critters in the Arctic, Tombow Markers

 I was trying to go for a non-stamped card 

to use up some left over pattern paper, but couldn't help 

adding that sweet little bunny...in candy cane colors of course!

The inside has a place to add a gift card holder.

For my second card (day #8)

I decided to continue using that fun 

Lawn Fawn Critters in the Artic set

to create a cute little scene...

I embossed my card base, added some stitched hillside borders die cuts,

lightly distressed the edge to bring out the stitching with

broken china and colored images with Tombow markers.

The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn's Let it Snow.

Some Avery Elle sequins were added for fun!

As you can tell I can't get enough of my Lawn Fawn stamp sets!!!

I'll be back tomorrow for more inspiration.

Mahalo for stopping by!

It's July?!

This past week I've been struggling a bit.  First off I cannot believe it's July already?!  I have to get caught up with my friend's birthdays and anniversaries which is the main reason for this post today.  The other news...over the weekend I lost one of my patients that I took care of for almost 3 years.  I will miss seeing and chatting with her weekly.  I found it ironic that this happened as I'm also contemplating making a move in my career...it's scary and exciting. I'd be leaving my comfort zone of 8 years, but on the other hand I'll be learning new skills and doing exactly what I know I'm meant to do.  Ugh...transition is hard!

On the brighter side I needed to get an anniversary card out to my dearest Colorado sister!  She and her husband love the beach so that was my inspiration.

Lawn Fawn Life is Good, Lawn Fawn Happily Ever After, Lawn Fawn Beep Boop Birthday

Lawn Fawn Let's Polka paper, copics, Memento inks in Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa

By now you know I'm addicted to Lawn Fawn and turned those sweet little crabs into a his and her couple.  Do you like the little bow tie and teeny flower?  Both are die cuts from the Beep Boop Birthday set.

So that's it for me.  Of course the challenge junky in me is entering this card in a few challenges:
Virginia's View Challenge: Die Cut
City Crafter Challenge: Let's Go to the Beach
My colors were inspired by: Curtain Call

Mahalo for stopping by!!

Love Mail

Hello there!  We're midway through the month of January...can you believe it?  Soon Valentine's Day will be here, so that means I have to get in gear for some "love" cards for my stash.

Today's card is for 3 challenges!  First a sketch...I know, I know...it's just how I almost always start a card...hehe.  This is for Freshly Made Sketches

And the card...

Lawn Fawn You've Got Mail and My Silly Valentine, Crate Paper DIY Shop paper pad, Sizzix Love Set Embossing Folder, Hero Arts India Black Ink, Amercian Crafts Light Kraft cardstock

This week's theme for Curtain Call is Love Letter 

  

 and Simon Says Wednesday Challenge is Embossing! 

That's it for me folks!  Hope everyone is enjoying their week...it's almost over.  Can ya tell I'm looking forward to the weekend already?!?  As always MAHALO for stopping by!!!

Picking Up the Pieces Vol. 8 Peeking Blooms

Happy Monday!  Finally getting back into the swing of things around here.  The kids are back to school today and it's back to our old routine.  As much as I think routine can be mundane, sometimes it's the only way to keep our sanity around here...lol

 I played with this fun Paper Smooches die and will be entering the next Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge

I always need a stash of get well soon cards...it's just the business I'm in ;o)

 Paper Smooches Get Well Phrase die, Paper Smooches Calico, Paper Smooches Bold Blooms, Hero Arts Shadow inks in Pale Tomato, Stone Wash an Tide Pool

I'm pretty smitten with this fabulously sized die so this will also be entered in the Curtain Call Challenge

Wishing you all a great week...and mahalo for stopping by!

 

Picking Up the Pieces Vol. 1 and Craft Room Makeover!

Aloha gang!  Welcome to the first edition of Picking Up the Pieces Monday in which I will be sharing every Monday my most favorite technique of paper piecing.  I've been enjoying The Holiday Card Workshop from Online Card Class and wanted to share some things I've learned.  My card today is using pattern paper from Doodlebug Design's North Pole 6x6 paper pad.  I LOVE 6x6 pads because they are perfectly scaled patterns for card making.

Avery Elle Holiday Fill in the Blank w/ dies, Avery Elle Sequins, Doodlebug Design Pattern Paper North Pole, American Crafts Rouge CS, Timeless Twine Christmas Twist, Memento Ink in Cottage Ivy

 

The technique to use on the 2nd day of class was die cut inlays which allows your card to have a pretty smooth surface.  For my tree I wanted a little dimension and used some Avery Elle Evergreen Blend sequins and Kraft Blend for the stump.  I added some Timeless Twine in Christmas Twist to continue with my traditional color card and there ya go...a fun and festive card!

Challenges I would like to enter this card in...
Avery Elle I Love You Challenge
Curtain Call: CAS-ual Christmas
CAS-ual Fridays: CFC 120

 

So on to my craft room makeover.  Here is the before (I dreaded showing this!)...

In my defense I know where everything is! 
Here is where my hubby works miracles...

Wow right?!  I recently got happy mail for my first ever publication in Paper Crafts Magazine that will debut in March!  As a surprise gift, my hubby said it was time for me to get organized and he purchased a few things from Stamp-n-Storage.  I HIGHLY recommend their products as they are reasonably priced, shipped quickly all the way here, and truly make a difference in organizing everything!

The finished room...

It took me a few days to adjust where everything was but I absolutely LOVE it.  Mahalo hubby!!!  Everything has a place, but I'll confess my desk needs a little tidying up...again.  Recently the hubby added this fun decor using some inexpensive frames and adding his own sheet metal from the hardware store that were only $1!

I can finally have guests in my craft room...lol!  If anyone is ever on Oahu I would love to meet up and craft together!

Mahalo for stopping by and letting me share...have a great day and week!

Today's Special

Whoa!  Where did my weekend go?  Besides getting over my cold and being oncall for work, my in-laws were in town.  It was a quick layover for a few days before my brother-in-law heads up to Pennsylvania for his dissertation.  We are so proud to soon have a doctor in the family!

I even missed WCMD!  What I did not miss though was everyone's posts and all their creations.  So fun!!!

The next Curtain Call theme is a spooky scene so I wanted to share this fun card!

Lawn Fawn Good Fortune, LF Claire's ABCs, Copic Markers, googly eyes

I went for the chalkboard look to display my special for the day...hehehe.

Just a quick post for me!  Mahalo for stopping by!

**Edited to add this card to General Craft Supply Challenge in the Moxie Fab World
 Mahalo Virginia for the heads up!  

Hello Monday

Anyone else going to Scrapfest 2013 at the Mall of America?  I've never been and can't even contain my excitement!!!!  A little nervous about leaving the kiddos behind, but I know my parents and brother will take good care of them and it's just for the weekend so I'll keep praying everything goes smoothly.  I soooo want to enjoy my vacation time, especially after the few weeks of having to work late and weekends.

Have I mentioned sunflowers are my favorite?  They really are and I can't stop playing with this set and the stitched journaling card die.  It just so happens that the next Curtain Call Challenge is inspired by sunflowers.  Here is my card following this week's Freshly Made Sketches...

 Lawn Fawn Our Friendship Grows, LF Stitched Journaling Card die, LF Cole's ABCs die, copic markers, My Clever Creations Handmade Butterflies, Memento Ink in Rich Cocoa

Here's the sketch...

Thanks for stopping by!