Bug Hop Ends

I don't know about all of you, but I had fun seeing all those projects coming out! I had so much fun just seeing all the creativity. Thank you so much for all that followed the hop and joined in on the fun.

Now to the winner of the Blog Candy I was giving away this weekend. Using Random.org's sequence generator I came up with #29

sweetlilscrapper said... love the shiny butterfly!! :)

Congrats Sweetlilscrapper, you have won the blog hop candy. I will be contacting you shortly to get your mailing address and such.

Thank you all for joining, and for those of you who became followers, thank you so much. I think I'll have another blog candy offer coming up soon, maybe when I reach 50 followers, right now I'm at 21, so not too far to go!!!

Hope to see you all next weekend during the Chillin' portion of the Bug hop. I'll be joining in for sure!

Until then, hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!

BugBites Blog Hop!!

Welcome to my first every Blog Hop! I am so excited to be able to participate in this event that Barb over at BugBites has been so wonderful in hosting. I am super excited to be involved in this blog hop, or I should say Bug Hop as more than just someone who hops along, but someone who is actually involved!! I think its a great way to see some wonderful projects and get some great ideas, and maybe even find some blogs that you did not know are out there.

If you came from Sherri's Blog then you are on the right track!!! If you just happened to join us, then you can start from the beginning at Barb's blog... BugBites!

So here is my project that I did. I started out doing one thing, but then I had some complications, but I think it came together pretty good. I'm eager to get started on some more bug projects, and maybe next weekend during the other half of Grillin' n Chillin' I'll be able to post another buggie project I have been working on.

So the whole thing about Grillin' n Chillin' is that its that time of year where we enjoy the warm air and the sunshine, and gather outside to have some fun with our family and friends. Of course, when that happens, often the bugs come to join us, some fun, and others not so much. So I decided to make a card for just an everyday note to any friend or person that you might want to stay in touch with.

I used my new favorite type of embellishment, Fun Flock, for the caterpillar and the butterflies body. Then I added some i-Rock to add a little sparkle to the caterpillar and the butterflies wings, and also used some for the eyes on the butterfly and the antennas for the butterfly too. For the caterpillar's eyes, I used two small brads that I have in my stash.

The card was from some card stock I had laying around, and the rest of the paper was from my scrap pile too. I used the Create-a-Critter cartridge and also the Doodlebug cartridge for the picnic basket. The blanket paper was something I found in a grab bag from Hobby Lobby, and I loved it but did not know where I would ever use it, but I found a place... now I'm eager to see where else I can use it!!!!

Here are some close up pics of the caterpillar and the butterfly!

 
Now part of this Bug hop also included a search for some tiny creatures that you might find at a picnic or near your grilling center of your home... and congrats!!! You found the new creature!!!

Congrats on finding our little ant friend!!!

Now please go back to BugBites and play along in the challenge with us!

If you got lost along the way here is the Bug Stop list:

Barb

Jenny

Kerie

Larelyn

Saundra
Amber

Shana

Sher

Deb

Amber

Jessica

Dana

Ashley

 Debra

Lisa

Glenda

Pat N

Sherri

Melissa

The best part about this Bug Hop is that I am having my first ever Blog Candy Giveaway!!!!

So if you would like to be elgible to recieve this wonderful package of   

Crate Paper Lillian Collection

This one is for the girl's with flowers and sweet birds. The Lillian kit by Crate Paper includes 12 sheets of double sided 12" textured papers. Each original design offers a unique and timeless pattern with a coordinationg design on the back. The Lillian kit also includes 57 glitter diecuts, 4 glitter borders, and 3 alphabet stickers. I found this wonderful site called Crafty Steals and they have some great deals!!! Anyway, this collection that I found awhile ago is full of great things, and I am sure you will love digging into it, even if you do not have a little girl... which I don't, but I love using it for my cards for friends and such. At any rate, the rules to be in the drawing are to leave a post on my blog. I would love if you would follow my blog, but I understand the need to keep your blog list to a minimum. At any rate, leave a comment and I will use random.org to help decide who the winner is.   Good Luck and have fun. Hope to see your projects over at BugBites

Checking up!

Okay, so I am finally back from PA, and my house is still standing. Living in OK can be a little frightening sometimes, but thankfully so far we have been spared from any really bad weather. Unfortunately that does not stand true for everyone in OK, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as several families are suffering from the lack of housing due to the tornadoes that went through this past week!

Anyway, please check back tomorrow as I will be part of the Grillin n Chillin bug hop hosted by none other than Barb over at BugBites!

I am so excited, but because of my vacation I am short on time, and I can't really talk right now. So I will have a new post up tomorrow bright and early, and I will have some blog candy to give away. Looking forward to seeing you all there!!!

I'm Alive

So as I mentioned in my last post I have come to PA to celebrate my niece's graduation, so this means that I have to go through paper crafting withdraw!!!! Of course, I have been working on a  layout in my head... this is when a Gypsy would so come in handy... but oh well... something to put on my Christmas list right!!!

I wanted to let you know that I will be participating in a very special blog hop the end of next week.Come back during May 28 -30 for the Grillin' and Chillin' Blog Hop.

Also, during this time I will be giving out my very first Blog candy, so stop by and I will have directions for that, and some great fun to be had. Hope to see you at the hop!!!

I'm Back!!!

Okay, so was anyone else spazing out over the fact that they could not check up on their favorite blogs for like 36 straight hours!?!?!?! I was so lost without all these wonderful ideas coming my way!! Thankfully I had homework to keep me busy!

So, I haven't posted in a few days, and not all of it was because the blogger was down. I've been preparing for a trip back to my hometown in PA. My niece is graduating from high school, and I really want to go home and celebrate with everyone, so I've been getting ready for that. Also, I've been behind on my school work. I'm in college for my bachelors degree, and while I thought the work for an associates was tough I was sadly mistaken, but it is so worth it. I love learning new things, and I love my field of study which makes it that much better.

Anyway, onto the project I want to post for today. I found this awesome site through another blog I've started following... CAS-ual Fridays, and their idea is basically, clean and simple, which is something I was looking for when it came to a card for my SIL. (Look at that I'm picking up on the blogger lingo...aren't you all proud of me!!!) Anyway, I wanted something simple and classy, but something that really reflected what I was thinking about her at the time. She's a great gal, and I'm so glad to have her in my life.

So anyway, when I found the CAS-ual Friday's blog, I was super excited, so excited that I forgot to look at the date, and did not realize that the challenge was over. So I went along my merry way and made a card to that challenges specs, only to realize after the blogger came back up that it was over. So, I decided to incorporate both of the challenges into my card instead of giving up totally. We were to use twine and buttons, and while  my card already had some embellishments on it with the flowers, I did already have the twine, so I only needed to place a button somewhere, so I decided that the best spot was the bow. This way, it doesn't detract from the rest of the card, and it kind of looks like it belongs there. I used paper from a pack I was given years ago by my DH (again with the blogger lingo), and I don't even remember the name of the pack. I used a bunch of spare flowers and brads that I had laying around, and of course my twine and spare button. I'm low on the buttons, only have a few colors to choose from, as I'm just starting to use these details on my cards. I had a stamp that I bought at my local scrapbook stores deal table, and I finally got to use Tim Holtz Destress Ink, Tea Dye color. Again, I'm just starting out with the stamps, and only have a few to pick from, but hopefully that will change soon. The writing on the front was done by myself, I actually used a pencil and wrote it first and then went over it with an ink pen... I wanted to give it that old fashioned feel and that is why the script looks that way. I hope it shows up right.

Anyway, I was pleased with how it turned out, and I think it will be a nice card for my SIL.

On other news, you may have noticed some changes on my blog. I've been playing around a little bit, and I was looking for something that would go with my Purple Giraffe theme... another day I will go into the whole Purple Giraffe name... so I found this great site on another blog, and found this wonderful purple background look. Can you believe my favorite color is not purple!?!?!?! Anyway, I also titled my followers and Zoo members, and I hope you don't take offense. See my life is a Zoo most of the time, with my schedule being crazy, and my husband coming and going with his job, and if you were ever to watch me when I'm paper crafting you would think it was a Zoo with all the paper flying every which way and all. At any rate, I thought it went great with my Purple Giraffe name, and so again, no offense meant, its just a sign of my personality, a bit crazy, haphazard, and sometimes even lost amongst the papers and brads!!!!

Enjoy the rest of your day, and leave comments if you would like.

Can a Hippo be a Pet???

So, I was able to squeeze in another challenge card from this weekend, but I contemplated if it fit the theme or not. I finally decided that it did, since for many Christmas' now I have wanted a pet Hippo, but alas, our little town will not allow it (or Rhinos either, but that is another subject for another day). So I guess I will have to settle for pictures and card themes with Hippos in them.

In about a weeks time I will be heading back to PA to visit my family for my niece's graduation. She is graduating from high school this year, and we have been planning this for almost a year now... so I'm supper excited about going back to visit family and friends. While I am there, I have the privilege of seeing my best friends daughter and celebrating her birthday. I don't get to see them very often, and my little baby is growing up so fast... and now she has a baby sister that I only get to see in pictures.

So I wanted to make a special card for her birthday since I get to go to her party while I'm there. I contemplated for a long time what kind of card to make, because I only have a son, and well, he's not too into girly things. I'm completely lost when it comes to doing stuff for girls... just ask my dear friend Dawn in Las Vegas... helping her youngest go to the bathroom when she was potty training was interesting to say the least. Anyway, I am off subject now.

After many weeks of stewing about whether or not I should by the Create A Critter Cartridge, my dear husband put me out of my misery and bought it for me as part of my birthday present (love having my birthday during this time of year, cuz there are no other holidays to mess with it). So when it came in, I dug right into making one of those cute creatures, and the Hippo one the slot. I used all the layers of the hippo, and the little flower that comes out of the last layer, I embelished with Fun Flock... which is my new favorite embellishment. I then used brads for my hippo's eyes, and cut out the tulips and the Happy Birthday from the same cartridge. I added a little bling to the Happy Birthday by putting some white stickles on it, and then glued it all down... however, my paper had glitter in it, so you really have to use good glue, I always forget that when I do projects like this.

So now I have a cute purple/pink Hippo to give to a sweet little girl!!! Now to find the perfect gift to go with it... ugh!!! Hope you enjoy!

PS... this was also part of My Pink Stamper's challenge from Saturday, which you can see on the link provided.

Cupcake card

As we all know, this weekend was National Scrapbooking weekend. There was so much going on, scrap projects, contests, Mother's day, extra work schedules... not to mention one of my research papers that is coming up due soon... so I wasn't able to participate as much as I was hoping :(... but I was so happy to see that a bunch of blogs were extending the projects so that they could be completed over the busy weekend. Thankfully I have gotten a few of them done.

The first one was a birthday card I was in the process of designing for my Mother-in-law. She's not a frilly type person, and I figured something simple with a little bling would be the perfect thing. So I pulled out my trusty Wild Card Cartridge and cut out the cupcake card. Then I cut out the layers for the cupcake, once the right way, and then another time flipping it so I could carry the cupcake over to the inside of the card. The cupcake has slits cut into them to make it look like the paper wrapper, but I loved the idea of adding some ribbon to the project, so I pulled out a ribbon from my meager (and I mean that in the truest sense of the word, I think I have maybe four ribbons left in my stash... so time to go ribbon shopping), and weaved it through the slits in the wrapper base. Then I embossed the top of the cup cake with my Cuttlebug spots and dots folder... so loving this folder cuz I can use it on so many things. After that was completed I added some stickles to the embossing and stripes to the candle to represent that old fashioned candle I remember growing up. Finally a little bit of gold/orange glitter glue for the flame and I was all set. On the inside I added the phrase Happy Birthday from the Wild Card cart, and added a stickle dot for the I... cuz I'm always losing my dots for the "I"'s!!!!

 So there is my cupcake card. I had tons of fun making it and I think it is a great way to celebrate my mother-in-laws birthday, even though we can't be there to celebrate with her.

Check out My Pink Stamper's challenge, which I'm linking this card up to. Have fun!!

National Scrapbook Day!!!

Okay, so this is a very special weekend for us paper crafters... its NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK WEEKEND!!! Okay, so its only a day, but we can turn it into whatever we want to!!! A lot of blogs are having specials all weekend long, and some of them have started tonight. Check out these blogs to get caught up in all the fun and activities, and prizes to be had...


Frosted Design

Scrappin with my bug

My Pink Stamper

These are just a few that I know about myself... I'm sure there are tons more out there.

Oh and just to let you know, I have an exciting announcement coming up towards the end of May, so keep a look out for that. See you all soon, and enjoy National Scrapbooking Day!

A quick post

While I was doing my morning ritual of going through the blogs I follow I came across an awesome giveaway. Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons is giving away a cricut lite cart once she reaches 500 followers. Go on over and check it out to see how you can enter. I'll be posting more soon, went to the zoo with my son yesterday so I have lots to scrap!!!

My Dinosaur Card!

My husband's side of the family is... well unique... to say the least. Rich and his brother are pretty close, and we love to spend time with them, however living in different states does not always allow us to see each other as much. So when I realized his birthday was right around the corner I hopped on my cricut, and with the help of my husband's dry humor, we found a perfect way to say Happy Birthday to his brother.

The paper was just from my stash, however I did use some enhancements to make it stand out a little more. When I cut the dinosaur and the caveman out, using the Paperdoll Dress Up cart, I used my cricut markers to draw the outline, and then I went back through and cut the image out. I can not find the original video that I used to learn how to do this, but this video states the same thing, so you can learn the technique by watching it. The best advice I can give you with using the markers is do not forget to adjust your pressure. I did that a few times, and thankfully it did not screw my project up majorly, but it is something that you will forget... trust me on that one!!!

I also used the Paperdoll Dress up cart for the volcano in the background.

I used my white gel pen for the Dino's teeth, stickles for the spiny bumps, and for the lava and the smoke for the volcano. I then used a small brad from my stash for the dino's eyes. On the caveman, I used a light pink gel pen for the marks on his cheeks, I just put a small mark and then used my finger to kind of make it look like a blush effect. Then I marked some hair for the hair piece.  To give the caveman a better enhancement, I placed him on the card using an Action Wobble, which I absolutely love to use!!! And the Dinosaur was poped up with pop-dots.

Inside, I simply printed out a text with a color background from my computer. I haven't found a good "dino" font for Cricut, but if anyone out there knows of a good one, let me know. At any rate, this was something I found online and downloaded to my document program, so now I have it for future use too.

Again on the inside, I used the dino font I found online and printed it from my computer printer. This was by far the most fun I have had making a card. I am so excited to send this to my brother-in-law, and I'm sorry to part with the card. However, knowing that I can simply print out a new one any time I want, I am so eager to find another person to make it for.

Hope you enjoyed the dino card, and if you have any comments feel free to leave them. Be posting again soon!

An Original Card for an Original girl

My niece, who is a very "original" girl, is graduating this year from high school. And while I had several options to make a boring normal graduation card, I decided that since she was so original, I would make a special one for her.

Not only is she original, but she is colorful. You will see several colors on her in one day, including socks, pants, shirt, nails, even eye shadow, so I could not make a card that was only one color. To make it even better, I decided to make her card the first card I used my brand new Fun Flock from Stampendous that I just bought! Her card is the first card to have this, and I used the technique that I learned from Kimberly's My Craft Spot Blog. She has a really creative way of doing it, and it works out so easy. At any rate, below are the pics and the basic instructions that I have for the card.

After getting the front of the arch sticky Kimberly's  technique, I then sprinkled fun flock all over the arch. I gently pushed down on the flock to make sure it stuck nicely, and then tapped it against the paper to get the excess off.

Now I was ready to add this to my main design feature.

I used Fun Flock for all the arches in the rainbow, and I cut it from the Feeling Groovy Cricut Lite cartridge. The middle arch was actually one big arch, and I gently used a blade knife to cut a portion of the paper from the Xyron off and leave the other on there. After the bow was completed flocked I then took the paper off the clouds and flocked that part white. The cut out clouds I used the Xyron again on the face up side and put white glitter on it to make it look sparkly. I also used pop dots on the one clound and the action wobbles on the bigger cloud. The final card turned out pretty good.

The paper was just from my scrap stash, and I embellished it with my Sizzix Texture Boutique using the Cuttlebug embossing folder Spots and Dots. The inside of the card was again from my stash, embellished with the swiss dots, and then layered with a piece that I printed from my computer.

So now It is all ready and waiting for me to give it to my niece. I think she will like it a lot. Do you have any great ideas for graduation cards... that time is coming up soon, so start thinking about it!