PUBLISHED AGAIN!!!

So, I went to the mailbox yesterday and there was the Spring issue of Just Cards! magazine.  I'm thinking to myself, "hmmm...I don't remember ordering this one."  Well, to my utter surprise and enjoyment, when I opened it up, there was the letter saying "enjoy your complementary copy...you've been published".  Wow!  Uber-excited is an understatement!  Here's the spread....

 I absolutely LOVE seeing my name in print!  .....I'd like to thank the academy..... lol

 And here's the card.  I had just received it back from the publisher about a week ago.  I was a little disappointed but I understood...they receive tons of submissions all the time.

Well, I'm off to make some more cards!  Got the juices flowing!!!

Until next time, keepin' my fingers inky and my Cricut chirpin'!

NEW CARDS

I have been trying some new things.  I joined a couple of card swap groups and began doing some exchanges.  I am loving it!  I am getting cards from all over the world.  

Here are some of the cards I have created...

This one is an alcohol ink background.  I loved how the bright yellow spot looked like a sun.  

 Here is a birthday card I made for my "stash on hand".

 I always decorate the insides of my cards now.  It gives them a professional, finished look. (And uses up some of the leftover scraps from the front!)

 This was for a B&W challenge.  It is the debossed (rather than embossed) side of the cardstock.  I added some Stickles for a little twinkle.

 The flower on this card was stamped on mulberry paper.  I had never actually stamped on that type of paper before.  I generally used it as accent paper or background.  I love how it turned out.

 This was a card that needed to include "I".  I chose "inspiration" and "irridescence".

 These were for a torn papers background.

 I used fine glitter accents.  Not too bad for a first try with that technique.

Hopefully I will be spending some quality time in my craft room this weekend.  Need to finish up a few cards and a few commissioned gifts.  Maybe I'll even get another post out for next week!

Until next time, keepin' my fingers inky and my Cricut chirpin'.

Crafty Time

Spent some serious time in my craft room this weekend.  It was very inspiring.  After tidying up a bit (can't start a new project until all remnants of the last one are gone), I decided it was high time I got around to doing my Christmas cards. 

While I don't send out a ton of them, I do send enough that they needed to be fairly simple.  I came up with a design that was easy to replicate, but still enabled me to do each card uniquely.  No two are the same.  I used a variety of buttons for the embellishments.  Some were just plain red buttons, others were the crafty shanked variety.  I just whacked the shanks off the back.

For each button that didn't have any bling, I added a touch with Stickles.  A couple of the present buttons and the star buttons were very glittery, so they were good to go as is.  I used a punch to cut out the boughs, vellum for the sentiment on the front (sentiment from Stampin' Up!), and mixed papers from two different small paper packs.  The paper on the front coordinates with the paper on the inside for each card.  The sentiment I used inside was from a cd I purchased through Paper Wishes.  There were a ton of sentiments for every reason and occasion, so it was easy to find just what I wanted.  It was cool how the colors of the sentiment worked out so well with the papers I selected.

Thirty-six cards later.....

One of the great things about these cards was that there was literally no waste from the paper packs.  I cut the front down to fit on the front of the card, used one of the edges I cut off for the inside, and the remaining edge (with the exception of a very tiny piece) was the band on the front.  I loved how that worked out.  The Merry Christmas stamp was a $1 stamp that I had gotten at Michaels.  The inks used were from Stampin' Up!. 

I'm hoping I made enough.  But at least if I do have to make some more, they are easy enough to do.  Now, off to address those envelopes!

Hope you all have the Happiest of Holidays and the Merriest of Christmases.

Until next time, keepin' my fingers ink and my Cricut chirpin'!

I'VE BEEN PUBLISHED!!!

I just had to share this tidbit of news.  I have my very first card published in the January 2012 issue of Scrap & Stamp Magazine (page 39).  I am very excited.  Just when I had given up (sent it in months ago).  NOW, I am more motivated than ever to work on more submissions.  And since my craft room is all organized and pretty (I've done a little more revamping), and the weather outside is becoming more and more dismal, I want to spend time in my little piece of peace and get crafting.

I will share some pics of what I have redone in my room (maybe even a better video) and a sneak preview of my published card a little later.

In the meantime, keepin' my fingers inky and my Cricut chirpin'!

GETTING CRICKY CHALLENGE & CRAFT ROOM VIDEO

I have been a busy lil bee lately.  Got my craft room reorganized (hubby says I do it 8 times a year, I say only 4).  He doesn't understand what a help it is for me creatively to have things neat and organized.  Plus, whenever I change things around, I find "stuff" I lost or forgot I had...which brings new creative ideas to my brain.  So, it's all good.  Even all the bruises I have from moving big stuff around.  I'll spare you pics of them.  lol

Anyhow, here is a video of my room.  WARNING:  It is blurry, dizzifying, and VERY amateur.  But that's just me.  It's all a learning process.  Definitely no awards for this one.  lol

Maybe this will inspire some of you to share your crafting grounds.  I would love to see where everyone else creates.

NOW FOR SOME FUN CHALLENGE STUFF.....

I love the Getting Cricky with K Andrew blog.  Such fun challenges, great inspiration, and new ideas.  If you've not visited this blog yet, you really need to do so.  You won't be disappointed.  In addition to the wonderful posts and crafts she shares, she has some really amazing stamp sets.

Her latest challenge is a color challenge:  Use black and orange with one other color.  I chose yellow.  I used the "Child's Year" cartridge for the pumpkins and cat, sized and distorted using my Gypsy, and the background is a digital background.  The cat's eyes are Hero Arts jewels.  They give it kind of a creepy feel, no?  The "Happy Haunting" was done on my computer.

Would love to hear your comments on both my craft room and my card.  Be sure to check out the Getting Cricky Blog to see all the wonderful projects done for this challenge!  Happy Haunting to you!

Until next time, keepin my fingers inky and my Cricut chirpin.