July Challenge Cards

How is it the end of July already?  Wow, the year is going by way too fast!  Since it is the end of the month, it is time to post the Simply Paper Design Challenge cards.  Here is the sketch and color challenge:

Here is Michelle's card.  Isn't it wonderful?  It's a celebration in a card!  The background is mesmerizing with all of the fireworks going off.  I love the double ribbon in the middle too - nice!  There are so many people with July 4th birthdays - wouldn't this be a wonderful card to receive?  Love it Michelle!

Here is my card.  I decided that since I need so many birthday cards for August, I'd try to make one with the challenge.  I know exactly who is going to get this too :)  I needed one more color to off-set the two primary colors, so added a little chocolate chip in the mix.  I love the cupcake punch - it makes for a very easy card focal point! 

As always, thanks for looking and have a great day!

Swap Meeting Gifts

Last weekend was our stamping group's annual summer meeting of demonstrators.  I love these meetings.  I get to meet new people, make a ton of cards, see new items, etc.  It's just a great day of friends, stamps, and great food (it's really what everyone goes for!)  Haaa - just kidding. 

Each year, we have a gift swap and I decided to alter items with my new favorite Designer Paper. Here are the items I made.

Here is a group shot of the gifts.  I ended up covering a king sized Hershey bar too, but forgot to take a picture of it.

This is an altered note pad.  I had a heck of a time with this one and pretty much disassembled and reassembled the whole thing by the time I was done.  But, I like how it turned out and that it stays shut with a little Velcro; keeps your notes secret!

This is an altered pocket calendar.  I am probably one of the last people standing to still use a paper calendar instead of one on-line/phone/etc. :)

This is an altered mug for a favorite beverage.  I think I'd use it to put pencils and pens in though, to keep with the desk set.

I found this mini tissue box and altered it - so cute!

This is a little scratch paper holder - again, not the easiest thing to alter!  Then again, it may be  me.  I tend to complicate things ;)

And here is the bag I altered to put everything in.  Isn't this paper just beautiful?  I love it!

Anyway, thanks for looking and have a great day!

Happy 4th Everyone!

Here is the July Simply Paper Design Challenge.  Please play along with us!

Last weekend, Debbie and I met up with Michelle to attend a scrapbooking conference.  But, before that, we had lunch at Sweetwater Tavern - yum!  Here is a picture of us - the design team :)

Thanks for looking and again, have a wonderful Independence Day!

Sweet Award!

How sweet is this?  My sister and upline, Debbie Naylor, awarded me with this Sweet Blog Award!  Thanks so much, Debbie!  Your blog never fails to inspire me each and every day :)  You can visit her awesome blog here.

Part of this award is to share seven random facts about myself and pass the award onto 8 other bloggers.  Let's see...
1)  I work at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC
2)  I love my furry kids (2 cats and a rabbit)
3)  I love to plant flowers, plants, and trees, but do not like to weed or deadhead flowers!
4)  My favorite drink is coffee; can drink it all day, every day!
5)  Now that I have an eReader, I can't go back to paperback or hard covered books!
6)  My favorite movie is The Sound of Music.  I bake Christmas cookies every year and I have to watch this movie while baking them or it wouldn't be Christmas for me!
7)  I've become a little obsessed with Farmville on Facebook!  LOL

I'm supposed to share this award with some other bloggers that inspire me with their creations, but the ones I'd pick have already been chosen!  There are so many wonderful bloggers out there - so for all of you that create and inspire with your blog, I'm sharing this award with you!

Have a sweet day, everyone! 

Wall Art

I received my new SU! products and didn't have much time to do anything other than look at them :)  But, I'm crazy for designer papers and this new one is amazing.  It has so many colors and designs that are bold and elegant.  I had to do something with it.  I've been saving this frame for some wall art and this paper just screamed at me to use it!  So, I chose the background first.  I then punched some scallop circles to make the flower.  I used every sheet, so it was 10 pieces thick.  I also die cut some butterflies (love those!).   I decorated the butterflies with some pearls.  I wanted a sentiment, so stamped one that I thought worked, punched out pieces to frame it, and mounted it above a piece of satin ribbon.  I decided to add some pearls to the ribbon to tie it all together (no pun intended!)  This is the end result.  I can't wait to hang it after I clean up my craft area! 

Thanks for looking and have a beautiful day :)

Simple Birthday Card

I went to a birthday party this past weekend and needed a card.  I wanted it to reflect the person I gave it to - simple and elegant.  I really like this color combination now!  Thanks for looking and have a great day!

June Simply Paper Design Challenge - Check!

Here are Michelle's and my cards for the June challenge.  Here is the sketch and colors:

I love how Michelle used the lacey punch and added pearls.  We must both be thinking of pearls!  Love how she used so many layers and punches.  It is just so beautiful.  Any girl would be lucky to get this card!

I was inspired by my hydrangea bushes.  They are flowering so beautifully right now and even though I planted one pink and one blue bush, the flowers are all coming in pink!  I guess it has something to do with the acid content in the ground (that's what I've been told anyway).  But, my favorite color is pink, so I'm not upset in the least!  I cut some and put them on the dining room table.  They inspired me for this birthday card.  I added mini pearls to the hydrangea blossoms, but you can't really see them.

And here is Debbie's card.  I love the embossed background and melon mambo polka dotted ribbon!  Nice, nice, nice!