DRS Designs Featured Friday Stamper

Good morning girls! Oh, how I have been waiting for this day - forever it seems! Waaaay back at the beginning of the year I applied for the DRS designs Design Team but did not make the cut. They did however offer me a spot in their Featured Friday lineup. I was happy to accept as I'm sure you can imagine!!

I first noticed DRS designs on Vicki's blog, Stamped Smiles. And during this year, I've also seen them around more and more! What's great about DRS is that they have such a range of images - from the very cute and whimsical to the elegant. And such terrific sentiments too!

My first card uses the Silhouette Cowboy stamp. I'm a sucker for silhouette stamps and think cowboys are just terribly romantic - in a rugged sort of way!

I created this card over a month ago for my brother's birthday. He isn't what I'd call a "cowboy" but he does love a good John Wayne western and had a few of those movies on his birthday wish list. So this seemed like the perfect image to use!

I really wanted an aged, weathered look - almost like really worn, soft and warm, leather. Both the base and the main image piece of cardstock were misted and crumpled. smoothed out. and crumpled some more. Then I highlighted the wrinkles with some Distress Inks to bring out all those awesome wrinkles.

Since it was for my brother I wanted to keep it very masculine so I kept the embellishments to a minimum!

My other card uses Cindy Haffner's sketch from the Dare to Get Dirty challenges at SCS and also fits the "wings" challenge! This butterfly image is hands-down one of the prettiest butterflies I've ever seen - it's called Filigree Butterfly. I love the flourishes in it!

Here you can see how I cut it out and popped it up. I used more foam squares on one side of the butterfly than the other so it would look like it was turning --- kinda off the paper.

After stamping the butterfly, I went over it with my Spica clear glitter pen to add sparkle. I had tossed around the idea of adding gems in the corners and on the scallops and it just seemed to be too much. I wanted the focus on that gorgeous butterfly and the pretty paper!!

I did add a few gems on some of the flourishes.

What do you think?

Enough sparkle?

Or not enough sparkle?

If you aren't familiar with the images at DRS designs, take a moment to swing over and

check 'em out!! Another bonus is they have lots of sample cards on their shopping pages so it's easy to see the possibilities in an image and get some inspiration!

Have a beautiful day!!

Cuttlebug Be Inspired Challenge 42: National Friendship Day

It's Wednesday and time for another Be Inspired Challenge at Cuttlebug Challenge blog.

National Friendship Day is here! Create a gatefold card to celebrate your best friends. We were also asked to use our favorite folder from the new releases.

I adore the new Victoria folder - it appeals to the softer, romantic side of me. I also think the flourish frame is pretty darn fabulous!!

I trimmed out the center and inserted a white embossed piece as well. The "friend" was die cut with my Cuttlebug too! And isn't that butterfly the greatest! Mrs. J sent it to me all the way from across the ocean. Thanks so much!!

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to visit the Cuttlebug Challenge blog and see the rest of the team's creations. Then upload your own gatefold card so we can see it too!

Have a beautiful day!!

Flutter By Wednesday: Pearl Monogram

Good morning! Wednesday's are special because it's Flutter By Wednesday. Danni came up with Flutter By Wednesday over a year ago and challenges us all to create cards/projects with a butterfly on it. She even expanded it to include fairies earlier this year as they flutter and are special too!

Ann is our hostess this week and requested that we use NO patterned or decorative paper. I created a little decorative element. I picked up this pearl letter in the Michael's dollar bin awhile back. I just added some pink butterflies to it.

I think it'll be so pretty tied to a package or gift bag. Or hanging from a little knob on a dresser. I hope the recipient likes it!

Have a great day! My Cuttlebug Challenge card is also going to past today so I hope you'll stick around to see that too!

Seashell, Seashell

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Just popping in real quick to share a card I made Sunday evening with you. I've been following the Dare to Get Dirty challenges at SCS and when I saw the challenge to make your own decorative paper, I knew immediately that I wanted to do that and use the seashells from the July Journaling set at 2RedBananas. This is absolutely my favorite of the Journaling sets --- at least so far! I reserve the right to change my mind when the next one comes out!!! LOL!

My base is Baja Breeze and was embossed with the D'vine Swirls folder. It makes me think of water so I figured it was a great fit. I need the Shell Collage folder now though - that would be a great one with this set!

The patterned paper panel is cream and was stamped with various Encore ink pads. I haven't used those in forever but fell in love with them all over again! I love their muted, metallic look. I've had them so long I don't even know if they are still being made. Geesh. I then added some scribbly text in Encore Gold.

The quote was stamped in Encore as well, then matted. I stamped the sand dollar image over the quote - ya'll know how I love over-stamping!! The seashell was brushed with the gold ink as well just to ton it down a bit --- it seemed too stark white against the cream cardstock I used.

I think this card is pretty simple and basic, but nice just the same. What do you think? I love to read all your comments - thank you for taking the time to leave one!

Have a beautiful day my blog friends!

Banana Split Sunday: Spell It Out

Good morning!! I hope you've had a great weekend! I had a meeting on Friday afternoon and my mom was going to watch my little man --- and then volunteered to keep him overnight. She said we could have "date night"; great plan but I worked Friday night! So we "date day" yesterday instead! It was soooo nice to sleep in and then we went and saw Transformers in the theatre.

I'm thrilled you stopped by today; the Banana Split Challenge this week is a lot of fun! The challenge is to use alphabet stickers on your project and Jeanette is giving away the Coco, Weathervane and Night Light alphabet stickers to a lucky participant.

I created a card that I think is perfect for a young boy graduating from preschool or kindergarten. I remember my baby brother had a preschool graduation and it was a pretty big deal.

The image is from the So Proud set, one of the exclusive images you can find at 2RedBananas. Did you know you can get lots of other supplies at 2RedBananas as well? The patterned paper I used is Jack from October Afternoon . There are lots of other goodies as well!

My card also fulfills a few of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges over at SCS: one to use letters and another to use tags. I love this color combo - a true red and Baja Breeze. Is there a close and good substitute of Baja Breeze? If you know, please leave a little note for me. I can see my stack of it dwindling away!

Have a beautiful day!

Cuttlebug Be Inspired Challenge 41: Anything But A Card

Good morning!! It's Wednesday and time for another terrific challenge by the Cuttlebug Challenge design team. It's been so much fun this month Counting Down to CHA and designing with the new embossing folders from Provo Craft. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to create with them. I hope you've been enjoying all the inspiration too!

This week we were asked to use the new Victoria folder (which is one of my favorites!) and to create anything we wanted as long as it wasn't a card! Oh the possibilities!

I picked up these plant markers last year in the Target $pot, not sure why as I am not really a gardening kinda gal but I thought they were cool!

Here's how I altered them:

Here's a close-up shot:
I just wrapped some embossed paper around the metal plate, added some letter stickers and some buttons, gems and butterflies as decoration!

What's growing in my imaginary garden? All the things I think it would be lovely to have:

beans, peas, carrots, squash and rhubarb*.

*Don't knock it until you've tried it. I always thought rhubarb was icky (although I'm not sure what I based that on) until several summers ago when hubby and I traveled up north with his mom and visited family. His aunt had this Rhubarb Crisp that was DIVINE!! It's a tart taste and oh so yummy!

Be sure to visit the Cuttlebug Challenge blog and see what the rest of the team came up with. I've had some sneak peeks and they are stunning, as always!!

Also, be sure to scroll down for my Flutter By post today!

Flutter By Wednesday: A Re-Visit

Uhm. Last week I was a little confused on what our challenge was at the Flutter By Wednesday - we were supposed to use pink and brown. And the scene card was THIS week's challenge.

All the girls on that team are super, let me tell ya! Heather let me know that my card would be just as enjoyable the second time around and Michelle even pointed out that I did have pink and brown on my card too!

All's well that ends well - right?

Be sure to visit the rest of the Flutter By team to see their creations - links in my sidebar!

Cuttlebug Be Inspired Challenge 40: Beach Peace

Good morning girls!! So, so happy to see you today! It means so much that you take a minute or two to stop by my blog and see what I've created!

I'm very excited to share not just one but TWO cards with you for today's Cuttlebug Be Inspired Challenge. We had an awesome sketch to work with this week designed by the blog owner Maggie. Today we are highlighting the NEW Herringbone folder that Provo Craft has coming out at the end of the month. It's been such fun to have the new folders to showcase!! I know several of you were able to pick up the set recently on HSN and they are on the way to you --- I can't wait for you to get them so you can use them and play along in our Countdown to CHA celebration!!

I'm also excited because 2RedBananas is sponsoring a great prize this week for those participating in the sketch challenge. It is the Precious Bundle set designed by Jami Bova and released last month. Be sure to link up your creation on the Cuttlebug Challenge blog for your chance to win! Then be sure to head over to 2RedBananas to shop - TODAY is release day and all the July stamps are available!!

I used the July Journaling Spot on my card this week! Jeanette has such a neat concept for these journaling spot sets. And even though I don't scrapbook much, they make really great cards too! Especially this set as it has 2 quotes, 3 seashells, a grass stamp and the journaling spot.

The seashells in the set made me think of the beach. I can't imagine anything more peaceful than a quiet beach somewhere, with a vast expanse of blue and a cabana all to myself. Only the sound of the pounding surf.

Ah. Peace.

The cream panel was torn and inked with Creamy Caramel. The Baja Breeze (water) layer was torn, rolled and inked with Craft White and then the sky (which might be a scrap of Soft Sky?)

The Baja Breeze base panel was embossed with the Herringbone folder and boy do I LOVE the effect that it had on the paper. It's incredibly soft and supple. Twill ribbon and a few pearls keeps it neat and simple. I really wanted all the focus on the quote and the beach scene so kept the embellishments to the bare minimum.

I even decorated the inside with the grass stamp. Creamy Caramel on Kraft. A new favorite.

Be sure to visit the rest of The Banana Bunch - they played along in the sketch challenge this week too and their creations are beautiful too! Swing by their blogs and let them know how much you enjoyed their creations!

I have another card using this sketch as well. It's a great sketch that really puts the focus on the image or sentiment that you want to use. I love those kind of cards. I spied this Caliope image (Paper Makeup Stamps) buried under some stamps and could not resist her calling out to me. I paperpieced her outfit and heart and handwrote my sentiment. My husband loves blue and so it was easy to use the same colors for this card as for my Beach Peace card. I hope he likes it!

We'd love to have you create a card using your Cuttlebug and the sketch too! Be sure to link up your card at the Cuttlebug Challenge blog for a chance to win the Precious Bundles stamp set from 2RedBananas.

Have a beautiful morning!

A Flutter By Wednesday Scene

It's Wednesday and time for another Flutter By Wednesday challenge! Our featured team member this week is my good friend Heather from Heather's Heavenly Stamptations. She challenged us to create a scene this week, being sure to off course include a butterfly or a fairy. I think she also challenged us to not use patterned paper --- but I didn't recall that until after my tree was made. Sorry Heather!

Heather is so, SO good at creating scenes with her stamps. This is definitely not something I do and so I thought it was a great challenge and really excited about it. I used the Twinkle Butterfly image from Modern Sugar Blvd and when I was thinking of this project I thought I would use several of the sleeping butterflies to create my scene. But when I sat down last night to create my card, I had a tree pop into my head and decided to go that route instead!

Thanks for stopping by to see my creations today! I also have my Cuttlebug Be Inspired card up this morning so be sure to scroll down to see it!!

Stop by the rest of the Flutter By team to check out their lovely scenes and leave them a bit of love!

Ann ♥ Ashley ♥ Cathy ♥ Chris

Christine ♥ Danni ♥ Harriet ♥

Heather - on hiatus (but I bet she participates this week *wink*)

Jodi - on maternity leave

Kim ♥ Lelia ♥ Michelle ♥ Nancy
Nicola ♥ Stef ♥ Taylor

A 2RedBananas Sneak Peek! Meet Wendy!

I have another sneak peek at a new set being released at 2RedBananas on Wednesday, July 15th. There are 5 sets in all and this is one of the new images by Mindy Baxter. I think her big eyes and chubby cheeks are darling!

I used this week's sketch from Inspirational Sketches for my layout and some Basic Grey paper I just got in the mail today. From a blog candy I won - the box was completely stuffed full of goodies!! Thanks Kim!! My image was colored with prismas/baby oil. The blue flower I used is a Bazzill flower and you can get it at 2RedBananas as well. You get a big package full for only a dollar. I love them because they have a soft, velvet-like texture to them!

Be sure to visit the rest of The Banana Bunch to see their sneak peeks as well. And visit the 2RedBananas blog to play along in our challenge this week --- you could win one of the new sets!

Jeanette Fincher ♥ Deb Felts
Teresa Grau ♥ Wendy Kastner
Dawn Burnworth - Guest Designer