The Pink Paper Penguin

Thinking of you, Rose

2009-10-31T09:27:00.012-04:00

Just a quick card for a friend going through a diffficult time (no stitching - can you believe it?!?).

I hope this brightens her day :)

Taking my layout inspiration from the Midnight Madness sketch, I then used the color challenge on TCP Tuesday and a recipe challenge on The Pink Elephant!

Card Recipe:

cardstock: American Crafts, DCWV Sweet Stack
watercolor paper
watercolor pencils: General's
stamp: Hero Arts
inks: Tsukineko, Martha Stewart
clear embossing powder: Ranger
brads/hardware: Making Memories
corner punches: EK Success
ribbon: American Crafts
tools: Cuttlebug folder, heat gun

More cards to share later . . . gotta run to breakfast!

Keep Smiling!

~Sonya~

2 birthday cards

2009-10-31T09:21:00.012-04:00

Sorry I haven't had much time to post this week :( I did have a chance to make some necessary birthday cards! These 2 cards were both made using Tuesdays Midnight Madness sketch - I think this is a great example of how the same sketch combined with different papers, colors & embellishments can look completely different!

Card recipe:

cardstock: DCWV Sweet Stack, Bazzill Dotted Swiss, Best Occasions
stamp: Inkadinkado
watercolor pencils: General's
ink: Colorbox
grosgrain ribbon: Offray
brads: Making Memories
half pearls: Recollections
glitter: Stickles
tools: sewing machine, nestabilities, Sizzix machine

Two birthday cards, two totally different styles :)

Card recipe:

cardstock: K & Co., Bazzill Dotted Swiss, American Crafts(metallic)
stamps: Inkadinkado
watercolor pencils: General's
inks: Martha Stewart, Versamark
embossing powder: Ranger, clear & gold
felt rick-rack: Offray
brads: Making Memories
spacers: Elite Better Beads
flowers: Prima
metallic gold thread
tools: sewing machine, nestabilities, Sizzix machine

Let me know what you think! I love to read your comments :)

Keep Smiling!

Colleen's diaper cake

2009-10-14T11:10:00.011-04:00

I shared a baby shower card with you last week, this week I thought I would share the accompanying gift that I put together :)

I decided to try and create my own diaper cake after seeing many examples on the internet. It didn't seem too hard and looked like a fun & pretty way to present those everyday baby essentials!

Her colors were lavender and yellow - Sooo . . . this is what I started with, and you can choose whatever products you like - considering budget, size, colors, etc.

about 70 size 1 Pampers
3 baby bottles
2 bottles of baby wash/lotion
bibs
socks
hats
a few toys
hair bows/headbands
ribbon & rubber bands
cardboard base

And this is how it turned out . . .

(back view)

My expecting friend absolutely loved it! (as did everyone at the party *grin*)
Hope I have inspired you to try something new!

Keep Smiling!

MMSC23

2009-10-13T00:06:00.017-04:00

My post today brings bittersweet feelings, as it is my last week with the illustrious design team of the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge :(

The ladies there are some the most talented,fun and wonderful women I have had the pleasure to call friends. They have inspired SO many, including myself, and I hope you will continue to follow the "madness" as I definitely will!

These are the sponsors this week/month who are offering up some fab prizes!

My card was inspired by the sketch below and is dedicated to Priscilla - the Midnight Madness Mistress - who tolerated my always late submissions with the patience of a saint, who works tirelessly on making each week super exciting for everyone, who is a smart, sweet, strong, dedicated wife, mother & friend, and of course LOVES the color purple!

For this card I've used beautiful dp from the Far East Stack by DCWV, an image by Inkadinkado, flowers by Prima & MakingMemories, half pearls by Recollections, a pretty charm and my invaluable nesties & sewing machine . . .

I used a mask and sprayed my image with a French Lilac Starburst Spray that I received from Lindy's Stamp Gang. It has a beautiful shimmer, though it's hard to capture in photos. Let me know what you think!

Make sure to check out what the rest of the team has created and don't forget! COMING THIS FRIDAY -

Prowling at the 1st Midnight Madness Blog Hop!

Carol-Chocolate, Crafts, & Bears!

Carolyn - Creative Card Corner

Charlotte - Designs From Within

Chris - Twinkles Glow with Stamps

Denise - kc242 Designs by Denise

Jane - The Paper Affair

Jeni - Jeni's Custom Cards

Michelle - Daydreams by Michelle

Phyllis - SparklePlenty1000

Priscilla - "priscillastyles"

Shawne - Paper Art from Studio 313

Sue - McMahon Five Designs

Keep Smiling!

MMSC22

2009-10-06T07:12:00.002-04:00

This card is for the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge Blog, where there are very exciting things going on & tons of giveaways . . . make sure you stop by!

I got a little ahead of myself with a Christmas card this week, but couldn't resist the adorable winter images by Gurlee Girl. I stamped her three times using a mask to overlap. I eliminated a few features, like long hair or hat pompom, then uniquely watercolored each one so they appeared different.

I used the Mistletoe and Pear Collection by Basic Grey for all of my DP and green K & Co. "remake" cardstock (made from 100% post-consumer waste and printed w/soy ink). The buttons were a mixture of purchases at Wal-mart last Christmas (Merry & Bright) and some by Foofala. The evergreens are my Martha Stewart punch coated with Stickles and then for some jingle I added a couple of bells and ribbon. As usual it's all stitched together, this time with red & green thread :)

The Midnight Madness weekly sponsor is Simon Says Stamp, who is offering up a nice gift certificate to spend any way you want in their store!

and the monthly sponsor is Gurlee Girl -whose image I have used on my holiday card this week- and has also supplied a fat gift certificate for the monthly winner!

Check out the inspiration created by the rest of the design team then link your creation for your chance to win.

Carol
Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise
Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Sue

The count down Is on!!! Just a couple more weeks till the Prowling at the 1st Midnight Madness Blog Hop!! We hope you are as excited about it as we are! As a special way to thank our players and welcome new ones, we will be hosting our very 1st Halloween/Fall themed Midnight Madness Blog Hop.....Beginning October 16th at 8 a.m. EST and ending October 20th at 12 a.m. Midnight. AND OH WILL THERE BE PRIZES.......

25 prizes to be exact:

One Grand Prize random drawing
350th Brand New Sketch Player SPECIAL Prize
13 "Cards from the Crypt" (picked by our very own DT members from the MMSC archives)
10 random Package winners

The Midnight Madness DT has been working on making this blog hop extra special for everyone. We are hoping you will join us for all the fun, exciting projects with tons of inspiration and prizes. So mark your calendar and join us for our first ever blog hop.

Keep Smiling!

~Sonya~

Chris' Blog Candy

2009-10-04T22:22:00.007-04:00

As much as I don't like to share . . . I had to let y'all know about this fantabulous blog candy that my friend Chris has up for grabs until October 30. How can you resist?!? Just follow her blog and post it on your own blog and your in, it's that easy :)

Keep Smiling!

PEC #34

2009-10-04T22:08:00.009-04:00

I made this card for my girlfriend & co-worker, Colleen, who is expecting a baby girl in a few months. All together now - aaawwww - who doesn't love a baby, or making cards for one. So this is my card and submission for The Pink Elephant challenge this week which is a recipe challenge: Something with dots, a punch & a tag!

This is a fairly simple card to make and I think it turns out just adorable, so give it a try and show me your results! I cut out the little dress with the cute polka dot/flower pattern from my Glitter Stack by DCWV and the apron out of vellum. I used my handy dandy sewing machine - thread free - to create the pierced pattern then connected the holes with a white colored pencil for the smocked effect. The lace pattern at the bottom was made with a Martha Stewart punch and a yellow grosgrain ribbon simply tied around the waist.

The tag was handcut and stamped with a tiny sentiment and flourish by Inkadinkado stamps, then tied to the ribbon and attached to the card w/ foam tape. The adorable scalloped collar was made with my scalloped heart nestabilitie, just pierce the holes and cut with a circle punch! A small lilac half pearl adds the finishing touch :)

Her baby shower is this weekend and I am hoping to squeeze in a handmade "diaper cake" before then, it'll be my first attempt at making one so wish me luck :) Hopefully I can take some pix and show you that too!

Keep posted . . . and Keep Smiling!

~Sonya~

MMSC21 - Special Delivery

2009-09-29T08:23:00.014-04:00

This week I made a card for my husband's grandfather who is celebrating his birthday.

God Bless you Pop!

I used this week's Midnight Madness sketch for the layout and went with a postage theme as he is a stamp collector. I hand-stamped and embossed each postage stamp then cut them out with decorative scissors, they were then layered and sewn together. For a little variety, I decided to make my card a gatefold - opening from the center - secured with a chocolatey satin ribbon to give it a special "present" feel.

My card actually started out as a smaller 4" X 5" size until my husband thought that it didn't seem substantial enough . . . I agreed and added the 5" X 7" background/frame and just mounted the smaller card to the center. I think it gave it a nice touch . . . reinvention is a good thing . . .sometimes you just never know :)

The little pewter gift ornament is by Making Memories, then after lots and lots of fun stitching, I finished it off with my "from the heart" postmark by Stampology.

Let me know what you think and please go see what beauties the rest of the design team has created too!

Carol-Chocolate, Crafts, & Bears!

Carolyn - Creative Card Corner

Charlotte - Designs From Within

Chris - Twinkles Glow with Stamps

Denise - kc242 Designs by Denise

Jane - The Paper Affair

Jeni - Jeni's Custom Cards

Kimmie - kimmie kaye's designs

Michelle - Daydreams by Michelle

Phyllis - SparklePlenty1000

Priscilla - "priscillastyles"

Shawne - Paper Art from Studio 313

Sue - McMahon Five Designs

As usual, Midnight Madness is sponsored by some great people who have some very generous prizes up for grabs so make sure you stop by priscillastyles and check it out or click on their logos to start shopping today!

More exciting news!!!

I hope you can join us for

Prowling at the 1st Midnight Madness Blog Hop
October 16-20
where we will be featuring lots of fun holiday creations as well as giving away 25 prizes !!!

One Grand prize random drawing
350th BRAND NEW Sketch Player SPECIAL Prize
13 “Cards from the Crypt” (picked by our DT members from MMSC archives)
10 random Package winners drawn

Don't miss out on your chance to win! See you there :)

Keep Smiling!

~Sonya~

Happy Birthday Pam!

2009-09-26T14:45:00.010-04:00

(click to enlarge)

Hey y'all!

I needed a card this week for my friend and co-worker, Pam, so I browsed a few of my fave challenge blogs for some inspiration. I started with a tag from K&Co. for the pretty message, used a great sketch from The Pink Elephant, then chose my color scheme from TCP Tuesday using black, pink and pumpkin, finally I stitched it all together for the challenge at Simon Says Stamp :) Easy peasy!

Happy Birthday Pam!

I hope she likes it - Let me know what you think!

Products used to make this card:

Tag & papers by K & Co.

Flowers by Prima

Charm by Jolee's jewels

Glitter by Stickles

Beads by BlueMoon beads

Brads by Makingmemories

Keep Smiling!

~Sonya~

MMSC20 - you & me

2009-09-22T13:20:00.013-04:00

Here's my card for this week's Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge . . . which proved to be a tough one for me to get started. I really wanted to use some of these papers from the Urban Prairie Collection by Basic Grey and once I chose my stamp set by Inkadinkado - One Plus One Equals Love - my mojo started flowing again :)

All of my images were hand-stamped with Tsukineko Brilliance in Graphite Black and heat embossed with clear EP. Then for my signature bling, I stamped the lips with a glue pad and used a little Martha Stewart glitter in Tourmaline. I added texture with a Cuttlebug folder on the aqua panel and with the use of the rickrack ribbon which is fuzzy black felt.

Finally I inked my edges with Martha Stewart inks and stitched it all together with layers of my favorite black cardstock by American Crafts.

I hope you enjoy my simple, romantic card with a little funk ;) Make sure to check out what my brilliant fellow design team members have created

Carol

Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise

Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Sue

and visit priscillastyles to see the fabulous prizes that these Midnight Madness sponsors for this week/month are offering!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

MMSC19 - fall tractor

2009-09-15T10:49:00.013-04:00

Feeling the days cool off a little and settling into the new school routine has finally made it feel like fall here . . . sometimes the change of season eludes us southerners (one small thing I miss about NY). Soooo I decided to use the autumn theme for my submission at this week's Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge. Our monthly/weekly sponsors are contributing some great stuff that you could win, so don't wait to check it out! If your addicted to stash -like me!- you'll want to click on their logos below and start shopping right away!

For my card this week, I used my Green Stack by DCWV - once again - love, love, love this paper! I colored my hand-stamped tractor image with colored pencils and sponged the background w/Martha Stewart inks. My tractor image is layered and made 3-dimensional with foam tape and the puffs of smoke have been cut out to achieve the "out of the box" effect (or in this case "out of the oval" - hee hee).

My cute pewter barn charm is by Karen Foster Design and I matched the brads by Making Memories. I adore these little leaf buttons and laced them with twine, which kinda represented the farmer's haybales for me. Lots of stitching inside & out in 3 different colors kept my sewing machine quite busy and I even stamped some teeny tiny chicks by Clear Dollar Stamps on the inside for a final touch! Aren't they adorable?

Check out what the rest of the design team came up with, then get to work creating your own masterpiece:

Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise
Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Shawne
Sue

Keep Smiling!

Another card ?!?

2009-09-13T21:31:00.022-04:00

I squeezed this card in just in time for 2 challenges tonight - first, the Mojo Monday sketch this week

and second, The Pink Elephant Color challenge - red, yellow, black & white.

I tried a new gradient glitter technique and love the way it turned out! I can just imagine the possibilities and different color combos . . . this may even be a fab future tutorial?! Let me know if your interested!

Stamps/Ink: Inkadinkado/Tsukineko Brilliance
Paper: American Crafts, Bazzill Bling
Embellishments: glitter by Martha Stewart, ribbon by DCWV, Swarovski crystals by Jolee's Jewels
Tools: Cricut, Nestabilities

Keep Smiling!
~ Sonya ~

Hello!

2009-09-12T12:47:00.008-04:00

Who can resist this adorable paper by DCWV's Green Stack? Not me! *grin* I love all of it! The only problem is I don't want to cut any of it!!! *chuckle* Am I the only one that feels this way?

In between doctor, orthodontist & dentist appts. all week (yes - after only 2 weeks of school kids are already sick - grrrr!) I actually had time to make another card!!! I went out on a limb (pun definitely intended - heehee) and cut these two coordinating sheets from my treasured Green Stack, then layered them with some American Crafts textured black CS and shiny metallic green CS by Best Occasions. I stitched everything together with my trusty sewing machine and a pretty decorative leaf stitch. The ribbon is by American Crafts too!

The hand-stamped image is part of a super versatile set by hampton art called Owl Garden and the sentiment is by Inkadinkado. My inks are all Martha Stewart, I used a little Stickles on some of the leaves and Nestabilities for my diecut circles. Leaving the nesties circle on, I barely touched the watercolor paper background with my inkpad to give a hint of blue sky and leave a nice crisp border. I think it all came together perfectly, a sweet simple card just to say hello :) Let me know what you think?

Keep Smiling!

~Sonya~

MMSC18 - Daisies for a sweet friend

2009-09-08T07:38:00.018-04:00

Hey y'all! Time for the weekly Midnight Madness sketch challenge over at priscillastyles . . . and I have to say, this one gave me a real challenge! I did come up with several ideas but finally went with this one - since we've had a few rainy days here, in typically sunny SC, the little girl image decked out in her rain gear seemed appropriate and daisies always seem to make me smile, especially when I'm missing the sun! - how bout you?

My papertole image has four seperate layers to make her pop right off of the page, then I glazed her little boots and the daisy petals to make 'em super shiny.

I diecut two nestie layers for my background in contrasting colors and layered them between the ribbon and metallic threads used to thread these adorable daisy buttons ( yes! - they are buttons) Instead of snipping of the button back as I might normally do, I just punched some small holes where each button should be, threaded them, and popped up the whole card front w/dimensional adhesives. My sentiment is by Inkadinkado, hand-stamped and cut from pearlized cardstock and heat-embossed w/clear powder for a professional finish.

Make sure you stop by to check out the sketch for yourself and enter to win some great prizes from our incredibly generous sponsors this week/month.

Click on the names below to see what the rest of the design team has come up with and get loads of inspiration!

Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise
Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Shawne
Sue

Keep Smiling!

~Sonya~

MMSC17 - Starbursts for Dad

2009-09-01T07:20:00.018-04:00

I'm baaaaaack!!! Sorry I've been missing for a while, but I hope to catch up now with some much needed creative therapy :) Let's start with this weeks sketch challenge at Midnight Madness. There is always soooo much going on there - between the great giveaways, the creative sketches, the fun contests, the awesome blog candy, etc., etc. . . . you would be MAD not to check it out!

Our generous sponsors this week/month are:

Make sure to check out all of their incredible stuff for all of your crafting needs - NTM the incredible prizes they have offered!

My card this week was inspired by a recent trip to NY, where I ran across these wonderful, super-sparkly prismatic papers by Best Occasions while shopping with my Mom & Dad. My Dad agreed to buy them for me under one condition - I have to make a card for him! He immediately chose this gold starburst design, so I had my work cut out for me (no pun intended) when I returned from my vacation. It's pretty sad when your family has to resort to bribery to receive a handmade card from you! *snicker*

(click on photo to see detail)

Priscilla's sketch was a fairly simple one, so it was easy to go all out with the "bling"!

I mimicked the starbursts on this fab paper with my sewing machine and stitched with gold metallic thread. I used some gold elastic cording and some real pretty gold brads from K & Co.'s Que Sera Sera line.

My Cricut "Dad" diecut was glittered with Martha Stewart Brownstone using Scor-Pal's great adhesive sheets and in keeping with the starburst theme, mounted on top of 4 starburst nesties all popped up w/ dimensional tape.

I stamped & embossed the strip behind everything with a little "thanks" stamp by Inkadinkado and ran one layer of paper through my Cuttlebug snowflake folder which looked more like starbursts when added to all of the others!

Besides the fab prismatic papers, all of the other papers used are K & Co.'s recycled cardstock sheets - made with 100% post-consumer waste & printed with soy ink!

Gotta remember our planet whenever we can :)

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out all of the other creations by the Midnight Madness Design Team as well as our talented guest designer for Sept. - Carol Hurlock - WELCOME Carol! - then get started on your own design!

Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise
Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Shawne
Sue

Keep Smiling!

2009-08-30T21:46:00.014-04:00

Just a quick post to let y'all know about some really great candy being given away on my fave sketch challenge blog . . . Priscillastyles - Home of the Midnight Madness Challenges.

From this glorious stash of new stamps she will be picking 5 sets for this giveaway!

They include a variety of stamps from “Stampin Up”, “Hero Arts”, “Inkadinkado”, “Gina K.”, “Rupa Shevde” to name a few. They are all types from Exclusive Hostess Sets, to Halloween, Christmas, and Everyday use Stamps!

Come join the fun & the weekly challenges every Tuesday :)

Keep Smiling!

~Sonya

MMSC11-Lil Sailor Boy

2009-07-21T00:27:00.016-04:00

OK . . . so it's been a while . . . without a long, drawn out explanation, I will start with a new blog look and a fresh start, beginning with the latest sketch for the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge! :) Please check it out - there is so much going on there, you won't be disappointed! A HUGE "shout out" goes to Priscilla and the rest of the design team for all of their hard work!!! Bravo ladies!

My submission for this week is entitled "Lil Sailor Boy", it features this adorable paper tole image, meticulously hand-cut and layered over 4x. He's just so darn cute . . . it was certainly a labor of love. Glossy accents accentuate his eyes, glass bottle & puppy's nose.

The rest of the card uses these products:

Stamps & Ink: Hero Arts, Tsukineko Brilliance-Graphite Black

Papers: K & Co., DCWV, Best Occasions, Bazzill Dotted Swiss
Embellishments: Rhinestone brads, glitter glue, twine, Jolee's jewels w/ Swarovski elements, blue cotton thread
Tools: sewing machine, MS border punch, decorative scissors

See what the rest of the design team has created to inspire you!

Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise
Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Shawne
Sue

Let me know what you think of the new look. . .

Keep Smiling!

$$$Win some cash$$$

2009-06-04T10:50:00.012-04:00

I thought this title might get your attention . . . but it's true! Priscilla over at the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge has really gone "mad"!!! She's giving away cold hard cash!

Here is the plan….. For every entry to Mr. Linky this month she will add .25 cents to the Midnight Madness “MAD MONEY” piggy bank.

(only ONE entry per person per week please) This could add up really fast!!... Now follow me…..for example, if we average 50 Mr. Linky entries per week….that totals approx 200 entries for the month, which = $50 CASH!!! For the Big BONUS.…She will DOUBLE the cash amount if we DOUBLE our follower count by the end of the month. That would be a grand total Cash prize of $100 (to be paid through PayPal or Money Order in US funds) Now this total could be a lot higher depending on how many people play along with the sketch challenge this month!!

So get your "sketch" on, spread the word, become a follower, keep your fingers crossed and get ready to put on your dancing shoes! Somebody's gonna hit the jackpot!!!

Oh yeah, don't forget to

Keep Smiling!

Good news!

2009-06-03T12:59:00.000-04:00

Oh, I'm so proud! I just found out that my little wedding card was noticed & featured on Susanna Boyd's Shout Out List (her fave Cards of the Week) on Card of the Week.com! Way Cool! :)

Keep Smiling!

Happily Ever After - MMSC4

2009-06-02T07:55:00.004-04:00

It's time for the weekly Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge . . . woohoo!

My entry this week is entitled "Happily Ever After". This week I've made an aperture card, or a card with an opening, as well as a gift card holder! I used my nesties to make my opening in the front of the card, then attached my main image to the inside of the card, which partially conceals the surpise gift inside. Neat, huh?

My feature is a papertole image layered 4+ times to pop it right out of the window! It is detailed with dimensional glaze, glitter and a couple of brads for hubcaps!

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge this week is to use a frame, so to complete both of these challenges, I diecut an intricate frame from vellum which is attached to the front of the window. It's coated with glaze and detailed with glitter, though it's a little hard to see in these pix.

All of my DP is by SEI & the shiny heart accents were created with some vellum stickers by Stickopotamus, trimmed down & attached to shiny metallic cardstock. Inside I created a super easy hinged flap by scoring and folding about 1/4" and attaching with a strong adhesive, my fave is ZipDry. Everything is sewn together with white cotton thread and a simple straight stitch on my sewing machine.

Now I just need a wedding to go to! LOL Let me know what you think!

Look at the great inspiration from the rest of the Midnight Madness team then try this sketch yourself! There are some terrific prizes up for grabs! Trust me . . . you don't wanna miss it!

Sue

Keep Smiling!

Memorial Day Fun!

2009-05-28T12:01:00.009-04:00

Here are some pix of our Memorial Day activities . . . not the typical backyard BBQ, but tons of family fun :)

First, a walk (a very brisk walk to keep up w/my 2 yr old) on the pier . . .

MasonParkerAlex Then a little frolicking in the ocean . . .

Then the Amusement Park . . . RIDES!!! Yay!

"Vrooom!" (notice the "Kung Fu grip" lol)

"Flyin' High!"

"I think I'm gonna hurl!"

"All Smiles!"

I talked my 5 yr old into going on the Tilt-a-Whirl with me since it was my favorite ride as a kid . . . Boy, was I sorry! . . . those rides are not at all the same 20 yrs later. We both looked a little green when the ride was over! LOL It was an overcast day, but we were lucky that the rain stayed away. All in all - a great day!

Keep Smiling!

God Bless America! - MMSC3

2009-05-26T15:41:00.017-04:00

My submission for this week's Midnight Madness challenge was obviously inspired by Memorial Day. Here's to all those who gave their lives for our beloved country.

Priscilla came up with another great sketch which I encourage all of you to try! My card features a papertole image of an adorable patriotic little boy, meticulously handcut & layered 4X, then all glittered up! Woo hoo! Couldn't keep me away from the glitter this time :) lol

I layered some pretty patriotic paper by Miss Elizabeth with lots of textured cardstock and added a little more texture to the star paper with a cuttlebug folder. It's all stitched together with a shiny metallic silver thread. I thought the decorative stitch around the edge mimicked the little boy's banner and used a simple straight stitch for the panels.

The letters are chipboard by DCWV and I'm not sure you can see it in the pix, but this time I stamped little stars all over them with clear Emboss-it and heat embossed with bridal embossing tinsel. They have a pretty subtle sparkle that turned out perfect! Some ribbon, star brads w/spacers and glossy accents on his eyes and shoes and that's it.

For more detailed pics and/or to purchase this card, click HERE!

Check out what the rest of the team created then try it out yourself! We love to see your interpretations, not to mention you could win a fun badge and/or a fabulous prize!

Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise
Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Shawne
Sue

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend! I'll share what our family did later this week :)

Keep Smiling!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-05-23T11:12:00.014-04:00

My dad's birthday is May 26, he's a good 'ole "fix-it-man", so for his card this year I went with that theme. I've seen a lot of clear cards lately, using acrylic or transparencies for a card base, so I thought I'd give it a shot. (after which I may never do it again!!! lol) Let me say, if you attempt this, make sure you have a perfectly spotless workspace as you must be very careful with the transparent material. This was the 1st card I ever had to clean with Windex before I mailed it off - lol! I found a pkg of 25 clear mylar sheets (8.5" X 11")- the last one they had - at my local A.C.Moore & they weren't cheap, but with a coupon - not so bad. : )

The chipboard letters are from DCWV and all I did was rough them up a little with a sanding block. The stamps are by Inkadinkado & Autumn Leaves, they are stamped with Ranger clear Emboss-it & heat-embossed with silver ep.

I used those "hardware" brads that I absolutely LOVE (especially for guy cards) to attach some hand-cut corrugated hearts to a faux piece of wood (Cool dp, huh?) I carefully layered the inside and outside of the card, so that nothing was overlapping & I think Dad will think it's pretty neat! Now let's hope he's not sneaking around my blog before Tuesday ; )

Happy 71st Birthday Dad!
I love you!

Keep Smiling!

Hey - look what I got!

2009-05-19T12:22:00.005-04:00

Living in a home with an almost teenage boy, never makes one feel witty.

My 2 & 5 yr. olds sometimes laugh "at me" but definitely not "with me".

My significant other has heard all of my jokes and doesn't usually find my recollections of the day amusing.

These are just 3 reasons why this award means SO much more to me!

Thank you Priscilla! It means more than you could possibly know :)

Keep Smiling!

MMSC#2 - You Rock!

2009-05-19T10:42:00.022-04:00

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted since last Tuesday! Ack!

Sorry everyone :( I recently started a new PT job and it requires 6 consecutive days of training(including written tests - yuck) which started last week, so I've been a little preoccupied.

I did finish my card to share with you for the Midnight Madness Sketch challenge this week (whew!) I'm trying to make a few Father's Day cards, so in keeping with that theme, I made this masculine card entitled "You Rock!" Perfect for any rock n' roll Dad!

I started with my stamp by Inkadinkado, stamped with Graphite Black Brilliance & heat-embossed with black ep on a pearlized cream cardstock - soooo pretty! I cut it out, popped it up & stitched it all together for the focal image. I used some really cool self-adhesive animal print ribbon by DCWV, punched a vellum border with a MS punch & added even more texture with the black corrugated paper in the background.

I'm not sure how I stayed away from the glitter - AGAIN! - but I had to add a little sparkle & shine, so I used a metallic cardstock for the left side of the background which I love!

And of course those great "screw" brads attached my chipboard tag and added an accent to the top of the card, to balance it all out and "hold it all together" lol!

For more detailed pics and/or to purchase this card, just click HERE!

Check out what the rest of the Midnight Madness team created then don't forget to play along with this week's sketch :)

Carolyn
Charlotte
Chris
Denise
Jane
Jeni
Jessica
Kimmie
Michelle
Phyllis
Priscilla
Shawne
Sue

Keep Smiling!

MMSC Kickoff - Hey Honey!

2009-05-12T09:30:00.023-04:00

Welcome to the first day of Midnight Madness!!! Here is the very first sketch that Priscilla has challenged us with:

I didn't really have a finished card envisioned as I sometimes do . . . I actually started this one with my paper selection, and it evolved from there, I just love the Urban Prairie collection by Basic Grey! I paired up this cute bumblebee paper with an appropriate stamp by The Cat's Pajamas, which didn't fit in my oval nestie so I improvised a little with a rectangle. Then the empty space around the stamp seemed like too much, so I tried something new and paper pieced some coordinating paper around the main image, but inside the nestie. Hmm, I really like the way it turned out :) and I think this qualifies as a window for the Cuttlebug Spot Challenge #30, too!

I watercolored my image and glossed it up with some dimensional glaze so it's super shiny! I mounted the patterned paper "window" frame on foam dots, then popped the image & sentiment up over the frame. All of my other little embellies just fell into place - I used Prima flowers, adhesive rhinestones, Making Memories Clears (black corners), Nestablities and my trusty sewing machine.

For more details and/or to purchase this card click here!

Make sure you check out the creations by the rest of the design team:

Then link your own creation back to the MMSC blog for a chance to win! If you upload to SCS, please use MMSC1 as your keywords so we don't miss it! There is a huge prize being offered for being involved in this month's challenges, SO DON'T MISS OUT!

Keep Smiling!

I'm a little late . . . as usual

2009-05-11T22:00:00.007-04:00

I made this card using the Mojo Monday sketch challenge. NO not this week's sketch - I'm just getting to last week's. I know, I know, I'm a slowpoke, I missed the contest too :P Soooo since I am admittingly SLOW - I thought I should get a head start on Father's Day. I put this card together last night using this really great DCWV "green" paper that I have fallen in love with! It's 70% recycled paper - woohoo! - and the paper's texture is absolutely beautiful!

I looooooove paper *drool*

Aaahh! those paper-holic tendencies just don't stop! *giggle*

I made "Daddy" bear's chair look like shiny leather with the help of Glossy Accents and he's all popped up with 4 papertole layers! The chipboard tag is Miss Elizabeth's and I split up the stamped sentiment so on the inside it reads "It's your Day!". I used a Cuttlebug folder, Martha Stewart border punch and sewing machine for the rest of the details.

Keep Smiling!

Out with the old - in with the new!

2009-05-11T10:04:00.022-04:00

THEN

Hmmmm . . . I've changed my profile picture. The "then" pic was a shot that was taken on a California beach, by a professional, many years ago. I knew it was time for an update but just like a lot of us, I rarely find pics of myself that I really like. The "now" pic was snapped yesterday by little ol' me! I'm not so sure that I like this one yet either . . . . hmmmm . . . .

15+ years difference! How time flies :)

NOW

I'll keep trying since I got a NEW CAMERA for Mother's Day!!!! Yay! And it's PINK too!!! My kids are pretty great! :) Thanks boys.

"It is not you but your radiance"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Keep Smiling!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T08:00:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs . . . since the payment is pure love."

Mildred B. Vermont

Enjoy your day! ~ Sonya

MIDNIGHT MADNESS INVITATION!!!

2009-05-09T13:36:00.007-04:00

3 days to go!

Is everybody getting excited?!?!

The first Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge starts Tuesday, May 12

I have been chosen to be a designer for this exciting new team and couldn't be more proud! I am one of many incredibly talented artists on this team who I hope you check out as well (they're all on my sidebar). We will be creating some great versions of the sketch for you to admire and gain inspiration from.

Want this badge?

This is an invitation to YOU to join in the fun. Anyone can play along - whether you consider yourself a beginner or a life-time crafter - we want to see YOUR interpretation. Please feel free to grab this badge and proudly display it on your own blog then remember to stop by on Tuesdays, check out the latest sketch and show us YOUR creations! GET CREATIVE! I'm looking forward to seeing the variety of work that we all come up with!!! (if you wanna call it work! *giggle*) Believe me when I say this will be a challenge you will want to be part of! *hint hint* ; )

See y'all Tuesday!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

2009-05-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

Wow! I haven't posted a card since Saturday . . . Oy! I have been a little busy, I had a job interview this week, which turned into a second interview, which turned into a PT job . . . Yay! I had the usual runaround with my three boys, yadda, yadda, yadda, I do have a few cards in the works, and I also had a special order to make this adorable keepsake shadowbox for a newborn baby boy! Welcome to the world, Lucas!

I really enjoy making these, whether they are purchased by a new mom or bought as a special gift, they really are a beautiful keepsake. If your interested, there are more details about them at Pinkheart.

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

And the winner is . . .

2009-05-04T10:20:00.005-04:00

ABBY!!!

Congratulations Abby! You've won the final drawing for the Nature lovers' collection!

Just email me with your addy and I will get these out to you asap :)

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Yucky & Yummy!!!

2009-05-02T12:34:00.000-04:00

So, first the bad news . . . my 5 yr. old, Parker, just came back from an emergency Dr. visit this morning with his 1st ear infection - yuck! - needless to say, he is not a happy camper :( This week has just been one thing after another, which is unusual since my kids are generally healthy (knock on wood) especially since we've moved South. Please say a prayer, as I hate to see them not feeling their best!

Now the good news, between kisses,cuddles & medicine doses, I managed to make a couple of cute thank you cards for my mom & mom-in-law, who both chipped in for a new playset for my boys! These cards were pretty simple to make and turned out so sparkly & cute, I thought I'd share them with y'all.

The pretty designer paper is from DCWV and the cupcakes were cut freehand from some textured cardstock. I decorated them with some "Iced Grapefruit" Sparkle Fibers, a giant button "cherry" from Wal-mart and chipboard hearts dunked in coarse crystal glitter by Martha Stewart.

The first 1/2 of the sentiment - "You're so" - is by Inkadinkado it's stamped & heat embossed and the "sweet" part is diecut with my Cricut and, again, dunked in glitter by MS, this time the fine crystal. The plaid ribbon is from American Crafts and the heart ribbon, I have no clue! LOL

Mmmmmm! Makes you wanna take a bite doesn't it??? I hope they love 'em!

I'd love to hear what you think . . . let me know!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

What are the odds???

2009-05-01T16:01:00.005-04:00

The odds were actually pretty great that someone might win more than once and . . . believe it or not . . . it's the one . . . the only . . . PRISCILLA!!! Congrats, Priscilla! You're name was randomly drawn and you have won the pet lovers collection!

Have a great weekend everyone! ~ Sonya

CDS guest designer???

2009-04-30T10:33:00.008-04:00

I sure hope so, I've got my fingers crossed! This card was made for the guest designer challenge at ClearDollarStamps. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of their stamps but I do LOVE them - especially Charlie Horse :) The colors were inspired by my rose bushes that I photographed earlier this week.

The only requirement for this challenge was to have something that dangles on your project. Hmmmm?! I sorted through charms and beads and had so many ideas but nothing that really coordinated with any of the CD stamps that I already own.

Sooooo I decided to make the stamp dangle! The stamp set is called "Blooming with Happiness" and is retiring soon, so grab yours now! With a little help from my nesties, I made this window card and a double sided "charm" that dangles from a sparkly elastic cord. It has been stamped with ColorBox fluid chalk ink, then detailed with Glossy Accents (to give the petals some super shine) & clear glass beads (to accent the flower center). The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed on a hand-cut ribbon-like tag, then accented with coordinating rhinestones - which I used to embellish my pretty DP by K & Co. as well. Lots of sparkle & shine - just how I like it!!! The ribbon is from American Crafts.

I would be so stoked if I won this spot, as it would be my first chance to design for one of the stamp companies that I love, it would challenge my creativity, and of course, don't forget the free stamps! *giggle*

Wish me luck & let me know what you think!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

I'm workin' on it!

2009-04-29T16:06:00.006-04:00

I have several cards in the works right now, just trying to tie up the loose ends (literally . . . teehee).

Hint: Cupcakes & glitter - my fave! & something rose-inspired :)

Come on back y'all - I'll have more for you before the weekend!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

$100 blog candy!!!

2009-04-29T16:00:00.003-04:00

Steph has an incredible giveaway over on her space! Go check it out . . . her blog has reached 10,000 hits and has a really great name too! :)

Forgive me :(

2009-04-28T13:59:00.005-04:00

Ugh! I feel terrible. I'm sorry that I haven't posted much as of late. After taking care of my 2 sick kiddies this weekend, it seems that I have caught a little cold myself. Nothing serious, like the swine flu - yuck! - just "hold me, I feel yucky" colds. I can't stop kissing 'em just cuz they're sick, right?!? Anyway, its time to get back to the drawing board, as they say, and get some creative therapy. It may not be good for my sore throat but it's definitely great for my soul!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these pix I took today of my pretty roses. They are flourishing in the lovely weather we are having and certainly put a smile on my face :)

I hope they will inspire y'all in some way, if so, please share. I'd love to hear from you!

Enjoy & Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

And the first winner is . . .

2009-04-27T13:16:00.007-04:00

PRISCILLA ... Congratulations !!!

You've won over 50 feet of pretty ribbon :) Yay! Don't forget you're still eligible for the other 2 drawings as well. A big thanks to my son Parker (sick & home from school today) who cut the names out and picked the winner! He's always a great helper!

I didn't quite get the response I hoped for with these 3 little drawings?!?! but Hey! . . . It's only my first time. The next time will be bigger and better, I'm sure! Besides for those of you who entered it only makes your chances better :) Good luck! See you Friday for the next drawing!

P.S. send me your addy Priscilla :)

It's time for some CANDY!!! . . .

2009-04-24T10:45:00.000-04:00

2 out of 3 drawings left . . . SIGN UP NOW!

"Tell them what they could win Johnny"! *my best Bob Barker impression* hee hee ;)

Pet lovers collection - Inkadinkado "Dogs" clear stamp set, American Crafts rub-ons, Pressed Petals chip chatter flowers, Martha Stewart "metallic earth" pigment ink pads and 3 dog-themed metal charms.
ending Thursday 4/30

Nature lovers collection - H & M "Dad's Outdoors" clear stamp set, Inkadinkado "Bumblebee" clear icon & border stamps, EK success 3D-dots and American Traditional Designs earthtone mini brads PLUS 12 sheets of double-sided cardstock by Heidi Grace Designs.
ending Sunday 5/3

All you have to do is:

pick which collection you like the best,
leave a comment here telling me why and
add a link to this post on your own blog :)

You will be entered into a random drawing for the collection you choose, then come back to see if you've won!

Easy right? . . . But that's not all! *said in my best infomercial voice*

If you want to be included in BOTH drawings, complete the simple tasks above, THEN become a follower of my blog and tell three of your friends about it :)

Your name will be submitted for each drawing individually . . . 2 chances to win!

Are you feeling lucky? Comment now!

Good luck to everyone and thanks for stopping by!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

I'm blushing . . .

2009-04-22T00:45:00.019-04:00

I've received my first blog award and I am so flattered! I would like to thank Michelle for the nomination (make sure you hop over to see her pretty cards,too!). I would also like to thank my hubby and 3 sons for all of their patience and inspiration, and of course, you, for blogging on and for sharing my love of papercrafting. *Teehee!* Thanks everyone!

Now for the RULES:

1. The winner may put the logo onto their blog

2. Please put a link to the person who sent you the award.

3. Nominate 10 blogs

4. Put links to their blogs.

5. Leave a message for the nominees

These are my nominations:

Faith a.k.a. Markie's Mom

Jen @ I {heart} 2 stamp

Joanne@ . . . just a little something

Becca@ Amazing Paper Grace

Anna @ Sassy & Sweet

Kim @ Paper In The Works

Ann @ Madgesty-love to create

Melissa @ Pink Cat Studio

Christyne @ Stampin with Sugar

Jennifer @ The Hero Club Blog

Blondie with Blossoms

2009-04-21T13:08:00.006-04:00

Here's a little cutie that I made with Mother's Day in mind. I thought she was just adorable with her pointed toe, dimples for days and hands behind her back . . . Sweet as sugar! She required lots of intricate cutting, even with my cushioned fine point scissors my index finger was sore :( *boo hoo* but definitely worth it. The paper tole technique really makes her pop right off of the card with more than four layers!

I accented her eyes, ribbon and shoe with Glossy Accents to really make them shine. Her dress was accented with mini half pearls which I also used in a larger size for my Prima flower centers. The papers are from K & Co. and are distressed a little and attached with my sewing machine.

See more details and the inside of this card here and let me know what y'all think?

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

A Bear with Blossoms

2009-04-15T13:42:00.015-04:00

Hey y'all! Business at the restaurant last night was really slow, so I got to leave work early :) . . . which means less cash, but more time to create!!! *hee hee*

I got right to work on this cute bear image by Spiral Whispers. I've definitely caught a little Spring fever, so the brightly colored flowers, as well as the green of spring inspired my color scheme. Then when I chose this paper with the black accents, I knew my bear must be a panda . . .

I sponged the background with Martha Stewart inks and water-colored the image with my Zigs to blend a little. As I cut out the duplicate images to layer them, I decided to try something different with the bear. If you didn't know about my obsession with glitter, you do now! I'm mad about the stuff!!! *mwah hah hah* I can't seem to make a card without it :) Soooo instead of coloring the bear to transform him to panda, I used GLITTER! I used Martha Stewart Onyx on the bear parts and also on the surrounding black scalloped border (cut with my nestabilities, of course). Oh, he's sooo pretty and sparkly! The photos really don't do him justice.

Before I finished the rest of the card this morning, I hopped over to Splitcoast to take a peek at today's sketch challenge. It ended up being just the inspiration I needed to complete my creation. British designer paper and some textured cardstock (dry embossed w/a cuttlebug folder) are all stitched together with my sewing machine and some pretty rhinestones seemed to balance it all out for me. I decided on a gatefold card just for a little variety from the "norm" and I absolutely adore how it turned out.

Let me know what you think?!
Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Spring daffodils . . .

2009-04-14T11:01:00.008-04:00

"Look at the blue sky, hear the grass growing beneath your feet, inhale the scent of spring." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

I love the newness, hope and beauty of Spring! Don't you?

The Spring weather has definitely arrived here - April showers and all that comes with 'em - soggy shoes, wet umbrellas, new grass and a clean start. My kids went back to school today - Spring break is over, whew - so the earlier bedtimes last night gave me a little extra time to create! Yay! I couldn't resist using this little girl image, she's just perfect for Spring, as she plays with her kitten among the daffodils.

She has been meticulously cut out using the paper tole technique to make her 3 dimensional. The scalloped borders are cut with my nesties, the dew drops have glossy accents and as usual, I can't keep my hands out of the glitter, so this card has touches of sparkle everywhere! I layered some pretty pastel textured cardstock (one dry embossed with a Cuttlebug folder) and a li'l designer paper from DCWV and stitched them together with my sewing machine, then some half pearls added the finishing touch.

Isn't she precious?!? Let me know what y'all think?

Click here to see more details and/or to purchase this card!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Happy Easter to all! =:)

2009-04-12T10:22:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has a joyous Easter Sunday!

Here's a little sneak peek of just some of the blog candy surprise I'm working on . . . I'm still gathering things together for y'all :)

"Spring Puppy"

2009-04-08T12:48:00.006-04:00

OK . . . so it's Wednesday and I'm just getting around to last Wednesday's Splitcoast sketch challenge. I haven't had much creative mojo lately, so I use the inspiration whenever it comes. *grin*

I received a package from the UK this week with some great stamps by Spiral Whispers, which included this adorable puppy stamp and also some really pretty designer papers by Dovecraft. So I whipped the majority of this card together when I got home from work last night, since I couldn't wait any longer to get some ink on my new stuff! (I was only up 'til 3am) *yawn* Thank goodness the kids are on spring break and I didn't have to get up too early in the morning :) Then I finished sewing and putting it all together this morning and here are the results -

Awwww! Isn't he just the cutest??? I layered him using the papertole technique, colored him with my ZIGs, and added tons of sparkle to his basket of flowers and the grass with Stickles (oh yeah, his collar,too!). I used a Martha Stewart border punch and did a little decorative stitching with my sewing machine. Click here for more detailed info and photos.

Let me know what y'all think?

I've just noticed I'm coming up to 1000 hits soon, and in just a little over a month since my first post - Hooray! & thanks to y'all - This was my goal before my 1st blog candy giveaway, so make sure you check back this weekend for more info!!! ;)

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Mmmmm . . . candy!

2009-04-05T13:55:00.003-04:00

Hop on over to Melissa's blog, Creating from the Heart, for a BIG giveaway! Don't forget to check out her amazing artistry while you are there! She creates beautiful cards and other fun projects,too!

Taking Easter pics with 3 boys

2009-03-31T12:22:00.007-04:00

New polo shirts, combed hair, clean faces . . . we made it that far. The beautiful Riverwalk in historic downtown Conway seemed like a nice backdrop. So now what? Just smile and we're done . . . right?!?! I'm sure most of you moms know, this is no easy task! I managed a portrait studio for several years, taking hundreds of family/baby photos, so I have a little practice and it's still hard!! Anyway, here's my shortened version of our photo shoot -

Darn! Hands in face & a scrunched nose

Oops! Tongue sticking out

Shucks! Not looking at the camera

Ooh Ooh Ooh! Almost had it

Whew! I think this one will have to do HAPPY EASTER!

We're outta here!

I actually took 35 photos to get just one. I probably would've taken more if it wasn't getting cool, kids weren't hungry and Dad wasn't complaining so much!
What are some of your Easter traditions?

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Can you handle MORE candy?!?

2009-03-30T13:30:00.007-04:00

The Simon Says Stamp Co. is starting a new challenge blog! WooHoo! The 1st challenge is on April Fools' Day - but click on the logo now to check it out and get signed up to win some goodies!!!

True's Blog Candy!!!

2009-03-29T17:45:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all! Look at the terrific blog candy that my fellow cardmaker, Miss Trudy, has up for grabs. She also has some beautiful creations, as usual, for you to enjoy :) She is an incredible artist and a kind-hearted gal - besides, she has worked hard making her blog look sooooo pretty -go take a look & get qualified for the givaway here.

How to make a Double Pocket Card

2009-03-28T12:35:00.017-04:00

Sooo . . . I promised you a tutorial and here it is! **applause** hee hee!

I hope I have made each step clear and simple, as this should be an easy project :)

This is all you need: an 8 1/2" X 11" piece of double-sided patterned paper, a bone folder (optional), a paper cutter (any kind will do) and adhesive -

I started with a 12 X 12 piece of paper, so I first trimmed it down to 8 1/2" X 11" -

Fold the paper in half lengthwise, scoring if you like to -

Unfold - then fold the paper in half the other direction

Unfold paper & cut the horizontal fold from the left edge of the paper to the vertical fold -
(I use my trimmer, scissors or a cutting blade are also fine)

Fold down the top left corner leaving 1"-1 1/2" from the edge of the folded down corner to the vertical fold-

Fold the bottom right corner up so that the edge of the folded corner meets the vertical fold-

Fold the top left rectangle over the right side-

Fold the bottom left rectangle behind the right side-

Fold the bottom right corner up over the other folded up corner-

Add adhesive on the sides of the bottom half and fold it up-

You're done with the pockets! Cute huh?

Now decorate the card and create inserts for the pockets. I've made an easter egg insert & tag inserts as well, as you can see. Use your creativity and make whatever you desire!

If you liked my very first tutorial, please let me know . . .

I would also like to see your creations - so leave me a link :)

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Easter cards!

2009-03-27T12:36:00.008-04:00

Hey y'all!!! I know , I know, I haven't been around much this week. I had a few consecutive days off of work, so I've been trying to catch up on some stuff. Of course the everyday runaround with the boys and catching up on housework doesn't leave much time for crafting but I did accomplish something. I needed to make some Easter cards for my family members, so as you can see, a made a pile of em! :) I thought they were so pretty that I even made an extra one for you . . . If your lucky, you can win it on ebay - place your bids now!

Or try this technique yourself - it's a double pocket card which is pretty simple to make and can be used in so many different ways. I think I'll post my very first tutorial on how to fold this pocket card since its easy-peasy and so versatile! Check back with me this weekend if you wanna learn how. :)

One pocket holds the egg-shaped card, which can be hand-cut or diecut with your Cricut, and I've used the second pocket on mine to enclose a photo of my sons (yet to be taken . . . I better get on that!) but it could hold a gift card, photographs, movie tickets, an extra note, etc.

Sooooo cute!

You can see more detailed pics here.

These pretty pastel papers are from K & Co., the stamps are from The Cat's Pajamas, flowers by Prima, brads from makingmemories and careful machine stitching by yours truly - ME! Let me know what y'all think?

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Inspired by me!

2009-03-21T00:07:00.006-04:00

I was so inspired by the last card I made to celebrate our honorable troops, that I had to make another today! I used the same sketch from the Splitcoast challenge that I used for the last card but transformed it into a 5 1/2" square card this time to better fit my image. I used a simple stitch on my sewing machine to embellish the textured cardstock and a decorative stitch to attach some military inspired trim on either side.

I created these adorable little parachutes, which came out even cuter than I anticipated *giggle*, with some designer cardstock by DCWV, a circle punch, some decorative scissors & embroidery thread. The metal charm letters are from Karen Foster and were the perfect antique brass color that I needed.

The little airplane was hand-stamped, heat-embossed in silver and hand-cut out of designer cardstock from DCWV. Then I did the same with the li'l "puffs" of exhaust but used Ranger embossing Puffs to add texture. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE how this card turned out & hope that some lucky serviceman will appreciate it too!

My hope is that this post has possibly inspired you to make or even buy a card yourself, and find a soldier to send it to . . . or at the very least, remind you of how unselfish and brave these men & women are, to do what they do . . . for all of us . . . and for our country!

Tell me what y'all think!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Heartfelt thanks to our troops . . .

2009-03-19T09:53:00.002-04:00

This is a special card made to thank our brave and honorable servicemen.

I took inspiration from two SCS challenges this week- first, the ribbon framing technique - what an easy process and such a gorgeous result! - I think it suited this card perfectly. Second, the sketch challenge - this layout worked wonderfully with these patriotic patterned papers (say that 3X fast! :P). They are by simplememories & I've had them stashed for probably a year now, just waiting for this day to come. I layered them with a mirror-like silver metallic cardstock - Super Shiny - I love it!

My main image is a stamp from ClearDollarStamps and the sentiment is Inkadinkado, both are hand-stamped and heat embossed. Then I machine-stitched a border with denim thread & added these beautiful brads from makingmemories, pricey but so worth it!

Just a tiny way to say thanks for all that they do.

Let me know what you think?!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Guess Who's Pregnant?

2009-03-13T15:43:00.009-04:00

Now don't get excited . . .It's certainly not me! *giggle* It's merely an April Fools joke.

April Fools Day is coming soon and I had a very specific challenge for an April Fools Day themed card including this spinner technique. I also took some inspiration from the TCP challenge posted Tuesday which was to use lt. pink, lt. yellow, lt. blue and a shade of brown. I don't often get to make baby themed cards, but I love to! So I took off on that idea with a little twist . . .tee hee.

These spinner cards are not too hard to make and are tons of fun for the creator and the recipient. You can find a great step-by-step tutorial here on Splitcoaststampers. I did change it up a little with my wavy spinner track - leave it to me to make things more difficult!

For the rest of this card I used textured cardstock & a little K & Co. patterned paper, which I embossed with a Cuttlebug folder for some added texture. The image is a stamp from H & M stamps, which I heat-embossed then watercolored with my Zig pigment ink markers and some pastel chalk pencils. Her head and belly are popped up with a little foam tape to make them 3-dimensional. I used my nesties, of course, for the ovals and the sentiment is computer generated.

I also stamped the "Oh Baby!" sentiment/design with a clear embossing pad and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder to create a wonderful background pattern on the inside of the card. I machine-stitched both the outside & inside of this card with decorative stitching in two different colors.

I hope it gives y'all a little chuckle today, after all,

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." - Victor Hugo

So . . . let me know what y'all think!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

You gotta believe . . .

2009-03-10T09:54:00.014-04:00

I made this card for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge this week. I think I let a little wishful thinking influence my design. The temperature has been in the 70's for the past couple of days . . . I feel Spring is on its way!!! These papers and colors felt so energizing and uplifting, so I thought a wonderfully inspirational phrase should be the focal point . . .

I basically hand cut & paper pieced most of the card, then machine-stitched all over with different thread colors and decorative stitches. The quote is computer generated , and I used nestabilities for the scalloped circles. There is lots of pretty bling -thanks to some Stickles and rhinestones- although the photos don't show it too much.

Have a great day!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

My corner of the world . . .

2009-03-09T11:59:00.009-04:00

So here it is . . . my li'l (and I mean LITTLE) space that I use to create fabulous things or torture my family with (depends on who you ask). It is at the end of my kitchen/dining room, is growing vertically as I type, and, as you can guess, clearing the table at every mealtime is never fun.

It includes:

Embellies, ribbon, brads, cardstock, envelopes, etc. -

Adhesives, scissors & punches, stickers stashed in drawers -

Stamps, buttons, pencils & pens, chipboard, glitter, embellies galore -

Sketches, Sizzix dies, diecutter, Nesties, more embellies -
Cricut & accessories, etc. -

Embossing powders, inks, Primas, more buttons -

Paper, paper & more paper -

In one word, OK - 3 words, TOO MUCH STUFF!

But am I complaining . . . NO WAY! This is MY stuff and one of the places I love the most!

I just reorganized & am stockpiling an assortment of goodies for a blog candy giveaway, so check back often . . . It's coming soon!

Keep smiling! ~ Sonya

Who can resist?

2009-03-09T11:11:00.005-04:00

Here's another chance for some yummy candy! Check it out here!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Mmmmmm . . .more Candy!!!!!!

2009-03-09T10:35:00.008-04:00

Another one of my favorite blogs is offering up some goodies! Hop on over to Creating from the Heart and leave a comment for Melissa : )

Don't forget to check out her amazing talent while your there!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2009-03-06T11:13:00.009-05:00

Hey y'all! St. Patty's Day is right around the corner so this is my tribute to the Irish . . .

I wanted to keep the focus on the Irish Blessing that I thought was so beautiful, so I printed it on this pretty green pearlescent cardstock, cut it out with my cricut, stitched it w/my trusty sewing machine, layered & popped it up w/dimensional tape. The 3-dimensional flourish at the top was also cut w/ my cricut then coated with UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) for tons of dimension and shine. I used some prima mulberry flowers -with one petal removed ;) - to create lots of lucky four-leaf clovers attached with super-sparkly glitter brads . . . some gorgeous grosgrain ribbon & DP by DCWV and it was complete.

I think it's sweet . . . Let me know what you think!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

Super Blog Candy!!!

2009-03-05T12:12:00.003-05:00

Kim is celebrating 100,000 hits with some incredible candy up for grabs! Go check it out at Paper in the Works. Yippee! . . . Congrats, Kim!

Happy Birthday, Patrice!

2009-03-04T12:02:00.006-05:00

This card was made for my friends Mom, Patrice, who just celebrated her 50th birthday. . . You go girl!!! I was told that she likes nautical things and this pretty sage green color, so off I went. I got a little inspiration from one of my favorite card artists, Kim at Paper in the Works. If you haven't already, you must check out her work!

The stamps are by Inkadinkado & the lighthouse is 3-dimensional using the paper tole technique. It has been mounted over a sponged sky & an embossed ocean, both inked with Martha Stewart inkpads. I used my Nestabilities Ovals for the focal base, which I thought softened all of the straight edges a little. I also added a little Swarovski nautical charm for the finishing touch!

These beautiful designer papers are from K & Co. and they are layered with textured cardstock and decoratively stitched with my sewing machine. The images were all heat embossed with clear embossing powder for that shiny professional finish. Of course, I couldn't resist stamping and stitching the matching envelope as well.

I hope she loves it . . . tell me what you think!

Keep Smiling! ~ Sonya

A shopaholic's birthday . . .

2009-03-03T10:00:00.010-05:00

This is my 1st official post . . . HURRAY! I am so excited to be sharing with you and hope you visit often. Welcome!!!

My girlfriend & co-worker, Chandler, turned 20 on Saturday!!! Oh, to be sooo young again! *shakes head to wake up from daydream*

I knew she liked polka dots and she showed me two pretty dresses that she bought in the last couple weeks, soooo I thought this "shop-a-holic" theme was perfect for her birthday card. My second inspiration came from the weekly card sketch on SCS.

I created this little masterpiece for her with lots of textured cardstock layers, a stamp by Inkadinkado, prima mulberry flowers, glitter glue and my handy dandy sewing machine! The sash on the dress, "Ooh-la-la" perfume bottle & gorgeous pink pump were all coated with glossy accents to make them super shiny! The focal points (dress,shoe,perfume) are all raised with pop dots, of course, 'cuz who wants a flat card?!? *giggle* . . . I sure hope she loves it!

"Live your life and forget your age." - Frank Bering

Keep smiling! ~ Sonya

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2009-02-23T11:46:00.002-05:00

Please be patient with me : )

The Pink Paper Penguin

Thinking of you, Rose

2 birthday cards

Colleen's diaper cake

MMSC23

MMSC22

Chris' Blog Candy

PEC #34

MMSC21 - Special Delivery

Happy Birthday Pam!

MMSC20 - you & me

MMSC19 - fall tractor

Another card ?!?

Hello!

MMSC18 - Daisies for a sweet friend

MMSC17 - Starbursts for Dad

MMSC11-Lil Sailor Boy

$$$Win some cash$$$

Good news!

Happily Ever After - MMSC4

Memorial Day Fun!

God Bless America! - MMSC3

Happy Birthday Dad!

Hey - look what I got!

MMSC#2 - You Rock!

MMSC Kickoff - Hey Honey!

I'm a little late . . . as usual

Out with the old - in with the new!

Happy Mother's Day!

MIDNIGHT MADNESS INVITATION!!!

And the winner is . . .

Yucky & Yummy!!!

What are the odds???

CDS guest designer???

I'm workin' on it!

$100 blog candy!!!

Forgive me :(

And the first winner is . . .

It's time for some CANDY!!! . . .

I'm blushing . . .

Blondie with Blossoms

A Bear with Blossoms

Spring daffodils . . .

Happy Easter to all! =:)

"Spring Puppy"

Mmmmm . . . candy!

Taking Easter pics with 3 boys

Can you handle MORE candy?!?

True's Blog Candy!!!

How to make a Double Pocket Card

Easter cards!

Inspired by me!

Heartfelt thanks to our troops . . .

Guess Who's Pregnant?

You gotta believe . . .

My corner of the world . . .

Who can resist?

Mmmmmm . . .more Candy!!!!!!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Super Blog Candy!!!

Happy Birthday, Patrice!

A shopaholic's birthday . . .

***UNDER CONSTRUCTION***

UNDER CONSTRUCTION