Reward Challenge on PCI is Open to All!

Hey there, sunbathers!

Over on Paper Craft Island, those of us who are sitting out on the sand observing Season One have an opportunity to WIN a Reward Challenge, sponsored by PCI's own "Jeff Probst," Kimi.  

Kimi has posted details on the PCI blog (www.papercraftisland.blogspot.com) but here's the summary:  There are four children on Paper Craft Island, and one turns 10 next week. Our challenge, should you choose to join in for a chance to win recognition and a prize, is to make and link-up a birthday card suitable for a 10-year old girl.

Front (top left) leads into a booklet with computer-generated sentiments. I fussy-cut some of the images and mounted them on Action Wobbles for added fun. Some images are simply pop-dotted. Others are embellished with Stickles and/or Glossy Accents, and pearls (e.g., the cake on the back of the card).  There was a lot of attention to details on this card!

Ever ready for a challenge, I'll be linking up this birthday card I made for the "perfect ten-" year-old girl who is partying on Paper Craft Island.

I used a series of Stampendous "Changito" Monkey stamps for a booklet-style birthday card. I received some of these images in a stamped image swap, and I have some of the stamps myself. I colored the images using Copic markers.

Why not play along in this fun challenge? Jump over to PCI for more deets!

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Thank you card from a card kit...

As promised, I'm baaaack ... posting a picture of another card I made quickly using a card kit by Shanna Vineyard of "Art Made With Heart."  Info on this card kit is available by clicking HERE.

I am thinking about doing a comparative review of the various card kits available for subscription. Would this be of interest to you? 
DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Stampography Stamps by Linda Simpson

Hello, crafty friends.

I promise I've been crafting in the Paper Jungle, though I'm working on a little surprise or two that I can't yet share on the blog. I hope to get upstairs again later today to photograph some blogable (is that a word!? If not, it is now!) projects.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some stamps that were designed by one of my dear friends in England. Linda Simpson has been making banners for "my" special needs children for quite some time now ... it's always fun to see what comes out of the U.K. in terms of techniques I've never tried.

Aren't these stamps terrific?  Linda currently has a giveaway of these stamps over on her blog: http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com/.  Hop on over there and leave her some love. Tell her I sent you!  When you win, will you at least let me borrow your stamps?!

I'll add the link to Linda's stamps on my sidebar, in case you (or *I*) want to buy some later.

Tata for now!

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Treasures of Life ...

Good F-R-I-D-A-Y friends!!  

I hope you have a weekend planned that will bring you love and joy, and maybe some relaxation mixed in.  

I'll have lots of love and joy, though not sure about the relaxation ... I'm babysitting granddaughter Charlotte on Saturday while both her parents work that day. She's a handful and a heart-full, a real cutie patootie. We have a darling relationship and I love her to bits, I tell you!  

She came over to visit the night before last (I am truly blessed that she and her mommy and daddy live less than a mile away). I was upstairs in the Paper Jungle working on a project with Charlotte's Mom, when I heard this BIG little voice calling from downstairs, "Giiiiiiiiiii ... Hello! ... Giiiiiiii ... Hellllllooooooo."  (I started out as GramE, but Charley's Giiiiiiiii has stuck. LOVE IT!)

I can't begin to tell you how my heart swells with joy when this precious bundle runs into my arms. I remember those moments when she very-occasionally has her I'm-nearly-two-and-I'm-tired meltdowns after a long day of play. 

OK, on to other news!  

I'm pleased to tell you that my ferry boat -- the one in which I was driving followers to the imaginary Paper Craft Island -- was the fullest, and as a result, I won the PCI-sponsored treasure chest of prizes for the most referrals!  Thank you to all who follow at PCI. (See the button in my sidebar -- you can still come sit in the sand with us and watch the fun!)

Thank you, Paper Craft Island, and Mama LoveBug (sponsor)

Also, I allowed Random.org to pick the winner of my own incentive prize of a $25 Michael's gift card. Congratulations to CICILY of Pink Dalmations Blogspot.  Please send me your mailing address at your earliest convenience, and I'll get your card right out to you (before I spend it!!)...

More projects coming soon ...

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Halloween in Digi-Image

I made this Halloween card a little while ago, for a challenge sponsored by Just Some Lines, a sweet shop for digi-images.  At the time, it was black-white and gray ... you may find it if you scroll here, further down.

Today, I played with some markers and added color to the card -- mostly because I'm a fancy-color kinda gal.  I like it better, do you?

Halloween -- 4 months away -- are you ready?


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Thanks, using iconic Campbell Soup images

As I may have mentioned earlier -- just can't remember! -- this month, I am hosting a swap of stamped images on a Facebook page called "Karle's Passion".  When Karle herself sent her images to me for sharing with the 12 others in the group, she also included a nice assortment of extra stamped images just for me, to say thank you.

This cute image of the iconic Campbell Soup kids was one of the black-and-white images Karle sent. I colored the image using Copic Markers, paper pieced the girl's apron using Simple Stories "Summer" paper and highlighted with both black and white gel pens.

For the card, I used a Kraft paper base. I covered it in Jillibean Soup background paper that I wrapped in Jillibean orange twine. The patchwork chevron is also from the same Simple Stories paper pack, trimmed to size.

The sticker embellishments are also by Jillibean. Karle also sent the Campbell Soup can stamped in red, which I highlighted in black ink and yellow marker and mounted to a stick pin. The yellow button (from my stash) was colored in its center red, using a Copic Marker, and tied onto the twine. 

I'm sending this card to Karle, of course!  shhhhhh....

 


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Happy birthday card from Card Kitchen kit

Here's another sweet card made quickly and easily using the Jillibean Soup "Card Kitchen" kit for July. 

I do like changing the pattern up just a bit, and this one's no exception. I had an odd experience with one of my markers -- the one doing the faux stitching on the word HAPPY -- I thought it was permanent, but it bubbled up. What a mess! So I covered it with Glossy Accents ..and it ran into a fun, one-of-a-kind look. It was sort of a happy accident, don't you think?

 
DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Still time to follow PCI for a chance at a gift card!

For those of you playing along on Paper Craft Island, the winner of the first Immunity Challenge has been announced by the Island's "Jeff Probst," Kimi ... It was close (14-13!), but the winner is:

The Reward Challenge is still open, and you can enter and win too!  For the Reward Challenge, scroll a few posts down to see that Kimi is asking all of PCI's followers to refer friends to come watch and vote on projects. For the follower who refers the most crafters who then follow PCI and comment with their referral source, there's a sweet prize pack.

For you, if you have not yet followed PCI, please travel on over to Paper Craft Island (www.papercraftisland.blogspot.com), follow and leave a comment to say that Ellen-CardMonkey has sent you.  I'm currently in the lead to win the prize pack!  Woot!!  But, leads are tenuous!!  I have an extra incentive: if you follow PCI and tell them *I* sent you, I'll enter you in a drawing for a $25 Michael's gift card.  

The referral contest is open through July 25, 2012 ... and YOUR chance at a $25 Michael's gift card is good, whether or not I win the Most Referrals Prize. My winner will be announced July 26.

...and thank you to all who have already followed PCI and left my name as the referral source!!  xoxoxo

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

PKS Challenge: Herd You Was Mooo-vin'?

I have several friends who find themselves relocating now and in the months ahead. I'm not exactly sure who will get this card, or whether I'll be making more of them (in bulk!). Here is a card I made using the sketch provided in this month's Peachy Keen Challenge Blog (sketch shown at right):



Supplies used:
Peachy Keen Sketch - July 2012 Challenge
Peachy Keen Stamps SV-901 Hillbilly Holler Set 2 by Steve Yarbrough
Paper: Simple Stories Summer Fresh
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Die cut: Spellbinders Shapeabilities Pendants Eyelets (large)
Markers: Copic
Embellishments: Close to My Heart Liquid Glass; ribbon by Michaels; pearls, beads and googly eyes from stash

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

CardMonkey's Summertime Picnic

I couldn't resist showing you a recent picture
 from my family's summertime picnic:

We hope you're enjoying your summer, too!

Let's all FOLLOW "Paper Craft Island"

Oh, how fun -- summer entertainment just for us crafters!! 

First, out here in blogland, why not follow and participate in the super-fun creation called "Paper Craft Island". This adventure has landed a dozen daring crafters on an imaginary island where they will compete a'la the television show "Survivor" with immunity paper craft challenges and weekly challenges that will have US, the followers, voting whose torch to snuff out every-other week.

At the end of the first "Season", the last lucky crafter standing (or sitting at his/her craft table) will win a boatload of donated prizes. For real! 

To beef up the number of voters (e.g., followers) on Paper Craft Island, the game hostess Kimi has enlisted the support of her Mom Pamela, renowned crafter "LoveBug", who has donated a fabulous prize package to the blogger who can drive the most number of followers to the PCI website.

Will you help me win the top recruiter prize?  Please go to Paper Craft Island, "follow", and in your comment, tell them that Ellen - CardMonkey sent you.  I'd be honored if you did.  Oh, and then when you're a follower, you can also drum up PCI followers on your blog or other social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)  and ask them to follow Paper Craft Island using your name ... and perhaps YOU will get to win the prize!

Oooh, I just thought of something ... if YOU become a PCI follower and mention ME as your recruiter, I'll put YOUR name in a hat to win a gift from CardMonkey!!  I'll make this easy -- it will be a $25 gift card to Michael's!  And I don't even have to win the PCI Recruiter prize for YOU to have a chance at winning for mentioning me over on PCI!

Make sense!? 

Okay, now while I've mentioned Michael's let me dive in and mention the other fun summer entertainment ...this one on TV ... for us crafters: "Craft Wars."


Craft Wars airs Tuesdays on TLC (note: new time starts this week: 8pm Eastern/7pm Central). The show is produced in partnership with Michael's; each show pits three crafters against each other and the clock to make theme-based crafts in the hope of winning that week's $10,000 prize.

School house made by Cheryl on Craft Wars, Episode 2

It's a bit camp ... and I still don't get why crafters insist on covering everything in felt and glitter ... and I'm not a Tori Spelling fan ... but what else is there to watch on TV that's aimed at those armed with hot glue guns?

Do you watch it?  Would you join the cast if you could?  I'd join the cast of Paper Craft Island if it wasn't an imaginary island ... I'd love the real thing!  How fun would it be to be marooned on a tropical island with your crafting buddies, I guess as long as we had electricity, bathrooms, bedrooms, the Internet, food and drink. :)

Don't forget:  Head over to Paper Craft Island (click HERE for a link!), follow there and leave a comment saying that I sent you!  By following, you'll get to be one of the voters who pick that week's winner, and whose torch gets snuffed. It should be a fun adventure!  I'll watch over on the PCI blog to see who mentions ELLEN-CardMonkey as her referrer, and will randomly select one winner of MY $25 Michael's gift card. 
DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Wood Shop meets Craft Room

Are you handy in a wood shop, or do you have a hubby or friend who is?  Here are two wood shop items that can make your craft room play a bit more organized.

On the left is an ATG gun holder. It keeps the sticky surface of the tape off of the craft table and bits of paper or glitter that can gunk-up the tape. The cut out for the handle keeps the gun at ready-to-grab position. On the right, is a holder for my hot glue gun and glue sticks. This keeps the inevitable drips contained to a wipe-off tile, and keeps your glue gun safe from your elbow (OUCH ... trust me, that's from experience).

Now true confessions: I purchased both of these off eBay -- it's just easier for me that way because hubby hung up his tools a long time ago, and I ... well, I don't trust myself around fast-moving saw blades. I really like having 10 fingers! 

... especially since I currently only have one leg to stand on. 

Those who've been following know I've been in a cast for the past 6 weeks on my left leg. It was in a hard cast for half of that time, and now is in a "soft cast" that I can remove to shower (YAY!!) and go to therapy (okay!). And to ITCH. I posted a bit ago about my desire to bling the cast. Since the boot seems that it's going to be with me a while longer -- maybe months -- I decided to bling it up. Here it is:

Simple, classy ... and repairable when pearls drop off.  Maybe I'll color the pearls!

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

3-Timed and Swapped too ...

I'm on a roll in working with the stamped images I received in my Facebook swap. I hope I don't bore you with these ... I received 12 images, each from a different person. While I've colored them all, I may just keep some ready to use.

Here is another swapped stamp ... the cute frog came to me from fellow FB member Molly Erin Burkett. (Thanks, Molly!)  I used the "triple time technique" in stacking the stamped images on mat. The top layer is put on an Action Wobble, since the froggie needs to be hopping.

Other supplies used:
Mat papers by Bazzill
Fern, bee, and butterfly stamps by Stampin' Up
Gelly Roll Pens by Sakura
Colored pencil (pink) by Prisma
Green pens by Copic (for frog)
Butterfly embellishment from stash
Sentiment computer-generated



DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,