Friday, November 30, 2012

Winter Wonderland Blog Hop, sponsored by the Krazy Crafting Crew

Welcome to the Winter Wonderland Blog Hop, brought to you by the Krazy Crafting Crew.  This is our last monthly hop of the year as we celebrate the holidays, say sayonara to 2012 and welcome in a year that's bound to be great and full of crafting!  

 We in the KCC have had a wonderful year with fun themes; have you noticed?  Would you like to join us?  Just let me know in your comments and I'll hook you up!  :)  We're having lots of fun themes, sponsored blog candy, and more in 2013.  Today, the KCC will be bringing you all sorts of wintry projects including our holiday cards. 

Here's my Winter Wonderland card:


Top left: Close up of Santa's sleigh, snowy hill and a reindeer
Bottom: The full eight-panel accordion card, unfolded.
I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut this card, using a design from
the Silhouette Online Store. (All images from the store are half-
price through December 3. This one was just 50 cents!)
The cardstock is Brilliant White 130# ordered from
www.discountcardstock.com. I trimmed out the reins using
gold embroidery floss. The reindeers' antlers are made to
look more like Vegas showgirls' hats by trimming the base
of the flourish with gold Stickles. I made a complementing
kraft pocket card/envelope for the Merry Christmas sentiment,
rather than stamping directly on this pretty card that can
double as a mantle's home decor for the holidays.


Like what you see?  Be sure to hop along. I'm the second stop, right after our hostess Lissa Marie at So Many Crafts, So Little Time. I will post the full blog roll below.  Your next stop is the fantabulous JAMIE at Jamie Lindstrom Designs -- she always has some fun projects, so don't delay.


BUT WAIT!!!  Before you go, Santa's arrived a bit early and dropped off this fun Designer Card Kit from Momenta which could be yours if you win the CardMonkey blog candy!

How to win? Easy!  
  1. Be a follower here and state as much in a comment on this blog post here.  
  2. In your comment, I'd like you to tell me what you'd like to find in your crafter's Christmas stocking (under $20) .... can you tell, I'm looking for some ideas for my Secret Santa gift for a fellow crafter?   
  3. Do tell me, too, how to contact you when you win the Momenta Card Kit!

 Other bloggers have blog candy throughout the hop too ... so be sure to stop by and read the candy requirements on each.  For example, your host Lissa Marie is giving out a mini calendar to those who are followers of her blog (confirmation is required or she won’t see that you have signed up if you are new).  She will make the calendar just for you to help you schedule your appointments or if you are a blogger you can schedule all your hops all right next to your monitor! All you have to do is tell her your favorite colors!

 Another great reason to comment is so you can also win with our monthly sponsor, Scrapbook Stamp Society (http://scrapbookstampsociety.com/).


They would love to reward one special blog visitor with a prize from their store. To be qualified for their drawing, please comment on all participating blogs and let them know you have.

You can receive extra entries for following them on Facebook at
and for commenting on the Scrapbook Stamp Society blog


Thank you for taking the time out to check out my projects.  Please do click on for more joyous Winter Wonderland.

Remember, your next stop is JAMIE, at www.jamielindstromdesigns.com.
Thanks so much for hopping through our Winter Wonderland!  Here is the full line up in case you need help navigating:

Your Host: Lissa Marie ~ www.somanycrafts.com 


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,
By at 19 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Countdown to Christmas - Another card!

I'm playing catch up ... I am very, very far behind in making my Christmas cards. I hope I don't have to resort to store-bought!  Here is one of the cards I made last night.  Do you like it?

The ornate Merry Christmas swirl is an ornament design from
the Silhouette Online Store, and was cut using my Silhouette
Cameo.  It was very easy to modify the design to cut off the
ornament hanger from the top, and then create a larger circle-
shaped card onto which I adhered the intricate cut.  I tipped
each of the swirls with a red adhesive gem, and tied the joint
of the card with a splash of maraschino and white twine.

Have you gotten the Silhouette Cameo bug-bite yet?  I'll tell you, I love mine even though in the 8 months I've had it, I haven't yet discovered all of its great possibilities.  Yes, I still use my Cricut and its cartridges, and sometimes I craft without turning on a machine. (Impossible, I know!)  

Is a new machine on your Christmas wish list?  I'll be joining the Winter Wonderland Blog Hop tomorrow, so come check out the card I'll make for that occasion.   

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,
By at 4 comments:

Thursday, November 29, 2012

I'm baaaaack ... with a new holiday card!

Wow, long time no blog!  

Our suite!
I've enjoyed a brief siesta, cruising with hubby aboard the Princess Lines' "Caribbean Princess" to the ports of Aruba and Curacao. It was lovely and relaxing, and I even found time to take a crafting class aboard, to make a travel journal. I'll post it as soon as I dig it out of my luggage!
Lovely Curacao

In the meantime, I'm catching up on some of my crafting "duties" -- card and cut swaps, blog hops, etc. ... and I'm digging out from the mess I left in the Paper Jungle.  
Here is a card I made en masse yesterday for a Christmas card swap I am in.  (Thank you for having me, Jennifer Restivo!)  

The image is a digi-stamp by Mo Manning at
Mo's Digital Pencil.  The designer papers are from the
Christmas Cheer collection of Lily Bee Designs.
I colored the image with Copic Markers, paper pieced the shirt,
and used Liquid Pearls on the hat fur and pom-poms.
I applied CTMH Liquid Glass to the candy cane, and
used twine from Jessi's online store at
My Life In Arts and Crafts.

Speaking of Jennifer, have you seen that she has published the second edition of Creations by Crafty Card Gallery?  In it, I wrote a featured article on Copic Marker storage. Be sure to check it out ... you can buy a digital copy for only $2.99, or a print edition for $12.20 (which includes a digital copy as well) by going to HP MagCloud.

See you again soon, with more holiday cards!


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,
By at 7 comments:

Monday, November 12, 2012

Day 3 of the Christmas Banners For Special Needs Kids Blog Hop


It has been my sincere pleasure to host the annual  "Christmas Banners for Special Needs Kids" Blog Hop. This year, the number of generous women who wanted to make and donate a banner grew so greatly that we expanded into a 3-day hop!  

So welcome, to what is the third day of our very special Hop.  This year, we have partnered with Madison Womack's I Feel The Love Project so that our handmade banners will be donated through IFTL to children hospitalized over Christmas at Children's Hospital Central California.

In addition to hosting this hop, I have made two banners that I will be sending to Madison for the kids. Here they are:

 



Will you join us in making your own Christmas banner or cards for the IFTL kids at Children's Hospital Central California?   

I hope so!  Because if you will, you'll be entered into a drawing to win my:

CARDMONKEY's SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Super-Fantastic Gift Basket

Throughout the month of December, I'll be adding crafty goodness to this basket so that it will be over-flowing and ripe and ready for under your tree. I'll be picking the winner on Christmas Eve, announcing the winner on Christmas Day, and if you win, you'll have the basket in your hands by New Year's Day!! 

Stay tuned to the CardMonkey blog over the next few weeks leading up to the drawing, as I'll be posting the contents of the basket as they mount. 

 OK, so to win the GRAND PRIZE (all continents are welcome!), here's what you must do:

1.  Be a follower of the CardMonkey blog and tell me in your comment how I can contact you.

2.  Leave a comment telling me what you plan to make and send to the IFTL project by their deadline, December 10.  Then do it!  Go to www.ifeeltheloveproject.blogspot.com for mailing information for your card or banner.  Your card or banner MUST be received by Madison by the deadline to be eligible to win the GRAND prize!  

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME??  You can still win great blog candy just by being here and commenting on as many banner makers' blogs over the course of the next three days.  

Since we have more than 50 banner makers on this 3-day hop (this past weekend, and today), I'll be picking 5 blogs at random, and then one random comment from that Blog site, for that commenter to win one of five great prizes, which are:

  1. Susan Bermudez, Independent Consultant for Creative Memories, donating a $20 gift certificate for Creative Memories products from her catalog (http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/susanbermudez/).
  2. Scrappin' Madge: $25 Gift Certificate to The Scrappin Lounge Shoppe (http://madgesscrappinlounge.storenvy.com/)
  3. Fresh Brewed Designs: Two prizes - One prize is a rubber stamp, Item #497 "Cutie Pie Ice Skating" (http://www.freshbreweddesigns.com/item_497/Cutie-Pie-Ice-Skating.htm), and the other is a $15 Digital Stamp gift card.
  4. The Paper Temptress (www.papertemptress.com) - Owner Patricia Dunbar will donate a $25 Gift Certificate to her online store, the Paper Temptress.
  5. The Pinque Peacock (www.pinquepeacock.com) - Owners Jessica Shelton will donate a gift certificate to her NEW store (products are being added daily -- watch as she grows!)
  6. In addition, Close to My Heart Independent Consultant Lucy Kelleher will award a $20 gift certificate to a randomly-selected hopper who visits her blog (http://love2createitall.com) and/or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LucyK.CTMH) and posts a comment about the banner blog hop!
P.S. -- Be sure to check out as many blogs as you can, as several will be providing their own blog candy with their own requirements. 

Here is the Hop line up for Monday, November 12:
  1. Ellen ~ CardMonkey - http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com/
  2. Tami - http://tamboscreations.blogspot.com/
  3. Heather D. - http://joemamainks.blogspot.com/
  4. Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/
  5. Susan B - http://susanascorner.blogspot.com/
  6. Jamie M. http://craftygirl21.blogspot.com/
  7. Linda Simpson - http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com/
  8. Theresa ~ www.thescrapbookingqueen.com_
  9. Vicky - http://www.luvmygypsy.blogspot.com/
  10. Debbie T-  http://debbiescrafttime.blogspot.co.uk/
  11. Shelly - http://kccroppers.blogspot.com/
  12. Lisa L. - http://lisascreativeniche.blogspot.com/
  13. Nancie - http://alittlepieceofmebynancie.blogspot.com/
  14. Dorcas - http://craftycardangel.com/
  15. Debbie _http://craftydeb-ddscrafts.blogspot.com/
  16. Rexann - http://ibecircled.blogspot.com

  YOUR NEXT STOP is:  TAMI

 

 

Thank you again for visiting us here for a beautiful and worthwhile endeavor.  God bless all the little children wherever they spend their holidays!!

 

 

 

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,
By at 12 comments:

Paper Craft Island Winner Announced .... and it is Me!

OMGeeee, I am deeply honored to have been voted winner of Season 1 on Paper Craft Island!!

To my friends, family and supporters, I truly appreciate your votes as well as your encouragement.

To my very worthy competitors on the Island, your work was awe-inspiring. So very often, were it not illogical and perhaps fatal for me to do so, I DEFINITELY would have voted for your projects. You made me stretch out of my cardmaking skin, to dig deeper into my craft supplies, to even near the bar you set. I appreciate you all (and wish I knew who you all were so I could "follow" and be inspired by you more!), even though you were exhausting me!! :)

To my Fellow Final Fishys, Christel and Donna, WOW. Your projects have always been a-m-a-z-i-n-g, and I could barely keep up with your talents. It was so much fun going toe-to-toe with you; I hope we'll meet again off-island, and lift a coconut shell of rum punch together.

And to Kimi, our Jeff Probst and show producer wrapped up into one: what can I saw but AWWWW SHUCKS!!! THANK YOU for your kindness, friendship, mentoring, late night e-mail exchange and laughter. I LOVE the concept of Paper Craft Island, which was probably obvious from before Day 1 when I literally BEGGED to get on the Island. I was ready to build my own raft or swim ashore if I had to (arrrgh, a pirate invading your Island!). You kept us on our sand-covered toes, and always made sure we had enough Creative Juice to drink. THANK YOU, thank you, thank you.

I wear my sash proudly, with appreciation.

Do you mind if I show off some of the projects I made for PCI -- and which kept my PaperJungle a complete disaster??!

Here they are starting with week one's postcard:

 



I won the treasure for referring the most followers!

  
The birthday card I made for Kimi's daughter won the
birthday girl's favorite pick!
 





























  
DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,
By at 6 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)