Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Sunshiny Day

Please scroll down for my By LORi Designs post or click HERE. Thanks!!


Hi There!
How are you on this fine Tuesday?
I hope your day is off to a great start!

I'm back with another fun Challenge for Claudia and Company.

This time Tanya has challenged us to create cards using a different kind of FOLD. I chose to make an easel card. Whoever came up with this fold originally is very clever, because I think it is such a cool idea and makes for a super fun gift of a card!

For this FUN FANCY FOLD Challenge, the DT has had a blast getting to showcase some of the fun papers that Claudia has in the store!
And the ones I've used on my card are from one of the brand new Lime Twist paper pads that My Mind's Eye just released (are you surprised that I've used MME?? lol).
I really wanted to showcase the papers in a fun way, so I decided to use Mojo Monday sketch #184, because it had lots of space for me to use several of the different patterned papers.
I've also used this cutie pie Ian from The Greeting Farm, along with a sentiment from Claudia's So Random sentiment collection.

I hope you'll join us for this challenge. I can't wait to see what you create! You can find the paper and stamps I've used for my card HERE in the Claudia and Company Store.

Be sure and check out what the rest of the DT have to share for the challenge that's "unfolding" today! (teehee) Thanks again for stopping by!

Piali
Jodi
Joy
Tanya
Taylor
Claudia

With Appreciation



Hi Friends!!
A very Happy Tuesday to YOU! Did you enjoy your LONG weekend? Things were pretty chill around my household. I visited with my Mom and Sister a bit yesterday, which was WONDERFUL. And then Hubs and the dogs and I went for a long walk last night. It was a super relaxing weekend. I was sorry to see it end :)

I have another FUN-tabulous By LORi Designs card for you today and this time it's a Lollipop!

We're winding down our month long showcase of the By LORi Designs May stamps and this little cutie is Lollipop Amy! But not to worry, even though May is winding down, JUNE is just around the corner and that means more stamps and more creations! Yipee!

For this card I've used some of the brand new My Mind's Eye papers from the Lime Twist collection. I also got out my Cuttlebug and did a bit of embossing. I know it's hard to see the hearts in the background, but they're there, I promise! And that fab papaya colored ribbon is from Amuse.

Be sure and pop over to the By LORi Designs Blog today to see a wonderful collection of cards today made using Lollipop Amy!! You won't be disappointed!!

And I'll see you back here on FRIDAY for some more BLD Inspiration! Have a great one!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Wherefore Art Thou Gnomeo?



Hi There!
It's Thursday and that means I'm back with another fun card using a brand new Deconstructed Sketch for the week!

For this week's sketch, I decided to think outside the box just a bit. One of the things that I'm loving about being part of this new sketch blog, is that it's giving me the opportunity to get inky with stamps that I've had for a while but haven't had the chance to use yet! So, I already had in mind that I wanted to use this super cute gnome named Nimbert, from Pink Cat Studio and then when I saw the sketch, I decided that I wanted to play with the panels a bit, in order to create a scene for the little guy.

I used October Afternoon Campfire papers, as well as a few additional accents from K&Co and PTI. Since the bottom of the sketch called for a border trim, I went with my Martha Stewart grass punch. And then to wrap it all up, I used Martha Stewart Craft String, that mostly got covered up by the tree, and did a bit of hand stitching too for added bordering and dimension.

Be sure and check out what the Sketch Girls have created for your inspiration today! We hope you'll play along with us!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

You're Dino-Mite!

If you're looking for my By LORi Designs post, please scroll down or click HERE. Thanks!


Helloooooo again and welcome to another fun Tuesday with Claudia and Company!

Thanks for popping in today! It's time for another Inspiration Tuesday over at Claudia and Company. On this day the DT will share cards or projects using some of the sampler packs available at Claudia and Company. There are so many fabulous patterned paper samplers at C&Co; it's one of my favorite things they carry...and at such a great price too!

For my card today, I got to play with a newer sampler pack from Bella Blvd called Tails Waggers and Cat Naps. So you'd think I would have used a doggie or kitty-cat on my card, right? Nope, it's a dinosaur! Haha. I have been so excited to use this Dino-mite digi, created by Jane's Doodles, that when I saw the bones and the great colors from this paper pack, I knew it would be a fun combo for this stamp. This super cute digi and the Bella Blvd paper can be found in the Claudia and Company Store.

Be sure and check out what the rest of the ladies have to share for Inspiration today! Thanks again for stopping by and have a GREAT Tuesday!

Piali
Jodi
Joy
Tanya
Taylor
Claudia

Bear Hugs



Hi Friends!!
A very Happy Tuesday to YOU!
I have another FUN-tabulous By LORi Designs card for you today and this time it's a Furry Friend!

You know how I love those Lollipops, Sugarsticks and PJ's...well, this month there will be a super fun showcase of the By LORi Designs May stamps every Tuesday. Yipee!!

My card for you today showcases Lollipop Bear. Isn't this little critter adorable?

For this card I've used some of the brand new Basic Grey Papers called Sweet Threads. Then I added a bit of stitching, a sentiment from Kraftin Kimmie and a bit of SU Groovy Guava ribbon (I'll be sad when my stash of that is gone).

Be sure and pop over to the By LORi Designs Blog today to see a wonderful collection of cards today made using Lollipop Bear!! You won't be disappointed!!

And I'll see you back here next Tuesday for some more BLD Inspiration! Have a great one!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Enjoy The Journey


Hi Friends!
Happy Happy Friday!
I'm soooo excited for the weekend! How about you? :)

My card for you today is a card that I'm contemplating using for my swap group this month. The theme is MAN cards and I think I really like how this one turned out. I'm also going to enter it in the Cards for Men Challenge #10, for Someone Special.

As soon as I saw this image pop up at Wax Fruit Company, I knew I had to snatch it up! My dad is kind of a hard person to make cards for, but he LOVES GOLF, so this image is PERFECT!!

I really wanted to create an earthy background to go with the scenery of this image. So I decided to use Basic Grey Origins and combine a bunch of those background papers to make my own background. Then I took one of the patterned papers and placed it behind the immie, with some stitching, just to make it stand out a bit from the background. I also asked my DH if I could snag one (or a few!) of his golf tees to make my card complete!

I chose this sentiment from SU, so that my card would be more of a generic MAN card for the swap, but I think when I make the one for my dad I will replace the sentiment with a PTI Happy Father's Day. :) Or perhaps I'll still keep "Enjoy The Journey" on the outside and put the second sentiment on the inside. LOL, it takes me forever to make decisions!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Memories



Hello and welcome to another Awesome week at The Deconstructed Sketch!! It's week 2 and I'm just as excited as last week!! Not only do I love getting to work with Jen's Sketches (aren't they SA-WEET?!), but I'm still having a "pinch me" moment that I get to be part of another amazing team! You've just GOT TO see what The Sketch Girls have in store for you TODAY!!

For my card today, I chose to use an image from Mo's Digital Pencil. I have been ooohing and ahhhing over Mo Manning's fantastic images, for quite some time now and just never had the courage to work with them. Not because the images aren't fabulous, (because each and every one of them are!) but because I didn't think I could pull off the coloring. I mean I've seen some pretty fantastic creations made with Mo's stamps and it intimidated me!
But I started trying my hand at coloring some immies up a few weeks ago and thought this little cutie would be perfect for one of Jen's fabulous Deconstructed Sketches!

The stamp I chose is one from Mo's Carnival collection, called Cotton Candy. Previously, she was offering this stamp as a fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation in both the UK and USA. And it's not the first time that Mo has generously offered up one of her immies for a fundraising cause. Such a sweet, sweet lady she is!!

I also used a hodge podge of papers for this card--Cosmo Cricket, My Mind's Eye, October Afternoon and Prima. The sentiment is a rub-on from Kaisercraft and the button is Amuse.

Please check out all of the amazing ways that THE SKETCH GIRLS have used Jen's sketch to provide a little inspiration for you and I hope you'll play along with us!!
Amber Hight
Angela Sowell
Anna Maria Nilsson
Arielle Gordon
Emma Eads
Donna Wardle
Jen Shults
Jessica Diedrich
Lori Boyd
Sheri Gilson

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Birthday Girl!

If you are looking for my By LORi Designs post, please scroll down or CLICK HERE. Thanks!!


Hi There!
How are you on this fine Tuesday?
I hope your day is off to a great start!

I'm back with another fun Challenge for Claudia and Company.

This time Tanya has challenged us to create Girlie Birthday cards! And a very Happy 4th Birthday to Tanya's sweet DD!!
For this BIRTHDAY Challenge, the DT has had a blast getting to showcase some of the fun papers that Claudia has in the store!

For my card today I've used papers from the Playground Sampler Pack by Echo Park Papers. I really wanted to showcase the papers in a fun way, but also draw attention to the adorable Creeper Jill from The Greeting Farm. Jill kinda reminds me of Rizzo from Grease or maybe Cha-Cha. :) I LOVE these Creepers!!

I hope you'll join us for this challenge. I can't wait to see what you create! You can find most of the elements I've used for my card (including the cardstock) HERE in the Claudia and Company Store.

Be sure and check out what the rest of the DT have to share for Springtime Inspiration today! Thanks again for stopping by!

Piali
Jodi
Joy
Tanya
Taylor
Claudia

My Sister, My Friend

If you are looking for my Claudia and Company Challenge post, please scroll up or CLICK HERE. Thanks!!

Hi Friends!!
A very Happy Tuesday to YOU, once again!
I have another FUN-tabulous By LORi Designs card for you today and this time it's a pair of cutie pie Lollipops!
You know how I love those Lollipops, Sugarsticks and PJ's...well, this month there will be a super fun showcase of the By LORi Designs May stamps every Tuesday. Yipee!!

My card for you today showcases Lollipop Sisters. Aren't they SO SO SWEET? I think so!! It reminds me of myself and my little sister, who is 5 years younger than me. That's why I also just had to use this sweet sister sentiment from TGF too!

I went to my 6x6 stash again and grabbed these fun papers. I believe they're from My Mind's Eye (yes, again!! I just can't resist all those fun MME color combos). There's just something I REALLY enjoy about red, blue and green together and I thought these colors would really make the Sissies pop! I also added a touch of Clear Spica pen to each of their bows for some sparkle!

Be sure and pop over to the By LORi Designs Blog today to see a wonderful collection of cards today made using the Lollipop Sisters!! You won't be disappointed!!

And I'll see you back here next Tuesday for some more BLD Inspiration! Have a great one!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

The First Deconstructed Sketch



Hello!!
Okay, here goes TAKE TWO for my debut Deconstructed Sketch Post!! As many of you know, Blogger was down on Friday...
Well, I didn't know, because I was on vacation! And during one of the times on my trip that I had a spotty internet connection, I noticed that I no longer had a post for this exciting NEW ADVENTURE called the Deconstucted Sketch Challenge! So, because blogger rebooted back to Wednesday, I lost my entire post for Thursday, plus a bunch of wonderful comments.
BOO ON BLOGGER!!!
So, here I am again...trying to remember what I posted :)

Okay, here goes...
Welcome to the VERY FIRST DECONSTRUCTED SKETCH CHALLENGE!!
The Fabulous and Talented Jen Shults, has decided to start a sketch blog and she's inviting all of us to join in on the fun! Every Thursday you will see a new sketch (designed by Jen!) pop up on the DSC BLOG HERE and we'd love for you to play along with us!

AND the first sketch of every month will be sponsored, so you'll have a chance to win some prizes! This week's sponsor is Wax Fruit Company and the owner, Arielle (who is also Sketch Girl!) has generously offered a $15 gift certificate to shop at the store. Check out the sweet Easter Pig image I've used and SO MUCH MORE, HERE in the Wax Fruit Company STORE.

I'm SO HONORED to be a part of this wonderfully FUN and TALENTED Team!! Please check out all of the amazing ways that THE SKETCH GIRLS have used Jen's sketch to provide a little inspiration for you!!
Amber Hight
Angela Sowell
Anna Maria Nilsson
Arielle Gordon
Emma Eads
Donna Wardle
Jen Shults
Jessica Diedrich
Lori Boyd
Sheri Gilson

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Way To Go

If you are looking for my Claudia and Company Inspiration Tuesday post, please scroll down or CLICK HERE. Thanks!!

Hi Friends!!
A very Happy Tuesday to YOU, once again!
I have another FUN-tabulous card for you today and this time it's.....drumroll.....
A PUDDLE JUMPER!! EEEK!!
You know how I love these PJ's!! Well, this month there will be a super fun showcase of the By LORi Designs May stamps every Tuesday. Yipee!!

My card for you today showcases School Time Landon. Now, I know you're probably not going to believe me when I say this, but I totally forgot when I was designing this card that the full name of this stamp included "School Time." And then I guess I subconsciously chose this banner for Landon to pop out from! LOL! I suppose there was a very good reason that I thought it was a PERFECT match when I spotted it in my stash! :)

The papers and the banner are from Crate Paper. And I think, besides stitching, I've finally succeeded in making a card solely out of paper! (this has been a quiet personal challenge for me)

But that's not all, be sure and pop over to the By LORi Designs Blog today to see a wonderful collection of cards today made using Landon!! You won't be disappointed!!

And I'll see you back here next Tuesday for some more BLD Inspiration! Have a great one!

Sugar Rush



Helloooooo and welcome to another fun Tuesday with Claudia and Company!

Thanks for popping in today! Since the challenges at C&Co. have gone to bi-weekly, the design team has cooked up something special for you on the alternate Tuesdays. It's called Inspiration Tuesday. On this day the DT will share cards or projects using some of the sampler packs available at Claudia and Company. There are so many fabulous patterned paper samplers at C&Co; it's one of my favorite things they carry...and at such a great price too!

For my card today, I got to play with an oldie, but a goodie in the Sugar Rush Papers from Basic Grey. These papers are so SWEET, that I wanted to try and play up all the sugary goodness. So I grabbed this sweet, sweet Miss Anya from The Greeting Farm and found these yummy lollipops in with my Unity stamps and the card started to take form. Then I threw in a Basic Grey Button and some baker's twine, along with a TGF sentiment and my hand stitching, and voila! Does it satisfy your sweet tooth? heehee.
The Sugar Rush Paper Pack and Kioshi Buttons can be found in the Claudia and Company Store. You can also find a great selection of stamps by The Greeting Farm and Unity Stamp Co. there too!

Be sure and check out what the rest of the ladies have to share for Inspiration today! Thanks again for stopping by and have a GREAT Tuesday!

Piali
Jodi
Joy
Tanya
Taylor
Claudia

Monday, May 9, 2011

A Case of the Mondays?


Hi Friends!!
Happy Monday to you!
I have a fun little card for you today. In case you or someone you know has a bad case of the "Mondays", perhaps this card will provide a little smile!

I got these two fabulous stamps from Amuse Art Stamps, when my friend, Mary was in town. Although, I didn't know for sure if I'd have the opportunity to send someone a card with them (except to my DH; but even then, I'd probably have to send one to him on a weekly basis), I just couldn't resist buying them! This cutie little crab will also forever remind me of Mary's visit...we went to the Crab Pot and she got to eat a few of these little guys!

And that's my card. I hope you're enjoying your Monday! I'll be back tomorrow with cards for Claudia and Company AND By LORi Designs!! See ya then!!

Oh!! And I just remembered...I need to announce the winner of the TOUCHDOWN card!! It's APRIL
That card is coming your way, April, along with a card kit too! Thanks so much for commenting!!
Be on the lookout for the next "Win It" sign!! :)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Another Crafty Idea


Hi Again!
As I don't have a card for you today, I thought I'd pop in and share another piece from my craft space with you!

Pretty soon I'll be able to share pics of the completed room, but there are still a few finishing touches I'd like to add before I take final pics. :)

But in the meantime I thought I'd share with you how I organize my buttons!

For the longest time, I thought that a spice rack would be the perfect way to help organize my buttons in lots of little compartments and that I could get to easily. So, I searched and searched for one that held a fair amount of jars and also made the buttons readily visible inside those jars.

And then I found this one by Kamenstein on Amazon. It's got 21 jars and, as you can see, since the jars are placed horizontally, I can see all the colors of the buttons without having to take each jar out. Plus, I can see the tops of the jars too! And just to make sure I remember what "flavor" each button is, I used my handy dandy p-touch to put the names on each container. Heehee, as you can probably tell from the pic, there is a bit of overflow too. I have a few more jars of buttons an a little rack that's part of my wall unit. What can I say, I do LOVE buttons!! :)

I always love seeing how people organize their space, so I thought this would be another fun idea to share today! Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND to all of you BEAUTIFUL MOMs!!

BLD May Release


Hiya! Hap-happy Friday!!

I don't have a card for you today, but that's only because I'm preparing for a month-long By Lori Designs celebration!

Today is Release Day over at BLD, so you can purchase your PJ's and Lollipops TODAY, but we're going to be showcasing these CUTIE PIE stamps ALL MONTH LONG!!

So, stay tuned, my friends...and until then pop over to the store and check out all the cuteness!! Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Are you ready to SKETCH?



Hello, Friends!
I'm back with some VERY exciting news today!!
A BRAND NEW Challenge Blog is going to be up and running, starting NEXT THURSDAY, May 12 and it's called

The Deconstructed Sketch

Founded and hosted by the amazingly talented (and very SWEET) Jen Shults!! If you LOVE sketches, then this is THE PLACE for you to come and hang out!!

As for me, well, yes of course, I LOVE sketches, but am also uber excited and very honored to get to be one of the "Deconstructed Sketch Girls!" I get to help bring Jen's sketches to life...I'm still needing someone to pinch me! Yipeeeee!!

So, grab a badge and mark your calendar! The fun begins May 12 and our first challenge is sponsored...so that means a chance for YOU to win FREE STAMPS!! WOOT WOOT!!

Big News for BLD


Happy Day Everyone!!
We have some super exciting news here at By LORi Designs!

We have gone EXCLUSIVE!!

That's right from now on you will only be able to find your beloved Puddle Jumpers, Lollipops and Sugar Sticks Digis at By LORi Designs!!
Yipppppeeeee!!

Now what does that mean? It means that May will have the biggest release ever!!

All the Puddle Jumpers are coming home and you will be able to purchase all the Puddle Jumpers that Lori has drawn HERE at BLD!!

Isn't this fun and exciting!?!?!?

Hop back over tomorrow for our big release!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Touchdown!


Hi Friends!
Happy Wednesday! We're halfway to the weekend. Woooohoooo!

I have another fun card for you today and also something new that I'm starting.

This is Puddle Jumper Gavin and he's a little bruiser. :) He's on his way to being a serious linebacker...I mean just look at his awesome buzz cut! Gavin is just another one of those extremely cute Puddle Jumpers from By LORi Designs!
In addition to this fun stamp, I've also used papers from the SEI I'm An Athelete paper pad, Sentiment from TGF, Nesties and just a hint of misc. embellishments.

You can find PJ Gavin HERE in the BLD store (aka Lollipop Shop) and some super amazing inspiration on the BLD blog!

Today I'm going to be starting something new too. If you see the "Win It" stamp on any of my posts from now on, that means this card, plus a kit to make one of your own, is up for grabs! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post! One lucky winner will be chosen by the next time the "Win It" stamp is up or on the following Monday.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure and check back tomorrow because I have a super cool announcement! Have a great day!!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Fluttering By



Hi There!
How are you on this fine Tuesday?
I hope your day is off to a great start!

I'm back with another fun Challenge for Claudia and Company.

This time Tanya has challenged us to create cards with Butterflies...or as I like to call them...flutterbys. :) And the DT has also had fun getting to showcase some of the fun papers that Claudia has in the store!

For my card today I've used papers from one of the Stella Rose paper pads from My Mind's Eye. I really wanted to do something different to highlight the image, so as I sat down to create, I remembered something fun I'd seen a few weeks ago. My friend, Jeanette had used vellum on the inside of one of her cards and this reminded me that I had some that I hadn't played with in a looooong time. Thanks to Jeanette for inspiring me!

I printed the image out on vellum and then placed it over some patterned paper. Then I gave the immie a touch of color and set it all in motion with some bordering and stitching. Then I tied it all together with some wrinkle ribbon, (made by one of my DT teammies, Sherry) and a big ole flower from Prima.

I hope you'll join us for this challenge. I can't wait to see what you create! You can find most of the elements I've used for my card (including the cardstock) HERE in the Claudia and Company Store.

Be sure and check out what the rest of the DT have to share for Springtime Inspiration today! Thanks again for stopping by!

Piali
Jodi
Joy
Tanya
Taylor
Claudia


Monday, May 2, 2011

A Release of Flora and Fauna

If you are looking for my post for THE PINK ELEPHANT, please scroll down or click HERE. Thanks!!


Hello! Happy May 2nd (again)!!
Did anyone honor the May Day tradition yesterday and leave flowers on someone's door step? I remember doing that when I was young...of course it was a great hoot to ring the bell and run! :)

Well, instead of leaving flowers for a neighbor, I'm going to leave them for YOU (blogger style), because it just so happens that today is Release Day over at Claudia and Company and there's lots of May Flowers to go around!
Today we get to showcase two new stamps by C&Co artist, John Grutta. They are available today in the Claudia and Company Store, along with lots of other new product!

And it wouldn't be a release without lots of fun samples and a chance for you to win!! So be sure to check out all of the great DT samples. You can start HERE on the Claudia and Company Blog!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is filled with sunshine and flowers!!