Freedom!

It was an extremely FREEING weekend, friends! I spent some super fun time with wonderful crafty gals, makin' stuff! Oh, yeah, you read that right ~ local RETREATING! A super awesome workshop, custom made for PAPER CRAFTERS! Lots of room, lots of light, GREAT MUSIC, hilarious conversation, and shameless enjoyment of our favorite "sport" - wish you had been there, too!

Here's a little somethin' I made:






Ummm, are you wondering why you're seeing a Leprechaun in the middle of October? I know! Crazy, huh? Well, that's where my little mind went there as I tried to answer this, fun challenge:




Samantha, at Scrapmaster's Paradise, sure knows how to mix things up! I wasn't sure I could pull this off, until the little Leprechaun inside of me spoke up! {tee hee} My inspiration was reinforced by this cool sketch from Get Sketchy!



You MUST check out the DT samples on this baby! All of them were so cool, and I was especially inspired by those that opened in a "gate" format! Sprinkle in Samantha's electric colors and THAT BROWN! I was somehow transported to Ireland! {Or the Kingdom of "Far Far Away" ala SHRECK!} Okay, so I was thinking of something that lived in a knothole... woodgrain, brown... Come along with me and we'll spy a Leprechaun...











Ta DA! Here he is! Complete with GREEN BEER! How festive is this lil' guy!?!



Do you get the peephole thing that's happening here? I couldn't do it without a dear, darling, supportive and totally capable old friend - COLUZZLE! Do YOU coluzzle? I know there are so many circle cutting options out there, and I'll probably get them ALL at some point or another, but good old, recently departed... ur, discontinued.... Coluzzle, will always be my friend. I have THREE sets! Ha HA! One that lives in my Mother Tote, one that lives in a drawer, right in the heart of Scrapland, and AND an EXTRA ONE, to get me through my next thirty years! (Just in case!)



The GREAT Get Sketchy sistas tossed in this additional challenge for this week's offering, asking that we try to incorporate a DOODLE/handwritten sentiment - I did both! OVER the stamped sentiment, enhanced with a little marker magic! Not a bad way to add some hand writing ~ blech! I'm not a fan of mine, all by it's little self!

I think it's safe to say that there are A LOT OF WAYS to have a ball with your paper crafting! If you're looking to push up the fun a notch in your own crafting.. I highly recommend some inspirational challenges, gathering with great friends in an environment where you can TRULY be yourself, AND "solving" the creative challenges in your life here in BLOGLAND! Yipee! {Yeah, like you don't KNOW that, already! DOH!}

Well, wherever you got crafty this weekend, I hope it was FABULOUS fun! Can't wait to see what YOU made!

Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - The Paper Company Studio, All Night Media
Circle Cutter - Coluzzle
Scallop Circle Die Cut - Sizzix/Stampin' Up!
Scallop Edge Punch - Martha Stewart Crafty
Water Color Work - re-inkers and aqua brush

G-R-E-E-T-I-N-G-S!

Greetings, F-R-I-E-N-D-S!

It's a late night in Scrapland. I have struck the "creative spirit" and didn't want to call it a night until I popped something out for the early-risers! I hope your having a fabulous weekend and gettin' some craft-on, WHEREVER you are!



I thought this was the cutest lil' guy, new from Stampin' Up! He's a little smaller than I'd imagined, but I was still able to give him some color and life with my trusty aqua painter and Water Color Wonder Crayons! That's continuing to be my "go to" technique for fast and beautiful color! I'm finally glad that I have the original S/U tin that holds all 48 colors for quick and easy access... This thing used to truly vex me, since I have DUMPED my crayons in travel many times. Stampin' Up! has changed to smaller containers to hold each color family individually, which is much better for crafting on the road, but for work in my studio, I'm now thrilled with the original tin: a sweet victory for an oldie AND goodie! {SOME DAY, I'd like to re-buy the families in the smaller containers and then they can live in my mobile scrappin' storage! It's good to hoard...}

So that's it for now, Earthlings! Be well and prosper!

Supplies:

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - WeRMemory Keepers
Stamps - Stampin' Up! & The Paper Company Studio (sentiment)
Ink - Stampin' Up! & VersaMark
Thread - Gutermann
Embossing Powder -Stampin' Up!

Tonight's menu: SUSHI and a LITTLE Hula!

Let's see if I can get Kristina Werner thinking SUSHI and DANCING! That's where my head's {and stomach} at right now, as I prepare to post, NOT ONE, but TWO cards for Kristina Werner's latest color challenge #56... It started with the idea for this card right here:

Wait a minute! If YOU think an innocent and silly little Goldfish got me hungry for Sushi, YOU'RE WRONG! It was the scallops! Hee Hee I went a little CRAZY with scallops! I was thinking about playing with this "Ocean Commotion" stamp set by Stampin Up! and cooking away at my card design in my head... so the story goes. I was swirling colors and images and...

Wait, I digress... Let me first share the colors for this inspiring combo!

Aren't they fun and summery! Goodness! Sometimes I see colors for these challenges and think: GOT IT! Other times, it's like.. how the heck will I EVER think of something to submit?

So, I was working on my first inspiration, when these groovy little "Hula Girls" caught my attention... I just got them from Joanne's yesterday!

Okay, all right.. So technically, this is AFTER I got done with their fun little dance: but let me tell my STORY! Let me LIFT you up and along for the journey of the DANCING hula girls! Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the "naked" stamp, but I think you'll get the idea..... {"Some Days You Gotta Dance!" - the Dixie Chicks! THAT was playing in my "Scrapland" while I worked today! 'Nuff said!}



Aren't they FUN!?! I was lamenting some of the "AGE" of my inventory. I ADORE my classic stamps and I fancy myself something of a collector.. But lately, my heart has been heavy, thinking about the possibility of being overlooked sometimes, due to "vintage" materials. We're a fickle bunch, I am always GUILTY of wanting the latest and the greatest: but there is certainly something to cultivating PRICELESS craft materials.. ANYWHOO, if you recall the "Do the Hula" Hawaiian themed stamp set from Stampin' Up! a few years back you might be shedding a tear with me RIGHT NOW. I wanted to use it, but thought a "fresher" stamp might get a little more appreciation from the masses. Sigh.. We all have to find a way to play along. Anywhoo: this card was inspired with leftovers on my table top... hence, another food reference.. {can you tell I'm starving!} So between the delightful colors and materials and a good Joanne's coupon.. THIS is why I'm now thinking about SUSHI and DANCING! Kirstina, if you're visiting.. I hope you feel the love!

Supplies:

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - (Sentiments for BOTH cards)The Paper Company/ Hula Girls - Inkadinkado/ Small Hawaiian flowers - The Paper Company/ Large Hawaiian Flower - Stampin' Up!/ Goldfish and sea weed - Stampin' Up!
Ink - Stampin' Up! Dye and Craft/ Staz-On
Punches - Stampin' Up!
Thread - Gutermann
Google Eye - (?)
Stickles - Ranger/Tim Holtz

Thanks for visiting, sweet friends! I'm hoping to get my husband to take me SUSHI after all this! Have a great night!