Just Us Girls #130 - Using Zippers!

Happy Saturday!  Is everyone getting ready for Spring Break?  I've got four more work days next week and then I'm done for a week and a day!  So much going on this month too!  But the best thing going on today is the Just Us Girls Wild Card Challenge!  This only happens when there are five weeks in the month, and then the hostess gets to choose whatever type of challenge she so desires!  This week our very talented and immensely cheerful hostess is Elise!  She chose to have us use zippers on our creations!  Oh so fun!

 This is what I created with a normal, everyday zipper....a pretty flower!  Couldn't you see this as a nest if it was in brown?  Darn, I wish I had a brown zipper!  That's another project to write down for the future!  I just rolled the zipper, secured it with some hot glue, then added some pretty pearls in the center!  I added stacked strips of paper from Crate Paper's Portrait Collection and scalloped the edges.  The sentiment on the self-made banner is from So Sentimental stamp set from My Time Made Easy.  I added the leaves using a PTI die (can't remember which one!), and voila!!  Done!

 Here's the fabby sketch I used from Clean and Simple.  I thought this was so cool! 

 The JUGs design team has some equally fabby inspiration for you on the JUGs blog.  We also are bidding a fond farewell to our March Featured Designer, Marisa Ritzen. She did a marvelous job for us this month!  Here are the blogs you can visit for that inspiration I was telling you about.

JUGs blog

Andrea Matthews

Dana Gustafson

Elise Durenberger

Lynn Mangan

Maria Levine

March Featured Designer, Marisa Ritzen

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!  Enjoy your stay!

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Happy Friday all!  I'm here today with the beginning of previews of the April My Time Made Easy release!  I can't believe April is on our heels!  April has always been a crazy month for my family and me.  My birthday, as well as my late brother and grandmother, is on the same day in April.  I was married in April, as was my brother.  Easter tends to fall around my birthday/anniversay too!  Such a busy month!  Plus it's closer to summer too! 

Anyway, we have some great stuff being released this month.  For today's preview, I'm using the new template called Card Cover Up.  The gift set I made is for my mom, and it's a note holder.  Here's a look at the entire gift set.  I took the notes out to show you the great new digital paper I used to line the note holder.  It's called Tapestry Trends.  It pairs very nicely with SU's Poppy Parade paper.

 Here's a closer view of the template.  I even decorated a pen to match!  The label on top is from the new digital stamp set called Fine Finish.  I "colored" it in GIMP using the colors from the paper.  The word "Mother" is from another new digital stamp set called Spring in Bloom.  I layered this oval on a cut file that was released last month called Fine Finish Tags.

 I used SU's So Saffron grosgrain ribbon to decorate the sides and added a tailored bow.  Love that look!

 Here's a close up of the flower and sentiment on the notepaper.  They are both from the new Spring in Bloom digital stamp set.  The flower was also colored in "GIMP" using the colors from the paper.  I love that saying.

 Last shot of the template empty.  I love this paper and the template looks so pretty lined on the inside with it.

You can see more from some of the design team today.  We have a new member to the team:  Kimberly Morrow!  Please welcome her!  You can also go to our Gallery to see tons of inspiration!  I have all the links you'll need listed below.

MTME Blog

MTME Gallery

Lauren Meader

Kimberly Morrow

Lori Kalus

Pattie Goldman

Tangii Crain

The new release will be live on Sunday, April 1st!  You can purchase, download, and start creating!  Thanks for stopping by!

Pretty Palette #53

Hello friends!  I'm a little late getting my card and post done this week.  It seems that time has been getting away from me lately.  Maybe because it's the great weather we've been having!  But I couldn't pass up this awesome Pretty Palette color challenge from My Time Made Easy!  Look at these yummy colors!  Reminds me of ice cream and summer, which was my inspiration!

The colors this week were taken from the Wind My Girly Gears digital paper pack from MTME, but I went a different route.  I wanted to use the Cake and Ice Cream cut file and the papers the pack (although fantastic in design!) just didn't work with the cut file for me, so I used the Darling Dots digital paper pack instead.  I actually re-colored one of the papers in GIMP to match the aqua in the color graphic above.  Very easy to do!  Then I cut the ice cream cone using the cut file (resized to 50% of the original size), my Cricut, and red, pink, daffodil, chocolate chip, and creamy caramel cardstock.  I layered the pieces together and added the baker's twine for the stem and some Star Dust Stickles to give the look of "jimmies".   I added the sentiment from On Display 1 stamp set in eggplant ink.  Super simple, but it took some pre-planning.

I followed this week's sketch from Clean and Simple.  It was so perfect for what I wanted to do.

You can see more great cards on the following blogs!

MTME blog

Charlene Cundy

Jackie Randolph

Pattie Goldman

Romaine Rancier

Thanks for stopping by! 

Just Us Girls #129 - 3D/Template Challenge

Hello out there!  It's Saturday, so that means another challenge from Just Us Girls!  This week, Dana is our hostess with the absolute mostess, and she's challenging us to box up a note card set with choose your own sentiments that the receiver can use for various occasions.

So here's what I came up with.  I started with this clear pillow box (thanks to my friend Romaine for reminding me that this is a pillow box not a puffy box!) and cut cardstock bases that would fit inside.  Then I used Damask Designs from PTI and stamped it in Melon Mambo and Marigold Morning.  I cut some die cuts and sponged some Melon Mambo ink around it then stamped the sentiments in Versafine black ink.  The sentiments are from Communique Curves sentiments and Damask Designs.  I tied the sentiment tags with some baker's twine and filled the box with the cards, the sentiments, and some clear filler.  The ribbon was simply tied around the box to keep it all together.

This is what the cards look like when the sentiments are placed on the bottom of the cards. 

To see more ideas for this challenge, stop by the blogs listed below.

JUGs blog

Dana Gustafson

Elise Durenberger

Lynn Mangan

Pam Imholz

Vicki Dutcher

Marisa Ritzen, March Featured Designer

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great weekend!

Pretty Palette #52 and Our 1st Anniversary!

Hi everyone!  Have you heard that the Pretty Palette and the Pretty Patterns challenges from My Time Made Easy are celebrating their 1st anniversaries?  Both challenges are giving away $25 gift certificates just for participating!  You can check it out here and here.  I've combined both challenges in my card today.

The Pretty Palette colors this week were taken from the Serenity digital paper pack.  I used two of the patterns in this card.  I started by stamping the sentiment from Bee Loved Sentiments stamp set in Versafine black ink.  I love that ink because you get such a crisp image.  The flower was created by first cutting the flower out using the My Bee Loved cut file then stamping the flower from the Bee Loved stamp set in Memento tuxedo black ink.  It's colored with copic markers.  The center was glittered up with Star Dust Stickles.  It's attached to the card with dimensionals.

Here's the fabby sketch I followed.

So why not play along in both challenges to up your chances of winning those $25 gift certificates.  Here is some inspiration by the Pretty Palette design team.

MTME blog

Charlene Cundy

Jackie Randolph

Mary Vogel

Pattie Goldman

Romaine Rancier

Thanks for stopping in today!  It's been a lovely St. Patrick's Day weekend here in Western New York.  I hope your week is just as nice as it is here!  Have a good one!