Jen's Sketch Challenge 02-27-10

This is the final week to participate to win Jen's sketch challenge mega prize package. If you haven't been playing along, you have until March 2 to post your entries.

This week I did a bit of paper piecing using Unity's adorable floral hot air balloon from the December KOTM titled Delightful Moments. What an appropriate title for a kit! Life is full of delightful moments.

I was in the mood to use a bit of orange this afternoon so I started with some DSP from SU! and then added the accent colors of Bashful Blue and Riding Hood Red. I ended up with a very fun design that makes me anxious for spring! Not that I wasn't already.....I am ready for flowers blooming and bright colors and blue skies and the smell of life in the air. At least we're in the final stretch of winter here and spring will be here before we know it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Supplies

Patterned Paper - Washington Apple (Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock - Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink - Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up!), Staz-On
Stamps - Hot Air Balloon, Sentiment (Unity December KOTM), Flourish (Priceless Set SU!)
Ribbon - Bashful Blue (Stampin' Up!)
Button - Basic Grey
Rhinestones - Brand unknown

Shannon's Chicken Caesar Wraps

This recipe is super-simple and has become a family favorite. It literally takes me a maximum of 15 minutes to prepare. Ready?

Ingredients
Large tortillas (to make them authentically Shannon's wraps, you must use the Tomato-Basil tortillas)
Grilled chicken strips (I buy the ready-made strips at Costco - makes for quick prep!)
2 large chopped tomatoes
Caesar salad dressing (my preference is Cardini's light Caesar dressing)
Shredded Parmesian cheese
Romaine lettuce leaves
Tortilla chips

In a large skillet, heat up the chicken strips, season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the chicken is heating up, slice up the tomatoes, and tear off the romaine lettuce leaves. Blister the tortillas over an open flame.

To assemble, take a tortilla, place chicken strips down the center, add tomatoes, parmesian cheese, salad dressing, a handful of crushed tortilla chips and top with 2 lettuce leaves.

Roll into wraps and enjoy!

Crafty Steals!

I have a new favorite "hangout" - http://www.craftysteals.com/index.cfml. Every day, you will find a new, incredible deal on some fabulous papercrafting goodies. These deals are killer! Be sure to stop by early, because items sell out fast. Today's deal is already sold out, but you better believe I'll be stopping by tomorrow morning to see what special offering will be available :). Just had to share - I love finding bargains.

Jen's Sketch Challenge 02-20-10

Time for another one of Jen's a-mazing sketch challenges! Have you seen the prize package she's giving away? Click here for a sneak peak and all the details.

Also, take the time to look through the slide shows for the last few weeks to see all of the fun projects! So much talent it's overwhelming!

Here's my take on this week's card. I was very excited to break out my new Papertrey Ink products that arrived in the mail this week. This was my first order from PTI (why did it take me so long?) The colors are gorgeous and everything is of extremely high quality and the prices are extremely affordable. So fun!

Anyway, enjoy :) Supplies

Cardstock - Papertrey Ink (Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet), SU! (Whisper White)
Patterned Paper - Papertrey Ink (Text-Style Polka Dot Parade)
Stamps - Hero Arts (Sentiment, flourishes), SU! (Flower), Unity (Distressed Hearts)
Ribbon - Papertrey Ink (Aqua Mist)
Buttons - Papertrey Ink (Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet), Unknown (White)
Flower - Hero Arts (White paper flower that I colored in Berry Sorbet ink using a sponge)
Ink - Papertrey Ink (Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet)
Pearls - Michael's
Uniball Signo Gel Pen

Jen's Sketch Challenge 02-13-10

I am so excited that Jen's sketch challenges are back! And, to top it all off, she's got a HUGE prize package for the month of February. Be sure to check out her blog for details.

For this card, I used a bunch of supplies that I have had lying around forEVER. I know you can all relate - you see new supplies posted from CHA or find some adorable paper that you just HAVE to have at your local scrapbook store and you keep building and building and building your inventory and there's this lonely paper sitting there that gets no attention.

I absolutely love this patterned paper from SU! (which is probably why I bought it to begin with), but I don't think I ever used it until today. I also used a cute stamp set that my friend Leslie gifted to me quite some time ago when she was cleaning out her supplies. I can't tell you how many stamps I have in my scrap room that have never been inked up and I am going to start making an effort to USE WHAT I HAVE. That's not to say I won't make any new purchases, but I am going to start digging through my supplies and making sure I'm familiar with what I have so that I can make use of it.

I did use one new thing on this project - the Top Notes die from SU! I have been eyeing this die for well over a year now and finally purchased it with my last order and was so excited that I was able to use it for this week's challenge. I also used my new Scallop Trim Border Punch from SU!'s Sale-A-Bration Catalog (this is the first year they've offered a punch during Sale-A-Bration).

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Supplies

Patterned Paper - SU! (Retired)

CS - Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip SU!

Stamps - Sentiment (Heard from the Heart), Flower (Retired) - SU!

Rub-On - Wholy Cow- Basic Grey

White Gel Pen - Uniball Signo

Ink - Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip - SU!

You're Sweet

Here's another thank you card I did to send out for all of the wonderful birthday blessings I received. I used a screen and some Tattered Angels glimmer mist (how much do I love this product?) sprayed onto some Kraft cardstock. I let it dry completely, then stamped it with some Basic Black ink and then adhered the panel to some CS that I embossed with my Cuttlebug. I finished off the card with an oval scalloped circle that I punched with my Marvy punch and then added the You're Sweet sentiment and a punched butterfly using my Martha Stewart punch.

It's definitely a card that is out of the norm for me and I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it. I like the idea, but I think I would tweak it a bit if I were to make it again.

Supplies
CS - SU!
Stamps - Hero Arts (background), Studio G (sentiment)
Emobossing Folder - Provo Craft
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
Screen for Glimmer Mist - Archiver's Exlcusive

Thanks So Much

Sorry this photo turned out so bad. I did some touch-up in Photoshop, but it's still a bit blurred. Anyhoo - I decided to make a CAS card and actually use some white space! I have seen so many beautiful projects that include white space and for some reason, when I'm creating, I forget all about leaving white space and I don't know why, because I love the finished product. I got my inspiration for this card from a card done by Carolyn King in Paper Crafts magazine (Jan/Feb issue, page 53). I just used her basic layout as a template for mine.

I think the white space really makes the color pop on this card! I am going to try, try, try to do more of this in the future. We'll see.....it's hard to go CAS when you have a room full of beautiful goodies just waiting to adorn a card.

Supplies

CS - SU!

Patterned Paper - SU!

Sentiment Stamp - Hero Arts

Ribbon - SU!

Button - BAsic Grey

Jen's Sketch Challenge 02-06-10

Jen's sketch challenge is back - and with some incredible prizes! There is a prize package worth over $200 up for grabs. Please visit Jen's site for details. She's also looking for the next Designer of the Month.

As if her sketch's weren't motivation enough to play along :).

I went with a Valentine's card for this week's challenge. I really like the combination of dark brown with cream and pink and have been using that combination on all of my V-day cards this year.

I started with a base of Chocolate Chip CS and then added a panel of patterned paper from Making Memories. I added a strip of Very Vanilla CS and below that, using my Sizzix Scalloped Circle in the Cuttlebug, I cut a piece of Bazzil CS and then trimmed it to fit the bottom of the card. I used my Coluzzle to cut the circles and that cute heart in the center was actually part of a Unity Stamp of a house with hearts in the center. I just cut the hearts out and then gave them a little glitz with some Stickles. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts stamp set and I gave them a little glitz with the same stickles as well. I finished it off with some buttons and pearls and then rounded the edges with my Corner Chomper, which I believe is my new favorite tool!

Hope you enjoyed :)

Supplies

CS - Stampin' Up!, Bazzil Basics
Patterned Paper - Making Memories
Stamps - Unity (Hearts), Hero Arts (Sentiment)
Buttons - Basic Grey, Unknown
Pearls - Kaiser Crafts
Stickles

Birthday Wishes

This card was a blast to make. Partly because it was for Susan - one of the best friends I've ever had - and because this polka-dot paper is such fun!

I started with some Chocolate Chip CS and cut the polka-dot patterned paper to fit inside, leaving only a small border surrounding it and left room at the bottom for some green CS that I cut with my scalloped border punch from SU! I flipped the patterned paper over and using my Tim Holtz ruler, I drew guides on the back to cut out my circle punches. By drawing my guides on the back of the paper, I didn't have any lines to erase.

I used my 1 3/8" circle punch from SU! and then adhered WW CS to the back of the paper. I then stamped several different mini stamps from SU! (all retired) using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (for placement) to fit within the windows I cut out.

After I adhered the panel to the base of the card, I added some rick-rack ribbon from Bazzil using my Tombo Mono Multi glue and then cut a SU! scalloped square and attached using some Stampin Dimensionals. Finally, I stamped my circle sentiment on some CS to match the border along the bottom of the card and cut with my 1" circle punch and then attached with additional Stampin Dimensionals.

Supplies

CS - SU!

Patterned Paper - Making Memories

Stamps - SU!

Ink - SU!, Ranger, Colorbox Queue

Ribbon - Bazzil