The Shabby Tea Room - Challenge #220

Ya know, sometimes it's just HARD being me!! ;)  I rushed to make a card, then rushed to take the picture and rushed to upload the picture to The Shabby Tea Room and even rushed to upload it in a blogger post and set it as a draft knowing that I would have plenty of time between Friday and Monday to write a little something up for y'all and post it on Monday morning...how well did that work out for me??? Jeeze!

Honestly I've been super busy (there's that treading water thing I talked about last week) and my ongoing pinched nerves issues (2 years now) that are just kicking my tushie these days. I had big plans for this weekend...hubby was at the Indy 500 so I had a nice quiet house. I planed on crafting, crafting, then maybe doing some crafting ohh and I was gonna get some crafting done ;) but it just didn't happen. I did get a little crafting in but the majority of my time was spent stretching out my muscles just like the physical therapist taught me to do so they'd release the bundles of nerves and just sitting on the couch in a comfortable position. While sitting on the couch I could have written this post but I totally FORGOT all about it!!! Sigh...I'm such an idiot! I apologize to everyone...I'm a slacker!!!

Well, better late than never??? Here's our beautiful inspiration picture...

I just want to get on that darling scooter and ride off somewhere...sigh!! ;)

This week we are to: INCLUDE SOMETHING WITH WHEELS, PINK, FLOWERS and BACKGROUND TEXTURE!

As soon as I saw our little inspiration picture I knew I had the perfect image to use and how it would look great with some of the background papers from our sponsor!

Digital Papers By Janet:

• Shabby Chic Banners 3
• Romantic Paper Roses 

DeNami Design

• Mimi On Scooter

Digital Papers by Janet - Etsy

 
 My name is Janet, I'm Polish, live in the south of Italy and the mother of two children!!  I am a printing technician by profession, but an artist by passion.  I really like to draw and photograph everything with my camera. I am in love with old graphics and illustrations, and I always have my colored markers and pencils around me to sketch with.  I'm so happy to be sponsoring this week's Tea Room challenge!

Janet

Tea Time Top Three first place winner will receive three collage files
Tea Time Top Three second place winner will receive two collage files

Tea Time Top Three third place winner will receive one collage file 

Please link your creations at TSTR by Sunday, June 1st to play along. Winner and Tea Time Terrific Top Three will be announced Monday, June 2nd. We will have an all-new challenge for you to play along with on the 2nd as well, so please come back and visit with us again for another chance to win!

Tips & Tricks - Mixing and matching your images

Wow, where has the time gone...when was the last time I made a little "Tips & Tricks" post? I've been sooooo busy and seem to have been struggling a lot lately with keeping up. Hopefully y'all haven't noticed my little glitches too much :/    all of you gals are so amazing and you have no idea how much I appreciate you visiting with me and the comments that you leave...all of you seriously ROCK!

Hi everyone! Thought I'd talk about just one of the many things I love about DeNami...that I can mix and match just about all of their images from old to new. I touched on this subject during another Tips & Tricks post last September and even made a little video, but I thought I'd revisit this and show you just how easily this mixing and matching can be accomplished! :)



When I first received my Solid Rose Accents stamp set I was smitten...it's sooo pretty!! As soon as I inked it up I knew just how to showcase it.....

 The decorative flourish came out quite some time ago, but look how great it pairs with the newer ornate flourish and solid rose accents.

 I could have also very easily added the following stamps...they all mix and match so perfectly!

classic leaves stamp set

elegant floral sprig

swirl

mini swirl flourish

Solid Leaf Vine

solid leaf sprig

 These are just a small handful that I thought of off the top of my head, there are many many more - so dig through your collection, I'm betting you have a lot of images that you can mix, match and bring a whole new life to!!

To make this a little fun and to prove just how easy this is, you leave me a comment naming any newer image and I will make a card using it, along with some older images...whatcha think, sound fun??

DeNami Design Inspired By.....

Weather it be from a magazine, blog hop or website like Pinterest, we are all inspired by things we see and create something based on that. I generally try to come up with brand new ideas but often look to the Internet for inspiration. When DeNami Design came out with their "Inspired By" feature featuring cards made by DeNami fans I was really excited...what fun!! Paulina from DeNami Design (and owner of Pretty Pink Posh) contacted me to let me know I've been selected to be featured and I couldn't have been more elated!  

How this works is that Paulina and Nami choose a fans card that uses DeNami stamps and then turn the design team loose to make a card inspired by the fans. I also had the opportunity to make an inspired by card to be featured along with the design team's cards and jumped at the chance to work with some seriously talented ladies! I am so thrilled to have been chosen!! Make sure to stop in at the DeNami blog to check out what the uber talented design team has made :)

As you know, when you're inspired by something it can be the shape, color, layout, theme, etc....

Here's my card that was chosen and a link to the original post...

Stamps Used:

• praying for you sentiment
• small flower spray
• small spring flowers

As I mentioned in my post for the DeNami hop this past Sunday, I just love a white panel on a white card base...something so elegant about that to me. Instead of scoring the panel like I did for that butterfly card I ran it through a dry embossing folder (stamp your sentiment before embossing). I layered a piece of charcoal card stock with a punched edge then a small piece of black cardstock and finally a piece of white cardstock that I had stamped. I finished it all off with a pretty bow and some bling. 

Using that layout, sentiment placement and the embossed panel for my inspiration, I came up with this new card...

I started with a black base and added a white dry embossed panel (stamp sentiment before embossing). To that I added a piece of black and a piece of cardstock that I had edge punched before adding another white panel. I punched scallop squares, stamped, colored and layered them then stamped the cute little bee. I finished it all up with some bling and yummy ribbon from Pretty Pink Posh.

Stamps Used:

• Happy Birthday sentiment
• Summer Flowers set
• Curly Bee

Well I hope you like both cards and I'm just tickled pink to have been chosen for this months inspiration! Don't forget to check out what the talented DeNami Design team has made using my card for inspiration :)

The Shabby Tea Room #219 - Pretty in pink

Hello and welcome to another fun challenge at The Shabby Tea Room!!

Isn't this weeks picture beautiful??

Create a card or project inspired by the photo and INCLUDE FLOWERS and/or BALLOONS!  *Bonus point if you use BOTH!

FOR YOUR SUBMISSION TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE WEEKLY PRIZE AND HONORS: Because we are sponsored weekly by wonderful businesses who have graciously donated products and in the interest of fairness to all participants, any entries that do not follow our simple challenge rules will remain in the gallery but will not be eligible for the weekly prizes and top honors. Thanks for your understanding and participation!

This week we are brought to you by Bugaboo Stamps!! 

                                                  Store : http://www.bugaboostamps.com

Catch the bug Challenge blog:  http://catchthebugblog.blogspot.com

Ready to see what I made? It was hard deciding what image to choose as Bugaboo has so many that I just LOVE! I was really torn between doing something cutsie and fun or lean more towards pretty. In the end I decided on one of my favorite images.....

I printed my image from "my pictures" on my computer (I chose the wallet sized option) onto white cardstock I had put into my printer. The tulips just seems to need to be watercolored so I pulled out my pencils and gamsol but then changed my mind and pulled out my ink pads and water brush instead. I dabbed ink onto a clear block then picked it up using a water brush. Even though I just used regular old Michael's brand cardstock instead of watercolor paper it came out great. I'm feeling pretty darn accomplished about this little card because it was was all (except the card base and doily) made from scraps!! I'm always trying to use those up and it usually seems impossible! 

Please link your creations at The Shabby Tea Room by Sunday, May 25th to play along. Winner and Tea Time Terrific Top Three will be announced Monday, May 26th. We will have an all-new challenge for you to play along with on the 26th as well, so please come back and visit with us again for another chance to win!

DeNami Design April 2014 Blog Hop - The Skys The Limit

Hi everyone, are you ready for another fun AND inspirational hop brought to you by DeNami Design? This moth's theme is The Skys The Limit!

When: The blog hop starts on May 18th, 2014 at 6 AM, PST. However, you have until May 19th, 11:59 pm PST, to leave comments on all the blogs (to be eligible for a prize).

Why: To be inspired by fun DeNami Design creations and also the chance to win mini shopping sprees on the DeNami Design website!

Prizes: We are giving away THREE $20 gift certificates to our website! We'll be giving away one gift certificate to a random participant (DT members not eligible) and then we'll also be giving away TWO gift certificates to TWO people who comment along the hop!

You should have arrived here from the uber talented Pattie Goldman's blog but if you didn't no worries, the full list of participants is on the DeNami Design blog!

Ready to see what I have to share with you today? I had issues deciding what stamps to use because DeNami has sooo many little cuties that would work with this theme...cloud, airplane, balloons, hot air balloon, cute little winged critters (just to name a few)...Paulina was right, the sky's the limit with this fun theme!

I've always been partial to the pretty little kite and since I haven't used it in ages I decided to pull it out.

I pulled out a new 6X6 paper pad that I had recently gotten (swoon) and found some bright and fun patterns. I stamped the kite then again on a scrap of patterned paper so I could pop it up on foam tape. I just love my little candy striped clouds...a recent purchase from Paper Smooches and finished it all off with a few pieces of bling and springtime sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Stamps Used:

Fly A Kite

Assorted Greetings petit four set

I couldn't resist being an over achiever ;) (hehehe) so I made up a little something using my favorite butterfly stamp too.

I just love a white on white card with a pop of color! I scored the white panel then cut the top at a wavy angle and attached butterflies that I had stamped and fussy cut. Fast card to put together and it makes a statement...that's a win win! ;) Can you see the subtle sparkle in my butterflies...I stamped them in several colors of Brilliance Ink. I just love that ink :)

Stamps Used:
Polka Dot Butterfly
Heartfelt Greetings petit four set

Well that's it for me today, now off you go to visit with Jennifer Loftfield...I can't wait to see what she has in store for us! Don't forget to leave comments along the way for a chance in the random drawing for a DeNami gift certificate!!

Creations By AR - May 2014 Blog Hop - Designers Choice

Hi everyone and welcome to another fun filled blog hop brought to you by Creations By AR! This month we are changing things up a little and doing "Designers Choice"! How fun because you get to see our favorite templates and how we like to use them! I have no idea what templates the other gals are using and am curious to see if any of us picked the same one!! Ready to get started - here's the deets:

Designer's Choice Hop Info May 13

Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Post to go live:
Pacific:  3:00 AM
Central:  5:00 AM
Eastern:  6:00 AM
GB:  10:00 AM
Costa Rica:  4:00 AM

PRIZE:
One template of your choice

HOW TO QUALIFY TO WIN:
• Leave comments on each DT blog
• Leave comment on AR Facebook Page on which template is your favorite or which one you'd would like to win:

Comments accepted until Friday, May 16, 12:00 noon Eastern
One winner will be chosen from AR FB Page and will be announced March 17 on FB

I have so many favorites that it was hard to choose!! I finally decided on something that I thought y'all may like because it's so versatile. The Lil' Bear template is meant to be more of a tag since it doesn't open like a traditional card.  However, I've changed it up and made it into an open-able card with just one easy peasy little step!

To make the card so that it opens, I simply cut out an extra bear shape and attached it to the back of the tag

 I scored the 2nd bear I cut from plain card stock just under the ears and attached it with my ATG tape runner then stamped another inside. (all stamps used are from DeNami Design -boy bear- and Paper Sweeties -girl bear-)

Well I hope you liked my little bears as much as I do :) now off you go to visit with the other designers:

• Adela
• Doris
• Patti J
• Julia
• Tina  <----- you are here :)
• Monica
• Sue K
• Lisa E

Hope you enjoyed this stop along the hop and don't forget to leave comments along the way to be eligible in the random drawing to win a template of your choice!!

The Shabby Tea Room challenge #218 - "Tea Party"

Hi everyone and welcome to my turn to pick the theme for The Shabby Tea Room!!! I came upon the prettiest picture on Pinterest and couldn't resist using it for a challenge!

I ask that you INCLUDE A TEA CUP/TEA POT OR PETIT FOUR/SWEET TREAT, LACE/RIBBON and PEARLS!

This week I'd like to introduce you to The Paper Temptress! Ohh my goodness, the first time I ever visited her I was overwhelmed and blown away by the selection of cardstocks and specialty papers!!! I was excited to select a few pieces to work with and can't wait to fill up my little "shopping cart" with a few more wonderful selections right away! I don't care much for the thin cheap cardstocks that my big box stores carry so I am overjoyed to find really great paper at a great price!!

Ohh how I'd love to be at that tea party, how pretty!! Here's what I created....

Looking at the inspiration picture immediately made me think of the Best Wishes stamp set by Paper Sweeties. I just adore the wedding cake and pretty frame that the sentiments fit in. My papers came this weeks sponsor, The Paper Temptress. I had some beautiful and elegant papers to play with that were perfect for this little card.  The silver paper has a beautiful swirl pattern and iridescence that creates a beautiful "texture" and shimmer. The teal cardstock has an iridescence as well and is simply beautiful. The black card base is hard to describe, it's a heavy weight cardstock that's smooth but the feel of it is so soft and silky feeling, it's hard to believe it's paper not material...I kind of just want to sit around rubbing it, lol! ;)

Paper Temptress products:

Black (plike black text)

Lagoon (Mica/Metallic) 

Retro Silver Lustre 

This week's lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate from Paper Temptress!

Please link your creations at The Shabby Tea Room by Sunday, May 18th to play along. Winner and Tea Time Terrific Top Three will be announced Monday, May 19th. We will have an all-new challenge for you to play along with on the 19th as well, so please come back and visit with us again for another chance to win!