Pickle Post #25 - AMuse Blog Weekly Challenge!

Hi there! Happy Monday!

It's time for a new challenge on the AMuse Challenge Blog! This week's challenge, hosted by our very own Pamela, is to use twine on your creations. Easy peasy, right? So get creative and enter the challenge this week for a chance to win some AMuse Studio goodies! The more the merrier, I always say!

You don't have to use AMuse Studio products to participate, but if you own some, we would love to see them in your creations. Remember - you must be 18 or older and live in the U.S. to qualify to win the AMuse prize of the week. Here is what I created for the challenge.

My 'Love You to the Core' Card:

My little apple card is sweet and super simple. :) I carefully inked my apple and sentiment with Grass, Cherry and French Roast pigment ink - it's one stamp, so thank goodness for baby wipes! I used Nesties to cut my circle base and oval layers. I layered the ovals on the circle and then glued Cherry Bakers Twine around the edge and tied a bow at the bottom. The finishing touch - a heart shaped twinkle sticker in the center of the apple - you know how I love bling! :) 

Stuff I Used (all AMuse Studio products): 
Stamps - 'Love Conquers All'
Cardstock - Vanilla, Latte Woodgrain
Ink - Grass, Cherry, French Roast
Nesties - Classic Circles & Ovals
Other Stuff - Cherry Bakers Twine, Heart Twinkle Stickers, Crystal Clear Glaze (as glue for the twine)

We are gaining lots of support and fabulous followers on the challenge blog - we need YOU to come join the fun this week! Thanks for stopping by today!

Pickle Post #24 - AMuse Blog Weekly Challenge!

Hi there! Happy Monday!

It's time for a new challenge on the AMuse Challenge Blog! This week's challenge hosted by our very own Amber is to create your own embellishments for your creations. Some suggestions - color your own pearls, flowers or ribbon, create ribbon flowers, etc.

You don't have to use AMuse Studio products to participate, but if you own some, we would love to see them in your creations. I hope you will enter the challenge this week for a chance to win some AMuse goodies! Remember - you must be 18 or older and live in the U.S. to qualify to win the AMuse prize of the week. Here is what I created for the challenge.

My 'Joy' Card:

It's still a bit too hot in Arizona to feel like it's fall. A little hard to be in holiday card mode, but I decided to create a Christmas card in the nice cool air conditioning. :) I used a maple wooden tag as my DIY embellishment. I applied a base of sugar pigment ink and blended in winter sky (light blue) pigment ink. Then I stamped 'joy' and the holly with blackberry, currant and sage inks. After it dried, I added some diamond glitter to the holly berries using my handy dandy Quickie Glue pen. I embossed the 'from our home to yours' sentiment, then cut out the card base and top layer with my circle Nesties. Pearls added to the scalloped edges finish off the card.

Stuff I Used (All AMuse Studio Products): 
Stamps: 'Mini Holiday Messages', 'Nordic Noel'
Cardstock: Currant, Fern
Ink: Sugar, Winter Sky, Currant, Blackberry, Fern
Nesties: Circles, Scalloped Circles
Other Stuff: 2" Maple Wooden Tags, White Embossing Powder, Creative Candy (Pretty Pearls), Diamond Glitter, Quickie Glue

I can't wait to see what you create! Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Pickle Post #23 - Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown!

Hi there!
Today I am thrilled to share a card I was asked to create as a sample for this weekly challenge at the OWH Stars & Stamps Blog - the Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown!

If you aren't familiar with the work of this amazing, tireless organization, check it out HERE.

With the help of countless card makers like you and me, there is a love line of cards and communication between those who are serving in the armed forces and their loved ones back home. I just started my creative box of love that I will send to the OWH mailroom as soon as it's full!

The theme for this week's challenge is 'It's a Bug's Life'. Here is what I created!

My "Bright Bug" Card:

My card is standard A2 size with lots of paper piecing! I used one of my go to favorites - Paper Smooches stamps - along with some yummy Cosmo Cricket paper to create a happy colorful card. I curled the lightning bug's wings a bit for dimension. It's blank inside because I thought it could be used as a Miss You, Love You or Thank You card or simply as a means for writing a letter home to loved ones!

Stuff I Used:
Stamps - Paper Smooches 'Giddy Bugs'
Paper - Cosmo Cricket 'Early Bird' 6x6 Paper Pad, AMuse Studio Cardstock in Vanilla & Buttercup
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black & Rhubarb Stalk

So get out your bug stamps and join in on this week's fun challenge - there's goodies to be won and smiles to be shared! Thanks so much for stopping by today - THAT makes ME smile! :)

Pickle Post #22 - Our Very Happy Anniversary!

Hi there. Let's catch up some more! :)

Over Labor Day weekend, Hubby and I took a lovely vacation to southern California to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. I can't believe how fast the past two happy years have flown by! It seems like just yesterday that Hubby and I had a beautiful tiny wedding in Chicago.

This is one of my favorite wedding photos - I have it framed in our bedroom. We were so happy that day and I can honestly say we are even happier today! I am very blessed to have this amazing man in my life! He is my bestest friend and the absolute love of my life! I made him an anniversary card but I didn't want to post it here before he saw it in person. It's super cutesy but he loved it. Here it is. :)

My Anniversary Card to Hubby:

It was so hectic before we left on our trip that I had to make a card in record time. I remembered having these super cute Penny Black Hedgie stickers & SRM Sticker sentiments that were perfect for this creative occasion. I found a great tutorial for a window tri-fold card and tweaked it a little to create the window with my Nesties die. It's not a manly card - and we all know I am not good with masculine cards - but it is romantic, sweet and sentimental! :)

Stuff I Used:
Penny Black Stickeroos 'A Bunch of Love', SRM 'Forever' Stickers
Stamps - Penny Black '...everything', AMuse Studio 'Hand Scripted', 'Tweetheart'
Cardstock - AMuse Studio Latte Woodgrain, Sage, Sage/White Gingham
Nesties - Labels 4, Curved Rectangles
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Here is one more photo at our fabulous anniversary dinner at the Blue Point restaurant (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) in San Diego - it's a bit dark because we were out on the dimly lit patio, but I think you can see the smiles. We were blessed to have some of my family there to celebrate with us!

Forever with Hubby is truly my happy place! Thanks for letting me share our happiness with you!

Pickle Post #21 - AMuse Blog Weekly Challenge - Get Out Your Ribbon!

Hi there! Long time, no posts! Hope you missed me! ;)

I was away on vacation celebrating my wedding anniversary with my wonderful hubby (more on that in an upcoming post) and now I am playing creative catch up. So let's get to it!

It's time for a new challenge on the AMuse Challenge Blog! This week's challenge hosted by our very own Tobey is Ribbons A Plenty - just use some ribbon on your creations and enter them into our challenge! Remember you don't have to use AMuse products to participate, but if you own some, we would love to see them in your creations. Remember - you must be 18 or older and live in the U.S. to qualify to win the AMuse prize of the week. Here is what I created for the challenge.

My 'You're a Hoot' Card:

I used the AMuse stamp set 'Owl's Well'- whoooo doesn't LOVE owls? :) I stamped the owls onto various colors of cardstock, colored them with Copics and paper pieced them. The owl at the center of attention was stamped on white cardstock that was stamped with yellow polka dots. Then I did some paper piecing with orange and white gingham cardstock. I created a branch with leaves using stitched ribbon and attached it to the card with double sided adhesive tape. I lined up our feathered friends on the branch and popped them up with 3D foam adhesive.

Stuff I Used (all AMuse Studio Products):
Stamps - Owl's Well, Polka Dot Patterns
Cardstock - Sugar, Vanilla, Latte, Sky, French Roast, Orange/White Gingham
Copics - E57, YR09
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Buttercup & French Roast
Other Stuff - Lime & French Roast Stitched Ribbon, 1/4" Super Stick Double Sided Tape, 3D Foam Adhesive, Quickie Glue pen

I hope you will play along this week for a chance to win some AMuse goodies! Thanks for stopping by today!