Pickle Post #44 - Christmas in July!

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday to you!

Today I created a Christmas card in July for the current challenge over at the A Muse Studio Challenge Blog! This is to celebrate the new Christmas catalog full of holiday stuff that will be available on August 1 - I will have a link in my sidebar when you can sneak a peek at the new goodies!

There's still a week left to enter your crafty Christmas creations to win some A Muse Studio goodies! So I hope you will come on over and join us! Here is what I created for the challenge.

My 'Christmas in July' Card:

I love the traditional stuff for Christmas - red, green and kraft are perfect. The buttons and twine give that old fashioned Christmas feel. Just simple happy holiday wishes - a reminder of home and family! Even if it is 99 degrees and I am in a tank top and shorts, which is cool July weather for us LOL! Arizona is not the place you think of when you think of Christmas - even in December when it's dry and cold, it sure isn't the North Pole!

Stuff I Used (all A Muse Studio products):
Stamps - Say It With Style
Cardstock - Kraft, Candy Cane Stripe, Evergreen
Ink - Cherry, Evergreen
Other Stuff - Toffee Twine, Cherry Buttons

I hope this gives you a little pre-holiday spirit to get a jump start on your Christmas cards and crafty creations!

 

Pickle Post #43 - Yoo Hoo! We have a winner! :)

Hi there! How are you, my friends?

Sorry I have been SO absent. Again. A lot of stuff drops onto my plate sometimes and time gets away from me. Between allergy headaches (evil twins of MIGRAINES), work, the lovely Arizona heat (up to 113 degrees this week) and a very sick kitty, I have been pretty tapped out.

So I haven't posted ANY birthday cards. Great way to celebrate my own blog birthday, huh?
I also realized I forgot to choose the winner of my blog candy! UGH...SO SORRY.
Well, I always say better late then never! So let's play catch up!

This birthday card was created for my brother - created with a private joke between us in mind.
The sentiment (by Paper Smooches) actually reads 'Woo Hooo', but I changed it to 'Yoo Hooo' as this is how we say hello to each other LOL! Here's what I created.

My 'Happy Bird Day' Card:

Some of my favorite techniques are used here - paper piecing, Copic coloring...and my favorite kraft cardstock. I just LOVE this chubby owl. And the party bird on the inside just cracks me up! Paper Smooches are by far some of my all time favorite stamps. So fun and so darn cute!

Stuff I Used:
Stamps - Paper Smooches Chubby Chums & Birthday Buddies
Paper - Basic Grey Offbeat & Marjolaine, A Muse Studio Kraft CS
Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa
Dies - MFT Die-Namics Branch with Leaves, Nesties Circles
Copics - BG72, BG75, BG78, YR12, YR65, E47


**Without further delay - the winner of my Blog Birthday Candy is...ELINE JANSENS!**  
She is one of my new blog buddies! Please check out her new blog - she is VERY talented!
Eline - please contact me (there's a link on my sidebar) with your mailing address.  Congrats!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all of you for your kind comments, for sharing my blog candy, for following me and for being my crafty friends! You are proof that it's a small world after all!
I have more posts in the works, so stay tuned! Thank you for stopping by!

Pickle Post #42 - A Muse Studio Challenge - Hot Diggity DAD!

TO VIEW MY BLOG CANDY - CLICK HERE. Check it out - there's crafty fun stuff to be WON!

Hi there! How are you today, friends? :)

I am a little behind on my post for the current A Muse Studio Challenge, but I always say better late than never! The challenge theme is Father's Day. I have said before that masculine cards are NOT my forte', but I like the challenge. It makes it that much harder because my dad is not the easiest to create for. I aim for humor when I create for Dad and I thought my card turned out rather cute... *ahem* FUN. :) Here is what I created!

My Father's Day Card:

So my dad is a 'grill king' - this is what I call all men who master the art of the grill! He is not a hot dog eater, but 'Here's To The Burger King' isn't an A Muse sentiment YET. :) Still - isn't it fun? Gotta love the ketchup red and mustard yellow chevrons! I stamped this on kraft because it is eternally masculine AND I didn't have to color the hot dog buns. There is a method to my madness. :) The yellow pennant seemed to fit in perfectly. Since A Muse doesn't have 'Dad' as a sentiment, I took another stamp that said Happy BirthDAy and used the letters to create it as well as the exclamation point. Ah, the art of crafty improv!

Here is the inside of the card:

See the beer foam? That's Le Pouf, a dimensional 'paint' that puffs when you heat it! LOVE that stuff - great for Santa hats and snow on Christmas cards, too! :)

Stuff I Used (All A Muse Studio Products):
Stamps - Hey, Man!, Say It With Style, Birthday Greetings (letters used for DAD)
Cardstock - Kraft,Buttercup, Cherry
Ink - Papaya, Cherry, Memento Tuxedo Black
Copics - hot dogs Y17, R24 beer E33, E37
Other Stuff - Cupcake Toppers Dies, Le Pouf Dimensional Paint

I hope you will enter your Father's Day creations into the challenge - you don't have to use A Muse products, but if you do, you get two entries per link! So come on over and join in the fun for your chance to win some A Muse goodies of your very own!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I really appreciate you being here! :)

Pickle Post #41 - Picklelicious Candy for My Blog Birthday!

Hi there! Happy Sunday to everyone! :) It's my Blog Birthday TODAY!

Hard to believe it's been a year since I embarked on my blogging journey. To thank all of you for your sweet comments and kind support, I am giving away some 'Share Crafty Love & Pickles' blog candy! :)

My goal has always been to increase my base of crafty friends (I do consider my followers as my friends!) and just have fun with my blog. I don't want a center stage spot in the crafting world - I just love being a part of the crafting world! Making new friends and sharing creative ideas with other artists is most important to me - cuz THAT is what we are - ARTISTS.  :) And who doesn't love some kudos along the way?

I would be over the moon if you would help me spread the word and meet new friends by posting my candy to your blog or wherever your crafty friends are. I am opening this to my international friends because I have many of them too! :) Hooray!

If I can double my follower base in the next 30 days, everyone will get double the chances to win! If you can't follow me through Google, you can sign up for my posts via e-mail - let me know if you follow or subscribe to my posts in your comments. If you post the candy to your blog or somewhere else like Facebook to give your crafty friends the chance to win, please leave me a comment and that will give you extra chances as well.  

Sharing the candy will help you win! I will choose the winner on Sunday, July 8.
I will post birthday cards throughout the next few weeks to celebrate, so watch for those posts as well.

I just really appreciate each and every one of you - there are so many things I have learned because of YOUR shared creativity. This blog would not exist if it wasn't for all of YOU inspiring ME each and every day!

Thank you for your love and support this past year! Here's to many more! Happy Blog Birthday to ME. :)

Pickle Post #40 - In Sunshine & In Shade

Hi again! Today I am staying indoors to avoid the lovely summer heat here. 

YIKES - the forecast for Phoenix is 102 degrees. So there's no better time to get some crafty things done, right? All while enjoying the nice air conditioning in my craft room! :)

So if you are somewhere there's rain or chilly weather (like Alaska LOL), here's a little card to brighten your day! It's another simple card with the focus on the sentiment using A Muse products. I have a special friend in mind for this one.

My Friends in Sunshine & Shade Card:

I used my circle Nesties and nice bright cardstock to create this happy little card. I think I will make another one where I emboss the little orange sun on the front and use some different colors, but this one still makes me smile. :)

Stuff I Used (all A Muse Studio Products):
Stamps - Sunshine & Shade (sentiment), Calendar Fun (smiling sun)
Cardstock - Buttercup, Orange
Ink - Bellini, Memento Tuxedo Black
Other Stuff - Spellbinders Circles & Scalloped Circles, White Pearls (colored with Copic marker YR09)

So please enjoy a little sunshine cuz we have more than enough! :) Thanks for stopping by!

Pickle Post #39 - Just a Simple Hello

Hello again! Another post in the same week?? :) I even surprised myself!
I am in a creative mood and trying hard to keep it going! 

Nothing fancy today...just another simple card I created with the sentiment as the main focus using my A Muse Studio stuff. Both of my daughters have moved to far away places recently and I have been in the mood to create cards to send to them. Kind of a delayed empty nest syndrome of Mama missing the kids. :)

My 'Hello' Card:

I am loving blue and yellow together - maybe it's a sun and ocean summer thing? :) Simple layers, embossed polka dots, a scalloped border and a tiny bouquet of yellow flowers. Such a colorful way to say hello, don't you think? 

Stuff I Used (All A Muse Studio products):
Stamps - Say It With Style, Calendar Fun
Cardstock - Sugar, Buttercup, Sky, Cobalt, Navy
Ink - Navy, Buttercup, Lime
Other Stuff - Scallop Border Dies, Medium Dots Embossing Plate

Thank you for stopping by to say hello! :)

Pickle Post #38 - My Sentiments Exactly

Hi there! Time flies when you are busy... and always behind. :)
It's been a while since I posted and I am taking advantage of the long weekend to catch up!

This week, I am the hostess for the current challenge at the AMuse Studio Challenge Blog. My theme is Let's Get Sentimental and use a sentiment as the focal point for your card or creation. I hope you will join us over at the Challenge Blog - you now have two weeks to enter your creations and if you use AMuse Studio products, each entry gives you two chances to win! Please come on over and join us!

So we all know I am very challenged when it comes to creating simple stuff - my creative brain wants to add more rather than less. :) I am actively practicing the 'less is more' mantra and I hope you enjoy what I created.

My 'Miss You' Card:

Sweet and super simple! I used my favorite polka dotted paper and kept it neutral so my sentiment would stand out. I love my new AMuse Studio dies so I had to use them. Since I can't just leave simple alone, I added a glittered heart with a sparkly rhinestone heart. My creative brain told me to do it LOL! I really love the way it turned out!

Stuff I Used (All AMuse Studio Products): 
Stamps - Say It With Style, Calendar Fun
Cardstock - Sugar, Cranberry, Black & White Petite Polka Dot
Ink - Onyx, Versamark
Other Stuff - Vintage Dies 2, Cranberry Glitter, Clear Heart Twinkle Sticker, Clear Embossing Powder, Simple Stick Powder 

I have a couple other cards I created with this theme in mind - I will share those over the next week.
I still have that surprise I promised coming up soon - my Blog Birthday is just around the corner! :)

If you are in the U.S., I hope you are enjoying your long Memorial Day weekend! 
As always, I appreciate your sweet comments and thank you for stopping by today!

Pickle Post #37 - An AMuse challenge to 'die' for & a Retro Sketch too!

Hi friends! Another crazy week and time got away from me!

It's time for another challenge at the AMuse Studio Challenge Blog!  You have two weeks to enter your creations and you don't have to use AMuse products to enter, but if you do use AMuse, you get two chances to win per entry! We would LOVE to see your stuff and give you some goodies, so come on over and join us!

This week, our challenge theme is to use die cuts in your creations. I LOVE my AMuse dies! They cut so cleanly and there are so many fun choices! Here's what I created for this challenge:

Well, can you tell I love purple? :) So does my mom and I think she will love her Mother's Day card! My die cuts - the felt butterflies and the label. I stamped and embossed the strip across the card with one of our new background stamps - such a fun circle pattern! I can never quite capture the beauty and sparkle of stuff on my card with my little Kodak...I am looking for a new digital camera with better zoom capabilities!  I am thinking about a hybrid. Any suggestions? :)

Here's the inside - simple and pretty. I like room to write inside my cards. I LOVE these new butterfly stamps from AMuse - you will see more of these on future creations!

Stuff I Used (All AMuse Studio Products):
Stamps - Say It With Style, Mod Backgrounds 2, Vintage Labels, Papillon
Cardstock - Amethyst, Grape
Ink - Amethyst, Grape, Versamark
Dies - Vintage Labels, Butterflies Trio
Other Stuff - Heather Felt, Clear Twinkle Stickers (rhinestones and teardrops), White Embossing Powder

Sketchy Inspiration - Retro Sketches # 9 (I just LOVE what those talented girls come up with!)

More to come SOON...I have been promising a fun surprise and I think I will save it for my Blog Birthday ... 38 days and counting! Where does the time go??? :)

Thank you for stopping by!

Pickle Post #36 - Thanks Again!

Hi there! Sorry to be absent again. Just when I think I am back on track - so many things happen!

My internet was giving me fits for almost 3 weeks! Every afternoon from around 1-5 p.m., I had no service at all. That's the time I have available to do anything online, so I was not too happy! We finally got a tech out to fix it and I hope it stays fixed.

I am now battling a sinus infection (OH SO FUN) and I am just so tired. BLECK. :(
But I am working through it and playing catch up. 

And it's time for a new round of challenges over at the AMuse Studio Challenge Blog!
I am now design team coordinator and co-administrator of the blog - what a learning experience! :) We have 5 new team members, new crafty stuff to inspire you - and prizes just waiting for you! We also have a new format - we are now doing challenges bi-weekly to give more time to enter your crafty goodness. Come on over and join in! I would love to see YOU win some AMuse goodies to play with!

The theme of the April 16 challenge is Thank You Thank You Thank You! :)

Here is what I created for the challenge:

 

Isn't this AMuse stamp set fabulous? It makes me smile! I got my layout inspiration from the latest Retro Sketches challenge - I love the sketchy inspiration there! I was feeling summer coming on - it's supposed to be 100 degrees here in Arizona by Sunday, so I used sunny yellows and greens. And you know how I love polka dots. :) So I added the green polka dotted paper. Big surprise there LOL!

Stuff I Used (All AMuse Studio products):
Stamps - 'Tini Time
Cardstock - Sugar, Grass, Buttercup, Grass Polka Dot
Ink - Grass, Buttercup, Memento Tuxedo Black
Other Stuff - Scallop Border Dies

Retro Sketches Challenge #7

More fun stuff to follow...sooner than later this time!  :) Thanks for stopping by!

Pickle Post #35 - Thankful for You!

Hi there and happy Tuesday...well it may be Wednesday before you get this. :)

I was so darn busy last week that I got a little behind. I wasn't feeling great over the weekend, but I am getting back on track and feeling better so I have to get my posts up!

Thank you all for your support in light of my lengthy absence and my re-entry into the blogging world of crafty goodness! :) There are so many of you out there I truly consider my friends even though we haven't met in real life. I am so grateful for your creative inspiration and your sweet comments that give me a much needed boost!

In support of the AMuse Studio Challenge Blog, I created a card for this week's challenge. If you haven't joined us in a challenge, please do so! We would love to see what you create and give away some fun AMuse goodies - hopefully to YOU.

Here is the inspiration for this week's challenge:

Lovely colors, layers, florals, scallops...so much inspiration to choose from. :)

Here is what I created for the challenge:

I wanted my card to be simple to bring focus to the AMuse shimmer cardstock I used - I LOVE IT.  It is one of my favorite 'go to's' at the moment! I tried so many angles to photograph the sheen of it but it is so much prettier in person! I love blues and browns together so I worked with those colors. I am drawn to the stitching, scallops and florals in the picture. That inspired the rest of the card. The polka dotted flowers are another favorite of mine. They just make me happy. :)

Stuff I Used (All AMuse Studio Products):
Stamps - 'Life is a Song'
Cardstock - Sugar & French Roast Shimmer, Bermuda Polka Dot
Ink - French Roast
Dies - Flowers 2, Scallop Borders, Spellbinders Scalloped Rectangles
Other Stuff - Bermuda Buttons, French Roast Stitched Ribbon, Clear Embossing Powder

AND I still have a fun surprise in store...I have to get that post put together to share with you.
I am eternally behind LOL! :) Stay tuned...

Thanks for stopping by today!

Pickle Post #34 - Where in the world is Mrs. Pickle?...and an AMuse Challenge!

Hi there! I have missed you, my crafty friends! HOW ARE YOU?!

I guess the bigger question is how am I? It's been a LONG time since I last posted. Life has been crazy hectic! Work, lack of sleep, family stuff and schedule changes all took their toll on me...I truly lost my mojo. :(

No matter what I did to rekindle my creative energy, projects just sat on my craft desk - half done, sad, forlorn, gathering dust. Seriously I was just in no mood to make or finish anything.

Then I sustained a workout injury to my leg and hip right in December that wouldn't allow me to sit or stand or even lay down for lengthy periods of time without major pain. Try crafting while in pain and lacking mojo...no fun!

I am just about back to 100% and I am finally getting back on track! To all of you who handle chronic illness, full time (or even very busy part time) jobs and family obligations and still post your creativity to your blog on a regular basis - I salute you! :)

My goal is to keep posting at least twice a week. I am working on some new projects to post, but today I am going to share what I created for the weekly AMuse Studio Challenge! I am this week's hostess and my theme is 'Bloom Where You Are Planted' - to create something with flowers. Use flower stamps, paper, felt - whatever puts you in the mood for Spring! Come and join us over at the challenge blog for a chance to win some free AMuse goodies! :)

Here is what I created - it is in honor of YOU, all of my crafty friends who still love me! :)

My flowers are created using blue satin ribbon that I twisted and glued onto big glue dots. I accented them with ivory pearls and stamped leaves. That fabulous blue chevron ribbon is new from AMuse - LOVE IT. The white face of the card is embossed with a diamond pattern and placed onto blue shimmer cardstock, which is GORGEOUS in person but so hard to capture with my little Kodak camera. You can kind of see the shimmer at the top of the card. The sentiment is stamped with black pigment ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

Stuff I Used (all AMuse Studio products):
Stamps-True Blue Friend, Leaves Trio
Cardstock-Sugar, Bermuda Shimmer
Ink-Onyx and Grass pigment ink
Other Stuff-Harlequin/Woodgrain Embossing Plate, Bermuda Satin Ribbon and Chevron Ribbon, Ivory Pretty Pearls 
  
Thank you for stopping by to visit after such a LONG LONG time. :) 
I am so happy to be back and blogging! I will have more stuff to post and a fun surprise to share by week's end - so stay tuned!

Pickle Post #33 - AMuse Blog Weekly Challenge

Hi there! Happy Monday! It's time for a new challenge on the AMuse Challenge Blog! 

This week's challenge is hosted by ME. Hooray! :) It's my first time hosting an AMuse challenge and I am SO excited! My challenge is to create a Thanksgiving card or a holiday themed thank you card. It's that time of year again  - I hope you will get into the holiday spirit, get creative and enter the challenge this week for a chance to win these AMuse Studio goodies!

Who doesn't love free goodies? So please enter your creations! 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:

Since we generally don't have leaves changing color here in autumn in Arizona, I decided to create some for my card. :) I used pigment ink in fall colors on sponge daubers to create the colorful leaves. The leaves by the sentiment are embossed with satin pearl embossing powder. I chose cardstock in fall colors to pull the card together. Brown stitched ribbon and pearls add the finishing touches.

Stuff I Used (all AMuse Studio products):
Stamps - 'Autumn Beauty'
Cardstock - Cherry, Vanilla, Latte
Ink - Latte, French Roast, Papaya, Sage, Fern, Evergreen, Orange, Cherry
Other Stuff - Satin Pearl Embossing Powder, French Roast Stitched Ribbon, Chocolate Pearls

I am thankful you stopped by today - I hope you will join me over at the AMuse Challenge Blog this week!

Pickle Post #32 - AMuse Blog Weekly Challenge

Hi there! It's time for a new challenge on the AMuse Challenge Blog!

This week's challenge, hosted by our very own Carla, is to dry emboss on your project.
Easy peasy, right? So I hope you get creative and enter the challenge this week for a chance to win AMuse Studio goodies! Who doesn't love free goodies? No tricks, just treats! So please enter your creations!

You don't have to use AMuse Studio products to participate, but if you own some, we would love to see them used 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 - it's a colorful twist on Halloween! :)

My 'Pick of the Patch' Card: 

This card was planned to be part of last week's AMuse color challenge, but it just wasn't coming together right. Maybe I needed to get closer to Halloween to have the right inspiration! :) The pumpkins and sentiment tag are stamped with pigment ink. The faces are embossed with white embossing powder. The pearls on the tag are colored with Copics. The card base is embossed with a nifty impression plate that is two sided - diamond pattern on one side, woodgrain on the other. Double the fun!

Stuff I Used (All AMuse Studio Products): 
Stamps - 'Happy Jacks', 'Mad for Plaids' (zig zag border)
Cardstock - Vanilla, Kraft
Ink - Bubblegum, French Roast, Grass
Other Stuff - Harl/Woodgrain Impression Plate, White Embossing Powder, Versamark Ink, Pearls, Copic Marker E59

Thanks for stopping by today! Leave some love for the team on the challenge blog too!

Pickle Post #31 - Happy Halloween!

Hi there and Happy Halloween!

I wanted to create more cards for today, but this one took a little more time than I thought it would.
It's all about the details! :) I really LOVE the way it turned out and I hope you like it too!

My "Happy Halloween" Card:

I started out using this adorable 'Night Things' stamp from Penny Black. I stamped it a few times and cut out the spider, cat and owl so I could pop them up. I colored all of them with Copics. That perfect background paper from Cosmo Cricket's Matilda paper pad. The sentiment is stamped on a die cut rectangle that I inked with gray and black distress ink. The ghost has a crinkly tissue paper layer glued on top to give him dimension - it was so hard to photograph it so you can see how cute he looks, but I tried!

Stuff I Used: 
Stamps - Penny Black 'Night Things', The Girls Paperie 'Toil & Trouble' (sentiment)
Cardstock/Paper - Cosmo Cricket 'Matilda' 6x6 paper pad, Creative Memories Purple CS, AMuse Studio Vanilla CS
Nesties - Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles
Other Stuff - Black Soot & Pumice Stone Distress Ink, Diamond Glaze, Stampin' Up Dimensionals
Lotsa Copics -

I hope you enjoy a safe and super fun Halloween! Thanks for stopping by!

Pickle Post #30 - OWH Benefit Fundraiser Blog Hop

Hi there and welcome! 

You should have arrived here from Sandy's blog - wasn't her card adorable?! 

Today is a special day because this blog hop kicks off a benefit for Operation Write Home!!  For those of you who aren't familiar with Operation Write Home, they are a non-profit group that collects handmade cards (over a million, so far!) to send to those in the armed forces deployed overseas. Beautiful cards are created by creative crafters like you and me so those serving overseas can communicate with their families and friends back home. OWH is a fantastic organization!

In order to send the thousands of cards that will go out during the holidays, OWH needs extra funds for shipping - about $13,000! - and that is where two digi designers would like to help. :)

Katlyn of KnK Designs has teamed up with Deedee Anderson to create 7 digi sets that are perfect for your OWH cards - or any cards, for that matter!  ALL of the proceeds for these sets (minus PayPal fees) will be donated to OWH - EVERY BIT OF IT!  You can buy the sets separately or in a bundle at KnK Designs HERE- and they are ADORABLE!

If digis aren't your cup of tea but you still want to help, you can donate directly to OWH HERE. I hope you will support such a worthy cause and bring smiles to the faces of many heroes and their loved ones this holiday season!

And what's a blog hop without some candy? :) 

K 'n K Designs has wonderful prize packages for 2 lucky winners! Your comment will enter you into the prize drawing and the winners will be announced Monday, October 24th!  So be sure to leave a comment on each blog so you have a chance to win!

Here is one of the cards I created using the Juniper Bunny digi offered at KnK Designs:

My bunny and the surrounding scene is colored with Copics and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. I layered the card with some fun paper from My Minds Eye. The heart circle is a cute stamp from Bo Bunny and for the finishing touches - AMuse Studio cherry bakers twine and a handmade red heart button by Jane Beljo.

Now hop along to your next stop at Carol's blog - she has some fabulous creations to share! Don't forget to pick up all of those cute digis at KnK Designs!

Thank you so much for hopping by today...and for supporting OWH!

Pickle Post #29 - Spooky Fun Cards with Copics!

Hi there! Sorry I have been kinda absent from the ol' blog!

I started my new job and my schedule has been crazy, so I am tired and lacking creative energy. Last week was orientation - hit the snooze button please LOL! My brain hurts from all of the Power Point presentations and computer stuff and processes! :) Too much sitting and thinking...but it's nice to have extra money to save for my big trip to India with Hubby in the spring! 

Last weekend I was able to go to a Copic crop at my LSS and renew my coloring mojo a bit! I also got to meet one of my fabulous blog buddies, Jan and her talented friend, Dagmar. Talk about fun! I felt like I have known them forever and I can't wait to color with them again soon! It was a lot of coloring for me in one day - there was a shadows and shading class with Jennie Black plus airbrushing galore make and takes included in the crop. I was pretty wiped out by the end of the day, but we made some super cute Halloween cards I wanted to share.

My 'Little Witch' Card (design by Kelly Wann & Danielle Johnson):

This card had a lot of steps but it turned out SOOOOO CUTE! The base was layered with designer paper. The little witch and sentiment were stamped on vanilla cardstock. I airbrushed the edges of the background with Copics, leaving a 'moon glow' center to highlight the image. I sprayed the airbrushed area with a Mini Mister filled with colorless blender. It blended the ink together and gave a speckled effect. The witch, cat, pumpkin and broom were colored with Copics. Gold Stickles made the stars sparkly.

My 'Goth Girl' Card (design by Danielle Johnson):

This card background was also airbrushed and the images were colored with Copics. Not a whole lot of shading because the images are small. Not fancy, just fun! It was much easier than the first card!

Supply lists were not given to us, but I know the names of some of the stamps we used:
Impression Obsession - 'Little Witch'
Inkadinkado - 'Goth Girl' and 'Freaky Halloween' sentiment

I am part of a fun blog hop later this week and I am catching up on my coloring projects, so stay tuned for some pickleicious new stuff. Thanks so much for dropping by today!

Pickle Post #28 - 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 Sherry, is to use stamps to create a custom background.
Easy peasy, right? So get creative and enter the challenge this week for a chance to win AMuse Studio goodies! Who doesn't love free goodies? So please enter your creations!

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 'Autumn Blessings' Card:

I wanted to create something simple but elegant for this challenge. I embossed the french roast card base with a woodgrain embossing plate. I used Versamark Ink and latte pigment ink to emboss the leaves on latte cardstock. To make them pearly, I used Satin Pearl embossing powder. The sentiment was stamped with french roast pigment ink. I used vanilla twill ribbon to finish my card. I think it's rather pretty! :)

Stuff I Used (all AMuse products):
Stamps - 'Autumn Beauty'
Cardstock - French Roast, Latte
Ink - French Roast Pigment Ink,Versamark
Other Fun Stuff - Woodgrain Embossing Plate, Satin Pearl embossing powder, Vanilla twill ribbon

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

Pickle Post #27 - Operation Write Home WCD Holiday Blog Hop!

Hi there and welcome! Happy World Cardmaking Day! :)
Thank you for stopping by my little crafty corner of the blogosphere! 

The theme of the Operation Write Home Blog Hop is holiday cards! Here is where the fun begins!

Every year, OWH sends out thousands of cards to those in the armed forces so they can keep in touch with loved ones back home. Cards are ALWAYS needed. It is a labor of love and completely funded by donations. The postage costs of sending just holiday cards alone this year is estimated to be over $13,000! If you would like to donate, REMEMBER THAT EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS AND IS SO APPRECIATED. It's tax deductible too!

So here is one contribution to my holiday card shipment this year - and there will be more sent along with my donation! :)

My "Celebrate the Season Snowman" Card:

The card is based on a square sketch from the Sketch & Stash Challenge Blog, then added to a standard A2 kraft base. I hand stitched around the edge and along the diagonal with white shiny floss. The snowman is a loved but neglected Penny Black stamp that I colored with Copics. I dotted his buttons with black Enamel Accents. The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye '12 Days of Christmas'.

A close up view of the stitching:

Please click on the Blog Hop badge at the top of my post and leave some love for the 150+ loving crafters who worked so hard to bring heroes (and all of us) some holiday cheer today! If you can, please give to this worthy cause. Isn't that what the holidays are all about? :)

Thank you for stopping by today and for supporting OWH!

Pickle Post #26 - Catch up with me...and my He-Art Journal too!

Hi there! Welcome to my new followers - I am always happy to have new blog buddies!

Life catches up to you, even when you run like crazy! This past week has been super nuts - I was involved in a hit & run car accident  - thankfully I'm OK and my car has very minor damage, but I was so angry with the person who did it. There were many witnesses but one actually followed the car and got the license number. I tried to chase them too (yes I am THAT crazy lady...), but the driver was under the influence of something and just hell bent on getting away. They were FLYING through a residential area, over speed bumps, etc., so it was hard to get close to them. THANK YOU, JOE for calling the police and helping me - you are a fabulous young man! :) Chivalry isn't dead, people!

Then my ex mother in law passed away after a lengthy fight with Alzheimer's and all of the health issues that follow. I was very close to her - I have known her since I was 15 years old. My girls are so sad, but we are thankful that she is now at peace and resting with my ex father in law. She has never been the same since he passed away in 2002. Bless her heart - my thoughts and prayers have been with her even though I haven't see her in quite a while.

Last but not least, I have been considering a part time position and possibly going back to work. That has been a crazy mix of do I really want this or not? Interviews, paper work, phone calls, resume...you know how that goes. **Update - I GOT THE JOB.**

My mojo has been lacking because I am exhausted...but I will catch up on my art journal. Not my best work, but it's something creative. I am NOT a mixed media artist - you can tell I am a stamper through and through LOL! So here are my last four assignments.

Week 6 - Text Me:

I decided to stamp a lot of sentiments that I love on the left page and a wonderful list from galadarling.com called '100 Ways to be a Love Letter to the Universe'. I wanted this page to be something I could go back to and read for inspiration! Truly words to live by! :)

Week 7 - Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining:

I LOVE this quote so I made it the border around the pages.

I used crumpled tissue paper for the clouds - on two clouds I painted with diluted blue and white Gelatos and Iridescent Medium and on the other two I used glue and ultra fine silver glitter. The raindrops are glittered with Stardust Stickles. Week 8 - The Power of One:

The assignment was to use one word and create from there. This one highlights my absolute LOVE of dance...between salsa with Hubby and 4 1/2 hours of Zumba a week, this IS my power of one! It is truly my energy, my happiness and my fitness routine all rolled into one.

Just a close up of my tiny dancer - and I look just like her! I WISH LOL! I used pink and purple distress inks and iridescent medium for shine on the background (oh how I LOVE that stuff!). She was colored with Copics.

Week 9 - Cut and Paste:

This assignment required that we take a facial image from a magazine and create a body for it. I liked the way this turned out, but I am not super keen on the background. It's green but looks kinda yellow - and I wanted it more uniform. I guess that's what happens when you stamp after midnight LOL! The girl with the paper pieced flower dress was the highlight for me. I stamped a zillion roses, cut them out and layered them.

The supply list for all of these would be a mile long...if you have any questions, please e-mail me!

MORE NEWS! **PLEASE STOP BY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 - I am going to be part of a HUGE blog hop benefiting Operation Write Home for World Card Making Day! There will be giveaways along the way and a showcase of oodles of creative holiday inspiration that will be sent to those in the armed forces to share with their loved ones here at home! I hope you will stop by and leave some love along the hop for all of these wonderful crafty artists who are committed to this cause!**

I am so glad you stopped by today - your kind comments keep me creating through all of my crazy! :)

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!