I am sharing with you today a simple "thank you" card I made at a friend's request. I whipped this card up early yesterday in about an hour and a half. That's an easy breezy card for the girl who usually takes at least 4 hours to make a card. The other oddity that you'll notice on this card...no Copic coloring! NO, say it isn't so! Ah, but it is. Okay, I'll stop having a pretend conversation with myself, but I will reiterate...no Copic markers were harmed in the making of this card. In fact, this card was so simple, I just may start using this method for all my quickie cards. A black silhouette against a lovely background image. Understated and perfect for an assortment of occasions.

I decided not to lug all of my photo-taking paraphernalia out to take a picture of this card, because I felt, spending an extra 20-30 minutes hauling it into the dining room, setting it up, and then taking the pictures would totally defeat the purpose of the quick and easy card concept, so I left it on my desk for pics. In the process, I snapped a few extra photos of my work desk. too, just in case anyone is interested in seeing them. I have to make a confession, though. I usually keep my desk pretty clean when I'm working on a project, but I did clean up a bit to take these shots. This is how I usually leave it at night, though. I like to start with a clean desk every morning. I used to work on the dining room table and because I didn't want to walk back and forth to put away my tools, I used to leave everything out. Before long, I would find my workspace shrinking and that I was trying to make a card in a tiny 6 inch square space. Neat by nature, this used to drive me nuts and cause MUCH anxiety. Now that I have my own workspace in the same room that I store my tools and supplies in, I can easily put things away as I use them. It is a liberating feeling ;D

Goldilocks

Hey, all! I received a sweet little package on Saturday and do you know what was inside? The new Halloween images from Kraftin' Kimmies and a few of the Fairytale ladies, too. This package was from Mom ;D She frequently sends me stamp care packages. I know...I'm a 43 year old, spoiled rotten brat. Ever buy unmounted stamps and let them sit around until they practically start growing moss before mounting them? I do that...A LOT! That was NOT the case with these puppies. They arrived Saturday afternoon and were mounted on cling about an hour after pulling them out of the mailbox...lol!

I couldn't wait to get this beauty inked up. This is Goldilocks and she has some seriously radical hair, which was great fun to color. I just love her! Do you see my matchy, matchy flowers? I recently purchased a HUUUUGGGGEEE bag of white layering flowers by Petaloo, which was marked 50% off at Two Peas in a Bucket. They are awesome! I can take my Copics and make them any color I want, which means I will always have the right color of flowers on hand. Perfect! Of course, I am probably wasting a ton of ink, but it doesn't seem like it.

I also wanted to mention that yesterday I spent the day with Nancy and some of my favorite ladies from China Phoenix 2, my teaching pals, Kathy and Sue. We attended the first ever Copic Certification class held in New Mexico, this one being right here in Albuquerque! We had a wonderful day learning all of the intricate details about Copic Markers, what makes them special, and how to use them with skill and panache. We had a fabulous teacher, Jennie Black, who walked us through all of the fine points, showed us lots of tricks, and helped hone our coloring skills. It was a great day! You might be wondering where my Copic Certification badge is and why it's not displayed on my blog yet. It's on it's way and as soon as it arrives, it will be making a grand appearance here. Maybe I should have a special ceremony for it...lol! An unveiling of sorts ;D

Pirate Luka

Good Morning! I am going to keep this post short, because once again, I have stayed up until the wee hours making a card. That's right...this card is hot of the old stampin' presses just for you. Heck, the glitter glue on the flowers is not even dry yet ;D

Meet Luka...he is one of the adorable images illustrated by Lala Land's own craft diva, Irina Blount. He is absolutely wonderful ;D He is no longer in digi format in the shop, but don't fret, because he will actually be available in rubber along with a few of this fabulous starting September 15th.

Until then, quench your thirst for the new images by snagging Cheerleader Marci and Sweet Dreams Marci digis in the shop for a limited time only.

Okay, that's it for me! The sandman is calling and I don't want to miss out ;D Have a great day!

Kenny K Introduces...The Rock Squad!!

Kenny K has been hard at work creating fabulous new images for everyone to enjoy! The Glam Gang stole your hearts...The All Starz satisfied your sporty side...The Gothik Angelz made your brain sizzle....and now...without further adieux...I give you...The Rock Squad (and the crowd goes wild)! These 15 images are funkalicious and music is the name of the game.

Not only has the design team cooked up some wonderfully inspiring art for you, but there are major prizes to be had, too! All you have to do is visit each design team member's blog on the hop and leave a comment. Then head back to Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge blog and leave your name on the Inlinkz. The contest goes until Saturday and the winner will be drawn using Random. org. Check out what's up for grabs:

Cult Pens: $25.00 in Copic markers and a wallet for storage

Fantastic Ribbon: 10 rolls of ribbon (winner's choice)

Wild Orchid Cafts: package of pearls and flowers

Bearly Mine Designs: a digi set (winner's choice)

Kenny K Downloads: 3 digis of the winner's choice and 5 decoupage sheets

Yowza! Can you believe these fabulous prizes?! I had the honor of working with 3 of the images this go round. The first one was Rock Dude. He was a blast to color! He has this crazy mane of hair that was just too much fun! Next was Bass Baby and she was just a doll to work with. AND last but not least, was Metal Drummer. He nearly threw me for a loop, but once I started to color him up, it was fairly simple. The tiny skull brads down the side, were a gift from my sister-in-law...thanks, Diane ;D

You should have arrived here from Paola's awesome blog and your next stop is Bev's blog. She has a fab card waiting for you over there. If you get lost along the way, head back to Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge blog to see the entire hop list. Also, don't forget to enter the music themed challenge this week. So many ways to win!

Mail from Mom...On the Dark Side!

Hello! It's time to feature Mom's cards. So many of you have shared with me that you love seeing Mom's cards on my blog and I love sharing them with you. One of these days we might just get Mom set up with her own blog, but until then I'll keep showcasing them here one day each week. The days might move around, so check back frequently and watch for them.

Mom and I loooooove Halloween! It's probably our favorite cardmaking holiday. When I receive Halloween cards from Mom in the mail, it's not just one that arrives, but a whole package of 4 or 5! She is a crafty lady and I am so lucky to receive this little parcels of her creativeness on a regular basis.

I've pulled 4 Halloween themed cards for you today. The first has a vintage feel. I love the lace that borders the left-hand edge of the card. Mom and I get a real kick out this one, because it looks like Mr. Pumpkin is looking down the young damsels dress and really enjoying himself! Look at that grin...lol!!

The second card features an adorable stamp by Hero Arts called Witch Bird. I love the background paper on this and all of the fab elements Mom has added to give Witch Bird some added pizazz.

The third and fourth cards feature ferocious felines. Okay, maybe not so much ferocious...haha! I love the "Here kitty, kitty..." word stamp that ties these two together. Being a cat owner or rather being a staff member in a feline run house, I can really appreciate this sentiment. Looks like Titus took the "Here kitty, kitty..." to heart and decided to hijack the photo session. I wish I could get some good pictures of this fellow, but he is constantly on the move and doesn't sit still even for a second. He is growing fast and rambunctious doesn't even begin to describe his antics at this point. AND...the little devil has a bit of a paper fetish like his human mama ;D If I even leave a Post It note laying about within his reach, and let's face it, he's a kitten, so everything is within his reach, he grabs it in his mouth and tears through the house like he is holding the Treasure of the Sierra Madre! Yep, it's funny now, but there will be bloodshed if he gets his kitten mits on my good stuff ;D Okay, I'm a lot of bark and no bite, one look at that handsome face will melt my heart, so maybe not bloodshed, but I might let loose with a few tears :)

I'm not sure if I'll have anything for you tomorrow or Saturday, but rest assured I will have 3 cards (yep, three!) featuring brand new images from the Rock Squad by Kenny K on Sunday, so be sure to come back!!! Until then, have a fantabulous weekend!

Blog Hopping with the Bombshells!

Good Morning! It's the last Wednesday of the month and time for another fabulous blog hop with the Bombshells. BUT...that's not all! This month's hop has been supersized to include the gang at Gauche Alchemy, and you know what they say...double your pleasure, double your fun! Fearless Blog Hop Leader, Kas, set the theme this month and it's a scorcher... read on:

The theme this month is Some Like it Hot, Hot, Hot!

Think:

Summer themes
Flames on the Hot Rod stamps
…and of course Summer colors
(if you have Gauche Alchemy kits...try Banana Hammock, Lady Marmalade or Scarlett Red Fever...)
I don’t know where you live, but it has been blazing here this summer, so hot is definitely on my brain.

I picked up the Hula Girl set at China Phoenix 2 the other day and couldn't wait to use her. She's perfect for this theme. By the way, have you seen the new stamps? They are awesome!! Get on over to the shop and poke around. Lots of stuff to see!

Speaking of stuff to see, lots of inspiration awaits you on your hop journey so you better get to it. Be sure and leave a comment on everyone's blog so you can increase your chances of winning a crazy cool prize!

Kas
Gauche Alchemy
Kelli
Maggi
AnitaMarie
Katie
Cheryl<---Hola! Angela
Erika
Kathi
Pam
Sy
Meredith
Laura
Merdrey Chew
Angie
Yvonne
Steph
Carmen
Terra
Alaine
Alison

Marci makes me smile ;D

Hello! I'm sharing another Marci image with you today. This is Birthday Marci and she is part of the new Marci line over at La-La Land Crafts. She will be available in rubber on her official release date of September 15th. Until then, you can still pick up 2 of the new images as digis. Sweet Dreams Marci and Pirate Luka will be available as digis for a limited time, so grab them now and start having fun!

One more big announcement before I go, La-La Land Crafts is having a huge sale!! Everything is 25% off except for the digi images. Yes, that's right! Everything! Rosie, Lala, and the animals...they are all 25% off! What an incredible deal! Go get 'em!!! ;D

Be sure and come back tomorrow. It's time for the monthly Bombshell Blog Hop and you know how much fun those are ;D

Hello, Marci!

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Today I am bringing you a card featuring a new image from a line created by Irina at La-La Land Crafts. Meet Marci! She is just one of five new images that will be released on September 15th in rubber. For a limited time, you can pick up Sweet Dreams Marci and Pirate Luka in digi form in the shop. Grab them while you can, because you won't want to wait ;D These images are so sweet and so much fun to color. If you're looking for some great images to showcase your Copic skills, these are perfect!

Speaking of Copics, yesterday I promised you a great little color combo for blonde hair and here it is...E13, Y21, and Y11. That's what I used on my card today and I really love how it turned out. I really wished I had discovered it on Saturday so I could have used it on Devilish Donna. The blonde hair, just wasn't quite right on yesterday's card. Oh, well ;D

By the way, if you're looking for "Mom"day Monday, I am moving it to Wednesday. I know, it just doesn't have the same ring, but I will try to think up a clever title, none-the-less. I will be doing the regular Monday post over at La-La Land Crafts and felt that it might be best to move things around a bit on my blog to accommodate the Monday La-La Land posts. Speaking of the La-La Land blog, check it daily because there will be a new card featured everyday by one the DT members. Lots of inspiration!

A New Challenge at Kenny K's!

Hello! It's Sunday and that means it's time for a new challenge over at the Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge blog. This week, Donna has created a beautiful sketch for you. I LOVE a sketch challenge because the hardest part of the cardmaking process has already been worked out. You gotta love that!

Stop by the Kenny K Download site, pick up a few images, and get your challenge card ready! Then head over to the Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge blog and link up your creation for a chance to win some of Kenny's awesome images! While you're there, take a good look around because my uber-talented design teammates have created some amazing inspiration cards to get you started.

Today, I used Devilish Donna. I went with mostly browns, but I had to break it up when it was time for me to add color to my die cut. I'm not sure if green was the way to go. Also, I've been playing around blond hair and my Copics lately. I almost had it on this card, but it wasn't quite right. I tweaked the color combo and created a card for my posting over at La-La Land Crafts tomorrow, and Eureka, I think I got it right this time. I'll share that with you on Monday. Now go make something awesome with Kenny K's images. I can't wait to see what you create ;D