La-La Land Craft's Birthday Bash Begins Today!

Happy Birthday, to you!

Happy Birthday, to you!

Happy Birthday dear La-La Land Crafts,

Happy Birthday, to you!

Hello, everyone! La-La Land Crafts is celebrating it's first birthday and we want to welcome you to Day 1 of La-La's Birthday Beach Bash! All this week, Irina, the Design Team, the Guest Designers, and the Alumni Designers are joining forces to bring you a week filled with amazing card inspiration, fun games, prizes and a little sneak peek of things to come ;D

Did the sneak peek get your attention? Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer! I'd like to introduce you to Marci! Isn't she adorable? This image is part of a new line of images that Irina has been hard at work developing. Marci is Irina's own creation and is available this week only (Aug 1-9) for purchase in the La-La Land Shop as a digi image. After that she will slip away until the Marci images are officially released at a later date. You won't want to miss out on adding this little darling to your digi collection.
Now time for a game! Visit each of the blogs on the hop and find the hidden beach balls on the designer's cards. Add them up then leave a comment on the La-La Land Crafts Blog with your total. Easy peasy! Also, be sure and leave a comment on each blog along the way, because Irina is also giving away special mystery party favors and you increase your chances of winning with every comment you leave. Exciting stuff!!

My card today features Summer Bill and Maya and they are decked out in their beach attire for a fun-filled day at Lala's birthday party. Did you see the beach balls in the first photo? Good! You should have arrived here from Irina's blog, but if you jumped into the middle of the hop, you can start at the La-La Land Crafts blog so you don't miss anything, otherwise, your next stop is Jan's blog. Check out what fantastic stuff she has in store for you!

Be sure and check the La-La Land Craft's Blog each day this week as the party continues ;D

August Class Sample for CP2 - Bombshells and Sugar Skulls

Good morning! Welcome back! Today I am sharing card number 2 for my August 14th class at CP2. This one's a little different than yesterday's card, but it's fun and really, that's all that matters.

This little beauty is from the Bombshell Angel set and even though you can't see her face, trust me she's a looker. This is one of my absolute favorite sets. I have used Bombshell Angel on more projects than any other bombshell, such as this one and this one. I usually have several Bombshell Angels stamped, colored, and trimmed out, just waiting to be used in a card creation. She is one of my "go to" images. However, today's bombshell was colored-up fresh, just for you ;D I have made a slight alteration on the Copics I am using for skin-tones. I have switched out E02 for E11 and I am really liking the results. E02 is a tad on the peachy side and E11 seems more neutral.

I have wanted to add a sugar skull to this lovely bombshell for awhile. One of my favorite places to hang out when I have a shopping bug (besides CP2) is the bookstore. I can spend hours perusing the books and magazines. I am very tactile and love to pick up the books, feel their weight in my hand, turn them over to read the blurb on the back jacket, and flip the pages for a peek at what's inside. The absolute best part of buying a book, besides enjoying the story, is sharing it with a friend afterwards. You just can't get that kind of literary pleasure with one of them there newfangled book gizmos.

Anyway, I feel the same way about the magazines, so after I have spent a good deal of time walking the aisles of books, I then turn to the periodicals and show them a little love, too. The bright photos on the front capture my attention and their glossy pages pull me in. I am an equal opportunity magazine peruser. I'll hang out with the craft mags for a bit, then over to the cooking, home decor, art, entertainment, and tattoo sections. The tattoo magazines are treasure troves for inspiration. I marvel at the colors, artistic layouts, and the sheer magnitude of a masterpiece laid out on skin. It is in those pages that I first glimpsed a union of a beautiful sexy pin-up girl with a fabulous Catrina. Pure genius! I'm sure this artist was not the first to combine these two amazing forms, but they were the first to bring it my attention. Two of my favorite things in the whole world, brought together to create one incredible work of art! My brain went ZING and I stored this bit of information away for future inspiration.

There you have the story behind today's card. She doesn't have the impact of that beautiful piece I laid eyes upon so long ago, but I like her and I had fun putting her together. And the fact that I was given the chance to use that little bit of inspiration that I had tucked away, makes me really happy. The inside of the card reads "Quien con la esperanza vive, se muere feliz." This is a sentiment by Mad Rat Rubber Stamps and translates to "He who lives with hope, dies happy." So meet my bombshell...her name is Hope. LOL! I couldn't resist ;D

Have a great weekend!

Copics

skin: E11, E00, E000, R02

swimsuit: R59, R46, R43

August Class Sample for CP2 - Bombshells and Sugar Skulls

Good morning! I finally finished my August class samples for China Phoenix 2 and just in time! My class is scheduled for August 14th and I am just a couple of weeks away from that date. Nothing like the adrenaline of running it as close to the wire as possible, LOL! At least they're done ;D

I am sharing the first card with you today. I have used elements from various Bombshell sets, but the main image of the glorious bombshell is from the Butterfly Queen set. She is one sexy mama! I have always wondered how she is holding that little bikini top on considering there is no side strap. Oh, to have magical zero gravity boobs ;D Wouldn't all bras be much more comfortable if they only consisted of the pretty lacy bits up front and did not have those dreaded straps that come out the side and wrap around the back to create bulges, bumps and spillage in places that no human being should ever have bulges, bumps and spillage. And talk about uncomfortable! It's on the same scale with, hmmm, let me think...being strangled by a boa constrictor! AND, when you take the blasted thing off, you have the angry red reminders of those straps left behind to taunt you the rest of the evening. Sigh...the perils of being a woman...lol!

Anyway, back to my post ;D My card is colored with Copics. The main panel has been treated with a little bit of Distress Ink in Antique Linen and Vintage Photo, and then edged with Diamond Stickles. Those lovely paper layers are by October Afternoon and because I stamped a couple of flowers on the front, the addition of paper flowers seemed unnecessary and a tad superfluous. How do you like that for a six-dollar word...LOL!!

Come back tomorrow and I'll share card #2 with you. I hope your day is fabulous and more importantly..."comfortable" ;D

Copics

hair: Y21, Y000, E, 53, E30

skin: E11, E00, E000, R02

roses: G24, G21, R39, R29, R22

clothes: B75, B72, R39, R29, R22

LLWWC#49 Shake it!

Welcome to a new La-La Land Crafts Weekly Wednesday Challenge! Our challenge hostess this week is none other than super talented Maureen and she is asking us to create a shaker card. I have never made a shaker card, so this was a bit of a trial and error type project for me. I have to admit, I did cheat a little bit. I did not create my shaker from scratch. Instead, I found that the packaging for the Terrifically Tacky Tape looked pretty much like a shaker, so I used it. I guess you could say I "upcycled" it...lol!

Maureen used Princess Lala on her card, so that means that Princess Lala will be 20% off in the La-La Land Crafts Shop until next Tuesday. What a deal!

I used Beach Rosie for my card and gave her a beach theme, as I still had lots of the those tiny shells leftover from a previous card. Needless to say, I am officially out of those tiny little shells now :D

Everyone can join the fun, however, if you want to be eligible to win a $10.00 credit to use in the Lala Land Shop or a special Top 3 Badge to proudly display on your blog, you'll need to use a La-La Land image. Head over to the shop now and pick up a few of them. Also, be inspired by the DT's fabulous cards on the La-La Land Crafts Blog. We can't wait to see what you create ;D

Blog Hoppin' with the Bombshells

It's the last Wednesday of the month and that means it's time for the Monthly Bombshell Blog Hop! I look forward to this hop all month long and am practically giddy when it finally arrives! This month our fearless blog hop leader, Kas, has challenged us to a Miss Firecracker theme. Here's what Kas had to say about it:

She's a Firecracker Alright!

I would love to see something along the lines of:
1) Red - White - Blue
2) Firecrackers (Bombshells)
3) Military
4) or sparkling like a firework!

I chose to use an image from the Retro Cowgirl set. She's a sassy little philly and a force to be reckoned with...born and bred, right here, in the good ol' US of A! I colored her up in traditional red, white, and blue, and placed her on my own loosely interpreted flag-type background to carry the theme throughout. When I started this card, at around 3:00 Tuesday afternoon, I had no idea where I would go with it, but, as luck would have it, the crafting fairies were never far away. After a few shiny bits and a good workout with my Copics, this is where I ended up. I rather like her ;D

BUT, don't stop here! There is tons of inspiration to gaze upon, so head to the next name on the list and don't stop until you have experienced every ounce of Bombshell goodness! Leave my fellow hoppers some love on their blogs in the form of a comment and you can increase your chances of being selected to win the monthly prize package! Want to join the fun next month? Then head to the forum and grab the details for the next hop. No off you go...;D

Kas
Katie
Kathi
Cheryl<-- Hola, it's me!
Steph
Meredith
Alison
Danielle
Keely
Angie
Laura
Kelli
PerkyNihilist
Jodie

Copics
Skin: E11, E00, E000, R02Hair: E37, E35, E31, E30Hat: B97, B95, B93Outfit: BG10, R59, R46, R43, B97, B95, B93

"Mom"day Monday...for the love of brown

Hello and welcome back to "Mom"day Monday! Every Monday I feature beautiful handmade cards by my mom, who is an uber-talented card artist. Today's Mom cards focus on browns and all of them have that wonderfully vintage feel that Mom is so fond of and has a knack for capturing.

I remember, years and years ago, when vintage was just catching on in card styles. One of the local stamp stores around at the time even devoted a class to creating that vintage look, but it required a vast amount of supplies and entailed numerous steps...all just to take a piece of paper and make it look old and tattered...LOL!! It wasn't long after, we started seeing Tim Holtz' name hit the market and with that he gifted the paper world with Distress Inks. Distress Inks enabled us to capture that well-worn, well-loved heirloom look in mere minutes! Since then, he continues to add "must have" tools to his repertoire, and we crafters wait in anticipation to see what wonderous delights will be next. I have said it before and I will say it again...now, actually...I'll say it now...THE MAN IS A GENUIS!!! Today, I can honestly say, there is not a single card I make that he is not involved in some way, shape, or form. I think he has elevated cardmaking and papercrafting to a whole new level! Sheesh, I better calm down...I'm getting a little carried away ;D Besides, this post is about my Mom's cards, not about Tim Holtz...hehehe...but, I know she won't mind, because she loves him just as much as I do ;D

The top card is one of Mom's more recent creations. I love it because while it is a very serene scene, there is something a bit dark about it. The cracks in the corner of the house, the worn stucco around the windows, that clever flower tree, and that fabulous faded ticking background all come together to create something just left of traditional and in my mind, that's perfection. Can't you just imagine some strange person sitting upstairs gazing out the window...!

The next two cards are somewhat older, but awesome none-the-less. AND the bottom card is one of my absolute favorites! So much attention to detail...a beautiful layout, and that warm brown color-palette. This needs to be in a frame!

Thanks for joining me for another installation of "Mom"day Monday. Be sure and come back, it's going to be a busy week...we have begun a new Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge, so scroll down past this post to see that entry. Wednesday we are having another La-La Land Crafts Weekly Wednesday Challenge (it's going to be fun!) and it is also the last Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for another Bombshell Blog Hop (love those!). Plus, I still need to create and post August class samples, which I'm hoping to do soon. Hope your week is fab!!

Welcome to a New Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge!

Hello and welcome back! It's Sunday and that means it's time for another Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge. This week's challenge is awesome because it is a sketch, which means half the work has been done for ya! All you have to do is incorporate one of Kenny K's fabulous digis and make it pretty ;D Head over to the Kenny K Download site to pick up some images and don't forget to snag the July digi freebie.

I used Movie Star on my card and you have to forgive me, but I didn't write down the Copic colors I used on her. Remember, I said if you were going to pelt me with ink pads out of anger, be sure they are Distress Inks, 'cuz those are my faves...lol! Seriously though, I'll try not to let that happen again. In fact, I am going to give you a reasonable guesstimation, but my middle aged brain is hazy and it may not be exact, so let that be my disclaimer.

I combined Movie Star with some really sweet Basic Grey papers from their Lemonade line and I let them dictate my colors for the image. I added a couple of layers of ribbon and a bit of strategically placed glitter glue in Diamond and that was about it.

Even though this is only the 3rd week the challenge blog has been around, there has been a huge response with lots of submissions for each challenge. If you have been playing along, thank you so much, and if you haven't, but want to, then I urge you to give these images a try. They color up fabulously and give any project added pizazz. There are also prizes to be had and somebody has to win...it might be you next time! I'll be looking for your entry ;D The oh so talented Design Team has oodles of inspiration waiting for you on the challenge blog, so get over there now to check it out!

Copics

skin - E13, E11, E00, E000, R02

hair - E49, E37, E35, E31, E30

pants - R59, R46, R43

the rest is super hazy...sorry :(

Kenny K - Meet Queens Cutie

Good Morning! Super quick post today. I am off to the stamp store to teach a small "make-up" class regarding the skull cards for a couple of my lovely stamping buddies. I have to fly out the door soon ;D

Today I bring you Queens Cutie. She is so sweet and such a fun image to color. Actually, they all are. I can't get enough of them. This is my take on the sketch which is the current challenge going on at Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge blog. There are tons of submissions already! Have you entered yours? There's no excuse because Kenny actually gives you a free digi for July and she is awesome! There are prizes to be had, so head over there now and check it out!

Whooooooosh! That was me flying out the door...lol!! Take care ;D

LLWWC#48 - Upcycle It!

Hello! Welcome back to another La-La Land Crafts Weekly Wednesday Challenge! This one is near and dear to my heart, because I am the hostess this week ;D My challenge to you this go round is to "Upcycle It"! Take an ordinary item you would normally toss in the trash and turn it into something fabulous to use on your card creation. It could be an old business card, a colorful flier, or even an oddball earring without a mate. The possibilities are endless!

I tried to get creative with my card...let's see how I did. Can you spot my upcycled items? First of all, I received a wonderful pad of BG paper from a friend. I know what you're thinking. What's the big deal, so you used some patterned paper, so what? Nope, no patterned paper, instead, I used the cover of the pad. I cut the strips off and used those on my background. Then I took the remaining piece of the cover, flipped it over and stamped my image on it, which I then colored with Copics. Would I recommend using the back of the cover on the BG paper pad for stamping and coloring? Heck no!! It was way different than the Neenah Classic Solar White I normally use. It was a bit toothy and very strange to blend on. I'd come near recommending a brown grocery bag over this...LOL! But, hey...it's supposed to be a challenge so why not?! The other items I upcycled were the two tags on the side. Do you recognize those? They are the sample tags attached to each package of Tim Holtz Grungeboard. They are just too cool to toss ;D

The image I used this week is Fairy Lala and she is available in the shop through Tuesday at 20% off. Go now and snag her at this incredible price! She's a cutie ;D

Everyone is welcome to join the fun, but if you use a La-La Land Crafts image, then you could be eligible to win a $10.00 credit to be used in the La-La Land Crafts Shop. If your creation is in the top 3, then you could win a Top 3 badge to proudly display on your blog!

Be sure and swing by the La-La Land Crafts blog to see the incredible creations by the Design Team. These cards will definitely inspire you to take Upcycling to a whole new level :D

Tootles!!

Kenny K - Meet Star

Good Morning! Welcome back. I promised you a card featuring a Kenny K image and here she is. Meet Star. I wish I could say she was fun to color, but for some reason her hair gave me fits. I actually like the way it turned out, but it took about an hour to get it how I wanted it. At least, it felt like an hour and I wasn't even sure I wanted it this way, but I was starting to get Copic Muscle Cramps (CMC), so I started to like it quite a bit after my hands started to permanently curl into little balls! Nope, CMC is not a real thing, I just made it up, but it should be. I also tried to go a little darker on the skin tones, trying to achieve something of a Hispanic complexion. I was quite pleased with results until my sister said she didn't look Hispanic at all..."she just looks like she has a spray tan". Thanks, Patricia. So, here is my gift to you...if you are trying to achieve a "spray tan" complexion, just follow my Copic recipe at the bottom of this post...LOL! What the heck, I might as well go with it ;D

There is a new challenge going on at Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge Blog, so be sure and check it out. There are fabulous prizes to be had! If you want to take a look at Star and the other images available, head over to the Kenny K Download site. You'll be glad you did!

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the La-La Land Weekly Wednesday Challenge! I'm the challenge hostess this week and I have something special in store for you ;D

Copics:

Skin - E13, E11, E00, E000, R02 (cheeks)

Hair - 100, C07, C05, B23

Clothes - R59, R46, R43

Shoes - R59, R46, R43, 100, C07, C03, C01, B23

"Mom"day Monday

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a terrific weekend! I know I did!

Today is Monday and that means it's time to feature more of mom's fabulous cards. Mom LOVES the crazy cute images by Annie Rodrigue for Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, in fact, she just gave me a full set of the mermaid images and a few of the cancan girls during my last visit to Las Cruces. Mom is a very generous lady! Thanks, mom...I love them!!!

The top card is an easel card, so I had to snap a few more shots of it to adequately display how awesome it is. And check out mom's mad coloring skillz!!

I will keep this post short, as I have lots to catch up on today. I'll be back tomorrow with a card featuring one of the Kenny K images, so be sure and pay me a visit ;D Have a great week!!