Moxie Fab Constellations: Trendy Star Power Challenge!

 

Happy Friday, friends!

 

Popping in quickly with my entry for the latest and greatest Moxie Fab World challenge.  I’m so happy to see that the tradition will continue now that my sweet friend, Teri Anderson, has taken over the reins.  The theme of the latest challenge is Constellations: Trendy Star Power!  Here is my entry:

 

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

 

The focal image is from a Studio Calico letterpress plate that I picked up last summer when I was taking an online letterpress class (sadly, it’s no longer available).  I ADORE the look of letterpress – it’s just so rich and luxurious with the intense ink and the debossed texture.  So I letterpressed the focal image, and let it dry . . . it takes a long time to dry!  LOL  I then die cut the moon using the coordinating die (thanks for the loan, Nina!) and water colored it with my Peerless water color papers.  Mmmmm . . . more richness!  I spritzed the card base with some sparkly mist from Tsukineko, which I think comes pretty close to a true representation of how sparkly the night sky is – don’t you?  The sentiment on this project is very near and dear to my heart.  It’s actually an expression that my sweet high school girlies and I share with each other in all of our email exchanges.  This is dedicated to them.

 

Well, that’s it for me, friends.  I’m headed back to my craft room to get caught up on some STENCILED homework.  Oh, and speaking of challenges, I was pretty stoked about THIS NEWS that was shared today over at the Avery Elle blog.  Eeeekkkkk!!!  Beyond excited about this new adventure!!  Will share more about that later!  In the meantime, hoping you all have an amazing weekend.  I’ll be back tomorrow to share some Paper Smooches goodies with you – just in time for the newest release!!

Nightshift Blue Heavy Cardstock Lemon Drop CS MFT A Cardstock, Essentials by Ellen, Letterpress 110 lb. Cardstock, White (10pk) Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress Ink, 30 ml, Navy Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Powder Blue & Teal Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress Starter Kit Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress Deep Cleaning Solution *Tsukineko FROST & SPARKLE Sheer Shimmer Spritz Watercolor Paper, 10 pk Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib Peerless Water Color Papers

InLinkz.com

Moxie Fab World Guest Blogger!

Hello my sweet, creative friends!

I am thrilled beyond words to share that I’m guest blogging over at the Moxie Fab World blog today!!  The photo above is a sneak peek of the card that I created for this brilliant occasion.  Please, please, please click on through to the Moxie Fab World blog to see the whole post – I’d be ever so grateful if you did!!  Oh, and there might just be a bit of a GIVEAWAY at the end of the post! *wink*

Thanks so much for popping in!  Wishing you and yours an AWESOME New Year!!  As for me, I’ll be up late – that’s all I’ll admit to!!  Heeheehee  Cheers!

Moxie Fab “Thanks, Cath!” Blog Hop

Hello creative friends!!

Welcome to the Moxie Fab “Thanks, Cath!” Blog Hop!  If you’ve landed here from Nina Yang’s blog, you’re in the right place!  If not, please start the hop at the Moxie Fab World Blog – you don’t want to miss a thing, right?!

 (Inspired by THIS card.)

So let me just start by saying that the reason behind this hop makes me beyond sad.  I cried when I first read the news that Cath Edvalson would no longer be a part of Paper Crafts Magazine and The Moxie Fab World.  Cath has been such an important part of my creative life.  In fact, I can say, without hesitation, that she is the biggest reason that I am the designer that I am today.  Cath is THE authority on what makes a good design.  But more than that, she is a kind and generous soul who has done her level best to develop and nurture those that want to learn to be a better designer.  She is forever inspiring us, encouraging us, sharing with us, challenging and enabling us.  Her words draw you in, put you at ease and make you feel right at home.  I had the great pleasure of meeting her face to face last year at the winter CHA.  I can tell you that when I saw her in the airport and hugged her (sans introduction, mind you), I felt as though I was hugging a close friend.  She’s a rock star, and I admire her in that way, but I also feel as though she is the most approachable rock star on the face of the earth.

How lucky are we that we all got to be a part of the Cath Edvalson Moxie Fab World era?  As much as I know that Cath will go on to do more amazing and great things, I will forever remember the Moxie Fab World as Cath’s home.  She invited us in with open arms, and we sat down and gabbed for days about this creative world that we all share.  She’s such an amazing hostess, isn’t she?!!

So, thank you, Cath . . . thanks for sharing what you love with us, nurturing us, encouraging us, challenging and inspiring us every single day.  I will miss you, your humor, your ability to articulate what IS Moxie Fab, and most importantly, your willingness to make us all feel right at home in your world.  I will be forever grateful to you for that.  I look forward to seeing what your next adventure will be and hope that it, in some way, will include all of us.  If not, know that your friendship has meant the world to me, and I will never, ever forget you and all that you’ve done for me.  I’m not as magical with my words as you are, but I hope that I’ve articulated my message in a way that makes you know you are amazing and have touched my soul.  Thank you seems so inadequate.  Thank you for everything . . . .

Okay, so your next stop on the hop is my friend, Lori Barnett – you so need to click on through to check out the deliciousness that she has to share with you!  If you get lost along the way, here is the entire list of designers that are sharing their gratitude for Cath today.  Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

MOXIE FAB: The Wonder of Watercolor Challenge

Hola friends!

Phew!  I’ve had a very productive weekend, and it feels so good!  I am officially caught up and have worked ahead enough that I finally had some time to just “play.”  I feel like I haven’t had much of a chance to just stamp for the sake of stamping lately, and I miss it . . . .  As much as I love all of my design teams, sometimes I just want to stamp what I want to stamp!  KWIM?!  So that’s just what I did!

Where does one go when one wants to stamp just for the sake of stamping?!  The Moxie Fab World, of course!  I adore, adore, ADORE Cath’s challenges and have missed playing along with her!  Her challenges always stretch me creatively and force me out of my little stamping bubble that I live in.  The Wonder of Watercolor Challenge was no exception!  I’m not a huge colorer . . . so I feared that I was going to hate whatever I created.  But I’m happy to report that this watercoloring thing is a freakin’ BLAST!  Here’s what I came up with for the challenge.

I’m sure you’re not surprised that I chose to work with a cityscape.  The image is from an A Muse Studio set that I got in January and hadn’t had a chance to ink up before now.  I stamped it in VersaMark on water color paper, and then heat embossed it using Charcoal embossing powder.  I didn’t own any watercolor pencils, so off to Michael’s I went with my 40% off coupon.  I happened to have one of those Tim Holtz water pens in my stash - it worked like a dream!  I honestly had no idea what I was doing, but I just dove right in.  I chose three colors of blue water color pencils, and colored them directly onto the watercolor paper, darker to lighter.  I masked off the moon and colored the pencils around the mask.  I then filled up the water color pen and just started painting the water onto the penciled areas.  OH MY GOSH – it’s like magic when that water starts blending those colors together!!  You seriously need to try this!  I feel like this technique is relatively idiot proof and has the potential for amazingly beautiful results!  There’s still time for you to play along, so I hope you give it a try.  You can find the challenge HERE.

I wanted the focal image to pop and still retain a clean and simple/graphic look.  So I created a panel with my Silhouette that included a cutout for the image to peek through.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with the same Charcoal EP.  I adhered a few rhinestones for stars, mounted the image panel onto a charcoal card base, and called it good!  What do you think?  I’m pretty stinkin’ happy with the results and will most definitely be doing this watercolor thing again!  Thanks for challenging me (as always), Cath!

That’s it for me today, friends.  I’m off to join my Women Who Wine group today – it’s Cinco de Mayo, so I think we’ll be tasting wines of Mexico . . . hmmmmm.  It ought to be interesting.  LOL  Hope you have some lovely Sunday plans.  Thanks so much for stopping by today – you all make my heart smile.




PRODUCTS USED:
STAMPS:  Love Is In the Air (A Muse Studio), Square Sayings (Simon Says Stamps)
INK:  VersaMark (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Steel Gray CS (My Favorite Things), Watercolor Paper (Strathmore), White OP CS (Bazzill Basics Paper)
OTHER:  Rhinestones (Stampin’ Up!), Silhouette Cameo Electronic Die Cutting Machine (Silhouette America), Watercolor Pencils (Derwent), Watercolor Pen (Ranger), Charcoal Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts)

Moxie Fab Itty Bitty Card Challenge & PS Pep Rally Winner!

Well hello!!

It’s been forever since I’ve posted on a Saturday!  But this truly is the first chance I’ve had to do anything creative in the past couple of weeks.  You see, I’m in Seattle because my youngest daughter got engaged on Tuesday – we are thrilled to little bits!  So with all the hustle and bustle of traveling from AZ to WA and throwing a fun little engagement party for Amy and her fiancé, Joe, my craft supplies have been extremely lonely!

Now that things have quieted down a bit, I just HAD to get my craft on!  And what better way to get back into my crafty groove than to participate in one of Cath’s current challenges for the Moxie Fab World, right?!  I haven’t played along in soooo long, and I realized when I got to actually hug sweet Cath for the first time at Winter CHA (she’s just as adorable in real life as I knew she would be), that I really miss her challenges!  So here I am, and it feels great to be back!

Cath has several challenges going on right now for the 75 Creative Card Challenges special issue (with a deadline of Monday, February 4th, so you still have time to play along).  I chose the Itty Bitty Card Challenge, which is to create a card that is no bigger than 3” x 3”.  I am in love with the Polaroid Camera craze these days – it’s so funky and vintage, yet super graphic, too!  I created a very simple and graphic design on my Silhouette Cameo and cut it out – so freakin’ easy!  I am also loving this color combo that I saw in quite a few new paper lines at CHA – gray, tomato, aqua, and white.  It’s so fun and bright!  The sentiment that I stamped came from a new stamp set that I got from Simon Says Stamps called You.  My card measures 3” x 2.75” – it’s sooo itty bitty!
************************************************************************

Well, I suppose many of you are here to find out who the lucky winner of the brand spankin’ new Birthday Sampler set from Paper Smooches is. Lucy Newton, you were the random winner!  Please email me (garkarlon@msn.com) with your mailing address, and we’ll get that set out to you right away!  Thank you for all the kind comments – I had a blast reading every single one of them!  Oh, by the way, ALL of the new Paper Smooches products are available for sale TODAY.  You can find it all HERE.

That’s it for me, kids.  Thanks so much for visiting me today – I truly appreciate it!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Tuesday Trigger–Another Entry!

 

Popping in really quick before I head off to bed.  I just couldn’t help myself.  Had to make another entry for last week’s Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger.  I so love the inspiration photo.  I won’t bore you with the details, especially since I need my beauty sleep.  I did want to point out this amazing embossing folder that I recently acquired (I think I got it on eBay).  Check out those delicious embossed butterflies!!  Isn’t it dreamy?  If you want more info regarding the products that I used, please don’t hesitate to email me.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy For You–Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger!

 

Hello Stamping Friends!!

 

Happy Easter!!  I hope that your day has been enjoyable so far and that you’ve had some lovely family time.  We went to church and out to breakfast with my mother-in-law, and I’ve been in my stamp cave ever since.  That’s my answer to a perfect day!  How about you?

I’m popping in really quick today to share a card that I created for a couple of reasons.  First, it’s for this week’s Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger, a weekly inspiration challenge sponsored by Paper Crafts Magazine’s Trend Editor, Cath Edvalson.  She always finds the most amazing photographs to inspire us, and this week’s trigger is no exception.  I was inspired, of course by that amazing gingham bow, but decided against using gingham ribbon.  I also took inspiration from the delicious embossed texture of the white box – it reminded me of doilies or Battenburg lace.  So I still have the “white space” with the clean and simple design, but I’ve included the inspirational elements in a different configuration.

 

I also created this for a sweet young lady that I’ve recently become acquainted with.  She and I have discovered that we have several things in common, despite our age difference (age is only a number, right?!).  On Friday, she was announced as one of Paper Crafts Magazine’s 2012 Stamping Royalty and I am so incredibly thrilled for her – almost as thrilled as I was the day I got the same email a year ago.  She oozes with amazing talent and creativity.  So, I thought I’d drop this in the mail to her to let her know how over-the-moon happy I am for her.  If you want to drop by and share some love with her, you can find her blog here:  Parker & Molly.  Prepare to be blown away!!  Congratulations, Heather!

 

That’s it for today, peeps.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a goodie that I threw together for i {heart} papers.  See you then!!

Moxie Fab World Challenge: Fascination With Feathers!

Hello Stampy Friends!

I’m back again today to share a project that I created for one of the current Moxie Fab challenges going on right now.  The Fascination With Feathers challenge has been haunting me ever since Cath announced it.  Let me just say that I am NOT a fan of feathers . . . another one of those trends that just does not float my boat.  KWIM?  But I believe that those are EXACTLY the kind of challenges that I need to tackle – to get outside of my proverbial “box”.  So, attack it, I did.

I love clean and graphic, and I was truly inspired by the Etsy picture (above).  So, I got out my handy dandy Silhouette, and nearly fell off my chair when I came across the feather pen and ink well image . . . perfect, right?!  I thought that the “old world” feel of this sentiment kind of went along with the old fashioned inkwell.  I was also thinking it’d be fun to use a sentiment in Shakespeare-speak – something like “Fare Thee Well.”  Couldn’t really picture that as a sentiment for a card, so I decided to use the Just a Note sentiment, instead.  I like it.

 

That’s it for me today, kids!  We’re off to church, breakfast and then our last Chicago White Sox spring training game in the sunshine – oh how I’ll miss those fun games!!  There’s nothing like baseball in the sunshine, I tell ya!  Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a project and a fun announcement!  Thanks for stopping by!

Moxie Fab Cure for the Winter Blues Challenge!

 

Hello Again!

 

Popping in once again to share a couple of cards that I’ve created for the latest Moxie Fab challenge – Cure for the Winter Blues -  which is to create a project that incorporates and focuses on navy blue, a super hot trend in paper crafting these days!

I created two projects for the challenge.  Both are very clean and graphic, and feature two other hot trends in paper crafting.  The first one features chevrons – I don’t know what it is about them, but seriously, chevrons make my heart skip a beat!  I created the panel with my Silhouette.  I designed the zig zag pattern in Silhouette Studio and cut it out of white CS.  Then I cut a single chevron out of five different shades of blue, popping them through the zig zag pattern so that they have depth (reverse die cut technique).  I then popped that panel off of a white card base using dimensional squares.  The sentiment was stamped with VersaMark and heat embossed with Denim (Zing/American Crafts) embossing powder.  Here’s a side view of the card front so you can see the reverse die cut better.

My next project features hexagons – another hot trend in paper crafting.  I saw hexagons and honeycombs everywhere at CHA when I was there in January.  Oh my!  Lucky for me, I just happened to have a brand spankin’ new set of Paper Smooches’ Geo-Graphic (available March 1st), which includes a hexagon pattern builder.  I stamped the honeycomb pattern using Cobalt blue pigment ink.  I then used my handy dandy Silhouette again to cut out some honeycombs in four different colors of blue card stock, and then adhered them randomly using dimensional squares.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with some new embossing powder (I am an embossing powder junkie – no seriously!!).  It’s called WOW! embossing powder (I saw this at CHA and knew when I laid eyes on it that it would be mine!), and it’s pretty great stuff!!  The white is a true bright white, which is hard to accomplish, especially when you’re embossing on dark card stock.  If you’re an embossing powder junkie like me, you can find a huge variety of colors of the WOW! embossing powder HERE.

 

There ya have it!  Thanks, Cath, for another Moxie
Fabulous challenge!!  It’s sunny and 80 degrees here in Phoenix today, so I don’t really have the winter blues.  If any of you who are still experiencing a cold winter would like to get warmed up, come on down for a visit!  I actually have a couple of other ideas for this one, so I may be back!  In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!

Moxie Fab Challenge–The Map to Your Heart!

 

Hey!

Popping in really quick with a card that I made for the Moxie Fab World - Map to Your Heart challenge!  We were to use maps in our design.  I had this idea in my head, and thought that I could execute it using an old Road Atlas that I was just sure we had in our car.  Yeah . . . apparently it went to the car dealership when we traded that car in for our new car.  Bummer!!  So, off to Barnes & Noble I went, straight to the travel section.  Oh, they have some delicious maps there, but all of them really looked the same.  Kinda boring, really.  That is, until I came across a map of the Caribbean.  Oh my goodness – the colors were vibrant and fun, and just exactly what I had in mind for my project.

 

I used the Swallow Dies from A Muse Studio to die cut several birds, all in different colors.  I used a new Life Style Crafts embossing folder for a little bit of a whimsical sky, and the sentiment is from the Up, Up & Away set from Papertrey Ink.

STAMPS:  Up, Up & Away (PTI)
INK:  Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Spring Rain CS (PTI)
ACCESSORIES:  Swallows Dies (A Muse Studio), Dainty Embossing Folder (Life Style Crafts)

 

Thanks, Cath, for another super fun challenge!!  There’s still a bit of time to play along if you’ve got some spare time on your hands – the deadline is Monday at midnight (EDT).  That’s it for me today.  I’ve got a huge pile of TO DO’S on my plate today.  I hope I can cross a number of them off by the end of the day.  Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Another Moxie Fab Get Inspired Potpourri Challenge Card!!

Hi Again!

 

Can you believe it – posting two days in a row?!!  In my heart and mind, I’d post something every single day.  But somehow my life gets in the way of my intentions.  Anyway, I have another card that I created for the Moxie Fab Get Inspired Potpourri Challenge.  But before I do that, I wanted to mention that if you haven’t picked this issue up at your local craft or bookstore (or HERE), then you MUST!!  The projects in this magazine are AH-MAZING!!

I really love the inspiration photo.  The clean classic lines, the cool old-world monogram on the mug, and the dainty contrast of the elegant silver chairs and the doily.  Every bit is delicious to me, don’t you think?  I stamped the J and the Y in black ink using a fun Theresa Collins alphabet set.  Then I punched that dainty snowflake ornament out of some textured silver cardstock (American Crafts), layering it with a black circle behind it so that the silver doesn’t get lost in that Razzleberry card base.  The holly is a PTI die – had to add the fuschia bling for the holly berries – just couldn’t help myself.  The “white space” of the card represents the white space of the monogrammed mug.  Thanks, Cath, for keeping my creative juices flowing with your inspirational challenges!!

 

I know this is a busy time of year for everyone, but you really should stop by the Moxie Fab World Blog and check out all the challenges that Cath has going on – they can be found on the right side bar of her blog.

 

When you read this, I’ll be snuggling with my little Brecken bug and enjoying the holidays with my kids.  I’ll be back on Friday with the next CAS-ual Fridays Challenge, so I hope you’ll stop by again soon!

Moxie Fab Get Inspired By Fashion Challenge!!

 

Hello Crafty Chicas!!

 

Wow – I can’t believe Christmas is only 8 days away!!  Eeekk!!  I’m pretty well ready, although I have a few smaller gifts to buy, and of course the stocking stuffers – gotta have stocking stuffers, right?!  The person who invented online buying and free shipping is a hero in my eyes – no doubt it was a woman!  LOL

I wanted to pop in really quick to share a card that I created for the Moxie Fab Get Inspired By Fashion Challenge.  Houndstooth – it’s EVERYWHERE!!  When I was in San Francisco in November, it was on all the window mannequins, and I’ve noticed it in all the stores while doing my Christmas shopping.  Houndstooth literally rocks my world these days.  *sigh*  It just makes me happy.  So I was thrilled to little bits when Cath posed this fashion challenge.  How freakin’ cute is that little jacket?  I was inspired by the pattern, the texture of the jacket, the clean classic lines, as well as the color palette.

 

I used a new LifeStyle Crafts Houndstooth Border die to create the houndstooth pattern at the bottom.  I love the texture and dimension that it added when I popped it off the cardbase.  The Pear Pizzazz and Vintage Cream color combo is so soft and feminine, and the satin lining inspired the Vintage Cream satin bow on the card.  The little scalloped tag was inspired by the rounded collar on the jacket.  See what I mean?  Every aspect of that jacket just oozes inspiration for me!!  Thanks, Cath, for another fabulous challenge!!

 

I have another card for the Moxie Fab Get Inspired Potpourri Challenge that I’ll share with you tomorrow.  I’m actually in the midst of packing my suitcase for a quick trip to Seattle for the holidays.  Can’t wait to love on my kids and my grandson – deLISH!!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope you’ll come by tomorrow, too.  Until then, have a great day!!

Moxie Fab Get Inspired Potpourri Challenge!!

Hey!

I’m back today with another card in answer to one of the MANY Moxie Fab World Challenges going on right now – the Card Creations Get Inspired Potpourri Challenge.  Oh, how I love the Moxie Fab World Challenges . . . they get my creative juices a flowin’ like CRAZY!!  And this one was no exception.  I was inspired by several things in this photo – the yummy old world monogram lettering, the doily under those amazing pewter chairs, as well as the classic black and white color scheme.  I adore that monogram, and originally thought I’d do something with letterpress -I may still try that.  For now, I created the above card, translating the old world monogram into the sentiment of the card.  Of course, the black and white color scheme as well as the doily are also represented.  What do you think?  If this photo inspires YOU, you really should play along with this and/or the other Moxie Fab Challenges that are going on – you can find them all on the right side bar HERE.  Thanks, Cath, for another Moxie Fabulous Challenge!!

I had an amazing day with one of my most adorable crafty friends yesterday.  We laughed and stamped, and talked shoes, and laughed some more.  Ahhhhh . . . I love days like that, don’t you?  Anyway, I hope you have a great day, too.  Thanks so much for stopping by – I’ve got a few more challenge cards up my sleeve, so I’ll be back soon!!

The Championing Award Medallion Challenge!!

Hi Peeps!

I’m going to make this a quick visit today, as I’m on my way out to my mother in law’s to clean her house before she arrives on Saturday.  Her winter home has been closed up since last spring, and I’m sure it could use a good cleaning before she comes back for the winter.  Enough blah, blah, blah from me . . . I’ll come back later to fill in the product details.

I had a BLAST participating in one of the latest Moxie Fab World Challenges – the Championing Award Medallion Challenge.  I’ve worked with these medallions before, but kind of struggle with how to utilize them in unique ways.  It occurred to me that it would make a super cute snowman face.  Cute, right?!  I cut the eyes, hat, nose and hat band with my Silhouette.

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Polka Dot Basics (PTI), Winter Wonderland (Taylored Expressions)
INK:  Fresh Snow (PTI), Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Sno Cone CS (French Poptone), Linen Vellum (PTI), Black, Orange and Turquoise CS (Bazzill Basics)
ACCESSORIES:  Green Felt (Impress Rubber Stamps), Glittery Dots (Doodlebug), Buttons (PTI), Charcoal Baker's Twine (The Twinery), Blooming Rosette Die (Memory Box), Hot Glue Gun, Silhoutte Electronic Die Cut Machine, Snowman Treat Bag (Silhouette Studio)

I'd like to add a few tips as to how to create these fun little medallions.  My experience has been that when you fold them and adhere the ends together, it's difficult to get the adhesive to actually stick because of the tension of the accordion fold.  I stapled mine together.  I also adhered the medallion to a circle backer with a hot glue gun, because I just couldn't get it to stick and stay otherwise.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Have a great day!