My Time Made Easy Sneak Peek

The peeks for the February My Time Made Easy release have begun!

If you missed the MTME blog post from yesterday, you should really check it out!

This month Lauren has done it again with another super cute template, some adorable cut files and 3 stamp sets. One that had me absolutely SWOONING the moment I opened my package!

The template: Creative Card Candy (actually includes 2 templates!!!!)

This template is a 2 box style template. One fits 3x3 cards and the other is a longer box of the same design. I have used the longer box version today. And I have chosen to put some long cards inside (fit perfectly inside a standard envelope! But you could put all kinds of treats... think chocolates, pretzel stix, etc. Hence the name Creative Card Candy!

Below is my project I made for my Mother-in-Law. Her birthday is coming up in just a few weeks. :D

I'm not going to lie... i put my ribbon on the wrong way. before I realized it, I had glued my inside cover into place. SO i thought... well, i'm just going to rock it this way! But then i wanted a good way to keep the box closed. While having my ribbon the CORRECT way (dont worry, there are great step by step directions with photos...) would have been perfect, i added this little flap with a flat back magnet on it to keep it shut. SO, if you were wanting a non ribbon closure, this would work great!

I used every one of the new stamp sets on my project! The flowers and butterfly are from the Bold Botanticals set. This is the one that had my heart all a pitter patter!!!

The letters i used to spell out Nancy's name are from the Monograms Defined set.

And last but not least, the extra words are from the Framed Elegance set (which also has a wonderful new label! You'll see more from me and that set coming up in the next couple of days!)

Below is one more view, a little more straight on...

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Be sure to check out these ladies too for more inspiration!

Lauren Meader

Lisa Kind

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so many cards to make... so little time!

Sorry for the lack of posting! Last week was an extremely busy work week for me! I welcome the work, but i'm also welcoming the week without as much work! Often when I get busy working, i color to wind down. Now i have all these random colored images with no homes. Sad really.

Anyhoo - this is a card i DID manage to make last week. I used it in my Copic Class at Scrapnesia. Each month we color 3 images and make 1 card. This was the card we made.

The focus this month was a color family. We were focusing on using B32, B34, B37 and B39 as well as introducing a bit of high contrast coloring. We also played a bit with blender solution and the neat effect it can produce.

We used Wayne from the Beautiful Day Fairies collection from Paper Makeup Stamps. His overalls were the perfect example of both these beautiful blue colors and some neat stuff you can do with blender solution! The paper we used on the card is from Pretty Little Studio.

First we colors the overalls ONLY using B32, B34, B37 and B39. We were coloring on Xpress-It cardstock. Xpress It cardstock is much thinner than Neenah and much MUCH thinner than PTI or Gina K's paper. Because it is thinner, I personally feel like it needs less ink. THe bonus is that I can color from the darkest color in (good for high contrast blending) and still have an ease in blending the colors together. Sorry, i got sidetracked! First color the overalls completely, but ONLY the overalls. Then we took some blender solution and put a bit on a pair of jeans (it doesnt damage the jeans, so any jeans will do. We used my 2 year olds because they were easy for me to take to class!). Then press the jean material over the image. Just press down 1 time and lift. dabing will ruin the jean pattern you are stamping onto the image. See below.

Nifty, huh? Now you can finish coloring the image. Here use used E25 and E21. Thank goodness Copic is coming out with an E23! I do have a makeshift E23 that i let my class use if they needed help blending the 2 very different different in value colors together. :D

And thats my card! Now it's time to go snuggle my little boys so they go to sleep and I can snuggle my big boy! Have a good night!

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Copic Creations Challenge with Prairie Fairy Designs

Copic Creations is BACK! And this challenge is one that everyone who owns a copic marker can easily play along with! The challenge is to use something new! So if you got new copics, you're covered! If you already have all of the copics (ahem) you can use other new toys you may have gotten this holiday season!

Our sponsor for this challenge is Prairie Fairy Design..

Prairie Fairy Designs is a digital stamp company who has designs for just about any digi stamp lover. Some cute to whimsical to hysterical, they have you covered. You'll just have to check them out!

Here is my card...

Sadly, i didnt get any new craft items this Christmas! I know! Crazy right? My hubby has decided i have to buy my own. He says it's like buying him a new landscaping tool... how would i know what to get or what a good price is! However, this holiday season, my hubby bought me a new fancy camera! And some very nice lenses, a great flash and some other fun things. And my daddy got me a lighting kit! So sure, these things are really geared towards my makeup business that i am developing into a photography business as well, but ya know what... man these nice things can make a card look so much better! I still need to learn how to use my camera for a card, my sentiment kept getting blurry due to a low aperature and the boket. But i love the depth in the photo. :D

I used the Sorry Roocat digi from Prairie Fairy. I found him quite hilarious paired with this snorkle paper from cosmo cricket. The fishies on the paper just make him look so guilty!

I hand wrote my sentiment on there because i just need an I'm Sorry. I swear i have a stamp somewhere that says I'm sorry! Ah well.

Ok, now be sure to check out the Copic Creations blog to read more on this challenge and enter to win a fabulous prize! AND you have to check out the awesome creations from the rest of the design team! Good luck!

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An Oldie but goodie

We continue to have snow days here in the South. Let me tell you, it snows, and everyone panics. The store was COMPLETELY out of bread. It's 8 inches! The post office is closed. The schools are closed. All government offices are closed. And my street has become the main source of entertainment for all in my neighborhood. I happen to live at the base of the hill. So i heard sledding happen until about 10 pm last night! Crazy!

Luckily, it the wake of crazy cooped up children and little craft time, I have a card I made about a week ago that I havent had a chance to share yet!

Recently I taught a copic coloring class at Scrapnesia, my local scrapbook store.

We used the R2_ family to play with red tones. Below is the card we made in class. :D

This is Christi the Cherry Fairy from Paper Makeup Stamps! I paired her with paper from Pretty Little Studio (which can be found online here or at Scrapnesia for my local friends).

Ok... back to entertain the crazies!!!!

Have a great day!

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Paper Makeup Stamps release in review

Wow, busy busy weekend! Lots of makeup shoots 4 days in a row, a wedding thrown in there, a copic class taught and um... A paper makeup stamps release! WOOT WOOT!

I love this release! So fun! Still cozy for some cool weather (which we're getting ready to have like 8 inches of snow... in the south!) but moving past the holiday stamps!

Here is my card using the new Cosette!

She makes me want a cup of coffee! Maybe not as much as i want my bed right now... but i will dream of coffee thinking of her! haha!

She was colored using copics BG000, BG02, BG05, E25 E27, E00, E21

Paper is by American Crafts baby boy line (old, but i love it!)

Swirlie dos are my new sizzlets that i just adore!

Be sure to check out the PMS blog for more awesome samples from the Paper Makeup Artists!

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Paper Makeup Stamps Blog Hop

Today is PMS blog hop day! Each design team member has created a new special something using stamps from our release that will go LIVE on the website TONIGHT at 9pm EST.

Oh my word... i dont know if my internet connection isnt working or blogger or both but this has taken me an hour to get into and it doesnt even look right! So, here's hoping for the best!

You should have arrived here from Lisa McKinney's blog. If you didnt, go back to the PMS blog to start. Each blog will give you a letter and if you go thru the whole hop, you'll have a super secret voucher code that will give you 15% off the new release. :D

Yesterday on the PMS blog, we sneak peeked the latest card kit called Mon Cheri. Below is a picture of what is included in the kit.

First of all... i'm in love with this kit. Ok, maybe i should be in love because i'm the one who put it together. hahahaha. But seriously, the moment i got my email from Echo Park introudicing this up and coming paper line, my jaw dropped to the floor! It's so me! I made my order right away and thought, oh shoot... what am I going to do with ALL THAT PAPER?! Typically, PMS doesnt include the different papers in a collection in the kit, but rather a few sheets of the most popular designs. Well this time, i couldnt choose the most popular, so they are all int here! All that pink and grey goodness! SWWWWWWOOOOOOON!

Ok, i'm back to normal (well, my normal) here's what i did with the kit...

Admittedly, i've never been to France. I'd like to go, but its not one of the countries i've gotten to see yet. Still... i love Europe! So i'm just going to lump France in there!

All things on my card are from the kit. The swirl was cut using a new sizzlit die i picked up with my mama when she was visiting. :D

Copics used: RV23, RV25, RV29, RV10, RV000, N3, N5, N8, E00, E21, E25, E27

And now it's time for your LETTER! My letter for you is.... U

Now hop along your merry way to the wonderful Michelle Van Patten!

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My Time Made Easy: A Year in Review

Today is a group post from the My Time Made Easy Design Team and we are focusing on some of our favorite templates, papers and stamps from 2010!

I chose to showcase the Under Cover template.

This template makes such a cute little gift holder! It actually would work phenomenally for a gift card, money, etc. I however have weddings on the brain as it is "booking season" so i've had a lot of bridal makeup inquiries (not to mention 3 weddings this month) and I thought this would be a fun way to wow a bride with a little touch up kit. The super fun thing about it all is I can taylor the colors of the template to match the brides colors of her wedding!

Here's a shot of everything inside the bridal touch up kit.

Now I do try to use long wear products that will need very minimal touch up. Waterproof EVERYTHING, long wear lip color and foundations, etc. Still, having the right touch up products are great to have on hand. In the kit i have some rice paper incase she or anyone else in the bridal party (AHEM, the groom!) gets a little oily thru out the day/evening.

Also some mattifying primer that is actually great if you skin gets dry or dehydrated thru the day. In the photo i also included the lip color, which I only supply if the bride decides to buy it. If not, I use these little sample jars (the ones with white lids) and can cut off a bit of the lipstick and lipgloss and give a disposable lip wand for her to reapply color.

Ok... enough of that, I didnt want to not say what i put in there for those who were curious, but I know you are much more interested in this adorable template!

Here's a shot of the template without anything inside of it.

This is one of those templates that really look great with a double sided cardstock. Here I've used cosmo cricket because I was trying to match the bridal colors for the wedding i have this weekend, but if you dont have any double sided cardstock on hand, you can PRINT YOUR OWN! MTME has lots and lots of adorable printable paper packs. You simply print one side, flip it over, and print the other side. And viola! Double sided paper that is perfect for your project!

Now the hole cut inside the template is completely optional. I like the idea of seeing the goodies inside, but i did line the inside with a piece of clear acetate. I wouldnt want anything to fall out! I mean this is a touch up kit! Heaven forbid we lose the lipstick!

(also, the Just for You sentiment on top of the box is from the set Tending the Garden)

And here is a quick shot of the card I created to match the template. I think it's nice to write the bride a little note thanking her for having ME be apart of HER day. Afterall, it's a honor!

I havent always done this in the past, but it's something I want to start doing this year. Goodness knows it's not like i dont have enough cards around! ;)

THe card is simple and focuses mostly on using the same elements and embellies as on the template, but the sentiment is from the stamp set So Sentimental.

Now be sure to check out the rest of the MTME team and all their fun projects to share today!

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PMS sneak peek - new moody!

Ok.. i dont know what happened to my week, but suddenly i feel like i'm scrambling to keep up.

Ahh, the joys of getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. Thank Goodness my boys at least have a couple hours of preschool here and there this week!

Still - i'm going to keep this point short and to the point!

In case you missed it, Paper Makeup Stamps is having sneak peeks all week of the stamps to be released this friday, January 7th at 9pm EST. Check out the PMS blog to see OOODLES of samples from the Paper Makeup Artists!

Today we are showing off 2 new additions to the Moody collection by Cynthia Liu!

Here is Moody for France!

Not the best picture in the world since i took it with my phone, but thats how my day as been! SO the colors are a little off, but i still think you can see my card pretty well.

I colored her using Copic Markers (YG93, YG95, YG97, BG10, BG34, E00, E21, R20, E25, E27, E49, E30... um, i think thats it. NO<>

Paper is from My Mind's Eye, quite contrary collection.

And now as much as i feel the need to finish emails... it's almost 1 am! ACK! I need to go to bed! Lots to do tomorrow!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

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Paper Makeup Stamps Sneak Peeks!

Sneak Peeks for Paper Makeup Stamps started yesterday! But today is the first day that i have something to share. :D

Since I made the decision to release every other month, i get to actually ENJOY the stamps from each release! Still, after the whirlwind of last month, i'm trying to catch my breath! Since we wont be releasing next month, we're doing a lot of LOVE in this release!

The set being sneak peeked today is called Sending You Love and it is OH SO CUTE!

Here is my card...

The idea in my head was to create a mail box (or maybe it's just a mailbox flag, hehe)

I just couldnt cover the cute birdies on the Cosmo Cricket paper!

Here's a close up of the main stamp image. I love that it looks like a postmark, but the circle part of the image could be used separately as well.

Also in the set is this sweet sentiment which can be used with any of the images in the set.

Be sure to check out the PMS blog for more sweet samples made from this set!

You can also enter yourself to win the whole release! Check it out!

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My Time Made Easy, So Fortunate day 2

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 2011 so far! I seemed to have come down with a bug. Yeah me. So please bear with me, I hope my post makes sense!!!

Today I have another version of the So Fortunate template that was just released yesterday from My Time Made Easy. I told you I just couldn't wait to use the Cherry Blossom Branch a sweet asian girl stamps! For the next couple days the MTME design team is going to show off this super fun template with some of the previously released stamps and papers but i just HAD to sneak these in there too!!!

I did stick with a very asian theme again since I just couldnt wait until later to use the branch and asian girl! But I at least wanted to use another color combo (but it is one of my favorite color combos!)

Here is an angled view of the So Fortunate box in case you missed my post yesterday.

To create the window, after the template walls were cut using my SCAL, i ran the one side thru my Grand Caliber with one of the Labels Three dies from spellbinders. I saved my cut out piece for my card. You'll get more details on that part in a bit! I then stamped on a piece of vellum one of the silhouette images from the Killer Curves stamp set in versafine ink and then embossed it using clear embossing powder (ink takes a LONG time to dry on vellum, this was the main reason i chose to do this). I also stamped and embossed the Thank You sentiment from the So Fortunate stamp set.

I stamped the cherry blossom branch (from So Fortunate) going different angles on each side of the box in black ink as well as the individual cherry blossoms in 3 sizes using a similar ink color to my paper. After assembly, the edges were sponged a bit with black ink.

The box looks really fun with one of those fake votive candles inside! It was my plan, but the photo just came out weird! I'll just let you use your imagination. ;)

And now for my card...

I loved coloring in this asian girl! I used copic markers (colors E00, E21, R30, BG10, BG11, BG32, N3, N2 on outer edge). I also colored in the blossoms on the blue cardstock just to deepen them a smidgen.

The sentiment was stamped on the extra cut out piece from the front of the template box! I used one of the labels from Killer Curves and it fit just perfectly inside!

The sentiment itself is a mixture of 2 stamp sets. The word Thankful is from the Thankful set (not just for autumn!) and the rest of the sentiment is from the So Fortunate set that was just released.

There is more eye candy today from the MTME design team.

Check these ladies out for more awesome ideas!

Lauren

Lisa

Catherine

Kristin

(and a completely shameless plug... but after you check out the above ladies... if you feel like browsing around some more, check out the PMS blog - sneak peeks start today!)

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My Time Made Easy Group Post, So Fortunate

Holy Cow! It's 2011?! That still sounds like sci fi novel to me. SOOOOO weird!

Well, it seems i took the month of December off almost! Haha! Lots and Lots going on, family in town, working on websites and rejuicing the mojo! Now hopefully i can be back with a vengeance in 2011!

To kick off the New Year, I get to start with a My Time Made Easy post! I can hardly believe that Lauren started out on this venture 1 year ago! My, how time flies!!! I feel SO FORTUNATE to be on this team of talented ladies!

My Time Made Easy is releasing an awesome new template and stamp set that i just adore! Not to mention a fun cut file (that i'm not using today) and some beautiful printable paper (some that i AM using today!)

The template and stamp set being released is titled, So Fortunate (did you catch it above?).

The template creates an über cute chinese takeout box! I opted to NOT score the top flaps to give it a little bit of asian lantern feel. I'm not sure the lantern thing worked out, but i still like the look of it!

Here's a closer look at the template...

I cut the sides of the box using my SCAL (you do not need to have a software cutting program for the MTME templates, you can always download a pdf version for your printer!). The template comes with decorative layer pieces so it was super easy. I used the "shadow" on the SCAL to create the mat layers.

Using the So Fortunate stamp set, i create my decorative paper. I used the individual cherry blossom leaves. There is also a cherry blossom branch that is just awesome and a super sweet asian girl image. I just can't WAIT to use them! Ok, i got off track. haha. I also used the kanji symbols on the sides of the box (a different symbol is on each side)

To color in the cherry blossoms, i knew i wanted them to pop against the pink background.

I used copic markers R85 and R81 to shade the flower and then used a white colored pencil to lighten the ends of each petal.

And now onto my card...

My card is admittedly suuuuuper simple but there was 1 major thing i wanted to address.

The paper used on my card is one of the new papers released this month (and in both a landscape and vertical format. The design is laid out so perfectly with even the kanji images sort of watermarked in. I wasnt sure where i wanted to cut into it for my card and then i had an idea... what if i printed the paper in the size of my card front?! I opened the paper image in photoshop (but any photo editting program would do) and sized it to fit the front of a card, keeping the entire design the same. Then printed, cut that out and put it on my card! A beautiful card front! I didnt need to do anything else really! Now i suppose you could but i did want you to see how well this paper makes a cardfront, so i opted to be simple with using the same satin ribbon as on my template and then one of the kanji symbols again with pale pink cherry blossom flower heads stamped behind the sentiment. (sentiment was cut with the labels 9 spellbinders die).

And that is my project for today! Be sure to check back in tomorrow for another take on this template. :D

Check out the rest of the MTME design team and their awesome projects for today!

Have a great day!

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