Today some of the Paper Makeup Stamps Design Team are joining with the Quixotic Paperie Design Team to throw the spotlight on the Paper Makeup Stamps range as part of Quixotic Paperie's 2nd Anniversary celebrations (Quixotic Paperie are the UK online stockist for Paper Makeup Stamps)!

The Paper Makeup Stamps range is available in the UK/Europe at Quixotic Paperie.

If you're in the US then you can of course find the stamps at Paper Makeup Stamps direct!

As part of the celebrations and the spotlight today, we have a PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

Pop on over to the Quixotic Inspirations blog to get all the details and enter the draw to win some fantastic Paper Makeup Stamps and more!

Here I used Moody for Kitties along with a sentiment from the Nothing Left to Say set.

I used Copics to color the image (B41, B45, B16, R30, R32, R35, E21, E23, E25, YR04, YR16, E00)

Spellbinders circles and the copic airbrush to complete the card. Paper is from the Cosmo Cricket Snorkle collection.

TO get my mojo flowing for this card, I decided to pop by one of my very favorite challenges (that i havent played on for a bit, sorry girls!) and thats the Just Us Girls Challenge! In hindsight, i should have colored her hair more yellowed than orange to match the so saffron color of the challenge. I think in my head there was orange that i was trying to add in. haha!

Now for some more inspiration! Hop on over to each of the blogs below to see some fantastic Paper Makeup Stamps creations!

- Elaine - Judy - Kim Dellow - Mary - Rowena - - Andrea - Tangii - Stephanie - Tina - Katie - Dawn - - Randee - LisaK - Jami - Anita - Michelle - Shaela -

Thanks for joining us and we hope you are enjoying all the Paper Makeup Stamps loveliness.

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PMS sponsors JUGS

So you know you're tired when the picture of your card is just of your card sitting on top of your printer. HAHAHAHAHA. Thats where im at in life right now! Yesterday was supposed to be an easy day. it just didnt work out that way!

ANyhoo - Here is my card for this weeks Just Us Girls Challenge, being sponsored by Paper Makeup Stamps!!!

So my card is simple, but i think thats something I really like about cardmaking.

You can make a very elaborate card, and I can color on it and have layer after layer. These cards really are my favorites. But sometimes, there just isnt the time! Sometimes you need a card for a special person or special occasion and just pulling one out f the stash isnt going to do.

This is also why i like all of the wordart stamps out there, but of course i'm particularly fond of the Paper Makeup Stamps ones. :D The mash up of fonts just make it so fun, and keeping the rest of the card simple you can really make it pop!

What else helps to pull a card together quick? A great sketch or color combination.

Now I don't know about you, but when i get overworked and busy with life... my brain can't come up with these things on their own. And thats why i like challenges!!!

This week, Paper Makeup Stamps is sponsoring the Just Us Girls challenge team. You should check out their site, for 1 they have a new awesome challenge every week with gorgeous samples, but this week they are all using PMS! :D Some of the Paper Makeup Artists also joined in today, so be sure to check out the Paper Makeup Stamps blog as well.

Another place to check out some new challenges is over on the NEW My Time Made Easy blog.

Yes this is a shameless plug added to my post. THe first challenge kicked off on thursday, and i had every intention of playing, but with bridal season in full force, a commerical this past week, and a few other odds and ends going on. It didnt happen. BUT i can still tell YOU about it!

There will be a new challenge every thursday (a pretty patterns sketch challenge) and sunday will be a new color challenge!

SO check everyone out!

Details on my card...

Stamps...the new Only As High wordart and Danni's Flutterbies

Butterfly colored with R81, R85, R89, E25 copic markers

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron

Accessories: Soft Sky Ribbon, Spellbinder scalloped rectangle, bling from stash

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A Paper Crafts Connection challenge for Just Us Girls with Paper Makeup Stamps!

How's that for a subject line, huh?! I was able to get a little crafty with a few challenges for my post today! When my craftin' friends issue challenges... i LOVE to participate. Unfortunately there isnt even enough time to do all the challenges i have planned for myself to do in the week!

So today... i comboe'd! I used Maren's challenge for PaperCrafts Connection to use Pleats on a card (something i dont do enough because i think it's über cute) and my girl Lisa's color challenge for Just Us Girls Challenges to use Hot Pink, Lime and Teal. Here is my outcome!

Ok... so for some reason... my cards are getting washed out when i post to blogger. The pictures are still crisp... but the colors are muted. it's driving me BONKERS! And i cant figure out what in the world the deal is! In person, that is melon mambo for the pink color. And the ribbon, while now stampin up... is just as hot pink if not BRIGHTER! ARGH. Looks like i'll be doing more research today because this is just redonculous! Is it a setting in photoshop when i save or something? It looks great on my computer screen when NOT put into blogger. :( Or is it just my computer? In any case, i'm VERY frustrated!

ETA: apparently it's my computer. And all browsers on my computer, but when i look at my post from my phone, it looks fine. Which is just as aggrevating! But at least i know SOME people see the card correctly! HAHAHA!)

Anyhoo, back to the card!

The stamp is from Friendly Flowers from Paper Makeup Stamps.

I used more of my Echo Park paper from A Walk in the Park. I adore this paper! The cardstock is all stampin up (melon mambo, kiwi kiss and bermuda bay). Flowers are by Prima and bling centers are by Darice.

Ok, thats what i got for ya today! with any luck, i'll be crafting more today (but for sneak peeks for MTME and PMS that will show NEXT week, hehehehe) Have a wonderful day!

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Just Us Girls Challenge 46

Howdy Everyone! Today I'm showing off the card I made for this week's Just Us Girls (JUGS) challenge! The challenge called to make a Wild Wild West Project!

One of the JUGS DT members, Alicia, is organizing a charity rodeo in memory of her son, Ethan. All proceeds will go for neuroblastoma research. Here's the link to the rodeo website. Last year, when Ethan lost his battle with neuroblastoma, Pink Cat Studios designed a few digis to be sold as fundraisers for the Weiman family. I paired both the Cowgirl Lily and Cowboy Billy images together on my card.

After i colored this card... i realized that i should have colored Lily's hair brown since we have a birthday party to go to on saturday for Gabe's little girlfriend from church. Drat! Well, looks like i'm not totally ahead on cardmaking for the week! hahahahaha!

Copics Used: E21, "E23", E25, E27, R12, R14, R17, R29, B91, B95, B97, B99, YR23, Y21

Also when digging thru my buttons yesterday i found this kinda different button. The side you see is actually the backside of the button, but it was much more interesting than the front!

In this photo you can also see the loopie border punch. This was actually an extra practice piece from a MTME project i did awhile back, but it was a perfect fit for the front of my card and the loops reminded me of rope. :D

Dont forget to check out the JUG challenge blog to see some stellar samples from their Design Team! And if you play be sure to link up your creation. There is a prize of a super awesome Gina K set designed by Teresa Momber! Check it out HERE.

Have a wonderful day!!!!

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let's rock! PMS sneak peeks day 3!

Are you ready to rock?! Well, i think i'm ready to sleep after this week of fun spring breakness.

So much that i was unable to muster the mojo to make this card until THIS MORNING!

I actually got up early before the kiddos were up... once i got the java in me, it wasnt so bad waking up an hour before everyone else. Perhaps i should do this more often. It's so quiet!

In any case, thank HEAVENS for good sketches! Sketches are by far my favorite challenges, especially when the mojo is lacking! Today i used the Just Us Girls sketch challenge 27!

Here's my card

I love this little guy! He reminds me of my boys who LOVE their drum set. We had to move the drum set to our porch just so we wouldnt have to hear it all hours of the day! Specific times only! But i love that they love all things music, and that they are just a little punky. :D

For my card i used DCWV Rockstar paper. It's a foil paper, so i got some nice glare goin' on in my photo. I didnt end up doing the scallops that were in the sketch. I thought my star punch was a little larger than it is. I thought, how clever i'll be with huge stars propping up the end of my card instead of scallops. When i busted out my star punch, i was very disappointed. Looks like i'll be buying those star nesties afterall! hahahaha!

Here's a quick close up view of milo, jammin' out!

This image color with copics is a really good example of how different the grey copics are! Milo himself has been colored with warm grey markers (W0, W1, W3) while the drums were color with neutral grey markers - my go to for black (N8, N6, N4) while the rims of the drums were colored with a cool grey marker to give the look of cold metal (C1). The skin of the drum was colored with E40 and then i blended it in with E000. But when that looked WAY too peachy in combo with all the grey's i went over the skin again with W0. It didnt take the peach out entirely, but it toned it down. Using any grey copic in a 0 or 1 is a great way to tone down a to bright of a color. :)

So thats what i have for you today! Soon it's going to be time to wake up the munchkin's as i actually have to get Jack ready for school today after a week and a half of not having school!

I dont know whether to rejoice or be sad. Spring break was fun, but yesterday was about overload on the crazy too much candy from easter, so I think this 3 hour break while he's in preschool will be lovely. :D

Dont forget to go to the PMS blog to see the creations from the design team and to see what else is being released ON THE 7th! Thats tomooooooorrrrrooooooow!

We'll have a blog hop in the morning, and then everything goes live on the site at 8pm CST. We'll have a chat with some giveaways, some games, and as always, lots of fun chatter!

Please join us! Party starts at 8pm CST in our Forum!

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Do you want a sneaky peaky of My Time Made Easy february release?

Oh i am SO excited!

My Time Made Easy is sponsoring the JUGS challenge this week!

There is something exciting for YOU too! If you play along this week in the JUGS Challenge, link up your creation and you could win a $25 gift certificate to My Time Made Easy!

And the JUGS girls get to sneak peek some of the February template and stamp releases!

BUT, i was told that i could play too! YIPPIEEEE! I think sneakie peekies can be so much fun!

Ok, perhaps its more fun when you get to SHOW the sneak peeks that when you have to just pine after what you cant have. HAHAHA! Well you can have these soon! February 1st soon!

There is some super cute stuff being released, but i'm going to keep my mouth shut except to announce...

Pretty Packing Template... Happy Mail

Pretty Impressions (acrylic AND digital stamps) Critters with Heart

Pretty Printables Love Notes Paper Collection

After having to remake my cute little mailbox thanks to a certain little 16 month old... remember the one i shushed with juice the other day... hehe... well, i made the HUGE mistake of running

Here is my project (for an unnamed friend, but it is going somewhere!)

This little mailbox was so much fun to make... that i made it twice! Truly i did. Ok, so not by choice. I did a bad thing... i left the room to get a drink.... with my 16 month old in the same room with my precious mailbox! Well, needless to say it wasnt in 1 piece when i came back in!

Good thing the templates are super easy to assemble and my cricut did most of the work for me!

The stamp set Critters with Heart is just so full of pun fun! Each cute image has a sentiment (or 2) that works so well with it!

I decided to take the pun fun to another level... see that sentiment! Well what do crafters like to stick on everything?

Answer: A whole lotta bling! Yes that is a lot of bling put in that mailbox! To my glee, it fit PERFECTLY! I picked these up in the after christmas special at Michael's so i was able to get quite a few packs! I have a friend who has added a lot of sparkle to my life, so i thought she deserved some sparkle of her own. So this will be sent out to her!

Now the little flap hanging down with the magnet isnt actually a part of the template. Once i did cram all that bling in there, the lid didnt want to stay shut tight, it hinged open a smidgen. So i just fashioned a little hinge out of a scrap of cardstock and added some bazzill magnetic snaps to it. :) Easy peasy!

Here are a couple shots of my card...

The krafty background here was created using paper (that i'm going to talk about in just a second!) and the same sentiment used before only stamped randomly with versamark ink.

Now i gotta talk a bit to you about this paper!

MTME is coming out with 3 new collections of pretty printables paper! The hearts you see on both the Happy Mail mailbox and on my card is just 1 of the delicious patterns in these collections!

But wait... it gets better! Couture Cardstock is matching the MTME digi paper to their cardstocks! SO if you are someone who loves to have matching cardstock to your patterned paper, we have your answer!

All the cardstock you see in my projects today is from Couture Cardstock. Here i used

Brown Paper Packaging

Candied Apple

Silent Night

The 3 cardstocks i chose all have various textures which i think is very fun on a project! All of them are definitely sturdy enough to hold up this project!

Stamps from My Time Made Easy, february release

Critters with Heart

Inspiration: Just Us Girls Challenges

Tools:

Pretty Packaging Template, Happy Mail (My Time Made Easy february release)

Cricut Expression

Sure Cuts A Lot

Nestabilities Standard Circle and Scalloped Circle

Paper:

Pretty Printable Paper, Love Notes (My Time Made Easy february release)

Cardstock:

Couture Cardstock, Brown Paper Packaging, Candied Apple, Silent Night

Accessories:

1/8 inch ribbon, offray

brads (giftie... no idea what brand they are! sorry! :) )

Bling (inside and out!) Studio G

Thin Hemp

Bazzill Magnetic Snaps

Ink: Versafine Majestic Blue

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PMS sneak peek day 2 combo with Just Us Girls!

I love birthdays! I've always loved birthdays! It's really a shame since my husband cares so little about them that he actually FORGOT mine this past year. I'm still not going to let him live that down. Maybe i should remind him of that since i'm trying to take over his office. Anyhoo-

I love birthdays! I love my own birthday. I love other peoples birthdays. Its just plain fun to have a day of your own, ya know?! Well, for those of you coming over here from the PMS blog, you might already know that Paper Makeup Stamps is having a birthday very very soon!!! February 2nd to be exact! I cant believe my little stamp company is going to be turning 1!!! it seems like only yesterday it was just this little dream of fun=ness and now it's a fully functioning company complete with a FIERCE design team! All i can say is WOW!

We are going to celebrate the PMS birthday with all kinds of fun, but i'll just let you know now to mark your calendars and will save the details til later! :)

But today i have a sweet birthday card to share. Bonus... one of Jack's little girlfriends is having a birthday party soon and we just got the invite. Gotta love it when you can double whammy your work with your play!

This card uses Ally... one of the soon to be released stamps from PMS. Quick fun story about her name... you may (or may not) know that Jack helps to name many of the fairies. So long as he doesnt come up with a goofy name, or a name we've already used, i go with it. He definitely named Ally! He took one look at her and said... "OOOOOH! Allllllllly" (imagine a 3 year old sounding totally in love). And I said, Oh? ok then! And he said, "she has beautiful hair like allly at school!" I did know he had an Ally in his class. I did NOT know he had such a crush on her! haha!

So here's Ally, having her tea party. The sentiment comes from a great birthday sentiment set called Birthday Cheer that Shaela put together. You are going to LOVE this set!

Here is my card...

I just love this fairy image! I think she is one of my favorites so far! Truly! I know thats a tough call when there are so many new ones released, but i really love her. She's just so sweet!

Now for a little inspiration on my card, I decided to play along with this weeks JUGS challenge which was a technique challenge to sew on your card. let me tell you, my sewing machine does not like me. not one bit. I can not figure out the tension for the life of me! If you could see the bobbin thread on the underside of my paper... it's a mess! It makes it incredibly hard to actually sew a project, like a real one with fabric! haha! My sewing machine did not always have this problem. Would anyone like to enlighten me on how to get it to STOP! *sigh* I've tried the dials umpteen million different ways. No luck. Which is a shame because i love the way sewing looks on cards!

Here are some detail shots...

see the stitching weirdness! Argh! I know it's too tight which is why it's pulling in the corner, but any looser and the mess underneath is just TOO much!
trying to capture that sparkle in her wings! hehe!

I love these flowers! I just got them off of a floral stem at I think ac moore but it might have been hobby lobby. :) The fuzzy brad in the center is from Creative Cafe.

Oh... and one last coloring shot for you... exact colors used will be down in "the deets"

Dont forget to go to the PMS blog to see more sneak peeks of whats to come from Paper Makeup Stamps! You dont want to miss out!

Stamps: Paper Makeup Stamps, sneak peeks, to be released January 14th 8 pm CST

Ally from the Beautiful Day Fairy collection

Birthday Cheer

Coloring with copics

Skin: E00, E21, R20 (cheeks)

Hair: "Y20" custom color (YR31 would be a good substitute), Y21, YR23 (just a smidge for this one)

Blouse: R30, R20, R21

Skirt: "e23 custom color", E25, E37

TeaPot: E21, "E23"

Wings: R000, clear spica pen

Paper:

Patterned Paper: Pink designs from Martha Stewart (get the pad from walmart, 8 bucks, WOOT!), Brown design by Bo Bunny

Cardstock: Berry Sorbet (PTI), Brown (i totally forget the actual name) from Creative Memories, Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah)

Tools and Accessories

SpellBinders Nestabilities: Standard Long Rectangle (small), Scalloped Long Rectangle (small), Standard Circle (large), Scalloped Circle (large)

Flower off of floral stem (ac moore or hobby lobby)

Fuzzy Brad by Creative Cafe (creative imaginations)

Sewing Machine

Cat's Eye Chalk Ink n creamy brown

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Just Us Girls Challenge with PMS

Today I have a card for the Just Us Girls Challenge! Can I just say how proud of myself i was that i got this done ON saturday when the challenge was posted?! I just had too much to post on my blog, to post it yet. And my blog posts for the past 2 days have been long enough without me adding more to them! hahaha!

Here's my card...

This weeks challenge over at Just Us Girls, was a sketch posted by my girl, Lisa! Admittedly i take sketches a bit too literally! haha! But i was still pleased with out this card turned out. Maybe it's because i used new paper and embellishments. But wait, i'm not supposed to be buying anymore, i'm supposed to use what i have! Oh well, i bought this before January 1st!

The paper is by Moxxie and the ribbon is American Crafts. I picked up both at Funkie Munkie Scraps the other day when i was just stopping by to say hello and NOT buy anything!

The only thing not new on this card are the stamps. Caliope with Heart is one of the very first releases from Paper Makeup Stamps. WOuld you believe that PMS will be 1 on february 2nd?!

I cant believe my stamp baby will be 1 soon!!! Sadly, i'm not sure if i've ever used this stamp yet! Sooooo many stamps, soooooo little time. ;) The sentiment (which is hard to see in the picture but easier to see in person) is from the Monster Sentiment Set which has a lot of cute little sentiments that make boy valentine's a snap! Ok, had to put that shameless little plug in there!

Here are some detail pictures...

I used copics to color this sweet image. Deets to follow!

Here's some info taken off of the JUGS blog...

How to Play: Upload your project using this week's challenge to your online blog or public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Mr. Linky form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to an online gallery, please use keyword or tag, JUGS14. After you post to Mr. Linky, please also leave us a comment here. We ♥ love hearing what you think of our challenges!

Deadline: To be considered for "Chic of the Week" will be 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, January 7, 2010. Our "Chic of the Week" will be announced on Friday morning following the deadline. (You may still post to the Mr. Linky after the deadline, but your project won't be eligible for the "Chic of the Week" spot.)

And now...

Stamps:

Caliope with Heart from Paper Makeup Stamps

Monster Sentiment Set from Paper Makeup Stamps

Coloring: with Copics

Colors used:

Main Body R30, R20, R22, R24 concentration on R20

Lighter parts of body R000, R30, R20 concentration on R30

Heart R20, R22, R24 concentration on R22

Papers:

Moxxie

Bazzill Cardstock in Watermelon

Neenah Classic Crest in Solar White

Tools and Accessories

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Swiss Dots

Satin Ribbon by American Crafts

Red pen for faux stitching

Red Scrappers Floss

Pink Button from Creative Cafe

Thanks for stopping by today!

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Just Us Girls Chalkboard Challenge

This week's challenge over on the Just Us Girls challenge blog was a technique challenge!

It looks like so much fun i just HAD to try it out! For some reason, i love chalks. I own a whoel drawer full! Maybe it's because they look like eyeshadows to me! hahahah! Sadly though, i rarely break them out. Especially since i've been doing less scrapbooking and working with diecuts and more and more coloring.

Still, the "chalkboard" technique was not even one i had ever heard of! Now i've colored an image using chalks and versamark ink... but not white ink on dark paper. The whole idea was very very fun to me! You can check out all the details on how to do this on the Splitcoast site. The queen of techniques, Beate, has done a fab job on a tutorial for this! Check it out HERE!

And now, onto my card!

I opted to not use black cardstock for a true chalkboard effect and used brown. Even beate did this so i know it's "ok". hahaha! I stamped my flower image (from Paper Makeup Stamps friendly flowers) in white ink on brown cardstock and then used shimmery chalks to color it. I did not wait for my ink to dry. I did the same for my sentiment (also from PMS). I then used my um... fudgadoodle i forget their name, but a set of word windowish nestabilities to cut out my senitment! hahaha. I used the largest die (it comes in a pack with 3 dies) I still wanted this to stand out. And i couldnt just make a mat for it. Well i could, but I would have had to handcut it. Thats when i got the idea to use my new loop punch from martha stewart. This is the corner version. Instead of putting the cardstock snug in the corner, i put a rectangle piece of cardstock in so that i was chopping off the whole end. Cardstock was an inch wide. Then i trimmed away the excess to get the shape you see here. Here is a close up detail shot of the punch out.

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Just Us Girls Challenge...

Have you heard of the JUGS challenges? JUGS stands for Just Us Girls and they have a fabulous challenge blog HERE. My dear friend, Lisa Kind is one of the JUGS and when Paper Makeup Stamps released the Henry image for the Sarah Anderson family. If you dont remember, Sarah Anderson is a an online stamping friend of mine. She suffered a tragid loss when her little boy, Henry, suddenly became ill last week and passed away. They are still unsure of the cause. $2.50 from every sale of the Henry image or stamp, goes directly to the Anderson family. This is to help build Henry's memorial.

The JUGS team wanted to help promote this image and each and every single one of them bought it. They then decided to do a special challenge in addition to their regular weekly challenges and asked me to be a guest designer! (awww, how sweet!). In addition to this bonus challenge, There is a prize! A $15 gift certificate towards the Paper Makeup Stamps website. You will have until Wednesday, November 18 at midnight CST to post your creation in order to qualify. They will post the winner on their blog on Thursday, November 19.

Here is my card for the challenge and Anderson family...

We would love it if you would support the cause and join in this challenge with us!

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