Stella Says Sketch

Stella has a new sketch for you to try over at Catch the Bug. It's quick and easy, so be sure and join us over these next two weeks!

Here's my card, using one of the images from the Mini Set - Cat Blocks by Bugaboo. I'm keeping this card for my one niece's birthday because she has a ginger colored kitty of her own! Now don't laugh at me...her birthday isn't until August!!!!! I'm almost 100% certain I will put this card somewhere then, come August, forget where it is and have to make her a whole new one!!!!! Hope to see you at Catch the Bug for our latest Stella Says Sketch challenge.

Wish BIG

Here's my card for our latest CAS challenge over at The Outlawz. Our challenge is to create your own background. I find myself always going for my pattern papers that I forget about all the awesome background techniques out there. This is my play on the bokeh technique. First I watercolored on my pink, orange and yellow inks onto a piece of watercolor paper. Once dry, instead of sponging circles, I stamped stars and dots with white pigment ink. Gotta say, I love the result. The background was then die cut out using the Wonky Stitches die by Avery Elle. The stamp set I used is from My Favorite Things, Count the Stars along with the Count the Stars die. Hope you can join us at The Outlawz to show off your favorite background technique. 
 

Have a Sweet Bird-Day!

Welcome back to the Saturday challenge at Catch the Bug. This week it's a recipe challenge - 3 layers, the color orange, ribbon, and something with a bird. I couldn't resist using one of the new Birthday Bash birdies, this one is Birthday Bird 1. So fun!! Hope you can join us this week at Catch the Bug for our recipe challenge.

 

Get Whale Soon

Today on the Imagine That blog, Creative Playground, the winners are announced for the newly released sets from January. Congratulations to the winners!! Have fun with your new sets! I made a card with the set Get Whale Soon. I need to send this card to myself as I'm still sick!!! Yes, it's been 3 weeks with what started as the flu has turned into a coughing, sinus, respiratory "thing" along with the loss of my voice!! For someone who loves to talk, this is killin' me!!!

Back to my card, along with the Get Whale Soon set, I also used one of the Nautical digital papers also found at Imagine That. A little bit of linen thread and my card is done. Perfect for dropping in the mail.
 

Penguin Cocoa

You still have time to play in our coloring contest going on over at the Imagine That! Creative Playground. All you need to link up is a hand colored image HERE. I used my copics on this cutie (yes, I colored a digi!!!) from Imagine That called Penguin Cocoa. I also used digi papers from Imagine That called Merry & Bright.

This was "one of those days" and I'm so glad it's winding down. My boys (that means son and hubby) are in bed and the cats are fed so it's quiet now in the Anderson household. Time to curl up with some Netflix under a warm blanket and a happy cat somewhere on my lap!! Good night all.
   

Teabag Holder

Today I have the honor of presenting a tutorial for Catch the Bug. I decided to show you a teabag holder that I found on line. I wish I had the name of the original creator but I don't. This is the finished product from the front, using Tea Time - Tea Cup from Bugaboo.  

Here is what it looks like inside. I used another Bugaboo image, Tea Time - Cup of Tea. Now let me show you the dimensions, where to score, and where to cut to create your own cute little teabag holder. 

First cut the cardstock you want as your base 9 3/4" x 3 1/4".

 Next, score at 3 1/4" and 6 1/2". Draw a "cut" line from the top of  your 6 1/2" score line to approximately 3/4" up from the bottom as shown in the above photo.

Go ahead, don't be afraid, cut that piece off!!!

Now this is the dark gray cardstock for my finished project. Add score-tape as shown (I used 1/8" score-tape). Take off the liner from the tape and fold over along score line. You've now created the pocket for your teabag!

This is what it looks like undecorated. Time to get creative and add your special twist to it. Thanks for stopping by today and checking out my tutorial!!

Keep Calm

Being sick has really  sucked me dry of my creative juices. I'm not at all thrilled with my card but I've got nothing else in my head! Our CAS challenge this week over at The Outlawz is a birthday card with red on it. The Cutting Cafe is our sponsor this month so I used one of their images, "Keep Calm and Have a Great Birthday". Like I said, this is the best I could do tonight. Hopefully a good night sleep will bring it all back!!

Sorry I Moosed Your Birthday

Wow, what a wonderful, fun week of challenges over at Catch the Bug as we celebrated Bugaboo's 6th birthday!! Thank you all for joining us. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...it's a photo inspiration challenge this week. Now don't judge me when you see my card, I thought that was a moose in the photo!!! Looking at it a little harder, I think it's a reindeer. Oh well, my inspiration went in the moose direction and that's the story I'm sticking to!!!

Yes, my card features the Moose image from Bugaboo. Gotta say, I'm lovin' these $1 animal images. I used several of them this week! My sentiment comes from the Moose Friends set from Doodle Pantry. Love the play on words. Now I can't wait to see what you come up with using the above photo as your inspiration for our new Saturday challenge over at Catch the Bug.
 

Merriest Wishes

Yes, that's right, I made a Christmas card!!! I thought I was all done making these...turns out, I'm still having fun creating them!! They're especially fun when you use a pre-colored digi like this one from Doodle Pantry called Stocking Ants. I used 2 of the digi papers also included in this set. Another something I've been doing a lot lately is sponging while the image is still in the die, giving that fun white border around it. Quick, easy and fun to make, exactly what Christmas cards should be.

Challenges I'm submitting my card to include:
The Glory of Christmas - Silver or Gold
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything goes Christmas
Christmas Card Challenges - Photo Inspiration/Anything Goes Christmas

Life is Good

Life sure is good, especially when you're at the beach!!! My card is for the "Favorite Season" challenge going on now at the Fresh Brewed Blog. I used the adorable image Bob from Fresh Brewed Designs. He simply makes me chuckle!! You guessed it, my favorite season is summer. We still need to finalize our summer vacation plans but one thing's for certain, we'll be going to the Outer Banks in North Carolina again!! We so enjoy going there every year. It's actually getting harder and harder to come home after a week!! Now I hope you can join us for our Favorite Season challenge over at the Fresh Brewed Blog this week.
  

Wishing You a Wild & Crazy Day

It's the final day of our birthday celebration for Bugaboo Stamps over at Catch the Bug. Today it's a recipe challenge along with using the Freebie Friday image.

Could this hippo be any cuter?!! I went with a purple hippo, and don't ask me why!! He's my one animal, I'm calling this 2 layers (thinking I probably shouldn't have put the silver layer behind the white but too late now), and I used brads for my 3 embellies. The sentiment is silver embossed, wishing you a wild & crazy day...that's every day in my life!!! Be sure and join us over at Catch the Bug because there are lots and lots of fun prizes up for grabs!!

Photo Inspiration

I can't believe we're on Day 6 already of the week long birthday celebration over at Catch the Bug. Only one more day to go in these fun days of challenges. Today it's a photo inspiration. Cute cake for sure but what are you inspired by? 

It was the animals and circles that stood out for me. I used three Bugaboo jungle animals, Zebra, Lion and Elephant. All are only $1 each...fabulous!!! Now it's your turn to show us what you're inspired by from the photo and share it at Catch the Bug.

Party Animal

I made it into my stamp room this morning!!! I'm still not feeling 100% yet, and that's driving me nuts!! I'm so not a good sickie!! On a positive note, I'm getting some sleep which makes me very happy!!!

Quit complaining and move on to your card!!!!! I'm always in need of birthday cards so I went with this cutie from Imagine That called Party Cows 1. All three of the Party Cows sets plus 4 digi papers are done up in a bundle for a huge savings...check it out HERE. That's one of the papers that I used on my card.

Hope you find some time to create today!
 

Ewe Moooove Me

Time to make a funny card today for the day 5 challenge going on over at Catch the Bug. We also want you to use an animal on your humorous card. 

I can't resist the ewe collection from Bugaboo and this one made me snort - You Move Me (Ewe Mooove Me). So funny. Now it's your turn to show us your funny animal creation as you join us for Day 5 at Catch the Bug.

Sweet Snowman

We have a new sketch for you to try over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2. Believe me when I say, your card will be done in no time following this sketch!! Remember, our challenge now runs for two weeks in hopes of boosting our participation, so I hope you can join us. 

We have a new to Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 sponsor for this challenge, Beccy's Place. I recommend taking a browse through her store, you'll find lots of fun and fabulous images and sets! 

I instantly fell in love with this sweet snowman from the Snow Angels set. His name is Chuck...how fun is that!!!!! He just makes me smile!! Again, I hope you can join us for our 2 week challenge over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2.

Birthday Celebration Continues

It's already Day 4 of our birthday celebration at Catch the Bug. Since it's Tuesday, we have a new release to share with you today along with a bingo challenge. You do not need to use the newly released image for today, but do what I DIDN'T do, follow the jungle bingo!!!

Check out this sweet little elephant, all dressed up in his birthday best!! I'm blaming it on being sick that I totally blanked out on the fact that we also had a bingo challenge going on for today!!! Oh well, that's the way it is for today!! Hope you can join us at Catch the Bug for some bingo fun!

Happy B-day Bugaboo!

We've been celebrating Bugaboo's 6th Birthday all week with loads of fun challenges yet to come. Today it's a color challenge so come on and join us at Catch the Bug.

My jungle animal is this adorable Monkey With Balloon from Bugaboo. I thought he was just the cutest!!! Another fun birthday card to add to my collection. Hope to see you at Catch the Bug for Day 3's color challenge.

Bugaboo's Birthday Sketch Challenge

Welcome back to Day 2 of Bugaboo's birthday celebration over at Catch the Bug. Today we're having a sketch challenge. You know how I love sketches and this is a fun one to try. 

Speaking of fun, this sweet AKV Giraffe image from Bugaboo is just that!! Hmmmm, would you look at that, I used a giraffe two days in a row!! What can I say, I adore giraffes!! Hope you can join us today and all week for Bugaboo's birthday celebration over at Catch the Bug.

Challenges I'd like to submit my card to include:
Dragonfly Journeys - It's a Jungle Out There
Send a Smile 4 Kids - Birthday Fun 4 Kids
Creative Knockouts - Card for a Child

Happy Birthday Bugaboo!!

How fun, Bugaboo is turning 6 and all the fun and celebration is this week!!! Our theme this week is the jungle/zoo. 

Today is a theme challenge - Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing. Who else is singing it in their head right now?!!!!!

Here's my card for today, using the sweetest image in the world, Giraffe Heart 2. I figured I could use this as a thank you card, I love you card or even a baby card. All I can say is I adore that image...guess I you figured that out already!!! Hope you can join us today and all week for some fun surprises for Bugaboo's 6th Birthday Celebration over at Catch the Bug.

Coloring Contest

Well I'm back to the land of the living!!! Hahaha!!! Having the flu and now this sinus infection that has left me with a nasty cough (that doesn't let me sleep, grrrrrr) and no voice is awful!! But I'm upright now so for that I am thankful. Don't forget, we are having a coloring contest going on this month over at the Imagine That Blog. All you have to do is color up a digital image! Yep, that's it!!! Turn it into a card later but show us your coloring!!!

Hope you're sitting down because I colored up an Imagine That image (yes, I rely on the wonderfully colored versions!!). This is Cocoa Penguin...isn't he a cutie?!!! Now coloring still stresses me out, especially when your newly refilled copic marker drips on your almost completed piece of work!!!!! Thank goodness I could find a way to hide it, and no, I'm not telling you where it is!!!!!!!

Splashing in Puddles

Remember what it was like to splash in a puddle as a kid? Fun, wasn't it!!! Well that's our theme this week for the CAS challenge over at The Outlawz. Now today, my puddle has frozen...that way this cute penguin from Lawn Fawn can go ice skating!! This stamp set is called Winter Penguin, and the die can be found HERE. I used the Circle Tag Die from Avery Elle...love that tag, just don't use it enough (could the reason be I have too many dies? NEVER!!!). I had a few bumps along the way while making this, almost had to start all over again, but happy with the way it turned out. Now it's your turn to show us your CAS card with our puddle theme.

Challenges I'm submitting my card to include:
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything Goes with twist - it's bloomin' cold outside
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
QKR Stampede - Clean and Simple
Coloring Crazy - Winter Blues
The Stamping Boutique - Winter
ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for Anything Goes
A Snowflakes Promise - Winter/Christmas theme
Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Anything Goes with a twist - it's cold out there
Tuesday Throwdown - Winter Wonderland

Giveaway

A few fun sets have been released this month at Imagine That and today, on the Imagine That Blog, you have a chance to win one of these sets of your very own!! I created a card using the fun and fabulous Punny Pairs. How could I resist?!!! I used a stencil for the background, sponging on squeezed lemonade and ripe persimmon distress ink. I don't know why I don't use stencils more often!! The fun is in the reveal that's for sure! Now head on over to the Imagine That Blog and comment for your chance at winning this set!!!

Bingo

It's time to play a little Bingo this week over at Catch the Bug. What a fun array of choices, that's for sure!!!

Here's my card, using this sweet Bugaboo image from the Mini Set - Winter Bears. As for the Bingo card, I went with the right column of bow, blue and sentiment. With all the winter birthdays I've got, another sweet b-day card sure will come in handy. Now I can't wait to see what you create for our Bingo challenge at Catch the Bug.

Otter Say Hello

Otter also saying Happy Birthday!!! This is a new set created by Kris from Imagine That! Take a moment and browse thru her shop, I know you'll find some wonderful sets that are perfect for what you need. I'm always in need of birthday cards, so I couldn't resist this cutie from the set Otter Say Hello. The plaid paper comes from the Ice Cream Parlour digital paper pack...perfect!! I even used one of the Sketches by Carly that you can find HERE as my inspiration.

Have a wonderful Wednesday! I have the next 2 days off so I hope my mojo stays with me so I can get lots of creating done!

Happy Winter Days

Ooooo, would you look at this fabulous sketch!! It's our latest one from Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2. We're making the switch to our challenges run for 2 weeks so I sure hope you can join us. 

Our wonderful sponsor for this challenge is A Day for Daisies. It's amazing all the wonderfully fun images there are over at the shop. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and take a look for yourself!  

Because I love snowmen AND penguins, I couldn't resist this image, Penguin Snowman. These polar pals have found themselves a new friend!! So cute!!! Sure hope you can join us over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 for our latest sketch. You now have 2 weeks to play along!!!

Challenges I'm submitting my card to include:
A Day for Daisies - Anything goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday - Anything goes with a twist - Baby it's cold outside
Tuesday Throwdown - Winter Wonderland
Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes with a twist - Winter blues
Hiding in my Craft Room - Black & White + 1

You're Dino-Mite!

Doodle Pantry is sponsoring the Valentines or Love Cards for kids challenge over at Send a Smile 4 Kids. I used this sweet dinosaur from the Little Girl Valentines set by Doodle Pantry along with two of the digital papers. As you know, I LOVE the color version of digis for the time saving factor. I am trying really hard to get ahead of the game when it comes to my DT requirements. It's a slow process as I am still no more organized this year than I was last year!!!
 

National Bird Day

Yep, this week is National Bird Day! To honor our fine feathered friends, we're asking you to create something with a bird on it for the CAS challenge at The Outlawz. I'm using an image from our sponsor this month, The Cutting Cafe called Valentine Animals and Bugs. I sponged around the image while it was still in the die for that fun framed look. Then a little stitching and my very simple card is complete. I hope you can join us for some clean and simple fun at The Outlawz, it will be such a "tweet!!"