Carpe Cakem

I love cake.  At our house, it is often jokingly referred to as "the other white meat" from this Natalie Dee cartoon.  So, when I saw this adorable sentiment from from Cat Dancing Design by Cornish Heritage Farms, I knew I had to add it to my collection. It is stamped in Lipstick Red ColorBox … Read more

Sketch Challenge Double Take

For Beate’s weekend sketch #14, I went searching for tall vertical stamps that would work for the framed element.  I decided to make two different takes on this fun layout. The first highlights corn … it fills the Iowa landscape during this time of year.  The stamp is by Mountin’ Rubber Stamps in Milan, Illinois, … Read more

LL Bean Inspired

Today’s inspiration piece is a wool hooked rug by LL Bean in a pattern called farmhouse tile.  Since I’ve started creating cards on a regular basis, I’ve found that I look at the world differently.  I’m drawn to color combinations, design elements, advertising … whatever is visually interesting … for inspiration.  I started with the … Read more

{Caardvarks} 1-2-3 Challenge

I had so much fun with today’s SplitCoastStampers sketch challenge, I decided to revisit it for my Caardvarks 1-2-3 Challenge entry.  The challenge is to create a card using 1 embellishment (Basic Grey small word), 2 patterned papers (Kissin Kate and Slim Jim from Cosmo Cricket’s Wanted Collection) and three flowers (fun primas from a … Read more

{Caardvarks} Winner

Well, I didn’t win the most recent Caardvarks ribbon challenge, however I have had the marvelous pleasure of being a winner of some of their previous contests.  The card that won the ribbon challenge was awesome.  I am always so inspired by the designs of the many talented artists who submit their work. This *{make … Read more

believe … discover … savor life

… follow your destiny.  That is what the poem stones on this card say … pretty good words to live by. I love the feel of this card – literally.  The flocked paper by K&Company feels like the velvet flocked wallpaper I remember from one of my childhood homes.  I embossed the chocolate paper strip … Read more

Monkey Business

This card is for Beate’s Weekend Sketch Challenge #13.  I wanted to make a monkey-themed birthday card for a friend who laughs just like a monkey.  She gets a kick out of monkey-themed gifts.  On one of our spring trips, we found her this hilarious screaming slingshot flying monkey. In the recesses of my brain … Read more

Along for the Ride

Sometimes when I begin making a card I have the exact image in my mind of what I want the end result to look like.  More often than not, I really have no predetermined vision, and I just let the images, colors and papers I choose lead me.  This valentine resulted from the latter of … Read more

{Caardvarks} Ravishing Ribbon

I love challenges … and I particularly love challenges that involve cool prizes.  That is why the Caardvarks challenges are some of my favorites.  Challenges push me to try new ideas and explore creative techniques.  I also learn from the others who submit their work. Caardvarks posts a new challenge on the 5th and 20th … Read more