I'm COLOURING WITH PRIDE!

for a while now, i've been Makin' it Crafty with Zoe and the gang... NOW, we're doing things up a little differently! instead of the technique challenges we've been giving you, we will be sharing ideas using different colouring media. SOOOO, whether you're a marker enthusiast, watercolour fiend or pencil freak (like me!), our aim is to inspire you!

our very first challenge will begin in the new year on Saturday, January 8th, and we'll be bringing you new challenge EVERY Saturday!

FOLLOW US! JOIN US! PLAY ALONG! and grab our blog badge and tell everyone YOU are addicted to colouring too!!

(CLICK THE PIC!)

see you over the rainbow, kids! xo

Nerdy challenge with HOT HOT HOT prize!

come on folks! there's only ONE submission for the newest Envious challenge so far, and it's coming up on the end of the month! you have until December 31st to join us Nerdy Girls by CLICKING HERE!

the prize?

check THIS out:


a big, big thank you to Candy Shoppe Designs for the SWEETNESS! what a fabulous sponsor! but we need 5 players or more if we're gonna give this away, so HURRY!

here's the collage inspiration for this challenge (in true nerdy fashion):



CLICKETY CLICK, folks! GOOD LUCK! :)

Pearly, lacy goodness at CHARISMA! yummy prizes!

HELLOOOOO, crafty friends!

it's challenge day over at Charisma Cardz and as one of the Charisma Gals, i am pleased to say that we are giving you TWO WEEKS to do this one! we know everyone is super busy during the holidays, so enjoy some time with your families, your friends, and those people you only get to see once or twice a year. and THEN, when you have a bit of downtime, come and join us with your fabby...

PEARLS AND LACE creations!

that's the new challenge, and there are some nifty prizes up for grabs -
* how about a 3 month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review magazine?! (i happen to be a staffer there, so i can guarantee LOADS of gorgeous inspiration, tutorials, tips, and fabby discussions all over the crafty spectrum)

* how about a 10 pound gift certificate to Bunny Zoe's Crafts? they have a HUGE selection of goodies for all your craftin' needs!

* how about 6 digis of your choice from the DigiStamp Boutique? tons of variety, CUTE and quirky images, and they're lots of fun to colour!

so you wanna play? CLICK HERE to see our Charisma Gals' projects (we aim to inspire!), and here's my card:

and because it's hard to tell where there's actually LACE on here, a close-up:

the green trim is actually a white crocheted lace that i misted green to match - i added the pearls across the trim, and there are pearls on the flower accent as well.

you have until Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 (it's strange to be typing that!) to play along, so have fun, happy holidays, and i hope Santa brings you lots of crafty goodies because you've been so good this year! (i'm expecting a giant lump of coal - hee hee!)

WINNAH of the SEI prize.....

THANK YOU, SEI Lifestyle, for inviting me to be your guest blogger last week! I really enjoyed my visit, I absolutely LOVED working with Kris Kringle and Jocelyn, and I stepped outside my usual comfort zone and tried some new things. It was wonderful!

And thank you to EVERYONE who stopped by to say hello and leave some comment love - I hope you had as much fun as I did!

And, as promised, one random lucky commenter from my posts over there throughout the week will be receiving this:


as well as this:


BRAND SPANKIN' NEW from SEI!
Will the blogger known as KindredEsprit please send me an email at QuiteOrange@yahoo.com and please include your first and last name as well as your mailing address? I'll be ordering these items for you from SEI and they will be on their merry way to you once they are in stock. :) ENJOY!

And don't forget to swing by the SEI Lifestyle blog to see who THEIR lucky winner is! Someone else will get to enjoy some of the goodies I was fortunate enough to play with last week! WOOT! Now SCOOT!

Back later with bunches of stuff to share, now that I have a bit more time in my crazy-busy schedule for things I want to do!

SEI guest blogging gig wrapping up! GIVEAWAY!

first of all, stop by the SEI Lifestyle blog for YESTERDAY'S little taste of Kris Kringle... and leave a comment 'cuz you might win something! and today is my grand finale - little surprises up my sleevies and i had a TON of fun making this, and others like it:


yesterday's post features this adorable dude:

(don't forget to comment on that one, too! and since what i showed you above is just a sneak for today's post, be sure to check back later today so you can leave a comment!)

i'll be around this weekend, 'cuz the dust is FINALLY starting to settle around here! WOOT!

SEI introduces my friend MAGNUM! and a giveaway reminder!

come and visit the SEI Lifestyle blog for my Wednesday project... i've been showing off the new Kris Kringle line this week, but today i just HAD to show you a page i made using the gorgeous Jocelyn line (it's my other SEI fave at the moment)...

meet MAGNUM!


his story...
when i first started dating my would-be hubbin back in 2004, i came to NJ for a visit and he was quite eager to bring me around to all his hot spots, including a fabby little record store called Tunes. well i've always been a big fan of record store shopping anyway, but when i walked into this store, MAGNUM greeted me! he was their mascot kitty, and he would lounge wherever he felt like it around the store. his favourite spots to chill were under the t-shirt rack, between a couple of boxes of old records, and on top of one of the bins of clearance vinyl. Magnum didn't care who wanted to look through the stuff in his bin - he wasn't moving for anyone!

my very first furry friend in NJ, and i always looked forward to dropping by Tunes for a visit whilst hubbin and i dated. :) a few years ago, however, Tunes moved a couple of stores down, and Magnum wasn't able to join them. i saw posters up saying that he was looking for a new home - and i honestly considered taking him in, but i also know that he made a lot of friends at Tunes, so i'm SURE somebody must have happily scooped him up! Miss O would not have appreciated his company, so i had to rethink the idea, although it could have been fun.

needless to say, Magnum more or less owned the store, and he was FULL of


:)

i had fun mixing things in this page, and all but the twine trim (which is from Dill Blossom) and the C and exclamation point (from Black Orchid) is Jocelyn! the squares and larger scalloped circle are cut from one sheet, the funky red trim and smaller scalloped circle are cut from another...

added some beaded frills (the bling!), some epoxy stickers and a rubon, distressed my background and stuck it all down for a page i think is less girlie than i'd expected it to be (Magnum would be pleased!).

CLICK HERE to see more photos and the deets about the supplies i used, AND to check out my fabby giveaway! two more days left of my guest blogging week, and i'm rewarding one lucky commenter with some GORGEOUS, brand new SEI stuff, so drop me a hello over at the SEI Lifestyle blog!

xo

SEI guest blogging with BOXES, and a lovely giveaway!

woot! today marked day two of my guest bloggy appearance at the SEI Lifestyle blog! yes, it's technically WEDNESDAY, which would be day three, but it's been a nutty day and i'm JUST getting around to updating now... (that just means you have something to check out in the morning when you're blog surfing over your morning coffee!)

SO!
click here for day two's shenanigans... YES, i showed you these boxes last week (our current Charisma Cardz challenge is GIFTIES, so i opted for packaging!), but if you want the deets on the supplies i used, it's all over at SEI Lifestyle. :)

yes, i want you to go over and visit. yes, i want you to leave a comment there, letting me know you dropped by to say hello and show me some love. but did you know that i'm also giving away some SEI goodies from the brand-spankin'-new With All My Heart line? 'tis true!

here are the boxes i made, all using the wonderful Kris Kringle line (which i'm stocking up on for next year, because i know it will be hard to get when i want it in october!):



(the ribbon on this one is from an older mystery line from SEI)



i am ALL about making boxes now, so i'm on the hunt for more cute and simple tutes. if you know any, please leave a comment here with the link and i'll certainly check it out!

thanks for joining me, and remember the giveaway! leave comments over at SEI all week (beginning last Friday) and you could be my winnah!

xo

Join me for my Guest Blogging DEBUT at SEI Lifestyle!

TODAY! it's the big day! i've been waiting for it, and i know i gave a bit of a sneakie peekie on friday with my introduction post, but today kicks it off, and i hope you'll visit each day this week at the SEI Lifestyle blog!

CHECK IT OUT, and tell me this is not an unbelievably fabulous and charming collection from SEI! go ahead, just TRY to tell me... i'll know you're lying! the Santa is just the cutest thing since, well, BUNNIES!

OH, and you might be interested to learn that i'm going to be giving some SEI goodies to one commenter over there at the end of the week... have you seen the With All My Heart collection? it's BRAND-SPANKIN' NEW, and i'm giving away one 12x12 paper pack, plus the matching die-cuts... you could be one of the lucky ones to play with this GORGEOUS line as SOON as they get it in stock! just leave a comment on the SEI blog this week - that's all it takes!

here's a sampling of my projects for today's post...

hand-cut tree and patterned paper from Kris Kringle plus alphas from SEI's Black Orchid line


die-cut from the Gleaming Snow pack, plus larger ornament cut to match - alphas from Girly Girl pack, cream ribbon from SEI's Dill Blossom pack, green ribbon from stash


Elf, Barn and Truffle cardstocks, patterned paper from Kris Kringle, Vanilla Bean alphas from Girly Girl pack, baker's twine from stash


patterned papers, dimensional titles and felt elements from Kris Kringle line, Vanilla Bean and Split Pea alphas from Girly Girl sticker pack

velvet, glitter, embossing, foil, bling, felt, dimension, and all around YUM! i was THRILLED when SEI asked me if i'd like them to send me some Kris Kringle goodies to prepare for my big week with them, and i have LOVED playing with this line! can't wait to show you more tomorrow! :D

have you checked out Trade it Thursdays?

our dear Dollie-friend, Nicole, has been doing this thing on her blog that i think is a fabby idea! it's called Trade it Thursdays, and she posts photos of things she has but is looking to give away in exchange for something you can offer!

click the pic to visit, and see what Nicole's got up for grabs right now!


(visit me here again tomorrow when i kick off
my Guest Blogger week with the SEI Lifestyle blog!
i've had lots of fun playing with Kris Kringle!)

new NVS challenge, sponsored by CANDY SHOPPE DESIGNS!

okay gang, i'm a couple of days late on this one, but there's LOADS of time to play along at Envious! we do that whole monthly collage inspiration thing, and it's always fun to see how people will pull inspiration from the pic provided. this month we have an AWESOME sponsor... check THIS out:


this GORGEOUS prize comes from the very spunky Candy Shoppe Designs - surely you know who they are, right? :)

so what you need to do is create something - ANYTHING - inspired by the following little digi-collage:


and, well, i swear our fabby (and wonderfully talented!) Headmistress, Lynnette, put this little puppy together JUST for me! check out my page (i hadn't done a scrappy page in nearly two months!):







(yes, i know the photos are HORRID, but i swear i have forgotten how to work my camera or something - time to go back to the factory default settings!)

CLICK HERE to see what the other Nerdy Girls have done for the challenge, and you could be the lucky one to nab that TOTALLY hot prize from CSD! you have until the end of the month to play, so HAVE FUN! :)

I've hit 200!

for those of you paying attention, i've been waiting to get to 200 followers to give a little somethin'-somethin' away. now that i've hit 200 followers (WOOOOOT!), keep those comments coming over the next two weeks and at the beginning of the new year, i'll have a big prize (or maybe a few medium-sized ones instead) to some lucky commenter(s)! click here to see the original post about the candy!

thanks for the love, folks! i've had lots of fun making my rounds through the blogosphere since last summer, and you won't be rid of me anytime too soon!

xo

Mod Podgin' it up! CHECK ME OUT ON THE MOD PODGE ROCKS BLOG!

it's FRIDAY! and it's been a busy week, and i've had a hard time keeping mum about the fun stuff going on, but now that FRIDAY has arrived, it's time to spill the beans!

the utterly charming and fabulous AMY ANDERSON is featuring me today as her Lifestyle Blogger at MOD PODGE ROCKS!

Amy searches high and low for people who are using Mod Podge in fun and creative ways, and she and i have shared some interesting conversations over the last few months... i have fallen head over heels in love with my Podge, and i was fortunate enough to play with some of the brand new BRUSHSTROKE Mod Podge - it is SO much fun! of course, being a funky NEW thing, i couldn't just make a card or whip up a scrappy page, OH NO... that just wouldn't do!

instead, i got some words in my mind, discovered these 4"x12" canvases, and got my foam brush dirty! check 'em out - i made these using Basic Grey's MARJOLAINE papers (i LOVE this line!) that i'd won from YourScrapbookStash.com, and i painted up some chipboard pieces and had my Adina-Dollie help me with the letters (as i don't own a cricut). check 'em out (and click 'em to enlarge!):







SEE THAT TEXTURE?! it's wonderful, and i love this stuff!
let's go in for a closer look, shall we?




seriously, CLICK the images, because you will not BELIEVE how much gorgeous texture can be achieved simply by laying down a nice, thick coat of Brushstroke Mod Podge and creating patterns with your brush. i could go SWIMMING in it!

but in addition to checking out my little inspirational project here, you can mosey on over to MOD PODGE ROCKS! to see the feature and a fun interview - THANK YOU, AMY! it's an absolute pleasure knowing you and being inspired by you! xo

SEI Lifestyle featuring yours truly!

hello, crafty friends and random visitors popping by!

i've been BURSTING to share some news, and i have TWO pieces to share today! drop by in about an hour to catch the other part (if you haven't already somehow stumbled across it in your bloggy travels), but first:

i'm SO pleased to tell you all that


i am the SEI Lifestyle featured artist for next week!


i was asked if i'd like to join the SEI Lifestyle gals next Monday-Friday, and i simply couldn't pass up the opportunity! i am a huge fan of SEI's products, and have been using lots of pretties for my holiday projects of late, so i was overjoyed when i got to play with some new products i hadn't SEEN, let alone been able to get my hands on!

you'll be seeing lots of appearances from my dear friend, Kris Kringle, all next week, plus a few other cameos.

today, you can find my introduction post at the SEI Lifestyle blog, and this simple little project i made using a combination of an SEI bi-fold frame, papers from the Lovebirds line, a piece of the gorgeous Velvet paper in CLOUD, and brown cardstock and blue bling from my stash:


back view:


and the inside, with simple embellishments made from the same papers:


hop on over to the SEI Lifestyle blog to check out my introduction, and i'm going to have a giveaway of yummy SEI product next week, so be sure to leave comments! have a great weekend! :)

Charismatic GIFTIE thingies!

hiya gang! what's shakin'?
busy week here, with holiday luncheons and trying to squeeze in as much learning as i can, because next friday is my last day at the branch before i kick things off at our brand new location! it's so exciting, but i've really gotten to enjoy working with the people there, so i know i'm going to miss them. i'm not, however, going to miss getting up at 5:15 in the mornings, or getting home at 6:45 in the evenings. i love my job though, which makes the commute bearable, and i NEVER dread going to work. :) i don't think i've EVER said that about any job before.

okay, so on with the crafty stuff!

it's CHARISMA CARDZ CHALLENGE DAY today!
we want to see something that's NOT cards or scrappy pages... we want to see GIFT HOLDERS, or GIFTS! (yes, we know you give cards as gifts, but usually a card accompanies a gift, so that's what we're talkin' about, kids!)

i had some fun playing with a bunch of new yummies, but i was SO disappointed in myself because i had made a slew of these (from the same line) last week for the craft fair, and forgot to photograph them. so i came up with BETTER templates than the ones i'd used, and here are my little creations:


some close-ups...



(that one's a gift card holder)






lemme tell ya, these little stinkers are FUN to make, espesh with the Mawtha scoring board! and they're perfect for gift cards, jewellery, candy or little trinkets (even crafty gifts for your fellow cardmaking pals!).

everything you see here is from SEI, except the baker's twine and the dark green cardstock. if you haven't played with the Kris Kringle line, i HIGHLY recommend it! such fabby patterns and the quality of the papers is just WONDERFUL. and it's festive and FUN - perfectly out of the ordinary and just my style!

so do you wanna play along with the Charisma Gals? make something for someone (or a box in which to put something you buy for 'em), and you could win...

3 digis of your choice from MAKE IT CRAFTY! (and if you've been paying attention, you know i LOVE the digis from Zoe's shop, and i absolutely LOVE being on her design team, among so much crazy awesome talent!)

$10 to spend in the Tellen's Place ETSY store! some truly FUN and quirky images - perfect for those who like to add a little humour and/or wit to their crafting! not to mention, the owner, Terry O is one fabby, funky gal!

play along with the Charisma Gals this week for your chance to win! my teammates have done some GORGEOUS, inventive, adorable things for their projects, and i TOTALLY urge you to CLICKIE HERE to check 'em all out! i'd be SHOCKED if you weren't instantly inspired to make something equally wonderful! you have until next WEDNESDAY to play with us - still time to squeeeeeeze in some holiday crafting, so join us!


i decided to play along at Paper Sundaes, as their theme is "GIFT IT!" - i'm gonna be sticking stuff in these boxes and giftin' away! :)
and this little set is for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - they gave us the general theme of CHRISTMAS and i wasn't just going to opt for a plain ol' card! :)

simple CPS goodness

THANK YOU, CPS! for inspiring this card - i know JUST who i'd like to send it to this Christmas. :)




here's their sketch #196:


so when you folks die-cut or punch things from your paper, do you keep the "frame" - i.e. the negative from your cut? the grey "frame" is just that. i die-cut a shape, and figured i'd get some mileage from the paper, because i LOVE the stuff (it's a Bazzill cardstock, and i wish i could go swimming it all its yummy texture!). the card kinda resembles a framed photo or painting of a little old country village, doesn't it?

anywho, there that is. photos from the craft fair are forthcoming. it was FANTASTIC, and i made a nice little profit! i am definitely going to apply again for the 2011 fair!

the craft fair has ARRIVED!

for those of you who have been visiting over the last couple of months, the big Craft Fair of which i've been yammering has FINALLY arrived! i will be up in a few short hours and on my way HERE... it's gonna be HUGE, apparently, and i am still so excited that i was INVITED to be a vendor by one of the two women in charge!

anywho, i plan to take some photos, and i'll give you all a little run-down of the event once it's over and done with, and that will be the last you'll hear about it (until this time NEXT year, i hope!)... i know, i know... it's about time! well, send me some positive energy, my darlings, because i hope everything squeezes into the space, and i hope my banner stays where it's supposed to go! i'm a little worried that it's not going to do what it should, but i think everything else should look pretty good! oh, and it would be AWESOME if i could make a bit of profit, too! ;)

thanks for all the encouragement, friends! (especially YOU, Holmes-Lovie!)
enjoy the weekend!

my LASER PRINTER is the pits.

so i'm on the hunt for a decent PHOTO printer so i can do some actual scrapbooking. the photos i've used on my pages over the last year and a bit have all been printed on my laser, and the quality is TERRIBLE. i don't get it!

are any of you using a laser? if so, what kind of printer, and what paper do you buy? i am going to do a factory reset to restore the default settings, but i don't think we strayed too far from the original settings in the first place, so i doubt it will help much, if at all. everything always looks washed out and colourless, and it's upsetting!

so if i can't work this problem out to a point where i'm actually happy with the results and feel like printing some new pics to scrap, i will be looking for a photo printer. suggestions?

congrats to my HOPPER, and a new Some Odd Girl challenge!

THANK YOU to all of Some Odd Girl's Friends and Followers! i hope you all enjoyed the Hol-Odd-Day blog hop as much as we did! each of the Odd Girls gave away the digi they used on their Hop card to one commenter who showed a little love to ALL of the featured Blog Hop participants... i used the fabby Sign Kaylee on my card:


and my lucky winner is.... KRISTA! congrats, my crafty friend! i hope you have lots of fun with her! all you have to do is send a quick email to Kristy@SomeOddGirl.com and she'll get you hooked up so you can add this little cutie to your digi collection!

join us TODAY for our new UBER-GIRLIE CHALLENGE, where we want to see you add those accents that make your projects scream out "I WAS MADE FOR A GIRLIE GIRL!"... be it lace, frills, flowers, bling, a shopping theme, ribbons, girlie colours, whatever! CLICK HERE for our challenge, and check out what our Oddies did with this one! you have until Wednesday, December 15th to play along for more Some Odd Girl freebies and LOYALTY POINTS!

oh, and didja see the new FREEBIE?! :) can't wait to colour THIS one up! i hope my family's not reading my blog, 'cuz they'll be seeing this image in the mail soon enough! :D

Charisma twisty sketchy fun!

okay gang! a VERY quick, super early post from me as i wait for my kettle to sing and i'll be out the door, on my merry way to work....

it's Charisma challenge time! :)

the amazing Vee gave us a fabby little SKETCH to play with this week, and i LOVED the way this one came together! will have to use this idea for future cards!


here's the sketch:

and the twist - NO IMAGES can be used!

well i had the perfect little non-image ready to go, so here's my card, using one of the spunky little Some Odd Girl sentiments (they're only a BUCK EACH!):


and a close-up, though the lighting was TERRIBLE...


wanna play? DO join us! some FUN sponsors this week, and LOADS of hot inspiration from the Charisma Gals! CLICK HERE TO JOIN IN THE FUN, and play along by next WEDNESDAY for your chance to win! :D

i need a vacation!

SO so busy, and so very stressed at the moment! there's so much going on with my life (work stuff really good, and other stuff just very exhausting)

i just want to say thank you to those who played along with our Some Odd Girl Hol-Odd-Day blog hop! i'll be announcing a winner tomorrow when i get home from work, PLUS i'll be sharing the brand new challenges from Some Odd Girl and Charisma! i worked late today, got stuck in nasty traffic due to a HUGE accident, had a late appointment (for which i was also late), waited around at BK to pick The Son up after work, only to find out (after waiting a half hour) that he'd already gone home an hour earlier. then i found out that my fabric glue is NOT holding my banner together for this weekend's craft fair, so i have been hand-stitching and i'm STILL not finished. but it's bedtime, as 5:30 am rolls around far too quickly.

so do visit the blogs and check out the Some Odd Girl and Charisma challenges! i'll post my Hop winner and my DT projects tomorrow when i get home, and thank you ALL for your patience!