Charisma's got ICE CREAM on the menu this week!

hey there, chickens!  hope the weekend's off to a great start for you!  just checking in today to let you know about the new challenge at Charisma - our sponsors are KICK-BUTT and the theme is super easy.  we ALL love ice cream, right?  :)  i have a place right around the corner that makes their own homemade ice cream, and it is HOPPIN' all season.  they use fresh fruits from our town (the blueberry capital of the world!) and they've made quite a name for themselves! 

so to inspire you, we've got ICE CREAM themed projects to share this week, and you could win £20 to spend at Meiflower (who have some seriously gorgeous ribbons, gems and pearls to embellish your crafty projects!), or $20 to spend at Freckled Fawn (and i KNOW you're familiar with their fab selection of washis and wood veneers!)...

here's what i created, with LIME SHERBET on the brain ('cuz it was on sale and i can't stop eating it!):

simple, but just what my coworker needed, and sometimes simple is good for me to clear out my brain from all the ideas swimming around!  :)  CLICK HERE to see what the rest of the lovely Charisma Galz have done to inspire you, and link up your projects by WEDNESDAY to get in on the action.  who wouldn't want to spend all that money on embellies?!  :) 

Bamboo loves Graciela!

i'm attending my niece's christening on Sunday, and the whole family is pretty smitten with this little miss.  Graciela will be 2 months old that day, and she's full of smiles and sweetness.  oh, and she LOVES her Tia (that's me)!  she's always quiet when i hold her, so her mommy and daddy can catch a break once in a while when i visit.  :)

anywho.  of COURSE i had to make a card using some of my new goodies from Crafter's Companion!  i went for super clean and simple here, with a little sliver of paper embossed with my Darice "Chevron Background" folder and Love From Bamboo from the Party Paws collection, colored up with my Speccies (IG1, IG2, IG4 and PP1):

 and Bamboo, up close and personal:

it's weird coloring soft and subtle, compared to my usual pencils approach, but for this occasion, it definitely made sense! 

have you checked out the huge array of embossing folders available at Crafter's Companion?  i'd put my folders away for a long time, but i'm showing them the love again.  the new ones in the Christmas Shop are FABULOUS and i'm actually DYING to make holiday cards!  :)  yeah, i don't usually get that bug until late October.  :)

Project Life at Paper Issues!

so.
new issue at Paper Issues and people are eating this ess up!  i haven't jumped on the bandwagon 'cuz i'm not a scrapper, as you know, but lemme tell ya, when i said i'd get in on Some Odd Girl's Project Life project, i kinda really TOTES dug it.

i can see myself getting addicted - if ever i get myself a proper photo printer, or order my Instagram prints from one of the many sites out there.  (Paper Issues was recently sponsored by Origrami, and they have TOTES cute packaging and awesome quality, from what i'm told!)

anywho.
Project Life.
i know LOTS of you do it.
so you wanna get in on the latest ISSUE at Paper Issues, because that's what it's all about.

here's my (unofficial) Project Life spread, Some Odd Girl style:

SO.  am i doing it right?  :)  they're probably more like little mini-pages than actual PL pages, since i don't leave room for journaling and whatnot.  but they DO represent me, and my life, and who i am and what i dig.  and i had FUN making them!

details:

 

 

as you can see, not much negative space.  bit of glare, too.  but how DO you photograph those things if they're tucked into plastic sleeves that give off a GLARE?!  

so yeah.  PL fans, CLICK HERE to see our new issue - Project Life is our sponsor! 

and you could win a CORE KIT or one of  6 sampler packs like this:

and now, i'm off to do the hokey pokey.  :)  actually i'm off to Cape May, where hubbin and i tied the knot nearly 8 years ago.  we're going to eat crazy hot dogs and stick our feet in the ocean.  later, chickens!  :)

Less than 5 HOURS to play at Paper Issues and win UM WOW GORGEOUSNESS

PLAY!
you haven't played yet?
you mean to tell me you've never made ANYTHING using chipboard?  what are you, nuts?
do you own any THICKERS?

come on, folks!  this is a FABULOUS hop, with some surrissly amazing talent, and 9 prizes to be won from UmWowStudio.  they have awesome CHIPBOARD (not your average chipboard, i assure you), and FLAIR.  and i'm giving away a $5 gift certificate to spend, but so are all of the other 6 Paper Issues designers on the hop, ANNNNND there are two $20 gift certificates to be won from Paper Issues and UmWowStudio.

CLICK HERE to go to the Paper Issues hop, and CLICK HERE for my hop post!

but before we close up hop (hee hee), i have another UmWowStudio project to share.  i can't stop using these diamond confetti chippies, and i've used up all my flair (so i've conveniently placed another order!):

 

YUM.

i never thought i'd love chipboard so much.

you can win this:

 

OH.  and.  i'm also slightly obsessed with Lily Bee Designs papers and ALPHAS (mmmm), and Chic Tags.  BOTH can be gotten at the Paper Issues store (new and improved!) - behold, Mini Birthday Tags:

 

the ANIMAL in you! Crafter's Companion challenge this month!

goodness me, my first REAL submission for my Crafter's Companion spot, and i'm a little nervous, to be honest!

we have an ANIMAL-THEMED CHALLENGE going on for the month of August, and all you have to do is create a project with an animal on it and use ANY Crafter's Companion product (if you're using Spectrum Noir pens, you must use at least one other CC product) and tell the world what you've used in your blog post.  there is a TON of fabulous stuff carried by Crafter's Companion - you might already own something but you didn't know it!  (for the record, i'm rather crushin' on the Darice embossing folders)

you have until the 25th to link up, but pay attention to the rules (there won't be a quiz, but we hate to disqualify people if we can avoid it!)...

heeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go!

my card features the UBER-STINKIN'-ADORBS
"Flowers From Bamboo" stamp with sentiment from the Party Paws line
Chevron Background 5"x7" embossing folder from Darice
Spectrum Noir pens:
ears - PP1
fur - IG1, IG2, IG4
flowers - FP3, FS6, PP1, TN2
leaves - FS3, TN2, EB2, IG4
butterflies - TN2, EB2
background for sentiment - FS6

annnnnnd a close-up, for good measure:

so.

that's how i did it, folks.  and really, you know you wanna do it, too!  there's a store voucher up for grabs, and just think of how much awesomeness you could get with £30 / $30!

CLICK HERE - check out the challenge, be inspired by the rest of the team's creations, and JOIN US!  :)