Simon Says Stamp February Card kit

yes, you read that title correctly, FEBRUARY card kit :) I ordered this the MINUTE I saw it (January 10th to be exact), it was shipped soon after...and it arrived mid-March. I'm fairly sure there was someone at my local post office holding it ransom for 5 weeks. bastards :)

For a full look at what's in the kit, check out my darling Mary Dawn's video about it HERE. She goes through it piece by piece.

I decided to do some love-themed layouts, and try my hand at smaller sized layouts at that. 8.5 x 11...it's a first for me!  I used only what was in the kits, barring a COUPLE of extras (which I'll note under the layouts)

**warning: the lighting in these photos is NOT terribly great! sorry!**

Here is layout number one:

 extras: Tim Holtz tiny paperclip, Colorbox white ink, date stamp, twine, notebook edger punch, hexagon die, vellum (for butterfly on the right)

 The ONLY additionals for this one are the Tim Holtz tab edger die, tiny stapler, Hero Arts Soft Pink shadow ink

Additionals: Ali Edwards Technique Tuesday Love always Wins stamps (unseen here, on the journalling card which is inside the vellum envelope), American Crafts LAX thickers, doilies (both), white gel pen for faux stitching.


Well I hope you like! I thought it would be fun to show the card kits work for something OTHER than cards (and don't necessarily have to be for Valentines day even when the kits are geared that way)

I'll be back soon!



Linda xx

PS Don't forget to check out the Celebration week over at A Blog Named Hero--it's going amazingly well and we have some astonishingly pretty cards to share! Plus there are prizes for commenting :)

A BLOG NAMED HERO!!

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited to annoucen that A Blog Named Hero is hosting a Celebration week!! Its going to be HUGE!

15 guest designers over the week wtih fifteen AMAZING projects for you to drool over--all celebrating their favourite Hero Arts products.

The theme is:

 

So head on over there for day 1!!!

Linda xxx

how has a week passed?!

WOWZERS I cant believe it's been a week since I blogged-sorry!

I've been run off my feet getting things ready for the A Blog Named Hero Celebration week that is coming this week!! (March 26-30th!!)

We've got sneak peeks of some of the Guest Designers' we'll be featuring over at our facebook page--be sure to check it out and comment!! (*theremightbeprizes cough cough*)

Here's an extra sneaky-peek for ya :)

A quick card today that I made a while back when I was taking the Clean And Simple card class over at onlinecardclasses.com I really loved that class. it's SO freeing for someone like me (who tends to overthink EVERYTHING with my cards), to just put a few elements down and then be done. LOVELY.

So here's the card:

Here's a shot where you can see the dimension created by raising the main front section up onto dimensional adhesives. It gives a lovely shadow effect in real life.

I used ONE stamp set for this!Gotta love simplicity!

Ok well that's it for me folks!! Be sure to pop back soon for more crafty goodness :)

Products I used are below as usual :)

Take care!

Linda xxx

InLinkz.com

bits and pieces

Hi!

today I'm just filling in some bits and pieces, crossing off a couple of things I've been meaning to do on the blog.

First of all, I'm so excited to say that my last card (for the Lawnscaping challenge based on a sketch) was given Honorable Gnome status!! So happy.

Thank you Lawnscaping team for the honour!

Secondly (and very much OVERDUE) I'd like to thank my sweet friend Chari (who is also, might I add, one of the BEST crafters I know!) awarded me the Liebster Blog Award a few weeks ago!

Liebster' is German for 'dearest'. The award is a 'share-the-love' arrangement, given to inspirational bloggers with less than 200 followers. And here is what a Liebster award recipient must do:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your five blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog (see above)
4. Hope that those you award forward it to their favorite bloggers.

So! Firstly, a HUGE thank you to my darling Chari--I love you! (Even without the Liebster Blog award LOL)
Secondly...my five pics (WOWZA, this is hard!) Now, I'm not sticking with the rule of 'under 200 followers', I'm just picking people I think deserve a little love right now :) Most of these people have around the 200 mark anyway--if it was visible on their blogs :)

1. Mary Dawn: without her my days would be so VERY dull and lonely and I'm SO excited to be starting our new blog together soon. I can't think of anyone I'd rather do it with--she's an amazing woman and crafter
2. Laurel Beard: Always cheery (even when she's not feeling it!), always sweet and kind and SO passionate about crafting! Great blog :)
3. Leena Loh: I'm only new to her blog but she's amazing.
4. Michelle Wooderson: ALWAYS always always inspiring me. To the point of ridiculousness.
5. Jennifer McGuire (definitely NOT under 200 followers) lol. So inspirational, SO sweet and GENIUINE and kind. SO amazingly talented.


There are at least another 20 people I'd like to include, but it will take me all day to find all their URLS etc LOL. Just know I love ya's!! :)


Oh! And I just today participated in my first 90 minute scramble over at the Hero Arts Flickr Group and I'm SO SO thrilled to say I won!! Here is my terrible i-phone photo of my card. I literally can't believe it! I even thought to myself "I'm never doing a 90 minute scramble again, my cards are RUBBISH" (I'm a slooow crafter). I'll have to stop listening to my own inner voice LOL

OK That's it for me!

Have a fantastic day and I'll be back soon

Linda xx

Lawnscaping Sketch Challenge

Hi!

Another quickie today as I'm down to the wire on time!

Today I'm sharing a card for the current Lawnscaping challenge, which is a sketch!

Here is the sketch.

Here is my card :)

As you can see I flipped the sketch on it's side.

Here is a closeup of the butterflies that are sitting on the leaves :)

As I'm so short on time, I wont be adding the inlinkz icons, but the products I used are

Lawn Fawn Blissful Botanicals and Teeny Tiny Backdrops

Jenny Bowlin Cough Syrup Ink

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Cutterbee scissors

Copic Markers

Tombo Mono Aqua glue

Hope you like!

*hugs*

Linda xxx

Geisha Girl

Hi!

Just flying past to drop a quick post for y'all!

Here is the card I was GOING to submit for my Guest Designer position at Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog week 4.

The recipe for that week was originally 3 papers, 2 embellishments, 1 image. I managed to keep within the recipe guidelines but unfortunately I accidentally chose a digital Greeting Farm image that wasn't available in stamp format. (I'm SURE I checked the store. I'm fairly sure my subconscious tricked me lol)

So here it is

The papers are all from My Minds Eye.

I made the background to look like Tatami mats :) I used an old Prima flower that I had in my stash, but wanted them to look more like Cherry Blossom so I used the rolled rose die with some felt.

Here are the products I used:

InLinkz.com

as well as THIS digital image :)

That's it for me today!

I want to thank you all for the amazingly lovely, supportive comments about my new EXCITING Hero Arts Challenge blog adventure that I announced last week--we are so so excited! It goes live REALLY soon :)

Speak to you soon sweet loves!!

Linda xx

news!

Hello!

I was going to wait a few more days before 'announcing' my big news here on the blog, but I'm just too TOO excited.

My good friend Mary Dawn Quiridingo (www.mypinkmexico.blogspot.com) and I are starting a new Challenge blog for lovers of Hero Arts products, www.ABlogNamedHero.blogspot.com!!!

Twice a month we will host challenges with prizes from the AMAZING Simon Says Stamp and Hero Arts themselves!

We're so thrilled to announce too, that Hero Arts has given us the official 'thumbs up'!! We will be run completely separately from HA, but we are so so elated that we've been given their blessing and support.

The Challenges will have various themes as we go along, and all will be 'based around' the use of Hero Arts products (old and new :)) but people who want to enter the challenges will not be disqualified if they don't use Hero Arts. (Though I can't imagine ANYONE not having a single Hero Art product! lol)

In between the challenges, we will be bringing you tutorials, videos, technique ideas, guest blogger and MUCH much more! *claps hands*

I hope you'll pop over o the blog and have a look, its still in its very early stages right now, but you can grab a blinkie for your blog, tweet/facebook about us (we have twitter and facebook accounts too so you can follow us/friend us) and generally join in the excitement!

We cannot wait to go live!!

Our first challenge will be April 1st, but we are hosting a Celebratory week in the lead-up to April 1. Just WAIT till you see who's lined up to help us celebrate!!! *eeeeeeeeeek*

*sighs relief* I'm so glad I got that out. The secret was killing me!

I'll be back soon with more craftiness :)

*hugs & happiness*

Linda xx

love love love

Hello!

I'm just popping in to quickly share a card with you :) I'm in the midst of organising, planning and implementing something REALLY REALLY EXCITING...but I can't share it with you all yet :) soon I promise.

So here's my card. I just used a heap of scraps I had lying around my craft table (so I wont leave a link to products as most of them are just bits 'n' pieces).

Pretty self explanatory (I think!) but just so you know, the spray mist was Mr Huey's Piglet, the paper is from Basic Grey Basics White 6x6, the stamps ('love' and the sentiment) are both Hero Arts :)

That's it for me loves! A really fast one tonight :)

oh by the way thank you so much for your lovely comments about all my layouts from the last post. I'll be sharing that Mini-album I mentioned VERY soon. I've just been super busy and haven't had a chance to photograph it yet.

I'll be back SOON

*hugs and smiles*

Linda xoxo

Thanks to Shimelle...

Hey there...

Using only ONE Studio Calico (add-on) kit and a few extra pieces, I made SIX LAYOUTS plus a mini-album. SIX!!!

Here's the story behind it:

For the past few weeks it's been percolating in my brain that I want to USE more of my stash (not just have it sitting on a shelf). I have approximately 1000 photos sitting in packets and boxes ready to be scrapped. Just sitting there. (what a waste!)

A little while ago, Shimelle posted a 'mini-class' called Creative Scrap Diving. It was all based around the idea, that you pull out some product; embellishments, patterned paper, cardstock, letter stickers or thickers etc....and then you scrapbook. With nothing but what you've chosen.  You will (Shimelle suggests) scrap faster, with less stress and get more important memories and moments captured on paper, than you might otherwise. Plus you'll use up your stash (which is why we buy it right?!)


Rather than hand-pick the elements, I decided to use a randomly selected Studio Calico kit from my shelf (they're still in their adorable brown bags, so it was like Lucky Dip!). The kit I chose was "Debate Team" from September 2011.

This kit is probably my LEAST favourite of all the ones I bought LOL and some of the colours in it are ones I really struggle with.  But I wanted to push myself.

For all of these layouts, I only used what was in the kit, plus about 6 pieces of coloured cardstock (All American Crafts), a date stamp, a pen for journalling, adhesive. (I'll specify anything else used below each photo)

Given that I've already talked your ear off, I'll just show you the photos now :)

I'll start with my favourite :)

 

Additions: paper punch to make the confetti and some Mr Huey's white mist.

I love love LOVE how the mist looks!! 

Additions: The Lawn Fawn Polaroid Stamp and Hero Arts Basic Lowercase Letters for the 'titles' on each photo.

I got the title for this after seeing those hysterical Pinterest photos of Ryan Gosling. Additional items: Teeny heart punch by EK success.

My goodness I hate my handwriting! lol

Just a little closeup so you can see how cool and textured the Amy Tangerine Chevron fabric paper is :)

I nearly didn't make this next layout. I was almost completely out of cardstock, thickers etc. But I pulled an extra piece of yellow cardstock out and put this together:

and finally,

Addition's: EK Success Punch.  I actually made this layout first, then used the little confetti that I punched out of the strip at the top of this layout, on the Walk in the Clouds layout.

That's all of them!

I'll share the mini album tomorrow, because I have to figure out a good way to photograph it!

I'm so glad to have scrapped some of these photos--they're my favourites from our trip to Japan in 2008.

Thanks so much for looking!

I'll be back soon

*hugs*

Linda xx