All About Animals

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge - Animals

This challenge is for animal lovers and Brenda is hosting this one. All you need to do is choose an animal(s) and include it on your project. You'll be in the running for our fabulous sponsor's prize and if you're interested in being a guest designer at TTT leave a tip in your blog post and put TIP behind your name when you link up. 

Crafty Sentiments Designs

Prize is winner's choice of 3 free digi's.

I used Suzi Blu's Loved Pets: Bubble Biscuit on this fun birthday card and colored it with Prismacolor pencils. You can see in this close up how I mixed several geometric designs together which leads me to my TIP: Mix geometric patterns using different elements like paper, dry embossing and ribbon. I love the visual interest it adds. The balloons are part of Hero Arts-Be Happy Today stamp set and I fussy cut them. The word Celebrate is part of a subway art stamp - Graphic Greetings Birthday - and I masked it with scotch tape so only this word would appear. Festive Berries Distress Ink adds a touch of color to my sentiment. The chevron dp is by The Paper Studio and the multi-star dp is from Echo Park's Little Boy collection. Kaisercraft red pearls and Ocean Blue liquid pearls by Ranger add the finishing touches. 

I rarely show the inside of my cards but I love this birthday sentiment, and the candles, which are also from the Be Happy Today set. That's a Labels 10 Spellbinders die and should note that I used  Classic Circles and Classic Scalloped Circles dies by Spellbinders on the front of my card. 

Before I go I have to share who I met yesterday in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. 

She needs no introduction-

We were eating lunch (at her restaurant located at The Island-a resort, shopping, and dining complex) when all of a sudden everyone started clapping. We couldn't see what was going on and then there she was. She sat down across from where we were sitting and her husband, Michael, joined her a few minutes later. She was so gracious to let everyone take pictures and after she ate lunch she surprised shoppers in the gift shop by appearing in the kitchen area to snap photographs with everyone. She is one of the most down-to-earth people I've ever met. 

Here she is signing some tea towels my hubby bought for me. :) 

A rare photo for me as I hate having my picture taken but I had to make an exception this time. ;)

By the way, I highly recommend her new restaurant Paula Deen's Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge. 

Good food and plenty of it!!!

Thanks for the visit today, we are headed home and I have thoroughly enjoyed my Mother's Day get-a-way with the hubster and my Bub. I'll be by soon to catch up with all the crafty goodness that I missed while away. :)

Have a wonderful week,

Lisa xx

Happy Birthday to...

My DH and big sis celebrate birthday's in March, his is on the second and hers is the third. The weird thing is both of them were born at Southern Baptist Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, four years apart. Pretty cool, huh? I think so! Needless to say, I've been busy making birthday cards and buying presents. :) First card up is my DH's and I kept it simple, like he likes it. He's not into "fluff and stuff" so I tried to honor that and I created a tag that has a simple, masculine feel to it as well. I used Glitz's Yours Truly paper and red cs to create this fun birthday card for him. For inspiration I turned to Seems A Little Sketchy #33 sketch and I like the results. A little softness was brought in with velvet scalloped ribbon and a trio of champagne pearls but don't point that out, okay. ;)




Front and inside sentiments by HOTP

 

The cogs are from Spellbinders Donna Salazar collection and the background stamp is from the Steampunk CMS 107 set by Stampers Anonymous-Tim Holtz collection. As an engineer my hubby looks at blueprints and deals with industrial equipment at work so my tag is a nod to that part of his life. I cut a banner freehand and the sentiment is from Hero Arts-Essential Messages. The tag is by The Paper Studio and the buttons are from Buttons Bonanza. A little twine and it was complete! Here's my sister's card...

My sister's card pays homage to her sewing ability as a quilter and seamstress, a gene which unfortunately I did not inherit. :( I'm not sure why sewing machines scare me like they do, perhaps it's because I'm clumsy and very likely to run over my own finger with the needle in motion. IDK, just sayin'! The flower in the center, My Favorite Things Upsy Daisy Die, is one of her favorite flowers and I backed it with a circle Spellbinders die in teal (a fave color of hers). Stringing the white buttons from our mom's stash is about as close as it gets to sewing for me, for now lol. The dp's are from October Afternoon's Thrift Shop and Fly A Kite. Here are a few close ups...

That's all today, we'll be celebrating my husband's birthday tomorrow and tonight I'll prepare his favorite meal which happens to be Chicken Piccata. It's Giada's recipe and he devours it every time. :) He also loves Beatty's Chocolate Cake which I need to go and prepare right now. :) Have a super weekend and for those of you who've been inundated with snow I am so sorry. I do hope the weather gets better and spring arrives on time this year!

Hugs,

 

Lisa xx

 

Make It Monday #125 with Meljen's Designs



Time for linky party #125 to kick off at Make It Monday! We hope you'll share your creative talent with us this week and be our next featured entry and winning commenter. Our sponsor is Melissa Jenkins of Meljen's Designs and I'm using the Topsy Turvy Cake image on my card. It reminded me of a cake you might see on an episode of The Cake Boss and I love the fun layers and design. A sentiment from Hero Arts's Essential Greetings was also used and I blended Spun Sugar distress ink on the front to tone the white down. A turquoise chevron ribbon, Pixie-Licious button, MS border punch and bling finish it off. I should note that I used atyou Spica glitter pens to highlight this cake (which doesn't translate to a computer screen very well) and the Seeing Dots embossing folder by Cuttlebug for my pink panel. I think that's it. ;)


Here's a look at the inside featuring a dp from Glitz's Cashmere Dame collection.
 

  

 

A stamped sentiment from TCP's Greetings set and inked edges are all that was necessary on the inside. Simple and sweet! 

 

 

 

Pick of TheWeek is....

#5 Jessica Sporn 

 

 

with this fun and colorful city scape!!! 

I love the way she developed her background and the design.

Click her link to see more photos of this incredible piece of art

and leave her some comment love. 

TFS Jessica!

 

 

 

Sponsored by

 

Meljen's Designs Digital Stamps

Prize is winner's choice of 4 single digis!



So happy you stopped by and please click my teamies links on the right sidebar to see their inspiring creations. Have a terrific week everyone and happy crafting!

Hugs,
Lisa