Long Time No Sea

Well Hello There!!

WOW! It's been so long since I've had anything to post!

Huckleberry Pie Goes Fishing from Fresh Brewed Designs

My mother-in-law came to visit for a week. She arrived on Wednesday.

That Sunday, MY parents flew into town!

With overlapping visits from all of our parents, finding crafty time 

was "challenging" to say the least!

Then Irene stopped by to visit, shortly after the Earthquake...

It's just been non-stop crazy around here!

So, I am SUPER-excited to be able to share Huck with you today!

I made this card for the Fresh Brewed Designs "Emboss It!" Challenge,

which started last Wednesday and ends TOMORROW!!

I used Cuttlebug "Swirls" for the water

Sizzix "Diamonds" for the "sky" and

Zing Clear Embossing Powder for the Hook.

Unfortunately, I asked DH to help me tie the hook

onto the fishing line... he tore it :(

We tried to salvage it, but it still looks a little mangled...

probably have to make a new one

without his help this time!

If you follow the FBD Blog, you'll know that there is a Tab at the top of the page

with sneak peaks of all our up-coming challenges!

So you know that tomorrow starts a new challenge, and it's a good one!

And!!!

I have the new set of Fresh Brewed Rubber Stamps

and TRUST ME

You will want to mark your calendar for September 8th

to stop back and check it out!!!

There is SO MUCH coming up for September

this could turn into a marathon post

to mention it all...

So for now, I'll stop here

with a gentle nudge... hurry back for more news!! (-:

And thanks for visiting today!

Challenges:

Paper Playtime, #54 Stamping Monday, vacation Projects

2 Sisters, Boys and their Toys

Challenge Up Your Life, Something for a Man

Color Me Creative Classroom, Copic Challenge Group, This is a brand new group I just joined, but since I started using Copics about 2 weeks ago, I can see I have a lot to learn and this seems like a great place to get the info I need!

Crazy 4 Challenges, Male Themed Cards

My Sheri Crafts, Vacation

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, In the Sea

OK, it's Saturday, here's my Tuesday post!

For Heaven's sake... is this week FLYING by, or what!?!?

I can't believe I completely forgot to post about the newest challenge
at The Stamping Boutique.

And when you see my project, I hope you'll feel inspired to play with us!!

The challenge for the next 2 weeks is
"Stripes and Dots"

I used the Lighthouse image from the "Follow your Dreams Beach Digi Kit" at TSB.

And those BEAUTIFUL, LUSCIOUS stripes and dots papers?
Well, those are from the "Stacie" pack of digi papers from JLJ Designs!!

The wave is from the "Soak up the Sun" SVG set from Lettering delights.
I used a little Creative Inspirations Aqua Marine paint that I got from the Fresh Brewed Designs Shop for about $2.00 to give my wave a little shimmer and texture!
Fun and cheerful, today!!

Thanks for stopping by to visit!!

Pop over to The Crafter's Cafe and say "Hi" if you get a chance!

We're having a Digi Day party on September 10th and we'd LOVE for you join us!!

Only One More Day to Enter!!

Hey! 

Don't forget!

There's only ONE MORE DAY to enter our

Clean and Simple Challenge!!

I made a little "Cutie Pie Mermaid" to share today!

This little image is probably one of my FAVORITE 

Fresh Brewed rubber stamps of all time!

I'm still trying to figure out these new markers
and have some dark spots on her face,
but boy-oh-boy, do I LOVE the
Creative Inspirations Paint!!
What a BEAUTIFUL shimmer this card has!!

The challenge this week, which ends tomorrow, is to create a "Clean and Simple" Card 

with less than 3 embellishments!

Well, does embossing count as an embellie?

No?

Ok, good... then I only used ONE... how's THAT for simple?

I hope you'll link up YOUR clean and simple projects
at the Freshly Brewed Challenges Blog!!

And a gentle reminder:

Hey ~ while you're there, check out our sidebar .. to the left and at the top of the page. There are a few blog badges to snag up announcing our newest rubber stamp releases and hops!  There will be lots of stamps released, prizes, lots of fun and more. You will have to wait and see... so save the dates and come back to join in on the fun! 

Also, don't forget all of our challenges are linked up at the top of the page in the tabs! We have a few going on as well as a full list for all the upcoming August challenges.

Week 3 of the Crafter's Cafe Challenge and CANDY!!

WOW!!!

36-piece set of COPIC MARKERS!!!

and LOOK at all the other goodies!!!

To enter the drawing for this candy, 

you first leave a comment AT the TCC BLOG

and make sure you're a blog follower 

AND you must be a member of TCC. 

Read all about it HERE!!!

Plus, plus, also, and...

as if that's not enough good news for today...

We are already up to WEEK 3 for the 

Crafter's Cafe Monthly Challenge ! 

This week, the challenge recipe is:

Anything Goes (from Week 1) 

PLUS

Add a Bow (from Week 2)

PLUS

Add Sparkle!!

You might recognize this card:

 This is the card I entered in weeks 1 and 2. This week, to follow the Progressive Challenge, I added "Sparkle" in the form of two embossed shapes!! I cut the star and apple from basic shapes in Make the Cut and heat-embossed them to make them nice and sparkly! 

Things over at The Crafter's Cafe are happening so fast,

if you don't stop in to visit today,

you'll be way behind tomorrow!!

Kids Challenge at The Crafter's Cafe

It's almost time to go

Back to School!!

Our Kid's Challenge is perfect for

Back to School Teacher Gifts

and welcome back cards and projects!

Look at these great projects by 

two of our kid artists, PK and Miss E.!!

We would LOVE to see your Little Crafter Projects!!

Come over to the Crafter's Cafe

and join us!!

Here's is the link to the

Kids' Challenge

If you haven't visited the Crafter's Cafe recently, 
you're really missing out on a great opportunity 
to see all the great things that are happening!!


Our Design Team call will be ending this weekend
and we have all kinds of great plans for September!!


Come over and join us and get in on the fun!!

How TOTALLY cool is this!!??!!

Have you ever had a complete product line

named after YOU?

Well, it's official, I can now say that I HAVE!!

Look at these AWESOME digi papers

from JLJ Designs!

I am so pleased and honored to present to you:

The "Stacie Digital Paper Pack"

Jen and I have developed a great friendship 

that started at The Latte Lounge

and has grown so much from there!

She is so talented and if you don't believe me,

just take a look at her blog! 

And...she makes the most awesome digi papers!

 Her shop is like a candy store to me!

Digi papers, digi images, seam binding, craft pins...

you name it, she's got it!

One day, I asked if she could do some

coordinated stripes and dots papers!

Not only did she create them!

She named them after me!

Not only are they special to me

but YOU can grab them for 25% off 

just by entering the coupon code 

STACIE25 

at the shop!

And just a little FYI between you and me...

SHHH!!!

Tomorrow is Jen's Birthday!!!

So make sure you stop over

and send her some love!! 

Living the Good Life

Today, the challenge at Inspirational Card Sketches

is being sponsored by

Fresh Brewed Designs!

This pretty little lady is named

La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life)

and is available in red rubber

from Fresh Brewed Designs.

The cupcake and "pokie" dot papers

are digi papers from DtsArt.

Fresh Brewed Designs is having a sale, too,

so it's a great time to grab some of 

the new "Summer" digis and rubber!!

Ends August 12 midnight EST
40% off SUMMER digis
30% off SUMMER rubber stamps
(stamp quantities limited) 

Week 2 of the Latte Lounge Challenge

So, here we are in Week 2 of the
August Month Long Challenge
at the Latte Lounge!


The theme for the MONTH is:
ANYTHING in AUGUST
and every week we add a new
"twist" to make it a little more challenging!


The "Twist" this week is:
ADD A BOW


I chose to use the card I made last week and add a bow to it!


The bow is actually Bright Blue Seam Binding from JLJ Designs.
I have used three different images from The Stamping Boutique in this card:
Back to School School House
Back to School Background Paper and
Mrs. Czapor's Ruler


Speaking of images from The Stamping Boutique, 
did you know today is "Fabulous Followers Freebie Day"


Better hurry over and grab it, because it's only available TODAY!!


The only rule to our challenges at the "Lounge" is that you must be a member to play along... but you can enter as many times as you'd like!
We have a variety of sponsors for our Month-long challenge, and at the end of the month, we do a random drawing for all the prizes! 
There is a potential for NINE different prizes to be awarded!!


If you haven't been over to the Latte Lounge to visit lately, you'll want to take a second to pop in... things are really moving right along and there is a LOT going on!!

We are having a Latte Lounge Design Team Call

and would LOVE to meet new friends 

to join us in all the fun over there!

Challenges:

Kaboodle Doodles, Primary Colors

KB Cute Monday, Anything Goes, Use a Digi

One Stitch at a Time, Use a Digi

Order of the Opus Gluei, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words,

I hope the numbers on the ruler image don't count as "words" (-:

My Cheri Crafts, Back to School, I have just found this challenge blog thru Feline Playful, but their DT projects are AMAZING!! I am definitely following them now for GREAT inspiration!

Crafty Catz, sponsored this week by TSB!!!, Back to School

Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges, School Time (I don't own any Daisy Doodles images, so my entry will not count toward the prize)

What a Week!!

There is so much going on this week!

So much of what I do is all tied together, so I'll try to summarize today!

The Stamping Boutique is sponsoring 
Gingersnap Creations and they are celebrating "The Joys of Childhood!"
I used "Beach Baby with a Hat" for this card, and cut the frame from SVGCuts.com Memory Garden set.
I'm still learning how to use my new Copics, and I can tell I have a lot of work to do, but they really ARE quite amazing to use!!
It helps that the most amazing Cheryl Gorka (SheStamps) sent me THE most awesome blog candy prize, including NINE new markers and the Annie's Attic Coloring Techniques book (along with all kinds of other goodies!) THANK YOU, Cheryl!!

Also, new this week: the challenge at The Stamping Boutique Challenge Blog is to create a Birthday card for a Young Man!
This cute little guy is called "Present Bear", from The Stamping Boutique.
I made that shape using the "Pennants" set from Lettering Delights and some stars from the Basic Shapes Library in MTC.
Someone needs to lock up my bank card, because having Lettering Delights linked directly to my MTC is SURE to cause me financial hardship!

Today, we started the BRAND NEW Month Long Challenge at the Latte Lounge in the Fresh Brewed Designs Group! 
It's a sketch challenge and the image I chose to use this week is called "Joshua House".


The color scheme came from the "Get Hippity with Ippity" challenge #4, which is also at the Latte Lounge!


And of course, it will qualify for the "Anything Goes" Month Long Progressive Challenge at the "Lounge".


Can you tell I LOVE that place?


There is SO much to do, every day!


We have new and different challenges all the time and it's such a wonderful place for support and friendship! If I could, I'd spend all day hanging out there with my friends!


And I would totally LOVE it if you wanted to come over and hang out with us!


We're currently having a Design Team Call and I think everybody should be on our team, so I'd love for you to fill out an application!


So that sums up my week!
What are YOUR plans for the weekend?

Latte Lounge Design Team Call!

Read all about it

RIGHT HERE!!

We are having a 

Design Team Call!!

at the Latte Lounge!!

We are looking for fellow crafty folks

to join our Team

and become part of the 

Latte Lounge Family!

We are a very small group

who love to laugh and have fun.

We enjoy creating projects

because it is FUN,

not because it's a "job"!

We would LOVE for you to join 

our Group!

And we have room for Kid's too!!

We run a Kid's Challenge every month

and would LOVE a Kid's Design Team

to showcase the challenge every week!

Here are the details:

What we require:

• Up to FOUR (4) projects a month (one a week)- these can be ANY type of inspiration project: cards, scrap book layouts, paper creations, altered art... whatever makes YOU happy!
• A blog would be nice, but is not required. We would like you to be able to post our promotions and events to spread the word about what a great place the Latte Lounge is!
• Participation in something at the Latte Lounge! There is so much to do, between the Groups, the Challenges, the Swaps, the Galleries, the Forum... we would like our DT to actively contribute to the "Lounge" in some way! ANY way that makes you happy! 

What you will get:

• Exclusive access to our private DT group where we post free images, upcoming challenge themes, and all our super-secret plans!
• Up to FOUR (4) FREE images from The Stamping Boutique per month. We would like you to use those images for challenge inspiration, but if you have something else you'd rather use, that's ok too!
• Free blog traffic! We provide links to your blog from our TLL Blog and from the Lounge, so you'll be plastered all over the internet! Hundreds of people will have the pleasure of seeing your newest creations!

How to apply:

• Pick out your favorite 1 or 2 projects and paste them in an email
• Include your Blog address in that email, if you have a blog
• Tell us a little about yourself and your favorite crafting styles
• Make sure you include your name and some way to contact you!
• Send that email to: latteloungemail@gmail.com

We will be accepting applications starting

NOW!

I'm not telling you the deadline,

because you'll just put it off!

Get that application sent in

as soon as you can!!

It's Getting Hot In Here... so take off...

OK, OK... I won't finish singing the rest of the verse of that song... 
but you know the one I mean...
This month, things are getting Hot! Hot! Hot!
at Fresh Brewed Designs!


Our new challenge, 

which will last for the entire month of August is:

 Hot Stuff! 

We want to see projects that represent the heat of August and we love it 

hot! hot! hot! 

Heather has created the perfect image for Hot!

His name is "Hot Cuppa Joe" and he's a Hottie!!

For my card today, I made a melting popsicle!

I know, the sentiment is just a little naughty, but fun, right?

I hope you'll join us for our HOT challenge! Use hot colors, a hot theme, a hot image... you get the point!!

Just come over to the Fresh Brewed Challenge Blog and join us! This is our month-long challenge, which means there are PRIZES!!!

Big News at the Latte Lounge

There have been quite a few changes at the Latte Lounge!


The biggest one, which was announced this weekend, is that I have been offered, and have accepted, the position of Director of the Latte Lounge!


It is with a sad heart that we say goodbye to Melissa, but we know that she is making her decision for the right reasons!!
Sara has been so busy with other commitments, she also has decided to step down from the Latte Lounge Design Team!


They will (hopefully) continue to enjoy their membership with us and we'll certainly see them around Blogland!


Jen, Rhonda and I will continue to keep things going at the "Lounge"
and we have some really great ideas for upcoming events!!


One of the current events is our August Monthly Challenge, which starts TODAY!!


And it's everyone's favorite challenge theme:

ANYTHING GOES!!


For my card, I used THREE different images from one of our Sponsors: 
The Stamping Boutique


1. Mrs. Czapor's Ruler
2. Back to School Background Paper and
3. Back to School House

I am SUPER-excited about my new position at the Lounge and I'm looking forward to all the great things we are going to do TOGETHER!!

Mocha Manic Monday!

It's the first day of the month, and that means it's 

Mocha Manic Monday

at

Fresh Brewed Designs!! 

Today, allow me to introduce , "Shy Girl"!

She's the newest of several members in our Fresh Brewed Family!

For my card, I opted for a clean and simple design. The Gandhi quote is printed directly on my card base. I see now that Gandhi is misspelled!! That's what I get for copying and pasting without paying better attention!! I'll figure out a way to fix it!!

Added a little ink and ribbon, and buttons, and that's it! 

I really just wanted to focus on "Shy Girl"

and the quote I found online.

It's a little tough to read at this size:

Keep your thoughts positive

Because your thoughts become your words.

Keep your words positive,

Because your words become your behaviors.

Keep your behaviors positive,

Because your behaviors become your habits

Keep your habits positive,

Because your habits become your values.

Keep your values positive,

Because your values become your Destiny.