JLJ Designs Sale Ends TODAY!!

Better hurry!

Jen's 25% off sale

ends tonight!!!

use code: FREESHIPJULY2011 for 

FREE SHIPPING on orders over $25!

Sweet Summer Shaped Card

The new challenge starts today at the Fresh Brewed Challenge Blog! 
We are looking for
SHAPED CARDS
For this week's project, I used the adorable digital image:
Grace in Summertime.
She is standing on a real piece of sandpaper I stole borrowed from Joe's tool box!
I used several pieces of the "Soak up the Sun" set of SVG's from Lettering Delights With the new upgrade of MTC, it is SO easy to use LD Products now!
I added some delicious shimmer with Creative Inspirations Aquarmarine paint on the waves and the beach ball. 
AND!! I just got a screaming deal on a 36-piece set of Copic markers, too! Thank you to Stacy at the Scrapbooking Cottage! 
I swore I wouldn't do it... I wouldn't cave in to the temptation. 
I was happy with my colored pencils! 
But to pick up the set at 50% off, I just couldn't resist!! 
So, bear with me while I learn to use them. 
I have attempted to color Miss Grace using my new markers, and while I'm nowhere near the expert many of my friends have become, I'm pretty pleased with my first attempt! (-: Not so sure of her hair, but her little outfit looks OK to me! (-: 
And I recommend The Scrapbooking Cottage to everyone!! My markers arrived within 2 days and she threw in a little bonus pack of ribbon as a token of appreciation. I am most definitely on her email newsletter list and look out for all her sales now! Ya just never know what's going to be on sale next!


And speaking of sales:

Hurry over to the Fresh Brewed Shop!

The Christmas in July sales are almost over

This week you can find 

ALL OF OUR SUMMER DIGIS 40% off

as well as our Summer Rubber Stamps at 30% off
(rubber stamps are low in quantity!!!)

This sale only lasts for one week! 

Get your order in before August 3- midnight EST

*ETA (Edited to Add)*: In my "Google Reader", I found the coolest feature! Some people probably already know, but you can add categories or labels to blogs you follow while in Reader. I created a tag: "Challenges" and every time a new post from one of the Challenge sites I follow is added, it goes into that "Category". So every day, I have a list of challenges created of the blogs I already follow!
Using that list, I am able to enter this card into the following challenges:


Paper Playtime, Digi or Stamped Summer Creations
Ooh La La Creations, Circles
Digistamps 4 Joy, Children's Day Around the World
For Fun Challenges, Aah, the Sun of it All
Craft Your Days Away, Summertime
Lexi's Creations, Shaped Card
Crafting for All Seasons, THANK YOU LIZZY for the referral. This is Challenge #6, Beach/Ocean

Panda Bear Lantern

I have been waiting several days now to post this project!

It is going to be a photo-heavy post, just so ya know!

The DtsArt SVG Design Team is going to be taking a little break

and Dardi has decided to end our term earlier than expected!

While I'm pretty bummed about the term coming to an end,

I know that there is a lot involved in designing SVG's and I know 

that when she returns, I will be in line filling out my application

to be on the new team!

Since it is our last project as the first ever DtsArt Design Team,

I wanted to make a very special project!

Theinly made a project for the Summer Shindig Blog hop 

that really inspired me! 

I hopped right over to Lindsay's Stamp Stuff and purchased

the lantern SVG files and got to work!

I imported her files into Inkscape and broke it apart to add two extra sides,

so I could have a 6-sided lantern!

I loved the shape of Lindsay's Lanterns

but wanted a little "extra" and by adding

two extra sides, the lantern is rounded out a bit.

Our DtsArt SVG file we're working with this week is called

Panda Bear Set

There are two pandas, a boy and a girl!

Each of the six windows is covered in Cricut Stencil material-

a nice opaque layer of plastic that cuts pretty easily 

and has a self-adhesive backing.

I looked up the Chinese symbol for Happiness

and created an SVG for it with Inkscape.

Cut it out of black vinyl and placed it on the inside of two of the windows.
I have placed that SVG into my Box.net account
so if you would like to use it, 
click HERE

Cely, from Creating in Carolina 

provided a FREE SVG for a Bamboo Tree

a long time ago (June of last year!).

I cut that twice and put them

on opposing windows.

I still needed "something" so I used the 

Cherry Blossoms from SVGCuts.com.

Cut two of those and wrapped them around the chimney.

The papers are all from Daisy Bucket Designs.

I got a bunch of pretty papers in a blog candy and these 

were in that package!

Using my flameless candle, I tried to get a few shots

of the lantern in the evening.

And here's one in complete darkness.

This little project might not look like much,

but I can honestly say it took me almost all day Saturday!

But it really was FUN to see it all come together!

It all started with a little inspiration from the

Panda Boy and Girl Files from DtsArt

and took off from there!

When I saw the lantern and the pandas

all I could think of was a Chinese themed project

and I really think I pulled it off successfully!

I have really enjoyed my time on the DtsArt Design Team.

Here are links to the other projects I have made with her files:

Hexagon Box 

July 4th Banner

Growing Flower Petal Album

Adorable Bunnies 

Red Bird

Hot Cocoa Mug

Gumball Machine

Monkey

Sweet Treat Cups 

It has truly been a blast working with all these files

and I'm looking forward to her return!

After browsing the Feline Playful site, I believe my project can be entered in the following challenges:

Happileigh Scrappin', Shaped Card (special folds, boxes, etc)

Make It Monday Linky Party #47, I hope someone is inspired to try something new and different!

Simon Says Stamp and Show, Anything Goes, altho I have not technically "stamped" anything for this project, I HAVE shared the SVG file for the Chinese Happiness Sign and in that shared file is a jpeg that can be used as a digi...

Hooked on Craft Challenge #4, Cute and Cuddly: both my pandas are so cute, I think so anyways!

Die Cut Dreams, Animal Antics: if you click this link, check out their DT creations: awesomeness!

This is the complete image in the shared file on Box.net

I didn't use the "Happiness" caption

but kept it in the file anyways!

What's Going On at The Latte Lounge?

Have you been over to visit with us at the Latte Lounge lately?

There's a lot going on!!

The Month-long challenge is already up to Week 4!

This week, our challenge was to use Non Traditional Christmas colors!

Let me tell you, our Design Team has had a real mess with this one!

We have ALL had to start over, change our papers, lost cards, add the other details from weeks one thru three and overall, this has been THE most challenging challenge we've ever had!

For my Week 4 project, I have decided to go with BROWN... I also made it a Christmas card (week 1) added punches (from week 2), and snow (from week 3)!

Whew!!

My cute little snowman is from The Stamping Boutique. I won't bore you with all the details, unless you really want to make a card exactly like this one, you don't want to read all that, right? And if you do need any details, you know you can contact me anytime!

The one thing I will share is that the ribbon is seam binding from JLJ Designs!

She's having a sale for the entire month of July and you're running out of time!

She sells ALL kinds of colors of this stuff, 3 YARDS for a dollar!!

And with 25% off all month, it's ONLY 74 CENTS!! For NINE FEET of seam binding!! 

If you want to take advantage of this AWESOME deal, just click the badge at the top of my sidebar!! But you better hurry up, because this sale is going to end in less than a week!!

So, let's see, what else is going on at the Latte Lounge?

We've had several kids join the community and we're thinking of setting up a Kid's Group where they can chat and make friends. If you have a Junior Crafter in your house, send them over to join us! It's a SAFE, pleasant place where they can be monitored and talk about whatever they think is interesting!!

Speaking of Kids, our Kids Challenge, sponsored by Fresh Brewed Designs, is going pretty well! There are so many creative kids out there and we LOVE to have a place they can share their projects with us and have a chance to WIN their own collection on digis! Gotta start 'em early, y'know?

And Groups? We have several of those, and they're quite active. They run their own challenges, answer questions about products, post info about hops, display all kinds of new creations and in general, just chit-chat about stuff that matters!

We'd LOVE to have you come over and join us!!

The Weeds Have Taken Over!

I don't know about where you are, but here in NC, it's H-O-T!!
We've been on or near the 100 degree mark all week and this week, it's not expected to let up at all!
As of 9:00 this morning, it's already 90!
My poor garden!
I tried to get out early to pull weeks and prune the roses but standing in that sun is just unbearable!
The weeds have started to take over and what normally looks like a pretty place has turned into a wild, out of control jungle!


ENTER Gardening Granny!


JUST RELEASED TODAY AT THE FRESH BREWED DESIGNS SHOP!


Looks like she's been very busy harvesting her veggies! My garden sure could use her help!


Heather sent this image to me early last week and as soon as I saw it, I printed and colored and got to work!
I emailed her a copy and she moved up the release date so I could share her with all of you!!
She is colored with Prismacolor pencils, the background is from SVGCuts.com September Scenes Stand-up Cards and the grass in front is from SVGCuts.com Easter Morning Egg Hunt.


For all those out there still using a Cricut with SCAL or MTC, I have installed the new MTC update and ran a test cut. The first time thru, I had an issue that I posted at the MTC Forum and within minutes, the solution was posted! Make sure when you click "Cut", when the "Go" dropdown box pops up, you choose the option that says something about "USB"... the COM3 modem connection won't work and won't recognize your Cricut! Once I made that small change, it worked perfectly!!


The new updates Andy has added are pretty cool... my favorite being the ability to log in to my Lettering Delights account and view all my purchased collections and import them instantaneously!


I can't wait til Tuesday, when I can post pictures of my newest Cricut creation!! it is quite possibly to cutest thing evah!


A few important, last minute reminders:

• The Fresh Brewed month long prize challenge here and at the Latte Lounge are ending soon!!! 
• Our WILD challenge can be found HERE.
• Don't miss the sale! 40% off all  Coffee Digital Stamps until midnight July 26
• The Kids Challenge at the Latte Lounge includes FREEBIES for all participants and is sponsored by Fresh Brewed Designs!

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you're off to a great week!
I would like to enter Granny into the Craft Your Days Away Summertime Challenge.