MDS Challenge - Embellishments

Hope your extended weekend was a super one!  We were pretty lazy all weekend.  We spent Saturday and Sunday on the lake, playing cards, reading and napping!  Yesterday was lazy but at home.  Thunderstorms were predicted so we didn't want to risk taking the boat out.  As it turned out, we would have been fine.  The storms didn't roll in until late in the afternoon / early evening.  We met Marianne and Greg in Cornelius last evening for Italian food.  They went camping this weekend in Mt. Airy and had a great time - except for the beginning and the end!  Friday they had a tire blow out not long after they started their trip and yesterday the radiator went out on the car on the way home - about one exit from home!!  A fun but expensive trip for them!

Last night I decided to do a My Digital Studio challenge on Facebook.  Here was Kimberley's challenge:

Today's challenge is all about embellishing. Embellish, Embellish, Embellish. You should have a TON of embellishments in your software. This week we want to see you really use them.

Remember, you can crop them, color them, slice and dice..

I pulled out some of the pictures from Jeff's West Point graduation in 2001 and made a page that had me reminiscing about that special day.  How proud we were!  How do you like it?  (click on page to make it larger)

Check out this week's deals:

Paper Craft Crew Challenge 88

Time for Paper Craft Challenge!  Here is the card I made with My Digital Studio this week.  I did a pretty easy card this week because I was in a bit of a time crunch to get it done and posted on the site before I went to play Bunco in my neighborhood.

Make sure you check out the other creations from the Paper Craft Crew HERE

Here is the sketch we used this week:

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Paper Craft Crew Card Sketch #66

I haven't participated in the Paper Crew Sketch Challenges in a couple of weeks because I was on my cruise.  But this week I was able to get my card done in time.  I really like the sketch this week.  It's a good one for you to try!

 

Of course, I made my card with the help of My Digital Studio.  I love the burlap download!!

 

 

Check out the rest of the design team's cards HERE.

 

Sonny has gone on a shooting trip with the guys for a few days and I am "batching" it.  It's been a long time since I have done this.  I don't have to fix dinner (not that I do that so much anyway!) and can stay in my craft room all night and play till my hearts content!  Which is what I did yesterday.  I got a lot done!  Our friends from Texas were supposed to come this week.  Graham was going with Sonny and Margaret and I were going to hang out crafting but they had to cancel this weekend because they were sick.  We were both disappointed but what are ya gonna do?!!

 



 

Cruising

We made it home Tuesday afternoon and picked up Sammie from my mom's. Mom really liked having her visit and I don't think she wanted to see her go.  But I think she missed me a little bit!  While I was trying to type my blog posting, she jumped up in my lap and stretched out in my lap so I couldn't type anything on my laptop. 

Our cruise was awesome!  Alabama put on their first concert out on the pool deck as we were pulling out of the Miami port.  They may look pretty old but they can still belt out the songs.  We were all having a great time singing along with their familiar songs.

 

Alabama Concert .... day 1

 Day One was the first theme night - Rep Rally Night.  We showed our Steeler pride and got lots of attention!

Sonny & Ashley at Alabama concert - day one

When we woke up on Friday (day 2), we were in Nassau and docked next to us was the Disney Dream cruise boat.  I don't know if this is the same one Jeff and Darcie sailed on last month but if so, too bad we didn't plan our trips so we could have met up with them.

 

 

 

This was the view from our balcony of the Disney ship!



 

Day 2 - we woke up and saw this next to us!

Day 2 - Ashley and I showing off our tees

 Day 2 we disembarked in Nassau.  It was drizzling a little bit making it pretty hot and sticky.  But that didn't stop us. 

Day 2 MDS tees
 

 Ashley and I made tees using My Digital Studio.  On the front are flip flops and the caption "Alabama and Friends Festival at Sea" and on the back is the picture of my feet in the sand and the caption "Dance Barefoot"

Paper Craft MDS Card

It's time for another Paper Pals sketch challenge.   Again, I used My Digital Studio to create this fun Halloween card.

I used Candid Frames for the photo strip frames and inserted the Halloween images in the frames.  I used a strip of designer paper for my ribbon.  All in all, a pretty easy card this week.

Today was one of my stamp club days.  Joy was the only one who came today so we had a one-to-one stamping day.  A couple of the gals were out of town and another gal had a dr. apt and will be coming on Thursday.  But, Joy and I had fun.  After she finished the cards and muslin bag, she cut and stamped some leaves and letters so she can make a Fall plaque like the one HERE.  I can't wait to see her finished project!  She did her little muslin bag so cute.  Instead of making it for Halloween, she used the dauber and did red polka dots and did her initial (J) in the center.  I'll be sharing the picture I took of it later.  We came up with the idea that the little muslin bags would make a cute little tooth bag for the grandkids.

Cruise Tee with MDS

When Ashley came to visit, one of the things on our "to do" list was to design and make a tee shirt to wear on one of our theme nights on our upcoming cruise.  The theme for one night is "Back to the Bowery with Alabama".  Alabama is celebrating their 40th year together and they started their singing career at the Bowery in Myrtle Beach.  So with our trusty My Digital Studio, these are the shirts we came up with:

We got a deal on the shirts - nice white tees at Belk's for less than $10 - Sale!!    On the front are flip flops from Holiday Blitz stamp set (MDS).  We added a text box and typed:   Alabama and Friends Festival At Sea and the dates of the cruise.  On the back, we took a picture that I had taken at the beach of my feet in the sand and put the stamp from Summer Possibilities (dance barefoot) on top.

 

 

Luckily, Ashley had done these tees before so she remembered that we had to print them onto the transfer sheets in mirror image so it would turn out right on the tees.  I probably would have ruined my transfer paper before I realized it!! 

 

They were really quite easy to do.  We designed our pictures and printed them onto Iron On Transfer paper.  I bought my transfer paper at Staples but you could also get it at craft stores.  Then just follow the directions on the transfer paper and iron it onto your shirt or whatever you are making.

They were fun to make.  We didn't figure Sonny would want to  wear these so we found some great sales - again at Belk's on tropical tees and shirts for him to wear!

MDS Challenges

 

 This is my card for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge.  #50 - can you believe it??!!

 I tried to post it last night but my laptop just wouldn't cooperate.  Our lights kept flickering and we could hear thunder in the distance so I just gave up and called it a night.  Someone must have gotten a storm but we never did.  And (I don't want to say this too loud!) but the sun is shining today.  We are supposed to meet a group for dinner on the lake late this afternoon - weather permitting.  So, back to the card .... of course, I used My Digital Studio.  A couple of tricks with this card - the three brads in the center.  They actually had different colored little hearts on them and not in my color combo.  SO, I inserted a circle punch and shrunk it down to fit on top of the brads; color filled them with the DSP and voila! three custom brads to match!  The two little flags are from a bow that I cropped and just used the two ends.  The butterfly is one of my favorites.  It is from the Flores Suaves stamp set - which was offered in the Spanish catalog several years ago but now I can get it digital which makes it great.  It is an open stamp meaning if it were an actual stamp, you would have to use markers, etc. to color in the butterfly wings.  I used the Freeform (add brush) technique; colored in the butterfly in Soft Sky and Pistachio Pudding and when I was finished, brought the stamped image butterfly to the top.  The script behind the butterfly (in white) is also from the same stamp set.

While I'm talking about MDS, I have entered a SU color combo contest.  I would love your comments on my pictures on Stampin' Up's site.  You can check them out and leave your comments HERE.  Just click on my two layouts and comment.  Stampin' Up says "it doesn't hurt your chances of winning by having a lot of comments!"  Thanks!

Paper Craft Crew Sketch

My card for Paper Craft Crew this week uses Neon Notes with My Digital Studio. 

Embellishments
    Crochet Trim Ribbon\Chantilly (re-colored)
    _Designer Kits\Neon Notes - embellishments\Neon Notes - flourish tag 4 (re-colored)
    _Designer Kits\Neon Notes - embellishments\Neon Notes - flourish tag 1
    _Designer Kits\Neon Notes - embellishments\Neon Notes - flower 1
    _Designer Kits\Neon Notes - embellishments\Neon Notes - flower 2
    _Designer Kits\Neon Notes - embellishments\Neon Notes - flower 2
    _Designer Kits\Neon Notes - embellishments\Neon Notes - flower 3
    _Designer Kits\Afternoon Tea - embellishments\Afternoon Tea - lovely
    Crochet Trim Ribbon\Chantilly - bow (re-colored)
    Antique Brads\Antique Brads - brad 4
    Basic Pearls and Rhinestones\Basic Pearls and Rhinestones - pearl large

Stamps
    _Designer Kits\Be Brave\Be Brave - love

Punches
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch,  Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Neon Notes - designer series paper\Neon Notes - 9
    Labels & Tags\Lots of Tags - shape 2

Make sure you check out what the other members of the crew have done for this challenge HERE.

Hello Summer!

First off - Stampin' Up has put new items in the Clearance Bin so go check it out for some deals.  Order online using the hostess code Y4BBPUMB.

I have my card for the Paper Crew Challenge this week.  Just forgot to post it last night!!
 



I used this new kit that I downloaded yesterday to make the card.  It is called Summer Possibilities Kit and was released June 11.  I love the red, white and blue and all the elements in the kit.

Yesterday was also a digital release day and I purchased a few of the new ones too.  Also, there is a FREE download from yesterday so make sure you check it out.  Here is the new download - Get Going July Wallpaper -



I think I am going to play around with this one and make a new blog title - or maybe with the summer one.  Check back and be surprised!

I also like this pocket card download - Be Brave.

Well, I am still fighting about my cell phone!  Verizon and I are getting to be good pals!  I received my "new" phone on Monday and turns out, it was not NEW but a pre-owned phone.  I was really mad!  I called the number provided and he suggested I go to the store.  So, off I went.  I spoke with the manager who was really helpful.  She showed me a few things that she thought I was doing that could be making the phone lock up.  She also told me that the phone I received in the mail was not a refurbished phone but just extra inventory or one someone perhaps returned.  So, I returned the new phone and decided to give my old one another chance knowing the new tricks she showed me.  Would you believe, yesterday it locked up again!  So today, back to the store to talk with Casandra, the manager.  Again, she looked through the phone and made a few adjustments and we decided to give it one more try.  I left the store, stopped at the bank and stopped to get lunch.  Guess what?  The phone had locked up again and I had not even used it!!  So, after lunch, back to Verizon (I have lost count how many trips I have made to that store!)  She was as puzzled as I was but decided that it was time to send for another new phone.  I should have it tomorrow and then I get to reload everything once again!  Keep your fingers crossed that this one works!

Be Yourself!

It's time for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge card.  This was an easy sketch this week. 

I used a new kit too that I just downloaded called Be Yourself. I really love the papers that come in the kit - kinda reminds me of tie-dying.  I used to love to tie dye tees back in the day!

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Speaking of new kits, Tuesday was Digital Download Day.  Every Tuesday Stampin' Up announces new downloads for sale or sometimes, they are free!  This weeks downloads are really great and there's a FREE one!

Convention 2013

All About My Dad

Anchors Away

This Makes Me Happy Pocket Cards

FREE - June wallpaper Anchors Away

Sketch Challenge 43 MDS Style

Here is my card for the Paper Players Sketch #43 this week.  I used My Digital Studio to create it.  

Make sure you stop by the Paper Craft Crew Blog to check out what the other players have made HERE.

Recipe for MDS card:

Background     Color - matched to the DSP
Embellishments
    _Designer Kits\Christmas Jingle - borders\Christmas Jingle - ribbon piece (re-colored)
    _Designer Kits\Fan Fair - embellishments\Fan Fair - border 1
    Paper Doilies\Paper Doilies - whisper white (re-colored)
    _Designer Kits\2013 Quotable Calendar\2013 Quotable Calendar - beyond yourself
    Hodgepodge Hardware\Designer Brad - circle2

Stamps
    _Designer Kits\Convention 2012\Convention 2012 - frame corner, Color = BASIC GRAY      _Designer Kits\Convention 2012\Convention 2012 - frame corner, Color = BASIC GRAY 

Punches
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch,
    Flowers\Fun Flower - 4,  Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Keep in Touch - designer series paper\Keep in Touch - 2
    Flowers\Fun Flower - 2,  Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Keep in Touch - designer series paper\Keep in Touch - 4

Photos
    Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Keep in Touch - designer series paper\Keep in Touch - 1

Wonderful Mother's Day Card

Well, the Red Cross has disappointed again.  We got a call yesterday that they had opened a shelter for the local flooding victims and needed volunteers to man the shelter.  We told them we could work it from 1-7 today since I had a meeting this morning.  The shelter was set up in north Charlotte and when Sonny and I arrived, there was no one there.  And I don't mean no clients, but no workers ... no one!  I called the Lake Norman office to see what was going on and was told they had closed the shelter at noon.  Didn't we get a call?  NO!!  Sonny and I both have cell phones and had them turned on but nothing and when we arrived home, there was no message waiting for us there either.  You know that old adage, three strikes and you're out?  Well, we're OUT!   Every time we've worked a shelter, there has either been no one needing our services or one person.  It would make much more sense to put one person in a hotel rather than all the manpower necessary to set up a shelter!

OK - on to other things.  I made a Mothers Day card for the Paper Craft Crew challenge using MDS.  I love using this trick with ribbon.  I used the grosgrain ribbon bow and cropped it so I just had one loop; copy, paste and voila, two loops.  It's a pretty simple card but I think I will be printing this one out for my mom for Mother's Day.  Now I just have to find a gift for her.

Make sure you visit the Paper Craft Crew Blog site and check out what the other members have done with the sketch.  And while you're at it, make your own card using the sketch.

Today was not a great day for me!  I am hoping tomorrow is much better.  I started off with not being able to sleep well last night which is unusual for me.  I had to get up pretty early this morning to go to the Soup Kitchen.  We were scheduled to make taco salad today, a pretty easy meal or so I thought.  The local Chipolte restaurant had donated the meat so we put it in pans to heat up - it was already cooked so that was not a problem.  They were supposed to have the rest of the ingredients for us for the salad - cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, chips, etc.  Well, the guy in charge couldn't remember what I had told him I was making so they didn't have anything taken out for us.  We were ok with lettuce and tomatoes - had plenty to cut up.  But the cheese and sour cream was frozen.  The cheese was actually an off-brand Velveeta type cheese - not cheddar that we could grate.  So we rigged up a double boiler and eventually got the cheese to melt.  The salsa they brought me consisted of 2 cans of salsa and 2 jars of marinara sauce!  I don't think so!  They tried to tell me it would be fine.  I was not putting marinara sauce in my salsa not to mention only 2 cans for approximately 150 people?????  So I rummaged around and found a box full of cans of Rotel tomatoes that I added to the salsa along with some plain tomatoes.  The sour cream ended up, after it melted, being the consistency of a thin cream.  Then there was the matter of the chips.  I was told a couple of weeks ago that they had large taco shells.  My plan was to just break them up in the salad.  Turns out what they called taco shells was actually flatbread.  Unbelievable!  So we took several packages and cut them up into strips, put a little cooking oil on them and salt and baked them.  They were ok.  Just as we were getting ready to serve, they brought us two boxes full of Dorito chips!  Much better!  We served about 135 people today and they all seemed to like the meal.   I don't think those people at the Soup Kitchen have ever been to Texas and had a real Tex-Mex Taco Salad.  It was nothing like we made today!

Remember I told you about the new montly kit that SU is offering?   Well if you haven't joined Paper Pumpkin yet  and wanna get a closer look first .... No worries - you can give Paper Pumpkin a try for one month with the Try It kit!  It's now available for order.

Here's the Try It kit info:

•$16.95 -plus shipping. (Item #132600).

•Includes stamps, a clear block, ink, paper, and accessories.

•It's all cut, measured, and ready-with instructions included.

Try it - I know you'll want Paper Pumpkin to visit your doorstep every month!



Tuesday was Digital Download Day - one of my favorite days!  Get in touch with your inner awesomeness this week with our latest downloads. 

Check out the Made to Be Awesome Framable. Download it. Print it. Frame it. 

If you've ever asked yourself what does, "LOL, BRB, IMO, or YNK" mean, then check out the FTW Stamp Brush Set. (You'll thank us later when you actually understand what your favorite teenagers are saying.)  I have to admit, I didn't know a lot of them!!

And, once you've caught up with all the lingo, use the Seriously Teen Kit to document teen life-epic style.

FTW Stamp Brush Set - $5.95

 

Seriously Teen Digital Kit - $9.95

Made to be Awesome template and stamps - $2.95

Happy Birthday Pam!

Today is the birthday of our Papercraft Crew coordinator, Pam Staples.  So I made this card for our challenge in honor of Pam's birthday.  Happy Birthday, Pam!!

Such a fun card to make using mostly the Designer Kit, Topsy Turvy Celebrations and stamps from Under the Big Top.  I just love MDS!!  Bet you didn't know, huh?  ha ha

Background     Color = Summer Starfruit

Embellishments
    _Designer Kits\Topsy Turvy Celebration - embellishments\Topsy Turvy Celebration - flag 3 (re-colored)
    _Designer Kits\Topsy Turvy Celebration - embellishments\Topsy Turvy Celebration - flag 3

Stamps
    Border Banter\Border Banter - diamonds, 
    Under the Big Top\Under the Big Top - celebrate
    Under the Big Top\Under the Big Top - bear

Punches
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Fill Color Summer Starfruit 
    Basics\Scallop Oval Punch, Fill Color Tempting Turquoise
  
Photos
    Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Big Top Birthday - designer series paper\Big Top Birthday - 9
And here is the sketch. 

Why don't you make a card using this sketch?  It's a good one. 

Paper Craft Sketch

This week we have a fun and easy sketch for the Paper Craft Crew Sketch (#31).    It was a great one to work out with My Digital Studio and the Happy Hour stamp set.

My take on this sketch is in honor of my daughter this week.  She is on her annual Rock Boat Cruise and I'm sure these drinks are being downed by her and her friends.  Too bad I didn't have a picture of a beer bottle - that's more likely what Ashley is downing!  There are all kind of activities on board the ship but here is just one of them - Boozical Chairs (you know, like Musical Chairs!)  You run around in circles, drink a little, run around in more circles, drink a little... well, you get the idea.   After each round, the band will give you a task to complete before you're allowed to sit back down in a chair as they work their way from 100 players to 1.  Ya gotta love being young!!

I just got a call from my Mom this morning.  She goes to water aerobics at the Senior Center in downtown Mooresville twice a week.  Since she is legally blind, she has to depend on the bus - ICATS - to take her.  She called  to tell me the bus had taken her to Statesville which is the next town over from her!  She had no clue where she was.  They stopped at the Statesville mall and told her to get out - this was her stop.  She asked them where they were and when they told her, she told them that was not where she was going!  So they've taken her over to the Social Security office (??) and she is waiting for my sister to come get her.  Luckily, Angela had not gone to work or Mom would be waiting for who knows how long for another bus to come get her and take her where she needs to be.  She has been taking this bus for several years.  This makes me so angry!  Not to mention that they arrived at her house about an hour early.  Angela happened to look outside around 7:30 a.m. and the bus was sitting out there.  So Mom had to rush and get ready - no breakfast - to get on a bus that took her 30 miles out of the way.  Guess that's what you get for free public transportation.

Paper Craft Crew

It's Wednesday and that means it's time for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge .... #30!!  This week I decided to go with a stamp set from the Sale-a-bration catalog, Bloomin' Marvelous.  I don't have this set BUT I have MDS and the free CD with ALL the sets in the Sale-a-bration catalog so I can create the card on my computer.  Love it!!

Great sketch this week too!



Bloomin' Marvelous MDS2 style

Go HERE and check out what the rest of the crew has posted.

Oh Hello! It's Download Tuesday!!

What a fun name for a stamp set.  This one makes me smile - Oh Hello!!  I mainly ordered this set because I like the chevrons.  Chevrons are so "in" right now and I thought this was a very useful set.  But then I fell in love with the little flower in the set!!  So pretty and delicate.  See what you think:

For this one, I cut away the oval in the middle and stamped the chevrons with my markers - Daffodil, Red, Turquoise and Olive on the top and bottom of the oval.  I stamped the large oval on the inside  and stamped the flower in the center.  I made a flower using the new crepe paper and the Scallop Punch.  I sponged the flower with Red lightly.

This card is very simple.  The card base is Elegant Eggplant and the DSP is from the FREE Sale-a-bration pack.  I again made a crepe paper flower, sponged with Saffron and edged with Eggplant. 

And let's not forget that today is Tuesday ..... Digital Download Tuesday to be exact!  Here are the new downloads announced today:

LABEL THIS FOR THE PLAYROOM - label your kids toy area and make clean up a learning game.

LABEL THIS GARAGE - Get your garage tidy with these labels!

HELLO THERE KIT - Download includes:
* 17-piece SVG stamp brush set*
* 13 Designer Series Papers
* 26 embellishments

SERENE SILHOUETTES 4 piece stamp set

THINK BACK PHOTOBOOK TEMPLATE -  Get to know your grandma, mom, and dad with these interactive photobooks full of fun questions Download includes:
* 4, 24-page designer photobook templates (8" x 8")
* 39-piece SVG stamp brush set*
* 12 Designer Series Papers
* 2 embellishments
* 3 punches