Barbara: Color Challenge: Red, Pink, Black

Many thanks for all of our blogland friends who participated in the "HEARTS" challenge last week at The Crafty Pad.  There were so many beautiful cards and projects. I am in awe at all the artistic talent.  It always is fun to visit the blogs. I often learn a new technique, a new design, or just some inspiration. :)

This week is Challenge # 109 at The Crafty Pad.  It is a color challenge: Red,Pink, and Black. 
I wanted to try a variation on the simple stair step card and was delighted that it turned out so well. The image screamed "elegance." So I chose a DP with some sparkle. After coloring and layering the roses, I added some glitter just to the rose outline to give it a little bling. The sides needed something so I distressed a black cuddlebug embossing strip with gold. Finally, I chose a sheer black ribbon and added a little flower to make it pop.  The sentiment is on the inside of the card. I love giving stair step cards because the recipient can stand them up and enjoy seeing the card.

Recipe:
DP: K&Company-Kelly Panacci, Michael's
Image:  Rose by Debbie @the crafty pad stamp designs
Embossing Folders: Cuttlebug
Spellbinders: cut out behind the roses.
Sentiment: free digital sentiment
Ribbon: from :MVS (My valuable supplies!)
Flower: K & Co.

Our sponsor this week is:  Joanna Sheen.

One random chosen winner will receive a £10 gift voucher from:joanna sheen.com/craft-supplies/

Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit my blog. I hope that I have inspired you to be crafty and take some time to create something special that makes you happy. If you choose to use the colors red, pink and black, you can enter the current challenge at The Crafty Pad HERE. 

Please feel free to leave a comment and/or follow this blog.  Have a great week.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
pollycraft challenge blog-birthdays: Special birthdays
wood ware usa-clear stamps: Embossing

craft your passion challenges: Use the color pink
2 sisters challenge blog embossing
little claires designs: Anything Goes (Monthly Challenge)
catered crop: Follow a Recipe:  Black ribbon and black accents. die cuts
cheerful stamp pad: Use the colors red and white
robyns fetish challenge blog: Anything Goes
one stitch at a time challenge : No square cards
resqhallenge: Something that makes you happy: flowers, especially roses!!
simply create challenges: Bold and Bright
paper-crafting journey: Anything Goes
crafty anns challenge blog: Love is all around
dutch dare-card challenges: Sparkle, glitter, bling
ellephantastic challenges: distressing with a love theme
stamptacular sunday challenge: For someone special ( This birthday card was designed for a special friend who I have know for many years and now lives so very far away.)
the secret crafter saturday challenge: fancy folds

Introducing a New Digital Stamp Designer and Store:

Wee Stamp

A brand new store with adorable images!!

Wee Suzi is just one of these new images.
Speaking about love….

Introducing: The designer; Sylvia Corbenic
There are many things I am in love with and one of them is wild and windy country – Scotland. Edinburgh, Scottish capital is a place I have spent some of the most magical time in my life. I love it’s history, architecture with this beautiful castle on the giant volcanic rock in the middle of the city centre, landscapes, music, accent, kilts, April’s yellow seas of daffodils and most of all – these happy and friendly Scottish people.
Thinking about the name for my little store, I wanted it to be simple and associated with something I love as much as drawing, something Scottish. “Wee” – it was the word everybody was using around me when I came here 3 years ago. Wee boy, wee talk, wee flower, so many things were “wee” and I didn’t even know what this word means for so long…

“Wee - (Scottish, Northern Ireland, North England) small, little”

If you would like to see more of Sylvia's digital stamps click HERE

Barbara: Let's See Some Hearts

Here is my post for Challenge: 108, at The Crafty Pad this week.  The Challenge is "Let's See Some Hearts." It was fun to create a special project for Valentine's Day. This is a Triangle Treat Box. It is perfect for a small gift or a few candy kisses.  It was so much fun to make. If you want to make one just click HERE for directions.

Recipe:

Image: Debbie's image:the crafty pad stamp designs

Colored: Copic Markers

DP & Sentiment Tag: K&Company-Kelly Panacci, Michael's

Ribbon: Target

Our Sponsor this week is: Creative Craft World - TeaHouse items

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my blog and that you are inspired you to make one of these darling treat boxes. They can be for any special occasion as well as Valentine's Day. Wouldn't they be cute with Spring DP filled with jelly beans???Once your paper project is complete just click  HERE to enter our current challenge.  Please feel free to leave a comment and/or follow this blog.

Happy Valentine's Day

I am entering this project into the following challenges:

digital tuesday challenge : From the Heart, Valentine challenge

everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/: Valentines

crafts and me challenges: red

paper works co: Use a heart

gingerloft challenge: The color Red

Barbara: Hearts

The day we have all been waiting for is finally here!! Today the Blog Hop for The Creative Cowgirls Begins. This is our first Hop in the new year. I am your first stop on the Blog Hop Trail. Our challenge this week is to spread some love and use hearts on your card or paper craft.
Continue reading for Blog Hop information.

We hope that you are as excited as all the Cowgirls are!! Prizes are listed at the end of this blog.

My card for this week is a "homespun" card. DZ Doodles sent us these charming images to use on our project. I could only think Vintage when I saw this image.

Recipe:
Image: DZ Doodles
Coloring: Prisma Pencils with liquid pearls for the center of the flowers.
DP: Michael's-distressed the edges
Oval Frame: cut from a Spellbinder from glitter paper: Target
Lace: Vintage
Ribbon: Michael's
Distressing with Tim Holtz ink pad
Heart Charm: Found in my collection of  unused treasures
Sentiment: Front of card:Free digital image, artist (unknown...sorry)
                Inside: I got this from a website listing verses for cards
                            but unfortunately did not write down the name of it.

I hope that you enjoyed visiting my blog and viewing this card.Perhaps I have encouraged you to scout around your home for an unused treasure that you could use in your next project design. Please feel free to leave a message and/or become a follower of this blog.

Please follow the Blog Hop Rules on the creative cowgirls challenge.  Don't forget to use a heart on your project...we want to spread the love on Valentine's Day and every day :)
The winner of this Hop will receive a super Valentine Day Gift Basket .from craftyribbons and 3 images from dzdoodles.
To win the basket worth $50.00 you must....

1. Hop along the list of names and leave a Message on each site along the trail

2. Post our Badge on your side bar

3. Enter the challenge and Mention our hop in your card post

4. Follow us along:
 Your next stop is Benedicte. Stop and leave her some love too.

Top 3 winners will rec. 1 image of their choice.

Have Fun Hopping!!  Happy Valentine's Day !!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
one stitch at a time challenge: Make it pretty
paper sundaes: Lace, distressing, pink
paper works co.: Hearts

Barbara: "LOVE IS IN THE AIR"

This is challenge #107 for The Crafty Pad. The theme this week is "Love is in the Air." You can interpret this anyway you wish. I have chosen traditional colors for a Valentine card but used a novel card design: the Stair Step card.

I love this card design because the recipient can display the card easily and enjoy it for awhile. You can see the details of  Lucy and Randy. The image is called: "Valentine Kids." The punch, the ribbon, the glitter and of course the Gelly Roll pens and Copic markers make this card so bright. I plan on sending this to  a special couple who babysat for many, many children including my grandson. They are like family to so many but now live so far away. I hope this will remind them of all their "special" kids that they nurtured.

Recipe: Image: Robtn Fetish 
Sentiment- the crafty pad stamp designs
DP: Target
Punch&Glitter: Martha Stewart
Colored with Copic Markers
Highlights: Gelly Roll Pen

If you would like to make this simple Stair Step Card, HERE  are the basic instructions...have fun :)

Our sponsor this week is : Robin Fetich. The winner will receive 5 digi images from her store.

I hope that you have enjoyed visiting my blog. Please feel free to leave a comment and/or follow this blog. I hope that you will find "Love in the Air" and be inspired to make a paper craft. You can add your challenge to The Crafty Pad blog   HERE.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

one stitch at a time challenge: Do it with a Digi

catered crop: following a recipe -I used DP with a repeat pattern, Black and Blue Copic Markers, ribbon, love theme, hearts.  This is a cute blog and the recipe is quite easy  to follow:)

crafty hos challenge: Love Theme

creative inspirations paint: Inspired by hearts

ginger loft challenge: The color RED

crafts and me challenges : The color RED

the sisterhood of crafters:  Anything Goes

bunny zoes crafts: Love is in the air

card makin mamas: Valentines

raise the bar challenge: Hearts

Barbara: The Crafty Pad

Our challenge this week at The Crafty Pad is : Something for the Boys. I love this darling image and decided to use shades of blue with just a spark of orange (my favorite colors) for a contrast.

I love the layering on this card and the small bow added just a special touch. I tried paper piercing for the first time. It was fun and I am sure will improve with practice. After coloring the "Party" banner, I used liquid glass to add shine and dimension. The orange card stock design on the left was colored with Copic Markers. It was designed to show the dots...clever isn't it? It was a nice surprise! I also dotted the image at the bottom of the page.

Recipe: 

 Image: Meeces from Debbie at the crafty pad stamp designs

DP & ribbon: From my collection of UDPP (Unused Designer Paper Pieces)

Coloring: Copic Markers

Shine: CTMH liquid glass

Paper piercing: CTMH tool and pad

Our sponsor this week is Craft Sentiments. The winner of this challenge will receive this adorable digi: Your digital stamp will come uncolored.

 Are you ready to make Something for the Boys? When your project is competed you can just click HERE  to enter our challenge.

I hope that you have enjoyed visiting my blog and that I have given you some ideas to use on your project. Please feel free to leave a comment and/or become a follower of this blog.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
delicious doodles challenge: Spots and/or Stripes
totally papercrafts: One for the Kiddies
ai factory challenges.: For the Boys
do you stack up. : Use Designer Papers-3 different ones used)
simon says stamps challenge: Animal Antics

Barbara: Creative Cowgirls - Be my Valentine!

This week we had a delightful image from "Prairie Fairy" to use in our project. Rather than a Valentine's Day card...this image just shouted ...Bag Topper Tag!!! Really I just wanted to try something new. It is always fun to surprise someone special with a little holiday treat. You might notice that my photography is a tad brighter and the images are cropped. I just downloaded a free photo editing program: Picasa. After a little experimenting, I was able to adjust the pictures. Much more pleasing to the eyes, don't you think?

The bag topper was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, cut with a Spellbinder die, swiped with  pink chalk ink, then attached to the filled candy bag with staples. I used DP and a Valentine paper heart to layer the image. After coloring with Copic Markers, I paper pieced the dress, added glitter to the wings and cut another head, colored and popped it up with pop dots to give it some dimension. A gelly roll pen added some shine to the arrowhead. Finally, I swiped the darling tag, added some puffy paint, colored the sentiment, added a crystal, then attached to the image. It was a fun project to complete.

Recipe:
Image: prairie fairy designs
DP: Target
Valentine Heart: Target
Glitter: Martha Stewart
Sentiment Tag: The Crafty Pad
Our challenge this week at The creative cowgirls challenge is:

 Love is in the Air!
Show us some love on your design!

Our sponsor this week is: Prairie Fairy

The winner of our challenge will receive 3 images from prairie fairy of their choice.
The top 3winners will each receive one image of their choice.

Are you ready to let the creative juices flow and make an original Valentine's day card ? Once you are finished, just click HERE to enter your card.

I hope that you enjoyed visiting my blog. Please feel free to post a comment and/or become a follower of this blog.

I am entering this project into the following challenges:
craft your days away: LOVE
marks finest papers: Valentine's Day
our creative corner : 3D Valentine Day Project
totally gorjuss: As You Like It!
charisma cardz: Valentines/Love
crafty sentiments: Your favorite things (Valentine Candy!, Glitter, Copic Markers, Pop Dots)
fab n funky challenges: Use a digi image
pennys challenges: Anything goes

Barbara: The Crafty Pad Challenge-1/23/11

The challenge this week at the Crafty Pad is:

  Let's see something Girly                                            

This is an Easel Card. I used a Spellbinder to make the square scallop shape. The image is paper pieced. The image was highlighted using stamp pad ink and a sponge. I also added a few embellishments- crystals, charm, ribbon. It was a fun, very girly card. I have a special friend in mind to send this card to. I missed her birthday so I hope this will surprise her! The pictures below show a few close-up shots of the details.

Recipe:

Image: Debbie at The Crafty Pad

Sentiment: TLC plus the blank ticket was a free digital image

DP: Target

Crystals: Michael's

Ribbon and charm are from my collection.

Our sponsor' this week is Joanna Sheen - The winner of this challenge will receive a £10.00 gift Voucher to spend in her shop.

I hope that you are inspired and will join us this week at The Crafty Pad with your Girly Challenge.

It is my hope that you enjoyed viewing this card and perhaps it gave you an idea for your project. Please feel free to leave a comment and/or follow this blog.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

copic creations: Anything new  (New Image& crystals)+ Copics

one stop craft challenge.: More than one fold

prairie fairy fridays Happy Birthday

crafty purple frog challenges : Distressing

do you stack up: Pink

Barbara: The Creative Cowgirls Challenge, Jan. 16,2011

First I want to thank all of you who chose to enter The Creative Cowgirls  First Challenge in 2011. We had over 100 entries.YA HOOOOO.  I hope that you will continue to have fun and enter our bi weekly challenges:)
Now on to our second challenge...  This is a color challenge. Please use the colors TURQUOISE and BLACK or BROWN on your card or paper craft.
Our sponsor for this challenge is : Tellen's Place. They sent us this adorable image to use on our project.

I had fun using my new Spellbinder dies and Cuttlebug embossing plate. I also made the button from a new button die. Then I added  liquid glass to make it shiny and resemble a button.Of course I had to add a little bling here and there. My favorite technique is paper piecing even though it is a little tricky with digital images :) I also am intrigued with layering. I think it just emphasizes the focal point. One of my favorite color combos is turquoise and brown. After I cut out the oval, I swiped the sides with a brown stamp pad. I did the same with the center oval and then distressed the plaid design too. Inside verse says: Everyone deserves to Sparkle...
Recipe:
Image: Tellen's Place
DP: Target
       brown background DP is K&Co.
Embellishments: Spellbinder die, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Martha Stewart glitter, Gelly Roll glitter pen, liquid glass: CTMH
Ribbon: from my stash

Our Sponsor this week is:



  The Winner of our challenge will receive a $10.00 coupon.

The Top 3 entries each receive 1 image of their choice from Tellen's Place.
You can visit their shop HERE.

I hope that you enjoyed visiting my blog and seeing this project. Please feel free to leave a comment and/or follow this blog.
I am entering this card into the following challenges:
bearly mine-challenges: sketch
creative inspirations paint: Bling
one stitch at a time challenge: Something new: Digi image, spellbinders die, cuttlebug embossing folder,       button die

Barbara: The Crafty Pad Challenge 1/16/11

You will love the challenge (#104) at The Crafty Pad this week: : It is- "Something New." That means a new:baby, job, home, pet, etc. It can even mean new craft materials that you wish you had time to try!!

We were so fortunate to be able to use one of Debbie's new digi baby stamps. I just loved working with this image. The baby boy, the little feet, as well as the delightful image can all be found at the shop http://thecraftypadstampdesigns.blogspot.com/ . HERE  Along with several new images, Debbie has created many sweet sentiments that are just perfect for cards and scrapbooks.
This really was a CAS card. I did some paper piecing on the baby's shirt and blanket. The white background is embossed then distressed with blue stamp pad ink. The brown and turquoise DP has also been distressed on the edges. The ribbons are from my stash. I used the Gelly Roll Glitter pen to add some Bling to the shirt and blanket.

Recipe:
Image:The Crafty Pad Images
DP: K & Co. & Target
Colored:  Copic Markers
Stamp pad: CTMH, Ocean

Our Sponsor this week is Jasmines Cards. They are offering  the winner of this challenge this fabulous CD......

Facinating Flowers is a collection of lovely floral images. Each photograph has the following elements that match perfectly. Backgrounds, borders, frames, inserts, mini cards, tags, teabags and toppers.

The image below shows you just some of what is on the CD.

I hope that you enjoyed visiting my blog. Please feel free to leave a message and /or follow this blog.
I am entering this card into the following challenges:
craft your passion challenges.: Let's Tie one on...using ribbon
incy wincy designs: Go Dotty
polly craft challenge blog: Something New: digi stamp, cuttlebug embossing folder
top tip tuesday: Anything Goes
simon says stamps challenge: sketch
sassy studio designs: Use something at least a year old: dotted ribbon

The Crafty Pad: Design Team Call

The Crafty Pad  Design Team Members: Tina and Sally have stepped down from their positions. We wish them good luck with their new ventures. That of course means that Debbie is  now looking for 1 new DT member to work with The Crafty Pad Stamp Designs DIGI images.If you think you would like to be part of our very friendly team and can make at least 1 crafty project a week with her digital  images please read the requirements below :-

1. Have an active blog

2. Can work with The Crafty Pad digi images

3. Create a crafty project weekly (card, altered item etc)

4. Please email Debbie at craftypad-deb@hotmail.co.uk

5. Provide a link to your blog and also 2 links to your favourite projects

6. Tell her a little bit about yourself, don't forget to tell her Barbara sent you :)

##This is such a fun team to be on and the images are super. I know you will love them. Debbie is also very supportive and helpful.
She  will acknowledge all emails. :)
Debbie will be looking  forward to hearing from you. :)

CLOSING DATE IS - 29th Januarly 2011

Barbara: Challenge #103 at The Crafty Pad

This is our first challenge at The Crafty Pad for 2011!! We took a little time off to recharge our inspiration. Are you ready for a new realease and a new challenge?  Our challenge for this week is;

Happy Birthday. Our DT has been given Debbie's new image stamp: Happy Birthday Meeces. Aren't they adorable? They were so much fun to create with. This is my card for the challenge:

Our sponsor this week is Crafty Ribbons. If you participate, you could win this collection of Swiss Dot Grosgrain Ribbon. Now that is quite a perk for your card embellishments. I am addicted to ribbon, I collect it wherever I go, especially if it is on sale :) This ribbon is so beautiful!

This card may look difficult but it is not hard to make. There are quite a few layers. The challenge is to coordinate all your paper and ribbon.  I colored the "meeces" with copic markers and added bling with a gelly roll pen.

Recipe:

Image: The Crafty Pad

DP and Ribbons: Target (that's why they all coordinated so well:))

Coloring: Copic Markers

Bling: Gelly Roll Pen

Embellishment: CTMH, colored with Krylon gold pen.

I hope that you enjoyed by card design and will leave a message and/or follow this blog.

Don't forget all that lovely Swiss Dot Grosgrain could be yours!! Happy New Year and may you always find time for crafting.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

trimmies craft challenge: Sketch

gingerloft challenge: Celebrations

creative cottage challenge: Something New (DP, Ribbon,Image)

fab n funky challenges: Anything Goes

paper-crafting journey: Let's Get Digital ( A new Challenge Blog)

pixie dust studio pixie challenge: Using Two or more Ribbons

rainbow ladys challenge blog: It's all new to me (New: DP, Ribbon, Image, Sketch)

the fuzzy wuzzy challenges: Anything Goes but must feature and animal

scrapbook sisters: Anything Goes

delicious doodles challenge: Something New (New: DP, Ribbon, Image, Sketch)

craft your days away.: Anything Goes

ces challenges: All Creatures Great or Small

one stop craft challenge: Card for a Child

Barbara: Look What I WON!!!

Did you ever wonder if it was worthwhile to apply for Blog Candy?  Well, just look at all this fabulous candy that was sent to me!!!! It arrived in the mail yesterday! All of you crafters know how excited I was..just like Christmas all over again. I can't wait to try out some of the stamps and other goodies. I forgot to include a picture of the CD (the Technique Junkie Newsletter). This is so inspirational...many techniques that I never heard of and can't wait to try. If you would like more information on any of my candy, feel free to contact:Chrissy D.

Welcome Friends

WOW...it is so amazing to see the list of "followers" grow! I am thrilled that so many new friends have come to visit. I have to thank Karen and all the coordinators at Feline Playful.

I hope that you are inspired by a project that I have done. Please feel free to stop often and please leave me a comment. I will be crafting more now that the Christmas holidays are over :) Best Wishes for a New Year filled with much happiness and time to craft.   Hugs to all of youXX

Barbara: Creative Cowgirls Post

First of all, I want to thank all the loyal Creative Cowgirl Followers. This is our third challenge and each time we see more crafters submitting their cards and/or paper crafts. We appreciate your time and effort on each project that you create. We have so much to look forward to in 2011 and we hope that you will grow with us.

Our challenge this week at The Creative Cowgirls is Something New. That means that your project should include something new! Now that should be easy for most of us. I hope all of you received at least one new crafting supply, a gift card so that you can purchase something special, or that you treated yourself to something new to inspire your creativity. I was fortunate to receive a new set of acrylic stamps from CTMH and a large gift card for Michael's :)

This adorable image is from our sponsor: Pollycraft. Isn't he a cutie!! My inspiration: My son in law has a birthday in January, so this was a given. I decorated a gift bag for his birthday gift. He does not look like this at all. I hope he thinks this image is cute too.

 My something new is the image from Pollycraft. I merged two free digital images to complete the ticket. I also distressed the edges of the DP.

Recipe:
Image: Pollycraft
Sentiment; Create with TLC
DP: all from my stash
Embellishments: twine also from my stash, buttons: vintage
Coloring: Copic Markers, distressing on the ticket
Technique used: paper piecing on the image
Paper punch: Martha Stewart

Our sponsor this week is

Polly Craft Designs

The winner of our challenge will receive a  voucher towards the Polly Craft store and a Creative Cowgirl Winner Badge.

The Top 3 will receive a Creative Cowgirl Badge for your blog.

I hope you enjoyed visiting this blog and my project. Please consider making a card or any paper craft to submit to the challenge at The creative cowgirls challenge. Feel free to leave a comment and/or follow this blog.

Happy New Year to all of you :)

I am entering this project into the following challenges:
sketch and stash challenge following is the sketch that I used on this gift bag.

incy wincy designs: distressing
woodware usa-clearstamps: Anything goes
digital tuesday challenge: Anything goes
scrapbook sisters: It's a Man's World
crafty sentiments: Anything goes
digi doodle shops best: Anything goes
delicious doodles challenge: Include PURPLE in the challenge
marks finest papers: Something New