Fabulous Flowers Blog Hop on Fred, She Said!!

TOP 3 ON JOANNA SHEEN!!

Welcome to the Fred, She Said Fabulous Flowers Blog Hop!  Summer is here and the flowers are bursting, and the FSS team wants to share a botanical bonanza with you!  If you have arrived from Nancy's blog, you are right on track.  If you are just happening by, you will want to start on the FSS Blog. (http://fred-she-said.blogspot.com/) YOU DON"T WANT TO MISS A THING!

Collect a secret word on each blog along the way, leave us some love on our posts and follow the directions at the end of the hop for your chance to win this FABULOUS PRIZE!

One winner will receive:
$25 GC to CropStop
£15 GC to Bearly Mine Designs
$25 GC to Fred She Said Store

I recently found this unique template for a Watering Can and thought it was a perfect match to use with the flowers theme.  

Here is my recipe for this fascinating card:

• Paper from Graphic 45 called "Olde Curiosity shoppe Collection"-2sided with blues inside
• Multiple sized flowers (Rose-Yellow spray) from the pre-colored set called Hearts and Roses digi set.  This great set is from the Fred, She Says Store-she has wonderful digis there!  I coated them with Diamond Glaze for gloss and the layers are paper pieced for dimension
• Die Cut fences, chipboard blue button "Cute as a Button", white liquid pearls
• 2 pearl heart stick pins

Your secret word on my blog is Seed

Your next stop on the hop is Crystal's Blog.
Here is the entire blog Hop Roster in case you get lost:  Thank you SO MUCH for visiting me~I would love for you to become a Follower of Mine as well as Fred, She Says!  Don't forget to leave some Luv in the comment section for your chance to win some Fabulous Prizes!

FSS Blog - http://fred-she-said.blogspot.com/  ( START )
Maureen - http://www.maureensmagic.blogspot.com/   

Donna - http://bearlymine.blogspot.com/   

Janet Kay - http://janetkbailey.wordpress.com/  

Nancy - http://inspiredbystamps.blogspot.com/  

Carolyn - http://luvmycards.blogspot.com/  That's me :o)

Crystal - http://craftingwithcrystal.blogspot.com/ 

Karen - http://busybusyhoneybee.wordpress.com/  

Patty - http://www.patriciachalasstudio.blogspot.com/ 

Zehra - http://rosebestcards.com/  

Michelle – http://inspirationblooms.blogspot.com/  

FSS Challenge Blog - http://fss-challenge.blogspot.com/END


challenges:
Stampin’ For The Weekend – Show Us Your Style
Joanna Sheen Challenge – Summer Daze-TOP 3
Tammy’s Scrapin Corner – Anything Goes
Sassy Cheryl's Show me Thursday Challenge-Anything Goes 

Seems a Little Sketchy Challenge~Sketch #16

This will be my second post as a DT member of the Seems a Little Sketchy Team and I'm so excited that we have been sponsored by the great Company, Whoopsie Daisy!  She has given each of the Design Teams a group of darling digi's to use on our cards and I hope my card will inspire you to take another look at her site!

I am paring up my adorable fairy with the Sketch #16 provided by SALS with a little variation.  It makes it so simple when you have a template to follow-be sure and check out the past sketches to get even more ideas! 

I'm just drawn to the colors pink and green so you will find them in her stockings, hair flowers, and leafy petals of her skirt.  I did her wings in a pale Copic blue and then accented the swirls with Diamond Skittles. I love the tapestry floral print BG paper, layered a swirly pink shimmery paper block under the digi mat, used a delicate paper punched ribbon instead of a regular ribbon, and added oversized buttons with polka-dot raspberry satin ribbon in their centers.  This 6x6 card has such a versatile use-sending love, best wishes, get better soon, small childs' card-I really like when I can add a verse and it's ready for any occasion.

Be sure to take a look at this challenge-they run every 2 weeks starting on Mondays and always have terrific sponsors with super prizes!  Whoopsie Daisy this challenge is giving away 2 SHEETS of choice digi's from their website.  How great, right?  Thanks for looking and I hope to see you on the SALS Blog!  Carolyn  

Happy Father's Day with my GUITAR CARD!

When I found this card pattern, I KNEW that my paper hoarding...Yes, yes I AM a paper Hoarder...would come in handy.  Through the YEARS I've collected quite the Theme paper-->wood, metal, grains, textures, material, etc., so when I saw the wood portrayed in the pattern I knew I had some like it.


How perfect is it that my husband, in his spare time, also runs a Guitar shop here on our rural property.  I share the love of those beautiful musical instruments and he taught me how to play back in our high school days! I wanted you to see it opened up so that you could see the "strings" going across the  sound hole in the card.  I was lucky that I had some black/silver heavier metallic thread around that I would stick it through the holes on the bridge (at bottom) and secure them on a notched place on the top of the card.  They sure look like strings-on the bridge I used Tim Holtz's mini bronze brads to look like tuning pegs. 


You can see the striped die cut oval that holds the canvas sentiment:  Anyone can be a Father;it takes someone special to be a Dad".  That same striped paper lines the cardstock behind the guitar shape.
Hope you get some neat guitar ideas from this example--I'm thinking of an electric one next!  Happy Father's Day!!!

Exciting News! I'm joining the Fred, She Said Design Team!

I'm so honored to be asked to join the Terrific DT Group on Fred, She Said Digital Designs.  This is our DESIGN SHOWCASE!  We will contribute 4 creations a month, sometimes more if there are Blog Hops etc.  The most wonderful thing is that we have access to all the digital images in the store-one of which I chose to do a Father's Day card with.  I'm a sucker for a Boy with a FROG!!  His name is Nolan and is seen in many of the designs from Fred (aka Tracey).  I think this card truly showcases the way I like to make cards-->loaded with buttons, stitching, ribbon, metalware, chipboard, interesting papers (oh what a weakness!), diecuts, and digis colored with copics.  That's my recipe for a great creation!  The awesome thing about this super site is that there are so many pre-colored images in scrumptious colors-how handy is that in a pinch?

That Frog just kept calling to me--well croaking really-to do something dimensional with him. So I made an alternate card, again for Father's Day, with the Digi blown up larger (ahh the beauty of digitals!) so that I could off-set Nolan and have him hang the Frog over the edge of the die cut.  What a perfect gift for Dad's special day right?  Again I've got my "recipe" going in a little variation.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed celebrating with me and I would love it if you could leave me a comment?  I always love to get the luv~and if you read below you COULD win a wonderful Prize From Fred!
*****************************************
FRED SHE SAID DT SHOWCASE
Fred She Said is giving away a $25 GC to their store to a random blog commenter :)  Please leave a comment on this post for a chance to win.  ONE random winner will be chosen from one random DT Showcase blog post.  Please make only one comment per DT post  and please include your name.   For a listing of DT Showcase participants, please go to the Fred She Said Blog.  Commenting on all DT Showcase posts is not a requirement but increases your chances of winning:)  Please comment by Friday June 22.  The winner's name will be posted on the Fred She Said Blog June 23rd.  Good luck!

What's Black & White and has a Big Smile~~Hambo! WINNER!!

I spent quite a few years in my career taking care of Sisters at their Motherhouse, making sure that they were getting the "gourmet food" treatment in their later years.  It was a joy to be accepted into their Community and their lives and it wasn't unusual to see so many of them with the same big grin on their faces. So when I saw that we were given this great digi to use in this week's challenge, I was thrilled! 
This challenge is pretty simple--it's as they say "Black and White-and to help achieve that is Nun - digital image by Hambo Stamps.
And you get 3 very unique sentiments to use also.  This is the recipe that I used:

• B&W cardstock with a RULER print-need I say more??
• B&W Grunge style paper with printed white flowers- I fancy cut 2 additional layers of petals so that I could layer and curl on top of each other, 1 has a button w/ butcher's twine, the other has a large polka dot brad in the center
• added the birthday sentiment and fancy print bow
• and of course the digi image

This brought back many wonderful memories of fun times and many friendships..a happy time in my past life as a Food Service Director.  I think I will also show you the OTHER card that I had made before I realized that there was the additional challenge of using only black and white....I'm planning on sending this to a very dear friend of mine-often we do things strangely very much alike!  I know the nuns would have approved of all the colors.  Hardly any of them wear the habits anymore and love color in their daily wear.

So glad you stopped by for a visit and hope you will sign in as a follower!  Be watching for something exciting happening here tomorrow morning!  I can't wait to share!  

Carolyn

Seems A Little Sketchy DT DEBUT! Sketch 15

With the launch of this card, I begin my term on the Seems a Little Sketchy DT!!  WooHoo! I'm so excited to have been chosen-this is the very first one I've ever been on so it will always be very special to me!
This is a GREAT site to get sketches for card/layout placement ideas but, the best thing is that they don't require that you use specific images or stamps!  AND, it's a challenge that lasts 2 weeks so you have several opportunities (up to 3 entries every cycle) to enter the challenges-whatever fits into your busy schedule. 
Some of the Great Sponsors that they have are: Bugaboo Stamps, CES, The Robin's Nest, Di's Digital Downloads, and several others!  Wow what a selection for prizes! So what have you got to loose!
This was our first Sketch challenge and while I stretched it a little, I think I hit a Hole in One with this Father's Day Card. It's a great image from Bugaboo Stamps that I colored with copics.  I used embossed golf ball stickers instead of flowers, digital images of 3 golf clubs as the rows of loopy accents, added an appropriate sentiment for His Big Day and then finished off the inside with a golf themed DP.
Thanks for sharing in my excitement and I hope you will join in our Challenges and win some Blog Candy!  I would be so happy for you! 

Snorkel Boy wishes his Dad a Hambo Father's Day!

What a perfect chance to use my wavy corrugated paper on a water themed card!  My picture shows it a bit darker blue than it is but I think you get the idea.  For this weeks challenge:  
It's a sparkling sea adventure for SNORKEL BOY! Glitter, Stickles, atyou Spica pens, glittery embossing powders, etc.  It's all about the SPARKLE as we dive into the depths of the sea. 
BONUS OINKS for those that use one of the Father's Day sentiments and still have a masculine card with sparkle!  
My recipe for this card:

• Snorkel Boy - digital image by Hambo Stamps  Yea! Great digi!
• Wavy Med. Blue corrugated paper
• 1 of 4 great Sentiments-these are great for Father's Day!! 
• Attached the matted tag using SHINY Fishing Hook from Dear Husband who puts up with my craziness!
• Splish Splash grosgrain ribbon from stash-Creative Expressions
• 2 sets of Sparkly iridescent acrylic bubbles (from a bath set!)
• and  Stickles-purple/blue in the waves, patina on the fish fins, yellow on the hair, diamond on the face mask

Thanks for looking and hopefully leaving some Luv behind~ Carolyn

Time's Fun When You're Having Flies! Squiggle Fly #22

Do you have a funny image?  How about thinking up a funny saying to go with any image....there's all sorts of great ideas that can go with just about any image out there that would make a person laugh.  Doesn't have to be a joke, perhaps just clever saying that makes a chuckle or a smile.   THAT was the Challenge on Squiggle Fly this week and I literally RAN to my digis to get out...CARL by Sandy Sommerfeld.   He is the neatest Frog and I knew he would be just perfect.
I used the following recipe:

• Goldenrod colored cardstock w/ dark fibers running through it
• Frog paper by Colorworks
• Double matted grass fiber print & yellow gingham stitched
• Carl in copics-with a pink tongue inserted into his slit mouth, curled, and with a fly from online printed out
• Oval die cut in a Spring grassy print for Carl and the Sentiment is printed on the fiber cardstock from a Kermit the Frog quote

Hope the cards you see on their site will inspire you to make a card this week along with the examples from  Holley Hobbyists! Now run out and find some fun embellishments, pick out some new shape or size, or just think up something totally different this week and show it to them!

Thanks for looking at another one of my entries-Your comments are much appreciated!  Carolyn

There's An Artist in all of Us! Hambo's newest Challenge

Hambo Hoedown's Challenge 68 this week is to use the Stamp and Sentiments from Artist Pig" - a digi image by Hambo Stamps and follow the sketch you see below.  That little Pig gets himself into the strangest places!  They have 3 great sentiments with this digi that you can use for several occasions.  I happened to have some great kid's paper that had fingerpaint handprints all over it in bright colors that was perfect to use. I used embossed paper for the curved banner and chose to accent the circles on it with the colors in the paints.  The inside has the handprint paper with a white insert for journaling. This is a busy sketch  to work with but if you get your entry in before Monday, June 4, at 10:00 PM CST, you can get the next challenge digi image for free-That way you can  continue the cycle!   Don't miss out on this chance to build up your digi library!