Make a Difference

Thanks to all for entering my Copic Giveaway! If you are looking for my winner, it’s Cathy Green from Texas.

Send me your snail mail, Cathy and CONGRATULATIONS! 

I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get crafty again. Between prep work and traveling, I hadn’t sat at my stamp table in weeks. I turned that around last night to work on my Just For Fun challenge card. Once a month (just for fun), I participate in a challenge with my girlfriends Alli Miles, Carole Burrage, Julie Campbell, Kim Hughes and Michele Boyer. One of us selects an image and another patterned paper, then we all make a card with those elements. Some months things go together really well, some months they don’t, but it’s always FUN.

This month Julie Campbell sent me some of this pretty, pretty Henna paper from the Basic Grey Origin’s collection.  Then, Alli chose the stamp from Kraftin’ Kimmie, sweet Charlotte. I think Charlotte is one of those girls who has a heart of gold but just can’t catch a break. She ends up being just a bit ‘rough around the edges’ with that blond, out-of-control curly hair. She makes me smile.

My image is colored with Copics - matched up to the patterned paper (individual colors below). Then cut with a Spellbinders die and layered to my card front.  The green ribbon and buttons are New Leaf from Papertrey.

I’ve been super busy playing catch-up since we returned home late Sunday. I’m going to check out the other Just For Fun challenge cards and see what the other girls did with Miss Charlotte. I’ll edit this post at 10:00 central this morning to name my Copic give-away winner, and then I am really looking forward to a sleep-in, hang-out, potato soup kind of Saturday around here. Hope that your weekend is filled with wonderful things.

• Stamps: Charlotte - Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps 
• Cardstock: Chocolate Chip - Stampin’ Up!, Henna patterned paper - Origins collection, Basic Grey, Choice Cream - Taylored Expressions 
• Ink: Black Memento - Tsukineko 
• Accs: New Leaf buttons & ribbon - Papertrey, Copic Markers (R01, R37, Y13, Y15, YR31, YG11, G05, G07, G21, BG72, BG75, E000, E00, E25, E27, E40, E43, W1)

Wow! What a whirlwind trip. I’m finally home from an 11 day adventure with some of the most special people in my life - My Splitcoast family. My paper crafting friends. My pride and joy, DH and the girls. It was an incredible time. I’m going to make you suffer with a few of my favorite pictures…and then at the bottom, yep, it’s true, I have a Copic giveaway to celebrate something fun.

I love working with these people. LOVE. Each one loves what they do, and they give it 125% everyday whether it’s customer service emails, projects for clients, projects for the site, our Splitcoast Fan Club, our amazing membership. Really just about anything that involves the incredible Splitcoast community. I don’t even have to name them. I know you know them.  I just wanted to get that out there.

Here are most of us playing at Disneyland the weekend after CHA. We were so tired, but had so much fun. Glad our families were able to join us - my hubby is in the gray t-shirt on the right and my darling girls are in the white sweatshirts on the right. Jenn’s sweet, sweet daughter is right between them in the Mickey ears.  Daven’s three princess girls are on the left, with Jenn’s prince charming son. Though, we missed Beate (and her family) after we’d sent her home Wednesday morning, we had a blast. I’m grateful for our trip.

So, I’ve made you endure gushing about my family… LOL! Here’s what you probably came by for today.

Didn’t Sharon and Sally Lynn do a great job putting this picture together?

top row (l-r) Lori Craig, Sally Lynn MacDonald, Sharon Harnist, Debbie Olsen
bottom row (l-r) Nancy Zenke, Sherrie Siemens, Marianne Walker, Jennie Black, Colleen Schaan

Copic Marker was excited to add Jennie Black to the Copic Certification Instruction team last week. She was surprised and delighted, and the Southwest Region of the US will be well served. It was so fun that the entire team was there at the CHA show. These girls and the Copic staff are so fun to be with. Adore them.

To welcome Jennie’s sparkling personality onto the team we are offering a prize today of a Glitter 12pc set, retail value of over $30. Just leave a comment on my blog and when you’re done, go leave a comment on the other instructor blogs for a chance to win a prize from some of them as well (note: Some posted Tuesday, others are posting today. Read each blog closely to see when prizes are being offered) I will randomly choose a winner from my blog on Friday at 10 am central.

I know you are familiar these great girls, so visit:  Colleen • Debbie • Jennie • Sally Lynn • Sharon • Sherrie

Also on the Copic note, I recently worked with Sharon to come up the colors for our teaching kits. The colors are great starting points. There’s a good variety of colors, in 2 and 3-color blending groups that should just about cover most anything a beginner would need to color. Hope this helps some of you considering the Copic plunge. 

BV000, BV02, BV04
R20, R22, R27, R29
R81, R83, R85, R89
YR21, YR24
YR12, YR16, YR18
Y02, Y08
YG11, YG13, YG17
G40, G24, G28
BG000, BG01
B32, B34, B37
E00, E31, E33, E35, E37
W1, 0

Current certification classes that I have lined up (or am working on):

• March 6th -Ankeny (Des Moines), Iowa - applications are currently being accepted, click the link on the right sidebar to make sure you receive information from Copic.
• April 23rd - Indianapolis - applications not yet being accepted
• June - Wichita, KS and Branson, MO -  specific dates and locations pending - applications not yet being accepted

Jami Sibley, Jenn Balcer and I at the CHA SuperShow yesterday in Anaheim, California.

Meridith Ethington and Tricia Ulberg….Meet Lizzie Anne. Their booth was right next to Splitcoaststampers booth at the SuperShow.

My beautiful, beautiful c0-workers….Beate and Jenn.

 Kim Hupke is the coordinator of the amazing Spellbinders DT. Loved having her in our Splitcoast booth yesterday at the SuperShow.

This was our booth at the CHA SuperShow. I’ll  spare you the furniture shopping pictures. Welcome to our house.

 This was the end of the SuperShow, and we were all really tired…but happy. We get to work with amazing people.

 I’m off to the CHA Trade Show this morning. I’ve got more to share later.

I had some blog issues yesterday, but I’m back, and I was delighted to be invited to join the uber-talented JustRite design team on today’s blog hop celebrating the release of their beautiful new floral stamp images. I choose the poppy image from their new Plant a Little Love set. Love these new floral images.

My poppies and background are colored with Copic Markers (YR04, YR16, YG91, YG93, YG95, BG10, BG11, W1) and accented with Spica Glitter pens. My medallion border is stamped and embossed in Chocolate Chip. The paper poppy was created from pages of an old heros school book that I picked up at the thrift store for 25 cents back before Christmas. All of my elements are layered on Spellbinders scalloped circles and labels. The paper is BoBunny Kitchen Spice.

Details, details: Did you know that JustRite is now hosting weekly Friday Challenges? You have until Thursday Jan 21st at 10pm EST to participate in their first Challenge. JRC_001: Get Creative With Font!  Use JustRite’s font to make your own custom card sentiment, scrapbook page title, background paper, monogrammed or personalized 3D gift, home decor, you name it — JustRite wants to see how creative you can get with their font!  In celebration of their first ever challenge, they are giving each of the blog hop readers today a chance to beef up their font collection by using this coupon code: FONT25BH to receive 25% off all JustRite font sets and the Horizontal & Vertical Stamper!  This Coupon Code expires at midnight January 19.

JustRite Inspiration Blog
Debbie Olson
Sharon Johnson
Angela Barkhouse
Barb Schram
Sharon Harnist
Becca Feeken
Michelle Wooderson
HeidiBlankenship
Michele Kovack
Kellie Fortin
Kathy Jones
and Guest Hopper,Jerri Kay Jimenez

I’m supposed to finish prepping and be packing today. Looking forward to a great trip to sunny, Southern California. Sunny would be the keyword. Huge rainstorms there this week. I’m hoping it all blows over by Thursday.

Really, I’m feeling anything but flirty…lol. But it’s a New Year, and I’ve had this colored image on my desk for months. Finally made it into a card. I really like this…all colored in Copics, linen thread to make the nest, sprinkled with my favorite fine white glitter…but why did I use that sentiment?

Who do you send a ‘flirty’ card to? I want to know!

Happy New Year!

• Stamps: Unity Stamp Company 
• Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento
  
• Cardstock: Prism & October Afternoon 
• Accs: linen thread, Copic Markers, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Prima flower, button 

I have stamped more than I’ve blogged the last few weeks. Christmas tags, quick cards and a project for my sister-in-law. It was nice to stamp and send. I had almost forgotten what that felt like. At any rate, our Christmas was wonderful, peaceful, uneventful, most blessed. I hope yours was some semblance of the same.

Today I’ve got my Just for Fun card for December. Carole Burrage picked this adorable image from Cat’s Pajamas for us to work with, and Ms. Kim Hughes was kind enough to send the paper - all without consultation with each other or the group. I was a little concerned when I first saw the paper (Carefree “Cherish” Forever Floral/Cream paper from the 29th Street Market by My Mind’s Eye - nice short name) and the image (from the Cat’s Pajamas Make Merry set) together. Such a bold image and soft patterned paper. Well, they call them challenges for a reason.

I decide to google sheet music to Auld Lang Syne and struck gold. I adjusted the size of the sheet music image to my card front in Photoshop Elements and printed it out on my patterned paper. The theme and the black printing help tie into the black cat image, and I do love the floral pattern in the background. I added some ribbon, buttons and Wizard Medium Prism cardstock to finish it off. My oldest daughter chose the die cut for our focal image after I accented with Copic Markers and glitter - she’s in love with those label dies.

I’m really looking forward to seeing out the other JiFFY Girls did with their cards today. Check out Alli Miles, Julie Campbell, Kim Hughes and Michele Boyer. I’m sure they did a fabulous job.

These little gnomes make me so happy. I’m back with Uru and Bird and a double dipper with Michele.  She’s using the same stamp image today, and it’s always fun to see how different (or not!) the other person’s card turned out. Michele’s card has probably been finished for days because that’s the kind of responsible, double dipping friend that Michele is. Here I am sliding in at the last minute with some Spica sparkle and JodyLynn ribbon goodness to dress up my happy little gnome and friend.

I’m going to do my best to mail this card off, but I learned so much while coloring him. Things like Copic R29 and R14 make up the most gorgeous shade of red - not too orange and not too pink - for the hat. Things like layering Mustard Seed, Old Paper and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks on my label for a warm distressed look,  giving the polka dots just a little pop with Glossy Accents, turning the sewing machine wheel by hand around tricky parts of a Spellbinders label so I don’t go full speed off the edge.  I don’t know if I can part with this card.

Time to worry about that later. I’ve got a little shopping to do today, a classroom party for the cutest little 2nd grader in history (who went to school in her Ms. Claus dress), swim team stuff, decorating cookies tonight with a good friend and prepping for a fabulous 4th grade Christmas party tomorrow for my most favorite 4th grader in the whole, wide world.  I’m gonna check out Michele’s cute card and swing into action. See you tomorrow!

Oh - one more thing - Thanks to all of the folks that played along with the Weekend Sketch Challenge last weekend. Super cute cards. You all seemed to enjoy the sketch as much as I did! Robin K in Hot-lanta, GA send me an email with your snail mail address. You are the winner of my Taylored Expressions give-away. You can see Robin’s super cute sketch card here. Congratulations!

• Stamp: Uru and Bird - Whiff of Joy 
• Cardstock: Choice Ivory - Taylored Expressions, Patterned Paper - Stampin’ Up 
• Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko 
• Accs: Copic Markers (R29, R14, YG11, YG93, YG95, E33, E35, W1), Glossy Accents, Ribbon - May Arts, button - not known, twine, Spica Glitter pens (red, chocolate, clear), stickles for the star

Since the Splitcoast team members all work from their respective home offices, we occasionally will video chat in-lieu-of a face to face meeting. Computers are a wonderful thing. If Jenn and I chat, and *if* one of use happens to be wearing something orange, inevitably one of us will say to the other, ‘oh you are wearing your colors’. We like our orange at Splitcoast.

This little Pure Innocence girl is wearing her colors, and she wears them well, don’t you think? I colored her weeks ago on a Saturday when I never got out of my pajamas and watched 3 Hallmark movies with my girls. Heavenly…

I’m getting geared up for Christmas classroom parties for my girls and some fun pre-CHA plans today. Tonight, I’ll wrap a few presents and get my mailables ready to go.

Have a great day!

• Stamp: Snow Day - Pure Innocence - MFT Stamps
• Cardstock: Prism & Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly 
• Ink: Black Memento 
• Accs: ribbon - Taylored Expressions, Stickles, Copic Markers (YR04, Eoo, E02, BG10, BG11 & R29) 

           …You are of this world; I am not of this world. ~ John 8:23

I did have snowflakes on the brain when I created the sketch earlier this week, but I quickly shifted to butterflies and spring time when I took a look at my Taylored Expressions order which included one of Taylor’s new Card Kits.  Everything you need for a stash of cards with envelopes and a pretty box for presentation. I don’t think she has many left in stock, but you could seriously make a very nice gift in less than an hour with this kit and a clean design. I hope Taylor continues to offer these.

I used the new Discover Your Wings set for my image and sentiment. The floral is stamped in white on pretty turquoise.

I picked up these butterflies as an add-on.  They are so tiny…I love them.

I hope you find time to get crafty this weekend. If you do, be sure to upload to Splitcoaststampers using keyword WSC110. Leave your blog link on this post. Tuesday evening, I’ll look thru the entries and pick a winner. Then I’ll ship out a Bloom & Grow Card Kit from Taylor’s store.

Other sketch samples can be found here: Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn and Sharon.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

• Stamps: Discover Your Wings - Taylored Expressions 
• Cardstock: Pretty Please Card Kit - Taylored Expressions 
• Ink: Pool Adirondack and White Pigment
  
• Accs: Satin Ribbon & mini butterflies - Taylored Expressions 

Can I get a big ole ‘Hallelujah, it’s Friday!?’ I’m excited to host the Weekend Sketch Challenge this week. This is your sketch. I hope you squeeze in a little crafty time over the next few days. (There could be a little prize in it if you do. Details next post with my card.)

You’ll find plenty of sketch inspiration if you visit Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn and Sharon this morning. I know they’ve all been busy working with the sketch this week. Please load your projects to Splitcoaststampers using the keyword WSC110. You can see those entries here. If you post to your blog, leave a link on this post. I can’t wait to see all the paper eye candy.

Happy Stamping this weekend!