Under the Sea

Or the river or the lake, or along side the river or sea. That's the challenge this week at Cardmaker-to use a sea, river or lake animal or a seascape image. Pretty flexible really. I used this cute image from StretchNBubbles. Ever since I watched an Animal Planet show about how deadly hippos are (who knew?) I've been VERY afraid of them. Luckily this hippo is super cute so I'm not scared of him.
I tried a couple of new things on this card. First, I used VersaMark watermark ink. I've never done that before and I really like the effect! I'm definitely going to use it more often. I also made my own flowers. I used the smallest die cut of my Blossom Nestabilities. I cut out three white and three peach, punched a hole through the middle and fastened it with a brad. Then I crinkled up all the layers and dabbed some distress ink around the edges.

Here's a closeup/side shot of the flowers:

Challenges:
All Sorts: Inspiration challenge (I used some of the colors)
Pollycraft: Make your own flowers
CPS Cardsketches: Sketch
Cardmaker: Under the sea

How Sweet is This?

Meljens makes some of the cutest digi images, including this super sweet girl hugging her teddy bear. I love it! If you love Meljen's images, hop over to their store...there are still a few days left to get 25% off your whole order..you don't want to miss out!

Challenges:
Crafts and Me Challenge-brown pink and yellow
Dare you to Digi Stamp-digi image and flowers
Meljens challenge-for the little ones
I love digi-sketch and digi image
Clearly iStamp-use ribbon
Raise the Bar-your favorite color (brown and pink for me!)
Our Creative Corner-blossoms
One Stitch at at Time-flowers
Pile it On- Make it Sweet

Christmas in Pink

This week at Bah Humbug the challenge is to use shades of pink. I used this Mrs. Tilly Claus from Digital Doodling. You can find her and many other cute stamps for free here. I used the sketch from this week's Cardmaker Sketch challenge.

Coloring Black Hair

That's the challenge this time around at the Copic Creations challenge. Check out their blog for links to lots of places with tutorials on how to color black hair. Keep in mind that when you are coloring black hair, you're not actually using black. You're going to be using several shades of grey so you can get the highlights in the hair. For me, the first step is deciding where I want the highlights to be. I have to have that set in my mind so I don't go over those areas with the darker colors. Then I start with my darkest shade of grey which in this case is C9. I use that sparingly in the places that I think would be the darkest on her head. I try to do all my hair coloring with a flicking/feathering motion in the direction that the hair grows. After I finish with the C9 I move to C7. I start the C7 going slightly over the edge of where the C9 ended. I follow this pattern with the last two colors, C5 and C3 with C3 being the color I use in the area I determined would be the highlight area. I look at the final product and add and blend wherever I think it needs it.

Challenges:
Die Cuts R Us: Use earth or nature related embellies
Papertake Weekly: sketch
Spoonful of Sugar:Happy Birthday
Maimi Doodles: use colors wheat/khaki, red, sky blue
Copic Creations: Color black hair

A Bunch

Thanks a bunch? Love you a bunch?Not sure how I'm going to use this card so I left room for the sentiment at the bottom..whatever I decide that should be. This is the newest image from Designed to Delight and he's a cutie. Remember how D2D works..it's a progressive challenge so you play along each week and get the next week's image for free. Faith got a little behind so the challenge is moving to Fridays.

Challenges:
Our Creative Corner: Butterflies
Eat Sleep Stamp: Sketch
Designed to Delight: use the "A Bunch" image
Digital Tuesday Challenge: April Flowers or April Showers

A Bashful Bear

Check out this adorable new image from Cuddly Buddly! Isn't she just the sweetest?

Challenges:
Creative Inspirations: 2 DPs, 1 ribbon, 3 flowers
Little Paper Shop: Chocolate, pink and raspberry
Crazy 4 Challenges: Sketch
Magical Crafts : Something for the Girls

Learn Something New Every Day..

Like today, for example, I was playing along in a couple of challenges that are asking us to use Red and White this week, in honor of St. George's Day in England. I had no idea what St. George's Day was about so I looked it up this morning and found out that St. George is England's Patron Saint and that St. George's Day is England's National Day. Now I know. The article I read also said that St. George is always depicted with a dragon so now I wish I would have used one of my Dustin Pike Dragon images...but, maybe next year. :)
The image I did use is from Paper Cupcakes and it's called "You Melt my Heart". I just won it yesterday so I was excited to use it.

Challenges:
One Stitch at a Time: Thank You card
Incy Wincy: Use black, white and one other color
There's Magic in the Air: Recipie challenge: 4x4 card, no dp, 1 ribbon, 1 type of embellie and a Paper Cupcakes image
Rosie Dee: Red and White
Cupcake Craft: Red and White
Sketch Saturday: Sketch

Another Sassy Cheryl's Bear

You know I love that super cute bear from Sassy Cheryl's right? You know, the one hanging from the clothesline by his ear? This one is just as adorable as that other bear, isn't he? If you love him as much as I do, you can become a member of Sassy Cheryl's PCP site and get him for free. Go HERE. My sentiment with the bird is from Meljens Designs.

Challenges:
Secret Crafter: a day out
Picture Perfect Creations: Bright blue, light blue, white and garden green
Kaboodle Doodle: Embossing
Crafty Cardmakers: Desert Island-use your fave crafty things..you know, what you'd like to have with you on a desert island!(Copics, cuttlebug, paper cutter)
Just Cute Bears: one for the boys (boy bear)
CPS Cardsketches: Sketch
One Stop Craft Challenge: things with wings (bee and bird)
Pile it On: Think spring

Just Can't Give This Away

***CONGRATS TO SHENG WHO IS NOW THE PROUD OWNER OF THE SNB CUPCAKE IMAGE!**

Okay..two random winners picked from the SNB blog hop and neither one contacted me to claim their prize. SO instead of doing Random.org again I've decided that the first person to comment on this post wins the cupcake digi image I used in the SNB blog hop. Comment here. Then send me an email (lpadberg@sbcglobal.net) with your email address and I'll send you the image. Someone? Anyone want it? It's super cute...really....

Paper Ink Color

I got this new image from Paper Ink Color. I used the sketch and theme from the Digi Doodles Challenge which is spring. I thought this watering can full of flowers was very springY!