Surprise Betty Hop - For Our Fabulous Betty Boo!!

We are so lucky to have such a great mentor, creator, artist and friend in Betty.  Those of us who are lucky enough to be on her teams are so grateful for her beautiful art, humorous and whimsical creations as well as her wonderful cheery, sweet and genuine attitude and nature.  Halloween is one of Betty's very favorite holidays so we decided to make cards in her honor to celebrate how much our dear Betty means to us!!!  And you'll be hop, hop, hopping along to tons of gorgeousness!!!

I decided to use a few of Jude's Shenanigan crew to rock out a card in Betty's honor!

I started with a 6X6 card base in bright yellow.  I distressed the edges with Tim Holtz distressing ink in Orange Marmalade.  I recently purchased a great and adorable mat stack of all Halloween paper from K&Company.  It's super cute and relatively sweet.  Not my normal dark and gothy style ;)

I used a 5.75x5.75 square of black spiderweb paper as my next layer followed by my NEW OUCHLESS cardboard from Gauche Alchemy!!!  heehehehehe...It was my first and MOST DEFINITELY not my last order!!  It's awesome as are the rest of the delicious goodies I received from them.

Anyhoo...my cardboard layered next.  I'd spent the morning coloring Jude's entire crew with both my Copics and Prismacolor markers as well as my Prismacolor pencils.  I trimmed them all out not sure which ones I was going to use on the card.  My next layer was simple white cardstock also edge distressed with the same Tim Holtz ink.

The black sparkly paper is from a Martha Stewart border punch pack.  I trimmed a strip to add to the edge of my white stock as well as underneath the layer of cardboard.  Underneath the ouchless cardboard are 3 squares measuring 2x2 each.  Two are black glitter paper and 2 one is green DP with white polkadots.  Under that is a strip of what you can't tell is purple, white and black cute skeleton paper punched out with my apron lace punch.  I then added a strip of 1/4" black SU! grosgrain ribbon tied in a small, neat knot on the left side.

I added Franken-Jude and Witch Lizzie to the exterior of my card.  My sentiment "Monster Bash..." is added with letter stickers.

My interior is covered with a very light grey cardstock, the same spiderweb and glitter papers that I used on the front.  And I used Skeleton Peter as my interior image. 

I hope you enjoy and are inspired by our entire teams celebration of these fabulous images Halloween and others as well as our celebration of our fabulous Betty!!

Thank you for being you Betty!!!

Here's the FABULOUSLY TALENTED hop list!!  Please be sure to leave lots of love!!!

 Eulanda

Cheri

Gloria

Nicole

Debbie

Patricia

Linda

Nancy

Catherine

Meredith  (here)

Angela

Lisa

Kim

Barb

Alicia

Jennifer

Lady B

Suzi
Tracey

Crafty Hugs!!

September Bombshell Blog Hop - Travels, Passports, Exotic Locations

Hello Everyone!!  Ms. September here with you for a FANTASTIC blog hop!!!  I'm SOOOOOOOO excited to show off my project but first you should have come to me via the ever fantastic Kelli!  If not you should have started here at Kas' gorgeous blog to see her creation to start out this amazing hop!!!

Without further ado...our theme today was as such:

"September – Back to School, Time For Geography.

Kids with their new colored pencils and cute backpacks remind me of how much I miss school….NOT.
But it did inspire this month’s blog hop. Please remember, if you can tie it into the theme…GREAT.
The theme for this month is Geography: Travel, foreign lands, exotic colors.
Maybe show us how your Bombshell would look if she came from an exotic land.
Maybe she would be traveling by motorcycle, or perhaps she would be a pilot.
She could even be a pirate avoiding scurvy and looking for an exotic date???"

Here is what you could win!!!

Now...onto my project.  I thought and thought and thought about this one.  I recently grabbed a whole bunch of designer paper from Gartner Studios brand using the Bon Voyage collection.  It could not have been more perfect!!!

 I measured my actual passport size and shape and made a passport from those dimensions.  I purchased the Bombshell Digi Business Set as I wanted my Bombshell Angel to look super snazzy as she traveled through each destination in each gorgeous outfit!!

The cover of my passport uses a multitude of mediums.  Designer paper, chipboard, ribbon, the 'No Regrets' stamp from the Girl's Ruin set, some stickers from a little, wooden train set that my son never used, and my corner rounder. 

I used navy blue cardstock for my passport cover and a slice of PTI white cardstock for the interior pages.  Using my sewing machine (after I had my pages done...just in case) I stitched a line down the middle of the book to bind it.


My first page has Bombshell Angel all dressed up in Moscow!!  I used a few different designer papers to paper piece together her gorgeous outfits.  She is colored with my Copic and Prismacolor markers.  The faux stamp is from some of the designer paper - same line as mentioned before, the steam express sticker is from my son and the rhinestones are from GA.

My second page Angel is dressed in a gorgeous, tan and white pinstripe pencil skirt with a grey embossed caped top.  Her background paper is stamps from all over the world, her embellishments include a TWA drink stirrer and a 20 cent ticket to Indiana also from GA.  Perhaps she's headed home?  =)

My third page Angel is dressed more casually in grey slacks and a gorgeous purple, sleeveless ruffle blouse.  Perfect for Rome or Puerto Rico!!  Wherever she may be coming or going!  Her embellishments include 2 simple faux stamps and a green stone from GA.  

I covered the stitching in the middle with some gorgeous, soft, angora fiber as an added texture touch.

My last passport page is Robert Frost's poem - The Road Less Traveled.  It's always been one of my favorites and I thought it fitting especially for the theme but also that this is the end of my AMAZING month as Ms. September.

I have enjoyed EVERY creation that I have done but more importantly, every creation that you have all done based on my Rise to the Occasion theme!!  Thank you for playing along, supporting me and having fun!!


Thank you to Shannon and the FABULOUS ladies on the Bombshell Design Team for being so helpful, kind, fun and supportive!!


I can't wait to see what the future guest designers have in store for us!!!  


Now...please keep on a hoppin' to the ever amazing Alaine's blog to soak up her delicious design!!!


It's been a wild ride!!  Have fun!!!


Crafty Hugs!!


Ms. September

Smeared Ink Design Team Blog Hop

Greetings Everyone!!

I'm so happy to be here with you for the last team hop of this term.  I've been BLESSED to work with amazing women for the past 6 months.  Tori and Terra are so generous, supportive and inspiring as artists, women and business owners.

The theme for today's hop as to use 3 different Smeared Ink stamps on our project.  I managed to use two from the Nymphs set and one from my Carnies set.

I started with a 5.5" x 5.5" card in hot orange.  My next layer is faux graph paper from a DCWV mat stack.  (I love this stuff!!!)

I stamped my Tree Nymph in Momento Tuxedo black in onto PTI White Cardstock.  I colored her with my Copic and Prismacolor markers as well as my clear sparkly Sakura Gel pen. I figured out her placement and then decided to do a strip of blue cardstock behind her with my sentiment from the Carnies set "Come One, Come All."  Behind my Nymph and on top of the blue cardstock I tied an olive 1/4" grograin ribbon in a small, neat bow.

I had a whole bunch of ideas for the left hand side.  I tried them over and over and over in different combinations and none of them struck me.  You know how that happens...so...I was poking through this pack that I purchased from Gauche Alchemy (my first order ever!!!)

  I pulled out some delicate green paper, the sparkly turquoise butterfly as well as the shiny leaves and made a little garden.  I used the paper to make flowers, of which I added a few others to to add some more depth using a few other scraps on my work table.  I used the butterfly and the leaf as the icing on the cake for the front of my card.

The last addition to the front of the card is a rub on flourish along the bottom.

My interior holds another SI stamp from the Nymphs set, the GORGEOUS Baroque style frame.  I stamped onto cream, sparkly cardstock in my Tim Holtz ink in Orange Marmalade.  The center is a rub on sentiment.

My final touch is from yet ANOTHER gorgeous GA pack that I purchased.  (just for good measure I ALSO got this one!!!)  hehehehe...once you start!!!  watch out!!

Anyway - from the wallpaper set I trimmed out these GORGEOUS flowers and added them to the bottom left as a bit of delicious scrumptiousness!!!

I hope you've enjoyed this card as much as I enjoyed creating it!!!

Please continue to hop your way along to the rest of my darling teammates and leave them lots of love!!!!

Alison
Kelli
Lady Brayton
Meredith
Danielle
Kathi
Black Dragon
Jean 


Crafty Hugs!
Meredith

Tiddly Inks Challenge #22 - Sketch Layout - #2

So y'all know that I'm a *little* obsessed with Tiddly Inks...it's ok...I'm cool with it ;)  I loved this weeks sketch so much that I put together another card for the challenge blog.

I was visiting my family in PA this weekend and had extra crafting time - only able to bring my folders with my digi images, markers, cardstock/DP and embellishments I had time to make just cards.  

I used the Thank You image which I've been DYING to use!!  I seriously have had it printed on my desk for WEEKS now all colored and ready to go.  Since I'm a die hard yoga girl I love to use this girl to represent what "namaste" means to me.  And I specifically chose butterflies to compliment her and her gorgeous and simple wings.

I started with a cream cardstock base measuring 5.5 x 5.5.  I then chose a piece of pink SU! textured cardstock as my next layer.  Both layers are edged in chocolate brown chalk ink.  Thank you is colored with my Copics, trimmed out and embellished with sheer pink ribbon for her hair bows.  She is added to the card with 3-D foam adhesive. 

I then chose two small and simple strips of pink ric rac from my local fabric store as the bottom left hand embellishment.

My right hand side has a tag that a fab member and friend of mine from another Design Team had sent me and it snuggled in so perfectly in the space that it was as it was meant to go there.  It already had the champagne ribbon tied to it.  It was already slightly crumpled, giving it a vintage vibe.  I was going to iron it but I really liked the feel that it lended to the entire aura of the card so I left it as it was.  I then trimmed out two chocolate and ivory butterflies out of this gorgeous designer paper that I picked up the other day.

I chalk inked up the edges and colored in the insides of the butterflies and added them as my right hand embellishments.

For my interior, I used said butterfly paper, a scrap of the pink cardstock and the "Life Is Good" from this Tiddly Inks Sentiment pack - Handwritten Notes. 

That's the wonderful things about sketches....you can take them literally as I did on my first entry here, or you can take them and add a twist totally making it your own. 

Please come join us and play along at the awesome Tiddly Inks challenge blog!!!

Crafty Hugs!!!

12 Days of Halloween!! Betty Boo Style!!!!

Around here we don't celebrate the 12 days of Christmas... we give it the old Betty Halloween twist!
Starting October 1st we will be holding 12... that right 12 additional challenges for one amazing Prize at the end of our 12 day celebration!  

Each day I will have a different prize, you will have one day to enter each challenge.  Now here is the twist... it will be Reality TV style!  In the first challenge we will eliminate all but 12 participants to enter into the next round.  The second challenge all but 10 will be eliminated... and so on and so on, until only one person remains.  That one person will get one amazing prize!!

Each day the prize will grow, I will be adding lots and lots of goodies, from rubber stamps, to papers, to Embellishments!  All I have to say is that this will be one mother load of a prize!!!  Betcha can't wait to see what goodies you will get, eh?  

Check back HERE on October 1st to get started... and please please spread the word!  

Crafty Hugs!

31 Days of Halloween over at the Smeared and Smudged Forum!!!! YAHHHHHOOOO!!

Welcome to the biggest, baddest, creepiest Halloween stamping event on the web!
(Or at least we'd like to think so!)

31 Days of Halloween started last year with two like-minded stampers, myself and Kelli, who vowed to make and share one Halloween or Day of The Dead stamped project for each day in October. We had a huge response from others who enjoyed it just as much as we did. So this year, we are going even bigger!

We'd like to invite YOU to join in this year and participate in our 31 Days of Halloween month-long event. We're offering up some cool prizes at the end, and know that you'll have a blast! How can you do this, you ask? Well, there are a couple of ways to participate this year, and below you find all the details.


31 Days Of Halloween Wicked Blog Participant
What You Have To Do: Commit to making and displaying one stamped project on your blog for each day in October. To commit, add your name and blog address in a comment under this post.
The Rules: The project must handmade by you and be posted by 9:00 am Pacific Time every day. The project must be stamped, with either a rubber stamp or digi stamp used somewhere, and must be either Halloween or Day of the Dead themed. The project cannot be ALL digital, such as a digi scrapbook page, but can use digital elements in the overall project. To qualify for the prize drawing at the end of the month, you must post a project EVERY DAY in October. If you miss a day, you will still qualify to receive a survival button, but will not qualify for the prize drawing.
31 Days of Halloween Horrifying Hopper
What You Have To Do:Hop through each of the Wicked Blogs that are participating and leave a comment on each project.
The Rules:You must leave a comment on EACH participating blog every day to qualify for the prize drawing. Your comment should be about the project or something related (ie-no "Here's my comment for today" or "I'm here!"...these types of comments won't count!) If you miss a day or a blog, you will still qualify to receive a survival button, but will not qualify for the prize drawing.
31 Days of Halloween Sinister Lurker
What You Have To Do:If you can't comment every day on every blog , you will still have the chance to win some Lurker prizes! We will be hiding scavenger hunt pictures randomly throughout the month on various participating blogs...if you find one on any given day, you will be put in for that day's freebie drawing. It may be a coupon, a free digi, or a Halloween goodie, who knows!
The Rules: Scavenger Items will be hidden randomly, and are not guaranteed to be available every day. You will have to visit blogs to find them. If you find one, you will email and let us know exactly where it was and your name will go into that scavenger item's drawing. Each person who finds the "hidden" picture will get one entry. Bloggers are able to participate and find scavenger pictures as well, unless it is hidden on their own blog.


So, I know you are now asking yourself "What Prize Drawing is she talking about?" We are offering up a glorious concoction of 31 Days goodies as both participant prizes and to go into the drawing at the end of the month. First, I'll explain the participant prizes.
When you sign up to be a Wicked Blog Participant, you will receive a special blog button to display in your sidebar during the 31 Days. It will have a name list of all the other wicked participants, so you'll have a one-stop hub for all your visitors!
At the end of the month, you will also receive a participant "Survivor" blog button for you to proudly display all the time, showing everyone that you have what it takes to survive this grueling fest!

Horrifying Hoppers and Sinister Lurkers will also have the option of picking up a "Survivor" button at the end of the month, and will be able to grab a general 31 Days button from the S&S blog anytime during the month to let others know about it too.
Scavenger Prizes will be chosen randomly throughout the month and posted that day on the S&S blog.

Now, what you all have been waiting for, the prize drawing! Take a lookie...

Each person who successfully completes the 31 Days as either a Wicked Blog Participant or a Horrifying Hopper will receive one entry toward the prize drawing. If you successfully complete both, you will receive two entries. (Meaning if you are a Wicked Blog Participant and you comment on every blog every day, you have successfully completed both)
We can't wait to share 31 Days of Halloween with you this year, and hope you enjoy it as much as we know we will! If you'd like to be on our Wicked Blog List, sign up below by September 28; all Wicked Blogs Participants will receive a link to grab their button and participant list on Sept 29. Hoppers, Lurkers, and those who just want to check out the fun, start out on the S&S Blog on October 1st! Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!



Come check it out!!!


CRAFTY and SPOOKY HUGS!
Meredith

Simply Betty Stamps - Challenge #2!!

Greetings Everyone!!  I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited to be here with you for this week's Simply Betty Stamps Challenge #2!!!

This week's challenge is to create a Halloween card using NON-TRADITIONAL colors.  Dispense with your purples, blacks, oranges and greens and rock red, pink, yellow, mauve...wherever your creative drive and heart take you!!!

Today I too great pleasure in working with Pumpkin London.  I started with her first.  I printed her out in digi form and colored her with my Copics and Prismacolor pencils.  I then printed her out again on sassy pink leopard print paper and paper pieced her dress!  I made her pumpkin face and lil' pumpkin pal yellow and sparkled her up with hot pink glitter for her eyes and shoes.  Her hair is dark brown in front and light, bubblegum pink in the back!!  (sort of like my hair sometimes!!)

I trimmed her out and set her aside. My card base is chocolate brown card stock followed by a layer of the same pink leopard paper.  I used yellow thread in all of my stitching so pull in the yellow from London.  I stitched my first layer to my card base.  I then chose a super cute pink, cherry paper that I trimmed up and backed with the same chocolate brown, also stitched with yellow thread.

My left hand panel is SU! Close to Cocoa and PTI designer paper, stitched together with a super cool wavy stitch in yellow.  I then matted my glittery, chipboard letters spelling out 'BOO' to this panel.  I took a bare chipboard bracket, spray painted it a shimmery copper and set it aside to dry.

My last touch was the scrunched ribbon technique that I learned from my friend Joanne B.  You can see the tutorial for this if you click on her name.

I TRULY love how this entire card came together once I pieced it all together.  I hope you are inspired and will play along!!!  Please don't forget to hit the shoppe that has all of the fabulous new images in it in rubber as well as digi. 

Please check out my fellow SBS Challenge sisters for further inspiration!!  They do NOT disappoint!!!  =)

Crafty Hugs!!