DDD: Making Memories, Celebrating Moments

I'm late....I'm late.....for a very important date!!!! :o(
Yikessss....who was that poor mortal soul that said : 'later is better than never?!!!'
I am definetley using that phrase today!....*grin*

For this dueling month, our (Dazzlers) fearless leader ,Jeanette, sent us a kit packed with so many
interesting treasures with some fun, humorous images to boot! *Lovveee the kit!* ♥
   *Thanks sooo much Jeanette,for providing such amazing creative yumminess!*

The theme chosen by  Jeanette and Kelly ( the DIVA's leader) for this month, is:
Making Memories, Celebrating Moments....
PERFECT, right????  ♥
 I loveeee these fun
Art Impressions Ladies...such a great image to work with! It just makes you smile, no matter what!;o)
 

 This is what we Dazzlers received :
Image/Sentiment: Art Impressions "Picture Perfect"
Designer Papers: Little Yellow Bicycle "Escape" (small camera), Hampton Art "Flashback Viewfinder" (large camera), and Hampton Art "Flashback Timeline" (stripe)
Embellishments: Kathy Davis Designs - adhesive pearls, KI Memories - rhinestones, Me & My Big Ideas - Mambi Stick (camera), 
Michael's ribbon and ribbon paper clip, Recollections - photo frames, Recollections - washi tape, and a clear adhesive circle
Image was colored w/Copics and SU Markers combo.


One of the things we were asked is to include a memory of some special 'Kodak moments' in our lives...well...first of all..I am a confessed addicted 'klikker' -meaning that my camera is almost always with me. *wink*
I loveeee to take shot of everything and everyone in my path...lol ...I am a proud memory-maker...♥
A recent great memory I have, was the time spent in Seattle ,last April, where I was surprised speechless by a couple of amazing gals. ♥  
You can read about it and ,of course, see some picts of that week end here:

http://paola-sama.blogspot.ca/2013/04/made-in-seattle.html

My next memory in the making is fast approaching , as I am soooo looking forward to my oldest granddaughter 1st Holy Communion on June 2nd...Can't wait to immortalize such very special day! 

                         ♥   Thank YOU for stopping by....

wishing you all a wonderful and blessed  week end! ♥

btw, if any of you like Mo Manning's style, here something I added recently: 

http://www.paola-sama.blogspot.ca/2013/05/a-tribute-to-mo.html

A Tribute To Maurie MANNING ♥

                 Hello darling visiting  Peeps,

I recently created this card with the very vague intention to enter it for a contest....a veryyy special contest....one that a multitude of people would consider themselves lucky to enter...and for some elected few to win the ultimate 'prize'! Can you actually believe it that I, little 'ol me, even CONSIDERED, albeit for a few minutes suspended in time , to enter such sought after contest :

 MO's DREAM TEAM CONTEST !

 http://mosdt.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/mos-digital-pencil-dt-call.html

 With these thoughts floating in my mind , and with too much time in my hands lately, hence the surfacing of boredom , I decided to at least start with chosing an image....but WHICH ONE? 

You see I love ALLLLLL Mo's gorgeosly detailed immies....therefore chosing just one was not that easy....The title did help: 'Love Ya' !

Simple....right to the heart....a lovely message of infinite caring.....two lil words that ,sometimes, are

taken often for granted......'Love Ya'!......says it all.

Image chosen and colored and card starting to take shape on its own with the help of some cool designer papers and embossing folder....a touch here, a tuck there et voila'....it is done.

Then comes the time to actually fotograph the card, upoload it to the computer and check how much time there is left before 'THE' contest closes its doors for this time around.

Lucky meeee...I still had a good 20-30 mnts to decide before crunch time!! Then, boom....'what was I thinking?' duh!  :(

Too many uber talented, and better equipped gals to to do this....

At the eleventh hr, I did absolutley nothing.....did not sent in my picture for a thrilling opportunity to become one of Mo's Dream Team Gals.....

I need more time to help clear my mind....

and I'll accept that -once and for all- when opportunity knock at your door...do not hide away...but go forward and enjoy the ride....no matter what IT may be!......♥

 As my second annual Exclusive Mo Manning full cards swap on SCS is winding down, 
see here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/cards-f107/closed-reciving-*mo-manning-cards-swap*-exclusive-original-due-may-13-2013-a-t567616.html

I'd like to thank Mo for her wonderful caring and support of my swap that I created with her name (and her permission too)...I wanted to thank her for her generosity and kind heart....but most of all I wanted to thank Maurie for the friendship that blossomed via  the exchanges of several mails, when ideas and changes were made together.... I know I have a friend in her.....*LOVE YA, MO *
            ** THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU!!!  ** GOD'S BLESS!!**


*To view Mo's beautiful cards' swap album please go here:

 http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=24324

Mystery Revealed - May 2013-

 Well...well..well...it's been a while folks!
I have sooo many cards created for swaps and other occasions and ready to upload to my blog yet....kind of a never ending task if you were to ask me...lol...Time truly takes you for a spin....
that you'll never get it back....
Lots has been happening lately in my life .... I won't bore you with major details....suffice to say that I am recuperating now after having surgery last Wed. All went ok per se.......except post surgery problems that needed strict medical attention and kept me under the vigilant eye of a wonderful medical team.....because of that, I was kept in  Critical Recovery Area and not released until the day after....
Now I am taking it quite easy , as the wonderful prescribed 'cocktail mix' of steroids, penicillin and codeine have quite an effect on my poor 'ol bod'....dizziness being the major one of three... but hey...I am here...chillaxing and relaxing now...and that's all that matter. ♥

Let's get to the card....this cute image was sent by Melina, this month hostess for the mystery Image swap. Such cute, adorable lil mouse and I just knew how I wanted to display it...

You see.....a  few days ago I came across this lovely card on SCS :

 http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2370156

I immediatley loved it and tucked it into my favorites...soooo simple yet so elegant and with flair too....I thought that the mouse could easily be well showcased as taking a lil stroll amongst a fiels of flowers....et voila'....said and done...hence my take....♥

Depending on how the flowers were positioned ,Mousie takes either a right or left side.....lol....

Can someone please tell me what is the proper name of this tecnique please? (I used several markers to color each and every part of the rubber stamp to produce an individual background ...can't remember what's called...dang.) Love love loveee this particular SU stamp too! The sentiment...(see inside below) is also  from SU but I do not know its name...*sigh*
(old set of 8 funky sentiments from 1997)

  I hope you like my card interpretation for this swap....I know I really enjoyed creating it and getting the lil 'scene' I aimed for...

♥ ♥   GOD BLESS TO ALL 

AND THANK YOU

FOR YOUR MUCH 

APPRECIATED VISIT!   ♥ ♥

♥ Deets:

Image Received : 
 MFT-My Favorite Things Blessed Mouse
Stamps :  Inspired By Nature (SU) ,
                    + unknown sentiment (SU)
Ink : Old Olive , Kiwii Kiss (grass) ; 
                  Copics and SU Markers
Accessories : 'Textile' EF, oval nesties, 
punches, ribbon from Micheal, stickles, 
circle punches, butterfly punch, jillibean soup d/p
(for the butterfly)  
 
   {The pictures, unfortunatley, doesn't show how truly sparkly the lil flowers and the head flower are....}

FOUR cards, ONE tecnique...

*Click on each picture if you wish to enlarge*

                          ♥ Hello Gals... 
lately, I just seem to find it harder and harder to keep up with everything
'extra', including this blog....have so many cards made from a while ago that
I haven't even posted...not even sure if I can catch up...
At least, these one are not that tardy....just a few weeks....lol

  In fact, about three wks ago, I was the hostess on 'You Can Do It' challenge
and introduced the partecipants to the : 'Straw Blowing Tecnique'
known also as 'Blow Art'.  Most of the gals have

never heard of this tecnique,,,,it is really a FUN one to try too!

Unfortunatley, I couldn't find anything on SCS
tutorials, but did find a few you tube videos that I can share with you lovely peeps ;o)

This tecnique is so much fun and all you need are: a straw, reinkers,
glossy card stock and a paper towel for wiping.
Once your c/s is dry , please use a SILHOUETTE stamp
to enhance your beautifully created background....
Here are the tutorial links for you to peruse.
(btw: I followed Frenchie's instructions for my straw tecnique card)

......HAVE FUN BLOWING....

Straw Blowing Technique using Reinkers - YouTube

Straw Blowing background frenchiestamps.com - YouTube

The Straw Technique for Beautiful Backgrounds - YouTube

As you can see here,  I made 4 background samples to show you, 

all using the Straw Tecnique explained above  
With each panel, I completed four unique cards ....  
I sure hope you'll try this tecnique. sometimes..
I know you'll love it too!! ♥

                                         

This above was my very first attempt at 

a straw blowing card 'put together'.... 

followed by the lovely geisha, 

then the four girlfriends and, lastly

I ended it with the 'rainy' card I chose to showcase at the top....

Stamps used in each card:

*Million Dollar Moment (SU)
*Priceless (SU)
*Dream Garden (SU)
*Hey Girlfriend # IB-Cosmo-72 
(Unity Stamp)

 THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT!!!

♥~~~  BLESSINGS TO ALL~~~♥

---

One Card, Three Purposes...

  

                                  Hello everyone and welcome to 
                   the Calendar Girls' monthly Challenge!!:o) 
     
                                ~~* Who are the Calendar Girls? *~~
                            If You are a new reader to my blog you may want to read here first  :
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/blogging-groups-f290/calendar-girls-blog-group-full-10-members-t512917.html

My dahlin stamping friend Carol (known as  momcgw on SCS) is the awesome hostess for the month of April and  she encouraged the rest of us with the following challenge
(see here below in her own words) :

 APRIL 2013 CHALLENGE
As the saying goes April showers bring May flowers....

To me April showers clean the earth of its worn out snow, dust and dirt along with nurturing new seeds and life to our surroundings (gardens, yards, trees, etc). It also, to me signals new beginnings....so for this month I would like for you to create a card that does just that...it could be a wedding card, a baby card, even a New Years card...OR it could be a card that uses something worn out or pre-used and develop a new use for it...ex: mesh bag from fruit...used once to hold fruit: new beginning...used on the card...repurposed.. I know all of you are very talented crafters and I can hardly wait to see what you come up with...

Have fun with this challenge...
((hugs)) Carol



This ia a THREE in ONE kind of card for me :
1) I desperatley needed a baby boy card for a sweet lil boy who's now already 3 months old...yikes...hence my 'new beginning' choice...
2) I followed the sketch to my left, as part of  the 'You Can Do It Challenge16' , which I partecipated in...
3) Last but certainly NOT least, it is made with this month's CG challenge in mind....
3 fer 1! ;o) *grin* 
For this card I also re purposed the back of a baby shower's invite (see colorful footsies background) plus, the lime green and yellow c/s are from my scraps bin....:/

  This is the finished inside .....
unfortunatly photo tuned up blurry...;o(

Sponged the circled nestie w/ sentiment.....

 ♥ Great Challenge Carol...Thanks!♥

Here's a View from the top: )

 

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!.....I really appreciate your visits and your comments ♥

BLESSINGS TO ALL!!

Deets:
Stamps: 'Baby First' (SU 2000)  &  'Short and Sweet' (sentiment inside)
Ink: Memento, Luscious Lime,Summer Sun, Cool Caribbean
Accessories: Basic Grey Buttons, gingham green ribbon, gingham light blue
Tecnique: sponging////Colored with Copics

DDD- April duel

Hello Everyone in Blogland! :o)

It is the 15th of the month and that mean it's another darlings duel!

Our hostesses for this month are Darlene (for us Dazzlers) and Tami (for the Divas)

Since April is National Gardening Month, our hostesses decided to challeng 

us with a floral themed kit...

 ....and look how full of  this kit is!
Darlene sent us Dazzlers a wonderful kit full of paper goodness and an array of assorted accessories...
There is so much stuff in it and I have so much leftover after creating
my card for the duel...wow...
Will definetly use more of the sweet images included as well...
♥ THANK YOU SO MUCH DARLENE ♥ *muwahhh* :o)

 Darlene's kit contained the following:

 Image:  SU's Sweet Seasons (2004) stamped with Tuxedo Black on Conqueror Diamond White CS
Papers:  SEI's Field Notes pack
Doilies , Bakers twine from Can You Digi It?
Glitter brads from SU
Dragonfly Brad from Creative Impressions
Fabric Alpha Tabs from Letter Press
Adhesive gems from K & Company
assorted banner etc. labels from Martha Stewart , Green leaf tags: unknown
non adhesive little gemstones by Paper Studio , Mini clothespins from A Muse
lacey ribbon from local sewing store
oh...and she also added a couple
letter with our name's initials...♥

 On my part I added the following:
*Soft Suede & Pretty in Pink card stock
*Ink- Soft Suede
*Image is colored with Copics
*Accessories: Nesties Label Eleven, glue dots,dimentionals, assrt. punches
*Sentiment: 'Say It With Flowers' by
Crafty Clear Stamps 

*As I am typing this ,I  just realized that I forgot to use the pretty dragonfly brad on my card... :o(
I will definetly add it...somewhere!

Thanks for stopping by, I'm

wishing ya all a blessed new week...

Paola

Please take time to visit all the other Darlings' beautiful paper creations-

Here are the links to their wonderful blogs:

DAZZLERS :
Melina
Debbie
Terry
Paola (that's me!)
April
Darlene
Jeanette


DIVAS :
Kelly
Carol
Barb
LJ
Judy
Kadie
 Tami

 

 

Made in Seattle ♥

Hello my friendly Peeps...

Being the 10th of the month it is time to reveal the latest mystery #  7 of the Unidentified Images Swap ,on SCS. We are a *closed* swap group that -every other month- create cards using the same images sent to us by the pre selected hostess. Part of the mystery is NOT to reveal ANYTHING at all until the day we can post, which is the 10th of every other month. The 'suspense' makes it FUN :o)

This round was hosted by my good friend Carol, whom I was sooo veryyy blessed to meet in real life last week end in Seattle...a TOTALLY UNEXPECTED AWSOME SURPRISE orchestrated by my very sweet and kind friend Kadie - check her wonderful blog here:

http://mymindseyecreations.blogspot.ca/

Carol sent us all partecipants these adorably sweet images from :
  Clear Art Stamps  - A  Couple of Cuties
Once Carol is ready to swap out all of the cards she received, she will include the images
for next round which are provided by next hostess...and guess what? It's MY turn to host next round! ♥

Card deets:                                                           

Card Stock: white,lavander
Designer Paper:'Sparkling SPring' by Prima Mrkt.
Colored by Copics
Accessories: Spellbinders, heart doily, buttons, gingham ribbons, vintage rosettes, stickles, glue dots, dimentionals, sukura pen.

I really like these cutie patooties dancing partners ,and had in mind to create shabby-shick cards...however my mojo is been totally non-existant as of late and could not, for the life of me, get these cards started...I knew how I wanted them to look but couldn't apply my 'vision'....hence Kadie came to my rescue with a gentle nudge...while Carol (bless her heart!) helped out and stamped ALL of the images for next round,for me.
I have the BESTEST of friends! ♥

Here's just a few pictures of  our Seattle girls' week-end encounter...to the right we are in front of the original Starbucks Cafe' ...the crowd 
there was insane! You could hardly walk inside 
the door! Starbucks opened its first store in 1971 in the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  Because the Market is a historic district with design guidelines, the store retains its original look.

Above, we are at the top of the Space Needle, the most known landmark in downtown Seattle...

Even though the weather was capricious at best, we all had the time of our life....LOTS of laughter

and giggles for sure!♥  Below is a quick shot I took of one of the gorgeous outlines where the sea meets the sky...and below a wonderful palette of vibrant colors...what a sight for the eyes!

The tulips at Pike's Market are so incredible!! A true festivity of rainbows!! ♥

Hope you enjoyed both the cards, and the extra pictures too....

If I could...I sure would rewind the clock back to last Friday....in a heart beat!

Thank YOU so much Kadie and Carol for such cherished time together!

♥ BLESSINGS TO ALL and THANKS for visiting ♥

Calendar Girls: 'use what'cha got'...

Hello everyone...

dang I am two days late for submitting this card for the Calendar Girls' challenge :/

I actually had the wet embossing part all done but then I took sick...and still am feeling bleahhhh

with chills and fever! Yikes...definetly not the Easter Holiday Celebration I was looking for...*sigh*

I wanted this card done and blogged today as tomorrow we start a new month AND it is Easter Sunday ,when every Christians celebrate our Lord  Resurrection! *Praise HIM*

Anyways, here below is the challenge proposed to all of us CG by Miss March 

- the uber wonderful Miss Tami -  in her own words:

 " MARCH 2013 CHALLENGE
Um, I hope I do not hurt anyone's feelings here but we are all a little bit of paper hoarders!!!
Well, we are going to have to give up the security blanket for March. I would like to see your best created card with NO designer paper. *gasp*.....*thud* {I think J just hit the floor}.
So go ahead and grab your 'old school stamps' - yep, like a set you have not used in years - and create a card for the Calendar Girls.
Oh, and let's try to keep in theme with 'use what'cha got', please no new purchases for this round. Use what'cha got...well, everything but designer paper that is!
I cannot wait to see what my friends come up with. It is always something to look forward to

 Miss March: Tami! "

First of all...I loved this challenge...thank you TAMI for proposing it...♥

 For my card I used the SU! Medallion as the main background and had it white embossed and sponged with SU inks in pastel colors. Then sponged the rest of very vanilla c/s in Apricot Appeal.

I also used the set you see here (the sentiment too is part of that set and is missing from pict.as I forgot to included) I have NO idea what the name of this older SU!set is. I had it for years and years and finally inked it today for the first time....yikes....I really SHOULD use what I've got and not be distracted by new stamping staff....really hard to do!!! I love this challenge so much, that I think it should be done regularly! The hardest part was not using any d/p in my project, but the tecnique used here easily provided a pop of color...and I am all about color!♥

I hope you peeps like my contribution this month, sorry about the tardiness....and now I'm off under the covers yet again...but not before wishing a

VERY BLESSED EASTER CELEBRATION TO ALL OF YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES!!

 

Card Deets:
SU Stamps: Medallion and 'Unknown'
Card Stock: So Saffron, Cool Caribbean, Very Vanilla
Ink: Apricot Appeal,Cool Caribbean,Soft Sky,
Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Memento Black, Versamark
Image colored w/Copic
Accessories: blue mini diamonelle stickers, dimentionals
Tecnique: Versa Mark Emboss , Sponging,
Fussy cutting

Triple Stamping Tecnique

  

                                                 
                                     *Click on the image to enlarge, if you wish*

Hello my creative Friends ,

this is  a very quick post  of  a card I made last week for 'You Can Do It Challenge 10' . Vickie, the hostess for last week's theme, asked us to create cards using the Triple Stamping tecnique. Now, I have seen cards on line, made using this particular tecnique that creates a dimensional image by stamping over several layers, but I personally never ventured to try it before now...and let me tell you..I am hooked!!

Love ,loveeee, love this tecnique and will absolutley implement it again in my paper crafting . I gave mine a shabby shick vintage look,but not too overwhelming either, as I wanted the image to be the focus of this card.
I love this old set of SU stamps...and glad I dust it off and inked it again after such a long time. ♥

   

Check it here to see the tutorial provided by SCS : 

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/triplestamping/

If you have yet to try it....do consider giving it a whirl... I just know you'll love it too.

This cards will also be counted for my 100 cards in 100 days challenge :o)

♥ Have  a GREAT week end everyone....I know I will ♥

*Blessings To All*  

Card Deets: 

Stamps: Friendship Journey(SU2003) ; Florish (Fiskar) 

Ink: Memento Black, Baja Breeze - colored with Copics

Card Stock : Marigold Morning (SU)

Accessories: Prima flowers, faux pearl

Tecnique: Triple stamping ; sponging 

Fun Mystery swap *round 15*

Hello my darlin peeps in blogworld....

Guess what day it is today?....It is mystery reveal day and I am so happy to show you these two dynamo fun (and funny!) gals received from the wonderful hostess of this round: Carol.

I must admit that ,once I received these mystery images for this swap, I got bellyaches from laughing...how can anyone NOT??? ♥  eehehe...Selma and Gladys  (the funny ladies' name) are absolutley hilarious! Sooooo glad Carol sent them to all of us partecipants....

I hope they can bring a smile to YOU as well...:o)

 For my cards, I decided to give the lady on the right a hideous looking bathing suit in awful colors...lol... I bet no one could be caught dead wearing anything like THAT at the beach!! lol

For Selma, I kept it more subtle...but gave her ,instead, a hint of sparkles via the lavender frills in her bathing suit....I think she suits that...(she seems to be the 'sweeter' of the two!...lol)

                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                    

 Carol also sent us three different sentiments to use  with our cards ,if we so chose. 
I used two of them. I also added a lil stickles to the gals' earrings and Glady's flip flops as well as Selma ruffles. Their spectacles and lips were rendered shiny with a bit of Crystal effect and the background was sponged using a combo of Summer Sun and Marigold Morning (fom SU). The other accessories consisted of  a shells like edge on the side (at least its what I was attempting to do with what I had) and an horizontal wave to symbolize the sea. 
All d/p was from my 'good scrap' pile and the image was colored using Copics.
This sure was a fun card to make...I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed creating it ♥

THANK YOU CAROL  FOR  SUCH FUN CREATIVE TIME :o)

♥ GOD'S BLESSINGS TO ALL ♥

Wishig You Luck...

                 ~Hello Blogger Friends!
Today, being the 15th of the month, it's time for another duel between the Dazzlers and the Divas.
Our wonderful hostesses for this round, are April (for us Dazzlers) and Kadie (for the Divas).
April send us a supah 'green' kit to celebrate the  upcoming St.Patrick's Day. I especially wanted to horder the beautiful strip of shimmering paper she had icluded to...:o)

In April's own words here's the challenge for the month of March:

 " Hello Duelers!

What a great theme we have for you this month!
Being that we post on the 15th, we decided to go with the obvious, St. Patrick's Day! 
 Rather than wishing everyone luck, we would like you to somehow use the enclosed Celtic Blessing.
 We are indeed blessed to be part of this group!!
The kits are filled with things we hope you will enjoy using to bless another!
 Please, let us know of a recent RAK you have initiated or been the recipient of! "
                         

Items  from April's stash :
3 gold brads
Picture clips in white, black and brown
Kaiser paper flowers
Assorted ribbon
Paper: Heidi Grace Shimmer Foil Clover
Karen Foster Shamrocks
Lucky Limeade
Computer generated Celtic Blessing
MFT ala mode 'Wishing You Luck'

To the generous kit above, I added card stock for
the base and the mini yellow/beige primas -for a lil touch of color- I scrunched the flower to achieve a 
weathered look....The sweet image was colored with Copics and the green c/s background was dry embossed. 

 As far as the RAK portion of the challenge ,as recently as yesterday, I surprised a couple of my collegues with an unexpected 'tool' they can put to good use at work. On the receiving end, I was 
paid a visit both from one of our VP and from our Principal (separatley). I was
totally unprepared for the words of gratitude and thankfulness they both expressed as they see 'my' girls responding more and more to certain expectation...I know I am on the right path....I know we still will have plenty of 
bumps and hurdles ahead and that each and everyday there may be some new sort of struggle to deal with, but I also know that when a young 14 yo autistic girl stops everything she's doing because she felt compelled to tell me how grateful she feels for my support and for keeping her 'grounded' (her own words), I sensed she truly spoke from her heart....and I know  I experienced a blissful and blessed moment....   *  I truly {{{♥}}} my challeging job!  * 

Thanks for stopping by and visit, hope you like my
interpretation of April's challenge with her amazig kit ♥
Please take time to check the rest of the Dueling Gals blogs : 

DAZZLERS                                                            
Terry
April
Darlene
Paola (me)
Jeanette
Melina
Debbie

DIVAS
Judy
Kadie
Tami
Kelly
Carol
Barb
 LJ