WaterColor Joy

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Before I say anything else, I want to say that this was a very good month for me.  I won two challenges with two different cards and my third card was featured on "The Outlawz".  So what were the chances that I created three cards and all three end up being a winner.  Wow was all I could say and of course grin foolishly at the computer as I read I was a winner.

So now moving on to other topics.  We are so close to reaching the 300 followers and reaching our goal...just one more crafter has to like my blog and yipee it will be time for some blog candy.  But close isn't go enough so until my goal is reached I will keep on with the challenges and crafting. 

I've been playing with the new Ranger Distress Markers and just enjoying them to no end, even amongst my messes.  After doing my first sucessful card, I thought I was good to go but wouldn't you know that I could not repeat what I did on the first try.  Talk about being frustrated boy was I ever.  Anyway I just kept trying until I finally completed a card that I am not afraid to share with everyone.  It isn't the best card, but its okay for my purpose.

Well although this card I am going to share is one that I was pleased with, that is up until it was time to put it together.  So if you see some imperfections with the paper just know that it got wet while I was misting another project and I didn't see the curling paper until later.

I had fun coloring this card and discovering that I can still use my distress markers successfully (just to much practice time). 

The paper is MME and my coloring media as I already stated was Ranger Distress Markers.

I've got a close-up of my coloring so you can see that I am getting better.  I haven't perfected it yet but I am trying and will continue to try until ....well I don't know when I will stop trying.

Well at any rate here is a close-up of my coloring.  Now remember to leave me a comment and let me know what you think about my coloring...be gentle.

Well although this was a short post I do hope you found some joy in reading it. I hate to leave you but I have to start preparing my next challenge and getting my blog candy together just in case I reach my goal of followers.

I will see all of you later with a new post, a new challenge, new winners and hopefully some blog candy.  Whew, my eyes are getting heavy and my head is playing the yes game with my chair so I really must end here.

Remember "find beauty in all things and then go create your own."

Can You Believe I Won!!!

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Yippeeeee is the word today.  My CAS Sympathy card won runner-up at One Stitch At A Time (OSAAT) and I thought that was really cool. Well tonight will be a rather short post because I am really tired from working all day and then getting home later than usual doesn't help.  I delivered the anniversary card to my co-worker and she appeared to really like it. I was pleased that she was pleased.  Well nothing unusual happened today and the rain is still blessing my yard...thank you father! 

I finished my first card with the help of my gran and now I am finally finishing up the card I started on Sunday.  The theme is back to school so I should be able to find at least two challenges to enter them in.  Well here are my cards and I hope you like them.

My first card was made with Graphic 45 ABC Primer paper and I used the images that were embedded with the paper. I used Recollections cardstock to mat my DP and create the base.

On the inside I used the scraps as usual to complete my card and fuzzy cut the tag from one of the sheets.

This paper pack is one of my favorites and I think I may need to buy another pack.

For my second card I used Echo Park DP and Kraft for my mats. The base was from Recollections CS.  The image is a Stitchy Bear digi stamp that I colored with Copic markers.  I used a Spellbinders Picot Circle Die and fancy corner dies.  The sentiment was computer generated and cut out  using a Spellbinder fancy tag die.

As you can see the inside is merely leftovers from the front.  The neat thing about the 6x6 paper pads is you get two sheets of everything so you have one for the front and one for the inside.

Copic Markers used: E11, E13, E00, R39, R37, R35, E53, E57, E55, B24, B91, G24

Well that is all I have for tonight and I am truly going to bed.  Visit Robert Jackson Digital Expressions and join in the "Anything Goes" challenge there.  You can win lots of prizes to include digi stamps by Robert Jackson himself.

I am entering both of these cards in the challenge at One Stitch At A Time and one of them I am entering in the Greeting Card Challenge over At The Outlawz.



First Anniversary Card

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Hello all, hope you had a wonderful weekend.  My weekend was uneventful for the most part but there were a few events of interest. It was a 3-day weekend for me so that made my weekend even better (yipee!). I managed to get my hair taken care of, so as not to scare any more little babies at the grocery store and to eliminate all the stares.  Guess I should have kept my wig on...oh well, that wig just got to hot and since it was mine, I didn't think of what would happen if I  politely removed it from my head. Underneath the wig I did have my hair twisted so it wasn't a horrible sight at all, but it scared the dickens out of one little kid which disturbed the mother who stared at me with eyes of ice. I didn't respond to her stare...she looked younger and in better shape so I just prayed that her daughter would quit screaming.  I didn't kill anyone with my wig...I just took it off.

Anyway, I was enjoying the mornings without an alarm and the rush to shower and dress, let the dog out, put the food down and all the rest of a working morning. I didn't miss that routine at all.  Mother Nature cooperated this weekend by cooling the temperature with a few rounds of nice soothing and cooling rain.  Those beautiful drops of water falling from the sky were welcomed and appreciated after suffering the triple digit temperatures for a while now.

Our 100 store outlet mall opened this weekend and it was tax-free weekend as well here in Texas.  But trying to get to that mall was harder than trying to hide an elephant downtown.  Every highway was crowded and God forbid if you had anything going on in your vehicle because there was a policeman at every stop and turn.  Some folks love the thrill of the fight...its an adventure for them.  If my wallet had just a bit more green in it, I would have been out there with the rest of the bargain hunters, all for the deal of a discount.

During this wonderful weekend I had the opportunity to create an Anniversary card for a co-worker.  I tried to add a bit of elegance and flair and then afterward I decided to create a matching envelope.  I'll know tomorrow if she likes it, but I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts.

The CS and double-sided DP is by Anna Griffin.  I found one of her paper packs in my stash and it had the perfect pastel colors that I needed, so whoopee.

The bling and the flower is by recollections. I used a Cheery Lynn die to cut the doily and then inked the edges with tumbled glass distress ink.

In this photo you can see a snippet of the matching envelope I made.  I added a sentiment in the lower left corner of the envelope and on the inside I folded the paper so the coordinating pattern was visible on the opening flap.




The sentiment is computered generated and I picked up some chipboard stickers at Tuesday Morning that had numbers included.

I continued on the inside with the same paper and added a verse for my co-worker, while leaving room for a personal hand-written message.

Well that's my anniversary card and I can't wait to read your comments, so don't forget to give me your thoughts.

Quick Post

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NOTE:  Changes were made to this post to protect the innocent and those with vivid imaginations!

Today has been a day of hope and daydreams.  The Power Ball lottery is up to 320 million so talk about daydreams...wooowewewe.  What would I do...well with only one ticket the odds don't look that good but what the heck you can't win if you don't play so I think its okay to pay $2 on a dream.

This post will be shorter than normal because I am rather tired.  After working all day, I had to come home and convince my daughter-in-law to take the braids out of my hair when she left work at 9:00 pm, and that took about an hour.  Then into the shower I went to finish up with some hot water running through my hair, and that killed about 30 minutes.  Now I am sitting here in front of my computer wearing a nightie from the 1930s that has been cut to resemble a shirt (someone got happy with the scissors, so there's not much marterial left in my opinion) with the ugliest birds flying on it....where in the Sam Hill did I get this thing, and the bigger question is why did I keep it.  Who put this thing on me? (God I hope my webcam isn't on).  Did I mention that I am also talking to my BFF (Joyce on the phone) with a towel wrapped around my wet noggin as the water drips down my neck and face and I continue to stare at this screen.

Guess I should go and at least blow dry this mess before I get to tired, after all I am expected to go to work tomorrow.  Wonder what outfit I'm going to wear...I mean it has to match this hairstyle I'm fixin to whip up (surprise surprise).

In between everything that I did today I was still able to pull the winner for my mid-month challenge entry draw, so without holding you guys in suspense any further allow me to send a great big

CONGRATULATIONS TO

LISA S.  FOR HER ENTRY #8

YOU ARE THE WINNER OF A SATURATED CANARY DIGI IMAGE OF YOUR CHOICE

(please contact Mema usingthe "email me button" in the right sidebar or just email Lesia at lesia1707@att.net)

Remember you have until August 18th to claim your prize

Now that we've taken care of announcing our winner, I'd like to remind you that we will have another drawing on August 30th so hang around for a while.  Additionally, we might have a grab bag winner should I get 7 more followers so tell your friends to check out my blog and if they like it then join our team.

I never like to blog without sharing something so I am going to post a few scrapbook pages that I did a few months back.  I hope you enjoy them.

They look like sisters but they are actually cousins.  Go Figure.

This is my one of my girls (grans)

This photo is a glamour shot I had taken to celebrate reaching the big 50. 

My grand-daughter and name sake.  She is very versatile in her extracurricular activities.

Well my lovelies, it is now past 10 pm and that is not a good thing for me.  I should be snoring, slobbering, moaning, groaning or yelling at the dog to scoot over or something.  In other words I should be in the bed and close to meeting Mr. Sandman, so I am going to wish you all a good-night and and best wishes for a better tomorrow where ever you are.

Remember to find beauty in all things and then...take time to create your own.





August Challenge - Anything Goes With A Twist of Red

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Sorry for the delay in the post, but computer issues will happen regardless of the precautions we take. Today after sitting and waiting to have blood drawn, I went to compare flooring for my kitchen and of course I had to stop at all the local crafting stores but it is now 1:00 pm and I have made it home not to venture out again.  These triple digit temperatures are no joke here in Texas.  Now I have time to post a new monthly challenge. I wanted to keep the "anything goes" theme but perhaps this time with a twist...just a little one though.

Before we continue let me announce last month's winners once again:

Jen Leeflang, Kim, Lena Katrine and Alyce.

Congratulations Ladies! Be sure to grab your winner's badge from the sidebar and display it proudly on your blog.

Now onward we march.  I've decided that for August, the challenge is:

ANYTHING GOES WITH A TWIST OF RED!

This month our sponsor is Saturated Canary.

If you have not stopped by Krista's store to see her images...you should.  Krista is the artist and owner of Saturated Canary and she will be offering 2 digi images for this month's winners.

 

Here is a Little About Krista
(The following information is based on what I've read on some of Krista's sponsored blogs)

She is the artist behind the Etsy shop, Saturated Canary Digis. She entered the stamping world about a year ago when hired to create rubber designs for the sweet Scottish company, Sugar Nellie. They launched her artwork under the name 'Simply Sassy.' She eventually moved into the digital world and is loving it!  According to Krista herself and I quote;

 "There is a little more freedom here, as I can create anything that pops into my head:)! I am so humbled by the artistic talent of the girls coloring in my designs-- it is truly an inspiration! Likewise, I am so thankful for the friendships I've made in this wonderful and lovely crafty community! It's been a true delight! I'd love for you to stop by my challenge/inspiration blog, Saturated Canary Challenge and join in the fun!:)."

Thanks again Krista for sponsoring Mema's Crafts August Challenge!

There are several ways you could win this month's prize.

 

First: We will start this month's challenge with a random draw on the 15th (so enter early)

Second: We have another random draw at the end of the challenge on the 31st of August.

Third:  Another random draw if we reach 200 entries (so encourage others to enter)

Fourth: Use a Saturated Canary image and get counted twice (visit Krista and pick-up one of her freebies)

If you don't have a Saturated Canary, visit her blog and become a follower and then click here for the freebie "Canary Love" image (card with image shown below) or to see all her freebies click here.

Here are a few cards with just a twist of "RED" to help jumpstart your mojo

Image from Bugaboo-Lesia

Image By Robert Jackson-Lesia

Image By Saturated Canary "Canary Love"-Lesia

Hope this has gotten your mojo in gear and you're ready to create.  As for me and my girls we can't wait to see what you do. So come on "Take The Challenge"

The standard rules are located in the tab at the top.  Additional rules follow.

1. Please make sure that you link to the URL of your project, not your blog;

2. You may Enter THREE Projects and you can combine your entry with as many other challenges as allowed.

3. Don't forget to add a link back to our challenge on your blog.

4. New Entries Please! We consider new entries to be any project made after July 30th 2012.

6. If you haven't already,  join my group of lovely followers (required to claim a prize)

You do not need a blog to participate. Read the directions in the left sidebar to see how you can join the fun without a blog. You can use any image but.... if you use a Saturated Canary image, then that entry will be counted twice which means you can double your chances of winning up to 15 times.

Remember to find beauty in all things and then go create your own!  Can't wait to see your creations.  Have fun....its hot out here so I think I will take a nap.

 

Blog Candy Is Coming

Don't Forget: Sign In To Be Counted For The Top Follower Prize

Just seven (7) more followers and it will be time to give away some blog candy!  That means I will be having my standard monthly challenge and offer blog candy at the same time, and that means more ways to win.  Additionally, for anyone that missed it, in my right sidebar is a listing called Top 10 Followers.  Well at random points within the year I will perform a RAK to my number one follower so make sure you get on the list by signing in everytime you visit.  Only the top 10 will show on my gadget so you could be on the list but not in the top ten. Disregard my name...it won't go away..I tried.

Anyway, tomorrow I will use random generator to name my first draw winner. That winner will receive a Saturated Canary digi image of their choice.  But I will draw again at the end of the month.

This post is short because I wanted to enter this card in the challenge going on at One Stitch At A Time.  You know I order from Stitchy Bear quite often (when I have money) and never knew they referred to themselves as SBDS...shows what I am focused on when I am shopping for digis.  If you haven't visited them you should because you spend $7 and you get a ton of freebies and they are all very nice digi that you will use.  Well let me move forward with my card. Here it is inside and out.

CS: DCWV
DP: DCWV
Image: Stitchy Bear Ballerina Silohoutte
Marianne Flourish
Recollections Flower
Sentiment Fuzzy Cut from DCWV Paper
Inked all the edges
EK Success Border Punch
Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities

The inside was made from the scraps that was leftover.  The guitar was fuzzy cut from a piece of scrap and added to the collage I created for the inside of the card.

I generated the sentiment on my computer and then printed it on the paper before adding it to the card.

I am entering this card over at One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes challenge.  You get a chance to win more if you used one of their images and this ballerina was perfect.

Challenges For Me

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While getting over my recent bout with bronchitis I started making cards with different flavors to them hoping to enter them in challenges.  I managed to created a few that met some requirements so I am going to share them and go ahead and enter them.

My first card was the hardest for me because of what it represents. Sympathy cards are not my favorite kind of card, and its the hardest for me to decide on.  "Do I want it dark and subdue?" or should I not be so somber.  What will they think if I use white, is that too close to a wedding? What colors are allowed and which ones aren't acceptable? All these questions for one card and then when I do decide on what to do it takes me a while because I think about the representation and there's a sense of sadness to my card...so add flowers I tell myself...select a soothing color to offset the whiteness. 

Fortunately I had recently made a very similar card so I just followed that with some changes. After all that pondering this is what I decided on:

I am entering this card in the challenges: 

One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes
         
Perfect Sentiments - PSC44 Clean and Simple Sympathy

This Magnolia stamp has always been one of my favorites and now I get to use her. The papers are from a new MME 6x6 pad but I just can't remember which pad it was from.  Anyway I am entering this card in the following challenge:

One Stitch At A Time Challenge - Anything Goes

This card was based on a drawing my grand-daughter did while watching television. The tags actually can be inserted inside the vertical brown ban but because of the sketch challenge I am entering I had to re-arrange the tags and somehow fit them to the outside so it would fit the sketch.  I am entering this card in the following Sketch Challenge:

The Outlawz Sketch Challenge "SC080812"

Last but not least I finished my ocean card.  I colored the image with copic markers and stained the edges with Distress Inks.  I am entering this card in the following challenge:

Party Time Tuesday - By The Sea


BTW: There is a challenge or should I say blog candy giveaway over at "Doing Life" so make sure you check it out and enter for the prize drawing. Desire Fourie is a talented designer and I am sure you will like what you see on her site.


Well thats it for now.  I have to see if there are any other challenges my cards will fit while I work on one I hope to enter before its over.  I'm always missing out on challenges because I take to long to create the card.  Now I have four more cards that need a challenge!

Thank you for visiting me and I would love to hear from you, so leave your comments.

Hugsz
Mema

Paper Pad Addict

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Hello Artist and Crafters! Today after being told that I have bronchotis I went to pick up my prescription and while out decided to grab me a pack of watercolor paper. Well to make a long story short, Michael's had approximately 15 MME 6x6 paper packs! I couldn't believe this...Michaels had MME.  Of course I couldn't pass it up so I picked up a few packs and can't wait to create something.  After the excitement of finding all these paper pads it wasn't until I was almost home when I discovered that I didn't get the watercolor pad I had intended to get in the first place.

No problem I'll just run in Hobby Lobby and grab a pack..shouldn't take over 30 minutes max.  Well the plan back-fired when low and behold HL had new paper packs as well, both 12x12 and 6x6.  I had to get the Printery by Prima, I mean its only been a month of looking for it online and an extra pack by Teresa Collins couldn't hurt. If only I had stopped looking...well...HL had the new Bo Bunny in 12x12 packs so I knew I'd be back if I didn't go ahead and get them so guess what I did.

So now I am on my way home, without the water color pad I might add so Joanne's here I come.  I didn't even try to pretend..I went straight to the Art Dept and picked up my watercolor pad and a couple of other items and headed straight for the paper.  Nothing new, and this actually pleased me, so now I am standing in line ready for checkout and they announce ribbon and lace being 50% off.  I'm ready to cry because I am having withdrawal symptons and my wallet is a lot thinner now.  I stay in line and keep repeating I do not need anything else, until I finally hit the register.  I asked the lady to hurry so I wouldn't spend any more and proceeded to chat with her about my day. (the store was rather empty).  Next thing I know she is using a 25% coupon, a 40% coupon and then another 40% coupon until my bill was less than $18.  She told me if I wanted I could come back tomorrow and get the ribbon and not to forget the coupon she had placed in my bag. What a blessing.

So I finally get home, make a sandwich and sat down to think about my day.  I am really tired and worn out, not to mention I now have a headache and my chest is on fire.  It occurs to me at that very moment that I never did go and pick up my prescriptions....GOD HELP ME!  So here is a card for you to view until I get back from the pharmacy and this time I am taking no money with me and my grand-daughter to keep me on track.  My doctor was right I really do need to rest.

Card Supplies:
CS - Bazzill White and Recollections Marigold
Spellbinders Heartfelt Creations Decorative Lace Border
Recollections Floral Collection
Recollections Pearls
Sentiment TPC Studio Cling Stamps
Marianne Leaf Die

This card is being entered at The Outlawz Greeting Challenge.

Color Color Color

This past weekend was color weekend for me.  I lost my creative mojo and even with so many gorgeous cards to look at I simply could not sketch a design that I liked. So I figured I would just color some images and get a little practice on and I am so excited that I figured out how to color with Ranger's new distress markers.  Once I figured out the right paper I was a coloring maniac.  I colored with distress markers, prisma markers, copic markers, memento markers, pro-markers and prisma pencils.

It was indeed the best weekend and I ended up with over 8 colored images that needed to find their place on a card.  So wouldn't you know that a design came to me while I was at work and I could hardly wait to get home.  But this must have been the longest Tuesday I have ever encountered. The last two hours were very painful but finally I made it home and then realized that I had to catch up with my challenge...especially since it was about to end..I mean in a few hours. Anyway while I wait on the ticking clock to wind down I'll go ahead and share a card with everyone.

I created this card using regular card stock (the really cheap stuff). I embossed the purple cardstock although on the photo it appears to have a blue tint to it and then I stamped the image on watercolor paper (again the cheap stuff). Then I proceeded to color it using Ranger's Distress Markers and a bit of water. I love how it turned out although you can't see it that well here. The flowers and ribbon I added after cutting the flower out with Spellbinders floral oval.

 On this photo I tried to zoom in so you could see the shading I created a bit better and I added a little sparkle with my spytu pens (spelling error I'm sure) but you know what I mean.  I don't have all the distress markers yet but I am working on it and should have them all shortly. There are only 37 of them so far but who knows what next year will bring.

Lastly, is the inside of my card. I used the same oval from Spellbinders, the same ribbon and then as an added touch I embossed the left side of the card with glittering embossing powder.  It might be a bit to much but it added a little shimmer that I love.  This card could serve for various occasions and that is a good thing.

Well now it is time to close out my challenge and it was absolutely wonderful to see all the creations.  I wish I could give out multiple prizes but unfortunately I can only have so many per challenge.  We have two winners that I am going to use Random Generator to announce and the winners selected are numbers:

#153 - Jen Leeflang

and

#5 - Lena Katrine

Congratulations to both ladies!

(contact Mema at lesia.cook@gmail.com by Friday, August 3rd to claim your prize)

Remember you must be a follower to claim your prize

Thanks to Kenny and Lena for being my sponsor for the month of July.  Please take time to visit their site at www.kennykdownloads.com to see more of their quirky images and to get the freebie as well.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this month's challenge. I appreciate your support and your comments.  Don't forget that I will randomly give prizes throughout the year to my TOP FOLLOWER so visit often.

I have decided to enter this card in Tammy's Scrapin Corner Weekly Anything Goes Challenge # 21

Next month's challenge will be posted soon and the theme is going to be decided by my grand-daughters so I can't wait to see what they come up with!