School is Cool for September's Dueling Darlings

The challenge presented to the Dueling Darlings this month was to create a card around the theme "School is Cool".  For those of you not familiar with the Dueling Darlings we are a group of papercrafting friends who have formed two teams, the Divas (my team) and the Dazzlers.  Each month a member from each team consults with one another, chooses a theme and, often, a challenge for the teams.  Based on the theme, a card kit is created and sent by that member to each of her team members and on the 15th of the month the "duel" begins as we all upload the cards we've made from the kits we've received.  This month the Diva's recieved this  terrific kit from Jamie that included some fabulous DCWV designer paper, some coordinating SU cardstock, stamped images and sentiments, die cuts, ribbon, buttons and brads.  Using some of those elements plus a few of my own here's the card I created:

School's Cool & So Are Teachers!

I used both sheets of the DCWV d.p, the perfect paper for this theme.  My main image is a digi stamp by Guylou's Inimitability which I colored with Copic markers and cut out and mounted with dimensionals on the die cut d.p.  I thought it was the perfect complement to the theme and all the elements I used from the kit which included these two quotes, the terrific "Have Fun/Always Creating/ Never Stop Learning" pencil image, ribbon, sparkly red apple and blue book and the white clip.   The sentiment on the red tag reads "America's future walks throught the doors of our schools each day" and I believe that sentiment applies to both students and teachers.  So I'm dedicating my card to all the teachers who played such an important part in my life and also for one special teacher in my life, my sister-in-law who will be retiring at the end of this school year.  This one's for you, Tina!

I almost forgot!  We were asked to share a favorite school memory.  I guess it's not surprising I forgot...It's been so long ago that I was in school.  There is no one event or person that stands out in my mind but a series of experiences and most of all the friendships I made.  I still keep in touch with my best friend from grade school and a BFF and I go back to high school days.  This summer I was able to reconnect with many of those old friends as we got together for a picnic to celebrate the year we turned 70! Yikes,  how did that happen so fast!

Please check out the rest of the Diva's September duel cards here:

Kelly * LJ * Barb * Carol  * Judy (you are here)  * Jamie * Joan * Tami

and to see the dueling theme from the Dazzlers, you can find them here!

The Dueling Darling August Challenge

It's So Hot, Let's Cool Off!  Yep, that was the theme chosen by August team leaders Paola for the Dazzlers and Judy (that's me!) for the Divas.  A funny thing happened on the way to the duel.  Both team leaders got side tracked and are just now posting their August dueling cards in time for the September duel.  Oh well, as the saying goes "Better late than never!"  As for me my excuse was that I was traveling and didn't have an internet connection to post my card. Well, I've been home for almost 3 weeks now and finally getting around to uploading my card and here it is:

I sent a boat load of yummy papers from American Crafts' Margarita line...Love those papers!  Also included were a variety of images and sentiments all fashioned around a beach location, my favorite place to cool off on a hot summer day!  To add some fun to the cards I included a variety of die cuts and sea life stickers, ribbon and buttons and brads in lots of hot and cool colors. 

For my card I chose to use two of the d.p. papers along with some shiny blue, bright green and pink cardstock.  I love the cute Close to My Heart Beach Babe! Isn't she a cutie?!?  She and the little beach chair/umbrella/ball image are colored in Copics and she is shown off predominately with dimensionals. I used the fish brads to swim in the "ocean waves".  I couldn't resist using some letter brads I've had forever to spell out the theme of "Keep Cool".
 
We asked our Dueling Darlings to share a favorite way to cool off.  My favorite way to cool off is to get out of the Arizona desert and head to the Pacific NW near Seattle.  Here's where I spent many of my mornings this summer walking along the Tacoma waterfront on Ruston Way:

That's Mt. Rainier in the background

My husband and I were very blessed to view so many of nature's wonders including one morning watching 2 bald eagles on the beach.  Here's one as he flies away:

My muse for creating this kit and card was my dear friend and Diva team leader Kelly who many of you know by her SCS name MiamiKel.  Love you, girl!  Let's go check out the rest of the Diva's starting with my inspirational leader here:

Kelly * LJ * Barb * Carol  * Judy (you are here)  * Jamie * Joan * Tami

And check out the Dazzlers' starting with team leader Jeanette here:http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/2011/08/it-is-hot.html

Dueling Darling's Garden of Friendship

It's July 15th and time for another duel with Dueling Darling Divas and Dueling Darling Dazzlers.  This month our hostess for the Divas is LauraJean and she has sent us the most gorgeous kit to create a card using July's theme of Garden of Friendship.  Love it!! She asked us to share a friendship we have as an extra bonus this month.  I treasure all my friendships and none more than those I've made on SCS and papercrafting blogland.  Wow!  What a gift all of you have been to me and I give thanks to my Lord for blessing me with you in my life.

Here's my take on this super fun and colorful kit:

LJ send  this darling Gardening Flopsey (My  Favorite Things) which I colored with copics.  In the kit were 4 fantastic October Afternoon designer papers and I used them all in my card: multi-color dots paper as background layer; yellow with circles paper die cut with blossom nestability and used as background layer for the polka dot fabric die cut; pea pod image paper cut out and used as a  background layer for the sentiment; and green plaid paper pieced for Flopsey's overalls.  I used the red and green ribbons and the metal button from the kit to wrap around my green scalloped layer, a button from the kit to anchor the fabric to the the die cut and the darling lady bug button to top off the sentiment. I added the multi-color rhinestones to the scallops to echo the design in the background paper.  And I used this terrific sketch for MOJO Monday week 199:

Now hop on over to view the rest of the Divas startin(g with our team leader Kelly:

Kelly * LJ * Barb * Carol  * Judy (you are here)  * Jamie * Joan * Tami

and to see the dueling theme from the Dazzlers, you can find them here!

Dueling Darlings are doing "The Great Outdoors"

This is a busy week for me.   I finally published last month's Dueling Darling challenge and now I'm a day behind publishing the June Dueling Darling challenge.  Oh, well, as they say: "Better late than never!" 

Our terrific co-captains, Barb for the Divas and Michelle for the Dazzlers, chose a great theme for June: The Great Outdoors!  In Barb's kit for the Divas we received this terrific images and sentiments from Bo Bunny Roughin' It and very appropriate sentiments from Whipper Snapper Anna Wright Great Outdoors.  Along with these terrific images she send 7 sheets of awesome Bo Bunny "Roughin' It" patterned papers.  Sure had a difficult time choosing which ones to use on my card!  Also included in the kit was a variety of ribbon which was so perfect for the theme I used most of it!  She included green, brown, tan and yellow brads and green and ivory buttons which I did not use.  I thought this was the perfect card to use car brads I got at Michael's awhile back.  So here's my card:

The Dueling Darlings were asked to share a story relating to the theme, especially one that is about a memorable vacation or outdoor story from our past.  I can recall, from my distant past, in the early years of my marriage and when our boys were small having lots of outdoor vacations.  My husband is an avid fisherman and hunter so many of the vacations in our early years were around his fishing activities.  During the 60s we spent a lot of those fishing trips up in the Cariboo country in northern British Columbia, Canada.  One trip in particular trip happened when our oldest son was almost 5 and I was about 7 months pregnant with our youngest son.  My husband insisted we go on this trip to Lake Sheridan.  When we arrived our cabin was not ready so we had to wait with  very impatient little boys.  Once we took possession of the cabin I found it was filthy.  With no running water I spent all of the first day running between an outdoor spigot, warming the water in a large pan on a wood burning stove and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.  The weather turned nasty so I had two little boys, my son and nephew, to entertain while my husband went fishing.  That was the last fishing trip to northern Canada I ever went on!  On that happy note go check out what the other Diva's have done with this wonderful kit:

Kelly: http://sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/ 

Joan: http://msearlgrey.blogspot.com/

Carol: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...0&ppuser=15781

Barb: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...0&ppuser=16832
Laurajean: http://www.buckygirl.blogspot.com/
Judy: You are here!
Jamie: http://butterflystamper71.blogspot.com/

And check out the Dueling Darling Dazzlers starting with their team leader Jeanette:

http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/

Dueling Darling's Perfect Blend!

I am so very, very late in posting the Dueling Darling challenge for May.  The Divas and the Dazzlers were challenged by our hostess' Carol and Debbie to create a card honoring our awesome, wonderful, fantastic team leaders Kelly for the Divas and Jeanette for the Dazzlers.  These two women organized and facilitated this group and I was honored to be asked to join the Divas by Kelly.  They came up with the idea to have two teams engage in a friendly "duel" each month by creating cards around the same theme.  Each month one team member from the Divas and the Dazzlers consults each other and decides on a theme and provides a card kit for their group.  Often there is an additional challenge.  This month the theme chosen was "The Perfect Blend" because these two ladies love their Starbucks!  We were also asked to tell of a way these ladies have encouraged me or something special about them.  So here is my card honoring my dear friend Kelly:

                                          Kind and giving,

                                          Encourager and achieving,

                                          Loving mother and wife,

                                          Laughing and enjoying life,

                                          Young at heart...

She's been a great friend right from the start.

Her generousity is beyond all measure,

As a friend she's a real treasure.

She inspires in all that she does,

She bring honor and praise to the God she loves.

A blessing she is to all far and near,

So thanks for your friendship so gracious and dear!

This kit included such gorgeous papers, darling Stamping Bella "Perk up Peeps" image, a computer generated sentiment so perfect for our leaders and two other sentiments, plus varous ribbons, buttons and and blingy accessories.   I also incorporated on Kelly's card a cut out from an actual Starbuck's sleeve.  There was so much I wanted to use that I made an easel card  and placed the cut out on the inside and bordered it with the buttons to hold the easel in place.  The image was colored with copics and I circle punched the Starbucks logo from a Starbucks napkin and placed it on the image sleeve.  What do you think of the pink rhinestone steam excaping from the coffee container??? 

There were so many extras in this awesome kit that I decided to make another card to honor the Dueling Darling Dazzler's team leader Jeanette.  She is such a wonderful person.  The little poem I created for Kelly applies to this amazing, wonderful, generous, inspirational, loving, fun woman.  Love you, Jeanette!

 Please visit the blogs of the Dueling Darling Divas:
    

Kelly: http://sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/ 

Joan: http://msearlgrey.blogspot.com/

Carol: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...0&ppuser=15781

Barb: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...0&ppuser=16832
Laurajean: http://www.buckygirl.blogspot.com/
Judy: You are here!
Jamie: http://butterflystamper71.blogspot.com/

And check out the Dueling Darling Dazzlers starting with their team leader Jeanette:

http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/

It's Movie Night!

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late for a very important date!"  Today is Dueling Darling challenge day and the theme chosen by our hostess' Joan for the Divas and Melina for the Dazzlers is "Movie Night".   And because I am late posting for this fun challenge I just couldn't resist using a famous line from "Alice in Wonderland".  Joan sent this marvelous kit with this terrific designer paper from Graphic 45 called the Curtain Call collection and also some coordinating stamped images from Hampton Arts called Curtain Call1.  These images recall the old black and white classic movies and she included an awesome assortment of embellishments to enhance our creations.  Here's my card:

I used at least one side of the designer papers in the kit in multiple layers.  I chose to use these cool images by displaying them in a film strip layer.  The ribbon on the "Applause" ticket is copper on one side and only the black is showing in the picture and is mounted to the card with this terrific brad from the kit.  I ticket punched the corners of the outer card layers and middle layer and embellished the corners with these copper colored rhinestones.  There were so many wonderful elements in this kit I had a really difficult time deciding what to use. 

Part our challenge was to list our favorite five movies of all times.  I spent more time thinking about this than I did working on the card!  There are so many great movies I like so in the spirit of the card kit I decided to narrow my choices down to my favorite black and white movies:

Citizen Kane

The Best Years of our Lives

All About Eve

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Longest Day

There were so many great elements included in this card kit I was thinking I should make another card with the movie "My Fair Lady" as inspiration and name my top five colored movies of all time.  Maybe another day.

Check out the rest of the Dueling Darlings cards starting with our hostess Joan here:

http://msearlgrey.blogspot.com/

Kelly: http://sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/

Barb: http://inkingintoretirement.blogspot.com/

Carol: http://lostinmycraftroom.blogspot.com/

Jamie: http://butterflystamper71.blogspot.com/

LauraJean: http://www.buckygirl.blogspot.com/

Tami: http://blueinksdesign.blogspot.com/

Then head on over to check out the Dueling Darling Dazzlers starting with  Jeanette here:

http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/



Dueling Darlings March Challenge: Being a Kid at Heart!

It's the 15 of the month and time for another duel between the Dueling Darling Divas and Dazzlers.  This month starts a new round beginning with our intrepid leaders: Kelly for the Divas and Jeanette for the Dazzlers.  And they have chosen a really fun theme for the March challenge...Being a Kid at Heart!  In providing us with an awesome kit, Kelly inspires us with a theme that centers on never, ever getting old and encourages us to "always look for the joy, always try to find the fun in a situation and let your fun side come out and play!"  So here's what she provided in the kit:

Stamp image:  Riley and Company, Bouncing Ball Riley
Several sheets of DSP from Cricut
Washi tape ribbon in fun bright colors
Miscellaneous card stock ric-rac paper ribbon
Multi colored buttons in fun primary colors
Heidi Grace faux brad, handmade plastic flower and prima flowers

We were also challenged to find an item from childhood and incorporate it to our card.   In keeping with this challenge Kels provided a Whinny the Pooh puzzle piece and I can't find mine! Sheesh!!  So instead I added a medal charm that says "fun" because that's what I remember from my childhood and because my childhood was so long ago I really don't have anything from it but a pair of roller skates I never would get rid of but just a wee bit too big to incorporate in this card...teehee!

I also used this weeks Card Patterns Sketch 106 as the layout for my card.  What do you think?

Please check out the creations from the rest of the Divas starting with our awesome leader Kelly:

Kelly: http://sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/
Barb: http://inkingintoretirement.blogspot.com/
Jamie: http://butterflystamper71.blogspot.com/
Carol: http://lostinmycraftroom.blogspot.com/
Laura Jean: http://buckygirl.blogspot.com/
Joan:  http://msearlgrey.blogspot.com/
Guest Diva Tami:  http://blueinksdesign.blogspot.com/
Then check out the Dazzlers starting with Jeanette here: http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/