Beyond Just Cards

A few weeks back I was part of a fun party hosted by Vicki at 2 Bags Full.  It was a giant hop all over Blogland to meet new peeps and grow our blogs.  For my part, I hosted a giveaway of cards.

Beth, at Beyond the Garden Gate, won the card set.  It was a "choose your own adventure" set, which is a fun way of saying she got to pick what kinda cards she wanted. :)  She asked for half birthday/ half get well.  I had a few of them in my stash ready to go, but needed a few more.  These are two of the newest creations that got added to the set and shipped out west.

Beth posted a few pics of some other cards (some of them will be familiar to you regulars!)  Along with pics of my goodies, you'll find awesome garden pictures on Beth's blog.  Her pics of flowering beauty are just the thing for making you smile.  She has the cutest lil' pup Josey, who is so stinkin' adorable in the snow, precious kitty Gracie, and a wild tortie (torties are my most FAVORITE cats) that she calls Tortie. Be sure to stop by, get inspired for the planting season we have been promised will get here soon, and give her some love!!!

Happy Garden Days!

More Calorie Free Goodies

Got another fry box to share tonight.  The box was made ages ago and then after I made this set I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep when Eureka hit.  Light Springy colors, with this image, a perfect combo with the box!

*sniff, sniff*  The cards today are using that fun set of goodies from the secretary we are losing.  Friday is probably our last day with 2 secretaries.  I have no idea how the other gal is going to survive on her own.  Can you image handling the questions of Kindergarten and first grade parents, Kindergarten and first grade teachers, and Kindergarten and fist grade students- ALL BY YOURSELF?!?!?  We're talking ~400+ students.  She does all the bus routes, student records, CORI forms, absences, early pick-ups, late arrivals, supply orders- in short the secretaries make everyone's life easier.  It's just so sad and disappointing. :(

The stamps are from an SU set she gave me.  Not sure the name (if any of you know could you share?).  The card base is Amuse, the scallop die is from MFT, and the mat under the image is BG Sweet Threads- love me some BG!!  The Copics I used to "color" the image are BG11, YG03, RV13, and RV32.

I have a fun share from my students.  The schedule has been so hit and miss with testing that when I got to see different groups for their regular lesson most of them were actually BEGGING FOR NEW  BOOKS!  One group actually CHEERED when, after they got new books, I told them they could bring them home to READ FOR HOMEWORK!!!!  You would have thought I was handing out candy and Disney tickets.  Totally made my day. :)

Oooo, another made-my-day there was a last minute cancellation at the Craft In that my LSS hosts!!!  So I am scrambling to get my goodies together and get me some stuff done Friday night. :)  Am I packed for vacation next week?  Nope.  Am I flying out early Sunday morning?  Yup.  Am I gonna be scrambling all day Saturday?  Totally! That's what vaca is all about though isn't it?  Rushing around like a chicken with it's head cut off until you get where you are going and then just sitting on the beach relaxing. 

Hugs!

Ladybug, ladybug & Pictures

Well I think I probably am making the whole uploading thing a longer process than it needs to be.  For now though the steps I am taking are keeping me from having to pay to upload my pics. *sigh of relief*  Tell me again how technology is saving me time. LOL!

This little lady was colored at the last Craft In at my LSS.  She's so stinkin' cheerful I can't help but smile looking at her!  Yeah I guess that wasn't my most humble statement huh?  Seriously though- look at her!  How can you not smile?

Okay so I might be a little punchy right now.  My students took the first part of the 26 page standardized test they have to undergo this spring and I peeked at their progress.  A bunch of them ROCKED the first part!!!!  I am absolutely giddy for them.  They have worked so hard this year and they were all so nervous.  We've been practicing for 3 weeks so they wouldn't have butterflies and it looks like it has paid off.  I told them all that I can't wait to get the results to share with them and their parents.  It's so exciting to see all that hard work come to fruition for these kiddos.  They usually feel kinda down on themselves 'cause school is so hard for them.  It's going to be so wonderful for them to feel that the hard work has made a difference!  Keep your fingers crossed for the 2nd half to go as well! :)

You all inspire me!

 Amisha's Being Creative series has posed the question "What inspires you?"

I'm sharing pictures from the class I took this week with Nathalie Metivier of Magenta.  Can I tell you that she is an awesome teacher and so funny!!!!  What a totally cool experience!  I won't tell you which (if any) of the pieces you see are mine. :)  I just love seeing the interpretations of lots of folks!

Classes inspire me so much!  Obviously because you are learning something from the teacher, but also 'cause you learn so much from folks who are in the class with you.  I have yet to take a class and not walk away with some cool bit of info on a company, neat technique, tool, time saver, or color combo from someone who also taking the class. :)

I'm very easily inspired (or is it influenced) by seasons too!  Springitis is hitting hard right now and thoughts of soft color, baby animals, flowers, overall newness is all I can think about right now.  Come summer it'll be beachyness and citrusy colors, when fall arrives its my favorite palette of oranges, reds, yellows and harvest themes, and finally when winter rears its head once more its off to the clean lines and crisp colors.

Websites, blogs and -of course- Pinterest makes the world a happy place for me. :)  It's so awesome to see what everyone creates from meals, to home decor, to crafty creativity- A-MAZ-ING!  Sometimes I gotta copy what I've seen, sometimes I see a combo I've gotta try, or a meal I've just gotta make.  

Most of all, my loyal followers and comment writers inspire me!  You are such a great group of people, I can't tell you how much your sweet kindnesses make each day sparkle.  Thanks so much!!!!!  I can only hope to return half the inspiration you all give me!

Hop over to Gorgeous and Fun and link up to join Amisha in spreading inspiration. :)

Flights of Fancy Challenge

It's another fabulous challenge day with Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday!  This challenge is being sponsored by 1-2-3 Stitch and the prize is a free stamp!!!  First check out my card and THEN (hee-hee) hop on over to join in the fun. :)

The theme for this weeks challenge is "Flights of Fancy", so pull out those inspiring thing with wings you have in your stash!  I pulled out my new fav paper from Basic Grey Kioshi. (I may need a 2 step program for BG! HA!)  I used the flower side for the background and the flip side for the bird.  Yup, I used liquid pearls to make all the pearly dots on the bird.  I can't take credit for that cool effect though.  I took a class years ago where we did the same thing and I LOVE the effect.

The base of the card is a kraft color Memory Box card.  I had stamped eggs in a brown ink to add texture, but then after I got the birdie from Artful Stamper on the Kioshi paper I realized the card was still a little flat.  I was in luck though.  The LSS I shop at has a kit of the month club which joined a while back.  The gal who runs it puts together an assortment of goodies from different vendors and we never know what we will get.  This is good for me.  I would not have ever bought the lacy trim that, I think, makes this card have more depth.  (Can you tell I am watching Project Runway while I am typing this LOL!)

Please stop by the other DT gals blogs and let all of us know what you think of our winged creations!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, comments are the REAL blog candy. :)

***A quiet countdown to the other kind of blog candy has begun (in my head at least).  Stay tuned for the big announcement with all the dets on how you may be able to be a blog candy winner here at Fuzzy Slippers Designs.

Happy Cluckers!

Hope Stamps Eternal posted their Cupcake Inspiration Challenge for the week and it has the best colors!

I literally just got this set of stamps and the papers at my LSS yesterday.  I went so I could join in some make-and-take fun with Alma de la Rosa from Cat's Pajamas.  I'll post what I got to make soon- promise!  In the meantime, I got really inspired and ...

Made a fun chicken card!  I'm not one who usually goes for cluckers, but this was so darn cute, I couldn't resist.  The set is Cat's Pajamas Beans and Bunnies clear set.

I made 5 of these little cluckers using BG Kioshi and green Bazzill paper for the background.  The ribbon is from Papertrey, oh and I stamped the card base with the egg trio that came in the stamp set.  I was trying to give the card a lot of texture and eye candy.  The chick 'n eggs were colored with Copics- RV34, R12, B00, YG03, Y15, C-1, and T1 and the image is mounted on the reverse side of Little Yellow Bicycle's Lucky Me paper (except for the one below, it's on a scrap that was in front of me when I made the first one. :) ).

I was pretty happy with the layout and colors, but the more I looked at these I thought they were missing something.  So I decided to add a little flower and brad for a little extra visual bliss. :)

I'm pretty happy that I stretched myself and added so many patterns 'n such.  Hopefully I'll actually send these cards out in time for Easter (if not, Hi family! Imagine one of these cards in your mailbox!)

Have a GREAT Sunday everyone!

EDIT- I also added this card to the following challenges:
The Pink Elephant, Lexi's Creations, Stamp with Fun, Charisma Cardz, Stampin for the Weekend, Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, Incy Wincy Designs, Fussy and Fancy Friday, Pile it on

More "inspired by" cards

Edit- I am so excited, happy, and touched!  This card was selected as a Top Five on Hope Stamps Eternal.:)


I love when I have extra paper and supplies sitting out and inspiration hits! I made some cards yesterday and I almost never have a clean work area. Bits and pieces ended up sitting next to each other and they looked so pretty I came up with a "cherry" of an idea (I know, I know. I pushed it too much with the cherry thing huh. ;).

These are the cards I made with leftovers after making yesterday's cards. Hope Stamps Eternal had the cutest cupcakes for their cupcake challenge. The button candy on top of the cupcakes is so cute! Your Next Stamp has a spring themed challenge so I'm claiming spring colors since cherries are really a summer fruit. ;)
The paper is Bo Bunny Ella and some Bo Bunny Poppy Dot. The buttons and cherry stamp are from Papertrey. I stamped the cherry stems with Distress Ink peeled paint The tag is a 2" office label tag and the ribbon is leftover from some cookies I got in a beautiful bag (love that "free" ribbon!).

Where do you get your inspiration? Magazines, blogs, sketches, catalogs? I'd love to hear when, where, how inspiration struck and what you were able to create!