Happy Birthday Dear Friend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Today is my fabulous friend Joanne's birthday. I wanted to give her a shout out and wish her the BEST birthday EVER!!!

She is ALSO an amazing source of inspiration to me both personally and creatively. We met early on in college, she was my Maid of Honor in my wedding...ahem...13 years ago! (yikes!) We've been through ups, downs and all arounds together and now we're in this kid raising thing together...THANK GOD!! =)

Joanne is the one who got my friends and I HOOKED on this fabulous world of crafting. Sure...I'd dabbled in scrapbooking for years off and on not having any real clue what I was doing. And then SHE went to a SU! Workshop and it was history from there!!

She has made a name for herself in the crafting world and I constantly go to her for advice, words of wisdom and help! =)

She is an amazing person but beyond that has ALWAYS been...my dear, dear friend...who I could count on for anything...in my good and my bad. And I will always thank her and love her for that.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY my darling friend!!!!

OH and right!! A SHAMELESS plug!! ;) Well...not so shameless...I'm proud to have added a Tutorial section on the left hand side of my site. The first tutorial is something that Joanne put together to display how she creates her amazing "Buttony Bow!" I've been using it a LOT lately as it's SO easy and so fun and makes SUCH an impact on a project!!

PLEASE GO CHECK IT OUT!!! She's a fabulous teacher and an amazing crafter!!!

Thanks for reading!!

XOXO-

QKD Royal Monday!! Inspiration Challenge!!!

Welcome to a fabulous Royal Kat Monday!!!

If you came here from Penny's blog then you are on the right track!! If you just happened upon here...thanks for visiting and definitely start at the beginning of this fabu hop so that you don't miss one of the fantastic and inspirational pieces that our awesome DT has put up for you!!!

Today's challenge was INSPIRATION based on the above image. I waiting on this and would glance at the image every few days. Waiting for lightening to strike. It did the design process in my head...in bits and pieces over the last 3 weeks. And then today...lightening struck.

We recently celebrated my Daughter's 5th birthday. She's my first and it amazes me that 5 entire years have gone by. Whoosh....
I haven't scrapbooked in a LONG time so within this challenge I've challenged myself to do a 12x12 layout. It's my scrapbooking size of choice. I pulled the colors out that I wanted to work with and printed 3 of my favorite pictures from the day of my Daughter's 5th birthday party.

I pulled out QKD's Chandelier stamp as well as the Happy Birthday (in handwriting that I wish I had!!) stamp from the Happy Skullz set. A standard 'go-to' for me!!

I used the 3 different colors, turquoise, pomegranate and gold to ink up the chandelier. Each time powdering and heat embossing. Obviously cleaning the stamp in between each color. I matted them on gold cardstock and set them aside. I knew that I wanted to use the textured champagne color as my 12x12 background. I pulled out one of my FAVORITE pieces of paper (I only have one!) and I've been WAITING for the right project to use it!! It's from Creative Imaginations. It's the pink and red with the scalloping and swirling on the edges.

I knew I wanted that on the left hand side of the page but didn't want to fill up the entire page with it so on the right hand side I used my Hambly chandelier screen print acetate paper. I layered the Hambly paper under the Creative Imaginations paper and ran a subtle gold, chiffon ribbon under both layers for some added dimension.

I then used turquoise thread and zig zagged stitched it all down to the champagne paper.

I wanted something subtle at the bottom so as to not distract from the photos. I pulled out a strip of turquoise and ivory. I stamped the Happy Birthday in Archival Brilliance ink in Pearlescent Sky Blue. I heat embossed this to give it some good shimmer. I then stitched a length of sheer, turquoise ribbon to this strip and added it to the bottom of the layout. I added the chandeliers and my background was complete.

I then trimmed and matted my 3 photos. One of my 2 delicious children together, one of both of them with my darling husband and one of me and the kids. They are set on 3 mattes of gold, pomegranate and kraft paper respectively. They are adhered to the layout with foam squares.
For the final touches I used a K&Co rub on - rubbed onto Kraft paper and then coated with Crackle glaze. (top right) It says 'imagine, love, explore, create". There is nothing more appropo then those 4 words to describe my children. And I used my Journaling Sticky Notes to do a tiny bit of journaling describing the occasion.
I have yet to let this piece out of my studio as I just keep staring at it!! Love these pics SO much!!

Thanks Maria for choosing SUCH an inspiring image for us to work with!!

Now...onto Linda to see how she interpreted this image!!!

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Alex's Blog
Vicki's Blog
Kelly's Blog
Helene's Blog
Penny's Blog
Meredith's Blog --- THAT'S ME!! =)
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Anita's Blog
Sara's Blog
Ashley's Blog
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Thanks for visiting!!

XOXO-

QKD New Image!!

Special QKD Welcome to Designer Melia Newman

Hey Everyone!! I wanted to show you my take on the Harvest Dragons that are NEW at QKD!!!

We had the honor of working with this ADORABLE and festive fall dragon stamp!! I love how they're hugging and I love the fabulous yet simple details in their wings, the cornucopia, and their facial expressions make me giggle! This was just wonderful to work with!!!

I did mine in festive colors to go along with the "Harvest" theme The papers that I used are both PTI or SU!. I colored the majority of the image with my Copics and the gold that you see is from my gold paint pen. I stitched the outer layers together and then used my best friend (in real life) Joanne's buttony bow technique to tie this RIDICULOUSLY ADORABLE bow, button, twine combo.

I used my corner rounder on 2 of the 4 corners of the dragons and their coordinating mattes. The round sticker you see in the top left hand corner is from an old SU! Scrap Pack and the 3 feather pins are simply dress making pins that I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics. I always keep a stash of those and the heart ones on hand.

I hope you enjoyed this newest design!!

Thanks for visiting!!

XOXOX-

RF Technique Challenge!!!

Welcome, welcome!!

Today's Robyn's Fetish Challenge was a tricky one!!!

We had to use stitching....but it couldn't be faux stitching...and it COULDN'T BE FROM A SEWING MACHINE!!

YIKES!!!

And for those of you who know me...I use my sewing machine CONSTANTLY!!! =)

So...the first thing I did was figure out what image I wanted to use. I chose to use Princess Aria. She's just so cute and adorable...I couldn't resist!!

So I set to creating and decided that I wanted to do something different. So I did a mini card. Not to be lazy or have it be a quick project...but because I think all things in mini form are simply ADORABLE!! I can't get enough of them!!

I chose a 3x3 size. The nice thing is that I had a great scrap of brown, sparkly paper that fit the bill for the card base perfectly. I then grabbed a few more scraps and some delicious cupcake paper from a matte stack that I have.

I set that all aside and started coloring the princess. I used my Copics and enjoyed figuring out what color to dress her in...I initially thought pink but then went with what my 5 year old daughter would have chosen and that would be BLUE! I figured it would coordinate nicely with the chocolate brown.

I was trying to figure out where I wanted to hand stitch on her and thought about setting in a panel as the middle part of her dress but then decided that I wanted to sparkle her dress up so I used copper stickles covered in brown glitter. I did the same on her gorgeous hat! So I then decided to color her scarf that ran from the top of her hat, silver and that would give me an opportunity to stitch the seaming around the edge of the scarf with my pretty silver thread. So that's what I did!! I cut everything out with my craft knife and then for a little extra bling I tied a sheer, white ribbon with a tiny rhinestone just around the top of her scarf.

I love how delicate and sweet she came out!! And believe it or not, I found myself hand stitching something on the next project I did right after this!!! LOL! It just looks so cute!!

I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!!

XOXO-

***NEW NEW NEW*** New Images from Robyn!!!

Come one, come all and check out Robyn's new digi images!!!

I had the pleasure of working with this ADORABLE new Lizzie stamp!!! Seriously...SO cute!!! She totally reminds me of my 5 year old daughter so I ran with her favorite colors and theme!! Blue, anything sparkly and CUPCAKES!!

I have a few of these frames from Target. I grabbed them up last year during a post-Valentine's day sale. I've been waiting for JUST the right project to come along and voila...today they got their chance to shine!!

I printed her out on good quality cardstock and set to coloring her using my Copics. I LOVE how her dress turned out and that apron is simply TDF!!!! I'd wear it around my kitchen!! LOL!!

After coloring I sparkled up the bow in her hair and heart patch on her apron. I gave the hem of her apron some cutie patootie bling and matted her on one of my favorite colors of cardstock of all time...SU! Tempting Turquoise. I matted Lizzie on a 4 x 6 slice of Dream Street Papers in Hugs -n- Kisses Airmail. I added a beautiful felt flower with a pink brad in the middle. I didn't want to do much more as to distract from our beautiful Lizzie!!

I tied some coordinating ribbon around the frame itself before inserting the glass, art and backing.

I'm hanging onto this one for when my girl has an especially good girl moment and I will give this to her to add to her growing variety of photos and memorabilia on her dresser.

Please go check out Robyn and Donna's Shoppe!!! There's lots to be seen!!!

Thanks for coming by to visit!!!

XOXO-

Tempting Lorali Thursday featuring Artic Blue!!

Hello!!! And welcome to Tempting Thursdays!!

Today I'm featuring Artic Blue. I swear to you...I *think* I'm in LOVE!! But I also think I say that about every Maigan creation!!! That girl...I tell you....such talent!!!!

I received Artic in a recent QKD shipment (I just LOVE when I see that package at my mailbox!!) and I couldn't WAIT to ink her up.

I'm here in the Northeast - in MA to be exact and it has been unseasonably cold for the entire month of October!! So...I've ALREADY been in mega winter mode. So when it came to deciding which creation to display for you today...I knew EXACTLY which mermaid I was using!!

I chose an acetate card as my base. It just reminds me of ice...you see where I'm going with this, right? ;)
I stamped Artic on ivory cardstock using my black Brilliance pigment ink and embossing powder to heat set. I then set to coloring her. I used my Copics and my gold paint pen. I blinged up her tail with green, blue and clear rhinestones. Her hood and cuffs are puffed out with clear stickles coated in white glitter. Her eyeshadow is gold as are her gorgeous husky's eyes. I also used my gold pen to give her hair some highlights and make her tail fin glitter in the cold and icy water!!!

I used some navy blue grosgrain ribbon to make a hefty buttony/bow combo that I learned from my bestie friend (in real life) Joanne!

Inside, I created a blank, light blue panel to write a little note on. I measured it exactly to the front panel so that when the card is closed all you see is the front. It's super cool...I love working with acetate cards!

I hope you enjoy Artic as much as I do!!! Definitely run over to the QKD store and pick up some of those gorgeous girls as well as some of the other FANTABULOUS stamps that are available!!

And you MUST check out these amazing sales!!!

55% off of all clearance
30% off of these stamps:
Thanksgiving Dragon
Christmas Tree Dragon
Off Beat Alphabet
Jester Alphabet
through 10/25/09

Thanks for visiting!!

XOXO-

QKD Royal Wednesday Color Challenge Hop!!!

Hello and welcome to another fantabulous week of HOPPING!! If you hopped here from Alex then you are on the right track!! If not, I'm glad you're here and you can start at the beginning of our hop right HERE!
Onto today's creation!! A color challenge...orange, purple, black and white. I know that with Halloween coming that my first instinct was to gravitate towards a Halloween themed card...ESPECIALLY with those colors. But I pulled myself away...always trying to force myself to think more out of the box so I ended up with a fun and funky Happy Birthday card using this QKD set!!!
The card base is SU! tangerine tango measured at 5 x 7. The black and white background "doodly" paper is Math Class from Love, Elsie. It's one of my FAVORITE paper collections EVER! It's so versatile!! As you can see here I basically created paper to match my card perfectly by coloring in some of the background. So fun!! It felt like I was doodling on the outside cover of one of my brown grocery paper bag covered high school books. (do kids still cover their books in brown paper?) Hmmmmmmmmm...

Anyway, I then used the QKD Vintage Time background stamp for the right hand side. I inked it in Versamark Dazzle ink, then clear embossing powder on the black paper...I think it makes it look like Patent Leather....my FAVORITE!!! I stitched it with purple thread to a slice of the BACK side of the "doodly" paper and attached it to a soft purple piece of PTI designer paper. Also stitched in this section is a purple, felt flower. I have no recollection of where I got these but I have them in a bunch of color. I don't get to use them often but when I do I really like how they work.

The paper that the Happy Birthday sentiment is on (inked in Pearlescent Crimson and heat set) is a new train paper that I picked up at my LSS on a recent trip. Could it be any more perfect?? Orange AND Purple on on the same paper!!!

The bottom piece that is orange and white as well as the small, crackly looking embellishment are both cut from the cover of last week's Boston Globe Magazine. The colors were inspiring so I tore off the cover figuring I'd use it for something. Voila! Here was my chance. I attached the larger strip to some thin cardboard as the paper that the BG magazine is made out of is SUPER thin and I didn't want it to tear while working with it. The vase of flowers was also attached to cardboard and then covered in Crackle coating. I LOVE how it came out!! Just the embellishment touch that I needed.

Thanks for hopping today!! Now hop onto Linda to see her creation!!

Check out these sales going on NOW at the CASTLE!!!

55% off of all clearance
30% off of these stamps:
Thanksgiving Dragon
Christmas Tree Dragon
Off Beat Alphabet
Jester Alphabet
through 10/25/09

QKD blog
Shannon's blog
Jules' blog
Penny's blog
Vicki's blog
Maria's blog
Kelly's blog
WIS blog
Bev (SG's) blog
Andrea's blog
Victoria's blog
Lara's blog
Anessa's blog
Helene's blog
Nina's blog
Alex's blog
Meredith's blog
Linda's blog
Nancy's blog
Anita's blog
Sara's blog
Stephanie's blog
Ashley's blog
Katarina's blog
Queen Kat Designs Store


XOXO-

Robyn's Fetish - Wacky Wednesday!!!

Welcome to Robyn's Fetish Wacky Wednesday's!!!

Every Wednesday there will be new cards to look at on the DT's blogs and a FREEBIE IMAGE each week on Robyn's blog!!! This week's image is this cutie patootie Shopping Grannie image!! I LOVE her!!
I printed our darling Grannie out first on white cardstock and then on some adorable PTI designer paper. I then trimmed out her dress and paper pieced it onto the white cardstock image. This is a technique that I love doing with regular rubber or acrylic stamps and finally got brave enough to trim out some 12x12 DP down to 8.5 x 11 and run it through my printer! It worked great!!
I love the look it gave to our shopping Grannie! I then set to coloring the rest of her. I left her hair a beautiful silvery grey. Her purse is a pretty olive green colored with my Copics and clasped with a little gold from my gold paint pen. I dazzled up her socks just a bit with my sparkly, Sakura gel pen and then gave her some super comfy looking purple shopping shoes!!!

Her shopping bag reminded me of my FAVORITE store's shopping bags. What store is that you ask?? Why Bloomingdales, of course!!! Well back in the days before I had kids...now I'm a lot more thrifty and shop at other places. BUT...it's still my favorite store!!

I added some pretty pink tissue paper to peek out of the bag wrapping whatever it is our Grannie bought today!! ;) I've been dying to use these circle cards that I bought EONS ago at The Paper Source. So I matted Grannie and corner rounded each corner. I adhered her to the orange card base and stitched the two together with purple thread on my sewing machine. I added a button trio (something I LOVE to do) threaded and tied with various matching ribbons. I then worked on the sentiment "Shop till you drop..." So true in my world!!! I could shop for HOURS!!! DAYS EVEN!! I LOVE IT!!! I did the same technique on the sentiment. I mounted it to the same purpleish paper from PTI and zig zag stitched around the perimeter, rounding the corners here as well. I then adhered this piece to the card. Lastly, I added some K&Company rub on designs to complete the look. (the flowers and 2 pearlesque buttons to Grannie's left)
Don't forget to check out Robyn and Donna's awesome online store!!!

www.robynsfetish.com/shop

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to go grab your freebie image!!!

XOXO-

QKD New Image - Suprise Hop!!!

Special QKD Welcome to Designer Melia Newman

Hey Everyone!! We're doing a surprise hop today in honor of one of Queen Kat's newest stamp designers Melina Newman!!
If you arrived here from Alex's blog then you are on the right track!! If not you can start here at the CASTLE!!!

We had the honor of working with this ADORABLE and festive Christmas dragon stamp!! I love how sweet and angelic the dragon looks as he/she contently trims the tree!! I love the fabulous yet simple details in the belly, the tree, as well as the gorgeous trimmings! This was just wonderful to work with!!!
I did mine in festive colors to go along with the holiday theme. The papers that I used are both PTI and SU! I colored the majority of the image with my Copics and the gold that you see is from my gold paint pen. I used my glue pen to sparkle up the leaves on the tree with some green glitter AND I used my paint pen to trim the 'trimmings' in red fun flock!!
The designer papers are all from Creative Imaginations that I recently picked up on a trip to Michael's. The gold paper is a misc brand from Michael's as well. The image itself is so fab that I didn't want to distract from it with TOO much but you know me...more is always more! So I created an off centered separate matted image with the Christmas Tree paper matching the colors that I used on the dragon. I added a bit of gold trim to the bottom and completed my piece with a button trio tied with a variety of festive ribbons.
I hope you enjoyed this newest design!!

Next on the hop list today is PENNY!!

Enjoy her super-fabness!!! =)

QKD blog
Helene's blog
Lara's blog
Kelly's blog
Alex's blog
Meredith's blog - THAT'S ME!!!
Penny's blog
Vicki's blog
Queen Kat Designs Store


Check out these sales going on NOW at the CASTLE!!!

55% off of all clearance
30% off of these stamps:
Thanksgiving Dragon
Christmas Tree Dragon
Off Beat Alphabet
Jester Alphabet
through 10/25/09

And you simply MUST join our new Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/qkdstampco/ . You'll totally be IN THE KNOW!!!

If you'd like to get notification of the fantastic sale information, this is THE PLACE to be!

Thanks for visiting!!

XOXOX-

Robyn's Fetish DT Challenge

I challenge YOU!!

Our challenge was to create a card or project using one of Robyn's Halloween Images!!! We had to use 2 different patterned papers and no ribbon was allowed (yikes!)

I selected the following image from Robyn's Shoppe. I love the witches hat!!! They can be sweet or scary or a bit of both!!! I ALWAYS think of the witch from the Wizard of Oz when I see a witches hat so I was feeling in a relatively 'spooky' mood when I was creating this card.
Honestly, it ended up a bit more 'sinister' looking then I had planned but I have learned that, for myself, I let the creative process take me wherever it goes. I don't try to force it, I don't try to sway it. If I'm not "feelin' it" I take a step back and work on something else. Or I stop entirely and come back later. But this one took on a life of it's own.

I knew the 'no ribbon' rule was in effect. So I kept that in mind.

I started with a 5.5 x 5.5 card and pulled out the skull and candy paper from my stash. Both are Bo Bunny I believe.

I matted them with various SU! papers and I stitched the candy DP for some added dimension. Earlier in the day I had colored the hat with my black Copic marker, a purple Copic Marker and my gold paint pen. I then glittered up the purple band and star and used black velvet flock - Doodlebug Designs Inc brand to really give the hat some life. I'm always about texture.

And that's where I got stuck. So...I sat. And I sat some more. And then...a little more. And then I started to rifle through my various bins, baskets, and drawers and I pulled out a raw chipboard piece that was a cast off from other chipboard pieces being punched out of it. It reminded me of a comic book strip. Which then brought me to this book that my brother in law just bought me. SUPER creepy, VERY scary, HAUNTINGLY vivid images but SO great for THE right project!! Whether its for Halloween or someone you know that's into graphic novels...either way. He purchased it first and when I saw it I knew I needed my own copy to use in projects!!!

So...I took the chipboard "comic book strip" and coated it in my Brilliance Pearlescent Gold Pigment ink pad, covered it in heavy embossing powder and heat set it. I love how it looks like it's just been rained on!!
I went through 'the book' to find an image that fit well inside. The one I chose super creeps me out but I LOVE the subtle effect it has on the card!! You 'almost' don't notice the 'sinisterness' that it brings to the card until after it hits you!From there everything else clicked in terms of placement. I adhered everything down and then needed one last touch. Since we couldn't use ribbon (which wouldn't have worked on this card now anyways! I used some soldering wire that I snagged from my hubby's workbench. I punched a hole through the card and created a loop or a handle of sorts to just dangle. I think the effect worked nicely!!
I truly love how this came out and I hope you do too!!!

XOXO-

Robyn's Fetish - in support of BCA - WE CHALLENGE YOU!!

Hi Everyone!! Thank you so much for hopping with us today in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

As I'm sure most of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Robyn has created a special digi image set just for this.

If you arrived here from Robyn's Challenge blog then you're on the right track!!!

Proceeds from the kit will be going to the National Cancer Society to provide Mammograms
for women who can not afford them to help with early detection.

Also all of the digi images for the month of October are 15% off!!

Please play along and help us support this great cause!!!

You could win the Breast Cancer Awareness set if you create a card or project that mainly uses PINK!

You will have until 11:59pm EST Saturday, October 17^th to enter your card or project. Please add the link for your project in the comments section of the Breast Cancer Awareness post on the Robyn's Fetish Challenge Blog.

The Breast Cancer Awareness Set will be reduced from $10 to $5 for the duration of the hop and that 50% of the sales of that set will go to the charity.

I'd like to share with you my creation for this hop.

Our challenge, just like yours, was to create a card or project that encompassed mainly PINK.

I created a "Thinking of You" comfort tin using the adorable cinched bag image with cutie accessories in it! I altered this tea tin starting first with my image.

I used my Copics, sparkly Sakura gel pens, and my fine art pencils to color it in. I then used a bit of ribbon to thread through where the "cinching" would happen. The mirror was coated in silver stickles and then sprinkled with real glass, silver, vintage glitter. I then added individual rhinestones around the perimeter of the mirror.

The lipgloss in between the brush and mirror is coated in Diamond Glaze and then sprinkled with the antique glitter as well.

I set that aside to dry and then set to work on the tin itself. I covered it in some of my favorite papers that I'd stitched together. I used red liner tape to hold it securely to the tin. I used some cutie heart ribbon, buttons and more ribbon to decorate the outside of the tin.
For the top I used some SU! stickers that came in a Scrappin' Pack from a season or two ago. The sizes were PERFECT for the tin top and I love the "Carpe Diem" phrasing around the outside. Very 'appropo'...I think.

I used my BIG BITE to punch a hole in the top so that I could create a handle with this adorable pink pom-pom trim that I also used to edge the outside of the top of the tin.
Inside I've put a pack of tissues, 2 pink nail polishes and some soothing Tazo calm tea. If I were to really give this to someone I would definitely put in a few yummy lip balms as well.
I added a pretty flower sticker to the inside bottom of the tin. There's nothing like opening a gift and having it end!! So this way even the INSIDE is pretty! ;)

I hope you enjoy and are inspired by this creation. I am thankful that at this point in my life I have no one to give it to.

I also added a couple of photos of my daughter, Kendall, creating with me. This is her and her brother's 'creating' space in my studio. When I work, they "work". As they call it! ;) She wanted to create something special for this cause so I posted her 'work in progress' creation.
Thanks for hopping by today for this amazing cause.

Your next stop on this hop is to the lovely Lisa!!! If you get lost on the hop here's the entire team so you can hop right along!!!

1. Robyn’s Fetish Challenge blog

2. Meredith ---- that's ME!!

3. Lisa

4. Sarabeth

5. Deanne

6. Robyn

7. Sara

8. Jeri

9. Wendy

10. Donna

XOXO-