Me and Carrie Lou Butterfly

I truly do love this image, and the way this butterfly has so many different looks. This time I used my Copic markers for the leaves and flowers, and then colored the wings with watercolor pencils to get the soft, delicate hint of color. The flowers were cut out from another stamping, and double stacked to give the card extra dimension. The green background was embossed with the brand new Cuttlebug Persia folder, which created a perfect frame. I added tiny "skittles" like dew drops to the corner, and that was it...no sentiment or other stamping...let this be a card for any occasion. I hope you like it!

Check out this stamp, and many other beautiful Victorian, floral, and holiday stamps at Me and Carrie Lou!... I'm going to Lakeland next week to get more :o)

I'll see you soon!

Happy crafting~

Happy First Birthday!!

When it's been one whole year since a new life came into being, it's something very special to celebrate! All the loved ones gather around, and think back on how much the little one has grown and changed, and look how big they are now...

It's a very exciting time, and there is much anticipation about the what the future holds, too!

Well, we all feel the very same way about our "BABY" the Cuttlebug Challenge Blogspot!!! Our first birthday is in September, and we are celebrating the whole month long. There will be challenges and tutorials that will inspire and enlighten us all.....and they are all around the theme of Birthday Parties!!!

In the end, we will be the LARGEST ENCYCLOPEDIA of BIRTHDAY PARTY ideas around anywhere!!! The entire Design Team will be doing parties of different themes, and every participant will also do their own theme....all month long!!! We will be doing everything...from invitations through to thank you cards....with a TON of exciting and creative ideas in between. You don't want to miss a single day! Be sure to sign up as a follower, so you get every entry! You want to participate in EVERY CHALLENGE so you are entered into the big grand prize drawing for the end of the month. It's that easy, and that much fun! SO, put your thinking cap on......if you are planning the most fun birthday party theme...what will it be???? Pirates, Nascar, Princesses, Over-the-Hill, Fairies, Poker, The Beatles, Mickey Mouse, ....let your imagination soar....Just pick a theme, and be ready for the Wednesday challenges!!!

This Baby's First Birthday card is going to my great nephew Grayson, who will be one on Sept. 2nd! The illustration was drawn by Mo of DigitalPencilToo and I colored it with Copics.

If you haven't had a chance to check out her amazing drawings of people, please treat yourself, and pop over there!

I'll be back soon!

Happy crafting~

Be Inspired # 46 and Cosmo Cricket

This week's challenge is in honor of all of the kiddos headed back to school! We are altering notebooks, creating locker door decorations, gifts for teachers, desk sets, ~ all sorts of matching items to whet your creative appetites! The Design Team was given an interesting assortment of the latest in Cosmo Cricket's goodies! I received the "Lil Man" set, which had some really cool things in it.... Now, most of you know that my "Lil Man" will be 30 in a couple of weeks, (and is still the apple of his Mom's eye)...but he doesn't really want me to cover his notebooks anymore! BUT, I really did like this paper, and the great chipboard pieces that they sent, as well as this lucious velvet scalloped ribbon trim. Sooo....guess who's office these goodies will grace???? We'll see....one never knows with me !!!

Everything in this came from Cosmo Cricket, except the red ribbon and the Red Stickles.

I hope you are inspired to create something wonderful! It doesn't have to be elaborate, just give it a shot, and take a picture, then link it to Cuttlebug Challenge! We would love to get 100 participants this week!

Don't forget that we begin our big birthday party palooza next week, too!

Happy crafting ~

Edwin and Halloween

Here's my first Halloween card of the year! I love to play with things for the fall, and things that go bump in the night! These little vellum ghosts were cut from the Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge, which is one of my very favorites, though I doubt that I've made more than 3 dolls ever! It is loaded with extras like these pumpkins, ghosts, and tons of other goodies! The fence is a stamp, as is the witch, and I colored both with Copic markers.

Edwin is wishing Happy Birthday to my Son-in-Law, who also plays guitar and sings a great song or two!

I'll see you tomorrow for Be Inspired Wednesday at Cuttlebug Challenge!

Happy Crafting~

Happy Birthday Cuttlebug Challenge Blogspot!

This is the image that Mo, at DigitalPenciltoo was kind enough to draw especially for us, to celebrate our first birthday at Cuttlebug Challenge Blogspot! Can you believe that in September it will have been one year since this great blog got started? Wow!

Anyway, I was so honored to be able to color this adorable child to be used as the ad for our upcoming month long celebration!! You do not want to miss out! There will be on-going events, challenges, inspirations, tutorials, prizes, and lots of fun, fun, fun!!!

Be sure to check out Mo's website to see the absolutely amazing drawings she does of children of all ethnic backgrounds, a few wonderfully chubby lady fairies :o), some delightfully old couples, grandmothers, animals, and more....she is a phenominally talented artist, and we are so blessed to have her do this for us!!

I'll see you again very soon!!

Happy crafting~

Fab Friday TV!

Today's Fab Friday TV is brought to you by our sponsors, Provo Craft, and Core'dinations Papers. I have been listening! Some girls on the messageboards have expressed some concerns about combination die and embossing sets. They don't know how the dies work, and they are really concerned about how to use the small embossing folders. It's my pleasure to go through it for you, and show how I made that pretty butterfly a couple of weeks ago!

I hope you enjoyed it, and will give something new a try! Remember, as we always say...It's only paper!

Happy crafting~

Two More Tildas

I am having so much fun with Tilda images. Each one has such a personality, and comes together so uniquely...
Hello, little Ladybug! Thinking of you.... This sweet image reminds me of my daughter, Barbie, who always loved ladybugs :o) The edge punch is MS Scallop Dot Edge Punch. Cute, isn't it? I colored her with Copic Markers. Sorry I didn't take a photo of the markers this time. Leave me a comment if you need to know which ones I used. (I'm always happy if you leave comments anyway!)

This little sweetie is sitting upon the brand new, and oh, so hard-to-find MS All Around the Page Loop Punch set. I even cut down the green paper under the image so it would fit....there is a video on MarthaStewartCrafts on how to use these punches, which I found to be very helpful.

The message is an embossed stamp from a new Hero Arts set that I just used my Michael's 50% coupon for...And I have a very special friend that will be getting this card in the mail :o)

If you are interested in attending a Copics class, please leave me a comment, and I will contact you with the date/price/information. I am in the TampaBay area of Florida...sorry if you are too far away....this is a wonderful place to visit...come on down!!!

Check in tomorrow for another Fab Friday TV video...

See you soon, and

Happy Crafting ~

Get well card for Madelyn

I don't usually do two posts in a day, but this one goes out quickly to my 9 year old granddaughter, who must be quite anxious for snow days! She was sledding down the stairs on a snow sled, then decided that surfing would be more fun, and switched to a boogy board! Well, she "biffed" as she calls it, and ended up with a broken wrist, and a new red cast to start school with!! Fortunately it is her left hand, and it isn't a terrible break, so she should be good as new in a few weeks.

This Dustin Pike digital image is one of my favorites. I colored it with Copics, and the words were easily done by computer.

Have a great day!

Happy crafting ~

"Bee" Inspired #45

This week's Cuttlebug Challenge is to make a shape card, and how could I resist making a bee? I folded the yellow base along the left edge, and paper pieced the black stripes, and the black on the face. The antennae and the stinger were attached with glue dots. The wings are embossed vellum. I drew her face with Copics and a white gel pen.

Check out the Cuttlebug Challenge Design Team and see their shaped creations, and give it a try yourself! You can use your Cricut, Design Studio, or even a coloring book for ideas. Come on...give it a try!! This is a great day to be creative....I Bee-lieve in you!!

Happy crafting ~

Make it Monday

This is a fun and easy idea for you....hop over to your favorite fabric or quilt store and pick up a piece of fabric with distinct images. Cut rough cuts with waste around the edges of the images. Coat each piece thoroughly with a glue stick that dries clear...very important!...and press it aggressively onto cardstock. Let it dry for at least 2 hours, then cut very carefully around the edges, with sharp scissors and a craft knife. Decorate the card as desired, and attach your fabric images with foam dimensionals....Voila!

If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I'll get back with you! I have more to share later! So much fun.....

Happy crafting ~

My first Tildas

I love coloring these images with Copic sketch markers!

I have just started coloring the darling Tilda images, and I was naturally drawn to this sweet little Bee outfit. I think you'd be surprised at how much she looks like I did! (OK, I'll post a picture!) I've also found out about why Tilda doesn't have a mouth...she is an angel, and angels don't speak with their mouths, they speak with their hearts... Isn't that sweet??? I know I must not have been an angel, because my Mom said I talked so much I must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle! (If you don't get it, ask your grandmom!)

This one is Farmer Tilda, and she's taking a break, thinking of a special friend, and admiring the new Creative Memories paper flowers. So cute, and a great deal from your CM dealer!

The background is embossed with the new Cuttlebug Herringbone folder, and inked with Cat Eye Chalk. The sentiment is from StudioG.

I'll be back tomorrow with a fun new technique that we did at the swarm.

Are you and your family enjoying the 30 Days of Summer program at Cuttlebug Challenge??? Great fun, and you could win!

Happy crafting~

More Me and Carrie Lou

As promised, I have shared a couple more "Me and Carrie Lou" images. The one above is the same Birdhouse Floral that I did in soft lavendars a few days ago...only this time I used stronger shades of corals and garnet. The green background is embossed wtih the new Cuttlebug Christmas folder called Candy Cane...it will definitely be a year round favorite! The image is from Stampin' Up!, and the edge trim is from Fiskars.

This little beauty is called Floral Butterfly, and it is a delight to color! I used Niji Pearlescent watercolors and an aquapainter, and I wish you could see how it shimmers all over!! The background embossing is with a Sizzix texture plate, and the velvet scallop trim is from Cosmo Cricket.

I do hope you will check out Me and Carrie Lou Stamps!

I'll be back soon with some more goodies! Until then....

Happy crafting ~

Cricuteers In Paradise - Strut Their Stuff

Another fabulous Cricut Swarm was held in Paradise this past weekend, and 28 fun-loving, extremely talented ladies spent untold hours working, playing, sharing, and eating together!

One of the many thoughtful gifts I received from my friends and fellow Cricuteers! Thanks, Sandy! Aren't these perfect for BettyBee? And they were so comfy!!!

Congrats to our card challenge winners! Betty, Roe, Robin and Carol-Lee (Trish, too, but she wasn't there for the award ceremony)!!! They each took an identical assortment of pieces and came up with very different works of art...Note their tropical trophies....we all love 'em!

Pink feathers and fluff abounded! These were the pens that I made for everyone :o) Thanks to Claire and Jeannene for being the pompom queens, and to Kristi and Sandy for helping me get the job finished!

Goodie Bags! This is one of our favorite parts ~ everyone brings a goodie for everyone else, and it's like Christmas when we check out the treasures inside! WOW! Talented ladies :0)

The highlight of the swarm was a very special presentation of the gift of a Cricut Create from Roe to Claire. No one has ever been more surprised, touched, or happier! And there wasn't a dry eye in the house. ~ Cricut-Sister love!!!

I'll be back with more later.

Happy crafting to you all ~

BettyBee

Cuttlebug Challenge #43 Be Inspired!

It's August, and a new month of great challenges has begun at the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog! Today we are featuring digi stamps by Mlamarre Designs. I love digi stamps. They are so versatile, since they are infinitely adjustable and flippable!


In this challenge I made a gift bag with the featured digi stamp, and followed the inspiration of the designer paper to create the butterfly with Cuttlebug's Flower Set dies and Core'dinations paper. The scallop circle behind the image is from Cricut's Accent Essential's cartridge, and then it was embossed with Love Language to put those sweet little hearts on it. Tie on a couple of ribbons and a touch of Martha Stewart purple glitter for BLING and it's a wrap!



Please check out the rest of the design team's take on the challenge, and leave a comment on Cuttlebug Challenge for your FREE DIGI stamps from Mlamarre Designs! Then create a card, gift bag or layout creation of your own, and upload to Mr. Linky.


As always, I appreciate you becoming a follower of my blog, and leaving comments here, too! It was such a pleasure meeting so many of you at CHA over this past weekend. Thank you for being a very special part of my life.



Happy crafting ~

New find at CHA-Stamps by Me and Carrie Lou

At CHA this week, I met Susan Silk, representative for Me and Carrie Lou Stamps, and found these to be both beautiful and of the highest quality red rubber. They have a cling backing for placing on your acrylic blocks, so they are a dream to work with. Here you see the Birdhouse Flowers image, stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with a mixture of gold detail and gold tinsel embossing powders. This gives AMAZING sparkle!

The colors I chose are soft (their gallery will give you more vibrant examples) as these are SO easy to work with, and have a great range of looks for each image. I used Copics V000, BV02, Y00, G000 and G09. The halo is a yellow water color pencil. I can't wait to use the other images, and to give this one a whole new look!! Please check out their site, and see what I mean! If you love Victorian and Christmas, you will really love Me and Carrie Lou!!!

I'll be back soon with more...

Happy crafting ~