It’s another SPCC challenge!! Make sure you enter! The prize is fabulous!! 🙂 How fabulous, you ask? Check it out:

That’s right!! Copic markers from iCopic!!! Here is some info straight from Samantha at SPCC about the prize:

The winner this week will receive:
Copic Ciao – Set of 8 Craft Manga Muted Colors Marker Kit + 1 Multiliner Pen -This set retails for nearly $40 and one lucky winner is going to be the proud owner of this amazing set!!

How exciting is this?!?!
So here are the colors this week, and they are definitely a challenge! I cannot wait to see what you all do with them!
I decided to use my copics a lot. It is my first time really trying shading. It was so fun and relaxing. The melon mambo flower is R20 RV11 RV17; the bermuda bay flower is B00 BG45; the only orange flower is R27 YR21 Y15.
I rubbed stardust Stickles all over the flowers for a sparkly fun look. I also used my fantastic Fiskars apron lace punch as an accent with a row of Stickles on top of it.
My sentiment definitely needs some explanation. I tried to stamp the sentiment directly on the card, and I twitched and double stamped it. Don’t you hate when that happens?! I was so mad as I had spent so long coloring the flowers and they were already adhered. Note to self: stamp sentiment first! So, after a bit of bad language, I decided to try something to cover it up. It wasn’t completely successful, but at least the card was saved! I stamped the sentiment on white cardstock, cut it out and created a wash of liquid pearls, Stickles and water that I painted over the card stock sentiment piece. It looks really pretty in real life. The pearlescense makes it stand out from the background. The rhinestones were my finishing touch. I had to distract the eye with shiny objects away from the bizarre sentiment ;).

So come play along with us at SPCC! What are you waiting for? 😉

Recently, I have been so touched and honored to receive some blog awards from crafters that I really admire. As many of you know, I go on commenting binges quite often. Meaning I comment on about 7 of your entries at once! This happens because life gets so busy and all of the wonderful blogs I love to read pile up. Well, I shouldn’t let this happen because I was pretty late in realizing I had received these wonderful awards. I was so embarrassed to show my appreciation so late, but I want them all to know how much I really do appreciate it. You guys coming by and reading my blog everyday means so much to me. I have made so many blog friends (the new version of the pen pal, I think!) through crafting, and I just love this wonderful supportive community that has developed around all of our blogs. It is truly magical!

I received a blog award from Dana at Dana Scraps|Pixels and Glue. Not only is she so talented and sweet, but her blog has the best name! You definitely need to check her out!

Following are the deeds of the award:

• Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
• Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I also received this award from Kelley at My Front Porch. She is also so incredible sweet and her cards are gorgeous. Her buttons cards alone will knock your socks off. Check her out! 🙂

The last award I received is the Karma Award from Winter at Winter Wonderland. She is mega talented and also super sweet (can you tell that craft bloggers are just generally really sweet?!). You need to check her out too!
The Karma Award: “These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly written text into the body of their award.” I need to choose 8 blog to pass this on to.

These awards are so wonderful, so I have decided to pass on these awards to wonderful bloggers! I may not be following the rules exactly, but I think I am going along with the general premise of the awards! 🙂 The following bloggers not only show amazing talent but are also as sweet as can be! Some I have just discovered, others I have followed for a long time, but all of them inspire me everyday!

Lynnette
Kim
Winter
Courtney
Dana
Kelley
Sarah Martina
Denise
Kim
Tina
Tiffany
Ashley

I hope you go visit these gals and get inspired too!

I also wanted to let you guys know something. I wasn’t sure if to post it or not. First of all, I just couldn’t believe it was real. Secondly, I didn’t want to seem like I was bragging or something icky like that. That is so not me, and I would never want to come across that way, so I hope I am not. You guys have all been so supportive and sweet. I just love this little crafting community, and I feel like I just need to share with you guys! Who else on this planet would understand why I am so excited about this? 🙂 I got accepted into CARDS January 2010 and Paper Crafts March/April 2010. I am still totally shocked. I still can’t believe it. Crafting has been so good to me and brought me so much joy, and I am so excited to be on these pages amongst crafty people I so admire.

Thank you so much for listening to me blabber on! If you made it this far you should get a gold star!

Thank you so much for visiting!

Here is a guy birthday card. So hard to do! I made a version of this for Father’s Day, and I adapted it to a birthday. I just love those little weber grills!

I am going to visit my parents in Chicago tonight. My Dad just had his second knee replaced on Monday. He is doing really well, and I am really excited about getting to spend some time with him and my Mom! I am so glad that my Dad will have bionic knees that let him play sports again. It is amazing what they can do now, huh?

Also, in a craft related note, while I am there my Mom is going to take me to Archiver’s!! I am so excited about going! I’ve never been. The wonderfully sweet Lynnette even sent me a coupon! How could I not go?! 🙂