SMASH*ed

I was recently added to a facebook group by the fabulous Kellie Winnell of Tickled Pink Stamps. The group is called SMASH*aholics. I was aware of the new craze - part journal, part keepsake, part scrapbook, all creative chaos - but I hadn't really thought about making one of my own. Until Kellie added me to this fun group! After seeing all the unique and wonderful pages and reading all the excited comments from crafters who really love to SMASH, I started to wonder if maybe I should SMASH too.... I know, I know! I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head! But card making is all about other people. I make the cards and then give them away. With a SMASH book, it is something I can keep. I liked that idea. And I liked the thought of having a place to call home for all those little tidbits, mementos, and random thoughts that are life.

For my first book, I bought the pink one, and it's very girlie girl. That's okay because it's going to be all about ME! My first page spotlights my favorite stamp companies! Maybe I put a little more effort and thought into this than you are supposed to, but it sure was a lot of fun (even if I was coloring all freakin' day! lol). There are six companies featured, and I selected one image from each.

1) Tickled Pink Stamps
2) Kenny K
3) Simply Betty Stamps
4) Saturated Canary
5) My Favorite Things
6) Sassy Studio Designs

I would have liked to include La-La-Land Crafts and Mo's Digital Pencil in there too, as I love them, but they are really a different style so perhaps on a page about my small man in the future.

I think I am hooked, and yes, I will be blaming this on Kellie! lol I can't wait to get back to the craft store and pick up more supplies! But the great thing is you can make these with stuff you already have hanging around the house! That's the point, isn't it? And though I did buy the official SMASH book made by K&Company, I have seen some terrific home-made ones out there too!



Kellie has started a SMASH*ing Sunday challenge on her blog, Give A Girl A Blog. I will enter my page over there, and if you do any SMASH*ing this week you should play along too! You can link your SMASH pages here. You can also join us here if you want to chat with like-minded SMASH*aholics!

Here are some close ups of my page:


Thanks for looking! I hope everyone has a SMASH*ing week!

{hugs}
Regan

Tickled Pink Stamps Sponsors Paper Sundaes Challenge Blog

Hello, my blogland friends! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far! I was lucky enough to be able to have a crafty play date with my good friend, Jazzy T, on Friday. We often do more chatting than card making, but it's all good! This time we discussed her starting up her own blog. She is a talented natural at paper crafting, and I thought it was time she show the world. Please check out her new blog, Wasted Scraps, and leave her some love or become a follower.

I did manage to get a card made, too! Today I'm sharing a creation I made for Tickled Pink Stamps' sponsorship of the Paper Sundaes Challenge Blog. The theme is Valentines. I have used one of the adorable Lil Haunting images from their Lil Pinkette collection. Her name is Fairy Coraline and I love how versatile she is! I have used her for Halloween and Christmas already and now here she as a sweet Valentine. She is colored with a combination of Copics and Prismacolor Art Markers. I seem to love to fussy cut my images and have done that here before using some foam squares to pop her up. This fabulous paper is called Union Square from Michaels' Recollections line. I loved the sentiment printed on this sheet and knew I wanted to use it as my background. The striped strip is from a DCWV stack called Downtown Loft. Her wings are coated with copper Stickles, and I've added a distressed doily plus some flowers and pearl flourishes from my stash. The XO is a Making Memories brad.

Please head over to the Tickled Pink Stamps blog to see what my amazing teamies have to share with you! And if you want to play along for your chance to win a fabulous Tickled Pink Stamps prize, link your Valentines project over at Paper Sundaes!

Markers used: Copics (E11, E21, E00, E13, E15, E31, E25, E27, E34, R27, R29, R20) and Prismacolor Art Markers (150, 151, 152).

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges as well:
- Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge: #117 - Things with Wings
- Crafty Purple Frog Challenge: Valentine's Day/Show Us Some Love

- Paper Pretties Monday Challenge: Create a Valentines Project
- Truly Madly Crafty Challenges: January - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your Sunday!

{hugs}
Regan

Tickled Pink Stamps Challenges #53 - Bright and Colorful

Wow, today is a busy day! Two posts in less than 6 hours! This time I'm here to tell you about a new Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge! Today we want to see Bright and Colorful! I chose Lil Perfect Match Lolita Christina for the job! She strikes me as the bright and colorful type! lol Using this week's Mojo Monday sketch (#225) I have layered her on top of some lovely Basic Grey papers from the Sultry collection. They are called Fashionable and Dressy. Just love the hot pink! Christina is colored with Copics and Prismacolor Art Markers. The flower flourish stamp in the corners is from Stampin' Up. I left the card largely unadorned, but couldn't resist a couple of flowers, some pearl and bead topped pins, and a Tim Holtz Muse Token in one corner.

Remember that in order to play along you have to use a Tickled Pink Stamps image. They can be found here in the TPS store. The prize is one digital image of your choice! So head over to the Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge blog to see what my awesome team mates have created for this challenge and while you're there, why don't you play along for yourself?!

Markers use: Copics (E11, E21, E00, E25, E27, E34W6, W8, W10, YG95, YG97, B34, B37, B39) and Prismacolor Art Markers (1, 8, 133, 208).

I'd also like to enter this card in the following challenges:
- Charisma Cardz Challenges: #3 - Pretty in Pink
- Color Create Challenge: #88 - Color Inspiration Pink and Green
- Hooked on Crafts Challenges: #16 - Something Bright

Thanks again for visiting my blog! Hope to see you over at TPSC! Enjoy today!

{hugs}
Regan

Dare To Be Sassy Thursday #109 - Holiday Scraps

Hello and welcome to a very special Dare To Be Sassy Thursday from Sassy Studio Designs! This is our first monthly holiday challenge of the year! Because it's never too early to start! :) We've decided to do things a bit differently this time around, though... Instead of a separate challenge, we will incorporate a holiday theme into our last DTBST challenge of every month. This way we can all get a jump start on those Christmas cards without the added pressure of yet another challenge! The rules for the challenge are the same as any DTBST, with two exceptions: Your creation MUST be holiday themed, and IF you use a Sassy Studio Designs image you will get an extra draw entered for the prize! Sassy images are not required to play along, but we sure do love it when you do! And an extra chance at winning the prize?! Pretty fabulous, right?!

So our theme for January is "Holiday Scraps". It's simple: grab those gorgeous half used sheets of designer paper and get to work creating a new holiday masterpiece! If you're anything like me, they haven't even all been put away yet! lol My papers are from a Stampin' Up series called Holiday Treasures, and I think this may be my third year using them! The beautiful image is Holiday Belle Honey from Sassy Studio Designs' holiday collection. Isn't she enchanting? I've paper pieced her gown with a festive red and pink houndstooth patterned paper that is also part of the SU pack. The rest of her is colored in Copics. I also gave her a little pearl earring to match the pearls elsewhere on the card.

The layout for my creation is taken from this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge (#130). I've used some of my favorite things for my embellishments: Pearls. Seam binding. Flowers. My Spellbinders dies. Oh, and a darling little jingle bell charm that a friend sent me a long time ago in a crafty care package.

Please head over to the Sassy Studio Designs blog to see what my talented team mates have to share with you! And while you're there, we hope you'll join in the fun!

Markers use: Copics (E11, E21, E00, E04, R20, E25, E27, E34, YG95, YG97, R46).

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:
- The Sisterhood of Crafters: Stripes
- Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Challenges: #23 - Pearls or Bling
- Karen's Doodles Challenge Blog: #96 - Paper Piecing
- Christmas Card Challenges: 2012 #8 - Coloring

Thanks for taking a look and have a fabulous day!

{hugs}
Regan

The Corrosive Challenge #141 - I {HEART} You

Hello, blogland! It's Sunday morning here and today is the start of a new challenge at The Corrosive Challenge! It is hard to believe two weeks have gone by already, but it's true! We are creeping towards February and with that in mind we announce our theme for this fortnight - "I {HEART} You"! With Valentine's Day less than a month away, now is the perfect time to include a heart (or two or three) on your creation! Your project doesn't have to be for that Hallmark holiday necessarily. It could celebrate a wedding, an anniversary, a birthday, any occasion where you want to send some love!

Our fabulous sponsor this month is Kenny K! They have offered up a prize of 5 of their digital images to our lucky winner! My image is one of their new Valentine's Day ones. She's called Sexy Cupid and that she is! I've colored her with the usual combination of Copics and Prismacolor Art Markers. This card is for a co-worker to give his wife on Valentine's Day, and I experimented with some darker skin tones than I normally use. I definitely think I still need practice with this, but hopefully, she'll like it anyway. lol I fussy cut and Stickled her as well. (Yes, I did just use Stickles as a verb. Deal with it! Haha!) Papers are from a new K&Company pad called Circus Valentine. I love this paper so you'll be seeing it again! The ticket is from a matching border embellishment pack that I picked up on Friday. On that same shopping trip I came across this lovely ruffled organdy trim that was a must have! A few flowers, a couple of punched and embossed hearts, some pearls, and my Dizzy Doily die from My Favorite Things complete the card.

Markers used: Copics(E25, E27, E34R43, W6, W8, W10) and Prismacolor Art Markers (150, 151, 152, 169, 1, 8, 10, 149, 209, 108).

If you want to play along or simply want to check out the rest of the gorgeous design team creations, visit The Corrosive Challenge blog!

This card is also being entered into the following challenges:
- Card Patterns: Sketch #149 (I took a little liberty with this one, but you can still see the basic structure)
- Stamping with the Dragon: Challenge #2 - Anything Goes
- Wags n Whiskers: Challenge #71 - Valentine's/Love Card
- 2 Sisters Challenge Blog: Challenge #75 - Embossing (the punched hearts are dry embossed with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder)
- Aud Sentiments: Challenge #46 - Love

Thank you for dropping in, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

{hugs}
Regan

Sassy Studio Designs Fabulous Freebie Friday

Welcome to Sassy Studio Designs' Fabulous Freebie Friday! We do this every week over on our Paper Craft Planet group, and I hope you've been joining us to collect the amazing images that our lovely owner/artist Lindsay gives away each Friday! Today our image is called Latte Lori. Ah, a girl after my own heart, coffee cup in hand! Be sure to head over to PCP to download this java loving beauty for yourself!

And did you know we also host a fortnightly challenge there as well? Do you want a chance to win 2 SSD images of your choice? Of course you do! Today a new challenge begins and the theme is "Warm Wishes". We simply want you to create a coffee, tea, or hot cocoa themed project. There's one catch - you MUST use a Sassy Studio Designs image to play along! Any image is fine, but if you use either this week or next week's freebie, you get an extra entry in our random draw for the prize!

For my project I've created a little gift tag and placed it on a reusable "to go" coffee cup. This cup is so cool... Looks just like those trendy ones you get at Starbucks, but you can use it over and over! This would make a fabulous gift for that coffee lover in your life, perhaps paired with a gift card to their favorite coffee house or a bag of coffee for them to brew at home. Latte Lori is colored with Copics and fussy cut. I used my new Labels Eighteen Spellbinders Nestabilities to cut out both tags. The coffee stain and sentiment stamps are both from Inkadinkado. A couple of flowers and a pearl swirl finish off this mini creation.

Markers used: Copics (E11, E21, E00, E13, E15, E25, E27, R20, YG95, YG97) and Prismacolor Art Markers (86).

I hope you'll pop over to PCP to see what the rest of the design team has created for this caffeinated challenge. And to make Latte Lori your own! She is only available for 24 hours and will go back into the shop on Saturday so snag her now while you can - and use the money you save on a cuppa joe! ;)

I'd also like to enter this project in the following challenges:
- The Stamping Boutique: #24 - Die Cuts
- Little Claire's Designs: #17 - Anything But A Card
- Shelly's Images: Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting and have a fabulous day!

{hugs}
Regan

Answer the Call

I know.... Three posts this week already?! What is going on here?! Well, I'll tell you: Saturated Canary is holding a guest design team call on their challenge blog, and I just had to throw my hat in the ring. I know it's a long shot as there are already over 80 gorgeous entries for 3 open spots, but you don't know if you don't try so here goes nothing! I love Krista's images, and Krista herself is as delightful and charming as the characters she draws! If you've never read her blog you are truly missing out and should go visit her here.

Today I needed a card for a co-woker of mine. It's a dual purpose card as her birthday is next weekend AND she is starting a new full-time job at another company on Monday too! She is a glamorous young thing, and I thought Becki was perfect. Recently I had seen a few cards that used Spellbinders Nestablities dies to cut frames, and I decided I wanted to try this technique. I'm really happy with the results using Labels Eighteen! The image was printed "big head" style, colored with Copics and her dress was paper pieced. The sketch is the current challenge over at Cardabilities. I used a favorite border punch of mine from Martha Stewart and added my usual embellishments (flowers and an assortment of Tim Holtz goodies) as well as a beaded pin I received from a friend and some tulle. The papers are from Bo Bunny - I love them and have been hoarding them, but they just begged to be used for this creation.

Markers use: Copics (E11, E21, E00, E31, E25, E27, R20, E04, W6, W8, W10).

I'd also like to enter this card into the following challenge:
- Hooked On Craft Challenges: #15 - Try Something New (frame technique)
- Make It Monday: #72 - Anything Goes
- Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: #168 - Anything Goes with Blue

Thank you for visiting and wish me luck! *fingers crossed* Being a Canary would be quite the honor! Have a fabulous day!

{hugs}
Regan