Keep It Simple

As I mentioned last week, I was recently invited to join 365Cards as a Design Team member. I'll be the designer featured on Wednesdays and while I can't give you a sneak peek of my card for tomorrow, I thought I'd post my card from today's challenge.

The challenge was to "keep it simple" by using just one piece of patterned paper, one stamp, and 3 embellishments. Whenever I read scrapbooking or other paper craft magazines, it seems like the ones who get published are the ones who make cards or layouts where it looks like their embellishment storage threw up on the page! A lot of designers stick random bits, buttons, and baubles all over the place, whether it pulls the design together or not. It's a nice reminder to "keep it simple"!

Here's my design:

Pretty simple! And I LOVE that lace- I got it at Jo-Anns on super-mega sale and it's just so gorgeous I want to use it on everything. 

Look forward to tomorrow morning when I post my first daily card design for 365Cards! 

French Home

Here's another peek at a sample I've made for Lila's! This collection is from Canvas Corp. and is very much my style! It's got beautiful kraft paper with prints like script, damask, bold lines, etc. Beautiful, beautiful stuff! I made a 2-page layout and 4 cards. Check 'em out!

Because this paper has such a high contrast with the black ink, I thought it would a little busy for a background so I stamped and embossed plain Bazzil cardstock to give it a little bit of a background image without overwhelming the other elements. This is something I'll cover in the class I'm teaching at Lila's in a couple weeks! Tuesday, March 13th, from 2-4pm and then again from 430-630pm. $20 and you'll make five cards and a cute little spring tag. Call Lila's to reserve your spot!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Mom's Kitchen

Hey, everyone!

I hope your weeks are going just lovely-- I've been a busy bee so far! First, let me congratulate Connie Roberts-Huth for winning the Facebook contest! She's won a custom item which I'll be working on tomorrow all day and sending out next week-- I'm so excited!

Also, congratulations to Patti Fedula for being our 100th like! She's won a coupon code for 50% any shop item. Congrats, ladies!

On to business! So as you all know, I'm working for a couple design teams now and I just love it! I love being challenged, love working with new designs, and love being pushed out of my comfort zone! This week, I've been given two packs of paper with which to design for Lila's. The first of these is from Best Creation Inc., called Mom's Kitchen. This is such a fun and colorful collection with a little sparkle- not my usual style, but so adorable, I was thrilled to work with it!

Below you'll find my 2-page layout and 3 cards from the Mom's Kitchen collection. You'll be able to see these at Lila's within the next two weeks, as well as purchase all the papers! Check 'em out!

So cute, right?? I just adore this perky paper! I have to admit I have a pretty bad case of spring fever. It's been EXTREMELY cold here in Washington state-- it even snowed a little the last couple days! Now, I'm a Pennsylvania girl so snow is no big deal, but I am very ready for some nice hiking weather, for sure. This spring paper is just the thing to fuel my spring fever and get me ready for some sunshine! 

Tomorrow I'll be posting some designs from Canvas Corp.'s new French Home collection, so look forward to that. Have a great day, everyone!

Another exciting welcome!

I'll be starting next Wednesday as the Wednesday design team member at 365Cards! So exciting!

Check it out here!

And the Facebook page like contest is almost over-- just two more likes and it's done! Share one of our statuses or tag us in a status of your own  and be entered to win any item in the shop for free OR a 3-pk of Tim Holtz inks! The 100th like-er also wins a prize! Go here to participate!

Competition and Design Team

Hello, everyone! How was everyone's weekends? Mine was bizzzzzzay! Saturday I went to a crop at Lila's in Everett and worked on some projects for the store. Lila will be receiving some new Authentique paper from the Genuine line next week and so I made up some examples of projects you could make with it. I made a two-page layout, a card, and a really neat mixed-media canvas. Check 'em out: 

I'll post a picture of the canvas when I have a little better picture of it! You can see the real deals at Lila's starting next week- and purchase the paper and most of the embellishments/ inks!

Materials Used: 

Authentique Genuine Paper

Authentique Genuine "Details" stickers

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Miscellaneous twine

Recollections rhinestones

Martha Stewart classic butterfly punch

Yesterday, after resting up from the crop, I worked on some cards I am making for a competition. Check 'em out! 

Those first two I started at the crop and then finished at home, but I think they all turned out pretty nicely! Thanks to Elisa over at Perpetual Stew (another of Lila's designers) for the beautiful lace which she found for a steal at a thrift store : )

I also just listed two cards on Etsy:

You can see those here at my shop!

Don't forget that the McLion Design facebook contest is still rolling-- only 5 more likes until it ends! Like McLion here!

Have a great week!

A gift for Mom- plus, it's official!

I think everybody loves their mom, but I am especially close with mine. Even though she's far away (try 2800+ miles), we still talk almost every day! When I saw this cute little Dachschund stamp this afternoon, I immediately thought of her! Her cute little (insane) dog Rosie is a Dachschund and I knew Mom would adore this stamp. I made up a set of cards that I'm sending out to her in the morning!

Materials Used: 

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks

Martha Stewart Set-Your-Own Stamp Kit

Copic Ciao Marker

Twine

Ivory Cardstock

Printworks "Hot Dog" Stamp

These cards were especially fun to make since I used the inks and a waterbrush to watercolor the image and the area around it.

Also, check it out! I'm officially on the website for Lila's Scrapbooking as a design team member! Check me out here, and while you're there, check out the links for the other designers- they all do really great work! 

Ooh la la!

So the husband is out with the ship so I've been crafting up a storm! Tonight, I participated in the Purple Cows Color Challenge! The challenge was to create a card using the colors black, white, and purple. My typical style is a little more brown/ green /ivory, so it's always nice to challenge my usual look with a little shake-up! 

Here's what I came up with: 

Isn't it cute? I always seem to find that with Mr. McLion away, I am much more girly-- I do my nails, watch trashy TV (Kardashians, anyone?), and with this card, glitzed it up! There's Rock Candy Distress Stickles accents, Perfect Pearls sheen on the edging, shimmery ribbon, and rhinestones on the center sentiment. Sweet and sassy at the same time- I just love it!

What kinds of fun things do you do when you have some free time to yourself?