Chinese New Year Blog Hop: DAY TWO (Gift Card Holder Featuring Mei Li from Sister Stamps)

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!  HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!  Welcome to DAY TWO of the Chinese New Year Blog Hop!  This hop is in honor of Guan, the little boy April's family is adopting from Taiwan.  To celebrate his culture, we want to share some Chinese-inspired projects with you! 

If you arrived here from Janet's blog  then you are in the right place!  If you just joined us, please go back to April's blog at www.curlsandgrins.blogspot.com to see everyone's amazing creativity!

It was really fun to create projects for this hop in celebration of Chinese New Year, especially because my family never really did much to observe this holiday when I was growing up (even though we are part Chinese).   As an adult, I never really did anything special either, but I am hoping to change that for my two daughters' sakes.   

For today's project, I created a card that also acts as a gift card holder.  Gift card holder, you ask?  LOL  Well, I know the idea of a gift card for Chinese New Year might sound a little ... different, perhaps, but when I saw this beautiful Chinese New Year gift card at Starbuck's last week, I just couldn't resist buying one!  It's just so pretty !!!!

Not only is the gift card so elegant with all the red and gold, the matching envelope was beautiful, too!  I love how it looks just like a lai see envelope!  I really hated to not include the envelope on my project , so I was determined to find a way to add it to the card.

As you can see in the main picture of my post, I matted the envelope on gold and black paper before adhering to the front of the card.  I also cut off the top flap of the envelope and used a small circle punch to create a cutout to make it easier to pull the gift card out.  I like that the cutout made a little bit of the gift card visible.  

For yesterday's project, I used Mei Li from Sister Stamps.  I just love this little girl with her lantern, so I decided to use her on today's project also, using different colors from yesterday's project for her outfit and lantern.  Of course, I just had to add a little bit of Stickles !  I also pop-dotted Mei Li to sort of "separate" her from the busy background.   I used the same washi paper as I did with yesterday's project.  Red and gold just totally symbolize Chinese New Year for me, so I had to use that color scheme again.  

Thanks for stopping by!  We have some great blog candy to offer from April Nourse and PSA Essentials.  To be eligible, you must simply comment on each blog on each day's post.  We'd love for you to become a follower of each of our blogs, too!

Please hop on over to Jennifer's blog next to see what she's created.

 Below is the complete blog hop lineup:  

• April - http://curlsandgrins.blogspot.com
• Lynne K. - http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/
• Ashley - http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com/
• Amy - http://www.lovetocrop.com/
• Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/
• Shannon - http://www.purplelionpaper.com/blog
• Inga - http://mommahobbit.blogspot.com/
• Maria - http://www.mdcraftcorner.blogspot.com/
• Janet- http://www.createatdreamscrapbooks.blogspot.com/
• Dena -  http://missdjones.blogspot.com/      <<<------ YOU ARE HERE
• Jennifer - http://jenrubio.blogspot.com/  <<<------ GO HERE NEXT
• Theresa- http://www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/
• Ellen - http://cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com/
• PSA Essentials - www.psastampcamp.blogspot.com/

Chinese New Year Blog Hop: DAY ONE (Chinese Takeout Box Featuring Mei Li from Sister Stamps)

(click on image for closer look)

Ni hao and welcome to the Chinese New Year Blog Hop!  This hop is in honor of Guan, the little boy April's family is adopting from Taiwan.  To celebrate his culture, we want to share some Chinese-inspired projects with you! 

If you arrived here from Janet's blog  then you are in the right place!  If you just joined us, please go back to April's blog at www.curlsandgrins.blogspot.com to see everyone's amazing creativity!


For my project, I made a Chinese takeout box.  I knew I wanted lots of red and gold in my project, so I was ecstatic when I found this gorgeous washi paper.  I love the delicate pattern as well as the bright colors.  I matted the washi paper with gold metallic cardstock.  I just love how elegant the red and gold look together!  

(close up of the washi paper:  isn't it gorgeous?)

For this project, I knew I wanted to use Mei Li from Sister Stamps.  She is such a cute girl with the flowers and ribbons in her hair and that pretty lantern!  I colored her outfit with red and added a touch of gold Stickles.  I also added Stickles to her flowers and lantern.  I just couldn't help myself!  LOL!  Now, since I colored her outfit with red, I didn't want to place her on the front panel.  Besides, there really wasn't much room.  So, I decided to set her on top of the Chinese take out box by hot gluing her to the ribbon.  I really like having her standing on top of the box.  It just seems like something playful Mei Li would do.  LOL!  

(Here is a close-up shot of Mei Li so you can see the sparkle I added to her.  

You can click on the image for a closer look.)

I will be posting a second Chinese New Year themed project on Monday, so please be sure to stop by again!  KUNG HEI FAT CHOI! 

We have some great blog candy to offer from April Nourse and PSA Essentials.  To be eligible, you must simply comment on each blog on each day's post.  We'd love for you to become a follower of each of our blogs, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Please hop on over to Jennifer's blog next to see what she's created!  See you tomorrow!

Below is the complete blog hop lineup:  

• April - http://curlsandgrins.blogspot.com
• Lynne K. - http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/
• Ashley - http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com/
• Amy - http://www.lovetocrop.com/
• Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/
• Shannon - http://www.purplelionpaper.com/blog
• Inga - http://mommahobbit.blogspot.com/
• Maria - http://www.mdcraftcorner.blogspot.com/
• Janet- http://www.createatdreamscrapbooks.blogspot.com/
• Dena -  http://missdjones.blogspot.com/      <<<< ------ YOU ARE HERE
• Jennifer - http://jenrubio.blogspot.com/  <<<<------ GO HERE NEXT
• Theresa- http://www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/
• Ellen - http://cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com/
• PSA Essentials - www.psastampcamp.blogspot.com/

Forever Night Challenges: Octopode Factory Challenge/Rocky Horror Picture Show

This week's challenge over at Forever Night Challenges is sponsored by The Octopode Factory.  They have some very different and cool images!  The set the DT worked with for this challenge is the Rocky Horror Picture Show set.

Now, I have to confess that this one was hard for me because I have never actually seen the entire movie!  I have only seen bits and pieces of it.  So, I researched the movie and came across a guide with suggested items to bring along to a show for audience participation.  That explains the words that I included on my card.  I added the ribbon at the bottom because it made me think of a red carpet or the red movie drapes that you sometimes see at a theater.  The image of the lips was colored with Copics.

If you're curious and want to see the other images in the set, be sure to check out The Octopode Factory and the other projects created by my fellow DT members over at Forever Night Challenges.   Thanks for stopping by!

Based on a Book Blog Hop: Alice in Wonderland Digital Layout

(click on image to enlarge)

Happy Saturday, Bloggers!  I hope you all had a great week.  Can you believe half the month of January has gone by already?  Sheesh!  I need to get my butt in gear and dedicate more time to my 2012 goals!  One of my goals is to create at least two items per week that I've "pinned" on Pinterest, whether it's a craft item or a dish.  I'll be blogging about my Pinterest adventures soon!


Now, on to my project.  Today, I'm participating in the "Based on a Book" blog hop.  You should have just come from Jamie's blog.   Each blogger in today's hop is sharing a project she created that was inspired by a book.


There is blog candy!  To be eligible, you must leave a comment on all of the blogs in the hop.  Then, at the final stop, be sure to include the title of a book you've been wanting to read.  If you are the winner, you will get a copy of that book!  


If you are just joining the hop and need to go to the beginning, please start at Ashley's blog. 


The project I'm sharing today is a digital layout  inspired by "Alice in Wonderland".  It features my teenager who dressed up as Alice for Halloween in 2010.  I used a kit from scrapbookgraphics.com called "Wonderland".   I just love all of the papers and elements in this kit.  Everything is just so bright and whimsical -- just as I think it should be with this story!  I started with the background paper that was red with the black and white checks.  Then, I added every single element that you see in the layout.  There are so many different elements to choose from in this kit!  I can't wait to create more pages with it.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to check out Shannon's creation next !  Here is the complete lineup in case you get lost along the way.  Don't forget to include the title of a book you want to read at the last stop (Tanya's blog)!

Ashley - http://proudusmcwife415.blogspot.com/
Shawnee- http://www.blessedonthebrightside.com/
Jamie - http://myamusinglife.blogspot.com/
Dena - http://missdjones.blogspot.com/
Shannon - http://www.purplelionpaper.com/blog
Lynda - http://memoriesintyme.blogspot.com/
Amy Jo - http://lv2scrapandfibrofacts.blogspot.com/
Ashley - http://especiallymade.blogspot.com/
Charity - http://adamsacres.com/
Suzi - http://www.mrsweyremaster.blogspot.com/
Michelle- http://www.craftychelle.blogspot.com/
Lluvia- http://sweetbirdmemories.blogspot.com/
Barbara http://barbarab3.blogspot.com/
Anita~~http://www.anitaandbugs.blogspot.com/
Alina - http://neverstopscrapping.blogspot.com/
Erica http://mycricutcraftroom.blogspot.com/
Lisa http://handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/
Tanya - http://little-scrapper.blogspot.com/

Friendship's Garden Challenge Blog: CAS

Hello, Bloggers!  How is your new year going so far?  I've been TRYING to declutter and take on some new projects this year, but the process has been slow!  It seems that my days just fly by, and all I do is chase my 16-month old around the house.  She is a little monkey!  She loves climbing everything!  I don't know where she gets all of that energy!  But, she is such a joy and a blessing to have in our lives.  *BIG SMILE*

This week's challenge over at Friendship's Garden Challenge Blog is a CAS project showcasing a sentiment.  "CAS" stands for "Clean and Simple".  It's a great way to get a card done quickly!  Another great way to get a card done fast is to follow a sketch.  I LOVE sketches!  I'm one of those people who takes a realllllllyyyyy long time figuring out a design for a project.  I just can't make up my mind!  LOL  To make things easier and less stressful on myself, I like to make use of sketches.

For this card, I followed this sketch HERE.  I decided to go with a Valentine's Day theme and use some of the leftover paper from my banner project in this post.  I just love this polka dot paper!  The FOREVER sentiment is from a Studio G stamp set I picked up this weekend.  I love that font and the swirls around the sentiment.  Somehow, it just has a romantic feel to it.  I just wish this card photographed better.  I tried scanning it, but that didn't help at all.  *sigh*

Anywho, I hand-cut the sentiment after stamping.  I then decided the card needed just a little something else.  So, I added a little bling and decided to adhere to the sentiment to the card with pop dots to add some dimension.  Voila!  All done!   =)

Well, I hope I have inspired you to check out some sketches if you are not familiar with them.  They are such a great resource!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

My First Project for Forever Night Challenges

(click on image to enlarge)

*** I have two posts today.  If you are looking for the Love Bugs Banner Hop, please CLICK HERE.

Hello, Bloggers!  Today, I am sharing my very first project as a DT member for Forever Night Challenges -- where creepy meets creative!  This week, we are featuring digi's from Dilly Beans Stamps.  Megan over at Dilly Beans Stamps has some really unique stamps in that they are a great combo of creepy and cute!  Please be sure to check out her site!

(click on image to enlarge)

For my project, I chose to work with this cute witch.  I colored her with Copics.  I'm definitely not an expert at coloring yet, but I am having fun practicing!  I think I would have liked to shade the hat a little differently, but maybe that's just me being overly critical of my work.  LOL

Now, over at Forever Night Challenges, the emphasis is more on creepy rather than cutesie, so I made sure to pair the image with some paper that wasn't too bright or cute.  I chose to use Echo Park's Apothecary Emporium.  

(click on image to enlarge)

I also used the same paper to line the inside of the card.  I don't always line the inside of my cards, but I'm trying to get into the habit of doing it more often!  The sentiment was computer-generated and says "Witching you a Happy Birthday!"  I was thinking this would be the first of my handmade birthday cards for the year, but my teenager said she wanted to save it for one of her friends who has an October birthday.  Oh, well ... guess my birthday card count for the year is back to zero.  LOL!

Before signing off, I wanted to share this cute avatar assigned to me over at Forever Night Challenges:  

We were allowed to choose from a bunch of avatars, and when I saw this one, I knew I had to pick it!  The avatar is a representation of Jack Skellington from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas".  If you're familiar with the movie, you'll know that it's really not scary at all.  In fact, Jack Skellington (the main character in the movie) is my fifteen-year-old's FAVORITE character of all time.  So, I thought it was only fitting that I pick this avatar.  

I hope you enjoyed visiting my blog today!  I really appreciate all the comments I get; and, please -- if you have any questions on any of my projects, please feel free to ask!  Thanks and have a great day!

Love Bugs Banner Hop For Special Needs Kids

*** I have two posts today.  If you are looking for the Forever Night Challenges post, please CLICK HERE. 

Welcome to the “Love Bugs Banners for Kids” Hop.

Forty very talented crafty people have come together for a two day hop (Friday, January 6th and Saturday, January 7th) to showcase handmade banners that will be donated to the children at Pediatric Specialty Care. The hope of these banners is that they bring smiles to these children's faces and awareness of Pediatric Specialty Care to all those that hop along.

The “Love Bugs Banner for Kids” Hop has some awesome sponsors and prizes to give away to all those that hop along and leave comments. The more blogs you visit and leave comments at, the more chances you have of winning. That means if you hop through all 20 blogs each day and leave a comment on each blog then you are in the drawing 40 times!

Our Generous Sponsors are:

Jellypark Digital Stamps will award 2 free digi-images to one winner.

K Andrews Designs has donated a stamp set to one winner.

Robyn's Fetish will donate FIVE digital images of the winner's choice as a prize!

Now on with the hop....If you have come from Alina's blog, then you are on the right track but if you have come here by chance – great! but please start from the beginning at Ellen's (AKA CardMonkey) blog and continue through from there.

Now, on to my project:

The theme for this banner project is Valentine's Day and Bugs.  I wanted to create a cute banner for the kids, and I immediately thought of ladybugs!  I turned to my Cricut Create a Critter cartridge for an adorable ladybug image.  I cut her out at 5 1/8 inches.  The letters spelling "HUGS" were cut from the Cricut Storybook cartridge.  I used Design Studio to widen the letters a bit and get them to just the size I wanted for my banner pieces.  The super cute polka dot paper is from Reminisce.  I just LOVE it and think it goes so perfectly with this project!  I tied my banner pieces together with some sheer red ribbon.  Overall, this was a pretty easy project that turned out pretty cute.  I hope it brings a lot of smiles to the kids' faces!

Thank you for joining us today on our “Love Bug Banner for Kids” Hop for the children of Pediatric Specialty Care.   A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Ellen for coordinating these banner hops.  It is such a great cause, and I feel very honored to have a part in it.  Please continue on to Martha's blog to see what she's created for the kids.  Have a great day and don't forget to come back tomorrow!

Here is the complete blog hop lineup:

1. Ellen ♥ CardMonkey - http://cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com/
2. Sandie Dunne - http://sandieshores.blogspot.com/
3. Lori Apgar - http://scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/
4. The Scrapbooking  Queen~ www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/
5. Linda Simpson - http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com/
6. Beckie Woodall - http://justbcreativecrazy.blogspot.com
7. Lisa Lam- http://craftylam.blogspot.com/
8. Jenny (Crazy About Cricut) - http://crazyaboutcricut.blogspot.com/
9. Ashley - http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com/
10. Haidee-http://created2bunique.blogspot.com/
11. Carol - http://cardstockscissorsandglue.blogspot.com/
12. Edwina - http://edwinascreations.blogspot.com/
13. Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/
14. Janet S - http://ladyluvbug.blogspot.com/
15. Denise - http://vintageheartfeltdesigns.blogspot.com/
16. Jamie http://craftygirl21.blogspot.com/
17. Teresa - http://scrappintplace.blogspot.com/
18. Alina - http://neverstopscrapping.blogspot.com/
19. Dena - http://missdjones.blogspot.com/
20. Martha- http://pattisscrapingtime.blogspot.com/
21. Erica http://mycricutcraftroom.blogspot.com

Friendship's Garden Challenge Blog: Vintage Children's ATC (and HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

Hello, all !!!  First of all, I'd like to wish all of my readers a very happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!  I hope you enjoyed the holidays and that Santa was good to you! LOL!

I've been on a little break, trying to enjoy the holidays and get geared up for 2012.  One momentous occasion that happened since I last posted was my FORTIETH birthday!  YIKES!!!  Yep, it's finally here:  my forties! LOL!  But, you know, forty isn't as bad as some people make it out to be.  I, for one, am looking forward to this new chapter in my life.  I've learned a lot in my first forty years of life, and I know I still have much to learn.  But, I was so ready to say goodbye to my thirties and move forward and upwards!  Things will only get better!  So, here's to FORTY !!!  HIP! HIP! HOORAY!!!  =)

(This was my bday cake.  It was one of those cake bites from Baskin & Robbins.  We used a candle that was supposed to be used at Maddie's party.  LOL)

Now, on to my first project of 2012!  This week's bonus challenge over at Friendship's Garden Challenge Blog is an ATC with a vintage children's theme.  I haven't made an ATC in a while.  An ATC is an artist trading card which usually measures 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches.  The base is often just quality cardstock, but I like to use chipboard for mine so that the ATC is a lot sturdier.  I get my ATC chipboard from Etsy.

You will notice that I didn't use any images of children on my ATC.  I did want to, but I just couldn't fit any into my design.  Also, the challenge did not REQUIRE that I use an image of children.  

For me, when I think of "vintage children" as a theme, I often think of children at school.  I pictured a little red school house.  So, I took some red and brown cardstock and embossed them to give them a woodgrain texture.  I then did a simple paper piecing to create the school house for my ATC.

The background paper is actually some digital paper that I scaled down and printed.  If you are interested in the kit, I can look it up for you.  Just leave a comment here with your email address.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but I used TH Distress Ink in Walnut Stain on the edges of the ATC and TH Distress Ink in Vintage Photo on the face of the background paper.

The blue tag base is a really thick chipboard tag that I had in my stash.  The composition book, pencil, ribbon, and little blackboard were all stickers that I found in my supplies.  Gotta love it when I can put something together without having to buy anything new!

If you're wondering what someone might do with a finished ATC -- well, they are meant to be traded.  However, I normally just use mine on cards or tags.  

Finally, I'd like to make a few announcements.  

I've been accepted as a DT member over at Forever Night Challenges, where creepy meets creative!  Think Halloween all year long!  I don't know about you, but I LOVE Halloween as much as I love Christmas!  My term runs the first half of 2012, and I am really excited about this new gig.  Now, don't be spooked.  It's not as scary as it might sound!  =)  I will be posting my very first project for FNC in a few days.  =)

Last, please keep an eye out for some upcoming blog hops I am hosting in February and March.  I will be posting the blog hop buttons in my sidebar.

Come check out some sweet Valentine's Day cards and recipes for decadent desserts that you can make for the loved ones in your life! =)

This blog hop is SPONSORED BY Kenny K. Downloads!  The participants in this hop will all be using some of the sexier images from Kenny K. Downloads for their projects.  One lucky commenter will win FIVE Kenny K. digi's of their choice!

I am super excited about this last blog hop I'm hosting for the first quarter of 2012.  Think Oprah's Favorite Things show where the audience members receive an array of fabulous gifts !  Now, this hop won't be that extravagant, but commenters will have a chance to win blog candy AT EACH stop on the hop!  I will be given away at least ONE DOZEN prizes on my blog!!!!  So, mark your calendars and be sure to stop by that weekend!  And, don't worry.  I WILL post a reminder on my blog before the time comes in case anyone forgets.  =)

Well, I know that was a lot to process.  Thanks for sticking with me through this long post.  Have a great Wednesday!  ALOHA!