Month: April 2011

Monster Pains

~ sproatmeyer ~ 8 Comments

Check out this newest release over at Little Miss Muffet Stamps! This is Monster Pains and boy, is he in some monster pains! I had so much fun drawing up this little guy and actually had to remove some bandages and bruises just to get a better look at him – after all, he’s in the recovery phase and walking around already!


I enjoy using these Kids Quotes stamps from Inkadinkadoo and this one was a great fit. This quote was credited to Alyssa Knight, Age 12.


I kept the embellishments minimal and as flat as possible so I could use it as a Get Well card. Those usually go out in two ways… either attached to a dinner or out in the mail. So just in case it would end up in the mail I stuck with the flat stuff.


On my latest shopping spree I ordered some felt and dies from My Favorite Things. I’ve enjoyed using the clouds so much that I had to pick up the sun too. I like using felt for the added texture and it kinda gives me that “warm” feeling that I hope the recipient gets too. ;D

I’d like to enter the following challenges:
Crafty Hos’ Recipe Challenge (one digi and one rubber stamp)
Creative Cowgirls (spring time and rainy days)
Paper Sundaes Challenge #65 (texture)
Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #107 (colors)
Paper Playtime Challenge #43 (weather)


DT: Little Miss Muffet Sneak Peeks
Main Stamp: Monster Pains (LMMS) and Count Your Rainbows (Inkadinkado)
Patterned Paper: Neighborhood (Crate Paper)
Metal Die: My Favorite Things Die-namics Clouds Trio and Sunshine

Copic Markers colored on Copy Paper:
-skin tone: E000, E00, E21, E11
-browns: E50, E53 E55
-reds: 0, R11, R12; R30, R32, R24, R29, R39
-oranges: YR12, YR14, YR18, R05
-yellows: Y32, Y35, Y26, YR20, YR21, YR12
-blues: B0000, B000, B00, B01, B02, BV31, BV23
-purples: BV31, BV32, BV35
-grays: C00, C1, C3

Did you know? Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year.
[Earth Day, Wikipedia.org]

Update: I made the Top 5 at Cupcake Inspirations for this challenge
and selected to be the next guest designer!

Update: I was the winner at Crafty Ho’s for this challenge!

Update: I made the Top 3 at Creative Cowgirls for this challenge!

Cocoa

~ sproatmeyer ~ 15 Comments

Here’s the second preview for today at Little Miss Muffet Challenges… check out Cocoa! One of my favorite spices too. ;D She’s also the first one to be tilting her head and are arms are so that she can lean on something. I might have a card made up in the future doing just that.


I stuck with the classic colors of red, white and back theme and used a new paper frame label that a friend, Maria, sent on down – thanks Maria!!


Some other embellishments I added were pearls, film strip, chipboard embellishment and a button brad. I colored the dress with the R20s colors but then darkened it up with T0 and T2 so it wasn’t so bright. Then I added white details at the bottom of the dress.


I’d like to enter the following challenges:
Lollipop Crafts – Challenge #35 (sketch)
Make it Monday #33
NettieG’s Digital Gems Favorites (stamp & earth tones)
Squigglyfly Challenge #94 (fav. digi technique – colored)
Sweet Stamps Challenge #11 (use a frame)

DT: Little Miss Muffet Challenges New Releases
Main Stamp: Cocoa (LMMS)
Patterned Paper: scraps
Chipboard: Flower Leaf Swirls (MiC)

Copic Markers colored on Copy Paper:
-skin tone: E000, E00, E21, E11, E13, R12
-hair: W1, W2, W4, W6, W8
-eyes: E55, E57, E59
-reds: R21, R22, R24, R29, R39, T0, T2

Did you know? Tangled is a 2010 animated musical film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film features the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy. The film is the 50th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. The story is largely based on the German fairy tale “Rapunzel” by the Brothers Grimm.
[Tangled, Wikipedia.org]

Update: I was in the Top Three at Lollipop Crafts for this challenge!

Rosemary

~ sproatmeyer ~ 10 Comments

Check out this cute new girl from the Sugar & Spice Dolls.. meet Rosemary! She was released today over at Little Miss Muffet Stamps along with two other girls plus a Monster in some mega-monster pains! 😀 Check them all out plus some more inspiration from the Design Team over at Little Miss Muffet Challenges!!


I kept the embellishments simple on this card… actually if you haven’t noticed, there’s nothing but paper this time around! LOL The papers I found had all that I was looking for and then I used a colored Uni Cycle I had left over from a previous project.


The sentiment is from a local craft store and I thought it went well with the postage card look. The label and orange start circle is from another paper from the same paper pack. I colored Rosemary using the same color pallet and tried out a new skin tone combo as well.

I’d like to enter the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #44 (red, white, blue)
Karens Doodles Challenges (layers)
A Spoon Full of Sugar #148 (let’s celebrate)
StampFairy Challenge #19 (for the girls w/sentiment)
The Corrosive Challenge #112

(Home Sweet Home – postcards from home and a good book)



DT: Little Miss Muffet Challenges New Releases
Main Stamp: Rosemary (LMMS) and Uni Cycle (MiC)
Patterned Paper: Mod-Retro (DCWV)

Copic Markers colored on Copy Paper:
-skin tone: E000, E00, E01, E02, E11, R12
-hair: E08, E09, E18
-browns: E41, E42, E43
-reds: R22, R24, R27, R29, R59
-yellows: Y32, Y35
-greens: YG61, YG63, YG67
-blues: C1, C3, C5, B91, B93

Did you know? “What Are Little Boys Made Of?” is a popular nursery rhyme dating from the early nineteenth century. In the earliest known versions, the first ingredient for boys is either “snips” or “snigs”, the latter being a Cumbrian dialect word for a small eel. The rhyme sometimes appears as part of a larger work called “What Folks Are Made Of” or “What All the World Is Made Of”. Other stanzas describe what babies, young men, young women, sailors, soldiers, nurses, fathers, mothers, old men, old women, and all folks are made of.
[What Are Little Boys Made Of?, Wikipedia.org]

Mary Tapping

~ sproatmeyer ~ 238 Comments

Clowns, Fairy floss, sticky fingers, squeals of delight and of course complaints of sore feet near the end of the day… Where are we? THE CARNIVAL!! Welcome to Mo & Zo’s Super Carnival Blog Hop!!

You should have arrived here from ZOE’s,
but if you didn’t you can start at JAK’s where this incredible Carnival hop begins!

My card combines Mo’s Mary Tapping with Zoe’s Uni-Cycle which apparently were meant for each other unbeknownst the two! ;D Check it out…


Earlier this week, I also made a card using James at the Carnival with the Candy Cart. Click on the sneak peek picture below to see all the details for even more inspiration – that card was made with everything but the kitchen sink!


Zoe from Make it Crafty and Mo from Mo’s Digital Pencil, came together to share the delight and fun of The Carnival. To celebrate – the two fabulously talented teams have come together for a massive blog hop to offer you plenty of inspiration when playing with these images.

Along the way you will find balloons with a letter in them so be sure to collect them for the end. There are three grand prizes for a correct answer plus lots of hidden prizes! Here’s what the Uni-Cycle looks like in it’s complete form:


Now we know this is a super big hop, but we wanted to make sure you would get LOTS of inspiration! The hop will be open until the 28th of April so you will have plenty of time to come back each day with a cuppa to soak it all up!


We would like to thank our fabulous sponsors, Mo’s Digital Pencil, Make it Crafty, Stamping Bella and Quixotic Paperie for providing the fabulous prizes for this grand carnival hop! Also, don’t forget to drop by Mo’s Digital Pencil and pick up “Cotton Candy” which will be available for a limited time at it’s reduced price! Blinkie details are on the sidebar.


I’d like to enter into the following challenges:
Scrap-Creations Challenge (digital stamps)
Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge #24 (anything goes)
Tip Top Tuesday Challenge #30 (open theme)
Joyful Stamper Inspire Me Friday #3 (anything goes)
Woodware USA Challenge #23 (diecuts/punches)
In case you have trouble finding my balloon, my letter is “L”. Don’t forget to leave comments along the way. Just a few more details here about this card below then …

your next hop is to ANGELA!


Main Stamp: Mary Tapping (MO) and Uni Cycle (MiC)
Patterned Paper: Neighborhood (Crate Paper)
Chipboard: Love Heart Swirls (MiC)
Metal Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Seven and My Favorite Things Die-namics Clouds Trio

Copic Markers colored on Copy Paper:
-skin tone: E000, E00, E21, E11, E13
-face: 0, C00, C1, C3
-browns: E50, E51, E53, E55
-reds: R20, R21, R22, R24, R29
-yellows: YR3, Y23, Y35, Y26
-greens: G40, G82, G85, G99
-blues: BG53, B000, B21, B23, B26
-grays: T2, T4, T6, T8

Did you know? Bristol board is an uncoated, machine-finished paperboard and is named after the city of Bristol in the southwest of England. Bristol board may be rated by the number of plies it contains or, in Europe, by its grammage of 220 to 250. It provides two working surfaces, front and back, which separates it from illustration board that only has a front working surface. The surface texture can vary for different applications, including a smooth plate finish and a medium vellum. Artists working with friction-based media, such as crayon, chalks, or charcoal would use a rougher texture. Smooth finishes are generally more suited to other types of media, such as inks.
[Bristol Board, Wikipedia.org]

Update: I made the Top 3 at Scrap-Creations for this challenge!

MEGA Blog Candy & Blog Hop!!

~ sproatmeyer ~ 19 Comments

Are you ready for some Blog Candy?! Grandma’s Pearl and ForgottenScraps {that’s me} have pulled together with our sponsor, Little Miss Muffet Stamps {also me}, to bring you up to FIVE different blog candies with lots of chances to win! We also have fabulous items donated by Make it Crafty including Zoe’s wonderful laser-cut chipboard embellishments and fun sentiment stamps! Thanks Zoe! 😀

Blog Candy Blog Hop

This blog candy is so large we divided it up onto three blogs so don’t miss out on any of it! It’s like a blog hop for blog candy – how cool is that! 😀 Here are the quick links for all in the hop and you’ll want to visit each one:

The basic goal is to become a follower of all FOUR blogs. Here’s the first lot of blog candy which will be offered from this site to one lucky winner!! And read on to the end for more and more prizes…

The Rules

This blog candy will remain open until Wednesday, May 11 at 10:00pm Central time. Winners will be announced on May 12 and included with that week’s challenge winners at Little Miss Muffet Challenges.

Step 1: If you’re not already, become a follower of THIS blog
Step 2: Enter your name in the link below
Step 3: Head on over to Grandma’s Pearl and follow those details
Step 4: Head on over to Little Miss Muffet Challenges and follow those details
Step 5: Become a follower of Little Miss Muffet Stamps

UPDATE: Add either of the Blog Candy badges to your blog layout and enter your name into the linking pool for an additional time! (Add “CandyBar” to your name or something similar.) Just remember to link up to a different card from you blog because the InLinkz pool doesn’t allow duplicate URLs.

800 Followers Goal Details

But before you go… check out the second lot of blog candy! If THIS blog reaches a goal of 800 Followers then this will go out to a second lucky winner!! Everyone is included – friends, family and fellow DT members too – anywhere in the world.


So grab the ginormous badge from the sidebar, or even the “candy bar” at the top, and spread the word! The more people that follow, the more loot to win!! Plus there is some special prizes available only at the Little Miss Muffet Challenges blog.

Free Digis Details

But wait… there’s more!! For every increase of 100 Followers on EACH site, Little Miss Muffet Stamps will have a drawing for TWO free digis!! For example, on THIS blog, one lucky participant will be selected from the linking pool every time the Followers count hits a 100 mark. (So the first mark is less than 50 away!!) Be sure to become a Follower on all four of these blogs…

When EACH blog hits their 100 Followers mark then one random winner will be selected from the linking pool to receive two free digis. So if all four blogs increase at the same time there will be FOUR winners … and so on! All winners will be announced on a Thursday post at Little Miss Muffet Challenges.

Wow – that’s a lot of linking!!
Here’s a recap on how your name can be added to THIS link below:

1. Be a Follower of this blog … add your name
2. Add a badge to your blog’s layout … add your name “+CandyBar”
3. Make a card for the current challenge … add your name “+Challenge”
(Note: You must use using a Little Miss Muffet Stamp)
4. Want to make another card for the challenge? … add your name each time!
(Note: You must use using a Little Miss Muffet Stamp)

Here’s the link for THIS blog and your next stop on the “hop” is Grandma’s Pearl.
http://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=48467

Sugar ‘n Spice Dolls

~ sproatmeyer ~ 14 Comments

Here the card I made using the gray samples from the in the last technique post, Tips, Tricks & Techniques 0x022, and uses all four tones of Copic grays. I arranged them in the center putting cools and warms opposite each other to balance out the difference. Then I continued to add everything else to the card too for another eclectic look. ;D


Here’s a picture of all the colors used on the Sugar ‘n Spice Dolls, from the top to bottom, and from coolest to warmest, the names of the images are Pepper, Peppermint, Nutmeg and Cinamon.

I used the carnival themed paper again and added various objects such as ribbon roses, linen mesh, chipboard embellishments, hat pins, film strip, ticket and carnival candy (faux of course)! Did you spot all that? Now we just need to find Waldo and we’ll be set.


I’d like to enter it into the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments Challenge #26 (Anything Goes)
Just Add In Challenge #64 (chocolate wrapper color combo)
Moving Along with the Times Challenge #94 (chocolate)
Art Impressions Stamps Challenge #12 (Anything Goes)
Fashion Inspiration Challenge #89 (flowers – ribbon roses)


Main Stamp: Pepper, Nutmeg, Peppermint & Cinnamon (LMMS)
Patterned Paper: le Cirque (Graphic45)
Chipboard: Love Heart Swirls (MiC)
Metal Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels One and Inverted Scalloped Squares

Copic Markers colored on Copy Paper:
Pepper: C00, C1, C3, C5, C7, C9
Peppermint: 0, N1, N3, N5, N7, N9
Nutmeg: T0, T1, T3, T5, T7, T9
Cinnamon: W00, W1, W3, W5, W7, W8

Did you know? Sinbad the Sailor is a fictional sailor from Basrah, living during the Abbasid Caliphate and the hero of a story-cycle of Middle Eastern origin. During his voyages throughout the seas east of Africa and south of Asia, he has fantastic adventures going to magical places, meeting monsters, and encountering supernatural phenomena.
[Sinbad the Sailor, Wikipedia.org]