Sheetload of Cards June Ezine Sneak Peeks

Take a looksie at Sheetloads of Cards June sneak peeks. The June ezine download will go live on Monday, June 1.

Better yet, make sure to sign-up for the newsletter so that you will be sent a reminder to download issues every month. Alicia offers some fabulous prizes for Sheetload fans as well so make sure to sign-up as a follower too.

More Grad Cards...

"No more school, No more books, no more teachers, dirty looks..."

(remember kids singing this verse in movies when they get out of school???)

Today, marks the beginning of summer vacation...

I have 2 more grad cards to show you...the last two! Boy, oh, boy...I have never been this busy making cards the last few months. I feel like a cardmaking factory. Spring time is a busy time for me with Mother's Day, birthdays, anniversaries, teacher gifts, and graduation going on at what seems like all at the same time! And having all of these DT duties have been pushing my "arse" to get these cards done. But all of the effort is worth it since all of the cards and gifts are going to some very special people.

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge MMSC2

My hubby is the varsity baseball coach and some of the graduating seniors are on his team. So I thought it would be appropriate to use GinaK Designs Just So Sporty stamp set for a grad card. I really did not want to go the traditional route (like you've seen with the other two I made for the first Digiments release).

I've been looking for an excuse to use the Just So Sporty stamp set by Melanie Muenchinger from GinaK Designs and this was the inspiration I was looking for. This was also the first time I've used a CTMH set called Baseball. I've never owned a CTMH clear set until now but have always admired their stamp sets. I embossed kraft cardstock with the numbers collage embossing folder. I added a strip of summer sun on top of it. I added two strips of bordering blue cardstock and punched them with Fiskars apron lace (hope that doesn't make the card too girly). I layered a piece of ruby red cardstock and stamped the white layer with Cornish Heritage Farms Lined Paper background stamp - love love this stamp...it goes so great with school/office related projects. After using the spiral punch, I distressed the layer stamped with Lined Paper on the edges to make it look like it was just ripped out of a notebook. I added some string as an embellie on the bottom part. I stamped the t-shirt on kraft cardstock and sponged on some ruby red ink to give it some color. I stamped "All Star" with Palette New Canvas ink. I also used my white gel pen to highlight the collar as well as the stripes on the sleeves. To finish it off, I used my classic circle nesties to create the sentiment using the CTMH Baseball stamp set. To get two colors on the ball, I used SU markers and spritzed it with water before stamping which gave me a more distressed watercolored look. Then I stamped the "class of" and "09" from the Just So Sporty set on top of the baseball image. To make the baseball look like it was rolling around in dirt a little, I sponged a little bit of more mustard around the edges of the circle.

The card came together quickly using the sketch challenge, MMSC2, on the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge blog. The card uses the school colors: maroon and yellow (more mustard color). It took me a long time to figure out exactly what layout I was going to use. But, after browsing though the SCS gallery for inspiration, Priscilla, who started the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge Blog, left a comment on one of my girl grad cards in my gallery and invited me to check out her new challenge blog and participate (thanks Priscilla!). I think I had until this past Tuesday to send a link to my card to enter her contest to win a whopping prize, but it tool me so long to get a pic of it. Oh well, will have to participate next time! Once I created the first card, it was a cinch to get the other 6 cards done in no time.

Stamps: GinaK Designs (Just So Sporty), CTMH (Baseball), Cornish Heritage Farms (Lined Paper)
Patterned Paper: None used
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up (Bashful Blue, Ruby Red), Unkown (White, Kraft)
Ink: Stampin’ Up (More Mustard, Ruby Red), Palette (Burnt Umber)
Die Cut: Nestabilities (Classic Circles), Cuttlebug (Number Collage)
Punch: Fiskars (Apron Lace)
Fiber: String

Jen Del Muro's SFYTT 5.23.09

This card was created following Jen Del Muro's sketch on 5.23.09. I just love participating in her sketch challenges. She posts new sketches every Saturday so make sure to sign-up for her newsletter so you can play along every week. I needed another girlie grad card and I hadn't used this grad digiment yet. This card showcases a simple but very powerful message. Again, I used the arabesque digi-stamp from Mel Stampz since I don't have the nesties label that looks like this one (not yet at least - LOL). But, seriously, Mel is so great at sharing! LOVE HER!

I love the papers I used on this card - just screams summer vacation and what better way to utilize it than on a grad card. I used the paper pleating method on the 2nd patterned paper layer. I had seen this technique on one of the Papercrafting Magazines last year and just now experimenting. I love the pleated look. My sewing machine is having a tantrum again so I had to improvise on how to adhere the pleats together and I just love the stitched look. Anyway, I ended up using double stick tape underneath and it held together quite well. I had to put some kind of stitching on there so I created two cross stitches using black crochet thread. I marked where I wanted the stitches first with a pencil and then used my paper piercer to poke the holes and used a mega thick needle to get through the paper. I think it turned out ok looking. I felt it needed something else so I added a circle behind the digiment to make it stand out a bit more. I used my nesties classic circle and lined it with some graph paper. I used my slit punch to create the scallops on the side of the card. Voila! Done...

Digital Images: Digiments (Graduation Day), Mel Stampz (Arabesque)
Patterned Paper: Vibrant Paper Pad, Unkown (Graph Paper)
Cardstock: Unkown
Ink: Stampin’ Up (Summer Sun)
Die Cut: Nestabilities (Classic Circles)
Punch: Stampin’ Up (Slit)
Ribbon: Wal-mart (Satin Green)
Stitching: Black Crochet Thread

Happy Birthday - Irish Blessing Digiments Challenge #2

SCS Challenge TLC 212

Better late than never...here is my sample card for the Digiments Challenge #2 that is going on this week. This challenge ends this Sunday and a new challenge will be posted next week.

I created this card using SCS Challenge Try a New Technique 212: Ribbon Frame. I've been wanting to use this technique since I first saw it posted on SCS and I finally had the chance to use it on this card. I normally don't use bright colors, but this card called for it. I based my colors from the ribbon I bought from Michael's awhile back. It was very hard not to use any kind of patterned paper on this since that is what I use on most of my cards.

This is also the first time I've used my Nesties curved rectangles and have been wanting to use those to make a different shaped card. You might not be able to see it well, but I embossed the 2nd layer (purple) with the textile embossing folder for added texture. I added some red rhinestones for some bling.

Digiments Challenge #2

Hey ya'll! Happy Wednesday! I didn't want to forget to post about the Digiments challenge #2 going on right now. Michelle will be posting a free digiment to work with every week until the new release - June 13 is the big day so mark your calendars!!!

All you have to do is make a card using the free digiment she's posted on the blog. Make sure you participate in as many as you can because she is offering once more the oompaloompa prize of winning the entire June release! But this time, she will be picking TWO winners. If you love her digiments, you will want to participate and win this one for sure! Michelle just keeps coming up with some pretty cool digiments versatile for any type of papercrafting project.

I am hoping to make a sample card this week using the free digiment since I did not get a chance to work on one for last week, but that will be in a later post...Until then, make sure to stop on by the Digiments blog to download the latest and greatest digiments up for grabs! So get your hiney over there and make a card or two...

DIGIMENTS CHALLENGE #2

Sheetload of Cards - May Challenges Reminder

There's still a chance to win some fabulous prizes over at Sheetload of Cards...

You have until the end of May to post for these challenges.

Show Us Your SheetLoad

Shout Out to SheetLoad

"Fan" Blog Candy

Last one - I promise!!!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! It's been nice and sunny here in my parts, but today it is cold again and gloomy - looks like heavy rain today - aarrgghhhh! I've got to finish some more grad cards. We accidentally missed two of the graduation parties already this weekend - ooopppppsss!

Now, for my last announcement...PROMISE! My dreams have finally come true and I went from applying to several different companies to being a design team member for 3 awesome companies! Judi Maddigan from Angels Landing has invited me to be part of her summer design team. I just loved working with Judi's images. They are so adorable and are so versatile as you've seen in some of my previous Angels Landing posts.

Take a looksie at the other gals who made the team...Make sure to stop by and give my other DT members some love! Look forward to working with all of them. Do you see a familiar name in the list? Yes, that is Jennifer Scull. I get to work side by side with Jennifer again.

Suzy Haghighi
Sparkle Smith
Lynn McAuley
Lauri Ingram

Jennifer Scull
Cheryl Walker

Cheryl Rowley

Angels Landing Summer Design Team Announcement

The Cat has been let out the bag...

As Alicia put it on her post on the Sheetload blog,

"as one door closes, another opens..."

Do you remember at the end of April, I created a post for a Sheetload DT submission??? Well, I received an email from Alicia a couple of weeks graciously letting me know I did not make it on the team. It was a disappointing time, but I have told myself that I would put another application the next time Sheetload had another DT call. Since then, it's been a a whirlwind of projects, but it's been fun creating!

With a twist of fate, I received an email from Alicia this weekend asking me to be part of the Sheetload Design Team. Of course, with no hesitation, I quickly accepted the position. Yay me!

One of the senior DT gals, Marlene Lo, is stepping down from her previous design team duties to focus on other obligations during this time. Marlene is a fabulous artist and will miss seeing her fabulous samples on the ezine.

I am so gitty with excitement that I will be part of one of the biggest challenge blogs on the net! I was just tickled pink when I found out I was one of her top choices...

Thanks Alicia for this great opportunity!!!

Click here for announcement on Sheetload