It's a Boy!

Hello and welcome to my last Thursday with AiFactory DT Challenge. I've been with AiFactory for 2 terms now and I've had a blast! I will miss the DT girls but I'm sure I will be entering a challenge or two :)

This week, the challenge is:

BUTTONS

We got to use some ADORABLE, absolutely cute baby digi's this week. And just in time since I have a baby shower to attend soon. Actually, I probably won't make it to the party since I'll be recovering from surgery, but I'm sure the mama-to-be will understand.

OK, so I almost left out the buttons. So I added one on the sentiment. The papers are printed, and I got these from Pink Petticoat. The digi is AiFactory, printed once on white and a second time on the DP. The flourish is from Cricut cart Home Decor cut at 1" (regular and shadow).

I also used plenty of pop-dots between the layers, and also noticed there are buttons on the onsie!!

The layout is from Sweet Sketch Wednesday #47.

So show us some BUTTONS and enter at AiFactory Challenge Blog for your chance to win one of this weeks digi sets. Also, don't forget to check out the rest of the DT blogs for more inspiration. Their blogs are to the right ----->

Pink Elephant with AiFactory

Hello all and welcome to Thursday with AiFactory. Today, the DT is working with a set of brushes and the challenge this week is:

ANYTHING GOES

Brushes can be used in a variety of ways, and I have chosen to make my own patterned paper.

We were also challenged to meet as many challenges as possible, so I will list those at the end. For this card, I used the ZooBalloo Cricut cart for the elephant (3" on shadow and silhouette), and the dots embossing folder in the Cuttlebug. Both the solid green and the patterned paper were made in Word - I wanted to make sure they matched so that's why I made the solid paper too. I added ribbon, sewing, and popdots.

So head on over to AiFactory to see all the changes that are going on and to enter this weeks challenge. You have until Wednesday, April 7th at 11:00pm EST to be eligible for the brushes/flourishes prize and a chance to be a guest designer.

This card meets the following challenges:

• Pile It On - #12 Animals


• Incy Wincy Designs - #36 Sewing


• Card Positioning Systems - layout CPS160


• The Cuttlebug Spot - Celebrate our colors (green & pink)
• Color Dare - pink, green, & black

Create an Easel Card at AiFactory

I just love Ella from AiFactory and was super excited that we got a chance to use her this week for the current AiFactory Challenge:

Create an Easel Card

So here is the front of my card. At first I wasn't sure what to do...I don't know why. But then I thought: Clean and Simple always works. The DP is K&Co's Wild Saffron, PTI brown CS, nesties, AiFactory digi, colored with Bics and Copics, and nesties through the Cuttlebug.

Here is a side view. If you don't know how to make one, I highly suggest going to Splitcoaststampers for a tutorial. So my second challenge was making the inside part, so I used a little scallop punch, layered with red, and used the Cricut Mickey Font for "Dance" cut at 1 inch, all on pop dots.

Here is the card on display. Isn't this just the bomb? I love trying a new technique. So don't forget to play along this week at AiFactory and enter your easel card. You do not have to use an AiF image, but there are plenty of FREEBIES and we'd love to see one on your creation.

Thursday Pirate with AiFactory

Hello everyone and welcome to Thursday's AiFactory Challenge! Today's challenge was set by the talented Erin and she has asked us to:

SET A SCENE

'

The DT is using this cute little Pirate boy and his treasure chest. My scene: a treasure map. The map is from the Paper Doll Dress Up Cricut cart - which has the best accessories (cut at 12"). I cut it from an old manilla folder and inked it up with Ranger Tea ink and once dried, I sprinkled a little water on it to create the spots. The blue background is also created from the file folder inked with Ranger Denim ink. Oh, I also used plenty of pop dots!

So play along with us this week at the AiFactory Challenge Blog for a chance to win a free digistamp from the AiFactory Store. Don't forget to visit the rest of the DT for further inspiration: Erin Cheri Penny Monica Fliss Fink Laurie Carole Carlie Kerry Angie Jodi S

Flowers and Butterflies with AiFactory

Good evening! It's Thursday and that means a new challenge with Aifactory Challenge Blog. This weeks challenge #27 is:

CLEAR and SIMPLE

Yes, you read correctly - clear. So join us by creating something simple with a clear component!

This week the DT is working with a beautiful set of flowers. I am using the Mariposa. LOL! Do you get it? Mariposa is Spanish for butterfly! That's why I just HAD to use my new butterfly punch. So I "stamped" my digistamp 3 times in different sizes and colored with Bics and copics.

For my clear element, I punched my butterflies from acetate (transparency) and sponged with blue Ranger alcohol ink. I bent the wings up a bit and adhered with tacky glue (LOVE the tacky).

So come play along with this us by creating something wonderful using something clear!

This card meets the following challenges:

• Cupcake Craft Challenges - #81 Flower Power
• Cardpatterns - layout #54
• Pile It On - The One You Must - one color and a neutral

If you play along at AiFactory, you do not have to use an AiFactory image but there are plenty of FREEBIES if you do want to!

Recipe Cards with AiFactory

I love recipe cards, recipe books, recipe holders....I could go on and on. One of my passions is to be just like Martha Stewart. I also hope some day to be part of her studio audience :)

This week at AiFactory Challenge Blog, the DT is showing off the very pretty and colorful recipe cards. We didn't have to do anything fancy, just share a recipe. First, let me show off the super cute cards that are super easy: just print and cut!

Here is my recipe along with a little tutorial for you all should you decide to give these a try. Oh, and my recipe has been changed through many years of baking these and are made for high altitude. So if you are not high altitude, I suggest you lessen the flour amount by 1/4 cup.

Recipe:

1 1/4 cup lard
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/4 cup wine, water OR juice
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp anise
1 1/2 tsp baking powder


Mix everything together. It doesn't matter what order you add ingredients, but if you warm the lard (highly suggested), make sure you don't pour it directly over the eggs. You don't want to cook them and have little pieces of cooked yolk in your masa(dough).
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I usually roll the masa to approximately 1/4", cut shapes, place on baking sheet, and shake a mixture of sugar and cinnamon on top. Don't be shy with the sugar mixture!

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned (approximately 30 minutes) - don't overcook. The bottoms of the cookies should be light in color.

Also, don't forget what great and economical gifts cookie cutters make! Simply attach a recipe card with your favorite recipe along with a "sample" and voila!

I hope you enjoyed todays baking lesson! Don't forget to show some love to the rest of the AiFactory DT and join us in this weeks challenge.

Easter Tag

I guess I'm just in the mood for tags. There is a super adorable FREEBIE over at AiFactory that I thought would be perfect.

I glued two strips of green ribbon and cut just a little off the top so it would fray to make my grass. I also sponged clouds, but I think it's a little difficult to see with the letters and duckie in the way...but I think they came out pretty good (my first time trying that technique).

I used my letter dies in my cuttlebug to spell "Bean" using chipboard (cereal box) and teal CS. Mr. Duck is colored using my Bics. Now I was thinking this would be for Easter, but I'm not completely positive just yet. But either way, I have it in the waiting for when I'll need it. Thanks for stopping by!

It's a Date with AiFactory

Hello everyone! First, I want to thank all of you who visit my blog and let you know that I really do appreciate it. With work, school, and spending time with Bean, my craft is my escape, and I love to share it. So thanks again for allowing me to share with you.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program!

It is Thursday, which means AiFactory Challenge day. First, I want to let you know there is a super cute digi FREEBIE over at the store right now. I plan to show it off this weekend, but if you can't wait to see what it is, head on over and get it for yourself! Now, the DT is using a calendar but were asked to think outside the box. Of course, we can all print, cut and make a calendar...that would actually be really nice. BUT, what else can we come up with? Well, I can tell you now that you MUST visit the rest of the DT to see their super lovely creations.

When I saw the calendars, my first thought was this:

I used a "toe tag", inked with Ranger denim, distressed the edges, added my calendar and lace, and embellished. The butterfly is QuikCutz, and I thought sewing all around added a nice touch.

So I chose May for my daughter's birthday. Bean will be 3 this year and we got her one of those Fisher Price cameras that you can drop and abuse. Yup, we already got it because it's actually a little hard to find and didn't want to chance waiting till the last minute.

The antenna are handcut since I was having trouble getting a clean cut from the die. Pop dots of course, and inking of the wings using Ranger firebrick red (wow, that's an incomplete sentence!).

Anyway, if you're looking for a challenge, head on over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog to enter this week for a chance to win. Also, you are not required to use an AiF image, but there are plenty of FREEBIES at the store if you just want to get a feel of digistamps.

Thursday with AiFactory and Softpencil

Hello everyone. Today is Thursday and that means another great challenge from AiFactory Challenge Blog. This weeks challenge is to use: HEARTS and lots of them. With Valentines Day just around the corner, this is an easy one!

For this weeks challenge, we were given a super adorable digistamp by the talented Softpencil. Her digis are great, print nicely, and are easy to color. Not only that, but they really are just too cute.

Details: PTI, George Cricut Cart (for the hearts), rik-rak (hmmm, how do you spell that?), copics, round nesties in the Cuttlebug, Softpencil digi and computer generated sentiment, unknown patterned paper, and Ranger firebrick red ink.

This card meets the following challenges:

• Softpencil - Hearts
• AiFactory - Hearts
• Card Patterns - Sketch 50
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Be My Valentine
• Cupcake Craft Challenges - Red and White
• Double Dutch - Be My Valentine
• Incy Wincy Designs - Red and Black
• Pink Elephant - Mushy Gushy Valentine
• Creative Card Crew - Valentines

Wow, that's the most ever for me! So come play along at the challenge blog. You do not have to use an AiF image, but there are plenty of FREEBIES HERE if you would like to use one. Also, take a look at the rest of the DT for more inspiration: Carole, Cheri, Kerry, Angie, Penny, Erin, Monica, Fliss, Fink, Carlie, Laurie, Michelle

AiF Challenge Ahoy Matey! - FREE Card

Hello all. The challenge over at AiFactory Challenge Blog this week is to create a card using a sketch from anywhere you choose. This is the perfect time to check out all the sketch challenges in blog world.

You do not have to use AiFactory images but if you have them, I hope you will use them in your creation. There are also quite a few Freebies available at the store.

Today I am using FTL70 (Fall-To-Layout) from Clean and Simple Stamping. I LOVE their layouts. My DP is M's Just Chillin (one of my favorite paperpacks). I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to place my letters, so if you are wondering, yes, I intentionally made them crooked :)

This week you are playing for the Nautical Collection. It's adorable! For my card, I wanted more of a 3D look (because my favorite item ever is 3D dots). I used glaze on the water and flag just for a little added shine.

Walrus Thanks & Seahorse Friend

So we were out of town last week in South Carolina (my first time there and Bean's first flight). We stayed with family and I wanted to make sure to send a thank you card for making us feel so at home.

So using an adorable digistamp from AiFactory, this is my card for this weeks challenge. The challenge is to use 5 embellishments on your creation and believe it or not, I had a little trouble doing this!

Depending on how you count, I have either 5 or 6 (I count the two ribbons as one, 3 brads, and one photo holder...so it's six if you count the two ribbons as two). Details: M Just chillin DP, AiF image, nesties, copics, Ranger Blue Jean ink, brads, ribbon, computer generated sentiment.

Challenges in this card include:

• AiFactory - 5 embellishments


• 2Sketches4You - layout #44


• Spoon Full of Sugar - Lots of layering

******Card Two******

I love this new digi set and wanted to make just one more card. It doesn't fit the AiF challenge but this set really is adorable. As a matter of fact, you can win this entire set by entering this week's challenge over at AiF Challenge Blog.


This card uses AiF digistamp, M's Cheeky Collection, Michael's $1 acrylic stamps, nesties, Stampin' Up cardstock, copics' 3D dots.

Challenges this card meets:

• Pink Elephant - layout #50
• Spoon Full of Sugar - lots of layering

I hope you will check out the rest of the DT blogs this week for more inspiration using these digistamps: Angie, Erin, Carole, Fink, and Kerry. Oh, I must mention there is an awesome blow fish in this set! I guess I just thought that was important because we saw a HUGE one at the aquarium recently.

Love You on a Cloud

I'm late! I meant to have this posted this morning but just got a connection now. Anyway, I want to share with you a super cute digistamp from AiFactory...actually, it's a new release. Also, there is a challenge over at AiF Challenges Blog to create something using lace and made for Valentines.

The DP happens to have lace already built in! But I thought to be fair, I'd throw in some real lace. I only had off white and couldn't stand how it looked, so I pulled out a red copic and got coloring. It was taking a little while to dry so I used my heat gun to speed it along. The image is AiF - isn't she adorable? The sentiment is computer generated, and the wonderful layout is MojoMonday.

I can't wait for the day when Bean looks through her keepsake box when she's older and realized how much I think of her daily.

Anyway, I hope you will head over to AiF to enter the challenge to win this digistamp for yourself.

Card for 1st Birthday

Some friends of ours have a little girl named Anna Kate who will be turning 1 this month. I am so excited for them and Anna Kate is just a doll. I found an adorable outfit at Target (yes, I love Target and think their clothes are excellent) and here is the card I made to go with the gift:

This was a super simple card with a great layout from Pals Paper Arts. Paper is PTI and DP is DCSW. The lovely ribbon is from Michael's $1 bin (you never know what you'll find in those bins sometimes).

The image is AiFactory colored with copics (this digistamp is actually a FREEBIE that you can find HERE), and the sentiment is Short & Sweet from Stampin' Up (just LOVE that set). Unfortunately, we will have to miss the party do to prior plans, but I hope they will understand and I hope Anna Kate has a wonderful day!

This card meets the following challenges:

• Pals Paper Arts - Layout
• The Pink Elephant - Birthday
• Cupcake Craft Challenges - Something Girlie

Te Quiero Vaca

So this is my first Valentines Day Card. I'm actually early for something!

For those of you non-Spanish speakers: Te quiero Moo-cho (a play on the word mucho) = I love you a lot.

Here's some details: digistamp from Softpencil (her Etsy shop, her AiF shop), sewing, DCWV the Sweet Stack (patterned CS), Copics, computer generated sentiment, G red glitter, Doodlecharms cricut heart cut at 1" and 1.5" (inside). I actually cut the larger heart first and it didn't look good on the front, but I didn't want to waste it so I put it inside.

This also fits the following challenges:

• Pile It On - challenge 29 Anything Digital
• Softpencil - challenge 13 glitter/sparkle (my butterfly)
• Embellish Magazine - Hearts and color combo red/black/pink
• Splitcoaststampers - SC261 layout

Now I have to make something special for Bean. Maybe something with candy.

Last Minute Gift Ideas with AiFactory

It's Tuesday and that means challenge day over at AiFactory Challenge Blog. For Challenge 17, we're using a super cute clip art set perfect for scrapbook layouts, tags, and cards. To enter this challenge, simply show us your gift ideas! Here is mine:

I made four of these for Bean's teachers. They are really good to her and she talks about them with affection...I know she's only 2 1/2, but she really does express herself well. Anyway, these are sort of like little wallets having two pockets, a writing area, and a place for a gift card.

Here's an inside view. On the right, I used one of the clip art images from AiFactory, and will write a small note to each of the teachers. The left side holds the gift card, and the slots contain the Ghirardelli chocolates.

Details: The cardstock is cut at 5.5" by 8". Using my scor-pal, I folded the long end 1/4", then folded again in half and glued in place (you have a flat tube). Then I scored the middle at 4", placed my ribbon using just a little adhesive, then sewed down the middle (the ribbon is now held in place and two pockets are formed). I forgot to mention I made two cuts to hold the gift card BEFORE gluing together. So now just add candy, gift card, embellish, and tie shut.

Other deets: Ellen Krans cardstock, Ghirardelli chocolate/caramel candy, Stampin' Up's Cute & Curly with coordinating punch, AiFactory clipart, ribbon, Firebrick Red Ranger Ink, glue.

I hope you will join us for last minute gift ideas over at AiF. Don't forget to check out the rest of the super talented DT blogs and leave them some love. Their links are to the right.

Friends with Softpencil

OMG how cute is this little girl? I recently got my hands on several of Softpencil's creations and just couldn't wait to use them. This is just a quick card, but I hope to show you more very soon!

So I consider this a CAS card since the only embellishment is the girl. The DP is from M (Just Chillin) so all the cool yellow decoration and words are on the cardstock. The base is PTI.

I printed her on my ink jet, colored her with my bics (all colors used are shown in the above pic except for yellow...that one keeps walking off!), cut her out and popped her up with 3D dots. If you're interested in her digis, you can find them at her Etsy shop or AiFactory.