Sending Hugs!

Hey gang, me again with a super rushed "Cased" card... I cannot believe today is already April 26th... I feel like April has FLOWN by... And I totally kept telling myself that I had until the end of the month to get my Guest DT tryout project for Elisabeth Bell's Challenge blog ready... Um, yeah, then I looked at the calendar and yup, I had TWO hours to whip up a card...

Thankfully, the DT tryout challenge is to case a card from the Elisabeth Bell's Challenge blog... I chose Linda's gorgeous "Little Bit of Sunshine"

and used I Love you This Much for my interpretation...

This one was definitely fun to put together but I have GOT to run because my hubby is having a fit... I kinda started dinner then ran away to the scrap room so I would meet the deadline and now he's, well... you get my gist! :) 

Hugs!

Happy Mother's Day Feature! :)

Hey gang!! I'm SOOOO psyched to share that I have been featured on the Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge Blog this month... I mean, ok, so it was a random choice; any winner is invited to be featured in the following month's challenge, but still... it's an honor! :)

This card was created for the flowers challenge at Elisabeth Bell's world and I made it with my mom in mind... I'm pretty sure this will be her mother's day card even though the little boy SOOOO reminds me of my own son... Hmmmmmm, maybe it'll be HIS card to her... 

I'm also submitting this one to:

Broken Box Stock (Mother's Day)

Just Add Ink (Fun Background... I colored in the grass and clouds/sky...)

Stamping with the Dragon (Spring has Sprung)

Totally PaperCrafts (Flowers and lace)

Thanks for checking in and have a great day!!!

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall...

Hey there, me again with a quick post to showcase a mirrored image card using The Evil Queen Honey from Sassy Studio Designs. Originally I made this one for the C.R.A.F.T Challenge (Queen for the Day/Fantasy/Bling) with every intention of giving her to my Stepmom for her Birthday, but then I started thinking about what message that might convey...

I don't think my Stepmom is evil (anymore, lol!!). When I was a teenager I used to feel more like Cinderella than Snow White, because of all the chicken I had to clean in order to get out of the house... But it's those same cooking skills my Stepmom instilled in me years ago that I rely upon now as a mom, so how can I begrudge her that, lol?

Soooo, this card is officially in my "stash" pile until I can find a better, less sensitive subject and recipient!

I am submitting this one to:

Paper Crafting Journey (Use a Sentiment)

Craft Room Challenge (Sentimental)

LEJ (Magical)

Thanks for stopping by (again?) and have a crafty day!! I'm SOOOO trying to get the kids to bed early so I can play tonight... how about you??

I hope YOUR day sparkles!

Hey gang, Adina here again with aNOTHER Sassy Studio Designs card... Yesterday I showcased Elizabeth Laura Bennett because, well, she's my heroine from the 1800s... My MODERN heroine has, however, always been Carrie from Sex and the City, not because I want to live her life, but because she was always so CONFIDENT. I mean, they ALL were, to some extent, but she pursued the dream of writing to the fullest, and she was just so.... amazing as a character! :) I SHOULD go read the books now that the series is over...

SOOOOO, of course Lindsay over at Sassy Studios was two steps ahead of me when it comes to designing heroines, and she created Digi Stamps of ALL the Sex and the City girls! :) And they are GORGEOUS!! So gorgeous that I just bought the other three like two days ago because I "HAD" to have them! :)

I used Carrie Sassy for this card and ended up giving the card away almost immediately because who DOESN'T relate to her?! :)

This card was made for the Polka Dot Challenge at Charisma Cards, which is being sponsored by Sassy Studio Designs this week, and I am submitting her to:

Artistic Impressions (Card for a Lady)

Art Impressions (Layers)

Copic Marker Europe (Girls Aloud)

Crafty Ribbons (Anything Goes with Ribbons)

Thanks for stopping by today and I DO hope your day sparkles as well! :)

Every moment has its pleasures and its hope (Mansfield Park)

Hello bloggers! Adina here with ANOTHER Sassy creation (I know, these images, ROCK, right?)... 

WELL, if you landed here at my blog, you may have noticed the title of my blog is "According to Jane Austen." That would be because she is my #1 favorite author to teach, read, and study. And it's ironic because I'm SOOO not into sappy love stories in real life. But when I escape into a book, I just love the sarcasm, wit, and eventual happy ending afforded by a good Austen title...

I haven't read them all though, which makes me sad. :) But I'm getting there! And I read Pride and Prejudice EVERY year since I teach it to my British Literature class in the Spring. So that does help me get my fix... :)

And thus, my Elizabeth Laura Bennett tribute below... :) Lindsay over at Sassy Studios created this BEAUTIFUL rendition of our Pride and Prejudice heroine, and as soon as I saw her my heart kinda got happy. :) 

Here she is colored very much like Kiera Knightly, hair wise at least, but I'm thinking of inking her up again sometime soon with lighter browns to her hair... But I digress... :)

This card was created for the Anything Goes challenge at Penny's Paper Crafty being sponsored by Sassy Studios this week. I am also submitting Ms. Bennett to:

Artistic Inspirations (Card for a Lady)
The Crafty Blogger's Network (Anything Goes)
Sparkle N Sprinkle (Digi)
613 Avenue Create (Anything Goes)
Simon Says Stamp (Anything Goes)

Thanks, as always, for stopping by and have a wonderful, crafty day! :)

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friends take two

So I have a thing for this image of Marilyn from Sassy Studios... So much that I used it AGAIN on this card for this week's Craft Your Passion challenge, aptly titled "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" :)... The challenge is bling, but I HAD to ink up Marilyn again... Maybe the next time I use her I will change her colors, but it's so much fun to pay tribute to the movie with this digi! :)

I'll be submitting this one to the following challenges as well:

One Stitch at a Time (Use a Digi)

Left of Center (Bling)

Sarah Hurley (Character)

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a FABULOUS day! :) 

Just a note

Hello there bloggers and happy Tuesday to ya! :) I  am having SUCH a relaxing week this week (thank God!) because my juniors are on internship. So instead of catching up with grading and lesson plans, I have been getting crafty, lol (typical procrastinator...).

This lil note was created for this fortnight's Card Makin' Mamas challenge (Ribbons). The wooden butterfly is from Kaiser Craft and I think the simplicity of this card has made me love it... I kept looking at it wondering what else it needed, but the ribbons really do the talking here, which is a nice little change for me! :)

I am submitting this one to the following challenges:

ABC Challenge (L for lovely lace)
Alotta Rubber Stamps (Lace, Ribbon, Round shape on the butterfly)
Emma's Crafty Challenge (Butterflies)
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop (Spring)


Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful, relaxing day! :)

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” (Pride and Prejudice)

It is SOOOO good to be home! I had my first day off today since what feels like forever. I just got back from an intense tour of London and Paris with my students (14 seniors, 4 juniors). And as much as I love London and the IDEA of Paris, I am so done with international travel. At least with teens! :) They ran me ragged this year.

But I'm sure I will come back to the trip in subsequent posts, as we DID get some nice pictures I will HAVE to scrap someday! :)

I am actually posting again today because besides being tax day, April 15th means we have a new challenge up at the Sunshine Mail Foundation!! If you haven't checked out this amazing cause yet, please do head over to the main website to get an idea of what the mission is... In short, we are asked to create cards and send them in to the organization, who then distributes our handmade goodies with care packages to kids suffering from sicknesses, homelessness, and other horrible situations. It feels so GOOD to actually be giving back to young people...

This fortnight's challenge is sponsored by Oak Pond Creations who is having a HUGE party/giveaway to celebrate their one year anniversary! :) To play along for THEIR blog candy, all you have to do is submit a card using an Oak Pond image... THEN you can submit it to Sunshine Mail, mail it into the organization, and viola, you have entered TWO really cool challenges with one fell swoop... :)

My creation is a Garden Inspired card that I sent into the Sunshine Mail Foundation for a young boy in need. It is SO hard for me to make masculine cards cause most of my stash is feminine, so this image came in VERY handy! :)

I am also submitting this one to Card Mania for their Punches/Diecut challenge, as well as Cards for Men (do boys count?) and Digi Darla's Gardening Challenge. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and if you are headed to Paris, watch out for pickpockets! It got so bad that they closed the Louvre on Wednesday (two days after we left) because even the locals feel unsafe. It made me sad that the city of love was surrounded by very aggressive pickpockets.... Anyway, more on that later! :)

Crafty Cavalier

Hello there and happy Monday! Adina here with a cutie Cavalier for you today! :) This little pup was supplied by The Paper Shelter for this week's Adorable Animals challenge at Craft Your Passion!

This one is definitely going into the basket for our next Sunshine Mail mailing, because I think the lil pup will definitely brighten a child's day! :) 

I am submitting this one to the following challenges:
QKR Stampede (For a Child)
Simply Create Too (Use your stash; the DP is some OLLLDDDDD CTMH paper, the flowers have been on hand since FOREVER, and  the brad in the orange flower has been around since the Jurassic age. Serioulsy). :)
Delightful Challenges (Circles/Round card)


Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day! :)

Diamonds are STILL a Girl's Best Friend...

Today I am showcasing a blinged out Marilyn Monroe ala Gentlemen Prefer Blondes... It's amazing to me the cult following Marilyn has from movies like this one and Some Like it Hot... I actually made my 10-year-old daughter sit with me for an old movies film fest and these two titles, Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady were also in the line up. I mean, with kids imitating artists who have passed away but have become icons of fashion and media, well, don't you think they should see the ORIGINAL film that inspired all the following? 

And now I will get off the soapbox... :)

So this card was made using Diamonds are A Girl's Best Friend from Sassy Studio Designs and I HAD to bling her up with some stickles for jewlery and ALL over... :) then there's the trademark big bow to tie it all together (pun intended, lol)...

Sassy Studios is sponsoring this week's challenge at Crafting When We Can and I will be submitting this one to Chocolate Coffee and Cards (color challenge), 613 Avenue Create (Anything Goes), One Stop Craft Challenge's Pastels challenge and Dream Valley Challenges (Happy Birthday).

Thanks for looking and enjoy your Sunday! :)

I'm SASSY and you KNOW it! :)

Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle...well, you know where I'm going with that... :)

It's official... I'm a Sassy... Gal? Peep? Chick? DESIGNER!!! :) I'm so so so so so excited to announce that I was selected to be on the Sassy Studio Designs DT for this term! I have LITERALLY drooled over their images since like forever, and I've been a fan of SSD on Paper Craft Planet since like always... Long story short, I decided to throw my hat in the ring for their DT call, but I honestly didn't think I'd make it... 

And when I got back from Paris, lo and behold yup, there was an acceptance email in my bin just WAITING for me to get giddy over! :) (More about Paris in another post, but if you are on your way there, WATCH OUT FOR PICKPOCKETS!!!). 

Ok, so my first assignment at Sassy Studio Designs was actually one that posted today in response to Brown Sugar Challenge's Step/Easel card challenge.

Wonder Regan was colored using copics and then added to the easel background that I punched out with Martha Stewart's Around the Page punches (check out my tutorial on these punches here). 

I'll be submitting this one to Brown Sugar Challenges' Easel Card Challenge, Forever Friends' Diecut/Punches challenge, Moving Along with the Times' Movie Challenge (Ok, so Wonder Woman was better on TV than the movies... but there WAS a movie!!) :), and the Southern Girls' Challenge Make Like a Zebra... :) 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and sharing in my good news! :) Hope to "see" you around again soon!! :)

Time to Get Sketchy with the DOO!!!

Hello blogland!! Welcome to April!! :) I don't know about YOU but I am DEFINITELY looking forward to the beginning of Spring! :) AND because it's a new month, Scrap-A-Doodle Doo has a new sketch challenge for you! :)

This month's sketch was created by my friend and mentor, Mrs. Sherri Caramico... She is amazing and talented and just plain old nice... so if you haven't "met" her online yet, you should definitely check out her blog and drop her a line! :)

This is the sketch she came up with this month:

And this is my take on it...

I actually loved the banners so much that I had to go ahead and do a two page layout for this one, celebrating my newest niece, Serenity! :)

So please head on over to the Scrap-A-Doodle Doo blog and check out this month's sketch! All participants who are followers of the blog will be entered to win a $10 gift certificate to Scrap-A-Doodle Doo!  See you there! :)

It's the cute ones that have it in the bag... :)

Hello there and happy Spring blogworld! :) I'm back with a lil critter today. I am notorious for creating cards of "girls"... I don't know WHY I gravitate toward stamps of females and such, probably because when I was little I liked paper dolls and such... So it is really a challenge for me to craft things like scenery and animals...

SOOOO, this week's challenge at Craft Your Passion is to make it "cute" and our sponsor was 2 Cute Ink. I got to play with "Owl You Need is Love".

I'm submitting this one to Creative Moments' Animals challenge and the 7 Kids College Funds' Things with Wings challenge. Thanks for flying by today! :)

Spring has sprung! :)

It's officially spring here in NJ, but we are expecting a snow storm this weekend... Irony... :) BUT over at the Sunshine Mail Foundation, we ARE still celebrating the arrival of Spring, with a Spring challenge for you! :) To win the goods, you must send in your card within a few weeks BUT the good news is that your card goes for SUCH a great cause! It will be used to brighten a child's day and then some! :)

 

I love this little lady... her birdies just screamed spring to me! :) I'm submitting this one to Card Makin' Mamas' spring colors challenge, Color Me Creative's Spring Colors challenge and In the Pink's Spring challenge. Thanks so much for looking and happy spring!

"I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle." (P& P)

Hello there and happy Monday! Today I'd like to share with you this adorable little girl after my own heart... Originally I wanted to give her sherbet ice cream to go with the color scheme of the card, but I am a chocolate lover through and through and this kind of just happened. :)

I had lots of fun with her though... She's a digi from The Sugar Kissed Cottage and was created for the lace/ribbons challenge at Craft Your Passion this week. Her vintage style is RIGHT up my alley and I combined her with a lil doily and lace for that soft touch... AND I finally cracked out my washi tape!!! I almost kept going with it too! :) LOVE the stuff....

I"m submitting this cutie to Glitter n Sparkle's Spring Colors challenge, as well as Lacy Sunshine's Layer it Up challenge, Emma's Cards Vintage Challenge, and Oozak's Anything Goes/Spring challenge.

Thanks for swinging by and have a great day!! :)