Saying it with Borders

I am so excited to share today's layout with you!  I won a challenge for challenge ideas in the SCAL Users Group - Woo Hoo!  I can always use an extra $10!  Better yet - they used my idea to this week's challenge.   

So the challenge is to make a border.  So my border began as an image from Creative Fabrica (Mountain Landscape Black Silhouette). I manipulated it to get three separate layers. I colored the mountains in Ecal and did Print 2 Cut for all the layers....as pictured in the reply. Then I added them to the layout with each layer popped up. I LOVE the end result! I also cut the cacti using a freebie from LoveSVG. I didn't plan them as a border....but they sure would make a nice border!!!!

Have a TURTLE-Y Awesome Day!

I knew the majority of today would be dedicated to some crafting - I have so many special cards to get made.  Amazing that I have hundreds of cards in my stash, but nothing appropriate for when I actually need to send a card.  I sometimes look at the cards in my stash and wonder what I was thinking when I created those!  Today I went for the adorable Little Turled from 2 Cute Inks...his shell paper pieced digitally and ready to go out to make someone's day.  Woo Hoo!  Something a little different for me - so it was fun!   

I added a digital postmark behind the turtle for a little more interest.  Afterwards, I though how appropriate considering how long the mail takes these days.  The patches of the turtles shell are digitally paper pieced with lovely patterns from We Are 3 - Cactus.  I love the finished turtle!

Organ Pipe National Monument

So many beautiful scenes in the Sonoran Desert - especially cacti! You know how I love cacti! Seriously beautiful, and I got a chance to use my new cactus embellishments from my sister. The tags were in my stash, and the title and journaling are computer generated.

Eclips Users - Box Card

Here's my take on the Box Card Challenge at Eclips Users Group. 

I used Fairy Tales papers from We Are 3 for the card base - all the embellies came from my stash.

I used a Martha Stewart punch for the butterflies.

Splitcoast Stampers - Featured Stamper Challenge

For this week's Featured Stamper Challenge, after seeing the FS card Home for the Holidays, and looking for ideas for a card swap theme "Spicy," I knew immediately I wanted to fill a truck with chili peppers. I substituted the Christmas trees in the FS with cactus, and the greeting with Happy Cinco de Mayo. I REALLY love it - though it is difficult to tell my truck is full of peppers. 

I popped up the truck in two different layers and layered the cacti.  I used Fairy Backgrounds for the background and Camille's Cactus - all from We Are 3.  The truck is from Miss Kate Cuttables, and the peppers are from Design Bundles.

                    

'Tis the Season and Camille's Cactus

Anybody else feel like they are already behind in their crafting for the holidays? Not even Thanksgiving yet....and I'm feeling the push. My family doesn't help with many of them having birthdays between now and Christmas. LOL! I found this ornament wooden sign at Target last year. I had a handful of succulent picks I've been wanting to use for something. So I was inspired by Power Poppy's Creative Confetti Challenge - to alter an everyday item with a stamp.  I used We Are 3's new, basic Christmas sentiments in the 'Tis the Season set. The cactus is Camille's Cactus, adorned with Camille's Cactus Flowers - all from We Are 3. I colored the digital stamps with GIMP and used the waterslide-decal technique to add the cactus - the sentiment is cut in vinyl. I'm new to waterslide - not a fan right now. Perhaps next time I'll use an iron-on transfer. However, because the wood is rustic, I'll blame that for a couple of the cactus flowers looking wonky. LOL!

                  

Wish You Were Here - Sabino Canyon

My patterned papaer is from the Look Up collection, and I used Decorative Borders (Love SVG) for the ornamental borders.

Power Poppy Creative Confetti

Time for another Creative Confetti Challenge! This week, Power Poppy is going over the edge. This time I decided to take my own cactus and cactus flower  over the edge. I added a plastic sentiment embellishment from my stash.

       

Festive Friday Challenge

In celebration of my birthday, this month We Are 3 created all kinds of Cactus fun. Here's a card using Cactus paper, Camille's Cactus, Camille's Cactus Flower, and Cactus Greetings. These collections are way fun! 

I made this for the Festive Friday Challenge at The Outlawz.

                        

Power Poppy Creative Confetti Challenge and Wow! What a Birthday Gift

Woo Hoo. I've been so excited playing with two new digital stamps created just for me by Bonnie at We Are 3 - Camille's Cactus and Camille's Cactus Flower. Besides these fun images, I am using Cactus digital papers and a sentiment from Cactus Thoughts - all new releases at We Are 3. Check out these fabulous items HERE.

I'm playing catch up on Creative Confetti challenges at the Power Poppy blog since I wasn't able to get to my craft table for the past few weeks.  Last week, the challenge was to Make it Shimmer!  For this challenge, I made a treat box with an acetate lid - embellished with a belly band and some Cactus decor.  For the shimmery inspiration from Power Poppy, I sprayed the cactus with some metallic shimmery spray paint...difficult to see in the above photo, so here is a close up of the shimmery cactus.

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Sketch Challenge with Stick It Down!

Most of the papers from this layout are from the Look Up collection at We Are 3. The design is inspired by this month's two-page layout sketch at Stick It Down! Stop by Stick It Down to check out the great layouts - come play along for a chance to win a $25 prize pack from Corbett Creations.

Stick It Down Sketch Challenge

For the Stick It Down Challenge, I used Camille's Cactus and Camille's Cactus Flower from We Are 3 to embellish my single-page layout. The paper was designed for a previous challenge. 

This simple sketch makes for a really nice layout.  Now be sure to pop over to Stick It Down to see the fabulous layouts by their design team, and come play along.

     

Cactus and Cactus Flower from We Are 3

Happy Birthday to me! Bonnie at We Are 3 surprised me with my own fabulous new digital stamps - available in the shop now! She created Camille's Cactus and Camille's Cactus Flower for me.  Since we had the most glorious Saguaro Cactus flowers this year, I decided to extend their season with this card. The background here is Nature Blends.

I'm really pleased with how this card came out and can't wait to color some more of these adorable cacti!

After posting this card to the challenge, I realized I posted it to last week's challenge!  So here is another version for this week's Featured Stamper challenge - this time using Color Burst for my background - so fun!!!!

   

Kim Cameron - Let's Go Cowboy

I'm really excited about this gift bag because I found a use for some free papers that have been in my stash for quite some time....not to mention the cute digitals, also resting in my stash. LOL! Not creative or elaborate - but cute nonetheless.

Just For You

This is for this week's Creative Confetti challenge at Power Poppy. The challenge is be inspired by a photograph you took. My inspiration was a photo from one of my favorite places - Box Canyon - where pretty much all you see is dirt, cactus, and an occasional fox. A quick and simple card using We Are 3 digital paper from the Hello collection.

Cool Cups - Warm Cups

I am so excited to share today's make with you!  We have friends from Toronto that bring us Tim Horton coffee cups whenever they visit.  This visit they brought cups with a sweater pattern for Christmas - they just scream Brrrrrr!  So for Christmas, I made them a Sahuarita version of a seasonal coffee cup to take back to Tim Horton country.

Catch the Bug Challenge

Love a challenge that takes only a few minutes to create.  The sketch challenge from Catch the Bug is just that.