Happy....

Just wanted to pop in real quick and wish all of you a wonderful Valentine's Day! I feel this is a good time to say that you all are so wonderful and I cherish each kind word you leave for me. I have made some wonderful friendships over the past 6 months so this Valentine is for all of you!!!

Hugs!
-Stacie

SUPER CHEAPO.............

LIGHTBOX!!!!!



I had my eyes on a lightbox I wanted but it was like $100 and thought a tad pricey so I started searching the web and came across a site that had instructions on how to make my own. So I asked hubby to help me last weekend and between the both of us this is what we came up with...what do you think?? I think it is a super alternative for alot less money!!

Posterboard = $1 at the dollar general
Cardboard Box = free (we just put in a new bathroom light/fan so it was a perfect size)
Old White T-Shirt = free (raided hubby's side of the closet!)
Making a mess cutting all this on the carpet = PRICELESS
OK, probably a bad joke but couldn't help myself! :P LOL!

I am still trying to adjust to using a lightbox and I think I need more lighting (I am only using one desklamp right now...all I had and I didn't include it in the picture). I would also like to get a proper macro lens but that is down the road...gotta save lots of pennies up for that! But overall I am pretty happy with the results. Atleast I can get my colors to match better... no more paper being pink and buttons looking red! :)

If you have any questions just ask!
....and if you have an advice I would love to have that also!!

Thanks!
-Stacie

All in one pocket card...

I used a tutorial for this all in one pocket card from The Character Cafe Blog here. I even used one of their cute digis called Bertie and Friend! So perfect for Spring coming up...soon I hope!!

I am entering this into The Character Cafe Blog Hop that is going on now and also these challenges.
La-La Land Crafts - No DP!
Crafty Creations - Friends
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Digi coloring
ABC Challenge - N is for new stash
Clearly Delightful - I'm supposed to use a duck and I hate to admit this but there really aren't "feet" on this image so I have no clue if it is a duck or a chic?? Looks like a baby duck to me!

-Stacie

Digital Doodling Challenge...

LOL! I really do think my pup is this years best! This is a magazine I created for the Digital Doodling Challenge. You can see the details to enter here.

-Stacie

Valentine Postcards...

As you can tell these are nothing fancy at all...just something I had to whip up really fast to send to a lady that needed Valentine's for kids at a hospital. I never do very good at creating when I'm in a hurry....sigh. I so wish I was like some of you that can make magic happen in like 15 minutes!!! I'm more of a two hour girl! No wonder I don't get much done in a day! LOL!

Challenges:
Creatively-Green Blog Hop Contest - Eco-friendly V-day card...use something recycled. I used recycled foil!
Die Cut Dreams - Have a heart
Susie's Sassy Challenge - Hearts and Flowers (I did even better... I have heart flowers!!! LOL!)
Cute Card Thursday - In the name of love
Creative Inspirations - Leftovers (I used alot of scraps on these!)
Simon Says - Love
La-La Land Crafts - No DP!
Digital-Ink Co. - Love

Winter Wonderland!

So I decided I was cooped up long enough and wanted to go on a bit of a drive today in the winter storm! Some say crazy...I say good fun! :) And yes I was careful and not driving like an idiot!! As you can see by the last picture on my way home it was beginning to be a bit of a whiteout. It was hard to get good pictures because the snow kept hitting my lens but thought these were a couple of good shots of my Winter Wonderland!! Enjoy!

Snow Pictures!

The top picture is a table we have on our back porch (needless to say we don't have chairs out this time of year!!). This is to try and show you how much snow we have gotten and we are expected to get more tonight!!
The next two pictures are the before and after effects of my pup eating snow! LOL! That little pile on his nose is too cute and funny! :P

I will try and post more wintry pictures from my travels this morning later today.
Stay tuned!

-Stacie

Another Doodle Palace Sneak Peek!

This is another new release digi from Doodle Palace and will be available for purchase tomorrow. This image is great for masculine cards or for that person that loves to fish...like me! :)
I stepped WAY out of my comfort zone on coloring this image. I found a challenge to make a monochrome card, then decided I wanted to use shades of brown and thought oh boy...this is not going to turn out! LOL! I'm sure you have all been there! But after I was finished and looked at it for awhile I think it turned out pretty good! What do you think...a descent monochrome card??

Challenges:
Secret Crafter - Monochrome colors of one color and white
Get Sketchy #24 - Sketch

Blog Hop and Sneak Peek!

The Pink Elephant is having a one year birthday party blog hop! It starts today at noon EST and ends on Thursday at noon EST. To celebrate they asked if anyone would like to join in the hop so of course I signed up. All you had to do was pick any challenge from the past year and re-create it with a new project. My favorite was challenge #43 Color Me Wonderful. Which means you can use any coloring medium you want and you all know how I love to color!! So I broke out my Copics (which are on sale this week at DCRU) and this wonderful new image I receieved from Doodle Palace that will be available for purchase tomorrow! Isn't this just the cutest image for a baby shower?

If you are just now joining the hop and you didn't come here from Renata you might want to start at the beginning here.
Next you will go to see Kelly's wonderful card here.

Enjoy the hop!!!
-Stacie

Challenges:
Kaboodle Doodle - Spots and Stripes (spots on outfit and stripes on embossed background paper)
Doodle Palace - Texture (pearl 3D glue on hearts, black soot distress stickles on outfit, brads, clothespins and embossed background)
Saturday Spotlight - Teeny Tiny (what can be tinier than baby clothes?) :)

How to organize clear stamps

This is something I did a few weeks ago. My piles of clear stamps were driving me nuts...very unorganized! I wanted a central location and also a way to flip through them easily by brand/creator. So my hubby brought home one of his used big 3 ring binders and I went to the dollar store and picked up a pack of poster board for a buck. The 2 types of clear protector pages are from Wal-Mart (full 8.5x11 and 3 sectioned off 4x6 slots that are used for photos)....super cheap also.

**Please note that most of the pictures are sideways...blogger really doesn't like me sometimes!!!

Step 1. Cut your poster board to either 8.5 x 11 for the full page or 4x6 for the 3 section clear page.
Step 2. Take the back plastic piece of your clear stamps and adhere with glue dots to the posterboard.

Step 3. Position your stamps on top including the top plastic piece that usually has the stamp picture printed on it.

Step 4. Sort by creator/brand and slide into the appropriate clear protector.

Step 5. Put into a 3 ring binder and voila! All organized!!

** Notice I put two of the small Snag Em' or Studio G stamps together on the same 4x6 sheet...worked out perfect! I even tried to sort by theme...Winter, Summer, etc.

Now I just need to get creative and finish my clear stamps that DO NOT have the plastic on the front with the images already on it. I'm thinking I will have to cut some plastic to fit.

Then after that....my BIG project of cling mounting my rubber stamps and organizing them....wish me luck...there is a big pile to do. But I can't use them til I get started so I better get on the ball so I can show these stamps some love too!!

I get so hooked on digis but I don't want to forget about my poor neglected rubber!

Hope you liked my organization of clear stamps!

Soon I will have another project to show you that hubby has helped me with...just have to figure out how to use it properly!

Take care!
Going to finish watching the Superbowl now!!

-Stacie

Top 5!!

I just had to share this wonderful news....my strawberry cupcake card was picked as Top 5 over at Get Sketchy. You can see my winning entry along with the other great ladies that won here.

WAHOO!!! Feels good to be "picked" as a winner!!!! :)

-Stacie