New Challenge Cards for Outlawz

These card challenges are good for me. If nothing else, it makes me go out to the studio and do something. So far, I think the challenges have been easy. And ususally, as long as I'm out there, I make two or three more things as well. I'm in the mood to do a mini-album or decorated a set of boxes or something. Halloween is just around the corner, so maybe I'll turn my attention to that collection of materials. Having them all together makes that easy to do. Anyway, here are some cards that I've done for the Outlawz challenges lately. (By the way, I was chosen as one of the July winners! I am supposed to receive a paper pack, but haven't yet. Before you congratulate me on my win, I should probably mention it was a random drawing. (snicker)




The top two cards were "lifted" from back issues of Paper Crafts magazine. The wings on the owl were made using layers of scalloped strips with the edges curled up slightly for dimention. The bottom right was a transparency and color challenge. There is a sympathy message on the transparency. The goofy penguin was a challenge requiring the use of a bird. {He looked cuter in my mind!}

This last card features one of the cards from the memory game I featured a few posts ago. I made the card for my friend who was going on a cruise. It just happened to fit the "banner challenge" on Outlawz, too!

Well, now that July (and August) is almost officially over, I'll give this blog a more appropriate background. Hope you like it - and thanks for dropping by!

Blog Candy!!!

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ioYnAkHmbXVZ2bt2-m7Eueee3-ebFMOZtz4CtQ6VB4-NKsLv_37HQuSXZGrv0oVa4p7VnX_z2H1KXnB3f8wntGSHrFfkzmPYhZw1hRc27f-x0F06dQnSUaGUVFzrNoNcXXK2dyoGq-5s/s1600/110822+huvudbild.jpg
This link takes you to the actual picture on her blog.
http://mullesnuttan.blogspot.com/2011/07/blogcandy.html
This link takes you to her blog.

Would you like some of this fabulous sweetness?? Just visit my friend from Outlawz to enter her drawing for BLOG CANDY! Hurry! This offer ends Aug. 22!! (For some reason, I can't resize this image. Sorry!! Visit her page for the actual package!)

August Challenge

Pretty simple this month. I'm starting you out slow and easy. This time the challenge is to use a pull tab. There are more out there than just on pop and beer cans. Dole has a big blue one on cans of pineapple. Some of the energy drinks have colored ones, too. Very cool.

Have fun! Can't wait to see/hear what you do. If you want to send me a picture, my email address is susankmast@hotmail.com.

Outlawz - My New Internet Family

Outlawz is a little card making community I ran across on the internet. They feature several new challenges each week. I joined their group last month and have been submitting cards to some of the challenges. Here are a few of the ones I have done so far:

These gals are amazing!! They are primarily stampers, which is going to force me to get out the stamps and make use of them again. But these gals are "coloring" experts!! I'm telling you, the images they create are amazing! You've got to check them out!! Better yet, JOIN in the fun!!

What's With 1966??

I have great friends. They think of me when they see things that are vintage (a.k.a. OLD) and bring them to me. I'm also, occasionally lucky, at finding such treasures on my own. Here are the latest three beauties in my collections. Not only are the contacts in tact and in perfect condition, but they have boxes that show very little wear. They have all made a home in The Paper Studio and I will use their contents cautiously. Some of you will read this and think, "She's crazy." Some of you will read this and think, "Dang! I'd love to have that!" And some of you will just roll your eyes and move on. I'm okay with that. Really. The Math Flash Cards and the Memory game are both from 1966!!! How weird/wacky/wonderful is that?!

Sometimes it takes very little to make me happy!! :-)

Here's the Challenge!

I know I posted earlier that I was going to post a color challenge, but I changed my mind. Instead, I'm going to push some of you to your creative limits by hosting an EMBELLILSHMENT CHALLENGE! You may submit a CARD or a TAG. Oooooooooo!!! I hope you're as excited as I am. I'm not sure if you can send me an image through blogger, but I'll see what I can find out about that. (Suggestions welcome!)

Anyway, there is a little time left this month, so I'm going to go ahead and tell you what the embellishment for July is. A PAPER CLIP! See what you can do! You've got until the end of the month.

I will try to post each month's embellishment close to the beginning of each month so you have plenty of time to make your card. GOOD LUCK!!

More Thank You Cards

As I said, I have a lot of people to thank. Here is the latest batch of cards to come out of The Paper Studio. Pretty simple stuff.

Bras, Banners, and a Box

Now that I have your attention, I'd like to show you what I've been up to. Some of these projects I am more impressed with than others. The banners, for example, have been on my desk for months. Seriously. Remember when banners first started showing up in the trade magazines? That's when I started these. They've been sitting on my desk, just waiting for a little "something" to finish the look. I don't like the letters that I cut freehand (for some reason!) for the "create" banner. I do like the fall banner.

The cards featuring the bras all say "Thanks for your support." They are being sent to the people who have been standing by me, tirelessly, since my unemployment began. There are many more cards to make and people to thank. If you are one of those people, hang in there - your card is coming.

The box was made from a Parcheesi game board. My good friend, Tami, sent me the directions after finding them on the internet. I made one out of a Monopoly board, too, but it was a disaster. The board was too heavy and it just didn't go together very well. I glued a game piece to the front for part of the closure, but I haven't figured out the half of it yet. Suggestions welcome.

New Cards Coming Soon!

Now that I am off work, I have finally gotten around to doing some paper crafting. I have finished a couple of projects that I started sometime ago. I've also been doing lots of thank you cards. I hope to get them posted in a day or two. Here's a teaser --- some of them feature a bra!! There, that ought to get you to come back and visit! hahaha!

Camping Soapbox

Let me be straight up about something. I don't camp. It's not that I wouldn't, but I just don't. If I were to camp, it'd be in a tent. I have a tent, by thet way, and I have used it. Anyway. I don't understand the "camper people". Why would you buy an expensive camper that you have to tow/drive somewhere, pay for your space and hook-ups, then do the same things you do at home? I have nothing against the conviences of having at camper - they are awesome! (Talk about maximizing a tiny space! Wow!!) Seriously. Why do campers have tv's? Why would you eat microwave popcorn while camping? Roasting hot dogs, making s'mores and banana boats, egg in a hole for breakfast, popcorn over the fire..... Raining? Play cards, tell stories, blow bubble, play board games, work on word puzzles.....

Probably a good thing I don't camp or have children. They would consider themselves "deprived" , compared to their friends.

Okay, I'm done now. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest.

CARD COLOR CHALLENGE!

If any of you followed along last April 2010 - April 2011, you know that my friend, Tami, and I had the challenge to send one another a handmade card every week for a year. We did it! It was the most fun!! Anyway, she told me the next challenge was my choice. Sooooo, I'm thinking about doing something with colors and/or embellishments. I will post the details as soon as I get them worked out. But instead of just asking Tami to participate, I'm inviting all of you!! That's right! Anyone who reads this blog will be able to participate. Check back soon for the details!!!

New Cards!!

Yes, Card People, I am still making cards. As you can see, this being my third post of the evening, I'm a little behind!!! Anywho, I give you a congratulations on the baby girl card, a Harley-themed wedding card, and an "anniversary" card for a special friend. (More about the Harley card and the anniversary card in a minute.)

The "April 5th" card is an anniversary card, of sorts. In late March 2010, my friend Tami asked if I'd be up for a card making challenge. The challenge? Send one handmade card a week to one another for one year. That's 52 cards. I mailed my first card on April 5, 2010. To commemorate the passing of a very creative year, I created an "anniversary" card. If you've got a card making friend, I strongly advise you to take on this challenge!! It was sooooo much fun!! We tried all different techniques and even sent the ugly ones and the "this is not the card I had pictured in my head" ones. Try it!! I'd be willing to do it again, if anyone is interested! Just remember, it's a serious committment!!!!

This weekend, my friend Cassie and her new husband, threw themselves a wedding reception with a bit of a Harley theme. They are going on a Harley Honeymoon is a couple of weeks, heading east on their motorcycle. While packing the "Long Distance Ride Survival Kit" gift that I put together for them, my gift bag ripped. No worries, I thought, I'll just pick up another black or orange bag at Walmart. Except that Walmart didn't have either. Not happy with a wrapped box or another colored bag, I headed back to the fabric department. What are the chances of me finding some kind of Harley/motorcycle fabric here, I wondered. Just then the fabric dept. gal rounded the corner with some bolts to put away with THE PERFECT fabric on the top of her stack!! YOWZA!!! Did this do the trick, or what!? I sewed it up, added a drawstring, and stuffed it with all the goodies. I know it's going to be late, but I think it's worth it!

Pulling Out My Hair!!!

One of these days I will have to sit down and figure out why my post NEVER looks all neat and tidy once it's published!!!! It's perfect on the "compose" screen! AAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!

Is This Too Much?

On Easter Sunday, I met my fabulous friend, Tami, in Iowa City for our jaunt to Des Moines. We were going for the Kids First conferest. We stayed at the wonderful Embassy Suites on the River. We are two very intelligent, well prepared, organized women. Most of the time. Luggage? Check. Handouts for presentation? Check. Clothes for two nights and two days? Check. Silent auction goodies? Check. Snacks and adult beverages? Check. Address and phone number of the hotel? No. GPS? No. Oops. After a few trips around the same 4 blocks and 2 sets of screwed up directions, we found the hotel. All hotel rooms should be suites. What a way to relax! We took up EVERY available surface with our stuff. Here's a picture of our "stuff". Yep, this is what we brought!

The hotel, Embassy Suites on the River, was fabulous. Once we found it, that is. After a few trips around the same four blocks and two sets of incorrect directions, we found it. All hotel rooms should be suites. We unpacked and moved right in! We opted for dinner in the hotel Sunday night, then spent the evening catching up and playing "drag 'n' brag". (In case you've never played, it's where I show you my cool stuff and you show me yours. :-p)

The conference was well attended and it's always good to meet new people and catch up with old friends. The breakout sessions had something to offer everyone.

For our next adventure, we had our friend Linda join us. Destination? Trader Joe's. This trip was much like the one leading to our hotel. Only this time it was almost dark. And pouring rain. I won't even tell you how long it took us to get there. A couple more sets of incorrect directions didn't help matters any. It was worth the trip. Dinner at Mimi's Cafe, on the other hand, was not.

I mentioned that Tami and I both had contributions to the silent auction. The action brought $479 for the youth services division of the Iowa Library Assn. Woo-hoo!! There were only about a dozen items, but they really brought in the bids. A super THANK YOU to the other people who made contributions and to those who posted the bids. Here's what I took. They were so fun to create and didn't cost much at all! (I added a jar of honey to the Pooh basket.) I took a "Bowl of Sunshine", a box of "Monkey Business", "Pooh and Friends" box, and a wreath made with book-page flowers.

The Florida Trip

Stacy and I recently returned from a vacation/business trip. (Stacy had to be in Orlando, FL by Thursday for a trade show on Friday and Saturday.) Our adventure by car took us through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. We had driven to Georgia to see my sister in Atlanta before. The last full week of February found temperatures in the south in the mid-70's to low-80's. Perfect. Our route was (more or less) based on the locations of Harley Davidson dealerships. Southaven, MS was one of our favorites. The people there were super friendly and the dealership was huge! Across the parking lot was an awesome bar/grill called The Fillin' Station. We went over for a drink after we finished at the dealership, then ended up there for supper. I found it interesting that the lunch and supper menus were different. I had my first taste of Gumbo there -- it was AWESOME!! This place had so much character! And it was huge, too, both inside and out. You can see that they sport a pretty spiffy upper deck for music and other special events.

While taking a scenic route through downtown Mobile, AL, we noticed a few buildings with some pretty cool architecture. I would love to go back some day and find out what was in some of those buildings or tour them. We also noticed that they were getting ready for some sort of event. Road barracades were set up in parking areas and a few carnival-type (sno-cones, funnel cake, etc.) kiosks were set up in parking lots. We learned later that day that they were getting ready for Mardi Gras!! (We made it through just in time!! What a mess that would have been to get lost in!) Apparently, Mobile is the original home for Mardi Gras. Who knew?!

We overnighted in Pensicola, FL. The next destination was Daytona. We spent about a day and a half in Daytona. It was a week before the start of Bike Week, but the areas we saw were getting ready! I think our first stop was Bruce Rossmeyer's Destination Daytona. I have a lot to write about from this stop, so I'm going to break it down into smaller posts. Stay tuned!

Shameful...............

Have I really been neglecting my blog ----- again? The truth is, I've had so much to write about that the layout was giving me enough mental anguish to put it (posting) on hold. But enough! I needed a new background, too. If you read my blog, you'll just have to get used to the mix of crafting posts and motorcycle posts. I considered having 2 blogs, but, as I've just said, I can't manage the one I have!! So anywho, if you're here because you're interested in my motorcycle tidbits, welcome and please feel free to skip over the crafty posts. I know the thought of glue and paper makes some wrinkle their nose in disgust. If you're here because you're interested in my crafty posts, welcome and please feel free to skip over the motorcycle posts. I know the thought of riding on the back of a motorcycle makes some of you roll your eyes and shake your head in disgust. So there. That's sounds a bit like a disclaimer, and I guess it really is. At any rate, why-ever you're here, please leave me a post and tell me what you think about any of my posts. Thank you kindly.

Valentine's

I only got a few valentine's done this year. Bummer. I need to make my holiday cards 6 months in advance! I used a couple of Paper Crafts magazines for inspiration. The straw card is my own creation -- imagine that!! (Front and inside greeting shown) I used dotted swiss mini file folders from Dollar Tree for the LOVE and BE MINE cards.

Fun With Fleece

I spent a couple of evenings making scarves I've seen on the internet. This one is made up of circles. I cut all of my circles on the AccuCut machine at work. That saved me tons of time. Like 72 circles worth of time! Each "puff" is made up of 8 circles. (see picture at left) I sewed 9 "puffs" together to make a short neck scarf to wear with my new red pea coat. Cute!

I spent 20 min. figuring out how to put the circles together. Lots of trial and error. Once I had that figured out, it took me less than an hour to finish. Cost: $2.98

Found a picture of this
scarf on the internet as well. Mine isn't as cute as the one shown. For one thing, my fleece is too heavy. Secondly, I am too much of a perfectionist to make the uneven big loopy ruffle the picture showed. Consequently, it's a little bulky. Unhappy with the ends, I took the very tiny scrap that was left and made it into ruffled borders. Kind of a nice touch. This also took about an hour and cost $2.98.

If you'd like more details, leave a comment or shoot me an email. susankmast@hotmail.com

I have one more picture of a scarf I like. I'll try to get that one done soon.