Hawaiian Shores Butterfly Birthday...

As the end of June is upon us I am contemplating the fast approaching holiday. While its always been one of my favorites I am saddened at the thought of celebrating it for the first time without my dear Grandpa. He would have been 89 year's old and I am still struggling to deal with not having him in my life. It's probably affected my mojo more than anything else. The day to day things still get done but I find it difficult to sit and create something from scratch. I am using the sketch book that I created many months ago a la Michelle Wooderson, and of course the Papertrey and Splitcoast galleries. I hope your Fourth is a happy one filled with family, fun, food and friends. Onto the card...

I have been coveting this set that was created by the awesome Niki Estes and I've finally got it in my inky little hands, you can find it HERE. The detail that Niki worked into those butterflies is nothing short of stunning. I am using them to play a little more with my Copics and having fun with the shading and blending. I hope this motivates your mojo. Have a blessed day everyone.

Mishy

Birthday Tea Time Wishes..

Happy Tuesday Ya'll! I hope that this new day dawns bright for you. I used the cutie pie download from Heather Nichols. She's really great at creating these awesome additions for our cards. I used several different PAPERTREY stamp sets. I LOVE the bright colors and as always the splash of dark chocolate. I hope that you are inspired by this to do something creative today.

Mishy

Vintage Butterfly Dreams 2

Happy Friday everyone! More Vintage looking cards coming your way. I am not a vintage-y girl but I really love the look of these cards. I used almost all Papertrey products except for the bling, the aqua mist punched border and the very vanilla SU! cardstock. I hope that this inspires you to step outside of your comfort zone and try something you normally wouldn't do. Enjoy some TGIF activities..

Mishy

Signature Greetings Style with SEI Flair 1

I am still totally loving this Hawaiian Shores color! As you can see it blends perfectly with this DP from SEI that I have had in my stash for a few months. I used one of the new Papertrey dies for the greeting. Other than the DP all the rest of the components are Papertrey. It simple yet packs a punch with the different DP. You'll be seeing a bunch of different versions of this card with me here. I hope this inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Vintage Butterfly Dreams 1

Butterfly Dreams is a truly gorgeous set. It's so versatile you can make a card for any occasion. I LOVE using this in a Vintage style with the ink distressing. I added the ribbon for punch but I'm not sure I like the result. If you didn't purchase the die that goes with this set, kick yourself, it makes the set extremely user friendly and I am loving the possibilities. Niki Estes did an amazing job designing this set. She is definitely a GEM of a designer. PAPERTREY is lucky to have her. You can find a link to her blog in my Blog Roll. I hope that this inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Raspberry Fizz Stripes...

Hello My Peeps! Its good to finally be back. Between graduation, getting my youngest ready for both camps and a cracked tooth that had to be removed I have been out of commission for a long time. It's so good to be back. My youngest has completed the first camp and is actually at the second camp now. He came home from the first camp adding to his stack of hardware with the Best Executive Officer trophy from camp. Boy was he excited. But your here for the card although I know you won't begrudge a Mama Bear a little bragging about her baby. Now on to the card... I have Raspberry Fizz meeting In Bloom. I saw this style of coloring somewhere but as I am developing CRS I can't for the life of me remember where. If you know the someone who pioneered this style of coloring please leave a comment so I can give them credit. I used my Scor-Pal and my SU! Sell-a-bra-tion punch to add some finishing touches to it. It's simple but gorgeous and Raspberry Fizz has to be one of my all time favorite colors. Most products are of course from PAPERTREY! I hope this inspires you to do something creative today!

Mishy

Hawaiian Shores Dahlia

I think that this is my most favorite card that I have made recently while playing with my Papertrey's  Hawaiian Shores Cardstock and Copic matches. The green leaves really pop on that gorgeous HS cardstock. I am so glad I bought the BIG pack of that color. This is another attempt at the Copic shading techniques taught by the awesome Sally Lynn and Sharon Harnist. They are truly inspiring. One visit to their blogs and your hands are itching to pick up your Copics to see if you can make them do what these two gals can make them do. I never thought I could even come close and I am loving the beginnings of my journey into Copic blending. I am planning on adding a few more gray's to get more shading into my tones. I hope this card inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

More Papertrey Goodness...

Papertrey really hit the nail on the head with this set. It's now one of my most favorite sets. I am kind of crazy for Delightful Dahlia and In Bloom. You will be seeing much more of these in the days to come. They are absolutely perfect for practicing your Copic shading on. It's been a ton of fun and they turn out just lovely. I added a little Amuse ribbon and bling to my Raspberry Fizz delight! I hope this inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Hawaiian Shores Meets In Bloom..

Hawaiian Shores is just gorgeous. Its saturated with color and it looks amazing in person and photographs pretty well IMHO. All products are Papertrey excepts for the stickles and Copics used to color the flower and the embossing folder used to make the polka dots. I am on a tear with the flowers and having so much fun cranking out the cards and increasing my stash that has been depleted lately. I hope this inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Dahlia Delightfulness 1

I have been practicing my blending techniques with my Copics and I am starting to get the hang of it. I took a Copic class a few months back and I am now getting the hang of all the fabulous ideas that the Copic Queens, Sally Lynn and Sharon Harnist gave us that day. I am thrilled to have been able to meet and learn from these talented ladies. Once I have perfected these techniques I plan on getting a compressor so that I can continue my learning journey and get the absolute most out of my markers. I hope this inspires you to move outside your comfort zone and try new things. I did that by trying Copics and if you look back my work is so much better now than when I first started with them. Persistence with Copic truly does pay off. Go to my blog roll to check out those TALENTED ladies who make their Copics SING!  Sally Lynn, Sharon Harnist and Marianne Walker(Copic Queen) are all in my roll. I hope this inspires you to be Copic creative today. Feel free to ask my any questions about how I did something and I will be happy to answer any that I can if I can't I will do my best to FIND the answer for you.

Mishy

Rainy Day 2...

Here's the take two version of this card. I was experimenting with the different colors of "rain." This rain is stamped in London Fog by Memento. For a gloomier outlook I guess. It virtually the same card as yesterday. I figured since I was stamping them and I don't have any cards line this in my arsenal I would get a few of these made to have on hand. I am also making cards to give to our local Warrior and Family Support Center here in my home town. This center services the wounded warrior and families of warriors and the staff and families that care for them. I LOVE making cards but don't use anywhere near the amount of cards I make so I am trying to give them to a group who could use a little comfort. I hope this card inspires you to work outside of your comfort zone and create cards not only for happy occasions but ones that may need a card to heal.

Mishy

Rainy Day with Vintage Rain..

Sometimes there are events that we feel the need to recognize that aren't happy. This little card is perfect for just those kinds of times. You'll see two versions of this card one today and the other tomorrow,  they are the same for the most part except for the raindrops. The raindrops here are done in Papertrey's Vintage Cream. So try to see if you can whip up a little something for those awkward occasions. A little clouds a little rain and you got something to brighten someone's day. I hope this encourages you to think outside the box today.

Mishy

Raspberry Fizz is In Bloom...

Morning Peeps.. Here's another primarily Papertrey Ink creation. The color is of course my all time favorite Raspberry Fizz. I didn't have any In Bloom background paper left so I made my own with Fresh snow ink. The In bloom flowers are colored with my lovely Copic markers. The ribbons and black punched border are the only parts not papertrey. I hope this inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Battalion Cadet of the Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a very proud mama bear I wanted to share with you a photo from that very special evening my youngest son had this past week. It is truly an awesome thing to see your children experience special moments in their lives. I wish I could bottle the pride he felt and save it for a tough day. Watching my sons grow is truly a privilege and I am lucky to have been chosen as their mother.

Hawaiian Shores Floral Fabulousness...

I found a card just like this at Splitcoast under the Company Galleries in the Papertrey Gallery. I can't for the life of me remember who the crafter is... if you know please leave a comment and give her the credit. It's an awesome card to case. Simple and elegant but very very beautiful. The diagonal Scor-Pal lines are hard to see at this angle but add a lot to the aesthetics of the card. This new Hawaiian Shores color is probably one of my Papertrey Favorites. I am so in love with it, I bought the biggest pack Papertrey sells. I hope it brings some summer fun into your day and inspires creativity in you.

Mishy

SU Pretties 1...

As we all face tightening budgets the cost of envelopes seem to keep rising. I wanted to make some cards that fit into standard envelopes. These cards fit that billing. They fit into standard sized envelopes that are much lower in cost than A2 envelopes. The open space at the top right is for me to add the sentiment or salutation later. You can make three of these from a 12x12 sheet of cardstock. You will be seeing more of these from me in the days to come.

I am in love with the shape and they are just perfect for sending a short note to let someone know your thinking of them but you don't have a  whole lot to say. I think this size is ideal as a thank you note for a teen. With graduation fast approaching I think that this size is perfect for your teen who may not be so wordy. I hope this card fills a void in your arsenal and inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Mojo Returning...

Ever since my dear Papa passed away two months ago my "mojo" has been at zero. Each time I would sit at my desk I would just feel tired and the weight of missing him was heavy. The other day that changed for me. I finally sat at my desk and felt like I had some "mojo" flowing.. This card is the result of that little infusion of mojo. DH has been encouraging me, since I returned from the funeral to sit at my desk and try and see how it felt. He knew that eventually my mojo would return. I have to say I was in doubt. After all I didn't think I would ever stop being sad that he wasn't here. But DH was right, ssshh don't tell him..LOL, while I haven't stop being sad I seem to find myself in a better place. So all of you who are suffering from the sadness of loss or whatever take heart and remember the phrase.. "This too Shall Pass".  I hope this inspires you if you've got a sense of the blues to do something creative today.

Mishy

Pretty Flowers...

My garden is in full bloom with one of my most favorite flowers.. Snapdragons. I am showing you a couple of my favorite ones. I love the two tone flowers. I had just watered so the little water droplets appear like a shimmer on the plants. I hope the inspire you to do something creative with color today..

Mishy

Absolutely Fabulous!

If you know me I am all about simple and clean cards. I am not an embellishment queen although I do love the bling.. This card immediately drew my attention. It is simple and quick but it looks amazing. There's a trail coming off of the butterfly that was pierced. I hope it inspires you to do something creative today.

Having lived in Tennessee for almost 8 years I ask you to offer up your prayers for all those in Tennessee affected by the horrific flooding there. So many are suffering and they photos emerging are truly unbelievable. Many have missed them due to the attempted terrorist attack in NYC but please say a little prayer for those who are suffering in Tennessee right now. Any of you who are Papertrey fans can go to Nicole's blog and see some of the photos she posted about the minor flooding she experienced even though the live near the border of Tennessee and Kentucky. Thanks so much..

Mishy

Rainy Day Florals...

Here's my Rainy Day girl in an "outfit" that would definitely brighten my day. I added those tiny pearls as a detail. As always I left of the sentiment to be able to personalize it later as I need it. Sorry if the photo is a little blurry I am learning the quirks of a new camera. The parts of the image that were hand colored were done so with Copic Markers. I hope she's inspirational to you today. I will ask a little favor of you gals today.. say a little prayer for my youngest today. He was nominated for Cadet of the Year in his JROTC Battalion. So he goes in front of the selection board today so fingers crossed, and prayers up, that he gets selected. I know I'm his mom but he is an AWESOME kids and a great leader. Thanks,

Mishy

Stamping Bella Returns...

Sorry for the blurry photo. I hope you like her none the less. She's comes from one of my Favorite lines of Stamping Bella. I LOVE the fairies there. They are so adorable. Again I made my card sans sentiment. I hope she offers you some inspiration..

Mishy

Jot it Down...

Sorry for my absence last week my hubby got home Tuesday after being gone for two weeks and had a few days off before heading back to work so I was away from my computer for a while. But I'm back with another cute little elephant goodie for you. This is the other notepad I made for my Aunt who loves elephants. If you all know anyone who gives selflessly, you know someone like my Aunt. She is the nicest person I know and in my entire tie knowing and then being related to her I have never know her to say a harsh word to anyone. She has never even raised her voice to any of her children. She's really an awesome gal and I hope she likes the things I'm making for her. I hope this cute little "ele" inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Grocery List..

I have long been a FAN of Chrissy Armstrong's artistic skills. Check out her blog you'll find the link in my blog roll. Her images are fun and adorable. If you like High Hopes Stamps, she's a former illustrator for them. Awesome style of stamps this image is a digital one I bought of hers from Squigglefly. My aunt loves elephants so I got this image just for her... I made her this notepad and one other that you'll see later as a thank you for being as awesome as she is. I hope this inspires you to do something creative today.

Mishy

Ice Cream in Blue..

MFT Stamps are adorable and great for practicing your coloring skills on don't cha think? I Love the large spaces that enable you to either paper piece the image or give the opportunity to shade and give depth. Mine still requires lots of work (the shading thing) but I hope that as I add more Copics to my collection I will be able to shade better and add more depth with the gray tones. I hope she inspires you today..

Mishy

Give Vintage Picnic Some Love..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The card is straight IRL!!! LOL I am not sure why it came out like that in the photo.. It's more Vintage Picnic love for you. I hope it brings some creativity your way. I colored in the flowers with my Prismacolor Pencils and blended with some Gamsol. I just LOVE that technique. It gives the most gorgeous shading to your images and the color is soft and beautiful. The DP came from my local Hobby Lobby a while ago! but its a fave of mine.

Mishy

Pink and Blue Rainy Days...

Well she's back.. Here's another card with The Rainy Days girl from MFT.. I just love her and the fact that you can change her look so easily. She is paper pierced with some cool DP from my scrap stash... I hope you like her and that she inspires you to do something creative today...

Mishy

Guildelines Meets MFT

Good morning Ladies.. Here's an attempt at creating a background with my Guidelines II set from Papertrey Ink.. I combined it with my MFT rainy girl for a cute little card.. If you have any questions please feel free to email me. Don't forget to check out her boots and the dogs coat, they're colored with my Spicas! Such bling like you've never known with a pen.. AWESOME!

I hope she inspires you to try something new today.

Blessings,

Mishy

Orange Ya Lovin' This Basket???

First let me say thanks so very much to all of you who took the time to send you kind thoughts and gentle wishes of sorrow at the passing of my Papa. They were truly a blessing at a terrible time. You will never know the depth of my gratitude to those who so generously offered their support.

This card is one of my favorites. I am always going to love this set I think its one of those sets that you will continue to return to time and time again. The basket is paper pieced and the flowers and leaves are colored with my Prismacolor Pencils and gamsol. I am steadily working trying to get my mojo back.  I hope this card inspires you to do something creative today.

Much Aloha,

Mishy

Sad News...

My dear Papa passed away March 9th 2010. I have just returned from Hawaii for his funeral and burial. What and extremely difficult time for my family. We have lost not only a Father, Grand-Father and Great-Grandfather but a confidant, mentor, counselor and friend. He was truly a remarkable man who placed his family above all else. He always worked to strengthen us and sustain us through good times and bad. When the Reverend came to eulogize him he said that when my Papa stood before God to receive his judgement he believed that when God asked my Papa what he had done with the life he gave him and that my Papa responded by showing him all of us. He said he believed that the Lord said well done Alfredo you are most worthy in the eyes of your God enter the kingdom of heaven. I, too believe that God, upon judging my Papa found him worthy. He was the best man I know and he will be terribly missed. While I weep a seemingly endless amount of tears I weep not for my Papa because I know he has taken his rightful place in heaven. I weep for myself and my family and the tremendous loss of a wonderful patriarch. A Hui Hou Papa!

"Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you..

Love Me"

Red, White and Black All Over...

Red White and Black is such a striking color combination. These tulips are one of my favorite fillers for these too cute baskets from Papertrey Vintage Picnic Set. Its got to be one of the most versatile sets I own. You can dress it up or dress it down. It just depends on the look your trying to achieve. I hope it inspires you to do something creative today.

 

Mishy