It's been a few weeks and it feels good to be back and be creative. This card is for the Hidden Treasures challenge. I've used a couple of my favourite techniques: random stamping and doodling. There's just so much you can do with a pen!! And I love circles too -- they're funky and fun yet still classic. Lastly, I tried to play with layers, popping up the circle and the dragonfly. I hope it comes through in the pictures. All in all, this card, both making it and the end result, make me Happy. (All supplies CTMH.)

Mojo Monday sketches always get my juices running. Pulled out one of my favourite stamp set and got to work on this card, which will make a GREAT Father's Day card or birthday card for my hubby's b-day later this month. Check it out: The card uses B&T paper from CTMH's Back Country paper pack, as well as Goldrush and Colonial White Cardstock. I added Outdoor Denim eyelets, Brown Bag Waxy Flax and Liquid Glass to the bear's nose. The stamp set is Beary Best and I coloured him with Copics. So happy with how it turned out.

Over at Heart2Heart, a blog for those of us who LOVE CTMH, their challenge this week is to use - and demonstrate - a technique. I've gone back to basics and back to my favourite technique of all time -- random stamping. And here's a close up of the stamping (sorry it's a bit blurry): With random stamping, you start with your largest stamp (pink butterfly) and stamp in triangles, filling your page. Change stamps and/or colours (green butterfly) and repeat. Continue until you have a pattern you like (purple ladybug). I love this technique because you can make your own patterned paper with any colours, any images, and it always turns out gorgeous. This card uses B&T Paper from CTMH's Splendor, Blush textured CS and Colonial White CS. Add in Sweet leaf ribbon, CW brads and some CTMH buttons. Colours used are Topiary, Sweet Leaf, Blush and Pansy Purple. Oh, and don't forget the Liquid Glass. I love the simplicity of this card.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge is celebrating 100 challenges. And I was so inspired, I did three cards! Check 'em out. Card #1: Paper: CTMH Topstitch B&T, Baby Pink and Colonial White CS Ribbon: Stampin' Up Stamps: Penny Black Critter Party and In the Garden Copic Markers (*This one's my favourite*) Card #2: Paper: CTMH Caboodle, Buttercup, Sorbet and Col. White CS Ribbon: CTMH Sorbet collection Stamps: Penny Black Critter Party, CTMH "Say it in Style" Copic Markers Card #3: Paper: CTMH Caboodle, Col. White CS Embellishments: CTMH Stamps: Penny Black Critter Party Copic Markers So my goal for this week was to enter one challenge -- and I've entered three. It was so much fun to sit and be creative.

I was also inspired by Penny Black's Saturday Challenge using punches and a PB stamp. The Mojo Monday sketch was great and I adapted it for this challenge too. I might be a bit late, but looks like I can still post on PBSC,so I'm gonna try. I'm really pleased at how this cute kitty with paw print punches turned out. The paper is from CTMH's Splendor paper pack -- just love the blues! -- Crystal Blue, Moonstruck and Topiary cardstock, Penny Black kitty stamp and Stampin' up scalloped border stamp. Black paw prints are also punched and accented with Inksentials white gel pen.

Well, I did it! Here's my first blog challenge entry, courtesy of the sketch on Mojo Monday. The card: The B&T paper is from Close to my Heart's Cherry-O paper pack, with Crystal Blue and Sweet Leaf cardstock. Adorable ducky, bubbles and water circles from CTMH "Makin' Waves" stamp set. I used my Copics to shade the ducky, and Liquid Glass on the bubbles. And here's the sketch: Happy Mother's Day!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day (yesterday). I'm just home from another fantastic weekend in Mansfield. This is where I host a weekend retreat for scrapbookers and cardmakers twice a year. It was a great time with 19 great ladies - you know who you are. Haven't "tallied" my finished layouts yet -- around 10 I think -- but felt really productive and did something I haven't done in a while -- had a GREAT laugh with good friends and my l'il sis. I so needed to laugh like that. Stay tuned for info on the next retreat in September. And pictures of my layouts to come later this week. Plus, I hope to complete my first blog challenge this week. :) Have a good one, everybody.