Recycle, Re-Purpose and Reinvent!

Hi everybody!
I came across this awesome challenge blog that encourages us to be eco-friendly!

Recycle, Repurpose and Reinvent - Anything Goes!

This is an awesome place to share your creations and ideas; you can make anything you want, the sky's the limit!

Mary's CALORIE AND GUILT FREE Chocolates

Yup, you read it right...I found a way to make chocolate guilt free.  

I really like how this one turned out.  It looks like it has a rock sugar edge :)

Dark chocolate and orange bon bon - yum!

Ingredients:

1.  Recycled chocolate box

2. Left over mini cupcake liners

3. Scraps of ribbons pulled from old barrettes and left overs too short to make bows

4. Strand of glass beads from a broken necklace

5. Mini foam balls left over from a Christmas project

OK, so I took a mini foam ball and wrapped it in ribbon and secured it with sewing pins.  I made ribbon flowers on the bon-bon tops and secured with more pins.  I used the beads as sprinkles.  I just put each bon-bon in a mini cupcake liner and before you know it, I have a box of sweets :)

I really had fun with this one!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you join in on all the eco-friendly fun :)

peace and love,

Mary xoxo
Oops...totally forgot about the Bonus question.
What's the strangest thing you have been hoarding for the purpose of using it in your art and how do you plan to use it?

Guitar picks.  Yup.  Clear, plastic guitar picks.  I feel a mosaic coming.... :)

It's party time!!!

Hi there,
Firstly, thank you to all who stopped by Cakewalk by KWOK! It was such an overwhelmingly positive response. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  It's more than enough to lift my spirits and to keep on truckin' along.
I have a couple of things I would like to share with you today.  Cutting it close this time as my joints have really been bothering me this week.

Dilly Beans - Party Challenge

Here's a mini shaker card with a cupcake piggy from Bugaboo.  

I filled his balloon with pink glass beads.  

I colored the image with my prismacolor markers; "popped" the frosting on his cupcakes and glittered up his hat.  I used paper flowers from my stash to go with the DP.

Forever Night - Color challenge: Purple, Black and Red
MilkCoffee - Throw on those flowers

Yes, you've guessed it!  Another shaker card :)  I just simply like making noise, haha.  This is the queen of hearts from Dilly Beans.  I colored her with my prismacolor markers, glittered up her wand and crown and filled her dress with glass beads.

I found this really cool punch by EK Success where you punch out a few rows of petals and roll them up to make flowers!  Then I filled the rest of the card with purple paper flowers from my stash.

I love Dilly Beans digistamps!

Well, that's it for now.  Gonna go rest a bit and see where the rest of evening will take me.  Thanks for stopping by!

peace and love,

Mary xoxo

Shake, Rattle and Roll to the Blues

I love Sundays.  Went for a nice stroll this morning, did some chores and the rest of the afternoon was devoted to good music and card making.  I tried two new techniques today!

A Day for Daisies - Shades of Blue

I made a lattice card for this challenge. Arranging those strips reminded me of making pie...mmmm, pie.  But I digress. The cherry blossoms are also from ADFD.  I colored the cute little blue bird with my Prismacolor markers; When I think of blue birds, I think of spring at the countryside.  I went for a shabby chic vibe.

Dilly Beans - Stars

Care Bears are trademark of American Greetings, created by Elena Kucharik

Flashback alert!!!  We are time traveling back to the 80s :)  Remember the Care Bears?  This is one of their starry friends.  Image is from one of my old coloring books that I scanned and resized. For this week's Dilly Beans challenge, I decided to keep it clean and simple.  The new technique on this one: SHAKER CARD!  The little star's balloon is filled with pink glass beads that you can shake around :)

Take a Word - Angelic/Angel

Precious Moments by Sam Butcher

Last but not least, this is a tag I made for Take a Word.  I've been on a Precious Moments kick recently :)  I had scrap and buttons from my bluebird card that I used up.  I just adore the little turtle!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Have a great week,

Mary xoxo

All that Glitters...

Hi there!
Firstly I woke up startled today.  Then realization kicks it; it's Daylight Savings and my clock sprung forward.  After I pulled myself together, I got some retail therapy.  I was happy as can be to find a lot of sales at Michael's.  I found THE perfect item: GLITTER TAPE!!!
This week's challenge over at Dilly Beans is "I love glitter".  I got so into it, I couldn't just make one.  I combined my love of cupcakes and glitter :)

First up is my Very Berry cupcake:

Ingredients:
Cherry berry cupcake by Marisa
Lollipop party girl from Dilly Beans
Daisy glitter tape by Recollections
Cupcake brad (lower right corner) by Recollections
Flowers from my stash
Cardstock by Bazzil
Prismacolor markers
and a pinch of LOVE xoxo

Glittered up her hat and heart on her frock
Glittered up some berries on the cupcake

Foam dots for dimension

Second up is the Sugar Frosted Pansies cupcake:

Cupcake also by Marisa
Friday from Dilly Beans
Skullie Glitter tape from Recollections
Cardstock from Bazzil
Pansy stickers by Jolee's Boutique
Prismacolor markers

I sprinkled a purple glitter heart on her frock.

Aren't the skullies adorable?

And of course, foam dots for dimension

Are you as crazy about cupcakes as I am?  This is the closest I've ever come to baking :)  Well, I made quite a mess, but I had so MUCH fun...Thanks for stopping by.  I'm going to go clean up my craft table now.
Peace and love,
Mary xoxo

Pearls, lace and seeing double

I haven't been feeling too well over the last few weeks.  It's only been the last two days I felt up to doing anything creative.  So, here goes.

Macabre Monday: Terrible Twos

Ruby from Dilly Beans colored with Prismacolor markers
Cupcake and Berry bow stamps by Sanrio

For this challenge, we had to use the same image twice.  Here, I used Dilly Bean's Ruby; I love this image because she's cute yet creepy.  Those vacant button eyes just staring.  I decided to do a Sugar and Spice theme.  And even though they are total opposites, they are still twins; so I "sewed" them together.  I'm also to going to submit this for the Fashionista challenge over at Art with No Boundaries

I used foam dots to add dimension

Whoopsie Daisy: Pearls and Lace

Isn't she so sweet?  She's the epitome of spring.  I made a chunky page for this challenge.  I colored her with Prismacolor markers and added a flower to her hair.  I tried to make a lace bow (first time ever) and I think it's an epic fail; we'll try again some other time.  I also printed a lace pattern and added some pearl accents.

That's it for now.  Gotta go and rest up.  Thank you so much for stopping by!

Peace and love,

Mary xoxo

Girly girls vs. Green and Black

Second post of the day...
Had a surprise call from my friend Lisa today and we enjoyed some lunch at Cozymels.  (My fave Mexican go to place).  I spent the morning at Blick's art supply and Michaels.  Other than that, I was enjoying quiet time at my craft corner; and here's what I got for ya:

Dilly Beans: GREEN and BLACK

Froggy stamp from Modes4u
Sentiment by teegs scrap n cards

I have this cool little stamp from Modes4u which I stamped on cardstock; I then scanned the image and resized on my computer.  This cute froggy trio was colored with Prismacolor markers; I used my butterfly border punch from Martha Steward and added a green and black ribbon from my stash.

Just Some Lines: Girly Girl!

Cute Japanese girl from Pixie Dust Studio
DP by CoCoMiMiLuLu

I'm back again this week for Just Some Lines!  I was so happy when I found out I won last week's challenge.  Thanks to everyone over at JSL!  Jehanne's digistamps are SO AWESOME!!!  When I saw this week's theme, I knew right away which digi I wanted to use :)  I colored her with my Prismacolor markers and added some punched out butterflies.

Well, that's all I really have energy for today.  Gonna go make some tea and chill for a bit.  By the way, I'm trying out a new posting format that I learned from Jenn.  It really helps me consolidate if I'm joining more than one challenge :)

Ciao for now!

Mary xoxo

I hope you dance...

Hello there!
A quick post before I call it a day.  Here's my last minute submission to Art with No Boundaries: Let the Dancer Inside You Escape; I hope I make it in time!
I've recently discovered Melonheadz; I absolutely adore her style!

Be you own kind of beautiful...
and get down with your bad self!
Image and sentiment by Melonheadz
heart and strawberry stamps - my stash

I love this fairy ballerina monkey.  She's so carefree :)
Thanks for stopping by.
Mary xoxo

Cute little easter basket...

Found a cool challenge blog, which is new to me, the other day.  Whoopsie Daisy has the cutest images.  I went with a 4x4 chunky page and kept it simple.  I wanted the image to be the main focus.

Colored with Prismacolor markers
I printed her out a few times to layer and add dimension

Here's a better angle to see the dimension I added with foam dots.

Have a great day, thanks for stopping by!
Mary xoxo

Seeing Red...

Another Friday, another challenge over at Dilly Beans.  This week we are seeing red...
It's one of my favorite colors, but I find it hard to work with because it doesn't photograph well (at least for me).  Anyway, second to my love of apples are strawberries!  I instantly fell in love with this little fairy by Crystalline Coley; go check out her deviant art gallery.  I'm starting to experiment with Prismacolor markers --the colors are amazing!

I used foam dots to give her dimension...her little legs are popping out of the card and so are the three little strawberries.  Can't really tell from the photo.

Prismacolor markers
Cupcake and Flower brads by Recollections
Butterfly border and butterfly punch by EKSuccess
Berry sentiment by Tiddly Inks

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!
Mary xoxo

It's story time...

It's no secret that I am a huge Alice in Wonderland fan.  So when I came across the fairytale challenge at Just Some Lines, I just HAD to join!
I made an ATC size accordion "book".

Cute princess stamp from Modes4U, colored with Sharpies
punched butterfly border

I used my Alice in Wonderland set from Modes4U.  I am quite stamped out at the moment...phew.  I'm going to have a nice cup of tea and rest now :)  Thanks for stopping by!
Mary xoxo

UPDATE

Yay! Just found out I won this challenge :)

Love you forever and ever...

Wow! Weekends are just too short!  Squeezing in my second and final post for the evening and then I'm off to bed.
Errands, chores and engagements all done and my time to relax amid the Superbowl = crafty time :)
There's another cool theme at Dilly Beans: Zombie Love
I went for a shaped easel card this time and we are introducing a new character too!  This is different from Happy Bunny...it's the parallel universe of Undead Bunny!!!  We first met Bun Bun here.  Now we get to meet her sweetheart, Bo:

Bo the Undead Bunny
Ink

Front of card
Butterfly punch from EK Success
Flower punch from McGill
Flowers from Michaels
Bo Bunny by me :)

This is what the card looks like opened

Sentiment by Digital Doodling
I found these really cool heart gem paperclip embellishments at Michaels.  Perfect for holding my sentiment and holding up the easel card!

Bo's trying to tell Bun Bun that she makes his heart flutter, HA!
Thanks for stopping by, sweet dreams!
Mary xoxo

Freaking out...

Hey there,
Why do weekends seem so short?  They seem hardly enough when you had a crazy week...so crazy to the point of freaking out.  So, this week's theme over at Dilly Beans is perfect: Freaked.
What's even better, I found this awesome sentiment at Dr. B. Culp; I just had to use it!

So, you think you had a bad day?

The cute and creepy chibi is by Chiichanny, which I colored with my Sharpies.  I threw in some heart buttons from my own stash and voila!
Ok, I gotta go...short post for now.  Catching up on my other projects.  Thanks for stopping by!
Peace and love,
Mary xoxo

The fairest of all...

Happy Saturday everyone!
I'm here to remind you about the awesome Fairy Tale challenge over at Wicked Wednesdays!

Happy Bunny is happiest of them all!
DP by CoCoMiMiLuLu

My favorite dwarf is Dopey.  Who's yours?
Happy creating!
Mary xoxo

How do you like them apples?

Hi there!  The weeks are just flying by aren't they?  Well, I would like to think I have the ability to stop time :)  But, immersing myself into my creations works just as well.
We have another amazing challenge this week over at Wicked Wednesday.  The theme is Fairy Tales and I got to work with Snow White designed by Krista, owner of Saturated Canary.

If eating an apple can help me find my prince charming, then hek! GImmee one of those babies!

Make sure you stop by check out the rest of the DT's awesome designs.  Have a great week!
Snow White's going over to visit ATCs with Attitude, see you later :)
Peace and love,
Mary xoxo

Oh, for the love of MOO!

This post has NOTHING to do with cows...I promise :)
I just love it when I go exploring other artists' blogs and get inspired or learn something new!
So, what's a MOO?  It's a mini card; learn more about them here.
Vintage MOOs are this week's challenge over at Take a Word.  Sigh, isn't art wonderful?  Here are my mini creations:

Awesome vintage bird images by Ana Marquez
Vintage pink rose from Vintage Holiday Crafts
L-O-V-E from A Surcee Life
Birdie stickers - my stash
Little Pearls - my stash
Pink pattern cardstock scraps - K & Company

So what do you think?  I recommend you try making these, they are so much fun! Thanks for stopping by!

Peace and love,

Mary xoxo

It's a blue kind of day...

Hey everyone!
It's time for a color challenge over at Dilly Beans!  BLUE
I don't usually gravitate towards this color, but that's why I love challenges; I'm always trying something new.  I decided to try my hand at an easel card.  So, here goes:

This is an awesome Mermaid Freebie from A Day for Daisies!

This is a close up of the front, isn't she cute?

After a LOT of measuring and gluing....TADA!  This is my first ever easel card.  I'm happy with it and it'll only get better with practice :)
I'll also be entering this creation over at So Artful Challenges, where they are hosting a color theme too.

Thanks for stopping by!
Peace and love,
Mary xoxo

Happiness is...

TGIF people!
I came across a new challenge blog: Digi Darla's! They are kicking off their first challenge with this cute little fairy.  The theme of the challenge is: Happiness is...

I will also be entering this chunky page over at Anything Goes Challenge for:
Fat Pages with Attitude
Whimsical Designs (also a new challenge blog for me!)
Have a great weekend!
Peace and love,
Mary xoxo