My 200th Blog Post!

Hello Friends & Followers!  Can you believe it - 200 posts!  From the girl who thought she'd never have a blog no less!  I think a little candy might be warranted... do you?  ;)
     While I am mulling that over, let me show you the two quickie cards I created today (I KNOW!  NOTHING for the entire month of January and now - BOOM! - two in one day!).  Both were for Papertrey Ink's 6th anniversary celebration sketch challenges.  The first was for Sketch 1:

(Shoot!  I just realized the sketch was in portrait and my card is in landscape - sniff sniff... does it still count?)  

I used PTI's 'Sign Language' for the little boxes which were punched with a 1" square and matted with a 1 1/8" square and popped up with dimensionals, and 'Simple Valentine' for the sentiment.  Added a large heart shaped rhinestone and VOILA - clap clap, done!  The second card is based on Sketch 5:

(Oh thank goodness, got the orientation right on this one!  Goodie!) 

The geometric elements are from PTI's 'Dot Spot' and the sentiment is from 'Think Big Favorites #7' (I really need to get some more of these big bold sentiments for my collection, I have a precious few).  Colorful and postage friendly - two good things right?
   Alrightie, back to the issue of celebrating my 200th post.  Since I used PTI this week and they are celebrating their anniversary, why don't I celebrate with a PTI prize?  One person who leaves a comment on this blog post will be randomly chosen to win PTI's Life stamp set (unfortunately, with the increase in postage rates I cannot afford to ship  overseas anymore, so I have to limit the celebration to USA residents & APO/FPO addresses only, I feel very badly about this, but just can't afford the shipping with my tutoring sessions being so few and far between at the moment, I hope you understand and can forgive me).  
     Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope your weekend was wonderful and that you have a terrific week ahead!
~ Crafty Math Chick

At Long Last... I Create Again

(FINALLY right?)  ;)  Hello again Friends & Followers - I thank you all so much for not abandoning me when I was sick, then better for a few moments, then sick again, then almost better, then sick again (seriously, this is getting ridiculous!).  Short version - THANK YOU for haning in there with me!
     Today's creation was for one of Papertrey Ink's 6th Birthday Challenges - It's a Wrap - to create a wrap, tag or gift packaging product inspired by something we saw on the internet.  I have seen tons of people make these adorable multicolored crayons using silicone baking pans (I found mine in Target's 'Dollar Spot' for $2.50), so I got out a pack of Crayola crayons I got at Walmart back during 'back to school time' when they are only 25 cents each (good time to stock up, oh, and you DO want Crayolas specifically for this - I have tried this in the past with Rose art crayons - all the colors ran together making almost a dark blah monochrome crayon - don't need to go through all the work for that), cut off the paper bands, broke the crayons into pieces, filled the impressions and baked them at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.  When they were completely cool I popped them out and packaged one in a clear bag with a tag made using PTI's 'Tiny Treats - Valentine':

(please click on photo for clearer resolution).  I tried to make the heart in the image multicolored like the crayons, using the fine tips of 6 different primary colored markers.  Here is a close of the tag detail:

Can you see all six colors?  Well, I tried!  I also used 5 strands of embroidery floss for the bow as well (I discovered I don't own a bright purple, will have to remedy that sometime).
     Thanks so much for looking!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and that my friends in New England are safe, warm, dry and have power!!
~ Crafty Math Chick

WINNERS!

Hello Friends & Followers!  Still trying to completely kick this bug I caught, I think it really likes me...

Without further ado, random.org helped me pick some winners:

Happy Adoption Day Ty Winner - Scrapacat

Top 12 of 2012 Winner - Pia S.

Congratulations ladies!  Please leave a comment with your email so I can contact you for your mailing address and get your surprise crafty goodies out to you.  If I don't hear from you by Sunday January 27th I will draw new winners.

Hope everyone is doing well.  Thanks for stopping by my blog, I hope to have some crafty creations posted for you VERY soon!!

~ Crafty Math Chick

HAPPY ADOPTION DAY TY!

It was four years ago today that the sweetest puppy in the world joined our family and made our hearts whole.  Little Ty, you have been such a blessing to us, you give us such love, such joy and countless happy moments, and I will forever be grateful to you and the wonderful people at the shelter for caring for you and enabling you to join our family and fill our lives and our hearts with love.  
     Ty baby will be celebrating later with the mini cupcakes his Daddy purchased for the occasion, wearing his little Happy Birthday hat his Mommy forces him to wear to create a Kodak moment for scrapbooking purposes and most likely a meal or two featuring at least one of his favorite human foods (steak or a burger).  In honor of his special day we hope you will hug your own furbabies a little longer or a little tighter (not too tight, LOL) and I thought it would be fun to have a little giveaway as well.  Leave a comment with a link to the favorite card or scrapbook layout you have made featuring a canine or other pet you hold dear and I will pick a random entry to win some surprise crafting goodies - how does that sound?  Don't have a pet?  Click on the 'Dogs' link under 'Labels' alongside the right side of my blog and tell me which of my own canine cards is your favorite and why for an alternate chance to win.  Or do both for two chances to win!  Also, if you visit www.theanimalrescuesite.com and/or www.freekibble.com and click there in honor of Ty's birthday to help the sites' sponsors feed shelter pets that would really be a wonderful birthday present for Ty, it is free and you don't have to enter any personal information at all, clicks just donate free kibble to shelters all over the country, and clicks add up, believe me.
     Thank you so much for stopping by to commemorate Ty baby's special day with me.
~ Crafty Math Chick

Top 12 of 2012

Hello Friends & Followers, sorry I have not posted much, but I literally have been sick with one thing after another since even before Thanksgiving.  Still hoping things will clear up by New Years and 2013 will be a healthier year.
     I thought it would be nice to take a look back over my work of the past year and highlight my top 12 favorite creations, note any trends, see where I've been, etc.  Of the 22 cards on my preliminary list before I began whittling it down, I noticed the following trends: I colored in outline images on 17 of them (yep only 5 were solely stamped), 4 cards involving dogs (expected WAY more than that honestly), 14 involved animals, 5 were holiday cards (again, expected more), 4 were CAS and 3 were shaped cards (maybe I need to make those more often!)  Here are my personal faves in no particular order:

Made the above as part of our Christmas Card kit club hostessed by the newest Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen DT member, Kelli Hull.  Loved that Bazzill DP, the red burlap ribbon, the touch of sparkle and my coloring job on this one.  I liked it so much I ended up buying the image myself from Sparkle Creations (she is having a 20% off sale through January 2nd BTW, if you are interested in picking her up yourself). 

My very first Some Odd Girl card made with Preppy Pups, who can resist a doxie like this one!  I like the bright colors and papers of the card in addition to how the pup is colored as well.

My favorite Sweet 'n Sassy Stamp set - Woof You - SO much fun to color & paper piece.  This card also incorporates plaid paper, which I also adore.

A clean & classic menorah from my favorite Hanukkah set by There She Goes (Home Sweet Home - Hanukkah Additions).  I like the elegance of it.

Another card made with one of my favorite TSG sets - Angel Mail.  Also, it is my first card made with stick pins after watching my friend Candace Pierce's awesome tutorial, certainly won't be my last... (stick pins are FUN to make!!)

I made this card for a Skipping Stones Design sketch challenge using their Grey Hares set - I liked the punched balloons & twine & how the bunny is holding them.

Just love these sweet bunnehz in Wags 'n Whiskers' Some Bunny Loves You card and the overall soft look it has.  WnW really has some pretty images, especially if you love kids & critters.  If you haven't checked them out before, they are worth the look!!

Just love this beautifully illustrated ellie drawn by Theresa Momber, had fun with the gold netting ribbon and animal prints for a Stamp TV challenge to CASE Lee Murphy.

Love the colors and pretty papers in this card using TSG's Happy Bird Day set for our fearless leader, Jessica Knutsen's, birthday this year.  Note - one of the few cards where I didn't color.

Made for Sweet'n Sassy's Digi Challenge #55 - I swear, the easiest shaped card ever - just fold a circle in half and TA DA - instant watermelon slice.  I came up with the idea when I saw the watermelon seed stickers at Walmart of all places believe it or not.  Still feel bad about lopping off Cocoa's tail though (too tricky for me to cut around).  

Don't think this one ever made it to my blog... it was a card for my FIL's birthday using Kitchen Sink Stamps' Multi-Step Classic Old Truck and I have to say, I do love to color, but this multi-step stamping is COOL!!  I want to make a point of doing this more in 2013.

Another card that I don't think I posted, my first Cricut card E-VER!  (which is kinda sad because I owned the Cricut for a while before ever taking it out of the box, it was a gift shortly before my back surgery and I literally could not lift it for about a year).  As much as I enjoy seeing the beautiful creations my friends make with their Silhouettes and Cameos, and as much as I would love to own one myself, I really do enjoy using my Cricut.  I used the Don Juan and 50 States cartridges for this CAS card.  

     So, there you have it - my top 12 for 2012.  Which is your favorite and why?  I would be curious to hear your feedback and input so I think I will have a little surprise blog candy for a randomly drawn person who comments on this post telling me which of these 12 is your favorite (or if you have a different favorite if you are that familiar with my work, LOL!) and why it is your favorite.

     Thank you all so much for stopping by my blog to view my creations and read my ramblings.  I really appreciate your time, attention and support and wish you the best for a very happy & healthy 2012!

     Cheers!
~ Crafty Math Chick

PS - Hope you will visit tomorrow for my post of my creations with December's Christmas Card Kit - it was my month to hostess so I created the kit.  The post will be on the late side as I am still quite sick and it is hard to be creative when you are coughing incessantly.  Thank you for your patience.

SNSDC84 ~ Tag, You're It

Hello Friends & Followers!  Time for another Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge!  This week we are playing tag - make a tag or use one on a creation!  I made three, two use Rhubarb's Gingerbread Man, and the other uses Cocoa's Ornament and Santa hat digis (I just have to say, this little 99 cent stamp comes in SO handy - you can resize it as big or as small as you want, color it out and paste it onto ANYTHING - like I did here):

(I think I like Rhubarb better in brown than in grey - what do you think?)  Had some fun with these little gingerbread outlets on Rhubarb's tags too - can you see them?
     I hope you will play along with us.  Any digi will do, it does not need to be a SNSS digi (though we certainly love to see them) and for every card you enter into our challenges for the Month of December you have a chance to win 3 digis of your choice from the store, so be sure to play along every week!  And make sure to stop by the blog to see what talented teammates have created for you as well!
     Happy Friday!~ Crafty Math Chick

SNSDC83 ~ Christmas Cards

Hello friends & followers (sorry for the brief hiatus, it's been one medical issue after another here!).  This week's Sweet 'n Sassy Digi Challenge is Christmas Cards (come on, you know you still need a few!).  Here is mine made with Cocoa's Christmas tree digi, some pretty Recollections paper and LOTS of bling:

Yes, I added each one of those teenie rhinestones in the garland by hand, one ran for cover and is still hiding on my floor somewhere...  Not the design I planned to use when I started out, but I realized too late that I couldn't use a Spellbinders Nestabilities die after I added all the rhinestones and sparkly tree topper (DUH!  I swear I need a CAT scan...)
     I hope you will play along with us.  Any digi will do, it does not need to be a SNSS digi (though we certainly love to see them) and for every card you enter into our challenges for the Month of December you have a chance to win 3 digis of your choice from the store, so be sure to play along every week!  And make sure to stop by the blog to see what talented teammates have created for you as well!
     Happy Friday!
~ Crafty Math Chick