Hey there, blog friends!  So- you've probably seen lots of these posts over the past couple months on the blogs of other card designers.  Well, I was tagged by Dana Fleckenstein (one of my FAVE Studio Calico card designers) to take part in the getting to know you blog hop this week.  You can read more about Dana on her getting to know you post HERE.

Alright...as it suggests in the title, you are going to get to know me a little bit better.  I've got some questions to answer, a project to share, and a couple of other card designers linked up at the end.  How about we get this party started? :)

What creative projects are you currently working on?
Well...I am in the middle of finishing my October design team projects for My Mind's Eye.  Today I will also start working on a Winnie & Walter card for World Card Making Day.  And tomorrow I need to finish my entry for week 1 in the Cropped 2014 contest at Pixels & Co.  I don't have any sneek peak photos to share though. :(  But, I also created this card this morning so I would have something to share with you!
I fell in love with this week's Sunday Sketch from Studio Calico, so I used it as my starting off point in the card design.  I love how you can use a sketch, and your card still looks completely different from all the others!  I also created this for the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday challenge.





What inspires your designs?
I find inspiration in a lot of different ways.  I LOVE card challenges.  I find them such a great way to get started, and there are so many different types.  I have a list of all the different card challenges, and I try to update it daily so I have the most current ones in my mind as I create.

I also really love product...and I find that it inspires me just as much as challenges do!  If I genuinely love the product I am using, creating is such an organic process for me.  On the flip side...if I am trying to create with something that isn't my favorite, I really struggle with it.

What method/process do you apply to each of your creative projects, and how long does each project take to complete?
I always get a solid design in mind first, often found in my favorite sketch challenges.  Then I pull all the product that I might want to use on the project so it is readily available when I want to grab for it.  I might not use it all, but I like it to be handy!!

After that I just start cutting paper & placing items together on the card front.  I don't completely adhere anything down until I like how it looks, and then I add in finishing touches after that.  I don't really worry too much about time...as long as I am enjoying myself it doesn't really matter to me.  One card can take me minutes....or hours.

If you had to describe your 'signature' style, what would it be?
I don't know....why don't you tell me (as I smirk at my cleverness....lol!)  Here is a peek at detail shots from some of my favorite cards this year:
Truthfully...I think my style is a little eclectic.  I like bits of every type of style, and product!  I think the one thing that stays pretty consistent with me is that I follow trends, but not to a fault.  I still try to have sound designs that are pleasing to the eye, and that a recipient would enjoy to get in the mail.  I use white a lot, and like my cards to have that nice & bright feel to them.  Honestly- I don't know how else to describe my style!!


What three crafting tools/products can you not live without?

1. Patterned paper/vellum
2. Sentiment stamps
3. Metal dies

And now on to two of my favorite card designers!!

• Jocelyn Olson - I am in awe of her hybrid abilities, and how "free" she seems to be when creating cards.  I love how she layers papers with unevenly cut edges to them, all the bits of stitching that she does here & there, & how she dabbles in all different mediums when it comes to her cards.  Not to mention...we've gotten to know each other through Glitz, and I think we would be besties if we lived in the same town.  Lol!
• Miriam Prantner - She is like, always ON.  Almost every single day you can go to her blog & she has an amazing project to share with you. She is an excellent stamper, and her clean style always showcases the stamp sets that she is working with so perfectly.  Not to mention...she is so great about checking out other people's work & leaving them comments!  She makes me want to get better at this...it is is easy to like something on Facebook or Instagram, but very rarely do people comment any longer unless it is a "famous" designer's blog.  She makes me want to be better at leaving my fellow crafters genuine love on their projects!

They have both already participated in this fun blog hop, but I decided that I wanted to stick with the two designers who immediately came to mind when preparing for my post today.  Be sure to check out Jocelyn's post HERE, and Miriam's post HERE.

I hope that you guys enjoyed getting to know me as a card maker a little bit more today.  If you have any questions at all about me, my creative process, or any cards that I've made...feel free to ask!  I will reply back in the comments....so be sure to check back.

Until later,
~L.

Happy Saturday, everyone!!  How was your Friday?  I had a great day with my friend Alex.  It was her birthday, so we went to lunch together at Cafe Dolce, and then later on that evening we went out with a bunch of friends to Sushi Hana, then on to the Top Hat for some bluegrass music.  It was a great evening out together!!  Today I have a 3-hour wedding shoot....my first one of the season!  It's kind-of nice that my first wedding is just a very short one, versus jumping right into a 10 hour day.

Today we are showcasing a brand new Mama Elephant stamp set called "Lovely Mums".  This beautiful stamp set that is floral, with really wonderful sentiments.  As a card maker who is more product oriented, I focused on the sentiments this time around and combined them with some amazing Heidi Swapp product.  Here is what I created!
Instructions:
1. Make a 4x6 inch card from vintage cream cardstock.
2. Cut background paper slightly smaller, and adhere to the front.
3. Cut a floral strip, and adhere to the top.
4. Add a yellow tag to the right side, then stamp & add thickers to the bottom of it for the sentiment.
5. Take apart the dimensional border sticker, and stamp the sentiments to the top label.
6. Put back together, and adhere across the middle of the card.
7. Add another dimensional banner to the upper left corner, then accent with jewels to finish.

Challenges:
-A Blog Named Hero #22 - Freestyle
-Aud Sentiments - Girly
-Desert Islands Crafts #50 - Pick 3 (yellow, 3+ papers, sentiment on front)
-Divas by Design #85 - Pink
-Fab N Funky #162 - Add a Sentiment
-By The Cute and Girly March - Favorite Things
-Word Art Wednesday #71 - Anything Goes











I am just loving these fun Heidi Swapp products!  I love how the brand new border sticker has helped me freshen up the older Sugar Chic 6x6 paper pad...love it!

The other Mama Elephant designers also have some projects to share using the Lovely Mums stamps set....so be sure to check them out too!

Savannah O'Gwynn http://savannahland2.blogspot.com/
Lea Lawson http://leascupcakesandsunshine.blogspot.com/
Mariana Grigsby http://marianagrigsby.wordpress.com/
JJ Bolton http://www.jjbolton.org
Cheiron Brandon http://www.cheironbrandon.typepad.com/
Pearl Lui http://kraftypearl.blogspot.com/
Alice Wertz http://aliceslittlewonderland.blogspot.com/
I hope that you have a wonderful Saturday!!

Until later,
~L.

Hey there, all!!  Welcome to day 3 of the April WPlus9 release!  I hope that you are enjoying all the inspiring projects and new products that WPlus9 is coming out with this month.  Tonight we are sharing ANOTHER brand new item never before sold by WPlus9.  You are going to be so excited!!  Here is what we are introducing tonight:

• is a 4x6 clear photopolymer stamp set
• contains 9 stamps; 1 frame, 6 sentiment builders, and 2 accent images
• will be available for purchase April 5th

• coordinates with the Label Layers 4 stamp set
• two separate dies wired together that can be easily snipped and separated
• will be available for purchase April 5th

• 5.75" x 4.5" double sided steel impression plate
• made in the USA
• will be available for purchase April 5th

I have a little bit of a sad face right now, because I am waiting on some new sandwich plates to come in for my Cuttlebug...so I couldn't use the impression plate.  :(  But, I will definitely be using it tons once they come in, and I can't wait!!!  So for tonight, I used Label Layers 4 and coordinating dies for my card.  You are going to just LOVE this stamp set....it is definitely a must have!!  Here is what I created: