Friday Fun Chocolate Challenge

This is American Chocolate Week March 15-21 and today is National Chocolate Caramel Day.  You can use chocolate colors or images or anything else that makes you think of this wonderful confection.

National Confectioner's Association website:  http://www.candyusa.com/index.cfm

Fun Facts About Chocolate

• Chocolate is America's favorite flavor. A recent survey revealed that 52 percent of U.S. adults said they like chocolate best. The second favorite flavor was a tie (at 12 percent each) between berry flavors and vanilla.
• U.S. chocolate manufacturers currently use 40 percent of the almonds produced in the United States and 25 percent of domestic peanuts.
• U.S. chocolate manufacturers use about 3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.
• Sixty-five percent of American chocolate eaters prefer milk chocolate.
• The melting point of cocoa butter is just below the human body temperature (98.6 degrees) — which is why it literally melts in your mouth.
• Older children are significantly more likely to prefer chocolate than younger children (59 percent of 9-11year-olds prefer chocolate vs. 46 percent of 6-8 year-olds), according to an NCA survey.

You all know that I love Inky Antics, and here is another one of their stamps which is perfect for this card.  I also know quite a few people who are currently dieting, so this is for them (you know who you are.)  The nice thing about this stamp is that it is actually 3 stamps.  I stamped the image first and then laid the two phrases on top of the image and put my acrylic block on top of them, no guessing about where each needed to go and I stamped the words once instead of having to line up twice.  You could also use some o f the images of chocolate or cake in that space and put the second part of the sentiment on the inside.  I love the diversity of this set.  So many ways to make it look like that is how it was supposed to be.

Be sure to check out the other Friday Fun Girl's and if you would like to play along, just leave a comment with a link to your post.   

• Christi Snow
• Sara Henton
• Sherry Campbell
• Jimmi Mayo

Details

Stamps: My Friend Ronnie Diet #1-Inky Antics
Paper: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip DSP, White
Ink: Tuxedo Black-Memento, Copics, Stardust Gel Pen
Accessories: Dew Drops, Sheer Ribbon,

I'll see you all tomorrow with a special post along the Operation Write Home Blog Hop.  I also have an announcement to make, so be sure to check it out.

Friday Fun PURPLE

This week our Friday Fun Challenge is to make a card with purple as the main color.  I love purple so this was easy.  I also love these little ladies from Inky Antics.  Inky Antics is from Cleveland, OH, my home town, and these ladies remind me of so many of the people I knew growing up, purple eye shadow and all.

 
Details

Stamps: Hitting the Town-Inky Antics
Paper: Rich Razzelberry, White, Old Olive, Cottage DSP
Ink: Black, Copic Markers
Accessories: Green Ribbon-Offray

Friday Fun-Lincoln's Birthday

Sorry this is a little late in the day.  I have been snow bound all week, which you would think would mean more stamp time, but really it meant that I spent most of the last week either about to go out to shovel snow, shoveling snow, or resting after having just shoveled snow.   Add to that being cooped up with three munchkins and I didn't get much done at all.  Today is the first day in a week that I have not picked up a shovel yet (I will need to do so in order to widen the driveway before The Hubs gets home tonight,  but right now I am enjoying some time off.)

And now this week's Friday Fun

Happy Birthday Mr President!  In honor of Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, we were to make a masculine birthday card.   I bet you thought it would be a Valentine theme this week.  Not with these Chickies!   

 

What a simple little fun card.  I used SCS Sketch Challenge #266 and used some buttons as the layers 4a and 4b.  I added the additional buttons just as a design element.  I like how the buttons scattered around the card mimic the confetti flying through the air.

Don't forget to check out what the other Friday Fun Chicks have done and post a link in the comments here if you get a chance to play along with us.

• Christi Snow
• Sara Henton
• Sherry Campbell
• Jimmi Mayo

Details

Stamps: Monkeys Celebrate-Inky Antics
Paper:  Brilliant Blue, Green Galore, Lime Rickey-BasicGrey, White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers
Accessories: Buttons

Friday Fun #62

Sorry I am so late to post this.  Just like everyone else I am in the Christmas Rush to get things done, and one of my kids picked last night to get SICK.  I think I finally have all the laundry done from that....eeeeewwww.  So now you know that I have a good excuse, here is my creation for this week's challenge.  Jimmi challenged us to use Red, Blue and Yellow in our creations.  I started out making a card, and then at the last second decided to make a hot cocoa packet holder....one problem, I don't have any cocoa packets just Chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast, so that will have to do for now. 

I love this little guy from Inky Antics.  I wish you could see all the glittery goodness I added to this card.  This is one time when the photograph doesn't do the card justice.  I used the clear gel pen on the nose, hoofs and antlers, and the Clear Star glittery gel pen on the cup and to highlight the yellow dots in the paper.  I also used the Blue gel pen to highlight the blue dots and to add an element around the image and sentiment. When all was said and done, it still needed some ribbon and something else, that's when I added the hole for the candy cane and tied the ribbon to it.  Over all I think this came out pretty cute. 

 

Details

Stamps:  CandyCane Reindeer
Paper: Lime Rickey-BasicGrey, Bliss Blue, White
Ink:  Momento Rich Cocoa.
Accessories: Ribbon, Clear Star Gel Pen, Glaze Gel Pen, Blue Gel Pen, 1/2" circle punch, candy cane, chocolate milk packet

Be sure to check out the other Friday Fun Girls' creations and if you play along add a link in the comments.  Have a great week!

Friday Fun #56

This is Christi's second week on the team and she is hosting for the month of November.  Nothing like easing her into it ;)  This week we had a real challenge.  We were to create a card using woodland creatures for fall.  The challenge for me was finding some creatures I could use.  Reindeer hang out in the woods, right?  And even though it is fall there is snow up north right?  And candy canes are all year right?  Good.  I think I nailed this one then :)

You can see the snowflakes shine a bit with the stardust gel pen.  I think that is my favorite accessory.  I also used the clear gel pen on the nose, eyes, mouth and the candy cane to make them stand out a little more. 

I had a little trouble coloring last night so disregard that.  If any of you Copic Certified folks can tell me why the pigment sometimes sits on top of the paper and wont smooth out, please let me know.

Details

Stamps:  Candy Cane Reindeer-Inky Antics
Paper: Brocade Blue, White, Christmas Mat Slab V
Ink: Amuse Black, Copic Markers
Accessories: Glaze Gel Pen, Stardust Gel Pen, White Gel Pen, Blue Grosgrain Ribbon, Snowflake Brad.

If you would like to play along please add a link here in my comment section.  Don't forget to check out the other woodland creatures created by the Friday Fun Chicks listed on the right hand side --->

Friday Fun #55

Sorry this is so late in the day.  I don't know where the morning escaped to.  First off I would like you to join me in saying hello to our newest Friday Fun Chick Christi Snow.  You can visit her blog to see her amazing work at: http://www.alteredambitions.blogspot.com/ 

This week our challenge was to make a card using BROWN, ORANGE, PURPLE and GREEN.  To make it a step harder it was NOT to be a Halloween card.  I think I pulled it off quite nicely.  And look, no embellishments and limited layering!  I am SOOOOO proud of myself. 

Details

Stamps:  Warmest Regards- Stampin' Up!, Monkeys Celebrating-Inky Antics
Paper: Cottage Wall, White, Rich Razzelberry, Kraft, Old Olive
Ink: AMuse Black, Copic Markers

Please visit all the Friday Fun Chicks to see their creations.  If you wish to play along please put a link to your card in the comment section so we can all see it!

More WCMD Cards

I am having fun stamping the day away and thought I would show you a couple more cards for today's challenges.

WCMD09C
This card is for Stamping Bella's WCMD Challenge:
Challenging you to show me what you and your girlfriends do to have some fun! For an extra bit of flair, throw in some some 1980's-ish colors and/or DP!

I love to get together with my friends to stamp. You can often find the Team Fort Meade girls having a mini SBS. The pink and gray are my 80's color combo and if you look at the dp it has some big pearly paisleys in the background. I can see that as wall paper in the dining room of any one of my relatives homes.

Stamps: Stamping Bella
Paper: Going Gray, Pretty in Pink, White, DCWV Old World DP
Ink: AMuse Black, Copics
Accessories: Gray Ribbon-Offray, Adhesive Gems-EK Success

WCMD09D

This card is for the WCMD09D sketch challenge. There were 3 guidelines:
- Make a thank you card
- with CHOCOLATE or other browns and
- using Beate's sketch
I would like to say Thank you to  our lovely hostesses for this challenge.  What do you think, could this be the three of them in about 30 years?

Stamps: Hitting the Town-Inky Antics
Ink: AMuse Black, Copics
Paper: White, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Bella Rosa
Accessories: Pink Ribbon-Offray, Ghost Flower

Friday Fun 51 Think Pink

Kim is the hostess for our October challenges.  Our first challenge is to make a pink card in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Pink has to be the main color.  This was a hard one for me....NOT. 

I fell in love with this stamp from Inky Antics as soon as I saw it.  My stamping buddies had taken me out to lunch for my Birthday in spring and bought me a tiara.  I forgot that I had the tiara on and stopped to get gas in the minivan on the way home, that must have turned a few heads.  Then when I got home my girls were about to fight over the tiara so I told them it was mine and put it on.  I forgot that I was wearing it again, and after bed time caught a reflection of myself as I was vacuuming and STILL wearing the tiara.

Since this card is for Breast Cancer Awareness Month I want something catchy to put as the inside greeting.  How is "Give Yourself the Royal Treatment, Feel Your Boobies." 

If you want to play along please use Keyword FFC51 and provide a link in the comment section here.  Don't forget to check out the other Friday Fun Chicks creations. 

Details

Stamps: Cinderella-Inky Antics
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Rose Red DSP-Stampin' Up!, White, Perhaps-BasicGrey
Ink: AMuse Black, Copic Markers, Clear Star Gel Pen, Pink Glitter Gel Pen
Accessories:  Mini Rhinestones, Pink Ribbon-Offray

Friday Fun Challenge # 50

Wowza! Fifty Friday's of fun! Yeah! This Sunday is also my Twelfth Wedding Anniversary. I still can't believe it. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful person to share my life with. In honor of my anniversary my challenge to you this week is to make a card with 12 embellishments on it. They don't all have to be the same, but you need to have AT LEAST 12. Once you get past the number and start creating, it is actually quite easy to do.

I decided to try this weeks sketch challenge again (SC247), this time on purpose (see my last post) and to use another new Inky Antics stamp. Isn't Sundae boy just too cute? If I was going to make a sundae what better paper to use then BasicGrey's Cupcake? I love the little sprinkles in the background.



I used more than 12 embellishments. I ended up with a whopping 19! I love those cute little stick-on rhinestones. They make blinging it up so easy.


Details

Stamps: Sundae Boy-Inky Antics
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, White, BasicGrey-Cupcake
Ink: AMuse Black, Copic Markers, Stardust Gel pen
Accessories: Memory Box Mini Jewels, Green Sheer Ribbon

If you want to play along, please use FFC50 in your keywords and add a link in my comment section so we can all see what you came up with. Don't forget to check out the awesome cards by the otehr Friday Fun Chicks too!

Pink Ribbon Challenge and WSC98

Team Fort Meade has been issuing challenges to one another recently just for fun. This round was my turn since I had won the last round. My challenge was to create a card using pink ribbon in some way in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month coming up in October. I combined this with the Weekend Sketch Challenge and created a great card to send to a girlfriend just because.


Inside: "And...Chocolate wins again!"

Details

Stamps:My Friend Ronnie Diet #1-Inky Antics
Paper: Pink Piroette, Chocolate Chip, White, Chocolate Chip DSP, Perhaps-BasicGrey
Ink: A Muse Black, Copic Markers
Accessories:Pink Polka Dot Ribbon, Stardust Gel Pen

Crazy 4 Wine

I told you I was going to do it. I am catching up today after a couple days of cleaning and now I am stamping again and trying to get in all the weekend challenges I said I was going to do. That means you will see at least one more card from me today and a couple more the next few days. This card is for Crazy4Challenges third sketch challenge.

Last night we went to a neighbors house for a little wine fest. It was a great excuse to get together with friends and to drink a lot of wine. I made this card as a Thank You note. I'm sure my personality was grately improved last night as the inside sentiment suggests.



Details

Stamps: My friend Ronnie Drinks #1
Paper: Cottage Wall, Rich Razzelberry, Old Olive, White
Ink: A muse Black, Copic Markers
Accessories: Olive Ribbon, Dew Drops

Sketch Challenge #246

I told you I was going to do more challenges, so here is this weeks sketch challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers. I had to make a slight modification to the sketch and put the center panel as a diamond rather than a square and then mounted my image on top thus adding a layer, but the over all effect is the same.

I just think that this little turtle is the "tutu cute". She is another Inky Antics set called Princess Turtle. She has several different crowns that she can wear and flowers and butterflies and other accessories. The one thing she didn't have was a tutu, so I had to make her one. I used some pink sheer ribbon and cinched it with a piece of thread like you would do if you were sewing a skirt. I am thrilled that it came out so well. I adhered it with some ScoreTape and there you have it, the perfect tutu. This card was meant to be for my niece's 11th Birthday, but I'm not sure a tween would like it, so I may need to find her something else.




Details

Stamps: Princess Turtle-Inky Antics
Paper: Rich Razzelberry, Always Artichoke, Eva-BasicGrey, White
Ink: AMuse Black, Copic Markers, Copic ABS
Accessories:Clear Star Gel Pen, Dew Drops-Orchid, Pink Sheer Ribbon.

Crazy 4 Challenges #2

I saw this Saturday afternoon and got the idea immediately, I just needed to get some time to work on it, and unfortunately, that didn't happen until yesterday. AS soon as I finished the card, the plumber arrived and I ended up having to empty several shelves in the basement so everything got stacked on my desk, burying the poor little thing. At least Ronnie had plenty to drink and she doesn't seem to be too phased by the ordeal.

I went to the Stamp Scrap Art Tour on Saturday and bought several items from Inky Antics. They have several lines of stamps from pretty to quirky and sassy. I LOVE the sassy stamps the best. Those are cards I can make and send to my girlfriends. You will probably see me using a lot of their stamps in the coming weeks. Another great thing about this company is that they are based in Cleveland. Woohoo! Maybe that's why I connect to their stamps so well. They probably ARE my friends and family depicted in them.

I have resolved myself to do more challenges each week. I am determined that I will do the Crazy 4 Challenges and of course the Friday Fun Challenges, and want to do the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge and Weekend Sketch Challenge as often as possible. If you see me on-line and I am not just taking a quick sanity break from my kids, yell at me and tell me to get back into the basement and STAMP.

A few details that I wish you could see are on the margarita glass. I used the Glaze gel pen to go over it so it is shiny...like a glass. I also used my stardust gel pen around the rim of the glass to simulate the salted rim. I accented around the outer edges only of the focal squares with some stardust little squiggles.


Details

Stamps: My Friend Ronnie Drinks #1-Inky Antics
Paper: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, White, Cupcake-BasicGrey
Ink: AMuse Black
Accessories: Metal Dots, Copic Markers, Stardust Gel Pen, Glaze Gel Pen, Red Grosgrain Ribbon, White Satin Ribbon