One of my favorite sayings is “I love you like a fat kid loves cake!” It just makes me smile and laugh every time. There is a specific friend of mine that actually introduced me to that phrase, and I love her in that very way. It was her birthday and I have been working on her birthday gift… I really wanted to make her some cards that would be cute and special to their future recipients. So here they are! I am going to make a set of these three different cards and put them together in some cute packaging for her gift. I cant wait, because I know she will love them.

This week’s Pile It On challenge is to use some kind of pastry on your project. I immediately knew exactly what I would use for my “pastry.” The cupcake and stand image was a downloadable file from the Cutting Cafe, a past PIO Sponsor, called All About Cupcakes. I LOVE the cute stands in this file and was waiting for the perfect use for them! I wanted these cards to be more elegant than usual when it comes to cupcakes. I hope that I was able to achieve that! I personally think they are lovely :)

Here are all of the challenges that I used for these cards:

• Pile It On –Let them eat cake! Some kind of pastry on your project plus at least one other challenge
• Stamps and Smiles — Sketch
• Our Creative Corner – Monochromatic Cards
• One Stop Craft Challenge: Die Cuts
• Whimsy Stamps: Buttons, Buttons who’s got buttons

First of all, let me just say how wonderful it is to be a part of a Design Team… there is always so much talent and inspiration flowing when you have a creative team working together to Inspire Others. I think that is the main goal of a Design Team: to Inspire Others!

This month, the ABC Challenge blog is holding a DT Call for a couple of new members to join them; so I have decided to apply! If any of you are interested in applying, check out the DT Call Post here. If you are ever in need of a challenge to boost your creativity, check out their challenge that is posted every Wednesday! They go through the entire alphabet and they are currently making their way through their third round of the alphabet!

Included in this post are my three favorite projects that I have created in the past (SO hard to choose!). I feel that each of these projects show not only my growth in paper-crafting over the years but also the style of my crafting. Many have called my style clean-lined, simple and classic. I also enjoy layering and popping pieces up for added dimension. As much as I adore embellishments and clustering, I tend to keep my projects more simplistic; unless I am feeling extra artsy!

Each of these cards display a beautiful color challenge and are linked to their original posting for your convenience. I hope you enjoy my Top 3 picks and maybe I will see you soon over at the ABC challenge (whether I get picked for the DT or not! :)

Tonight I decided that I wasn’t quite ready for bed, so I whipped up this quickie! Caardvarks is holding a Sketchfest this week, with a new sketch each day of the week… this is my first card, but I do hope to join in on the other sketches as well. The papers and embellishments all came from the Scarlet Lime September Kit! This was BY FAR my favorite kit that I have received from them! And that is saying a lot because I have loved every single kit I have received from them for the last year! Hope you like!

Oh, and here is the sketch for Tuesday :)

Happy Sunday, everyone! This marks week 16 with Pile It On and its a good one :) We are challenging you to use PUNCHES on your project (and of course, at least one other challenge). I have to say that I love punches… they make life so much more easier and my projects much more creative.

Let’s see, here are all of the punches that I own:

1. Stampin Up 1 1/4″ Circle
2. Stampin Up Scallop Circle
3. Stampin Up Designer Label
4. Stampin Up Boho Blossoms
5. Stampin Up Small Oval
6. Stampin Up Round Tab
7. Stampin Up Spiral
8. Martha Stewart Lacey Border
9. Martha Stewart Double Scallop Edge Border
10. Martha Stewart Butterfly
11. EK Success 3″ Scallop Circle
12. EK Success 3″ Scallop Square
13. Fiskars Scallop Border

… now I just need to figure out how to store them!!

Here is the wonderful list of challenges that were used on this simple little card:

• Pile It On — Punches
• Mojo Monday — Sketch
• Stamp Something – Favorite Colors or Papers
• Secret Scrapper — Girlie!
• Paper Maniac — Ribbon
• My Time to Craft – Polka Dot Party!

[View with PicLens]

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Today just so happens to be my 25th birthday, so I am incorporating it into this week’s Scrap or Dare. This would normally be posted on a Tuesday but I am running a bit behind. Hope you will play along!

This week, I DARE YOU to Scraplift any of my Cards! Feel free to take a look through my Gallery (above) or just through my Card posts and find a card of mine that you would like to scraplift. Obviously this doesnt mean that you have to have it exact but ‘copy’ the basics of the project, such as the layout and perhaps the embellishments, and make it your own. Then come back here and post a link to your card in the comment section. Also, feel free to share a photo of the card that you Scraplifted on your blog post if you like.

That is not it! For those of you who play along this week, you will be entered to WIN!! So post your creation before next Thursday, September 24th at midnight. I will have a fun prize for the Random Winner!

Happy Scraplifting! I am off to the Cheesecake Factory with my wonderful hubby to celebrate! Much love….