Ria Creations: January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

Unity Friends with Flair

Hey there happy Friday! I'm running behind today so this will be brief. So I've been watching Tracy Weinzapfel's Mixed Media Mondays, it's a lot of fun to watch these live "events" and she inspired me to use watercolors. I never really did, kind of wanted to so finally I just did it. Just really playing around for fun.

I decided to just draw what was on my desk in front of me and color it with watercolors. This is what I came up with:

I know I need lots of practice and my never get that wonderful at it, but it's just fun even if I don't end up with a masterpiece. Definitely outside my comfort zone so it's a good thing! The words are of course Unity Stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!

Maria

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Just Us Girls Inspiration Challenge

It's photo inspiration week at Just Us Girls! Check out this great photo of Valentine prettiness! I went with the kraft/red colors and hearts.

Here is what I came up with:

I used the Unity Itty Bitty called You Always. I used my Cricut to cut out the heart and embossed the hearts using a Hearts Embossing folder. I paper pieced his wings and used the pink at you Spica pen.

Be sure to swing on by the rest of the Just Us Girls team to see what they cooked up!

Geraldine Bailey GD, January Guest Designer

Just a reminder that Just Us Girls is starting up the Guest Designer position once again!! Winning Chic of the Week puts you in the running for the GD spot. At the end of the month, after we have all of our Chic's of the weeks for that month, the JUGS girls will decide who the Guest Designer will be for the following month!

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your new project [no back dating please] for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS225. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, Feb 6. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Friends with Flair Friday

Hi there! TGIF and time for Friends with Flair Friday!! So Trader Joe's not long ago came out with K-Cups, cool right? I pick a box up every time I'm in Trader Joes. So I decided to make use of these boxes!

Here are 2 boxes I made recently. I shared this one during a blog hop for New Years but in case you missed it here it is again:

The pretty embellishments being from Webster's Pages.

Here is a picture of the Trader Joe's box:

Here is a new one I just made using the newest Layers Of Life Kit.

Used more shiny pretty embellishments from Webster Pages. This holds my cute little Stella & Dot mini look books well!

And I still have 2 more empty boxes to alter!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Maria

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Gina K Designs Guest DT challenge

Ok so the final challenge for the February Guest DT challenge at Gina K Designs was a sketch challenge.

Here is my card for the final challenge:

Side view to show the layers I used on this card:

For this card I used the sentiment from "Take Flight" and the bird and flowers are from a newer set called "Stampers Favorite". My pattern papers are from Basic Grey and the solid from Stampin Up.

Well that's all for the GKD Guest DT call, fingers crossed!

Till later!

Maria

Just Us Girls Challenge

It's Saturday and time for another JUST US GIRLS CHALLENGE! This week is our color challenge!

Here is what I came up with using a Unity Itty Bitty Stamp called "Older, Wiser, Better Owl"

Be sure to check out what the JUGS DT did as well:

Geraldine Bailey GD, January Guest Designer

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your new project [no back dating please] for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS224. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, Jan 23. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Gina K Designs Guest DT challenge #3

This is awesome! I'm still at it and finished challenge #3 for the Gina K Designs Guest DT call! This challenge was called Tag It! You had to make a set of tags of 2 or more. So I pulled out my new favorite stamp called Birthday Hoot. I paper pieced his hat and balloons using the paper pack called Birthday Hoot. The Solid paper is also by GDK in Sweet Mango and Creme deMenthe. The twine is by The Twinery.

This is super fun stuff! Fingers crossed!

Till later!

Maria

Monday, January 13, 2014

Gina K Guest DT Challenge #2

Hey there!

So I'm still plugging away with the Gina K challenges! They are up to the 2nd challenge of 4. You have to play in all the challenges to be eligible to win a guest DT spot! This challenge is to make a shape card, any shape just not your traditional square/rectangle.

For my first card I decided to go with hearts:

I used my heart framelits from Stampin Up. I layered the hearts using pop dots, some faux pearls and stamps from the Stamp TV Kit called Spring Mix and the sentiment "love" is from Asela's set called "Dream Birds". My pattern paper is from MME called Kiss and Tell.

Super fun stuff!

Till later!

Maria

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Just Us Girls Technique Challenge

It's Technique week at Just Us Girls and this week we are paper piecing! So simple and oh so much fun! I LOVE IT and it's a great thing to do if you don't want to color. Pattern papers are so much fun check out my snowman:

This is from the Gina K Designs set called Warm Winter Wishes. My pink card stock is Gina K Designs Innocent Pink and Stampin Up Real Red. I used a pattern paper pack by My Mind's Eye called Kiss and Tell.

Be sure to check out what the JUGS DT did as well:

Geraldine Bailey GD, January Guest Designer

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your new project [no back dating please] for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS223. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, Jan 16. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Gina K Designs Guest Call

Hi there!

So Gina K Designs is having a guest designer call! I'm thrilled to be playing along to try out. They are hosting 4 challenges which are the requirements to be eligible to be selected as a guest DT member! The first challenge was a technique challenge called Color on Color Embossed Resist!

Here is what I came up with:

I actually made 2 cards but this is the one I loaded for the contest right now. I will probably post the other one as well and then I will share it with you guys!

Here are the supplies I used for this card:

My card stock is:

Pink - Gina K Designs Pure Luxury "Innocent Pink"
Green - Stampin Up Wild Wasabit
White - Gina K Designs White (this is the panel I did the embossing on)

The ribbon and bling where just random from my stash from Michael's.

I'm super excited to be playing along for this opportunity! Hey you never know!

Off I go to see what other challenges I can play with!

Maria

Monday, January 6, 2014

Seasons Givings Blog Hop WINNER!

WINNER WINNER!

I want to thank everyone who stopped by during this FABULOUS blog hop and left comments!! It was truly amazing and awesome to receive all those nice comments! I was a crafty slacker last summer/fall but this was such inspiration and a great way to kick start my crafty 2014! I'm totally excited! Here's to wonderful things to come!

I just wanted to post today my blog hop winner selected at random:

BECKI from Live Life with Laughs! Isn't that the best title for a blog! Becki please email me at riaann at optonline dot net

Thanks again everyone!! And a huge thanks to Latisha Yoast for putting this great hop together, I hope I will be a part of it again next year!!!

See ya soon!

Maria

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Just Us Girls Challenge

It's time for the first Just Us Girls Challenge of the year! And our very first Guest Designer is:

Geraldine Bailey

The team and I would also like to honor someone else today with a Special Badge.

CONGRATS CHRISTINE!

The JUGS girls are so impressed with your constant enthusiasm and

consistent weekly contribution to each and every challenge for the past year!

Not only are we thankful for Christine, but all of our participants this past year!

Now let's move on to this week's sketch:

Well now that Christmas is over I'm onto Valentine's Day! Here is a a fun pink and red card I made using the sketch:

The owl is from Unity Stamp Co as is the sentiment. Which is one stamp I just cut the words apart. The papers are from my Valentine's stash so I'm not sure who makes them.

Be sure to check out what the JUGS DT did as well:

Geraldine Bailey GD, January Guest Designer

How to play: Please copy and use our graphic on your post. You need to upload your new project [no back dating please] for this week's challenge to your online blog or to a public photo gallery. Leave a link that goes directly to your project in the Linky Tools form at the bottom of this post. If you upload to online galleries, please use the keyword or tag, JUGS222. After you post to Linky Tools you may also leave a comment here.

Deadline to be considered for the "Chic of the Week" is 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, Jan 9. The Linky Tools form will close at that time. Our top pick, "Chic of the Week", will be announced on the following Friday morning.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Friends with Flair Friday!

Hello and welcome to the first Friends with Flair Friday of 2014! For my card this week I played along in the Unity Be Inspired Challenge. I picked the card sketch challenge.

Here is my card:

So I didn't end up using stamps on this card much at all. The "Love" is a stamp and it is a Unity stamp for sure though. Simple and sweet!

Thanks for stopping by!

Maria

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Freshly Made Sketches

Hi there! If you missed the amazing Seasons Giving Blog Hop there is still time to hop and win some great prizes HERE!

As my vow to get more involved with crafting again this year I decided to play along with the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!

Here is the great sketch:

I decided to go with a Valentine's theme using a Unity Stamp Co sentiment.

I hope that you will follow my blog as I will try and post more this year and maybe get involved in a design team or two or perhaps start something up of my own!

As always thanks for stopping by!

Maria

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Seasons Givings Blog Hop

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Welcome to the Seasons Givings Blog Hop! I'm THRILLED to be a part of this hop with sooo many wonderful crafters!! A big thanks to Latisha Yoast for organizing!

I want to thank those who have visited my blog this past year. I know I was a slacker once the summer came and then in the fall when I started my Stella & Dot business. I kept saying my stamps must think I'm cheating on them with jewelry. But I am super excited to be a part of the Stella & Dot team and working in 2014 to get more hostesses for Trunk Shows. I would love for you to swing on by and check it out and like my Stella & Dot Facebook page and tell your friends. For my blog followers (U.S. Only) who place an order in January I am offering free shipping, please contact me to take advantage of that offer.

So because of that some crafting took a backseat but in the last week or so I got creative with a bunch of cards and layouts. I want to get back in the saddle and craft and create more and this was a great way to get started. Here's hoping I will get some chances to be more involved with some Stamp Companies and challenges in 2014!

As a thank you for those who have visited when I posted this year I am giving away a few things:

I will pick an official winner for this stash of stuff on January 6th, so be sure to leave me a comment for your chance to win.

Now onto a few projects I created to share in this blog hop:

So this year I attempted to do Project life. I did get it done through about June and then summer kicked in and that's when crafting went haywire for me. SOO come December I wanted to do a December Daily. Last year I did it 8 1/2 x 11 style and finished the month and have a big binder full of simple but fun daily pages. So this year I decided to again go simple but used an art journal instead and do it a little more mixed media style. Again in a somewhat simple format so I can make fast pages. Here are two I just made the other day using mostly Unity Stamp Co Layers of LIfe stamps:

Next I wanted to share with you two wedding cards I made. In my Etsy shop this year I had one black and white wedding card I made which did really well. I decided to try and make a few more to post:

I used my Silhouette finally to cut the couple image and Stampin up dies to cut the heart.

Next I'll share a simple 12x12 layout I just did using Webster's Pages:

Finally I created this box using the K-Cup box from Trader Joe's. The stamp is Unity Stamp Co and the fancy embellishments is Webster's Pages and Ribbon from SU. This makes a cute stamp storage box which currently is holding some of my Layers of Life from Unity Stamp Co.

Now it's time to continue on your way through this amazing blog hop!!

Your next stop on this hop is the amazing
Colleen Schaan

Here is the Official Blog Hop Order in case you get lost along the way:

Lawn Fawn

Reverse Confetti

My Favorite Things Stamps

CAS-ual Friday Stamps

Fresh Squeezed Stamps

Julee Tillman: Verve Stamps

Avocado Arts Stamps

A Jillian Vance Design

Latisha Yoast

Amber Hight

Amber Kemp-Gerstel

Alice Wertz