New Web Address.... Please update your Bookmarks and Links

I have been very overwhelmed and frustrated... blog linking issues. In labeling my blog SweetwaterDesigns I never looked closely at the smaller words that make up this title... there is a word within that is being censored by various web filters preventing stampers from visiting the site. I have made a change to the blog web address in hopes of correcting this issue, please update your bookmarks. For those who link here from your blogs, please update your links to reflect the new web address.

Sorry for the frustration but hopefully this will cure the problems.

http://swdkylamaestas.blogspot.com/

Featured Stamper Challenge!!

Double-Lined Doodles!!

If you haven't already checked out the Splitcoaststampers' Featured Stamper Challenge... you should definitely do so. There are some amazing stampers featured, with galleries full of awesome cards to CASE. I am excited to be featured as this week's Featured Stamper and look forward to seeing every one's amazing projects... if you have created a CASE for this week's challenge... post a link here so we can check out your projects!

Recently my dear friend Kendra Giles was featured as the Featured Stamper.... I haven't had a chance to do much stamping but couldn't pass up the opportunity to CASE something from her gallery. To Learn more about CASEing this fabulous diva, click here. Here is my inspiration card.... as you are sure to notice I changed a few things from the original. A very belated Congratulations Kendra... you Rock!

Card Details

Stamps: Double-Lined Doodles

Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink: Almost Amethyst, Basic Black,Mellow Moss

Other: Cuttlebug Swirls Folder, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" hole punches, Organdy Ribbon is May Arts

I distressed the embossed background with Basic Black ink, it was a risky thought (before this I would never have dreamed about distressing with black ink, I typically stick with browns) but I am pleased with the outcome.

Edited to Include: Trouble with Photos

We were recently playing at Lagoon in SLC UT, while there my camera was knocked out of my hands... needless to say it didn't just drop it went flying. The camera is barely functional, please keep this in mind when viewing the photos for the next couple of weeks while I wait for it to be repaired.

Judges Reminder

I have already seen two posts asking questions about how many cards to send so I thought I would just post in hopes that everyone will get it. Judges need to send 3 cards total. Cards can be mailed to Kyla Maestas 3714 Madison Dr Rock Springs WY 82901. If you have extra cards that you would like to donate to the troops feel free to send them along. You will be recieving links to the gallery for judging next week. Thanks again for your help in gathering cards for the troops. Rubber Hugs!!

Cards for Troop Contest... Update!!

I have been MIA for a bit, things have been extremely busy at our house. My kids are playing baseball/softball, we just finished Dance Nationals at Lagoon in SLC and things don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.... However the Cards for Troops contest has come to an end. I will be formulating a gallery for the judges to view all of the submissions over the next couple of days and the winner will be announced in the next week or two.

For those of you still wanting to donate.... I am still accepting cards to send... I had really hoped to send 400 cards but we are only about half way. If you would like to donate cards and envies, please send them to Kyla Maestas 3714 Madison Dr. Rock Springs WY 82901. I will be accepting cards until June 1st.

I have received one packet of judges prize cards and let me tell you... they are ROCKIN'!! A few lucky winners are going to have some fabulous cards, these judges are amazingly talented stampers.

Cards for Troops Contest.... More Cards Needed!!

Cards for Troops.... More Cards Needed!!

I have started to see a few cards trickle in but no where near the numbers I had hoped for. Hopefully we will have a flood of cards come in this week. If you haven't heard about the contest... you can click here for more information. There are some fabulous prizes, each of the winners will receive a special card from each of the judges (one of the best prizes in my honest opinion). Want to know more about our judges, click here.

If you do not have time to create a submission, remember that you can always donate your extra cards, swaps you are no longer using etc to the cause.

Cards can be sent to:
Kyla Maestas
3714 Madison Dr.
Rock Springs WY 82901

Happy Mother's Day.... to a Fabulous Purse-on!!

Happy Mother's Day... to a Fabulous Purse-on!!

Papercrafts Gallery Idol Challenge Submission

I created this card for the Papercrafts Magazine Gallery Idol.. this week's theme was honoring Mother's Day with shaped cards. The purse seemed to be the best shape for a mother's day card... most girls are absolutley crazy about purses... I love a great looking purse but I tend to fill it to the brim no matter what size purse I buy. I could easily migrate from a wallet to an oversided suitcase in just a few week's time. My husband would claim that my purse should be considered a weapon... (I am terrible about cleaning it out), one day while cleaning it out I sorted out all the change and took it to the bank to be counted... $54.o0 in change (no bills), I of course defended myself by telling him that handing this bag over to a potential mugger would be no chore at all, if I aimed just right we would most likely be knocked completely out LOL. Because of this, I usually limit myself to the pockets in my jeans for favorite jacket.

Card Details:
Stamps: Doodle This
Cardstock: Basic Black, Shimmery White, Cool Caribbean
Ink: Basic Black
Other: White Signo Gel Pen, May Arts Organdy Ribbon, Silver Cording, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Black Micro Beads

I stamped the doodle background and colored it in with a white gel pen. I used a little liquid glue and Dazzling Diamonds to add some extra pizazz. The flower is stamped on Cool Caribbean with the same coloring and glitter, with the addition of black micro beads for additional texture. I used my computer to create the Mother's Day tag and the sentiment for the inside of the purse (font is Bickley Script), the center of the card reads, "Happy Mother's Day to a Fabulous Purse-on!!" In designing my card for this week I wanted to steer away from the traditional cards for Mother's Day and create one that was generic enough that you could give it to a friend, I have so many friends who are fabulous mother's, it is nice to honor them.

Don't forget to vote... all the contestants count on your votes to keep them in the competition for another week. Voting will begin tomorrow afternoon and will continue until Thursday, just as it did this week.

FYI... when attempting to vote, you will see an option to take a Survey, this is not an actual survey but the way you vote. I was a little leery in clicking there myself because you never know what you are clicking on but this is a safe route. Your votes are greatly appreciated!! Thank you for your continued support.

Top 15 Finalists for Gallery Idol

I am so excited.... I made the cut to the next round. Congratulations to all the contestants who made it... now what kind of shaped card to create for Mother's Day!

For more information about the contest and those who made the next round.... click here. Thanks to all those who voted. Be sure to stop by my gallery over the weekend to see my next Gallery Idol card.

Have you seen the Retirement List for Stampin' Up!

If you haven't seen it yet you can view it at www.stampinup.com. I was really excited to see the list this year... I am glad to see some of the older sets go to make room for the new. I was sad to see a few of my long time favorites go:
*Girlfriends
*Celebrate in Style
*Words by Wilson
*Petal Prints

well I could go on and on but those were the ones that were the sadest to see go. I am really excited to see what the new catalog brings. I think I am losing about 45 sets this year.

Don't Forget to Vote!!

Voting is open until Thursday for Papercraft's Galery Idols... there is only one vote allowed per computer. For more information on voting, click here.

Sassy Stems ~*Thank You*~ Gallery Idol Submission

Sassy Stems "Thank You"

I am so nervous, I have seen several of the top 20 finalist's cards and they are fabulous... hopefully I will get to play another round. Here is my submission for this week's Gallery Idol theme (Thank You). Be sure to stop by and place your votes... I am counting on you all to help me make it as far as possible, thanks in advance for your support!!

Voting Details:

Voting for “Round 1: Thanks Cards” begins at noon (MST) on Monday, April 30. This is open to ALL online viewers and designers. Everyone will have until noon (MST) on Thursday, May 3 to cast your vote for your favorite designer. (You may only vote once. All duplicate votes received from the same computer will automatically be removed.) The top 15 finalists will be announced on Friday, May 4, and given a theme for the next round.

To view this weeks Gallery Idol Thank You cards, click here.

Card Details

Stamps: Sassy Stems, Warmest Regards, Cheesecloth Background

Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Almost Amethyst, Vintage Violet, Whisper White, Designer Series Paper (new from Stampin' Up!)

Ink: Basic Black, Cool Caribbean, Almost Amethyst, Vintage Violet, Whisper White

Other: Organdy Ribbon (May Arts), Sprial Punch, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, Adhesive Gems (EK Success).

I'm a Gallery Idol Top 20 Finalist!! Woohoo!!

I am so excited... my dear friend Jana Weaver had posted about this Gallery Idol project that Papercrafts Magazine was hosting. I am a huge fan of the American Idol show and of course card making... naturally I love the idea of combining these two concepts. Well I entered a card just for fun and I am absolutely excited to announce... I am a top 20 finalist!! (Doing a Very HAPPY Dance!!) They announced having 1100 submissions, that is so amazing!!

Looks like I will be playing with some new DCWV supplies... finalists received the following prizes:

5" x 5" White Scalloped Glitter Cards - $4.99
5" x 5" Green Scalloped Glitter Cards - $4.99
A2 Blue Scalloped Glitter Cards - $4.99
A2 Pink Scalloped Glitter Cards - $4.99
Friendship Color Vellum Quote Stack - $5.99
Free copy of a current issue from Paper Crafts magazine

This weeks theme is "Thanks"

Voting for “Round 1: Thanks Cards” begins at noon (MST) on Monday, April 30. This is open to ALL online viewers and designers. Everyone will have until noon (MST) on Thursday, May 3 to cast your vote for your favorite designer. (You may only vote once. All duplicate votes received from the same computer will automatically be removed.) The top 15 finalists will be announced on Friday, May 4, and given a theme for the next round.

For more information about Gallery Idol, click here.

Double-Lined Doodles... Tips and More!

Love those Petals

It has been a few days since I posted a sample... I have been extremely busy finishing up deadlines etc. This is the first card I have created using my Cuttlebug and folders that I recently purchased... love it and I am so glad I purchased one.

Tips: I love the look of the flowers in this set when they are cut out and popped up, it adds a lot of dimension and detail to the cards quickly. Some may frown on cutting because it takes so long, others have trouble cutting due to issues with hands etc... I wanted to share some tips specific with this set that will help the cutting process go faster. With the help of one of the Stampin' Up! punches you will wonder why you weren't cutting these out all along.

Supplies Needed: 1 1/4 " hole punch, paper snips and flowers

Fast Cutting: Start by stamping and coloring in images, it is easier to do it now than later. Once you have completed that you going to center the flowers inside the 1 1/4" hole punch and pop them out. Then use your paper snips and create triangle cuts to finish cutting out the flowers.

Card Details:

Stamps: Double-Lined Doodles

Ink: Basic Black, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac and Certainly Celery

Cardstock: Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, Rose Red

Other: Cuttlebug Spots and Dots folder, 1 1/4" hole punch, Rose Red Brads

Cards for Troops Contest.... Combining Postage

I have had a few questions come in sending in cards for the contest. I think to keep our overall objective in mind (400 cards) I would like to welcome combined mailings, if you want to send all of your cards in one package that would be fine. Please be sure that you include your information (recipes etc) with each card because they are sure to get seperated at some point.

I cannot wait to see your cards, and thanks again for helping!

Tagged!!

I have been having a very hard time selecting blogs for this tagged thing... and I am sure you are supposed to pick a few new people to tag, but some of my absolute favorite blogs have already been tagged so I apologize in advance for the repeats.

My Top 5 Picks... (in no particular order are)

* Inkin' It Up! with Kendra Giles (she is also helping judge the Cards for Troops Contest)

* Susiestampalot with Susan Liles (she has some adorable projects on her blog)

* Just Us with Sara Allison (I stumbled across her blog after seeing her comment about Wyoming and let me tell you she can scrapbook, I just love her pages)

* Janas Creative Pursuits in Stamping with Jana Weaver (I have been stamp buddies with Jana for years, I have enjoyed many swaps with her and absolutely love her blog)

* Stamping Therapy with Jen Javorsky (Jen always has such adorable projects on her blog, she is such a sweethearts, and is also judging our Cards for Troops contest)

**I wanted to mention also that this was absolute torture... I have so many blogs that I peak in on and visit often that it was really hard to pick 5... these are the blogs I visit often and continue to return to because of their fabulous creativity and talents as well as their fun loving spirits and enthusiasm.

If a dog was your teacher.....

If a dog was the teacher...

My dear friend Gina Pacheco sent me this adorable email and I thought instead of email forwarding it all over the place that I would post it here and share it with you. I am not much of a fan for email forwards because it seems that once you get started it can be extremely overwhelming to keep up but Gina always has the best! Thanks for sharing Gina!! Rubber Hugs dear friend. This is our beloved Kita, we have had her for almost 6 years and I cannot imagine life without her.

You would learn stuff like:

*When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
*Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
*When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.! Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
*Take naps.
*Stretch before rising.
*Run, romp, and play daily.
*Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
*Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
*On warm days, stop to lie on your back in the grass.
*On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
*When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
*No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout..run right back and make friends.
*Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
*Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
*Stop when you have had enough.
*Be loyal.
*Never pretend to be something you're not.
*If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
*When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Doodle That!

Doodle That- Regionals Re-Creation

I am back to work on a major deadline and find the time is flying and I still have lots of projects to complete. I was also out of town this weekend helping my grandparents get ready to move. There will be new projects this week (new color challenge, sketch challenge, more Double-Lined Doodles and projects using my newest toy...the Cuttlebug) so be sure to check back.

Today's card is a variation of the projects I shared during my Regionals presentation.

Card Details

Stamps: Looks Like Spring (small print pattern), Doodle That

Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean, Whisper White

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean

Other: White Narrow Organdy Ribbon, Eggplant Grosgrain Ribbon, Black Brads, Various Punches

Technique: Frayed Ribbon

Don't forget about the Cards for Troops Contest... you can find more information about how you can help by clicking here.

I've Been Tagged!!

I have been tagged by several blogging buddies and thought I would post to tell you I will be posting my 5 favorite picks tomorrow.

New Look!!

I am excited to share the new look with everyone, I have been working with Beth Silaika and she has done an amazing job!! So... what do you think?? I cannot wait to show you the new watermarks, they are just as amazing as the banner!

If you would like more information about Beth and her fabulous creations, click here!!

Sketch Challenge 118 Double-Lined Doodles

I Just Love You.... Sketch Challenge 118

I created this card using Sketch Challenge 118 from Splitcoaststampers. You can find more information about this challenge by clicking here.

Card Details
Stamp Sets: Polka Dots and Paisley (spots), Double-Lined Doodles
Cardstock: Real Red, Basic Black, Cool Caribbean, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Real Red, Cool Caribbean
Other: Black Organdy Ribbon (May Arts), Real Red brads, Large Oval Punch, Cutter Took Kit (Faux Stitching), 1/4" Punch (brad mats)

Techniques and Other Details: I created a Cool Caribbean marker by adding re-inker to a new blender pen. I also used the Faux Stitching with the Cutter Tool Kit again, I just love this look!! (use the perforating tool, drive it through lots of craft ink (whisper white was used here), and then drive it over the cardstock, re-inking as needed.)

Don't Forget about the Cards for Troops Contest,
for more details click here.

More Double-Lined Doodles!!

Scalloped Double-Lined Doodles

Card Details

Stamps: Polka Dots and Paisley (spots), Double-Lined Doodles

Cardstock: Basic Black, Real Red, Cool Caribbean and Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Cool Caribbean, Real Red, Certainly Celery

Other: Scalloped Circle Giga Punch & Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Organdy Ribbon (May Arts), Real Red Brads, 1/4" Circle Punch (brad mats), 1/2" Circle Punch (tabs), Large Oval Punch

More Scalloped Doodles

Card Details
Stamps: Polka Dots and Paisley (spots), Double-Lined Doodles
Cardstock: Basic Black, Real Red, Cool Caribbean and Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Cool Caribbean, Real Red, Certainly Celery
Other: Scalloped Circle Giga Punch & Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Organdy Ribbon (May Arts), Real Red Brads, 1/4" Circle Punch (brad mats), 1/2" Circle Punch (tabs), Large Oval Punch

Don't Forget about the Cards for Troops Contest,

for more details click here.