Cupcakes Are My Jam

I don't know why or how, but I've become obsessed with cupcakes for awhile now and this free digi from Stamplorations made me so happy! They are always generous with their freebies and giveaways and challenges. They have like 4 or 5 challenges each month. These cards don't fit any of them this month but I loved the stamp and had to color it up.

This one uses Prismacolor pencils for the digi image and a watercolored panel background. I really like the soft-colored panel mounted on black.

The next one is also colored in Prismacolor pencils but I also added glossy accents to the rose and chocolate on the strawberry. The watercolor panel I had (using liquid watercolors from Hero Arts) wasn't large enough for the image, so I just cut it diagonally and added a piece of black cardstock between the pieces. I love yellow frosting on chocolate cupcakes, so that's what I went with here.

Here's a close-up of the dew drops.

My favorite bakery in the whole world is Cake, Hope and Love near me and they are starting an online shop so you can order cake toppers, sprinkles and their fab.u.lous. buttercream. Best icing ever. Their salted caramel is my all-time fave, but they have so many good ones!

So this obsession of mine started at least three years ago...what are some of your fave foods that you will eat 5 times a week if you could?

Happy Friday!

Chark

My Personal Motto

I got an Adornit coloring mini book set some months ago and I really enjoy the drawings and sayings in them. The pages are textured and take watercolor well. I've used colored pencil on them too, but the paper is rough, so you won't get a smooth look with pencils. I've also used markers on them and in these pages, I've used both Arteza brush pens (markers) and Prismacolor pencils.

The funny thing is that I can find two of my life's mottoes in these four pages...

and...

I think we should all be a little kinder in our dealings with others and I think everyone should have a cupcake once in a while. Ok, maybe not everyone, maybe just me. And maybe not once in a while but every week instead. That would make me happy!

Luckily, I have a great local bakery called Cake, Hope and Love that has THE best buttercream of any bakery anywhere. Just say'n. You can buy it in the link here, along with sprinkles and cake toppers. 

                                      

And they actually know my name and will get my order ready ahead when I call. And once, after my husband stopped in to get me a cupcake after my retinal surgery, those fine people sent me a whole salted caramel cake—because they rock and they know that's my favorite. I should probably be embarrassed that they know me so well, but I ain't a bit sorry! :)

Happy Friday!

Chark

Yippee! It's Read A New Book Month

September is Read a New Book Month and it's practically a sin not to read some new stuff this month. So, if I have to, I have to. I love to read and have for as long as I can remember. I loved the pictures, the words, the stories, the feel of the books and the way you could go far away and learn so much all from your comfy chair. 

Nancy Drew really caught my 11-year-old attention and I plowed through that series like they were going to disappear. The school library had the whole set, luckily, so I could just keep going back for more. I remember the first book I read on my own, too, though I can only guess my age. I figure I was about 5. It was Inside, Outside, Upside Down.

I was sitting on the floor of my room (that I shared with my older sister) and we had gotten this book from the library sale, so although it said New Lexington Public Library and had a card holder in the back, it was ours. Ever since then, I've loved reading and stories.

I just finished All Happy Families by Jeanne McCulloch and really enjoyed it. It was a memoir that read like fiction and I found interesting. But that was finished yesterday, so time to move on to a new book...I have to take advantage of the month and celebrate it, don't I? Even if the housework and phone calls and paperwork all have to take a backseat. It's practically a law. Might jump into some YA fiction now. I really enjoy the young adult literature out there now. There were some good authors when I was a teen in the 80s, but there are a million more today. So I may not be a young adult, but I love that genre.

Here are some adorable Mama Elephant stamps I need to get to make cards for my book-loving family. The set is called Bookworm. Love that bunny!

Look, these cute bookworm cupcakes fit right into today's post. Also, I want cupcakes now.

I'll leave you with this last image celebrating books, Altered Books by Isobelle Ouzman. Oh. My. Goodness. Her site is so beautiful.

If you're a bookworm like me, you might want to check out all the cool clothes, totes and mugs that readers will like at Out of Print.

Hope you find something good to read this month!

Happy Monday!

Chark

Cupcake Girl

This could actually be my nickname...I'm a huge fan of cupcakes and yes, the local bakery knows my name and my favorite cupcake flavor. And they sent me a cake when I had eye surgery because they totally rock! If you're ever near Wright State University, Wright Patt Air Force Base or anywhere near Dayton airport, I highly recommend Cake, Hope and Love for deliciousness :) 

But instead of my nickname, it's what I call this digi stamp from Vera Lane Stamps. It's actually called Caroline's Cupcakes if you want one for yourself. I used Prismacolor pencils first and then added some Tombow markers to brighten things up a bit.

I gave her eyelids just to see what she'd look like. I put her on a card for my sister, whose birthday is in a couple of weeks. April is such a huge birthday month for us. On my side of the family, there are 6 of us having birthdays and on my husband's side there are 3 more and then we have two friends with April birthdays. So...there you go! Big ol' birthday month.

And guess what? I've got a graduation party for my son coming up in May and I'll be making some cupcakes for that party...maybe some like these! Just call me the Cupcake Girl!

Happy Wednesday!

Chark

2 Cute Turtle

Today I have a digi turtle stamp from 2 Cute Ink featured on a card. I love 2 Cute Ink stamps for their cuteness (it's right there in the name) and ease of use. I'm in the club and you get 6 new images delivered to your email each month for $5...it's a great deal.

I used Prismacolor pencils on this guy and then added white gel pen accents. The hello die is from Papertrey Ink and I cut it from silver paper. 

Saw these turtle cupcakes online and love them--so cute! I don't know if I could eat them :)

And here's a little turtle craft that recycles egg cartons...if my kids were still little, we'd be making these to go with the Finding Nemo movie.

Happy Friday!

Chark

Celebrating Caramel Today

Tomorrow is National Caramel Day and since I don't post on Tuesdays usually, I'm celebrating today. I'm a big fan of chocolate-covered caramels in the Valentine's box of candies, I love turtles and my favorite cupcake is the Salted Caramel at Cake, Hope and Love, my local bakery with the best cupcakes in town.

This recipe for Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes is here and if you make them, please send me on in the mail...or I'll drive to your house...or whatever has to happen. I tried salted caramel cupcakes on a whim, thinking it might be weird, but it turned out to be my favorite. 

If you like caramel, you should totally try this recipe at Live Love Pasta's site. I've made it before and it's a big hit at gatherings.

And though I have no tie-in craft for caramel day, I do have this watercolor card I made for the Flickr Hero Arts Scramble this past weekend. Love my new Antique Rose stamp. I used Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry, Salted Ocean, Mowed Lawn and Squeezed Lemonade.

My coffee card below caught their eye and they featured it on their Rainbow post over at A Blog Named Hero, and that made me happy, even though I didn't win the random draw.

Lots of pinks today and lots of caramel goodness...and today my son got his braces off, so he can have a caramel to celebrate, lucky boy!

Happy Monday,
Chark

Would You Like Fries With That

You know how they ask you if you want a little something extra with your food at the drive-thru? Well, the owner at the local scrap shop asked me if I wanted to add the matching dies for these cute Sugar Rush stamps I was buying. I gave it some thought, but the dies and stamps together would be $40 and that's way over my scrap budget for a single visit.

So I said no. Then I went home, stamped away, colored and stickled the images. Then I fussy cut...and let me tell you, they're small...and difficult to cut and I didn't do a very neat job, not to put too fine a point on it :) So today I was looking at them and thinking and guess what? I'm buying them the next time! Cuz I learn from my mistakes.

But they are stinkin' cute, don't you think? Which is why I'll be making them again. They're fun and cute and you can mix it up a little with the little faces. You can get em here if you like em too.

 

Happy Wednesday,

Chark

Sprinkle On The Fun

I love cupcakes—real and drawn, keychain or dessert. So, of course I own the cupcake stamp set from my fave company, Hero Arts. I have a few birthdays this month for friends, so I made some cupcake cards with the Hero Arts sentiment below.

I used my Doodlebug Design cupcake stickers and tried my hand at shaker cards again. These went better than my previous attempts, but still not smoothly. One doesn't shake as loosely as I'd like (the sequins tend to get stuck) and one has marks where the foam tape is underneath. sigh. I swear to you, one day I will make an actual shaker card to be proud of. In the meantime, I have these. Luckily, the people I send them to won't be picky and judgmental :)

The green sticker corners are also Doodlebug Design. The papers, including the Oh Happy Day are from a 6x6 paper pad called Hello Sunshine by Lawn Fawn. 

Here's another that uses the same papers and stickers but isn't a shaker card and uses this adorable Washi Tape from Artsyville over at Etsy. I just ordered from there and got a surprise from the owner in my package. You've got to go over and see how adorable her products are!

Here's a delightful jumbo magnet from Artsyville. They make more than just washi!

Now that I've shared my cupcake cards, I think I need a cupcake from my favorite local bakery, Cake, Hope and Love. Here's one of their yummy cupcakes. If you're near Dayton, you gotta try them—they beat Gigi's by a mile!

And if you love cupcakes, you'll love this card set from Hero Arts, available here at a2z Scrapbooking. They might have them at Target, but you'll find them on sale at a2z! Plus you can use CHARK15 to get a 15% discount on your $25+ order. How yummy is that?! I love cards that are easy like this. I'd add my sentiment stamp and some Stickles to the frosting.

Happy Wednesday! Glad you stopped by!
Chark