Papercraft Star: Anything Goes Challenge

This week the challenge at Papercraft Star is the BEST EVAH... 'cause you can do whatever you want! That's right the challenge this week is "Anything Goes" and we say anything...we mean ANYTHING (well, okay no naughty stuff, but other than that...just go for it!).

With that said... for this challenge I wanted to do something BIG and BOLD so I chose some bright colors, Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy and Hawaiian Shores cardstock matched perfectly with this Crate Paper polka-dot pattern, add a extra large sentiment, and some ribbon, lace and a couple of Glam Rocks from Imaginisce and ta-da, one BIG and BOLD card was born.

You've got plenty of time to get your own project for this challenge completed too and we hope you do! You can find the link to our current challenge in the upper right corner on the sidebar of the blog! We can't wait to see what you create!

Papercraft Star: Garrendeny Lane Photo Inspiration Challenge

The challenge at Papercraft Star this weeks starts with a luscious photograph from Garrendeny Lane and we hope ends with a project you create that was inspired by this fun photograph too!

Photo Credit: Garrendeny Lane

To create my project for this reveal I started with an Orange Zest 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 cardbase and added layers of patterned paper from Crate Paper's Emma Shoppe Collection 6 x 6 paper pad. Orange Zest Ribbon topped with a purple button from my stash (inspired by the purple flowers in the photo) finished this quick and easy, but oh so Orange and Zesty card! :-)

I hope you join me by entering this Papercraft Star photo inspiration challenge.  You can learn all the details and enter your project by clicking on the Current Challenge link located in the upper right sidebar of the Papercraft Star blog!

Papercraft Star's First Anniversary Blog Hop Sponsored by Tradefish Designs!

Welcome to Papercraft Star's First Anniversary Blog Hop sponsored by Tradefish Designs. In celebration of our First Anniversary and in honor of Father's Day as well, our theme for this Papercraft Star Hop is "For The Men We Love".  You should have arrived to my blog from my pal Regan's blog.  If you didn't, I suggest you start at the beginning over at Papercraft Star so you don't miss a single stop on the hop... go here now to start. (I'll wait :-) )

Our Design Team has created some fabulous projects that feature stamps from Tradefish Designs, a company devoted to creating stamps with masculine themes, imagery and sentiments. We are especially happy to partner with TradeFish Designs for our Anniversary Hop as both the company and stamp designs are owned by our very own Cecilia Stephens too! We have a fabulous prize for our Blog Hop randomly selected winner as well; the entire May 2011 Release Bundle of Tradefish Designs Stamps
(a $55.00 value!).... to qualify for the prize do the following:

Be a follower of Papercraft Star.

Be a follower of Tradefish Designs.

Leave a comment at every stop along the hop.

You have the entire week, June 19 through June 25, 2011 to participate in the hop and leave all your comments (that's plenty of time to visit all the stops along the way!!) Here is the list of the hop stops - just in case you get lost...

Papercraft Star

Jan

Kim

Regan

Beth (You are HERE!)

Tradefish Designs

Papercraft Star

I created this fun card using masculine stamps from our sponsor, Tradefish Designs.  There has been a real niche open to stamps that are specifically designed for the men in our lives and I can't tell you how excited I am to have an opportunity to showcase these new stamps in the projects I have created this month for Papercraft Star.

Now, with regard to the hop...don't forget to leave a comment at every stop and to qualify for the great prize from Tradefish Designs, you must be a follower of both Papercraft Star and TradeFish Designs too!

Your next stop on the hop is TradeFish Designs

I've also entered this card into these fun challenges...

Wags and Whiskers: One for the Boys

Glitter Geeks: Male/Father's Day

Secret Crafter: Something From Around the House

Simply Stamped: You've Got Male

Paper Creator's Crafts: One for the Men

Bugaboo Stamps: It's a Man's World

Papercraft Star and Cheery Lynn Designs New Release Dies

This week at Papercraft Star we have a challenge that I hope will inspire you to join us!  All month long, our Design Team has been sponsored by Tradefish Designs and we are running dual challenges at the blog.

I played along with the Design Team all this month in order to help the team feature projects created using our June Design Team sponsor, Tradefish Design's stamps and in an effort to showcase the fun and versatility of these stamps as well.  I think there has been a real niche open in the papercrafting world  for masculine stamps like those designed and produced by Tradefish Designs and I am thrilled to be a part of showcasing this new product to papercrafters. I used the letters S.T.A.R to inspire me when I created this card.  I  used, S - "stamps', T - "Twine", A - "Alphas" and R - "Ribbon" to complete the project and I can't wait to see what you use for inspiration to create your own...

and today, in addition to the new challenge over at Papercraft Star, we've got some exciting new dies from Cheery Lynn Designs being showcased today at the Cheery Lynn Designs blog!  To see the newly released dies for June and all the Designer projects using these magical dies, visit the blog today!

Papercraft Star Executive Team Reveal: Cheery Lynn Designs and Jillibean Soup

Our current challenge at Papercraft Star is another fabulous sketch from Liz Chidester and we want you to use her sketch as inspiration to create any project your crafty-heart desires and then enter it for a chance to be selected as our next Papercraft Star! You'll find the link to our challenge with the details and the place to enter your project in the upper right hand of the sidebar of our blog.

Remember that this month we are challenging you to use our weekly theme as a dual challenge.  You can decide to either create a project using just our theme... or put a masculine twist to our theme and enter that project, or both for two chances to win prizes or be voted as our next Papercraft Star... now, how fun is that?!.

On Wednesday, I used this sketch along with stamps from Tradefish Designs to create a masculine project and today I am using just the sketch. To create my project, I started with some bright and cheerful patterned paper from the new Jillibean Soup, Blossom Soup on White Collection mini papers. I layered patterned paper onto Red Poppy and Lemon Tart cardstock from Papertrey Ink. Added some Lemon Tart Ribbon, a stamped sentiment and a flower die cut using Cheery Lynn Designs Judy's Blossoms flower die.

Beth Moore

Other supplies I used to create this card include Red Riding Hood Red ink from Stampin' Up, Tuxedo Black Ink from Memento, a green brad (Basic Grey) as well as the Scalloped Oval and Silver Oval Stackers from Cheery Lynn Designs.

There is still plenty of time to join our challenge here at Papercraft Star and we can't wait to see what you create!

Papercraft Star Sketch with Dual Challenge...

I used the Liz Chidester sketch that you can see at Papercraft Star this week to create two projects... one you'll see later this week for our Executive Team Reveal on Friday as well as this one today, using stamps from our June Design Team Sponsor, Tradefish Designs.  I used the Tradefish Designs, "TV Time" stamps and flipped the sketch on its' side to create this masculine card as part of our dual challenges this month.  Just as a reminder, you can use our theme this week to create any project of your choosing, or use it to create a masculine project like the one I created here.

Papercraft Star Photo Inspiration Challenge and Dual Masculine Challenge

For the entire month of June our Design Team at Papercraft Star is being sponsored by Tradefish Designs , a company devoted to creating stamps with masculine themes, imagery and sentiments.

In recognition of these masculine stamps we are holding DUAL CHALLENGES all month long. As a participant in our challenges you can choose to create a project using the current challenge theme as it is written or take it a step further and use the challenge theme to create a masculine project, or you can even choose to enter two projects, one for the regular challenge and one for the challenge with a masculine twist.

As a special gift to the winner of each week's challenge, Tradefish Designs will award one stamp set (selected by the winner) to our top Papercraft Star too, so we hope you join us all month long.

For our inspiration this week, we have a photograph from Amy Atlas Events (above) and we are asking participants to use this photograph to inspire Anniversary or Wedding projects or use it to create a masculine project (or both).

I was inspired to participate in the dual challenge this month and used the inspiration photograph to create this "Grandpa" card that features stamps by our Design Team sponsor, Tradefish Designs. I chose to basically ignore the Anniversary or Wedding restriction of our challenge this week,  in order to create a masculine card because... I just had to use this week's gorgeous photo as inspiration for a Father's Day card that I planned for my grandson Jack to give to his grandfather.

I hope our participants in the challenges this month at Papercraft Star take advantage of our dual challenges for each week and feel free to step outside the box to create masculine projects using our themes for inspiration.

Friday's Executive Team Reveal at Papercraft Star

For this week's challenge at Papercraft Star we've got another fabulous sketch from Liz Chidester. Her sketches never cease to inspire me and I was excited to get working on this particular sketch. (In fact, I actually created this card for this reveal way back in early April!)... I was on a creative roll for a couple of days creating cards for up-coming challenges that I was assigned and because I was really lovin' on the Crate Paper Neighborhood Collection papers that week... it's no accident that the last two cards I've shared over the past two months featured that patterned paper...and today's card does too!

I'm a BIG fan (I know, I know, I said it before) of using scrapbook page sketches to create my cards, so that's what I've created for today's reveal. (that and as much as I do love to scrapbook... I'm even more fond of making cards...thus the reason that I have PILES UPON PILES of them taking up space in my craftroom storage drawers!).





I used one of my favorite patterns from the Crate Paper Neighborhood Collection to create this card (I used some of this same paper on my April 8, Executive Team reveal too)...because I just love that cat...too cute. (Despite the fact that Kristna swears it is a dog!!) :-).

Supplies that I used to create this card include: Thickers (sentiment), Silver gel pen (to highlight the sentiment), Enchanted Evening cardstock and ribbon as well as White cardstock by Papertrey Ink. The button and patterned paper are by Crate Paper.

Don't forget that you still have PLENTY of time to link your project to the current challenge at Papercraft Star, you'll find the link in the upper left sidebar of the Papercraft Star blog.  We're looking forward to seeing your projects inspired by this fun sketch!

Executive Team Reveal for Papercraft Star - One Photo...Two Cards

If you are regular follower of Papercraft Star, then you know that we announce our challenges (listed on the menu under the Challenge link over at the Papercraft Star blog) WAY ahead of time (right now, without looking I know we have all of our challenges listed through at least June or July if my memory serves me correctly).  I tell you this for two reasons... the first, because we want you to know that they are there to give you a head start of creating your projects for our challenges..., the second reason I mention it is because of this...

This week's inspiration photograph I found and put into our list of challenges some time back in late 2010, so you can imagine that I was pretty surprised when over at Imaginisce (as part of their 2011 Design Team) our February challenge was.... this EXACT same photograph! (Gosh, but it's a small CRAFTY world, huh? lol).  At any rate, I created a project with Imaginisce products for that challenge using this same photo as the inspiration.... here's the project I created WAY back in February...



 Now, I loved this inspiration photo back then... and I still love it today.  But what I wanted to show you is that even the same Designer can use the same photo inspiration piece and end up with a couple of very different cards (but hey, I think you probably knew that already, am I right?). With that said... if you happened to have created something for that challenge at the Imaginisce blog back in February, we'd love it if you also added it to your post of the project you make for this challenge... so we can see both of them! (Only link your current project though so we don't get confused come voting time!).

Anyhow, to make a long story...well, longer...I've been really lovin' on my pad of Crate Paper's Neighborhood Collection paper pack (that was showcased at Winter CHA)... and so when I was gearing up to create a card for this particular challenge, I started flipping through that pad of paper when suddenly a pattern from that collection really spoke to me...just as this inspiration photo does too!



 I loved this particular pattern so much that I didn't want to cover it up with any other patterns so I simply opted to add a button, twine and a sweet little Spellbinder's florish. I also added my current favorite color and font style Thickers to the card for the sentiment and the little dots I added to the flourish.  The cardstock is from Stampin' Up.

I hope you are as inspired by this week's photo challenge as I have been... twice now! :-) Remember, you've still got plenty of time to join us this week.  You'll find the link to our current challenge in the top left sidebar at Papercraft Star...and we can't wait to see what you create!

Friday Executive Team Reveal at Papercraft Star!

It's Friday...which means two things over at Papercraft Star.... it's time for one of our Executive Team reveals for this week's sketch challenge (our sketch is by the talented Liz Chidester by the way) AND it's almost the weekend too (whoot-whoot)!

When I first saw Liz's design for this week, I knew I wanted to try creating a card from this adorable scrapbook page sketch. But, I have to admit that for a moment I sat at my craft desk scratching my head about how I wanted to proceed (while I admire round cards.. I myself am not much of a "round" card maker) so after some thought, I opted instead to create a square 5 x 5 inch card and then I picked up my new pad of 6 x 6 patterned paper (Crate Paper Neighborhood Collection) and TA-DA... I was inspired (cease scratching of head)! In fact, I was so inspired, I even finished the inside of this particular card (something I only typically do if I have an intended recipient..which I don't currently have). 

I just have to say that that little cat  (Kristina says it is a dog... but I prefer to think it is a cat - lol) on this card just makes me SMILE... a great way to start my weekend indeed!

...and like I said, I finished the inside of this card as well...

Supplies used to create this card include:
Scalloped circle/circle dies: Spellbinders
Little Nesting Rectangle Dies: Cheery Lynn Designs
Word Window Die from Stampin' Up (for sentiment)
Ric Rac Die from Papertrey Ink
Ink: Ranger
Swiss Dots Embossing Folder by ProvoCraft
White Cardstock, Ribbon and Sentiment Stamps from Papertrey Ink
Color Cardstock from Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper: Crate Paper Neighborhood Collection (6 x 6)

I hope you find some time this weekend to join us for this fun sketch challenge.  You'll find the link to our current challenge up on the sidebar of our blog!  We can't wait to see what you create... who knows, YOU could be our next Papercraft Star!

Papercraft Star Executive Team Reveal

Thank goodness it's Friday...and not only is it Friday...but it's also time for me to share another Executive Team Reveal for our current challenge this week over at Papercraft Star.  

I loved Liz's sketch for this week's challenge that is sponsored by Copic Markers (heck, I love all of her sketches all of the time) and I was really inspired by the both the bird and the banner she included, so I incorporated them by using the Tickled Pink 6 x 6 paper collection from My Mind's Eye that features both!

The patterned papers also inspired me to pull out my Cricut and the Cindi Loo Cartridge that I used to create the doily-cut and Birdhouse. I added some Martha Stewart glitter to the little heart on top of the birdhouse and some more bling using my Imaginisce I-Rock tool to adhere the crystal Hot Rocks to the front of the house.  The patterned paper I used to create the outside of the birdhouse is from the new Berrylicious collection by Imaginisce by the way. 

The finished size of this card is 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches.  I cut the birdhouse  with the layers and shadow at 3 inches. The Doily4 was cut at 3 inches as well.

Thanks for letting me share my card with you today... oh by the way, there's still time to join our sketch challenge this week at Papercraft Star and to get in on a chance to win some Copic markers too!

Enjoy your weekend and create something beautiful!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Rustic Cream, Raspberry Fizz
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye: Tickled Pink 6x6 collection, Imaginisce: Berrylicious collection
Ink: Ranger: Archival "Coffee"
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink: Hawaiian Shores
Stamps: Stampin' Up: So Happy for You
Other: Provocraft: Cricut Expression and Cindi Loo Cricut Cartridge, Martha Stewart: Glitter and Glue

Papercraft Star Executive Team Reveal

It Friday's (whoot whoot) and also my turn for the Papercraft Star Executive Team Reveal.  I had such a great time working with another Liz Chidester sketch (she is such a talented sketch artist and papercrafter as well!) for this week's sketch challenge at Papercraft Star.

It just so happens that a couple of weeks ago, one of my daughter's (hi Cait!) celebrated a birthday, so I used this sketch to create a gift bag and card for her. I know, I know, ANOTHER gift bag and card... BUT, when I have the opportunity to use a challenge to actually create something I know I already have a recipient for, I just have to combine the two... I can't help myself! For me, this means that I won't be adding to the growing pile of cards I've created that I still haven't given away!

Anyhow, the event (her birthday) and this challenge also gave me a chance to pull out some new Bo Bunny patterned paper and chipboard that I purchased in early January (another plus!).

Other products I used to create this gift bag and card set included cardstock, stamps and ribbon from Papertrey Ink, Hot Rocks (adhered with my I-Rock) by Imaginisce, dies from Spellbinders and an EK Success border punch.  The bag I purchased in a bundle that was on clearance from my local Meijer store (in fact, I bought three packs of ten bags for just a few dollars... gotta love a bargain!).

Okay, so there is still time for you to join in this week's challenge (but you gotta hurry) so hop on over to Papercraft Star lickety-split to join in... I'll look forward to seeing what you create!

Papercraft Star Executive Team Reveal and an Imaginisce Project

It's my week to host the Papercraft Star Executive Team reveal for this week's challenge. The challenge is to use a sketch by the talented Liz Chidester and create a project of your choice using her cute sketch as your inspiration. 

I thought it would be fun to combine my project this week with products from Imaginisce. I just recently received a huge box of products to use due to my new position on the 2011 Imaginisce Design Team and I wanted to provide my followers here and those over at Papercraft Star as well an opportunity to see the ever-so-cute Enchanted Collection by Imaginisce.

This card is for my darling niece Mia, just to remind her of how much she is loved by me... and to say that she's beautiful inside and out!

Other products from Imaginisce that I used to create this card include the I-Top, to make that cute matching button on the ribbon flower and the I-Rock tool to add all the sparkling gems. I also heated up my new I-bond cordless glue gun to create the ribbon flower.  It is SO FANTASTIC to have a glue gun that doesn't require you to be near an outlet! 

The die cuts from the Enchanted collection made this card a snap to put together.  I also used my Cricut and the Gypsy Wanderings cart to create the flourishes I added to the ribbon flower and cardstock from Papertrey Ink.

There is still time to enter this week's challenge at Papercraft Star and we can't wait to see what you create with Liz's sketch!

Papercraft Star Challenge 25 Executive Team Reveal

It's Friday's Executive Team Reveal for Challenge 25, at Papercraft Star and my week to create something for the challenge!  Check out this pretty inspiration photo from Martha Stewart dot com.



To find our current challenge at Papercraft Star and enter your project for this week go here.

When I sat down to create this project I was seriously out of Mojo, I've created more holiday projects this season than I ever have before and despite the fact that I absolutely love the inspiration photo for this week, I was seriously out of ideas.  I solved the problem by cruising through the November/December 2010 Paper Crafts magazine and TA-DA, I found some inspiration in a project designed by Carolyn King. You can see the project for yourself on page 59 of that issue. Here's my take on her gorgeous design.

The colors that really spoke to me from the inspiration photo were the combination of red on the holiday decor and the aqua hue of the wall. So I brought those colors together on this gift bag/card combination. Because I was also so burned out on the holiday papers I've been using lately, I decided to break out some patterned paper from the Beautiful Blooms pack by Papertrey Ink to create this project. Although it's certainly not traditional holiday paper, it does have just the right colors, as well as the Aqua Mist cardstock (also by PTI)...the perfect match to the wall color in the inspiration photograph.

This close-up shot gives you a better look at the felt flower and that adorable little reindeer I made (I made about 30 of them little suckers... it's addicting!). I found the idea for that in a papercrafting magazine as well! (I told you I was out of Mojo!!) :-)

I'm really looking forward to seeing all the beautiful holiday creations you make using our fabulous inspiration photograph for this week's challenge.  You still have time to enter your project before voting begins too, so I do hope you join us!

Before I go, let me just give you a quick run-down of the supplies I used to create this gift bag/card combo.  The patterned paper and cardstock are from Papertrey Ink.  I also created the felt flower using Pure Poppy and Spring Moss felt and a Beautiful Blooms flower die (also by PTI). The sentiment is stamped using their Pure Poppy Ink with a Hero Arts Stamp. The button and twine are also PTI. To create the reindeer I used brown yarn and google eyes and bells that I purchased at Wal-Mart. The ribbon on the bag is from Really Reasonable Ribbons.

Discount and Other Papercraft Star News

Have you been over to Papercraft Star recently? If not, now is the time to go!  We've got some exciting things going on this month that you won't want to miss out on one thing, including an exclusive 15 percent discount on all the products at the Kraft Outlet, Papercraft Star's Design Team sponsor for November/December.  (Just use voucher code STAR15 at checkout to get your discount). Learn more on this post right here and receive links to a fabulous Christmas Scrapbook Mini at that post as well!

Second, meet our new Design Team that begins December 1, 2010 by going right here.

Third, get up-to-date PCS plans for the new Design Team term and meet our regular Guest Designer for this term, Catherine Pooler by going right here.

Papercraft Star Design Team Call!

Papercraft Star Weekly Challenge Blog Design Team Call

Papercraft Star, an exciting and unique papercrafting challenge blog is looking for talented, motivated, responsible designers who have time to commit to design layouts, cards and projects weekly with both their products and sponsor products when assigned. We welcome all applicants 18 years of age or older, who live in the United States. We are sorry we are unable to accept international applicants at this time due to mailing costs of sponsor supplies however, please apply if you are interested in Guest Designer Positions!

We are putting together a team of:

1. Enthusiastic, creative people that love papercrafting, and are able to do weekly assignments such as layouts, projects and cards with their products and sponsor products when assigned, based on the weekly challenge.

2. Applicants must be able to commit to a 6-month term, beginning December 1, 2010 May 31, 2011.

3. Applicants must have a personal blog and be able to provide excellent photographs of their projects.

4. They must familiarize themselves with the Papercraft Star Design Team Guidelines and be prepared to follow those guidelines.

5. If selected, Designers must submit one project per week, create tutorials as assigned (approximately every 6 – 8 weeks), be an active participant of the Papercraft Star message boards and actively promote Papercraft Star via their social networks or galleries (if applicable)

6. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and live in the United States. International applicants will be consider for Guest Designer positions so we encourage you to apply.

In return, you will receive:

1. An exciting way to promote your designs and increase your blog following through a professionally presented challenge blog.

2. An opportunity to be part of an exciting and unique professionally administered challenge blog that continues to be inspirational and different.

3. Sponsor products when provided.

To apply please send the following to papercraftstar@gmail.com (please use “Design Team Call” as your subject) and include:

1. Full name, address, phone number and email address.

2. Three papercraft projects that represent both your style and your best work.

3. Complete Challenge 23 as listed on the Challenge Page at Papercraft Star (see below for details).

4. A link to your personal blog, a link to your YouTube channel (if applicable), and links to your online galleries (if applicable).

5. Design teams, if any, that you work on now or have worked on in the past.

6. Read the Design Team Guidelines posted under the Creative Team tab (scroll past all the Designer photographs) and determine if you are willing to comply with the guidelines.

7. Write a short paragraph about yourself telling us why you think you'll be a good fit for the Papercraft Star Design Team. Please also let us know that you read the Design Team Guidelines.

Additionally you must do the following:

1. Become a follower of Papercraft Star (if you are not already).

2. Sign up on the Papercraft Star Message Board

3. Complete and email with your application Challenge 23 - (this will be your first Design Team reveal if selected for the Team). The challenge: To Create a Holiday Gift Tag using Cardstock, Patterned Paper, Stamp and/or Die Cut (Cricut or Other), Ribbon or Twine, Gems or Pearls.

Submission deadline is November 5, 2010 we will announce our Design Team members on November 14, 2011.

A new Challenge at Papercraft Star!

Challenge 13, a Sketch Challenge begins today over at Papercraft Star and this week's inspiration is a sketch created by by me!

You may choose to use the sketch as your inspiration to create any papercraft project you desire and then be sure to enter it at Papercraft Star before Saturday September 18 at 12 noon Eastern time, after that, the voting begins!






So, run.... don't walk to the nearest Papercraft Star (this is the only one I know of... ) click here. While you are there, hurry and sign up for the $25.00 gift certificate drawing too, you have until noon (Eastern Time) on Friday!

By the way... the Papercraft Star Creative Team used the sketch to create inspiration for this challenge to get you going on your own project this week. Today we are showcaseing Regan, Jan, Liz and Caroline's inspiration pieces. If you visit there again tomorrow and Friday you'll see even more inspiration from our talented team of designers that also include Tracy, Steph, Catherine, Christy and Suzy!

Vote for your Favorites at Papercraft Star!

Voting has begun for Challenge 12 over at Papercraft Star! We have a large number of entries for this week's photo inspiration challenge so you've got quite a selection to choose from.  You can cast two votes one for your favorite participant project and one for your favorite Design Team project! 

Also, if you not a follower over at Papercraft Star yet, we're in the middle of a big "followership" drive right now... We've got prizes to give away once we reach 250 and 500 followers!  So head on over there right now to join us!

Hope to see you at Papercraft Star soon!

Give us some assistance and you could win a great prize!

We need you to help us promote our new Papercraft Star Facebook Page! Visit our page right here, and then at the top left of the page, under the Papercraft logo, click on Suggest to Friends, once your friend list pops up starting inviting everyone you know! Once we hit 150 fans, we'll award a $15.00 gift certificate to either Papertrey Ink or My Favorite Things (winner's choice!) over at the Papercraft Star blog.

While you are at it, let ALL your friends know about Papercraft Star the challenge blog too! We want to reach 500 followers before the end of September! Once we reach 250 we'll award a $25.00 gift certificate to one random follower... and once we reach 500 followers at the Papercraft Star blog, we'll award another $25.00 gift certificate to another random follower. The winners get to pick the store!

So spread the word... and remember, we want people from all skill levels to join us in our challenges over at Papercraft Star ... so please encourage your scrapping and papercrafting friends to join us in our next challenge that start tomorrow!

Papercraft Star and Raccoon Recovery

Two great reveals are going on over at Papercraft Star today and I hope you all have a chance to hop on over there to see for yourself.  First today is the Challenge 7 reveal. My BBF and Co-creator of Papercraft Star  Kristina selected this super cute photograph as inspiration for Papercraft Star's Challenge this week.  You've got until this Saturday at Noon (after that the voting begins) to enter your project for a chance to be selected as the People's Choice Award winner for this week. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the projects entered into this challenge right here.   For the next three days we'll also be revealing all of our Design Team creations for this challenge at Papercraft Star so I hope you check it out, they've worked hard to provide you with lots of fun inspiration!

The second reveal is our brand spankin' new Papercraft Star Blog look and we couldn't be happier with the way it turn out.  Kristina hired Jumping Jax Designs  to make our vision for a fun, yet sophisticated look come true and we're excited to hear what you think about our new presence on the web! 

Okay now, before I close I took a photograph yesterday (that I just know is going to find it's way into a layout) that I just had to share.  As some of you know, this is our first year as licensed Raccoon Rehabbers and I've spent the summer raising, loving and worrying about 11 babies that we have gotten ready to return back to the "wild".  We've had joys and sorrows as they have begun the process of release.  The release part is so very difficult (for them as well as us) as they must learn to navigate the dangers of living out in the world on their own without a mother to guide them.  They are all adolescents now however and release it what our goal is despite the fact that we know some will not grow to adulthood.  Sadly we had one of our babies attacked by what we believe was a coyote or large dog. She returned to our Raccoon enclosure (although I have no idea how she made it home)  Though we tried to treat her, her injuries were too severe and it was necessary to put her down.  Yesterday another of our babies died tragically when he was hit in the road about a quarter mile from our home. In between both of these incidents, Bella (the runt from our first litter that is still small for her age) was injured (we suspect she may have been with Bonnie the raccoon that was attacked by the canine).  She returned to the enclosure the day after Bonnie died.  We immediately brought her into the house and began treating what appear to be bite wounds on both feet.  One foot was very swollen and she is, although recovering nicely, still unable to use that foot very much.  Too lame to return back to the enclosure or allow to be out in the "wild" we have been caring for her in the house.  Navigating her and the dogs is interesting to say the least as both cannot be together for obvious reasons (cats and raccoons by the way basically ignore each other).  Never the less, when Bella is out of her recovery cage for exercise she has become my constant companion and I have even provided her with her own chair next to my computer desk.  After playing for an hour or so, I gave her an ear of corn and sat her up in the chair.  A bit later, I noticed she had fallen asleep...  apparently to Bella an ear of corn is not only yummy to munch on... it also makes a great pillow.  

This photograph makes my heart feel happy and yet I feel sad too because I long to keep all of them as safe as she looks sound asleep in the chair.  But I have to remind myself daily that we provide this haven for the raccoons as they grow to adolescents with the express purpose of giving them a chance to be free, a chance they would not have otherwise gotten after their mothers were killed and they were just little things that had to be bottle fed.  I have no idea if Bella will ever recover enough to be returned to the wild but it is my hope that the others that are still navigating the new world for them outside the enclosure will be safe and happy.  

Have a great day!