365 Cards [[Day 11]]

Hello friends..

Just wanted to post a quick photo of my card from the 365 Cards challenge:  Day 11 Super Sketchy

Here's the original sketch...

Here's my version...

I took the sketch literally except for reversing the placement of the buttons and the sentiment. I used various washi tapes and a Martha Stewart round the page punch to create the label.

Gotta run...thanks for stopping by!

Have a good day :-)

Runway Inspired

Hello friends!

Yesterday, I cam across another wonderful paper crafting challenge blog called Runway Inspired Challenge. As soon as I saw their latest inspiration photo, I knew I had to participate!

!!See what I mean!!

Now I'm not saying that I'd ever attempt to wear a dress of this magnitude, but it's lovely to look at and draw inspiration from.

Here's my interpretation...

For starters, I looked at my card base as the model, instead of as the dress. Keeping that in mind, I did the following:

-Started with a cream (flesh tone) card base

-Printed the lace pattern onto vellum so that the card base could be seen through it

-Used light weight flowers in bright colors to simulate the dress design

-Used black bling to emulate the shine of her patent leather shoes

-Used a sentiment with the word "Fabulous" in it because I don't think I know another word that is used in every sentence in the fashion world!

Hope you enjoyed seeing it as much as I did making it!

Hope you stop by again...have a great FABULOUS day!

365 Cards [[Day 16]]

Hello Blogger friends!

I'm back with another challenge from the lovely ladies over at 365 Cards! 

(I'm loving these challenges, by the way.)

So without further ado, here's my submission for Day 16: Color Scheme

Here's the challenge:

And here's my creation:

I couldn't resist adding the yellow to emphasize the light.  I was finally able put my Lighten Up stamp and die set to use, and boy oh boy do I love the results! Papertrey Ink sells the highest quality clear stamps that I've ever come across! I kept the card simple because well, that's what I tend to do.

Hope you enjoyed today's card!

Hope to see you again soon...have a wonderful day.

365 Cards [[Day 15]]

Hello again!

I'm here to share my submission for Day 15- All Smiles at the 365 Cards blog.

This challenge was fun...until I realized that I didn't have any stamps or images with a Big Smile (as required by the challenge). Just as I was about to settle for the word SMILE in huge letters, I remembered about DIGI STAMPS! I headed over to one of my absolute favorite blogs, Paper Smooches and they did not disappoint! I found the cutest Smiling Sun digi and here's the best part...it was FREE!

Here it is...

I printed the sentiment from my computer using a really cute font that I found from somewhere on Pintrest. This sentiment is near and dear to my heart because I used to sing it to my Godson when he was a baby. *sigh* Unlike the big tween that inspired this card, the card above was inspired by the baby he used to be :-)

In case you're wondering:

I printed the digi stamp on two different pieces paper. One patterned and one coordinating plain color. I then cut out the center of the image in the yellow card stock and popped it up on foam adhesive on top of the patterned paper. The rest is pretty self-explanitory.

Hope you enjoyed!

Please comment and follow. Have a great day.

365 Cards [[Day 14]]

Hello Bloggers/Card makers/friends!

I'm here with another challenge entry for the 365 Cards blog.

Today's challenge is Day 14- So Sporty

This challenge was way out of my 'league'...lol. (of course, the pun was intended) So much so, that I had to call  on my Godson for inspiration. He lives and breathes basketball, so the sport to highlight was a no-brainer. Once I found out his favorite team (The N.Y. Knicks...our hometown team) that gave me my color scheme and so it began...

^^^THIS^^^

Inspired this...

I found the basketball image in a Google search and resized it in my word processing program. Then, I traced it (using a window as a light box), onto the orange card stock. Once all the pieces were cut out, I sponged their edges and adhered them to a black piece of card stock of the same size, making sure to leave the spaces for the lines of the ball. I cut random sized strips of black, blue, and orange card stock to make the 'rays' and popped the ball up on foam adhesive.

Hope you enjoyed!

Please comment and tell me what you think...have a wonderful day!

365 Cards [[Day 13]]

Hi there!

I originally intended to submitting today's card to two challenges, but "Last second" Simaryon (that would be me), missed the deadline for one of them :-(

Anyways, the challenges in question are:

365 Cards: Day 13- Call Me

&

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #123

The Play Date Cafe challenge was a color challenge...

I ADORE this fun color scheme!

AND

The challenge at 365 Cards was to create a card 

Using an image of a phone and/or the words "Call Me" on your card.


Here's what I came up with...

What's the 411? Do you think it's a cute as I do? 

Please comment and let me know!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day.

365 Cards [[Day 12]]

Hello Blogger friends!

I'm STILL playing catch-up with the 365 Cards blog, but don't cry for me! 

(I'm doing enough of that already..lol j/k)

Anyway, I'm here with my submission for Day 12- Ad Inspired

Here's the beautiful inspiration photo...

I could spend every moment in a beautiful room like this *swoon*

So, here's my take...

I took my inspiration from multiple items in the room...

-The lovely script on the chair and ottoman/coffee table

-The dusty purple color of the blanket

-The deeper purple of the throw pillow

-The sheen and shape of the throw pillow

-The accents of brown/wood tones

and lastly,

-The overall color of the room

As I'm composing this post, I'm wishing that I'd added some floral element for a pop of texture and a little splash of green to reflect the embroidery on the throw pillow.

(I may just do that and update this post)

Please comment and tell me what you think!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

P.S. I just found out (after lots of searching), how to disable word verification. I've seen lots of bloggers mentioning how annoying it is, so please leave a comment, I know you're no robot :-)

Double challenge card 2

Hello again Blogger friends.

I've done it again (yay me)! I'm entering this card into two different challenges...

365 Cards Day 10- HBD B.F.F

&

CR84FN Color Challenge

Aren't they lovely?

The 365 Card challenge today was to create a birthday card for your BFF. Well of course, when they said BFF (Best Friend Forever, in case you live under a rock), my thoughts went straight to mine. We've been friends for over 20 years and I love her like a sister :-)

Anyway, keeping her in mind, I kept the card very simple with a splash of bright color, because that's how her personality is! She's calm, versus my crazy, but has a fun, funky side as well!

Here's my interpretation...

I really enjoyed creating this card...especially when keeping my bestie in mind.

(Maggs, this one is dedicated to you!)

Hope you enjoyed. Please comment and let me know what you think!

Have a great day.

365 Cards [[Day 9]]

Hello again Blogger friends!

I'm here with a submission for the Tag, You're It over at 365 Cards.

Today's challenge was to create a tag with a RAINBOW color theme...

(Disclaimer: This is the first tag I've ever done or even tried to do)

Here it is...

Instead of using all six colors, I decided to stick to the cool side of the rainbow. Once again, I pulled out my Tim Holtz Distress inks and blending tool and went to town! I stamped over it with two simple line art flowers and a simple sentiment. I also sprayed the whole thing with shimmer mist (which didn't sow up well) and splashed it with drops of water for an even more distressed look.

Hope you enjoyed! Please comment and let me know what you think.

Have a great day.

Double challenge card

Hello Blogger friends!

Once again, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and doing not just one challenge, but TWO! 

Now I'm sure there are some of you challenge pros who are saying "big deal", but for me it really is. I've resolved to do these challenges to expand my creative mind and push myself into trying and learning different things. 

The card challenges that I'm entering this card in are:

365 Cards [[Day 8]]- Circled Up! (use a minimum of 10 circles)

&

This CR84FN color challenge

Here's my spin...

I really hope you enjoyed this fun card! 

Thanks for stopping by!

365 Cards [[Day 7]]

Today's challenge is one of my favorite kinds...a color challenge! 

So let's get right to it...

I love this color combo!

Here's what I came up with...

Before you say it, I know the colors aren't an exact match, but I had to work with what I had.

Please comment and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!

(Don't be shy, follow my blog...I really enjoy the company!)

365 Cards [[Day 6]]

Hello Blogger friends,

Today's challenge was simple...Keep it simple!

The challenge was to use

 "One stamp, one piece of patterned paper (any size, any shape), and any three embellishments."

I'm not really sure if I stayed within the parameters of the challenge because I cut my patterned paper into two pieces, but I really liked the layout. After photographing it, it reminded me of a mouth full of (yellow) teeth getting ready to bite down on some candy (the buttons).

Enough rambling...lol. Tell me what you think.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

365 Cards [[Day 5]]

Hello Blogger friends!

  

I'd like to start off by saying that I had no idea how I was going to execute this challenge. I tend to lean toward the clean and simple cards (so I think), so when I saw the Splattered challenge, I wasn't too thrilled about it. Nevertheless, I pulled out my Tim Holtz distress inks and decided to see what I could come up with. Here goes...

In the end, I was happy with the results! I'd bought this stamp set from T.J. Maxx for $1.99 nearly a year ago, so I was really happy to finally use it. I'm a huge fan of all thing colorful, so getting in all of the little spaces with my copics was a ton of fun! 

Please take a moment and tell me how you think it came out.

Thanks for stopping by!

365 Cards [[Day 4]]

Hello Blogger friends!

Day 4 a.k.a Super Sketchy Sunday

Here's the sketch for today's challenge...

...and here's my take on it.

I'm not really crazy about working from sketches because my brain is always telling me to follow them by the letter. I'm trying to step out of the box a little and learn to interpret the sketch and make it my own...how do you think I did? Please comment and let me know. Thanks for stopping by!

365 Cards [[Day 3]]

Today's challenge was right up my alley...Pretty in Pink

The goal was to create a card using 3 shades of Pink...

Hope you enjoyed...please comment if you did!

Thanks for stopping by.

365 Cards [[Day 2]]

Hello Blogger friends!

Today's challenge called for its participants to be inspired by the sunrise...

Imagine this: Sunrise

I was inspired by one of my favorite card making geniuses, Kristina Werner.  The card from this video shows how to create these cutesy "sunbeams." 

I really like how it came out...tell me what you think.

365 Cards [[Day 1]]

Hello Blogger friends!

I'd like to start off by apologizing for being M.I.A for the past week and  half. I've been playing some serious catch-up with a challenge blog that I've been following since January. 365 Cards is a wonderful card making blog that gives you a different challenge for every day of the year (hence the name...lol). I didn't want to join in the middle of their 'year' so I waited until they got back to day 1 (March 1st). True to my procrastinating nature, I kept missing the boat and saying "I'll start tomorrow." So here I am, on day 20 and I'm finally all caught up! Ok, enough chat...

Day 1...New Beginnings

Here's my take on the days challenge...the birth of a baby is the ultimate new beginning.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for stopping by!
Please let me know what you think and follow me...I'd love the company :-)

Meyer Lemon Chicken

Have you ever had that moment when you look into the fridge and realize that there isn't much to work with? Let me rephrase that, it's dinner time and you have spaghetti but no sauce, or macaroni but no cheese? Well, I found myself in that exact predicament this past Monday night (having failed to go to the grocery store like I'd planned). Despite my lack of planning, I managed to make a meal that was a winner, winner chicken dinner! (Yes, pun intended) I give you Simaryon's Meyer Lemon Chicken...

First, you'll need the ingredients right? Well let me warn you, there are lots of them! 

(Feel free to adjust everything to you/your family's likes...I'm just telling you what worked for me)

• 6 chicken thighs (w/ skin)
• 4-6 red skinned potatoes (small/medium, quartered)
• 3-4 carrots (peeled, cut to bite size)
• 2 Meyer lemons
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic (or 2 cloves finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp. olive OR coconut oil
• 2 tbsp. balsamic salad dressing (I used Kraft Sweet Balsamic)
• 1 1/2 c of chicken stock or broth
• Salt & Pepper
• Various Herbs & Spices

I used: Oregano, adobo, dry mustard, cumin, dill weed, cinnamon, onion powder, and an italian herb blend...sounds like a LOT, I know

(Hey, if the "Colonel" can use 11 herbs and spices, why can't I?)

I cleaned and seasoned the chicken early in the day and covered it with cling wrap and let it marinate in the fridge until I was ready to cook. I tend to season my food generously, but of course, you should use as much as you feel comfortable with. Keep in mind that the potatoes will absorb a lot of the flavor in the dish, so you want to be sure that you use enough!

I heated the coconut oil until it was nice and hot. I then added the chicken in skin-side down and let it cook on medium/high heat while I prepared the veggies...

I sliced the onions and lemon and removed the seeds before laying them on top of the chicken like this...





Don't fuss with it during this time! No stirring, no chicken flipping, just let it do it's thing.

Now it's time to get to the chopping!

<------ Turn this   

into this ------>

 

<----- this 

into this ----->

<----- and this

into this ----->

and dump it all into the pan!




Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the veggies for added flavor and add the balsamic and chicken stock over the whole shebang!












Cover and cook until veggies are for tender and chicken is fully cooked

YUMMY!

P.S. I also made a wonderfully simple salad of baby spinach, strawberry, and onion (sliced thin).

I topped with with salted sunflower seeds, feta cheese and the same sweet balsamic in the dish.

I really hope you try this dish...it's a little bit of prep work, but it's well worth it!
Please let me know how it worked out for you...


Much love,
Simaryon

I got some goodies!

Hello friends!

I just HAD to take a moment to share this wonderful thing that happened to me today!

OK...Let me set the scene: I was on my way to do the grocery shopping when I checked the mail.

(Yeah, that's it, nothing spectacular)

I opened the mailbox expecting the usual bills and junk mail but to my surprise, there was a package inside...and it was addressed to ME! I know I'm sounding overly excited about a box, but I hadn't ordered anything, so it was a very pleasant surprise. 

In fact, I was so EXCITED that I sat in my driveway and ripped it open like a kid at Christmas! Thank goodness I took the time to snap a few quick photos...

Needless to say, I was already excited just looking at that bright tissue paper (us crafty girls know the possibilities of pretty tissue paper)

OMG!! These colors, these colors, these colors...Can you guess how much I LOVE them?

I can't wait to open these pretty eye shadows and play with them either!

Ok..now you're probably wondering who the pretty-stuff fairy was that sent me all of these lovely things...but before I tell you that, I have to give you a little back story. 

(I'll try to make it short)

One of my favorite things to do is troll YouTube for videos on all things FABULOUS and BEAUTIFUL. Everything from card making to fashion to makeup and nail design tutorials pique my interest. So when I came across the channel for Kendra's Beauty Corner I was an instant fan. On top of being beautiful (inside & out), she has a killer sense of fashion and is such a source of inspiration! After  subscribing to her channel and checking out tons a few of her videos, I went to check out her Facebook fan page. Well of course I liked it, and in a lucky moment, I realized that I was the 1,000 like!

See where she said she'd send me a fierce treat? DONE! 

Thanks a bunch Kendra! You're the freakin' best!

So friends, go check her out! She's got beautiful fashions and jewelry for sale, tons of wonderful beauty tips, and motivational messages that will brighten your day...

Okee Dokee, my ranting is over (for now). Thanks for coming over to see me...I'll be back soon with more "adventures" LOL.

Much love,

Simaryon

CR84FN Color Challenge

I want to start off by saying that this is/was my VERY FIRST challenge EVER! I googled "color challenges" and fell in love with the color combo over at CR84FN!

Isn't is gorgeous?!? I just had to give it a try...so here goes...

(I'd like to apologize in advance for the photos, they were taken on my iPhone)

I just adore it! I'm a huge fan of clean and simple cards so this fit the bill perfectly.

As a matter of fact, I felt so good about how this one came out, that I decided to give it another shot...

I made both of these cards using the "You make me smile" sentiment from the Papertrey Ink  Signature Greetings stamp set. Both cards also used punches from EK Success that I got at JoAnn Fabric this past weekend. (By the way, they're having a wonderful sale during March for National Craft Month)

I must say that I'm really proud of my take on my first color challenge and I totally look forward to taking on many more of them! Here's one last look at my two beauties...Hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed making them!

Thanks for stopping by! 

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