Q is for Quick Christmas

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

Sorry folks, this is going to be a quick post. I'm really not doing too well. spent most of yesterday in bed, and plan to head back there as soon as I type this up.

guess quick is the name of the game for today, as that is the new challenge theme over at ABC Christmas Challenges. We want to see your quick projects. The fabulous Shape EZ templates are our sponsors.

I went for a super quick set up with my project today, using pre-colored images and card fronts from the Doodle Pantry. they have so many beautiful images and designs to choose from! The 'Holly Stag' set comes with papers, images, tags, sentiments, and card fronts. perfect for a quick project! I combined this with the Shape EZ poinsettia. the petals were outlined with candy cane stickles. some Spellbinders dies, buttons, & vintage trim make the project come together fairly fast. cutting out the flowers and waiting on the stickles to dry took most of the time! ;)

Challenges:
Doodle Pantry - anything goes with DP image
WAW - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Twist of Faith - animals
C is for Challenge - animals
Crafty Boots - Christmas
Lexi's Creations - sparkle and shine
Crazy Challenge - animals
All That Stickles - great outdoors (I really don't want a reindeer in my house! ha! candy cane stickles)
Sister Act - anything goes
Stampin' with the Dragon - Christmas
CRAFT - Christmas

You're So Hot

Coffee of the Day - more Coconut Marshmallow (hubby really likes this one!)

My card today is a very simple one I made for hubby. he has a deep love for all kinds of peppers. well, all of the  guys in my family do, but this is a card I could only give my lovey dovey man! :)

all of the papers and images come from Doodle Pantry in a pre-colored kit. I kept the embellies simple, 'cause that is how Dave likes his cards. yep, VERY hard for me to do! the peppers along the left side are layered with foam tape. they are actually 3 layers deep - sort of a decoupage look to them irl.

wanted to add that if any of you have been waiting on an email from me, I am discovering that messages I'm sending out are not always making it to their destination. those yahoo gremlins are playing havoc again. please re-send your email to me letting me know and I'll be sure to email you back, again. I am so very sorry my messages to you are on vaca in cyberspace somewhere. or else they are stuck on the tarmac waiting for take-off, eating complimentary peanuts and drinking cheap little bottles of spirits..... ;)

Challenges:
Doodle Pantry - anything goes with DP image
Lady Anne's - use a sentiment
Charisma Cardz - die cuts
Happy Campers - add dimension
Shelly's Images - anything goes

Floral Sympathy

Coffee of the Day - Santa's White Christmas (see yesterday's post for story behind it)

Hippitty Hoppity Hooray it is Friday! and all of my family will be together this weekend! hooray! yep, I'm a happy happy mom! :) Tyler and Mick come home today, plus we will see Jocelyn, Mick's girlfriend on Sunday. yipppeeeee! oh this momma loves her little ducks, I tell ya!

I hope all of you felt properly LOVED yesterday..... and everday as well!  David absolutely adores his coffee. as you can see we are having it again this morning. makes us miss the fabulous coffees we found at Barnies in Florida... the flavored coffees we can get up here just aren't quite the same. Ryan was able to drive down to spend the day with his girlfriend, Ashley yesterday. they had a lovely time together and also celebrated their one year anniversary of dating! :)  oh, do you remember when you counted those milestones? I do... still remember my first date with hubby. even the date. yep. those dates always have an importance, even all these years later.

I want to share the 2nd of the sympathy cards with you. I had mentioned a few days ago that I needed a few for some of my blogging friends. I tend to make these 'as needed' because I am able to really pour as much love and prayer as I possibly can into each one as they are made. Since I'm not a quick crafter, that means for several hours I am thinking and praying for the people these cards are going to. never is this needed as much as when someone you love has died. the range of emotions run the gambit, and often you feel so very alone. I don't know if the people who receive these cards can tell, but at least I know and God knows that I want them to find just a small bit of peace & comfort between the folds of the paper.

The image is Buttercups by Doodle Pantry, paper is 5th Avenue by Melissa Frances, trim and buttons are vintage, wonderful flocked and glittered flowers are Prima, stitching stamp is Gina K, and rhinestone flourish is Want 2 Scrap.

Challenges:
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Sparkle and Glitter - all the things I love (my vintage trims and buttons along with Primas & distressing! only thing missing is zombies! tee hee!)
Polkadoodles - shabby chic
Doodle Pantry - anything goes with one of their images
Incy Wincy - add texture
Lia Stampz - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - distressing
Sweet Pea - use a digi

Valentine's for my guys....

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Just wanted to post a few of the Valentines being delivered today.... was busy yesterday getting these finished. ended up making a whopping 4 cards yesterday! that is HUGE for me! I'll post more tomorrow..... remember that my guys have a strict list I must follow for all of their cards, so they are pretty simple, at least for me.

This one is for Tyler and uses Vintage Globe by Doodle Pantry. I printed it straight onto Daisy D's Beacon Hill papers. coloring was done with chalks. washi tapes, an air mail envie, some crochet trim, and vintage buttons were added. I used my Smash date stamp to add the Valentine date. Gina K stitching stamp was added to edges.

This one is for Mick and uses Wolf by Doodle Pantry. it was printed directly onto Basic Grey Serenade paper. coloring was also done with chalks on this one. the heart die is from Memory Box, heart flair button is  Pink Paislee, stamps are from Stampendous and Wordsworth. gosh, I do love my washi tapes! :) once the card was complete, I lightly sprayed it with pearl glimmer mist. sure gives it a gorgeous finish!

As I said, the cards are simple, but suit each of the guys perfectly. I'll be back tomorrow to show you Ryan's. have a most wonderful day!

Challenges:
Doodle Pantry - use one of their images
Incy Wincy - add texture
Creative Belli - Valentine/hearts
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - romance
Crafty Sentiments - Valentine
Our Daily Bread (wolf card) - animal
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Cards for Men - all my love
Craft Your Passion - my Valentine
Daisy Doodles - Valentine for a guy
Forever Friends (wolf card) - animals

Texas Sized Birthday

Just put together my first ever card using a pre-colored digi image. almost seems like cheating, but gosh, this one sure is cute! I am trying to catch up on a few more of the challenges over at The Outlawz that I mentioned in my post this morning. This card is for a 'where are you from?' challenge.


The image is currently a freebie from The Doodle Pantry. (hint hint hint....you should go check out all of the cutie ones that are available for free right now. wow!) papers are K & Co. Americana, rustic ribbon is May Arts, linen thread is SU!, and star sticker strip down middle is Jenni Bowlin. buttons are just from my stash jar.

Even though it has been years since this Texas gal has been to her home state, there will always be a part of the Lone Star that resides in my heart no matter where I live. :)

Kaboodle Doodles - colors of your nation's flag
Moving Along with the Times - birthday
Crafts and Me - birthday
Celebrate the Occasion - birthday

Several Challenge & Contest Cards.....

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut

Hello to all of you! Sorry my post is so late getting here today. There was a big retreat out at Camp this weekend and David needed his computer. So that meant I had to wait until he came home tonight to get my cards scanned in and posted.... but here I am! :)

My first card is for the contest I mentioned yesterday with CS Designs. I really like the sentiments that Chris has designed, so I used one of them as the focal point for my card. The paper is some old Basic Grey from the Lollipop Shoppe collection. the lace is from a very very old piece David and I found in an antique shop in Akron when we were down visiting Tyler this past fall. I trimmed a bit off, but you will see more in upcoming projects. the beautiful glitter rose is a Prima, the ticket was a gift from an Etsy seller, so I apologize that I don't know any deets on stamp mfg., and the buttons come from my vintage stash. the butterflies and bg paper were sprayed with frost shimmer spray. I added some of the new SU! champagne glass glitter to the main image. oh my stars, I am falling in love with this stuff! sure hope it is in the new catty! :)

Here is the contest info again for any of you who would like to play along!

CS Designs Extravaganza Contest March 1 - March 25, Gather your CSD digis and get ready to start creating. This is your chance to win some of your Favorite Digital Stamps from the CS Designs Shop.

Come Join Us in the Fun !!! There are Prizes to Be Won... Check it Out !!!

Time is getting short so hurry and submit your entry. You can create as many wonderful entries as you want so get out those CS Designs digis and inspire us with your art. :)

Challenges:
Your Next Stamp - Make it Sparkle
Sugar Creek Hollow - Anything Goes


My next card uses images from Doodle Pantry. the papers are Basic Grey Lilykate. I added a BG rub-on to the cachepot the violets are in. (please don't look to close, as the rub-on isn't as centered as I would like..... oh well, can't fix it though I wish I could!) the sentiment piece was sprayed with 2 shades of glimmer mist and then outlined with little dots from my white gel pen. I dotted the brown paper as well to mimic the ones found on that same paper. the flower is Prima with a Recollection rose center. the buttons are more from my vintage stash. the heart doily was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist, too. the violets on the main image were accented with stickles for some glittery shine.

Challenges: Doodle Pantry - use a DP image

Fresh Brewed Designs - spots & dots

MelJens - dots

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Cherry Thanks

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Pecan

hello! I have been so busy crafting, but had to wait to borrow David's compy so I could post! ;)

I spent this past weekend trying to do a bit of blurfing and catching up on my comments. please forgive me that it has taken me so long to make the rounds. it's tough when I don't have my own computer any more to get around the way I would like. we aren't even gonna talk about all my beloved digis that I lost....... but I have a flashstick that I am slowly filling up as I am able. I will NOT lose digis again! I must say this has given me a whole new appreciation for my 'regular' stamps again though - no waiting to borrow a computer, no trying to figure out how in the world these weird programs on his compy work when I was happy as a clam with MINE, no trying to find a compatible program for this or that - just good ol' stamping! grins!

So with all of that said, I made a card for several challenges I came across. Back in January I contributed to the fundraiser for Katie and printed out a few of the images. thank goodness I did since I lost all of those in the crash. these 2 were part of the pack for anyone who made a donation.

I added crystal effects to the cherries and some wonderful glass glitter from Meyer Imports to the heart on the bowl. the papers are Cosmo Cricket Early Bird. the border punch is from SU! & I have to say that I am absolutely in love with my new Big Shot!!!!! it is the best prize (other than hubby! tee hee!) I have ever won!!! the frames were obviously cut using a die, Cherry Pickin' is the name I believe, and it is so cool because it actually embossed these adorable little cherries around the border. they show up much better irl. I added a collection of my beloved vintage buttons and this fun pom pom trim.

Challenges:

Stampin Sisters in Christ - something you treasure (vintage buttons)

Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge - sketch

Do You Stack Up - layers

Crafty Pad - buttons