A Squirrely Thanks

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Basil tea

Happy Monday! I bet you don't hear that very often. grins! but we have to find something good about every day, and I choose to rejoice in the fact that I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping their beautiful songs. :) I have a happy and content cat sleeping on the sill of the front window where he can keep an eye on all of the critters in  the front yard when he wakes up, a dog who finds joy in every little thing from a stick in the driveway to the squeaky unicorn toy that drives hubby up the wall, and a family that texts me every day with the stories of their lives. blessings? oh yes! I have them in abundance!!! so it IS a happy Monday! :)  not easy, but happy.

 so I am sharing with all of you a card I made to say thank you to a group of amazing people who came out to Camp for a service project. about 70 people arrived several weeks ago to help transform Camp through painting, cleaning, and various fix-it projects. I don't have any photos to share, but what they did is amazing. I want to make them several thank you cards, but this is the first. I work so slow these days, and my list of cards to make is so very long....

The adorable squirrel thank you image is from LOTV, papers from my Authentique Meadow collection, grass die by My Favorite Things, and felt cut with a die by La La Land. I added a twig from outside to use as a fun bit of whimsy. all other items are from my stash. there is a little sparkle on the card with touches from a wink of stella clear glitter pen.

For my birthday blog candy winners, please check this post. congratulations to the winners! I'll have more candy later this fall. in fact, I have blog candy planned all the way through Valentine's Day! :)

Have a wonderful week! I'll see you back again in a few days with another project. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/an animal
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Love to Craft - anything goes
Sweet Stampers - animals
Angie's - anything goes
Alphabet Ch - 'G' is for Great Outdoors
CRAFT - thank you
Sunny Day - any animal
Ching-Chou Kuik - thank you/sympathy

A Skull Wreath for Halloween

This is my second post for today. :)

I want to thank both Avril and Teri over at Delicious Doodles for having me as their Guest Designer this month! I was blessed to be a previous challenge winner from their fun blog, so they invited me to be a guest with them for October. isn't that fun?!

the theme for the month is Halloween, and while we don't typically celebrate this holiday, I couldn't let the opportunity go by to create a skull wreath card. doesn't everyone need a skull wreath as a decoration?! grins! maybe it's just those of us who happen to have a similar last name!

I started with the Skully Christmas Wreath image, printed it multiple times, popped up a few skulls on foam tape for more dimension, and then added it to my little mausoleum crypt. this was created with a Spellbinders die that I added embossin paste to a  Crafter's Workshop stencil.I inked the paste after it dried and then used my ink squirty tool.  another Spellbinders die adds the laurel at the top.

the grasses are a My Favorite Things die. pretty border die at the top is from Whimsy Stamps and sentiment comes from Create with TLC. orange satin ribbon is from SU! while orange twine is a Michael's find. paper is from Echo Park.

and while we're on the subject of skulls, since this is our last name, my sons decided that it was time we all got a family tattoo. so each one of us is getting a skull tattoo, unique to the individual. I had mine done last week. I also had a Winnie the Pooh one done on my arm to represent me with my sons. yes, I am the enigma - a skull and Winnie the Pooh all at the same time! :) but I love them both dearly!

Tyler had his tattoo done at the same time I had mine done. Mick had his done yesterday. I think it's neat that they all want to do something that unifies us as a family! :)

well, that's it for me.... all of you have a most amazing weekend! and I hope you get a chance to play along in the Delicious Doodles challenge this month. :)

Challenges:
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween linky party
Anything Goes with TLC - anything goes with a TLC image/sentiment

It's Your Birthday, with Puppy Kisses!

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Macadamia

Hubby and I returned very late last night after spending 2 days visiting our youngest son in Indiana where he is currently a senior in college. it was his birthday and we wanted to spend a bit of time with him. it can be anywhere from a 5-6 hour drive depending upon road work and bathroom stops, so we don't get there all that often. ;)

I'm not sure if I've introduced the latest member of our family here or not. as I think I had mentioned before, in June we rescued a cat named Moon Pie. then at the end of August, we rescued a puppy that we named Palmer. he is mostly ladrador. he travels with us whenever we go somewhere. :) this was his 2nd trip to Indiana.

obviously I needed to make a card for Ryan's birthday, so when I saw this adorable image over at Bugaboo, I knew it was perfect! it's called 'AKV Boy Sitter with Dog.' I created a bit of a concrete wall for them to be sitting on.

papers are from the Basic Grey Clippings collection, main die is by Spellbinders, zig zag die is by My Favorite Things, and leaf die is by Prima. flower is from Michaels and red twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. buttons are from my vintage stash and sentiment stamp is from a company that has retired. I added a few dots with my white gel pen to the card base & zig zag border for some extra fun. :)

I hope you have a most amazing day! thanks for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - photo inspiration challenge (flower, colors)
Fresh Brewed Designs - animals
4 Crafty Chicks - anything goes
Sasayaki Glitter - animals
Through the Purple Haze - furry friends
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Crafty Addicts - anything goes/use patterned paper
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations -  birthday
Cutie Pie - birthday plus cute

Have Faith and Be a Fisher of Men

Winner at Little Miss Muffet

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake

Today I have the honor of letting all of you know that I have been invited back to the WordArt Wednesday challenge blog all this month as a guest designer! I was so excited when Karen sent me the email asking if I would like to return. :) of course!  it's always an honor to be asked to be a guest designer with a blog, but especially one that glorifies God in such a beautiful way as these ladies do.

Today's lovely scripture really spoke to me  as a back to school card for our youngest son, Ryan. he is in school in Indiana pursuing a double major in both Youth & Children's Ministries. he has been away all summer in an internship with a huge church there. I know God has Ryan exactly where he needs to be. :) This beautiful scripture today, paired on the inside with Matthew 4:19 "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." go so perfectly with this adorable stamp from Kraftin'Kimmie.

papers are from the Basic Grey Bowties collection,  Kraftin'Kimmie stamp is a retired one called Fishin' Friends, orange seam binding is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, while orange jute string/twine is my fabby Michael's find. buttons are from my vintage stash. die for scripture is by Spellbinders, and little grass snippet die is by My Favorite Things. accent dots were made with a white gel pen and a small piece of a Starbucks coffee cozy was inked to nestle beneath the cut out fisherman with his pup. :)

thank you so much for stopping by today! may your day overflow with joy in all that you do! :) and hello to my most recent followers! I'm so happy to have you here!!!

Challenges:

Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed. - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - tic tac toe: button, patterned paper, ribbon/twine
Craft-Dee-BowZ - anything goes with a handmade bow
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Dream Valley - buttons & bows
Male Room - Olympics/sports
Scrappy Hands - sports

Coffee with Daddy

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

My love of coffee began on Saturdays with  my Daddy. I think even he would be amazed to find that those days of going for doughnuts would have led to the love of coffee I have today!

Every Saturday morning, he and I would venture off to this wonderful doughnut store. I can still picture it in my mind! after choosing our doughnuts, we would sit on the big diner stools where our doughnuts would be brought to us on plates. my dad would have his cup of coffee and I would have a glass of milk. he would always add just a bit of coffee to my milk, thus giving name to 'coffee milk.' I felt like such a big girl, drinking my coffee with Daddy! those days were so precious to me!!! :)

after breakfast, we would head to the car wash where we would drive through the big machines as they washed and buffed the car to a sparkly clean. do you remember those drive thru car washes? not many around these days.

So leave it to Elisabeth Bell to pop along with a stamp that sums it all up and brings those memories right back to the forefront of my heart again! Just in time for Father's Day, here is "Daddy's Peeker." again, these two could have been me and my Daddy! :) for so many years, it was just he and I.

my card uses papers from the Basic Grey Boxer collection, vintage buttons, coffee die from Verve and main die by My Favorite Things, and a piece of inked cardboard.

What better way to begin the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Summer blog hop than with a card honoring my Dad for Father's Day. :) sure do miss him. since my birthday and Father's Day were always either on the same day or within a day or so of each other, it's a special time for me. :) love ya, Daddy - always and forever!

thank you for stopping by! enjoy your weekend!
Jennifer

Challenges:
As You Like It - fave die and why (Verve coffee die because it's coffee! tee hee!)
Crafty Girls - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - Father's Day (a tribute for my dad)
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - Father's Day with die cuts (Verve Stamps and MFT - tribute for my dad)
Craftin' Desert Divas - masculine
Eureka - masculine/Father's Day
Our Crafty Corner - anything goes
Scribbles Designs - sip and savor
Art by Miran - anything goes

A Cutie To Brighten Your Day

...and this is the last post of the day! :) please feel free to grab a cuppa and enjoy the other posts from this morning if you would like!  Bugaboo & Coffee Loving Cardmakers here  and Really Reasonable Ribbon here. thanks!

now for some fantastically amazing news - I am THRILLED to be a Guest Designer with Elisabeth Bell's Digi Bells now through the end of July! talk about happy dancing all around the house! oh yeah. every kind I could think of, and quite a few I made up on the spot! tee hee!

so here I am, part of the blog hop! wooo hoooo! you've probably landed here from Alethea's most marvy blog! if you get lost at any point on the hop, just head on over to The Digi Bells blog for the complete list. :)

if you've been hopping, then you know we are all using the precious image 'Em Jay' on our creations. isn't she just the sweetest?! you can find her in the Elisabeth Bell digi store. btw - if you are new to EB images, be sure to sign up for the newsletter. you'll start getting all kinds of freebies in your email!

papers are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection, sentiment is from Create with TLC, picket fence die is by My Favorite Things, corner die is from Wild Rose Studios, butterfly die is by Cat's Pajamas, and main dies are by Spellbinders. whew! ;)

buttons are from my vintage stash, summer rose seam binding (distressed with inks) is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts. butterfly is covered in distress stickles and picket fence is stamped with woodgrain bg stamp by SU!

now head on over to Lynda's gorgeous blog to see what she has made to astound you! I know you will be inspired! be sure to leave her a comment letting her know how much you enjoy her project! :)

and thank you so much for stopping by! enjoy your weekend!

Challenges:
Outlawz Tues. Color - photo inspiration (colors, flowers, shabby/vintage tone)
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
World Wide Open DT - anything goes
Art by Miran - anything goes
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Fussy and Fancy - dies and/or puches
Morgan's Art World - add sparkle (distress stickles)
Inky Impressions - die cuts and flowers
The Crafty Addicts - add a sentiment
Card and Scrap - flowers

Easter Blessings

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake

Hippity Happity Hoppity Monday to you!

March is a very busy month for getting crafty, between St. Patrick's Day and Easter. the Really Reasonable Ribbon DT always has plenty of projects created to inspire you for whatever you happen to have sitting on your crafty table! :)

I am sharing a pair of Easter cards I created using some pretty downloads from Polly's Paper Crafts (who so graciously sponsored us last month) and products from the RRR store.

I used images from the Easter Kids Button cards, distressing the edges.

the blue card is topped with 5/8" bluebird gingham plaid ribbon tied in a bow with the delicate Sharon crochet lace.

the pink card uses Sherbet Delicate Stitched Satin ribbon tied with the same Sharon crochet lace.

I also added the gorgeous WOC Magnolias, Aster Daisies, Open Roses, Cosmos, and Sweetheart Blossoms for a lovely floral touch.

the banners for both are free printables from Live, Laugh, Rowe. as soon as I saw them, I knew they would make the perfect backing for these cutey button cards! :) little bunny & bow dies are by Tim Holtz and the grass one is from My Favorite Things. buttons, as almost always, are from my vintage stahs. beautiful sentiment stamp is from Shady Tree Studio. I do so miss Nancy's stamps and treasure the ones I have.

I do hope you will join our current challenge, "Show Me the Green with Ribbons or Trims." we would love to have you play along! :)

There is also a DT call currently going on! You KNOW you would just LOVE to be part of this amazing team! :) hurry on over to get the deets on how to submit your application! it has truly been one of the kindest and most supportive group of people I have ever had the honor to serve with on a Design Team! :)

see you in just a bit with my post for Sandra Caldwell...

Challenges:
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with glitter twist (stickles on bunny bow)
Ribbon Girls - Spring/Easter with ribbon
Hiding In My Craft Room - Spring Colors
Quick Quotes - Welcome Spring
4 Crafty Chicks - Easter
Creative Knockouts - flower power
Time Out - Easter and/or Spring with optional masking

Love is a Four Legged Word and More Fun News!

Another fun Design Team announcement, all on the same day! I am joining the Aud Sentiments Design Team beginning with today's new challenge! hip hip hooray! :)

Our new challenge theme for this fortnight is 'Cute + a sentiment,' and we are sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps. You know you want to play along so you can win some of their fabby digis, don't you?! c'mon over and join us!

I used the cutey cutey cutey 'Cute Puppy' image along with a computer generated sentiment for my card. papers are from the Basic Grey Max & Whiskers collection, main image die is by My Favorite Things and dog house die is by Find It Trading. seam binding is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and twine is left from tags I had used on another project. accent dots were made with white gel pen and also a brown marker. a little piece of inked cardboard peeks out from between the main image and bows. no flowers as this will probably be mailed off to Mick. ;)

hope you are getting as excited for the weekend as I am! take care!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - add lace, ribbon, or twine
Crafting By Designs - tic tac toe ( ribbon, free:buttons, texture: cardboard)
Sparkles - something for the males
Clear it Out - anything goes with twine
Crafty Sentiments - Let's Get Sentimental
Digi Choosday - animals and insects
Fan-tastic Tues - square and cute
Crafty Ribbons - Leap with ribbon

XOXO Puppy Love

It's almost Valentine's Day. are you ready with a sweet card for the loves in your life?

The card I'm sharing with all of you today was mailed off to one of my sons. Last year he rescued a wonderful dog from the pound, so it seems that almost every card I make for him has a dog on it. ;) but gosh, those 2 are inseparable! since it was going in the mail, I tried to keep embellishments to a minimum, which you know is fairly hard for me to do!  

I started with a base of Paper Temptress Spirit Red Feltweave cs and distressed the edges with several shades of inks, one being Prima chalk ink, which I really love to use.

puppy image is from Dustin Pike and is accented with stickles and crystal effects, decorative papers are part of the Gnome Sweet Gnome collection, and embellishments include vintage buttons, wood veneer piece, and dog bone clip. I tied some of the fabby red twine around the card for a spot of color.  finally, a little banner punched from Desert Storm Kraft cs draws attention to the stamped sentiment. stamp is by My Favorite Things.

thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
Crafty Calendar - Love is in the Air
Outlawz Festive Friday - Valentine's Day
One Stitch at a Time - Love is in the Air
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Pattie's Creations - Love is in the Air
Simply Create Too - Love/Valentine
The Stamping Boutique - I Love You
Craft Rocket - Valentine/Love
Star Stampz - All About Love
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - photo inspiration

Hipster Bunnies Are Coming To Town!

Coffee of the Day - Dulce de Leche

I have some coolio news to share with all of you! last week I told you that I was the Guest Designer over at Sandra Caldwell's stamping Facebook group for the month of Feb., which was exciting enough all on it's own. :)  later that day they asked me to stay on as a permanent Design Team member! of course I said 'yes'!!! so every Monday I'll be sharing projects featuring Sandra's fun & whimsical images! I am so happy to be part of this VERY friendly team of crafters! :)

I do hope you will join us in the Facebook group. :)

I confess to you - I have 2 sons who are hipsters. one will deny to his dying day. the other embraces it. it's pretty funny actually. so I created this card because, well, I just couldn't resist. and Sandra was super sweet and modified the image so it had an empty speech bubble so I could add all of the fun sayings I wanted. :) wasn't that nice of her?  it's called 'Cool Peeps, #270' and just cracks me up!

papers are from the Authentique Springtime collection, banner die is from CC Designs, grass die is from MFT. sentiment die is Spellbinders, and lattice die behind banners using some clear packaging is an old one from SU!. yellow burlap string and green netting are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the little enamel dots are some of my homemade ones. buttons are from my vintage stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :) enjoy your day!

Challenges:
Outlawz Mon Greeting - All About Spring
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Pile it On - homemade embellishments (enamel dots)
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Lacy Sunshine Color 'n Craft - anything goes

"14 Things I Love About You" Pocket Tags

Winner at Die Cut Divas

Coffee of the Day - Butterscotch

Hello, everyone!

I am here to share a special project with all of you today and on the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog. but there is a small catch - we have to keep this hush, hush quiet until Valentine's Day because my oldest son is giving this to his girlfriend! we don't want to ruin the surprise, now do we?! ;)

some of you might remember the Tag Advent Calendar I created for Christmas. this is similar, but the theme is "14 Things I Love About You!"  I took the photos before my son wrote on the tags. had to give the guy a BIT of privacy! grins!

you will see many ribbons and trims from the Really Reasonable Ribbon store. I'll share the complete list at the bottom of the post to make things easier.

to keep things as flat as possible, I only added flowers to the very first piece. doilies, washi tape, vintage buttons, die cuts from Sizzix, and various other little goodies decorate each pocket.

papers & some small tag elements are from the Authentique Crush collection, a few stickers are from SRM Stickers, number stickers are from Melissa Frances, digital numbers are from Miss Kate Cuttables, coffee cup die is from Simon Says Stamp. lots of stickles used! :) chipboard cupid is from Blue Fern and bark heart is from Live & Love Crafts. hard to see, but each tag is stamped with a beautiful cupid stamp by Deep Red Stamps. other various stamps used are by My Favorite Things and SU!

Ribbons and Trims:
Brenda white crochet lace
Sweetheart Stripe Grosgrain
Diamond Satin Mineral Ice
Lipstick Red Seam Binding
Sun Rose Seam Binding
Red Burlap String
Pink Burlap String

Mulberry Flowers:
Magnolia (watercolored just a bit to match pinks)
Aster Daisy
Open Roses

don't forget to play along in the new challenge over at RRR. it's a theme we all love - "Anything Goes with ribbons or trims."  thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:

Outlawz Sat Paper a la Mode - Tag, You're It

A Gem of a Challenge - Love is in the Air
Brown Sugar - Valentine/Love
Creative Corner - Valentine's Day/Love
Crop Stop - anything goes with a product from their store (Authentique, Sizzix)
Crafty Girls Creations - anything goes
WAW - anything goes
Dragonfly Journeys -Queen of Hearts
Corrosive Ch - love, love, love
Die Cut Divas -  Love, Marriage, & Anniversaries
Paper Creator's Crafts - Must Be Love
Pink and Main - Love
Double Click Skittles - use a heart
Inky Chicks - love (letters) and/or hearts
Digi Choosday - not a card

Follow Your Heart Sailor Pup

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Pecan

As we begin a new month, I am so excited to share with all of you the news that I have been asked to be a Guest Designer over at Sandra Caldwell Stamps' Facebook group for all of February! this is going to be so much fun!!!! if you aren't a member of the group yet, it's super easy to join. and everyone there is super nice and encouraging. there's also a neat progressive challenge going on that lasts for 2 months. do join us! :)

Every Monday, Sandra has been adding new images to her Etsy store. today she'll be adding this cutie I used on my card, 'Doggie Sailor, #254' in addition to several others. head on over to see what's new!

papers are from the Basic Grey Adrift collection. I hand cut the half circle for the sun, using my protractor as a guide. triangles were punched with a SU! punch.

the sentiment on the tag is a stamp is from My Favorite Things. main image die is Spellbinders and light house die is by Whimsy Stamps. flower is by Petaloo, sequins are from Lawn Fawn, and poppy red diamond satin ribbon & light blue burlap string are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. buttons are from my vintage stash. accent dots were made with a white gel pen.

I also added highlights to the main image with my wink of stella glitter pen & spica clear glitter pen.

thank you so very much for stopping by my blog today! :)

Challenges:
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
The Stamping Boutique - punches (triangle & tag)/dies (light house & main image)
Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Crafty Friends - animals or birds
Simon Says Stamp Mon Ch - ray of sunshine

Feel Better Fairy

Coffee of the Day - Amaretto

Just a quickie post this evening. it's been crazy around here with the flu and car troubles. yuck to both of those. hope like at your house is much more fun! :)

I wanted to play along in a neat challenge going on at both The Outlawz group as well as the Scrapper's Delight Facebook group. Outlawz had a sketch challenge and Scrapper's Delight had a freebie image challenge. I combined both on my card. :)

image is from Scrapper's Delight, papers are from the Basic Grey Typeset collection, sentiment stamp by My Favorite Things, butterfly die by Cat's Pajamas, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, and buttons & seam binding are vintage.

fairy wings are covered with a wink of stella clear glitter pen. butterflies have similar accents as well as dots made with a white gel pen.

I'll be back tomorrow with a post for Paper Temptress. see you then! :) until then, enjoy your weekend!

Challenges:
Outlawz Wed Sketch - sketch
Craft for the Craic - January Blues
Aud Sentiments - anything goes with a sentiment
Crafty Ribbons - Fabulous Flowers with ribbon
Through the Purple Haze - things with wings
Crafting By Designs - add a flowers
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday - anything square or rect. goes with flower twist
Scrapper's Delight - anything goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes

Miss U, Paris

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Pecan

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that my most fave item in the Paper Temptress store is the Desert Storm Kraft cs. I use it ALL the time! not only does it make the perfect card base, but today I'm showing you how you can use it for your digi images, too!

I am an oddball and watercolor my digis. I use stamping inks and watercolor brushes, so finding a cs that can take the inks well is not always easy. the Desert Storm Kraft is so fun for my needs. :) regular watercolor paper does not always go through MY printer with ease, plus I don't always want that particular look. sometimes it's just fun to mix things up every once in a while! you can see here how neat the watercoloring looks on the kraft cs.

 PT Black Basis cs was used for the Eiffel Tower die cut and itty bitty banner. a little snippet of 1/8" red & white polka dot ribbon & black ric rac were stapled to a denim belt loop in the upper left corner.

papers are from the Basic Grey Adrift collection, flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, buttons are vintage, and sentiment stamp & Eiffel Tower die are by MFT. image is by Sandra Caldwell.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Brown Sugar - movies madness (Midnight in Paris - I LOVE this movie!!!)
Simply Papercraft - anything goes
Crafting With an Attitude - anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
WAW - anything goes

Altered Vintage Valentine Bingo Card for RRR Blog Hop!

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

Hello to all of my fellow ribbon addicts! tee hee! I know there are secret (and not so secret!) ribbon hoarders out there who have a ribbon addiction like myself. well today is your day to swoon as the Really Reasonable Ribbon Design Team shares projects featuring the ribbon club kit for January on our monthly blog hop. :)

If you have come here by way of GINNY's gorgeous blog, then you are indeed in the right spot! grab a cuppa and settle in! :) if at any time you get lost during the blog hop, just head back over to the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog for the complete list of players.

Many of you know that I love to find vintage goodies for crafting while my hubby and I are out antiquing. we came across these fun old bingo cards a while back, and I knew immediately that they would make some neat projects.

wouldn't you know that I actually had an old bingo marker in my collection, too?! just had to add it on here. :) a beautiful old Valentine, dated 1921, steals the show. normally I would scan the vintage piece and then print out a copy rather than use the actual old card on a project - at least with something that old. but this project is being sent to someone very precious to me, so I was glad to put the real deal on here for her. :)  this has already been mailed to my dear cousin, so she will be quite surprised when she receives it in the mail. :)

papers are from the Authentique Crush collection, chipboard cupid is by Blue Fern and was brushed with gold ink & gold spica glitter gel pen, rose flair button is from Pink Paislee, flourish die is Sizzix, banner die is SU!, sentiment stamp on banner is by MFT, buttons and button card are vintage, and doily is from my stash. all ribbons are from the monthly club kit with the exception of the little piece of Judy crochet trim, which is dyed with glimmer mist. Wild Orchid Crafts flowers were used: sweetheart blossoms, baby pink aster daisies (these are my new fave flower!! I love these precious little sweeties!), 2 tone pink large rosebuds, as well as hip rosebuds and lilies.

your next stop on the blog hop is to AMBER's  lovely blog. please be sure to tell her hello! :)

thanks so much for stopping by! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Deep Ocean - something new (paper, chipboard cupid, little flower asters, ribbon)
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - hearts
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Inky Chicks - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner - buttons and bows

Quick & Easy Thank You Card Set

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Hello, Everyone!

I hope your new year is off to a roaring start so far! how are those resolutions going? broken any of them yet? one or two? just a few? maybe all of them! grins!

I needed to make quite a few thank you notes, but I am a slow crafter since I spend so much time adding bits and bobs to each card. I decided it was time to just throw caution to the wind and try for a 30 minute challenge! pretty bold, don't ya think?!

 

 
I grabbed a few sheets of Paper Temptress Brown Bag Kraft cs, cut & scored to basic size for mailing, and then did some very simple layered stamping, using stamps by My Favorite Things. still needed a bit of 'zing,' but I was really wanting to keep the cards flat for mailing, so I grabbed my handy dandy glimmer mist. voila! just a few sprays added the exact amount of shine the cards needed while still allowing me to mail them with only 1 stamp.

I felt pretty happy and actually accomplished the challenge! wooo hooooo! granted, they aren't my usual style, but they get the job done. so I challenge each of you to step outside of your comfort zone and try something different. Paper Temptress has all of the card stock to help you with your projects, whatever style you are trying to make!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

BBQ Gift Tag

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Happy Monday to all of YOU! :)

I hope you had a most amazing weekend! mine was wonderful with my entire family together for the first time in almost 6 months. this made my momma heart VERY happy! :)

my Father-in-Law's birthday is right around Thanksgiving each year, so hubby takes a gift to him when they get together at Dave's uncle's cabin to go deer hunting.

I found this neat gift pack at World Market a few weeks ago. it has all kinds of neat seasonings and sauces for anyone who loves to cook on the barbecue grill. that fits my FIL to a tee! so I thought a fun gift tag would double as a birthday card from all of us. afterall, we are talking about guys here!!!

The digi image is from Di's Digi Stamps, plaid paper is a scrap I had so I apologize I don't know the mfg., burlap ribbon at bottom of the tag is May Arts, red burlap string is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and burlap ric rac is from my stash. vintage buttons are also stash items. sentiment stamp is by My Favorite Things.

Thanks so much for stopping by! have a great week! :)

Challenges:
Robyn's Fetish - use some yellow & brown
Allsorts - colors of autumn
Di's Digi Designs - cute and cuddly
Hiding in My Craft Room - any holiday (birthday)
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Crafty Catz - masculine
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Pattie's Creations - birthday
Simply Papercrafts - anything goes
4 Crafty Chicks - masculine
Crafty Gals - anything goes

Gonna Miss U, Sweet Pea Stamps!

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Southern Pecan 


 Welcome to the Sweet Pea stamps Blog Hop!

This hop is from a loyal group of Sweet Pea Stamp fans who want to let Lynette know that we appreciate all her hard work bringing us the wonderful stamps in both rubber and digi format over the years.  Thanks so very much for all the wonderful images we have collected from you!

There are some random prizes along the way, as certain blog owners, myself included, have decided to include a prize, so please leave some comments along the way as you see everyone's gorgeous Sweet Pea Stamp creations.

Also, the store closes at the end of the day on the 25th, so if you see some wonderful stamps on this blog hop, today is the last day to get them, so please drop by the store! here is a great coupon to use, too. :)

You should have come here from Jane Bradshaw's oh, so fun blog! if at any point you ever get lost, you can find the complete list of hoppers over at the Sweet Pea Stamps blog.

For my card, I chose the Scarecrow Dude digi image by Sandra Caldwell. the acorn card template is by Shape EZ and paper is from Simple Stories. buttons are from my vintage stash, all flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, leaves are from Prima, and gorgeous crochet lace can be found at Really Reasonable Ribbon. a few accents made with the white gel pen and some sticks from the yard finish off the card. :)  oh yes, the sentiment stamp is from My Favorite Things.

your next stop on the hop is at my friend, Margaret Ashby's blog, better known as GranMargaret! :) I know you will love what she has made!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:
Your Scrapbook Place - anything goes (using an image by sponsor)

Just Sittin' On a Barbed Wire Fence....

Coffee of the Day - Maple Nut

Hello again! or should I say 'Howdy'?! I think this is the last of the western themed cards I made this summer. this fella just gives me the giggles. especially since I put him on a barbed wire fence! makes you wonder why he is really singing ..... or perhaps he is HOWLING instead! tee hee!

image is from QKR Stampede, bg paper is Carta Bella Giddy Up, barbed wire fence die is by My Favorite Things, cactus die set is Spellbinders, stitched sun die (I just used a portion of it) is by La La Land.  burlap ribbon is May Arts, bark star is from Live and Love Crafts, and buttons are from my stash. the barbed wire portion of the fence is covered in platinum stickles.

as with yesterday's card, the inside contains the verse, Acts 1:8.

Challenges:
QKR Stampede - cowboys
613 Avenue Create - create your own challenge: card type-A2, event-Encouragement, trend-burlap
One Stitch at a Time - anything goes with 4 legged friends
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Morgan's Art World - for the men
Simply Papercraft - anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations - anything goes
Creative Knockouts - anything goes