Snow Friends at the Window

Top Pick at Emerald Faeries

Coffee of the Day - Irish Creme

as we battle warm summer temps, it's nice to have cool thoughts of Christmas in July! today begins a fun week long celebration over at the Bugaboo challenge and inspiration blog, with each day having a new theme to jump start your holiday card making. you will also find that the entire store is on sale through the end of the month! :)

today's theme is 'Some of My Best Friends are Flakes - use SnowMen or SnowFlakes.' I'm using the 'Snow Friends Window' image on my card along with papers from the My Mind's Eye Winter Wonderland collection.

seam binding is from Zipper Stop, snow flake dies are from Sizzix, main image & matting die is by Spellbinders, buttons are from my vintage stash, and glitter rose is from Michael's. touches of stickles were added to snow of main image. stitching stamp is by Gina K and 'joy' sentiment was generated on a label maker. a few sequins were added for some final sparkle.

I won't be participating every day since I'm still not doing very well, but will play along in several of the challenges.

thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a good weekend! :)

Challenges:
Creative Corner - anything goes
Cut it Up - anything goes with die cuts (Sizzix and Spellbinders)
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Crimbo Crackers - anything Christmas goes
Holly Jolly Christmas Ch - add a ribbon
Crafty Boots - Christmas
Robyn's Fetish - Christmas in July
Emerald Faeries - winter blues
Sparkles Christmas - snowflakes
12 Months of Christmas - anything Christmas goes with optional blooms theme

Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Today's post is not only a two-fer, but it's the first of two. :) so you had better grab a cuppa while you're here, or at least top off the cup you already have!

Being the first of the month, and where has this year gone btw?!?!, we have a new challenge starting over at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog. as always, you can enter any Christmas card for a chance to win the prize from  our sponsor, Bugaboo.

since I am also a guest designer with Bugaboo until July, my card fits with today's Humor Me Wednesday over on their challenge and inspiration blog.

I'm using the funny 'Gertrude - Tinsel in a Tangle' image for my Christmas card. this is another one that my MIL quickly snatched up, since she said she knew the perfect person to give it to.

papers are from the My Mind's Eye Winter Wonderland collection, lipstick red seam binding and natural burlap string are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, little poinsettia is from Hobby Lobby, and buttons are from my vintage stash. crystal effects covers her 'glasses' and accents were made with a spica clear glitter pen. white Mr. Huey's spray was added to the card base.

thanks for stopping by! see you in just a bit with my next post. :)

Challenges:
A Snowflake's Promise - anything goes
52 Christmas Throwdown -  dies and/or punches (dies for main image & mat, punches to create ends of banners)
Hiding in My Craft Room - any holiday
12 Months of Christmas - anything Christmas goes with optional silver & gold
Sparkles Christmas - use 2 dies (both by Spellbinders)

Sweet Little Mushroom Fairy

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

whew.... we made it through Monday! ;)  I'm excited because Ryan comes home from school tomorrow! don't know how long he will be here though because he goes right back to Indiana for a summer internship. I just know I'll take having him here for as long as he wants to stay! :) makes this momma heart happy to have the little birds back in the nest ANY time! :)

but you came here for crafty stuff, so craft stuff you shall see!

I played along in a freebie coloring challenge over on Facebook. everyone who participated was given this precious Mushroom Fairy image created by Moon Flower Digi Stamps. This is actually a birthday card going to a young lady who lives across the ocean, so I'm putting it in the mail today in hopes it gets to her in time for her big day at the end of the month.

papers are from the My Mind's Eye Gnome Sweet Gnome collection, flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, and micro brown gingham is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. her wings have accents of  white gel pen and wink of stella glitter pen. the same white gel pen was used to accent the mushroom, too. red burlap string ties one of the vintage buttons.

Enjoy your day and thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Eureka - feminine/Mother's Day
Whoopsi Daisy - fairy dreams
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Crafting When We Can - add flowers

Sending Warm Winter Wishes

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

I realize my post is late in the day, but it's actually going live over in Europe at the proper time. ;) and it's a two-fer, too! not only am I here with a reminder for Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, but I was privileged to be asked as a Guest Designer over at Paradise of Stamps for their newest challenge.  because the themes coincided, I thought I would combine it all into one fun card for you! I hope you enjoy! :)

The theme at Paradise of Stamps is 'Winter', and what says winter here in northeast Ohio more than SNOW! while we didn't have much before Christmas, we have been making up for it this week. I wanted to add a sentiment on the outside, but just ran out of space. so I did add it to the inside and it reads, "Sending Warm Winter Wishes." this makes it perfect for any kind of a winter holiday card!

The cute bear image comes from Sandra Caldwell, papers are from the My Mind's Eye Winter Wonderland collection, snowflake template is by Shape EZ, pale blue ribbon and burlap string are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and buttons are vintage. beautiful doily die for the iridescent vellum is by Prima and the pretty tree dies are by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions. I added snow to the trees with acrylic paints and to the main image with stickles.

I hope you will play along in both challenges since you've seen how easy it is to combine them into one card! :) and just think - you'll be getting a head start on your holiday cards, too!

thanks so much for stopping by!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Time - make it sparkle (stickles on the snow & snowballs)
Creatalicious - snowflakes (template & paper)
Southern Ridge Trading - anything winter
Stempelgarten - Winter Wonderland
Creaine Ch - bingo: blue, flowers, glitter (stickles)
Craft for the Craic - January Blues
The Stamping Boutique - winter
Christmas at Sweet Stamping - bows

Bee Skep

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

Sending beautiful Sunday morning blessings to all of you today!

I know I've been hit or miss with my postings and all but absent when it comes to visiting everyone. we still haven't been able to find that 'one' vehicle for us yet.... sigh.... thought we were buying one on Friday, but the buyer sold it out from under us. oh well. just wasn't meant to be. means the hunt continues into next week. good golly, this is getting tiring! on the positive side, I do love spending time with my honey bunny! grins!

but on the crafty front, I was able to get to my craft room yesterday and just PLAY! this is what I came up with...

every month Crafty Secrets has a linky party. all you have to do is use any of their products to be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate to their wonderful store. I needed a thank you for our pastor & his wife, who have let us borrow a car for the past 2 weeks. we are returning it today, so this seemed perfect to go with the linky party challenge theme of 'Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.'

Images are from the Crafty Secrets 'Queen Bee' digital set, paper is from the My Mind's Eye Be Amazing collection, ribbons are by Really Reasonable Ribbon, flowers are from Michael's and Wild Orchid Crafts, heart banner die is by La La Land, tiny banner punch is SU!, and buttons are from my vintage stash. oh yes, cute chevron bag is from Michael's as well. wings on the little bee are painted in shimmerz.

Have a most glorious day! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Secrets - monthly linky party
Love to Scrap - ribbon or lace, oh my
Art by Miran - anything goes
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - use a die cut (La La Land and Spellbinders)
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Simply Papercrafts - anything goes
Kraftn' Kimmie Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Emerald Faeries - buttons and bows
Polkadoodles - use a die cut (La La Land and Spellbinders)

Thinking of You Poppies in Bottles

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake

Happy Saturday! Are all of you doing your "it's the weekend" dance?! grins! and for those of us here in the States, we get the added bonus of a long holiday weekend, too! double the fun! wooo hoooo! I know we will be cooking out on the grill at least once or twice.... hopefully all of you have something especially fabulous planned. :)

Today I am sharing another of my hiatus cards. I plan to get into my craft room today to get something 'fresh' made for all of you, I promise! my room is almost actually clean, too! someday I might actually take a few photos to share with all of you....

I made this card for a friend who's mom went into the hospital for emergency surgery. I wanted to send a card to let them know we were all thinking of them and saying prayers.

The image is by A Day for Daisies, little paper banner at the bottom is Basic Grey J'Adore, chalkboard tag is My Mind's Eye, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Live & Love Crafts, while buttons are from my vintage stash. I added a few little doodle dots with my white gel pen. you can almost see the snippet of the doily in the bottom corner. sentiment is SU!  flower centers on main image are covered in distress stickles. a bit of seam binding and baker's twine tie off the tag.

Have a most wonderful weekend, whatever your plans!

Challenges:
Crafty Calendar - anything goes
Catch the Bug - anything goes
My Time to Craft - flowers
Art by Miran - anything goes
Digital Delights by Louby Lou - anything goes
Southern Girls - flower power
CCC Digi Creations - include a sentiment
Petal Lu - anything goes
Crop Stop - anything goes with a product from their store (stickles)

So Adorable Ballerina

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Caramel Hazelnut Rum (well, it IS Saturday, afterall!)

My card share for today is a very precious one to me. you see it was made for a magazine submission, but was returned at the last minute because it was not needed afterall. I try to make all of my cards special, but the magazine ones get LOTS of extra attention and love. I have to take note of every detail, description, and item I use, so it just stands that there is a bit more focus on them. plus, gosh, a ton more people are going to see them! ;)

I have a most adorable young lady in mind that this is being mailed to, so I hope she enjoys it. :)

The image is from A Day for Daisies, papers & elements are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection (most are printed from digital), flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, chalk tag is My Mind's Eye, glassine bag is K & Co, ribbon is May Arts, and baby button card is from my vintage stash. other buttons are also vintage, and doily is from my stash, too.

main die is Spellbinders, tiny leaf flourish dies are Cheery Lynn, while gorgeous floral corner die is Wild Rose Studio. accents to flowers on main image with stickles and her tutu with clear wink of stella glitter pen.

I'm still dealing with my seizures, so getting to all of your blogs has not been easy. I am so very sorry. hope to get better at leaving comments and stopping by as soon as possible. I do think of each of you often, I promise! :)

Hope your weekend is off to a splendid start so far!

ADFD

Simon Says Stamp

Challenges:
ADFD - photo inspiration board
Left of Center - distress it (ink and with distressing tool)
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes/spring fever
Sister Act - any card goes
Crafter's Cafe - feminine
Crafting By Designs - flowers
Whimsy Inspires - color an image
Kraftin' Kimmie - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - color inspiration photo
Digi Choosday - flower power
Party Time Tues - anything goes
Crafty Boots - ribbon or lace
Eureka - flowers
Monday Morning Ch - pretty flowers
Kraft Journal - pick 3 with kraft (card base is kraft cs) pink, ruffles, buttons, feminine, tag, mint green - I used more than 3! :)
Ribbon Girls - everything goes with ribbon and an image
Fairy Tale Stampers - bingo: flowers, buttons, text or buttons, glitter, flowers
Hiding in My Craft Room - button up
Catch the Bug - bingo: flower, button, die cut

Hello, Friend! ATC

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Caramel Hazelnut

Hello, Friend! that is the theme of my post today! :)

I have been trying to do a bit of crafting here and there when I can. thank you once again for all of you leaving such wonderfully kind posts about my yuck-o seizures. they haven't let up any yet, but I am trying to not let them get the best of me. not always easy when it feels as if I'm on a permanent brain freeze along with 10 bajillion volts of electricity running through my body, but hey, we do what we can to get through the day. :)

thank goodness that each day brings oh, so many reasons to be thankful and find joy!

today I am showing a little ATC that I made. I haven't made one of these in a while, so thought it was about time. they are so fun to create! and the neat thing is that they fit right in a Project Life page or the new Pocket Pages so many people are making.

I've used images from the 'Hamlet PigWit Think Spring' digital set by From the Heart. the daffodil and polka dot digital papers are some I found for free online here.  dies are by Spellbinders and Lawn Fawn, linen thread is by SU!, while everything else comes from my stash. lots of distressing here, too. oh yes, our little piggy friend was paper pieced with paper from My Mind's Eye Indie Chic collection.

I'll be back tomorrow with another project to share! :)

Challenges:
Wicked Wed ATC - lilacs or daffodils
From the Heart - sketch #109 with a twist (cute, cute, cute)
Paper Shelter - charming
Crafty Ribbons - animals with ribbons
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Fan-tastic Tues - square or rect with twist of flowers
TTCRD - anything goes
Top Tip Tues - animals
{pin}spriational - photo inspiration (butterfly & yellow)
Stamp and Create - May flowers (around here our daffodils don't bloom until late April/early May)
Pile it On - cute animal
Digitally Sweet - April Showers Bring May Flowers (digital images & papers)
Kitty Bee - in the garden
Paradise of Stamps - animal

A Wee Little Note

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake

I am showing a triple duty card today - it qualifies for a store's sketch challenge & monthly progressive challenge and will also let our youngest son know we are cheering him on as he starts finals next week! whew.... that is a lot of punch to pack into a piece of card stock! :)

I have used images out of  From the Heart's "Hamlet PigWit Being Shy" digital stamp set, which also happens to be the stamp set of the month. I've been away from their progressive challenge for a bit, so I'm glad to be taking part again. I've also played along in the weekly sketch challenge, but flipped the sketch on its side. I do wacky things like that all the time!

I paper pieced cutey Hamlet the pig, using papers from My Mind's Eye All Spice collection. just a few extra accents were painted in. little banners were cut with a SU! punch. linen thread is also by SU! some accent dots were added with a marker, paper edges distressed, and a button tied to the linen thread. pretty quick for me, plus easy to put in the mail to Ryan.  not to worry, I'll be back to my regular cards again. :)

do any of you ever burn candles in your home? I want to pass along a great deal my family and I have found. we are HUGE fans of the Ashland brand candles found at Michael's craft stores. they are almost always on sale for about $4 or less for a 17 oz candle. they burn for quite a long time, too, and come in the most luscious scents!

Challenges:
From the Heart - sketch 105 with quick card twist
FTH Stamp of the Month - progressive challenge
TTCRD - anything goes
Top Tip Tues - 3 of something (3 decorative papers)
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Dream Valley - let's get krafty
Eureka - 4 legged friends
Melonheadz - 2 or more designer papers (I have 3)
Scribble and Scrap - anything goes

Celebrate Christmas with Jellypark! Blog Candy Winners, too!

Coffee of the Day - Hazelnut

Today begins a new challenge over at Jellypark, and Mel was kind enough to invite me to be a guest designer! it was truly a delight to be back playing with the fun images found at Jellypark, so thank you for the invitation, Mel!

the theme for the month of November is Christmas. I do hope you will play along! my former teamie, Lisa Sumpter, so do stop by to see the great cards she has made. :)

I made 2 projects, both using papers from the My Mind's Eye Winter Wonderland collection.

for my holiday tag, I used the cutey image 'Skater Girl' and fussy cut her once I had finished painting. shimmerz paint adds shine to her skates while stickles add a bit of texture and sparkle to her hat.

the tag base was embossed using the Cuttlebug Snowflakes folder. several shades of ink were watercolored for the bg, and then white craft ink was applied to the snowflakes. blue glimmer mist was lightly sprayed over the top.

snow mounds were cut from lyrics I printed of the song, 'Let it Snow.' shimmery Mr. Huey's spray was added and stickles was applied to the borders. same treatment for ice skating pond oval.

pom pom trim, button, baker's twine, silver cord, tag, sequins, and vintage holly leaves complete the tag. can't wait to add this to a gift at Christmas! :)

my next project is a card implementing the popular chalkboard look. I used the 'Christmas Window' image by Jellypark. lots of sparkle and shine on the main image thanks to shimmerz paint and stickles!

I created the chalkboard tag by drawing lines with a white gel pen and then lightly sponging white craft ink over the entire tag. embellishments include baker's twine, gorgeous wide, white ribbon, buttons, a Petaloo poinsettia, and holiday lights created with dies by Memory Box and matching paper. I added crystal effects to the lights to give them extra gloss.

thanks so much for stopping by! it was wonderful to be crafting again! hopefully it won't be so long between times in my craft room.....

I also now have the winners of my Pinktober Blog Candy. it took me a bit to figure out how to get piccys of the random.org generator, but finally have them! I need the following 3 people to get in touch with me at (jenscull at yahoo dot com) please:
3. Terriavidreader
7. stef h
4. Mel H :)

Thank you to everyone who entered! I wish I could give all of you a prize for being so fabulous!!!

Challenges
Tag:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything Christmas goes
Emerald Faeries - non-traditional Christmas colors
Mema's Crafts - anything goes
The Crafting Cafe - not a card
Pile it On - feeling cool
Christmas at Sweet Stamping - snowflakes
Crafts 4 Eternity - tags & tickets
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - sparkle (shimmerz paint, glimmer mist, stickles, sequins)
Crafty Calendar - all about Christmas
Little Claire's - Christmas
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Delicious Doodles - Baby, It's Cold Outside
MAWTT - winter
Paper Shelter - Christmas
Crafting for All Seasons - Tag It
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Divas by Design - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Word Art Wed - anything encouraging goes
Creative Card Crew - bows
Craft-Dee BowZ - anything goes w/handmade bow
Crafty Boots - music
Eureka - buttons and bows
Incy Wincy - buttons and bling (sequins)

Card:
Papertake Weekly - sketch (turned on its side)
Animal Fiends - It's Cold with an animal (kitty)
Bearly Mine - Christmas Cards
Emerald Faeries - non-traditional Christmas colors
Really Reasonable Ribbon - anything goes w/ribbon
Pile it On - feeling cool
Crafty Ribbons - tag w/ribbon
Crafts 4 Eternity - tags & tickets
Crafty Calendar - all about Christmas
Little Claire's - Christmas
Brown Sugar - anything goes
QKR Stampede - 3 of a kind (buttons)
Sister Act - any card goes
Aud Sentiments - 2 or 3 words sentiments
MAWTT - winter
Crafting for All Seasons - Tag It
Crafty Creations - brads, buttons, or bows
Divas By Design - anything goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Word Art Wed - anything encouraging goes
Creative Card Crew - bows
Craft-Dee BowZ - anything goes w/handmade bow
Eureka - buttons and bows

Baby Boy Diaper Fold Card

Coffee of the Day - Irish Creme

I have to begin by apologizing for the quality of this photo. I tried my best to scan the card, but because of the puffiness of it, it just wouldn't scan properly. that left me with the only option of my phone. and all of you know how very shaky I am when it comes to taking pix. I did my best, but no amount of photoshop can fix the monkey behind the camera! ;)

anyway, this card was great fun to make, even if it did cause me a bit of grief from time to time. I found a wonderful diaper card template on Aly Dosdall's blog. That lady has some awesome talent! Part of the problem is my shaky hands. my tremors have gotten to the point I dread cutting anything out. but I did my best. I could go on and on about all of the mistakes I made on this card, but you don't want to hear about that. you put up with enough whining from me as it is. ;)   I'll just hope that our nephew and his wife can instead see the love we have for them and their new son each time they look at this card rather than all of the problems with it.

designer paper is My Mind's Eye Gnome Sweet Gnome, embossing folder is Cuttlebug Swiss Dots, cream ink is My Favorite Things, and fab buttons & linen thread are SU!  olive ric rack is from my stash, so I apologize that I don't know mfg.

Challenges:
Allsorts - all about the boy
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Challenges and Candies - embossing
Crafts 4 Eternity - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
Crafting with Dragonflies - baby
Cuttlebug Mania - dotty (swiss dots embossing folder)
TTCRD - anything goes
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - use some blue

Flowers and Candy, wait, did someone say CANDY?!?

Coffee of the Day - Texas Turtle (caramel, pecan, and chocolate)

Hello! well y'all have to bear with me. I have another few cards to post this week where we were given an image for free as long as we promised to play in the challenges. deadlines are quickly approaching, so I am trying to hurry to get my projects finished. was sick in bed this weekend, so that threw me off a bit. plus Tyler was home so I wanted to spend time with him when I could.

This cutey image, Lollipop Leslie, comes from a new to me Etsy store, Art by Miran. she has some really pretty images that are waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my coloring range. this one seemed like something I could handle, so thought I would give it a try for the Facebook 'Make it Girly' challenge.

papers are from the new Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection, sentiment is Create with TLC, flower is Wild Orchid Crafts, enamel dots are Teresa Collins, and chalkboard tag is MME. the sentiment portion was cut with a SU! punch and then sprayed with Mr. Huey's mist. scan got a bit wonky because of the big flower.

I hope to be back in another day or so with a project to share if all goes well. take care and  have a most wonderful week! thank you for stopping by!

btw - I am having a horrid time with blogger loading the blogs I follow on my dashboard. it's been more than a week since I've been able to see them, no matter how often I refresh. I promise to try to get around to your blogs to visit as soon as I can see them again.

Challenges:
Glitter 'n Sparkle - bright & funky colors
One Stitch at a Time - girly
Squirrel and the Fox - something spooled
Outlawz Greeting - anything goes
Di's Digi Designs - bingo: digi, die cut, flowers
Inkspirational - bingo: flowers, buttons or brads (button), punches or dies (both)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Feeling Crafty - dies and/or punches (both)
Creative Fingers - anything goes
WAW - anything goes that is encouraging

HYCCT - Put Your Brave Boots On!

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie (it's almost gone, boo hoo hoo!)

Happy happy Friday! this post is going to be loaded with LOTS of cards, so I won't go into much detail about products. if you would like more info, please either email me or head over to my gallery at Split Coast Stampers. each card will have a list of items used. :)

We also have a new challenge over at Jellypark today, so please stop by to see what everyone has created. We are celebrating Pinktober and breast cancer awareness, so get your pink on! :)

I am thrilled beyond measure to be today's 'Hope You Can Cling To' hostess at Split Coast Stampers! My challenge theme is one very near and dear to my heart. I am calling it 'Put Your Brave Boots On' after a stamp set made by Unity. the saying in this set has become my mantra during my cancer battle. it seems that every time I have another test, scan, or 'whatever' I have to face, I tell myself to put on my brave boots. in fact, as you are reading this, I am at the hospital going through more of those tests and scans. and oh my goodness, am I ever so weary of this battle sometimes. but I wear these brave boots not just for myself, but also for my husband and sons. I want them to know that we do not EVER give up in this family. things may get tough, but we can still find joy every single day.

So for my challenge I am asking everyone to make a card with images of boots and shoes. you can see some great samples created by other HYCCT hostesses in the gallery by entering 'HYCCT1318' in the search engine at SCS. also use this tag if you yourself create a card and upload it. thank you! :)

here are my projects:

my first card uses a fun image from Jellypark called 'pattern wellies.' I believe it was a freebie at one time or another. papers are Basic Grey True Love; sentiment was typed on computer. dew drops, rhinestone flourish, glimmer mist, and glitter gel pen are just a few of the embellishments used.

this card uses the 'Brave Boots' itty bitty set from Unity and Basic Grey Green at Heart papers. glimmer mist, enamel dots, tulle trim, and some wood veneer help add to the feminine touch. boots were stamped onto patterned paper.

this last card is done with the same Unity Brave Boots, but with a masculine feel. the barbed wire and star charm dies come from MFT, papers are My Mind's Eye Stella & Rose Mabel. lots of shading with inks give a rustic touch. this fabulous sentiment is also Unity. one of my fave sayings of late.

thanks for your patience! have a most wonderful weekend! :)

Hope on a Clothesline

This is my 2nd post today and it is for Hope You Can Cling To. the newest challenge is called 'Punch it Out.' we are encouraged to use punches and die cuts on our project. well I picked up this FABULOUS MFT Support Hope die after a wonderful friend gave me a gift certificate. isn't it amazing??!!? I knew this image from A Day for Daisies would be so pretty with it....

papers are Basic Grey Serendipity, other dies are MFT chevron stripes and mini rolled rose as well as Spellbinders, punch is Jenni Bowlin, linen thread is SU!, and Hope senti is from MFT 'Have Hope' stamp set. rock candy distress stickles covers the felt rose and shimmerz paint is on the flowers of the main image as well as both bra bows.

Challenges:
LUFP - breast cancer awareness linky party
DL Art - breast cancer awareness linky party
MAWTT - anything goes
Simon Says - dotty
Crafty Sentiments - fave technique (die cuts, distressing, sponging) or colors (pinks with greens and shabby!)
Inky Chicks - 2 die cuts (I actually have 4)
Shopping Our Stash - pink/cancer awareness (clothespins and buttons are old stash)
Live and Love Crafts - pink
ADFD - flowers
Chocolate, Cards, and Coffee - flowers

P is for Presents and Poinsettias and PINK! :)

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog (had to go with the holiday feel!)

A fun new challenge begins today at ABC Christmas Challenges - 'P is for......'  You create the papercraft project and tell us what your 'p' items are. Our sponsors this challenge are Stamp and Create as well as Lili of the Valley stamps. you KNOW you would love to win either of these prizes! ;)

I used the cute Ansley's Surprise digi by Wags 'n Whiskers for my card. it already had 2 of the 'p' items right in the image - puppy and a present. all I had to do was add some pink wings and polka dots to the present to match the gifts in the MME Winter Wonderland papers.  a pretty poinsettia, some peppermint stripe baker's twine to match the bg paper and we are all set! sentiment comes from Flonz stamps.

I hope you will play along with us!

Challenges:
Can You Digi It - holiday hullabaloo
City Crafter - polka dots
Crafty Sentiments - animals
Deep Ocean - Christmas in July
Loves Rubberstamps - anything goes
Paper Minutes - gifts/presents
Bearly Mine - bingo: digi, sentiment, flowers
Crafty Bloggers - fave things: PINK, buttons, flowers, polka dots, twine, & puppies! :)
Glitter and Sparkle - add some red
Hobby House - Christmas (white acrylic paint for card base edge & Spellbinder die)
Crafter's Cafe - furry friends and/or friendship
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Christmas Flowers
Creative Corner - polka dots
Totally PaperCrafts - inspired by a song: 'How Much is that Doggy in the Window?'
Paper Pretties - designer papers
Flutter By Wed. - any winged creature

My Complete Cardmaking Publications...

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Hello and Happy Friday! Today is a MUCH better day and yesterday was wonderful! nothing much happened, which was perfect in contrast to the day before. grins! actually celebrated with pizza for dinner last night, so that was quite the treat. :)

anyhow, since the newest issue of Complete Cardmaking With Your PC has already hit the newsstands in the UK, I thought it was about time I showed you the 2 cards I had published in the last issue. Thank you again to Tammy at A Day for Daisies for including me with her DT in the article, as well as my friend Suzie for sending the magazine to me! :)

btw, if you would like to order your own copy, click here and look for issue #43. several of you have already told me you ordered one and really enjoyed it. I like that you get a CD chock full of great images with it. you can possibly find an issue at your local book store like Barnes and Noble or at JoAnn's.

My cards are on p. 38 and feature the beautiful image, 'I Love My Mama's Tummy.' both also use Spellbinder dies.

This first card was created with papers from the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody collection, vintage buttons,  a sparkler from Webster's Pages, tag cut from PTI die, Prima flower, SU! linen thread, and stitching stamps from Gina K. Shimmerz was painted over the little flowers of the  main image. love my washi, and you haven't seen it for a bit, have you? better get busy using it again. ;)

this next card uses Basic Grey papers from the Serenade collection (did you really think I would try to get a card published and NOT use my beloved Basic Grey?!?grins!), flair button is also BG, border die is MFT, buttons are vintage, rose is Prima, glimmer mist was sprayed on tag, heart was punched from vintage sheet music, and shimmerz was again painted on main image flowers.

thank you for sharing this excitement with me! I have lots more coolio news coming up soon, so will post when I'm able.  enjoy your weekend! :)

-----> you KNOW how much I love Basic Grey, right? well they are now in partnership with Jessica Sprague and have released several of their collections in digital form!!! not only is THAT exciting news, but those same collections are on sale for a limited time only right here.  this is not a paid advertisement, just a VERY excited BG lover!!! :)

An Alphabet Christmas Card!

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

Today's letter for the ABC Christmas challenge is 'K for Kept Safe'. we are being challenged to actually use those things we have been hoarding for so long! my card has several of those, but it also has another little letter on it - 'S is for Snow'! :) We are sponsored this fortnight by Kenny K.

I am using the fun little snowman digi from Kenny K on my card, in addition to the color palette they have on their challenge blog right now.

Papers are My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas, little piece of aqua twine cord is May Arts, circle sentiment is Create with TLC sprayed with Dewey Mr. Huey's mist, and tab die is MFT. the snowman is paper pieced and sits in stickles snow. stickles also edges the sentiment circle. some buttons & faux stitching complete the card. it's fairly simple, but oh, so easy to mail!

my 'kept safe' items include the cord, which is almost at its end.... boo hoo! I have 1 more little piece the same size as this one and have been holding on to it for dear life! tee hee! the Mr. Huey's Dewey mist is almost gone because I REALLY love this color, so I find I don't use it as much. and finally, I have had the MFT mini tab dies for over a year and never used them before, so this seemed like the perfect time to get them out! this one is part of a set of 4. they're pretty cute! I'm almost out of my stickles, too, but y'all know I use that ALL the time! no hoarding there! ha!

Challenges:
Kenny K - color palette
Crafting by Design - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - stitching, real or faux
Holly Jolly Christmas - add 3 embellishments (3 buttons)
Loves Rubberstamps - bow
Bearly Mine - color challenge
Artistic Inspiration - paper piercing or piecing
Creative Creations - paper piecing
Get Inky - glitter (stickles)
Christmas Card Ch - stitching, real or faux

I Mustache You a Question.......

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread (it's now all gone until the holidays roll back around.....sigh....)

I've been trying to get some crafting done behind the scenes so to speak, as I am feeling up to it. I've finished one project for the May Arts challenge, but would like to do a few more if I have time. I really really feel the need to make some cards for my family to stash away for 'later'......have a feeling they are going to be needed sometime down the road. So you'll probably be seeing a lot of masculine cards here on my blog in upcoming days and weeks. not sure how much DT work I am going to get done. I really feel a pressing need to get these cards made for my family first, as they truly are my priority.

a week or so ago I was blessed to win a gift certificate from Crafty Secrets. I was able to get some great digital sets, one of them being this fun 'Mustache Men.' Every November my guys all participate in 'Movember', which is a big promotion to raise awareness for prostate cancer. the idea behind it is for men to start the month off clean shaven and see how large they can grow their  mustache, or 'mo' as they are called in Australia where this all began, by the month's end. I knew it would be fun to use this set to make a card for one of the guys.

Papers are My Mind's Eye Union Square, crochet trim is Pink Paislee, buttons are from my stasth. hi ho sliver shimmerz was painted on the barber pole, the shaving cup and light at top of barber pole were covered in crystal effects.

I've added some buttons to my sidebar to make following and getting in touch with me a bit easier. for email, hover your mouse over the email button to see my email address in your lower taskbar. you can always click on 'my profile information' to see my email address as well. for all others, just click the buttons to be taken directly to each site.

Challenges:
Crafty Secrets - linky party
Crafty Catz - anything goes
2 Sisters - anything goes
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Moving Along with the Times - kraft
Digistamps 4 Joy - anything goes
LEJ Designs - fave style (vintage)
Loves Rubberstamps - anything goes
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Cards Galore - vintage
Sparkle and Sprinkle - use a digi
Love to Create - tag you're it
Simon Says Stamp and Show - anything goes
There She Goes - masculine
Kraft Journal - anything goes with kraft
Kaboodle Doodles - 2 different patterned papers
Crafty Bloggers - anything goes

Blessings This Christmas

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Today starts a new challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges - F is for felt or fabric. I had a bit of fabric left over from when we re-did our dining room chairs a few years ago. it was perfect for not only this challenge, but for a pretty Christmas card. or at least I think it turned out pretty. hopefully whomever receives it this year will agree.

I followed a sketch from The Craft's Meow, using one of Lisa's pretty stamp sets, too. it is called 'Christmas Angel', and I was blessed to win this the end of last year. it is such a gorgeous set. the sentiment on the banner comes from the set as well.  I inked the portion I wanted to use of a larger sentiment stamp  using a marker prior to stamping. The images were stamped directly onto paper from the My Mind's Eye All is Bright collection. all dies come from Spellbinders. the fabric was cut with a die also - I just had to run it through a few extra times to be certain it cut. barn door distress stickles edge both the fabric banner and sentiment banner.

coloring of the angel was done with my usual SU! inks and watercolor brushes. the white wings were colored with white craft ink. don't they just pop?! thin lace trim is vintage and flowers are Prima.

As I had mentioned in yesterday's post - if you follow my blog via Google Friend Connect, you do NOT have to worry about losing your dashboard feeds based on information I received from Google discussion boards. everything will be just fine with these when Reader goes away. if you are concerned about the way you follow my blog, feel free to sign up for posts via email, which you will find at the top of the blog under the header. I will not be signing up for Bloglovin' because I don't care for it. I find it very un-reliable.

Challenges:
Craft's Meow - sketch (flipped upside down)
Word Art Wed - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Sentimental Sundays - anything goes with a sentiment
Stamp 'n Doodle - anything goes
Whimsy Inspirations - stitching (mine is faux)
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Love to Create - anything goes
Shabby Tea Room - anything goes

I'm Just a bit Square....

Coffee of the Day - Irish Cream, of course!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We are celebrating in big style here today, starting off the day with Irish Cheddar, Bacon, & Chive Scones. had to make sure it was a good sharp Irish cheddar, too. yum, yum! we'll all probably speak with an Irish accent for the day, just because we are silly that way..... how are you celebrating? green bread or beer? corned beef?

My card today has green on it, but it was made for the new challenge over at Pile it On - circles and/or squares. now I was really the square one here because I normally DO make most of my cards square. but this one I was so excited would actually fit on a standard A2 size card that it didn't dawn on me until it was finished that it should have been completely square! doh! what a goober! so for the BEST inspiration for the challenge, head over to the Pile it On challenge blog to see what everyone else has made! tee hee!

I used this pretty hummingbird block image from Bugaboo, papers from the My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody collection, vintage lace trim & buttons, & Spellbinders and SU! dies. the flower is 2 parts - the center coral/peach flower is from Wild Orchid while the outer flower is actually a silk flower I happened upon. they were perfect together for the colors in this card! I used my SU! ink squirty tool on the main square image as well as my spica clear glitter pen to accent the trails left by the hummingbird. the vintage buttons are my circles! yep, I'm so lame! ha!

Challenges:
Paper Take Weekly - 3, 2, 1 (3 buttons, 2 flowers, 1 banner tag)
Stamp and Create - fur or feathers
Avadares - Easter or Spring
QKR - dreaming of spring
Bugaboo Bingo - lace, flower, bling (spica glitter pen) or die cut, flower, green
Sweet Pea Stampers - spring colors
Artistic Inspirations - flowers
Crafts 4 Eternity - color inspiration
Aud Sentiments - for a girl
Forever Friends - lots of flowers
MAWTT - spring is in the air
Flutter By Wed. - any winged creature
Rhedd & Rosie's - one for the birds
Word Art Wed. - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Celebrate the Occasion - spring is in the air
Crafty Sentiments - hello spring
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - fave embellie - vintage buttons & trims! :)
LEJ Designs - things with wings
Oldie but a Goodie - feeling floral (leaf die is from my old stash, as is the groovy guava ink used for coloring)
TTCRD - anything goes
Use it Tuesday - die cuts, punches, and cut outs (leaf die is old as is the groovy guava ink used in coloring)
Nana Vic - anything goes
Crafty Bloggers - spring or pastels
Eureka - spring has sprung