Through Thick and Thin...well, more thick these days!

Coffee of the Day - Mocha

Today begins a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays and we want to see embossing on your projects. it can be either dry embossing with folders or embossing using powders you heat set. or maybe you want to go really really wild and do BOTH! ;) just have fun with it! We are sponsored by the ever fun Stamp Fairy, so you know you want to win a few of those great digi images!

For my card, I chose to use the Stamp Fairy image, 'Barry Diet 5'. he just looks exactly like I feel any time I have to get on a scale these days! sentiment is from Create with TLC, papers are Basic Grey Fiction, embossing folder is Tim Holtz, little spinner is SU!, and everything else is from my crafty stash.

don't forget to head over to the Inky Antics blog to leave a comment for a chance to win the cute stamp set I used on my card here. Today is the last day to get your comments in....

Challenges:
Kraft Journal - layers
Crazy Challenge - anything goes
Artistic Inspiration - bingo: lace (crochet), digi, embossing or layers, digi, buttons
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with a sentiment
2 Sisters - anything goes
Ready, Teddy, Go - die cuts and punches
Sweet Pea - embossing
365 Cards - bg texture (embossing and then inking embossed areas)
Sarah Hurley - texture and dimension (main image is also popped up on foam tape)

No Embellies for Christmas? yikes! sounds like Halloween!

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan

We have a new challenge starting up today over at ABC Christmas Challenges, and believe you me, I was fussing. bet I'm on Santa's naughty list after the temper tantrum I threw, in perfect toddler style! not really, well, maybe on the INSIDE! ha! our new challenge is 'N for NO Embellishments'!!!!! can you believe it? and I actually made a card! granted, it's not very good, and yes, I'm so very tempted to add all kinds of stuff to it, but I'll be good and leave it as it.....

you should pop by the blog, though, and see the absolutely GORGEOUS cards made by the rest of the team! We are sponsored by Stamp Fairy, so you have a chance to win some cutey images if you play along!

My card uses the Chubby Christmas Angel 3, papers from the retired (sad face....) Basic Grey Figgy collection, senti from Create with TLC, and a few accents of shimmerz paint. The rest was done with either my white gel pen or a black sharpie... pretty easy peasy.

Challenges:
Inky Impressions - Christmas in July
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas in July
Die Cuttin' Divas - ruby red
LEJ Designs - Christmas in July
Fab 'n Funky - Christmas in July
Whimsical Designs - Christmas in July
Card Mania - Christmas in July
Merry Monday - anything goes Christmas
Platypus Creek - Christmas in July
Stamp and Create - Christmas in July
Whoopsi Daisy - Christmas in July

Moving Parts at Top Tip Tuesday

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Caramel

Hello to everyone! the sun is shining here today. the past few days were all rain, so it's nice to see the sun peek it's head out again. mind you, I enjoy the rain as well, but a bit of sunshine does lift the spirits! :)

Yesterday Dave, Ryan, and I went to see Tyler down at Akron. had a wonderful visit with him. enjoyed lunch at a great Lebanese place that Tyler and Dave had gone to before. I was quite worn out from the trip and went straight to bed for the rest of the day when we returned. slept until after 10 this morning.... doesn't take much to wear me out these days it seems. I was glad that I was able to go on the trip though.

Our new challenge at Top Tip Tuesdays is 'moving parts.' this challenge threw me a bit sideways, since it had to be the actual card that had moving parts. but I persevered, and with the help of some kind people over at Split Coast Stampers, found a fun tutorial to try! I'll most certainly be making more of these cards in the future!

Our sponsor is Stamp Fairy, so I used an assortment of images from there: Barry Birthday 3, Balloons, and Mimi Frames Freebie. my card is a suspension card. I show both sides of the hanging ornament.

Papers are Basic Grey Soleil, trim and flowers are Prima, buttons are vintage. leaf die is SU!, circle dies are Spellbinders. balloons are paper pieced. card is fairly simple, but it's fun to play with! circle medallions hang from SU! linen thread.

Challenges:
Celebrate the Occasion - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - the letter 'B' (buttons, bear, balloons, birthday, brown)
Creative Craft - all about animals
Die Cuttin' Divas - anything goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - insects or animals
TTCRD - anything goes
Digi Darla - celebrate
Love to Create - punches and/or dies
Sparkle and Sprinkle - use a digi
Eclectic Ellapu - anything goes
Great Impressions - pastel colors and/or polka dots
Whoopsi Daisy - spots and stripes
Robyn's Fetish - stripes or dots
Squirrel and the Fox - furry friends

Peace and Joy Angel Bear

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

Today starts a fun new challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges. for this fortnight we have a bingo card for you to use. our sponsors are Stamp Fairy and Shape EZ by TLC templates.

My card uses an image from Stamp Fairy and the following from the bingo card: ribbon, animal, and die cuts.  papers are from October Afternoon Good Cheer. border die cut is Memory Box, seam tape is SU!, rose is Prima. the fairy bear's wings were covered in stickles. I added some faux stitching, tickets, and old sequins, along with a pin that was handed out at JC Penney's over the Christmas holidays. I made sure to save it (and a few others!) because I knew it would come in handy on a card. ta da! :) I used my gold glitter gel pen on the halo and star to add more sparkle and shine. The music sheet snowflake border piece was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist. there really is a lot of shimmer on this card that doesn't show so well in the scan.

Challenges:
Winter Wonderland - bears
Emerald Faeries - bling
Digital Tuesday - buttons or bling
TTCRD - anything goes
Created with Love - anything goes
Paper Playtime - anything goes
Christmas Card Challenges - anything goes
Ribbon Girls - ribbon or twine
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - ribbon, ribbon, ribbon
Christmas Cards All Year Round - sparkle and bling

Let Me Call You Sweetheart part 2

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake with a splash of bacon syrup! yum, yum!

Today I show you the other half of my 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart' challenge projects for Top Tip Tuesday challenges. We are sponsored by both Stamp Fairy and Stamp and Create, so I had cards that showcased items from both sponsors. I do hope you will play along with our challenge, as I can always use cards to give to the people I love! :)

My card today uses the adorable little Barry Angel in Love 3 from Stamp Fairy. papers are Basic Grey True Love, lots and lots of great washi tapes, some vintage buttons as well as some vintage tickets, a heart doily, pink ruffled ribbon, and pretty pink rose. lots of sparkle with distress stickles and shimmerz paints. accents with my white gel pen and stitching added with a new Gina K stamp set (thank you so much, Joan!!!).

tomorrow David and I are off to travel Ohio delivering Valentine goodness to our sons and their girlfriends! what fun! nothing big, but some handmade cards and candy will hopefully let them all know how very much we love them! ;) this card will be delivered right along with the rest of them!

Challenges:
Craft Your Passion - Valentine
There She Goes - bloom
Love to Create - feelin' the love
Card Mania - love that I'm feeling
Creative Creations - it must be love
Digi Darla - be my Valentine
Pretty Little Ribbon - anything goes
Corrosive - hearts and flowers
Great Impressions - have a heart
Squirrel and the Fox - love
Papertake Weekly - hearts and flowers

Cut it Out at Kaboodle Doodles

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Macadamia Nut

Good morning! I hope you are starting out your week on a happy, happy note!

I am sharing my first post as a member of the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Design Team! in fact today is going to be one full of several first posts, so please check them all. :)

This week we are being asked to cut out something with our scissors. I decided to do this on a few levels. First I tried a new-to-me technique - out of the box. gosh, it was so fun that you are going to be seeing a lot more of this, I can tell you! also, this cute little sun was cut out after being printed on that gorgeous yellow paper, which is part of the Basic Grey Junebug collection. then the leaf, heart at the side, & flower were all popped up on dimensionals. the clouds were die cut from writing paper & edged in stickles. the tips of the sun rays were also dotted with stickles. oh gosh I almost forgot, this cutie little bear as well as the sun come from The Stamp Fairy who is sponsoring the challenge this week. The prize is 3 images from her store. so cool!

I do hope you will play along this week & welcome the other new DT members, too. :)

One Stop Craft - summertime
Totally Gorjuss - summertime
Wee Memories - summer
Fresh Brewed Designs - 2 shapes, 2 patterned papers, 2 embellies
Stamp Fairy - try a new technique