Just Chillin' Little Fairy

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Orange Ginger tea

We are slowly getting closer to the weekend... do you have any fun plans?

one of our favorite groups is out at Camp right now, so Dave is working the long week. It's a group called Camp Sue Osborn and it's for anyone with special needs. Last week was for the Alumni - those who have graduated from the program. this week if for anyone up to 18 years old, I believe.  they stay through Saturday rather than leaving on Friday when most of the camps usually depart. head over to the website to not only see photos of Camp, but have your heart brightened. :) these are some amazing people, flat out. the campers are amazing, but the staff are some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. :) I love those folks with everything I have. it tears me up that I can't be out there right now. yucky seizures. blech blech blech. but really. go to the website.

now on to my project for the day...

I know I promised to share the card I made for my MIL, but I am sneaking this one in instead. I think I am sending it to Danielle, Tyler's fiancee. the wedding is coming up very soon, and I think she needs a reminder to just chill a bit. :) pre-wedding jitters can be a bit un-nerving, can't they?

the adorable fairy image and sentiment are from LOTV, green digital paper is from the Prima Strawberry Kisses collection, and chevron stripe digital paper is from the American Freedom free collection by Raspberry Road Designs.  main die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and floral die in the upper corner is by Sizzix.

lace, washi tape, vintage buttons, and ticket are all from my stash. purple twine and green satin ribbon are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. the UK store is closed right now, but you can buy their products from RRR and other retailers. I added a faux stitching border with a white gel pen and also some splatters with white Mr. Huey's spray.

sparkles & shine were added to the fairy's wings with a wink of stella glitter pen and to her bobbers with a pink spica glitter pen.

btw, spending time with everyone at Camp Sue is what inspired our son, Ryan, to work with children on the autism spectrum at Hope Bridge. he loves it there. :)
and almost all of the Camp Sue staff will be attending Tyler and Danielle's wedding, so it will be great to see them then!

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

Challenges:
Digistamps 4 Joy - anything goes summer or winter
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Scrappy Land - anything goes w/die carried in their store (Sizziz and Spellbinders)
Simon Says Stamp Wed - use a die or punch (dies by Sizzix, SU!, and Spellbinders)
Crafty Sentiments - add a sentiment
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - stitching, real or faux
Unicorn Ch - stitching, real or faux
Crafteezee - summer
Cutie Pie - bingo: buttons, ribbon, die cut, but also added bow, glitter, and flowers :)
Incy Wincy - tic tac toe: stripes/checks (subtle chevron stripes on the banner paper, but it's a bit hard to see. feel free to enlarge the piccy), splatter, stitching
Coloring in Scrapland - fairies
Scribbles Designs - fun in the sun
Fabrika Fantasy - summer
Daisy Chain - summer
Dragonfly Journeys - summer lovin'
Make My Monday - fantasy
Sparkles - fairies

A Bee Skep Birthday

Featured Project at Little Red Wagon
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Salted Caramel coffee

It's the weekend! hooray! :) that would usually mean that hubby is home for the day, but he and Palmer are out at Camp meeting a delivery, so it's just Moon Pie and I here at home. the seizures haven't changed, but I so appreciate the kind comments and emails that so many have you have sent. :) thank you!

I apologize that it's taking me so long to post projects. the card I am sharing today took me about 3 days to complete. I can only craft for about 30 minutes before my wonky head gets too much for me to bear. but I'm thankful for the time I am able to spend in my craft room, no matter how short it is. :)

I created this birthday card for my SIL, although it will be a bit late getting to her. The beautiful bee skep and flower image is from Power Poppy. they have a great sale going on now if you use the code: COLORINGCHALLENGE . the sale is valid through the end of the month to my understanding and can be used multiple times. there are a few restrictions, so please check the store or their blog for more information.

the fun little journal cards are from a new to me store I found on Etsy called Arty Maze. wonderfully shabby goodies at a reasonable price that download and print out so nicely! why yes, thank you! :)

you can see that I used them on both the front and inside.

the background paper is made with sunburst yellow and grey brusho powders spritzed with pearl glimmer mist. the small flower stamp and birthday sentiment are from the SU! "Best Birds" set. iridescent texture paste was spread over a Studio Calico hexagon mask in the lower right hand corner of the card.

ribbons along the bottom of the card are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, while the lace and natural jute trim in the upper right hand corner are from my stash. vintage buttons are stash items as well. a wink of stella gel pen was used to accent the bees' wings. flower is from Michael's.

Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you back here tomorrow for Father's Day!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Always Happy Birthday - anything birthday w/summer birthday option
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Creatalicious - anything goes w/optional flowers (on digi, bg paper, journaling card, & mulberry flower)
Scribbles Designs - anything goes
Colour Crazy - anything hand colored goes (watercolor brushes & SU! ink refills)
Craft Rocket - birthday
Little Red Wagon - too bee or not to bee
Crafty Gals Corner - summer colors
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Rubbernecker - birthday
DL Art - anything goes
Daily Marker 30 Day coloring challenge - trying as best I can when my seizures allow

Altered Floral Bee Hive Bottle

Winner at Card and Scrap
Winner and Top 3 Pick at Quick Quotes
Winner at Country View Crafts

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Hazelnut

Welcome to my stop on the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog hop! grab a cup of coffee and get ready for some fun inspiration with the current monthly ribbon kit! this is my last post as a member of the Design Team. Bonnie is one of the most gracious people I have had the opportunity to work for. thank you, Bonnie, for your kindness!

now you have probably arrived here from GINNY'S most fabulous blog. if at any time you lose your way along the hop, you can always head over to the RRR main blog for the complete list. you'll also want to stop by there at the end for a chance to win your very own ribbon kit!

as soon as I saw the maize honeycomb satin ribbon, I knew I wanted to create something with a bee theme, but wasn't sure what. then I was inspired by this beautiful altered bottle with the adorable bee skep on top, and got busy making my own.

I created the bee skep on top with the 4 mm twisted hemp rope. I wanted to keep the natural color rather than coloring it, as was done in the inspiration bottle.

the bottle took a bit of preparation, first getting a coat of gesso to get it ready for several coats of different shades of acrylic paints. stamping was done with black Staz-on ink and Prima chalk inks. stamps are from Heidi Grace and SU!   honeycomb stencil is by Studio Calico.

pretty little bee charms were inked with alcohol re-inkers and Staz-on to give them a bit of age. straw sunflowers are from my stash and go so perfectly with the overall feel of the bottle. Tim Holtz distress crackle paints in 2 shades were painted over the bottle in small areas to help give an aged look.

maize taffeta ribbon from the club kit was distressed with several shades of ink and tied into a big fluffy bow along with the honeycomb satin, moss mini ric rac, and brown burlap string.

if you would like to see more detailed photos, just click on the pic. it will take you to a larger photo. I'm probably going to send this to my MIL for her upcoming birthday. I think she will like it! :)

now head on over to CHERYL'S beautiful blog for more inspiration! be sure to leave her a comment to let her know how much you love what she has made for you. :)

thanks so much for stopping by! y'all are the best!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Country View Crafts - crackle
Anything But Cute Mixed Media - birds and bees
Crafty Addicts - anything goes/summertime
Classic DT Open Ch - anything goes
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Cupcake Inspirations - photo inspiration
Dragonfly Dreams - say it with flowers
Eclectic Elapu - midsummer
Fashionable Stamping - beautiful blooms (stamps by SU! and Heidi Grace)
Left of Center - stenciling (honeycomb stencil)
Penny Black - flower power with stamping
Altered Eclectics - anything altered mixed media goes
Card and Scrap - altered
Let's Craft and Create - hearts and/or flowers
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Allsorts - fancy bows and ribbons
Creative Corner - shabby
Incy Wincy - alter something
Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media - texture
Quick Quotes - upcycle

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)

Dance, Ballerina

Outlawz Sketch Wednesday Showcase & Monthly Winner
Winner at Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wednesday
Winner at Morgan's Art World Facebook Page

Hurrying to post this card before a challenge deadline.... that's me.... sliding in by the seat of my pants! thought I had until the end of the month. nope! ;)

The 'Ballerina' image by Morgan's Art World was offered for several days as a freebie over in their Facebook group. it can be found now for a special price in the store.

I paired it with digital papers from Far Far Hill and a sketch from The Outlawz. flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, vivid pink seam binding is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, pink lace is from Michaels, sentiment is by Create with TLC, and buttons are from my vintage stash.

I sprayed some white Mr. Huey's over the card before adhering the main image. small pearls were added below the sentiment. flower centers on the main image were dotted with a pink spica glitter pen.

I'll be back tomorrow with another card to share with all of you. see you then! :)

Challenges:
Morgan's Art World - monochromatic
Outlawz Wed - sketch (turned on side)
Craft Rocket - pink and pearlie (pearls on sentiment portion and 2 of the buttons are mother of pearl)
Digital Delights by Louby Lou - anything goes
Paper Shelter - pearls (pearls on sentiment portion and 2 of the buttons are mother of pearl)
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Crafty Boots - monochromatic
Come and Get It - glitter and bling (glitter pen used on flower centers of main image)
Sweet Stampin' - pink and girly
Pause Dream Enjoy Linky Party - anything goes

Paddling By...

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Southern Pecan

Today starts a new challenge over at Aud Sentiments and our theme is 'Animals plus a sentiment.' 
Imagine That Digis is our sponsor and provided the team with some cuties for all of us to use. :) I hope to see your fun project linked to our challenge! come play along!

I used the cutey penguin on a float from the 'Poolside Penguins' set. he just made me smile!  sentiment is from the same set.

papers are from the Basic Grey Lauderdale collection, flower is from Michael's and was painted a bit to make it match, wave dies are from Whimsy stamps, and main die is by Spellbinders.

I added dots of Mr. Huey's shine spray to create water dots and then added polka dots to his swimming trunks with a white gel pen. my SU! ink squirty tool adds multi colored sprays of ink across the lower portion of the card base.

navy seam binding wraps across the bottom of the card while bits of parrot green netting peek out from the corners. a few buttons complete the fun! :)

I'll be sending this card off to one of our sons this summer, just to say 'hi' - as the sentiment says. :)

enjoy your day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Crafting By Designs - let's hear it for the boys and men (sending to my son)
Outlawz Festive Friday - Penguin Day
Crafty Gals Corner - anything goes
Fresh Brewed Designs - anything goes
Inky Impressions - all about the boys (sending to my son)
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Dream Valley - creatures

Merry Christmas with Dies and Paper Temptress

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Pecan

Are you as behind on making your Christmas cards as I am? Paper Temptress makes it easy to use the dies in your stash for quick to make Christmas cards.

thank goodness it's easy to pull out a few dies, some great card stock from the PT store, a handfull of embellies, and complete a card in less time than you can finish singing all the verses from "The 12 Days of Christmas"!

for my card I used Red Basis card stock for the base and olive Basis for the trees.  the 'Merry Christmas' was cut twice with Cryogen White Iridescent. the 2 pieces were then glued together for extra thickness. 1/4" red grosgrain ribbon was tied into a bow around the bottom of the card.

paper is from the Basic Grey Evergreen collection, flowers and berry sprays are by Wild Orchid Crafts, wooden veneer snowflakes are from Studio Calico, and buttons are from my vintage stash. the beautiful dies are by Sue Wilson and Creative Expressions. I was blessed to win a wonderful selection of these dies a bit ago. :)

and I simply must do a quick shout out to our youngest son, Ryan. hubby and I did a quickie trip to Indiana on Sunday to surprise Ry at his church. it was his first time to preach, and we knew that we couldn't miss it.  a few tears, of course, but most importantly, lots and lots of laughter and JOY! God truly used this amazing young man to spread His message! I am so very proud! :)

thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Eclectic Ellapu - use more than 1 die
Robyn's Fetish - add a Christmas die cut
That Craft Place - Christmas
Allsorts - golden days (doily)
Creatalicious - something old (flair, buttons, doily, wood veneer snowflakes), something new (dies)
Southern Ridge Trading Co - Christmas words
Through the Purple Haze - Christmas
Choux Choux Paper Art - Visions of Sugar Plums Linky Party

Happy Coffee Elf and the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Pecan

Not only is it Friday (which deserves it's own shout out!), but today is the start of the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! wooo hoooo and a big Fa La La La La! :)

While I won't have as many projects to share for the hop as I have in the past, I will have several, so I do hope you'll stop back by a few times during the week! you know I love my coffee! so grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and I'll share my project for today.....

my card starts with several items re-purposed from a recent trip to Starbucks. I took a bag that they give you when you buy one of their delicious treats (yes, I bought one. okay, maybe MORE than one, but I did share with my sons, and it was oh, so YUM!) I cut it apart to use as the bg. and then sprayed it with white Mr. Huey's mist. the little sticks you use to keep the steam/heat from escaping also found its way onto the card.

the adorable happy coffee elf comes from Simply Betty stamps. do you ever wish for a cup that size? I have one that comes close that hubby had specially made for me last Christmas. ;) buttons are from my vintage stash, poinsettia comes from Hobby Lobby, I think, tickets are another stash item, and wonderful ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbons. little bell is from Live and Love Crafts. touches with a wink of stella glitter pen and stickles were added.

thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a most amazing weekend! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Ch Extra - anything Christmas goes
Choux Choux Paper Art - Visions of Sugar Plums Christmas/winter projects linky party
Cards 4 Galz - Cute Christmas
CRAFT - Christmas
Star Stampz - Christmas Creations
Pile it On - anything Christmas or winter
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas card
{pin}spirational - photo inspiration
Eureka - Christmas is coming
Robyn's Fetish - Christmas card
Hiding in My Craft Room - Christmas colors
Simon Says Stamp Mon - holly jolly stamping
Wags 'n Whiskers - fairies and elves

Sparkle and Shine with Really Reasonable Ribbon

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Today begins a new challenge over at the Really Reasonable Ribbon challenge blog. the challenge will run for the entire month of December and the theme is 'Shimmer and Sparkle with ribbon.' I hope you will stop by the blog to see all of the beautiful projects made by the team to inspire you. Be sure to play along with us, too! :)

I decided to make another of my altered almond cans, but this time with a Christmas theme. these are really fun to make. I have a feeling I might just be doing these for various holidays.

The can itself was coated with several coats of gesso, sprayed with pearl glimmer mist, coated with rock candy distress stickles, and then a final coat of icicle stickles was added.

The ribbon spools were painted white and then sprayed with red glimmer mist prior to decorating. sorry the one in front in the photo looks to be leaning. I was trying to get all of the sides in the photo and that one got a bit wonky. ;)

the bird & pine cone pick is from Michael's. I added touches of frosted lace stickles to add not only sparkle but the look of snow to go match the bottom of the tower. Iridescent white metallic string was used to create a large bow that is centered with a rhinestone, also from Michael's.

The ribbon spools are decorated with both vintage buttons and tiny buttons, candy cane stickles, and flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. paper is from the Authentique Tidings collection. I will list the other supplies below.

ribbons and trims:
1/8" diagonal stripe parrot green
5/8" swiss dots olive
2 1/2" plain cotton blend
1 1/2" red gingham
lipstick red seam binding (sprayed with Mr. Huey's shine mist)

Wild Orchid Crafts flowers and leaves:
10mm and 15mm red open roses
cream cherry blossoms
green cherry blossoms
cream hip rose buds
green hip rose buds
red rose buds
small and large holly leaves
red tuscany rose

thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be back tomorrow with another project to share. :)

Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks - winter
Craft Rocket - anything goes
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
DL Art - Christmas
Scrap and Craft - anything Christmas
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes/bling it up
Decorate to Celebrate - anything goes
Little Red Wagon - traditional Christmas colors
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - let it snow
Pile it On - use red and green
A Snowflake's Promise - anything goes with winter/Christmas theme
Papertake Weekly - anything goes with holiday gift option
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Ch - time to decorate
Sisters of Craft - anything goes

Autumn Thank You for Each of YOU!

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to each one of YOU for your kind welcome as I come back to blogging! your comments and messages have been so gracious! you make my heart sing! :)

I hope to alternate my posts between new projects and things I made while on hiatus. this next post is something brand new. :)

I have used the current sketch over at From the Heart as well as one of their cute autumn sets, 'Sunflowers and Pumpkin'. papers are from the Basic Grey Persimmon collection and circle dies are by Spellbiders. the sentiment circle was sprayed with both Mr. Huey's spray as well as glimmer mist. the centers of the sunflowers are coated in distress stickles.

the colors on the little vintage milk cap seemed to go perfectly, so I couldn't help myself and had to include it! all buttons are from my vintage stash. not sure who makes the great orange twill ribbon, but I know you will see more of it before fall is over! I did add a staple to the orange ticket in the bottom right corner after taking the photo. my big stapler is in another room & I had completely forgotten that I wanted to do that before I jumped the gun and took the piccy.... you know I am a goober like that! ;)

Be back tomorrow! :)

Challenges:
From the Heart - sketch #116
Really Reasonable Ribbon - autumn colors with ribbon or trim
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Ooh La La - autumn
Glitter 'n Sparkle - add buttons
Hiding in My Craft Room - freestyle
Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - fall fun + a sentiment
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Di's Digi Designs - include a sentiment

Be Original - Be YOU!

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato ( a brown sugar, butter cream taste. yum!)

I finally was able to get my card done for the new Anya, Oddies, and Others challenge blog, but please forgive me for the horrid scan. my regular scanner crashed today, so I had to use our regular printer. it's great for printing digis, but scanning - not so much. as you can see, photos are not clear and crisp at all. :(

good news is that I think I can repair my old scanner. I did some internet searching this evening and have found a few troubleshooting sites that just might  have the answers! I sure hope so, because I love my scanner! we all know I can't take pix worth beans any longer since I shake so much. really hope this works!

remember that you can click on any of the tabs across the top of the page on the blog. under each heading you will find not only the criteria for each stamp company, but also the linky tool for your own projects!

since I am working with Unity Stamps, my criteria for the challenge were to use at least one of the following:  blue, wooden embellie, butterfly, sticker. I am using blue and wooden veneers.

I stamped the elephant from 'Original You' onto a piece of watercolor cs that I created with gelatos and several spray mists. there is a lot of sparkle on this irl. the sentiment is part of the stamp set. the card base was stamped with 'Vintage Passport' in Versamark ink. I've not used that ink in FOREVER!

after fussy cutting the elephant, I went back over some of the little black dots with a black spica glitter gel pen. I used the same glitter gel pen to add accent dots across the top of the banner. little flower is Petaloo, enamel dots are homemade, wood veneer flowers are Studio Calico, baker's twine is Webster's Pages, little kraft bag is re-purposed, and I'm sorry I don't know mfg of washi tapes.

Tip - as many of you know, I save all kinds of things to use on my craft projects. even something as simple as a little paper bag can easily be used on a card!

for easy directions on how to make your own enamel dots, click here. once my dots had cooled, I then added them to sheets of mini glue dots so that they were ready to go! :)

I do hope you will play along with us!
Enjoy your weekend! :)

Challenges:
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Mema's Crafts - anything goes
One Crazy Stamper - blue, white, plus embellies (no digi)
Seemacrafts - anything goes
Bloggers Ch - reuse/recycle (paper bag)
Crafty Catz - anything goes
QKR - anything goes
Divas by Design - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Top Tip Tues - make your own (enamel dots)

A Frosty, Snowy Penguin Tag

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Well today is going to be a busy one for me with lots of baking going on. how about you? how are your preparations for Christmas going? I still need to wrap gifts, too, but that can wait another day or so. ;) we always have someone wrapping a few on Christmas morning..... grins!

I have a fun little tag to show you this morning using a happy little penguin image from Scrapper's Delights. They have a challenge in their Facebook group to use this image on either a tag or an ornament. I love to make tags, so it was an easy choice for me.

I created the bg on the tag using a mix of gelatos (this really shines and sparkles irl!!) and white Mr. Huey's spray mist. the drifts were hand cut from glittered tissue paper. pom pom trim, baker's twine, button, sequins, and a mini white sisal tree complete it all. :)  oh yes, I added stickles to our penguin friend's hat and some polka dots with a white gel pen.

be on the lookout for some fun and new things happening here on my blog in the new year. not only am I trying something completely new for me, but I am getting my toes wet again in the DT arena after my hurtful experiences this year. can't let a few unfortunate people keep me from doing what I enjoy, that is for certain! life is way to short for grudges and bitterness, folks. gotta keep it in the rearview mirror! ;)

enjoy these last few days getting ready for Christmas! don't forget to stop every once in a while and enjoy the beauty of all this season stands for. :)

Challenges:
Scrapper's Delights - anything goes
Animal Friends - anything goes w/an animal
Crafting Musketeers - bling (bg, sequins, stickles, glittered tissue)
Ladybug Crafts - It's Cold Outside
Inky Impressions - Winter Wonderland
Milk Coffee - Make it Sparkle (bg, sequins, stickles, glittered tissue)
Add A Little Dazzle - anything goes or photo inspiration (a bit of both - tree & sparkle from photo)
Hambo Hoedown - Winter Fun
Simon Says Stamp Wed - Winter Inspiration
Mema's Crafts - Cold Winter Days
Cosmic Colors - color inspiration (see above - cookies)
Crafty Ribbons - Penguin Pals
DRS Designs - color inspiration (see above - skates)
Crafter's Cafe - Animal Friends
House That Stamps Built - Think Snow
Crafty Sentiments - Winter
Inky Chicks - Winter Wonderland
Robyn's Fetish - Christmas tags

Coffee Addicts, I mean, Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

I am soooooooo excited to be taking part in this great blog hop of fellow coffee addicts, I mean, aficionados! tee hee! I do enjoy a proper cup of tea, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing quite like a big hot cup o' joe to make my heart go pitter pat! :)

You will see so many fabulous projects on this hop, so be sure your cup is filled to the brim. I'll be more than happy to give you a refill while you are here!

I had big intentions of making several projects for today, but a wicked fever had other designs on my time. so instead I have only one card to show......

I used the great coffee sentiment from Deep Red Stamps, stamped onto watercolor paper. gelatos and clear shine Mr. Huey's spray mist were then used to add color. I love using the clear shine mist rather than water for the beautiful sparkle it adds!

papers are Basic Grey Spice Market, flower is Petaloo, burlap ribbon is by May Arts, seam tape ribbon and border punch are SU!, and buttons are from my stash. you know how much I love to re-purpose my Starbucks coffee goodies! they add such a fun touch to this card! :)

We were also asked to answer the following questions:

1. When did you start drinking coffee? my dad introduced me to this lovely concoction called 'coffee milk' when I was a little girl. funny, it's still the way I drink my coffee, only now I call it a 'latte'! ;)
2. What is favorite brand (you can name up to three). when I am out, I pretty much only drink Starbucks. at home, our fave company is called 'The Coffee Fool'. they have the most delightful flavors in decaf! we get them through Amazon. 
3. What is the most amazing coffee that you had? what I make in my French coffee press. it is really the very best for making coffee. even beats the Keurig. 
4. If I don't drink my needed coffee, I will...not be a happy camper, so let's just not go there, okay? ;)

thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:
Fresh Brewed Designs - lots of lattes
Inkspirational - beverages/drinks
Snarky Stampers - D is for Distressing
Alphabet Ch - Q is for Quadruple (4 buttons)
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Docerela Creations - anything stamped goes
Sister Act - any card goes
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with buttons & ribbons
Red Rubber Inspirationals - focus on the stamping
Simon Says Wed. - anything goes

Happy Birthday, Amy! :)

Coffee of the Day - Hazelnut

Betty, of Simply Betty Stamps, wanted to surprise her sister, Amy, with lots of big bright Happy Birthday wishes today, so she got together some folks in her Simply B Facebook group to make a few cards.

my card uses the image, "Let Me Take a Selfie Amy" and papers from the Basic Grey Life of the Party collection. flower is by Petaloo, sentiment stickers are by SRM, and stars were punched from Starbucks coffee cozies then inked with white craft. red twine was salvaged from our huge bags of dog foot. I love that stuff and use it on so many projects! buttons and tickets are from my stash. I almost forgot, I added a little wood veneer star that was inked with a marker to her hair. :)

Challenges:
Sweet Sketch - sketch
Inky Impressions - primary colors
Sister Act - any card goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - celebrations
Double Click - birthday
Paper Pretties - buttons
Paper Shelter - ribbon, twine, and/or floss (used ribbon & twine)
City Crafter - diagonals
Inky Chicks - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafting Musketeers - buttons
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Ladybug Crafts - anything goes
Cheerful Stamp Pad - birthday
Crafty Bloggers - anything goes
Crafty Boots - anything goes

Ready for Adventure on a Pink Vespa!

Welcome to the Whimsy July digital release blog hop!!!!

We have lots of new images to share with you today created by:

Marika Collins Collection

Stamp Art Design

Miss Rach Digital Collection

Moon Cookie Gallery

Lia Stampz

Crissy's Digis

All Whimsy Stamps digital images are 300dpi for high print quality.You can re-size, flip, or rotate to fit your own project To find all of today's new releases please visit the Whimsy Stamps Store.

Don't forget to leave comments along the way as there will be 2 mystery DT Members who will each be choosing a winner from the comments left on their hop posts!

These winners will each win a Whimsy digital image of their choice. The Grand Prize winner of the hop will be chosen from the very last stop, which is Dewi Lestari.

This winner will receive 5 digital stamps of their choice from the Whimsy Stamps Store.

The hop will run for 1 week and end on Monday 7th July at 12 Noon EST, when the lucky winners will be announced on the Whimsy Inspiration blog.

Below is a complete list of the hop in case you get lost along the way:

Audrey Ernst

Jennifer Scull - you are here! :)

Gina Allen

Charlene Brown

Anet Van Zyl

Kelly Mannix

Henryka Kowacz

Lisa West

Hazel Thompson

Michelle Oatman

Denise Goeldner

Dewi Lestari

I am just tickled all kinds of shades of pink to be part of the Whimsy Digital Design Team! if you are hopping along from the beginning, then you should have arrived here from the lovely blog of 

Audrey! 

Grab a cup of coffee, today's flavor is Irish Creme, and join me for just a few moments!

for my card I have paired the oh, so cute Valerie by Marika Collins with a great sentiment 

from the 'For Fun and Adventure' set. 

to start, I have long wanted a pink Vespa. I mean really really wanted one. but living where we do,

it just isn't a wise choice. so I am living vicariously through Valerie here

by letting her have that pink Vespa to travel the world!

papers are from the Studio Calico Abroad collection, flowers are Prima, sequins are by Lawn Fawn, 

and city skyline dies are Paper Smooches. touches were made to the main image with 

shimmerz paint, a spica clear glitter pen, and white gel pen.

linen thread and button complete the card.

now pop on over to the fabulous blog of Gina! 

be sure to tell her hello! :)

Challenges:
Brown Sugar - color palette

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Fan-tastic Tues. - anything goes
Cheerful Stamp Pad - weekend activities
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Catch the Bug - color palette
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Dream Factory - Around the World in 80 Days
Loves Rubberstamps - anything goes

I Zentangled.... and I'm a Dragonfly! :)

I have a new Design Team to announce to you this evening..... I am a Crafty Dragonfly! you'll have to bear with me as I adjust to the time zone difference between here and the blog location. I'll have to remember to post on my blog Tuesday evenings from here on out.... grins!

anyhow, I know this challenge blog is going to stretch me in ways I might fuss about, but boy will I ever learn some great new techniques! the new challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies this fortnight is Zentangle. Our sponsors are Bugaboo and Eureka.

I admit I had never tried this before. never really cared for the look all that much, but I put those brave boots on and jumped right in! if you've never tired Zentangling before, I think it's pretty important to have a fine point marker. I was using an extra fine point Sharpie, but that wasn't really as fine as I think it should be if you are going to do this very often.

I originally made 2 ATCs, but then was reminded that this challenge was for cards only, so I added the ATCs to card bases. some distressing and doodling on the bases helped keep the focus on the main images.

This ATC and card uses the Bugaboo 'Beauty Butterfly' image. bg for both ATCs was created with the Crafter's Workshop Mini Fish Scales stencil, black gelato, and graphite glimmer mist.  this one was also sprayed with Mr. Huey's white mist. each card was matted with a distressed piece of black cs. the butterfly is popped up on foam tape, mounted over vintage black lace next to a Prima rose. handmade black enamel dots simulate the flight of the butterfly. the same graphite glimmer mist was sprayed on the white card base.

This ATC and card uses the Eureka 'Stained Glass Sun' image. small leaf flourishes, May Arts ribbon, and a Prima flower were added to the ATC. handmade enamel dots and some doodles on the card base finish the card. sentiments on both were created with my label maker.

I do hope you will give this new technique a try. I have SO MUCH respect for those artists who can do this. sadly, I am not one of them. tee hee!

Challenges:
Wicked Wed. ATC - black, white, and one other color (ATCs only - grey/silver is other color)
Outlawz Greeting - monochromatic (cards)
Fan-tastic Tues - anything goes (cards)
TTCRD - anything goes

A Get Well Kangaroo and Fun News!

Coffee of the Day - Toffee Creme

Hello to all of you, and Happy Hump Day! say what you will, but man oh man, that camel makes me giggle every single time! ;)

One day last week I received a coolio email from Monica over at Add a Little Dazzle. you might recall that she sponsored our metal challenge at Pile it On. Imagine both my surprise and excitement when she asked if I would be interested in joining her Design Team! of course I said 'yes' right away! the metal sheets I had tried were so much fun to use. I knew I wanted the chance to play with them a lot more often!

so today is my first official post as a team member. we have a new challenge and the theme is to use some vellum on your projects.  Please be sure to stop over at the Add a Little Dazzle blog to see what everyone has created to inspire you. you are not required to use products from the Add a Little Dazzle store on your projects, but if you do, you'll get an extra entry into the prize drawing!

To create the sentiment, I took a portion of the Perfect Peacock sheet metal and cut it in my Big Shot with a Paper Smooches 'get well' sentiment die. I know I have said this before, but gosh, this stuff cuts like soft butter! the edges stay so nice and smooth, so no chance of getting cut. I use my Tombow all purpose glue in the green and white bottle to adhere it. (or staples like I did here)

My card also uses a precious kangaroo image from A Day for Daisies, paper from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection, and Prima flower. the vellum was first embossed with the Basic Grey Snow Cap embossing folder, then lightly inked in pale pink. the card base was spritzed with Calico White Mr. Huey's.  a bit of washi tape, some buttons, and pink wired ribbon tied in a bow complete the card.

Challenges:
A Day for Daisies - kraft
Inky Chicks - metal embellishment (staples & sentiment)
Tuesday Throwdown - use paint or mist
Craft-Dee Bow Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Cutie Pie - embossing
CCC Digi Creations - digi and die cut
East Wind - embossing
Cupcake Inspirations - photo inspiration and flowers
Ditzie Digi Design - anything goes
Lacy Sunshine - dies and/or punches
Sunday Sketch - sketch
Catch the Bug - recipe: kraft, embossing and a pop of color
Sister Act - any card goes
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - embossing
Crafting at the Weekend - anything goes
Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
Nutcrafters - animals or insects
Whimsy Inspires - bingo: ribbon, flowers, sentiment